“She is our fourth,” Tessa told the guys by way of introduction.
Ari pulled her attention to the others and gave a weak smile.
“Is this girl any good? We don’t need eye candy.” The boy with dark blue hair and tats on both arms looked her over. His nose was sharpened to an unnatural point.
She leaned forward slightly. “I’m Ari.”
“You better be as good as Tessa says. I’m planning on winning this thing.”
“Hey, I already told you I’m good enough for two, so don’t worry about it,” Tessa turned to Ari. “The stress case here is Aron.”
“And I’m Logan.” The guy with curly brown hair gave a friendly smile. “Don’t worry about Aron. Tessa will tear it up in there. I’ve never seen someone take on so many wizards at a time. Epic.” He raised his hand to high five Tessa.
While the two guys continued to discuss strategy, Ari leaned to her friend. “What in the world did you sign me up for?”
“It’s the latest version of Shadow Lands. Don’t worry. We’ll be fine. This was my summer vacation last year.”
“I think I’m going to pass on this one. I don’t have extra money right now.” The excuse was true even if it wasn’t the main one.
“Don’t worry about the money. Trust me, you won’t regret it,” Tessa said.
Ari wasn’t sure how she felt about being Tessa’s charity case. At least by the sounds of the game, Ari wouldn’t confuse the VR with reality. But VR gaming was low on the list of things she wanted to do.
A shoulder brushed against hers. She turned to find Garrett, his hair a blue-black. On his side was some girl. Ari recognized her as a second year in the IT program.
“Don’t waste your time on this one,” Garrett told Tessa.
Tessa looked as if she found something disgusting on the bottom of her shoe.
Ari ignored the insult. “Hi, Garrett.”
“Oh, is that the problem we had?” He tapped his finger on his temple in a mock sense of enlightenment. “Maybe you swing the other way?”
Ari grabbed a drink on the bar and threw it at him, not at all confused about her feelings now. “You really are a jerk. You know that?”
Garrett’s girl sent some choice words in Ari’s direction before they stormed off.
“Am I supposed to take offense to you saying you wouldn’t want to be with me?” Tessa’s sarcasm lightened the mood.
“I’d pick you over Garrett any day,” Ari said.
“Let’s go to the Shadow Lands, and maybe you can really kick someone’s ass.”
Anger burned through Ari’s veins, and it pushed her to be more daring than normal. “Let’s do this.”
When they signed in for the game, Tessa had Ari use her stepmother’s ID. “Don’t worry my dad will pay for it. Plus, it will drive him crazy to see she’s doing virtuals here. You could make out with a few guys, then if he pays to have the history checked, he’ll really go nuts.”
“I’m not going to make out with a ‘few’ guys. Hit them, maybe.”
Tessa laughed. “I hope so. I set up your user profile as Oya the Undergoddess. Try not to die ‘cause it’ll take twenty minutes to get you back in.”
“I’ll try.” A thin dark-haired woman assisted Ari into the leather recliner and hooked her into the VR port. Ari closed her eyes and let herself fall into the other world.
CHAPTER 16
When Ari first awoke inside the game, blue filled her vision. Make that a blue man standing right in front of her. The guy with blue hair from before, Aron, now was completely colored a rich blue from head to toe. Dark tribal tattoos covered his bare chest which bulged with defined muscles. The tattoos moved with the man, swirling and drifting as if animated. The only hair on his body that she could see was a short beard. He wore black leather pants that fit a lot better than they would on the human version of her teammate. He held a scimitar in one hand and a ball of swirling purple light in his other. He glanced at Ari and then continued walking around, scanning the surroundings.
A huge knight, Logan, stood off to the side. He had to be at least seven feet tall and clad in a gold and red armor that hid most of his features. A massive sword hung at his side.
Turning from the guys, she took in the landscape. A thin layer of green grass blanketed the world in front of them. Gray boulders created rock formations dotted with patches of grass, and an arch loomed in the distance. Foreign white trees were scattered amid the rocks, creating a lone path leading into the unknown.
