Freyr: God of Faeries: Prequel to “The Fate of the World Tree” Series

by Mirajane

  “You should have told me you were a virgin,” he tipped his chin down. My eyes darted to his. Was I so bad he knew it was my first time?

  “Who says I’m a virgin?”

  A slow smirk spread over his face. “Well, you’re certainly not one anymore. You bled,” he nodded down to my waist.

  “I what?” I sat up, flushing with embarrassment.

  “Calm down,” he laughed. “I told you this game was the most realistic one on the market.”

  “You mean that was different than...other times?” I looked at him sheepishly. I wondered how many girls he had been with - virtual or otherwise. He seemed pretty experienced to me.

  “I’ve never felt anything like that in a game,” his tongue traced the bottom of his teeth.

  My breath hitched. “Me neither.”

  “I gather you’ve never felt anything like that in the real world, either,” he laughed.

  “Don’t be a jerk,” I swatted his chest.

  He sat up beside me. “Me? A jerk? Never.”

  I gave no answer, staring straight ahead.

  “Are you going to be all weird and fidgety around me now?” he raised a brow. The look on his face was almost enough to diffuse the tension.

  “Probably,” I smiled.

  He rolled his eyes. “People take sex way too seriously.”

  “Give me a break! It was my first time.”

  “And now you feel guilty for no reason at all.”

  “No reason? I hardly know you,” I reminded him.

  He shook his head, plucking a blade of grass and rolling it between his fingers. “What’s so shameful about two people acting on one of their most basic needs? There’s nothing more natural in the world.”

  “That’s one way to look at it,” I glanced at the sky. I wanted to agree with him, but my nerves were getting the better of me. It felt like an excuse to do whatever you wanted. I had just shared the most personal experience I could think of with a complete stranger, and I could never take it back.

  Still, every muscle in my body was relaxed, as if I had been waiting all my life for the release. Sheer satisfaction settled deep in my belly and I let my doubts slip away for the moment, sated by the memory of his touch.

  “See? I knew that would get you to smile,” he touched my chin gently.

  “I never said I didn’t have a good time. Life’s just complicated,” I grinned sadly at him. I learned never to count on people all those nights I waited for my dad to come home after he left our mom. But he found a new family in New Mexico and he never looked back. No matter how much fun Caleb was, he would never be more than a friend I met in a game.

  He lay back in the grass, folding his arms beneath his head. “I disagree. People are complicated. Life is simple.”

  I thought about that for a moment. I had to admit there was something liberating about it, knowing I would likely never see him again. There were no feelings to work out, no decisions to make about the future. I would never have to worry about running into him at a party or in one of my classes. He would always be a fond memory.

  “Alright, I’m in. Let’s just stay here where things are simple,” I lay down beside him, trying to see the world through his eyes. Quiet stretched between us, the rustling leaves and trickling water creating an ambient symphony. A soft breeze blew through the clearing, bringing clarity with it.

  “So, the world is simple. If it’s people who are complicated, then who are you?” I nudged him.

  “Oh no,” he shook his head. “I’m simple, too. I’m just a man with a sword.”

  “A very impressive sword,” I giggled, a little sore where he had been moments before.

  “Bravo,” he turned to look at me, admiration flashing in his eyes.

  “But I’m sure there’s more to you than just that.”

  “Afraid not,” he sighed. “But I can teach you a few things if you want.”

  “Really?” I perked up, anxious to learn, even though I recognized his offer for what it was: a distraction. Regardless, he wouldn’t be there to save me the next time I found myself in trouble. And judging by his apparent skill, I would benefit greatly to learn from him.

  “Sure. But first, we need to find you a sword.”

  “How do we do that?”

  He stood and retrieved his shirt from the ground, pulling it over his head before he extended his hand to me. “Follow me.”

  I took his hand and let him pull me up, watching as he sheathed his sword and donned his cloak.

  “You’re a dark elf, right?” I glanced at his clothing, which looked like it had already been upgraded. How did he level up so fast?

  “I suppose the all-black garb sort of gives it away,” he grinned. I adjusted my own clothes and smoothed back my hair, looking up in time to find his eyes on me.

  “What?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing. Let’s go.”

  I followed him out of the clearing and into the woods, fear settling over me in the darkness.

  “What time is it? I didn’t think it would get dark so soon.” I looked at the trees bearing down on us.

  “Time works differently in the game. Where are you from IRL?”

  “IRL?” I quirked my brow.

  “In real life,” he clarified.

  “Oh. California.”

  “It’s still early afternoon there.”

  “Good.”

  “You have plans?” he kept his eyes ahead as he led me into the woods.

  “Um,” the words caught in my throat. “I have a date.”

  He stopped abruptly, his eyes searching mine as he fought a smile. “Busy day for you.”

  “Shut up,” I pushed him away and he laughed, unashamed. I liked that he was so easygoing, but sometimes it seemed forced. More than once I had caught a glimpse of heavier emotions in his eyes, and I got the feeling he was far more troubled than he let on.

