29 Missing Monarch

QJ stretched in bed for a moment before sitting up quickly. "A Guild Base... sweet Georgia." He quickly showered and changed, then hurried into the kitchen. By the time Tal came to make coffee, he was cutting some fresh fruit.

"Hey, sweetie." Tal leaned over and kissed the top of his head. "Yogurt, bagels, fresh fruit... Who are you feeding QJ? Did you cut some fresh flowers from the garden?"

QJ took the breakfast tray from the pantry and sat it on the table. "Yep, it's for Nanna."

"She's been helping you?" Tal poured some orange juice and handed it to her son.

QJ nodded and placed it on the tray; before he could leave, Tal poured a cup of coffee and handed it to him. "Thanks, mom."

He stopped outside her door and knocked lightly on the doorframe. "Hey Nan, I need some more help."

Anna sat up slowly in bed and looked at her clock; her alarm would have gone off in two minutes. "Whatever you need, QJ." She gave him a sleepy smile, her dark hair sticking straight up.

He entered the room with the tray and stood next to the bed. "Scoot Nan."

Anna's pretty face slowly broke into a wide smile. "For me, QJ?"

QJ nodded and placed the tray on her lap before sitting beside her. "Yep, Nanna's the best."

Anna nodded and took a sip of her coffee. "I'm awfully good."

"And very pretty too." QJ handed her the flowers he had taken from their garden.

The dimples on her cheeks showed, "I really like compliments, don't feel like you have to stop."

"Nan's the smartest, the sweetest, and the best friend a person could have." QJ leaned back on the bed, grinning at her.

"Hmm, you're really quite good at complimenting me. So I shall reward your effort by sharing my breakfast." Anna handed him the glass of orange juice while she took another sip of her coffee.

QJ clinked his glass against her coffee cup. "Cheers then. I'll tell you all about the night I had."

After having breakfast with Anna, he cleaned up the dishes and headed into the garage. His mom was taking her road bike down from the hooks. "Hey, want to go offroad instead?"

Tal smiled at her son and grabbed her mountain bike instead. "Awesome idea, QJ."

They tossed their bikes in the back of Quinn's truck and headed out to the foothills.

"Hope dad doesn't need his ride this morning."

"He can always take Anna's car if he needs to." Tal rolled down the window, enjoying the warm Breeze of a Vegas Morning.

"How's the Lark crystal coming along?"

"Today or tomorrow, we'll attempt extraction." She spoke without opening her eyes.

"Lark is a really nice person, mom. I'm not sure what you think about her." QJ glanced at his mom; she opened her eyes and watched him.

"Are you lobbying on her behalf?" "Yes," QJ smiled at his mom as he pulled into Redrock Park. "Try and take it easy on me today."

Tal laughed as she exited the truck and grabbed her bike. "Your dad always says the same thing."

Two hours later, QJ returned to his room after exiting the shower. His desk hud showed that he had been called a few times while he was gone. Ringo's face instantly smiled at him when he hit the reply button.

"Morning QJ. Been watching the forums at all?"

QJ shook his head; he noticed his teacher was using her GnG avatar. Her eyes were blue instead of green, and her hair was in a long braid. "Anything important?"

"New content is a huge deal in GnG." Ringo studied the relaxed expression of her ace; he was remarkably grounded, given his position. "They are even talking about it on the Legends Server."

"You said Morbin is a big deal on the Legends Server." QJ knew they had effectively disrupted his power play.

"It's rumored that King Quilyn has lost all power on the Legends server and that Morbin is pulling the strings." Ringo frowned as she considered the ramifications. "We may have disrupted some plans for players."

QJ nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. If you came from the Legends Server and were setting things up on the Phoenix Server to ally with Morbin when he made his move..."

Ringo laughed aloud. "Then you'd be pissed when a bunch of noobs turned your carefully made plans upside down."

"We have the inside lane now; let's not waste it." QJ glanced at his clock. "When are the servers coming back up?"

"At 01000 hrs. Normally we'd be grinding levels by then." Ringo leaned back in her chair; she was already in the classroom. "Gotta say, you were very impressive yesterday."

"Hmm... Do I get my own office?"

