Gamers

by Cambry Varner

  Sally drained a mug of coffee and grabbed a piece of toast to eat on the way. Darcy led them across the yard and past a well that reminded Sally of a wishing well. Unaccustomed to being outside so early in the morning, Sally marveled at how the chill air seemed to fill her chest. It gathered up into a tight achy ball beneath her sternum until she exhaled in a long rush of breath.

  Warmth welcomed her as she quietly opened the door and stepped into the house filled with the scent of tea and herbs. Children were still sleeping, squeezed between their parents. The ones who could fit in the cot, slept on the floor beside their child, their hand grasping the tiny one above their head.

  Moving carefully to prevent disturbing parents or children was easy with Sally’s Sneak of +9; she moved without sound, nor even disturbed the flames of candles as she passed them. Darcy, however, had to take pains not to trip over legs or a blanket left forgotten on the floor with her paltry Sneak of +2.

  When they arrived at Tom’s door, Darcy peeked inside.

  “Tom? Hey, you’re awake? Sally is here to see you.” Darcy stepped back and waved Sally inside.

  Why did it feel it feel so grave? Like she was visiting someone at death’s door? She knew the answer: it was because she was dreading apologizing to him. If she had any guts, then she would have done this long before now, before Mikel’s sister ran to them for help. No use in putting it off any longer. The man had gotten hurt on her account, and she should be hurrying in there to see him.

  Tom was sitting up in bed and looked better than he had yesterday. He smiled at her and she found herself smiling back. Any trepidation she felt about seeing him fell away, like a shroud being lifted.

  “Darcy told me you were alright, but I couldn’t stop worrying until I saw you for myself,” Tom said as she crossed the room. Darcy quietly closed the door, leaving them alone.

  “I’m fine,” she said. Hearing Tom talk after watching him having been nearly ripped apart gave her profound relief. The healing magic in this world was phenomenal. In the real world, Tom would be in the hospital room on a ventilator and receiving blood transfusions. Now he was able to sit up in bed as if he had gotten over a bad cold.

  If she didn’t do it now, then something catastrophic would happen to delay it like the building catching on fire or another kid getting lost in the woods.

  “Tom, I’m sorry about what I said about your sister.” She spoke quickly to get it over with…

  He stared at her, his brows knitted in confusion. “What did you say about her? And when?”

  Had he already forgotten? A lot had happened since then, so she supposed it might have slipped his mind. And here she was reminding him of it. “You don’t remember?”

  With eyebrows raised, he shook his head. “No. What did you say?”

  “Remember when we were camping before the wolves attacked? We were talking, and I said that rescuing you was an accident and you said it was a happy accident and I…” She sighed, hating herself all over again for her crassness. “And I said ‘like your sister.’ I am so sorry I said that.”

  Instead of becoming angry or offended, Tom threw his head back and laughed. Sally stared at him, uncertain if she should be happy or disturbed that he wasn’t yelling at her. When he stopped laughing, he wiped away a tear and said in a jovial tone, “She was a happy accident.”

  Sally confused as she thought that Tom cherished his sister. “I don’t understand.”

  “As in most cases with men of power, my father never intended to have a child with his mistress,” Tom said with a soft smile. “And his mistress certainly didn’t sleep with him to bear him children. So what you said is correct, she was an accident for them, but she made me very happy. After my mother died, she was the only person I could call family without duty and honor linked to it. I don’t know how my life would have been if my father and his mistress did not have their ‘happy accident.’”

  Dumbstruck, Sally couldn’t believe she had been sweating this whole time over something Tom wasn’t even offended by in the first place. Then, slowly, a grin spread across her face, and she broke into a laugh. Tom joined her and their laughter mingled between them and until they were almost in tears.

  Sally wiped her eyes and shook her head, so happy to have that off her chest. “So we’re good? I mean, we’re on good terms?”

  “Yes! I never saw us anything else than on good terms,” Tom said. His smile faltered at the edges until it diminished.

  Sally noticed the sudden change in his mood, and her jovial mood faded too. “Is something wrong?”

