by Paul Bellow
“It’ll be safer,” he said.
Stupid lying elves.
8
Never Trust a Ranger Weasel
Sarah
* * *
I loved riding with the ocean on our right. As we headed south to find the Four Wizards, I found myself wistfully looking out at the water.
The sound of the waves lapping against the shore mesmerized me. Riding slowly, I’d fallen behind the others as the game drew me in deeper.
Huge piles of bones piled here and there along the route got my attention. I spurred my horse and caught up to Eric and the others.
“What’s with all these bones?” I asked.
Eric shrugged.
“Hunters maybe?”
“There’s so many of them,” I said.
“Might be cyclopes,” Bernard said. “A tribe of them is known to be in the area. The gnomes pretty much leave them alone.”
“We’re not running into a group of cyclopes,” Sylvar said in a snide voice. “I wonder about you three sometimes.”
“All the signs are pointing to something being out here in the wilderness,” I said.
Sylvar, riding directly ahead of Eric and me, shrugged.
“That’s why we’re taking the road by the coast,” he said. “We’ll be fine as long as we don’t venture too far inland.”
“You should’ve told us before,” Eric said.
“My bad,” Sylvar said.
That sounds so out of character for an NPC—I thought but said nothing. Sylvar spurred his horse and rode ahead.
“He’s getting on my nerves,” I said.
Eric snickered.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“I’ve not liked him since we met him,” he said.
“Stop and listen,” Bernard said.
I heard a tremendous crashing noise to my left inside the group of trees we’d been following. Another tree snapped and fell.
“What is it?” I asked, stopping my horse.
Bernard and Eric stopped near me. Sylvar kept riding.
I looked toward the source of the sound.
My heart beat faster as I saw a mage in red robes ride a horse out of the forest. Two humungous humanoids with a single eye each followed him. Halfway to us, the mage threw up a shimmering red wall.
Both cyclopes slammed into the translucent barrier as the red mage continued riding toward Sylvar.
Again? Really?
“We need to kill them,” Eric said.
He spurred his horse and took off down the trail. The mage reached Sylvar first, raising his staff into the air in front of them.
Another reddish wall of light went up. Bernard and I caught up to Eric as he stopped a few feet in front of the magic barrier.
“You’re going to pay for betraying us,” Eric said.
Sylvar laughed. I cast Glorified Cloaks of Bronze on Eric with twenty mana.
You cast Glorified Cloaks of Bronze -> Drex
You have [66/86] mana remaining.
He turned to me and said, “Thanks, but you should save your mana.”
“Her weak magic isn’t going to help you,” the mage in red said.
“This is my friend,” Sylvar said. “Rizzo the Red.”
“Are we supposed to be impressed?” Eric asked.
I glanced over and saw the cyclops still struggling to get past the red, magical barrier. The same magic protected Rizzo and Sylvar.
“We have an offer for you,” Sylvar shouted. “Give us the other items, and we’ll let you live to fight another day.”
Eric laughed at the offer.
“Never,” Bernard shouted.
“If you don’t agree,” Sylvar said. “We’ll kill you.”
“No,” Eric said. “You won’t.”
Sylvar smirked and shook his head.
“We’ll see,” he said. “I’ve been adventuring with you three, and I’m not impressed with how your group operates.”
“You’re a bunch of idiots that deserve to die,” Rizzo the Red added. “You didn’t even realize Sylvar was spying on you the whole time.”
“We know now,” Eric said. “And that’s all that matters. Take down that wall protecting you, and we’ll see how you hold up.”
“Magi Inyontoo gave us strict orders to not kill you yet,” Sylvar said. “Or you’d be dead already. I could’ve killed you many times.”
“You should’ve done it,” Eric said.
Bernard pointed toward the cyclops.
“Guys, we’ve got a problem,” he said.
I turned and saw the red, glowing wall disappear. The cyclops roared and raised its gigantic wooden club before running toward us.
“Have fun with that,” Sylvar said. “We’ll be back to collect the items.”
He and Rizzo the Red turned on their horse and fled north. The cyclops lumbered forward. Its footsteps shook the ground beneath my feet.
“Time for battle,” Eric said as he got off his horse.
Bernard and I also dismounted as the cyclops drew closer. I backed up for a more strategic position for casting spells. Eric strode forward.
The cyclops reached us, swinging the massive club down. It hit the ground with a dull thud, throwing up big chunks of dirt. Eric dodged.
As he circled the giant, Bernard ran forward with his mace. The cyclops ignored him completed and headed straight for me.
“Watch out,” Charlotte said.
I cast another spell.
You cast Ladder of Dwarven Earth for 10 mana
You have [56/86] mana remaining.
A mound of magical dirt formed in the cyclops’ path. His sandaled foot hit it just right, causing him to fall to the ground in a heap.
Eric and Bernard both used the opportunity to rush forward and attack the brutal beast. Their carefully targeted blows bounced off.
