by Isaac Winter
But she was right. About all of it. Despite my attempts to settle down and live a quiet life, there was always something sorta "off" about it. Sure, I wanted peace. I wanted safety and reliability. But at the end of the day, it bored me. All the translations, all the board meetings, all the internal department politics. No one told me being a professor was as much a social endeavor as an intellectual one! I found myself stuck in a rut, and I had no idea how to get out, or even what I would do if I did.
So I kept my feet on the treadmill, kept running, kept working. Until the day Mabel disappeared, and the book appeared out of nowhere, calling to me.
"Okay, that didn't answer my question," I said finally. "I was in my living room looking at this freaky rune book, and now I'm here. Am I dreaming, or what?"
"Not dreaming, exactly," she replied. "The 'runes', as you called them, in the Arcanum Majora apply transdermal stimulation to simulate everything you see before you."
I stared at her. "English, please?"
"It soaks through your skin and makes your brain think you're here." She gave me a condescending look, which I returned.
"No need to get snappy," I growled. "If I only think I'm here, then is my body still back at my house?"
"That part is...complicated." She flickered for a moment, her image blurring before coming back into focus like an old TV set.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, clenching my fists. "What did you do to me?"
She flickered again, blinking out for a second before returning and replying in a deadpan voice, "No more information on that topic is available."
I groaned and rushed forward. Ghost-lady or not, I wasn't gonna let her jerk me around! My fist flew right through her, leaving only a chill in its place. The momentum threw me off balance and I stumbled and fell face-first in the dirt. My joints cried out in pain as I smacked the ground hard and ripped a hole in my pants. Motherf--
"For all intents and purposes, your body and soul exist here for the time being. You can still feel pain. You can still die."
The last word chilled me from head to foot, and I clambered back to my feet, grimacing. "Is there no way out of here?"
"At the moment? No," She said simply. "That would upset the balance of energies in this world. Now are you going to listen or would you rather me leave you here helpless and alone?"
I ground my teeth. Cheeky bitch...but she had a point. I had no idea where I was, and she was offering to help. "Fine," I said finally. "Next question. Who are you?"
"I'm Eleria, your Guardian. All new Travelers in the Veil are greeted by a Guardian. I'll help you set up your character profile and answer what questions I can."
The word 'Veil' triggered something in my brain and I remembered. Crane kept writing about 'The Veil' in his journal! Surely this wasn't...
"Say, you don't know someone named Tobias Crane, do you?"
She went silent again, flickering in and out. "No more information on that topic is available."
I took a long, slow breath through my nose and let it out. Way to be helpful. Some 'Guardian' she was. Clearly, the flickering and deadpan voice meant she was hiding something from me. And that most likely meant she did know something about Crane. I decided not to press, and instead asked my next question.
"Wait a second, 'character profile'? What is this, a game or something?"
"Humans tended to call them games, yes. But in the Veil, they permeate the very fabric of reality. What some humans did for fun in your world people live and die for here. It is the way of our world."
I rolled my eyes. So now not only was I hallucinating, or dreaming, or whatever, but I was essentially inside a giant MMO. How nerdy could you get?
"Okay, let's make that character profile then."
"What shall I call you, Traveler?"
Another prompt appeared.
> Enter your name:
I briefly considered using my real name, Winston, but decided that was too lame. If she wanted to play fantasy RPG world, I'd use a fantasy name, too. After some thinking, I finally settled on one. Cael.
> Enter your name: Cael
> Confirm: Cael
[Yes/No]
Yes, I thought, and the prompt went away.
"Welcome, Cael of Earth. Choose your race." She waved her arms and a dialog of selections appeared before me. God, this really was like a game. I saw Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, and something called Drow. Wasn't that...dark elves? I couldn't remember. What was the difference, anyway?
Human: Adaptable and athletic, humans are an excellent choice for a jack-of-all-trades traveler. Humans get a racial bonus to two abilities of their choosing.
Dwarf: Some say dwarves are a race frozen in time. In love with history and tradition, many dwarves live in vast underground cities and are excellent crafters and warriors. They get racial bonuses to Constitution and Wisdom.
Elf: Children of the forest, elves are long-lived ethereal creatures in touch with magic and the natural world. They get a racial bonus to Intelligence and Agility.
Gnome: Passionate and imaginative, gnomes are always on the lookout for new adventures and experiences. They may have a small frame, but they have a big heart, even if they don’t always show it. They get a racial bonus to Constitution and Charisma.
Drow (Dark Elf): Masters of the underworld, Drow, or dark elves, have uncanny night vision and magical affinities. They look out for themselves first and can be very ambitious. They excel in rogue-like roles due to their racial bonuses to Intelligence and Agility.
I thought for a moment. Intelligence and Agility did sound like good traits to have, but I could level those up in any race. The magical affinity called out to me though. That narrowed it down to Elf or Drow. Ever since seeing those runes in Crane's book, I had to know more. I was a scientist first, but what if magic was just a bit of science we hadn't discovered yet?
