Virtual Me- Valkyrie

by Michael Ocheskey

  ​Now the odds were in my favor. I had beaten this codger before and I could do it again, only this time I had more to say. He lifted his arms up high as he charged at me and I had the strangest feeling of déjà vu as I lifted one hand over my head. The titanium blade rang with fury as it came into being. The next sound I heard frightened me, the shattering of metal.

  ​I glanced upward quickly and sighed in relief. His sword, not mine, had broken into about a half dozen pieces. Letting the relief wash through me, I returned my attention to the old man. The second blade sang itself into existence and I crouched down, spinning, my leg extended. The old man collapsed from my kick and I was on him in an instant. My blades crossed in an X pattern around his neck.

  ​“Listen to me, you pig,” I barked, my voice more menacing than I’d ever thought possible. “From this moment on, you’re on my kill-on-sight list, and trust me, I won’t make it a quick and painless death.” As I spoke, I gradually began to push down on my arms, burying the blades deeper into the soil and the old man’s neck. Blood trickled down the blade, soaking the earth, as he clenched his teeth in horror and agony.

  ​“If you ever go near that goblin lair again, I will make it my personal mission to hunt you down and strip you dry, over and over again, never giving you any rest or letting you keep anything you steal from others. Do you understand me?”

  ​The blades were deep enough into his neck now that he couldn’t talk, so he simply nodded, causing the wounds to gush.

  ​“Good.”

  ​I uncrossed my arms with all the strength I could muster and watched his head roll away from his body. When I looked up at the two men who’d accompanied the old man, they drew their weapons and took a step back in retreat. These once confident men were trembling so hard, I could hear their armor rattle and see the wavering of their swords. Something in my eyes held them firmly in place like a rabbit cornered by a fox.

  ​I stood up slowly, not wanting to spook them into attacking, and let my swords retreat back into their silken homes. It took a moment for me to regain my composer, breathing deep and rhythmically until I could feel the fire in my eyes and heart die. Only then did the two men sheath their weapons and approach me.

  ​“We do apologize, miss,” the taller of the two said. “My name is Richard, and this is my brother William. We came here under false assumptions and have no intention of harming a fellow Avenger.”

  ​This was the second time he’d called me that and I had no idea what he was talking about, so I had to ask.

  ​“Avenger is a term we coined for players like us,” Richard explained. “It is a person who fights for the innocent and punishes the guilty. Basically, we are player-killer killers at heart. We try to stop player-killers from doing their business. If we can, we try to save the lives of the victims, but if we are too late, we simply avenge their deaths by killing the player-killer and returning what he stole. But we don’t just deal with player-killers. We also protect innocents from monsters.

  ​“You see, when William and I started playing this game, we wanted to fight monsters and become heroes. We immediately went to the goblin lair west of Melodia that you are referring to. We planned to assault the monsters and begin forging a reputation, but when we got there and began our recon, we realized that they weren’t monsters. None wore armor and there were no weapons in sight. It was just a simple colony of innocent NPCs.”

  ​William continued, as if this was a rehearsed speech and he had heard his cue. “So we just left. Instead, we traveled south where we found a carriage full of passengers, women and children mostly, and charging toward them was a horde of orcs, armed to the teeth and shrieking with fury. We raced to their aid but didn’t make it before the orcs. When we got there, we immediately began to battle. After about fifteen minutes the orcs were all dead but so were over half the passengers.

  ​“We helped heal those that were injured and brought the survivors to Melodia. I swear it was like fate was trying to tell us something. As soon as we left Melodia, we were attacked by three player-killers. We were stronger than them and managed to survive, but we only killed two of them. The other fled.”

  ​Once again, like he’d heard his cue, Richard took over the tale. “As we were healing our wounds, I came up with the idea to start the Avengers. We would be like a vigilante justice. The system has its own police force to protect the cities, but there is no one to protect the innocents outside the city limits. We took that upon ourselves.” Richard looked at me reproachfully. “Still, you shouldn’t have taken that man’s gold! An Avenger’s duty is to protect people, not to fatten one’s pocket.”

