by Paul Bellow
“Bummer,” Eric said.
“Do you have other questions?” the man asked.
“We can figure it out,” I said. “Thanks.”
“Suit yourself…” He walked across the courtyard while muttering to himself.
“I want to sit in the coach and read up on the magic of this world,” I said. “Do one of you mind driving?”
“Probably better for me to be up front,” Eric said.
Bernard moved in that direction.
“I’ll come with you, boss,” he said.
While they went toward the front of the war wagon, I stepped inside the carriage. A magic ball of light illuminated the interior.
Nice touch.
I sat on a padded bench and leaned back. The wagon moved forward smoothly as I got out my book of magic. I loved learning more about the game from in-game items rather than reading help screens on the HUD.
My mind focused.
The more I read, the more the game sucked me in.
What would level one-two be like?
A couple hours into our journey, I set my magic book down on the padded bench next to me. My eyes hurt from all the reading.
I stretched and saw a sliding wooden panel on the wall behind me. Wondering how the other two were doing, I slid it open.
“You two okay?” I asked through the slot.
Bernard glanced over his shoulder and smiled.
“Doing great,” he said. “You still got your nose in that book? Anything to help us? Can you summon a dragon?”
“Not yet,” I said. “What have you two been up to?”
“I’m just thinking about Fort Bliss,” Eric said. “Sounds like a fun place.”
“Don’t get too excited,” Bernard said. “The name is more than a little sarcastic. It went through hell during the Great Wars.”
“What can you tell us about the Great Wars?” I asked.
Bernard sighed and rested his hands on his belly as he sat back. “It wasn’t pretty,” he said. “Lots of death, disease, and worse…”
His voice trailed off as memories erupted into emotions on his face. The war wagon rolled forward steadily.
“I first died as a PC during the Great Wars,” he said.
Eric glanced over at him, reins still in his hands.
“You sure like to go OOC a lot,” he said.
“I hate losing the xp, but I was stuck as an NPC a long time. Talking about the real world helps me remember there’s a real world. You won’t understand until you’ve been in here a few years.”
“What level do you start at after becoming a PC again?” Eric asked.
“First level rogue,” Bernard said. “I’m so happy I found you guys.”
“We’re glad we found you too,” I said through the small opening.
Eric continued his in-game questions.
“Are all NPCs previous player characters?” he asked.
Bernard shook his head.
“Not all of them,” he said. “There’s no way to tell, really. Except for…”
He stopped talking again.
“Except for what?” Eric asked.
“Maybe he doesn’t want to talk about it,” I said.
“It’s fine,” Bernard said. “I just don’t like saying his name.”
“Magi Inyontoo?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Yeah,” he said. “He supposedly has a way to get data about anyone in the game, but it’s painful for the target. I’ve stayed away from him as much as possible. He scares me.”
“How long has Magi Inyontoo been in the game?” Eric asked.
I scooted over on the bench to see Bernard more clearly.
“Longer than anyone I’ve ever met in here,” he said. “I’ve never met a player who was in here longer. He was one of the first from what I know.”
“I can’t imagine being in here for twenty years,” I said.
Eric glanced over his shoulder at me.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll get us out of here.”
“Good luck trying.” Bernard stared at the road ahead. “Many of us have tried over the years. Don’t think we haven’t tried.”
Panic hit me like a freight train.
“Are you saying no one’s ever gotten out of the game?” I asked.
“Not that I know about,” Bernard said.
“Wow…”
I took a deep breath.
Would we be in the stupid game for years? The question made me lightheaded.
“We’ll get out of here,” Eric said. “We just need to finish these quests and get to the end of the level. OOC timer is almost over. Anything else anyone wants to say?”
“I think we should start thinking about letting others into our party,” I said. “Now that we know they might be trapped player characters. Plus, it’ll help us.”
“I agree,” he said, surprising me. “But we need to be careful.”
“No doubt,” Bernard added. “Level one-two, here we come.”
“I’m going to take a nap,” I said. “Wake me when we arrive?”
“About another half-hour,” Bernard said.
I kept the sliding panel open as I moved to the bench on the other side of the carriage. After leaning back, I closed my eyes.
The gentle, rocking motion of the wagon soon put me to sleep. I drifted off and dreamed of adventures within the game world.
“Wake up,” Eric said from atop his perch. “We’re here. Fort Bliss.”
“There’s soldiers outside the walls waiting for us,” Bernard added.
I sat up and moved to the front bench to look through the slot. A group of soldiers stood in front of an open wooden gate a few hundred yards away from us.
“Great,” Eric muttered.
“Problem?” I asked.
“Whoa,” Eric said, pulling on the reins.
As the horses stopped, I saw two lions a couple hundred feet ahead, blocking the road. One of them growled.
“Can’t we just go around them?” I asked.
“We can kill two lions without any problems,” Eric said.
As he climbed off the wagon, I opened the door and got out.
I met Bernard and him next to the horses. Both lions growled as they rushed forward. Eric drew his sword and rushed to meet it.
