After getting more details from the women about the location of the zombies, and the predictable abandoned graveyard and potential evil behind the undead, Jason was not feeling as good as before.

The young woman, Abagail, was the daughter of a farmer. The family had only recently started their farm and had already had altercations with several orcs. When they heard about the Orckin arrangement they were feeling better about the orc situation, although not the Orckin solution. But she said she felt better for the Orckin Solution, which is why she approached them about the other major concern, the wandering zombies and skeletons in the area.

Triuk asked, “How many are there?”

“Most nights I count three zombies and several skeletons.”

“Which direction?”

“From the West, inside the forest, I think the gravesite is close by.”

As the details got deeper, Jason suddenly became more aware that he was already losing his awareness that this was a game. His brain was unsure of the virtual being virtual.

He knew why.

Smells were everywhere, the detail of the graphics made the game as clean and clear as the real world. He was having trouble finding anything that was not quite right but was failing. The details of the NPCs was staggering. Real conversations, the flick of eye movement as she kept returning to look at him. The immense complication of face movement defied belief on its own.

He thought, “I wonder if these NPCs are actually players?”

“I am not able to give that information, and as a reminder, there are severe punishments for divulging your player status.”

Jason suddenly had a stark reminder in her voice that he was in a game. He thought to her, “Can you stop reading my thoughts?”

“Yes, all you need is to turn off the mind reading function.”

“Turn off the mind reading function then.”

Done. From this point on, if you need to communication with me, you need to speak and say, “Anna” at the beginning of the sentence.”

Jason felt a little better. He had privacy of thought now. He should have thought of that earlier though.

Triuk was saying to Grarl, “We won’t need to take anything with us other than weapons.”

Grarl snapped back into reality. Virtual reality. He nodded, without a word he unloaded everything that was excess to needs from his body. He only had his sword, dagger and money pouch.

Abagail asked, “What payment do you want for this?”

Triuk said, “Nothing, we do this for the peace.”

Grarl added, “Actually, if it is okay with everyone, I have a trench coat and hat in the tailor shop beside the mayor’s office that I need to get. Next time you are there, can you bring them back with you?”

Triuk glared at Grarl while Abagail said, “Sure, I would love to do that for you.”

Grarl smiled, and knowing he had overstepped in asking, he began walking Northward to avoid talking about it.

Within the hour they had made it to the river Abagail had told Triuk about. She pointed to the farm, “That is ours, we only just started, the first crop is due soon. I hope you can keep the orcs away though, they are still stealing food around here.”

Triuk said, “That is why we are here. As Orckin, we walk both worlds and belong in neither, but both sides are listening.”

Abagail said, “Well, if any of you need a meal, come visit me and I will make a stew for you.”

Grarl smile, he enjoyed a good stew, homemade, filled with herbs, mince and vegetables. He was beginning to wish he was human, because she looked cute. Then he caught himself in that line of thinking, she isn’t even real.

Triuk thanked her and told her to go home.

Like a hero his parting words were, “We will take care of this tonight.”

Grarl gave a slight chuckle.

Triuk asked, “What is so funny?”

“You, acting like a paladin or something.”

Triuk stated firmly, “I am a paladin.”

Grarl gave out a loud laugh this time. Shaking his head as he laughed, more than said, “Who knew that was possible, a Half Orc Paladin?”

Triuk countered, “Half Orc barbarians are as common as muck.” Grarl turned to face his new friend then said, “True, I suppose. Who cares what we are, so long as we smash heads and crush the evil ones, right?”

Triuk nodded his agreement, then said, “Well, not far from here are some pesky zombies, let go practice on them.”

Without another word, with Grarl leading the way, the moved into the forest in search of evil undead monsters.

As Grarl’s eyes swapped from daytime sight to dark vision, as the forest closed its canopy because the birch and pine trees grew tall and the scrub swapped over to low lying ferns, Grarl made headway.

Survival Check: Rolled 10 +1 for Skill Rank: You see tracks of a shuffling humanoid.

It didn’t take him long, although he was only half looking, before he saw tracks. They were easy to see as the ferns were broken apart and the footsteps were shuffled, making the tracks easy to notice and follow.

He turned to Triuk with a proud smile, pointed to the tracks and said, “Me thinks zombie.”

Triuk knelt down, considered the tracks as if he knew what he was doing then said, “Yep, zombie tracks.” He got back up and took the lead, now he saw the tracks it was easy to follow them.

Within minutes they reached a broken wooden fence surrounding a grave yard. Inside the grave yard were about twenty graves and two tombs. Grarl said, “Well, this will be fun.”

Then he saw his first zombie.

It was slow moving, its body rotting everywhere, clothes that matched and a shuffling gait. Jason had watched enough zombies movies and television series to not be scared of them on the screen, but in person walking towards him, he felt the fear for the first time.

Just for fun, Grarl said, “Lets go kill this walking dead.”

Triuk looked a little startled as he looked to Grarl, “What did you call them?”

But before he could answer, two more zombies came from behind a large tree, with a skeleton in tow.

The skeleton was quick, was carrying a long sword and bridged the distance quickly.

Initiative Rolls:

Skeleton: 16 + 5 = 21

Triuk: 16 + 2 = 18

Zombie: 16 – 1 = 17

Grarl: 4 + 2 = 6

Grarl couldn’t stop looking at the skeleton as it rushed forward, even the slow-moving zombies seemed to move faster than expected.

He suddenly felt an overwhelming fear as the skeleton lifted its scimitar to bear down on him.

Skeleton to Grarl: 13: AC 15: Miss.

At the last moment, as the weapon was nearing a hit, Grarl snapped into action, it barely missed his shoulder. Triuk, with a look of concern, charged the skeleton.

