by Paul Bellow
“We have a lot of them,” Ted said, smiling.
I reached over and grabbed the glass full of whiskey on the bar.
Without thinking, I drank it all down.
Ted and John stood as a pleasant warmth rushed through my body. I’d tell him in a little bit. Eric could take care of himself.
After so many nights of worrying, it might be good for me to enjoy myself. The end of the world could wait a few hours.
“You coming, James?” Ted asked.
I stood then followed the other two back to the lobby of the hotel.
Could we stop the singularity after it happened?
Thoughts of the Tower of Gates filled my mind as we reached a four-seat drone parked behind the building.
John opened a door and got in.
“Give me a second,” Ted said.
“Don’t take too long,” the spook replied.
Ted laughed along with him then shut the door.
“We need to tell him the truth,” I said.
“Not until we find a solution.” Ted shook his head. “Are you nuts? If we tell them now, they’ll just demand we turn it off before whatever we created gets off the isolated network we built for it. You know what would happen if it escaped. Not to mention we’d kill a lot of innocent people.”
“They’re prisoners,” I said, “who signed up for the Tower of Gates. They’re not exactly innocent people.”
“Wow.”
Ted glanced over at the drone then back to me. “I knew you’re a cold man, but I didn’t think you were heartless.”
“I’m just being practical,” I admitted.
He sighed and said, “Let’s go have a few drinks, talk to a few beautiful women, and get John’s mind off the project, okay? Can you do that for me?”
An image of Rebeccah—Eric’s dead mother, flashed in my mind. I winced; I still haven’t fully adjusted to her absence in the world.
Ted opened the door and climbed in the drone. I did the same, but my heart wasn’t in it.
The others laughed as we rose into the air.
I glanced out the side window, watching the buildings and lights as we flew north toward the first official Pleasure City in America. The government wanted to use the Tower of Gates AI on other projects like keeping the restless and unemployed population happy.
Robots had taken so many jobs over the last ten years, but that was the least of our problems.
Elon Musk had been right in fearing AI.
We’d summoned a demon we could no longer control.
John and Ted talked and laughed, as I continued justifying my recent actions.
1
Old Friends and New Enemies
Eric
* * *
With three horses pulling the wagon, we made good time toward Castle Casteel. Halfway to our destination, I noticed two short figures standing by the side of the road. One waved happily. Neither stopped smiling.
I pulled on the reins to slow our horses.
“Whoa,” I said as the wagon stopped.
The two brownies stepped forward.
“We’ve got company,” I said, keeping an eye on them.
Sarah leaned forward.
“Evan?” she asked. “Is that you?”
“Kali,” the skinnier brownie said as he ran over.
I tossed the reins to Bernard—a.k.a. Benji—and jumped off the wagon.
“What do you want?” I asked as I grasped my new scimitar.
“Settle down,” Sarah said. “I know them.”
“You know them?” I asked.
She nodded and said, “Yes. Don’t you remember the brownies from when we first met? That one is Ewen. And that is Evan.”
“The poison had me thinking they were a hallucination,” I said.
Sarah shook her head as I sheathed my blade.
The first brownie reached the wagon. I averted my eyes to avoid his smile.
The brownies cautiously stepped closer.
“Don’t trust her, Bozo,” Ewen said. “She’s the reason we had to leave Fishguard.”
“No,” Evan said. “You’re the reason. And I’m not the bozo. You’re the dimwit. That’s the way it’s always been and will be.”
The other brownie rushed toward Sarah and Evan.
I stepped in front of him, blocking his way.
“Slow down, little man,” I said.
He stopped, still smiling.
“I’m big for a brownie,” he said. “Now let me pass.”
“No fighting your friends,” I said.
Sarah stepped over and put her hand on my shoulder.
“They were one of the first quests I completed before meeting you,” she said. “And they helped save you back in Fishguard.”
Had they been player characters turned into NPCs, or were they computer controlled?
I was constantly second guessing myself.
“Never trust a brownie,” Bernard called from the wagon. “We should get going. I’ve got a bad feeling.”
“That’s probably because you over-ate this morning,” I quipped.
Bernard grinned as Sarah turned to the brownies.
“Where are you two going?” she asked. “Did something happen in Fishguard? Why are you all the way up here?”
“You bet something happened,” Ewen said. “All that gold you gave us ruined our lives. I wish you’d never given it to us.”
“What happened?” Sarah asked.
Evan glanced down to the ground, kicking his foot.
“We got lazy with all that money and gambled it away,” he said.
“We’re on our way to find work,” Ewen said. “The people of Fishguard and Harrisburg don’t want us.”
“The people of Esterhollow could probably use your help,” Sarah said.
“We’re headed that way,” Evan said. “Always hope for the best.”
Sarah smiled at their enthusiasm.
“They’re rebuilding the city,” I said. “And I bet they would appreciate your help. Let me give you some gold to tide you over.”
“No gold,” Ewen said.