She winked playfully at her student. "Sorry, that's not in our budget."

QJ shrugged. "That's fine. I'm taking the desk from the Dean's office anyway.

"Interesting idea. See ya in a bit." Ringo cut comm, leaving QJ staring at his desktop.

Robin was sitting outside the Songbird Tavern, they were closed for business, but she was waiting for QJ, who usually walked by on his way to the Academy. A few minutes later, she spied two enormous black panthers; her target was walking between them.

"QJ!" Robin walked toward him, smiling when his face lit up. "Can I talk to you?"

He nodded at her. "Walk with me to the Academy." QJ glanced at the orange-haired Rogue; she seemed nervous about something. "Spill it, Robs."

"I heard you were awarded a Keep in the Guns and Gore world." She slid a hand through his arm, smiling up at him.

"Not exactly true; my Guild was awarded the Thunder Keep. Although I am now the Vice-Commander."

"You'll need NPCs, right? I want to work for you, QJ." Robin blushed when she said it, her dark eyes staring.

QJ returned her stare. "It's true we need staff. I was going to appoint someone to recruit workers, guards, and household help."

"I can do that, QJ." Robin looked down at the ground, "I arranged for an extended leave of absence from the Songbirds."

"Thank you, Robs. It would be nice to have someone I trust handling these things. However, I will have to run it past the Guild Leader."

Robin turned a deep red and hugged him tightly before suddenly turning back toward the Songbird.

"Er... the hell was that reaction?" QJ watched the fleeing Songbird.

A few minutes later, QJ walked into his classroom. Dessi and Ringo were leaning against the far windows talking. They were the only ones in the class.

QJ smiled at the two of them. "Morning."

Dessi returned his smile. "Morning, Dean Riley."

Ringo kept a straight face. "Morning, Dean."

QJ sighed heavily and sat at his desk. "Doesn't that get old?"

Dessi glanced at her co-worker. "No, not really."

Ringo shook her head. "Not a bit."

QJ stood up and walked toward the window. "An NPC friend wants to work for us as the Stronghold Commandant."

"Really?" Ringo raised an eyebrow. "Are we talking about the orange-haired Songbird?"

QJ nodded."Yep. How'd you know?"

Dessi whistled. "She definitely is qualified. Hasn't she worked as an operative for quite some time?"

"Don't happen to know her level, do you?" Ringo knew that the TAP NPCs were usually powerful, especially the Songbirds.

QJ shrugged. "Around 180, I would guess. I could be wrong, though."

"I was going to leave the staffing to you anyway, QJ; with your NPC connections, it only makes sense."

"QJ... my third years wish to join One Problem. What do you think?"

"Why ask me? That's a decision for the Guild Leader."

Dessi glanced at her friend, "Ringo has left that up to you."

QJ smiled pleasantly. "Oh, I see. Well then... denied."

Dessi frowned for a moment and then headed for the door. "Just think it over, QJ."

Ringo waited until she had left and then turned back toward QJ. "What's your reasoning?"

QJ thought about it for a moment. "It might lead to a power struggle. They'd want their own classmate promoted to a leadership position eventually. So I'd just as soon keep it like it is. Then, later on, we can bring them in if things are going well."

Ringo nodded in agreement. "I thought along similar lines."

QJ noticed that his classmates were starting to filter in. "They did help with the Keep. However, I think that the two levels everyone gained are more than enough reward for thirty minutes of work."

"I agree, besides it was our quest to start with. We spent an entire night being chased."

A few minutes later, Ringo finished taking attendance. There were quite a few smiling faces looking at her.

"Good Morning, Everyone. I don't need to tell you that One Problem impacted all of Guns and Gore last night." Ringo paused as her class cheered loudly. "Before discussing anything else, let's look at the leaderboard."

