First Death:

Gasping in a breath of fresh air, I cried out as my chest constricted in anticipated pain. My body seemed surprised as painless oxygen filled my lungs. Practically falling out of the capsule, I dragged myself from the liquid like foam while spots of black and white seemed to cling to my sight even as I recalled the intensity of that fight I had been in. “Wow! That was too real!” Reaching over to feel at my chest, I could have sworn I still had the sucking chest wound from when the sword that stabbed me there, were it not for the fact that I had unbroken skin. The arrow strike at the end had little residual impact since it was a near instantaneous severing of my spinal cord and disabling of all sensations below the neck. But the sucking chest wound had left a deep psychic impression that I’m sure would take a while to fade completely away. Even now several breaths later I felt a little twinge of expectant pain each time I inhaled.

The 100% realism factor certainly was painful, but thankfully this wasn’t the end. Still though, with my death, I had a whole 2 days real time and 6 days in game time that I was penalized to stay out of that world. I worried for Azure, but I had to trust that she would be safe after all the survival training that we went through.

I hadn’t really planned for this length of time that I’d be reality bound, but now I felt it might be a good thing. There was a lot of stuff that I had been putting off and really needed to catch up on. Going about my normal routine, I did my stretches, ate a small snack, made an early visit to the gym for a two hour swim this time, and then came back home.

Checking up on my e-mail and phone messages I found little to interest me in terms of e-mail. I did however have a phone message from my parents saying to call them since they had something to thank me for. Seeing as had little else to do, I dialed them up even as curiosity ate at me.

The phone gave a couple of rings before I heard someone picking up the other side. “Scott!” The voice was obviously feminine and betrayed the excitement that she felt in hearing from me. In that moment, I suffered a large sense of guilt for how much I had been neglecting my brotherly responsibilities. Even though I had moved out of the house, my little sister Kaitlin still tried to keep in contact with me for the first year that I was gone. Since then we had slowly talked less and less until we had only talked for birthdays and holidays.

She had turned 12 years old at her last birthday in April and I missed talking to her. I had never met anyone else before that had such a thrill and hunger to experience life. Activities that most others would find too dangerous for a young girl were what she excelled at. Many times I was taken to some new obstacle course that required an adult’s participation for her to be there as well. Admittedly I did enjoy several of the larger obstacles such as rope swing arrays lain out over a muddy bog, rock climbing walls, dodging moving tires, and a few other things. What killed me the most, were the long distances that we had to run to get to each obstacle. Kaitlin however seemed to enjoy it all.

“. . . Mom, Dad, and I haven’t heard from you for a while. We just recently got a message and a huge thank you gift from Millennial Enterprises saying that it was in commemoration of a job well done for them. What did you do?” She asked me.

Needless to say, I was perplexed. ‘Millennial Enterprises sent my family a gift for something I did? What did I do and what did they send them?’ I thought to myself. “Can you read the message to me that they sent to you?” I asked my sister.

“Sure give me just a second and I’ll be right back. . . . . . . . .” She replied. After a few moments in which I could hear the sounds of someone shuffling through some paper she spoke up again. “To the family of Scott Anderson. . . In appreciation for the work and research that he has performed for our company, going above and beyond the norm by exercising sound moral and ethical judgement, we would like to gift you with the latest model of our compact AI technology in the form of this new computer. If you have any further questions for us in regards to this matter then please call us at . . .” She paused as if skimming it. “There’s nothing more that it says about what you did. However Mom and Dad are just as curious. What did you do for them?”

“Um . . . .” I had been wracking my brain trying to discover what it was that could be considered to be a moral and ethical judgement and I could only think of when I bound those creeps and dragged them to the White room with the shadowed man. It had to be that. As far as giving the whole story, that was out of the question. Without further thought I just opened my mouth and heard myself speak a truncated and edited version.

“I’ve been involved in some technological research that deals with interacting with others in virtual reality settings. An incident occurred in which I found myself at odds with a group of guys that did some reprehensible things. I’m probably only allowed to tell you that the situation was resolved with my help and that must be what they are talking about.” Hopefully she didn’t ask for more since I didn’t want to tell her the details to something that I felt she wasn’t ready to learn about.

“Awwwwwe, the first cool thing that I’ve heard about you in more than 2 years and all you do is evade the question?” Her question was mostly in jest, but I did sense more than a little hurt in her voice. *sigh* “Um let me think . . .” I said. What could I tell her? She was more than old enough to know about life and some of the terrible things that happen and so telling her a little more shouldn’t be bad for her.

