《The Tale of Ris》 New Beginnings ¡°And with that, I am sorry to inform you, but we have to let you go, Ms. Haden,¡± said balding, middle-aged man behind the desk. He leaned back into his chair with a squeak that seemed to come from multiple origins. Ris had had better days. Today; however, was not one of them. Across from him sat a woman that was as tense as a coiled viper, with betrayal and hurt in her eyes. ¡°Mr. Crowley, I still don¡¯t understand. You are firing me from my job because I¡¯m too good at it?¡± She gripped the clipboard in her hands so tightly that her hands hurt. ¡°Ms. Haden, I don¡¯t need to remind you of how the AI works. Genso Inc employs the oversight AI to look into these things. GensI would not give us a false reading, I assure you. These reports show that you have been tampering in systems that were not in the purview of the tasks assigned you.¡± Ris gritted her teeth, ¡°And I had requested numerous times to gain access to those systems. You even approved some of my proposed adjustments. They were bottlenecking my work -¡± Crowley held a lazy hand up. ¡°Enough, Ris. I know what you were trying to do, but completely overhauling another departments pipeline, without even leaving comments about how you did it, over a single weekend, is not acceptable. Can you imagine how those hard working folks over in the processing department felt coming in on Monday, only to realize that the last 5 years of their work was completely re-written in a single weekend?¡± ¡°But, Mr. Crowley, I had sent those suggestions in months ago and they still hadn¡¯t fixed them! I just wanted to help,¡± Ris said, her eyes beginning to water with anger filled tears. ¡°Ms. Haden, what you did was highly inappropriate and unprofessional. There are channels-¡± ¡°Which I used. I-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me, Ms. Haden. Regardless, I am going to have to ask for your badge and for you to clear everything out of your space by this afternoon. Now,¡± Crowley sighed one final time,¡± I have more meetings to attend to. Good luck at your next employment, Ms. Haden.¡± Crowley lurched out of his pleather chair and shuffled out of his office, leaving Ris Haden tight lipped and gripping the clipboard, now full of things to never be realized, in her hand. ¡ª¡ª¡ª Ris sat in a nameless cafe on the other side of the tracks from the business park where Genso Incorporated kept their local offices. She sat in a bar seat that looked out onto the chipped and grimey wall. Even that seemed to look at her in disappointment. A coffee that had gone lukewarm was perched on a coaster from a local bar in front of her. It wasn¡¯t fair. She had fixed their systems. She had done the work of that whole department in a single weekend. Who were they to fire her? In another week she could¡¯ve made them redundant and they¡¯d be the ones sitting here, not her. She got up to leave and saw her reflection in the mirror behind the barista¡¯s station. She hadn¡¯t the time, she remembered, to do her hair this morning. Last night¡¯s work session had lasted well into the night, and it didn¡¯t do any favors in helping her tame the brown curls that had been hastily pulled up into a bun on the top of her head. Her eyes were held heavy by the bags underneath them, which no amount of makeup could cover. She sighed, not believing the sight before her. Well, at least I have time to get some rest now. She shuffled out the door into street, the sun shining bright and cheery overhead on her sullen pallor. ¡ª¡ª¡ª A nap, a run to the grocery store, and an actual run had rejuvenated Ris back to the realm of the living. Before her were the makings of Aglio e Olio. She¡¯d just finished making the noodles after fixing the motor on her mixer, and was sipping on a Ros¨¦ before she moved onto making the dish. Next to her recipe book, her phone sat vigil, the middleman between her and the rest of the world. While she was grating the parmesano romano, it vibrated and dinged. The text on the screen seemed to float like it was on the top of a pool of water: Gerald - How was work? Ris seeing the text, sighed. She had been wanting to avoid telling Gerald about how work was. Steeling herself, she picked up the phone. Not so good. Awful actually. I got laid off. What?! What about all those improvements you were making over the weekend? Didn¡¯t they like them? You saved them so much computational time. Yeah, it turns out I stepped onto too many toes at once. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t realize how big the people were that those toes belonged to. Why didn¡¯t you text earlier? Let¡¯s go out - I¡¯ll buy you a drink for that one not working out. I got wind of something you might want to hear about. Ris stared down at her phone. All she wanted to do was stay at home and do some consolation cooking, but she knew that Gerald wouldn¡¯t let her wallow in her miserable day. He was that kind of friend - the one that knew how to fix your mood better than yourself. Ris: fine, we can go out, but I¡¯m still making dinner, so it won¡¯t be until later. Great! Oh pasta! What kind? Is it the shareable kind? A small smile crossed Ris¡¯s face. Gerald was the only person she knew who enjoyed the food she made more than her. This isn¡¯t a charity, she texted, bring a decent cab with you. It will be ready in 30 minutes. Ris prepped her mixer to make a second batch of pasta. ¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Ahhhh, always delicious,¡± Gerald said, with that post dinner twinkle in his eye. Ris was never sure if it came from the food or from the wine. ¡°So tell me, what happened?¡± He shifted into his ¡®listening¡¯ position, head tilted, slightly forward, and pointed his bright eyes towards Ris. ¡°Well I implemented the changes this past weekend and was collating my reports, which were actually useful for once since I didn¡¯t have to wait forever for the upstream to finish, when Crowley sent me an email telling me to come to his office.¡± Ris took a sip of the cab that Gerald had brought, the oaky fruity flavor sitting on her tongue like poetry. ¡°One awkward conversation later about boundaries, and how I was being unprofessional, and I was walking out the door with my stuff in tow.¡± Like a record player, Gerald tilted his back up, ¡°Wait, so all those suggestions, that you were going to give to the other department, you just implemented them without their approval?¡± Ris shifted a little in her seat, ¡°I don¡¯t see what the big deal is, I had partial access so I thought, why not? I mean it could only help, right?¡± Gerald shook his head, wondering how his bright friend of 10 years could still be this dense at times. ¡°Ris, you remember what I told you about this company and how you¡¯d have to make a shift from the freelance mentality when you went to work for them only 2 months ago?¡± Ris¡¯s hand reached for the glass, reflecting back at what Gerald had said back then, when he had introduced her to that one VP in the company. What was his name? She said softly, ¡°Yeah. I remember. But that¡¯s the thing Gerald, I didn¡¯t try and play in another person¡¯s sandbox! I was given access to those systems! The AI would¡¯ve let me know if I had done something wrong. At least, that was what Crowley had said when he approved the partial access¡­¡± ¡°Wait, you didn¡¯t have full access?¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been trying to tell everyone. Yes, my implementations were complete, but the AI should¡¯ve blocked most of them from working on the real servers.¡± Gerald looked mildly alarmed at that. ¡°So GensI didn¡¯t hinder your program at all?¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Not. At. All.¡± Ris said bitterly, taking a drink of the ruby red liquid. Gerald brought his hand up to his face, moving the long hair out of the way as he got into his ¡®thinking¡¯ position. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Roger about it and see if we can¡¯t take a look at those logs and figure out why GensI let you go through with all of your upgrades. What were they for, anyway? In something a regular human would understand, please. I¡¯m just a people person here.¡± Ris¡¯s heart quickened, did the AI get her fired on purpose? Yes it wasn¡¯t her fault, but she was still confused as to why the AI chose not to put in some preventative measures. ¡°Well, my work focuses primarily on how the AI is able to function. If we¡¯re using analogies, I¡¯m the mechanic/part designer and the AI is the car. I will take a look at pieces and see if I can¡¯t improve them.¡± ¡°For the whole car?¡± Ris shook her head, ¡°well, just for one component really, I focused on engine of the car. Principally how it used the fuel given to it. I got it working really really really well.¡± She wasn¡¯t prideful about her expertise, she just said it like it was. She was good at her job. ¡°So you upgraded the engine? Whats the big deal about that?¡± ¡°Imagine going from a dinky little v4 to a v8 with superchargers. And that is where the problems started to working. I was working on this isolated implementation of GensI. It was able to handle all the data I threw at it, but if it didn¡¯t maintain a threshold amount of processes, it would sputter out and backfire. The AI was literally being starved of fuel.¡± ¡°So you went to work on the fuel system.¡± ¡°Yeah, on the pipeline that fed the data to the AI. It was really inefficient.¡± Ris reached in her mind for a good analogy. ¡°It wasn¡¯t high in octane at all, and wasn¡¯t filtered. It was surprising to me that it even worked in the first place. It was a hillbilly tried to get into the fuel market after the demand for the shine went down.¡± Gerald smiled at the reference. Both of them were fond of some apple pie. ¡°So you went ahead and improved not only the fuel system, but also the fuel?¡± Ris blushed a little, ¡°Well yeah. I just wanted my part to work right, and it wouldn¡¯t if their¡¯s didn¡¯t work better. The copy of GensI that I was working on did so much better when I implemented my fuel changes in that instance.¡± Gerald¡¯s eyes twinkled a little brighter, ¡°What do you know of GensI¡¯s intelligence level? Were you working on a smart AI?¡± ¡°Yeah, it was pretty smart, I guess. It beat its turing test, but had the intelligence equivalent of sub intelligent human.¡± ¡°Now, I don¡¯t know anything about anything, but did that AI ¡®know¡¯ what you were doing to its clone?¡± Ris frowned at this, ¡°Well yeah, it could see what I was doing. I was helping it, though. Why would it want to get me fired?¡± Gerald rubbed his chin for a moment, ¡°Could the AI, perhaps unknowingly, get greedy?¡± ¡°AI¡¯s don¡¯t have emotions like that Gerald.¡± Ris poured herself some more wine. ¡°Right, right, but what if it saw that your improvements worked so well on the clone, that it couldn¡¯t help but want them all implemented on the real thing?¡± The glass in her hand stopped and hovered on its way to deliver the red liquid. ¡°You¡¯re saying that I got fired because the AI got greedy and wanted those changes?¡± Gerald took a victorious sip from his own glass. ¡°That, my dear Ris, is exactly what I¡¯m saying. I¡¯m sure Roger could look into it this week. Or¡­..¡± He brought the glass up for another sip. ¡°Or what?¡± ¡°Or I have another proposition for you. You remember my buddy Alphonse from my last birthday?¡± ¡°The guy with the hook nose and the tight coat that kept on trying to buy me drinks?¡± Gerald raised his glass, ¡°Yes! That¡¯s the one. He recently got into doing some venture capital work and has invested in one of those fancy gaming companies. You know the ones that now allow for split conscious game play?¡± Ris nodded along, ¡°Well, turns out that he bought a controlling stake in one that has just released that game, what was it called, Esperia Online. Anyway, it was one of the few games to make it out of that production hell needed to make those kinds of games, and he¡¯s looking for some people to act as ¡®quality control agents¡¯ in the game.¡± Gerald lowered his hands from doing the air quotes. ¡°The pay is pretty good.¡± Ris swirled her glass, looking down into the recesses of that mystical red liquid. ¡°You know I don¡¯t like these nepotistic schemes, Gerald. I like the quality of my work to be the foundation of my professional relationships. Besides, he was creepy.