Dean takes hold and looks between them and the map. “Looks like it.”
“I hope we don't need to climb them,” grumbles Jay. Much of the journey has been filled with silence, apart from Jay’s stomach rumbling. We don't want to stop and eat as we continue our journey.
Jay rips a hunk of bread with his teeth. "Why no flight paths?" he says through a mouthful.
"I guess they don't want us moving through quest content too quickly," replies Dean, taking bread from him. “But yeah, you'd expect some kind of rapid movement option."
"No buses or trains here,” I joke.
Aidan remains quiet, studying his wristband. I'd expected the shellshock to wear off after days here, but he's nervy. I spoke to him earlier and he's frightened by his new form and how he can't control himself. I made a joke about the Hulk and how I hope Thor is around too, but he wasn't impressed.
“Do you think this is real or a quest line?” Jay scratches his nose from beneath his hood.
"It's not a quest line," I insist. "I believe him. I think this is real."
"What? And I suppose you think we're a load of AI robots?" He makes a derisive noise.
"I never said that," I snap.
"Maybe we signed up for a new game?" suggests Dean. "One we're immersed somehow. Not VR but... some kind of drug or something?"
Again, the symbol resonates. This is from a real-life company. Something I've seen before, but where? The longer I stay here, the further away that reality feels. I'm terrified I'll lose myself altogether.
"I told you what happened that night. The guys who talked about me like I was a thing. That could be real and we could be robots."
The words sound ridiculous. Dean leans in and brushes my cheek with the back of his hand. “You feel human to me,” he whispers.
Aidan flops to the ground and holds his head in his hands. "This is all fucked up. How can we begin to know what's reality and what isn't? I'd be a pretty impressive cyborg to shift into a bloody demon."
"You're saying you think it's drugs?" I ask.
"I'm saying the game is trying to fuck with our heads," retorts Jay. "There's only one thing we can be sure of."
"Which is?"
"We're good at this and we can win. Come on." He strides away.
I look between Aidan and Dean. "He's right," says Dean.
"I think what Jay means is there're a lot of layers in the game. Of course, they're screwing with our awareness we're players. Come on." Aidan marches after Jay.
The journey along the rough track takes us through low scrub and flat plains. Hybrid animals, resembling a cross between a deer and a cow, graze but don’t look at us. I’m happy much of the terrain is open, because there's no place for anything to hide. No chance of a surprise attack.
Occasionally other travellers pass us, some on horses, much to Jay’s disgust. A younger guy with a backpack as large as any of ours heads our way and makes a beeline straight for us.
We tighten our group as he approaches. He’s middle-aged with black hair, skin browned by the sun, and half his face is hidden behind a scruffy beard. There aren't any weapons visible, but he could be a magic user. Dean steps forward.
Bayleigh
Merchant
Level 15
Non-aggressive
"Good day." He smiles and stops. I tense as he opens his bulging back pack and pulls out items. He rests them on the ground, and we glance at each other in confusion. "I have many exotic items to help you on your quest."
"We're in a hurry," replies Jay. "Thanks though."
He forges onwards but I crouch down. "This could be significant," I whisper to Aidan. "Let's see what he has."
His wares contain the usual small vials and larger bottles containing potions and I spot some of Granny's lollipops. I have a few tucked in my backpack. He spreads out jewels and necklaces and I watch as he focuses. The guy arranges them in a neat line.
"There. Anything you would like?"
"Are they expensive?" asks Aidan.
"I'm open to offers."
Something catches my eye. A small metal ball looks out of place amongst the other items. The item shines silver but something is etched in the side. I pick up the ball and turn it around in my hands. The same symbol repeated through the game but with the number 4 above it. No description appears on my band.
"What's this?" I ask.
"That is Ceeley's Ball." He takes it from me. "A very rare item. I only find one to sell every year."
"What does it do?"
"This is a key to great wealth." He smiles proudly.
