Finals are over! Hopefully I can resume posting once per week, but don’t hold your breath because it is Christmas time now haha.

Anyway, comments are very much appreciated, they make me smile every time I see them and I love getting y’all’s predictions and opinions :)

-Tas

Part 8

Ilos, Day 4

Lorilee groaned, resting her head in her hands, a quill dangling from two fingers. “I did not join the Capital Guard to do this.”

Her work table was covered in stacks and stacks of paperwork which seemed to be multiplying on its own whenever she left the room. She slowly lifted her head, staring at the empty ink pot in front of her, then tried to make her eyes focus on the tiny words the accountants had written, but the waning sunlight from the window drew her gaze.

Sunset already? But it was only a short time ago I left the Wheel and Locket… Oh! Corvid and Tasalin should be getting back from their training soon, I still need to go meet them and ask after Lassea’s friend.

She glanced at the empty ink pot again, then stood, stretching. The finished report to the Regent about all she had learned of the champions from Finn and Lassea in her neatest hand covered more than ten pages and lay complete on one corner of her table.

Not that he will even read it. Lazy bastard, lounging around with all those stuck up, fancily dressed, ‘nobles’ and leaving me with all this to do. Well he can do his own damn work this time, I am done for tonight.

Lorilee gathered all the unfinished paperwork as well as the report and carried it all down the hall to the Regent’s room, dropping it on the bench in front of his bed with a satisfying thump. As she left, she noticed Farv and Luthen, led by that new recruit Gudrun of course, dart into the chamber she had just left. She didn’t know what they were up to, and it couldn’t be good, but she really didn’t mind after what the Regent had thrown at her these past few days.

That Gudrun. How did he ever end up as a guard for the North Gate? He is much too talented to be wasted on such a position. She thought over what she had just seen. Actually, I know exactly how he ended up there… Still, from what little I have heard of his pranks, he never does anything that could be construed as damaging, and he is certainly a natural leader to get my men in on his schemes so quickly. Well, we will see if he makes the cut.

Her armored boots echoed in the hallway as she walked, her long strides carrying her quickly by the servants who bowed and curtseyed to her. She still wasn’t used to that, it was simply too odd to have people bowing and scraping to a woman who was once just a lowly village girl. There were champions about of course, the only ones who didn’t bow to her as she passed them, though they did stare. It said something about the number of champions about the city that she didn’t even take a second glance at someone could one day be a hero of legend.

People from another world… Incredible. That was one thing she still marveled at. She hadn’t believed it at first, it was just too fanciful, but there had been no misdirection in Lassea’s face as she spoke of their home, and though Lorilee had searched for it, there was no evidence of lies in her tone or her movements. Yet how, if they leave their true bodies in their own world, can some seem to always be here? I will have to ask Corvid and Tasalin.

She reached the palace stables and saddled Velox, her horse, waving away the stable hands that tried to approach. She had been saddling horses since she was six; she didn’t need and didn’t want their help with her own horse. As soon as the saddle was set, she led him outside and swung up onto his back. Velox stamped a hoof, obviously annoyed at being kept in his stall for so long. Lorilee smiled, steering him towards the West Gate and letting him set the pace at a quick canter.

Street vendors called their wares as she passed through the market ring, champions and Ilosians alike making way for her. She reached the gate quickly, dismounting and patting Velox on the neck as she tied the reins to a pole by the guard house and gave him a sweet stick. “I’ll be back soon Velox, this shouldn’t take too long.”

It was a short walk to the small camp outside the West Gate, a simple staging area for the training groups to meet, and from the reports of the guards at the gate, it was also where the two guild leaders had come the last few days after training. A quick look at the open air tent in the middle of the camp dashed the hope that they were already there. There were a few champions about, though most would be inside the city at this point eating supper at the inns with the money they earned from killing creatures. Their eyes followed her as she made her way around the camp, placing herself in between it and the forest and settling herself down to wait.

