by Paul Bellow
“You need to talk to your master?” I asked with extra snark.
“Shut up,” Ryu said, closing the door behind him.
The screams of all the trapped dwarves became muffled, but I still heard them. Sounds like that would haunt me the rest of my life. I scanned the shelves full of books, bottles, scrolls, and more.
Could I find something to help me escape and get back to the others?
“Sit over there,” Ryu said, pointing to a plain wooden chair next to the mirror.
I sat down, facing the door, away from the mirror. Ryu cleared his throat then straightened his robes as if he were appearing for someone special.
“Can you see the mirror, Charlotte?”
“No, but I can try to move.”
“Do it stealthily.”
“I see it now. The clouds are disappearing. It’s that man from earlier.”
“Magi Inyontoo?”
“Yes, it’s him.”
“Quiet now.”
I strained to hear their conversation.
“She’s here right now,” Ryu said.
“I don’t believe you,” Magi Inyontoo said.
“Come here.” Ryu grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the chair. “She’s right here.”
I saw Magi Inyontoo’s ugly mug. His immense smile made the moment even worse.
“You’re looking good as ever,” the black mage said. “Are you ready to join us at Magictology?”
“I think you’re all nuts,” I said, shaking my head. “This is just a game, but you’re taking it to dark places.”
Magi Inyontoo’s expression shifted, his brow furrowing and his eyebrows moving.
“They’re the ones who made it dark by trapping us in here,” he said, spitting out the words. “Your precious brownies have a surprise for you.”
“If you hurt them…” I said.
Magi Inyontoo snickered. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ryu step back.
“Sit her down,” Magi said. “And make sure she can’t hear or see.”
The dark cleric turned and pointed his deadly palms in my direction. Everything went dark, and I couldn’t see or hear.
“Charlotte? Can you hear me?”
“I’m here, Sarah. Now and forever.”
“That’s cryptic, but I’m glad. I need you to listen in.”
“I’m doing that now, Sarah. Quiet, please.”
Even blind, my eyes opened wide, shocked that she’d given me a command. Was it the first time? I waited for her to report anything interesting.
“Can you repeat everything both say? In different voices?”
“Sure, Sarah. This is Ryu…Not been trouble at all. I’ve got it under control.”
Her voice had gone up in pitch a few levels.
“And this is Magi…You need to keep them dwarves locked up and kill Axelrod. The brownies are on the way. Let them take care of their business.”
Her voice changed to Ryu.
“They’ll come to save her. I’m sure of it. This was the smartest move.”
“We’ll see about that,” Charlotte said with her voice for Magi Inyontoo. “Talk to you later. Magictology is the Truth.”
“ Ryu repeated the phrase,” she said in her own voice. “Magi is gone.”
“You better hide, Charlotte.”
I hoped she’d moved to a safe place as I felt Ryu tie my hands behind me.
“Are we alone, Charlotte?”
“Let me check,” she said. “He’s gone. What are we going to do?”
“I need you to be my eyes and ears. We’ll figure this out together.”
“Someone’s coming in,” Charlotte said. “Two new people. I think they’re Bereginyas.”
“What are Bereginyas?”
“They’re like vampires but worse” Charlotte said, a hint of fear in her voice.
“What are they doing?”
“They’re sitting down, one on each side of the door. On the floor. I don’t think they’re too bright. They’re talking slowly.”
“Are they players or NPCs?”
“I can’t tell, Sarah. You must teach me that skill.”
“We need to kill them, so we can search the room.”
“Do you want me to search on my own?”
“Not yet,” I said. “I need you to be my eyes and ears.”
“What are you going to do, Sarah? Are we going to die trying?”
“Not if I can help it. What are they doing now?”
“Looking around the room. One is picking his nose.”
“Stop that,” I shouted, pointing across the room, hoping it was at one of them.
“You ain’t supposed to see,” someone said.
“What’s your name?” I asked. “Tell me before I get upset.”
“It’s Bob,” he said. “And this is Tom.”
“Shut up, Bob,” Tom said.
“You shut up, Tom,” Bob said.
I fought back a smile. Maybe this would be easier than I thought.
“Both of you be quiet,” I said in a commanding voice.
“What are they doing, Charlotte? Are they scared?”
“They appear frightened, Sarah.”
“I need one of you to stand and retrieve the potion for me,” I said.
“Um, what potion?” Bob asked.
He had a slightly lower voice—slower, too—according to Charlotte.
She relayed his question to me in almost real time.
“The potion to knock me the rest of the way out. You don’t want me to kill you two numbskulls with my powerful magic, do you?”
I had no way to cast spells while being tied up. Did they know that?
“Um, I don’t think we’re supposed to give you anything,” Bob said.
“Of course not,” Tom said. “She’s trying to trick us. She’s a dwarf-lover. Likes ‘em short and dark.”
They both laughed.
“Silence!” I shouted, folding my hands together.