"Then why don't you use it to get this wealth?" Jay reappears at his shoulder and takes the ball.
He snatches it back. "I said, a key. Somewhere in the midst of the realm, there's a place holding the riches. Whoever possesses this can enter."
"Of course," mutters Jay. "And how much would this be?"
"Five hundred pieces."
I choke at the price. "Between us, we probably have fifty gold, max."
"My name is Bayleigh, not Max. Perhaps you have something to trade?" He sweeps a hand between us. "I like to collect trinkets and rare items. Do you have anything?"
"Nothing I want to part with." Jay crosses his arms. "Come on. We're wasting time. Again."
"Do you have any potions? Herbs?" He points at me and my suspicion rises.
“No. Nothing.”
His intense look sets the hairs up on the back of my neck. “Are you sure? I pay handsomely for rarities.”
“She said no,” growls Jay. “We’re busy. Good afternoon.” He takes my arm and pulls me to one side.
The man tips his hat and strolls away, as if he'd never seen us. I peek into my pack to ensure the potion is still in there, and we continue our walk. I glance over my shoulder, uncomfortable this wasn’t an accidental meeting.
The man has disappeared.
Chapter Forty-Three
The terrain changes as we study Ethan’s map. Our route follows a river towards the mountains, and as we trudge along the banks, the river narrows until it becomes a small stream trickling across grey stone barely covering the bed. The hills loom closer, and the environment becomes rockier. As we get closer to the base of the mountain, small rocks becoming larger boulders blocking our way. We struggle to follow a path to the spot marked on the map and picking our way through takes longer.
“Why didn’t Ethan warn us about this?” asks Jay as he trips and steadies himself.
“He hasn’t been this far to the edges.” I look up at the mountains and the sheer rock face that would stop anybody scaling without climbing equipment—and a lot of skill. Rock-climbing isn’t in my character’s skill set, and I can’t see any path at all.
What lies on the other side?
The sun has begun the descent into the evening by the time we locate what we think is the place indicated on the map.
Mount Rundle
Neutral Territory
I’m unsure how accurate, or to scale, this strange map is. The blueprint overlays the etched images of the terrain and landmarks — we have to hope this is the right place.
“I hope this quest makes sense soon.” Aidan pauses and wipes sweat from his face.
Dean and I exchange a glance. Like me, he has no doubt this is more than a quest.
“I hope we’re not about to get attacked by an angry mob of God knows what.” Jay clambers us a boulder and shields his eyes as he scans the surroundings.
He’s right. Quest or not, the game contains enemies at every turn. I half-expected the rocks to turn into stone golems and block our way.
Since the strange travelling salesman, we’ve seen nothing apart from birds. Even they’ve disappeared since the trees became sparser until nothing grows at all save small patches of weeds struggling through the dirt.
“Can you see Ethan?” I ask. “He shouldn’t be too far behind, I hope.”
Aidan wrinkles his nose. “If he comes.”
“Why wouldn’t he? He wants
to leave the game too,” I reply.
“Come on.” Dean holds out a hand to help me scramble over the next rock, and I take hold, grateful for the help, wishing I had more points in Dexterity.
“Dean should go on ahead,” says Aidan as he jumps down next to us. He looks between us, mouth set hard.
“That’s not a great idea,” I reply.
“No. Aidan is right. We should use the skills we have.” Dean hands Aidan his pack. “I’ll scout ahead from inside the shadows. Wait here.”
“I could use a rest.” Jay plonks himself down on the dirt and rests against a boulder.
“Are you sure?” I ask Dean.
He nods. “I won't reveal myself at all, and if I see anything or anybody, I’ll back away.”
Outvoted, I watch as Dean slips into the shadows, then crouch down to look through my pack. The potion is intact, and I've got a healing salve plus a couple of Kyle’s Kool Kandy. My band shows my magic energy is full, but my stamina has lowered after the hike. As I study the screen and, as I rest, the stamina points tick up again.
