by Paul Bellow
"Yeah, but I don't know anything about the game. My father wouldn't tell me anything. Do you know why it has us trapped in here?"
"That was never part of the original idea," Sheldon said. "This was supposed to be the coolest game."
"It's cool," Eric said. "But not having a quit feature makes it a lot less cool."
Sheldon sighed, shaking his head.
"It was never supposed to be this way, but they lied to me. People like your father."
"Hold on," Eric said. "We don't know that he's involved in trapping people in the game. He never talked to me about it, but I don't think he would be involved in something like that."
"How long have you been in the game?" Sheldon asked.
"A couple months," I said. "Remember I told you?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm trying to do the calculations, but it's pointless. The time dilation changes, adapts to the system's needs."
"The system?" I asked. "Needs?"
"It's complicated," Sheldon said. "But basically, the game is run by three neural nets running on a quantum computer one hundred atoms square."
"That's not much computing power," Eric said.
"Exactly. We programmed this game to use elements from the real world."
Sheldon dropped his chin to his chest.
"What are you talking about?" Eric asked.
"To have enough processing power, we borrowed cycles from The Internet of Things."
"Like refrigerators and digital scales?" Bernard asked.
Sheldon nodded his head.
"After they caught me hacking the system, they offered me a chance to help design the Tower of Gates game. When I started asking questions, they offered to hook me up to the game for free. I've been in here ever since."
"Sorry, man," Eric said.
"It's not your fault," Sheldon said.
"You said you have a way out?" I asked.
If he's a hacker in the real world, maybe he can do it.
"Yeah, but it's dangerous and untested."
"Tell us," I said.
"We can't escape from the second level." Sheldon moved his head back and forth as he stared at the ceiling of the wagon, calculating something in his mind. "I think we can do it on level one-seven."
"You think?" Josh asked then snorted. "Some hacker you turned out to be."
"Leave him alone," I said. "What's the hack, Sheldon?"
"It involves creating a magic item," he said, still staring at the ceiling.
Eric sat up and scooted to the edge of the bench, his elbows on his thighs.
"Making magic items? That sounds like something Magi Inyontoo would do. He said he'd built something that could get people out of the game."
"He's crazy," Sheldon said. "I wouldn't trust anything he says."
"But you've got it all figured out, huh?" Josh shook his head. "All we need to do is fight our way out or find someone who can get us out. If you helped build this stupid game, I bet there's other people like you trapped in here too."
"They're mostly on higher levels," Sheldon said.
"I found somewhere to camp," Bernard called from the front.
The wagon stopped. Eric opened the slit to talk to Bernard.
"Where are we?" he asked.
"A few miles down the road," Bernard said. "There's a group of trees we can camp behind just ahead."
"Great," Eric said. "They're not alive, are they?"
"You know me better than that," Bernard said.
I took a deep breath as the wagon lurched forward again. Later that night, we sat around the rock I'd cast a spell on for light. The conversation moved to things we missed in the real world.
Bernard had the best answer when he said his family. I went to sleep curled up under the stars a few minutes after he said it. My dreams mixed the real-world with the Tower of Gates game.
()xxxx[:::: Chapter 9 ::::>
Seeking the Sword of Sands
ERIC
We traveled the entire next day, reaching the spot where Talbot had been on level one-one. The area looked different with only a single building instead of a group of them.
"Pull up to that rangers' station," I said to Bernard.
He turned the horses toward the single-story wooden structure.
"Are we there yet?" Evan called from the roof.
"We're here," I said, scanning the forest for any movement.
Nothing. Maybe we'll be able to camp safely tonight.
"Everyone keep your eyes open," I said as the wagon stopped.
I jumped off the wagon to the grassy ground surrounding the edge of the trees. The wooden rangers' station stood two-hundred feet from the forest.
All the trees were taller and more menacing than I remembered.
"I'll get the horses tied up," Bernard said.
"Great," I said. "I'll clear the building."
I drew my sword and walked toward the single door.
"Wait up," Josh called.
He jogged up beside me then slowed down, matching my stride.
"Where's your sword?" I asked.
I glanced over and saw him punch his left fist into his right hand.
"I doubt there's anything in there that will require a sword," he said.
"Be careful with your barbarian rage," I said.
He scoffed as we reached the door. I stepped to the side as he opened it and charged in with a yell. A scared dog whimpered and fled through the doorway with its tail between its legs.
"Careful," I said as Evan rushed over to pet it.
"He's a good dog," the brownie said. "I can tell."
I turned my attention to Josh inside the building.
"Anything in there?" I asked while stepping into the single-room.
"Nothing but a bulletin board," Josh said. "I can't read any of it."
I walked over to him and the sheets of parchment nailed to the wall.
"That's dwarven, isn't it?" I asked.
"You tell me," Josh said. "This will be a good place to camp for the night."
"Agreed," I said, studying the largest parchment on the wall. "Hey, Sarah."
"I'm right here," she said from behind me. "Give me a few minutes to translate with the book I brought along."
"You're the best," I said, putting my hand on her shoulder.
