“Heh.” She smiled. “Thank you, my brave champion.”
His mouth dried out. They wound up gazing into each other’s eyes. Keith tried to summon the courage to kiss her, but forgot the words to the bravery ritual. Carlos whacked him on the shoulder, making him jump in surprise.
“Gah!”
“Hey, man. You’re the first one to take damage. What was it like?” asked Carlos.
“It hurt. Buttloads. I, umm, don’t recommend it.” Keith sighed out his nose.
“Sorry.” Ashur scowled at the snare trap. “My fault. We should’ve run from it.”
“Can’t leave you man,” said Elliot.
Tira crept up. “I’m sorry. I should be in front looking for traps and stuff.” She smoothed her rogue’s skirt down and adjusted a bandolier of throwing knives so small they looked like arrowheads.
“She’s basically a Wyrling,” said Elliot. “Grown up, they’re only about her size.”
Sarah smiled. “Actually, Wyrling are even smaller. They’re only like three feet tall. Come on.” She winked at Tira. “Girls got point.”
Tira grinned.
25
Already Lost
Hours later, the group had passed the edge of the Devouring and once more walked upon verdant grass. By nightfall, they entered a thick forest, filled with the sounds of animals and hundreds of mysterious glowing spheres that darted between distant trees. None came closer than fifty feet, though they gave off the distinct impression of being alive.
A strong floral/pine scent made Keith fully aware that they had gone quite far away from Meadow Grove, his home, his parents, and everything he knew. While he’d never really been critically bored there, he had daydreamed about being in a world like this. Now that he’d wound up here for real, and simply walking from one place to another could kill him, he became intensely homesick.
Imagine how Sarah feels. She’s been here for thirty years.
When she suggested stopping to rest for the night, he sat next to her beside a fallen tree, watching with awe as she built a modest campfire. Before she could get a decent spark going, Carlos flicked a bit of magic into the tinder to light it. Soon, the kids sat around like they’d gone camping, only no one’s parents were around to protect them if a bear showed up.
Ration blocks came out, and everyone choked down one serving. Sarah took Tira out of sight into the trees for a bathroom break, while the boys went off one by one in random directions as the need arose.
“Cool. Magic TP.” Carlos’ random comment filtered out of the trees and made everyone laugh.
“How’s that work?” asked Elliot in a loud tone, still sitting in camp.
Carlos didn’t answer until he walked back over and took a seat. “It’s a ‘remove dirt’ spell. Apparently, magic thinks of it as dirt.”
Tira blushed. “But you have to see us?”
“Only enough to aim a spell at you. Top of your head poking over a bush should work.”
“That’s still super embarrassing.” Tira fidgeted.
“Worse than using your bare hand?” asked Ashur.
“Eww.” Tira stuck out her tongue.
“I’ve got some cloth scraps if you have to go,” said Sarah.
Keith squirmed at the idea of using burlap as TP.
Everyone fell quiet while finishing off the last of their meals. Sarah wandered off a bit, pacing around before sitting with her back to the camp and gazing into the forest. Tira eventually ran into some bushes some twenty yards off.
Keith stood and walked up behind Sarah. “Hi, umm. Can I sit with you?”
She kept staring into the distance. “Sure.”
He lowered himself to the ground at her side. “Sorry about your dad.”
“You said that already.” She shrugged one shoulder. “Don’t be. He’s not why I’m upset.”
“I can’t imagine having Ash, and El, and Carlos all get like old and stuff on me. It’s gotta be weird. But, think how happy your grandmother’s going to be when you go home.”
Sarah covered her mouth and nose with both hands, sniffling.
He glanced at her, considered putting an arm around her back, but couldn’t make his body move. “Your room’s pretty cool. I never saw tape cassettes before.”
Her sudden laugh came heavy with tears. “Huh, what? Really? What do you listen to?”
“Mp3s mostly. My dad’s got some CDs.”
She wiped her eyes and let her arms drape across her lap. “What’s that?”
“Umm. Mp3s are like computer files. I got an iPod that’s like this big”—he pinched the air to illustrate the size—“holds thirty-two gigs.”
