by Paul Bellow
()xxxx[:::: Chapter 6 ::::>
Magi Inyontoo and his Father
JOSH
As I rode toward the long line of covered wagons, my thoughts turned to Sarah. I bet she's in that caravan. This crazy game would never start us so far apart.
When I saw three men dressed in armor with shiny swords and shields clamor out of the back of a wagon, I pulled back the reins and stopped the horse.
"Whoa," I said in a soothing voice.
This can't be good.
A man screamed something I didn't understand and raised his blade into the air. Crap. They’ll kill me. Serves me right.
The knight charged forward, but he only made it three steps before a fireball came searing through the air and hit him directly. Chunks of metal armor flew into the air.
Screams continued as more armored warriors appeared, forming a line. I glanced to the right and saw the source of the fireball, some dude in a black, hooded robe.
Cool, I thought as lightning bolts shot out of his hands, causing several of the knights to fall to the ground, shaking uncontrollably.
Don't tase me, brah.
I laughed at my joke as I watched the warriors who would battle me flee in every direction. The dude in a robe finished them off one after one.
The fireworks shooting from his hands were spectacular. I should've picked a mage. No wonder Sarah did. Thoughts of her brought me back to reality.
Screw this stupid game. I'll wait until the guy in the robe is done killing the others, then I'll take him out with this new sword I got. Maybe it's magic or something.
Blood pumped through my veins faster as I prepared myself for battle. Should I go into another one of those rage things? Not unless it looks like I'm losing.
The screams of the last knight faded as the man in black robes turned to face me. Bring it on, dude. I spurred the horse and rode toward him with my sword brandished.
All I need is one good hit. That's it. Come on...
I rode into battle like a movie star. When I made it to the first wagon, I brought my sword down on a distracted knight. He screamed as my blade clanked against his helmet.
He whirled around.
"What are you doing? Help us."
"I'm one of the bad guys, dude."
As he tilted his head to the side in confusion, I brought my sword up again. This time, I stabbed him in the neck, piercing through his armor.
Your stab INJURES the Paladin of Fish Trainee for 11 damage.
The Paladin of Fish Trainee is dead!
You gain +100 experience points!
Only 152 experience needed for next level.
The bad guy in the robe will help me now, I thought as I guided the horse around the cart to look for any survivors of the fireball. Men groaned on the ground, their flesh charred and burnt.
Maybe I should kill another couple. Do I win the game when I get to the next level? Maybe that's how I get to find Sarah in this crazy world. Might as well try to do something. No sense in going soft.
I maneuvered the horse toward a man on his knees struggling to stand. With a quick slash of my sword, he fell down in a heap of armor and flesh.
Your slash HITS the Paladin of Fish Trainee for 10 damage.
The Paladin of Fish Trainee is dead!
You gain +100 experience points!
Only 52 experience needed for next level.
This is kind of addictive, I admitted to myself as I looked for another Paladin of Fish.
Your stab INJURES the Paladin of Fish Trainee for 13 damage.
The Paladin of Fish Trainee is dead!
You gain +100 experience points!
You are now level two! You need to find a trainer.
Trainer? I don't have time for no stinking trainer.
Even a little exertion had me tired.
Why do I feel so bad?
I led the horse back around the line of wagons. The other knights were burnt to a crisp or otherwise deceased. A laugh caught my attention, and I turned.
The man in the black robes walked toward me.
Please don't shoot fire at me.
He stopped a few hundred feet away.
"Well, dumb orc, you going to come and get me?"
That's it. I've had enough of this chump.
The wizard guy didn't move as I rushed toward him. Halfway there, the horse stopped in fear and lifted on its back legs, sending me to the ground.
Ouch, that hurt.
You take 2 damage from falling off the horse.
Warning. You have 2 health remaining.
That doesn't sound good.
I sat up, unable to get to my feet. All the strength had been sucked from my body. The robed man approached.
Caution! PVP Enabled by [PC] Magi Inyontoo
PVP? What the heck is that?
"What do you want?" I asked. "Can you tell me where I can find Sarah?"
"I'll find her soon enough," the man said.
"Great. Can you help me up? I'm not feeling well."
"You make a great stupid orc."
He laughed while looming over me.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Magi Inyontoo. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
"What?"
"You heard me."
"I did, but you're not making any sense."
"Don't you watch old movies?"
"Wait...You're not part of the game?"
Magi Inyontoo laughed.
"I'm part of the game alright."
"Can you tell me where I can find Sarah?"
"Why would I do that when I'm hunting for her too?"
"You're hunting for her? Why?"
"Stupid orc. To kill her, of course."
He laughed maniacally.
I flew into a barbarian rage.
Skill Activated
You go into a barbarian rage. At level one, you get one extra attack per round with a +50% damage modifier.
"Silly barbarian. You think that’ll work on me?"
"Aargh," I screamed, rushing forward while wildly swinging my sword.