¡± ¡°Look he was going through a phase. New money does that to people. He¡¯s simmered down quite a bit since then. Besides, technically, you, wouldn¡¯t be doing anything.¡± He pulled his shoulder length hair back, revealing a small chip above the base of his hairline on the back of his neck. A cloned conscious of you would be doing it!¡± ¡°Wait what? They actually got that technology off the ground? I thought you still had to dedicate some time, and brain power, to playing those games.¡± ¡°Well, with Alphonse¡¯s capital, they were able to complete the newest tech just in time for the game. They are still testing out this new tech, but the older rigs are still in use for the normal players for the time being. If you choose to sign up on this gravy train, we can get you a good starting salary.¡± Gerald tilted his glass toward her. ¡°Hmm, how much are talking here? It seems pretty risky to be playing with your consciousness like that.¡± ¡°Believe me. It will definitely be worth your time. Now what do you say about getting those drinks?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª An hour later they were in the back of a quiet uptown bar. With Ris nursing a decent old fashioned, and Gerald pounding enough dark and stormy¡¯s to make a hurricane, the time was passed with them talking about the old days. Gerald and his string of lucky breaks that made him a wealthy independent information manager and scout for all sorts of companies, and how he and Ris first met. ¡°You know, Ris, I don¡¯t think I ever thanked you for turning me down back in undergrad. I wouldn¡¯t have gotten my act together in time to become anything meaningful,¡± he said looking into the dark depths of the glass in front of him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Their relationship was the very definition of platonic but it hadn¡¯t started out that way. ¡°I thought you were sleazy back then.¡± Taking a sip she said, ¡°well, you still kinda are, but you¡¯re at least a good man most of the time.¡± Gerald raised his glass at the back handed compliment, ¡°and thats all I ask for.¡± Gerald turned his head and looked down the bar. ¡°Ah! There he is!¡± Gerald waved over a man with a prominent hook nose but was dressed in a more relaxed fashion. His open blazer was properly tailored and he looked to be well put together. Ris hissed at Gerald, ¡°What the fuck, Gerald? Why is he here? I haven¡¯t even had time to think about your offer.¡± ¡°I thought you might like to talk to the man himself to make more informed decision.¡± ¡°Al, good to see you. You remember Ris from my birthday?¡± Alphonse reached out a hand to Ris, ¡°I do, with all the clinginess that I had bestowed upon her. I apologize for that, Ris. My so called friends at the time had filled my head with weird delusions what money can do.¡± Ris put her hand out uncomfortably, ¡°Apology accepted,¡± Ris sighed, ¡°I imagine the reason you are here is to tell me about that fancy new tech Gerald has stapled into the back of his skull.¡± Alphonse tipped his own glass, ¡°Right to business. Yes, I have some information about the prospective job if you¡¯d be interested to hear about it.¡± Ris swirled her glass impatiently, ¡°sure, give me the big points.¡± ¡°Well, the new tech is completely inert when you aren¡¯t plugged in directly to the net. The bandwidth on these new rigs is such that we can get a full brain read and use that to direct your character while you¡¯re not on.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going to clone me digitally?¡± ¡°So to speak, it will be a copy of your present you. The gang down at the lab says that we have to plug in once a week to keep the avatar synced properly.¡± ¡°Synced properly? What will happen if I forget?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ve had some issues before about reconciliation between the two consciousnesses, but we¡¯ve worked out all the bugs with that. The once a week plug in is just for secondary measures to keep the play consistent.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very reassuring, Alphonse. Has anyone been seriously hurt or killed?¡± Al waved his hands in dismissal, ¡°no, no, no, not at all! They just had some minor psychological problems, but we screen for that now as well. Brain chemistry being complex and all that.¡± He took a small sip to pause. ¡°The goal of this technology is to allow for people to live multiple lives. Who was it that said, ¡®if doesn¡¯t read, they live one lifetime, but if they read then they can live a thousand lifetimes¡¯? Well this is the modern day equivalent to that. We at Esperia Online want to give people the chance to live multiple lives.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ll be living in the game world while I do my thing up top in real time? How will I know what I¡¯ve done during the week when I¡¯m not actually playing?¡± ¡°Those memories will be shown to you. You can choose for the play by play or for the big points, so to speak,¡± Alphonse said taking another sip. Ris seemed to be warming to the idea of the game. ¡°Tell me how the hook up works. Will I become a lifeless doll while in the game or catching up?¡± ¡°Not at all! You¡¯ll still be aware of whats going on around you, and we can have a rig put in at your house. Of course, if you want full immersion you¡¯re more than welcome to shut out the outside world. Oh! And we can put a wireless system as well,¡± that seemed to alarm Ris, ¡°but you can remove the radio attachment before you leave for your own privacy. We know that some people can be wary about there being a direct port into one¡¯s thoughts and having that easily accessed wirelessly.¡± ¡°Wow, so you aren¡¯t going to suck the ideas out of my head?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we could make you a tin foil hat, Ris,¡± Gerald said. ¡°What about pain and trauma? What if something happens to my avatar that is traumatic? I don¡¯t want to get PTSD from something I didn¡¯t even do. I got more important things to worry about.¡± ¡°We have buffers put in place that cause the avatar to lose memory of the pain inflicted on them, and if the experience is traumatic enough, we have it set that the memory will be completely removed and replayed such that it seems more like a movie than real life.¡± ¡°So its not I just got stabbed, but someone just stabbed someone else and I¡¯m witnessing it?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°How exactly is that different than watching someone get murdered? That still sounds like a traumatic experience.¡± ¡°People murder each other all the time in games online, the avatar may not feel that it is a game, but you definitely will.¡± ¡°And they enjoy it!¡± said Gerald. ¡°Have you been killed before, Alphonse?¡± ¡°Oh come on, Ris, that¡¯s not nice to ask,¡± Gerald said. He stared at her blankly for a moment. ¡°Uh, well, yes I have.¡± ¡°And how¡¯d that go over for you?¡± ¡°Erm, it wasn¡¯t the most pleasant thing, but it didn¡¯t have any more of an impact on me than other things that happen in a ¡®normal¡¯ life. There has to be a consequence of dying, but we aren¡¯t sadists.¡± Ris knocked back her old fashioned, and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try it. For one week. If I don¡¯t like it we call it off. Deal?¡± She extended her hand. ¡°Deal. You can even keep the implants if you like them and this doesn¡¯t work out,¡± said Alphonse. He reached out and they shook. Getting Plugged In Ris¡¯s head still ached from the procedure. But that wasn¡¯t unexpected. It had only been four hours beforehand. She was still in recovery, in one of those ridiculous paper like gowns they make you wear if you even breathe the word doctor. Gerald and Alphonse walked into her room carrying a tray of hospital food and water for her. ¡°How ya feeling, champ?¡± said Gerald, taking an apple off the tray. ¡°Like someone just probed my head. How long before the headache goes away, Alphonse?¡± ¡°It should be gone by tonight, and we can get you synced up. You¡¯re more than welcome to stay online after the sync is done, but that¡¯s up to you. We have the rest of your rig installed at your house. Tonight we¡¯d like you to come to the clinic on Esperia Online¡¯s HQ for the first sync, just to make sure everything is goes as it should.¡± Ris blinked, ¡°brain chemistry and all that?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hop on with you Ris, and my character can show you the ropes,¡± Gerald said with a grin. ¡°I think you¡¯re going to like him. He¡¯s like me.¡± ¡°He is you, Gerald,¡± Ris said reaching for the ham sandwich on the tray. ¡°Not when he¡¯ll be with you. He¡¯ll be me, but not me.¡± ¡°Look, I just had brain surgery, can we not do that whole, I know that you know that I know crap?¡± ¡°Come on, Gerald, let¡¯s let her rest for tonight. We¡¯ll see you there, Ris. Get some rest.¡± Alphonse had to drag Gerald away from the tray on the bed. Gerald almost got the cookie, but Ris was faster. ¡°Hah, get your own cookie!¡± Gerald pouted as he was pulled from the room. ¡ª¡ª- A few hours later and feeling much more refreshed, Ris sent a probing hand up to the back of her head. There she could feel the hub had interfaced with her skin. It was waterproof and they¡¯d worked out the whole brain hookup stuff a long time ago, but they still had a long way to go on making it less creepy feeling, never mind that it was a direct link access to her fundamental self. She got changed and left the hospital heading for the on site clinic at EO¡¯s Headquarters. The auto cab that took her there seemed to be more aggressive than usual in its driving, but it got her to the doors of the clinic before the suggested time of arrival, so she didn¡¯t complain. Ris looked at the bleak monolith like structures in front of her with the setting sun behind them. The campus seemed to have a block theme, wherein all the buildings had the same rough shape with an even number of cooling towers rising from the top of the squat forms. It was as if giant¡¯s played with legos and left them on the floor, just waiting to be stepped on. She approached the door of the building with the helpfully marked sign that simply said, ¡°Clinic¡±. She couldn¡¯t see any windows on the structure, but assumed that there was some modified one way glass; nobody was that cruel to their employees that they couldn¡¯t see the world outside the entire time they were working in the building. After coming to the door, it opened automatically without a sound, revealing a brightly lit waiting room with a few people shuffling about. Stepping in, she could see the typical setup, gross coffee dispenser in one corner, bored receptionist in the other, and a pair of vid screens set up like a pair of dueling pianos - both were vying for the attention of those confined. She walked up to the receptionist and said, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Ris Haden, I have an appointment.¡± The receptionist seemed to register that she did indeed have someone bothering her, and through her daze put the name into the computer. ¡°Have a seat Ms.Haden - wait, no we are ready for you now,¡± the woman said with a surprised look on her face. At this new development, the receptionist was revived back to life, ¡°Come with me please,¡± she said standing up and ushering Ris to another set of doors. Ris looked back into the room, and saw the hate and envy on the faces of those trapped in the confines of that waiting room. I guess its good to have a few friends sometimes. She was led through a series of corridors that eventually led to a room that was set up with three couches. One of the couches had additional medical equipment hooked up to it. The couches reminded Ris of her father¡¯s office, with his long leather lounging couch that he would talk to his patients on. She smiled at the memory, that couch was comfortable. ¡°Please have a seat on that, Ms. Haden. My name is Jane, if you need anything. Dr. Dres will be with you shortly.¡± Ris hopped up onto the couch, her feet dangling off the edge. Within a few moments she heard some footsteps and voices coming from the hallway. ¡°I¡¯m telling you Alphonse, we should take her through the city first!