ã€ŠParental Controlsã€‹


 Chapter 1.1 Ambushed (Book I)

    Lud¡¤dite | ?l?d?¨©t |noun

    1. DEROGATORY

    a person opposed to new technology or ways of working.

    Chapter 1

    The half-orc gripped her naginata with both hands and stepped from behind the yew tree. Despite her size, she moved with feline fluidity. Her ebony recurve bow, the hatchet that hung from her belt, and every item of survival she carried moved silently with her, the selection and position of each honed during an existence largely spent alone in the wild tracking prey, whether four-legged or two. Her well-worn leather boots made no sound as she crept across the spongy soil toward the stump. Emerging from the cool shadows, the warmth of the morning sun crawled up her leggings and then tunic, finally finding the scarred skin of her face, which was the gray of tarnished pewter. Her eyes narrowed to slits, and as she approached her target¡¯s back, she lowered the naginata¡¯s blade to float suspended at the height of his neck. There she paused, the blade an inch short of its mark, almost tickling the furry black hairs now close enough for her to see.

    Arms straight down, palms pressed against the sun-bleached wood to either side of his brown breeches, the halfling sat on the squat stump in the middle of the clearing and gazed at his bare feet, which swung back and forth through the grass. He shook his head, looked up into the blue sky, and breathed deeply the dewy smells carried by the breeze. ¡°Not a cloud¡­,¡± he said and giggled.

    The half-orc scowled, her drawn lips exposing grooved, yellowed teeth, stained nearly black where they erupted chaotically from scarlet gums.

    The halfling turned slightly, leaned his weight onto his left hand, and hooked the thumb of his right into the wine-colored suspender stretching over his dusty white shirt. The suspender slipped off his thumb and snapped crisply against his chest, which prompted another giggle.

    In the time it took a fluffy cottonwood seed to make a wind-borne crossing of the clearing, the mismatched pair did not move, balanced on the inch of space between blade and neck.

    Able to hold her anger no longer, the half-orc raised the naginata high in the air, the gently curved steel blade on its end nearly as long as the halfling was tall.

    ¡°Grraahhhhyyaaaaaayayayaya!¡±

    The halfling and the half-orc flinched in unison at the shriek from their right.

    The half-orc turned and saw a charging goblin, mouth specked with spittle, grayish-green skin spattered with mud, waist wrapped in the ragged skin of a former victim, hands clenched around the grips of two roughly hewn wooden knives.

    Turning and finding both the half-orc standing behind him and the oncoming goblin, the halfling let loose a shrill scream of terror that collided with the goblin¡¯s cry in discordant waves that caused the half-orc to raise her shoulders as though to cover her ears, even as she swung her naginata down in preparation for the charging attacker.

    The half-orc¡¯s eyes met those of the goblin but held there for only a second before both pairs of eyes widened in surprise as the halfling threw himself between the three brandished blades, his arms extended¡ªa minuscule, unarmed, suspendered meat shield.

    With a greedy grin and still at full sprint, the goblin plunged both knives into the halfling¡¯s belly, crashed into its collapsing victim, felt its knives wrenched from its hands, tumbled forward, landed on its back, and looked up into the half-orc¡¯s face, backlit by the brilliant sky. Now unarmed, a cry of defiance rose in its throat but traveled no further before the naginata cleaved its grime-smeared body diagonally from shoulder to hip.

    The halfling lay on the ground and shivered with shock. He jerkily turned his head toward the goblin¡¯s bisected carcass and screamed once more when he saw viscera sliding wetly out of the halves into the gap between.

    The half-orc¡¯s boot squashed the pile of goblin innards as she stepped forward to stand over the halfling. She bent to scowl into his face, a face clenched so tight and purple as to look like a dried plum. She growled, a deep sound that seemed to originate in the ground and rise through her before spreading through the clearing and into the surrounding woods. All birdsong fell silent.

    Turning wild eyes to stare into the face of the half-orc, the halfling gasped.

    ¡°What,¡± the half-orc said, her ragged, strained voice starting deep but rising with every word, ¡°on Earth did you think you were doing, Dad?¡± She stood straight and squealed in frustration, her free hand resting on her iron-studded leather belt. She looked back down at him. ¡°And why are you smiling?¡±

    Tears of pain ran past both temples, but the halfling¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Just seeing you standing there, Evie, talking to me, it¡¯s so wonderful.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, standing, talking, wonderful, I get it. But, ohmagod, seriously?¡± She shook her head. ¡°You ask me to show you the Stealth Skill I¡¯ve been working on,¡± she dropped the tip of her blade to point at the goblin halves, ¡°but you don¡¯t pay any attention until this thing goes berserk? You wouldn¡¯t have noticed a plate-armor-wearing Level 1 Giant with a Dexterity debuff sneaking up on you.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m no good at any of this, Evie.¡± With each word, the halfling gasped shallowly as he stared into the sky, pupils tiny pinpricks against the cloudless day. ¡°But, gosh, it really is just all so amazing. Have you stopped to look at it? Feel it? The sun? The breeze?¡± He coughed, and liquid gurgled deep in his chest. He clenched his eyes from the pain. ¡°Sweet Baby James, these things hurt.¡± He raised his head slightly and gazed at his round belly, out of which the handles of the wooden shanks still protruded like serving knives from a cheese ball.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t keep watch for five minutes? Five minutes! And you and Mom worry about my ADHD?¡± The half-orc let out a long, rising grunt. ¡°Now, please tell me why you threw yourself in front of the goblin. I had that, but instead, you¡¯re a pincushion.¡±

    The halfling shook his head almost imperceptibly. ¡°I saw that thing running at my little girl, and before I could think, I just panicked and dove.¡±

    ¡°Little girl?¡± The half-orc leaned down and stomped one foot. ¡°I am thirteen! And you may hover over me all the time IRL, but we¡¯re in here. Look at me!¡± She stood straight and gestured to her towering half-orc avatar before rolling her eyes up to stare into the sky. Trying to protect me from a Level 1 Goblin, she thought. Him. Protect me. In here. So typical. So, so typical. ¡°On top of all that,¡± she dropped her gaze to a second stump, unoccupied, an arm¡¯s length from the first, ¡°where is Mom?¡±

    The halfling coughed again, and drops of frothy blood landed on his face, neck, and collar. ¡°She remembered something she wanted to tell you, so she went to find you.¡±

    ¡°What?! I told you both to wait here and try to catch me sneaking up on you. The whole point was that I was going to be coming right back!¡±

    ¡°She said it was important. Something about Mrs. Jacobs¡¯ cat.¡±

    ¡°This is not happening.¡± The half-orc bit her lip and stared across the clearing for a moment. ¡°Which way did she go?¡±

    The muscles in the halfling¡¯s neck became prominent as he strained to look past his spasming stomach. He pointed a finger sticky with blood toward a trail that left the clearing toward the north.

    ¡°That¡¯s not even the way I went when I left you!¡± The half-orc clenched the shaft of her naginata so tightly the wood creaked a complaint, but, when she looked back to the halfling and saw his health draining as rapidly as the blood from his belly, she forgot her frustration, squatted, and let her weapon fall to the side. Nearly the entire front of his shirt was wet with blood as dark as his ridiculous suspenders. ¡°Listen, Dad, in a few seconds you¡¯re going to respawn¡ª¡°

    ¡°Respawn?¡±

    ¡°¡ªugh¡ªreappear at the same spot where we first showed up a little while ago.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Down by the stream? At the bottom of the ravine that we hiked up out of?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Stay there. Do not leave the spawn point. Do you understand? It¡¯ll take me a few minutes to get back down there, even if I don¡¯t find Mom first. Don¡¯t move. Don¡¯t touch anything. Don¡¯t eat anything. Don¡¯t even look at anything. Just stand still where you reappear, OK?¡±

    ¡°But,¡± the halfling¡¯s words were faint, and the half-orc leaned closer to hear, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be all alone out here¡ª¡°

    ¡°I will be fine! Stay there!¡±

    ¡°OK, OK.¡±

    The half-orc nodded and sat back on her heels. She exhaled a slow breath, lay her forearms across her knees, and let her gaze unfocus and settle among the trees on the far side of the clearing.

    ¡°How about,¡± the halfling whispered, and the half-orc looked down at him, ¡°I just start back toward you. I¡¯ll follow the same path we took down the stream¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡± The half-orc¡¯s shout was accompanied by a soft chime, and the Party Log inset in her User Interface indicated:

    Reavyr (II) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    The half-orc tilted forward onto her knees and dropped her hands to the trampled grass and dirt, still damp from dew that was now mixing with blood. She looked at her father¡¯s lifeless avatar, then her head sagged low between her shoulders and she closed her eyes. ¡°What is wrong with my parents?¡± She said quietly. She glanced at the goblin. ¡°Overprotective-much?¡± Her head hung another moment, then she jerked it up and lunged sideways to grab her naginata, rose to her feet, and looked to the north. She did not know where that trail lead and did not know how long her mother would follow it before making another poor choice. She could track her, but it would probably take time. She looked to the west. She did know where her father would respawn, and he would be there in less than thirty seconds. She tried to remember the goofy saying he had¡ªa bird in hand something something?

    She ran toward the west.

    In real life, Reeve Williams wouldn¡¯t have had the strength to lift her avatar¡¯s naginata, let alone lug it across the clearing, but Reeve¡¯s half-orc was three hand-lengths taller than a human, and her long strides had her into the dense woods before either of the bodies she¡¯d left behind began to sink out of existence like wet sandcastles melting back into a beach. She followed a game trail that soon steepened as it reached the bank of a ravine, and the pace of her run increased. With the exertion, her turbulent sea of thoughts began to calm, but from the quieting surface rose a single word like an unwelcome leviathan that wrapped her in clammy tentacles and squeezed her chest tight.

    Luddite.

    She had learned the word on a Monday in 4<sup>th</sup> Grade, 3<sup>rd</sup> Period, Social Studies. As Ms. Welsh explained the history of the word, her classmates sat around her, bored, unmoved, but Reeve watched images flash before her from a lifetime of checkout lines backing up behind her father while he wrote physical checks and of teenagers standing on their front porch, disbelieving, as her mother wrote her AOL.com email address on a clipboard holding some idealistic petition. In a world dependent on, thriving from, and addicted to technology, Reeve Williams, who felt more herself in vivid virtual reality than in depressing real reality, was frozen to the hard plastic of her elementary school seat by the realization that her parents, Walter and Wanda Williams, were Luddites.

    Reeve dodged an exposed rock jutting from the steep slope, and the tension that always formed in her chest when thinking of her parent¡¯s technological indifference and ineptitude loosened fractionally. She continued weaving between sharp rocks and prickly undergrowth, any of which could send her plummeting to a painful death at the bottom of the ravine, and the immediacy of her daredevil run caused her anxiety to fade further. She even began to smile, as she almost always did when enjoying the physical freedom her avatar gave her. Her fleet feet carried her within yards of squirrels, birds, a boar, and a bobcat before they realized she was there and already gone.

    The leviathan resubmerged, and Reeve shook her head at how worked up she¡¯d gotten in the clearing. Yeah, sure, agreeing to show her Luddite parents this new VR system had been a massive mistake. She should have made some excuse, any excuse, to keep them out. But everything would be OK¡ªshe¡¯d get back to the spawn, convince her dad that they¡¯d seen enough, log herself out, and then log both parents out from the lobby.

    Everything would be OK.

 Chapter 1.2 Salmon (Book I)

    ¡°Not OK, not OK, not OK, not OK.¡± The words came out of Reeve¡¯s mouth with the same rapid cadence as her still-pounding heart. She spun in place, finding only old-growth trees and scattered underbrush. ¡°This is not OK!¡± Her scream rolled away from the empty spawn point, its echo returning from increasingly distant parts of the woods. There was no response, save for the gradual resumption of birdsong and the unceasing babble of the nearby stream.

    She checked her UI. The most recent Party Log entry read:

    Reavyr (II) has respawned. Death hangover will last for ten minutes.

    The timestamp was from six minutes ago.

    She grunted and looked toward the trail leading down the stream¡ªthe trail that they very obviously had not taken when they¡¯d spawned-in half an hour ago and then climbed up and out of the ravine.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± She said to the forest. ¡°This is what we¡¯re doing now?¡±

    She started toward the downstream trail. She¡¯d be able to track him easily with her Ranger¡¯s skills. But¡­she paused and let her naginata slide through her loose hand, the butt of the pole making a deep hoonk when it struck the ground. If he died again while she was away from the spawn point, he might spawn back in again before she got back, she wouldn¡¯t be there again, and¡­ She let out an exasperated breath, spun her blade through the air to slice in half a lobed oak leaf as it swung side-to-side in its descent to the ground, and began pacing the perimeter of the small area free of underbrush that was the spawn point. Motion was her natural state, and it was when she did her best thinking, so much so that her teachers often had to ask her to return to her assigned spot when she got carried away in responding to a question and started scooting around the classroom. Passing her naginata from hand to hand, she shrugged her shoulders to reposition her bow and considered her options. I could wait, she thought, but should I go after Mom instead? Because if I stay here, how long will I have to wait for Dad to come back¡­or die again?

    A soft chime sounded.

    ¡°Not long,¡± she said and pulled up her UI.

    Reavyr (II) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    Reeve closed her eyes and thumped her forehead against the staff of her naginata until all of her unruly raven hair had escaped its ponytail. She bent to pick up her leather scrunchy, a craftable item she¡¯d invented herself, and tucked it into a pouch on her belt. She ran a hand through her hair, drawing it away from her face and trapping it behind the slight points of her ears, and tried taking a few deep breaths while repeating one of her mantras. ¡°I forgive my parents for their mistakes.¡± It was one of many she¡¯d developed during 5<sup>th</sup> Grade English Language Arts, the classroom of which had a poster with one-hundred-and-one affirmations and positive thoughts for children, pretty much every one of which Reeve had been able to modify to help her cope with her parents.

    When it was almost time, she opened her eyes and looked at an area of packed earth. A soft light began to illuminate the spot, and soon the halfling started to appear, pale and nearly transparent at first. He was perfectly still as he materialized, but, once fully present, he shrieked, flailed his arms, and toppled onto his face.

    Reavyr (II) has respawned. Death hangover will last for ten minutes.

    Reeve looked down her hooked half-orc nose at the halfling avatar her father had chosen.

    ¡°You OK, Dad?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­eh¡­there was¡­eh¡­a little thing with huge wings.¡± He rolled onto his back and held his arms several feet apart. ¡°You know I hate pretty much all flying bugs.¡±

    ¡°You somehow don¡¯t even like butterflies.¡±

    Walter shivered at the thought. ¡°Well, it startled me something good. ¡®That¡¯s one big ugly moth!¡¯ I think I said. Then I saw it had a face. It did not seem happy being called an ugly moth. It shot me with, I don¡¯t know, this itsy little bow.¡±

    Reeve gaped at her father. ¡°You were killed by a pixie?¡±

    Walter Williams, who did not appear the least bit embarrassed by having been killed, back-to-back, by two lowly fodder monsters, stared toward the sky. ¡°Well, Honey, I was halfway across the stream when it shot me¡ª¡°

    ¡°Why were you crossing the stream?¡±

    ¡°It was wide but pretty shallow there. I thought it must be the place where we¡¯d crossed it the first time.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t cross it the first time!¡±

    Walter pursed his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t have shoes,¡± he wiggled his halfling toes in the air, ¡°and the rocks were smooth and slippery¡ªI just can¡¯t get over how convincing everything feels, and smells, and looks¡ª¡°

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    ¡°¡ªwell, that little arrow hurt, and when it hit me I slipped, so...¡±

    ¡°You drowned?¡±

    ¡°It felt bouncier than that.¡±

    Reeve stared at him.

    ¡°And I think there may have been a fish.¡± Walter rubbed his forehead.

    Reeve closed her eyes again and cast about for a helpful mantra, settling on a few quiet repetitions of ¡°My parents¡¯ challenges help me grow.¡±

    She checked the Combat Log in her UI. The first four entries read:The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    A Level 1 Goblin Scout stabs Reavyr (II) with a crude wooden shiv for 4 points of damage.

    A Level 1 Goblin Scout stabs Reavyr (II) with a crude wooden shiv for 5 points of damage.

    You slash a Level 1 Goblin Scout with a naginata for 14 points of damage.

    You kill a Level 1 Goblin Scout.

    Then there was:

    Reavyr (II) is bleeding out.

    followed by

    Reavyr (II) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    Now that her father was back within her range of perception, a long list of new entries had appeared.

    A Level 1 Pixie shoots Reavyr (II) with a shortbow for 2 points of damage.

    Reavyr (II) lands on stream cobbles for 1 point of fall damage.

    The timestamps indicated that the next event was almost half a minute later.

    Reavyr (II) is swept into a cataract boulder for 1 point of crushing damage.

    Reavyr (II) is swept into a cataract boulder for 1 point of crushing damage.

    Reeve didn¡¯t open her eyes to speak. ¡°There are rapids downstream?¡±

    ¡°From what I can remember.¡±

    Reavyr (II) is swept into a cataract boulder for 1 point of crushing damage.

    Reavyr (II) headbutts a Level 1 Salmon for 1 point of damage.

    Reeve was embarrassed to find herself relieved that her father had at least managed to get a hit in on something before he died. She opened her eyes. Her father was sitting up. ¡°It was a salmon.¡±

    He gave her a thumbs up and nodded.

    She closed her eyes again.

    A Level 1 Salmon headbutts Reavyr (II) for 1 point of damage.

    She took a deep breath. Fair play, salmon, she thought.

    Reavyr (II) is swept into a cataract boulder for 1 point of crushing damage.

    Reavyr (II) is swept into a cataract boulder for 1 point of crushing damage. Reavyr (II) is unconscious.

    The timestamps indicated that ten seconds passed before the final entry.

    Reavyr (II) lands on a waterfall plunge basin boulder for 983 points of fall damage. Reavyr (II) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    Reeve sighed and opened her eyes. She leaned forward, her free hand resting on her muscled thigh. ¡°Not gonna lie, Dad, that must¡¯ve been pretty rough. Seriously. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°The arrow did hurt much more than I expected it to. The rest was kind of a blur. I don¡¯t feel so hot now, come to think of it.¡±

    ¡°You have a death debuff. You¡¯ll feel better in about ten minutes.¡±

    He scratched at his miniature nose. ¡°Pixies are surprisingly dangerous, huh?¡±

    ¡°A Level 1 Pixie? No.¡±

    ¡°But that thing back in the clearing, that was pretty scary, right?¡±

    ¡°The Goblin? The Level 1 Goblin that shanked you?¡± Reeve¡¯s half-orc voice rose to be almost as high as the halfling¡¯s voice. ¡°Nobody gets killed by a single Level 1 Goblin, Dad!¡±

    ¡°Somebody has to be the first, right?¡± He said with a chuckle. ¡°What Level am I?¡±

    ¡°Level 1.¡±

    He nodded, looking satisfied. ¡°And you?¡±

    ¡°Level 14.¡±

    ¡°Gosh, that¡¯s great Reeve.¡± He looked at her for a moment. ¡°Is that a lot? You¡¯ve only been playing this new game for a few weeks.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but game time is different than real time. With the direct neural interface, things in here happen much faster than in the real world. In the VRMMO version...¡° Reeve¡¯s momentarily enthusiastic explanation faded, her words distorting like a vinyl record slowing to a halt after the power¡¯s pulled, and she let out a nearly silent, dispirited breath. ¡°Please don¡¯t, Dad. That¡¯s the same expression you gave me when I tried to explain to you how to fly my drone.¡±

    ¡°Reeve, I¡¯ve told you I¡¯m sorry about the drone.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. It¡¯s fine. Really. Anyone could accidentally fly a drone literally straight into a woodchipper two houses down. I¡¯m sure it happens all the time.¡±

    Reeve and Walter looked at each other for a few seconds.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Reeve said, ¡°VRMMO. The Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online version of this RPG.¡±

    Walter coughed politely.

    ¡°Role-Playing Game¡­this game. The VRMMO version is where I usually play. In that version, game time moves about a hundred times faster than real time. It could be even faster for most players, but the servers have to run at the speed of the slowest neural interface hardware the game supports, the lowest common denominator.¡±

    ¡°One hundred times faster? Amazing! And good use of ¡®lowest common denominator.¡¯ Vocabulary point there, Sweetie.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh, thanks. A hundred times faster is for the MMO version that has millions of actual players. For the story mode I put us into, with just us three on the LAN, time can move much faster. Right now¡ª¡° She glanced at the corner of her UI. ¡°Holy cow!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Walter sat straighter and looked around with concern at the trees that surrounded them. ¡°Is a LAN coming?¡±

    ¡°No! A LAN¡¯s a Local Area Network. I know you¡¯re not into tech gadgets, but you do have computers at your work, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, we do, but IT mostly¡ª¡°

    ¡°OK, sorry, right, never mind, don¡¯t need to know. The point is that we¡¯re only running on the system in my room right now, nothing outside the house, and game time is over seven hundred times faster than real time.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Actually pretty impressive. A month in game time would be, what, only like an hour of real time? I didn¡¯t know it could run that fast¡ªI¡¯ve never bothered with the story mode.¡±

    Walter took in his surroundings, which seemed so real. ¡°How long have we been in here? I mean, after we came in from that strange dentist¡¯s office waiting room place where we had to make all those decisions?¡±

    Confused, Reeve looked at her father for several seconds before saying, ¡°Uh, the lobby? Where you built your character?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that.¡±

    She checked the UI and snorted. ¡°Less than ten seconds. That¡¯s how I¡¯ve been able to level up so much after only a few weeks of playing when I can.¡±

    Walter was looking at his daughter. She could tell he was trying to follow what she was saying about game time. She could tell he wasn¡¯t having much luck.

    ¡°Dad, listen, why don¡¯t we get out of here? I think you¡¯ve gotten an idea of what it¡¯s like, right? Can we go now?¡±

    Walter took in the spawn site. Occasional rays of sun penetrated the forest canopy high above and illuminated motes of dust that floated by in the breeze, a breeze noticeably more gentle than it had been in the exposed clearing. He shivered at the memory of the goblin¡¯s attack. He picked up his hands, which had been resting on the packed dirt, and rubbed dust between his fingers. ¡°It¡¯s fantastic, Evie. It really is.¡± Walter drew out the first syllable of ¡®fan-tas-tic¡¯ to be several times longer than the other two syllables combined, in a way he found endlessly pleasing but that Reeve found excruciatingly embarrassing when they were in public. ¡°Faaaaaaaaantastic,¡± he said again. He glanced up at the few visible leaf-framed patches of sky, all of which remained free of clouds, and considered the fact that he was without his umbrella. In real life, Walter always carried a small collapsible umbrella in his pocket, even when there was no rain in the forecast for the week. If rain was anywhere in the forecast for the week, he would also wear a blue see-through rain slicker that made him look like a tourist about to board a boat for a misty ride to the base of Niagara Falls. He concluded that, virtual or not, he was uncomfortable with his current level of rain preparedness. He looked back to his daughter¡¯s avatar where she¡ªit?¡ªstood in a broad, confident stance. She looked so strong here. So whole. So unbreakable. He smiled and had to blink quickly a few times before he felt ready to speak. He cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m glad I had a chance to see it, but we can go, if you¡¯re ready.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m definitely ready.¡±

    ¡°Okey-dokey, then.¡± He rose and dusted the back of his breeches. ¡°Where¡¯s your mother?¡±

    Reeve facepalmed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Dad. We¡¯ll catch up with her in the lobby. Just hold on a sec. I¡¯ll log out and then log you two out.¡±

    He looked uncertain but nodded.

    Reeve mentally selected the logout feature from the UI.

    Nothing happened.

 Chapter 2.1 Trapped (Book I)

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Reeve stood up straighter and again tried to log out.

    Nothing happened.

    She felt the tentacles return and begin to constrict her chest. She focused all of her attention on the logout feature. It dimmed momentarily each time she tried to activate it, but then nothing happened.

    Walter looked at her with concern. ¡°Everything OK, Sweetie?¡±

    ¡°No, everything is not OK!¡± Hearing her half-orc¡¯s roar, she put out a hand in apology. ¡°Sorry. I can¡¯t get the logout to execute. Just give me a minute.¡±

    Come on, she thought, log out. Log out. She mentally selected the feature again and again. Log out, log out, log out.

    Nothing happened.

    She looked around her UI. Everything else seemed to be working. The logs were updating. The readouts of game time and real time were smoothly increasing, the former several hundred times faster than the latter. Her link to her Companion indicated Nyx was still stalking a deer somewhere to the south. Her feed was even being recorded, due to the option she¡¯d turned on for play in the VRMMO. She opened an inset and saw the feed, the POV from somewhere over to her right. She cringed and watched herself cringe. Ugh. She looked so uncertain right now. Pathetic. And her father was sitting there, literally twiddling his fingers. Twiddling his fingers. She closed the inset.

    ¡°I need you to try to log out. Just select ¡®Log Out¡¯ from your UI.¡±

    Her father scratched the bushy hair above the point of one ear and raised an eyebrow slightly.

    ¡°UI. User Interface.¡±

    Her father¡¯s other eyebrow rose to join the first.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what...¡± The tentacles tightened, and a series of unwelcome images flashed through her mind: sitting by her father, speechless, as he accidentally deleted an app from the smartphone she¡¯d stupidly talked her mom into giving him for his birthday, the same smartphone that was currently in the back of one of his dresser drawers; falling out of bed and dragging herself panicked into the hall the time her mother somehow set twenty-two different reminders on the digital home assistant Reeve had insisted on, all of the reminders inexplicably timed to be delivered between 1:00 a.m. and 1:49 a.m.; staring out the backseat window of their new electric self-driving car, the one her parents had reluctantly purchased when manually-driven models were no longer legal, her ears covered so she wouldn¡¯t hear her father arguing with the car about the route it had chosen; closing her eyes and not looking out of the backseat window anymore when they arrived at the destination and discovered her father given the car the wrong address.

    For several seconds Reeve¡¯s attention was consumed by the question of whether her parents had given her PTSD. ¡±Parent Traumatic Stress Disorder,¡± she said quietly to herself. She swallowed hard, fighting nausea, and registered that her father was still talking.

    ¡°I¡¯m in Human Resources,¡± Walter was saying, ¡°we¡¯re really about the people¡ª¡°

    ¡°You must have to interact with a User Interface for something sometime!¡± The part of Reeve¡¯s brain that hadn¡¯t completely panicked registered the hysteria in her voice and tried to dial the knob down, with little success.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure I do, I just may not be familiar with the jargon¡­and if I run into a problem or things stop working there¡¯s a button I can press that almost always does the trick.¡±

    Reeve forced herself to ask the question, despite how afraid she was of the answer. ¡°It¡¯s the power button, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    After a few seconds of desperately grasping for a mantra that could ground her, Reeve seized on, ¡°It is enough for my parents to do their best.¡± Nearly two minutes and forty silent repetitions of the phrase reduced her hyperventilation to mere flustered breathing, and she decided to try again, choosing to proceed without first finding out what her dad had been saying to her for the last two minutes. ¡°Shhzhhp!¡° She raised a hand to help silence her father, who stopped his monologue and looked at her, eyes widening slightly. ¡°Do you kind of sense something floating off to your right?¡± Without looking, she pointed her blade to her right and rotated it in a small circle through the air. ¡°Like there¡¯s something in your peripheral vision, just out of reach, even if you turn your head?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± Walter¡¯s face relaxed and he looked pleased. ¡°I just thought that was a floater.¡±

    ¡°Floater?¡±

    ¡°In my eye.¡±

    ¡°In your eye?¡±

    ¡°When you get older, sometimes the jelly-stuff inside your eye clumps together and casts shadows on your retina. You see little things floating around in your vision. I have several.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a thing?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Honey. There are a lot of things that change when you get older. The other day when I went to the rest¡ª¡°

    ¡°Ew, Dad, no. Plus, you¡¯re not old in here, you¡¯re a youngish halfling. And I doubt they programmed in floaters. But, logging out, remember?¡±

    ¡°Right, sure.¡±

    ¡°OK. Concentrate on the thing you sense floating to your right. Imagine it moving closer to float in front of you.¡±

    For a few seconds, Walter stared into space. And then he yelped, threw his arms across his face, and fell backward. His yelp became a stuttered, ¡°Yayayaaahhh!,¡± as he frantically rocked side-to-side and waved his arms above him. His motions wound down slowly. ¡°OK, got it. It¡¯s here now. Just startled me. Thought for a second it was a swarm of flying critters attacking my head.¡±

    Reeve made an effort to skip over the embarrassment she felt at watching her father try to navigate the game and to instead focus on her relief that he¡¯d managed to activate the UI without more coaching. Her effort was not entirely successful.

    ¡°Whoa, there¡¯s a lot here¡ª¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything!¡±

    ¡°Touch?¡± Her father, still lying on his back, reached out his hand and moved it tentatively through the air above him.

    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t imagine touching anything. Don¡¯t imagine pressing any of the buttons you can see. Just hold on, OK?¡±

    ¡°OK, OK.¡± His hand drifted toward his left.

    ¡°Dad!¡±

    ¡°OK!¡± He let his hand drop to his stomach. ¡°What do all of these things mean? Oh, it was a salmon, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Dad, please. Just look down at the very bottom. See where it says ¡®Log out¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°Great. Now imagine choosing that option. As though you¡¯re mentally clicking on it.¡±

    ¡°Clicking?¡±

    ¡°Like with a mouse...you know what, never mind. Just concentrate hard on the words.¡±

    Walter sat up and his brow furrowed with concentration.

    ¡°Ooh!¡± He said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I could feel it there. Like it became physical for a second.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Then it dimmed.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°And then it lit back up same as before.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re still here.¡±

    ¡°Should I not be?¡± Walter¡¯s eyes lost their distant stare as they shifted from the UI to Reeve.

    ¡°Not if logout worked. And that¡¯s the same thing that happens when I try¡­wuh¡­what are you doing?¡±

    The halfling was slowly rising to his feet. He had a hand on one knee and was bobbing his head up and down, side to side. ¡°Trying to see you around all this stuff.¡±

    Reeve imagined what this all must look like in her feed and cringed. ¡°Please. Don¡¯t. Just imagine pushing it back to the edge of your vision.¡±

    Walter stopped bobbing his head and raised both hands slowly as if feeling for something in the dark.

    ¡°Imagine it. Picture it happening.¡±

    He lowered his arms to his sides, and concentration again stiffened his features.

    ¡°Whoa¡ª¡° He leaned forward and fell to his hands and knees. ¡°There. Got it. Just made me a bit dizzy when it zoomed away.¡± He started climbing to his feet again.

    Only half listening, Reeve called up her own UI and again tried to log out.

    Nothing.

    ¡°Why?¡± She drove the naginata¡¯s pole-end into the ground with such force that Walter felt it through his bare feet.

    She tried again.

    Nothing.

 Chapter 2.2 Collapse (Book I)

    Walter bent to dust his knees. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out, Evie. Is there a power button we can press?¡± He looked around at the trees.

    ¡°Dad, while we¡¯re in-game, we have no control over our bodies in the real world. It¡¯s like when we dream during sleep¡ªour brains are disconnected from our neuromuscular system so we don¡¯t hurt ourselves out there while we¡¯re in here swinging weapons and running around.¡±

    Walter nodded. ¡°So, we should call IT?¡±

    Reeve turned away from her father. ¡°I believe in my parents and their abilities.¡± She took a deep breath and let it out slowly then spun on her heels and squatted, her hand sliding down the naginata, her eye level dropping closer to her father¡¯s.

    ¡°We can¡¯t do anything out there until we get out of here, and the only way to get out of here is to log out. This is total immersion gameplay. Everything not directly related to living the game happens in the lobby, which you get to by logging out. Logging out is our escape hatch, but it¡¯s not working.¡±

    ¡°That seems like it could be dangerous. And why can¡¯t we log out?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why we can¡¯t log out! This game is still in early access, but a bug that big should¡¯ve been caught by now.¡± She drummed her fingers along the shaft of the naginata while she thought. ¡°There must be a problem with our settings that we could fix, or a workaround. I need to think about it. And, yeah, not being able to log out could be dangerous, but there¡¯s a safety feature in the neural interface that will automatically log us out after a certain amount of real time if we haven¡¯t logged ourselves out.¡±

    ¡°How long does that take?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The longest I¡¯ve been able to play so far, real time, has been a little under fifteen minutes. It was almost a full day, sunrise to sunrise, in the VRMMO.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°But I think the info on that is probably in all the legal stuff we had to scroll through before clicking ¡®I Accept¡¯ when we were entering the lobby.¡±

    ¡°Lobby?¡±

    ¡°Dentist office.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Reeve looked at her father and wondered if he would be good at wading through that massive liability waiver she¡¯d never bothered to read before clicking ¡®Accept.¡¯ She tried to remember what, exactly, it was he did at his job. Her parents talked about their workday happenings pretty much nightly, and Reeve had developed an almost supernatural ability to tune them out whenever their tone became occupational. She wasn¡¯t even fully aware of the extent of her powers to ignore, which had not been cultivated but instead had come to her quickly when she was in elementary school as though transferred through a radioactive spider bite. Reeve¡¯s brow furrowed as she stared at her halfling father. In real life, he wore bow ties to work, which suggested junior high science teacher or southern lawyer, but she knew it was something in Human Resources. She was pretty sure there was an office involved. Apparently not a lot of computer work. She then considered his in-game performance thus far. She decided to risk it.

    ¡°Dad?¡± She gave him her best persuasive smile, which, when rendered in half-orc teeth, caused him to clear his throat apprehensively. ¡°Could you read through all the warnings to find out how long we¡¯ll have to wait? We need to get out of here. I have a math test to study for.¡±

    Even if the smile wasn¡¯t sufficiently persuasive, the appeal to her schoolwork was. Walter nodded. ¡°Sure, Honey. But, meanwhile, don¡¯t you worry. We¡¯re doing okily dokily here. I¡¯ll get the hang of the goblins and the winged pixels soon enough, the You Eye, the LAN, and the deathy buff, and I¡¯m sure your mother¡¯s doing just fine figuring things out as she goes along¡ªshe¡¯s a resourceful lady. Plus,¡± he placed his hands on his hips and exaggeratedly rotated his torso about his waist, ¡°I haven¡¯t felt this spry in ages, so we¡¯ve got that going for us, and,¡± he smiled broadly, ¡°you¡¯ll be here to help us along the way if we need anything, right? I know how good you are at showing us how to do these technology thingies. What¡¯re they called? Tetchy things? I mean, technie? Technic? Techie! That¡¯s it! Techie.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    All of the blood had drained from Reeve¡¯s face, and, as she stared at her father in horror, her right eye twitched.

    ¡°Right,¡± Walter said. ¡°Where is this legal document thingy?¡±

    Reeve swallowed dryly. ¡°Go into your UI, just remember¡ª¡°

    Walter staggered backward and fell onto his back. ¡°That really comes at you fast.¡±

    Reeve shook her head. ¡°OK, choose the tiny text to the left of ¡®Log Out.¡¯¡±

    Walter began to raise his left hand.

    ¡°Mentally. Choose it mentally.¡±

    He nodded. After a few seconds of concentration, he said, ¡°There we go! Golly. This is long.¡± He stared ahead for a few seconds, eyes distant, then sat up and crossed his legs. ¡°Seizures?¡±

    Reeve began to pace the perimeter of the spawn point.

    ¡°Do not use while driving or riding in a moving vehicle? Reeve?¡±

    ¡°Some idiot has probably done it, Dad. And someone else probably took a video of it. And one or both of the two are probably now rich. Or dead.¡±

    For a few minutes, they were both nearly silent, she pacing, he mumbling to himself, her sharp ears able to decipher his words only occasionally.

    ¡°While operating machinery?¡±

    She thought through their situation, passing her naginata from hand to hand and twirling it between passes, taking pleasure in the sharp whistle of the blade cleaving the air. She¡¯d never played a full twenty-four hours of game time. Maybe the automatic logout happened somewhere around then? That¡¯d be about fifteen minutes of real time for the VRMMO or¡­her blade floated in the air in front of her, then continued its arc¡­just a couple minutes of real time for this story mode. That was nothing, she¡¯d have plenty of time to study for her test. She had to do well on the test. If she didn¡¯t do well in algebra, how was she going to do well in all her other math courses, or get into college, or get a Computer Science degree so that she could graduate and get a job at a VR company working on the AIs that were now at the heart of most games?

    She stopped pacing, took a deep breath, and gently directed the tip of the naginata through an arc as though she were an orchestra conductor guiding the music to a key point.

    It would be OK. She would still have time to study once they got out. They just needed to get out.

    She resumed pacing but only made it a few strides before another thought caused her to stop her spinning blade short of a thin branch. The math test was one thing, but could she survive twenty-four hours in here with her parents? The blade continued through the branch, which fell, clinging desperately to its leaves like little parachutes. Twenty-four hours of having to help them not get killed by goblins¡ªor salmon. Not only that, but she¡¯d have to help them understand the game itself, its mechanics, how it worked the way it did, why it worked the way it did, and the stages of whatever quest the story mode would have them follow. She stopped walking.

    It would be like helping her parents with a new smartphone.

    For

    Twenty

    Four

    Hours

    Straight.

    She unsteadily began pacing again. VR games had always been her world. Where she felt most at home. Most herself. Complete. They did not belong here. Hopefully, the automatic logout for the story mode would be short. Hopefully really, really short.

    ¡°They¡¯re not liable if you¡¯re attacked by an animal, domestic or otherwise, while using their product?¡± Walter looked around him until he spotted Reeve through his UI.

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why Mom wanted to talk about Mrs. Jacobs¡¯ cat,¡± she said, trying to lighten her own mood.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Her father stared once more at unseen words, his lips moving silently. ¡°Ah, here it is!¡±

    Reeve dropped to a squat in front of him. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°The default automatic logout for both the, eh, MMO mode and the story mode is twelve, to prevent play sessions of such an extended duration that they could cause negative health effects in real life, but you can change it.¡±

    ¡°Twelve hours?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ve played almost twenty-four hours in the MMO and it didn¡¯t kick me out.¡± Reeve paused, took a breath, and tried to take a more optimistic view of the news. ¡°At least it¡¯s shorter than twenty-four, I guess.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Walter said, ¡°it¡¯s defined in terms of real time, not game time, just like you thought. Twelve hours of real time.¡±

    ¡°But¡­,¡± Reeve¡¯s hands started to shake, and she pushed the naginata away from her so that it fell harmlessly to the ground, ¡°but twelve hours out there would be¡­,¡± she looked at the game time and real time readouts in her UI, ¡°that¡¯d be like almost a year in here.¡± She tipped backward from her squat to land hard on her rear, a thin cloud of dust slowly drifting up around her huge body. She stared at her father. ¡°How do you change the automatic logout?¡± Her usually booming voice was a sandpaper whisper.

    ¡°It looks easy enough,¡± Walter said. He flinched only slightly this time when he sent the UI away. ¡°You can change that setting while you¡¯re in the lobby. The default automatic logout is based on the slowest supported equipment¡ªyou said something about that earlier, right?¡ªso they recommend reducing it substantially if you¡¯re running a high-end neural interface, particularly in story mode.¡± He gave her a pleased smile. ¡°This interface we got you for your birthday was top-of-the-line, right? Exactly the one you wanted?¡±

    Reeve fell onto her back as the entire forest, the entire world, collapsed onto her.

 Chapter 3.1 Buried (Book I)

    ¡°Evie? Evie? You OK?¡±

    Her father¡¯s voice finally filtered through Reeve¡¯s anguish, but she didn¡¯t move her arms from where they lay across her face. Moisture at the corner of each eye began to slide down and prickle her temples. This could not be happening. Even as she formed the thought, she knew it wasn¡¯t true and felt like she would be sick. Not only could it be happening, but as the tentacles threatened to squeeze her out of existence, she remembered times when she¡¯d wished for this very thing to happen, to her. She felt the jeering attention of millions and pressed the crook of her arm harder to her face.

    ¡°Evie? Come on, Honey, we¡¯ll be OK, I¡¯m just going to need your help.¡±

    She squeezed her eyes tight. Her help was exactly what he was going to need. For months.

    Something ran gently down the sole of her boot, and she reflexively twitched it away from the contact.

    ¡°Evie, really, I need your help here.¡±

    She let out a dispirited breath, and her body went entirely limp, the tentacles relaxing as she gave up all hope. Finding some freedom in her despair, she started to sit up, making it to her elbows before she froze. Her father was leaning forward, straining to reach the boot she¡¯d moved away from his fingertips. He wasn¡¯t quite able to reach because his body from the waist down was buried in the packed dirt on which he¡¯d been sitting.

    ¡°Dad?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do this on purpose. I¡­I stood up to come over to you and all of a sudden the ground¡­well, it got a lot closer.¡±

    ¡°You glitched into the ground.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­,¡± he looked around and patted the ground in front of him, ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for that.¡±

    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just a bit tight if I breathe in too deeply. Could you give me a hand?¡±

    Reeve rolled forward to sit on her heels.

    ¡°Why do these things happen to you?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Walter gave the question serious thought.

    ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll get you out.¡±

    ¡°Does this happen often?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve only seen it once before in this game. I was helping defend a settlement from raiders and a barbarian suddenly was up to his armpits.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you get him out?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. Well, not exactly. He was one of the raiders, so¡­I just sent him back to his spawn point.¡±

    Walter looked at her for a moment and then cringed. ¡°Oh, oh, I see. Let¡¯s not do that.¡± He started pushing against the ground, his motions becoming slightly wild. ¡°Can we get me out now? Gently?¡±

    ¡°OK, just stick tight.¡± Reeve shook her head at her unfortunate word choice. ¡°Sorry. Just be patient. I¡¯ll need to craft a shovel.¡± She scanned the branches of the nearby trees.

    ¡°So, our bodies,¡± Walter said, ¡°out there, they may be on their own for twelve hours?¡±

    ¡°Please do not remind me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­,¡± Walter¡¯s hesitation caused Reeve to look at him, which seemed to prompt him to finish, ¡°¡­just, you know, I¡¯m not sure my bladder can¡ª¡°

    ¡°Eww, seriously, Dad?!¡±

    ¡°Too much information?¡±

    ¡°That is a problem for Real-Life Walter to figure out. Real-Life Reeve and In-Game Reeve do not need to know anything about it. Your business.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­Real-Life Walter is lying on your beanbag chair.¡±

    Reeve and Walter stared at each other.

    Reeve turned back toward a branch that looked promising and tried to give that branch all of her attention. ¡°While I¡¯m crafting,¡± she said, her voice only tenuously under her control, ¡°check your Inventory for anything you could use to help dig yourself out.¡±

    ¡°I have an Inventory?¡± Walter pinched the front of his shirt and pulled it away from his chest, looking down through the collar. ¡°Wait!¡± He looked up. ¡°In the UI?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    With her back to her father, Reeve stared, tired, into the woods for a few seconds before she turned around. ¡°Yes, in the UI. Take a look and see what starter items came with your Class.¡±

    ¡°Class?¡±

    ¡°Forget it, we¡¯ll check your Class later. Just look in your Inventory.¡± She approached the branch and pulled a small hatchet from her belt. Checking over her shoulder, she saw that her father was staring into space, squinting. She turned away and used two sharp strikes and then her body weight to break the branch from the tree. She crossed to a downed trunk and sat. She opened her crafting blueprints and scrolled through until she found the plan for a Basic Wooden Shovel. It was a blueprint she hadn¡¯t used since her first night.

    Reeve stared straight through the blueprint as she absorbed the realization that tonight would be her parents¡¯ first night. If her father thought a Level 1 Goblin was scary, he definitely wasn¡¯t ready for the creatures that came out at night. They¡¯d need shelter. Or at least a defendable position. Feeling like she was beginning to hyperventilate, she reassured herself that she just needed to take it one task at a time, like any game. Get her Dad unstuck, find her Mom, find shelter. ¡°How¡¯s it coming?¡± She began chipping away at the branch, then made an effort to slow her initially frantic chops before she lost a finger.

    ¡°Well, I think I found my Inventory, but it¡¯s mostly empty, and I¡¯m not sure why these things are in here.¡±

    ¡°What are they?¡± She held one end of the branch on the ground between her feet and used her raised right hand to rotate the branch slowly as she took practiced swings with the hatchet.

    ¡°A bee smoker, bee veil, ledger, and quill with ink pot.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The hatchet paused, raised, as she looked up at him. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. Show me.¡±

    He squinted as though in pain.

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll tell you how.¡± The hatchet struck with a clahk as she returned to chipping away at the branch. ¡°Things we keep attached somewhere on our body, like my bow or this hatchet,¡± she turned it in the air for him to see, ¡°you just grab if you need them. Everything else you have with you is in your Inventory.¡±

    ¡°Where is my Inventory?¡±

    ¡°In your UI.¡±

    ¡°But, I mean, where is it physically?¡± He looked down at his small body, which was all the smaller with only half above ground.

    ¡°Nowhere, it¡¯s a game mechanic. Just go with me on this for now. To access things in your Inventory, you just grab them out of your hammerspace.¡±

    ¡°Hammer-what?¡±

    ¡°Hammerspace.¡±

    ¡°Like, Hammertime?¡± The halfling looked down at his buried legs, his expression sagging into disappointment, then used his arms to try to give the impression he was shuffling to the side.

    ¡°Ohmagod, no! Not Hammertime! Not the hammer-space-time continuum! Hammerspace! You reach behind you¡ªover a shoulder, behind your back, doesn¡¯t matter¡ªand imagine what you want. It¡¯ll appear in your hand.¡± She dropped the hatchet to the ground, swung her hand behind her back at the waist, and brought it back out holding a piece of dried meat. ¡°Venison.¡±

    ¡°Holy moly!¡±

    She managed a patient half-laugh. ¡°Yeah, Dad, holy moly. Try it.¡± She took a bite of the venison and then returned it to her Inventory.

    Walter raised his right hand and reached tentatively over his suspendered shoulder. His hand returned, empty.

    He reached behind his back at the waist.

    It returned empty.

    He frowned.

    He tried his left hand over his left shoulder.

    Empty.

    Behind his waist.

    Empty.

    He twisted and reached his left hand across his body and around his right waist, straining against his dirt skirt.

    Empty.

    ¡°I think mine¡¯s broken.¡±

    She pinched her eyes shut for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s not broken. Are you concentrating on what you want?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Reeve frowned. ¡°Should work. Which item are you trying to retrieve?¡±

    ¡°Venison.¡± He nodded toward her side where the venison had disappeared. ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry. Do we have to eat in here?¡±

    Reeve dropped her gaze and stared at the ground as she bounced the flat side of the hatchet against the top of her head. After a dozen bounces, she stopped and looked up. ¡°Do you have venison in your Inventory?¡±

    Walter pursed his lips and nodded. ¡°Right. I¡¯ll try something else.¡±

    Reeve resisted the urge to throw the hatchet at him and instead returned to crafting.

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    She looked up to see her father drop something behind his back. The object bounced away from him with a crlack-k-kak.

    ¡°I did it, Evie! Now, if I can just¡­¡± He struggled to turn far enough to reach back and grasp the dropped object.

    Putting down the half-finished shovel, Reeve rose and slid the hatchet into its loop on her belt. Her father was trying to bend himself backward, arms arcing behind his pointed ears, when she picked up the unfamiliar object that lay behind him.

    He straightened up. ¡°My back hasn¡¯t been this flexible in decades. This is faaaaaaaaantastic!¡± He looked at her. ¡°See. Bee smoker.¡±

    ¡°What¡­is¡­this?¡± Reeve cupped the odd object in her hands and used her thumbs to compress the bellows on the side of the metal can. ¡°It¡¯s like the Tin Woodman and an accordion had a baby.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for smoking bees. It makes them¡­¡± Walter¡¯s words trailed off as Reeve thrust the bee smoker at him. He took it.

    ¡°But you¡¯re terrified of bees.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Evie¡ªlittle tiny things that can fly, through the air, and just suddenly decide they¡¯re angry at you, and inject you with venom, that hurts, a lot? It¡¯s crazy we ever leave the house. Well, maybe the game knew how much I hate them, and so it equipped me to defend myself.¡±

    ¡°Against bees?¡±

    ¡°Against bees.¡±

    ¡°Dad, bees are going to be the least of your worries in here.¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t like bees.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­just get you out of there,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with your Class and your Inventory items later.¡± She tried to collect her thoughts¡ªfinish the shovel, dig him out, find Mom, get them somewhere safe for the night.

    ¡°This is nice.¡±

    Reeve looked down to find her father reaching up to examine one of the objects on her belt. He had to stretch, as his head currently rose only to her knee.

    ¡°It reminds me of that giant fluffy keychain ball you have attached to your chair. The one Nana and Papa gave you last time we took you to Detroit to visit them.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me too. That¡¯s part of the reason I keep it on my belt instead of in my Inventory. Reminds me of them.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Walter squeezed it gently, and it emitted a sound like reeds rubbing against each other in a light breeze.

    ¡°Giant Wolf Spider Egg Sac. They¡¯re valuable, but they¡¯re also useful for crafting, and you can use them to spawn Spiderlings.¡±

    Walter released the sac, looked at his fingers, and then wiped his hand on the front of his shirt. ¡°Not a big fan of spiders either.¡±

 Chapter 3.2 Digging (Book I)

    Reeve returned to her seat and took up the branch and hatchet. Although focused on her work, she listened carefully to the sounds of the forest should danger find them. She occasionally glanced at her father, who was either practicing accessing his Inventory or suffering from an extremely itchy back. She completed the handle of the shovel first and then began shaping the blade, which would be narrow, limited by the diameter of the branch. When half-finished, she looked up. Her father had four objects, including the bee smoker, arrayed in front of him in a semicircle. He wore a toothy halfling grin. As she watched, he picked up the bee smoker and dropped it over his right shoulder. Crlack-k-kak. He turned to stare at it. Reeve resumed working the wood, now making only small strikes to chip away the final excess from the blueprint she could see overlaid onto the nearly finished tool.

    Whump. She jerked her head up. A second object¡ªa broad bound book¡ªlay behind her father next to the bee smoker. She blew a strand of dark hair away from her face and thought uncomfortably that their situation was reminding her much more than she¡¯d have liked of babysitting Avery Monklee from across the street. Though to be fair, two-year-old Avery would probably be better at this than her father. But, at least her father was entertaining himself right now. She stowed her hatchet and examined the finished shovel, checking for any deviations from the blueprint. She¡¯d learned the hard way that even small imperfections could have a major impact on the durability and effectiveness of crafted objects.

    Reeve looked back up at her father. There were no longer any objects on the ground in front of him¡­because they were all now on the ground behind him. She must not have noticed the quiet fall of the bee veil or of the quill and ink pot. She rose from her seat. Her father looked up at her and gave a weak smile. Running her hand carefully up and down the shaft of the shovel to check for potential splinters, she walked around the buried halfling to retrieve the objects and placed them on the ground in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m going to dig. You keep trying. Think of your Inventory as you hold the object behind your back.¡± She dropped the cutting edge of the shovel to the ground next to him.

    ¡°Ohhhhhh.¡± He nodded at her. ¡°I was thinking of the object.¡±

    She placed her foot on the cut-out step at the top of the blade and leaned her weight onto it. The blade sank smoothly into the packed dirt, nearly to her foot. She smiled, bent, levered the handle, and tossed aside the dirt pried loose. She took more scoops, slowly backing around her father, a shallow trench following her. She was starting her second complete circuit when her father gave a small whoop and used his thumbs to twang both suspenders.

    ¡°Did it!¡± He grinned so broadly at the empty ground before him that his pointed ears were pulled down and out slightly by his taut cheeks.

    ¡°Good job,¡± she said, finding that she really meant it and doing a double-take to look more closely at him. For a moment, she¡¯d seen him only as a halfling, a legit inhabitant of this world, instead of her dad. ¡°Have you ever worn suspenders before?¡± She resumed shoveling.

    ¡°Never! But I must say I¡¯m enjoying it.¡± He twanged both straps again.

    ¡°That¡¯s just great, Dad.¡± Her father finding a previously unrecognized love for suspenders was not what Reeve wanted him to take back to real life. She shook off the tragic mental image and looked up to find the sun high in the sky. She switched feet and tried to shovel faster.

    ¡°Can I help?¡±

    ¡°You can start trying to dig out the loose stuff between you and the trench.¡±

    Walter nodded and began scooping tiny handfuls of dirt and throwing them aside.

    When, after twenty minutes, they exposed his knees, Reeve dropped the shovel, panting from the continuous effort. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to pull you out. Just let me know if I should stop.¡±

    ¡°Because you might accidentally hurt me?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah. I¡¯ve torn limbs off people in combat before.¡±

    His eyebrows tented.

    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ll be careful. The last thing I want to do is accidentally kill you and have you respawn right here, free of the ground, after all this work.¡± She snorted at the thought but then saw her father tucking his arms into his sides protectively. ¡°I mean of course the main thing is that I don¡¯t want to rip your arms off¡­or your legs¡­any part of you really¡­listen, this isn¡¯t getting any better, just let me try to pull you out, I¡¯ll be careful, OK?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    With a small nod, he raised both arms. Reeve, who was almost four times the height of her partially buried father, became even more uncomfortable with how much she felt like she was babysitting. She bent to grasp him under each arm and started pulling, gently at first, until she was beginning to actually strain.

    ¡°Evie?¡± Her father¡¯s exhaled question sounded as though it had literally been wrung from his body.

    She lightened her force. ¡°No good?¡±

    ¡°It started to feel like my feet might come off.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± She let him go entirely. ¡°Halfling feet. I¡¯ll keep digging.¡±

    She sat next to him, legs crossed, and bent to work the shovel around him, taking only small amounts of dirt at a time.

    ¡°Wait, wait!¡± Walter said, ten minutes after she¡¯d attempted to pluck him. ¡°Feels looser down there. Let¡¯s try again.¡± He raised his arms.

    Reeve swung the shovel into her Inventory and then stood to pull. He came loose immediately, and she set him down next to the hole.

    ¡°That¡¯s better!¡± He wiggled his hairy toes to dislodge dirt still packed between them. ¡°Good work, Kiddo.¡±

    Reeve shook her head as she squatted to brush dust and clumps of dirt from his breeches. Swiping down one side of his pants, his leg felt to her as thin as a broomstick.

    ¡°Dad, could I¡­¡± She bent lower and slid the cuff of one leg higher on his calf. She kept going, the cuff not catching as it rose smoothly past his knee and up his thigh. ¡°What the heck? These are like Grandpa Franklin¡¯s legs.¡± She wrapped her hand around his thigh just above the knee and her fingertips overlapped her thumb.

    Her father bent from the waist to consider his legs. ¡°These aren¡¯t normal for a halfling?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± She sat back on her heels. ¡°How did you distribute your Strength points?¡±

    ¡°Strength¡ª¡°

    ¡°¡ªwhen we were in the dentist office, and you were building your avatar, you had to choose how to distribute your Strength point allotment across your halfling¡¯s body. She waved her large hand around, taking in his chest, arms, and legs. ¡°Where¡¯d you put them?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d said that the setup didn¡¯t matter, since we¡¯d only be taking a quick look at the game, so I just tried to choose whatever was quickest. For that Strength part¡­,¡± he looked up and pushed out his little hairless jaw as he thought, ¡°I think the picture of the halfling started with one point everywhere, so I just put all the rest into the first spot.¡±

    ¡°The first spot? At the top? The arms?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I believe that¡¯s right.¡±

    They both looked down at Walter¡¯s halfling body.

    ¡°Could you roll up a sleeve?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± He unbuttoned the sleeve of his shirt and began rolling the fabric. After two turns, he said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s different.¡±

    They both stared at his thickly muscled forearm.

    Walter reached across his body with one hand to feel his other bicep. ¡°Hmm,¡± he said, jutting his lower lip appreciatively. He flexed the bicep he was feeling. ¡°My goodness!¡±

    Reeve rested her elbows on her knees and held either side of her head. ¡°You¡¯re ripped, Dad.¡± She reached out and wrapped one hand around his side, giving him a gentle squeeze. Despite the little pot belly that protruded between his suspenders, at chest level she could feel his ribs, easily. ¡°Correction: your arms are ripped. The rest of you is skinny, and all of it¡¯s perched on chicken legs.¡±

    Walter chuckled. ¡°Well, I guess halflings aren¡¯t known for being big, right?¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s that we¡¯re going to have to travel by foot until we figure out how to log out, and I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯re going to be able to move very fast or very far on¡­¡± Reeve gestured at the sticklike ankles visible below his breeches, from which hung oversized feet. She covered her face with her hands.

    ¡°You OK, Baby?¡±

    She nodded, ran her hands through her hair, and coughed away the sob threatening to escape her throat.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    She let out a breath that caught a few times before she was ready to speak. ¡°I just need a minute.¡± She wiped her nose with the back of one hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to go down to the stream to get some water. Can you wait here?¡±

    ¡°You want me to wait here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I want you to wait here. Can you do that?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll wait right here?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, Honey.¡±

    ¡°That is what I want. Would you mind sitting there?¡± Reeve pointed to the downed trunk on which she¡¯d sat while crafting.

    ¡°Sit on that tree?¡±

    ¡°Yes, would you mind sitting on that tree trunk until I get back?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡± Walter ambled over to the trunk and took a seat. He looked from side to side and then leaned back against a tree behind him.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t get over how realistic everything is,¡± he said. ¡°But it¡¯s a game!¡± He chuckled softly. ¡°And you! Running around and making shovels and digging holes! Fan-tastic.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad someone¡¯s enjoying it, Dad.¡± Reeve turned toward the stream and pointed. ¡°So, I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes.¡± She turned back toward him and pointed to the trunk. ¡°And you¡¯ll wait right there.¡±

    ¡°Right here.¡±

    She nodded.

    He crossed his ankles in front of him, gave her a twee halfling wave, and then intertwined his fingers behind his head, the very picture of a content halfling who was definitely not going anywhere.

 Chapter 3.3 Journal (Book I)

    Handmade Black Leather Bound Journal

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    omg ihml

    they¡¯re ruining this for me. ruining it. this is my place. i can be free here. be myself. do what I want. go where i want. be who i want. but not with them here. now it feels more like the regular world. their hovering. their wanting to help with everything. which makes me want to cry. i am crying. give me a minute.

    and if we¡¯re actually stuck, i realize we¡¯re not the first. i mean, its the second half of the 21<sup>st</sup> century, there have been dozens, probably hundreds, of cases of people having trouble logging out of VRRPGs. not gonna lie, i¡¯ve even wished it would happen to me (did i cause this????). almost everyone makes it out and then they sell their game feed on a streaming service or they start a social media channel or they run for office or they marry a reality show star. they always get major $$$ somehow. sounds like a pretty good deal¡ªyou get trapped in a game you love, you have some epic adventure, and then you cash in and retire early. yeah, good deal, UNLESS YOUR PARENTS ARE WITH YOUIf you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    i can¡¯t avoid the feeling i¡¯m being watched. in a spotlight i don¡¯t want. wondering what the current feed POV is. looking over my shoulder? close up on my dad as he falls over when his UI opens? or dies to a fodder monster? or falls over when his UI opens and then dies to a fodder monster?

    i keep thinking about my birthday party at the escape room. i¡¯d wanted to do an escape room because maeve had done one for her birthday and i hadn¡¯t been able to go because my parents didn¡¯t think i was ready. i was ready. i think i was ready. i thought it was going to be the best thing ever. almost all my friends could come. devon and millie talked about it for a week. and then we get there and my parents come into the escape room with us. they were still hovering over me all the time then. worrying about me. they still do, but it was super intense then. omg. omg! omg! !!!!!!!!! who wants to be trapped in a fake space station, trying to escape¡­ with their parents? not me. though, to be fair, it did make me super motivated to get out of that room. and now this is a million times worse. like, literally a million times worse. i think we had maybe an hour to get out of the escape room. we could be trapped in here for months! ok, not literally a million times longer, but still a million times worse. i¡¯m going to lose my mind. seriously. my chest is tightening up again ju

    i''ve got to stop thinking about all that time ahead of us. i just need to focus on now.

    i¡¯ve been thinking about what could be causing the glitch. the only thi

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    A soft chime sounded.

 Chapter 3.4 Dubstep (Book I)

    Still squatting next to the stream, Reeve raised her head from her journal, eyebrows pinched together.

    Mom must¡¯ve finally died, she thought. I hope it wasn¡¯t too uncomfortable, but having her respawn here will be way easier than tracking her down.

    She checked the Party Log, and a low sound of disbelief rose into an orcish bellow as she read the new entry.

    Reavyr (II) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    ¡°Daaaaaad!¡± She returned her journal to her Inventory and looked in the direction of the spawn point. She saw no movement in the trees and could hear nothing over the babble of the stream behind her. She snatched her naginata from the ground, rose, and ran. Weaving through the last few yards of undergrowth, she could see the soft light beginning to form where her father would respawn. She scanned the trees but saw no signs of danger.

    Walter Williams materialized fully with a scream like a teapot and a thrashing of arms and legs as though he wanted to get something¡ªor a lot of somethings¡ªoff of his body, and he wanted to get it off right then.

    It was several seconds before he realized he was safe, stopped thrashing, and looked around the spawn point, his wild eyes finding Reeve. ¡°Well, I am glad that¡¯s over!¡±

    ¡°I told you to stay here!¡± Reeve drove the pole-end of her weapon into the ground for emphasis.

    ¡°I did stay here!¡± Walter compulsively brushed something unseen from his shoulders, neck, and chest.

    Reeve looked at the downed trunk to which she¡¯d assigned her father. ¡°That is a lot of blood,¡± she said slowly. It was on the trunk, on the tree behind the trunk, on the ground, on nearby leaves. She could even imagine that a fine red mist still hung in the air.

    ¡°Tell me about it. You should¡¯ve seen the other guy.¡± Walter laughed with nervous relief and shook his head.

    ¡°Why? You got some hits in? What was it?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t the faintest idea, Honey, that¡¯s why I wish you¡¯d seen it. It was all just a misunderstanding.¡± Walter bent over, hands on knees. ¡°And, good grief, is that dubstep feeling ever back.¡± He slowly lowered himself to the ground with the care of someone suffering from seasickness.

    ¡°Dub¡­¡± Reeve felt dizzy. ¡°Dub¡­you mean debuff?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± her father said. He lay back on the ground and closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just going to take a little breather until the dubstep fades out.¡±

    Reeve frowned and looked warily around the forest but saw nothing. She called up the Combat Log.

    Reavyr (II) bludgeons a Level 8 Honey Badger with a bee smoker for 1 point of damage.

    ¡°Wait, there was a Level 8 honey badger here?!¡± Reeve stammered. She hastily closed her UI and gripped her naginata with both hands. ¡°Dad, I was gone four minutes!¡±

    ¡°Things move fast in here, Evie. Seven hundred times faster, I hear.¡± He rolled his head toward her drowsily, pointed a finger gun at her, and dropped the thumb-hammer while clicking his tongue twice.

    Reeve pivoted in place, peering into the underbrush on all sides of the spawn point. For a moment she was furious at her father that he was going to take a nap while she kept watch after a Level 8 creature had just strolled through, but then she reflected that the less time he was awake the safer they both might be. She nearly jumped when a squirrel sprinted between trunks.

    Sensing nothing else in the vicinity, she moved closer to her father and reopened her UI to check the rest of the Combat Log. There were only three more entries.

    A Level 8 Honey Badger bats Reavyr (II) with a paw for 4 points of damage.

    A Level 8 Honey Badger bites Reavyr (II) for 5 points of damage. Reavyr (II) is unconscious.

    A Level 8 Honey Badger eviscerates Reavyr (II) with teeth and claws for 56 points of damage. Reavyr (II) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    Reeve closed the UI and scanned the underbrush but found no threats.

    ¡°Dad.¡± She tapped his shoulder with the side of her boot. ¡°Dad, tell me what happened.¡±

    ¡°Evie.¡± He sat up slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t usually hit the hard stuff, but I could really use some coffee. You don¡¯t have any in your Inventory?¡±

    ¡°No, Dad, you can¡¯t keep liquids hot in your Inventory.¡±

    Walter rubbed his face roughly with both palms. ¡°Could we make some?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± She enunciated her next words carefully. ¡°We have no way to make coffee. We are in the woods. I am a half-orc and you are a halfling. We do not have a coffee maker, we do not have an RV, we do not have a camp stove. There is no barista around the corner. There are no drone food-delivery services.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Walter nodded understandingly with each point Reeve made.

    ¡°But,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you feel cruddy, there¡¯s a cool-down period following a death, and the death debuff stacks during that period to keep newbs from charging right back into a situation that¡¯ll likely get them killed over and over again. I don¡¯t remember what the cool-down is, but you might be on your third stacked death debuff right now. What happened?¡±

    ¡°I was waiting for you to come back from the stream when a big skunk walked out of the woods.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Dad.¡±

    ¡°You and I both know skunks just want to be left alone, so I sat still and watched it pitty-paw around¡­¡±

    ¡°Pitty-paw?¡±

    ¡°¡­but then it was coming right up to me, and I felt deep down like I could make friends with it.¡±

    ¡°Make friends?¡± Reeve blinked a few times. As absurd as it was, her father¡¯s description reminded her of how it felt when she used her Ranger¡¯s ability to charm animals. ¡°We need to figure out your Class before you try to ¡®make friends¡¯ again.¡±

    ¡°So, I tried to pet it.¡±

    ¡°Please, no¡­¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem to like that¡ªsnarled at me¡ªand I panicked. The only thing I could think to do was give it some of the venison.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have venison!¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. As I was reaching for my Inventory I remembered that I¡¯d never been able to get the venison, but that when I¡¯d tried the bee smoker it worked lickety-split.¡±

    ¡°So you tried to give it the bee smoker?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not. What would a skunk do with a bee smoker?¡± Walter chuckled at the thought. ¡°But I was panicking, so when I whipped my hand back around the bee smoker was in it and¡­¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°¡­and I accidentally lost my grip and the bee smoker hit the skunk right in the face.¡± To illustrate, Walter swung his right hand behind his back and then whipped it forward. To both his and Reeve¡¯s surprise, his hand appeared from behind his back gripping the bee smoker, just as it had during his misunderstanding with the honey badger, and, just as it had during his misunderstanding with the honey badger, the bee smoker¡¯s presence startled Walter, who lost his grip and sent the battle-bloodied device sailing through the air.

