Best to play it safe for now , I thought and reached out my hand. “Pen, I’ve made up my mind.” The lawyer twisted his fingers, and a pen appeared suddenly. He placed it in my still shackled hands, and I signed the paper. “While I would rather take the blue pill and go home, the threat of my potential death has me wanting to take the red pill and enter the matrix.”
The lawyer gave me a slightly confused look before saying “I do not know what you are referencing Mr. Tear, however, I’m just glad you finally made a decision. Now, you will go with Co’le’thel’ka here…” The lizard man walked into the room followed by the angel, both scowling. “... and you will begin the Ethria integration process. Once that's finished, you can begin fulfilling your contract. As for the still open items, when your contract is fulfilled and when it becomes relevant to your situation, we will review it again. Thank you for choosing Manticore Mediations, and have a pleasant day.”
“Hold on, before you go,” I said standing as the chains on my wrist suddenly disappeared. “I don’t think I ever got your name.” I put forward my right hand as if to shake. The lawyer merely looked at it and raised an eyebrow.
“You do not want to shake my hand, Mr. Tear. Trust me on this. However, your thanks are appreciated. My name, for the sake of this conversation, is Mr. Rogers.”
“Wait, Mr. Rogers, as in the guy from that old children's TV show?” I asked. “No way! I was going to say it had to be at least something like Mr. Anderson or something. I mean, it would fit with the whole “silent intimidation” motif you seem to be going for.”
“Silent, intimidation?” The lawyer asked confused. “My young Mr. Tear. The reason I’m named Mr. Rogers, is precisely because of what you just emoted. Among my peers, I am by far the most, warm, of disposition.”
“Uh, really? If that’s true you guys really need to work on your people skills. I’d suggest...” Was all I could say, before the large lizard man walked behind me, and gripped my shoulder. When he did, everything went black and I lost all sensation. Again.
Chapter 2: Welcome To Ethria
“A smile is the universal welcome.” - Max Eastman
North-West of the Twins, along the northern border of Tor. Frega, 23rd, 2987 AoR
“Wake up, you miserable mortal” came a gruff almost growling voice from somewhere above me. I heard the same voice say in almost a whisper, “this one is supposed to be intelligent? Ridiculous. He looks exactly the same as humans from Ethria.” I opened my eyes and found myself lying on the ground, the large crocodile creature from the interrogation room glowing with a soft purple and yellow light, stood above me in the air, looking down disapprovingly. As I tried to move I found that the cold from the air and ground that I had been sleeping on, had chilled my bones. My joints cracking, I tried to move.
“Ugh!” Was all I could say, as I tried to rub feeling back into my face, with hands that I found where just as cold and numb. I saw a small text box appeared and a tiny snowflake flashed on and off in the right bottom corner of my vision. The box read “You are cold, you have suffered a 50% penalty to all physical skill checks. Find somewhere warm within 30 min or suffer further negative effects.” A gruff, yet young male voice read this aloud in my mind. The voice sounded like that of a young teenager who was trying to sound older then he was.
The crocodile creature huffed annoyance, and a white light flashed, then suddenly my body was filled with a wonderfully warm sensation that flooded over my skin and through my limbs. A text box appeared in my vision followed by a wonderfully feminine voice that filled my ears.
“Celestial Crocodilian has cast Powerful Protection from Elements 1 on you, granting you 100% immunity from negative natural elemental effects for 24 hours.”
After a few more seconds in which I basked in the wonderful warmth and relief that washed over me, I sat up and looked around. What I saw did not seem to bode well, I was in the middle of nowhere.
I was sitting along the bank of a massive river, it was at least thirty feet across with a swiftly moving current. To my right, in the far distance, I saw a great temperate forest, like those that grew at home in the western United States. Large aspens and spruce trees grew along the portion that faced me, though in the distance as I saw the forest grow into the mountain foothills to the south, I could see the aspens and spruces giving way to large fir trees and then near the top of the hills. Further up, the fir trees gave way to short and stubby pines that grew onto the side of the mountains where their larger cousins were unable to grow.
