Noise struck him almost like a physical blow as sound suddenly returned to the world. He winced and turned back to the mist-circle, but only the open ground of a busy intersection was behind him.

“Lad! It seems trouble befell ye out there,” a gruff voice bellowed. Arron didn’t need to turn to know it was the dwarf, or that the dwarf was smiling.

“Clearly,” Arron mumbled through gritted teeth, walking away.

“Aww, don’t get your feelings hurt now. Ol’ Torbin is just giving you a time of it.” The dwarf laughed, seeming content to walk along beside Arron. “Actually, I’m rather impressed. Most new players don’t have the stones to attempt the Black Keep right after spawn. Makes you either incredibly brave, or incredibly stupid.” Torbin slapped Arron on the back hard enough for him to stumble.

“Though I ’spose that depends on what your pain reduction is set at, right? Ha! Anyway, the offer is still open from the guild,” Torbin continued. “We are happy to take ye under our wing, provide ye a bit of gear, assist with leveling and such.”

Torbin brandished his biggest grin, clearly expecting a different answer this time.

He didn’t know what a guild was, or what kind of commitment that would require of him, but those players from the caravan before seemed like they could have been on some kind of team. It was always good to have someone who had your back. Arron suppressed a shiver as he remembered getting his throat ripped out by that zombie. “Would you help me get into the Black Keep?”

Torbin’s smile slipped just a hair. “Of course. We would be happy to run the Black Keep with you, when you are ready.”

“I’m ready now.”

“Clearly you see that isn’t true, boy,” the dwarf protested. “How far did you make it? Three, four mobs? You have to get stronger to be able to do the Black Keep! That’s just how the game is played!”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Arron leaned down, looking Torbin directly in the eyes. “I’m not playing a game, dwarf.”

And without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving a dumbfounded and very confused dwarf behind.

Either say you’ll help or not. He’d been here all of an hour and gotten his throat ripped out. He had no intention of playing this game simply to make some kind of point, nor would he allow himself to be put through some sort of hazing. He didn’t have the time. If he had died already… there was no telling what sort of trouble Bella could be in.

“Oh, sir! You have returned!”

The woman with the rats in her cellar stopped Arron, and he tried to get around her, but she was irritatingly insistent on getting in his way.

“The rats are becoming a real nuisance. I would normally clear them myself, but they are so large! Surely you can help if I can spare a little coin?”

The woman looked to be in her mid-forties, with shoulder length brown hair. She wore a sensible, well-made dress with an apron, and clearly was the head of the tavern she currently stood in front of.

“You still haven’t gotten someone to take care of them yet?” Arron asked, baffled. “Look lady, I felt sorry for you before, but this is just negligence. Rats can be a serious issue, and if you aren’t willing to help yourself, I don’t have time to help either.”

Arron took several steps away, and as an afterthought said over his shoulder, “Call an exterminator. That’s what they do.”

With that, Arron headed off to catch a ride on Glendale’s caravan. After the familiar trek across the city, he found an unfriendly caravan driver.

“Two silver to ride,” the gruff driver stated, focused on her clipboard.

“I just paid you two silver! Isn’t there a by the day allowance or something?”

“Two silver to ride,” the driver stated again.

Arron let out a huff and turned away. He’d only spawned with two silver. This was a blasted medical emergency! Did they really not think to code him more than that to get around this blasted place?

“Hey, buddy, can I borrow two silver?” Arron asked a passing man. The man gave him a strange look and kept walking.

He received a similar response from the elf he asked next. And the halfling after that. A few more attempts later, Arron realized he wasn’t going to have luck via charity.

He needed a way to earn some silver, and quickly.

But he couldn’t get a job. He didn’t have the time and couldn’t make that kind of commitment. Maybe he could find someone that needed some work done as a one off, like a handyman or—

Arron stopped in his tracks, realization dawning. He slapped his forehead and took off at a run, hoping she hadn’t already followed his advice.