The door creaked open. There was a quietness in the air as I wondered what was about to happen. Then, I heard his hand come into the cage. Suddenly, Stevie's body moved. Me and Stevie looked into each others eyes. Stevie was scared, I could see that. Then, his body moved again. Was the giant poking him? “Wake up,” the giant roared.
We continued playing dead. “What's wrong with you? I said it's time to wake up,” the giant moaned.
Then, Stevie's body began to lift. Oh crap! My arms wrapped around his back before I felt the giant's grip around us. We both went into the air with sudden speed. My heart began to quiver and I wasn't sure what was going to happen next. My grip got tighter around Stevie's back as I feared I would fall to my death. I couldn't see anything, except for Stevie's ratty face. Were we leaving the cage? The air flow beneath me tickled my back as I could feel that we were getting higher and higher. I twisted my head to my far side and tried to see what was happening. We were much higher in the sky than I would have guessed. Below me, I saw the ground. To my left, I saw the cage. It was official, we were outside of the cage. “Now what?” I mumbled.
“I don't know,” Stevie replied.
How could we both not know the next step? This was a critical step, and we didn't know it? “Aren't you going to use your sword?” I whispered.
Before Stevie could answer, I felt a dropping sensation. Almost like you would feel when riding a roller coaster with a big drop at a theme park. I knew he was bringing us to the ground, but for what? Within seconds, the giant had placed us on the ground. Without much effort, he flicked Stevie off of me. My eyes were closed, but I could sense his large head hovering over me. Then, I felt something. My body jerked upwards as he let out a sniffing sound. Wow. The power of his sniff had actually made my body jerk up a little. But why was he sniffing me? Oh crap. Was he getting ready to eat me? My worst fear had seemed to come true.
How could I have been so stupid? Panic began to run wild inside of me but I didn't show it physically. I didn't move an inch. What was I going to do though? Then, I felt a gust of wind. He was no longer looking at me. I just knew it. I barely opened my eyes just enough so that I could see. My vision slowly began to appear. Above me, was only the dark sky. I turned my head to where I knew the giant was. Then, I saw him. He was busy sniffing Stevie. Was he going to eat him? I didn't want to see it happen. But, maybe he would be full if he ate Stevie? I didn't know. Stevie was a tiny guy and would probably be nothing more than a snack for the giant. I didn't want him to eat Stevie. But, if it did happen, I hoped Stevie would provide enough nutrition for the giant. In the back of my mind, I worried that Stevie would only be a snack for him. Then, he would come looking for me as his next snack.
Suddenly, I realized I had a chance. A chance to run maybe. But what about Johnson? He was the whole reason I came here wasn't he? I couldn't live through this terrible experience without being rewarded could I? I sighed. Crap. I couldn't run, and I couldn't just watch the giant eat Stevie. Sometimes I really hated being a decent human being. As my thoughts continued, I couldn't believe what I saw happen next. With precise speed, Stevie pulled a sword out from his side. Within a blink, he jammed the sword into the giant's head. “Take it out of me,” the giant roared while stumbling to his knees.
What the hell? Did I really just see what I had just seen? “If you want your reward, you better grab Johnson,” Stevie yelled.
“Wait? You aren't going to help me?”
“Why should I? You aren't giving me a cut,” he replied. “Besides. At this point, I just wanna get the hell out of here. There's no way I'm going back into that cage. I won't risk my freedom for anything ever again. See you around!”
Before I could reply, Stevie took off running into the distance. With him still being in his rat suit, it was an odd sight. Everything was happening so fast. The giant pounded on the ground and it began to shake. My balance got wobbly as I tried to make my way closer to the wooden platform. Was I an idiot or something? Maybe Stevie had the right idea. The giant wasn't dead yet, and I didn't know if he would die. Was I really about to go back inside of the cage and risk being locked up again? One part of me wanted to run the same direction Stevie did, but I couldn't. I was just too damn greedy. My feet began to kick with intense speed as I made a beeline back to the cage. Suddenly, the giant swung his arms towards me. “My head hurts,” he yelled. “Something is stuck in my head.”
I almost felt bad for him, but that quickly went away. I ran a safe distance around him and quickly began to climb the stairs. My eyes darted from side to side while I desperately tried to locate Johnson. Then, I saw him. He was just where we had left him. I ran to his body and spoke quickly. “Your brother misses you,” I screamed. “You are coming with me whether you like it or not.”
His feet began to kick and he yelled something. But, I couldn't hear it. Stevie had done a good job with stuffing the rag into his mouth. I reached down and picked up his small body. Damn, he was bony, but still had some weight to him. I tossed him over my shoulder and began to walk out of the cage. The giant stumbled closer to us but was weak. The sword in his head had taken a toll on him. “That's my hamster,” he screamed with anger. “Hand me my hamster.”
