by David Petrie
Topic: New development at Alderth Castle
MandalorianMan: I know that this is probably going to reopen a can of worms that should be left closed, but I feel I have to make note of it. I have always been on the side that thought that Alderth Castle had been explored fully. But now, I'm not so sure. I went there with a girl I know to, you know, ‘do stuff,’ since not a lot of players go there anymore. We went down in the crypt (she's kind of goth) and noticed something weird. One of the statues was gone.
Puddin: Way to add in that detail about gettin some. Classy.
partytillyoupuke: Congrats on gettin some! Very proud. But seriously, which statue? Is it the one without a date on the gravestone?
MandalorianMan: Yup. It just has a quote. The stone is still there, but the statue sitting on it is gone.
Puddin: Okay, now I'm curious. What's the quote say?
partytillyoupuke: Awesome! This is going to settle one of the biggest arguments I had with my boyfriend. I've been telling him that statue was important for like, a year. The quote is from mark twain, it's something like, the most important days in your life is the day you're born and the day you find out why.
TheUnseen: That statue is gone?! Thank god I took a picture of it last time it was there. It's wicked cute. I've had her as the wallpaper of my phone for the last year.
EMPIREriot: Wow, keep it in your pants bro. It's a statue.
TheUnseen: Sue me, it's of a fairy. I think they're pretty.
AerithNOOOOOOO: That is true. But more importantly, I read on the boards, that a fairy had something to do with the whole war dragon debacle a couple weeks ago. I wonder if they're related. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it.
Puddin: Definitely reading too much into it.
MandalorianMan: I'm not so sure, the timing does line up.
partytillyoupuke: OK I just messaged my boyfriend. We're gonna check out the crypt tonight.
Puddin: Nice. Let us know what you find. And hey, if you don't find anything, at least it's a quiet place to ‘do stuff.’
partytillyoupuke: Classy.
Message written and sent two weeks after mission end.
From: Farnsworth
To: Kirabell
Subject: BFFs
Hey, Kira. So I guess I'm sort of rich now thanks to you. I thought about quitting my job, but I figured that would be a crappy thing to do. Besides, Milo keeps popping into my office to hang out. Apparently, we're friends now. I think he's just hiding from his assistant, though. Also, my coworkers get all freaked out every time he comes in, which is pretty funny.
I haven't logged in since the mission. I don't know why. Corvin has been trying to get us all back online, and while I'd like to, something wouldn't feel right without you there. Max hasn't logged in yet either, although I haven't talked to him much since. I don't know if he'd admit it, but I don't think he wants to log on without you either.
I know we didn't really spend much time together when you actually think about it, but you were my first friend in almost a decade. So not seeing you for the last two weeks sucks. I know that my lack of friends was mostly my fault for not putting myself out there, but you didn't let that stop you. I'm still thankful for that. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I miss you.
-Your BFF Farnsworth
Message written and sent fifteen days after mission end.
From: Kegan
To: Ginger
Subject: OK YOU WIN
Fine, you win. I'll pay for the damn feathers.
-Kegan
A letter, written on actual paper, by hand, and driven by car over significant distance to a post office in Montana by an overly serious assistant named Jeff. Photocopied and overnighted to five people.
To: Wyatt, Sarah, Marisa, Bastian, and Kevin
From: Seth
My dearest friends, the wilderness is harsh and unforgiving. Words cannot express my longing for home. I have tried, to no avail, to rally my weary mind with thoughts of our victory and the wealth that we each have obtained through the sweat of our brow. I pray that when I return home, I will still be the person that you have come to know and love.
Okay, I can't think of any more old-timey things to write, and my commitment to this bit has faded.
Hey, guys! I will say one thing: internet quarantine sucks. They have me in a literal cabin in the woods, in freaking Montana of all places. There is no electricity. I poop in a hole. It is less than ideal. I am bored out of my mind.
The point of this, as you know, is to let my brain return to normal by keeping me away from any possible online connection. And that would be fine, but one of the idiot doctors also recommended keeping me away from ALL electronic devices of any kind. I don't even have a DVD player. For the love of god, people, I have been READING. Okay, truth be told, I'm really getting into this book I found here. It's about sexy vampires and werewolves. It has a really nice love triangle in it … and I just threw up in my mouth a bit. Have I mentioned I'm bored? On the upside, I've invented a new game. It's called, throw things at trees. I'm thinking of pitching it to Milo for his next big expansion.
I made Jeff play chess with me yesterday, and he's surprisingly good at it. Not good enough to beat me, but at least he tried. He did bring me some printouts of my messages though, and I miss you too, Farn. What I wouldn't give to spend one minute hiding under your shield like a coward right about now.
