by Paul Bellow
“Get over here,” Ferris suddenly said.
I watched as he and the others studied an open book on the ground. Flames lit up the night sky all around us, but they didn’t seem to care as they kept arguing.
They were so busy with figuring out the supposedly dangerous spell, I thought about slipping away. But without an idea of where I was in the world, I stayed put.
I missed Monky. Thoughts of her invariably led to Sarah. I wanted to see her even more. Was she okay? Eric had better protected her while I was gone.
While the Four Wizards worked on their spell, I slipped away and explored the small town. Mountains rose in the distance, giving me an idea of our location.
Two blocks from the inn, I found an Apothecary. I stared at the front door to the establishment standing open. People continued running past, freaking out.
Unwilling to trust the Four Wizards with my life, I slipped into the shop. Shelves filled with bottles of different colors and sizes covered the walls on the first floor.
I saw a set of stairs leading up, but I avoided them. More than enough down here to get something good. How to figure out what each of them does?
As I stared at a shelf near the door, a tall, lanky man with a beard but no moustache walked in. He stopped, eyes opening wide as he noticed me.
“Hey, it’s okay, I’m not gonna hurt you,” I said. “Do you have any healing potions?”
Might be better if I bought something that would work.
“Um, y-yes,” the man stuttered. “A large one?”
Then, his eyes widened even more.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to make fun of your size.”
“You’re fine, but I’m in a hurry,” I said.
He nodded then walked over, running a finger through the air from the top shelf to the bottom. I glanced out the open door, wondering if anybody else would come.
Would the Four Wizards leave without me? I could see them forgetting me and doing it accidentally. The shopkeeper cleared his throat and held out two bottles.
“I’m having a special on these,” he said.
“How much?”
The man laughed nervously and said, “On the house. Just don’t kill me. You’re the most polite looter I’ve ever met.”
“I’m not here to steal from you,” I said as I reached into my coin pouch. “Five gold?”
The man nodded and said, “Great. That’s fine. I mean, thank you…”
“Are you sure you don’t want more gold?” I asked.
“Positive,” the man said. “You’re actually overpaying.”
He winced as I chuckled at the news.
Alignment +5
Doing the Right Thing Matters.
I closed the stupid notification, anxious to get back to the others.
“Have a nice night,” I said nonchalantly as I strolled out.
Most of the flames had died down, but huge plumes of black smoke streamed skyward, blocking out the sun. I saw the Four Wizards still standing around the open book.
When I reached them, I stopped, adjusting to the weight of the potions in the sack slung over my right shoulder. The dimwit brigade continued their so-called research.
“Maybe we should just walk,” I said. “Or apologize to the dragon.”
They ignored me, talking to each other in an unknown language. I glanced around. Most of the people had left the streets, giving the town a deserted feel.
“Eureka!” Aaron shouted.
I wondered again about his barbarian rage, but I kept quiet as Sherlock closed the book. All four of the wizards shook hands with each other, congratulating themselves.
“Did you figure it out?” I asked. “And more importantly, is it safe?”
Ferris chuckled then smiled, looking the least stressed that I had ever seen him.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” I said, hoping I could trust them.
“Begin the ceremony of seeds,” Sherlock began.
The others grunted in an unknown tongue. Dirt from the street rose into the air, swirling around us. They chanted even louder, all of them trying not to laugh.
I stood in the center of them and the dust storm. They ended their chants with three short claps. All the dirt glowed bright red as we teleported.
This better work…
15
Another Choice to Make
Josh
We appeared outside the lich’s manor. All that craziness to go just a short distance? I took a deep breath to control my anger as the wizards walked toward the main building.
“That was a bit of a waste,” I said.
All of them ignored me and kept walking. I followed, not knowing what else to do. They stopped in front of a pile of bones near the entrance.
“Doesn’t seem so out of place here,” I said.
“Quiet,” Ferris said. “Have some respect.”
“Aquarius was the best lich I knew,” Thom said. “Only lich I knew, but still the best.”
“Even more importantly,” Ferris said, “it means the rogue came back. We can take him out.”
“Can someone tell me why this guy is so important?” I asked.
“Stupid barbarian,” Thom said then giggled.
“He’s one of a few players who have never died in the game,” Aaron said. “If you kill him, you get a lot of bonuses.”
“Unless you guys steal them from me,” I said.
Sherlock lifted his arms, showing off the silver bands around his forearms and said, “You know it.”
“Enough!” Ferris said. “We need a plan.”
“The other plan’s been working well,” Sherlock said.
He turned to me and grinned.
“Right, we’ll send in the barbarian,” Ferris said.
“Hold on,” I said, lifting my arms. “Let’s talk about this a minute.”
“Don’t disobey your masters,” Sherlock said.
“Fine,” I said. “Can you at least buff me?”
“Look at that,” Thom said. “He’s picking up the lingo.”
The Four Wizards surrounded me, each casting spells.