I cast seven Golden Bolts. They reached the lead lion first.
Your seven Golden Bolts MAUL the Great Lion for 21 damage.
You have [50/64] mana remaining.
Eric made it to the one I’d hit and slashed it with his new scimitar. The other leaped, biting down on his slightly armored arm.
“Filthy, oversized felines,” Bernard yelled as he joined the fray.
He hit the lion that had bit Eric, causing it to whimper in pain.
I watched carefully as the wounded lion circled them in a low crouch. One leaped at Eric, knocking him to the ground. I cast another volley of Golden Bolts.
Enough to kill the wounded lion?
Your seven Golden Bolts MAUL the Great Lion for 28 damage.
The Great Tiger is dead!
You have [36/64] mana remaining today.
As the noble creature fell, the other roared and sprung toward me. Bernard jumped in its path, bringing down his mace with a scream.
Eric recovered and lunged, piercing the lion through the side with his scimitar. The great cat hissed, growled, and turned to face them both.
Seven more bolts should do it, I thought then cast.
Your seven Golden Bolts WOUND the lion for 18 damage.
The lion is dead!
You have [12/64] mana remaining today
Combat is Over!
You get 3,200 xp divided by three party members.
You get 1,067 xp
You have 14,391 xp
Congratulations, you are a level four mage.
Gamemaster Tip: Leveling: You will soon need to choose your specialization. Think about this carefully before you reach level five Mage. The following paths will op
en for you as you progress.
>>Inventor (levels 6 – 16) – practical magic
>>Warlock (can use weapons; levels 5-15) – offensive magic
>>Elementalist (levels 5 – 15) – elemental / summoning magic
>>Wizard (levels 5 – 15) – defensive magic
I cleared the notification window as I ran over to Bernard and Eric.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
Eric groaned then said, “No.”
I turned to Bernard.
“You’re still our cleric for now,” I said. “Give him one of the healing potions. We don’t have to fight everything we come across, guys.”
Bernard pulled a potion out of his bag then handed it to Eric. I watched as he drank it down in one gulp. The pain faded from his face.
He burped then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Feel better?” I asked.
“Much better,” he muttered.
I glanced down the road at the soldiers standing by the gate.
“They didn’t even help us,” I said. “They’re going back into the fort now.”
“Let’s just deliver Rathgar’s message then be on our way,” Eric said.
Bernard nodded.
“I agree,” he said. “Let me get these lion carcasses out of the way.”
“Wait.” Eric glanced down. “We should keep them for the fur.”
“Do we have the time?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
He looked up and grinned.
“I’ll make time,” he said. “They’ll make a good gift for the soldiers.”
“You should make them walk down here and get them,” I said.
While Eric and Bernard tied the bodies to the back of the wagon, I climbed in and waited.
Time for my third level spell, I thought excitedly.
I’d already added Divine Arrow of Energy from the scroll I’d found at the Ruins of Esterhollow, so I’d have two to choose from when I cast.
A few minutes later, the wagon stopped again. I opened the door then stepped onto the courtyard inside Fort Bliss.
Why is it so rundown? I wondered as a group of raggedy men in dirty clothes and piecemeal armor stood around us.
I got a bad feeling as they stared, pointed, and whispered.
Bernard and Eric climbed down and joined me.
“Not a very nice welcome,” Eric said, glancing around.
“It’s tough out here on the frontier,” Bernard said. “Especially after the Great Wars…the things I saw…” His voice trailed off as he grimaced at his memories.
“We’re looking for Sergeant Harris,” Eric yelled.
A man with a funky fur cap atop his head stepped forward.
“That would be me.” He nodded at the lions. “You bring me a present?”
Eric turned to me and smiled in self-satisfaction.
“We did,” he said as he walked over to Sergeant Harris.
Bernard and I followed a few steps behind.
“We’ve been expecting you,” the seasoned warrior said.
“That’s good.” Eric stopped in front of him. “We won’t be staying long.”
“I hope you have time to spend the night,” Sergeant Harris said as he took off his fur cap. “It’s a long journey from Castle Casteel.”
“Why didn’t your soldiers help us with the lions?” I asked.
The expression on his face turned sour as he turned to me.
“You must be the elf,” he said. “Can’t say it’s nice to meet you.”
“Have some respect,” Eric said.
Sergeant Harris spat on the ground.
“Captain Rathgar sent word that you can stay for the night,” he said. “But the war wagon stays with us tomorrow morning.”
“Hold on,” Eric said. “That’s not what Rathgar told us.”
Sergeant Harris stepped forward, almost bumping his chest into Eric.
“It’s Captain Rathgar now,” he said. “You’d best remember that, half-blood. Don’t think we’re not all watching you.”
“Can you give us horses, at least?” Bernard asked.
I loved his diplomacy skills. Eric needed to calm down.
“We’ll see how I feel in the morning,” Sergeant Harris said.