[Top Guild Level]

1) One Problem 18.5

2) Old Skool-Lvl 18.4

3) Chupa Lupa 15.1

[Class Leaderboard]

Range Rider: Sexy Dexy-Lvl 19

Gunfighter: Oldman Crane-Lvl 23

Brave: Laffy Taffy-Lvl-19

Tracker: Carlotti Hottie-Lvl 18

Shaman: Dead Mimi-Lvl 18

Field Medic: Suga Pie-Lvl 20

Wrangler: Kingslayer QJ-Lvl 21

Scout: Cactus Flower Lvl 19

Commanchero: Breeze-Lvl 19

Cavalry: Iron Lou-Lvl 19

Raider: Devil Woman-Lvl 18

Gambler: Pinnacle-Lvl 19

[Top Five OverAll]

1) Oldman Crane

2) Kingslayer QJ

3) Suga Pie

4) Breeze

5) Ringo

As expected, the class cheered when the day's standings were posted. Ringo let them celebrate for a few moments before quieting them down.

"As you can see, we have overtaken Old Skool thanks to our successful Raid on Thunder Keep. Additionally, we now have three members in the top five rankings." Ringo didn't bother to hide how happy that made her.

Breeze raised her hand. "What kind of changes come with a Guild Keep?"

"For starters, you will no longer report here in the mornings. Instead, attendance will be taken at the Guild Stronghold; from there, we will head to our morning activities." Ringo wasn't surprised when the class cheered again. "Please stand up, QJ."

QJ stood up and walked to the front of the class. "Ringo has appointed me Vice-Commander of One Problem. I will do my best for the Guild. We will attempt the Kingslayer Raid today; with our increase in levels, I expect it will be a fairly simple event. The main thing we want out of this Raid is the 'Kingslayer' title for everyone. After the Raid, we will head directly to our new Stronghold."

A soft knock at the door caused QJ to pause; a young woman with short black hair stood in the doorway. "Excuse me. I'm Rachel Brenner. I would like to see Dean QJ, please."

QJ tried not to stare, but it was difficult. She was a stunningly beautiful woman. "I'm just the Acting Dean until matters are settled."

Ringo frowned at the newcomer; the Board Chairman was Malcolm Brenner, so she immediately made the connection. "Go on, QJ, attend to those matters."

QJ led his guest down the hall to the Dean's office. He opened the first set of doors and walked by Veronica's desk. "Did you dismiss my assistant?"

Rachel glanced at the empty desk and swore under her breath someone had already messed up. "She was supposed to be here until I relieved her."

"Oh, I see." QJ walked into the office and sat behind the Dean's desk. "What can I do for you, Miss Brenner?"

"I apologize for overstepping. That wasn't my intent," Rachel spoke slowly, like a person carefully choosing their words.

"What is your intent?" QJ pushed his chair back from the desk. "Want me to step down? I can get my father on the hud now and let you discuss it with him." QJ brought up his hud, a tiny bit of mischief shining in his eye.

"Oh god no, " Rachel stepped forward, her hands held outward. "Please don't involve Quinn Riley. I'm merely.."

She was interrupted when an orange-haired woman appeared on QJ's desk hud. "QJ! Have you considered my offer?"

QJ smiled at her. "Yes, since it is my call. I'm placing you as the Stronghold Commandant, responsible for all staffing. Can you handle that, Robs?"

"Yes..." Robin said softly.

"I look forward to working with you." QJ could barely hear her voice.

"Me too, QJ." She smiled at him, "I won't let you down."

QJ closed his hud and then glanced at the woman in his office. She looked slightly frazzled. "I know why you are here. You need to protect the interest of the Board."

Rachel took a deep breath, "I'm only here to assist you. I will do nothing to counter any ideas or decisions you make."

QJ nodded but completely ignored her words. "You can handle all the day-to-day items. Leave security to the Silverleaf Company, do not interfere in anything they do."

Over the next hour, QJ showed her the log of changes he had implemented regarding the Good Will Games. He then turned over the desk to her.

"QJ, this is more authority than I was asked to handle." Rachel seemed to be confused by his willingness to take a step back.

QJ shrugged, "I know how that feels. Do your best."

QJ returned to class and took his seat; the class was studying the map area around their new Guild Base. Lotte had moved to the back of the room to work with Breeze, so QJ opened up his hud and took a closer look. A tap on his shoulder caused him to look up.

"We've never really talked, even though we are classmates. I'm Sato."

QJ smiled pleasantly; this was a case of the avatar looking nothing like the actual person. Seamus Sullivan was a redhead with a face full of freckles; his scout avatar was Sato, and he had brown skin with long jet-black hair hanging to his waist.

