Hero

by Paul Bellow

  He shrugged and said, “I’m at a loss right now.”

  “I’ll slash my way out,” Josh said, not surprising anyone.

  As the Sword of Sands hit the wall, gooey flesh sprayed everywhere. The acidic gook hit all of us, causing more damage.

  The deep purple worm’s acid GRAZES you for 6 damage.

  You have [23/46] health remaining.

  “Watch it, Josh,” I said then looked at Charlotte. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, Sarah,” she said. “But I’m hurt.”

  “We need to get out of here,” Josh said. “Do you have any ideas?”

  “Stand back,” I said, attempting to get solid footing in the glop under my feet.

  “Be careful,” Axelrod said.

  I cast four Lances of Lightning one after the other.

  Your Lance of Lightning WOUNDS the deep purple worm for 17 damage.

  Your Lance of Lightning WOUNDS the deep purple worm for 19 damage.

  Your Lance of Lightning WOUNDS the deep purple worm for 16 damage.

  Your Lance of Lightning WOUNDS the deep purple worm for 19 damage.

  You have [140/260] mana remaining.

  “Take that!” I yelled after the last blast of electricity hit the rear or the worm.

  Even more acid fell from the insides of the creature’s flesh.

  “Back to the front,” Axelrod yelled. “We’ve got to break out of here.”

  The flesh and bones beneath my feet moved, almost causing me to fall over.

  “Let’s go,” Axelrod said then ran back toward the front of the worm.

  I dodged another few drops of stomach acid as I ran after him and the others. We stopped inside the worm’s mouth, the way blocked by four-foot long, razor sharp teeth.

  “Stand back,” I said, preparing to cast again.

  “Wait,” Axelrod said. “It might bounce.”

  “He’s right,” Ryu added.

  “I got this,” Josh said then stepped forward. “Time for a tooth extraction!”

  With the power of both arms, he swung his sword and hit a single tooth, shattering it in half. The worm let out a blood-curdling scream then ejected us out of its mouth.

  I hit the floor of the tunnel and rolled along with the others.

  You’re barely hurt in the fall.

  You have [21/46] health remaining.

  The deep purple worm’s mouth closed a moment before it spat a huge glob of green, acidic goo in our direction. I dodged to the ground, some of it grazing my back.

  The deep purple worm’s acid GRAZES you for 2 damage.

  You have [19/46] health remaining.

  “Come on,” I said from my spot on the floor. “Let’s kill that thing.”

  I let loose another spell as I yelled, “Lightning bolt, lightning bolt, lightning bolt!”

  Your Lance of Lightning WOUNDS the deep purple worm for 17 damage.

  Your Lance of Lightning WOUNDS the deep purple worm for 19 damage.

  Your Lance of Lightning WOUNDS the deep purple worm for 17 damage.

  You have [50/260] mana remaining.

  “I need restoration,” I said, looking around for Ryu.

  “Right here,” he said from behind me.

  I felt his hand grip my shoulder. Warm, pleasant energy washed over my body.

  You feel refreshed.

  You have [260/260] mana remaining.

  You feel better.

  You have [46/46] health remaining.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “Don’t mention it,” Ryu replied.

  I cast another volley of electric death.

  Your Lance of Lightning WOUNDS the deep purple worm for 19 damage.

  Your Lance of Lightning WOUNDS the deep purple worm for 17 damage.

  You have [200/260] mana remaining.

  I turned to see Axelrod, Bernard, Eric, and Josh standing in a line near the giant undead worm of putrid death. A horrid stench filled the air, assaulting my nostrils.

  “Hold the line,” Axelrod said. “Don’t let it spit again.”

  Instead of spitting, the worm shook then shot forward at a breathtaking pace with its mouth wide open, ready to swallow our entire party whole again.

  “Out of the way,” I said, hoping they understood what I was about to do.

  The four in front split in the middle—two going left and the other two going right.

  I let loose another volley of lightning with most of my mana.

  Your Lance of Lightning INJURES the deep purple worm for 15 damage.