“Alright, . . . I’ll tell you. . . .” I said giving a little pause to increase the suspe . . “Scott!” She cried out in anticipation. *chuckle* “Okay okay,” I replied before continuing. “I had met a young woman online and when we were exploring together, a group of guys had found us. After a short fight, more of a beat down, they had overpowering me and had ganged up on the young woman to force her against her will. . .” I didn’t mean to give a pause at that point, but the memory of my helplessness was not an easy one to remember. I heard an intake of breath on the other side of the line. Forcing myself to continue for my sister’s sake, I spoke again. “Thankfully, despite my inability to do anything, a scouting patrol had come along to stop those guys before they could do more than knock her to the ground. After that, they had been run off and were not to be seen for a while.”

“Wait, what?” She blurted out. “What happened next?!” I rolled my eyes in bemusement at her desire to know everything. Avoiding what had happened directly after the incident I went on to tell her what had happened when we found them again. “It wasn’t till a few months later, in Game time that we came across them again. We found them nearby a holy city where they had apparently been robbing traveling merchants. By then, both Lynette and I had grown much stronger.” *Haha* I paused in recollection of the look on the robbers face when he was confronted by Lynette and her bladed Lariat. “Grrrrrrrr Scott?!.” Let’s just say that patience is not the strongest attribute of my sister.

“Yes, yes, after I had bound one of them into silence with stone and then confronted the rest, I broke 2 of their bow strings with heat manipulation. And then after dispatching those two with some help, I took on the leader. He happened to be pretty decent with the sword. But after super heating the grip, he flung it away. Anyways, I finally knocked him unconscious. Afterwards I overheard lots of cursing and this weird high pitched whistle tone on the air. Lynette was totally handling herself against a robber that I had missed noticing earlier. Her twirling and gyrating bladed lariat was tearing at the helpless guy. Although he had a sword as well, it had long since been ripped from his grasp and was laying on the ground a short distance from him. It was the most he could do to try and block her blows with the guarding gauntlets on his arms.” I paused in the telling for the moment, then continued. “Let’s just say, that I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that lariat in her hands with just the use of my martial arts. After she knocked him out with the combined use of her weapon and dark spells, we tied them all up together and called one of the administrators to let them know what happened. And that’s the end.”

Silence met the end of my story on her side of the line. The Kaitlin finally broke the silence. “I’m really proud of you Scott, so when can I meet your girlfriend Lynette?” My eyes widened a little at that thought and needless to say, I was a little tongue tied at her inquiry. “Um, I. . . I don’t know. She uh. . . she had to leave the virtual reality for a few days to take care of some things in Real Life. I honestly don’t know when I’ll be in contact with her again.”

“Humph, well, I will only forgive you for your neglect in keeping in contact with me if you let me meet her.” Her bold declaration left me a little lost for words. *Heh eheh* I thought in weary silence. ‘This dear sister of mine is trouble’. My slowly congealing thoughts were interrupted by her once again. “Okay, I’ll make a deal. You need to set up a time to let us meet before the end of the first week of next semester schooling for you.” She paused dramatically for a moment. “You don’t want to know what will happen if you fail your side of deal do you?” *gulp* No I did not what to know. Though beyond just hurting her feelings I wasn’t afraid of what she could do. I was upset with myself for being such a bad brother. My sister had just given me an opportunity to make it up to her. *sigh*

Now I just had to find Lynette whenever she happened to return, find out if she even had feelings for me, learn how far she lives from here in Real Life and find a practical way of getting her here, and then even if that all worked out, see if she wanted to be my girlfriend. ‘This was most definitely not a tall order’ I thought both wearily and sarcastically.

“I will do my best. But I will need that time you gave me.” I replied. Her smile could be felt even over the non-video call. “Things may have changed by that time and she may not want to be with me anymore.” I said. “Hah, Then find someone else! But the deadline still stands.” Oye! My sister is crazy. “Okay, Okay, well I have to go for now okay?” I practically cried out into the receiver. *Click*

I could almost feel her mirth at my discomfort as I held the dead phone in my hand. I’m sure that sisters the world over made their brothers feel like mine did. Frustrated, bemused, and still wanting to not disappoint them. *sigh* Alright, well back to checking up on whatever else there was to do.

There honestly wasn’t a whole lot to do, and I really was looking forward to a full night’s sleep in my own bed. Although the capsule did get rid of the need for sleep (for the most part), when you strive to sleep on a medieval type bed, then your psyche does suffer a little.