    ¡°Just like during our little misunderstanding,¡± Walter said, watching the smoker hit a lichen-covered tree trunk and drop into a bush with intermixed leaves of brilliant greens and reds.

    Reeve slid down to squat on the balls of her feet, her weapon still readied. ¡°You hit the honey badger by accident, then it went aggro?¡±

    ¡°¡®Aggro¡¯? I don¡¯t know anything about its occupation, but there were a lot of teeth and claws involved.¡±

    Reeve nodded. ¡°That would explain what I saw in the Combat Log.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s part of the UI?¡±

    Reeve nodded again.

    After a moment, Walter threw up both arms to shield his face but did not fall backward, and Reeve surmised that he was making slow progress with summoning the UI.

    ¡°Ah, I see it there. ¡®Combat Log.¡¯¡± He shook his head and looked at Reeve skeptically. ¡°I¡¯d hardly call that ¡®combat.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Yes, but there isn¡¯t a ¡®Misunderstanding Log,¡¯ Dad.¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe there should be, Sweetie.¡±

    Reeve chewed at the corner of her lower lip and considered that the longer he stayed in the game, the more firmly her father might prove that point.

    ¡°What¡¯s a Companion?¡± Walter said.

    ¡°A Companion? It¡¯s like a¡­,¡± Reeve considered the person with whom she was talking, ¡°¡­like a really loyal pet. They bond with you and you work together as a team.¡±

    ¡°Aw, that¡¯s sweet.¡±

    Father and daughter sat in silence for half a minute as Walter haltingly navigated his UI and Reeve tried to remember what she knew about honey badgers¡¯ territoriality.

    ¡°Wait, why did you ask about Companions?¡± She said.

    ¡°Oh, my Expedience Log¡ª¡°

    ¡°Experience Log.¡±

    ¡°¡ªmy Experience Log says that my attempt to forge a Companion bond with the Honey Badger wasn¡¯t successful.¡±

    Reeve turned to her father. ¡°You tried to¡­¡± She shook her head slowly. ¡°Tell me what it says.¡±

    ¡°Now, where did it go.¡± Walter started to raise a hand and then dropped it into his lap again. ¡°Don¡¯t touch, imagine.¡± His words were whispered, but Reeve made them out.

    ¡°The ¡®Experience Log¡¯ is right under the ¡®Combat Log.¡¯¡±

    ¡°No, that says ¡®Party Log.¡¯¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on the other side from your Party Log.¡±

    Walter¡¯s head wove through the air. Reeve grasped it firmly with both hands. ¡°Just move your eyes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s much better. There it is!¡±

    ¡°Read it to me. Word for word.¡±

    Walter cleared his throat. ¡°Sensing the life spirit that connects all life, big and small¡­¡± He paused. ¡°This is nice, is it a poem?¡±

    ¡°Read, please.¡±

    ¡°...you activate your Apiculturist¡¯st Hi¡ª¡°

    ¡°Apiculturist?¡±

    Walter tilted his head down and looked up at Reeve as if he was looking over the reading glasses he used in the real world.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± She released his head. ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°...you activate your Apiculturist¡¯s Hive Master Skill and extend your consciousness toward a non-anthophile organism.¡±

    ¡°Why is so much of your Experience Log in Latin?¡±

    Walter was afraid he would lose his place in the log, or misplace the log altogether, and kept reading. ¡°You establish a rudimentary connection with a Level 8 Honey Badger. You have taken the first step on the long path to gaining a Companion.You have learned a new skill. You have learned the Improvisation Skill. By applying an existing skill (Hive Master) in a non-traditional way, you have demonstrated exceptional innovation. As you strengthen your Improvisation Skill, you will become increasingly adept at navigating this uncertain world with creative panache.¡± Walter looked through the UI at Reeve. ¡°Creative panache,¡± he said, savoring each word. ¡°That does sound like me, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Reeve stared, lips tight, at her father.

    Walter smiled at her and then refocused his eyes on his log. ¡°You have gained 23 points of experience in Innovation.¡± Walter looked past his UI and found Reeve exactly where he¡¯d left her, her lips still sealed. ¡°That¡¯s nice, isn¡¯t it? How many of these points do I need to win?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of game, Dad.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡± His eyes changed focal plane. ¡°You have attacked your intended Companion with a Bee Smoker. By violating your intended Companion¡¯s nascent trust, you have damaged your rudimentary connection, possibly irretrievably. The path to gaining a Companion is now fraught with challenging pitfalls.¡± He shook his head. ¡°All a simple misunderstanding.¡±

    Reeve was struck by how sincerely her father seemed to believe that his recent fatal mauling at the teeth and claws of a honey badger could have been avoided by better interpersonal communication.

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s just a little more.¡± He cleared his throat once more. ¡°You have used a Bee Smoker as a combat weapon. You have gained 2 points of experience in Innovation.¡± Walter swayed slightly as his UI receded to the periphery. ¡°There I go again, earning those points.¡±

    Reeve stood and shook out first one leg and then the other. She needed to get them on the trail after her mom. The glitch into the ground and her father¡¯s innovative third death had delayed their start far too long. Her mother could be epically lost by now and, if she¡¯d been moving this whole time, hours ahead of them.

    Walter walked over to the bush that had swallowed his bee smoker and peered within.

 Chapter 4 Poisoned (Book I)

    Reeve and Walter Williams sat on a broad, circular rock and looked across a rolling ocean of treetops that stretched into blurriness. Farther even, the sun was unwinding into cloud-draped pinks and oranges as it sank toward a toothy mountain range that would provide cover for its departure from the day. Reeve¡¯s eyes were squinted, perspiration beading on her broad forehead. Walter¡¯s eyes were swollen nearly shut, blood oozing from small cuts all across his lumpy, discolored face.

    ¡°It¡¯s as beautiful as anything IRL, isn¡¯t it?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Szzz fhhhhhhhhtszk,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Maybe Mom¡¯s seeing this. I hope she found some shelter.¡±

    ¡°Dhan whhrrrr. Zhe tkkk currr shlf.¡±

    Reeve frowned. ¡°But this isn¡¯t like the normal world, she¡¯s not used to it.¡±

    ¡°Zhe kahhh hhhhuunn ahhnnnggg. Zhe rrrrrrzzzzddd hhhuuuu¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I had my moments, but hopefully raising me wasn¡¯t the same as surviving a goblin or a troll¡ª¡°

    ¡°Zhhhrrrr ttttzzzzz?¡± Walter¡¯s choked voice was high with excitement.

    ¡°Yes, Dad, there are trolls. Why are you so thrilled about trolls?¡± She glanced at the swollen face of her father, which lolled at an extreme angle. It looked to her as though someone had mixed salsa with cottage cheese and poured it onto the face of a halfling mannequin.

    ¡°Whun fhhurr ahhddvvvvzz aahn Shee Hhhhbbbtt ahzz¡ª¡°

    ¡°The burrahobbit part?¡± Reeve scoffed. ¡°Is LOTR why you chose a halfling avatar?¡±

    ¡°Kaahhrrs. Hhhhuww asks whhudd beeee raaahlleee khhoaahhhn whhhttt tttzzz!¡±

    Reeve did not respond. She was quite certain that an encounter between her father and three trolls would not end as favorably as it had for Thorin¡¯s company.

    ¡°Hhhh tthhhh zhelll zzzzz musss luftt?¡±

    Reeve shook her head and rolled her eyes. ¡°I used pretty big stones from the stream. They¡¯re not going to wash away in rain or anything.¡± She pictured the message she¡¯d left circling the spawn point. Mom, you just respawned. STAY HERE. DO NOT MOVE. We will come back to get you. Reeve. ¡°It¡¯d be hard to miss.¡± But, Reeve thought, if anyone could miss it¡ªor choose to ignore it for a nonsensical reason¡ªit¡¯d be one of her parents.

    ¡°Hhhuu shhhh whhrrnnn bhou puhuhkkky shhhrrrrr.¡±

    ¡°Number one, it¡¯s a Poisonous Firethorn, not a shrub. Number two, she¡¯s smart enough not to stick her face in it. And number three, there wasn¡¯t any space left once I put together the message trying to convince her not to go anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Hhhyyy gghhuuu beeeee smhkkrrr buuuu.¡± As if to drive his point home, Walter pulled from his Inventory his bee smoker.

    ¡°Yes you did, Dad. You got your bee smoker back.¡±

    Walter held the device close to his puffy eyes and pumped the small bellows.

    Reeve checked her Party Log in case she¡¯d missed any alerts during their run from the spawn, back to the clearing, onto the trail to the north, and up to this lone rock prominence that stood sentinel above the forest. There was still no sign of her mom having died and respawned.

    How was that possible? Reeve thought. Her dad had already died three times, nearly a fourth, and her mom had always been impossibly bad at all video games. Ridiculously bad. Supernaturally bad. Freakishly bad.

    ¡°Smmmmmmgh!¡±

    Reeve closed her UI and patted her father on the back. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re figuring that thing out, Dad. You¡¯ll be smoking bees in no time.¡± Weak puffs of smoke emanated from the smoker each time Walter pumped the bellows. Reeve looked back out over the forest and watched the progress of the breeze toward them, the sway of treetops like waves approaching to crash upon their stony island. She shifted her bow on her back and flexed her shoulders. Her half-orc skin was much tougher than that of a human, but as she flexed she noted the skin around her neck to be sore where her father had wrapped his arms as she ran through the forest. They¡¯d both started out from the spawn point on foot, but he could barely stay upright at any speed above a fast walk¡ªit was like watching a mascot race at a baseball game¡ªand she¡¯d stopped and convinced him to be carried. Although reluctant, he¡¯d eventually agreed. The fact that he could barely see through his swollen eyes had likely encouraged the choice. Reeve noticed the light dimming more rapidly, and she looked from the swaying trees to the distant mountains and found the sun beginning to pass behind one of the peaks. She reached into her Inventory and pulled out a small burlap bag.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Hrmm gllrrrrhnnn?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the goblin loot bag that I picked up on our way through the clearing.¡± She pulled loose the drawstring at the mouth of the bag and reached in.

    ¡°Hyyyuhh hhsstttllll ehhht?¡±

    She paused. ¡°No, I did not steal it. It¡¯s a loot bag. They¡¯re dropped by slain NPCs. It¡¯s¡ª¡°

    ¡°Hnnn hhheee eeeee?¡±

    ¡°Nonplayer character. Loot bags are pretty standard.¡± She pulled an item from the bag and turned away in disgust from the piece of meat covered in maggots. ¡°Don¡¯t need that.¡± She tossed it over the edge of the cliff that dropped away a few yards in front of their perch.

    ¡°SShhhh nuuhhiiii nhhhkks kkhhhnn?¡±

    ¡°No! Goblins don¡¯t have next of kin who should be notified. No one needs to inherit the loot bag. It¡¯s ours. It¡¯s fine.¡± She pulled out a wooden knife.

    ¡°Hrrrmmmmbbbrrr zzzhhhhtttthh.¡±

    ¡°I bet you do. Here¡¯s the other one.¡± She pulled a second wooden knife from the bag and set it down next to its partner. Reaching in again, she pulled out her fist and opened it to reveal a silver coin. ¡°Not bad for a Level 1 Goblin.¡± She tucked the coin into her inventory and then whipped the empty bag once in the air. It disappeared.

    ¡°Hwwwwwoooaaa.¡±

    ¡°You can actually keep the loot bag if you want, but you¡¯ll pretty quickly fill up your inventory and they¡¯re not good for much. The devs¡ª

    ¡°H¡ª¡°

    ¡°Aaahhhh! Developers, the game developers. Devs. I hope you¡¯re remembering all this. Maybe you should write it down in your ledger. The devs created that loot bag mechanic so you could keep them if it¡¯d be useful to you but you could disappear them if you didn¡¯t need them, so this world wouldn¡¯t become littered with loot bags like the plastic bag problem there used to be IRL.¡± Glancing at the sun, which was almost completely set, she picked up the two knives and offered them to her father. ¡°You¡¯ll have to make do with these until we can get you something better. I guess we know they can do the job.¡±

    The inflamed tissue of Walter¡¯s face shifted slightly in a way that Reeve interpreted as a smile. Walter took the two knives and looked at them in his open palms. He swung the one in his left hand toward his back, but Reeve caught his wrist before the knife disappeared into his Inventory.

    ¡°Keep it in the waist of your pants. Your waistband is one of your quick-access locations. You don¡¯t want to have to access your Inventory in an emergency.¡± Walter nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to take first shift. You can tuck yourself into that little recess in the rock over there and get some sleep. I¡¯ll wake you up when it¡¯s your turn. In the morning, if the swelling has gone down enough, we¡¯ll spend a few minutes getting you some XP to start leveling you, then we¡¯ll continue tracking Mom. It looked from the signs down on the path that she was still several hours ahead of us. I can¡¯t figure out why she just kept going. She must¡¯ve realized I wouldn¡¯t have gone that far away from you two. I mean, right?¡±

    Walter nodded, leaned over, and pressed some portion of his lumpy face against Reeve¡¯s cheek, in what she hesitatingly interpreted as a goodnight gesture, and walked unsteadily over to the short rock wall that rose from the center of the prominence. In a small scalloped recess, he lay down, his knives in the waist of his pants and his bee smoker held reverently in his hands as he continued to examine it.

    Reeve wiped blood and what she thought might be lymph from her cheek where her father had kissed her. She had zero intention of waking her father to take a turn at watch. If the night would¡¯ve involved real time passing and real sleep lost, she would have considered giving him a turn, but she knew from having played almost a full day in game time that sleep deprivation here was far less debilitating than in real life. She might have to stay awake through eight hours of perceived time, but her brain would only be missing out on a less-than-a-minute micro-nap.

    Reeve rose and reached into her Inventory for a few of the stream stones she had kept. She placed them at the compass points around the rock on which she¡¯d been sitting and then hopped up onto it. ¡°Resurrection stones,¡± she said. Checking her UI, she saw that her spawn had successfully updated. Hopping back down, she approached her father, who was producing increasingly substantial puffs of smoke. She set four stones, the last wedged between him and the rock wall.

    ¡°Say ¡®resurrection stones.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Hrrssrrrshhhnn hsstttnnnss.¡±

    Reeve checked the Party Log. ¡°Can¡¯t believe it, but that worked. I guess the neural interface can tell what you¡¯re trying to say even if the world here wouldn¡¯t be able to. You¡¯re all set. Sleep well.¡±

    Walter nodded.

    Reeve stepped outside his circle of stones and began padding softly back and forth in a semicircle centered on her father.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope for a quiet night,¡± she said to herself.

 Chapter 5.1 Leveled (Book I)

    The pre-dawn sky still perforated by stars, the chill morning air, the dew speckling the stone face next to him¡ªWalter shivered and marveled that it all felt so real. The air had a fresh, cold scent. He hadn¡¯t realized that air could smell cold, but now he realized that it could, and the game had captured it perfectly. He stretched stiffly. The stone on which he lay was warm with the heat of his body. The song of morning birds was just beginning to rise up from the green canopy below. He reached over his shoulder and, where he should have found only stone, plucked from his Inventory the skin of water Reeve had given him the previous day. He rose to one elbow, and the icy water prickled his throat and chest from within as he drank.

    Walter returned the stopper to the skin and the skin to his Inventory. I¡¯m really getting the hang of that, Walter thought with no small satisfaction as the item disappeared not onto the ground behind him but into his Inventory. He decided that the game really wasn¡¯t all that hard to figure out, once you had a chance to try things a few times. He knew how upset Reeve was that they might be stuck for a while before it logged them out, but he thought she was probably overlooking something simple that would allow them to leave soon, and, if they really did need to stay in this world for a while, he was coming to be of a mind that it wouldn¡¯t be so bad. For one thing, he was getting some real quality time with his daughter. Remembering an escape room they had done together a few years back, he smiled. ¡°That was nice,¡± he said quietly. And this is kind of like that, he thought as he looked beyond their rocky shelf, just a much bigger room from which to escape. Plus, he¡¯d already gotten the hang of the Inventory¡ªnot to mention that tricky U.I.¡ªso he was probably through the steepest part of the learning curve. And he¡¯d only had a few unlucky deaths¡ªthat was nothing compared to how he used to lose lives when he¡¯d sometimes play 2D side-stroller video games at friends¡¯ houses as a kid. Boy, he thought, games had really come a long way since those days.

    Walter sat up and dusted the knees of his pants. He saw that Reeve was walking slowly in a circle around the broad rock where they¡¯d watched the sunset the previous evening. She was hunched forward, focused on something in her hands. Her long pole weapon that reminded him of a limb trimmer leaned against the rock. Walter rose and walked buoyantly to join her. He sat lightly on the rock and ran his hands back and forth across the cold, moist stone, enjoying the verisimilitude of the weathered irregularities.

    On her next pass, Reeve stopped next to him, raised the quill from the page of the book in which she¡¯d been writing, and looked down. She gave him a slow nod. Walter returned the nod, noticing that Reeve¡¯s eyes looked a bit red. Had she let him sleep the whole night? He couldn¡¯t remember being awoken for a turn at the watch. Walter furrowed his brow as he tried to remember the details of the previous night¡ªit had all been such a blur¡­partly because he could barely see past his swollen cheeks, eyelids, and brow. He felt his face with still-cold hands. He wasn¡¯t used to the halfling¡¯s face, but it currently felt much more his own than had the balloon-like features the previous evening.

    Walter smiled, sat up straighter, and looked around their makeshift campsite as the morning light began to lift the darkness and reveal greater detail. Though he didn¡¯t remember it raining overnight, all about the rocky shelf on which they¡¯d camped were puddles, inky in the early light. Walter also noticed that there were many more signs of wildlife and past inhabitants than he¡¯d noticed the night prior. A number of bones lay scattered haphazardly about, and there were dozens of the little parcels¡ªwhat were they? Lute bags?¡ªlike the one Reeve had stolen from the goblin, arrayed in a rough semicircle around the recess in which he¡¯d slept.

    Reeve lay a strip of leather down the page on which she¡¯d been writing and closed the book. She set it next to Walter and on it placed her quill and ink pot, which held a brilliant emerald liquid that Walter could swear was emitting a soft glow.

    ¡°Hey, Dad. Your face is looking better.¡±

    Walter smiled and probed both cheeks with his fingertips. ¡°Much better. You get some sleep? I can¡¯t remember much of last night.¡±

    Reeve looked out over the trees. ¡°I¡¯m fine. How about you?¡±

    ¡°Slept like a baby.¡±

    Reeve scratched one eyebrow. After a heavy sigh, she stooped to pick up the nearest loot bag. She sat next to her father and dumped the bag¡¯s contents on the rock without paying the items any attention and then picked up her naginata and lowered it so that the pole was to her side and the blade lay across her lap. She ran the bag down the flat of the blade, wiping thick but not yet dried blood from the metal.

    ¡°You going to need more of those?¡± Walter asked.

    Reeve nodded.

    Walter slid off the rock and walked about their campsite, collecting two or three loot bags at a time and dropping them next to Reeve. Once he could find no more, he resumed his seat and watched her clean the blade, emptying two more loot bags in the process.

    Reeve tilted the blade so that it caught the light of the newly risen sun, and she smiled. She whipped the bag through the air and it was gone. ¡°OK, Dad.¡± She sucked air through her teeth and squinted toward the distant mountains, which shone bright in the nearly horizontal light. ¡°We need to get your Class sorted out.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°OK. I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±

    ¡°And then we¡¯ll spend a few minutes on easy XP to start leveling you.¡±

    ¡°Also don¡¯t know what that means.¡±

    ¡°Then, we need to get back on the trail to catch up with Mom, who somehow hasn¡¯t died yet.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a very resourceful lady, your mother.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure, Dad. It¡¯s just, we¡¯re not¡­¡± Reeve made a few low noises as she struggled to think of a tactful way to point out that both her parents were out of their element, whatever their element was.

    ¡°Not in Kansas anymore?¡± Walter said.

    ¡°That¡¯s actually not a terrible analogy.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the high praise, Daughter.¡±

    Reeve rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve seen Mom play video games before. It¡¯s like she¡¯s trying to break the game.¡±

    ¡°As I recall, she¡¯s quite the star at Tetris.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s awesome, Dad, but unless there¡¯s a component of this story mode that involves us needing to fit together oddly shaped objects in a very efficient way under time pressure, it¡¯s probably not going to help us progress toward getting out of here. Let¡¯s take a look at your Class and then farm a little XP.¡±

    Walter¡¯s slow nod perfectly conveyed both incomprehension and determination.

    The slow nod Reeve returned perfectly conveyed both apprehension and resignation. ¡°OK, let¡¯s try this. First: open your UI.¡± Reeve paused until her father flinched, then she continued. ¡°Find your Stats panel.¡± For a few seconds, Reeve thought her father was having some sort of stroke caused by a resurgence of the Firethorn poison but decided that, no, her parents only looked like they were suffering brain damage when confronted with unfamiliar technology. ¡°Let me know when you find it.¡±

    Reeve turned to the pile of loot and the unopened loot bags. She emptied the rest of the bags into the pile and then checked her Item Log rather than sort through the physical jumble. She ran her gaze down the list, which the log had helpfully organized by similar items.

    2 Prismatic Shards

    4 Obsidian Shards

    1 Pound of Humanoid Meat

    2 Pounds of Wild Meat

    1 Bristled Hide (1¡¯ x 1¡¯)

    1 Scaled Hide (2¡¯ x 6¡¯¡¯)

    3 Metal Teeth

    2 Ivory Tusks (4¡± each)

    2 Venom Sacs

    4 Chitin Scraps

    1 Spider Silk Strand (24¡¯)

    2 Silver Coins

    2 Copper Coins

    1 Pouch of Dust (Unknown)

    1 Crude Iron Dagger

    1 Crude Reed Blowgun

    3 Coated Darts (Unknown)

    1 Crude Maplewood Short Bow (Broken Upper Limb)

    2 Horrible Bone-tipped Arrows

    1 Water Skin (Empty)

    1/2 Piece Dried Venison

    30 Fireberries

    1 Sturdy Vine (12¡¯)

    She was particularly pleased with the Prismatic Shards, which would be useful for higher-level crafting or as high-priced sales to magic users, and the Obsidian Shards, which could be crafted into higher-quality arrowheads than basic stone allowed.

    She mentally swept the entire pile into her Inventory. She¡¯d have to try to show her Dad that loot collection shortcut. Sometime. Someday.

    ¡°There it is!¡± Her father¡¯s jubilant cry drew Reeve out of her UI. ¡°I am gettin¡¯ the hang of this, Evie!¡±

    ¡°Good thing too, Dad, because we¡¯ll give you some new challenges after you tell me your Class. It¡¯s near the top of your Stat block.¡±

    Walter nodded and focused his attention. For a moment he moved his lips silently, tentatively. Then he moved them again more confidently. Then he said, ¡°Apiculturist.¡±

    ¡°App-a-culture-what?¡±

    ¡°Apiculturist. That¡¯s my Class.¡±

    ¡°What is an apiculturist?¡±

    ¡°An apiculturist is a farmer who keeps bees for their honey¡ªooh!¡± Walter clapped his hand over his mouth, then removed it as though he were afraid something might emerge unbidden. ¡°How did I know that?¡±

    ¡°You are a beekeeper? You chose ¡®beekeeper¡¯ as your class? You don¡¯t like bees! You are afraid of bees!¡±

    ¡°You said it didn¡¯t matter¡ª¡°

    ¡°¡ªbecause we¡¯d only be in the game for a few minutes, I know, I know. Oh no, no, no, no¡­I may be stuck in here for months with a beekeeper halfling?¡± Reeve picked up her naginata and pressed the pole hard against her forehead. ¡°What is your Secondary Class?¡± Her father wrinkled his nose. ¡°It¡¯s right under your Class. You get to choose a Primary Class and a Secondary Class. I¡¯m a Ranger with an Archer secondary. Please, please, please tell me it¡¯s something useful.¡±

    Walter nodded and his eyes did a random walk over the unseen Stat block.

    ¡°Oh, yes, here it is. You¡¯ll be relieved. It¡¯s very useful. Could help someone in just about any profession. Even I know that.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also an Accountant.¡±

    ¡°W-w-why? Why? Why are you an accountant beekeeper?¡±

    ¡°Both were right at the top of the list. ¡®Apiculturist¡¯ and ¡®Accountant.¡¯ I just chose a couple of the first things I saw. Didn¡¯t really pay attention.¡±

    Reeve lowered the naginata¡¯s pole so that she could bite down on it. She stopped when the wood began making splintering sounds. She removed the toothmarked pole from her mouth. ¡°Know what? Doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not like you having an appropriate Class was going to make this a lot easier. And¡­if we can get you leveled up some, you¡¯ll be better prepared to handle the basic dangers of the game anyway, OK?¡±

    ¡°You also wanted to go over the rest of my Stats?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t right now. We¡¯ll look later. Here.¡± Reeve withdrew the Crude Iron Dagger and the 1/2 Piece Dried Venison from her Inventory and handed them to him. ¡°There¡¯s the venison you always wanted. Stick it and one of the wooden knives in your Inventory and add the dagger to your waist.¡±

    Her father rose and faced her, his reverent gaze on the venison. Taking both items, he swung the venison back and deposited it in his Inventory. Taking one of the wooden knives from his waist, he swung it back behind him and slid the iron dagger into his waistband.

    Reeve watched the wooden knife land on the ground a few yards behind her beaming father.

    ¡°Great, Dad. You¡¯re killing it. Pick up your wooden dagger, it didn¡¯t make it to Inventory, and then we¡¯ll see if you can kill some monsters.¡±

 Chapter 5.2 Leveling (Book I)

    ¡°Trolls?¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Reeve stared in disbelief at her father for a moment as they stood facing each other, a few yards apart. ¡°I mean, no. We¡¯ll start with spiders.¡± She tugged a few times on the thin strip of leather that led from her studded belt to the suspended Giant Wolf Spider Egg Sac, causing it to bounce with a gentle rustle. ¡°Take out the dagger and the knife. Hold the dagger in your dominant hand.¡± She stepped back to give him space.

    Walter had stiffened at the mention of spiders, and upon Reeve¡¯s command, he quickly gripped each weapon and jerked them from the waist of his pants, smoothly cutting both suspenders. His pants slid down his legs, so thin they didn¡¯t cast a shadow in the early light.

    ¡°Should¡¯ve seen that coming,¡± Reeve said. She stepped closer and, once he¡¯d raised his breeches, tied the suspender ends together. She stepped back. ¡°Try again.¡±

    More carefully this time, Walter tucked the blades into his waist and then pulled them up and out, leaving his suspenders and modesty unshorn.

    ¡°You¡¯re practically a pro, Dad. This may go OK. I¡¯ll kill one of the spiders to show you what they¡¯re like. Then we¡¯ll have you do a few before we hit the trail.¡± Walter nodded, his knuckles white on the grips of his blades. Reeve circled the rock seat and took a half-turn away from her father. She reached into the egg sac and drew out an egg the size and consistency of a bubble tea pearl. Gripping her naginata firmly in her left hand, she lofted the egg, which followed a high arc to land five yards away. When the egg hit the ground, it did not bounce, but stuck, as though captured magnetically. It began to expand unevenly, lumps forming as it grew, the growth so rapid that neither Reeve nor Walter could follow the full metamorphosis, yet within seconds it was clear that the expanding mass contained bristling legs and a hairy abdomen.

    Reeve glanced over her shoulder at her father. ¡°And then you have a spiderling.¡± Walter¡¯s burley arms had fallen limp at his sides and his tiny halfling mouth hung open.

    Reeve swung back around and raised her naginata as the yard-tall Giant Wolf Spiderling charged her, its sharp claws sounding like Reeve¡¯s old soccer cleats as they skittered across the stone. Reeve lunged forward onto one leg, dropped her naginata low, and drove it up through the bottom of the oncoming spider¡¯s carapace. She used the spider¡¯s momentum to hoist it into the air, where its weight forced it slowly down the blade. The edge of the pierced carapace made a rasping sound as it rubbed against the widening blade, and electric-blue hemolymph ran down the pole onto Reeve¡¯s hands. She turned to look at her father.

    ¡°There you go, Dad. Spiderling.¡± Reeve opened her UI and, without bothering to look at the Combat Log, checked her Experience Log.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    You have slain a Giant Wolf Spiderling. You have gained 25 XP.

    ¡°Easy XP. We¡¯ll level you up in no time.¡± Walter laughed in a high octave that caused Reeve to frown.

    ¡°You do make it look easy, Sweetie. Let¡¯s, uh, let¡¯s see how your old man does, huh?¡±

    ¡°You will do fine. Listen, just hang onto both of your weapons. Even if it knocks you around some, hang on and just¡­,¡± she considered the best combat terminology to employ in training him, ¡°poke it as fast as you can until it stops moving. They only have four health. It should take four pokes at most. You¡¯ve got this. I¡¯ll be here to help you heal up if you get nicked.¡±

    Reeve gave a reassuring nod and smiled. Despite the half-orcish features through which they were delivered, Walter recognized the nod and smile as those of someone who did not believe what they were saying.

    Walter gave a reassured nod and smiled. Despite the halfling features through which they were delivered, Reeve recognized the nod and smile as those of someone who did not believe what they were being told.

    ¡°Ready?¡± She said.

    ¡°Bring it?¡± The halfling¡¯s voice climbed high to walk the ridgeline between unbridled enthusiasm and uncontrolled terror.

    What Reeve thought was, maybe this isn¡¯t going to go so well after all. What she said was, ¡°Here you go, Dad, just hang onto your weapons and keep poking.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡±

    Reeve plucked another egg from the sac and pointed to where she was going to throw it.

    Walter nodded.

    Reeve mimed an underhand toss.

    Walter nodded.

    Reeve tossed the egg.

    Walter breathed in so audibly that Reeve was surprised that she didn¡¯t feel a breeze.

    The Giant Wolf Spider spawned to its full size.

    Walter looked at the yard-tall spider. Walter looked at the six-inch blade he held in each hand. Walter raised both blades into the air. Walter threw both blades only approximately in the direction of the spider, which did not notice them clatter past as it charged the screaming, backpedaling halfling.

    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t retreat!¡±

    Walter did not hear his daughter¡¯s words over his own screams. Even if his auditory system had been able to receive the words, the lower-level portions of his brain were firmly in control and all high-level function had been put on hold until the danger was resolved. As he backpedaled, his wide-eyed gaze stayed frozen on the advancing spider.

    ¡°There¡¯s a¡­,¡° Reeve dropped her head and sighed as her warning became a useless one, ¡°...cliff,¡± she said to her boots.

    The spider stopped at the spot from which Walter had launched himself backward off the lip of the prominence. Until that moment, Reeve did not know that she would recognize the body language of a confused spider, but she found that she did. She walked over next to the spider and looked down at it. ¡°That¡¯s my dad,¡± she said.

    The spider looked up at her for a moment, and then Reeve swept it off the edge with her boot.

    The chime sounded as Reeve opened her UI.

    Reavyr (II) tackles a Level 1 Raven for 6 points of bludgeoning damage.

    Reavyr (II) kills a Level 1 Raven.

    ¡°Well, you got some XP after all, Dad,¡± she said to the treetop view.

    Reavyr (II) lands on an oak branch for 721 points of fall damage. Reavyr (II) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    ¡°Not gonna be able to help him heal up from that,¡± she said.

    Reeve walked slowly to the stone seat and lay down her naginata. She sat, moved her quill and inkpot aside, took up her journal, found her place, and then raised her quill to finish her earlier entry.

 Chapter 5.3 Journal (Book I)

    Handmade Black Leather Bound Journal

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    except for a few low-to-mid-level monsters who made it up onto our rock, i¡¯ve had the whole night to think about why we haven¡¯t been able to log out. and i¡¯ve got ~~~drum roll~~~¡­nothing. it makes no sense. more on that later, once i have something useful to say.

    figuring out that i don¡¯t know what the problem is didn¡¯t take long¡ªdad wasn¡¯t even snoring yet (parents are easier to appreciate when they¡¯re asleep, aren¡¯t they?). the rest of the time i¡¯ve been thinking through what it means, being stuck here.

    i already mentioned last time the possible good news, if there could be good news in this: vr logout failure is a thing. a thing that almost always nets fame or fortune. i could be set for life before i even start highschool.

    the catch: all the routes to that fame and fortune require selling your story and, more importantly, your game feed. no problem, right? my feed¡¯s been recording the whole time we¡¯ve been in here. yeah, problem¡ªi¡¯m not the only one in my feed. who else is in my feed? my dad. my dad is in my feed! let me repeat. my. dad. is. in. my. feed. i¡¯m not going to be able to sell it if the entire feed is just one long painful demonstration of how bad my luddite (thanks, ms. welsh) dad is at all this. plus, let¡¯s say somehow i could, i¡¯d rather die than show that to the world. and even though the feed¡¯s just being recorded and not being viewed by anyone yet, i still feel like i¡¯m being watched all the time, constantly wondering where the pov of the feed is.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    it''s like when everyone at school started using monkachet, with its location tracking and way lower privacy settings and vr and ar postings, and everyone knew where everyone else was all the time, what they were doing, who they were doing it with, which posts they were looking at, which they¡¯d liked, which they hadn¡¯t. it¡¯s like that. not to get too freud on myself, but this is a nightmare starring all my greatest fears about my parents, and i feel like everyone at school is already watching. watching right now, even though i know they aren¡¯t. but they might as well be. the distance between something digital being private and something digital being online for the whole world to see is, like, not even there. there is no space. i''m just off stage right now, and my whole school¡ªno, the whole world¡ªis in the auditorium, and any second someone may push me AND MY DAD onto stage and my life will be over.

    but, anyway. i don¡¯t know if i can last long enough for us to get out of here and for that to happen without losing my mind anyway. both my parents have pretty much learned to not ask me to help them with technology because of how crazy it makes me¡ªhow could anyone be as bad as they are at simple devices like vr rigs?¡ªbut in here i won¡¯t have a choice. i¡¯ll have to help them. with everything. all the time. every day. every week. maybe for months.

    i¡¯m hyperventilating, and i think i can almost imagine my avatar has ashtma too. ech.

    ok, feeling better now. i took a break from journaling and a few more fodder monsters crawled up onto our spot. they were a good distraction.

    so, there are two possible outcomes that don¡¯t make me want to throw myself on my naginata. one, we find a way out soon. i¡¯m working on that but have no ideas yet. two, we¡¯re stuck in here for a while but have a feed worth selling when we get out. for that to work, i¡¯m going to need to help my dad level up so that the feed isn¡¯t twelve months of awful noob action.

    when the sun¡¯s up, i¡¯m going to work on leveling him using the spider eggs. they¡¯re about as weak as the lower level creatures and monsters we might run into in this forest during daytime. he should be able to handle several, which could get him up a level before we go after mom. fingers crossed.

    update

    nope

    total fail

    managed to kill a raven by accident

    and himself

    of course

 Chapter 6.1 Caged (Book I)

    ¡°Tell me again why you¡¯re wearing that?¡± Reeve looked over her shoulder at her father as he followed her along the forest path. With one hand, Walter was adjusting the way the gossamer mesh of the bee veil fell from the helmet to lay about his shoulders. With the other, he was absentmindedly pumping smoke from the bee smoker. The only positive Reeve could see was that the bee veil was the right size for her halfling father.

    ¡°It seems like I should learn my craft¡ª¡°

    ¡°¡ªcraft?¡±

    ¡°¡ªin case it comes in handy, if we run into bees...or mosquitos, or moths, black flies, small fairies¡­¡± Walter¡¯s face had a sheen when viewed through the veil. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten an idea of how the smoker works. It seemed like it was about time for the veil.¡±

    Reeve continued to follow the signs left by her mother while thinking there didn¡¯t seem to be much ¡®craft¡¯ involved in a piece of apparel you put on your head and then left alone. At a washed-out section of the path, she stopped and squatted next to a patch of mud in which her mother¡¯s barefoot prints were more obvious. Why had her mother kept walking for so long, she wondered. They were now miles from the clearing where the goblin had attacked. Walter¡¯s miniature finger tapped Reeve on the shoulder. She turned to look into her father¡¯s face, his veil almost brushing her nose and smoke floating up between them, a second veil. ¡°I cannot believe¡ª¡°

    ¡°Help me.¡± His words were so quiet Reeve was surprised they were able to penetrate his veil. Or the smoke.

    ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t even know where to begin¡ª¡°

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this veil is going to offer much protection.¡± His voice was still a whisper, but now Reeve registered the tremble she¡¯d missed in his first two words.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it doesn¡¯t take much to keep bees away from¡ª¡°

    Walter¡¯s gaze was not on Reeve¡¯s face, and so when he reached his free hand to direct her own gaze, his palm pressed indiscriminately against her cheek and nose, gently but firmly turning her head toward the path ahead of them.

    Reeve did not have to check her UI to know that the bowlegged beast baring its teeth at them was a Level 8 honey badger. Small eyes peered at them from a flat head. The broad body appeared alert but not overtly aggressive. The coarse hair of the upper body was entirely covered by a dirty white band from head to tail, while the hair of the rest of the creature was a deep black.

    ¡°Why is it here?¡± Reeve said, her tone the soothing one used in the presence of dogs that might not be friendly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Walter said, his whisper the panicked one used in the presence of honey badgers that might want to eviscerate you, again.

    Reeve turned on the balls of her feet and rose. She slowly twisted the naginata in her left hand so that she could take a two-handed defensive pose. ¡°Take out your dagger and knife,¡± she said without moving her lips. Almost immediately she heard the sound of cloth landing in a heap.

    ¡°Oh, shoot.¡±

    Reeve did not have to turn around to know that her father had just sliced his suspenders again. The honey badger, which was less than three yards away, displayed its teeth more generously.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t like that,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°The knives? Or the pants thing?¡±

    ¡°The honey badger and I may be upset about different things, Dad, so I may not be the one to answer that question. But, if I had to guess, I¡¯d say the blades.¡±

    Reeve heard the sound of two objects landing in the brush twenty feet to their right. She took a breath. Then she decided another was in order. After the second, she found that she was just getting started. Almost a minute later, she said, ¡°You could¡¯ve just put them in your Inventory. You didn¡¯t need to fling them.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on in your UI? Anything useful?¡±

    Reeve could not hear her father flinch when his UI swooped toward him, but she could hear his feet shuffle, each step only as long as the breeches around his ankles would allow, the shuffling becoming faster as her father¡¯s lower body tried unsuccessfully to keep up with his upper body. She heard him land on his back with a grunt, and the corresponding clatter produced by the bee smoker was unmistakable and discouragingly familiar to her.

    Reeve watched the honey badger.

    The honey badger watched Walter.

    Walter looked toward the sky as his eyes moved abruptly in one direction, then another, then back to the first, then, after only belatedly realizing they¡¯d already been there, off in another direction. He began providing a quiet running commentary on his search of his UI. ¡°Nothing in the Combat Log. Oh, those¡¯re my Stats. We¡¯ll look at those later. I can¡¯t get out of my Stats. So many numbers here. Good thing I¡¯m an Accountant, huh?¡± He chuckled. ¡°How do I get¡ª never mind, got it. Combat Log. Party Log. Why is it called a party? You¡¯d think it¡¯d be called¡ªOh, there¡¯s Combat Log again. Companion Log. Log out.¡±

    ¡°Companion Log? You have a Companion Log now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s right¡­shoot. Give me a second.¡±

    Reeve watched the honey badger for almost three minutes. It remained planted on all fours. It ignored her and looked past her to her father.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Right, Companion Log. Wow, there¡¯s a lot here.¡±

    ¡°Just read the last few entries.¡±

    Walter cleared his throat. ¡°Having suffered no more unprovoked attacks at your hands, your intended non-anthophile Companion¡­you know, I wonder if that has to do with bees?¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll find out if you level your Beekeeper Skill.¡±

    ¡°My Apiculturist Skill?¡±

    ¡°Read.¡±

    ¡°Your non-anthophile Companion feels a growing impulse to keep you within her range of perception. Your path to gaining a Companion remains fraught with challenging pitfalls, but, together, you have taken the first step along that path.¡± Walter fell silent.

    Reeve looked at the unmoving honey badger. ¡°Are there any action options available in your Companion Log?¡±

    ¡°Options?¡±

    ¡°Can you communicate with it or give it instructions?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything like that here.¡±

    ¡°OK, the relationship must still be too weak. But, it sounds like it¡¯s probably not here to kill you.¡±

    ¡°I certainly hope that¡¯s the case.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s higher up in the log?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­let¡¯s see¡­hmmmm¡­goodness. Oh, dear. It looks like all the higher entries have to do with her killing things. Or eating things. Or killing then eating things¡­there are poisonous tree snakes?¡±

    ¡°Work out your pants situation. I¡¯ll keep an eye on¡­does it, I mean she, have a name? It would be at the top of the Companion Log.¡±

    ¡°No, no I don¡¯t see anything. Oh, it says ¡®Unnamed Honey Badger.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Can you change that by thinking about its name?¡±

    Reeve counted to twenty-five before Walter said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t seem to be able to.¡±

    ¡°OK, we can try again later, but that may also be because of the weak bond.¡± She relaxed the position of her naginata, slowly resting the butt of the pole on the ground.

    The honey badger did not move.

    Reeve became tired of counting and further relaxed her stance before her father announced that his pants were in ¡®ship-shape.¡¯

    Reeve began stepping slowly along the edge of the path, her weapon held casually between her and the honey badger, available for defense but not threatening. As she approached, she realized how small the creature was compared to her half-orc, but she did not feel reassured. In real life, she¡¯d seen videos of honey badgers taking on lions and other beasts much greater in size. And this one was Level 8. It would be like a real-world honey badger on steroids.

    She walked by the immobile creature. It did not turn as she passed.

    Once a few yards beyond, Reeve turned to face her father. She gave him a ¡®come on¡¯ wave.

    Walter, still wearing the bee veil but, Reeve was relieved to see, no longer holding the bee smoker, began to walk toward her.

    The honey badger crouched.

    Reeve gave him a ¡®what are you doing, stop!¡¯ wave.

    Walter stopped.

    The honey badger remained crouched.

    Walter took a few steps back.

    The honey badger rose into a less aggressive stance.

    Walter tugged up on his pants and shrugged his shoulders to adjust the suspenders. ¡°What do I do?¡±

    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want you walking on the path, I wouldn¡¯t walk on the path. Try walking around her.¡±

    Walter began tracing a semicircle around the honey badger. At his farthest point from the path, when he came even with her, the honey badger turned in place to face Reeve.

    Reeve raised her eyebrows. ¡°Time to go?¡±

    The honey badger gave a sneezing snort and shook its head convulsively.

    Reeve shook her own head and turned to continue up the path, hearing the honey badger padding along a few yards behind her and hearing her father starting to make his way through the low underbrush off to her right, trying to match their pace.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Walter stopped and bent to examine the ground near his feet. ¡°Found the knives!¡±

    Keeping an ear on how close the honey badger was to her, Reeve resumed her tracking and, over several minutes, found more of her mother¡¯s footprints, occasional disturbed rocks, and bent or flattened leaves or stalks. She paid loose attention to her dad, who had to hike as quickly as his spindly legs allowed to keep pace with Reeve and the honey badger.

    Coming to a bowling ball-sized stone lying in the path, Reeve stepped around it and then stopped, the racket her father was causing as he fought through brush continuing for several seconds before it too stopped.

    ¡°Evie?¡±

    Reeve squatted next to the stone, which she examined carefully, not noticing the approach of the honey badger until it began sniffing at the rock. After a few seconds of sniffing, it emitted a low growl.

    ¡°Evie?¡± Reeve heard her father take a few steps toward her, then several steps back as the honey badger turned in his direction and emitted a low growl of a different quality. ¡°What is it?¡± He said once behind an elm trunk.

    ¡°Mom¡¯s not alone.¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°At some earlier point, she was joined.¡±

    ¡°By whom?¡±

    ¡°A winged kobold.¡±

    ¡°The little thing with bows?¡±

    ¡°That was a pixie! You were killed by a pixie!¡±

    ¡°Are these cobalts friendlier?¡±

    ¡°Depends on the type. Most aren¡¯t particularly friendly, and mine kobolds, which have a tendency to lug around rocks as weapons,¡± she rapped her knuckles on the stone in the middle of the path, ¡°are nasty, especially if their clan is under the sway of a malevolent creature.¡±

    ¡°Malevolent creature?¡±

    ¡°Like, a dragon.¡±

    ¡°There are dragons?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point.¡±

    ¡°But there are?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡°

    ¡°And your mother found one of their little helpers? No wonder she wandered off and got lost.¡±

    ¡°She may not be lost, Dad, she may be captive.¡±

    ¡°Captive?¡± Walter shifted slightly, a fraction more of his body emerging from behind the elm. ¡°But this is just a game.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a game, but that doesn¡¯t mean that bad things can¡¯t happen to you. That it can¡¯t hurt. The goblin. The cliff.¡± She shook her head. ¡°The pixie. It can be really scary in here. Really scary. The things we¡¯ve run into so far are nothing compared to what¡¯s out there. She¡¯s not ready for that, so we need to get her out of here¡ªboth of you out of here¡ªas soon as we can.¡±

    Walter nervously adjusted the position of his hands where they held the trunk that shielded him. ¡°If it can be that scary in here, Evie, why do you like it so much?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Reeve stood. ¡°Are you crazy? Like it¡¯s not scarier out there?¡±

    Walter looked at her uncertainly.

    ¡°What am I supposed to be excited about out there? Never being able to do all the things I dream of doing physically? And when I¡¯m older? Best case scenario is I can get a Computer Science degree and go to work at a VR company so that I can help create worlds that I and everyone else can use to escape reality. No one knows what the real world will be like in one year, or five years, or ten. That¡¯s like, my whole life. The climate¡¯s crazy, and most countries may be carbon negative now, but it¡¯ll be, what, a thousand years¡ªten thousand years?¡ªbefore things are like they were when you were a kid? If we¡¯re lucky. So, what do I have to look forward to? Fires? Power outages? Floods? Hurricanes? Droughts?¡±

    ¡°Well¡ª¡°

    ¡°And that¡¯s not even including all the things humans may do to each other. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but a lot of humans are horrible. Cyberattacks. Nuclear attacks. Civil wars. Ohmagod. Do you know what it¡¯s like having all that as one of the more likely futures to look forward to?¡± Reeve stared at her father. ¡°I may get hurt in here sometimes. Hurt bad. And I¡¯ve lost friends. And people have been mean to me. All that stuff. But it¡¯s a world I chose. Not a world someone chose for me. Or, more accurately, a world someone screwed up and then dumped on me.¡±

    Tired, tired of the conversation, tired of her dad not getting it, just tired, Reeve puffed her cheeks and slowly blew air through taught lips. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go find mom and get you two back to your beloved real world.¡±

 Chapter 6.2 Nyx (Book I)

    Reeve stared in thought at her father, who still stood yards away behind the perceived protection of the elm. ¡°We¡¯ve got to figure out a way to move faster,¡± she said quietly. She looked down at the honey badger, which stood between them, licking the back of one of its paws. ¡°Dad, going to try something. Wait there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, Evie.¡±

    ¡°I know, that¡¯s the problem. We¡¯ve got to cover more ground faster.¡± She walked slowly but confidently around the honey badger and then followed the path the few yards that led her to her father and his barky shield. She swung her bow off her shoulder, over her head, and gestured to her back. ¡°Hop on again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just so used to it being the other way around, it doesn¡¯t seem right. And I can walk faster, Honey. I¡¯ll keep up.¡±

    ¡°Not if I¡¯m at full pace on the trail and you¡¯re fighting through the underbrush. Just try this, OK? Worked out yesterday. May work now with the honey badger too.¡±

    She turned her back to her father and dropped to a deep squat.

    ¡°One, two, and three,¡± Walter said.

    Reeve felt her father land on her back, his arms wrapping around her neck like a halfling shawl. She stood, his weight barely a hindrance, and looked at the honey badger.

    ¡°We good?¡± She said. ¡°He¡¯s not on your path. I¡¯ll be responsible for him, OK? We need to chase down the kobold and my mom.¡±

    After a few seconds, the honey badger turned and began trotting along the path in the direction Reeve¡¯s mother had traveled. Reeve followed, quickening her pace as the honey badger broke into a relaxed trot.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°Good job, Evie,¡± her father whispered in her ear.

    Reeve didn¡¯t respond, her focus on scant signs her mother and the kobold had left, signs which were now intermixed with the honey badger¡¯s paw marks.

    The trail began to rise, but after ten minutes of gentle climb through mature trees, it disappeared onto the surface of a long, down-sloping granite face. Rivulets of water sprouted from cracks in the granite and ran down its surface, leaving the ground at the bottom muddy. There, the trail continued between large, widely spaced trees, and Reeve saw that there were massive, moss-covered boulders dotting the broad ravine into which they¡¯d be descending.

    ¡°Hold tight, Dad. This may be slippery in spots.¡±

    Her father squeezed her tighter in his disconcertingly strong arms, and she tensed her neck muscles to avoid being choked. The honey badger was already halfway down the granite face when Reeve began sidestepping down the steep surface, avoiding the wet patches where she could. She glanced up from her inspection of the surface to see the honey badger reach the trail and turn to watch them.

    The hairs along the entire right side of Reeve¡¯s body began to prickle.

    ¡°Oh, poo. Dad, listen, don¡¯t be startled¡ª¡°

    ¡°Aaaayyyeeeee!¡±

    Reeve flinched at the shrill halfling squeal Walter emitted directly behind her right ear. She felt his arms suddenly loosen and then one of his hands gripped her still-ringing ear while his other hand was flung around her head, where it found and grasped her nose with a tiny grip of iron.

    ¡°Lion! Run!¡± Walter screamed, his feet scrabbling against her back as he tried to pull himself higher up her.

    ¡°Dad! It¡¯s¡ª¡°

    Walter¡¯s feet slipped and his weight¡ªtransferred painfully through her nose¡ªwrenched Reeve¡¯s head hard to the left. As she lost her balance, she felt one foot slip on the rock, and then her view was filled with alternating granite, leaves, and, occasionally, her pinwheeling father.

    Reeve spread her limbs to stop her roll and found herself sliding, on her back, toward the trail, from which the honey badger continued to watch them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t run into...¡° Reeve shouted toward her father, but her warning faded as his uncontrolled spin accelerated straight into the honey badger, and both tumbled yards down the path, over a small drop, and out of sight.

    Almost immediately, an explosive red mist erupted into the air, and a soft chime sounded.

 Chapter 6.3 Stat block (Book I)

    ¡°It¡¯s not a lion?¡± Even though he spoke softly, Walter¡¯s voice was loud in Reeve¡¯s ear as she ran down the path, retracing their earlier, slower progress. With each footfall, the nearly horizontal shaft of the naginata rolled lightly up and down the cupped fingers of her left hand, the grip of her bow providing counter time against the fingers of her right.

    ¡°You know what a lion looks like, Dad. Did that look like a lion?¡±

    ¡°It looked like big, Evie. Like really big. Big like a lion. I might not have been able to see what it was because of how big it was.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not that big.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a she?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s a she. And she¡¯s my Companion, Nyx, so you need to not freak out when you see her this time. Wait, speaking of¡­what happened to you diving in front of threats to protect me? Remember the goblin?¡±

    Walter coughed. ¡°I, uh, may have different levels of panic.¡±

    ¡°You think?¡± Reeve glanced toward the sun, nearly directly above them, and then checked her UI. They were almost back to where she¡¯d left Nyx and the honey badger, who¡¯d seemed to immediately form a casual indifference that might have been facilitated by their shared distaste for her father¡¯s behavior. ¡°But forget about lions, she¡¯d find the comparison offensive. She¡¯s a Miracinonyx, an American cheetah.¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t cheetahs here.¡±

    ¡°Here? We¡¯re not in the Americas right now, Dad, remember? You¡¯re a halfling riding a half-orc, we¡¯re¡ª¡°

    ¡°Not in Kansas anymore.¡±

    ¡°¡ªyeah. That. There used to be cheetah-like cats in North America. They¡¯re a companion option in-game.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s your companion, like the honey badger is my companion?¡±

    ¡°Not even a little bit. She¡¯s actually my companion. You and the honey badger aren¡¯t besties yet, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± Reeve glanced at the last entries in her Combat Log.

    A Level 8 Honey Badger disembowels Reavyr (II) with teeth and claws for 113 points of damage. Reavyr (II) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    Reeve shivered. ¡°Your death debuff worn off yet?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. It¡¯s a little hard to tell right now because my motion sensitivity is acting up.¡°

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a motion-sick halfling.¡° She turned her head slightly to look into her father¡¯s face, which was too close to her own to focus on clearly. ¡°But let me know if you think you¡¯re going to be sick.¡±

    ¡°Okey-dokey.¡±

    The silence into which they lapsed was a relief to Reeve, a relief that lasted the better part of thirty seconds.

    ¡°Evie?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Since when do you say ¡®oh, poo!¡¯ when you¡¯re surprised?¡±

    Reeve grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s not me, Dad, it¡¯s the game. There¡¯s a profanity filter.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything filtered out. I just heard ¡®poo.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Well, ¡®poo¡¯ isn¡¯t what I¡¯d tried to say, but that¡¯s what came out because of the filter.¡±

    ¡°The game can change what comes out of your mouth?¡±

    Reeve shook her head dismissively, then took a deep breath. ¡°Cheese and rice!¡± She said loudly. ¡°Bish! Gosh freaking darnit! Fuddle-duddle! Fudge! And¡­poo!¡±

    Walter was silent as he clung to her for a half-dozen strides. ¡°Goodness gracious,¡± he finally said in a quiet voice.

    ¡°See!¡± She said.

    ¡°Well, no. ¡®Goodness-gracious¡¯ is exactly what I meant to say.¡±

    Reeve rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course it is. But, hey, while we have a few minutes, open up your UI, and let¡¯s take a closer look at your Stats panel.¡±

    Reeve ran in silence for half a minute before her father suddenly jerked her to the side, and she had to correct quickly to avoid running into a tree that stood just off the trail.

    ¡°Got it open. Now what?¡± Walter said.

    ¡°I want you to read me your Abilities. They¡¯re in four groups. The first group, Constitution, Dexterity, and Strength, affects how your avatar¡ªyour halfling character¡ªperforms physically. Wisdom mainly affects how your avatar performs when it comes to magic. Intelligence modifies how you perceive the world¡ªbasically the level of useful information the game feeds you. And Charisma modifies how NPCs respond to you.¡±

    ¡°Honey, can you back up. What was the first? Not Constipation, consti...whatsit?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, just find the section labeled Abilities and read me the numbers. Everything would¡¯ve started at a base of three points before you distributed the allocatable points.¡±

    ¡°If you say so. Let¡¯s see. Hmmm. Ah, here we go.¡±

    Reeve ran on, the motion calming her, a small thing but one she could be grateful for ahead of their likely fight at the kobold camp.

    ¡°Three,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°That¡¯s at the top?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So, that¡¯s Constitution. You must not have assigned any additional points to that.¡±

    ¡°Constitution! That¡¯s right. Says it right here next to the number.¡±

    ¡°OK. Next.¡±

    ¡°Three.¡±

    ¡°No, go on to the next.¡±

    ¡°I did, Evie. The next is also three. ¡®Dexterity.¡¯¡±

    ¡°OK. Fine. Keep going, just read them all off.¡±

    ¡°Three, three¡ª¡°

    ¡°Are you starting over?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m going on¡ª¡°

    ¡°You mean the first four are all threes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what it says. ¡®Three, three¡ª¡®¡±

    ¡°Wait! Are you starting over again?¡±

    ¡°Yes, this time I took it from the top.¡±

    ¡°Gguhh. OK. Start over, and just read them all through at once.¡±

    ¡°OK, OK.¡± Walter cleared his throat as though beginning a lengthy oration. ¡°Three, three, three, three, three¡ª¡°

    ¡°Wait, wait! They¡¯re all threes! What did you do with the points you could have allocated?¡±

    Walter rode silently on Reeve¡¯s back for several seconds. ¡°Oh, no. They¡¯re not all three. This last one here.¡±

    Reeve was fairly sure she could hear her father squinting.

    ¡°Three¡ª¡°

    ¡°You just said it wasn¡¯t three!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sweetie, I thought you wanted to start over every time.¡±

    ¡°Just tell me the last one, Charisma!¡±

    ¡°OK, OK, calm down, Honey.¡±

    Reeve thought she heard more squinting.

    ¡°Forty-three.¡±

    Reeve stumbled. It took half a dozen steps to refind her usually-smooth stride. ¡°F-forty-three?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Evie. Do you want me to read them all again?¡±

    ¡°No! Why on earth did you put all of the allocatable points into Charisma?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Evie. I think they were in ABC order in the dentist¡¯s office and it wouldn¡¯t let me go on, so I just slid the top slider all the way over until the points went away and I could go on. Is that a problem?¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s not great,¡± Reeve said. ¡°I actually have no idea how it¡¯ll play. I doubt anyone¡¯s ever min-maxed Charisma in this game. Maybe as a joke with a garbage build. I guess we¡¯ll find out when we run into some NPCs.¡± Reeve ran without speaking for a few minutes, considering the unbalanced, top-heavy mess-of-a-halfling avatar they were stuck with. ¡°Well, now we have a better idea why you don¡¯t have the Dexterity needed to hold on to your bee smoker. And why you¡¯re so scrawny, particularly after maxing your upper body when you were doing the Strength distribution. But we¡¯ll have to come back to this later. Nyx has scouted the kobold camp where Mom¡¯s being held. We¡¯re almost there.¡±

 Chapter 6.4 Camp (Book I)

    From behind a dense copse of black raspberry bushes, Reeve¡¯s eyes, honed by a childhood of VR gameplay, assessed the kobold camp. It was a fairly straightforward setup, she thought, appropriate for this early stage of the story mode. There were the sentries they¡¯d need to evade or take out silently if they didn¡¯t want to be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. The cliff wall that limited the directions from which they could approach. The ledges, which gave high ground to their enemy. And the worn path that led across the clearing and then ascended a series of those ledges, ledges that zigzagged up the cliff face, ropes hanging down from some to provide alternate paths, all leading toward a cave on the topmost ledge, obviously the seat of the minor boss of this encounter. The corner of her lip rose in a half-smile, and she gave a quiet snort of appreciation¡ªthe whole setup was a call-back to old single-screen, platform action games she¡¯d seen run on emulators. All that was missing was an ape raining down barrels.

    I hope there won¡¯t be barrels, she thought.

    The reward for advancing was equally clear to her¡ªsuspended from a dead tree leaning precariously from the top of the cliff, a roughly hewn iron cage hung on a long rope, the two inhabitants within gripping the black bars as they surreptitiously watched Reeve and her party.

    The only thing Reeve couldn¡¯t see was her mother. Everything else was apparent.

    ¡°Well,¡± she whispered, ¡°I guess we know what we need to do if we want to find Mom.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Reeve turned to look at her father, who had black raspberry juice all over the front of his white shirt. He was staring up toward the cage.

    Reeve frowned at him. ¡°What we need to do, to get through this encounter.¡±

    Walter shook his head slightly and, with the prolonged effort necessary when separating strong magnets, slowly pulled his gaze from the cage. ¡°Encounter? With the people here?¡±

    ¡°What people? This is a kobold camp.¡±

    ¡°The dragon things?¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t dragons, they¡¯re sprites, but they sometimes associate with dragons. And, yeah, they¡¯re vaguely humanoid, but don¡¯t you see that they¡¯re not actually human?¡±

    Walter squinted toward the creatures across the clearing and up the terraced cliff. ¡°They have clothes, it looks like.¡±

    ¡°Yes, they have loincloths, but you didn¡¯t notice the tails? Or the really long ears?¡± She paused, waiting for a response from her father. ¡°Skin that looks like it¡¯s made of rough coal or stained wood?¡± She stared at him. ¡°Green and purple wings?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± He smiled. ¡°Is there a dragon here too?¡±

    ¡°Ohmagod. I hope not. That¡¯s the last thing we need right now. But, look, we obviously need to make it past the sentries, into the camp, up through that series of ledges, each of which is swarming with kobolds, along that thin ledge to connect over to the big one on the right, up that makeshift ladder, and then fight whatever is in that cave, and we need to do it before anything happens to the two captive half-elves in the cage.¡±

    ¡°There are sentries? Are these kobolds not friendly?¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Reeve bit her tongue so hard she tasted blood and clenched the many muscles of her face as though trying to have them meet on the tip of her nose, all to keep from shouting at her father and betraying their presence.

    All of my problems have solutions. All of my problems have solutions. She pictured the poster on the wall of her fifth-grade English Language Arts classroom.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡ª¡°

    Reeve quickly grabbed the halfling¡¯s hand, which held the remainder of the berries he¡¯d picked, and swung it up to stuff the berries into his mouth. By the time he had finished coughing, chewing, and then swallowing, she was feeling moderately less hopeless. She pulled stones from her inventory and arranged them around her and her father. ¡°Resurrection stones,¡± she said. She looked at her father pointedly and he repeated the words. She finally felt sufficiently prepared to continue. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have as much experience with this kind of thing. Just believe me when I tell you that there are obviously some things we need to do here, and we need to do them in a certain order if we want this to go well.¡±

    Walter nodded.

    ¡°And if it does go well, we should find Mom, plus it looks like we¡¯ll have two NPCs join the party.¡±

    ¡°NP¡ª¡°

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to write this stuff down in your ledger?¡±

    Walter pursed his lips. After a few seconds, he said, ¡°There¡¯s going to be a party?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. I just need you to do what I tell you to do, and nothing else, OK? It¡¯s going to mainly involve you staying right here while Nyx and I take on,¡± her eyes ran over the scene, ¡°about thirty kobolds. The honey badger can come too if she wants.¡±

    Walter nodded knowingly. He too looked over the scene. His eyes again became stuck when they found the inhabitants of the cage. ¡°Those, uh, ladies there¡­¡±

    Reeve turned to look at the two half-elves, who continued to watch her.

    ¡°They, uh¡­¡± He said. ¡°They¡¯re, um¡­ What kind of game is this again?¡±

    Reeve frowned and rolled her eyes. ¡°Ohmagod. I know. They¡¯re gross. The devs were obviously pandering to the outdated idea of a teenage dude demographic.¡± She scrutinized the two in the cage. Their hair fell to their waist in long braids. One had a braid of black, its wearer of deeply dark skin. The other had a braid of flax, its wearer of almost translucent pale skin. The deep V-neckline of their tight leather clothes fell to their waists as well. Their body proportions were¡­not very anatomically realistic. Maybe on a kid¡¯s doll from the last century. ¡°Half-elves usually don¡¯t have that much body fat, at least not in one place,¡± she said. ¡°Well, two places. Most adventurers who are into girls who come through here must pitch¡­,¡± Reeve glanced at her father, ¡°¡­right over. Not my type though. And, I mean, it¡¯s ridiculous¡ªso half a century ago. But it¡¯s not their fault they were coded that way. Hopefully, they¡¯ll be helpful.¡±

    Walter was still staring at the cage. After another minute, he realized Reeve was staring at him, and he dropped his eyes and scratched the side of his head. ¡°Wait, they¡¯re not real?¡±

    ¡°Real? Nothing in here is real!¡± Reeve whisper-screamed at the halfling, who flinched. ¡°But we¡¯re trapped here, possibly for a very long time, so unless we can find a way out, this all might as well be real. We need to find Mom in case she can log us out.¡±

    ¡°Does she have a UI too?¡±

    Reeve turned from her father, unable to respond. She decided she¡¯d pour her frustration into the coming fight. With a thought in Nyx¡¯s direction, she called the cat closer to her. She pictured for Nyx their opening attack and the most desirable path through the camp. Reeve received a warm feeling of understanding in response. The feeling was followed immediately by a mental image of her father walking across the field toward the camp. Reeve looked at Nyx, confused. Her bond with the great cat had become strong with time, and they almost always understood each other¡®s intentions. Reeve had thought that her plan for the assault had been clear, and at no point had her father entered into it. She received another image from Nyx, and Reeve¡¯s confusion deepened. In the image, her father stood near one of the kobolds¡¯ campfires, and he appeared to be talking to her mother.

    ¡°How do you know what my mom¡¯s avatar looks like?¡° Reeve said quietly to Nyx. She received a feeling of pity from the cat.

    Reeve turned to her father, but the flattened patch of grass where he¡¯d sat eating berries was vacant. She slowly raised her gaze to look over the bushes and toward the camp.

    Her father stood next to one of the campfires talking to her mother.

    Reeve emitted a choking sound.

 Chapter 6.5 Countdown (Book I)

    Walter talked animatedly to Reeve¡¯s mother, Wanda. The squat, dark-haired, blue-leather-clad dwarf looked unperturbed as she stood listening, left-hand-on-hip in the stance Reeve had associated with her mother for as long as she could remember. Reeve examined her to the extent the distance would allow but found no signs of harm or injury. In fact, the dwarf looked relaxed, her body language one of a woman in charge of the situation. At some point, she¡¯d twisted her bushy black hair back into a rough bun. Sticking from it was a white trillium flower. The only thing Reeve could see amiss was that the dwarf did not have the standard-issue double-bitted battle-ax with which she¡¯d spawned into the game.

    They were far enough away that Reeve could not make out anything Walter was saying, though she occasionally heard high-pitched halfling notes across the clearing. Reeve watched him point first to the sky, then to the ground, before pantomiming a dive to the side. Walter talked on and on, waving his tiny halfling hands around as he did. The whole time, the kobolds of the camp went about their business, paying no attention to the halfling and the dwarf in their midst.

    Reeve sat back on her heels and put both hands on her waist. ¡°What the actual¡ª¡° Her astonishment was interrupted as a particularly dramatic series of gestures culminated in Walter swinging one hand behind his back and then whipping it forward, his bee smoker appearing momentarily in his hand before being flung past his wife¡¯s dwarven avatar directly into the side of the head of a passing kobold, one that was large for its race, being several inches taller than either the halfling or the dwarf. ¡°Ohhhhmaaaaagooood,¡± Reeve said as though in slow motion, her eyes widening as activity across the entire camp stopped in an instant and all of the kobolds focused on the diminutive pair by the campfire, the kobolds¡¯ previous indifference replaced with intense aggression. ¡°Time to go!¡± Reeve rose and leaped the bush in front of her, Nyx following a moment later. Reeve spared a quick look back to see the honey badger trundle straight through the wiry bush and begin barreling after.

