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  They hadn’t really given me a choice, but I didn’t like the way they were treating me. Even though I was a lot lower level than them, I could still help them out.

  “Everyone, be quiet,” Ferris said, ironically, in a loud voice.

  We continued down another tunnel, his glowing ball of light leading the way. Up ahead, I saw a shadowy figure run away. Was it the rogue? Someone else?

  “After him!” Ferris shouted.

  The Four Wizards stepped aside and looked at me.

  “Great,” I said then jogged forward, sword raised.

  I thought of everything that could go wrong as I stepped forward. The tunnel bent to the left then right, twisting every which way. I kept moving.

  “What do you see?” Sherlock asked behind me.

  “Nothing,” I said, then added. “Wait...there’s a portal.”

  “Move,” Ferris said as he pushed me aside and ran faster.

  I followed him, sword up and ready for action. As we reached the glowing portal in the air, it disappeared with a distinct snapping sound.

  “Why can’t you guys cast that spell?” I asked, impressed.

  “Hush,” Ferris hissed.

  “It’s forbidden magic,” Thom said casually.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “The gamemaster doesn’t like it,” Thom said. “It’s dangerous to use.”

  “We have to reopen it and use it,” Ferris said right after Thom’s warning.

  “Is that a good idea?” I asked.

  “Quiet or I’ll turn you into a toad,” Sherlock said.

  He and Ferris studied the air where the portal had appeared. I stepped back, wondering if I should just flat-out run away from them and hope for the best.

  Much like Rizzo and his crew, the Four Wizards were treating me like a stupid barbarian. While I didn’t know the ins and outs of the game, I didn’t think I was doing too shabby.

  I watched as the four bumbling wizards measured an invisible spot in the air, frantically writing calculations down on a sheet of parchment they passed between each other.

  “Ten thousand platinum says you can’t open it back up,” I said as a lark.

  Immediately after the words left my mouth, the portal flickered to life.

  “Pay up, or we own you legally,” Sherlock said.

  With Thom laughing, I couldn’t tell if he was serious or not.

  “Come on,” Ferris said. “It won’t stay open long.”

  He turned to me and waved me forward.

  “You first,” he said. “Move it.”

  I dove head first through the circular, floating portal.

  14

  A Battle with Gord-En

  Josh

  I landed on a lumpy mattress on the other side of the portal. A grizzled man wearing studded leather armor glanced over at me as I struggled to get up.

  “Geronimo!” Thom yelled as he jumped through.

  Three others in the room took defensive positions. At least one was a spellcaster from what I could tell. The other two looked armed to the teeth with exotic weapons.

  “You’re caught, Gord-En,” Ferris said after climbing through the portal.

  As Aaron and Sherlock emerged, I sat up on the bed. One of the warriors turned his curved sword toward me. I raised my hands in the air, ready to draw my weapon.

  “What do you want with me?” Gord-En asked.

  He held two long, thin blades, one in each hand.

  “Why are you messing with Aquarius?” Ferris asked.

  “Yeah,” Sherlock added. “Don’t mess with Magictology.”

  The rogue with tired eyes shook his head. I rolled off the bed away from them. Everyone in the room stared at each other, none of us moving or saying anything.

  “Magi Inyontoo will be stopped,” Gord-En said. “It’s only a matter of time.”

  “Well,” Ferris said, reaching into a bag tied to his belt. “You did ask.”

  He pulled something out then tossed it in front of them. A thick cloud of black smoke spread through the room, blocking everything from view.

  What on earth is he thinking?

  I held my sword up with one hand and used my other arm to shield my face from the sulphurous smoke filling the enclosed space. Someone bumped into me.

  “They’re here!” Sherlock yelled, not realizing it was me.

  Or maybe he had known and wanted to kill me?

  Several lightning bolts flew into my body. I fell to the ground, paralyzed but not taking any damage.

  “Got one,” Sherlock said.

  I groaned as my spasms continued.

  A scuffle broke out across the room. I couldn’t see anything, but I heard grunting and the clash of steel against steel. When I quit shaking, I started coughing.

  I struggled to breathe as I wondered if I was dealing with the stupidest wizards in the history of magic users. They were going to get me killed if I didn’t leave.

  Someone kicked the door of the room open. I saw silhouettes run into the hallway. After jumping on the bed, I jumped off the other side then ran for the door.

  Outside in the hallway, smoke obscured most of my vision, but I saw Aaron in his black robes at the top of a staircase leading down. Gord-En stood a few steps away.

  “Don’t do it!” Ferris shouted, his shrill voice sounding familiar.

  I ran toward the stairs. Quiet Aaron stood at the top. His dark black hair contrasted with the redness of his face. Was he a barbarian who could rage?

  Aaron shouted a spell then thrust his palms out. Waves of fire formed and slammed into the rogue, knocking him down the stairs. I watched as he tumbled.

  The walls and stairs both caught fire, the flames quickly spreading. Aaron continued raging, thrusting his hands and throwing fireballs and more.

  I found Ferris and Sherlock near the top of the stairs, keeping their distance from the rampaging Aaron. Was he secretly a barbarian like Monky was a psionicist?