A hand grabbed Ari from behind and she whirled around, knocking the person several feet back. Whoa. Ari’s strength astounded her.
Tessa stood, no floated, several feet in the air with the help of slowly flapping dark wings. She wore a blood-colored outfit with leggings and a tight shirt that could be a second skin. Her hair stood out like fire rising from the ash, wild and free. She had transformed into some kind of beautiful dark creature. Her dark eyes and plump lips were the same, but her cheek bones were sharper, stronger.
As Tessa approached again with a definite scowl on her face, Ari noticed the other differences. She now had red eyes, swirling in a mesmerizing pattern. Her features were also darker, her teeth, sharpened to points, and a growl came from her. “I’m glad you know how to use your powers, but please don’t use them on your teammates.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.” Ari looked down at her own personal changes. Her skin kept its tanned color, but her hair, which fell around her shoulders in curls, was now silver. Her body appeared taller as well, and her fingers were longer, ending with long sharp nails polished in silver. She touched her clothes, a smooth light blue color. The top was clingy but flexible. She wore a skirt on the bottom with slits up to her waist and tights underneath.
A shiver of fear coursed through her body. Ari had played her share of fantasy games but never in VR. The errors of the program were harder to find here, but they were here, she told herself. This is a game, and only a game.
Tessa had sped through some pre-game instructions that Ari pretty much had all forgotten. “Who am I again?” Ari asked.
Tessa gave a blow of exasperation. “You’re Oya the Goddess of the sky. You can control wind, tornados, lighting, and whatnot.”
“Not bad.” She played with her fingers, and the power between them sparked as if alive. The electricity that pricked her palms didn’t hurt but was like nothing she had ever experienced. Not reality at all. But definitely interesting.
“Get your head in the game, Oya. The others are already probably up and ready to fight.”
“Who is everyone else?” Ari asked as she took in her surroundings. The blue man had scaled a tall rock formation and was surveying their position.
“The blue man is Torq,” Tessa said, then motioned to tall knight. “He is Ra-soon.”
“It is time,” Ra-soon said.
The others walked ahead while Tessa leaned in close to explain the rest of the game. The teams had to find the Jewels of Achman. There were only enough jewels for one of the three teams to win and participate in the revelry back at the castle with the winning teams from other rounds.
Leaning in closer, Tessa added, “And I told these guys you were good, so don’t let me down.”
“Why would you say that?” Ari had never even seen this game before, let alone played it.
With a shrug of her shoulders, Tessa picked up her pace. “Just try not to get yourself killed too much.” Then she lifted off into the sky, her dark wings carrying her high.
The next few hours flew by in a rush. She had never been so scared or so exhilarated as she fought, ran, and tore through imaginary monsters. Her body had strength and endurance beyond a human, and the smile remained on her face even when a gremlin that reeked like rotten eggs punched her. The hits didn’t hurt as much as in the real world. Ari assumed that was part of the appeal. She only died once and hated waiting impatiently back in the club to be allowed back into the game.
It didn’t take Ari long to reali
ze that she was the weakest link in the team. Tessa made up for it though, and they quickly collected five out of the six required stones. As they approached the den of Auni, they ran into trouble. A different team had already arrived and was battling a fifteen-foot troll and the gremlin creatures they had run into before. Gremlins weren’t too painful, but they drained your life and were difficult to kill.
Tessa and the team discussed their strategy before they attacked. They’d need to not only avoid the warlock and the gremlins, but also outfight the other team. The blue man, Torq, spoke first. “Okay, I will kill the troll. He looks large and stupid. Then I’ll distract the gremlins. You two,” he said pointing to Tessa and Ra-soon, the knight, “Take out the other team. And Oya, can you manage to secure the jewel?” He said this with such attitude that Ari was tempted to hit him. Something that she would normally never consider, but as Oya it was more appealing.