  ​I couldn’t help but let loose a small chuckle. “Come on, now,” I chided. “Where do you think he got the money from in the first place? Isn’t it a good thing to strip a player-killer of all his belongings? Without money he can’t buy new weapons or armor and without weapons it becomes that much harder for him to kill.

  ​“Still, I agree that keeping stolen items for yourself isn’t moral. That’s why I let the goblins have the weapons and armor, so they could defend themselves against people like that old man in the future. As for the gold, I kept it because I had no money and needed something other than beginner’s equipment.”

  ​The men began their silent facial feature discussion as I watched. While they ‘talked’ I began to think over what they’d said and like a puzzle, the pieces began to fall into place.

  ​“Hey,” I interrupted them. They looked toward me skeptically, not sure they could trust me since in their minds I was a thief, but I wasn’t disheartened. “Why don’t we start an organization?”

  ​“You mean a guild?” William asked.

  ​Richard shook his head. “A guild wouldn’t do us any good. We have to pay for lodging, fees, and all this other stuff that we don’t have any need for.”

  ​“No, not a guild,” I corrected. “An organization. We’d need a safe house...I mean, a secure storage facility. This is what we would do. Any time we kill a player-killer, we loot the body, taking everything. Things like healing potions and bandages we can keep for ourselves....”

  ​“Why would we do that?” Richard interrupted.

  ​I felt like I was explaining to children.

  ​“Because, you had to use healing potions to help the survivors of that orc attack and I had to use the potions and bandages I took from the old man to heal the goblins he’d attacked. Keeping the healing potions would give us a stockpile so that we could heal people whenever we needed, whether it’s ourselves or those we help.

  ​“Anyway, as for the armor and weapons, I see two solutions. First is a lost and found. Second is a charity solution. We set up a lost and found for the more expensive items or rare items like the gloves I’m wearing now. These are enchanted and cost seven hundred gold coins. If I had them stolen from me, I’d definitely want them back. Others would feel the same way if they had something valuable stolen from them, so if someone comes into the lost and found and can prove an item is theirs, we give it to them.

  ​“The second option is for the regular weapons and armor that can be found in any shop. If someone comes to us who has been robbed, we can give them a set of armor and a weapon from our stores since they don’t have the money to buy new ones.”

  ​“That’s all well and good,” Richard agreed, “but what about the money? It isn’t right to keep it for ourselves.”

  ​I gave him a smile of appreciation. He was brighter than he looked.

  ​“That’s another way we can help people,” I answered. “We would have to set up a log so that we know who we gave money to, when, and why. That way people can’t rip us off, but people can come to our organization for help with finances. Let’s say someone needs a few gold coins to buy some healing potions or bandages, maybe some food. We record the information in our log and give them a small amount of money to help with their expenses. We can also check the log to make sure a player isn’t coming in and requesting money every da
y. Give five gold coins here, ten there. Also, if we don’t have any armor or weapons in storage and someone who’s been robbed needs some, they can get some money instead to buy them at a shop.”

  ​The idea continued to form and flowed out as I spoke. “And there’s more. We can also accept donations. Like if someone wants to donate some money, weapons, or armor to us instead of selling it at a store or storing it in a bank vault, they could help stock our supplies for the less fortunate. It’d be kind of like the Avenger Thrift Store of Evanasia.”

  ​The two men stood in silence, considering my offer, when from behind me came a rainbow glow of light and a chorus of voices. “I like it.”

  ​I turned around to find Aurora Eventide gazing warmly at me.

  ​“I heard everything you just said,” she told me, “and now I fully understand why I like you so much. Not only do you think outside the box in creating your avatar, but also now. And thank you for protecting my goblins earlier. I was terrified that their entire clan would be wiped out and I’m not allowed to interfere in situations like that. My programming won’t allow it. Still, I hate the mindless killing that some of the players in this universe partake in with no remorse.”