Tossing and turning that night in bed, it seemed difficult to actually sleep in the more comfortable sheets and softer padding. Apparently I had grown too used to the more antiquated accommodations within the game. I worried for Azure, for Lynette, but I also had several flashes of painful recollection of that last fight. What bothered me most, more than all of that combined, were the memories and personality I had gained for a brief moment from that Holy Stone. I couldn’t recall the name of the individual that invaded my identity, but I could remember the fervor that he felt, steeped within the belief of his god’s divinity. I shuddered in recollection of that fevered memory.

Never again. I swore never again to risk myself in such a way where I could lose my identity and very soul. I feared what might have happened if I had not been able to cast off that hazy dream. Would I have ever remembered who I was even if I logged out? Thinking about it, I wondered if I should even continue the game. I honestly had more than enough money to continue for 4 years of college living. At that point, I was certain that I could find a decent paying job. Also I don’t think Millennial Enterprises would fault me my reason for not entering the game.

All of this ran through my mind as I sought to make excuses. But every time, images of my adventures and moments with friends, both real and virtual, made up my mind for me. Not to mention that this was still the only virtual reality that recognized my inner feelings. For now, I would continue, and I would see what this new world had to offer, despite the risks. With that thought, my body relaxed, my mind stopped rushing about, and I fell into a blissful sleep.

*

The very next morning I knew exactly what I needed to do. It was long overdue that I discover what others had learned about this new virtual reality. After a single search I was led directly to a website exclusively dedicated to Millennial Enterprises Virtual Reality.

So many topics were listed. Weapon descriptions, rants, Magic, . . . I clicked on the magic option and in front of me I saw 7 Stones of differing colors. There were Water, Earth, Wind, Fire, Lightening, Dark, and Holy. Clicking on each of them I was happily surprised to find information on the majority of them. Oddly enough there was not a true description for Holy. Each of them had a description of what to expect when assimilating the stones.

In bold letters It gave in introductory warning.

Successful assimilation of all the stones upon consumption is dependent upon remaining logged in for the duration of the trial. All those who logged out to escape the pain or experience for even a moment have been forever blocked from being able to assimilate that element again.

‘Wow, I really lucked out with my Soul Manipulation seeing as I just had to keep working at exposure till I gained the ability to manipulate the elements.’

Water: The traveler’s body undergoes a sense of disorientation resulting in vertigo, loss of muscle tone, and quite often vomiting. Travelers who proclaimed to have made successful assimilations spoke of entering a state of meditation or extreme concentration to regain control of their senses. It spoke of the effects lasting anywhere from 1 hour to almost a full day. It was highly suggested that the stone not be assimilated in an unsafe place.

‘Hah! Go figure’ I thought.

Earth: Upon consumption, . . .

There was no need for me to look up those records seeing as I already had an intimate encounter with the Earth Stone. However it was deeply gratifying to see the complaints of those Travelers in the comments section that had the same ill results that came with the stone.

Wind: The integrity of your skin is greatly reduced for a period of time. The slightest touch of any material, including clothing causes excruciating pain. It is as if all of your nerves on your skin have been exposed to the elements where even the slightest touch of wind is painful. It is suggested that you perform the consumption indoors in a private locked room stark naked. If the use of antigravity is available, take it.

‘Wow!’ I thought to myself. ‘Who would have thought that it would be that troublesome?’ Granted, my way of gaining the element took me through trouble at about the same level, except I got practically frozen to death and then almost died from impact in the process.

Fire: Be prepared for searing pain as your body is assaulted by severe first and second degree burns. Be prepared to have lots of burn heal salve on hand. The effectiveness of magical healing is greatly reduced for these wounds.

Lightening: The Traveler will lose all control of their body as it begins to spasm, much like a seizure. Close proximity to random objects may result in their destruction and/or your own broken limbs due to uncontrolled thrashing about. It is suggested that you lay on a large padded mattress with no nearby objects. Travelers with successful assimilations have explained that they had to mentally control and shunt that abundant energy while dealing with painful shocks to the body until it is fully assimilated.

‘Yup that sounds about right in regards to what I did, except I had more pain and less shaking, lucky them’ I thought.

Dark: Imagine your worst life experiences, nightmares, and fears. Then bind them all into one experience and that is what it is like to consume a Dark Stone. This is all the information we have as the few Travelers that have assimilated this stone do not wish to describe further what they went through.

‘Ouch, so that is what Lynette had to experience. From her demeanor I realized that she already experienced some terrible things in life, but to have to recall those memories together and all at once must have been truly awful.’