  Screams from the first floor of the building also spread fast, building in pitch and tone. The building wasn’t going to last much longer. We needed to get out.

  “The stairs are a no-go,” I said. “We need to climb down outside.”

  “No time,” Sherlock said. “I’ve got a better idea. Step aside, brute.”

  He pulled out a wand which started spraying water. As the stream continued, it became stronger. But while putting out the fire, it was also destroying the building.

  “That wand’s cursed!” Ferris shouted. “I told you to never use it.”

  “You’re not the boss of me,” Sherlock said, grinning.

  He hit Aaron with the stream of water, sending him flying down the hallway and out a window. I opened my eyes wide at his treatment of a so-called friend.

  “Don’t worry,” Sherlock said. “He’ll be fine in his rage-state.”

  I pushed him aside then walked down the hallway, almost slipping on the wet wood. At the end of it, I glanced out the shattered glass window.

  Aaron continued his wanton destruction down below, setting another building on fire. Men and women ran in every direction, shrieking.

  I climbed through the window and dropped to the ground. The inn we had been in continued burning as I caught sight of Aaron chasing an elderly couple.

  He stopped raging as suddenly as he had started. I jogged over as he looked around at the devastation. Ferris, Sherlock, and Thom ran out of the front of the building.

  “Did we kill the rogue at least?” Aaron asked in a shaky voice.

  I shook my head. These guys were worse than me at the game.

  “He got away,” Ferris said. “That was close, though, you know?”

  “If you think a mile away is close,” I said.

  Ferris’ brow furrowed. “Shut-up,” he said.

  Thom pointed toward the inn. I turned my head and saw a short, rotund man stumbling toward us with a frying pan in his left hand.

  “You people!” he shouted. “Stop! You ruined my inn.”

 
He stopped a dozen or so feet in front of us.

  “Go away,” Ferris said. “We don’t have time for you.”

  “You need to pay,” the man insisted.

  I reached into my sack.

  “Don’t you give him anything,” Sherlock snapped.

  I grinned, not thinking he was serious. When I kept digging, he waved his hand.

  “Hey,” I said, unable to bend my arm. “Cut that out.”

  Thom laughed as Sherlock stared me down.

  “You’re mine now,” he said. “You’ll listen to your owner.”

  “Very funny,” I said.

  “I’m not kidding,” Sherlock said. “You bet me with insufficient funds, and that enables me to own you. Don’t think you’re special because you don’t have a PIN. I’ve known plenty of people who erased them or got them customized with numbers or letters that mean something.”

  “Whatever,” I said, not wanting to push the matter. “We should go.”

  “No,” Ferris said. “We need to cast the Hail Mary Teleport spell.”

  All the mirth fell from Thom’s face at the mere mention of the name.

  “No,” he said. “It’s way too dangerous.”

  “While I hate to admit it,” Sherlock said, “but I agree.”

  “No way,” Aaron added.

  Ferris ignored them and pulled a book out of a much smaller bag at his side.

  “Excuse me,” the owner of the inn said. “Someone needs to pay up.”

  “Be gone,” Ferris said then pointed a wand at him without looking.

  The innkeeper morphed into a field mouse before my eyes. I stared as he darted away. A house cat leaped out of the darkness and pounced on him.

  “You see how quickly life can be taken in the Tower of Gates,” Thom said.

  He looked up at me and grinned, his white robes battle-stained.

  “Get over here,” Ferris suddenly said.

  I watched as he and the others studied an open book on the ground. Flames lit up the night sky all around us, but they didn’t seem to care as they kept arguing.

  They were so busy with figuring out the supposedly dangerous spell, I thought about slipping away. But without an idea of where I was in the world, I stayed put.

  I missed Monky. Thoughts of her invariably led to Sarah. I wanted to see her even more. Was she okay? Eric had better protected her while I was gone.

  While the Four Wizards worked on their spell, I slipped away and explored the small town. Mountains rose in the distance, giving me an idea of our location.

  Two blocks from the inn, I found an Apothecary. I stared at the front door to the establishment standing open. People continued running past, freaking out.

  Unwilling to trust the Four Wizards with my life, I slipped into the shop. Shelves filled with bottles of different colors and sizes covered the walls on the first floor.

  I saw a set of stairs leading up, but I avoided them. More than enough down here to get something good. How to figure out what each of them does?

  As I stared at a shelf near the door, a tall, lanky man with a beard but no moustache walked in. He stopped, eyes opening wide as he noticed me.

  “Hey, it’s okay, I’m not gonna hurt you,” I said. “Do you have any healing potions?”

  Might be better if I bought something that would work.

  “Um, y-yes,” the man stuttered. “A large one?”

  Then, his eyes widened even more.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to make fun of your size.”

  “You’re fine, but I’m in a hurry,” I said.

  He nodded then walked over, running a finger through the air from the top shelf to the bottom. I glanced out the open door, wondering if anybody else would come.

  Would the Four Wizards leave without me? I could see them forgetting me and doing it accidentally. The shopkeeper cleared his throat and held out two bottles.

  “I’m having a special on these,” he said.

  “How much?”

