by C B Jean
“Sweetness, I’m sure its just a glitch or the severs are backed up like crazy with the new launch. I’m sure it will be fixed soon in a couple hours no less.” He smiles a reassuring smile at me to calm my nerves. It kind of works.
He’s right, I think to myself, just got to calm down and wait it out till its fixed. I give a small smile back. If it doesn’t get fixed soon, we will all be stuck in this game until it comes back up. I feel woozy at the thought of my real body laying peacefully in my bed wasting away, no one checking up on me until my Dad notices, but it may be too late. That thought turned dark real fast.
Chapter 4
REMI
I am totally freaking out here, it’s been over six hours around one p.m. now and we haven’t had luck getting out of this game. The creators of Horizion have been posting onto a help page which we can access from our bracelets, saying they have everyone working on it trying to fix it and to advise new players from logging on until they get it sorted out. I mean I expected a few errors on the first day but nothing as big as being unable to log out of a game! Me and my new guys, I mean the guys, have been lounging around by our tree on the ground getting our gear ready and figuring out the physics of the game. Turns out that you can sleep while playing the game, I found that out by watching Luke take a nice nap as if he doesn’t have a care in the world, as he slept in his little corner where the giant tree overhead shaded us from the bright sun. I don’t think I could really sleep a wink right now as my nerves are on high alert. I’ve been sitting up against the tree with my arms propped on my knees and my hands in a ball of a fidgety mess trying to keep cool. Every hour that passes with me not getting out of here is making me crazier. I’ve been keeping to myself mostly since we been here, not wanting any confrontation from these incredibly sexy guys who intimidate me. I’m used to being a loner, I don’t know what to do being around hot men. Or men in general.
Killian and Jackson keep glancing at me as if I’m making them nervous as well or watching to see if I’ll try to bolt. They have tried to make small talk with me, but I’ve only replied with short one worded replies or nods.
“You guys want to get out of here? Might as well if we can’t get out of here anytime soon.” I finally ask after a long length of silence, hoping it will calm me down to do something productive.
They look at me and get nod warmly, glad I’ve finally acknowledged them and ready as I am to get started.
“What do you suggest we do first Sweetness?” Jackson gives me a sultry kind of look. God I just want to have him suck on my….
“Achem.” I cough to clear my throat, “First off, again my name is REMI, and second do you guys even know how this game is played?” My voice clear and strong as I get down to business. This stuff I know.
They give me confused looks and my heart drops. Oh boy.
“We get the main idea is that you go around defeating bad guys and get some sort of key to beat the game... but that’s all, we haven’t researched this game much, we are playing because a buddy of ours set us up with gear.” Killian’s voice breaks off at the end.
“WHAT?!” I exclaim. “You guys really have no idea how it works in this game at all?”
They both hang their heads at me like dogs who got caught getting into the trash.
Ohh boy I really am in trouble.
“First off, this game is an RPG which stands for “Role Playing Game.” I start explaining. “From what I’ve gathered you need a clan of four players, each with their own class with different skills and abilities. Once we leave the town, that’s where it really starts, and we get to use our weapons. To beat the game sounds simple enough, there are three different temples in the game spread across Horizion, each with their own deadly traps and enemies. Inside each one is a key. We need all three keys in order to open the grand door, which is where the final boss lays. A giant three headed dragon named Morden. Once Morden is defeated we win the game. The only difference in this game is that once we get ourselves killed, its game over, permadeath, and we have to start over completely, so try not to die. Any questions?” I complete telling them.
By now even Luke has woken up and was listening intently to me with one eye open. And of course, all three of them looked like their eyes were glazed over with confusion and shock trying to comprehend everything I had said.
Luke grunts once again at me and resumes to close his eye to finish his nap as if he got everything I said. I raise a brow at him and decide he’s too suck up to talk to me. Maybe he’s a mute.
I look back to the other guys and both Killian and Jackson give me those panty dropping smiles again. I feel my core turn wet and slick. I imagine me between their rock-hard bodies. How they’ll make me moan while they are sucking and nipping at my breasts and neck. My hands in their hair pulling their mouths to mine as I’m riding….
I stand up fast to my feet to clear the sensation and I feel my cheeks burning again as I feel them smirking at me like they can read my dirty mind. I really need to stop thinking about them like that, I hardly know these dudes. Ugh get a grip!
“Why did you ask me to join your clan?” I ask Killian suddenly trying to distract myself. He stands up as well and rubs his hand over his neck like he’s trying to rub away an ache.
“Well Blue… honestly, we have no idea what we are doing here, and you look like you have game smarts and seem to know what you’re doing. Not to mention gorgeous, and because you were alone and…. everyone else was paired up.” He states guiltily.
My face must have said it all because Jackson elbows him in the side making Killian grunt, giving him a look that says, ‘Shut up’ and returns to smile at me. I wrap my hands around me again and lower my head creating a veil with my hair looking down at my boots. I get it, I was pity picked so they could have a team to play with too. Glad I asked.
“He didn’t mean it like that Sweetness, he is just an asshole and makes it sounds worse than it is. Truthfully you were alone, but you radiate intelligence, you are painstakingly beautiful, and we could use a little womanly charm in a group of riffraff such as ourselves.” He chuckles gesturing to the three of them.
