Nick and Jess are back in Ilos, trying to find out what happened to their friend, and meet someone new. Things are going a bit crazy on Earth, but there is much that has yet to be realized. A few new characters take the stage as well, revealing that there is much more going on than originally thought.
Themes apply to all chapters, not this one specifically.
Chapter 4: Sweet Dreams
Ilos, Day 4
Nick- Finn, it’s Finn here- Finn blinked his eyes and looked around, taking in the Council Chamber and the large number of NPCs looking at him. The Regent was sitting in his miniature throne just like he was the last time Finn had been in Ilos, but the table had been cleared away and it seemed he was holding some sort of audience with a lot of well-dressed people.
“Ah- sorry, I’m obviously interrupting something here. When you have a few minutes Regent, I would like to speak with you. I’ll be outside.”
He hurriedly walked towards the doors of the chamber under the eyes of the NPCs, but he still heard the whispers of those who watched him as he passed.
“Did you see that?”
“How did he do that? I have never heard of a teleport spell.”
“Invisibility maybe?”
“No, they have wards up for that.”
“I will bet he is one of those champions.”
“A champion! I have never seen one so close before!”
“He does not look that differ-“
From the first person to utter it, the word ‘champion’ spread through the assembled people like wildfire, igniting murmurs that rapidly grew in intensity until he closed the Council Chamber’s door behind him. “What have I gotten myself into?”
It had only taken a day before Jess went back to Ilos with him standing guard over her body, but this was the first time she had felt safe enough to let him come too.
Intent on contacting Jess, he uttered the basic word of power for the Spirit element, one of its uses being telepathy with someone you had already met. “Su.”
*Je- Ahh, Lassea, can you hear me?* He thought, focused on sending the words to his friend. *Imagine yourself ‘thinking’ the words to me.*
*Like this?*
*You got it. I’m outside the Council Chamber inside the Palace. Do you know where that is?*
*I know where the Palace is, but I haven’t been inside yet.*
*Okay, I’ll meet you at the Palace gates, and we can book it back here. The Regent is the one to ask about the Bell of Recall, and he’s holding some kind of audience in the Chamber. Something I interrupted when I logged in.*
*Ha, I’ll bet they all stared at you like you were some sort of alien until you left and made comments on how you managed to randomly appear.*
*How did you-?*
*How did I know? Because that’s what I would have done in their place.*
Finn shook his head, marveling at his friend’s ability to understand the NPCs, and started running for the Palace entrance. And why not? He didn’t feel any fatigue, and there was no muscle soreness to worry about. He even sort of understood why David loved that freerunning of his so much, it was kind of freeing to move that fast under your own power.
He met Jes- Lassea at the gates and led her back into the palace. She had a small flame, no bigger than that of a candle, burning softly near her head. She said she liked seeing it, sort of like a reminder, and though she didn’t elaborate on what it reminded her of, he had a pretty good guess.
After the eighth or ninth turn she shook her head. “How do you keep this straight? I got lost two or three turns ago.”
“Do you remember how obsessed I was with this game? I memorized the layout of every place the beta testers mapped out, including the Palace. You should have let me come earlier; I know everything there is to know about this city.”
“I know, I know, but I just felt so much safer knowing that you were there with me.”
When they reached the Council Chamber, they were met by a tall guardswoman with dark brown hair in a ponytail, forest-green eyes, and a sword and crescent shaped shield on her back. It took Nic- Finn a second to remember her, that Commander of the Capital Guard he had met the last time he was here.
“Greetings champions.” She said, inclining her head. “Finn, were you going to ask the Regent about the Bell of Recall?”
“Who is this?” Jess – argh – Lassea asked, peering at the woman’s decorated armor.
“This is… ah…” Finn trailed off realizing he didn’t remember her name.
The woman in question grinned. “I am Lorilee Avenia, a Commander of the Capital Guard. And you are…?”
“Lassea.” She bowed. “Avendavida. An honor to meet a member of the Capital Guard, much less a Commander. You must be an incredible woman to have achieved so much.”
Lorilee smiled, bowing back. “Avendavida. It is a pleasure to meet a champion who observes basic social graces, though your friend here was not so bad as most.”
Lassea smirked. “I like to think I raised him right.”
The other woman laughed, and Finn rolled his eyes. “To answer your earlier question, yes, I was going to wait till his audience or meeting or whatever was done and then ask him about it.”
“Well, you’d be in for the long haul then, they’ve been doing meetings in there for two days with no signs of stopping, and the only people they let in are the servants bearing food and drink. All the nobles that have holdings in and around the city are gathered in that room, and are trying to decide what to do with all you champions wandering about everywhere. Has them in quite the tizzy, they have no idea how to deal with you.”
“So that’s why they were all so fancily dressed…”
“You went in there?!”
“No, that’s just where I was when I logged back in.”
She blinked. “Where you what?”
Lassea stepped in. “I’d be happy to explain it to you later Commander-“
The guardswoman held up a hand. “Just Lorilee please, I get called Commander enough around here without you doing it too.”
Lassea smiled. “I’d be happy to answer any questions you have Lorilee, but we were looking for information on the Bell of Recall, and it is somewhat urgent.”
“Ah. Well we did not actually find anything. From all reports the Call to Arms was rung on its own. One of my men was guarding the area, and he swears on his family that there was no one operating the Bell when it started moving.”
“Oh.”
“I am sorry I could not be the bearer of better news.”
“It’s alright Lorilee; at least it’s a subject we know to not spend more time investigating. Thank you for your help.”
“You are most welcome Lassea.” She turned to look at Finn. “Now what was that phrase you used? ‘Logged in’? I have a lot of questions if you can spare the time.”
Finn glanced at his friend, who shrugged, a little dejected. They didn’t know what else to look into to find more information on David’s disappearance – Please God don’t let him be actually dead – so chatting with the guardswoman could be as good a choice as any to learn more. “Well, why not? We don’t have anything else to go on for now and maybe you can answer some of our questions as well. Do you have someplace we can go? This isn’t exactly the best place to have a chat.”
“We can go to the Wheel and Locket, the innkeeper is a close friend of mine and she has a private room she often lets me use. Is that agreeable?”
The two friends glanced at each other, and Lassea nodded. “Lead on.”
