Trapped in a Game Pt. 04

"Who are you," she asked, nervously twirling a little lock of braided hair that hung loosely to the side of her face.

Her robes were a mess, and there were bruises and cuts along her hands and legs.

A pang of anxiety began to gnaw at my chest.

"Where's the rest of your group?" I asked impatiently, and she recoiled at the question.

Her hands were trembling, and there was a terror stricken look in her eyes.

No, I thought. Please don't tell me...

"Calm down," Serra muttered, putting a hand on my shoulder, and I gulped nervously, suppressing a cough as my throat seemed all at once to go dry.

"My name is Serra. This is Josh. His sister is in your party, and he's worried about her. What happened to your group?"

She eyed Serra for a moment before reluctantly speaking:

"Your, uh- sister. What's her name?" she asked, and Serra glanced at me as I pondered the question.

Shit. She changed her name, didn't she?

What would they know her as?

"U-um, her name is Kelly- but she changed her in-game name a few times-"

"You don't know your sister's name?" she asked incredulously, and I noted that she was now trying to subtly ready her quarterstaff.

"It's complicated. Look- she's a sorcerer. She's been with you since you left-"

"Light sha-!"

"Nightmare," I whispered, and the girl shrieked in terror as my voice, magically enhanced, spoke directly into her mind, interrupting her attempt at spellcasting.

She recoiled, crawling backwards from me fearfully, and Serra shot me a wry smirk.

"Hey, if we wanted to hurt you we would have just left you to the thrall. But if his sister gets hurt because you wasted our time- you just might wish we'd left you to that monster."

She was shaking, unsure of what to say when-

"Hey! Leave her alone you bastards!"

-another player came charging down the corridor, sword drawn, and Caliban appeared beside him and lunged at his feet, knocking him a bit too easily off balance.

"Argh!" he yelped as he went toppling comically to the floor beside his cowering comrade, almost wounding himself with his sword in the process.

"Uh-" he started uncertainly, and Serra rubbed her temples, shaking her head in annoyance.

"Wait- Pete?" I asked, and he tilted his head before looking up at me.

"You! What are you doing here?" he asked as he climbed angrily to his feet. "And with her too?"

He cast angry glances between me and Serra, and I sighed, recalling the grudge he bore against us after his comrade's death.

Caliban growled at him, and he flinched.

"Whoa- what the fuck is that?"

I ignored the question.

"Pete- where's everyone else? My sister was with you."

"No, she's not. Your sister is parading as Galvan's consort. Or did she not tell you-"

"Dude, the sorceress. Look man, I don't have time for this. Where is she?"

"The sorceress-? Morrigan?"

I sighed, recalling my sister's obsession with Celtic mythology.

"Yeah, that's probably her," I commented, and a troubled look suddenly crossed Pete's face.

"Pete, do you know them? Are they the ones who attacked us-?"

As the girl began, I couldn't help but notice something off about the tone in her voice, but the thought was quickly interrupted by Pete, who sighed reluctantly before answering:

"I'm not really fond of these two, but they wouldn't have attacked us. If his sister is who he says she is then that explains why they're here- shit! David and Morrigan are still in the pit, we have to-"

"What pit?" I cut him off impatiently.

"Come on," he yelled, jumping to his feet and taking off.

"Did, uh- Trevor find anything?" the girl asked, and Pete shook his head.

"Dunno- he hasn't been responding to my messages, and I can't reach David or Karn either."

We took off in his wake, and he took us down a few corridors before coming to a halt at an intersection.

He quickly scanned the two corridors before turning to his companion:

"Did we go down here before?" he asked, and she shrugged, a helpless look of confusion in her eyes.

My annoyance was starting to get the better of me.

"Pete- what happened?" I asked, as he began to tear down a new corridor.

"Karn was leading us past a pit trap, but there was an arrow trap designed to knock us in. Morrigan and David were almost across when someone wearing shady robes activated the trigger by shooting at it with a crossbow from across the pit. It set the trap off, knocking them off a ledge and into the pit. Morrigan used feather fall to survive the fall, and Karn shot a grappling hook across the pit to swing in and catch David- but they're trapped in the pit with- shit this isn't it," he muttered, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as we doubled back.

