by Dale Britton
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Well, you, mostly," Ollie said. "I can't figure out why you wanted to play with us in the first place. Ian is convinced that you're trying to mess with us somehow."
This made Sarah laugh too. "Ollie, you need to work on your self-image. You're a nice, cute, smart guy. Why wouldn't a girl want to spend time with you?"
Ollie would swear that at that moment his heart literally stopped beating. Sarah thought he was cute? She actually liked him? Was she being serious? It was several seconds before he could breathe again.
"But what about the game?" he managed to ask.
"That one's a little harder to explain," Sarah admitted. "I guess I just wanted to see what you did with your friends. And it turned out to be a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. I was actually having fun playing, even though Jordan hates me. Is there something between you two?"
"Jordan? No. I mean, we've been friends for a long time. I think I was her only real friend before our group got together. She's had a rough life. She grew up in foster families, you know."
"Oh," Sarah said. "I had no idea. Honestly, I'd never really noticed her."
"I worry about her sometimes."
"She's lucky to have a friend like you," Sarah said. She moved over so that she could sit at Ollie's side. "So, has your big brain figured anything out?"
"Well, I've given up on the idea that this is just some mass hallucination. We're really here, in Valoria. Occam's razor and all that." He noticed Sarah's confused expression and shook his head. "Never mind. Not important. The big thing is that according to Father Peter, we're stuck here until our task is done."
"Our impossible task," Sarah said.
"Nothing's impossible, Sarah. Especially not here. This is a place where magic actually works. If a summoning could bring us here, then there might be some magic that can send us home. We just have to find it."
"But what about the demon? What about all the people that are suffering? It kind of seems like it's our fault."
Ollie shook his head. "I don't see how we can help them. We don't have any special powers or abilities."
"Look, Ollie, I'm literally more scared than I've ever been in my life, but Father Peter thinks we can help."
"Well, we'll see what Wendall has to say. But I think George will be happy. We're going to have to go see the elves. If anyone in the region can help us, it'll be them."
There was a scratching sound on the outside wall of the church, then a vicious shriek that seemed almost on top of them. Sarah let out a little shriek of her own and grabbed onto Ollie so tightly that he was afraid that she might squeeze the breath right out of him.
"What was that?"
Ollie had to wait for his heartbeat to return to normal before answering. "I don't know. We've cataloged over three hundred different creatures for the game. That sound could come from quite a few of them."
"Great." Sarah loosened her death grip slightly. "And I thought going out with you would be safe."
Ollie couldn't help laughing at the absurdity of that statement. "Well, at least you can't say it's boring."
Chapter Twenty
Morning dawned on the party's first full day in Valoria. The first thing Ollie noticed, other than the fact that he really was in a fantasy world, was how warm it was. Back home it was February, but in Valoria they were apparently in the middle of summer. A warm breeze blew into the building through windows that were now opened to the sunlight. The air felt different–stronger somehow. Ollie wondered if Valoria had a higher percentage of oxygen in its atmosphere than the earth.
"Good morn to you, young travelers," said Father Peter once they had all awakened. I have prepared sustenance. You may wash up out back if you please." He indicated an open doorway at the back of the church which led to the outside.
George led the way through the door, and the group got their first look at the world of their game. Valoria was beautiful. The outpost was in an open area surrounded by hills and forest. There were a number of buildings and cottages nearby. Ollie could recognize the stables at a short distance to the west. Well, he assumed that the sun still rose in the east here. The architecture reminded him of pictures he had seen of old villages in Europe. The warm breeze carried the voices of birds. A squirrel ran past and climbed up a nearby apple tree. Voices could be heard in the distance as the outpost began to awaken. Ollie felt like he'd been dropped into a fairy tale.
"Watch out for the razor birds," Father Peter called from inside. "They've been quite active lately. Took one of my goats last week."
And just like that, the danger of their situation came crashing back. Razor birds. Carnivorous. Wingspan of two feet. Three heads. Talons and beaks that could cut through a tree branch. They had been created by George to make the game more interesting and exciting, but the thought of seeing one in person didn't really excite Ollie. Suddenly the world seemed much darker in spite of the bright sunlight.
In back of the church, there was an outhouse, a trough with a pump for water, and a large chicken coop. The teens quickly used the facilities, and then returned to the safety of the church for breakfast. The meal consisted of a delicious potato and egg omelet and apple juice.
An hour later, Ollie knocked on the door of a small cottage just outside the outpost. The door opened, revealing a rather short man wearing a blue robe and a pointed wizard's hat.
"Could he be any more stereotypical?" Jordan muttered.
"Quiet," Johnny whispered.
"Are you the wizard Wendall?" Ollie asked. "Father Peter sent us to talk to you."
The small man looked them over for a moment before responding. When he spoke, his voice sounded much too deep for his frail seeming body. "The good father sent a group of children to speak to me? Why are you here? I have important work to do."
"We're here because Father Peter summoned us in a ritual," Ollie said. "He was looking for help."
"And he got you, did he?" The wizard looked them over with a bit more interest. "Magic has been erratic lately, but still... why don't you come inside. It'll be a little tight, but I think we can manage."
