by Tyler R Lee
"Together, we can do this," Lysander said has he walked over to the two of them and placed a hand on their shoulders. "Right?"
"Right," they both said in unison. The three of them walked out of the inn and toward the fountain just a few yards from establishment to await all those that would join them.
***
It did not take long for several players to show up in response to Lysander's message. First to show up, unsurprising to the three close friends, was Streak. Like a bolt of blue lightning, the blue garbed speedster slid to a stop in front of the three and asked, with an excited expression, "Where is it?"
"The ship?" Peter asked with an amused look on his face.
"At the shore, you dummy," Ariel said with a smile. "What, did you think Lysander tied it to a string and pulled it here?"
"I don't know how video game ships work," Streak said in defense. "For all I knew it was a special item that went in your inventory."
"’Dummy’ is right," came Gunner's voice as he chuckled at Streak's attempted defense.
"I thought I left you behind," Streak deadpanned.
"You did, ya wannabe Sonic the Hedgehog asshole. Which means our party broke and the mission we were on ended as incomplete!"
"This is clearly more important, Gunner," Streak said in a very calm and condescending tone. "Don't be selfish. This guy," he added as he looked to the others and pointed to Gunner, not trying to hide it in the least. The others, even Gunner found it amusing.
NoScope was next to show up. "Seems our break is over."
"We all knew it wouldn't last long," Lysander commented, apologetically.
After that, ValCary, Glitch, and Tony wandered into the village square. "Who's ready for the next adventure?" Glitch called out as she jumped onto Tony's shoulders, causing him to stumble forward. Thankfully, Val caught him and helped steady the red robed mage.
"So, where are they keeping this thing?" Val asked. "By the shore, or do they have some kind of port we haven't been to?"
"Oh, no. Streak has it," Lysander joked. "Streak, pull the ship out of your pocket, won't you?"
The rest of the group roared with laughter, including Val, Glitch, Tony, and NoScope as Peter explained the joke. The Speedster just mocked Lysander by rolling his eyes and soundlessly mimicking what he said.
"It's by the shore," Lysander answered between laughs. "As soon as everyone arrives we can head down and get the details. Hopefully, we can leave by the morning."
As time ticked by, and the hour time limit passed, it became apparent that "everyone" was already there.
"Well," Streak commented, looking around. "This is...less than before."
The rest of the small group looked around, each with the same reluctant look on their face. They had been riding high on a bit of hope and frivolity for the past few minutes. That was quickly fading at the apparent lack of party members. "Should we give it a bit more time?" Peter asked.
"No," Lysander said, definitive but with a slightly defeated tone. "This is it. I'm not surprised. Not after how the Hidden Tomb went down. People are scared. And rightly so. There is no shame in it."
Several moments of silence passed between the group in the fading sunlight. Finally, Gunner asked, "Can we do it? Just us?"
"We don't have a choice," Peter said, a tone of assurance that surprised the others. "It's this, or we stay trapped in this prison. And I'm ready to get out of here. And payback Yoshitsune a little as we break down his door."
"Hell yeah," Gunner said as he fired off a blast from his arm cannon into the air. "Can't turn back now. Besides, I've learned some fun new stuff since I leveled up. Gotta show off a little."
"Same," Streak grinned.
"You know we're in," Glitch said, and Val and Tony nodded.
"We wouldn't leave each other now," NoScope said softly as she placed a hand on Lysander's shoulder, then on Ariel's shoulder as she looked to her and Peter.
"Sounds like it's settled," Lysander said in a more affirmative tone. "Let's get a look at our vessel. I think you guys will be...surprised."
The party approached the seaside community as the sun had nearly sank completely behind mountains to the west. By the time they made it to the shore, it was almost completely dark.
"Damn," Streak said. "It's too dark to make out even what it looks like. Too bad we waited so long to come."
"Here," Lysander said, a grin evident in his voice. "Let's see if I can help with that." The wizard then thrust his staff into the sky and recited an incantation, drawing a large rune in the air with his free hand. The rune hung in midair, glowing a brilliant golden orange. When Lysander finished, the rune shot into the air over the vessel and illuminated the area around them like a miniature sun. When everyone recovered from the initial shock of such a sudden radiance, they stood staring in amazement at their "ship."
In many ways it mimicked the classic look of the sailing vessels they had all seen in history books and film. The shape, the wooden frame, even the mast on the deck. However, what made this ship stand apart was not the modern metal railing around the whole deck, nor the portholes that seemed to act as windows to rooms within. Not even the large, horizontal, whirling propellers that stretched out on both sides from the frame, or the large, vertical one at the very back. What stood out most was that this ship did not sit in the water by the shore. It hovered above it.
"It's a freaking airship!?" Streak gaped.
"Yep," Lysander said, not even attempting to suppress his smile.
"An airship!?" Peter asked, holding a similar expression to Streak.