  ​The men behind me were drop-jawed, unable to think of anything to say in the presence of Aurora. I knew they’d met her before, but like most people, they simply did their registration, made their character, and left in under ten minutes.

  ​“It’s good to see you again, Aurora.” I gave her a kind smile of greeting. “I thought you’d want to avoid me after all I put you through making my character,” I teased.

  ​“Are you kidding? I haven’t had that much fun since I created the forest nymphs of Tetherwood. Precocious and witty women, the lot of them.

  ​“Anyway, I liked your idea so much that I already put it in motion. Just outside Melodia you’ll find an enormous building with the sign Avenger Headquarters above the door. The manifesto engraved in the golden doors states:

  The Avengers

  A group of individuals who live to serve and protect.

  Whether you are a player or a resident of this world

  we’re here to help.

  Player-killers forbidden entry.

  ​“Inside the building is the lost and found station you mentioned, a weapon and armor distribution center, a bank vault where money is stored, a donation center, and a monetary distribution center; all of which are manned by a crew of android NPCs that I’ve created specifically for their designated duties. Since the building is completely run by the androids there doesn’t need to be an Avenger in the building at all times.

  ​“There’s also a recruitment station for people who wish to become Avengers. Players and residents alike can become Avengers. To become an Avenger, a person needs to sign a contract stating that they will not misuse the power their position grants them. Avengers are not allowed to kill except when circumstances call for it, such as when William and Richard protected that carriage. The contract also explains what is to be done with the items that you acquire while working as an Avenger. Only items acquired by killing a player-killer or thief are expected to come to Headquarters, except for potions and bandages, which you keep.

  ​“And the best part is I’ve set up one Avenger Headquarters on each of the fantasy worlds.”

  ​I rushed up to Aurora and hugged her tightly until my excitement died down and I pulled away sheepishly. “I’m sorry. I’m just really grateful for all your help.”

  ​“It’s nothing.” Aurora held out a piece of paper and pen for me. “It’s the contract I told you about. I need you, William, and Richard to sign it if you really want to be Avengers. Don’t forget that you’re signing your avatar name and not your real name.”

  ​As I took the paper and pen, Aurora moved toward the other two, producing more contracts from thin air. They stared at her, stunned.

  ​“Um,” Richard interjected. “This was actually my idea. Shouldn’t I get a say in this?”

  ​“Don’t be silly,” Aurora rebuked. “According to your vision of the Avengers, everyone was an independent vigilante without a hierarchy. That’s still the basic focus of the Avengers, so it shouldn’t matter whose idea it was. You created the idea and Valkyrie molded it into a reality. This vision was a group effort, just as the Avengers will now be a unified group of equals.”

  ​Richard couldn’t argue with Aurora. I could tell he wanted to, but he was pretty powerless before her gaze, so he and William signed the contract as did I. I lifted the pen from the paper after signing and felt a hot sensation on the fronts and backs of my hands. I could smell burning flesh, like overcooked hamburger. The commotion near Aurora told me that Richard and William felt it too. The pain and pressure died out after a little while.

  ​“What was that, Aurora?” I asked politely, before Richard could yell at her, like I knew he would.

  ​“You’ve been marked an Avenger,” Aurora replied. “Cross your hands, your palms facing you, and touch your hands together.”

  ​I did as instructed and my hands began to glow the same rainbow glow that constantly radiated from Aurora. The light was in the shape of a capital A.

  ​“This is proof that you are an Avenger,” Aurora explained. “It’s also the means by which you will deliver stolen money, armor, and weapons you've recovered to Headquarters. All you have to do is place a hand on the item you wish to send and think about Headquarters. The ‘A’ on your hand will light up and the item will teleport to Headquarters.”

  ​“So why did we have to cross our hands?” Richard chimed in. He may have been a good guy—it was his idea to start the Avengers after all—but he was a jackass.

