“But what does that have to do with fighting a beast?” Donovan asked, showing he was not all for the description that Scott just described.
Tuomas stepped in seeing Scott’s point, “Everything.”
Everyone was shocked he was siding with Scott, “Scott is right in the matter that not all of us need to fight here, and for good reason. Like he said, a more roguish character, being Nick, isn’t a one-on-one fighter, stealth is his ally.”
Tuomas paused, trying to think of an easier way to explain it, “Think that we are all guild leaders, one from a different guild, like thieves, mages, and so on. Each guild specializes in something that no one else can really master. But like all guilds, each one tackles different obstacles. You are not going to send a rouge to negotiate treaty terms, or send a warrior to go steal a vase.”
Everyone else caught on, and began to absorb what was being conveyed. “So, who else will not be fighting the beast then?” Nick asked, knowing he was the first off the chopping block.
Scott shot a look at Tuomas, Tuomas nodded in approval, “Donovan, Scott, Alissa and I.”
Charlotte’s face went blank, “Why am I not a part of this?”
“You’re injured, we can’t afford you getting more so.” Tuomas countered, seeing that she was hurt by the words.
“Besides, it would be an excellent time for you to do some scouting, just because we will defeat the beast doesn’t mean that we may have to come back to this area later once we get to the city,” Alissa now spoke, trying to comfort her.
Agreement was non-negotiable, that was how it had to be, and they all knew it. They began to leave the table, one by one. Until Scott and Donovan were the last two there, “Want to go for a walk?” Donovan asked Scott.
“Yeah, I think that would be a good idea.”
Scott put his hands on his head as he and Donovan walked out of the village. “So…” Donovan started.
Scott sighed.
“Ah come on hear me out first.” Donovan begged.
There was a pause, “Okay, fine.” Scott reluctantly answered.
“So, about all this, what do you think?” Donovan queried him.
“What do you mean?” Scott rebutted.
“Well do you think this is all coincidence or was this all planned out, like it was supposed to be us with Tuomas, or that the fact that Tuomas knows the world and isn’t really doing much about getting us out.”
“You know I never really thought about that. I was all caught up in the fact we were trapped here, coincidence or not.”
Donovan nodded at his answer, “And you and Charlotte?”
“What about us?” Scott said, sounding annoyed that he brought it up.
“Well you two are together; I just need to know we are all going to work together to get through this in one piece.”
Scott sighed, “Truth is, I think I will be the first one down, I get too hot headed in battle, I make mistakes, I don’t think straight.”
“Nah man, you just get into it, but you are still one of the most important ones of the group, without you, we probably won’t get out, you are technically the strongest of us all, in a way.”
Scott laughed, “I mean come on you’re the heavy hitter here, I don’t know what bull shit your saying.”
“Nah man I am a tank. I take damage not deal it. The thickness of this armor is ridiculous. Nothing is getting through it, but you, your quick and swing fast so you deal the most DPS.” Donovan went silent and slowed his pace and pointed over through some trees, “That creature right there, that is a Minotaur, right?”
Scott looked in the direction that Donovan was pointing in, “Yes, that is a Minotaur, and I think it already spotted us!” Scott exclaimed reaching for his swords.
Donovan nodded at him, pulled his hammer off his back, and charged the beast without a second thought. Scott quickly moved ahead of Donovan, so he could make a quick strike against the beast. The Minotaur met them head on. Scott flanked the beast and sliced both swords across the Minotaur’s backside. The creature gave out a howl and reached for him. Donovan got in the way and the beast hit his chest, which through him back. Donovan hit the ground and let out a sharp cry of pain, “Damn it.”
Scott shifted his footing and charged the Minotaur once more. As he got closer to the beast, he saw it was ready to charge him. The Minotaur charged his way, horns down. Scott rolled out of the way seconds before they would have crossed paths.
The Minotaur turned to face Donovan who saw slowly get back to his feet. It snarled at him, and lowered its horns to charge him. Donovan could see its heavy breathing through how its chest was pulsing; it let out another gargled howl. It scrapped its hooves against the dirt, kicking it up into a small pile. Then Donovan saw the shimmering of two blades raise through the air. He heard the impact of the two blades slicing into the hide of the Minotaur. Loud cracks filled the air and the Minotaur slumped down to its knees.
Donovan moved over to it, rose his hammer above his head, and brought it down upon the head of the beast. A loud snap rang through his ears, and the body slumped to the ground. Donovan looked up to see Scott standing behind the corpse, “Thanks I thought I was going to get a gut full of horn,” Donovan said, offering his hand to Scott. Blood started to pool underneath the corpse.
Scott grabbed it, “We are a team you know.”
Donovan chuckled, “A hell of a walk too.”
“That, my friend, is an understatement.” he paused and looked back at the Minotaur. “I think that confirms that we can take Minotaurs off our list of being the beast we are supposed to take care of.”
Donovan just realized what was stated, he then agreed and the two warriors made their way back towards the town. The trip seemed shorter going back, Scott began to think to himself with a smile on his face: We can do this, we can win, if we all work together.
