As the car rolled along the blacktop, Peter thought about how his dad and mum had met. A decade and a half ago, Peter’s dad was lead engineer at a small start-up during the city’s attempt to lure technology jobs away from Silicon Valley. His mother was already an executive in her company, it had only just begun but was growing exponentially.

The firm his dad worked for had been one of the then-fledgling company’s first clients. Back then the company his dad worked for had been working on an app and sensor suite for fitness tracking for women who were pregnant. Dad was an excellent electrical engineer and the device/software combo had worked really well, and with his mother’s advertising savvy it had sold well too. They’d gone out to celebrate the successful product launch and soon needed one themselves.

“Here we are,” announced his mother as they pulled into a VIP car park in front of a metal and glass marvel of architecture. The way the sun reflected and refracted reminded Peter of the magnificent crystal spires in the teaser trailer for the game.

Has it only been a week? Peter mused as he followed his mother through the front doors. It almost feels like a lifetime ago. Cool, fresh air washed over him as he stepped into the foyer. Womaning the front desk was an imposing Amazonian princess, greeter and gatekeeper in one. Peter essayed a small small wave and was soundly ignored. His mother received a hug and air kisses on each cheek.

“So good to see you ma’am,” the towering woman greeted Peter’s mother. “Here are the forms you requested, and Barbra needs a moment of your time about the Fernwood Gym contract.”

Peter’s mum accepted the paperwork wrapped up in another manilla envelope and slipped it into her handbag. “Shaniqua, do you mind if Peter stays out here? I promise he’ll be good and quiet. Won’t you?” The last was clearly intended for Peter who was still staring at Shaniqua.

Snapping out of his daze, Peter mimed a cross over his heart. “Promise. I’ll just sit here and drink my tea. Won’t make a peep.” He meekly took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs provided for waiting clients.

Shaniqua flashed a smile that didn’t reach her eyes and guided Peter’s mother to a doorway leading further into the building. When the chair Peter was sitting in emitted a squeak from him settling in more comfortably, she shot a death glare over her shoulder. Peter shrunk deeper into the chair and did his best to hide behind his cup.

Can’t play TAOS&S in case Mum comes back, but I can certainly get some reading done. Peter pulled up a web page, but set it as transparent as he could and still make out the words. The first thing he looked up was ‘soulbound weapons’. Not much information there beyond what the smith had imparted. Bugger, I was hoping for something better. The next topic had more detail, ‘mounts’. As it happens, there were hundreds of kinds of mounts: monsters, mechanical, magical and mundane. They were obtained in a variety of ways, from taming wild animals, from building them, and the lazy way - buying them.

A loud bang drew Peter’s attention, but to his relief it wasn’t his mother coming back, just the secretary slamming a stapler through a pile of papers. Peter took a sip of his drink again and watched Shaniqua attacking her work as though it had personally offended her. His movement drew another death glare from her. She slammed the stapler again, looking right at him, then took the document and stalked out the door she had guided his mother through.

What IS her problem? Peter mused. I can’t look at her, I can’t not look at her. Am I just that annoying to be around? With a sigh he went back to reading the webpage. I wish I’d brought my stylus, I’d love to take proper notes on this stuff. Settling for copying and pasting excerpts for later into his notepad, Peter waited patiently for his mother to come back.

The information on transportation extended beyond personal mounts. Peter found the data on the bus he’d seen, and a single gold piece was actually at the bottom end of the scale. They took you between counties though, which would otherwise take days, even weeks, of real world time to traverse on foot. The reason for this was because the vehicle could keep you moving even when you were logged off. Anyone onboard was also protected from most forms of harm as they travelled, but there were a few exceptions. Fire from the heavens, massive earthquake, dragon related turbulence and similar catastrophes could destroy the conveyance and technically kill the passengers, whether online or not. In any event, if you were logged off and a bus or equivalent, was destroyed, Travellers were respawned at their last bind point with no penalties. I guess that’s why they’re expensive, Peter mused as he pasted that note into the file. Sorta like how insurance works in the real world.

Like a watched pot it didn’t actually take long for his mother return, it just seemed that way. She was followed closely by Shaniqua who took her seat behind the big desk and handed Peter’s mother a pen, who then wrote something on a post-it note and passed it to Shaniqua, whispering again. Peter caught something about ‘account’ and ‘in case’, but had no idea what they referred to. It was all rather confusing, made more so when Shaniqua leaned over the desk and gathered his mother into a tight embrace. Her eyes glistened as though she had been crying, but what could there be to cry about? Today was a day for secrets, it seemed.

Peter banished the pages with a swipe of a hand, nearly dropping his cup in the process, and when he’d recovered both women were standing a proper distance apart, talking normally as though nothing had happened.

The front doors whooshed open to admit a quartet of identically dressed women in business attire and one grey haired but incredibly fit lady in gym clothes. Peter’s mother nodded familiarly to the lady dressed for exercise and waved Peter over. “Ms Fernwood, I hope Barbra can organise the details so that we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. I’m sorry I can’t stay, but my son was hurt at school and I need to be home taking care of him. Shaniqua, please take Ms Fernwood to the conference room.”

“No need to apologise Ms Fuller. I completely understand,” Mrs Fernwood produced a water bottle and squeezed a measure into her mouth. “A problem that wouldn’t have arisen if you’d had a daughter perhaps? Nevertheless, I am certain we can hammer out the final contract with your associate. Take care of your little one.” Though her words sounded sincere, not once did she even glance at Peter. Something in the tone left him cold. He wanted to pull his cloak around himself and vanish into the shadows.

Taking Peter firmly by the shoulder, his mother hustled him out to the car. “Right, let’s get you home, bucko. In you get.”

The electric motors whined as they pulled out of the car park. “Mum, what’s going on? Why was Shaniqua sad?”

Eyes firmly on the road, his mother paused before answering. “I think she just broke up with her girlfriend. Left her for a man, I think.” His mother reached over and shook his knee. “Adult stuff, don’t worry about it. What do you want for dinner? A certain flame-grilled burger maybe?”

All concerns banished in the face of calorie packed deliciousness, Peter cheered all the way to the drive through.