by Anthea Sharp
“My mother’s a fan of gear,” Roy said. “After all, it’s made us rich. She designed a space for all the media interfaces and systems we have. Which is a lot.”
Sounded like her dad was right about Dr. Lassiter collecting every system VirtuMax ever made.
At the end of the hall was another massive set of double-doors. They swung silently open as Jennet and Roy approached. It was creepy. Sure, the house-network could be programmed to open doors whenever people got close, but Jennet and her dad both preferred to be in charge of whether or not a door was going to swing wide.
Roy paused on the threshold and gave her an ironic half-bow. “Behold. Lassiter central.”
She felt her eyes widen as she stepped inside. It really was a theater, with forty-foot ceilings and rows of seats in the middle, facing a floor-to-ceiling screen that dominated the space.
The seating area was only a portion of the huge room, though. Along the sides, dozens of gaming systems were lined up: netscreens, and moto-sense setups, and sim-systems. She was used to cutting-edge tech, but this - this was drastically over the top. Roy had his own private arcade, with equip she hadn’t seen in years, or ever.
“This is….” She turned in a circle, trying not to let Roy see her amazement.
“Pretty prime. I know.” He sounded smug. “But the best part is over here.”
He led the way to an area partitioned behind frosted glass panels. With a wave of his wrist, the glass slid aside to reveal VirtuMax’s crowning achievement.
The Full-D sim-system.
Actually, three models of the Full-D, perfectly lined up. Spot lighting from above illuminated them, making the helmets gleam and the synth-leather of the chairs glow. The LEDs on the gloves shone like gemstones.
“It looks like a museum,” Jennet said. Or a shrine to a digital god.
“All these systems are playable - though I do like the most recent equip the best.” Roy patted the back of the middle system’s chair, the way someone would touch a favorite pet.
Her breath tightened and fear shivered across her nerves. So, he had been simming on the Full-D. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised.
There was a part of her - spirit, soul, whatever - that had been held captive in Feyland by the Dark Queen. That part had prickled with wariness the moment he’d stood up in Ms. Lewis’s class. Roy Lassiter had been touched by the Realm of Faerie. Did he even know it?
Too many questions, not enough answers.
She cleared her throat. “You play a lot?”
“Of course. It’s a gamer’s paradise here.” He leaned toward her. “I knew you’d like it. But then, you’ve used a Full-D system before, haven’t you?”
“I…” She swallowed. Maybe Roy was more clever than he seemed. “Yeah, my dad brought one home.” Two, actually, but why reveal more than she had to? “I’ve messed around on it. A little.”
He bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. “Well, Jennet Carter, it’s your lucky day. I’m going to show you something so astounding, you won’t believe it.”
“Are you talking about Fey… about the new game the company’s working on?”
“Feyland, yeah.” He shot her a speculative look. “Your dad’s the project manager. I’d expect you to know all about it.”
“Not really.” She forced a laugh and took a step away from him. “Dad spends a lot of time at work, and when he’s home he doesn’t talk much.”
Although recently they’d had some real conversations. She was still trying to explain what had happened to her and Tam in-game, and sometimes it seemed like she was getting through. She had to admit, though, the whole thing was pretty hard to believe.
Roy nodded, the doubt clearing from his expression. “Ok then, have a seat. I’m taking you in-game with me.”
Fear clenched her ribs. “I, um… I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Way too much trouble could happen in Feyland. Had happened in Feyland. Some of the creatures there were her mortal enemies, and she didn’t dare encounter them - especially not without Tam at her side. She pressed her lips together, trying to keep the panic at bay.
“Oh, right.” He rolled his eyes. “Your dad’s convinced there’s dangerous hardware issues. Listen. I’ve been simming on this equip for a long time, on all three prototype systems. Nothing bad has happened to me, not once. That’s weeks - ok, months - of playtime, and no evil effects. Nothing to be scared of.”
It sure didn’t sound like Roy had gone all the way to the Dark Court. Either that, or he was an excellent liar.
