Hero

by Paul Bellow

  Sheldon nodded.

  “After they caught me hacking a corporate network,” he said, “the authorities offered me a chance to help design the Tower of Gates game. When I started asking questions, they offered to hook me up to the game for free. I’ve been in here ever since.”

  “Sorry, man,” Eric said.

  “It’s not your fault,” Sheldon said.

  “You said you have a way out?” I asked.

  If he’s a hacker in the real world, maybe he can do it.

  “Yeah,” Sheldon said. “But it’s dangerous and untested.”

  “Let’s try it,” I said. “Anything to get out of here.”

  “Yeah,” Josh said, nodding his head.

  “We can’t on the second level.” Sheldon moved his head back and forth as he stared at the ceiling of the wagon as if calculating something in his mind. “I think we can do it on level one-seven.”

  “You think?” Josh asked then snorted. “Some hacker you turned out to be.”

  “Leave him alone,” I said. “What’s the hack, Sheldon?”

  “It involves creating a magic item,” he said.

  Eric sat up and scooted to the edge of the bench.

  “Making magic items? That sounds like something Magi Inyontoo would do. He said he’d built something that could get out of the game.”

  “He’s crazy,” Sheldon said. “I wouldn’t trust anything he says.”

  “But you’ve got it all figured out, huh?”

  Josh shook his head.

  “The other players are mostly on higher levels,” Sheldon said. “I’ve been stuck as an NPC so long that I’m not entirely sure what’s going on anymore.”

  “I found somewhere to camp,” Bernard said from the front.

  As the wagon stopped, Eric opened the slit to talk to Bernard.

  “Where are we?” he asked.

  “A few miles down the road,” Bernard said. “There’s a group of trees we can camp behind. Looks like the best spot we’ll find.”

  “Great,” Eric said.

  I took a deep breath as the wagon lurched forward again.

  Later that night, we sat around a small campfire. The conversation moved to things we missed in the real world, like pizza, doughnuts, and other delicacies.

  Bernard won the conversation when he mentioned he missed his family. After we all quit agreeing, I found a nice spot by the fire to curl up and sleep.

  My dreams mixed the real world with the Tower of Gates game.

  10

  Solemnly Seeking the Sword of Sands

  Eric

  We traveled the entire next day, eventually reaching the spot where Talbot had been on level one-one. Only one building stood near the road.

  “Pull up to the rangers’ station, Bernard,” I said.

  He turned the horses toward the single-story wooden structure.

  “Are we there yet?” Evan called from the roof.

  “We’re here,” I said, scanning the forest for movement.

  Nothing. Maybe we’ll be able to camp safely tonight.

  “Everyone keep your eyes open,” I said as the wagon stopped.

  I leaped off the front and down to the grassy ground.

  The wooden rangers’ station stood a couple hundred feet away from the forest. All the trees stood taller and looked more menacing than I remembered.

  “I’ll get the horses tied up,” Bernard said.

  “Great.” I drew my sword. “Let me clear the building.”

  I stepped toward the rangers’ station.

  “Wait up,” Josh said.

  He jogged up beside me then slowed down, matching my stride.

  “Where’s your sword?” I asked.

  I glanced over and saw him punch his left fist into his right hand.

  “There’s nothing in there that will require a sword,” he said then grinned.

  We stopped at the door to the crude, wooden building. I stepped to the side as he opened the door and charged in with a yell. A moment later, a scared dog fled through the door with its tail between its legs, whimpering.

  “All clear,” Josh called from inside.

  Evan rushed over to pet the dog.

  “Careful,” I said.

  “He’s a good dog,” the brownie said, smiling away. “I can tell.”

  “Anything in there?” I asked as I stepped into the single room.

  “Nothing but a bulletin board,” Josh said. “I can’t read any of it.”

  I walked over to him and saw sheets of parchment nailed to the wall.

  “That’s dwarven, isn’t it?” I asked.

