by Paul Bellow
“Exactly,” he said. “My name’s Jason. Nice to meet you.”
“You’re a player, too?” I asked, still not understanding.
He nodded his reptilian head, light from the setting sun reflecting off his scales.
“One of the oldest prisoners,” he said.
I kept walking, afraid to stop. Last time I had tried, they’d taken away my food for an entire day. I hated the Four Wizards with every ounce of my being.
“They shouldn’t be treating a new player like this,” Wiley said.
He came back into view as I kept walking in my rut.
“Thanks,” I said. “And they shouldn’t be mistreating an old player like you.”
Wiley laughed, smoke rising into the air.
“You’re the newest, and I’m one of the oldest,” he said. “The Tower of Gates knows how to mess with your mind. Don’t let it get to you.”
“Easier said than done, my friend.”
I went around one more time as Wiley burned more garbage.
“Do you know a Drex or Bernard?” he asked after starting another fire.
“No,” I said. “Why?”
“I ran into the two of them at the Four Wizards’ tower where I stay sometimes,” he said. “I thought they might be more new players.”
“He should’ve been traveling with a female elf named Sarah,” I said.
“I don’t remember seeing her, but I may have slept through it,” Wiley replied.
Both of us grew silent again, not concentrating on our mindless tasks.
“I may have met her,” Wiley said behind me. “The glitches are getting worse.”
“Glitches?” I asked, hungry for conversation.
“The Tower of Gates is melting, in my opinion,” the dragon said.
“You really think so?” I asked. “Melting how?”
“Breaking down,” he said. “There’s too many people in here fighting against the gamemaster AI. And nobody wants to truly work together to get out.”
“I’ve noticed,” I said.
He blasted another pile of garbage as I walked.
“The Four Wizards used to be nice,” he said. “I’m not sure what happened.”
“All I know is what I’ve seen of them so far.”
“They bumbled before but never to this extent,” Wiley said.
“If nothing else, I’m glad we got some time to talk.”
“Yeah,” the dragon said.
I saw the Four Wizards walk toward us, trudging through the snow.
“Heads up,” I said.
“I see them,” Wiley replied in a low voice.
“Are you ready to see it our way yet?” Sherlock asked.
The four of them stopped near the grindstone. I kept walking, ignoring them.
“You’re not making it easy on yourself,” Ferris said. “Not that I care.”
“We heard you talking to the dragon,” Aaron said. “You shouldn’t.”
“Then why did you place us next to each other?” Wiley asked.
As I came around, I saw him sitting up with his head back.
“You better not breathe fire at us,” Thom said.
“Don’t do it,” I shouted. “They’re not worth it.”
Wiley chuckled, more smoke coming out of his nostrils.
“Seriously,” Aaron said in a concerned tone. “It’s not safe.”
“Does it look like we care about safety right now?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Wiley added in his deep voice.
“Your penalty for not having a PIN is worse than we thought,” Ferris said. “We’ve been doing some calculations, and there’s a chance…”
His voice trailed off. I kept walking.
“A chance for what?” I asked.
“Bigger glitches,” Wiley said, surprising me. “They’re probably right.”
“Finally,” Sherlock said. “The dragon comes to his senses.”
“I’m not sure about any of that stuff, but you need to let me go. My friends are looking for me, and they won’t be happy if they find me as your prisoner.”
All four of the wizards laughed.
“That would be great,” Ferris said. “We need to talk with them and make sure they’re not doing permanent damage to the Tower of Gates.”
“I don’t think they’ll find us,” Thom boasted.
“Time to separate you two.” Ferris stepped forward. “We can’t risk anything happening.”
“Just let me go,” I begged. “Please.”
They laughed again, apparently oblivious to my feelings. Would I grow as cold as them if I spent too long in the game? At least Wiley wasn’t like them.
I stopped walking as the wizards cast a spell in unison. Their magic came together then blasted toward me. I grunted as the multi-colored beam hit me in the chest.
After teleporting through a wormhole—different this time compared to when we had teleported before by blinking—I found myself in a man-sized cage. Being a half-orc, I barely fit in the space.
Exhausted, I fell asleep sitting on the floor of the cage with my back against the bars. While not a comfortable position, after dozens of hours of working straight, I didn’t care.
* * * * *
I woke up the next morning—or was it afternoon?—with a plan. While I had no idea of whether it was day or night, the time of day didn’t matter for what I intended to do.
After Thom brought me my morning gruel, I let the bowl sit instead of gobbling it down like usual. My health, already low, would drop to deadly levels, killing me.
If they didn’t want to be reasonable, I would take away the value of owning me. Death wasn’t real in the game, so it didn’t matter to me one way or the other.
Whether I lived or died, I wanted to be free. Captivity, even for just a week, had dulled my mind and killed whatever hope I had of getting out of the Tower of Gates.
Thom nudged the brown clay bowl with his foot. I stared at the leather boot, wanting to snatch it and twist. My hunger and exhaustion were driving me mad.
Could I go into a barbarian rage and break out? The steel bars looked tough. Even if I managed to get out of the cage, what then? Where would I run?
“You better eat,” Thom said. “You won’t like the alternative.”