He nimbly stepped aside, still laughing. Anger built up to intolerable levels as I swung at him.
Your slash misses [PC] Magi Inyontoo.
Your slash misses [PC] Magi Inyontoo.
"Enough playing around," he said.
I ran toward him as he danced and chanted.
A bolt of energy shot out of his palms. Still in a barbarian rage, I rushed forward unconcerned. Physics happened as the golden beam hit me square in the chest. It knocked me to the ground.
[PC] Magi Inyontoo's Golden Bolts DEVASTATE you for 42 damage.
You are dead.
Everything faded to black.
()xxxx[:::: Chapter 7 ::::>
Quest: Join Party is ... Successful?
ERIC
I looked up and saw an elf and two creatures with oversized heads and small bodies.
"Sarah?" I asked.
OOC Penalty: -10% xp next encounter
"Eric, is that you?"
I nodded my head.
"Stupid rats poisoned me..."
"I have a potion that will keep you alive, but we need to get to the city to take care of the poison. Can you get back in the cart?"
As in the real world, I couldn't move the lower part of my body.
"I'm too weak."
"Help me get him in the wagon, you two," Sarah said.
They lifted me into the back of the covered wagon I'd been riding on for days. Would I get kicked out of the game if I died? Respawn? I didn't want to find out.
"Get us to the city," Sarah yelled to the driver.
"I can't," the farmer said. "This is all too much."
"Here's some gold," she said then muttered something about brownie potions not lasting long.
I struggled to sit up, but fell back to the wooden floor of the cart.
This sucks so bad. Pain in a game is not fun.
"Ya-ya," the farmer shouted.
The cart pulle
d forward, bouncing me up and down.
"Are you okay? I think we have a minute or two out of character,” Sarah said.
"Where's Josh?" I asked.
"I don't know yet. Have you noticed there's not a quit option in the menu anywhere?"
"What? You're kidding."
"No, I'm not. Did you know about this, Eric?"
"Why would you say that about me?"
Sweat poured down my face.
"Hey, we should try to join our party."
"Now?"
"We've got a while until we get to the city."
"Fine..."
You have joined a party with Kali Tracaryn.
Quest: Join Your Party completed!
You receive 1,000 xp!
-10% penalty = +900 xp
You need 475 xp for next level.
Tip: Be careful who you allow into your party. Your decisions will affect your progress through the game. Wait and choose wisely…
"Why did the quest complete?" I asked.
"Because we joined our party?"
"Yeah, but what about Josh? Shouldn't the quest not complete until he joins?"
The smile fell from her face as panic swept in.
"Do you think he's dead? What happens when you die in this game, Eric?" She paused then groaned. "Another xp penalty. I hate this game."
"We should stop talking out of character as much as possible."
"I know, but it's hard."
Her upper lip stiffened. She never showed any emotions.
"We have five minutes now. I don't know what's happening, Sarah. I swear to you."
She nodded.
"You believe me, right?"
Another nod of her beautiful elven head.
I sighed, the constant pain driving me wild as the poison coursed through my system.
"We should try to clear this level. I bet we can get out of the game once we beat the beginner level."
"How do we know, Eric?"
"We don't, but what else should we do?"
"I've been thinking about letting a monster kill me. Maybe that's the way to quit."
"Don't do that," I said, sitting up.
The cart hit a bump, sending me a few inches in the air.
"Careful," Sarah hissed at the old man in front.
"Whoa," came the reply.
The cart stopped.
"What are you doing?" Sarah hissed. "We're in a hurry."
I saw the farmer turn around. He shook his head.
"Gold or no gold, you’ll have to go."
"No," Sarah insisted. "It's just me and him. The brownies are walking to the city."
The farmer sighed, eyeing us both.
"First it's him in the antique hobgoblin armor. Then you and two brownies show up. I can't risk my life."
"Why would you be risking your life?"
The farmer laughed then shook his head.
"You're something else, elf. Have you been in the forest so long you don't know how the world works?"
"I know how it works well enough," she said.
"Please," I gasped. "This pain is intolerable."
"Here's five more gold," she said, throwing the coins at him. "That's worth a bit more of your time."
"Fine," the farmer relented.
The cart lurched forward, jostling me.
"Are you okay?" she asked me.
"I'm more worried about Josh."
She frowned.
"One problem at a time, okay?"
"I'm sorry about all this..."
My voice trailed off.
"Don't worry about it now. We can talk later."
"I don't want you to think I did this on purpose."
She stared into my eyes. Neither of us looked away.
"We're fine. I'm just worried about being in this game too long."
"Did I forget to mention the time dilation?"
"You might have. Everything has been so crazy since we started."
"Right? This world is amazing."
"Except for the rats, huh?"
She smiled. I did too – until it hurt too much.
"We'll be there soon," she said. "I can smell the city and see where it got its name."
