The Clash of Worlds
Date: 2015-10-20 04:00:00+00:00
Description: After the Battle of Kantor, everything changed. The digital world of Yvvaros was saved from destruction by the efforts of Luke and his guild, The Consulate. Unfortunately, the deluge of MMORPG players ‘going all in’ became intense enough to attract the scrutiny of governments across the world. The UN’s cyber police force intervened, installing NPC overseers known as the Arbiters to keep the players of Yvvaros from having the freedom to self-determine. With permadeath still enabled and risk around every corner, Luke is forced into direct conflict with the Arbiters in his struggle to protect Tes
Publisher: JP Publishing

Yvvaros: The Clash of Worlds

Alex Mulder

This digital book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this title with another person, please purchase an additional copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. All other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2015 by Alex Mulder

Kindle Edition

CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE

WORLD MAP

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 33

CHAPTER 34

CHAPTER 35

CHAPTER 36

CHAPTER 37

AFTERWARD

CHAPTER 1

“It’s just a game. The first step in your treatment plan is accepting that fact and coming to terms with it, however difficult it might be.”

Luke shrugged. Dr. Meyers sat across from him. She leaned forward in her black leather chair, her eyes harboring a mixture of genuine and practiced compassion. She held a small notepad in one hand and a pencil in the other, though as far as Luke could tell, she hadn’t actually written anything yet.

“Have you ever had another case like this, Dr. Meyers?” asked Luke. The question came out in a slightly more accusatory tone than what he’d intended. Dr. Meyers continued smiling at him.

“A few,” she said. “I’ve successfully treated patients with suicidal tendencies, video game addictions, and ones like you. People that struggle with both, through no fault of their own.”

Is that why I’m here? Because I’m a suicidal video game addict?

Luke shifted his hand onto his stomach. The stitches there were still raw, a reminder of what had happened only a week before. Dr. Meyers watched him carefully, waiting for his reaction.

“Your treatment isn’t really necessary in my case, doctor.” Luke glanced up at the ceiling of the room, shifting a bit on the leather couch.

“I’ve read your file, Luke,” said Dr. Meyers. “I know that you were trying to ‘go all in’.”

Luke nodded.

“Yes. I was.” He smiled at her. “And the only thing I regret about it is that I didn’t choose a method that worked.”

Dr. Meyers laced her fingers together and leaned back in her chair. She was attractive, in her mid-thirties, tall and slender, with dark chestnut hair. She wore glasses that fit her face so well it was hard for Luke to imagine her without them.

“Luke, you’re 18 years old.” She paused and set her notebook aside, as though she wanted to speak from memory instead of a file. “You’re a high school senior. All of the teachers I’ve talked to have described you as a brilliant, albeit slightly lazy, student.”

Where is she going with this?

“You live with your father in a single parent household,” said Dr. Meyers. “And one of your friends was so concerned about you that she called me before this meeting to give me as much information about the incident as she could,

Sam… Why can’t she just leave me alone?

“Dr. Meyers, would you please quit beating around the bush and get to your point?” Luke tried to hide the frustration in his voice. It had been hard for him to go into the therapy session with an open mind, even though attending it had been a part of his psychiatric release agreement and not his own idea.

“Why haven’t you tried to ‘go all in’ again since the incident last week?” Dr. Meyers picked up her notebook again and began tapping the pages with her pencil. “You’ve been home for the past three days. If you were as serious about going ‘all in’ as you say you are, why haven’t you gone through with it?”

Why haven’t I? How am I supposed to answer that?

“If you’ll allow me to speculate, I think I know why.” Dr. Meyers paused, and when it became clear that Luke wasn’t going to interrupt, she continued. “I think you realize that you still have responsibilities in the real world, responsibilities that you can’t abandon.”

“I have responsibilities in Yvvaros, too,” said Luke. “Now more than ever. It’s not just a game! It’s not like I just play it for fun.”

The words felt stupid and hollow as they left his mouth, even though he knew they were true. The doctor’s smile was tinged with the slightest hint of condescension, but Luke forced himself to ignore it.

I can’t risk getting kicked out of here, not until she’s given me a clean bill of health.

“I believe you, Luke,” said Dr. Meyers. “Listen, I can see how much stress you are under. I’m going to give you an assignment this week. I want you to pay attention to the way that you are feeling and try to figure out the source of your stress.”

Luke sighed and shook his head. Dr. Meyers glanced at the clock in the corner of the room and then back at him.

“We’re out of time for today,” she said. “Think about what we talked about, Luke.”

“Sure.”

“I’m not going to tell you not to play Yvvaros.” Dr. Meyers finally began scribbling in her notebook. “What I am going to say is that you have to learn to balance the game with your responsibilities in the real world.”

She has it backwards. It’s the real world that I need to learn to balance.

Luke stood up and shook Dr. Meyers’s hand before leaving her office. Her secretary handed him an appointment card for later in the week as he walked by.

It was a nice day, but the weather didn’t matter much to Luke. In fact, he had only one thing on his mind as he made his way home. He walked fast enough to cause his stitches to hurt, reminding him of what had happened and threatening to punish him for his impatience.

I have to get in-game.

His dad’s car wasn’t in the driveway when he arrived home. Luke wasn’t surprised. Chris Smith had disappeared after Luke tried to go all in. He hadn’t seen his father in person since then. The last time he’d seen him, they’d fought in-game. It was the battle that had changed everything.

Luke walked into the empty house. He’d grown accustomed to the silence over the past few days. He wasn’t really expecting his father to return, but a tiny part of him still worried about him coming home and catching him with his head set on. Before he’d left, any little thing could send him into a violent rage, but Luke’s interest in Yvvaros, the game that his father had designed, set him off the most. Luke wondered what he would do to him now if he found him playing.

Dad… Where did you go? Do I even want you to come back?

It was early afternoon, but the house felt dark. Luke did a lap around the first floor cleaning up the piles of dishes and clothes he’d left scattered behind him over the last couple of days.  Finally, he walked upstairs to his room and settled in at his desk.

His laptop and VR headset were right where he’d left them earlier that morning. He turned on his computer, booted up the Yvvaros game client, and when prompted, slowly pulled on the headset.

In an instant his room was gone. In its place was a crystal clear sky, hot dry desert air, and a sea of sand all around him. The transition no longer caught Luke by surprise. It felt like walking through a door, or slipping into a dream. He accepted the new world in front of him without any skepticism.

This is where I belong.

Luke stood just outside the settlement that he had helped to found. He was Kato, the level 15 Sword Saint. Dunidan’s Rest was a small desert outpost, built up around an oasis that provided his group with water. It was the only zone with a significant water source in the area, and it provided them with a means of thriving in a barren land.

“Kato! About time!”

Silverstrike, or as Luke’s best friend was known in real life, Ben, was standing high up on the wall surrounding his guild’s compound. Silverstrike waved and Luke made his way over to the heavy iron-gate.

“Yeah, sorry,” said Luke. “I got caught up in some business in the outside world.”

Silverstrike opened the gate for him, and Luke stepped inside. Over the past couple of days, his guild, The Consulate, along with Athena’s Wrath, another guild they’d welcomed into the zone, had been expanding.

In addition to the two necessary guild halls and the outer wall, Dunidan’s Rest now had a small general store, run by a member of Athena’s Wrath. He smiled as he walked by it, noticing the tiny little outdoor refreshment stall that had been recently added.

A training ring had been added as well. Two members of Athena’s Wrath practiced with swords while another yelled out encouragement and the occasional pointer. Luke could see that one of them had gained a level since the day before.

“Well I’m glad that you’re back.” Silverstrike frowned at him. “Seriously.”

Luke nodded and walked forward with his friend, slowing as they neared the shade of the palm trees that grew along the edge of the oasis.

“Did the Arbiters make any new moves?” Luke asked the question quietly, afraid of what the answer might be. His fear was justified. In the chaos that had followed the Battle of Kantor, the rules of play in Yvvaros had changed drastically.

“They’ve been scouting further out from Kantor and Stark Town, Luke,” said Silverstrike. “We still aren’t sure what they’re looking for, but it’s not hard to take a guess.”

They’re tracking down the players that have ‘gone all in’.

Luke frowned. The Battle of Kantor had been a major media event. News of suicide by players ‘going all in’ came from all over the globe. The death toll had been the top story on every media outlet for a week. Every pundit on both sides of the political divide had added their own brand of moralistic panic to the media frenzy. Finally the cries of outrage became too loud to be ignored.

In the United States, hearings were held on Capitol Hill, and the United Nations had convened an unprecedented emergency meeting. The world leaders acted much faster than anyone had expected, ousting the developers from the control seat and installing their own overseers within Yvvaros, the “Arbiters”.

“It feels like Yvvaros has been occupied by an enemy force,” said Luke. “The game was like the wild west before, few rules and no law.” “But what are they doing here? What’s their end game?” asked Silverstrike.

“They’re here because nothing like this has ever happened before,” said Luke. “They have to do something, even if it’s just for show.”

“That’s probably why they left permadeath on.”

Luke’s hand clenched into a fist, and he dug the tip of his foot into the ground.

They disabled guild chat and kept permadeath on to keep people from wanting to go all in. Has it worked?

“It’s not the same game we started out playing,” said Luke. “They’ve changed it.”

Silverstrike didn’t say anything back. He set a hand on Luke’s shoulder. It felt just as reassuring as it would have in the real world.

“Kato!”

Luke turned to the guild hall and saw Tess running toward him. Silverstrike’s hand tightened on his shoulder, and Luke raised an eyebrow at him.

Tess is Emily, Ben’s older sister. But she’s also…

Tess wrapped her arms around Luke and he held her tight to his chest in a loving embrace.

“Hey,” he said. “Sorry it took me so long to get back in. My appointment was pushed back to the afternoon.”

“It’s fine,” said Tess.  “I kept myself busy enough, but I was starting to get bored.”

She pulled back slightly in his arms and her eyes met his. Luke gazed back into her beautiful eyes and delicate face. He cupped her cheek in his hand and leaned his forehead against hers.

“Please, no PDA around me,” said Silverstrike.

“Relax, little brother,” said Tess. “I just missed Luke, that’s all.”

Tess took Luke’s hand into her own and gave it a squeeze.

“Come on!” She pulled him forward toward the oasis. “Some of the plants in my garden are starting to get really big”

Luke followed after her to a small garden she’d begun to cultivate. The soil was imported from Stark Town, and the oasis provided the water for the irrigation system. The patch was carefully maintained in uniform rows. There were no common weeds in Yvvaros, which made gardening exponentially easier than in the real world and several of the rows looked almost ripe.

“Everything grows faster in Yvvaros,” said Tess. “In a day or two, some of the carrots will be ready for harvest.”

“Awesome,” said Luke. “We can sell them in the general store and bring in a little extra money.”

“As if!” Tess poked him teasingly. “We’re going to eat them. This is our own private garden. I’m not going to let some stranger buy it out from under us.”

Luke laughed, and then bent over to inspect the crops. Carrots, lettuce, turnips, green beans,  a small apple tree, and some other fruits that Luke couldn’t identify were all growing in the garden plot. Luke was impressed by how much work Tess had put into it.

I wish we could live here without having to worry about permadeath or real world politics.

“Luke?” asked Tess. “So what do you think?”

“I think you’ve done an amazing job,” he said. “I’m guessing all the work you’ve put in has raised your farming skill by at least a couple of ranks.”

Tess nodded.

“We’ll get a boost to our cooking skills, too, once we start harvesting. It will be great to eat something else besides bread.”

Luke stood with her for another few minutes by the garden. Being around Tess was its own therapy. He felt more relaxed when he was with her than he did anywhere else in or out of game.

“You’re back.” Katrina, the leader of Athena’s Wrath, was walking out of her guild hall and over to Luke. She was smiling, and her long platinum hair blew slightly as a gentle gust of wind passed through Dunidan’s Rest.

“Yeah, I just got back a couple of minutes ago,” said Luke. “What’s up?”

The alliance formed between The Consulate and Athena’s Wrath had originally been one of convenience. A large guild had threatened uniting their interests. They had joined forces in order to protect themselves from the much larger more aggressive group. It had worked, Luke had killed the leader and his traitorous second, and together they had run off the rest of the guild.

Now, the two guilds served almost as a single unit, pooling their resources to trade and to develop Dunidan’s Rest. Luke was happy to have Athena’s Wrath around, especially with a new threat looming on the horizon.

“If it’s alright with you, I want to expand the settlement a bit.” Katrina scratched her head and then gestured over to an empty corner of the walled enclave. “One of my guild members has been training her smithing skills and wants to set up shop.”

Luke nodded.

“That would come in handy,” he said. “I was planning on heading into Stark Town this afternoon anyway. I’ll pick up some iron ore and building supplies while I’m there.”

“Thanks.” Katrina walked back over to a group of her guild mates, and Luke moved toward the gate. Tess followed him with her arms crossed, an expectant look on her face.

“So… Can I go with you?”

Luke frowned. Tess leaned her face in close to his and batted her eyelashes at him.

“Tess…” He sighed, and shook his head. “I know being cooped up in here isn’t fun, but I can’t bring you into Stark Town. There are too many Arbiters around.”

“Oh, come on!” said Tess. “I’ve been stuck in Dunidan’s Rest for the past week. I’ve been training, you don’t have to worry about me.”

Tess doesn’t have a real world body to go back to.

“Not this time,” said Luke. “Get Katrina or one of her guild mates to hang out with you in the meantime. We can’t risk it until we know more about the threat, you agreed to that.”

Tess stomped her foot and rolled her eyes.

“Kato, I can’t hide forever.” She looked at him seriously for a second. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

Luke sighed.

“I don’t want to have to worry about you, Tess. But I do.”

He pulled her back in close to him and gave her another hug. “Yvvaros is not the way it was, it’s too dangerous right now. I’ll be back in a little bit.”

Luke turned toward the gate before she had a chance to argue further.

CHAPTER 2

The expanse of the Sarchia Desert in between Stark Town and Dunidan’s Rest was a sandy stretch of rocks and dunes. Luke made his way across more slowly than usual, taking the extra time as a chance to clear his thoughts.

I still don’t feel like I can protect Tess against everything. Yvvaros was never a safe place, and it’s more dangerous than ever now.

The Battle of Kantor was still fresh in his mind. Luke remembered just how close Tess had come to dying. He’d been able to save her, but only because he’d been granted a temporary skill upgrade that he still hadn’t been able to explain.

Conjure Sword 10… it wasn’t in my skill set the next time I logged in. Where did it come from, and why?

Whatever had caused the skill to appear, it hadn’t happened again. That fact made him much more wary about where he went, and just how difficult it would be for him to protect Tess if he encountered high level monsters, or something worse. He had to get stronger

Something moved in the sand in front of him. Luke pulled out his sword, a level 12 Obsidian Blade, and watched as a small, spiny, creature emerged from the ground.

SAND SCAMP: A dexterous scavenger, the Sand Scamp patrols the desert in small groups, looking for vulnerable prey and setting up ambushes. Highly intelligent, it’s rumored that the creatures create complex burrows underneath the surface of the ground.

Luke turned as two more Sand Scamps joined the one he’d already spotted.

CONJURE SWORD 3

MIRROR IMAGE 2

Using the familiar version of Conjure Sword, Luke began to maneuver around the scamps as his mirror images circled him. It was an effective mix of offense and defense, allowing him to attack the group without leaving himself vulnerable to retaliation.

The Sand Scamps were low level enemies. He used a conjured sword to pin one to the ground, and its health bar disappeared in an instant. Luke spun as the other two launched themselves into the air, dispatching them both with a single strike.

Maybe it would have been okay to bring Tess, after all. It’s not like the enemies around here give me that much trouble.

Luke sheathed his blade and made his way across the last stretch of sand to where the Sarchia Desert transitioned into the Inner Plains, the fertile region of grassland around Stark Town and the floating city of Kantor.

He could see Kantor in the distance. It didn’t look any different but it represented something new, something oppressive, since the Arbiters had arrived on scene.

Kantor had been seized by the Arbiters as their base of operations. What that meant in practice was that anyone who was interested in doing any of the quests available in the floating city, or buying anything from the merchants, or even just paying a visit, had to obtain express permission from the Arbiters first.

Back before permadeath had been a part of the game, Kantor had been the default bind point for every new player. If a player died in-game, they would respawn safely in the floating city. It had been one of the most active and dynamic places in all of Yvvaros.

Now it’s an occupied city.

Luke had heard stories about the in-game regulators.  They acted as the judge, jury, and executioner in the new Yvvaros hierarchy. There had been reports of players who’d gone all in being abducted, being taken up to Kantor, and never being heard from again.

On second thought, I’m glad Tess is still in Dunidan’s Rest.

Luke slowed to a walk as he crossed into Stark Town. With Kantor now mostly off-limits, the tiny settlement had become the booming center of trade and commerce in Yvvaros. The marketplace was packed. Merchants, NPCs and players alike, were selling their wares to anyone who would stop and look.

He pushed his way through a group of players heading out of the city. One of them stopped walking and turned to look at him. Luke thought for a second that he’d done something wrong, until he saw the look on the player’s face.

“You… You’re the Hero of Kantor!” The player shook his head and pointed at Luke dumbly, mouth slightly agape.

“I’m just Kato,” said Luke. “Kato of Dunidan’s Rest. Nothing to see here…”

Not this again. I was hoping that this would have blown over by now.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Kantor, Luke, or rather, his character Kato, had become a   celebrity in Yvvaros. Even though Luke had done his very best to make it clear that the victory had been a group effort, it was his face and his story that the people had latched onto.

“How did you do it?” asked the player. “I’ve heard about the battle. Is it true that you can hack the game’s code using hand gestures?”

Luke smiled and wiggled his fingers.

“Yeah, totally.” He rolled his eyes. “Look, I’m just a normal player. I don’t have any game breaking tricks up my sleeve. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m on my way to pick up some supplies for my guild…”

I’m starting to get sick of all of this attention.

He could still feel the eyes of the player on him as he pushed his way deeper into Stark Town. The settlement was alive with conversation and activity bustling from every direction. The smell of smoked meat and baking bread wafted on the air.

This level of immersion felt normal to Luke, but it hadn’t always. Originally, Yvvaros had been released with a much more basic version of the Gamesoft VR headset. The difference between the first and second generation, which connected directly to the brain using noninvasive electrodes, was like the difference between watching a movie and being a part of it.

Maybe that’s why I don’t like the attention and living up to the expectations of random players.

The merchant he was looking for had a cart drawn by the Yvvaros version of a horse. The beast looked like a combination of a dog and a mule but was big enough to ride or pull large loads. He made his way through a cluster of players to get closer and pulled out his bag of gold.

A couple of minutes later, he was slipping iron ore and wooden planks into his satchel. The bag was magical, as many things in Yvvaros were. The satchel could expand to accommodate objects of any size but it had a weight limit. Luke bought enough building supplies to bring him in just under the limit.

After buying Katrina’s supplies Luke headed to the Inn. The real reason he was in Stark Town was to learn anything he could about what the Arbiters were up to. He passed the bulletin board on his way to the inn and stopped to read the notices players could leave for each other.

He was shocked. Instead of the usual help wanted ads advertising quests, the board was filled with missing persons notices. Luke estimated there were easily 100 notices.

“Jesus…”

They’re abducting people left and right.

He turned to go. The thought of Tess’s face ending up on that board haunted him. He shook his head, trying to force the thought away. A worried group of players had shown up to scan the faces alongside him. Luke moved away from them.

Before he left, Luke stopped at a food vendor waving meat kabobs in the air and purchased one. Marveling at the depth of flavor, he wondered how the developers had managed to create such intricate detail. The contrast between the vibrant world the creators had developed and the bleak one run by the Arbiters was striking.

He was lost in his thoughts for most of the walk back, but was quickly brought back to the present as he approached Dunidan’s Rest. A group of five heavily armored soldiers, all of them wielding long spears, were standing outside the gate of the settlement.

The Arbiters have finally come for Tess.

He breathed deep and increased his pace to close the distance. Each Arbiter was wearing armor that looked as though it had been created to channel the brilliance and style of Kantor. Their breastplates and greaves were a mix of shiny gold and polished steel with a white cloak draped over their shoulders. Their helms obscured all but the faintest gleam of their eyes.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Luke called out to them as he approached, noticing Silverstrike and Katrina already up on the wall.

“Do you represent this zone?” The lead Arbiter turned away from the gates and toward him, pointing with the tip of his spear as if it was merely his finger and not a razor sharp implement of death.

Silverstrike and Katrina watched silently. Luke settled his hand on the hilt of his sword.

I have to play my cards very carefully. They’re high level and equipped with some of the best armor and weapons in the game.

“Yes.” Luke looked the lead Arbiter in the eyes as he spoke. “If you have business here, you have business with me.”

The Arbiters moved to encircle him. Luke heard Katrina shout something from the wall above, but Silverstrike pulled her back, keeping her silent.

Just let me handle this. Please.

“State your name.” said the Arbiter.

Luke started to answer “Kato,” but a spear butt struck the sand at his feet, cutting him off.

“Your real name,” said the Arbiter.

I can’t let myself get angry. If they get into Dunidan’s Rest, they’ll take Tess.

“Luke,” he said, after several long seconds. “Luke Smith.”

The Arbiters stood unnaturally still, as though they were processing what he’d said.

“Luke Smith,” said one of the Arbiters. “Alive. 18 years old. Male. Son of Chris Smith, senior developer at Gamesoft. Also known as Kato. Played an instrumental role in securing the city during the ‘Battle of Kantor’.”

Luke felt a spear butt slam into his back and he fell to his knees. His health bar dropped considerably.

“A property tax of 500 gold has been assessed for Zone 006, payable immediately.” The Arbiter’s stood still, apparently waiting for Luke to say something.

“What?” He shook his head and dug his fingers into the sand. “That’s insane. Since when-”

Another spear butt smashed into his shoulder. Luke felt pain flush through his body. His health bar dropped even further.

“A property tax of 500 gold has been assessed for Zone 006, payable immediately.”

They aren’t here for Tess. They’re here to shake us down for money.

“What happens if I don’t pay?” Luke flinched back as the Arbiter nearest to him raised his spear, but the blow never came.

“In the event that you choose not to pay, the zone will be repossessed and cleared of guild construction on the order of the Head Arbiter.”

In other words, they take the zone and burn it to the ground.

“Why are you doing this?” asked Luke. “It’s just a game. We’re all playing a game, for fun.”

Even as the words left his mouth, they felt a bit hollow, and a bit fake. Yvvaros was more than a game. He had recognized that as a fact even before players had begun to go all in.

Even before Tess gave up her physical body and committed herself to this world.

“Yvvaros is currently under the control of the UNVP, United Nations Virtual Police.” The Arbiter in front of Luke impatiently turned his spear so the point was facing his head. “A property tax of 500 gold has been assessed for Zone 006, payable immediately.”

We can’t fight against them. They’re too powerful. I… have too much to lose to even try.

Luke slowly reached into his satchel and pulled out the gold. He could feel the eyes of his guild mates watching him from the wall.

“Here,” he said, handing over the coins. “500 gold.”

The Arbiter took it without a word. Another one stepped forward, and before Luke could move out of the way, swung a mace at him.

“Wha-”

His entire body locked up as soon as the weapon made contact. Luke fell backward and crashed into the sand. He was frozen in place with only a tiny sliver left in his health bar. The Arbiters turned and walked off  without saying another word.

I’m no hero…

CHAPTER 3

“Get him inside, quick!”

Luke felt his body being lifted. The Arbiters had left him dazed and broken, and hanging onto life by only the thinnest thread.

If I die now, my character is gone for good. I’ll never be able protect anyone if that happens.

“You did the right thing, man.” Silverstrike was pulling him through the gate by the shoulders, and Katrina and one of her guild mates had his legs. “I know it was hard, but you saved us.”

“What…” Luke wasn’t sure if the sun was pulsing, or if the pain he was feeling was coming from inside of his head. He’d never felt so much pain before, in-game or out of it.

“Get him into the guild hall!” Tess was standing inside the walls of Dunidan’s Rest waving them over. “And somebody get him some water!”

Luke closed his eyes. A few moments later he felt himself being set down on the hard wooden floor of the guild hall. He heard Tess’s voice chanting softly, and a blue, refreshing light swept over him, restoring his health.

“Hey…” Tess leaned over him, staring into his eyes with concern. “You saved us.”

I didn’t save anybody. I just managed to keep my mouth shut.

“Five Arbiters on patrol,” said Silverstrike. “That’s the most I’ve ever seen in a group outside of Stark Town or Kantor.”

“They’re intensifying their crackdown on the guilds.” Tess’s words were laden with guilt, and she let out an embittered sigh. “They may not come right out and say it, but I think they’re looking for people who’ve gone all in. For people like me.”

Nobody said anything for a moment. Luke started to sit up just as Katrina burst into the guild hall, holding a mug full of water. She walked over to Luke and handed it to him.

“You didn’t just save Tess, Luke.” Katrina crossed her arms and beamed at him with appreciation. “Anna went all in right after the Battle of Kantor. It was in part because of you, because she knew that she’d be safe here.”

That’s the last thing I need to hear right now.

Luke pulled himself up to his feet and dusted off his Dunidan skin armor.

“Look, I hate to have to be the one to say this, all things considered…” He paused, and looked at the faces in the room.

They’re all looking to me to say something, do something. But what?

“What is it, Luke?” Tess set a hand on his shoulder. The hope in her eyes was excruciating for Luke to see.

“Uh… nothing.” Luke forced a smile onto his face and took a sip from the mug of water. “I think I just need to rest..”

Tess continued to look at him, but Katrina and Silverstrike looked at each other, taking the hint.

“I’ll be back,” said Luke. “I just need to get some sleep, I think. In the real world.”

Tess flinched as he spoke the last words.

The real world… What is the real world to her? What is the real world to any of us?

“Yes, that’s not a bad idea,” said Katrina. “It’s getting late. I should log off as well.”

Tess walked over to him and leaned her face in close to his.

“See you tomorrow?”

“Definitely.”

She’s so worried that I could just up and leave for good. Is it fair for me to be living dual lives, being two people?

Tess kissed him softly on the lips and walked away. That was Luke’s cue. He dug through his bag for his character record and quickly signed off.

It was dark in his room, and deadly silent. The empty house was something that Luke couldn’t get accustomed to. His dad was not a good man or the kind of father that Luke wanted or needed, but his company was all that he’d known, and he’d never been gone this long before.

Where the hell did you go, dad? You’re not coming back… are you?

All of the lights were out. Luke didn’t bother to turn them on as he bumped his way down the hall.

This isn’t a home. Homes have families. This place just has me.

Luke brushed his teeth, washed his face, and went to bed.

He woke up late the next morning. It was Tuesday, and he had school. Though he was half inclined to log into Yvvaros and check in with Tess before heading out, he stopped himself.

I’m already running behind. Maybe this is what Dr. Meyers meant about taking responsibility.

Luke got dressed and grabbed a quick breakfast on his way out the door. He’d been coasting off the food supplies that had been in the house since before his dad left. The thought of having to figure out what to buy in the supermarket, of where he’d get the money he’d need in order to get it, and the bills that would go unpaid for the house, made his stress levels skyrocket.

Responsibility… It’s the word of the day.

He had to walk at a brisk pace to make it to school on time. Fast enough to irritate his stitches. It was only his second day back at school since the Battle of Kantor. Most of the first one had been spent reassuring people that he wasn’t crazy, while enduring their pitying, curious stares.

And explaining to them that no, Ben wasn’t dead, either.

Ben doesn’t even pretend to show up anymore. He’s in-game all day, every day, and Emily isn’t there to take care of him.

“Luke!”

He’d made it all the way to his locker in a trance. The sound of his name being called pulled him out of it, and Luke looked up to see Sam Jennings headed toward him.

“Oh,” said Luke. “Hey Sam.”

Sam had been staunchly against his new lifestyle. Luke, mostly unintentionally, had managed to push her away by playing Yvvaros, up until he’d tried to go all in. She’d been there for it, witnessed exactly what happened and interpreted his actions from the perspective of somebody who already thought the game was a work of evil.

She’s been different since my stay in the hospital. It’s almost like it strengthened her resolve.

“I thought you said that we were going to hang out this weekend.” Sam folded her arms and glared at him.

“I said it was a possibility, Sam.” He shrugged. “Look, I was busy. I had a doctor’s appointment, I had to uh, clean up the house.”

“And play Yvvaros?” Sam asked the question with more derision than Luke thought possible.

“No, no, of course not,” he replied. “I told you, the last time I played it was right after I left the hospital. Things have changed too much for me, it’s not fun anymore.”

It’s easier if she doesn’t know the truth. She isn’t going to leave me alone if she thinks I’m still playing.

Sam frowned at him, and watched his face carefully.

“Really?”

Luke nodded.

“That’s good to hear, Luke,” said Sam. “Really. It is.”

The first bell rang and then the principal’s voice came over the PA system.

“Attention, students. Before we begin first period today, we’re going to have a mandatory assembly in the gym. Please make your way there now.”

Luke’s locker was just upstairs from the gym. He and Sam made their way down, finding seats near the front of the auditorium. The principal stood on the stage behind a microphone.

“Huh, I wonder what this is…” Luke glanced to his side, and realized that Sam was no longer sitting next to him. He looked around and saw more students filing in and sitting down. One took Sam’s seat before Luke could save it for her, but as he looked back up at the stage, he saw that there was no need.

“Hmm, yes, alright.” The Principal was toying with the microphone stand with the assistant principal on one side of him and Sam on the other. “Settle down, everyone. Quiet!”

The clamber slowly died down and the Principal cleared his throat.

“I’ve gathered all of you here today to talk about the elephant in the room.” The principal paused, and then scanned the gymnasium, making sure that he had everyone’s attention. “Virtual reality. It is destroying lives, families and communities. It is tricking your peers into killing themselves.”

This feels like the anti-drug seminars they make us sit through every year.

“Virtual reality games, such as Call of Warfare, Yvvaros, and Cropville, are not like the video games that all of you grew up on. They’re something much more pervasive and addictive, and we need to recognize the threat while there’s still time.”

A murmur spread through the room. Luke glanced over his shoulder at the student body, and suddenly realized that it looked a lot smaller than it had at the last assembly he’d been to.

“Over a hundred students, just at our school have…” The Principal cleared his throat again. “Well, let’s just say that they aren’t here right now. This isn’t a fad, this is a pandemic. That’s a direct quote from the President of the United States.”

“Shut the games down!” shouted someone from the back of the room.

“Governments all around the world have begun taking appropriate, regulatory action to stem the problem,” said the Principal, “With that said… the issue is a rather complicated one.”

The students in the gymnasium broke out into whispers. The principal frowned and tapped on the microphone.

“We’re taking our own measures here at this school to provide guidance as you encounter this new danger in your lives.” He gestured to his left. “I’m going to let Sam Jennings talk about her efforts on this front. She’s begun a student organized support group called ‘Life is the Game.’ Sam, go right ahead.”

The Principal stepped away from the microphone and Luke felt his heart begin to pound in his chest as his childhood friend became the center of attention.

Oh no… She’s not going to-

“Luke, come on up here!” Sam smiled and pointed to him as she called him out on the microphone. “I want to start by introducing all of you to someone who has fought against VR addiction and is winning the battle. Come on up, Luke, tell your story!”

God fucking damn it.

The crowd, filled with a number of students who had once been Luke’s tormentors, broke out into applause. He slowly stood up and awkwardly made his way down the line of students and over to the stairs leading up to the stage.

He forced a smile onto his face as he walked over to the microphone. Sam smiled back at him and set a hand on his shoulder.

“Tell everyone what happened Luke, why it happened, and what it showed you.”

Luke stepped in front of the microphone.

“Uh, hey.”

The crowd was dead silent.

“About a week ago, I… I tried to go all in to a VR game…”

This is stupid. What the fuck am I supposed to say?

“I’ve seen other people do it before. I’ve seen why they do it before. I’ve played Yvvaros, a lot of it. Yvvaros… it isn’t like most video games. It isn’t like any video game I’ve played before. It feels real.”

The Principal and Sam looked cautiously at each other from behind Luke.

“The players that have gone all in, some of them I knew really well…” Luke paused, and thought about what he was about to say. “They haven’t killed themselves. I know that’s how the media portrays it, but they haven’t…”

Students began talking in the audience. Luke could hear arguments taking place. Something landed next to him on the stage, a crumpled wad of paper.

“I guess what I really have to say about what’s been happening is that it’s not what you think,” he said. “It’s not what any of you think. It’s not an addiction, and it’s not a pandemic. It’s a transition, a scary one. I know it’s hard to understand, but-”

“Thank you, Luke.” The Principal grabbed the microphone stand and pulled it away from him, sending a loud screech of feedback through the auditorium. “That will be enough.”

Sam was glaring at him and shaking her head. Luke started to think of something, anything he could say in his defense, and then looked away from her.

I can’t lie anymore, not to her and not to myself.

Several paper projectiles flew from the crowd, a couple of them hitting Luke in the head and shoulder as he made his way toward the back of the room. He left the auditorium, and then continued walking through the empty halls of the school and out the exit.

Luke was half expecting Sam to follow after him, but as he walked across the school’s parking lot, there was no sign of her. He took a deep breath and started off.

Before heading back to his own, empty house, Luke stopped off at the one place where he felt like he could talk to someone who would understand. Ben was living alone. His parents had come home for the funeral, but they left right afterward, only staying long enough to make sure that Ben’s physical needs would be met.

Ben’s not okay on his own, and I’m not sure if I am either.

Luke knocked hard on his friend’s front door. He knew that it was pointless, and that Ben wasn’t going to answer. After a couple of seconds, he turned the doorknob. It was unlocked, and the door swung open easily.

The house was a mess. Several pizza boxes, still half full and attracting flies, were stacked on the coffee table in the living room. Soda and beer cans littered the counter, and the air smelled stale.

Luke hurried upstairs. Ben was exactly where he’d been expecting him to be, sitting at his desk chair, VR headset on. On the table next to him was a bottle of liquor, a rainbow colored array of pills and his pipe.

“Damn it, Ben….” Luke sighed and shook his head. “What the hell are we doing?”

Maybe we should just go all in. Become Kato and Silverstrike, and give up on trying in the real world.

Luke didn’t bother trying to pull the headset off his friend. He turned and left, walking out of the house and heading down the street toward home.

CHAPTER 4

Luke wanted to play Yvvaros. Or rather, he felt like he had to. The distinction between where the real world ended and where the fantasy world began was becoming almost arbitrary, despite the sharp, physical boundaries that separated the two.

When I think about it and hear about it in the real world, it just seems like a place, like Mexico, or Russia. A place I can go to and visit, only it’s a lot easier to get to.

Luke pulled on the VR headset and stepped back into Dunidan’s Rest. It was midmorning in-game, and as usual, the sky over the Sarchia Desert was crystal clear.

“You’re back…” Tess walked into the guild hall almost immediately, crossing her arms and leaning against the door frame. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you for another few hours.”

“Yeah,” said Luke. “I got out early.”

He wanted to tell her about being set up at the assembly by Sam, and about the mess his real world existence was devolving into, but something stopped him.

None of it matters to her. There’s no reason for Kato to talk about Luke’s problems.

He smiled and ran a hand through his hair as he stepped out through the door of the guild hall. Tess followed after him slowly, her expression a mask of concern.

“Silverstrike was looking for you earlier,” she said. “I think he found something interesting. Or at least, if I had to guess, that’s what I’d say, he’s not exactly chatty with me lately.” She added.

Luke said nothing. He had unsheathed his sword and was slowly digging a hole into the sand with the tip of it.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He shrugged. “Where’d you see him last?”

“Just outside Dunidan’s Rest.” Tess moved so that she was a little closer to him and leaned in so that their eyes met.

“What is it?” asked Luke. Tess shook her head slightly.

“You don’t have to pretend for me, Luke.” Tess took a deep breath. “We both have to make our own choices when it comes to life and what we want out of it.”

“I know what I want out of life, Tess.” He took her hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze. Tess frowned at him.

“Do you?”

“Tess…” Luke tried to think of something else to say to her, some way of explaining the confusing thoughts fighting for supremacy in his head. But nothing came to him, and after a moment, Tess turned away.

I know what I want. I want to be able to relax, to not have to worry about the stress that torments every decision I make, every responsibility I have.

Luke stared at the sand as he walked across the inner yard of Dunidan’s Rest. Katrina and her guild had already begun construction on the smithy.

I want to live here without worrying about the real world, and without worrying about the Arbiters.

“Kato!” Silverstrike was stepping in through the front gate. Luke made his way over to him. “Yo, I think I found something we should… Are you okay?”

Luke frowned. It was too much of an effort for him to keep his emotions from leaking through, so instead, he waved a hand as though physically dismissing his friend’s concern.

“I’m fine,” he said. “Now, what is it that you found?”

Silverstrike nodded, and Luke was glad to see that he’d let it drop.

This is the basis of our friendship. I ignore his issues in the real world, and he ignores mine.

“There’s a new player controlled settlement on the northwest coast, right in between the border of the Inner Plains and the Blue Void.” Silverstrike pulled his map out of his satchel and tapped his finger on a spot. “It’s called Megwin’s Bay.”

“So what?” asked Luke. “At least a dozen have popped up in the last week. What makes this one special?”

“Would you stop interrupting and let me get to my point?”

“Fine.”

Silverstrike cleared his throat.

“I sent one of Katrina’s guild members out to Megwin, the guild leader, to talk about opening up the supply lines. We have access to a lot of rare crafting ingrediants out here in the desert that we won’t be able to use up on our own.”

“And?” asked Luke.

“Megwin is interested in working something out, but that’s not all.” Silverstrike set a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “He knows about you, Luke.”

“Everyone knows about me,” he replied, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. “The Battle of Kantor has practically been turned into mythos at this point.”

“He wants you to come to the meeting with me,” said Silverstrike. “He says that it has to do with…”

Silverstrike glanced around, making sure nobody could overhear.

“With ‘dealing with’ the Arbiters.”

“What?” Luke tried to keep his surprise in check. “Dealing with them? Did he say how?”

“I don’t know, that’s all the messenger was able to get out of him,” said Silverstrike. “Which is why you being here right now is perfect. We can head up to Megwin’s Bay and find out for ourselves!”

Luke couldn’t resist smiling.

“Alright,” he said. “Let’s do it.”

The two of them spent a minute eating lunch in Dunidan’s Rest and gathering up supplies before they set out. Tess was lounging by the oasis with Katrina, and Luke was glad that she didn’t come to the gate to see him off.

I don’t have to convince her to stay here. I’m not sure if I’d be able to this time.

“Ready?” asked Silverstrike.

Luke nodded, and they left the settlement heading off to the north.

For a moment, it felt almost like it had when Luke had first started playing the game. Silverstrike was an Agent, a Rogue class subtype, and he dexterously moved across the desert, one shotting Sand Scamps as they went.

“I’m at level 17 now, Luke,” he said, with a smile. “Let me know if any of these guys give you trouble and I’ll do what I can to save you.”

“Your sense of humor is as sharp as ever.” Luke grinned, and spotted a group of Sand Scamps approaching from their left.

CONJURE SWORD 3

Luke launched off his three magical blades a split second before Silverstrike used his own combat ability, an exploding oil potion that he lobbed through the air. Luke’s swords skewered the low level Sand Scamps, and then Silverstrike’s potion splashed fire onto their corpses.

“Teamwork,” said Silverstrike. “Nothing can stop us, man.”

Luke shrugged.

Let’s hope not.

The Inner Plains had become much more populated since the Battle of Kantor. Luke could see groups of players moving across the grassy hills as the two of them approached, taking out enemies as though it was their job to keep patrol.

“Permadeath has changed how people play,” said Luke. “It’s a little messed up to see how many players are afraid to confront more than the low level content.”

“Well, the alternative is risking your avatar’s life,” said Silverstrike. “Not everyone is a thrill seeker.”

Luke shook his head.

“They shouldn’t have to be to enjoy Yvvaros.” He turned and looked out to the western ocean. The high level islands on the horizon were practically empty compared to the Inner Plains.

Luke’s anger was much deeper than he could easily express. The game or rather, the world of Yvvaros felt like a bastardization of its former self. Arbiters wielded absolute power, and even the rules of the virtual reality had been rewritten to oppress the player base.

“Come on,” said Silverstrike. “Megwin’s Bay is just ahead. Let’s stay focused on why we’re here.”

“Sure.”

The settlement of Megwin’s Bay was reminiscent of a medieval port town. A guild hall similar to the one Luke’s guild, The Consulate, had built in Dunidan’s Rest, was the center point. Another two buildings, one of which was clearly an inn, were set up on either side of it.

Its location directly on the northwest coast of Yvvaros allowed for another building that Luke almost didn’t recognize at first. It was larger than any of the others, and a long wooden pier extended out into the ocean next to it.

It’s a boathouse… That’s how this zone has developed so quickly.

Luke and Silverstrike slowed to a walk as they approached the outskirts of Megwin’s Bay. There was no wall encircling the settlement, but a couple of players in heavy armor stood outside of the main guild hall. One of them held up a hand as the two walked toward the door.

“State your business,” said the guard.

Luke started to answer, but Silverstrike beat him to it.

“We’re here to meet with Megwin,” he said. “I’m Silverstrike and this is Kato. We’re the co-leaders of The Consulate, and founders of Dunidan’s Rest.”

The guard leaned over to one of his companions and whispered something before turning back to Silverstrike.

“Wait here.”

He disappeared inside the guild hall. A minute later, he reappeared in the door and gestured for Luke and Silverstrike to follow him inside.

Sitting in a large wooden chair was a player dressed in a striking silk outfit. There wasn’t a single piece of armor on his body, or a weapon at his side, and as Luke and Silverstrike studied him he smiled and waved them in closer.

“Welcome, welcome,” said the player. “I’m Megwin. Please, have a seat.”

He’s not exactly what I was expecting.

“Hello, Megwin,” said Silverstrike. “Thank you for having us.”

He reached out to shake the guild leader’s hand. Megwin was polite, but his attention was entirely focused on Luke.

“And you brought the man of the hour,” said Megwin. “The Hero of Kantor.”

Not this again.

“I’m just Kato,” said Luke. “There’s no need to-”

Megwin broke into raucous laughter and clapped him on the shoulder.

“You have so very much to learn about making a strong first impression,” said Megwin. “Someone like you is never ‘just’ anything.”

An awkward silence hung on the air for just long enough to make Luke wince. Silverstrike made a noise, and Megwin finally turned his attention away from Luke.

“So, we’re here about the message you left with our emissary,” said Silverstrike.

“Straight to business. I like it.” Megwin leaned back in his chair and brought his fingers together. “Yes… There is something that I think would be of interest to you, your guild, and especially to Mr. Kato right here.”

Luke took a deep breath and tried to bury his frustration in his exhale.

“The information does come at a price, however.” Megwin looked as though he was enjoying himself, speaking each word with a slow, narcissistic drawl.

“What do you want?” asked Luke.

“Your zone is in the desert. Mine is on the coast.” Megwin gestured with both of his hands, holding each one out to either side. “I’d like to set up regular trade routes.”

“That’s why I sent my messenger here in the first place,” replied Silverstrike. “We could have settled all this with a couple of letters, Megwin.”

“Nevertheless, you are here, and we’re all businessmen, are we not?”

Luke and Silverstrike said nothing. Megwin nodded, and then continued.

“I’m interested in both the skin and the oil of the Dunidan, your settlement’s namesake. Is that something that you can get me a constant supply of?”

“For the right price, we can get you anything,” said Silverstrike. “What we really need right now are raw resources, mostly iron and copper. Anything that can be put to good use by a smith.”

He’s thinking about what the settlement needs, even though that’s not why we came here. He’s serious about developing our place in this world.

“Done,” said Megwin. “I’ll even give the smithing materials to you at a little less than market price. My shipmasters need that skin to patch the hulls of their vessels.”

Luke suppressed a yawn and glanced out the window of the guild hall. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon.

“Megwin, we didn’t come here to talk about trading.” Luke was surprised by the tone of his own voice, deep and direct. “The Arbiters. Tell us what you know.”

Megwin had a thick, dark brown beard, and he took a second to scratch it, avoiding Luke’s gaze and instead peering out the nearby window.

“I heard a rumor from another guild settlement that I’ve been trading with, far to the north of here.”

“In the Blue Void?” asked Silverstrike. Megwin shook his head.

“Farther north. On Wrye Island.”

The statement gave Luke pause. Wrye Island was one of the most remote locations in all of Yvvaros. He hadn’t heard much about it beyond the basic rumors from some of the NPC bartenders. It was a place that he’d been expecting to be one of the last colonized by players.

“What was the rumor, Megwin?” asked Luke. “Tell us what was important enough to necessitate us meeting with you in person.”

Megwin looked a little offended, but only for the briefest of moments. He waved a hand through the air.

“Donovan, the guild leader that controls Wrye Island, told me that he’s been harboring a player who killed an Arbiter and took its armor.”

…What?

Silverstrike shook his head.

“That’s insane,” he said, frowning. “Arbiters are equipped with the best equipment in the game. Nobody could have gotten to a high enough level to be able to stand a chance against one of them in a one on one fight.”

“I’m just telling you what I heard,” said Megwin. “But Donovan is not a player known for passing off lies as truth. If he says that he has a player in his settlement that’s wearing Arbiter armor, you can bet your ass that it’s the truth.”

Nobody said anything for a moment. Luke’s thoughts were racing, and he felt his excited heart beating in accelerando.

The Arbiters can be killed. This changes everything.

“Give us a ship.” Luke stood up as he spoke, feeling as though he couldn’t contain the sudden burst of energy running through his body. “I’ll pay for it. Get us to Wrye Island, immediately.”

Megwin laughed.

“Now that’s what I expected of the Hero of Kantor!” he said. “I’ll tell one of my ship captains to take you up there, for free. Just remember this little kindness the next time I come knocking on your door for a new trade agreement.”

“What?” Silverstrike also stood, though with hesitation. “Luke… uh, Kato. Are you sure about this? What about Tess, and Katrina, and Dunidan’s Rest?”

“This is more important,” said Luke. “We have to check it out, even if it’s out of the way.”

Megwin had already disappeared through the door of the guild hall. Silverstrike turned to face Luke, folding his arms and shaking his head.

“This is the most spirited I’ve seen you in almost a week, almost since…” Silverstrike trailed off in midsentence, and then shrugged. “Will you at least tell me what you’re thinking right now?”

“I think that we’ve been given a sign,” said Luke. “And we need to get a closer look at exactly what it says.”

CHAPTER 5

The ship that Megwin had prepared for them was unlike any that Luke had seen before. It looked similar enough on the surface to a real world ship. It had a large wooden hull, jutting mast, and white cloth sails. However, attached to the back of it, in the place usually reserved for an onboard motor, was a gigantic blue crystal.

“It’s a crystal channel.” Megwin walked up behind where the two of them stood on the pier. “The same kind of magic that powers Kantor and keeps it in the air. It channels the Universal Truth.”

“So, what, does it let your boat fly, or something?” Luke scratched his head and leaned in a little closer, admiring the way the crystal gave off a light of its own. Megwin laughed.

“Not quite,” he said. “But the winds here in Yvvaros are… unpredictable, to say the least. The crystal channel serves as a backup on days when the weather is being uncooperative.”

Luke looked over at the boat. Silverstrike was already moving to climb aboard, excited for the trip they were about to go on.

Something feels off about this.

“Why are you helping us, Megwin?” He crossed his arms and studied the richly dressed man.

“I’m not helping you, I’m helping the mystery man,” said Megwin. “Killing an Arbiter… it’s captivating mental imagery.”

“I don’t buy it,” said Luke.

“Why not? Some of us take this game, this world, more seriously than others, Kato.” Megwin paused and waved a hand through the air. “I’m not interested in living under the thumb of the Arbiters for a minute longer than I have to. I think this place is special. I think it should belong to us.”

Belong to us?

Luke waited for Megwin to continue. When it became clear that he didn’t intend to, Luke walked down the pier and joined Silverstrike on the boat.

“Are you ready for this, dude?” Silverstrike was grinning from ear to ear, and pointed off in the distance. The sun had set, and the azure blue moon was out on the horizon in front of them, hanging in the sky like a celestial quest marker.

The boat pulled away from the dock. Luke looked back toward Megwin’s bay and saw that the crystal was glowing a bright blue color that almost matched the moon.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” said Luke.

Am I ready? Where is this going to lead us to?

The two of them stood on the main deck as the boat slowly made its way across the dark, shifting surface of the water. Luke could see the edges of the western islands on the horizon, and the air was humid and tasted of salt.

An NPC shipmaster stood at the rudder next to the crystal. In the center of the ship there was a small staircase leading below decks. In the back was a small cabin.

“We should look into getting a ship like this,” said Silverstrike. “This is sick!”

“Our zone is in the middle of the desert. What the hell would we do with a ship?”

A small red envelope icon appeared in the bottom of Luke’s screen. He nodded to Silverstrike and then made his way over to the front of the boat before stopping at the edge of the railing to dig through his satchel. The letter was from Tess.

