by Phoenix Grey
Still, that didn't negate the fact that he had to piss like a racehorse and the damn game wouldn't let him out.
“Log off,” he said aloud, hoping that giving voice to his thoughts would work as some kind of override. Nothing happened. “Help function,” he tried. Still nothing. “Administration.” His frustration grew with each attempt. There had to be some way to get out of the game. What Uden had said couldn't possibly be true.
He watched as Uden disappeared inside of the farmhouse, not even bothering to look back at him.
Azure closed his eyes and concentrated on just about everything he could think of that would bring up a logoff prompt, but nothing worked. From what he could tell, it was broken. Well, that was one function that had utterly failed this beta.
“Shit.” He looked around for a place to relieve himself, wondering if he'd piss his pants in real life if he gave it a try. It definitely wasn't worth finding out. Holding it sucked, but hopefully someone would pull him out of the game before his bladder exploded like an overfilled water balloon.
With nothing else to do, Azure continued on to the farmhouse. He paused at the door, wondering if he should knock, but then ultimately decided to just walk in. Smoke wafted out from the hearth, carrying with it the faint scent of cooking meat and vegetables. The flames from the fire and a few tallow candles were the only things illuminating the small space.
Azure found Uden and Manny sitting around a wooden table with a woman and a man, presumably Uden's mother and brother. The woman had a willowy look to her. She was slender with pale features, her eyes so blue that they were almost gray. Her long flaxen hair was held back away from her face. This woman was most certainly not Uden's real mother.
Lonnell seemed to mostly take after his father. He had the same broad body and square jaw. The same dark hair and a five o'clock shadow. Azure imagined that he was probably the mirror image of Manny in his younger days. The only difference in their overall appearance was that Lonnell had his mother's eerily blue eyes instead of his father's brown ones.
“It took you long enough.” Uden twisted in his seat to face Azure. “I was just telling them about how you were talking to yourself.” He glanced over at his father. “Really, I don't think he's quite well yet.” There was the hint of a smile tugging at his thin lips.
Asshole.
“I'm fine,” Azure grudgingly insisted as he closed the door behind himself.
Manny stood to make introductions. “Azure, this is my lovely wife, Meva, and my son, Lonnell.”
Azure was still wondering how Uden played into the family dynamic. Step-son maybe? Meva definitely wasn't an imp.
“It's a pleasure.” He nodded politely to them both.
Taking his seat, Manny asked. “So was it done?”
“It was done. We killed the little bastards but not before they destroyed a sizable amount of the garden,” Uden replied regrettably, though Azure knew the truth. They could have attacked earlier. There was no good reason why Uden had allowed the dark sprites to cause so much destruction. Something was definitely amiss, but he didn't think it wise to bring up right now. Starting a family brawl probably wasn't the best way to secure room and board.
The frown on Manny's face caused Azure's gut to bubble with guilt for not acting sooner. “Come have a seat and fill your belly. I'm sure you're famished.” He gestured to the bench he was sitting on, and Lonnell moved over to make room for him.
A message notification popped up in Azure's field of vision.
Congratulations! Quest: Defeat the Dark Sprites has been completed.
You have fulfilled your debt to Manny by getting rid of the dark sprites. You are now a welcome guest in his home and have secured your bed of straw in the barn for as long as you want it. You have also earned 20XP.
"Hopefully that's the last we'll see of the dark sprites for a while," Lonnell said while his mother left the table to pour Azure a horn of water and start dishing out portions of the stew that was bubbling over the fire.
"Hopefully," Manny agreed.
"The forest seems to have a limitless supply." Uden's eyes widened for effect and his voice shown exhaustion from having to deal with them.
"They have to be coming from somewhere. Have you traced them to their source?" Azure asked.
