The three of us had made our way southeast back to Landalof with tight frowns. The imp threw around some jokes about how much faster we could walk because of our long legs. We chuckled a bit, but the frowns remained.

We crossed over the bridge and noticed Sal talking with his fiance out in front of the Adventure’s Center. I had been going to call to him but then I saw a deep expression on his face. As I got closer, I could hear a few snippets of information.

“We have another fifty civilians to move to the otherlands before something worse happens. They are scared, , really scared,” Sal said with a series, yet worried, face.

“I know, I know love. We are pushing the paperwork through and making some magic, but you know how the system works; we can only do so much,” Beth replied, looking even more worried than her lover did.

The two turned and saw us approaching. Sal tried to hide his emotions behind a fake smile as he waved to me. “Hey Ky! Where have you been?”

I expected them to all still be furious with my involvement in the whole situation but even Beth seemed a little happy to see us.

“Hey Sal. How, uh, how has it been around here?” I asked nervously.

“Oh I mean, been better, been worse. The prince is gone, that’s always good I guess.”

Billy stepped in front of me in response to the news. “He’s gone? Why? Who’s technically next in line then?” The old man seemed more worked up than usual, almost as if someone was giving him his own medicine by playing a prank on him and he didn’t like it.

“Oh, well the news kind of got around, like everywhere, and he was going to be shunned from Landalof but then he just went up and left. No one was really worried about it, but then some weird things have been happening around here.”

We all nodded and then Billy continued probing Sal for unanswered questions.

Sall stepped back as Billy almost climbed on top of him due to his anxiety and relentless questioning. “Okay, okay. Well, John is still technically in charge of defence and guidance, but final say has now moved to princess Alana, the second eldest, yet she has not come yet.”

Seemingly relieved, Billy stepped back and apologized for his behavior. “You know how I get Sally, I just really care about this place.”

“I know you old Kook. I know.” They both just laughed. I went to chime in but something was pulling on my leg.

“Oh, of course, I almost forgot, shame on me.” I said to the group as I lifted my new companion up to show the group. “This is Magnolias. I animated my loot box in order to get what was inside and his spirit went into it. He’s an imp…”

“Hey, hey now. No need telling them that stuff. I’m a good guy alright,” Magnolias said having jokingly, half defensively. “I’m on team adventurer now and I’m ready to go. Back you oaf! Get away from my master!” The imp squealed at Sal as he jumped from my grip into a front flip and kicked at Sal midair.

“Gah! The damn wretched thing is trying to kill me” Sal boomed as he raised his sword defensively at the imp. Magnolias then dropped to the ground and pleaded for his safety.

“Please don’t kill me! I was just trying to be funny! I swear!”

Sal looked furious, but his eyes darted to me and a very small smirk briefly flashed across his face. He thrusted the sword down with what looked like maximum force and then he went to stop it, but something happened before he could.

A blinding beam of various colors shot out of Magnolias and blasted Sal up and back twenty feet into the stone wall of the Adventurer’s Center. The metal banged loudly against the wall and then made a horrible screeching noise as he fell down.

Sal landed with a quick thud and surprise made up the entirety of his face. Magnolias jumped up and ran behind me, clutching onto my leg. I didn’t really know what to do.

Billy, Magnolias, and I made our way over to see if he was okay, but Magnolias still seemed frightened.

“I’m really sorry sir! I didn’t mean to do that. I have no clue how it happened,” Magnolias pleaded.

“I don’t know how that happened…” I started as I looked to the imp. The scales along his body glowed powerfully for another moment before fading completely.

“Oh! He must have some sort of power due to the scales that are all over him. We should have thought of that before.”

Everyone nodded, even Sal, but the soldier looked like he had seen better days. “Hey guys, it was fun and all but I’m gonna go back to doing what hopefully won’t get me killed.”

“Yeah,” Beth agreed, “I need to help as well, so I should be going back inside.” The two turned to leave, but I got a quest notification.

Trouble In Landalof

Difficulty: Hard

As you know, a player and a few natives, or NPCs as you call them, died under mysterious circumstances.. Due to this and other strange happenings, there is a movement to help alleviate issues and to protect those in danger. Your assistance would mean the world to the people of Landalof and in their changing times would probably reward you greatly with either payment or admiration. Would you like to proceed? Y/N

I thought yes and proceeded without giving it another thought. “Hey there, is there something I could assist you with?” I couldn’t help but notice something seems rather off. Plus, Billy told me about the deaths; I'm so sorry for their deaths. It isn’t fair that players, I mean adventurers, can come here and cause you harm, that’s why there are protection charms up.”

Sal and Beth turned around and smiled. “Yes of course adventurer. We could use the help. Actually, you know what, you might be able to speed up the process for us. That little fiasco with the feathers there might actually show the solution to our troubles.”

“Oyah?” I asked/

“Yeah, oyah?” Magnolias parroted back in a sad attempt to seem like my back up goon.

