by Dawn Chapman
Alex whooped, twirling around to watch Dalfol fly away.
We made it back to the Hog, and Alex slid in. I started the engine, and Dalfol led us out of the area. Shalice wasn’t good with saying goodbyes, so we left knowing she was tending her animals and looking after those who needed her magic. I was blessed to know her, and she was thankful she’d been able to help me realise my potential.
I drove for a while before Alex asked, “Your plan now is to rally everyone together to get the Tromoal more food, yes? Call in players and master this quest?”
“I’d never thought of it that way, but yes, it would be.” I noticed a popup flickering out the corner of my vision. I slowed down while I looked at it. Then stopped, dead.
NPC NOTE
SYSTEM ERROR
ERROR LOGGED
SYSTEM REBOOT
MASTER THE QUEST EVENT – FEED THE TROMOAL
DETAILS – TO FOLLOW
ERROR
ERROR
DETAILS – TO FOLLOW
ACCEPT Y/N
What? There were so many errors, I had no idea what was going on—what was I accepting if I did click yes? I’d never had that kind of power before. Sure, I knew I could pass on small quests to players, but to master one? Wow.
I clicked accept anyway. Maybe I’d get more notes later on.
I thought I was just to feed the Tromoal, protect them as a species, but knowing what was going on in the city bothered me, and then I saw it.
EVENT STARTED – CONTROL FOR MAICREOL
Alex watched me. “What’s going on?”
I had to deflect this somehow. Not knowing how to tell him the severity of the situation. I started driving again. “The guys who beat you up, do you think they’ll try to find you, to get more information out of you?”
Alex struggled with his words. “I think they’ll be waiting for me to cross the plains with you. So yes, they’ll try anything if they think I survived. They will want to prevent me from going back to the City and revealing their intentions.”
“And what are their intentions?”
“War. You said that yourself.” So he already suspected where this was going. I let out a breath. “In fact,” he added, “I know they poisoned Hanson’s farmlands. Tricked him into thinking it was something else. He salted all his money into a cure, which didn’t work. They took him for everything he had, knowing the Tromoal would come in and devastate the North first.”
“They didn’t, though. They split. The Tromoal aren’t stupid. They wanted to hunt to see where the food sources were.”
“A good thing. That’s the only reason the port hasn’t already made their move.”
I thought about this for a little while, hoping it wasn’t true. Then I turned inwards. Dalfol, do you know where every Tromoal is?
I do not, but I know Riezella does.
I think I have a plan. Then to Alex. “This will work out, trust me.”
He grinned. “After what you did for me, I more than trust you.”
The final landmark of Port Troli’s lands drifted by, and with it, the vast plains opened up. Alex kept checking the skies, expecting something to drop out in front of us again.
“You don’t need to worry,” I said, pain spreading through my hip.
I then noticed my own health bar.
HEALTH – 45%
Reaching for my potion bottle, I took a large swig, the sweet elixir sliding down my throat. There wasn’t enough.
“You’re in pain?”
That was one detail I’d failed to mention. “Sorry, yes. Whatever I did to help you, reverted my injury.”
Alex passed me one of the other bottles, and I took it from him, popping the lid.
HEALTH – 65%
“I’ll drive for a bit if you get tired.”
I passed the bottle back after a rather large hit. I could have used the ring’s buffer, and I fingered it lightly. That was for emergencies only. “I’ll let you know. For now, I’m good.” Of course, it was a lie.
I looked out onto the road ahead. It was nice to know the skies were being watched for us.
Dalfol’s voice drifted to me. It seemed like he was much further away. There’s an ambush ahead.
I gripped the steering wheel. Alex realised something was wrong. “Dalfol can talk to you, right?”
“How did you know?”
“It was like a whisper, something passing through me to you. I never heard it before today. Really weird.”
“He said there’s an ambush ahead.”
Alex dropped his head. “I guess they were expecting us to make a run for it.”
“They couldn’t have known you’d survive.”
He reached down, under the seat of the Hog. “No, but they suspected I might have hidden something. Only place I would is the Hog.”
I looked at what he pulled out from the Hog’s seating. A data chip. Damn. I’d no idea he’d hidden something in the cab.
“You expected them to double cross you somehow?”
“I had a backup plan if I had to destroy the original.”
“What’s so important on that disc?”
“Trade routes through and under the plains. One that the City’s been using for many years.”
I almost stomped on the brake. “There’s a route under the cave system?”
“You were the one who said the water receded, right?”
I knew what he was going to say. So I said it for him, “They follow the river bed, genius. Why didn’t you use that to get you over to the Port?”
“Because they’d know. It would give the secret away before I knew if they were worthy.”
It was a good call, really. I never thought the caving system was that great. “I explored a lot of it, some while the Tromoal were there, but I never saw anything that went deeper than their breeding cave.”
“Maybe I’ll get to show you. If I can see the Tromoal eggs up close, see the cavern.”
It wasn’t because he wanted to steal anything. I knew it was for the experience.
“I’ve got a lot to talk about with the Matriarch. She’s said as much. I guess it won’t hurt, but it is her decision.”