The trees were growing unnaturally thick and close together, they seemed almost cultivated, yet still, the forest gave off a wild and thriving feeling with other vegetation and life growing around the carefully placed trees. This was unlike the manufactured tree farms that I had visited when I was younger with large trees growing in rows, with little else but grass growing under toe. Yet the forest still somehow maintained the obviously cultivated look.
I was sure that the scene would have been beautiful during the summer, during deep winter with the snow piled high, or even the early fall with the leaves on some of the trees turning color. But just then the entire scene was subdued.
The green of the grasses and bushes had been turned to gray and browns as the smaller vegetation of the area went dormant. Winters grip was beginning to take hold, and the land around me looked like it was bracing for the first major storms any day.
I began to stand, yet almost fell again as I found my legs numb. A firm scaled hand gripped my shoulder and steadied me, as I bent over and gingerly rubbed at the nerves along the back of my legs that were screaming at me, having just regained full circulation. “Thanks,” I said, as I finished the task. Shooting and tingling pain still shot through the offending nerves, but it was lessened enough that I could bear putting my full weight on them. “That was very kind of you.” I said. I brushed my hands off on my pants and turned to face the still slightly floating crocodile angel thing. I extended my hand, and to my surprise, the creature gripped it firmly and shook.
“You survey your surroundings adequate enough for a warrior. Perhaps I have misjudged you somewhat.” Another text box appeared read aloud in my ears by the same pleasant feminine voice from before.
“Congratulations, you have gained the Survey skill. This skill allows you to survey the land around you, giving you a useful understanding of terrain and the available resources they contain. Current skill rank, 1 Proficient.”
“Thanks, I think. What is your name?” I asked as we released the handshake, and I looked him up and down.
“My name is Co’le’thel’ka, I am a crocodilian celestial guardian of the god and goddess of the Pervolin race, Kiertoss Goddess of knowledge, wisdom, home and hearth, fertility, healing, and the frontier, and Korvus her mate and God of war, justice, mercy, law, construction, crafters, and cities. These are the beings that have summoned you to this world warrior, to help the descendants of the remnant of their people find safety. You have already accepted this obligation, however, that was in another place with other rules. You must accept it again here, on Ethria, so as to be bound by its laws. Do you accept this task?” As soon as the celestial guardian said the word ‘accept’ a text box appeared in my vision, and both the young male voice from earlier and the beautiful female voice read it in unison.
“You have been offered a quest to assist the Minor Gods Korvus and Kiertoss in finding new homes for their people titled “A Safe Place…”. Reward: Your personal freedom, the potential to go home, +1 level of reputation with both Korvus and Kiertoss, and 1,000,000 experience points. Do you accept? Yes, or Yes?”
I extended my arms and pressed both yes options at once, the text box disappeared and both the voices said “Thank you” at seemingly the exact same time. “So, this world is just like Delving huh?” I asked, voice smug. I was sure that these people were E-pirates running some kind of elaborate kidnapping, but I wasn’t sure about their angle yet. Though, the cold sure felt more real than any other Delve ga
me I had ever played before.
“Yes, and no.” Co’le’thel’ka said annoyed. “Ethria is unique, though you were chosen and summoned for your skills in such environments as well as the likelihood of you saying yes.”
“And the text boxes I’ve been getting? Or the stat notifications I got when you used that spell on me? Come on man, this is just another elaborate simulation. Look, I promised to play along, I even signed your guys' stupid forced contract. But this is an RPG plain and simple.” Isn’t it? I thought. Those mountains looked awfully real, and the cold biting into me felt chilly.
I’d been on long treks in the cold before, I knew what it felt like to be out as the temperature dropped below freezing both with and without warm clothes. If I was being honest with myself no virtual simulation, even the hyper-realistic ones, ever got it quite right. You always felt the cold on your skin, but almost never in your bones. Windshear? I don’t think I had ever experienced it in a game before, and yet, here in Ethria there it was.