They followed Lorilee out of the Palace using a slightly different combination of hallways than before, and at a much slower pace. It seemed that while players did not suffer from fatigue, the natives still did. Or else she’s just being polite. Finn speculated.
Lorilee looked over her shoulder at them. “So do the two of you know each other well? It certainly seems so.”
“Yes, we’ve been together a long time.” Lassea answered.
“You are lovers then?”
Finn tripped over his own heel, stumbling forwards a few steps before he caught his balance again, and Lassea stopped dead before laughing. “No no, we certainly aren’t lovers.” She said, starting forwards again.
Lorilee flushed, turning her head to look forwards again. “I apologize. With the way you seemed to communicate by glances and how you replied, I simply assumed…”
“No, it’s alright; I should have chosen my words better. We’re just really close friends, practically family.”
Finn glanced at Lassea, harboring a slight regret that their relationship wasn’t anything more. He had had a crush on his friend for years, though he was much better at hiding it than David was. Honestly he thought it would be odd for a guy not to have a crush on her. She was kind, honest, friendly, considerate, and beautiful, the kind of girlfriend any guy should want. However, she never gave any indication of interest towards him, and so he never made any sort of move on the subject.
They arrived at the Wheel and Locket, a three story inn close to the Palace, but out of view of the plaza. The sign hanging over the entrance showed a wagon wheel with the necklace of a locket strewn through the spokes. Lorilee lead them through the door without hesitation, raising a hand in greeting. “Hey Vivika!”
A young redheaded woman behind the bar turned to look, and a smile blossomed on her face as she moved around the wood and towards them. Nick estimated her to be about 5’8” and in her late teens, much too young to be running her own inn. However, the patrons in the common room only glanced at the newcomers before returning to their business, so it seemed she had some place here.
“Lorilee! I have not seen you in a few days, how have you been?” The girl stopped, seeming to notice the two champions for the first time. “Oh sorry, where are my manners? I am Vivika Ponri, the owner of the Wheel and Locket.”
“I’m Lassea, and this is Finn. Avendavida.” Lassea said, bowing.
Nick hurriedly followed her example, making a mental note to ask his friend about how she knew all of this stuff when they logged off. “Avendavida.”
“Avendavida.” Vivika replied, returning the bow. “Please, come in and have a seat. What would you like?”
“Actually Viv, if we could use the Key Room I have some things to discuss with them in private.” At her friend’s surprised expression, Lorilee continued. “They are champions, and have agreed to answer some questions.”
“Champions?! But they are so polite! Surely you must be mistaken?”
“Wow, we really have a bad rep around here don’t we?” Finn commented.
“A ‘rep’? I… am not familiar with that word.” Lorilee said, Vivika’s expression showing that she was in the same boat.
Lassea smiled, “Vivika, if we could impose on you, having a private room would be a much better venue for this conversation than the doorway of your inn.”
Vivika turned, and noticing they were the subject of attention of all of her patrons with the exception of what looked like some merchants bickering in a corner, flushed a pretty rose color. “Ah. Yes. Umm. Right this way.”
She led them up the stairs at the back of the common room and down a hallway before stopping at a room on the right. “I expect to be told everything before you leave Lorilee.” She said smiling, “You know I get worried when you do not come see me for a few days. Now I must get back to my inn.” She handed over a rather large key to Lorilee, and then turned and left.
The guardswoman shook her head, but had a big smile. “Oh Viv.” She turned and opened the door with the key, gesturing towards the room. “Shall we?”
The Key Room was pretty small, holding a rectangular table, six chairs, an unlit fireplace, and little else. They each took a chair, Lorilee at one side of the table with Finn and Lassea sitting next to each other across from her.
Before anyone could say anything, there was a knock on the door, and a serving girl came in with cups and a flagon of wine, which she placed on the table before making a curtsey and leaving. Lorilee poured for everyone, and once they had all had a sip or two she started.
“There are a lot of things I do not understand about champions. Xynus sent down a message telling of your coming and that you were going to be the saviors of Ilos, but he did not mention much about you besides instructions on how to help you. He told us to send you on errands, ask you to kill things, and generally hire you to do as many things as we could. We expected you would be like us, simply more powerful, but instead you use strange words and phrases, do not observe even the simplest of manners, and are sometimes completely dismissive of us. Lassea, as the only champion I’ve heard of that is actually polite, and Finn, as her close friend, may I ask you some questions?”
Lassea opened her mouth, her agreement written on her face, but Finn beat her to the punch. “Yes, we would be willing to answer your questions, but in return we ask you answer some of ours. As much as you know of us, we know as little or less about you.”
Lorilee nodded. “Agreed. Shall we simply trade questions?”
Finn started to agree, but it was Lassea that spoke over him this time. “Please Lorilee, let’s not be so formal. Simply ask your questions and we will answer, and if we think of one to ask you then we will.”
The guardswoman smiled, relaxing a little bit. “Very well. Let me start simply, what was that word you used earlier? ‘Rep’ I think it was?”
“’Rep’ is simply a shortened version of ‘reputation’. I was observing that you have a low opinion of champions as a whole.” Finn replied.
“Ah, alright then. How about that other phrase you used earlier? ‘Logged in’ I think it was?”
“That… is a little more complicated. Well, I suppose we had better just explain where we come from and how we got to Ilos in the first place. That’s bound to answer a large portion of your questions. It started for us when our friend David got this metal headband…”
Between the two of them, Finn and Lassea explained as much as they could about the circumstances regarding their arrival in Ilos and the subsequent events, occasionally slowing when Lorilee didn’t understand a phrase or word they used. The guardswoman listened attentively, though it was obvious she was struggling with disbelief at the story. It took longer than any of them expected, and they ended up going through the entire pitcher of wine.
“… and that’s when you bumped into us, I mean, met us outside the doors to the Council Room, and of course you know the rest.” Lassea finished.
Lorilee sat back in her chair and breathed out heavily, staring at the pair of friends with wide eyes. “This is much more than I ever expected or even imagined. You are truly from another world?” They nodded. “Incredible. I would never have guessed, not in a hundred years. Let me see if I have everything right. You come from a different world, a place called Earth, and these metal headbands of yours, referred to as Keys, allow you to come here, to Ilos, a place you think is a game?”
