I heard the tell-tale chime, the bright click of shoes hitting cobble, and the all too common gasp as the stranger took in the scenery.

So I did my best to look inconspicuous.

I looked straight ahead and prayed with all my might that I’d go unnoticed. Almost willing myself into the background.

It didn’t work.

With mounting dread, I could almost feel the footsteps getting closer. The bustle of the marketplace made it impossible to hear but I knew the stranger was coming, because they always freakin did.

“Hey Mr. guard!”

I winced. Glancing at the newest annoyance to come along.

He had short-cropped blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes. He looked about nineteen and was pretty much standard fare as far as players were concerned.

Brown wool shirt and pants, check.

Small steel dagger and black belt, check.

Stupid and unfair good looks, check.

Lack of manners? Meh only time would-

“I asked you a question. Hello?” the jerk interrupted, waving his hand right in front of my face.

“he could be glitching” the young man muttered.

Staring at me with interest he started to poke my side talking to himself about a bug-fixer, whatever that meant.

Reigning in my temper I plastered a false smile on my face.

“What can I help you with young man? And could you stop- “

“Finally” he interrupted for the second time, holding out his hand. “Just give me my things so I can get going already.”

I gripped the pommel of the short-sword strapped to my side. Keeping it sheathed and most certainly not imagining what it would be like to just stab the guy. Over and over.

“What do you mean?” I responded wearily, eyeing the “player” or whatever they called themselves.

“Aren’t you supposed to give me stuff? You know, the starting equipment?”

He frowned up at me tapping his foot impatiently.

“Why would I do that?” I asked incredulously. “You think this job pays enough to give charity!?”

He froze for a second in shock, staring at up at me with a numb expression.

“you mean you aren’t gonna give me a map?”

“nope,” I confirmed.

“Advice?” he continued.

“Not after this conversation.”

“Money?” he finished weakly

“Hell no!” I scowled, finally losing patience with the kid.

I drew my sword out an inch, drawing his gaze to the segment of sharpened steel.

“If you’re not out of my sight in ten seconds, I’ll give you a taste of my blade though” I menaced.

I Took a slow step toward him, causing him to stumble back.

Holding up my right hand, I started to count up.

“one, two, three…”

The kid took one look at my face and panicked, cutting his way through the small circle of people watching our exchange. They laughed as he bumped around the marketplace, causing pandemonium as he fought to escape.

I sighed as I threaded my way back through the crowd, nodding and offering the occasional greeting. Being a guard used to be an incredible position, full of prestige and honor. He’d studied hard at the capital, attended academies, and fought for a competitive position with great pay. Those first couple years had been some of the best in his life and he’d looked forward to many more.

Then the “players” came and ruined everything. Tens of thousands of them flooded the capital city of Byron. Essentially Invincible and certainly completely mad, they flooded the area outside culling most of the monsters. They hired out to merchant caravans, became personal guards for influential aristocrats, and conquered dungeons. Which unfortunately was what he and his comrades had been doing. Pay plummeted, the guard union dissolved and with it went his job.

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He got fired.

Fifteen years of study down the drain for nothing. So he moved as far as he could from the capital and took a job in a small city by the coast. It was nothing much but it payed the bills. Most of the time it was actually quite enjoyable, but he’d gotten on the bad side of his sergeant and drawn the shit detail.

Market duty.

Pick pockets, thieves, and merchants weren’t the only annoyances of the job. The worst part was dealing with the new players. They never shut up, and for some reason always had weird expectations of you. Asking for directions, items, and quests.

There was even a group that stalked him for a week. After he threw them in jail they just babbled about trying to “get his affinity up” or something. Don’t even get me started on their names either, like who has the name blackswordsman213.

“Hey Lance” A voice shot from behind, snapping me out of my surly reverie.

“Max” I exclaim with a grin, spinning around to greet my best friend, the only enjoyable part of this posting.

Max Sanders and I are an unlikely pair to say the least. Where I’m a much more physical and abrasive person, he’s more studious and considerate. Where I’m tall and fit, he’s short and scrawny. Our physical features though are pretty similar. Brown hair and brown eyes with sharp angular features. He also just happens to be the kindest person I’ve ever met. When I moved here he’d shown me around town, and just generally helped me out of my depression.

He’s good people.

“Just stay right there Lance, I’ll be with you in a sec.” He shouted from somewhere within the crowd.

I smirked as he bobbed in and out of sight, struggling to reach me, politely asking to get by people instead of my patented shove. Which gave me plenty of time to appraise his equipment and the one prickly part of his personality.

Most people, myself included, played pretty loose when it came to the regulations. My knife was positioned for ease of use, my hair whatever length I fancied, and my chainmail loosened a bit for some air flow; to name only a couple.

Max’s appearance however could have come straight out of the code book.

Close cropped hair, knife strapped three inches below the belt, arrow pad for the knee.

He really needs to loosen up.

Max finally broke free from the mob, bending over to quickly catch his breath.

“We should go a few rounds in the training hall after this max” I chuckled. “You look like you might need it.”

“Trying to say something?” he wheezed with mock anger.

“That you’re lazy and out of shape” I admonished.

“hah,” he laughed, finally catching his breath “and you wonder why you don’t have any other friends.”

I gave him a soft punch, and was just about to fire back at him when tragedy struck. The chime rang out through the market, signaling an incoming player. I groaned, and was looking out over the crowd, when another chime sounded.

Quickly followed by four more.

I slowly swiveled my head around to face Max too horrified for words and he looked about as pale as I probably was at that moment.

Grabbing the front of his chainmail I threw myself behind the nearest merchant stall bringing him crashing down beside me. I ignored the shopkeepers annoyed exclamation and prayed to anything and everything. Please just let them walk by and n-

“why are you guys laying on the ground?” the newest player asked, puzzled.

I just slumped down and sighed pondering life’s deep questions. For instance, how do they keep tracking us down?

It was gonna be a long week.