She didn’t have to wait long, a few minutes maybe, before she spotted Tasalin and Corvid moving towards her. Corvid was technically the leader of ‘Sweet Dreams’, but the two were so often together she assumed that they really ran it jointly.

Tasalin Viridis was an imposing man, standing at 6’3” with iron grey hair and a short beard that covered his whole face; he had a commanding presence and an air of confidence about him that only a skilled veteran achieved. Clearly a man who led from the front in battle. His forest-green eyes remained focused on her, but she would swear he saw and heard everything nearby. Despite the color of his hair, she guessed he was only in his mid-twenties. He wore heavy iron armor and carried a sword and shield on his back.

Corvid, the official guildmaster, complemented his companion well. He was 6’0” with well-defined facial features that fell just short of having the overly attractive look many champions had. He held himself easily and somehow managed to lookknowledgeable and inviting with a slight smile on his face despite being of an age with Tasalin. Two pairs of daggers hung from a belt at his waist, long enough to fight with and small enough to throw accurately.

It was easy to see why Sweet Dreams had several thousand followers, despite the odd name. Corvid’s way with words and men was backed by Tasalin’s combat prowess and battle leadership. She would have recruited them on the spot if they hadn’t been champions.

She bowed as they approached. “Guildmaster Corvid, Tasalin.”

They both bowed back, Tasalin speaking as they straightened. “Lorilee. What brings you here?”

“A favor actually. A couple of champions I met with earlier today did me a service, and in return asked if I would meet with you and ask if you had a man named Cariss in your group.”

Corvid’s expression tightened slightly, as if searching his memory, but Tasalin was already shaking his head. “No, Cariss is not in Sweet Dreams.”

Lorilee blinked in surprise. He didn’t even have to think about that.

Seeing her confusion, he continued. “I would know if The Calm was with us. He was well-known by those who made it up to the Islands as the player who got the furthest. There is no way I wouldn’t have found out if he were here.” He paused, seeming to consider something. “Actually, I haven’t seen or heard anything about Rager or The Marksman, the same goes for three or four others that were in the highest group. Anyway, no, he’s not here.”

“I see. It seems he was one of those who was transported by the Bell of Recall, separating him from his two friends, and they are trying to find him.” She paused. Should I ask them about why they always seem to be here? She looked again at the pair, noting how dirty and tired they looked. Now is not the time, perhaps I will be able to speak with them about it later. “Well, thank you for your time. I will let you go eat and wash.” She said, bowing again.

They both bowed back. “Anytime Lorilee. Let us know if the Capital Guard needs Sweet Dreams for anything, we’ll do our best to assist.” Corvid replied.

She nodded. “An offer I will keep in mind. A good evening to you both.”

Lorilee watched as they headed into the camp, then worked her way around again and back to the gate. I should go to the Wheel and Locket to eat myself, Vivika will tear me a new one if I don’t fill her in on the events of today anyway. She laughed quietly to herself as she untied and mounted Velox. I love that girl, it is incredible how much she has lost and yet she still has the kind of personality that can bring a smile to my face just thinking of her.

She lightly flicked the reins, telling Velox it was time to move. I hope Finn and Lassea find their friend, I guess I will have to tell them the bad news tomorrow.

Ilos, Day 5

Finn sat back in his chair and took a sip of his wine. He had no idea how it was made, but it had this pleasant sweet taste that he had taken to immediately. Vivika had recommended it, and he was glad he’d taken her advice. Lassea smiled at him from across the table, holding a mug of mulled cider rather than wine. They were waiting at the Wheel and Locket for Lorilee after making a day of training against some of the monsters in the area surrounding the city. He smiled back at his friend, noticing the tiny flame hovering by her head was joined by a small drop of water today.

Speaking of training… Finn focused for a moment, “Cir.”

A tiny whirlwind materialized in front of him, and he moved it over to Lassea’s mug, sending the steam coming from the hot liquid swirling. She giggled, the smile growing wider, and Finn grinned at her as she added her little flame to the wind, watching it swirl and spin.