"Trapped with what?"

"A slime- wait, can any of you cast long distance magic?" he asked, coming to a halt, and I sighed:

"Just get us to the pit and we'll handle it."

As Pete led us down another passageway, I leaned in to Serra and whispered:

"If this is what you've had to put up with since meeting me then I apologize greatly," and she smiled happily in response.

"Well at least you know."

"What's the slime thing?" I asked, and she rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Not awful in itself, but they multiply indefinitely every time they attack. Can become a mess in a hurry if you're stuck in an enclosed space."

"We should hurry," I muttered impatiently, and Serra smiled at me again.

"You know, this side of you isn't half bad, Joshie."

I blushed, even though she seemed to be teasing me more than anything else.

Pete took us down another corridor, but as he made a left Caliban' voice spoke to us:

"The pit is this way," he noted, bringing us to a halt.

"The fuck was that?" Pete asked, but I had already turned and was following Caliban down the opposite corridor which wound about a bit before emptying into a great hall.

Much of the ground had collapsed in, revealing an arena like pit at the bottom of the room with terraces that wound around it, designed almost like an old Greek colosseum.

I quickly took in the scene before me, trying to get a grasp of the situation; Karn and David appeared to be hacking at slimes as they advanced on them, moving in circles around Kelly who was firing little waves of fire at them intermittently, and trying to help keep the little annoying monstrosities at bay.

The slimes were assuming various humanoid and simple beast forms, and making relatively simple attacks, but each attack was bringing forth a new monster, as the old slime would split into two, sometimes three or more versions of itself; a process which seemed to have quickly filled the pit that they were trapped in.

They were holding their own down there, but unless the threat could be eliminated altogether, then it was only a matter of time before monsters would wear them down through sheer tenacity.

I glanced over at Serra, and she smiled at me to my confusion.

"What?"

"Your sister is down there and you didn't dive in headfirst without a plan. You know, if you're not careful I might actually fall for you."

I chuckled a bit, rubbing my head, before turning my attention back to the pit.

"So what do we do?" I asked, even though I already had a few ideas.

As Serra sauntered over to edge to survey the scene below, I studied the cheeky smile on her face with guarded curiosity.

"Hmm. Looks like it might actually be time for you to use that stupid spell... I know you kept it anyways."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I muttered bashfully, and she rolled her eyes as she tutted at me with derision.

"Yeah, yeah- go be her hero already. Just cast telepathy and use synergy first, otherwise we won't be able to communicate. Caliban- you go with him," she added, and I did as she asked before preparing to use the spell my decision to choose this class had been based entirely upon.

"Swap places," I chanted, smiling to myself, and Karn gasped as Kelly vanished and I appeared in her stead.

"No no, no. What is he doing?" I heard Kelly's panicked voice speaking through my telepathic link with Serra.

"Whoa there, little sis. Relax. Take a breath. He'll be fine, but there's something you need to..."

I diverted my attention from the link to the slimes that were swarming dangerously about us.

Karn sliced through one with his axe before throwing a little ball-like object which exploded into a series of sparks in the midst of the approaching horde.

David moved in swiftly, slicing through three of the monsters with his sword before parrying a blow and retreating to my side, his breathing heavy and labored.

"Don't worry, Morrigan- I'll protect you to my last breath," David promised reverently, and despite myself I chuckled a little:

"By all means, please do," and he gasped a little as he turned to see me in my sister's stead, but the surprise quickly gave way to necessity of action, as the slimes swarmed about us.

Caliban materialized at my side, and immediately lunged at one of the slime, tearing through its limbs with his fearsome fangs.

"Tell me you've got a plan kid," Karn muttered in between gasps, and I nodded before responding:

"Just keep them off of me for a little."

With Caliban by their sides, Karn and David set out to work on driving the monsters back and I moved behind them with my hands raised.

"Mold earth," I chanted, and the earth around us began to shift as my spell excavated some of the earth beneath the slimes.

They shuffled about as the movement caused some momentary disturbances in their ranks, but that wasn't the spell's true purpose.

As the spell took control of the excavated earth, I quickly set about shaping it into little barriers.

They weren't high enough to prevent the slime from advancing, but they were enough to hinder their advance, and bring their ever increasing numbers to us more slowly allowing us to better control the flow of the battle.