Anyway, they're bringing me back in tomorrow for tests. If all goes well, I should be home and back online soon, I hope. But don't wait for me. Get on there and have fun. Especially you, Max, I know you're just sitting in your room in the dark. You just saved a world. Two, if you include all that economic stuff that Milo was yammering on about. So get online and enjoy it.
-Kirabell/Seth
Wyatt sat in his room in the dark with only a small lamp illuminating the letter that he had just finished reading for a second time. He snickered to himself as he placed it down on his desk. He picked up his phone, bringing up the Noctem messaging app and logging in as MaxDamage24. He scrolled through his friend list, selecting the name that read Farnsworth. They hadn't messaged much since the mission, mostly because he wasn't sure what to say and didn't want to make it awkward. Making it awkward was kind of his specialty. He started typing anyway.
"Hey, Farn. You want to log on tonight and meet up, maybe just hang out at a tavern?" He cringed, realizing it sounded like he was asking her on a date. He deleted the message and started again.
"Hey, what's up? I was thinking of logging on. Probably not gonna do much since Kira isn't back yet, but I thought I might catch a movie or something. Wanna come?" His finger hovered above the send button as he wondered if he sounded reasonable. He deleted the text again.
"Hey, just read Kira's letter, sounds like she might be back soon. Let's all get back on when she's ready. We made one hell of a team, should be ready for anything." He sighed as if disappointed in himself. Then he hit send and went to bed.
Epilogue
A young reynard woman sat in a comfortable chair facing the window of a small, dim office in Valain’s citadel. She hadn't turned the lights on, partly as to go unnoticed, but more because she was used to lurking. She leaned back with one foot on the windowsill, spinning herself back and forth, her chin resting on one hand. She was waiting patiently, but she was also bored.
Her long ears pricked up at a sound from beyond the closed door. Most people wouldn't have noticed it at all, but she was not most people. She studied the sound. Footsteps coming toward her. They were quick but not hurried as if mindful of the time. They could only have belonged to one person. She ceased the motion of her chair as the man outside approached the door. It swung open, revealing an elf wearing a severe expression. "I see our security is apparently lacking," Jeff-with-a-three commented, closing the door quickly but gently enough not to make a sound.
She tilted her head in acknowledgment, letting the moonlight highlight her features. "An intern let me in; you should really screen
them better."
"You're in my seat." He pointed to the chair with his eyes.
"I'm aware." She gave him a predatory smile.
He sighed but didn't argue, sitting down in the chair opposite his desk. "You could have just sent me a message. I would have come to meet you. I do work for you after all. Not to mention, now isn't the best time to be trespassing in the citadel. What with all that just happened."
She arched an eyebrow at his tone. It was familiar but cautious, as if he regarded her like a wild animal that might leap at him without warning. It made sense. She meant him no harm, but she also knew he was aware of what she was capable of, in both worlds.
She grinned. "I'm a hands-on kind of super villain. Plus, I know this was a hard operation, so I felt it important that I came to see you myself."
"And what if it had been Alastair who had walked in and not me? I am still posing as his assistant, and he never knocks you know," Jeff-with-a-three asked.
"I would have handled him." She slid the hem of her skirt high up her leg to show him a little too much of a slender thigh, a pistol strapped tightly to it. She hadn't worn her normal gear, but she was always ready for anything.
The elf looked at her skeptically. "So, you would have just shot him in the face then?"
She slid her skirt back down. "Possibly, or maybe I'd just hide under the desk until he left. You'd be surprised how often that works. I'm pretty sure that's how Batman does it."
"I bet." He didn’t even crack a smile.
She frowned. She’d thought it was a solid joke. "Anyway. I didn't sneak in here for banter." She dropped her leg from the window and turned to face him head-on. "Status report?"
He sighed and placed his hands on the arms of his chair, his fingertips pressing into its leather pads. "It's a mess, but I think it's salvageable."
She nodded in approval. "Well, it was a long shot to begin with, so that's not bad overall." She looked up and to the side, weighing several variables in her head.
"How's Carver?" the elf asked.
"He's settling into his new lab. It’s good to have him back in the fold," she answered with a wink, being intentionally vague as she leaned forward against the desk. "So how is our little test subject doing?" She got to the meat of her visit.
"Well enough, all things considered. We played chess a couple days ago."
"Did you win?"
He sighed. "No."
"Must be good." She let a hint of respect into her tone. "More importantly, is the beta still running?"