“A little help,” Eric shouted as the cyclops stood.
It screamed in a deep, booming voice then raised its club.
Time for some offensive magic, I thought as I cast another spell.
Your Flaming Discs of Lava WOUNDS the cyclops for 16 damage.
You have [36/86] mana remaining.
Infuriated by my fire magic, the cyclops went into a rage. The wide, sturdy club slammed into Eric, sending him to the ground.
“No!” I yelled as I watched him go down.
Bernard ran forward to distract the cyclops as Eric crawled backward. His battered body moved slowly, so I cast a Divine Arrow of Energy at him.
You cast Divine Arrow of Energy -> Drex
You have [31/86] mana remaining.
Eric leaped to his feet with renewed energy. As he attacked the cyclops along with Bernard, I pulled out the Wand of Summon Monster.
Could I control what was summoned again?
I zapped and used the last six charges—hoping for an elemental or two to help us.
You zap the Wand of Summon Monster [0/50] charges remaining.
Your Use Magic Item skill increases
Use Magic Item - Basic Level 6 of 10
When I first zapped, a giant frog materialized and hopped away. A sheep appeared the second time I zapped. Concentrating harder, I hit the jackpot.
Four earth elementals rose out of the ground and surrounded the cyclops. It went nuts at the sight of the magical creatures, striking with his tree-sized club.
I stuffed the wand back into my belt as I watched the battle closely.
Bernard and Eric danced around the earth elementals, occasionally attacking. The mighty cyclops swung its club and took out two of the elementals with a single blow.
I blinked rapidly, not sure if I’d seen things right.
Bernard and Eric pulled back as the remaining two earth elementals attacked the cyclops. Almost out of mana, I didn’t know what to do next.
“Retreat!” Eric yelled, answering for me as he ran toward me. “To the beach...”
He ran past me and down the sand toward the water. Bernard followed as the cyclops de
stroyed another earth elemental with its big club.
I joined the other two, running into the water with them. Eric stopped once it reached past our knees. He looked back at the fighting cyclops.
“There’s no way we can take it,” he said.
“What are we going to do?” Bernard asked. “It can reach us in the water.”
Eric turned to me.
“Build a sand wall,” he said.
I tilted my head to the side and said, “What?”
“Your dwarven earth spell,” he said urgently. “Use it to build a patch of land for us to hide behind.”
“I don’t think that’ll work,” I said.
“Do you have a better idea?” he asked.
I shook my head then cast the spell.
You cast Ladder of Dwarven Earth for 24 mana.
You have [7/86] mana remaining.
A giant mound of earth rose from the ocean floor in front of us. We ducked behind it, bending down to avoid being seen.
“Where’d you go?” the cyclops yelled in common. “I can’t eat dirt for dinner.”
“Quiet,” Eric whispered.
My back ached as I crouched down. The sound of the cyclops talking to itself faded away as the relentless water kept rushing to the shore.
“It worked,” Bernard said in a surprised tone. “What do you know?”
“We make a good team,” I said.
“Let me double-check,” Eric said. “To be safe.”
He stood and peeked over the earthen mound.
“It’s gone,” he said. “We should be okay if we stick to the coast while traveling south to the Four Towers. Just keep your eyes open.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “My mana is lower than low.”
“You saved us with what little you had,” Eric said. “We’ll be fine.”
“I’m so mad at Sylvar,” Bernard said. “And myself. I should’ve known better than to trust a man with a weasel as a pet.”
“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Eric said then turned to me. “We all made mistakes when it comes to Sylvar.”
I bit my bottom lip, not wanting to get into an argument. The game continued whether we wanted it or not. I had to stay positive.
Bernard straightened his body.
“When he didn’t join our party,” he said. “I thought for sure he was an NPC.”
“Me too,” Eric said. “We’ve got to be careful.”
“Thanks for taking an OOC penalty for us,” I said.
Bernard waved his hand through the salty sea air in front of him.
“Don’t mention it,” he said. “We’ve been lucky so far. The game enjoys lying and bending the rules to get what it wants.”
Eric and I looked at each other then turned back to Bernard.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“The AI behind the game is nuts,” he said. “More nuts than any of the players maybe. There was this one time I died because a basilisk bit me after I killed it. Stupidest death I’ve ever had in here.”
“What level were you when you fought a basilisk?” Eric asked.
“Level twelve rogue,” Bernard said. “I was a pretty big deal here on level one-one for a good number of years before Magi Inyontoo came to power.”
“This game is so great and terrible at the same time,” I said.
Bernard nodded.
“I feel the same,” he said. “It’s beautiful on the one hand, but on the other, it’s like we’re locked in a cool golden cage.”
Eric kept scanning the coast.
“Are you ready to go?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Hold on,” Bernard said. “Can I bring something up while we’re OOC?”
“Sure,” I said. “We’re all friends here.”
“Yeah,” Eric added. “Spit it out, buddy.”
