“Welcome to the majestic town of ‘Suavis’.” Hua intoned gravely, sweeping her arm ahead of her to encompass the hamlet. She turned and looked back at us with an exaggerated wink. “They have a friendly rivalry with Hickstown over various things, but I find it all a bit silly.”

It was about half the size of Springbrook, with far less activity. I guessed the various schools kept Springbrook’s citizens busy meeting their needs.

“Does anyone stand out as different?” Ixion asked as we got close enough to see individual people.

“Nothing stands out yet. Either we’re too far away, or they’re all characters so far.” I answered looking intently at each person I could see.

***

“What’s going on over there?” Ixion asked, pointing a the crowd gathering in what looked like the town square.

Hua peered over everyone’s heads and shrugged. “Looks like someone in uniform is going to make a speech.”

“Sounds like a place we should be.” I said, leading the way over.

As we neared the gathering, we could hear the figure on the raised stand addressing the crowd. He was tall, with a military air about him. His leather armour gleamed, and the sword hanging at his hip was all business.

“People of Town Name! The Goblin Hordes are coming this way! If we do not prepare, we will be overrun and killed!”

“Since when?” someone in the crowd called out. “Goblins have never come this way in force before. Why would they start now?”

“They have new leaders now, and they are exhausting the resources of the lands they have already conquered. Soon they will break through the bastions at Bastion Town and nothing stands between you and them.”

“Bastion Town has never fallen, not in all the time people have lived here!” another voice yelled.

“Bastion Town has never faced a threat like this before.” the man in uniform said. “It’s not just Goblins anymore. They have allies now. Terrible allies that will wipe out the Bastion Town garrison and spill out onto the plains. They must be stopped there.”

“Can you tell if he’s a Player?” Ixion asked me quietly.

“I’m having a hard time seeing him for long enough to...woopsie.” Suddenly I was literally head and shoulders above the crowd as Hua grasped my hips and lifted me up in one smooth motion.

“Looks like there are...three...maybe that stand out.” I said, squinting at the figures on the stage. “The one talking, and two more off to the left. The ones in black.”

“Let’s go and introduce ourselves.” Hua said, putting me down and setting off through the crowd.

With Hua leading the way, it was easy to persuade people to get out of our way. Even though she kept up an endless stream of “Excuse me. Pardon me.” and so on, most people had already spread wide away from her imposing height.

She angled towards the side of the stage with the two figures in black, and we followed in her wake. A slow smile spread across my face as I realised she looked much like a duck being followed by a parade of ducklings.

As we approached the small stage, the pair in black noticed us watching them. They leaned together, but we were too far away for any of us to hear what they were saying. They watched us in turn as we stood off to the side of the short staircase leading up to the stage.

The figure in leather continued exhorting the crowd, but it was obvious they weren’t buying the urgency he was trying to convey. Some of them started to drift away, and soon the crowd was down to a few stragglers, either hard looking characters or a few ragged and desperate looking ones.

Eventually the trio on the stage filed down and headed over to us. We were the only group who remained and it was obvious we were interested in a conversation.

“Greetings friends, I am Patronus.” the leather-clad figure offered his hand to the group rather than any specific individual.

I grasped his wrist, catching him a little off guard before he grasped mine back and we shook, warrior to warrior.

“Saelyn.” I answered. “Ixion, Hua, Eldrin, Tehlmar.” indicating them in turn.

“Romulus and Remus, at your service.” the two in black stepped forward. If they weren’t twins, they looked related at least.

“Would you to be the new sheriffs in town?” I asked.

They smirked and exchanged a quick glance. “Only when someone needs to be reminded that Suavis prefers the quiet life.”

“How long have you been here? How much do you remember before a few weeks ago?” Ixion interrupted impatiently.

The three stared at him intently. “How do you know about that?” Patronus asked.

“You all have fuzzy memories before a few weeks ago, and you have been trying to figure out how you fit into things, but everyone around you keeps saying that whatever is going on is unlike anything they have seen before? Does that about sum it up?” Hua asked.

They all stared at her, but slowly began to nod.

“I take it that means you’ve been through a similar experience then?” Romulus asked.

“Is there a place we can talk?” I asked.

***

Shortly we were seated in the local Militia office that Patronus had seemed to have appropriated.

“So you’re saying that we may be players inside a game of some sort and that we need to win, while dying in here may be permanent to these people...who are us?” Remus summed up, brow furrowed.

“Pretty much.” I answered. “If all of it is true, we need to win this war to get back to the real world.”

“How certain are we that this information can be trusted?” Romulus asked. “What have we seen that supports this version instead of, say, a Goblin uprising, or Arcane powers at work?”

“I’m not sure it matters.” Ixion offered. “Regardless of what we think about the origins of the information, the basics remain the same. Dying is a bad thing. The Goblins are coming and must be stopped. We are somehow different from most of the people we encounter.”

Hua and I nodded.

“Good point.” Patronus agreed. “Whether or not we believe it, the facts before us remain. We need to oppose the Goblin Horde before it overwhelms the people in these towns. Gathering like-minded folks, whether they be these so-called ‘players’ or just outstanding people, will aid us to that end. If you can help us pick them out…” he nodded at me “...then that could speed up the process.”

“How long do you think until the Goblins arrive in enough numbers to overwhelm Bastion Town?” Ixion asked.

“At their current rate of movement, we should see their vanguard...if you could call it that...within a few days, and their main body within a week or so?”

“What is it about their vanguard?” Hua asked, brow furrowed.

“It’s more a mob or rabble that they push out in front of their more capable troops than a real fighting force. I guess they figure it will soak up our ammunition before the real fighters get to the walls, so they have a better chance of making it over.”

“That sounds like the goal of these ‘outside’ attacks. They are designed to keep us busy while the real damage is done elsewhere.” Ixion said.

“...or maybe to keep us focused here until the real attacks show up and we’re too exhausted to fight back?” Romulus said, pondering.

“It sounds like we need to look at this from a different angle. Maybe if we can divert them. Get them running the wrong way, so they can’t gather here for a large assault?”

“How is their discipline?” I asked Patreon. “Would we be able to bait them off into smaller groups? Are there areas around here we could use to separate them, or break their spirit?”

“Break their…” Remus trailed off. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking, brother?” He asked, turning to Romulus.

A sly smile was spreading across both of their faces.

“Share with the class kids.”

“Have you heard of the Forest of Woe?”