“Thirty-two concerts?” asked Sarah.
He laughed. “No, gig as in gigabyte. It’s like a thousand songs. A CD is a silver disc. It’s like a record but a laser instead of a needle.”
“Oh, wow. That’s… like right out of Star Trek. Are you sure you’re not just teasing me?”
“Wait ’til you see my phone.” He grinned.
“Your phone?” She blinked. “You’ve got your own phone? I wanted a separate line, but my dad wouldn’t pay for it. Grandma was willing to, but he said no.”
“It’s a cellular phone. About this big. I carry it all over. It’s like a tiny computer.”
“Computer?” She tilted her head.
“Oh, wow. I gotta show you so much stuff.” He reached over and threaded his fingers between hers, clasping her hand. “I mean, if you wanna see.”
“If we get out of here.” She sniffled again.
He rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. “We will. You know way more about this place than me. I’ve only been playing a couple weeks.”
Sarah glanced down at her lap. “You’re holding my hand.”
“Yeah,” said Keith. “I guess I am.”
She glanced over at him. Her face looked exactly like the picture in Mrs. Norris’ living room, only heartbroken. Seeing her so sad frustrated him since he couldn’t simply fix it.
“I’m old enough to be your mother.”
“No, you’re not. You’re only fourteen. You’ve been stuck in a book and characters in a book don’t ever get older. Every time you read it, they’re the same age no matter how much time went by for real.”
She squeezed his hand back. “I know you kinda like me. Guess I saw into your thoughts somehow. It was weird being Kyra for real. The other characters kept hearing you guys talk about rules and stuff.”
“We’ve got some stuff in common. No one notices me at school. I’m invisible. Kinda athletic, kinda smart—but you’re smarter.”
A playful grin curved her lips. “Oh, Mr. Flatterer.”
“I’m serious. You’re really smart. And creative. I loved those riddles and traps you came up with, and the letters you wrote for props. You should write books. You’d be good at it.”
She scuffed her boots back and forth, a tint of red in her cheeks.
“I think you’re really pretty, too.”
“You’re not so bad to look at yourself.”
He blushed.
Sarah grinned for a few seconds, but her expression collapsed to a nervous grimace. “I’m not good at this. I’ve never had a boyfriend.”
Keith tilted his head. “No way. You’re so perfect. I find that hard to believe.”
“Do you now?” She bit her lip. “I’m the girl in the background. Guess I look okay enough not to get picked on, except for Brittany, who thinks I’m a nerd. I get decent enough grades, but I’m no Mensa kid. Never did the sports thing. Who pays attention to the girl who’s always got her face in a book under a tree somewhere?”
“I would.” He squeezed her hand again. “I really like you.”
“You’re blushing,” whispered Sarah.
“So are you.”
She giggled.
“I know we like just met a couple hours ago, and that one time in the dream, but I feel like we’ve known each other for a long time. I don’t know how to explain it. Wh
en I saw your stuff on that table for sale, it bugged me, like someone I knew had gone away and wouldn’t come back… only, you’re gonna come back.”
“It’s my fault.” She broke eye contact, looking down. “I kinda thought I’d wind up trapped here, but I had to help my friends get away. Yzil will do the same thing if we take too long getting to the gate.”
Keith squeezed her hand. “I’ll do it. You gotta go home to your grandma. She’s so sad.”
“No.” Sarah shook her head. “I’m already lost. You have parents, and your friends aren’t like, old and forgot who you are. My whole life is already gone. If Yzil catches us again, I’ll lead him away so you can escape.”
“No.” He let go of her hand and grasped her by the shoulders, staring into her teary, hazel eyes. “I’m going to get you out of here. I have to. I… can’t stop thinking about you. I’m the knight… well, squire anyway, and that’s what we do.”
Sarah’s mouth hung open, her eyebrows canted upward in surprise. “I don’t make a good damsel.”
“I’m not saying that. You fell on your sword once. Now I’m going to help you. I love you, Sarah Norris.” Holy crap! Why did I say that!?
