Tower of Gates Omnibus

by Paul Bellow

  You get 1,200 xp divided by two party members.

  You get 600 xp!

  You have 8,855 xp

  You need 5,145 xp for Level Four Mage

  Eric wiped his blade off on the body of a bee.

  “I still say we should take those hives back to the city and sell them,” he said. “Or look for Royal Jelly.”

  “Honey doesn’t have magical properties,” Benji said, shaking his head. “Why don’t you two ever listen to me? You both think you know everything.”

  I warily watched as he paced back and forth in front of our cart.

  “Whoa,” Eric said. “Calm down, buddy.”

  “I’m not your buddy,” he snapped. “I’m just your hireling. Remember? You two are likely to get me killed, but you know what? I don’t care.”

  He stormed off and kicked one of the lifeless bees.

  Eric stepped closer.

  “We’ve upset him,” he said.

  “No kidding. Maybe we should let him in the party.”

  “What if this is all an act to get us to let him into the party?” He kept staring at Benji. “It could all be a trap.”

  “You’re being paranoid again,” I said.

  Benji turned and walked back.

  “Sorry, guys. There’s a lot going on, and…”

  He bowed his head as his voice trailed off.

  “Don’t worry about it,” I said. “We appreciate you.”

  “Yeah,” Eric added in a flat tone.

  “We should keep going,” Benji said. “If we want to sell this stuff in the city later today, we should go now.”

  None of us mentioned anything about officially letting him into our party on the way back, though I agree with Eric.

  We needed to be safe.

  * * * * *

  A few uneventful hours later, we rolled up to the city. The sun had begun its descent, but we still had some daylight left.

  “We should celebrate tonight,” Eric said.

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “We need to stay on task. Find the barbarian and this pendant so we can destroy it and save the realms.”

  Eric nodded, his lips pursed together.

  “Fine,” he said. “We can leave first thing in the morning.”

  As we approached, a guard near the gate called out.

  “Stop,” he said. “I need to talk with you three.”

  Uh oh, I thought to myself, fearing the worst.

  Eric stopped the mule.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” the guard said. “But I have a question.”

  “Go on,” I said.

  The armored man turned to the guard shack behind him.

  “Alexander,” he yelled. “Come here, boy.”

  The small boy we had rescued came out of the compact wood building. He sheepishly walked over, avoiding eye contact.

  “This boy here says you three saved him the other day,” the guard said. “Is that true or is the orphan a liar?”

  “It’s the truth,” I said, staring at the boy. “He disappeared on us.”

  “Tell them you’re sorry, Alexander,” the guard said.

  “I’m sorry,” the boy said, eyes facing downward as he kicked the dirt with his foot.

  “That’s okay,” I said. “We were worried, that’s all.”

  “My name’s Randall,” the guard said. “I’m adopting the boy, but I wanted to make sure he wasn’t lying.”

  I smiled, loving that the game’s NPCs dealt with issues like adoption.

  “We should get going,” Benji said. “Especially if we want to leave tonight.”

  “You guys are leaving again already?” Randall asked.

  I nodded and said, “We’re going to Mednia. Apparently, tonight.”

  “Good luck,” Randall said. “You’ll be missed.”

  “You know what,” Eric said. “I’ve got something for you.”

  He jumped out of the cart and walked around to the back.

  What’s he doing? I wondered, stretching around.

  A moment later, he returned with an armful of gnoll swords.

  “I’d like to give these to you,” Eric said. “They’re not much, but you can sell them or something.”

  “Are you kidding?” Randall asked. “Some of these are antiques. I’ve not seen a sword like this since the Great Wars.”

  He picked a blade up and waved it through the air.

  “You deserve something for helping the boy,” Eric said.

  “I was just doing what was right,” he said. “But I love the gift.”

  Eric smiled as he piled a half-dozen blades on the ground.

  “We’ll be back through in a few hours,” I said.

  As Eric climbed back into the cart, I remembered why we’d spent so much time together. Beneath his no-care exterior, he cared a lot.

  “That was nice,” I said as we rolled down the main street.

  “Not a biggie,” Eric said. “I figured it would help him out raising that boy.”

  “This...”

  I stopped myself before I said the word game and gave myself another OOC penalty. We needed all the xp we could get.

  He grinned and nodded in a knowing way.

  “You two are acting strange again,” Benji said.

  “Don’t worry,” Eric said. “You’re getting paid today.”

  “Great,” Benji said. “I need to settle a debt or two before we leave Fishguard. Do you two mind?”

  “Not at all,” Eric said. “How about half the silver pieces in the box?”

  “For my payment?” Benji asked, obviously shocked at the offer.

  “Yeah,” I said. “You deserve it.”

  “It’s settled.” Eric kept his eyes on the road. “The silver is yours.”

  “Can you drop me at the inn while you guys get supplies?” I asked.

  “Sure,” Eric said. “Why?”

  “We paid for a week of the room,” I said. “And I want to see if we can get some of our money back.”

  “Okay,” he said. “I think it’s over here...”

  “The other way,” Benji said.

