by Jamie Davis
He raced up to his office in the spare bedroom and powered up his desktop. While it booted up, he dug through a stack of game cases and DVD boxes until he found it. It was a plain, clear plastic jewel case with a DVD inside. The disc was labeled Fantasma in black permanent marker.
This was the original disc Tildi had sold him over six months before. It seemed like longer to him. He’d spent more than that amount of time in Fantasma on his two forays there. Time passed differently between the two worlds, or so Tildi had told him. Months might pass in Fantasma while only a few days or even a few hours passed here on Earth.
It worried him because if Mona had been taken a few hours before, who knew how long it might have been once they arrived in the game world. He had to hurry. Every second could be hours or days of captivity for Mona and Cari.
Hal popped the disc from the case and placed it into the computer’s optical drive. It slid inside as the mechanism grabbed it. He clicked the prompt that popped up to load the program contained inside. Soon the familiar display of the Fantasma game screen loaded.
Do you wish to continue your game?
The prompt flashed in a window hovering above the main game menu. Hal wasn’t sure this would work but he sat in his chair and leaned back, making sure his body was comfortable before he clicked on the continue button. He wasn’t sure if his body made the journey or not, but he didn’t want to take the chance.
Once he settled in, Hal reached out and his hand hovered over the mouse. He hoped this worked. Clicking on the continue button, Hal was rewarded when the screen went black followed by a series of familiar flashes of white strobing in the darkness of his office. Rather than blinking and trying to avoid the harsh pattern of strobing white and black, Hal forced himself to stare at the screen and absorb the flashing pattern as the pace sped up.
He felt himself start to fall despite being firmly planted in the chair and he smiled. It worked. The darkness closed about him, not a surprise this time. This time Hal welcomed it with open arms. He hoped he was not too late.
2
“He’s dead, I tell you. Look at him. He’s not moving.”
“He is too moving,” a second child’s voice said. “He’s breathing, stupid. That means he ain’t dead.”
A third voice, higher pitched than the other two, chimed in with a question.
“Why’s he here and what’s with the strange clothing?”
“I think he’s from the ships in the harbor,” the first voice surmised. “Maybe he’s a visitor from one of the ships and he got drunk in the tavern around the corner last night.”
“We should tell mama about him,” voice two said. “Maybe he’s hurt.”
Hal forced his eyes open and immediately noticed the familiar cobblestones and smells of the original alley he’d arrived in the first time he landed in Fantasma. Three children, two boys and a girl, leaned over him staring down at his face.
“See,” the girl said. “He’s not dead. I told you so.”
“You did not,” one of the boys blurted out. “I was the one who noticed he was breathing.”
“Wh-where?” Hal asked. His voice was raspy as if he’d been asleep a long time.
“Where what, mister?” The girl asked.
Hal rolled to his side and winced when he rolled up on something hard that dug into his hip. Reaching down, he felt his dagger there. A quick check confirmed the second blade, identical to the first, rested on his other hip.
“I’m in Tandon, right? Tell me I’m in Tandon.”
“You’re right,” the first boy said. “Where else would you be?”
Pressing his hands down on the cobblestones of the alley, Hal pushed himself up to his feet, rising slowly to get his bearings. He was still a little woozy from the journey and he didn’t want to move too quickly and trip.
Something was different about the trip to Fantasma this time. He’d arrived in Fantasma with his regular clothes intact and had managed to bring his daggers with him from home. On both previous trips, he’d showed up in basic Tandon garb of homespun pants and shirt. He wondered if it was because he’d traveled here without Tildi’s help this time.
Concentrating on himself for a second, he managed to bring up the familiar menu screen that contained his game stats and inventory. Sure enough, he saw blue jeans and t-shirt listed there along with his daggers and the sneakers he wore. A switch of the screen brought up his ability and attribute stats.
Name: Hal Dix
Class: Thief/Warrior
Level: 11/11
Attributes:
Brawn: 24 — +8
Wisdom: 8
Luck: 28 — +10
Speed: 14 — +3
Looks: 8
Health: 116/116
Character Skills: Chakra Regeneration – 3 (18hp; 1/day)
Warrior Skills: Shield Bash - 2, One-Handed Combat - 3, Combat Misdirection - 1, Prescience - 2, Riposte - 2
Thief Skills: Taunt - 2, Dark Vision, Acrobatic Dodge - 6, Hide in Shadows - 2, Sneak Attack - 5, Open Locks - 2, Find/Remove Traps.
Weapon Proficiencies: Long Sword - 4, Crossbow - 1
Warrior Experience: 161,100/250,000
Rogue Experience: 146,100/250,000
Hal remembered the hit from Baron Norak’s cursed sword that drained three levels of his thief abilities. He noticed that not only had he lost points from his brawn, wisdom, and luck, but he had also lost his master thief skills were missing. It seemed that while the stat change could be fixed after he leveled up, he had permanently lost his master thief skills. It was the sole blemish on what he thought of as a pretty good game character sheet. He was going to need every bit of talent he had to get his wife and daughter back.
The three children all stood watching him, curiosity blazing in their eyes. Hal smiled down at them. He wished he had a few silver pieces to give them for watching over him as he woke up. He’d have to settle for his gratitude.