“I think she’s casting, Tom. We should help.”
“Bob is standing,” Charlotte said in my mind.
She continued to relay their responses with different voices.
“Tom, untie me,” I said.
He listened to my command.
“He’s standing too,” Charlotte said.
“Find that potion,” Tom hissed. “Hurry up.”
I smelt his breath before I felt his hands fumbling with the rope.
“Can’t untie the knot,” he said after several seconds.
“You better hurry,” I said, sitting up straight.
“Hold on, I’ll get it,” he said.
“The only potion is marked cure,” Bob said to my left.
“Bring it here,” I said.
“Why would Ryu want us to give you a cure potion?” he asked.
“You’re as stupid as you sound,” I said. “He labels his healing potions as non-healing and his non-healing potions as healing. That way, no one steals them.”
It had taken a moment to get accustomed to Charlotte relaying their spoken words into my mind, but it was becoming more natural.
“Got it,” Tom said as I felt the ropes fall away.
I stood and stretched out my hand.
“Give me the potion,” I said.
The dumb Bereginya pushed it into my hand.
“Can you read the label, Charlotte? Is it safe?”
“I think that’s what we want,” she said.
“You think?”
I uncorked the vial.
“This is stressful, Sarah. I’m doing a lot at once.”
“Here goes nothing,”
I thought as I lifted the vial to my mouth and drank its contents down quickly. The bitter taste hung on my tongue, but my vision and hearing were both restored.
“Now what?” Bob asked.
I grinned and cast Snares of Dust for fifteen points of mana.
Your Snares of Dust confound Bob the Bereginya.
You have [245/260] mana remainin
g.
“What are you doing?” Tom asked, pulling a thin, twisted blade from his belt.
Afraid of a lightning bolt bouncing around the room, I went with another spell.
Your Charm of Thought is successful.
You have [205/260] mana remaining.
“Sit back down,” I commanded.
Tom obeyed while Bob flapped his arms around helplessly while coughing.
I cast another spell on him.
Your Charm of Thought is successful.
You have [165/260] mana remaining.
“Get on the floor,” I said.
He obeyed, still coughing as my Snares of Dust followed him.
“We should kill them,” Charlotte said, surprising me.
“Are you kidding?” I asked.
“I’m not kidding,” Tom said.
“Me either,” Bob added then coughed.
“Shut up, both of you,” I said.
“We can’t kill them, Charlotte.”
Had her wires gotten crossed somehow?
“We have to kill them, Sarah. It’s the only way to make sure we’re safe while searching the room. Who knows what other traps or spells are at work in here? And what if Magi Inyontoo comes back?”
I turned to the mirror, seeing nothing but swirling clouds of smoke in the reflection.
“He can’t come through the mirror, can he?”
“We don’t know, which is why we must act fast and find the rest of the party.”
Charlotte had a point. We were in a game, and they were enemies meant to trap me. I glanced at Bob, still coughing, then to Tom in the chair.
“Tom, attack Bob,” I said, wondering if it would even work.
He stood then tilted his head and said, “Wait a minute. This isn’t right.”
“Ugh. Why do I always have to test things? Curiosity killed the cat, you know.”
“What cat, Sarah? I don’t see one, but they scare me. They eat spiders.”
“It’s a figure of speech.”
Tom stepped forward. I cast a spell.
Your golden bolts DECIMATE Tom the Bereginya.
Tom the Bereginya is dead!
You have [135/260] mana remaining.
His body fell to the floor, landing on Bob.
“What’s going on?” he yelled, struggling to get the body off him.
“Save your mana, Sarah. We might need it.”
I hated when she made so much sense.
After picking up my nearby staff, which had been close enough to keep giving me extra mana, I gripped it tightly then brought it down on Bob’s head.
Your Staff of the Caverns GRAZES Bob the Bereginya for 6 damage.
“Ow,” he said, lifting his hands to his head for protection.
I didn’t hesitate, swinging again.
This better not take long.
Your Staff of the Caverns HITS Bob the Bereginya for 8 damage.
“Cut it out,” he said, getting to his feet.
I poked him in the throat with the staff.
Your Staff of the Caverns HITS Bob the Bereginya for 9 damage.
Bob the Bereginya is dead!
Combat is Over!
You get 1,000 xp You have 76,971 xp You need 29 xp for level 8 Wizard --> Warlock
“Come on. You’re kidding me,” I said as Bob fell to the floor.
“Be quiet,” Charlotte said. “We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.”
“How can I get a quick twenty-nine xp?”
“Check the shelves, Sarah. We need to find magic to help us before Magi Inyontoo comes back in the mirror or Ryu returns.”
“Okay,” I snapped, adrenaline still rushing through my veins.
“Are you upset with me?” Charlotte asked.
I sighed.
“No, it’s not you,” I said. “This stupid game is getting to me.”
“Are you ever going to tell me about this game, Sarah?”
“Eventually, but not now, okay?”
