by Shawn Wyatt
I focused on the blade, but no item name appeared. All I knew was the sword was of Legendary rarity.
I walked to the bar and sat down beside him. "I'll take one of the meat pies and a cup of water."
The bartender glanced up. "I'm surprised you're even awake at this hour, given how late you drank last night." He grinned. "That'll be right up."
"Thanks." I'd have to find out exactly what had happened last night later. That grin he threw me held nothing but mischief. I turned to the Prophet. "The meat pies are pretty good."
He glared at me.
"You should try one," I said.
"No point in eating. This world isn't real." He bit off each word, like the act of speaking caused him immense pain.
"Not true," I said. I nodded to the bartender as the food arrived. "Look around you. Can you tell the difference between this world and our own? I didn't think so. For as long as we're stuck here, this world is real. It's home."
The man stood with such violence that he knocked his stool over. "It is not home," he said. "It's not real. And it never will be."
I held up my hands. "Hey, sit down. Okay. You're right. It's not home. And whether it is real or not is a philosophic debate best had once I've caught up to you with ale." The man reeked of alcohol. "Let's start small. What's your name?"
"Bastion."
"Alright, Bastion. I'm Ren. Pleasure." The bartender sat a meat pie down at Bastion's seat. I gestured to it. "Now eat your damn pie."
Bastion stared daggers at me, but stuck a fork into his food and took a bite. His eyes widened in surprise before he tucked into the food. I nodded in satisfaction.
"Told you. So is Perla Online your first RPG?"
"Yeah." Crumbs fell from his lips as he spoke. I wondered how long it had been since he ate. "First MMO, anyway. Never cared much for games."
I laughed. "This isn't a great first impression."
"You know your way around games?"
"I guess you could say that. I've always been a gamer. I played casually for years, and eventually joined a raiding guild in my last MMO."
Bastion looked almost hopeful. His hand fell to the sword. "Then can you teach me to use this?"
I took a closer look at the weapon. The pommel had silver filigree cut to look like flames. The blade itself seemed flushed, with a hint of red just below the surface. Small wisps of flame encircled the blade and danced up its length. "Where did you get a weapon like this?" I asked. It had to be enchanted.
"My girlfriend found it. She and I started this game together."
"Where is she? I can't see an item level on this weapon. I have no idea what the effects are."
"She's...she's not here. She didn't make it." His voice quivered with anger.
I stared at the man, then shook my head. "I'm sorry." Bastion was the first person I'd spoken to that had seen a player die in this game. And the first person I'd spoken to that had lost someone. I didn't know what to say. "What happened?"
"We were teleported here, like everyone else. Landed somewhere in the forest. She had played in the Beta, so she knew which way to go to get to Grenay. We started in that direction. Found a cave." Bastion laughed. "Kalia took risks. Too many of them. Charged into the cave and found this sword guarded by some hulking monster. Way too high level for us to kill, but she wanted the loot. So she grabbed it and ran out."
I stayed quiet as he continued to speak.
"We made it out of the cave. Escaped without a problem. Kalia got hit a few times, but I healed her without a problem. That's why I chose this class, you know? She thought it'd be fun. A tank and a healer. Even after the forced teleport, she didn't worry. 'It's just a game, Bastion. We escape by winning.' That's what she said. After that fight, I started to believe her. I believed we could beat this game and go home. But that didn't last. We made camp that night, and planned to head for Grenay the next morning. And we ran into him."
At this, Bastion's knuckles whitened around the pommel of his blade. "A tree. A bloody tree. I've never seen a monster this size. It was like something out of an old fairytale. It pulled itself along the ground by its roots like they were tentacles and struck at anything that passed with its branches. And it laughed."
He drew a deep breath. His voice quavered. For a moment, I thought Bastion fought back tears, but then I realized it wasn't sorrow that choked him, but rage. Fury burned in his eyes.
"I will never forget that face. Its huge mouth. The eyes burned red like some twisted Jack-o'-Lantern. Kalia told me to run. We both tried to. But the monster was too fast. We had no chance of escape. I tried to heal through its attacks, but each one hit for close to a third of her HP."
I held his gaze, but Bastion looked through me, at something in his memory. "She injured it. Even lopped off a few branches and set its trunk ablaze with this sword. But it wasn't enough. Its last attack speared her through the chest and sent her HP to zero. She threw the sword at me and shouted for me to escape, and then she vanished. Just like that. Gone."
"Vanished?"
Bastion nodded slowly. "No body left behind. She just faded from view. The monster turned its attention toward me, but I left. Some healer I am, right? Couldn't even save my own girlfriend."
I put a hand on his shoulder. "Just because we're told death here is real doesn't mean it is. No one knows for sure."
"I do." The flames on the sword had grown, and Bastion stared deep into them. "She would never go this long without contacting me. If she were alive, I would know."
I didn't argue with him. The man was in pain, that much was clear. She had faded from view. It didn't sound like the disintegration that happened when a monster Withered, but it didn't bode well. But until I discovered for myself, I refused to believe this game could be the end. "What can I do?"
