by Paul Bellow
“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Sherlock said.
He sounded more tolerant than his evil counterpart.
“If we don’t kill the other Four Wizards,” Thom said. “We can’t get our full powers back.”
“Full powers?” I asked.
“Since splitting the four of us into eight, none of us have been able to use our full powers,” Aaron explained.
“You mean the other four wizards might become even more powerful?” I shook my head. “We don’t stand a chance against them.”
“They’re weak now, too,” Monky said. “Because they didn’t kill the original wizards.”
“Ugh,” I sighed then shook my head. “This is all too much. It doesn’t make sense. Why didn’t they kill you instead of imprisoning you?”
“They didn’t have enough power,” Ferris said. “We need to contact the Guild Council and set up a Death Match in the arena to settle this once and for all.”
“Will you help us?” Thom asked.
“If you help me get back to the lower levels,” I said.
“We’ll help you find your friends,” Sherlock said.
Could I trust them? I didn’t have much of a choice. A world with an evil set of Four Wizards wasn’t acceptable. I also wanted revenge.
“Let’s do this,” I said.
Ferris turned to Thom and said, “Go tell Wiley to fly to Asangard and wait for us.”
The red-haired mage ran toward the dragon to deliver the message. I thought about what the Four Wizards wanted me to do.
“You’re doing the right thing,” Monky said.
I nodded, hoping she was right.
34
Guild Council Decision
Josh
After Wiley left, everyone joined hands in a circle. The Four Wizards chanted their ancient words, teleporting us away. We appeared in a plain stone room. I glanced around, not seeing any doors or windows on the smooth, grey walls.
“Where are we?” I asked. “Were you lying to me?”
“Settle down,” Ferris said. “We’re in the Guild Council’s tower.”
“Their security is tight,” Thom added.
I nodded then looked over at Monky.
“Have you been here before?” I asked.
She shook her head.
“My first time, too,” she said. “The Guild Council is a big deal on level one-nine.”
“What about the other city-states?” I asked.
“They’re all run differently,” Aaron said.
One of the four walls disappeared. I looked through the opening and saw an impressive boardroom. The Four Wizards walked forward with Monky close behind.
“Come on,” she said over her shoulder.
I followed them, stopping at one end of an ornate wooden table running the length of the long, rectangular room. A dozen men and women sat on either side. I noticed nobody sitting at the head of the table. Artemis, fat and sweaty, was the only person I recognized.
“We come asking the council’s wisdom,” Ferris said.
“That’s my barbarian!” Artemis said, wheezing and pointing a pudgy finger. “You four sold him to me then freed him. I demand restitution.”
“We did no such thing,” Sherlock said. “Our evil clones did it.”
Everyone on the Guild Council looked at each other.
“I can explain,” Ferris said, “if you give me the opportunity.”
“Thieves don’t deserve opportunities,” Artemis said.
A few of the man and women around him nodded in agreement.
“How do you explain the fact there’s another set of wizards?” Thom asked.
“We’re telling the truth,” Ferris said. “You must believe us.”
“I believe you’ll give me back my property,” Artemis said.
He turned his thick head toward me, sweat running down his brow.
“Over my dead body,” I muttered.
After so long in captivity, I never wanted to be imprisoned again.
“Quiet,” a tall, thin elf with blond hair said. “The Guild Council Chair isn’t here, so…”
“I’m here,” Gord-En said, surprising me and everyone else in the room.
He walked through a doorway and pulled out the chair at the head of the table. Before sitting down, he pointed at me and said, “That barbarian saved my life. We should listen.”
Artemis huffed and sat back in his chair but said nothing.
“Thank you,” Ferris said. “Our proposal is simple. To avoid any problems with duplicated characters running about on the same level, one set of Four Wizards needs to die. And in order to make it fair, we propose a grand Death Match in the coliseum.”
Artemis leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “I’m listening,” he said.
“There’s a lot of coin to be made with a battle of eight wizards,” Monky said.
Gord-En sat down and leaned back in the high back leather chair.
“Four of the wizards tried to kill me,” he said. “What guarantee do you have that you’re not as evil as the wizards you call your clones?”
I inched to my left, away from the Four Wizards.
“Fair question,” Sherlock said. “Aaron?”
The wizard in black robes stepped to the table.
“It’s not safe for us to be on the same level with our clones for long,” Aaron said. “We’re willing to travel back through the Warp Zone and allow the other Four Wizards to stay here.”
“Solomon, huh?” Gord-En asked then chuckled.
“I don’t quite get the reference,” Aaron said.
“Of course you don’t,” Gord-En said. “Nevermind. I believe you’re telling the truth, but if you’re not, we’ll settle that if you make it out of the arena alive.”
“You’re letting us do it?” Ferris asked.
Thom clapped his hands and smiled.
“What about the dragon?” Artemis asked. “The dragon will draw a bigger crowd, but we can’t have him helping one side more than the other. I propose we chain him to the middle of the arena. He’ll fight for whichever group frees him first.”