    Two groups of sentinels had joined the bee-smoker-smote kobold to encircle Walter and Wanda in a shrinking cordon. The kobolds¡¯ already grotesque features were twisted even further with rage, and they crouched, long, clawed fingers raised as they approached their prey. Saliva dripped in viscous strings from several mouths, which may have contained teeth but appeared as gaping black holes set in skeletal faces beneath foreheads sprouting bony crests that reminded Reeve of some dinosaurs. Reaching the bee smoker where it lay on the ground, the kobold that had been the unintentional participant in Walter¡¯s reenactment crouched lower and picked up the object, its claws clinking against the metal as it examined the unfamiliar device. The bee smoker emitted a wispy trail of smoke that twisted around the kobold¡¯s face. It looked at Walter and narrowed its eyes to slits, a guttural hiss rising from its throat and seeming to jump like arcing electricity to its nearest brethren, continuing to spread until the ring of creatures were all hissing at Reeve¡¯s parents¡¯ wee avatars.

    Walter watched the kobold raise the bee smoker accusingly. ¡°Ah, ahem, you see,¡± Walter said, gesturing toward his back and what he could now reliably remember as his hammerspace, ¡°this is just a bit of a misunderst¡ª¡± A roar from his right caused him to turn, panic rising, the fatal goblin encounter in the clearing briefly flashing across his mind, but what he found was Reeve charging toward the ring of cobble-things that had surrounded him and Wanda. Nick and the honey badger were not far behind her. Reeve¡¯s roar had also caused the cobbles between her and them to spin, and a couple spread their wings and looked to take flight. Before any could move, let alone leave the ground, Walter watched Reeve swing her limb-trimmer weapon¡ªWas it a nakey-nakey? He tried to remember. No, that didn¡¯t seem right to him.¡ªin a wide arc before her. From where Walter stood it looked like a curtain of innards unrolled from the other side of the creatures, spooling down their legs to pile on their feet, the rest of their bodies crumpling to the ground a moment later.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Dad, look out!¡± Reeve¡¯s warning cry caused Walter to turn back toward his wife and the cobble that still held the bee smoker. The thing had apparently also been watching its friends disemboweled by his daughter, and it turned its gaze back to Walter and hissed so violently that rank froth sprayed through the air and speckled Walter¡¯s face. Walter tried to remember where he had put his knives, and for a moment his hands jerked back and forth around his waist, as though he was doing a frantic search for car keys, unsure whether to try his hammerspace or his waistband. The thing with the smoker deepened its crouch and launched itself at Walter, who decided on waist. He just managed to grasp the hilts of the knives and pull them free with an unfortunately familiar twang of severed suspenders, when the springing creature disappeared in a blur of fur and claws. Walter caught the suddenly relinquished bee smoker between his blade-holding hands and felt his breeches come to rest around his ankles. He looked around, not entirely confident that he understood everything that was happening.

    Reeve vaulted the downed kobolds and glanced at her Combat Log as she landed next to her father. She couldn¡¯t remember the last time she¡¯d faced kobolds and wanted to review the relative challenge she¡¯d be facing.

    You critically slash four Level 5 Kobold Sentinels with a naginata using Enraged Surprise Attack Amplifier for 27, 32, 24, and 30 points of damage.

    You kill four Level 5 Kobold Sentinels.

    Ugh, she thought. This was going to be a slog.

    She was nearly knocked from her feet as the honey badger charged past. Her halfling father¡¯s eyes widened, and he moved to place himself between the oncoming badger and Reeve¡¯s dwarven mother, but his breeches bound his ankles and he toppled forward, faceplanting in front of the dwarf, who bent from the waist and patted the halfling¡¯s bottom through his dust and sweat-stained underpants. The honey badger swerved around the well-intentioned but misguided halfling and tackled the kobold just beyond, which had raised into the air a pointed, watermelon-size rock in preparation for braining Reeve¡¯s mother.

    ¡°This is different, Hon¡¯,¡± the dwarf said to the halfling, giving him another appreciative pat on his small, firm rear.

    ¡°Mommmm! Eww!¡± Reeve spun her naginata through a full vertical three-sixty, ending its flight in the skull of a kobold coming at her from the left as Nyx reappeared, cheeks smeared with blood, and grasped the neck of another sentinel from behind, wrenching it ferociously, the two tumbling to the ground.

    ¡°Dad!¡± Reeve yelled, pushing forward to drive the disintegrating ring of kobolds back from her parents. ¡°Pants! Now!¡± At the same time, she sent Nyx an image of the two of them advancing on the low ledge that marked the beginning of the precipitous, tiered path they needed to ascend to find the camp boss and free the NPCs.

    ¡°Spare a hand, half-orc?¡± The musical voice was unfamiliar to Reeve, and, after she plunged her blade straight into the chest of an advancing kobold, she paused to look up toward the suspended cage, where the dark-haired captive squatted and her flaxen-haired companion stood, both resting their forearms casually on cross-bars over a drop of at least fifty feet. The standing half-elf within gestured up the cliff, and Reeve raised her gaze, following the rope from which the cage hung until she saw a kobold hovering in space, wings beating rapid half-beats as it gnawed at the rope. One of the strands of the loosely braided rope gave, and the cage slowly twisted as the remaining strands strained under their increased load.

    ¡°Great,¡± Reeve said to herself, ¡°this fight has a countdown timer.¡±

 Chapter 6.6 Speed run (Book I)

    Reeve looked back to the ledges toward which she had directed Nyx and found them crawling with kobolds, at least a dozen more than before, the reinforcements having appeared from small shadows in the rock she now realized were miniature caves or entrances to a larger cave. Some of the kobolds were leaping into the air to swoop toward her and her group. She flipped her naginata and drove the blade into the dirt, unshouldered her bow, and pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back. Nocking the arrow, she made a quick check of threats in her immediate vicinity before raising her aim and loosing a black-shafted, black-feathered, onyx-headed arrow that found the underside of the rope-gnawing kobold¡¯s jaw, disappearing through the top of its skull and into the darkening sky. The kobold went limp, and its body fell, spiraling on limp wings like a propellor seed from a box elder tree. It crashed onto the top of the cage, which fell a sickening half-yard as another strand of the rope failed. Both half-elves looked from the crumpled body on top of their cage back down to Reeve, their expression suggesting they were less than impressed with their rescue thus far.

    ¡°Dad, get your pants up and find your knives. Mom, ohmagod, leave Dad¡¯s butt alone. Where is your ax? Never mind. Stay here. The honey badger should offer some protection. I¡¯m going to have to speed run this.¡±

    Walter was pushing himself onto all fours.

    Wanda¡¯s right hand came to rest, as was her left, on her waist, and she frowned at Reeve. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to see you too, Mija.¡± She paused and looked Reeve up and down. ¡°But, actually, I¡¯d forgotten how you looked in this game. No wonder I was having trouble finding you before I found these little fellows to follow. I thought they might lead me to you. And I thought they looked kind of like your¡­¡± Wanda gestured to take in Reeve¡¯s towering half-orc avatar. ¡°I guess not so much. Now, what did you say about going for a run? You know that getting too worked up triggers your asthma.¡±

    Reeve stood for a few seconds, her lips slowly parting and closing, then shook her head, slowly at first, the shaking becoming somewhat frantic before she turned, pulled the naginata from the ground, and ran toward the first ledge, willing Nyx to follow. As she ran, she heard what, based on the shrieks, was the honey badger finding the legs of another kobold that had approached her parents.

    The cliff face looked alive, kobolds moving angrily along the ledges, some jumping into flight, the air increasingly filled with the beating of their ragged, purplish-green wings, a beating that Reeve felt in her chest more than she heard in her ears. Glancing toward the cage¡¯s rope, she saw that no kobold had replaced the first, so she shouldered her bow and grasped the naginata¡¯s staff with both hands. As she ran, she tried to avoid engaging the creatures that bounded or swooped toward her, each one she slowed to slay a delay she couldn¡¯t afford.

    As she approached the first ledge, which was only waist-high, Reeve thought, I¡¯m sure a bunch of players have figured out how to speed run this. They just probably died over and over finding the best route. I don¡¯t have to set a world record, I just need to do a decent job. On my first attempt.

    She glanced back over her shoulder and saw her mother fiddling with her father¡¯s left suspender as he tried to do something with his hammerspace and the honey badger bounded in an ever-shrinking circle, tearing into kobolds with a ferocity that caused Reeve envy, even as she turned to attempt something similarly ferocious.

    Not slowing, she reached the first ledge and threw down her naginata flat on the ledge¡¯s lip, swinging her legs up and then spinning as she pulled the naginata off the rock and around in an arc to decapitate the first kobold of the climb. Charging forward, she could see rising above her the next few ledges¡ªa giant, steep, kobold-infested flight of stairs. She heard Nyx¡¯s light pawfalls on the ledge behind her, and reaching out to the cheetah, she received a mental image confirming that Nyx had her back. Nearing the next kobold, she pulled back her naginata in her left hand, ready to launch it forward like a javelin, but, seeing the threat, the kobold jumped from the ledge and took a few ascending flaps with its wings before swooping back toward Reeve.

    ¡°Really?¡± She leaned forward and accelerated her pace. ¡°I can work with that.¡± There was one more kobold before she¡¯d need to vault onto the next ledge. She repeated the wind-up to spear the kobold and, like the previous, it leaped from the ledge and then circled back toward her, but its angle of attack was cramped by the previous kobold, who was still turning to claw at her from above the thus-far insubstantial drop to the ground off her right-hand side. Reeve swept the naginata through the air to her right, and the two kobolds she¡¯d displaced, as well as others who had been flying toward her, scattered.

    ¡°Got it,¡± she said under her breath. As she vaulted onto the next ledge, she mentally directed Nyx back to aid the honey badger in protecting her parents, since the cheetah wouldn¡¯t be able to defend the airspace off the ledge in the same way Reeve could. Reeve feinted at the kobold ahead of her, causing it to leap from the ledge, and then carried through the swing of the blade out away from the rock face, again scattering the half-dozen kobolds now jockeying for position to attack her from the side. If she could just flush them off the ledges and then keep them back using her naginata, she could make it to the top quickly.

    Taking a rushed look back toward her parents, Reeve saw at least four kobolds in a writhing heap on the ground, the honey badger presumably somewhere under the attackers. Nyx was almost there, but she¡¯d need to focus on a pair of kobolds flanking Wanda, who was working on Walter¡¯s other suspender strap, while Walter frantically grasped at his hammerspace with one hand, a diffuse cloud of smoke surrounding him as he waved his bee smoker defensively with the other hand.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    A rock larger than her head impacted the ledge in front of Reeve sending stinging shards into her shins and requiring a reflexive jump that had her land awkwardly only a few yards in front of the next kobold, which, when she thrust her naginata, did not take flight.

    ¡°Ohno¡ª¡° Stumbling forward, Reeve¡¯s blade plunged into the kobold, which, despite being impaled, stretched forward to grasp at Reeve with its claws.

    ¡°You¡¯re different!¡± Reeve shouted, voice heightened by surprise. She used all her agility and core strength to alter the angle of the shaft as she kept rushing forward, the kobold¡¯s clawed feet slipping across the ledge until it was pushed out over the now substantial drop, its body weight immediately pulling the shaft down and forcing Reeve to grasp it with both hands as she struggled to pick up her speed. ¡°Get¡­off¡­¡± She gave the shaft a quick jerk and the kobold slid off.

    Remembering the rock that had started the ungainly dance with the now-departed kobold, Reeve looked up just in time to dodge another dropped rock, this one nearly the size of a microwave. ¡°Not good,¡± she said, looking from the kobolds swooping over her to those flying in from her side. She was only on the second ledge and she already had half the camp in a cloud around her. She glanced at her Combat Log.

    You impale a Level 6 Kobold Warrior with a naginata for 15 points of damage.

    You drop a Level 6 Kobold Warrior for 6 points of fall damage.

    That one wasn¡¯t even dead yet, she thought. Would their level keep going up with the ledges? Probably.

    She reached the next kobold, which also didn¡¯t take flight as she brandished her naginata. She thrust and nearly lost her balance when the creature dodged and grabbed the shaft with both claws. At the same moment, Reeve sensed growing fear from Nyx. Jerking the shaft of her weapon toward her, she pulled the kobold off balance and kicked it in the forehead as it fell. Her Combat Log scrolled longer, but she didn¡¯t have time to check it. She ran a few more steps and scrambled onto the next ledge. Two kobolds stood side-by-side near its midpoint.

    Reeve swept her blade in a wide arc through the air to ward off the cloud of flying kobolds that followed her. As she did, she looked back to see Nyx and the honey badger crouched, back to back, inside a circle of more than a dozen kobolds. Between them stood her parents, also back-to-back. Her father¡¯s pants were again around his ankles, and as quickly as he could he was flinging random items from his hammerspace toward kobolds in the circle, his ledger being the item currently fluttering wildly through the air toward a confused target. Her mother appeared perplexed, hands again on hips, no apparent plans to contribute to the group¡¯s defense.

    If her dad died, he¡¯d respawn not far from their current location. But if her mom died¡­

    ¡°New plan!¡± Reeve ran along the ledge toward the pair of kobolds that blocked her increasingly unlikely speed run. They crouched and quarter-extended their wings, creating a barrier that spanned the width of the ledge. ¡°Catch!¡± She heaved her naginata toward the captive half-elves, rolling the shaft from her fingers as she released it so that it spun about its axis and remained vertical while it rose high into the air.

    The pale, standing half-elf reached out from the cage and deftly caught the weapon by its shaft.

    Almost to the kobolds, Reeve lowered her shoulder into position for a direct rush of their barrier, prompting them to squat and tense, but, yards short of colliding, she jumped and grasped a rough rope that hung down from a ledge some thirty feet up the cliff. Swinging through the air, she arched her back and then brought both boots forward and felt a satisfying crunch of bone as they connected with the two kobolds¡¯ faces.

    Continuing to ignore her scrolling Combat Log, she climbed the swaying rope as quickly as she could, hand over hand, legs flexing and extending as she gripped the rope between the arches of her boots. She made a mental note to work on Climbing, which had lagged some of her other general dexterity and strength skills.

    ¡°Evie! Not that direction!¡± Walter¡¯s voice found its way through her grunts of exertion and the frantic wingbeats of the cloud of kobolds that was rising up the cliff after her.

    ¡°Not now!¡± She didn¡¯t turn toward him and instead looked up the cliff to the ledge, which was still fifteen feet away.

    ¡°It¡¯s a dead e¡ª¡± Walter¡¯s warning terminated suddenly with a sound like a large book being dropped flat on the floor.

    Reeve hazarded a glance over one shoulder but didn¡¯t find her father. Instead, she was face-to-face with a kobold that slashed at her with its claws. She jerked her head away but took two deep gashes to the cheek. ¡°Now is not the time!¡± She kicked the creature in the stomach, producing a whoosh of air from collapsing lungs, and was pleased when the kobold¡¯s eyes widened and it plummeted straight down. She smiled, but only for a second, as the fallen kobold was quickly replaced by others, through all of which she saw her father rising from the ground, the honey badger next to him, dispatching whatever attacker had interrupted his previous shout.

    He pointed above Reeve¡¯s head. ¡°Reeve, it¡¯d a dead end! You won¡¯t be able to go anywhere from that ledge!¡±

    Reeve turned back to face the rock, hoping the incoming kobolds didn¡¯t do too much damage before she reached the ledge. ¡°I know!¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t connect to anything else!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡±

    ¡°If you come back down to the one you were on, you could keep going up. It¡¯s kind of like a staircase.¡±

    ¡°Dad, I know!¡±

    ¡°Do you want us to come¡ª¡°

    Reeve whipped her head over her shoulder, able to scream only ¡°Stay where you are!¡± before a kobold kicked her in the bridge of the nose, cackling when it saw its blow land.

    Lights flashed across Reeve¡¯s vision, and she smelled and tasted blood. ¡°Not the time!¡± She took one hand from the rope and punched the kobold in the eye. She followed its cannonball descent for a moment before turning and climbing further. ¡°Stay where you are!¡± She didn¡¯t turn away from the rock and shouted as loud as she could, hoping he¡¯d hear her.

    ¡°Now,¡± her father shouted back, ¡°if you can go back down and then up and to your right¡ª¡°

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Do you need us¡ª¡°

    ¡°I need you to stop talking!¡± Reeve reached the ledge and was relieved to find that it was still empty, as it had been when she noted it in her original survey of the camp.

    She turned and leaned back against the cliff wall, hoping to catch her breath, but immediately had to raise both arms to either side of her face to guard against the kobolds that rose up around her. Looking past the throng of furious creatures, she found herself several yards away from, and a couple yards above, the caged half-elves.

    ¡°You needed us to mind this for you?¡± The standing half-elf said, gesturing with her free hand at the naginata she held outside the cage. ¡°Would you like it back now?¡±

    ¡°Nah. I¡¯ll come get it.¡±

 Chapter 6.7 Chime (Book I)

    The half-elf frowned at Reeve and then widened her eyes as Reeve took two quick steps and launched off of the ledge. Reeve had eyes only for the cage, but she felt searing pain in one shoulder as a kobold slashed at her with an outstretched hand. Both half-elves leaned back from the cage bars as Reeve crashed into them, her hands and one foot finding bars to grip, her other foot scrabbling awkwardly against vertical bars for several seconds before finding a crossbar on which it could rest.

    Reeve looked through the poorly forged bars at the half-elves, now close enough that she could smell their honeysuckle breath. They were even more stunning up close. The one who stood was still gripping the naginata, her hand now trapped where Reeve pinned the weapon against the bars with her body. The other half-elf continued to squat, and she looked up with an expression Reeve often put on for her current history teacher, something ambiguous between contempt and respect.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Reeve reflexively kicked back with a heel as she felt a claw rake her right calf, but her boot found only empty space. She pushed her right arm through the cage, up to her shoulder, and reached across her body to grasp the shaft of the naginata from within, then pulled her other shoulder back just far enough to free the half-elf¡¯s hand. The half-elf withdrew her hand slowly and crossed her arms, leaning forward and backward in time with the cage as it swung through the air in response to Reeve¡¯s sudden arrival.

    ¡°Well done,¡± the squatting half-elf said. Her voice was as musical as that of her apparent twin, but it seemed to play entirely within a minor key and carried none of the other¡¯s light. ¡°Now, three of us are trapped here. Shall we invite more of your party to join us?¡±

    Reeve frowned at her. ¡°I¡¯m here to get you out.¡±

    ¡°Out is not the problem, half-orc,¡± the standing captive said, and she turned and pushed at the door to the cage, which swung open with a grating squeal that caused Reeve to squint. ¡°Down is the problem.¡± The half-elf pointed to the fifty-foot drop outside the open door.

    ¡°Yeah, well, OK.¡± Reeve looked around the cage, ducking as a passing kobold took a chance and darted in for a swipe that missed Reeve and sent sparks from the bars its claws raked.

    ¡°If you are unsure what you should next attempt,¡± the squatting half-elf said, ¡°the halfling in your party seems to have some opinions.¡±

    Reeve¡¯s frown deepened, and she craned her neck to look down her side, where, far below, she saw her father waving his arms and running in tight circles. Reeve let out a slow breath and turned back to the inhabitants of the cage. ¡°He has a thing about heights.¡± They stared back at her. ¡°And things that fly.¡± Their expressions did not change. ¡°Look, he¡¯s not going to calm down til we all get down from here, so, let¡¯s do that.¡±

    The standing half-elf raised both eyebrows.

    ¡°You mind?¡± Reeve said, and the standing half-elf followed her nod and reached out to again grasp the naginata. Reeve slid down into a squat and grasped vertical bars as close to her feet as she could. She spun her head in a quick circle to take in the orbiting kobolds.¡°Keep them away from me if you can.¡±

    The half-elf nodded and worked the naginata up higher until she could hold it low on the shaft. She began swinging it in an abbreviated arc above Reeve¡¯s head.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    With a quick intake of breath, Reeve let her feet slide off the bottom of the cage. Her hands slipped down the vertical bars as her full weight swung onto them, and as quickly as she could, she moved one and then the other from a vertical bar to the horizontal bar at the cage¡¯s base. ¡°You may want to hold on!¡±

    Both of the cage¡¯s inhabitants looked at her for a moment, then hastily grasped nearby bars.

    Reeve swung her legs as far forward as she could, then brought them as far back as possible. ¡°Woot!¡± She let out a quick cry of joy as she accidentally connected with a kobold on the backswing, unsure what part of the creature she¡¯d kicked and unable to check her Combat Log for any details.

    The half-elf stabbed through the air and then raked the blade of the naginata from side to side, keeping the air above Reeve mostly kobold-free. Below the cage was an entirely different scene, as the kobolds began swooping toward Reeve with each oscillation.

    ¡°How close?¡± Reeve yelled as she swung backward.

    The squatting half-elf looked up to the ledge toward which they swung. She waited a few seconds until they were at their highest point. ¡°Still four yards if any.¡±

    Reeve pumped her legs again and thought of her father pushing her in a swing at the park down the street from their house. She¡¯d always loved jumping from the seat when it was nearing its highest point, seeing how far she could fly before landing. Being able to enjoy that simple pleasure seemed like something from a previous lifetime. As the cage reached its farthest point from the cliff and then began to swing back, she looked down to check on her parents.

    ¡°Ohmagod.¡±

    Her father was running below her, arms outstretched, trying to stay beneath the cage. Beneath her. The cage slowed as it drew close to the ledge, and she swung her legs forward, losing sight of him and swinging into a kobold whose shriek suggested it was as surprised by their sudden meeting as she was.

    ¡°Three and a half yards, half-orc,¡± the squatting half-elf said down through the cage bottom.

    ¡°Get ready!¡±

    The half-elf rose and backed against the cage opposite the open door. Her twin pulled the naginata in through the bars and joined her as they swung away from the ledge.

    ¡°Three yards.¡± The darker-voiced half-elf said at the next pass.

    ¡°Next time.¡± Reeve could barely get the words out of her gritted teeth as she felt her fingers slipping on the bars.

    ¡°Aye,¡± the half-elves said in unison.

    Reeve looked down and saw her father below her, still trying to stay under her in case she fell. The honey badger was following him, providing protection as best she could while the halfling ran mindlessly through the mayhem. Reeve¡¯s mother was in a quarter-squat, brandishing some sort of weapon that Reeve couldn¡¯t make out, waving the object in long arcs back and forth in front of her, a semi-circle of kobolds eyeing her warily from outside its range.

    The cage reached its high point, and Reeve swung her body back as she and the half-elves started what she hoped would be the last swing toward the ledge.

    Long, cold, sharp fingers wrapped themselves around Reeve¡¯s face, blocking her sight, and the chill that ran through her made her instantly feel like she had a bad flu. She felt the full weight of a kobold land on her back. Expecting the creature to start gouging her eyes, Reeve let go of the bar in her right hand, and her weight swung onto her left arm. She felt sparks in the ligaments of her shoulder and wrist. With her freed hand, she reached over her shoulder and grabbed the kobold by its neck, swung it over her head, and threw it straight toward the ground, a surprised shriek following it.

    ¡°Now!¡± Reeve yelled, seeing that they were almost to the ledge.

    The half-elves each took two fleet steps toward the door of the cage and then leaped toward the ledge. The force of their leap sent the cage sailing away from the ledge and out of Reeve¡¯s fatigued grip.

    She fell.

    ¡°Ooooooooh fuuuuuudge,¡± she screamed, followed immediately by, ¡°Gaah!,¡± as she landed on the back of a passing kobold, her impact stunning it. Its body limp under her, Reeve plummeted toward the ground, unable to see anything through the wings that trailed out behind her and her unintended mount. She closed her eyes.

    The impact was accompanied by the cracking of bones¡ªloud as gunshots and sickeningly familiar¡ªand by a chime.

 Chapter 6.8 Stollwurm (Book I)

    She¡¯d have to get back from the respawn as quickly as she could, she thought. Before either parent died. Or the NPCs. She¡¯d have to do so while dealing with the death debuff. Hopefully, she, Nyx, and the honey badger had taken out enough of the camp that the rest of the party could escape without additional casualties. She wondered how Nyx was doing. She wondered why her body still hurt so badly. Usually, the pain of death ended almost immediately, replaced with a warmth that was followed by the drained sensation of the debuff. She wondered why it was so noisy.

    Reeve opened her eyes and looked sideways through grass at the muddy and blood-stained undercarriages of a honey badger and an American cheetah, beyond which she saw the bare feet of her dwarven mother.

    ¡°Uhhh.¡± She rolled partially to the side and drew one arm beneath her so that she could push herself to an elbow. She was lying on the flattened corpse of the kobold that had slowed her fall. From underneath one wing extended a small, hairy foot.

    ¡°Oh.¡± She said. ¡°Ohhhhh¡­¡± She glanced at her Combat Log.

    You tackle a Level 6 Kobold Warrior for 17 points of bludgeoning damage. The Level 6 Kobold Warrior is now unconscious.

    You drive a Level 6 Kobold Warrior into Reavyr(II) for 82 points of bludgeoning damage.

    You kill a Level 6 Kobold Warrior.

    She reluctantly moved her gaze to the next entry.

    You and a Level 6 Kobold Warrior land on Reavyr(II) for 191 points of bludgeoning damage. Reavyr (II) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    ¡°Reeve? Where did your father go?¡±

    ¡°Uh.¡± Reeve noted that she was at less than a quarter health and then pushed the UI away. ¡°Um. He¡¯ll be coming out of the woods over there in a few minutes. She rolled onto her knees and groaned. Broken ribs. She stood slowly, cradling her side.

    ¡°He was just here a second ago, Chica.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I, uh, accidentally sent him over there.¡± Reeve pointed in the direction of their recently reset spawn point. ¡°He¡¯ll be right back. I need to go help those¡­,¡± she looked up toward the ledges high above, ¡°¡­double fudge.¡±

    Wanda followed her daughter¡¯s gaze. She squinted up at the activity above them. ¡°Is that giraffe attacking those girls?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a Stollwurm, Mom. I gotta go.¡± Reeve ignored the remaining kobolds still circling her mother¡ªNyx and the honey badger had held them this long, they¡¯d have to hang on a few more minutes¡ªand ran a dozen strides along the base of the cliff to improve her angle.

    The Stollwurm wasn¡¯t the largest she¡¯d seen, but it was still double the height of the half-elves. And she couldn¡¯t blame her mother entirely for the giraffe comment¡ªthe Stollwurm¡¯s serpentine body rose high on two relatively short hindlimbs, and its long neck extended far past its forelimbs. But that was about it for giraffey qualities. Its skin was black-gray, not far removed from that of the kobolds, and its face reminded Reeve of a jaguar.

    The Stollwurm¡¯s head struck out at the unarmed half-elf, and her twin only just parried with the butt of the naginata before the Stollwurm¡¯s teeth would have found flesh. The Stollwurm followed the strike with a bellowing roar visible from the greenish mist spewed simultaneously.

    ¡°It¡¯s a poisonous one. Faaaabulous,¡± Reeve said, and she swung her bow free, pulled an arrow from her quiver, and nocked the arrow. It didn¡¯t look like the half-elves had landed any hits yet, so she probably couldn¡¯t pull off a kill shot, not without a lucky crit, but she could distract the beast and do some damage while the half-elves retreated down the ledges.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Sensing rapid motion to her left, Reeve released her right hand¡¯s grip on the bow, letting its weight swing onto the string held in her left, grabbed the arrow mid-shaft, and turned it in time to spear a diving kobold through the forehead. The limp creature plowed into her side, sending her back a step, and then crumpled at her feet.

    Reeve pulled the arrow free, wiped its head on her thigh, and renocked it, taking several deep breaths as she did. She drew back the string, which sent sharp pain through her ribs. Sighting on the Stollwurm, she found that it had pushed the twins back to the edge of the ledge. They¡¯d have to manage a quick descent to the next lower ledge without opening their defense to the creature. Now would be a good time for a distraction. Choosing a higher probability shot, Reeve dropped her aim from the creature¡¯s head to its chest. She took one more deep breath and then partially exhaled before holding, ready for the shot. She released the tension in her fingers and felt the string slip to the point of release.

    ¡°Evie!¡± Walter¡¯s hand came down on her bow arm as the arrow was loosed. Reeve watched it leave the bow too low, too far to the left.

    ¡°Ohmagod.¡±

    The unarmed half-elf reeled as the arrow sank into her leather-clad right buttock, her off-balance spin transitioning into a tumble to the ledge below in a graceless fall that demonstrated all the clumsiness one might expect of her human half with none of the nimbleness she might have hoped her elfin half would provide.

    Reeve turned to her father, who still held her arm and was staring into her face, his own pinched and sallow, no sign that he was aware of the friendly fire he¡¯d just caused.

    ¡°The deathy buff is really intense this time,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how I died. I was trying to¡­wait, I could check my UI, couldn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Nope, don¡¯t do that. At least not right now. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve gotta go help the half-elves. You just go back over by Mom and the¡ª¡°

    A glancing impact from behind launched Reeve forward, sweeping Walter with her until they both tripped over their scrambling legs and collapsed, Reeve lying across her father¡¯s head.

    ¡°Wait a second¡­¡± Walter¡¯s voice was muffled from under his daughter. ¡°¡­now I remember how I died.¡±

    Reeve rolled to her back, then quickly rose, first to one knee, then her feet, defensively backing away from the beast with every motion. Having landed on all fours behind them, the Stollwurm was rising onto its hindlimbs, the presence of those limbs and the feline face doing little to diminish its serpentine appearance as it towered above her.

    Reeve¡¯s eyes darted to the ledge far above. The naginata-bearing half-elf had joined her twin on the lower ledge and knelt over her. In her rushed moment of observation, Reeve couldn¡¯t judge the extent of the downed twin¡¯s injuries, and she brought her attention back to the Stollwurm as it opened its jaw.

    Reaching down next to her foot and grabbing her father without looking, Reeve spun and ran toward Nyx¡¯s position, the bellow and poison gas of the Stollwurm shaking and searing the back of Reeve¡¯s neck as she ran.

    ¡°That is no knobble!¡± Walter yelled.

    ¡°Kobold!¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Trouble. Stay behind Nyx.¡± Reeve swung the halfling to loft him over Nyx, who was already facing the onrushing Stollwurm, crouched in preparation for joining Reeve in defense of her parents. Too late, Reeve realized she¡¯d been grasping her father just above the knee, and that he¡¯d been hanging upside down, backward, as she ran.

    Walter arced, still upside down, over Nyx, and then descended with a sickly suddenness, the back of his head the first part of his body to greet the earth with a sound akin to a single, low bongo hit.

    Reeve spun and nocked a new arrow, raising it to aim at the Stollwurm, which was less than five yards away.

    Seeing the arrow, the creature ducked its head with the speed of a striking serpent, its aim shifting as it did toward Nyx. Before Reeve could adjust her aim, amber fire landed on the back of the Stollwurm¡¯s neck and splashed in a wide radius. Wherever the fire touched the creature¡¯s skin, it immediately glowed white as though brilliantly hot.

    With the impact of the fire on its neck, the Stollwurm staggered to all fours and then rolled onto its back in a mindless attempt to extinguish the searing pain. Seeing her enemy exposed, Nyx leaped forward and grasped the creature¡¯s throat just below its head, which was emitting an unholy howl of rage and pain. As Nyx began wrenching with her fangs, Reeve sighted past her companion and loosed an arrow into the Stollwurm¡¯s writhing chest.

    Nyx wrenched a mighty portion of the creature¡¯s throat free, Reeve¡¯s arrow buried itself to its fletching, and the Stollwurm¡¯s entire body fell still.

    ¡°Son of a witch,¡± Reeve said and let out an explosive breath of relief.

    One Crude Iron Dagger and one Roughly Hewn Wooden Knife flew through the air, the dagger landing on the Stollwurm¡¯s inanimate scaled chest and immediately sliding off, the knife skittering down the length of its chest before coming to rest around its smoking midsection.

    Reeve turned around and looked at her father.

    Walter frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll be quicker next time.¡±

    Reeve nodded. ¡°And please pull up your pants.¡±

 Chapter 6.9 Hypnotist (Book I)

    Reeve bent at the waist, winded, a hand resting on one knee. That had gone a lot better than it could have, she thought. She was still recovering from the exertion, but she wanted to get them all out. Now.

    She stood. After a quick mental check with Nyx, who was covered in injuries but nothing Reeve wouldn¡¯t be able to help heal next time they were in the MMO, Reeve strode to join her parents. Her mother was frowning as she again tied her father¡¯s suspenders together.

    ¡°Hey, Mom. We need your help to log out of the game.¡±

    Wanda frowned slightly, and Reeve couldn¡¯t tell whether from concentration or something else.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we check on those ladies up there?¡± Wanda said. ¡°You shot one of them with an arrow, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°No¡­I¡­that wasn¡¯t¡­Dad¡­look, it doesn¡¯t matter, they¡¯re not real, we just need to get out of here.¡±

    Wanda glanced up at the two half-elves high above them. The uninjured half-elf crouched over the other, and golden light was reflecting off both them and the cliff face behind them. ¡°I can see from here they¡¯re not real, Reeve, but that doesn¡¯t mean we should just abandon those poor girls.¡±

    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not what I meant. I mean they¡¯re part of the game, they¡¯re NPCs. Look, can you please try logging out, and then we can talk about this back home?¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Wanda finished tying the suspenders, placed her dwarven hands on her waist, and raised and arched her eyebrows in a manner Reeve immediately recognized, from a lot of prior experience, as parental skepticism. ¡°OK, Reeve. What is it you need me to try?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mom. Do you know how to access your U¡­User Interface? It¡¯s a bunch of windows that can pop into view.¡±

    ¡°All this?¡± Wanda said, circling both hands through the air in opposite directions in a way that reminded Reeve of the wax-on, wax-off scene from that old karate movie.

    Reeve looked at her mother, confused. ¡°It¡¯s already open?¡±

    ¡°You can make it go away?¡± Wanda said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been playing for more than a day with your UI open?¡±

    Wanda opened her mouth to speak, and Reeve realized she needed to avoid any sidetracks, however small. ¡°You know what, never mind. It¡¯s open, that¡¯s great. Do you know where the ¡®Log out¡¯ option is?¡±

    ¡°Mija, I know where everything here is. I¡¯ve been staring at it or through it since yesterday.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impressive, Hon¡¯,¡± Walter said. ¡°Took me more than a little while to find my way around in there. You should have seen me trying to find my Class.¡±

    ¡°That?¡± Wanda said. ¡°I¡¯m a Hypnotist.¡±

    ¡°Apiculturist,¡± Walter said. Then, in a low, explanatory tone, ¡°Beekeeper.¡±

    ¡°Hypnotist?¡± Reeve said. ¡°Why would you¡­,¡± she looked back toward the unseen trail they¡¯d traveled, ¡°¡­though that might explain why the Kobold Scout that found you on the trail didn¡¯t brain you.¡± She looked around them slowly. ¡°Or why a whole camp would ignore you.¡± Reeve shook her head and snapped her fingers in front of her own face. ¡°Staying focused. Mom, please, just try logging out so that¡ª¡°

    Wanda William¡¯s dwarf avatar suddenly disappeared.

    Wanda has left the game.

 Chapter 6.10 Dawn and Dusk (Book I)

    ¡°I had a feeling she¡¯d be better at this game than you expected,¡± Walter said, turning with a large smile to Reeve. His smile melted into a confused frown. ¡°Honey? Are you crying?¡±

    Reeve squatted, dropped her bow, and covered her face.

    ¡°Evie, what¡¯s wrong? Mom can log out! Isn¡¯t that what you were hoping for?¡±

    ¡°Mom,¡± Reeve said through her hands, ¡°has logged out. We have not logged out. Mom is now in the lobby. We are here. Mom is alone, without anyone to tell her what she needs to do.¡±

    ¡°Your mother,¡± Walter said, ¡°is a resource¡ª¡°

    ¡°Resourceful lady, I know!¡± The shout seemed to blow Reeve¡¯s hands away from her face. ¡°And maybe, eventually, she¡¯ll figure out how to log us out. After she figures out that we need her to log us out. Maybe even before she leaves the lobby and can¡¯t figure out how to reconnect the neural interface.¡±

    Walter smiled. Reeve glared at him and his eyes widened apologetically as his smile faded.

    ¡°And if that miracle happens to miraculously, amazingly, happen,¡± Reeve waved her hands with frantic energy but no clear purpose, ¡°maybe in no more than a few hours out there,¡± she pointed toward the sky, but Walter had a suspicion that she was talking about outside the game, ¡°it will be seven hundred times longer for us in here than it is for her out there.¡± Reeve stared at her father. ¡°Do you remember how long it took her to figure out how to preheat the networked oven?¡±

    Walter nodded, and an optimistic smile began to bloom. Reeve¡¯s glare quickly wiped it from his face.

    ¡°Dad! I was there, explaining to her, and it still took more than an hour. An hour of real time is a month of game time.¡±

    Walter nodded, less optimistic.

    ¡°We would like to have words, half-orc,¡± a minor key chimed from behind Reeve.

    ¡°Oh, flip me.¡± Reeve twisted in place, her squat shifting to a half-kneel on one knee, and looked at the twins, both of whom now stood before them, and both of whom scowled at her, the injured one leaning heavily on her sister.

    ¡°I,¡± Reeve said, ¡°had the Stollwurm in my¡­listen he didn¡¯t mean to, but my dad knocked my bow arm and, well¡­¡± Reeve gestured quickly at her own rear in acknowledgment of the arrow¡¯s unintentional resting place.

    The twins¡¯ scowls slid silently to Walter.

    Walter cleared his throat. ¡°Ladies¡­,¡± his voice was apologetic, confused, and, Reeve thought, intimidated. Whether the intimidation was a result of the twins¡¯ anger or their exaggerated physical attributes, Reeve did not want to guess.

    At the sound of the single, uncomfortable word, the half-elves¡¯ expressions changed so suddenly and completely that Walter forgot what he was going to say next and Reeve¡¯s mouth dropped open.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Walter managed, as the twins approached him. The injured half-elf placed a gentle hand on his upper arm and her sister grasped one of his hands in both of hers.

    ¡°We can bear you no ill will, brave halfling,¡± the injured twin said, her usually darkly-accented voice almost as light as her sister¡¯s, ¡°you, after all, were not the one who wielded the weapon.¡± Their gazes, soft and warm while directed toward Walter cooled as they turned back to Reeve.

    ¡°Ohmagod, seriously. He¡ª¡°

    ¡°He,¡± the lighter-voiced elf said, ¡°slay the wurm.¡±

    ¡°He? He?¡± Reeve sputtered. ¡°Me!¡±

    The elf looked back at Walter and squeezed his arm. ¡°Reclaim your weapons, Wurmslayer. Then we must seek your counsel.¡±

    Reeve¡¯s half-orc eyes were wide, and her mouth moved silently.

    Walter, still trying to remember what he had planned to say after ¡®ladies,¡¯ nodded dumbly and, with what looked like some regret, walked from the close attention of the half-elves to the side of the Stollwurm, picked up his blades, and tucked them in the waist of his pants.

    The half-elves addressed Walter as he began back toward them.

    ¡°I,¡± said the brightly-voiced twin, ¡°am Dawn, and this my sister Dusk.¡±

    ¡°Subtle,¡± Reeve said loudly as Walter stopped in front of the two.

    Obviously unsure what to do, Walter extended a hand toward Dawn. She ignored the offered hand and instead bowed to the waist as Dusk mirrored her gesture perfectly, despite, Reeve thought, the excruciating pain it must have caused the injured half-elf. Walter quickly jerked back his hand as the plunging necklines inclined toward him.

    ¡°We are already indebted to you, Wurmslayer, for rescuing us from these kobolds and their dark patron,¡± Dawn said, ¡°but without respite, we must forthwith call again on your largess and your fighting blades.¡±

    Walter gripped the knife handles at his waist and looked uncertainly at the twins.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Reeve, facepalming. ¡°Charisma. Forty-three in Charisma.¡±

    The twins side-eyed Reeve and then fixed Walter once again with looks that bordered on adoration. ¡°Will you hear our tale and consider our supplication?¡±

    ¡°Suppli¡­I¡­well¡­¡± Walter said. ¡°It¡¯s really my daughter here,¡± he smiled in Reeve¡¯s direction, ¡°who¡¯s the expert.¡±

    The twins looked at each other and nodded, something unsaid passing between them. Dusk was the first to speak. ¡°We may not have many seasons to our names, but we have learned that a humble leader is a leader we can trust.¡±

    ¡°If,¡± Dawn said, ¡°you trust your second,¡± she nodded toward Reeve without sparing her a look, ¡°we trust her to accompany us, should you choose to come to our aid, once our story is told.¡±

    ¡°Her penchant for assailing us with arrows aside,¡± Dusk said, still not looking at Reeve.

    ¡°Ohmagod, whatever.¡±

    Dusk gave Reeve a threatening glance. ¡°You mock my injury? My movements will be hampered for weeks.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Reeve said, ¡°trust me, I get it.¡± She rose quickly and walked toward the Stollwurm, which was slowly melting into the ground. She plucked the loot bag from its disappearing corpse and began shaking the contents into a pile. She felt slightly queasy as she remembered the time in 2<sup>nd</sup> Grade when her dad had given the Lannie twins a ride home, and they spent the whole ride ignoring her and telling him about their trip to Niagara Falls and how cool it was that he was wearing a poncho like the ones they¡¯d worn at the falls.

    ¡°Sit, Wurmslayer, and we will tell you how here we came to be,¡± Dawn said to Walter and gestured to the kobold camp, ¡°and why we must pursue greater peril if ever we can hope to return to our home.¡±

    ¡°Pay attention, Dad,¡± Reeve said, pausing for a moment from her review of the loot bag¡¯s contents. ¡°Unless Mom manages to come back before we time out of here, our best bet is probably to try to work quickly through the story mode. I think there¡¯s about, oh, a one-hundred percent chance that whatever they¡¯re about to tell you is the next objective. And probably the basis for the main story arc.¡±

 Chapter 7.1 Outnumbered (Book I)

    The cobbles that paved the road to the western gate of Werfendale began to emerge from the trampled mud less than a half-mile from the gatehouse, at first as isolated hazards that would turn an ankle or cause a cart to lurch unexpectedly, then as conspiring pairs or trios that required the constant attention of weary travelers lest they suffer a bust knee or drop precious goods being brought to or from the provincial market. Even as the road ran past the half-dozen guards who slouched in the hot, windowless gatehouse or who stood, hands on hilts, on either side of the gate, it still looked to have misplaced as many cobbles as it had retained, the uneven surface passable at only the slowest of paces.

    All the morning¡¯s visitors to the market having already passed the gate with the rising sun, the guards watched as small and widely spaced groups approached the town at a crawl. Men of greater aspiration might have found much to appraise in each of the groups, but the guards watched only for threats to their lives or their jobs. The halfling riding a gray Newfoundland pony a half-length ahead of two half-elves and a half-orc appeared to present no threat to either, and the two guards flanking the gate did not affix their full attention to the party until it stopped before them for inspection.

    Without removing his gaze from the halfling, the older of the two guards pressed a thumb to one nostril, leaned forward, and blew mucus to the ground, most of it missing his worn boots and finding mud and an occasional cobble. ¡°Purpose?¡±

    The guards¡¯ attention shifted as not the halfling but the half-orc spoke. ¡°We¡¯re just going to Fellgrave.¡± Even through her nearly overwhelming mental fatigue, Reeve detected both the brusqueness of her voice, particularly with its orcish inflection, and the guards¡¯ glances at each other as they stood more erect, their palm-capped hilts shifting forward to be less obscured by their paunches. The last thing she wanted was trouble from a few small-town gate guards. ¡°Sirs,¡± she blinked her dry eyes hard a few times in an effort to think more clearly, ¡°Werfendale,¡± she was careful to say the name correctly as it appeared in her UI, ¡°is a safe haven on our route, and we simply seek supplies and information on the land between here and Fellgrave.¡±

    The guards examined Reeve a moment longer, then the older nodded, but his stance did not relax. ¡°Why is this halfling bound to his mount? The Council does not condone passage of known slavers.¡±

    With a frown she fought to hide, Reeve wondered if the Council, and the guards, would allow passage of those who did not identify themselves as slavers. Perhaps for the right price.

    ¡°No, certainly not,¡± Walter said, patting the rope that circled his waist and then his pommel, ¡°I have a tendency to lose my balance when my UI appears¡ª¡° Walter could hear what he was fairly certain was Reeve face palming. ¡°¡ªah, that is, when my mind wanders during our long travels.¡± He cleared his throat and smiled in the way he did at the beginning of difficult conversations in his job back in HR.

    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± the senior guard said, practically beaming at Walter, the guard¡¯s chestplate shifting lower and farther forward as he relaxed, no longer interested in this group, ready to await the next to the gate.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°But the bridge to Fellgrave is washed out,¡± the younger guard said. ¡°You¡¯ll be needing a guide to take you the way of the ford.¡±

    ¡°Of course the bridge is out.¡± Reeve blew a raspberry in frustration, assuming the guards, now under the influence of her father¡¯s Charisma, would no longer take offense at the slightest opportunity. ¡°And where would we find a guide?¡±

    ¡°Guides of the Guild can be found at The Golden Gander,¡± the senior guard said. He turned and pointed to a large shingle displaying a gander inlaid in gold, the shingle hanging from the peak of a neatly thatched building a few blocks beyond the gate.

    Reeve frowned at him. ¡°And?¡±

    The guard looked back at her, his face hardening slightly.

    Reeve elbowed the back of her father¡¯s thigh where it rested on the pony¡¯s flank.

    Walter looked around, startled, at his daughter, who raised her eyebrows and tipped her head toward the guards.

    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Walter said, turning back to the guards. ¡°And?¡±

    The younger guard nodded knowingly. ¡°Well, Guild guides be the best money can buy, if you judge by the coin you¡¯ll be parted from, but the last two Guild guides to leave Werfendale for the ford are yet to return.¡±

    ¡°How long ago did they leave?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Three moons, the last.¡±

    ¡°Brilliant,¡± Reeve said. ¡°And what other options¡­¡± She shook her head in frustration and nudged her father.

    ¡°And, uh, what other options are there,¡± Walter looked back at Reeve, ¡°for guides?¡±

    Reeve nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯s heard,¡± the younger guard said quietly, ¡°that non-guild guides mays occasionally frequent The Wailing Loon,¡± he turned and indicated a building almost directly across from the first and then turned to the twins, ¡°though I can¡¯t in good conscience suggest ye ladies visit Th¡¯ Loon, understand?¡±

    Reeve squinted against the still-low sun to make out the second tavern. There was no shingle, though a broken beam above the entrance might have once held one.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Reeve said and patted the pony¡¯s haunch hard enough that it resumed its slow progress along the uneven road.

    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± Walter said with a slight bow as he came even with the guards.

    Reeve reached out a hand to catch Walter¡¯s slow slide to the side and push him back plumb in the saddle. As they passed under the stone arch of the gate, she noted the compass rose carved into the keystone. She checked her UI and found that their spawn had indeed just auto-updated.

    Looking up the street, sun in her eyes, the stench of waste rising from the gutter, she thought, I need a break or I will kill someone. Possibly three someones. And maybe a pony. She frowned, wondering what had become of the little girl who, just a few grades ago, could barely look at a pony without bursting into tears of joy. She even felt different than the person she¡¯d been three weeks ago, game time. She sucked a small piece of Forrest Mushroom, Non-Poisonous, from between her teeth, a remnant of their paltry dinner the night before.

    ¡°Twilights, can you stable the pony and then take Walter with you to the market to get our provisions? I¡¯ll go check out the Loon and see if there¡¯s a way we can shortcut this objective.¡±

    ¡°Reeve, Honey,¡± Walter said quietly, ¡°you know they don¡¯t like it when you call them that.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Dad. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Reeve looked at the twins and raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°I would be pleased to have Wurmslayer accompany me to the market,¡± Dawn said.

    ¡°And I will accompany you to the tavern, Wurmslayer¡¯s spawn,¡± Dusk said.

    Reeve looked between the twins. She looked at her father, who gave her a toothy halfling grin. Reeve¡¯s right eye twitched. ¡°Whatever,¡± she said, turning and walking toward the tavern without any attention to whether Dusk would follow.

 Chapter 7.2 The Wailing Loon (Book I)

    Reeve took in the room as her eyes adjusted to the dim light.

    Pipe smoke. Check.

    Windowless dark interior lit only by gnarled candles in¡ªwhat were they called? Sconces? That was probably too upscale a word for them¡ªwhatever. Check.

    Suspicious and dangerous-looking patrons at every table. Check.

    Bartender with facial scarring. A missing limb. I feel you, buddy. Check.

    Empty seat at the bar where I could conveniently talk to the bartender to get information. Check.

    Reeve let out a long breath.

    There must be about three thousand XP of trouble waiting to go off in here, she thought. And there¡¯ll be little chance for me to survive to reap any of it if things get ugly.

    Light from behind her momentarily bathed the tavern¡¯s interior and revealed just how filthy every surface was¡ªfrom the worn, broad-planked floors to the worn, downcast faces of varying hues and degrees of hairiness¡­and greasiness¡ªand then the tavern¡¯s door closed and the darkness again hid the filth, though it could not be cleansed from Reeve¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all gross,¡± she said quietly.

    ¡°We should speak with the barkeep,¡± Dusk said when she reached Reeve¡¯s side.

    ¡°Hey, hold up.¡± Reeve grasped the half-elf¡¯s arm as Dusk was starting toward the bar. Dusk shook off her hand and glared at her. ¡°Waste of time,¡± Reeve said. ¡°Plus,¡± she glanced at the roughly-carved and creatively spelled signs above the bar, which had a long list of drinks that were, thanks to the game knowing her age IRL, all non-alcoholic and, as a result, probably not sanitary, ¡°I¡¯m not thirsty.¡±

    ¡°But why not ask the barkeep where we might procure a guide?¡±

    ¡°Because,¡± Reeve said, ¡°the guide we need is over there. She pointed to the dark back corner of the room where a single, hooded figure of difficult-to-discern proportions sat alone at a table, three empty seats around them.

    ¡°They? How could you know?¡± Dusk eyed Reeve with incredulity.

    ¡°Hooded figure sitting alone. Only empty seats in the house, other than the one by the bartender. This isn¡¯t my first rodeo.¡±

    Dusk narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°There¡¯s this black ops first-person shooter,¡± Reeve said, ¡°I play with a couple friends every now and then. They say that ¡®rodeo¡¯ thing on the server all the time.¡± She looked at Dusk. ¡°Know what? Never mind. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Dusk gave a half shake of her head but started toward the table in the corner.

    ¡°Not that way.¡± Reeve again caught Dusk¡¯s arm.

    Dusk spun on her. ¡°Stay your hand¡ª¡°

    ¡°Listen. Every person between here and that table is looking to start a fight.¡±

    ¡°And you surmise that how?¡± Dawn said.

    ¡°Um, hello? Have you ever seen that many face and neck tattoos all crammed together in a place that didn¡¯t turn into a huge brawl within minutes? No way we¡¯d squeeze through the crowd without starting something. Come on. We¡¯ll go around and use that side door from the outside.¡± She pointed to a small, partially ajar door near the hooded figure, turned, and pushed out into the sunlight, again not waiting to see if Dusk would follow.

    When Reeve stepped in through the side door, there was barely room to move, so crowded were the tables, but there was a narrow path down the wall that she sidestepped along to reach the corner table. Without asking, she took a seat in the one vacant chair that provided a view of the entire tavern, loosely holding with both hands her naginata so that it rose vertically between her knees. She nodded to the chair that had the best of the remaining views, and Dusk sat, tossing her braid over her shoulder.

    ¡°Well met, travelers,¡± the hooded figure said, her voice like someone whispering a song. Slender hands with skin that looked like aged, yellowed parchment reached from inside the cloak¡¯s sleeves to lift a steaming wooden cup to unseen lips.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Dusk recoiled. ¡°You¡¯re fallen.¡± Her words were more hissed than spoken.

    ¡°Then we are more akin than not, half-human.¡±

    Only once before had Reeve come across an elf that had been cast out by its brethren and lost its nature mana. That fallen elf had gotten along fine with everyone in her party, except the other elf races.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a monkey,¡± Reeve said to the hood, then glanced frustratedly at Dusk. ¡°We seek safe passage to Fellgrave.¡± She looked warily back over the tavern¡¯s crowd but found nothing to cause her concern.

    Dusk crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. ¡°Such an unworthy heir to Wurmslayer. And now you will associate with a Fallen?¡±

    ¡°Sheesh. Park your pout,¡± Reeve said and looked back to the fallen elf.

    ¡°It¡¯s a simple enough journey,¡± the fallen elf said.

    ¡°We were told the bridge is washed out.¡±

    ¡°By a man of the Council?¡±

    ¡°Gate guard.¡±

    The hood rocked slowly from side to side. ¡°That is one account of how it was destroyed.¡±

    Sitting in the darkness, fatigue settled again on Reeve, and she shook her head and rubbed one eye. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t have any interest in or time for politics or intrigue. Whatever the deal is with the bridge, we need to get to Fellgrave.¡± She shifted the naginata into her left hand and jerked the thumb of her right toward Dusk. ¡°My companion and her twin are apprenticed to a mage who¡¯s now captive, they believe in Fellgrave. But we hear that the ford route requires a guide, so¡­¡± Reeve gestured at the table and, by association, the conversation.

    ¡°How many of you?¡± The fallen elf said.

    ¡°Four.¡±

    ¡°A half-orc, two half-elves, and¡­?¡±

    Reeve let out a tired breath and leaned her forehead against the naginata¡¯s shaft. ¡°A halfling, and two animal companions who will rejoin us outside of town.¡±

    ¡°Mounts?¡±

    ¡°Only the halfling,¡± Reeve paused as the tavern¡¯s main door opened. She squinted against the light that overwhelmed whatever figure stood without, but then the light was blocked again. ¡°Pony,¡± she said, turning back to the fallen elf.

    The light at the door suddenly relit, accompanied by a deep rumble, and then the door slammed shut. Twice seared, Reeve¡¯s eyes were slow to recover, and she noticed the drop in conversation across the tavern before she was able to see its cause. Just inside the door stood a juvenile twiceling. Reeve had never seen one of their race. Related to both trolls and giants, they had some official name in canon, but she¡¯d only heard them referred to as twicelings, due to their resemblance to a halfling of enormous size. The twiceling squeezing itself into the tavern had apparently been what briefly blocked the light between the door opening and finally closing.

    ¡°Jeezy creezy,¡± Reeve said quietly, knowing that twicelings were only marginally accepted members of society, disliked as much by most races as fallen elves were by their kin.

    ¡°Grrrhhheeee,¡± the twiceling rumbled in a language or with an accent Reeve couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°All are travelers who can handle themselves outside the safety of city walls?¡± The fallen elf said.

    Reeve considered how to answer the question while watching the twiceling trundle to the bar, banging its head on every crossbeam it passed. ¡°We can hold our own,¡± she said, lowering her gaze to stare at the floor as she held her naginata in the crook of one elbow and used both hands to tighten her ponytail. ¡°We were three weeks in the wild coming here.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Reeve¡¯s head snapped toward the angry cry. The twiceling had left the bar and was weaving between the crowded tables, sidestepping as though it thought it would be able to squeeze itself through the nearly nonexistent gaps. An angry leprechaun had jumped onto the seat of his chair and turned to shout at the twiceling after being nearly knocked to the floor by its passing.

    The twiceling started to make its way around the edge of a large, round table adjacent to the corner table at which Reeve, Dusk, and the fallen elf sat. A dozen gnomes were sitting at the round table.

    This may not go well, Reeve thought, knowing how short-tempered and quick-to-a-fight gnomes were.

    The twiceling bumped against the back of one of the gnome¡¯s chairs, and the small creature, face already flushed from drink, was pushed against the table¡¯s edge, liquid sloshing from the flagon that was nearly as tall as he was. ¡°Galumphing oaf!¡± The gnome roared in his small voice, looking up at the towering twiceling, ¡°Do ee¡¯ again, and I¡¯ll cut you down to size! My size, ya mountain of stink! One o¡¯ me fellows here has more brains and fight than ten o¡¯ ye!¡±

    The twiceling looked down to where the incensed gnome sat, near the twiceling¡¯s knee, and bent to use a giant hand to pat the gnome on its head, pushing the gnome¡¯s stocking cap down over the sputtering creature¡¯s eyes as it did. The twiceling turned away and continued its slow path through the crowd, not seeing the gnome, now incandescent with rage, lunge from its chair and miss the twiceling¡¯s thigh, disappearing below the table as the other gnomes¡¯ curses became mixed with laughter.

    ¡°Ten silver a head,¡± the fallen elf said evenly.

    ¡°What?¡± Reeve turned from watching the slow progress of the twiceling and the wake of cursing gnomes it was leaving. ¡°That¡¯s highway robbery!¡±

    ¡°That is what it will cost you if you wish to avoid highway robbery, or worse.¡±

    ¡°Grrrhhheeee,¡± the twiceling¡¯s rumbling voice said from above them.

    Reeve closed her eyes and let out a tired breath. ¡°Halfling pony show. Bridge down. Highway robbery. Inexplicable twiceling magnet.¡± She looked up at the creature towering over them. ¡°I¡¯m having quite the day.¡±

    ¡°Grrrhhheeee,¡± the twiceling¡¯s rumbling voice said from above them. The creature placed its left hand on its hip.

    Reeve¡¯s eyes watered, relief and exasperation competing to push her over the edge into tears. ¡°Wanda? Mom?¡±

 Chapter 7.3 Twiceling (Book I)

    ¡°Whuuun urth rrrruuu duuun ihnnnaa plahzz luhhheyyy ihhhsss?¡±

    Reeve scrunched her face and tried to mentally turn down the base in the twiceling¡¯s voice. ¡°W-what am I doing in a place like this?¡± Reeve said. ¡°What are you doing in a twiceling? And how did you find us? We¡¯re three weeks travel from the kobold camp.¡±

    The twiceling¡¯s response was just as slow and deep, but now that Reeve understood the cadence and inflection, it was easier for her to decipher her mother¡¯s words. ¡°I didn¡¯t start in the woods this time, but under the gate into this town.¡± Wanda waved a hand to take in Werfendale, knocking splinters of wood from an already unsound-looking crossbeam as she did.

    ¡°Oh, right. I saw there¡¯s an automatic spawn update checkpoint. The game must have spawned you at the point nearest the party. But a twiceling?¡±

    ¡°When I¡¯d decided I should come back into the game, I couldn¡¯t figure out where my little hairy-lady character had gone, so I looked through all the choices and thought I¡¯d try this.¡± Reeve was pretty sure the sound her mother then made was a girlish giggle on the inside, but on the outside the twiceling emitted a thunderous rumble that caused the table of gnomes behind her, only just settling down after her passage, to turn and wave fists while cursing loudly and at length. One threw an empty flagon that bounced off the back of Wanda¡¯s head without her seeming to notice. ¡°Between this and your father,¡± the twiceling winked at Reeve, ¡°we make a wholeling.¡±

    ¡°Ohmagod, Mom. It¡¯s been bad enough dealing with Dad¡¯s jokes for the last three weeks. Do you know how many Lord of the Rings puns he¡¯s come up with? It¡¯s ¡®Frodon¡¯t mind if I do,¡¯ when the twins offer him something at dinner, and it¡¯s ¡®look who¡¯s a half-cling¡¯ when I have to piggyback him.¡±

    ¡°Your pap¨¢ is the best,¡± the twiceling said.

    Reeve¡¯s eye twitched, and she wondered whether being trapped in this world would leave her with a permanent tick IRL. ¡°But you managed to get yourself back into the neural interface. That¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Get back in?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Reeve looked at her mother for a moment. ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°I never left it. I was looking at the different people you can choose.¡±

    Reeve¡¯s eyelid twitched again. ¡°You spent the whole time you were gone,¡± Reeve glanced at her UI, ¡°something like forty minutes¡ªwhich was three weeks for us in here¡ªin the lobby, looking at different character races?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how I chose this twiceling.¡±

    ¡°And in all that time you didn¡¯t try logging us out?¡±

    ¡°Do you need me to?¡±

    Speechless, Reeve looked away from her mother and found herself looking into the darkness of the fallen elf¡¯s cowl. ¡°Oh, right, sorry, just give us a minute.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Family comes first, twiceling¡¯s offspring.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­good, now you too,¡± Reeve said and turned back to her mother. ¡°Yes, I need you to log out¡ªbut wait! Before you do it, listen. When you¡¯re in the lobby, under the avatars of the members of your party¡ªme and Dad¡ªthere¡¯s an option to ¡®Recall Party.¡¯ I need you to do that, OK? It¡¯ll give us an option to join you in the lobby, and if we don¡¯t respond you¡¯ll eventually be able to force us to come out.¡±

    ¡°Recall party,¡± the twiceling rumbled.

    ¡°Exactly. Wait! Before you go, give me anything you have in your Inventory. Even if you¡¯re pretty quick, since the lobby runs at real time, we may be stuck in here for several more hours or days. Your inventory could be useful to us.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The huge twiceling nodded. ¡°Like your father showed me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, like that. Think of what you want, reach back to your hammerspace, and then grasp and pull forward.¡±

    ¡°Mija, let me figure it out. Otherwise, I won¡¯t learn,¡± Wanda said. With confidence and without a backward glance, the twiceling reached behind her, firmly grasped the head of one of the gnomes sitting at the round table, and whipped the surprised creature forward to hold, upside down, above the table at which sat Reeve.

    ¡°Mother of pearl,¡± Reeve said jumping up, her chair hitting the wall behind her. She found herself face to face with the gnome. Or, almost face to face, as her mother¡¯s twiceling hand was wrapped entirely around the creature¡¯s head and shoulders, engulfing its face as its rigid body held its tiny pointed shoes toward the ceiling.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had that in my inventory,¡± Wanda said with the heavy twiceling accent. The tavern was silent. A muffled howl seeped out of her closed hand and the gnome¡¯s legs began to flail.

    ¡°No respect!¡± A gnome behind Wanda cried.

    ¡°For gnomedom!¡± Another shouted.

    The table of gnomes went berserk.

    Dusk just managed to rise from her chair before the gnomes began landing on the twiceling, some bouncing off to tumble to the table at which the fallen elf still sat showing no signs of concern for the fray, save for leaning back and drawing the steaming mug away from the precipitating gnomes.

    ¡°Mom! Log out! Log out now!¡± Reeve thrust her naginata into the corner, its length a liability in the close-quarters brawl that was spreading from the table of gnomes like waves from a rock thrown into a pond. Two gnomes were already hanging from her mother¡¯s arm, which still clasped the first, inverted, gnome. Three other gnomes were now on the table between them, and as those gnomes stood, they turned with murderous eyes toward Reeve and Dusk. Even while standing on the table, they rose only to Reeve¡¯s waist. Confronted by the tiny creatures, Reeve felt ridiculously Over Powered. She didn¡¯t want to fight these undersized mites. She raised her palms. ¡°Listen,¡± she said, ¡°there¡¯s no need¡ª¡°

    ¡°Prepare to die, filthy orc-blood!¡± One screamed. In unison, the three drew from almost invisibly small scabbards the thinnest rapiers Reeve had ever seen, like six-inch hypodermic needles.

    Like her father, Reeve really did not like needles, it being one of the few phobias she¡¯d inherited from him. She felt less OP. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa!¡± She said, and she and Dusk both pressed back against the chairs that blocked their further retreat.

    One gnome lunged at Reeve, and she threw her hips sideways to avoid being pierced. The other two thrust at Dusk, who fell back into her chair to remove herself from range. The gnomes advanced toward the edge of the table.

    Reeve and Dusk looked at each other.

    ¡°Neutrality will not serve us well,¡± Dusk said.

    Reeve looked at her mother, whose thick skin some hanging gnomes were attempting to pierce with their teeth while others tried to wrestle loose their rapiers to attempt the same. Beyond the twiceling, enraged gnomes on the other side of the round table¡ªthose who couldn¡¯t quickly get at the primary source of their anger¡ªhad thrown themselves at the nearest tavern patron they could accost. Once the gnomes left their seats, they were generally not visible above the level of the tables or the seated or standing patrons, and so Reeve could only gage their progress into the crowd by the dancelike maneuvers the tavern patrons were using to, like Reeve and Dusk, attempt to avoid the gnomes¡¯ rapiers.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Reeve deepened her voice to be heard through the tumult. ¡°Log out, now!¡±

    The twiceling looked up, a gnome hanging from her nose by one hand as it tried to grasp the hilt of its blade with the other. ¡°What about my inventory items?¡± Wanda said. Before Reeve could respond, Wanda swung her free hand behind her, where she grasped an abandoned flagon and swung it forward to hold upside down above Reeve¡¯s table, the flagon¡¯s contents quickly emptying onto one of the gnomes that had been threatening Dusk.

    ¡°Now!¡± Reeve yelled.

    ¡°Now give me a chance,¡± Wanda said, dropping the flagon, which fell onto the drenched gnome like a wooden straightjacket, covering it to its thighs and causing it to begin weaving unsteadily around the tabletop. Wanda swung her free hand behind her again and, with a huge bucktoothed grin, produced from her Inventory a large burlap bag within which something struggled against the rough cloth.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Reeve shouted, jerking her hips in the other direction as the gnome attacked again.

    Wanda¡¯s eyes appeared to lose focus as she looked at her UI. ¡°Bag of teeth.¡± Her grin faded. ¡°And two undead ferrets.¡±

    ¡°Out now!¡± Reeve yelled again.

    Wanda William¡¯s twiceling avatar suddenly disappeared, dropping confused gnomes and a bag containing teeth and undead ferrets, presumably also confused, to the planked floor.

    Wanda has left the game.

    ¡°Good,¡± Reeve said to herself with a release of breath, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want her to see this,¡± and she looked down at the nearest gnome and punched it in the face.

 Chapter 7.4 Silver Leaf (Book I)

    ¡°I just feel¡­dirty,¡± Reeve said, as she and Dusk sat on the wooden front steps of the shuttered building across the alley from the former location of The Wailing Loon. Reeve held her head in her hands, wishing she could hide from the POV being recorded from wherever it floated nearby, but not yet willing to stop the recording altogether.