“It’s okay, Sarah. We should look.”
Both of us stopped talking as I took a few steps to the nearest shelf.
“Look for anything we can use to battle Ryu or get us back up the pit,” I said.
As I scanned the books in languages I didn’t understand, I wondered how deep and involved the game would get the longer we played. We were only on level one-two, and things were already intense.
“Do you see anything?” I asked.
“No,” Charlotte replied.
I took a deep breath then turned to the opposite wall. Some books occupied the space on these shelves, but bottles, rings, and even a few wands were scattered here and there.
“You should Identify the wands first,” Charlotte said.
“No,” I said. “The rings first, then the wands, then any other trinkets we find.”
“Good idea, Sarah.”
Every time I cast Identify, it would cost me five mana. I could identify twenty-seven items before running out. That’s if I didn’t save a few mana in case Ryu came back.
What if Eric, Josh, and the others never come for me?
The thought, so small and innocent at first, grew into a monstrous nightmare.
I reached out and grabbed a ring.
You successfully cast Identify.
This is an ordinary ring of silver.
You have [130/260] mana remaining.
“Come on,” I said, shaking my head.
The game loved to cheat. Or maybe I expected too much.
What were the odds I’d find an item I needed to escape? The Tower of Gates rarely favored players from what I’d seen.
“Maybe the next one, Sarah.”
“Yeah, I’ll do a few more, but this time, I’ll spend more time deciding what item to identify.”
“Do a wand,” Charlotte said.
“No,” I insisted. “These rings might be powerful.”
“Or they might all be nothing-circles,” she said.
I laughed.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing-circles,” Charlotte repeated, a hint of concern in her voice. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Did you come up with that phrase on your own?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Never mind,” I said. “Let’s try this one.”
I picked up a gold band with four diamonds set next to each other.
“Here’s hoping it’s not a nothing-circle,” I said, still smiling despite our dire circumstances.
You successfully cast Identify.
This is an ordinary ring of plated gold with fake diamonds.
You have [125/260] mana remaining.
“Of course, a nothing-circle,” I said.
Charlotte laughed. I craned my neck to look at her on my shoulder.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh,” I said.
“Should I not laugh?” she asked.
“No, it’s okay. You just surprised me.”
“I’m growing in power, too, Sarah. We evolve together in the game.”
“Let’s try a wand,” I said.
“Great idea,” she said.
Sarcasm now, too? My little Charlotte is growing up.
I kept my inner, private thoughts from her as I cast Identify on a gnarled wand.
You successfully cast Identify.
This is a wand of the Flaming Toes (0 Charges).
You have [120/260] mana remaining.
Bernard had the Staff of the Ram for charging wands, but I kept the new wand anyway. After stuffing it into my bag, I looked at the rest of them.
Maybe the next one would be better. I cast the spell again, wondering what I’d learn. Would I find an item to help us escape the lair of the black dragon Ryu?
I cast the spell, never more anxious to see the results notification.
25
Remember the Worm!
Eric
Axelrod raised his arm to shield his eyes from the light.
“It
’s just a powerful torch,” Axelrod said. “I think it’s blessed.”
“Can you grab it or put it out?” I asked from behind him.
“I’ll get it,” Josh said then pushed Axelrod aside. He flung the door open wider then strolled into the room.
“That’s strange,” he said. “You guys have to get in here.”
I glanced over at Axelrod. He shrugged his shoulders. Bernard did the same.
As we stepped through the doorway, the light dimmed. I looked around and saw yet another hallway leading away into the distance.
“Strange lighting effect,” Axelrod said. “The game is glitching here.”
“Another stupid hallway,” Josh said. “I can’t smash a hallway!”
His frustration spread from the face down the rest of his hulking body.
“Calm down,” I said. “This hallway is different. It’s almost clinical.”
“I thought the same thing,” Axelrod said. “Very clean. Like a hospital.”
He twirled his hatchet a few times.
“The game is glitching hard here,” the dwarf continued.
“Maybe we can slip out of the game,” Josh said.
None of us said a word until Axelrod screamed a dwarven battle cry that I’d never heard before. He then rushed toward the left wall of the hallway and smashed his hatchet into it.
A hole appeared after he pulled it out. Everything around us flickered a moment or two before the hallway faded away. We stood on top of a grassy hill outdoors.
“What’s going on?” Josh asked, looking around as he gripped his sword with both hands.
“I told you,” Axelrod said. “It was all another illusion. The game is glitching bad.”
“Or it’s magic,” I said. “We’re going up against a wight mage.”
Josh pointed down the hill behind me.
“There’s a shack down there,” he said.
I turned and saw a non-descript wooden building Bob Ross might have painted.
“We should go,” Josh said, stepping forward.
“Hold on.” I grabbed his arm. “We need a plan.”
After looking down at my hand on his arm, Josh raised his eyes to meet mine. I let go and held my hands up in the air, palms out.