“I can do it,” Ari replied pushing her hair out of the eyes and wishing for a ponytail for the hundredth time.
“You’re her back up,” Torq said to Tessa.
“I said I’ll do it,” Ari snapped.
“Yeah, and Tessa said you knew how to play. Pardon if I don’t take your word for it.” His eyes flashed in disbelief.
Before Ari could reply, Tessa pinned Torq to the ground. “Take care of the damn troll and we’ll get it. Remember who is a level four champion here, huh?”
Torq rolled his eyes as Tessa released him, and he did a back roll to get up. Ari couldn’t take too much offense. They probably had no idea she’d never played before. And as annoying as he was, Ari loved to watch Torq. When fighting, his intricate tribal tattoos spun wildly around his body.
“Let’s do this,” Ra-soon said, and they all went charging over the rocky cliff face into the battle.
While Tessa carried down the guys, Ari crawled down the side of the cliff so as to not to draw attention to herself. At the base, four gremlins charged her. Despite the fact they were slow, they were also strong. She took care of three with a gust of wind, but the last one held on to a nearby rock. Ari took her small blade out and finished him off with a swift jab in the general direction of where his heart should be. He dissolved into a black miasma that clung to the ground.
Ari approached the battle from the side. Tessa repeatedly dove towards another winged fighter, attacking and pulling back before the counter-strike. She had a finesse and grace to her that the other purple-winged fighter could not match. Tessa toyed with them, while they struggled to stay afloat.
Torq had almost defeated the huge troll, while Ra-soon fought off gremlins and the other team on the ground. The needed jewel laid in a cave directly behind the battle. As Ari neared the fighting, she cast a spell. The wind obediently picked up dust to cloud her from the warriors’ vision. With the needed cover, she sprinted for the cave.
Once inside the interior appeared dark, almost blood red, with a small light shining deep within. The jewel. She was almost there. As she crossed the entrance, someone slammed into her side, taking her to the ground. He grabbed her hands, restraining her powers. They struggled, but he obviously had the upper hand.
“Why, hello there.” A guy, dressed in slim green armor, sat on Ari’s chest. A metal mask surrounded his head, with large insect like eyes poking out. “You really think we’re going to let a newbie get the last Jewel of Achman? Sorry, sweetie.”
His voice sounded familiar, even with the computerized lilt to it. Changing your voice was another option in the game, one Ari never bothered with. She didn’t have time to figure out who he was as he gripped her hands together over her head and used his other hand to slowly squeeze her neck.
There were a number of ways to kill someone. Most went for the quick kill, hoping to make them start their quest over with a time delay. Or if a person was injured, with their life levels near zero, they remained in the game, helpless until their life levels regenerated.
But this guy seemed to enjoy restraining her, slowly draining her life and in no hurry to finish her off. She fought his grasp, sending electrical currents through her hands. He didn’t move. She struggled to turn her head and out of the corner of her eyes she could see the fighting outside. It was evenly matched with both sides sustaining losses.
“I guess I don’t have all day to win.” He cut off any reply by increasing the pressure in her throat.
A small gasp escaped her mouth. Black dots danced in front of her eyes and something else, too. Code. A variety of multi-colored letters, numbers, and symbols danced through her vision. Was this the same type of code she learned in school? It looked similar. Enough so that upon further inspection, she could read it and see what exactly this character was. She found his strengths, saw the code that gave him his armor and other protections.
The characters mesmerized Ari for a moment, like reading or speaking a foreign language for the first time and realizing she was fluent. The black spots floating in her vision brought her back to reality. Without a thought, she shifted the code.
She easily picked out the code for the green man in front of her. She shifted the color of the armor out of the code and watched it float up into the air. Letters and digits spun around, and the guy in front of her glitched for a moment only to return colorless. This new aspect of the game was like a whole different game within a game. Piece by piece, she stripped away the green armor. Any perceived strength and power fled with another mental flick. Stripping off all the code that made the character, she found Garrett, in his usual jeans and shirt, sitting on top of her.