Evan stepped forward.
“Thank you, Kali,” he said. “But we’ll be fine.”
I looked away, disturbed by the ever-present smiles on their faces.
“Come on, bozo,” Ewen said. “We’ve got a new destination. The goblins wouldn’t have liked us anyways.”
“The goblins?” I turned. “Where were you two headed?”
“Forbidden Kingdom,” Evan said, “if Esterhollow doesn’t work out.”
Ewen shoved him.
“Keep quiet about our grand plans,” he hissed.
“Sorry…” Evan raised a hand. “Bye, Kali. See you around.”
“Maybe,” she replied, watching as Evan and Ewen walked away.
I hoped we didn’t run into them again; their perma-smiles freaked me out.
I went back on the wagon.
“Come on,” I said. “We’ve got a side quest to complete.”
Sarah joined me up front, shaking her head silently.
“Brownies creep me out,” Bernard said between us.
I nodded grimly as I took the reins from him.
The horses and wagon lurched forward.
“So strange running into them,” Sarah said.
“Have you been to other…lands, Benji?” I asked.
“No,” he replied. “I’ve been on the Grabiso Isles my whole life.”
We quieted down as the wagon rolled down the road. I wondered about all the other levels in the game and so much more.
How far would we get before my father got us out? Why did they make so many levels? And why did they trap us?
I got that it was a prison, but I had so many questions. Still, no answers came as the miles added up on our trip. Before we reached our destination, I sat up straight and saw a couple dozen armored men on warhorses blocking the road.
Their black, plate armor glimmered in the late afternoon sun. None of them looke
d like an easy kill—even on a good day.
“Whoa,” I said, stopping the horses.
“I’m in no condition to fight after that major battle with Snargao,” Sarah said. “What are we going to do?”
I stared at the men blocking our path.
“And all my mana is gone from identifying so many items,” she added.
“I doubt I could take all of them on myself,” Bernard pointed out. “We should’ve stayed in Esterhollow with the group.”
What to do? Better to run away and fight another day?
I glanced to the left then right. Plains stretched out on each side of the road. We had nowhere to run or hide.
Four of the men rode forward, flashes from their armor blinding me.
“Stop,” I said, standing up in the wagon. “We mean you no harm.”
They stopped no more than fifty feet away from the wagon.
“We’ve come for the body of our leader,” a warrior said.
“You want Captain Riggard?” Sarah asked. “Why?”
“Are you going to hand over his body?” the man asked.
I drew my sword just in case I needed it.
“Who ordered you to do this?” I asked. “Are you with Castle Casteel?”
The man laughed.
“We are with the true power in the realm—Magi Inyontoo,” he said. “Our orders are to take the body and leave you alone. You must have some powerful people protecting you.”
“Take it,” I said.
Sarah turned to me, her jaw hanging open.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Keeping us alive,” I muttered, staring ahead.
“We’ll also need your wagon and everything else in it,” the man said.
> sense motive
The captain of the Black Guard appears willing to bargain.
“You can have it all,” I said. “But I need information in return.”
He laughed again and shook his head.
“You’re in no position to be bargaining,” he said.
“Our mage would beg to differ,” I said. “She has Snargao’s magic items and will use them against you.”
“You’re bluffing,” the man said.
“Are we?” I asked.
I hoped Sarah went along. Her new wand of Summon Monster might help or hinder us.
She stood and pointed the wand at the men. Three of the others who had come forward moved to block their leader.
“Your ugly elf friend better drop that wand,” the man in the back said.
“Or what?” I turned to Bernard who still had on his priest get up. “Benji, would you mind praying to turn those men into toads?”
He looked over at me with a confused look on his face.
“You know,” I said. “The powerful prayers you recently learned.”
“Oh, yeah,” he said them mumbled a bunch of unintelligible words.
“Tell him to stop praying,” the man said. “I’ll give you information and let you keep the wagon and your baubles if you give up the body.”
With no idea why they wanted a dead PC body, I didn’t see the harm in giving it to them if it kept us alive. Finally, something was going our way in the stupid game.
“That’s enough, Benji,” I kept staring forward. “Why does your master want Captain Riggard’s body?”
“You know we can’t say anything about it,” the man said, his voice muffled by his helmet. “Why are you being so difficult?”
“Should I pop off a shot or two of this wand and hope we get lucky?” Sarah asked him.
“No,” I whispered.
“We’re going to take our chances and attack,” the man said. “We’re allowed to kill you if necessary.”
This body must be important, but I’ve got to let it go.
“Fine.” I hopped out of the wagon. “Benji, let’s get the coffin out of the back. They can have the body.”
“Bring the war wagons out,” the man yelled.
As I watched, three armored wagons materialized out of thin air.
“Where did those come from?” I asked.
The man moved his horse to the right.
“Are you ready to stop bargaining?” he asked. “We’ve got you outnumbered.”
“Tell us where Magi Inyontoo is hiding out,” I said. “And we’ll get this over with.”