Jeff-with-a-three shifted to the side and tapped a finger on his chair. "Carver let her go into the final phase with the rest of her party rather than keeping them separate like he was supposed to. One of them was able to pull her out of the Sphere before it had a chance to finalize. Not sure what Carver was thinking."
"I think he has a soft spot for her. His reports always seemed to. Did the quarantine have any effect?" She changed the subject back to the matter at hand.
"Unfortunately, yes. After testing yesterday, we found that the process has stopped, but she is still bonded to the beta, so if she logs back in and gives it any more of herself, it should pick up where it left off."
"So, we just need to make sure that happens." She pondered her options. "How long will it take?"
"From what I understand of Carver's work, it will depend on the subject herself. It could take days or years. She could give into it at any time, really," he explained.
She fell silent for a moment. "Keep her monitored from inside for now, and report anything that might be important."
Jeff-with-a-three nodded. "Should I get a retrieval team ready, in case it happens soon?"
"No, not yet. I don't want to risk being noticed by moving on things prematurely." She stood and made her way toward the door, indicating that her visit was coming to an end. "We'll wait and see for now."
His face somehow grew even more serious. "Do we have the time for that?"
She paused as her hand touched the door. "We're going to have to."
Afterword
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About David Petrie
David Petrie discovered a love of stories and nerd culture at an early age. From there, life was all about comics, video games, and books. It’s not surprising that all that would lead to writing. He currently lives north of Boston with the love of his life and their two adopted cats. He also runs an indie tabletop company on the side.
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About Mountaindale Press
Dakota and Danielle Krout, a husband and wife team, strive to create as well as publish excellent fantasy and science fiction novels. Self-publishing The Divine Dungeon: Dungeon Born in 2016 transformed their careers from Dakota’s military and programming background and Danielle’s Ph.D. in pharmacology to President and CEO, respectively, of a small press. Their goal is to share their success with other authors and provide captivating fiction to readers with the purpose of solidifying Mountaindale Press as the place ‘Where Fantasy Transforms Reality’.
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GameLit and LitRPG
The Divine Dungeon: Dungeon Born
For eons, conquering dungeons has been the most efficient way to become a strong adventurer. Although, not everything is as straightforward as it seems. Several questions have always plagued the mind of those that enter these mythical places of power: Why are there so many monsters? Where does the amazing weaponry and heavy gold coins come from? Why does the very air fill with life-giving energies?
Cal has all of the answers to these age old questions, for a very simple reason. He is a Dungeon Heart, a soul forced against his will into a magical stone. After several lonely years, Cal was able to regain sentience, allowing him to form new memories while slowly growing a dungeon around himself. With help from a friend, Cal learned how to create monsters and traps, increasing his power and size quickly.
When a threat to his existence rears its head, Cal decides that he will do anything to stay alive and become stronger. Unfortunately for treasure-seekers, the fastest way for Cal to achieve his goal... is to eat anyone that enters his depths.
The Completionist Chronicles: Ritualist
The decision to start a new life is never an easy one, but for Joe the transition was far more literal. After making the decision to become a permanent addition to a game world, it doesn't take him long to learn that people with his abilities are actively hunted. In fact, if the wrong people gained knowledge of what he was capable of, assassins would appear in droves.
In his pursuit of power, Joe fights alongside his team, completes quests, and delves into the mysteries of his class, which he quickly discovers can only be practiced in secret. Ultimately, his goal is to complete every mission, master every ability, and learn all of the world's secrets. All he has to do is survive long enough to grasp greatness.
Red Mage: Adven
t
Drew Michalik was working in a top-secret facility in Washington, D.C. when the Advent began. As all electronics in the world simply ceased to work, blue screens filled with information appeared before him.
Drew was given access to a mana interface and a limited number of reality-altering crystals called Xatherite. Following the instructions on his vision-impairing screens, he ‘slotted’ his Xatherite and changed his fate: he gained the ability to cast spells. Now alone in the dark, he must battle through the government bunker-turned-dungeon in a desperate bid for survival.
Escape is only the beginning, the first of his many problems in the changed world. Drew will be tasked to not only survive… but to guide the rest of humanity safely through the anarchy.
A Touch of Power: Siphon
Jade has spent her life fighting boredom in the terminally ill ward. Surfing the net or reading, she always envied the ability of others to go out and experience the world. She knew her wish to live a normal life was far beyond her reach, but after waking up one morning without the sounds of her life support, she opens her eyes and finds herself with a weak but healthy body in a magical world.
As blue game-like system notifications fill her vision, she knows that she'll have to adapt quickly in order to survive… but this is all she ever dreamed of, so Jade is up to the challenge. She will soon realize that you need to be careful what you wish for.