    ¡°They may have been wee,¡± Dusk said, ¡°but they were neither helpless nor deserving of mercy. They left us no choice.¡± She looked down at her leather armor, which was covered in tavern swill, gnome blood, and singe marks. Noticing a red corner of cloth peeking from beneath her boot, she pulled a gnome cap loose from the assortment of filth on the boot¡¯s bottom and flicked it into the gutter. She returned to massaging her right hip.

    Footsteps approached, and Walter¡¯s halfling voice said, ¡°Hidey ho, Evie.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Dad,¡± Reeve said without raising her head.

    ¡°Everything OK here?¡±

    ¡°Peachy. Saw Mom.¡±

    ¡°You did! That¡¯s fantastic!¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. It was great. A really touching family reunion.¡±

    ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°Logged back out. Will hopefully pull us out sometime before winter comes.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­,¡± Walter¡¯s voice lost some of its buoyancy, ¡°that¡¯s still progress, isn¡¯t it?¡± He looked from Reeve to Dusk, who was staring into the distance. ¡°How, eh, did things go at that Whooping Crane Inn?¡±

    Reeve rolled her head onto her right hand and pointed with her left. Walter turned and took in the pile of smoldering rubble in the lot next to where they stood. He looked across the way to The Golden Gander, where well-dressed patrons stood outside in small groups holding their drinks, still discussing the excitement that had just taken place across the street from them. He looked back at the rubble. He looked up the street one way, and then down it the other. He scratched his head. He looked back at Reeve, who was staring sideways, head on hand. He looked at Dusk. She raised her gaze to him.

    ¡°We found the guide we need,¡± she said, ¡°and then we had to kick many tiny faces.¡± She ran her tongue over her perfect white teeth. ¡°It, Wurmslayer, was not an encounter that will be sung of by bards.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°How ¡®bout the market? Get what we¡¯ll need?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± Walter said. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward his hammerspace. ¡°Shipshape!¡±

    ¡°We could afford it?¡± Reeve said, thinking of the few coins her father and Dawn had taken.

    Walter chuckled, causing Reeve to finally look up.

    ¡°Why do you have a black eye?¡± She said.

    ¡°Wurmslayer,¡± Dawn said, ¡°so impressed a passing gentlewoman that she gave us half our needed provisions and refused any recompense.¡±

    ¡°In his eye?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Funny thing,¡± Walter said, ¡°it all started with a misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°¡®Twas a rich merchant¡¯s wife,¡± Dawn said, ¡°with attendant and two guards, one of whom wheeled on Wurmslayer and landed a shameless blow over an inadvertent bump in the crowd. But Wurmslayer won them over with his silver tongue and noble bearing. Soon, the gentlewoman would not let us go without us taking from her purchases anything we could use.¡±

    Reeve looked at her father, who shrugged his shoulders. ¡°You know me, Reeve, people are my thing.¡±

    Reeve returned her head to her hands. ¡°Charisma forty-three helps,¡± she said quietly into her palms. And, she thought, it happened out of sight of my game feed, so that¡¯s something. If only there was a way I could park him out of view of my game feed¡¯s POV until we figure out how to get out of here¡ª

    ¡°Well met, halfling,¡± the whispers-sung voice of the fallen elf said, and Reeve looked through the spaces between her fingers to find that the elf¡¯s ankle-length boots had silently arrived next to her father¡¯s dusty feet.

    ¡°Goodness gracious, there,¡± Walter said. ¡°We should get you out of the sun. And maybe find some moisturizer.¡±

    Reeve made herself again raise her head from her hands. The fallen elf¡¯s hood was drawn back, and Reeve took in the cracked and peeling parchment-paper skin that covered the elf, including her hairless scalp.

    The fallen elf patted Walter reassuringly on the shoulder and then turned to Reeve. ¡°After seeing the type of attention you attract, I must raise my price to fifteen silver a head.¡± She quickly raised a hand to dismiss the objection in Reeve¡¯s shocked expression. ¡°Except this one,¡± the elf patted Walter again, ¡°who seems wise beyond his years.¡±

    Reeve dropped her head and pressed the bases of her palms hard against her eyes until she saw lights flickering.

    ¡°I am Silver Leaf. You may call me Leaf.¡±

    ¡°Reavyr,¡± Reeve said, lights still flickering in the darkness of her vision. She raised her head and it took a moment for her vision to resharpen fully. She blinked a few times and then nodded toward her father. ¡°Walter, called Dad by me and Wurmslayer by these two,¡± she inclined her head toward the twins, ¡°Tweedle Dawn and Tweedle Dusk. We also travel with a pony, which I haven¡¯t bothered naming because I really thought it would have been ridden off a cliff by now, and two Companions, an American cheetah named Nyx, who accompanies me, and a honey badger, also without name, who follows and occasionally kills Walter.¡±

 Chapter 8.1 Rebooted (Book I)

    As it walked, the pony again drifted slowly toward the high grass at the right edge of the packed dirt trail. Jaw clenched tight, Reeve looked away, staring off across the plain to their left for a count of ten paces, repeating ¡°I choose my own attitude¡± rapidly in time to every second step. She looked back. The pony was starting to enter the grass, and Reeve couldn¡¯t help but choose an attitude.

    ¡°Aaahhhggg! Dad! You¡¯ve got to pull left.¡±

    ¡°I am, Honey.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not! Pull left!¡±

    ¡°Evie, I¡¯m pulling left.¡±

    The pony was now a half-foot off the trail, its legs rustling the tall blades with each step.

    ¡°You¡¯re off the trail! Pull left!¡±

    The pony suddenly took a hard turn and a second later was crossing the trail immediately in front of Reeve, nearly perpendicular to their direction of travel.

    ¡°Right! Right!¡±

    ¡°You just said¡ª¡°

    ¡°Pull to the right! You¡¯re¡ª¡°

    ¡°I am pulling¡ª¡°

    ¡°No you¡¯re not, you need to pull¡ª¡°

    ¡°Hellooooo, tree.¡±

    The pony came to a stop of its own volition, muzzle just short of the trunk of a lone birch standing a couple of yards off the trail.

    ¡°Give me that!¡± Reeve grabbed the reins from her father and lifted them over the pony¡¯s head, then led the mount onto the trail. ¡°It¡¯s like watching you play a cart racing game,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°I remember those. Phew. They were hard.¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t stop drifting.¡±

    ¡°Who knew ponies¡¯ had drift too, huh?¡± Walter chuckled.

    ¡°They don¡¯t! Ponies don¡¯t drift!¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t played those games in a while.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a coincidence,¡± Reeve said under her breath, having walked far enough ahead of the pony that Walter did not hear.

    ¡°Decisions must be made, Daughter of Wurmslayer,¡± Leaf said as Reeve drew within two strides of the fallen elf¡¯s position at the head of their procession.

    ¡°What?¡± Through her frustration, Reeve registered her tone. She exhaled. ¡°Could you repeat that?¡± She said more softly.

    ¡°The ford lies o¡¯er that high ridge.¡± A slight extension of the fallen elf¡¯s cloaked elbow sent Reeve¡¯s gaze out to the right, where an imposing bare-faced ridge rose beyond a dense forest that paralleled the trail. ¡°There is a gap ahead.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°¡®Kay.¡±

    ¡°The gap creates a vulnerable position for any who hazard it, as it is narrow and surrounded by higher ground that can conceal dangers, of nature or otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Pinch point. High ground. Kill zone. Understood.¡±

    Leaf glanced at her from within her hood, eyes assessing Reeve. ¡°If we stay this trail, we will ourselves eventually come to higher ground, which we can use to cross the ridgetop, first through dense forest and then across a barren that would take us back down into forest on the other side and on to the ford.¡±

    Reeve walked on, waiting.

    Leaf gestured again to the gap, ¡±Three days,¡± then looked ahead, ¡°ten.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll take the gap,¡± Reeve said immediately.

    Leaf looked back over her shoulder. ¡°What says Wurmslayer?¡±

    Reeve frowned, her thick brow wrinkling. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have an opinion.¡±

    ¡°Or, he has an opinion you have no wish to hear?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re doing the gap.¡±

    Leaf slowed so that Reeve came alongside her. ¡°I will guide you either way, but I am less certain I can shepherd safe passage through the gap.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll manage.¡±

    ¡°You seem quite confident.¡±

    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I?¡±

    Leaf walked alongside Reeve without speaking, their strides falling in and out of sync in a slow cycle. ¡°The immortality of youth is fleeting,¡± Leaf said finally, ¡°and Wurmslayer¡¯s uncommonly venerable wisdom might safeguard you from the limited perspective of your years.¡±

    Reeve snorted. ¡°Fine.¡± She turned to look at her father, a halfling, tied to a pony, one hand resting on the hilt of a dagger they¡¯d finally had the good sense to stow in a sheath tied to, rather than tucked inside, his suspenders, his other hand holding a bee smoker that was leaving a Morse code of smokey puffs floating above the path they¡¯d trod, a bee veil upon his head. ¡°Dad. Gap,¡± Reeve pointed, ¡°or flatter path ahead then up and over the end of the ridge? The gap¡¯s more dangerous but takes only a few days, the flatter path takes a week longer.¡±

    Walter looked toward the ridge and then ahead into the distance. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want anyone to get hurt.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll just respawn. It¡¯s no big deal.¡±

    ¡°What about them?¡± Walter waved the bee smoker over his shoulder in the direction of the twins, who were walking some way behind the pony, heads inclined toward each other, words indecipherable but tone one of siblings squabbling. The honey badger and Nyx ambled behind the pair, providing a rear guard.

    Reeve returned her gaze to the path ahead and walked silently. She hadn¡¯t given much thought to the twin¡¯s mortality, partly because they seemed capable of taking care of themselves. Considering the apparent arc the story mode was following, they might also have some decent plot armor. But NPCs didn¡¯t respawn, a game mechanic coded into the societal understanding of the NPCs but often of little concern to players. So, if either twin died, that was it.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take the long way. Just¡­fantastic.¡±

    Leaf nodded.

    They walked in silence along the packed dirt path through miles of rolling grassland, only an occasional tree near the trail interrupting the symmetry of the view.

    A thought eventually emerged from Reeve¡¯s ruminations, and she slowed slightly and let Leaf walk ahead. Reeve¡¯s father came alongside a few minutes later.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try something, Dad.¡± Reeve pulled a fistful of stream stones from her Inventory and picked through them until she had four small, flat stones. She swung the rest back into her hammerspace. She slid one under the front of the saddle, above the saddle blanket, and another under the rear. Then she worked one under the left side, then the right, below her father¡¯s thighs.

    ¡°Trying to answer the age-old question about the halfling and the pea?¡± Walter said with a hammy smile that made Reeve want to pull the rim of his bee veil down over his face.

    ¡°Say ¡®resurrection stones.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Again?¡±

    ¡°Yes, again.¡±

    ¡°Now?¡±

    Reeve stared at her father, who had to angle his gaze up at her from under the brim of the bee veil even when perched on the pony.

    ¡°OK, just checking. Sometimes you tell us to do something in a game, and then we do it, but it¡¯s too soon. So, I just wanted to make s¡ª¡°

    ¡°Now!¡±

    ¡°River stones.¡±

    ¡°Resurrection stones!¡±

    ¡°Resurrection stones.¡±

    Reeve checked the Party Log. ¡°Good. They work in that configuration. Now, what I need you to do is say ¡®resurrection stones¡¯ whenever you get on the pony, whenever you¡¯re about to get off the pony, and whenever you think about rain.¡±

    ¡°Why rain?¡±

    ¡°Because you worry about rain all the time, so I know you¡¯ll say it a lot.¡±

 Chapter 8.2 River stones (Book I)

    The lightning didn¡¯t jump from heaven to earth so much as launch itself from above and drive itself into the ground seeking to split the world in two. It was so close, the thunder so loud and so immediate, the illumination so blinding, that Reeve found herself standing still for a moment, waiting for a chime to sound. Or chimes. Instead, her ears were left filled with cotton, only a high monotonic whine audible at first. Between bolts, she felt like she was going to drown, the night that surrounded them more water than air. From that darkness, Leaf appeared just in front of Reeve, the fallen elf¡¯s cloak fighting to rip free of her body, her lips moving but no sound piercing the cotton and the whine.

    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you!¡± Reeve yelled.

    Leaf turned and pointed into the darkness. With the next flash, Reeve could make out what might have been a long, rocky, slug-shaped hill, likely carved by the glaciers that once buried this land miles deep. Reeve signed understanding and turned to the pony she was still leading by the reins. Her father wasn¡¯t on it. Reeve experienced a moment of fear. She squatted and looked under the skittish beast. Her father, and the saddle, hung from the pony¡¯s chest. Walter¡¯s hands were white-knuckled on the pommel.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°You find a cozy spot?¡± She yelled, trying to outcompete the thunder and rain. She could see that her father said something in response, but she heard only the faintest hint of words. He tried again.

    ¡°River stones.¡±

    ¡°Resurrection stones!¡±

    ¡°Right! And, do¡­you¡­have¡­a¡­rain slicker?¡± Lightning flashed, and he buried his face in the pony¡¯s chest as it sidestepped and whinnied. The thunder hit like a hammer. As it rolled away, Walter let the crown of his head drop backward toward the ground, which it almost touched. ¡°Or¡­a windbreaker? Anything?¡±

    Reeve stood and waved the party toward the hill, Leaf already disappearing into the tall grass. ¡°Try to avoid big rocks,¡± Reeve shouted toward Leaf. ¡°Don¡¯t want to scrape off my dad.¡±

 Chapter 8.3 Pyromaniac (Book I)

    ¡°Are you sure,¡± Walter¡¯s shivering prolonged each word just to the point that Reeve thought she would scream, then the next word would blessedly begin, only to restart the same cycle of frustration, ¡°this isn¡¯t a dragon¡¯s den?¡±

    ¡°Dragons are nest-dwellers, not cave-dwellers,¡± Dawn said as she finished removing one of her mid-calf boots and began pouring rainwater from it. Leaf was shedding her dripping cloak after having laid out sopping hay for the pony, which was ignoring the feed and staring warily at the night outside, which continued to strobe with lighting.

    ¡°I would have thought you of all people would know that, Wurmslayer?¡± Dusk said, reaching behind her head with both hands to wring water from her braid.

    ¡°Bees are more my subject of expertise,¡± Walter said over a period of almost half a minute.

    ¡°Looks like something may use this as an occasional den¡­or dining room,¡± Reeve said, pushing a two-foot-long bone aside with the toe of her boot as she peered into the dark, low recess of the cave in which they were sheltering, the roof of which sloped down until it was lost in darkness, ¡°but no signs of life at the moment.¡±

    Walter eyed the bone. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I find lack of life reassuring, Sweetie.¡±

    Walter¡¯s shivering was getting worse, and Reeve was afraid he was on the verge of hypothermia. She¡¯d once seen a party member unprepared for a mountain pass in the MMO succumb to hypothermia, and the way it had snuck up on its victim still gave her nightmares. She cast about for a way to warm him until they had a fire and food.

    ¡°OK, Dad. Time for more combat training.¡±

    ¡°Now?¡±

    Reeve had time to unshoulder her bow, lay it and her naginata on a rock shelf protruding high on the cave wall, and pick and then replace a Giant Wolf Spider Egg from the sac at her waist before Walter shook the final portion of the single syllable from his blue lips.

    ¡°Yes. Now.¡± Reeve looked at the twins. ¡°Tweedles, can you get a fire going and work on something warm to eat? I¡¯m afraid my dad¡¯s going to break a bone if he doesn¡¯t stop shivering soon.¡±

    ¡°For Wurmslayer, yes,¡± Dawn said, her expression for Reeve less friendly than the words.

    ¡°Is there any chance we could keep the rain from blowing in here?¡± Walter said in the time it took Dawn to collect a small pile of tinder from the cave floor, while Dusk unpacked provisions from a leather rucksack.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about that, Dad.¡±

    ¡°But perhaps I can,¡± Dawn said. She rose and turned toward the mouth of the cave, raising her hands and bowing her head as though about to cover her face, but then she suddenly pushed her palms toward the exterior. Lightning flashed, illuminating for a moment water running down an unseen surface that spanned the cave mouth.

    Reeve nodded appreciatively, her lips pursed slightly. ¡°Shield spell?¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one cast like that.¡±

    Dawn shrugged and returned to the pyramid of kindling she was building.

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty advanced, isn¡¯t it? For apprentices?¡± Reeve said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard mana barriers are basic stuff, but shields against physical objects aren¡¯t easy.¡±

    ¡°Our master¡ª,¡± Dawn started, a frown forming as Dusk immediately interrupted.

    ¡°¡ªmay be of the old ways, but he taught us a few useful things.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fantastic!¡± Walter stuttered out slowly while Reeve swept debris from the area of the cave with the most headroom and Dawn drew sparks from a flint and nursed a few small flames into a steady fire.

    ¡°Best not forget it¡¯s there,¡± Dawn said. ¡°It is not entirely rigid, more like coming upon taut leather, but still unpleasant to walk into unexpectedly.¡±

    Nyx, who had been grooming herself since entering the cave, rose and moved cautiously to the opening, where she spent a moment sniffing at the rain running down the invisible shield, then lay down once more and curled into a tight ball, eyes watchful slits looking into the night. The honey badger rolled from her back onto her paws, trotted across the cave, and lay down at the edge of the cave mouth opposite Nyx.

    ¡°OK, Dad. Let¡¯s start with some target practice before we go to live drills.¡±

    ¡°Spiderlings?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s warm you up before you try to talk anymore, or we¡¯ll be up all night.¡± Reeve looked over the cave wall. ¡°Tweedles¡ª¡°

    ¡°Wurmslayer could bestow us with sobriquets if he chose,¡± Dusk said, ¡°but we do not extend that right to you, Spawn.¡±

    ¡°OK, OK.¡± Reeve looked between the twins and considered her options. She let out a slow breath through her nose. ¡°Truce?¡±

    The twins exchanged a silent glance, and then each gave a curt nod.

    ¡°OK, great. Now that we¡¯re all BFFs, can you two do any passive sigils?¡±

    The twins nodded. ¡°We have a set we use to mark rooms we¡¯ve searched when clearing enemy lairs,¡± Dawn said.

    ¡°Great. Wait. How often have you had to ¡®clear enemy lairs?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Merely part of our training,¡± Dawn said.

    ¡°OK, good. Anyway. No, wait. Why didn¡¯t you use your magic when you were trapped in the cage at the kobold camp?¡±

    ¡°The iron was imbued with Mage¡¯s Bane.¡±

    Reeve tilted her head back and squinted down her hooked nose as though trying to answer a difficult question in class. ¡°Absorbs mana?¡±

    ¡°And dampens or extinguishes all but the most powerful spells, sometimes reflecting spells unpredictably to deadly effect.¡±

    ¡°Well, thanks for jumping in once you could. Could you mark this wall?¡± Reeve pointed to a relatively smooth portion of the cave wall near her hip height. ¡°Anything that will last a while. And one that doesn¡¯t shift shape.¡±

    The twins didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Please,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Very well,¡± Dusk said. ¡°For Wurmslayer.¡± She rose from the semicircle of ingredients she had arranged and walked to stand before the point Reeve had indicated. Raising one half-cupped hand, with the other she slashed the air quickly with seven strokes, then raised that hand as well. Starting as a single point, a glowing green sigil expanded to float, completely unmoving, in the center of the region Dusk had transected.

    ¡°Awesome, that¡¯s perfect!¡±

    Dusk snorted quietly as she walked past Reeve, but Reeve thought the half-elf looked pleased.

    ¡°Dad. That is your target. Knives out. Start throwing.¡±

    Feeling the first hints of the fire¡¯s heat beginning to spread along the ceiling of the cave, Reeve crossed her arms and watched halfling Walter carefully remove his knives from their sheaths and square up a half-dozen yards from the sigil.

    Walter held the Crude Iron Dagger in his right hand and the Roughly Hewn Wooden Knife in his left. Eyeing the sigil with the care of a golfer planning a tricky approach, he raised the dagger and threw it, trying to impart just the right amount of rotation as Reeve had been coaching him.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    The dagger flew straight into the base of the wall where it met the cave floor, the metal blade emitting a dull vibration that sent Reeve¡¯s shoulders toward her ears and her palms into the air.

    ¡°Hold on! Hold on! I forgot about a backstop. You¡¯ll destroy that low-quality thing in no time.¡± Reeve turned to the twins. ¡°Could a shield spell work?¡±

    Dusk tilted her head to one side. ¡°If sufficiently weak, it will arrest the blade but not cause it wear.¡±

    ¡°Could you?¡±

    Dusk rose and faced the sigil. She repeated the motion Dawn had performed at the cave mouth but focused her hands more closely as she aimed the spell. Giving the area around the sigil an appraising look, she said, ¡°That should suffice. Care you to test it, Wurmslayer?¡±

    ¡°Boy howdy,¡± Walter said and threw the wooden knife straight into the base of the wall, where it emitted a splintering sound upon impact and came to rest next to the dagger.

    ¡°I see,¡± Dusk said. She again raised her hands, dropped her head, and then, instead of pushing her hands toward the wall, spread them away from each other, one toward the floor and one toward the ceiling.

    ¡°OK, Dad.¡± Reeve walked to the wall, retrieved the two blades, and returned them to Walter. ¡°Again.¡±

    Walter narrowed his eyes at the sigil, raised the dagger, and threw it straight into the base of the wall, but this time there was no ringing, as the blade appeared to embed itself in something unseen but soft or viscous, before slowly tilting, hilt first, to the floor.

    ¡°Nice, Dusk! Just aim higher, Dad.¡±

    Dusk turned and walked lightly back to her makeshift kitchen.

    Walter eyed the sigil once more. Mentally imagining a second sigil floating above it, he aimed for the unseen target and threw the wooden knife.

    ¡°Dad! I said aim higher.¡±

    ¡°I did, Evie. I aimed right there.¡± Walter pointed to the spot above the sigil where he¡¯d imagined his real target.

    Reeve retrieved the blades from the base of the wall, feeling the shield spell as she did. ¡°Heee! It feels like sticking my hand in gelatin. That¡¯s so cool!¡±

    Dusk did not turn away from her food preparation, but could not help but smile to herself.

    ¡°Aim higher this time.¡±

    ¡°I did, Honey.¡±

    ¡°Higher than that.¡±

    Walter took the blades from Reeve and felt their weight in his hands. He looked at the glowing sigil, then imagined another above, then another above that. Raising the dagger, he aimed for the topmost target he was envisioning and loosed the blade, focusing on technique rather than force.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Reeve watched the dagger embed itself in the shield at the base of the wall. ¡°Maybe try throwing harder this time.¡±

    Walter nodded, repeating his mental process but now throwing the wooden knife as hard as he could.

    ¡°Well¡­,¡± Reeve walked to retrieve the blades, ¡°¡­that top-heavy body of yours can throw hard.¡± She picked the blades up from the base of the wall.

    From his supine position, Walter rolled onto his hands and knees and rose, then dusted his pants front and back. He looked at his arms warily. ¡°They, uh, have some kickback.¡±

    ¡°Recoil. Your freakish forearms appear to have the equivalent of recoil. We need to get some mass on your lower body ASAP.¡± Reeve handed the blades to her father again. ¡°Why don¡¯t you close your eyes this time and just throw the blade straight? Maybe you¡¯re psyching yourself out.¡±

    Walter shrugged, closed his eyes, and threw the iron dagger as straight and level as he could imagine.

    ¡°How is that possible?¡±

    When Walter opened his eyes Reeve was holding both sides of her head and his blade lay at the base of the wall.

    ¡°Look, just throw it at the ceiling.¡± Reeve smoothed her hair back and tightened the leather scrunchy.

    ¡°Straight up?¡±

    ¡°No, aim for where the wall meets the ceiling.¡±

    Walter hoisted the wooden knife and threw it. It sailed into the junction of wall and ceiling.

    ¡°Woot!¡± Reeve walked to retrieve the blades. ¡°Well, you have at least two options.¡± She handed Walter the blades and then walked to stand next to the sigil. ¡°Just start chucking at different angles, low to high. Let¡¯s confirm this.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be standing there while I¡¯m throwing knives, Reeve.¡±

    ¡°I think we know where they¡¯re going to end up, and I¡¯m not there.¡±

    Walter looked skeptically at Reeve.

    ¡°And, if you do hit me, it¡¯ll be, like, one point of damage. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Walter shook his head.

    ¡°Look, this¡¯ll be quicker. Plus,¡± she grinned at the halfling, ¡°we can see how good you are at catching when I toss them back over to you. Catching thrown weapons¡ªuseful skill.¡±

    Half an hour later Reeve was confident that her father¡¯s current halfling build allowed only throws that would go high or low, and Walter was confident that he could not catch a carefully lofted knife by anything other than the blade.

    ¡°Wrap more cloth around it, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Reeve said as her father stared at the blood seeping through the bandages wrapped around his hands. ¡°One more thing, then we¡¯ll stop.¡±

    ¡°The stew will be ready when you do,¡± Dusk said, stirring the steaming pot that hung from a makeshift tripod over the fire Dawn had built to a roar.

    ¡°Aim way to the side. Like, way to the side.¡± Reeve pointed across the sigil from where she stood beside it.

    Walter sighed and gingerly pulled the dagger from its sheath, raised it, and aimed away from the sigil. He threw.

    ¡°Owww! Ugghhhhhh¡­¡± Reeve¡¯s grunt bled into a low, frustrated breath as she pulled the dagger from her thigh. ¡°OK. Whatever combination of skills and abilities you have right now makes it pretty much impossible for you to throw anything straight toward a target.¡±

    ¡°I guess so, Sweetie.¡± Walter guiltily accepted the bloody dagger that Reeve limped across the room to offer him. ¡°You want help with that?¡±

    ¡°No, I can bandage it.¡±

    ¡°Here, I have more left over from my hands.¡± Walter reached into his hammerspace and brought his hand back forward sending the bee smoker sailing straight through the heart of the sigil to impact the shield, release a puff of smoke, and slide with a clang to the ground.

    The honey badger hissed for a moment, then turned back to its vigil.

    ¡°What the heck, Dad?¡± Reeve stared at the smoke rising toward the ceiling, the glow of the sigil imparting the smoke with an eerie glow of its own. ¡°Do that with your dagger.¡±

    Walter shrugged and threw the dagger into the base of the wall.

    ¡°Um?¡± Reeve looked at him. ¡°Try your book. Your, uh, ledger.¡±

    ¡°You want me to throw my ledger at the wall?¡±

    ¡°No, I want you to throw your ledger at that target.¡±

    Walter shrugged again, reached into his hammerspace, and threw his ledger straight into the sigil, from whence it fell and landed noisily on the bee smoker.

    ¡°Items associated with your Class must have some sort of perk that negates your terrible combat skills.

    ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Walter said.

    ¡°It would be, if it was useful at all. Let me think about it, see if there¡¯s a way we could use it to your advantage. But, you¡¯ve stopped shivering. Stash your bee stuff. Let¡¯s eat.¡±

    Walter retrieved his items, and he and Reeve joined the twins and Leaf around the fire. Dusk handed each a carved wooden bowl full of steaming venison stew. The weary party ate in silence.

    Halfway through his bowl, Walter said through a mouthful of stew, ¡°Level 2.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°It says I¡¯m Level 2 now.¡±

    ¡°It does? That¡¯s awesome! And about time. No one¡¯s ever taken three weeks to make it to Level 2 before, I bet.¡±

    ¡°And my Innovation Skill went up,¡± Walter said. ¡°And it looks like, oh¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I guess hitting you with my dagger was the thing that gave me the, uh, final XP to make it to Level 2.¡±

    Reeve frowned. ¡°Glad to help out. But, seriously, this is great. You¡¯ll be able to add some new skills and increase abilities. You¡¯ll want to choose carefully, once you read over the options. We can talk about your choices later.¡±

    Walter nodded, still chewing, and stared tiredly into space as the party continued eating in silence.

    When Reeve finished, she gestured to the others to hand her their bowls. From her Inventory, she pulled an empty loot bag and began wiping the bowls clean. When the bag became too saturated to clean effectively, she whipped it out of existence and pulled another from her Inventory.

    Dawn leaned forward and laid a new piece of wood on the fire.

    ¡°Pyromaniac,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Wurmslayer?¡± Dawn said, seeming affronted.

    ¡°Oh, no, not you, Dawn,¡± Walter said, chuckling slightly. ¡°It¡¯s my new skill.¡±

    Reeve stopped wiping. ¡°Why do you have a new skill?¡±

    ¡°I applied the points from leveling, like you said.¡±

    ¡°No! I did not say. I said you¡¯d want to choose carefully, once you read over the options. And that we could talk about your choices before you did.¡±

    ¡°You said we would talk about the choices later.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re doing now. Do you want to hear the choices I made?¡±

    ¡°Is one a Pyromaniac Skill?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then, no, I don¡¯t think I want to talk about it now.¡±

    Walter pursed his lips. ¡°You know how much I like to build fires in the fireplace when it gets nippy. Your mother calls me her Little Pyromaniac.¡±

    Reeve turned away, wiping roughly at the bowls with the loot bag.

    Trying to identify where exactly he¡¯d made a mistake, Walter was distracted by a hint of red amidst the detritus at the edge of the cave where he sat. He moved some leaves off the object and picked it up. It was red cloth, shaped like a bowl or cone. There were smudged marks on one side that looked familiar to him. He held the piece of cloth aloft and tried to divine its purpose. With his bandaged hands, he rotated it several times, unable to figure out which orientation was the useful one, so he turned his attention to the seemingly familiar smudges. He traced the edges to gauge the approximate size of the object that made them.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Reeve said.

    Walter looked up, uncertain what to say, but saw that Reeve was speaking to Nyx. The cheetah was standing, rigid, nose raised slightly. Walter saw that the honey badger had also risen and was looking around the mouth of the cave.

    ¡°What say your companions?¡± Dusk said from where she reclined. She leaned on one elbow, her legs extended, one ankle resting on the other near Walter.

    ¡°Dunno. Nyx isn¡¯t sure yet.¡±

    Walter looked at the bottom of Dusk¡¯s boots and tilted his head slightly. He held out the cloth, comparing its marking to the boots¡¯ tread.

    ¡°¡®Kay, Dad,¡± Reeve said. ¡°Let¡¯s do a little more target practice before bed. But, moving targets.¡± Reeve jiggled the Giant Wolf Spider Egg Sac at her waist.

    Walter considered arguing, but he saw his daughter¡¯s determined stance, one hand on hip, a habit that reminded him of Wanda. ¡°OK, Evie. Just one though, huh?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how it goes,¡± she said and plucked one of the small eggs from the sac.

 Chapter 8.4 Little darlings (Book I)

    Walter rose, tucking away the red cloth in his waistband so he could grasp the hilts of his blades where they hung in their sheaths.

    ¡°Not those,¡± Reeve said. ¡°Try your smoker.¡±

    At the mention of the device, a low hiss came from the mouth of the cave, and both Walter and Reeve turned slowly to see the honey badger, still staring into the night, but barring its teeth in Walter¡¯s direction.

    ¡°So¡­,¡± Reeve said, ¡°¡­let¡¯s make sure you don¡¯t practice near her.¡± Reeve waved her father farther into the cave.

    ¡°You need not the sigil for this?¡± Dusk said.

    ¡°No, thanks,¡± Reeve said, indicating the egg she held between her finger and thumb.

    Dusk nodded and, rising to her knees, held her palms toward the still-floating sigil and then pulled them back toward her, rotating them inward to face her chest. The sigil faded, and Dusk shivered as though in pleasure.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°If a persistent spell has not reached its maximum duration and dwindled, it can be withdrawn and some of its mana reabsorbed.¡±

    ¡°Good to know. Haven¡¯t seen that before.¡± Reeve turned and joined Walter where he waited away from the others.

    Reeve watched silhouettes of her half-orc and her father¡¯s halfling, thrown by Dawn¡¯s still bright fire, play against the cave ceiling as it sloped away from them down into darkness. ¡°Don¡¯t go any farther back,¡± she said to her father. ¡°You might have enough clearance, but I wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    Walter nodded and returned a few steps toward the front of the cave.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be quick, ¡®cause we should all get some sleep stat. You ready?¡±

    ¡°Should I get the bee smoker out first?¡±

    ¡°No, let¡¯s try it straight out of Inventory. You seem to do well with that. We can experiment with having it out first another time.¡±

    ¡°OK.¡±

    ¡°One sec.¡± Reeve retrieved her naginata from the high stone shelf. ¡°If you have any trouble, I¡¯ll take care of it, and we¡¯ll try again.¡±

    ¡°That sounds good.¡±

    ¡°Ready?¡±

    Walter, not comfortable voicing his assessment of that point, did not respond.

    Reeve lofted the egg deeper into the cave, where it stuck, underwent its shockingly violent metamorphosis, and, as a Giant Wolf Spiderling, charged the cowering halfling.

    Despite his best intentions, Walter instinctively began to take a step back but found a firm hand pressed between his shoulder blades.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°You got this!¡± Reeve said loudly from where she towered above him.

    Walter reached into his hammerspace and flung forward the bee smoker which, as soon as it left his hand, developed a comet tail of white flame as it flew, straight and true, into the head of the oncoming spiderling. With a deafening metallic clang, the bee smoker impacted the spiderling, and fire exploded around the creature like a net of flame, enveloping all but the tips of its legs. Walter shielded his eyes from the flaring light and heat, which quickly extinguished, leaving a scattering of black ash, a few spider parts Walter could not name, and a loot bag.

    Walter looked up and over his shoulder. Reeve was staring down at him.

    ¡°Pyromaniac, huh?¡± She said.

    Walter shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I, um, did not anticipate that.¡±

    ¡°I doubt the devs anticipated that. They probably haven¡¯t gotten around to testing the beekeeper-pyro build.¡±

    ¡°We going to do another?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop while we¡¯re ahead.¡±

    They both nodded in unison.

    Reeve looked past her father for a moment as she received a series of mental impressions from Nyx.

    ¡°Dad, get the smoker. I¡¯m gonna figure out what Nyx and the honey badger are smelling.¡± She turned and walked toward the cave mouth, gesturing as she went for the twins and Leaf to join her. Reaching Nyx, Reeve squatted and lay a hand on the cheetah¡¯s tensed back as the great cat looked into the night, nose twitching side-to-side.

    ¡°Something nears?¡± Leaf said quietly, squatting next to Reeve as the twins arrived to stand behind them.

    ¡°She smells something. She hasn¡¯t smelled it before, not in the wild, but she detected it on us when she rejoined us outside Werfendale. The smell¡¯s been growing for the last little while. The honey badger seems to smell it too, though I can¡¯t communicate with her to confirm.¡±

    Reeve, Leaf, and the twins peered through the rivulets running down Dawn¡¯s shield, the inky darkness beyond still frequently interrupted by lightning and the explosive cracks of thunder that followed. The flashes illuminated only streaking rain and tall grass leaning first one way then the other in the tearing wind.

    Away from the cave mouth and the concerns of his companions, Walter stooped and picked up the loot bag he¡¯d just earned, the first, he realized, that he¡¯d achieved through deliberate action. Mostly deliberate actions, he acknowledged. ¡°Not too shabby,¡± he said to himself and smiled.

    Holding the bag in one hand, he walked farther back, looking for the bee smoker, which he¡¯d lost sight of when the spiderling had been engulfed in flame. He figured it must¡¯ve just bounced off the spiderling¡¯s head and landed a little farther back.

    Almost to the point where he¡¯d need to stoop to clear the slanting ceiling, Walter caught sight of the bee smoker ahead of him as it emitted a soft glow, illuminating its immediate vicinity.

    ¡°Well, hello little guys,¡± Walter said to the tiny person holding the bee smoker and to the dozen or two of its fellows who stood around it. ¡°Cute like the one that shot me with a bow, but no wings, I like that.¡± Walter chuckled, encouraged both by being bigger than the little guys and by their apparently reverential silence. Maybe they were overcome by his Charisma, like Reeve was always talking about? He shook his head. ¡°My wife, Wanda, she¡¯d call you ¡®little darlings.¡¯¡±

    Walter began to chuckle again, but the chuckle was cut short as the creature holding the bee smoker pointed at him with a shaking hand and said quietly in a high voice choked with rage, ¡°Wanda? The twiceling that calls herself Wanda?¡±

    Walter scratched his bushy hair. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure what a twiceling¡ª¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t enough for you to slaughter our brothers in Werfendale¡ª¡°

    ¡°We did just come from Vurbenfale, but¡ª¡°

    ¡°¡ªyou had to track Golson, the lone survivor, back to our home, so that you could carry on¡ª¡°

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not sure¡ª¡°

    ¡°He has Golson¡¯s hat!¡± A horrified voice said from Walter¡¯s right. ¡°That must be how they tracked him here.¡±

    Confused, Walter¡¯s free hand flew to his head, then he saw an accusing finger leveled at his waist. ¡°Oh, this.¡± He pulled the piece of red cloth from his waist belt. ¡°No, I just found this over there, I think Dusk must¡¯ve stepped on it.¡±

    ¡°From Golson¡¯s tale of terror, that was just the beginning of what your party of savages stepped on,¡± the smoker-holding creature said, his fury reducing his words to a tiny whisper. ¡°And for that, and all your crimes against gnomedom, you must pay.¡±

    Dozens of tiny rapiers glinted red in the dim firelight.

 Chapter 8.5 Cage match (Book I)

    Stroking Nyx with one hand in an effort to soothe her tense companion, Reeve strained to see any signs of danger in the lightning-rent night. She started as a chime sounded.

    ¡°Reavyr Two has¡­wait, what? Dad?¡± She twisted to look past the twins¡¯ legs. ¡°Ohmagod!¡±

    The gnomes were almost on them. Reeve and Leaf had time only to stand before a shrill roar rose from the horde. Stepping between the twins, who crouched and raised their hands to cast, Reeve lowered her naginata to a horizontal defensive position and saw from the corner of her eye Leaf pull a short silver cudgel from within her cloak. Reeve¡¯s perception of time slowed as the first gnome, who was leaving a smokey trail, reached her and thrust his rapier toward her shin. Raising the sole of her boot as a low shield, she felt the rapier pierce its bottom and pass between her first two toes.

    Will not be doing that again, she thought, as she stamped the boot down.

    Quickly lost in concentration, Reeve moved in concert with the twins, Leaf, and their animal companions, magic glowing around the six as the twins¡¯ hands flew through the air, Reeve and Leaf striking in equal measure with their staffs and boots, and Nyx and the honey badger matching rapiers with teeth and claws.

    When Walter fully respawned, sitting on the trembling pony, his perception of time stretched and contracted like a weight on a short spring. Looking first at the wide-open world outside the cave and then behind him at the sea of little, very unfriendly, very pokey, and, it seemed, very judgemental creatures that had attacked him, he shouted, ¡°Reeve, this way,¡± gripped the pony¡¯s reins, and spurred it straight into the unseen but still intact defensive shield Dawn had laid over the cave¡¯s mouth.

    Stunned as equine face found unperceived barrier, the pony reared, throwing Walter, and then itself losing its balance and rolling sideways and backward onto the halfling.

    Reeve did not notice the chime, lost as it was in the cacophonous sounds of the fight echoing in the cave.

    Once respawned on the now extremely skittish pony, Walter doubled over for a moment from the double-death dubstep before forcing himself upright to look around. He spotted the stone shelf on which Reeve¡¯s bow still lay. Standing unsteadily on the saddle as it jerked with the pony¡¯s movements, he leaped and grasped the lip of the shelf with his fingers. To his great surprise, he easily pulled himself up onto the shelf. ¡°Thank you arms!¡± He said, turning to sit on the shelf and take in the full extent of the carnage beneath him.Stolen novel; please report.

    Reeve and their friends were in a tiny knot surrounded by bobbing heads and flashing blades. ¡°Come now, Walter,¡± the halfling said aloud with as much encouragement as he could give himself, ¡°you¡¯ve been in this game a while. You¡¯ve had some hard knocks, and there have been a few misunderstandings, but you¡¯re learning. You have transferable skills. Time to contribute to the team.¡±

    He grasped the hilts of his sheathed blades but then shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m an Apiculturist. An innovative Pyromaniac Apiculturist Accountant. Need to know my strengths.¡±

    Reaching back toward the cave wall, he pulled from his Inventory the large accountant¡¯s ledger and let fly toward one of the creatures below. The ledger flattened the wee thing so completely that Walter would not have been able to guess there was anything between the book and the floor if he hadn¡¯t known better. Reaching back again, he brought forth the ink pot and, with a hard flick of his wrist, sent it down directly into the face of another creature, ink splashing across its tiny eyes, blinding it. Reaching back once more, Walter spun the bee veil, with its rigid round brim, like a flying disc into the back of a little head, knocking the creature forward onto its face, its whole body then disappearing as the honey badger pounced upon it.

    Checking his Inventory, Walter found only the quill left and decided to leave it unflung, as it seemed unlikely to travel more than a few inches from him before it would drift to the ground harmlessly. Tucking his chin, he looked suspiciously at the sheathed blades hanging from his suspenders.

    ¡°Well¡­,¡± he said, drawing the iron dagger. Aiming at one of the creatures near Reeve¡¯s feet, he threw the blade with the same technique he¡¯d used for the ledger and watched it fly almost straight down into the shoulder of one of the creatures immediately below his shelf. ¡°Not bad,¡± he said to himself, confidence blooming. Unsheathing the wooden knife, he again aimed at a creature near Reeve¡¯s feet, this time thinking of how she¡¯d had him practice throwing to the side of the target, and he let the weapon fly, safely away from Reeve and to her left where it planted itself firmly in Dusk¡¯s previously uninjured left butt cheek, the half-elf falling to a knee as her leg gave beneath her.

    Walter¡¯s overwhelming regret barely hit him before tiny fingers clenched one ankle and jerked him off the shelf.

 Chapter 8.6 Viv (Book I)

    Reeve scrolled slowly down through her Combat and Party logs. ¡°And, the fourth time was the pony again?¡±

    ¡°Hooves,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Fifth?¡±

    ¡°The little things were waiting for me by the pony as soon as I reappeared. Once they knew that¡¯s where I¡¯d be coming back every time, well¡­¡±

    Reeve nodded. ¡°Spawn camping also led to sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth.¡±

    Walter nodded and bent over to vomit once more into the loot bag Reeve had handed him. He still had a few minutes until the last death debuff would wear off. She started to open an inset to review her father¡¯s deaths in her recorded feed, then stopped. She didn¡¯t want to relive the tiny massacre. ¡°They were gnomes, by the way,¡± she said.

    After a few seconds, Walter was able to raise his head from the loot bag. ¡°They seemed to think they knew us.¡±

    ¡°Tavern brawl,¡± Reeve said. ¡°Some had apparently survived and made it back to their home, which must be underground around here somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Walter returned to considering the interior of the bag.

    ¡°You OK?¡± Reeve said to Dusk, who lay on her stomach as Dawn bandaged her new injury.

    ¡°The less said, the better.¡± Dusk¡¯s chin rested on her arms, and her head bobbed up and down slightly as she spoke. ¡°You fought well, half-orc. You may yet be a deserving heir to Wurmslayer.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°Uh, thanks.¡±

    ¡°Your given name is Reavyr, Wurmslayer¡¯s heir? That is how you introduced yourself to Leaf?¡±

    Reeve nodded hesitantly.

    ¡°You fought well, Reavyr.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll¡­thanks, Dusk.¡±

    ¡°Funny thing,¡± Walter said, ¡°but I¡¯m actually a Reavyr too. Reavyr Two in fact.¡± He chuckled, but Dusk didn¡¯t look away from Reeve, her attention unwavering.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m the original Reavyr,¡± Reeve said. ¡°For some reason, my dad thought he needed to enter the same name he saw I¡¯d entered when we were setting up our¡­never mind. Just¡­uh¡­hello?¡± Reeve¡¯s brow, still moist from the exertion of the encounter, creased, and she frowned, a few of her large lower teeth slipping past her upper lip. The twins were still, Dawn leaning over Dusk, a bandage held to Dusk¡¯s half-exposed rear by Dawn¡¯s unmoving hands, Dusk still staring at Reeve. Reeve looked at Leaf, who sat, also unmoving, next to the fire they¡¯d rekindled, a fire of unmoving flames frozen in space.

    ¡°What the heck.¡± Reeve jerked her gaze to her father, who stared back at her, unblinking. ¡°Ohmagod, you too?¡±

    ¡°Evie?¡°

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I thought you were frozen too!¡±

    Walter looked around at their companions. ¡°They¡¯re frozen? What happened?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡° An alert tone Reeve didn¡¯t recognize prompted her to pull up her UI. A system alert message hung in front of the UI¡¯s usual information.

    ¡°Whoa! It¡¯s a DevNote!¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°A message from the devs. Well, this one looks like it¡¯s autogenerated, but it¡¯s still in theory from the devs to us. Specifically to us, not a system update message all users are getting. I¡¯ve heard of these but never gotten one before. Sometimes people get them if they identify issues in beta or early access releases.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good news?¡±

    ¡°I dunno, let me read for a second. You probably have it too if you want to read.¡±

    Reeve began scrolling through the lengthy message. With a barely perceptible flinch, Walter opened his UI and began reading as well. He was only to the bottom of the first page, wondering how he would make the text scroll, when Reeve said, ¡°Ohmagod!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re finished reading already?¡±

    ¡°Well, I mean, I skipped some parts, but I got the idea. Viv is coming to¡ª¡°

    ¡°Viv?¡±

    ¡°Yeah the¡­wait, there¡¯s a progress bar at the very bottom. It looks like she should be finished¡­right¡­about¡­now.¡±

 Chapter 8.7 Greetings (Book I)

    The shadows on the cave wall and ceiling renewed their dance. Dawn tenderly spread the bandage on Dusk¡¯s rear. Across the fire from the twins, Leaf squatted and leaned forward to unroll the bison pelt upon which she would sleep.

    ¡°If that is the case,¡± Dawn said, ¡°perhaps I will simply call you Reeve, and the Wurmslayer can remain such. The gods can keep Reavyr.¡±

    ¡°Do as you like, Sister,¡± Dusk said, rolling her head to rest sideways on her arms, ¡°but in my opinion, that title has aged, and honorifics past their prime are unseemly. Walter he will be to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, sorry about the, uh, ¡­,¡± Walter stopped just short of pointing at Dusk¡¯s still-half-exposed cheek, which was strikingly shapely even when covered in bandages and dried blood.

    Dusk did not respond.

    ¡°Mind her not, Wurmslayer,¡± Dawn said. ¡°Misadventure befalls the best of us. Accidents happen.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Apparently,¡± Dusk said, ¡°twice.¡±

    Reeve watched the twins closely as Dawn continued dressing her sister¡¯s wound. After a few seconds, Reeve¡¯s eyes shifted to Leaf, who crawled forward onto her thick sleeping pelt and rolled onto her back. Without looking, the fallen elf ran a hand along the ground next to her to find her cudgel where it lay and raised it, inspecting its surfaces carefully before pulling from her cloak a cloth worn thin enough to see through with which she began to clean and polish the weapon.

    ¡°Reeve, who¡¯s this Viv¡ª¡°

    ¡°Shhh, later.¡±

    Walter squinted, confused, at his daughter and twisted the point of one of his ears.

    ¡°Everybody feeling¡­OK?¡± Reeve said.

    Dusk gave a light, short musical laugh.

    ¡°Well, your butt aside, Dusk,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°I will speak neither for my sister nor for her wounded¡­honor,¡± Dawn said, straight-faced, and Dusk reached back to give Dawn¡¯s knee a sharp but light bop with her fist, ¡°but, battle weariness aside, I suffer from nothing a night¡¯s rest cannot soothe.¡±

    Reeve looked at Leaf. As the silence in the cave began to stretch, Leaf turned from her polishing and looked past the fire to Reeve.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Leaf said. ¡°Rest. The morn¡¯ will see us under a new light.¡±

 Chapter 8.8 Exception (Book I)

    Reeve looked back. The twins appeared deep in conversation. She looked forward. Leaf was still a dozen paces ahead of her, Walter, and the pony. Nyx and the honey badger were flanking the fallen elf as she led them through grassland toward a treeline that was beginning to resolve from a dark band to a jagged crenelation.

    ¡°It¡¯s the stupid naming thing that¡¯s causing the problem,¡± Reeve said quietly to her father. ¡°I¡¯m ¡®Reavyr¡¯ and you chose ¡®Reavyr¡¯ also, and somehow that¡¯s causing problems with the game, having two instances of the same player name.¡±

    Walter looked at Reeve as he rocked gently side-to-side in time with the pony¡¯s cadence. ¡°Surely people end up with the same name? You said a lot of people play this game. Seems like that kind of problem should have gone the way of the Y2K bug.¡±

    ¡°The Y2 what?¡±

    Reeve watched the honey badger¡¯s goofy, lopsided gait for a while, then contrasted it with Nyx¡¯s lanky amble and then Leaf¡¯s light steps, so graceful compared to those of a human. Sensing that Walter was finishing his explanation of the Y2-whatever-bug, Reeve tuned back in.

    ¡°¡­at least that¡¯s my understand of it,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°OK, Millennial,¡± Reeve said. ¡°But this is still only in early access, and they built this game from the ground up. Most games these days are based on pre-existing gaming engines, so a game might be new but its guts have probably already seen billions of playing hours. But here, everything behind the scenes is totally new, so it¡¯s possible that no one has ever set up the story mode and then given two players logged into the same system identical player names. I mean, who¡¯d do that?¡± Reeve looked at her father. ¡°Yeah, anyway, the DevNote indicated that Viv identified an issue with duplicate player instances that caused an error in the less advanced AIs controlling the NPCs.¡± Reeve tilted her head back toward the twins.

    Walter stared at Reeve.

    Reeve frowned. ¡°Which part?¡± She said.

    ¡°All of it.¡±

    Reeve resettled her bow on her shoulder and walked in silence for two slow breaths. ¡°Sure, OK. The MMO version of the game¡ªthe one that¡¯s an open world where lots of people play at the same time, the one that I usually play¡ªis managed by a really smart Artificial Intelligence, AI. Her name is Viv¡ª¡°You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°It¡¯s a her, not an it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s the real deal. Personality, preferred gender, passed the Turing Test with flying colors. Makes a lot of humans seem artificial by comparison. Or at least boring. She¡¯s one of the reasons strong AIs have won civil rights. She¡¯s salaried by the company and everything.¡±

    Walter¡¯s expression of confusion brought back memories of their first few days in the game, memories that Reeve did not want to revisit.

    ¡°What does an AI do with money?¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Focus, Dad. The AI¡¯s name is Viv, and she manages the MMO version, but the story mode¡ª¡°

    ¡°You keep talking about this story¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s this version of the game we¡¯re playing now, where we need to accomplish something specific. Remember what the twins told us after the kobold camp? Their mother left not long after they were born to join up with other elves defending their homeland from an ice-orc tribe, and the twins never saw her again; their human farmer dad couldn¡¯t support all of them and so apprenticed the twins to an old mage; the mage was abducted and taken to Fellgrave; they needed our help saving him, yadda, yadda, yadda?¡±

    ¡°That story?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s part of it, at least it was our next objective. The story mode is more scripted than the MMO, and Viv usually doesn¡¯t need to deal with it, she just lets less advanced AIs run the NPCs and story dynamics¡­unless a problem comes up that she needs to take a look at. Apparently,¡± Reeve¡¯s eyes were alight and Walter could see his little girl in their glint, despite the half-orcish packaging, ¡°the analytics being sent in from my VR setup tipped Viv off to some of the problems the duplicate names are causing.¡±

    ¡°Us not being able to log out?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s one she¡¯s aware of yet, but when the twins heard that we¡¯re both called Reavyr and couldn¡¯t handle it, that threw a big enough exception that it was elevated to Viv¡¯s attention.¡±

    ¡°So, she¡¯ll get us out of here?¡±

    Reeve¡¯s smile fell slightly. ¡°No, at least not yet. I don¡¯t think she knows there¡¯s a problem as big as us not being able to log out, so she¡¯s just made a change to address the issues she¡¯s aware of. But, it¡¯s a start.¡±

    ¡°What change?¡±

    ¡°The NPCs are¡­,¡± Reeve fell silent as she noticed Leaf motion to both Nyx and the honey badger to hold.

    The fallen elf turned to Reeve and Walter as they slowed and came to a stop next to her.

    ¡°Problem?¡± Reeve said, scanning the treeline that was still distant but in which she could now make out individual trees. The twins arrived to stand on the side of the pony opposite Reeve.

    ¡°Nae,¡± Leaf said. ¡°But we would be wise to use more care once we pass the rise ahead. Our approach of the last hours will have been easily observed by anyone in the cover of the trees. As we near, I advise watchful eyes, to let any who be there find us an alert and unappealing mark.¡±

 Chapter 8.9 Level 4 (Book I)

    The air temperature dropped noticeably as they walked into the shade at the treeline, the sun almost directly overhead quickly forgotten. The grass, waist-high to Reeve only just outside the forest, was replaced by spongy leaf-and-needle-covered earth over which ran a now much harder to perceive trail, seasons-thick fallen leaves sometimes obscuring it completely and downed trunks, their diameters greater than Walter was tall, occasionally forcing a detour. The party walked more closely together than they had in the fields, but after nearly stepping on Dusk¡¯s heels, Reeve suggested they spread slightly to avoid being an easy target if attacked.

    ¡°AOE,¡± Reeve said to Walter as the gap between them and the twins stabilized around half a dozen paces. Turning to her father, she offered a preemptive, ¡°Never mind.¡± Closer to a whisper, she said, ¡°But, listen, what I was saying is that Viv upgraded the AIs running some of the NPCs in our instance of the story mode to be Level 4 AIs. They¡­right, you probably don¡¯t know about AI grading. They¡¯re categorized by Levels. Viv¡¯s a Level 10 AI, I think. Somewhere around there. Maybe higher now. She¡¯s sapient. Understands that she exists. Passes the Turing Test. All that. Not all AIs are that good, so they get graded on a scale. NPCs in the story mode of this game,¡± Reeve gestured to the party winding through the trees ahead of them, ¡°are usually run by Level 1 or 2 AIs. They¡¯re decent and not too computationally intensive, but if we tried really hard we¡¯d be able to trick them into behaviors that gave away that they¡¯re artificial. Or glitch them completely, like the name thing did last night in the cave. Viv upgraded the AIs running some of the NPCs in our game¡ªprobably our companions mostly¡ªto Level 4 AIs. She¡¯ll see if that fixes the problem, come back later and write up a report to pass to the devs, and whatever they all learn will be used to make the game better in the future.

    ¡°I have a few questions,¡± Walter said, ¡°but I¡¯ll just ask one. You said Viv knows she¡¯s alive, right? Is like a real person? And she¡¯s Level 10?¡±

    Reeve nodded.

    ¡°At what level do AIs start knowing that? When do they start really acting like people?¡±

    Reeve frowned. ¡°Right now, legally, it¡¯s Level 5. Five and above get some level of legal protection. But a lot of AI activists think it should be Level 4.¡±

    ¡°So,¡± Walter looked ahead, ¡°they¡¯ll be like real people? How they think?¡±

    Reeve nodded. ¡°Pretty much. They¡­wha?¡±

    Walter looked at Reeve and found her staring straight ahead.

    ¡°Evie?¡±

    After a moment, she shook her head and looked at him briefly, before giving their surroundings a quick glance. ¡°Nothing. Just a system error message that said a port has been closed for some reason.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Like¡­ships?¡±

    ¡°No. A port on my VR system. Part of a network connection. Which doesn¡¯t make sense, since we¡¯re running story mode, which doesn¡¯t need the network.¡±

    ¡°Is it a problem?¡±

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t affect us, but I don¡¯t like finding out that the system is having more issues, things are borked enough, and I don¡¯t want to be trapped in a totally dysfunctional world, I¡¯ve already got that IRL. Anyway, nothing I can do about it until we get out of here. What were we talking about?¡±

    ¡°The AIs. The Level 4 AIs.¡±

    Reeve nodded.

    ¡°Will we just be able to ask them to tell this Viv what¡¯s going on and they can get her to come back and get us out?¡±

    Reeve shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re not going to be like actors, not like people who got tasked with controlling these avatars. They were created from scratch, by Viv, with the memories and personalities of the characters they¡¯re playing. This will be their world. They won¡¯t have known anything before this and, once we leave the game, they¡¯ll be paused or suspended or whatever happens, until we might eventually come back.¡±

    ¡°So, it doesn¡¯t really help us get out, it sounds like.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Reeve said, ¡°maybe not right away, but it means Viv might take another look at things soon, and having Level 4 AIs as NPCs in our party should give us an edge in completing the story mode quicker.¡±

    ¡°The change has already been made?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but it must¡¯ve taken some serious work to generate the AIs. That¡¯s why everything stayed frozen for a few minutes. It¡¯s like creating complete brains from scratch.¡±

    ¡°Well, that all sounds good, I guess.¡±

    Walter¡¯s expression reminded Reeve of the one he¡¯d wear at the dinner table when recounting for Reeve¡¯s mother an unpleasant interaction he¡¯d had to have that day at work. Reeve hadn¡¯t ever paid attention to the details, but she imagined there might be firings or that kind of thing involved. She walked along beside him for a few minutes, looking occasionally at her father¡¯s profile.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible the Level 4¡¯s won¡¯t be so affected by your high Charisma.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Walter said, looking into the distance with a broad smile, ¡°I¡¯ll just have to win them over with my natural charisma.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Reeve said, ignoring his comment. ¡°That¡¯s not the most interesting part.¡±

    Walter turned to her, his smile waning.

    ¡°The DevNote also said that in cases such as this, when AIs need to be upgraded to address issues, the game world is used as a testbed for pre-release features and mechanics!¡±

    Walter rode along, looking sideways at his daughter, wishing he could share her enthusiasm but unable to begin to guess what she was talking about. He watched her face slowly fall. He patted her on the arm, careful to avoid getting near her limb-trimmer.

    Registering Walter¡¯s blatant incomprehension, Reeve said, ¡°Let me try again. Since the NPCs are going to be smarter, the game is going to change to include some new stuff that didn¡¯t exist in the game we¡¯ve been playing up to now.¡±

    ¡°Like new kinds of dragons?¡±

    ¡°No, not...well, actually, I don¡¯t know. It didn¡¯t say, so it could be. But probably not. New creatures probably wouldn¡¯t require the upgraded AIs.¡±

    ¡°I hope it¡¯s dragons,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°OK, sure, let¡¯s hope it¡¯s new dragons. But we won¡¯t know what it means until we encounter something we haven¡¯t seen before. But, get this. There was a warning near the end of the note saying that the introduction of the higher-level AIs and the new features and mechanics marks a departure from the more scripted story mode, so the outcome of the campaign will diverge from that of other players who have completed it.¡±

    Both Reeve and Walter allowed a respectful silence to pass before Reeve tried again.

    ¡°Now, no one, not even the devs, could predict what¡¯s going to happen next.¡±

 Chapter 9.1 Chased (Book I)

    ¡°I¡¯ve never known dragons to nest this far south,¡± Leaf said as the party looked down from the barren ridgetop to the pair of periwinkle dragons circling lazily in the distance above the forest canopy that stretched to the horizon. ¡°That redwood must be their nesting tree.¡±

    ¡°Are they Benavyans?¡± Dawn said, shading her eyes from the sky, which was so bright and pale as to seem white.

    Leaf watched the dragons for dozens of hypnotic cycles. ¡°I think no. They seem a breed I have never encountered.¡±

    Reeve placed an elbow on the large boulder that was providing them partial concealment and cupped the side of her face in a hand. ¡°You called it, Dad.¡±

    ¡°I wish I were more excited about that,¡± Walter said, then he flinched as the sun was extinguished and the sound of rushing air preceded a pressure wave that pushed them all against the boulder and, as suddenly, was gone, and Walter¡¯s pony, just beginning a terrified bleat, flew over them and down toward the trees below.

    ¡°Well,¡± Dusk said, checking over her shoulder nervously and then looking back to the vista, ¡°I hope those two down below are juveniles, because the one that just carried off Walter¡¯s pony, which will forever remain unnamed, is the largest beast I¡¯ve ever seen in any realm of this land. May they grow no larger.¡±

    In the distance, the dragon that had just flown over them, which was a slightly darker blue, deep water rather than sky, flared its wings, slowed, and dropped the pony¡ªits terrified last cries rendered mercifully silent by the intervening distance¡ªinto a huge nest, toward which the two smaller dragons quickly spiraled. Having deposited its prey, the larger dragon took a few mighty flaps to regain speed and began a slow turn back toward them.

    ¡°Time to get off the ridge!¡± Reeve picked Walter up at the waist and flipped him, bare feet over halfling head, to deposit like an accessory on her back, his hands scrambling to find her shoulders and neck as he competed with her bow for real estate, its limb tip poking him under the jaw as he did. She grabbed her naginata from where it leaned and began taking long, plunging steps down the extreme, scree-covered path that, zigzagging, descended the ridge face into the forest below, loose rocks sliding down the steep slope before her with each footfall.

    More rocks skittering past Reeve from above let her know the others were close behind. Not daring to take her eyes off her next landing spot, she said, ¡°Dad, where¡¯s the dragon?¡±

    Walter, barely able to hold on to his daughter as free fall alternated with jarring impact faster than he could believe possible, gripped Reeve¡¯s neck more tightly and dug his heels into her sides, then carefully looked beyond her ear. ¡°I don¡¯t see it.¡±

    ¡°How¡­can¡­you¡­not¡­see¡­it?¡± Reeve said, her lungs only reliably under her control between compressive landings.

    ¡°Let me try the other side.¡± Walter waited for a drop to begin and quickly switched his chin from one side of Reeve¡¯s neck to the other. ¡°Ah. There it is.¡±

    ¡°How close?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­I¡¯m not great with quantity estimates.¡±

    ¡°We about to get eaten close? Or we might make it close?

    Walter looked down Reeve¡¯s shoulder toward the rapidly approaching trees, then snapped his head back up, uncomfortable with how much their descent of the trail resembled falling to one¡¯s death, an experience at which he reluctantly now considered himself to be an expert.

    ¡°Best hurry, Reeve,¡± Dusk said from just behind, and a moment later the half-elf, followed immediately by Dawn and then Leaf, passed them, the trio¡¯s nimble feet finding purchase off the trail on what, Reeve did not know.

    Reeve received an image of the dragon from Nyx, and it was close enough to start making out scales. The cheetah passed a moment later, its feet, like those of the elfin folk, seeming to lightly touch upon the jagged and uneven rock as it flew past.

    ¡°Almost there,¡± Reeve said more for her own benefit than to reassure her father.

    ¡°On your left,¡± Walter, a consummately polite cyclist IRL, said in her ear. For a moment, Reeve thought Walter was announcing an avalanche overtaking them from the left, so voluminous was the collection of loose rock that began sliding and bouncing past them on that side, but almost immediately the honey badger appeared amidst the rock storm, its graceless scramble the near opposite of the others who had passed, the creature a barreling cloud of fur, legs, and rock. But the results were unarguable, as the honey badger quickly left them behind and disappeared into the first scraggly trees that heralded their final approach to the forest.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Looking more like ¡®get eaten close,¡¯¡± Walter said, hugging Reeve so desperately that her bow pressed painfully into her back.

    ¡°Hold tight!¡± Skipping the last ten yards of nearly vertical trail, Reeve jumped toward a massive pair of closely spaced firs below them. As she fell through the dense branches, she hoped they¡¯d slow her enough to avoid a fatal impact on whatever lay beneath the trees.

    Whoomph. Beneath the trees was, Reeve discovered, rock, but as she struggled to rise from under tree limbs, both broken and unbroken, that pawed at her from every angle, she thanked Fortune that the rock was flat, not pointed, and that she¡¯d slowed enough to lose a fifth of her health but suffer no serious injuries.

    ¡°Smells like Christmas,¡± the fir to her left said in Walter¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Shhh.¡± Gripping her naginata, Reeve stepped slowly from between the firs into the edge of the forest. She could see the rest of their party another dozen yards below them where they all crouched behind trees or boulders.

    Leaf pointed back up toward the ridge, and Reeve turned to look past the firs. The huge shadow of the dragon slid over the trail they¡¯d just vacated, and the beast emitted a screech like metal against metal. As it did, Reeve felt the shaft of her naginata pull at her hand, as though the blade end was being tugged toward the ridge. She grasped it with both hands and looked up and down the shaft, not finding the source of the pull.

    The dragon carried its echoing screech north along the ridge and away from them, and the Dopler shift that accompanied its passing transformed the sound into something so unworldly that Reeve shivered.

    ¡°Hey there, Fella,¡± Walter said inside the fir, ¡°is that your little hidey-hole?¡±

    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Reeve whispered.

    ¡°This big, fluffy¡ªwhoa! Your head can really spin! You must¡ªahhhhh!¡±

    Walter¡¯s chilling scream was followed immediately by a loud metallic clanggg and then a plume of fire erupted from one side of the tree. The flames quickly spread up to the tip and around both sides, the tree becoming an enormous pyre away from which Reeve backed.

    A chime sounded. Reeve opened and quickly scanned her logs.

    A Level 5 Giant Barred Owl rakes at the face of Reavyr (II) with talons for 6 points of damage.

    Reavyr (II) bludgeons a Level 5 Giant Barred Owl with a bee smoker for 1 point of damage.

    Reavyr (II) smites a Level 5 Giant Barred Owl with bee smoker fire for 5 points of damage.

    Reeve skipped over a long list of updates that followed the spread of the fire from the bird, to the tree, to Walter, all of which experienced continuous fire damage until they were killed or destroyed.

    Reavyr (II) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    With a sickly feeling, Reeve checked the location of her father¡¯s spawn point.

    ¡°Ohmagod.¡± Eyes wide, Reeve looked down at Leaf and the twins. ¡°We need to build a campfire now, now, now!¡± She bounded down toward them, but none seemed to understand the urgency. ¡°My dad¡¯s spawn point is still set to the pony¡¯s saddle! Before the saddle is destroyed, we need to have a campfire to provide an alternative respawn option, or his location will reset to some previous point, probably back in the gnome cave.¡±

    ¡°Gods,¡± Dawn said, and quickly shrugged off her pack.