  “I…I heard a strange word,” Tom said slowly. “I was wondering if you knew what it meant.”

  He touched her hand for a moment before curling his fingers around it. Sally was surprised by the tight grip as if he was hanging from the edge of a cliff. “What’s wrong, Tom?”

  “Nothing. Just curious over this word I heard. Innpeasea? Have you heard of it?”

  Confused Sally mouthed the word to herself. “I never heard of it. What does it mean?”

  “I don’t know. I was hoping you would.”

  “Innpeasea? Am I saying that, right? Sorry, but I have no idea,” Sally said, shaking her head.

  “Please, think about it.” His eyes were on her face, watching her eyes and mouth.

  Why was he so insistent that she knew what this strange word meant? Darcy might know. She was so familiar with this world she ought to recognize any unusual names or labels. Sally took a moment to think about it. Innpeasea? It sounded like three words put together. Separated, they sounded like Inn. Pae. Sea.

  Inn. Pea. Sea. Her blood chilled in her veins. It wasn’t three words. It was three letters. NPC. Where the hell did he hear NPC?

  Maybe it was fast thinking, maybe she had rolled high on her Intelligence score of +2, but she suddenly realized where he had heard it and she now understood why she felt something niggling at the back of her mind. Mikel had listened to her conversation with the Hunter. How could she forgotten that? Did she just assumed in that he wouldn’t have understood anything they had said?

  Unless an NPC was essential to a quest, a fan favorite, or served as a love interest, then they were pretty much ignored. She was still thinking as if she were sitting in front of a monitor playing a game, not in a fantasy word.

  Now Tom was looking at her, waiting for her answer. What should she do? What could she say? Her Charm was a +7 so she should be able to convince him it meant nothing. She raised a shoulder in a shrug and offered an offhand smile. “I have no idea. It sounds like a silly word to me. Like something a child would make up for a game.”

  Slowly, Tom removed his hand from hers and laid it on his lap. Drawing a deep breath, he slowly released it through his nose, his eyes never leaving hers. “I suppose you’re right. It is a silly word, isn’t it?”

  Did he believe her? Best to change the subject, so he didn’t have time to dwell on it. Babbling, she said, “Do you need Darcy to heal you? I can go get her. Did she tell you we’re leaving for Everguard by boat? We’ll be there before tonight.”

  “I’m sure you’re quite eager to get there,” Tom said, following her lead into another subject. A smile softened the hard expression giving her cause to relax. “To cure Naomi.”

  “Yeah, the last thing we need is another wolf problem to deal with,” Sally said with humorous candor. “We really don’t need Naomi sprouting fur and howling at the moon.”

  “Well, I believe she would make an adorable werewolf,” Tom said. “I can see Mina walking her on a leash like one of the noblewomen with their little dogs.”

  “It would take Mina to hold that girl’s leash,” Sally replied, quite pleased they had left the uncomfortable topic of NPC behind them.

  Chewing his lower lip, Tom looked at her again, this time with a silent plea. “Sally, I know I’ve said this before, but I shall say it as many times as it takes for you to trust me. I have come to adore all of you. From the endearing Naomi, to the cautious Mina, to the resilient
Darcy, and you, the beautiful Sally. If you’re in peril or fleeing from it, I can help you, but you have to trust me with the truth.”

  Damn, he didn’t buy it and worse, he was more confident that they had something to hide than before. She must have failed her Charm check, or maybe he had passed his Perception check? How was she supposed to handle this? Darcy would know what to do, but it would seem suspicious if she excused herself to get her now.

  “Tom, we like you too, but I don’t know what to say,” she said evenly. “I’m sorry if we come across suspicious to you, but I promise you we’re not bad people.”

  “Then why hide the truth?” There was accusation in his voice.

  Anger pulsed in her temples, and her eyes narrowed. His suspicion actually hurt, and this time she was in the right for being offended.

