Battle Avatars

by Ed White

  “With her bosses?”

  “Maybe, so what if she lifted the haze around us?”

  Lisa frowns. “Haze?”

  “Alright, this sounds crazy, but my sister would tell me about these fairy tales, right? That when knights and heroes visited the Faer Lands, they avoided the foods of the faeries. To eat of it trapped your soul forever in the Otherworld.”

  Lisa listens in rapt silence, slowly placing her spoon onto her plate, pushing it aside.

  “I suppose the logic is you are what you eat,” I add. “Beyond that, the longer you stay in the Otherworld the more you forget who you are.”

  “I don’t think we’re in the Otherworld, David.”

  “I’m not saying that, I’m thinking out loud. Like, what if the system is designed that way? Could this be about identity theft?”

  Lisa leans forward. “On purpose?”

  “Not outright theft, but a deeper way to gather data about each of our likes and dislikes, to maximize marketing for targeted ads. Maybe they’re inside our heads, literally, placing suggestions of what to buy. The ultimate in product placement.” I flap my hand. “Think about it, distractions. Cell phones, social media, virtual and augmented reality. It all comes down to distraction and marketing.”

  “Yeah, but they’re not selling us products in here.”

  “No, maybe they’re selling our minds to others for a price. Data mining. Analytics? Man, they have direct access to the thoughts and desires of the masses.” I jab my finger against my forehead.

  “Shit.” Lisa drags her hands through her hair. “Wait, what’s so bad that Julia lifted the haze from us?”

  “Nothing. It’s letting us think clearly. Everything else is bad. Maybe the virus is what we’re really hunting.”

  ***

  Sated but freaked out, I peel an unusual, ancient citrus. Its essence cuts through the oil and fat of my greasy, possibly faerie, breakfast, cleansing the palate and my hands. I doubt the in-game food itself drains our focus, but Lisa and I are on to something—Lenscape is more than it seems.

  Kona has returned, having found Mal, and argues with him while they eat. Beside them, Granger chows down on a sizeable slab of ham, scooping up scrambled eggs from a large bowl by the spoonful.

  Granger picks at his teeth. “Thinking about trying the mastodon at dinner.”

  I turn to Lisa. “This is supposed to be ancient Earth, right? The Ice Age?”

  She nods.

  “So where are we?”

  “Don’t really know. As players—as you saw with Remy in the Chol caves—we build maps as we explore, or we buy and compare maps with others as we gain levels. Only the area around Haven and some of the edge of the Fell Lands are mapped. But even before remorting, it wasn’t any place I recognized.”

  “Even considering lower sea levels?”

  She shrugs. “Do you think it matters?”

  I lower my voice again and talk into Lisa’s ear. “I really don’t know. Just thinking about the Grey Zone—into the mirror darkly. You know?” I turn back to the booth. “Granger, where’s Jonesy?”

  The bull of a man thumbs over his shoulder. “Still outside with the leygun babes. Big argument. I didn’t see the point of it anymore. Not while all this grub is laying around.”

  Lisa follows me through the crowd towards the rear door to the terrace overlooking the Wilds.

  Outside, as within the tavern, everyone is eating, both sitting and standing. A big change from an hour earlier. On the horizon beyond the Wilds, the thin crescent moon sits low in the pale purple-blue sky. Stalem is nowhere to be seen. Gone, I hope—I’ve no desire to face him.

  From this side of the building, we can’t see the wall of our second-floor room, but we can see the wall at the edge of the terrace, where Jonesy, Paul and a number of the leygun players still stand.

  Lisa sighs. “What the hell are they arguing about?”

  I shrug. “Don’t you know? You’ve been in-game longer than me.”

  “More than a few days, but not when Jonesy left his old group,” she answers.

  I cut my hand through the air. “Fuck this, let’s find out and get back on track, or leave him to it.”

  Sharra steps out of the crowd in front of us, a smug grin slipping to a pleasant smile of recognition. A transition from her resting bitch face? She stands between us and Jonesy.

  “Good morning, Sharra, are you standing guard?” I ask.

  She snorts. “Not really. I just saw you and thought I’d stop you.”

  Lisa grimaces. “That’s how being a guard works.”

  “No, no, I don’t want anyone interfering, I want this stuff resolved, it’s gone on too long.”

  I wave my arms. “What is all this?”

  Sharra crosses her arms and rests her weight on one hip. “Well, first off, most of our group fight across the Realms—we aren’t hacking anything. We do have new members here in the Wilds as we build up our mercenary company, but no one has done any shady stuff.”

  “That you know of,” I counter.

  Sharra points at me. “That’s another thing, the suspicious attitude. What’s J Boy telling you?”

  J Boy, that’s an interesting nickname.

  Lisa crosses her arms, looking around the terrace. Players eat, chat, laugh, and drink, but no one seems agitated.

  “Jonesy doesn’t talk about your group outside the game, not that I’ve seen him much. Lisa?” I turn to Lisa.

