by Paul Bellow
“We just wanted to try it out,” I said. “Are you a prisoner?”
He stopped smiling as his body stiffened.
“That’s rude,” he said. “My real name’s Cosmo. I’m a Russian beta-tester and not one of the prisoners. I hate that dirty scum.”
“Have you been in here long?” I asked. “Do you want to join our party and help us get out of here?”
Gord-En laughed again, shaking his head.
“I’ve got other things to do,” he said. “Now that I know the rumors of new players is true, I need to get back to my current quest.”
“Anything else you can tell me?” I asked.
“Be careful who you trust,” he said.
I nodded, letting his information sink in.
“What happens when we die?” I asked. “Is that a way out?”
He solemnly shook his head.
“When you die, you become an NPC, roaming the game until another party finds you worthy enough to join their group. If that happens, you’ll become a player character again at first level.”
“Benji…” I said, my voice trailing off.
“You have an NPC named Benji with you?” he asked.
I nodded and said, “Yeah, but we’ve not invited him into our group.”
“Good,” Gord-En said. “If someone’s still an NPC on level one-one, there’s likely a reason. Benji’s just such a person.”
“What do you mean? Are all NPCs trapped players?”
Gord-En sighed.
“No, they’re not. Some are run by the gamemaster, the AI running this horrible place. I wish I’d never agreed to work on it.”
“Benji’s been helping us,” I said. “Why would he lie to us?”
Gord-En frowned and shook his head.
“Think about it,” he said. “If you were trapped as an NPC, wouldn’t you do anything you could to join a group? Besides, as an NPC you can’t understand any OOC chatter and can’t communicate fully until you’ve joined with a group. Didn’t they make you watch the videos before coming into the game?”
“What videos?” I asked.
“The ones they show to new prisoners. Do you have any information about what’s going on in the real world? What year was it?”
“Twenty Forty Two,” I said.
“I can’t remember the time.” He grunted then turned his back to me. “I’ve been in here too long. This is driving me nuts.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “We’ll get out of here.”
He grinned, the scars on his face looking less dangerous.
“You’re optimistic, kid. I like that. Maybe we’ll meet again sometime.”
“What should we do about Benji?” I asked.
“You can do what you want,” he said. “But I wouldn’t trust that dirty scoundrel. I need to go, but this book will help you get to level five rogue. After that, you’re on your own. If you make it to level one-four of the game, look up the Shadow Guild. We’re always looking for new recruits. And find a real trainer as soon as you can. It’s definitely worth the effort.”
He pulled out a compact, leather-bound book and handed it to me.
“Thanks,” I said, accepting it from him.
“I wish I could stay longer,” he said. “Come find me if you survive.”
“We’ll be getting out of the game before then,” I said.
He laughed again.
“Good luck with that, kid.”
Weapons still out, he backed up.
“Until we meet again…”
A bright light flashed in front of him. When my eyes adjusted, I couldn’t see him anymore.
Nice dramatic exit.
I glanced down at the book in my left hand and read the title.
“Rogue Hack” was written in gold lettering on the cover.
Still standing on the street, I flipped the book open. Someone had scrawled the words “Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start” on the very first page.
Could a cheat code that old actually work?
I pressed the appropriate buttons on the HUD.
A notification window appeared.
Level Up Without Training!
+11 Health
You need 1,435 xp for level four rogue.
Easy enough.
I grinned as I flipped through the book. All the other pages were blank.
Was the other player messing with me?
His hack for leveling up without training worked, but was it safe? I slipped the book in my sack then headed back to the inn.
On the way, I wondered how we would find Snargao the Impatient and get the cursed Pendant of Visions from him.
I called up my skills list on the way back.
>> Stats skills
* * *
>> Black Market Connections – Basic Level 2 of 10
>>Monster Lore – Basic Level 3 of 10
>>Weapon Craft – Blades - Basic Level 4 of 10
>> Stealth - Basic Level 2 of 10
>> Create Item - Basic Level 1 of 10
>> Identify Item – Basic Level 6 of 10
>> Language: Human, Common
>> Sense Motive – Basic Level 5 of 10
>> Bargaining – Basic Level 1 of 10
After reaching the inn, I went straight inside. Benji stood near the door as if he’d been waiting for me. He smiled as I walked over.
“Everything okay?” I asked, glancing around.
Several dozen people occupied the lobby.
“Yup,” he said. “Sarah’s upstairs in our room. Want to get a drink?”
“I need to talk to her,” I said. “Maybe later.”
“Okay, I’ll come with you,” he said, but his smile faded when I answered.
“Can you give us a few minutes alone?” I asked. “Maybe grab dinner for us or something? I need to talk with her in our special language.”
“Okay,” he said in a glum tone. “Sure.”
“Great.” I smiled. “What room is it?”
“Two-Camel,” he said.
“Huh?” I tilted my head to the left.
