Killum smiled. That could only mean his friends were heading toward that town.
"Thank you, little cartoon monkey."
"Um, wizard."
They both laughed.
"Start playing, Killum," Admin said, starting to fade away. "Go forth, sir! Vanquish your enemies! Take their women as your own! Conquer dungeons and kingdoms! Enjoy your newfound immortality! Welcome to the Hidden Realms!"
Killum stared open-mouthed at empty air. What did that all mean? "Did he really say to take my enemies' women as my own? How gritty is this version of the Game? If word gets out, mothers will be marching on Washington."
He started toward the river, planning to follow it to Oxenbluff. If he read the map correctly, it could take the better part of the day to reach the town. Once he had the gang together, then they'd figure out a game plan.
"I think I'm going to like it here."
Chapter 7
Asha marveled at the old-growth forest. Those were the biggest trees she'd ever seen, and their thick canopy a hundred feet above cut out most of the sunlight. The forest floor was cool and almost empty of underbrush. At first, she'd worried her skimpy attire would prove inadequate in protecting her flesh from scratching, tearing underbrush and thorns, but in fact it was only the biting insects she had to worry about.
Her feet were protected by low calf boots sturdier than she originally thought. The forest floor was carpeted by dead leaves, so her passage was relatively quiet. She heard birds above singing merrily, and small animals scampering around just out of sight. Aside from a few squirrels, a remarkably large hare, and a single spotted doe, she hadn't seen much life in the hour she'd been walking.
It hadn't taken her long to realize she had a supernatural ability to discern direction. Was that because she was a sorceress? Or did all players have that ability? Whatever the reason, it made it easy to stay on course toward Oxenbluff.
"What am I going to do if no one else followed me through?"
She heard it before the creek came into view. As soon as Asha saw the gurgling creek she was hit by intense thirst. That was odd.
"This improved virtual reality version is actually pretty impressive," she said. So she hurried over to the creek and knelt. The water was cold and clear, and tasted amazing. And it felt wet like water. It felt exactly like real life. Asha drank ten double-handfuls of water. "I didn't realize I needed water so badly."
She jumped over the creek, careful to not get her new boots wet. The sorceress hadn't taken a dozen steps before a new urge hit her. In the previous version of the Game, she felt a form of hunger and thirst, just not as accurate and as intense as it was in this world. But in the previous version she never had to urinate. She didn't even have the ability to do so, but now she did. And she had to go.
Going was easy enough. Her "skirt" was really a wide belt with a strip of cloth off the front and a wider one off the back. Yeah, she was commando, and not liking it. Something else to mention when I call the company's headquarters tomorrow.
Squatting on the trail, she lifted her skirt out of the way and released. Her bladder was a lot fuller than she realized, but it felt so good. Such a relief. And then she heard shuffling off to her left, followed by what could only be a snicker. Her eyes grew big as her face heated up.
The high elf rose to her feet and glared. "Show yourself, you little perv!"
A dozen goblins in tattered brown tunics charged out from behind trees and raced towards her. All were carrying five foot stabbing spears, and their green faces were painted in stripes of red and white. The goblins had all pulled their long black hair up into topknots.
"Eeks!"
Goblin Warrior (Lvl 7). -2 Dark.
Goblin Warrior (Lvl 3). Neutral.
Goblin Warrior (Lvl 9). -3 Dark.
Goblin Warrior (Lvl 5). Neutral.
Asha turned away from them and ran for all she was worth.
She glanced up at the heavens. "You could've given me a sword or bow and arrows! Even a rusty dagger is better than nothing."
The biggest goblin she'd ever seen in the Game jumped out from behind a massive oak in front of her. The ugly bastard grinned cruelly and thrust his spear at her belly. She noted the spearhead was flint, and the spear's shaft was thick, heavy, and crudely crafted.
Dukk. Goblin Warrior (Lvl 12). -6 Dark. PK: 3.
"Hai!" Asha screamed as she leapt into a flying roundhouse. It was one of her signature moves in the Game, but this time she felt awkward pulling it off. Yet, she still managed to connect her foot to the spear just behind the spearhead, knock it aside, and break the spearhead off when it slammed against the tree. "Ha-ha!"
Confidence flowed through the beautiful elfmaid as she returned to the ground before the goblin. She was only a head taller than the greenish brute, but she grabbed his broken spear with both hands and slammed her knee up between his legs. The goblin warrior's eyes went wide, and then he looked terribly sick as he bent over double.
Asha yanked the spear away from him, which became a staff without the spearhead.
She immediately pounded the staff into the back of the goblin's head, laying him out cold. Then she turned and thrust the staff into the face of the first goblin to reach her. His feet went out from under him, as she stepped forward, spinning the staff around, and bringing the end down between his eyes.
It brought back memories of playing "Kung Fu" with her brothers back in Brighton, using broomsticks for staffs and swords. She'd been really good with a fake staff as a child, and could spin the hell out of them. Looked impressive, anyway.
"Back off, goblins, I am a mighty – Ooff!"
Three of the vicious little monsters plowed into her back. They forced her face first into the ground, knocking a lot of the air out of her lungs. Asha gasped for air, swinging her elbows and kicking wildly. She got in a few good hits, but more goblins piled on.
"Aaagh, you vile vermin! I'll kill you all!" she screamed as her arms were seized and held tight. Then another one stomped down between her shoulder blades. "Uggh!"
She was dragged up onto her knees, forced to face the big goblin she kneed in the gonads. He still looked rather sick, and didn't walk very well. That didn't stop him from kicking her in the belly. Twice.
"Hit her again, Dukk!" another goblin said.
"Elven filth," Dukk growled. Grabbing a fistful of her hair, he yanked Asha's head back and locked eyes with the elf. "You look delicious, elfmaid. I love roasted elf more than anything. Elf meat melts in the mouth."