by Rae Nantes
The war drums pounded. The priest's eyes were lit aflame. She panicked. Then, she did what any terrified girl would do in this situation.
She logged out.
Blindspot failure: An NPC has witnessed your disappearance.
-5000 XP
Session XP Gain: 4299 XP
Level up!
Darkness. Silence. Then a faint whistle of air rushing past her ears to erupt into a vortex of sound that poured into her. She felt the softness of her bed beneath her, the stale air in her breath, her strawberry air freshener.
She was home again.
Easing up in her bed, Rika pulled off the VR headset and tossed it aside. The diodes plucked off her forehead and tangled, the entire setup looking like a dead jellyfish soaking into her comforter.
She groaned and rubbed her eyes.
She was careless, and she knew it. There was no way she could've outmatched those nipsy warriors with them, and even if she could, she hesitated. The morality of killing nipsies was never something she thought about because, after all, they were just a part of the game. Yet seeing the life in that boy's eyes gripped her.
She shivered with goosebumps at the memory.
Now wasn't the time to dive into wasteful philosophy. She was getting tired anyway and needed to plan for when she logged in the next day. With the time ratio, more than two weeks would’ve passed then - an easy escape.
She hopped off the bed and stretched. Through her bedroom window, the red deserts extended far beyond the glassy domes, sheltering them from the Martian radiation. Distant mountains. Hills and valleys. She was already beginning to miss the old world.
She crawled back into bed and drifted to sleep.
***
The university cafeteria was alive with students populating the tables and booths. Wide windows stretched across the walls from the floor to the ceiling that provided an ample view to the courtyard below. Although she was far beneath the Martian surface, there was plenty of lighting from the city that flooded in.
The lunch line snaked around from the serving area and toward the cashiers. It was busy as usual, but something struck out to her. There was a boy there that she recognized. But from where?
He stood at the cashier with a practiced smile, glistening teeth, tall, attractive, blond. She narrowed her eyes as she stared. Was it Mondego - or rather, that player who she thought was Mondego? Impossible. There might’ve been hundreds of thousands playing the game, but there were millions in the city. But right there behind the guy, was his dark-skinned friend who laughed at his jokes.
Rika hopped up, crept up to the line and hid behind some potted ferns. She was going to ambush them. They paid for their meals, walked over, and stopped in their tracks.
She stood in their way, hands on her hips, staring daggers up at them. They stared back, mouths agape, then spun on their heels and hustled away. She stopped them with a well-placed grip on their elbows. "Where you going, buddies?" she said through her teeth. "Come, come. Sit with me."
They grimaced.
She smiled.
They relented. With some grumbles of discomfort and feigned submission, they followed her to her seat.
"Well?" she said.
"Well, what?" the blond said. He clicked open his soda. Ksss. "You're a crazy person who attacked two innocent, pure-hearted young men." He sang dramatically, "who only sought to bring peace and happiness and–"
"Please die," she said.
The dark-skinned guy stifled his laughter. He shot her a smile and reached his hand over. "My name is Nick. This here is Stef."
She returned the handshake and smiled. At least this one was pleasant to speak to. "Rika.”
"Okay, okay," Stef, the tall blond guy, said. "You gotta admit it was pretty funny from our point of view. Imagine it! A couple of buckeroos heading to the Aztec capital, when all of a sudden–"
"Ugh!" she let out. "Whatever, fine, I thought you were someone else."
Nick crossed his arms and smiled. "Someone else?"
"I was... bounty hunting," she said.
"Bounty hunting," Nick echoed.
"Yes."
"Who?"
Rika rolled her eyes and slumped back in the chair. "Some Spanish friar. It doesn't matter."
Nick gave Stef a knowing glance, and Stef reflected it. "We were planning on their arrival, but it seems a bit early."
"The Spaniards?"
"Yeah," Stef answered. "This is about the time Cortés shows up to invade Mexico."