“They have a weird naming system for the rooms,” he said. “It’s on the second floor. The camel room.”
“Okay, then,” I said, shaking my head. “Come up with dinner when you round something up. Here’s some gold.”
I gave him a handful of coins.
“Be back in a few,” he said then walked away.
I headed for the stairs leading to the upper floors. At the top of the first flight of stairs, I glanced in both directions. Not knowing which way to go, I headed left.
Two-Turtle. Two-Octopus.
What madman had created this inn?
When I reached our room, I stopped then unlocked it. Sarah looked up from the bed as I entered and smiled.
“You’re still up?” she asked.
I nodded then said, “Been a long night, but I’ve got good news.”
“Me too.” She sat up on the edge of the mattress. “It’s important. Sit down. We should talk.”
“Uh oh,” I muttered as I walked over to the bed.
I sat next to her then said, “You first.”
As she opened her mouth, the door to the room burst open. Benji walked in, carrying a live chicken by its feet.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “We can’t have that for dinner.”
Sarah giggled at the insanity of the situation.
“What do you want me to do with it?” Benji asked. “I got a good deal on it. Nothing tastes better.”
The white chicken squawked and struggled as he held it upside down.
“Give it to the kitchen,” I said. “See if they can save it for dinner tomorrow. I’d love more bacon for breakfast. Can you go get us a table downstairs? We’re still talking.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Benji said.
He turned and left with the still struggling chicken. I shook my head as he closed the door behind himself.
Sarah giggled.
“What
were you about to say?” I asked.
She took a deep breath, becoming more serious.
“I don’t know why I’ve been keeping it from you,” she said. “But something happened back in Fishguard.”
“Did you find Josh or something?” I asked.
She shook her head.
“No, but I ran into another player character,” she said.
I sat down on the bed next to her, staring down at the floor.
“You don’t seem too surprised,” she said. “Did you know the game had other players? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know,” I said. “But I just met one too. He gave me a hack for leveling. Apparently, originally you could only increase levels by finding an NPC trainer.”
I paused, then added. “Thanks for taking the OOC penalty, by the way.”
“No problem,” she said. “This game is getting on my nerves.”
I frowned, knowing what she meant.
“What kind of character did you run into?” I asked.
“A wizard,” she said. “Rizzo the Red.”
“What a messed up name,” I said.
“Right?” She shook her head. “I have a bad feeling about the other players in this game. They’re all so...odd.”
“The guy I met wasn’t too bad,” I said. “He gave me a sweet hack and something else...”
Sarah raised an eyebrow and asked, “Oh? Is it about player versus player mode?”
I tilted my head to the left.
“Huh?”
“The other player attacked me,” she said. “This game is getting real.”
I took a deep breath.
“Gord-En told me that Benji might be a player trapped as an NPC.”
She scrunched up her face in confusion.
“When you die,” I continued. “You respawn as an NPC, and you stay that way until players let you into a group.”
“That’s why he’s been so anxious to get with us,” she said. “We should invite him to join our party.”
I frowned.
“Gord-En didn’t think that was smart,” I said.
“You’re going to trust a stranger over the person that’s been adventuring with us?” she asked then shook her head.
“I don’t know,” I said. “This game is getting complicated. Let’s wait a bit longer before we let him in our group.”
Sarah sighed and turned away.
“We’ll get out of here,” I said, putting a hand on her arm. “Promise.”
Even as I spoke the words, I wasn’t sure how we’d get out of the game. My father would return eventually, but how long would it take?
“The game is cool,” she said. “But you know I hate PvP. Something about this game creeps me out. I felt a strange urge to not tell you about my encounter with another PC, and now we know that even death isn’t a way out out of this hot mess of a game.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “We’ll clear this level by finishing this quest and get back to the tower. There should be a way to get out of the game. If not, we stay there in the tower until my father gets home. I doubt we’ll need food or water or anything. We’re probably missing something stupid, and that’s why we can’t quit.”
“Will your father be angry with us?” she asked.
I nodded and said, “Probably, but we can worry about that later. I want to make sure we’re both safe first.”
“All three of us,” she said. “And anyone else caught in here.”
I kept nodding to assure her and myself.
“This game needs a bit of work before it’s released to the public,” she said. “It’s way too restrictive on the players.”
“If it’s even a normal game,” I said. “We should stop with the OOC. The timer is running out.”
She stood and stretched.
“I could go for some more bacon,” she said.
“That sounds good…”
We went downstairs and found a table in the main dining room. I still had more energy than I knew what to do with—thanks to the potion.
Benji walked up and sat down, grinning knowingly at me from across the table. I nervously rearranged my glass and plate.
Had he taken the potion as an NPC before? Or was he a player?
“We need to come up with a game plan,” Sarah said.
“He shouldn’t be too hard to find, with a name like Snargao the Impatient,” Benji said. “Then again, I’ve never met him.”
“Did you say Snargao?” a female voice behind us asked.