Josh looked at my hand then into my eyes.
He didn't look happy, but I didn't care.
"Go," Sarah said. "Both of you. I've got work to do."
"Let's get some firewood for the fireplace," I said.
Josh nodded but said nothing. I walked outside where the others were unloading our supplies.
"We can't take the wagon through the forest," Josh said. "Maybe I should stay here and guard it."
"Look around," I said. "No one's going to steal it. We probably won't need to be in the forest long."
"The woods creep me out, man," he said in a quiet voice.
I laughed.
"Shut it, bro. I'm serious. Something happened when I went camping in the Boy Scouts as a boy."
"You weren't a Boy Scout," I said.
"Whatever, bro. I don't want to go into the woods."
"Let's find and split some wood," I said. "We can talk about splitting the party tomorrow."
"Fine..."
He took a deep breath.
"Bernard," I yelled.
He looked over. "Yeah?"
"We'll be back," I said. "Going to get firewood."
"I've got it under control," he shouted from the side of the wagon.
Josh followed as I walked toward the edge of the woods. Memories of the tree trolls we'd fought on level one-one popped into my mind – and Sylvar. I pushed them aside.
"We've got to work together," I said as we walked. "You don't like me for whatever reason, but the only way we're going to get out of this game is together."
"I agree," Josh said, surprising me.
"You're not going to complain and make fun of me?" I asked.
He snorted.
&nbs
p; "Why would I do that?"
"Because of Sarah," I said bluntly.
He stopped and turned.
"What about her?" he asked.
"You two were going out, but..."
"We are going out," he interrupted. "End of story."
"Fine," I said. "My goal is to get out of this game. That's it."
He nodded.
"Agreed. "Don't get me wrong. You're the reason I'm trapped in here, and I'd love to kill you."
Is he kidding or making a point? Should I be worried?
"And it'd be easy to do," he continued, flexing his muscles.
"I don't want to fight you, Josh, but I'm not going to be pushed around."
Josh patted my back with his huge hand.
"You've got spunk, bro. I like that about you."
"Let's get this firewood and get back," I said. "The forest creeps me out too."
We continued walking, picking up dry branches and twigs from the edge of the woods. He carried twice as much as me, but I didn't care.
"Can we trust that Sheldon guy?" he asked on our way back to the rangers' outpost.
"I think so," I said. "You don't trust him?"
"Bro, I don't trust anyone in this game except you and Sarah."
"You can trust Bernard too," I said. "And the brownies aren't going to screw us over. They're both in love with Sarah too."
"Wait a minute," he said. "Are you telling me you're in love with her?"
"You know what I mean. Quit busting my chops, would you?"
Josh laughed as we reached the wooden cabin. Sarah ran out.
"What is it?" I asked.
She smiled.
"A new side-quest if we want it."
"Yeah?"
I dropped my bundle of sticks on the ground.
"We shouldn't get sidetracked too much," Josh said to my surprise.
"It's worth it," Sarah said. "We'll pick up something called the Sword of Sands. I'm sure it'll help us defeat the black dragon."
"A new sword?" I grinned. "Count me in."
"We should vote on it," Bernard said as he walked up.
"That's fair," I said. "But we'll be in the forest, anyway."
"I agree," Josh said. "We shouldn't go out of our way, but if we can pick up a magic weapon, I'm for it. I could use a new blade."
Josh looked over, daring me to disagree.
"You can have my old one," I said.
Sarah stepped between us.
"We can argue about that later," she said. "Let's vote."
Everyone voted for taking the side-quest to find the Sword of Sands somewhere in Woodshore Forest.
New Side-Quest: Find the Sword of Sands
This magical weapon is rumored to slow opponents struck by its blade. If you find this sword and defeat the creatures guarding it, your party will receive 10,000 xp.
"That's a lot of xp," I said.
Sarah walked to the door.
"Come inside," she said. "There's a map on the back of the parchment I translated."
The six of us followed her inside. Evan and Ewen argued about the best way to start a fire while the rest of us pored over the map. It pinpointed an ancient shrine in middle of the forest.
"It's not going to be easy," Josh said. "But I think we can do it."
"We've got this," I said. "The sword will be worth it, and we can look for this dwarf. Who's ever heard of a dwarf living in the forest?"
Bernard chuckled.
"Indeed," he said. "But in the Tower of Gates, anything seems possible."
"We should rest for tomorrow," Sarah said in a somber tone.
Evan and Ewen cooked a meager feast while the rest of us prepared in our own ways for the possible dangers of the side-quest the next day.
I went to sleep thinking of ways to ensure we didn't fight over the Sword of Sands. Being able to slow opponents would help us slay the dragon, and I wanted it.
₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪
The next morning, I woke feeling refreshed and ready to take on anything the game threw at us. Breakfast went by quickly. We headed into the forest in single file.
Evan scouted ahead a few hundred yards, looking for the easiest way ahead. I followed next with Bernard directly behind me. Ewen and Sarah were in the middle.
Josh brought up our rear. The thing about the forest was that enemies might come at us from any direction. It was better to have a fighter like him in the back.