"I don't really care about any of that." She pushed the carrots around on her plate in thought. "I'm guessing you’re there to help fight against Spain or something?"
Nick nodded. "Last season, we played in Morocco, and all the players helped the Europeans against us."
"A fuckin' crusade," Stef spat. "Who the hell crusades Morocco?" He stabbed his chicken with his fork. "This time, we're gonna get our revenge." He looked over at Nick, who shared his devilish grin.
She smiled at their chemistry.
Nick asked, "How much is that bounty? Gold is always nice."
Rika shrugged.
He raised his eyebrow.
"Look, just—" She grunted in irritation. "Just let me know if you see or hear about a friar named Mondego running around. I know he's after the temple in Mexico City."
"And what if you're wrong?" Nick asked. "What if he doesn't show up? What if he isn't even in Mexico? What will you do then?"
"Then I'll just..." she trailed off. She had no answer to give.
Stef leaned back and looked down at her with a smirk. "Tell ya what. You help us fight against the first wave of Spaniards, and we'll do what we can to capture your boyfriend for ya."
Rika shot him a piercing glare.
"And," he continued, "we won't have to post the video in the forums about how you got your ass kicked by a nipsy."
She slammed her fists on the table. Silverware rattled. "You wouldn't."
Nick chuckled and looked away.
Stef's taunting grin widened further. "I’ve nothing to lose, nothing to lose at all."
1:5
Rika awoke to overcast skies and distant thunder. Heavy raindrops thumped against her skin, and the water licked her wounds. Her hand had regenerated since her last login, but it throbbed with weakness. No MP, no aura, no weapon.
She was vulnerable.
Someone sneezed. She looked up to see Stef half-asleep on the ground, lounging underneath an overhang. Nick was next to him, fiddling with his player screen. The blue glow lit his face. Beside them, the young warrior who captured her.
"Uh, hey," she said.
"Finally," Stef said. "It's been like, what, an hour?"
"Whatever," she croaked out. Even after just logging in, she was exhausted. It took everything she had to try to stand, but she could only sit there limp and out of breath. Her clothes were getting soaked, and her hair was a wet mess.
Stef laid there with his head on his hand. "We met with Montezuma already. He told us that pale-skinned foreigners landed a few days ago. Pretty sure a buncha players tagged along too."
“But he won’t believe us,” Nick followed. “He has no reason to believe that the Spaniards will arrive with hostility.”
“He will eventually,” Stef said. “We’ll just have to work with Plan B.”
"That’s nice,” said Rika. "But what about Mondego? Anything about him?"
"Nope."
She laid back on the stone and stared up at the falling rain. "You're at least gonna pay me for this, right?"
Stef raised his eyebrow. "I'm not the one you’re workin’ for."
The Aztec teenager stepped forward with crossed arms. "I am." His voice was soft yet determined.
Rika stared up at him, then at Nick and Stef. They were fiddling with their status screens. "Does he know?"
"Know what?" Nick said without looking.
"About us."
"They thought we were gods at first, but we settled on sorcerers."
> She looked at the warrior. "And this guy here–"
"My name is Ediha," he said.
The applause of rain faded in and covered her like a blanket. She had to raise her voice over the noise. "Well, it's nice to meet you. Now can you jackasses pull me out of this rain?"
***
They were invited into Ediha’s house with a great welcome. The men were as impressed with Stef and Nick’s armor as they were fascinated by the color of their skin. The women were elated with Rika, for it was the first time they had ever known a young woman with an appearance such as hers. Sharp reddish-brown eyes, short black hair, feisty and pale. Never before had an East Asian set foot in Aztec Mexico, and Rika wondered if that sort of history within the world - within the game - rolled back that far.
As the men had gathered around Stef and Nick to talk about whatever dudes talked about, the women had all converged on Rika. They played with her hair, pulled at her arm to compare skin tones, brushed at her eyelashes, compared frames and heights and sizes, and before long, they were trying to force her to wear the latest Aztec fashion. Rika had never really cared about fashion in the games - only killing people, really - but the amount of joy and fun and excitement around her was contagious. Before long, she was happy to be doted on by Ediha's mother and sisters.
