It was nearing evening by the time he had successfully obtained the remaining 50ish gallons of diesel fuel and had topped off his water tank. Having filled the generator, Doug flopped onto his couch exhausted.
Finally I have some time to play!
Doug strapped on his VR headset and put on his haptic gloves. Then he activated the game.
Before long, Doug found himself standing atop a rocky hill overlooking a lush valley. Ahead of him stretched rolling hills covered with grassy plains, dotted here and there by copses of trees. To his right, he could hear the sound of rushing streams, and farther ahead he spotted two tall mountains rising up from behind the horizon. One mountain looked gray and rough, while the other one shone white and smooth.
Above him, a large blue sky glowed bright and clear, stretching across the entire expanse of the landscape below him. A flock of birds flew overhead, their wings beating furiously against the air. Above the clouds, he glimpsed a trio of winged beasts flying towards him. As the creatures drew closer, he recognized them as griffins - mythical creatures with eagle-like bodies and lion heads.
Ahead of Doug, a group of four bandits waited for orders. He ducked low under some brush to remain hidden. Two humans wearing chainmail shirts, and two elven women dressed in flowing gowns. Each carried a sword and shield slung over their backs. Standing across from them, a man held aloft a battle ax. With them was a massive warhorse that snorted loudly as it breathed heavily. Its coat gleamed silver under the sunlight.
"…and we've got our sights set on this village. We need to capture it quickly before they send more troops to reinforce it. Let's move!" the leader commanded.
"Yes sir! Follow me!" one of the men said as he sprinted forward with his companions.
Doug watched as the bandits charged toward their target, which was less than a quarter mile away. By the looks of things, they might actually succeed in capturing the village.
But not if I have any say in the matter.
They were already approaching the outskirts of town. There was little cover along the road leading there, and they could clearly see that most of the inhabitants were gathered in front of a stone building on top of the hill.
Just as the lead bandit neared the edge of the forest surrounding the settlement, an arrow pierced his chest. Blood gushed forth, soaking the fur of the beast's torso. The horse reeled backward, throwing the rider off.
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Where had that arrow come from?
Doug stared at the scene unfolding in front of him. Was someone hiding among the bushes and shooting at them in an ambush? Or perhaps one of the villagers had taken matters into their own hands…
He heard a zipping noise as another arrow struck home. This time, though, it hit one of the elven women in the leg. She cried out in pain, dropping her weapon and falling to the ground.
"No! Not again!" The leader shouted as he turned around. "Who are you?! Stop firing! Don't kill us!"
The woman hobbled after she dropped her blade. Her companion rushed forward and picked it up. Without warning, three more arrows rained down upon them. The third one caught the man in the throat, killing him instantly. Before the other two elves could react, the leader was knocked backwards. He landed hard on his rear, and blood sprayed out of the gaping wound in his neck.
There was silence for a brief moment, broken only by the sound of the dying man spasming on the ground. The other members of the raiding party remained frozen in shock as they stared at each other, unsure how to proceed.
One of them finally broke the spell when someone stepped out of the shadows and pointed his bow at the three remaining bandits. They turned to look, then scrambled to run away. However, the archer fired his next shot without hesitation, hitting the closest elf in the shoulder, the same one who had been wounded in the leg earlier. She fell to the ground screaming in agony.
Another arrow followed soon afterward. This time, it lodged itself deep within the chest of the second surviving member of the raiding party. Screaming in pain, he collapsed to his knees.
Only one man in the party of bandits remained. He clutched desperately to the handle of his sword. He glared angrily at the shadowy figure who stood facing him.
Doug watched as the man tried to draw his weapon. An arrow sprouted from his hand, piercing it straight through. Another arrow slammed into the man's stomach. Finally, the last arrow pierced the man's skull. He slumped lifelessly to the ground, his body twitching ever so slightly as death claimed him.
His final words echoed throughout the valley as Doug watched the scene unfold.
"I will be avenged…"
Doug watched anxiously as the shadowy figure stepped into the glow of the moonlight, revealing his identity. He recognized him immediately. It was Jacob the Archer, the man he had met the other day when the game had reset. Clearly he had leveled up since the last time they spoke, and he had obtained a bow and a quiver of arrows.
Jacob knelt down beside the corpse of the slain bandit leader, placing the bloody axe gently on the ground. Next he retrieved a dagger from the dead man's belt, wiped it clean on the grass, and placed it in the pouch on the front of his jerkin. After doing all that, he rose to his feet once again.
When he saw Doug watching him, he flashed him a warm smile. "Good evening," he greeted. "It’s Doug, right?"
"Uh, yeah." Doug replied hesitantly.
For a split second, he felt embarrassed at having been caught staring.
“Nice job taking out those bandits.” Doug offered awkwardly.
However, Jacob paid no attention to the awkwardness between them and instead motioned for him to follow him further into the woods. Happy to have the company, Doug obliged.
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