by Paul Bellow
I spun around and saw her next to Wiley, struggling with his chains. As fireballs exploded around me, I took off toward them, hoping to help free him.
“Nice job taking out most of the fighters,” she said as I stopped next to her.
“Thanks,” I said, glancing around the arena to take stock of the situation.
“I can’t get the chains off,” she said.
My brawn wouldn’t solve the situation. I needed to think.
“Incoming!” Thom yelled as he ran past us.
Wiley covered Monky and me with his left wing as several Flaming Discs of Lava landed. His resistance to fire would come in handy if we freed him. I ran out from under his wing and looked up. The muzzle around his snout looked uncomfortable.
“Cover me,” I said then rummaged in my Sack of Stuff.
I pulled out the Potion of Flying and the Potion of Enlarge.
Time to get a bit creative, I thought as I quaffed the first.
As I flew into the air, I uncorked the enlarge potion. When I flew past Wiley’s head, I dumped the contents between his lips. The liquid barely went in, but it was enough. I flew backward as the dragon grew, doubling in size and breaking his chains.
Wiley roared then shot an immense cone of flame toward the opposing wizards. I saw Sherlock’s beard catch fire as they quickly used a staff to heal themselves. My Boots of Speed wouldn’t allow me to fly faster, but it didn’t matter. I dropped behind what remained of their front line. Ferris and Thom both whipped around, their eyes wide open. I yelled and ran forward, sword out.
Your pierce MAIMS Ferris for 54 damage.
Your slash MUTILATES Ferris for 69 damage.
While part of me wished I could go into another rage and finish them off, my darker side enjoyed watching them squirm. Caught between a double-sized dragon and me, a revenge hungry barbarian hopped up on buffs, the evil Four Wizards scrambled.
“Now!” Sherlock, missing the lower half of his beard, shouted.
Aaron stepped out from behind him and pointed a wand at me.
Why am I fighting these wizards? They’re my friends!
“Come here,” Ferris said in a nasty tone.
I landed then walked over to them.
“You will follow my commands,” he said.
“I will follow your commands,” I repeated.
“Kill the dragon!” Sherlock shouted.
I ran past them toward Wiley.
The giant-sized dragon, barely able to fit underneath the green force field protecting the crowd from us, turned its scale head in my direction. As I got closer, I briefly wondered why I was attacking a friend. My mind fought the idea but couldn’t overturn it.
“You’ve been charmed,” Monky said in my mind.
I slowed then stopped, looking around and wondering if I should kill her first.
“Over here,” she said. “To your left.”
I turned my head and saw her red and orange robes nearby.
“Fight it,” she continued. “You can do this…”
Once again, I wondered why I was attacking the dragon. This time, I caught a foothold and managed to pull myself up out of the fog. As the spell broke, I turned and saw the evil Four Wizards whispering to each other and pointing.
Monky walked over as I reached up and grabbed my pounding head.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Two lightning bolts whizzed by and hit Wiley.
“I’ll be fine,” I said. “We need to kill them.”
Aaron walked up and said, “We have an idea.”
“Keep talking.” I glanced back at the other wizards. “Make it quick. They’re casting something big, and I don’t know if we can handle much more.”
“It’s the green gems,” he said then looked up at the nearest one. “If we had them, we could cast a spell to kill the evil wizards.”
“That’s all?” I asked sarcastically.
“Incoming!” Thom shouted then ran past us.
Aaron, Monky, and I ran behind Wiley. The dragon continued menacing the other side while offering us a bit of protection from all the craziness.
“You need the gems,” I said. “You’ll have the gems.”
“Wait…” Monky said as I ran toward the nearest pole.
“Be careful,” she continued in my mind.
As I lifted my arms to take flight, I realized the potion had worn off. I had no official climbing skill, but I didn’t let that stop me from shimmying up the pole. My slow progress made me a perfect opportunity for pot shots. A dozen or more golden bolts hit me.
The Golden Bolts MAIM you for 59 damage.
You have [332/223+223] health remaining.
I ignored the pain and kept climbing. Down below, the battle raged on. I glanced over at the audience. They looked almost peaceful as they jumped around and moved without any sounds. An explosion popped in the air next to me as I reached the top.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Wiley, still huge, gallop toward the other four wizards. I wished him the best of luck and examined the green gem. For something so vital, it wasn’t attached to the pole very well. I grabbed it and yanked.
The green field surrounding the arena dimmed. I could faintly hear the crowd cheering. Another pop nearby brought me back to the moment. I dropped the green gem on the loose dirt far below then climbed down as quickly as I could manage.
Aaron stood at the bottom, holding the giant green gem like a baby.
“Great job,” he said. “Can you get the other five?”
I sighed as I glanced around the battlefield. The evil Four Wizards had constructed a thick wall of stone around them for protection.
“Yeah,” I said. “Give me a few.”
“Hold on,” Aaron said. “I can help.”
After carefully setting the gem down, he waved his hands to cast a spell.
You are invisible.
You can fly.