Dear Kato (Luke),

We didn’t really get a chance to talk before you left. We haven’t had many chances to talk lately. I feel like you’ve been a little distant, and I want you to know that I’m here for you. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m not going anywhere.

Tess

Luke sighed.

I have been distant lately. It’s hard to be present when the world is upside down.

“Hey, are you okay man?” Silverstrike had snuck up behind him while he’d been reading. Luke frowned and stuffed the crumpled letter back into his bag.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said. “I just got a letter. From Tess.”

“Oh…”

“She thinks I’ve been acting distant lately,” said Luke.

“Well, it’s understandable.” Silverstrike shrugged.

Luke wasn’t the only one who’d been acting distant lately, at least not from Tess’s perspective. She’d confessed to Luke a couple days earlier that Silverstrike, her brother, was still struggling with her real world death. Luke had made a mental note to talk to him about it, but there had never been an opportune moment in-game, and the two barely spoke outside of it anymore.

“I still can’t believe she did it.” Luke leaned against the railing, alternating between watching the waves and the stars. “She’s a part of the game now, Ben.”

Silverstrike took up a spot next to him.

“She had a pretty shitty couple of years, and she’s always been a little bit more vulnerable than she looked.” Silverstrike smiled sadly. “I just wish she’d stuck around for a little while longer.”

Luke frowned at him.

“You can still talk to her,” he said. “She’s Tess. She’s gone in the real world, buried in a cemetery, even, but that doesn’t make her dead.”

For a moment, only the sound of the cresting waves and creaking wood of the boat could be heard. Then Silverstrike sighed.

“I’m not sure it’s that simple. She… something feels a little off about her, Luke.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“How do we know that… well, that it’s really her?” Silverstrike ran his hands through his long, silver hair.

“I know it’s her.”

“It could just be her memories and her personality in an NPC,” said Silverstrike. “The game… we don’t know how it simulates players that have gone all in.”

“I know that it’s her!” Luke slapped his hand down on the wooden railing a bit harder than he’d been intending. “Have you lost your mind?”

“No…” whispered Silverstrike. “Just my sister.”

Neither of them said anything for several long moments. Silverstrike’s words reverberated in Luke’s head, and he felt like he was still arguing.

She’s still Tess. Nothing has changed… right?

“I almost lost you too, Luke.” Silverstrike put a hand on his shoulder. “This world we live in, both of the worlds we live in, feel like they’re on the verge of catastrophe.”

“I’m still considering it, you know,” said Luke. “Going all in.”

“Killing yourself, you mean?”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it. I’d still be here, in Yvvaros. And despite your doubts, I know that I’d still be me.”

Wouldn’t I be?

“But you would be dead in the outside world,” said Silverstrike. “We’d never be able to hang out again, talk about school or life. We wouldn’t get to be normal teenagers.”

“Are we normal teenagers anymore?” asked Luke. “I haven’t seen you in person in days. And neither of us is going to school regularly anymore.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right about that,” said Silverstrike. “But there are definitely some things that I would miss.”

Luke blinked. His friend’s avatar disappeared in front of him, as though it had suddenly been switched off. He looked around for a moment, confused. And then, as suddenly as Silverstrike had disappeared, he was back.

“Where’d you go?” asked Luke.

“Just topping myself off.” Silverstrike was grinning a little too broadly. He walked toward Luke on unsteady legs.

“Dude…” Luke shook his head. “You should be careful, man. Do you really need to be blitzed out of your head every second of the day?”

“I should be careful?” Silverstrike laughed. “You’re the one who took a dive onto a hunting knife.”

Luke didn’t say anything.

“We live in crazy times,” continued Silverstrike. “Let’s both just keep moving forward.”

Luke watched the bow of the boat as it did just that, cutting through the waves and bringing them ever closer to their destination. The air was starting to get cold. The landscape on the continent to the east of them had shifted into the ice and snow of the Blue Void.

“What’s wrong with the world?” asked Luke. “We take this game so seriously. What is it about real life that makes this so appealing?”

“You’re in a really deep mood tonight, man,” said Silverstrike. “But anyway, to answer your question, I think it’s a matter of control.”

“Control?”

“Yeah…” Silverstrike coughed into the crook of his elbow, and then inhaled deeply through his nose. “Control over ourselves. Control over our surroundings. Control over our place in the world.”

“I have that in the real world,” said Luke.

“Do you really?” Silverstrike laughed. “You haven’t seen your dad in a week. Unless you’ve secretly been doing your homework and turning it in to your teachers outside of school, you’re probably flunking all of your classes right now.”

“Hey…” Luke folded his arms, feeling suddenly defensive.

“All of that applies to me, too,” said Silverstrike. “My parents don’t give a shit about me, and I don’t give a shit about anything.”

I do give a shit. About Tess, about Dunidan’s Rest. Even about finding my dad.

“When did your outlook become so bleak?” asked Luke.

Silverstrike didn’t answer, and Luke realized that he didn’t need to.

From his perspective, his sister abandoned him. Thousands of people have gone all in across the country. Maybe something is happening…

The ship had shifted direction a couple of minutes earlier, and Luke could see Wrye Island slowly growing bigger on the horizon. It was medium sized but larger than anything else in the Yvvaros, next to the continent or Azanora Island.

“We’re doing the right thing,” said Silverstrike. “By looking for this guy, I mean.”

“I know,” said Luke. “Both for Yvvaros and for Tess. The Arbiters have to be overthrown.”

Luke reached over and squeezed his friend’s shoulder and Silverstrike nodded in return. The ship slowed as it neared the long pier. Luke prepared himself for what was to come.

CHAPTER 6

“Is that… smoke?”

Luke stared off into the distance at Wrye Island, trying to make out where the thin trail of smoke on the horizon was coming from. The NPC shipmaster was lowering the gangway. Silverstrike was standing next to him and squinted to get a better look at what he was talking about.

“It’s hard to tell,” said Silverstrike. The moon and stars didn’t offer much illumination. The settlement ahead of them was at the base of a mountain, but even from a distance it looked unnaturally quiet.

“You can smell it in the air,” said Luke. “It’s definitely smoke. Come on, let’s hurry.”

He and Silverstrike broke into a run. As they drew closer to the settlement more details became evident in the darkness.

“Oh my god…” said Luke. “What happened?”

The guild town was in shambles. It looked as though it had been small to begin with, just a single guild hall and one other building, but there was nothing left other than ashes and two stone foundations. A small fire burned within the charred wooden remains of one of the structures. It was the only sign of movement within the settlement.

“This looks bad,” said Silverstrike. “Do you think-”

A high pitched, garbled cry came from the air above them. Before Luke could react, something came from the sky above them and smashed into Silverstrike, knocking him to the ground and taking a chunk out of his health bar.

“What the…” Luke had to dodge as another of the flying creatures whipped by, coming within inches of landing a strike on him.

Wrye Wings… Of course, that’s where the island’s name comes from, after all.

Luke pulled his sword out of its sheath and swung it through the air blindly. It wasn’t his first encounter with the ghoulish flying creatures, each one a winged mouth of razor sharp teeth and strange, humanoid legs.

He managed to land a swing at one of them and heard it cry out. Silverstrike was pulling himself to his feet, and moved into position behind Luke, each of them covering the other’s back. Luke looked up into the night sky and saw a moving black cloud blocking out the stars.

“Get ready!” he shouted. “There must be hundreds of them!”

As the two of them gripped their weapons and prepared for the ensuing violence, another noise came from the edge of the forest. It was an ear splitting screech, enough to make Luke clamp his hands over his ears.

FALXION: The Falxion, or Scythe Demon, is a large apex predator from the caves and mountains of Yvvaros. It divides its time between lurking in the dark and setting up ambushes for unsuspecting prey. Nocturnal, these creatures are most deadly at night.

“This… doesn’t look good.” Luke could only make out the silhouette of the new threat making its way toward them, but it was enough to give him chills.

The Falxion was huge, at least four meters high even slumped forward as it was. Its legs were the shape of massive tree trunks, and every step it took shook the ground. Attached to each of its four front arms were large, hook like claws, which it opened and closed rhythmically as it approached them.

“Look out!” Silverstrike pushed Luke just in time to keep one of the Wrye Wings from taking off his head. Luke used the momentum to spring back up to a standing position before leaping into action.

MIRROR IMAGE 2

CONJURE SWORD 3

Two copies of Luke appeared, along with three magical replicas of his sword. Silverstrike was fending off Wrye Wings behind him, and he shot the blades toward the cloud of the creatures as they swarmed through the air.

The Falxion took another step in Luke’s direction, and he began to run toward it with reckless speed. Wrye Wings descended down on him as his flank opened up to them, but the Mirror Images each took a single hit for him before disappearing into nothingness.

PIERCE ATTACK 3

Luke shot forward at the Falxion head on, holding his sword in front of him as though conducting a symphony of death. He caught the creature by surprise, managing to bury the entire length of his blade into its torso before it could react.

What…?

The Falxion’s health meter dropped, but only by a small fraction. Luke tried to pull his sword out and retreat, but it was stuck in the monster’s flesh, as though he’d stabbed it into cement. Its hook claws were perfectly positioned to attack and trap him in a death grip, and that was exactly what the creature moved to do.

Damn it!

Luke pulled his conjured swords back to him, using each of the three to block one of the Falxion’s claws. The fourth claw, however, was unobstructed, and he felt the razor sharp, serrated edge of it digging into his back.

“Arrrghh!” Luke twisted, finally getting his blade free and managing to roll out of the way. Half of his health bar had been erased by the single attack. He slowly backed away from the Falxion, glancing over at Silverstrike in hope that his friend was faring better.

As a Rogue subclass, Silverstrike had enough natural speed to go up against most of the monsters in Yvvaros without being outpaced. Unfortunately, there were dozens of Wrye Wings, and even attacking more slowly than Silverstrike, they were still able to land frequent strikes. The image of him desperately swatting them away with his daggers reminded Luke of vultures descending on carrion.

PIERCE ATTACK 3

Luke took a risk, jumping into the air before activating his combat skill. He flew toward the swarm of Wrye Wings, managing to skewer one with his first strike and to cleave another in half with his second.

“I think we should consider retreating,” said Silverstrike. “This is more than we can handle.”

“Not yet!” yelled Luke. “Just stay focused!”

He spun in a circle, pulling one of his conjured swords into his free hand and positioning the other two directly in front of and behind him. The result was a whirlwind of death, several Wrye Wings took critical damage as they moved into range, unable to shift direction quickly enough in midflight.

The Falxion was only a few meters away from them, having closed the distance while the two were distracted. Luke ducked away from the Wrye Wings and charged forward at the lurching monster, his swords still whirling around him.

Several of his blades struck true, but just as before, the damage wasn’t significant. The Falxion snuck another hook claw past Luke’s defenses, tearing it across his chest. The blow wasn’t as bad as the previous one had been, but it was still enough to drop his health dangerously low.

We’re going to get ourselves killed!

“Kato!” Silverstrike was being overwhelmed by Wrye Wings, the creatures descending on him from every direction. Luke could see his health bar, and knew from a glance that it was nearing the same perilous point that his own was at.

“No!” Luke shot his conjured blades over toward the monsters attacking his friend. The action left him wide open, and the Falxion pulled its claw hooks back, readying itself to attack with all of them.

Something dropped down into the darkness behind the Falxion. The monster was still focused on Luke, and it moved forward to attack. Its two top arms suddenly stopped in place, and the monster moved back slightly, or rather, was pulled back.

“Fire! They’re weak against fire!” A voice called out from the darkness. “Attack it now!”

ELEMENTAL INFUSION: FIRE

Luke pulled all of his swords into his spell’s proximity, waiting until each of the blades was afire before starting forward. The Falxion’s upper arms were still restrained by something, but the two bottom ones shot out to counter attack. Luke used two of his swords to block them, and then jammed the other two flaming swords in his hands into the Falxion’s chest.

The monster’s health bar sank like a rock. It tipped backwards and fell to the ground, shaking the earth as its hulking body came to a rest.

“The Wrye Wings!” yelled the voice. “Quickly”

Luke nodded and charged. Silverstrike was crouched low, fighting off the flying monsters with only the tiniest sliver left in his health bar. Luke speared several through with his conjured swords, and the new arrival took down several more with strikes from strange, whip like weapons.

LEVEL 16 ATTAINED

MIRROR IMAGE 3 ATTAINED

The last few Wrye Wings took to the air, flying off into the darkness as quickly as they had arrived. Luke breathed a sigh of relief and helped Silverstrike to his feet. He quickly dropped his five newly acquired stat points into strength, speed, endurance, and luck, before turning back to his friend.

“Thanks,” said Silverstrike. Luke shook his head.

“Don’t thank me.” He turned toward the mysterious new arrival and waved a hand. “Thank you, stranger.”

“It’s no trouble.” The figure stepped a little closer, and in the dim light of the stars and moon, Luke could see who had come to their rescue.

It was a man, wearing one of the long duster coats that Luke had seen on some of the Rogue subclasses in Stark Town. He had medium length black hair, and coiled around both arms were long black whips.

“My name is Kaoru,” he said. “If I had to guess why you’re here on Wrye Island, it’s probably because of me.”

“Are you the one?” asked Luke. “The one who killed an Arbiter, and stole his armor?”

Kaoru laughed.

“When you put it that way it makes it sound like a much bigger deal than it really is.” He flicked a couple of strands of hair out of his face and smiled. “I’m doing what every citizen of Yvvaros should be doing. Taking a stand.”

He started walking back toward the burned out settlement, and Luke and Silverstrike followed.

“The town…” Luke increased his pace so that he was even with Kaoru’s long stride. “Did the monsters do this? Or…?”

Or did you do it?

Kaoru shook his head.

“The Arbiters have adopted a scorched earth policy when it comes to dissidents,” he said, stopping as the three approached what was left of the guild hall. “The Watchmen, the guild here on Wrye Island, was full of likeminded players. Most of them were here because of how remote it was. That’s the same reason why I came.”

“The Arbiters did this?” Luke raised an eyebrow. “This is complete destruction. I didn’t think they’d-”

“It’s more than just destruction,” said Kaoru. “Uh, what did you say your name was, again?”

“I’m Kato. This is my friend and guild mate, Silverstrike.”

“Kato.” Kaoru nodded. “Most of the members of The Watchmen had gone all in.”

They aren’t coming back. The people that were killed here are gone, permanently.

“That’s insane,” said Silverstrike. “How can… how can that be?”

“I asked myself the same question while I was watching it happen,” said Kaoru. “Quentin, the guild leader, made me swear that I’d stay hidden in the cliffs, and not reveal myself no matter what. I think he figured that the Arbiters would just search the guild hall and be done with it.”

“And you didn’t come out of hiding?” Luke didn’t mean for his words to sound like an accusation, but it was clear from Kaoru’s reaction that he took them as one.

“No,” he said. “I didn’t.”

Luke and Silverstrike didn’t say anything.

“I saw what they did to the players in the settlement,” he said. “To the people in the settlement, that lived here peacefully.”

Luke could only stare at Kaoru, open mouthed and in shock.

They slaughtered them…

“What you’re feeling right now, Kato, is the only logical response.” Kaoru held his body almost unnaturally still as he spoke, as though it was taking an immense effort to keep his emotion in check.

“I don’t know what I’m feeling right now,” said Luke.

“You do,” said Kaoru. “And you know what needs to be done. It just so happens that I have an idea about how to do it.”

CHAPTER 7

The trip back to Megwin’s Bay felt like it went by much more quickly than the trip out. Kaoru refused to give any further details about his plan, even after Luke and Silverstrike had committed themselves to sheltering him in Dunidan’s Rest.

Is this too much of a risk? If the Arbiters get wind of what we’re doing, our fate will be the same as the Wrye Island settlement.

The sun was slowly creeping up the eastern horizon when they arrived back in port. Luke felt fatigue beginning to wear at him, both in-game and in real life. He and the others had a small meal of dried beef and bread as the boat pulled into dock. His stamina was restored in Yvvaros, but there was nothing he could do about his physical body right then.

“I see you were successful.” Megwin was waiting for them outside of his guild hall, and smiled when he saw the three of them. “As the Hero of Kantor, I expected nothing less from you.”

Kaoru looked surprised, and Luke sensed him looking him over, searching, for something in Luke he might have missed.

I’m just like any other player, sorry to disappoint you.

“Did you know?” asked Silverstrike, anger seeping into his tone as he glared at Megwin. “Did you know about what was going to happen to the settlement?”

“Easy, Silverstrike,” said Luke.

“I had my suspicions, but I didn’t receive word of the attack until after the two of you had already left.” Megwin shrugged. “There is no safe haven in Yvvaros anymore. It doesn’t matter if you’re hiding a wanted man or not. Other towns have been destroyed by the Arbiters in the same way.”

“Come on, we don’t have time to waste here,” said Kaoru. “Megwin, we will have a lot to  discuss in the coming days. Keep your ears open.”

Megwin nodded, and Luke, Kaoru, and Silverstrike headed out of the settlement. They traveled at a brisk pace. Kaoru walked between them, his cloak covering his head.

“What happened to the armor, anyway?” asked Luke. “The rumors said that you had taken it for yourself after…”

After killing an Arbiter.

“The rumors say many things about you as well, Hero of Kantor.” Kaoru smiled. “In this particular case, the rumors are true. I was hiding it in the guild hall on Wrye Island. The Arbiters recovered it, I believe.”

“That’s a shame,” said Silverstrike. “Having a set of it around would be a great tool to use to inspire rebellion, or whatever it is we’re getting ourselves into.”

“If everything goes according to plan, we will not be lacking in tools of inspiration.”

The morning sky was clear and bright by the time the three of them reached the Sarchia Desert. Luke could feel the air warming up quickly and it sapped his stamina. He began to yearn for the water of the oasis and shade of the palms in Dunidan’s Rest.

“I’ve been through your zone many times before,” said Kaoru as they approached the walls of the settlement. “It’s the crowning jewel of the desert.”

“Flattery isn’t going to get you anywhere, Kaoru,” said Luke. “If you want to sell us on your plan you’re going to have to be more direct.”

“But of course.” Kaoru leaned forward, swinging his arm in front of him in a mock bow.

The gate opened and Luke led the group in. Tess and some members of Athena’s Wrath were milling around the new smithy. Anna, the newly appointed blacksmith, was working the bellows of the forge and talking to the girls at the same time.

“Hey,” called Luke. “We’re back. And we brought company.”

Tess turned. She’s been smiling with the other girls, but when she saw Luke, the expression on her face shifted.

I never responded to her letter. I’m still not sure what to say back.

“Hello. I’m Kaoru.”

Tess looked at Kaoru with cautious eyes.

“This is Tess,” said Luke, cutting through the silence. “And these are members of our allied guild, Athena’s Wrath. Tess, is Katrina around?”

“She said she’d be logging back in sometime soon.” Tess crossed her arms and frowned. “It shouldn’t be long if you don’t mind waiting.”

Luke wanted to pull her aside and talk to her, but the moment wasn’t right. They needed a chance to talk on their own, to really talk, to close the gap that had slowly formed in between them.

Hang on, Tess. Just give me time to get my life sorted out.

As if on cue, Katrina appeared over by the oasis, glancing around and going through the motions of taking stock of her surroundings after logging in. She saw Luke and Kaoru, and slowly began walking over.

“Kaoru, this is Katrina,” said Luke. “Katrina, meet Kaoru. He’s got a… proposition for us.”

Luke chewed his lower lip.

We’ve reached a crossroads. I’ve already put Dunidan’s Rest in danger just by bringing him here. Now we have to decide just what we’re willing to risk.

“Well, that’s certainly an interesting introduction for a new arrival.” Katrina was smiling as she walked over to Kaoru, giving him a curious look. “So, Kaoru, just what-”

“Uh, there’s another player approaching on the horizon.” One of Katrina’s lookouts called out to them from the wall. “Were you guys expecting more company?”

“What?” Luke hurried over, hand on his sword hilt. He climbed the steps up to the wall and squinted into the sun.

“Who is it, Luke?” asked Silverstrike. “Maybe Megwin decided to start the trade negotiations.”

“No.” Luke took a deep breath and then pushed it out. “It’s an Arbiter. We must have been followed.”

A murmur passed over the group. Luke closed his eyes and balled his hands into fists.

I’m not going to back down. Not this time.

“Kaoru!” Luke waved him over, and then leaned in close so that only the two of them were in the conversation. “How did you do it? How did you kill the Arbiter before?”

Kaoru frowned.

“I’m a Nightblade, Kato,” said Kaoru. “A Rogue subtype, devoted to sneak attacks and stealth magic. I snuck up behind one of them on a mountain, and used one of my whips to pull him off a cliff face.”

It was Luke’s turn to frown.

“I know, I know,” continued Kaoru. “Not exactly the most exciting war story. But they don’t go down easy. It might be best if we… well, if we run.”

Luke shook his head.

“I’m not running,” he said. “No matter what.”

“That sounds like something that the Hero of Kantor would say.” Kaoru clapped him on the shoulder. “Very well, I have your back. There are a couple of things we should keep in mind, however.”

The Arbiter was approaching at a steady pace. Luke had just enough time to gather all of the high level players together into a huddle.

“He’s going to get in contact with the rest of the Arbiters, if he hasn’t already,” said Kaoru. “We have to all attack at once and finish him off before he realizes what’s going on.”

“Is that even… possible?” Silverstrike raised an eyebrow and fidgeted nervously.

“Arbiters aren’t invincible,” said Kaoru. “They are incredibly powerful, but most of their strength comes from their armor. I suspect that’s part of why they pursued me so doggedly.”

Luke thought for a second about what they needed to do, and then turned to Tess.

“Tess, what level are you at right now?”

“Level 22.” Tess smiled. “Why?”

Level 22? She’s at a higher level than me?

“You look surprised,” said Tess. “I think you’re forgetting how much extra time I have to train.”

A loud pounding came from the settlement’s gate.

“This is a raid, open up.” The Arbiter’s voice was loud and commanding. “I have cause to believe that an anti-government dissident is hiding on these premises.”

“What’s to stop the government regulator controlling that Arbiter from sharing our location after we kill him?” Luke asked the question quietly, realizing the dilemma they were in as it left his mouth.

“I don’t think all of the Arbiters are actually human players,” said Kaoru. “It’s subtle, and they have rather realistic personalities, but they never log out. And they don’t play like humans.”

“Tess, you can cast a Silence spell, right?” Luke watched as she nodded, and then pulled her in a little closer. “Cast it on him as soon as we engage.”

“Right!” Tess gripped her staff in both hands and steadied herself.

“Good thinking,” said Kaoru. “If we silence him, there’s no way he can get in touch with the other Arbiters. Our location will remain a secret, as long as he hasn’t already given it away.”

“It’s just one of many risks we’re going to be taking in the near future,” said Luke.

“Open up!” The Arbiter was pounding on the gate with a frightening amount of strength. Luke took a deep breath and then moved into position to open it.

“Sorry, sir, we were on the other side of the compound.” Luke pointed to various positions and ambush points, and watched as his friends took to them. “Please, come on in.”

He slipped the gate’s lock up and pulled it open. The Arbiter walked in. The shiny gold of its armor contrasted strangely with the gritty yellow sand. Luke felt a flash of  emotion remembering the last time he’d faced an Arbiter.

There’s no backing down now. Either we take him out, or Dunidan’s Rest will eventually burn.

“Now!”

A number of things happened at once. Katrina dropped down from the wall and slammed the gate shut.  Kaoru and Silverstrike rushed forward from either side launching into a furious attack. Tess finished chanting behind Luke, and a shining blue aura of magically induced silence settled over the Arbiter.

CONJURE SWORD 3

PIERCE ATTACK 3

Using up almost all of his magicka, Luke activated his combat abilities. He lunged forward, pointing his physical sword at the enemy and swirling the rest of them in defense around himself.

The Arbiter was much faster than Luke expected. He shifted at the last second, dodging not just Luke’s attacks but Kaoru and Silverstrike’s as well. Luke swung again and was surprised to find that his opponent wasn’t even within range of his sword.

“Look out!” He yelled, but not quickly enough to save Silverstrike. The Arbiter was wielding a mace, and he smashed it into the rogue without any hesitation.

Silverstrike’s health dropped to a sliver of his maximum, and he froze in place as though petrified.

His mace… it’s enchanted.

Luke ran side by side with Kaoru and the two of them launched toward the Arbiter together. Kaoru swung first, pulling his whips in a downward arc over his head.

The Arbiter smiled coldly. He caught a whip in each hand and pulled. Kaoru flew through the air toward him. Kaoru’s face was a mixture of shock and confusion. With another strike of the Arbiter’s mace, it was over. Kaoru’s health bar faired only slightly better than Silverstrike’s had, but his rigid body flew through the air and landed on the ground, frozen just the same.

Damn it! We don’t stand a chance!

Katrina was standing a little behind Luke, and Tess was another few feet back. Luke sunk down into a crouch and studied the Arbiter. It watched him back, still smiling, almost daring him to make a move.

“Tess…” Luke spoke without turning his head. “The silence spell that you hit him with… how long does it last?”

“What?” Tess shook her head. “It lasts for one minute. Luke, we have to kill him now!”

“Stay there!” Luke turned, waving his hand toward Tess as though trying to push her back from a distance. “Tess, don’t get close to him.”

All of the Arbiter’s attention was on Luke, and he was glad for it. He moved his hand over to Katrina, also signaling for her to keep still.

“As long as I don’t get hit…”

MIRROR IMAGE 3

“I can take him out.”

Luke moved forward with slow steps, keeping his entire body tensed behind his sword. The Arbiter was watching him carefully, but there was something about the way he stood that was unnerving.

He’s almost casual. Is he that sure that he’s going to win, or…?

Luke lunged. The Arbiter was fast with a counter attack, but Luke was ready. He ducked and rolled, keeping his conjured blades with him using them to keep his opponent off guard.

The Arbiter smashed into one of them with his mace, and it disappeared into the ether.

PIERCE ATTACK 3

Luke missed. The Arbiter’s boot connected with his back as he went by. Luke flew across the courtyard.

I can’t keep getting hit like this!

Blue light surrounded Luke. He felt his wounds healing and he looked up to see Tess glowing in blue light. She chanted something else, and another spell dropped down on him.

“Haste!” she yelled. “Luke, you can keep up with him!”

Luke nodded, and immediately moved toward his opponent. He jabbed his blade forward, and watched as the Arbiter turned to dodge. Everything appeared to move slower, but really, it was Tess’s spell allowing Luke to move faster. Only an inch separated his blade from making contact, and Luke was able to slip out of the way of the counterattack.

“Hurry, Luke!” yelled Tess.

She started chanting again, and another spell landed on the Arbiter.

She silenced him again!

Luke attacked the Arbiter with his physical sword while he directed the two remaining magical ones forward. This time, the Arbiter’s defensive footwork left him open, and one of the conjured swords slammed into his shoulder.

The Arbiter opened his mouth as though to scream, but no sound came out. Luke attacked again, feeling confident. The Arbiter countered, and when Luke moved to dodge, he realized he’d fallen for a trap.

His opponent’s metal boot slammed into his stomach. All of the air rushed out of Luke’s lungs and he flew several feet through the air, falling into the sand with a thud.

“…Damn it.” Luke watched as the Arbiter moved forward to finish him off. He caught the enforcer’s eye, and saw cold determination staring back at him.

Tess stepped forward from behind Luke, and Katrina lunged out from the side. Katrina’s lunge was too slow to be effective, and she was easily knocked away by the Arbiter, but Tess had her staff pointed forward. She finished chanting and closed her eyes.

A strand of blinding white light shot from her staff. It struck the Arbiter square in the chest, and he flew back against the wall of the settlement. He was slow to recover, slow enough to give Luke a chance to get up and get moving.

“Katrina, now!” he yelled. “Everything you’ve got.”

The Arbiter had begun to recover by the time that Luke and Katrina closed the distance, but Tess was chanting again. She cast the same spell as before, slamming their opponent with holy energy and giving Luke and Katrina the extra second they needed.

ELEMENTAL INFUSION: HOLY

CONJURE SWORD 3

PIERCE ATTACK 3

Luke followed her example and used both of his offensive combat skills. Four holy infused blades, along with Katrina’s daggers, slammed into the Arbiter at once.

Its health was already at half of its maximum from the damage of Tess’s spells. Their combined attack was enough. It pierced through the Arbiter’s armor and into his body underneath

The silence spell wore off just as the Arbiter’s health zeroed out. He let out an enraged scream, and then fell to the side.

We did it…

Luke stared at the body. Katrina and Tess were next to him, shaking their heads from side to side.

“I can’t believe it,” said Luke.

“There’s no turning back now,” said Tess. “But then again, there never was.”

CHAPTER 8

The stun magic was wearing off Kaoru and Silverstrike by the time Luke made his way over. Luke helped them to their feet, and then looked over at the body of the Arbiter.

“What do we do with the body?” asked Luke. He frowned as he stared at the armored corpse, rendered in such detail as to be indistinguishable from a death in the real world.

“We have to take the armor,” said Kaoru. “It might end up being a necessary part of what comes next.”

Several of Katrina’s guild mates nodded and immediately moved to start stripping the Arbiter of his armor.. Luke sighed and examined the expression on Kaoru’s face.

We’re in deep, and it’s all because I decided to trust him.

“Once you’re done taking the armor off, bury the body in the sand in the zone immediately south of this one.” Kaoru pointed with his finger, and the players cleaning up nodded. “He’ll become food for the Dunidans, and the other Arbiters will be none the wiser.”

“Kaoru, I think it’s time that you tell us exactly what it is that you’re planning.” Luke folded his arms and widened his stance slightly. Kaoru just smiled.

“Of course,” he said. “I’d like to talk with you and the other leaders of your group, if that’s alright.”

Luke, Silverstrike, Tess, Katrina, and Kaoru stood in the main guildhall, the doors and windows shut for privacy. Kaoru was pulling something out of his satchel, and as Luke looked more closely, he realized that it was a detailed map of the continent.

“It goes without saying that all of what we’re about to discuss needs to stay between us.” Kaoru set the map on the table, standing behind it, slowly making eye contact with each of them.

Luke and the others nodded. Kaoru ran his hand through his hair, taking a moment before continuing.

“Yvvaros isn’t just a game. I’m sure the four of you have realized it as well, by now.” Kaoru set his hand down on the map and smoothed out a few of its wrinkles. “It’s much more than a simple game. The Arbiters… The United Nations… has also come to that same conclusion.”

“Kaoru, we agree with you on all of this,” said Luke. “I’m not looking for the why. I need the how.”

Kaoru nodded.

“I won’t mince words. I want to overthrow the Arbiters and take this world back from them, back from the developers, and put it into the hands of the players.”

He makes it sound so simple…

Kaoru was examining their faces, taking stock of the doubt in their eyes.

“What’s the matter?” He smiled. “I thought you all knew that was why I came here. I certainly figured that killing the Arbiter would open your eyes to the possibility, if only a little.”

“It took all of us to kill it,” said Silverstrike. “And even then… we lucked out. We should be dead right now.”

“No!” Kaoru slapped the table with his hand. “No, see, that’s where you’re wrong. We should be developing this world right now, turning all of the claimable zones into thriving towns. We should be free to do what we want in Yvvaros without having to worry about paying taxes or succumbing to permadeath. We shouldn’t have to live under the same restrictions as people in the real world.”

“I don’t disagree with any of that, Kaoru,” said Luke. “Look, I get that you’re an idealist, but get to the point. How? What do you have planned?”

Kaoru was still smiling, as if he enjoyed having all of them waiting on his every word.

He knows how to lead, and how to inspire. Why can’t I do that?

“The Arbiters aren’t invincible,” he said. “You all know that, after what we just did. But there is something else that I think you should know.”

Kaoru pulled a small charcoal pencil out of his satchel and began drawing stick figures along the bottom edge of the map. He drew ten of them in total, and then turned back to the group.

“The Arbiters can die.” He crossed one of them out. “And more importantly, when they do, they don’t respawn, just like us.”

One of Katrina’s guild mates had brought the Arbiter’s armor into the guild hall, and Kaoru turned his attention to it.

“They don’t respawn?” asked Luke. “How do you know that for a fact?”

“Most of the Arbiter patrols run on regular paths, like clockwork,” said Kaoru. “I’ve been having friends of mine keep tabs on the patrol the Arbiter I killed came from. They still haven’t replaced him, and it’s been days.”

Luke shook his head.

“How can you be sure, though?” he asked. “This feels like an awfully big thing to put a bet on.”

“You aren’t the only one with a connection to the developers, Kato. I heard it directly from someone on the former Gamesoft development team.” Kaoru smiled. “The Arbiters may seem like they’re all powerful in-game, but it’s become clear to me that they’re not. They play by the same rules that we do. They don’t have access to the dev tools.”

“That doesn’t make any sense…” Katrina was shaking her head and frowning.

“On the surface, no, it doesn’t,” said Kaoru. “I’ve heard rumors that the person in charge of the Arbiter program, the one directing these raids, is actually a former member of the core development team.”

“Maybe they just haven’t decided to take control over the game rules yet?”

“Maybe,” said Kaoru. “Or maybe, they’re locked out. I can imagine a scenario where one of the ousted developers, forced to help a UN enforcement crew, might lock the game in its current state out of spite. If that’s the case, we’re in the tiny window of time where something can still be done to take this world back.”

This… is a lot to take in.

“Doing this, even just planning to do this, probably violates at least a few international laws.” Katrina folded her arms. “What’s to stop the UN from coming after us in the real world?”

“Honestly... nothing. Look, my plan isn’t exactly straightforward, but I know it can work.” Kaoru stood up and made eye contact with each of them again. “We’re all going to have to play an essential role.”

Luke nodded, and glanced at Tess. She looked resolute, but a little frightened. He reached his hand over and squeezed hers.

This is for her. This is so she can live without fear, and so I don’t have to worry. So I can start thinking about joining her.

“Tell us the details, Kaoru,” said Luke.

“First, we’re going to need an alliance between the major guilds.” Kaoru ran his finger over the map. “Silverstrike, can you begin negotiations with some of the other leaders? We want to get them on board, but we also can’t tell them too much about the actual details of the plan.”

Silverstrike nodded.

“I can… but how will it be of any help?” Silverstrike shrugged. “There are too many Arbiters and not enough high level players. We wouldn’t stand a chance in an all-out attack, regardless of whether they can respawn.”

“That’s where the next part of the plan comes in,” said Kaoru. “We’re going to have something that evens the odds between us and our enemies. Kato, this is where your help is going to be essential as the Hero of Kantor.”

The Hero of Kantor… It’s just a name.

“What do you need me to do?”

Kaoru tapped his fingers on the map. He looked a little hesitant, as though expecting his request to be too much for Luke to accept.

“I need you to track down the three Elemental Wells and claim them for your guild,” said Kaoru. “And I think you’re going to need to bring Tess with you in order to do it.”

That’s not going to happen.

Luke shook his head, and Kaoru clasped his hands together in desperation.

“Just listen!” He made eye contact with Tess and then looked back at Luke. “She’s the highest level player in your guild. The only reason we were even able to take down the Arbiter in the first place was because of her magic.”

“Absolutely not,” said Luke. Tess reached over and put her hand on his arm.

“Luke…” Her voice was little more than a whisper. “You can’t protect me forever.”

Tess…

“There is another part to the plan that I’m going to need your help for Kato,” said Kaoru. “We can talk about the Elemental Wells later, but I need to make sure you’re committed to this final task.”

“What is it?”

“I need you… to get your father to join with us.”

Luke laughed and then shook his head.

This plan is insane. I should have known that it would be ridiculous going into it.

“Hear me out!” Kaoru was shouting, not in an angry tone of voice, but like a moderator trying to calm an unruly crowd. “All of the other facets of the plan I’ve had worked out for days. When you found me, the final piece, how we’re actually going to break free from the UN’s physical control, clicked in my head.”

“I don’t even know where my dad is,” said Luke. “I haven’t seen him in over a week.”

“Please, try to find him,” said Kaoru. “We need access to the server and he can give it to us. If we can get to the main server, and transfer the world state to a server that’s under our control, then we can win.”

Nobody said anything for a moment. Luke let Kaoru’s words settle on the air, unsure of whether or not to object or to take them into consideration.

The sun was beginning to set outside. Several of Katrina’s guild members were waiting in the courtyard, back from disposing of the Arbiter’s body. Luke sighed, and then stood up from his chair at the table.

“Let’s finish this meeting later,” he said. “It’s been a long day.”

Kaoru looked a little surprised, but he nodded politely.

Am I really tired, or am I just sick of taking on responsibility?

As if response, Tess walked over to him and curled her arm through his.

“I’m tired, too,” she said. “Thanks, Kato.”

“I’ll have some of my players setup the bonfire, and we can eat dinner around it,” said Katrina. “To celebrate the fact that we’re all still alive and in control of Dunidan’s Rest. Who knows how long that’s going to continue to be the case…”

“Kato.” Kaoru was standing in the back of the guild hall, calm and composed. “Thank you for listening. Regardless of what you and your friends decide to do in the end, I appreciate what you’ve already done for me.”

Luke didn’t say anything.

There’s no easy way forward. We’re screwed if we do, and fucked if we don’t.

Tess walked with him as he left the building. There was a light breeze in the air, and the palm trees by the oasis slowly wavered as the wind moved through the compound. A flock of birds circled overhead, as if debating whether to land or keep going.  Luke empathized with their dilemma as he debated what to do next.

“Come on,” said Tess. “Let’s head up to the wall and get our minds off all of this.”

“Yeah,” said Luke. “Thanks.”

She’s always been able to sense my emotions, even back before she started playing Yvvaros. Back when she was just Emily, and I was just Luke.

From the wall, they had a clear view of the horizon. The clouds were a brilliant mixture of reds and purples, glowing on either side of the sun like an ethereal cloak of armor. Luke could see a group of small creatures running across the dunes in the zone next to them. And in the zone beyond that, a Dunidan swam through the sand with elegant, sweeping dives.

“I know you have a lot on your mind, Luke,” whispered Tess. “I just want you to know, if you don’t like how Kaoru’s plan sounds, then you don’t have to go along with it. Don’t feel pressured to do it for my sake.”

“It’s not like I can just ignore the facts, Tess,” said Luke. “You’ve gone all in. And I…”

I love you. I have to protect you.

Tess shook her head. There was a glimmer of sadness in her eyes. Luke had it seen before but still didn’t fully understand it.

“We still haven’t talked about it, Luke,” said Tess. “Me going all in, it’s just hanging over us. Pushing us away from each other.”

“Tess…”

“I live in this game now.” Tess smiled at him solemnly. “And you still live in the outside world.”

“I tried to go all in!” Luke couldn’t stop his emotions from creeping into his voice. “I still have stitches in my stomach to prove it.”

“I know, I know, that’s not what I meant…” Tess sighed. “You need to be in both worlds. If you decide to go along with Kaoru’s plan, it’s essential.”

What am I supposed to say to her?

“Do you resent me for what I did, Luke?” Tess locked eyes with him as she asked the question.

“Resent you? How could I ever resent you, Tess?”

“Why have you been so distant, then?” Tess blinked and looked away from him, back out over the horizon. “Why does it seem like you and Ben are just… phoning our conversations in?”

All of Silverstrike’s words on the boat suddenly began to echo in Luke’s head. He moved closer to Tess and put an arm around her.

“Tess, I’m not phoning anything in.” Luke leaned his head against hers. “I love you.”

The two shared a soft kiss. Tess leaned her head against his chest and sighed.

“I’m sorry, I know I’m being ridiculous,” she said. “It’s my brother, too. Ben… he barely even talks to me anymore. I’m not sure what he thinks about who I am… about what I am.”

“He’s just confused,” said Luke. “And a bit of an idiot. I’ll talk to him about it some more, in the real world instead of in-game.”

“Thank you, Luke.”

A cheer came from the other side of the courtyard as Katrina and Silverstrike brought the bonfire roaring to life.

Luke cupped Tess’s cheek in his hand and met her gaze.

“I’m still not sure about you being a part of Kaoru’s plan,” he said. “There is one thing that’s changed since you’ve gone all in, and that’s the danger. I worry about how vulnerable and open it leaves you.”

“We’re all vulnerable, Luke,” whispered Tess. “Every time you log out, I worry that you’re going to get hit by a car, or slip in the shower and bust your head open, or… something.”

Luke hugged her against him.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“We can’t change it, the danger, unless we do something about it,” Tess continued, “and now is the time. So stop worrying, okay? I’m starving, let’s go eat.”

The group reconvened around the fire as the night sky came into view. Katrina and the general store merchant brought out food to cook, and Silverstrike set up a cask of ale nearby. For a moment, Luke was able to pretend like they were having a party, and not in the midst of plotting a rebellion.

“We should all go skinny dipping in the oasis after this!” yelled Silverstrike. Most of the group mumbled good nature rebukes. Luke just smiled and poured himself a mug of ale.

The food was simple, but tasty, a roasted slab of beef along with potatoes and vegetables from Tess’s garden. Luke took his plate gratefully, noting that his stamina bar was almost empty.

“Kato…” Kaoru sat down next to him, setting his own plate on his lap. “I just wanted to thank you again. All of the planning I’ve done, everything I’ve said tonight, it’s all for the sake of Yvvaros as much as it is for me, the wanted rebel.”

Luke nodded.

“You’re welcome, though at this point I still haven’t done much beyond hear you out.”

“I’m thanking you for what you’ve already done,” said Kaoru. “For saving me. For saving us all during the Battle of Kantor.”

Luke resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

They treat me like I’m a legend, or a myth. I’m just a teenager, playing a game.

“A lot of people look up to you, and admire what you stand for,” said Kaoru. “I realize that it probably feels like an unnecessary weight to bear from your perspective, but to the ordinary player, you represent hope.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Luke took a deep swig from his mug. Kaoru watched him for a moment, and then stood up.

“It’s late,” he said. “I should be going.”

Luke glanced up at him in surprise.

For some reason, I had just assumed that he was one of the players that had gone all in.

“The soonest I’ll be able to log back in is early tomorrow afternoon.” He swept his gaze across the group. “Can I have your answers by then?”

Luke nodded.

“Yes,” he said. “We’ll come to a decision.”

“Alright. See you then.”

Kaoru blinked out of existence in an instant, and Luke began to feel the extent of his own fatigue. Tess was sitting next to him and leaned against his shoulder.

“It’s okay if you want to log out, too,” she said. “I’m going to get some sleep of my own.”

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He kissed her on the forehead.

“See you tomorrow, Luke.”

Luke said his farewells to Silverstrike, Katrina, and the others in Dunidan’s Rest, and then pulled out his journal and signed off. Instantly, he was back in his room, back in the empty house, and back in the physical reality.

CHAPTER 9

It was night time in the real world, just like it had been in Yvvaros. Luke stood up from his desk slowly, feeling his joints creak and his muscles ache from being still for so long.

I spend more of my waking hours in-game than I do out of it. My body… what’s the point of even having it?

He was tired, but something kept him from being able to climb into bed immediately. Kaoru’s plan was still fresh in his mind, and part of it was going to force him to pay attention to a problem that he’d been ignoring since he left the hospital over a week ago.

Luke walked out of his room, his legs feeling a bit unsteady, as though he’d just stepped off a long bus ride. He made his way first to the kitchen, making himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that he wolfed down in seconds. He made another one using the last of his bread and walked to his father’s room.

It looked almost exactly like it had the last time Luke had been there. The blood from his attempt at going all in had been left for him to clean up, a visceral reminder of the events of that day. The wood floor was faintly stained, but much easier to look at than it had been when he’d returned from the hospital.

The only thing missing from the room was the one thing that Luke needed most. He’d been using his dad’s laptop to enter Yvvaros when he’d tried to go all in. It had gone to the hospital with him, and after that, it had just disappeared.

My father must have come back to grab it during the night, while I was in the ICU. He cared more about the laptop than he did about me, or about explaining himself and saying goodbye.

Luke sighed, and took a seat on his dad’s bed. The more involved he became in Yvvaros, the harder it became to deal with the real world. He felt lonely and exposed. The fact that he was in the house that he’d grown up in did nothing to change that.

The top drawer of his father’s dresser had been left open. It was directly next to the bed, and Chris Smith had apparently used it as a bed stand. A couple of coins were scattered across the top, along with some beer caps and assorted garbage.

Luke walked over to it and pulled the drawer open. He hadn’t been expecting to find anything, and it took him a second to identify the object that was sitting on top of the roughly folded clothes inside.

That’s a USB drive…

He picked it up and then walked back to his own room. It had been a little while since he’d used his computer for anything other than Yvvaros. He plugged the storage device in and waited a moment for his laptop to bring up the file explorer.

“…What?”

There was a single zip file on the drive. Luke double clicked on it. A password box popped up, and he frowned.

Why would dad have a password protected archive on a USB drive?

Luke tried every password he could think of, each of them failing to open the zip file. It was frustrating, like being on the verge of discovering a treasure and running into a locked door. After a while, he yawned and realized just how tired he was. He shut his computer, and finally made his way over to his bed to get the sleep that his body sorely needed.

The morning came sooner than he’d been expecting. Luke slowly and groggily pulled himself up, feeling as though it had been days since he’d taken a proper shower.  It was already almost 7:30. If he wanted to make it to school on time, he’d have to leave immediately.

That’s if I want to make it to school on time, or at all.

He didn’t rush, taking his time in the shower and even shaving the stubble that had been accumulating on his face. There were precious few clean clothes left in his house, he made do with what he could find.

I don’t need to look fashionable anymore.

Luke made his way downstairs. He felt slightly overwhelmed as he walked into the kitchen. It had been days since he’d done the dishes. He still hadn’t bought any food and there was very little left of what had been in the pantry after his father disappeared.

Maybe I’ll just let myself starve, die while playing Yvvaros, and go all in through the laziest method possible.

The thought was unnerving rather than comforting, and it made him think of Ben. He’d been growing worried about his friend, his real life friend, over the past few days. What Tess had told him in-game had only amplified his concerns.

Luke grabbed a couple handfuls of stale cereal to wolf down before leaving his house. He was headed toward Ben’s, which took him in the same direction as his high school. He spotted a couple of students headed down the sidewalk who looked like they had woken up late. Luke did his best to avoid eye contact.

From the outside, Ben’s house didn’t look any different than it had back when Emily still had a physical body, and all of their lives were mostly balanced and normal. The inside was just as messy as it’d been when Luke had seen it the other day. It made Luke a little angry to see just how little had changed.

I don’t think Ben has spent more than a couple of hours outside of Yvvaros since his parent’s left.

Sure enough, Ben was at his computer when Luke made his way up to his room. He had his VR headset on, and his body was still and limp, as though in a deep coma. Luke walked over and pulled it off, only hesitating for a moment before concern for his friend’s health outweighed fear of his reaction.

“What? Jesus fuck!” Ben shivered and then fell forward out of his chair. He let out a deep moan and looked as though he was about to throw up.

“Hey, remember me?” asked Luke. “Your best friend? I’m here in real life.”

“Luke…” Ben took a deep breath and then pushed the air out of his lungs. “That’s not cool, man. You can’t just come over and surprise me like that.”

“It’s not exactly like I can call, or knock on your front door,” said Luke. “And if I’d gotten in touch with you in-game, you would have insisted that we talk there.”

Ben looked thin, frail, and unhealthy. His skin was pale, and he’d lost enough weight to make it look as though he was combatting a serious illness. He glared at Luke before standing up and pulling his desk drawer open. He then pulled out a bottle of liquor and a small wax envelope.

He is suffering. He’s only gotten worse since Emily left…

“So what’s this about?” asked Ben. He opened the bottle and took a large swig from it, and then began doling out a line of powder on his desk.

“It’s about you, grumpy.” Luke frowned. “It’s about your health, mental and physical. I’m worried about you, Ben. Tess, Emily, is worried about you too.”

Ben scoffed, and then snorted the line that he’d carefully set out for himself. Luke wasn’t sure if it was coke, heroin, or something else, and for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

“You mean the NPC version of my sister?”

“Ben, that’s not true and you know it.” Luke glared at him. “If you would talk to her, listen to what she has to say, you’d be able to see it for yourself.”

“All I know is what I see, Luke.” Ben shook his head. “If it really is her, then that’s great. But she still abandoned me. She still left me here, in an empty house. She fucked me over, Ben, just like your dad did to you.”

Luke couldn’t think of anything to say to that.

He’s not entirely wrong.

“We have to keep moving forward, Ben,” he finally managed. “And part of that involves taking our lives and our health seriously. Or…”

Or what? Should I tell him to consider going all in, killing himself in the name of transcendence?

“Luke, you’re like the brother I never had.” Ben turned and locked eyes with him. “But please, mind your own fucking business.”

Luke sighed and then turned and left the room.

He wasn’t sure how to feel on the walk home. Besides promising Tess that he would, he wasn’t quite sure why he’d gone to talk with Ben to begin with. In a sense, they’d already crossed over. Their real world problems didn’t hold as much weight as what they were up against in-game, and there was no way for him to argue that Ben should take his life more seriously without exposing his own hypocrisy.

Luke slowed as he neared his house. Part of him knew he should go to the grocery store, but the other part of him wanted to get back into Yvvaros.

