Some Sort of Glitch

by Wade Adrian

  "It's seriously a whitecap, you pansy. I got them from Giana."

  Einar blinked a few times. "Giana? Giana... why does that sound so familiar?"

  "She's like us." Tom pointed at himself, then at Max. "She's been wandering around up here gathering stuff and taking it back. Druids can teleport around a bit, though she's too low to take anyone with her."

  Max frowned. "Bummer."

  The mention of another player drummed up unwanted thoughts about Dave. There was guilt there for a few reasons now, the latest being that he didn't want to think about it.

  How could he want to forget his friend? What the hell kind of person did that make him?

  It was just... less painful to ignore it for now. He still chose to believe Dave was alive on the outside. He had to be. A game didn't have that kind of power over people.

  And yet a new fear sprang up.

  Rhonda was still out there somewhere.

  He hoped she was among those players that had already gathered. She was a perfectly capable person, hell an actual member of security. She could handle herself out there.

  But he would have said the same about Dave, and look how that had turned out.

  He blinked at a sudden sound.

  Tom's hand was in front of his face, his fingers close together.

  He had snapped. "You in there?"

  "Umm, yeah."

  "Good. Getting dark, we need to get started on an actual camp." He pointed at Einar. "Welcome to the team. You get first watch."

  Einar shrugged. "Fair enough. I've been here longer."

  "Rationalize it any way you like as long as you do it, and we'll get along fine."

  The sun was beyond the horizon now, the last light of day painting the vivid sky above the dark landscape. Before long the fire was a small pocket of light in the black.

  Max lay on his side, staring at the flames.

  Whatever this world was now, it wasn't pulling any punches on their behalf. They needed to be careful. It was good that Einar was coming. They could use the eyes, ears, and sword.

  Besides, it would be strange going back to just the two of them. Hell, it was strange having only three. Well, four with Skip. And then the horses... maybe it wasn't so bleak.

  And yet he thought of Dave as he stared at the flames.

  "Darling, darling... my darling."

  Max's eyes blinked open.

  The fire burned high in the middle of the little camp.

  It was also pure white.

  Tom and Einar were missing, as were the horses.

  A woman in a red dress so dark it was black unless the light hit it just right stood beside the climbing flames. Her hair was the same color.

  Oh shit.

  "I can barely feel you. Our connection is so tenuous I can't see you anymore. It's like a dagger in my heart."

  Well... Tom had called that pretty well. Crazy ex-god-lfriend indeed.

  She turned, her eyes never quite falling on him. "I know you can still hear me, though. I would like to... apologize."

  Well that was novel.

  "I can be... possessive. Though, in my defense, I've never been so close to someone before. Not even my dear daughter. The moments we shared, I treasure them so."

  He was quite glad he was hidden.

  She sighed. "I can feel you so distantly. You have no idea what it is costing me to maintain this." She pointed at a distant line of mountains. "Once you leave this land, you'll be beyond my sight. I know I can't stop that now, and yet the loss of you..." She held a hand over her heart.

  For a moment he didn't know if this was just another game to her, or if she was genuinely upset he was leaving.

  She shook her head. "You're the first person I've ever met that I would truly call 'Good.' Many play at it; use it as a cloak, or a shield, but hide terrible faces. This is normal, even among gods. But you? I think deep down... you truly are what you appear to be. Or at least you seek to be, aspire to be. Of course, I realize this only once you are gone."

  She let out a bitter laugh.

  "Well, let me at least play at being a benevolent god for you. Keep the pendant, darling. It holds a piece of me. Though I will soon lose sight of it, that will remain true. You live a dangerous life, and the day will surely come that you are in need of a powerful friend. In need of power the likes of which no mortal can provide."

  She smiled.

  "When that time comes, hold tight your pendant and call to me. I will come. I will destroy anything that dares harm you, and cradle you in my arms once more. But know this, dear. I am not a good person, and I won't let you go again. When you call, and I know you will, I will make you mine in truth and we will never be parted again. I will not suffer this pain a second time."

  That was an apology? It sounded more like a kidnapping plot.

  "Take it up now, if you wish. But I think you will not. You have work to do, no doubt a noble cause."

  She held a hand out to the fire.

  "I am a god, time has little meaning... so I can be patient. Do not forget me, darling. I won't forget you. I can not. My sweet, sweet, Max."

  He shivered.

  "Wake up, Dingus."

  Max's eyes flew open, his hands moving for his daggers.

  They were gone.

  Tom knelt beside him, daggers in hand. "Yeah, figured this was safer." He dropped them in the dirt. "We should get moving soon. Einar took a long shift. Kid is angling for brownie points. Little brownnoser." He shook his head.

  Max sat up and returned his daggers to his sides.

  Einar was packing up the horses, and certainly close enough to have heard everything Tom had said.

  Max gave the boy a nod. "Thanks, though... waking up earlier might have been nice."

  Tom tilted his head a bit. "Corvi?"

  "Corvi." Max nodded and climbed to his feet, stretching his back. "She says we'll be away from her influence soon, so I guess there's that."

  "Did she have any bad poems?"

  "Umm... no?"

  "She have a boombox? Standing in the rain?"

  "I don't recall seeing one, no."

  Tom shook his head. "That's some half-assed ex-girlfriending right there. Pathetic."

  Max rolled his eyes as he packed up his blankets and bedroll. "Clearly she needs to watch more 80's movies."

  Einar climbed up onto his horse. "Perhaps one day the things you say will make sense. This is not that day."

  Max chuckled a bit. "Honestly? He takes some getting used to anyway."

  Tom scoffed. "Rude."

  Max was the last one to climb onto his horse, stifling a yawn all the way. The road south was clear as far as he could see. It wound towards the mountains Corvi had pointed out.

  He didn't exactly think relying on Yar was a smart play, but he was coming off a bad god relationship with Corvi. His own thoughts sounded a tad cynical to him.

  Tom, of course, was down with this plan. Anything to get out faster. He'd probably hollow out Einar and sleep in his corpse if it came down to it. Or use him as a toboggan to get down the hills. He seemed to think of the boy as a manservant.

  Realistically, it might be better if he left. They had a spotty record with having friends along.

  Max's horse trailed behind the others, following without a lot of input from him.

  He was absently turning the broken crow skull back and forth in his fingers and thinking about Dave.

  Tom was right. Faster was better.

  Rhonda was still out there.

  She had to be.

 

 

 
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