They followed Wendall into his cottage and squeezed into a small sitting room. There was a table in the middle of the room covered with scrolls and candles and a few chairs. Half of the group had to take a place on the floor, but they fit. An enormous orange cat emerged from behind a chair and started rubbing against Jordan's legs.
"Hello, Whiskers," she said, scratching him behind the ears. The cat purred in response.
Wendall mumbled something in a strange language, and a flame suddenly flew out from his fingers, lighting a large candle in the middle of the table.
"Cool," George said. "How did you do that?"
"What?" Wendall said. "You've never seen a simple fire spell before?"
"Magic doesn't work where we come from," Ollie said, giving George a sharp look. "At least, I don't think it does."
"Now that I find hard to believe. I'm not a high-ranking wizard by any means, but I've yet to encounter a place where my spells fail to work."
"Can anyone learn magic?" Sarah asked.
"Anyone with enough intelligence," Wendall answered. "The texts can be difficult to understand. It takes a great deal of study."
Everyone was staring at Ollie. "What?" he asked.
"You should learn some magic," George said. "You have intelligence spilling out of your ears."
"We don't have time for that," Ollie said, his face turning red.
Wendall laughed. He reached over to a bookcase and pulled out a thin volume. "Here. A gift."
Ollie took the book and studied it. It was a spellbook, of course. The title read "Fundamentals of the Fire Incantation."
"I can't take this," Ollie said.
"I don't need it," Wendall assured him. "This is one of the few spells I have mastered. I have a feeling you'll have use for it."
Ollie flipped through the book. It was full of text written in freehand, along with pictu
res and formulas. It did look complicated. It would be interesting to study it and try to understand. It was with reluctance that he closed the book and set it down.
"Thank you. I'll look at it later."
"One piece of advice," Wendall said. "The key to any magic spell is that you must believe that it will work. Even if you understand all of the principles of the incantation, without that confidence, your spell will fail."
He sat up straight in his chair. "Now," he said, addressing the group in his oddly deep voice. "Let us discuss our troubles."
Chapter Twenty-One
"Let's get this straight," Wendall said. "You were summoned by the good father to come to our aid. What do you know of our situation?"
"Look," Ian said. "I don't really think we should get involved here. We just want to go home. Do you have any magic that can send us back to our world?"
Wendall shook his head sadly. "No, I'm sorry. If I understand Father Peter's summoning ritual correctly, it will take much more powerful magic than my own to break it. I'm afraid that you are bound by its strictures."
"But we didn't sign up for this," Ian said, his voice rising. "It's all a mistake. We could be killed here."
"Calm down, Ian," Johnny said. "It's not Wendall's fault."
"I'm supposed to be at tennis practice," Ian said. "And what about our parents? They'll think something happened to us."
"Something did happen to us," Sarah said.
"At any rate," Wendall said, "until the requirements of the summoning are completed, you will not be able to return. But as I understand it, the spell couldn't have brought you unless you allowed it. You must have accepted the quest offered by the summoner."
"It's kind of complicated," Ollie said. "We were just playing a game." He went on to tell Wendall about their world, and the events that had brought them to Valoria.
"We were hoping you might be able to help us."
"I must admit," Wendall said, "your story is difficult to believe. A demon lord here? The last time a demon lord appeared on this plane there was a war that lasted nearly a century. Thousands died in the battles."
"We know," Ollie said. "It took the combined magics of five races to create the talisman that banished the demon lord. Even after his banishment, it was many years before all of the lesser demons were hunted down and killed."
"I hope that you are mistaken about our enemy," Wendall said. "But I would not be too certain of your lack of power. Knowledge is power, and your group seems to be possessed of an extremely unusual amount of it."
"Knowledge won't do much good if a giant steps on us," Ian said.
"Ian," Ollie said. "This is your campaign. What did you have planned? Where is the demon hiding?"
Ian's face turned red. "I don't know," he admitted. "I hadn't planned it that far ahead. I figured that I had about a week to fill in the details. You were supposed to follow the map to get clues, and it would lead you to the lair of Alakabal."
"But you knew he couldn't be killed," Ollie said. "How were we going to fight him?"
"Well, I set up a treasure trove not far from here," Ian said, then he realized what he had just said. "I set up a treasure trove! It has some magic items in it. We need to find it."
"What kind of objects?" George asked.
"Well, some weapons. A ring, too, I think. I wish I had my folder."
"What's guarding it?" Ollie asked. He knew that a large treasure wouldn't just be sitting there for the taking.
"Oh, right," Ian seemed to deflate a little. "Forgot about that. It's a random guardian. A level three monster."
"Level three," Ollie said thoughtfully. "That would be easy in the game. But now..."
"What's level three?" Sarah asked.
"There are about twenty level three monsters," George said. "In this type of terrain, well, I'm guessing a cave?" Ian nodded. "We could be looking at something like a giant scorpion, or a bear, or maybe zombies."
"A bear isn't a monster," Sarah said.
"Anything that can kill you is a monster," George said.