He was right… Finn thought, his smile fading as he watched his friend laugh. This place is a different world, and I can see why he wanted to live here permanently. Even just being here a few days I feel like I belong, and I can see Jess does too. She hasn’t laughed like this in years, hell, we haven’t talked like this in years, and here we are, chatting over our drinks at an inn after working together in what feels like life and death battles. I haven’t ever felt this close to her.

It’s like… like I can just be myself. There are no social queues telling us we have to act a certain way. He glanced around the room. The merchants from the previous day were there again at the same table, there was another group of five players sitting and enjoying their hot drinks on this somewhat cold day, and a couple holding hands by the window. No one was paying any attention to Finn and his friend. They don’t care about if we’re a couple or not, nor do they care what we’re talking about or how we look. The chances of any player here meeting on Earth is practically non-existent, so they just kind of take you as you are. You can be anyone you want here, and that’s just so… freeing.

“More wine Finn?”

Finn blinked, then looked up. Vivika stood there, a smile on her face and a pitcher in her hand, doubtless filled with the wine he still had in his… He peered into the mug, noting there were only a few drops of the dark liquid remaining. “Ahh, sure. Any idea when Lorilee is going to be here?”

“She’s usually here by now, so she likely got caught up in some Capital Guard business, which does happen occasionally.” Vivika answered, carefully refilling the mug. “It should be pretty soon.”

“Speak of the devil…” Lassea commented, looking at the entrance.

“What devil?”

“It’s just a turn of phrase Vivika.” Finn said.

“You champions are confusing, how can you rotate a phrase? It is not even a physical thing.”

“What is not a physical thing?” Lorilee asked, draping an arm over the shorter redheaded woman.

Finn gave a wry smile. “A ‘turn of phrase’ is an expression for an expression. And poor choice of wording on my part.”

“Did you find Bro- ah, Cariss?” Lassea spoke, unable to contain herself.

The guardswoman shook her head. “Unfortunately not. Tasalin and Corvid hadn’t heard anything about him or several of the other people from the highest tier group.”

“Oh…” Lassea’s expression dropped.

“I have an idea about that actually. Vivika, can we use your private room again? I’d also like you to join us if you have the time.” Finn spoke before either of the other two could react to his friend’s mood.

“Sure! Come on up!” She answered, turning to head up the stairs and dragging Lorilee along with her.

Finn stood and walked around the table, putting a hand on Lassea’s shoulder. Her head was down, hair obscuring her expression, and her shoulders were slumped. He bent down to speak in her ear. “Jess, he’s not dead. I have a theory on what happened and I’m pretty sure I know where he went. Come on upstairs, I have a plan.”

She looked up at him, her eyes filling with hope, then nodded. He straightened, offering his hand, which she took and stood. They walked up the stairs, moving down the hallway to the Key room, its door already open. Lorilee and Vivika were already seated, and there were four mugs of fresh mulled wine on the table. Finn shut the door behind him and sat down, taking a sip of the wine before speaking.

“First off Vivika, everything Lorilee told you is true. All the champions are from an entirely different world, called Earth, where they are simply normal people. That’s part of the reason why they are so confusing to you and probably most other Ilosians. We use different wordings and expressions that you couldn’t possibly have heard before, and we do things much differently as well. A large part of the rudeness you’ve seen is because most of the people think Ilos is an imaginary world, a game, where they can go to have fun. They believe you are just an…” He searched for a word to describe NPCs. “…illusion or automation would be the best word to describe it.”

“What?! The champions don’t even think Ilos is real?!”

“That’s correct. I was the same way until I came here with Lorilee to be honest. However, I can’t think of Ilos as a fictional place any longer despite how different champions are here, and that leads me to what I think happened with the Bell of Recall. Unless I miss my guess completely, the players that disappeared when the Call to Arms was rung didn’t die; they were transported to Ilos permanently somehow.”