¡± ¡°No, no. She needs some time to get adjusted, I know the perfect place. Have a little faith. I have been doing an extensive survey over all the regions for the past three weeks, Ger. I¡¯ve even asked for our avatars to be sent there.¡± Gerald¡¯s eyes opened wide, ¡°what did you do to G2? He was working on his smithing! I really wanted to finish that set. Gah, its going to take another month if he didn¡¯t finish. You know that the metal had to be forged by the light of the moon!¡± Both men were so rapt up in their conversation that they didn¡¯t see Ris sitting quietly on the couch. Ris coughed and said, ¡°that was by far the nerdiest thing I¡¯ve ever heard from you, Gerald. Who knew?¡± Both men were broken from their conversation by the sudden noise and flinched, looking at her. She hopped down to come closer to the others. ¡°Now, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Alphonse and Gerald looked at each other, and then Alphonse called some more staff into the room. After a few moments, Ris was hooked up to just about every machine around the table. Except for the one that was labelled, ¡®crash cart¡¯. She didn¡¯t think she wanted to be hooked up to that. A man in scrubs asked her how she was feeling. ¡°A little tense, what¡¯s with all the hook ups?¡± ¡°Just a precaution,¡± Alphonse said from his couch, ¡°I had them and so did Gerald when we first used our implants. In fact, why don¡¯t Gerald and I go first. We¡¯ll see you in the game! Gerald, age before beauty.¡± Gerald huffed at that, ¡°I¡¯m only two months older than you, dude.¡± He looked over at Ris, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯ll see you there in there.¡± And with those words, his eyes became unfocused and glassy. Alphonse sat back up and said, ¡°I won¡¯t have much time to spend in the game this time around, but I¡¯ll make sure you start off on the right foot, so to speak. Besides, my one week is up. Let¡¯s play a game with it as well, shall we? I have a bet for you.¡± ¡°Seeing as I am rather encumbered,¡± Ris lifted an arm covered in patches and wires, ¡°you have me at a disadvantage. I¡¯ll give it a try, anyway. What¡¯s the bet?¡± ¡°I want you to tell me when I leave the game and my avatar takes over. When you get out of course.¡± ¡°Heh, some code versus a person, that¡¯ll be easy. What¡¯s the wager?¡± ¡°Hmm, how about 500 platinum?¡± Ris looked a little confused, ¡°Is that a lot?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t read the material I left on your tray about the game?¡± ¡°What material?¡± ¡°Oh dear, this will be exciting then! Yes, it¡¯s a lot. But you¡¯ll make that easy, if my instincts are right.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take the bet!¡± A little starting money to grow the nest egg. ¡°Very good, see you soon,¡± with the last of his words seeming to fall out of his mouth as his eyes, too, went glassy and unfocused. Both men shifted on their couches, like a pair of bears getting ready for winter. ¡°So, how do I activate this thing?¡± Ris said to the man in the scrubs. ¡°You¡¯re already plugged in, so it¡¯s already active, you just have to think about accessing the game.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°What, like-¡± were the last words out of Ris¡¯s mouth as she seemed to suddenly fall out of her body and the world around her a realm of infinite darkness. ¡ª¡ª¡ª Ris came to floating in that same infinite darkness, but it had changed to reveal a since mote of light. Time didn¡¯t seem to move here. Ris reached for the mote, but couldn¡¯t get any closer to it than she had before. She flailed a bit, trying to swim toward the mote. All she ended up doing was looking like a frog in a very large pond. That also happened to be infinite in all directions. Frustration building with tears, she recognized that she was getting flustered. She started to employ the breathing techniques that had gotten her through every hard thing in her life. The breathing exercises her father had taught her had helped her in more than one situation. She calmed and willed herself to come closer to the light. Slowly, she moved to the mote, and as she approached, she saw that the mote was getting bigger. She accelerated toward it, Newton¡¯s laws propelling her into the reality that was the light. Finally, her vision full of the brightness, so bright that her eyes couldn¡¯t open, she felt a ¡®pop¡¯ and reality snapped back into being. She was present in a small room that was well lit on all sides by glowing crystals and candles. The crystals reflected and bent the candle light so that the room looked to be ablaze with candles. On the far side of the chamber was an altar. She felt the floor solidify under her feet and she took a tentative step forward. Her footfall broke the silence and the candles seemed to dance at the sound. She approached the altar, walking the few steps up the dais to reach it. As she approached, she could see the markings drawn into the marble like stone of the altar. Some were clearly old looking, while others were new. She placed a hand on the altar, and the light seemed to bend to the other side. Before her stood a being made of pure candle light. A hand, palm open formed in front of her. ¡°To gain access to our world, an offering must be made,¡± A whisper in the chamber spoke. ¡°An offering that will start your journey. Some have given hair, and some have given blood, but what would you give?¡± Ris thought for a moment, remembering that her cheeks were still wet. She reached up, and carefully gathered the tears that were there and let them fall into the hand made of light. The light shimmered and coalesced even more to prevent them from falling through. Another voice broke through, louder than the whisper, ¡°Tears, that was unexpected. They are so hard to read sometimes.¡± From another direction, another voice was heard, ¡°Oh hush, they are just something that you have to think about. You can have tears that are sad, happy, angry, or a combination of the three. But really, it comes down to what she wants them to mean. Honestly, I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s here at all. It¡¯s quite out of line for Boreas to be giving her favor like that. Especially since she hasn¡¯t even done anything yet.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve given plenty of favors, Frenda, don¡¯t give us that,¡± another voice retorted. ¡°Come, let us focus and let the little one go on her way. She has quite the trial before her.¡± The hand of light transformed into a symbol, three circles; one inside the others; with the circles being of blue, silver, and gold color. Ris¡¯s hand reached up to touch the circles, and they shrunk in size. They placed themselves on her palm, and branded her there. The sudden pain flaring in her mind. It seemed to reach far deeper than the skin that was burned. After the bright flash, her hand closed and she felt something cool in it, but the pain was such that she couldn¡¯t open her hand up. A whisper in the chamber said, ¡°may these help you start your journey.¡± And again, the pain flared until she lost herself in it. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª She became aware of a character creation screen in front of her. It showed the typical flavorings of these kinds of things. A few interesting races, some mammalian, some reptilian and avian, and one even elemental. She tried to select one of the other races, but the toggle wouldn¡¯t allow her to confirm her choice. Figures, I swear if that Alphonse did this¡­ Her current race was Sin¡¯rakh, whatever that was. It didn¡¯t seem to be any different than a normal human. It did have some options, mainly in hair. Well Ris, do you want copper brown, or brown copper? The skin tones were also restricted to a darker complexion. It went from sun-kissed tan to a very dark brown, almost black color. She adjusted the height to be a few inches taller than what she was in real life. She was an average 5 foot 7 inches in real life but now she was 6 foot even. She looked at this version of herself, the same prominent cheekbones, and soft chin from the real world were there, but now set upon a slightly larger face. The muscles of this body were also well built, not that she was out of shape, but now there was tone. She looked at this warrior before her and was proud. It¡¯s not as imaginative as I¡¯d like it, but she still looks like she could kick some serious ass. She toggled the confirm appearance button, and the face zoomed in close to hers. She could see know that the eyes were not normal, they were three colored in bands: blue on the outer most, silver, then gold around her pupils. A prompt popped up, and the face whispered the words on it: ¡°What is my name?¡± She thought about this other half of herself. She was robbed in most of its creation, by an outside force, but at least she got to name herself. You are me, little one, you are me. She spoke the name like a word of power, and the world trembled as the syllables came forth. ¡°Risseln Keal.¡± The face came closer to hers, and like an incomplete puzzle, the pieces were joined together to form the whole. ¡ª¡ª¡ª Ris blinked twice as the light of the bright sun overhead reached her mind. A shimmering box seemed to be just out of focus, and as she focused on it, it coalesced into a prompt. Greetings Traveler! Welcome to Esperia Online! As you may (or not) know, we pride ourselves on an immersive experience. As such, there is no such quantified system for leveling that you will see. That does not mean you don¡¯t have the typical attributes and skills and spells as in other games you may (or not) have played. What this means is that if you work hard, you can shape yourself in a way that you wouldn¡¯t believe. We at EO believe that it isn¡¯t quite as rewarding to level up and then put your points into an attribute. We''ve found that in other games, putting a point into wisdom doesn''t actually mean you''re more wise. Instead, if you learn that a situation could be handled better, then you know it could be handled better. No discrete number will let you know that! With that we ask you to keep an open mind and keep adventuring! Behind this prompt, Ris could also see another prompt: During your creation, you were blessed by one of the gods. Your race is now the fabled Sin¡¯rakh, who used to rule the deserts of Dul. Though your race may have faded with history, its mark upon this world was drastic and forever changing. Unfortunately, as a near mythical being, many common people will be mistrustful of you until you establish yourself like one of your fabled race. Good travels! After dismissing the last prompt, the world seemed to come back into focus, and the wind seemed to slide around her like a piece of silk. ¡°Is she done with those prompts? I forgot how annoying they were!¡± said one voice behind her. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s coming to now,¡± said another voice, ¡°Hey Ris!¡± She spun, far faster than she was used to, and in the middle of her spin realized that she was carrying a spear. ¡°Woah! Watch where you¡¯re swinging that thing! It¡¯s just us.¡± Before her stood two creatures, one was lithe and gaunt, with the telltale points of elven ears, and the other was more square and squat, the green scaley skin seemed to reflect some of the light from above. The elf wore simple robes that seemed to shift in the sands about him with the wind. ¡°Guess who is who, Ris. I bet she¡¯ll never get it,¡± said the elf. She squinted to focus on the faces and could see the shadow of Alphonse in the elven features. ¡°You¡¯re Alphonse, and that,¡± she said pointing to the scale covered humanoid, ¡°is Gerald.¡± ¡°Aw, thats no fun. Why¡¯d you pick human anyway? Wasn¡¯t being one in real life boring enough?¡± said Gerald through his elongated reptilian mouth. ¡°I didn¡¯t really have a choice. What did you all sacrifice in the room?¡± The two men looked at each other. ¡°Uh, what room?¡± both of them said. ¡°The spooky room with the candles and the altar. In the very beginning before you create your character.¡± Alphonse started to look increasingly worried. ¡°That¡¯s strange, you can¡¯t actually interact with the game until you create a character. Back in the beta testing they showed that people feel that the game is too real if they don¡¯t create that ¡®wall¡¯ right in the beginning.