Hero

by Paul Bellow

  “They call me Axelrod. I’m King of the Dwarves. Maybe you’ve heard of me?”

  She continued smiling as they stared at each other.

  I rolled my eyes as Sarah and Josh walked in.

  “Who’s that?” Josh asked.

  “The magic barrier must be down,” I said.

  Bernard stepped into the room.

  “The barrier’s down,” he confirmed.

  Sarah and I both laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” I said.

  “We need more help outside,” Sheena said. “Please.”

  “I’ll go,” Sarah said. “You guys watch the treasure.”

  “Be careful,” I said.

  She laughed.

  “All that’s left are friendlies,” she said. “We defeated the main quest on this level, Eric. Calm down and relax.”

  I took a deep breath then looked back at Axelrod.

  “…this scepter means I’m King of the Dwarves,” he said, raising the jewel encrusted symbol of power.

  Wait, what? I hadn’t caught the first part of his sentence.

  “You’re not going to give that up, are you?” I asked with a chuckle.

  “Give up what? My Kingdom? Never again!” he shouted.

  His expression turned even darker, more menacing.

  “Calm down,” I said.

  Axelrod stepped in front of Sheena.

  “Don’t tell me what to do,” he said. “You can heal up here, but I want your group gone by tomorrow. We’ve got work to do to clean up the Mines of Oriam and restore them to their former glory.”

  “You’re quitting the party?” I asked.

  Axelrod tilted his head back slightly and looked up at me.

  “Do you have a problem with that?” he asked.

  “No,” I said. “We can make it official as soon as Sarah comes back.”

  “Fine,” he said. “She’s helping, so I don’t have a problem with you taking the rest of the dragon’s treasure. We have more than enough here in the mines, especially once we figure out that roguelike game near the entrance.”

  Outside the room, Sarah screamed.

  I dashed around Axelrod and through the doorway.

  Hundreds of dwarves stood around, moaning, stretching, and getting accustomed to not being frozen while still conscious—a feeling I knew all too well.

  I didn’t see Sarah anywhere. She should’ve stood out among all the short dwarves. Near the portal to unlock level one-three, I saw two cloaked figures.

  “Hey,” I said. “What are you doing here? And where’s Sarah?”

  As I stepped forward, they turned, and I saw their faces.

  Two familiar looking brownies smiled. I walked toward them, still armed.

  “What are you two doing here?” I asked, smiling.

  Sarah will be so happy to see them.

  “You let us die,” Evan said.

  The anger in his voice shocked me.

  “Yeah,” Ewen added. “Sarah died first, but you’re next.”

  “What are you talking about? Sarah’s around here somewhere. We just defeated Ryu the black dragon,” I said.

  Their smiles looked more gruesome and disturbing somehow. As they both stepped to the side, my jaw dropped. I saw Sarah’s body on the ground—not moving.

  “What did you do to her?” I asked, stepping forward.

  “Careful,” Evan said, pulling out a vial. “We have strong magic now.”

  “No more your puppet-slaves,” Ewen said. “We’re in the Magictology Guild now, and we’ve got real friends in the game. Both of us are going home soon. You can’t stop us.”

  I froze, not knowing what was in the bottle. Why weren’t the others coming out to help? Too wrapped up in keeping an eye on the dragon’s treasure?

  “Let’s talk this out,” I said. “There’s been a misunderstanding.”

  “No, we understand perfectly,” Evan said. “You used us for cannon fodder.”

  “Do you think we didn’t realize how you treated us when we were cursed with a lower intelligence?” Ewen asked.

  “You two were cursed?” I asked. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Because we were stupid and cursed!” Evan yelled. “Magi Inyontoo is right. You’re a bunch of evil, sick people who only want to do harm. He’s reversing our penalty. We’ve been in here longer than most of the players. By killing Sarah, we’ve regained some of our intelligence. We’ll get it all back by taking you guys out one by one.”