“I don’t care if I die,” I said defiantly.
Thom laughed in his carefree way.
“I didn’t say you’d die.” He grinned. “There’s stuff worse than death.”
“You four will pay for what you’re doing to me,” I said.
I grabbed the claw bowl, smashed it on the stone floor, then picked up one of the sharp shards all in one motion. Thom’s eyes widened as I moved it to my throat.
“Better dead than a slave,” I said.
“Don’t you do it!” Thom shouted. “Guys, get in here.”
The other three wizards appeared in the outer room as I slashed my own throat. My eyes widened in shock as blood spurted out like a fountain.
“Get the cage open!” Sherlock said.
Aaron fumbled with the lock then opened it. I started to black out from the loss of blood. Ferris leaned into the cage and slipped a collar around my neck.
You are alive.
You have [1/123] health remaining.
“No!” I shouted, my voice gurgling with blood.
“The wound will close eventually,” Ferris said as he stood up straight.
“You deserve the extra pain,” Sherlock snapped. “Worst slave I ever had.”
I floated in and out of consciousness. Whenever I slipped too close to death, the magic collar healed me just enough to keep me alive. A single tear fell from my left eye.
The Four Wizards, joking and laughing with each other, left the room. I leaned back against the cold metal bars of my cage. Would I ever escape?
I fought my emotions. Whenever angry, happy, or sad appeared, I put them in a box and pushed them to the back of my mind. I needed to think rationally to survive. That was the only way.
My captors gave me a day off after slitting my own throat, but the next day, I was back doing manual labor for them. One day the grindstone, the next chopping wood.
The ring of steel around my neck wouldn’t let me die. If I could somehow get away and keep it, my character would be so powerful. That thought (and Sarah) kept me going.
Days turned into weeks. I sunk deeper into the depths of the Tower of Gates. Hope of ever escaping grew smaller with each passing hour. Could I somehow survive?
20
The Midgaard Arenas
Josh
A month after enslaving me, the Four Wizards decided they wanted to use me in other ways. I peered at them from inside my metal cage, not saying a word.
“You’ve turned into quite a brute,” Ferris said. “This is natural.”
“Now that we’ve completed the ultimate teleportation spell, we’re going home,” Aaron said.
“You should be thankful we’re bringing you,” Thom said.
Sherlock nodded. “Not everyone makes it past level one-four.”
“The warp zone will continue doing its job, but we’ll be bypassing it to get home.” Ferris stepped forward and unlocked the cage. “Are you ready for some fun?”
I grunted once and nodded my approval. Four weeks in captivity hadn’t taken away my speech, but I’d devolved into a primal barbarian only worried about survival.
The Four Wizards stepped back as the door of the cage swung open. I crawled out on all fours, not bothering to stand. They stared down at me like I was their pet.
“Are we sure he’s ready?” Thom asked.
“If not, he dies.” Sherlock grinned. “I’m okay with that outcome.”
“As long as we win some gold at the arena,” Ferris said. “They’ll be surprised once we make it back, and we’ll need as much gold and platinum as possible to bribe the right people. Not to mention the prestige we’ll get for having a winning fighter in the arena.”
“Midgaard!” Thom shouted then pumped his fist in the air.
I stayed near the front of the cage, waiting for their instructions. They’d kept me from Wiley and all other social contact. I’d cracked on week three. Badly.
“Get up,” Ferris said. “Arms out.”
I did as he told me. Was this my new reality?
Sherlock fastened my hands together with connected steel bracelets. Thom worked on shackling my feet with around two-feet of chain for me to walk.
“Once we cast this spell, there’s no coming back,” Ferris said. “Ever.”
“I don’t ever want to come back to the first four levels,” Sherlock said.
“The way out of the game might appear on those levels,” Aaron said. “What then?”
“Shut up,” Thom said. “You’re taking all the fun out of it as usual.”
Ferris stepped aside then said, “March.”
I put one foot in front of the other, raising my knee. Outside the room, I followed the familiar hallway to a set of stairs leading up. As I climbed, bright light hit my eyes.
They hadn’t let me out for a few days as they finished whatever spell they planned to use. I almost hoped it messed up and killed me. Then I could start a new character.
In the main living area of the luxurious cabin in the mountains, I stopped near the door to the outside. My curiosity got the best of me, and I peeked outside to look for Wiley.
The immense red dragon sat on his haunches, restrained with glowing chains of energy. He looked about as beat up as me. Were they going to teleport him away, too?
“Outside,” Ferris said. “Hurry up. We don’t have much time.”
As I walked out of the cabin, I saw the sun setting behind the mountains in the distance. Wiley lifted his head and swung it around. His eyes twinkled briefly.
“Move it,” Sherlock said then shoved me forward.
I almost turned and attacked him, but I knew it wouldn’t end well.
“That’s far enough,” Ferris said after I had taken a few steps.
Killing off all my emotions made it easier to control my rage.
Wiley attempted to sit up, but the magic chains only tightened.
“Give it another minute,” Ferris said. “The sun needs to be just right.”
“Are you sure this will work?” Aaron asked. “Maybe we should wait.”
