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“Are you okay?” I asked. “What happened?”

  “Bernardo shocked me,” Sarah said. “I can barely stand.”

  “Get her healed, Bernard,” I said.

  “I’m being attacked,” he screamed.

  “Hold on.” I moved through the smoke toward his voice. “Bernard?”

  “Over here,” he said then grunted.

  I took another step forward and almost got hit by his mace.

  A quick stab took out the cultist in front of him.

  Your slash INJURES the cultist for 12 damage.

  The cultist is dead!

  “Go help Sarah,” I said. “She needs to be healed now. I’ll find the priest.”

  Bernard called out, “Sarah? Where are you?”

  “Ewen? Evan? Can you hear me?” I asked.

  “We’re over here,” Evan said. “He hit me bad.”

  “Make your way toward Bernard,” I said.

  Which door did the cleric go through?

  I stepped forward until I reached the wall. After feeling about for a bit, I found a door and opened it.

  Smoke rushed through into a ten-foot square room. A door on the other side slammed shut.

  That’s gotta be him, I thought as I rushed forward.

  When I reached the other door, I grabbed the metal knob to open it.

  Electricity shot through my body, throwing me back.

  The Energy Trap MAULS you for 24 damage.

  You have [65/89] health remaining.

  I fell to the floor, my body flopping around like a fish out of water.

  Ewen rushed in and crouched next to my body, his hand on my shoulder.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  The last spasms swept through my body. I sat up.

  “Yeah, but we have to get that cleric before he tells Magi Inyontoo we’re here.”

  “I’ll get him,” Ewen said then ran toward the door.

  “No, wait!” I yelled, grasping the air in front of me.

  He opened the door then turned around. “What?”

  “Never mind,” I said as I got to my feet. “Watch out for that cultist prist; he’s sneaky.”

  “I heard that!” Bernardo yelled from the room.

  Ewen walked in with me right behind him.

  Bernardo stood next to a wooden desk strewn with books and parchments.

  “Stop!” he commanded as he pointed his palms at us.

  I froze, unable to move my body.

  Another spell? How high-level is he?

  Bernardo grinned and rubbed his hands together.

  “Something tells me my master will be pleased I’ve captured you.”

  I stared at him, struggling to break free from his magic.

  He strolled over and put his hand on my shoulder. “You’re not as tough as they say, are you?”

  “Bonzai!” Evan screamed as he ran into the room.

  “What the—?”

  His concentration broke and the effects of the spell faded, allowing me to turn. I saw Sarah dance in place before familiar Flaming Discs of Lava shot out of her palms and peppered the cleric.

  “Aargh,” he screamed as his robes caught fire.

  Evan dashed forward and plunged his dagger into Bernardo’s stomach.

  Able to move again, I stepped over to finish the job.

  Your slash INJURES Bernardo for 12 damage.

  Bernardo the Evil Cleric of Magictology is dead!

  “Combat’s not over,” I said as I turned to the door.

  Bernard walked in to join us.

  “We need to clear the rest of the temple before anyone gets away,” I said. “Ewen, come with me. The rest of you go through the other door and take out anything that moves.”

  I reached the doorway and stopped.

  “Are you okay?” I asked Sarah.

  She nodded.

  “Better now, thanks to Bernard.”

  She smiled at him.

  “No time for this. Let’s go,” I said.

  As I ran through the next room and back into the main chamber, I heard a bell ringing on one of the two floors above us.

  “They’re calling for help,” I said. “We’ve got to stop that bell.”

  “I’ve got it,” Evan yelled then dashed off toward one of the two doors we hadn’t tried.

  Most of the smoke had dissipated, but it still stung my eyes as I looked around.

  “Come on, Ewen, let’s try this other one.”

  “Be safe,” Sarah said then ran after Evan.

  “You too,” I said as I opened the door.

  A tall, wooden table stood in the middle of a kitchen. Two more doors led from the room.

  “You try that one,” I said as I walked toward one of them.

  Ewen went over to the other, clasping his sword with the silly smile still plastered on his face.

  I opened my door and saw a stocked pantry full of food, mostly rice and beans.

  “Nothing,” I called out.

  “This is a cold room for meat,” Ewen said. “Must be magic.”

  “Nice,” I said. “Is it stocked?”

  He turned and nodded his head.

  “Let’s go find the others.”

  I ran around the table and back out into the main chamber. The bell stopped ringing as I headed through the third door Sarah and the others had taken.

  A staircase went up. I took it two steps at a time, sword still drawn, ready for anything. When I reached the third floor, I saw Sarah, Bernard, and Evan standing over a cultist’s lifeless body.

  “I got ‘em,” Evan said, beaming more than usual.

  Combat is over!

  You get 6,700 xp divided by five party members.

  You get 1,340 xp.

  You have 33,584 xp.

  You need 1,416 xp for level 7 Rogue.

  “We did it,” I said.

  “I did it,” Evan corrected.

  “Good job backstabbing the cleric, little guy. You took his health down enough for us to take him out.”

  “No problem,” Evan said. “I did it for Sarah—the leader of our party.”

  I smiled and nodded.