"Uh-huh," Lysander answered again, still grinning.
"Holy shit," Gunner exclaimed.
"Right!?"
After the group took several minutes to both silently and excitedly admire their ticket off the island, Glitch looked to Lysander and asked, "So, when do we leave?"
"Tomorrow morning, if everyone is prepared."
The group looked to one another. As each of them matched gazes with another, they shared a wide grin. "Or," Streak offered. "We could...leave tonight."
Lysander laughed aloud. "I mean...we could. Is that cool with everyone?" The collective head nod from the group was the perfect answer, and just what Lysander, Peter, and the rest of the party needed in this moment. They may have been few in number, but they were strong in their bonds with one another. "Alright. Well, we still need to supply up. We have absolutely no idea what to expect on this trip, or exactly how long it will take."
"No need to worry about supplies, young man," one of the crewmen NPCs who had worked on the ship offered. "In the supply room of the ship, we all pitched in and stocked it with everything you should need on your journey. Food, drink, medicine, and the like."
"Sweet," Gunner and Peter said, simultaneously.
"I see no reason that we shouldn't take to the air, then," NoScope offered in her typically calm voice, though she could not suppress the smile that had crept onto her face since seeing the airship.
After a short chuckle at his friends, thankful that they were here with him, Lysander gave a nod and informed the old sea captain that they would be leaving soon.
***
The inside of the airship may not have been capable of providing the level of awe the outside had, but it was still impressive, nonetheless. The party climbed on board via a rope ladder attached to the deck that released down to the beach. Once upon the deck, they marveled at how much it reminded them of an old-school sailing vessel. However, as they made their way down into the ship, they quickly noticed its more modern facilities. The inside was a mixture of wood and steel lining the walls, floors, ceilings, and doors, creating an intermingling of classic fantasy design and something of a more industrial nature.
The stairs from the deck led down into a long hallway with several doors on each side. These were the rooms, four total. At the end of the hallway was another staircase that led down into a large engine room filled with tech both engineering and magical. Off to the side of
that was the supply room the crewman had mentioned, which the party found well stocked for their journey, allowing them to fill their inventory. Finally, at the edge of the engine room was a door that led to one final stairway, which led down to a balcony at the bottom of the ship, allowing for players to view the land or sea below the airship as it flew.
"I can't believe I'm on an airship," Peter said as he stood on the deck, leaning over the railing as he looked out at the Vast Sea hundreds of feet below. He noticed it glowing and twinkling in the moon and starlight, as if the sky and sea had traded places and he was now truly sailing the sea with the sky below him.
"Thinking back to a month or two ago, did you think you'd be at this point?" Ariel asked, standing beside Peter as she too admired the scenery presented by this unique experience.
"I thought I'd be dead." Ariel looked at him with puzzled and concerned expression. Peter chuckled. "You remember me, hold up in that room, too scared to fight, too ashamed to try?"
"We all had those moments."
“Be that as it may. I didn't think I would make it far from that room. I had already given up hope." He then turned to look Ariel in her eyes. "Then you three came along and pulled me out. ShieldBro. Lysander. You. You saved me, Ariel."
The dark elf warrior noticeably blushed, despite her deep purple skin. "I did no more or less than Shield and Lysander." She then returned Peter's gaze. "You're a good friend, Peter. You just needed some good friends yourself."
Peter reached out and took Ariel's hand in his as he scooted a bit closer. Ariel did the same as she squeezed Peter's hand in return.
"Quite a view, eh, love birds?" came Glitch's voice, a big grin evident in her tone. Peter and Ariel jumped about a foot away from each other in surprise, but Glitch wrapped and arm around each and pulled them into a tight hug. "You two are so cute."
"I dub you Glitch, the mood killer," came Tony's voice from behind them.
"Sorry guys," ValCary offered, next. "You know how she is."
"Hey," Glitch said, mocking an offended tone as she turned to her two friends. "I'm right here."
"And you know how you are," Val smiled.
"Good point," Glitch smiled as she released a still blushing Peter and Ariel.
"This where the party at?" Streak's voice echoed from the staircase that led below deck.
"Looks like," Gunner responded.
"You have got to be shitting me," Peter smiled in a defeated tone, to which Ariel giggled and gave his hand one final squeeze before turning to the growing group.
"Maybe next time," NoScope said as Peter nearly jumped over the railing at her sudden appearance.
"What the…," Peter said when he recovered. NoScope just smiled, then looked to Ariel and waved, who returned it shaking her head, also defeated. "Damn ninja," Peter said. "How long have you been there?"
"Not long. Only a few seconds. Just trying out a new technique I acquired."
"Thought it seemed too quiet below deck," Lysander's voice called out as he came out to join everyone.
"Yes, we are all up here. Please join," Peter called out with a sarcastic smile to match his tone.