She shook her head. “I still don’t think - ”
“Look, Jennet. As long as you’re not a total noob, you’ll do fine. You know how to sim - you said so yourself. Right?”
“Yes.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
The problem was that the Dark Queen had tried to kill her. Twice. The fey-folk knew her name, knew her. They would recognize her no matter what kind of character she played in-game. Going into Feyland was beyond dangerous.
She made herself breathe past the tightness in her lungs.
“Tell me about the game,” she said. “You know, monsters we might encounter, stuff like that.”
Wicked water-hags and redcap goblins. The dread Wild Hunt. The sharp-edged, terrible beauty of the Dark Queen in her Court.
“No worries,” he said. “In the early levels of the game, there’s nothing fierce. And you’ll have me to protect you.”
“So… we won’t reach the final boss or anything?” She didn’t care if Roy heard the tremble in her voice and thought she was a timid player.
He frowned. “The final boss? Nah. It takes days of playing to get that far in-game. He’s way deeper in than we’re going to go.”
He?
Her heart gave a thud, and shock rippled through her like lightning. She blinked at Roy. Had she heard him right? He? Had Roy actually encountered a different enemy at the end of Feyland, not the Dark Queen?
“If we do end up meeting the boss,” she said, lacing her fingers tightly together, “I should know more. Tell me about the fight, the strategy.”
“Nah.” He shook his head. “There’s no way we can play that far in one session. Unless you want to stay here all night.” He gave her a look that was probably meant to be smoldering.
“I’ve got homework tonight. Sorry.” No way was she spending any more time with him than necessary. “But this boss - ”
“Don’t stress it,” he said. “Feyland is easy, especially at the beginning. Though if you really don’t feel like playing, we could go up to my room, instead.” He winked at her.
Ignoring his suggestion, she bit her lip and tried to think past the fear swirling through her. What if Roy hadn’t come to any harm, hadn’t met the Dark Queen… because his Feyland wasn’t the same game? Was that even possible?
What if - her pulse sped at the thought - what if Feyland was actually safe to play? Maybe her version was the tweaked one, the buggy one. What if all her and Tam’s fears were groundless? The idea trembled through her, promising a relief so great she could barely breathe.
The only way to find out was by going in-game with Roy, right here, right now. She didn’t have to go very far. Just beyond the faerie ring, just enough to see if the world was different. If things got severe, she could always run back out.
She had to know.
“All right,” she said. Her stomach in knots, she walked over to the Full-D systems. “I’ll play Feyland with you.”
CHAPTER SEVEN- THE BRIGHT COURT
“There you go.” Roy’s grin was firmly back in place. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you. All you have to do is follow me around. Here - take the newest system. The interface is easier to use.”
Didn’t she know it.
Throat dry as sand, she slid into the chair. When Roy stepped forward, like he was going to help her with the helmet, she hurriedly pulled it on, then donned the gloves. Her hands throbbed with the memory of searing fire.
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“Ready,” she said.
Though she wasn’t, not at all. She wished, with a yearning that made her bones ache, that Tam was with her. But there was no scenario she could imagine where Roy invited “the Exie” over for a gaming session. It was up to her.
Through the dark glass of the visor-screen, she saw Roy settle into the system to her right - the second prototype. He geared up, then looked over at her.
“At the main screen, choose the F icon from the menu.” His voice came, crystal-clear, through her helmet’s speakers. “And prepare to be amazed.”
The F icon glowed, softly golden, like it was made of flame. It took only the slightest flex of her finger to select it. The menu faded out, replaced with the blinking words she’d seen a hundred times:
Feyland: A VirtuMax Production
Alpha 1.5.0486
The visor-screen went dark. Faint, mysterious music began playing. Light slowly etched across her vision, a delicate tracery like webs or tree branches.