You feel better.
You feel smarter.
You feel nimble.
You feel immune to fire.
You feel immune to fear.
“That should do it,” Ferris said.
“I’m glowing like a Christmas tree,” I said.
“Who cares,” Sherlock said. “I’m Jewish anyway.”
Ferris pointed to the open door of the manor.
“Go,” he said. “Kill the rogue if you can.”
“Or at least wear him down,” Sherlock said.
If someone higher-level came to rescue me, I swore not to follow them because I didn’t want it to get even worse. The wizards talked to each other as I stepped forward.
Sword held steadily in front of me, I took one step after another. My eyes darted to the left and right, looking for anything out of the ordinary. I wanted to survive the mission.
When I did, I would talk to Sherlock and the others about owning me. The whole idea of slavery inside a prison was ridiculous. Everyone should’ve been working together.
As I approached the doorway, I stared inside, my eyes slowly adjusting to the lack of light. The floorboards of the porch creaked under my weight as I got even closer.
“Be careful!” Thom shouted from behind me.
I cursed him under my breath as I slipped inside the manor. Dust covered the short, thick table in the foyer. I looked deeper into the darkness.
You got this, I told myself as I kept moving forward. My eyes were finally getting used to the darkness. A magic light would’ve been nice, but I wanted the element of surprise.
The chances of me killing the master rogue were slim to none. I needed to stack the deck in my favor in order to win or at least not die horribly.
When I reached the main stairwell leading up, I noticed footprints in the dust on the stairs. Gotcha, rogue. I climbed the steps one
at a time.
At the top, I stopped and glanced to the left then right. Which way? I glanced at the dust on the floor, seeing multiple footprints going in both directions.
Here goes nothing. I stepped to the left, following the tracks to a closed door. After taking a deep breath, I kicked the wooden door, knocking it off its hinges and into the room.
I charged into the room like a madman, swinging my sword. When no one jumped out at me, I lowered it a bit and glanced around. Gord-En sat next to the bed, bleeding out.
“Hands up!” I shouted, realizing how ridiculous I sounded.
“I’m dying, kid,” he said. “Go for it. You’re the lucky soul.”
“Why are they trying to kill you?” I asked, keeping my weapon raised.
He coughed, blood splattering onto the floor.
“Does it matter?” he asked. “Make it quick.”
I stepped toward him, not ready to swing.
“Hey,” he began, “you’re one of the new players, aren’t you?”
I nodded and said, “Yeah. Why?”
“You’re special,” he said. “I’m not exactly sure how yet, but you and your two companions are the key to getting us out of this game.”
“I’ve heard that before,” I said.
“Forget Magi Inyontoo.” Gord-En sat up, grimacing through the pain. “He’s not a good person. If you haven’t known him long, you don’t know what he’s done in here.”
“That’s true, but he’s going to help me find Sarah.”
“Who’s that?” Gord-En asked then coughed up more blood.
“My girlfriend,” I said.
“Sarah?” Gord-En asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “Have you seen her?”
He shook his head.
“I did run into another new player named Eric recently,” Gord-En said. “You three not having PINs is throwing the game for a loop. There’s too much going on right now, but I had to come to this separate timeline to take out the lich that your friends kill on the main timeline. You three really screwed things up by hacking into the Tower of Gates. I don’t think you could’ve picked a worse time to do it.”
Gord-En coughed again, looking even more frail.
“This is it,” he said. “I finally die. Do you want to do the honors?”
I lowered my sword, not ready to end his life so soon.
“Maybe there’s another way,” I said.
He tilted his head to the right and said, “Tell me more.”
“I’m not sure I can trust the Four Wizards,” I said.
He nodded and said, “They’ve been acting strange for a while now. Most of us figure the game’s gotten to them. It happens to all of us at one point or another.”
I wanted to ask him more about the timeline I was on, the Four Wizards, and anything else that might help me find the others, but I waited. He needed help.
“The ball’s in your court,” Gord-En said. “Please don’t let the wizards kill me.”
“Death is death, right?”
He shook his head.
“I’ve heard stories lately,” he said. “The Four Wizards have turned to the dark side.”
With two healing potions in my sack, I might be able to save him.
Should I, though? The question bounced back and forth in my mind as I stared down at him.
For someone who was supposedly the strongest players in the game and one who had never been killed, he didn’t look like anything special. If I killed him myself, I might become a legend.
As I stared down at his battle-ravaged body, I realized I could go either way. Would killing Gord-En make me a monster or a hero in the Tower of Gates?
I weighed the decision in my mind.
16
The Smartest Barbarian
Josh
After pulling out one of the healing potions, I held it out to the battered player.
“Will this help?” I asked.
His eyes lit up as he grabbed the bottle.
“Thanks,” he said as he fumbled with the cork.
I watched as he drained the contents in one quick go. While all his wounds didn’t heal, he looked a lot stronger as he stood and stretched.
