by Paul Bellow
“We can talk about who’s to blame later,” I said. “This plan is coming together. In another few days, we’ll get out of here for good.”
“Another few days?” Eddie sighed. “That’s too long.”
“If you can get us out of here sooner, I’m all ears,” I said.
Rizzo and Sylvar snickered. I glanced up at them while frowning—and they settled down, both looking at the wooden floor of the stage.
“We need to kill these players and add them to the pile outside,” I said. “Once we have enough, phase two of the plan comes into play.”
“You’re nuts,” Eddie said. “I need to light some more incense. The smell’s getting worse every hour.”
“Go do that,” I said.
He walked over to the steps down to the chapel floor. I watched a moment as he scurried toward the back.
“Should we go try to kill them again?” Rizzo asked.
“No,” I said. “You two need to go to level one-two and prepare.”
“For what?” Sylvar asked. “I thought we were getting out of here.”
“We probably will,” I replied. “But one thing I’ve learned in here is that it’s always a good idea to have a back-up plan.”
Rizzo snickered.
“The backup brothers,” he said. “Cool name.”
“I dig it,” Sylvar said while nodding his head and grinning.
Rage filled my virtual veins.
“You two are idiots,” I shouted.
I let my emotions control me as I cast a spell. Lightning shot from my palms, hitting Rizzo then bouncing to Sylvar. They both screamed as they dropped to the floor—writhing in pain.
I smiled as I kept up the blast with a ton of mana.
A sense of pleasure and joy hit me as I watched them die. I stopped the stream of electricity; their bodies kept jerking even after death.
The happiness went away as quickly as it had arrived, and I realized how dangerous and powerful I’d become in the game.
Eddie ran in, his dagger drawn.
“What’s going on?” he asked. “Are you okay?”
“Take care of their bodies,” I said. “Add them to the pile.”
I walked out before the measly mutt could complain. Their respawn might be weird with their bodies added to my collection, but I didn’t care.
My plan to get out of the game was going well, but I wanted to have a backup in place. I went through the portal and entered level one-two.
With a bit of luck, I’d finish my latest creation just in case everything went wrong with my primary plan. I believed in my second idea more.
All I wanted was to get out of the game.
14
Entering the Forbidden Kingdom
Eric
* * *
I woke up near our wagon with a hangover the next morning. A few of the soldiers interrupted a good dream with their yelling.
“Wake up,” Captain Rathgar said. “You owe me some gold.”
“Huh?” I sat up. “What are you talking about?”
“Yeah,” Sarah said, walking over. “I’d like to know too.”
She looked over at Bernard who shrugged sheepishly.
“You don’t remember, do you?” Captain Rathgar asked.
He laughed along with the half-dozen soldiers surrounding him.
“Very funny,” I said as I stood. “Did I lose a bet or something?”
“You bought two blocks of real estate near the shore,” Captain Rathgar said. “You’re not going back on your word, are you?”
“No,” I said. “But I need a chance to wake up. Can you give me a minute or two? Or are you that hard up for gold?”
“Leave everything in the wagon, boys,” Captain Rathgar said. “We’ll sort through all of it later. They know better than to double-cross me.”
“Hold on,” Sarah said. “You can’t take everything.”
My plan came back to me in pieces.
“We can’t have the wagon if we’re disguised as goblins,” I said. “Let them take it. We need to travel light in the Forbidden Kingdom.”
“Goblins and hobgoblins don’t have wagons or something?” Sarah asked. “I don’t want to walk all the way to the end.”
“They do, but we’re going for the poor travelers look.” I turned to Bernard. “Give me some help here? You loved the idea last night.”
“We drank a bit too much last night,” he said.
Captain Rathgar laughed again.
“We need the Dawn Acid,” Sarah said. “At least.”
“You can have that and basic supplies,” Captain Rathgar said. “I don’t think you’re going to finish your quest, but I don’t want that Magi-magnet in Esterhollow.”
“How are we going to travel with that big jar?” Sarah asked.
“You have half an hour to figure it out,” Captain Rathgar said then walked away.
His men followed, still snickering and laughing at us.
“We should’ve talked about this first,” Sarah said. “As a group.”
I nodded and said, “Probably, but we went with the flow.”
She frowned and shook her head.
“Can’t we put the Dawn Acid in smaller containers as long as they’re clay?” Bernard asked. “It seems simple.”
Sarah took a deep breath, hands on her hips.
“I guess,” she said.
“That’ll be better anyway,” I said. “With three smaller bottles, we can each carry one. If something happens to one of us, we’ll still be okay to finish the quest.”
“You’re morbid this morning,” she said.
“I’m hungover. Give me a break.”
“Do we even have three clay jars?” she asked.
“Already on it,” Bernard said. “I’ll bring back some food too.”
I raised a finger in the air.
“And a bottle of that wine we were drinking last night,” I said.
“Eric…” Sarah started in warning.
“To celebrate when we finish this quest.” I smiled. “Or don’t you think we’ll be able to pull it off successfully?”