  “You don’t trust us?” she said, surprised by how much his distrust stung. “If it weren’t for us, you’d still be in a cell waiting for a rescue that probably wasn’t ever coming. The Cut Throats would still be terrorizing the countryside with that asshole innkeeper sending them new victims. This village would still have a wolf problem with a bunch of kids trapped under a building, and Mikel would have been supper for the wolves. Let’s not forget that for the second time we saved your life after a direwolf almost took your damn head off. I would think we’ve more than proven ourselves, but if that’s not enough for you, then maybe we should part ways once we reach Everguard.”

  She rose from the chair and walked away, not caring to hear whatever he would say. It felt good to speak up for the group, but now she felt hurt, tired, and just unhappy in general.

  Darcy met her in the hall with an expectant look. “Did you…”

  “Yes, I apologized, and he accepted, but we have a bigger problem now,” Sally said as she took her arm and towed her outside.

  Darcy went along with her in silent worry until they were outside and well away from anyone overhearing them. They stood by a well near the well they had passed earlier, the one that looked like a wishing well. Being outside made her feel better, but Sally still felt on edge.

  “What is it this time?” Darcy asked, looking exasperated.

  “Tom just asked me if I knew what NPC meant,” Sally said, looking down into the well. It was a dark tunnel with a minimum of sunlight glinting on the water’s surface.

  “Are you sure?” Darcy moaned, leaning against the edge of the well beside her.

  “Yes, I’m sure. He pronounced it as Innpeasea, but separate the words you get NPC.” The well was deeper than Sally would have expected. She could see how someone could die or drown falling into a well. “It was Mikel. The kid must have overheard the Hunter and me talking.”

  “How much did he tell Tom? How much did the kid overhear?” Darcy said, getting more riled.

  “I don’t know. But if Mikel told him about NPC and the rest of the conversation, then it’s possible that Tom assumes we have something in common with the Hunter.” Sally looked around for a rock to drop in the well but decided against it as that could be an unhygienic thing to do.

  “So…What did he say? What did you say?”

  “I tried to play it off like something silly a kid would make up, but he didn’t buy it. Said he wanted us to trust him so he could help us.” Sally looked away from the well’s depths and locked her gaze with Darcy. “I said that if he didn’t trust us after all the good we’ve done, then we should part ways in Everguard.”

  Darcy closed her eyes and sighed, shaking her head. “Oh, Sally…”

  “No, Darcy, I’m serious. If he feels that way, then we need to cut him loose. Let him take the first boat to Everguard, and we’ll wait for the next one.”

  “Good luck explaining that to Naomi,” Darcy muttered.

  “If she’s so in love with him, then she can go off with him into the sunset.”

  “C’mon, don’t be that way,” Darcy said. “Naomi’s okay, even if she can be annoying sometimes.”

  “I know…I’m not mad at her, I’m just irritated with everyone right now,” Sally said, hanging her head. “You know how I am.”

  “Yeah, I do,” Darcy sighed. “C’mon, let’s go eat and let things cool down. We’ll see what Tom wants to do later.”

  When they returned to the inn, Mina was sitting alone at a table with Naomi nowhere in sight. At the sight of them, the Barbarian stood up so fast she shifted the table and almost tipped over the mug she had been nursing. She stalked towards them with urgent energy and grabbed their wrists with both hands. “You need to come upstairs with me right now.”

  “What’s wrong?” Sally heard herself asking and wondered how many times had that question been asked in the last twenty-four hours?

  “Goddamn, it’s just one thing after another,” Darcy muttered to herself. “When it is going to stop?”

  Mina didn’t speak as she took them upstairs and into one of the rooms. Naomi was sitting on the bed, staring out the window in sullen silence. She almost sagged into a puddle when they came inside. “Am I in trouble?”

  Mina let go of Sally and Darcy and shut the door behind them. “Just tell them what you told me.”

  “I didn’t do anything,” Naomi whined.

  “Naomi,” Mina said a stern voice that Sally or Darcy had never heard her use. “Tell them how old you are.” Naomi’s lips tighten in a thin line with obstinance. Mina’s eyes darkened as she glared at the girl. “Either you tell them, or I’ll tell them. They’ll find out regardless.”

