That Wasn't the Plan

by Jason Cheek

  “Oh, I’ll have to apologize for not doing a better job with stopping your bullshit, but, in the end, it’ll all work out between us,” I said confidently.

  “Gawd, you’re such a softy,” Kenzie said with a laugh.

  “Say’s the person who doesn’t have a friend that calls themselves, Vengeance,” I pointedly reminded her. Obviously, she wasn’t taking my warning seriously.

  Too bad, it was best not to have Domenic as an enemy. While I’d done my best to redirect the fallout of their fight, the two of them hadn’t really buried that hatchet. Knowing Kenzie, she’d say something stupid to Domenic in the future and end up at the graveyard before she knew what hit her. My contemplation was interrupted when Kenzie suddenly saw Helgath and Neristhana coming up behind me. Though, it was doubtful she saw anyone else but Helgath. The look of absolute fear that instantly came to the Devil Dog officer’s face would’ve been humorous if my head didn’t hurt so much. With a quick, “Gotta go!” she raced up the rope without a backward glance as I tiredly shook my head.

  Chapter One.Forty

  (Thursday, May 8th / Day 18 of The World.)

  My thoughts were troubled from how everything had gone down as I watched her skitter over the top of the wall, when I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to being inviting Thomas’ sister into the guild the next time I was in a town. Quickly, I popped open a system window and invited Jodi Tempest into the Revenants. At least, that was one thing I could actually accomplish in Domenic’s fortress. The self-deprecating thought was brought up short as a clawed hand suddenly gripped my arm.

  ‘Stop that,’ Helgath mentally chastised me. ‘That was on Kenzie and Domenic, not you.’

  ‘Actually, it is on me too,’ I thought back unhappily. ‘This entire thing could’ve been handled so much better.’ Letting out a mental sigh, I rubbed the back of my neck trying to reduce the tension migraine that was thoroughly kicking my ass while I explained what I meant. ‘Mike and Sub-Leader Chuzedros could have tackled Kenzie … I could have made sure Domenic didn’t continue trying to kill her,’ I looked Helgath in the eyes, ‘the problem was that I was trying to keep the peace. With everything going on right now, I can’t risk being in a fight with the Devil Dog’s leadership because Kenzie lost her shit, but, at the same time, I shouldn’t have let her attack my best friend for an accident.’

  ‘That wouldn’t have changed how Domenic reacted to the evac, even though he knows it’s the right call,’ Helgath reminded me, ‘so this is not all on you.’

  ‘True enough,’ I agreed, letting out a deep breath. ‘None of us handled this well, except for maybe Mike.’

  ‘Is there anything you can do about it now?’ Helgath mentally asked, as a knowing smile came to her dark-green lips.

  ‘Nope,’ I thought back tiredly. ‘Not until everyone’s tempers have had a chance to cool off.’

  ‘Then there’s nothing more we can do, right,’ she replied knowingly, as I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes.

  The truth of the matter was, that while I was a savvy player and a good strategist, I wasn’t always the best with people. That kind of came with the whole gamer slash geek package, even if people tended to forget that when looking at me. I was direct, didn’t take shit, treated people the way that I wanted to be treated, and did my best to take responsibility for my actions. While that was great and all, it didn’t mean I wasn’t an asshole at times … nor did it mean that I didn’t make mistakes. Trust me, I made plenty.

  ‘Then let’s head back to camp so we can get some sleep?’ Helgath tenderly asked, as she tasted my exhaustion through our link.

  That’s when it hit me, I wasn’t the only one tired as hell and on edge. We were all pushing ourselves to the limit with everything that had happened on our trip over here. Domenic even more so with the shitstorm he’d been going through since almost the start of the game. This was an attack like any other we were facing. It was the kind of mental warfare that was Julie’s specialty. Even if this wasn’t her fault, it was a good thing to keep in the back of my mind whenever I became frustrated like this.

  Opening my eyes, I took notice of the dark circles around Helgath’s yellow cat-eyes for the first time as I mentally chastised myself for being so self-centered. My friends and I weren’t the only ones who were exhausted. I’d been pushing my soulmates, companions, and vassals just as hard if not harder than everyone else. Thankfully, with the Half-Orc I could read between the lines, even if she wouldn’t tell me directly on her own.