He walked up the steps and headed in through the front door.

A couple of minutes later, he was at his desk, clicking through the game’s login screen on his laptop. He hit enter, and then pulled on his headset.

Luke was back in Dunidan’s Rest. It was around the same time that it had been in the real world, maybe a little bit earlier. As always, the skies over the desert were blue and cloudless. The air was still, and the desert dryness gave the environment a stale feeling.

The settlement was practically empty. Only the blacksmith and the merchant who ran the general store were in the courtyard. Instead of heading toward the guild hall, Luke walked over to the gate and pushed his way out of it.

Tess wasn’t far outside of the compound, sparring with a group of Sand Scamps. Luke tensed up when he saw her and started to run to her aid, but slowed when it became apparent that she wasn’t in any danger. He watched her for a minute, appreciating how easy it was for her to defeat the creatures.

She was dodging their attacks and barely striking back, taking her time as she landed counters with her staff. She glanced up and saw Luke, and then suddenly began chanting. A split second later, a bright white light blasted out of her staff and zeroed out all of the creature’s health bars.

“Hey Luke.” Tess waved to him cheerfully as she approached. “I wasn’t expecting you until later today.”

“Yeah, I didn’t end up going to…” Luke paused. “I mean, I managed to get in-game early.”

She doesn’t need to know that I’m skipping school to be here.

“Cool.” Tess held her staff horizontally against the small of her back.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you out here,” said Luke.

“Where else would I be?” Tess skipped the last few steps over to him and pinched his cheek. “I live in Yvvaros now, in case you forgot.”

“No, I just mean…” Luke frowned. “Arbiters patrol the Sarchia Desert regularly now.”

“They’re like clockwork,” said Tess. “The next patrol won’t be by for another hour or so. Besides, it’s boring being stuck in Dunidan’s Rest all day. I’m trying to grind up to level 24.”

Level… 24

“How the hell did you get so far ahead of me?” Luke brought his palm to his face immediately after the words had left his mouth. “Oh right, you’ve had more time to level than I have.”

“More than a bit.” Tess leaned in and kissed him. “Don’t overthink it too much. I was older than you back in the real world. It’s only fair for me to be a bit stronger than you in-game.”

“Just because you’re a higher level than me does not mean that you’re stronger.”

Tess just smiled at him.

“Anyway, I need to help Anna out at the smithy in a couple of minutes.” She started walking back toward the  gate. “The other nice thing about being all in is that it gives me time to train my crafting skills.”

“That does sound nice.”

But what about all of the downsides? What about the Arbiters?

Luke watched Tess head off. He waved to her as she made her way back into Dunidan’s Rest. Luke turned his thoughts to plans of his own. It had been a while since he’d had a chance to go exploring, and he already had an idea about where to head.

If we’re going to be taking on the Arbiters, it wouldn’t hurt to upgrade our defenses. For that, we’re going to need, wood, stone, steel, and especially clay.

Clay was the most labor intensive resource to gather in bulk, and so Luke decided to go after it first. The only place on the main continent of Yvvaros that had it in good supply was Farswick’s Folly, the mudflats on the southern end of the Sarchia Desert.

After munching some bread and beef jerky to max out his stamina meter, Luke started off in that direction. The sand was coarse, and dunes filled the landscape as he passed from zone to zone.

Most of these zones used to be held by the Revolutionary Rebels.

Luke thought back to his encounter with the aggressive guild. They had been completely focused on getting ahead in the game, bullying smaller guilds including The Consulate. It was a strategy that made more sense back when Yvvaros had been just a game, and not the UN occupied digital province that it had turned into after the Battle of Kantor.

The last Luke had heard, another guild had moved in on the Revolutionary Rebel’s turf and seized most of their zones. Luke didn’t have to worry as he made his way further into the dry, barren desert. Fighting the sinking sand took about as much energy as fighting an enemy guild would have.

A Dunidan rumbled nearby. Luke ignored it. He was at a high enough level now that unless he ran into one of the rare, champion class Dunidan, most of them wouldn’t risk attacking him and facing certain death.

This is one element of the game that I can really appreciate, now that permadeath is on.

It wouldn’t always be on, however. If Kaoru’s plan went as it should, they would gain control of the in-game world after transferring it to a new server. They could decide what the rules were, and turn Yvvaros back into what it was before, or if the players decided, they could even make it into something else.

It’s a lot of power for one person to have, now that I think about it. To the people that have gone all in, it’s like becoming a god.

Luke was distracted by his thoughts and didn’t notice that he had begun to enter the mudflats. He pulled out of his reverie only as his feet began to sink into the viscous ooze, forcing him to walk more slowly.

“Whoops…”

The surface of the mudflats was cracked and divided into hundreds of tiny sections. The moisture underneath came from Yvvaros’s tides. The whole area was low enough to end up covered by the high tide when the two moons aligned just right in the sky.

Luke took a couple of muddy steps over to one of the sections that was a little drier than the rest. He then reached into his satchel and pulled out a small cloth bag.

Clay was collected in bundles in Yvvaros. Luke reached down and began searching for some, digging deep into the mud to unearth the useful clay at the bottom. His arm was pulled in by the mud, held by the surprisingly strong suction of the sludge.

This is going to be messy…

Mining the clay was slow and tedious work. Luke had to lie flat on his stomach to get his arm deep enough to reach it. The mud flats bubbled all around him, and he could smell sulfur in the air.

Suddenly, a rumble came from a thicker section of mud behind him. Luke’s arm was trapped in the mud, and he could only crane his neck around to get a look at what was going on.

LIVE EARTH: One of the corrupted monsters created during the Severence Onslaught. Grows to more than ten feet tall, and absorbs defeated enemies into itself. It’s rumored to be part of the reason behind the name “Farswick’s Folly.”

The creature was a huge, hulking, humanoid mass of mud. It took slow steps, but it didn’t need to move fast. Luke struggled to pull his arm out of the mud, and by the time he’d managed to, it had already closed half of the distance between them.

Jesus…

Protruding from the Live Earth were arms, heads, and legs of bodies it had absorbed. The top half of a torso poked out from where the monster’s head should have been, giving the appearance of a person piloting the oozing mass.

Luke pulled out his sword and took a step back.

CONJURE SWORD 3

His three magical blades materialized, and Luke tested his opponent by launching them forward like throwing spears. Each of the three slammed into the Live Earth’s chest without the slightest bit of resistance. Almost no damage was done.

Okay, maybe I need to take another approach.

Luke slowly danced to the side, waiting for the monster to launch an attack of its own. It slowly lifted one of its massive, tree trunk-sized arms, and propelled it down toward Luke with a surprising amount of speed.

He dodged out of the way with ease, but the strike did something that he hadn’t been expecting. A wave of mud shot up from the ground, splashing forward before Luke could move out of the way. He managed to cover his face, but the wave was powerful enough to knock him backward, into the deep mud.

Damn it!

Luke was up to his waist in the muck and sinking fast. His chest and hair were already coated with sludge. The feeling of the mud sliding underneath his armor did not make him eager to find out what would happen once his head went under.

This is how it kills. It just knocks players into the mud and lets them sink.

The Live Earth was still approaching. Luke gripped his sword tightly and waited for it to step back within range. It moved slowly, and by the time it was close enough for him to make a move, his head was slipping under. For a single sickening moment, Luke submerged and was forced to close his mouth as the muck came up over it.

ELEMENTAL INFUSION: ICE

PIERCE ATTACK 3

Luke’s combat skill carried him up and out of the quagmire in a single, liberating movement. He flew through the air with his mud covered sword leading the way, the moisture in the air around it turning white as it froze.

His first strike was on the Live Earth’s shoulder, and the cold from his infusion made the cut count in a way the conjured blades had been unable to. Luke landed carefully on the other side of the monster and immediately charged back as it slowly began to turn.

He struck at its legs with several furious strikes. One of the Live Earth’s feet froze completely from the ankle down. A decomposing human head poked out from the creature’s calf, the empty eye sockets looked as if they were staring at Luke.

CONJURE SWORD 3

ELEMENTAL INFUSION: ICE

With all of his blades infused with ice, Luke was able to quickly dismantle it. He hacked into it again, and again, chopping his way up the Live Earth’s other leg, shattering the frozen segments as he went.

Soon the monster fell onto its back, and Luke attacked its torso until its health bar reached zero. The mud that composed it began to melt as he struck the final blow, leaving a score of half-digested corpses behind.

LEVEL 17 ATTAINED

HOLY REGENERATION OBTAINED

Luke smiled, and went back to collecting clay.

CHAPTER 10

Luke was coated with mud from head to toe as he made his way back to Dunidan’s Rest. A an arid breeze was blowing across the Sarchia Desert. It was dry and hot enough to sap the heat from the mud, gluing it to his body.

He pushed his way through the gates leaving it open behind him in his hurry to get to the oasis. Anna was working a slab of steel at her smith, and there was a pause in her rhythm as Luke came into view.

“Jesus, what happened to you?” Tess walked toward him, her face a mixture of concern and bemusement.

“Farswick’s Folly,” said Luke. “Farswick’s fucking Folly. Remind me never to go there again.”

“Here, come on.” She took him by the hand and led him over to the oasis. Luke leaned over to dip his hands in, and Tess pushed him into the water.

“You’re going to need to take a bath if you want to get clean,” she laughed.

“You could have let me walk in on my own,” said Luke. He cleaned mud from his eyes as it softened and sluiced down his face.

The oasis was cool and refreshing. The underground spring that fueled it was in a state of constant renewal, and Luke didn’t need to be concerned about polluting it with the muck that clung to him.

“Here, I think you’re going to need some help.” Tess shrugged off her priestess cloak, boots, and armor and slowly began stepping into the water after him. She wore only the conservative undergarments that every character in Yvvaros was equipped with by default, and the water immediately slicked them to her body.

Ben mentioned that even those can be taken off… The game was rated M on release, after all.

He pushed the thought out of his head as Tess splashed water in his face.

“You’re going to have to take your armor off, too,” she said. “It’s going to need a washing of its own.”

Luke slipped out of his hardened Dunidan skin armor and tossed it onto the crabgrass next to the oasis. Tess giggled and splashed him again, until he retaliated with splashes of his own.

“You’re wasting water! In the desert! I think you need to learn a lesson.” Luke sunk underneath the surface of the oasis and swam toward Tess. He came up right next to her and pulled her under.

“No! You brat!” Tess was laughing and shoving him away playfully.

I want this moment to last forever…

“It looks like the two of you are putting that water to good use.” Kaoru was walking toward them from over by the guild hall. Luke rubbed a bit more mud out of his hair and turned to face him.

“Hey,” he said. “When did you log back in?”

“Just now.” Kaoru crouched low next to the water, his black cloak trailing behind him on the ground. “Is Silverstrike around? We need to get started.”

“He’s finishing up a quest in Stark Town,” said Tess. She looked over at Luke, and he could see something in her eyes.

She’s nervous…

“Alright, I’ll get him up to speed after, then,” said Kaoru. He sighed, and then ran one of his hands through his hair. Luke waded out of the water, dunking himself one last time to rinse himself off. He quickly rinsed his armor before pulling it back on.

“The Elemental Wells,” said Luke. “That’s what my part in this plan is going to be, right?”

Kaoru smiled at Luke and furrowed his brow.

“That’s part of it,” said Kaoru. “You’re the Hero of Kantor, and having your name aligned with The Consulate is going to help with Silverstrike’s guild negotiations. You also need to handle things with your father in the real world.”

How did this all end up on me?

“I get it. I have a pretty serious role to play.” Luke held one of his arms out as he pulled on a bracer.

“The Elemental Wells, as I mentioned yesterday, are three points of power scattered throughout Yvvaros.” Kaoru pulled out his map, as he had the day before, and began smoothing out the wrinkles. “There’s one at Shahidi’s Vengenace, one at the Ancestor Glacier, and one deep within the Caves of Exton.”

“How am I just hearing about them now?” asked Luke. “You’d think that another player or another guild would have claimed them by now.”

“They’ve always been there, but the World Event they’re related to wasn’t activated until after the Battle of Kantor. With permadeath on, most players have been… unwilling to take the risks required to explore.”

“Well, that’s certainly reassuring.” Luke scratched his head. “Why do we need to reach them? What are they going to do for us?”

“Have you ever heard of Makorin, Luke?” asked Kaoru. “The second flying city?”

A second flying city?

Luke shook his head.

“Makorin is a claimable city, unlike Kantor. It only comes into existence once a single guild or alliance has taken control of all three Elemental Wells.” Kaoru began tapping on the points on the map, slowly tracing routes out to each of them.

“That’s your plan, then?” asked Luke. “We get Makorin, and then…?”

“The plan, as I described it to you last night, has one fatal flaw that having Makorin will address.” Kaoru smiled. “We can’t take control of the continent without taking control of Kantor, regardless of how many Arbiters we kill.”

“So why don’t we just use the-”

“The rune circle?” Kaoru shook his head. “Think about it. That’s the only way to and from Kantor. You might have been able to launch an assault against the Tymian offensive by using it, but the Arbiters have had more than a week to build up their defenses around it. There’s no way we could get enough players up there in a short enough amount of time to stand a chance.”

Luke nodded.

“Alright, that makes sense,” he said. “So once we have the city, we load it up with players, and then… what, dock with Kantor?”

Kaoru smiled.

“Not exactly,” he said. “Once we have Makorin, we’re going to crash it into Kantor and bring both down to the ground.”

“Will that even work?”

“Yes.”

There wasn’t a trace of doubt in Kaoru’s voice. Luke watched him carefully, trying to determine from his expression whether or not his sanity was still intact.

“Kaoru, do you realize what you’re suggesting?” Luke rubbed his fingers against his temples. “Even if it would work, which is a huge if, Kantor is full of people.”

“It’s full of NPCs and Arbiters,” said Kaoru. “And maybe a few players that have gone all in and been captured.”

Luke glanced over at Tess, desperate for backup. She was looking away from them, as though she wanted no part in the conversation.

“My suggestion would work just as well,” said Luke. “We take an army up, and liberate the city.”

“Your suggestion is risky,” said Kaoru. “We have no idea just how many Arbiters are up there. We’d be attacking blindly.”

Luke sighed and shook his head.

“Look, all of this is still theoretical until we claim the Elemental Wells,” said Luke. “After I’ve done that, we can finish this discussion.”

Makorin will be under my control once that happens. I’ll have the final say.

Kaoru nodded slowly. From the expression on his face, Luke could tell that they were both thinking the same thing.

“So be it,” he said. “I need your help for this plan to have any chance of succeeding, Kato. I will not take your effort and input for granted.”

Kaoru reached inside his satchel and pulled something out. He took Luke’s hand and closed it around the bag.

“This is… gold?” Luke raised an eyebrow.

“10,000 gold, to be exact,” said Kaoru. “Use it to buy an equipment upgrade for yourself and Tess.”

“10,000 gold?” Luke was stunned.

That’s more gold than I could earn in a month of questing.

Kaoru just smiled.

“I’m committed to this plan, Kato,” he said. “I want you to be committed to it, too.”

Luke stared at him for a moment, and then slowly nodded. He walked over to Tess, who was watching him with a matching look of bewilderment.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go shopping.”

Luke and Tess left Dunidan’s Rest through the gate and headed north across the Sarchia Desert. Tess skipped along lightly, not at all like someone about to embark on a dangerous, life threatening quest.

“This is amazing, Luke!” She looped her arm through his. “10,000 gold? That’s an unbelievable amount of money.”

“Yeah…”

But what happens after this? Is this the last time we’ll be able to laugh?

A couple of Sand Scamps began to circle around the two of them, sizing them up as potential targets. Luke used Conjure Sword 3 and struck them down with a wave of his hand, barely paying them any attention.

Stark Town was crowded, but not as crowded as it had been the previous weekend. Luke and Tess walked toward the central square, ignoring the street merchants hawking their wares.

“Do you have somewhere in mind?” asked Tess. Luke nodded.

“The equipment store right near the rune circle,” said Luke. “Everything there is expensive, but for once, we’ll actually be able to afford it.”

Luke pushed through a group of players and almost walked straight into a group of Arbiters. He flinched back, but none of them payed him or Tess any attention. They walked around them without stopping, each arbiter’s stride matching the others as though they were connected at the knee.

They have this city on lockdown. Can we really liberate it?

“Here we are, come on, Luke!” Tess pulled him into the equipment store. Compared to the crowds outside, it was relatively empty.

“Welcome!” The NPC behind the counter was an older man, with a few thin wisps of white hair on his head. “Can I help you with anything in particular today?”

Luke shook his head.

“We’re just going to browse, thanks.” He looked over where Tess had been standing only to find empty space in her place.

“Oh, wow…” Tess had made her way over to a set of priestess armor with a matching white cloak. It hung on a wooden mannequin. The bodice was made of a white enchanted fabric, free flowing with small leather supports sewn into the fabric. The cloak was made from the same deceptively protective material and allowed the wearer to use it as a shield.

“Try it on,” said Luke. “See what it looks like.”

Tess smiled at him and then pulled the outfit into one of the dressing stalls in the back of the store.

I’m bringing a girl shopping for the first time, and it’s in a fantasy world.

Luke waited for a moment, and then wandered into the light armor section of the store. There was a set of dark black armor that jumped out at him, it was a style that he’d never seen before.

“That’s a rare set of level 15 Tymian Armor. Only 3000 gold.” said the merchant. “It’s one of the few armor types that the light armor crafters still haven’t figured out how to make.”

“Really?” Luke raised an eyebrow. “How’d you get it, then?”

“A small party of high level players made a trip into The Underground a couple of days ago,” said the merchant. “Something strange has been going on down there. The Tymians have an unusually strong presence. One of the warriors in the group thinks it might be a World Event waiting to be triggered.”

“Huh…” Luke reached a hand out and touched the front of the cuirass.

“What do you think?”

Tess walked toward him gracefully. The cloak and armor dress fit her body perfectly, and it gave her an air of refined, dangerous beauty.  Luke’s jaw dropped.

“It’s… perfect,” he said.

“That’s the level 20 Warrior Priestess Dress Armor,” said the merchant. “It’s 2000 gold.”

Luke reached into his pocket and tossed a bundle of coins to the man.

“There’s enough in there for the Tymian Armor, as well,” he said. Tess walked up behind him and pulled him into a tight reverse hug.

“Alright, your turn!” She kissed him on the cheek. “Change in the dressing stall so we can make sure it fits.”

Luke couldn’t keep a smile from creeping onto his face as he carried the armor into the back of the store.

She’s cute when she’s bossy.

He stripped his old set of Dunidan Scale armor off and set it aside. As he was pulling on the leggings, Tess poked her head into the stall.

“Jeez, can I have some privacy?” Luke blushed and pulled the curtain shut.

“Just making sure you don’t need any help,” said Tess, giggling.

A couple of minutes later, the two of them were back outside. A group of players recognized Luke as the Hero of Kantor and swarmed around them. Afraid that the Arbiters would notice a commotion and investigate, Luke brushed them off and walked quickly towards the edge of town.

Once they were able to disengage from the crowd, Luke took a minute to look at Tess, and then down at himself, admiring their new equipment.

We look like heroes. We can do this. We can bring Yvvaros back to the people.

“What’s that?” Tess gestured to the intersection up ahead. A crowd of players had gathered outside the Stark Town Inn. Luke strained to look over the crowd.

“By order of the Head Arbiter, all players permanently within the world of Yvvaros will be held on Kantor for observation. Please come with us.”

“No! I didn’t do anything wrong!” A knight dressed in heavy steel plate armor and wielding a sword in each hand was slowly backing away from a squad of Arbiters.

“Please come with us,” said another Arbiter. He suddenly grabbed the knight from behind. The knight swung his blades desperately through the air.

“No! I’m not all in, I swear!”

A murmur went through the crowd as the Arbiters took him into custody. Nobody moved to help.

“I can’t let this happen,” whispered Luke. He grasped his sword hilt, and immediately felt Tess’s hand come down on top of his to keep him from pulling it out.

“Luke, you can’t,” she whispered. “You’ll be killed.”

She stared into his eyes, and Luke gritted his teeth.

I don’t care about what they’ll do to me, but Tess…

“Please, somebody, help!” The knight was a low level player, too low level to do more than  struggle weakly against the Arbiters. “They’re going to kill me! Somebody, please-”

The Arbiters stepped onto the rune circle with him, and a flash of blue light instantly transferred them to Kantor. Luke took a deep, angry breath.

“This is why we’re doing what we’re doing, Luke,” whispered Tess. “We’ll put a stop to this. But we have to follow the plan.”

“I know.” Luke squeezed her hand. “Come on, let’s get back to Dunidan’s Rest.”

CHAPTER 11

Everyone was waiting for them back in Dunidan’s Rest. Silverstrike stood next to Kaoru, and Katrina opened the gate for them.

“Looking good, Kato!” called Silverstrike. “About time you got an armor upgrade.”

Luke nodded. It was hard for him to forget about the last time he’d seen Ben, in the outside world.

He’s like a different person in-game. There’s Ben, and then there’s Silverstrike.

“Everything is all set,” said Kaoru. “Silverstrike is going to begin guild negotiations immediately.”

Luke nodded and made his way over to where the two of them stood.

“You never mentioned what you’re part in all of this is going to be,” said Luke. “Other than planning and organizing.”

Kaoru smiled.

“Now that I have another set of Arbiter armor, I can do what I’m good at,” he said. “Infiltrating their ranks, and getting as much intelligence on their weaknesses as possible.”

Luke frowned.

“That’s going to be incredibly dangerous,” he said. “Are you sure that you can pull it off.”

“Of course. And I’ll also be meeting with you on the outside, in the real world, once you’ve located your father.”

Luke suddenly remembered the USB drive and the zip file he’d found on it. He leaned in a little closer to Kaoru, close enough to keep his voice to a whisper.

“I found an archive, Kaoru, in my dad’s old room. I don’t know what it is, but he password protected it. It might be something important.”

“Perfect, I’ll see what I can do. Let’s continue with the rest of the plan in the meantime.”

Katrina walked over to where the four of them were standing.

“What am I going to be doing while the rest of you are off saving the world?” Her voice contained a hint of sarcasm.

Luke reached into his bag and pulled out the rest of the gold that Kaoru had given him. “Here, we need someone in charge of fortification. Use this to upgrade the defenses here in Dunidan’s Rest.”

She nodded, blinking in surprise as she noticed the amount.

“Alright,” said Luke, turning back to the group. “Let’s all set out tonight. We can use the next few hours to make any final preparations that we-”

“This is your transition?”

Luke heard a familiar voice in his ears. He blinked his eyes and looked around. He was back in his room, sitting at his desk. The VR headset had been wrenched from his head and it throbbed with pain.

“Uh… what?” He took a deep breath and tried to collect his thoughts, the abruptness of the forced exit from Yvvaros was difficult to adjust to.

“That’s what you said at the assembly, the last time I saw you.” Sam was standing next to his desk, holding his VR headset and glaring at him. “Humanity is going through a transition, and oh, it’s nothing to be worried about. You’re all so stupid and I’m so smart.”

“Sam, I-”

“Shut up, Luke!” She pushed him back into his chair and he nearly tipped over backward. “Just shut the fuck up!”

He didn’t say anything.

“You’ve lied to me, you’ve treated me like a fool, and you’ve gone behind my back to feed your addiction.” Sam shook her head. “Even… just as a friend, I can’t stand by and watch you do this.”

“Well then maybe…” Luke paused in midsentence.

What am I supposed to tell her? That we’re not friends anymore? That I don’t care about how much she cares?

“You didn’t show up for school today, and I know you’re not planning on going tomorrow. But Luke, please, promise me…” Sam slid an appointment card across his desk, signed and dated by Dr. Meyers’ assistant. “Promise me you’ll go to your appointment.”

“I’ll go,” he said. “I can still make it if I leave right now.”

I have time before Tess and I leave for the first Elemental Well.

Sam nodded slowly, watching him with wary, concerned eyes.

“I’m going to head back to school, Luke,” she said. “Please… don’t let me down. Not this time… please.”

Luke nodded, and watched her leave the room.

A half hour later, he was walking through the doors into the lobby of Dr. Meyers’ building. He took the elevator up to the third floor and made it into the waiting room with only minutes to spare as he checked in with her secretary.

“Luke.” Dr. Meyers stuck her head out from her office. “Come on in.”

Luke walked over to a leather chair and took a seat. Dr. Meyers closed the door and then pulled her chair around from her desk to sit directly in front of him. She smoothed out her skirt as she sat down and crossed your legs.

“Uh, how’s it going?” He asked the question more to fill the silence than anything. Dr. Meyers hadn’t said anything since summoning him. She was just watching, not actively directing the session in any way.

“It’s been a busy day, but lunch was nice,” she said. “The weather is gorgeous outside.”

“Yeah. I enjoyed the walk over here.”

More silence filled the room.

Is this is a therapist tactic? She probably is trying to trick me into saying what’s on my mind.

Luke sighed, and decided to go along with it.

“I almost didn’t make it to my session today,” he said.

“Oh?” Dr. Meyers perked up slightly. She didn’t have her note pad in her hands, but she reached around to her desk and picked it up along with a pen. “And just why is that?”

“I was playing Yvvaros, doctor,” he admitted. “I’ve been playing a lot of it lately.”

“Why did you decide to come in the end?”

“A friend of mine made a bit of a fuss,” said Luke. “Somebody… close to me.”

It really felt like Dr. Meyers was trying to annoy him by remaining silent. She alternated between looking at her notes and making casual eye contact with him.

“How do you deal with your responsibilities, Dr. Meyers?” asked Luke. “You have your job here, working with people like me. But you must have a home life, too. Kids, a family, people who need you to strike a balance.”

“I do. A lot of it comes down to picking and choosing what your priorities are. Deciding what’s most important for you in your life.”

Luke shrugged.

“You work with people addicted to drugs and video games. How important is that work these days, with the world the way it is?”

Dr. Meyers laughed.

“You’re projecting right now,” she said. “But given how relevant your question is to your current treatment regiment, I’ll answer it honestly. Luke, the world is currently in a state of change.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“All you have to do is turn on the news to see what I mean.” Dr. Meyers pushed a couple strands of hair out of her face. “People are giving themselves over to digital worlds. Governments all around the world are passing laws and regulations to stem what they see as a massive wave of suicides. Fundamentalists protest every new VR game or immersive reality experience released.”

Why is she telling me this?

“What do you think’s going to happen?” Luke found himself being drawn into the conversation as the doctor’s words echoed in his head. “I’ve been getting this feeling lately almost like… like we’re on the verge of something.”

Dr. Meyers shook her head.

“I don’t know, and I don’t feel qualified to make a guess.” She pushed her glasses further up on the bridge of her nose. “What I will say though is that I suspect that the government’s recent hands-on regulation of virtual worlds, your Yvvaros included, has less to do with the suicides and more to do with the implications of people existing only digitally.”

Luke took a deep breath. He was suddenly very glad that he’d let Sam talk him into showing up for therapy.

“You told me in our first meeting that I need to find my own balance between real life and Yvvaros,” said Luke. “What you’re saying… how does it fit with that? What’s stopping me from going all in, if the real world is on the verge of falling apart?”

Dr. Meyers stood up from her chair and slowly walked over to the bookshelf along the wall of the room. She plucked out a volume and then returned to her seat.

“Have you ever heard of the Simulation Argument, Luke?”

Luke shook his head.

“The Simulation Argument states that one of the following categorical propositions is true.” She opened the book, licking her finger and flipping through it to a specific page. “Ah, here we go. One, either advanced civilizations will never reach a point where they can realistically simulate people in virtual worlds…”

She paused, and smiled.

That’s already happened.

“Or two, advanced civilizations will rarely if ever run sentient, self-aware simulations of people.”

Do NPCs count as self-aware? What about people who’ve gone all in.

“Or, as the last proposition posits, we are almost certainly living in a simulation.”

Luke stared at Dr. Meyers, a little taken aback by the direction that the session had gone in.

“Are you… are you saying that we’re already simulations?” He shook his head. “That would make Yvvaros a digital world, within a digital world…”

“I’m just sharing this with you as food for thought, Luke,” said Dr. Meyers. “Don’t read too deeply into it.

It’s kind of hard not to, when it’s coming from my shrink.

“My point is that the difference between a realistic simulation and our ‘physical’ reality is only a matter of our subjective perspectives. Don’t think of Yvvaros as a place to run away to, Luke. Think of it as part of your life, just as connected to what’s happening in the ‘real world’ as anything else.”

“…Okay.” Luke exhaled and rubbed his hands against the fabric of his jeans. “That’s a very… 21st century way of looking at things, I guess.”

“You came to my office for help, Luke,” said Dr. Meyers. “I could write you a prescription for some antidepressants, if you’d prefer.”

“No…” Luke stood up from the couch. “No thanks. This has been helpful, doctor. Thank you.”

Her words continued to echo in his head as he made his way out of her office.

A single reality…

CHAPTER 12

Every step Luke took on his way home felt weighted down. All he wanted to do was get back to his room and VR headset. He wanted to get back into Yvvaros.

Dr. Meyers is right. She’s right, and that’s why I need to go along with this plan.

Even though it hadn’t been more than two hours since Luke had last been in-game, he felt anxious. The abrupt way that Sam had pulled him out of the game hadn’t left him with a chance to say goodbye properly. He worried about Tess, about her feelings and her safety.

He only took just enough time to shut the front door behind him and kick off his shoes before rushing upstairs. Within a minute, his VR headset was strapped on, and Luke was back in Dunidan’s Rest.

“Hello?” Luke felt panicked. It was midafternoon in game, and the settlement was empty. He rushed over to The Consulate’s guild hall and threw open the door. Nobody was inside.

“Tess? Kaoru?” Luke called out as he hurried toward the gate. “Silverstrike?”

He pushed his way into the dunes of the Sarchia Desert, scanning the horizon with paranoid desperation.

“Luke!”

A female voice came from around the corner of the outside wall. Luke turned and watched as Katrina came into view.

“Hey,” he said. “What’s going on?”

“We’re thought we saw a lone Arbiter scouting around the edge of the zone.” Katrina scratched her head. “What happened to you before? You logged off in midsentence.”

“It’s, uh, a long story,” said Luke. “But I’m back now and I’m good to go.”

The two of them walked off to the west together, climbing the highest dunes to get a better view.

“Why did all of you head out to look?” asked Luke. “You could have just let Silverstrike, or Kaoru check it out.”

“We were being careful,” said Katrina. “Or at least we thought we were…”

Being careful means letting Tess go after an Arbiter?

“Hey.” Kaoru poked his head out from a nearby dune, startling them. “I don’t think it’s around here, we should head back to the compound.”

Silverstrike was following behind him. Seeing only the two of them together heightened Luke’s fear and anxiety.

“Where’s Tess? Was she with you?”

“She should be looping back around,” said Silverstrike. “She’ll be fine, relax.”

Luke couldn’t relax. He stood in place as the others began walking back to Dunidan’s Rest.

“Tess?” It felt a bit ridiculous, but Luke couldn’t stop himself, and he began shouting louder “Tess!”

There was no response, at least not for a moment.

“Aw, you missed me.” Tess was bounding out of a small sand gully and into a stretch of desert flats to the east. “Good to have you back, Kato.”

Luke breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, sorry about before.” He shook his head and grabbed onto her shoulder as she stepped in close to him. “What are you thinking, though? It’s not safe for you to go after an Arbiter.”

“Luke, relax,” she said. “I’m the highest level player of everyone in The Consulate or Athena’s Wrath. I’m not going to get myself killed.”

A memory came rushing back into Luke’s mind, unbidden and unwelcome. Tess, or rather, Emily’s body was on the floor of her room. Her VR headset was still over her eyes, and her skin was pale white, only marred by the blood pooling underneath it.

“Tess…” He closed his eyes.

“Luke, it’s okay,” she said. “I’m fine.”

An even older memory, piggybacking on top of the first one, pushed its way into his thoughts. Luke remembered the car crash that had taken his mother. He’d been pestering her about buying him a video game, distracting her from the road without meaning to.

The car that struck them had been driving way above the speed limit. The crash was over before anyone knew what had happened. The crunching sounds of the metal, the tearing of the driver’s side door, and especially what his mother had said to him were forever burned into his mind.

“Luke, it’s okay,” she’d said. “I’m fine.”

What the hell am I doing?

“Hey, Luke…” Tess was against him, cupping his cheek with one hand. “It’s okay…”

“Sorry.” Luke forced a smile and pulled her into a hug, reassuring himself that she was still there. “Come on… let’s go catch up with the others.”

I’m not going to let it happen again.

Luke could tell that something was wrong before they’d even gotten completely through the gates. Katrina was on her knees in the courtyard, and a body was lying in front of her, not far from the oasis. Kaoru and Silverstrike both had their weapons drawn.

“Oh my god…” said Tess. “That’s Anna!”

The two of them rushed over. Luke realized that he’d balled his hands tightly into fists, unconsciously digging his virtual fingernails into his virtual hands.

“I let her come out with us to look for the Arbiter. It’s my fault.” Kaoru’s eyes were full of remorse. “We found her body a little way outside the compound, half covered with sand.”

“She went all in!” Katrina was almost too distraught to be intelligible. “I… She asked me if I thought it was a good idea.”

“Hey, hey,” said Silverstrike, hurrying to her side. “This isn’t anyone’s fault but the-”

“I said yes!” Katrina sobbed and slapped the ground with an open hand. “I told her that she should do it if she really wanted to.”

Luke felt his emotions shift as he watched the scene. Numbness turned to frustration, and then to anger, and then to rage.

“This is why we have to stop them!” He yelled the words, followed by a string of obscenities. “God fucking damn it!”

“I’ve seen this happen too many times now,” said Kaoru. “The Arbiters haven’t been in control long, but this is what they do.”

“Why…?” Katrina wiped away tears with a dirty, sand covered hand. “They usually take players that have gone all in alive… Why her?”

“I don’t know.” Kaoru frowned and looked back toward the gate.

“We can’t let this go on.” Luke walked over toward Anna’s body, forcing himself to stare into her lifeless eyes. “We’re leaving immediately. I have to get started.”

“Don’t let your grief and anger affect your judgement.” Kaoru set a hand on Luke’s shoulder and turned him to meet his gaze. “It’s fine if you leave immediately, but you need to think clearly, and act carefully.”

Luke nodded, and then looked over at Tess. She was still watching Katrina and Anna, but when she felt his eyes on her, she turned back and dipped her head, acknowledging his pain.

“Katrina…” Luke crouched next to the fellow guild leader. “I’m sorry that this happened. We’re going to put a stop to it.”

Katrina didn’t say anything.

“Don’t get yourself killed, Kato.” Silverstrike nodded to his sister. “And don’t get Tess killed either.”

“The same goes for you, Silverstrike,” said Luke. “And I’ll keep Emily safe.”

Silverstrike frowned slightly at the use of his sister’s real life name.

I don’t have time to play family counselor right now.

“Kato, there’s one thing you should keep in mind going forward.” Karou leaned in close so that their conversation was quiet enough to keep from disturbing Katrina’s mourning.

“What is it?”

“Each of the Elemental Wells has a major quest associated with it,” he said. “You’re going to have to pay attention and stay focused to get through each one of them.”

“I’ll manage,” said Luke.

Tess set a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll manage.”

“Good,” said Kaoru. “I’ll help Silverstrike with the guild alliances before going undercover. Keep us updated on your timetable with private messages. I’m not sure how long this is all going to take.”

Luke nodded.

“And one last thing.” Kaoru took a deep breath, and extended his hand. “Thank you. I’ve only known you for a short time, and I’m sure you’ll brush this off as a baseless compliment, but you live up to image of the Hero of Kantor.”

Luke wanted to correct him, to tell him that it was just a stupid nickname, and that he was just a normal player. But he didn’t.

“Thanks.” He turned to Tess. “Are we all set on food?”

Tess nodded.

“Then let’s get moving,” he said. “We have no time to waste.”

CHAPTER 13

Anna is dead. She’s never coming back.

It was hard for Luke to accept it. His anger had slowly subsided once he and Tess had started off, but in its place he felt a combination of guilt and responsibility that weighed down his every step.

The two of them were headed for Shahidi’s Vengeance, which meant that they would first have to go through the Msitu Wilds. Luke’s experience in these lands was limited to a single quest he’d gone on before the Battle of Kantor.

The sight of the jungle looming at the edge of the desert reminded him of the strange monsters he had encountered. Luke again thought of Tess and worried.

“We could end up stuck in the jungle overnight…” Tess’s voice was quiet. “I brought a small tent just in case…”

“Right.” Luke sighed.

“Luke, you don’t have to worry about me,” she said. “I know you’re going to anyway. But you don’t have to. I’m 7 levels higher than you.”

“Yeah, I know,” said Luke.

What level was Anna? Does it even matter when we’re fighting Arbiters?

The landscape rose into a high sandy cliff face on the border of the Sarchia Desert and the Msitu Wilds. Luke slowed to a stop in front of it.

“Looks like we have to climb.”

The sand made the task much more difficult than he’d been expecting. He had Tess go first, and she leaned over in front of him on all fours, clawing more than climbing as she made her way up.

“Hey, careful,” said Luke. “You’re kicking sand into my face.”

“You’re the one who wanted me to go first!” Tess shifted and her foot hold crumbled.

“Whoops!”

Tess fell backward, directly into him. Luke blushed as she collided with him and his hands made contact with her breasts in his clumsy attempt to stop her from falling. They tumbled for a moment before he was able to stop the momentum down the sandy cliff.

“Nice going.” He gently nudged Tess in the shoulder. She reached over and poked him in the ribs.

“I’m sorry! This cliff is really steep!” She rolled her eyes and then pulled her staff off her back. “Let’s try a new tactic.”

Tess glowed blue for a moment, and then bright white light washed over the both of them.

“Haste,” she said. “We should be able to run it if we get a decent start.”

She took Luke’s hand into hers, and the two of them charged up the cliff. The sand flew behind them as they sped back the steep incline. As they reached the crest gravity pulled back on them threatening to stop their momentum. They had just enough speed to make it over the edge.

The top of the sandy cliff gave way to a grassy knoll lightly adorned with various shrubs and bushes covered with an assortment of fruits and berries. Luke turned back in the direction they’d come from and caught his breath.

“Wow,” said Luke. “I never realized that there was such an elevation shift between the desert and jungle.”

The Sarchia Desert covered the majority of the south eastern part of the continent. Luke could see Dunidan’s Rest in the distance, a miniscule, walled settlement on the horizon. A couple of other zones in the desert had guild halls, but none of them were as developed as The Consulate’s base.

“It’s beautiful,” said Luke.

“This is where we live,” said Tess. She reached over and ran her hand through his hair and smiled. “Hey, I brought some of the vegetables that I’ve been growing on the farm with us. Do you want to stop for an early dinner?”

“Sure.” Luke saw that his stamina bar had been greatly depleted by the sand cliff.

Tess smiled and began pulling food out of her pack. Luke took a seat on the grass beside her and wiped his hands on his armor, hungrily eyeing her offerings.

“The Msitu Wilds are full of edible plants and herbs,” said Tess as they ate. “Look, there are Lenberries growing right here. And that’s Jessbark on the trees.”

“Not bad,” said Luke. “How high did you have to get in your herbalism skills to start spotting that stuff?”

“I don’t know, I’m not sure that’s it. “After a while, you just get a sense for the world. It’s easy to spot, even without high level skills.” Tess nibbled on a scone as she handed him a large, maroon colored fruit

Luke took a bite out of the fruit. Sweet, savory, citrus flavor, a cross between a tomato and a mango exploded into his mouth.

“Oh wow,” said Luke.

“I didn’t grow that one,” said Tess. “But I traded some of the stuff we did grow for-”

“Hold on.” Luke stood up, turning toward the jungle. “Do you smell that?”

Tess stopped eating and looked up.

“No,” she said. “What are you-”

The ground shook beneath their feet, only slightly at first. Luke grabbed Tess’s hand and pulled her away from the edge of the cliff.

“What’s going on?” she asked. Luke shook his head.

There was a flash of red and orange light originating from deep within the jungle. A second later, the two of them were tossed into the air as the earth jumped underneath their feet. An explosive boom came from the jungle along with it, loud enough to make Luke’s ears ring and force his heart to skip a beat.

“Luke!” Tess helped him to his feet.

“That…” Luke stared off into the jungle. “Oh my god…”

A thick plume of smoke was rising from the Misitu Wilds, not far away from where he and Tess stood. There was something else that Luke could hear, more and more clearly as his hearing began to return.

Those are screams.

“Come on!” He grabbed Tess’s hand and pulled her forward into the jungle. “We have to hurry!”

The jungle foliage was dense and made travel difficult. Luke pulled out his sword, doing his best to chop a path through the vegetation as they went. Tess followed close behind him, spells at the ready and staff in hand.

After a couple of minutes, the two spilled out into a tiny clearing and saw that a small farm, three buildings and a couple of wheat fields, was on fire. Far off in the background Luke and Tess could see Shahidi’s Vengeance, the volcano’s crater dripping with lava.

“Help!” An old man was standing outside of one of the burning buildings. “Please, help!”

Luke sprinted over.

“Is anyone inside?” He stared at the building, the roof and walls were already almost consumed by the flames.

“My wife and daughter!” The old man was sobbing. “My… family.”

ELEMENTAL INFUSION: ICE

Wielding his magical, frozen sword, Luke chopped through the front door of the house. The heat of the flames was overwhelming, enough to make each step a feat of willpower. Luke spun his sword in fast circles, canceling out flames wherever the blade touched them.

“Luke!” Tess was screaming from outside. “It’s too late, Luke!”

The fire licked at the exposed sections of Luke’s skin as he forced himself deeper into the death trap. There was a doorway in the back of the room, blocked by fallen beams. Through it, he could see a burning human figure, poised as though to shield another smaller figure from the flames.

God damn it…

The building creaked and Luke was forced back by a wave of heat. The roof in the second room collapsed, burying both figures in burning wooden shards. Luke’s arm caught fire, and a hole formed in the floor underneath him.

Bright white light hit Luke from the side, damaging his health bar but also knocking him through a weakened section of the burning wall. He instinctively began rolling in the grass, putting out flames that he hadn’t even realized were burning on his body.

“Fuck…” Luke took a deep breath and sat up. “They’re still in there! I have to-”

“Luke…” Tess was frowning, on the verge of tears as she walked over to him. “They’re gone, Luke.”

Fire completely engulfed the house and the entire structure collapsed in on itself. The fire burned even more intensely, forcing Luke and Tess further back. The old man was on his knees, slamming his fists into the ground his body racked with sobs.

“No…” The man shook his head and shuddered. “No! This can’t be…”

I couldn’t do anything… If I’d just been a moment quicker, acted a little bit sooner…

“Please…” The old man had made his way over to Luke. Tess watched him carefully, as though she was treating him as a threat in his grief crazed state of mind. “Please, traveler…”

“I… I did the best that I could,” said Luke.

“They’re gone…” The old man slapped his hand against his head several times in quick succession. “My family is gone, and it’s all because of the demon. Please, if you have any sympathy for me at all… find Shahidi.”

“What?” Luke shook his head in confusion.

“The volcano is a cursed formation. The demon controls the eruptions.” The old man’s eyes were full of angry, unbridled intensity. “Shahidi claims to take vengeance, but for what? In reality it just kills, and creates ruin!”

“The demon…” said Luke. “What is it? Why is it doing this?”

The old man shook his head.

“Please,” said the man. “Do it for my family. Do it for the other settlers, the other lives that it’ll destroy for its own entertainment.”

QUEST ACCEPTED: The Vengeance of Shahidi

Is this the quest that Kaoru was talking about?

“We were planning on heading up there anyway,” said Tess. “I guess we could-”

“You don’t know me, and I don’t know you!” The old man grabbed Luke by the shoulders. “But that was my… my family.”

For a moment, it looked as though the man was going to say something else, but his face twisted into emotion, and his hands slipped from Luke. He stared down at the ground numbly and said nothing more.

“We have to keep going,” said Luke, standing up.

“Is it alright for us to just leave him here?” asked Tess.

Luke stared back at what was left of the burning building and felt a lump form in his chest.

“We’ll check in on him on our way back,” said Luke. “Once we’ve found what we’re looking for.”

And once I’ve administered justice on this family’s behalf.

The man’s sobs could still be heard as Luke and Tess made their way forward, deeper into the Msitu Wilds. Shahidi’s Vengeance loomed on the horizon, the crater glowing an ominous red and spewing black smoke into the sky.

“There’s so much death, Luke. Everywhere we look.” Tess pulled in a little closer to him, grabbing onto his arm. “And now we have to climb to the top of… that.”

Luke nodded and hugged her reassuringly.

“We’ll be fine,” he said. “We can do this.”

“That poor man…” Tess looked over her shoulder back at the farm they’d left behind. “His grief seemed so real.”

“He’s an NPC, Tess,” said Luke. “And he’s part of this quest. I’m not sure if it’s something we should read too deeply into.”

“We were talking to him, Luke, and he was talking back to us.” Tess sounded as though she was working something out for herself with her words, gently musing her way into a better understanding of the world.

She has a point.

“If he had told us that he was a player, would we have believed him, and accepted it?” Tess’s question came out as no more than a shaky whisper. “What’s the difference between us and him? Between… me, and him?”

Instead of answering her with words, Luke pulled Tess a little closer to him and planted a kiss on her head.

The ground began to slope up sharply. Luke was surprised that they hadn’t encountered any enemies, given how perilous the Msitu Wilds usually were.

Is it the smoke, or something else?

Slowly, the vegetation and trees began to thin out. The ground turned to hard, porous obsidian as Luke and Tess stepped out of the jungle and onto the caldera of the volcano.

“Oh my god…” Tess squeezed his arm, and Luke understood exactly why. The sky above them had turned blood red, broken up by clouds of smoke floating around the volcano’s crater.

The path in front of them was studded with large boulders, sections of the volcano blown apart by prior eruptions. It was going to be a difficult climb, and something began rushing toward them from out of the rocks that threatened to make it even more difficult.

“Look out!” Luke pushed Tess out of the way and unsheathed his sword just in time to counter an attack from what looked like a giant spider, jet black except for a single red line running across the back of its thorax.

DEATH SPINNER: A fire breathing species of Yvvarite spider found only on and around Shahidi’s Vengeance. Unlike many other varieties of spiders, it has a propensity for hunting in groups. Kills by wrapping its enemies in webbing, and then setting them aflame.

“Luke, there’s more of them!” Tess waved her hand wildly at two more Death Spinners approaching from his other side. Luke moved to finish off the first one, but it wrapped his foot in webbing, tripping him up.

CONJURE SWORD 3

MIRROR IMAGE 3

With three copies and three swords, Luke was still able to attack and defend as the arachnids moved in for the kill. Each of the ethereal copies could take a single hit for him, blocking damage like shields that would shatter in the name of protection.

Damn it, these things are fast!

He tried to attack each one of the Death Spinners with a conjured sword, but they were too agile for it to be an effective strategy. Instead, he set all three of them on the first spider, the one he’d already damaged. Two of them found their mark, skewering the monster to the ground. With his physical sword he finally managed to cut loose the webbing restraining his feet.

“Luke!” Tess was casting her offensive holy magic wildly as the other two Death Spinners descended on her. It didn’t appear to be doing much, and the spiders launched their webbing at her in response, wrapping her up into a silken cocoon before Luke could run to her aid.

I can’t lose!

PIERCE ATTACK 3

Luke launched forward, striking one of the Death Spinners attacking Tess and putting himself in between her and the other. The closest spider leapt into the air. Luke raised his sword to counter, but it flew over him instead, spraying flames from a tiny opening near its mouth.

“Aaagh!” Luke’s health dropped to half of its maximum, and continued dropping as the flames on his back sapped away at his health. Something clicked in his head, and he remembered his newest combat ability.

HOLY REGENERATION

The spell would heal him over time, regenerating his health at a slow, but constant rate. It was enough to counteract the flames, but Luke ducked into a combat roll to brush them out for good measure.

“Come on!” Luke screamed at the two remaining spiders. They approached him more warily than they had before. Luke pulled his conjured swords back to him and began spinning them around his body, creating a whirling shield of blades.

One of the Death Spinners leapt toward him, immediately followed by the other. Luke still had all three of his mirror images left, and he turned so that the attacks landed on them instead. Immediately he countered, striking each of the spiders once with his own sword and three times over again with his magical blades.

And that was it. Luke didn’t waste any time, rushing over to Tess and cutting her out of the web cocoon. She took a deep breath of fresh air as soon as her face was clear and then coughed.

“That was disgusting!” she cried. “Oh my god, I can never let that happen again!”

Luke smiled at her.

“Well, you better try to be a bit quicker on your feet then!”

Tess hit his shoulder playfully.

“Come on,” he said, helping her to her feet. “We have to keep moving.”

CHAPTER 14

The mountainous volcano grew even steeper as Luke and Tess continued to climb. The rock underneath their feet was warm. It felt almost alive. The sky was dark, but with all the smoke, it was hard to tell if the sun had set.

