Onna licked her lips. “The quest is a high-level one—it was designed for characters who were levels eleven through sixteen. You’re far from that, so it won’t be easy. But the key makes you a target, so you have to do something.”
Casper pressed his lips together, but the look on his face was grim.
I finished my lunch, then walked over to stand in front of the fire. “Can you give us any insights into what we should expect in the Cryptic Marshes? The Mountains of Kartell?”
“We can do that. But first, I have to gather wood for the night, and Onna needs to set up the wards against the Night Watchers,” Casper said.
“What are the Night Watchers?” I asked.
“They’re found in most woodlands. Night Marchers are wandering spirits who’ve been killed in magical forests. They band together against the living. You’ll find them all through Abarria,” Onna said.
“I’ve heard of them,” Ray said. “They’re dangerous, but I didn’t think we’d find them this soon in the game. They’re dangerous and—while you can fight them with physical weapons—they’re strong as a group, and their magic brings madness.”
I glanced out the window. Everything seemed peaceful and beautiful outside, but it was just a veneer, stretched over the truth. This game had been created to challenge the players; nothing was handed out for free, and little came easy. As the afternoon edged toward dusk, the forest seemed to close in on us. We took on a small island of safety. But just outside the boundaries of this house, everything was waiting to kill us. And this might well be our existence for the rest of our lives.
CHAPTER 32: MORE ABOUT THE KEY
It was early evening,and chilly but clear. I sat on the porch, staring out at the woodland beyond Onna’s kitchen garden and fence. Thornhold leaned against one of the columns holding up the overhang. The sound of birdsong filled the air, echoing in the dusk.
After a moment, Thornhold said, “I think they’re right.”
“Right? About what?” I knew what he meant, but I wanted to hold on to hope for a little longer.
“Let’s face it. We’re stuck here,” he said. “Given what Casper said, thisisour reality.”
“Youreallythink they told everyone we’re dead?” That made me incredibly sad. Though Liesel’s outreach out to our families could circumvent that.
“I’m not sure, but I think they will, the longer this goes on. But we’re a massive fail for them, and the sooner they move on from it, the quicker the news will die down. They aren’t going to want this as a legacy. They can blame it on the hackers, not their own lack of adequate security measures.” Thornhold joined me, sitting beside me. “I have to admit, I miss my usual body. It’s not that I don’t like dwarves, but I liked my looks.”
“Yeah, it’s fun to roleplay, but in actuality…though I have to say, I like some of my abilities now.” I played with the key, tugging at it once again. “If I only hadn’t draped this over my head. I’d be a lot happier without the thought that a 15thLevel necromancer is going to be after me—if he isn’t already.”
“The sooner we deal with the key, the better. It’s nice to rest here, but we should push on tomorrow. We have a little over a week until we reach the Marshes, then if they’re as rough as they sound, we’re going to take between three to five days to cross those. Then the mountains and by then, the snows will be in.” Thornhold glanced at the sky. “Onna mentioned a village named Tyrnis. She said we should stop there for our winter supplies. It’s located right after we come out of the Cryptic Marshes. She also gave us the names of the employees who work there, so we should have a contact. And Casper knows where the Waypoint in the marshes is located, and he drew out a map for us.”
That perked me up a little. “I wonder that the employees all aren’t planning to come together in one place. It would make the best sense to create a village, given all the knowledge they have.”
“Chances are, a lot of them still believe that the game will be fixed,” Thornhold said. “Come on, let’s go inside. Casper said he’d look up all the info he can find about the key.” He stood and then held out his hand. I took it, and he helped me to my feet. “I wonder…if there are any gay Syms here. If not, and if we’re stuck, and if none of the employees are gay, I’m going to live a long life as a lonely dwarf,” he added wistfully.
“It will be okay,” I said, leaning down to give him a peck on the forehead. “Let’s not worry about things like that yet, okay?”
“Aye, you’re probably right,” he said, and we turned and left the darkness behind for the warmth of the cabin.
Casper motioned us over.Brynn had been helping Onna with the dishes, while Ray and Reggie had been mending a broken chair for Casper. We all joined them and settled around the big wooden table. Casper brought out a page of notes.
“All right, I did what research I could, given we’re trying to save as much of our power supplies as we can. I’m trying to imagine a way to create a charge for them before they run out. I’m thinking water power or wind power? Anyway, let’s get down to business.”
“So, what did you find out?” I asked. “Liesel was able to discover a few facts about the quest, but…”
“I know more about it because Onna and I actually played through it. Before we were employed, every NPC employee in the game was expected to play through several scenarios. Ours included the key incident. Now, we can’t guarantee it will be the same, given things have gone off the rails, but this should give you some forewarning as to what you’ll be up against.”
“First,” I asked, “can you explain who the queen of darkness is? Her name is Devastey. And Zaran is her lover?”
“In a nutshell, Devastey, according to canon game lore, was the older of two half-sisters. Rheyna is her younger sister. She’s half-Elfin, and the current queen of the Summer Kingdom. Originally, Devastey was the queen, but she was seduced by Zaran, and drawn into his schemes. He sought to gain the throne because the Summer Kingdom is rich in resources. Together, the pair set up a chokehold on their people. Rheyna was set to be executed, but a group of heroes managed to save her. The leader—Sinsara?—”
“Isn’t Sinsara an Elven goddess?” I interrupted.
“Now, yes. But at the very beginning of the game, she was the leader of a band of adventurers known as the Seven Stars. They rescued Rheyna, but in the process Sinsara was killed. She was deified by the Elven gods due to her heroism and her loyalty to Rheyna. In the battle against Devastey and Zaran, the priestess of the Summer Kingdom managed to lock Devastey into a bubble realm, and the key—the one you wear around your neck—was entrusted to her. But Zaran stole it, killing the priestess, and that’s how it came to be in the burial chamber you found.”
“So Devastey and Zaran were tyrants?” Brynn asked.