I grinned even though Aaron couldn’t see me.
“Be back in a bit,” I said then jumped into the sky.
I flew to the next pole, easily removing the green gem. The sounds of the audience grew louder as I slipped it in my Sack of Stuff for safe keeping. I continued to the next one, getting it easily too. When I made it to the fifth green gem, I hit a snag.
The evil Four Wizards must’ve realized what was happening, because they emerged from their stone fortress and flew toward the sixth gem on a pole. By this time, the cheers and jeers of the crowd couldn’t be missed. I pulled the fifth gem and bagged it.
Several lightning bolts shot toward me after I snagged it. I flew up the to the left, heading for the center of the arena. Why didn’t I ask how long these spells would last? I asked myself as I floated in the air, looking for an easy way to snag the last gem.
The invisibility and flying spells both wore off at the same time. I tumbled to the ground, taking some damage. Monky rushed over as I sat up and rubbed my head.
“We need the last one,” she said.
I stood and peered over at the evil Four Wizards huddled around the last pole. A brute would rush them and hope for the best, but I needed to be smart.
“Can you make them think it’s falling?” I asked.
“Maybe,” Monky said.
She bowed her head and chanted some words before looking up at the evil wizards. I saw the four of them step back then cast a spell on the pole, toppling it over. The green gem on top broke off and rolled away. I ran toward it as the crowd cheered.
The four good wizards stood on the far side of the arena as I rushed toward the magic gem. Sherlock ran toward me, but I pushed him out of the way. After scooping up the gem about the size of a football, I ran as fast as I could toward the good wizards.
I remembered my footballs days as I zig-zagged across the arena as lightning bolts and colored beams flew around me. Keep your eye and mind on the goal line, I told myself as I kept running at full speed. The ground shook, but I continued toward the others.
The crowd chanted
my name as I got closer.
“Got them!” I yelled as I approached.
I dropped the gem in my arms then unslung the magic sack from my shoulder. The Four Wizards ran up and grabbed them. Aaron and Ferris held two each while the other two wizards held a single green gem. I glanced back at the other wizards.
“They’re coming,” I said. “Make it quick.”
I ran in front of the Four Wizards to give them a bit more time as their evil counterparts ran toward us. The crowd continued chanting my name as they got closer.
“Out of the way!” Thom shouted.
I dropped to the dirt on my stomach and stared ahead. A brilliant green beam shot through the air toward the evil Four Wizards. When it hit them, they stopped, wilted, then blew away like dust. The roar from the audience was at least double anything I had heard before.
As Monky and the Four Wizards walked over to me, I stood. Wiley shrunk to his normal size but not before blasting a huge fireball into the air high above the coliseum. I glanced over at the section behind us where the announcer and dignitaries sat to enjoy the shows.
“We have a winner!” Artemis said, his voice amplified.
Monky walked up and put her arm around my waist, squeezing tight as I looked over at one of the owners of the coliseum. Artemis smiled and lifted a hand in the air.
“Please remember all bets must be paid before you leave the coliseum. Failure to do so will result in your imprisonment,” he said.
I turned to Monky and smiled.
“We did it,” I said.
She removed her hand and stepped back before saying, “You helped.”
Artemis went on to announce a month-long party for the entire city to celebrate the return of the genuine Four Wizards to civilized society.
“Good thinking on that last gem,” Sherlock said.
I grinned, trying not to let the praise go to my head.
“Can you teleport me back to the lower levels?” I asked.
Before the Four Wizards could answer, Monky asked, “You’re not staying for the celebration?”
“I can stay for a day, I guess, but I’m getting close to the one-year penalty,” I said.
Aaron nodded his head.
“He’s right,” he said. “We need to get him back before that timer’s up. I’m not sure what would happen between him not having a PIN and defying a penalty of the gamemaster by escaping to the higher levels.”
The party in the crowd continued as the Four Wizards teleported us back to the evil Four Wizards’ tower complex. I wouldn’t miss all the slavery and hatred I had encountered in Midgaard, but I would miss others—Monky and Wiley the most.
Would she come with me back to the lower levels?
36
Big City, Bright Lights
Josh
After appearing in a room at the base of the Four Wizards’ connected towers, I walked over to Ferris. He smiled as I approached. The others formed a group a few feet away.
“Great job today,” he said. “Excellent use of your brain over brawn.”
“Thanks, but I really need to get back to find my friends,” I said.
Ferris nodded, his black, curly hair bouncing as he moved.
“There’s only one way we can get you back to the Tower of Gates and the lower levels safely,” he said. “Lucky for you, it’s been something we’ve been meaning to do for a while.”
What now? I wondered.
Monky glanced up at me.
I shrugged, unsure of anything.
“Station?” Ferris called out.
The other three wizards turned.
“Station!” they shouted in unison.
All four of them ran toward each other. They hit at full speed. Instead of toppling over and falling to the floor, a bright light flashed. As I regained my sight, I saw a single, tall figure. He turned, wearing a multi-colored robe, and smiled.