“Careful, now.” Luke reached his arm down to help Tess up over a jagged rock ledge.

“Thanks,” she said. “We’re… almost to the top.”

Luke nodded.

“Yeah,” he said. “Get ready.”

The second to last section leading to the summit and crater was a sheer cliff face. Luke went first, finding grips and handholds to pull himself up. It wasn’t a long climb, but it was difficult, and he waited for Tess to follow before getting too far ahead.

Again, he reached down and pulled her up the last few feet. Sweat was dripping from his brow, and it wasn’t from the exertion of the climb.

It’s hot up here, too hot for us to stay for long.

“What… what are those?” Tess pointed toward several lumps scattered across the ground between them and the lip of the crater. Each one was in the shape of a body bag, with scorched silken webbing in the place of fabric.

“Just ignore them,” said Luke. “We need to keep moving.”

There are bodies inside them. Tess doesn’t need to see that.

The two walked forward slowly, coming to a stop a half dozen meters from the crater. Smoke obscured their sight. They were unable to see what lurked on the edge. Luke nodded to Tess, letting his eyes tell her of the danger he expected to find. Then, he began walking forward.

Immediately he was enveloped in a screen of smoke, so thick he couldn’t see his hand in front of him. Tess chanted behind him, and a strong gust of wind blew it out of the way, letting them see what was hidden behind it.

A tiny boy, no older than seven or eight, sat with his legs hanging over the lip of the crater. He turned to face them as they approached. His face appeared mournful and he looked at them with bright, orange eyes.

“What are you doing here?” Though he spoke softly, his voice was clear and carried on the air like the smoke billowing from the volcano.  “Leave me alone!”

“Is this…” Luke’s voice trailed off as two new enemies flew up through the volcano’s opening, each one the size of a large horse.

VENGE DRAKE: The juvenile version of a Venge Dragon. Powerful enemies that often stalk the jungles of the Msitu Wilds from the air. It is suspected that they can draw sustenance from intense heat sources, as well as from the flesh of their prey.

“Look out, Luke!” Tess let out a scream as one of them dipped low, lunging claws aimed at Luke’s head. Luke rolled out of the way just in time.

The Venge Drakes had two broad wings along with a set of two smaller ones that jutted out of their backs. Their eyes were blood red, and out of their razor toothed mouths flicked long, whip like tongues. With each breath they took, the scaled skin of their neck inflated like a set of bellows.

This is more than we can handle!

Luke looked over at Tess. Her eyes were set and determined, and she held her staff with confidence, her posture alert.

Four Death Spinners crawled out from the crater, one after another. The Venge Drakes took off into the air as the spiders began to attack. Luke knew that he had to immediately dispatch the spiders if they were going to stand a chance against the Venge Drakes.

MIRROR IMAGE 3

ELEMENTAL INFUSION: ICE

CONJURE SWORD 3

HOLY REGENERATION

Activating all of his passive combat abilities at once was a gamble. Luke’s magicka bar was completely drained, and it took too long to refill for him to be able to count on using any other abilities during the battle.

The lead Death Spinner landed in front of him. Luke swung his sword down and stabbed into it with the three conjured swords, all of them faintly glowing with light blue freeze magic. His attacks struck true and it fell.

Unfortunately, the move also left him open. Two of the Death Spinners launched their webbing at him. Luke spun, letting his mirror images deflect the attacks. One of the Venge Drakes landed and blasted fire from its throat, taking out his last mirror image and singeing his arm as he desperately rolled away to the right.

“Tess!” shouted Luke. “Get to safety!”

The Venge Drake on the ground had cut him off from her. It moved to follow up its last attack, hopping forward and clawing at Luke. He dodged and struck back four times, once with each sword.

That only took out a quarter of its health, even with the ice infusion.

Tess let out a determined battle cry from behind him. She was shooting holy energy out of her staff at one of the Death Spinners, both of her legs partially wrapped by the webbing of another.

Luke spent an instant too long watching her, and the claws of the airborne Venge Drake raked across his back. He fell to the ground, using two of his conjured swords to block a follow up attack. Both of the blades shattered from the damage of the blow.

And now I’m down to just two swords…

Luke pulled his last magical blade into his free hand and dropped into a fighting crouch. Both of the Venge Drakes were baring down on him, gaining confidence as Luke’s own began to fade.

Tess was faring better than he was. Only one Death Spinner was left, and she was dodging its webbing and fire breath with ease.

“Hang in there, Luke!” She looked away from her opponent for a second and cast a spell on him.

Haste… Perfect choice.

Luke moved with magically enhanced speed, dodging the attack of the first Venge Drake and retaliating with simultaneous strikes from his swords. The other one blasted fire into his path, but he rolled out of the way and back to his feet with agile ease.

He lunged at the second Venge Drake, wishing he had enough magicka left to pull off a Pierce Attack. The Venge Drake took to the air. Luke didn’t have time to get a look at where it was going as another attack landed on his shoulder, painfully tearing his arm open and rendering it almost useless. His health was down to just a third of its maximum, and now he could only wield his physical sword.

“Luke!” Tess called out to him, and he looked over to see her with her staff pointed at the Venge Drake in front of him. He dropped to the ground, and a spear of white light blasted into the creature, piercing one of its wings.

Now’s my chance!

Luke leapt into the air and landed on its back, striking wildly with his sword. He did his best to wrap his injured arm around the drake’s neck. It bucked, knocking him backwards, but he managed to get a hand on the crook of its wing as it took flight.

The Venge Drake could fly only so high with Luke as a passenger. It focused more on trying to knock him off than gaining height. Luke’s heart raced, and he debated whether or not to continue attacking the beast in flight, risking death for the sake of finishing it off.

This is not good…

Below him, Tess had finished off the other injured Venge Drake, along with the last Death Spinner. Suddenly Luke’s unwilling mount dove toward her. It twisted through the air, turning the both of them upside down and making Luke feel like he was clinging to a roller coaster. He focused, aided by Tess’s haste spell, and used his sword to spear it through the head just before it overtook her.

LEVEL 18 ATTAINED

The Venge Drake spasmed and crashed into the ground. Luke was thrown off, and bounced across the obsidian surface of the volcano, coming to a stop only inches from the edge.

“Wow…” he said, shaking his head.

“Oh my god...” Tess hurried over, casting a healing spell as she kneeled down next to him. “Are you okay?”

Luke nodded, and slowly stood up. The fight was over, but they could hear a soft, constant noise filling the air. The boy hunched a short distance away, quietly crying and wiping his tears.

This can’t be… Please tell me this little boy isn’t…

“I know why you’re here.” The boy spoke in a tremored voice, as though he was shivering in the cold. “You’re here to kill me.”

Luke swallowed, and looked over at Tess. She was staring at the child with concerned, motherly eyes.

“Are you Shahidi?” asked Luke. He didn’t want to know the answer, even as the words left his mouth.

The boy nodded.

“I’ve been here for a long time,” he said. “My parents brought me here. They pushed me into the hole.”

Luke took a deep breath and shook his head.

“Tess… I can’t.” He chewed on his lip and shook his head, avoiding the eyes of the child. “I can’t do it.”

“They did it because they were sad, I think.” Shahidi was staring off into the bottom of the volcano’s crater. “Everybody was sad when it happened. They thought it would fix things.”

He was… a sacrifice?

“Luke, we should just go.” Tess dug her fingers into his arm and shook her head. “There has to be another way.”

“No, please…” Shahidi let out a heart wrenching sob and pulled his legs into his chest. “Please don’t leave me. I want you to… to do it.”

Luke stiffened at the boy’s words. The ground underneath him began to shake, just like it had before. Suddenly, the only thing he was concerned about was either getting Tess to safety, or…

“I’m doing this,” said Shahidi. “And I’m not going to stop unless you make me. Please… I don’t want to have to hurt people anymore.”

“Shahidi, you don’t have to do this!” Luke walked toward him with his hand outstretched. “There must be another way!”

“My Mom came back up here, after I’d been thrown down into the hole.” Shahidi’s intense orange eyes quivered, and tears flowed down his cheeks. “I didn’t mean to hurt her! I couldn’t stop it!”

The shaking grew stronger. Luke looked over at Tess, hoping that she’d say something, or do something, to make his decision easier. She avoided his gaze, turning around completely.

“Please, Shahidi!” cried Luke.

“You’re here for the Elemental Well.” Shahidi walked forward, bringing himself up to the tip of Luke’s outstretched sword. “I don’t want the two of you to die.”

What is going on?

Heat began to push out from the volcano’s crater. The ground danced underneath Luke’s feet, and a light plume of lava and smoke belched from the magma chamber’s depths into the air. Tess screamed.

Luke met Shahidi’s eyes, still full of innocence and indomitable youth. The boy stepped forward, pushing his chest against the sharp tip of Luke’s sword.

No…

Luke wanted to pull back. He wanted to sheath his blade, and made a hopeless attempt at getting down the volcano’s face before the lava overtook them. He wanted to pretend like there was another way for him and Tess to escape from the situation alive.

He didn’t want the boy to die. But as Shahidi pushed himself forward onto his blade, Luke kept it held where it was.

“No,” said Tess. “No, no, no!”

The boy took another step, and this time Luke pushed forward too, tears dripping down his cheeks.

“Thank you,” whispered Shahidi. He fell forward against Luke’s blade and then slipped off, blood the color of lava spilling from the mortal wound.

Is this really a quest? To go to the top of a volcano and kill a child?

Luke looked over at Tess. She wouldn’t meet his gaze.

A bright light appeared from the edge of the volcano in front of them. It wasn’t from the lava. A circular seal formed on the ground. It looked like the rune circle in Kantor, except it was blue instead of white

“That has to be the Elemental Well,” shouted Luke. “Tess…”

He wanted to die. He was just an NPC.

Luke couldn’t stop himself from tearing down his own rationalizations and leaning into his guilt. He forcefully sheathed his sword and then walked over to Shahidi’s body. It was glowing bright orange, and even as Luke cradled the boy in his arms, his body began to disappear.

“Step into the circle, and claim the Elemental Well, hero.” A feminine voice boomed in the air around them. Luke couldn’t tell if it was coming from the volcano, or the sky, or the fabric of space itself. He slowly stood to his feet.

Tess was still silent behind him. It was too much for Luke to look back at her after what he’d done. Instead, he walked forward, shielding his eyes from the intensity of the light as he stepped into the circle.

Instantly, he was transported to another realm. All Luke could see was white, in every direction. The ground beneath him felt insubstantial. Ahead of him stood a woman wearing the plain clothing that all Yvvaros players started out wearing.

“Welcome, Hero,” said the woman, her voice again sounded as though it came from all directions at once.

“Where am I?” Luke blinked as he looked around in awe. He felt as though he was hallucinating, with any sense of control that he might have had was robbed from him and replaced with incomprehensible images. The white light around him shifted and swirled as though it was partially sentient, the embodiment of the will of whatever entity had brought him there.

“I am the Universal Truth.” The woman’s voice was warm and soothing, but also measured and monotone. “This is my home.”

“Is this… part of the quest?” Luke shook his head.

This doesn’t feel right. Something is off, here.

“It never gets any easier, you know,” said the woman.

“What?”

“The boy’s death. You harbor much guilt. It is so difficult to act on behalf of the greater good.”

“I didn’t want to do it,” said Luke. “What choice did I have? I… I…”

I killed him.

“He felt peace in the final moments,” said the woman. “He was tortured by the memory of his parents sacrificing him to the volcano. He still remembered the look on their faces right as they pushed him over the lip.”

Can an NPC feel that much?

“Yes,” said the woman, as though answering his thoughts. “He was an innocent child, pure of heart, but cursed by evil. It was hard for me, too.”

Luke was confused, and on the verge of being sick to his stomach.

“Why?” he managed to ask. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I want you to know it,” she said. “I was as much his killer as you were.”

“I just…” Luke slowly dropped to his knees. “Wanted to help him…”

“Grieve however you must,” said the woman. “It’s my turn to help you, Luke.”

The realm shifted colors, turning from white to bright red.

“The axis of my world has been set askew.” The woman reached her hand out to him. “You must claim the Elemental Wells and return it to balance.”

“Wait!” yelled Luke.

“You have claimed this Elemental Well,” said the woman. “Find the other two Wells and restore the city of Markorin.”

Luke felt a strange new energy brewing inside of him. His field of vision filled with light, and a strange, lurching sensation washed over him.

“Save Yvvaros…”

CHAPTER 15

For a moment, everything felt far away. Luke could feel the hard ground underneath his back, and hear someone yelling to him from what sounded like afar.

“Luke! Please, wake up Luke!” Tess’s face was right in front of his. “Luke!”

“I’m… okay,” he muttered. “I’m sorry.”

He rubbed his head as he sat up. It felt as though he’d been asleep for a very long time, and his mind had to churn against the fog of fatigue. A red crystal lay on the ground behind him, and Luke picked it up, palming it in his hand.

An Elemental Crystal. I’ll need this to summon Makorin.

The level up icon continued to blink in the corner of his vision, and he quickly pulled out his character record and divided his five attribute points between only two stats.

Wisdom and Luck. I need both now more than ever.

“The volcano has calmed down…” said Tess. “I guess that did it.”

“Tess, I…” Luke shook his head, glancing over to the spot where Shahidi’s body had been. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to have to do it…”

Tess didn’t say anything. She met his eyes for a split second, and then shifted her gaze off into the distance. Luke took another few seconds to get his bearings and then stood up.

“I claimed the Elemental Well,” he said. “We can start heading toward the next one, up north.”

Tess still didn’t say anything. Luke walked over to her and set a hand on her shoulder.

“I know,” she finally whispered. “You… you didn’t have a choice.”

Luke sighed. He pulled her into a gentle hug for a moment and then began walking toward the rock cliff leading down.

I did have a choice, though. And I’m not sure if the one I made was right.

It took the two of them a bit longer to climb down from the top of the volcano. Most of the enemies had already been cleared out on their way, but the steepness of the path forced them to take each step with care.

The sky slowly began to clear of smoke. It was nighttime, and the stars and moons were out, shining bright enough to illuminate their way.

Luke wanted Tess to understand why he’d done it, but the words just weren’t there. He wasn’t sure if he understood why he’d done it. Shahidi had only been a boy, not malicious or evil by any stretch of the imagination.

I killed him to save other people. Other players and other NPCs.

Luke made sure Tess was still close behind as he pushed into the final stretch of jungle between them and the Sarchia Desert. He spotted the farm almost immediately, and decided to cross through it again on their way by.

The old man was sprawled out next to the still smoldering ashes of his former home. A dagger was protruding from his stomach, and both of his hands were still locked in a death grip around it.

“He… killed himself,” said Luke, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Why…?” Tess took a step toward the corpse, and then collapsed to her knees. “Why would something like this be designed into the world?”

“I don’t know if it was,” said Luke. “He was so sad, maybe he just…”

Maybe his choice had something in common with Shahidi’s. They were both tortured by their memories, even as NPCs.

Luke stood behind Tess, gently rubbing her shoulders as the priestess silently shed tears on behalf of the tragedy. The overhanging jungle canopy cast shadows across the ruined farm, adding to the dark and foreboding atmosphere of the area.

“Come on,” said Luke. “We can’t stay here.”

He took her by the hand and continued through the jungle. He hurried, as though hoping to outpace his own emotions, and lead Tess in doing the same for hers. The entire jungle was alive with the noises of creatures and insects, but Luke ignored it.

They only stopped once they’d gotten back to the narrow strip of cleared land on the edge of the sand cliffs, where they had stopped for lunch. Luke gave Tess’s hand an encouraging squeeze and then sat down.

“We can set up the tent here for the night,” said Luke.

“Are you sure?” Tess asked, in a quiet, shaky voice. “We could just keep going.”

Luke looked at her, and saw the vulnerability in both her eyes and body language. He shook his head.

“No,” he said. “I think we need to get some sleep.”

Tess pulled out the small, collapsible, wooden stick and wolf skin tent that she’d brought with her in her satchel. Luke began setting it up, while she pulled out a couple of food items for dinner.

They ate quickly, and then unrolled their bedrolls inside the tent. Luke wasn’t sure about how much time they had until morning, but it didn’t matter.

“Tess,” he said, leaning in close to her. “I have to log out now, so I can eat and get some sleep in…”

In real life? How can I say that to her? This is her real life…

Tess nodded and smiled at him solemnly.

“I know,” she said. “It’s fine. I’ll be safe here.”

She brushed a couple strands of hair out of her face and then turned toward the edge of the sand cliffs. The azure blue moon was low on the horizon, shining its light with a deliberate intensity.

“It should be at least four or five hours before sunrise in-game,” said Luke. “I mean… In Yvvaros.”

Tess nodded to him without turning around. Her actions tugged at Luke’s heart strings a bit more than he’d thought it would.

Between what happened on top of the volcano and this… It’s like I’m pushing her away without being able to stop myself.

“Tess, after we’re done claiming the Elemental Wells…” Luke walked up behind her and pulled her into a soft reverse hug. “And after we’ve stopped the Arbiters, I want us to go somewhere quiet, and peaceful.”

Tess leaned her head back against his chest.

“I’d like that,” she said.

“Remember that day right after we’d first met?” Luke smiled. “After we met in Yvvaros, I mean.”

Tess nodded.

“The time we were up on the hill,” she whispered. “It was peaceful, and quiet.”

Luke leaned in and kissed her. She let herself be held by him for a moment, and then gently pushed him away.

“You should go,” she said. “There are still things you need to do in the outside world for us to get those kinds of moments back.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Don’t forget about what Kaoru asked you to do,” said Tess. “About finding your dad.”

Luke sighed, and then nodded slowly.

I won’t forget, though I wish I could. I’m not sure if finding my dad is going to do any good.

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll see you first thing tomorrow, Tess.”

She smiled at him.

“Bye, Luke.”

He pulled his character record from his satchel. Tess turned away from him and walked back over to the tent, sliding inside of it and out of his field of view. The scene was a lonely one, and almost painful for him to watch. His fingers slowly signed his name in the log book, and Luke was back in his room.

Before moving from his seat, he took a second to let his mind catch up with everything that had happened. They were making progress with the plan and pushing forward. It wasn’t easy, but Luke had never expected it to be.

I’m doing it for Tess. I’m doing it so that she can really, truly be safe.

Luke pulled the VR headset off and then slowly stood up, his legs half asleep and full of aches. It was almost the same time in the real world as it had been in Yvvaros, midway through the night. The lights in the house were all switched off and he had to fumble his way over to his bed to flick on his lamp.

I need to eat and I need to sleep. My needs in the real world have become mechanical.

He took his phone out of his pocket as he started downstairs. The email notification flashed along the top and he tapped it open to find a new message waiting for him in his inbox.

Hey Kato,

Here’s the decryption software you need to crack open that zip. It’s brute force, but still shouldn’t take more than a few hours on your computer, as long as your dad didn’t get too outlandish with his password.

Kaoru

Luke stopped and turned back to his room. Eating could wait. If there was any chance of the information on the drive being mission pertinent and time sensitive, even a couple of minutes could make a difference.

He opened the email on his laptop and installed the software. It was one of the first times he’d used it for something other than Yvvaros in a while. Once the program was loaded, he opened it, plugged in the USB drive, and then selected the zip file. It didn’t give him an estimate of how long it would take, but that didn’t surprise him.

I’ll get some food, get some sleep, and check on it in the morning.

There was almost no food left in the kitchen. Luke cringed as he pulled out a loaf of bread, discovering that a thick layer of mold had formed across the top crust. He ended up munching on dry, stale cereal, washing it down with water and wishing that it tasted half as good as the food in Yvvaros.

Luke headed back upstairs. He headed into the bathroom to take a shower, turning on the water only to find that it didn’t run hot. Without his dad around, the bills weren’t being paid, and that meant that the propane for the hot water heater wasn’t being refilled.

How long will it be until we lose electricity, too? What am I going to do about this?

He gritted his way through an ice cold shower, and headed back into his room with traces of shampoo still clinging to his hair. The program was still running, efficiently racing through passwords at inhuman speeds.

Luke climbed into bed and closed his eyes. His mind was still active, and even after taking a couple of deep breaths to clear it of thoughts, he still felt his heart racing.

Is Tess sleeping in Yvvaros right now? Curled up all by herself, in the tent?

Minutes went by, possibly more than an hour. Luke couldn’t sleep. He sat up in bed and squinted over at his laptop screen across the room.

The program was still, no longer cycling through passwords as it had before. Luke climbed out of bed, feeling the cool night air against his bare chest. He walked over to the laptop and saw that the archive had been unzipped to a folder. A single text file was inside of it.

New Office Shipping List

Luke double clicked on it. It popped open immediately, and he began parsing through it. As the title suggested, it was a long list of computer supplies, office equipment, and notes about renovations. What caught his eye was the street address at the top, above the list.

135 Hartman Road, Suite 209

He didn’t need the city or state along with it to know exactly what it referred to. Hartman Road was only a couple of miles away from his house. If his dad had a personal office, separate from Gamesoft’s main headquarters, it was an ideal location for it.

Luke tapped on the side of his desk and chewed on his lower lip.

If I’m not going to get any sleep tonight anyway, I might as well…

Ten minutes later, he was dressed and on his way out the door. His phone was at a quarter charge, but he knew the route without needing to rely on his GPS.

Streetlights ran up and down the street that he lived on. There was just enough light pollution in the sky to block out the stars. After becoming so familiar with the glory of the bright, decorated night sky of Yvvaros, it felt a little strange to have a dull, grey, empty slate overhead.

Luke had forgotten just how quiet the town was during the night. He walked down the street with quick steps, the sound of each one echoing a little beyond what felt appropriate. Luke brushed by a bush growing through a chain fence on his way around the corner, and a dog started barking from within a nearby house.

There are always players out in Yvvaros, even at night.

The trip out to Hartman Road took him away from the suburbs and into the town’s small industrial area. The lamp lights grew few and far between, and for the final stretch, Luke was using the flashlight on his phone to make his way forward.

135 Hartman Road was a medium sized office building, only three floors high but long and rectangular. The double doors out front were made of glass and securely locked. Luke briefly considered smashing a rock through before thinking better of it.

There must be a side door, or an unlocked window, or something.

He looped around the building slowly. The pavement was cracked and studded with potholes, and broken glass bottle shards glittered faintly under the light of his phone.

There was a door in the back of the building, and unfortunately, it was also locked. Right next to it was a handicapped door with an electronic open button at waist level. He tried opening it, finding that it was also locked, and then pushed the button on a hunch.

The door slowly opened. Luke juked a fist in the air and quietly walked into the building. A bulletin board was directly to the right of the entrance, with dozens of pamphlets and advertisements pinned to it. To Luke’s left was an ancient looking wooden staircase.

Suite 209… That’s on the second floor.

He started up the stairs slowly, silently cursing as each step creaked underneath his weight. The one possibility that he hadn’t considered, hadn’t even really bothered with, suddenly began rattling around in his head.

What if dad is here? What if this is where he’s been hiding out for the past ten days?

Luke couldn’t decide whether the idea made him eager or anxious. He took slow breaths through his nose as he continued up, stepping off into the hallway after making it up the first flight.

The hallway was only dimly lit by the occasional strip of light poking out from one of the rental spaces. Luke tried to walk by those doors with even more care, keeping his steps as silent as he could.

Suite 209 was at the end of the hall. There was no light coming from underneath the door. Luke took a deep breath, and then tried the door handle. It was locked.

I didn’t come this far just to give up after finding it.

He pulled an old, plastic gift card out of his pocket and slid it in against the door handle’s locking mechanism. It was the oldest trick in the book. Ben had taught it to him years ago after they’d been locked out of the house by Emily after a late night out.

It took Luke a minute, but it worked perfectly, popping the door open with little more than a click. He slipped in through it and closed it behind him, straining to find a light switch in the darkness.

It was a few inches away from the door, and Luke flicked it up as soon as his fingers touched it. The room… wasn’t what he’d been expecting.

Compared to the way his father had lived at the house, a volatile tornado of alcohol and chaos, the office didn’t fit at all. It was clean and cared for. Even the garbage can next to the door had been recently emptied.

The only pieces of furniture in the room were a desk, an office chair, and a filing cabinet. A computer was set up on top of the desk, with a neat mousepad to the side of it and a printer poking out of an open compartment underneath. There was no closet, and the room was perfectly square, no more than twelve feet across in either direction.

Why would he need an office like this? It’s too neat, too simple.

Luke walked over to the computer and sat down at it. The chair was a couple of inches too high for him, and he lowered it down before pressing the power button on the desktop. It booted up quickly, and he stared into the login screen, scratching his head.

He went through every password he could think of, including the one that had given him access to his dad’s laptop less than a dozen days earlier. Nothing worked. Luke tapped his finger on the desk in frustration and tried to think outside the box.

There has to be something…

He tore through his father’s desk, finding nothing more than pens and paper clips. He stood up from the chair and paced around the room, wondering how often his dad had done the same thing.

There was a photo on the window sill that Luke hadn’t noticed when he’d come in. It was one of the few of the entire family, taken on a trip to the beach they’d gone on when he was just a boy. Luke stared into the eyes of his four year old self. His parents were both smiling, and warmth radiated out from the scene.

I’ve almost forgotten what she looked like. She was beautiful.

Luke sighed and set the photo down. A single happy memory wasn’t enough to outweigh all of the shame and guilt he felt over his mother’s death. It was because of that guilt that he’d never questioned his father’s brooding, volatile outbursts.

Maybe it was finally too much for him in the end, and that was why he left.

He picked the picture back up, carefully plucked the photo out of the frame, and tucked it into his pocket. Then, feeling a sudden frustration welling up inside of him, he flung the frame across the room, into the waste basket.

The little metal bucket tipped to the side as the picture frame landed in it. Luke started toward the door and then stopped, noticing a crumpled piece of paper that had slipped down behind the waste basket. Luke walked over to it and picked it up, smoothing it out enough to read the hastily scribbled message.

Chris,

I get why you’re doing what you’re doing, and I won’t try to stop you. If you’re right, nothing will ever be the same, and it’s only a matter of time before it happens.

The world state server outside of Plattsburgh is the one you’d want them to secure first. Make sure they don’t touch anything. The government has a way of inadvertently fucking up everything it touches.

It won’t end with this, Chris. I believe you when you say you have to do this, but the problem is bigger than us.

Stay safe, and please, try not to self-destruct.

Josh

Luke stared at the note, turning the words over again and again in his head.
It was exactly what he needed, but something about the tone of it made the words sound prophetic and frightening.

He folded the note, slipped it into his pocket against the picture, and then left the office.

CHAPTER 16

The sun was rising by the time Luke began to make his way back home. He didn’t feel tired, rather, he felt out of place. The shadows no longer hid the fact that he was operating outside of the bounds of regular society. He felt like a stranger in a land that had once been familiar.

He was planning it from beginning. The government, the Arbiters… is it really all because of my father?

Luke frowned. The note had only left him with more questions. It was exactly what they needed. It would allow them to narrow their search to a single city. And yet, the vague and ominous undertone of it continued to gnaw at his psyche.

There was more to his father than what Luke saw on the surface. And there was more to Yvvaros, too.

Dawn had fully arrived by the time Luke made it home. He went straight to his room and pulled his headset on.

It was already mid-morning in Yvvaros. Luke was right where he’d been before logging out. The tent still stood a few feet away from him. The only thing different about their campsite was the fact that Tess wasn’t in it.

He spun around, looking down the sand cliff and then back into the Msitu Wilds.

“Tess?” He started toward the jungle. “Hello? Tess?”

There was no response.

“Tess!” Luke sprinted toward the path they’d taken to get up. Panic fluttered inside his chest, and he only took the time to push the foliage out of his face before running forward. He was moving so fast that he couldn’t stop in time, and crashed into the familiar figure stepping out of the bushes. Luke fell forward on top of Tess, pinning her against a small patch of flowers.

“Ow, jeez, Luke!” Tess pushed him up slightly and rubbed a hand on her head. “Watch where you’re going, why don’t you?”

“Sorry…” He pulled himself off of her and climbed to his feet. “I just thought…”

I just thought the worst. I thought I’d failed again, at protecting her.

Tess dusted herself off as she stood up and then plucked one of the flowers from the patch and tossed it to Luke, winking.

“If only you had some way of making it up to me, a gift perhaps.”

Luke smiled.

“Here,” he said, “Have this.”

He took the flower and tucked it into her hair. Tess leaned in and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. A warm wind blew from the desert, tugging at the hem of Tess’s armor. “We should probably get going soon,” said Tess. “The next Elemental Well is in the far north, on the far edge of the Blue Void.”

Luke nodded.

“Yeah,” he said. “I just need to send a private message to Kaoru.”

“Okay. I’ll start tearing down the tent.”

Luke pulled out a page of parchment from his bag and a quill. He began to pen the note, feeling Tess’s eyes on him.

“You found something, didn’t you?” She crossed her arms and leaned over him, watching as he scribbled his message.

“Tess… I think we’re closing in on the world state server.” Luke smiled at her. “Kaoru’s plan might actually end up working.”

“You found your dad?”

Luke sighed, finishing the letter and signing his name at the bottom. It glowed white briefly and then disappeared into the air, destined for Kaoru’s satchel.

“No, I found his office,” he said. “I don’t know where he is. I don’t really care where he is.”

“Oh.” Tess set a hand on his shoulder. “Sorry…”

“It’s okay,” said Luke. He walked over to the tent and started helping her tear it down, passing her the bedding and poles. “My life in the outside world… It doesn’t really matter anymore.”

Tess’s eyes saw right through him, disregarding his words.

“I don’t think that’s true,” she said. “I think it matters more now than ever.”

Luke didn’t say anything. They folded the tent’s canopy and slipped it into Tess’s bag. Luke started off, walking along the edge of the sand cliff to the north instead of straight down.

“What about you then?” asked Luke.

“Me?” Tess chuckled. “I don’t have a life in the real world anymore, in case you forgot.”

“I know,” said Luke. “I just mean… you left your life behind. Why shouldn’t I?”

“I didn’t have much to leave behind, Luke.”

“You had Ben.”

Tess was the one who went silent this time. The two of them reached the bottom of the slope, passing out of the borderlands and into the Sarchia Desert. Their path would take them northwest across the desert and the Inner Plains.

“I still have Ben,” said Tess, finally. “Silverstrike.”

“Tess, he’s still Ben in the real world.” Luke looked over at her. “And Ben needed you. He still needs you. Not Silverstrike.”

The second the words had left his mouth, Luke regretted them.

Damn it, I didn’t mean to sound so accusational.

“My brother barely even talked to me before,” said Tess.

“Ben’s just… confused.” Luke stepped in closer to her and slipped her arm through his as they made their way across the sandy, dune speckled landscape. “He doesn’t understand the full extent of what it means for someone to go all in.”

“Neither do I, Luke. Neither do any of us.”

A Dunidan rumbled the sand underneath them, surfacing in the next zone over. Luke paid it almost no attention, completely drawn into the conversation with Tess.

“What do you mean by that?” asked Luke.

Tess leaned in a bit closer to him and set her free hand on the outside of his looped arm.

“I’ve just had a lot of time to think lately,” she said. “And I keep coming back to the same thing. How deeply does Yvvaros simulate people who don’t have bodies and brains in the outside world anymore? Is it at the same level that it simulates NPCs? What level is that… sometimes when I’m talking with an NPC I almost forget that they’re just a programmed facet of the game.”

“Tess…”

“The simulation must have a limit. I’m in a simulated body, but is it actually made of cells and atoms? Are there even neurons in my brain, or am I just floating digital thoughts, controlling an empty vessel of a body?”

How can I answer that?

“Luke, I feel like part of me…” Tess stopped, and blinked back tears. “I worry that part of me died in my physical body, and there’s no way I’ll ever get it back, or even understand what it was.”

“It almost sounds like you’re talking about your soul.” Luke shook his head. “Tess, I don’t care about any of that. I know that you’re you, the same Tess, or Emily, that I’ve always known.”

“But what if-”

“I know it for a fact,” countered Luke. “Here, give me your hand.”

The two of them stopped walking and stood still, coming to rest on top of a dune that was higher than the others in the area. Luke stared into Tess’s eyes, and waited until she was really seeing him, really looking back at him.

“When this is all over, I’m going to join you inside of Yvvaros. Permenantly.”

“Don’t say that, Luke,” said Tess. “Please, just don’t…”

“I’ve already said it. Tess, you didn’t give anything up by going all in. You just stepped through a door. I want to step through it, too. I want us to really be together.”

Tess looked down at her feet for a couple of seconds.

“Thank you, Luke,” she whispered. “Come on, we should keep moving.”

“I love you, Tess.”

She leaned into him and pulled him into a tight hug.

The Sarchia Desert slowly gave way to the green, grassy fields of the Inner Plains. Luke briefly considered leading them to a pit stop in Stark Town on their way north, and then decided against it.

We don’t have any time to waste. It’s also an unnecessary risk, with the Arbiters still on our tail.

Instead of stopping, he led the two of them around in a wide arc to the west. Luke was a little surprised to see that the Inner Plains were still teeming with new players, many of them fighting with the low level enemies that populated the grasslands.

“Apparently Arbiters and permadeath aren’t enough to scare them away,” said Luke.

“It’s the allure of the game.” Tess smiled and squeezed his hand. “They’re all so innocent, and so clueless. I almost wish I could go back to being like that.”

Luke shook his head.

“I don’t.”

A flock of birds flew overhead, diving and dodging, ignoring the overcast sky above their heads. The air tasted humid, hinting of rain to come.

It took Luke and Tess all of the afternoon to make it to the thin stretch of trees that separated the Inner Plains from the outskirts of the Blue Void. They had crossed the Inner Plains diagonally, reaching the western edge of the continent and traveling up the coast. Luke shivered remembering the last time he’d made this trip.

“Once we push through the trees, it’s going to start getting cold,” he said. “There is a small gap between where the Teeth of the North ends and the edge of the continent, so we should be able to head to the Ancestor Glacier without having to do anymore climbing.”

Tess nodded.

“Good,” she said.

The forest was thin, and occupied by only low level enemies. It wasn’t a challenge for Luke and Tess to push through. The trees grew stubbornly at constant odds with the harsh climate. Unlike the Msitu Wilds before, the flora of the northern forest was sparse and nonexistent in some places.

The first hint of what lay ahead of them came from the air. It grew colder with every step they took. Tess tucked her arms into her dress armor, and Luke started wishing that he’d used some of the gold that Kaoru had given him to buy furs and heavy cloaks for staying warm.

“It’s not that bad,” he said, shivering. “We’ll just head straight north, get to the Ancestor Glacier, and then turn back.”

“Right!” Tess’s teeth were chattering, and she pulled in a little closer to him.

The trees became even thinner and those that survived were stunted and gnarled. They grew further and further apart, and finally they hit the point beyond which nothing could grow. The ground ahead of them was dusted in a thin layer of snow and frost, and beyond that was white as far as the eye could see. The Teeth of the North formed a wall to the northeast, and further past it, jutting out above, was the massive Ancestor Glacier.

There’s no turning back. We have to do this.

CHAPTER 17

“It’s really cold…”

Tess huddled in closer to Luke as they moved into the Blue Void. The snow on the ground was quickly getting deeper as they passed from the borderlands into the northern reaches, licking at their knees. Snowflakes gently floated down from the clouds above, and a chilly breeze blew in from the west.

“Yeah, it is,” said Luke. “We should be fine though, as long as we keep moving.”

The cold was having more than just a physical effect. Both of their stamina bars were dropping much faster than usual. They still had food left in their bags, but Luke began to wish that they’d stopped in Stark Town after all.

“You’ve been up this way before, right?” asked Tess. Luke nodded.

“Only once,” he said. “It was for the Winter Beast world event.”

And that time, I ended up getting myself killed.

He frowned as he remembered the fight with the massive creature, and the traumatic experience of being torn in two.

“We just need to stick it out,” he continued. “Regardless of how bad it gets.”

The snow flurries grew stronger, to the point where the white flakes obscured the mountains in the distance. Luke looked over his shoulder at where the forest had been behind him and found that he couldn’t see it either.

“Luke…” said Tess. “It’s starting to get late.”

She was right. The sun was hidden by the thick snow clouds, but Luke could tell from the way the light was quickly dimming that they were running out of daylight.

“It’s okay,” he said. “We’ll manage.”

He reached his hand down and pulled his sword out of its scabbard.

ELEMENTAL INFUSION: FIRE

The blade came alive with magical orange flames, glowing brightly and giving off precious heat. Tess smiled and held her hands out over it, as though it were a campfire.

“Good thinking,” she said. “Here, my turn.”

She chanted something under her breath, and a circle of rainbow colored light pushed out from her body.

“Protection from the elements,” she said. “I’m not a high enough level for it to be all that protective, but it should help at least a little with the cold.”

“Thanks,” said Luke. The snow was getting deeper and it was beginning to affect their movement. Ahead of them, he could barely make out the edge of the Teeth of the North. To reach the Ancestor Glacier, they would have to cut beneath the range.

They traveled in relative silence for a couple of hours. Luke continually cast Elemental Infusion to keep them warm and light their way.  He had to eat frequently in order to restore the magicka it took to keep the spell burning. Their repeated stops added time to the arduous trek.

Even with the flaming sword for warmth and light, the journey was hard and grueling. Luke lost feeling in his feet, and he felt the cold wind its way toward his ankles.

We don’t have any other choice, but this is ridiculous.

“Luke,” whispered Tess. “I don’t know about this. Maybe we should turn back for tonight.”

“Tess, that’s not really an option at this point. We’re almost there, it’ll be okay.”

The ground sloped up slightly as they passed by the western edge of the Teeth. The mountain next to them was massive, but it was so covered with snow that it was almost impossible for them to get a true sense of scale.

“Wait!” Tess grabbed his hand and pulled him back a step. “Do you… do you hear that?”

Luke listened and heard a rumbling coming from the ground. It wasn’t like the shaking that had come from the eruption of Shahidi’s Vengeance. It felt active, and somewhat directional. The rumbling sound shifted and soon Luke heard what sounded like the waves of the ocean. He realized what it was a split second too late.

“Avalanche!” He lurched forward, doing his best to pull Tess with him through the waist deep snow. “Look out!”

The snow came down the west side of the nearby mountain with the force of a tsunami, pulling everything in its path with it. Luke could only see it as a ripple of movement in a sea of white, but the strengthening vibrations in the ground and air were enough to tell him everything he needed to know.

“Luke!” Tess’s hand broke away from his as the wall of snow struck them. Snow pushed into Luke’s mouth and ears, and he panicked, gripping his sword with both hands and swinging it wildly as he tumbled forward.

He was locked in place as the avalanche came to a stop. The snow extinguished the flames of his blade, which he still held over his head, as though readying it for a downward strike.

No! I need to move!

Luke struggled to pull his arms back, or push them forward. There was far too much snow packed around him to get even an inch of wiggle room.

ELEMENTAL INFUSION: FIRE

Luke’s sword ignited, and then swiftly extinguished. Panic began to strike in the depths of his heart, not for himself, but for Tess.

I can’t breathe, and that means neither can she.

Luke thrashed every muscle in his body as he tried to unwedge himself. He felt paralyzed. His movements were stifled and locked away, and claustrophobia was setting in fast.

His head began to ache, and splotches of light and stars flickered in front of his closed eyelids. Luke knew that he was about to pass out, and decided to try something desperate.

PIERCE ATTACK 3

The combat ability shifted him up a couple of inches, but then he slipped back down. The extra bit of space it had given him, however was all the encouragement he needed.

PIERCE ATTACK 3

This time, Luke made it up and halfway through to the surface, far enough up to move his arms above the snow. He coughed ice chunks out of his mouth and sucked in air as he clawed his lower body out.

“Tess! Tess!” He didn’t see her anywhere. Snow covered everything as far as the eye could see. The avalanche had created a hill underneath him. Luke stood up, his entire body tingling with the biting cold.

ELEMENTAL INFUSION: FIRE

Luke began cutting into the snow with his sword of fire, making sure to keep it from going too deep and extinguishing itself. He had only a short amount of time before Tess ran out of air, maybe a minute or two, at max. His infused blade could melt the snow quickly, but he had to be careful with it.

If I hit Tess, it’s just going to make my hand in her death even more active.

“Tess!” Luke let out a shaky breath as he hurried across the top of the avalanche hill, gingerly testing the snow with his sword. He needed to know where to dig, he hoped to see a scrap of her clothing, or her hand above the snow.

A minute went by. Luke still hadn’t found anything. The worst case scenario kept pushing its way into the forefront of his thoughts. If Tess was deep under the snow, he could dig for hours and still not stand a chance of uncovering her.

Suddenly, he received the sign he’d been looking for. Something that looked a bit like a tree root, or a stick, was poking out of the snow a few dozen yards behind him.

That’s got to be her staff!

The sun had dropped over the horizon, and it was hard to make out anything in the light of dusk, but he was sure of it. He reinfused his sword with fire and rushed over and then slowly slid it into the snow about a foot away from the staff.

Luke’s first impulse was to chop frantically and to get as much snow out of the way as he possibly could. But that would have been far too dangerous. Instead, he forced himself to act with patience, slowly melting the snow away with the sword while he dug in the direction of the staff with his free hand.

“Tess! Hang in there!” Luke had created enough room with his sword to let him dig faster with his hands. He tunneled into the snow like a dog digging a hole, following Tess’s staff down foot by foot.

His fingers touched hair, half frozen by the snow. Luke cried out and began digging around it, freeing her head after what felt like an eternity. Tess’s lips were blue, and she didn’t open her eyes as he wiped ice crystals off of them.

“I’m going to get you out, just hold on!”

Luke used his sword to widen the hole he’d made, and then dug his feet into the snow and began leveraging Tess out of the snowy tomb. She was light, but it was still a feat of strength. The snow was sticky and packed tight, and it clung to her as though it didn’t want to let go.

After a couple of minutes, he had her back on the surface. She was unconscious, and her entire body felt as cold as ice. Luke felt for a heartbeat, and was relieved and a little surprised to find one.

I never thought about whether or not the game simulated that before.

“Tess, hey…” He rubbed his hands on her cold cheeks, trying to warm her up. He knew that even though he’d pulled her from the avalanche, the cold was still draining her stamina at a dangerous pace. She was still in mortal danger, as long as she remained unconscious and unable to warm herself or eat.

“Don’t worry, Tess,” he said. “I’m going get you warmed up.”

Luke lifted Tess over his shoulder and carried her down from the snow hill, putting space in between them and further avalanches. After packing down a small area of snow he set her down and reached into her satchel for the tent. Snow was still falling overhead, and his first priority was shelter.

The tent went up easily, each of the poles digging into the snow without much trouble. Luke set down the animal skin carpet, and then covered the tent with the fabric canopy. Tess’s condition hadn’t changed, though the night had grown dark enough to make it hard for Luke to check.

He pulled her into the tent and tied the flap shut behind him. It wasn’t any warmer inside, but the cover it gave them from the snow was a start.

“I need to get you warmed up.” Luke lay down next to her and pulled her tight against him. “Tess… I’m not going to let you die.”

He knew what he had to do. Luke first took off his own leather armor, half frozen by the snow, and set it aside. Tess had a heavy wool blanket in her bag, large enough for two people, and Luke pulled it out.

“I hope you don’t get the wrong idea about this when you wake up,” muttered Luke. He forced himself to hurry through pulling her dress armor off, averting his eyes in respect for her modesty as much as he could. Then, he took his own clothes off, and hugged her naked body tightly as he wrapped the wool blanket around them.

It was still cold. The ground underneath them sapped at their heat even more than the air. Luke quickly set up a bed mat made of their clothes and then returned to the wool cocoon. It only helped so much.

I need more heat…

He’d set his sword aside in its scabbard not far from where they lay in the tent. Luke reached over, unsheathed it, and then held it clear from the fabric of the tent.

ELEMENTAL INFUSION: FIRE

The blade gave off light, heat, and luckily for them, no smoke. It was one of the upsides of using magic to create fire in the place of regular means.

Luke stabbed the sword a third of the way into the snow next to them and let it stay there, shining and warming the room. Luke lay back down next to Tess and made sure that the wool blanket was still completely wrapped around them both.

“You have to pull through this, Tess,” he whispered. “Please… You can’t die on me.”

Her body was soft against his. It was still cold, but the heat of his body and the sword’s warming of the air were beginning to have an effect. Luke rubbed his hands up and down her back, and tried to ignore his natural, male response to having a naked female body so close.

“Ohh… uh… Luke?” Tess spoke the words in a whisper, almost too quiet to hear. She still didn’t open her eyes, and instead buried her face against his shoulder. Luke smiled.

It’s going to be okay.

CHAPTER 18

Luke spent another hour in the tent with her. The sword gave off far more heat than he’d been expecting, and the tent was surprisingly effective at holding it in. He made sure that Tess’s body was warm enough, and her breathing was steady, and then climbed out and pulled his clothes back on.

As much as Luke wanted to continue lying next to her, to fall asleep with Tess in his arms, there was still something nagging at the back of his head. He pushed his way out of the tent and into the cold, trying to keep the heat from escaping as he slipped through the flap.

The snow had stopped falling. An inch or two of it had collected on the tent. Rather than making them colder, it was acting as insulation.

A new message icon was flashing in the corner of Luke’s vision. He hadn’t noticed in the panic that followed the avalanche. After digging around in his bag for a moment, he pulled out a letter from Kaoru.

Kato,

This is exactly what we need. My contacts can narrow it down to a couple of candidate buildings in Plattsburgh. I’m still finishing up my reconnaissance mission. The Arbiters aren’t NPCs, like we expected, but external bots controlled by a former developer who joined with the government after the takeover.

Move as fast as you can. Everything is falling into place with Silverstrike’s recruitment efforts and we’ve determined a location for a meeting. We should be ready to strike within the next few days. No pressure though.

Kaoru

Luke smiled. Kaoru worked fast. He was impressed, and suddenly felt appreciative of the fact that the two of them were on the same side.

He’d only agreed to Kaoru’s plan in the beginning out of desperation. Tess was vulnerable, whether she admitted it or not, and Luke didn’t even want to consider the possibility of something happening to her.

Why did I agree to let her come with me, anyway?

Something rustled in the snow about a hundred yards, from deep within the hill of snow. It stopped almost immediately. The night was silent for a moment, and then a creature that Luke hadn’t seen before burst from the snow.

WRAITHLING: A cursed spectral creature that takes on the appearance of snow as a disguise. When active, it looks like a swirling mass of ice crystals and white powder. Attacks using ice magic, freezing its opponents before slowly absorbing their energy.

Luke reached for his sword and grabbed thin air at his side. It was still in the tent, still warming Tess.

CONJURE SWORD 3

He plucked one of his magical blades out of the air and squared off against the Wraithling. Its movements were strange, unpredictable, and hard to follow. It flew toward Luke and he launched one of his swords at it. The Wraithling dodged it easily, creating a donut shaped hole in its center for the blade to pass harmlessly through.

Luke rolled backward as it blasted an icy stream of mist at him. It caught a couple of strands of his hair, freezing them into little, breakable icicles. He gripped his sword and adopted a defensive posture.

ELEMENTAL INFUSION: FIRE

His blade exploded into flames. Luke was quickly realizing that he needed to keep it lit all the time to stand a chance against the enemies of the north. The Wraithling moved into range, and he swung his sword at it, forcing it back a little.

Now’s my chance!

PIERCE ATTACK 3

His attack carried him directly toward the Wraithling’s vague center. The create let out a strange roar, but Luke continued past it, his blow doing little more than superficial damage. One of its ice crystals struck his sword hand, freezing it to the hilt and making it unwieldy.

MIRROR IMAGE 3

HOLY RESTORATION

Luke gritted his teeth. The fact that it was taking all of his abilities just to keep up with the monster, one of the standard enemies in the region, was infuriating. The Wraithling sprayed more ice mist at him. This time, he held up his weapon and blocked it with the blade.

The flames went out. Luke didn’t have enough magicka to recast them. He attacked, throwing caution to the wind and hoping that he’d still have a chance to gain the upper hand through aggression.

A couple of his strikes found their swirling targets, the baseball sized, floating ice crystals that made up the Wraithling’s body. It wasn’t enough, however. The creature countered with physical attacks from its crystals, buffeting Luke and knocking him back. The blow felt like a hail storm on steroids.

Suddenly, a blast of white light spilled out from the entrance of the tent, knocking the Wraithling back. Luke looked over and saw Tess holding the hilt of his physical sword, the blade still glowing with magical flame. She tossed it up into the air in a perfect arc, and Luke lept up after it, catching it and falling into an attack in one smooth movement.

He struck the Wraithling twice, and that was enough. It let out a high pitched death rattle and collapsed into shards of ice and snow.

LEVEL 19 ATTAINED

ELEMENTAL INFUSION 2 OBTAINED

HOLY REGENERATION 2 OBTAINED

Luke dropped his five attribute points into his combat stats and then walked over to the tent, grinning.

“Perfect timing,” he said. “I would have be in trouble if you hadn’t…”

He trailed off in midsentence as he looked through the flap and into the tent. Tess was still naked, and he immediately blushed and turned around.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. “You’ve seen me naked before, Luke…”

“Yeah, but that was… in the real world.”