  Naomi made a noise between a grunt and a snort, then mumbled something.

  Darcy stepped forward, crossing her arms. “A little louder, honey, we can’t hear you. How old are you?”

  Naomi’s face turned red as she glowered. “I’ll be…I’ll be ten in two months.”

  There was a long moment in which Sally’s world shattered. She stared at the girl who couldn’t look any younger than sixteen with a developed body and voice to match. It couldn’t be true, but then…remembering back to Naomi’s behavior…

  Sally whistled aloud. “This explains things a bit.”

  “If you’re going to turn ten in two months, then that means you’re nine years old!” Darcy snapped, jabbing a finger at the teenage girl who was actually a young girl.

  “Almost ten!” Naomi yelled.

  Mina cut her off with a sharp motion. “Keep your voice down, or the NPCs are going to wonder what we’re doing. Darcy, how did this happen?”

  “How do you think? Remember, these aren’t our real bodies! My hair isn’t this long, Sally isn’t this thin, and you’re not that tall. And now Naomi isn’t this old either.”

  “This certainly explains why she can’t take anything seriously,” Sally said, sitting down on the opposite bed. So much of it was making sense now. Naomi’s intense morality, her attachment to Tom, and why she was so eager to “play the game.” She was living out a kid’s fantasy of being transported to a magical world and becoming a hero.

  “This is bad,” Mina moaned, shaking her head. “This means we can’t leave her alone for a second.”

  “Mina, c’mon, it’s bad, but it’s not…” Darcy started.

  “It’s very serious. She’s a kid, but everyone is going to see her as a young woman. They’ll take whatever she says seriously and expect her to understand things a kid wouldn’t.”

  “I think we were already treating her as a kid from the beginning,” Sally said, interposing herself between Mina and Darcy in case it became another row. “Let’s be honest with ourselves. We’ve been treating her differently because we instinctively knew she was different, that her packaging didn’t match what was inside. We’ll have to keep an eye on her.”

  Mina gave Sally a deadpan look. “I agree but it won’t be easy because she’s gone. Right out the window.”

  ***

  Tom stared up at his dutiful companion, the ceiling. Over and over, his exchange with Sally played in his mind’s eye. That could have gone better, he could have chosen his words more ca
refully, or said nothing at all.

  The women fascinated him, but maybe it was because they let him feel a part of their group. Being the third-born prince with radical ideas of equality among the races never warranted much popularity in court. Just that of sycophants who orbited him in hopes of currying favor from the royal family. And the daughters of nobility who sought to seduce him so that they could be married into royalty. There was never anyone who wished for his presence because of who he was: they were only socializing with him for what he could grant them. In Sally and her party, he understood for the first time what it was to travel with companions, friends.

  So deep was he in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the window opening until a voice piped, “Morning!”

  His ribs jolted in pain when he jerked around to the source of the voice. “Naomi? Why are you here?”

  “To see you!” she said as she climbed inside without ceremony. As if it were the most natural thing to climb through a window. “And to get away from the others because they’re jerks. And buttheads. Jerky buttheads.”

  “That’s a colorful term for your friends,” he said blankly.

  She perched on the edge of the bed in a huff. “They’re not acting like friends. They started talking about me as if I wasn’t there and I hate that! Like I’m furniture that can’t hear what they’re saying.”

  “I know that feeling,” Tom sympathized. How often did he overhear a conversation about him only a few steps away in the court or ballroom? “Did something happen?”

  “No!” Naomi said in a confessional quickness to indicate that something did happen, but she wasn’t going to tell him what. “They’re jerks, and I hate them.” After a moment of reflection, she admitted, “No, I don’t hate them, but I hate that they’re jerks.”

  “What are they being ‘jerks’ about?” Tom ventured.

  “They think because I’m a kid, I can’t do anything,” Naomi said, bringing her legs up to her chest and hugged them. “Even my parents don’t think I can do anything for myself.”