With a burst of strength, the giant stumbled closer to us. He wasn't far, and I knew I had to move faster. But, my body became sluggish. I looked at my stamina meter. Oh crap! It was low. The extra weight was taking a toll on me. I stopped for a moment and tried to let my stamina climb. Still, the giant was getting closer to the cage. Moments passed as my stamina climbed higher. I ran as fast as I could with my eyes on the exit of the cage. The sense of relief that came to my body was overwhelming as I ran out of the cage. The giant collapsed to the ground and let out a near deafening scream. The sword stuck in his head had really fucked him up.
I held Johnson over my shoulder. His screams were muffled, but I imagined he wanted me to help the giant. I couldn't help him though. So, I just ran past the giant and hoped he wouldn't regain any strength. The further and further away I got, the better I felt. A slow growing smile appeared on my face while I took a moment to rest. I huffed and puffed. Damn, this guy was starting to get heavy. I threw Johnson on the ground and removed the rag from his mouth. Words instantly came out of him. “We gotta help my master,” he cried.
“We can't help him.”
“Master! Master! I am over here,” he screamed.
There was a roar in the distance. “Shut up,” I said while sticking the rag back into his mouth.
I picked Johnson back up and began to run at a steady pace. Once I got a safe distance away from the giant, I stopped and took a longer rest. There was a small cleared out area with many broken logs around us. I dropped Johnson to the ground and sat down on a broken log. “I'm glad that's over,” I said.
Johnson screamed something but I couldn't hear it. I pointed my finger at him. “If I take the rag out of your mouth, do you promise not to scream?”
His head went up and down. I reached over and yanked the rag out of his mouth. “Why did you leave my master to suffer?” he asked with sad eyes.
“Dude, that giant didn't care about you,” I replied. “He was just using you.”
“He did care,” Johnson replied.
I took a good look at him. What a pathetic sight he was. “When we get you back, we are taking off that hamster suit. No man should have to wear that.”
“I like it,” he replied.
I looked down at my arms. I had almost forgotten that I still had on my weasel suit. How degrading. I quickly slipped it off and began to throw it to the side. But then, I realized it could be worth some gold. I examined the stats:
Worn Out Weasel Suit
Description: A weasel suit that has been passed down from many generations.
Slot: Upper Body
Level: 06 (Beginner)
Weight: 1.2 lbs
Defense: 0
Value: 01 Gold
Okay, this suit was almost worthless. And how could a
weasel suit be passed down from many generations? Was there some guy out there who was looking for his lost weasel suit at this very moment? I didn't know. Even though it was only worth one gold coin, I decided to keep it just in case times got desperate. I mean after all, one gold coin was a lot better than none at all. I put the suit into my inventory and equipped the armor I had previously purchased. Instantly, I felt like ten times the man. I looked over at Johnson. “See how much better I look?”
“I thought you made a good weasel,” he replied with twisted lips.
I took a moment to relax. This whole experience was such an adventure. I wondered if I would ever return to real life again. There was so much excitement in this life. Every moment was filled with something to do. As I looked around, I realized how quiet it was. I kicked the dirt beneath me. “Is this place real?” I asked.
“Of course it is,” Johnson replied.
“But it's just a game. You do know that don't you?”
“I have never known anything else but this. This is where everything begins and ends for me.”
“This isn't real though. There's another world out there. That's the real world, not this.”
Johnson looked confused. “I don't think that's true. I have only heard rumors of this other world. If it is there, why can't I go to it?”
“You can,” I replied before fully thinking out my answer. “I mean. You should be able to go, but you can't. It's kinda complicated.”
“This is my world. It is real. I know it is.”
I scratched my head. It was kinda confusing. In a way Johnson was right. This world was real. In fact, it could be the only world I needed. So what if my body was just lying in a capsule somewhere? Did it really matter? If I never saw my body again, did it even exist? It might as well not. As long as I remained in the game world, that was all I needed. This was the only world I needed. I stood up. Damn. What was I saying? In the back of my mind, I couldn't let go of the real world. It just didn't seem right. Truthfully, I wasn't sure what I wanted. And I wasn't sure where I belonged. All of a sudden, I got a new message alert:
“Hey. It's me Tommy. You are going to be so proud of me. You know why? Because I just saved Sonny and Todd. Like, I just saved them both! I figured out all of this lost soul and Astral Dust stuff. I used all of my brain power and figured it all out. Dude, I won't stop there. I have been asking around and know how to get to FlatFall. We will be there pretty soon to bust you out. I am going to send you another message soon. We are actually headed to this big boat right now. The boat is gonna take us to you. I am hoping that I see some dolphins and other fish while I am riding in the boat. I have some bread and want to feed the fish. Anyways, I will message you soon. Hope your still alive and all. Let me know.
Tommy.”
I was nearly at a loss of words. How on earth could Tommy have actually saved both Sonny and Todd? And he was coming to bust me out soon? Wow. I had mixed emotions about it all. In many ways, I wanted out. But in other ways, I didn't want out. Still, I knew it was probably best that I did leave FlatFall. There was still a small part of myself that doubted Tommy could bust me out. But, only time would tell. I began to write him a message back:
“Hey Tommy. I am sitting here just wondering how the hell you actually managed to save both of them! That is awesome! I will wait for you to bust me out. Let me know the plan and when you will be here. Thanks
Walker.”