  The man laughed nervously and said, “On the house. Just don’t kill me. You’re the most polite looter I’ve ever met.”

  “I’m not here to steal from you,” I said as I reached into my coin pouch. “Five gold?”

  The man nodded and said, “Great. That’s fine. I mean, thank you…”

  “Are you sure you don’t want more gold?” I asked.

  “Positive,” the man said. “You’re actually overpaying.”

  He winced as I chuckled at the news.

  Alignment +5

  Doing the Right Thing Matters.

  I closed the stupid notification, anxious to get back to the others.

  “Have a nice night,” I said nonchalantly as I strolled out.

  Most of the flames had died down, but huge plumes of black smoke streamed skyward, blocking out the sun. I saw the Four Wizards still standing around the open book.

  When I reached them, I stopped, adjusting to the weight of the potions in the sack slung over my right shoulder. The dimwit brigade continued their so-called research.

  “Maybe we should just walk,” I said. “Or apologize to the dragon.”

  They ignored me, talking to each other in an unknown language. I glanced around. Most of the people had left the streets, giving the town a deserted feel.

  “Eureka!” Aaron shouted.

  I wondered again about his barbarian rage, but I kept quiet as Sherlock closed the book. All four of the wizards shook hands with each other, congratulating themselves.

  “Did you figure it out?” I asked. “And more importantly, is it safe?”

  Ferris chuckled then smiled, looking the least stressed that I had ever seen him.

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” I said, hoping I could trust them.

  “Begin the ceremony of seeds,” Sherlock began.

  The others grunted in an unknown tongue. Dirt from the street rose into the air, swirling around us. They chanted even louder, all of them trying not to laugh.

  I stood in the center of them and the dust storm. They ended their chants with three short claps. All the dirt glowed bright red as we teleported.

  This better work…

  15

  Another Choice to Make

  Josh

  We appeared outside the lich’s manor. All that craziness to go just a short distance? I took a deep breath to control my anger as the wizards walked toward the main building.

  “That was a bit of a waste,” I said.

  All of them ignored me and kept walking. I followed, not knowing what else to do. They stopped in front of a pile of bones near the entrance.

  “Doesn’t seem so out of place here,” I said.

  “Quiet,” Ferris said. “Have some respect.”

  “Aquarius was the best lich I knew,” Thom said. “Only lich I knew, but still the best.”

  “Even more importantly,” Ferris said, “it means the rogue came back. We can take him out.”

  “Can someone tell me why this guy is so important?” I asked.

  “Stupid barbarian,” Thom said then giggled.

  “He’s one of a few players who have never died in the game,” Aaron said. “If you kill him, you get a lot of bonuses.”

  “Unless you guys steal them from me,” I said.

  Sherlock lifted his arms, showing off the silver bands around his forearms and said, “You know it.”

  “Enough!” Ferris said. “We need a plan.”

  “The other plan’s been working well,” Sherlock said.

  He turned to me and grinned.

  “Right, we’ll send in the barbarian,” Ferris said.

  “Hold on,” I said, lifting my arms. “Let’s talk about this a minute.”

  “Don’t disobey your masters,” Sherlock said.

  “Fine,” I said. “Can you at least buff me?”

  “Look at that,” Thom said. “He’s picking up the lingo.”

  The Four Wizards surrounded me, each casting spells.

  You
feel better.

  You feel smarter.

  You feel nimble.

  You feel immune to fire.

  You feel immune to fear.

  “That should do it,” Ferris said.

  “I’m glowing like a Christmas tree,” I said.

  “Who cares,” Sherlock said. “I’m Jewish anyway.”

  Ferris pointed to the open door of the manor.

  “Go,” he said. “Kill the rogue if you can.”

  “Or at least wear him down,” Sherlock said.

  If someone higher-level came to rescue me, I swore not to follow them because I didn’t want it to get even worse. The wizards talked to each other as I stepped forward.

  Sword held steadily in front of me, I took one step after another. My eyes darted to the left and right, looking for anything out of the ordinary. I wanted to survive the mission.

  When I did, I would talk to Sherlock and the others about owning me. The whole idea of slavery inside a prison was ridiculous. Everyone should’ve been working together.

  As I approached the doorway, I stared inside, my eyes slowly adjusting to the lack of light. The floorboards of the porch creaked under my weight as I got even closer.

  “Be careful!” Thom shouted from behind me.

  I cursed him under my breath as I slipped inside the manor. Dust covered the short, thick table in the foyer. I looked deeper into the darkness.

  You got this, I told myself as I kept moving forward. My eyes were finally getting used to the darkness. A magic light would’ve been nice, but I wanted the element of surprise.

  The chances of me killing the master rogue were slim to none. I needed to stack the deck in my favor in order to win or at least not die horribly.

  When I reached the main stairwell leading up, I noticed footprints in the dust on the stairs. Gotcha, rogue. I climbed the steps one at a time.

  At the top, I stopped and glanced to the left then right. Which way? I glanced at the dust on the floor, seeing multiple footprints going in both directions.

  Here goes nothing. I stepped to the left, following the tracks to a closed door. After taking a deep breath, I kicked the wooden door, knocking it off its hinges and into the room.