  Lisa glances over her shoulder. “Not much, but he was quick to think you attacked us.”

  Sharra grunts. “Us? With enough power to take on Battle Avatars? And in his mind that means we hacked those levels?”

  I raise my hands. “This isn’t helping us, Sharra. If you’re telling the truth, and I don’t know why you wouldn’t, maybe you can help.”

  “Help? We’re going back to the Realms, we’re levels above you guys.” Sharra looks away from us.

  Behind Sharra, at the far end of the stone terrace, Jonesy and the leygun leader point at Paul with stabbing and sweeping gestures.

  “How long have they been like that?” I ask.

  Sharra glances over her shoulder. “Since things calmed down and the Battle Avatar left. J Boy and Kellie got things under control. First time I ever saw those two get along, since Paul.”

  Lisa and I whip our heads round. “What?”

  Sharra laughs. “You don’t know? Look, let’s cut to the chase. We kicked Jonesy out and he holds a grudge.”

  “We know, but why?” I ask.

  “Because he tried to be the boss. But we formed this group with Paul, he began playing Lenscape before J Boy over there. When J Boy was kicked out, Paul left with him.”

  Lisa and I share a knowing look. Unreal. The group was Paul’s harem, in the truest manga harem sense—women seeking out Paul, because Paul is the typical clueless dork.

  Lisa raises her finger. “Wait, when I joined, Paul was on the path of a Stellar Knight.”

  “Yup, but Stellar Knights use leyguns too, and if you really grew up with J Boy, you know what he’s like.”

  To think I once believed what Jonesy said, rather than trusting myself. The more I learn about modern Jonesy, it becomes apparent why we drifted apart. Sometimes people just grow apart and sometimes there are reasons both hidden and obvious. I don’t know how it works with leygun armor, but it doesn’t matter—these guys aren’t the hackers. So who is?

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Gathered across Haven, excited players network, discussing the chaos and uncertainty of the unexpected instances and resultant errors. While the majority of players love the danger, the game has taken a dangerous turn and players don’t realize the risk to their real bodies, to their lives. Instead, the random uncertainty within Lenscape caused by the game instances enlivened users. Many a snippet of overheard conversations prove this again and again. They’ve no idea.

  “Greywaters.”

  The unexpected voice causes both Lisa and I to flinch, causing
Sharra to guffaw. Mal stands a few feet behind us, a mug of ale in his hand.

  With her hand to her chest, Lisa grimaces at the Setec rogue. “Where’s Kona?”

  Snorting, Mal lowers his mug, dragging the back of his hand across his pale grey lips. “I’ve had enough of her bugging me about these hackers. I’m in here to play, that’s all I care about.”

  Lisa’s face falls in a wave of disgust. “People’s lives are at stake.”

  Mal laughs. “Really? Seems to me that people just want to escape from their life for a while, to log in after work and choose any one of the many Lenscape options.”

  Waving my hand, I gesture around us. “That’s what we mean, people expect entertainment, not hidden risk to their health or their lives.”

  “Lives? I wouldn’t go that far, Greywaters. I’m not saying there aren’t nuisance hackers out there. Imagine the campaign players that direct the armies of the Realms fighting in the Psychic Wars. What if they decide to hack the game? The rest of us at their whim, puppets, but does that put our bodies in danger IRL? I doubt it.”

  Exasperated, Lisa and I shake our heads.

  “But you remorted with Jonesy and the others,” I say.

  Mal drops his empty mug on the table beside us. “This isn’t about you. It’s about the opportunity to play and be paid for it. I remorted, but I’ve kept my day job, and I don’t give a shit about that NDA or fulfilling some so-called duty to find supposed hackers. If we don’t find any, what’re they gonna do, revoke my subscription?”

  It’s pretty clear why Kona is unhappy with Mal. He’s an asshole. Mal’s obvious dislike for Remy must be driven by the contrast of their personalities. A pang of guilt sparks within me, my upbringing chastising me—Mal doesn’t seem to know people’s lives are at risk and it’s not for me to judge him.

  With a belch, Mal disappears into the crowd.

  Sharra tilts her head. “Well, he seems like a right shithead. Fits right in with J boy.”

  Ignoring Sharra, I turn to Lisa. “How did Mal join the group?”

  Lisa laughs that pleasant lilt of hers and slaps my arm. “You already know Jonesy and Kona met working in hotels. They’ve been good friends since. Malcolm and Kona are dating and pretty much live together.”

  “I don’t get it. I mean, I understand why he’s part of the group because they date and he’s a Lenscape player, but how does he get along with Kona the happy hostess?”

  Lisa frowns and her nose crinkles. “I don’t remember him being like this. But if you stop and think about it, we don’t spend a lot of time together playing. Usually, he and Kona disappear into the shadows or shapeshifted into some disguise or other to help defeat a mob. But the two of them always seemed to get along. I don’t know what to say, David. Opposites attract?”