  “You tell me,” Josh said. “This will be a good place to camp for the night.”

  “Agreed,” I said as I studied the parchment. “Hey, Sarah.”

  “I’m right here,” she said from behind me. “Give me a few minutes to translate with the book I brought along.”

  “You’re the best,” I said, putting my hand on her shoulder.

  Josh looked at my hand then into my eyes. He didn’t look happy, but I didn’t care.

  “Go,” Sarah said. “Both of you. I need to concentrate.”

  “Let’s get some firewood for the fireplace,” I said.

  Josh nodded but said nothing.

  Outside, the others were unloading food and water from the wagon.

  “The wagon won’t help us going through the forest,” Josh said. “Maybe I should stay here and guard it.”

  “Look around,” I said. “No one’s going to steal it. We probably won’t need to be in the forest long anyway. I bet Axelrod is long gone. We have no idea when that note was written.”

  Josh nodded.

  “The woods creep me out, man,” he said. “Something happened one time when I went camping in the Scouts.”

  “You weren’t a Scout,” I said.

  “Whatever, bro. I don’t want to go into the woods.”

  “Let’s get the firewood,” I said. “We can talk about splitting the party tomorrow.”

  “Fine,” he said.

  I glanced over my shoulder.

  “Hey, Bernard. We’ll be back. Going to get firewood.”

  “I’ve got it under control,” he shouted from the back of the wagon.

  Josh and I walked toward the edge of the woods. I remembered the tree trolls we’d fought on level one-one. Sylvar also popped into my thoughts.

  I still hated the elven weasel.

  We picked up dry branches and twigs from the edge of the woods as we walked. Josh carried more than me on the way back to the rangers’ outpost, but I didn’t care.

  “Can we trust that Sheldon guy?” he asked on the way.

  “I think so,” I said. “You don’t trust him?”

  “Bro, I don’t trust anyone in this game except you and Sarah.”

  “You can trust Bernard,” I said. “And the brownies aren’t going to screw us over. They’re both in love with Sarah, too.”

  “Wait a minute.” He stopped. “Are you telling me you’re in love with her?”

  I kept walking.

  “You know what I mean,” I said. “Quit busting my chops, will you?”

  Josh laughed then caught up with me.

  Sarah ran out of the building as we approached.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  She smiled.

  “A new side quest if we want it,” she said.

  “Yeah?”

  I dropped my bundle of sticks on the ground.

  “We shouldn’t get sidetracked too much,” Josh said to my surprise.

  “It’s worth it,” Sarah said. “We’ll pick up something called the Sword of Sands. I’m sure it’ll help us defeat the black dragon.”

  “We’ll need all the help we can get,” I said.

  Bernard walked over.

  “We should vote on it,” he said.

  “Good point,” I said. “But we’ll be in the forest anyway.”

  “I agree,” Josh said. “We shouldn’t go out of our way, but i
f we can pick up a magic weapon, I’m for it. I could use a new blade.”

  Josh looked over, daring me to disagree.

  “You can have my old one,” I said.

  Sarah stepped between us.

  “We can argue about that later,” she said. “Let’s vote.”

  Everyone voted for taking the side-quest to find the Sword of Sands somewhere in Woodshore Forest.

  New Side-Quest: Find the Sword of Sands This magical weapon is rumored to slow opponents struck by its blade. If you find this sword and defeat the creatures guarding it, your party will receive 10,000 xp.

  “That’s a lot of xp,” I said.

  Sarah walked to the door.

  “Follow me,” she said. “There’s a map on the back of the parchment.”

  As I walked after her, Evan and Ewen argued about the best way to start a fire. Inside the dark, musty building, I saw Sarah standing by the bulletin board.

  “Where’s this map?” I asked.

  She pointed. I leaned in and examined it.

  “This doesn’t look easy,” Josh said. “But I think we can do it.”

  “We’ve got this,” I said. “The sword will be worth it, and we can look for this dwarf. By the way, who’s ever heard of a dwarf living in the forest? Anyone?”