"Well, this is stupid," Sarah said. "We shouldn't hurt some poor animal just to get some stupid treasure."
"We're not really in a position to hurt anyone," Ollie said. "If we're going to survive in this world, we'll have to use our brains. But I do think that we need that treasure. Ian specifically included it in the campaign to help us win. I think that we have to have it."
Wendall picked up a piece of parchment from the table. "Here," he said, "this might help. It's a map of the northern region, at least as good as I could make it. It's mostly based on the accounts of trappers that have traveled there. It should help you in your quest."
The group leaned in to study the map. Sure enough, there were five marks placed on it, just like Ian had told them when they were playing.
"That's where we're supposed to find the clues, right?" Johnny said. "The places where something strange happened."
"Where's the treasure?" George asked.
Ian studied the map for a minute, comparing it to The Map in his mind. "Right here," he said, pointing at a spot north of the outpost at the edge of a group of hills. "There's a cave right there. The treasure's inside."
Wendall grabbed a pencil and marked the spot where Ian was pointing. "That's about three miles from here. You could get there in a couple of hours."
"Would you come with us?" Ollie asked.
Wendall suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "Um, no, I'm sorry. I'm afraid that I can't interfere in your task."
"Aren't you already interfering?" Jordan asked. "I mean, you gave Ollie the book, and you gave us the map."
"Yes," Wendall said, "but..."
"And Father Peter sent us to you for help," Sarah said.
"Yes, but..." Wendall sighed. "But I never leave my cottage. I have allergies, and I'm afraid of... well, I'm afraid of everything. I'm sorry. I'll answer any questions you have, but I won't leave the outpost."
It soon became apparent that none of the group's arguments would be enough to convince the wizard to come along on the treasure hunt. Finally, the group gave up.
"I wish you luck on your quest," Wendall said as they left the cottage, "and I pray that you are wrong about our adversary."
"Thanks for nothing," Jordan muttered.
Chapter Twenty-Two
"You are sure of this treasure?" Father Peter asked when they had returned to the church. "I have heard no rumors of this cave of which you speak."
"As sure as we can be," Ollie said. "We've decided we need to go look for it at least. It might be the key to surviving."
"I am afraid that I cannot accompany you, " the priest said. "I am sorry, but I dare not leave my wife, and there are others that need my care as well. But I still may be able to help you."
He led them to a cabinet at the back of the church. He opened it to reveal an array of weapons.
"You cannot travel in these lands unarmed. You must at the very least appear dangerous. With luck, you may be able to avoid conflict."
Ollie thanked the father, and each member of the group selected something from the cabinet. Ollie took a small dagger, as did Sarah. Jordan selected a scary-looking mace with a loop so that she could attach it to her wrist. It looked like it would work really well for pounding on things. Johnny and Ian both chose short swords with scabbards so that they could attach them to their waists. George grabbed a short scimitar, a curved sword that looked dangerous. None of them had any real idea of how to use their new tools, but they did feel a little better that they now had the means to defend themselves if necessary.
But the good father was not done. He reached into a desk and pulled out an interesting object. It was a carved symbol that reminded Ollie of the summoning circle in the basement where the group had first appeared in this world. The ornament was attached to a leather cord, which Father Peter put over Ollie's head so that it hung around his neck.
"This talisman will ward you from danger. Many of the evil creatures you may encoun
ter will avoid it."
Ollie lifted the talisman and examined it. It did seem to contain some kind of power. It vibrated slightly as he held it and felt heavier than it should.
"Thank you," he said.
"I'm not so sure about this," Ian said. "We could run into anything out there."
"Not anything," George said. "I think we can rule out carnivorous penguins."
Ian clenched his teeth. "You know what I mean."
"You should be safe in the daylight," Father Peter said. "There have been very few reports of travelers being accosted this close to the outpost. This settlement has been here for many years, and for the most part, we have cleared out the nearby area of dangers. Creatures have learned to give it a wide berth."
"All right," Ollie said. "Let's go. If anyone wants to wait here while we go look for the treasure, this is your last chance to speak up."
Although everyone looked scared, or at least nervous, nobody wanted to be left behind. They each picked up a traveling bag–also provided by Father Peter–and stepped out the door into the late morning. Despite the uneasiness they all felt, there was still a feeling of excitement. They were going on a treasure hunt!
Chapter Twenty-Three
It was such a weird feeling to be walking through the woods on a warm sunny day when just a day ago they had been in the middle of the worst snowstorm of the year. Here in Valoria, it was the beginning of summer. Birds were flying from tree to tree. Ollie was able to recognize most of them. He had read through more than one bird guidebook. There were a few, however, that he was pretty sure had never existed on earth. One of these, with green, purple, and orange plumage, was just about the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.
On a normal day, in their own world, the walk would have been enjoyable. There was beautiful scenery, the temperature was perfect, there were gorgeous flowers blooming everywhere. Unfortunately, it was impossible to relax and admire their surroundings. The group had spent way too much time playing their game. They knew about the dark things that lived here. Every sound, every movement, every shadow seemed ominous. Everyone kept looking over their shoulders or up into the trees at the slightest disturbance.