by Anthea Sharp
Her father parked in front of the house, grabbing grocery bags off the back seat before he came inside. "Sorry. I didn't mean to take so long. Some stupid kid ran into me in the shopping centre and knocked my things everywhere." He kept walking, glancing over his shoulder as he headed towards the kitchen.
She strode after him. His brown hair was several shades darker than hers and his eyes were a similar brown to her own. He had a neatly trimmed moustache and beard and broad shoulders, having taken up weightlifting when Laura had died. It hadn't helped. Nothing had. She only hoped this did.
They put away the handful of groceries, but left a small package wrapped in brown paper on the kitchen table. Her gaze was continually drawn to it. That something so ordinary had the power to change her life, didn't seem possible. She supposed when you thought about it, a bullet wasn't that large either and look how much a handful of them had changed her life.
Once the groceries were away, they stood by the table, staring at the package. Her father gestured towards it. "Did you want to open it?"
Her hands trembled. She clasped them behind her back. "You do it. You were the one who learned about the Guardians Of The Round Table first."
He unwrapped the package and stared at the colourful game case he held. "A car game?"
"Do you think they used that case to disguise it?"
He opened the case and stared at the label on the disc. His confused expression cleared, replaced by an angry one. "It'll be that kid. He had a package wrapped in brown paper too. The same size. I was sure I kept track of where his landed so I wouldn't get them mixed up."
"Someone else has the disc?" She couldn't drag her gaze from the game Ross continued to hold. What would the guardians say? Would this cause an instant fail in their application to join the organization? It was the first thing he'd shown any real interest in since Laura had passed away. She couldn't imagine what it would do to him if they failed before they had the chance to prove themselves.
"I guess-" Ross broke off, swallowing visibly. "I better ring Dorset." He placed the case on the table, leaving it open.
She was tempted to return to pacing as her father took out his mobile phone and made the call. It seemed like an impossibly long amount of time before he spoke.
"It's Ross Felder. Could you transfer me through to Dorset Banks please?" Again time stretched out before Ross spoke. "Dorset, I'm afraid I have a problem."
Carissa moved closer, but was unable to hear Dorset's side of the conversation.
"Someone else has the disc." There was a pause before Ross spoke again. "I don't know. A kid ran into me and knocked everything across the floor." The next pause was lengthier. "Okay. I'll wait for your call."
The moment he put his phone away, Carissa asked, "What did he say? Can we get another one?" For a second she thought it was a set-up. The stories, their proof and now the kid.
"He needs to talk to some of the other guardians." Ross shrugged. "I have no idea what he'll do. They need to get the disc back before the kid can use it." He glanced at the game on the table. "I can't believe…" His voice trailed off and he slowly shook his head before he wandered from the kitchen, his shoulders slumping.
She stared after him, wanting to reassure him that everything would be okay. But if life had taught her anything, it was that things rarely were okay. She returned to pacing, unable to settle, going from room to room as she looked for something to do to take her mind off the wait.
It wasn't until they'd had dinner that Dorset rang and asked if he could visit. Carissa stared at her father, numerous scenarios racing through her mind. Was he going to tell them the deal was off? That they could no longer go to Inadon? Meeting her father's gaze she saw the fear in his brown eyes. The same fear she felt. The guardians had to let them go. She turned away, unable to meet his gaze a moment longer. Returning to the pacing she'd managed to stop long enough to make dinner, she tried not to think about the upcoming meeting. She still wore the same clothes she'd had on that afternoon, not having had the heart to change into modern ones. Ross had looked dejected enough without her making him feel worse.
A knock on the door had Ross jumping out of the armchair he sat in, nearly colliding with Carissa who was currently pacing the lounge room. He opened the door, standing back to let three people inside.
Carissa recognised the first two. It was Dorset and his wife Richelle. She'd never met the young man with them. He looked to be around her age with short, sandy brown hair, the tips lighter than the rest. He was slightly taller than her father's height of six foot and his outfit was fancier than hers. He wore dark brown leather trousers with knee-high boots and a shirt that laced up at the front opening. There were leather studded vambraces at his wrists, and two leather pouches on his belt. She felt like a peasant next to him.
Dorset waited until the front door was shut before he spoke. "This is our son, Jed."
Jed held up a black game case, a grin forming. "I'm in need of a party and I hear you're in need of a disc."
Ross looked from Jed to Dorset and back again. "What does this mean?"
Richelle stepped forward. "Having a family member who is a guardian doesn't automatically mean you're allowed into the organization. Nor are we allowed to give him much more than basic help in passing his test."
Carissa looked Jed up and down, wanting to point out that his clothes were a little more than the basics. "Does that mean if we don't join his party we won't be able to become Guardians Of The Round Table?"
Dorset shook his head. "It means there'll be a wait before we can provide you with another disc. They aren't exactly mass-produced."
"How long a wait?" Ross asked.
Dorset shrugged. "Could be weeks."
Carissa could see the disappointment in the way her father's shoulders lowered. She faced Jed. "Why don't you have a party?"