My cheeks flame once again at the compliments. I never thought of myself as a smart or pretty girl. Having these men around was going to be interesting.
“Well thanks… I guess… We still have no luck getting out of this game yet, I say we get started while we are here still, what do you think?” I ask them changing subject.
As if on cue Luke gets up and starts arranging his pack, making me wonder if he was actually listening to everything we were saying.
Killian offers me a hand with my newly purchased bag and supplies to carry that I had gotten this morning with his friendly grin, and I hesitate fro a moment before handing it over as we start walking to the edge of the town.
“You guys want to make up a team name? We should be Team Macho! Team Macho Nacho! Or what about The Agonotizers?! Oh, here I got a map. Is it mostly walking, or do we have other ways of getting around?” Killian keeps popping off questions for his own benefit not expecting any real answers from us.
Jackson punches his shoulder for saying such dumb crap and mumbles back to him about walking until we can find a mode of transportation and to man up until we do.
I hear Luke behind me mumble “More like The Agony of De Feet.”
I burst out laughing trying to cover it with my hand and catch Luke’s face as it turns red as he realized I heard what he said. I smile up at him. Now I know who the funny one is.
Chapter 5
REMI
Leaving the town, we come to a dirt road. It leads away from the neutral towns area into the games free roam map. In the neutral areas, other players from different clans or guilds can meet and greet in the online part of the game, gather supplies and ask for information. After studying the map there are only five other towns spread across the map. Outside the neutral areas it’s only you and your team to talk and depend on. Hopefully you don’t have one of those
annoying players that will chat your head in circles or someone you despise. I have a feeling we may with how often Jackson slaps or punches Killian when he won’t shut up cracking jokes. I don’t mind it one bit.
A bit down the dirt road we come to an inn that reads ‘The Starting Point.’
Clever name hardy har.
It consists of an inn and a cute little stable. Nothing too fancy. Killian gets excited when he sees the horses for sell, until he finds out how much they are.
“The horses are 5k?! Are you shitting me? It will take ages for us to grind that kind of coin for one, let alone three other horses.” He lets out an exasperated puff of air.
“Depending on what your class is, you can tame wild horses for free, if you have the skill and knowledge for it. The designers of the game strategically place the horses here for sell to entice players to buy gold bundles to earn more through microtransactions. The truth is they are more expensive here than any other part of the game, only costing five hundred coins in smaller less traveled areas.” I tell him, trying to raise his hopes up again. Which is partly true. Anyone can tame a horse here with the know-how but I’m not giving away all my secrets of the game yet until I decide what I think about these guys yet. Truthfully, without a mode of transportation it will take us forever to get to where we need to.
He’s back over by the horses within seconds trying to haggle a price with the NPC before I can tell him anything more. The NPC might look and walk and talk like other people, but he doesn’t understand they are randomly computer-generated people or “non-player character” is you must. They have no control over the price of the horse or such they are programed to sell. Just the basic few sentences and gestures they were coded into doing.
Flipping video game virgins.
I wonder if they are virgins as well or if they had had their cherries popped with a girl or two before. There is no way I’d ask but the thought of them with other girls make my heart ache for some reason. What if they have girlfriends in the real world? I sigh wearily shaking my head. I should not be jealous at all, no way in hell. But I am for some reason. Luke notices the change in my mood.
“Don’t feel so bad kid, pretty boy there is just always this dumb.” His voice is gruff and deep, and the sound vibrated through his chest.
Kid? Pretty boy? He thinks I’m upset over his friend?
Wait did he just talk to me directly? I stare up at him, my mouth open wide in shock. He stares right back at me. I watch him glance at my now open mouth. I shut it. His eyes still watching my lips with extreme interest. His bright green eyes look back at mine. He looks... deadly. Territorial. Needy. His knuckles curl up into fists, then release again with a popping sound. Suddenly I have the urge to press my body to his and kiss his mouth. Imagining his muscular arms holding my tiny body in close, running his hands up and down me. Oh, how I want to run my fingers through his blonde hair and watch as he claims me.
I take a step back, my face red and I stare at my boots trying to get my ragged breathing under control. I peep another look at him and notice how his pants has a giant bulge in it as he tries to adjust and hide it and decides on walking away to wrestle Killian’s attention away from the horses. It seems he was thinking the same thing I was.
Holy flip! I didn’t know that kind of stuff still showed in the game! I myself wasn’t doing much better. As soon as possible I needed to either wake up or get some time alone to deal with my now throbbing clit. Being surrounded by these gorgeous men wasn’t doing me any favors. Which was also making me confused because I wasn’t one to normally put myself in these kinds of situations and most of the time I wanted to shy away.
On the other side of the stable was looked like to be giant computer terminal. I walked over to it looking at it confused, then saw what it was as I got closer and starting beaming. This is where we pick our classes, our abilities!