“Essentially yes, though there is something more going on here than any of us know. I can’t think of you as an NPC anymore, and I strongly suspect that the rest of the inhabitants of Ilos are the same as you.” Finn answered. “Therefore, despite the similarities, this cannot be a game. The question is where is this? How do the Keys get us here? Why were we led to believe this place was not real in the first place?”
“I do not have the answers to any of those questions, though your story has answered many of mine. The group of champions you mentioned vanishing when the Bell of Recall was rung did not die as you may believe, they appeared in the plaza the next morning. I do not know what happened there, but a good portion of them banded together and headed towards the West Gate. By the last report from the guardsmen at that gate, they are currently training for something, killing the creatures in and near the forest as fast as they can reappear. I've met their leaders, Corvid and Tasalin, but they have never mentioned logging out as you do.”
Lassea stood at her words, leaning over the table excitedly. “Do you know if they have someone named Cariss with them?”
Lorilee shook her head. “I do not, though I can find out. Is that the name of the friend you said had vanished from your world?”
Taking her seat again, Lassea nodded. “Yes, that’s the name he uses here.”
“Do not worry; I will do what I can to find him. You have helped me greatly today, though I now have much to think about, and I will do what I can to return the favor. Besides,” The guardswoman smiled, “I like you.”
“Say Lorilee, why is that that you don’t use contractions?” Finn asked. “I’ve noticed that none of you do actually.”
Lorilee tilted her head, frowning. “I… I am not sure. I certainly understand them well enough, but I have never used them like you do. It is just custom I suppose.” She shrugged, dismissing the issue. “We have spent longer than I expected here, and I unfortunately must get back to my men and draft up a report for the Regent. I apologize for the abrupt exit, but I may meet with you again tomorrow if that is acceptable. I will very likely be able to discover if your friend has joined with Corvid by then and will be able to answer some of your other questions then as well. Thank you again for your help.” Lorilee stood, then bowed.
“Oh, that’s not a problem Lorilee. I would love to meet with you again.” Lassea smiled, standing as well. “You should invite Vivika as well, it’d be good to talk with her too.”
“I will.”
“Not that you’ll have much choice after you tell her about today.” Finn snickered, making a guess about the young innkeeper.
Lorilee’s blush said he had hit the mark. “Ah. Yes. Well, I had better be off now. I will see you here tomorrow at noontime?”
The friends glanced at each other, then nodded at her together. “We’ll be there.” Lassea answered for both of them.
“Say, before I go, would you let me see you ‘log off’?”
“Umm, sure.”
They glanced at each other again, then crossed their arms over their chests and logged off.
Earth, Day 4
Nick sat up on the mattress he had on the floor, attempting to stop the spinning in his head. That had happened last time he had logged off too, probably something to do with going from a standing position to a prone one instantly.
“Ugh, I'm never going to get used to that.” Jess moaned from her bed, clutching her head.
“Hey, at least we learned something this time.”
“Yeah! We might actually find Bro!” She said, a huge smile painting her face. “I like Lorilee too, she seems really nice.”
Nick scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I can’t believe I ever thought of them as NPCs. How could I miss all those obvious signs? I never even thought to ask the kind of questions an NPC wouldn’t be able to respond to.”
Bang! Bang! Bang! An insistent knocking sounded.
Jess sighed. “Leave it to the media to ruin a perfectly good day. Well, I did tell them to come back today, so I’d better get changed, and as good a friend you are…”
Nick grinned at her, then left the room, taking the couch and ignoring the continued knocking. The media could wait after what they did. With nothing else to do, he thought back to a few days ago and the big reason they went back to Ilos.
The night they learned David was dead, Jess cried herself to sleep with the video chat still on, and after wiping the tears from his own eyes, he had purchased a plane ticket for that night, packed his bag, and headed out. He had investments in several different companies, all of which, as he had predicted, were doing well, so he had the money to blow when things like this came up.
Within six hours he was at his friend’s door, and was met with a huge hug and more tears. He had been staying at her place ever since. They both had other friends, many of them close, but their trio was family, and they had lost a brother. So they mourned. They had cleared their schedules for the week under David’s recommendation on this game, there was nothing for them to go do, and honestly they hadn’t wanted to do anything. Having each other as company was a comfort, one they sorely needed.
The police showed up the second day with questions. A lot of questions. Apparently David’s body was one of the few they had gotten to, and it had started to dissolve into colored lights within hours, vanishing entirely by that morning despite all attempts to stop it. Jess came clean about how she lied to the operator in order to get them to check the house, and while they were initially pissed about it, they - eventually - had to admit to themselves that the department near David’s apartment wouldn’t have gone with a reason like ‘he vanished in a video game and I want you to check on him’.
His friend had been reduced to tears within minutes, and it took him half an hour to get the officers to talk to him about the game rather than grill Jess about things she didn’t know and make her feel guilty for lying. Normally he had the utmost respect for law enforcement, but it didn’t take long for him to see they were grasping at straws, wanting to believe she was lying to them. He finally yelled at them, which in hindsight was a terrible idea – he could have gotten arrested or something – but it got them to lay off Jess, so it worked out.
When the police left, the media showed up. Somehow they had gotten Jess’ address. The pair of them politely rebuffed them at the door three different times, refusing to answer any of their questions, so they camped on the front lawn and yelled for hours – hours – before Jess finally opened the door a fourth time and stood there in silence until they had everything trained on her. Hair a mess, with tears streaming down her face, in front of about a hundred men and women, all with cameras and microphones, and most reporting live now that it looked like they were going to get something, she screamed at them with a tone Nick never wanted to hear again. It was filled with this soul crushing grief and an anger he had never suspected she kept hidden. An anger that exposed a secret.
“My brother is DEAD.”
The crowd of media collectively started back in shock at the emotion in her voice, and for the first time in several hours, shut the hell up.
“You would come here, to MY HOME, and sit on my FRONT LAWN? It hasn’t even been a DAY! I’ve opened my door THREE TIMES to you people, and told you to come back in two days to ask your questions. But you still stand here, shouting at my house! Are you even HUMAN?! Because if you are, I can’t see it! All I see are a bunch of pathetic RATS willing to do anything it takes to get a little piece of MY BROTHER’S CORPSE. NOW YOU INSIPID, SANCTIMONIOUS, BLIGHTED, PATHETIC EXCUSES FOR HUMAN BEINGS BETTER GET THE FUCK OFF MY LAWN BEFORE I BURN YOU ALL TO HELL!!”