I leaned over to look between Benji and Sarah.
A female gnome with braided, copper-colored hair and wearing hide armor sat nearby. The battle-ax on the floor beside her look well used.
“Yeah,” I said. “Do you know him?”
“I know I want to kill him,” she said.
“Oh?” I motioned her over to our table. “Come sit. We should talk.”
The gnome stood then stepped over to our table. She sat down next to me. I noticed a heavy shield strapped to her back.
“We’re looking for Snargao too,” I said. “Do you want to help us find him? We’d love to have you join us.”
“I know where that rat-loving weasel is right now,” she said. “I’d love help avenging my family. He killed them with no remorse or regret.”
An NPC going after another NPC could be useful to us.
“Where is he now?” Sarah asked.
I turned, anxious to hear the gnome’s answer.
“The Cave of Fish Smells,” she said. “It’s north of the city.”
“Not too far from here,” Benji said. “I’ve heard about it.”
“Great.” I grinned, loving it when a plan came together. “We can go take him out together and split any treasure we find.”
“Hold on,” Sarah said. “Not so fast.”
“I should join the party before her,” Benji said.
The gnome removed her arms from the table.
“All I want is to kill Snargao and find out where I can kill Magi Inyontoo,” she said. “No need to join your party.”
“Who?” Sarah asked.
“Magi Inyontoo,” the gnome said. “You know him?”
Sarah shook her head and said, “No.”
“I’m Thrukad,” the gnome said. “And I don’t believe in his Magictology crap. You’re not his followers, are you?”
“No,” I said as a waitress walked up.
She stared down at a piece of paper.
“What can I get you?” she asked.
“Food,” I said then smiled.
The waitress put her hands on her hips.
“What kind of food? I don’t have all day to wait around. Do you know what you want or not? Quit messing around.”
“Bacon,” Sarah said. “Bread and lots of bacon. We don’t care how much it costs.”
I shot her a look but said nothing. The waitress walked away.
“When do you want to leave?” Thrukad asked. “Sooner the better for me. I’ve been wanting to kill that hobgoblin menace a long time now.”
“Maybe in the morning,” I said. “We need a larger group. I doubt Snargao will be a pushover. Our party needs more fighters.”
“I know just the man,” Thrukad said. “He’s a bit rough around the edges, but he’s the person you want beside you in battle.”
“Will he want to come with us?” I asked.
“Probably,” Thrukad said. “He always needs gold. A share of the treasure will be more than enough to get him interested.”
“What exactly do you mean by rough around the edges?” Sarah asked.
Thrukad laughed in a deep voice; her small, solid body shaking.
“I’ll let you judge for yourselves,” she said. “He’ll be down on Tavern Row spending the last of his coins on wine and women.”
“Can you take us to see him now?” I asked.
Sarah turned to me.
“You haven’t slept yet,” she said. “Are you sure?”
“I’
ll be fine,” I said, the potion still flowing through my body.
Thrukad stood.
“Let’s go,” she said. “I don’t like to fool around.”
After leaving the Golden Eagle Inn, we followed the gnome as she marched toward Tavern Row on the north side of the city.
“You three new to Mednia?” she asked bluntly as we walked.
“Yes,” I said. “We’re on a larger quest. Maybe you can join us if this little adventure works out.”
“Maybe,” she said.
I thought about our sudden luck in finding NPC warriors willing to help us on our mission. Was the game finally giving us a needed break?
Thrukad steamrolled ahead like a true tank. If her friend worked out, we might have a chance of stealing the Cursed Pendant of Visions. Even better, Sarah and I would still get the bulk of the experience points.
I smiled as we reached the end of Tavern Row and stopped.
“He’ll be in the Twisted Rooster,” Thrukad said. “Or the Dizzy Dwarf.”
She took off down the street where I’d met Gord-En earlier in the day. Benji, Sarah, and I followed close behind.
We stopped in front of a rundown building with a sign declaring it the Twisted Rooster. Sunlight streamed through cracks in the walls.
Thrukad walked up to the front door and pushed it open, nearly taking it off its rusty hinges. I waited for Benji and Sarah to go in before following.
My eyes took a minute to adjust inside the deep dive. Thrukad walked toward a long, wooden bar on the far wall of the room. A man in patchwork leather armor sat hunched on a stool at the bar.
He glanced up as we approached, his brow furrowing in anger.
“Goblin armor?” he screamed. “I’ll show you to disrespect me.”
He hopped off the stool and rushed forward. I reached for my sword. He crashed into me before I could pull it out.
I fell backward, hitting the back of my head on a nearby table.
The pain registered right away.
Everything went dark.
15
Finally Finding a Friendly Familiar
SARAH
Eric’s so unlucky, I thought as I saw him fall and hit his head on a wooden table.
Was he okay? I glanced up, ready to cast.
Before the man who charged at Eric could do any further damage, I cast my new second level spell—Snares of Dust.