“I don’t like you automatically taking charge all the time,” she said.
“Fine. Next time, I’ll wake you up.”
“Good.”
I watched as she turned and walked to the back of our wagon. While I’d miss our transportation, my plan made sense. Sarah and Bernard would disguise as goblins, while she gave me the appearance of a hobgoblin.
Her illusion spell would get us into the Forbidden Kingdom—behind enemy lines. As a rogue, I loved completing our quest with a bit of stealth. We’d have a hard time, but nothing worth doing was ever easy.
Sarah returned a few minutes later with a sack of her most precious belongings in the game. I smiled to reassure her, but she kept looking dour and unhappy. Being trapped was bringing me down too.
An awkward half-hour later, Bernard sauntered back with three fishes and a sack full of oranges. He stopped and smiled as he showed off his haul of food. I could smell alcohol on his breath.
“Oranges are rare,” he said. “But I found us some.”
“Do you have the clay jars?” Sarah asked.
Bernard stopped smiling and sighed.
“I knew I was forgetting something,” he said.
“Don’t worry,” Sarah said. “I’ll go find some. Be back later.”
I thought about following her, but food sounded better.
“Let me have one of those fish,” I said, walking over to Bernard.
He smiled again as he reached out his hand. I grabbed the breaded fish then bit into it. Flavor filled my mouth as I chewed.
“Not bad,” I said after swallowing my first bite.
Bernard and I sat on the back of the wagon and enjoyed the rest of the food. Neither of us said anything as we ate. Sarah returned on my third orange.
“Let’s do this,” she said and set three clay jars on the ground.
“Hold on,” I said. “My hands are sticky.”
Bernard stood on the back of the wagon. With Sarah’s help, they moved the large container of Dawn Acid to the ground.
“We need to be careful,” she said, hands on hips as she stared at it.
I loved to watch her figure out problems.
“Bernard, you and Eric pour it out,” she said. “I’ll hold the smaller jars. Make sure you don’t spill any of it.”
I walked over and bent down, rubbing my palms in the dust on the ground to increase my kung fu grip.
“Ready?” I asked, looking over at Bernard.
He nodded and grabbed hold of his side. After a few tense seconds, we found our groove and got the Dawn Acid poured into smaller containers.
“Perfect.” Sarah clapped her hands. “The more I think about it, the more I like splitting it up. We’ve got to finish this quest no matter what.”
“How long does your spell last?” Bernard asked.
“Right now, five days each time I cast it,” she said. “I’ll have to recast it eventually, but that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Who’s in charge of keeping track of the time?” I asked.
“I’ll handle it,” Sarah said. “Are we ready?”
“No, but let’s do this,” I said.
Sarah waved her hands and chanted in an arcane tongue. At the end, I saw Bernard and her shimmer before turning to goblins.
“Did you match my hobgoblin armor?” I asked.
“Yes,” Sarah said. “We’re ready to go.”
“Off to kill a wizard,” Bernard said.
He rubbed his tiny green hands together.
I grinned as the game dug its claws in deeper.
Disguised as goblinoids, we left Esterhollow and headed northwest. We planned on crossing into the Forbidden Kingdom via a land bridge. I hoped we wouldn’t run into any problems on the way.
* * * * *
Castle Chang dominated the skyline as we reached the other end of the land-bridge. I stared at it, impressed by the details in the game. The castle looked entirely different than Castle Casteel.
“This is it,” I said in common as we kept walking. “We need to stay in character, so remember I’m in charge. Understood?”
“Oh boy,” Sarah said. “Here we go with a power trip.”
“I’m starting to think this is all a bad idea,” Bernard said.
“We’ve got this,” I said. “Play it cool.”
As we approached the first wall protecting the castle and lands around the island, I glanced up. Dozens of hobgoblin archers looked down at us. Two grimy goblins stepped in our path as we reached the first gate.
“Where do you think you’re going?” one asked.
His companion snickered then picked his bulbous nose.
“On our way to Taowutang then Changtao,” I said.
“Your accent and smell are funny.” The goblin stepped forward and sniffed the air. “Why were you in the human lands?”
“We were scouting,” Sarah said in goblin.
The guard turned to her and grinned.
“We’ll rule the realms soon,” he said. “I’m single if you’re interested. Two goblins like us could go far.”
“She’s spoken for,” I said. “Why are you holding us up?”
As a hobgoblin, I had more rights than the lowly goblin. I planned on using that to our advantage while behind enemy lines.
“Sorry,” the goblin said, bowing slightly. “With everything happening in the realm lately, we’ve been told to be extra careful.”
“Do I look like a problem?” I asked. “Do you think I enjoy the smell of unwashed humans all over me?”
“No sir,” the goblin said, lowering its head even more.
I resisted the urge to smile and strode confidently into the city.
“This is going to work,” I said after we’d passed out of earshot.
“It better,” Sarah said as she walked beside me.
We continued down a brick-paved road, heading north. On the way, a goblin wearing a purple leather jumpsuit ran up. He stopped in front of us, breathing heavily.