  “Sounds like a plan,” I said, giving Helgath and Neristhana a one-armed hug of thanks. While the Half-Orc accepted my thanks as her due, Neristhana’s face clouded over. Partly, that was because she hadn’t been in on the mental conversation. Not because she was upset at the physical contact. Her Gnomeling clan were more touchy feely than most races. No, the problem was that Neristhana was out of sorts about failing to protect me against the exploding Moonshine elemental and felt like she didn’t deserve praise. I’d told her not to worry about it, but my words hadn’t seemed to phase her. Whatever, that was her choice. Giving them both a reassuring squeeze, I let them go and made my way up the rope while Helgath and Neristhana followed behind me.

  Of course, Mike and Sub-Leader Chuzedros didn’t even bother using the rope. As soon as they got to the base of the wall, they used Shadow Step to reach the top, before the rest of us had made it even half way up. Seeing the annoyed look on my face, Mike said they would scout ahead in group chat and gave me a wink as I reached the top of the battlements. Without looking back, the two Dark Elves casually stepped off the edge of the wall as I scrambled to my feet and hurried to the edge of the battlement.

  I was just in time to see them both Shadow Step about half way down, before appearing at the base of the wall in a crouch with their weapons drawn. The Dwarven guards that were atop the wall excitedly commented to one another as the Devil Dogs slid down a rope after them. Fucking show off, I thought with a smile, as I laughed at myself for being a little jealous. What can I say? The Nightmare skill tree he had was impressive as hell and fit Mike’s personality to a T. What did that say about my Dark magic undead pet tree, I wondered, as a frown came to my lips?

  Shaking the derogatory thought away, I took one last look out at Domenic’s fortress. Unfortunately, this was far from over, I thought, as I slipped into Stealth and slid down the rope after the Devil Dogs with Helgath and Neristhana following me. As soon as we were down, one of the guards dropped the line after us and we were on our way.

  The way back was thankfully uneventful. We passed by a large group of rogues heading for another stealth run as we neared the first defensive wall. Not that we attacked them or anything. After they went by, I sent Tengsly off to warn Domenic of the impending attack while we passed through the first defensive walls without any issues. The handful of resurrected players running through the gate were easy enough to dodge as we followed the same path out that we’d used coming in.

  Passing through the last two gates was no problem at all. Especially since now we knew what to watch out for. There was no sign of Dante or Yusuk or any of the recovering players we’d seen earlier. It made me wonder if Evil Sandra had decided to put them back on attack duty or not. Whatever, it wasn’t my concern anymore as we made our way out of the mouth of the gauntlet and headed for the western graveyard at the edge of the valley.

  There was no banter this time around. We were all lost in our own thoughts or just plain dragging ass as we made our way back across the valley and onto the forested ridge. Before I knew it, Neysa’s greeting was filling my thoughts as she appeared out of the deep woods to run at my side. Assuring me that everything had been quiet at the graveyard, she began demanding to know what had transpired on our stealth run into the fortress. Still deep in thought about everything, I asked her to wait until the morning as we came into the clearing of the graveyard.

  While Mike and Sub-Leader Zuvnabod had a quick word, Neysa bugged Helgath about every
thing that had happened on our run to see Domenic. I peripherally listened in on their conversation as we continued on towards the Shadow Assassins’ encampment once they were done talking. Seeing my questioning look, Mike explained that he’d put Sub-Leader Zuvnabod and his squad back on spawn camping detail to help Domenic and his people out as much as possible, before we headed out in the morning. It was the right call, regardless if we were pulling out in the morning or not.

  Our return trip seemed much quicker this time around. That was usually how it was when you knew where you were going. As we reached the encampment, I thanked Zhou, Darkhorse, and Kenzie for coming along, while doing my best to ignore the hard looks her two guildmates were giving her for how things went down. I’d already said my piece and it wasn’t me that she needed to apologize to. Though, even with how everything had gone down, I still appreciated that she’d come along to help out.

  Even if, she’d got so pissed off that she literately backstabbed my friend. If anything, I wished that I could’ve stabbed Domenic once or twice myself for being such a pain in my ass, albeit I had to give him kudos for not losing his shit and killing us all for that last fiasco.