There are over thirteen different classes to choose from. From all the way to Monk to Paladin. My top three are Rogue which focuses on stealth, Fighter, which of course is a master swordsman which I would be flipping good at, and Druid which focuses on magic and shapeshifting. I wonder if I could become a bunny. All very tempting. I decided to do a game of iny miny, I can always change it once again if I don’t like it. I select the option and hit enter, the random selector turns all three of my top choices together till…
“Awesome! You’re a Rogue sweetness!” Jackson says over my shoulder. I grin back at him happy with my outcome. Jackson goes next and picks Mage. Good, a spell caster, I have a feeling we will need it. Luke is next and picks ‘Brute’ without looking at any of the other ones. Good pick for him, it fits well. Finally, Killian comes over and does his turn. He decides on ‘Ranger.’ Master with the bow.
Perfect! Now we all have our classes picked and we can start moving to the first temple.
I’m still worried about us not being able to log out of here yet. If any more time more than a week goes by there will be mass panic.
I decide to worry about that later when it becomes more pressing, right now all we can keep doing is moving on.
I take out the map of the game. The closest and first temple we should go to is a day and a half walk from here. We can spend the rest of the evening finding a good place to camp and hunker down for the night and making plans. I don’t know what will be waiting for us when night falls.
“We need to head West towards The Red Mosque, we find a place to rest and head out in the morning” I tell the guys. I’ve decided I will be navigator and leader since they all seem lost as what to do. They nod in agreement and we start heading out away from the inn.
On my back is a light silver sword with a black and red hilt that beamed when I held it in my hand, something I picked up In the village and I’ll be able to handle it well as it is my main choice of weapon in these kind of games, as well as my short daggers in various places on my body. I’m also equipped with various poisons and darts if I get into a situation when I need a little stealth. Once my class was picked for me, an extra stealth outfit appeared in my inventory, all black pieces of slim clothing and a piece of cloth to hide my face. No way in flip was I going to wear some fancy dress and lifts like most of the other girls here, I’m just fine in leather vest and trousers thank you very much.
Killian was granted a beautiful, gold decorated long bow after picking his class and a two-handed sword with multicolor gems imbedded into the hilt on his hip as his secondary. Jackson is carrying a new staff sported with a pulsing green and purple crystal at the top wrapped into the metal, while Luke is sporting two giant axes wrapped in leather on the grips strapped to his back. I got to say, we all look flipping badass. I flip my pale hair over my shoulder and look behind me at the guys.
“Welcome to Horizion.” I say giddy and we head out into the forest.
Chapter 6
REMI
By the time we had found a good clearing and made a warm fire to rest ourselves, the moon had risen, and it was way past dark. We had traveled so far into a forest with moss covered ground and high humidity. Strongly none of us broke out in a sweat, thank the gods, with the green trees covering us with their shade. Everything is so green and alive here, it reminds me of hikes I used to take with my parents when I was a child road tripping by the east coast. Along the way Killian made good use of his bow and was able to get us some rabbit meat to cook for dinner. I was feeling famished, it’s a strange feeling knowing that it’s not my real body that was hungry. Nonetheless I was still grateful to get some skewered meat and ale I purchased at the village into me.
The ale was magical, tasted a hundred times more vibrant then anything I have had before, and I started feeling the groggy effects of it after a few gulps. As I laid down on my cot, I was watching the men around me with great interest feeling brave.
“Tell me about yourselves, what the flip are you guys doing in a game like this?” I managed to slurp out.
I wasn’t worried about any danger at the moment as Jackson h
ad set up ward spells to keep us protected and I could still fight like a demon from hell if needed. It was great to finally relax for once and enjoy the moment.
“Uh Baby Blue are you even old enough to drink? I mean its technically not real, but it gives you the same effects as if you were.” Killian asks me cautiously eyeing me, wanting to take the bottle from my hands.
I glared at him in disbelief while I scoffed at him and took another giant swig without breaking eye contact.
“I’ll have you know Kills,” I jeered once I finished, giving him his own nickname and drawing it out. “Yes, I am old enough as I am twenty-four, I am not a child as you might think I am. I am a woman and one with guilty pleasures and it’s been a long, hard day so don’t dare touch my drink or you will lose a hand.” My voice became louder at each word, but it lost its deadly effect from of the slurs in my words. I tried to focus at looking at the bottle in my hand and failed miserably, I could tell it was more than halfway empty though. Gods I might be more drunk then I had realized as I noticed what I just said to him.
Jackson gave me a hearty laugh at my drunken state and gave me a sultry look of appreciation. I meant what I said and I lifted my chin higher, too embarrassed to back down.
Killian backed off a few feet but didn’t remove me from his sight, keeping watch over me.
“We all met and grew up together in foster homes as small kiddos, we were quite the bunch of hooligans and we seldom stayed in one place long enough.” Jackson began to answer my first question. I had completely forgotten about it but listened intently anyways to his voice. “After we all turned eighteen, we decided to become good mannered citizens, and all joined the military. After a few tours and such we retired and have been travelling lots around the world. We now mostly do jobs as general contractors around the states in our company we built together. You could say we were inseparable, and still have been after all these years. We now live in the same city in Boise near each other and Killian here is the baby in the group at age twenty-eight. I still can remember the first time I met both of these assholes.” He finishes with a faraway look, his eyes lost in thought.