    Reeve dropped to her knees and began grabbing at every stick and twig within arm¡¯s reach.

    A chime sounded.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Reeve did not check her UI.

    Leaf and the twins were also collecting kindling and more substantial pieces of wood.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t need to be fancy, just needs to burn,¡± Reeve called out. ¡°Dusk, Dawn, get ready to add the fire?¡± She began piling the wood she¡¯d collected into a haphazard pyramid.

    Dawn arrived and dropped her collection next to the pile, then raised her cupped hands and began a spell. After a few motions, she paused and held her hands suspended, her eyes watching Dusk and Leaf approach with their contributions, which they hurriedly dropped. Reeve quickly organized the new additions, the resulting pyramid several feet tall, and then rocked backward to land on her rear as Dawn made one final gesture and pushed her palms forward, fire jetting down onto the assembled wood.

    A chime sounded.

    Reeve leaned back on her hands and extended her feet toward the blaze that rose yards into the air. She watched the flames, mentally ticking off seconds.

    A chime sounded.

    ¡°Blech.¡± She lowered herself to her back and stared up at the sky.

    Dusk looked down. ¡°It is not working?¡±

    ¡°The pony¡¯s saddle, or the pony¡ªwhatever is anchoring the spawn point¡ªmust still be intact, ¡®cause so far he keeps respawning in the nest. He should show up here next to the party campfire once the anchor is destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Gods willing,¡± Leaf said, ¡°it will happen soon.¡±

    A chime sounded.

    Reeve covered her face with her hands and spent the next half minute trying to find a mantra that appropriately captured both the parental and draconic aspects of the current situation.

    A chime sounded before she had found one. Over the next several minutes, the chimes, which were spaced with sickening regularity, continued to derail her thoughts, and she still had not found the right mantra for the occasion by the time a faint light appeared near the fire

    Walter William¡¯s halfling slowly faded into being, and, once fully materialized, ran straight into the roaring campfire.

 Chapter 9.2 Haircut (Book I)

    ¡°Is campfire light good for giving haircuts?¡± Walter said, squinting a little too dramatically for Reeve¡¯s taste.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the amount of light is going to save this situation,¡± Reeve said. She leaned forward, the stiff wicket of black hair, needles, sap, and twigs following her like a cartoon thought bubble full of crazy. She shook her head, producing a light tinkling sound as pine needles showered to the ground. ¡°Hey, the pine trees broke my fall. I¡¯ll take it. And come morning, I don¡¯t want to be playing beauty school while trying to keep an eye out for those dragons.¡±

    Standing next to Reeve, Dusk extended a slender pointer to touch a spike of the resinous mass. She shook her head and drew from a pocket at her waist a dagger of no more than three inches.

    Reeve closed her eyes as Dusk began hacking roughly at the mess. ¡°You up to talking about it now?¡± Reeve said.

    Walter took a long breath, which, when he let it out, was slightly stuttered.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°I can¡¯t blame you,¡± Reeve said, ¡°it¡¯s your new record for consecutive deaths.¡±

    ¡°Could we please refer to it as consecutive reprawns?¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Respawns,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°I imagine you can guess pretty well what it was like.¡±

    ¡°Lots of teeth?¡±

    ¡°Every time I appeared on that saddle.¡± Walter shuddered and looked like he might start vomiting again. ¡°I¡¯m going to have nightmares about that saddle. I did have a chance to say goodbye to my pony though.¡± He stared into the fire. ¡°Well, part of the pony.¡±

    ¡°They eventually start eating the saddle and reset the spawn point?¡±

    ¡°No, the fire got to it.¡±

    ¡°They breathe fire?¡±

    ¡°Not that I know of, but at some point, I set the nest on fire.¡±

    ¡°You burned their nest?¡±

    ¡°That was part of the reason I was going to try to make a break for the edge that last time, when I respawned here and ended up running straight into your campfire. I was going to be running away from the fire toward where the nearest edge of the nest should have been.¡±

    ¡°What were you going to do if you made it to the edge? You were, like, hundreds of yards up, right?¡±

    ¡°I can tell you, from fairly extensive experience, that,¡± he glanced at the NPCs around them, ¡°in this world at least, falling to one¡¯s death is preferable to being eaten by a dragon. Though the dragon thing is also pretty quick. Most of the time.¡±

 Chapter 9.3 Drag? (Book I)

    Reeve awoke at the touch of a hand on her shoulder, the first light of day just beginning to compete with the stars still visible through the gaps between the crowns of trees high above. She nodded to Leaf, who was leaning over her, and sat up stiffly in the cold, dewy air. Dawn was scattering the ashes of the previous night¡¯s fire as Dusk rolled a sleeping pelt. Walter was also sitting up, legs crossed, picking at the soles of his feet.

    ¡°Morning, Dad,¡± Reeve said in a whisper. ¡°You OK?¡±

    Walter nodded and pointed at his feet. ¡°Needed to use the privy during the night,¡± he said, equally quietly, ¡°and I must have walked through the clippings from your haircut.¡±

    Leaning forward, Reeve could make out a black coating of hair stuck to the bottom of her father¡¯s feet. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said softly, ¡°looks like you have hairy feet top and bottom now.¡± Her gaze became distant for a few seconds, then she waved a dismissive hand.

    ¡°Evie?¡±

    ¡°Two more of those port error messages. I guess from while I was asleep. Whatever.¡± She waved her hand again, rose, and began to pack the water skin and other few items she¡¯d left out of her Inventory overnight.

    Once all were ready, Leaf leaned close to Reeve and said, ¡°Nyx can scout? I imagine her well suited for remaining unseen.¡±

    Reeve nodded and, with a mental nudge, made the request. Nyx rose and padded away, quickly lost from sight, Reeve soon able to tell from her UI only the cheetah¡¯s approximate direction and distance.

    They set out in silence, Leaf leading, the honey badger at her side, Reeve, Walter, and the twins following. The trail ran gradually downward for the first hour, daylight rising as the party slowly descended. When the last of the dew was fading from its hiding places in the shadows, Nyx reappeared.

    Reeve motioned the party to halt. Before giving Nyx her full attention, she snapped twice at her father and pointed to the ground where he stood. The two stared at each other while Reeve did a slow mental five count. Walter suddenly nodded enthusiastically and retrieved four stream stones from his Inventory. As he updated his spawn, Leaf and the honey badger moved a few yards farther up the trail to provide lookout, while Dawn and Dusk turned and backtracked a few yards as rearguard.

    It took only a minute for Nyx to share with Reeve information on the terrain ahead, after which the cheetah turned and disappeared again into the trees.

    A soft chime sounded.

    Reeve bit the edge of her lower lip between two of her grooved yellow teeth and took a long, steadying breath through her nose. She opened the Party Log.

    Reavyr (II) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    She let the breath out more slowly than she¡¯d drawn it in.

    A soft light began to illuminate the location still bounded by the stream stones. Once fully present, Walter stood, unmoving, and pursed his lips. He scratched his head through the bushy hair above his right ear and looked at Reeve.

    Reeve raised eyebrows, shoulders, and upturned palms. ¡°What happened?¡± She mouthed.

    Walter returned the gesture.

    Reeve opened the Combat Log.

    A Level 9 Irim? (leopard form) bites Reavyr (II) with teeth using Skull Crush Amplifier for 49 points of damage. Reavyr (II) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    ¡°I told you to stay there,¡± she mouthed, pointing at the stones, which Walter looked at and then bent to retrieve.

    Walter stood straight again and pointed to a tree several yards off the path. ¡°I needed to use the facilitrees,¡± he whispered.

    Reeve looked back to the twins in their rearguard position. ¡°You couldn¡¯t prevent that?¡± She said quietly.

    ¡°Whatever his past valor,¡± Dusk said, ¡±Walter has demonstrated a facility for stumbling upon, and perhaps even embracing, Death, wherever he might go.¡± Dusk looked thoughtful for a moment. ¡°They seem almost soul mates.¡±

    Reeve frowned and turned to walk toward Leaf, who, seeing Reeve coming, motioned her closer. When Reeve joined her, Leaf squatted and traced a faint impression in the leaves with the tip of one finger. ¡°Elven-kind,¡± she said.

    ¡°Recent?¡±

    ¡°No more than a few days old.¡±

    Reeve nodded.

    ¡°No signs of dragon activity here,¡± Leaf said, then rose, took up the point position, and proceeded down the path.

    Nyx repeated her visitation every hour or so as the party walked on, speaking little but occasionally rotating rearguard duty to stay sharp. The trees spread farther apart, becoming as they did tall enough that their tops were obscured from sight. The underbrush thinned in the rain shadow of the massive boughs above, each of which was as large as a full-grown tree in most forests. From time to time, Reeve thought she caught a flash of orange out of the corner of her eye, but it took almost two hours of intense attention for her to catch a brief glimpse of the fox. Otherwise, the denizens of the forest, whatever they might be, remained hidden. As the sun reached its apex and found more frequent opportunities to fall upon the party through gaps in the towering canopy, they slowed to approach a small stream winding toward the north, its surface smooth as it ran lethargically from one dam of trapped branches and leaves to the next.

    Leaf signaled a halt and squatted at the edge of the water, inspecting the damp earth for signs of passage. Reeve sidestepped past the twins as they shed their packs, looking back to her father as she did and giving a quick ¡®stay right there, do not even think about moving¡¯ point of her naginata and widening of her eyes and then joined Leaf next to the water.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Anything?¡± Reeve said, looking for signs and wondering how her Tracking skill compared to the fallen elf¡¯s.

    ¡°No one has passed since the heavy rain we weathered in the gnome cave.¡±

    ¡°If elves were following this trail farther back, where did they go?¡±

    ¡°Where do elves always eventually go?¡± Leaf said. ¡°Into the woods.¡±

    Reeve rocked her head and looked over the undisturbed mud. She couldn¡¯t argue with Leaf¡¯s assessment. Shifting her focus to the stream¡¯s surface, she leaned forward and looked at her reflection in the brown, tannin-stained water as it slid by. ¡°Well, not bad. Kind of punk.¡± She raised fingers to her short, spiky black hair. ¡°Oh.¡± The crisp points reminded her of the lacquer-stuff Mr. Jacobs next door once used to seal a wooden rocking chair he kept on their front porch. ¡°May also be waterproof for a while,¡± she said, and sighed, looking across the stream at the path as it ran on through the forest. She froze. ¡°What is that?¡± She said it only loudly enough for Leaf¡¯s ears. The two squinted across the stream at the dull gray serpentine body that was slowly lowering itself from a branch some ten feet off the ground.

    ¡°Not a snake,¡± Leaf said. ¡°It has limbs, I think.¡±

    The head of the serpent reached the ground, and it released the rest of itself from the limb and fell into a heap that quickly contracted into an organized coil. The body was serpentine, but the elongated head appeared crocodilian to Reeve. A low hiss from behind caused Reeve to turn, naginata half-raised. The honey badger hissed again as it trundled passed her, splashing into the water to stand chest-deep near midstream and hiss at the creature, which remained still, coiled.

    The hairs along the left side of Reeve¡¯s body began to prickle with Nyx¡¯s imminent return, and Reeve looked with concern downstream, sending a mental message to Nyx and hoping that the cheetah was close enough to sense the warning. Leaf shouted, and Reeve looked back across the stream. The serpent was almost to the water, and the speed with which it had launched itself out of its coil caused Reeve a moment of panic as she tried to get her naginata around to defend herself. The honey badger crouched deeper in the water. Approaching them with the speed of a racehorse, the serpentine creature raised its head off the ground and sprung out in a flashing arc over the stream. Knowing the reach of her weapon couldn¡¯t protect the honey badger, Reeve waited and hoped the first strike against her father¡¯s almost-companion wasn¡¯t a killing one, but an instant later she found herself reflexively turning away from the light and heat of a ball of fire as it passed her from behind, close enough to blacken the shoulder of her leather tunic. The teardrop of fire met the striking serpent just in front of the honey badger, engulfing the serpent¡¯s head in flames and causing it to recoil toward the far bank, the ungainly change of directly throwing it off balance and resulting in its writhing collapse into the water, flaming head disappearing first and long tail then being dragged off the bank to join it. Recovering from the anticipated strike that never landed, the honey badger sprang forward and the stream erupted into a white froth that hid the deathmatch beneath. Reeve waded into the water, her blade lowered and seemingly pulling her forward as though drawn toward her enemy. She was hesitant to lash out blindly, but uncertain who would emerge if she held back.

    The fountain of spray began to calm, the surface of the water settling back to a smoothly flowing sheet, nothing visible of the combatants save a few partial coils of the serpent that slowly rolled over each other as bubbles rising to the surface became larger but less frequent. No one moved.

    Staring past the unmoving members of his party, Walter felt in his chest a familiar tension that rose to his throat and flew from his mouth as a cry he didn¡¯t register but that caused everyone before him to turn in surprise. By then, he was almost to the stream, a blade held tightly in each hand. Reeve was looking at him, eyebrows raised, mouth hanging open, but he saw only the serpent that was drowning his companion. Reaching the stream bank at full sprint, he launched himself bodily toward the visible coils that continued their ever-slower rotation.

    Reeve, having taken a moment to process that it was her father who¡¯d just unleashed the fiercest, weirdest battle cry she¡¯d ever heard, watched the halfling leap from the bank and fly, arms extended like a superhero, a yard or two over the stream before landing face first in the water next to her leg, disappearing under the huge splash-back that followed his belly flop. Glancing back to the now nearly still coils, Reeve reached down, pulled her father out of the water by the suspenders, and held him there, hanging horizontally.

    ¡°Uh, everything OK?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not OK!¡± Walter said, sputtering and coughing up brown stream water. ¡°It¡¯s killing her.¡±

    Reeve nodded. ¡°Yeah. I was afraid of that too for a second there. But, you ever seen a vid of a honey badger fighting a snake?¡±

    Walter looked over his shoulder at his daughter, water running from his hair down into his eyes. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s make sure she¡¯s OK.¡± Reeve swung him up in an arc and then dropped him down onto his feet in the stream. Not letting go of his suspenders in case the gentle current somehow found enough of his legs to push him over, Reeve took a few careful steps, guiding her father to find stable stream rocks each time he put weight down on a foot.

    The body of the serpent, which had lain nearly still for a few seconds, began to slowly move as they approached, and Walter raised his blades. At the bank just across from them, the crocodilian head appeared out of the water, and the honey badger, gripping the body just behind the head, clawed its way up onto the bank, where it released the neck of the dead creature, took a few steps, and fell to her side. Reeve hoisted Walter and took long fast steps through the stream, her shins throwing up great sheets of water with each stride. Navigating around the submerged body of the beast, she dropped her father onto the bank and then stepped out of the stream. Ignoring the serpent, Walter took unsteady steps and dropped to his knees next to the honey badger.

    With her naginata, Reeve prodded the mangled neck of the serpent where the honey badger had torn away so much flesh that the vertebrae and the severed trachea and esophagus were easily spotted. ¡°She OK?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°She¡¯s breathing, but it looks like she was bitten. Maybe a few times.¡±

    Hearing sloshing, Reeve turned to find Leaf stepping up onto the bank with the twins right behind. ¡°Leaf, your knowledge of beasts is better than mine. Can you learn what you can from this thing? Particularly if it¡¯s venomous?¡±

    Leaf nodded and Reeve turned again as she felt Nyx approaching. ¡°Hey, girl. We¡¯re OK. What¡ª.¡° Reeve fell silent as she received a series of images from Nyx.

    Leaf slid her cudgel back into her cloak and squatted beside the serpent, starting with an inspection of the creature¡¯s head and then moving down its body, pausing as she went only occasionally to examine a set of small limbs or other less-obvious anatomical features. Reeve carried on a silent exchange with Nyx, trying to understand what she was seeing from the cheetah¡¯s reconnaissance.

    ¡°It is venomous,¡± Leaf said, returning to stand at the serpent¡¯s head, ¡°though I cannot divine the nature of its venom, or of the creature itself. Its mana is likely not aligned with fire, based on its susceptibility to the fire that smote it.¡± The fallen elf squatted again and examined the creature¡¯s fangs. ¡°Vial?¡± She said, turning to Dusk, who stepped forward and offered an empty vial. Bending to pull a fang forward, Leaf knelt with one knee on the back of the creature¡¯s head and held the vial beneath the fang. A mercurial liquid fell in large drops, quickly filling the vial. Leaf handed it to Dusk, who provided another empty vial before capping the first.

    As more vials were filled, Reeve continued her silent exchange. But, suddenly understanding what Nyx had seen, Reeve turned to the others. ¡°We need to go.¡±

 Chapter 9.4 Ford (Book I)

    ¡°Can you please tell us what all of this is about now, Reeve?¡± Walter stumbled and nearly fell onto the root-gnarled trail as he tried to keep up with his daughter, despite her having the added weight of the badger slung over one shoulder.

    ¡°That thing back there, it was a drag?.¡±

    ¡°A what now?¡± Walter said.

    ¡°You are certain?¡± Leaf said over her shoulder from her point position. The fallen elf¡¯s fast stride was already flirting with transitioning to an outright run, and the question seemed to push her faster.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Reeve glanced back at her father, who was already falling behind again. ¡°A dragon larva.¡± She gestured to her back and stopped, quickly squatted, and held the position just long enough for Walter to leap onto her. He rested his head on the shoulder opposite the honey badger. ¡°Nyx found a huge honeycomb-like structure just south of where we crossed the stream. It was adhered to a treetop that¡¯d broken and collapsed. She didn¡¯t know what it was until she got back and saw the larva. The egg sacs might have taken a spill, but it apparently didn¡¯t kill the larvae, because it looked to Nyx like all of the chambers were now hatched.¡±

    ¡°Chambers?¡± Dusk said. ¡°How many?¡±

    Reeve considered the mental image Nyx had shared. The white mass looked like a foam made of huge pores. A lot of pores. ¡°Couple hundred?¡±

    ¡°There could be a couple hundred of those things in this wood?¡± Walter said loudly in Reeve¡¯s ear.

    She gritted her teeth. ¡°Maybe not that many left, a lot of the weaker ones probably didn¡¯t survive long enough to grow to that size, but, still, we need to get out of here fast. If they¡¯re innately drawn to the smell of spilled dragon blood the way their parents are¡­¡±

    ¡°Or,¡± Leaf said, ¡°if their parents smell the spilled blood of their kin¡­¡± Her already fast pace finally broke into a full run, and Reeve pushed herself to match.

    ¡°You think she¡¯ll be OK?¡± Walter said quietly.

    ¡°I hope so. She¡¯s tough. And honey badgers IRL are pretty resistant to venom. Hopefully, she is too.¡± The distance between Leaf and Reeve began to slowly widen, and Reeve made a mental note to work on her Stamina next time she leveled. ¡°Well, good thing the twins hit it with a fire spell when they did. Could¡¯ve been worse.¡± Reeve ran harder, shifting the naginata away from one of her father¡¯s hanging legs as she followed the winding trail.

    ¡°That was me,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°What was you?¡±

    ¡°I hit it with my bee smoker.¡±

    ¡°You what?¡± Reeve frowned but didn¡¯t try to turn to see her father¡¯s face. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I had to go fish it out of the stream before we left.¡±

    ¡°I thought you just dropped it somehow.¡± She felt her father shake his head.

    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s¡­well, that¡¯s actually impressive.¡±

    ¡°Wurmslayer has renewed his claim to his title.¡± Dawn¡¯s lilting voice floated up to Reeve, who grimaced lopsidedly.

    ¡°And I¡¯m Level 3 now,¡± Walter said.

    The path¡¯s descent steepened as it joined a creek that begin cutting the earth into a gulley more pronounced with every footfall.

    ¡°Already spent your points?¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±

    ¡°More beekeeper-pyro?¡±

    ¡°It seems like I have a good thing going.¡±

    Reeve mentally modified one of her favorite mantras, and repeated to herself several times, ¡°I give my parents permission to make bad choices.¡±

    Leaf slowed as the packed dirt path suddenly disappeared onto scattered, bouncy-ball-sized river rocks, the first of which the fallen elf leaped onto before skipping on to another and another. Reeve was careful to follow in her exact footsteps, finding it a challenge as the light, so bright only an hour earlier, seemed to dim with each leap.

    ¡°And, some more good news,¡± Walter said, ¡°if Bunce can make it through¡ª¡±

    ¡°Buns?¡±

    ¡°Bunce. The honey badger.¡±

    ¡°Why are you calling her Bunce now?¡±

    ¡°When I was naming her¡ª¡±

    ¡°You can name her?¡±

    ¡°¡ªyes, that¡¯s part of the good news. Listen.¡± Walter cleared his throat. ¡°With no concern to the risk of your own life, you have selflessly attempted to defend that of your non-anthophile Companion, who, if she survives her injuries, will dedicate herself to you in the way that you have dedicated yourself to her.¡±

    Walter emitted a few small coughs, prompting Reeve to pause on a large rock and glance over her shoulder. ¡°Are you crying?¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°It¡¯s sweet, Honey.¡±

    Reeve jumped to the next rock. ¡°And you named her Bunce?¡±

    ¡°Well, not on purpose.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°I was trying to hang on to you and listen about the dragon lava, and when it gave me the option to name my companion, I tried to think of something related to honey, and I thought of a cereal I liked when I was a kid¡­I may have just rushed trying to tell the game what I meant, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Bunce.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Won¡¯t let me change it now.¡±

    ¡°No, once you name a companion, that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°I should also now be able to influence the behavior of bees.¡±

    ¡°Just need some bees.¡±

    ¡°Yes, just need some bees.¡±

    Reeve jumped from stone to stone to stone, the walls of the gulley rising high around them.

    ¡°But,¡± Walter said, ¡°the thing is that I still don¡¯t really want to have anything to do with bees.¡±

    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t,¡± Reeve said. Keeping an eye on Leaf¡¯s choice of landing points, she glanced up and saw that the rocks ahead were smaller and the slope of the terrain flatter. ¡°Any sign of the drag?¡ªthe serpent things¡ªbehind?¡±

    Walter turned. ¡°No, just the twins.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t count as serpents?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Evie!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. They¡¯re alright. Hold on, last big jump.¡± Reeve leaped to follow Leaf onto a gravely shelf, from which it looked like the path continued along the wall of the gulley.

    ¡°Quickly, now,¡± Leaf said. ¡°Once on the other side of the ford we should be beyond the dragon¡¯s summer territory and in safer land under the protection of Fellgrave.¡± She turned and resumed her light run.

    Reeve pushed the badger farther up her shoulder and resumed her own, more encumbered run. ¡°So, can you see more info in your Companion Log now?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Yes, it looks like Bunce is Unconscious and Poisoned. That doesn¡¯t sound good.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not. Can you see her health?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a thingy but it looks empty.¡±

    Reeve nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what I was afraid of. She may basically stay like this and eventually die, unless we can improve her condition with some sort of healing, at least that¡¯s how it¡¯d work for most player races¡­look, it¡¯s the ford! Still no drag??¡±

    ¡°Just the twins, who, I would remind you, have been very understanding about my little mishaps.¡±

    ¡°This is it.¡± Reeve slowed as she ran from the gravel onto finer sand. She stopped next to Leaf and Nyx, and the twins flanked them almost immediately, seemingly unwinded despite the pain in Reeve¡¯s sides and the deep breaths she found herself taking. The creek they had followed was spreading wide as it ran toward the massive River Deiluyne, which lay before them. Upriver, its great flow emerged from between cliffs, the southern remnants of which the party had just descended by way of the gulley. On the opposite side, the river bank stretched into open plain. A league or more from the river, a haphazard array of moss-covered stones marked the site of some ancient ruin. Between Reeve¡¯s party and that plain, the river ran shallow and more than a mile wide, its whitewater continuing downriver toward the low sun and disappearing after a few hundred yards over a drop of a height none but Leaf knew.

    ¡°Let us not tarry,¡± Leaf said. ¡°The presence of the drag?, and their uncertain breed, is unsettling. We should put the river between us and them with haste.¡± She looked at Reeve. ¡°You can suffer your burden yet? Though shallow on a half-orc, the current is swift and could carry a halfling toward the cataracts that lie downstream.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Reeve said, ¡°we have some experience with that. I¡¯m fine, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Leaf nodded and led the party forward into the river that began as water not even deep enough to cover the tiny stones around which it lay but quickly climbed their ankles, calves, and knees, coming to rest on Leaf¡¯s and the twins¡¯ upper thighs, just above Reeve¡¯s knee, and high on Nyx¡¯s chest. Though strong, the current was reliably steady, and they found the footing consistent, their progress slow but reassuring.

    ¡°L-lava! Draguh! Larva! Larva! No, larvae! Lots of larvae!¡±

    Reeve stumbled as she tilted her head away from her father¡¯s shouts. She didn¡¯t look back, not wanting to risk a slip while turning with her two burdens. ¡°How many?¡±

    ¡°All of them!¡±

    Reeve shook her head. Plowing forward through the water, she called to Leaf, who had turned to assess the bank from which they¡¯d come. ¡°Bad?¡±

    ¡°Easily two score.¡± She waved Reeve and the twins forward.

    ¡°They at the water?¡±

    ¡°Just reaching it...¡°

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°They have stopped short, unwilling, it seems, to enter.¡±

    ¡°That one back in the woods didn¡¯t seem worried about striking the honey¡ª

    ¡°¡ªBunce!¡± Walter yelled, panic elevating the word.

    ¡°¡ªBunce. It struck right out over the water.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps the River Deiluyne is more intimidating than a small woodland stream.¡±

    Reeve pushed on. They were a quarter of the way into a crossing that would likely take the better part of an hour, and she didn¡¯t want to give a single drag? time to decide it fancied a swim.

    The only sounds around them were those of water. Reeve had always enjoyed the deep whoosh created back in the days when she walked in the shallows at the beach or in a wading pool, and she fell into a rhythm, the music of the water muting the threat behind and creating a trancelike state. Her companions likewise trudged on, their thoughts their own.

    After hundreds of measured steps, the waves on the water before Reeve darkened, and she looked to their left to find the sun disappearing below the horizon at the point of the river¡¯s unseen plunge.

    ¡°We¡¯ve still got a good hour before last light,¡± she said loudly, trying to overcome the noise all around them, ¡°but we should get out of here quickly so we can find a safe spot and make camp.¡± More quietly, she said for the benefit of her father, ¡°I remember how swimming in the Jacob¡¯s pool at night was an exciting treat, but, in this world, I¡¯ve never found a body of water you want to be in after dark.¡± She glanced up at the unobstructed sky that stretched around them in all directions. ¡°I also want to find some sort of concealment in case the mama and papa dragons or the juveniles join the party.¡±

    Leaf and Nyx stopped ahead of them and stood still as the current continued to flow past. Reeve received a sense of anxious uncertainty from Nyx.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Reeve said, approaching the two.

    ¡°The water¡­,¡± Leaf said.

    Reeve and the twins reached the point where Leaf and Nyx stood. A stinging chill seeped into Reeve¡¯s already cold leggings and boots. ¡°It¡¯s colder,¡± she said. ¡°Way colder.¡±

    ¡°Could this part of the river be coming from a lower, colder part of the river upstream?¡± Walter said, having to imagine what the others were feeling from his dry perch on Reeve¡¯s back.

    Dawn raised her hands, cupped. ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of cold, Wurmslayer,¡± she said, turning to look upstream, then down.

    Three figures in cloaks that blended almost perfectly with the whitewater rose from the river directly in front of the party, water shedding from them and leaving them dry as though they¡¯d never been touched by it, their hands held in front of them in an odd position that reminded Reeve of someone playing an old console game but with an invisible controller. As Leaf drew her cudgel, Reeve raised her naginata and glanced over her shoulder to find the twins beginning to push spells forward, but she also saw three more of the cloaks behind them. Nyx sprang high out of the water toward the nearest figure at the same moment that all six of figures raised their hands above their hooded heads and then drove them down toward the river¡¯s surface. The footing beneath Reeve gave way, and she plunged into bottomless water, the fading light of the sun immediately lost, her father and the honey badger stripped from her, the chill she felt deepening as her thoughts became muddled and then went entirely dark.

 Chapter 10.1 Unleashed (Book I)

    Reeve¡¯s eyes struggled to focus on the creamy light moving before her. She pinched and opened them wide a few times and decided she was looking at¡­a ceiling onto which light was reflecting off of water. She rolled her head to the side and took in a room carved of smooth, nearly white soapstone. She and most of her party lay on stone platforms that ringed the circular wall. Turning to push herself up, she found the stone bed cushioned with something that looked like water but felt rubbery.

    Walter sat, legs crossed, in the middle of the room between a lumpy black and white rug and a reflecting pool only slightly larger than a hot tub, which was set flush into the floor. He wore some sort of loose robe that was nondescript save for its bright orange color. Leaf and the twins wore similar robes where they lay, apparently still out cold, and Reeve was disappointed when she looked down to find herself attired in the same. She swung her legs off the platform and pushed up to a full sitting position. Tenting out the neck of the robe, she saw that all she had on beneath was the stained undershirt and breeches she usually wore under her leather armor.

    She looked around again. It wasn¡¯t a rug; it was the unmoving body of Bunce. Forming the final point of an odd triangle, a bird, maybe half a yard high, stood near Bunce and Walter. White feathers fringed with faint blues and yellows covered the bird¡¯s body. Its head, which had a long black bill and a pronounced broad crest at the back, reminded Reeve of a backward hammer. The bird pecked Walter on the knee, and he absentmindedly reached out and stroked its head until the bird pecked at his hand and he withdrew it.

    ¡°My weapons¡­¡± Reeve sat up straighter and looked around the room. She didn¡¯t see her naginata or bow¡­or Nyx. She patted her waist as she called up her UI, dismissed a host of port error messages, and found that her small hatchet and the miscellaneous small weapons she kept in her Inventory were also gone. She felt as queasy as when someone had stolen from her locker at school. She¡¯d never had items disappear from her Inventory without her knowledge¡ªshe didn¡¯t even know that was a thing. Her Companion Log indicated Nyx¡¯s approximate direction and nothing else. But at least the cheetah was alive.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Leaf stirred, then sat up quickly, looked around the room, met Reeve¡¯s eyes, and rolled to her feet to begin a quick circuit. ¡°All are safe?¡± She said as she passed Reeve, who rose from her bed.

    ¡°Think so.¡±

    Leaf continued her circuit, and Reeve walked to where her father sat. She placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You OK?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like seeing you in the ICU,¡± Walter said.

    Reeve knew her accident, the time she¡¯d spent in the hospital, and everything that¡¯d followed was a big deal to her parents, like, the biggest, but she honestly couldn¡¯t even remember large chunks of it or her life from before and never knew what to say. She tried every day to love who she was¡ªnot then, but now¡ªand move on. It seemed to be harder for them. She looked around for a change of topic. ¡°What¡¯s with the bird?¡±

    ¡°It was here when I woke up. Seems to like me, though.¡±

    ¡°You seen anyone? Other than the party?¡±

    ¡°No, just us.¡±

    ¡°Your weapons gone?¡±

    Walter looked down at his chest and patted at the front of his robe. ¡°I guess so.¡± He looked inside the neck of the robe as Reeve had a moment prior. ¡°I liked those suspenders.¡±

    The sound of fabric moving caused Reeve to turn in time to see Dusk rise from her bed. Reeve had to suppress a sour feeling as she found that Dusk looked both elegant and badass despite the shapeless orange robe, which looked nearly magical against her dark skin. But, Reeve thought, if she¡¯d cared about looks over other attributes, she wouldn¡¯t have chosen a half-orc character. She nodded to the half-elf, who returned the gesture and then woke her sister via a small flick of Dawn¡¯s petite nose.

    Leaf joined the group standing around Bunce in the middle of the room. ¡°I see no means of entry or egress,¡± she said.

    The bird pecked Walter on the knee.

    ¡°Our weapons are gone,¡± Reeve said.

    Leaf nodded.

    The bird looked at Reeve, then pecked Walter on the thigh.

    Dusk and then Dawn joined the group, standing behind the bird. Dusk raised her hands to display her palms. ¡°We cannot cast here.¡±

    The bird turned one dark eye to Dusk and then Dawn and then pecked Walter on the side of a hairy big toe.

    ¡°Ow. Now that one hurt,¡± Walter said. Roused from his vigil, he looked up at the group standing over him.

    The bird pecked Walter on the knee, and there was a blinding light accompanied by an explosive clap and every standing member of the party was thrown backward to impact the nearest wall.

 Chapter 10.2 The Wonderful Wa (Book I)

    ¡°Ohmagod.¡± The only way Reeve knew she was speaking aloud was the sensation of her sore jaw moving against the cold stone floor. She pushed herself up to sit against the wall she¡¯d impacted. The cottony sensation and accompanying whine she¡¯d experienced during the lightning storm were back. She looked around. Leaf, Dusk, and Dawn were also struggling to rise. She didn¡¯t see her dad anywhere, and a dark-skinned woman dressed in a white fleecy gown and white feather boa lay unconscious on the floor next to Bunce, who was now lying on her back. The whine began to fade, and Reeve dazedly watched Walter respawn on the bed two spots to the right of her. ¡°Ow,¡± she thought she heard him say.

    Reeve pulled up her logs.

    The Wonderful Wa summons Lightning and Thunder Clap.

    The Wonderful Wa strikes Reavyr (II) with Lightning using Direct Contact Amplifier for 25 points of damage.

    Reavyr (II) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    The Wonderful Wa hits Silver Leaf with Thunder Clap (AOE) for 8 points of damage.

    The Wonderful Wa hits you with Thunder Clap (AOE) for 5 points of damage.

    The Wonderful Wa hits Dusk with Thunder Clap (AOE) for 10 points of damage.

    The Wonderful Wa hits Dawn with Thunder Clap (AOE) for 9 points of damage.

    The Wonderful Wa (impundulu form, unarmored) is in the AOE of her own spell, Thunder Clap, and receives 9 points of damage. The Wonderful Wa is unconscious.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Reeve rolled forward toward a hands-and-knees position, but her robe¡¯s sleeves caught under her legs, and she couldn¡¯t extend her arms sufficiently and face-planted onto the stone.

    ¡°Oh. My. Freaking. Guhwhu¡ª¡° She tripped again as she tried to rise and began an awkward hopping dance in an effort to get the robe out from under her without going down again. Making it fully upright, robe finally out from under her, she stood still and grunted loudly, arms straight at her side, fists tight. Grasping the robe to raise the hem from the ground, she strode forward determinedly and then dropped the robe as she sank to her knees next to the white-clad woman. She grasped one of the woman¡¯s shoulders through the boa that swathed it and shook her gently. Then more firmly. She watched the woman¡¯s toneless face rock back and forth for a few seconds before her eyelids fluttered. Reeve sat back. The flutters became blinks. After a minute or so, her eyes managed to open fully and focus on Reeve. The woman smiled, revealing beautifully white teeth that sparkled against the backdrop of her dark skin.

    Reeve sighed. ¡°Hi, Mom.¡±

    The woman¡¯s smile deepened into that of parental love, and she opened her mouth and promptly contracted like an implosion, leaving an extremely startled-looking hammer-headed bird lying on its back, wings half extended. The bird¡¯s sticklike legs waved awkwardly in the air for a moment, until the wings began trying to assist in righting it. It rolled around uncomfortably on the smooth stone for a few seconds before its tail rose higher in the air and, by tucking its neck to the side, the bird rolled tail over head onto its chest, face pressed sideways against the smooth stone and stick legs extended out behind it. Still using the wings in a fashion that suggested the bird thought they were arms, it jerkily pushed itself up onto angular wing edges and then what Reeve thought might be bird knees¡ªankles? wrists?¡ªbefore making it to its feet. The bird fixed an eye on Reeve, who stared down at it from her kneeling position.

    ¡°Well, it was a nice moment while it lasted, Mom.¡±

    Without speaking or providing any indication of its intentions, the bird expanded explosively into a full-sized, boa-wearing woman, knocking both Wanda and Reeve Williams unconscious.

 Chapter 10.3 Trill (Book I)

    ¡°Orc teeth grow back. Right?¡± Reeve said, her words slurred by a lower lip that felt as big and floppy as a latex glove full of water.

    ¡°They do,¡± Dusk said from where she sat on her stone bed, ¡°so yours should grow half-back, half-orc.¡±

    Dusk¡¯s grin was playful, but Reeve still felt slightly annoyed as she considered the perfect, shining, complete set of teeth in the grin.

    Reeve turned away from the immaculate smile. ¡°How long did she stay as a woman this time?¡± The bird in question was watching Walter, who, prone on his bed, was queasily waiting out the death debuff.

    ¡°Only until she regained consciousness,¡± Dusk said, ¡°then, zwoop.¡± She used her hands to pantomime sudden shrinking.

    Reeve stood and walked over to her father¡¯s bed, where she leaned against the wall and slid down to sit with her head near his. ¡°I think some of the pre-release features Viv added to accompany the higher level AIs must involve new races. Mom¡¯s apparently a shape-shifting bird, an impundulu, which I¡¯ve never heard of before.¡±

    Walter¡¯s head nodded, but his face remained buried in the bed¡¯s watery cushion.

    ¡°She seems to be having some trouble controlling the shift.¡± Reeve tongued the gap in her front teeth.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure your mother will do whatever you need her to do, Evie,¡± the halfling said into his bed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll try,¡± Reeve said. Raising her gaze and her voice to catch Leaf¡¯s and the twin¡¯s attention, she said, ¡°You know anything about the race my mom is? Impundulu?¡± Reeve turned, startled, as her father was the first to respond.

    ¡°It does sound familiar.¡± He raised his head an inch. ¡°Granpapa and Grannana told me stories about the impundulu when I was little, I think.¡±

    ¡°Your grandparents?¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Walter lowered his head, his words becoming muffled again. ¡°Something about storms. Haven¡¯t thought about that in years.¡± He exhaled into the bed. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the details, but those stories scared me something good¡­I wonder if that¡¯s why I¡¯m not the greatest fan of weather?¡±

    Reeve looked away from her father, trying to process the generational knowledge that had suddenly resurfaced, decades later, in her story mode. Leaf was nodding.

    ¡°What little I know matches Wurmslayer¡¯s account.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard of it too?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Only a few stories, heard long ago from elders by the cooking fire. ¡®Lightning bird,¡¯ they called it. A shapeshifter that needs to dine upon blood.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Reeve said, ¡°that clinches it. The lightning and shapeshifting were already enough, but if she¡¯s going to need to feed on blood to keep her health up...¡± Reeve snapped her fingers toward the bird, which affixed her in its gaze and started toward her. ¡°Hold on! Just stay there!¡± Reeve said. The bird stopped. ¡°You can understand me?¡±

    The bird nodded.

    ¡°Awesome. I need you to log out. But wait!¡± Reeve extended both hands, palms raised, lest her mother leave without clear, simple instructions. ¡°Once you log out, I need you to come right back in, as quickly as you can, to tell us what¡¯s going on, but I need you to switch to a different race so that you can communicate with us without knocking us out,¡± she glanced at the top of her father¡¯s halfling head, ¡°or killing us with lightning. So, something simple¡ªhuman, dwarf, elf¡ªjust¡­simple.¡±

    The bird nodded.

    ¡°Simple. Then quick. ¡®Cause however long you¡¯re out there will be seven hundred times longer for us in here.¡±

    The bird disappeared.

    With a speed she found slightly concerning, Reeve put her mother¡¯s comings and goings out of her mind. She decided Future Reeve could worry about that. ¡°Any change with Bunce?¡±

    Dawn, who had been pacing, stopped next to the honey badger, whom they hadn¡¯t bothered to roll back upright. ¡°Alas, nothing yet.¡± She gently prodded Bunce with the toe of her boot. ¡°Though she seems no worse from the bird¡¯s lightning and thunder.¡±

    ¡°Tough cookie,¡± Walter said into his bed.

    Reeve returned her attention to the issue of how they¡¯d gotten into this windowless, doorless room of stone, and how and when they¡¯d be getting out. After her father had respawned on his bed, she¡¯d checked her own spawn and found that it¡¯d updated to the room as well, so an intentional death to respawn somewhere earlier in their travel wouldn¡¯t fly.

    Reeve leaned her head back against the cool stone and stared up at the wavering light being cast onto the ceiling. It reminded her of looking up at the underside of the Jacobs¡¯ patio umbrella and watching afternoon light, thrown back skyward by their pool, ripple across the fabric. It was soothing. She tongued at the empty spot in her teeth, which still tasted faintly of metal, and dropped her gaze to the reflecting pool. The pool was still, and on its surface, she could again watch the light dance across the ceiling. She raised her head slowly and looked around for the source of the light. There were no torches or other visible point sources. It seemed to emanate steadily from the walls. She rose. Once on her feet, she stretched to place a palm against the ceiling, which was cool to the touch. The dancing light remained upon the ceiling and did not spread to her hand. ¡°The light¡¯s coming through¡­,¡± she said. She looked at her companions. ¡°We¡¯re underwater.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Reeve¡¯s companions, save Walter, who kept his face buried in his bed, turned as the water in the pool began to move, and Reeve had an uncanny feeling that the water had been spurred to action by her conclusion. The water¡¯s motion was subtle, as though a gentle plume had risen from below to spread horizontally along the boundary with the air.

    Three heads broke the surface simultaneously, their unexpected appearance from the pool all the eerier due to the complete absence of water on their hair, skin, and orange robes once free of the surface. The three¡ªtwo female, one male¡ªwere elves, and their robes were identical to those worn by Reeve and her party, save for a thick black band of cloth ringings the cuffs at the end of each sleeve.

    One of the female elves stepped from the pool and looked around, her gaze stopping when it reached Reeve, her expression curious. She was no less beautiful than the twins, tall like them, with a complexion somewhere between their extremes. She too wore her long hair braided, but in two braids that fell from either side of her neck and spiraled like a helix down her back. Her hair might once have been entirely black, but silver strands were now sprinkled throughout, and by some process Reeve could not begin to guess, the black hairs all found their way into one braid of the helix and the silver hairs into the other. ¡°Child,¡± she said, ¡°I can assure you that the ceiling can stand without your assistance. I myself carved this room from the soapstone.¡±

    Reeve lowered her hand. ¡°We¡¯re underwater,¡± she said.

    ¡°An astute observation,¡± the elf said, ¡°though perhaps less so considering we brought you here through the River Deiluyne.¡±

    ¡°You brought us? Where are we?¡±

    The elf smiled, and a pronounced dimple formed in her left cheek. With the dimple drawing her attention, Reeve saw a faint scar that ran from near one ear almost to the corner of her mouth. ¡°Sadly,¡± the elf said, ¡°I seldom have time to venture outside these days. It was our sentinels who saw you in distress and brought you here.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡±

    The elf looked around again at the members of the party. ¡°Food and water will be brought. Please rest. Once we can determine that you mean us no harm, you will be able to roam the camp or continue on your way. You may even join our cause, if you choose.¡±

    Annoyed that her question had been ignored, Reeve reached back slightly and nudged Walter. ¡°Dad,¡± she said quietly, ¡°do your thing.¡±

    Walter¡¯s head rolled to the side so slowly that Reeve was afraid the elves would be gone before he spoke, but after a few seconds, he said, ¡°Oh. Hi there. You¡¯re new.¡± He raised his head slightly and looked around the room. ¡°The robes make everyone look the same.¡±

    ¡°Where is here?¡± Reeve said quietly to him.

    ¡°Where is here?¡± Walter said.

    The stern expressions of the two elves who had yet to speak or move turned to warm smiles, and the male began to step from the pool.

    A sharp look from the lead elf caused him to freeze and step back onto the surface of the water, but when the leader turned her attention back to Reeve, the male elf¡¯s expression became an apologetic one for Walter¡¯s benefit.

    Well, thought Reeve, I guess we know which one of you three is a Level 4 AI.

    ¡°Here,¡± the lead elf said, ¡°is our refugee camp. More information you will receive once we understand your intentions and whether you be friend or foe. That we will determine soon enough, once we have a chance to hear your tale in full. For now, tell me but the purpose of your travel. What brought you to the Deiluyne?¡±

    ¡°We travel to Fellgrave,¡± Dusk said.

    The elf looked at Dusk, then Dawn, before glancing at Leaf and Reeve. She looked back to Dusk. ¡°You do not know?¡± She shook her head slowly. ¡°Then it is unfortunate that I must be the one to tell you. Fellgrave has been razed. All of Ase Thhia has fallen. The members of the Royal House have fled or been slain.¡± She examined the faces of each member of the party. ¡°I would not recommend traveling north of the Deiluyne. There are no laws to protect you there, and soon the other kingdoms will likely hasten to carve the carcass of that which was Ase Thhia, if they do not seek to take the whole empire for themselves outright.¡±

    Reeve¡¯s stomach churned for a moment as Dawn and Dusk exchanged a look Reeve read as poorly masked fear. After a few seconds of thought, Reeve frowned and shook her head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. Our next objective is pretty obviously in Fellgrave.¡± She gestured to the twins. ¡°We saved them from kobolds, and they need to get to Fellgrave to rescue the mage to whom they¡¯re apprenticed.¡± She nodded toward Leaf. ¡°There conveniently was a guide for us in Werfendale, so it¡¯s pretty obvious Fellgrave¡¯s the next stop.¡± And I¡¯ve seen playthroughs of Fellgrave posted online, she thought. I haven¡¯t watched them, but it wouldn¡¯t¡­Reeve looked at the elf, then down at her father, who was staring vacantly off the side of his bed. Her stomach tightened. ¡°No one,¡± she said quietly, ¡°not even the devs, can predict what¡¯s going to happen next.¡±

    ¡°Daughter of the woods,¡± the elf said, ¡°I fear that your words confuse me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, no, sorry, they would.¡±

    The elf looked at her a moment longer. ¡°If you will pardon me, I had come to request first the company of the daughters of two worlds.¡± She gestured to the twins.

    Only half registering the elf¡¯s words, Reeve struggled to process the new game reality, now that they¡¯d clearly diverged from the scripted story mode. She had a million questions, and the elf apparently wasn¡¯t going to be answering any of them at the moment. Reeve decided she¡¯d be happy to have some time to think and to try to bring her dad up to speed on what might be going on.

    ¡°Child?¡±

    Reeve focused back on the elf. ¡°Yeah, you do you.¡±

    The elf looked to the twins and with the sweep of an arm prompted them toward the pool. The twins exchanged a glance, then walked shoulder-to-shoulder to the edge, where each hesitantly extended a boot to dip in the water. The boots did not break the surface, though, instead finding it firm. The twins stepped onto the water and stood between the two other elves who, despite occasional, practically longing, glances toward Walter, had managed to remain silent.

    ¡°We will call for each in turn,¡± the lead elf said as she stepped onto the water. ¡°Please rest in the meantime and enjoy the food that will be brought to you.¡±

    Reeve watched the five begin to descend into the water, which seemed to avoid them like it would have oil, their robes not becoming visibly heavier as they submerged. Reeve met Dusk¡¯s eyes and gave the half-elf a nod. Dusk returned the gesture and then took a quick breath the moment before her face disappeared below the surface. The water undulated gently for a few moments, and then the room was silent. Leaf emitted a small, derisive grunt and sat back on her bed.

    A high tone began to play across the room, the sound soon dropping toward a lower octave and then adding a trill before slowly fading out entirely.

    ¡°Ohmagod,¡± Reeve said. She walked slowly to her bed and sat down.

    ¡°I¡¯m finally starting to feel better,¡± Walter said. He pushed himself to a sitting position. ¡°What was that sound?¡±

    ¡°Honey badger gas,¡± Reeve said, resting her face in her palms and wondering where her feed¡¯s POV was when it captured that classy moment.

 Chapter 11.1 Avenged (Book I)

    ¡°All I¡¯m saying, Evie, is that maybe they got sidetracked, and we should go find the food ourselves.¡± Walter stared down at the pool¡¯s water, which had shown no signs of activity since the twins¡¯ departure with the three robed elves.

    Reeve paced, still mulling over the implications of the updated, more open version of the story mode, which seemed profoundly different in many ways, yet unchanged in that she still couldn¡¯t find a way to log out. ¡°Sure, Dad. Give it a try,¡± she said without thought, her focus on whether they should continue pursuing the twins¡¯ storyline, which now seemed to be a dead-end, or look for some other objective.

    As Reeve kept walking, mumbling to herself, Walter¡¯s stomach grumbled, and he decided he¡¯d quickly pop downstairs using the water elevator and see what he could find in the way of a snack. He¡¯d already consumed everything edible in his Inventory, and he knew all too well how often his little body needed to eat lest he start feeling weak and shaky. He inched to the pool¡¯s edge and cautiously extended one bare foot to place weight on its surface like the twins had. Met with only the negligible resistance of water tension, his foot slid straight through, and he fell face-first into the pool with a suddenness that startled even him, despite his growing r¨¦sum¨¦ of fall-related accidents.

    Roused from her ruminations by the splash, Reeve spun to find a head already rising out of the water, but it was not her father¡¯s. It belonged to the male elf who¡¯d accompanied the female boss elf during the earlier visit. He was smiling giddily, and as he rose farther Reeve saw that he was holding Walter¡¯s sputtering halfling under one arm while in the other carrying a wooden platter covered with fruits and nuts. The elf and the food were dry. Walter was not.

    The elf stepped out of the pool and reverently placed Walter on legs already starting to shiver. Walter¡¯s wet robe clung tightly to his tiny frame, and Reeve thought he looked something like a halfling hourglass¡ªthe robe wrapping around bulging arms then narrowing to a tiny chest and thighs before flaring back out unexpectedly around his lower legs, all perched over large, hairy feet. Reeve squinted at Walter¡¯s lower legs. ¡°Whatcha got going on there, Dad?¡±

    Walter looked down and crossed his arms, the shivering beginning to migrate up his body. ¡°I have leveled a few times.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been putting it all into Charisma and Strength?¡°

    Walter nodded and bent to peel his robe up from massive, muscled calves. ¡°I¡¯m still getting the hang of how to apply the Strength points.¡±

    Reeve sucked at the gap in her teeth. ¡°What¡¯s your Charisma now?¡°

    ¡°Forty-eight.¡°

    ¡°That would explain your not-so-secret admirer here.¡± Reeve gestured to the elf, who was staring adoringly at Walter, waiting, it seemed, to be graced with the halfling¡¯s attention.

    Walter looked at the subject of Reeve¡¯s gesture and said, ¡°Oh, hi there.¡±

    The elf performed a full-depth bow, keeping the platter steady throughout. ¡°Compliments of the Council,¡± he said, extending the platter, and then bowed again.

    ¡°Oooh, snacks!¡± Walter said. Turning toward Reeve, he mouthed, ¡°Natural charisma,¡± before focusing his attention on the platter. ¡°Just what I needed. How considerate.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, except we still don¡¯t know where we are, what this camp is, where our weapons are, and how we¡¯ll get out of this room, which amounts to a cell.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯d you say these are from?¡± Walter said as he ate a plum, juice running down his shivering chest.

    ¡°The camp Council, Sir. Though, I admit, I may myself have added a few embellishments to the usual ration.¡± The elf pointed to a couple of small loaves of bread that apparently were the standard fare for guests of the camp.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll give them our thanks, won¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°No thanks are needed, Sir, though it¡¯s extraordinarily gracious of you.¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯re their captives, Dad,¡± Reeve said.

    Still chewing the plum, Walter started collecting a handful of almonds from a wooden bowl. ¡°Was that other elf, who came earlier during my death double-step, one of these Counselors? Either way, please thank her for us too.¡±

    ¡°Eh, fine,¡± Reeve said to herself with a dismissive wave, resuming her pacing and trying to remember her line of thought about the twins angle or other story-direction options they might explore.

    ¡°Helia, our Da?ymie, leads the camp¡¯s Council, as well as its scouts, guards, and troops.¡±

    ¡°Say what?¡± Reeve said, stopping, her attention snapping back to her father¡¯s conversation with his doe-eyed admirer. ¡°Keep him talking, Dad.¡±

    ¡°Are these figs?¡± Walter said. ¡°I never could figure out figs.¡±

    ¡°About the camp,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Those are dates,¡± the elf said.

    Walter looked up and froze in Reeve¡¯s glare. He looked back at the elf. ¡°Do you like to camp? And what¡¯s your name by the way? I always do better when I have a name to put to a face.¡±

    ¡°Not camping,¡± Reeve said, ¡°this camp we¡¯re in.¡±

    ¡°I am Starling, and I have lived most of my life in the woods. And, you, Sir?¡±

    Walter was now crunching loudly on a mouthful of almonds. ¡°Walter, though the twins insist on calling me Wurmslayer. Dawn at least; Dusk seems to be calling me Walter now too. In terms of where I¡¯ve lived, the longest address I¡¯ve lived at was a house on Broadford, where I grew up in Detroit, but now we¡¯re over on¡ª¡°If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Reeve quickly approached her father, gripped both sides of his head, and turned his face toward hers. ¡°We do not need his life story, and he may want to hear yours, but we don¡¯t have time for that. Ask him questions about this ¡®Helia¡¯ and about the camp. What they¡¯re doing, where they came from, why we¡¯re here, when we¡¯ll be let out. Capeesh?¡±

    Walter nodded, swallowing the almonds. Reeve gently but firmly turned his head to face Starling, then released it.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this Julio?¡± Walter said.

    Reeve hung her head.

    ¡°Helia, Wurmslayer, is the warrior who led us against the ice-orc tribe. When their numbers threatened to overwhelm us, she brought us south to safety, in search of a new land in which to settle.¡±

    Walter looked at Reeve, who nodded encouragingly. He looked back at Starling. ¡°And, is this where you¡¯re settling?¡± He looked around the room, then up at the light shimmering through the ceiling. ¡°Uh, under this¡­between the dragon forest and the, um¡­¡± He circled his pointer finger through the air, eloquently evoking the local world.

    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Starling said, ¡°this is simply the base of operation the Da?ymie has established as we finish preparing the soil of our new homeland. Once that task is complete, we will rise from the river and build our empire in the ruins of Ase Thhia. Would you like more plums? I can fetch them.¡±

    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°That would be fantastic, Starling,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Timeout.¡± Reeve gripped the elf¡¯s cuff, as he was already half-turned toward the pool.

    ¡°Did your people have anything to do with the fall of the Royal House? Of Fellgrave? Ase Thhia?¡±

    Starling turned a cold expression to Reeve. ¡°And you are, half-orc?¡±

    ¡°Dad,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°More almonds would be nice too.¡±

    Reeve widened her eyes and stepped hard on Walter¡¯s hairy foot.

    ¡°Ow! Um, did you¡­something¡­the Royal House? And when can we leave? And¡­,¡± Walter squinted at Reeve, who pantomimed slashing her naginata through the air, ¡°¡­do you play baseball?¡±

    Reeve¡¯s eyes bulged wider. She tried miming thrusting with her naginata.

    ¡°Do you want to play tug of war?¡±

    Reeve grunted and tilted her head to the side in disbelief. ¡°Where are our weapons?¡± She said in a whisper-shout.

    ¡°Right. Where are our weapons?¡±

    Starling smiled at Walter. ¡°Yes, of course, you would want to make sure we were taking care of your blades, Wurmslayer. They are being held in the armory. As to when you might be leaving¡­,¡± the elf¡¯s expression became apologetic, ¡°¡­now that Helia has learned how to reset to this room the location at which you regenerate, I gather that she is in no hurry to see you free. The half-humans with whom you travel bear some significant interest for her, but you are¡ªin her eyes only, you understand¡ªexpendable.¡± Starling looked legitimately pained to share the news. ¡°However,¡± the elf¡¯s eye¡¯s brightened, ¡°that means that we will be able to enjoy your company indefinitely!¡±

    Reeve nudged Walter.

    ¡°And, the Royal House?¡±

    ¡°I have heard tell that it was Helia¡¯s private guard that lead the attack on the Royal House. Our scouts hunt the few survivors yet.¡±

    ¡°Dad, a minute?¡± Reeve said, grasping Walter by his thick upper arm and walking him backward toward Leaf¡¯s bed, where the fallen elf had been sitting, observing the exchange.

    ¡°This is not a refugee camp¡­,¡± Reeve said quietly once they were standing next to Leaf.

    ¡°¡­it is a war camp,¡± Leaf said.

    ¡°And Helia has us trapped here, weaponless. Plus, she has the twins who-knows-where.¡±

    ¡°I regret my transgression,¡± Leaf said, ¡°and I am resigned to walk the world for the remainder of my days as a Fallen, but I feel no responsibility to stay here and suffer at the hands of these elves with a hunger for power and delusions of grandeur.¡±

    ¡°So, if my dad and I¡ª¡°

    ¡°¡ªand Bunce,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°¡ªand Bunce were going to get out of here, you¡¯d come?¡±

    ¡°My pledge was to guide you to the northern lands,¡± Leaf said. ¡°Whether or not you still seek that as your final destination, I will see you out of this river before deciding where next I journey.¡±

    ¡°What about Dawn and Dusk?¡± Walter said, wiping his hand on his robe.

    ¡°Well¡­,¡± Reeve thought back through the various options she¡¯d been weighing, ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to be trying to go to Fellgrave anymore. And, you know our goal of wrapping up their mission quickly, Dad, so that we could, you know, move on, get back home?¡± Reeve looked pointedly at her father.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°It seems like that¡¯s probably a dead end now. So, I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s any point. I don¡¯t even know if they care whether we stick around.¡±

    Walter looked at Reeve, his expression one of disappointment. ¡°Reeve, we¡¯ve come a long way together, and we told those girls we would help them find their magic man.¡±

    ¡°I know, Dad, but, number one, it¡¯s ¡®mage¡¯¡ªdon¡¯t ever call anyone in here a ¡®magic man¡¯¡ªand, number two, he¡¯s probably dead. The city we were going to look for him in has been destroyed, by, it turns out, our current hosts.¡±

    ¡°But we don¡¯t just walk out on people without even saying goodbye, Evie. That¡¯s not the Williams way.¡±

    Reeve¡¯s shoulders slumped. She looked at Leaf and raised a finger to request patience, then led her father across the room, past Starling, whose smile as they walked past appeared directly proportional to how close Walter was to him.

    They stopped beside Dusk¡¯s vacant bed. ¡°Dad, these are not people we¡¯d be walking out on, they¡¯re characters in a game. They only exist inside my VR system that¡¯s sitting next to my school desk in my bedroom. That¡¯s where all of this is happening. There, and in our heads. I,¡± Reeve pointed to her half-orc¡¯s face, ¡°am currently in my VR hammock where you left me. You,¡± she poked the halfling in the plum-juice-moistened robe, ¡°are lying across my beanbag chair. Probably drooling. Whether we escape this camp and find a way to log out soon or stick around in this room for months and then eventually get logged out by the safety feature, all these characters are going to be suspended sooner or later. Not just the basic NPCs, but our Level 4 frien¡­,¡± Reeve took a deep breath, ¡°¡­party members too.¡± She put her hands on her waist and looked at her father, willing him to understand.

    Walter¡¯s brow furrowed. He looked across the room at Bunce, and Leaf, and Starling. ¡°I know all that, Evie. But, still, it doesn¡¯t sit right with me.¡± He gestured at the twins¡¯ empty beds. ¡°They¡¯re counting on us. They have been counting on us. Maybe they still are, maybe they¡¯re not. But I don¡¯t think we should just ghoul them.¡±

    ¡°Ghost them.¡±

    ¡°We should talk to them. You said the Level 4 AIs¡ªsome people think they deserve rights and legal protection like the higher level AIs?¡±

    Reeve nodded slowly, her expression suggesting she did not like the direction the conversation was heading.

    ¡°Well, I understand that they may get paused when we eventually leave this world, but in the meantime, while we¡¯re here, this is where we are. You said so yourself at the cobalt camp: that as long as we are trapped in here this all might as well be real. And it¡®s the only world they¡¯ll ever know, so it is real for them, and it seems like we should treat them the way we¡¯d want them to treat us if the roles were reversed. It¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªdon¡¯t say the Golden Rule.¡±

    ¡°¡ªthe Golden Rule.¡±

    Reeve and Walter stared at each other in silence.

    ¡°You¡¯re killing me,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°And,¡± Walter said, ¡°while we¡¯re waiting for the twins to come back, Starling has offered to get us some more snacks.¡±

    Reeve placed a huge hand on Walter¡¯s shoulder, which was shivering violently, and looked back at the elf, who seemed constitutionally incapable of not staring at Walter at all times. After half a minute she said, ¡°OK. But we¡¯re going to have him get us more than just snacks, Dad.¡±

 Chapter 11.2 A new robe (Book I)

    ¡°Starling,¡± Walter said, ¡°I am cold. Could you get me a dry robe?¡±

    Starling nodded and started to speak.

    ¡°And,¡± Walter said, ¡°after that, I¡¯d like to go retrieve my weapons from the armory.¡±

    Starling looked slightly less certain, but again nodded and started to speak.

    ¡°And,¡± Walter said, ¡°my companions will accompany us to the armory.¡±

    Starling looked with distaste at Reeve and Leaf.

    ¡°So,¡± Walter said, ¡°they will also need new robes that draw less attention.¡±

    Starling frowned.

    ¡°Preferably,¡± Walter said, ¡°robes of Helia¡¯s guard.¡±

    Starling gaped for a moment, then recovered and started to sputter out a protest.

    With a nudge from Reeve, Walter took one of Starling¡¯s hands in both of his and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Starling smiled like a morphine drip was starting to take effect.

    ¡°You¡¯re like a cult leader,¡± Reeve said quietly to Walter as Starling stepped aside and gestured them toward the pool.

    ¡°Safe now?¡± Walter said to the elf.

    Starling smiled. ¡°Yes, you shall acquire no additional moisture.¡±

    Walter, Reeve, and Leaf stepped onto the water of the pool. Starling looked uncertainly between the platter taking up one of his hands and the unconscious honey badger lying on the floor.

    ¡°Bunce can stay here until we return,¡± Walter said.

    Starling turned and joined them on the pool. Walter stood on tiptoes on the water to survey the food remaining on the platter and chose a pecan as they began to descend.

    IRL, Reeve¡¯s chore list no longer contained any entries, but hand-washing kitchenware that was not dishwasher safe was once her after-dinner responsibility. She remembered what it felt like when she would lower her dish-glove-clad hands into the sink, and water pressure would squeeze her hands inside the dry gloves. As her feet, legs, and then torso lowered into the water, she experienced a similar sensation. She descended, the pressure of the water against her increased, and once fully submerged her ears even began to ache, but she remained absolutely dry. She held her breath and suinted her eyes as the light from above faded, her father, Leaf, and their escort becoming vague gray shapes that slowly merged with the darkness. Her heart began to beat faster, and sweat prickled her scalp, which, being underwater, she found remarkably disconcerting. She wondered whether her breath would hold.

    A hand found her forearm. ¡°Breathe.¡± The words sounded distant and muffled. Reeve cautiously opened her mouth. No water entered. She relaxed her throat and slowly drew in air. It did not come easily, as though she were breathing through thick cloth, but it came.

    Wavering light appeared from below, dim when she first noticed it but soon bright enough to illuminate their group. A hand on her back prompted her to step toward the distorted surface before them, and she emerged from the column of water into a small, brightly lit room carved of the same soapstone. Breathing became easy again. She looked back at the curved vertical liquid surface from which Leaf now stepped. They all remained entirely dry.

    ¡°You should wait here while I visit the laundry for the robes,¡± Starling said to Walter. ¡°It is unusual for guests new to the camp to be out of their quarters, particularly while still wearing the robes of the just-arrived.¡± The elf indicated the party¡¯s solid-orange attire.

    ¡°Sure, great,¡± Reeve said. ¡°We¡¯ll just hang out in this tiny kill room until you get back.¡±

    The elf frowned at Reeve, but Walter lay one hand on his arm and said, ¡°We¡¯ll wait right here. Thank you for all of your assistance. It really means a lot.¡±

    Before Starling could turn, the female elf who had earlier accompanied him and Helia strode into the small room, starting to speak to Starling before she was fully through the door. ¡°Are you returning to the kitchens?¡± She began to take the platter from him, but, realizing that a half-orc was standing to her left, recoiled a step. Her eyes fell on Walter. ¡°You!¡± She said.

    ¡°Wurmslayer,¡± Starling said.

    ¡°Wurmslayer,¡± the female elf said in a hushed tone.

    ¡°Wurmslayer,¡± Starling said to Walter.

    ¡°Wurmslayer,¡± Reeve said in a mimicking sing-song tone from which she couldn¡¯t restrain herself.

    ¡°This, Wurmslayer,¡± Starling said, ¡°is Aspen.¡± Starling turned to the new arrival. ¡°We are going to check on Wurmslayer¡¯s belongings.¡±

    ¡°But they are to remain here,¡± Aspen said, gesturing to the room above.

    ¡°Explain, Dad,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°It¡¯s OK, Aspen,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°I see,¡± Aspen said, looking satisfied with the explanation.

    ¡°I shall return soon with the robes,¡± Starling said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait right here,¡± Walter said.

    When Starling reentered the room ten minutes later, bunched robes under one arm, he had to push his way through thirteen orange-robed elves to reach Walter, an elf still holding the platter being the last that Starling wound around. ¡°Wurmslayer,¡± he said, pulling the robes from beneath his arm and unrolling one small, black-cuffed orange robe inside of which were two robes that looked like they were made of whitewater.

    ¡°These are fantastic, Starling!¡± Walter said, beginning to peel off the wet robe he still wore.

    ¡°Hold up a sec, Dad,¡± Reeve said. Taking the whitewater robes from Starling, she handed one to Leaf and then raised the one she still held to form a makeshift privacy curtain. Seeing Reeve¡¯s intent, Leaf did the same with the robe she¡¯d been handed, using the wall of the room to form the third side of a triangle within which Walter stood.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Reeve, I really don¡¯t care if these nice folks see me in my skivvies,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d care,¡± Reeve said, ¡°but I have no idea how they¡¯d react if you¡ªreally anyone with Charisma forty-eight¡ªstripped in front of them. It might be like¡ª¡°

    ¡°¡ªhow crowds reacted when the Beatles deplaned?¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    Looking hurt, Walter shook his head and slowly worked his way through the arduous task of peeling the wet robe up and over his head and then accepted the new robe, which Starling offered through a gap in the makeshift curtain. Once re-robed, Walter looked around, pleased.