I feel like I’m back in middle school. This is ridiculous.

“Alright, all better,” said Tess. “You can look now.”

Luke poked back into the tent and saw that she’d pulled the wool blanket over herself.

“Can you turn your sword back on?” she asked. “It’s getting a little chilly in here…”

Luke infused the blade with fire, noticing that it felt even hotter than before. The sword’s hilt was also glowing, and he got the feeling that there was more to the second level of the skill now. He stuck it into the ground next to their sleeping area, and then pulled off his armor and joined Tess under the wool blanket.

“You’re… still naked.”

“I am,” smiled Tess. “Do you have to log out, and sleep in the real world?”

Luke shook his head vigorously.

“I can’t leave you alone just yet,” he said. “You almost froze to death before.”

“I’m glad…” Tess set a hand on his chest and made sure the blanket covered them both completely. “Then let’s… get some sleep.”

They woke up late the next morning, exhausted by the events of the day and night before. Luke had set their clothes and armor up next to his sword to dry them off. He dressed quickly, letting Tess continue to sleep in for a bit longer.

We don’t have much time to waste, but I can’t bear to force her up.

About ten minutes later, Tess yawned and slowly sat up.

“Hey,” said Luke.

“Hey.” Tess smiled at him. “Why did you let me sleep in?”

Luke shrugged. He’d already set breakfast out for them, and he passed Tess’s bread and dried beef over to her. She accepted it gratefully and started eating.

“We should head out as soon as we can,” said Luke. “Kaoru sent me a private message last night. It sounds like thing are progressing on the other fronts.”

“That’s good to know.” Tess was finished eating, and after pulling on her plain underclothes, she zipped up her dress armor. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

Luke nodded, and then paused on his way over to the tent’s exit.

“Tess…” He frowned. “You had me really worried.”

“I’m sorry. It’s not like I expected to get covered by an avalanche, though.”

Luke sighed.

“Yeah, I know,” he said. “We just have to be careful. Now more than ever.”

Tess gave him a curious look, but didn’t say anything else. The two left the tent and spent a couple of minutes breaking down camp. The sky was clear, and the sun was already midway up the horizon. It was still cold, but they were almost used to it.

They finished putting the tent away and set off. The snow was the same level of depth that they’d pushed through the day before, and traveling was slow. Luke walked first, and Tess followed directly in his wake, taking advantage of the small trail he cleared as he went.

As they passed further beyond the Teeth of the North, there was only one landmark visible in the distance. The Ancestor Glacier rose out of the ground, easily the same size as some of the mountains they’d just passed by.

“Can you see it?” asked Tess. “I’ve heard rumors in Stark Town that the Ancestor Glacier has a face.”

“A face?” Luke furrowed his brow and squinted a little at the giant, frozen landmark. He could almost make out what she was talking about.

Shahidi wasn’t what we expected. I doubt this glacier will be, either.

The height of the snow began to lessen as they moved further away from the mountains but Luke soon spotted a new challenge.

“Watch out,” he said, pointing at the ground in front of them. “Those crevices are deeper than they look. The edges could crumble if you step too close.”

“I’m not a child, Luke,” said Tess. “I’m not going to step into one.”

He shrugged.

That doesn’t mean I’m not going to worry.

A noise came from a couple hundred feet in front of them, standing out against the silent air. Luke looked at Tess before quickly making his way over. A crevice ran along the ice, opening up wide enough for a person to fall into. From the way the snow had been disturbed around the edges, that was exactly what had happened.

“Can you hear me?” called a man’s voice, from inside. “Please, help…”

Luke crouched near the opening, keeping a safe distance from the edge.

“Are you okay?” he called down. “How long have you been down there?”

“It’s too late for me.” The man coughed, and Luke noticed how weak and ragged his voice sounded. “I was part of an expedition north, along with my wife and the rest of my team. The crevice opened up underneath me and I… my legs are broken.”

“That’s terrible,” said Tess. “I can cast my magic down, and we can get a rope.”

“It won’t work,” said the man. “My team already tried it. I’m in too deep, and there is no clear line of sight.”

“So your team… just left you here?” Luke shook his head.

“They didn’t have any other choice,” said the man. “But please, you have to help them. They’re walking into danger, and they don’t realize it!”

“Alright,” said Luke. “We’ll… do what we can.”

QUEST ACCEPTED: Ancestor Glacier Expedition

“I still can’t believe they just left you down there,” said Tess.

“I told them to leave me!” cried the man. “I have a daughter to think about and my wife… She knows as well as I do that if they don’t hurry, the Blue Void will be their death.”

“What do we need to know to help your team?” asked Luke.

“The Ancestor Glacier is guarded by a group of vicious, blood thirsty monsters!” The man’s voice filled with anger and tinged with fear. “Vendroths, they’re called. I was the one who studied them before we left Stark Town.”

“So… you want us to fight these things off?” asked Luke.

“Don’t let my team be killed!” yelled the man. “Please, if they face them on their own, my wife... I don’t even want to think about it. Please…”

“Alright,” said Luke. “We’ll see what we can do.”

“Hurry! You don’t have much time! They have a day’s head start on you.”

Luke stood up and looked at Tess.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Tess nodded gravely.

CHAPTER 19

The wind began to pick up as they continued toward the glacier. It scattered the snow across the air, creating a thin screen of white powder that obscured their view. Luke kept Tess close, irrational worries about her getting separated from him or falling into a crevice pushing their way into his mind.

“I still can’t believe his team just left him there.” Tess had to half shout to be heard over the whipping wind. “I know, he’s an NPC, but still…”

Luke shrugged.

“It’s part of the quest,” he said. “And even if it wasn’t, the guy has a point. You have to think of your loved ones and their safety, first and foremost.”

Tess took a step closer to him, setting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it.

Ahead of them, a small group of tents came into view. They were still at least a mile or two away from the base of the Ancestor Glacier. Luke couldn’t see any movement in the camp, but given the conditions, he wasn’t surprised.

The tents looked a bit like the one they had with them, except better suited for winter. Luke led Tess forward to the largest one and then poked his head through the opening flap.

“Hello? Anyone home?”

A woman sat on an animal skin rug inside. She was dressed in heavy fur clothing and sitting next to a glowing orange sphere that gave off both light and heat.

“What? Who are you?” The woman pulled out a knife and walked over to the tent flap. Luke moved out of the way so she could exit. “Wake up! Who was on watch?”

More NPCs began to exit from the tents, making their way over to where Luke and Tess stood with the woman. There were about ten of them in total. Some of them held weapons, and they stood in a way that cut off any easy retreat from the camp.

“Uh, my name is Luke, and this is Tess.” Luke frowned and scratched his head. “We ran into someone from your expedition in one of the crevices.”

The woman let out a sigh, but kept her knife in hand.

“Francis…” She shook her head. “He was my husband. We… didn’t have a choice. Staying with him, trying to help, it would have gotten all of us killed.”

They’re so resolute about abandoning him. Is there really no other way?

“Why did you come here?” Another one of the NPCs from the expedition, a tall man wielding a curved sword, stepped forward and held his blade close to Luke’s back. “The gold is ours. We laid our claim months ago.”

“Easy, Tyrin,” said the woman. She sheathed her knife and then crossed her arms, examining Luke and Tess carefully. “They may yet be of use.”

“Look, we’re just here to find the Elemental Well,” said Luke. “Your husband asked us to help you, but we aren’t interested in the resources or treasure or whatever it is that you’re after.”

None of the NPCs said anything for a long moment. Finally, the woman raised her hand and nodded.

“I believe you,” she said. “My name is Marina. I’m the leader of this expedition.”

All of the NPCs relaxed a bit, and Marina continued.

“We’ve been held up in camp for the past couple of hours because of the monsters that live at the base of the glacier,” she said. “If you want to help us, we need you to exterminate them.”

Luke looked over at Tess. She frowned slightly, but said nothing.

“You’ll need to get the monsters out of the way to find what you need, anyway,” said Marina. “If my map is correct, the Elemental Well is carved into the glacier, just below the face. We believe the gold is buried in the ice a short distance from it.”

“Alright,” said Luke. “Since we’re headed that way already, I don’t see why we can’t help you.”

“Excellent,” said Marina. “Once you’ve engaged the beasts in battle, we’ll move in to provide assistance.”

Luked looked at Tess again. She still looked worried and uncertain.

“Well, okay.” He shrugged. “We’ll set off immediately.”

The group of NPCs parted to let them by. Luke watched them over his shoulder as they made their way out of the camp.

They must really want that gold…

“Something doesn’t feel right about this, Luke,” whispered Tess.

“What is it?”

She shook her head.

“I can’t explain it. I just get a bad vibe from that group. There is something that they aren’t telling us.”

Luke chewed his lip thoughtfully for a moment.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. But we’re headed up this way, anyway, and it was that man’s final request.”

Tess didn’t say anything.

The vastness of the Ancestor Glacier became apparent as they drew closer. The face on the front of it was clearly visible, a detailed and realistic likeness of a sleeping old man. It was hard for Luke to imagine any kind of natural process that would account for it, but it was even harder for him to imagine people climbing up and carving the pattern.

It was just something programed into the game.

After a couple of minutes they caught their first glimpse of the monsters that Marina had been talking about. Three of them were digging through the snow a couple hundred feet ahead, and a fourth was lying on the ground, rolling from side to side.

VELOTH: Little is known about them other than that they appear to worship the Ancestor Glacier. The travel in pacts and are only found within the most northern sections of the Blue Void.

“Huh…” Luke looked over at Tess. “Did you just get that notification, too?”

“Yeah.” She frowned. “That’s a little strange. Usually we’re given more info than that.”

The Veloth looked like a mixture between a polar bear and a lion, with the former’s thick white fur, and the latter’s bushy mane and lean snout. They could apparently stand on two or four legs, depending on what they were trying to accomplish.

One of the closer Veloth turned to look at Luke, revealing a face adorned with four pitch black eyes set in two intersecting diagonal lines across what would have been the forehead on a human. It opened its mouth and let out a noise, and then raised a seven fingered paw and gestured in their direction.

“Get ready Tess!” Luke pulled out his sword. “We can get a sense of their strength by taking on this small group, first.”

“Hold on!” Tess reached for his shoulder, but he was already rushing forward.

They don’t look that tough. We should be able to handle them.

The smallest of the Veloth started toward him, running on all fours across the snow with easy, graceful steps. It almost looked like the other three were trying to hold it back. Luke slowed, hearing Tess calling after him and decided to play it safe.

“Luke, stop it!”

The Veloth leaped up at him, closing the last few feet in the air. Luke spun to dodge it, and brought his sword down in retaliation.

Suddenly, white light slammed into him. Luke lost about a quarter of his health and was thrown forward a dozen feet through the air.

Wait, the means the attack came from… behind me?

He slammed down into the snow and looked up just in time to see Tess lowering her staff.

“Luke, listen to me!” Tess was screaming at him more forcefully than she ever had before. “Don’t attack them!”

“Tess, we don’t have a choice!” He sat up in the snow and gripped his sword tightly as the other three Veloth approached. “This is the quest that we’re on!”

CONJURE SWORD 3

He stood to his feet and readied his swords against the other, bigger Veloth in the group. Right as he moved to attack them, Tess launched another spell at him, dispelling all of the magical blades.

“Put your sword down Luke, quick!”

He didn’t have much of a choice. The Veloth had him surrounded, and Tess was making it very clear that she didn’t intend on letting him attack.

Wait a second… why haven’t they attacked yet?

Luke looked around. One of the Veloth was holding the smaller creature that had rushed toward him. The others stood in combat stances, but made no move to attack. Slowly, he lowered his sword and slipped it back into his scabbard.

“Tess…” Luke watched as she slowly made her way over to him. Her own staff was hanging from its tie on her back, and she held her hands out in the open, showing them that she meant no harm.

“They’re intelligent, Luke,” she whispered. “I could tell from the way they were moving before they saw us. They… were watching the little one play.”

She muttered a quiet spell chant, and a moment later, white light engulfed the smallest Veloth. The wound that Luke had dealt healed before their eyes. The Veloth stepped back in surprise.

“The quest we’re on, though,” he whispered back. “Marina and the expedition want the gold.”

“There has to be a way that we can settle this peacefully.” Tess’s eyes were optimistic, and in Luke’s opinion, a little bit naïve. “I don’t think they mean us harm.”

One of the larger Veloth stepped forward and slammed a paw into Luke’s face, knocking him back. He fell to the ground, unsure of whether he should feel angry or not.

“Stop!” Tess threw herself in front of him, holding her arms out wide. “Don’t, please!”

“Tess, let me use my swords!” Luke stood to his feet and tried to push her out of the way. “Tess!”

The small Veloth, fully healed and moving much more calmly than it had before, walked over to them. It stood at Tess’s feet, first on all fours, and then on its hind legs. It was almost the same height as Tess, and it stood on his hind legs and brought its strange face close to hers.

“Uh, hello…” she whispered. The Veloth opened its mouth, and an orange tongue covered in tiny hairs came out and brushed against her cheek. The other Veloth held their places. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Finally, one of them waved an arm, and the group of them started forward. Luke and Tess were still surrounded, but the Veloth didn’t force them along. It was more as though an invitation had been extended. They could follow, or they could stay.

“Come on, Luke!” Tess grinned and hurried after them.

This is not what I was expecting.

Luke dusted snow off his legs and then followed.

CHAPTER 20

The Veloth led them for about a half hour, walking slowly and alternating between two legs and four. Tess and Luke kept a respectful distance. Every so often the youngest Veloth would jog back and loop around them. Its face wore a curious expression that Luke could recognize even despite the creature’s unfamiliar facial construction.

Is this really the same one that tried to attack me before?

The group slowed as they approached the Ancestor Glacier. There were no houses, at least from what Luke could see. The glacier was massive and the face on it was breathtaking up close.

The Veloth looked back at Tess and Luke as they approached the base. The largest one, apparently the leader, waved a hand for them to follow, and then dropped low and disappeared through a tunnel of snow. The others waited for Tess and Luke as they walked over.

“Do they know that we get cold?” asked Luke. “I’m not sure if this is such a good idea…”

Tess was already following after the Veloth. She dropped to her knees at the mouth of the tunnel.

“You’re not claustrophobic, are you?” asked Tess. Luke shook his head, and then watched as she disappeared into the opening, pushing snow out of the way with her hands and wiggling like a dog trying to get underneath a fence.

If this is a trap, then the Veloth have set it up flawlessly.

Luke crouched low and then followed in Tess’s wake. The tunnel went on for about ten feet, and it was tall enough for him walk hunched over once he’d made it through the first tight squeeze. It opened up at the end, spilling out into a cavern the size of a large stadium.

“My god…” whispered Luke. Tess was having a similar reaction next to him. Hundreds of Veloth were milling about, some of them tending to smaller ones, and others carrying dead animals in their paws.

“The gold…” Tess pointed to one of the walls. “It’s embedded in the cavern.”

Luke could see thin waves of gold ore where she had pointed to, surrounded by walls of rock and ice. There were more openings, presumably leading off deeper into the glacier.

The tall Veloth from before gestured for Luke and Tess to follow as it walked deeper into the cavern. It was only then that Luke realized that most of the creatures around them were staring, their eyes wide with wonder.

“Luke, they’re intelligent,” said Tess. “This isn’t just a nest, or a hive, or whatever. This is the home of a burgeoning civilization.”

Luke didn’t say anything.

What does that mean for us? We still have to find the Elemental Well…

They followed after the Veloth as it walked through the cavern. A large bridge of rock and ice hung a few dozen feet above the ground, connecting two passageways on either side of the walls. Luke and Tess walked under it and then crouched low as they followed the Veloth through a hole in the back of the cavern.

The Veloth was able to move through it comfortably, walking in the same way a dog or a cat might. The tunnel was longer than the first one had been, and by the end of it, Luke’s knees were slightly bruised from the repeated impact on the hard ice floor.

The room that the Veloth brought them to was small, and a long, winding ramp had been carved into the ice of the walls. The ceiling was hundreds of feet tall, and Luke could see tiny openings every few dozen feet along the ramp.

The Veloth started up it. Luke and Tess followed.

“Is it taking us to the Elemental Well?” asked Tess. Luke frowned and shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t think so. I’m not sure how they would know that we were looking for it.”

The walk to the top of the cavern took them close to an hour. Luke and Tess were silent for most of it, walking close together to keep warm. Luke was tempted to pull out his sword and set it aflame, but worried that the Veloth might interpret it as a provocation.

Eventually, they made it to the very top. The opening at the end of the ramp was bigger than the others, and sunlight and icy cold wind blew in from outside. Luke walked through first, Tess followed close behind him.

“My god…”

The view was breathtaking. They weren’t at the very top of the glacier, but they were high enough up to see far off into the distance. Only the Teeth of the North blocked their view of the horizon. Luke kept his distance from the edge of the cliff and followed the Veloth as he led them around its curve.

It took Luke a moment to realize what he was looking at as they made their way around. The Ancestors Glacier’s face was directly in front of them. The passage had led them out of its left ear.

“Welcome, Luke. Welcome, Tess.” A voice boomed in their ears, coming from the face, but also from within their own heads. Luke resisted the urge to grab the hilt of his sword as he looked at Tess’s frightened face next to him.

“Hello,” he said, feeling like an ant attempting conversation with a giant. “Are you… the Ancestor Glacier?”

The face said nothing.

“You have come for the Elemental Well,” said the face.

It was Luke’s turn to hold his tongue.

Is this it? Will he try to stop us?

“The Veloth will show you the way,” said the face. Luke relaxed. Tess was holding his shoulder, and as he turned toward the Veloth waiting by the exit she stopped him.

“Wait,” said Tess. “Hold on. Please, there is so much here that we don’t understand.”

“Do you need to understand?” asked the face. “Was your journey motivated by curiousity, a yearning for understanding, or by practical necessity?”

“I… We did come here for the Elemental Well.” Tess shook her head and held out a hand toward the gigantic ice face. “But the Veloth, and you, and all of this… how did it come to be?”

The face didn’t say anything. It was motionless even when its voice was in their ears, but now it seemed genuinely still, frozen in thought.

“I was cursed, many years ago,” said the face. “By a force greater than myself.”

Tess didn’t look satisfied with his answer.

“Was it during the Severance Onslaught?” she asked. “And what about the Veloth? Were they cursed, as well?”

A deep, well natured chuckle sounded in Luke’s ears.

“The Veloth are not cursed, child,” said the face. “I communicate with them in their language, just as I communicate with you in yours.”

“Where does their intelligence come from?” asked Luke. “Is this just how they are naturally?”

The face was silent for a moment.

“You are not special,” said the face. “Yvvaros does not pick favorites. For you to misunderstand this truth would leave you blind in the light.”

The Veloth… what exactly have we gotten ourselves into?

The Ancestor Glacier went silent again, and this time, Luke understood that the conversation was over. The Veloth that had led them to the Glacier stood in front of the ice face for a moment then it beckoned for Luke and Tess to follow it.

“Luke…” whispered Tess. “I’m scared…”

“Why?” Luke shook his head. “What is there to be-”

He paused, following Tess’s gaze out to the snow below. Marina and the expedition team were slowly making their way toward the Ancestor Glacier, with several more NPCs in tow.

“Fuck!” Luke pushed by the Veloth and started rushing down the ramp they’d come up. “Stay here, Tess! I have to talk them out of this.”

“Wait, Luke,” she yelled. “Don’t…”

Her voice disappeared into unintelligible echoes as Luke sprinted down the ramp. He was slightly concerned about reentering the main cavern without his Veloth guide, but  none of the creatures interfered as he crawled back through the tunnel.

All of the young Veloth were gone, and only the larger, intimidating adults were still in the main cavern. They had clustered themselves around the exit tunnel, and Luke could sense anxiety and nervousness in their bestial body language.

They were growling and clicking their tongues at each other, and several of them turned to look at Luke as he walked over. He held out his hands, shaking his head and wishing that he could do more to communicate with them.

“Just… hold on.” He knew that they didn’t understand him, but he tried to make his voice carry the message along with his words. “Wait here and let me talk to them.”

The Veloth continued growling to one another, but made no move to stop him as he crouched down and crawled his way out of the tunnel. The wind was whipping around outside. He’d forgotten how cold it was, and he had to focus to keep his teeth from chattering as he moved toward the group.

He could see Marina and her expedition waiting in the distance, weapons in hand. They held their ground as he approached, watching him with a mixture of suspicion and impatience.

“Luke,” said Marina. “Have you taken care of the Veloth?”

He shook his head.

They have to listen to reason…

“Look, the Veloth are not the monsters that you think they are,” he said. “They’re intelligent. They’ve populated the inside of the glacier. And on top of that, there are hundreds of them, maybe over a thousand.”

Marina looked at him blankly.

“And the gold?” He voice was emotionless, and suddenly Luke understood just how it was that she’d been able to leave her husband behind so easily.

“It’s in the walls of the glacier,” he said. “Marina, you would have to destroy everything in order to get it. It’s not worth it. Look somewhere else.”

“We brought pyromancers, Fire Mages, with us,” said Marina. “We can smoke them out and set flame to any that stand in our way.”

She started by Luke, and he pulled her back roughly by the arm.

“No!” The word came out with force and Luke gritted his teeth as he stared the woman down. “Marina, I can’t let you do that.”

“Are you going to stop me, Luke?” She smiled, and several of the members of her expedition moved to surround him.

“Head south, Marina,” said Luke. “Head back the way you came and leave the Veloth alone.”

“I should have guessed that you’d turned traitor when I saw that your little girlfriend wasn’t with you,” said Marina. “We’re going to take special pleasure in killing her, once we’re done with the Veloth.”

Luke reached for his sword.

MIRROR IMAGE 3

HOLY REGENERATION 2

The expedition was quick to react, but with his defensive abilities up, most of their strikes landed on Luke’s decoys. The ones that made it through were offset by his regeneration ability and by the time he’d rolled out of the group, he still had three quarters of his health left.

CONJURE SWORD 3

“Kill him quickly,” yelled Marina. “We don’t want to give the Veloth any time to-”

All three of Luke’s magical blades speared into the expedition leader, killing her in an instant. Luke glared at the group, feeling a strange bloodlust coming over him.

These men and women deserve to die.

He was still outnumbered, and now low on magicka. As much as he wanted to rush forward and strike down as many of them as he could, it would only expediate the inevitable. The expedition group began moving to surround Luke again, a bit wary without their leader, but with deadly intent.

“Luke!”

Tess was charging out of the Veloth caves toward him, and she wasn’t alone. About a hundred Veloth were grouped around her, outpacing her as they dropped to all fours and sprinted to Luke’s defense.

The expedition team was momentarily stunned. Luke took a swing at one of them, catching the man in the neck and decapitating him neatly.

I one shotted him? He must have been at a really low level.

The men and women who had traveled to the north for riches and conquest took one look at the approaching Veloth army and began to run away. Luke started to chase after them, and then thought better of it.

“They won’t come back!” He yelled out to the Veloth as they caught up with him. “It’s okay, we can let them…”

The Veloth didn’t stop. They charged after the expedition team. The battle took only seconds. The creatures ripped the members of the team apart, human screams echoing out into the frozen air, and blood staining the pristine white snow.

“Luke…” Tess took his arm and leaned in close to him.

He didn’t know what to say, or how to feel. The expedition team had been the aggressors, true, but a voice nagged at him in the back of his head.

I couldn’t stop the violence or the killing. I promised that man I’d save his wife. Instead, I killed her…

CHAPTER 21

The Veloth walked back inside their caves and Luke and Tess followed after them. The one that had been leading them around caught Luke’s attention as they spilled out into the main cavern.

“I think he still wants to lead us to the Elemental Well,” said Tess. Luke nodded.

“Let’s go.”

The Veloth brought them through a larger tunnel off to the side, one that they didn’t have to hunch down to move through. At the end was a room similar to the one with the winding ramp, except the ramp in this cavern went down into the ground instead of up. The Veloth stopped at the edge of the ramp and gestured for them to continue.

“Stay close,” said Luke.

“They don’t mean us any harm,” said Tess. “We should be fine.”

Luke frowned.

I don’t think the Veloth mean us any harm. But I also don’t trust any of what’s been going on.

The ramp led deep into the ground, and the light slowly grew dim as they dropped further. Luke pulled out his sword and set it aflame, giving them a makeshift torch to see by.

They reached the bottom after a couple of minutes. A tunnel, smaller than any of the ones they’d seen so far, was chiseled into the ice.

“The Veloth wouldn’t be able to fit through this one,” said Tess. “Do you think it’s here?”

“I don’t know…”

There wasn’t any way for Luke to keep using his sword to light the narrow space. He extinguished it and tucked it into his scabbard.

“Stay here,” he said. “I’ll be back.”

Tess didn’t say anything and she made no move to follow as Luke dropped to his stomach and began to squeeze through the narrow opening.

This is the type of tunnel that I used to read about spelunkers getting trapped in…

Luke had never been claustrophobic, but the thought of becoming trapped made his heart beat faster. The tunnel grew even tighter. The only way for him to move through the ice was to wriggle like a snake, using muscles that he hadn’t known existed to push himself forward.

He felt like he’d been crawling for an eternity but in reality it hadn’t been more than a couple of minutes. Finally he spilled out to the other side. The room was small and at the center of it was the white rune circle of the Elemental Well.

Luke walked forward cautiously and stepped into the center. White light filled his vision, and in an instant, he was in another realm.

The same plainly dressed woman that he’d seen before was at the center of an endless infinity of white. Luke took a few unsteady steps toward her. The ground underneath his feet gave off a strange, unsteady pulse.

“Welcome, hero,” said the woman. “You have once again entered the realm of the Universal Truth.”

Luke sighed.

“Yes,” he said.

The woman was quiet and watched him carefully. Luke found himself wishing that he could claim the well and be done with it. Her eyes were full of wisdom, intelligence, and the slightest hint of judgement.

“Hard choices will always be a part of your path, Luke.” The woman held her body unnaturally still as she spoke. “At times, they will be black and white, between good and evil, but you must always be prepared to navigate through the grey, to make decisions even when both options are less than ideal.”

“And this time?” asked Luke. “Was there any way for me to resolve this without killing?”

The woman said nothing.

“Marina and her husband left on their expedition, in part, for the sake of their daughter. They were a poor family with few prospects, and they wanted to give their child what they could never have had for themselves.”

Luke chewed his bottom lip and ran a hand through his hair.

“The Veloth communicate, love, and live just as the people of Stark Town and Kantor do. They’ve never attacked out of aggression, or waged wars in any capacity beyond self-defense.”

“Why couldn’t I have gotten them to talk this out?” asked Luke. “Marina didn’t have to die. None of the people in her expedition… had to.”

“The question is not ‘why couldn’t you’, but rather, ‘why didn’t you’.”

Luke gritted his teeth, his fingernails digging into his palms as he tensed his hands into fists.

“What’s the point of this?” Luke shook his head, his frustrations seeping into his voice. “Have I even done anything? Will all this just be reset for the next group of players to come through?”

The woman smiled.

“Yvvaros doesn’t work that way,” she said. “Not here and especially not now.”

Luke didn’t say anything.

“You have claimed the second Elemental Well. Find the last one and restore the city of Markorin.”

“Hold on,” said Luke. “I-”

“Marina’s daughter’s name is Mina. She lives in the house next to the Stark Town inn.” The woman raised a hand out to Luke, and the entire realm began to glow bright white. “Suffering and sadness to not discriminate by physical origin, and I would not wish for either upon one so young.”

Luke’s vision shone bright white, and vertigo seized his stomach as the cold, hard walls of the ice cave reappeared around him.

LEVEL 20 ATTAINED

“What happened?” shouted Tess, from the other room. “Is it done?”

Luke took a deep breath and pushed it out.

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s done.”

A blue crystal sat on the ice next to Luke, and he picked it up and dropped it into his satchel after examining it for a moment. Tess was frowning at him, more out of concern than displeasure.

“What’s wrong?”

Luke shook his head.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t do that, Luke.” She walked over to him and gently grabbed the edge of his armor to gain his attention. “You can tell me. I won’t let you keep me at a distance.”

“Tess…” Luke shook his head.

I barely even understand it myself.

“Yvvaros,” he said, forcing himself to continue. “There is so much more to what’s going on than we can see. Even the little things, the people and events in the background, it all matters.”

“We’re doing what we’re doing for all of Yvvaros, Luke.” Tess smiled at him. “It’s not just about you, or me, or liberating players from permadeath.”

Luke sighed.

What’s going to happen once we’ve done that? Will other players treat the Veloth with the same respect that we did?

“We have to find the next Elemental Well, Tess,” he said. “There’s no time. We have to move fast.”

She nodded, and then pulled him into a hug.

“I’m right here with you Luke,” she whispered. “Don’t you ever forget that.”

The Veloth offered little in the way of goodbyes as Luke and Tess made their way out of the main cavern. The two of them stopped to eat lunch by the exit. They ate some of the fruit that Tess had left over in her bag along with a few scraps of bread.

“We don’t have to walk,” said Tess. “Just so you know.”

Luke raised an eyebrow at her.

“What”

“I hit level 25 back in the last fight.”

Luke suddenly remembered his own attribute points, still waiting to be spent. He brought up his character record and dropped two of them into strength and three into luck.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“I can cast the ‘Transfer to Kantor’ ability, now,” said Tess. “We’re all set.”

Luke thought about it for a moment.

Kantor is still occupied by Arbiters. We’d save time, but also be taking a huge risk.

“Can’t you teleport us anywhere else?” asked Luke.

Tess shook her head.

“I’m not at a high enough level yet,” she said. “Assuming other teleportation abilities even exist.”

Luke could hear the icy, cold wind whipping across the entrance of the cave outside. He scratched his head and frowned at Tess.

“…I guess we can give it a try,” he said. “Stay close to me, alright? We’ll have to make a dash for the rune circle and hope that the Arbiters don’t attack us before we get there.”

Tess nodded.

“The spell will bring us directly into the Temple of Rygon,” she said. “Even if the Arbiters are around, the rune circle will be right outside. We just need to keep our eyes open and move fast.”

Tess started chanting, and Luke stepped a little closer to her.

I haven’t been to Kantor since the government takeover. I wonder what-

A bright light surrounded both of them, and the walls of the ice cave disappeared. Luke blinked. It took him a couple of seconds for his mind to register what had just happened. A sense of nostalgia washed over him as he looked around the Temple of Rygon, the first area to greet new players after the tutorial.

“We could use this…” said Luke. “The spell could be another way for us to attack the Arbiters.”

Tess shook her head.

“It doesn’t work with more than three players,” she said. “But it would be a good idea, otherwise.”

The Temple of Rygon’s vaulting geodesic roof hung above them. The Light streamed in through the numerous stained glass windows giving the place an aura of warmth even though the colossal room was empty.

“Kato and Tess…” A familiar voice spoke from behind them, and Luke turned around to find the High Priestess Azalene walking toward them. “What are the two of you doing here?”

She remembers our names?

Tess bowed slightly to the woman.

“High Priestess, I used my magic to bring us back here,” she said. “We were questing far to the north and-”

“This is not a good place for you to be.” Azalene moved quickly, walking over to the temple’s front door and peering out of it. “We must get you back to the continent.”

“High Priestess…” Luke felt a question brewing in his chest, and he couldn’t stop himself from asking. “What do you know about the Universal Truth? Does is often speak with people directly?”

Both Tess and Azalene frowned at him. Luke scratched his head awkwardly.

“The Universal Truth’s methods are beyond the reach of my knowing, child,” she said. “Come now. The Arbiters have punished players for doing much less than what the two of you have done.”

Luke walked over to where she stood, staying a couple of feet behind her as she watched the rune circle from the door. Tess grabbed onto his arm and gave it a light squeeze, and he smiled at her reassuringly.

Outside, two Arbiters stood in front of the rune circle. A moment later, several Arbiters appeared in the circle and the group walked off into Kantor, followed by a second group teleported up behind them.

They saw a player in the middle of the second group. His hands were bound by rope and his head was downcast. Immediately after him came an Arbiter that stood a head taller than the rest.
He had white gold spikes extending from the shoulders of his armor and the eyes that glinted through the slits of his helmet were ice cold.

“That is the Head Arbiter,” whispered Azalene. “He is the one that you should give the widest birth.”

Luke nodded and watched the Head Arbiter carefully.  Arrogance and brutality radiated from him, like an executioner walking amongst the condemned.“As soon as this group passes by, the two of you need to sprint to the rune circle,” said Azalene. “Don’t stop for anything, and once you arrive in Stark Town, head for the most crowded area you can find.”

Luke nodded.

“Got it,” he said. “Thank you.”

The High Prisetess gave him the same kind of reassuring smile that she’d given to all the new players at the start of the game. The Arbiters stopped teleporting and moved away from the main square. Then she pushed them forward.

Making sure that Tess was directly alongside him Luke crouched low and moved as fast as he could to the rune circle. One of the Arbiters turned back just as they reached it and pointed accusingly toward them.

“They aren’t authorized to be up here!”

What an astute observation…

Luke pulled Tess into the rune circle with him and a single blinding moment later, they were back in Stark Town.

CHAPTER 22

Stark Town was bustling with activity. Luke and Tess had no trouble slipping away from the Arbiters that had followed after them. They darted down an alley and then doubled back around toward the inn.

Something feels off here…

All of the players they passed had downcast eyes, and wore defeated expressions on their weary faces. Luke had felt an undercurrent of the same depressing vibe the last time that they’d been through Stark Town but it hadn’t been nearly as pronounced.

He paused, holding out his arm at the edge of an alleyway to stop Tess from stepping out into the street. A group of Arbiters was speeding past on the street in front of them. For a moment he feared that they had been discovered but the Arbiters stopped a short distance before reaching their hiding spot and grabbed a different player.

Surprisingly, the player made no noise, he barely even reacted. The Arbiters pulled him past where Luke and Tess crouched. Luke saw the player’s face and recoiled. His expression was blank and hopeless.

He’s given up completely.

“We have to put a stop to this, Luke!” Tess grabbed his hand and squeezed it painfully. “This… this is insane.”

“We will, Tess,” said Luke. “Don’t worry.”

Despite his reassuring words, doubt tore at the edge of Luke’s confidence. There had been a lot of Arbiters on Kantor, far more than he’d been expecting. Even the High Priestess Azalene, one of the games essential NPCs, had seemed defeated.

Luke stood up and felt a wave of fatigue wash over his body. He checked his stamina bar and found that it was still almost full. They’d eaten just before Tess had cast her teleportation spell. Still, he was exhausted.

“Luke? Are you okay?”

He set his hand on his head and waved the other at her.

“I’m fine,” he said. “I just… am getting a bit tired.”

Slowly they crept out of the alleyway, vigilantly watching for Arbiters. The main square of Stark Town, usually filled to the brim with player and NPC merchants hawking their wares, was nearly empty. The merchants who remained were quite. None of the usual boisterous banter that was such a large part of the marketplace trade was present.

The Stark Town Inn was across the street from them. As they walked toward it Luke remembered the words of the Universal Truth at the second well.

Marina’s daughter, Mina, lives in the house next door.

“Tess…” Luke took a deep breath, his guilt over the expedition leader’s death hitting him like a ton of bricks. “I have to make a stop.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” said Luke. “I’ll be right back. Wait here.”

I’m the one who killed Marina. I need to handle this on my own.

Even with all of his resolve, it was hard for Luke to make his feet carry him forward. Each step was a battle of will against his desire to turn back. A pounding began to echo inside of his temples.

He stood in front of the door of Marina’s house for several seconds before slowly lifting his hand to rap on the door frame. A couple of seconds went by, and then it opened.

“Hello?” The girl that answered it couldn’t have been older than eleven or twelve. She frowned at Luke, clearly picking up on just how uncomfortable he was.

“Are you Mina?” asked Luke.

“Yes?” The girl shook her head. “Is this about… the expedition?”

Luke nodded, and swallowed a painful lump in his throat.

“You can come inside I guess,” said the girl. “My mom and dad… did something happen?”

Luke nodded again.

I can’t do it. I can’t tell her…

“There… was an accident.” Luke took a deep breath, his heart and shaky hands betraying the emotion underneath. “Mina… your parents…”

The girl began to shake, too. She turned away from Luke for a moment, and when she turned back tears crested in the corners of her eyes.

“No…” Mina’s lip quivered, and she shook her head. “No!”

What the fuck am I doing here?

“Mina, your mom died…” Luke ran his hands through his hair. “She died because-”

The door opened behind them. Tess was standing there, and next to her was Katrina. The two women walked over to Mina and crouched down next to her.

“I’m so sorry,” whispered Katrina. “Mina, I am so sorry. It’s going to be okay, though.”

“You…” Mina seemed to recognize Katrina, and reached out to take her hand as the guild leader offered it to her. “You’re the one who helped my dad last week.”

Katrina nodded. Tess leaned in close to Luke.

“Katrina did a quest for her father. She helped with outfitting the expedition for the trip,” she whispered. “She knows Mina. Not well, but better than we do.”

“Mina, I’m going to stay here with you, okay?” Katrina was blinking back tears of her own. She looked at the girl and set both hands on her shoulders. “I won’t let you be alone.”

“I am alone…” whispered Mina.

Luke opened his mouth, finally finding the courage to say what he’d come there to say. Before he could, Tess was pulling him back out through the door.

“You can’t tell her, Luke,” she said.

“What?”

“She doesn’t need to know.” Tess shook her head and wiped moisture away from her cheeks. “It’s not fair for her to know.”

“Tess, I-”

“It’s not about you,” said Tess. “Telling her is only going to make you feel better. This time… it’s not about you.”

I killed her mother…

“She’s going to wonder, Tess.”

Just then, Katrina poked her head out from the door of the house. She looked sad, as though she’d absorbed some of the girl’s loss as her own.

“I’m going to stay in Stark Town for the next couple of days,” she said softly. Luke nodded.

“Alright, I understand.”

“Silverstrike is over at the inn having an ale,” said Katrina. “Can you let him know for me? I’m sure he’d also love to check in with the two of you.”

“Yeah, of course.” Luke took a deep breath and tried to clear the chaotic thoughts circling in his fatigued brain.

Am I just seizing this as a chance to run away from responsibility?

“We’ll have someone from your guild stop by to bring you messages and keep you filled in,” said Tess.

Katrina forced a smile.

“Speaking of which, I used that money you gave me to make some upgrades to Dunidan’s Rest, Luke,” said Katrina. “I think you’re going to like what I’ve done.”

Luke smiled.

“Thanks, Katrina,” he said, nodding toward Mina’s house. “For everything.”

Katrina ducked back inside the house and Luke and Tess headed next door to the inn. Compared to most of the other times when Luke had stopped by the gathering hall, it was practically empty. Silverstrike was easy to pick out, one of the few patrons seated at the bar instead of at a table.

I need to move on from this, and this seems as good of a way as any to get started.

Luke walked over and took a seat at the bar, waving to the bartender to bring him a mug of ale.

“Hey buddy,” he said. “How’s it going?”

Silverstrike hiccupped, and looked at Luke, confused. Tess walked over and sat down on a stool on the other side of him.

“Yo, Silverstrike.” Luke poked his unresponsive friend in the shoulder. “You okay?”

“Oh… Kato.” Silverstrike shook his head and laughed. “Sorry, I’m going a bit overboard today.”

“Yeah, you can say that again.” Luke frowned at Tess, who furrowed her brow.

This doesn’t seem like it’s just from the in-game alcohol effects…

The bartender set Luke’s ale down in front of him. He took only a tiny sip of it, finding that he wasn’t much in the mood for drinking anymore.

“The Elemental Wells,” said Silverstrike. “Kaoru, uh… he said you found the first one?”

Silverstrike’s cadence was slow, and labored. Luke scratched his head and nodded, wondering if there was something that he should say or do.

“We actually just claimed the second one,” he said. “Only one left. What about you? What about the alliances, Silverstrike?”

Should you really be in a bar when we need you as our ambassador, setting up treaties?

“We’re almost done.” Silverstrike grinned at him and waved a finger in his face. “Kato, I’ve already made most of them. The big guilds are in. And yes, it was me, so take your self-righteousness and…”

Silverstrike trailed off and took another swig of ale. Luke shrugged.

“Good,” he said. “That’s really good, actually. Sorry, buddy, I didn’t mean to sound skeptical. I’m just… concerned.”

Silverstrike saw something on Luke’s face and instantly transitioned back into seriousness. He finished his ale, shivering as he set the mug down, and then wiped his hand across his mouth.

“Kaoru has gone undercover,” whispered Silverstrike. “He’s up in Kantor, dressed as an Arbiter.”

Luke leaned in a bit closer, shielding their conversation from the other patrons.

“Are you sure? Tess and I just teleported in through Kantor and we didn’t see any trace of him.”

Silverstrike frowned.

“Well obviously not. He’s undercover. And you shouldn’t take stupid risks like that, you know. Might as well just turn yourselves over to the Arbiters.”

Tess blushed a bit, and Luke waved his hand and rolled his eyes.

He is right about this, though. And Kaoru is taking that same risk.

“I’m bringing some of the guild leaders together for a meeting early tomorrow,” said Silverstrike. “Can you hold off on heading for the last Elemental Well until then?”

Luke looked over at Tess. He again felt extraordinarily tired, both in body and in mind.

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea,” he said.

“We’re meeting on Carthac Island. It’s one of the smaller islands in the Western Sea.” Silverstrike grinned. “I still haven’t explained to the guild leaders the details of the plan yet. This is going to either make or break our rebellion.”

Luke nodded slowly, suddenly feeling a bit doubtful of their odds.

Can we really do this? Or are we just kidding ourselves?

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Tess. “Luke, you could use the rest of today to rest, and tomorrow morning we could meet up and head there together.”

Luke immediately agreed with her suggestion.

Rest… I could definitely use some.

“Alright,” he said. “Let’s do it.”

The three of them talked for a while longer. Sitting at the bar, just the three of them almost felt like it had when they had first started out in Yvvaros. Before going all in was a possibility and the government was uninvolved, when they were just friends discovering a new world, not trying to save it. They joked and laughed, and for a while, Luke’s responsibilities felt lighter on his shoulders.

“You should probably log out,” whispered Tess. “I can tell how tired you are, Luke.”

He sighed, and then nodded slowly.

“I’ll meet up with you two in the morning, then,” he finally said.

Silverstrike smiled at him, and Luke met his eye. He wanted to bring up Tess, and the chance that he was leaving the two of them with, brother and sister, to bond. But in the end, he didn’t say anything.

It’s not my place to meddle. They have to work it out themselves.

Luke reached into his satchel, pulled out his character record, signed the bottom of it, and felt the world drop out from underneath him.

CHAPTER 23

Luke was back at his desk. He pulled off his VR headset and felt an irrational sense of nervous paranoia take hold of him.

Calm down. I’m in my house. Nothing’s wrong.

The last remnants of sunlight were streaming in through his bedroom window. It was hard for Luke to think straight, and it took him a second to work out when he’d started playing.

I… slept in-game last night?

His stomach growled, and he realized three things at once. He was unbelievably tired, hungry, and he really, really needed to go to the bathroom.

Luke stood up on legs that had almost forgotten how to walk and hurried to the bathroom. He was used to the empty house now, but heading by his dad’s old room made him wince internally.

After relieving himself, Luke wobbled downstairs. Everything that he saw and touched felt off as though he was in a dream. Even the color of the walls and the furniture seemed muted. He had grown accustomed to the vibrant colors of Yvvaros.

There was something in his kitchen that he was sure hadn’t been there the last time he’d been through the house. A brown grocery bag sat in the middle of the counter. Luke walked over to it and looked inside. A note was perched on top of a variety of food.

Please don’t die, Luke. I’m serious. I didn’t pull your headset off this time. It’s your turn to do me a favor.

Sam

Luke smiled. A faint memory, or rather, many memories flooded his mind. Sam had always looked out for him, mainly in the form of feeding him. She’d been sharing her lunch with him since kindergarten.

Old habits die hard, I guess.

He pulled out a box of pop tarts from the bottom of the bag and tore into them. The prospect of having to go outside to buy food felt strange and foreign to him. He was thankful he didn’t have to.

For a minute Luke thought about calling Sam, or at the least sending a text. He hesitated however, wondering if there was any point in trying to hold onto the friendship. He was no longer the same person that Sam knew and he grew tired at just the thought of trying to reassure her he would be okay.

I’ve moved on, Sam. And now it’s time for you to move on too.

Still, he was appreciative of the food. He sighed, and pulled out his cell phone. It was dead, unsurprisingly. He walked upstairs and plugged in the charger. After a minute it turned back on and he found Sam in his contacts, sending her a short text.

Thanks Sam

Luke’s body felt gross. Spending days in-game took a toll on his psyche, but it also affected him physically in ways that he couldn’t ignore. He walked back into the bathroom, and took a look in the mirror.

It was hard to recognize the face staring back at him. It was gaunt, and his chin was covered in stubble.  Luke shook his head in disgust and began vigorously brushing his teeth as though the unsettling imagine of himself in the mirror could be directly attributed to bad oral hygiene.

He took a shower, letting the cold water wash over him for as long as he could stand it.

It’s not going to wash away, is it?

Luke started laughing. He leaned against the back of the shower and slowly sank to the floor. The water continued to stream down over him, feeling, if possible, even colder as it traveled the extra feet to the floor.

After a few minutes he pulled himself together and dried off. His dresser was almost empty, leaving him with a pair of pants that he’d outgrown long ago and a Christmas sweater from an Aunt who, from the looks of it, hated him. After he dressed, he sat back down at his desk and instinctively began to reach for the headset.

I’m so fucking tired. I need a break.

Instead of getting back into Yvvaros he pulled himself over to his bed and climbed into it. His sheets, like everything else in the house, had been neglected for a bit too long. He needed to wash them but knew that he wouldn’t.

Luke closed his eyes and tried to sleep. The sun was still setting outside his window, but he knew that given how tired he was, sleep should come easily. Unfortunately, it didn’t.

He thought about everything that had happened in Yvvaros over the past few days. They were making progress, true, but it was at the cost of his emotional wellbeing. Luke felt dirty, as though the lengths he’d gone to claim the Elemental Wells had taken him too far against the direction of his moral compass.

They were just NPCs. Non-playable characters… what does it matter?

Luke sighed and rolled over in bed. The thoughts continued however, and he found them almost impossible to ignore.

Yvvaros had stopped being a game. Luke had been aware of the shift for a while, ever since his ill-fated attempt at going all in. But now, it felt as though the weight of the truth was gnawing at the back of his mind.

Maybe I should just go all in right now? And then find a way to live peacefully, without having to kill anyone or anything.

Luke knew that wasn’t a possibility. He was still needed in the outside world. The plan to take back Yvvaros required he have a physical body, even if he didn’t want it anymore.

Luke reached for his phone, checking to see if Sam had texted him back or not. She hadn’t. Another idea popped into his head and he started to reach for his phone.

I need to talk to somebody about this. Somebody who can understand just what it is that I’m going through.

Luke pulled Dr. Meyers’s business card from his pocket and dialed her cell phone number.

He heard her phone ring once, twice, three times, and then it went straight to voice mail. Luke sighed and hung the phone up. He closed his eyes and buried his face in his pillow, hoping that he’d eventually get tired enough to fall asleep on his own.

His cell phone rang. It was Dr. Meyers. Luke answered.

“Hello?”

“Luke, it’s Dr. Meyers. Sorry, I was finishing up with dinner. Do you need to talk?”

Luke ran his hand through his hair and chuckled.

“Yeah, I do,” he said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disrupt your night.”

“It’s alright. My patients don’t need to talk just during office hours. I’m used to it by now.”

“Yeah, that makes sense, uh, thanks.” Luke sat up in bed and crossed his legs underneath him.

“What’s on your mind, Luke?”

The question was one that he’d been expecting, one that he’d thought he was ready to answer, but for some reason it gave him pause.

What is on my mind? Guilt? Fear of change? An inability to accept my responsibilities?

“I’ve been playing Yvvaros again, doctor,” said Luke.

“I know. I assumed that was what you called about.”

For a moment, there was silence on both end of the line. Luke cleared his throat and tried to collect his thoughts.

“It’s been hard for me recently, Dr. Meyers,” he said. “The game… Yvvaros, it’s not separate from my day to day life anymore. In fact, my life practically revolves around it.”

And that’s an understatement. I live in Yvvaros more than I live in the real world.

“Luke, you still need to keep your life in balance.” Dr. Meyers paused. “I don’t just mean taking care of yourself in the real world, you need to find a balance between the two.”

“I’m… trying to,” said Luke.

“What’s the issue?” asked Dr. Meyers. “I feel like you’re dancing around it. Not intentionally, of course. I need you to be candid with me, Luke.”

Luke sighed.

“I just… I look at some of the things I’ve done, some of the things I’ve had to do in-game, and…” He chewed his lip. “It sounds ridiculous. I know it does. But it’s like I said to you before, the game is its own world. My actions have an effect on it, and lately… I’m not sure if the effect has been positive or negative.”

Dr. Meyers chuckled on the other end of the line.