“Where do you think Zara is?” I ask.
Jay draws a pattern in the dirt around him. “Who knows? Maybe she found a better group to quest with.”
I snort. “We’re a good group.”
“She levelled higher than us, quicker.”
“And left us when we need a defensive player in our group,” I mutter.
“What skills do you think Ethan has?” Jay stands and brushes dirt from his trousers. “We don't know what class he is—was.”
“Something useful for breaking through rock I hope.” Dean reappears at our side. “I can see a cave beyond a wall of stone. That could be the place we’re looking for.”
“I bet it is.” I grab my pack again. “Let’s go.”
“It’s a wall, El. There aren’t any enemies blocking our way, but the size looks impassable.”
“We climb it.” Jay begins to stride away.
“It’ll take a long time. This is as tall as a three-storey building,” calls Dean.
“Then how did you see the cave?” retorts Aidan.
“Because the entrance is taller than the wall?” retorts Dean, looking at Aidan as if he’s dumb.
The tension between the pair grows daily, and I’m confused whether this is due to me. Surely, we have more important issues than testosterone battles. Jay’s the one I expected to be more confrontational, but his focus is like mine: on the end game.
“Let’s go then.” Jay huffs. “Maybe El can blast her way through.”
“I wish, but I don’t think my fireballs would cut it.”
“We can try. Don't underestimate your power.” Dean smiles. “The wall is there for a reason—perhaps to test our skills.”
“Maybe.” But I’m dubious.
The wall Dean saw lies a few hundred metres away, beyond boulders, and we reach it in no time. Jay purses his lips. “When I looked, I thought this was another stack of rocks with a way through.”
“Nope.”
“Shit.” A pissed off Jay kicks the wall with a booted foot.
I heave a sigh and walk along the length, looking for a weak spot. The wall stretches as far as I can see either way; attempting to find the edge and walk around would take as much time. “I still don’t think fire blasts will push through this. But I’ll try.”
I do, and they don’t.
I cast spell after spell until my magic energy bar drops to half. The force from my fireballs pushes at the rock, leaving dents, but the rock isn't combustible.
In the end, I step back and drop my hands.
“I want to save energy and stamina in case we’re ambushed.”
Aidan wraps his arm around me in a reassuring hug. “Thanks for trying.”
“How about turning all purple and demon-like for us?” suggests Jay. Aidan scowls at him. “I’m serious. You have some strength when you’re him.”
“I can’t control when it happens; you know that. Most of my other spells are blood-based, and these rocks have no blood.”
Dean puffs air into his cheeks. “This sucks.”
The longer we stay in one place, the likelier an ambush becomes. Our bands remain ‘live’ and must be tracking us. Either we’ve strayed too far from our legitimate quest lines, or we’re sitting ducks for enemies if this is a quest.
“What do we do? Should we sleep the night and try to find a way over or around the wall when the sun comes up?” Jay points at the sky where orange and purples now streak the horizon as the sun sinks behind the hulking mountains.
“I guess.” I rub my hands together, spirits sinking, and fight frustrated tears. I’d convinced myself today would be my last here. I don’t want another night worrying strange men will emerge from the dark and assault me.
Aidan squints as he looks up. “What’s that?”
“Where?” Dean spins around, and he and Jay flank me front and back.
Without another word, Aidan jumps onto one of the nearby boulders, higher and flatter than many others.
“Is it Ethan?” I ask, as I push Dean to one side and join Aidan on the rock.
“No.” He points at a figure in the distance, like a bird high in the sky — a bloody big one based on how clear yet how far away it is. The bird soars closer and as it approaches the wings flap grows louder.
“Holy shit.” Jay backs away. “That’s not a bird. Get down!”
I’m transfixed as I stare up at the incoming creature. There’s no mistaking what I’m looking at: the wingspan, the huge legs dangling below, ending in paws with claws larger than Dean’s knives. The sun glints from his golden scales, and as he grows closer, a whip-like tail moves behind him.
