Polynya

Hiccup scoffs at the Swede’s suggestion. “What part of ‘going up against stronger guilds’ do you not understand, Twixy? We just had our asses handed to us not two hours ago! Let me frame it like this: an RPC guild from Ultima Thule vs. the Mitherfickers, a lowly guild consisting of a guy who shoots marbles and broods too much; Mr. ‘If You Got It Flaunt It’ over here who’d whore out his own offspring if he knew it had a 15% chance of a good ROI; a relatively handsome and intelligent goblin with a good head of pink hair who’s good with an ax and well-read; and the most lizardous of lizard queens.”

“I am not a queen,” Zaena says sharply, her orange eyes narrowing on Hiccup.

“Easy, princess, just trying to make a point.”

Zaena grits her teeth.

“Enough,” Ryuk says. “Let’s take the legendary creature quest. We’ll gain a ton of EXP.”

“No.” FeeTwix shakes his head. “I’ve got a better idea. You three take the Wizardous quest. I’ll log out and get some real world rest. I … ” He thinks for a moment. “I can’t remember the last time I logged out. I’ve got a custom Somnium Skip Box that also keeps my vitals level with IV infused nutrients. Point is – it’s been days.”

“What?” Zaena raises an eyebrow at him.

“I’ll explain later. You three take the first quest, win bigly, and I’ll see you guys in the morning.”

Ryuk looks to the other two. “Well? What do you guys think?”

Hiccup snaps his fingers. “Let’s do it. Maybe we can get a pinch of some of that Wizardous too, you know, to sell if we ever find ourselves in a bind.”

Quest: Will you journey to the Port of Corpses in the Goblin Riviera to defend a shipment of Wizardous?

Rewards: 1.5x EXP and a 10,000 rupee bonus upon successful completion.

Risks: You will be arrested and you may make an arch-nemesis.

Ryuk accepts the quest on behalf of the guild.

“One more thing, Jim,” Ryuk says, suddenly remembering something.

“Yes?”

“Have you ever seen one of these before?”

Ryuk equips the dragon egg they looted from the Bannon’s zombie-filled home in Kayi. With its dark purple color and a tendril of blue spiraling around it, the egg looks like it’d be right at home in an Easter celebration.

Jim raises his hand to his mouth. “Oh my! Wherever did you find this?”

“We, um, found it in Kayi.”

“Good,” Hiccup whispers a bit too loud. “Keep the alternative facts a-coming.”

Jim ignores the goblin as he approaches Ryuk. “Do you mind if I show it to some people I know?”

“We need to get it to a hatchery,” Zaena says.

Jim shakes his head. “Not necessarily, but I would like a second opinion on it.”

Ryuk hesitates for a moment, but something about the innocent look in Jim’s eyes inspires him to hand it over.

“Thank you. I promise I’ll have more information on the egg tomorrow.” With that, and with the egg carefully in his grasp, Jim exits the room.

“Now that that ficker’s gone, let’s get down to business!”

The spawning point takes shape in front of Ryuk. It starts as a golden seed, and as Thulean script twists around it, it morphs into a softball-sized sphere.

“Good luck,” FeeTwix tells the group. “I’ll see you guys here in the morning!” He grabs Zaena, kisses her, and logs out while he’s still in her arms.

Hiccup rolls his eyes. “For fick’s sake … ”

Chapter 3: Port of Corpses

Zaena brandishes her four swords made of depleted Pelosium before Ryuk’s avatar can finish materializing. “Weapons up.” She steps in front of him and scans the dark alleys before them.

Ryuk quickly loads his magazines with marbles, four black/molten mixes and one mag with sword marbles.

He pops a black molten magazine into the back of his gun.

“Something smells fishy!” Hiccup chortles. “Sorry, I crack myself up. That’s just the smell of the fisheries over there.” He uses his mechanical thumb to point to a series of buildings with corrugated roofs. “Whenever you smell that kind of stank, it can only mean one of two things. One, you know you’re in the Port of Corpses. Two–”

“–The Port of Corpses?” Ryuk asks. “I was meaning to ask about that earlier – I’ve never heard of it.”

“That’s because you don’t listen, Marbles, get woke. I’m pretty sure I’ve called it that before, and like most things, there’s another name for it. Ever heard of the Port of Protla?”

He nods.

“There’s revisionist history for you. History is written by the oppressors, am I right? Pretty sure I read that in a history book. Any-fickin’-hoo, the real name is in remembrance of the battle between the goblins and the Lost Boys, those little fickers. Lots of dead bodies fell down the continental shelf into the Endless Sea that day. Damn, were the fish down there happy.”

“Lost Boys?” Ryuk glances over his shoulder and catches a group of beefy orcs loading boxes onto a small airship.