I heard the man sigh through his helmet.
“Fine,” he said. “He’s in the Forbidden Kingdom making plans to rule the entire realm. We’re with him all the way. You have no chance of defeating us.”
“Come on, Benji,” I said. “Let’s get this body for them.”
Your Bargaining Skill has increased!
Bargaining – Basic Level 2 of 10
“Do you know why Magi Inyontoo would want his body?” I asked as we reached the back of the wagon.
Bernard shook his head.
“Exactly,” I said. “That means we give up the body to stay alive.”
Bernard helped me pull out the heavy wooden box with the body.
“We’ve got to be more prepared for ambushes,” I said in a low voice. “They should’ve never surprised us like this.”
“Agreed,” Bernard said as we carried the impromptu coffin.
“Tell your men to clear a path,” I said. “And if a single arrow or spell comes at us, our mage will unleash fire and fury like you’ve never seen before.”
After the man stopped laughing, he said, “You’re a riot, newbie, but our master has better plans for you three. Let them through.”
The other warriors cleared a path. Bernard and I carried the coffin a few feet then lowered it to the ground.
“We’ve held up our end of the bargain,” I said.
Bernard and I backed up to the wagon.
“Get the body,” the man in charge barked.
We climbed back in.
“Be ready for anything,” I said then pulled the reins.
Our wagon lurched forward. The men on horses moved, allowing us through. I checked out the disappearing war wagons more closely as we passed.
We made it past them and kept going. Bernard looked over his shoulder.
“Are they following us?” I asked.
“No,” he said. “They’re headed north toward the Forbidden Kingdom.”
“Something tells me we’re going to end up going there before this is all over,” I said. “Do you know anything about it?”
“I’ve stayed away from those lands,” Bernard said.
“Why does Magi Inyontoo want a dead PC body?” Sarah asked, going OOC. “I have a feeling we’re going to regret giving it up.”
“Not sure,” Bernard said. “I hope he can’t use it.”
“What happens when an NPC dies?” I asked.
Bernard looked out at the castle in the distance a moment before speaking.
“As far as I know, you get three chances as a humanoid NPC. If you mess up and die as an NPC more than three time, you became a monster race. What happens after that, I’m not sure, but I imagine you become an animal or insect or something. This game is messed up.”
“That would make it impossible to join a PC party, and...”
Sarah’s voice faded.
“Exactly,” Bernard said. “You’d be stuck as a non-intelligent beast in this game. I had to be careful because I’d died twice as an NPC.”
“The stakes on this quest keep getting higher,” Sarah said.
I took a deep breath.
“We’ll be okay,” I said.
The sun set on our right as we continued south to Castle Casteel. I hoped handing over the body wouldn’t have in-game repercussions.
We rode in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts.
The poison continued coursing through my body.
* * * * *
We arrived at Castle Casteel a few hours after sundown. Thick clouds blocked the stars, making it appear even darker.
A thick, wooden gate opened as we approached. Inside the courtyard,
Rathgar turned then left a group of men to walk toward us.
I pulled on the reins and stopped the horses.
“Where’s Captain Riggard?” he asked.
I frowned and slowly shook my head.
“Please tell me you brought his body,” Rathgar said.
“No,” I said. “The Black Guard stopped us on the way here. We had to give it to them to survive.”
“Blast the Black Guard,” Rathgar shouted. “Anything connected to Magictology is garbage.”
He spat on the ground, adding to a muddy puddle.
“Come inside,” he said. “We need to talk.”
Is he upset with us? Should we make our escape?
“Hurry,” Sarah said. “I’m cold.”
“Your wish is my command,” I said then pulled the reins.
The horses trotted forward, pulling us through the castle courtyard. We stopped near the stables then got out of the wagon.
Bernard, Sarah, and I joined Rathgar inside the castle. Despite a massive fireplace roaring, I still felt cold and miserable.
I looked around the room. A long, well-used wooden table sat in the center.
Rathgar motioned us over as he stood.
“We’re sorry about losing the body,” I said as I stopped a few feet away. “We had no way out of that encounter and no one to back us up. I’m surprised they let us live, to be honest.”
“Don’t worry.” Rathgar waved a hand though the air. “It’s fine. A lot of people think you’re cursed. That’s why they won’t kill you unless absolutely necessary.”
“Cursed?” I asked, liking the idea of a reputation.
“It’s a silly superstition,” Rathgar said. “Just know I’m next in line for Captain of the Castle and head of the Human Guard. Do any of you three want to challenge me for the spot?”
He glanced from one of us to another.
“You’re the best man for that job,” I said. “We’re adventurers on a quest to create Dawn Acid. Everything else is yours.”
Sarah held up the list of Dawn Acid ingredients.
“Can you help us find these items?” she asked.
Rathgar stepped forward.
“You actually found the ingredients?” he asked.
I nodded and said, “We’re going to destroy the cursed pendant.”