  “You’re all going to face our wrath,” Evan added. “Painful and slow.”

  I gripped both blades tightly.

  “You’re assassins now?” I asked.

  Both brownies nodded, their creepy smiles etched into my brain.

  Screw this. They’re just two brownies. Can’t be that much smarter.

  I raised both swords then crouched, ready to attack.

  “My name is Drex,” I said. “You killed the woman I love. Prepare to die.”

  “Hey, you’re stealing Magi Inyontoo’s line,” Evan said.

  As I stepped forward, both brownies threw glass vials. Wild, thorny vines instantly grew, forming a wall around them and the portal to Level One-Three.

  “Here lies Sarah,” Evan said in a mocking tone. “As dumb as ever. We’re coming after you next, so-called rogue.”

  “Dead and dumber,” Ewen said.

  They both laughed as I slashed at the briars.

  “Help!” I shouted, hoping the others came running.

  The instant thorny bush had trapped a handful of the recently freed dwarves. As their cries got louder, Axelrod and the others rushed out into the wide tunnel.

  “Brownies,” I said, still slashing the thick, thorny branches. “They’re getting away. Can someone dispel this?”

  Derringer walked up and gently touched a vine.

  “It’s real,” he said. “Not magic. We need to cut our way through. Or I could make a device to do it, but it would take time. I need to work on my crafting skill anyway.”

  “Sarah’s dead,” I said. “They killed her.”

  His demeanor changed like someone had flipped a switch.

  “Who?” he asked.

  “Look,” I said, pointing at the brownies.

  They stood next to the portal, still smiling.

  Axelrod, Bernard, and Josh also walked over to us.

  “Why are three of my subjects covered in brambles?” Axelrod shouted.

  “Get the scepter,” Josh shouted, lunging for the dwarf.

  Axelrod raised the Scepter of Might and Magic.

  “No,” I said. “That thing’s too powerful.”

  Josh stopped, chest rising and falling rapidly.

  “You need to get your treasure and leave this level,” Axelrod said. “Fair is fair.”

  “What if we don’t?” Josh asked.

  Axelrod whistled. Several dwarves appeared with heavy crossbows.

  Where did they come from?

  “You didn’t think I’d trust a bunch of strangers like you guys for long, did you?” he asked. “I’ve been in this game too long to be conned.”

  “We’re not conning you,” I said.

  Had the Scepter of Might and Magic corrupted his mind?

  Axelrod stared at us as Sheena walked up to him.

  I glanced down at Sarah’s body.

  “We don’t even know where she’ll spawn,” I said.

  “She’ll be on level one-three,” Axelrod said. “Most likely.”

  I looked over at him.

  “Do you know for sure?” I asked.

  Axelrod shook his head.

  “Not really, but it’s my best guess,” he said. “You guys are welcome to stay here on this level, but you need to leave the mountain.”

  Bernard sighed then said, “Let’s go through the portal. Josh and I will get the treasure while you two clear a path.”

  I watched as the Bernard and Josh walked away.

 
“Can we get some help?” I asked.

  “No,” Axelrod said. “I have a kingdom to build.”

  He and Sheena turned to leave.

  “Wait,” I said, my swords still at my sides.

  The dwarf stopped and turned back around.

  “What?” he asked, the scepter resting on his shoulder.

  “If you find out that roguelike at the entrance to the Mines of Oriam is a way out of the game, let us know, okay? Can you do that for me?”

  “Sure,” Axelrod said. “I don’t plan on leaving this level ever again, but if I find a way out of the game, I promise to send word. Will you do the same for me?”

  “On my honor,” I said.

  “Like human-goblin half-breeds have any honor,” he said then snickered.

  I watched as he left, several dwarves guarding him. When I caught sight of Sarah’s body, I vowed the brownie assassins would pay. Their ignorance didn’t excuse them.

  Derringer kept hacking at the brambles. I walked over and joined him.