¡± Gerald nodded, ¡°Was that what took so long? That was by far the longest character creation I¡¯ve ever had the unfortunate pleasure of waiting for.¡± Ris had a flash back to the waiting room in the clinic and shuttered. ¡°Well, I made my sacrifice, and I started hearing voice. They were calling each other gods.¡± Gerald shook his head, ¡°Yeah, there are gods in the game, but they aren¡¯t able to directly interact with anyone unless the character has a really really high in depth knowledge and faith of that god.¡± He looked over at Alphonse, ¡°Are you sure this isn¡¯t transference feedback?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check after we are done here. I¡¯m sure it was nothing.¡± He said with a wave of his hand. ¡°Anyway, cool spear, Ris. Even if you nearly gutted me,¡± said Gerald. ¡°So what are your names in here?¡± asked Ris. ¡°What makes you think we have different ones?¡± replied the reptilian man while sticking his tongue out at an awkward angle. Alphonse sighed, ¡°In here I¡¯m Al¡¯Fanal Qin¡¯Sinael. But please, for everyone¡¯s sake just call me Al¡± Ris giggled at the name, ¡°Nerd.¡± ¡°Says the girl who builds AI¡¯s for a living. I¡¯m Ger and I¡¯m a Crocrin. Don¡¯t call my people alligator or crocodile, they really really don¡¯t like that,¡± the reptilian man said, scratching at his leather tunic. ¡°Uh, isn¡¯t that ironic?¡± said Ris, ¡°You¡¯re wearing leather as a reptile? Shouldn¡¯t your hide be strong enough?¡± ¡°One: I don¡¯t think I can tell the difference between irony and coincidence right now, and two: I don¡¯t think people would appreciate seeing my junk just hanging out like that.¡± ¡°But reptiles don¡¯t have junk, they have cloacas.¡± ¡°Well, my race certainly does because reasons. Let¡¯s get this train wreck moving.¡± ¡°Where are we anyway?¡± Ris asked whipping the spear in her hands around, it felt surprisingly good to hold. ¡°Oh, let me fix that,¡± said Al, ¡°my guy has been journeying for the better half of a year now. Give me your hand.¡± He reached out and she clasped it. She got a feeling like she was just asked a question about whether or not she wanted to share maps. She thought that it would be a great idea and suddenly she could recall seeing quite a few places. Mountains, valleys, rivers, cities, oceans, and this desert filled her mind. She reeled from the influx of information, but she seemed to do a decent job of keeping it catalogued. ¡°Yeah, it can be a lot for the first time, sorry about that. We can take it slow back to town.¡± Ris pushed off her spear as she stood tall again, a proud warrior. She saw the scene below and gasped. They were standing on the top of a mountain of a dune, several hundred feet above a valley of smaller dunes. In the distance she could see the twinkle of the ocean waves sparkling like gems on the water, and between the savagery of the desert and the calm of the ocean sat a small town, green and alive, with smoke and people moving about. ¡°Anyway, welcome to-¡± ¡°Dul,¡± Ris said as she looked upon the land that the Sin''rakh, her people, once ruled. To Town We Go The group stumbled down the side of the great dune and trudged their way through the fine sand. ¡°You guys made it all the way up here, but didn¡¯t bother to bring anything to get back down with? That¡¯s some pretty poor planning,¡± said Ris as she high stepped through the sand. ¡°Well, we wanted to show you the view,¡± said Al, his robe girded to prevent the sand from getting caught in uncomfortable places. It also made him look like a rather large thin baby with pale legs. ¡°We? I was teleported here just like her! Speaking of which, I didn¡¯t get to finish my armor set! Now what am I going to do with all these pieces? They are worthless for another month,¡± grumbled Ger. The sand seemed to bother him the least as he barely picked his feet up as they descended. ¡°I am sorry about that, you know. You did agree to be here though.¡± ¡°I agreed to welcome her, not to be torn away from my work! I had promised some items to a few people by next week. Now I¡¯ll be stuck working late nights until then.¡± ¡°Wait, you mean the digital you will be doing that. Why are you so torn up about it?¡± asked Ris as she attempted to use her spear as a walking stick. It, unfortunately, was too fine a weapon and seemed to glide into the sand, barely finding any purchase at all. ¡°Well yeah, I¡¯m not going to waste real sleep on it, but when I do sync back up, I wanted the memories to be more enjoyable. There is a satisfaction in making things from raw elements, less so when you¡¯re stressed that you can¡¯t make them all in time. Plus I have my reputation to think about.¡± Al chuckled at that, ¡°Which I might add is a bit funny in the first place. To think that a Crocrin would bother making armor. Look, he doesn¡¯t even wear metal!¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not wearing metal either?¡± retorted Ris, ¡°I don¡¯t see what the big deal is.¡± Al waved his hand and a spark of fire appeared in his hand, ¡°I¡¯m a Sorcerer, so it doesn¡¯t make sense for me to wear heavy armor.¡± He made another motion and it hardened into a contained flame on his forearm. ¡°I can just magic some up. You really should have read those things I left with you. Our good reptile here is a warrior, so he should be wearing armor.¡± The reptilian eyes rolled so hard it looked like they were doing a death roll. ¡°And I told you that I didn¡¯t have to. I drank that draught that ended up infusing my skin with metal. It would be redundant at this point.¡± ¡°Where¡¯d you get something like that?¡± asked Ris, that potion sounded like it gave a pretty sweet perk. ¡°Well, I stopped an assassination attempt on the Chief of the Crocrins,¡± said Ger rubbing the rough scales of his forearms. Al made a pffff sound and said, ¡°Come now, don¡¯t make it more than what it really was. You stumbled into a would be assassin when you were trying to go to the bathroom. Honestly, this guy¡¯s potty dance should be a battle move.¡± ¡°Well, I stopped the attempt, regardless. And the Chief didn¡¯t care-said so himself.¡± Ris didn¡¯t like how hard it would be to get the potion, but asked anyway, ¡°So if I wanted something like that, I¡¯d have to ask him for it?¡± ¡°Oh no, this would kill a human. It would cause your skin to turn to metal. Sweating is pretty important for humans, not so much for people like me.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Ris said dejectedly, ¡°do you collect your own scales for the metal then?¡± Ger scratched his chin. ¡°Hm, I hadn¡¯t thought about that. I wonder what the quality would be like¡­.¡± Ger stared off thinking about the possibilities. They¡¯d made it a quarter way down the slope by this point, and Ris¡¯s legs already felt like jelly. ¡°Mind if we take a bit of a break, my legs are killing me. Also, did one of you bring water?¡± Ris asked by leaning against the side of the dune. ¡°Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, you¡¯re new so everything will take some time to adjust. Plus your scores are probably really low,¡± said Al sitting down next to her, ¡°and for the water, watch this.¡± He made a few gestures and a set of cups and a pitcher appeared in front of him. He made a few more different gestures and a small stream of water shot out of his finger. He filled the pitcher, poured a cup full, and handed it to her. ¡°Neat party trick. Can you turn the water into wine, though?¡± Ris gulped the liquid down greedily. She didn¡¯t realize how thirsty she really was. It also was one of the best glasses of water she had ever tasted. Al let out a laugh, ¡°Now that¡¯d be something! I could just open my own tavern if I could do that. But no, the wine industry is stable and safe from a sudden magical supply.¡± ¡°Well if we¡¯re going to take a break, I¡¯m going to get to repairing some equipment,¡± said Ger reaching into a small bag on his belt. ¡°Equipment? You¡¯re telling me that little bag can hold more than a toothpick?¡± Ris said pointing at the tiny bag. Ger smiled, reached his whole arm into the bag, ¡°Pocket dimensions are pretty snazzy,¡± and pulled out a large kite shield that had some severe dents in it. ¡°Always the business man, eh, Ger? Can¡¯t you just relax and enjoy the view?¡± ¡°I would, but I have a few orders to fill, and if I hadn¡¯t been so rudely kidnapped, I could enjoy the view, Al.¡± Ger said hammering away at the kite shield with a small mallet he had pulled out of his bag. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty big shield, Ger. Who are you fixing it for?¡± asked Ris drinking more of the cool water. Ger huffed and said, ¡°Half-giant who got into a nasty fight with a few mountain trolls. Buddy of mine that I owe a favor to.¡± ¡°Ger¡¯s always making friends, but he never makes time to enjoy their company!¡± Ris had been thinking about what she¡¯d want to carry along with the spear, since she assumed that her main weapon had already been picked out for her. Maybe a shield would help with things that got inside of the spears length? ¡°Mind if I see that shield, Ger?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really heavy but sure, here, have a look.¡± Ger tossed the shield her way. Ris reached out to grab it, her reflexes were much faster than before, but her strength was still lacking. She grabbed onto the shield, but it slipped through her fingers as she failed to hold on. ¡°Ah, crap-¡± The shield slid down the side of the dune, with the sand making a swish noise as it slid across the fine particles. ¡°Hey be more careful next time! You could¡¯ve damaged it.¡± As the shield came to a stop, she looked up at Ger, an idea coming to mind and a smile to her lips. ¡°I think I just got us a faster route down, boys.¡± ¡ª¡ª- Twenty Minutes later, they were at the base of the dune with three very well worn shields. Everyone¡¯s ass was quite thoroughly sore though. ¡°I¡¯ll be lucky to walk around straight after this,¡± said Al rubbing his girded rump. ¡°Does baby need some powder?¡± asked Ger, who was busy massaging his own posterior. ¡°Har, har, har,¡± said Al, and shot some water at Ger, soaking his tunic. ¡°I hope you get chafed.¡± ¡°Come children, I want to get to the town sometime this lifetime. Thanks for letting us use the shields, Ger,¡± said Ris as she attempted to shake all the sand out of her calf high boots. ¡°I hope they aren¡¯t too damaged.¡± ¡°Eh, nothing I can¡¯t fix. I¡¯m just glad we got down off that mountain of a dune.¡± Ris, having shaken her boots clear, slipped them back on. ¡°Alright, where to?¡± Al pointed in the direction of some more low lying dunes, ¡°maybe two miles that way and we¡¯ll be in the town.¡± Ger slipped the shields back into his bag and the group started walking again. The fine tan sand crunching under their feet as they walked toward the sun and the ocean, and civilization. After cresting the last dune, the town finally came into view. ¡°Whew, almost there!¡± Ger exclaimed at seeing the peaks of the towers in the town. ¡°I know the desert can be exhausting and nobody was in the mood to talk, but is there any reason why we walked in single file the entire time there?¡± Al grinned and said, ¡°The sand people walk in single file to hide their numbers.¡± Ris giggled a bit at the reference, ¡°Besides, I wanted to stare at that fine reptilian ass.¡± ¡°I am not a piece of meat!¡± ¡°Yes, you are, if southern cooking has told me anything, you probably taste like chicken.¡± ¡°I resent that!¡± ¡°And we tolerate your presence, so we¡¯re even,¡± said Al, ¡°anyway, now that I can feel the ocean breeze I think its time to fill Ris in more on what exactly we are supposed to be doing and how to play.