Bastion raised an eyebrow. "You want to help me?"
"The more we all work together, the better the chance we have of making it out of here."
He laughed. "You're one of those, huh? The Kumbuya, all-in-this-together type?"
"Not really. But there is strength in numbers. And this is a game. Games require teamwork. It's your call. If you want my help, I'll do what I can. But if you think you can handle this on your own, fine." I paused. "But like I said, I know my way around MMOs."
Bastion stayed silent for several moments, during which I finished my food. "Okay," he said. "I could use your help. Can you teach me to use this?" He held up the sword.
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you intend to do with that? The stat bonuses are all wrong for a healer, and if I had to guess, you just barely meet the strength requirement to hold it."
"I don't want to heal anymore. I want to learn to use this so I can kill the monster that killed my girlfriend. I want revenge."
I shook my head. "I can give you that," I said. "Revenge is easy. But what's your plan after that?"
"I don't have one. I'll join her."
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"I'll kill the boss, even if he kills me. And if he doesn't, I'll just off myself. That way I can join her." He spoke with such casual disregard for his own life that I could do no more than open my own mouth and close it again. And the next thing I knew, he was on the floor.
"What was that for?" Bastion sputtered and tried to stand, but I planted a knee in his chest and grabbed a handful of shirt.
"You think your life is worth so little? You think you've got nothing left to live for if your girlfriend isn't here? Guess what, Romeo: you're an idiot." The images of the village from the day before flashed in my memory. "Do you know how many people are not alive today that want to be? How many have died already? Some boyfriend you are, not being able to live without her. Cut the romantic nonsense!"
Bastion's fist arced through the air, but I leaned back and avoided it easily. My next punch slammed his head against the floor. Arms wrapped around me from behind and pulled me back. Somewhere amid the crowd that had gathered around us, I heard a bear growl.
"Ren, enough! Stop!" Evey held my arms behind my back and pulled me off him. "What are you doing?"
"Stopping him from being stupid," I said.
Bastion stood and pushed away the other players that tried to help him. "So what? It's my choice."
"And you really think that's what your girlfriend would want? You really think she'd be okay with you offing yourself after you got revenge, or would she want you to go on living?"
I saw the change in his face. My words hit harder than my punch did. "Shut up," he snarled. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Every player in this inn, every player in this town, is here against their will. You don't see them giving up. They may not know what to do. They may be lost and scrambling to find their way, but they are not giving up. What gives you the right?"
A palpable tension settled over the room. After a few silent moments, Bastion spoke. "Will you still teach me to fight?"
"After that punch you threw, someone ought to."
He glared at me. "Will you?"
I dropped my hands to my guns. "Can't say I know how to fight with a sword, but I can teach you the basics. And if you're willing, my group could use a healer."
"Alright." He held out a hand. "You'll help me get revenge?"
"We'll kill the monster. You have my word." I clased his hand and shook it. With that, the tension in the room fell away. I noticed the broken barstool on the floor, and shot an apologetic look to the innkeeper. "Add that to my tab."
Evey shook her head. "I wake up and hear what sounds like the world ending down here, only to find you elbow-deep in a bar brawl. Aren't those supposed to happen at night, not over breakfast?"
I shrugged. "We had a difference of opinion."
"Clearly." She sighed. "And who is this?"
"Evey, Bastion. Bastion, Evey. He's the newest member of our little band, and quite the healer. He'll be able to help us fight our way through, on the condition we help kill a monster."
"Monster? What monster?"
"From his description, it sounds like a treant. Maybe a roaming field boss. It could be good for experience. Now, before I forget..." I turned to the innkeeper. "What exactly happened last night?"
Evey stifled a laugh, and I groaned.
"You were here too?"
The older man grinned. "You really don't remember?" he asked. "You serenaded the entire inn to sleep with a thriving rendition of 'Can't Touch This.' The dancing was the real highlight."
I looked between the faces of my friends and hung my head. Even the bear laughed at me.
CHAPTER NINE: THE SECOND QUEST
The rest of the day passed in relative quiet. Bastion was the same level as me--level 10. He had grinded his level up after his girlfriend was killed. Impressive, especially with how few direct attack abilities he had.
Evey, Bastion, and I got to know each other better over dinner. We got along well, although Bastion shot curious looks at Boris all night. He never asked any questions, but I knew what was likely on his mind.
"If you're curious about the bear, just ask," I said.
"Okay. What's the deal with the bear?"
"He's my companion," Evey said. "I tamed him back in the Beta. For some reason, he didn't get reset like so many of the other Beast Tamer pets were."
"But why does he keep staring at me?" Bastion asked.
I laughed. "I think he's considering you for dinner. It's been a while since he ate. Evey took him off his diet of players when she tamed him."
"Are you serious?"
"Not even slightly."
Evey stifled a laugh. "Stop making up stories, Ren." She turned to Bastion. "Sorry about him. He's been like this ever since we met."
"Speaking of that, how did you two meet?"