With that she turned, walked back into the house, and slammed the door with a resounding BANG. She stalked past where Nick was standing in mild shock, muttering darkly to herself about burning all of them alive. “I just… just… FAS!”
And before her, burning brightly in the dimness of the dusk, appeared a ball of flame the size of a human head.
“Holy shit!”
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 their 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 report to the Regent about all she had learned of the champions from Finn and Lassea in her neatest script 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 arrogant, 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 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 in the city that she didn’t even take a second glance at someone that 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. A few champions were milling 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 the overly attractive look many champions had. He held himself easily and somehow managed to look knowledgeable 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 either, the same goes for the 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 have my hide 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 1
Tasalin flinched, startled by the sudden lack of pain in addition to finding himself back in the main plaza of Ilos. His mind blazed with questions, his limbs quivered with remembered pain, and his eyes darted, taking in their surroundings from atop his height of 6’3”. Just moments before, he’d been getting used to combat again, using his sword and shield to kill the wolves that populated the Western Forest, when shockwaves abruptly began to rip through him. The pain was intense. It numbed his body and stole away his breath, and then it was gone, leaving him as he was now, in a place far from where he once stood.
He recognized this place as the main plaza of Ilos, but the tiles on the ground were black rather than white now, and there was some sort of inscription on the plaza’s Centerstone. He couldn’t see it clearly enough to read it due to a small girl with long midnight black hair crouching over it, but it wasn’t a pressing issue so he dismissed it. Surrounding him were a large number of players, most dazed like he was, but there were not nearly enough of them to number the million that supposedly bought the game. At most there was only one percent of that.
The ground shook, sending him into a stumble but not knocking him off his feet. Most of the other players were not so lucky, ending up on their rumps or even sprawled out on the ground in the few moments the tremor lasted. Whatever they had been thinking before, there was only one thing on the minds of the people now.
What the hell is going on?
“Welcome to Ilos. I am Xynus, the one who has summoned you here.” A deep voice boomed, filling the plaza, seeming to emanate from everywhere at once. “You are the ten thousand of the Silver Key, offered the priceless gift of extra time.
So these are the beta players… but what is this all about?
Do not waste this time attempting to return to your previous world, you cannot get back of your own power until the remaining champions join you. The clock is your enemy, and the final trial will begin regardless of your wishes when the time you have here expires. This is no longer the illusionary world that you were previously shown, and as it continues its journey it will need to be protected. Even now the wild inhabitants have begun to emerge from their lairs, and will seek to hold Ilos when the final challenge begins. Be wary, for while this city is a great stronghold, the Great Sleep is failing, and your enemies will grow more powerful and may overwhelm you given time.”
Tasalin remembered dumping buckets of scalding oil off of the walls of Ilos to burn the goblins that were sieging it, leading an attacking force against the main group to destroy their crude battering ram, watching his companions die and not return. Damn this is serious, if we can’t return to Earth, what happens if we die and the city is taken?
“Death is not the end here while my power still lasts. However, beware; should you remain dead for a significant time, there will not be enough left of what is you to be reconstructed. Let this be very clear: you will all remain here until the end, be that your own end or the end of the final trial. You cannot log out. I have done all I can for you, so go! Grow strong, for the fate of two worlds rests in your hands.”
The rumbling voice faded out, and silence reigned. Nearly everyone simply stood or lay where they had fallen. Then some began shouting, others pleading with this unknown entity to let them go home, and a few even sent up cheers, but the reaction was generally pretty subdued, most people unable to get over their shock.
Tasalin’s eyes were wide, and he felt himself shaking, frozen in place. We’re… stuck here? No. There has to be a way out. He tried to log out; going through the same mental shift he had dozens of times. Nothing. He crossed his arms over his chest, holding his first three fingers up, and commanded, “Log out!” Nothing. I need to get out! How do I get out??
I’m panicking, unable to think straight, I need to calm down. He tensed, forcing all the stress on his mind into his body, every muscle flexing, then with a deep exhalation, relaxed everything at once. The fog of fear that was clouding his brain dissipated immediately, and he caught himself before he could fall to the ground, activating his muscles again. Okay, there has to be someone who isn’t paralyzed with fear right now, and I need to find them. If we truly can’t log out, then I need a friend, or at least an ally, to talk things out with. Dismissing those around him who were still frozen where they sat or stood, he gathered his wits and walked out of the plaza, hoping to find someone that had at least some control over their mental faculties.
Within seconds, he spotted a man talking to a girl, that same girl that was crouching over the Centerstone earlier. He took a few steps in that direction, but stopped when they both ran off towards the North Gate, the girl vanishing into an alleyway while the man took the normal street.
Players wandered by, dazed at this sudden turn of events, but there was no one who seemed lucid enough to talk to. Tasalin sighed, but within a few minutes spotted someone. He was standing by a wall, searching the wandering players for something or someone, but more importantly he seemed calm and aware. The man was right about the average height, probably right at six foot, and held himself easily. He seemed knowledgeable, but inviting, sporting well-defined features, though not to the extent that most champions had. There were a pair of daggers strapped to his waist, and several more about his person hidden under his light armor.
Stopping in front of the man, Tasalin took in his relaxed posture and the small questioning smile on his face, then nodded. Calm, and well-equipped, just what I’m looking for. “Well you look like the only one who has his wits about him around here.”
The man extended his hand. “Wits, and little else. Name’s Corvid, and you are?”
Tasalin grasped the offered hand, giving it a firm shake and smiling at the man’s honesty.“I’m Tasalin Viridis, nice to meet you Corvid.” He glanced at a player who wandered close, then grimaced. Is this guy the only one who isn’t shell-shocked? Moving from directly in front of Corvid, he leaned back against the wall. “Are you waiting for someone?”
“To be honest, I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the situation.” He paused, “although… I’ve been thinking…” he trailed off, lost in thought, then seeming to remember he was in the middle of a conversation, quickly recovered, “A friend would be nice since we are stuck here, do you have any plans for this ‘Final Trial’?”