They stared at each other for a moment. At the same instant, their eyes half-lidded and they leaned closer. Alarm bells and panic sirens flared in Keith’s head. A giant level 28 butterfly roared inside his stomach, but he won the initiative roll and went first.
Their lips made contact. Keith kissed her, doing his best to copy what he’d seen on TV. She emitted a soft little noise, and a second later, wrapped her arms around him. He held her close, unable to believe reality. Surely, he had to be back in his bed, dreaming about getting drawn into a game world.
Sarah pulled back and looked him in the eye. Her cheeks had gone scarlet, but she kept smiling.
Behind them, applause rang out.
Keith cringed. He and Sarah glanced back at Carlos, Elliot, and Ashur all clapping. Elliot gave him a thumbs up and winked.
He wanted to dig a hole and hide for the next fifty years. From the deepening crimson in her cheeks, so did Sarah.
“Oh, come on, dude!” Elliot swung his fist around in a circle over his head and cheered. “You’re stupid for her. You always took like ten minutes to describe everything Kyra did.” He grabbed Carlos’ somewhat long hair and waved it as if in a breeze. “The way her hair always flowed romantically in the wind.”
The guys laughed. Sarah bowed her head, hiding against his neck.
“Don’t listen to them.” Keith rubbed his hand up and down her back. “I’m not embarrassed. I’d tattoo your name on my forehead if you wanted.”
“Don’t be a turdling,” she muttered into his shoulder.
“Carlos?” Tira peeked over a bush a good distance away. “Please magic my butt clean. Don’t you dare look!”
Any chance of future romance (at least within the immediate future) died. Keith cracked up laughing, as did Sarah and Elliot. Ashur looked at Carlos with a mixed expression as if he couldn’t decide between amusement and being protective of his sister.
“I can’t see anything but the top of your head.” Carlos pointed at her and mumbled another word in the made up language.
“Eep!” yelled Tira. “That felt so weird.”
Keith remained by Sarah’s side, holding her hands and smiling. The guys returned to the campsite proper, and a moment later, Tira marched out of the undergrowth to sit beside her brother.
“See?” Tira grinned at them. “Keith can write a story that’s more than monster mashing. That was soooo cute!”
Certain his face had gone scarlet again, Keith managed to sit upright and tucked a lock of Sarah’s hair behind her right ear. He moved in to kiss her again, but they both cracked up laughing before contact.
“Aww,” said Tira. “You guys are adorable.”
Ashur scratched his head. “Uhh… that’s not an NPC. Kyra—umm Sarah—is real.”
“Yes, she is.” Keith gripped the sword hanging on his belt and squeezed. “And we are going to get her out of here.”
“We should try and sleep,” said Sarah in a quiet voice. “It will be daylight soon.”
“Ugh.” Elliot groaned. “Doing watch sucks when it’s real.”
Sarah examined her hands for a moment before holding them out over the ground and closing her eyes. Threads of shimmering green energy welled up from the grass, coiling like snakes around her legs and seeping into her chest. When she opened her eyes, they glowed with a warm emerald light. “It worked… everyone can sleep. I will wake if danger approaches.”
“All right, everyone stay close.” Keith tugged Sarah to her feet and walked with her back to the camp.
They settled down beside each other, though Sarah sat up with her back propped against a tree, eyes half-open.
Keith reclined nearby, staring up at the treetops and the stars beyond.
If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.
26
The River Alon
Keith sat up fast, awakened by a deep moaning plus a burbling explosion in the nearby bushes. He drew his sword, spinning around half-awake. “Something’s coming!”
The moaning occurred again with a grunt.
“Dude. Chill out. I’m taking a dump.”
Elliot’s voice had come from the same place as the bizarre noises.
Keith closed his eyes and cringed. Ugh. “You need to cast cure disease on yourself.”
“Hey, at least I went upwind first.” Elliot’s head rose above the thick berry bushes on the right side of the camp. “Yo, ’Los, how ’bout that clean up spell. You’ll probably need to cast it twice.”