Co’le’thel’ka shook his head disappointedly. “I thought that you had accepted that you were no longer in one of your people's grand illusions.” His tail thumped rhythmically on the ground as he spoke. “Your world was designed to test people's willingness to work for long term rewards for their actions and to endure ambiguity while doing so. A noble experiment I suppose, but not useful for Ethria’s purpose. Ethria is designed to encourage its residents to strive for excellence, to grow as quickly as they can. Immediate rewards for brave actions taken, keeping an oath, or having a meaningful life experience tends to encourage people to work harder. That, in turn, supports Ethria’s purpose.”
“And what purpose is that exactly?” I asked as I finished getting to my feet.
“That is not a topic I can speak on. Now that you are awake, you will need a guide…”
“Wait, you’re not my guide? I had just assumed because you were here that you would…”
“No fool, such a task is far below one of my station. Now, quiet the mewlings coming from your mouth so that I might choose one for you.”
“Shouldn’t I get a say in this? I mean, a guide sounds like an important job. Wouldn't it be best if I were coupled with something or someone that best suited me?” I said this knowing that I had no idea what I was talking about. The term ‘guide’ conjured images of a floating ball of blue light with tiny wings constantly following me around saying ‘Hey, listen!’ and then explaining every, single, thing, in the world to me until I wanted to gouge my eyes out with a screwdriver. I just wanted to avoid that fate if at all possible.
“No, you know nothing about Ethria Daniel Tear, now silence yourself so that I might assign another to do this tedious task!” He growled the last and then did what I imagined was what passed for a sigh to a celestial crocodilian. It sounded more like an exasperated growl than a sigh, but then again I didn’t think that lizardmen had the right vocal equipment to do a proper sigh. Or maybe they did? He was right, I knew nothing, I was basically a John Snow in all of this.
Nodding, I turned away from him and began stretching, trying to lessen the pain and aches that had seeped into my back. Before I fully turned away, however, Co’le’thel’ka’s eyes went glossy and he gained what I now know is the look of a person looking at a data screen. After a few seconds, while I was touching my toes trying to tease the aches out of my lower back, a soft purple light emanated from behind me.
I straightened and turned, and in Co’le’thel’ka’s hand was what could have only been my nightmare come true. Co’le’thel’ka was holding out his hand, a deeply purple ball of energy with what appeared to be wingtips jutting out from the ball was gently bobbing up and down a few inches at a time. It was roughly the size of a roll of packing tape. “So help me, if that thing says ‘Hey Listen” even once, I'll drop-kick it into another dimension.” I said chuckling slightly.
Or rather, I would have chuckled but a few different things happened then all at the same time. First, the lizardman looked at me and smiled in a way that unnerved me, then again, could the guy smile any other way? If he moved his lips at all it only revealed row after row of sharpened, jagged, brutal-looking meet cutting teeth. Then, the purple ball of energy shot towards me like a bullet and the next thing I knew I was airborne and then quickly falling to the ground.
The last thing to happen was I hit the ground, and a small text box appeared in my vision.
“Purple Fairy has hit you for 1 damage and knocked you prone. You are now on the ground. Current health, 9/10.”
Thanks captain obvious I thought to the young male voice that read the text box to me. Super helpful. I focused my eyes by blinking a few times, and once things cleared up I found a tiny, beautiful woman, wreathed in purple light and wearing a knee-length dark blue, almost purple, fur-lined winter dress with fur cuffs and hood, standing over me with a nine-inch spear biting into my throat.