The two arrived out front of the Inn and stopped to catch their breath before entering. Donovan took the first step up the stairs. It creaked under his heavy weighted armor, and he groaned, “Alright it is time for sleeps.”
Scott chuckled, “You and your slang man, sleeps? That is funny coming from you.”
Donovan hefted himself up the last three steps ignoring Scott’s comment and went into the Inn. Scott stood at the base of the steps, his hand upon the railing and he looked up to the sky. He knew it was fake all of it, but he understood what needed to be done, to protect him, Charlotte and everyone else; he finally put it all together, and with the knowledge, they had learned a few moments ago, they were strong enough and everyone could get out. He would make it happen.
Scott looked back down at the Inn and then made his way up the steps. He opened the door and saw Donovan talking to Alisa and Charlotte about what the two of them had discovered a Minotaur back in the forest on their walk. They looked happy but scared; their faces were mixed with all the information that was being told to them.
Charlotte looked over at Scott and smiled at him, and walked away from Donovan to him. She stopped in front of him and looked him dead in his eyes, “Did you really do it?” She asked, looking for his confirmation.
He took a deep breath, “What Donovan’s saying isn’t good enough for you?”
“No.”
He sighed and looked into her eyes, “Yes, we killed it. It took both of us, we are a bit bruised up, but we killed it.”
Charlotte looked relieved when he said it. She grabbed his right hand and pulled to motion that she wanted a hug from him. He wrapped his left arm around her as his right was still weaved with hers. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He could feel himself turning red from the action. Charlotte’s warm body did not help his emotions.
Scott nodded and the two walked together with their hands still together over to one of the tables and sat down. Donovan and Alissa noticed and made their way over to join them. Scott pulled out a sack of coins and waved the barmaid down to order some drinks.
A few hours passed, the four of them were laughi
ng and having fun, each were slightly drunk, more so than any of them would admit. They talked about stories, games they played as kids. They knew they were at a technological wonder of time. Seeing the age gap between some of them showed too, Donovan and Alissa remember playing on some of the older generation consoles in school, Alissa explained that Nick never played one, refusing when a child, because IVR had taken over already when he was old enough to really get active in gaming.
They seemed to forget they were trapped in a virtual world, they were happy they could have a moment of peace. They began to talk about their personal pasts, who they were before they were part of where they were now. They all had gone around, until Scott’s turn came around.
He paused, unsure what to say, he had a past that he wasn’t sure he was ready to share yet. But he thought it was time to take a leap of faith, he’d have to tell Charlotte eventually, why not share it with those he was going to be fighting to survive with. It was a now or never moment for him. “I have an interesting past.” he paused, the others looking at him like he just became an alien.
“We all had interesting pasts...” Donovan said, “I think this is part of us becoming better friends.”
“No, no, a different kind of interesting.” Scott countered then hesitated again, “Do you all remember the first Interactive Virtual Reality Nerve Gear incident, back where ten thousand people were stuck in the debut MMORPG, Cogs of War?”
They all went pale from hearing the name of that game. The three of them nodded, they were not sure why Scott was referencing such an old event, to them that was the crisis of their young adult lives, and they lived through that time some of them lost friends. Scott continued, “Well, I was one of those ten thousand that were stuck in that game.”
The true is finally revealed. His words echoed into their heads, “You were what?” Alissa asked in disbelief, “It was said that only twenty people made it out. And all of them were so damaged mentally they couldn’t function. They all committed suicide or something.”
Scott looked at her, “Well that was the government story after we got out. There are lies to it, well partly, only twenty of us did make it out and most of us were so scarred we couldn’t go on anymore, but four of us were able to reintegrate into society. The other sixteen committed suicide within the year we got out. I haven’t heard from the other three in some time either, we used to talk almost every other day, trying to keep what was left our minds whole. One of the reasons I have the watch prototype, it was a counter that would help me with my PTSD among other things. Which is why I brought it with me, not just because it is a piece of tech. I need it to stay functioning.”
The table fell silent as Scott let them absorb his words, “I thought you were a game analyst? Did you not go to college or something, I swore you were a bit older than that.” Donovan asked, now feeling betrayed by a supposed conflict of information.
“Oh, no I am, I did go and get my degree at the expense of the government. I was fifteen when I got stuck in that game, and it was almost six years in that gear before we got out…” his words trailed off.
“So why did you accept this position then, knowing there was a chance of something similar?” Charlotte asked him, still trying to comprehend what just had been thrown at her. Along with other conflicting thoughts that began to creep into her head.
Scott sat there thinking, “Honestly, I have no idea. I was desperate for a job and this was the one I landed, though I had all my red flags going off in my head. With all the talk of actually coming in here, I didn’t think it was true until we were here. I was part of the group pushing government regulation for testing things and I was almost sure that this kind of issue would never come around again, but one thing I can say about this time over the other, we are not all strangers trying to make this work, we already a good team, one that I trust.”
“So why say any of this in the first place? Why not keep it all tied down?” Alissa looked over at him, her eyes now had sorrowing pain in them, “I mean, I never would have said it to anyone, even my lover...” She trailed off as she looked at Charlotte.