Holy: Normally reserved for religious followers, no traveler as of yet has come forward to explain the process of assimilation.

“Oh! Well I can tell them what it is like, ugh.” I said aloud as I pulled up a link to give a report on it.

I figured that the auditors could edit that down or add it just as it was if they felt like it. In any case, I felt that the travelers really did need to be warned of something so dangerous.

As soon as I hit send, I saw that it was posted to the page as is. ‘Wow!’ Soon after I watched as comment after comment was made on my post.

There was a link attached to his comment and I curiously clicked on it.

A very eye catching heading popped into view

Millennial Enterprises Neuters? its Players

5 anonymous players of the recent game that Millennial Enterprises had released have come forward with claims that they were raped in the game and once they finally were allowed to log out after much effort they claimed that they have been rendered impotent. They are seeking reparations from the mega billion dollar company. . .

(I had a nagging feeling that I knew exactly who those 5 players were. But I continued reading just to see if there would be a hint given)

. . . They claimed to have been attacked at their campsite by a rogue traveler who then somehow transported them to a white room after tying them up. Once in the white room, another individual teleported them to various places in the game where they were sexually assaulted by various monsters. They are accusing the game developers of removing the log out button, immoral conduct, and psychological damages that have negatively impacted their sex drive.

In our attempt to gain confirmation of these accusations, we have conferred with previous women that they claimed to have had relationships with in Real Life. Few were willing to come forward, but those which did give a statement all agreed on one thing, that their boyfriends always were unable to “get it up” as they would say. With this new information we wonder how the lawsuit that they are filing against Millennial Enterprises will fare. Without video confirmation from within the Game, there is little that can be done to support their claims.

“Hahaha, serves them right!” I cried allowed after reading the news report. I really did wonder if the guys really had been impotent before they played the game. Did their Ex- girlfriends lie about their ability to get an erecting in order to get some payback? I smiled gleefully at that thought. Payback really is a bitch.

After a little more searching, I found very little other information about this new world that would be helpful to me. I guess the players needed more time to find more and report on their findings.

. . . . . . “Damn it all.” I screamed out as I looked at the clock. I still had about 6 hours before I could log back in. It was a little before midnight and I had to chuckle to myself depreciatingly as I realized how ridiculous this situation was. After so much time disdaining the world of Virtual Reality and now I was desperate to get back. Strangely though, this was the only game that really had me begging for more. There was just something vastly different about it. The characters seemed too real and the experiences were wholesomely fulfilling in many ways as well as Hella scary.

Deciding on prepping for the game, I ran off to the gym for a 2 hour swim. Thank goodness they stayed open till 3 am on weekday nights. After soaking in the hot tub for about 10 blissful minutes to loosen up my muscles, I reluctantly left the massage like heated jet streams and stepped out into the still air of the completely vacant pool area. After carefully making sure no one was watching from the adjoining windows of the rest of the exercise facility, I dove into the shallow chill water. I knew that the staff frowned upon diving in since it was no more than 5 feet deep at the most, but I’d rather get the temperature change done and over with. Goosebumps formed up and down my arms and legs at the sudden shock.

Finally after acclimatizing myself to the chill water which didn’t in any way compare to the cold water from my little Niagara Falls offshoot waterfall, I set out on the first lap starting off with a freestyle stroke. Memories of my time in Niagara City rose up in my mind as I continued my repetitive stroking through the water, touching each side before turning around to go the other direction. I hoped and believed that I would return to the City. Since this was my first time dying, I had lots of worries. But most of my thoughts were on Azure whom I had left stranded in the middle of a snow storm.

Forcing myself to thrust through the water at a steady and strong pace, the time seemed to float steadily by till I looked up and saw the clock on the wall. It said 2:47 am. ‘Damn, I was cutting it close’ I thought. Pushing myself up and out of the water at the edge of the pool I mentally went back over the numbers that I kept in my head in a sort of mantra as I did lap after lap. Eyes widening at the realization I just discovered that I had swam over 4.5 miles. There was definitely an improvement in what I could do when I pushed myself.

Even the nausea and craping that I normally felt at this point of exertion was all but absent. A fragment of a thought sparked in my mind, but I brushed it aside as impossible before it even had a chance to fully form. There was too much to look forward to, without even wasting time on trivial thoughts.