  We freed the few dwarves who’d been trapped by them. I wondered why Axelrod hadn’t cared.

  The scepter had to be cursed.

  We stopped after a few minutes to rest.

  “Our group is getting smaller,” I said. “Should we even go to the next level?”

  Derringer wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his left hand.

  “There’s nothing for us down here,” he said. “If we can find a way through the warp zone, we need to leave Magi Inyontoo behind.”

  “Warp zone?” I asked.

  He nodded.

  “It’s purposefully difficult to get through,” he said. “A bunch of guilds banded together to build it and keep Magi Inyontoo trapped on the lower levels.”

  “But we can get through it?”

  “Maybe,” he said. “We’ll cross that bridge once we get to it.”

  He went back to work, clearing the thorny branches out of the way. I briefly wondered about Derringer. Was he trapped on the lower levels? And where would Sarah spawn? Would she be okay on her own?

  No matter how strong and competent she was, I worried. The Tower of Gates had a way of wearing you down. I wasn’t even sure how long I’d last in the game.

  Without Sarah around, it would get darker.

  The game. My mood. Everything.

  I had to find her—and fast.

  29

  Prisoner Identification Number?

  Eric

  After we cut a way through the briars and collecting the magic items from Ryu’s hidden chamber, we stood next to the portal a moment before leaving.

  “You guys ready?” Josh asked.

  “Ready as I’ll ever be,” Bernard said then stepped through.

  Derringer went through next, followed by Josh. After a deep breath, I walked into the shimmering magic. Back in the Tower of Gates, I glanced around.

  The gamemaster stood nearby, smiling and running a hand over his bald head.

  “You made it out of level one-two,” he said. “Color me impressed.”

  “Barely made it is more like it,” Josh said. “Where’s Sarah?”

  “You’ll find her soon enough,” the gamemaster said.

  “Why are we trapped in this game?” I asked. “What’s going on? My father works for the company that designed this game, and I want answers.”

  The gamemaster laughed.

  “You’re all the same,” he said. “None of you are guilty.”

  “Can you at least tell us something about level one-three?” I asked.

  The gamemaster’s face turned more serious.

  “I can tell you this,” he said. “You will start in the year 1343 C.E. in a world a hundred years more evolved than level one-one. You’ll see soon enough.”

  He laughed then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

  “That guy gets on my nerves,” Josh said.

  I nodded then said, “We need to choose a new leader.”

  “You have my vote,” Bernard said.

  “I think we should give Derringer a chance,” I said. “Aren’t you higher level than us?”

  “Level fourteen.” He grinned. “After fifteen, I’ll get to branch out again. It’s taken me forever to get this high again.”

  “How far have you gotten in the game?” I asked.

  “Level one-four,” he said. “I never figured out how to get past the warp zone, so I stayed down here with all my so-called guard buddies. One thing I’ve learned is that Magictology is not for me. I want to get past the warp zone and join the other players.”

  “That’s farther than any of us have gotten,” Josh said.

  I nodded then said, “Anyone have a problem with him leading?”

  “Sounds like a good idea,” Bernard said.

  “But if he doesn’t work out,” Josh added. “I’m next in line.”

  “Sure,” I said to settle him down.

  We didn’t need him slipping into a barbarian rage.

  “Do you have any other information that will help us?” Bernard asked.

  “Maybe,” Derringer said. “What do you want to know?”

  “Anything and everything,” I said. “Do you know anything about the intelligence curse Magi Inyontoo placed on the brownies? I still don’t understand why they would kill Sarah.”

  “You don’t know about brownies in the game?” Derringer asked.

  “No,” I said. “What about them?”

  “They’re babies,” Derringer said.

  “I’m not following you,” I said, my brow furrowed.

  Derringer sighed.

  “It’s one of the experimental aspects of this game.” He stared into my eyes. “Didn’t you say your father worked on the game? Did you know anything about the secret experiments?”

