by Terry Schott
“Maybe,” Sebastian stroked his beard. “Let’s climb it and see if we can figure out which one it is on the way up.”
31
An hour into their ascent, Ezref nudged Sebastian lightly in the ribs. The older man grunted. “What?”
“You look angry.”
“Do I?”
Ezref nodded.
Sebastian made a harrumphing sound and half-turned to scan the landscape behind them.
“And you keep doing that.”
Sebastian’s scowl deepened.
Ezref widened his eyes and let his mouth hang open, head darting back and forth as he exaggerated the other man’s mannerisms. Sebastian laughed. “Stop. I don’t look like that.”
“Pretty close, and you’ve been doing it since we started our climb. What’s bothering you?”
“There is a place similar to this which would be very dangerous for us to be in.”
“Similar?”
“Or maybe this is it.”
“That doesn’t sound good, Seb.”
Sebastian laughed. “I know, which is why I’m acting like this—” He copied Ezref’s impression, laughing along with the young crafter.
“What’s all the laughter about?” Mercy joined them, her expression less grim than usual.
“Sebastian thinks he knows where we are.”
“And?”
“I think I know where we might be.” The group stopped, those in front turning to face him.
“And?” Mercy repeated her question.
“And we should turn back.”
“But we’re halfway there,” Fen whined. “If this is the place you think it is, what’s so bad up there?”
“At our levels? Instant death, with zero chance for a resurrection.”
Aleron looked over his shoulder. “Maybe we should head back down.”
“The thing is,” Sebastian continued, “If it’s not the place I’m thinking, but a neighbouring mountain instead, then there’s the chance for us to get some excellent experience and loot.”
Mercy laughed and Xander grinned. “Tricky,” he said. “Whoever designed this land had a sense of adventure, it seems.”
“And humour.” A gust of cold wind whipped at them and Mercy pushed her hair back behind her ear.
“If there was danger it would have shown itself by now, right?” Shale pulled her cloak tighter about her shoulders.
“No.” Sebastian said. “All the mountains are calm on the climb. There are caves with doors and entrances at the end of each path on every mountain. It’s only after entering that you find out which one you are in.”
“One door on each mountain?” Xander asked.
“More like half a dozen for each.” Sebastian nodded to Shale. “If you see any side trails, stop and wait for us. I might be able to figure out where we are by following one of them.”
“Gotcha.” She turned.
“Shale?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t go into any of them.”
“I won’t. Maybe I’ll poke my head in for a quick look around, but that’s as far as I’ll go.”
“No.” He almost shouted the word. “Don’t touch the doors. Do not even stick a finger inside.”
“Okayyy.” She frowned and took off up the path.
***
The group stood a few feet back while Sebastian examined the cave entrance. The wooden planks of the door were scarred and weathered. A heavy lock made of pitted black metal was embedded in the wood a few inches above a curved wooden handle. Aside from scratches and scores that looked to have been made by animals, there were no other identifying marks on the door.
Long minutes passed before Sebastian’s shoulders rose and then sank. The rest could hear him sigh from where they waited. He turned and spread his hands, head shaking.
“Not sure?” Shale asked.
“Sorry.”
“Hey, no problem.” Fen shrugged. “What should we do now?”
“I’d like to spend a bit more time. Try and figure out for sure if we’re in the right place or—” Sebastian twitched, and his hand flew up to slap his neck. “Ow!”
Aleron laughed. “Insect bite ya?”
Sebastian pulled his hand away and looked at his palm, frowning as he held a small dart between his thumb and forefinger. “It’ssss a...” His eyes rolled back and he dropped to the ground, head hitting the wooden door with a loud thunk.
“Form a circle!” Fen yelled as he ran for Sebastian, drawing the shield from his back and holding it in front of him.
Three darts struck Mercy’s armour with a rapid tink, bouncing away harmlessly as she drew her sword and closed ranks with the others. “Protect Sebastian,” she shouted. “Form a protective half-circle with our backs facing the door.”
They had practised this type of formation often, and it showed. Fen stood in the middle with Xander and Mercy on either side, the others behind and looking over their armoured companions.
The bushes along the trail rustled back and forth, and loud grunting sounded from them. No more darts flew.
“Hold your spots,” Mercy said.
“The door,” Shale said.
Mercy turned her head so she could see the door from the corner of her eye. There was a thin sliver of light between the frame and wood. “Shale, see if you can open it more.”
The ranger pushed gently and the door opened wide.
Mercy saw glints of silver fly from the bushes as more darts sailed towards them. “Through the doorway! Now.”
The darts struck metal again, falling harmlessly to the ground as the party rushed into the open doorway. Mercy remained outside. When the last party member was inside, she backed calmly inside and slammed the door closed behind her.
32
Similar to the PC game, the majority of areas throughout Blades VR are common. This means that all players can enter and interact with both each other and the NPCs therein. Aside from this will be instances: areas entered by a single party or raid group. If other players happen to go through the same door as the group before them, they will enter brand new instances and not encounter any other group. Each instance will contain its own set of monsters and NPCs to battle. This will enable multiple groups to have a chance at obtaining the same XP and loot.