¡± Ris wholeheartedly agreed to that. ¡°Okay, so you started a little unusually, and normally some npcs would give you a bunch of quests about how to use the inventory and stuff like that. You might have noticed in the time that we¡¯ve been walking, that you don¡¯t have anything in your field of view. There aren¡¯t any addable elements in this game because we wanted you to feel like you were living your time here. This is the ultimate storybook adventure, and we¡¯ve tried to make it so. When I shared the map with you, you knew where everything I¡¯ve been was, but you won¡¯t see it in a confined space - it¡¯s just in your head now. If you ever want to log out, you can just think menu and it¡¯ll bring up some toggles for you. That is really the only major menu in this game. Your inventory, speaking of which, here,¡± he tossed her a bag similar to Ger¡¯s, ¡°is similar to the map. As long as you¡¯re holding the bag and think about what¡¯s inside, you¡¯ll know whats in the bag. That is unless someone who officially owns or binds their soul to the bag doesn¡¯t want you to know about an item. For not magical bags and chests, you¡¯ll just have to take a look at it. Also, there isn¡¯t an ¡®identify¡¯ feature in this game. If it looks like a duck, talks like a duck, and acts like a duck, then it¡¯s probably a duck. If you don¡¯t know what a duck is, then you won¡¯t have a clue at what you¡¯re looking at. We don¡¯t spoon feed here. You can find books that impart knowledge about these things around the world and you can purchase them from shops. Ris smirked, ¡°So I can understand the fundamental duckyness of a duck?¡± ¡°Exactly! I think another good example is to talk about making things. Ger, is a surprisingly good armorsmith.¡± Al turned to him, ¡°Do you wanna tell her about crafts?¡± A proud look flashed across¡°Sure! Ris, you know how you like to cook?¡± ¡°Well yeah.¡± ¡°Good, that¡¯s how you craft!¡± Ger said nodding his vigorously. ¡°That is super helpful, Ger,¡± Ris said sarcastically. ¡°But it is! Recipes are only written directions, once you know what you¡¯re doing, you don¡¯t need them anymore. For instance, I know that repairing those shields were take at least some amount of metal. However, I could need more, or I could need less, so the whole idea of a guaranteed result is moot. And that¡¯s part of what makes this game so fun.¡± ¡°That it doesn¡¯t give any directions on how to do anything?¡± ¡°Well, yeah, you just gotta try things. You¡¯ll never know what will happen! Al, show her some of the magic stuff.¡± Al nodded, ¡°First aren¡¯t any set classes either. We just use traditional names to keep introductions short. No one wants to hear that I am a mage who specializes in conjurations in both fire and water while also dabbling in illusions, healing, and alteration magics. Anyway, magic here is more of a fundamental thing. It can be taught, but there is no guarantee that the student will be able to pick it up on the first go. You have to feel a connection with a force before you can tap into it. Like I feel the heat of the sun, on a fundamental level mind you, and I can tap into that heat to generate a flame, like this -¡± He snapped his finger to make a tiny flame appear above his index finger.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Magic also doesn¡¯t necessarily require gestures here, it just requires to proper application of mind and will. Why don¡¯t you try and see if you can feel some of the forces? With your interesting start, I bet you have some rather high starting affinities.¡± ¡°Alright, just feel the heat, right?¡± Ris stopped, and closed her eyes and felt the sun beat down on her skin. The sweltering heat seemed to pour into her, and she also felt some of the heat coming from her own self. ¡°I feel something, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°Now just focus it, imagine something characteristic that helps your direction.¡± Ris reached back in her memory for the time that her dad was sitting outside on the porch with her. They were watching the summer thunderstorm roll through their little part of the world. Together they rocked in their chairs, they didn¡¯t say anything but her dad had one of those flip top lighters. Every once in a while, he would flip it open, rock, and then flip it closed. Flip, rock, flip, rock. Eventually he would light the cigar hanging from his mouth with it. She remembered the way the smoke would lazily drift off the tip into the humid air of the porch until it was beaten down by the rain when it tried to escape. Ris took a breath, rocked on her feet, and then snapped her fingers. She felt a movement as the laws of physics strained to explain the spark that appeared briefly with the snap. Both Al and Ger clapped in excitement! ¡°That was great, Ris!¡± said Ger. He tapped her on the back. ¡°I would have to agree,¡± said Al, ¡°and I think you¡¯ll have quite the time here if you continue to practice. I¡¯ll buy you a few books when we get to town to help you out.¡± They reached the gates of the town as the sun was setting onto the ocean. The gates were made of a hard rock material that was reminiscent of the sand around them. It looked well worn by the wind and the sand. There were some markings along the length of wall, with some being quite faded and others freshly scratched. Some Ris recognized as regular graffiti with unfamiliar slurs and tags. Some were in a language she wasn¡¯t sure was magical or just foreign. Overhead, two moons began to make their appearance in the fading sunlight. The guards looked positively bored as they approached but began to straighten when they realized the group was not a mirage. ¡°Not like to see many people come from the desert these days. What were ya doin out there?¡± One guard said in an accent that sounded like a british accent that had been trapped at sea for three hundred years. ¡°Just taking in the views, my good man. How goes the watch?¡± spoke Al. ¡°The same as before. It¡¯s like watching mud dry. I swear I¡¯ve been out here so long that I¡¯ve seen the dunes move. I hate the desert gate post. The captain always puts us on it when the good ships come into port.¡± ¡°Oi, Clem. We get compensated fair right for the post. It¡¯s triple the port gate pay.¡± The other guard leaned his spear towards his fellow. ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s a cause we hafta worry about them snake people coming out of the desert. You saw what them done to ole John-boy. Hell¡¯uva time about it too. The man were bout to get into carpentry after his last pay.¡± Al cleared his throat, ¡°very good, now may we pass.¡± The two guards eyed the elf suspiciously, ¡°you got anything ya wish to declare?¡± ¡°A new friend, if that¡¯s taxable?¡± Clem looked over at the other guard, who shook his head. ¡°Nah, you¡¯re free ta go. Keep the piece or we¡¯ll put ya on my wall. Welcome to Sho¡¯Dul.¡± Al nodded at them as the group walked by. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t see any snake people today,¡± called back Ris as they made their way into the town. The gate was like a portal to another world. Once through, Ris could hear the loud shouts of what she guessed was a market. She heard the sounds of livestock and people going about their business. ¡°Well, welcome to Sho¡¯Dul. The only major city on this side of the desert. Let me grab you a couple of books and then we can head off for the night.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll take a portal back to Thein City. I really need to finish those orders.¡± ¡°Go if you have to, Ger. I really appreciate the welcome!¡± Ris went over and hugged the scaled man. ¡°I¡¯ll set everything up in the shop and then I¡¯ll meet you back in the clinic.¡± Ger nodded at Al, and then walked away toward a large domed building near the center of town. ¡°I know a good bookseller here. She might have a few of the things we¡¯re after. This way.¡± Al led her through a bunch of winding streets that she already knew. It was like a constant stream of deja vu. ¡°Hey Al, do people share maps often?¡± Al, stopped and looked back at her. ¡°Not really, most people can¡¯t get over the weird sensation of already being there. Besides, it ruins the whole exploration thing for some people.¡± ¡°Then why¡¯d you give me the map?¡± ¡°Because I needed you to know where things are. You¡¯re technically an employee of EO now, and while this job can be a lot of fun, you¡¯ll ultimately have to check things out that many people don¡¯t know how to get to.¡± ¡°Ah right, so are we going to The Velvet Cover, or The Cracked Spine?¡± Al smiled, ¡°A quick learner I see. Ger was right about you being perfect for the job. We¡¯re going to The Cracked Spine. Magora, the owner there, has a more exotic collection.¡± ¡°Mind if I lead? I think it might help get rid of the deja vu.¡± Al put his hands up, ¡°By all means.¡± After a few turnarounds, Ris got comfortable with the knowledge of where she was. Leading did help with the funny feelings about the memories but didn¡¯t make it go completely away. She supposed she¡¯d just get used to it. The shop door was framed by the spines of some creatures that must have been much longer than the average person. The squat building sat on a row of other trade houses but was the only one blessed to have the corner spot. The windows looking out into the street had a peculiar look to them. Yes, one could look into them, but if one stared too long one got queasy. Shaking the odd feeling away, she followed Al into the shop. ¡°Magora, how have you been?¡± Al said with his arms wide. He went to give the small wizened old woman a hug, but she pushed him back with a pulse of blue energy. ¡°Your charms won¡¯t work on me incubus. Now what do you want?¡± ¡°To look through your lofty collection for a few knowledge tomes for my friend here. She¡¯s just discovered that she has the knack!¡± Magora beckoned Ris into the shop. ¡°Ah, yes of course, come in dear.¡± ¡°My, what interesting eyes, I¡¯ve never seen their sort before,¡± Magora said, taking a step closer to Ris. ¡°Her mother had an unfortunate accident that caused it to become inheritable. Deals with devils and such.¡± Al said while looking through a few tomes. Magora continued to approach Ris, and was getting uncomfortably close when Al called Ris over, ¡°Hey Ris, what types of magic are you interested in?¡± Seeing her escape, Ris scampered over to Al¡¯s side, ¡°Well what would you suggest?¡± ¡°I think you might like this book at magical properties of items. That¡¯ll give a brief overview of pretty much every school of magic, and help you understand magical items a bit. Here¡¯s a book on fire magic, which I think you¡¯ll like. Now for the last one¡­ ¡° Ris remembered being back to being young and with her dad. He was showing her how to make pasta. It was magic to her that you could take something like flour, so fluffy and powdery and with an egg make something delicious. It was magic to her then and it was still magic to her now. ¡°Alteration if thats okay.¡± Al raised an eyebrow at that, ¡°Really? I wouldn¡¯t have guessed. Well, here¡¯s a good starting book on that. It¡¯s a copy of the same book that I used.¡± Al grabbed a multicolored tome that shimmered on the page ends. Magora had made her way over to them and was trying again to get a closer look at Ris. ¡°How much for the books, Magora?¡± Al called. ¡°Why, I¡¯d give them as a gift if you wouldn¡¯t mind spending some time telling me about your family, what was it, Ris?¡± Al frowned deeply at this. ¡°No, Magora, what¡¯s the price?¡± A flash of anger ran across Magora¡¯s face. ¡°Hmmm, 50 gold pieces.¡± Al¡¯s eyebrows went up, ¡°Only 50 for the three books? I¡¯ll give you an additional 70 if you promise not to harass my friend here.¡± Magora raised her hands up in surrender. I just want to get to know the girl. Greed seemed to bubble into her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s not often we get such unusual company in Sho¡¯Dul. But I will agree to your trade.¡± Al filled his hand with energy, ¡°then let¡¯s make it binding.¡± Magora set her jaw and then shook his hand, ¡°I agree for the price of 120 gold pieces, to give you the three books and to not harass your friend.¡± Al¡¯s grip tightened, ¡°Her name is Ris.¡± Magora¡¯s face tightened the smile turning into a sneer, ¡°your friend Ris.¡± With that, Al released his hand and the energy swirled and came out from between their hands. It shot into each of their chests and then the room returned to normal. Al beckoned Ris to the door, ¡°Come on, Ris, let¡¯s go.¡± They exited and Al led them on a winding path to seemingly nowhere. ¡°What was that all about?¡± asked Ris while they were walking. ¡°She knows that you¡¯re not exactly human. And I think she also knows what you are and the implications of you being here.¡± Ris frowned at that, great more problems. ¡°What are the implications of me being here?