Back in my apartment, I changed into a pair of sweat pants and began my full routine of stretching. I was sooo close to completing doing the splits. Just another 2 inches of unbearable agony separated me from the ground. As far as touching my toes with legs extended, I had already gotten to the point that I could reach another 3 inches beyond the heels of my feet. Stretching had become somewhat of a drug for me. Like an itch that just couldn’t be scratched any other way but by increasing the number of times I did my routine. I wasn’t sure it was wise to do them directly after swimming, particularly since I could feel small pin pricks on my back as my chlorinated pores screamed in protest at the extended abuse of my skin. First I drew a lot of the oils out of my skin by long emersion in chlorinated water, and then I stretched my skin in ways that it hadn’t been used to for very long. I really should look into using some kind of lotion after swimming. Still though, even the stinging sensation began to feel good, like a gentle scratching of the back. If I wasn’t careful, I’d soon be finding myself grinding my back side against the little furniture in my apartment just like Azure might do if she were here.

After a refreshing and cleansing shower, I felt ready to take on the world again, or in truth the other world again. My excitement was difficult to contain as I watched the clock tick down to 5:18 am. 2 more minutes and I could log back in. Not wasting any more time, I stripped down and lay in the cooling and comforting gel of the capsule. The aches of my body seemed to find great comfort in that as I pulled the lid down, enclosing myself in darkness.

* * * * *

Upon waking from the darkness, I could sense and somewhat see the diffuse light of early evening as it penetrated into my closed eyes. As I sought to move about, I realized two things. First was my body was extremely stiff as if with disuse, and the second was I was completely free from all aches. I don’t mean aches from outside of the game. I was free from aches that carried over from day to day within the game itself. No sore muscles, residual discomfort, anything. The only discomfort that I could be said to have, was that my body wasn’t responding the way it did when I left. It was more like how I felt when I first arrived with my avatar in this world. Sort of like wearing a skin that is shaped mostly like you, but that still feels a little foreign. Although most of this thinking happened in just a matter of a couple of seconds, once I finally opened my eyes, I took in the familiar surroundings of the room Victoria said was mine to use.

Staring at the mostly bare walls and shelving that I recalled from my nightmarish training when she had several scented jars laid out for me, it took me a moment to realize that not all was the same in the room. My naginata was laying in the corner where it normally had rested and my pack was on one of the shelves. What seemed off about the situation were the piles of items that looked like junk laying strewn about the room. “What the Hell?” I muttered under my breath. Swinging up out of the bed I quickly regained familiarity with my body as my movements and recollections returned. Moving to investigate several of the random pieces of “junk” I realized that all of it was the accumulated treasure trove of items I found in the cave of stolen loot. Somehow the system counted my interest in those items as more than passing interest. It counted them as property since no one else had laid claim since I had.

Damn, this skill could prove invaluable in moving mass quantities of items to a safe place, with the sacrifice of 6 days in game. Go to a dungeon, kill all its inhabitants, gather all their valuables, and then suicide. I didn’t like that last part of the plan particularly since is just felt unclean to do it that way. Maybe I could go out and die honorably while killing off a bunch of monsters or bandits. Only problem was that I couldn’t be sure of killing them all before dying and disappearing myself. Oh well, just a thought. Maybe if the treasure was big enough, then any moral qualms I had in regards to killing myself would be a moot point. I’ll have to see if the time ever comes where I am tempted enough to do so.

Throughout this thought process I heard voices in the store front right outside my room. It sounded like Victoria was helping out a customer. Finally after doing more stretching exercises, I felt back to normal and went to go say hi.

“Victoria.” I called out from behind her. She jumped in surprise at my presence. I couldn’t help but laugh wondering why she didn’t sense me before. I could see the customer’s expression as they were facing me while Victoria’s back was to me. The customer’s eyes could be seen to widen and they then just dropped a handful of money on the counter, grabbed their merchandise, and dashed out of the store.

Silence ruled the store for a second as Victoria seemed to refuse to turn around. Then slowly she turned and then raising a hand to slap me, instead she enveloped me in a hug. “Jade! You had us so worried when Azure returned without you.” I could almost hear her getting choked up. The she pushed me a way even as she held her hands on my shoulders, keeping me in her steely grip at arm’s length. “You need to get to the cave immediately!” She practically cried out in sudden realization. “Your Tiger has been making herself sick with worry for you!”

Not taking no for an answer, not like I would have said no seeing as I wanted nothing more than to be reunited with my friend, I was about to grab my bag and head out, when Victoria just grabbed my arm, and together we were engulfed in a flash of white light. Stumbling to catch myself on a stone wall, I knew we had just been teleported to the cave entrance. “Go to the waterfall right now.” Victoria said as she pushed me off in the right direction down the stone corridor.