  “We should get out of here,” Ewen said. “It’s not safe for brownies during the day, especially if we’re taking out new temples and what-not.”

  “You have a point,” I said. “We should scout the rest of the place first, make sure no one else is around. Maybe we’ll find our money too.”

  “I’m on it,” Evan said then dashed off.

  “Be careful,” I shouted after him.

  “The bozo needs me for backup,” Ewen said as he trotted after him.

  I looked over at Sarah. Her clothes were singed from the fire earlier.

  “Can you disguise yourself and the brownies again?” I asked.

  “That won’t be necessary,” a commanding voice said from behind us.

  All three of us turned to the door of the bell room and saw a man in matte black plate armor.

  “What’s going on in here?” he asked, zeroing in on us.

  “They attacked us,” I said, taking the lead. “We had to defend ourselves.”

  “Yeah,” Bernard said to back me up.

  I saw three other armored men standing in the hallway.

  “You have two brownies and an elf in your party,” he said. “That’s not a big deal. It’s goblin hunting season, so everyone is welcome here in Esterhollow.”

  “We’re here to hunt,” I said. “We’ve come from distant lands.”

  “That’s bleaking obvious,” he said, nodding toward me. “Interesting armor you have on.”

  “A war trophy,” I said, the lie becoming easier each time I told it.

  Why no alignment shift? Too small of a detail?

  “Are we in trouble?” Sarah asked.

  The armored man laughed, stopping a moment to take off his helmet.

  “Looks like you’re already in trouble,” he said. “What happened to your clothes?”

  Sarah pulled what cloth remained closer
together as he leered at her.

  “The cleric shot fire at her,” I said.

  “I’ve been suspicious of this place since it showed up in the city,” the man said. “My name is Captain Riggardo, and I’m the Captain of the Black Guard in this zone.”

  Bernard, Sarah, and I all looked from one to the other.

  “Something wrong?” Captain Riggardo asked.

  “No,” I said. “We’ve heard good things about you.”

  “Yeah?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. “Like what?”

  Is it the same player from level one playing an ancestor of his other character? A loophole?

  “Do you want to join our adventuring party?” I asked.

  Captain Riggardo laughed long and hard.

  “You’re something else, kid.” He shook his head. “Tell you what. Since you took out a menace for the city, and you’re here to hunt gobs of hobgobs, I’m going to give you this building. Clean it up and make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.”

  I stared into Captain Riggardo’s eyes, wondering if he could be trusted.

  Was he laying a trap for us?

  “You want more?” he asked then laughed again.

  “No, this is great,” I said. “It’s such a big offer. And we’re new in the city.”

  “You’re not trying to talk me out of it, are you?” He chuckled, his armor not making a sound as he moved.

  “Not at all,” Sarah said, stepping forward. “Thanks for your kindness.”

  “Yeah,” Bernard said. “We couldn’t find any rooms in the city, anyway.”

  Captain Riggardo grinned, his chiseled, square jawline pointed out.

  “You’re welcome,” he said. “Don’t make me regret my kindness.”

  “We won’t,” I said as he turned and walked toward the door.

  “And don’t mistake it for weakness either,” he said then stopped and turned around. “One more thing. Do you feel like taking on a mission for me? It pays well, and I’d owe you one.”

  “Maybe,” I said. “What is it?”

  “We need to block the dwarves from returning to the realm. There’s enough trouble without them. I need someone to go to the Pit of Doom in the Mines of Oriam and seal it up. There’s a nice sized reward in it for you.”

  “Let us think about it,” I said, wanting to think it through and discuss it with the others.

  “You have twenty-four hours to accept my offer or get out of the city.”

  He grinned, flashing surprisingly perfect, pearly white teeth.

  “Where can we find you?” I asked.

  “At the garrison in center of the city,” he said as he turned and walked out the door.

  I looked from Sarah to Bernard.

  Where are the brownies?

  “What do you think?” Sarah asked.

  “I wanted to discuss it with you two before we made a decision,” I said.

  Sarah smiled.

  “Thanks, but I think we should do it. We’re heading in that direction. I want to spend some time deciphering that map. Why don’t you go accept his offer and work out the details for our payment?”

  I looked at Bernard. “Agreed?”

  He nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Do you two think that’s Captain Riggard from level one-one?”

  I shrugged.

  “Maybe…” Sarah said, without sounding sure of herself. “We’re definitely not going to help him make the game humans only.”

  “No, we’re not,” I said. “In fact, maybe we should help the dwarves return to the game.”

  “I’m not so sure about that idea,” Bernard said.

  “Oh? Why not?” I asked.

  He took a deep breath before speaking.

  “I’ve been in the game a while, and I’ve heard stories. They’re rough, and none of the other races like having them around.”

  “Are any player character dwarves?” I asked.

  “No idea,” he said. “Only one way to find out.”

  I smiled and turned to Sarah.

  “Are we getting lucky, finally? You get a new spell or a ring of luck you haven’t shared with us?”

  She chuckled and shook her head.

  “No, but I’m close to leveling. We’re not really going to hunt hobgoblins, are we?”

  “We’ll strip this place of supplies and make our way toward the mines.”