And with that, the whole party gathered on the deck of the airship. After much joking and chatting, they all decided that, for this first night, they would all camp out on the deck, under the stars, as their vessel carried them closer to their destination. It was not long before everyone was huddled around a makeshift fire, thanks to Tony, and talking about what had happened and what was to come.
"Well," Gunner started after the group grew silent. "I have to say, I never thought I'd be hundreds of feet up in an airship. Not after everything that's happened."
"I was just saying the same thing, earlier," Peter smiled. "It's all a bit surreal."
"Just like everything else about this damn game," Tony added with a smirk. This drew a laugh from the group.
"Hell," Streak said, in a far more somber tone than everyone was used to hearing from the energetic speedster. "I wasn't sure we would make it out of that tomb, if I'm being honest."
The smiles on everyone's faces faded, slightly, and turned to nods of agreement. "That was a particularly difficult battle," NoScope added.
"We wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for everyone on this ship, and several others who chose to stay behind," Lysander stated. "Our teamwork and trust in each other gave us the skill to survive. And it will continue to do so as long as we stick together."
More nods came from the other party members. Then, Streak added, "I wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for you, Gunner." He shot an awkward but grateful look the cyborg fighter's way before averting his gaze to the wooden floor of the deck before continuing. "That monster was ready to squash me into kitty litter. But then you showed up and lightsabered his ass." He then looked to Gunner again, who wore a somewhat taken aback expression. "You saved my life, but you didn't have to."
"Yes I did," Gunner stated, simply, after a few heartbeats of silence that allowed him to gather his thoughts.
"What?" Streak asked, confused.
"Of course I had to. That's what friends do."
Streak was unable to hide his smile. "You idiot."
"That's rude," Gunner chided, playfully. "Look, we may have different beliefs," he turned to look at NoScope as well, who was already looking his way, "and we may have different notions about what is or isn't right. But...you are all my friends." Smiles continued to form on everyone's face as they listened, and agreed with Gunner's words of friendship. "Christian, Muslim, gay, straight, it doesn't matter in here, just like Lysander said in the forest. I wouldn't have gotten here without you all. So, yes, I do have to do that. If my friends are in danger, I do have to do what I can to save them. And I always will."
Streak leaned back but kept his head down, smile still clear on what could be seen of his fur covered face. NoScope leaned forward and placed a hand on Gunner's shoulder and squeezed, who grasped her hand and squeezed back before letting go. "And we'll all do the same for you," she offered.
"I owe the same thanks to my two favorite ladies," Tony said as he looked over to Glitch, then to ValCary. Val grabbed her brothers hand and squeezed, and Glitch threw her arms around both.
"Speaking of," Ariel started as she motioned to the three with a smile. "How about the three MVPs of that last battle?"
"What?" Val asked, a bit of red embarrassment on her cheek, as well as Tony's. Glitch, however, grinned wide, like a child being praised.
"Yeah," Peter added. "Seriously. That was a hell of a triple play at the end. And, on top of that, you killed the thing."
"We killed the thing, man," Tony corrected with an appreciative grin.
"True, but we three did kick its ass," Glitch offered, to which the group laughed and agreed.
"How long have you three known each other?" Lysander asked when the laughter quieted.
"Well," Val started, "Tony and I are brother and sister. I'm the oldest."
"And she never lets me forget it," Tony added, quickly, with an elbow to Val's ribs, who retaliated by shoving the fire mage over.
"Anyway," Val continued. "We started playing Our World together a couple of years ago. We've always been a team. Both our parents died when we were still in elementary school. We moved in with our aunt and uncle, but they aren't the most attentive guardians."
"They're jerks who resent us for interrupting their life," Tony deadpanned. Val frowned at Tony's words, but didn't refute them.
"I should introduce them to my dad," Ariel commented with a knowing look at Tony, who gave a half grin.
"Yeah, well, because of the home life situation, Tony and I always had each others' backs. We played games together all the time. So, naturally, we were a team here, as well."
"And this one," Tony jerked his thumb at Glitch, "needed some help getting out of a jam after...this whole disaster started."
"I had it handled," Glitch argued.
"Is that what pinned down by two griffins with only half your HP
left means?" Tony gave a superior smile. Glitch responded by sticking out her tongue at the mage.
"Still dealing with the realization we were trapped in this game," Val continued, "Tony and I decided that we couldn't just let her do this on her own. So, we came in and helped her fight off the griffins."
"Two griffins?" Gunner questioned. "Must've been a helluva fight."
"It was," Tony confirmed. "But, Val and I knew we weren't going to abandon each other to this world. And we decided that we weren't going to abandon anyone that needed our help."
"And they fell in love with me, immediately," Glitch grinned.
"Christ," Tony cursed under his breath with a chuckle. Glitch responded by tackling him and punching him in the arm. "Ow! I am constantly abused by these two--ouch!"