by Paul Bellow
Benji giggled then turned away.
How would he know that reference?
I pushed the question aside as Eric easily scaled the cliff. Once at the bottom, he took off the Ring of Spider Climbing then tossed it up.
“You go first,” Benji said as the ring landed on the ground. “I’ll hang back and watch for anyone coming.”
“Fine with me,” I said as I bent to get the ring.
“I wonder what happened to Leroy and Thrukad,” Benji said.
“Not sure,” I said. “But I’m happy you stayed with us.”
He smiled as I slipped the ring on my finger.
I climbed down the sheer cliff easily, again marveling at the game. When I reached the bottom, I took off the ring.
“Want me to throw it up?” Eric asked.
“I’ve got it,” I said then threw the ring up and over the cliff.
“Got it,” Benji yelled.
Eric and I watched as he nimbly climbed down.
“Made it,” Benji said, jumping the last five feet.
“Ring?” Eric asked with his hand out.
“Here,” Benji said as he took it off.
Eric took the ring and smiled as he slipped it back on.
“What now?” I asked, looking down the trail.
“Back to the mule and cart,” Eric said. “We’ll go to my friend in Harrisburg and have him destroy the pendant.”
“Sounds too easy,” Benji said.
“Quiet,” I hissed. “This easy quest keeps getting harder.”
“We still have to worry about Magi Inyontoo following us too,” Benji said. “He’s not someone to fool around with.”
Eric snorted and shook his head.
“We stole the pendant from him,” he said. “Can’t be that powerful.”
“Let’s go,” I said. “We need to destroy this as quickly as possible.”
Exhausted, we followed the trail back to where we’d stashed the cart and mule. My heart sank as we approached and saw neither.
“Everything’s gone,” I said, looking around.
We stopped on the side of the trail.
“Leroy and Thrukad must’ve taken it,” Eric said.
“We’ll find them in Mednia,” Benji said. “And get it all back.”
“No.” I shook my head. “We don’t have time for side quests and revenge missions. I want to go destroy this pendant.”
“She’s right,” Eric said. “Let’s get walking.”
“All the way to Harrisburg?” Benji asked. “That’s a long way.”
Eric stepped back to the trail then stopped.
“You have a better idea?” he asked.
I glanced up at the sky.
“The sun is setting soon,” I said. “We should find somewhere to camp for the night. They took all our supplies too.”
“I can catch a rabbit or two for dinner,” Benji said. “If we go now.”
“Better than nothing,” Eric said.
We walked east toward the hills. It took two or three miles before we found a suitable spot out of the way for the night.
“This will have to do,” Eric grumbled.
“I’ll go get dinner,” Benji said. “Give me an hour.”
“Double wages if you get back sooner,” I teased.
Benji walked toward a group of trees nearby.
“Double my salary isn’t much,” he said over his shoulder. “But I’ll take it. You guys are the absolute best.”
Eric sat down on a log.
“We should start a fire,” I said.
He shook his head.
“Not yet. Give me a minute to think. We don’t want to give them our location. He’ll come after the cursed pendant, I’m sure of it.”
“Probably,” I said as I sat down next to him.
I wanted to talk OOC again, but I resisted the urge.
“Do you think they’ll follow us?” I asked. “We should probably let Benji in our group. He’s doing great. We don’t want to lose him.”
Eric sighed and frowned.
“I’m still not sure,” he said. “Remember the warnings.”
“Yeah,” I said. “But that was before we knew about other…knew about Gord-En, Rizzo the Red, and that Magi Inyontoo guy.”
Would he understand I meant other player characters?
Eric nodded. He wasn’t stupid—not most of the time.
“Can we please trust my gut on this one?” He turned and made eye contact. “I’ve played more games than you.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re better,” I said, not looking away.
“It’s good to be playing with you,” he said. “But I wish it was under better circumstances.”
“Yeah…”
My voice trailed off.
We both turned and looked out over the landscape.
Groups of trees dotted the rolling hills.
“I’ll trust your gut this time,” I said. “We just need to destroy this stupid pendant and save the realms or whatever.”
I thought about Josh, wishing he was okay.
“You want to take first watch?” I asked.
“That’s fine,” he said. “We need to eat first.”
“Do you think this Magi Inyontoo guy will find us?” I asked.
Eric shook his head.
“Nah,” he said. “We’re far off the beaten path. And most people would’ve headed to Mednia. He’s probably looking for us there.”
“I think you’re right,” I said, hoping he was correct.
We both stopped talking, enjoying the sunset in the virtual world. The longer we spent in the game, the more it all felt real.
I wished I could talk OOC without a penalty.
How much time had passed in the real world? Would his father find us soon?
The questions piled up—unanswered—as we waited for Benji.
When he returned, carrying two plump rabbits, I smiled.
Once again, the game drew me in even deeper. We started a small fire to quickly roast the meat then put out the flames.
Benji told stories of some of the crazy adventures he’d been on—quite a few for an NPC.