"You're a scout, right?" QJ shook the hand that Sato offered. "Almost chose that class myself, have a seat."

Sato nodded and took a seat at Lotte's empty desk. "Just wanted to say hi since we are practically neighbors."

"California ?" QJ asked.

Sato shook his head. "Nope. Henderson."

"Oh god..." QJ consoled him with a pat on the back. "Poor chap."

Sato made a face at him. "Only people who aren't from Henderson say that. It's jealousy talking."

Henderson, Nevada, was a small town about a half hour South of Vegas; by any standards, it was a complete armpit.

QJ tried not to laugh. "Right, cuz all of Nevada wishes they lived in Henderson."

"See? You are as smart as they say." Sato snuck a look at the back of the class and lowered his voice. "Three questions for you. Trapped on an island for three months with one companion, Breeze or Lotte."

QJ didn't hesitate, "Lotte."

Sato looked surprised. "Unconventional, but I like it. Ringo or Dessi."

QJ scratched his head and glanced toward his teacher. "Dessi."

"Whoah... I would never have thought that. Okay, last one, Nina or Maya?"

"Nina." QJ grinned at his shocked expression. "She's so damn feisty."

"Brother, you're a brave man." Sato lowered his voice when he saw Lotte returning. "Nice talk, later QJ!"

QJ waved as the scout promptly retreated.

"You buds with Sato?" Lotte sat down next to QJ.

QJ shrugged. "First time I've spoken with him. Poor guy is from Henderson."

"That's bad, right?" Lotte hadn't lived in Nevada long, but even noobs learned quickly.

Ringo walked from the window and stood in front of her class. "Okay, everyone, it's time for the server to come back up. We'll be doing the Kingslayer Raid, and QJ will be the raid leader. So let's assemble at the Laredo platform."

[Welcome to Guns and Gore, the Phoenix Server.]

Location: Laredo.

Time: 1001 hours

Server Population: 27,118 Your current level is 21.

QJ looked at the player population. "Holy crap, the Phoenix Server is booming."

Ringo did a quick headcount as QJ assembled the raid teams. "It's the new content; even the old players want in."

[OP: QJ] From now on, all Medics can pick up free Field Bandages from the Guild Bank. Give me a few minutes while I form the Raid.

QJ quickly formed the Raid into teams; he put himself in the Command group with Sato, Ringo, Breeze, Leeta, and Lotte.

[Command Group]

QJ: Wrangler

Lotte: Slinger

Sato: Scout

Ringo: Slinger

Leeta: Medic

Breeze: Chero

[Group 2]

Bungee: Chero

Drax: Slinger

Riker: Tracker

Travoli: Medic

Shoni: Shammy

Solo: Brave

[Group 3]

Knotty: Cav

Potshot: Slinger

Dusk: Tracker

Niche: Medic

Mika: Brave

Wisk: Tracker

[Group 4]

Ty: Cav

Junzo: Rider

Maric: Rider

Dunnie: Rider

Luca: Gambler

Shell: Shammy

[Group 5]

Plush: Scout

Lil Jack: Cav

Nightrain: Gambler

Rox: Shammy

Nexxus: Raider

Bolo: Raider

[Raid: QJ] We don't need traditional groups for this Raid since we won't be using heals or tanks. Incoming Raid Brief.

[Raid Brief]

After verifying our targets are present, we will assemble below the entrance. All of you should have received a portion of bee wax. Place this in both ears before entering the cavern. Once we are ready to progress, I will start the Raid. You may then move inside and start shooting at the ceiling.

[Raid: QJ] Questions?

[Raid: Breeze] Can we hit stuff?

[Raid: QJ] You can hit the regular elites if you want.

They slowly made their way to the rear entrance of the Bee Cavern. The mobs that had been threatening the week before were no longer a problem. Within a few minutes, the entire Raid was below the entrance.

[Group: QJ] I'll go up first with Sato, and we will make sure Circa and Sajana are spawned.

QJ led Sato up to the cavern's entrance; he quickly stealthed and walked inside.

Sato did the same and then followed him in. "Damn, I heard you could use stealth."