"I'm not sure that would be the best idea." Uden turned his horn lazily in his hands. "The sprite settlement here has a little under two hundred sprites. We don't know how far the corruption has spread. All of the sprites could be infected. Walking into a settlement of sprites is already risky considering that they're incredibly wary of humans. Walking into a settlement of dark sprites is a death sentence." He blew out a deep breath. "No one has visited Baremire in months. And even if we were to go now, and the majority of the sprites weren't corrupted, I don't think the Tree Queen would take too kindly to the fact that we just killed a bunch of her people, magicked or not."
"Why didn't you go to her first and talk about the corruption?" Azure couldn't understand the shoot first ask questions later mentality.
Shaking his head, Manny said, "Too risky. Besides, what were we supposed to do, allow them to destroy all of our crops? They attacked first."
He did have a point. Still, Azure was a bit uneasy about the whole situation. It felt like a war was brewing between the sprites and the humans, and no one even seemed to be sure why.
He thought for a moment before speaking, directing his attention to Uden. "You mentioned that the reason all of this misfortune has befallen your farm lately is because you angered the god Finborh. If he was angry at you, then why take it out on the sprites?"
"That's what I've been wondering," Lonnell chimed in before thanking his mother with a courteous nod for the stew she sat in front of him.
"It's not just us that have experienced misfortune. It's the entire island," Manny informed him.
"What exactly happened that he became angry?" Azure asked.
"No one really knows," Lonnell replied.
"Or at least, no one will speak up about it," Uden added dryly.
"Is there any way to find out?" Azure questioned.
"We sent an envoy to meet with Finborh a few weeks ago, but he never returned." The graveness in Manny's voice was a good indication of what he thought had happened to that envoy.
"Then send someone else?" Azure fully expected to see a quest screen pop up in his field of vision. He was waiting for it. The opportunity to meet a God in the game was exciting.
"I volunteered to go." Uden raised a hand.
"You know I need you here." Manny frowned. "It's too long of a journey for you to be away. It's taking everything all of us have just to get by in these troubling times."
Silent tension filled the room. A quick glance between Manny and Uden gave Azure the impression that they had argued about this before. More than likely, Manny was afraid that Uden wouldn't return...and not because he might die. With Uden's obvious desire to leave the island, it wasn't farfetched to believe he may abandon the quest and use it as an excuse to escape.
"We should leave this place," Uden said stiffly.
"We're not leaving." Manny's eyes bore into him as if to say that the conversation was over.
"What we need to do is find out the true cause of all of this. I am with our new friend." Lonnell bobbed his head in Azure's direction. "Risky or not, we should go speak with the sprites."
"Too dangerous," Manny insisted.
"At the very least, we should investigate how far the darkness has spread." Lonnell tried to reason with his father. "If they haven't all been infected, we should talk to the Tree Queen. The sprites may know something about this curse that we do not. If we sit here and do nothing, whether you like it or not, we will be forced to leave.
"It's less than a two day's journey to Baremire by foot. I know it would be hard on you and mother, but I think you can spare a few days without us for the possibility of finding a solution to this."
A notice popped up in Azure's field of vision.
Quest: Investigate Baremire
Lonnell seems to think that the answer to why Finborh has cursed the island may lie at Baremire. He wants to make the journey to see how far the corruption has spread and, if possible, speak to the Tree Queen.
Difficulty: Easy
Success: Reach Baremire
Failure: Die
Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?
There was no question in Azure's mind about his answer. He was ready to leave the farm and explore more of what The Realm had to offer.
“I think he's right,” he told Manny. “This curse isn't going to go away on its own. If you sit idly by and do nothing, it will chase you away from your land. I do not mind accompanying your son on this mission. It's the least I can do to repay you for everything you've done for me.”
The lines in Manny's face deepened as he thought for a moment before turning his attention to Uden. “You will go as well?”
