Load Custom Character

by Tyler R Lee

  “Good a choice as any, I suppose,” Lysander conceded. He then made for the path to the right, which everyone followed without hesitation.

  This opening in the clearing led to a path similar to the one they had followed from the beginning. It was thin, with a dense collection of trees making it impossible to go more than two wide down the path. Like the previous path, and unlike the clearing, the fog was thick and disorienting, and it made the hour long walk feel even longer. Luckily, this path was one way.

  “Um…” Streak commented as the group walked into a new clearing that looked eerily like the first, three separate paths and all.

  “Yep,” Peter and Ariel both said simultaneously, not sounding the least bit surprised.

  “Another one,” NoScope added as she stepped forward to examine the clearing.

  “Well, I guess it shouldn’t be too surprising,” Lysander commented, not sounding entirely sure of his own statement. “I mean, it is a video game. It wouldn’t be much of a challenge if the path was direct.”

  “Was there anything in any of the info we got that could clue us into the right direction?” Gunner asked, sounding more than a bit apprehensive.

  “Nothing,” Lysander answered. “We’re just going to have to wing it and keep our guard up.

  Not completely satisfied with that answer, but not having a better one, himself, Gunner nodded and looked to each opening on the edges of the clearing.

  “How about straight, this time?” Lysander asked. When no one objected, he started off, the rest of the group following.

  After another long trek along the path, they came upon another clearing, identical to the last two. Trepidation started to creep in, but they soldiered on, picking a random direction and heading that way. They did the same at the next clearing, then the next, then the next, and so on for far too long. Each new clearing and set of paths brought their spirits lower and lower.

  Finally, after what seemed like a full day of walking, Gunner broke the silence. “Alright, seriously, I don’t think we’re getting anywhere.”

  “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with green Megaman,” Streak added, breathing a bit heavy.

  “Hey,” Gunner responded, surprised and clueless to Streak’s response.

  “I think you’re right,” Lysander said as he knelt down, also breathing heavily. “Damn exhaustion mechanic,” he muttered to himself as he cursed at the game’s penalty it imposed if players go extended periods of time with no rest.

  “It’s the Lost Woods,” Peter said, matter-of-factly.

  “What?” Gunner, Streak, and Lysander asked in unison.

  “From the Legend of Zelda series,” Ariel added.

  “I know what the damn Lost Woods are,” Lysander shot back at them.

  “Yet you fail to recognize it when you are within its very boundaries,” Peter laughed as he winked at his friend, who shot him an annoyed but conceding look.

  “I know what the Lost Woods and Zelda are, too,” Gunner said. “But what does that mean for us here and now?”

  “It means,” NoScope spoke up, “we are trapped in this maze like forest until we figure out the correct paths to take. And if at any point we take the wrong one, we will end up back at the first one, which is where I assume we are. Though, not that we could check.”

  “Perfect,” Streak said as he sat down, defeated and annoyed.

  “Well, which paths are the right ones?” Gunner asked.

  “I don’t know,” NoScope smiled.

  “Okay, okay,” Lysander said when he caught his breath. Let’s look at what we have right in front of us. We have three paths we have to choose from, and we have to find some way to prove which one is correct. However, we are also experiencing an early form of exhaustion, which means we need to rest. I say we camp for a few hours, rest, and then brainstorm after.”

  “I don’t know if I want to camp here,” Gunner said as he looked around at the fog choked trees, warely.

  “We don’t have a choice,” Ariel said. “Chances are, we are stuck in this loop until we find the proper way out.”

  “We don’t know that for sure,” Gunner objected.

  “You are more than welcome to go on alone and try and get out,” Streak laughed.

  “No,” Lysander said. “Gunner, we need to stick together.”

  Reluctantly, the cyborg agreed.

  “Guess I finally get to use this,” Ariel said as she accessed her inventory and selected an item.

  “What is it?” Peter asked.

  “A Tent,” she said with a wide smile. When she clicked it, a small tent not even big enough for one person popped up in the middle of the clearing.

  “What is that?” Peter asked.

  “Duh, it’s a tent,” Ariel teased.

  “I meant...fair enough,” Peter conceded with a smile. “So, what does it do for us?”

  “Well, instead of just healing us by a percentage of our maximum HP like making camp would do, this heals us completely and takes away all exhaustion. It also protects us from weather and the elements.”

  At that, Peter noticed that there was a slight darkening around the whole group, like they were encased in a large, translucent camping tent. He then realized that the small one was merely there for aesthetic value, while the effect was surrounding them. “Damn...cool.”

  “Indeed. It provides the same benefits of staying at an inn.”

  “You’re quite the adventurer,” Peter complimented. He then felt his face blush, so he turned away.

  “Thanks,” Ariel said, smiling at Peter’s intense social awkwardness, and at the compliment.

