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  Assigning all twelve of the male newcomers to warrior positions might not have been the best decision, but I wanted to teach Charlotte a lesson and show she wouldn’t have an easy time taking me down. I meant business. The other twenty-four members of my growing tribe were back at Village Kron slowly but steadily working on making it a better place.

  I stopped and held up a clenched fist to get the other warriors to stop. They weren’t trained and leveled up as much as I would have liked, but I wanted to respond to Charlotte’s last attack on my village. Hearing nothing, I motioned for the others to continue through the jungle. I had decided to stay off the main trail which was slowing us down.

  Should I have waited until the shaman learned a couple offensive spells? I wondered. He had stayed behind with the others just in case Charlotte sent out a force of her own. A week earlier, we had caught a spy. I tried to convert him to our tribe, but I didn’t have enough time or action points to get it done, so I let him go to make peace.

  If Charlotte didn’t listen to reason and we had another skirmish, I would at least be able to gain some experience points for my character. My village was booming, but I’d slowed down on advancing myself personally. A battle every now and then would help. How high of a level was Charlotte? I wondered as I slowed down again.

  The others stopped as I raised a clenched fist near the edge of a clearing containing Cocoa Village. I listened closely. After just a few weeks in the jungle, I found myself able to distinguish all the common sounds better. The walls around their settlement looked taller and had spikes at the top. Was Charlotte concentrating on leveling up defenses?

  I turned to my loyal warriors. The rag tag team didn’t look like much, but it doubled the number of people Charlotte had brought to kill me and raze my village. Her cockiness had ensured my survival. I wanted to bring more troops, but the other villagers needed to continue collecting resources and building. I didn’t want to slow down my expansions.

  “Are you guys ready?” I asked in a low voice.

  They all nodded. I smiled then turned back around. The sun hit me as I strode out of the jungle, stopping a few feet away from the edge. Someone standing near the top of their wall blew a horn of some sort. A half-dozen men appeared, all of them holding spears. I took a deep breath then held my head high.

  “Give up Charlotte, your leader, and we’ll let you live!” I shouted then added, “Show your face, spider!”

  I heard my old familiar cackle somewhere behind the wall. The gate to their village swung open. I lifted my spear along with the warriors I’d brought with me as another half-dozen shirtless men with spears and clubs jogged outside the gate, forming a semi-circle. Charlotte strode out after them, looking somehow deadlier than the last time I’d seen her.

  “Give up,” I said. “This is stupid. We should be working together.”

  “You can work for me!” Charlotte snarled.

  When had she become so bitter? Didn’t she realize I hadn’t left her?

  “This is your last chance,” I said, doing my best to remain calm.

  “Bring it!” Charlotte shouted. “Now!”

  The men on top of the wall chucked their spears. As they sailed through the air toward us, the other half-dozen men ran toward us.

  “No mercy!” I screamed then rushed forward with my spear.

  I dodged two of the incoming projectiles then slowed and stood defensively as the rest of my warriors rushed forward. Even without killing the enemy villagers myself, I would still receive most of the experience points as the commander of the group. Additionally, I lowered my chance of dying on the battlefield. I feared death even more because I wasn’t sure what would happen afterwards.

  As three of the enemy warriors fell to the ground with mortal wounds, I cast two Golden Bolts and sent them toward the men on the wall. Both hit a single warrior, sending him toppling backward and out of sight.

  “No!” Charlotte screamed. “Defense!”

  A deep purple energy field sprung up around her. The protective shield covered the remaining three warriors on the ground. I prepared to cast again, wondering if my offensive magic would pierce her defensive spell. As two Golden Bolts shot out of my palm and whizzed toward one of the opposing warriors, five more ran out of the still open gate.

  The ones from atop the wall? I wondered as I searched for another target. With only twenty-one mana remaining, I wasn’t sure if I should retreat or not. Charlotte counterattacked— hard. Two of my warriors died, leaving me with ten versus their eight. While the numbers were on my side, I wasn’t sure about Charlotte’s other spells. I needed to know her character class.

  My warriors, unable to enter the blue sphere surrounding the others, stopped, unsure of themselves. I sighed at their lack of experience.

  “Damage the shield!” I shouted then ran forward.

  I attacked with my spear, wishing I’d spent the time and resources required to carve a rune on the wooden handle of my weapon. The ten warriors and me pummeled and poked their protective shield. As we did more damage, the magic flickered.

  “Get ready!” I shouted, moving back.

  If I took out Charlotte, their morale would drop and we could take their entire village. Was it worth the risk? I went for it, casting another two Golden Bolts while cursing my low level.

  Your Golden Bolts INJURE [PC] Charlotte for 12 damage.

  You have [15/45] magic remaining today.

  At least I didn’t lose additional alignments points.

  The massive spider jumped over the fighting warriors, landing near me.

  “You die now,” Charlotte hissed.

  Sticky webbing shot out of her body, hitting my chest. I stumbled backward, trying to get out of her range while making sure I didn’t touch the gooey mess covering my scantily clad front.

  “Don’t run! I’m the boss of you now!”

  Charlotte lunged forward. I held up my spear and plunged it into her side.