After a quick lunch, Rika stepped out into the yard and into the city - wearing the finest Aztec short dress. The skies had cleared completely, a vibrant bright blue that faded into white in the distance, the sun still reigning above them. The stone paths were dry, but the grass was still a bit damp beneath her bare feet.
From the yard, she could see down the street and toward the market square. The noise of crowds and wafting smells of sizzling meats came from there. Rows of stalls and vendors just like one would find in any city. The place was alive with people in similar dress walking to and fro, merchants making deals and people bartering and trading.
There was peace here.
“Wind magic,” Ediha said behind her. “Where did you learn such a thing?”
She considered the dangers of explaining too much. “A place far from here,” she told him. “And I suppose you learned fire from the Fire Temple?”
There was a fit of muffled laughter from inside the house. Stef was telling more of his lame jokes.
“Yes,” Ediha said. “But it goes by another name. A name of a god.” His eyes turned distant when he spoke. “The god of fire, but we also have a god of wind, too.”
“But no Wind Temple,” Rika said.
He shook his head. “Less than one in one hundred men are fated with the boon of fire. I have never heard of one fated with the boon of wind. Let alone a woman.”
“Well, I’m a sorcerer,” she said. “If I’m going to help you fight off the Spaniards, I’d like to visit this temple.”
Ediha chuckled. “If those Span-yards are anything like you three, I don’t think they would be as hostile as Stef accuses them of being.”
Rika tilted her head at him. “If you don’t believe that Spain will invade, then what are you paying me for?”
He smiled but didn’t answer.
1:6
A temple of gold.
They were taken to the temple complex in the heart of the city. Four temples spaced out, some flat at the top, one with ongoing construction. Ediha led them along to the smallest one in the corner. The outside was stone, built in the same pyramid fashion that the rest of the Aztec temples were, but the entrance led underground. Dark, damp, echoing footsteps on the dusty stairs that led to a shimmering arena. Gold. Everything seemed chiseled out of gold, sparkling in the torchlight.
A dome-like ceiling with painted Nahuatl designs of gods and spirits that slid down the walls and dripped onto the floors. It was a solitary room, empty aside for the silent old priest and the lone pillar in its center. On it rested a golden book.
"This is a rite of passage," Ediha said. His voice echoed here. "Those who have the privilege - noblemen, princes, warriors - all come for a blood sacrifice. If they are chosen by the gods, a boon will be bestowed upon them."
"Blood sacrifice?" Stef asked. "Are you gonna stab me?"
Ediha shook his head. He gestured to the old priest who stood in the corner with watchful eyes. A silent agreement was made between the two, and the old man approached, offering a small knife in his hands. "Over the altar," Ediha said.
Stef took the knife as politely as he could manage and stepped over. He gripped its blade and raked it through, cringing at the pain. Scarlet dripped from his fist and spilled onto the gilded book. His body pulsed with light.
Ediha nodded. "You truly are sorcerers," he said in wonder.
Stef handed the knife over to Nick, who did the same. "Did your people build this temple?" Stef asked.
"Not this one," Ediha said. "As with many of the temples, they were here before us. It is said that they were built by the gods themselves."
Nick pulsed in light and immediately threw open his status screen. He was busy fiddling with options, nodding along at the changes, eyes brightening at the expanding list as he absent-mindedly handed Rika the bloody knife.
"Gross." The knife was dripping scarlet in her hands. "Haven't you guys ever heard of blood-borne illnesses?"
"That doesn't happen here," Nick said, still buried in his screen. "Diseases were studied last season, so we don't even have to worry about the natives getting smallpox."
Rika stared down at the knife. She stepped over, held out her hand, and sliced her palm open. It stung like fire, but soon she felt it. Goosebumps raced up her back and filled her with adrenaline. She was glowing.