  With Ariel’s tent item in place, complete with a campfire blazing in the middle of the clearing where the small tent had once been, the group took this time to get rid of their exhaustion, as well as try and figure out a way through the fog filled forest that surrounded them. Conversations about what to do were had, but every idea put forth was met with logical scrutiny. In the end, after a couple of hours of debate, everyone decided to just put a pin in their current predicament and revisit it after they had given their brains a rest.

  “This shouldn’t be this hard,” Peter said with more than a hint of frustration. “We’ve all played this level in at least a dozen or more games. We should be able to figure this out.”

  “True,” Ariel agreed. “But it is a little different when it’s life or death. We can’t just rush in with every idea, knowing that if it goes awry we can start over.”

  “Hard to believe the threat of death would make something more stressful.” They both laughed at the sarcasm, as did Lysander, Gunner, and Streak. NoScope, however, did not share in the laughter. Instead, she continued to stare curiously at Gunner, has she had off and on since they set camp.

  After the laughter died down, NoScope got up and walked over to Gunner. “Excuse me, Gunner.” The cyborg-like soldier turned to look up at his companion with a surprised and curious look.

  “Why?” NoScope asked. “Why did you not want me to include you in my prayers before we entered the forest?” This caught the entire group off guard, but Gunner most of all. “Not that I’m angry, I’m just curious. Why would you pray for me, but I could not pray for you?”

  “Uh oh,” Peter said quietly.

  “Seriously?” Streak asked as he rolled his eyes.

  “Well,” Gunner said, smiling awkwardly, as if the question was odd and the answer should have been obvious. “I mean, I’m a Christian.”

  “And I’m a Muslim,” NoScope responded quickly and matter-of-factly. “Go on.”

  Her expectant look threw Gunner more off guard. “Well,” he said again, searching for the words. “There wouldn’t be any reason for you to say a Muslim prayer for me. I don’t believe in your religion. It isn’t anything personal.”

  “But you can pray for me? Even though my religion is different? It doesn’t work both ways?” It was obvious at this point that NoScope wasn’t asking these questions because she was honest
ly wondering about a universally correct answer. She was asking them to make a point to Gunner. Like a teacher trying to correct a student without outright giving them the answer.

  “Not really. I mean, God looks out for everyone, even the sinners. He would gladly watch out for you, no matter what you believe.

  “But, my God cannot do this?”

  “Well,” Gunner chuckled a bit. “There’s only one God. The Christian God. And he will always welcome anyone to his side, even you if you decided to follow him.”

  “I see,” NoScope said with only the slightest hint of annoyance creeping into her voice. “So, your belief is correct, my belief isn’t, and that’s why you can pray for me but I can’t for you?”

  “Well, yeah,” Gunner answered with an apologetic shrug.

  “Should we…” Peter went to ask but let the question trail off.

  “Maybe,” Ariel answered.

  “Let it run its course,” Lysander said, and Peter and Ariel looked to him, a bit surprised. “We’re going to be stuck together for a lot longer, so maybe this should be out of their systems.”

  Ariel and Peter nodded, reluctantly, and Streak scoffed.

  “That is incredibly narrow minded, Gunner,” NoScope said, still more calm than most would be. “You are no more ‘right’ than I am. Nor am I more than you.”

  “I’m sorry, Scope, but there is a right answer to this. ‘Thou shalt not have any other gods before me.’ It’s in the Bible. Worshiping any other God besides the true God is wrong.”

  “God teaches to be accepting of others,” Lysander broke in, and both NoScope and Gunner looked to him with surprise, as did Peter and Ariel, “not to condemn them for their beliefs and way of life.”

  “I’m not condemning--”

  “By saying she is wrong, you are,” Lysander said as he interrupted Gunner’s defense. “The same way you condemned Streak’s homosexuality early.”

  “Look, the Bible is pretty specific about this stuff.”

  “The Bible has been used to divide people and used as a weapon to condemn any who are different from those too scared of stepping outside their own belief system and seeing the bigger picture.” Lysander was now speaking louder than he had before. “It is used to attack those seeking shelter, those of other religions, those who are just trying to love and be loved.”

  A full minute of silence passed. Gunner’s mouth hung open in surprise, Peter and Ariel looked on with wide eyes, and NoScope kept a calm gaze on Lysander, but a smile was breaking through. “My God,” Lysander continued, “the same god as yours,” he punctuated by pointing his staff at Gunner, “is good and kind. He is merciful and loving to all of his children. But, you, and so many others, would only have us see him as wrath, as a hateful creator bent on the burning of any who the ‘righteous’ deem different and threatening to their way of life.”

  The smile on NoScope’s face, hidden under her gray hood, had now started to creep its way onto Peter’s and Ariel’s faces. After several moments of awkward silence, Gunner responded, rather weakly, “Look, I’m not saying I know everything or have all the answers. All I can do is believe what I was taught.”

