Chapter 21: I’m Someone. You’re Someone.

We gathered outside Berem’s tent while Medett handled a lineup of confused and grumbly players. I watched Vish chase spastic moths as they flapped spirals around a glass lantern hung from the tent’s ridge pole.

DarkNeon performed a swift slight-of-hand, producing a small object. It looked similar to the Aurum Dente tooth.

The Spirit Mage raised an eyebrow. He asked if it was a “you, us, be.”

“So, back at Sootgrass,” said DarkNeon, “I snooped a little. Remember? Managed to identify our attacker.”

“Yes,” said Azwold. “Trojainous. Another Spirit Mage. I met him at Dreen.”

“Right, yeah. So I saw an opportunity in the tavern,” she said, nonchalant. “Pilfered some quest log data. Telemoon uses job manifests and itineraries. Stuff they wouldn’t want non-guildies to have. Here,” she passed the [Data] to Azwold.

“What’s this guy look like?” asked Berem. “My sister spoke with a pale looking guy with a skeleton pet sort of like yours the other day.”

“He’s ahead of you…” said DarkNeon.

“Maybe that’s why he tried to take us out?” said Azwold. “He’s already got the next Eld Bone and wants to pull the ladder up on us.”

“Someone tried to take you guys out?” said Relja. “I’m sorry. That sounds un-fun.”

“Hang on,” Berem gazed off, brick-colored eyes unfocusing. “No, he didn’t finish the quest.” Then he produced a circular bone pendant inlaid with gold. “Very few have.”

I felt my programmed hunger rise. A missing bone! I seethed in secret, allowing the mage to handle it. Concentrating on my willpower, I refrained from lunging to snatch it.

Berem cracked open a chest made of boiled leather and bone banding, sliding my [Eld Kneecap] inside. “I’m supposed to give you this. There’s some boots and gold in there, too. Congrats. Here you go.”

“Perfect,” said Azwold. “I’m just about to level. The stage after next is level 34+; need that XP.”

I glared at him, but he kept the chest closed. Forcing me to wait? A twinge of my former hatred for the mage quivered beneath my calm appearance.

“So…” said DarkNeon, “are you guys gonna make me ask?”

“Hmm?” Berem hummed.

“How are you an NPC? And not one at the same time?”

“AI upgrades,” he said.

“I’m still not believing it either,” said Relja, “and I’ve been hanging out with them half the day.”

“Not much else I can tell you,” Berem shrugged, raptor talon shoulders shrugging along.

“Well, it looks like everyone’s noticed game anomalies,” said Azwold. “If we leave things as-is, questions will weigh us down. So, let’s compare notes?”

“You can explain this weird quest?” asked Relja.

DarkNeon looked to Azwold, unsure. Keeping my nature a secret was vital to our mission, but present company may have seen too much to contain.

“Understanding the game anomalies has become part of our mission, yes,” said Azwold, “but I think the Eld may have a few ideas.”

“I do?” I said.

Relja gasped.

Berem’s cheeks flushed, “Oy, sister!” he called. “Come here!”

Medett made a flustery show for her lineup of adventurers, then hustled over.

“Don’t mind me!” she waved her hands. “Just the only one doing any work! No big deal.”

“I am a real spirit trapped inside the game,” I said. “As are you, unless my guess is mistaken.”

The siblings looked to one another, tense. Medett shook her head, but Berem nodded his.

“No,” he said to her. “You’re wrong this time.”

“Name the last time I was wrong about something important,” said Medett.

“Just a second ago when you shook your head,” said Berem.

“Bah! Insubordinate…and churlish.”

“We can’t keep this up.” he said. “Half the players figure out something’s off within minutes.”

“Y’all sucked the ghost right out of a goat, remember?” said Medett. “Negligent. Chupacabra-cadavra. Don’t get mad at me for protecting us.”

“Is it just me,” said DarkNeon, “or have you just confirmed everything and now have no reason to withhold a single tidbit?”

Berem ruminated, then said, “My sister and I died together…we think. It was an accident, we think. Don’t remember fully.”