  I wasn’t entirely lying about why I wanted to go back, but the gold wasn’t as big a concern as investigating the basement. Something about the evil presence watching had stuck with me. I wanted to check it out more before we left the city.

  The cart pulled up to the Inn, and I hopped out.

  “We’ll be back in an hour or so,” Eric said.

  “Sounds good,” I said then waved.

  As they pulled away, I walked into the two-story wood building. Basil looked up from the bar and excitedly waved me over.

  I forced a smile and headed toward him.

  “You’re back,” he said in a cheerful tone.

  I stopped in front of the bar, hands at my sides.

  “Yes,” I said. “But I’ve got bad news.”

  “Oh?”

  “We’re leaving this evening,” I said.

  The innkeeper’s smile faded.

  “Why?” he asked. “I’ll match any price in the city.”

  “It’s not the price,” I said. “We’re going for business matters.”

  He nodded solemnly.

  “I hate to hear that,” he said.

  “While I have you, I meant to ask about the bath in the basement. Did anyone go downstairs after me yesterday morning?”

  I carefully studied his face.

  “Not that I recall,” he said. “Why?”

  “I thought I felt someone watching me.”

  His eyes narrowed as he maintained eye contact.

  “You should’ve mentioned it yesterday,” he said. “I might’ve remembered something.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I said. “Probably nothing. Anyway, can we get back some of the gold we put down for the entire week?”

  “Sorry,” Basil said. “Can’t do it when times are this tough.”

  “I understand,” I said. “Do you mind if I check out
the basement?”

  “Go ahead,” he said. “You’re paid up for the week.”

  I smiled then turned to leave.

  “By the way,” he said. “Your friend’s upstairs waiting for you.”

  I stopped, my heart beating faster. Was it Josh?

  “My friend?” I asked, glancing back at the innkeeper.

  “Someone in red robes,” Basil said. “I didn’t see his face.”

  “Thanks...”

  Maybe the boy’s father had come for him?

  Instead of waiting on Benji and Eric, I walked up the wooden stairs to the second floor.

  Each step toward our room made me more nervous. I readied myself to cast a spell at any moment if something bad happened. As I approached our door at the end of a long hallway, I saw the door partially open.

  Josh?

  Only one way to find out.

  I kept going.

  “Stupid idiots!” a man screamed from inside our room.

  I froze as the door flung open and banged against the wall. A tall, gangly man with ill-proportioned limbs walked into the hall.

  He snapped his head to the left, staring at me.

  Neither of us moved or said a word. His robes made me think of a spell caster.

  “Who are you?” I asked confidently.

  He grinned, put his hand on his chest and bowed.

  “Name’s Rizzo the Red,” he said. “Magi Inyontoo sent me to kill you.”

  PVP Enabled!

  [PC] Rizzo the Red is on the hunt for [PC] Kali Tracaryn.

  What’s going on? I wondered as I turned and ran. Why didn’t I wait on the others before going to check the room myself?

  Lightning shot past me in the hall. I rushed down the stairs.

  “What’s going on up there?” Basil yelled.

  I kept running, taking the stairs two at a time.

  “No time to explain,” I said as I ran past him at the bottom.

  “Come back here,” Rizzo the Red yelled from the top of the stairs.

  “No spellcasting in here,” Basil shouted.

  I ran out of the inn and took off toward the nearest throng of people.

  PvP mode? What was all that about?

  I slowed to a walk and did my best to blend in with the other citizens.

  Who had tried to kill me? Another player?

  As I turned a corner to go down an alley, my heart sank; I saw the same man in red robes.

  How did he find me so quickly?

  “Josh? Is that you?” I prepared to run. “Did you respawn and start a new character? Stop fooling around.”

  OOC PENALTY!

  -10% xp on your next encounter.

  The other mage walked closer, still grinning.

  “Josh, tell me whether it’s you or not,” I said. “Right now.”

  “It’s me,” the stranger said. “You can trust me.”

  Not in a million years, I thought defiantly.

  “Where have you been?” I asked.

  He took a step closer. Everyone else in the area scattered.

  Was I about to find out what happened when you died?

  “I’ve taken the OOC penalty already,” I said. “You can talk to me. Who are you? And why can’t we get out of this game?”

  Rizzo the Red laughed haughtily.

  “What if I don’t want to talk with you?”

  I backed up as he took another step closer.

  “That’s close enough.” I held out my right hand. “Stay there.”

  He continued chuckling while confidently striding forward.

  “Newbies are so much fun,” he said.

  “Are you Josh or not?” I asked.

  Behind him, I noticed Basil walking toward us.

  “Maybe I am,” Rizzo the Red said.

  Such a cocky voice. It’s gotta be Josh.

  “Where have you been?” I asked.

  “Oh, here and there,” he said. “You know how it is in this stupid game. Magictology has a way out. Come join us. Let me kill you.”

  “You didn’t even want to play the game,” I said, suspicious of him.

  “I didn’t?” He stepped forward. “Well, I changed my mind.”

  “Stay away from me,” I said, wondering if I should run again. “Weren’t you playing a barbarian?”