  “No,” Lysander retorted, calmly. “You can notice and you can learn from what you see. You can make up your own mind through your own experiences. And if you don’t have all the answers, don’t try to tell others they are wrong. Especially, in here. We all have to work together. There is no religion, no segregation, no judging in here. There is just us, and we have to work together if we want to survive. We can’t be divided.”

  “I can get behind that,” Gunner said after a moment of silence, a small smile working its way onto his face, though his eyes showed that he was very troubled and annoyed from this conversation.

  “That’s great and all,” Streak said, suddenly. “But if you expect me to agree and be amiable with all of your religion crap, you can all go to hell, no pun intended.”

  This drew shocked glances from all. Streak stood up when everyone looked his way. “What? I’m not going to say I won’t work with you guys. I don’t care what you believe. But I’m not about to be accepting of your Christian or Muslim bullshit.”

  “Hey, Streak,” Peter tried to intervene.

  “No, Pete,” Streak said, cutting him off. “No. Both of those religions condemn my lifestyle. They say I’m wrong and that I’m going to hell because of something I can’t control. Do you know how many religious nuts have yelled at me for just holding hands with my boyfriend? How many have chucked stuff at us as we walked by? Plenty.”

  Everyone was silent, not knowing what to say. Gunner was uncomfortable, Peter and Ariel just stared, a look of sadness on their face, and Lysander and NoScope looked down, a bit of shame evident in their eyes.

  “Sorry, but not sorry, everyone. But, I don’t think you can be religious and still be accepting of me and my ways.”

  Well,” NoScope said as she looked up. “That isn’t entirely true.”

  “It isn’t?” Streak asked, smiling at the perceived ignorance of the statement.

  “At least, not for me. Otherwise, I feel like my girlfriend and I would have some problems if I wasn’t accepting of ‘your’ way of life.”

  Streak took a step back. “You’re gay?”

  “Pansexual, technically,” NoScope nodded.

  “I can’t even unpack how that works, being a Muslim but being pan,” Streak said as he waved his hands in the air, clearly thinking the whole thing ridiculous.

  “Sometimes I can’t either. All I can do is have faith in my beliefs, my God, and my love.”

  “Exactly,” Lysander chimed in. “I’m a devout Christian, but I think no less of anyone else’s sexual orientation or religion. I don’t have to think people are wrong. I can just believe in good people, and understand that there is more to my beliefs and my God than what is written by humans in an old book.”

  Peter smiled at Lysander, who returned it, while Ariel and NoScope exchanged grins as well. Gunner simply stared at the ground and continued to do so.

  “You know what,” Streak said, less bluster than before. “That’s great for you guys. And I’m thrilled you don’t want to burn me alive. But I’m still not fully onboard with religion. Been taunted too many times. I love ya, Lysander- and you Scope. But I don’t have to like your beliefs. And Gunner, I ain’t looking for your acceptance, because you sure as hell don’t have mine.”

  With that, Streak walked over to the other side of the clearing and sat, his back to everyone. Not too long after, Gunner did the same to the other side of the clearing.

  “I’m sorry,” NoScope said. “I feel like I started this.”

  “No,” Ariel said. “As much as we don’t need this right now, it probably needed to happen sooner than later.”

  “Agreed,” Lysander put in. “But, for now, what don’t we all just get some rest.”

  It was a long, sleepless night for everyone. Sleep had been difficult for everyone since being trapped in the game. Perhaps it was the stress, the virtual simulation, or both. However, this night was worse, combining the forest with the heated conversation. Eventually, Ariel, Lysander, and Peter gathered around the campfire and continued trying to figure out how to traverse the forest.

  “Alright,” Peter started. “We can’t just continue to try random paths and hope we get lucky. That could trap us in here forever.”

  “Right,” Lysander agreed. “But, from what I can tell, there is no discernable marker for the correct path. I’ve looked all three up and down, even listened into them for an ocarina playing, and I can’t find a single difference.”

  Peter laughed at the Legend of Zelda reference, while Ariel just gazed into the campfire. Peter and Lysander fired off a couple more ideas that they admitted were bad, hoping against hope that NoScope, Gunner, or Streak would come over and join them. However, they were all still in their respective spots away from each other, sleeping or faking sleep.

  “Gahhhh!” Peter cried out, as Lysander
fell backwards with a huff, both flabbergasted by the whole situation.

  “Do you guys see this?” Ariel asked suddenly, breaking her silent streak, but not taking her eyes off of the campfire.

  Peter and Lysander turned her way, slowly. “See what?” they both asked.

  “The fire,” she said. “Look at it.”

  Peter and Lysander stared at the fire, then to each other, to Ariel in confusion, then back to the fire. “What’s step two?” Peter asked. NoScope, hearing Ariel, had made her way over.

  “You don’t see it?” Ariel asked

  “Please help us to,” Lysander answered, a bit annoyed.