"I turned eighteen on the sixth of January. It'll be nine months before another guardian's kid turns eighteen. I'd rather not wait that long." He grinned, looking between Carissa and Ross. "So what do you say?"
"I don't-" Ross started to say.
Hearing the disappointment in her father's voice, and fearing he was about to decline, she interrupted him. "There are no catches?"
"No. I'll also share whatever coins Mum and Dad will stash on Inadon for me." He grinned again. "Before you go wondering if there's a catch to that, there isn't. If we agree to set up a party together, we're stuck with each other for at least six months on Inadon throughout the testing period. It benefits me if you're outfitted as well as possible."
She slowly nodded, his words making sense. "Who's party leader?"
Jed's grin faltered. "Is that the deal breaker?"
She shrugged.
"I really don't-" Ross began.
Jed interrupted. "Deal. You can be the leader." He stepped closer to Carissa, holding the game case out to her.
"Jed-" Richelle's voice was filled with concern.
Jed interrupted Richelle, meeting Carissa's gaze. "Deal." He continued to hold out the case.
She met his dark brown eyes. They contained none of the sorrow she frequently saw in hers and her father's eyes. If anything, she caught a glimpse of mischief. "Dad was meant to be party leader."
"Plans change. You can be the leader. Do we have a deal?" Jed asked.
She remained where she was in front of Jed, looking to her father, a question in her gaze. Neither of them could sit around waiting yet more weeks. Her lips slowly curved into a smile as she saw her father reach a decision. When he gave a single nod, she faced Jed, taking the case. "We have a deal."
"I would like you to wait an hour before you enter Inadon," Dorset said.
"What for?" Carissa looked past Jed to his father.
"There might not be a noticeable change in time between leaving this world and returning to it, but we still need to reach home and change into our gear before we make the journey to Inadon," Richelle said.
Carissa's mind shied away from thoughts of ho
w time worked between her world and Inadon. It was the one thing she couldn't get her head around. However long you were on Inadon, when you returned you were inserted back into this world around the time you had left so it seemed like only seconds had passed in between leaving and returning. Yet for every hour you spent in this world it meant ten minutes had passed on Inadon. And no one had been able to explain to her how the magic of it worked. They shrugged and said anything was possible when demons were involved. Although sometimes reinsertion could be glitchy and you might end up with a couple of minutes having passed while you were gone. The thought of how powerful demons were had given her more than a few sleepless nights. She was just glad some of them were on their side.
"It's okay, it'll give us time to choose classes and stuff," Jed said.
"You know what class you want," Richelle said. "You've known since you were in early primary school."
"We'll wait." Carissa also knew what class she wanted to choose, but as Jed had said, it was beneficial to be outfitted as well as possible. They had no close relatives amongst the guardians so they'd be sent to a point in time after Jed's parents' last visit to Inadon.
"I'll be back in a minute." Jed walked outside with his parents.
Carissa met her father's gaze, wondering if she'd done the right thing in accepting. She could see he was worried too.
Before they could speak, Jed came inside. "Should we start choosing classes and stuff?"
"I better get changed." Ross strode from the room, leaving a moment of silence in his wake.
Carissa eyed the vambraces Jed wore. "How much gold will your parents leave for you? Enough I can buy a pair of them?"
"What class are you choosing?"
"Archer."
"Me too." Jed began to unlace his right vambrace. "I can share until you can afford a pair."
"Won't they be too big on me?" He might not be overly broad, but he was more muscular than her.
"Cut up an old sheet and wrap it around your wrist to take up the slack." He held out the vambrace. "Go on, you're going to notice that string after using the bow a few times."
She took the vambrace, still holding onto the game case. "I'll grab an old sheet." When he nodded, she hurried from the room. By the time she returned, pieces of a sheet wrapped around her left forearm and the vambrace in place, her father was in the lounge room. He wore an outfit similar to hers. Peasant quality. They hadn't been able to afford anything better. Not after the cost of moving. "Ready to start?" She held up the game case she carried, not daring to let it out of her sight. She dreaded to think what the guardians would say if they lost a second disc.
"As long as we don't make the final decision before my parents can leave some loot for us." Jed dropped onto the double seater that faced the television, the game console sitting on the cabinet beside it.
Carissa opened the case and took out the plain, black disc. Turning on the console, she slipped in the disc, gathering controllers for each of them. Keeping player one's controller for herself, she gave one to her father and the other to Jed before sitting down.
Once she entered the number of people in their party, the screen went black, a pale gold circle slowly brightening, a bow, dagger, staff and sword inside it. Words replaced the image. She loosened her grip on the controller, trying to breathe out slowly. It didn't help. Excitement raced through her and she had more energy than she knew what to do with. She doubted even pacing the floor would help.
It didn't take long to go through the starting details. They hadn't needed to read most of it. Not after the amount of times her and her father had read over the welcome pack they'd been emailed. They didn't know everything about Inadon, but the disc wasn't telling them anything new.
When Carissa and Jed chose Archer, Ross chose Warrior. Jed nodded to the screen. "No one interested in becoming a Rogue or Mage?"
"Is it a problem if we're the same class?" Carissa asked.