  “I want to study the map,” Sarah said. “He has a nice library here.”

  “We should stay for the night,” Bernard said.

  I nodded. “Agreed. Now, where are those brownies?”

  “I found something,” Evan called out from the second floor.

  “No, I found it, bozo,” Ewen said.

  I jogged toward the door then went downstairs. The two brownies were standing by an open door behind a bookcase in yet another room full of books.

  “A secret door,” Evan said, head bobbing up and down.

  I smiled. “Great job, buddy. You did good.”

  “Told you,” he said then pushed Ewen on the arm.

  “Cut it out, you two,” Sarah said as she walked in. “What’s behind the door?”

  “I’ll find out,” Evan said then dashed through the doorway.

  “No, wait,” I yelled, but it was too late.

  I walked over and followed him into a cramped room with wooden shelves on three of the walls.

  They were full of glass bottles and a few more books. A mirror with an ornate base stood in front of the far wall. The smooth surface showed nothing but smoke in the reflection, even when we stood in front of it.

  “What’s with the mirror?” Evan asked. “Looks broke.”

  He reached forward to touch it.

  “Don’t,” I snapped, pulling him back. “We don’t know if it’s trapped or cursed or something else.”

  A figure appeared in the smoke-filled mirror.

  Magi Inyontoo, I thought as I stared at our nemesis.

  “Well, well, well,” he said, rubbing his chin.

  The black robe he had on looked three sizes too large.

  “Where’s Bernardo?” he asked. “Did you kill him too?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “And we’re coming for you too.”

  “Such hostility from supposedly good-aligned players.” He shook his head. “And to think I get the bad rap in this stupid game.”

  “Where are you?” Bernard asked innocently.

  Magi Inyontoo laughed.

  “Nice try. You losers can try to stop me, but I’ve got a plan, and it’s all falling into place.”

  “We’re coming for you,” I repeated, my voice calm, cool and collected.

  “You’re welcome to try.”

  I stepped forward and grabbed the sides of the mirror.

  “Help me, Bernard,” I said as I pulled on it.

  “What are you doing?” Magi Inyontoo asked. “Resistance is futile.”

  “Don’t you ever come up with your own lines?” Sarah asked, walking over to help.

  Together, we turned the mirror so it faced the wall.

  “I can still hear you,” Magi Inyontoo said then laughed.

  “Let’s get everything else out of the room then close it up,” I said.

  The others helped carry all the items from the secret room into a meeting room on the second floor. We deposited all the loot on a long, wooden conference table.

  “Not a bad haul,” Bernard said, eyeing it all. “I wonder if Captain Riggardo knew about all this?”

  “Probably not,” I said. “We need to hide it before he comes back. In fact, I’ll go tell him we accept his mission, and we’ll see if he gives us some help to start out.”

  “Good idea,” Sarah said. “I’ll stay here and identify all these potions and try to decipher the map. There’s a note on the back.”

  “What about me?” Evan asked.

  “You and Ewen should go downstairs and start something for dinner,” I said. “We’re all famished and need to eat before our big journey tomorrow.”
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br />   He nodded his head.

  “I can do that,” he said, rushing toward the stairs.

  “Hold on,” Ewen said as he waddled after him. “I’m the better cook, and you know it.”

  Sarah smiled and shook her head at them.

  “I’ll be back soon,” I said. “After dinner, we’ll see what we have for this journey.”

  “The brownies might need my help with all that food,” Bernard said. “If you don’t mind.”

  I smiled. “Go ahead. You’ve earned it. I’m surprised you didn’t level again.”

  “I’m close,” he said. “Still deciding what path through Rogue to take.”

  “We can discuss it more later,” I said. “Magi Inyontoo knows where we are right now, so leaving as soon as possible is a good idea.”

  Bernard nodded then walked out of the room.

  “Good luck with all this,” I said.

  “Thanks,” Sarah said. “It’s fun.”

  I left to find Captain Riggardo at the garrison and tell him we would accept his mission. We might get lucky and get even more supplies for the long journey ahead.

  As I walked, I once again enjoyed the simple sensation of walking with my own two legs.

  Would the game try to take them away from me? I wondered, remembering my fall from the Tower of Sherlock.

  We’ve got to play smarter. This game might be bending the rules. Maybe it’s time we tried the same thing.

  I grinned to myself as I walked out of the temple and down the street.

  Being trapped in the best virtual game ever created had its perks. I hoped Sarah came around and realized the opportunity we had in the game.

  My father would come home eventually and let us out. Until then, we should enjoy it as much as possible. That was my philosophy.

  3

  Chain Mail of Orc Odors Stinks

  Sarah

  Hands on hips, I stared at the table full of potions and a few items I thought might be magical in nature. The rest of the stuff sat stacked in a corner. While the others secured the temple, I identified our magic items one after another.

  After an hour of casting Identify, I had a complete list of all the worthy items we’d found in the Temple of Magictology. We had to leave because of Magi Inyontoo, but maybe we could hang onto the place if we had to return for any reason.

  Having a base of operations on level one-two would help us in so many ways. The first level had been about going from one end of the realm to another.