A dragon. The wings move the air and create a rushing wind across my face, blowing my hair into my eyes.
“I told you there’d be a bloody dragon in this game somewhere.” Jay snatches my arm, and I lose my footing, taken by surprise at his move. I crash from the boulder to the ground, and small pebbles dig into my knees and through the robe’s material.
“Dude!” snaps Dean and crouches down. “Are you alright, El?”
I look at my palms peppered by cuts and indents from where I tried to stop myself landing awkwardly. Some gravel remains in my hand. My wristband flashes.
Injury to hands
Spellcasting ability reduced by 10%
“Shit,” I mutter.
“What’s wrong?” Dean grabs my wrist, but I pull it away, scooting backwards vainly looking for shelter from the five-metre-long creature. The enormous fangs protruding from its muzzle add to my apprehension.
The dragon draws its head back and I cower, arms over my head, as I wait for the dragon’s fire breath to hit us.
We huddle together, the three guys wrapping their arms around me as I bury my head in Aidan’s chest.
I guess I’m about to discover what happens when I die in the game.
Chapter Forty-Four
A roar bellows through the air, reverberating around us, louder than a jet engine. The sound of the flapping wings grow closer, and I tense further as Dean’s arms tighten around me. Will this hurt?
The dragon roars again, and an explosion joins the terrifying sound. The thundering sound grows as if someone planted a bomb that exploded around us. My arms block my hearing around my head, and I’m unable to see through the men protecting me. But the crumbling echo increases, the sound of rock after rock crashing to the floor.
Then silence.
Is the dragon still there? Because I’m surprised, we’re still here.
One of the guys shifts away. “Fuck,” says Jay. “It just knocked a bloody huge hole in the middle of the wall.”
Hesitantly, I break free from the others’ grip and look up. Stone dust hangs in the air around and covers Jay’s hair. I cough as I breathe in the cloud and hold a sleeve over my nostrils and mouth. Nearby, the dragon lands, his paws causing a loud thud across the ground. I squint at the stone wall and soil around it — no scor
ch marks. I never felt any heat. What magic does this dragon have?
“Name,” splutters Aidan grey dust smudging his shocked face. “There’s no name.” I look at him in confusion, and he taps his band, panting out, “Dragon. Has. No. Name.”
My screen is blank.
Dean stands and pushes dirty hair from his face. I stare in horror as his tall figure strides purposefully across the debris-covered ground.
“What are you doing?” I call out.
He reaches the dragon’s paws, the size of a double-decker bus, and looks over his shoulder at me. “He has no name. This creature is connected to Ethan. He must be.”
The dragon dips his head, amber eyes shining as if nodding in agreement. The sunset reflects off his scales, giving him a stranger glow, orange and purples dancing across his back.
“True. He knocked down the wall. That helps us,” says Aidan.
I remain crouched on the floor as Jay and Aidan stand, brushing themselves down.
“I hope so because that fucker looks high level,” Jay mutters.
Aidan throws a wary look at the dragon and walks toward the hole blasted through the rubble. “Look through here, El.”
I stumble to my feet and follow him. The wall is two metres thick, and as I peer through, the dust begins to settle. The cave beyond the wall looks too neat as if carved carefully and not from natural erosion. A worn path leads to a square in cut into the solid rock floor, again too precise to be a natural feature.
“What the actual fuck?” Jay’s shout from behind me isn't fear but awed disbelief.
“Told you,” calls Dean and laughs. “Though I was only half-right.”
To take a closer look at the impossible sight, I step down from the stone passage. Dean hasn’t moved from his position several metres away, but the dragon has gone. I’d look to the sky for the dragon, but I know why I can’t hear the wings flap above me.
Aidan isn't the only shifter with me, because, where the dragon once stood, Ethan does.
Chapter Forty-Five
My first thought: how is he not naked?
My second: stop imagining him naked.
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