“I don’t get it.” Eric pointed to the lions. “We brought you a gift.”
“Those lions have prowled the perimeter of this fort for a dozen years, protecting us in exchange for their pick of the wildlife.” Sergeant Harris shook his head. “You just ruined that for us. Do you want a medal or something? I should kill you for killing them.”
“Sorry,” I said. “We didn’t know.”
“That’s the problem with rogue adventurers like you,” Sergeant Harris said. “You’re not really on one team or the other.”
“We’re definitely not with the Black Guard or Magictology,” Bernard said. “I like to think of myself as one of the good guys.”
Sergeant Harris turned to him.
“Yeah, maybe,” he said, shaking his head. “But I don’t see it.”
“We’re doing the best we can to survive,” Bernard said. “Cut us some slack. It’s not like we’re helping the goblins or anything. We were at the Battle of Esterhollow.”
Sergeant Harris snorted then continued talking.
“You can stay behind the fort walls tonight,” he said. “But you’re gone in the morning. Am I understood?”
Eric nodded his head toward a group of men fighting.
“Why are you training so hard?” he asked.
Sergeant Harris narrowed his eyes.
“Are you a spy or something?” he asked.
“No,” Eric said. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Bernard raised his left hand.
“Anyone want to hear about the one time I officiated a brownie wedding?” he asked. “True story and very funny.”
Everyone turned to look at Bernard. He grinned like a goofball.
“I ain’t got no time for stupid stories,” Sergeant Harris said.
He turned around to face his men.
“Everyone back to work,” he yelled. “We need to be vigilant with the lions gone. The so-called heroes are off limits on order of Captain Rathgar.”
Sergeant Harris stormed off, leaving us to ourselves.
“Can you believe he’s doing this to us?” Eric shook his head. “I’ve got half a mind to go back and confront him about it.”
“You’re getting pulled in again,” I said, hoping he knew I meant the game. “Take a deep breath. Don’t make it worse.”
“We should rest,” Bernard said. “We can leave in the morning.”
“If you two don’t mind, I’ll sleep in the war wagon tonight,” I said.
“Don’t stay up too late reading,” Eric said.
“Yes, Dad,” I said in my best annoyed-teenager voice.
The other two smiled. Little things made life in the game easier—small memories of the real world.
“I’m going to the bunkhouse to talk with the soldiers and see if I can glean any information,” Bernard said.
“Good idea,” Eric added, nodding his head. “I’ll go with you.”
“Talk to you two later,” I said as I waved.
While they walked toward the barracks, I went outside to our war wagon.
If we only had it until the morning; I wanted to use it.
The magical globe of light lit up as I entered and shut the door behind me. Before doing anything else, I checked my new stats.
> Stats
Name: Kali Tracaryn
Race: Elf
Class: Wizard
Level: 4
XP: 14,391 (8,609 for next level)
Alignment: +80 (Very Good)
HEALTH: 24 (24)
MANA: 12 (64)
Strength: 72 (+10%)
Dexterity: 96 (+35%)
Constitution: 52 (+0%)
Intelligence: 93 (+30%)
Wisdom: 43 (+0%)
Charisma: 44 (+
0%)
I also went over my spell list to think of new ways to use them in combination, especially the ones I’d recently added.
> Stats Spells
Spells: Level One
Fish Slaying (1mp)
Golden Bolts (2mp per bolt up to 4+ lvl of caster)
Glorified Cloaks of Bronze (2mp per armor adjustment)
Ladder of Dwarven Earth - (2mp per cubic foot)
Identify – (5mp)
New Level One Spells:
Shut the Front Door – (2mp) – Close and seal a door. Portal receives 10hp per level of caster and will stay sealed until it takes that much damage. Even the caster cannot unseal this door. It’s shut.
Conjure Bronze – (2mp) – Need one gold coin to create one bronze coin. Prerequisite for higher level spells
Spells: Level Two
Snares of Dust (3mp) – Clouds of dust particles rise in the air, often rendering a person unable to do anything other than cough and stumble away. More mana may be used for more dust.
New Level Two Spells:
Mystic Therapy – (10np) – Target heals 1d10 damage.
Cloud of Marvelous Sound [Uncommon] – (15mp) – A cloud of sound surrounds your enemies, disorienting them. One-foot radius per level of caster.
Spells: Level Three:
Divine Arrow of Energy [Rare] – (25mp) – Sends a blue energy beam up to one hundred feet per level of caster. The person hit heals 1d50 damage, regains 1d50 mana (if applicable), and receives a +10% to-hit bonus. Caster may not be the target of this spell.
And picking my newest spell. What to do?
Choose One Level Three Spell
The Three Lesser Chants of Platinum – requires conjure bronze
Portable Sword of Fire – 10mp – Wield a flaming sword for five minutes per level of the caster. Sword deals 1d8 + 1d4 fire damage. You must be skilled in the use of a blade.
Blessed Webs of Gold – 15mp - Cast an energy net to confine your foes.