“They wouldn't survive without me.” He gave Manny a look as if to say it was obvious, though, to Azure's surprise, he really didn't seem excited about going. Not knowing Lonnell's skills, Azure wasn't sure if that was a correct assumption or not, but he would have liked to think that he and Lonnell would be able to do just fine on their own. The idea of spending any more time with the angsty half-imp wasn't exactly appealing. There would likely be a lot of ballbusting on their continued journey together.
“I guess I can't convince you otherwise.” Manny huffed before picking up his spoon.
“It's settled then.” Lonnell clapped his palms on top of the wooden table. “We leave tomorrow.”
“The day after tomorrow,” Uden corrected him before throwing a glance in Azure's direction. “We need to go to the market tomorrow and trade in our loot for supplies.”
“Your loot?” Lonnell furrowed his brows.
“Don't worry about it.” Waving the question away, Uden turned his attention to his food.
Once again, silent tension simmered. An uneasiness roiled in Azure's stomach as he thought about the dark sprite wings he had collected. Something told him that selling them might be wrong. He had nothing, though, so what other choice did he have?
They ate their meal quietly, for the most part, making small talk here and there. Azure was surprised as the various flavors from the stew flooded his senses when he took his first bite. It was as if the food was real. He pressed his teeth into the tender meat and sloshed the salty broth around in his mouth. The consistency, the taste...everything was spot on.
A disturbing thought hit him then.
The more time he spent in the game, the more he forgot that it was a game.
Reality was slowly beginning to slip away...which was great for the marketability of the game, but less great for a now terrified beta tester. It was a reminder that he needed to get out. Maybe he was just being a pussy, but the immersion of this world was becoming too much for him.
Even worse, he still had to piss, and it seemed like consuming the water and stew had only made that urge more prevalent. Pain assaulted his bladder. Every minor shift of his body made him more aware of his need for release. If he waited much longer, his bladder might rupture. With the game not letting him out, Azure was running out of options.
Not wanting to be rude, he finished his meal before excusing himself. The discomfort was too much to bear. Thankfully, Manny offered him a lantern before he left. The sun had faded over the horizon, and the sky was cloudy, shielding the moon from casting its illuminating beams on the land.
Azure walked hastily out of the house, teetering between mental and physical anguish, feeling the scales tipping towards no longer giving a shit if he pissed himself at work. This was going to be embarrassing as hell, but he had reached his limit. Hopefully, they wouldn't fire him over it. After all, it's not like it was his fault he was stuck in the game. No voice or mental commands were working to get him out. He was trapped, and there was no other choice.
Finding a nearby tree to relieve himself on, Azure sighed as his bladder began to empty. Peeing had never felt so good, he thought as he listened to the splattering on the tree trunk. Even the sensation of urinating was just as real as it would have been outside of the game.
Insects chirped in the surrounding forest and the night air cooled Azure's skin. Uden's words replayed in his mind. What if this really wasn't a game?
One thing was for certain, if he had just peed all over himself in real life, someone would definitely be pulling him out of the game once they smelled it. Perhaps that's how he should gauge if this was all real or not.
With a contented sigh, he headed back towards the barn. The lantern in his hand cast a soft glow before him, just enough to see a few feet ahead. A shadow moving next to the barn door made Azure stop dead in his tracks and clutch his chest. Uden appeared half a second later, causing him to let out the breath that had stilled in his lungs.
“Do you always sneak up on people like this?” He held his lantern up, hoping to momentarily blind Uden. The flame cast a yellow tint on his face, making him seem even less human.
“It's not my fault you're not very perceptive. That will get you killed someday,” Uden warned, stepping out of the light.
“Did you just come here to scare the shit out of me or do you have something to say?”
“I'm beginning to think you don't like me,” the half-imp quipped. “After all I've done for you, I was hoping we'd become friends.”
Azure could feel Uden circling him but could barely see him. It was like a snake wrapping him in its coils.
The half-imp's voice came from behind him, forcing Azure to turn. Could Uden see in the dark? He certainly didn't need the light. In fact, he almost seemed bothered by it. “I just wanted to thank you for using discretion in the things you said about me tonight.”
