Hero

by Paul Bellow

  “I can’t do enough damage to stop it,” Bernard said from across the room.

  He danced and moved with the motions of the floor, staying on his feet like me. I turned and saw Josh thrashing about, trying to stand. He’d managed to crack open a small hole in the wooden boards, but they were quickly repairing themselves.

  “Concentrate on that hole,” I said then danced and jumped across the room toward it.

  Josh got back to his feet, almost falling again right away. The frustration threw him into an even greater rage. He ran forward and beat on the wall with his bare hands.

  Another litany of curses and screams streamed out of his half-orc mouth.

  “This is ridiculous,” Axelrod said from somewhere behind me.

  I kept moving forward, wondering how I could help Josh.

  “Move back,” Bernard said from behind me.

  I turned and saw him holding a wine bottle stuffed with a cloth.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Greek Fire Oil,” he said then grinned. “I’ve been saving it for a special occasion.”

  “Watch out,” I said to the others. “We’re going to burn our way out.”

  “That’s the stupidest idea ever,” Axelrod said. “Besides, how are we going to get the barbarian out of the way?”

  I nodded my head toward Josh. He’d burnt through his rage quickly.

  “Move, you big oaf!” Axelrod shouted.

  Josh stared down at him, too tired to fight back. As he stepped away, Bernard lit his Greek Fire in a bottle. He threw it at the hole in the wall, hitting the target dead-on.

  The glass shattered, spilling the oil which ignited instantly. Flames spread quickly, even on the animated wood.

  “Keep attacking,” Axelrod said, moving forward. “Before the smoke gets too bad.”

  Thick clouds of smoke formed. Some of it blew outside, but the inside of the building filled quickly. Josh kicked the wall where it was burning.

  A bunch of boards popped out of the wall. He kept at it, doing more damage.

  “We’ve got this,” Axelrod said. “Let’s sing the Dwarven Song of Fire.”

  “Let’s not,” I replied, covering my mouth and nose with my arm.

  The building shrieked in pain as we hacked away at the wood. Josh jumped through the hole he’d created in the wall. Axelrod followed him, managing to avoid the flames.

  I ran toward the wall then leaped into the air and nimbly rolled to a crouch.

  “Show off,” Josh muttered.

  “Come on, Bernard,” I said.

  “Keep attacking the house,” Axelrod said. “This fight ain’t over yet.”

  He ran forward, hatchet in the air. It came down solidly.

  The building stopped screaming, but the virtual flames continued.

  Combat is Over!

  You get 4,000 xp divided by four party members.

  You get 1,000 xp You have 80,141 xp You need 24,859 xp for Level 10 Rogue --> Bounty Hunter

  “Stop killing my possessions,” a voice said from behind us.

  I turned and saw the wight mage looking frail and helpless.

  “Stop having your items try to kill us,” I said.

  “It’s what I do,” he said. “What if you were a powerful NPC?”

  Bernard stepped next to me.

  “You think he’s a player?” he asked.

  The thought hadn’t occurred to me until that moment.

  “Not sure,” I said. “Be careful with those OOC penalties.”

  I felt pity for the wight mage as I stared at him.

  “Doesn’t matter to me,” Axelrod said as he stomped forward.

  Josh followed, battered, bruised, and darkened by the smoke.

  “Me either,” he said as he passed by and walked toward the wight mage.

  “Hold up,” I said.

  “I’m out of mana!” the wight mage screamed. “Please don’t kill me!”

  Josh stopped in front of the creature and swung his sword back like a baseball player.

  “Don’t do it!” I yelled.

  Josh stopped, frozen in place.

  “He’s using a charm spell or something on us,” Bernard said. “Has to be. I feel no pity for a player who just tried to kill us.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “But all this is happening here in Glitch-Land. Maybe he’ll die in real life if he dies here? The OOC timer is running out.”

  “Am I taking this out or not?” Josh asked while still in position to strike.

  “Don’t kill me,” the wight mage begged.