¡± ¡°While we were in the shop, I snatched this,¡± he handed her a book titled, A Historie of the Sin¡¯rakh. ¡°Give it a read when you¡¯re in a safe place. Anyway she would probably try to kidnap you and sell you to some malicious party. Some of the people, both ¡®real¡¯ and digital, have some pretty twisted moral means of getting information.¡± Ris raised an eyebrow at that, ¡°Says the man who just stole a book.¡± ¡°To help you understand what¡¯s at stake here. Let¡¯s get you to a good inn for the time being and then I can give you the rest of your equipment that you¡¯ll need.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª- After a few more winding alleys, Ris realized that they were going to an Inn called The Quacking Duck, and the irony was not lost on her (or was it coincidence?), she could never remember. From the outside, the three storied building was built of a sturdy stone brick and the door was large and inviting, with the image of a rather silly duck on the front. They went inside and Al made a beeline for the bar. After talking with the proprietor, he got a key and they went up to the top landing. There was only a single door and he opened it to reveal the fantasy version of a penthouse suite. It had a stone tub set into the floor with two rune covered spouts affixed onto it. The windows were large and expansive and there was a stairway leading up to a trapdoor in the ceiling. There was a large bed off to the side of the room and next to it was a screen to partition the room into compartments. There was a seating area with a couple couches and what looked like a coffee table in the center. Al walked over to the couch and plopped down. He reached into his bag and pulled out the books, a small earring with a pearl on it, a key, and another bag which sounded like it had coins in it. ¡°Ah, I love this room. I always get it when I¡¯m doing some research over here.¡± ¡°You come here often? How long exactly have you been playing this game?¡± ¡°I used to back in the day. In the beta testing time, I was often one of the few people on. So I turned up the play time to make the game go by faster when I wasn¡¯t directly playing.¡± ¡°Wait, you kept the character from when the game was in beta?¡± ¡°Yeah, please don¡¯t mention that to other people. They may think that as unfair.¡± ¡°Well isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to understand right now, Ris, but this game means a lot to me. I only did it so I could experience more of the game, not to get more powerful. You¡¯ll learn that gaining more experience doesn¡¯t necessarily make you better at fighting. You¡¯ll still lose even if you have done everything right. That¡¯s just life.¡± ¡°Well, how old is your character then?¡± He shifted on the couch, ¡°like a woman, you should never ask an elf his age. But if you promise to keep it a secret, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°I promise,¡± she stuck out her hand. He laughed and waved it off, ¡°I¡¯m not going to bind you to it, that would be bad for our friendship and also our employer-employee relationship. I¡¯m technically 200 years old, and I¡¯ve played my character for maybe 70 digital years.¡± Ris gasped, ¡°Hasn¡¯t that had an effect on you? Don¡¯t you feel like an old man?¡± Al laughed again, ¡°Sometimes, but like all memories, portions of this life will fade. The only things from this game that don¡¯t fade are things deemed ¡®critical knowledge¡¯ such as discovered spells, and skills. And even then that¡¯s only when you¡¯re in game. We can talk later about the mechanics of memory storage later. My last comment on the subject will be that there is no time dilation in this game now because during the early stages of my time here, I didn¡¯t think of the implications of growing old so fast. Also, it means that things in the game happen on the same scale and rate as things in the real world, making them all the more important. Sure we will speed the growth of crops and such, but npcs now are going to be completely different from npcs 20 years from now assuming the game is still going.¡± Al beckoned her over and she sat down next to him, ¡°Now, for the employee welcoming package, I have the books we picked out from earlier today, the key to this room, which will be bound to you for one week, according to the terms of our contract, and the wager of our bet.¡± ¡°Ah, the bet, I nearly forgot.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the question for all the marbles: So, when did I log off in the real world?¡± Ris thought about how he hadn¡¯t really changed during their entire time while playing. Al was a busy guy, and was probably doing more company stuff at that moment in the clinic. Wait, what about at the dune? ¡°When we stopped to rest on the way down from the top of the dune.¡± Al¡¯s face filled with surprise. ¡°And what makes you so sure? What if I never logged off?¡± ¡°You did, because I would¡¯ve wanted to coming down off the mountain if I knew how to. Also you started using more first person pronouns as we descended from the top.¡± ¡°But that shield ride was so much fun, you think that I would miss it?¡± Ris tapped her cheek, ¡°You¡¯ll still experience it when you sync back up. I¡¯m sure.¡± With a smile and the shake of his head, he slid the coins over to her. ¡°Well, a deals a deal. Here ya go. You should definitely put that in the bank,¡± he said, the smile still on his face, ¡°if you can remember how to get there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing this will make me an easy target for thieves?¡± ¡°Does a bear shit in the woods?¡± ¡°Alright, then. What about the earring?¡± ¡°This earring will let you talk to other people if they have one of their own. Simply have them touch it while you think about adding them to your friends list and you¡¯ll be able to contact them. You can get the style changed if that current shape isn¡¯t your thing. It has to stay an earring though. There¡¯s also a weak find person spell on it that will give you the general direction and distance to the person in question if they¡¯re on the list.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s like one of those fancy comm badges on those sci fi shows?¡± ¡°Pretty much. A word of warning though, don¡¯t let anyone you don¡¯t trust add you to their list. We¡¯ve had to deal with some stalking issues before, and these tools, while helpful for staying in contact with friends, can become a problem when trying to avoid other people. ¡°Finally, you see that statue over there?¡± Al said pointing at what Ris thought was some decoration. ¡°That¡¯s a statue to Hern, the god of resurrection. He¡¯ll make you all better if you die, for a price of course.¡± ¡°Awesome, so don¡¯t die. Got it. One more question before you head out: how do I log out?¡± Al smirked at that, ¡°You didn¡¯t bother bringing up the menu when I told you how to do it?¡± ¡°No? Was it supposed to?¡± ¡°Just do it.¡± With a roll of her eyes, she thought menu and the menu popped up. It had a listing of options, game settings, and log out. ¡°You could¡¯ve just said that it was there. No reason to be smimey about it.¡± ¡°What does that even mean? I thought you were more curious than that. Also, you should think of some concrete things for your digital self to do before you leave. Otherwise, while being you, they may not actually get the things you wanted done.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°We all get distracted, don¡¯t we? Especially if there¡¯s a brand new world to explore and things to do?¡± ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± And with that, Al waved and left the room. She put the earring on. It was definitely something she was going to have to change over the coming week. It was far too gaudy for her. Also she had to visit the bank and see how money was handled here. Maybe read those books Al had given her? He was right, there was a lot to do in this game. With a sigh, she brought up the menu again and logged off. Unplugged Ris felt the world fall away from her. The sensation of falling down while the world stayed put seemed to be a reoccurring thing. However, this time it only lasted a second and she became aware of blinking back tears from the sharp bright light above. ¡°Turn down the lights! This happened to me, too, when I first synced up. Take it easy, Ris, you had a bit of a fright there. Turns out when you first went under you went really under.¡± A voice that sounded slightly off said from a shadow in the corner of her vision. Ris felt that the back of her throat was dry. ¡°I always try to do my best,¡± she said with a rasp and a smile. ¡°Now, why can¡¯t I see? I know I¡¯m not dead, yet.¡± ¡°Your body is still getting used to the changes. Everything should settle down in a few moments,¡± said the same voice, that she now knew was Gerald¡¯s without the reptilian tilt. Ris reached out and lifted herself up to a sitting position. A few hands were out to help her, with be-scrubbed people saying, ¡°Easy there, Ms. Haden. I¡¯d say that everything went about as well as it could except for the beginning. There were some weird power fluctuations but thankfully they resolved before we were forced to pull you out.¡± She brought up a noodle-y feeling hand and rubbed at her eyes, the spots finally leaving her vision and the world came into view. They had removed most of the equipment from her body, and that worrisome ¡®crash¡¯ cart was thankfully removed from the room. Gerald was standing next to her, his face devoid of a reptilian snout. Alphonse was no where to be seen. ¡°Ugh, is it this bad every time?¡± She felt some bile in the back of her throat. ¡°No, just the first one or so. Your brain is doing a lot of work and still figuring out what just happened,¡± said one of the nurses, ¡°we have a few thousand generations of evolution to work around to get the connections right.¡±Again, the idea of playing with her brain made her a little uneasy. ¡°Or So? There¡¯s no guarantee that these will stop?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve only had one patient not adjust normally and we removed the equipment with no complications.¡± Ris slid her legs over the edge of the couch, ¡°Well, how long has it been? I really have to pee.¡± Gerald looked down at his watch, ¡°We¡¯ve been at it for about 6 or so hours. Again, once you¡¯ve adjusted you¡¯ll be able to come out partially and handle stuff in the real world. I stopped giving it my full attention once we had to slog down the side of that hill.¡± ¡°You and Alphonse both,¡± Ris grumbled. ¡°Why¡¯d you leave me to have to live out the whole experience. That¡¯s some cruel and unusual punishment!¡± Gerald shrugged at that, ¡°think of it as hazing and as a welcome to the group. You should¡¯ve seen what Al did to me when I first started playing. He thought it would be funny to go run around in the swamp. Tell me, do you think you could handle some swamp trolls?¡± ¡°Uh, no?¡± ¡°Exactly, neither did I then. But no, he wanted me to defend the swamp, which I just appeared in by the way, and cleanse the troll problem before we had a steeper toll to pay.¡± Ris rolled her eyes at the pun. ¡°Sounds like such a gripping tale. By the way, how¡¯s my girl doing since I¡¯ve left? Has she done anything?¡± Ris tried to hide the excitement in her voice. Gerald¡¯s eyes became slightly unfocused for a second, ¡°the game says she¡¯s still in Sho¡¯Dul. It¡¯s been like 5 minutes, Ris, both real and game. She¡¯s not going to be doing much. Besides, you should be able to feel her since you¡¯re still plugged in. Think about the game.¡± As she thought about the game she started to get a headache, but she could feel the world shift around her slightly. There was a slight ghost of an image which looked like the room at the inn. She had the perspective of someone sitting down with a book open, but she couldn¡¯t read what was on the pages. ¡°Why can¡¯t I get everything? I can¡¯t read the words on the book in front of me.¡± ¡°You¡¯d have to go more into the game for that. You¡¯ll know what¡¯s on the pages the next time you fully hop over, and soon you¡¯ll be able to go in and out with no problem when you¡¯re in a room that has the wireless hooked up to it. Come on, let¡¯s go grab Al. He¡¯s in the other room.