Triuk to skeleton: 15 +3 = 18: AC 15: Hit.

Damage: Long Sword: 2 + 3 = 5 damage.

His sword struck the skeleton on the arm, causing a snapping sound, but the skeleton took the damage well.

The zombies were close behind, but not far, Grarl decided to try to finish off the skeleton before the zombies arrived, he took aim and swung.

Grarl to skeleton: 13 + 6 = 19: Hit

Damage: 4 +4 = 8 damage

He hit the skeleton as hard as he had the orc a few days ago, but it took the damage. Grarl, expecting to bring the skeleton down, stood in mild awe in how it had withstood both attacks.

The skeleton maintained its attention on Grarl and swung at him again.

Skeleton to Grarl: 12: Miss

Now that Grarl was focusing, the scimitar made another miss, a simple side step did the job.

Triuk made a move on the skeleton again, he aimed……

Triuk: Natural 1.

…… and slipped on the mossy ground. He went down quickly, his sword dropping to the ground out of reach. He swore loudly as he regained his feet surprisingly quickly.

The first zombie took and unthinking note of the fallen Triuk and made a grab for him.

Zombie: 10: Miss

Triuk moved out of reach just in time, the hands of the monster grasping thin air. The second zombie was more interested in Grarl.

Zombie: 16: Hit

Damage: 7hp

Grarl HP: 3

Its hands took a hold of his neck the sharp nails and brutish strength ripping holes through his skin as if it was made of paper. The ripping of his neck sent pain straight into his brain. Jason went from a pretend fear to an actual fear. He knew he would be hit at some stage, but he still hadn’t made the connection between a game hit and how much it would hurt.

It hurt exactly as much as it would as real life.

Suddenly, this had become all too real for him.

Triuk, seeing the large gash and blood from his wound, took to the skeleton with his bare hands. He thought he could finish it off that way.

Triuk to skeleton: 5 + 3 = 8: Miss

But the skeleton spotted the movement and shifted positions. Triuk moved past the skeleton, but as he did, he drew out his second long sword, preparing for the worst in a fight that wasn’t going to plan.

Not that they had made one.

The zombie tried to follow Triuk but was too slow.

Zombie to Grarl: Natural 1

The zombie in front of Grarl had him in trouble until it somehow fell to the side, rather than making another grab it broke its fall instead. Grarl, everything inside him wanting to run away, took advantage of the prone zombie.

Grarl to zombie: 18 + 6 = 24: Hit

Damage: 7 + 4 = 11 damage.

He stood tall and brought the bastard sword down on its head, the sword sliced it two, the zombie fell to the ground, motionless.

The skeleton, without its scimitar, didn’t bother attempting to pick it up and attack Grarl with its bare boney hands.

Skeleton: 5: Miss.

But Grarl, bleeding from his neck and pain affected, was up to the challenge of avoiding the attack. Triuk was close by, sword in motion.

Triuk to Skeleton: 10 + 3 = 13: Hit

Damage: 5 + 3= 8

When the sword struck the skeleton, this time it collapsed to the ground. Triuk gave a small “Huzzah.”

Then the zombie caught up to him.

Zombie to Triuk: 7: Miss

The third zombie from within the graveyard had made its way through the broken gate, it was close to arriving.

Grarl, feeling good about his last hit, struck at zombie in front of him.

Grarl to zombie: 19 (critical hit x 2 damage) + 6 = 25: Hit

Damage: 10 + 4 = 14 x 2 = 28

Grarl, for the first time felt at one with his sword, he guided it exactly as he intended, timed the hit perfect for maximum force just as it connected to the zombie. The sword didn’t just strike the zombie, it went clear through the torso and out the other side.

He had split it into two pieces.

Triuk said, “Holy fucking huzzah Grarl.”

Triuk, still mindful of the upcoming, and hopeful, last zombie, turned to face it. He lifted the sword…..

Triuk: Natural 1

….. and slipped over again.

Grarl, even in the seriousness of battle, gave off a laugh as he moved in between his friend and the zombie, took aim with a hopeful repeat…..

Grarl to zombie: 10 + 6 = 16: Hit

Damage: 10 + 4 = 14

….. but was unable to time or place the hit as well. Even so, brute force and sharp edges brought the zombie to a deadly stop. He fell to the ground.

They had won the fight.

Experience Earned.

Split evenly.

275xp each

Grarl Total XP: 575

Next Level achieved at 1000xp

Triuk stood up, brushed of the soil and smiled. He approached Grarl while taking out a bandage and leaned to his neck. Grarl had temporarily forget his neck wound, but suddenly remembered it.

Triuk, without words, applied a paste, wrapped the bandage around his neck then sat down beside him.

Grarl said, “Don’t you have any healing magic?”

Triuk replied, “Not yet, I am still earning favor.”

As they sat on the ground, considering the fight, the dark and their achievement, Grarl said, “Maybe we need to find an Orckin Cleric?”

Triuk said, “I have been looking for all summer. I didn’t want to start this insane mission without one, but it is harder than you think to find an Orckin Cleric that has nothing to do with Gruumsh.”

“Gruumsh: He-Who-Never-Sleeps. God of Orcs.”

Triuk added, “The good news is I heard a rumor that there was an Orckin Cleric up North, two or three days walk from here, who worships Obad-Hai, the God of Nature. I think we need that cleric sooner rather than later. One hit almost had you stuffed like a turkey.”

Grarl fell back onto the ground. Looking up into the night sky, he felt lucky to be alive.

Triuk said, “We should head back, there are probably more of them here, and we are not able to deal with them all now.” With that said, Triuk stood up and began the return walk to home.