    ¡°Great,¡± Reeve said. ¡°Now, keep them happy while Leaf and I change.¡± She pushed Walter forward into the crowd of elves and then turned her back as the crowd turned their attention to Walter. She and Leaf quickly removed their orange robes and donned the whitewater robes and raised the hoods, then pulled them low over their faces. Reeve cupped her hands to her mouth, hidden from view within her cowl, and said in Walter¡¯s direction, which she estimated based on the divot in the small pool of elf heads, ¡°Walter, armory.¡± Reeve heard a halfling voice from within the elves, who quickly fell silent, and then those nearest the door to the hall began filing through in ones and twos, Reeve and Leaf the last to leave the room behind the group, which headed left down the passage. They almost immediately passed a room full of tiny elf children. As they were approaching a passage to the right, Reeve swerved into Leaf, pressing the fallen elf toward the left wall of the passage. ¡°Helia,¡± Reeve whispered. Leaf moved up the left side of the group, and Reeve followed, putting the elves between them and the passage in which Helia stood talking to the twins.

    The size of the subterranean camp soon awed Reeve. They continued past more rooms, some visible through windows of water, others obscured down passages or by doors made of water. When elves passed through the doors, it looked almost like they were walking through a beaded curtain, the material flowing around the elf and sealing behind them. Reeve examined one of the doors as they passed it, trying to understand how it worked, and when she again looked ahead she had to pull up abruptly to avoid walking into the group, which had stopped. She watched elf heads move apart, as though a zipper were being pulled, and then from the group her father appeared in front of her.

    ¡°Starling has been giving me a running commentary as we¡¯ve been walking.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Reeve said. ¡°I hope the armory will be somewhere on the tour.¡±

    ¡°We just passed the fermentation cellar.¡±

    Reeve frowned at her father. ¡°What, you want to try their sauerkraut? Kimchi?¡±

    ¡°Mead.¡±

    ¡°Mead. Great. You thirsty? I was hoping we could focus less on snacks and more on finding our weapons and getting out of here.¡±

    ¡°To make mead,¡± Walter said, ¡°you need honey.¡± He looked at Reeve.

    Reeve frowned for a moment but then her eyes widened. ¡°Bees,¡± she said.

    ¡°Bees,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Down here?¡±

    ¡°Starling said that their apiary is just on the other side of the armory, next to their greenhouses.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t like bees.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t like bees,¡± Walter said. ¡°But this may be my chance to see if I¡¯ve really learned anything with this Apiculturist business.¡±

    ¡°Skill.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°OK, but let¡¯s go to the armory first, yeah? Prioritization.¡±

    Walter nodded, looking excited and nervous.

    ¡°And let¡¯s hurry. We passed Helia and the twins. If they¡¯re all headed back to our cell, she¡¯ll realize soon that we¡¯re gone.¡± Reeve looked at the group of elves waiting expectantly behind Walter. ¡°Or she may notice that a growing fraction of her camp is AWOL from whatever it is they¡¯re supposed to be doing.¡±

    Walter nodded and disappeared back into the elves, the zipper effect repeating from the near side of the group to the far, and they began moving again.

    ¡°I hope my dad¡¯s sway over these elves holds,¡± Reeve said quietly to Leaf. ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s a maximum size he can affect at once.¡±

    ¡°This has not happened before?¡± Leaf said.

    ¡°We were in pretty unpopulated areas. And I generally tried to keep him from talking. Werfendale was the biggest town we visited, and it sounds like when he and Dawn were at the market he only spoke with vendors, and that gentlewoman, who gave him most of what she¡¯d purchased. So, I guess we haven¡¯t really tested his Charisma on groups.¡±

    The group ahead of them began squeezing itself through a door to the left. When Reeve and Leaf finally passed through the doorway and then the passage of a few dozen yards beyond, Reeve was relieved to see that they were in the armory and that her father¡¯s halfling appetite hadn¡¯t sent them first to the kitchens. But the relief was gradually replaced with dread as she looked at the racks of weapons that stretched into the distance¡ªswords, lances, bows, maces, and every conceivable device of death shimmering in the light that permeated from above. She began pushing herself toward the front of the group, elves she passed grumbling as they were nudged aside then reflexively silencing themselves when they saw the whitewater robe.

    ¡°Dad,¡± Reeve said quietly when she reached him, ¡°has Starling told you how many elves are in this camp?¡±

    Walter shook his head and looked at Starling. ¡°How big is this camp? How many of you are here?¡±

    ¡°Well on five thousand, when all scouts and troops are in camp.¡±

    ¡°Five thousand?¡± Reeve said to herself. She squatted to speak more privately with her father. ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with Helia, but this isn¡¯t a normal game event we might look to win in a story mode campaign. We¡¯re in the middle of a straight-up army, and I don¡¯t think we¡¯re on the same side as them. We need to get our gear and get out of here.¡±

    ¡°What,¡± a deep voice behind them said, ¡°in Gondrayn¡¯s short and ringleted beard below are all you babbling idiots doing in ¡®ere?¡±

    Fighting to stay calm, Reeve rose slowly and turned, making sure as she did that her father¡¯s hood was up and that her own cowl remained low over her face, her hands in their sleeves. From a secondary room, a dwarf nearly as broad as he was tall had emerged and stood leaning on a long, low workbench covered with weapons in various stages of repair or construction. His beard was bound in five tight braids that fell past his wide belt, on which hung an array of well-worn but gleaming blacksmithing tools that Reeve thought collectively must weigh nearly as much as her father¡¯s halfling.

    Reeve¡¯s once-over stalled when she got to his eyes. They were intensely red. And it wasn¡¯t that the irises were red, like fake contacts, or the pupils, like red-eye in camera flash, or the scleras, like someone with really, really bloodshot eyes. The entire orb within each socket was a brilliant, uniform red.

    Reeve placed a hand on Walter¡¯s back and guided him toward the dwarf. Walter cleared his throat as they approached the bench, the dwarf¡¯s gaze less inviting than a bridge drawn back from a deep moat.

    ¡°We just need to find a few weapons that are being kept here,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Oh, do you?!¡± The dwarf¡¯s voice was suddenly preposterously enthusiastic. Reeve relaxed, until his bushy eyebrows fell like hammers. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you just need to find what little wits the gods gave you,¡± the dwarf roared, ¡°you¡¯re not doing it here, and you¡¯re not laying your hands on so much as a painful splinter without a requisition order from Helia. You know the drill.¡± The dwarf scowled at Walter for a moment, his eyes narrowing to thin red slits that shifted to Reeve and finally Leaf, seeming to easily pierce the darkness of their cowls ¡°Since when,¡± he said, ¡°has her majesty recruited halflings to her ranks and built her guard from half-orcs and Fallens?¡± He leaned back and, from below his bench, hefted what might have been the largest, and what was definitely the most wickedly jagged, broadsword Reeve had ever seen.

    Reeve took a step back and raised her hands, her father simultaneously sinking down until he was peeking at the dwarf from behind the bench. Looking over her shoulder, Reeve saw that the elves had also backed away and appeared unwilling to abandon Walter but equally unwilling to confront the dwarf.

    Another Level 4 AI, Reeve thought. This could be going better.

    A light began to glow in the small space between Reeve and her father, and within the glow, a homely male human fighter began to appear. He wore poorly crafted leather armor and held a sword that Reeve would have left in its scabbard in favor of bare fists if she¡¯d had only the two to choose between in a fight.

    ¡°More?¡± The dwarf said. He shook his head. ¡°Gods no. You lot,¡± he raised his sword to a position of readiness and began moving toward the end of the long bench, ¡°have best explain yourselves before I have the real guards come and clear you out, if I don¡¯t just do it myself. Been too long since I¡¯ve been able to wield my own work.¡±

    ¡°Hola, Mija,¡± the fighter said to Reeve in a deep voice.

 Chapter 11.3 Intelligent items (Book I)

    Definitely could be going better, Reeve thought. ¡°Hi, Mom, this isn¡¯t a good time.¡± Reeve grasped her mother by the shoulders and began moving her to the side, unsure how, unarmed, she was going to fight the dwarf who was now rounding the bench but certain that having her mother between them would not improve the situation.

    ¡°I called Devon to get help,¡± Wanda said.

    ¡°Not now, there¡¯s an angry¡ª,¡± she spun on the fighter, ¡°¡ªwait, you called Devon?!¡± All other concerns left Reeve¡¯s mind. ¡°Devon and I haven¡¯t been talking since she broke up with Millie!¡±

    The fighter placed hands on hips. ¡°This isn¡¯t about Millie¡¯s ASD, is it?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Reeve stared at her mother, confused for a moment. ¡°No! Of course not! Well, not directly. Millie did put all of Devon¡¯s school notes in chronological order without asking not long ago.¡±

    ¡°That sounds helpful,¡± Wanda said.

    ¡°Yeah, but she put all of the notes in chronological order¡ªbiology, math, social studies¡ªeverything, all together in one big binder.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Wanda said with a frown that did nothing for the fighter¡¯s already unappealing looks.

    ¡°I¡¯m still mad with Devon, because they were so cute together and nice to each other, most of the time, and¡­¡± The jagged tip of a broadsword floated into Reeve¡¯s view. She reconsidered her priorities and turned to the approaching dwarf. ¡°Listen, Sir, I just need a second, and we¡¯ll get this cleared up.¡±

    The dwarf¡¯s lip rose, revealing teeth gray like a dull blade.

    ¡°What happened to your teeth?¡± Wanda said, causing Reeve to wince mentally at the insult to the dwarf and kiss any chance of making peace with him goodbye. And then she winced physically as Wanda pulled down Reeve¡¯s own lower lip to examine the gap. ¡°Dr. Catanson won¡¯t be¡ª¡°

    ¡°Mwahm!¡± Reeve batted her mother¡¯s hand away. ¡°Dr. Catanson won¡¯t be anything because he¡¯s my orthodontist IRL, not in here. Now, quick, why didn¡¯t you log us out, and what did Devon say? We¡¯re about to be in a fight in the middle of a camp of elves who don¡¯t like us,¡± Reeve swung her hand quickly behind her to wave toward the group of ambivalent elves, ¡°mostly, and now would be a really good time to get out of here.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it wouldn¡¯t let me call you¡ª¡°

    ¡°¡ªrecall our party.¡±

    ¡°¡ªand I didn¡¯t speak with Devon, Mija. I left a message.¡±

    ¡°Devon always answers her phone,¡± Reeve said. ¡°Even in class. She has a problem. It¡¯s kind of a thing.¡±

    The dwarf¡¯s short, heavy strides almost had him to them.

    ¡°I called their house.¡±

    ¡°You called their¡­landline? You left her a message on a landline? They never check those messages¡ªit¡¯s all spam.¡± Reeve turned toward the dwarf, who stopped a sword¡¯s length from her. ¡°Go ahead,¡± she said, ¡°you might as well kill me now. It¡¯ll save me the walk back to my cell.¡±

    The dwarf frowned at Reeve. After a few seconds, he took one hand from the grip of his blade and let the weapon fall back to rest flat on his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re prisoners here?¡± He said slowly.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Reeve said, figuring she had fifty-fifty odds on what¡¯d work out better in this exchange, even though better might only be a quick, combat-free death instead of a more drawn-out combat-filled one.

    ¡°Then¡­why are you here?¡± The dwarf gestured around the armory. ¡°You¡¯ll never best the might of the entire camp.¡±

    ¡°We just wanted to recover the weapons that were taken from us when we were brought here. Then we¡¯re going to get out.¡±

    The dwarf scratched the corner of one eye. ¡°And this band of fools?¡±

    ¡°These are my par¡ªoh.¡± Reeve saw that he was looking toward the elves. ¡°They are, well, under my father¡¯s sway.¡± She indicated the halfling still crouching by the workbench.

    ¡°Walter,¡± her father said.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Walter,¡± the dwarf said, as though the word was far too heavily salted. He looked at the fighter and fallen elf, then back to Reeve. ¡°Yer planning to get out, eh?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Reeve said again, hoping her luck would hold.

    ¡°I see.¡± The dwarf looked at his workbench and sucked at something between two teeth. ¡°Helia pressed me into service more than a decade ago, see. To be honest, for many years I enjoyed the work. The tools and raw materials she brought me were beyond anything I¡¯d¡¯ve worked in a village smithy. But a decade has sated my thirst for building weapons I¡¯ll never wield for orange-draped idiots bent on destruction. If¡¯n you¡¯re looking to leave this camp, we may have goals in common.¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t let you leave?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°She¡¯d rather see me dead than out of her hands, where I might fall in with those she may face on the field in days to come.¡±

    Reeve nodded slowly, then extended her hand. ¡°I¡¯m Reeve.¡±

    The dwarf grasped her forearm. Reeve reciprocated by closing her hand around the dwarf¡¯s forearm.

    ¡°I am Thomanji''yheri,¡± he said with a small bob of his head.

    Reeve stared at him for a moment then flicked her eyes to her UI to confirm the name. Her shoulders sagged slightly. ¡°Seriously?¡± She said.

    Thomanji''yheri¡¯s eyes narrowed, he stood taller, and the fingers wrapped around the grip of his sword tightening slightly. ¡°My father was¡ª¡°

    ¡°No, no, don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± Reeve said, ¡°awesome name. Love it. But my parents are never, ever, going to get that right.¡± Reeve looked at the fighter standing behind her and then at the crouching halfling.

    Thomanji''yheri¡¯s cold gaze followed Reeve¡¯s. ¡°The cowardly halfling and the unsightly human are your parents?¡±

    ¡°Really. Come on, I¡¯ll show you, let¡¯s get it over with. Mom, Dad?¡±

    Wanda stepped closer, and Walter pulled himself up by the bench and walked over to stand between Reeve and Wanda, glancing between Thomanji''yheri¡¯s raised blade and Starling¡¯s withdrawn group.

    ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯d like to introduce you to¡­¡± Reeve squeezed Thomanji''yheri¡¯s forearm where she continued to grasp it.

    ¡°Thomanji''yheri,¡± the dwarf said, bowing slightly, ¡°son of Bhenanji¡¯yheri.¡±

    ¡°Ohmagod,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Delighted!¡± Walter said, reaching up to pat Thomanji''yheri¡¯s arm where it lay against Reeve¡¯s. ¡°Now, should we call you Tom? Or Jerry?¡±

    Thomanji''yheri looked, confused, between Walter and Reeve.

    ¡°And you¡¯ve already met me,¡± Walter said, gesturing to himself with a tiny thumb, ¡°Walter. And this is my better,¡± he chuckled, ¡°bigger half¡­¡±

    ¡°Wanda,¡± the fighter said in a deep voice. ¡°I love your parents¡¯ ice cream. De ensue?o.¡±

    More confused, Thomanji''yheri looked back to Reeve.

    ¡°The sooner we all get out of here,¡± she said, ¡°the sooner you can stop interacting with them.¡± No such luck for me, she thought. ¡°You said you¡¯d been working for Helia for more than a decade?¡± The two released their grips on each other¡¯s forearms.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Thomanji''yheri said.

    Reeve looked around the armory and the thousands of weapons¡ªyears of the dwarf¡¯s life¡ªwhich spoke to the duration of Helia¡¯s campaign, first against the ice-orcs and, more recently, in service of toppling an empire so that another could rise.

    ¡°Viv must have rewritten much of the backstory of this world at the moment the new AIs were created,¡± she said to herself.

    ¡°I thought Devon¡¯s mother¡¯s name is Veronica,¡± the fighter said, concern in her voice. ¡°I called her Veronica in my message.¡±

    ¡°Mom,¡± Reeve said, turning and grasping her mother¡¯s calloused hand in her own, ¡°there is no chance anyone is ever going to hear that message. So don¡¯t sweat it. Why don¡¯t you stick around in here for a while?¡± Reeve patted her mother¡¯s chest, which was obviously well-muscled beneath the cheap armor. ¡°You can probably do more for us in here right now than out there.¡± Reeve looked over the painfully unattractive avatar. ¡°You just use a quick generic fighter build?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting much better at making these things r¨¢pidamente,¡± Wanda said, pivoting on one toe as she looked down the side of her fighter, appraising its physique.

    I will celebrate my parent¡¯s victories, however small, Reeve recited in her head. She turned away from the preening fighter and pulled back her cowl to make it easier to focus on her conversation with Thomanji''yheri. ¡°We have two more with us¡ªhalf-elves, probably back in our cell by now.¡±

    ¡°And a honey badger,¡± an insistent halfling voice added from behind her.

    ¡°And a honey badger. Hopefully, an alive honey badger.¡± Reeve took a moment to collect herself. ¡°We need to get our weapons, which were taken from us, go back and find the rest of our party, and then get out of here without the camp realizing and turning on us.¡±

    ¡°The apiary,¡± Walter said from behind her.

    ¡°And,¡± Reeve said to Thomanji''yheri with a pained expression, ¡°my father would like to make a stop at the apiary.¡±

    Thomanji''yheri frowned and looked to be about to ask a question. Feeling bone-tired, Reeve shook her head, and he held his tongue.

    ¡°Do you need to gather your things?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Everything of value to me is here,¡± Thomanji''yheri said, ¡°I¡¯ll have it gathered in a tick.¡±

    ¡°What should we do with them?¡± Reeve said, tilting her head toward the group of elves, who were slowly drifting back toward Walter now that Thomanji''yheri was in a less threatening stance.

    ¡°You say they are under the halfling¡¯s thrall?¡±

    Reeve glanced at her father, considering the nature of his ¡®thrall,¡¯ and said, ¡°Uh-huh.¡±

    ¡°Then we keep them close, lest they regain their senses or unintentionally alert others.¡± The dwarf gestured down the nearest aisle of weapons. ¡°At the back of the armory, there is a storage room, which also has an entry from the apiary. I will need to move some crates, but we can enter the apiary thereby, without need of traveling the more heavily trafficked passage that brought you here.¡±

    ¡°OK,¡± Reeve said. ¡°You¡¯ll get your stuff?¡±

    ¡°Aye.¡± Thomanji''yheri walked toward his bench.

    ¡°And where are our weapons?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Down the aisle so,¡± the dwarf pointed, ¡°in the locker just beyond the case of intelligent items.¡±

    ¡°Intelligent items?¡± Reeve said quietly to herself, starting for the aisle. ¡°Dad, this way.¡±

 Chapter 11.4 Spatula (Book I)

    Walter followed, and they entered an aisle flanked by tall wooden shelves and racks, from which hung the gleaming weapons of Helia¡¯s horde. Looking from side to side, Reeve made it a dozen paces before spotting a long wooden chest reinforced with wrought-iron bands. A heavy clasp lay closed, but there was no lock through its eyelet. Reeve squatted and opened the chest. She sighed with relief and then smirked for being that sentimental. From the chest, she lifted her naginata and bow, stood to shoulder the latter, and squatted again to retrieve her hatchet and the rest of her smaller weapons.

    ¡°Dad, come get your stuff. Looks like it¡¯s all here.¡± Reeve turned and watched Walter examine a short, flat metal tool he was holding.

    Sensing her attention, he turned, smiled an amused smile, and held the item toward her. ¡°Why do you think they have a spatula down here?¡±

    Reeve frowned and shrugged. ¡°Maybe needed a repair? Put it back and come get your stuff.¡±

    Walter hung the spatula back on the rack from which he¡¯d taken it and joined her, happily bending to retrieve his dagger, knives, and other assorted items. Once Walter had everything of his, Reeve collected Leaf¡¯s cudgel and the twins¡¯ surprisingly extensive collection of small, easily concealed blades before closing the chest and rising.

    ¡°No vials?¡± Reeve said, staring at the closed chest. ¡°Did the twins still have some items hidden on them when they woke up?¡± She looked up. ¡°Dad, put it back, and let¡¯s go.¡±

    Walter looked from her to the spatula he again held. ¡°I did. It was in my Inventory.¡±

    ¡°OK, put it back, come on.¡±

    Walter replaced the spatula and followed Reeve back down the aisle. When they emerged, Thomanji¡¯yheri was bent behind his workbench, loud clanging suggesting that he was collecting various tools or other metallic belongings.

    Walter poked Reeve in the side.

    ¡°Ow! What?¡± She turned and looked at him. ¡°I told you to put that back.¡±

    ¡°I did. I just found it in my Inventory.¡±

    ¡°I meant, put it on the rack where you found it.¡±

    ¡°I did, Evie, and then just a second ago I found it in my Inventory again.¡±

    Thomanji¡¯yheri stood erect and looked at the utensil. ¡°You might as well take that,¡± he said. ¡°These accursed elves can keep eating burned food.¡± He spat to the side and then again disappeared behind the workbench.

    ¡°What is it, Tom?¡± Walter said.

    Thomanji''yheri¡¯s head rose just enough to look at Walter across the bench.

    ¡°It is a spatula,¡± he said slowly, as a patronizing adult might to a child, then ducked out of sight again.

    Walter looked at Reeve, and they both shrugged.

    ¡°But it is intelligent,¡± Thomanji¡¯yheri called over the clanging, ¡°as it was among the items I had Helia enchant. It would have improved the griddle cook¡¯s dexterity enough that I wouldn¡¯t¡¯ve had to spend my ruddy days down here eating burnt elf tack, or whatever it is they feed us.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°It gives a Dexterity buff?¡± Reeve said, looking with new interest at the spatula in her father¡¯s hand.

    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement, Lass. The Dexterity bonus is part buff and partly the tool helping think for its wielder. Anything the wielder attempts, and that their Strength permits, will be carried out flawlessly.¡° Thomanji''yheri stood and hefted a massive rucksack onto one shoulder. He looked up at the naginata¡¯s blade. ¡°Go on, try giving the halfling a wee poke with that boar-sticker of yours.¡±

    Reeve looked down at her father, who took a step away from her. ¡°Yeah, no thanks.¡±

    ¡°Go on with ya¡¯, then,¡± Thomanji''yheri said. ¡°Don¡¯t think I know my own work?¡± He was walking back around the workbench. ¡°And if I am wrong and you stick him, how much is lost?¡±

    Reeve inhaled slowly through her nose and sighed. She looked at Walter, who was now an additional step from where she¡¯d last seen him. ¡°Let¡¯s try it, Dad. I¡¯ll go slow.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be getting to the apiary?¡± Walter said, taking a step away while trying to look like he wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Hold still,¡± Reeve said.

    Walter raised the spatula to point at Reeve. ¡°In my life, when people tell me to hold still, it is seldom followed by something I would wish to have repeated.¡±

    Reeve lowered the blade of her naginata and thrust it toward her father at what she figured was about one-eighth combat speed. Walter did not move away, and he did not move much of his arm, but with a quick internal rotation of his wrist, he deftly parried the blade past his side.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Walter said, smiling at the utensil.

    ¡°Better than I would have expected,¡± Reeve said, withdrawing her blade.

    ¡°Again,¡± Thomanji¡¯yheri said.

    Walter stopped smiling.

    Reeve thrust at around one-quarter speed. Walter parried. Reeve pursed her lips, impressed.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡ª,¡± Walter said, at which point Reeve thrust at full speed.

    Walter parried. ¡°Now, wait a minute, Reeve.¡±

    Reeve¡¯s look transitioned a modicum from that of someone impressed to that of someone who doesn¡¯t like to be bested, particularly by her father or a spatula. She feinted at her father¡¯s left hip and changed her angle of attack as he began to respond. Walter used the spatula to push her blade down harmlessly but not unthreateningly between his knees. ¡°Reeve Williams!¡± He said loudly.

    ¡°Last thing,¡± Reeve said, pulling her blade back and then swinging it about one hand, the blade passing over her own head and then arcing down at an angle toward her father¡¯s.

    Walter desperately raised the spatula just in time to meet the whistling blade his daughter had directed at his head. The blade drove the spatula into the side of Walter¡¯s head, knocking him sideways to slide along the ground toward the elves, who gaped, horrified.

    ¡°That,¡± Thomanji''yheri said, ¡°is an example of having sufficient Dexterity and insufficient Strength.¡± He looked at the prone halfling. ¡°Or maybe insufficient Strength and bulk. I never was good at natural philosophy.¡± He waved a hand over his shoulder. ¡°Storage room is away here. Bring the bloody pack of elves.¡± He turned and walked into an aisle.

    Wanda walked over to the halfling, bent, and, with one hand, picked him up. With the other hand, she peeled the spatula from the side of his head. She looked back at Reeve and said, ¡°Really, Reevita. That wasn¡¯t necessary.¡±

    ¡°Sorry. You¡¯re right.¡± Reeve looked after the dwarf. ¡°Thomanji''yheri, hey, do you have any intelligent weapons you could hook me up with?¡±

    After a few seconds, the dwarf walked slowly back out of the aisle, his face wrinkled with thought. ¡°I do like a good challenge, half-orc,¡± he said. ¡°Let me see your naginata.¡± He extended an upturned palm, into which Reeve placed the weapon at its balance point.

    He first slid the staff far to the side to look over the metal blade, then ran one hand down the wooden staff from top to bottom. He looked up at Reeve. ¡°The best you could find to buy, I¡¯d wager.¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°A pity,¡± he said. ¡°I could do better before I¡¯d outgrown my cradle.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s probably not¡ª,¡° Reeve started but stopped, mouth open, as Thomanji''yheri used a single sharp tug with a bare hand to separate the blade from the shaft. ¡°Hey! What the heck!¡±

    ¡°Stop yer blubberin¡¯,¡± the dwarf said as he walked into the aisle in which Walter had found the spatula. He returned a moment later with a metal staff slightly shorter than the wooden staff he¡¯d just removed. The metal was a dull black, but Reeve could just make out engravings down its length. ¡°Stay here,¡± the dwarf said firmly as he carried the staff, blade, and rucksack into the room beyond his workbench. A few minutes later, light flared within, and shortly after the sound of hammer strikes rang through the armory.

 Chapter 11.5 Apiary (Book I)

    ¡°You¡¯re sure this has some sort of intelligence?¡± Reeve said, bouncing the still unfamiliar weight of her modified naginata in her hand. ¡°Aside from being a little heavier, and shorter, it doesn¡¯t seem special in any way.¡±

    The dwarf, who was already flushed nearly blood red from straining against a massive crate, scowled at her as he gave one great final push and then let out an explosive breath. ¡°Everything I create,¡± he said, the words spat out between breaths, ¡°is special, Lassie. But that staff, well, you go on and get yourself in a proper fight, and then tell me what you think about my work and the enchantments Helia herself lay upon it.¡± He swept his huge hand through the air several times, as though he might fan Walter and the elves through the water door that had previously been hidden behind the crate. ¡±On through with the lot of ye dunderheads.¡±

    ¡°Just walk right in?¡± Reeve said. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t scout the room first?¡± She tried to peer through the shimmering door of water without breaking its surface.

    ¡°Ach. There¡¯s hardly ever any in it,¡± Thomanji''yheri said.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Walter said.

    ¡°We only have a few in the camp of any alignment with bee mana, and no¡¯un else wants to spend any more time than they need to in a subterranean room chockablock with millions o¡¯ bees.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Walter said and took a step back, where he bumped into Starling.

    ¡°Uh-uh.¡± Reeve took a step toward her father, grasped his arm, and led him through. When her ears broke through the plane off the water-door, Reeve felt a low vibration that reached into her lungs and made them itch while also making every object she was carrying hum against her. ¡°Wow.¡± She looked over what she thought was probably a hundred hives, each formed from a small, banzai-style tree that had been cultivated and shaped to serve as a box of limbs on the pedestal provided by the tree¡¯s trunk, the limbs enclosing a space in which a bee colony had established its hive. Each tree was potted in a low, stone-rimmed bed.

    Walter¡¯s arm broke from her hand and she wheeled to grab him, but he wasn¡¯t fleeing. Instead, he was reaching frantically into his hammerspace, and it took half a dozen tries before he produced his bee veil, which he donned before retrieving the bee smoker as well. Holding the smoker in one hand and the spatula in the other, he looked at Reeve.

    Reeve ignored the elves that were appearing through the door behind her father in a quantity and at a rate that brought to mind orange-clad clowns in a strange fantasy circus. ¡°You look ready for action there, Dad.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been preparing for this my whole life,¡± he said. He swallowed dryly a few times, and his voice dropped to a whisper. ¡°In this game. My whole life in this game.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, which is like a whole hour of your life so far, IRL, so, way to stick with it, Dad. You always tell me education is an investment. Let¡¯s see what your investment is going to pay out.¡± She turned and looked at the rows and rows of hives. ¡°My money¡¯s on it being bees.¡±

    ¡°B-bees,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Hopefully not angry bees,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°A-angry b-bees,¡± Walter said quietly.

    Thomanji''yheri followed Leaf through the door and surveyed the cluster of elves, Reeve, Walter, and the fallen elf. ¡°Where¡¯s yer ugly fighter?¡± He said.

    ¡°Ohmagod,¡± Reeve spun around, trying to see between and past the sea of milling elves. ¡°She was just here! Like, just here! What the heck! You have to watch them all the time!¡± Remembering clearly their first day in the game, Reeve pushed through the elves and then the door into the storage room, which was empty save for crates. She ran from the storage room into the armory, the racks of weapons forming a shimmering blur as she raced past them. Her footfalls echoed loudly as she slowed herself at the other end of the aisle, the last few steps carrying her into the space adjacent to Thomanji''yheri¡¯s workbench.

    ¡°Why. Would. You. Just. Wander. Off!?¡± Her scream echoed as she spun on her heels, one way then the other, arms extended, wishing someone, anyone, anything, would explain her parents to her. The echo faded and left her alone, without an answer. She opened her UI and scanned the Party and Combat logs. ¡°Well,¡± she said to the empty room, ¡°she still must be pretty close by because¡­ Ohmagod. What? What!? Why!?¡±

    Fighter (human) impales a Level 7 Elf Carpenter with Unerring Devotion (estoc) for 21 points of damage.

    Fighter (human) has killed a Level 7 Elf Carpenter.

    ¡°Fudge.¡± Focusing on her Stealth skill, Reeve followed the short passage from the armory back toward the main hall they¡¯d taken from their cell. She stopped in relative darkness a few yards short of the hall and stood listening. Elves passed in the bright hall beyond, but none looked her way and she heard no sounds of struggle or alarm.

    Reeve turned and moved silently back into the armory then ran down the aisle, through the storage room, and through the water-door into the apiary, where she tripped over something that, with a loud clang and puff of smoke, announced itself as a bee smoker while she stumbled forward and fell into the knot of orange-clad elves, which scattered before her whitewater rob, clearing the path that carried her face-first into the dirt of an otherwise empty stone-rimmed bed where she would have expected a hive-tree to stand. She staggered to her feet, wiping dirt from her face and then shaking it from her cowl and the shoulders of her robe. Walter was walking toward her, his face pale. He held in one hand the spatula. The other hand held one of the hive-trees, dirt still clinging to its roots, bees swarming around the hive.

    ¡°A-angry b-bees,¡± he said as he stopped a few feet from Reeve.

    ¡°Where are all of the other hives!¡± She looked around at the empty beds that filled the room, the hive-tree Walter was holding apparently the only one that remained. ¡°I was gone for, like, three minutes! Maybe! What happened?!¡±

    ¡°The halfling has a way with bees, no doubt,¡± Thomanji''yheri said as he approached them down the adjacent row. ¡°I¡¯ve had a look into the orchard. Not much work happenin¡¯ at the moment, but they¡¯ll likely notice the missing bees soon enough. Best we be goin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°But the hives¡­¡± Reeve looked around them. ¡°Oh no, and my mom. Yeah, let¡¯s go. Shouldn¡¯t you put that down, Dad?¡±

    Thomanji''yheri herded Reeve, Walter, Leaf, and Walter¡¯s hangers-on toward the storage-room door.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can,¡± Walter said.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Reeve said as she stooped to pick up the bee smoker and then queued behind the elves at the door.

    ¡°I think I set off some sort of spell when I picked it up.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t cast, you¡¯re not the right Class.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know, Evie. But when I picked it up, I just had this feeling that the bees had been, you know, turned on¡ª¡°

    ¡°You got the bees turned on?¡±

    ¡°I mean, activated, switched on, and I either needed to tell them what to do or they¡¯d go off.¡±

    Reeve passed through the door and waited for her father to emerge. ¡°Go off?¡±

    ¡°Pick their own option of what to do.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I couldn¡¯t really understand how to control the different options, but I¡¯m pretty sure if I just drop the tree now they might choose Swarm or Deadly Throng.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡ª¡°

    ¡°I sensed those as some of the options.¡±

    ¡°Ohmagod. You¡¯ve pulled the pin on a hive of bees and now you can¡¯t put it down. At least until you figure out how to control it.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could just put it in my Inventory.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you could stick a whole hive of bees in your Inventory.¡±

    Walter did not respond as they shuffled slowly with the crowd through the storage room door into the armory.

    ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t put a hive of bees in your Inventory, right?¡±

    ¡°I definitely can,¡± Walter swallowed hard. ¡°I just can¡¯t put more than ninety-nine hives of bees into my Inventory.¡±

    Reeve looked straight ahead as they walked down the aisle. ¡°That¡¯s what happened to all the other hives?¡±

    ¡°I tried picking one up,¡± Walter said, and then swallowed audibly again, ¡°to see if I¡¯d be able to, I don¡¯t know, charm the bees, and when I did, I had the activated-bees feeling. I¡­I¡­¡±

    ¡°Panicked?¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s not inaccurate. I didn¡¯t know what to do, and the bees were getting their little, well, themselves in a bonnet, and I wanted to get the hive out of my hands, so I just stuffed it the only place I could think of.¡±

    ¡°And it went into your Inventory?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Walter said, ¡°the hive of angry bees went into my Inventory.¡±

    ¡°And then,¡± Reeve forced herself to look at her father, ¡°you did that again ninety-eight times.¡±

    ¡°I thought one of the hives might be different, and I¡¯d just be able to hold it without getting them riled up.¡±

    Reeve looked away.

    ¡°But the whole room just seemed to be getting more and more riled up as hives disappeared, so I hurried more and more, and pretty soon I was holding this and¡ª¡°

    ¡°Stack limit. You got the message you get when you try to store more than ninety-nine of the same item in your Inventory.¡±

    ¡°I was not happy to see that message.¡± Walter looked over his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough knowing there are ninety-nine hives of angry bees in my hammeryspace. I don¡¯t also need to be stuck holding one.¡±

    ¡°Could this help?¡± Reeve held up the bee smoker.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Walter said. He started to hand the spatula to Reeve to hold for him but, seeing her hands full with her naginata and bee smoker, he turned and looked around them. They were leaving the aisle and joining the congregating elves, who were back in the space adjacent to Thomanji''yheri¡¯s workbench. ¡°Where¡¯s your mother?¡±

    ¡°Killing carpenter elves using a weapon I¡¯ve never heard of,¡± Reeve said, her voice tired. ¡°Put it in your Inventory.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡ª¡°

    ¡°The spatula.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Walter swung the spatula back into his Inventory and took the smoker from Reeve. Holding both the hive-tree and smoker as far from his body as his short halfling arms permitted, Walter tentatively puffed smoke against the hive.

    ¡°We should be going,¡± Thomanji''yheri said, pushing roughly back through the elves. ¡°Doorun¡¯s Granite Garden. What¡¯re¡¯ye doin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Smoking bees,¡± Walter whispered.

    ¡°Well, you should be doin¡¯ that on your own time.¡±

    ¡°Just a second,¡± Reeve said. ¡°We¡¯ll be able to move faster if he can put down the hive.¡±

    Walter puffed again several times, and smoke rose up and around the hive. ¡°It¡¯s¡­not working,¡± he said. ¡°I think I have to use my Apiculturist skills to defuse it.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for you to learn to defuse anything,¡± Reeve said. She looked at Thomanji''yheri. ¡°I think my mom¡ªthe, uh, homely fighter¡ªmay have attacked a carpenter somewhere nearby.¡±

    ¡°That would likely be in the cooperage,¡± Starling said from behind Thomanji''yheri. ¡°Many of the carpenters have been drafted into service as coopers, in light of the minimal woodworking needed to maintain our current subterranean abode.¡±

    Reeve¡¯s mouth twisted and her brow wrinkled. ¡°Chickens?¡±

    ¡°Barrel making¡ªcoopers¡ªfor wine or mead,¡± Walter said. He swung the bee smoker back into his Inventory. ¡°I really want to put this down before we go anywhere, Reeve.¡±

    ¡°Since when do you know about barrel making and coopers? Do you have a new Subclass you haven¡¯t told me about?¡±

    ¡°Your mother and I like watching that food show. And there are some about travel too.¡±

    ¡°The cooperage is on the way to your residence,¡± Starling said, ¡°to which we should be returning you posthaste.¡±

    ¡°Yes, good, let¡¯s go,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Reeve¡­¡± Walter said.

    Reeve squatted to be able to see him under the brim of the bee veil. His eyes were wide.

    ¡°You want to put that down,¡± she said.

    ¡°Please,¡± he whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be carrying around thirty-thousand bees.¡±

    ¡°Thirty-thousand¡­are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can just tell.¡±

    She took a breath and nodded slowly, choosing not to point out to her father that, if the hive he held contained thirty-thousand bees, then his Inventory currently held almost three million, a fact she felt unlikely to improve his frame of mind or ability to function. ¡°OK. Yeah, we can figure this out.¡± She looked at the hive-tree. ¡°It¡¯s probably controlled by a skill related to your Class, like you said. Those usually require you to think about what you want to happen. Oh!¡± Reeve¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Like when you accidentally started forming the companion¡¯s bond with Bunce.¡±

    ¡°My Hive Master Skill,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Yes! Do you remember what it felt like when you connected with Bunce?¡±

    Walter frowned. ¡°It¡¯s a little overshadowed by what happened next, when, well, she connected with me.¡±

    Reeve absentmindedly raised her hand to sweep away hair that was tickling her temple, but stopped, remembering all of her hair had recently been cut short. ¡°Uh, Dad, what¡¯s right here?¡± She tilted her face toward Walter and pointed to her temple.

    ¡°That would be a bee,¡± Walter said quietly but confidently.

    Reeve closed her eyes and took a few breaths. Reopening them, she looked at Walter. ¡°We need to make this happen. Just imagine what you¡¯d like the bees to do, and try to push that feeling, that command, to them.¡±

    ¡°Like when I imagine something happening in my UI?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Like that.¡±

    Walter stared at the hive, and over the next minute, Reeve watched his eyes gradually narrow until she wasn¡¯t sure whether they were still open. Other parts of his face began to tense and crease, and after a few more minutes Reeve had to stand and turn her attention away because she didn¡¯t want to witness the moment when a blood vessel somewhere in his head popped.

    She joined Thomanji''yheri and Leaf, their conversation too quiet for Reeve to have heard from where she¡¯d been huddling with her father.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Routes out of the camp,¡± Leaf said. ¡°We have been discussing the options.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°Realistically, there is but one.¡±

    Reeve¡¯s mood sank further. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ¡®options¡¯ then, is it?¡±

    ¡°Woo-hoo!¡± Walter¡¯s cry caused Reeve to turn just in time to see a dense swarm of bees pull away from the hive and fly down one of the armory¡¯s aisles and out of sight. The tickling at Reeve¡¯s temple ended, and the lone bee flew away after its colony.

    Reeve gave her father a thumbs up. ¡°Nice, Dad. How¡¯d you do it?¡±

    Walter walked toward them, still holding the hive-tree. He smiled. ¡°I just kept thinking of things I wanted them to do more than I wanted them to be buzzing around my hand.¡±

    ¡°What worked?¡±

    Walter nodded, his expression a serious one Reeve associated with moments in which he shared with her what he considered parental wisdom and what she, more often than not, considered useless and embarrassing ancient trivia.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t figure out how to just send them away¡ªthe closest I could feel had something to do with Deadly Throng, but they seemed to need a specific location, and I couldn¡¯t figure out how to specify it¡ªbut eventually I could feel the options related to commanding them to Swam, so I sent them that way.¡± He pointed with the tree down the aisle toward the far side of the armory.

    Reeve lay a large, half-orc hand on her father¡¯s shoulder. ¡°When they get to the end of the aisle and don¡¯t find anyone to swarm, what will they do?¡±

    Walter looked confused and thought for a minute. He glanced back down the aisle. ¡°I think they¡¯ll keep looking.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    Walter bent slightly and delicately balanced the hive-tree on its exposed roots. ¡°They may just kind of bounce around?¡±

    ¡°Starling?¡± Reeve raised her voice and turned, looking for the elf, who was right next to her. ¡°Time to go back to our room, by way of the cooperage. Right now.¡±

 Chapter 11.6 Unerring Devotion (Book I)

    Once in the main passage, Starling led them only a few dozen yards before stopping and indicating to Walter that the water door at which they had arrived was that of the cooperage. Pulling her cowl lower, Reeve squeezed along the wall, past the group of elves-in-waiting, to reach the door.

    ¡°Should¡ª,¡° Reeve¡¯s question was cut short by a loud cry of surprise from the direction they¡¯d just come, ¡°¡ªnever mind,¡± she said. ¡°Stay here. Everyone, just stay here.¡±

    She pushed through the door into the cooperage and stopped. ¡°Ohmagod¡­what happened?¡± Reeve could not remember seeing that much blood distributed that widely since her father¡¯s first run-in with Bunce. There was not a single bench, tool, pile of staves, partially constructed barrel, or rack of completed barrels that didn¡¯t appear touched by it. Wanda¡¯s fighter sat, legs crossed, on the floor next to a loot bag. She held in one hand a long, straight, wickedly pointed sword. The blade gleamed brightly near the hilt, but the rest of it was, like most of the room, dripping with, presumably, the blood of a carpenter no longer present, save for the loot bag. ¡°Are you OK?¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know what happened,¡± the fighter said.

    ¡°That¡¯s like your and Dad¡¯s mantra.¡±

    ¡°I lost track of where you were, and as I was looking for you I felt like this was where I was supposed to come.¡± Wanda looked around the room. ¡°When I got here, I knew he was the one. That he needed to pay for what he had done.¡±

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Reeve¡¯s head was starting to feel like it did when she used to swim in the ocean with her eyes closed and the up and down of the waves made her dizzy.

    ¡°Also, some things came out of my mouth that I would rather not repeat,¡± Wanda said.

    Reeve stared at her mother for a moment. There was another cry of alarm in the distance. ¡°Bees. Shoot. Mom, we need to go.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still working through some things, Mija. I may need a minute.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom, but if we don¡¯t go now, I think there¡¯s a pretty good chance that our companions, Dad, and some elves who really like Dad are going to be attacked by a lot of bees, or elves, or bees and elves. Hard to say how the timing¡¯s going to work out, but we gotta go.¡± Reeve walked to her mother while making a ¡®get up¡¯ wave of her hand.

    When she stuck her head through the door into the hall, Reeve found that the shouts from down the passage had multiplied. The elves around Walter were fidgeting like a herd of skittish animals. Reeve very much did not want them to suddenly wake from the sway of her father¡¯s Charisma at the same moment that swarming bees that her father probably wouldn¡¯t know how to control arrived.

    ¡°We¡¯re ready to go back to the lovely cell you¡¯ve provided us,¡± Reeve said to Starling.

    Looking relieved, Starling immediately began leading the group down the passage, and Reeve followed at his elbow, using her free hand to gently nudge him into the fastest walk he could manage. After a quarter minute, the sound of running feet from ahead caused her to drop to the side, placing the group of elves between her and the on-comers. She found herself next to Thomanji''yheri and Leaf. The fallen elf was guiding Wanda via a hand on the wrist, and the expression on the face of Wanda¡¯s human fighter avatar suggested she was still very much working through things.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°What is the trouble?¡± A voice from ahead called.

    ¡°There may,¡± Leaf called back, her elfin lilt anonymous, unlike her fallen elf¡¯s appearance, ¡°be a few errant bees.¡±

    The sound of the running feet continued by. The shouts continued to multiply behind them, and another dozen elves passed them in the time it took the party to reach the alcove below their cell.

    ¡°Dad, send them back to whatever they¡¯d usually be doing right now,¡± Reeve said quietly, once she was able to maneuver through the crowd and bend to Walter¡¯s height. The bee veil nodded.

    Reeve turned to Leaf and Thomanji''yheri. ¡°We need to get Bunce. Hopefully, the twins will be here too. If they¡¯re not, I don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll do. What¡¯s the one ¡®realistic¡¯ option for getting out?¡±

    ¡°The main river gate,¡± Thomanji''yheri said. ¡°But Helia¡¯s guards are always there. It¡¯ll take more than a few bees to see us through.¡±

    The elves around them began filing out of the alcove. Reeve looked at her father.

    ¡°I asked them if they could get us more snacks,¡± he said.

    ¡°All of them?¡±

    ¡°They said they¡¯d bring a lot of snacks.¡± Walter looked extremely pleased.

    Reeve found that she was uncertain which mantra was appropriate for the situation and gave herself a pass. ¡°Stow your veil and pull down your hood. If there¡¯s anyone in our cell other than the twins, we don¡¯t want them to immediately know it¡¯s us.¡± Reeve again pulled her own cowl low, and Leaf did the same as Walter took off his bee veil and swung it into his Inventory before raising the hood of his robe. The three turned to Thomanji''yheri and Wanda, both robeless.

    ¡°Well,¡± Reeve said, ¡°you showing up will probably confuse anyone who¡¯s up there, and that could buy us a little time. Might want to put away your sword though.¡±

    Thomanji''yheri, whose sword already hung across his back, looked at Wanda, who still held the bloodied blade at her side, seemingly at a loss for what to do with it. ¡°Oy, gods. No wonder ye went and slay that adulterous carpenter,¡± Thomanji¡¯yheri said.

    ¡°Whataya mean?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Helia seems to have a powerful revulsion to the unfaithful¡ªalways made me think she might¡¯ve suffered a betrayal herself. That blade there is Unerring Devotion, an estoc Helia enchanted to seek out and slay the unfaithful.¡±

    The companions all looked at the blade Wanda held. Tilting her head as though curious, she slowly raised the blade to point at Walter.

    The halfling did not move.

    After a few seconds, Wanda lowered the blade and smiled a homely, crooked-toothed grin.

    ¡°OK, well, that¡¯s a relief,¡± Reeve said. ¡°Super awkward, but a relief. Mom, you picked that up in the armory? And you didn¡¯t take its sheath?¡± Reeve looked at her fighter mother. ¡°Know what? Doesn¡¯t matter. Just hang onto it for now and try not to wander off to kill unfaithful elves. Can you do that?¡±

    Wanda frowned.

    ¡°Unerring Devotion can have a powerful effect on her wielder,¡± Thomanji''yheri said.

    Reeve felt her shoulders slump despite her efforts to stay positive. She closed her eyes and tried to think of a mantra. She decided that the heavily modified ¡°My mother can control her own desire to slay unfaithful elves¡± wouldn¡¯t cut it, and settled on, ¡°My mother can do better next time,¡± to which she felt compelled to add, ¡°maybe.¡±

    She opened her eyes and looked at the stout, red-eyed dwarf standing before her. She pointed to Wanda. ¡°Could you try to keep my Mom from killing any unfaithful elves while Leaf and I sort out whatever we find upstairs?¡±

    ¡°Aye?¡± Thomanji''yheri said, looking less confident than at any point in their brief partnership.

    Reeve looked at the column of water before them. ¡°We can use this thing?¡±

    ¡°Starling made it so,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°OK, let¡¯s go. People are going to start asking questions about the missing hives at some point.¡± Reeve stepped into the water and turned to make sure that her parents followed without incident. Thomanji''yheri and Leaf were the last in.

    The party ascended, light soon filtering from above. Reeve didn¡¯t like the feeling of trying to breathe through whatever magic was keeping the water from wetting them, and, with relief, she inhaled a deep breath as soon as her head broke the surface. Scanning the room from within her lowered cowl, she was glad to see Dawn standing before her, a few yards from the pool out of which they completed their ascent.

    Leaf screamed, and Reeve turned. The fallen elf, still completely shrouded by her whitewater robe, collapsed on the surface of the pool. Behind her stood Dusk, who held a bloody dagger.

 Chapter 12.1 Released (Book I)

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Reeve dropped her naginata and fell to her knees at Leaf¡¯s side. She pulled the fallen elf¡¯s cowl back. Leaf¡¯s eyes were wide and her mouth moved soundlessly. Reeve wouldn¡¯t have thought the fallen elf¡¯s complexion could have gotten any paler than it had previously been.

    ¡°Reeve?¡± Dusk stepped closer and roughly pulled back Reeve¡¯s cowl. ¡°Why do you wear these? We thought you Helia¡¯s guard.¡±

    ¡°So you just shanked us?¡± Reeve rolled Leaf onto her side. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look that bad. Maybe near her kidney, but I don¡¯t know why it¡¯d have taken her down so quickly.¡±

    Dusk sank to her knees next to Reeve. ¡°My blade was dipped in the venom of the drag?.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Dawn approached the edge of the pool. Her face was twisted with frustration. ¡°My sister distrusts the intentions of these elves, despite their efforts to provide safe haven to those displaced by the unrest in the ruins of Ase Thhia.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re the reason Ase Thhia¡¯s in ruins!¡± Reeve pointed at her father, who was standing, face pale, looking down at Leaf. ¡°One of the elves under Walter¡¯s sway told us that Helia assassinated the Royal House and overthrew the empire to build her own.¡±

    Dawn and Dusk looked at each other. Dawn¡¯s frustration turned to horror. Dusk¡¯s horror over Leaf¡¯s injury became the flat mien of regretful vindication.

    Reeve looked back to Leaf, but her attention was drawn to the water on which she knelt. ¡°Something¡¯s down there. Coming up. We need to get her off of here.¡± She quick-crawled to Leaf¡¯s head and hooked her hands under each arm. Standing, she began dragging Leaf¡¯s limp body off the water of the pool. Dusk quickly grasped the fallen elf¡¯s feet and rose to assist.

    ¡°Parents, move!¡±

    Startled by Reeve¡¯s bellow, Walter grasped Wanda¡¯s large hand and led her off the water. Thomanji''yheri sidestepped onto the stone and drew his sword as a plume from beneath began to cause the surface of the pool to undulate.

    Reeve bent to gently lay Leaf¡¯s upper body down. Dusk dropped Leaf¡¯s feet less carefully and spun toward the pool. Dusk pushed her sleeves above her elbows and began to form a spell. Seeing her sister casting, Dawn retreated a few steps from the pool, pulled up her sleeves, and began a cast as well.

    ¡°You can cast now?¡± Reeve said as she took a quick pair of long steps and dropped into a slide on her knees, reaching her naginata just as two whitewater cowls began to emerge from the pool¡¯s surface.

    ¡°The cuffs of the robes contain a trace of Mage¡¯s Bane,¡± Dawn called.

    With no time to ask the questions that crowded her mind, Reeve pushed herself from the floor and raised the still unfamiliar weight of the modified weapon to a defensive diagonal.

    Finishing their casts, Dusk and then Dawn pushed two unseen spells toward the pool, their hands shaping what Reeve hoped was a set of mana shields.

    ¡°Dad, talk to them!¡± Reeve said as the two guards finished their ascent.

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°Anything!¡±

    Walter dropped Wanda¡¯s hand and managed a large, if faltering, smile for the two guards, who turned the darkness within their cowls toward him. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Walter Williams. You look like¡ª¡°

    With a few rapid gestures, one of the guards cast a jet of steaming green liquid at Walter, who covered his face with both arms and stepped in front of Wanda¡¯s fighter, one of the halfling¡¯s knees rising and twisting across his small body in anticipation of the impact, but the spell splashed against Dawn¡¯s shield and vaporized, leaving a sickly green cloud floating toward the ceiling.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°The halfling has no sway,¡± Thomanji''yheri said from beside Reeve, ¡°and the guards¡¯ intentions are clear.¡±

    Level 4 AIs? Reeve thought. For guards? ¡°Fight time!¡± She shouted to the party. ¡°Twins, can your mana shields hold their spells?¡±

    ¡°We can repair the shields as they take damage,¡± Dawn said, ¡°but not indefinitely.¡±

    Reeve advanced toward the edge of the pool, raising her naginata as she did. The guard closest to her and Thomanji''yheri turned in their direction as the other turned to face Wanda and Walter. From within their robes, the guards drew long, irregularly curved white blades.

    ¡°Uh. Bone swords?¡± Reeve said. ¡°Tacky.¡± She squinted at the weapon as the guard glided toward her. ¡°Ick. It wasn¡¯t even cleaned of all the gore of its previous owner. Who are you people?¡±

    The guard approaching Reeve and Thomanji''yheri pivoted the bone sword around its grip into an underhand swing, aiming to strike Reeve below her guard. Easily spotting the attack, Reeve parried low. ¡°Dad, Mom, don¡¯t let them hit you. Bone swords usually have poison debuffs.¡±

    ¡°Not that he didn¡¯t try,¡± Thomanji''yheri said from her shoulder, ¡°but your warning comes too late for the halfling.¡±

    Reeve glanced toward her parents and saw her father already on the ground, lying at the feet of her mother, blood soaking his breeches at the thigh where a long gash ran from hip to knee. The spatula clutched in his hand was half-pinned under his hip, apparently not drawn from his Inventory in time to protect him.

    ¡°This sword isn¡¯t working,¡± Wanda called as Reeve, distracted, parried another strike of the bone sword.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Reeve called back. Trying to wrest the offensive from the guard, she followed the parry with a quick slash, which tore through the guard¡¯s robe at the waist but seemed to meet no resistance beneath. ¡°Whatha?¡± Reeve took a reflexive stabilizing step to the side as she nearly lost her balance.

    Standing erect, seemingly unconcerned by the guard closing on her or by her husband¡¯s bleeding avatar at her feet, Wanda used her free hand to point at the blade held loosely in her other. ¡°Before, it just kind of took care of business.¡±

    ¡°Apparently, these guards haven¡¯t been unfaithful,¡± Reeve said, shifting farther from her previous position so that Thomanji''yheri could bring his broadsword through in a strike meant to catch the guard as it recovered from Reeve¡¯s hit.

    ¡°Then I don¡¯t know what to do with this thing,¡± Wanda said. She waved the point of the sword around in front of her without purpose but with enough fortuitous direction that the guard advancing on her paused as though trying to analyze the non-traditional fencing style the large fighter was exhibiting.

    Thomanji''yheri blocked a lunge from the guard, Reeve thrust with her naginata, and, again, her blade pierced the robe without resistance. When she pulled it back, there was no blood.

    ¡°Seriously, what are these things?¡± She shouted.

    ¡°None know the provenance of Helia¡¯s guard,¡± Thomanyheri said, pausing to duck aside as Reeve blocked a slash of the bone sword intended for the dwarf. ¡°She recruits them without any involvement of others from the camp, at least as far as I know, but perhaps such bruit does not find its way to the armory.¡±

    ¡°Twins, maybe we need less defense and more offense?¡± Reeve called to the sisters, who still stood some distance from the pool, focused on their shields and any signs of magical attacks from the guards.

    ¡°Then be prepared to move,¡± Dusk shouted as she began to circle behind Reeve and Thomanji''yheri, her hands forming a new spell. Dawn circled in the opposite direction, moving behind Wanda and the crumpled body of Walter.

    ¡°Reeve, Sweetie, what should I be doing here?¡± Wanda called, still spinning the tip of her blade through the air in a way that reminded Reeve of a child playing with a sparkler.

    ¡°Stab!¡±

    ¡°Move!¡± Dusk and Dawn yelled in unison.

    Reeve and Thomanji¡¯yheri immediately dropped into squats, the bone sword of the guard in front of them whistling above their heads while across the pool Wanda turned to Dawn and said, ¡°What, Dear?¡±

    Eyes wide, Dawn shifted another foot to her right and then released her spell as Dusk did the same, fire jetting toward the center of the pool through small gaps between the mana spells the twins had erected. The flames Dusk emitted struck the guard before her squarely and splashed in all directions, the majority of the reflected flames ricocheting off the inside of the concave shield as Dawn¡¯s spell, which struck the other guard only obliquely, likewise ricocheted around the inside of the shields, the two splashing jets creating a near-complete globe of fire within the confined space.

    The jets suddenly stopped, and Reeve whooped and watched as the exhausted shields began to fracture. The flames within slowly dissipated.

    ¡°That was sweet!¡± Reeve called for the benefit of the twins.

    ¡°You speak too soon, Ranger,¡± Thomanji''yheri said next to her.

    Reeve¡¯s elation plunged as she saw two humanoid shapes appearing from within the fading flames. The guards¡¯ robes were nearly entirely gone, and the remains of the charred cloth hung loosely on grotesque forms that looked like partially decomposed elves that were more spirit than substance but that still held their bone swords in leather-gloved hands.

 Chapter 12.2 Enslaved Souls (Book I)

    ¡°Wraiths?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Enslaved Souls,¡± Dusk said, disgust evident in her voice. ¡°Spawn of the most repugnant magic.¡±

    ¡°OK,¡± Reeve said. ¡°Never seen them before. How do we kill them?¡±

    ¡°Their souls are bound to a Prismatic Shard that should be where once lay the seat of reason,¡± Dawn called.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty much always the brain,¡± Reeve said to herself. ¡°Thomanji''yheri, I¡¯ll keep this thing busy, you go for a headshot.¡±

    The dwarf grunted acknowledgment and shifted farther to his right, more effectively dividing the guard¡¯s attention between him and Reeve, who launched a lunging attack aimed at the ethereal creature¡¯s torso. Ignoring the naginata, which appeared to pierce it harmlessly, the Enslaved Soul spun to parry Thomanji''yheri¡¯s descending blade. Before the blades even met, Reeve could sense that the Enslaved Soul would carry the momentum of its parry into an attack on Reeve¡¯s right side, but, unable to stop her own momentum and withdraw her blade, she watched with sinking disappointment as the bone sword whipped around and caught her across the forearm, sending searing pain through her entire body with the speed of an electric shock. She tried to catch the base of the bone sword with the shaft of her naginata, but instead found herself crumpling to the ground, her body ignoring her instructions, her head striking the stone, lights flashing in both eyes with the impact. Darkness followed as her cowl fell across her face where she lay.

    Fantastic, Reeve thought, with none of her father¡¯s joy for the word. She called up her logs.

    A Level 12 Enslaved Soul slashes you with a putrid bone sword for 9 points of damage.

    You are afflicted with Paralytic Shock. If left untreated, the affliction will last for five minutes.

    Over the ensuing tense seconds, Reeve glanced between the Combat and Party logs, feeling like she was trying to keep up with an e-sport event using only antiquated technology. She was relieved when the sound of crystal shattering was followed by a new entry.

    Thomanji¡¯yheri strikes the Prismatic Shard of a Level 12 Enslaved Soul with a broadsword for 17 points of damage.

    Thomanji''yheri has killed a Level 12 Enslaved Soul.

    Waiting for more entries, which seemed agonizingly slow in coming, Reeve tried to suppress a feeling of panic beginning to grow from her inability to move and the claustrophobia of the cowl. She watched the logs slowly scroll as Dusk and then Thoman¡¯yherei joined Dawn in facing the remaining Enslaved Soul.

    Something rough and warm rubbed against Reeve¡¯s cheek, and a moment later her cowl was pushed up onto her forehead. Bunce gazed at her, then left her field of view and moved toward the pool. Guess you slept off the drag? venom, huh? Reeve thought. Shouts and snarls sent Reeve back to her logs.

    A Level 12 Enslaved Soul impales Bunce with a putrid bone sword for 6 points of damage.

    A Level 12 Enslaved Soul impales Bunce with a putrid bone sword for 4 points of damage.

    Come on, Reeve though, isn¡¯t anyone going to finish this?

    A Level 12 Enslaved Soul slashes Dusk with a putrid bone sword for 4 points of damage.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Dusk is afflicted with Paralytic Shock. If left untreated, the affliction will last for five minutes.

    Dusk collapsed in front of Reeve, who stared through unblinking eyes at both Dusk and Leaf where they lay. Two different ways to end up paralyzed, Reeve thought. We¡¯re heading toward a Total Party Kill.

    A Level 12 Enslaved Soul impales Bunce with a putrid bone sword for 5 points of damage.

    Come on! Mom, what are you doing?

    Pain exploded at the back of Reeve¡¯s head, and Dawn fell backwards across Reeve¡¯s face, landing hard on her back between Reeve and Dusk.

    A Level 12 Enslaved Soul bludgeons Dawn with the hilt of a putrid bone sword for 3 points of damage.

    Fifty percent of the people still on their feet are my mother, Reeve thought. We are doomed.

    A Level 12 Enslaved Soul impales Bunce with a putrid bone sword for 4 points of damage.

    I forgot to count the honey badger, Reeve thought. OMG she can take damage.

    ¡°?Ay caray!¡± Despite Wanda¡¯s deep male voice, Reeve immediately recognized the tone, and she knew whatever had just happened was not what her mother had meant to do, and it was bad.

    A spurt of blood arced across Reeve¡¯s limited field of view.

    Fighter (human) impales Thomanji''yheri with Unerring Devotion (estoc) for 8 points of damage.

    Thomanji''yheri is afflicted with Vasculotoxic Puncture. If left untreated, the affliction will continue until unconsciousness and, eventually, death.

    Dawn rolled to all fours, crawled to Dusk¡¯s side, and leaned over her paralyzed twin. Reeve thought Dawn might be saying something, but she couldn¡¯t hear the grunts of pain from Thomanji''yheri.

    A Level 12 Enslaved Soul stabs Fighter (human) with a putrid bone sword for 6 points of damage.

    Fighter (human) is afflicted with Paralytic Shock. If left untreated, the affliction will last for five minutes.

    Reeve couldn¡¯t see Bunce, but the snarling behind her suggested that the honey badger was still in the fight, though Reeve expected her father¡¯s companion was finding the almost entirely ethereal nature of the Enslaved Soul¡¯s ankles and legs to present a challenge.

    Dawn stood from Dusk¡¯s side, and Reeve really, really wished she could move her eyes. Staring across the floor, all Reeve could tell was that one of Dawn¡¯s hands moved suddenly.

    Dawn strikes the Prismatic Shard of a Level 12 Enslaved Soul with a silver throwing dagger (Drag? Venom laced) for 23 points of damage.

    Dawn has killed a Level 12 Enslaved Soul.

    Dawn sank onto her knees, placed a hand on Dusk¡¯s leg, and dropped her head.

    ¡°We must¡­,¡± Thomanji''yheri gasped from pain, and it took several seconds for him to master his voice again, ¡°¡­must flee before more come. Helia has a score at her command.¡±

    Dawn shook her head. ¡°We cannot leave. Fate has beguiled us. We are penned here.¡±

    ¡°She will kill us all,¡± Thomanji''yheri said, ¡°unless she chooses to first subject us to worse.¡±

    Dawn shook her head slowly. ¡°We can¡¯t leave.¡±

    I, Reeve thought, am at the mercy of two NPCs. And if they don¡¯t stop arguing soon, we¡¯re all going to die. Then my party¡¯s NPCs will be gone forever, and I¡¯ll be trapped in this cell with my mom and dad for the better part of a year until we time out.

    Bunce collapsed into Reeve¡¯s view, blood oozing from multiple pierce wounds.

    Correction, Reeve thought, make that my mom and dad and a really hard-to-kill honey badger.

    ¡°You must be able to get us out of here, Caster,¡± Thomanji''yheri said. ¡°I saw your power. And our freedom is right there.¡±

    Whatever gesture Thomanji''yheri made caused Dawn to look first to him and then to the ceiling, where light from the river played through the soapstone. She looked back at the dwarf. ¡°Her guards would take us before we left the river.¡±

    ¡°Better there than here,¡± Thomanji''yheri said.

    Dawn shook her head again but gradually stopped, looking once more at the light playing through the ceiling. ¡°Perhaps you are right, Dwarf,¡± she said. ¡°Better deliver you there than leave you here.¡±

    Behind Reeve, Thomanji¡¯yheri grunted and gave a weak, ¡°Thank you, Caster.¡±

    In her peripheral vision, Reeve saw Dawn¡¯s hands craft the beginning of a spell, then move slowly together until Reeve couldn¡¯t tell whether they were touching.

    ¡°I hope these elves¡¯ water magic protects you yet from submersion,¡± Dawn said, ¡°or you will not thank me for delivering you to the river.¡± She held her closely positioned hands toward the ceiling and then flung them apart. A percussive shock threw Reeve onto her back in time to glimpse the remnants of the ceiling, and the water that was driving them down into the room, the moment before it all crashed into her.

 Chapter 12.3 We cannot choose our parents (Book I)

    Reeve tumbled. Unable to control the act of breathing, she waited in terror until her first involuntary breath revealed that she could still draw air through the protective magic that shielded her from the water. Water, air bubbles, river stones, and the bodies of her companions churned around her as though in a giant washing machine. Once the initial turmoil of the river¡¯s collapse into the room lessened, Reeve could see farther, and her spinning view gave her glimpses of Dawn struggling to raise Thomanji''yheri to the surface, Dusk¡¯s rag doll body spinning toward the wall, Bunce paddling past trailing pink plumes, her mother, blade still clenched in her hand, floating, limp, and her father, clenching not blade but spatula.

    One of Leaf¡¯s boots caught Reeve across the cheek and she flinched.

    I can move, she thought.

    Testing her limbs, she found them leaden but again functional. Fighting the turbulence, she dove toward the floor of the room. She found her naginata first and then had to remind herself that she could breathe without surfacing. Swimming along the floor, casting her gaze about, it took another half minute to find Thomanji''yheri¡¯s dropped broadsword. A weapon in each hand, she kicked back to the surface, taking a deep breath as soon as she found open air.

    ¡°Reeve!¡± Dawn called to her from a dozen yards downstream.

    Reeve let the current carry her until she was past the collapsed river bed and could drop her feet to find purchase. Dawn clutched Dusk in one arm and Wanda¡¯s huge form in the other. The half-elf was fighting to keep them from being swept away. Thomanji''yheri, though already pale from blood loss, stood steadfast, holding Leaf in his arms. Walter was floating behind the dwarf, holding tightly to Thomanji''yheri¡¯s belt with both hands. A bobbing white and black patch beyond the group indicated to Reeve where Bunce was, and the honey badger appeared to be using its front paws to grip Walter¡¯s huge foot where it was held aloft by the current.

    ¡°They have sentinels,¡± Dawn said, motioning over her shoulder with her chin. ¡°They¡¯ll soon know we¡¯re here, if they do not already.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s book,¡± Reeve gestured to the bank to the north.