Were they all fake memories?
Or was he another player character?
I glanced at Eric and saw him smiling.
“Time for me to sleep,” I said. “Wake me for my shift.”
Benji raised his right hand.
“I’ve got first watch,” he said.
“Works for me,” Eric said. “I’m more tired than I thought.”
I found a somewhat comfortable spot under a tree. Eric sat next to me, both of us with our backs to its thick trunk.
My thoughts drifted after I closed my eyes. Dreams also made the experience in the game feel more realistic.
Would we ever escape?
20
At Least We Got the Pendant
ERIC
I slept for hours.
After Benji woke me for my guard shift, he settled down next to Sarah to sleep a few more himself. While they rested, I walked the perimeter of our makeshift camp while thinking of everything.
My thoughts centered on Sarah and getting us out of the game. I worried about Josh too but not as much. Benji also weighed on my mind.
Did any of us have a chance of escaping the game? Were we trapped?
As I made the rounds, I wondered if Sarah was right about letting him into the party. One little game warning had me paranoid about letting him in, but we’d found other players.
Was I wrong?
I also wondered if my father had lied about the game.
Why hadn’t he told me it was some kind of secret private prison?
The sun gradually rose, leading to another day in the game. Sarah found me walking around, searching for answers.
“You didn’t wake me,” she said. “Everything okay?”
I nodded then said, “Yeah. Just a lot on my mind. Did you sleep okay?”
She nodded then stretched while yawning.
<
br /> “My back is killing me from last night,” she said.
“Walking around all morning wasn’t much better,” I said.
Sarah motioned for me to follow with a nod of her head.
“Come on,” she said. “I’ve got some trail bars stored away in my bag.”
“That’s better than nothing,” I said, following her back to the tree.
Benji sat at its base, snoring away.
“Time to get up,” I said, nudging his leg with my foot.
Benji sat up, startled with fear on his face.
“Up and at ‘em,” I said. “We’re eating breakfast on the way.”
“We have breakfast?” Benji asked as he stood. “I thought we ate all the rabbits last night.”
“Sarah had something saved away,” I said.
I watched as she took three granola bars out of her sack.
“This is all I have left,” she said as she handed them out. “Enjoy them while they last.”
“Where to?” Benji asked then bit into his.
“East then north,” I said. “To Harrisburg.”
“We need to get our own horses,” Sarah said. “We have the gold now.”
“Yeah, but we should stay away from Mednia,” I said. “At least for now. Can you identify a few other pendants and necklaces I took?”
“Sure,” Sarah said.
I emptied my backpack on the ground.
“This will take a while,” she said.
“Only two of ‘em are magic,” Benji said, pointing.
Sarah and I both turned to him. He grinned, lips pressed together.
“I’ve had a bit of practice recognizing fake magic items,” he said.
“Uh huh,” Sarah said. “Which ones are magic?”
Benji picked two pieces of jewelry out of the pile.
“I know that one raises strength,” I said.
“Let me cast Identify on the other one,” Sarah said.
She took it and mumbled a few arcane words while moving her hand.
“It’s extra mana for clerics,” she said then handed it toward Benji.
“Oh, great,” he said in a less than enthusiastic voice.
“Something you want to share with us?” Sarah asked.
He shook his head—not adding anymore sarcasm to the situation.
“What about this new sword Benji got me?” I asked.
Sarah took it from me and studied the blade.
“Not magic,” she said. “At least, not that I can tell.”
“Oh well.” I took it back. “Maybe the next one.”
“I hear someone coming,” Benji said.
“Where?” I whispered.
He nodded his head to the east.
“Wait here,” I said then crept toward the noise.
A wagon and horses?
I crept from one tree to another.
When I reached the edge of a road, I saw a farmer riding toward me.
“Safe,” I yelled, hoping the others would come.
The man in the wagon stopped his horses and watched me.
“It’s okay,” I said, waving my hands in the air. “We won’t hurt you.”
“Stay away from me,” the farmer yelled.
Benji and Sarah walked out onto the dirty road with me.
“That a man of the cloth?” the farmer asked.
“Yes,” Benji yelled. “We’re friendly.”
The farmer moved his wagon closer, still watching us.
“We need a ride to Harrisburg,” I said as he stopped again. “We can pay gold if you help us get there quickly.”
“I like gold,” the farmer said. “How much?”
“Two pieces,” Sarah said then dug in her pouch. “Here.”
She walked toward the farmer with her hand out.
“No tricks,” the slovenly dressed, bearded man said.
“You can trust us,” Benji added. “The regional Under-Bishop of Harrisburg has requested my presence.”
“Harrisburg ain’t got no Under-Bishop or Over-Bishop neither,” the man said while stroking his unkempt facial hair. “You guys on the run?”
I used my Sense Motive skill on him before talking.
“We’re simple travelers looking to return to my hometown,” I said. “Mayor Griggsby will want to speak with me.”