WELCOME TO FEYLAND
The words unfurled across the screen. The letters glowed a rich gold that deepened to crimson. Flames flickered along the sides, then the words faded to grey, as though they had burned down to ash. The music twisted, and the dim letters suddenly whirled up into a flurry of dark-edged leaves. Behind them… she squinted. Was that a pair of eyes, gleaming from the shadows? She’d never seen that before.
Then the screen cleared, showing the familiar character-creator interface.
“Now make your avatar,” Roy said. “Spellweaver would be a good choice for you.”
Well, yeah. It was what she played all the time in-game, but she wanted to do what she could to disguise herself. Maybe, by using Roy’s system, she’d get a layer of protection from the creatures of Feyland, if his game in fact led to the Dark Realm.
And if it didn’t? She still didn’t want Roy to know how familiar she was with Feyland - at least not until she knew more. Choosing an untried class would help with that.
“What type of character are you?” she asked.
No way did she want to inadvertently pick the same kind as Roy. For one thing, having him tell her exactly how to play would be insufferable.
“Mercenary. Best warrior in the game. Whatever class you choose, I’ll protect you.”
He wasn’t a Knight, then. She should have guessed. Knight was what Tam played - and it fit him well, no matter what he thought of himself.
The same way Mercenary fit Roy. Someone interested only in their own gain. She’d never met a more self-centered person than Roy Lassiter.
All right - time for a decision. She scanned the character classes, paying more attention to the hybrids listed at the bottom. KITSUNE. That looked promising. And potentially a way to hide her identity in-game. Lifting her index finger, she highlighted the choice.
KITSUNE: Attuned to the wild magic of the elements, the Kitsune can wield fire, cast illusions, and shape-shift into the form of a fox. Clever and cunning, Kitsune prefer to win their battles without the use of brute force.
“Are you done?” Roy asked. “Is the interface confusing you?”
“No, no. Give me a minute.”
Quickly, she created her avatar. A petite blond-haired girl with a pointed chin and high cheekbones appeared on the screen. She was wearing a green leather vest trimmed with leafy patterns, dark leggings, and tall boots. Not bad - but what were the character’s weapons? Jennet rotated her avatar. A thin dagger was strapped to her belt, and she carried a slender curved bow and quiver of arrows on her back.
Not a class made for close fighting. She’d have to experiment with the fire and illusion bit, but that was good - keep her looking like a novice.
Choose character name, the game prompted.
What should she pick? Not her own name, for sure. That would be the first test. If the creatures in Feyland called her Fair Jennet, she’d know that Roy’s version was more than just a game.
She needed something fox-like. Vixa - yes, that was good. Jennet double-clicked her thumb and index finger, the universal glove command to bring up the keyboard, then typed the name into the interface.
VIXA - character complete. Enter game?
Ready or not, here she went. She took a steadying breath, then tipped her thumb up. Yes.
A fanfare of trumpets blared as the visor-screen went golden. Even though she was prepared for it, her stomach gave a queasy lurch. The first few times she’d simmed on the Full-D system, she hadn’t realized the weird sensation had anything to do with the game. Later, she’d thought it was an interface glitch. But now she knew better. Going in-game was no simple thing. And in this case, it wasn’t a hopeful sign.
The golden light dissolved, and she found herself at the regular starting point - a clearing surrounded by white-barked birch trees. The sky was bright blue overhead, the grass a vivid green. Wind moved across the leaves of the trees, shimmering silver as they rustled in its wake, and she could feel the warm breeze against her face.
Her avatar stood within a faerie ring of mushrooms, as usual. Hold on a sec…
She looked again at the ring. Instead of the expected moon-pale mushrooms, this was a circle of white-spotted red ones. The poisonous kind.
But that was a good thing. It meant that Roy’s version of Feyland wasn’t exactly the same as hers. Still, how different was it?
She shivered. Gripping her bow, she turned in a slow circle. The weapon felt unfamiliar and awkward. Maybe selecting an untried class wasn’t such a great idea, after all.
“I’m in,” she told Roy.
“Sweet. Be right there - I was checking out some character specs.”