  ​“That is the Avenger salute. When an Avenger wishes to announce his presence, he simply has to cross his hands and the A will glow. My hope is that, when the reputation of the Avengers spreads, the simple sight of the Avenger salute will cause player-killers and monsters to retreat. It’s best to resolve problems without violence, isn’t it?”

  ​A raise of her eyebrows told us all that Aurora was finished with discussion. She took all our signed contracts and disappeared.

  ​“So,” Richard spoke sheepishly, attempting to be suave. “You’re name’s Valkyrie, huh? What do you say we hang out sometime?”

  ​Oh, brother.

  ​“I say, if you want to keep your tongue, you should shut your mouth and walk away. I may agree with the Avenger idea, but I’m not interested in anything else from you.”

  ​I gave Richard and William the Avenger salute, turned, and walked away toward Melodia. Behind me I could hear William laughing at his brother's foolish attempt at flirting.

  Magic Training

  ​I returned to Melodia before logging off. Morning had arrived. It was time for me to go to work and fulfill my tedious daily routine. I found myself unfocused throughout the day, thinking about the magical training Lesley would give me when I returned home and entered the SRU tonight. My boss noticed my ditsy behavior but didn’t comment on it. There were a few other people in the office just as bereft of concentration. I wasn’t the only one at New Tech, New You who’d taken part in the beta testing. All of us seemed to have become hooked, like the SRU was a drug, and we were constantly craving more. Even though I was unfocused, I managed to write my SRU review for the next issue. It was the first time I'd ever given a glowing review to anything.

  ​The day dragged on for far too long, including the drive home. I found myself making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner, something I hadn’t eaten since elementary school, just so I wouldn’t have to waste time cooking. Immediately after dinner I showered, slipped into my pajamas, and prepared to head back to my other life. Lisa Hampton was becoming nothing but a dream while Valkyrie slept.

  ​As I lay in bed, sliding the visors on for the night, I found myself wondering if others were as addicted to this alternate reality as I was. I assumed it was just the newness of it that made it so addicting. I remembered when som
e of the older franchises first came out. Many people seemed to be addicted to them, but those addictions only lasted until the fad died. Then again, Dance Dance Revolution and World of Warcraft didn’t have anywhere near the level of realism as the SRU.

  ​I felt my heart racing as the bands enveloped me and then the flash of red light signaled my arrival in the SRU.

  ​I found myself once again in Melodia, in exactly the same place I'd logged off this morning, the backpack full of gems still weighing me down. I nearly ran toward Rings and Things, being careful not to knock anyone over, in my desire to begin my training.

  ​I burst through the door to find Lesley sitting behind the counter selling a silver and gold bracelet to an elderly woman carrying a broom and a basket full of herbs. They both turned, shocked by my utterly embarrassing intrusion. I felt my cheeks flush as I tried to recover.

  ​“Um,” I stuttered, crossing my hands in front of me in the Avenger salute as a reflexive, nervous twitch. “I’m sorry for interrupting. I was just really excited to start my magic training and forgot my manners for a moment.”

  ​Lesley and the woman exchanged a quick glance, the woman hiding a small smile, and finished their transaction. When they’d finished, Lesley turned toward me and asked, “So you really got all the gemstones on my list? I didn’t think it’d be possible. How’d you do it?”

  ​“Simple. I’m an Avenger.” The cryptic answer was as close to the truth as I could get, having sworn not to reveal the goblins’ secret.

  ​“That’s no answer,” the elderly woman chided. “That’s an evasion.” She walked over to me and held out her hand. “Don’t worry, child. Everyone has their secrets. Lesley won’t pry.” She gave Lesley a glare like a mother punishing a rowdy child and turned back to me. “My name is Merissa Nightshade. I’m a witch woman and herbalist. If you ever need any magic potions or poisons, feel free to call on me.”

  ​I took her hand, relieved that she’d put an end to the topic. “I’m Valkyrie.”