She was roughly eight inches tall with raven black hair, pale white skin, purple glowing eyes, two blue wings with jet black lines tracing and outlining them hummed from her back like a hummingbird's, and when she spoke her voice was melodic, yet deep for such a tiny woman. Her natural alto voice filled my ears as she said “How dare you insult me, Ailsa Nightwing Tarnished of Pervolin, that is who I am do not forget it. I am to be your guide, but I will not suffer insolence. Do you understand me?” She punctuated the last by pushing the spear point a little deeper into my skin, and I felt a tiny trickle of blood flow down my neck.
“Woh, woh!” I said as I raised my hands up in surrender. “I didn’t mean anything by it okay? It was a joke. Kind of.”
“Kind of?” She asked, her voice icy.
“I’m sorry okay? I didn’t mean to insult you, I think you’re a very pretty fairy.” A sound I can only compare to high pitched machinery struggling to do its job came from her throat. “And a very scary fairy. A very very scary fairy.” I said quickly trying to find something to appease her. Then, unexpectedly, she removed the deadly tiny spear and launched up into the air.
“So, does that mean I'm forgiven?” I asked not moving for fear of what the little ball of purple death might do.
“No.” She said as she stared daggers down at me. As she continued floating slowly upwards her image changed from that of the young beautiful if tiny woman back into the ball of purple light. “But it does mean that I will ignore your ignorance until such time as you grasp it fully, and can issue a proper apology. Preferably on your knees with an offering of your finest honey and cheese. Lots of cheese.” She said this as if she were a judge handing down a life sentence for a capital crime.
Cheese and honey, huh? Odd combination I thought, but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. Old Earth fairy tales told of fairies who liked offerings of honey mead and sweet milk. So I guessed that fairies, and probably most Fae if the old tales could be trusted, liked dairy products, and had a massive sweet tooth.
“That is very, magnanimous, of you.” I said in the most pleasant voice I could muster while still trying to calm my racing heart.
“Yes, yes it is. Now, are you going to stand up so we can get started? Or are you going to lay around all day like a lazy goblin?” She demanded disapprovingly. I squinted my eyes and the purple ball slowly resolved into the tiny woman again. I had to really focus but when the image of her finally came clear I saw her standing in the air, tapping her foot on nothing with her arms crossed, and no sign of the spear she had just attacked me with.
“Congratulations! You have gained the skill to Analyze! You have demonstrated the ability to analyze a situation, person, or thing closely. Mundane tricks and misdirections will be easier to spot, +1 to uncover hidden aspects of things or people you analyze. Additionally, you have a 5% chance to know something interesting about a person upon first glance while using the Analyze Ability. Current rank: 1, current modifier rank 1.”
“Hey, I just got another skill.” I said a little bit of excitement easing into my voice.
“
Really? Which one human-meathead” The little fairy asked as she hovered above me. Her scowl turned a little softer as she spoke.
“Analyze,” I said, as the female voice finished reading the text box to me and it disappeared.
“Oh that. How had you not had that one before now?” She turned to the crocodile man and said “Are the gods sure about this one? He seems a bit, well, lackluster. Surely there were better options than him.”
While I got to my feet, I heard the celestial lizardman chuckle menacingly. It could have been a simple chortle for all I knew, everything that guy did was menacing. He was a freaking crocodile man after all. “I have asked myself the same thing, but the Gods know what they are doing. You have your charge now little loyal one. Is there anything you need before I leave you to your work?”
The purple fairy floated over to hover in front of the giant lizardman and the two whispered to each other, obviously not wanting to include me in their little chat. While they talked about how inadequate I was, I looked at what I was wearing. I had on virtually nothing except what amounted to medieval pajamas, my soft linen undergarment that went under my gambison and leather jerkin was all I had on. It looks like they took my body from the game world, not the real world . Just another sign that this is some elaborate kidnapping, I thought, refusing to allow myself to consider what it meant for my prospects of returning home if all of this was real.
“Open menu” I whispered to myself, but nothing happened. I reached out my hand and used the physical motion that most games allowed players to use to open inventory, and nothing happened. After several attempts at accessing different screens, I got an error message.
Ethria- the Pioneer Page 6