With Ard running off to get accounts settled I gathered my things, which amounted to the splitting maul and my harvest sack which was pitifully empty. I really needed to get things together if I was going to start being a proper game, there wasn’t nearly enough hording going on. Slinging the maul over my shoulder I headed down the stairs nearly running face first into Magda at the bottom.

“Oh good you’re already ready to go, I was just going to get my gear.” She said quickly moving to slid past me up the stairs.

“Ready to go where?” I asked not bothering to hide the confusion on my face

“Oh I thought Fen or Quick had told you, now that you’re here and we’re going to go out into the woods where those manimals have been coming from and see if we can track down their source. Figure if that doesn’t shake out we can always grind up a few more levels, you need to catch up to the rest of us.” She kept heading up the steps for a moment before stopping and turning to look at me. “If you weren’t getting ready to go with us, what are you getting ready to do? Look Gideon, I’ve known a lot of driven gamers in my day. You’re probably thinking that I’ve already got a hold on this place so you need to find somewhere else to stake a claim or find some way to push me out. Am I right?”

I was left rubbing the back of my neck as she seemed to have me pegged, forcing what I hoped was an earnest smile. “Nah you’ve got me all wrong, I was just going to head back up towards the mountain with Ard, help him out and all maybe cut down some trees and find a way to haul them back for that quest. Get myself a little bit more set up then I’ll be back. Speaking of wood by the way, do you know why they don’t just cut the would out at the edge of the plains?”

I could feel her eyes boring into me as she stared me down caught in my lie, before she simply flashed a bright smile that made the corners of her eyes crinkle. “Well good, I would hate to think we were going to be competitors or enemies. Plenty to go around here, besides we’re forty percent of the real people here on this island.” Either she was a better liar than me or truly believed me because she seemed earnest as I’d ever seen. “And some nonsense about an undying druid who laid claim to the forest around these parts, I figure it’s either more superstition like the whole mountain being haunted or it’s some elite mob for us to fight and clear out. Anyways have a safe trip back Gideon, hope we see you real soon.” She left me standing at the bottom of the stairs as she breezed off.

Walking to the bar I got myself some of the promised breakfast as the morning was starting to get into full swing. The inn keeper deposited a bowl of what looked like oatmeal mixed with something as well as a mug of something steaming. Catching sight of Fan and Quick sitting at a table finishing their breakfast I made my way over, pulling up a chair before tucking in to what turned out to be pretty delicious porridge mixed with something crunchy that had a mild sweetness. The mug contained cider warmed through, and I could feel the flush of alcohol running through me warming me up to the cool morning.

“Pretty good isn’t it? I was never a big drinker in VR but it sure is a nice way to start the day” Said Quick over his bowl of food, spraying small bits on the table.

“Don’t talk when you chew.” Scolded Fan as she smacked him on the back of the head causing more to spray out. “So Gideon, you going to be coming out with us today, get leveled up with us? We could use someone big and slow to take the hits.”

“Actually I’m heading out, I explained to Magda already. But I’m going back up to the mountain with Ard when he finishes here.” I made sure to say between bites

“Oooh, got something good stashed up there? Big secret grinding spot or a dungeon? Wouldn’t go leaving your old pal Quick behind right, guy who saved your life and has been like a brother to you?” He cleared his mouth out with a drink this time, saving himself another slap.

“Quick we just met yesterday?”

“What can I say, I move fast. So you got anything good up there?” He pressed

“Nah I’m just heading up to see about cutting some trees for the town, maybe help out Ard for a bit while I catch up to all you in levels and everything.” I repeated for the second time today, believing the lie more with each repetition.

“Alright cool cool, just remember your old friend Quick if you do find something. Actually, hold on.” Leaning on his chair he started to dig through something on the floor. “Take this with you, if you find something just fire it out of a bow and we’ll come running.” He deposited an arrow on the table in between us.

Inspecting it for a moment I was rewarded with the notice [Enchanted Arrow], as I picked it up and turned it over a few times. “What is it exactly?” I asked.

“Oh that’s one of my arrows of returning, they keep coming back to my quiver when I fire them until they break. So if you find something we’ll know to head up the road towards the mountain and you can meet us on the road. Actually quick thought.” Leaning over he cut a small notch out of the fletching before handing it back. “There, now I’ll know it’s the one I gave you, could have been bad otherwise.”