“Well you’re in luck; I'm looking for a friend as well. As for whatever the ‘Final Trial’ is, well, I expect that to be a long ways off. From the way – Xynus? – was talking, I’m going to guess that we’ll have a lot of time before we have to face that.” Tasalin frowned, furrowing his brow. “What I’m more concerned about is that very last part: ‘The fate of two worlds rests in your hands’.”
“I guess with all the commotion I missed that part.” Corvid replied quizzically, and after a short pause continued, “Tasalin was it? I am a pretty rational man myself and see this type of game; a VRMMO as they call it, as a great way to learn more, and delve deeper into the human psyche. I myself conducted a study of sorts involving the effect of immersing oneself in a virtual world. I believe we are stuck here, as I have tried, and failed to log out, but this talk of saving the world,” he raised one eyebrow, “seems more like a carefully constructed plot hook. So I ask you, how much time did you spend in the beta?”
“The human psyche huh? Well, you’ll get that, and probably not the good side either. I spent quite a bit of time in the beta, got up to the sixth Island by working with those that came along until the Call to Arms was rung.” Tasalin sighed, “But there had better be a point to trapping us here. As much as I like Ilos, it’s not somewhere I was looking to stay. How about you? What were you doing in the beta?”
“I ran a guild. We took lower level players and gave them the skills to enjoy the game to its full extent. I personally tried to help people who were having trouble adjusting to the differences between real life and virtual reality.” He smiled warmly, “You got a lot further than me in the beta, perhaps you would care to join me in helping some of the players find their place in this game?”
Tasalin laughed deeply. “Being invited to join a guild within the first half hour of the game?” He shook his head, then shrugged. “Ah hell, let’s do it. I’m no good solo anyways, and maybe I’ll be able to do some good like this. You have a plan then?”
Corvid nodded quickly, then responded “Most of the people in the plaza are still confused, and distressed about the fact that we’re stuck here. We simply need to lend them a helping hand, you seem to understand most of the gameplay in relation to questing and combat, and I have good people and organizational skills. We simply invite people to work together and build on that theme, as people decide what they want, we can split them into groups. i.e, combat groups, crafting groups, merchant groups, leaders, etc. For now, we need members, and there’s a plaza full just a short walk away.” He finished with a devilish grin, “Are you ready to create a guild?”
Tasalin smiled slightly and nodded. “It shouldn’t be hard to do; these are all people who have been here before, they should know a lot of things already. I’ll just follow your lead… Guildmaster.”
“Try to gather people around the center of the plaza, while I gather some… supplies.” Corvid requested.
“Hmmm, alright.” Tasalin nodded again, “How long are you planning on being?”
“This should only take a few minutes.” He paused then smiled again, “In fact I may finish before you do.” With a final handshake and pat on the back, Corvid left, striding off to go ‘gather some supplies’.
Tasalin scratched his head, not really liking being left in the dark, then shrugged and headed back to the plaza. The people there were milling about, talking amongst each other, and really just seemed lost, like they didn’t know what to do with this turn of events.
“Hmm… gather people…” His eyes were drawn to the Centerstone in the middle of the plaza, and he grinned. “Here we go.”
Maneuvering his way through the crowd, he made his way to the Centerstone then muttered. “Res.” Reacting to his will and the word of power, the earth under the Centerstone pushed upwards, raising him several feet in the air at the cost of about half of his annoyingly small mana pool.
The players around began gathering almost immediately, drawn to the disturbance… and probably for the distraction. The murmur and crowd grew around him as he stood there, waiting for Corvid. Well, that was easy. What preparations did he have to make?
A man pushing through the crowd drew his attention, resolving into the form of Corvid carrying a bar stool. Tasalin raised a hand, waving, and chuckled at the stool. “You should have told me you just needed a platform!”
Corvid laughed, stopping by the pillar and setting down the stool. “I guess we should have talked over the plan a bit before I went lone wolf on you.”
Tasalin jumped down, his armor clanking as he hit the ground, and Corvid climbed up. “Thank you friend, I have been interested in finding an Earth mage, didn’t expect to be this lucky.” He smiled down at Tasalin, then looked up towards the crowd. “Now it’s my turn.” He waved a hand slightly, uttering a word of power. “Su’is.”
Corvid suddenly seemed much more important, a figure that demanded attention and the crowd quieted almost immediately. Tasalin blinked, his eyebrows furrowing for a moment before the realization hit him. This is Spirit elemental magic! Spirit affects the mind, and he’s using it to draw attention to himself.
The man standing on the platform smiled his easy disarming smile as he saw he had the attention of the crowd. “I know you are all scared, or confused. You are having trouble understanding what is going on. What Xynus said is true, we are trapped here, but that doesn’t mean this will be our grave. Just like the first settlers in America, this is a new world, our world. It is our right, and duty to shape it into a better place, a place of peace and wellbeing.” Some of the crowd nodded, others seeming to calm down, their shock fading.
“We all enjoyed this place while it was a game, when there were no stakes, and now that these trials have been thrust upon us, we must use the knowledge we gained from before to overcome them. I ask for your aid now, join me, join together, we will leave this place and gain experience, just as we did in the game, but we will work together, we will protect each other, and we will protect Ilos!!!”
Despite himself, Tasalin couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Others in the crowd nodded as well or even pumped their fists and shouted their agreement. Some shook their heads and began to leave, and some seemed undecided, but everyone who heard the man seemed to have gotten over their initial shock. Those who didn’t leave crowded closer, wanting to get a better look, or perhaps make sure they heard everything.
Corvid paused as those who wanted to leave did so, and allowed the other people to crowd closer. “I can’t offer you much that you don’t already know in the ways of gaining experience, but I can offer you leadership and organization so that we may work together. Instead of simply fighting as individuals, we will become an organized force, greater than any mere party; we will become the bastion upon which Ilos stands. Follow me, as we fight to regain the expertise we had in beta.” With those last words, Corvid jumped down into the crowd, the people parting before him, and started marching towards the Western Gate.
“Res.” The column holding the Centerstone up in the air sunk back into the ground, and Tasalin jogged after his new friend, gently shouldering aside those in his way. He glanced back, noting that what looked like other guild leaders from the beta were making their own platforms, gathering those they worked with before to join them once again. Finally breaking though the throng of people, he fell in beside Corvid, looking back to see how many had actually listened and followed.