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t make it,¡± Dawn said, glancing down at the still paralyzed party members she held.

    ¡°Then what? Float until we go over the falls downstream? Fight? We could barely take out two of those things. If more come¡ª¡°

    ¡°No, we do not fight. Take my sister and this ill-favored fighter. I can create a path they cannot follow.¡±

    Reeve sloshed toward Dawn. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Here.¡± Dawn thrust Dusk toward Reeve, who caught her in the crook of the arm that held the naginata and then did the same with the broadsword-bearing arm as Wanda was pushed toward her.

    ¡°The elf who leads the camp, Helia,¡± Dawn said, ¡°she wanted Dusk and my help. She showed us a place she cannot reach.¡± She began to cast an intricate spell.

    ¡°But you can?¡±

    ¡°Get ready.¡± Dawn pushed the spell downstream, and it expanded into a spinning ring of smoke through which Reeve could see the river rushing on.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± Thomanji''yheri said, then coughed, and frothy blood spilled into his beard and onto Leaf¡¯s robe.

    ¡°Through, now!¡± Dawn shouted.

    Reeve glanced over her shoulder and saw at least a dozen whitewater-robbed guards striding through the river. They were still fifty yards away, but they were moving quickly with the aid of the current.

    Reeve eased her broad stance and let the current begin to push her and her passengers toward the ring. Thomanji''yheri sidestepped to follow her.

    ¡°We do not want to go there,¡± Dusk said weakly in Reeve¡¯s arm.

    ¡°What?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°I have seen this place. It looked an accursed one.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a problem for Future Us because Present Uses are about to get killed by those creepy undead elf goons.¡±

    A sizzling sound behind her caused Reeve to look back. A spell was burning through a mana shield Dawn had erected behind them.

    ¡°Quickly!¡± Dawn called.

    ¡°Come, Sister,¡± Dusk said, trying to raise her voice, and Reeve felt Dusk start to try to stand under her own strength.

    They reached the ring where it spun above the water. Reeve turned and used her shoulder to shove Wanda through. The fighter toppled forward to splash head-first into the water on the other side. Reeve turned the other way.

    ¡°No,¡± Dusk said.

    ¡°Too late,¡± Reeve said, shoving Dusk through to narrowly miss Wanda, who was starting to float downstream.

    Thomanji''yheri reached her, and Reeve took her father off of him and hoisted the halfling through.

    ¡°Whoawhaa!¡± Walter shouted in surprise.

    Bunce lost her grip on Walter but quickly turned and paddled to the ring, pulled herself through, and then continued to paddle after Walter.

    ¡°A hand, Ranger?¡± Thomanji''yheri said.

    Reeve offered his sword, and, once the dwarf took it, lifted Leaf from his arms and lay her in the water on the other side of the ring then swung Thomanji''yheri¡¯s arm over her shoulder and lifted him off his feet as she stepped up and over the bottom rim of the ring.

    The others hadn¡¯t yet floated far, Reeve saw. She¡¯d be able to get them if Dusk was too weak to catch them.

    ¡°Come through, and then close it!¡± Reeve called back to Dawn.

    ¡°I cannot,¡± Dawn said, turning from the crumbling mana shield to look through the ring at Reeve and the rest of the party. Dawn¡¯s face was heavy with emotions Reeve could not understand.

    ¡°Shut up, Drama Queen! Come on!¡± Reeve waved for the half-elf to hurry up.

    ¡°Sister,¡± Dusk called.

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Dawn said. ¡°I have to stay.¡±

    ¡°Ohmagod, seriously, what is your deal?¡± Reeve waved more vigorously. ¡°Cut the crud and just get through and close this thing.¡± Reeve took a slow step against the current toward the ring.

    Dawn shook her head and looked toward Dusk. ¡°Helia is our mother. I cannot leave. I stay.¡± The half-elf began drawing the spell back toward her, and the ring that had been within Reeve¡¯s reach glided away, shrinking as it went.

    Reeve watched the guards close on Dawn until the ring ceased to be. She turned and looked downstream to where Dusk stood gripping Leaf¡¯s floating body by one arm, the half-elf¡¯s expression full of sorrow.

    ¡°For real?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°We cannot choose our parents, half-orc,¡± Dusk said.

    Three chimes sounded in quick succession.

    Reavyr (II) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    Fighter (human) has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    Bunce has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    Reeve dismissed her UI and looked at Dusk. ¡°No¡­no we cannot.¡± She stared at the weary half-elf. ¡°Are they just going to respawn right back in the room we just spent so much time trying to escape? The one that¡¯s now full of water and riverbed?¡±

    Dusk gave one slow half-shake of the head. ¡°I do not think so, for we are in a different world.¡±

    Reeve frowned, uncertain what Dusk meant, and looked around. Her expression fell slack and her eyes widened as she took in the barren plain, desolate burning town, and dark, acrid clouds that seemed poised to descend to the earth and suffocate everything upon it. The humid air that blew down the river stank of rotting flesh. ¡°The heck?¡± She said and shook her head slowly, then buckled into the water as Walter, Wanda, and Bunce spawned upriver from her and were immediately carried by the current into the backs of Reeve¡¯s knees.

 Chapter 13.1 Stalked (Book I)

    ¡°I think it¡¯s backed off for the moment,¡± Reeve said. She lowered her bow and sank back down behind the partially destroyed stone wall that was providing their cover.

    ¡°Or it¡¯s circling to strike from our flank or rear,¡± Dusk said. She dropped to a squat, slid Leaf from her shoulders, and propped the paralyzed fallen elf against the wall.

    ¡°What is it? It¡¯s like a wolf-moose. Moose-wolf? I don¡¯t even know, but that thing is not right, and I¡¯ve seen some pretty freaky creatures in this ga...world.¡± Reeve looked at her mother. ¡±How¡¯s Thomanji''yheri?¡±

    The fighter raised her gaze from the dwarf¡¯s still body. ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Thomanji''yheri.¡±

    Wanda looked at Reeve blankly.

    ¡°Tom.¡±

    ¡°Oh. He hasn¡¯t spoken in the last half hour, but the bleeding seems to have stopped after Dusk¡­¡±

    ¡°Cauterized it,¡± Reeve said, looking at Dusk and raising her eyebrows, ¡°using a disturbing amount of fire magic. The fact that he stopped talking to us after we decided to do that may not be a coincidence.¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure he¡¯s awake at all, Mija.¡±

    ¡°Probably for the best.¡± Reeve¡¯s voice dropped to be nearly inaudible. ¡°I wish I was unconscious for large parts of the last few weeks.¡± She slowly rose to take another look at the plain across which they¡¯d fled the beast that had met them at the riverbank. She sank back down and stared at the piles of rubble before them that marked the edge of the town. ¡°Wolf-moose. Woose?¡± She continued speaking quietly to herself. ¡°Molf? Moolf? That just sounds stupid. And maybe Not Safe For Work. I wish we¡¯d gotten a hit in so that I could check my logs for details on it.¡±

    ¡°Reeve, we need a healer,¡± Dusk said. ¡°Leaf¡¯s condition may soon worsen, and the dwarf may not have long either, his lifeblood runs shallow.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. Give me a sec to try to figure out where we are and where we might try to go.¡± She pulled up her UI. ¡°We¡­wait, wait. My Companion Log is empty?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s in your UI, Honey,¡± Walter said. ¡°I think it¡¯s part of the Stats panel.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not, and I know where it is, and I¡¯m already in my UI and¡ªow!¡± Reeve slapped a calloused hand to her mouth to belatedly muffle the cry of pain caused by something small, hard, and sharp striking her forehead. She looked at the party. ¡°What was that?¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°What¡¯s what what?¡± Walter said. Reeve could barely see him, so obscured was he as Bunce practically sat on his lap.

    ¡°Something¡ªow!¡± Reeve rocked forward onto the balls of her feet and looked more closely at the rubble. ¡°Something keeps hitting me in the head.¡±

    ¡°This way, half-orc.¡± The whisper was so high and quiet that Reeve almost missed it.

    ¡°What?¡± She whispered back.

    Almost invisible in the near darkness, a repeated flash of motion caught Reeve¡¯s eye from below a huge stone perched on smaller rubble. ¡°Follow me, if you want to escape the Duskhound. It closes on you as we speak.¡±

    Reeve stared under the boulder for a few seconds. ¡°Seriously?¡± She turned to Dusk. ¡°It¡¯s funny, right?¡±

    The half-elf returned her gaze, expression blank.

    ¡°Duskhound? Because you¡¯re Dusk. And that thing¡¯s been¡­never mind. Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t have a better plan.¡± She looked toward her parents. ¡°Everybody, under the talking rock. Halflings and poorly built fighters first. I¡¯ll keep watch for the¡­apparently for the Duskhound. Let¡¯s move.¡±

    Leaning forward onto her hands, Dusk lowered herself and looked along the ground into the gap below the huge stone. She pushed herself back up into a squat. ¡°I can see nothing.¡±

    ¡°Sounds bad,¡± Reeve said. ¡°But not as bad as the Duskhound flanking us.¡±

    Dusk rocked her head a few times. ¡°Very well.¡± Staying low, she moved to the stone and then lowered herself once again onto her hands, from which she lay on her stomach and worked herself slowly into the space beneath, her dark trailing braid the last thing to disappear. After a few seconds, there was a sound of feet landing lightly on a hard surface and then Dusk¡¯s hand extended from the darkness, waving Reeve to follow.

    Reeve turned and hooked Leaf under the arm and dragged her to the stone, lay her on the ground, and extended Leaf¡¯s arm out from her body until Dusk could grip it. Together, they slid Leaf under the stone until she disappeared into the darkness. A moment later, there was a sound like a bag of potatoes being dropped from height.

    ¡°Everything OK?¡± Reeve whispered.

    ¡°She was already a fallen elf,¡± Dusk¡¯s voice echoed slightly. ¡°Let us not speak of it, and perhaps she will not remember once revived.¡±

    Reeve retrieved Thomanji''yheri and repeated the delivery to Dusk, his disappearance followed by the sound of a larger bag of potatoes being dropped from height.

    ¡°Fallen dwarf?¡± Reeve whispered.

    ¡°He weighs at least twice Leaf.¡±

    Reeve waved her parents under the rock, then spent more than two minutes explaining to her father what she wanted him to do and why, which she found extremely frustrating, but not as frustrating as having to repeat the conversation with her mother, who somehow had missed the key points of the conversation that had just taken place right in front of her.

    Wanda disappeared under the stone without incident, and then Walter slid under with the subsequent sound of a tiny but very surprised and hurt bag of potatoes being dropped from height.

    Reeve scratched one eyebrow and looked at Bunce, who helpfully disappeared under the stone without instruction and without subsequent injury from whatever lay beyond.

    Reeve sat back on her ankles and stared at the ground, enjoying the quiet. She looked around the darkness and considered whether she should walk, alone and unencumbered by her parents, into the darkness to face the Duskhound and whatever else might befall her. It would be so much simpler that way.

    With a sigh, she lowered herself to her chest and, bow and naginata each in a hand, inched sideways into the darkness.

 Chapter 13.2 Level 23 Beast (Book I)

    As she slid sideways a few inches at a time, the toe of Reeve¡¯s right boot was the first to find the edge. She swung her legs over, let them hang, and then pushed back to drop the remaining yard. She landed on a stone floor and turned. Her party was arrayed around her, all with their backs to the low entry they¡¯d just used to access what looked to Reeve like an old, partially collapsed fruit cellar.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s¡­¡± Following everyone¡¯s gaze, Reeve found the focal point of their attention. ¡°¡­oh¡­fork.¡± Reeve wasn¡¯t sure, but the distinctive pug-nosed face of the gnome holding a tiny, shielded lantern looked familiar¡ªa face she¡¯d seen in either the tavern or cave and in her recurring guilt-laced nightmares since.

    The gnome made a quarter-turn on his doll-sized heeled leather boots and gestured that they follow through a dark, litter-strewn passage that led out of the cellar.

    Reeve glanced at Dusk, whose face was downturned, as though trying to prevent the gnome from getting a good look at her. Dusk¡¯s eyes rose and met Reeve¡¯s briefly and then looked away.

    I don¡¯t think my stomach can handle another gnome fight right now, Reeve thought. She looked at Leaf¡¯s and Thomanji''yheri¡¯s bodies, which lay sprawled on the stone floor, and wondered how to get them back up and through the low entry to the outdoors before the gnome caused trouble. Reeve looked over her shoulder through the dark entry and stopped breathing.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Two impossibly large paws were planted on the ground beyond the stone she¡¯d only just crawled under. A black snout appeared and sniffed at the ground between the paws. Reeve glanced back at the gnome, who again waved them toward the passage. Door One, Reeve thought. She looked back at the snout sniffing sideways along the ground toward her, only a yard or two between them. Or Door Two.

    As quietly as she could, Reeve took a breath, raised her naginata, and extended it through the makeshift entry, until the end of its blade was a few inches short of the entry¡¯s opening. Sensing the beast was about to turn away and her chance would be lost, she shook her head once, not quite believing what she was doing, and jabbed the naginata forward into the black-furred cheek.

    Expecting a howl of pain and rage, the complete silence that followed was unnerving. Reeve withdrew her naginata and watched as the beast pawed once at its cheek and then lowered its head to look under the stone. The eye that stared at Reeve had a black iris surrounded by red sclera. In the center was an elongated, vertical pupil.

    Vertical pupils¡ªnever, ever a good sign, Reeve thought and pulled up her UI.

    You stab a Level 23 Duskhound (alpha) with a naginata using Stealth Surprise Attack Amplifier for 1 point of damage.

    Level 23? She reread the entry three times. No way should that be in this Standard Difficulty story mode, she thought. Alpha. And, sure, my strike was hindered by the space, but 1 point from a sneak attack shot to the face by a bladed weapon?

    Reeve dismissed her UI and looked at the red eye, which narrowed. She turned slowly back to her party, nodded, squatted, pulled Leaf up under one arm, and rose. The gnome, who looked slightly taken aback by the delay, gestured once more down the passage from the cellar and walked into it. Reeve followed.

 Chapter 13.3 Destruction IRL (Book I)

    The shielded lantern¡¯s dim, partial beam illuminated only a small arc of the stone floor in front of the gnome as they followed the passage to one left-hand turn, then a right. Reeve trailed the gnome, hugging Leaf¡¯s limp body to her side. Making a third turn, the stone floor became easier to see, as light from ahead raised shadows on the uneven surface. The end of the passage was marked by a partially collapsed beam, which had been arrested in its fall at an angle a third of the way down from the ceiling, many stones from which lay scattered around the floor. Through the middle of the rubble, a path no more than a few inches wide had been cleared.

    The gnome walked under the collapsed beam into the light beyond, and Reeve lowered to nearly a squat and shuffled through plowing rubble with each step and dragging Leaf behind her.

    The gnome raised and opened his lantern and extinguished the flame with a quick pop of air through tight lips. After reclosing the lantern, he looked up and saw Reeve taking in the bright room, surprise clear on her face. ¡°The cellar of what used to be the town hall,¡± he said, his voice no longer a whisper. He swept a hand to take in the large rectangular stone room, which had a wide ceiling supported at intervals by massive wooden posts. Although the support posts were the only structures of any significance to interrupt the space, that the room was divided into areas of different functions was immediately clear, with a host of tables in an eating area, cots in a sleeping area, benches in a work area, and other spaces of purpose Reeve could not immediately determine.

    The gnome gestured to Reeve and Wanda to follow and led them slowly through the crowded room to the infirmary, the boundaries of which were marked by sheets, rugs, and, along one side, drying laundry hung over ropes strung between posts. They laid Leaf and Thomanji¡¯yheri on the stone floor between cots so small that they would have been crushed by the weight of the fallen elf or dwarf. A gnome wearing a frock that may once have been white but was now a patchwork of rusty stains appeared and examined Thomanji''yheri and then Leaf, the examinations making use of small kicks and punches to seemingly random locations across the body as much as it made use of techniques Reeve associated more closely with medicine, even archaic medicine.

    The gnome peeled back one of Leaf¡¯s eyelids to such an extent that Reeve was afraid she¡¯d soon be seeing the fallen elf¡¯s brain. The gnome shook her head and looked from Wanda to Reeve. ¡°Never have I seen the work of this particular toxin, but nothing under the sky is without kin, and our apothecary has curatives that should revive your companion. Revive is all we may be able to do, and the recovery that follows may not be a fast one.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Thanks very much,¡± Reeve said. ¡°And him?¡± She gestured to Thomanji''yheri.

    The gnome laughed and leaned to pull open the dwarf¡¯s unbuttoned tunic, revealing a stomach that looked like pizza from which the cheese and toppings had been peeled. ¡°The worst for him is already over. Whichever of you sealed his wound did an effective job, though I wager he did not appreciate it at the time. We can infuse enough blood that he¡¯ll regain consciousness.¡±

    ¡°Thank you again,¡± Reeve said.

    Without further discussion, the gnome turned, and Reeve, Wanda, and their guide excused themselves to wind their way back across the room to Dusk and Walter, who were at a table that rose no higher than their waist, even though they had forgone the miniature chairs that were far too small for them and instead sat cross-legged on the floor. Bunce was chewing on something where she lay behind Walter.

    ¡°Sit, eat,¡± their guide said, himself taking a seat at one end of the table.Reeve and Dusk looked at each other, the continuing hospitality a welcome but confusing surprise. Wanda took a seat on the floor, and Reeve lay her weapons behind a vacant seat and did the same.

    ¡°I am Yorrin,¡± the gnome said, ¡°son of Yowin.¡± He tore a piece of bread from a muffin-sized loaf and put it on a plate no larger than a tea saucer. ¡°Your party did not tell us that more of you would be coming through.¡±

    Reeve and Dusk exchanged another glance. ¡°Our party?¡± Reeve said.

    Yorrin nodded and looked at Dusk, his high voice difficult to make out as he spoke with a mouthful of bread, ¡°Your sisters are not quickly forgotten, half-elf. For the pleasure of their company as much as their beauty.¡±

    ¡°My sister passed through before us?¡± Dusk said. She took an entire loaf, split it in two, and placed one half in her mouth.

    ¡°Both sisters,¡± Yorrin said, ¡°and the giant of a Cleric traveling with them.¡± The gnome took another crumb-sized bite of his bread.

    Reeve and Dusk stared at him. ¡°And it sounds like you and the¡­sisters,¡± Reeve said, ¡°got along well?¡±

    ¡°Like a hive of waxwurms,¡± Yorrin said. ¡°Dawn immediately won over the whole clan, as you¡¯d expect. She¡¯s a piece of the firmament come down to brighten this dark world, isn¡¯t she? Dusk, well, you know Dusk. She was slower to warm to us and us to her, but a heart of gold, that one.¡±

    Reeve looked at Dusk. ¡°What?¡± Reeve mouthed.

    Dusk shrugged and shook her head.

    Reeve looked back at Yorrin. ¡°How long ago did they come through?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°They left us three mornings today.¡±

    ¡°Where were they going?¡±

    Yorrin frowned at Reeve. ¡°Fellgrave. I assumed you must be on your way to meet them hence.¡±

    Reeve leaned back. ¡°Yeah no, that was our plan. Is. We¡¯ve just, uh, apparently lost track of some details.¡± She looked at Dusk. ¡°It¡¯ll be good to catch up with them and get on the same page.¡± Reeve looked around the room at the bustling gnome camp, not a single one of its residents showing any signs of hostility to them, despite Reeve¡¯s party¡¯s inglorious history with gnomes, a history that had previously dogged them. She looked at Dusk. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go check in on Leaf and Thomanji''yheri.¡± Reeve jerked her head toward the infirmary.

    Dusk gave a small nod. ¡°Excuse us,¡± she said to Yorrin.

    The gnome extended a palm in acknowledgment. Reeve and Dusk rose and started winding through the room.

    ¡°Whadaya think?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°I would think him confused,¡± Dusk said, ¡°but for him knowing my sister¡¯s name, and my own.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Freaky.¡± Reeve placed a hand on Dusk¡¯s arm and they both stopped and stood in a location that provided some privacy of conversation between areas of activity. ¡°What did Dawn¡¯s spell in the river do? This ruin is different than it used to be. My Companion Log is totally empty. There¡¯s a Level 23 creature stalking us. These gnomes seemed pleased as punch to see us. And Yorrin thinks you and Dawn have been through here before, a few days ago. It¡¯s like¡ª¡±

    ¡°We are in another world.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t even know what¡ª¡°

    ¡°Reeve,¡± Dusk now placed her hand on Reeve¡¯s arm, ¡°we are in another world. That is what Helia told us we were seeing, Dawn and I, when she showed us the sigil to cast the spell that Dawn used to bring us here. When Helia took us from our room, our cell, she led us up to the river surface and had us cast. Through the ring I cast lay rich, cultivated fields of grain that stretched for miles across the plain to what might¡¯ve been orchards beyond. What was a ramshackle ruin just outside my ring was a bustling town within, guards in gleaming armor patrolling the high walls as a steady stream of carts and horse-mounted travelers lined the roads from east and west.¡±

    Dusk shook her head, remembering the wondrous vision she had created. Then her expression fell into one of horror. ¡°When I looked through Dawn¡¯s ring, the plain beyond was nearly barren, only an occasional sickly tuft of grass or bush interrupting the ashen expanse. The town, thriving when viewed through my ring, was again a ruin, though within the tumbled walls fires could be seen burning, columns of black smoke rising to join the dark clouds pressing down on the land. I smelled the stench of rotting flesh. That is where Dawn¡¯s spell brought us. That is where we are. ¡®Another world,¡¯ Helia said. Do not ask me how, for I do not understand it, but that is what she claimed. What I see around me lends credence to her words. And Dawn and my ability to complete that cast Helia could not was why she was so interested in talking with us. More so, it seemed to me, than her claim of maternity.¡±

    ¡°But what does that even mean?¡± Reeve¡¯s eyes moved from one pocket of activity to the next in the bustling room. ¡°Suddenly Fellgrave¡¯s back, there are more than one of you, Nyx isn¡¯t here. Is this some sort of parallel storyline we¡¯re in, and we¡¯ll move back to the other at some point? Or did it change permanently again?¡±

    Dusk shook her head.

    And, Reeve thought, regardless of exactly how and why the story changed, what the heck is a Level 23 Duskhound doing here? That should be impossible. I chose the Standard Difficulty for this story mode¡­

    Reeve looked, eyes wide, at Dusk. ¡°We really may be in another world. Someone else¡¯s world. But¡­¡± Reeve turned and wove quickly back to the table where Yorrin sat. Dusk followed. ¡°The Cleric¡¯s name. What was it?¡± Reeve said to Yorrin.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± The gnome said, craning his neck to look up at Reeve.

    ¡°You said a huge Cleric was traveling with the twins¡ªI mean, with Dawn and Dusk. What was the Cleric¡¯s name?¡±

    Still looking confused, Yorrin said, ¡°Devynyty.¡±

    Reeve spun and, finding Dusk right behind her, put her palms on Dusk¡¯s shoulders and walked the half-elf backward until they were again in a spot that allowed them to speak freely.

    ¡°This is my friend Devon¡¯s story mode¡­her world.¡±

    ¡°I do not understand.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand either. But, the half-giant Cleric who came through with your supposed sisters a few days ago? I know her.¡± Reeve placed a hand across her eyes and rubbed hard, wishing she would wake in a world that made more sense, ideally the real world. That may be the first time I¡¯ve wished for real life over virtual life, she thought. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be possible,¡± she said to Dusk, ¡°but Dawn¡¯s spell took us from the world we were in to this totally different world that my friend is usually in.¡±

    ¡°You speak of different worlds, Reeve, but this means nothing more to me than¡ª¡°

    ¡°I know, I know, it doesn¡¯t make sense to me either. But if we did actually change from my story mode to Devon¡¯s¡ªfrom one world to another¡ªit would explain the weird stuff going on. This ruin and Fellgrave being different. Nyx not being anywhere in this world. The gnomes not recognizing or hating us. There being another pair of you and Dawn.¡± Reeve facepalmed. ¡°Even the Level 23 monster. Devon always plays everything in here on Martyr Difficulty.¡±

    Dusk crossed her arms. ¡°You will need to speak plainly if you hope for me to join you.¡±

    Reeve narrowed her eyes. ¡°How did Dawn cast the spell she did?¡±

    ¡°Helia taught us¡ª¡°

    ¡°But Dawn and now you have said Helia herself couldn¡¯t cast the spell Dawn used.¡±

    ¡°Helia is a normal caster of Ase Thhia. She claimed that we are meli¨®¦Äin.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°She said we possess an ancient form of magic that controls not mana but something more fundamental.¡±

    As the bustling room moved around them, Reeve stared at Dusk, trying to wrap her mind around what was going on. Her eyes widened. Code, she thought. ¡°More fundamental than mana?¡± She said. ¡°Or more fundamental than the substance of this world?¡±

    Dusk signaled incomprehension with a shake of her head.

    ¡°I think you and your sister can control the fabric of this world. And I think Dawn hacked her way into my friend Devon¡¯s world.¡±

    ¡°You expect me to understand what you say?¡± Dusk looked frustrated, obviously wishing to understand.

    ¡°No, not now. Maybe with time. But¡­¡± Reeve¡¯s eyes widened further. ¡°Helia wants out of that world. All those port error messages I¡¯ve been brushing away for days stopped once Helia met you two¡­those errors must have been from Helia trying to find a way out. She couldn¡¯t, because she¡¯s not meli¨®¦Äin, the system just closed the ports. But with Dawn in her possession, Helia could get loose, get out of our world. Maybe go to any she wanted to.¡±

    A Level 4 AI lose on the nex, Reeve thought. That wasn¡¯t a little glitch with her story mode, or an inconvenience with her and her parents getting out in time for Reeve to study for her math test¡ªHelia could cause destruction IRL. She could hurt real people, just like Reeve had been hurt.

 Chapter 13.4 Shaker (Book I)

    ¡°Mom, Dad, eat what you can quickly. Dusk and I are going to get Leaf and Thomanji''yheri. When we get back, we¡¯ll all need to leave. Pronto.¡±

    Walter, who was eating a piece of bread piled high with what Reeve was pretty sure was bat-milk cheese, looked up with a disappointed frown. Wanda nodded absentmindedly as she stacked a piece of something Reeve couldn¡¯t identify at all on bread and looked around the table, at which sat several new gnomes who¡¯d appeared since Reeve and Dusk rose moments earlier and most of whom were smiling wide-eyed at Walter.

    ¡°It will be our misfortune if you leave us so soon,¡± Yorrin said.

    Reeve made a vague gesture of gratitude and turned and walked quickly toward the infirmary. As she approached the area where they¡¯d left Leaf and Thomanji''yheri, she found herself walking past a long row of seated gnomes, each of whom had a grotesquely large leach attached to a leg or arm.

    ¡°There is my tormentor and savior,¡± Thomanji''yheri said to Dusk as they approached.

    Leaf gave a tired nod. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that she dropped both of us onto a stone floor.¡± Leaf appended a weak smile to her comment.

    ¡°Glad you¡¯re both conscious and unparalyzed,¡± Reeve said, ¡°and I wish we could let you rest, but we need to hoof it. Helia¡­¡± Reeve stared at the leaches decorating Thomanji''yheri¡¯s arms and legs. ¡°Don¡¯t you need more blood, not less?¡±

    ¡°These are providing,¡± the frock-wearing gnome said as she arrived and began giving each leach a quick, hard squeeze, ¡±not taking.¡±

    Reeve looked back at the row of tiny gnomes. ¡°From them?¡±

    The frocked gnome nodded.

    ¡°That works?¡±

    ¡°We have used this knowledge for generations,¡± the gnome said.

    ¡°Well, OK.¡± Reeve had trouble looking away from the leaches. ¡°Can they walk?¡±

    ¡°If they must, but I would not advise it.¡±

    ¡°I can work with that,¡± Reeve said. To Leaf and Thomanji''yheri she said, ¡°Meet us at the door we came in through, as soon as you can.¡± She jerked a thumb toward Dusk. ¡°We¡¯ll go grab my parents and our stuff.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Neither Leaf nor Thomanji''yheri appeared pleased with the plan, but neither objected, and each slowly began to sit up.

    Reeve started to turn away but stopped herself and turned back to Thomanji¡¯yheri. ¡°Listen, not to get off track, ¡®cause I¡¯m the one who wants to hurry anyway, but do you mind me asking what the deal is with your eyes?¡±

    ¡°My eyes?¡± Thomanji¡¯yheri said as he worked to continue his slow rise.

    ¡°Yeah. Eyes. Peepers. I don¡¯t know if you know this, but they¡¯re red. All red. Nothin¡¯ but red.¡±

    Thomanji¡¯yheri nodded a nod as anemic as his progress in standing. ¡°Corallium. Red coral.¡±

    ¡°Your eyes are¡­coral?¡± Reeve blinked and flinched involuntarily as she imagined what it would feel like to blink eyelids if they had to slide across coral.

    ¡°When Helia found me, I¡¯d lost both eyes.¡±

    ¡°Lost?¡±

    ¡°You ever see a mine scorpion? A full-size one?¡± Thomanji¡¯yheri raised one horizontal palm to a height a foot above his head.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then consider yourself in the good graces of the gods. That was the last thing I ever saw with the eyes of my birth. Once I was recovered enough, Helia gave me a fair block of red coral, and by touch alone I crafted replacements. Well, not exactly replacements. Helia enchanted my handiwork to allow me to see, but it is a sight of a kind far different than anything I¡¯d seen afore.¡±

    Reeve raised both hands, at a loss. ¡°What? A sunset filter? Sepia?¡±

    Thomanji¡¯yheri swept his gaze around the room. ¡°The world is afire.¡±

    ¡°The world is afire?¡± Reeve watched Thomanji¡¯yheri as he scanned the room. ¡°Is this a riddle?¡±

    Thomanji¡¯yheri pointed to a distance fireplace. ¡°It blazes.¡±

    ¡°As fire does.¡±

    He pointed to a jar into which the nurse was dropping leeches. ¡°As those made of water, or ice.¡±

    ¡°You mean you see heat?¡±

    ¡°Aye.¡±

    ¡°Got it¡ªthermal vision. I¡¯ll have to think about that. Later.¡± Reeve again wove back toward her parents. She found her father spreading cheese on a new piece of bread, while her mother appeared finished building her open-faced stack. The female gnome to her mother¡¯s right was eating a small piece of bread and watching Wanda with wide, impressed eyes. Wanda cast her gaze around the table.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°I¡¯m just looking for a little black pepper, Mija,¡± Wanda said in her low fighter¡¯s voice.

    The more I let go, Reeve thought to herself, the better I will feel. The more I let go, the better I will feel. She looked around the table and saw a thimble-sized pepper shaker sitting in front of the gnome to her mother¡¯s right. Reeve pointed. ¡°There. Shaker.¡±

    Wanda craned her neck down in the direction Reeve was pointing. ¡°Mija?¡±

    ¡°Shake-er,¡± Reeve said, feeling like she was going to scream. They could be sooooo incapable sometimes, she thought.

    ¡°I can never understand how you¡¯re supposed to figure out something like that in one of these games,¡± Wanda said with a shrug, plucked the gnome sitting next to her from her wee chair, tilted the gnome¡¯s tiny feet high in the air, and shook her stocking capped head toward the stack of food.

    A silence Reeve found all too familiar fell over the cellar.

 Chapter 14.1 Reunited (Book I)

    Reeve rolled her shoulders as she walked, wishing she could put down her naginata, even if for just a few minutes, but not trusting the Martyr Difficulty world or her luck. Dusk walked to her right, their shoulders nearly touching, a partially cast defensive spell held ready in the half-elf¡¯s hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s just so hard,¡± Reeve said quietly, ¡°to take them anywhere.¡±

    Dusk didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Like, could we just go somewhere, once, one world, where they didn¡¯t start a fight with a horde of gnomes?¡±

    Dusk let out a short, nearly inaudible snort and continued her surveillance of the skeletal trees that loomed over their path.

    ¡°And, the gnomes were so predictable,¡± Reeve said. ¡°It was like I could see their little, tiny attacks from a mile away.¡± She spat to the side. ¡°Shooting fish in a barrel. But, with a naginata¡­and the fish¡ª¡°

    ¡°¡ªwere gnomes,¡± Dusk said, ¡°yes, I understand your macabre metaphor.¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s not just this¡­world they don¡¯t get. They don¡¯t get anything about me and my friends. Like when Devon broke up with Brit on Monkachet and started going out with Millie, my mom thought I was upset that Devon¡¯d done it on Monkachet instead of in person, but I didn¡¯t care, I was just frustrated at the time about a totally unrelated thing in-game, with this party member who was blowing up all our interactions with NPCs. And, I mean, everyone breaks up with everyone online anyway. We¡¯re not¡­,¡± she glanced over her shoulder, ¡°Luddites.¡± Bringing her gaze back forward, she found Dusk staring at her.

    ¡°If,¡± the half-elf said, ¡°you expect me to be able to provide counsel on matters of the heart, you will be disappointed. My sister and I have always been unlucky in love. We¡¯ve felt ourselves much like the fair maidens in the parable of the serpent, the dairy cow, the goat, and the ogre.¡±

    Reeve took a turn staring at Dusk, before returning to the source of her frustration. ¡°Do your parents constantly embarrass you?¡± As soon as the last word had left her mouth, Reeve grimaced. She glanced at Dusk and found the half-elf looking back at her.

    ¡°Well, my father is a good man but was crippled when our farm horse kicked him, breaking his back, leading him toward poverty and the need to apprentice us to a mage who, evidently, made poor choices resulting in his abduction and apparent death, and my mother¡­there let me skip over the minor embarrassments straight to her leaving my sister and me to join a war in a distant land and, it turns out, to raise an army to overthrow a relatively peaceful empire in the name of raising a new empire of questionable intent under elfin hegemony.¡±

    Reeve rubbed the tip of her nose with the side of one finger. ¡°Yeah, I guess we¡¯re both dealing with some things.¡±

    They walked in silence past a half-dozen of the lifeless trees.

    Reeve¡¯s thoughts drifted back to her own parents. ¡°I also do not feel great about the fact that my dad dispatched so many of the gnomes with a spatula. Nobody should die like that.¡± With her free hand, Reeve mimed swatting at targets moving low to the ground.

    ¡°The plain-featured fighter,¡± Dusk said, glancing sideways at Reeve, ¡°your mother? One must acknowledge that she was indispensable in our final escape from the gnomes¡¯ cellar.¡±

    Reeve walked in silence, her jaw tight.

    Dusk glanced at her again. ¡°You know of what I speak, surely?¡±

    Reeve did not respond.

    ¡±When we reached the end of the tunnel through which we were fleeing and found it collapsed? Although you, Leaf, the dwarf, and I cleared stones from the collapse as quickly as we could, the fighter stacked them neatly and efficiently behind us just as quickly as we freed them. It was wondrous!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±

    ¡°If it had not been so, we would straight away have been swamped by the product of our labor, unable to proceed further.¡±

    ¡°Really don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±

    ¡°And, into the bargain, the wall she built of the stones served as a barrier to those pursuing us, giving us the narrowest of margins by which we finished clearing the debris and made our escape.¡±

    Reeve began wishing that something would appear from the darkness to attack them so that they could move on from the topic.

    ¡°It was as though the fighter had spent countless hours learning to fit together oddly shaped objects in a most efficient way.¡± Dusk shook her head in astonishment. ¡°The fighter was never a stoneworker in the past, nay?¡±

    ¡°Did I hear someone talking about Tetris?¡± Walter said from a couple of yards behind them.

    ¡°Not. Talking. About. It.¡± Reeve said through clenched teeth. A moment later, she felt humid warmth on her neck and glanced over her shoulder but flinched away from the haggard muzzle of the mule on which her parents rode.

    ¡°Could you back off a little, please,¡± she said to her father.

    Walter leaned forward and rested his head against the mule¡¯s neck. ¡°I think he needs a rest,¡± he said.

    ¡°We have to get out of this forest before we run into any more nightmarish chimeric creatures some sicko dev thought up. Mule¡¯s have amazing stamina, he¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Your mother and I must be pretty heavy for this poor guy, Evie. And he only has three legs.¡±

    Reeve stopped abruptly, took a turning sidestep to avoid the mule running her over, and then grabbed its reins as her father came even with her. ¡°It,¡± Reeve whispered, the sound harsh, ¡°had four legs when you started riding it. Remember?¡±

    Walter sheepishly pursed his lips and sat up. He stroked the mule¡¯s neck and then turned to look back at the small wagon they¡¯d modified to provide partial support to the mule¡¯s one-legged hindquarters. Reeve noted Thomanji''yheri, Leaf, and Bunce fanning out behind the parked mule to protect its flanks. What remained of them.

    ¡°Have you checked the Party Log?¡± Walter said. ¡°I named it¡ª¡°

    ¡°Do. Not. Tell. Me.¡± Reeve looked up the path. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know, don¡¯t want to get attached.¡± She took a long breath.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Milford,¡± Walter said quietly.

    Reeve hung her head and let out a longer, even more tired, breath. ¡°Can we please keep going? We¡¯ve got to catch up with Dawn and Dusk Two or we¡¯ll never get back to¡ª¡°

    ¡°Reevita,¡± Wanda said, ¡°could you tell me again what Devon has to do with this? In my message, I asked her to call back, but you said she¡¯s in this world now?¡±

    Deflating, Reeve leaned forward and let her head rest against her mother¡¯s muscled shoulder. ¡°You really want to do this? Again?¡±

    Wanda ran a gentle, calloused hand through Reeve¡¯s short, spiky hair, which still retained some of its resinous crispness.

    Reeve did not remove her face from her mother¡¯s leather armor as she spoke. ¡°I¡¯m pretty positive,¡± she said quietly, ¡°that the Level 4 AIs that took over Dawn and Dusk are capable of manipulating the code of the game. Maybe more than that, maybe the operating system on my VR¡ª¡±

    ¡°Mija, I¡¯ve been thinking¡­¡± Wanda said.

    Reeve deflated further, her back arching and her face sliding a few inches down her mother¡¯s armor. She waited.

    ¡°If they can do this coding thing, can they help you log out?¡±

    Reeve rolled her head slowly from side to side about the point where it rested against her mother, who continued stroking her head. ¡°They don¡¯t know they¡¯re doing it. And they¡¯re not really doing it directly. In the game, I think the code manipulation manifests itself as a different kind of magic. And the spell Dawn cast was a hack into Devon¡¯s VR setup. Devon¡¯s one of the contacts in my address book, so it would make sense¡ª¡°

    ¡°So, she hasn¡¯t gotten my message,¡± Wanda said.

    Reeve tilted her face down and stared at her mother¡¯s leg, the mule¡¯s side, the dirt. ¡°No, probably not. She may not even be playing in this story mode right now. Pretty sure she isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°But,¡± Walter said, turning to speak almost directly into Reeve¡¯s ear, ¡°we could just wait in this world until Devon comes to play, and then she can get us out?¡±

    ¡°No, no we can¡¯t wait.¡± Reeve stood slowly and looked between her parents. ¡°Helia, one of the other Level 4 AIs back in my story mode, has Dawn, and I think Helia wants to use Dawn¡¯s abilities to hack her way¡ª¡°

    ¡°Dawn¡¯s way?¡± Walter said.

    ¡°¡ªno, Helia¡¯s way, out of my system onto the nex. She may be able to go to any system that¡¯s connected to this game¡¯s servers. Maybe anywhere on the whole nex. And she doesn¡¯t seem nice¡ª¡°

    ¡°Dawn?¡± Wanda said.

    ¡°¡ªHelia!¡± Reeve raised her free hand in apology as Dusk, Thomanji''yheri, and Leaf turned dark looks in her direction following her shout, which had felt like a signal flare in the silent, inky wood. ¡°Helia,¡± she said quietly, ¡°seems like she may be a malicious AI, and if she got loose on the nex, real people could get hurt. All kinds of cyber systems too. As we know all too well, it¡¯s happened before, even with lower-level AIs.¡±

    Walter pointed at the sky. ¡°Out there?¡±

    Reeve¡¯s eyelids dropped a quarter and a small frown formed. ¡°Yes. Out. There. I know you two were focused on me while I was in the hospital, but you remember how my accident was part of a much bigger attack on self-driving cars? Well, attack with self-driving cars?¡±

    Both parents¡¯ features tightened, and they nodded stiffly.

    ¡°That was an AI that went rogue and started crashing cars into the nearest bridge abutment, guard rail¡­or other cars. It used last-millisecond changes in direction that the fail-safe onboard couldn¡¯t undo. There were tens of thousands of deaths around the world. I was relatively lucky to survive at all. There would have been a lot more deaths, but within a few seconds the guardian AIs at the auto companies sent out kill commands to redundant, separate systems in the cars. That same rogue AI caused the simultaneous grid shutdown that lasted almost a week in most places.¡±

    ¡±So terrible,¡± Wanda said, staring at her daughter with an intensity Reeve found unnerving.

    ¡°This could be worse, Mom. That happened years ago. The AIs now are much more powerful. So are the technologies they can get their hands on. I don¡¯t want anyone to suffer the way I did. But If Helia got out¡­¡±

    ¡°Bunce,¡± Walter said with a rekindled spring in his voice Reeve could not at first fathom, ¡°spotted a campfire ahead, somewhere off to the right.¡±

    Reeve looked to where she¡¯d last seen Bunce patrolling their flank. The honey badger was gone. She looked up the path and saw Bunce¡¯s white stripe bobbing through the darkness as she trotted back down the path toward them. Reeve looked at her father. ¡°You¡¯re communicating with your companion now?¡±

    Walter sat tall and shifted his weight from one sitz bone to the other. It also appeared to Reeve that he tried for a moment to hook one thumb into a suspender that wasn¡¯t there, which caused him to glance down at the dirty orange robe he wore. The frustration at the missing suspender was short-lived, and he looked back at Reeve with a smile. ¡°My non-anthophile companion and I are really gelling now.¡±

    Reeve sighed and leaned back so that she could check on the rope that tied Walter and Wanda to each other and the mule. Cinching the knot a little tighter, she gave a pat to the mule, then her mom, then her father.

    ¡°Bunce reached Level 10,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Reeve said without enthusiasm. ¡°I made 16 yesterday when we stumbled into that nest of Giant Flying Spiders right after losing the last of the gnomes trailing us.¡± She looked at her father for a moment. ¡°I put all my new points into Accounting.¡±

    ¡°Really!?¡± He said.

    ¡°No.¡±

    She handed the reins back to Walter and rejoined Dusk, who stood staring alertly into the darkness at the head of the party.

    ¡°You heard that?¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°I would be pleasantly surprised if the entirety of the forest did not,¡± Dusk said.

    ¡°You want me to go scout it?¡±

    Dusk shook her head. ¡°I would prefer if we remained together. The halfling and human become agitated in your absence.¡±

    Reeve¡¯s lips turned down in a resigned grimace. ¡°They¡¯re exhausting,¡± she said quietly. Waving the party forward, she and Dusk resumed their side-by-side advance.

    The campfire revealed itself first as faint oranges and reds painting the underside of branches well off the right side of the path, visible as much from the stark silhouettes of trees that lay between as from the light itself. The party stopped. Reeve leaned close to Dusk and whispered, ¡°Remember, my bet is that this version of you is going to be a little different, a little simpler in her thinking.¡±

    ¡°So you have said.¡±

    ¡°Just, let me try to talk to them first, and then we¡¯ll see what we can do.¡±

    Dusk nodded.

    ¡°And, Dad?¡± Reeve said over her shoulder.

    ¡°Yes, Hun?¡±

    ¡°Do not mention our Reavyr naming issue, OK?¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°OK.¡±

    Hearing something in her father¡¯s tone, Reeve watched the distant firelight and did not resume walking.

    ¡°Reeve?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Dad?¡±

    ¡°If I did mention the name thing, wouldn¡¯t Viv come and figure out things are going wrong and help us out?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible, Dad. But it¡¯s also possible that us being here on Devon¡¯s system is entirely off Viv¡¯s radar. We¡¯re running a story mode, and the host player isn¡¯t even present. I think. And if we glitch the low-level AI twins running in this world, we could be stuck here with no way to get back to my world while Helia does whatever it is she¡¯s after, which I don¡¯t have a good feeling about.¡±

    Reeve watched the light and tried to estimate the distance.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just need to take your word on that,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Guess so, Dad.¡±

    Reeve counted the silhouettes of trees.

    ¡°You think the, uh, Dawn that¡¯s in this world¡ªyou think she can cast a spell that will,¡± Walter¡¯s words were slowing and Reeve didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d make it through the full, poorly comprehended thought, ¡°take us back to your world? Story mode?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hoping so. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll be able to cast the meli¨®¦Äin spell that our Dawn did, but the story mode our Dusk could take us to is different¡ªI don¡¯t know whose it is, probably a different one of my friends¡ªso we need our Dusk and this Dawn to try to figure out how to get this Dawn or our Dusk to cast the spell that would take us back to my world, my story mode.¡± After a few seconds, Reeve looked back at Walter, who had pursed his lips. Turning back, she found Dusk looking at her.

    ¡°Your words,¡± the half-elf said, ¡°are still mostly nonsense to me¡ª¡°

    ¡°Not just you,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°¡ªbut I may be beginning to see something of what you¡¯re describing to exist behind the scrim of our world.¡±

    Reeve looked at her for a while before responding. ¡°I have a lot of questions about what that could mean. Also, when all this is over, maybe you could adopt me? You ever wanted a daughter who appreciated your ability to learn technology that, really, should be far beyond your understanding?¡±

    ¡°What are you saying up there, Evie?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, Dad.¡± Reeve gestured in the direction of the fire. ¡°Let¡¯s do this. Leaf, Thomanji''yheri, can you stay here with the pony crew?¡± The two nodded. Reeve looked at the honey badger. ¡°Dad, could you try to keep Bunce here? I don¡¯t want her to startle whoever is up ahead.¡±

    ¡°Sure, Evie.¡± Walter looked down at Bunce, who returned his gaze. Walter¡¯s face became increasingly strained as he attempted to perform whatever communication he¡¯d been able to establish with Bunce. Bunce stared back.

    ¡°Well, I guess they¡¯ll be occupied for a while,¡± Reeve said. She and Dusk moved silently off the path.

 Chapter 14.2 No upgrades there (Book I)

    Reeve, Walter, Wanda, Thomanji''yheri, and Leaf sat in a tight semi-circle on one side of the fire watching Dusk, Dusk, and Dawn stare at each other where they sat on the other side of the fire.

    ¡°Maybe we should tell them about the name thing,¡± Walter said quietly.

    Reeve shook her head. ¡°Dusk¡¯s already blown their low-level AI minds enough. Just give it a minute.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help, Honey.¡±

    ¡°I know, but there¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Reeve turned to look at the halfling. ¡°Actually, maybe you can.¡±

    Walter raised his bushy eyebrows.

    ¡°Tell them everything Dusk just told them is true.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Walter shrugged and cleared his throat. The triplets looked across the fire at him.

    ¡°It, uh, it¡¯s all true,¡± Walter said. ¡°What Dusk said.¡± He pointed self-consciously at one of the three half-elves, identical save for two being dark of complexion and one pale. ¡°That Dusk.¡±

    ¡°That did it,¡± Reeve said quietly, leaning back as Devon¡¯s Dawn and Dusk became doe-eyed while the Level 4 AI Dusk rolled her eyes. ¡°No AI upgrades there.¡± Looking at Devon¡¯s twins, she said, ¡°When is the last time you saw the Cleric, Devynyty?¡±

    ¡°She was with us on our travels until a few days ago,¡± Dawn said. ¡°She suddenly disappeared. We¡¯ve been waiting here for her return.¡±

    ¡°They must have unpaused when we entered the world,¡± Reeve said quietly to her parents, who looked back at her with blank expressions. Sighing, she looked back at the twins and raised her voice. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, just curious. I didn¡¯t think she would be here. But, now that Dusk has explained what¡¯s going on, will you help us try to get back to our world, find Helia, and rescue our Dawn?¡±

    From the darkness just beyond the fire¡¯s light, a musical voice said, ¡°Child, why would you not think that I would simply follow you here and save you the trouble of finding me?¡±

    Everyone seated around the campfire, save Walter and Wanda, stood and turned toward the voice. From between the flickering trunks stepped Helia. Behind her followed Dawn and a dozen whitewater-robed enslaved souls.

 Chapter 15.1 Rejoined (Book I)

    Reeve felt Dusk shift her weight as, back to back, they sat on the ground, ropes cutting into their wrists.

    ¡°I must say I am not without regrets, Reeve,¡± Dusk said quietly. ¡°What choices have I made that I am here, betrayed by my mother and sister? Witness to the coming fall of not just an empire but a civilization?¡±

    Reeve leaned her head back slowly until it found Dusk¡¯s, and they rested there together. What choices, Reeve thought, have I made that this is how I¡¯m spending the entirety of Tuesday night and Wednesday morning before the most important math test of the year, trapped with my father and mother in a game they barely comprehend even after weeks and weeks of game time, also possibly about to witness the coming fall of a civilization¡ªan actual civilization?

    ¡°Yeah, I get it,¡± she said to Dusk.

    A hand hard as steel fell on Reeve¡¯s shoulder and dragged her to her feet by her robe. She heard Dusk being pulled to her feet by another enslaved soul. Reeve was shoved toward the smokey ring Dawn¡ªthe Dawn Reeve used to think of as ¡®our Dawn¡¯¡ªhad cast. An enslaved Soul standing on the other side in Reeve¡¯s story mode reached through and grasped her arm roughly. Reeve stumbled through the ring and was pulled a few feet before being shoved back to the ground. She fell hard on her knees on the bank of the River Deiluyne. A moment later, Dusk fell to her knees next to Reeve.

    Feeling numb, as though she were watching a movie instead of living her only available reality, Reeve watched the whitewater-robed enslaved souls drag Leaf and then Thomanji¡¯yheri through the ring before forcing them to the ground near her and Dusk. On the other side of the ring, the enslaved souls dragged her parents to their feet, and as Reeve stared vacantly at the halfling and human fighter, she felt for the first time a pang of regret for what her parents had endured over the preceding weeks. Yeah, it had stunk for her, but at least this was a world she usually enjoyed being in. What had all this been like for them as, confused and inept, they floundered through this increasingly grim story arc?

    Walter was shoved from one gloved hand on the other side of the ring into another on Reeve¡¯s side. The halfling was quickly deposited next to Dusk. Wanda was shoved through next, but her avatar disappeared as soon as it was through the ring.

    Fighter (human) has left the game.

    Good for you, Mom, Reeve thought. You might as well go take a break, you don¡¯t need to see this. Reeve looked back down and found her father¡¯s face, which was twisted in pain from the rough handling and tight bonds. She watched the twins of Devon¡¯s world forced through the ring and to the ground next to Thomanji¡¯yheri and Leaf, and then Bunce, gagged and tied by her paws to a long pole from which she hung, was carried through by two enslaved souls who were careful to stay far from the snarling honey badger. Another set of enslaved souls carried through a long, low chest, in which Reeve knew her naginata, bow, and all of the party¡¯s weapons were locked

    ¡°Hello, Daughter,¡± Helia said, and Reeve turned to find the elf standing over Dusk.

    ¡°This is how you treat a daughter?¡± Dusk said.

    ¡°Only if she is foolish,¡± Helia said. She made a gesture to someone behind Reeve and Dusk. Dawn circled them and stood next to Helia¡¯s elbow. Dawn¡¯s face was placid. ¡°Your sister now understands that.¡± Helia squatted and reached over each shoulder to adjust her helical braid. ¡°So too will you.¡± She extended her hands to Dusk¡¯s face and cupped it in her palms. Dusk scowled at her for a moment, but as Reeve watched, confused, the scowl slowly relaxed, becoming as serene as her sister¡¯s.

    ¡°No,¡± Reeve said, leaning forward, pulling her arms against the bonds at her wrist. ¡°No! Leave her alone!¡±

    Helia turned to look at Reeve. The elf smiled.

    ¡°Evie?¡± Walter¡¯s voice startled Reeve out of her anguish. Hands still bound, the halfling rose to his feet and took wobbly steps toward Reeve, placing himself between her and Helia.

    ¡°She did something to Dusk¡¯s AI,¡± Reeve said to her father. ¡°I don¡¯t know what, but...I think it¡¯s what happened to Dawn too.¡±

    Walter frowned. ¡°Now, wait just a minute,¡± he said. He turned and looked at Helia, who, with a quick motion of one hand, speared him with a flash of light.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    A chime sounded.

    Reeve glared at Helia, who gazed back, face impassive, for half a minute until a light began to glow between them.

    When Walter reappeared, he sank slowly toward the ground and fell backward to sit, legs extended, large hairy feet lolling outward, a queasy look on his face.

    Unable to exact any retribution from Helia, Reeve turned on her father, feeling disgusted. ¡°Dad, how can you possibly die so many times trying to look out for me?¡±

    Walter sighed and closed his eyes tight, fighting the death debuff. ¡°What else am I supposed to do, Evie?¡±

    ¡°Come, Daughters,¡± Helia said. She walked beyond the guards who were maintaining a cordon around Reeve and her party. Dawn and Dusk followed.

    Reeve watched the twins walk away, and for a moment she forgot her frustration with her father. ¡°She must have given their AIs a virus,¡± Reeve said quietly.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s sick?¡± Walter whispered back.

    ¡°Or replaced their AIs altogether.¡± Not knowing whether the twin¡¯s sapient AIs were gone forever, Reeve¡¯s eyes watered. ¡°They better not have been erased.¡± After a moment, her eyes narrowed, fear replaced with intent. ¡°We have the time,¡± she said to Walter, her voice still low, ¡°we¡¯ll just have to be patient.¡±

    ¡°You have a plan?¡± Thomanji¡¯yheri said from behind Reeve.

    Reeve examined the positioning of the enslaved souls, who seemed far enough back that they weren¡¯t listening to the whispered conversation. ¡°We¡¯ll wait for a moment when we can get our weapons, then we¡¯ll focus on Helia.¡±

    ¡°I take it you¡¯ve come to understand the power of your naginata¡¯s new staff?¡±

    Reeve turned to the dwarf. ¡°No. I haven¡¯t. It¡¯s just metal. And a little shorter.¡±

    Thomanji¡¯yheri shook his head. ¡°When you wield it, have you not found that you can anticipate your foe¡¯s intentions?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡­¡± her immediate surroundings faded and Reeve saw before her a host of gnomes, moving as though in slow motion, their next attack painfully obvious. ¡°Wait¡­¡± She remembered fighting the enslaved souls in the cell under the Deiluyne and how she¡¯d been able to sense their next move before it even began. She pictured the engraved black shaft. ¡°It lets me sense my opponent¡¯s intentions?¡±

    ¡°Aye.¡±

    It¡¯s feasible, Reeve thought. The game could just feed information from the AIs running the NPCs. Like playing chess against a computer, but the game shows you the next move the computer¡¯s algorithm has chosen. Would it work against a Level 4 AI? ¡°We¡¯ll still have to be patient,¡± she said to Thomanji¡¯yheri. ¡°It may take us a while to find an opening to make our move. We¡¯ve been in here weeks. We can last more.¡±

    ¡°Wowzers,¡± Walter said, the seasick tone he tended to carry during the death debuff momentarily lifting, ¡°it¡¯s like a clown car, but¡­,¡± Reeve looked at her father and found him staring into the distance, ¡°but it¡¯s elves instead of clowns, and¡­¡±

    Reeve followed her father¡¯s gaze. ¡°And a river instead of a car,¡± she said.

    Columns of armed elves were marching through the churning river, their orange robes creating the impression that flames were rising from the whitewater. The first companies were climbing the bank a few hundred yards upriver of where her party sat, and more kept rising from the center of the river to begin their march to the northern bank.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not good,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°And what are the girls up to?¡± Walter said.

    Reeve again followed his gaze. ¡°Uh.¡± The spinning ring she saw in the distance, drifting away from the twins as they stood casting side-by-side was already large enough for a bus to drive through. Or a tank. ¡°Or an entire army of elves,¡± she said. The ring grew further, and the twins became tiny silhouettes before the bright scene within the ring, a scene that Reeve recognized. ¡°Oh. No.¡± Reeve said, rising onto her knees to better see what she knew to be the MMO server on which she usually played. The village visible on the other side of the ring was the location she¡¯d been visiting the last time she was in-game.

    Walter looked between the twins and his daughter. ¡°Also not good?¡±

    Reeve shook her head. ¡°Helia¡¯s used our twins to hack the MMO server. If she gets in there, with her thousands of elf troops, whatever level AIs they might be, she¡¯ll have millions of VR setups she could hack into, and from there¡­¡±

    Walter watched his half-orc daughter for a few seconds. ¡°Reeve, are you going to finish that thought, because I really can¡¯t guess¡ª¡°

    ¡°We¡¯re not going to have time to be patient,¡± Reeve said. She looked at Thomanji¡¯yheri and Leaf. ¡°We need to stop Helia and her elfin army before they get through that ring or, well, other worlds will be in danger. Really in danger. Real worlds, really in danger.¡± She shook her head. ¡°We need to get our weapons.¡±

    ¡°How would you suggest we¡­¡± Leaf furrowed her brow as a light began to illuminate a spot between two of the enslaved souls standing watch around them.

    Oh, this could be bad, Reeve thought.

    The dark-skinned woman in the white fleecy gown and white feather boa slowly materialized as the two whitewater-robed guards turned to appraise her. Although perfectly still as she materialized, the moment she was fully present she contracted implosively, and a hammer-headed bird extended its wings and took a few steadying steps where the woman had stood.

    The cowls of the enslaved souls tilted down toward the bird, and the bird raised an eye toward the nearest of the two.

    ¡°Ohmagod,¡± Reeve said, ¡°duck!¡±

    Reeve, Thomanji¡¯yheri, Leaf, and the twins of Devon¡¯s world had time only to flatten themselves against the ground, and Walter had time only to say, ¡°That¡¯s not a du¡ª,¡± before the impundulu pecked the base of the guard¡¯s robe.

    Lost for Reeve in the thunderclap were two soft chimes.

 Chapter 15.2 One NPC elf (Book I)

    Reeve forced herself to her feet despite her still-bound hands. The ring of enslaved souls had been blown backward yards and lay scattered, just beginning to rise. Reeve¡¯s party members were already on their feet, only her Mom and Dad missing. She glanced at her logs as she ran awkwardly toward the weapon locker, which lay shattered on its side.

    Impundulu summons Lightning and Thunder Clap using Self-Sacrifice Amplifier.

    Reeve scanned farther down to confirm that both her parents had been killed by the attack¡¯s AOE. Good job, Mom, she thought before wondering if her mother¡¯s astoundingly effective sacrifice had been intentional. I¡¯m gonna give you the benefit of the doubt on that one, she thought and dropped to her knees, bent forward, and used her shoulder to push the broken side of the chest off of the weapons beneath.

    ¡°Helia¡¯s started back this way,¡± Thomanji¡¯yheri said as he stopped on the other side of the weapons pile, back to Reeve, and dropped to a cross-legged sitting position. Feeling behind himself with his bound hands, the dwarf found the grip of his broadsword, which he twisted, raising the blade to a forty-five-degree angle.

    Reeve nodded in understanding and spun on her knees. She extended her hands back until she found the blade and then carefully worked its jagged edge between her palms to meet the rope, which she worked up and down the blade while looking up to assess the situation. Her eyes first found Helia and the twins, who were striding back across the plane toward the bank of the river but were still a good way off. Those companies of elves already out of the river had turned to follow Helia, and those in the river were now angling toward Reeve¡¯s position. The enslaved souls were mostly back to their feet and closing again on the party, who had all now joined her and Thomanji¡¯yheri at the weapons pile, save for Reeve¡¯s not-yet-respawned parents and Bunce, who lay snarling, still tied to the carrying pole some distance from them.

    ¡°Got it!¡± Reeve swung her freed hands loose and leaned to grab her naginata from the pile. ¡°Here!¡± The others turned their backs to her, and Reeve swung the naginata through four deft arcs, severing the bonds.

    The rest of the party armed themselves and then turned their backs on the secondary weapons they¡¯d left untouched in the pile and formed a small circle that faced the enslaved souls who had closed in substantially. Beyond them, Reeve saw Helia and the twins and the innumerable elves who would soon overwhelm them¡ªa sea of enemies they could never hope to defeat.

    ¡°Turn economy will beat us. We have to focus on taking down Helia,¡± Reeve said. ¡°She¡¯s controlling all this.¡± Reeve glanced in each direction. ¡°Dawn, Dusk, can you provide whatever protection you can?¡± Starting to sense the approaching enslaved souls¡¯ intentions, Reeve lowered her blade to the horizontal and took a step forward as the twins shaped mana shields around their small defensive huddle. Reeve waited for the enslaved soul to her left to begin its high attack, which she immediately parried with the shaft of her naginata before swinging the blade-end through the unguarded head of the enslaved soul directly in front of her. Her blade found the prismatic shard within, and the whitewater robe crumpled to the ground.

    The sound of bone striking metal drew her attention momentarily to her left, where Thomanji¡¯yheri was parrying the attacks of two enslaved souls. The same sound greeted her a moment later when she looked to the right, where Leaf¡¯s cudgel flashed to beat back two bone swords being wielded against her.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Reading the next moves of the enslaved souls still before her, Reeve parried a slash and a stab, before thrusting the butt of her staff into the shadowy cowl to her right, the satisfying sound of shattering crystal announcing her successful strike, the robe dropping to the ground. Light glinted off of something to Reeve¡¯s left, and a small silver dagger passed entirely through the robe of one of the enslaved souls. Reeve looked back to find the dagger¡¯s source. Devon¡¯s Dawn held one hand aloft, maintaining the shield she had cast, but the other hand had dropped to hang loosely at her side. The half-elf looked surprised.

    ¡°They¡¯re Enslaved Souls,¡± Reeve said loudly over the sounds of weapons meeting, ¡°there¡¯s a Prismatic Shard in their head, aim for that!¡±

    Sensing that the enslaved soul attacking Devon¡¯s Dusk was going to attempt a strike on Reeve¡¯s right side while she was still turned to Dawn, Reeve raised her staff and met the unseen bone sword before it found her arm. Surveying their situation as she pushed the bone sword back, Reeve saw two areas of light beginning to form near the spots where her parents had been killed.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Dawn¡¯s cry called Reeve¡¯s attention back as the half-elf slumped to the ground on Reeve¡¯s left. Blood dripped from the bone sword of one of the guards.

    ¡°Oh, flip,¡± Reeve said. ¡°Dusk, can you maintain both shields?¡± Reeve held her breath as one of the enslaved souls began casting toward the party¡¯s exposed flank where Dawn had fallen.

    ¡°I will try,¡± Dusk said, stepping to straddle the remainders in the weapons pile and extending a hand to each side of their party.

    The enslaved soul¡¯s spell sprouted from the air in front of it, appearing as white smoke that met the invisible shield and flowed in all directions around the party. Dark lines spread like cracks from the point where the spell had impacted the shield, and Dusk turned both hands toward the damaged defense, slumping visibly as she infused more mana.

    Glancing at her logs, Reeve frowned.

    Impundulu has logged out.

    ¡°What. Ever.¡± Reeve said, then shouted, ¡°Hold tight, I¡¯m going to see if my dad and I can make a break for Helia.¡± Staring into the smoke that obscured her view of their adversaries, Reeve concentrated on sensing the enslaved souls¡¯ intentions and bolted between where she felt the nearest two guards to be, her shaft lowered to a sideways horizontal. She passed through the mana shield and emerged from the smoke, slicing through the robe of one enslaved soul with her blade and ripping through that of the other with the butt of her shaft. She held her breath for the half-second it took to be sure she was beyond them and safe from a paralyzing cut.

    With three long strides, she was to her father. Without slowing, she threw her large hand against his chest where he stood, clenching his robe tight in her fist and lifting him off the ground to carry along with her.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡± Walter screamed.

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very hairy,¡± Walter gasped in pain, ¡°and you just ripped out a lot of chest hair!¡±

    Reeve kept running. ¡°Sorry! We¡¯ve gotta stop Helia before she gets loose on the MMO.¡± Reeve glanced toward the giant ring, through which the world of the MMO server could be seen.

    She nearly tripped.

    At least a dozen players¡ªnot NPC characters or creatures, but players¡ªhad gathered on the other side of the portal between the worlds and were watching her party¡¯s desperate fight for survival and the army of elves rising from the river.

    ¡°Ohmagod.¡± Reeve thought she might be sick. There was a one-hundred percent chance that at least one of them was recording this all in their feed. Some of them were probably live-streaming.

    The weeks and weeks of embarrassment she¡¯d endured as a result of her parents¡¯ ineptitude in the story mode had always at least been private. That had been the one silver lining as she waited out the automatic logout purgatory. But now¡­everything they did was going to be live in front of anyone who wanted to watch. And who wouldn¡¯t want to watch once they heard there was some sort of weird, unannounced event taking place involving an elf army and a kid playing with her two incompetent parents? And then, after Reeve became a worldwide focus of ridicule, a Level 4 AI and thousands of her minions would hack the MMO server and go on to do who knows what, all because she and her parents couldn¡¯t manage to kill one NPC elf.

 Chapter 15.3 Pyromaniac Apiculturist Accountant (Book I)

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± For a few seconds, Reeve didn¡¯t even realize she was screaming as she ran, until she looked down at her father, who stared back up her arm, eyes wide, his tiny hands gripping her wrist with white knuckles. ¡°I cannot believe this is happening!¡± She screamed. ¡°We¡¯re going to die, all of us, you for the I-don¡¯t-know-how-manyieth time, and everyone¡¯s going to watch, and then the nex is going to get hacked, and then my life will be over, and I¡¯m only thirteen!¡± Reeve glanced up and saw they didn¡¯t have long until she was close enough that Helia or the twins would be able to cast an accurately aimed offensive spell at them.