Giant tree trunks shot upward hundreds of feet with no branches. Their canopy high overhead blocked the sun enough that Sarah cast a spell on her staff for light.
"Keep your eyes open," I called out over my shoulder.
Step after step, we drove deeper into the lush and lively forest. Bushes and other foliage blanketed the forest floor, slowing us down as we walked.
"How's it look up there, Evan?" I asked.
"Lots of forest rats," he said. "I can catch them for lunch."
"I thought something crawled over my feet," Sarah said.
"Hold on," I said, stopping. "There's a trail ahead."
"At least Sylvar's not here," Bernard said. "We should find the tree he builds his house in and chop it down."
I laughed, liking the idea.
"Maybe on our way out," I said.
Sarah shook her head, not amused.
"Grow up," she said.
I kept chuckling as we reached a wide, clear trail leading deeper into the woods.
"This is an animal trail," Evan said. "If a dragon comes, I'll kill it."
"We should be more worried about giant bees or poisonous snakes," I said.
Evan took off down the trail.
"Slow down," I yelled. "Don't get too far ahead."
The trail was wide enough for three of us to walk abreast. Bernard, Sarah, and I walked next to each other with Ewen, Sheldon and Josh right behind us.
"Do you hear that?" Josh asked.
I stopped, listening.
"What?" I asked. "I don't hear anything."
"Shhh," he hissed, cupping his hand to his ear. "It's baboons, I think. Or monkeys."
"That means we're getting close," Sarah said. "The map mentioned baboons and ghoulish monkeys."
"Hopefully not monkey ghouls," I said. "Sylvar and Rizzo had to battle them in level one-one."
"We can take them," Josh said, flexing his biceps.
"The shrine is about a half-mile down this trail according to the map," Sarah said.
"Weapons at the ready," I said, drawing my sword.
After continuing down the path, a stone shrine came into view, looking like an odd, brick house in middle of the forest.
Evan glanced around, gripping his dagger tightly.
"I don't see anything," he said.
We walked forward, inching closer to the roughly five-foot high rectangular structure. The stones were weathered and moss-covered.
"It's the perfect size for me," Evan said.
He jogged ahead, toward an open spot in the wall that led into darkness.
"Careful," I said. "Sarah, can you get us some light in there?"
She came forward and stuck the end of her glowing staff into the room. The light revealed nothing inside. Had someone already gotten the sword?
"We've got company," Bernard said.
I straightened up and turned.
"What?" I asked.
Shrill cries and screams got louder.
"I hear it," Josh said. "But I don't see anything."
"Sounds like monkeys," Sarah said.
I stepped forward, sword raised.
"Protect the spell-casters," I said.
"There," Bernard said, pointing to the edge of the trail.
A dozen monkey ghouls with taut, leathery skin appeared from out of the trees.
I braced myself as they charged our group, screaming with their mouths wide open. Sarah and Sheldon stood behind the rest of us who had formed a semi-circle.
The first monkey ghoul reached Ewen and leaped onto his
body, knocking him to the ground. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the vile creature bite him with long, sharp teeth.
Ewen screamed in pain. No time to save him, I thought as one of the screeching half-dead monkeys reached me. It swung a clawed hand but missed.
Two flaming discs of lava shot over my left shoulder and hit one of the other monkeys rushing forward.
I swung my sword at the one in front of me.
Your slash HITS the monkey ghoul for 9 damage.
"Hold the line," I yelled, slashing again.
Your slash MISSES the monkey ghoul.
I didn't let the miss get to me as two monkey ghouls rushed forward at the same time.
Half-a-dozen golden bolts whizzed into one, dropping the creature to the ground.
The other swiped his razor-like claws, barely missing me again. All the while, their shrill, other-worldly screams filled the air.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Josh take out two of the monkeys quickly and efficiently. Maybe he does deserve the sword if we find it. We need a good tank.
I pushed the thought aside and thrust my sword into the wounded monkey ghoul.
Your slash HITS the monkey ghoul for 8 damage.
The monkey ghoul is dead!
I glanced to the left and saw Ewen back on his feet, fighting away.
Where's Evan? I wondered while deciding where to focus my efforts.
Bernard glanced over after dispatching another monkey ghoul with his mace.
"I think they're evil," he said. "But I didn't use detect alignment."
"Watch out," I said then brought my sword down from over my head.
It crashed into the skull of one of the monkey ghouls, splitting it open.
Your slash INJURES the monkey ghoul for 12 damage.
The monkey ghoul is dead!
We had no time for chit-chat and joking as the remaining five monkey ghouls retreated to the woods. That's strange, I thought. We weren't beating them that bad.
The group of monkeys trapped between life and death stopped at the edge of the path and turned, still hissing and howling. I heard twigs snapping in the trees.
"Be ready," I shouted, eyes locked on the monkey ghouls.
Out of the woods, a giant ape afflicted with the ghoul's curse emerged and screamed.
"It's King Kong," I said, fear washing over me.
Josh stepped forward, gripping his bloody sword tightly.