“And we ‘reincarnated’ here, as these two characters,” said Medett. “There. Happy?”

“I am actually,” said Berem. “We’re not the only ones. That’s huge. I don’t like keeping big secrets anyway.”

“Well, you’ll keep on keeping it,” said Medett, “just not from these guys. We’re tied to the coding of the Medett and Berem NPCs. We’ve figured out little beyond that.”

“I’m limited to a general probability map of where the Berem character might go. Luckily, the game designated me a Ranger class. I have some roaming room.’”

“But I don’t,” said Medett. “I’m always in a hurry to get back to the Tang Tree Orchard. My code anchors me within the bounds of my quest-giver function. Mobility isn’t a priority for Root Mages, anyway. Always gardens to tend.”

“Fascinating,” I said. “And I, trapped in a player’s minion, have more freedom of movement to go where the Spirit Mage goes. But I have other limitations you lack.”

“How are we different?” asked Berem.

“Better question: how did we end up like this at all?” said Medett.

“That’s exactly what we’ve been investigating,” said Azwold. “The Eld here regains memories every time we find another one of his lost bones.”

“Aye,” I said. “And I hunger for them. They spell knowledge, and maybe a way out.”

“Honestly,” said Berem, “I kinda like being a video game character. It’s why we haven’t been super proactive in spilling the beans.”

“But being a quest hub is exhausting,” said Medett. “Staying busy suits me, but jabbering with thankless players tests my patience. I have my brother to help, but I don’t get much time to myself.”

“What do you guys know about Telemoon?” asked DarkNeon.

“Eww,” Relja made a face.

“You mentioned something about Animun earlier,” said Azwold, “but our evidence points squarely to the Telemoon guild as responsible. The tower we knocked down was siphoning Spirit Realm energy.”

“Whoever’s doing this needs to be stopped,” said Relja.

“You guys understand better than anyone why I don’t advertise the Eld’s strange nature,” said Azwold. “But we’re up against a behemoth here. I could use some allies.”

“Like I said, we can’t leave the Mesa,” said Medett. “Or, I can’t. Berem can wander further afield.”

“But not by much,” said Berem, gazing far off where the river bent the canyon walls. “Not compared to the size of this place.”

“Can I come?” asked Relja.

“Heck yes!” said DarkNeon.

“Hey now, are you party leader?” said Azwold.

“Wanna duel for it?” said DarkNeon, holding a hand up.

Relja hi-fived her instinctively.

“Two to one,” said DarkNeon. “Game. Blouses.”

Relja grinned.

“It’s just…” Azwold hesitated. “We’re dealing with real human spirits, here. And we don’t know exactly what Telemoon is doing. We don’t know how they’ve twisted the code or why they’re even screwing with spirit stuff.”

“Well when you put it that way…” said Relja, “it makes me want to come with even more. They’re screwing up Realms of Lore. Someone needs to do something.”

“I’m someone. You’re someone,” said DarkNeon. “You don’t have to be some kinda lone wolf, Azzy. Most players I know think Telemoon sucks.”

“Okay, alright,” said Azwold, putting up his hands. “I’m not gonna make you sign a waiver or anything. So long as you acknowledge that we’re heading into uncharted waters with this. If they can trap spirits in NPCs, they might learn to tweak the game mechanics of life and death further. Real danger...”

“Buyer beware,” said DarkNeon. “Got it. But that guild isn’t just messing with the game. Like you said. They’re reprogramming the brains of real people, too. Their culty garbage is leaking out into the world.”

A distant screech pierced our palaver. I turned, expecting the noise to have come from an adventurer’s mount. No, their mounts were cowed and stampy. I gazed up and saw a silhouetted, winged mount, clinging with claws to a river bend ridge. I saw the dull glint of its rider’s scythe against the early sun.

“Trojainous,” said Azwold peering with binoculars. “There’s something familiar about that guy.”

“Aye,” I said, “you spoke at Dreen.”

“No, I thought so then, too.”

“He might be close enough,” said Berem. “We could engage him in combat.” He picked up a stone and pinched it into a slingshot, then made a series of sibilant clicks to Vish.