“Thank you, young lady and gentle masters,” Hal said adding a sweeping flourish of his hand and a bow. “I am a visitor to your land, and though I have been here before, I have never been greeted so kindly as you three have greeted me this fine day.”
The little girl giggled and the taller of the two boys nudged her with an elbow.
“What’s your name, Mister?” The girl asked.
“I am known here and beyond as Hal Dix. You and your families might know me better as the Hood, though.”
“Nuh-uh,” the shorter boy said, shaking his head. “The Hood is dead. He disappeared, dying during a great battle far to the east. Word came back weeks ago and the Duke declared a day of mourning for the city.”
“A day of mourning, huh? Well, I hate to tell you, but rumors of my demise are premature, to say the least.”
Hal remembered why he’d returned and the urgency of what he had to do.
“Kids, I hate to leave you all so abruptly without proof of who I am, but you’ll just have to take my word for it. I have to get to the palace and see the Duke. There’s something important I must do.”
All three kids shrugged. What did they care? Adults never asked their permission to do anything.
Hal smiled and headed out towards the mouth of the alley and the throngs of people passing by there. Judging by the angle of the sun over the rooftops, he had to move fast to get to the palace gates before they closed at sundown.
———
The crowded streets were filled with crowds of people and freight wagons coming up from the wharves in the harbor below. Hal weaved his way through, trying not to jostle people. Soon, he managed to leave the Harbor District of Tandon and entered the even busier Merchant’s district with its marketplaces and streets lined with shops of all varieties. He’d missed the familiarity of Tandon after his foray to the dusty, eastern city of Hyroth.
While Tandon was considered provincial by most people in the larger imperial cities to the east, Hal found he liked it here. Maybe it was because this was his first home here in Fantasma or perha
ps because he’d come to know the people here while he liberated the city from the Emperor’s rule.
Hal drank in the sites while he walked and started noticing small differences from the last time he was here. It hadn’t been that long, even with the time differential. It should have only been six months or so. In that time, though, something was different.
It took him a while to notice what it was but once he did, it was obvious once he picked out what it was. There were soldiers everywhere. Not the typical city guard or even the Duke’s personal retainers, no, there were also soldiers wearing strange livery and uniforms he’d never seen before.
At first, Hal wondered if the Emperor had taken the city back during his absence. He slowed and started moving more with more care as he passed through the streets. While he walked, Hal tried to figure out where the soldiers were from to which faction they belonged. It wasn’t until he saw a familiar crest on the tabard worn by one cavalry officer that he started to understand.
The crest was that of the house of Englewood, headed now by one Lord Anders Englewood, recently reunited with his childhood sweetheart, Hal’s friend and fighting companion, Kay. He still didn’t understand completely what her place in the nobility was here in Fantasma but she had friends in high places.
If he were to guess, Hal figured she was some kind of princess. He knew the Emperor deposed her family during his conquests, but he’d never been able to ask her outright. It pained her talking too much about her murdered parents or her younger brother and sister sold into slavery.
If one of Anders officers was here, that meant that it was likely Anders and his contingent of knights and cavalry were here, too. It could indicate Kay was here as well. He could use their help in mounting a rescue.
Crossing the street to catch up with the officer and his companion, Hal reached out and tugged at the billowing sleeve of the man’s shirt. Looking back, Hal realized it was the wrong thing to do on a busy street like this one. Soldiers were notoriously touchy about getting caught unawares.
The man spun around, drawing his sword in a single fluid motion. He brought the blade up to Hal’s throat before Hal could react at all. That wasn’t entirely true. Hal had to resist his own hard-earned instincts to draw steel and parry the blade coming at him. It had taken all his control to hold back on that reaction.
“I’ll gut you, thief, if you’ve so much as removed a copper from my purse,” the officer snarled.
“Easy, my friend,” Hal said. He held his hands out away from his body to show he held no weapons. “I wanted to talk, that is all.”
The man stared at Hal and seemed about to skewer him anyway when his eyes widened in surprise.
“You’re -- I know you! But it can’t be. You’re supposed to be dead.”
“Yeah, that seems to be the consensus. I’m afraid conventional wisdom of my untimely demise is mistaken.”
“Lord Hal, I mean, uh, General Dix, uh…” the man sputtered as he lowered his sword away from Hal’s throat and tried to speak coherently.
“Lord Hal will do, I suppose. I’m sorry, soldier, I don’t remember your name?”
“Lieutenant Warren, my lord. I don’t expect you to remember me. I remember you, though. That speech you gave before the Battle of Mountain Vale inspired my men and me as nothing we’d ever heard before.”
“Well, thank you, I guess. Don’t tell Sir Anders that, though. He might get jealous.” Hal laughed a little now that he'd diffused the tension some.
“He would not be jealous at all. He had one of the scribes write down your words and had them spread to each of the free cities as an example of the leader you were before you — well, before you disappeared.”
“Oh, he did, did he? I’ll have to have a few words with him about that when I see him. That brings me to the reason I stopped you so unceremoniously, Lieutenant. Could you tell me where his lordship is? Is he here in Tandon?”