Lorilee nodded slowly. “I have noticed that there are a small group of champions, including Tasalin, Corvid, and the rest of their guild, that never seem to log out like most do, and that would explain a number of things. That group seems to take things much more seriously than the rest as well, and they are the only ones who are regularly training.”

“But if he’s here, why don’t we just contact him using that telepathy thing you used with me yesterday?” Lassea asked.

“Su? I’ve already tried, but it didn’t work. It should have, the conditions are that you’ve been within five feet of them, made eye contact, and you know their name, all of which we’ve done, but it didn’t work. Oh, that reminds me, Lorilee, can you use magic?”

She opened her mouth, but hesitated, looking uneasy. Vivika glanced at her friend and spoke in her place. “Only the court mages are supposed to be able to use magic.”

“But you can. You both can, but you’d be punished somehow if anyone found out?” Lassea said, reading their reactions, then smiled disarmingly. “Don’t worry; no one is going to find out from us”

Finn nodded, agreeing. He focused on all three of them, imagining clearly what he wanted to do. “Su.” *Can you all hear me?*

Lassea and Lorilee each nodded calmly, but Vivika jerked in her chair. “What- How did you do that? It was like your voice was speaking in my head!”

“That was the word of power Su, or ‘spirit’, the basic Spirit Elemental spell. It allows telepathic contact; though the further you are away the more mana it drains.”

“You mean ‘vis’? That is what the mages always refer to their magic energy as.” Lorilee said.

“It’s probably the same thing. Vivika, you know how words of power work?”

“They are the catalysts that make mental focus into reality, using vis as fuel.” Vivika replied as if quoting something.

“Good, then you can contact us and we you. Telepathy takes a little bit to get used to, but it’s very nice to have.”

“You said you had a plan Finn?” Lassea asked calmly, but her globs of fire and ice had begun circling her mug rapidly, betraying her mood.

“Do you remember the plan David – sorry, that’s the name he uses back on Earth – Cariss explained to us before we first came to Ilos?”

“Hmm, he said we were supposed to shop for weapons, then meet him at the North Gate.” She answered.

“And then?”

She frowned, concentrating. “… and then we were going to go to the second village…!”

Finn smiled as her expression brightened. “And what would he have done if he was suddenly pulled into Ilos with no way back?”

“He’d follow the plan!” His friend practically shouted, rising halfway up out of her chair. “So we know where he went and we can follow him!”

“Exactly! However, I don’t think we’ll catch him, he’s just too good, but we know Ilos is going to be attacked just like it was at the end of the beta, and he’ll be here then. What we do is follow what he did, because he knows the best way to get the most experience the fastest, and then when it looks like the city will be attacked, Lorilee can contact us and we can get back here as fast as we can. I have no doubt that he’ll make a big appearance then.”

Vivika sat back into her chair, letting out a breath. “If Lorilee had not already told me about the city being attacked – and being defended successfully – I would be scared out of my wits right now.”

“Remember, you cannot tell anyone about the attack, we do not need a mass panic while the Regent is meeting with his collection of windbags.” Lorilee reminded her friend.

“I know, I know. Believe me, I do not want that any more than you do.”

Finn put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I know you want to get started right now Lassea, but I think we should wait till the morning to head to the village. The monsters at night are much more powerful than those in the day, and the sun will be setting soon.”

She nodded, settling back down into her chair and taking a sip of her mulled wine. After a moment she spoke up. “Lorilee, Vivika, since we know a secret of yours, it’s only fair you know a secret of ours. This is something you cannot tell any other champion. Word will get out eventually, but we need to keep it quiet for as long as possible okay?”

The pair nodded. “We will not give you away.” “No one will be told.”

“We can use magic back on Earth. I’m not sure if it’s because we’ve been to Ilos or it’s something that has always existed, but right now we are the only ones I know of that have discovered it.”

Finn frowned. “That worries me. I think this would have been known if it was possible in the beta, so it must be something that is new. It feels like Ilos is bleeding over into Earth, and I’m not sure how far it will go. What if this is only the beginning?”