“Why? I mean, I would have had to say something to Charlotte eventually. But I trust you three more than Nick and Tuomas, though Tuomas already knows, he alluded to in my interview, and on other occasions already.”
He continued, with a shift into a softer tone, “I just finally needed to tell someone else that about the incident other than some government appointed shrink, who thinks they have all the answers, when they never endured anything remotely near the pain that I had…” He drifted again, as if his memories overtook his words, he wasn’t even sure of himself anymore. Flashes of bloodied fields entered his mind, death of thousands of people, people he knew, many he didn’t. Six faces entered his mind. His squad in Cogs of War.
“I lost a lot of friends in that incident, and many lost their loved ones. I can still hear their screams in my head. I can still see the fields where I fought for my life as a kid. I fought a war as a kid and was lucky to make it home. I…” Scott grew silent and his sentence drifted off.
They all let him wander, there was no use trying to fish for more in his pain, but they now understood more about him than they thought was possible. Alissa looked over at Charlotte, whose face was red but emotionless, there was no way she could help her with what the man she was falling in love with just told her. Donovan put his hand on Alissa’s shoulder, she turned his way, “That was not what I was expecting out of him.” Donovan whispered, “I never would have guessed that he had such a constitution, or past like that, but it does explain why he is protective, and his drive to keep us whole.”
Alissa nodded, “Yeah, but at this point I am more worried about Charlotte. I am not sure if she is pissed, sad, happy or even a mixture of all of it. I mean, what he was talking about was a whole other level of feeling. I knew a few people who didn’t make it out, they died with their IVR gear still on.”
They sat there, quiet after that, they could hear the burning wood in the hearth popping. The Inn had emptied from the lunch rush that it had, leaving them there alone. The smell of the food was lingering, their plates had been cleared from in front of them. Scott removed his bracer and glanced at his watch to see the time: 9:33:34 pm. “It’s pretty late. I think we should call it a night here, we have a beast to get rid of in the morning.”
They all agreed and started leaving the table and went their own way to prepare for the next morning. Alissa went to check on Nick who had been in his rented room the whole time. Tuomas had returned with some herbs he purchased from the town herbalist and Donovan filled him in about what they were all doing.
Scott stood in front of his room, when he felt a pull on his shirt. He twisted his head to his left, Charlotte was standing there, her head pointed down towards the floor, “Can we talk?” She asked without looking up. Her voice was cracked as if she had been crying.
Without an answer Scott turned to her, placed both of his hands on her face and brought her head to look up at him. Her face was still red, her eyes glistened with tears in the faintly lit hall. He put his forehead upon hers. She sniffled, “Please, I just don’t understand, why you kept this hidden until now?” As the last word left, she felt Scott’s lips press against hers.
9:
The sun broke the horizon and flared over Scott’s face as he laid in bed sleeping. Scott shifted and awoke. Charlotte was there with him, last night had been one that he would not forget. She was still holding onto him, her arm lied across his chest. Remembering last night where they talked about his past a little bit more. Some of what he had dealt with after leaving Cogs of War and dealing with the trauma he had endured. He looked at her, she was so fragile like this, but he knew she could fight, she would fight. He contemplated how he got so lucky, for the first time in his life.
Luck: something overcame by skill, and not chance. Scott knew that there was much he still hadn’t said, and he probably wouldn’t for a very long time. The faces of his squad
ran through his mind again, he listed them off: Brie, Nate, Kevin, John, Hailee, and Blake.
Charlotte yawned and opened her eyes. “Do I even want to know what time it is?” she asked in a groggy voice, her head still up against Scott’s chest.
“I haven’t even looked yet,” he responded lifting his arm up to do so.
But before he had a chance to look at the holographic projector, there was a knock on the door, followed by a voice, “Hey you two, rise and shine. Scott we need to get going.” The voice was Donovan’s, his deep voice was hard to mistake.
Charlotte rolled over letting Scott get up. He moved as quickly as he could out of bed. Armoring up, he looked back to Charlotte who was still lying in bed, “Rest up, we’ll be back once it is done. We’ll probably have to head to the main city after that.”
“Are you sure you can handle this? We had a long night. I don’t want you to suffer because I had you up all night talking about Cogs…” Charlotte suggested.
“No, I am good enough to do this. Like I had said, I had to be ready at a moment’s notice to not die. I can handle some extra leg work for a few hours.”
“Okay,” She yawned and rolled over, “I’ll make sure I am ready to go by the time you four get back.”
Scott latched the door behind him after he left the room, and sighed, he was not sure now if he was ready to do this, even after everything else. The oak wood floor creaked under him as he made his way down to the entrance of the Inn. Tuomas, Donovan and Alissa were waiting for him, “Ready to go?” Tuomas asked.
“Yeah, I’m ready,” he looked at them, “You guys eaten?”
They nodded and Alissa handed him a wrapped parcel, “There is some bread and some jerky in here, eat it on the road.”
The Seeds of Evermore Page 9