“That’s more like it,” he said. “The lich had a surprise for us. Killed my traveling companions.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Not your fault.” He stepped forward and put a hand on my shoulder. “You did the right thing, kid. Most people in here would’ve killed me in a heartbeat for the bonus.”
“I try to do the right thing,” I said.
He smiled and squeezed my shoulder once before letting go.
“Tell you what,” he said. “Maybe I can help you too.”
“Oh?” I raised my left eyebrow, a skill I’d been developing for a while.
He removed a bag from his belt then stuck his arm into it.
“Whoa,” I said. “That’s a nice trick.”
“You’ve not seen a Sack of Stuff before?” he asked then chuckled. “I forget what it’s like to be in here for the first five or ten years.”
A knot formed in my stomach.
“I won’t be in here that long,” I said.
He laughed like all the others who heard I was getting out.
“You’re welcome to try, but you’re best off accepting that you’re stuck.”
“Never,” I said.
“Ah ha,” he said, pulling out his arm. “Found it.”
I looked into his outstretched hand and saw a round, clear gem about the size of an eyeball.
“Take it,” he said. “It’s yours. The least I can do.”
I grabbed the gem, feeling a faint vibration as I held it in my hand.
“What’s it do?” I asked.
“A Gem of True Seeing,” he said. “Hold it up to your eye.”
I did as he said, closing my left eye and holding the gem in front of the other.
“Whoa!” I gasped as I saw all of Gord-En’s character stats and skills.
“It works on other game elements, too,” he said. “Look at that chest.”
He pointed across the room. I glanced to where he pointed.
“That chest is breathing,” I said, lowering the gem.
“It’s a mimic,” Gord-En said. “I’ve been thinking about crawling over and letting it kill me.”
“This gem could be useful,” I said, glancing down at it.
“Whatever you do, don’t give it to the Four Wizards.”
I nodded, liking the rogue even more.
“Thanks again,” I said.
“Don’t mention it,” Gord-En said. “You saved my life.”
“Maybe we can kill the Four Wizards together?” I joked.
He laughed then said, “Another time. I need to go. So much is happening on the upper levels, things that will change the game forever.”
I glanced over at him. “Sounds like a big problem,” I said. “Do you need my help?”
“I can’t have a low-level noob like you hanging around,” he said. “No offense.”
He reached out and grabbed my shoulder again, staring into my eyes.
“You do need to get away from them,” he said. “Do you understand?”
I nodded even though I had no clue what he was talking about.
“Seriously,” he added, moving his hand away. “They’re dangerous. I don’t know what’s happened to them lately, but something isn’t right.”
“They got into a fight with Wiley, their dragon,” I said.
Gord-En’s eyes widened.
“You’re kidding,” he said. “They love that dragon.”
“Big fight right outside earlier. The dragon took off somewhere.”
“Good to know, kid.” Gord-En took a deep breath. “I need to go, but maybe we’ll meet again someday. That is, if you don’t get out of here first.”
He grinned then winked before turning and leaving the room through a window. I walked over and watched him nimbly scale the outside wall of the
manor.
When he hit the ground, he took off running. I’ll wait in here a bit to give him time to get away. Maybe I can find some other treasures.
As Gord-En the master rogue once again made his escape, I turned to scan the room. With my Gem of True Sight, I easily found a shelf of magic items.
Giving the mimic a wide berth, I walked over the bookshelf. Okay, maybe it’s only this headband that’s magic. It’s glowing strong. Does that represent its power?
I held up the gold headband and looked at it more closely with the gem. The stats popped up. According to the numbers, it would raise my intelligence by twenty.
“Not shabby,” I muttered as I put it on my head.
You feel smarter!
+20 intelligence!
Intelligence: 63 (+5%)
A little smarter. How does the game handle statistics? Would I suddenly start to think of more new ideas? Or would it work in the background somehow?
Even with the magic item, I couldn’t answer my questions. The Tower of Gates wasn’t short on mysteries. I’d get to the bottom of them all eventually.
Can I find something else? Should I kill the mimic for the experience points? Before I could do anything, I heard familiar voices approaching.
“I’ll kill him myself,” Sherlock grumbled.
The Four Wizards walked into the room.
“Nice headband,” Thom said, pointing.
All of them laughed.
“I’m keeping it,” I said.
“Fine with us,” Sherlock said. “You wouldn’t catch us dead in trash like that.”
“The smart barbarian,” Thom said, still chuckling.
“He’s new to the game,” Aaron said. “Give him a break.”
I reached up and self-consciously touched the headband.
“Don’t worry about them.” Aaron walked over. “Intelligence is important. Now that I’ve seen you in action, I can tell you have a good heart. That will get you far in this game.”
“No, it won’t,” Sherlock said, contradicting him. “Evil wins in here.”
I thought about Gord-En. Had he escaped safely? Would he come back?
“Aquarius is dead,” Ferris said. “There’s no reason to keep chasing the rogue.”