  Your thrust GRAZES [PC] Charlotte for 6 damage.

  “That all you got?” Charlotte laughed then cast a spell.

  [PC] Charlotte’s Golden Bolts HIT you for 7 damage.

  You have [30/36] health remaining.

  Her magic energy bolts both hit my left arm, numbing it slightly. I followed up with another melee attack, missing completely. She used the opportunity to rush forward and bite me. I screamed as a notification popped up to let me know about the poison coursing through my veins.

  “Enough!” I shouted then let loose another two Golden Bolts.

  As we fought back and forth, I grew weaker as the poison ravaged my body. How would I heal? Why hadn’t I at least brought the shaman? My stupid mistake might end up with me dying. Right before I fell to the ground, exhausted, the rest of my tribe surrounded Charlotte. She shrieked then leaped over them, scurrying toward the open gate.

  Combat is Over!

  You get + 1,200 xp

  You have 1,200 xp

  You need 2,800 xp for level 2 Valkyrie Skyrider.

  “Get me home…” I said as I fell to the dusty dirt on the ground.

  My warriors carried me away as I passed out.

  * * * * *

  You feel cured of poison.

  You feel better.

  You have [12/36] health remaining.

  My eyes opened as I sat up, taking in my surroundings. I noticed the familiar homey-ness of the Central Hut in Kron Village, my home for the next twenty years of my life.

  “Are you okay?” Jericho, the shaman, asked.

  “Yes,” I said, my voice scratchy and irritated. I coughed, almost passing out again.

  “Take it easy, chief,” he said. “I barely got the poison out in time.”

  “Charlotte might counterattack,” I said. “We have to be ready.”

  “Everything’s covered,” Jericho said. “We all know what to do.”

  I took a deep breath, gradually relaxing.

  “That was too close,” I said.

  “I thought I woul
d end up chief.” The shaman smiled then added, “Not that I would ever compare to you as chief of our village.”

  Did the villagers under my control all have hidden ambitions?

  I nodded, hiding my emotions.

  “You should rest,” Jericho said. “At least a day or two.”

  “There’s no time.” I struggled to my feet. “There’s work to do.”

  While I could delegate leadership to someone else on the tribe, the longer they held their temporary position, the higher the chance they would try to hold onto that power. My only government option was despotism, but that didn’t mean others would fail to step into my shoes as chief if given a chance.

  “I’ll be in my hut,” I said as I stepped out of the Central Hut. “Send some turtle soup.”

  “Right away,” Jericho said then turned to walk over to our two cooks.

  I stumbled across the clearing to my current home in the game. Once inside, I collapsed on my hammock, barely able to keep my eyes open.

  Buildings:

  Central Hut

  Tool Shop

  Barracks

  Storage Hut

  Villagers:

  Warriors: x10

  Cooks: x2

  Gatherers: x10

  Builders: x2

  Shaman: x2

  Seamstress: x1

  Tool Makers: x1

  Teacher x1

  Scout x2

  Technologies:

  Basic Woodworking -> Advanced Woodworking

  Basic Healthy Diet

  Basic Combat

  Advanced Gathering

  Stone Tools

  Basic Masonry

  I smiled at all the progress I’d made in roughly a month. What would I accomplish with twenty years to build my empire? I smiled at the thought briefly before the reality of my dire situation hit me. Would Eric and Josh leave the Tower of Gates without me if they found a way? If I was being honest with myself, I wasn’t sure I would stay once given a chance to leave.

  Losing half my warriors hurt, but I’d taken out at least a dozen of Charlotte’s, which was making cost in my book. To get my shaman casting, I needed to complete the Academy building then acquire the Basic Magic skill. I’d been working toward the goal since I started. With more spells, I could defeat Charlotte and spend the rest of my twenty years just building.

  A smile spread across my face as I remembered the battle earlier in the day. Building the village was cool, but I had to admit I enjoyed leveling up my personal character. The new Valkyrie Skyrider class leveled too slow for my liking, but I dreamed of the power I’d have in the game once I finally achieved a higher level. Was that the gamemaster’s plan all along?

  I closed my eyes, still thinking about the game and how to spend my limited resources. Charlotte would likely attack again. I would keep trying to win her over, but I wasn’t afraid to kill her either. She would respawn like all the other player characters, so I didn’t feel so bad about it. The game had turned into kill or be killed, which was just fine with me. I would survive.

  Chapter 7

  A Friend in Need & Deed

  Sarah

  Two weeks after my assault on Cocoa Village, Charlotte still hadn’t responded in kind. Was she building up and trying to gain a technological advantage over me? Or maybe she would focus her resources on more magic like me? I left my hut and stretched, ready to take on yet another day. The six weeks and a few days since I’d respawned felt like forever.

  I smiled as I saw my villagers hard at work. We’d made progress of our own while waiting for Charlotte to respond. As I watched everyone working and thought about what improvements to make next, Augusta and Tom, her new husband from the neighboring island walked over. She smiled, a hand wound around her man.

  “We want to go back,” she said.

  My smile faded.

  “What? Why? Things are going well…”

  Augusta glanced over at her husband for a moment.

