Two weeks later my brother Sam trudged into the palace. He was pale and had shed some pounds, which ought not have been the case for it was not his real body but an avatar.

“What happened to you?” I asked, aghast at his condition.

“What happened to me?” Sam said, somewhat irritated. “I had to stay for longer durations in the game world. I couldn’t tend to my real world body. Of course the effects would show on my character because my mood is fucked up!”

Well, it was quite obvious that he was cranky.

I let a moment pass before I spoke anything, to allow Sam to cool down a little.

“Did you get to the elf king?” I asked him.

Sam nodded with a sigh.

“I just hope that he does not think I am on your side,” he replied. “If he does then my money making ventures will be flushed down the toilet. I will have to lay low after I return to the town of the players, at least for a while.”

“What did you tell the elf king?” I asked.

“That a bunch of monsters kidnapped me and asked me to deliver him the message,” Sam replied. He rubbed his temples as though he was thinking of his meeting with the elf king.

“And he believed you?” I asked.

“Well, I am a player so he didn’t disregard me,” Sam said, “But I can’t guarantee how much he trusted me. He had a poker face. I told him that a human with an evil affinity was the king of the monsters. This perplexed him. I wonder if it was a good idea to say that. Maybe we could have simply sent one of the Skhites or the Hornies for the discussion? What if the elf king finds out how you came into Dharti?”

“When does he want to have the discussion?” I asked Sam instead. His words had unsettled me. He was right. Sending one of the more competent Skhites or Hornies for the discussion would have been a smarter idea. But would they be able to get the message across as well as me?

Sam grinned.

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” I said. That was rather quick.

“Yeah,” said Sam, “the idea of an evil human king seems to have piqued his curiosity.”

“Did he call me to his castle?” I asked.

“No, the discussion will be held on the bridge that separates the town and the land of the Eviluns,” Sam said. “It is the first time a peaceful exchange between the Eviluns and the players is going to take place in the entire history of Dharti. It will be quite the event. Players would flock to watch it. The elf king however specified that when the dialogue is going on, a maximum of three eviluns can be on the bridge, though others can be present on the evilun side of the river.”

My mind painted a picture of Bono putting a foot on the flimsy bridge. Would the bridge be able to sustain the weight of the stone couple?

“What if the bridge breaks?” I asked Sam. He raised brow as if I was asking something irrational.

“Why will the bridge break?” he asked.

“Well, I was planning to take two stone giants with me as bodyguards,” I said and Sam’s eyebrows hiked up his forehead.

“Stone giants?” he said. “Stone giants are your friends now? Shit, bro, I am impressed by you! Are you their king?” Sam had not seen Bono as he was off on a date with Bui.

“Not their king,” I said, “Just friends. With two of them.”

Sam shrugged in a carefree manner.

“If that bridge is doomed to break, it shall--Or maybe it won’t.”

***

It was midday. There was a scent of uncertainty in the air, like it was exam day and I had bunked all the classes of the semester.

Bono carried me on his shoulder. I swayed violently with every step he took. Distant memories from early childhood of riding my father’s shoulder resurfaced. I focused not to fall down. It would cost a good deal of health. Bono was as tall as a two storey building.

Along the way, we picked up the Skhites and the Hornies, who set aside their daily chores to accompany me to the historic occasion. It was a long procession to the bridge. Smaller monsters and animals looked at us with awe and confusion as we marched past them.

Despite all my protest the night before, Kiara chose to stay in the game world despite it being a Monday. But I strictly instructed her to mix with the monsters and never dare come to the forefront. She only had one life and I didn’t want her to be at risk. There were after all a lot of things that could go south.

It was about half an hour after we had left the palace that we arrived at the river bank.

On the other side of the river there were hundreds, perhaps thousands of players. Their sheer numbers made my spine zing. Many of them were highly skilled players. I would be the focus of their attention. My heart was at my throat.

I hoped this would work out well.

If the players attacked today and if I managed to escape them, then I would alter my approach. If they back stabbed me today, I would flung all notions of peace to the garbage heap and become truly evil, and single-mindedly seek their destruction.

Let’s pray I needn’t fall to that.