I trudged out into the rain. My bare feet squished in the mud as I was led away from the shed and down a path. The droplets pelted my face, and I was unable to wipe the moisture away because Halec had bound my wrists behind my back. He’d raised the hilt of a small dagger in a sheath at his side, and magical golden rope had knotted itself around my forearms and hands.

You have been Captured!

While Capture [ Lvl. 3 ] is in effect, you will be unable to Flee for the next [43 Minutes].

Great, now I’m a Pokemon. For forty-three minutes, at least. I need to figure out how to get out of this.

I stumbled through puddles and stepped on rocks as we moved, grumbling internally as the soles of my feet grew sore and painful.

How do I get myself into these messes?

“I thought I was supposed to have immunity or something when I came back to life?” I asked.

Halec kept a tight grip on my bonds from behind and steered me along through the wet darkness.

“That’s only if you wait for the entire period of the Death Interlude,” he explained, quite jubilantly, “but Resurrection removes that five-minute feature--fortunately for me!”

Just my luck.

Dark trees flanked either side of the path, singing as the wind cut through their branches. The rain was worse directly beneath the boughs, and I was getting soaked. Because I couldn’t protect my eyes, my vision was blotchy, and my eyelids raw. Every time I tried to stop and situate myself, Halec would pull roughly at the rope, urging me forward.

At first, I thought we were heading to the right, toward the looming Guild Hall. Still, as we reached a fork in the trail, Halec nudged me down the left path instead, in the direction of a large, domed building in the center of the manicured grounds.

The Fomorian was drenched as well. His strange motley of clothing sticking to his frame. He wore a frilly poet-shirt blouse beneath a dark purple vest that contrasted with the prowling watercolor tiger emblazoned on the back. Thin orange breeches were tucked into red leather boots plagued with an assortment of functionless buckles. At his waist was a coiled cord that was fastened to his belt with a strip of boiled leather. He didn’t appear to mind the terrible weather at all, but in fact, seemed to be enjoying his task. Every time I looked over my shoulder at him, he would smirk, his own red eyes glowing menacingly in the dark.

Why can’t I see his nameplate?

Everyone I had encountered so far had their name and Guild floating above their heads, Halec didn’t have one at all.

Something is fishy.

There was a steep slope as we descended to the domed building. I slipped on the wet grass, crashing to my backside with a grunt as mud splattered my clothing. I lay for a moment, cursing my predicament until Halec forced me up again with a tug. I continued on silently.

When we reached the dome. Halec pulled on my bonds, and we both stopped.

The building itself was fifty feet tall, the majority of that was the wooden balloon of the dome, covered with white paint that was stark against the backdrop of rain and darkness. The path we were on led all the way up to the door. The doorway was quite wide and at least fifteen feet tall as if it was designed to allow many people through at once. The frame around the door was scuffed and chipped. Several long gouges had been cut in the sides near elbow level, and it looked as though weapons had done the work.

“What the hell is this?” I demanded, scowling at Halec.

The Fomorian only responded with his idiotic smile. He nodded toward the door and pushed me forward. I felt like I had to move extra quickly, or he’d knock me over in the mud again. I entered.

A vast expanse of flat ground filled the area in front of me. It was a massive circular training field with boundaries painted in white in the dirt. Around the entire circumference of the grounds were makeshift wooden bleachers that seemed in desperate need of repair or burning. Racks were scattered throughout the outside of the ring, holding a healthy selection of wooden training weapons. At the back, directly opposite the door we had entered, was an identical door.

If I can get to that, maybe I can fuck off into the woods and escape?

Halec pushed me forward, and I felt the magical rope around my wrists release as I stumbled.

Now!

I wheeled around quickly and swiped my Menu open, but as I did, I could see Halec staring at me, his smile still firmly on his face. In his hand was the coiled leather cord, and as I paused with my finger hovering over my inventory, he raised his wrist. With a loud snap, the end of the lash was wrapped tightly around my right arm, pulling me back from my Menu. It stung badly, and I could see a few notches disappear from my health bar.

41 / 50 HP!

“Argh!” I yelled and tried to pull myself out of it, but with another twitch, Halec pulled me to the ground. I stayed in a kneeling position, and he released me.

“Please don’t make this difficult, Vale,” he said. Hearing my name spoken with such condescension made my skin crawl. I scowled at him.

“Sorry,” I said, standing up and rubbing my arm, “I’m very difficult.”

I feinted rushing at him then quickly pivoted when I saw him flick his wrist again. I pushed back on my frontmost leg, and with a twist, shot off in the opposite direction. I heard the snap of Halec’s whip inches behind my head and made my escape toward the door on the other side of the enormous arena.

Almost there.