"Nah. Just making sure. You can change classes along the way. Or be a mix. The only difference is your initial starting stats."
They reached the final screen. The one that would transport them to Inadon. Before Carissa could read out the details of their first quest, Jed's phone beeped. "You won't be able to take that with you." She nodded towards the phone.
Jed checked the message before placing the phone on the floor. "I know. It'd stay behind even if I hadn't put it down." He looked at each of them. "The loot has been stashed. Are we ready to start our quest?" He nodded towards the screen.
Carissa's gaze was drawn to the gold coloured words on the black background, another shiver of anticipation racing through her. This was it. This was the moment when she'd find out if it was real. Taking a deep breath, she read out the quest details. "If you choose to travel to the world of Inadon and continue the fight against the dark forces that would overrun our world, you will be transported to Broken Hills Mine on Emerald Isle. A tunnel has collapsed in the mine due to sabotage, causing many casualties and major injuries. Without the help of an apothecary, there will be a great loss of life." Carissa let the words sink in before she read the rest of the lines. "Do you choose to take up arms against the dark forces? Do you wish to become a member of the Guardians of the Round Table? Will you travel to Broken Hills Mine and save the lives of the miners?"
"Absolutely," Jed said. "Now choose yes so I can find out what my parents hid. They wouldn't tell me what item they were going to put with the coins and I really want to know."
Laughing, Carissa chose yes and the screen went black, followed by the world around them. Having been warned what to expect, she left the controller on the cushion of the armchair and stood up before the world had a chance to shift. The last of her doubts vanished. It was happening. Inadon was real. A rush of excitement made her feel light headed, energetic and overwhelmed all at once. She was going to become a guardian. They all were. She refused to believe they wouldn't pass the testing.
It was the scents she noticed first, the darkness slowly lightening to show they were on a well-travelled dirt road, a few trees scattered around them on the rocky incline, the day a few hours past dawn. Nearby was a backpack, a coil of rope, a lantern and some weapons. Jed held out one of the bows to Carissa, along with a quiver and hunting knife in a sheath, taking the second lot for himself. Ross picked up the short sword, which had no scabbard, and a timber shield.
Carissa thought the word 'journal'. She grinned when it appeared in front of her, showing the stats she'd seen on the screen earlier. It was an aged, leather-bound book, translucent enough to see the surroundings behind it while able to read the information. Across the top of the journal were bookmarks labelled Stats, Quests, Map and Notes.
She looked at her stats for a moment, mentally calculating her bonuses. They wouldn't make a difference yet, but that would change. They'd improve as she completed quests, fought creatures, gathered resources and discovered new places.
Character Level: 0
Health: 15
Stamina: 25
Mana: 25
Weight: 5kg 110g/50kg
CAS XP: 0/100
Available CAS Points: 0
Available Class Points: 0
Level Progress: 2/10
Attributes
Strength: 5
Constitution: 5
Intelligence: 5
Wisdom: 5
Dexterity: 7
Charisma: 4
Luck: 7
Class
Archer: 0
Class Skills
None
Weapon and Armour Affinity
Short Bow: 1 (+1% damage)
Hunting Knife: 1 (+1% damage)
Studded Leather Armour: 0
Spells
None
Crafting
None
Reputation
Global: 0
Local areas: 0
Buffs and Negative Stats
None
Available Revives
1
Eve
rything was as expected so she thought the word 'map' and the pages turned, showing her the map. Only a small spot was visible, the rest dark and unexplored, a highlighted spot in the darkness showing their quest location. She thought that word next and read the quest aloud. "Sabotage At Broken Hills Mine: Save the lives of the miners. The overseer has done what he can to stabilise them, but they need an apothecary. Speak to the overseer to offer your help." She paused. "Sounds easy enough." But she supposed they were only noobs so the guardians shouldn't expect too much of them at this stage.
"We aren't apothecaries. How will speaking to the overseer help?" Ross asked.
Carissa really wished she could have persuaded him that playing a few RPGs would have helped prepare him for Inadon. He hadn't been convinced, asking how could you compare a world you entered to a world you played on a screen? If he'd played even a few hours he wouldn't have needed to ask that question.
"Well?" Ross asked.
"Probably a locate mission," Jed said. "We find the apothecary and tell him he's needed at the mine."
"That does sound simple enough." Ross glanced at Carissa before checking out the area. "We should see what's in the backpack and get started."
Carissa knelt in front of the leather backpack, taking stock. They had a cooking pot and cloth bags with dried rations in them, but no bowls. "How are we meant to eat our food? And what will we use to eat it with? Our fingers?"
"Might be able to whittle some basic spoons from some of the wood lying around." Ross gestured to a nearby tree.
Jed joined Carissa at the backpack. "We've got twenty copper pieces. We can grab that type of gear when we're in a town. They've provided us with some of the more expensive things like the backpack itself as well as a flint and steel, compass, lantern and some extra lantern oil."
"That ten-metre rope and two-metre square canvas will make a good shelter if it rains." Ross took out two health potions from the backpack, both able to heal ten health points each. "You pair take them."