Instances also provide players with the best opportunity for rare loot, but they can also be extremely dangerous. Without others to join in and help, wipes are very common during instance play.
It is recommended that balanced and experienced parties enter an instance together in search of adventure and treasure. Should you find that you have entered an instance that is too difficult, we advise you to turn around and leave by the door from which you entered the scenario before it is too late.
Excerpt from Blades VR, Player’s Handbook
“There she is.” Isaac continued typing as Kara entered his office and sat across from him. “Let me guess. There’s another problem of some sort.” He continued typing, focused on finishing the message. Seconds passed before he realized that she hadn’t answered him. He looked away from the monitor, eyes narrowing. “What’s wrong?”
“Likely nothing.”
He laughed. “Then stop with the expression you would make if you had just watched your favourite pet get hit by a truck.” Isaac felt his smile fade. “Tell me.”
“I finally got a bit of time to tag and watch Xander.”
“Really?” His eyes widened in mock surprise. “How did you manage to get free time?”
She rolled her eyes. “I scheduled it.”
He chuckled. “And how’s he doing?”
“Not too bad, actually.”
“See? Told ya he’d be fine.”
“I don’t know if I’d go that far.” Isaac opened his mouth to speak but she held up one hand. “Don’t sidetrack me.”
“I’ll try, but no promises.”
“Xander has joined a group and they are adventuring.”
“Awesome.”
; “Over the course of a couple of viewing sessions, I managed to get the names of everyone he’s playing with.” She leaned back in her chair.
“And? Anyone we know?”
Kara stared at him. He laughed. “You’re kidding!”
“We’ve been searching for any reference to the name Sebastian, and there aren’t many that have popped up.”
“No way!” He laughed again, slamming the desk with the flat of his hand.
“Wait a second. Hold on. All I’m saying is that there’s a middle-aged man in Xander’s group who goes by the name of Sebastian.”
“Amazing. Great job, Kare.”
She shook her head. “Maybe not.”
Isaac froze. “Why? You don’t think it’s him?”
“Actually, I’m afraid that it is.”
“Afraid?”
“Terrified.”
Isaac frowned. “Why so frightened?”
“Xander and his party just entered an instance.”
“And.” He stared. She returned his gaze. After a few seconds his eyes widened. “No.”
She nodded. “Dryad’s Heart.”
Isaac swore and dropped back into his chair, leaned back, and stared up at the ceiling. Long seconds passed before he focused on her once more. “Wait a minute. If it is Seb, then they can likely survive the instance.”
“They are too low a level.”
Isaac laughed. “Sebastian is the friggin’ creator of that world. He knows that instance, and there’s no way he’d go in without having the power to get back out.”
“Isaac.”
“Seriously, the guy must have given himself access to serious skill. Likely went in as max-level crafter.”
“Isaac.”
“Or even better.” He snapped his fingers. “Crafter/warrior hybrid. Dryad’s Heart still wouldn’t be a cake walk, but I bet he has an artifact or two to help him. Like I said, he’s too smart to go in there without having the advantage. After all, he understands his situation better than anyone. He won’t throw his life away stupidly.”
“Isaac.” Kara leaned forward and grabbed his hand.
“What?”
“Sebastian was unconscious when they entered the instance.”
Isaac frowned.
“He’d been hit by a dart and was down. The rest of the group decided to seek cover in order to protect him. The only place that looked safe was beyond the door to the instance.”
“He didn’t lead them in?”
Kara shook her head. “It actually looked as if he was warning them off before he went down.”
A feeling of not being able to breathe washed over Isaac like an enormous wave.
33
Sebastian opened his eyes, clamping them shut again as the world began to tilt and swim. He groaned and tried to sit up, but felt someone’s palm press firmly against his chest and hold him down.
“Easy there, big guy,” Fen whispered. “Take a few minutes to get your bearings.”
Memory of the moments leading up to his unconsciousness came back to him. “I got stung.”
“A dart.” Aleron’s voice said from beside him. “Not poison, but a pretty strong tranquilizer for such a tiny dart.”
“How long was I out?”
“Feels like about half an hour.”
“Feels like?”
“Tough to tell without being able to see the sun.” Shale’s cheerful voice had a tinny echo to it.
Sebastian’s eyes flew open. Through the wavy haze he could make out grey stone walls above and to each side. He struggled to sit up, batting Fen’s hand away. “Help me up.”
Hands grabbed him under the shoulders and he was hoisted into a sitting position before being gently leaned back against a hard surface. He took a moment to catch his breath, eyes darting to survey his surroundings. He blinked slowly. “You took us through the door.”
Mercy sat against the wall opposite him, four or five feet away. “We had no choice. The darts were flying and the enemy was covered.”
Sebastian laughed, a weak attempt that resulted in a coughing fit.
“What’s so funny?” Shale asked.
“I’m an idiot.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I am.” He could feel his chest rise and fall, knowing that he was getting air, but not enough to make him feel any stronger. “My instructions to you should have been better before we got so close.”