That's vague.
Azure was sure it had to do with Uden allowing the dark sprites to destroy a portion of the garden and collecting their wings. There were many things he could have said that would have likely sparked an argument. That was precisely why he hadn't said anything.
He couldn't help but wonder if Uden was trying to prove a point. No doubt, he could have easily sneaked up and slit Azure's throat. And he probably had the skill to do it without making a sound. There was definitely more to him than meets the eye. Some mystery that Azure wasn't sure he wanted to unravel.
“I have no interest in family squabbles,” was the best he could come up with. “I see things from both sides. I'm not going to choose one or the other.” It wasn't quite a lie. Uden had his reasons for allowing the dark sprites to wreak their havoc. And Azure hadn't even decided yet if he was going to keep his dark sprite wings or sell them. In truth, the thought of continuing to proceed through the game penniless wasn't very appealing. He wanted healing potions and spells and armor, and that all cost money. Giving up the first loot he'd earned left a bad taste in his mouth. He would deal with the angel and devil on his shoulders later.
“I'm not sure if you noticed, but my brother is the bleeding heart type. When he finds out we took the dark sprites' wings, he will inevitably expect us to offer them up to the Tree Queen as a way of apology for our heinous act of murder.” Bitterness rolled from Uden's tongue.
“Will offering the wings to her make a difference?” Pangs of conscience assaulted Azure as greedy thoughts of selling his share of the loot germinated within him. So annoying to feel this shady, but dammit, he'd earned those wings fair and square.
“If she's not infected, probably.” Uden shrugged. “I don't care either way. My brother is the bleeding heart type. I am not.” As if it wasn't clear.“A man needs things in this life, and those things can't be acquired without money. Sprite wings aren't widely traded around these parts, so they'll fetch a good price at the market. I don't care what you do with yours, but I'm definitely selling mine.”
“I won't judge you for it either way.” Azure decided. He could certainly understand. Until he saw what wares were available at
the market, he couldn't be sure what he would do with his stash of dark sprite wings. If a spell or something else useful caught his eye, he wouldn't put it past himself to not take the moral high ground. Growing strong quickly was important to him, especially after nearly having his ass handed to him by the dark sprites.
“I'm glad to hear it.” The corners of Uden's lips quirked into a smile. “Hopefully, this adventure together won't be too tedious, but whatever the case, I'm kind of looking forward to it.”
Just then, a notification popped up at the bottom of Azure's field of vision.
Your sketchy camaraderie has helped gain Uden's trust. His worry that you'll snitch on him for his shifty deeds has currently been abated.
Your relationship with Uden has reached Level 2. Your relationship has been updated from Annoyance to Tolerable. Uden will now think twice before stabbing you in the back while you sleep. Congratulations!
Wait. There's a relationship system in this game? But more importantly...that asshole was actually thinking about killing me in my sleep!
Azure scowled at Uden's backside as he walked away, slinking into the darkness like a black cat blending in with its surroundings. He knew he should be happy that the half-imp trusted him more, but that trust definitely didn't extend both ways.
Also, he wasn't exactly stoked that the game deemed him as 'sketchy.' That could not look good to his superiors. Hopefully, they knew it was just an in-game thing and not a reflection on his actual person.
Speaking of which, it had been at least a good five minutes since he'd taken that piss, and he was still inside of the game. Maybe he hadn't relieved himself in real life after all. Perhaps the game's technology was so advanced that it could simulate the need to eliminate without it affecting the outside body. In that case, how would he know when he needed to use the restroom in real life? The thought was worrisome, especially when tied to the fact that he was still stuck inside of the game. Whatever the case, sooner or later nature would cause him to have an accident. Of that, Azure had no doubt. For as embarrassing as it was, he'd just have to wait it out until his real body had reached its limit and someone was forced to help him out of the game.