“Chicken,” I muttered.
Sherlock spun around. “What did you say?” he asked.
“You’re all cowards,” I said, spitting the words out.
“Take that back!” Sherlock demanded.
“Give him a break,” Aaron said.
“I’ll break his hairy back.” Sherlock strode forward. “Do you hear me?”
When I faked a lunge, he flinched, almost falling to the ground.
Thom laughed while Aaron and Ferris fussed with a giant blue crystal. As they positioned it on the ground, the two other wizards calmed down and joined them.
Is this what they’ve been working on for over a month? Some stupid crystal trick? What a bunch of idiots. My anger flared up then died down just as quickly.
“Now!” Sherlock shouted. “For the love of all that’s magic, do it now.”
All four wizards held their palms out, pointing them toward the crystal. Some of the last rays of light from the sun hit the multi-faceted gem. Their chants increased the glow.
I lifted my arms to shield my eyes from the brightness. Something popped, sounding like a gunshot. The bass hit my eardrums, almost deafening me. I heard ringing.
Aaron, Ferris, Sherlock, and Thom all bent to lift the still glowing gem. I watched in horror as a blinding white beam shot out of it and hit the dragon. Wiley screamed.
His cries echoed up and down the mountain as the crystal grew even brighter. I glanced around, wondering if I should make a run for it even with my feet shackled.
The light overtook everything. My vision returned slowly. We’d been teleported off the mountain and in a field. Tall walls in the distance surrounded a bustling city. I saw the Four Wizards but not the dragon. Had they killed him?
“Where’s Wiley?” I asked.
Maybe I could break the chains if I went into a barbarian rage.
“It worked!” Thom shouted then leaped straight up.
Sherlock kneeled on the ground then bowed his head to the grass. The other three wizards joined him. Were they happy their spell had worked?
“Where are we?” I asked.
Ferris stood while the others stayed on the ground. He walked over and threw his arms around me, squeezing tightly. I hated the smell of his dirty green robes.
“Midgaard, stupid orc,” he said then backed away.
The other wizards stood, all of them congratulating each other.
“Why isn’t Wiley with us?” I asked.
“He sacrificed his life to get us back here,” Thom said.
“What?”
I struggled to get out of the shackles.
“Calm down,” Sherlock said. “It’s not as bad as you make it out to be. You’re about to enter Midgaard, one of the greatest cities in the entire game.”
“At least the parts we know about,” Ferris added.
He turned and walked toward the brilliant white walls of the city.
“Bring the barbarian,” he said over his shoulder.
Sherlock raised his hands as if to cast a spell.
I sighed then turned and followed Ferris.
* * * * *
Once we reached the city gates, the wizards stopped. I stood with them surrounding me on all sides. No sound escaped the walls of the city as we waited.
The image of a bearded man formed on the white wall to the right of the double gates. Ferris stepped toward it, his head held high. Where had they taken me?
“State your business,” the bearded man said in a bored tone.
“We’re here for the arenas,” Ferris said then nodded at me.
I looked over at the other three and saw Thom bouncing around like an excited kid ab
out to go to the virtual circus for the first time. He annoyed me.
“Hold on.” The man on the wall sat up. “What’s wrong with your PIN?”
Sherlock scooted toward the wall and waved three long feathers.
“There’s nothing wrong with the PINs,” he said in a sing-song voice.
How powerful were the Four Wizards? Would I ever escape?
“Clear to enter,” the bearded man said.
I heard a deep clicking sound. The two massive gates slid into the wall, allowing us passage. Sherlock came over and shoved me.
“Get going, brute,” he said in a nasty tone.
“Midgaard!” Thom yelled then ran through the gateway.
I followed at a slower pace, amazed at what lay behind the walls. The architecture reminded me of a mix of styles covering thousands of years.
Just inside the walls, tents and mud huts ran the perimeter of the city. I saw men and women of various races walking around in tattered clothes.
“Come on,” Ferris said. “We need to get him registered.”
Sherlock pushed me again. I walked down the main street, following Ferris and Thom. As we headed to the center of the city, the buildings changed.
The architecture reached Roman standards. Shops and taverns lined both sides of the wide, cobblestone street. Thom ran from one to another, peeking through the windows.
“He needs to settle down,” Aaron warned.
I shut the others out of my mind as I took in the sights, smells, and sounds of the thriving metropolis. The Four Wizards had found and taken my Gem of True Sight, but I still soaked in everything around me. Everything looked strange and familiar at the same time.
“Keep an eye on the brute,” Ferris said.
Thom kept dancing around. Aaron walked beside me on my left while Sherlock kept stride on my right. As we progressed deeper into the city, the beings we encountered grew in wealth and status. Up ahead, at the end of the road, I saw the mighty arena.
Ferris stopped near one of several entranceways. He turned as the rest of us stopped. I cursed all of them in my mind as they acted like everything was normal.
“Buff him up,” Sherlock said.
Aaron shook his head then said, “We might get caught.”
“Or we might not,” Ferris countered. “We need the platinum unless you want to sleep in the slums tonight. Nothing from the lower levels is worth anything here, and it might give us away.”