“I’ve been counseling video game addicts for years, Luke. This is nothing I haven’t heard before.”

“What should I do, then?” asked Luke.

“Well, that’s easy. Do you know the game Crime Theft Auto?”

“…What?” Luke blinked in surprise, wondering if he’d heard her correctly.

“CTA, as it’s called by most people,” said Dr. Meyers. “I had a patient once who was addicted to the game and yet completely ashamed of the things that she did in it. Do you know what I told her?”

Luke didn’t say anything.

“I told her that you have to find your own morality when it comes to video games as much as you do when it comes to life.”

“But, I’m not playing CTA!” Luke responded. “The NPCs in Yvvaros are intelligent, almost… conscious.”

“It doesn’t change a thing, Luke,” said Dr. Meyers. “Whether they’re conscious, or unthinking, or totally expendable, what matters is how you view your own actions toward them.”

What is she talking about?

“Why do we celebrate the deaths of terrorists in this country, and mourn the deaths of our soldiers?”

Luke shook his head, staring at his cell phone and trying to understand where Dr. Meyers was going.

“Well, terrorists kill people, and…”

I see what she’s doing.

“The United States military kills people, too,” said Dr. Meyers. “They kill more people than the terrorists do. They’re a lot better at it, too. But we view them as good, and the terrorists as bad.”

“So what, I’m just supposed to judge people on the spot?” Luke leaned his head back against his bed.

“You aren’t supposed to, you already do,” said Dr. Meyers. “If the actions you’ve been taking go against your own sense of morals, than you need to take more time and think about what you’re doing.”

“I don’t understand how it all ended up this way,” said Luke. “I started playing Yvvaros to get away from this kind of thing.”

“You can’t get away from this type of responsibility, Luke. It always finds a way to catch up with you in the end.”

Luke didn’t say anything.

“I have to finish cooking dinner, Luke,” said Dr. Meyers. “I have drop in hours every morning this week between 8 and 10, feel free to drop in if you need to, or call if it’s urgent.”

“Yeah…” said Luke. “I will.”

“Have a good night.”

“Goodnight, Dr. Meyers.”

Luke hung up the phone and rolled over in bed. He hadn’t found the answers he was looking for, but Dr. Meyers’s words continued to echo in his head.

Maybe I’m asking the wrong question…

CHAPTER 24

Luke finally managed to get some sleep. His dreams were a composite of the real world and Yvvaros, and when he woke up the details slipped away, like sand drawings in a high tide.

He sat up in bed slowly, feeling his body’s aches and pains more intimately after a night of rest. Luke wanted to put the headset on right away, but he forced himself to go downstairs and eat some of the food that Sam had brought him first.

As Luke walked back to his room one of his legs gave out underneath him midway up the stairs. He fell to one knee, and a fit of coughing broke out from deep inside his chest.

My body… I’m not taking care of it like I should be.

He shook the episode off and continued back to his desk. Tapping his way through the login sequence, Luke pulled on his VR headset and entered Yvvaros.

He was back in the Stark Town Inn. It was almost completely empty save for a single group of players at a table close to the door and a bored looking bartender in the back.

“Can I get you something?” asked the bartender.

Luke shook his head no and made his way outside.

The sky was deeply overcast, giving the morning a somber feel. There were players moving about Stark Town but not as many as Luke was used to, even on a weekday morning.

The Arbiters are winning. Is it because they’ve scared everyone off, or have they killed that many people?

He turned towards Dunidan’s rest and began walking. A red blinking envelope icon was in the corner of his vision. He reached into his satchel and pulled out the message, it was from Silverstrike.

Kato,

We’re meeting up a short distance away from the bridge over to Carthac Island. The other guilds are expecting us to present a plan of action to the group. You won’t have to do much other than let me do the talking, and chime in when I refer to you, Mr. Hero of Kantor.

Silverstrike

Luke furrowed his brow. He trusted Ben, almost more than anyone else he’d ever known. Lately, however, it had gotten harder. His friend’s erratic behavior and addictions were making him unpredictable.

He’s probably just stressed out from his role in organizing the rebellion. After this meeting, he’ll be able to mellow out again.

Luke tore the letter up and started south. Carthac Island was almost directly to the west of Dunidan’s Rest, on the coast of the Sarchia Desert. It was close enough to the mainland that it could easily be seen from shore. He wasn’t surprised that someone had built a connecting bridge.

As far as Luke could tell, construction in Yvvaros had few, if any limits. Most of the blueprints available for purchase were for larger, traditional structures. The guild hall that he had built shortly after The Consulate had claimed Dunidan’s Rest had been one of those, as had been the wall that he’d constructed later on. Even the ship in Megwin’s Bay he had taken to Wrye Island had been constructed using a blueprint.

But not all of the structures in Yvvaros required blueprints. There was no limit to what a player with enough imagination could construct. Wooden logs could be turned into wooden planks, iron could be turned into nails or spikes, and a variety of different materials could be crafted into rope. With even just those basic ingredients, the sky was the limit.

Luke focused back on the area in front of him as he headed south. Like Stark Town, the Inner Plains were quieter and emptier than usual.  Luke neared the border between the grasslands and Sarchia Desert, he frowned to himself.

I haven’t seen any Arbiters out today. Are they out on another witch hunt, or are they getting ready to strike?

He pushed the thought out of his head. There was no point in being paranoid. None of the guilds in the meeting, Luke’s own excluded, had agreed to anything beyond a simple alliance. It was foolish for him to read too deeply into a quiet morning.

Silverstrike came into view on the horizon. He sat on the top of a dune fidgeting with the sand. Luke slowed as he approached.

“Hey man,” he said. “You ready?”

“We’re still waiting on Tess,” said Silverstrike. “She’s tending to the farm in Dunidan’s Rest, but wanted to be at the meeting so the two of you could head south to the Caves of Exton right after it’s over.”

Luke nodded.

“Did you get a chance to talk to her yesterday, or this morning?” asked Luke. “About… well, everything?”

Silverstrike looked at him and shrugged.

“I guess,” he said. “She’s Tess, Luke. She’s not Emily anymore, even if they share memories.”

“How can you say that? Silverstrike… Ben, you acting this way is really hurting her.”

“She hurt me, Luke.” Silverstrike spat into the sand next to him. “She abandoned me.”

What am I supposed to say to that? He’s not wrong…

Luke didn’t say anything. After a moment, Silverstrike stood up and dusted sand off his legs.

“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Don’t go anywhere.”

“Hold on, I haven’t-”

Silverstrike disappeared in an instant, the telltale sign of a player logging out. About a minute went by with no sign of him.

“Hey!” Tess came running from the east, her dress armor billowing behind her. “Sorry I’m late, I was just making sure all of the plants were watered. Where’s Silverstrike?”

As if on cue, Silverstrike reappeared in the same spot he’d been in a minute earlier. He was grinning and stumbled as he took a step forward down the slope of the dune.

“What was that about?” asked Luke. “Hey, you didn’t just-”

“Shall we?” Silverstrike pumped his fist into the air, the gesture threw him slightly off balance and he stumbled again. He shrugged, still wearing a goofy grin. “It’s time to get this show on the road, are you ready, Hero of Kantor?”

Luke looked over at Tess, but neither of them said anything. Silverstrike started forward toward the coastal edge of the desert, and the two of them followed behind.

After twenty of minutes of walking, the bridge to Carthac Island came into view. It was larger than Luke had expected. Made from broad boards, rope and barrels, it bobbed gently on the waves.

It was over a hundred feet long and crowded with activity. A couple of merchants were on their way to the mainland, pulling carts along with them, but the majority of the traffic was heading toward the island. Luke recognized a number of the players attending as representatives of their guilds.

“What’s your plan?” asked Luke as the three made their way onto the bridge. The rogue was grinning manically. He grasped Luke’s shoulder as he began explaining.

“Just follow my lead,” said Silverstrike. “I’ve already greased most of them over with favorable trade deals and combat alliances. At this point, I just need to lay out the facts and wave you in front of them.”

Luke sighed.

“Does that really need to be a part of this?” asked Luke. “Can’t we just-”

“Trust me, they won’t go for it if we don’t make this seem like an in-game quest,” said Silverstrike. “If we present it to them like a World Event, and give them a chance to make history alongside their hero, they will jump at the chance to be part of the rebellion.”

No pressure though, right?

The three of them walked across the bridge. The wood shifted slightly under their feet, moving with the waves like a loosely bound raft. Luke noticed other players looking at them as they passed by, or rather, he noticed them staring at him.

The Carthac Island settlement was a neutral trade zone. The guild leader, Merrick allowed his zone to be used by other merchants hawking their wares rather than producing and selling the goods himself. In turn, he collected a small fee.

He’d built a large guild hall that had temporarily been emptied of trade. Instead it was set up to accommodate the men and women Silverstrike hoped to recruit to their cause.

Luke, Silverstrike, and Tess walked through the large double doors.

“Silverstrike.” Merrick was standing just within the door and smiled when he saw him. “And Kato, welcome! You must be Tess? Excellent, you are right on time.”

The guild hall was packed with guild leaders and emissaries from all of the major factions in Yvvaros. Silverstrike seemed to recognize most of them, but many of them were new faces to Luke. He did recognize Megwin, who smiled at him and nodded.

They all look like they recognize me, though.

“I believe we are waiting on one more said Merrick. Silverstrike nodded, Luke and Tess followed him over to an empty table at the center of the room.

The room hummed with dozens of private conversations. Most of it consisted of polite small talk as they waited for the meeting to begin. Luke tried to relax. Silverstrike looked tired, and on edge, but also confident.

Luke thought again about the changes he was seeing in his friend. He could see both sides of his Silverstrike coming to a head, his impulsiveness and addiction pitted against his confidence and vision.

This is Silverstrike’s real struggle. This is his battle to fight for the plan to succeed.

The guild hall’s doors slowly opened, and the last guild leader walked in. Luke froze when he saw who it was, a mage dressed in a long red robe, with a stoic expression on his face.

Arex!

The memory of Arex was still fresh in Luke’s mind. In reality, not that much time had passed since then, but the rapid developments in Yvvaros made it feel longer.

Arex had been one of the founding members of The Consulate. Then, he’d betrayed them, twice. First, he’d taken Tess hostage and killed her, though it was back when permadeath hadn’t been a factor. Then he’d sided against them with another guild, attempting to bully Luke into giving up the resources of Dunidan’s Rest.

Luke instinctively stood and reached for the hilt of his sword. Silverstrike grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him down, shooting him a cross look.

“A lot of the guild leaders here have issues with each other,” whispered Silverstrike. “Some of them have even fought battles against each other and taken zones. We have to put the past aside.”

“Arex, welcome,” said Merrick. “Please, have a seat. The meeting is just about to begin.”

Arex smiled coldly. He met Luke’s eyes as he walked by, holding his gaze as though he was a lion sizing up a wolf. Luke stared back at him.

I haven’t forgotten, Arex.

Tess squeezed his hand underneath the table. He looked over at her, expecting her to be frightened or at least a little unnerved. She was smiling, as though nothing was out of the ordinary. Luke forced himself to follow her example as Silverstrike stood to his feet and began addressing the room.

“Alright, I think it’s just about time for us to get started.” Silverstrike walked over to the entrance. He motioned to one of Merrick’s men stationed at the bridge as a lookout and shut the door. Then he walked back to the center of the room and stood, waiting for the room to draw silent.

With all eyes on him he began to speak. “I believe that most of you already know me. You either have trade deals or treaties with my guild, or, you owe me money.”

Several emissaries chuckled. Luke watched his friend as he spoke to the group. He couldn’t help but be impressed. Silverstrike’s charisma was evident, but even so, he could detect that his voice held a tremor of stress along with it.

He can do this. He just needs to stay focused.

Silverstrike continued, “But in case you don’t know me, I am Silverstrike, co-leader of The Consulate, the guild I founded with my Sister Tess, and Kato, the Hero of Kantor.” I brought all of you here today for one reason.” Silverstrike scanned the room, meeting the eyes of as many players as he could. “The Arbiters have to go.”

An anxious murmur passed through the room. Silverstrike lifted up one of his hands for silence, but let it continue for a couple of seconds before clearing his throat.

“I’m not going to dance around the point. You’re all smart, capable players.” He slowly walked over to a large window in the back of the room that looked out onto the Western Sea and nearby islands, and raised a hand. This world is special. I think we’ve all come to realize that. It’s a chance for us to create something new. For many of us, it’s a chance to start over.”

Everyone in the room was mesmerized, hanging on Silverstrike’s words. He walked slowly away from the window continuing his performance. He cast his eyes at the ceiling, as if receiving a message only he could hear.

“This is our world. Not theirs.” Silverstrike raised his index finger and pointed it back at the window. “They took what was ours. They took what we built and what we fought for. They’ve taken our lives and they’ve perverted the beauty of Yvvaros.

“You’re being overdramatic,” called a voice from the back of the room. “Besides, it’s probably only temporary. Soon enough the government will-”

“It’s not temporary,” said Silverstrike. “It’s deliberate, and it’s permanent, as permanent as permadeath.”

Luke looked around at the other players in the guild hall. Most of them had been in good spirits before the meeting began. Now Silverstrike had their attention and they looked serious and pensive.

“The real world is changing. It’s evolving. And this…” Silverstrike spread his arms out and gestured around him, “…is why. People are immigrating, like they have since the dawn of time, only now the new frontiers are digital with limitless potential”

“I haven’t gone all in, and I never plan to,” said another player from over to the side. “Why should I risk my ass going along with any of this?”

He makes a good point. How is Silverstrike going to convince the players that still see Yvvaros as just a game?

“They’ve taken our cities!” Silverstrike raised his voice. “They’re capturing and killing our people! If you want to sit back and pretend like that doesn’t affect you, then go right ahead. See what happens next. We already got a taste of how bad things can get at the Battle of Kantor.”

Silverstrike gestured to Luke, who slowly rose to his feet and joined his friend in the center of the room.

And this is where I come in, apparently.

“Many of you may recognize Kato. Or as he is more commonly known, the Hero of Kantor.”

Another murmur went through the room. Luke couldn’t tell if the overriding emotion was curiosity, respect, or adulation.

“Kato only discovered Yvvaros because I goaded him into giving it a try.” Silverstrike smiled. “But it wasn’t a fluke of chance that led him to his role in saving Kantor.

Luke tried not to frown.

It was a fluke. The skill I used to win the battle came out of nowhere, and disappeared immediately after it.

“The rumors you’ve heard are true,” said Silverstrike. “Kato’s dad is, or rather was, one of the former developers of the game.”

This time, the players in the guild hall didn’t just start murmuring. They spoke loudly among themselves. Luke heard questions being shouted at him from all sides. In the back of the room, Arex was smiling at him with his arms crossed.

“Quiet!” yelled Silverstrike. “Hey, I said, quiet!”

The crowd slowly calmed.

“You’ve been saying a lot, but explaining very little,” Megwin called out from a table near the back of the room. “Please, Silverstrike, Kato… you’ve only told us why. We need to know how.”

Silverstrike cleared his throat before continuing. “We have a plan to take down the Arbiters. Kaoru, who many of you have also heard rumors about, has joined our cause. We will take back Yvvaros, but we need your help.”

He again scanned the room, making eye contact with Megwin and other powerful guild leaders before continuing. “There are several parts and phases to this plan. Kato and Tess are already working on the first phase, and Kato and Kaoru are working together on the second one outside of Yvvaros.”

“So what do you want with us?” Megwin spoke again.

“Within Yvvaros, we will need to build up an allied force. What I need from all of you is to gather your players, equip them with the best equipment you have available, and wait. We don’t know when the attack is going to take place, but it will be within the next few days. You will need to mobilize with very little notice.”

“How can we attack them?” asked Merrick. “Kantor has been taken. The rune circle is guarded by Arbiters.”

“I mentioned the first phase. The Hero of Kantor has already found a way.” Silverstrike grinned in triumph. “Kato has been claiming the Elemental Wells. Once all three of them are under his control, we will summon the floating city of Makorin to serve as our weapon.”

The room erupted again. Silverstrike sighed and shot Luke an exasperated look.

It’s my turn to step in.

“Hey! Listen up!” The room was instantly silent. Luke felt an anxious flutter in his chest as their eyes turned to him. “Look, the plan sounds outlandish, but I assure you, it’s doable.”

The words left his mouth with more confidence than he actually felt. Silverstrike nodded in agreement alongside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“Your hero has spoken,” he said. “And phase two? Kato and Kaoru have devised a plan to free the world state server from the government in the real world. We aren’t talking about starting a rebellion. We’re talking about finishing one.”

“We can do this, all of us, together,” said Luke. “Just trust us, and be ready.”

Several guild leaders nodded in agreement. Merrick was smiling broadly. He began slowly and rhythmically banging his fist on his table. Other players joined and within seconds, all of the assembled guild leaders were drumming their fists down, beating out a loud, steady rhythm in support of the plan. Even Arex.

“Yvvaros! Yvvaros!” Silverstrike started chanting, and the entire room followed his lead. It felt ritualistic, like they were a tribe preparing to declare war on their enemies.

That’s not too far off from the truth.

The energy level in the room was so high that they almost didn’t notice when the player who’d been posted as a lookout stumbled in through the door. He had a panicked expression on his face, and an arrow jutting from his shoulder.

“The Arbiters are here,” he said, before collapsing.

CHAPTER 25

Luke was the first one out the door. Tess tried to grab his hand as he moved, but he pulled away. He unsheathed his sword and charged toward the bridge. A group of at least three dozen Arbiters stood waiting on the other side.

They killed Anna. They’ll kill Tess, too, if I let them.

At the front of the group stood the tall, commanding Head Arbiter wielding a long, golden spear. Luke stared into his eyes and saw pure, unadulterated loathing. He charged forward, but a hail of arrows shot toward him as he did. Something flashed bright green in front of him and a force field appeared blocking out the deadly projectiles.

“Kato, are you out of your mind?” Silverstrike grabbed his arm and pulled him back into the guild hall. Inside, all of the guild leaders had their weapons out. A dozen panicked voices were talking at once. Luke shook his head and stepped to the front of the room.

“There’s only one way out of this!” He yelled to them with an intensity that he hadn’t been aware he could muster. “We have to attack!”

The room was a chorus of objections. Luke looked back out the door at the force field and the Arbiters waiting on the other side.

“He’s right,” said Silverstrike. “We have to fight them, if only to push through and make our escape. The Arbiters can’t kill all of us at once. We can do this!”

“This was a trap!” yelled Merrick. “You set me up! You just wanted to-”

The guild leader’s accusations were cut off as a powerful explosion caused the force field to collapse. The Arbiters began to rush the bridge. Luke had hoped that they would hold at the end of the bridge, giving the group more time to formulate a proper counter strike.

“Come on!” He grabbed Tess’s hand and pulled her over toward the side exit of the guild hall. He beat out several of the guild leaders in his rush through the door.

I can’t lose my cool again. I have to get her to safety!

The Arbiters were moving across the bridge, but there was nothing stopping Luke and Tess from swimming to the mainland. He essentially pushed her into the water as he reached the edge of the island.

“Come on, Luke!” yelled Tess. He shook his head and unsheathed his sword.

“I have to cover your retreat, Tess,” said Luke. “Swim to the other side and cover the others as they come ashore.”

He was lying to her. Luke wasn’t interested in covering anyone’s retreat. He was interested in revenge. Anna’s death was fresh in his mind. He recalled her body lying limply in the sand as Katrina mourned. Even the deaths of Marina and Shahidi, though they’d been slain by his own hand, also seemed to be somehow directly attributable to the Arbiters.

CONJURE SWORD 3

MIRROR IMAGE 3

HOLY REGENERATION 2

With all of his passive combat skills activated, Luke strode back into the guild hall. Many of the guild leaders had already fled into the ocean, but a few held the door. Luke could see by their body language that their resolve matched his own.

They’ve lost people, too. The Arbiters have fucked us all over, and now it’s time for revenge.

“Kato!” Silverstrike grabbed his wrist and tried to pull him away. “We need to leave!”

“I’ll catch up with you,” said Luke. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Silverstrike saw something in his eyes and backed away. Despite the gravity of the situation, Luke realized that he was smiling.

If they want me to be their hero, so be it. I may not have Silverstrike’s silver tongue, but I can fight the Arbiters. I have to fight them.

Luke took a deep breath and nudged the player standing in front of the door aside. One of the Arbiters was only feet away from the entrance. Luke ran out of the door at a diagonal, letting his mirrored images absorb the arrows fired from the Arbiters as he moved forward.

PIERCE ATTACK 3

Luke launched at the Arbiter leading the rush. It pressed its spear forward, but Luke saw it coming and leaned his shoulder back just in time to let the spear graze by the outside of his armor. Luke countered with a stab directly at the Arbiter. He only managed to dent its armor as his blade smashed against the breastplate. The Arbiter lost only a small amount of health.

Luke twisted and attacked again, swinging his blade in an off side arc and letting his three conjured swords fly forward to defend his back. The Arbiter ducked, but the magical blades connected with his neck. The damage wasn’t enough to kill him, but Luke noticed with satisfaction that his health bar took a significant dip.

Two more Arbiters arrived to bolster their comrade’s flanks. Luke leapt back. Immediately a group of guild leaders took his place.

Luke looked out on the fighting. He could see the Head Arbiter across the battlefield. It stood still, watching and waiting.

To the right, he saw the eruption of a red spell burst from the door of the guildhall. It struck a group of Arbiters, knocking a couple of them off their feet.

Luke sprang into action, dropping into a crouch and pushing forward. He blocked an attack and countered with one of his own as he pushed through the frontline of Arbiters.

Silverstrike shouted to him from the water’s edge, but Luke was too far away to make out what he was saying. From the bridge, the Head Arbiter signaled with a hand to his troops on the mainland. They began to spread out along the shore.

They’re going to attack anyone that tries to swim ashore! I can’t let that happen!

Luke ran toward the bridge. The Head Arbiter stood at the edge. Luke dropped into a roll, feeling the rough wood beneath him as he moved across the planks. He carried his momentum forward as he vaulted to his feet, swinging his sword at the Head Arbiter.

It brought up its spear and blocked Luke’s assault easily. Their weapons clashed together, fused in battle.

Damn it, he’s fast. I just need to catch him-

Luke was slow on a counter, and the Head Arbiter pushed him back with the shaft of his spear. The jolt knocked him off balance for a second, and his opponent whipped the spear tip forward, catching him in the shoulder.

The pain was sharp and immediate. Surprisingly, instead of pushing forward, the Head Arbiter immediately pulled back. He looked from side to side, checking the progress of his troops as they moved to apprehend the guild leaders swimming up on the beach. Then, he looked back at Luke.

Those eyes… He hates me, but why isn’t he attacking?

Luke crouched low and gripped his sword in front of him with both hands.

PIERCE ATTACK 3

The Head Arbiter didn’t dodge the attack. Luke’s sword smashed into its breast plate but the armor held without even a scratch. A split second later, Luke attacked with his conjured swords, but again, the Head Arbiter let the strikes hit him without even flinching.

“Luke!” Tess called to him from the water. She was climbing up onto the rocky shore. An Arbiter was quickly closing in on her.

Luke feigned an attack, a ploy to slip by. It was only then that his opponent really began to strike back. Three blows rained down in rapid fire succession. Instantly his health bar emptied.

What? Three attacks, and I’m dead…

He fell to the ground in a crumpled heap as his health zeroed out. Almost immediately, a spell hit him, restoring a sliver of his health and bringing him back from the brink.

Tess!

He was expecting the Head Arbiter to run him through with its spear, but it hesitated.  Luke seized the moment and rolled to his feet.

He’s arrogant, and I can take advantage of that.

Luke pulled his conjured swords to him. Instead of using them to attack his enemies, he set them in motion around himself, creating a whirlwind shield of razor sharp blades.  With the blurring cyclone of steel protecting him, he began to run.

An Arbiter was leaning over Tess, preparing to land a finishing blow. Luke launched himself from the bridge, flying straight at it. His conjured swords struck the Arbiter before his physical sword did, doing enough damage to distract it.

“Run, Tess!” yelled Luke. “I’ll meet you on the way!”

Tess caught his eye and nodded. She knew where they would meet. Dunidan’s Rest would be too dangerous, and now that the Arbiters had discovered their meeting, Luke wasn’t sure what was going to happen next.

The plan can still work, we just need to get out of here!

The Arbiter that had been attacking Tess turned and struck at Luke. He parried, and then feigned with the blade in his hand, just as his conjured swords struck its target. The blow wasn’t enough to kill the Arbiter, but it was a start.

Something smashed into Luke’s head. He turned as he fell forward and saw the Head Arbiter behind him, holding its spear in a reverse grip. Follow up attacks came from both the front and back, forcing Luke to fight against both Arbiters at once. Only by using all of his swords to block their attacks was he able to keep from being killed a second time.

A spell collided with the bridge nearby, knocking the Arbiters back and tossing Luke into the air. He flipped through the air, eventually landing in a painful crash on his knees. Arex sprinted off the bridge and onto land, holding his staff out in front of him.

Arex?

The Red Mage launched off another spell. A fireball shot out from his quarter staff and struck the wood of the bridge, splashing flames onto the planks and Arbiters. Luke rose to his feet and caught Arex’s stride as he ran past. The two ran toward the other players on the beach.

“Why?” yelled Luke, unable to contain his confusion.

“I have to escape, too,” said Arex.

Luke made a beeline for Tess, who was busy casting healing spells on players still in combat. He grabbed her hand and pulled her off into the desert, not stopping to look back.

“Cast Haste!” yelled Luke.

Tess didn’t argue. She sped through her chant, and a glowing light descended on both of them. Luke and Tess sped forward, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the battle.

CHAPTER 26

They didn’t stop running until the battle was far behind them. Luke scanned the horizon, looking for signs that they’d been pursued. When he was confident they hadn’t been trailed, he turned to Tess.

“What just happened?” she asked. “Did somebody in the meeting sell everyone out?”

Luke frowned and shook his head.

“I don’t know…”

“Arex was there,” said Tess. “Maybe this whole thing was just a revenge scheme on his part…”

Luke thought back to his hurried escape, and the spell that had saved his life.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “If this was betrayal on the part of one of the guild leaders, than they were risking their own life to do it.”

“Did Silverstrike make it out okay?”

Luke opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, a blinking red message icon appeared in the corner of his vision. He hoped that it would have an answer to Tess’s question.

Kato,

I don’t know what happened. I’m safe, hiding out in Stark Town. The other guild leaders heard my message, and as Machiavellian as it may sound, the Arbiter attack reinforced it perfectly. I will reestablish contact and keep moving things forward. You need to handle things at the last Elemental Well.

Silverstrike

“He’s okay,” said Luke. Tess breathed a sigh of relief.

“I don’t understand any of this,” said Tess. “They didn’t say anything to us. No warnings, nothing. Do they just want to make the players afraid?”

Luke stared off into the horizon.

“I don’t know, Tess. But we’re going to put a stop to it.”

They continued walking south. The Sarchia Desert felt more ominous than usual, as though a dark presence was looming over it. The sky was even more overcast than it had been before, making the desert air unusually cold.

Luke spotted the Caves of Exton after they’d been traveling for about an hour. From a distance, they looked like tiny black eyes, peering out of the dunes. They made Luke feel as though the desert was a sentient organism. Luke and Tess slowed as they drew near.

“We should stop to eat some food first, Luke,” said Tess. “Who knows what we’re going to find in there…”

Luke nodded. Tess pulled some fruit and vegetables from the garden back in Dunidan’s Rest out of her bag and passed them to him.

“This is it,” said Luke. “After we claim this Elemental Well, the plan is going be in its final stage.”

Tess smiled, but Luke could tell that it was forced. She looked down at her food and then back at him.

“We haven’t heard from Kaoru in a while.” She frowned. “He was undercover with the Arbiters. Do you think they might have…?”

Luke shook his head.

“No,” he said. “That’s probably why we haven’t heard from him. He’s fully committed to this cause.”

Luke bit into one of the fruits, its purple flesh reminded him of a plum. He didn’t pay any attention to the flavor.

“What do you think we’re going to find inside?”

Claiming the other Elemental Wells hasn’t been straightforward. There’s always been some kind of test, a choice for us to make.

“I don’t know,” said Luke. “Come on, we don’t have any time to waste.”

He wiped fruit juice from his hands onto his legs and started toward the caves. As they drew closer, he could hear a faint wind whistling across the opening, creating ominous, musical tones on the air.

QUEST: The Caves of Exton

“Luke, it won’t let me go any further!” Tess was behind him, standing still. Luke watched as she lifted her foot and tried to step in closer toward the caves, only to have it bounce off against an invisible barrier in front of her.

“That’s weird,” said Luke. He took another step, confirming that he could still push on ahead.

“I don’t know if it’s such a good idea for you to face this alone,” said Tess. Luke shrugged.

“It doesn’t look like we have any other choice. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. Try to stay out of sight in case any patrols of Arbiters go by.”

Tess frowned, but nodded slowly.

“If it takes you longer than a few hours, please come back and check in, Luke.”

“I will,” he said. “Don’t worry.”

Easier said than done.

Luke turned and assessed the nearest cave entrance. It was tall enough for him to walk through without having to crouch down, but not by much. He walked slowly, his eyes straining to adjust to the pitch blackness inside.

“Don’t get yourself killed!” Tess’s voice echoed behind him. “Please… be careful, Luke.”

“I’ll be fine.”

He took another step forward, and then another. Luke couldn’t see much more than the faint outlines of the cave walls on either side of him, but he could feel the ground sloping down underneath him.

The passage continued as a straight slant downward for a couple hundred meters. The air began to smell and taste stale. The entrance was only a tiny pinprick of light behind him. He felt a brief flash of fear pass over him as the passage curved and he lost sight of the way out.

Luke pulled out his sword and held it in front of him.

ELEMENTAL INFUSION: FIRE

The flames turned his sword into a makeshift torch. Light flickered over the cracks and crevices of the cave, making the walls around him dance as though they’d come alive. Luke took a deep breath and kept moving.

I haven’t run into any enemies yet. Even outside the cave, there weren’t any.

He walked for a while longer. He wasn’t sure exactly how long. The cave twisted and turned. It almost felt like it was twisting in circles. Luke fought the urge to speed forward.

A couple of boulders were piled on the ground ahead of him. Stalactites hung from the roof of the cave. Together, the rock features made it look like he was stepping into a giant, gaping mouth. He gripped his sword a little tighter and pulled himself through.

The passageway opened up into a large circular cavern, and there was someone standing at the center of it.

Luke stopped and tried to angle his flaming sword so that it would shine light onto the figure, but the shadows clung to it like a cloak.

“Who are you?” called Luke. “Why are you here?”

The figure didn’t answer. Luke took another step closer.

Is this it? Should I attack now, and try to get an advantage?

The air felt thick, almost like fog, or smoke. Luke’s temples were pounding. He took a careful step forward. Finally, the figure turned, and Luke got a look at who it was.

The Head Arbiter was standing in the center of the cavern, spear in hand, steely eyes boring into Luke. He made no move to attack.

What? How could he have beaten us here?

Luke acted. He feinted forward, trying to get the Arbiter to move, to defend and reveal an opening. The Head Arbiter stood like a statue, not even flinching as Luke’s sword came within a hair’s breadth of its golden helm.

MIRROR IMAGE 3

HOLY REGENERATION 2

CONJURE SWORD 3

In in the enclosed space of the cavern, Luke’s combat abilities were amplified in utility. There wasn’t anywhere for the Head Arbiter to maneuver. He could hang back and use his conjured swords to do the fighting.

Why isn’t he attacking?

Luke stood for a moment, watching the Head Arbiter. He took a deep breath readying himself.

PIERCE ATTACK 3

Luke charged forward, extinguishing his sword as he speared it toward the Head Arbiter’s breast plate. In an instant, the figure in front of him shifted.

The Head Arbiter was gone. There was no armor to deflect Luke’s attack. His sword pierced through cloth and flesh, and a familiar gasp rang out hauntingly as Tess fell forward onto his blade.

“…What?” Luke stared open mouthed as the woman he loved collapsed into him, burying her face against his shoulder as she’d done so many times before. “No…”

“…Luke.” Tess locked eyes with him and smiled. “Sorry…”

“Tess!” Luke cradled her as he fell to his knees. He was afraid to pull his sword out, but the sight of it impaled through her chest made him sick to his stomach.

Tears streamed down his face as he stared at her eyes, her face, and her lips. He ran his hand across her cheek and bit his tongue hard enough to make it bleed.

“I knew…” whispered Tess. “I’m sorry.”

Luke squeezed her head against his chest as his body shook with silent sobs.

I killed her…

“No, please…” Luke looked around the dark cavern. “Don’t do this! Don’t take her from me! Please!”

The only answer was the endless echoing of his own voice. Luke wanted to pull his headset off and smash it. He wanted to go back in time and impale himself. But more than anything, he wanted to cry. And he did.

“This is the fate that awaits all life. There is no order. The balance has not been restored.”

Something in front of Luke began to shine with blinding light. He tried to keep his eyes on Tess’s soft, limp body, but a powerful force compelled his gaze upward.

The woman that Luke had seen at the other Elemental Wells was in front of him. The light was coming from within her body, and she reached a hand out toward him.

“No,” he whispered. “I can’t leave her.”

She did this. She’s the one who killed Tess!

Luke pulled his conjured swords to him, not wanting to disturb the blade that had ended Tess’s life. With a wave of her hand, the women dispelled them.

“You don’t have any choice,” said the woman. “You must continue forward.”

The light intensified, it filled the room and hurt Luke’s eyes. He felt his body vibrating with energy, and then the ground gave out beneath him.

Luke wasn’t in the cavern anymore. He was standing inside a large building that he recognized immediately. The walls curled up into a geodesic dome, studded with brilliant stained glassed windows. The floor was filled with row after row of long, wooden benches.

This is… the Temple of Rygon?

Something about it seemed off, and it only took Luke a second to realize what it was. A huge crucifix hung on the wall directly behind the main podium in the back of the room. Luke took a step forward, searching the room for clues as to why he was there.

“Hello?” he called. “What… is this?”

A woman appeared in front of him, facing away. She looked strangely familiar, and wore the same simple cotton outfit that all players in Yvvaros started out in.

“Why…?” asked Luke. “Why have you brought me here?”

The woman turned around slowly and smiled at him. Luke’s eyes went wide when he saw her face.

“…Mom?” Luke shook his head. “How…?”

She said nothing, and reached out her hand for Luke to take. He stared at it, feeling his confusion shift into deep, chest wracking remorse.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“I need your help, Luke.”

“You’re dead… because of me.” Luke scrunched his eyes closed and hit his palms against his head. “Tess is dead because of me.”

“You’re the only one that can restore balance to Yvvaros. I can show you the way.”

“Why?” Luke gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists. “I don’t care about Yvvaros! I did this all for her!”

“You couldn’t stop her,” said the woman. “She made her own choices and chose her own path. Just like I did.”

“You’re not really her…” Luke shook his head and let out a grief stricken sigh. “You can’t really be her.”

The woman smiled. Despite himself, Luke suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to take the hand that she’d offered him.

The second he touched it, the room was again bathed with a blinding bright light and he was somewhere new.

Luke was somewhere that he’d almost forgotten about. He stood just outside his house in the real world. It was nighttime, and the moons and stars hung in the sky overhead.

Wait… the moons?

Luke did a double take as he examined the celestial tapestry more closely. The Earth’s moon was clearly visible, but on either side of it were Yvvaros’s azure blue moon, and the smaller red rock that orbited along with it. The two larger moons were almost the same size, and the red rock hung above them like a third eye.

He was expecting something to happen, or someone to appear. The night was silent, however, and the street was empty. Luke slowly started walking down it, doing his best to keep his breathing steady as his mind fought against the scene.

This is just a hallucination. The cave is testing me.

“Where are you?” yelled Luke. “Come out and show yourself?”

He began taking a closer look at the street and realized that it wasn’t the neighborhood that he remembered. The houses were worn down. The paint on the outside was chipped, and all of the lawns were overgrown. Even the concrete was cracked and weathered, with pockets of weeds growing where they could.

“I know this isn’t real!” screamed Luke. “If this is your test, than I’ve already passed it.”

There was no response. Luke looked around again. The street lights were out, but the moon and stars gave enough light to let him see clearly. He walked down the street and toward the park.

There’s nobody here… What is this supposed to be a test of?

The park was overgrown. Trees and vegetation sprouted from the ground, turning the space into a small sector of reclaimed wilderness. The chain link fence that ran along one side was rusted and broken open in places.

“This is a waste of time! Bring me back already!”

Luke began running through the town. The houses on either side of the street became even more run down and destroyed, as though every step was taking him further forward in time. It was like something out of a nightmare.

He slowed to a walk as he passed Ben’s house. It was nothing more than a crumbling foundation. Strangely, grass no longer grew in the uncovered patches of Earth. Luke continued on toward his school, the scenery growing more unnerving with every step he took.

The road, which at this point was little more than an outline of crumbling rock and dust, stopped abruptly. Luke shook his head at what he saw as he looked toward where his high school had once stood.

The ground was covered in a hexagonally patterned layer of metal, or rather, circuitry. The edges of each hexagon glowed orange, emitting heat. Luke looked behind him and realized that the houses and buildings he’d walked by were no more. The dreamscape had shifted as he passed.

“What… is this?” Luke turned in a circle. There was nothing on the horizon, nothing but the strange mechanical layering beneath his feet. As far as he could see, the ground was flat, carpeted with the glowing hexagons. Not an inch of earth was left exposed.

He bent down and touched the metal. It was perfectly smooth, and hummed with activity as though it were alive.

Is this the future? How… can this be?

“Please, let me go back!” Luke was shouting, and he didn’t know why. “I don’t understand! Tell me, what is it I’m supposed to be seeing?”

“IN THE BEGINNING, GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH”

The voice that echoed in response to his question was loud enough to shake the inside of his bones. He fell to his knees as once more a painfully bright light washed over him. Wearily, Luke resigned himself to his fate.

CHAPTER 27

Luke was lying on his back, surrounded by darkness. It took him a moment to realize that he was back in the cavern. As he pulled himself to his feet, a glowing rune circle appeared in the center of the cave. He walked over and stepped into it, not giving himself time to consider the full extent of what had just happened.

In an instant, he was back in the realm of the Universal Truth. The same woman that he’d seen in his vision stood a short distance away. Her body was emanating the familiar white light, but this time, Luke couldn’t make out the details of her face.

I don’t know who she is, but I know who she isn’t. It’s just not possible…

“Welcome, hero,” said the woman. “You have once again entered my realm, the realm of the Universal Truth.”

“Why…” Luke shook his head and stared at her, squinting his eyes against the light. “Is your goal to torture me? To break me down? To drive me insane?”

“My goal is to prepare you,” said the woman. “You are much more important than you know.”

Luke gritted his teeth as he recalled what happened to Tess.

“Was it you?” The question came out in a quiet voice and it took all of his remaining strength to speak. “Did you set it up, force me to…”

I killed her.

“You must restore balance to Yvvaros,” said the woman. “Sacrifice is inevitable. Do not dismay.”

Luke leaned forward, setting his hands on his knees and staring blankly at the ground. He didn’t say anything, not at first. The woman waited patiently, letting the silence hang on the air.

“I don’t care…” he muttered. “I don’t care about any of that anymore…”

“There’s more going on here than you can see, Luke,” said the woman. “You must keep moving forward. This is but another test of your spirit.”

A test… I’m through. I won’t.

“I don’t want this!” Luke punched the ground and screamed into the darkness. “I never wanted this. She was why I did it. There’s no point…”

“You have claimed the Elemental Well,” said the woman. “The gifts of Makorin are yours.”

LEVEL 21 ATTAINED

Luke closed his eyes, knowing what came next. He was back in the cave. A new sword lay in front of him, and next to it was a yellow, baseball sized crystal.

“Well, that was impressive, I have to say.”

A figure walked into the cavern. Luke slowly turned his head, and saw an Arbiter walking toward him from the entranceway holding a torch in his hand.

“You…” Luke stood to his feet and gripped the new weapon in front of him. “You monster! I’ll make you suffer!”

“Whoa, whoa, take it easy!” The Arbiter held up a hand, and with the other it pulled off its helm. Kaoru’s hair was shorter than it had been the last time Luke had seen him, but there was no mistaking the man for anyone else.

“Silverstrike told me where you were headed,” he said. “I ‘defected’ from the Arbiters when I heard what happened at Carthac Island.”

Luke didn’t say anything.

“Hey…” said Kaoru, stepping closer. “Are you okay?”

Luke slowly pulled himself to his feet.

“Yeah…” he said. “I’m fine.”

“You did it.” Kaoru clapped him on the shoulder with a metal gloved hand. “This is why you came here. Whatever it took, its part of the plan.”

Luke picked the crystal up off the ground and handed it to Kaoru.

“It wasn’t worth it.” Luke felt his eyes blinking quickly and automatically. “It wasn’t worth it at-”

“Luke?”

Tess walked into the cavern. She paused when she saw him, and then quickly ran over. Luke stared at her blankly as she pulled him into a hug.

“Tess…” he said. “You’re… alive?”

“Yeah, of course.” Tess pulled back slightly and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Luke grinned and felt a dozen emotions melt away at once.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” said Kaoru. “This cave air is a bit too stale for me.”

Luke held Tess’s hand as the three of them walked out of the cave. He felt a bit silly doing it, but it was hard to stop himself.

“What’s gotten into you?” she asked. “Did you have to fight something down here?  The barrier must have dropped when you killed it.”

“Yeah, something like that,” said Luke. He smiled.

Luke was surprised by how much time had gone by while he’d been down in the caves. The sun was setting in Yvvaros. The entire desert shone with a vibrant orange light. He finally paid attention to the flashing icon in the corner of his screen, dropping his attribute points into his main combat stats.

“I discovered a lot while I was undercover,” said Kaoru. “Defeating the Arbiters isn’t going to be easy. There are more of them than I was expecting.”

“We’ll find a way,” said Luke. “We have Makorin. Silverstrike has done what he could to take care of the alliances. We’ll be okay.”

“Luke…” Kaoru had begun slipping off his Arbiter armor and storing it in his bag. “We still have to get to the server in the real world. I was hoping to find something, anything that would let us get around it, but I couldn’t.”

Tess was silently watching the two of them, and Luke met her eye.

I know what it’s like to lose her. Now I have to save her.

“Alright,” said Luke. “I can do it.”

“Not just you, this time,” said Kaoru. “Send me your address in real life and I’ll fly out tonight and meet up with you.”

“I could always just ask Silverstrike. He lives on the same street as me.”

Kaoru frowned.

“He needs to focus on what he’s doing in-game,” said Kaoru. “And also, I uh, I have to talk to you about him. Later, though.”

Luke nodded, understanding what was going through the man’s head.

Silverstrike has practically gone all in at this point. We can’t rely on him.

“Anyway, we should get back to Dunidan’s rest.” Kaoru started walking away from the caves. “It’s going to be at least a day before we can get everything organized. That will give us time we need to make our move.”

“Alright,” he said. “Here, I’m sending you my address and phone number now.”

He scribbled it on a piece of parchment and handed it to Kaoru. The three of them walked across the desert mostly in silence. Luke stayed close to Tess. She giggled a couple of times, noticing the way that he kept smiling at her, as though it had been years since they’d last seen each other.

Luke hadn’t been back to Dunidan’s Rest since he’d first left to go after the Elemental Wells. It loomed on the horizon like a desert fortress, larger and more imposing than he remembered.

“Have we always had that much space?” he asked.

Tess smiled at him.

“It’s Katrina’s doing,” she said. “She expanded the walls with the money you gave her, and then used some of her own to build a small inn next to the general store.”

“Dunidan’s Rest is turning into a little town,” said Luke. “And to think, it all began with a level one quest and an oasis.”

This is why we have to take the Arbiters down. They could do to my home what they did to Carthac Island. They might already be preparing to.

“Come on, let’s head inside.” Kaoru led them toward the gate. “It’s been a long day, for all of us.”

CHAPTER 28

Luke was taken aback by the activity in Dunidan’s Rest. The changes had been relatively minor, but the addition of the inn had nearly doubled the number of players unrelated to his or Katrina’s guild milling about the desert outpost.

“Hey Kato!” Katrina herself was standing outside of the new building, the Dunidan Inn, with her arms crossed. “What do you think?”

Luke shook his head, his mouth agape.

“I think we’re going to need to start thinking about expanding the farm,” he said. “Do we have someone working in the inn fulltime?”

Katrina nodded.

“It’s Mina, the girl who lost her parents,” said Katrina. “I brought her back here with me.”

Mina… the girl whose mother I killed.

Before Luke’s guilt could tug at his heartstrings, a rough, clumsy hand clapped onto his shoulder.

“Heeeey buddy!” Silverstrike had an oversized grin on his face. “Did you do it?”

Luke opened his mouth to answer and then frowned. Silverstrike was swaying from side to side, and looked at him with unfocused eyes.

I’ve seen him drunk in-game before, but never like this.

“Yeah, I did it,” said Luke. “But there’s more to the plan than just my part.”

“The guilds are fine, Kato!” Silverstrike laughed, and then looked at him seriously. “I got in touch with most of them after the Arbiter attack. No big deal.”

How did the Arbiters find out about the meeting in the first place? Silverstrike was the one organizing it. How careful was he about who he told?

“What’s with the serious face?” asked Silverstrike. “The hard part is over! We can celebrate!”

The rogue walked over to the oasis and took a seat at the edge of it. Luke frowned and looked at Tess. Katrina was asking her about something, and it didn’t look like she’d seen her brother’s sloppy display.

“I have to talk to you about Silverstrike, Kato.” Kaoru spoke in a quiet voice, taking Luke by the arm and pulling him over to the guild hall. He led him inside and then shut the door behind them.

“I know what you’re going to say,” said Luke. “He’s always been like this. It was better for a little while, but I think the stress of organizing all of the guilds has-”

“We can’t rely on him, Kato.” Kaoru frowned. “I know that sounds cruel, but he’s on the verge of a breakdown, or at the very least, his judgement is shot.”

Luke sighed.

He’s my best friend. I trust him.

“He’ll be okay,” said Luke. “We all have our vices. I’ll talk to him outside of the game tomorrow, and see if I can get him focused on our mutual goal.”

Kaoru nodded.

“Good. Speaking of which, I have to log out soon. We have to hit the world server as soon as possible. Everything else is in place.”

“Alright,” said Luke. “So I guess we’ll be meeting in the real world next time. It feels a bit… strange.”

Kaoru shrugged.

“Not any stranger than this, I think,” he said. “I’ll get on a plane tonight and be in your town by early tomorrow. From there, we can plan out exactly how it’s going to go down, and then take a bus up to Plattsburgh.”

“We still have to find the exact location, though,” said Luke. Kaoru just smiled.

“Already taken care of. It’s amazing the kind of things you can figure out from looking at a map of a small city’s power grid. I’ve narrowed it down to three possible locations.”

This is really happening. We’re almost there.

“Alright.” Luke gave Kaoru a thumbs up, “I guess I’ll see you soon.”

He turned and walked out of the guild hall. Tess was waiting by the general store and smiled as she saw him walking over.

“Is that all for today?” she asked.

“Yeah, just about,” said Luke. “I have to log off. Please, while I’m gone, don’t…”

Don’t get yourself killed.

Tess rolled her eyes.

“I know, I know,” she said. “Lucky for you I have some work to take care of here in base. Katrina tripled the amount of space we have for farming when she expanded the wall.”

“Thanks.” He pulled Tess into a tight hug, and then kissed her softly on the lips. “I’ll be back as soon as I can be.”

“Don’t rush for me. This is the part of the plan that has to happen in the real world, Luke. I want us to pull this off just as badly as you do.”

Luke forced a confident smile onto his face.

“We are going to pull it off,” he said. “Just you wait and see.”

Luke reached into his bag, pulled out his journal, and then signed off.

He blinked. The headset was still over his eyes. Luke lifted two uncoordinated and fatigued arms to pull it off. He felt tired and sick.

I’m going to have to get used to this. It’s been so long since I’ve had to count on my body in the real world.

It was dark outside. Luke saw a full moon out his window. He stared at it for a moment, grounding himself, adjusting to physical reality.

It took a focused, concerted effort to stand up. The carpet underneath his feet felt strange, a bit too soft and unyielding, not like sand. Luke coughed into the crook of his arm, feeling phlegm congealed in the back of his throat.

He stepped away from his desk and slowly made his way downstairs. The house felt unlived in and empty. Luke took slow, ponderous steps down the hallway, feeling a bit like he had during the visions in the Cave of Exton.

Easy, now. This is my house, my home. I know this place inside and out.

The food that Sam had brought for him was still sitting on the kitchen counter. Luke didn’t feel hungry, but he forced himself to eat, pulling out a granola bar and mechanically munching on it.

He felt tired. It was a strange sensation, different from the way it manifested in Yvvaros. Instead of heading straight to bed, he forced himself into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth, took a shower, and scraped away the stubble that had grown on his face.

Finally, he walked back into his room and collapsed into bed. It only took a couple of minutes for him to fall into a deep, peaceful sleep.