“Well. That was… impressive.” Tasalin commented. “I didn’t expect nearly this many to come, a few hundred perhaps. It looks like we have several thousand behind us.” He paused, his eyebrows lowering as he thought, drawing on his dad’s military teachings and his own knowledge of the workings of Ilos. “We’ll have to divide them up into much smaller groups somehow, preferably into groups of four to gain the most xp. Hopefully they can do that themselves, but implementing a command structure for so many is going to be difficult.”
Corvid seemed to ponder those words as they took the hour walk to the Western Gate. Players began splitting off after the initial inspiration of Corvid’s speech faded, most rejoining the group after a short time.
As they reached the West Gate, Corvid turned to face the rather large crowd following him, raising his voice to be heard. “We need to split into parties of four, and I cannot watch over each and every one of you during this time. Use what you learned in beta and make good decisions. To make finding a party easy, tanks will be party leaders, find a tank and follow your roles. These enemies are relatively easy, so now it is crucial that you learn party balance and teamwork. I will wait here until everyone has a party, and once we all get some good experience, meet back here in a few hours and we can take a break to get to know each other.”
A quiet murmur started when Corvid stopped speaking, then grew quickly in volume as the gathered players began trying to find their friends or someone to group with. As parties of four formed, they slowly filtered out of the West Gate to go kill the boars and other weak enemies that existed just outside the city.
Tasalin looked around, watching the organized chaos, and his ears caught a nearby conversation.
“Why groups of four?” A man wielding a curved sword and a buckler said, asking someone next to him.
The man asked shook his head, causing the arrow shafts in the quiver strapped to his back to rattle. “Didn’t you read the forums when we were in beta? There was a group of people that focused on figuring out how Ilos worked, and after testing different group sizes, they found that parties of four gained the most experience for the time taken to kill things and do quests.”
“But how? There isn’t an experience number anyone can see.”
“They trained until five of them could just break a certain kind of rock with an Iron Hammer in a single blow, then grouped in different size parties and trained until they could break a slightly harder kind of rock with the same hammer. The guy in the party of four did it the fastest, then the party of three, then two, then five, and the guy who trained solo was last.”
“Wow, that must have taken a lot of work.”
“Yeah, there’s a reason the Ilos Testing Crew had the most visited page on the forum.”
“Hey, want to group up? I can play tank.”
“Sure, I have a couple people who might join us if we can find them.”
As the men wandered off, Tasalin started meandering through the crowd, grabbing the people that were too shy to ask anyone if they wanted to group up and sticking them in parties. He turned down anyone who invited him, having already decided that he would be in a party with Corvid, who probably didn’t have all that much combat experience having spent all his time running a guild in the beta.
It took a good half an hour to get everyone out of the gate, leaving Tasalin and Corvid as the only two left. “Well it looks like it’s just the two of us.” Tasalin stated, watching the last party leave the gate.
Before they could head out themselves, a guard approached the pair of them from the gatehouse, seemingly concerned, and bowed his head in greeting. “Avendavida, champions, is everything alright? We’ve been watching a large number of you head into the wilds, and we are worried with so many of you all in the same place. Do you have word that something is going to attack the city?”
Corvid turned to the guard, a puzzled look on his face, “Yes. And No.” He paused to figure out a way to explain, “Well, the goblins will be coming in a matter of months, and even that may have changed. There is no current threat that I am aware of, but if we are to protect this city, we need the strength to do so, and that can only be found outside its walls.”
The guard’s uptight posture relaxed and he nodded. “Alright, you had us all worried for a bit there. I will let you be about your business then champions.” With that he turned and headed back towards the guard house, signaling for the men there to relax.
Tasalin and Corvid headed out the gate and into the Western Fields, populated mostly by boar. Many of the men (and a few women) that they had lead there were using these fields to fight and gain exp. Having all had varying amounts of experience in battle in the beta; they were making quick work of the weak animals. Being in a party allowed them to relax a little, and most were setting to it with a will, as if they could fight off the knowledge that they were stuck here. It seemed that there would be no good hunting spots here, so the party of two continued towards the forest that was just beyond the fields.
“He didn’t really seem like an NPC did he? The guard I mean.” Tasalin mused as they walked. “I’ve never seen a computer act that way in response to player actions unless it was a scripted event.”
"Perhaps it was. We don’t know what they’ve changed since beta.” Corvid replied, “Either way, it’s one more thing we need to consider when planning for the future.”
“Aye.” Tasalin nodded.
They continued into the forest, passing more of the people they led to the area. It took a little bit, but they finally got far enough away from the city to find good hunting grounds that weren’t already in use.
The creatures were probably too much for most of the groups in the newly forming guild, not to mention the guild leader, but Tasalin still strode confidently ahead, secure in his battle prowess. A thought struck him, and he stopped, glancing at his new friend. “You’re a dagger user right? That’s the only kind of weapon I’ve noticed you have. I’m assuming you can throw them as well, considering you have eight of them on you”
“Yep, I like to stay out of close combat, and use my magic to stun enemies and keep them away.” Corvid drew his dagger, and began walking towards a small group of wolves, “Any particular strategies that you prefer using?”
Tasalin shrugged, “I’m a tank. I bash things with my shield and hit them with my sword. There’s a lot more to it than that of course, but that’s the general idea. Let me pull if you wouldn’t mind, makes keeping aggro easier.”
“Sounds good, I’ll use my daggers and stuns to try to keep them off your flank.” Corvid stopped to let his heavily armored companion lead the way, “Any Earth magic tricks I should know about?”
Tasalin strode forwards, drawing his sword and shield and banging them together loudly, attracting the attention of a trio of nearby wolves. “Well I generally use Earth magic to strengthen myself and my armor-” The wolves attacked, and Tasalin blocked their claws and teeth with his shield, getting used to battle again. “-but I think I’ll save the small amount of mana I have in case either of us gets hurt.” Seeing an opening, he slashed at one with his sword, hitting it and returning to his defensive posture before giving any opportunity for a counterattack. “I use Nature elemental spells as well as Earth, so I can do healing as well as buffs. My spells are rarely offensive.”
Corvid flanked to the side and began throwing his daggers, focusing on the nearest wolf.