“All right.” He grinned.
“Would you tell me more about what’s going on at home? Distract me while we drive to meet this ambush. . .”
“My world usually is pretty fun. I had friends, even a girlfriend.”
I cringed, but he carried on. “My life was just fine. Then I started to get pain in my knee. I went to the docs. They sent me for some tests.”
I saw him shiver with the recollection of the events. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No,” he said, pulling my hand into his. “I have a form of bone cancer. They treated me for a while by taking out the affected bone. I had a knee operation and treatment, but it didn’t work. So I lost my leg.”
“I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”
“The cancer was already deep seeded and spread quickly. I was diagnosed with months left to live. Told to get all my affairs in order. So I tried, and I drank myself into a stupor most nights, blew all my friendships and relationships apart. I was an ass.”
“And you thought it would be a good way to spend your last few months?”
“Yes, gaming was exactly the right way to spend the rest of my life.”
“So why did you end up in here, in this game, our world? Not another?”
“I saw an advert on a local TV station.” I must have looked confused as he explained. “It’s like your monitors, but a live show. They were seeking players to join them in their alfa stages.”
“Tell me about how this game works?” I asked. I’d gathered certain elements of the how, over the last few years, but I wanted to know more.
He blew out a breath. “This is as simple as I can make it. Every Visitor has three Aspects and six Aptitudes. The Aspects are what you are, and the Aptitudes are what you can do. Every trait a person has can be categorized as Body, Mind, or Sou
l, and any activity a person may engage in can be slotted into one of the six categories: Combat, Endurance, Diplomacy, Faith, Logic, and Subterfuge. While the Aspects are self-explanatory, the Aptitudes are a bit more complicated.”
Alex watched me carefully. I nodded to let him know I understood and eased off the Hog’s gas, this was interesting and I hazarded a guess. “So, you gained Aptitudes in talking with Dalfol?”
“I did.” He pointed ahead, where I could see the horizon and most likely where the ambush would happen.
“Is there a way that I can see what I am. My character?” I questioned, unsure if I should see the inner workings of what made me… me.
“I could show you, but that would be…” his voice trailed off, yet he took my hand in his, adding, “personal, right?”
“What does all this mean for me?”
“It means you’re very unique.” Alex stared out the window, then pointed. “They’re up ahead.”
I already knew. Dalfol was keeping me informed while I tried to keep myself focused.
Do you want me to take them out? he asked. I wanted to laugh. No way was this Tromoal getting all the fun. No, I wanted to fight some of my own battles.
Alex then asked the same thing, so I answered them both.
“No, the Tromoal can’t take them out. Any of them. If anyone sees them do so, or sends a message to a friend before we destroy them, the Tromoal’s cover, my cover and yours are blown. We must keep our friendship a secret. There will be a time and a place for us to strike hard, and that time isn’t now.”
Alex looked to the back of the Hog. “I guess you need to man the weapons then!”
I smiled, and just like we had before, Alex slipped into the seat, and I headed up and out the back to defend us.
Slipping my goggles on, and covering my face as much as possible, I zoomed in so I could see where the enemy was. The trap was pretty easy to spot, and I instructed Alex to try to avoid it the best way I could. We’d be chased no doubt, but they had to have something up their sleeve if they thought they could catch the Hog.
Then I saw them. With a sigh, I shouted, “Alex, they’ve got bikes.”
They also had a car. I could make out someone standing on the back of it, just like I was. We were outmanned and outgunned.
“Keep that foot on the floor! We’re in for a rough ride.”
I tried to balance the gun and work out a way I could fire the other hidden weapons. Maybe with some luck, I might be able to take out a bike or two. The truth of the matter was, we needed another way out, and Dalfol wasn’t the answer.
As Alex drew closer to them, the bikes sped towards us. Each had a pillion, and their intentions were to try to take me out as much as take the Hog. We couldn’t let them do either. I couldn’t have a rival gang with two cars. Where did they get it from anyway? Were they associated with the Port? All this seemed highly unlikely.
I noticed something else—a man standing on the back of their car. It was Dail.
How? What? Why? Everything inside my mind exploded as the car’s guns turned to aim our way.
Was he just after me to win this war against the city? What the hell was going on? I wanted to scream at him, punch him and do much more than gut him. Love. What was love when he stood there ready to attack us!
I wouldn’t let this lie. This was him being a traitor on all levels.
I felt sick, but I focussed all my energies into defending the Hog, Alex, and the Tromoal.
Chapter 4
The first bike’s firebolt came hurtling towards us, and I was shocked to see the pillion also had a weapon. I pulled my gun around, cranking its energy pack, and was about to fire. I had one chance to hit the pillion, and hopefully, that would derail at least one of the bikes.
I pulled the trigger, and the energy blast shot out slamming into the pillion’s shoulder. He fell, and Alex whooped.
The rider didn’t come off, though. He whizzed past us and spun around while the second biker’s pillion began shooting. The Hog’s thick hide took the blasts, but the softer top wouldn’t last for long. I could only presume Dail had also told them all the tricks and advantages I had. I screamed.