  “No,” I said. “My dad told me he was working on a game. I believed him.”

  “And I believe him,” Josh said, surprising me.

  “Magi Inyontoo is the one who told me, so I’m not even sure if it’s correct or not,” Derringer said. “Basically, they hooked a bunch of babies up to the game and made them all brownies.”

  “Get out of here,” I said, shaking my head. “My father wouldn’t be involved in anything that would hurt babies.”

  “It wasn’t to hurt them,” Derringer said. “Think about it. If you plug a baby into this so-called game with the time dilation, they could gain the experiences and life lessons.”

  “Whoa,” Josh said. “Super smart babies.”

  “Exactly,” Derringer said. “But it didn’t work out right. When they closed up the game and stopped letting people in or out, Magi Inyontoo found the brownie level and brought them into the main game.”

  “Brownie level?” I asked.

  Derringer nodded.

  “It was a simple area for them to learn,” he said. “It wasn’t supposed to be part of the main prison game. Somehow, Magi Inyontoo found the area and transported them into the main game. I only just recently learned this about him.”

  “That explains the brownies behavior more than a curse of their intelligence score,” I said. “Magi Inyontoo is likely lying to them. Thanks for telling us.”

  “No problem,” Derringer said. “I wish I knew more.”

  “How many brownie babies are in the game?” Bernard asked.

  Derringer shrugged.

  “I’ve only seen a few,” he said. “Most of them got stuck on the other side of the warp zone with most of the other players. There’s a Brownie Guild, of course.”

  “Are we going to talk in here forever or get to the next level?” Josh asked. “I want to find Sarah sooner than you guys found me.”

  “Sure,” I said then glanced to the portal for level one-three.

  The liquid energy portal surrounded by a frame looked the same as first two.

  “Says 1343 C.E. on the top,” Bernard noted.

  “Enough chit-chat,” Josh said then stepped toward the portal.

  “Wait,” I said.

/>   Josh stopped and looked around.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Our leader hasn’t told us it’s time to go yet.” I turned to Derringer. “You ready to go through? Anything else we can or should do while we’re here in the tower?”

  “There’s no secrets in the first level of the tower,” he said. “At least none I know about. Other than the view-screen. You guys have found that already, right? I mean, you’ve been through here a couple times.”

  “View-screen?” Bernard asked.

  “Yeah,” Derringer said. “It’s limited, but we might be able to find your friend.”

  Josh turned completely around.

  “Sarah?” he asked.

  Derringer nodded.

  “Can it find her as an NPC?” I asked.

  “Yup,” the Dark Knight said. “Follow me.”

  He walked back down the hallway toward the gate for level one-one which was still glowing and accessible. I followed him with Bernard and Josh behind me.

  Derringer kept walking, continuing around the first level until he came to the closed portal for level one-nine. He stopped and turned, a smile on his face.

  “I can’t believe you guys didn’t spend more time in here looking for a way out,” he said.

  “Show us,” Josh said. “No need to rub it in.”

  Derringer stood in front of the portal with his back to it. After taking three large steps to the opposite wall, he reached out with both hands and pressed two bricks.

  As I watched, the wall faded away, revealing a computer monitor and keyboard. I rushed over, convinced I’d be able to hack our way out of the Tower of Gates.

  “Let me see,” I said, pushing my way to the terminal.

  Derringer stepped aside.

  “You can’t get anywhere other than the identity locator,” he said.

  I stood in front of the screen and stared at a single blinking cursor.

  “How does it work?” I asked.

  “It’s old school,” Derringer said. “I bet they designed this game for decades before they actually launched it.”

  “They could’ve worked the bugs out better,” Josh muttered.

  “Just type in her prisoner identification number,” Derringer said. “Easy.”

  “Um.” I glanced over at him. “That could be a problem.”

  “Why?” he asked. “Everyone here has a prisoner number. They gave me one because they said everyone testing the game had to have one.”