"It's done," I whispered to Serra, before drawing my rapier and diving into the fray.

"Okay- just two more minutes," her voice called back as I slipped beside Caliban in the onslaught.

The slime were fairly slow and easy to avoid, but their numbers were great, and my rapier's piercing attacks and lunges were not as effective in dealing with them as the slashing attacks of David's longsword and Karn's axe.

As the slime began to press us, Caliban and I resorted to making quick jabs to protect David and Karn as they carved their way through the slime, but just as we got a consistent rhythm going, Serra's voice spoke into my head through our telepathic link:

"Done, bring me down!" she commanded with a peppy, enthusiastic tone, and I rolled my eyes despite the smile that her zaniness now evoked.

"Swap places," I muttered as I stared up at the platform where she stood, and Kelly gasped as Serra vanished from in front of her, leaving me standing in her stead.

"Missed me?" I asked playfully.

"A little," she smiled shyly as she offered the timid response.

"Look alive, lover boy," Serra's voice called to me through our telepathic link, snapping me out of my momentary reverie.

"Ready?" I asked, and Kelly smiled as she offered me her hand.

Serra glanced at us, then raised her holy symbol above her head.

"Elemental shield: fire," she chanted.

The sorcerer class was one of the most offensive magic-based classes in the game, and the go to spell for most of them was fireball.

In terms of damage and magic cost, it was the most efficient offensive spell in the game, doing large amounts of damage that was spread out over a fairly wide area.

The only drawback was that the damage affected friend and foe alike, but now, thanks to Serra's protective ritual spell, Kelly could fire off the spell with abandon into the pit below.

"Fireball!" she chanted, and as the explosion set off in the midst of the slime's ranks, Kelly smiled at me, impressed by the amplification effect that my synergy had on her spellcasting ability.

She took a deep breath as she recovered from the momentary cloudiness that offensive spellcasting often elicited, but as she prepared to cast it again she placed a her hand on mine and guided me gently to her side, to the soft little place just above her hip bone.

"There," she muttered softly, as her hand slipped from mines, and as I repositioned myself slightly behind her, she cast a sideways glance at me that seemed to say 'just you watch,' as she raised both her hands and aimed them into the slime crowded pit below.

"Fireball," she chanted proudly, and to my surprise two little fiery orbs appeared in the pit, subsequently exploding into a glorious pair of fireballs, rocking the very foundations of the room.

"Fuck!" Pete yelled out, as little bits of stone crumbled and fell from the ceiling and walls around us, and an arrow he had just notched into his bow misfired, sinking haphazardly into the opposite wall as he stumbled, casting his bow aside in an attempt to avoid falling flat on his face.

Dana rolled her eyes at him, but as she surveyed the cleared room beneath us, I noticed once more that the relief displayed on her face was tempered with a look, a nervous searching look that I couldn't quite explain.

Despite being completely protected from the blast, most of the group beneath, Serra excluded, had made disjointed attempts to take cover from its effect, and looked shaken by the blast.

Serra arched an eyebrow at me that seemed to say 'was that really necessary,' but Kelly's party was jubilant, and Pete did a heel clicking leap into the air as everyone quickly broke into a quick impromptu victory celebration.

Kelly dove into my arms and hugged me tight.

"My hero," she whispered, and I smiled stupidly as she quickly leaned in to peck me on the lips.

I was still smiling stupidly when I noticed Dana's eyes glued to us, her mouth slightly agape, and I quickly withdrew from Kelly and ruffled her hair awkwardly, trying to play the situation off as some concerned brother/sister affection, but perhaps to no avail as I continued to feel her probing gaze upon me.

"Hello? Earth to Josh! Get me out of this fucking hole!"

"Huh?" I answered stupidly, as Serra's voice called to me through our telepathic link.

"Quit sleeping, man! We don't know if enemies are still around."

With the immediate danger averted, we got to work on getting everyone out of the pit. We opted for the non-magical way since we weren't sure if our spellcasters would still need their magic to fight, and at first it prove to be pretty arduous work.

But Karn's bounty hunter class guide had a description for devising a makeshift pulley system which he was able to construct using the rope that came with most of our supply sets, making much easier work of the task.