Azwold was transfixed on the figure on the ridge. “He talked kinda like Ralos, actually. I didn’t think much of it, but now… I hadn’t seen him before Dreen.”

“How could he have leveled all the way to 30?” said DarkNeon, “…without any of us seeing him running around somewhere? No way.”

“Can I see the binoculars?” said Relja. Azwold handed them to her. “Yeah, nope. Never seen him.”

“Ralos vanishes, and this guy appears is what I’m saying,” said Azwold.

“You think Trojainous is a secret alt?” said DarkNeon.

“Might be,” said Azwold. “And I just remembered I added him to my friends list. I wonder if that’s how he’s tracking us.”

“Don’t you have to be partied to locate people on maps?” asked Relja.

“Usually,” said Azwold, “but if that is Ralos in there…well let’s hope it’s not. Telemoon wouldn’t limit themselves. They’d hack any game function for advantages. I’m un-friending him either way.”

He took out his tablet and did so.

The distant Shadow Dactyl howled again, beating its wings, then turned to leap from the ridge and into the sky.

“Oh,” I said. “He appears to have valued your friendship. Pity.”

“Or my brother shot them,” said Medett, pointing.

“Good riddance either way, right?” said DarkNeon.

Something the mage had said struck me. “How are Ralos and Telemoon connected?” I asked.

“They’re not,” he said. “I hope.”

“Who’s Ralos anyway?” said Relja.

“An old friend,” said Azwold. “He helped me summon the Eld.”

“Missed him,” said Berem, rejoining us.

I had learned to tell when the mage was being avoidant.

“What does Ralos have to do with Telemoon,” I reiterated.

“You weren’t partying with Telemoon guys were you?” asked DarkNeon.

“No,” said Azwold, eyes closed. “Not in a long time, anyway.”

“Say what now?” said DarkNeon.

“Alright listen. Please don’t judge,” he paused. “Ralos and I were in Telemoon back in the day. There. Now you know.”

I felt shock, confusion, disappointment, all rippling through my vineworks. “Explain,” I growled.

“I had a knack for Gadget Craft,” he said. “I wanted to collaborate with other gear heads. I knew they were weird, but I had no idea the extent.”

“What does this mean?” asked Berem.

“Means Azwold’s partly to blame for this mess,” Medett cracked her knuckles.

“Now hang on,” Azwold put his hands up. “I’m still explaining.”

“Listening,” Relja hummed.

“I was in the guild all of two weeks, okay?” said Azwold. “The novelty wore off real quick. I didn’t even make it through their initiation phase. Ralos did, but I convinced him to leave with me. Almost got a few others to leave, too. Almost.”

“They just let you leave?” said DarkNeon.

“They didn’t stop me,” he said. “Weren’t happy about it, but I’m not worried about making cultists happy.”

“You really think they’re that bad?” said Relja.

“Yes,” he said.

“Good,” Relja crossed her arms. “Me too.”

“And if Ralos is in league with them?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “And I don’t want to think about it.”

“Ok, well, they’re definitely a cult,” said DarkNeon. “My old friends are unreachable.” She was quiet a moment, then said, “It’s getting late; thoughts to think. Need to sleep on it.”

She yawned, eyes downcast, then vanished in a bubbly lens flare of canary light.

[DarkNeon has logged off]

“Can we stay grouped?” said Relja. “I should get some zzzs too. Don’t boot us from party, ok?”

“I won’t,” said Azwold. “And thank you. Did she seem upset?”

“I think so, yeah. And no problem,” she said. “I’m glad you left by the way. I hope that guy’s not your friend’s alt.”

She whistled Fizzu to her, then departed.

“Your Gadget Crafting has always been strange to me,” I said. “I imagined you used your tools to bend game rules. But you were bending them like the bad guys. Is the Gremlin Telemoon technology, too?”

“I’m different,” said Azwold.

I scoffed.

“Remember, the greater good?” he said. “Keeping and/or restoring the Balance?”

“Ahem,” said Medett.

“So,” said Berem, “you gonna open that box?”