"First, we'll check for Empress Sajana." QJ avoided the bees that were busy moving around and walked toward the central chamber.

"She sounds hot." Sato wiped the sweat from his brow; QJ hadn't mentioned that it was a furnace inside.

QJ nodded. "The most beautiful thing you've ever seen."

The pair stopped suddenly as the giant Queen Bee came into view. Sato glanced at QJ in disgust. "Damn... you lied to me."

QJ nodded in agreement. "I did, but the problem is that this isn't Sajana, the Wasp Empress."

[Raid: QJ] Sajana isn't here. Checking now for Circa.

QJ cursed under his breath. If Sajana isn't spawning, then the Line of Succession had been put in motion. He slowly weaved in between the crawling bees until they reached the wax barrier separating the two caverns.

With the two of them working together, it only took a few minutes before they created a man-sized opening. Circa was in plain sight. "Looks like we are in luck; restealth and move against the wall."

[Raid: QJ] Circa is here, so we are moving forward.

"You wiped out both caverns by yourself?" Sato shook his head in disbelief. "Incredible."

QJ stealthed and tied his rope onto one of the Stalagtites hanging from the ceiling.

[Raid: Ringo] We've moved just inside the entrance; we had to kill two bees to make room for everyone.

[Raid: QJ] Okay, going to start now. Rush in when the commotion starts.

QJ walked back to the wax wall hole and aimed at Circa the Ant King.

*Quickshot*

Circa has been hit for 2320 damage.

Fire scorches your target for 464 damage.

QJ turned and ran for the rope; he was halfway up when he heard Circa burst through the wax wall. He aimed overhead and shot into the ceiling. A moment later, all hell broke loose. Circa and the Queen Bee started fighting beneath him while ants and bees rushed in to join the battleground. The raid members charged in and started shooting at the ceiling. The vibration was many times stronger than when it was just QJ shooting.

[Group: Sato] You totally scammed this place, QJ.

[Group: QJ] I didn't make the trap. I only sprang it.

Nearly regular elites in both caverns were dead within a few minutes. However, the Queen Bee was no match for Circa the Ant King.

[Raid: QJ] We Need a tank in there to grab aggro when the Queen Bee dies.

[Raid: Breeze] I'm on it!

[Raid: QJ] All medics focus heals on Breeze. Everyone else continue targeting the ceiling.

*Breeze has activated Blood Fued*

Circa, the Ant King, has been taunted.

The Queen Bee died when her head was torn off in a gruesome spray of insect goo. With half of his health left, Circa turned his attention to Breeze.

*Breeze has activated Turoc Mach'tu*

Circa, the Ant King, has been hit for 2,232 damage.

The Raid extended several more minutes, but with the steady damage dealt by the cavern acoustics, Circa the Ant King died amidst the cheers of One Problem.

[Raid: Ringo] Once you equip the Kingslayer title, you can remove or hide it without losing the benefits.

[Raid: Leeta] There was a system message when Circa died.

[Raid: QJ] There was? Can you link it?

[Raid: Leeta] Here it is.

[Circa, the Ant King, has chosen to abandon this domain.]

QJ exchanged glances with Ringo. Did that mean this domain would be unchallenged? He scanned the list; everyone had Kingslayer in front of their names.

[Raid: Lotte] Thanks, QJ. Excellent stat boost too.

[Raid: Ringo] Time to check the loot.

A single chest dropped when Circa died. QJ walked over to the chest and looted it.

[Raid: QJ] Holy crap...

[Raid: Breeze] Tank gear? Is it tank gear? No? What is it?

[Raid: QJ] Check this out.

[Elite Liraraptor: Mount]

Special: Brood Mother

[Raid: Ringo] That's a Freeborn mount.

[Raid: Lotte] Brood Mother? What's that mean?

[Raid: QJ] More mounts? We should talk to our Freeborn friends.

[Raid: Ringo] Place it in the guild bank. Let's get more information before making a decision.

[Guild Message Of The Day]

After today, we will use Guild Contribution Points (GCP) to bid for raid items. Once you join a guild, your contributions to the Guild are automatically tracked by GnG. Your current points are accessible through the guild interface.

[OP: Sato] Damn... I probably have no points.