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “My name is Viz. Thank you both for all your help.”
“Okay,” I said. “What’s going on?”
“Yeah,” Monky added. “What did we just see?”
Viz chuckled then sat on the floor with his legs crossed.
“Come here,” he said, motioning for us with a giant hand.
Monky and I glanced at each other before going over to Viz.
He smiled and said, “My experiment is finally finished thanks to you two.”
“Experiment?” I asked.
“As you know, many of us are still striving to escape the Tower of Gates and enter the physical world,” Viz said. “Many years ago, I split myself into four separate characters in order to explore ways to get out of the game. My four selves worked tirelessly to find a solution, but they ended up going down the wrong road and created four evil versions of themselves. With my personality so split up, I forgot who I was in the beginning.”
I nodded as if I understood what he was saying.
“You’re him,” Monky said with a small gasp.
Viz and I both turned to her.
“I’ve heard rumors about you,” she said, nodding.
“Only good ones, I hope,” he said.
His smile mesmerized me.
“Can you still get me back to the Tower of Gates?” I asked.
Viz nodded.
“That’s why I needed to reform myself into a single character,” he said. “After we killed the other four wizards, I remembered who I was in the beginning. I’m more powerful now than I was before. Teleporting you past the Warp Zone is not a problem for me.”
I smiled and looked over at Monky.
“We’re going back,” I said.
She pursed her lips together.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“She wants to stay,” Viz said.
Monky nodded.
“I can’t go back there with this body,” she said. “And I want to keep it.”
“No worries,” I said, slapping on a smile. “You do you.”
I turned back to Viz. He had somehow taken on the attributes of the Four Wizards.
“Getting you back is important,” he said. “I’m one of the original players, and I’ve logged over a thousand years in the game. After that long, time becomes somehow less aggressive. Does that make sense?”
I shook my head. He laughed like a friendly father.
Monky leaned forward and asked, “Are you one of the original six?”
Viz nodded.
“I split myself a long time ago. That’s why I’m no longer sure how long I’ve been inside the game. Everything I’ve tried during that time has never worked.” He turned to me. “You not having a prisoner identification number is not unique, but there’s something else special about you.”
“I’m not special,” I said.
Nearly a years’ worth of captivity had taught me a bit of humility.
“You’re more special than you think,” Viz said.
“Did some of the original six escape?” Monky asked. “Are the rumors true?”
“Not that I know of,” Viz said. “I would know if one of them got out.”
“This is all so nuts,” I said, the reality of the situation hitting me.
“It can be overwhelming, but you need to remember there’s a world outside of this,” Viz said. “The Tower of Gates wants you to forget the real world, wants you to more fully accept this generated world as reality. You’re only experiencing the very outer levels.”
“How far up the tower have you been?” Monky asked.
Viz tilted his head back a bit and observed her before answering.
“High enough,” he said then turned back to me. “You returning before your one-year penalty is up is essential. I’m not sure what would happen if you didn’t go.”
I clapped my hands together then said, “That’s great. Let’s do this.”
Viz untangled his legs then stood.
“We can’t go just yet,” he said. “There’s one more thing we need to do. You can’t go back with a c
lear memory of what happened on level one-nine. In fact, you shouldn’t recall any of your year-long penalty clearly. With your having no PIN, the gamemaster might decide to punish you. That wouldn’t be good. If you allow me to erase your memory, you’ll have plausible deniability. All your adventures after you spawned will be like fading dreams. You’ll keep your current level and skills, but you’ll have no knowledge of how you got them.”
“That’s a lot to digest,” I said.
“Brains over brawn,” Viz said then smiled. “And treat others in here as you’d like to be treated. Beyond the numbers and levels and statistics, the gamemaster watches how you play your role in the Tower of Gates. Are you a villain or a hero?”
“I’m neither,” I said.
Viz’s smile deepened.
“You’re learning,” he said. “If we send you back without erasing most of your memory, there’s a chance you’d be isolated by yourself and tormented by the gamemaster until you’re taught your lesson.”
“Are the rumors about the game glitching true?” Monky asked.
“You have a lot of questions, little one,” Viz said then smiled. “I’ll answer them after our young friend is returned to his proper place.”
His words gave me a sense of peace somehow. I wasn’t sure if it was the tone of his voice or his vocabulary, but something about him made me feel it would all be okay in the end.
“Look into this light,” Viz said.
It flashed once brightly.
My vision faded.
* * * * *
I appeared in the Tower of Gates with a faint recollection of something. Was it all a dream? Had I fallen asleep inside the tower? If so, how had I gained levels? As questions piled up in my mind, I wandered down the long, curved hallway.
The only two portals activated were for the first two levels. Should I wait for the gamemaster or go into one of the portals? And which one? I glanced down and noticed a piece of paper attached to a string tied around my wrist. I carefully pulled it off then read the note which told me to go to the second level and look for Sarah in a town called Esterhollow. At the sight of her name, my heart beat faster. Could I find her? After all this time? How much time had passed?