  Your Lance of Lightning WOUNDS the deep purple worm for 17 damage.

  Your Lance of Lightning WOUNDS the deep purple worm for 16 damage.

  Your Lance of Lightning INJURES the deep purple worm for 12 damage.

  Your Lance of Lightning HITS the deep purple worm for 9 damage.

  Your Lance of Lightning MAULS the deep purple worm for 21 damage.

  You have [20/260] mana remaining.

  Eric turned around, eyes wide open at my open display of power. I smiled as the deep purple worm screamed and thrashed about.

  “Finish ‘em off!” Axelrod yelled then ran forward with his ax.

  I watched as he and Josh delivered killing blows.

  Combat is Over!

  You get 25,000 xp divided by six party members.

  You get 4,167 xp You have 71,305 xp You need 5,695 xp for level 8 Wizard --> Warlock.

  “Everyone alright?” Axelrod asked.

  The undead purple worm continued to convulse violently.

  “I’m almost out of mana,” I said. “But I’m healed up.”

  “We need to rest,” Ryu said. “I need to replenish my magic.”

  “No, we keep going,” Axelrod said. “The air here is too putrid to rest anyway, and we’re not going back. We’ve only got a bit longer to go.”

  “I’m tired,” Ryu said.

  Axelrod walked over to him then stopped and peered up.

  “Does it look like I care if you’re tired?” he asked.

  Ryu’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

  “Is it safe walking over the worm’s corpse?” I asked.

  The whole thing had collapsed in on itself and littered the floor of the cave with blood, guts, and weird purple bones. I hated the smell of death more than anything.

  “We’ll be fine, but we should do it quick,” Axelrod said, turning. “Let’s go.”

  I glanced at Eric as the dwarf ran onto the dead worm, heading further down the tunnel.

  “This game is messed up,” I said then walked around him to follow Axelrod.

  I walked as fast as I dared in the swamp of worm guts on the floor of the cave, not wanting to fall and cover myself in the icky goo.

  “Will the acid still damage us?” I thought to Charlotte.

  “Yes,” my familiar answered like a personal assistant.

  “Good to know,” I said.

  Everyone quieted down and concentrated on clearing the mine field of debris.

  “That was disgusting,” I said as I cleared the tail end and found stable, dry ground.

  “It’s all a part of adventuring,” Axelrod said. “Get used to it, darling.”

  Did he just call me darling?

  Axelrod looked away.

  “Hurry up,” he yelled and walked deeper into the dark depths.

  Ryu finally caught up to us.

  “Will we ever reach the Pit of Doom?”

  “I hope we don’t,” Charlotte said.

  Part of me wish we wouldn’t either, but opening the level might lead to a real way out of the game and back to reality. Despite the fun in the beginning, the realism of everything was getting to me.

  The Tower of Gates sucked so bad.

  After an hour or so of walking, the others in front stopped.

  “What is it?” I asked, moving between Eric and Josh.

  A few feet away, the tunnel ended abruptly with a gigantic hole more than a hundred-feet across. I peered over the edge, unable to see the
bottom.

  “How are we supposed to get down there?” I asked.

  “The elevator was smashed to pieces in the great Battle of Oriam, so we’ll need another way,” Axelrod said, one hand resting on the head of his axe while the other stroked his beard.

  “I’ve got no magic to help,” I said.

  “My Ring of Climbing will help me get down, but that’s not a good idea,” Eric said.

  “No, we need to stick together,” Axelrod said then sighed deeply before continuing. “We need to go get a floating platform. They’re around here somewhere.”

  “A what?” Eric asked.

  “It’s dwarven magic we created to move minerals through the mines more easily. We can use it to float down to the bottom of the pit safely,” Axelrod explained.

  “We should camp here for the night and rest up,” I said, gripping my staff.

  “Good idea,” Bernard said.

  “Fine.” Axelrod sighed. “I’m worn down, too, and the smell isn’t so bad here. Nothing should fly up from the pit, so we’ll only have to watch in one direction.”