I could hear Halec shout behind me as I raced across the dirt floor of the training ground, the doorway on the other side growing in my vision.

At least I’m fast—

There was a sudden flash of light next to me. I felt my head explode with pain as something crunched into my temple, and I crashed hard to the ground.

—ish.

My Health had dropped by a ton and started blinking at me.

26 / 50 HP!

In a daze, I struggled to stand but felt another painful jolt as another attack hit me from above, and I crumpled to my stomach, dust flying around me.

Low Health! 9 / 50 HP!

“Oof!” I ejected, and rolled over onto my back, narrowly avoiding another assault. A gloved fist punched the ground where I’d been.

Not again.

Standing over me was the slouched and smirking form of Stratholm, the Fomorian that Anubis had crossed swords with to save me from this morning. The Scamp’s fist was buried deep in the dirt of the ground, his eyes on me. The glint in his eye led me to believe he, too, was enjoying my captivity. He stood up and cracked his dirty knuckles.

“We meet again,” he said, walking toward me.

“I told you before,” I said, picking myself up from the ground, “I don’t like you like that, Stratholm. Just take a hint.”

Stratholm shook his head. “Wow, someone found a pair during their time away.”

“You’re a big, tough guy when there’s no one else around, huh?” I asked.

“I’ll show you how tough I am!” Stratholm yelled, raising his hand at me threateningly. His palm crackled with purple energy.

“That will be all, Stratholm.”

Halec.

The poorly dressed Fomorian approached us while slowly raveling his whip back up.

“I don’t think Vale understands his predicament yet.”

“I’m being accosted by two idiot losers who think they are total badass villains.”

The two would-be-evil-doers shared a knowing glance and erupted into laughter at the same time.

“Vale,” Stratholm said, “it seems you don’t quite get where you are. You seem pretty green, so I don’t blame you for your ignorance. You should be more careful with the way that you speak to us. You’re not in any position to be mouthing off like that.”

“I’m not scared,” I said, “you’re just a couple of dipshits pretending to be bad.”

I was getting sick of their condescending style of speaking and their undeserved familiarity with me.

“You should be scared,” Halec mocked, holding the coiled whip up so that I could see it, “because we can make your life a living hell.”

“Fuck off.” I said, “quit acting like you’re hardened bad guys. In the real world, you wouldn’t be half as quick to pull shit like this.”

Stratholm leaned forward, his hand on the pommel of the blade at his side. I kept my eyes on it, there seemed to be something particularly nasty about that dagger.

“Vale, where the fuck do you think you are?” he demanded.

“What do you mean?” I asked, “I’m sitting here, soaked to the bone and getting muddier by the second in the dirt.”

“No,” Stratholm clarified, “you’re mistaken. You seem to think that this isn’t reality.”

Where is he going with this?

“This is the real world. We’ve been here long enough to know that much. We don’t have any recollections of a life beyond this one. Maybe there was something once. However, all of our memories began the moment we stood in front of the Avatar screen and chose who we would be from now on.”

Stratholm began to circle around me and gestured to the walls of the dome.

“This is the world we live in. It’s also the one you live in. We’re not pretending to be badasses, he said, “we are badasses. Sure, the rules may be different than what we feel that they may have been somewhere else. Still, these are the rules now. The strongest are indeed the fittest here—“

“—and we are much stronger than you,” Halec finished.

Shit.

“Do you understand now?” Halec continued, crouching in front of me, “your forgiveness for your transgressions ends now. We’ve explained the new operational protocol. You don’t have to like it. You just have to accept it.”

I hated to admit that they had a point. This place was much different than what I had been mentally referring to as the real world, but it definitely seemed to be an animal all its own. These two didn’t remember any world other than this, as was likely the case for most. So, for everyone other than myself, this was their actual reality.

I won’t get anywhere by stubbornly asserting that we are from somewhere else. It would bring on a ton of uncomfortable questions that I refuse to answer. I can’t let them know about before.

“So, what do you want from me?” I said, slumping back with a sigh.

The two of them brightened up at my words and shared another knowing glance.

“I want you to be a good little boy and do as you’re told,” Halec said.

“What’s to stop me from escaping?” I asked, rolling my eyes.

“Well, for starters, you’d never be quick or clever enough to get that far,” Stratholm said, sneering above me.

“Also,” Halec said, opening his Menu with a swipe, “there’s this.”

The digital display beeped, and a message appeared in the air.

Halec has invited you to join [Malicious Intent], would you like to Accept this Guild Invite?

Yes/No

“You’ve got to be kidding,” I said, “there’s no way in hell I’m joining you guys.”

Halec kept smiling.

“Then we will just kill you,” he said, lifting his coil of whip, “over and over, until you accept.”

Stratholm drummed his fingertips against the sheath of his blade and stared at me severely.