  Mike and I gave each other a brotherly hug, before calling it a night. There was nothing to say at this point in time. Surprisingly enough, Sub-Leader Chuzedros gave me a hug too as she quietly thanked me for bringing her back to life. My jaw about hit the floor when she asked me to call her by her first name, Uglorn. Wishing them both a goodnight, I ignored how good the Dark Elf woman had felt while I followed Helgath and Neristhana to where the rest of our companions had laid out their sleeping hides with Neysa at my side. It’s amazing how attractive Uglorn could be, when she wasn’t being a haughty bitch, I thought, with a shake of my head.

  None of us bothered to undress. While that might sound disgusting to some people, we were too close to the newfar for comfort and tired as hell. Keeping our weapons and armor on hand seemed like the best idea possible. Besides, it was too cold to strip down in the early morning air. Laying out our sleeping hides on the cold ground, Neristhana and I hurriedly crawled into our separate blankets. While Helgath made herself a spot in the crook of my arm, Neysa laid down next to me on my other side to rest her massive head on my shoulder.

  Even though we were covered in dried sweat and blood, we all smelled about the same and the shared body heat on a cold night was greatly appreciated. As Helgath pulled the wolf-hide over the top of us and snuggled into my neck, I unconsciously let out a satisfied sigh. Those plus fifty points to all of her stats had made the Half-Orc quite cuddly. My eyes popped open a moment later, when a thought came to me that had been bothering me all night.

  ‘Hey Neysa,’ I sent to my Silver Dire Wolf. ‘Why did the Russian’s Great Saber-Fang wolf pack bow to you after we met and then start following you around like your own personal fan club?’

  ‘Fenrir, the pack’s alpha, said that I was part of the legendary Storm Wolves Clan,’ Neysa said after a moment, as she lifted her head to look me in the eyes. Through our link, I could feel the seriousness of what she’d learned weighing down her heart as she explained what she’d been told. ‘Supposedly, the Storm Wolves were part of the Sky Wolf People. For some reason or another, several of the clans decided to wipe out my ancestors.’ At that, Helgath raised her head to watch me too as Neysa continued.

  ‘Although Fenrir didn’t know what clans had fought against my people, it was known amongst the Sky Wolf People as the great betrayal. He said that my clan was said to have wielded great power upon ascension and were feared by many for it. Until now, it had been believed that none of my people had survived. While the Great Saber-Fang wolves are not my enemy, he warned that there would be other packs that would seek to destroy me.’ As Neysa finished, a system window popped open before my eyes.

  Quest update! Discover the source of the bloodline that is the Silver Dire Wolf’s power!

  The increase in your soulbound companion’s strength from the Emergency Hot Fix has shown you that she is more than she seems. A simple Combat Pet would not have had their abilities increased from the Emergency Hot Fix to Nightmare levels. Is Neysa an Elite Monster? Is she part of an intelligent monster race? Find the answers to help your soulbound companion evolve.

  Objective 1: Discover the source of the bloodline that is the Silver Dire Wolf’s power.

  Update: You have discovered that allied wolves have identified your soulbound companion as part of the Storm Wolves Clan, thought to be an extinct legendary clan of the Sky Wolf People. The Sky Wolf People are a race of transcended wolves from many different packs that now reside within The World. The Great Saber-Fang wolves say that if they can find a way to transcend, they will join their brothers and sisters in the skies.

  Difficulty: Nightmare.

  Reward: Unknown.

  Accept: Yes

  Now that was interesting as hell, I thought, as Helgath joined the telepathic discussion. ‘Did Fenrir promise to keep the knowledge of your existence secret?’ It was a wise question, as I was once again impressed with my soulmate’s intelligence.

  ‘The entire pack promised to keep my secret, even upon ascension,’ Neysa confirmed, as Helgath and I breathed a sigh of relief.

  ‘While keeping this on the down low for now is probably for the best,’ I sent, as a wicked grin came to my lips. ‘Just remember, they can’t end you as long as you’re soulbound to me.’ Helgath gave me a silent nod as we both turned to look into the Silver Dire Wolf’s golden eyes. ‘Besides, they’ll have to go through all of us to get to you.’