  I wondered why he insisted on keeping up this charade, but then again, I was holding up a charade of my own. For as much as I felt safe with him, I knew nothing about him. And he knew nothing about me - other than the fact that I was very recently no longer a virgin. I shouldn’t want to know things about him. Curiosity was a dangerous thing, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. His eyes held countless secrets, and I wanted to unravel them.

  We walked in silence for a while, listening out for the sound of another foe. Before too long, he slowed his pace.

  “Here we go,” he whispered, holding his arm out to stop me. My eyes caught movement a few yards ahead.

  “What do I do?”

  “Kill it, obviously.”

  I rolled my eyes. “With what?”

  “Here,” he handed me a rather large rock. “Aim for the head. And make sure you don’t miss.”

  “I thought you said you were going to teach me,” I muttered under my breath.

  “I am teaching you. Best way to learn is to do it yourself.”

  “Fine,” I stalked closer, waiting for the beast to come out in the open. When its horrible yellow eyes emerged from the trees I forced myself to calm down, aiming the rock at its head. Letting out a breath, I threw the rock, hitting my target exactly where I meant to. The goblin shrieked and fell to the ground, but unlike the last one, it didn’t disappear in a puff of smoke.

  “Is it dead?” I looked at Caleb. “Why is it still there?” I waited for it to jump up and attack, but it lay still on the ground.

  “You have to pick up the item before it will evaporate.”

  “I got an item?” my voice rose with excitement. I hurried over to the dead creature, feeling mildly guilty for ending its life. Sure enough, there was a sword waiting for me.

  “Look at that!” I cheered, picking up the sword. The moment it was in my hand, the goblin turned to black mist and then it was gone. Caleb laughed, his eyes brightening.

  “Good job. But it was still only level two.”

  “Don’t rain on my parade. I have a sword now,” I wiggled my eyebrows.
r />   “You do,” he nodded. “Want to know what to do with it?”

  Chapter Seven

  He spent the next hour teaching me how to access the skills in the game.

  “Don’t think so much. Move the sword like you would in the real world. The game is designed to work with your thoughts,” he advised me.

  “I’ve never held a sword in real life,” I kept my eyes on the blade as I slashed through the air, trying to get used to the weight.

  “You’re missing out,” he stepped toward me. “Here. Close your eyes.”

  “Why?” I narrowed my gaze.

  “Trust me.”

  I stared at him for a moment, but he’d given me no reason not to trust him, so I obeyed. He stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, placing his hands over mine on the hilt of the sword. A warm shiver ran through my body.

  “The sword is just an extension of your arm. If you think of it like a weapon, you’ll always be afraid of it. Move with the blade and you’ll learn to use it like you were born with it.” He guided my hands in a couple of slow swings. My eyes opened on instinct, anxious to make sure I was aiming correctly.

  “Eyes closed,” he admonished. I pouted, closing them again and letting him guide my hands. “Don’t think it. Feel it.”

  I let him lead my movements, feeling the weight of the sword with every swing. He was right - when I pictured it as part of my arm it was a little easier to handle.

  “There you go,” he offered his approval. “Practice like that and you’ll be on your way in no time.”

  “Thanks,” I smiled. He cleared his throat and released me, taking a step back. I opened my eyes and found him staring at the ground. It seemed I wasn’t the only one who was affected by our earlier encounter.

  “Want to fight?” my eyebrows lifted.

  “I said you were getting better. But you’re not ready to face me,” he folded his arms.

  I shrugged. “Go easy on me then.”

  “Not a chance. When I fight you, you’ll be ready for it.”

  “Is that a promise?”

  “Why not?” he reached a hand out. “I promise to fight you when you’re ready.”

  My subconscious warned me about getting too close. The whole point of spontaneity was to make it a one-time thing. But I couldn’t deny that I wanted to see him again. “It’s a deal,” I grinned.

  “Was there anything else you wanted to know?”

  I attached my sword to my belt, wracking my brain for any last-minute questions. As eager as I was to learn, I wanted nothing more in that moment than to relax and enjoy the night. But I couldn’t afford to waste any more time lounging around. When I did find Finn, I didn’t want to meet him as a coward.

  “Could you show me how to fly? I couldn’t find an option in the menu.”

  “I wouldn’t know how. Elves don’t have wings,” he cocked his head. I walked over to a tree stump and sat down.

  “Oh right. You have to find a pegasus, don’t you?”

  He nodded. “Find one. Tame one. Rumor has it you only get one. If you let it die, that’s it.”

  “Where do you find them?”

  “I’m not sure. But I think the entrance is somewhere in the mountains.”

  I crossed my legs on the tree stump. “I thought the mountains led to The Underground?”

  “They do,” he walked toward me, leaning on the tree beside me. “I believe it’s a dungeon in the base. But I have a theory that I’ll find the pegasus at the top.”

  “They don’t tell you where to find them? That seems unfair,” I looked up at him.

  “No more than dropping us in the middle of the Sacred Wood.”

  I picked a pine cone from the ground and turned it in my hands. “I guess that’s true.”

  “Having wings would be great. But I’ve always liked horses.”

  “Still. The other races get their wings for free.”