Elves had the nature thing going on, but I had to say I liked the attitude of the Drow. I’d always been ambitious and a bit of a loner. As I thought about my past experiences on Earth, I realized I spent too long following other people’s whims. If I was going to be here, I could do things my way. That, and Night Vision sounded pretty cool!
My curiosity got the best of me, and I selected Drow.
My mana bar instantly shot up at the corner of my vision, but the health bar dropped precariously. You win some, you lose some.
I watched with horror as my body mutated before my eyes. My skin took on a grey pallor and my nails grew and hardened, shaping into claws. My vision blurred and then sharpened. It was like looking through an Instagram filter. Color faded from the rolling hills but the newfound awareness of motion all around me made up for it. I could see every blade of grass, every insect, clearly as if I were right next to it. That would be good for tracking, for sure.
My ears lengthened into points and I heard the subtle trill of birds and the rushing of the river even more clearly. I widened my eyes at my Guardian. "Whoa."
"Not many people choose Drow," She said. "The enhanced senses really work for some, though."
"It's awesome," I said, flexing my arms. "What's next?"
"What's next is up to you, Cael. The world is yours to explore. Goodbye, Cael, and good luck." Like a wisp of smoke, she dissipated into the wind, leaving me alone.
“Wait!” I cried, but she was gone. I sat down on the grass, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened. First, I pulled up my character sheet:
Name: Cael
Race: Drow
Racial Bonuses: +25% base mana, +10% base Agility/Intelligence
Class: Unknown (choose at lvl 5)
Level: 1
Health: 100
Mana: 125
Stamina: 100
Strength: 10
Agility: 11
Constitution: 10
Intelligence: 11
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 10
Luck: 10
I blinked it away. Pretty standard stuff. I
had a good buff to my starting mana, but too bad I didn't know any spells yet. Hopefully I could learn some in town. In the meantime, I needed some time to process all this.
Okay, I told myself. List the obvious. That’s what I always did when I was stuck on a hard problem at work. If I just wrote down everything I did know, the parts I didn’t know would stick out and help me ask better questions to get to the bottom of it.
I've been transported to some parallel dimension.
It seems to operate by game-like rules.
I've created a Drow character, or rather, the Drow is me. What that means...well, I'll have to find out.
There's no way back, as far as I can tell.
Crane might be here somewhere. And Mabel too, if I can find her. Maybe even others.
I wouldn't be able to find any answers until I found other people. So the first order of business was to find a town. With my new enhanced vision, I could see the outlines of a town a mile or two away. Shouldn't take too long, I thought, and started walking down the path toward the gates.
5
Even though my newfound vision mutated the colors of the landscape a bit, it was still a lovely walk. I strolled casually down the worn dirt path toward the town, and for the first time in quite a while, I actually felt relaxed. No papers to grade. No overdue translations. No dreary board meetings. Just me, my character, and this new world to explore.
And if I found out more about the mystery of Crane and Mabel's disappearance? Well, that was just a bonus.
It's not a game, though. This is real. You're here, and you're in danger. Stay alert.
Surprisingly, I didn't see anyone on the road to the village. It struck me as strange because the roads were rather busy not one hour before. I shrugged it off and kept walking, taking note of the falling sun in the sky. It'd be dark soon, and I didn't plan to spend my first night in a new world sleeping outside. They'd surely have an inn or something, right? Not that I had much money to pay for it with...
That could be a problem.
I checked my inventory and saw only a smattering of coins. Great.
A problem I could deal with in time, I decided, and tried to enjoy the rest of the walk. As the town loomed closer, I saw high stone walls and a locked metal gate. Two armored guards with polearms stood on each side. For a sleepy little village, I didn't expect so much fortification. But it wasn't like I had anything else to do at the moment. I approached them, trying to seem friendly.
Wrong choice.
Upon seeing me, they immediately leveled their weapons at me. "Who goes there?" One asked through his visor.
I stuck up my hands, backing away from the pointy tips of their weapons. I didn't have any items yet, or spells. What threat could I possibly be?
"I-I'm just a traveler. My name is Cael, I seek the amenities of your village."
The other man grumbled. Their weapons didn't move. "You're new around here, aren't you? We don't serve your kind. Try Syn or Daeldra."
I sighed. Even in a fantasy world, I couldn't get away from racism. "Look, gentlemen, I mean you no harm. I want a warm meal and a bed for the night. That's all."
"You'll have to go elsewhere. By order of the Regent, we're not to let any Drow-folk pass."
I grit my teeth. I hated dimwits like these. "I don't know what the rest of my race has done to you, but I bear you no ill will, please..."
"If you'd like to file an appeal, you can take it up with the Ministry of Interspecies Affairs in Lothial Heights. Not here." They stood their ground, scowling at me from behind their visors.
Well, this sucked. I had no food, little money, and the only town nearby wouldn't let me in. Should have just played a human, I thought bitterly.
"And you're sure there's nothing I can do?" I said finally, outstretching my hands. "I have nothing to my name, just these clothes on my back."
"We said scram!" The other guard said, poking his polearm toward me. I scampered back just in time. Fine. Assholes. I turned to leave then heard another, female, voice.
"He's with me."