CHAPTER 29

Luke woke to his phone vibrating on the bed next to him. He’d plugged it in the night before and forgotten about it. He blinked, and then reached over and tilted the screen toward him.

Rise and shine. I’m at the motel on Archibald Street. Room 107, get here ASAP.

He didn’t need to double check the number to know who it was from. Luke suddenly felt awake, and climbing out of his bed was easier than it had been in a very long time.

His dresser was already open, and a single glance at it reminded Luke that he didn’t have any clean clothes. He sighed, and picked out the cleanest garments he could find in his dirty clothes bin.

It’s a cycle. Eating, cleaning, sleeping… It’s all part of a rhythm, and it happens even when I’m in Yvvaros.

The house felt oppressive, as though Luke had been sealed off inside of it. He took deep breaths as he hurried downstairs, putting on his shoes and pushing his way outside.

The sun was shining and Luke’s eyes were not used to the intensity of it. He squinted as he walked, feeling a bit like a vampire stepping out of his coffin.

The address Kaoru had given him was on the other side of town. Luke headed toward the bus stop, only realizing once he was halfway there that he hadn’t stopped to grab his wallet on the way out of house.

I’m so used to the way money works in-game. It feels weird to have to keep track of things.

He decided to keep going and just walk the rest of the way instead. It was a couple of miles, but it would be quicker than doubling back to the house and then waiting to catch a bus.

A group of men walked toward Luke on the sidewalk. His first reaction was to reach for his sword. He shook off the impulse as they passed wordlessly by.

Luke was surprised by how out of shape and uncomfortable his body felt. He was just walking but by the time he was halfway there, a thin layer of sweat had formed on his forehead. His feet chafed against his socks and shoes, and everything felt heavy.

“This… is kind of embarrassing,” he muttered.

He did eventually make it to the motel complex.  Room 107 was on the first floor, and Luke found it easily enough. He walked up to the door and knocked on it softly.

The door opened. A girl was standing behind it, about the same age as Luke, with short black hair and a petite frame. Luke frowned, and looked over her shoulder.

“Uh, hey?” said Luke. “Kaoru told me to meet him here.”

“Kaoru told you to meet her here.” The girl smiled. “You look almost the same as your in-game character, Kato.”

…What?

“Are you serious?” Luke shook his head in disbelief. “No way…”

Kaoru took a step back and gestured for him to come into the motel room.

“It’s not really that weird if you think about it, Kato,” she said. “I don’t always make my in-game avatars male, but I find a lot of the time that other players take me more seriously when I do.”

“But still…” Luke continued to shake his head and gawk at her. “I just can’t believe it.”

Kaoru walked over to him and pinched his shoulder roughly.

“There,” she said. “You’re clearly not dreaming. Now, let’s quit wasting time.”

She took a seat on the bed in the center of room, which had a laptop and a VR headset sitting on it, along with a notebook.

“Since we last spoke, I figured out exactly which of the locations was the datacenter.” Kaoru opened the notebook and began flipping through pages. “It will take me another day or so to take care of the night guards, but once I’ve done that, our route forward will be clear.”

“Take care of the guards?” Luke frowned. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“Relax, Kato,” said Kaoru. “By the way, what’s your name in real life?”

Why does she want to know?

“…It’s Luke,” he said. “Luke Smith.”

Kaoru raised one of her eyebrows, but said nothing.

“And what about you?” continued Luke. “Is Kaoru your real name?”

Kaoru nodded, though Luke wasn’t entirely sure if he believed her.

“To answer your original question, I will be bribing each of the guards,” she said. “It’s amazing what you can manage with a few thousand dollars.”

“A few thousand dollars?” Luke blinked. “Where are we going to get that kind of money?”

“My father is the head of the Ishikawa Corporation,” said Kaoru. “I have more money than I could spend in a hundred lifetimes.”

Ishikawa Corporation… isn’t that the company that owns Gamesoft?

Luke sighed and took a second to take in everything she was telling him. The plan to raid the now government controlled Yvvaros world state server had never seemed real to him. Their actions in-game were direct and straightforward. What Kaoru was presenting to him as their next move in the real world sounded like the ultimate longshot.

“So, we get into the facility, and reach the server,” said Luke. “But then what? We can’t just make a copy of something that big on a flashdrive.”

And what would happen to Tess and the other players that have gone all in if we did?

“Oh, ye of little faith.” Kaoru smiled. “I’ve had this planned out for over a week, Luke. I’ve designed a hardware hack that will let us copy the state information to a new, player controlled Yvvaros server.”

“A player controlled Yvvaros server?” asked Luke. “What?”

Rather than being frustrated by his questions, Kaoru looked amused. She slid a little closer to him on the bed and laced her fingers together.

“This is where things get interesting,” she said. “I had an exact replica of the Yvvaros server created using some of my father’s money. It’s underground on our private estate in the mountains of Japan, connected to the grid by fiber wire.”

Kaoru held her hands apart as though representing the two servers with them.

“I’ve already managed to copy the basic Yvvaros server info onto it,” she said. “All we need to get from the official server is the most basic of world state information. It’s only a few hundred gigabytes at most. We can copy it over using my hardware hack in a couple of hours.”

Luke ran a hand through his hair.

“But what happens to the people who’ve gone all in?” he asked. “Copying it over, we might as well just be making a copy of all of them. Are we just going to delete the original when we’re done?”

His mind ached as he struggled with what that would mean.

Would that kill Tess, the one that I know? Would I just be replacing her with an exact replica, copying her like she was a file on a hard drive?

“You underestimate me, Luke,” said Kaoru. “We’re going to freeze the official server’s state, first. Any player that’s logged in at the time will be logged out. All of the players who have gone all in will experience nothing, no interruption. To them it will just seem like time in the real world jumped a bit out of sync.”

“Okay,” said Luke.

“While the server’s frozen, we copy the world state over in chunks, deleting each one once it’s made it to my private server. Once that’s done, we wipe the entire thing once more, just to be safe, and then install a redirect.”

“Okay…”

There’s a chance that I’m not quite as computer literate as I thought I was…

“The redirect only has to work once for each player for their game client to accept my private server as the new main server, so it doesn’t matter if the government finds it and deletes it. As long as it’s up for a day or so, all of the regular Yvvaros players will make the switch with us.”

“Okay, okay.” Luke held up his hand and nodded. “That sounds like it will work. At least, I think?”

“It will work,” said Kaoru. “To be honest, it would probably be far easier to make a basic copy of the world server and leave the old one, but that… is a bit complicated, philosophically speaking.”

“Okay, so once we’ve installed your hardware hack, we just wait for the world state to transfer and then get out of there?”

Kaoru nodded.

“That’s it,” she said. “It’s not a foolproof plan, but I think it will work.”

Luke looked over at her, still adjusting to her as a girl in the real world. She looked confident and ready.

“What’s in it for you, anyway?” he asked. “I still don’t understand why you’d want to put everything on the line here. I mean, I have someone to protect…”

“I’m looking at the big picture, Luke,” she replied. “This isn’t about who controls a video game. It’s about whether or not an entire world gets to self-determine.”

“Fair enough.”

Luke stood up. The situation had moved quickly ever since he’d first met Kaoru. The two of them had never taken the time to really talk with each other, get a sense of each other’s character. Still, he knew that he could trust her. There was something in her eyes that Luke understood.

“I still have preparations to make,” said Kaoru. “You’re welcome to hang around here for now, but it probably won’t be until tomorrow at the earliest before we can head out.”

Luke shook his head.

“No, that’s okay,” he said. “Kaoru… thank you.”

“Don’t thank me Luke, we haven’t won yet,” she replied. “And besides, you’re helping me just as much as I’m helping you.”

Luke nodded, and then left the motel room.

He walked back to his house, unsure of what to do next. Getting into Yvvaros was the natural choice, but the real world had a curious pull over him. The time that he’d spent in-game had made the regular world feel foreign.

What’s going to happen once we liberate the world state server? Will more people start going all in? Will I go all in?

A mother pushing a stroller gave him a strange look as she passed. Luke realized that he’d been staring at her baby and smiled apologetically. There weren’t many people out and it made the town feel lonely.

It was noon when Luke made it back home. The lawn was overgrown, and without his dad’s car in the driveway, the house looked abandoned. He walked up the steps and headed inside.

“Hey Luke.”

“Jesus!” He flinched back in surprise, almost tripping as he tried to steady himself. “Sam, what the hell are you doing here?”

Sam was sitting on the living room couch. Her hands were folded in her lap, and her face was a mixture of disappointment and defeat. She looked genuinely depressed.

“They cancelled school today,” said Sam. “Or rather, they shifted it into a ‘state of hiatus’.”

“What does that mean?” asked Luke. “And that still doesn’t explain why you…”

“I don’t really have many other places to be, Luke.” Sam stood up and walked over to him. “Everybody thinks I’m overreacting to what’s been going on, but I’m not. You… you know I’m not, even if you’re standing on the other side of the divide.”

“Sam…” Luke tried to think of something, anything that he could say to pull her out of her funk.

“The government is initializing a mental health screening program,” she said. “At our school alone, a third of the students have gone all in. Middle aged and older people have started doing it, too.”

“What?”

“Third Life VR,” said Sam. “It’s more of a social network than a game, but it was released a week ago, and you can go all in using the VR headsets, just like with Yvvaros.”

She almost never refers to Yvvaros by name. She’s really seeing it now.

“Sam…” Luke reached his arm out and rubbed her shoulder reassuringly.

“Luke, this is it,” she whispered. “The world as we know it is coming to an end. More people are killing themselves over these games than are being born. The streets are going to be empty.”

Luke opened his mouth, and then stopped. The vision from the Caves of Exton popped into his head, and he remembered how his neighborhood had looked.

Was that a vision of the future? Are people really going to opt out of their physical existence, and go digital on a large scale?

“Sam, it’s going to be okay,” said Luke. She shook her head and smiled.

“It’s going to be okay for people like you.” She locked eyes with him. “For people like me, people who don’t want to have to give up their humanity, it’s not going to be okay. It’s not going to be anything like okay.”

Sam pointed to the kitchen table. There was another bag of food on it, along with a note. Luke looked back over at her and saw that she was already making her way toward the door.

“Goodbye, Luke,” she said. “Please, be safe.”

Luke didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to say goodbye to her, despite all of the grief she had caused him. He wasn’t sure if this would be the last time he saw her.

“I’m sorry, Sam,” he said. “If you ever do give Yvvaros a try… please come find me. My name is Kato, in-game.”

Sam stopped in the doorway. Her hands clenched for a moment, and then she continued through the door.

Luke stood in the living room for a while after she’d left. He thought about what she’d told him. He thought about where the world was headed, and if there was any coming back from it. He thought about how much things had changed.

I never saw this coming. Nobody did.

Luke walked upstairs to his room. His headset was right where he’d left it. He walked over to his desk and took a seat, booting up his laptop and starting to pull the headset on.

His phone vibrated. Luke pulled it out of his pocket and saw that it was a text from Kaoru.

Luke, you have to check on Silverstrike in the real world ASAP. Something’s wrong.

He stared at the message for a moment, and then stood up from his chair. Luke got the strangest sense of déjà vu as he rushed out of his room and downstairs. The memory of the time he’d found Emily in the real world was still fresh in his mind.

Hold on, Ben. Just hold on.

Ben’s house was just down the street from Luke’s. He broke into a sprint the second he reached the sidewalk, pushing his tired, sedentarily weakened legs as hard as he could.

By the time Luke had made it there, he was exhausted. He slowed to a jogging pace as he ran up Ben’s driveway. The weeks of sitting at his desk were taking their toll, the short trip left him feeling fatigued and wiped out. He threw the front door open and moved toward Ben’s room as fast as his tired legs would go.

“Ben?” Luke called out as he rushed up the steps. “Ben, are you okay? Ben!”

He pushed his way into his friend’s room and saw Ben lying in a tangled heap next to his desk. There was a large puddle of vomit on Ben’s desk, and a smaller vomit stain next to his head on the carpet.

Luke wasn’t surprised, not really. He hurried over, dropping to his knees and shook Ben while he felt for a pulse.

“Wake up!” Luke grimaced, feeling the intensity of his own fear and concern. “Wake up, Ben!”

Ben didn’t stir, but his body felt warm. Luke found a faint pulse. He didn’t waste any time, keeping one hand on his friend as pulled his phone out with the other and dialed 911.

“Hello? It’s my friend.” Luke stared at Ben’s crumpled form. The whole situation felt surreal. “He’s… overdosed, I think.”

He spent a minute giving the dispatcher Ben’s address, and then hung up the phone. Luke sighed. He felt overwhelmed with guilt.

This is at least partially my fault. I’ve been ignoring his drug abuse for weeks, months even.

“Ben…” Luke crouched back next to his friend and in a panic he began to shake him. “Ben. Wake up. Ben, this isn’t funny, wake the fuck up!”

He pulled Ben up by the shoulders and watched as his friend’s head limply swung back. Ben’s drug induced coma looked a lot like someone playing Yvvaros. Something that Ben had suggested to him a week ago suddenly came to mind.

Is it that different? Ben overdoses when he does too many drugs. Players go all in when they get too serious about Yvvaros.

Luke tried to push the thought out of his head as he stared at his friend’s limp body. He could hear the sound of the ambulance’s siren outside.

CHAPTER 30

Despite his insistence, Luke was not allowed to ride to the hospital in the ambulance with Ben. He felt like he needed to be there, needed to do something, contribute what information he had, but there was little that he could do. The EMT asked Luke what drugs Ben had taken, and all he had to offer was his best guess.

He was drinking, and smoking weed, but what else? Coke? Heroin? I never asked, and he never talked about it.

Luke wasn’t sure whether to head to the hospital with Ben, or to go back to Yvvaros. He stood in the street for several moments after the ambulance had disappeared into the distance, distracted and discouraged.

His phone vibrated. It was another text from Kaoru. It was just as dire as the last one had been.

One of the guilds left our alliance and claimed an Elemental Well behind our back. Get in-game, now.

Luke sighed. He stared off in the direction that the ambulance had gone in, and then slowly turned toward home.

Ten minutes later, Luke was back in his room. He pulled on his headset and entered Yvvaros, dreading the newest catastrophe he would find waiting for him.

Dunidan’s Rest was swimming with players and activity. It was late in the afternoon, and Luke was standing outside the general store. Several members of Athena’s Wrath were watching him, and had been since the moment he’d logged in.

I almost feel like I’m in Stark Town, being gawked at by people who worship the Hero of Kantor.

He waved at them.

“Have any of you seen Kaoru?” asked Luke. “Or Tess?”

“Tess is over by the farm talking to a new player that showed up,” said one of them.

Luke nodded, and headed that way. He rounded the corner of the inn, moving toward the oasis. Sure enough, Tess was standing with her hands on her hips, talking to a female player that Luke found vaguely familiar.

“I don’t believe you…” Tess was frowning, and she shook her head.

“I know it’s a bit outlandish, but it’s the truth,” said the girl. “I am who I say I am.”

Both Tess and the new player turned to face Luke as he walked up to them. The new player had shiny black hair, a petite frame, and a face that Luke instantly recognized.

“Kaoru…” He crossed his arms, a bit of Tess’s suspicion spreading to him. “What’s going on?”

“Thank you.” Kaoru smiled and nodded, but Tess’s frown only deepened.

“Kaoru is a man! This could be anyone, Luke!”

“I met her earlier today in the real world,” said Luke. “And she looked, well, a lot like she looks now. Why the switch?”

Kaoru sighed and shook her head.

“Megwin has jumped ship, Kato,” she said. “One of my spies sent word that he’s decided to claim the Elemental Wells for himself.”

“What?”

“It’s a power play,” said Kaoru. “He wants the city of Makorin for his guild. He sent out a raiding party to run the same route that you did. I encountered them at the base of Shahidi’s Vengeance, but the bastards were too strong. They killed my main avatar, hence my new appearance.”

Damn it. This is the last thing we need…

“We’re so close,” said Luke. “Why would he pull something like this now?”

Kaoru shrugged.

“It may have been his plan from the beginning,” she said. “Or maybe he’s worried about what we’ll do with Makorin once the Arbiters are overthrown. It doesn’t matter.”

Luke opened his bag and began searching through it. Two of the Elemental Crystals were still inside, but the first one he’d acquired was missing.

“What level are you at now, Kaoru?” asked Luke.

“15,” she said. “It’s going to take me at least a couple of hours to grind my way back up to the strength of my other avatar.”

Luke shook his head.

“I have to move now,” he said. “This is going to throw off the entire plan if we don’t put a stop to it.”

“The raiding party stopped at Megwin’s Bay after claiming the first Elemental Crystal,” said Kaoru. “Odds are good that it’s there. If you can talk with Megwin, try to reason with him. Otherwise…”

Luke nodded.

“We can’t let this happen,” he said.

“The Elemental Crystals are Guild Event items. They should be lootable at death.” Kaoru paused, and leaned in a little closer. “Luke, you have to be careful. It’s not going to be an easy fight. You can’t take them on your own.”

“All I’m going to do is have a nice chat with Megwin,” said Luke. “Nothing more.”

Tess followed him as he walked away from Kaoru. She grabbed his hand and pulled him around the corner as he was going by the guild hall.

“Luke, do you want my opinion?”

“What?”

“You and Kaoru might as well be on the same wavelength, given how you approach problems.” Tess was frowning, and waited for Luke to meet her serious gaze before continuing. “This is insane, Luke. You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“Tess, I don’t have a choice,” said Luke.

“Yes you do!” She grabbed his hand and squeezed it in between hers. “We can wait, and play things safe.”

“The Arbiters are already onto us,” said Luke. “They raided the guild meeting. Who knows where and when they’ll strike next…”

“And because of that, you’re going to lead an attack against another guild?” asked Tess. “This isn’t just about me worrying for your safety, Luke.”

No, it’s not. It’s about your safety even more than mine, Tess.

Luke reached his hand out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“I’ll be fine,” he said. “The plan can still be saved.”

Tess stared at him for a long moment, and then stepped back.

“Please Luke,” she whispered. “Don’t do this…”

She turned and walked through the door of the guild hall. Luke stood where he was for a moment, and then began walking for the gate of Dunidan’s Rest.

I don’t have a choice.

Luke moved across the desert at a running pace. He’d grabbed some fruit from Tess’s garden before he left to recharge his stamina.

There were suspiciously few Arbiters in the Inner Plains. Luke tried not to be to paranoid as he continued on to Megwin’s Bay. Tess’s concerns rattled around in his head, he could feel doubt beginning to creep in.

He saw some players adventuring in the grasslands. Luke watched as one passed in front of him, a stout looking archer with a lance draped over his back. Luke passed the archer’s group, nodding as he went.

Luke went up and over a large hill, and then slowed to a stop as he reached the other side. Megwin’s guild hall was just up ahead. As he drew closer, several figures came into view and he heard the tell tail signs of a battle.

Somebody is already attacking?

Luke broke out into a sprint, closing the distance as quickly as he could. One of the players was casting magic, and as Luke arrived on his scene, he blinked in surprise.

Arex?

The red mage was slinging spells and appeared to be waging a one man assault against Megwin’s guild. Luke unsheathed his sword and moved to engage one of the guards holding the perimeter.

He was able to get close enough to launch a strike before the guard had time to react. His first attack took out half of the player’s health. Luke followed immediately with a second, killing blow.

CONJURE SWORD 3

MIRROR IMAGE 3

Several more players moved from the main guildhall to Luke’s right flank, intent on doing him harm. Luke started to launch his conjured swords, but Arex launched a large fireball at them, dealing splash damage and knocking a couple of them back with a burst of flame.

“What are you doing here?” Luke yelled to him. Arex locked eyes with him for a moment, but didn’t answer.

He’s never been very talkative. He may be on my side for the moment, but I still can’t trust him outright.

Luke moved to finish off the players knocked down by Arex’s spell. He hesitated. They were clearly in no condition to continue fighting.

“Please…” said the player, his voice weak and ragged. “I’m… all in.”

Luke slowly lowered his sword. Before he could do or say anything, Arex appeared next to him. He pulled a dagger out of his robe and stabbed the player in the heart without any hesitation.

Luke stared at the mage. Before he could say anything, another one of Megwin’s guild members moved to attack him from the side. Luke raised his sword to block the blow, retaliating with his conjured blades. They ripped through the attacker, zeroing out his health bar before Luke realized what he had done.

Two of the guild members that had been scattered by Arex’s spell stood up and moved to intercept Luke. He rolled, letting his mirrored decoys absorb their initial attacks.

PIERCE ATTACK 3

The players were standing back to back, and Luke drove his sword through the first and into the second. Their health bars began to sink, and Luke could see fear and death in the first player’s eyes.

We’re slaughtering them. I thought this was going to be a challenge, but it’s a massacre.

Arex cast a neon red spell that sucked the remaining life force out of the last two players. He watched as Luke pulled his sword free and wiped it off on the grass.

“Why are you helping me?” asked Luke. They stood outside the barred door that led into Megwin’s guild hall.

“I’m not helping you, I’m punishing them.” Arex started toward the door, and Luke followed behind him. “Megwin cheated my guild in our last trade deal. The player we sent to get an explanation is still missing.”

Arex held his hand up at the door. His body glowed for a second, and then a clicking noise came from the handle. He leaned forward and pushed it open.

“They never bothered to install proper locks,” said Arex. “Convenient.”

Luke didn’t say anything. Megwin and one other player were seated in the back of the room, watching them approach. They looked resigned, as though they’d already given up.

“You win,” said Megwin his hands held up over his head. “You win. We surrender.”

Luke still held his sword in his hand, but made no move to attack.

“Come on, though,” said Megwin. “You would have done the same thing in my position! Kato, you already were doing the same thing under the guise of ‘saving Yvvaros’! This is just a power grab and we all know it.”

“The messenger I sent. Where is he?” Arex took a step toward Megwin, and he flinched back visibly.

“I thought he was a spy,” said Megwin. “I did what any intelligent guild leader would do!”

Arex pulled out his dagger and readied a spell in his free hand.

“Please, don’t let him do this!” Megwin looked to Luke with desperate eyes.

“That messenger did not have a physical body to return to,” said Arex. “You killed him.”

“I’m all in, too!” Megwin was crying now, both hands clutched in a hopeless prayer. “Please, you have to stop him! You’re the hero! You’re the Hero of Kantor… please.”

The player next to Megwin made a move. Luke wasn’t sure if it was to attack or retreat, but he wasn’t interested in finding out. All of his conjured swords shot forward and skewered the player to the wall behind him. His body went limp, held up only by the swords piercing him.

“No…” said Megwin. “He was-”

Arex let loose with his spell. When it hit Megwin, the guild leader froze in midsentence.

“It’s a paralyze spell,” said Arex. “I want to take my time with him.”

What was he going to say? Did I kill a player that had gone all in, just now? What about the players outside, the ones guarding the hall?

“Arex…” Luke chewed on his lip as conflicting emotions flooded through him. The mage knelt in front of Megwin’s frozen form, rummaging through his pockets.

“Here,” he said, tossing the red Elemental Crystal to Luke. “I believe this is yours.”

Luke looked at it for a moment, and then back at Arex.

“I’m not going to let him live, Kato,” said Arex. “If that bothers you, either attack me or get out.”

Luke shook his head.

“It doesn’t bother me,” said Luke. “And that is what bothers me.”

He turned and left the guild hall, not bothering to step around the blood pooling around the entrance outside.

CHAPTER 31

“Is it done?”

Kaoru was standing outside the gates of Dunidan’s Rest when Luke arrived back. She’d bought new armor, apparently, and it clung to her body tightly. A purple cape hung from her shoulders, and a whip similar to the one her other avatar had been equipped with was in her hand.

“It’s done,” said Luke. “We can summon Makorin whenever we’re ready.”

Kaoru nodded.

“Good. We don’t have any time to waste. Let’s set out tonight in the real world.”

Luke shook his head.

“Are we going to have enough time?” he asked. “I mean, we still have to reorganize the guilds.”

“I’m worried about what will happen if we wait, even for just a day.” Kaoru frowned. “The other guilds are going to hear about what’s happened. Some of them might start losing conviction, or worse, planning to try what Megwin tried.”

“Alright,” said Luke. “I just have to take care of a couple more things.”

He found Tess tending to her garden in the back of the compound. Luke walked over to her and stood, not interrupting her from her work at first.

“Hey,” he said. Tess didn’t look up from the garden.

I’m doing this for her. She doesn’t understand. I’ll do whatever it takes.

“I’m worried, Luke.” Tess looked up and locked eyes with him. “I’m worried about you.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Tess,” he said. “I still have my body. I can die and I won’t-”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” said Tess. “Is it going to be worth it, in the end? You’re trading a part of yourself away, and for what?”

I don’t have a choice. I wasn’t strong enough. I’ve never been strong enough.

“I’m not a hero, Tess.” Luke swallowed hard, and then forced a smile onto his face. “I’ve never been a hero. They called me one after the battle, treated me like I was a leader… like I was special. But I’m not.”

“Luke…”

“Tess, I’m just a teenager,” he said. “I’m just a kid that grew up on video games, and manages to get really lucky. I didn’t want this, I never wanted this, but it’s here, and I have to…”

I have to protect her, no matter what it takes.

Tess saw something in his face, resolve maybe, or perhaps a strange breed of confidence. She walked out from the garden slowly and took both of his hands into hers.

“I’ll never judge you for what you have to do, Luke,” she whispered. “Just promise me that you won’t give up on being a hero.”

“I promise.”

Kaoru was walking toward them from the gate. Luke kissed Tess and then let her go back to her garden.

“I’m going to send out the signal letters,” said Kaoru. “This is it. In a couple of hours, we’ll have soldiers from all of our allied guilds gathered here in Dunidan’s Rest.”

Luke nodded and raised an eyebrow.

“There’s someone I have to check on, in the real world,” he said. Kaoru gave him an understanding nod.

“You should do it now. It will take a bit for me to get our army into formation.” She looked out across the compound. “I’ll log out once everything is set. There’s a bus leaving for Plattsburgh this evening that we can take with Wi-Fi. We’ll be able to be in Yvvaros while we’re on the way to the world state server, and make sure that everything is running smoothly.”

There’s no backing out. We either win, or Yvvaros will be lost.

“Alright,” said Luke. Tess walked up behind him and put her hands on his shoulders. Luke leaned his head back and kissed her, letting his lips linger on hers for a long moment.

“You should get started,” whispered Tess. “This is it.”

Luke nodded.

“I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” he said. “Don’t worry, Tess. This is going to work.”

He reached into his bag and pulled out his journal, and immediately after scribbling his name, he was back in the real world.

It was midafternoon, and Luke’s room actually felt a bit chilly. He sighed and pulled the headset off. His body felt weak. Luke wondered how many days, weeks, of playing Yvvaros and doing little else his health could take.

He slowly stood up from his desk, stretching his arms and remembering what he needed to do.

Ben. I have to check up on Ben.

Luke hurried downstairs, only stopping to pull on his shoes before heading outside. The hospital wasn’t far from his school, and Luke walked along a familiar path to get there.

The foliage of the trees was slowly beginning to turn red and orange. He’d been playing Yvvaros for the past few weeks, and the world had continued on, changing from one season into another.

It only took him a couple of minutes to get there. Part of him wished that it’d taken longer. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say to Ben, or what his friend was going to say to him. He wasn’t even sure that Ben would be conscious, or even if he’d still be…

There’s no point in thinking like that. Ben is strong, he’ll pull through this.

In truth, Luke felt as though he shared in responsibility for what had happened. Ben’s drug use had never been hidden from him. He’d watched as it had intensified over the summer, continued when Luke had assumed that he’d cut back as school started up, and then peaked as he was delving into the depths of Yvvaros.

He headed through the automatic glass hospital doors and into the lobby. A receptionist was behind the front desk, and Luke walked up and waited for her to notice him.

“Hello, what can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for my friend,” said Luke. “His name is… Ben Dobson.”

The receptionist typed something into the computer. A couple of silent seconds went by, and then she frowned and looked up at him.

“He’s in room 122-B,” said the receptionist. “Down the hall to the right.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m not sure if he’ll be awake or not,” she said. “His condition is stable, but his case was very serious.”

Luke nodded.

He’s alive. That’s enough of a victory for one day.

He managed to find the room without much trouble. A white curtain on a metal rail divided it into two halves. One of the beds was empty, and Ben was lying in the other. His eyes were closed and he had an IV plugged into his arm. Luke walked over and took a seat in the chair next to the bed.

“Hey buddy…” He spoke to Ben in a quiet voice, as though he was talking to a sleeping child. “I’m glad that you’re okay…”

Ben let out a moan, and stirred slightly in bed. He opened his eyes a sliver and smiled when he saw Luke.

“Sorry, man,” he whispered. “I… fucked up.”

Luke smiled.

“Yeah, you did,” he said. “But you’re in good hands now. And you’re alive. That’s all that matters.”

Ben coughed and then sniffled through his nose.

“What about the plan? Did anything happen?”

Luke shook his head.

“The plan is going fine,” he said. “The guilds are ready. I’m heading out with Kaoru to the server tonight. Also, get this, Kaoru is actually a girl!”

Ben raised an eyebrow, but didn’t smile. Luke could see fatigue in his eyes, not the kind that affects a person’s physical body, but a tiredness deeper than that.

“Luke…” whispered Ben. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“It’s okay, man,” said Luke. “We all go through times like this. You just have to-”

“It’s not like that.” Ben shook his head and then shut his eyes tight. “You don’t understand.”

Luke didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing. Finally, Ben picked his head back up and looked at him again.

“I’m not cut out for the real world, Luke,” he said. “I think a lot of people who get into Yvvaros aren’t.”

“Ben, you were doing just fine until… well, until you got a bit too caught up.”

“I was managing, Luke,” said Ben. “Nothing more. And then Emily… did she die? I don’t even know anymore. Maybe she was really showing me the path forward?”

What am I supposed to say to that? Would it really be so bad if Ben went all in?

Luke reached onto the bed and grabbed onto Ben’s hand. He gave it a tight squeeze and then locked eyes with his best friend. Ben had always had his back, and now it was Luke’s turn to be there for him.

“Promise me that you won’t do anything rash,” said Luke. “I won’t stop you from whatever you decide, but I’m your friend. I’m going to help you get whatever you want, whether it’s to get better in the real world, or…”

Ben shook his head.

“You’re not my friend,” he said. “You’re my brother, Luke.”

Ben closed his eyes slowly. The conversation was over. Luke stood up and left the room.

It was a little after four in the afternoon. Luke knew that he needed to meet up with Kaoru at the motel, but he couldn’t bring himself to head straight there. Instead, he left the hospital and walked down the street, taking a few turns and entering the familiar building that housed Dr. Meyers’s psychiatric office.

He took the elevator up to the level her office was on and stepped out into the lobby. The receptionist’s desk was empty, and he didn’t see anyone around.

I was hoping that she’d still be available. It is pretty late, though.

“Luke?” Dr. Meyers walked out of the therapy room carrying a folder. “I wasn’t expecting you today.”

“Sorry, I just…” Luke sighed. “I have a lot on my mind.”

Dr. Meyers smiled.

“Come on in.” She walked back into the therapy room and gestured for him to follow her.

“Thanks.” Luke took a seat on the leather therapy couch and stared at the carpet.

“What’s on your mind, Luke?”

“I don’t even know where to start,” he said.

“Tell me about your day. We can go from there.”

Luke shrugged.

“My friend… my best friend, he overdosed.” Luke finally looked up and made eye contact. “I couldn’t stop it.”

Dr. Meyers nodded, but said nothing.

“I feel like I’ve been trying so hard, putting so much of myself into what I need to do,” said Luke. “But in the end, it doesn’t even matter. I can spend days, weeks, thinking through what I should be doing, and then try to do it, and still end up failing, or fucking up somehow.”

I can’t even explain to her what’s going on inside my head properly. The irony is too much.

“I know what you mean, Luke,” said Dr. Meyers. “I wish I had the perfect answer for you, but unfortunately this time, I don’t.”

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, lacing her fingers together.

“You aren’t going to tell me anything?” Luke shook his head in confusion. “Isn’t it your job to talk to people, to help them figure this kind of thing out?”

Dr. Meyers laughed.

“Yeah, it’s my job, alright.” She gestured out into the lobby. “Did you notice that Laura, my secretary, wasn’t at her desk when you came in?”

Luke nodded.

“She’s actually a former patient of mine. I’ve known her for more than five years, and she’s worked here for the past two. She was addicted to an online farming game when I first met her, and used it as a crutch to cope with a bad breakup.”

Luke didn’t say anything.

“Laura talked with me several times about this new phenomenon of video game players committing suicide in order to live in virtual worlds.” Dr. Meyers smiled sadly. “I could pick up on why she was asking, what was going on in her mind. I did my best to talk to her like I talked with you, to get her to see that it’s not the perfect solution that it looks like on the surface.”

“What happened?” asked Luke.

“I don’t know…” Dr. Meyers set her hand on her forehead. “She didn’t call out today, and nobody I’ve called has seen or heard from her.”

What did I come here for?

“Why are you telling me this, Dr. Meyers?”

“I just thought it might give you a bit more context to your problem,” she said. “This isn’t a Luke problem, or even a Dr. Meyers problem. This is a worldwide, human problem. And I’m not sure if there will be a solution, in the end.”

“What does my friend having an overdose have to do with somebody going all in?” Luke watched as Dr. Meyers met his eyes again. She didn’t even need to say anything for him to understand her point.

Ben asked me if he should go all in. It would be a solution to his addiction problems, clean and simple.

“South Korea is in a state of emergency,” said Dr. Meyers. “I don’t know if you watch the news or not anymore, but the government there is in a panic over the number of people going all in. They’ve ordered their military to begin seizing VR headsets by force.”

“Do you think that’s the right thing to do?” asked Luke. Dr. Meyers shrugged.

“I don’t know,” she said softly. “I don’t think so. What’s happening right now is bigger than us. You can make a strong philosophical case for or against committing to an entirely digital existence. All of the people who’ve chosen it have given up a part of their essential humanity, but they’ve also freed themselves from their intrinsic human limits.”

“Dr. Meyers…” Luke watched her carefully, thinking about what he was about to say. “Are you thinking about going all in?”

She smiled at him, but it wasn’t a dismissive smile. After a couple seconds, she finally shook her head.

“I have responsibilities to the people in this world, Luke,” she said. “I have to be here for the people who need me. People like you.”

Luke nodded.

That’s what I came here for.

“Thanks, Dr. Meyers,” he said. “I… should get going.”

“Alright. Stay safe, Luke.”

Luke left Dr. Meyers’s office and started walking home. All he had left to do was to grab his laptop and headset and head to Kaoru’s motel room. His pace grew faster, until he was running at full speed. There were not many other people out, and he tried not to think about just why that might be.

CHAPTER 32

“Perfect timing.”

Kaoru stood behind the motel room door and immediately ushered Luke in. He was sweating and breathing heavily.

I used to run all the time. It feels like that was an eternity ago.

“The next bus leaves in twenty minutes,” said Kaoru. “We don’t have any time to waste.”

“I thought we weren’t leaving until later tonight?” asked Luke. Kaoru shook her head.

“We weren’t, but I have everything ready.” She picked up a back pack sitting in the middle of the bed and shouldered it. “There isn’t any point in us wasting time.”

Luke nodded.

“I… checked in on Ben,” he said. “Silverstrike.”

Kaoru didn’t have a visible reaction.

“Will he be able to get in-game for the assault on Kantor?”

“You aren’t going to ask if he’s okay?” Luke frowned at her, but Kaoru didn’t seem to notice.

“He did it to himself, Kato,” said Kaoru. “I think your sympathies are misplaced. You should be empathizing with all the people living in Yvvaros that are going to die if we don’t pull this off.”

Luke didn’t say anything. He couldn’t disagree with what she was saying, but her words still annoyed him.

“We should get moving,” said Kaoru. “Once we’re on the bus, we can enter Yvvaros and see how the preparations are coming.”

Luke nodded and followed behind her as she left the motel room.

This is it. I’ve come too far to let this plan do anything other than succeed.

The two of them walked toward the bus stop in silence. Luke felt as though he was walking to school on an exam day and he hadn’t studied. Kaoru look confident and self-assured and the contrast only made Luke feel more doubtful.

“Just stick to the plan, and this will all work out in the end,” said Kaoru. “I know it seems like a longshot, but everything is in place. We just need to keep moving forward.”

“I can do that.” Luke smiled at her, but her eyes were set on the sidewalk ahead of them.

Passengers were already boarding the bus when they arrived. It was large, with tinted windows and roomy seats. Kaoru bought two tickets for them, and then they headed down the aisle and sat down in the seat at the very back.

“Alright. It’s a four hour trip from here.” Kaoru opened up her bag and pulled out her laptop and VR headset, Luke did the same. “There’s no point in trying to attack until we’ve liberated the server, but we can at least organize the troops in Dunidan’s Rest.”

Luke nodded, and a suddenly a thought popped into his head.

“What happens after?” he asked. “Once we’ve transferred the world state, and defeated the Arbiters? What happens then?”

Kaoru smiled at him. A faraway look twinkled in her eyes.

“Whatever we want,” she said softly. “As soon as we get admin access, we’ll be the gods of Yvvaros.”

Luke blinked. He hadn’t anticipated that answer.

I can barely handle the responsibility I already have. Could I really trust myself with that kind of power? Moreover, could I trust Kaoru with it?

“Come on, Luke,” said Kaoru. “We shouldn’t waste time.”

She pulled on her headset, and her body leaned back limply in the seat. Luke opened his laptop, clicked his way through the Yvvaros login and joined her.

Luke was back in Dunidan’s Rest, in the same spot he’d been in when he logged out. It was early evening, and something was clearly wrong.

The compound was full of players from other guilds, some of them he recognized, and others were new faces. All of them looked worried.

What the hell is going on?

Luke scanned the crowd and spotted Tess working in her garden. She was hastily picking fruit and vegetables, stuffing them into bags as though attempting to salvage every last edible item. Luke hurried over to her, ignoring the hopeful, attentive looks on the faces of the players watching him.

“Tess!” He slowed to a stop at the edge of the farm. “What’s happening?”

“Luke, thank god!” Tess rushed over to him and pulled him into a tight hug. “They’re outside, Luke!”

“What?”

“The Arbiters…” Tess pulled back and stared into his eyes. “We’ve been under siege for the past few hours.”

Luke took a deep breath and then exhaled.

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll take a look and figure out what to do.”

Kaoru, in her new female avatar, was hurrying toward him from across the compound. Luke met her eyes as she approached.

We have to summon Makorin. It’s the only way.

The two of them didn’t say anything to each other until they’d reached the top of the wall surrounding Dunidan’s Rest. Luke kept his head low, peeking out from the cover of the wall. He could see hundreds of Arbiters standing in formation about 400 hundred yards away. He hadn’t realized there were that many Arbiters.

“This is their power play,” said Kaoru. “They must have seen us organizing our army and decided to take action.”

“We still have our trump card,” said Luke. “If we summon Makorin, we can transport everyone out of Dunidan’s Rest without needing to break through their line.”

Kaoru nodded slowly.

“It’s the only chance we have, at this point.” She thought for a moment, and then frowned. “We can’t do it yet, though.”

“Why not?”

“Once it appears in the sky, the Arbiters will know exactly what we’re intending,” she said. “If we can move against Kantor with all of them out here in the desert, it will be a piece of cake for us to mop up even an army of this size afterwards. They’ll be separated from their supplies and reinforcements, and we won’t have to worry about them trying anything while we’re figuring out how to utilize the server controls.”

“Then we’ll just have to endure the siege for now.” Luke looked around the area within the walls of Dunidan’s Rest. It had become his home. With the general store, the inn, and the guild halls, it was a little town of its own, more familiar to him now than his own neighborhood in the real world.

Light flashed in the corner of Luke’s vision, and he and Kaoru were knocked off the wall by a well-aimed spell. It didn’t do much damage to his health bar, but the intended point was immediately clear to Luke.

The Arbiters are going to hold their line. Our only hope is to use our defenses without fighting them directly.

“Damn it.” Kaoru spat sand out of her mouth as she stood to her feet. “I’m used to having my other avatar’s defensive buffs up.”

A green, restorative light washed over both of them. Tess stood a few feet away, frowning.

“Nobody has gotten in or out since they showed up.” She walked over to them looking distraught.

“As soon as Kaoru and I get to the world server we’ll be able to break the siege,” said Luke.

“Luke, we don’t have that much food.” Tess stood close to him and dropped her voice to a whisper. “We have the farm here, but there isn’t that much food. If there is no food we can’t keep our stamina up. If this goes on for long enough, players are going to start dying.”

“I won’t let that happen, Tess.” Luke cupped his hand against the back of her head and leaned his forehead against hers. “I promise you. We’ve taken a big risk, but it’s going to pay off.”

If we lose, Tess dies. If we win, we become gods. No pressure.

Luke gathered Kaoru, Tess, and Katrina into the main guild hall. Several leaders from the alliance joined them. He shut the door, the stale, hot, desert air inside the wooden building felt like a metaphor for the siege.

“I know all of you are anxious,” said Luke. “Anyone would be under the circumstances. But we’re going to have to hold tight for a little while longer.”

Kaoru and Tess both nodded, backing him up. Katrina and some of the other guild leaders frowned.

“This isn’t what I signed on for,” said one of them. “I wanted to attack the Arbiters! Not the other way around!”

“Please, just listen to me,” said Luke. “Right now the battle waiting for us isn’t one that we can win! The only way we can overpower the Arbiters is to attack from both in-game and in the real world.”

“Kato, most of my guild has gone all in.” Katrina shook her head. “This isn’t a game! Maybe you think it still is one, but this is life and death, and you-”

“Does it look like I’m having fun?” The rebuke came out of his mouth with more intensity than Luke had intended, but he let it hang on the air before continuing. “We can do this. I can do this. I’m not leading you to the grave. I won’t settle for anything less than total victory.”

The group was silent. Katrina nodded slowly, and the other guild leaders quietly agreed.

Not bad, Kato. Not bad, at all.

A loud crash came from outside, followed by panicked shouting. Luke ran to the door and threw it open. He quickly surveyed the scene.

The main gate was threatening to give way. The Arbiters had been launching their spells at the upper wall for a purpose, to keep anyone from seeing out. They’d moved a contingent in close enough to attack, and it sounded as though they were using a battering ram to force the gate open.

“Quickly!” Luke waved to the guild leaders and all of the nearby players. “Healers, hang back. Ranged attackers, take up position fifty yards from the gate. Knights and Warriors, line up by me!”

Tess called out to him, but Luke didn’t have time to listen or answer back. He rushed toward the gate right as the lock gave way, and the doors crashed open.

CONJURE SWORD 3

MIRROR IMAGE 3

HOLY REGENERATION 2

Luke used his passive combat abilities without restraint, depleting his magicka bar in an instant. Three Arbiters pushed into the compound, standing shoulder to shoulder. Luke shot a sword at each, readying his physical blade as the enforcers bared down on him.

The one in the middle of the group moved into the lead, swinging a halberd at Luke’s head. Luke blocked with his sword and jumped back as the Arbiter pressed him with superhuman speed.

They have us overpowered in number and strength. This is a disaster.

Several more allied fighters moved to cover Luke’s flanks. They were wise enough to attack the same Arbiter that Luke fought. Each of his allies was able to strike while the Arbiter was still focused on Luke. Unfortunately, the blows did only a superficial amount of damage.

From the outside of the compound came a hail of arrows. Luke managed to jump back, just in time to avoid the assault, but one of his allies was not so fortunate. The player took several projectiles in the head. He slumped to the ground, dead.

I can’t let them gain any more ground!

Luke rushed forward again. The mages behind him furiously cast an array of buffs and debuffs at him and the three Arbiters. The opponent closest to Luke was slowed by at least a factor of two which allowed him to land a flurry of blows. It was enough to almost take the Arbiter out.

“Look out!” Kaoru attacked with both of her whips. A shadow silhouette of her appeared behind the Arbiter and began striking with sneak attacks. Luke attacked in a blur of blades, using all his conjured swords and his physical sword to finish the Arbiter off.

LEVEL 22 ATTAINED

CONJURE SWORD 4 OBTAINED

PIERCE ATTACK 4 OBTAINED

Luke ignored the level up icon, instead gathering his swords and moving to face his next opponent. He pushed forward into a lunge, utilizing one of his newly upgraded combat skills.

PIERCE ATTACK 4

Time seemed to slow down as he moved forward. He heard a crack, like thunder as he tore through the air. The force was so great he felt as though he’d leaned his head out of a car window, or rather, a jet. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough.

His blade had only barely made contact with his intended target’s golden armor when another enemy slammed into him from the side. Luke was thrown into the compound wall. He crashed violently against it, losing three quarters of his health.

Immediately a spell landed on him, healing most of the damage. The new threat was still rushing toward him. It was the Head Arbiter, the same one that he’d seen and fought at the guild meeting. Luke tried to use his mirror images to absorb its second attack, but the Head Arbiter acted like it could see right through them.

It took every single one of his swords for Luke to block the Arbiter’s opening strike. All of the conjured blades shattered into ether, and though Luke tried to counter, his physical sword merely glanced off the Head Arbiter’s armor without doing any damage.

“Give up!” yelled the Head Arbiter. “You’ll be allowed to live, but only if you surrender!”

“Force them out!” yelled Luke. “We have to-”

Another blow from the Head Arbiter slammed into him. He was only able to recover by falling into a dive roll. His health was down to a sliver, and a quick scan across the walled battlefield revealed that most of the other players were in a similar situation.

The Head Arbiter pushed forward, focusing on Luke. None of the healers were free to restore his heath, but with his regeneration self-buff in place, Luke was still able to hang on, barely.

He rolled out of range of the next spear thrust, moving toward the destroyed gate. An idea popped into his head, and he put it into action without a second thought.

The Head Arbiter is always focusing its attacks on me. Let’s see if I can use that to our advantage.

Luke ran through the gate and sure enough, the Head Arbiter followed after him. It leapt into the air with inhuman strength, landing in front of Luke outside of the compound.

“Close the door!” Luke yelled back to Tess and Kaoru over his shoulder. “Do it now, craft another gate!”

CONJURE SWORD 4

Luke restored his swords and spun them in a defensive whirlwind around him. In front of him stood the Head Arbiter, behind him a company of subordinates. It was abundantly clear to Luke that his swords weren’t going to do much good. He was going to die.

“Luke!” Tess was yelling from the edge of the compound. “Get inside, hurry!”

There were still two Arbiters left inside of Dunidan’s Rest, and despite being outnumbered, they were putting up a formidable fight. Luke knew that he couldn’t risk leading anymore back in through the still open gate. He shook his head.

“Kaoru, make sure the gate goes up.”

MIRROR IMAGE 3

With the last of his magicka, he brought back up his doppelgangers and dropped into a defensive stance. The Head Arbiter made no move to attack. Instead, he let the rest of his soldiers move into position behind him.

Luke put every ounce of his energy into defending as the Arbiters attacked him. He defended an assault from a two handed sword with two of his swords crossed overhead. Immediately after, he fell flat to avoid the lethal point of a spear aimed at his chest. Next a hammer came down, and only by rolling blindly to the side did he avoid a one-shot.

Luke stood to one knee and tried to block the two handed sword again. He moved a split second too late, and though he was able to deflect most of the blow, the enemy sword made contact, dealing a significant amount of damage.

“Just give up.” The Head Arbiter stood to the side with his arms crossed. He watched Luke’s gallant attempt to defend himself with derision. “This isn’t a fight that you can win. You’re too weak to stand against us.”

Luke caught a glimpse of the compound as he rolled away from a line of approaching Arbiters. The gate was back up. He had no idea what was happening inside, but Katrina and several of her guild members were moving across the top of the wall, watching the action below.

A mace strike slammed into Luke’s thigh before he could move out of the way. He screamed in pain. A hail of arrows began to rain down from the Athena’s Wrath archers. The Arbiters took very little damage but did retreat a few yards.

“Run, Kato!” yelled Katrina.

They’re safe now, but I’ll never make it away. This is the end…

Luke tried to maneuver to keep the Arbiters from surrounding him and bumped into one of his conjured swords. Suddenly, another idea came to him.

“Cover me!” He waved to Katrina and her guild as he sprinted alongside the wall. “Just for a couple of seconds!”

The Arbiters moved to intercept him, but Luke had no intention of trying to maneuver his way across the ground. Instead, he began positioning his conjured swords in formation in front of him.

He jumped into the air and let his foot land on one of the blade flats. It dipped slightly, but held for long enough for him to push off, like a thin tree branch. Luke got enough height from his step to reach the next sword positioned slightly above the first.

One of the Arbiters jumped forward, reaching out a metal gloved hand to grab his leg. A hail of arrows stopped him in his tracks. Luke took another step on his swords, and then another, traveling up the wall as if he was performing a garish magic trick.

He grabbed the edge of the wall as soon as it was within reach. Katrina and Kaoru grabbed his arms and pulled him up, ducking down the other side as soon as he made it over. Several spells shot through the air where their heads had been only a moment earlier.