Fire Element unlocked.
She was so incredibly ready to see all the magic she could use now, but she needed to get that disgusting bloody knife away from her. The old priest had left elsewhere, but instead, a young priestess stood waiting with a faint smile. She was adorned in golden robes and a veil that hid her eyes. Rika eased over, gave the woman a slight bow, and offered the blade in return. The priestess smiled as she took it.
"Amazing," Ediha said. "I can’t believe all three of you succeeded."
Rika already knew the reason why, but she also knew it wouldn't be a good idea to tell him. "Thanks," she said. "If you have an affinity for magic, then you should be able to visit the other temples."
"There are the others?"
“Scattered throughout the world."
"And this would give me more power?"
"Yes." She regretted saying it as soon as the word left her lips. The World Quest was a secret, coveted journey, and there was no promise that a nipsy could complete it. At the very least, it would unlock the spells for him, but she also had no real idea of how leveling up would work for a nipsy. For players, swallowing gold and attacking an aura-defended player would do the trick, but she was far from suggesting him to add money to his diet.
An idea hit her like a blinding spark.
She was standing in a room made almost entirely of gold. It was wrong to steal, sure, but what if she just had a taste? Stef and Nick were chatting with Ediha about skills and magic and whatever else boys talked about. The priestess had vanished elsewhere. No one was watching.
She eased to a far wall, stuck out her tongue, and—
"Rika, what the fuck are you doing?" Stef shot out.
"Admiring the art."
"Starin' at the wall from two inches away is a weird as hell way of doin' it."
She turned back at the wall, eased her face closer, and—
"Motherfucker, are you trying to lick the wall?"
She licked the wall.
+5 XP
My god, it worked.
Nick burst into laughter, even Ediha joining in. Stef stomped over to stop her. She didn't stop.
+7 XP
+12 XP
+31 XP
He snatched her away. "You fuckin' weirdo!"
"You jackass, I'm just... sampling it.” Her eyes fluttered back to the gold. That delicious, life-giving spar
kle that filled her with power. She was salivating.
He narrowed his eyes at her, then widened when he realized. He pushed her away and stuck his face on the ground. He was punching the floor with his tongue, lapping at it like a dog. "Nick!" he shouted. "I'm gettin' XP for this!"
Hearing that only made Nick laugh harder. "I'm not that desperate," Nick said between breaths.
"Incredible," Ediha said. "The taste of gold gives you eggs-be? Is this the source of your power?" He plucked a gold button from his clothes, gave it a quick sniff, then licked it.
They stared for his reaction, waiting. He only shrugged in return.
A voice interrupted them. “Ediha,” the old priest said. His mouth moved to speak, and though the three players didn’t hear, they knew it was in a whisper.
Ediha offered a bow, then turned to leave up the steps. The three awkwardly decided to follow, thinking they had all just been scolded for acting like fools in such a holy place, but the priest raised his hand to stop them.
After the echo of Ediha’s footsteps faded, and when the priest seemed to feel that the silence was strong enough, he spoke. “Gods.”
Stef opened his mouth to save the situation, but the priest raised his hand again to pause him.
“Ye gods,” the priest continued. His words were long and careful, almost as if he were channeling a spell. “You have come to take this boy to his death. We have already seen it, and we accept it with utmost grace. This truth has been spoken, his fate long since known, and it will be you to take him there.”
“Nah, I’m good,” Stef said.
“No thank you,” Rika said.
The old priest gave an inaudible chuckle and a faint smile, then turned to leave. When the footsteps faded, they were alone again.
Stef turned to Nick. “I’m kinda spooked by that.”
“Save it,” Nick said. His brow furrowed at a message on his player screen. “It looks like the Spaniards are closer than we thought.”
1:7
The half-moon struggled to light the forest path ahead. It was quiet, save for their gentle footsteps in the dirt, the once-passing owl, the rustling in the nearby trees.