I whirled around. Standing before me was a short human woman with flaming-red hair and flight goggles atop her forehead. What was she, some kind of steampunk dandy? I gaped at her, not sure what to say. I finally stammered out, "Yeah. I am!"
She sidled up to me, her hips waggling to and fro. I could barely tear my eyes away. Was she doing that on purpose, or...? I grunted and doubled over when she elbowed me in the ribs, hard. "Leave the talking to me," she hissed, then went back to the guards.
"I'm sorry for the trouble, officers. This man is my charge, and I've been tasked with returning him to the stocks. Can't have undesirables running about, ay?"
I was about to protest, then shut my mouth. I didn't want to go anywhere near the stocks, thank you very much! The guards chattered among themselves and the time dragged out for what seemed like forever. Finally, one of them spoke.
"Right you are, miss, but we found this one wandering about, trying to get in. If he was escaping from the stocks as you say, why would he want to go back into the city?"
The woman was silent for a moment. Oh, crap. They've stumped her. Before I thought better of it, I blurted out an answer.
"My brother!" I cried, stepping forward. "I told my little brother I'd come back for him!"
The guards narrowed their eyes at me, growling. The points of their polearms were still trained on me, just out of reach. I had no desire to get any closer.
"You have a hard enough job as it is," The woman cooed, fluttering her eyelashes at the guards. Gods, if anyone thought that would work... "Let me handle it, and take this ruffian off your hands." She pulled something from her pocket that I couldn't quite see. I only caught a glimpse of red light that vanished as soon as I saw it.
Suddenly, the guards demeanor changed. "Whatever, just get him out of our sight."
"Not our problem," Echoed the other guard.
My shoulders slumped forward in relief, but a new fear took hold. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, as they said. Who was this mysterious woman, and why did she want to help me? Maybe she had even more devious designs. Still, it looked like the only way I'd be getting into the city.
She grabbed me by my collar and yanked. I heaved, making a choking sound as my feet scrambled to keep up. She was really playing this up, and for such a slight frame she was a lot stronger than I expected!
"Easy," I gasped.
"Thank you, officers," She said sweetly. They nodded to her, and the gates creaked open.
It was a double-edged sword, really. I'd successfully managed to enter the city. However, I never thought I'd have to be dragged by a fiery redhead to do it.
I tried to keep my wits about me as we entered the city gates. Whoever this woman was, she probably didn't mean me well either. I glanced around desperately for escape routes. As soon as we were inside, she slammed me against the wall, knocking the air out of me.
I gasped helplessly, eyes wide as she held a knife to my throat. Great, I was 0 for 2 today.
"Who are you?" She growled.
"Who the hell are you?" I coughed, my voice coming out as a croak.
"Wrong question," She said, tightening her grip. "Now I'm going to let you go, and you're going to answer me. What’s a Drow like you doing above ground?"
Finally, her grip relented and I dragged in a shaky breath. I rubbed my arms where she'd pinned me and scowled at her. "Name's Cael," I said. I tried to make it sound badass but it just came out as a cough. “I was uh, on a reconnaissance mission.”
The woman crossed her arms. "I've been following you, and that’s bullshit. You've a strange aura...I haven't seen one like it before."
"The hell are you talking about?" I groaned.
"It's one of my skills. I can see people's auras, it's like an extension of your spirit. Yours is...interesting."
"That's cool and all, but I'd appreciate if you didn't follow me around scrutinizing my soul. I have work to do."
"Oh
? And what's a brave adventurer like you up to? An epic quest, perhaps? Let me guess, looking for your ‘little brother’? Please."
"I just want some food and shelter for the night, is that too much to ask?"
Unexpectedly, she began to laugh. It was a high-pitched, tinkling sound, and I didn't like it. Whoever this woman was, I didn't trust her. The knife she'd leveled at my throat was proof enough of that.
"You're a noob, aren't you?" She said finally between peals of laughter. "God, I should have known."
Indignation boiled through me at that. A 'noob' was a derogatory term for a new player, and even though I was new to the Veil, I wasn't an idiot. Wasn't going to tell her that, though.
"I'm not a noob," I said. "In fact, I've been playing for a while. You just caught me off my guard. Thanks for the rescue and all, but it really wasn't necessary. I was just bluffing back there."
"Uh-huh," She nodded, rolling her eyes. "Well, if you're not a noob, you can help me with this quest. How 'bout it?"
"I really don't have time to--"
"Oh? What's that?" She teased, putting a hand to her ear. "Mr. Noob doesn't want to play? All right then, noob. You and your weird aura can bug off then. Just thought maybe you could use the XP. Not to mention the loot..." She trailed off and watched my gaze.
I ground my teeth. This was worse than Laurie at the Academy. With a long-suffering sigh, I relented. "Fine. I'll help with your stupid quest thing. But I get half the XP and loot, and you leave me the hell alone afterwards. Got it?"
"Deal," She said, and stuck out her hand. I shook it, and hoped I wasn't making a horrible mistake.
Messages filled my vision as I did so:
Tris has invited you to join her party. Accept?
[Yes/No]
After selecting yes, the quest prompt appeared:
