SAVE POINT 36

Rosabella

"Joy, you do not have to volunteer to die for me." The words rushed over my tongue. There. That was it. That was what I'd been wanting to say—maybe even waiting to say in the silence that had hushed the dungeon while we were held in suspension here, each breath a reminder of the time we might not have left after that door opened, scraping on the cobblestone floor. I realized I'd been waiting to hear that noise—tensing and straining in the silence in case I missed it...the shuffle of the door opening or boots on the other side. The air, here, was damp and heavy, like the weight on my heart and shoulders. I trailed a finger along the outlines of the wet stones in the floor, tracing patterns I couldn't seem to untangle in my head.

I watched the pink-haired warrior turn towards me; her lips were pressed together, annoyed. "Wow, way to make the situation sound, somehow, grimmer," she griped. The girl threw a handful of hair over her shoulder. I wasn’t sure if it was because it was so sticky in here or if she was looking for an excuse to hide her facial expression. "Plus," she continued, "I'm pretty sure, given the choice, half the world would vote for my death, especially over yours. You saw the nerd crowd’s t-shirts—"

"They were a joke," I told her, something inside me hurting at the thought that the tough-as-iron girl would be wounded by something as trivial as a bunch of shirts with her face x'ed out on them. "They thought this was just a book—"

"I thought you were going to say they thought I was just a joke," Joy let out a sour chuckle, pinching a piece of straw she’d found on the ground between her fingertips as she shifted into a cross-legged position on the stone floor.

My eyes darted to meet hers. My voice was hushed, "I'd never say that."

She looked away again, raising an unsure eyebrow and avoiding eye contact. The little piece of straw in her hand twirled like a weathervane as the winds changed directions, "So, we're friends now?" The last two words were a breathy bark. I couldn't help but notice the skepticism in her tone—like it was painted there with a wide paintbrush.

It made me smile a little as I shifted painfully on the stone under my butt. "We were never enemies," I offered.

She rolled her eyes, "Touche." She paused, spinning the straw again, "I'll be real with you. You're the Game Maker, the only one who can save this Game from the darkness. It doesn't matter if the darkness in you. You're crazy, sometimes stupid and rash, but—"

There was a 'but' in this speech? ...Well, this might be the strangest peptalk ever, coming from the most unlikely person—

"But you'll figure it out," Joy snapped, her eyes suddenly brimming fire, "I know it. You'll save our world here—you've already saved part of it. This world needs you. I'm just..." She shook her head.

"Don't say it," I warned. I didn't want to hear the pink-haired girl demean herself, not after I knew what she was capable of. She was strong. She could fight five people off at one time if she wanted to! She was sarcastic and spunky—spit-fire—if I was being honest. And she had emotions too. She might not show it. She might shove them down, but she was just as human as the rest of us.

Tears burned in my throat at the thought that...that I might have to lose her just like I’d lost Callen and Rainer. ...All because of this backwards town's dynamics?

Joy? I was seriously crying over Joy?! She used to annoy me so much. What had changed? When she was gone, what would it feel like...? Our group...without her?

No, I reminded myself. I wouldn't lose her. I'd figure out a way. ...But even in my head, it was feeling hopeless as I looked around this place...at the chains...and the solid walls...and remembered the flashing sword and the copper smell of blood as the prisoner was hacked into slices. Would I be able to stand seeing the same done to Joy? I bit down on my cheek at the thought. But not even the pain could numb me...

"I'll die the death of a warrior fighting to save The Game if it requires it," Joy insisted, "Saving you is saving The Game. That's probably the biggest honor a discontinued Game Warden can have—"

"No," I whispered hoarsely, looking around and locking eyes with, first, the little girl in her mother's arms and, then, the yellow dragon watching me—did any of them believe me? That I would free them? "No, I can't let you die. First Callen, then Rainer? I can't let anyone else die—" My voice cracked.

The dungeon door was thrown open—that sound I'd been waiting for. I'd missed it. I'd been drowning, instead, in the surging sound of keeping all these tears inside.

A flock of guards charged into the stone room, keeping formation.