  “He wants to visit his family,” she said.

  “It’s only been a few weeks,” I countered.

  “We’ll bring more people back with us,” Tom said.

  I pursed my lips together and nodded.

  “That could work,” I said. “How long will it take?”

  “Not long,” Augusta said. “

  “It would be faster if we had rafts or a canoe,” Tom said.

  “We’re working on it,” I said. “Give me some time.”

  “I’m sorry.” Tom lowered his head. “Kron Village is my new home, and I want to share it with my friends and family.”

  “Good,” I said. “We have room to grow.”

  “So, we can go?” Augusta asked.

  I nodded. She clapped and jumped up and down in excitement.

  “But hurry,” I said. “There’s no telling when Charlotte will attack again.”

  “You think she will?” Tom asked.

  “Probably. You need to be honest with anyone coming to our village. We need strong warriors, wise shamans, and crafty boat builders.” I smiled. “You two will do fine.”

  “Thank you so much,” Augusta said.

  Since I’d become Chief of Kron Village, she hadn’t hugged me or bugged me out of respect. I missed the friendship in some ways, but I loved being in charge of my own tribe.

  “We should leave,” Tom said.

  I watched as they both walked toward the gate. The palisades were in decent shape, but I wanted to learn basic and advanced masonry to build something even better. When Charlotte attacked, I needed to be ready. A commotion across the clearing caught my attention and knocked me out of my thoughts. I walked toward the noise.

  “Let us in!” someone outside the palisades shouted.

  “Never!” a warrior yelled back. “Leave before we kill you!”

  “Hold on!” I called out as I jogged over. “Who is it?”

  “Our names are Julian and Keith ,” the man outside our village said. “We seek asylum.”

  This is such a trap.

  “Nice try, guys! You should leave now before we kill you.”

  “We’re serious,” the man said, desperation in his voice. “Charlotte’s gone mad.”

  “Open the gate,” I said. “Be at the ready.”

  A warrior swung the fortified gate open without hesitation as three other warriors stood nearby with their spears up, ready to be thrown. I saw two men wearing only a loincloth. Both kept glancing over their shoulder as if they had been followed.

  “Does Charlotte know you’re here?” I asked.

  The one who had been talking before, Julian, said, “No. We escaped.”

  “Please,” his companion asked, glancing back again. “We need your help.”

  “Did someone follow you?” I asked.

  “I don’t think so, but you never know with that spider,” Julian said.

  “Let them in for now,” I said. “Close the gate after them then watch the trail.”

  My warriors went to work as I warily watched the two villagers from the rival tribe stumble forward. As the gate closed, I wondered what to do with them. Chris, who had become my defacto second in command, walked up with a scowl on his face.

  “What’s going on?” he barked.

  I wondered if the game would allow him to rebel against me.

  “We’ve got refugees,” I said. “They’re seeking asylum.”

  “And you’re giving it to them?” Chris asked.

  I sighed then said, “No, I haven’t decided what to do with them yet. Secure them in the barracks for tonight. Make sure they have food and water.”

  “Thank you,” Julian said, placing his palms together.

  I showed no emotion as three warriors led them to the barracks.

  “We should kill them,” Chris said while they could still hear him.

  “Not yet,” I said in a softer voice. “We need to grow our village.”

  “Tom said you’re sending him back to his village?” Chris asked.

  I nodded.
“Do you have a problem with my decision?”

  “No, but…”

  His voice trailed off.

  “You’re important to me.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “Can you do me a favor?”

  He glanced up, staring into my eyes. I’d seen that look from many men before.

  “Yeah,” he said. “Anything.”

  “Can you keep an eye on the newcomers? I’ve got a good feeling about them, but we can’t let our guard down. Growing our village is important. The more people we have, the faster we can grow. We need to be strong to defeat Charlotte.”

  He nodded, seemingly transfixed by my eyes.

  “What?” I asked, a little irritated.

  “Nothing,” he muttered then broke eye contact.

  “Can you watch them for me?” I asked. “This is important.”

  “Of course I will,” he said. “You can count on me.”

  He had been trustworthy since I first started up as chief of the tribe.

  “Go on,” I said. “We can talk more about this, just stop by my hut later.”

  He smiled then sauntered off like the cat who had eaten the canary. I watched him walk away, momentarily distracted by his heavenly body. No time for a virtual boyfriend, I told myself as I walked to my hut. Maybe after I get the village up and running efficiently. I wondered if it would get easier to forget Eric and Josh as my twenty years slowly went by one after another.

  When I reached my hut, I went inside. Thin beams of light came in from the open spots in the thatched sides. I needed to start working on Basic Masonry, but I also wanted to keep some action points handy in case Augusta and Tom made their way back with new villagers. Besides, I had something else to take up my time—carving runes on my spear.

  As a first level character, I could only carve two of them: an accuracy rune and a damage rune. Both would come in handy in my next battle with Charlotte. She’d almost killed me once, I wasn’t about to let it happen again. I sat on the dusty dirt floor and set to work carving the accuracy rune into the handle of my spear. The damage one would be next. I could only have one of each rune carved into a weapon, but both would be helpful.