  “It’s casting another spell,” Axelrod said. “I see his hands moving.”

  Josh swung, taking off the skeletal head of the wight mage and sending it flying.

  The wight mage is dead!

  Combat is Over!

  You get 8,000 xp divided by four party members.

  You get 2,000 xp You have 82,141 xp You need 22,859 xp for level 10 Rogue --> Bounty Hunter

  The surrounding illusion faded away. I saw the familiar tunnels of the Mines of Oriam.

  “Glitchy isn’t even the word to describe all that mess,” I said.

  “Look,” Bernard said, pointing. “It’s Sylvar’s body.”

  “We need to get the wight mage’s treasure then head back to the Pit of Doom,” Axelrod said. “We’ve got a dragon to kill.”

  “Sarah’s not here to cast Identify, but I can use my skill to see if there’s anything special,” I said. “Not perfect, but it’ll have to do.”

  “I’ve got a keen eye, too,” Axelrod said then walked toward the treasure room.

  When I reached the packed room, I whistled.

  “That’s a lot of stuff,” I said, glancing around. “Are you sure the Feathers of Falling and other stuff are still in here?”

  “They better be here,” Axelrod said. “You start looking. I want Bernard to search for a secret room. He might have even more.”

  “Good idea,” I said.

  He walked over to Bernard. As I glanced around the room, something caught my attention in a far corner. I walked over.

  I picked up a figurine of an owl carved out of jade. What’s that on the base?

  I moved it closer to my eyes and read the word, Who.

  Even my limited identify skills could recognize a Marvelous Figurine when I saw one. I checked the stats before looking for the other stuff we needed.

  Grey Owl Figurine

  This figurine becomes a normal-sized horned owl when the command word is used. The owl communicates with its owner by telepathic means, informing her of all it sees and hears. The transformation can take place once per day, with a maximum duration of 8 continuous hours. If it transforms more than once every 24 hours, it loses its magical properties.

  I smiled then pocketed it. As a bounty hunter, an owl would come in handy. The others didn’t need to know about everything I had in my possession.

  Still smiling, I continued identifying all the items to the best of my abilities. The list came out quite impressive. We’d have a bit of help fighting the dragon.

  * * *

  7 x Feather of Falling (10,000 gp)

  Electrum Cloth Robe set with White Pearl (6000 gp)

  Fine Cloth Robe trimmed with Ermine (1000 gp)

  Leather Belt set with Turquoise (110 gp)

  Ornate Silver Mirror set with Black Pearl (3000 gp)

  Heavy Steel Shield (Medium) (Magic) (1170 gp)

  Wand of Bill’s Strength (1 of 50 charges)

  Oil of Bless Weapon x5 (100 gp)

  Dwarven War-Ax (Medium) (+5 weapon) (2330 gp)

  Short Sword (Small) (+10 weapon) (sheds light) (8310 gp)

  12 x Topaz (400 gp)

  Smoky Quartz (55 gp)

  7 x Opal (500 gp)

  A pile of various coins had been strewn about the side chamber, but I didn’t count them.

  “I’m done,” I said as I walked out to the main cavern. “Might not be perfect, but I’m close. We’ve got some good stuff.”
<
br />   “Fine,” Axelrod said. “Let’s take what we can carry and get back to the pit. We’ve got a dragon to slay.”

  “The mirror isn’t easy to carry, but I’m taking the robes,” Bernard said, picking them up. “We can sell them for a mint if we ever make it to another city.”

  “This shield is nice,” Josh said, picking it up.

  “We need to find Sarah,” I said.

  Axelrod frowned.

  “If she’s alive,” he said.

  “Don’t talk that way,” Josh said before I had a chance.

  As the dwarf walked away, through the dwarven tunnels and toward the Pit of Doom, I couldn’t decide if he looked more menacing with his mohawk or without any hair. His charred skin did make him look tougher.

  “Move out,” he said over his shoulder.

  I followed him, anxious to find Sarah.