  Opposites? What about me and Lisa?

  I shrug as much about my stray concern as to the mystery of Kona and Mal. It seems that Jonesy isn’t the only person acting out of sorts. Having to remort and start over, can I blame them?

  A woman steps out of the crowd, ahead of a small group of players. “Hello, we heard a lot about you guys last night. My name is Erica. Does your mercenary company have a name?”

  “Us?” I turn to Lisa. “Do we?”

  “What’s your group’s name, Sharra?” Lisa says.

  “Ebony’s Hand.” She waves her gauntleted hands over her black leygun armor.

  Lisa laughs. “We do not have a name as cool as that. Jonesy and Granger throw names around, but nothing was decided.”

  “Never mind that. You’ve heard of us? Or did you mean Sharra and Ebony’s Hand?”

  Erica waves a few of her fellows over. “You. We want to hire you to protect us on our way back to Reach Holme.”

  Quest: Escort travelers through the Wilds.

  Rewards:

  Charisma (reputation): +2

  Foes: assorted/random.

  Reward: 50 XP each.

  Enter the Wilds and escort a party of travelers from Haven to Reach Holme. Do you accept?

  Y/N

  Lisa and I share a look. Do we escort these people? Where is Reach Holme and how does it help us find the hackers? I call up my UI map, searching the name. Reach Holme is a sprawling settlement several days away from Haven by foot, through the Wilds and the lurking mobs that dwell within its dank jungles. I don’t have the time left for a trip deep into the Wilds.

  Lisa takes note of my hesitancy and steps forward. “We’ll discuss it with our party and you’ll know if we accept. Okay?”

  The woman looks disappointed, but Lisa shakes her hand before turning back to me with a gesture to follow her. We wave to Sharra as we make our way back inside the tavern hall of the Wilds Edge.

  “Wait. Jonesy and Paul are still outside, David.”

  I slump into a chair. “I don’t know what to do. There’s millions of people in here. How the hell am I supposed to find people who are intentionally hiding?”

  “We’ll find them.”

  “I appreciate it, but I don’t see how. I feel like posting a warning to the chat groups and message boards. Tell people this randomness they’re so excited about might kill them.”

  “And they’ll kick you out.”

  I laugh. “Right onto the street. No job, a month’s rent paid on that shitty apartment.”

  Lisa steps beside me. “I know what we said about Jonesy, but maybe you could stay with him. You said he’s got a whole house.”

  “That’s true, but I don’t know if he and I can get along day to day.”

  Lisa squeezes my shoulder. “He’s not there half the time and I believe he’s in here the remainder.”

  “Okay, okay, enough doom and gloom.” I take hold of her hand. She pulls me to my feet.

  “There’s benefits to being in here until then. Let’s enjoy it. Look at what we’ve been doing.” She raises an eyebrow.

  Lisa’s right. Besides exactly the activities she meant, I’ve also enjoyed foods I’ve not eaten in years. Gluttony without consequences, but the lives at stake intrude on my moment of hope. The players don’t understand the consequences and I can’t put my health before the lives of people.

  “Fuck this, I’m going to post a warning. Video games are fun, but this is crazy.”

  Error.

  “What the fuck?”

  Error.

  What’s going on? I try again, opening the link to the message boards.

  Error.

  A third time.

  Error.

  “Lisa, do you have access to the message boards?”

  Terror blazes across her face. “No.”

  “You fucking sociopaths listening? You hear us, Julia, you crazy bitch?” I see the horror on Lisa’s face grow.

  “Can you hear me David?” Lisa says. Her face stricken with worry.

  “Yes, why?” It dawns on me, Lisa didn’t hear me shout—they muted me. If I try to warn anyone I’ve got a literal gag order, the nondisclosure agreement that mutes me to any form of in-game communication. We can’t log out either—I don’t even try. Julia has already made it clear that we are locked in Lenscape until I find the hacker or they kick us out. As if to cement that idea in my mind, a further message plays across my eyes.

  Error.

  Play the game, David.

  Play the game.

  Error.

  I slump back into the chair. Lisa stands in silence, her hand over her mouth. She must have seen a similar message.

  This is my path now. We might not be in the Otherworld, but maybe we are.

  Maybe we’re in Hell.

  Never…the end!

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for reading Battle Avatars book one, the first book in the Battle Avatars series set within Lenscape Online.

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  Battle Avatars is equally inspired by role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, as it is by wuxia and xianxia—what I sometimes refer to as “martial arts magic” stories, but they are far more. Once I discovered my first copy of a Jademan Comics issue Eastern Fantasy was on my list of favorite things.

  Battle Avatars is set in a period where(in the Salvoverse) cultivation originated—when the ancients still roamed the Earth. Further aspects of cultivation and xianxia will unfold in the series, as will common Gamelit elements of the genre.

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  See you in Battle Avatars book two!