"I noticed the smell," I said, wishing the pain would stop.
"Hang in there."
She put her hand on my shoulder. The gesture calmed me.
I closed my eyes, drifting off.
▧▨▧▨▧▨▧▨▧▨▧▨▧▨▧▨▧▨▧▨▧▨
When I opened my eyes, I felt Sarah helping me out of the back of the cart. Or, better put, she was trying to lift my body with her delicate elven limbs.
"I got it," I said.
When I dropped off the wagon, I tumbled to the ground.
"Hold on," Sarah said. "We're at the healer."
She walked away. When she did, the cart took off, leaving me on the side of the dirt path that served as a street. I glanced over and saw Sarah walking toward a two-story adobe building.
Instead of checking my health again, I closed my eyes, trying to save up my energy. The people and carts moving nearby didn't help. Why is this all going so horribly?
"They're closed," Sarah said.
I detected a distinct tone of worry in her voice.
"Closed?"
"I know, right?"
She glanced up and down the street.
"Help me up," I said, struggling to sit up.
"No, hold on. Let me think of something. Maybe I can go buy a potion or find a healer in a tavern."
"Did I hear you say you're in need of a healer?" a man asked as he walked over.
I glanced up and saw a human man with a pot belly. He wore robes with a simple fish symbol on them.
"Who are you?" Sarah asked him.
He put his hands together and bowed, showing the top of his balding head.
"I am Benji Bigelow, faithful servant of the Order of Fish."
"My friend is poisoned. Can you help him?"
"Can I ask a question first?"
"Sure," I said. "But hurry."
"Would you allow me to join your adventuring party?"
I tilted my head and stared at him.
[NPC] – Benji Bigelow
This middle-aged man has a pot belly and radiant face. Something about him makes you want to trust him and question him at the same time. That's all you can tell about him.
"He's not a..."
"Don't say it," Sarah said. "I can see too."
Benji tilted his head slightly and stared at us in confusion.
"You can't join our party, but we'd love to hire you for your services."
"Just this one-off deal, or can I..."
"Please," I gasped. "This hurts."
"Oh, yes, of course. Stand back."
With much flourish, he shook his arms, his ill-fitting robes swaying in the wind.
I stared as he moved his hands, chanting in an unknown language.
The poison in your system is gone.
You are now at 12(12) Health.
"Wow," I said, standing up. "That feels better. If I never see another giant rat again, I'll be a happy man. Thank you so much."
"Not a problem. A giant rat, was it?" Benji asked, nodding his head solemnly. "They're the worst. I've become good at slaying them with my prayers and my handy mace."
He produced a rod with a big, spiked metal piece at the end from within his robes.
"Nice," I said. "Thanks again."
"How much do we owe you?"
"I'll tell you what," Benji replied. "If you let me join your party, there's no cost for this."
Why is he so interested in joining our party?
"You can come with us," Sarah said. "But I don't know about joining the party yet. We'll hire you."
"A job as a hireling would be nice. I've been trapped in Fishguard way too long."
"Trapped here? You can't leave?"
"I could, but why go solo in such a dangerous world?"
"You talk strange," Sarah said.
<
br /> "Forgive my companion," I said, holding out my hand. "We'd love to hire you."
"About what I would expect from a hooty-tooty elf," he said then shook my hand.
I smiled. Sarah turned up her nose.
While I kept thinking her of Sarah in my mind, I realized I'd have to call her Kali in the game. Did we even know each other in the game world? I wondered.
"I'm Drex of Harrisburg," I said, holding out my hand.
Benji smiled and shook it enthusiastically.
"And this is our mage..."
"Kali," Sarah interrupted, saving me.
"Nice to meet you both," Benji said. "It's late. We should get some rooms. I'll show you around the city in the morning, and you can buy whatever you need."
"We should get a map," I offered. "To see what we're working with."
"That's possible," Benji said. "I'm at your service."
The three of us walked a few blocks until we came to the Half-Full House, a two-story brick and timber building. Inside, a long shelf of bottles stood behind a carved bar.
Benji did all the talking, getting us a great deal on a room. With only one vacancy, we had to share, but three rough beds gave us our own sleeping spot for the night.
I kept wanting to have an OOC chat with Sarah, but the opportunity never came up. We were all exhausted and turned in as soon as we got the room.
After all the action, pain and adventure of the last few days, I fell asleep right away. My dreams were filled with a blend of the real world and game world.
Strange, and a bit unsettling.
()xxxx[:::: Chapter 8 ::::>
Take as Many Maps as You Want
SARAH
When I opened my eyes, faint images of dreams slipped away. I checked to find out about getting a trainer for my next level.
> Help trainers leveling
As a first-level mage, advancing to second level is relatively easy. You will need to go to a nearby library and read a book. The more levels you increase, the more difficult it will become to find an adequate trainer or source of information to get to the next level.