A moment later the air beside her shimmered, and his avatar appeared. Surprise wrapped around her lungs and it took her a second to catch her breath. The character was Roy, but he looked - well, he looked amazing. Not just an enhanced version of himself, the way she and Tam did in her game.
No, this Royal Lassiter resembled a prince of old. His hair was coppery and perfectly tousled, like a vid-star’s. His eyes were deep indigo, his features flawlessly hewn. Was this how the other students at school saw him? If so, she could totally understand the appeal.
He wore gladiator-style armor - a chest plate and vambraces that revealed his muscular upper arms. A golden armband with an intricate Celtic design encircled his left bicep, and he had an ornate torc around his neck.
“Like what you see?” He flexed, then drew his two-handed sword and went through a fighting sequence, attacking and parrying an imaginary opponent. Much as she hated to admit it, he looked good, all smooth moves and rippling muscles. Like he would be able to protect her, if things got dangerous.
“Impressive,” she said.
“Let’s check you out.” He sheathed his weapon, then looked her up and down. “Didn’t roll a caster, huh? Well, this isn’t bad. I’m interested in seeing how the Kitsune work. And you make a cute fox-girl, with those pointy ears.”
Her ears were pointy? Jennet felt one. Sure enough, they were sticking up through her hair. The character graphic hadn’t shown that feature, but she was a fool to trust any part of this game. Things could change from minute to minute - and did, with unsettling frequency.
“Follow me, and don’t step on the mushrooms,” he said. “First quest is down the trail.”
He jumped over the faerie ring and strode to the edge of the clearing. Even though the mushrooms were changed, a mossy path led between the trees - just like in her Feyland. Ferns grew along the edge, and the sunlight sifted long beams of light into the forest. So far, it was impossible to tell if this were truly a different game.
She took a deep breath and leaped over the mushrooms. The avatar felt lighter, more agile than her Spellweaver.
Roy turned to watch her. “Good job with the interface,” he said. “At first I was annoyingly clumsy in here, but you have a feel for it.”
Drat. She’d have to remember to stumble sometimes. “Maybe it’s this character - it seems pr
etty easy to move around.”
“Well, stay close.” He shifted, and for the first time, a hint of unease crossed his handsome features. “Feyland can be a little… unpredictable.”
She widened her eyes and tried to look innocent. “I thought you said it was amazing.”
“Oh, it is. Come on, I’ll show you things you’re not going to believe.”
Except she could believe them. She’d seen more than her fair share of freakiness in-game. She skirted the edge of the circle, following Roy as he started down the path.
The quiet of the forest was punctuated by the liquid trills of some hidden bird. The pale trunks began thinning out, showing glimpses of rolling green hills beyond. When she and Roy stepped out of the trees, there was a cottage right in front of them, complete with thatched roof and diamond-paned windows.
It looked a lot like the cottage she and Tam had encountered when they’d played together. And yet, there were differences. The brownie called Fynnod wasn’t sitting out front, for one thing. Instead a small, goblin-like creature squatted on the doorstep. It had skin like old leather, long ears, and a nose that curved sharply downward, almost meeting an equally pointed chin. It watched them approach with dark, unblinking eyes.
She had never seen this particular denizen of Feyland before, but that was no guarantee it didn’t know who she was. Jennet edged behind Roy, trying to keep him between her and the creature.
“First quest-giver,” Roy said over his shoulder to her. “Don’t be scared - these starting quests are dead easy.”
She flinched at his choice of words. “As long as we’re not dead.”
“Not to worry.” Roy patted his sword. “Like I said, I’ll protect you. Besides, I know this game inside and out.”
He strode to the front steps, and she trailed behind him, keeping her head ducked low. Fear drilled through her, fast and insistent. If this creature recognized her, what was she going to do?
“Greetings, Hob,” Roy said.
Jennet glanced up, to see the goblin rise and make a flourishing bow. So far, it hadn’t seemed to notice her.