Spinning the gun back around, I turned to face the second pillion. As he lined up his shot, the Hog’s gun blanked and spluttered. No. It couldn’t fail. Not now. I slammed my fist onto the battery pack and hoped it would start up again. The energy light flickered, and with a flash, I was able to let off a shot. I missed.
With both our current speeds, I had one more chance. I focussed, sucked in a breath, and fired again. This time it, hit the rider and took them both off in a spectacular explosion of catapulting bike and bodies.
We reached level with the other vehicle, and this time, I noticed Dail was aiming directly at the Hog. He was going to go for the fuel tank.
“Alex!” I yelled. “Hard right!
The Hog complained, but this time, when Alex spun the wheel, we didn’t flip. The shot blast from Dail flew past and didn’t hit the tank. The explosion behind us, however, was enough to take out the last rider. Yet the car made its way out, racing to push us off the road into a more dangerous track or to flip us.
I tried my best to keep hold of the gun, the road becoming more and more uneven. I was being bounced around something wicked. “Alex, don’t let him run us off.”
“I’m trying!”
I took aim this time, and instead of trying to shoot Dail or their tank, I was going to aim for the one place I knew I could stop him, at least for a while. The wheels.
As much as anyone was prepared, there wasn’t room for two spares. This double tap shot was something I needed more energy for. Kneeling down, I struggled to pull out the battery pack stuck under the back seat of the Hog. A loud pop and I felt burning pain. My back seared with a fiery blast.
HEALTH – 50%
It had meant to kill, but it hadn’t. It caught my left shoulder, almost leaving me with no feeling. I needed that arm to hold on while I aimed for their tyres.
I had to try anyway. The first strike hit, and the tyre popped. The second also hit. I let out a cry of relief although the pain was excruciating. The car behind us was off the road. We’d be safe for now.
Dalfol’s voice screamed in my head. You’re injured. Get to safety within the cave system as soon as you can. The Matriarch will be able to help.
No, we need to finish this. I pushed back to him as I noticed my health drop all the more.
HEALTH – 45%
Then I ducked down and grabbed something to wrap around my arm. I slid down into the passenger seat.
“Keep driving,” I said to Alex. “We need to get to the cave system, and I’ll manage until then.”
I saw the concern on his face but smiled. I wanted to hug him. He had done great with the driving.
Dalfol directed me, and I passed the info onto Alex. We were coming in from a different spot this time, a section I hadn’t even known about, but Dalfol wanted us safe and inside as soon as possible. I knew why. Can you hide the Hog’s tracks, though? I asked.
Do not worry about those. We’ll fly overhead and dust them. They won’t have a clue where you’ve gone.
I wanted to agree with him, but if Dail knew about the underground caving system, he’d also know where we’d go.
That was when I heard the ping. A message waiting from him.
I didn’t want to open it. Alex didn’t know it was Dail who was chasing us. “Alex, that was my fiancé shooting at us.”
“What?”
“That was my fiancé, and now he’s sending me messages.”
“What does it say?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Well, open it.”
Dail’s message came through clear: You’ve no idea what you’re doing. You’re aligning with a player! A monster, who will have you and everyone you love killed.
I read it aloud.
“I’m not a monster,” Alex said, his brows creasing.
I knew that,
but I didn’t know what Dail was harping on about.
I tapped out my reply: I don’t know who you are? You almost killed me.
Dail returned: I needed the Hog to stop. I needed the chance to talk to you.
By talk, you mean kill Alex and take the information he has? I asked him.
Yes. The information he should have given us back in the port. Why he didn’t, I don’t know.
Maybe because he suspected it would all be used for the wrong reasons. Greed! I was getting angrier with each message.
Not just greed, Maddie. You don’t understand. We wanted to go in and take the loot that was surrounding the Tromoal eggs.
You have no chance. They’ll destroy you. Goodbye!
Alex’s shaky voice came to me through my angered argument via our pm system. “What’s going on?”
I quickly found the delete point and did the one thing I never thought I’d do again. I erased Dail from my memories.
“I blocked him. They’ll be coming to look for us and the entrance to the Tromoal hiding spots. They know it’s around here somewhere.”
“Yeah, but the Tromoal can defend themselves surely?”
Alex stopped the Hog once deep enough inside the cave. I noticed that after a while, Dalfol’s voice echoed back to me.
Follow the cave system as deep as you can. We’ll meet you at the bottom junction. There’s a spot you can leave the Hog and follow on foot. It widens out a lot and goes deeper.
“This is part of the water system, isn’t it?” Alex asked.
I nodded, but I noticed he looked pretty blank for a while. So, I answered clearly. “Yes, it is. This is a huge section of the caves. I think they really need to defend this spot if Dail’s going to follow.”
I had my doubts, but I spoke to Dalfol. Do not worry. I want to hope that there’s a better way.
So do I, Dalfol thought.
The caving system was as Dalfol described. It expanded, and we opted to leave the Hog. I took out my backpack, shoved some water, rations, and a few flasks inside. I had no idea how long we might be down here or if the Hog would be safe till we returned, but I wasn’t chancing it.