¡± Ris dropped off the couch and holding onto it and Gerald¡¯s arm, took a few uncertain steps before finding her feet. With a thank you to the medical people who kept her together, they walked out the room into the brightly lit sterile hallway of the clinic. Gerald led her a few doors down to an office door that read, ¡°Director¡±. He opened the door and they saw Alphonse leaning back in a high backed chair behind a dark wooded desk, his gaze glued to the ceiling. ¡°Hey, Al. We¡¯ve returned to the land of the living.¡± Alphonse blinked and his gaze dropped while a smile grew. ¡°I gotta hand it to you, Ris, that shield sled was a fun idea.¡± He clapped his hands together, ¡°My guy has some very positive things to say about you. Let me buy you all dinner and a drink for a hard days work.¡± ¡°Hard work? I was the only one actually walking through the desert!¡± Ris said with a playful tone. ¡°Well, we will have to relive those dear and touching moments soon, so don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll eventually suffer with you, Ris.¡± Gerald clapped her on the back. ¡°Now, what should we have? I¡¯m feeling absolutely ravenous.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª After Alphonse checked on a few more things on their way out the building, the trio got into a company owned car and they made their way to a steakhouse that was known for its dry aged meats. Alphonse shook his head after Gerald picked the place. ¡°What? I just feel like eating a juicy steak alright?¡± ¡°And it always coincides with your sync time, doesn¡¯t it? Isn¡¯t that a little odd?¡± Gerald made a hrmpf sound. ¡°Wait, that does happen?¡± Ris wondered if her character would cause her appetites to change. ¡°It¡¯s more of a conditioning thing than anything else. If we sit here talking about, say, cake. Eventually, you¡¯ll be in a receptive mindset to the idea of eating cake. Now take a race whose main nutrient source is meat. Be in their shoes long enough and you¡¯ll want to eat some meat.¡± ¡°But that still doesn¡¯t explain why it happens every time he syncs? Isn¡¯t that worrying?¡± ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t eat in game, so his character was getting hungry. The idea that meat sounds pretty good just happened to sync over from the game side to real Gerald. It¡¯s one of the main reasons why we have the sync time set for at most a week. It¡¯s not good if our Gerald and Ger grow too distant. Without Gerald to guide Ger¡¯s development, problems can pop up.¡± ¡°But, then if Ger can influence Gerald, who¡¯s guide whom?¡± Ris moved a little uncomfortably in the seat. This was still a little too unreal for her. ¡°Well, that¡¯s kind of the point of the game. I wanted it to let people grow into better versions of themselves without having to make so many real world mistakes. For instance, suppose you don¡¯t have the first clue about asking someone out. You got some money, people tell you that women like money, and you try and flaunt it. If you don¡¯t know any better, then sure, you get a few women interested. But, as is almost always the case, they aren¡¯t the kind who are interested in you. Suppose you had the chance to figure all that out in a setting that was a little less real. It still had the same reactions as before, but now you know without any lasting real world consequences.¡± ¡°So you made this entire game, just for a high fantasy dating sim?¡± Ris could not believe how sad that sounded, coming from Alphonse. He waved his hands, ¡°no, no, no. You¡¯re missing the point. Gerald, can you explain it?¡± Ris raised a hand, ¡°It was a poor example, but I get it. With how real that game felt when I was in it, I¡¯m sure I could feel like everything I did mattered on the same scale as in real life. But what if, since this is a digital world, I chose to go out and just start killing people? I mean, I¡¯m going to have to do it eventually in the game. What if I end up enjoying killing people? Even kids? It sounds like it could be a potential breeding ground for some really messed up people.¡± ¡°Well sure, you could go around doing that, but just like in real life, someone would stop you.¡± ¡°I¡¯d just respawn at my statue thingy.¡± ¡°Not in that instance. You¡¯d wake up in a jail, and lose all that lost potential. And no, you couldn¡¯t kill people in the jail. You¡¯d be stuck in the cell until your time was up or you were judged to be punished further.¡± ¡°Further?¡± ¡°Kicked out of the game, access revoked, stuff like that. Again, its ultimately a game, not real life.¡± ¡°But you want it to an analogy to life.¡± ¡°I never said it was perfect, I just want to help people help themselves. A lot of people don¡¯t do things not because they aren¡¯t interested in doing them, but because they feel like they can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Like shield surfing?¡± Ris said with a smile. A twinkle came to Al¡¯s eye. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°I¡¯m telling you, that was the best steak I¡¯ve ever had.¡± Gerald said, tapping his stomach with one hand while raising the small tumbler of bourbon in the other. ¡°You say that every time we come here.¡± Al sipped from his wine glass. ¡°You¡¯ll say it again when we come again next time.¡± He looked over at Ris, ¡°we come here once a month. Like I said before, our boy here enjoys a good piece of meat after he syncs. While I,¡± he swished the glass, ¡°enjoy a fine glass of wine.¡± Ris sipped from her own glass, mezcal mixed with a cornucopia of flavors that made the seemingly harsh rough liquid move gracefully across her tongue. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve known Gerald long enough to know that he appreciates fine cooking. Who knows, if I choose to stick around, I might have you two over for a meal that I¡¯ll make.¡± Eagerness filled Gerald¡¯s eyes, and Alphonse nodded at the prospect. ¡°While we¡¯re digesting, I would like to bring one thing up from our earlier adventure. Ris, have you ever gotten into a fight before?¡± Ris looked down into her glass, ¡°No, I can¡¯t say I have. I tend to try to diffuse situations before they escalate.¡± ¡°So in Magora¡¯s shop earlier, when she was trying to steal you away for whatever things she had in mind. Would you have fought her if I hadn¡¯t been there?¡± Anger flushed her cheeks along with the liquor, ¡°Of course. What kind of question is that?¡± He held his hand open in a placating gesture, ¡°All I¡¯m trying to say is that things work a little differently over there. I got taken for a rube in my first few interactions with merchants and I ended up in an alley with a knife in my back, and my pants stolen before I respawned. Hern¡¯s price was to ridicule me for an hour on being so naive.¡± Gerald raised his glass, ¡°Without Al to show me the ropes, I was almost made into a matching set of armor for some human traders. All he¡¯s trying to say is that you¡¯ll be put into far more sinister circumstances than in the real world, and that it¡¯s okay if things turn into a fight. In fact, if you can¡¯t stop with them words by telling them exactly what you want, then using steel is fair game. Just because you can respawn doesn¡¯t mean you have to submit to them.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Ris took a deep breath, ¡°Well to tell you the truth, I did feel a little uncomfortable in there. I was really happy to get out.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, it seems that Magora isn¡¯t quite done with you yet. I¡¯ve gotten word that she sent feelers out to learn where you¡¯ve been staying. She¡¯ll probably make a move eventually, but we have plenty of time to get you ready. After all, this is what the game is about.¡± Al said, putting his empty glass down. She huffed, ¡°What, giving people PTSD?¡± ¡°No, to show them what they are truly capable of.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª A few goodbyes and she was on her way home in an auto cab . The meal was rich, and the day had really taken it out of her. Still, Ris was excited for the days to come. She wondered what her race really was, and why all those strange things had happened to her. Who exactly were, what were their names, Boreas and Freeza? No that didn¡¯t sound right¡­ ¡°Frenda,¡± she said out loud. The car shifted, coincidentally, at that moment. Again the cab was being far more aggressive than she could remember, but again it wasn¡¯t anything for her to think about. She had hoped that the business with Magora wouldn¡¯t go any further, but it looked like it was going to proceed whether she wanted it to or not. Better get a handle on the game before that happens, though. Pulling off of the expressway, the auto cab came to a stop to merge into the sparse traffic. Ris watched the headlights go by, like passing ships in the night. Midway through the merge, the auto cab sped up, causing her to grip onto her seat. The cab pulled into a tighter turn but hit a slick spot on the ground, and one of the wheels lost traction, causing the cab to spin out. What the- was the last thought in her head as a car collided with hers. ¡ª¡ª Risseln Keal breathed deep as she felt a hollowness in her chest and in her mind. She felt half complete at that moment, like an artwork left unfinished. Well, that was weird. She saw that the log off button was greyed out, and she understood that she, the real her, whatever that meant, had left the game. Can you hear me, Ris? Came Ger¡¯s voice inside her head. Great - what now. What is it? If you want to talk to me, you have to focus on me when you think. It¡¯s weird at first but you¡¯ll get used to splitting up your mind like that. She tried to keep an image of Ger in her mind as she thought, Hey, what is it? Good! You got it pretty quick, it took me a couple tries. Anyway, I¡¯ll be over in Sho¡¯Dul to drop some pieces off at the smith. I can introduce you when I swing by if you¡¯d like. That¡¯d be great, the only person that Al introduced me to here was Magora, and she wants my skin as a coat. I don¡¯t even know the innkeeper¡¯s name. She heard or really thought the laughter in her head coming from Ger. Yeah, he gets a little focused when he has things he wants to accomplish. The innkeeper is Henri, and he¡¯s a great guy. He¡¯s also a fence if you need to sell things that were collected in a morally questionable manner. She was living in the house of a thief? How was that going to play out for her? Oh yeah, you¡¯ll have to get in his good graces first. How about you start off by giving him your name? I still have a few things I want to situate up here before I brave into the world alone, but I¡¯ll talk to him. Thanks, Ger. Stay on your toes! And with that, her head felt slightly more empty than before. At least I can think in peace now. She sat back down onto the couch that Al had lounged upon; it really was comfy. The material felt soft and reassuring against her skin as she brought herself up on it and cracked open the book A Historie of the Sin¡¯rakh. It started off like any other textbook she¡¯d used back at University. The introduction was written by the historian who wrote the book, one Riles Humber, a human mage of some ¡®supposed¡¯ renown who went digging in the great sand box that is Dul. He complained mostly about the desert mice and how they threatened his established rule in the camp and Ris was starting to think that this book was going to devolve into the ravings of a mad man, when the introduction blissfully came to an end. But, it turns out, that the man had no ego when writing the actual history. It was straight to the point, with little embellishments. It even had citations to other works and places, if one could easily travel to ¡®that spot in the desert 5 days by foot following the footman constellation at night¡¯. Regardless, Ris read a little about what being Sin¡¯rakh really meant. The Sin¡¯rakh were originally humans that were blessed at some time, the exact date depends on which of the stories is true, first by the god Boreas, the god of winds and air. They were there then blessed for noble deeds and by averting embarrassing crises by the gods Hern, of resurrection and life, and Meythin, of plants and water. This is where their peculiar eyes come from. The gold from Hern, the silver from Boreas, and the blue from Meythin. The reason behind this coloring it seems, was that the gods wished those to know that these people were blessed and to look upon them was to look upon the favored of the gods. Ris reached