With a passing glance around me even as I ran off, I saw Monroe playfully sparring with Daenerys in the large sandy play/sparring area. I only had time to see Monroe get knocked down by a drake almost twice the size that it had been when I left. Not having the time to fully see his expression of surprise, I continued to run to the falls.

Once there, with the chill wind tugging at me in the little crevice by the crashing falls, my sight was slightly obscured as the steam from the hot tub. Gazing at the smaller ice filled waterfall, I saw Azure crouching there beneath the frigid waters. Her wet fur plastered against her body and spread out beneath her even as pure determination kept her under that literally freezing water.

Small chunks of ice seemed to come down from the top of the falls which with razor edges seemed to cut at her body at rare intervals. But it was enough that, I could see occasional tinges of blood spurt out as wounds were torn open before being frozen closed by the vessel constricting water.

“Azure!” I cried out. Her ears seemed to flicker just a little at my words that rose above the sound of the falls. “Azure!” I cried out again as I ran to her, planning to pull her forcefully from the falls if need be. Just as I was about to make contact with her, she opened her eyes staring menacingly at me. Falling back a step, I watched as she dragged herself from the falls. Joy did not fill her eyes as she stared at me. Anger filled her expression and her ears tilted back flat against her head as she growled.

“Azure, it’s me, Jade your friend. Don’t you remember me?” As I said that, her growl increased in pitch as even her skin and fur began to darken in anger. “Yeah, I can understand that you’d be pissed since I left you, but not this much. What is wrong?” Fury and rage rolled off of her aimed directly at me. Looking down at her claws I could see they were fully extended and ready to tear me apart.

Shivering with more than cold as I stared at the slowly approaching, (dare I say monster?) I finally closed my eyes no matter the fate that befell me. Reaching outward and inward to embrace the warmth and chill of my soul, I did what I could to infuse that swirling maelstrom of emotion with a sense of apology and forgiveness even as I sent it towards my would-be killer.

. . . . Seconds ticked by as I awaited my demise, still at a loss as to what I had done to earn this much hate from her. Then while still pouring out my soul, I opened my eyes to stare at the white tiger who stood a mere hands breadth away from me. Her ears now twitched back and forth while the darkness of her fur and skin seemed to slowly recede even as her blue eyes caught my own gaze. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes as I looked at her. “Don’t you remember me, my friend . . . .?”

I felt distraught and lost at the realization of what she must have gone through. Then without warning she lunged at me. Slamming into me, her cold wet body barreled me over, and then she lay on top of me resting her head on my shoulder.

As I lay there, I felt feedback from the soul energy I was pouring into her. Memories that were not mine, filled my head. First I felt an agonizing sorrow that tore at my insides. Then the ache of loss mingled with hope. A time that seemed to last for a day or so seemed to pass in which she made quick work of the distance between the City of Broan and the City of the Falls. Exhaustion slammed into her as she made her way to the Cave complex. But then doubt began to fill the ache in her heart.

I had no way of knowing that she had no concept of time. She must have been torn between seeing me die, but still having a sense to return home, hoping for my return. The first day back, she was met by a concerned Monroe and Victoria as they took care of young Daenerys. Not fully understanding what they were saying, she mourned my loss.

Then after the next day of no sign of my return, she became defiant. Never again would she allow herself to be too weak, just like her mother had been, just like she had been. . . . Forcing herself to crawl beneath the falls, braving the onslaught of frigid water even as it slowly killed her. Taking breaks only to thaw out her frozen appendages and to eat a few wandering slimes, she would then return to strengthening herself. In the process she got sick and had begun to have delusions. In her weary sick state of mind, she saw countless images of me returning during which she would excitedly stumble out of the falls to greet in relief.

Every single one of those times, her delusions were proven to be false. Eventually, she began to hate the false hope that they offered to her fevered mind. That then was the result of her hating me when I returned, for she could not stand the mockery of my death as visions of my life came to haunt her. Only when she had for the first time since returning, felt the presence of my soul, realize that I was more than a dream or nightmare. . . . I was Real.

Knowing her hurts as fully as I did now, I changed the efforts of my soul energy to instead of communicating, to healing. The effort was slow going as there was much damage. Frostbite, deep-set illness, and hunger, clawed at her insides. I internalized her pain as she lay on me with weary relief. Soon, I passed out from the exertion as my trickle healing did its job of fixing my companion.