"In the Beta," I said. "She quite literally ran into me from the bushes and brought some weird werewolf-like creature with her. I had to kill it for her."
"You did not!" Evey said. "You helped, sure, but it was a team effort."
"That's not how I remember it." I grinned. "She had already tamed Boris by the time I met her. Hard to believe, considering her level at the time."
"I'll say," Bastion said. He shot Evey an appreciative look.
She held up her knife. "Don't even think about it, or I really will feed you to Boris."
I laughed. Bastion held up his hands. "No, no. I genuinely am impressed. I met another Beast Tamer that told me about how the process worked. You have to absorb the damage until the animal decides to go with you."
Evey nodded. "That was before the pain inhibitor was removed, so it wasn't that big of a deal."
After that, the conversation turned in favor of our next move. Bastion had not been in the city long and knew little of the situation, but he saw the effects as well as I did. He had agreed to accompany us as we fought to escape Perla Online, but only on the condition we that we help him kill the monster that killed his girlfriend.
Bastion told me the last area the monster had been spotted. After it had killed Kalia, he had trailed it for some time, but the creature never isolated itself. Other monsters swarmed around it and protected it from surprise attacks.
"That sounds like a field boss," Evey said. "A monster stronger than most of the others in the area, but not as strong as a dungeon or raid boss."
I nodded. "We still need to level up before we hunt it down. We need to be strong enough to defeat it without risk."
When the conversation ended for the night, Bastion had a familiar gleam in his eyes. He wanted to grow stronger.
The next morning, the innkeeper pointed me to the city guard, who in turn pointed me toward Grenay's Master of Transportation. "He'll know more about transport," they said. I wanted to find out if travel between the realms was possible.
I knew there were five in total: the forest realm, Toris, that we currently inhabited; the water realm, Shella; the mountain realm, Riven; the desert realm, Horus; and the central realm, Perla. The forced teleport had taken us to Perla and flung us away, but I found it hard to believe all the players trapped in the game had been sent to Toris.
By my understanding, the teleport had scattered players across all the realms. There had to be others that wanted to escape, and that had the courage to fight for that.
I sought out the Master of Transportation. He stood on a platform that overlooked a stable full of elk-creatures, horses, and other transport and work animals. Stirrups, saddles, reins, and other pieces of horse tack hung along one wall, and the far side of the stable contained wagons of all shapes and sizes. Multiple workers moved through the room in a frenzy of activity. One replaced a broken spoke on a wheel while another hammered a hitch into place.
He shouted orders like Caesar shouted to his subjects. I waited for a quiet moment and cleared my throat. The Master of Transportation turned and looked surprised to see us standing there. "Oh, adventurers," he said. "Don't see too many of your kind around here. Something I can help you with?"
"I'm looking for information," I said. "The guards told me you were the man to talk to."
"I'll do what I can, but you need to make it fast. I'm busy, as you can see." He punctuated his last statement with an open-armed gesture.
"How do I reach Perla?" I asked.
"That's easy," the Master of Transportation said. "At least under normal circumstances. When the realms pass close together, travel between them is possible via airship. There are regular flights scheduled. But there is a problem...we haven't received word from the airship landing in quite some time. With what happened at the outlying villages, I worry that something similar may have taken place at the airship station. Why don't you go check it out? It's only a few hours' journey away from here on horseback."
A system prompt appeared in the air in front of me:
New Quest: Investigate the Airship Landing
Rewards: Experience and Reputation Gain
Senior wants you to saddle up and find why his men at the airship landing have not been in touch. He has pr
ovided you with horses for transportation. Make sure to bring them back in one piece.
Not much to go on, but quests in Perla Online had so far been few and far between. The group needed the experience, and the extra reputation could always help. "Of course, I'd be happy to help," I said.
The Master of Transportation nodded. "Good. Glad to hear that. I've offered compensation to other adventurers to run errands, but none have taken me up on the offer so far. This task will benefit everyone in Grenay."
He leaned over the railing, pressed to fingers to his mouth, and released a shrill whistle. The men below glanced up, nodded, and disappeared further into the stable.
"They're bringing out horses," he said. "The beasts are not the best behaved, but all of the best mounts have been claimed by soldiers on patrol. These will at least get you to the landing and back."
"Thank you," I said. "We will take care of the horses as if they were our own."
He nodded. "By the way, the name's Senior. Come and find me once you figure out what's going on at the landing."
Ruts and potholes covered the unpaved surface of the road outside the city. How Evey and I managed to sleep through it all the first time we went down this path was a testament to how exhausted we were.
Flowered plants grew thick on both sides of the road, their blooms a rainbow of hues. Insects buzzed the flowers before they approached us, curious at the creatures that rode alongside their domain. A moist, earthy scent permeated the air, spread by a soft breeze.
The horses' harnesses jingled and offset their heavy footfalls. Boris loped behind the animals at an easy pace. And Bastion wore a near-permanent wince on his face.
"Never been on a horse?" I asked.
"I know the game is realistic," he said. He winced again before he continued. "But maybe they could have kept the pain inhibitors for my backside. This saddle kills."