“Yes, of course,” Warren replied. “He is staying in the palace with the Duke and the Princess.”
“Kay’s here, too? Excellent. That means I won’t have to track her down to get her help.”
“If by ‘Kay’ you mean Princess Kareena then yes, she is staying in the palace as well.”
The lieutenant paused and looked Hal up and down, taking in his strange clothing.
“My lord, your dress is strange in cut and fashion. Might I inquire where you have been? Did you arrive on a ship just into the harbor?”
“Let’s just say I’ve been home to my own land and only just returned here. There is something of the utmost importance that I must speak with Anders, Kay, and Duke Korran about immediately.”
“Then let me and my companion escort you through this rabble so you may reach the palace forthwith. I know Lord Anders will want to speak with you himself to offer what aid he can to assist you.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Hal said. “Lead on and I will follow you.”
The lieutenant’s companion, a younger officer, probably on his first deployment with the army, seemed a little star struck after he learned who Hal was. He made a brief, polite greeting and then fell silent as he brought up the rear of their small group as Lieutenant Warren led Hal through the crowd, pushing people out of the way and calling for the road to clear ahead of them.
Hal didn’t want to cause a fuss but on the other hand, who knew what was going on with Mona and Cari at the hands of the Emperor. He needed to get to his friends and try and come up with a plan to rescue them as soon as possible.
Warren was true to his word. Within a few minutes of walking, he’d rounded up a squad of infantry from another unit and had the sergeant clear the way for them. The burly foot soldiers made quick work of opening a path and soon Hal found himself jogging to keep up with the excited Warren and his impromptu command.
They made excellent time on the way to the palace, making it to the gates well before dark. Before Hal could stop him, Lieutenant Warren marched up to the guard sergeant at the gates and beckoned back at Hal, still walking up the hill, catching up with his escort.
“Make way, my good man. Do you know who this is? He has come with great news for the Duke and his royal visitors.”
The sergeant started to resist the young officer’s excited commands but then he spotted Hal at the rear of the group.
Hal thought he recognized the grizzled sergeant at the gate. The man’s eyes bulged. He remembered Hal, that was for sure. The sergeant turned and called something to the guards inside the gatehouse then whispered to his companion. The second gate guard shot a startled glance at Hal and then sprinted away into the palace grounds. Hal suspected he was running ahead to announce his arrival to the Duke.
As Hal reached the gate, he saw a hastily arranged honor guard form up inside the gatehouse passageway, the men rigid at attention, their pikes all held in front in uniform precision at a slight angle away from them. Hal decided it was time to do the Lordly thing. It was expected at times like this he’d learned while running an army of his own.
Hal paused as he passed the assembled guards, letting his gaze linger on each man in turn before turning to their commander.
“They look very sharp, Sergeant. You’ve done well commanding them.”
The sergeant’s chest puffed up a little bit and a hint of red crept across his face.
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I trained them myself, I did.”
Hal smiled and looked past the assembled soldiers to the end of the gatehouse passage.
“Well, sergeant, don’t let me keep you from your business here. Thank you for the honor guard, but they won’t be necessary. I know the way from here.”
A scowl flashed across the sergeant’s face. It disappeared as soon as Hal noticed it.
“I wouldn’t think of letting you proceed without an escort, sir. The Duke would have my head on a stick if I showed you any disrespect, what with you being back from the dead and all.”
“Yeah, about that. It’s all a bit of a misunderstanding as
you can see. I’m sure there was some confusion following the battle and all. Tildi should have told someone where I was. I just left to return to my homeland.”
“From the stories I’ve heard, your lordship, there’s been no sign of the arch mage since before the battle. Besides, however you got here, now that you’re back, it means Tandon and the Duke must need you once more. If you do not wish the full honor guard, then my corporal and I will escort you to the throne room ourselves.”
“Very well.” Hal struggled not to roll his eyes. “Lead on, Sergeant. There is a matter of some urgency I must attend to.”
Yes, sir. If you’ll follow me. My corporal will bring up the rear.”
Hal turned and thanked Lieutenant Warren and the others who’d escorted him this far and then followed the palace guard sergeant up into the palace.
3
Korran, Duke of Tandon, stood waiting at the door when Hal and his escort arrived in the Duke’s private dining hall. Next to him was a striking woman in a blue silk dress with a tight-fitting bodice and a sheathed dagger at her waist. Beside her stood a man in knight’s livery, his broad shoulders filling out the chainmail shirt he wore as if the links in the chain would burst from the muscles bulging beneath.
The Duke’s face split into a broad grin when the doors opened and Hal stepped into the room. The woman rushed forward and pulled Hal close in an embrace, holding him close for more seconds than Hal felt comfortable seeing as how her betrothed stood watching.
“How are you Kay, or should I say Princess Kareena?”
She snorted a small laugh.
“Kay will do.”
A break in her voice told Hal she might be tearing up as she held him close. He resisted the urge to push her away while she clutched him under Anders watchful eyes. Let her compose herself first.
“Hal, you have no idea how hard it was to give Junita the order to loose that fire arrow at the wagons holding the fire sand while you stood so close,” Kay whispered into his shoulder.