  Bernard chuckled then said, “Anything is possible in the Tower of Gates.”

  “We should rest for tomorrow,” Sarah said then yawned.

  “Agreed,” I said.

  While Evan and Ewen cooked, the rest of us prepared in our own ways for the possible dangers of our side quest. The evening went by quickly.

  I fell asleep while thinking of ways to ensure we didn’t fight over the Sword of Sands. Whoever used it, being able to slow opponents would help our party.

  My dreams mangled real life and game memories in an unsettling way.

  The next morning, I woke feeling refreshed and ready to take on anything the game threw at us. After a meager breakfast, we headed into the forest in single file.

  Evan scouted ahead a few hundred yards, looking for the easiest way to go. I followed him with Bernard directly behind me. Ewen and Sarah walked in the middle.

  Josh brought up our rear. The thing about the forest was that enemies might come at us from any direction. It was better to have a fighter like him in the back.

  Giant tree trunks shot upward hundreds of feet with no branches. The canopy of branches overhead blocked the sun, making progress even more difficult.

  “Keep your eyes open,” I said.

  Step after step, we drove deeper into the lush and lively forest. Bushes and other foliage blanketed the forest floor, slowing us down as we walked.

  “How’s it look up there, Evan?” I asked.

  “Lots of forest rats,” he said. “I can catch them for lunch.”

  “I thought something crawled over my feet,” Sarah said.

  “There’s a trail ahead,” Evan said. “Looks clear.”

  “At least Sylvar’s not here,” Bernard said.

  We reached a wide, clear trail leading deeper into the woods.

  “This is an animal trail,” Evan said. “If a dragon comes, I’ll kill it.”

  “We should be more worried about giant bees or poisonous snakes,” I said.

  Evan’s unsettling grin turned to me before he took off down the trail.

  “Slow down,” I said. “Don’t get too far ahead.”

  The trail was wide enough for three of us to walk abreast. Bernard, Sarah, and I walked next to each other with Ewen, Sheldon, and Josh behind us.

  “Do you hear that?” Josh asked.

  I stopped, listening.

  “What?” I asked, then added, “I don’t hear anything.”

  “Shh,” Josh whispered, cupping his hand behind his ear. “It’s baboons, I think. Or monkeys maybe?”

  “That means we’re getting close,” Sarah said. “The map mentioned baboons and ghoulish monkeys might be encountered.”

  “Hopefully not monkey ghouls,” I said. “Sylvar and Rizzo had to battle them in level one-one, but we don’t know how tough they might be.”

  “We can take them,” Josh said.

  Sarah glanced down at our map.

  “According to this,” she said. “The shrine is about a half-mile down this trail.”

  “Weapons at the ready,” I said, drawing my sword.

  Up ahead, a stone shrine next to the path came into view.

  Evan glanced around, holding his dagger.

  “I don’t see anything,” he said.

  We walked forward, inching closer to the roughly five-foot high rectangular structure. Dark green moss covered the weathered stones.

  “It’s the perfect size for me,” Evan said.

  He walked toward an opening that led into darkness.

  “Careful,” I said. “Sarah, can you get us some light in there?”

  She came forward and stuck the end of her glowing staff into the room. The light revealed nothing inside. Had someone already gotten the sword?

  “We’ve got company,” Bernard said.

  I straightened up and turned.

  “Where?” I asked.

  “I hear it,” Josh said. “But I don’t see anything.”

  “Sounds like monkeys,” Sarah said.

  “Protect the spellcasters,” I said as I stepped forward.

  A dozen ghoulish monkeys appeared from in between the trees. Their taut, leathery skin made them look like they were halfway between living and dead.

  I braced myself as they charged toward us. We stood in a semi-circle with our backs to the shrine, Sarah and Sheldon behind the fighters and rogues.

  The first creature reached Ewen and leaped on his body, knocking him to the ground. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the monkey ghoul bite him.

