**Edited on 8/26/18**

"What did you say?"

There was a strange tone laced in Strovach’s voice as he spoke. Darren had never heard it before. It took Darren a minute to realize that the sound was the irritation of being challenged. 

Darren could feel himself swelling as his heart raced deep in his chest. His voice was clearer the next time he spoke. "No."

The great lumbering human stepped forward, slowly drawing his axe from his side as he moved toward Darren. His face, which seemed so friendly at first, grew dark

Suddenly, in his range of vision, Darren saw something come into view. On the left was a health bar with his character's name on it. On the other were the health bar and names of the three teens that had cornered him

Alakir 100/100 Strovach 100/100

This is it, Darren thought to himself as he fought to steady his racing breath, Combat.

Darren's hand gripped the handle of his sword while the other pulled his buckler from his back. Strovach glanced and saw the move, and he laughed as he held out his ax, the metal gleaming in the low light of the evening. Darren could see that the axe was enhanced with purple vapors.

Probably a strength enhancement, Darren thought to himself as he gripped his weapons tightly.

"What else you got, ya worm?” Strovach asked, his eyebrows knitted and his mouth turned in a sickly sour grin.

"You're not getting my stuff or my aethys. No deal,” Darren said. His confidence was waining and he heard a waver in his voice that frightened him.

Strovach chuckled at the sound of Darren’s voice. "I'd like to see you try and stop me.”

The great human player swung his sword through the air much too quick for the weight of it, and he brought the sharp edge to Darren’s neck. The steel of the sword cut into Alakir's skin slightly and Darren gasped as he saw his health drop by 5 points. He sat steady at 95/100, but he gulped as nervousness overtook him all the same.

"Careful, now, you little gnat. You don’t want me to kill off your character, do you?" Strovach asked, his eyes glinting, “I have killed off noobs before and I can do it again. You’re nothing.”

Darren swallowed hard. He couldn’t let this jerk take his things, he just couldn’t. All he wanted to do was play the game. Just play. And make his life better.

Strovach reached out with his free hand and he grabbed Darren’s bag from his shoulder.

“I’ll be taking this,” Strovach said.

Suddenly, with a wave of a hand, Strovach spoke a magical incantation, putting a hold on Alakir. Darren was unable get his character to move. He struggled against the magical, invisible bond and watched with horror as Strovach’s large hands ripped open his satchel. Darren struggled against the magic bonds, but could only watch in horror as all of his herbs and berries fell to the forest floor. His heart leaped into his throat as all of his hard work was trashed so quickly.

"No!" Darren screamed. He pushed against Strovach’s magical bond on him, but he was unable to break it. 

"What is this crap?" Strovach said as he looked at the alchemist's bounty with a sneer and wrinkled nose, his sword lowering, "Where's the good stuff? Where’s the leathers and meat and gear?”

Darren's mind raced as he realized that his magic books and his satchel of aethys crystals had not fallen out. His thoughts raced as he remembered reading on a forum months before that his books and crystals were magically bound to his character and could not be looted unless he willingly gave them over or died. Darren looked at the looming griefer who was currently kicking around a pile of silver pine needles and he decided to keep his mouth shut. No way was he giving that away.

"Where’s your aethys? I know you have aethys,” Strovach demanded, growling.

Darren shook against the voice. The beast of a man was incredibly intimidating. But he would not be swayed. He wasn’t going to let the first person that he met in game push him around.

"I do not have any," he answered quickly, lying through his teeth, "I traded them all at the hub! At Blackstone! That's why I was picking the herbs. I need to sell them for more aethys crystals."

Strovach took a long look at him before grunting. He swung his great axe through the air, slashing Darren on the shoulder and dealing 10 damage. Darren cried out and he freed his hand from the magical grip. He grabbed the wound as his eyes flew up to check his health, and he found his hp at 85/100.

“I guess I’ll take this garbage,” Strovach murmured as he knelt to the forest floor.

With Strovach’s concentration broken, Darren was able to wrench himself free of the spell that held him in place. In a flash, he grabbed his satchel from where it had been tossed aside and relief washed over him when he felt the weight of his books in the bag. He slung it over his shoulder and pulled his sword and buckler back to his front.

Anger had washed over the teen. Without thinking, Darren brought his sword down and slashed at the great human. His blade cut into Strovach’s back, digging deep into the flesh near his shoulder blades. He had done 8 damage and Strovach’s health now sat at 92/100.

Strovach cried out and his back arched as the thick blade made contact with the skin. He turned and Darren could see the anger flashing in his eyes. Strovach turned as he climbed back to his feet, his axe poised to maim.