“Eww,” said Tira. “You guys, he’s like seriously gross.”
Carlos yawned and sat up. “He does it on purpose because he thinks it’s funny.” He waved his hand and chanted. Tiny magical sparkles covered Elliot.
Elliot’s eyes crossed. “Whoa, that’s funky.”
Before long, they packed up and resumed their journey, following Sarah’s lead deeper into the woods. She had advised them to keep quiet and heed whatever directions she gave with hand signals. Since the character she’d made was a ranger, she had a special ability that allowed her to reduce the chances of random encounters as long as no one in the party made a ton of noise.
Moving while using that technique did slow them, but no one argued against dropping the odds of having to fight from about sixty percent in ‘medium woods’ to a mere ten. Despite probably having the skills and abilities of second-level C&C characters, they all still felt and looked like kids, so combat remained off the table—unless they had no other choice.
By mid-afternoon, the skies darkened with heavy clouds. Thunder rolled overhead, and before Keith could think Oh crap, a horrendous downpour started. Barely a minute later, the intense rain had soaked their clothes to the skin. Her hood up, Sarah continued leading the way until the heavy overcast made night show up early.
The rain hadn’t let up at all, but she located a shallow channel with a stream, and followed it for a half hour or so to the mouth of a cave. Once certain it contained no bears, she waved everyone in, and they huddled for shelter, finally out of the deluge after several hours of walking in it.
Sarah pulled a couple of spikes from her bag and hammered them into the cave wall before running a string between them. “Okay, this is gonna be kinda awkward, but you all need to take off your clothes. They’re wet, and it’s cold in here. You’ll get sick if you keep wearing them. I’m gonna make a fire so we stay warm.”
Elliot shrugged and started to remove his soaked tunic.
Keith looked at Sarah and all the blood in his body swarmed to his cheeks. “Uhh…”
She caught the look and blushed hard. “Umm. Yeah.”
“I don’t want my brother to see me naked,” said Tira.
“Hey.” Elliot looked up. “Why do we still have normal underwear and the rest of our stuff’s medieval?”
Keith shrugged. “Proba
bly because the book never mentions anything about underwear, so it doesn’t know what to replace it with. I guess we should be happy it let us keep it.”
“I’m comfortable going commando,” said Elliot.
Carlos laughed. “Yeah, but none of us are comfortable with you going commando.”
“Hah.” Elliot laughed.
Tira whined. “Do we have to?”
Keith stood there dripping. He couldn’t deny wanting to see Sarah without clothes, but at the same time, the idea of it freaked him out. Especially with all his friends watching.
“Nope.” Carlos shook his head.
“I’m serious.” Sarah fidgeted. “This isn’t exactly fun for me either, but we’re going to freeze. It’s basic survival. Cold, wet clothes will make us sick. We have to hang them until they dry.”
“I am Fuegor the Magnificent.” Carlos said the same word he’d used for the butt-wiping spell and pointed at Sarah.
All the water in her clothing sprayed into the air, leaving her dry in an instant.
She blinked and pulled at her tunic. “Wow.”
“The spell removes all minor status effects like dirty, having fleas, being soaked…” Carlos zapped Tira dry before gesturing at Elliot to back up a bit not to re-wet anyone.
Dry and comfortable, Keith sat watching a strange bird roast over the fire Sarah made. Since Carlos’s spell could dry her once again with ease, she had gone hunting. She returned a while later, carrying a plump dead bird with four wings and six legs. She’d plucked its brown feathers, gutted it, and set it up on a spit to cook like a pro. Soon, the cave filled with the smell of grilled chicken, despite the bizarre creature bearing little resemblance to an ordinary hen.
He put his arm around her, and she leaned against him.
Tira cuddled up to Ashur.
Carlos made eyebrows at Elliot, who cracked up laughing.
“Keep on doing that, man, and I’m gonna call your bluff one of these days,” said Elliot.
Carlos chuckled.
“If we sleep early, we can wake up early and get going.” Keith turned the bird over.
The Cursed Codex Page 19