“I’ve got a message,” he said.
“For me?” I asked.
He nodded as he struggled to catch his breath.
“I was told to give the message to any hobgoblins wearing armor,” he said. “There’s a battle brewing for Esterhollow, and every patriot is needed. We’ll make this realm ours once and for all. Long live Magictology.”
He raised his right fist in the air.
“Sounds good,” I said. “Thanks for the message.”
“No problem.” The messenger waved his hand through the air. “Just doing my job. I’ll leave you alone now.”
After he turned and walked away, I glanced over at Sarah.
“The goblins amassing a new army to fight Esterhollow isn’t good,” I said. “We need to end this once and for all by cutting the head off the snake. Magi Inyontoo has got to go.”
Sarah and Bernard both nodded.
I pulled out a map of the Forbidden Kingdom the Four Wizards had given us. While not in full detail, it showed us the general direction.
“We keep heading north and catch a boat to the next island,” I said.
“Sounds easy enough,” Bernard said.
I shook my head and said, “There you go cursing us again.”
“We should go.” Sarah glanced around. “I hate being behind enemy lines like this. We’re so vulnerable.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “We’ve got this. Let’s go.”
I turned and headed north along the path. The others followed a few steps behind.
How had Bernard lasted decades in the game? And if it was a prison, wasn’t it a cruel and unusual punishment?
I pondered as we walked north the rest of the afternoon.
* * * * *
That evening, after eating lunch while walking, we arrived at the north end of the island. A half-dozen brick buildings surrounded the docks.
I stopped and stared at the few boats tied up.
“Are we staying here for the night?” Bernard asked.
“Yeah,” Sarah said. “We should. I’m tired.”
I shook my head.
“We should cross tonight.”
“You’re right,” she said.
“I’ll barter for the cost of the ferry across the channel,” I said. “To save us gold and practice my skill.”
“Do your thing,” Bernard said.
“Remember to keep the magic to a minimum,” I said. “We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.”
“I just hope no one casts dispel magic and blow our cover,” Sarah said. “We need to watch out for spell casters.”
“We need to be ready for anything,” I said. “We’re getting better at avoiding mistakes, but we’ve got to be even smarter.”
“Like not running to harvest giant bee hives?” Sarah asked.
Bernard chuckled.
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s go.”
We walked toward the nearest boat. I planned on using my hobgoblin armor and appearance to get us a good rate on crossing the channel.
I stopped and stared into the glorified rowboat.
“No one’s here,” I said. “Maybe we should steal it.”
“We can’t risk it or the alignment penalty,” Sarah said.
“Aww, man,” Bernard said.
“Let’s head back and see if we can find someone,” I said.
The other two followed as I made my way toward the shore. Halfway down the dock, a goblin with a distinct black hat stumbled toward us. I heard him singing as he got closer.
“Hey-ho, hey-ho, nasty humans ‘ave got to go,” he sang drunkenly.
“Are you the ferry captain?” I asked.
The goblin stopped suddenly and sobered up.
“Who’s asking?” He stepped forward. “I might be the ferry captain.”
“Me,” I said. “Can you take us across to
night?”
He tilted his head back.
“And who are you?” he asked, struggling to stand in place.
“No one important,” I said. “But we’re willing to pay for passage.”
“You’ll pay alright.” He stumbled forward. “Follow me.”
“Can he get us across?” Sarah whispered.
“I heard that,” he called over his shoulder. “If you know of another ferry, go take it. Everyone’s celebrating or preparing to leave for the raids.”
Bernard, Sarah, and I kept pace with him as he walked. He stopped at the boat and hopped in, causing it to rock on the water.
“Why are you three in such a hurry?” he asked while staring at us.
“We’re on a special mission,” I said.
“Oh?” the goblin turned to me. “What special mission?”
“None of your business,” I said. “We’re under orders.”
“From Magi Inyontoo?” the goblin asked. “He’s the one calling all the shots now. I’m on the list to get out of the game.”
“Yes.” I nodded to enhance my lie. “He sent us to scout the human lands for the next attack. We’re back, and we’re in a hurry…”
“My apologies,” the ferry captain said, taking off his hat and bowing. “I’ll take you for free. Long live Magictology.”
“Yeah,” Bernard muttered. “Long live Magictology.”
“My name’s Griznar if you want to pass that along to his highness. Maybe I can get bumped up the list. Get on board, and I’ll get you to where you’re going.”
I stepped onto the boat. “Good to meet you, Griznar.”
He belched then scampered to the back and sat by two oars. The other two climbed in and sat down on a wooden bench in the middle of the boat.
“Ready to go?” Griznar asked.
“We’re ready,” I said.
The drunk ferry captain grinned as he used an oar to push us away from the dock. He resumed singing off key.
I glanced over the water and saw the lights of a city in the distance. We slid swiftly through the water toward it. The beautiful scenery and depth of the game dragged me in even deeper.
Sarah nudged me with her elbow.
“There’s something wrong,” she said.