"You wanna play?" Strovach growled with his cracking voice and a devious grin on his face, “Let’s go, little one.”

Strovach brought his great axe down and it slashed through the air, but Darren was quick to block the blows with his buckler. Darren struck back, his sword catching the angry human on the leg. The blow was deep, and Darren looked on with glee as Strovach’s health fell by 10 points. He joined Tyler at a health of 82/100.

"Ha!" Darren said triumphantly with a smirk on his face as he stumbled backward.

"You'll pay for that," Strovach growled as he brought his weapon down on Darren.

At the last second, Darren brought his shield up to block the blow. To his horror, Darren saw a small meter rise up over his shield that read:

Durability:

24/50

Strovach was strong and powerful, and with one solid blow, he brought the shield’s durability down to under half. Darren realized in horror that his shield would definitely break if another blow were to land on it from the enchanted axe. Quickly, Darren struck at Strovach, swinging his simple sword toward the huge player's midsection. But Strovach was surprisingly quicker, faster, and he knocked Darren's weapon away with ease.

Darren's breath was quickening as the pair fought. His heart was racing, pounding like a jackhammer deep in his chest. He began backing up and away from Strovach, but out of the corner of his eye, he could see another player in the distance. It was another huge male, just like Strovach, and Darren knew that he was coming for him.

He needed out. He was outnumbered, outmatched. 

"You little--" Strovach was swinging wildly now and his face looked enraged.

Without thinking, Darren raised his buckler up to block another hard blow. Strovach’s strength launched the axe blade at him with such force that the buckler shattered at the blow. Darren gasped as his defense shattered in his hands, its durability spent. The shards of the wooden buckler vanished into thin air as they fell from Darren's grasp.

Durability: Basic Buckler

0/50

A second blow reigned down on Darren. He brought his sword up to block it, but it did little to stem the damage that Mark was dealing. He looked at his health meter and panic began rising in him as his health dropped by 25 points, bringing him to 60/100

Darren cried out with frustration and fear, his voice echoing in the game and in his room. He fell to one knee in front of Strovach, and when he looked up, fear ran through him. The angry face of his nemesis had beaten him down, and with another blow or two, his time in Rimnir would be over. In a flash, Darren thought about his goals, his plans, all those months of dreaming and saving for the RMR system... it would all be for nothing.

“Strovach!” A voice from the side shouted.

Darren looked over to see that the other large player had joined them. He looked similar to Strovach, but not completely. His hair was gray, but tied back in a long ponytail. His face was clean-shaven. And his clothes bore resemblances to clothes that Darren would have seen a player wearing in an abbey.

This was a holy player.

As he drew closer, Darren saw the name “Meracci” come into view. And Meracci had eyes only for Strovach.

“You will stop this at once!” Meracci’s voice echoed through the forest, booming loudly.

Darren took the moment that Strovach was distracted and he turned, running as fast as he could to the north toward the Consortium's hub of Blackstone. He could hear a voice behind him, yelling angrily back and forth.

"Why did you stop me? I almost had him!"

“How dare you, a level 30 character, try and attack a level 1!”

“Don’t tell me how to conduct my business.”

“I won’t let you blackmail another new player.”

"You little piece of..."

Darren could only hear the sound of axe against sword as he put distance between him and Strovach. As he ran, the only sounds that he heard were the pounding of his feet on the forest floor. The birds had stopped their singing and the combat music had ended. All Darren could think of was running to safety.

Suddenly, in front of him, the forest seemed to split open at the Blackstone, the hub of the Consortium, revealed itself. It was a bustling town, modeled after the old colonization settlements of North America. Wooden posts lined the outside to fortify the city, though the wooden gate stayed open. Darren ran past the gates and the NPC soldiers that guarded it. His eyes flew, looking at the log cabin-style buildings and the people, all clad in white for their faction. Darren closed his eyes and quickly logged out, his health still depleted, his supplies gone.

Darren pulled the RMR helmet off of his head and he looked around with wild eyes. A glance at the clock told him that he had been in the game for four hours. The house was silent and the lights were off. In the far bed, Johnny laid there, looking at Darren. Maybe the older boy's screams had woken him up.

"What happened?" Johnny asked with a quiet voice.

"Nothing," Darren said breathlessly. With shaking hands, Darren plugged up his RMR system before laying down on his bed. He shut his eyes tight, but sleep did not come for him. He laid awake, his whole being laced with frustration.

Not everyone in Rimnir was looking out for his best interest.