  26

  Not So Wonderful Wand

  Sarah

  Cast Identify: Wand of Wonder (987 charges) You have [115/260] mana remaining.

  “Oh my,” Charlotte said. “That could be dangerous.”

  I remembered the randomness of our Wand of Monster Summoning.

  “You’re right, but it’s all we’ve got to play with,” I said. “The rest of my mana might keep us alive if any battles come up. I’m no good with this staff.”

  “If you practiced, you would be better,” Charlotte said.

  “We’ve been busy. Besides, the magic is working fine.”

  Charlotte scurried about on my shoulder. She’d grown large enough for me to feel her.

  “You need to learn how to spend more evenly throughout the day,” she continued. “Even with so many charges, this wand could be the death of us.”

  “Don’t speak that way,” I said, maybe too harshly.

  Charlotte had helped me through more than one situation. I didn’t know where I’d be without her by my side through most of the game.

  “You’re looking good,” a creepy yet familiar voice said.

  I turned, wand in hand, and saw Magi Inyontoo’s reflection in the mirror.

  “We’ll stop you,” I said.

  The mage laughed, his black robes rolling like waves in a storm.

  “You’re funny,” he said. “But seriously…you’re up to no good, I see.”

  “Once I get out of here and find my friends, we’ll put an end to your plan.”

  “Which plan is that?” he asked.

  I answered without pause, “All of them.”

  He smirked, making me want to break the mirror. “By the time I finish my latest plan, both you and your friends will be dead.”

  He turned with flourish then walked away into the cloud of smoke in the reflection.

  “I don’t like him,” Charlotte said.

  “Me either, but we’ve got to keep our cool. This wand will help.”

  I turned as the door to the room opened. When Ryu walked in, I slipped the Wand of Wonder down the back of my pants. It would either save us or kill us.

  “You killed them?” Ryu asked, his eyebrows turning in with anger.

  “I’ll kill you too if you don’t let me go,” I said.

  He laughed as I raised my staff in my right hand.

  “Are you done?” he asked after he stopped laughing.

  “We should all be working together to get out of this game,” I said.

  “Don’t you get it?” He pursed his lips together and shook his head. “We’re stuck in here forever. That means we should make the game what we want it to be.”

  “What do you have against the dwarves?” I asked.

  He sighed then said, “Magi Inyontoo gave me orders, and I plan on fulfilling them. Once I do, he’ll make me ruler of level one-four of the tower.”

  “You think he’ll help you?”

  It was my turn to laugh.

  “Come on,” he said, stepping back and through the doorway. “Let’s go.”

  I took a deep breath, wondering if I should whip out the Wand of Wonder and zap him a few times before he took me somewhere even worse.

  “No,” Charlotte said internally. “Let’s wait.”

  I agreed with her then stepped toward the door.

  Outside in the tunnel, I saw the blue magic field and heard the faint screams of the trapped players. Their terrified cries made me vow to help them.

  “Come on,” Ryu said, walking down the tunnel toward the Pit of Doom. “Hurry.”

  “I’m coming,” I said.

  The reality of the game hit me in that moment.

  My character might die. Would I survive as an NPC?

  I pushed all the negativity out of my mind as I walked forward.

  Ryu stopped when we reached the bottom of the massive pit. He glanced up into the darkness. I almost whipped out the wand and zapped him, but I held off.

  “Your friends should arrive soon,” he said, lowering his head. “Unless they’re dead already. The Mines of Oriam are filling with monsters nicely.”

  “Are you behind all the troglodytes in the Dwarven mines?”

  “We have to fill the area with something,” he said. “Keeps the riff-raff out.”

  He smirked again. I wanted to reach out and slap him, but I stopped myself.

  “Be patient, Sarah. We need to wait for the most opportune moment.”

  “I know, Charlotte. He’s made me mad, but I’m controlling it.”

  “Why are you doing all this for Magi Inyontoo?” I asked.

  His expression changed, the smugness slipping away.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said.