“The two laughed again, but then grew serious. “Come inside, come inside,” Beth said, ushering me along.

I followed her through the door and then she turned around, “Billy can come, but the imp should wait out here.” I could immediately tell that Beth’s words stung my new companion.

“So I have to wait outside like a dog because I'm an imp uh?” Magnolias left all joking aside and his eyes glowed a darker blue, almost accentuating his anger.

I wanted to defend him, but I understood the mistrust. “I’m really sorry buddy, but we’ve just got some minor stuff to attend to. It’s not even really important. I promise you’ll play a big role in all of this.“

I couldn’t tell whether or not he bought my words, but the little guy seemed to warm up at hearing them. “Oh, yeah? Because I’m made of dragonsteel, dragon scales, magical gems, gold, and I have the most powerfully sword alive inside of me, huh?”

Magnolias’ words changed tone so we all just looked at him confused about whether or not he believed what we were saying. His eyes flashed back to normal and his shoulders lowered. “No really, I get it. I’m probably the most powerful one here by far. You guys go have your secret meeting and I’ll repel any nasties that try to go inside.”

We all smiled and I said, “Good, good buddy. See, you are very useful and we won’t be long.”

Sal chuckled and Beth quickly spoke up, “But make sure you let adventurers in; they still have business to do you know. The imp nodded and then waved us off into the building.”

We entered the familiar building and then I realized how it felt like ages since I first stepped into the building and met Billy, though in reality it was only a couple of days.

We turned left and Beth jingled a set of keys as she unlocked the door. It took her an extra minute because she couldn’t get the right key. No wonder they need my help, I thought, smirking at my own thoughts like a loser.

Beth unlocked the door and the four of us rushed inside. The room’s walls were stuffed with bookshelves full of records and other books I didn’t really know the use of.

At the back of the room was a large stone circle with a bubbly purple portal inside of it.

“A land portal?” I questioned out of surprise. I looked to Billy but he didn’t look shocked.

“Yes,” Beth replied. “ we use this for emergencies like the one we are in. When accounts go inactive, or an adventurer decides to sell of their land, we use this portal to either clean out the land to resell it, or to auction the whole property off to high paying natives.

“Yes, that’s about it,” Sal said. “But in times of need the land is also used for fleeing natives that don’t have a place to live normally. They are people like the ones that died most recently.”

“Ah, that makes sense,” I said and billy just stood there nodding and scratching his chin. “How can I help you then?”

The couple looked at me closely and then Sal stopped in until he was rather close. “Well, you know how you like to talk to things right…””

***

The four of us had been at it for about three hours. The process more or less stayed the same the entire time. Beth would walk up to the portal, close her eyes and whisper a name or something and the portal would change to a picture of someone’s property. Sometimes they were just pieces of land and other times they were marvelous domiciles.

The problem was that some properties used to belong to hardcore players who had then since died. They had the passcodes for all the normal players but something about the system kept them from getting passwords for the homes owned by hardcore players.

Beth apparently exhausted all of her land by filling it with civilians and so that’s why I was standing there and making bubbly portals grow facial features. Sometimes they would be happy to tell me what I needed to know but other times they liked to play games. I had found the passwords for most of them, but we were stuck on one rather mouthy portal.

“So, why should I let you inside, huh? You wanna strip me apart, sell everything, and pass me on to the next loser adventurer who won’t treat me right?” the womanly voice of what looked like a standard housing setup blasted at us.

“No, no,’ i defended, “people are in need; players are killing other players and native civilians within the border. There’s nowhere else for them to go,” I countered.

“Ohh and that’s better, isn’t it? Some smelly old homeless natives running amuck inside of me. Yeah, because that’s what I need.”

My temper steadily raised and I stepped forward to yell at her, but then I stopped and thought. I thought about how it was very much like the very few times I actually got to talk to my mom and she wouldn’t let me have my way. I would just find out something she wanted, do it, and then ask again. It usually worked.

“Well then. I guess we’ll just have to pass then. I’m really sorry for the inconvenience.”

“What?!” Sal and Beth both yelled.

“But we need every place we can,” Sal yelled.

“Yes, please…” Beth begged.

“No!” I yelled, whipping around dramatically towards the group. “I will not stand for this injustice.” I waived my arms to showcase my “anger.” “This poor woman… Excuse me what’s your name?”

“Margret,” The portal quickly answered, obviously taken aback by my display. Her “eyebrows” were raised and her “eyes” were wider than they had been, but her “lips” curled up ever so slightly.

“Margaret has had a rough life; she deserves better.” The three looked back at me, sort of catching on but still completely confused.

“Now, you three go get people for the places we uncovered.” The three looked at me again, unsure exactly what was going on.

“NOW GO!” I boomed, mustering every ounce of conviction I could. The group rushed out the door and I heard the door snap shut behind them and the jingling of keys to suggest the door was being locked.

I then turned back around to the portal, bowed, and said, “Now, madam Margaret, how can I be of assistance?”