《Camelot Overthrown》


 Wind-down

    I¡¯m alone with my NPCs. I¡¯m in my chamber with Asterix, Oliver Stone, Armand the Tall, Geraint the Blacksmith, Simon the Vendor, Thorvald the Miner,  and Jason the Brewer.


    It¡¯s them I should really be worried about. If the Fangs of Koth, or other of Satanus¡¯s minions get to Silver Drift, they¡¯ll be gone and dead forever. No resurrecting for NPCs, all their skills and all their levels will be gone.


    ¡®So you beat them, sir?


    ¡®Kind of. Everyone else died.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s a shame. But they will resurrect,¡¯ Oliver says.


    ¡®But they know we¡¯re here and they will want revenge,¡¯ Armand says.


    ¡®Any sign that they know about the Secret Valley?¡¯


    He shakes his head.


    That¡¯s one thing at least. I turn to Jason. ¡®How¡¯s production?¡¯


    ¡®Good. Lots of potatoes. Lots of beer. The mules are breeding, population¡¯s growing.¡¯This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    That¡¯s good. I ask what we¡¯re at.


    ¡®A hundred and two.¡¯


    I sit forward. ¡®A hundred and two?¡¯


    He nods.


    ¡®So we¡¯ve got our village milestone?¡¯ I¡¯m so excited I could burst.


    ¡®Yes, sir.¡¯ It just appeared in the central chamber of the mine.¡¯ He¡¯s grinning too.


    ¡®So I can bind there?¡¯


    Asterix laughs. ¡®I should think so. Why don¡¯t you go and do it?¡¯


    I stand. They follow me through to where a granite obelisk stands about three feet tall in the central chamber. Torchlight illuminates the letters carved in its side.


    SILVER DRIFT


    As I come close, a message pops up on my HUD.


    <You have discovered Silver Drift: 5xp>


    I know they¡¯ll come for us, and later I¡¯ll be standing on the hillside watching anxiously for my friends to return so they too can bind here at Silver Drift, but for now a sense of confidence grows in me, of hope almost.


    I look at the NPCs who are watching me with smiles on their faces.  I clear my throat. ¡®I¡¯ll tell you what we¡¯re going to do. We¡¯re going to send a message to King Arthur down south across all that enemy territory. And we¡¯re going to tell him that Silver Drift stands with him. That we¡¯re waiting for his return and we will be a beacon of his truth here in the north, until he can come back again.¡¯


    And with that, NPCs as they are, they all break into a cheer.