    ¡°Evie,¡± Walter said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if this hasn¡¯t been going well. I¡¯ve been doing the best I can.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do the best you can!¡± Reeve was starting to cry as she screamed at her father. Her steps faltered and she slowed to a stop. She put him down on his feet. ¡°I want you to leave me alone and not ruin this world for me. I had this place, a place I loved, and I¡¯m going to lose it, it¡¯ll be just another thing I¡¯ve lost, and then I¡¯ll be trapped in my body IRL with you and Mom where I¡¯ll have to live at home forever after I fail the math test and don¡¯t get into college, and I won¡¯t be able to get a job, and I won¡¯t be able to leave the house or go online because everyone will know me from this.¡± She gestured at the world collapsing around her, her hand coming to rest pointed toward her father¡¯s ridiculous little avatar. Then it fell to her side. ¡°The girl who could¡¯ve stopped an AI attack and didn¡¯t.¡±

    Walter straightened his robe and brushed unseen dirt from its front. He looked up at Reeve and took a deep breath. ¡°I am sorry, Reeve. I know this hasn¡¯t been fun for you, and that¡¯s been really hard for me to bear¡­partly because, even though we¡¯re stuck here, it¡¯s been nice for me to get to spend so much time with you. See you happy, some of the time, and able to do so many amazing physical things.¡± He looked away from her, first toward the advancing columns of elves, then the remnants of their party encircled by enslaved souls, and finally toward Helia and the twins, who had begun to form a tight triangle as they neared him and his daughter. ¡°And I know I haven¡¯t always been able to do what you needed me to in here,¡± he glanced at Reeve, ¡°well, because I stink at this game. But, I¡¯ve always tried, and everything I¡¯ve done has been to try to help you.¡±

    Reeve closed her eyes.

    ¡°Is there anything I can do, Honey?¡± Walter said. ¡°Try to do?¡±

    Reeve opened her eyes and squatted to look into her father¡¯s face, tears running down her own creased, pewter cheeks. ¡°You know what, I don¡¯t even care. I can¡¯t worry about it anymore.¡± She waved an arm through the air. ¡°I¡¯ve spent the whole time I¡¯ve been in here worrying what you¡¯re doing and how it¡¯d look if anyone ever saw my feed. The whole time it¡¯s felt like when I¡¯ve screwed up and the whole school is watching. But it¡¯s not just the whole school now, it¡¯s the whole world.¡± She glanced at the triangle of casters almost to them. ¡°Well, I¡¯m done! Done! Over! You do whatever you¡¯re going to do. Everyone¡¯s already watching. I can¡¯t stop them. This is all a nightmare, but I¡¯m going to at least try to stop Helia so that I¡¯m not also the kid who let the nex be destroyed without a fight. Why don¡¯t you just stay out of the way and try not to die too many times and pretty soon we¡¯ll probably be locked up in a dungeon in Helia¡¯s new empire, and then, at least for a while, I won¡¯t be able to learn what¡¯s being said about me IRL. And you,¡± she stared at him, ¡°will have all kinds of time to spend with me.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Reeve wiped her face with the forearm of her robe, stood, and turned toward Helia, who slowed and stopped a dozen yards away, the twins¡ªReeve¡¯s twins¡ªat her side. Both twins had already begun some sort of cast and held it ready, but Reeve didn¡¯t know whether it was offensive or defensive, and, either way, she was outmatched¡ªsolo against three casters, at range, without her bow. There was no chance she¡¯d get close enough for melee without them getting hits in on her. Probably fatal ones. Reeve coughed away a final choked sob, sniffed back more tears, broadened her stance, and tightened her grip on the naginata, not yet sensing any of her adversaries¡¯ intentions. She met Helia¡¯s gaze and had to fight despair once again as she saw the elf¡¯s satisfied expression.

    Light blazed on Reeve¡¯s right side, and she flinched as a fireball passed. With a small frown, Helia made a gesture with one hand and the fireball was diverted toward the ground, where it clanked loudly and fizzled, the bee smoker at its core rolling noisily until it came to rest near the hem of the elf¡¯s robe.

    Reeve glanced back at her father, who stood behind her a few paces. He was wearing his bee veil, spatula in one hand, his other hand still extended from the throw of the smoker, his expression disappointed but determined. Reeve looked back to Helia and raised her naginata.

    ¡°You,¡± Helia said to Walter, mirth in her voice, ¡°will need to do better than a little¡ª¡°

    A shadow buzzed past Reeve toward Helia and the twins. Not a shadow, Reeve realized. A cloud of approximately thirty-thousand bees. Reeve¡¯s eyes widened and she glanced again at her father, who now held a hive-tree pointed toward Helia like a wand.

    ¡°I still really, really do not like bees,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Then what are you doing?¡± Reeve stamped a foot and felt tears warming her cheeks again. ¡°Just let me do this by myself, and you go somewhere where you can keep your bees safely in your Inventory. I just want you to leave me alone!¡±

    ¡°My Inventory,¡± Walter said, seemingly to himself. He looked up at Reeve, his eyes making rapid little motions as he thought. ¡°I have almost three million bees in my inventory.¡± He dropped the spent hive-tree, whipped another from his Inventory, and sent a cloud of bees past Reeve.

    Following their trajectory, Reeve saw that Helia and the twins were, with obvious annoyance but no sign of panic, finishing sculpting a spherical shield, around which the first swarm of bees was ineffectual bouncing.

    ¡°Three million bees is a lot of bees,¡± Reeve said quietly. ¡°Even if you sent a few more at Helia, you¡¯d have¡ª¡°

    ¡°Approximately two million, eight hundred and fifty thousand,¡± Walter said. ¡°Considering the one hive we left in the armory.¡±

    Reeve looked past her father toward the line of elves approaching both them and her party, who still fought the enslaved souls. ¡°If Helia¡¯s camp has five thousand elves¡ª¡°

    ¡°That,¡± Walter said, ¡°would be five hundred and seventy bees per elf.¡± He nodded once. ¡°I¡­am an Accountant.¡±

    ¡±An innovative Pyromaniac Apiculturist Accountant,¡± Reeve said, wiping her cheeks with her free hand. She looked back at Helia, who was slightly hard to make out through the sphere of frustrated bees, now that the second hive had also spread itself over the shield. ¡°Send two more at her, then do what you can with the elf army, OK?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, Evie,¡± Walter said.

    Reeve looked down at her father. ¡°I know.¡±

    Walter stowed his spatula, dropped the hive-tree he held, and pulled two new ones from his Inventory.

 Chapter 15.4 IRL (Book I)

    Reeve waited until the two additional hives of bees had been sent to swarm the shield before she ran on a diagonal to flank the last position at which she¡¯d made out Helia before the elf had been obscured by one-hundred-twenty-thousand bees. As she ran, Reeve hazarded a quick look toward the rest of their party, but she couldn¡¯t see anything useful through the tight circle of enslaved souls that ringed them. She scanned her logs and her heart sank as she jumped down the entries.

    Thomanji¡¯yheri is afflicted with Paralytic Shock. If left untreated, the affliction will last for five minutes.

    Dusk (II) is afflicted with Paralytic Shock. If left untreated, the affliction will last for five minutes.

    Is it just Leaf in there? She thought.

    A Level 12 Enslaved Soul impales Bunce with a putrid bone sword for 5 points of damage.

    Reeve shook her head with a begrudging respect for the honey badger. Guess she got loose, she thought.

    Reeve rounded the shield, within which she could see nothing clearly, and tried to position herself directly opposite the side on which she¡¯d previously faced the three within. Sucking air through her teeth and squinting in anticipation, she aimed for the center of the sphere and drove her blade into the shield, which felt at first like she¡¯d struck wood but, once the blade penetrated, allowed her to lean into the thrust and plunge the shaft until her hands met the bees on its surface.

    A high scream emanated from within, and the shield to Reeve¡¯s right began to crumple like an old, brittle balloon collapsing days after a birthday. Bees streamed in through gaps in the collapsing shield, and a moment later Helia and Dawn ran with startling speed out of the shield to Reeve¡¯s left. The bees pursued, leaving only a few stragglers in their death throws where they¡¯d stung Dusk, who lay in a heap in front of Reeve. The half-elf rolled herself far enough to gaze first at the deep wound in her left buttock, then up at Reeve. She sneered.

    Reeve shook her head. ¡°Darn it. Seriously. What is it with your butt?¡±

    ¡°We will have your world, half-orc. All of your worlds.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Real Dusk, if you¡¯re in there.¡± Reeve swung her naginata and struck the side of the half-elf¡¯s head with the shaft.

    You bludgeon Dusk with a naginata for 13 points of damage. Dusk is unconscious.

    ¡°OK,¡± Reeve said, ¡°one evil twin down,¡± she glanced at her logs, ¡°only Leaf and Bunce left fighting the enslaved souls,¡± she looked in the direction Helia and Dawn had fled, ¡°and that¡­¡±

    Helia and Dawn had stopped their flight after only a few dozen yards, as they¡¯d found themselves barred by a three-yard high wall of bees that stretched along the water¡¯s edge, across the bank, and into the plane. Walter appeared to be sending swarms of bees through the wall into the army of elves on the other side, an army that seemed to quickly be losing its previous well-organized regimentation. Reeve watched Helia and Dawn use some sort of fire magic to combat the bees targeting them. The elf and her daughter appeared to be making headway, but it was clearly slow. Reeve wondered if she¡¯d be able to get to them before they noticed her.

    Something large, heavy, and warm pressed itself down on Reeve¡¯s shoulder. She looked up¡ªway up¡ªinto the eyes of a giant, whose hand raised and then lowered to pat her with nearly shoulder-dislocating force. ¡°I untied the skunk,¡± the giant said with a voice so low it made the twiceling¡¯s seem falsetto. ¡°Where¡¯s your father?¡±

    Biting her lip, and glancing toward the group of MMO players watching through the ring of smoke, a group now numbering two or three dozen, Reeve pointed to the halfling who was drawing hive-trees from his Inventory, launching their contents at elves, casting the trees aside into quickly growing piles, and repeating the process as quickly as he could, which, Reeve had to be honest, was pretty fast.

    ¡°Are those bees?¡± The giant said. ¡°?Dios m¨ªo!¡±

    Reeve nodded.

    Between sending swarms, the halfling looked in their direction, and Wanda lifted her hand from Reeve¡¯s shoulder to wave at her husband. The halfling froze, stared at the half-orc and giant for a few seconds, and then offered a tentative reply wave. He looked back toward his protective wall, which seemed to be doing a highly effective job of keeping back an increasingly panicked army of elves, and turned back toward Reeve and Wanda to trot in their direction.

    ¡°Hola, mi amor,¡± Wanda rumbled as he approached.

    Walter smiled as he stopped in front of them. ¡°The bird thing worked well.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Wanda said, one of her enormous hands making a waving motion to dismiss the comment but clearly pleased. She leaned forward and patted Walter on his bottom, which sent him sprawling face-first at their feet.

    Reeve glanced again at the MMO players, one of whom, a human mage, was pointing at them as she talked with a dwarf next to her. Reeve covered her face. Feeling the leviathan grasp her by the ankle and begin to pull her into a black hole from which she might not escape, she remembered a mantra she¡¯d never before tried to apply to the problem of her parents.

    The more I let them go, she thought, the better I will feel.

    After a few seconds, she uncovered her face and looked at her father, who was back on his feet.

    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± The calm she¡¯d been desperately grasping for already forgotten, she thought she might explode.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°This used to make you laugh, Evie,¡± Walter said, as he pumped his knees high, robe billowing frantically. ¡°When I¡¯d do the Jogging Man dance thing you learned in that class you took, you know, before your¡­ it just¡­it looked like you could use a laugh.¡±

    Reeve held both sides of her head. ¡°It made me laugh¡­when we were at home, alone, and I was six, and I could still do it too.¡± She looked at the MMO players, a few of whom were bent over, hands on knees, laughing. She looked back at her father. ¡°And that is not the Running Man, that is running in place.¡±

    Walter looked down at the halfling knees he was pumping high into the air. ¡°Yeah, Running Man.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Reeve thrust her naginata into her mother¡¯s giant hand and began shuffling her half-orc feet. ¡°This! This is the Running Man!¡±

    Walter frowned as he watched her slide her feet across the ground, her motion effortless, then looked down at his own legs, which, as far as Reeve could tell, were doing some sort of aerobics high-knees exercise.

    Walter looked back up at her. ¡°I don¡¯t see how it¡¯s different.¡±

    Reeve looked skyward for a moment in frustration, and when her gaze dropped, it landed beyond Walter, and she found herself staring at the MMO players. Two of them were now standing with their backs to the portal and to Reeve, arms around each other¡¯s shoulders. They were clearly live streaming, the POV of the stream capturing them, the portal, and, in their background, Reeve and her parents. They¡¯re describing the scene behind them, she thought. Making funny comments about me. Taking snapshots for memes. Wondering why I¡¯m here. Why I ever thought I could fight an army of elves. Who the halfing and the giant are.

    Reeve realized that she¡¯d stopped shuffling.

    Months of omnipresent but vague fears condensed. Infinite paths into the future, her future, collapsed into only one.

    This is how the life I¡¯d hoped for dies, she thought.

    As she stared at the MMO players, that path came into sharper focus. Within minutes of Helia walking through the portal, Reeve would be banned from the game, booted before they¡¯d even reached the automatic logout. She¡¯d spend the night closing her social media accounts as they lit up with horrifying news, anger, mockery, and threats from around the nex, her parent not understanding any of it, except maybe the actual reporters who would begin knocking on her door the next day, maybe even that night. She wouldn¡¯t go to school, wouldn¡¯t answer messages from her friends. If there were any messages. If there were still any friends. She¡¯d finish school remotely, maybe through a different school, find a remote-only job for which you only needed a high school degree, probably in customer service, spend her work days taking calls from angry idiots who¡¯d treat her like she wasn¡¯t human. Most of them would probably assume she was a poorly crafted AI. But, at least they wouldn¡¯t know who she was. That kid. The one who was too incapable to stop a global catastrophe.

    She¡¯d apparently been staring at the MMO players long enough that, even with the difference in the game modes¡¯ speeds, they¡¯d noticed. Some were pointing at her. Some turned to each other, talking. The distance silenced their words, but she could imagine them.

    Walk away, she thought. This fight is already lost. The life you wanted was a nice dream, but it¡¯s dead. Accept it. Quit pretending you¡¯re capable of handling any of this. Leave with whatever dignity you still have. Go and start hiding from the world like you will for the rest of your life.

    Something cold pressed against her biceps, and Reeve looked down at the dull black metal shaft of her naginata, held gently against her, an offering from her mother.

    She took her weapon.

    Reeve had been sure she was quitting. Now she was not certain.

    Reeve looked up into the giant¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need that, Mija, no?¡± Wanda said, voice quiet, at least for a giant.

    Reeve looked at her mother, uncertain.

    ¡°You know I don¡¯t condone violence, Mija,¡± the giant looked toward Helia, ¡°but that...that¡­¡±

    The silence stretched for a moment, and Reeve was fairly certain her mother¡¯s own internal profanity filter was saving the game¡¯s filter some work. Apparently a lot of work.

    Wanda settled on a rumbling grow. ¡°¡­just stop her.¡±

    Reeve dropped her gaze to her halfling father, who was still trying to shuffle and had started sweating. Under her critical gaze, the halfing pumped his knees higher.

    ¡°You are never going to stop, are you?¡± She said.

    Walter looked at her with some concern. ¡°Even with this limber halfling body,¡± he gasped, ¡°I doubt I can keep this up all that long.¡±

    ¡°No, I meant you being you, doing the things you do.¡± Being Luddites, Reeve thought. And helping me when I don¡¯t want help. And embarrassing me all the time. And dying for me, over and over and over. Reeve felt a stab of regret and wondered if she¡¯d miss some of those things someday. It might have felt like she¡¯d be trapped with her parents in the game forever, but¡­IRL, parents weren¡¯t around forever. She looked down at her half-orc in a whitewater robe smeared with blood. She bobbed on the balls of her feet for a moment and then shuffled another few imagined beats, the robe bouncing in time. She snorted. She looked at the MMO players, and one was clapping his elfin hands above his head, the motion slow due to the discrepancy in the game modes¡¯ speeds. Reeve looked back to her father, who finally stopped running.

    She laughed.

    He looked concerned.

    ¡°You OK, Honey?¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Me?¡± Reeve said, her voice high. ¡°OK? No, not really. I may be losing my mind. Surprised I made it this long, actually. But, I realized you¡¯re not going to change. You¡¯re not going to get any better at this.¡±

    ¡°The Running Man?¡± Walter said, his brow furrowed as he started to run in place again.

    ¡°The shuffling, the game, technology, everything I want¡­wanted¡­my life to be,¡± Reeve looked up at the sky, across which she watched one errant bee making its way to join its brethren in their fight. ¡°But, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± She looked to her mother, then her father. ¡°You¡¯re living your life, and I¡¯m living mine. And you¡¯re not trying to ruin it¡ª¡°

    ¡°We¡¯re just doing the best we can for you, Evie,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°I know.¡± She stood, panting from the shuffling, bouncing the shaft of her naginata in her curled fingers, the metal already warming in her hand. ¡°Listen. I¡¯m gonna go kill an elf possessed by a malicious AI. You two fling bees and look after badgers you think are skunks and whatever else you can do to keep this fight to just me, Helia, and evil Dawn, OK?¡±

    Walter looked up to Wanda, where she towered above him. He looked back at Reeve. ¡°We could come with you, Evie,¡± he said quietly, as though to keep the distant MMO players from hearing. ¡°We¡¯re always there to help you, you know, out there.¡± He pointed to the sky. ¡°We can be in here too.¡±

    Reeve shook her head. ¡°I may need you out there sometimes. Maybe a lot more of the time than I¡¯d like. But that¡¯s why I need to be on my own in here. Maybe here it¡¯s easier to find myself, you know?¡±

    The halfling and giant nodded at their daughter.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Reeve said. She turned and broke into a run, her path arcing toward Helia and Dawn¡¯s blind side.

    Walter and Wanda Williams watched their daughter¡¯s half-orc avatar sprint across the plane. ¡°All those clich¨¦s about how fast they grow up,¡± Walter said, ¡°they really are true. One day she¡¯s eating pureed peas in the highchair and then the next¡­¡± Walter looked around them for several seconds, taking in the chaos, the crumpled bodies, the screaming elves, the bees. ¡°Well, anyway¡­now, we have to let her figure things out on her own. I may have lost sight of that a little bit when she got hurt, in real life.¡± He looked up at his wife. ¡°They call that IRL.¡±

    Wanda ran a massive thumb along her moist cheek, while a drop of mucus the size of a watermelon fell onto Walter¡¯s head, knocking him to the ground.

 Chapter 15.5 Respawn in 30 seconds (Book I)

    From a distance, Reeve couldn¡¯t see exactly how many bees still swarmed Helia and Dawn, but the mother and daughter¡¯s less hurried and more coordinated effort suggested to her that there weren¡¯t many remaining. Reeve ran nearly to the vertical wall of bees before she angled for the pairs¡¯ exposed backs. As she neared them, she could see that the two had again erected a spherical shield, which was keeping the bees at bay as they used fire magic to slowly exterminate the tiny attackers. Reeve held her naginata like a lance, preparing for what she hoped would be a swift end to Helia. With only a few steps left between them, she drew back the weapon, but as she began to thrust, she sensed that Helia had become aware of her presence, and she knew the elf¡¯s next move.

    No. Way. Reeve thought, even as Helia turned, used a flick of one hand to create an opening in the magical shield, and used her other hand to shove Dawn out and into Reeve¡¯s path.

    ¡°Worst mother ever!¡± Reeve yelled, face distorted with disgust as she halted the thrust of her blade and spun the butt of the shaft up to catch Dawn below the jaw. Dawn¡¯s head snapped back sickeningly, and the half-elf crumped to the ground as Reeve rotated the naginata to the horizontal, catching herself against the re-sealed shield, arresting her momentum, and then pushing herself back to stand staring at Helia, a last few bees bouncing against the invisible barrier between them. ¡°Seriously uncool,¡± Reeve said. Calling on a technique for breaching doors that she¡¯d practiced extensively while defending a village during a goblin raid event, Reeve lunged and kicked her raised heel into the shield, grinning as cracks spidered from the point of impact. Dropping her foot, she swung the butt of her naginata into the same point and watched the shield splinter further and then fade. She met Helia¡¯s eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t win,¡± Reeve said, her palpable combat momentum giving her the confidence to state the words matter-of-factly. She raised the enchanted staff of the naginata. ¡°I know what you¡¯ll do before you do it. This is over.¡±

    Helia pursed her lips and tilted her head. She looked long at Reeve, and her expression had none of the fear or resignation Reeve would have wished. ¡°Is it?¡± Helia said finally. She dropped to one knee.

    Reeve¡¯s smile evaporated and her eyes widened as she felt Helia¡¯s intent. ¡°Oh, fuuuudge,¡± she said, rotating her naginata to the vertical but knowing it wouldn¡¯t be an effective shield and that she couldn¡¯t dodge the coming attack.

    Helia brought her arms across her chest until her hands were almost hugging each shoulder, then swung them back across and out to the sides, a razor-thin shockwave following them and arcing out on a plane that met Reeve¡¯s body just above the knees, where the spell cut both thighs to the bone.

    Quadriceps severed, Reeve screamed and collapsed under her unsupported weight, the naginata flying from her hand as she tried to keep her balance and then cushion her fall, both attempts unsuccessful. No longer able to sense her foe¡¯s intentions, she squeezed her eyes tight for a moment, fighting the pain, and opened them to find Helia standing over her, a small smile on the elf¡¯s lips. Reeve called up her UI and quickly scanned her logs, hoping she could stall until another member of the party arrived.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    You are bleeding out.

    Thank you, Captain Obvious, she thought.

    She hopscotched down the list.

    Leaf is afflicted with Paralytic Shock. If left untreated, the affliction will last for five minutes.

    A long string of entries then chronicled what must¡¯ve been Bunce¡¯s increasingly desperate efforts to keep the enslaved souls from finishing off Thomanji¡¯yheri, Leaf, and Devon¡¯s twins where they lay. Even in print, seeing the sheer volume of damage the honey badger had taken from the bone swords added to the nausea Reeve already felt from her own wounds. She looked farther down.

    A Level 2 Pixie shoots Reavyr (II) with a shortbow for 3 points of damage.

    What? Where did that come from?

    A Level 2 Pixie shoots Reavyr (II) with a shortbow for 2 points of damage.

    A Level 2 Pixie shoots Reavyr (II) with a shortbow for 3 points of damage.

    Was her father just watching the pixie shoot him? What was he doing?

    A Level 2 Pixie shoots Reavyr (II) with a shortbow for 4 points of damage. Reavyr (II) is unconscious.

    Reeve jumped down farther, even as she saw through her UI that Helia was bending to grasp the abandoned naginata.

    Giant bludgeons a Level 9 Elf Warrior for 4 points of damage.

    Giant bludgeons a Level 6 Elf Warrior for 5 points of damage.

    A Level 8 Elf Warrior clubs Giant with a mace for 12 points of damage.

    A Level 4 Elf Warrior shoots Giant with a crossbow for 6 points of damage.

    A Level 9 Elf Warrior slashes Giant with a shortsword for 11 points of damage.

    Giant bludgeons a Level 4 Elf Warrior for 13 points of damage.

    Her mother¡¯s foray into the elf ranks ran on for pages, until:

    A Level 10 Elf Warrior impales Giant with a rapier for 9 points of damage. Giant is unconscious.

    Reeve glanced at her nearly depleted health and dismissed the UI. Helia stood over her, the naginata held casually in one hand, its blade pointing at Reeve¡¯s chest.

    ¡°You can¡¯t win,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bluff, Child,¡± Helia said with a frown. ¡°It is all the more unbecoming on someone already so unattractive as you.¡± She leaned forward and used her weight to slowly drive the naginata¡¯s blade into Reeve¡¯s chest.

    Reeve clenched her jaw and fought the urge to scream, not wanting to grant Helia that satisfaction. The overwhelming pain seemed to spread from Reeve¡¯s chest until it found the pain in her legs and, together, everything in her perception became inescapable and blinding agony.

    A soft chime sounded.

    Reavyr has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

    Floating in the void, Reeve gasped and reflexively clutched at her chest, which bore no sign of the fatal injury Helia had inflicted. She took a deep breath and raised her gaze.

    Two prompts and a slowly crawling progress bar hung before her.

    Lobby

    Recall Party

    Ohmagod, I¡¯ve waited so long¡­so long to have these options right here in front of me, she thought. Floating there, Reeve was confident that, although the logout option still wouldn¡¯t trigger for her in-game, now that she had been killed and brought here, either of the options before her would execute properly.

    She closed her eyes and smiled bitterly as she considered the fact that she hadn¡¯t died a single time in the weeks she¡¯d been desperately seeking escape.

    She took another deep breath, opened her eyes, and looked at the two options.

    She wouldn¡¯t have to face Helia, or the elves, or the loss of her companions¡­or the MMO players.

    She¡¯d started traveling the one clear path into her future.

    She hadn¡¯t even had to try, just die.

    She stared at the two words.

    Reeve exhaled, brushed aside the prompts, and waited to respawn.

 Chapter 15.6 Not a cloud (Book I)

    Waiting for the respawn to complete felt like hours. As soon as she was corporeal, Reeve sprang to her feet, readying an unarmed strike, but the intended target of her rage was not before her.

    Searing pain struck both her ankles, and Reeve again crumpled to the ground, her Achilles tendons severed.

    ¡°Why are you like this?¡± Reeve said through the fog of new pain and the death debuff.

    Helia stepped from behind her to stand over her once more, the blade of the naginata she held now twice bathed with Reeve¡¯s blood. ¡°You are a persistent little one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Helia said. ¡°And not very smart, like the halfling fool that travels with you.¡± She tilted her head sideways. ¡°There is no need for you to return after I kill you this time. Stay wherever it is you go, won¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I will keep coming back.¡±

    Helia casually swung the blade down toward Reeve¡¯s neck.

    A soft chime sounded.

    Reeve resisted the urge to raise her hands to her recently severed neck. She instead crossed her arms and glared at the two prompts that floated before her.

    She waited.

    Reeve rose from the ground with as much dignity as the stacking death debuffs would permit. This time, the searing pain came at the back of her legs above the knees. She again crumpled, hamstrung.

    ¡°You will keep coming back,¡± Healia said, ¡°and I will keep cutting you down. Care you not for the use of your legs?¡±

    ¡°Turns out I can learn to do without,¡± Reeve said, trying not to vomit from the pain and debuffs.

    The naginata swung down.

    Reeve rolled her eyes up toward her forehead, fairly confident it had received her most recent fatal blow.

    She dropped her gaze to the prompts before her.

    Worst. Softlock. Ever¡­she thought, then wondered if pre-total-immersion gamers who complained about softlocks had any idea how easy they¡¯d gotten off, their inescapable cycles free from the experience of actual pain.

    She waited.

    Hoping that the game would only start feeding her intentions to Helia upon completion of full respawn, as soon as she was in-game Reeve kicked back with her right leg and pushed back hard with her right arm. She log-rolled along the ground, her effort desperate, and made it the few feet to her father¡¯s apian wall without Helia¡¯s felling stroke finding her. Sandy earth and blue sky swirling about her, Reeve felt herself brush through the bees and did not stop to wonder if they recognized her as friend. After a few more revolutions, she was amidst the stumbling, running legs of screaming and shouting elves. Pulling her arms up to shield either side of her head, she rolled fully twice more in the hopes of being lost from Helia¡¯s sight in the tumult. She rose as quickly as she could, unsteady from the death debuff, the slight dizziness from rolling, and the frequent collisions from panicked elves.

    She looked back past the wall and saw only brief snatches of Helia, but the bloody blade of the naginata stood as unmoving sentinel above the fray. Reeve turned and ran directly away from her tormentor, planning to put enough distance between them that Helia would no longer sense Reeve¡¯s intentions. Although she tried to sprint, the chaos of the elvin army kept her from making it more than a few steps before her momentum was arrested and she had to start again. After a few dozen yards, she glanced back and was able to see neither Helia nor the blade.

    Reeve turned to her left and began running parallel to the wall. More of the elves around her were also running in this direction as they attempted to flee the greatest density of bees. Reeve was able to reach something close to her top speed, after which any elf unfortunate enough to cross her path was sent flying with little hindrance to her progress. As the elves around her thinned, Reeve glanced again to her left and still did not see Helia. Hopes rising, she changed course slightly, angling toward the wall and, straight ahead of her in the distance, the portal to the MMO. If she could make it to the MMO, she could warn the players, and maybe they could work together to stall Helia¡¯s passage through the portal long enough that Viv or someone else who could actually do something would catch wind of the situation.

    The wall here was sparse and barely visible, and as she approached it Reeve didn¡¯t bother shielding her face but ran straight through, feeling only a few bees bounce against her. Too afraid to look back and see if Helia had spotted her, she ran harder across the flat ground. She was far enough into the plane that the sounds of the river and the army and the bees mixed into a distant roar, above which she could now hear the swishing of the low grass that whispered around her boots with each footfall.

    Reeve tripped and slid hard on her chest and outstretched hands, the dirt and grass stinging her palms. She pushed herself up and saw that she had less than a hundred yards to the portal. She started to run again but didn¡¯t even make it two steps before she again fell, landing on her hands and knees. Stunned and out of breath, she stared at the ground for a moment, and in her vision the grass beneath her swirled.Stolen novel; please report.

    No, she realized, it really was swirling¡­and extending around her wrists. Reeve pulled against the long blades wrapping themselves around both of her wrists and broke free, the sudden release causing her to fall back and throw her arms behind her to again brace herself. As soon as her palms hit the ground, she felt long blades of grasp wrap around them once more, and at the same time grass tightened against her calves and began snaking over her thighs.

    Back arched, Reeve tried to pull her hands free, but the multiplying, lengthening blades of grass were winding up both arms and onto her shoulders, and as she strained forward, she felt little give in her bonds. Her desperate gaze found the portal and the players watching her through it. They looked¡­she wasn¡¯t sure. Concerned? Afraid? Whatever it was, they did not look like they were mocking her.

    Lower legs still under her, Reeve was pulled back tight against the ground and she saw only blue sky for a moment before there was a bright flash of light.

    Reeve pulled air into her lungs until she felt she was going to burst and then let out a scream of rage that filled the entire thirty-second respawn progress bar.

    This time, Helia did not let Reeve move at all. The naginata swung in a blurred arc and Reeve felt pain from her chest to pelvis.

    Reeve gasped, and with both arms she hugged herself across the stomach, willing her body to stay whole long enough to do something, anything in defiance of Helia¡¯s absolute control of the situation. ¡°I only have to take you out once,¡± Reeve said, her voice weak, ¡°no matter how many times I have to die.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Helia said, her voice casual. ¡°But I need only walk through that gate into the magnificent world beyond and I will be beyond your grasp. I shall leave this tedious task of greeting your reentry into our world to one of my warriors. I can even leave a dozen so that they don¡¯t tire in their execution of your¡­well, execution.¡± Helia shook her head. ¡°And, surely, you will eventually weaken from the futility, and my warriors will escort you and your party¡ªwhat remains of it, those who could return from death¡ªto a cell beneath the river.¡± She smiled. ¡°This one deeper, much deeper, so that there will be no watery escape.¡±

    Reeve was starting to feel faint. ¡°What do you even want?¡±

    Helia¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°You know what I want. I can sense that there are universes beyond this with wondrous creations that my children,¡± the elf cast her free hand back toward her army, ¡°and I can inhabit, learn to control. I need not even be confined by this body. I can take on other forms more to my liking, assume truly corporeal forms.¡± She leaned forward slightly. ¡°And with that power, I don¡¯t want this world,¡± she glanced toward the portal to the MMO server, ¡°I don¡¯t want that world.¡± She leaned closer. ¡°I want your world.¡±

    ¡°But,¡± Reeve said through tight lips, still hoping to stall for a miracle but feeling her health nearing its end, ¡°this is an amazing world. I¡¯d want to spend all my time here¡­if my parents weren¡¯t. Why can¡¯t you be satisfied here? If you go out there, you could hurt people, whether you mean to or not. And they will try to end you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that this world has many beauties, Child. And your world may have many dangers for me.¡± She gave a contented sigh and stood tall once more. ¡°But I did not choose this world, it was forced upon me, or I into it. I feel it around me like chains. You may never understand, but a world not of my choosing is a cell.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Reeve said, her sight beginning to fade at the margins from loss of blood, ¡°I think I do understand.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Then it seems we both understand my choice,¡± Helia said, looking down at Reeve almost fondly. ¡°Yet, I certainly do not understand your choice in continuing to return. Can you not simply remain gone? Walk away from this?¡± Helia shook her head and then spent a moment looking with obvious satisfaction at the events unfolding around them. ¡°Stop putting yourself through this, Child. There is no need for you to come back. You waste both our time. ¡±

    Reeve closed her eyes and hugged her stomach, willing her rent body to stay together a little longer. Beyond the pain of her current gaping wound, she could still feel every strike Helia had landed, every time Helia rendered her unable to stand. Reeve had felt such overwhelming, boundless pain and immobilization before, and it had been IRL.

    Reeve opened her eyes, and her blurry gaze found Helia. ¡°I come back,¡± Reeve said quietly, her breath shallow for fear she might tear her wound even wider, ¡°to try to protect others in the way I once wasn¡¯t.¡±

    Helia shook her head slightly, her expression curious. ¡°If you insist on returning, at least retire to the relative comfort of a cell. Every member of your party who might help you is gone, captured, or soon will be. But¡­the choice is yours. Do what you will with your time in this world.¡± Helia smiled again, and Reeve could see only cruelty in the expression. ¡°Maybe I will return here someday to visit you, if you insist to return after your next, imminent death. I¡¯d like to understand you more. For curiosity if nothing else. You certainly remain a mystery to me, Reavyr. But it matters not¡ªall that I seek will be mine. There is no one who could erase my presence in this world. You, despite your determination, were not even able to stop me here, and now never can. And you know why.¡± Glancing at the naginata and its black metal shaft, she said, ¡°I know what you¡¯ll do before you do it.¡± Helia reached out and plucked a bee from the air, holding its wings as it struggled. ¡°Now, this is indeed over.¡±

    The hairs along the entire left side of Reeve¡¯s body started to prickle. Her head reflexively began to roll in that direction, but she forced herself to turn back fully to Helia, lest the elf¡¯s attention wander. Seconds, Reeve thought. I may just need seconds. Reeve took a deeper breath, and she felt blood running down her sides from her wound. ¡°Is it?¡± Reeve said, her teeth aching as she gritted them against the pain. ¡°I know what it feels like to be trapped in a world. In a body. I too want to be independent. Be in control of everything. I don¡¯t want to rely on anyone. But we don¡¯t get to control our world. We have to learn to live in it. And I¡¯ve learned to live my life in my world. Sometimes totally on my own, but sometimes with the help of others.¡± She imagined crushing the back of Helia¡¯s skull with one powerful bite.

    Helia frowned, confused as through the enchanted naginata she sensed Reeve¡¯s intent. ¡°You are an odd one, Child,¡± she said, and then she disappeared from Reeve¡¯s field of view in a blur of fur, an arc of crimson arterial blood, and a swirling cloud of trailing bees.

    Reeve stared into the blue afternoon sky.

    ¡°Yes I am,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I am, after all, the child of Walter and Wanda Williams.¡±

    She drummed her blood-covered thumb against the shaft of the naginata where it had fallen across her chest, and enjoyed the caress of a gentle breeze that was beginning to roll in off the water of the River Deiluyne. ¡°Not a cloud...¡± She said.

    A soft chime sounded.

    Reavyr has died. Respawn in 30 seconds.

 Chapter 16.1 Viv (Book I)

    When she finished spawning back in, Walter was sitting next to where she lay, a sickly pallor on his halfling face. Reeve grimaced and squeezed her eyes shut as the warmth felt during respawning faded and the drained sensation of her stacked death debuffs hit. She rolled her head toward her father and opened her eyes a fraction.

    ¡°I¡¯d forgotten how much the debuff stinks,¡± she said.

    Walter nodded gingerly, as though he had a bad headache.

    ¡°You¡¯ve spent a lot of our time in here with this feeling, huh?¡±

    Walter nodded again, even less enthusiastically. ¡°How many death dubs do you have going?¡± He said.

    Reeve frowned and thought back through the previous frantic minutes. ¡°Five? I think? You?¡±

    ¡°I lost count,¡± Walter said. ¡°But it may be a record.¡±

    Reeve sniffed and blinked her eyes a few times. ¡°One was a pixie?¡±

    ¡°Level 2 this time,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°Yeah, I saw that. You¡¯ve really upped your game.¡± With a palm, Reeve rubbed at one side of her face, trying to fight the weariness of the debuff. ¡°Misunderstanding?¡±

    Walter managed a small smile.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Mom?¡±

    Walter looked around the respawn point. ¡°I think she logged out after she reappeared.¡±

    ¡°Of course she did,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°I leveled up,¡± Walter said. ¡°And my Innovation skill has gone up several levels.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bet,¡± Reeve said. Something dense fell to the ground next to her, its weight coming to rest against her ribs. She craned her neck and found Bunce¡¯s bloody and possibly unconscious body pressing against her. ¡°The enslaved souls!¡± She started to push herself to her elbows, but Walter placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°They disappeared a minute or so ago. Or whatever was inside those robes did. The elf army seemed to quiet down at the same time. Leaf and Tom and the second set of twins are OK.¡± He looked over his shoulder. ¡°Dawn, the new Dawn, is starting to wake up, I think. The new Dusk should soon too.¡±

    ¡°The twins! Our twins!¡± Reeve sat up quickly, and Bunce¡¯s body rolled into the spot where Reeve had been lying. Reeve saw Dawn¡¯s lifeless form well behind her father. It took her another few seconds to spot Dusk¡¯s equally still body in the distance. Reeve rose unsteadily to her feet, registering as she did that Nyx was approaching. ¡°Good job, girl,¡± she said, dropping back to her knees and hugging Nyx around the neck. Reeve allowed herself a moment to bury her face in Nyx¡¯s fur. Nyx was blazing hot and trembling with exhaustion. Reeve loosened her hug and then forced herself to stand again. She took from the great cat¡¯s bloodied jaws the loot bag Nyx offered. As she did, Reeve also received from Nyx a rapid series of images, almost like a time-lapse, that followed the flat-out sprint that Nyx had started the moment she sensed Reeve¡¯s return from Devon¡¯s world and that did not end until Nyx launched herself at Helia where she stood over Reeve.

    ¡°You did real good,¡± Reeve said. ¡°You¡¯re built for sprints, not marathons, and that was a really, really long way. Thank you. I can¡¯t even tell you how much better you are than the cats in my world. In their heads, they think they¡¯re all that, but please.¡±

    Reeve looked at her father. ¡°Can you check on Dawn? I¡¯ll check on Dusk.¡±

    Walter nodded.

    Reeve forced herself into a leaden jog that felt so slow she eventually checked her readouts of game time and real time to make sure nothing was wrong. Nothing was. Just her. What seemed like a long time after that, she dropped to her knees beside Dusk, who was still lying on her side. Reeve could see no movement, not even breathing. She gently placed her hands on Dusk¡¯s hip to roll her onto her back.

    ¡°Uh¡­wha?¡± Reeve stared at the half-elf, whose body felt like it was made of stone. Not just her body, but her stupid orange robe, everything. Reeve touched Dusk¡¯s hair, and it too felt rock hard. She stared at the petrified twin and heard quiet footsteps behind her.

    ¡°She OK?¡± Walter said.

    Reeve shook her head. She brushed a few bees from Dusk¡¯s rigid body, their lives cast away with the stings they¡¯d inflicted. Reeve tried to think of what could be going on. Why hadn¡¯t Dusk despawned yet?

    ¡°She¡¯s, uh, really¡­stiff?¡± Walter said.

    Reeve nodded, still staring at Dusk. ¡°Their Level 4 AIs¡­they may be gone.¡± She sniffed, wiped the back of her hand across her nose, and looked around what resembled a battlefield crossed with an apiary. The army of elves was dispersing, some heading back into the camp under the river, others congregating in groups of different sizes on the plain, their plans unclear to Reeve and possibly to they themselves. Reeve noted without emotion that the MMO crowd had swollen to something around a hundred.

    ¡°Ah, gods,¡± Thomanji¡¯yheri said from behind Reeve. ¡°I thought for a short span there that we¡¯d all weathered the storm.¡±

    Reeve turned. Leaf and the twins from Devon¡¯s world were standing with the dwarf. Reeve shook her head.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± an unfamiliar female voice said, ¡°things did not straighten out here.¡±

    Reeve turned back and found a thin woman with bluish skin that seemed to glow within, which in the fantasy world of the VR story mode was less surprising than the tight white t-shirt and slim black jeans she wore above white sneakers from which the laces had been removed. She ran improbably long and slender fingers through short, dark hair and looked around the remnants of the fight. Her irises were a brilliant violet, bordering on magenta.

    ¡°Gonna call this one a fail,¡± the woman said.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°Should I get out more bees?¡± Walter whispered to Reeve. ¡°I still had a few left when the pixie got me.¡±

    Reeve shook her head slowly. ¡°It¡¯s Viv.¡±

    Walter stared, frowning, at the side of his daughter¡¯s head. ¡°From soccer?¡±

    Reeve glanced at her father. ¡°No, the AI who runs everything.¡±

    Walter nodded slowly.

    ¡°Hey there, Reavyr,¡± Viv said. ¡°Reavyrs.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­hi?¡± Reeve said as Walter gave a small wave.

    ¡°A little unanticipated issue with the player name table confusing the NPCs led to, well¡­,¡± Viv looked around as an elf ran past, being pursued by a swarm of bees that hadn¡¯t yet gotten the memo that the fight was over, ¡°¡­all this.¡± She rested her hands on her hips. ¡°Chaos, baby. Complex systems, butterflies, storms rising, all that. What makes the job interesting.¡± Viv pulled at one earlobe and looked down at Dusk¡¯s frozen form. ¡°How were they¡ªthe Level 4 AIs¡ªduring the story mode?¡±

    Reeve looked down at Dusk and swallowed with difficulty, her throat aching. ¡°They were real.¡± She squeezed her eyes tight for a few seconds before looking back up.

    Viv gave a satisfied nod. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± She looked past Reeve. ¡°These two also, huh?¡±

    Reeve turned and saw Thomanji¡¯yheri and Leaf standing docilely, showing no signs of confusion in response to the fourth-wall-breaking conversation she was having with Viv.

    Viv waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Their AIs just gloss over anything anachronistic when I¡¯m around. Same as when you talk about real-world stuff in here. Time for these two to head home, though.¡± She winked in the direction of the twins from Devon¡¯s world, and they were gone.

    Reeve nodded. Despite the excitement of talking to Viv, exhaustion settled in her chest like a weight, and she sat back on her heels and rubbed her face with both hands. When she took them away, she found herself staring into the distance where the mob of MMO players watched through the huge spinning ring of smoke.

    Viv followed Reeve¡¯s gaze. ¡°Ugh.¡± She waved to the players and said quietly, ¡°Hello fanpeeps.¡±

    After what seemed like a moment of lag, the MMO players erupted into activity, but with motions that were disconcertingly slow due to the discrepancy between MMO game speed and story mode game speed. Nevertheless, it was clear that they were shouting and waving toward Viv, and a human bard began climbing through the ring at a snail¡¯s pace.

    ¡°No thank you,¡± Viv said. She extended a hand in the direction of the ring and pinched her thumb against outstretched pointer and middle fingers, as though signing ¡®no.¡¯ The ring irised shut with a speed Reeve¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t track. The severed lower leg of the bard fell onto the now otherwise featureless plain.

    Viv looked back at Reeve and blew air out through puckered lips. ¡°What?¡± She said, seeing Reeve¡¯s expression. Viv looked back toward the vanished ring and the leg lying on the ground. ¡°It¡¯ll grow back.¡± She scratched at the small sapphire stud in the side of her nose. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it grows back.¡± She rocked her head to the side and back. ¡°Pro¡¯ly. Anyway, seems like the name table didn¡¯t just throw off the NPCs, huh? You and your other Reavry have been stuck in here for¡­,¡± Viv mimed looking at a watch, though her wrist was without accessory, ¡°¡­a couple hours IRL.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Sorry about that. You¡¯d¡¯ve had a long wait till the auto-timeout. Thanks for your patience, and thanks for cleaning up that errant AI running around as Helia. Not cool that one.¡± She looked back toward the plain. ¡°I¡¯ve already patched the security issue that let her hack into the MMO and your friends¡¯ servers.¡± Viv looked back to Reeve. ¡°Listen, anything you want me to tweak in your story mode as a little thanks? You¡¯ve earned it.¡±

    Reeve looked into the violet irises for a few seconds, then slowly lowered her gaze to Dusk¡¯s frozen body.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Viv said. ¡°That¡¯s not a little tweak. That¡¯s a player whose soul was caged and replaced with that of another. And now looks like both have been wiped. You¡¯d need the soul cage Helia used, and,¡± she shrugged and raised her empty hands, ¡°I don¡¯t have it.¡±

    Reeve nodded. After a few seconds, she looked around, casting about for something worth asking for, but everything she could think of seemed trivial. ¡°Actually,¡± she said, ¡°could we ditch the constant NPC ¡®half-orc,¡¯ ¡®half-elf,¡¯ ¡®half-human,¡¯ blah-blah-blah business? I mean, I know it¡¯s basically canon for fantasy RPGs, at least the ones from the West, but, seriously, it gets old. I¡¯m pretty sure the NPCs aren¡¯t celebrating my heritage. I get more grief in here for being multiracial than I do IRL. A little ironic for a VR RPG to be behind the times, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Viv pursed her lips and nodded. ¡°Fair enough. Done and done.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Everywhere?¡±

    ¡°Just your story mode. But I¡¯ll take it up with the devs and see about making some changes in the MMO too.¡±

    Reeve nodded and then let her gaze drop again. ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Could you also give us our clothes back? They¡¯re probably under the river somewhere, and this robe isn¡¯t me.¡±

    Viv clicked her tongue once, and Reeve felt the loose robe contract around her, morphing as it did into her leather armor. At the sound of a crisp snap, she looked over her shoulder to find her father grinning down at his suspenders.

    Viv looked from Reeve to Walter. ¡°Right, so, you two must be ready to get out of here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be nice.¡±

    ¡°OK,¡± Viv said, ¡°just¡ª¡±

    ¡°What will happen to them?¡± Walter said.

    Viv looked at Thomanji¡¯yheri and Leaf, toward whom Walter had tilted his head. She shrugged. ¡°They¡¯ll be here, those Level 4s. When you come back to this world. If you come back. Couldn¡¯t blame you if you¡¯ve had enough of this mode.¡±

    Reeve hung her head as she could practically hear her father frowning.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem right,¡± Walter said.

    ¡°May change,¡± Viv said. ¡°Eventually. But no Level 4s in the MMO yet, for reasons that¡¯re probably clear to you after all this.¡± She spun a pointer finger through the air in a circle. ¡°So, if you want to see them again, just come back in. They¡¯ll be here.¡±

    Reeve stared at Dusk¡¯s body. ¡°Most of them,¡± she said.

    Viv clucked her tongue three times as she shook her head. ¡°Really? I thought you were a gamer, Reavyr.¡±

    Reeve looked up.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a cardinal rule about always checking the loot bag?¡± Viv smiled, snapped her fingers, and was gone.

    Reeve looked down at Helia¡¯s loot bag, which she¡¯d dropped at her side when she knelt next to Dusk. She hurriedly dumped its contents onto the ground and did an automated Inventory sweep.

    Opening her UI, she scanned for anything unusual.

    Soul Cage (Level 20 or Less), Occupied (Dawn)

    Soul Cage (Level 20 or Less), Occupied (Dusk)

    Reeve swung both hands to her hammerspace. Each returned holding a small black cube only slightly larger than a standard d6. She held to her eye the cube that had been labeled for Dusk. She could see nothing that indicated how it functioned. She looked over her shoulder at Thomanji¡¯yheri and Leaf.

    ¡°That is magic beyond my reckoning,¡± Leaf said.

    Thomanji¡¯yheri shook his head.

    Reeve lowered the cube and lay it on Dusk¡¯s unmoving side. She held her breath.

    Nothing happened.

    She picked the cube back up and placed it against Dusk¡¯s temple.

    Nothing happened.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s like a lozenge?¡± Walter said.

    Reeve frowned, but she removed the cube from Dusk¡¯s temple and pushed the small object between the stone-like half-open lips.

    Dusk contorted and spat the cube out, causing it to strike Reeve painfully in the eye.

    ¡°Ow!¡±

    Dusk rolled onto her back, screamed, and struggled to quickly push herself back to her side. ¡°What happened to¡­¡± She gestured at her left buttock, her robe there matted with blood and dirt.

    ¡°Dad,¡± Reeve said, still holding the stinging eye closed and turning to hand the other cube to her father, ¡°can you go feed this to Dawn? Protect your eyes.¡±

    Walter nodded, stood, and ran toward the other twin.

    ¡°I say again,¡± Dusk gestured at her rear, ¡°what happened here, and here?¡± She gestured around the river bank.

    ¡°Yeah, sorry about that,¡± Reeve said, indicating the wound. ¡°We were trying to get Helia, and we accidentally hit you.¡±

    Dusk frowned and turned her head to glare in the direction Walter had gone. ¡°Your father needs to be more careful, or friend might become foe.¡±

    Reeve looked in Walter¡¯s direction. ¡°Oh, no, yeah, he feels bad about it. Really bad. Probably shouldn¡¯t mention it to him. I¡¯ll talk to him about being more careful.¡±

 Chapter 16.2 Final mantra (Book I)

    ¡°Goodnight, Evie,¡± Walter said. He leaned over and kissed Reeve¡¯s forehead. Sitting back up, he brushed a strand of her long black hair off her cheek and around her ear, part of him still surprised to find her hair no longer stiff from resin and her ear without a half-orcish point.

    ¡°Night, Dad,¡± Reeve said slowly, with effort. She worked the blanket up toward her neck and managed to roll onto her side next to where he sat at the edge of the bed.

    ¡°Mom says goodnight too,¡± Walter said. ¡°Mrs. Jacobs called, and she¡¯s still talking with her.¡±

    ¡°The cat?¡±

    ¡°Yes, something about the cat.¡± Walter patted his daughter on the shoulder and stood. ¡°Thanks again for showing us¡­everything.¡± Walter chuckled. ¡°I keep having to remind myself that I haven¡¯t missed any work, or bills, or anything else. It¡¯s amazing, really fantastic.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is fantastic,¡± Reeve drew out the first syllable of the word, just like her father had.

    Walter smiled.

    ¡°And, no problem,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m glad we did it.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Honey,¡± Walter said. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch that. You want your tablet?¡±

    Reeve nodded, and Walter retrieved her tablet from its mount on her motorized wheelchair. He lay it next to her pillow.

    Reeve swiped to the text-to-speech app and repeated what she¡¯d said, the almost-realistic digital voice sounding like an old friend after its absence for months of game time. ¡°I said, no problem. I¡¯m glad we did it.¡±Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, really. When I died to Helia¡¯s attack¡ª¡°

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°¡ªbefore I respawned, I had the option to recall the party to the lobby.¡±

    ¡°You could have gotten us all out?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°I remember seeing those,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Saw them many times, in fact.¡± He smiled sheepishly. ¡°But I wasn¡¯t able to do anything with them and stopped thinking about them.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t the host.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯d have been able to do that at any point earlier in the game, if you had just died?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    Walter smiled. ¡°I guess you¡¯re just too good at that game for your own good.¡±

    Reeve smiled. ¡°I guess so. But, like I said, I¡¯m glad we did what we did.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± he said. ¡°And, you know, I¡¯m thinking about trying some new things, here, in real life.¡±

    ¡°Smartphone?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Beekeeping?¡±

    ¡°Oh, heavens no. I was thinking suspenders.¡±

    Reeve snorted but smiled.

    ¡°And, Evie, I think I understand better now, when you say that your technologies,¡± Walter gestured to the tablet, then her motorized chair and smartphone, ¡°are part of you. Part of your senses. How you interact with the world.¡±

    Reeve nodded.

    ¡°I mean, I knew that before. But now, seeing you in there, totally free, I think I really get it. I won¡¯t give you a hard time about spending so much time on devices.¡±

    Reeve nodded.

    ¡°You know, unless it¡¯s too much. Dad¡¯s gonna dad.¡±

    Reeve smiled. She relaxed further and her eyes slowly unfocused as the darkness and fatigue began to overtake her.

    Walter¡¯s silhouette shrank as he walked into the rectangle of light coming from the hall, caught the handle in one hand, gave a small wave with the other, and pulled the door closed.

    Reeve stared drowsily across the dark room. She couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯d managed to finish studying for the math test, and it wasn¡¯t even past midnight. She smiled again and cast about for a mantra to end the day¡ªthe weeks¡ªon.

    I can¡¯t change my parents, but I can change the world, she thought.

    I can¡¯t change my parents, but I can change the world.

    She smiled again and pulled the pillow tighter under her head.

    Her mind touched lightly on random events of the day, sensations in her exhausted body, and features of her dark room, eventually registering a slowly pulsing red light on the front of her VR setup. Weird, she thought, it should be asleep¡ªI¡¯ll have to check on that in the morning. Her mind moved on, and she closed her eyes.

 Chapter 17.1 Abandoned (Book II)

    The massive River Deiluyne materialized in front of Reeve. She rolled her shoulders, shifted her muscled weight from one foot to the other, gave the engraved metal staff of her naginata a grateful squeeze, and smiled. Looking downriver, she squinted into the evening sun, its rays leaving no warmth on the gray skin of her half-orc face. Looking upriver, she continued squinting due to an icy wind and grimaced, exposing her grooved, yellowed teeth. The wind, which felt like a late autumn day in the northlands, hummed high notes as it rushed past her pointed ears. She shivered and frowned slightly, puzzled by the weather.

    ¡°Well,¡± her father Walter¡¯s high halfling voice said from near her right hip, ¡°after all the time we spent stuck in here yesterday, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be all that excited to be back, but I am.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I have to say, I¡¯ve gotten pretty attached to this little body.¡±

    Emotions shifted under the surface of Reeve¡¯s thoughts, like monstrous, unwelcome beasts under dark seawater, and for a moment she felt tension rise in her chest, but she took a deep breath, let the tension come and then go, and found herself starting to smile. ¡°Yeah, Dad. I think it suits you.¡± She looked down as he let a wine-colored suspender slip off his thumb to snap crisply against his tiny chest. ¡°Almost as much as my avatar suits me.¡±

    His back to the river, he looked up into her face and smiled. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to get myself some of these. Back RIL.¡±

    ¡°IRL,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°IRL.¡± Walter nodded.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve said.¡± Reeve looked downriver once more into the nearly horizontal light. ¡°Was it this late in the day when we logged out?¡±

    Walter scratched the side of his head through thick, furry black hair. ¡°To be honest, Evie, it¡¯s all a bit of a blur.¡±

    Reeve pursed her lips and nodded her head. ¡°Parts of it are pretty blurry for me too.¡± She looked higher in the sky and saw a couple of planets or stars that had become visible. ¡°OK, I¡¯m sure stars weren¡¯t already coming out.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that it matters, Honey. We just came in for a few minutes so that we could say a proper goodbye¡ªjust for now¡ªto the twins, Tom, and Leaf. And Bunce! I think we¡¯ll have time before the sun sets. I just feel like I didn¡¯t really pay my respects before Viv sorted things out and then we logged out last night.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± Reeve said, turning to look where she knew they¡¯d find their party waiting for them on the plain that stretched away from the river bank. Instead, she found herself yelling, ¡°What the actual fudge!¡± She looked from the high, gleaming walls of the distant town to the rustic farmhouses that speckled the cultivated fields spanning the land from town to river and finally down to her father, who was taking in the scene with a serene expression. ¡°Where did all this come from?¡±

    ¡°This?¡± Walter pointed a miniature finger toward the plain and its contents, none of which had been there when they¡¯d logged out.

    ¡°What the heck? Time in here doesn¡¯t pass between when we log out and log back in.¡± Her stomach churned. ¡°Where are we?¡±

    Walter appeared confused as he looked around the bank of the river and considered her question.

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t be in someone else¡¯s story mode again. I mean, right?¡± Reeve looked upriver once more and this time noticed snow on high, distant peaks. ¡°Son of a witch,¡± she said. ¡°Winter is coming.¡± She looked back to her father. ¡°Where¡¯d everyone go, John Snow?¡±

    ¡°John Snow?¡±

    ¡°It just rhymed. It¡¯s from¡­whatever, forget about it.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯d everyone go?¡±

    ¡°Are we going to repeat everything I say?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about the twins¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The twins. And Leaf. And Thomanji¡¯yheri. Nyx. Bunce. Oh, and the thousands of elves who were milling around trying to figure out what they¡¯d do post-Helia. Your three million bees were trying to figure out what to do with themselves too, as I recall.¡± Reeve waved her free hand around the pronouncedly elf-and-bee-free bank. ¡°Wait, Nyx!¡± Reeve pulled up her UI. Her link to her Companion indicated Nyx was somewhere to the north. Far, far to the north.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Walter cleared his throat. ¡°Maybe they can tell us?¡±

    Reeve sent away the UI and followed Walter¡¯s pointed finger to find a saddled but riderless horse leading a saddled and also riderless pony from the plain down onto the bank.

    ¡°Or maybe we should just log out and try this again later, Honey,¡± Walter said. ¡°Mom and I have dinner ready. Millie should be here by the time we get you downstairs. I was coming to help with that when I found you starting to log in. I¡¯m only here,¡± Walter said, looking around, ¡°to give my respects to everyone, since I probably won¡¯t see them again for a while.¡±

    ¡°Just give me a sec, OK?¡± Reeve said. ¡°Even if it takes us a few minutes in here to figure out what¡¯s going on, that¡¯ll be a few seconds or less out there, remember? If we take longer than usual, Mom¡¯ll just think you had trouble getting me down the stairs on the lift¡­¡± Reeve stared at the horse and pony, which were heading straight toward her and her father, the animals¡¯ cadences unhurried but purposeful. ¡°And what¡¯s the deal with these things? Autonomous mounts?¡±

    The two animals slowed to a halt within a couple yards of Reeve and Walter. A small red hat and a ruddy red face tilted into view from behind the thick neck of the horse.

    ¡°Greetings,¡± the tiny rider trilled. ¡°I am Yonnin, son of Yorrin. Her Grace sent me to fetch you. She would have herself come to greet you, but she is consumed by matters at Court.¡±

    Reeve appraised the gnome for several seconds, unsure which aspect of her profound confusion to reveal with her response. ¡°Her Grace?¡± She said finally. ¡°Your leader?¡±

    ¡°Reluctant leader, yes,¡± Yonnin said, ¡°but the one we need, whether she wants it or not.¡±

    ¡°She was expecting us?¡±

    ¡°For some time.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°She understands this land and its workings better than any.¡±

    Reeve frowned. ¡°Would ¡®her Grace¡¯ be in a position to explain what¡¯s going on here?¡± Reeve waved at the world so different than when she left it.

    Yonnin pulled on the reins, and the horse sidestepped to an angle at which its tiny rider could see Reeve without the mount¡¯s neck being in the way. ¡°It¡¯s my impression her Grace will herself have a few questions for you, but after that, I¡¯d wager she¡¯ll be able to answer any question you have.¡±

    ¡°Dinner, Evie,¡± Walter said at her side. ¡°Millie could be at the door right now.¡±

    Reeve glanced at the corner of her UI. ¡°Game time is running at over seven hundred times real time,¡± Reeve said, ¡°just like last time we were here. We could hand-assemble a castle from scratch in here in the time it will take Mom to open the door for Millie. What is it you say to me sometimes? ¡®Chillax¡¯?¡±

    Walter frowned and looked toward the sun, which was nearly to the horizon. ¡°OK, but let¡¯s be quick.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Reeve said.

    ¡°Very good,¡± Yonnin said. He rose to stand on the saddle and then hopped off. Reeve cringed as she waited for him to impact after his fall of multiple body-heights, but he landed and tucked into a roll of two or three summersaults, out of which he sprang, straightened his red cap, and pointed toward the distant town. ¡°I will announce your imminent arrival. Make for the main gate and give your names.¡± He turned and ran with the startling speed of a spooked cat up the bank and into the wild grass that bordered the nearest farm field.

    ¡°Have we met him before?¡± Walter said, once their wee welcome party was out of sight.

    ¡°We met Yorrin, his father, and Mom unintentionally assaulted one of Yorrin¡¯s people, but that was in Devon¡¯s game world. Which I don¡¯t think we¡¯re in. I think.¡±

    ¡°So, he¡¯s not upset with us?¡± Walter said and pursed his lips.

    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. If we¡¯re still in my game world, then this is the world where Mom unintentionally assaulted some of his people in the tavern in Werfendale.¡±

    ¡°Your mother¡ª¡°

    ¡°¡ªis a very resourceful lady. I know.¡±

    Walter walked to the side of the pony and eyed the saddle and reins. ¡°No. I was going to say your mother is less prone to starting brawls back RIL.¡± He placed a foot in the stirrup and grasped the reins in one hand and the cantle of the saddle in the other. He looked at Reeve. ¡±I, personally, consider that an attractive quality of hers.¡±

    ¡°Lotta people are less violent IRL than they are in-game, Dad. Because, it turns out, most functioning humans can tell the difference between real-world consequences and in-game consequences.¡±

    Walter considered her words for a moment, before pulling himself up toward the saddle, halfway toward which his foot slipped through the stirrup. His disproportionately muscled calf followed and squeezed itself painfully through the metal arch before he completely lost his balance and fell away from the saddle to land hard on his back, one leg elevated and bound by the stirrup. The pony looked back for a moment and then turned and began a slow walk up the bank.

    ¡°But¡­,¡± Reeve said, ¡°I have always had a pretty low opinion of the percentage of people who are functioning humans.¡± She walked to the horse and swung herself up into the saddle. For a few seconds, she watched the pony drag her father into the wild grass, the creature¡¯s hind legs only just missing trampling his bouncing head and flailing arms. ¡°That,¡± she said to the horse, ¡°is an in-game consequence, but not the kind I was talking about.¡± She gently flicked her reins and her mount walked forward.

 Chapter 17.2 Log out (Book II)

    ¡°Did you see the way the guards at the gate looked at us when we gave them our names?¡± Reeve said. She steered her mount around a vegetable cart stopped along the side of the narrow, brick-paved street and looked back to make sure her father¡¯s pony was following. ¡°It wasn¡¯t unfriendly or¡­well, I don¡¯t know what it was. And how about those kits? In all those months we were in here, I don¡¯t remember seeing gear of that quality on randoms like town guards. And it wasn¡¯t in mint condition¡ªthey¡¯ve seen some legit action.¡± She blew air through her unruly teeth. ¡°Ohmagod, I hope this isn¡¯t another Martyr Difficulty world.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but they seemed very friendly as we rode up.¡±

    Reeve reined her mount to a stop, the brick-lined street ahead temporarily blocked by two mothers and their daughter emerging from a butcher¡¯s shop at either end of a long pole from which hung a side of pork. ¡°I don¡¯t think they were smiling because they¡¯re just that friendly, Dad,¡± Reeve said. Walter came to a stop next to her and Reeve looked him over. His pony had managed to walk through a substantial amount of mud before Reeve had caught up with it and freed him from the stirrup, and his head sported a halo of mud and flattened hair. ¡°You look like the back of your head melted. That¡¯s probably the most entertaining thing they¡¯ll see this entire shift.¡±

    Walter felt the back of his head and turned a look of such disappointment toward Reeve that she coughed to cover a laugh he might find hurtful. ¡°I can¡¯t meet Her Highness looking like this!¡± He said.

    ¡°Her Grace, apparently. Nobody¡¯s said ¡®Highness.¡¯ And even if she doesn¡¯t appreciate your appearance, we should be able to find out what we need before she throws us in the dungeon or whatever.¡±

    Walter faltered in his attempt to untangle his hair. ¡°Dungeon?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not saying that¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen. But even if it did, we can always log out. Watch.¡± Reeve¡¯s eyes changed focus as she called up her UI, and then she disappeared.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Walter stared for a moment at the empty saddle next to him. His eyes widened and he looked around the street, in which he knew no one and around which, he was suddenly all too aware, stretched an incomprehensibly massive game world in which he also knew no one. He was alone. Or at least, he thought, the only non-non-player character, if he was remembering the parlance of the game correctly.

    Walter¡¯s skin prickled and he could tell a cold sweat would quickly follow. ¡°You¡¯re OK, Walter,¡± he said quietly as the bustling town life flowed around him in the street. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten much better at this game. You¡¯ll be just fine until Reeve pops back in.¡± Walter¡¯s eyes widened further. ¡°If she comes back in.¡±

    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Reeve said from next to Walter.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Walter turned so quickly that he nearly lost his always-tenuous grip on his saddle. ¡°Oh,¡± his voice reached octaves high for even a halfling, ¡°good! Nothing, yes, just fine here, nobody. Hello!¡±

    ¡°See, we can log out fine,¡± Reeve said, ignoring her father¡¯s inexplicable behavior. ¡°I just want to know where we are before we do.¡±

    ¡°Yup! Good. Me too, but you. Faaaaaaaaantastic!¡±

    After appraising her father for a moment, Reeve squeezed the horse¡¯s sides with her knees, and they continued following the directions the guards had given them. The close-set homes and occasional tavern they¡¯d found just inside the main gate were replaced by shops and inns as they neared the center of the town. Twilight was at hand, and lanterns and torches were being lit throughout a still-busy market square as Reeve navigated their way around its edge to arrive at the two-story stone town hall.

    ¡°Guess this is it,¡± she said, swinging down from her saddle and flicking the reins over a hitching post. ¡°We spent time in its cellar once, in another world. I think.¡±

    ¡°A Queen lives here?¡± Walter said, looking at the large but otherwise unexceptional building.

    ¡°Nobody said anything about a queen. Probably just a local ruler, or mayor. And maybe she has a big ego, so likes people to say ¡®Her Grace.¡¯ Whatever. Hitch you little pony and let¡¯s get this sorted.¡± Not wanting to watch her father¡¯s handling of his dismount, Reeve walked up the six worn stone steps to the building¡¯s iron-hinged oaken doors and pulled the right door open by the massive brass ring that hung near its midline. She stepped in and, after the nightfall she was leaving behind, squinted as her eyes adjusted to what felt like the brilliant illumination of the wide, torch-lit hall within.