Serra was the last to come up, and as she rejoined the group, everyone seemed to be enthusiastically commending Kelly on a job well done, much to her annoyance.

"Oh please- dual casting fireballs is like, practically cheating," she muttered under her breath, and I smiled at her, realizing that she was much more easily moved to jealousy than I'd imagined.

As the party got settled and Dana set about healing her comrades, I noted that there was a pretty serious expression on David's face.

"What's up?" I asked, and Kelly sighed as she moved quietly to my side.

"One of our party members is missing," she whispered, and Serra moved over to join us.

"How did that happen?" Serra asked, and Kelly looked back to her group before responding quietly:

"After we got knocked into the pit, Pete, Dana, and Trevor split up to try and find a way down to the lower levels to help us, and we've had no word from him since. They're trying to organize a search for him now."

Serra clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Idiots," she muttered, "that doesn't make any sense. Although..." she trailed off thoughtfully, casting a sideways glance at the rest of the party before continuing: "You all cleared this place, right?" Serra asked, and I arched an eyebrow at her as a mischievous smile appeared on her face.

"Uh- more or less. There were two more thralls, but I'm guessing they're dead or else they would have found us by now.

"We killed one on our way in, so that means someone might have killed the other," I added, and Serra waved away my contribution as she continued:

"Then we know where to find them."

"Them?"

"The people who attacked you."

"You're being crazy," I responded.

"What's she talking about?" Kelly asked, as she glanced between the two of us in confusion.

"She wants to attack the master vampire to draw out your assailants," I muttered, and Kelly pondered the information.

"That's not a bad idea," she muttered to my surprise.

"No- it's a terrible idea," I countered, just as David came over to join us:

"What's a terrible idea?"

Kelly quickly filled him in, and as he pondered the plan Karn, Pete and Dana came over as well.

"Our priority is right now is finding Trevor," David noted thoughtfully.

"Hey, tempest guy. Can't you just use your scan spell?" Pete barked, and Serra screwed up her face in annoyance:

"Won't work. Anti-detection barriers, idiot."

"Well we'll just split up and look for him then," Pete continued unperturbed, but this time Karn cut in:

"With communication down and enemies inside the lair, we'd be putting everyone in danger."

"He's right," David muttered.

"Yeah, except... we happen to know exactly where the enemy will be," Serra announced with a smug smile.

"The vampire's chamber," Karn muttered, a thoughtful expression on his face as he gave his chin a rub.

As David considered the information, Pete began to look between the two incredulously.

"You're not seriously thinking about listening to them are you?"

"Pete..." Karn began-

"She almost let one of our members die without giving a fuck about it," he retorted harshly, and I moved cautiously between him and Serra.

"Look Pete, Ren's death isn't her fault," Karn continued, "I was your leader. I should have recognized the danger, but I didn't."

"She could have..."

"If I could have saved her, she would be alive... isn't Josh?" Serra muttered, and Pete glared at her angrily.

He continued to sulk, but he piped down, brooding quietly as David continued:

"Are you sure the two of them will be enough? We'll be up against a master vampire and an enemy party," he noted, and Karn gave a little chuckle.

"If it were just any two people, I'd say no. But you're looking right now at the Twilight Princess and the Gloom Stalker," Karn announced begrudgingly, and a smile crossed David's face as he considered the news.

"I see. So what's your plan then?" he asked, and a wicked look appeared on Serra's face as she began with a smile:

"I'm glad you asked."

***

"Did you come up with those nicknames?" I asked, and Serra shook her head, shooting me a cheeky grin.

"First I'm hearing of it, but I told you, didn't I? They'd be talking about us in every tavern in this continent!"

To appease Pete, we'd sent Caliban out to search for Trevor (much to Serra's annoyance), and using the info she got from Mackenzie, we'd easily made out way to the Master Vampire's location, but when we got there-

"Flame strike!"

The yell came from a girl whose face was shrouded by the hood of her long grey cloak, and a fiery arrow erupted from her hands, striking the master vampire in the chest as two of her similarly cloaked comrades swung their swords at him, trying to land a blow as he danced about them effortlessly, striking at them in retaliation with his wickedly clawed hands.