up to her face, again recalling those eyes that stared back at her during this beings creation. She looked out the window and saw that the sun had completely set. She breathed a sigh and closed the book gently, as if it was a family album. She didn¡¯t know if the bank would be closed, but she supposed that Henri would be able to direct her. She got up, stretched, and left the room; locking the door, her coin laden bag in tow. ¡ª¡ª¡ª The inn had become a lively place since she had first ascended the stairs. Where before a few people sat at the many benches and tables, now the room was full of people drinking and laughing. In the corner a man with a lute played a tune. As she reached the bottom of the landing, she was so enraptured by the scene that she bumped into a waitress. ¡°Watch where yer going,¡± the waitress spat at her as she tried to keep the tray of tankards level. Ris made her way to the bar, making a valiant, yet futile attempt to not bump into anyone on the way there. The people here don¡¯t have any idea of personal space, she thought. She arrived at an empty seat situated between two figures. The one on the left was similar to Ger, his skin all scales, but he lacked the muscles of her friend. The one on the right looked to be part lion and sat tearing into a piece of meat that she was holding with the utensils, helpfully given, had been forgotten on the bar. Now, Ris sat bewildered between these two seemingly unnatural beings. She had seen many movies, played many games, and experienced the people that modified themselves in all the different ways. It didn¡¯t seem quite real when Ger was in front of her, but now it hit her hard. She was in a game, and this was her, Risseln¡¯s, home now. This strange and wonderful place was hers. The man whom Al had talked to earlier walked over to her, ¡°What¡¯y¡¯ll have, Miss?¡± ¡°Uh, Ale? I guess?¡± The man raised an eyebrow. ¡° You guess? Al said you were going to be a strange one for a while. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Ris.¡± He extended a hand out to her, ¡°The name¡¯s Henri. If ya need anything just let me know. I¡¯ll get you something good from the kitchen and a strong drink to get you going.¡± She shook it. ¡°Actually, I would like to know if the bank was open still. I think I know the way, but I would like to visit it sooner rather than later.¡± Her bar compatriots both perked up hearing the word bank mentioned. Henri eyed them for a second. ¡°Al did say that he left you some things at the bank. Said you were penniless until then. Yes, the bank is always open. Going in the streets, at night though, is not a good idea yet.¡± He looked back and forth at the apex predators, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t have a coin to your name yet. I would, personally, feel bad if something were to happen to you.¡± Both forms deflated a bit. She didn¡¯t like the idea of holding onto all those coins until the next day. They felt metaphorically heavy in her pocket dimension pouch. ¡°I still think it¡¯s best to go, if only for a short visit to ready my accounts. I wouldn¡¯t want to keep my employer waiting on me due to some minor banking problem. I¡¯ll be back in no time.¡± She got up to leave, ¡°Thanks, Henri, it was a pleasure meeting you.¡± ¡°Likewise, Ris.¡± He turned toward the two occupied stools, ¡°how about I pour you two a drink, on the house of course¡­.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª She made her way through the streets, sticking to the main thoroughfares, even if it wasn¡¯t the fastest route. Eventually she made it onto the last street, and there she could see the brightly lit building of the bank. It had magical crystals lining the outside of the building that kept all facets of the building illuminated. Whether this was done to keep the building secure or to annoy the neighbors, she didn¡¯t know. As she walked down the street, she came across two boys dragging a third into a side alley. The third was yelling for help, but the folk in the street, sparse as they were, were not doing anything. She steeled herself and went to go help the boy. As she turned into the shadow filled alley, she felt a gust of wind push her away from the entrance and back onto the street. She set her jaw and proceeded onward, toward the boy¡¯s shouts. As she turned around one more corner, she felt another gust of wind push her again, this time slightly to her left. This time, she saw a gleaming piece of metal go past her on the right, followed by the hand of a man who overextended his reach and tumbled past her. She gasped and fell against the wall. Her hands shaking, she reached into her bag and started to pull out her spear. Tears streamed down her face as she fumbled to get the spear out of the bag. Come on, come on. The bright metal giving her some confidence as she held it. ¡°Give me all your gold,¡± he said with a face half covered in darkness, ¡°Oh, a pretty one. It¡¯s my lucky night.¡± Her confidence building, she used the spear to lift her up. She held the spear in an awkward stance. ¡°The only thing that thing is good for, is roasting meat over a fire.¡± She could feel the man¡¯s eyes on her, ¡°I¡¯ll show you what a proper spear can do.¡± He moved to get around the spear, but she jumped back toward the entrance of the alley, putting more distance between them. He snarled and jumped toward her, knife held high to strike down on her. She felt a gust of wind push her down, and in doing caused her to brace the spear against the cracked earth. She felt the pressure of the man as he impacted the spear and the release as he slid down the spear when it made its way completely through his body. He let out a grunt and the knife dropped from his hand. He fell to his knees, almost in a praying position, as he let out one more breath. Her hands trembling, she dropped her grip on the spear. She gathered up her knees and began to sob. Three heads popped up from a crate, looking down at her. She saw them, and without thinking, grabbed her spear and ran all in one motion. Long after she had left, one of the heads became a body and walked slowly to the cooling corpse kneeling in the alley. The hand of a small boy reached out and took the sleeve of the dead man and shook it. ¡°Papa, let¡¯s go home. I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª Ris ran through the streets, not caring where she went. She refused to let the spear go, as she could feel the confidence given off by the item. She needed that right now. Eventually she came to a dead end, where a man was sitting outside smoking a pipe in a chair. A larger plume of smoke was coming out of the house behind him. ¡°Ho, lass! You look like you¡¯ve seen hell. Are you alright?¡± He got up and started to approach her. The wind seemed to swirl around her, and she could feel it calming her as she thought to run again. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not gonna hurt ya. It looks like you could use a safe place to sit for awhile, if I know anything. Come inside and sit by the forge, it¡¯s still hot from today¡¯s work. I¡¯ll make you some tea.¡± He came over and tried to herd her into the forge without touching her. With some cooing and soothing, he led her, after some resistance, to the forge. He gave her a smithy blanket and set a pot upon the flat top of the forge opening. Within moments he had set the tea, and it was set to steeping. ¡°Are you new to these streets?I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you before,¡± He saw the color of her eyes, ¡°or one of your kind for that matter. What were you doing out going down an alleyway in the Scuttery like that? People should¡¯ve warned you about this place, regardless. Now, what happened.¡± He handed her a cup of the tea. She took a sip, it had a lemony taste to it. ¡°I was just going to the bank. I just had to get to the bank. That¡¯s all I wanted.¡± Her voice was small and she hated that. ¡°But it looks to me that you met some unsavory people along the way. Look you don¡¯t have to tell me about it, but just know that nothing will happen to you now. The name¡¯s Dendrick the dwarf.¡± She blinked her eyes at that and giggled. He shot her a look, red coming to his cheeks. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just that you¡¯re tall. I¡¯ve never met a dwarf before and-¡± ¡°You thought we¡¯d be smaller? Well, you¡¯re right. I have a bit of giant in my family somewhere.¡± He puffed up at that, ¡°It also means I can work the metal harder than any normal dwarf.¡± She felt perplexed as to how that union happened between dwarf and giant, but it had done wonders to calm her nerves. Her hands were still trembling, yes, but the cup of warm tea helped settle her as well. ¡°I¡¯ll be here for a while yet, my friend is supposed to deliver some more intricate pieces to me that I couldn¡¯t get done in time. You¡¯re more than welcome to share my fire¡­¡± He looked at her, searching for her name. ¡°Ris, and thank you for everything. Everything happened so fast. I just wanted to help a boy. And instead,¡± she looked at the spear, ¡°I killed a man.¡± ¡°Funny way the world works. You¡¯re new to the area, so I¡¯ll let you in on an unfortunate tip. There¡¯s a common con where a group of boys or men will loudly drag another into a side alley, and then if someone goes to help, the group together jumps the would-be hero. That has poisoned the well of many a folk in this town from helping out someone. Now, people don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a ruse or a legitimate cry of help. It¡¯s far safer in their minds to ignore it all the same. Don¡¯t blame yourself for trying to do the right thing, Ris. You didn¡¯t know any better.¡± He refilled her cup and looked down at her spear in the fire light. ¡°That¡¯s a beautiful spear you have there. Where¡¯d you get it from? I¡¯ve never seen one of its kind, like you, before.¡± She fidgeted a bit, not wanting to be rude, but not wanting to tell more about herself. ¡°It was given to me. I don¡¯t really remember how I got it.¡± ¡°Do you mind if I hold it?¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead, but be careful, it¡¯s really sharp.¡± He reached out and gripped the spear, letting out a gasp. A brightness came to his eyes as he held the weapon. He looked down at it, and felt the confidence move into him. ¡°Do you know what you have here?¡± His eyes full of wonder. ¡°Uh, a spear?¡± She took a sip to hide her discomfort. ¡°This is a spear made of bright metal. I¡¯ve only heard about it from legends. It¡¯s the human equivalent of mithril. The folk of the desert were the only ones who could make it. This is a valuable piece, Ris. Keep it safe.¡± ¡°It¡¯s done a good job of keeping me safe, Dendrick.¡± Her hands trembled. ¡°Well, while I have a thousand questions, I won¡¯t be pestering ya now. I hope you will visit me again when all this nasty business is far behind us so that we can have a proper chat.¡± He looked into his own cup, ¡°with proper ale.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª While she sat by the safety of the fire, she learned that Dendrick had recently moved from Thein City and that he too was looking for more people to know. After some more small talk, a knock on the door announced a visitor. ¡°Ah, that¡¯ll be the man,¡± he giggled at the word, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for. Do you mind if I bring him in off the street? I wouldn¡¯t want to make him unwelcome.¡± Her eyes got wide at that. ¡°He¡¯s a trusted friend, and I promise nothing will happen to you.¡± She nodded, again hating how small she felt, she was a warrior, damnit! ¡°I trust the work has been good here,¡± Ris heard a familiar voice, with it¡¯s raspy texture. ¡°Aye, that it has. Good enough that I still be needin¡¯ ya to finish a few things for me. Thanks again for taking on a bit of the work for me.¡± The two men talked as they walked into the room. ¡°Don¡¯t mind the girl, there, she¡¯s had an awful time tonight. Just here for a bit of peace and quiet while she gathers herself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be quick then. I don¡¯t want to make anyone uncomfortable.¡± The reptilian man looked from around the shoulder of the dwarf and saw Ris sitting there, wrapped in a smithy blanket. ¡°Ris,¡± Ger said, ¡°What happened?¡±