  “You sound like a smart guy. Why follow a loser like him around?”

  Ryu laughed.

  “You think he’s a loser, do you? He’s the only person I’ve met in here that’s come close to finding a way out of this stupid prison. I wasn’t in jail for killing anyone or anything. They picked me up for shoplifting, and I didn’t have enough money to bail myself out.”

  “Why were you stealing?” I asked.

  “To feed my family,” he snapped. “Are you a rich girl in the real world or something? I bet you’re a fat, sweaty kid with pimples.”

  “Maybe I am,” I said.

  Better for him to not know I’m a female player.

  “Were you a gamer before you went to prison?” I asked to keep him talking.

  “No,” he said then sighed. “I find this so-called game pretty messed up. The only reason I’m helping that Magictology guy is—”

  Ryu stopped abruptly and looked at me. He smiled, wagging a finger.

  “You’re smart,” he said. “Nice try.”

  “Smart enough not to join up with Magi Inyontoo,” I said.

  “I didn’t do it willingly,” he said. “Believe me. You think I wanted to be stuck at the bottom of the Pit of Doom on level one-two?”

  “Then why did you do it?” I asked.

  “Because he knows something about me, and I told him I’d do this if he kept it quiet,” Ryu said. “You’ve not been in here long, but the other players can be rough.”

  “Are you a female in the real world?” I asked.

  “What? No,” he insisted.

  Had I struck a nerve?

  “It’s sort of obvious,” I said.

  “What is? That I’m a female in the real world?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “The way you talk and carry yourself.”

  “Take it back,” Ryu said, getting angrier. “Take it back now.”

  “Calm down,” I said. “You’re protesting too much.”

  “I can kill you now,” he said out of nowhere.

  Our eyes locked. A chill ran down my spine.

  He raised his hand, palm out, ready to cast a spell.

  “Geronimo!” Axelrod yelled from above.

  I looked up and saw him, Bernard, Eric, and Josh all falling slowly. Had they found other magic items to get down the pit? I smiled as they floated to the ground.

  “Time to kill all of you,” Ryu said.<
br />
  I lowered my head as he transformed into his dragon-form in the blink of an eye. He looked even more ferocious and dangerous.

  “Back up,” Charlotte said.

  Ryu crouched then flew straight up, his scaled wings causing a draft. I backed up against the curved wall of the pit and stared up at the action.

  “Fast drop now,” Axelrod said.

  The rest of my party suddenly fell faster.

  What do they think they’re doing?

  About a dozen feet from the floor of the pit, they activated whatever magic they had and gently floated down the rest of the way. Eric rushed over after his feet hit the ground.

  “You’re alive,” he said, too surprised for my liking.

  “Barely,” I said. “Good to see you. Ryu Elf-napped me.”

  Eric smiled despite the tense situation.

  “That dragon’s gonna come back,” Axelrod said from behind Eric. “Battle positions.”

  “You have mana?” Eric asked. “Health okay?”

  “Not much on either, but I’ll stay out of the way. I’ve got a trick or two up my sleeve.”

  I pulled out the wand and waved it in front of his face.

  “Nice,” he said. “What does it do?”

  “Let’s go!” Axelrod shouted. “The dragon’s diving!”

  I nodded my head for him to join Axelrod and the other two.

  “Pay attention, Sarah,” Charlotte said.

  With my staff in one hand and the Wand of Wonder in my other, I looked up and saw Ryu swoop down then land with flourish.

  The dragon roared. Dark blue smoke came out of its nostrils.

  Josh laughed and stuck out his chest.

  “Come and get some, punk,” he said.

  I shook my head, wondering what I ever saw in him.

  “Attack!” Axelrod yelled then ran toward the dragon with a small hatchet.

  Eric and Bernard held back as Josh joined the dwarf in his attack.

  “Concentrate, Sarah,” Charlotte scolded.

  Axelrod and Josh both connected, doing little apparent damage to the dragon.