  “What about the black dragon?” I asked. “Couldn’t it fly up?”

  “If that infernal beast flies up out of that pit,” Axelrod said. “I’ll give up my leadership of the group and give all of you all of my possessions.”

  “Never say never,” Eric muttered.

  Our dwindling group of six set up a simple camp, eating rations, and drinking what little water we had left in our flasks. As I ate, a foreboding feeling rumbled through my body. Deep down, doom of the impending variety grabbed ahold of me.

  21

  Feats of Dwarven Engineering

  Eric

  Sarah walked a few feet ahead of me as we headed down one of the purple worm’s side tunnels, back to the mines of Oriam to find a floating platform.

  With eyes on her, I listened for anything creeping up behind us. Axelrod had sworn we wouldn’t run into anything, but he’d been wrong multiple times already.

  No one wanted to talk about what awaited us at the end of our quest, but we had to come up with a plan to defeat the black dragon. We’d almost been killed a few times.

  Half an hour after leaving camp the morning after our purple worm battle, Axelrod stopped. I held up both my blades, peering ahead into the darkness for more danger.

  “There’s bound to be more mobs,” Axelrod said. “I didn’t think there would be, but someone is allowing monsters into the mines since the dwarves aren’t around.”

  “Obviously,” I said.

  “How many other players are in the game?” Sarah asked.

  Axelrod shrugged.

  “I’m not even sure anymore,” he said.

  “We should get going,” Ryu said. “I sense danger nearby.”

  “Nonsense.” Axelrod glanced down the tunnel. “I see perfectly, and there’s nothing—”

  He stopped talking as an arrow hit him, the feathered end protruding from his shoulder.

  “Battle positions!” Axelrod shouted, looking around.

  I turned in the direction where the arrow came from and saw nothing. Two more arrows flew by. I dodged at the last moment, almost getting hit.

  “Get back!” Sarah shouted.

  She cast a spell. I expected more Lances of Lightning, but she went with Snares of Dust. The enemies coughing gave away their position.

  Who’s attacking us now?

  I ran toward the coughs. Axelrod, Bernard, and Josh followed close behind. The spellcasters needed protecting, but I kept running forward.

  “Cancel it,” a familiar voice shouted.

  I slowed then stopped, sword’s still raised.

  “Don’t you think I’m trying?” another voice answered.

  Sylvar and Rizzo the Red? What’s going on?

  I slashed and stabbed just below one cloud of dust. Both blades connected.

  Your slash INJURES [PC] Sylvar the Ranger for 12 damage.

  Your pierce HITS [PC] Sylvar the Ranger for 8 damage.

  Your Weapon Craft (Dual Wield) Skill has increased.

  Weapon Craft (Dual Wield) is basic level 4 of 10.

  Anger and rage burned in my brain as I remembered all the problems the two had caused on level one-one. Rizzo screamed. The clouds of dust dissipated.

  “My magic’s stronger, too,” Rizzo said.

  I watched as he and a few others stepped forward into full view. Rizzo wore his trademark red robes. Sylvar looked as goofy as ever.

  Four others in their party wore chain mail or better.

  “They’re tanked up!” I yelled as I attacked Rizzo again.

  Your slash HITS [PC] Rizzo the Red for 9 damage.

  Your pierce HITS [PC] Rizzo the Red for 8 damage.

  Rizzo the Red has noticed you.

  The combat notifications are changing again.

  Sylvar drew his bow as four fighters—all human—rushed forward to chase me away from their spellcaster. Their idea worked brilliantly.

  Where are the others? I wondered as I backed up a few steps.

  Axelrod and Josh rushed past me, plowing into the other group’s front line. I stopped next to Bernard, swords in the air.

  We couldn’t lose any other party members if we wanted to kill that black dragon and free the dwarves. One of their fighters broke through the line.

  Bernard charged, mace held high.

  Come on Sarah, get us out of this.

  I sidestepped to the left, hoping to get around their fighters in front who were giving Axelrod and Josh a run for their money.

  Two arrows sailed through the air, both hitting me in the arm.