  Another of the screeching, half-dead monkeys reached me. I swung my sword at the one in front of me as two Flaming Discs of Lava shot past and hit one of the other monkeys.

  Your slash HITS the monkey ghoul for 9 damage.

  The monkeys fanned forward, pushing us against the shrine.

  “Hold the line!” I yelled, slashing again.

  Your slash MISSES the monkey ghoul.

  Two monkey ghouls rushed toward me at the same time. Half a dozen golden bolts whizzed into one, dropping the creature to the ground.

  I barely dodged the other’s razor-like claws. Their shrill, other-worldly screams filled the air. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Josh kill two.

  Maybe he does deserve the sword if we find it.

  I pushed the thought aside and thrust my sword into the wounded monkey ghoul.

  Your slash HITS the monkey ghoul for 8 damage.

  The monkey ghoul is dead!

  I glanced to the left and saw Ewen back on his feet, fighting away. I wondered where Evan was, while deciding where to focus my efforts.

  Bernard glanced over after dispatching another monkey ghoul with his mace.

  “I think they’re evil,” he said. “But I didn’t use detect alignment.”

  He laughed then swung again.

  “Watch out,” I said then brought my sword down from over my head.

  It crashed into the skull of one of the monkey ghouls, splitting it open.

  Your slash INJURES the monkey ghoul for 12 damage.

  The monkey ghoul is dead!

  Five of the monkey ghouls retreated to the woods, but they didn’t flee.

  What’s going on? Are they planning something else? Is this about to get worse? That wouldn’t surprise me.

  A giant ape afflicted with the ghoul’s curse ran out from behind two trees.

  Josh stepped forward, his bloody sword held up in front of him.

  “Damn, dirty ape!” he shouted as he ran forward.

  “Give him space to rage,” I said, studying the battlefield.

  The five smaller monkey ghouls rushed forward again, attempting to break our line and get to the spellcasters. A volley of golden bolts took two of
them down.

  “Kill ‘em all,” I shouted as I rushed forward to meet them.

  My sword slashed downward, striking one.

  Your slash INJURES the monkey ghoul for 11 damage.

  The monkey ghoul is dead!

  Your Weapon Craft (Blades) Skill It is now basic level 10 of 10

  Nice.

  With Bernard and Ewen dispatching the final two monkey ghouls, I turned to see how Josh was handling the big ape ghoul. What was he doing?

  I saw him hugging the deadly creature. The ape bit his right shoulder, ripping out a chunk of flesh.

  Ouch, I thought, grimacing. That’s gotta hurt.

  I ran forward, yelling.

  “Over here!”

  Josh let go of the ape ghoul and stumbled backward.

  The monstrous beast turned its attention to me.

  Several flaming discs shot by, landing on its chest. The leathery skin caught fire, sending the ape into a rage of its own. It charged, a look of fire in its eyes.

  I stood my ground, looking for an opportunity to strike. Before I had a chance, its claws hit my exposed neck. My entire body went numb. I struggled to stay on my feet.

  The ape ghoul’s claw MAULS you for 25 damage.

  You are paralyzed.

  You have [79/104] health remaining.

  Nooooo…

  I fell. Unable to move, I stared up at the canopy of trees overhead.

  Here lies Drex, killed by paralysis on level one-two.

  I prepared myself to die, kicking myself for not paying more attention. Memories of my partial paralysis back in the real world hit me like a fist to the gut.

  Screams and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air as I lay helpless on the ground. Moments passed in anticipation.

  Will the ape ghoul finish me off?

  After a few excruciatingly long moments, I began to regain sensation. My toes wiggled first. I heard a final scream from the ape ghoul before it stopped.

  Combat is over!

  You get 14,000 xp divided by seven party members.

  You get +2,000 xp You have 40,384 xp You need 10,616 for level 8 Rogue

  “Are you okay?” Sarah asked as she crouched over me.