The pair of daggers struck accurately, but the wolf hardly seemed hurt, the blades not even sinking in enough to stick. Tasalin sighed to himself, attacking with his sword at another opening and blocking the subsequent counterattack. The experience difference was simply too high to do much damage. That would change pretty quickly if they kept killing these wolves, but it was hardly the most efficient way to get experience.
A few more daggers hit the wolf, doing enough to make it notice Corvid, but before it could make any sort of move to attack the guild leader, Tasalin bashed it with his shield, pulling its attention back to him. He moved slowly backwards in a circle, keeping the wolves in front of him and allowing Corvid to collect his daggers to throw again without getting close to the creatures.
A good few minutes sufficed to bring down each wolf, getting slightly faster each time as the pair got used to live combat again.
A few hours passed as they trained by killing the wolves and other forest creatures, gaining a good amount of experience, enough to take down most of the enemies in less than a minute each. Tasalin still focused on keeping their attention on him until there was only one remaining each time, not trusting Corvid’s battle experience against multiple enemies. They had just finished off a group of creatures when Tasalin noticed a glint in the foliage and spun to face it.
A giant stag stepped carefully through the trees, stopping when it was fully in view of the two men. Its head stood at a height with Tasalin, and it had glistening silver antlers that seemed to shine in the dappled sunlight.
Tasalin heard Corvid slowly sheathe his daggers, seemingly as stunned as he himself was. Following his friend’s example, Tasalin crouched down and placed his sword and shield on the ground, they would do little good against an enemy this strong anyway. He hesitated for a moment, then began taking slow steps towards the magnificent animal who stood motionless, watching.
Tasalin used Nature magic, and thus had the ability to tame creatures, turning them into allies. Of course it didn’t always work, and the more powerful the creature the less chance there was of success, but even if it was only a fraction of one percent, he had to try.
Removing his glove, Tasalin held out his hand, slowly moving it so the creature could smell it. Gently, carefully, he moved the hand to rest on the stag’s head, right between its antlers, and whispered, “Kerka.” A warm peaceful feeling encompassed him, like the one you’d get when relaxing by the fireplace at home, wrapped in a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate, a side effect of the spell. He stared into the creature’s eyes, silently asking for its cooperation, and after a moment, the stag bowed its head.
Tasalin let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and smiled, a shot of excitement flashing through his system. He knew a few things immediately, the stag’s name was Oakheart, he was intelligent, and he had accepted the magic willingly. Stroking the animal’s head, Tasalin looked back at Corvid who seemed to be rooted in place. “I didn’t think I’d be able to pull that off.”
“What… is that?” Corvid whispered in an awed tone.
“This is Oakheart, he’s a…” Tasalin frowned, then asked the silver stag, “What are you?”
*I am a Lord of the Forest, champions.* A deep majestic voice filled their heads. *I would not accept the harness of magic normally, but otherwise I cannot communicate with your kind. A darkness lies over the land, and you are the ones chosen to force it back. Just as I will allow you to call upon me and my subjects to aid you, so must we be allowed to call upon your help as well.*
“I’m gathering there’s something you need help with right now, else you wouldn’t have shown yourself.”
*Your assumption is correct. A corruption has taken hold in the Western Forest that is my domain, yet any sent against it inevitably fall to its influence, twisting them into abominations!* Oakheart’s ‘voice’ boomed in anger, sending sharp pains through Tasalin’s head and making him flinch and put a hand to his temple. Oakheart bowed his head, seemingly in remorse. *My apologies champions, I am not normally so volatile, but the circumstances continue to vex me. For the first time I am powerless against something that threatens my lands. It is my belief that champions such as yourselves would be immune to the corruption and can safely combat it. I would request your assistance in this matter with as many allies as you can gather, for a great many of my subjects have fallen to the curse.*
“As much as I would like to help, I’m not the leader here. Corvid, what do you want to do?”
Corvid looked at Oakheart, then back to Tasalin, “I don’t… know. We haven’t been here a day and this seems like a difficult quest. I am worried that it may be related to the trials mentioned earlier, but also for the wellbeing of the members we recruited. For now, we should train, and warn the more cowardly members of possibly dangerous and horrific monsters in Western Forest.”
Tasalin frowned. This did seem like a quest that would require a significant force and would be highly difficult for champions that had had to restart from nothing, but they were close enough to Ilos that it couldn’t be too hard. “Oakheart, compared to the wolves and other animals we’ve been fighting here, how much stronger are the monsters troubling your lands?”
*Only a small amount. The taint grants them strength but also corrodes their bodies, leaving them only slightly more powerful than the warriors I can use to defend against them.*
Damn, there’s no way we can do this, everyone is still getting used to combat again and they’re too weak to last against the wolves this far away, much less something stronger. Tasalin shook his head slightly, looking at the stag. “That would be too much for most of the men to handle right now. Corvid is right Oakheart; we cannot help you until we have trained more. How long can you last against the corruption?”
Oakheart hesitated for a moment before replying. *Ten days, twelve with great losses. After that there will be too little of this forest remaining, and I will perish.*
That would work, and the rewards must be amazing for a raid as big as this sounds like it will be. Tasalin looked at Corvid, doing some quick calculations and hoping to convince him. “If we train slightly more than we did today, we can be ready to face creatures stronger than the ones we were killing earlier in five days. If we add an extra two or three for the rest of the members and a day for preparation and travel, we can make that time limit.”
“That is a great plan; I also think we should scout out the area and see how these corrupted creatures act. Keep in mind that this world can also be very immersive, and some of the players may have panic attacks, or other psychological episodes if they are forced to fight monsters that are too scary.” Corvid turned to Oakheart, “Tas is right about the training, is there any way you could help us to become stronger in battle, perhaps lure out weaker corrupted enemies, or summon weak minions for us to fight?”