“It’s about letting other people in our party,” Bernard said. “We need to do it, but I think we should have a system or rules for who we ask to join us.”
“That’s a good idea,” I said, nodding my head.
“One more thing,” Bernard said. “What was the date when you two came into the game?”
“Good question,” I said. “December twelfth in 2042. What about you?”
Bernard frowned and looked out at the sea behind us.
“I don’t remember,” he said. “It’s been so long…the memory should be in my head…but it’s not…”
The tone of his voice terrified me.
“It’ll be okay.” Eric patted him on the shoulder. “We’ll get out of here soon.”
Bernard nodded.
“Let’s finish this quest,” he said. “Time to get it done.”
We walked around the mound of earth and back to the shore.
“I want to stay on the beach for now,” Eric said.
He turned and started walking south without waiting for an answer.
I followed him. Bernard walked behind me, guarding our rear.
Would the Four Wizards help us? Or were we heading toward another setback in our quest? Why did the game have to be so difficult?
The ocean lapped against the shore as I walked—so full of thoughts.
A mile or two away from where we’d battled the cyclops, Eric slowed until I caught up with him. He fell into step beside me. Bernard sped up and took the spot to my right.
The sand made it more difficult to walk, but I wanted to stay safe by the water.
“We know the red mage’s name now,” Bernard said. “I wonder if he and Sylvar will attack us again.”
“Count on it,” Eric said. “I’ll be ready for him next time.”
“That wall spell he cast seemed useful,” I said. “With more mana, I’ll cast Ladder of Dwarven Earth and build a ramp over it.”
Eric laughed.
“I can picture it now,” he said. “We need to get the Dawn Acid items before them. That’s our main concern right now.”
“Agreed,” Bernard said. “We should reach the Four Towers before nightfall. Hopefully, they’ll work with us.”
“What do you know about them?” I asked.
Bernard bobbed his head back and forth a few times.
“Not much,” he said. “They keep to themselves mostly, but they’ve been around for as long as I’ve been here.”
I nodded, wondering how many other players were trapped in the game.
And more importantly, were all of them crazy?
We fell into silence as we rode.
The only sound came from the ocean lapping against the shore on our right; it’s so peaceful. After all the excitement of the double-cross and cyclops attack, I wanted to indulge in the lighter side of the game-world.
9
Off to See the Four Wizards
Eric
* * *
I spotted the first of the Four Towers several hours after fleeing the cyclops.
The red and orange stones of the structure stretched to the heavens.
“Beautiful,” Sarah said.
“Each of the tower is located about a mile from the others,” Bernard said. “We should approach this one first and hope for the best.”
“Sounds like a typical plan for us,” Sarah said.
I chuckled, unable to disagree with her. On the path ahead, four wizards in different colored robes shimmered into view.
“Greetings, players,” one in a green robe said.
A wild ginger-haired wizard wearing white stood next to him, waving. The one in black and in yellow, stepped forward.
“Hold on,” I said, raising my scimitar.
The first wizard waved his hand, causing it to fly from my hand. Bernard kneeled on the ground in front of them.
“We don’t want trouble,” I said.
“Then why draw the sword?” the wizard in green asked.
His black, curly hair hung down past his shoulders.
“Those two are coming toward me,” I said.
The ginge
r-haired laughed as they reached me. Instead of doing anything bad, they hugged me one after the other. Sarah smiled nervously.
“We don’t want any trouble either.” The wizard in green stepped forward and stretched out his hand. “My name’s Ferris. Good to meet you, fellow players.”
“I’m Drex,” I said, shaking his hand. “That’s not my real name, though I’ve been using it so much in the game.”
The mage in yellow laughed.
“OOC penalties suck the big one,” he said. “I’m Sherlock, by the way. The adorable ginger over there is Thom.”
The wizard with ginger hair waved again.
“And the wizard in black?” Bernard asked.
“That’s Aaron,” Ferris said. “He doesn’t talk anymore.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Bad magic,” Ferris said, stepping forward. “Let’s leave it at that for now. This game is dark when you peek behind the curtain.”
What did he mean?
He didn’t explain further.
“Talking OOC without a penalty is nice,” I said to keep the subject on the game.
“Do you like it?” Sherlock asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “We have so many questions.”
Ferris scribbled something on a scroll.
Sarah stepped forward.
“Do you guys have a quit option?” she asked.
My hopes raised a moment only to be dashed on the rocks of despair.
“There’s no way out of the game,” Ferris said. “Not that we know about. And we’re the most powerful players in the game.”
Sherlock nodded his head. “Magi Inyontoo is saying he has a way out of the game using the cursed Pendant of Visions, but I don’t believe him.”
“You know about Magi Inyontoo?” I asked.
Ferris tilted his head, his black curled hair bouncing.
“How long have you been in the game?” he asked.
“Not too long,” I admitted.
He continued questioning me. “Anything else you want to tell us?”