  Neysa bowed her head as we both gently pet the coarse fur between her ears. I had questions like why was she identified by the game as a Silver Dire Wolf if she was actually a Storm Wolf, but we could discuss all that another day. If anything, it probably had to do with the ascension that Fenrir kept talking about. That sounded like another important conversation to have with the wolves. For now, it was time for me to go to bed. Lying my head back on my pack, I urged Helgath’s and Neysa’s heads back to my chest.

  ‘Sleep,’ I thought to them both. ‘We can discuss this tomorrow after some rest.’ Wrapping my arms around them both, I murmured ‘goodnight’ and hit the log out button.

  Chapter One.Forty-One

  (Thursday, May 8th / Day 18 of The World.)

  Slowly, the darkness faded from my eyes as my computer room took shape around me and the familiar red lava lamp came into view. A quick glance at the clock on my desk told me it was just after five o’clock in the morning as I began hurriedly disconnecting myself from the egg. While my stomach ached from hunger and my bowels felt like they were ready to explode, my body wasn’t severely dehydrated for a change, even if my mouth was somewhat dry. Picking up my red plastic cup, I carefully made my way into the bathroom sipping on the water.

  Getting my suit off was a little bit more difficult then I’d expected, since I had to take most of the suit off before I could take care of business. The most complicated part of the process, besides the sweaty, skin-tight suit, was the CamelBak and its tubing. Also like I thought, the side of my mouth with the tube was hydrated, while the other side of my mouth was dry as shit. It took a few mouthfuls of water to get the tissue properly lubricated. Still, it was a hundred percent better than not having the hydration unit. Shimmying out of my one-piece Stillsuit, I plopped down on the toilet and let my bowels go as I painted the white porcelain brown. Yeah, I know, that was a pretty graphic description, but, trust me, it fit my exploding ass.

  Another thing I learned as I drained the piss out of the suit, was that sweating in a skintight suit all day stank like all hell. Whatever, it was better than the alternative. Finishing up my business, I hung the Stillsuit in the shower and commenced to spraying it out the best that I could. It kind of reminded me of a funky neophyte dive suit on steroids. Some shampoo and hot water went a long way to make it smell better as I took a quick shower and headed to the kitchen.

  I wasn’t too concerned about the time. If we w
eren’t pulling Domenic out when we logged in, that meant I could log in a bit later. Well, not too much later, since I was supposed to be meeting Dmitry and Dangas at nine in the morning, but I could probably get away with pushing that back until ten without pissing anyone off too much. Digging out the remaining sandwich meat and cheese, I began wolfing the food down as I found my blender. Throwing in some water, several scoops of peanut butter, and five scoops of whey protein, I made a quick shake as I sat down at the kitchen counter and popped open my laptop.

  Pulling up my email, I sent a message to Lora Lyn asking her to cut out a few portions of tonight’s video that I’d forgotten to signal to her inside the game. This wasn’t something that was usually done, but Lora was a sweetheart that usually went the extra mile for her customers. It probably also helped that I always sent her a few nice gifts as a thank you for the extra effort. Quickly, I explained to her about the workshop, condensing still, and the discussion that I had with Domenic, asking her to remove the entire scene from the Twitch stream. Basically, everything from the outside of the workshop until the time we were climbing back up to the top of the wall on our way out of his fortress.

  Hitting send, I closed my laptop and forced the rest of the thick protein shake down my throat. My body was nearly shaking from fatigue and lack of sleep as I rinsed out the glass and filled it with water. There was no thought of Domenic or anything about our fight. All that I could think about was the worsening migraine that was threatening to split my head apart and the exhaustion weighing down my limbs.

  Stumbling to the kitchen cabinets while pressing the palm of my hand against my head, I searched for the reserve bottle of ibuprofen I kept in the pantry with a single minded focus. Finding it in the back of a cupboard, I snatched the bottle up with trembling hands only to have it drop and bounce off the countertop as I used my chest to stop it from hitting the floor. For a second, I swore the sharp noise of the bouncing bottle was going to make my head explode as I pressed my forehead against the cold Formica cabinets breathing heavily. Taking a deep breath, I hurriedly poured out four gel capsules into my shaking hand and downed them with another glass of water as tears came to my eyes.