  [PC] Sylvar’s arrow HITS you for 8 damage.

  [PC] Sylvar’s arrow GRAZES you for 6 damage.

  You have [90/104] health remaining.

  I once again thanked everything holy they weren’t poisoned. As the pain took over my thoughts, I dropped my secondary weapon.

  Rizzo and Sylvar laughed behind their tanks.

  “Open the line!” I yelled, hoping Sarah got the message.

  Two Lances of Lightning shot down the tunnel, barely missing me. Both landed on one of the other party’s fighters in chainmail, taking him to the ground.

  I used the opportunity to run forward, dodging past the fighters, then ran my FAST sword into Rizzo the Red again.

  Die and don’t come back!

  Your pierce INJURES [PC] Rizzo the Red for 13 damage.

  [PC] Rizzo the Red is not amused.

  Rizzo’s face flashed anger as he cast a spell.

  What level are they now?

  I had my answer as two Lances of Lightning slammed into me.

  [PC] Rizzo the Red’s Lance of Lightning INJURES you for 14 damage.

  [PC] Rizzo the Red’s Lance of Lightning WOUNDS you for 18 damage.

  You have [58/104] health remaining.

  This is not going well—at all.

  “Healing!” I yelled, hoping Ryu heard me.

  Unwilling to stop, I swung again with my good arm, fighting through the pain.

  Your pierce HITS [PC] Rizzo the Red for 10 damage.

  Sylvar ran up and swung a sword.

  [PC] Sylvar the Ranger’s pierce HITS you for 8 damage.

  You have [50/104] health remaining.

  Two of their fighters fell, allowing Axelrod to rush to Sylvar. He knocked the ranger down with a mighty blow from his battle-ax. I felt Ryu’s hands grip my shoulders.

  You feel better.

  You have [104/104] health remaining.

  No time to go back for my second sword, I grabbed my back-up dagger out of my belt.

  I charged forward with renewed energy and stuck Rizzo with both my blades.

  Your stab INJURES [PC] Rizzo the Red for 11 damage.

  Your pierce GRAZES [PC] Rizzo the Red for 5 damage.

  Rizzo yelped in pain as two Lances of Lightning hit him in the left arm. He collapsed to the stone floor of the tunnel, no longer moving. I turned and saw Sarah smile.

  �
��I give up,” Sylvar said, dropping his blade.

  Axelrod moved to kill the unarmed man.

  “Wait. Stop,” I said.

  “They’re the ones behind those dwarven zombies,” he said, gripping his battle-ax and not taking his eyes off the shaking Sylvar. “They all need to die.”

  “I surrender,” Sylvar said, hands up as if they might protect him from Axelrod’s blade.

  “You can’t kill an unarmed man,” I said.

  “I can, and I will,” Axelrod said.

  “You need me,” Sylvar said. “I know about the dragon and the dwarves.”

  Axelrod lowered his battle-ax.

  Combat is Over!

  You get 20,000 xp divided by six party members You get 3,333 xp You have 74,558 xp You need 442 xp for level 8 Rogue --> Bounty Hunter

  So close!

  “The others are all dead,” Josh said as he walked up.

  “Everyone okay?” Axelrod asked while keeping his eyes on our prisoner.

  “I’m fine,” Sarah said. “I held back some mana in case we run into something else.”

  “What do you know about the dragon and dwarves?” Axelrod asked.

  Sylvar lowered his head.

  “I lied,” he said. “I didn’t want to die again. Magi Inyontoo is going nuts.”

  The ranger turned to Sarah.

  “You trust me, don’t you?” he asked.

  “Are you kidding?” She shook her head. “You tried to kill us multiple times.”

  Sylvar sighed then lowered his head again.

  “What are we going to do with him?” Bernard asked. “That’s the question.”

  “If we go back to the beginning of the mines, we can trap him in the roguelike game,” Axelrod said. “Maybe he can find my other party members.”

  “No,” Sylvar said, a sense of worry creeping into his normally confident voice. “I’ve heard about that game inside the game.”