*Nature will take its course and the weak will feed the strong, but I will not summon the animals of the forest to a slaughter, even the mindless ones. I can instruct my subjects to draw the corrupted closer to your city, but I cannot control which of them come this far. Some of the corrupted are fearful, but many look almost as they did before the taint took hold. I have watched you for some time, and surely you would have no trouble striking down the corrupted just as you did the animals here.*
“We aren’t exactly representative of the champions as a whole Oakheart. Very few can match me in battle, and even less my mental fortitude like Corvid here can. If one of these corrupted creatures came after them and it was much different than a normal animal, they would flee in fear.” He turned to look at Corvid. “We’re going to have to warn everyone anyway then. What if someone comes across one of these and carries stories back to everyone else? It’ll be a lot harder to get people outside the walls if they think there are creatures from a horror movie lurking around.” Tasalin sighed, “I don’t know dude, I’m no people person. I know how I’d react, and that would be to go find out how strong they are, regardless of appearance, while preferably remaining as close to the city as possible.”
*The weaker corrupted will likely be drawn first, they are generally the front line of the enemy, trying to expose us to their taint with their deaths, but stronger ones will surely follow.*
Corvid nodded sharply as if confirming the decision. “Stay here and keep the corrupted contained Oakheart, me and Tas will gather companions to defeat this threat”
The stag bowed his head, *I am grateful for your assistance champions. I will instruct my followers to begin drawing the corrupted towards the city and to flee rather than fight any champions they come across. Farewell.*
The two men watched the majestic creature turn and walk further into the forest, vanishing from sight almost immediately from some machination of the trees. Tasalin let out a breath, “Well, that happened. Shall we head back? We’ve likely gotten a good amount more experience than most will be able to today.”
Corvid nodded. “I don’t think I’d be able to focus on combat now anyway.”
Tasalin returned the nod, then placed his index fingers and thumbs together, forming a rough circle and concentrating on Ilos. The compass faded into view in the empty space between his hands, a glowing arrow pointing the way back towards the city. The two traveled in silence, wrapped in their own thoughts. Tasalin could feel Oakheart behind them in the distance somehow, but there was no communication from that end. He wasn’t sure of the exact nature of the connection between himself and the stag, but questioning magic only served to drive yourself crazy, you just had to accept that it was something you couldn’t understand.
When the pair reached the city, they found a large gathering of players, certainly more than a hundred, but only a fraction of those sent out. It had only been a few hours, and while looking them over Tasalin concluded that these must be the best fighters of the newly forming guild, probably with a few slackers mixed in. They simply had that confident air about them, that knowledge that they could handle themselves in a battle, and it showed in their bodies and their gait. Some were sitting in their groups of four, others walking around, or eating, or just generally mingling. There were a few duels going on with their colorful light displays and people watching, some groups playing cards they had picked up in the city somewhere, and even a few players napping in the afternoon sun. They could be from any country, any walk of life, any race, but there was a complete lack of animosity between anyone. These people had two major things in common, they were gamers and they were all trapped here, and that was a lot of ground for potential friendships. A party on the outskirts of the crowd saw the two approaching and rose to greet them, a few others in the area following their example.
Word spread quickly, and the low rumble of conversation softened, going almost entirely quiet when Corvid raised a hand and began speaking so all could hear. “It is good to see so many of you have already completed today’s training. We should celebrate the formation of the guild with a real party. Head to the Sunset Wall tavern and begin the festivities, me and Tas will direct the other members as they arrive.”
Tasalin wiggled a finger in his ear. Damn but the man can project.
Seeing that that was all the guild leader had to say, conversation bubbled up again almost instantly.
“A party?”
“I know where that is, it’s a pretty big place.”
“Can you get drunk here? I’ve never tried.”
“Yeah, you can. The tavern maids are pretty hot too.”
“Hell, why not? If we’re gonna be stuck here we may as well enjoy it.”
“I’ll let the guards know so they don’t flip out.”
“I’m pretty sure there are a bunch of other taverns and inns in that area as well, there might be enough room for everyone.”
“C’mon, what are you waiting for? Let’s go! Parties are crazy here!”
“And we can get rooms before everyone else shows up.”
Tasalin waited with his new friend as the hundred or so players began to drift towards the city gates. “A party huh? Not a bad way to get everyone familiar with each other, but the guards aren’t going to be happy with a few thousand drunken people in such a small area.” He commented as the initial group traveled out of earshot.
“It will be good for morale, and I need them busy while I begin work on getting a guild hall and some more information about Oakheart and the corruption.” Corvid paused as a group of adventurers appeared, and after a warm greeting, he directed them to the party. Returning to his conversation with Tasalin, he continued, “Besides, I’m curious about what exactly has changed since this was a game. I don’t remember hearing anything about Oakheart and the corruption.”
Tasalin frowned. “Neither do I, and I feel like that would have been mentioned at some point had it happened in the beta. The biggest change is that we can’t log out of course, but other than this corruption thing and the black floor stones in the plaza, I haven’t noticed anything different. My sword and shield still feel the same, though the system assist isn’t helping me as much with the attacks because I don’t have enough xp, the inventory system is still working as well as the compass, and we still don’t feel pain or anything. That Xynus guy said that we would respawn if we died, but I don’t particularly want to test that myself.”
“For now we need to make sure everyone knows where the party is at, and then we can stop in for a chat before beginning with some guild work.”
Tasalin nodded, then spotting another group approaching, waved to get their attention. There would be a lot to do, even with Corvid taking care of the guild and social aspects. He would have to find and meet with the best warriors, probably splitting them up to train some of the players who didn’t have the skill to deal with a quest like this. There would probably be a large guild meeting the next day where he would have to explain about the corruption with telepathic help from Oakheart, and then he’d have to see about forming parties of scouts to gather information about the area, organize those who were great in combat but didn’t incline towards teaching into groups, set up some sort of communication network with Spirit magic telepathy, separate out those that didn’t want to fight and set them to support work, and probably a hundred other things he couldn’t think of at the moment.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He’d never felt so alive! Any place that could give him this feeling was worth protecting, and if there was something he was good at, it was defending his friends and allies. For the first time he looked up at the city, the towering walls, the glistening buildings inside, the Palace rising from the center, sparking with color and light as the sun reflected off of it. They were stuck here, and while Ilos wasn’t ‘home’ yet, it was already on its way.
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 creatures 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 cues 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 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.
Finn spoke before either of the other two could react to his friend’s mood. “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.”
“Sure! Come on up!” The redhead 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 about 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 is a small group of champions, including Tasalin, Corvid, and the rest of their guild, that never seem to log out like most do, and your explanation 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 away you are 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'd know where he went and could 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 creatures 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?”