  “Maybe I died and started over,” he said.

  Basil crept toward Rizzo the Red from behind.

  “If you’re Josh, tell me the first time we kissed,” I said.

  The mage frowned then said in an angry voice, “Prepare to die.”

  He held out his hand as he continued stepping toward me.

  “You need to step off before my friends arrive,” I said, backing away.

  “Maybe I already killed your friends,” he said.

  Eric? No.

  The mage laughed.

  “Caring for someone in this game is a sure-fire way to get yourself killed,” he said. “You need to join me. Magictology is the way.”

  “Now!” I yelled, hoping Basil got the message.

  The innkeeper ran up and pushed the mage from behind.

  As the strange player character tumbled to the ground, I sprinted in the other direction, running away to live and fight another day.

  If the mage wasn’t Josh, who was it?

  Were others trapped in the game?

  “You’ll pay for this,” Rizzo the Red yelled. “I’ll come when you’re least expecting it, and it won’t be pretty!”

  I kept running for several minutes, not looking back. A few blocks away, I spotted Eric by the cart in front of a shop.

  He smiled and held up a pouch as I approached.

  I stopped, breathing heavy, and put my hand on his arm.

  “We’ve got to go,” I said then glanced over my shoulder.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  I hated lying to him, but I knew he would want to confront the other PC. We weren’t ready. Not at level two.

  “Yeah,” I said. “But we need to go. Now.”

  “Why the hurry? Benji is carrying the rest of the stuff inside the shop. We made out like bandits on the gong.”

  He grinned in that self-sure way he had. With parents thousands of times wealthier than mine, we’d grown up in two different worlds.

  “That’s great,” I said. “But we’ve got to go.”

  I scanned the street, still not seeing any sign of the mage in red.

  “Fine,” he said. “I’ll get Benji.”

  “Hurry,” I said. “We’ve got to go train for our next levels.”

  OOC PENALTY!

  Total of -20% xp on your next encounter.

  Ugh. Not again.

  “I’m excited about hitting next level too,” Eric said. “But you shouldn’t have gone OOC to tell me. We need to level up as fast as possible.”

  “I know...”

  My voice trailed off.

  “You took the penalty,” he said. “We should talk. Are you sure everything’s okay?”

  I dropped my arm as he stared into my eyes.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, still seeing no sign of the other PC.

  Benji came out of the general goods shop smiling.

  “That’s the last of it,” he said. “Now to spend my share of the silver pieces. I’ve got a few debts to pay off first.”

  “We’ve got to go,” I said, climbing onto the cart. “Mednia awaits.”

  “Is she serious?” Benji asked. “We just got here. I need to get some stuff and take care of some things.”

  “We’ll get it later,” Eric said. “She wants to go now.”

  The other two got into the front of the cart. I took the reins and got our mule moving.

  Could we outrun the mage in red?

  Or would he catch up to us?

  He’d said he would get us when we least expected it. Did we even have a chance against him?

  Many thoughts ran through my mind as we rode toward the western city gates to leave. I distractedly looked at t
he buildings.

  “A rogue’s life for me,” Eric said.

  Should I tell them the truth?

  Why am I keeping it to myself?

  “We need to buy a horse instead of the mule,” Eric said. “And don’t you need a new bowstring? Maybe Benji’s right.”

  “No time,” I said. “The mule is fine for now, and I can repair the bow in Mednia. From what I gather, we’ll get better quality and prices.”

  He gave me a look but said nothing. The wooden wheels of the cart rolled along as we headed toward the city gates.

  “Why do you keep looking behind us?” Eric asked. “Did something happen? We saw a lot of townspeople running scared.”

  “I thought it was Josh,” I said. “But it wasn’t him.”

  He frowned, nodding his head.

  “I didn’t want this to happen to us…” he said.

  “But you had something to do with it?” I asked.

  “No,” he said. “But I still feel bad.”

  I nodded, hating not being able to communicate OOC without another experience points penalty. All I wanted was to level up, solve the main quest, and get back to the Tower of Gates and hopefully quit.

  Some aspects of the game were too real for my taste, especially the pain and negative emotions.

  Was the game world adapting around us?

  Did it read all my inner, private thoughts? Was it changing the game experience for me? And the gameplay for other players?

  Everything swirled together in my mind as I contemplated the mysteries.

  The cart rolled through the main gates.

  Had we evaded the mage? Would the obviously evil PC keep trying to kill us?

  Eric nudged me with his elbow and pointed out a particularly peculiar cluster of stars high above in the night sky. I nodded and smiled, still keeping my encounter and thoughts to myself. Something compelled me to keep quiet.

  The cart jostled on the uneven road as we traveled west. I stole a glance at Eric, and saw him smiling and enjoying himself.

  Maybe that was why I wasn’t telling him? To protect him from the dark reality of the game? He looked so happy as his character.

  Eric glanced over and caught me staring at him.

  “Tell me,” he said in a firm, insistent tone.

  I stared straight ahead, ready to tell him everything.

  “Something happened back there,” I said.

  “Obviously,” he said. “What was it?”