“Oh well thanks man.” I said as I finished up my breakfast. “I should probably get out of here and see if Ard needs any help. I’ll catch up with you both soon.” I gave them both a polite nod leaving my dishes on the table. “Fan”

“Good luck out here, hope you catch up. Don’t want a charity case floating around the island.” Fan said as she went back to her own breakfast.

Leaving the inn I looked around for someplace to lay low, avoid any more unnecessary lying while I was here. Not that I was uncomfortable with it, but I sure wasn’t good at it. Wandering around for a bit I found a merchant willing to change my second gold nugget for a gold piece and a few silver which I dropped into my harvest sack for loss of a better place to deposit it. Wandering around in the morning sunlight I heard a commotion from down an alley to my side. Peering around the corner I saw the cause of it, a couple of men beating on what I now recognized as one of the slaves in the town. I’d like to say I ran down that alley way, beating them within an inch of their lives and saved the slave, but as I stood there I noticed the alley was a bit too tight for me to be able to swing my axe. Instead I dropped it to my side, dragging it along the cobble stones as I walked towards the pair.

“What seems to be the problem down here?” I inquired from a distance away so as not to agitate the two as I tried to get a bearing on them.

“Just teaching this useless slave a few well deserved lessons.” Said one of the men before delivering a sharp kick to the ribs of the cowering slave.

“Well I can see, that. Might I ask just what they did to deserve such a pointed lesson this early in the morning.” I asked as I kept walking closer.

“She delivers for her master, keeps leaving our order on the back doorstop and vanishing. And every morning our order is left sitting for passersby to steal, then her master claims that the deliver was made and demands that we pay him for good we don’t have.” Spat the bigger of the two men with venom causing the woman to cower on the ground.

“Ah, well that is something. Can I ask you something? If you’re here beating this slave first thing in the morning. Where exactly are the goods she’s supposed to be delivering?” I asked looking around the alley for a moment, spotting various back doors along each side.

The pair looked between themselves for a moment finally piecing together where I was going with it as the smaller of the two turned to kick the downed woman again. “Where are our goods!”

I grabbed his arm restraining him a moment before he could kick her again. “If I had to venture a guess, I’d say there never was an deliveries the last few times you both got short changed. Chances are this woman here is just taking the fall for her master trying to short change you. Luckily for you though I’m an adventurer and I just so happen to be in a bit of a monetary bind. Toss me a few gold for my trouble and I’ll have this one take me back to her master and shake your goods loose for you.” I drummed my fingers along the haft of my maul for emphasis.

“Yeah…Yeah, Charles I’ve heard about these guys. They’re the ones killing all the monsters and having the mayor build that new wall. Give him a few gold and he can go break a few legs for us.” The smaller one rambled excitedly.

“Exactly! You’ve got the idea now.”

“Fine, but when you’re done I expect everything brought back to my store down by the dock front.” Said big and mean as he rambled off a list of missing goods. “Then bring it all down to the golden dawn café by the docks.” Depositing a small handful of gold coins in my palm the dynamic duo stalked off.

“Thank you, thank you. I thought they were going to kill me.” Said the woman as she uncurled herself, trying to stand up on shaken legs as her bruised body fought her.

I looked her over for a moment, under the dirt and quickly forming bruises she wasn’t half bad, but I wasn’t here to play white knight to some slave girl I reminded myself. “Yeah no problem, look I suggest you run back and figure out something to tell your master, because I plan on taking my little pay day here and heading out of town.”

I couldn’t tell if the look on her face was relief that I wasn’t going to go shake down her master or fear that I was leaving her in the middle of the mess she was already in. “O…Ok, I understand. Thank you again for saving me kind sir.” She said before stumbling off down the alley way at an awkward stiff hobble.

Turning my back to the sight I walked back the way it came, it killed me not to get involved. I might not be some hero but slavery and beatings was something that was hard to stomach even for me. Some people could make it more palatable in games telling themselves it’s not real or no one was actually getting hurt but it was real enough for me. It was one thing to cheer on some super powered main character and his quirky slave harem in some fiction but this was my life for the next year and I wasn’t going to be dipping my toe into it. Looking around the street I heard a whistle from my right. Ard and his wagon were rolling down the street towards me, waiting for him to pull up next to me I hopped onto up onto the bench next to him.

“Let’s get the hell out of this place.”