[OP: Ringo] Everyone here has GCP.

[OP: Breeze] Found mine, 2,322 GCP!

[OP: Lotte] I have 2,800.

[OP: Sato] How will bidding work when items drop?

[OP: Ringo] Only specified classes can bid if the item is class-specific. Other than that, expect a free-for-all.

[OP: Sato] Won't that mean you won't get anything if your points are low?

[OP: Breeze] You're a bright one... How much did you get for that Main Event quest worth?

[OP: Ringo] 15k.

[OP: Sato] No... Really? Why that high?

[OP: Breeze] It might have something to do with gaining a Guild Keep and turning the server upside down. Just saying.

[OP: QJ] There's a breakdown available for all your points. Here is today for me.

[One Problem: GCP]

World Reputation: 0

Guild Reputation: 0

Morning Attendance: 5

Raid Attendance: 50

Raid Leader: 10

Guild Officer: 5

Gained Title: 0

Guild Title: 100

Guild Rank: 20/20

Class Rank: 10/10

Named Kills: 10 [1(x10)]

Elite Solo Kills: 0 [1(x1)]

Daily Quests: 0/30

[Today's Earned Points: 215 GCP]

[Total GCP] 21,250

[OP: Sato] Why is your Gained Title 0/50?

[OP: QJ] Because I didn't gain the title today.

[OP: Sato] Okay. Then why did you get the 100 points for the Guild Title?

[OP: QJ] Because we achieved 100 percent for the Kingslayer title as a guild today. It's a one-time award for each title the guild gets.

[OP: Ringo] Do the dailies, and attend all events, and your GCP will climb fast.

[OP: Sato] Last question. What are the dailies?

[OP: QJ] Dailies are gimme points you can get daily, like attendance. Before I log off today, I'll break down each category.

[OP: Ringo] Okay, everyone, I'm activating the Guild Base Icon. Everyone should get the [Return to Base] option on their hud. Let's check out our new home.

QJ canceled the Raid and waited while the rest of OP left the cavern. When he was finally alone, he held his hand out. "Come."

A moment later, Cleo appeared in front of him. Immediately he was flooded with feelings of warmth. He patted her head gently. "I got something for you."

[Blood Essence]

Consumable: (Arachni Only)

Description: This contains a substantial amount of life force.

Cleo momentarily looked at the vial before opening the container and drinking it.

An instant later, Cleo seized up and collapsed onto the rock floor of the cavern.

"Shit..."

Her limbs started to convulse violently. QJ treated it like he would anyone in that situation. He kept away from her flaying arms and limbs and tried to protect her head. Her eyes were clenched tightly, and a moment later, her body started to vibrate like it had suddenly been plugged in. He knew a moment of irrational panic. "Please don't die, Cleo!"

It felt like a long time, but the reality was probably only a few minutes. QJ found himself holding her tightly, his entire body covered in a mucus-like slime that smelled like rotten cabbage. Cleo had started secreting it when the vibrations started.

[Whisper/Ringo: QJ] You're still at the cavern. Is everything okay?

[Whisper/QJ: Ringo] No, Cleo experienced some sort of episode when I fed her something.

[Whisper/Ringo: QJ] She's the spider caster? What did you give her?

[Whisper/QJ: Ringo] This.

[Blood Essence]

Consumable: (Arachni Only)

Description: This contains a substantial amount of life force.

[Whisper/Ringo: QJ] Want me to come back?

[Whisper/QJ: Ringo] No. I think she's recovering.

[Whisper/Ringo: QJ] Take your time. Join us when you can.

After a few minutes, Cleo opened her eyes. "QJ?" Her skin turned pale yellow like a canary. Hair sprouted from her head; it was black with yellow stripes. Her dark golden eyes stared at QJ in wonder.

Cleo [Royal Hybrid] (Evolving)

Level 26

HP 11250/11250

Strength 45

Agility 80

Stamina 49

BR:12

"Not quite human; you scared the crap out of me. Are you okay?"

"Yes, but I need to sleep." Cleo gripped his hand tightly.

"I'll unsummon you so you can rest." He helped her stand, holding her arm until she found her balance. "Gotta get you some clothes too. Can't have you running around like that."