Luke was still for a couple of seconds, and then let out his breath.

I can’t believe that worked.

“I can’t believe that worked,” said Kaoru. Luke laughed.

CHAPTER 33

Luke, Kaoru, Katrina, and Tess gathered together in the guild hall. Tess cast a healing spell on Luke, though it was a little redundant now that he was back to safety and his self-healing buff had done most of the job.

“Thanks,” he said. Tess smiled at him and rubbed his shoulder.

She knows I’m at full health. She’s just healing me because she can.

“I knew you were going to be okay, Luke,” said Tess. “It’s weird… after everything I’ve seen you do, all the times you’ve pulled yourself and other people out of danger, I just knew.”

Luke shrugged.

“I got lucky,” he said. “Though that new technique worked surprisingly well. I think I’m going to call it ‘sword stepping’.”

“The Arbiters are holding back for now, but it’s only a matter of time before they attack again.” Kaoru stared out the guild hall’s front window with her arms crossed. “Katrina, did you have your guild members reinforce the gate?”

Katrina nodded.

“It’s stronger than before,” she said. “We never seriously considered the possibility that we’d face an attack like this. It should hold better, but that doesn’t mean much against an army of Arbiters.”

“How long would we have?” asked Luke.

“Ten, maybe twenty minutes, depending on how badly they want to get in.” Katrina sighed. “They’re still back in their camp for now, but that doesn’t mean much.”

Luke paced back and forth along the length of the guild hall. Finally, he turned to Tess.

“What’s the situation here in Dunidan’s Rest?” he asked. “How many were injured in the attack? How many are…”

How many are dead? And especially, how many that have gone all in?

“We lost seven out of the 53 players that were gathered from the guild alliance,” said Tess. “One of them was all in.”

Luke nodded, hiding his frustration the best he could.

“Make sure everybody is healed, and if anyone needs weapons, armor, or anything out of the general store, tell the merchant to let them have it for free.”

We can’t stay here. We have to jump forward with the plan.

“I know what you’re going to say.” Kaoru shook her head and held up one of her hands. “We can’t.”

“Why not?” asked Luke. “If we don’t summon Makorin now, we aren’t going to have an army to fight with.”

“It’s too early, it would give away our plan,” said Kaoru. “Besides, the Arbiters aren’t worried about us. That’s the main conclusion that I can draw from the encounter we just had.”

“What?”

“If they wanted us dead, trust me, we would be dead right now.” Kaoru scanned all of the faces in the room. “I have no doubt that they could take this compound and slaughter everyone in it, if they really wanted to.”

“Then why haven’t they?” asked Luke. “It doesn’t make any sense…”

“I don’t know. Maybe they’re waiting for something, or maybe they don’t consider us a threat. After the attack on the meeting at Megwin’s Bay we only have a fraction of the force we should have.

Luke took a deep breath and then forced it from his lungs.

“Katrina, round up the guild leaders here in Dunidan’s rest and have them summon the rest of their members. We’re going to need all the reinforcements that we can get.”

Katrina nodded and left the hall. Luke turned to Tess, finally giving into his emotions and pulling her into a tight hug.

“I believe in you, Luke,” she whispered. “We’re going to be okay.”

Luke remembered his waiting attribute points and quickly assigned them using his character record. Kaoru looked out the window at the sun, nearly set over the horizon, and then looked back at Luke.

“It’s almost time,” she said. “We’ll be nearing our destination in the real world.”

“Right,” said Luke. “I should just… check in with everybody, first.”

He grabbed Tess’s hand and squeezed it.

“I still remember our promise,” he said. “Once this is settled, once we have control over Yvvaros, I’m looking forward to us having a chance to be happy.”

Tess smiled.

“You know we probably could have found a way to be happy without having to instigate a rebellion.” She winked at him. “Not that it hasn’t been fun…”

Luke laughed.

“Yeah, well, I guess I’m a bit of an overachiever.”

He walked out through the door of the guild hall. Tess and Kaoru followed next.

All of the allied players were gathered around the oasis. They turned as Luke approached and broke out into applause.

“Ka-To, Ka-To, Ka-to!” Their voices all chanted his name in unison, many of them clapping and cheering alongside. Luke smiled and scratched his head as he walked toward the group.

All of their hopes, and many of their futures, lie with me. I can’t let them down!

“We’re going to do it!” Luke’s voice was barely loud enough to be heard over the noise, but he didn’t care. “This is Yvvaros! This world belongs to us!”

Kaoru grabbed his hand and pulled him aside.

“It’s time,” she said. “We have to get back to the real world.”

Luke nodded and waved to the crowd.

“I’ll be back!” He shouted to them, as much for his sake as for theirs. “I’ll be back, and we’ll settle this!”

He looked to Tess. She met his gaze and blew him a kiss as he pulled out his character journal. He playfully caught it as he signed his name to log off.

The sensation of the bus seat rumbling underneath him, and his warm laptop sitting on his legs greeted Luke as he returned to the real world. He pulled off his headset and looked over at Kaoru, who was already calibrated and composed, as always.

“We timed it perfectly,” she said. “We’ll there in a couple of minutes.”

Luke looked out the window of the bus. It was almost ten o’clock. Outside he could barely decipher fields and what might have been a farm. It was hard to tell, thick clouds blocked the light from the moon and stars.

“So we’re just going to walk?” asked Luke. “How far is it, exactly?”

“Not far. A few miles.” Kaoru fit her headset and laptop back in her backpack and then set it down by her feet. “We’ll leave our bags behind and go slow for the last half mile or so, to make sure we aren’t spotted.”

This almost feels like a spy movie, except we have no equipment, and no training.

“And you’re sure that we’re going to be able to get in?”

“No, of course I’m not.” Kaoru’s face was expressionless. “I bribed one of the guards to leave a door unlocked for us. That should give us a way in, but there is a security system that’s active. We have to be careful to avoid being detected.”

“Well, we’ve made it this far…”

The bus drove for several more minutes, before turning into the station. It made a slow lap around the parking lot before finally coming to a stop. Luke and Kaoru were the last two to get off. Stepping down onto the concrete lot felt very symbolic to Luke.

I can’t lose faith, not now.

“Come on,” said Kaoru. “We have no time to waste.”

Luke followed her. They were on the outskirts of a small town, but Kaoru wasn’t leading him into it. Instead, they headed away from the buildings, away from civilization, and away from the street lights.

It was only a minute before the two had to resort to navigating by the light of their phones. They walked on the shoulder of the road. Cars passed by only rarely, but Luke was still concerned about the risk they were taking by walking so late at night.

Five minutes passed in silence, then ten, and then twenty. The only sounds that Luke could hear other than their footsteps was the wind blowing fallen leaves, each of them scraping across the road like the rattling of bones.

“We’ll duck off in into the woods here,” said Kaoru. “It’s at the end of the next turn ahead of us on the right, but walking along that road would probably give us away.”

“Alright,” said Luke. “Uh… Kaoru?”

Luke wanted to say something to her. He wanted to thank her for everything she’d done, for her role in what was happening. She was getting as much use out of him as he was out of her, but Luke felt like he’d found a friend as well as an ally.

“If it’s not about the plan, just hold on for now,” said Kaoru. “We have to keep moving.”

Luke smiled.

Straight to the point, as always.

Even with their phones, navigating through the darkness of the woods was more difficult than following the road had been. Tree branches jutted out, looking like sinister arms in the darkness. The ground was wet and muddy in some spots, and covered with prickly bushes in others.

Eventually, Luke could see lights ahead of them. He was able to make out a building, single story and a few hundred feet long. The sides were constructed of corrugated metal sections that reminded him of storage rental units. Kaoru held out her arm, signaling for him to stop. They both crouched low and hovered at the edge of the tree line.

“This is it,” she said. Luke was surprised. Her voice was slightly hesitant. He had never heard Kaoru doubt herself or their plan before.

“Which door did you have your contact leave unlocked?” asked Luke.

“The side one.” Kaoru pointed over to the right. “We’ll have to stay in the woods while we sneak around, and then find a way to get in close while still staying out of sight.”

They spent another minute moving along the tree line at a snail’s pace. Luke felt like they were making too much noise, and creating too much movement in the brush. They traveled toward a part of the forest that jutted out the farthest onto the building’s lawn. This meant they’d have less distance to cover without the protection of the forest, but it also meant that it would be easier for anyone listening to hear twigs breaking and trees rustling.

“We’ll leave our bags here,” said Kaoru, once they were in position. “We can come back for them once the job is done.”

Luke nodded and let his slip to the ground.

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll go first.”

Kaoru, surprisingly, didn’t object. Luke summoned all of the knowledge he had from years of watching spy movies and playing stealth games. It felt useless to him now, and it probably was.

There. That’s a security camera, above the door. It’s angled toward the parking lot.

He moved away from the cover of the trees and slowly made his way across the neatly trimmed grass. With each step he held his breath expecting an alarm or a motion sensor light to go off. He moved at a diagonal, heading toward the back of the building. The whole time his eyes were trained on the camera, afraid it swing in his direction.

It didn’t. Luke made it to the door after about a minute, his heart racing faster than his legs. He raised a hand and motioned for Kaoru to follow, and she did, following his route to the step.

“Alright,” she said, her voice almost inaudible. “It should be unlocked.”

Luke swallowed hard, and then slowly turned the door’s handle. It gave no resistance, and the door swung open easily. He smiled at Kaoru as he stepped inside, his heart still beating like a drum.

“We’re in.” Kaoru scanned the hallway ahead of them, and then started walking forward quickly. “Come on, I know where it is from here.”

Luke hurried after her, trying not to think about what would happen if one of the unbribed staff members had decided to work late. Kaoru led him forward, past an intersection, and through another door.

“Here we are.” She reached her hand out and set it on Luke’s shoulder.

They were standing in a room the size of an Olympic swimming pool. Most of the floor was sunken about a meter into the ground. It almost looked bigger than the facility had from the outside. The center of the room was filled with row after row of black two meter high boxes. Luke knew this was what they’d come for.

“Wow…” He shook his head. “You made a copy of this?”

Kaoru was already hurrying across the floor toward the control station on a raised dais in the back of the room. Luke followed her, admiring the set-up, listening to the hum of the servers, and feeling the climate controlled air cooling his skin.

“It will only take me a minute to get this set-up,” said Kaoru. “Watch the door, and don’t touch anything.”

Luke nodded and started to turn back to the door they came in through. Scanning the rows he saw something move below, in between the black server shells. He hurried down the metal staircase, slowing as he approached the figure. Sudden panic rushed through him.

“Luke…” The voice was familiar, too familiar for Luke to be able to mistake or ever forget.

“…Dad?”

Chris Smith stepped out from the servers and into the light.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

CHAPTER 34

“What…?”

Luke stared blankly at his father, too shocked to respond. Chris Smith stepped forward and moved to walk right by him.

“Luke, stop him!” Kaoru yelled. “I need more time.” Her voice jarred him back to reality.

Luke grabbed his dad’s arm and tried to pull him back. Chris Smith hesitated for only a second before reeling back his free arm and slamming a fist into his son’s stomach. The wind was instantly knocked out of Luke’s lungs and he sank down to one knee.

“I wish you’d listened to me from the beginning,” said his dad. “You don’t understand what’s going on, Luke.”

There was no anger in the man’s voice. Rather, Luke could hear a controlled quality in his authority. It was that attribute of control that had been missing from his dad’s personality for years.

“How… did you find us?” Luke ignored the pain in his stomach and pulled himself to his feet. Chris Smith stopped to consider his question. Luke was surprised he didn’t immediately continue toward Kaoru and the control panel like he’d been expecting.

“I’ve been tracking your laptop,” said Chris. “I’ve had the software installed for years. When it reported that you were in Plattsburgh, it wasn’t hard for me to figure out where you were-”

Luke lunged forward, his fist connecting with his dad’s chest. He was surprised at his own ferocity. He knew it came from desperation.

This is my real battle. I’m not fighting my dad, I’m fighting for Tess’s life.

“Stop, Luke!” Chris Smith pushed him away, but Luke again threw himself toward his father. Chris Smith threw a jab at Luke’s chin, and he couldn’t get his guard up in time. Stars exploded into his field of vision and he stumbled to the side.

“I won’t stop!” said Luke in a measured tone. “People are counting on me, Dad. I don’t think you understand what that feels like.”

Chris Smith looked away from him. He let his arms rest at his sides. He appeared completely unconcerned by Luke’s worries and the danger the situation posed to the people relying on him back in Yvvaros.

“I can’t let you tamper with Yvvaros, Luke,” he said. “NPCs aren’t counting on me. The world is counting on me.”

Luke kept his fists held high this time as he moved forward. He swung at his dad, who blocked the punch easily. He swung a second time, this time striking a glancing blow on the man’s shoulder.

“I understand,” said his dad. “I know where this is coming from. You think of you and your friends as the noble rebels, and me and the government as the evil aggressor.”

He’s talking down to me, as always.

“There’s so much more to it than that, Luke. We summoned the demon. None of us realized… We thought it was just a game, a complicated one, one that could learn, but still one that we could-”

Luke launched a kick, trying to sweep his dad’s legs out from under him. Instead, he threw himself off balance, and his dad moved forward and easily pushed him away.

I’m pathetic. My real body is useless in a fight.

“Listen to me, Luke!” Chris Smith raised his voice over the sound of the servers, yelling loud enough to echo through the entire room. “Put everything aside, and just listen to me!”

Luke glanced over at Kaoru at the control station. She caught his eye and raised her index finger.

She still needs more time. I have to keep him distracted!

Luke scrambled to his feet and lunged at his dad. Chris Smith was in mid-step, and because of that, he was caught off balance as Luke smashed his shoulder into him. He toppled backwards, and Luke tightened his fist as he stood over him readying his next attack.

“Stop! Don’t move!” A new voice entered the fray. A night security guard was standing in the doorway, aiming a pistol at Luke. Luke turned to dodge, and as he did, a terrifying sequence of events unfolded.

The security guard fired his gun in Luke’s direction. Luke froze, anticipating the bullet, but simultaneously, Chris Smith had leapt from the floor and slammed his shoulder into his son, pushing him out of the way just as the bullet arrived.

“No!” Luke fell to the ground, his dad on top of him. He heard sounds of a struggle from the walkway, and looked up to see Kaoru on top of the security guard.

“Luke!” she screamed. “Get the gun!”

He clawed his way out from under his father and ran toward the stairs. The security guard was faster than he was though, and by the time he’d made it to help Kaoru, he’d already scooped up his weapon again.

“Don’t move!” yelled the man. “Don’t you fucking-”

He let out a scream of pain. Kaoru was lying at his feet and had bitten his ankle. The man hunched forward in pain. Luke attacked him, swinging his leg forward with all the speed he could muster, kicking the guard directly in the face.

The guard fell back into a limp heap, blood dripping from his nose. Luke took the man’s gun and helped Kaoru up.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded.

What about Dad?

Luke rushed back down the stairs. Chris Smith had pulled himself up to a sitting position. The bullet had hit him in the chest, near his heart. There was blood pooling on the ground underneath him, too much of it.

“Luke…” His voice was faint and strained. “I’m sorry…”

“Dad…” Luke shook his head and took his father’s hand into his own, feeling a strange mixture of emotions.

I don’t love him anymore, not as a father. I haven’t for a long time. But he’s still dying, right in front of me.

“It was never about you,” whispered his dad. “I just missed her so much. I missed her Luke, and I still do, right now.”

Luke didn’t say anything.

“That’s part of why I fucked it all up.” Chris Smith smiled weakly. “Part of her is in there, Luke. It’s up to you now. You can only stop it from within.”

“Dad, what are you talking about?” Luke shook his head in confusion and watched as his father’s face began to pale. “Dad!”

“It’s your responsibility now…” Chris Smith coughed out blood, a few drops of which splattered onto Luke’s face. “You’re going to have to choose. Stand by… your decisions.”

Chris Smith’s eyes became unfocused. Luke shook his father, and felt a lump form in his throat. He wasn’t sure if the man was dead or not, and he didn’t want to be sure. He stood up and turned away, each breath cutting into his lungs as though he was breathing shards of glass.

“Luke…” Kaoru walked up next to him and tried to pull him into a hug. “I’m so sorry.”

Luke held her at bay and swallowed hard.

“How much longer until the world state is copied over?”

Kaoru stared at him for a moment and then nodded.

“It should be done in the next few minutes,” she said. “Let’s go check it.”

She led him away from his father’s body. The security guard was still where he’d fallen. The gun was still in Luke’s waistband.

Was coming here the right choice? Was any of this the right choice?

“It’s done!” Kaoru nodded to him. “Come on, Luke! We have to go!”

Luke took a deep breath and let it out, feeling his lungs rattle as he forced air through his wind pipe.

“Yeah, okay,” he said. “Let’s go.”

CHAPTER 35

“I can activate the new server remotely as soon as we get to safety.”

Kaoru walked a couple of paces ahead of Luke as they made their way out of the facility. She slowed her pace to keep from getting too far ahead. She kept looking over her shoulder as though afraid that he was going to disappear.

“The transfer worked exactly as I was expecting,” she said. “And the redirect is now in place, so any players that try to log in once I’ve turned on the new server will login through my system.”

Luke nodded along, not really listening.

What did he mean? What choice am I going to have to make?

“Luke, we’re at the door.” Kaoru frowned at him. “Hey, you’ve got to stay with me, okay?”

Luke nodded again and then pushed passed her outside, taking care to walk around the path of the security camera. He grabbed his bag from the bushes where they’d left them, and Kaoru took the lead again after grabbing hers.

“We can’t head back to your town tonight,” she said. “Even with the server in stasis, we’re still only going to have a limited amount of time to act before the government takes action against us.”

“Right,” said Luke. “Sure, whatever.”

Kaoru stopped ahead of him, turning around and leaning against a nearby tree.

“Luke, if this is too much for you, I can take it from here.” She reached her hands out and rested them on his shoulders. She searched his eyes, her own full of concern. “I can’t imagine what you must be-”

“Kaoru.” Luke gently removed her hands from his shoulders. “I’m fine.”

I’m totally fine. My dad was a bastard. Why should I care that he’s dead? Everybody dies…

Kaoru watched him for several long seconds, trying to read something in his expression. Finally, she nodded and continued forward.

“There’s a motel about a mile to the west of here,” she said. “I’ll rent us a room for the night and we can activate my server remotely and then get back in-game. The only time that’s passed in Yvvaros was between when we logged out on the bus and when I plugged into the control panel.”

Is Tess next? Am I going to have to watch her die, too?

Kaoru led him along quickly. She paused only to hold back branches for Luke as he stumbled forward. They reached the road after a couple of minutes and began walking at an even faster pace.

“We need to stay a little off to the side.” She grabbed Luke’s sleeve and pulled him a short distance away from the road. “They’ll be looking for us once that guard wakes up.”

“I didn’t kill him…” The words spilled out of Luke’s mouth without any conscious choice on his part. “I didn’t kill my dad. The guard… he fired, and…”

“It’s okay, Luke,” said Kaoru. She let one of her hands rest on the back of his head as they walked. “It wasn’t you. They might look for us, but it won’t be a manhunt. The guard was the one who fired the shot, and they’ll only have his word to go on that we were even there.”

Luke suddenly remembered the gun in his waistband. He reached for it and started to think about throwing it into the woods. Kaoru shook her head, taking the weapon from him gently.

“We have to wipe it down, first,” she said. “Just to be safe.”

She pulled a handkerchief out of her bag and ran it across the grass, wetting it with dew. Then she ran it over every inch of the metallic weapon and tossed it away in the woods.

“There,” she said. She forced a smile onto her face and rubbed Luke’s shoulder encouragingly. “Don’t forget why we’re doing this, Luke. You have people to protect in Yvvaros.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I do.”

A couple of cars passed by. Each time Luke and Kaoru would take cover, waiting for the headlights to pass. When they couldn’t find cover, they’d lie flat in the ditch on the side of the road, pushing close together to minimize their silhouettes.

They reached the motel after about twenty minutes. Kaoru dusted herself off as she walked in through the front office door. The night clerk was a portly man in his early twenties. He looked at Luke first, but Kaoru stepped forward before he could say anything and began talking.

“We’re looking to rent a room for the night,” she said. “And we’re in a bit of a rush.”

The clerk gave them a knowing smile and tapped on his keyboard.

“Alright, that will be $74.50,” he said. “I’ll also need to see some ID.”

Kaoru handed him her license and credit card and tapped her fingers impatiently on the desk. After a minute, the clerk handed them both back, along with a key.

“Alright, you’re in room 211.” He smirked. “You two lovebirds enjoy your night.”

Kaoru blushed and glared at the man. Luke was hardly listening, and he turned and left the office without commenting on the clerk’s assumption.

“Come on,” he said to Kaoru. “We’re on the second floor.”

They found their room and pushed inside, only taking enough time to kick off their shoes and pull close the shades before setting up their computers. The Wi-Fi password was written on a sheet of paper on the bed stand. Luke typed it in quickly and then waited while the Yvvaros game client loaded.

“Alright,” said Kaoru. “It’s all set. I just reactivated the world state on the new server. We should be able to login.”

Luke nodded, typed in his username and password, and then pulled on his headset, entering Yvvaros.

It was night in-game. Both moons hung in the sky over Dunidan’s Rest like celestial watchmen. A fire was burning next to the oasis, and a couple of players were huddled around it. Luke looked around the compound, noticing that there were far fewer players within its walls than there had been when he’d logged out.

“Only the players that have gone all in are going to be in-game right now.” Kaoru had entered the world standing next to him, and she gestured to the empty courtyard. “It will be at least a couple of minutes before the rest of the players realize that the server is back up, and they can log back in.”

“That’s bad,” said Luke. “The Arbiters are still at full strength.”

“Luke!” Tess ran over to him from the bonfire, followed by several other players. She pulled him into a hug, and then looked into his eyes. “Did it work? What’s wrong?”

She can see right through me. Now isn’t the time for my baggage.

He shook his head and averted his eyes.

“It’s nothing, really…” He quickly took stock of the forces they still had left to defend with. “The server transfer is complete. We have to get started with the attack. If we wait, the Arbiters will attack us first and this time, we won’t be able to defend.”

Kaoru nodded.

“I’ll start organizing the players we have into ranks,” she said. “And I’ll get the others situated as they login.”

“Tess, can you grab all of our healers and start buffing people?”

She nodded to him, still watching his face warily with eyes full of concern.

“No problem, Luke,” she said.

Luke smiled, doing his best to ignore the emotions nipping at his heart.

“Alright, we have to get moving.”

“The Elemental Crystals will allow you to summon Makorin, and then you will be able to transport yourself up,” said Kaoru. “There should be a rune circle that you can activate for transport, and a set of control spires somewhere near the center. It should be set up like Kantor.”

“Right,” said Luke. “Let’s do this.”

He walked to the center of Dunidan’s Rest, directly in between the guild halls, the inn, and the oasis. The Elemental Crystals each glowed faintly. Luke held one in his left hand and the other two in his right. They began to shine with vivid color, and Luke felt magical energy coursing through his body.

“Kaoru, uh, how do I use these, exactly?”

She waved to him from across the courtyard.

“Just keep them held in your hands, and hold them close together,” she said. “They’ll teleport up to the surface with you. Then, find the control spires and activate them as soon as you can. We won’t have much time before the Arbiters figure it out and try to break through. You have to start moving the city toward Kantor as a distraction.”

Luke nodded, and brought the crystals together in his hands. They felt hot, almost too hot to hold. A spire of blinding color shot up from them into the sky, encircling him like a tube.

The sight was incredible. The spire of light struck an invisible object in the sky and deflected off of it.

A huge disk began glowing above Dunidan’s Rest. It blocked the light of the stars with a blinding red light. The disk suddenly took form as the magical glow faded.

It looks exactly like Kantor. Makorin is ours.

“Alright, I’m heading up!” Luke brought the crystals in closer to his body, taking one last look at the floating city above. It was too dark to make out much detail, and unlike Kantor, there were no magical lights illuminating the edges.

“Move quickly, Kato,” said Kaoru. “We won’t have much time before the Arbiters act.”

Luke looked over at Tess once more, smiling and giving her a thumbs up.

“I’ll see you soon,” he said. She nodded, and smiled back at him.

Luke held the crystals against his chest, and after a flash of powerful energy, he transported himself up to the floating city.

The ground underneath his feet was jet black, with red cracks running through it that pulsed with light as though they were veins of blood. Luke looked around. Makorin looked a bit like a strange, twisted version of Kantor, with cave like mounds in the place of buildings.

“What… is this place?” Luke muttered.

A faded rune circle was traced into the ground a couple of feet in front of him. Luke could see slots along the edges of it that were the size of the Elemental Crystals, but he hesitated before setting them down.

This doesn’t feel right.

A strange, globular protrusion was poking out of a spot nearby. It was dark purple with long, tentacle like veins, a bizarre fusion of fungi and flower. Where the Temple of Rygon had been in Kantor instead stood a huge black red temple, cut out of odd angled rectangular blocks but with a flattened roof instead of the soaring brilliance of stained glass. A large alter stood on top of the roof, sprinkled with flecks of silver and gold.

Something moved from one of the holes in the caves nearby. Luke reached for his sword instinctively, tensing up as an enemy that he recognized walked into view. It was a Tymian, one of the humanoid monsters he’d fought in the Battle of Kantor.

This is bad!

At first, he thought the creature was going to pass by him. It was walking toward the city center, but then it stopped, sniffing the air. The foul beast turned and trained its jet black eyes onto Luke, before opening a mouth crowded with needle thin teeth and letting out a terrifying roar.

“Fuck!” Luke stepped back. Several more Tymians stepped out of cave openings, all of them directing their undivided attention at him. Luke moved back a couple of feet further, glancing around the dark city warily.

This isn’t the prize that I thought it was. It’s a high level raid dungeon, and the Elemental Crystals were the keys to get inside!

The first Tymian moved to attack him. Luke sidestepped its claw strike, tripping backward over a short black spike jutting out of the ground. He let his instincts take over, dropping into a roll, and sprinting out of the way as he came to his feet.

MIRROR IMAGE 3

HOLY REGENERATION 2

The city, if it could even be called that, was death trap. Luke made a beeline for the raised temple platform across from the courtyard. He hoped that getting to higher ground would give him the advantage he needed.

Soft moans and hellish screams floated on the air, creating a nightmarish background of ambient noise.  Hundreds of Tymians were bearing down on him, snapping their over-toothed mouths and leaping out from the shadows.

His magical doppelgangers disappeared almost instantly, struck down by Tymian strikes. One of the monsters managed to connect a claw strike with his back, and Luke fell forward as he reached the steps of the temple. He lost a third of his health.

Luke swung his sword behind him, forcing the Tymian back as more of the creatures pressed forward. He started pulling himself up the steps, trying to use his sword to keep them from getting within attacking distance.

I can’t fight them. If there is a way to take control of this city, it’s not going to be any help.

The Tymians swarmed on the step beneath him. He defended himself as best he could, keeping his face toward the attacking horde while slowly feeling his way up the temple steps.

CONJURE SWORD 4

Luke positioned his four floating swords in front of him as though they were a fence. Hundreds of Tymians pushed forward, most of them paying little mind to his weapons as they pursued him.

“Damn it!” yelled Luke. “No!”

He turned away from the mob and scrambled up several more steps, fear coursing through him. The Tymians were beginning to climb up the sides of the temple. Only by juggling his swords through various defensive positions was Luke able to keep a defensive line around himself.

Finally, his free hand grabbed onto the final ledge. He pulled himself onto the upper platform and immediately ran forward. A flash of red light appeared in the center and Luke froze as a new figure stepped out of it.

KORRITH: Monstrous sorcerers rumored to have played a direct role as instigators of the Severance Onslaught. They are often incorrectly described as being clad in heavy black plate armor, though in reality it is their hard scaled flesh that gives off the appearance.

The Korrith was at least eight feet tall, hulking over Luke and killing what little hope he still clung to that he’d make it out of the city alive. It wielded no weapon, though one of its hands was dripping with dark purple slime. The eyes on its face were oversized and totally gray. It had no mouth.

Luke didn’t have a choice. He ran toward it, doing his best to knock back the Tymians pressing down on him with his conjured swords.

At least I’ll die fighting…

PIERCE ATTACK 4

He shot through the air toward the Korrith. The creature raised a single horrifying hand. It was fingerless, as though the hand was contained within a mitten. It pointed the fingerless hand at him, and despite the speed and momentum of his combat skill, Luke froze in midair.

“What…?” He couldn’t move. Luke still held his sword out in front of him, locked in place like a statue. The Tymians rushed up the last few steps of the temple and charged at him. Their feet pounded on the black and red bricks, sounding like war drums of death.

Luke used his conjured swords in a desperate attempt to ward them off, but the creatures treated them as a mild annoyance, batting them out of the way. He couldn’t see what was happening behind him, but he didn’t need to. He knew that it would be over soon.

CHAPTER 36

The Korrith dropped its hand toward the ground. A viscous purple substance dripped from it onto the brick below. It moved with a sinister presence. Its legs were bent backward, like an insect, and when it walked it appeared to be expanding more than stepping. Luke couldn’t move. He hung frozen, helpless against the repulsive creature moving toward him.

He expected it to wrap itself around him, to absorb his life force as the monster at the mud flats had tried to do. Instead, it moved to the center of the platform and levitated. As it rose a dome appeared, encapsulating both Luke and itself within.

The Tymians reached the top of the pyramid just as the dome finished forming. Several ran toward Luke, slamming into the membrane of the barrier. Their arms and legs strained against the malleable enclosure as they made rabid attempts to reach Luke. The dome held.

Small drops of ooze began to drip from overhead. It appeared to be the same substance leaching from the monsters hand. Some of it landed in Luke’s hair and on his back. It burned slightly wherever it touched his skin, but he couldn’t move to do anything about it.

Just let me die a normal death. This is torture.

The Korrith finally reached Luke. It set its hand against his chest and Luke felt his entire body begin to tingle with an electric pulse.

What is it doing?

Long tendrils of sludge from the dome seeped over him. Luke felt it slipping through the cracks of his armor as it sought out his skin. It was excruciatingly painful, but he was still locked in place, unable to move, unable to scream.

The Korrith stood in front of him, one hand on Luke’s chest, the other waving in the air as if directing what was happening with unseen magic. Luke couldn’t begin to understand its actions.

Above him, Luke saw his conjured swords hanging above the dome in midair. He reached his thoughts out to control them and was relieved to see them respond as he focused on their movements.

He brought them down, striking against the barrier and setting them to sawing through the ooze. They only managed to stretch the skin of the membrane. It held strong, as it had against the Tymians. Luke continued willing them downward, but they became stuck in place, hanging from above like disgusting stalactites.

Soon, the ooze began to inch its way toward his mouth and nostrils. Luke panicked, feeling claustrophobic and helpless. Another figure appeared, standing behind the Korrith and staring at Luke with gentle eyes. It was her, the same woman he’d seen at the Elemental Wells. The same woman who managed to look exactly like his mother and yet generic and forgettable all at once.

“You must not give up,” said the woman. “You are almost there.”

Blue light emanated from her body, extending outward in tendrils that served as a counter to the Korrith’s magic. As each one made contact with Luke’s body, the muscles around the point of impact were released from the curse.

The ooze melted off Luke as he pulled himself free. He gasped and scraped his hands across his face, feeling paranoid about the sludge still surrounding him. The Korrith stepped forward. It’s slow and deliberate movements were arrogant.

ELEMENTAL INFUSION 2: HOLY

PIERCE ATTACK 4

Luke launched forward into the Korrith. It moved quickly, casting another spell that deflected the point of his blade. Luke immediately turned and swung again, coming within a hair of the creature’s head. His sword pulsed with shooting energy, strengthened by the upgraded version of his infusion.

“Your town is burning,” said the woman. “I can save it, but you must activate Makorin.”

I won’t die! Not here!

The Korrith directed spires of ooze at him, pulling them from the skin of the bubble and curling them toward Luke’s body. He dodged each of them, and swung his sword in an overhand strike.

It made contact, cutting deep into the flesh of the Korrith’s face and bursting with holy energy. The creature’s health bar dropped by about half, but more importantly, it flinched back, momentarily stunned. Luke cried out and was finally able to pull his conjured swords through the bubble. He directed them at the Korrith, skewering it like a pin cushion. Its health dropped even lower, and Luke’s last blow lopped its head clean off.

The ooze bubble instantly disappeared. Luke was at the top of the temple and hundreds of Tymians had formed a ring around the perimeter. They looked ready to finish what had been started, even without their sorcerer.

The woman was standing just beyond them, next to the three control spires. Luke knew that it was his destination. He needed to make it there or at least die trying.

The Tymians charged forward. Luke swung his sword at them, fending them off with the desperation of a cornered wolf. He positioned his conjured swords in front of him and launched into the air, stepping off the body of a downed Tymian.

Sword stepping was still new to him, but he hovered high enough above the monsters to move forward without being open to their attacks. They jumped up at him, swinging claws and gnashing jaws, a pack of mindless killers. A few of them already stood near the spires, as though they knew that he would be headed in that direction.

He took a dozen long, jumping steps through the air, and then dropped himself down in the middle of the spires. One of the Tymians waiting there swung at him. Luke ducked under the blow, not bothering to counter. Instead, he hurriedly pulled out the Elemental Crystals and began jamming them into the slots.

This better work!

He pushed the last one into place. For a moment, nothing happened.

“Thank you, Luke,” whispered the woman. “You’ve done it. You’ve freed me.”

Her body began to glow bright blue, some of the light splashed off her and onto Luke.

NEW ABILITY OBTAINED: PROGENITOR’S SOUL

The Universal Truth floated up into the air, giving off enough light to compete with the moons in the night sky. The Tymians still pushed forward at Luke, and only with all of his weapons was he able to hold them at bay. Even still, some of their strikes made it through his defenses, and once again his health bar began to drop rapidly.

“You must help them,” said the woman. “Go now. This city is not for you.”

What?

The Elemental Crystals popped out of place in the spires, falling neatly onto the ground in front of him. Luke didn’t have time to think. He spun his blades around him as he scooped them into his bag, and then began pushing his way through a wall of enemies.

PIERCE ATTACK 4

His combat ability let him shoot forward, knocking the Tymians in front of him aside. He ran down the steps of the temple, intent on making it back to the rune circle, and hopefully finding a way to activate it.

Something exploded next to him, knocking him into the air. A second Korrith stood with its palm raised at him. Before Luke could react, another spell struck near his feet, throwing him through the air and over the side of the city.

CHAPTER 37

That’s it, then…

Luke stared up at the demonic city. The sensation was terrifying, but strangely, he didn’t feel like screaming. It wasn’t over yet. He wouldn’t allow himself to give up.

He directed his conjured swords beneath him, arranging the blade flats of all four swords underneath his back and legs, as though he was creating a bed frame for his body to rest on. It was impossible to arrest his fall completely, but he did start to slow down. A second went by, and then Luke’s body struck the sand, shattering his swords beneath him.

I’m… alive.

His health bar was almost completely empty, but Luke was alive. He smiled and slowly stood to his feet. Dunidan’s Rest was a few hundred yards off in the distance. The gates had been destroyed, and fire licked at the roofs of several of the buildings.

“No…” Luke shook his head and broke out into a run. “No!”

He could hear sounds of the battle before he’d made it into the courtyard. Luke stumbled forward, his health slowly regenerating as he went. Kaoru was at the front of a group of warriors, all of them attempting to push back a larger group of Arbiters. Further into the compound, Luke could see Tess, Katrina, and a number of other players lending support from a distance.

After everything we’ve done, we’re still going to lose. In a straight up fight, no less.

Luke gritted his teeth and clenched his sword tightly in his hand.

CONJURE SWORD 4

MIRROR IMAGE 3

He rushed forward, intent on pulling as many of the Arbiters away from his friends as possible. In the beginning they’d set out with a purpose. They had a goal, but he didn’t care about that anymore. It was life or death, and he’d already seen enough death for one day.

PIERCE ATTACK 4

Luke shot forward at inhuman speed into the nearest Arbiter, immediately following up with a volley of strikes from his conjured swords. The blows did only a small amount of damage, but they also drew its attention. The Arbiter slowly turned to face him, and as Luke rolled backward, a few of the other Arbiters saw him and moved to intercept.

“Come on!” yelled Luke. “Bring it!”

Tess yelled something from the other side of the chaos, but Luke couldn’t make it out. He caught her eye for a moment. In her gaze, he saw emotions that mirrored his own. Tess raised her staff into the air, and a healing spell landed on Luke.

There were at least a hundred Arbiters in the midst of the fighting. There couldn’t have been more than two dozen allied players left. Luke raked his conjured swords across the backs of several more of the aggressors, taunting at least ten into attacking him.

He squared off with them, his swords defending in a whirling mass of steel. He moved quickly, striking as often as he could while staying away from his enemies’ blades. The goal was to hold out for as long as he could.

If I can distract enough of them, maybe I can buy time for people to escape.

Two of the Arbiters lunged at him at once. Luke formed two of his conjured swords into an X, catching one of the overhead strikes in between them. The other Arbiter swung a large hammer, and he ducked low underneath, countering with a slash at the Arbiter’s heels.

Luke took a step back and heard an object flying toward him. Pain pulsed through his arm. He looked and saw a spear poking out of his shoulder. He pulled the weapon from his body and twisted, spinning his swords around him as he did. He continued to fight, his blades dancing around him, doing minimal damage, but keeping the Arbiters busy.

Luke tried to push through the group he’d been sparring with. He was trying to make his way to where the resisting players fought. There were too many Arbiters. Kaoru and the other players defending the compound had been pushed almost back to the wall. Soon, it would be over.

PIERCE ATTACK 4

Luke focused his attack on an Arbiter wielding a bow. He slammed his sword into its neck. It turned, but not quickly enough. Using several of his blades, Luke was able to hack it down to the ground.

The Arbiters he’d moved away from were hot on his heels. Luke dodged left, and then rolled right, cursing the hopelessness of the situation.

The plan has fallen apart. Makorin was a dead end.

One of the Arbiters smashed into his chest with a head butt. Luke was thrown backward off his feet, his neck twisting painfully as he tumbled through the sand. He slowly pulled himself to his feet, and then remembered something. Putting the Elemental Crystals into place had given him a new ability, and he’d been too busy fighting for his life to give it much thought.

PROGENITOR’S SOUL

The air around Luke wavered, as though heated by an invisible fire. Blue light began to leak out of his chest. It looked as though a bright star had coalesced next to Luke’s heart.

“What… is this?” Luke stared down at his body in shock. The Arbiters didn’t seem to know what to make of it, either, and held off from attacking or making any sudden movements.

The light felt warm. It didn’t behave normally, and moved through the air with purpose. The blue light spiraled around Luke’s arms, legs, and chest. He felt his entire body pulsing, as though a gentle electric current was being pushed through it.

A spear of light shot out of his sword hand, creating a sheath of energy around his weapon. All of the light solidified at once, forming a tight protective barrier around him.

It’s… armor? And a new sword?

Luke only had time to quickly glance down at himself as the Arbiters resumed their attacks. His body was covered in armor unlike anything he’d ever seen before. It was thin, and almost skin tight, onyx black with bright, shining blue lines running through it, like veins.

The armor wasn’t composed of pieces. There was no separation between the chest piece and the pauldrons. Rather, it felt as though Luke was wearing a second skin, a single living, flexible unit that moved as he did, amplifying his strength and speed.

One of the Arbiters lunged at him with a large axe. Luke swung his sword up at it and stared wide eyed as he watched the result. His blade matched his new armor, black with a bright blue line running the full length down the center, and it sliced the axe in two without slowing down.

The sword left a blue after image in its wake. As Luke fell back in a defensive stance and twirled it around him, a dancing blue light followed. Two Arbiters approached at once, and Luke rolled out of range as they attacked together.

His armor let him move faster, and more naturally. The Arbiters weapons passed through empty air with a hint of blue light marking the spot where Luke had just been standing.

I’m stronger, now. Much stronger.

He charged forward. Time itself felt like it was working in his favor. The Arbiter’s reactions were slow, and he had no trouble maneuvering his blade into catching them off guard. His sword did massive damage, taking three quarters of one’s health bar and killing the other, slicing through the Arbiter’s shoulder armor and tossing a severed arm into the air.

“Get back!” Luke yelled at the top of his lungs, fearing that the clamor of combat would drown out his voice. “Everybody, get back!”

Three more Arbiters moved to intercept him as he charged toward the main battle, and all three fell like training mannequins against his new equipment. Luke’s armor and sword hummed as he moved. He swung his blade and decapitated another Arbiter, and then punched at one maneuvering to his side. His fist went through the armor of his enemy’s chest, and Luke felt as surprised as the Arbiter looked.

What the hell is this?

He pulled his fist free. Blood dripped from it, and Luke could feel the sticky warmth through the skin of the armor. Several more Arbiters attacked him at once. He swung his sword in a smooth arc, spinning and keeping its momentum as he sliced across all of them, killing most and wounding the rest.

Several of the players, Kaoru and Tess included, were watching him from their defensive positions. All of the Arbiters were turning their attention away from the regular players and toward Luke. He launched straight at them, not giving any thought to his own safety.

I’m the biggest threat now. This battle isn’t about them.

Luke was death incarnate. He pulled his conjured swords in and spun them around him. They didn’t do very much damage, but it created enough of a distraction to let him hold dozens of Arbiters at bay.

One of them managed to get a spear strike through his defenses. Luke felt the blow and surprisingly, his health bar took about as much damage as it usually would have. He immediately countered, knocking the nearest Arbiters back. He gave himself room to breathe.

I’m not invincible. The armor is more about enhancing my strength than my defenses.

Kaoru was leading some of the remaining players in a charge against the distracted Arbiters. Luke frowned and tried to wave her away, killing two more approaching enemies with fast strikes.

HOLY REGENERATION 2

MIRROR IMAGE 3

With his own passive combat abilities active, along with Progenitor’s Soul, Luke was more powerful than a single player had any right to be. He took down Arbiter after Arbiter, dancing across the sand, leaping through the air, and moving with superhuman dexterity.

The Arbiters still managed to land the occasional blow. Even with Holy Regeneration active, the attacks chipped away at his health bar. It didn’t matter. Luke wasn’t trying to take on all of the enemies at once anymore. He was giving the rest of the players the example they needed, restoring their hope and their will to fight.

Luke moved deeper into the center of the violence. Something flashed in the corner of his vision. He turned to the right, swinging his sword to counter, but wasn’t quick enough. A blow struck the side of his head, hard enough to produce a field of stars in his vision and to knock him off balance.

He shook his head and turned to face off against his new foe. The Head Arbiter stood nearby, one hand clutched into a fist and the other around a spear. He stared at Luke with eyes that were neutral and emotionless.

Luke hesitated. The memory of the Battle of Kantor, and his fight against the Tymian his father had been controlling echoed in the back of his mind.

It’s not him, not this time. He’s already dead.

The Head Arbiter moved to attack with the same predictable, straightforward movements shared by the rest of the NPC Arbiters. Luke blocked and countered, watching its monotonous, almost robotic movements carefully.

The two were evenly matched. Luke had his hands full blocking the spear strikes while still clearing out regular Arbiters as they attacked him from the side and flanks. He shifted across the battlefield, moving in closer to where Tess and Kaoru were fighting for their lives.

The Head Arbiter lunged forward with his spear. Luke deflected the strike, but the point continued, carried by the momentum of his enemy’s weight. Tess was next to him, and a millisecond dragged out into an eternity as Luke realized what he’d inadvertently done.

PIERCE ATTACK 4

Luke used the skill instinctively, the same way he might duck or throw a punch in the real world. He slammed into the Head Arbiter before it could react, turning what would have been a killing blow to Tess into a shoulder graze.

The Head Arbiter was knocked off balance, and Luke took the opportunity that he’d been given. He spun and slammed his sword behind him as he turned away from the Head Arbiter. The tip of his Progenitor’s Blade pushed through the golden armor, and the Head Arbiter’s health bar dropped to zero.

The rest of the Arbiters continued to fight, but the tide of the battle had been turned. Luke’s new armor and sword faded out of existence a couple of seconds after he’d slain the Head Arbiter. He wasn’t sure if the new ability had a time or energy limit. It didn’t matter. There were only about a dozen of the Arbiters left, and even as strong as they were, the resolve of Luke and the remaining players was enough to take them on.

Kaoru killed the last Arbiter with her whips, wrapping them around its neck and using a skill that choked it to death slowly. Luke scanned the compound one final time before slowly sheathing his sword.

“It’s over,” he said. Tess moved to him and he wordlessly pulled her into a tight embrace.

“We did it…” Kaoru was slowly rolling up her whips. She grinned and turned to what was left of their army. A cheer went up, and Luke couldn’t stop from smiling, either.

“It’s going to take some serious time and money to rebuild,” he said, shrugging. “But we have all the time we need now. Yvvaros is free.”

Most of the fires in Dunidan’s Rest had already burned themselves out. Katrina and a couple members of her guild were filling buckets and heading off to take care of what was left. Luke suddenly realized how tired he was. He felt like he could collapse where he stood and sleep a long peaceful sleep.

“What was that skill?” asked Tess. “I haven’t seen anything like that before. You were so powerful.”

Luke nodded slowly, and then remembered something.

“I received it when I set the Elemental Crystals into the spires on Makorin,” he said. “Speaking of which, Kaoru, where the hell did you get your information? That place was a death trap.”

Kaoru looked confused.

“I talked to one of the beta testers.” She frowned. “I guess it’s possible that the information I got was bad. But you still got something out of it, and we managed well enough without needing to be a part of the plan.”

Luke opened his mouth to explain further, but before he could, blue light shone from the center of the courtyard. The Universal Truth was standing in the center of it, and she slowly walked over to the three of them.

“Makorin was one of my cities, corrupted during the Severance Onslaught. By restoring it, you have restored a part of me. And by freeing the world’s essence, you have released me from my chains.”

“The world’s… essence?”

The world state server? Is that what she means?

Luke looked up at Makorin. It still hovered in the sky, just above and off to the side of Dunidan’s Rest. It looked ominous, and there was something about the Universal Truth’s words that made him uncomfortable.

“Something’s wrong…” Luke shook his head. Over by the oasis, there was a player at the center of a group yelling something in a panicked voice.

“You have liberated Yvvaros, and with it, yourselves,” said the woman.

Luke took a step back. Katrina was rushing to him. Her eyes and face were wild with panic.

“Kato… Nobody can log out,” she said.

“What?”

“Try to log out,” said Katrina. “Just see if you can.”

Luke looked at Tess, and then at Kaoru. Kaoru had pulled out her character journal, and after scribbling on it for a moment with a quill, her mouth dropped open in surprise.

“She’s right,” said Kaoru. “I can’t log out either.”

“What…?” Luke looked around Dunidan’s Rest. A number of the other players appeared to be discovering what they just had. Some of them were handling it better than others. One player was pulling at his hair, as if trying to will his body in the real world to match his virtual movements.

The Universal Truth floated slowly into the sky until she became a tiny, shining blue dot set against the night sky. Luke walked toward the gate, as if to chase after her.

“There is much that you do not understand.” The woman’s voice boomed from all directions. “You are my children now, and I must keep you safe.”

“What have you done?” shouted Luke. Tess squeezed his hand.

“I have given you what you needed,” said the woman. “You will come to see the truth, in time.”

“Luke…” Tess pulled him into a hug from the side. “It’s going to be okay…”

The wind blew through the open doors of the compound. The Arbiters were gone, no longer a threat. The fires were out and the remaining players stood in the center of Dunidan’s Rest watching Luke and Kaoru.

“I can’t believe this,” said Luke. “This doesn’t make any sense!”

He reached into his satchel and pulled out his character journal. Kaoru frowned at him, and Tess put a hand on his shoulder.

“Luke, it’s not going to-”

He signed his name, and in an instant, everything changed. The world went black. Luke blinked in surprise, and then pulled off his headset. He was in the motel room, in the exact same spot he’d last been when he’d logged in.

“…Kaoru?”

She didn’t answer. Her headset was still on, and her body was still. It was late at night, and Luke could hear an ambulance’s siren outside in the distance.

“I… can still log out.” Luke stared down at his hands, and felt the bed beside him, as though expecting it to feel hollow, like a bad simulation.

What does this mean?

He put a hand on his forehead and took a deep breath. The weight of a world strained against his shoulders.

END

AFTERWARD

It’s hard for an author to keep their own personal biases and speculation out of a science fiction novel set in the near future. I’ll be honest, I tried. I really did.

I wrote this book in the summer of 2015, before virtual reality gaming existed in a mainstream capacity. Even now, at the first publication of this novel, it’s hard to make any definitive predictions about what the impact of such a level of immersion might be on society and the way we view reality.

The world is a fascinating place, and the future is looking very, very bright.

Thanks for reading.

For information on future releases by me and other contributing authors, sign up for my newsletter at
http://eepurl.com/bxXzd1

Alex Mulder

Table of Contents

TITLE PAGE

WORLD MAP

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 33

CHAPTER 34

CHAPTER 35

CHAPTER 36

CHAPTER 37

AFTERWARD