*

I woke up to the presence of a fire that burned gently a few feet away from me. Azure was cuddled up next to me and Monroe was sitting a short distance away calmly petting his snoozing drake. “It seems you are finally up?” He said, noticing my eyes on him. “You both gave us quite a scare with your actions yesterday.” I began to get myself up to a sitting position even as Monroe seemed to disappear from where he was and appear right at my side. Holding me down gently with his hand, he encouraged me to wait. Not one to argue against such sound logic, I relaxed once again amidst the warmth of the many fur quilts that lay about Azure and I. Too soon it seemed the darkness of sleep enveloped me once again.

*

The next time I awoke I had a gnawing hunger that threatened to eat its way out of my stomach. A thick soup was instantly shoved in front of my face as Victoria now seemed to be sitting watch over us. Azure was in the middle of eating from a bowl of milk and meat chunks within it. The taste and feeling of the soup going down my throat was incredible. As soon as I finished the first bowl Victoria traded me my empty bowl for another full one. Finally after 3 bowls she stopped giving me soup even as my body cried out for more. Azure had finally finished her bowl as well and together we crept back to the blankets.

As I was slower to fall asleep this time around, my thoughts ranged over what had happened. It was my guess that I somehow had overreached myself in my attempt to heal Azure. Being surrounded by the cold and forcing out healing energy that I couldn’t spare beyond a certain point must have landed us together in this spot of being in dire straits. It was thanks only to the help and support of Victoria and Monroe that allowed the two of us to continue living. With that thought I fell asleep knowing that I would continue to be well taken care of.

The next time I awoke, it was to seeing someone new. Long hair and a dark silhouette could be made out by the dying firelight. Even as I watched this new person gathered some more wood from a pile beside the fire. Soon enough I could see from the increased firelight. Black hair and fair skin met my gaze, as well as calm but worried eyes. Lynette was here now.

“Hey . . .” I cried out from my unused voice. “Hey to you too.” She replied somewhat sadly. A melancholy smile graced her lips as she watched me struggle as I got up from my laying down position. “Are you feeling strong enough to get around finally?” She asked me.

Looking doubtfully at my weak legs, I chose not to voice my opinion of whether or not I was strong enough. Instead I placed all my focus on getting my shaking legs to remain firmly beneath myself. Finally after what felt like minutes, I was standing with only the support of a nearby chair that I had seen Victoria and Monroe sitting in while watching over us. With my accomplishment, I saw a truer and more broad smile break out across Lynette’s face.

“It seems you are doing much better.” A voice called out from the stone corridor that lead to the entrance of the cave complex. Monroe was accompanied by Victoria as they both seemed to be carrying bundles of what looked like food and other necessities. “I don’t know if you’ve realized, but your antics at the City of Broan and sudden appearance in the apothecary shop has caused quite the stir in our city.” My eyes scrunched up at his proclamation and suddenly I felt ill at the trouble that my actions had caused them.

Seeing my expression, Monroe gave a rueful laugh. “Jade, this isn’t even close to the worst that either of us has dealt with before. Just give us the details of what happened and we’ll call it even. Deal?” I gave a halfhearted chuckle at his request and tiredly nodded my head. Victoria then came over and gently eased my hand from grasping the chair, even as she helped me to lay back down into the bed. “Before we do any more talking, you need more rest.” She said, with a tone that brooked no argument.

Nodding my acquiescence I promptly lay back down and rested. . . .

*

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*

This became the routine for the next three days as together Azure and I regained our strength. I honestly couldn’t believe that so soon after being reborn I could have been struck so hard with a debilitating malady and weakness.

Finally on the morning of the 5th day of sleeping in the cave, I felt almost like my old self. I had been forcing myself to walk longer and longer distances as I wandered around the confines of the cave. At times there was even some entertainment in the form of Monroe playfully sparring with Daenerys. It was exciting to watch them tumble around in the heated sand. Even Azure had begun to playfully dart around the edges as if at any moment you’d expect her to dash into the mix of tackling limbs and beating wings.

It was also kind of lonely at times as Azure would go play with the Drake by the hot tub and the Fire slimes. Monroe had cautioned me to stay out of sight, so that they could maintain the illusion that I had already long since departed. Apparently, the Religious Order of Broan held more weight in the City of the Falls than Monroe would have liked to admit. ‘Perhaps it was due to the semi close proximity?’ I thought to myself.

It was finally that evening that Monroe and Victoria arrived with Lynette along with all my original gear in tow. In addition to that, I was handed a bag full of several gold and silver coins that Victoria had managed to secretly haggle for my other findings. Other than that, she had updated my apothecary book to include the herbs that I didn’t know the identity of from the stolen caravans.