His hair stood on end, yet with his normal eyes and pale skin he looked alien in this environment. With his powers stripped, it only took a second for Ari to change the positions, ending with her on top, straddling his chest. Garrett’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“What happened to the game?”
“You mean why am I on top and you’re on bottom?” Ari had a sick pleasure in pinning him to the floor. Briefly, she wondered if his powers were stripped what would happen to his pain response.
“What happened? Who screwed my game?” Stripped naked of his power, he lost his usual bravado.
“What the hell is your problem?” Ari yelled, tired of his attitude.
“Why did you stop answering my texts?” he replied with as much force, his face flushed and angry.
Her response froze in her throat. What was she going to say? He was going faster than she was comfortable with? Might as well tell him she was the biggest prude on campus. He tried to sit up, but she pinned him down again. The pained expression on his face warned her that he had a normal response to pain in his stripped condition.
“I ...” She struggled to find the words. “What does it matter? I was just another first-year anyway, Garrett.”
“Yeah, just another first-year I spent hours with. You must think I have all the time in the world.” He spit out the words, muscles tightened and strained under her grasp.
Before Ari could question him further, Torq entered the cave.
“Oh, I see. While I’m getting thrashed by a troll, you’re getting freaky with him.” Torq’s blue patterns on his skin spun, his adrenaline racing. “Nice costume, bud,” he added dismissively.
Torq picked up the jewel. The golden color shimmered against his blue skin. It signaled the end of the game. Before Ari could say another word, the world rapidly dissolved in front of her.
CHAPTER 17
At a heavy wooden table, Ari nursed a draft of ale. Next to her, Tessa flirted with a tall dark elf. Still reeling from her encounter with Garrett, Ari silently watched this exotic and almost alien world called the Winners’ Circle. Small purple nymphs danced on the open floor, colored ribbons highlighting their magical acrobatics. King and Queen type figures sat on their gold thrones at the front of the room. They appeared more magical than human as they applauded the nymphs’ entertainment. Torq perched on a bar stool, whispering something to a tall fairy of some sort. Her pristine hand landed on his arm, and his tatt
oos spun wildly.
Tessa’s elf left, and her eyes followed him briefly before turning her attention back to Ari. Tessa’s obvious infatuation surprised Ari. Like a friend getting tipsy for a first time, it opened up a whole new facet to their persona. Who knew, maybe Tessa was drunk? “Do you want to dance or drink the night away, Oya?”
Ari sipped the cold drink in her hand, its earthy flavor flooding her mouth. “Not sure.”
“What is it?”
“What’s what?”
Tessa adjusted her wings tight into her back as she turned to Ari. “What are you thinking about instead of drinking and enjoying this crazy world? There are a lot of people who wish they could be here. It’s my fifth time. Hence, why I pick my second despite Torq’s constant complaining.”
“Is it possible to change code mid-game?” Ari couldn’t shake off the encounter with Garrett. What were the chances that the game made a mistake at the same time she noticed the code in the game?
Tessa took another drink and winked at a large troll across the room. “It depends if you believe in warpers, aliens and all that other stuff. It’s great to dream of super powers though.”
“Sure.” If that was true, then Ari really didn’t know what to think of the game.
She ignored Ari and locked eyes with the elf from before, who was now returning. She leaned towards Ari. “Remember who may be watching before you hook up with an elf or warlock in the most unspeakable manner, as I am about to do.”
Ari shivered. Corporations often watched or sold information from virtuals, but she hated being reminded of it.
The elf stood next to Tessa and reached for her hand. “My lady.” He bent over and kissed her hand. “Our chariot is waiting.”
“Where to?”
“To the ends of the world. Where else?”
Tessa turned back, her features strangely beautiful. “Try to have some fun, will you? Enjoy the fairy folk. Watch out for the green ones though.”
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