“Wiley’s a free man,” I said, then added, “or dragon. A free dragon. He can choose who he wants to fight with at the match.”
Artemis laughed, his multiple chins jiggling. “You’re too much, barbarian,” he said.
“We agree,” Ferris said, surprising me.
Gord-En slammed his fists on the table then stood.
“It’s settled,” he said. “The match will be tomorrow.”
“So soon?” Monky asked. “We’re not ready.”
“I can’t stay in Midgaard long, but I want to see this epic battle,” Gord-En said then turned his head toward Artemis. “And I want to make sure this is a true Death Match with no rules and nothing stopping until everyone on one side is dead. This is a fight to the death.”
Gord-En, the master rogue, glanced around the table.
“Anything else before I go?” he asked.
Not a single person spoke up. Gord-En’s authority and charisma made an impression on me. Would I ever be as powerful as him inside the Tower of Gates?
The question concerned me. Was I getting drawn deeper into the game? I needed to help the Four Wizards win the battle so they would return me to the lower levels. Eric and Sarah had to be worried about me after such a long time apart.
“See everyone tomorrow at the coliseum,” Gord-En said then left the room.
How had a rogue become the head of the Guild Council? And what did they do exactly? I had so many questions as the Four Wizards turned and left the room. Monky grabbed my arm and pulled before following them. I walked along, still stunned.
A little over an hour earlier, I had been locked in a cage ready to kill myself. Now, I had a chance to help the Four Wizards and get back to the lower levels of the game to find Eric and Sarah. So much had changed in such a short period of time.
We went back into the stone room. The Four Wizards once
again cast their teleport spell. All of us appeared in a plush garden in someone’s backyard. I glanced around and noticed two women whispering while pointing at us.
“The targeting is still off,” Aaron said. “We need to adjust.”
Sherlock waved his hand like he didn’t care.
“Can you guys teleport me through the Warp Zone safely?” I asked. “When the other Four Wizards did it, they killed what I guess was the second copy of Wiley. Did you clone him, too?”
Aaron frowned and nodded before bowing his head and staring at the thick green grass.
“That explains some of it,” I said.
Monky walked toward a fence with a gate on the other side of the lawn.
“Come on,” she said. “We don’t want to get in trouble with the City Watch.”
“Are they anything like the City Guard in Midgaard?” I asked.
“Worse,” she said.
I followed her and the Four Wizards to an alley behind the house where we had appeared. While not as evil as their counterparts, they appeared to be just as bumbling and eccentric. Maybe I could find another way back to find Eric and Sarah?
As we emerged into a main street, I noticed a distinctly different vibe in the city. The people I passed wore grey, bland clothes covering most of their body. Everyone avoided eye contact as they passed on one side or the other.
“Wiley will be waiting a few blocks away,” Monky said as we walked.
I glanced to the right and saw a man in dark grey plate mail scowling at everyone. When he made eye contact with me, I turned away and kept walking.
“Can we actually win tomorrow?” I asked. “Everything’s happening so fast.”
“We’ll be fine,” she said. “You still don’t realize how special you are, do you?”
I glanced over and asked, “What do you mean?”
“You don’t have a PIN,” she said. “That’s rare in here.”
“Does it give me special abilities or something?”
Monky shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “You’ve been very lucky so far.”
“Lucky, huh?” I snorted then shook my head.
“Things can always get worse in here. Don’t forget it.”
“Is every city on this level so dark?” I asked.
“No,” Monky answered. “A few are nice.”
I turned to my left as Aaron walked up to us.
“Before Magi Inyontoo, all the city-states worked together,” he said. “I’ve documented some of the history of the downfall. The story is a sad one.”
“Will they be checking for enchantments before the match tomorrow?” I asked.
Part of me wanted to experience the thrill of enhanced abilities in the arena one more time, but I also dreaded the eventual come-down period.
“We’ll help you,” Aaron said. “Don’t worry.”
“In a safe way,” Monky added. “Not like the other four.”
“This game is something else,” I said.
I twirled the ring that allowed me to talk OOC. Throughout everything, I had kept it with me. As I spent more time in the game—almost an entire year—I found it more difficult to remember events from the real world. They seemed dreamlike, somehow unreal.
We prepared all night for the battle the next day. I had some idea of what to expect, but with eight wizards and a dragon in the arena, things might get strange.
35
Battle of Eight Wizards
Josh
The next afternoon, a few hours before the sun would begin its descent on the horizon, I stood underneath the coliseum with Monky and the Four Wizards. Between her mind-control tricks and their arcane knowledge, we had picked up quite a few magic items. With no rules and anything permissible, I wanted to have my revenge on the evil clones who had kept me as their toy for far too long. I went over the list of my new magic items as we waited for the opening match to finish.