I tried to picture Tommy getting on a big boat. It just seemed weird. It seemed shocking that he was actually organizing a search and rescue team for me. Like I said before, if he could pull it off, I would totally forgive him. I took in a deep breath and went down to pick up Johnson. Then, I stopped. “If I untie you, will you behave yourself? Can I trust you?”
“Why can't I go back to my master?” he asked.
“Because your brother needs you,” I replied. “And because I came all the way here just to rescue you. The least you could do is show a little gratitude.”
“Fine. I won't run. But I will demand that my brother takes me back to my master. You do know that don't you?”
“Do whatever you wish,” I replied. “We just need to get you back to him first.”
I struggled to untie the rope that went around him. With frustration and time, I finally managed to get the rope off him. Then, I realized it was too risky to let him be totally free. “Put your wrist together,” I said.
“Why? I told you I won't run.”
“Just do it,” I replied.
He put his arms together and I wrapped the rope around them. Then, I tied a loose knot and used the rest of the rope as a leash. If he ran, he was going to take me with him. We began to walk and Johnson asked a question. “Where do you think Stevie went?”
“Who knows,” I replied.
“I will find him. You know that don't you?”
“Makes sense,” I replied.
“He left me because he was scared. I won't hold fear against him though. We will be reunited. He cannot leave FlatFall. It's only a matter of time before our paths cross again.”
I guess Johnson was right. If he wanted to find Stevie, I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard to pull off. I continued down the dirt path and looked for the point that branched into the main road. It wasn't long before I saw the main road. “We are almost there,” I said while pulling Johnson behind me.
A few players ran by us and one of them laughed. I looked back at Johnson and realized the whole situation looked a bit silly. But, I didn't care. All I cared about was getting my gold. I began to think about what I would do with so much gold. Instantly, I knew the first thing I would do. I would get something to eat. Yes, one of those turkey legs I had seen. I could almost taste it as we got closer and closer to the Tavern. But then I realized, I didn't have time. I had to get the healing potions first. And I had to get them right away. For all I knew, Douglas could have been dead. I didn't want to think about it, but at the same time, I knew I had done the best I could.
Finally, we arrived at the Tavern. I pushed the door open and scanned the room for the NPC who had given me the quest. Players were busy drinking and the place seemed extra busy. Where was the NPC? I scanned the room and noticed Cosmo sitting in his usual spot drinking beer. Damn, he really was an alcoholic. He probably had to drink his guilt away or something. That was the best I could figure. My eyes left Cosmo and continued to search for the NPC on the back wall. There were many different ones standing around, but I didn't see him. What the crap? Did he scam me? Panic began to set in until I finally caught a glimpse of the NPC I recognized. There he is,” I yelled while yanking Johnson's leash. I ran with Johnson behind me and stopped right in front of the NPC. “here's your brother,” I said while handing him the leash.
The NPC looked at me and then took the leash. “Why is he on a leash?” he asked with confusion.
My eyes got big. What the hell did it matter? I completed the stupid quest and I wanted my gold. Still, I knew I needed to be nice to the NPC. “He didn't want to come with me. The giant had brainwashed him. Your brother can explain it better than I can,” I replied with quick words. “So, can I have my gold now? Can you just put it into a bag and give it to me?”
The NPC looked at his brother. “Johnson? Are you okay?”
“Yes. I am fine. But, we must go back and rescue my master.”
“This is great and all, but what about my gold?” I asked with both hands out.
The NPC directed his attention back to me. “Yes, of course,” he replied. “You have kept your promise, and I will do the same.”
I licked my lips. The NPC reached into his pockets and began to shuffle something around. Moments passed as I tried to wait patiently. But, this guy was taking forever. Truthfully, I wanted to grab him by his neck and shake the gold out of him. But, I couldn't. So, I waited. What was taking so long? Did he not have the gold? “Can I have it now?” I asked with no patience.
“Just a moment,” he replied.
My teeth went
together. How could it take so long? Was this some sort of glitch or something? Then, the gold appeared in his hand. The weight of the world had seemed to be lifted off my shoulders as I grabbed the bag out of his hands. I shook it. Wow, the jingling almost sounded like a magical song. I put the bag in my inventory and checked to see how much gold I had. Yes! It was amazing to see the number of 145 gold coins. I felt rich, and I felt powerful. I nodded to the NPC. “This quest was indeed hard. But, I got it done. Just make sure you take that hamster suit off your brother. He is a good man, but the giant has brainwashed him.”
I turned and faced Johnson. “The giant doesn't care about you. Trust me on that. I enjoyed meeting you, and I only wish you the best.”
“I still think my master cares for me. It's just a complicated situation,” Johnson replied. “We will save him first. Then, I will look for Stevie. It's odd, but I already miss Stevie.”
I began to walk away, but the NPC pulled me back. “Thank you for saving my brother. I will tell others about your remarkable quest solving skills. Because of this, more quest will become available to you.”
BladeDust Online: A LitRPG Adventure (Book 1) Page 25