  “It appears not,” he smiled down at me.

  “Right again,” I laughed, tossing the pine cone into the forest. “I was looking forward to flying.”

  “There’s really no option in your menu?” he asked. I pulled up the menu again, glancing through every single option.

  “Nope.”

  “Try imagining it. Focus on the feeling of wings on your back.”

  “Okay,” I agreed, “I’ll try.” I closed my eyes. Picturing the elegant curves of the sprite wings in the magazine they released. I felt a twitch in my back, but it must have been my imagination because no wings sprouted.

  I focused harder, picturing myself flying above the trees. My jaw clenched as I tried to will the vision into reality, but still nothing happened.

  “No use,” I sighed, opening my eyes.

  “You’ll figure it out. Give it some time.”

  “Easy for you to say. Your steed is going to do all the work,” I laughed.

  “Why do you think I chose to play as an elf?”

  “I should have known you were lazy,” I shook my head. The back-and-forth reminded me of my morning with Finn, and I stood up straighter. “Hey. You haven’t met anyone else in here, have you?”

  He shook his head. “Just you. Why?”

  “I bought the game to play with my brother. But I have no idea where he is,” I shrugged.

  “What’s he look like?”

  “Sort of like me, I guess. Tall. Blond. We’re twins.”

  “Everything I’ve seen so far is short and green. But I’m sure you’ll find him. If nothing else, you can ask him where he spawned when you log out.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” I muttered, confused by the dread that built in my stomach. It was the same feeling I had when I first entered the game. I tried to shake it off, but something felt strange. It must have to do with the fact that everything seems so real, I thought, reminding myself once more that it was only a game.

  I realized then that Caleb was not entirely right about life being simple. I was happy to let my guard down long enough to have fun with him, but I couldn’t afford to lose myself in here. No matter how real everything felt, there was still a real world waiting for me when I logged off. And I knew I would have to go back soon enough.

  Chapter Eight

  “It’s getting late. I should get going.” I stared longingly at Caleb’s stunning physique.

  “Wouldn’t want to be late for your date,” he nodded.

  “Don’t be jealous. You’ll always be my first,” I winked.

  “And don’t you forget it,” he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me in for another kiss. I melted in his arms, enjoying the feel of his lips on mine before I had to say goodbye. Too soon, he released me, a sated smile on his face. “We’ll meet again,” he nodded.

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “We have a duel scheduled. And if you think I’m going to let you back out, then you don’t know me very well.”

  I chuckled. “Looking forward to it.” Glancing at the forest one last time, I opened the menu and hovered over the log off button, but when I selected it with my mind nothing happened.

  I tried again.

  Nothing.

  “Uh, Caleb?” I glanced at him. He was already walking away, but he stopped when I called his name.

  “Yes?”

  “I can’t log out.”

  He burst into laughter. “You don’t know how to log out?” he asked through the chortling.

  “I know how,” I placed my hands on my hips. “It’s not working.”

  His laughing died down and he finally got a hold of himself. “Try again. You probably didn’t think through the commands right.”

  “I’ve already tried again,” I cocked my head. “Nothing’s happening.”

  “Maybe there’s another goblin nearby?” He looked around. “You can’t log out during combat.”

  “I don’t think that’s it,” I tried the command again, even as I looked around us for a beast lurking in the shadows.

  “Odd. I’ll try it,” he shrug
ged. His eyes focused on a far off point and I knew he was looking at his own menu. I grabbed my elbow, waiting for his avatar to disappear. If he logged out first, there was no guarantee he would spawn here again when he logged back in to help me.

  “You’re still here,” I pointed out when nothing happened.

  “Yeah…” he focused harder on the menu.

  I tapped my foot, my panic growing. “Well?”

  “Mine’s not working either,” he sighed. His face creased with worry.

  “What does this mean?”

  He folded his arms, his eyes still focused on something I couldn’t see. “I’m not sure. I never tried to log out earlier today, so I don’t know how long we’ve been stuck in here.”

  “I’m sure they’re working on it.”

  “Working on what? I can’t think of a reason the button wouldn’t work...” he trailed off. “Damn.”

  “What?”

  “I tried to access the help desk, but I can’t get through there, either.”

  A tingle ran down my spine. “Maybe they’re busy? We can’t be the only ones who can’t log off.”

  “I’m sure we’re not. But does that really make you feel better?” he raised an eyebrow.

  “Caleb, you’re scaring me.”

  “It’s not good to hang around here too long. You start to lose track of what’s real,” he looked me straight in the eyes. “I’ve heard of gamers staying plugged in so long they starved to death in the real world.”

  “But that would take a long time. We won’t be stuck here that long,” I shook my head, “Will we?”

  His shoulders tensed. “I don’t know.”

  “My brother has a roommate. I’m sure he’d disconnect us if we never got up.”

  “He won’t if he’s smart,” Caleb shot me a pointed look. “It’s dangerous to remove the rig without logging out.”

  “It’s dangerous to stay in here forever.” I pursed my lips.

  “Let’s not panic yet. We don’t know that we’re stuck in here forever.”

  “But you just said-”