+30 Ring of Strength
+30 Headband of Might
Boots of Speed
+30 Bracelets of Defense
+40 Two-Handed Sword
Medium Sized Sack of Stuff
Potion of Heal All Wounds x12
Potion of Flying
Potion of Extend Rage
Potion of Enlarge
+20 Longsword
While only a level nine barbarian with two-hundred and twenty-three health points, the original Four Wizards increased my total health with a spell safer than the ones their evil counterparts had cast on me. Basically, it doubled my health for ten hours.
I doubted the battle would take that long. Even if it did, they each had their own Sack of Stuff full of magical wonders. I glanced over at Monky and saw her in long red and orange robes. She caught me looking and smiled. I motioned for her to come over.
As the Four Wizards talked to each other, Monky stepped toward me. She stopped about a foot away, glancing up at my face. Happy to see her, I grinned.
“I’m so glad you’re still alive,” I said. “And I forgive you for that gruesnipe trick.”
“We all have to do what’s necessary sometimes,” she said in a serious tone.
I took a deep breath, wondering if we could defeat the other wizards.
“Will they have someone fighting with them?” I asked. “Do you know?”
She nodded and said, “Probably. They’re very wealthy.”
I pushed thoughts of getting back to the lower levels of the game out of my mind as I prepared for the fight ahead. Even after countless battles in the arena, I still dreaded the forced conflict. Smug people like Artemis only made it worse—the idea they would make money off it.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
I chuckled. “Were you reading my mind again?”
“No, but I can read people’s auras well,” she said.
“Oh, yeah?”
I nodded, not sure if I believed her. Then again, we were in a virtual world where stranger things had happened. She reached out and put a hand on my arm.
“We’ve got this,” she said. “Don’t worry. We’ll win.”
I nodded again, still not convinced.
Tommy Two-Toes walked by and nodded his head. I returned the gesture, surprised he hadn’t been killed already. A couple of the other fighters I knew also walked by, some nodding and others looking down and avoiding eye contact. Did they know something?
A horrific shriek sounded outside in the arena. The Four Wizards walked over.
“Ready?” Ferris asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “We’ve got this.”
Monky smiled but said nothing.
“Remember,” Aaron began, “concentrate on freeing Wiley. He’s the key to winning this battle. And try to help out anyone on our team who’s in trouble.”
“I’ve done this before,” I said.
“A battle this big?” Sherlock asked.
“No, but I’ve got a good feeling about this.” I turned and walked up the ramp, calling over my shoulder, “You guys don’t want to live forever, do you?”
When I reached the top of the familiar dirt ramp leading up and into the arena, I stopped and looked around, not hearing the audience. Six large wooden poles with giant green gems on top of them surrounded the brick walls protecting the fans.
The others made it to the top and looked around. I saw Wiley chained to a huge boulder in the center of the arena. Everything felt surreal without the sound of the crowd going wild. I didn’t see the evil Four Wizards or anyone else on the far side.
“Remember the plan,” Ferris said. “We need to free the dragon.”
“That’s a big boulder,” I said.
On the other side of the arena, I saw the other Four Wizards appear. How different were their spells? I wondered. Several dozen fighters, including Tommy Two-Toes, walked around and in front of the wizards. This isn’t good.
While I could defeat any one or two of them separately, a few dozen of them could overpower me easily. They understood how to win arena battles. I drew my s
word and held it in front of me with both hands. The steel felt good in my hands.
“Any ideas on the boulder, guys?” Thom asked.
Before anyone answered, the other wizards launched their first salvo. Several fireballs arced through the air, barely missing the green forcefield covering the battlefield. Aaron and Ferris stepped forward, chanting and waving their hands.
The fireballs slammed into a clear wall they threw up in front of us. Each of the three exploded, but none of us were hurt by the blasts. I reached in the Sack of Stuff slung over my shoulder and pulled the Potion of Extend Rage.
Wiley thrashed about, his mouth muzzled, preventing him from spewing fire. He polymorphed to human form momentarily, but the chains changed to fit him. I activated my barbarian rage then ran forward with a blood curdling scream.
Over a dozen fighters from the other side rushed to intercept me. A couple of fireballs and an extremely thick lightning bolt arced overhead, landing on the other side of the dragon. I ran past Wiley, not wanting to accidentally attack him.
Between the potion and my rage abilities, I could control and focus the rage a bit better, but it was still a gamble. Tommy Two-Toes came ran at me, leading the few fighters still alive after the magic barrage. I swung my sword, chopping off a leg.
“That’s my last two toes!” he cried.
I left him on the blood-soaked ground as I rushed at the next gladiator, a man I had fought beside a few times. He raised a trident and threw it at me.
The trident MAIMS you for 55 damage.
You have [391/223+223] health remaining.
The flimsy weapon bounced off my chest. I plowed into the poor guy. He didn’t stand a chance as I swiftly swung my sword three times.
Your slash EVISCERATES the gladiator for 134 damage.
Your slash DISEMBOWELS the gladiator for 114 damage.
Your slash DISMEMBERS the gladiator for 167 damage.
The gladiator is dead!
I danced and weaved around another dozen fighters before my rage died down.
“Help!” Monky shouted behind me.