Together again we had one last dinner together in the confines of the cave. At the makeshift table, Monroe finally begged me to tell the story of what had happened.

Recounting the entire experience so that Lynette would know the entirety of my stupidity

I told them most of what happened. Glossing over the details of coming across the outlaw camp and skipping the deal I worked out with the administrator, I went right to describing my experience with the mind altering Holy Stone.

I could see both Victoria and Monroe wincing in anticipation of what would follow. So of course I told them of the dreamlike and delusional state I was in, until Azure had somehow snapped me out of it. I explained how they accused me of being a criminal when I refused to give Azure up to the Bishop as his new pet. Being chased to the edge of the city and only to succeed in getting away due to a stroke of luck had all three listeners on the edges of their seat.

By the time I mentioned going back, I could see consternation fill all of their faces. Yes, I had to admit in hindsight, that was terribly stupid of me. However, I continued with the story. After sneaking in, it ended up being Azure who began the process of sacrilegious bowel relief. The look on Monroe and Victoria’s faces at this recounting was priceless. Monroe Burst out laughing with tears running down his face even as he tried to stop, so as to ask for more details. Looking at Victoria, her face was a mixture of red and white as if she were struggling between laughing like Monroe and being appalled at what I had done. Lynette, while looking bemused with a wry twist of her lips still looked a little worried as she began petting Azure during the telling.

Finally after seemingly calming himself down a little, Monroe spoke up. “Oh Jade, I can now fully see why they are determined to capture you. Fanatics have a nasty predisposition of not caring about such trivial things like proof, loss of life, and standard procedure when it comes to reclaiming the ‘honor’ of their Deity.” Monroe said in a hushed voice. “It is regretful that the lady that saw you in Victoria’s shop had connections to the Church of Broan, but with just her single witness account of seeing you, it will not be enough to convince the City Elders to hand over a criminal that no one else seems to have found proof of existing here. It’s too bad that they didn’t realize that you had already died once for your actions. Although, I doubt they would be satisfied with just one death, when you can continue to return to life. You are lucky however as I hold no love for their specific religion. In the case that I discovered your actions to be unforgivable according to the search parties sent out to find you, I had organized other means of getting you safely out of the city.”

I must have looked perplexed by what he meant. How was I to get away with so many people looking for me? As if realizing my confusion and worry, he continued to speak. “I have asked my butler to gather some supplies from the next village over. However, he will be involved in a terrible mugging wherein everything but the clothing on his back will be stolen from him by bandits. Thus coming back without my carriage and horses.”

He let that story sink in for a second before continuing. “You will be the ‘muggers’ so that you can get a form of fast transportation to get as far from here as you can.”

I started at him practically speechless. “How, why would you do so much for me?” I asked finally. Raising an eyebrow, Monroe pulls Victoria in closer in a show of love, places a hand on the Drakes head in fondness, and gazes about the cave in wonder. “What you have done for me, can never be repaid.” He said at last.

After that, there was little else to do as we made preparations for departure. Victoria teleported us and all of our equipment beyond the edges of town, in the opposite direction of the Holy City. It was there that we met up with his butler with the furry ears. “Good evening to you Mr. Storm and to you Miss Lynette. Have you come to rob me of my master’s carriage?” He said this with an entirely ironic grin and a genuine bow at the waist. “Please allow me but a moment.

Stepping into the underbrush, he took a few sharp rocks and began tearing at his clothing. Then rolling around on the ground, seemingly enjoying it far more than a regular butler would, he then stood back up looking like he had just escaped a terrible fight. “It seems everything is ready for your departure. I am sorry we had to meet again under such circumstances.” Azure had come over to him as she had remembered him from the times that I had been busy sparring with Monroe. Nuzzling his leg, she then put her forepaws against a leg of his pants.

Leaning down, the butler ruffled her furry head and whispered something in her ear. Then with nothing more to say, he took off running back towards the city gates that I guessed to be about 2 miles away. Seeing as it was 2:00 in the morning, it was unlikely that he or us would run into any sentries till he got closer to the city.

Soon, the three of us were on our way heading away from a city of trouble onto our next adventure. I could only hope that it would be safe to return again someday.

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Current time in game about 2:00 am of the 13th of January. Day 135 in game time. 100% pain level. Real Life July 1st about 8:30 am

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Wow, I am so sorry for how long it took to put this out. It should be easier now that I’ve slightly gotten back into the groove. If you see any mistakes, then please let me know. Just as a warning. About 2-3 chapters from now, I’ll start getting into some seriously heavy topics and disturbing descriptions to get a point across.