The older man sat up and leaned forward.
“You know the Mayor of Harrisburg?” He grinned. “What’s he like in person? Are the stories about his drinking habits true?”
“He’s okay enough,” I said, not knowing if the man was a fan or not.
“I can’t stand the man,” the farmer said. “He’s a crook like the rest of them. What do you think of him?”
“He’s garbage,” I said, smiling as I approached the cart.
“You and the elf get in the back,” the farmer said. “The priest can sit up front with me. I’ve got a bit of confessing to do.”
Sarah and I walked around to the back as Benji climbed in front next to the farmer.
The sharp stench of fish greeted us.
“It’s better than walking,” I said.
She groaned then climbed onto the wagon.
“At least we have the pendant,” I whispered as I followed her.
The cart lurched forward, settling into an irritatingly bumpy ride.
Sarah leaned over and whispered into my ear, “Eric.”
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“All the xp in the world isn’t worth losing my mind,” she said. “Only talking to this spider is creeping me out.”
“You and your familiar aren’t getting along?” I asked.
“She’s great,” Sarah said. “But we’re still stuck in this game. When I can’t talk about the world outside the game, it’s like I get sucked in deeper. Do you know what I mean?”
I nodded. After the first few days, I’d noticed it became harder to recall the real world. Would it keep getting more difficult?
Benji swiveled around, trying to hear our conversation.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
The farmer grabbed him, rattling on about blessing his business.
“Are you listening?” Sarah asked.
“Benji keeps giving me these strange looks,” I said.
“Like he’s doing a deadpan into an invisible camera?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. Exactly.”
The wagon hit something, sending her flying into me.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said then sat back.
“It’s okay,” I said, smiling.
She adjusted herself on the bench.
“I bet you love having your legs,” she said.
“Yeah, it’s nice,” I said. “But I hate being trapped.”
“We’ll get out of here,” she said. “The dynamic duo has returned.”
I smiled at the memories bubbling up from deep in my mind.
“And Benji,” she said. “Best NPC ever.”
“I’m beginning to think he might be a trapped player,” I said.
She nodded. “All the more reason to invite him into our party.”
“It’s a moot point now,” I said. “We’re close to destroying the pendant and finishing the main quest.”
“Yeah, but we said that about getting it in the first place.”
“Not much OOC time left,” I said. “Sarah.”
“Just hearing my name helps,” she said. “Thank you.”
We spent the rest of the journey in silence.
When we reached the edge of Harrisburg, a genuine sense of homecoming came over me as the farmer stopped his cart.
I got out of the wagon. Sarah joined me, stretching her arms.
“Benji?” I asked. “You coming?”
“Hold on,” he said. “Just thanking this nice man.”
After a few seconds, Benji walked around to us.
“I’m not upset you paid him more than you’ve paid me so far,” he said.
“We’ll get you straight
ened out, Benji.” I put my hand on his arm and squeezed it a few times. “Right after we destroy this pendant.”
“Completing this quest is important,” Sarah said.
Benji smiled and nodded.
“I trust you two to come through on your word,” he said. “And I hope you allow me to join your party soon.”
“Let’s go find my friend, John the Blacksmith,” I said.
The farmer’s cart rolled away, leaving us in middle of the empty street.
“Come on,” I said. “This way.”
I walked through the center of town, enjoying the simplicity of the idyllic country life. The other two followed close behind.
Jak ran up to greet us. The boy I’d met when I first entered the game threw his arms around me and squeezed tight.
“Uncle Drex,” he said as he clung tight. “You made it back. I knew you would. You’re the best warrior ever.”
I pulled back then reached out and tousled his hair.
“Didn’t I say I would return?”
“Yeah,” he said. “But I thought you’d end up dead.”
Benji and Sarah laughed.
What a chipper kid.
Jak stepped back, looking at the other two.
“Who are these people?” he asked.
“Friends,” I said. “We’ve got business to attend to, but we’ll catch up with you later, okay?”
“Are you coming home?” Jak asked.
“I’ll be staying at the inn with my friends,” I said.
Jak frowned and said, “Aw, man. Why aren’t you coming home?”
“We’ll talk about it later,” I said.
Jak turned and walked away, kicking at the dirt as he went.
“Your nephew, boss?” Benji asked.
“No,” I said. “He’s just a friend of the family.”
“How dare you?” a familiar female voice said behind me.
I turned around and somehow recognized the woman who played my mother in game.
She put her hands on her hips.
“Who are you?” Benji asked, a greasy smile on his face.
“Calm down,” I said. “This is my mother.”
The hefty woman wearing an apron waddled forward then threw her arms around me. I saw Sarah cover her mouth with her hand.
“You ran off without saying goodbye right before your father’s funeral,” the woman said. “Are you okay? I worried about you.”
“I’m fine,” I said, struggling to break out of her grasp.
She let go but didn’t step back. Her head turned toward Sarah.