"Why do you want me to join the Guild?" I asked, "there doesn't seem to be any point to it. I can't possibly be of use to you."

Halec frowned.

"I don't answer to you, Vale," he said, "I am just doing as I was told, and that is all you need to know. "

"Not good enough," I said, and took a step back as Statholm moved toward me.

"Why me?"

Halec shook his head.

"I don't know, and I don't care," he said, "I was told you Revive you, and have you join the Guild. Someone must have a purpose for you, but I surely do not."

I looked back and forth. From Halec, to Stratholm, to the door, and to the invitation hanging in the air in front of me. I was limited on options and time. If I wanted any chance to rescue Lina, I would not be able to do it from the Death Interlude. As it stood, there was no chance in hell of me being able to take these two down in combat on their home turf. Those other two lackeys from this morning had been a completely different story.

Bide your time. Sorry, Kellmen. Looks like I won’t be able to join the Beatdown Brigade for a while.

I reached forward and hit Yes.

There was a flash of light, and a new message popped up.

Welcome, [ Apprentice Vale ] to Malicious Intent, the most premiere and worthwhile Guild in all of Aimsir. You have been deemed worthy enough to join our ranks as an Apprentice, but don’t celebrate just yet. You have a long road ahead of you if you want to be considered for full membership. Consider this a trial period. One that we will use to decide whether or not you are a good fit for the Guild. We don’t hand these invitations out to just anyone.

As an Apprentice, you will be tasked with many jobs and errands by your superiors, and it is crucial you do these with speed and care. We have stringent standards and values that we uphold. If you fail to meet these strict criteria, you will be punished and possibly even ejected from our ranks, so ensure you are diligent in your duties.

You will receive your first duties soon, as well as a notification as to who your Sponsor will be. Your Sponsor will be tasked with overseeing that you adhere to the rules and regulations we have set.

Under no circumstances are you to disobey a direct order from any of your superiors. This will be a violation of your Apprenticeship and will get your punished and possibly removed.

Do better than your best, and I am sure you will have a long and happy career as one of our Guildmembers.

Matar, Guildmaster of Malicious Intent

Well, that was stupid.

I frowned at the two other members and then shrugged my shoulders.

“So, now what?” I asked, climbing to my feet. Stratholm was beaming at me, though his eyes still looked dangerously suspicious.

“Now, you go to bed. It is late,” The pale-haired Fomorian said, turning from us and walking away. Above his head now, I could see his nameplate, Level, and Rank.

Stratholm [ Novice ] [ Lvl. 3 ]

I must not have been able to see their names because we are on their property, and I wasn’t a member of the Guild yet.

I peered at Halec. His nameplate appeared above his head as well.

Halec [ Associate ] [ Lvl. 10 ]

Shit.

Halec was much higher Level than I was, and something about that really bothered me. He was so firm in his condescension. Now I had proof that he could likely whoop my ass if he wanted to.

I need to get stronger.

But that would be difficult if I was trapped here.

Halec smirked at me and opened another aspect of his still-present Menu. I could see my little Vale doll floating translucently from the other side of his screen.

He’s looking at my Stats. Well, get a good look, buddy, because those will be changing soon, and I’ll make sure you pay for doing this to me.

“See something you like?” I asked.

“Perhaps…” Halec said, considering something.

Across the training grounds, Stratholm had reached the doorway. He tilted his head back to face me as he opened the large door.

“See you around, Apprentice,” he called with a wink and closed the door behind him.

Halec spent another silent moment looking at my statistics and then closed the Menu. He regarded me and then nodded.

“Right,” he said, clapping his hands together, “so, according to your Stats, you are proficient in Cooking. Not anything related to combat, which is... very apparent. Cooking is an odd choice, but it just so happens our head chef down in the kitchens just lost a helper, so I’ll make sure to suggest that you are assigned that duty.”

I shrugged.

“Fine by me.”

Halec chuckled and flicked his head towards the door.

“Perfect. I’ll show you to the Apprentice barracks. It’s a bit leaky in this weather, but I’m sure you’ll manage. Besides, if you don’t like it, you can always quit,” he said, turning his back to me and making his way to the exit, “actually, you can’t quit, that’s why this is so wonderful!”

“I can’t quit the Guild?” I asked. I wasn’t surprised necessarily, but it seemed like a stupid feature to include in membership.

“Apprentices can’t,” Halec said as we reached the door to the wet outside, “they are stuck until we kick them out or promote them.”

“Wonderful,” I said. But it was anything but.

“Now,” Halec said, waving a hand to a building across the grounds that I could only just make out beyond the mist and rain, “shall we?”

I sighed and slumped my shoulders.

“Sure, why not?” I answered and stepped back out into the rain.