“Your instructions were fine,” Xander said.
Sebastian took a deep breath and shook his head. “If they were, then you’d all have known to do anything—everything in your power—to avoid entering this place.”
“I don’t see why you’re being so negative,” Fen muttered. “We can head out when you’re feeling up to par, if it’s such a big no-no to be in here.”
“See anyone else in here?” Sebastian asked no one in particular.
“We’ve stuck close to the entrance,” Shale said.
“There’ve been some creepy noises,” Xander said. “Something is in this place, that’s for sure.”
“Instance,” Sebastian said.
“We’re in an instance?” Shale plopped down beside Mercy and grinned. “That’s great. Any that we would know, or is it totally new?”
Sebastian watched the ranger for a second, then he laughed. “Brand new.”
Shale made a cheering noise and extended her foot to touch Aleron’s, making a quiet clapping motion with her hands. “That’s awesome. Can’t wait to get some cool loot. Maybe an epic bow will drop.”
“I don’t think we’ll be getting any loot.”
Shale snorted. “Not with that attitude, mister.”
“We are too low. Death is all we will find in here.” Sebastian blinked slowly and closed his eyes once more. “Let me take a few more seconds to get rid of the dizziness. Then I’ll tell you all I know about where we are. Or might be.”
A few seconds later he felt a warm hand touch his forehead. “You gonna be okay, man?” Fen’s voice.
“Yes. I just need a couple minutes.” He felt himself drift off.
***
“Not too hard.” Shale reached over and smacked Fen on the shoulder.
The warrior laughed and continued slapping Sebastian’s face. “The man has to know we mean business. Look at him. Lying there like a princess in her tower.”
One of Sebastian’s eyes peeked open. “I’m awake. Stop beating me.”
Fen stood and tapped his wrist where a watch would be. “Time to get up, man. You’ve been out for likely another hour or so.”
Sebastian cursed and stood, resting one hand on the wall for support. He blinked and looked around. “Good. The dizziness is gone.”
“It was pretty bad, huh?” Aleron asked.
“Yeah.”
“How do you feel now?” Mercy asked. “Overall.”
“Bit thirsty, but other than that I think I’m good.”
Ezref held a skin of water and Sebastian accepted it, tipping his head back as he drank deeply. Then he sighed, wiped his mouth, and handed it back. “I cannot tell you how fortunate we are that you can summon food and drink.”
Ezref arched one eyebrow. “Even if the taste is a bit stale?”
“Hey, I didn’t mean to insult you.”
“That’s fine. You’re right.”
Sebastian brushed at the dirt on his pants and looked around. “What did I miss?”
“Nothing,” Shale pouted. “Nobody would let me go explore.” Her eyes drifted to Mercy. “Not even a tiny bit.” The Death Stryker raised one eyebrow and smirked.
Sebastian pointed to the entrance door. “Anyone try opening that?”
Xander shook his head. “Everything was on pause while we waited for you to wake up.”
“But you’ve been talking about what to do?”
Fen rubbed his jaw. “Seemed as if you had some idea where we are. We decided to be lazy and wait to see if that’s the case.”
“What if I hadn’t woken up?”
Aleron removed the cap from his water skin. “I gave you the once-over. There was no danger of losing you to whatever was on the darts.”
Sebastian smiled. “Fen, do me a favour and go tug that door open.”
Fen frowned.
“Go ahead. It’s safe now.”
Fen grumbled as he made his way to the door. “You sound convincing, but you always seem that way. One of these times you’re gonna be wrong, and then it’s—bam!—Fen takes an axe between the eyes, or something even less fun.” He stopped and gripped the door handle, then paused. “Open it now?”
“Yes.” Sebastian nodded.
Fen pulled the door open. “What the?”
The empty space inside the door opening was now filled with age-worn stones that matched the walls of the hallway. A crude tree had been drawn in the middle section of stone.
Sebastian closed his eyes, swore softly, and sank to the ground.
“This is bad?” Shale asked.
“Couldn’t get any worse.”
“How do we get out?” Xander asked. “Bust through the stone?”
“No,” Sebastian said. “We aren’t near the entrance. We are deep inside the mountain.”
“Then—”
“Anyone here ever heard of Veeshahn’s Peak?”
“Yes...” Xander said.
“Of course,” Shale said. “Every player knows to avoid that place.”
“Why?” Sebastian ran a hand through his hair.
Aleron laughed. “Because it’s not like normal instances. Once you enter, the only way out is through the exit.”
“That’s right,” Xander said. “The only way out of Veeshahn’s Peak is to travel the entire length of the dungeon, beat all the major bosses, and leave through the doorway that opens after you defeat the final boss. At least, that’s the rumour. I don’t know a single player or guild that has ever succeeded. The few that tried simply disappeared from the game, abandoning their avatars and gear inside the instance and deleting their accounts in frustration.”
“It was avoided because of the risk,” Shale said. “No one wants to lose all their gear and character by dying inside that place. If you die halfway through, then you gotta go back in through the entrance and run naked to get your stuff.”
“Which leads to dying again,” Aleron said.