"It has been decided," the first guard announced loudly, as the group churned to a halt, "The Code is temporarily out-of-order. Therefore, we will resort to honoring the old ways. Of late, we were a people of negotiations. Pink-haired prisoner, your trade will be honored. You are, hereby, sentenced to trial by the three elders. The Game Maker riddled with darkness will have one day to convince the elders of your merits before their vote of 'pass' or 'fail' are cast. 'Fail' means death. 'Pass' means banishment." He raised his fist with a chant, "We cut out the darkness!"

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"We cut out the darkness!" roared the guards behind him with an obedience that made my stomach churn. Had he just said—

A guard rushed forward, prying me up from the ground and to my feet—towards the door.

Free?

I was—?

But Joy was—

I whipped around to look for her, catching the Warrior's gaze—

"Fucking go!" she growled, appearing impatient.

But I cast a struggling glance at her. I fought, just for a minute, against the guards’ insistent grasps as they wrenched me towards the open door.

Because their hands felt like waves, crashing over and over my head.

And I was drowning—tumbling.

Under the booming surf.

Helpless.

Underwater.

Like there was no way to come up for air even though they’d just said I could walk out of this place...

[Loading 2 Hours Later…55%]

It was just bizarre—the change of scenery in the couple hours. I'd gone from literally sitting on the floor to—

"Can I interest you in more sparkling water?"

I nearly spat out the drink already in my mouth as the elder bent low, offering me more out of a red urn. I shook my head, trying to hide the spasming cough that wanted to bubble up, "I'm fine thanks." I pressed my arms firmly against the whicker armrests of the chair I sat in, hoping that the robed man didn't notice the jar I had unscrewed in both hands in my lap under the table.

They'd given me back my things, including the root powder, and I needed another dose now. If only I could sneak it in while the man's back was turned—

There.

I rushed a pinch of it to my mouth as the elder ducked through a doorway; it tasted chalky but stuck to my tongue as I hurried to swallow—

"Like I said," the man drawled, returning to the room and running a hand through his long beard, stretching over a wrinkled and morose face, "I appreciate your time spent discussing this with me. Even though I am inclined to vote towards tradition here, your friend sounds like a valiant lady. Just so you are aware, the other two elders lean heavily towards old customs. Be wary. Choose your words with them wisely."

'Valient lady'. —He was talking about Joy?! I almost wanted to erupt in raucous laughter.

Maybe that Influence Influx skill had helped me embellish the truth a little too much. And, yet, I was sitting here in this elder's hut trying to save her life—I realized with sobering reality. He still wasn’t convinced. I was going to have to throw in nearly all my Baddie Points to change his point of view. I chewed on my tongue, trying to get a handle on the situation as the breeze from a rotating fan above ruffled my hair away from my face while the system alerts still hovered in my view.

“System, increase IP to 10,” I whispered, hoping the latest skill trade I had would help me with saving Joy. “And hide the popups so he can’t see them,” I commanded. The system beeped.

[-500 Baddie Points, 150]

[System Alert: Wow! You’ve Traded 500 Baddie Points to Gain 10 Influence Points And Have Created An Influence Influx! You Can Now Insert Your Decision Into A Gamer’s Changed Decision! +25 XP, 1190/1200]

[Please Select Which In-Proximity Gamer You’d Like To Influence:]

Bradshaw

Nafta

[Elder Ovalost]

[Elder Manthia]

[Servant 1254]

“Elder Ovalost,” I murmured. Damn, all of this had decimated my Baddie Points. Now, it was time to see if it’d all been worth it…

The system beeped again from my selection.

[Elder Ovalost Selected]

[Please Think Or Speak The Decision You Want ELDER OVALOST To Make To Utilize The Influence Influx.]

I wet my lips carefully, my eyes flashing up to the man’s. And, then, I closed my eyes. And I thought with all my might: Elder Ovalost will agree with me that Joy needs to be saved. He will not condemn her to death. I opened my eyes again.

[System Alert: Influence Influx Used +5 XP, 1195/1200]

I held my breath as the old man swiped a robed hand over his face.

He turned to me, “You know, I’ve come to a decision. Why are we always so stuck in the old around here? I believe you. You have my vote to save your friend’s life.” He extended a hand at me while I gaped at him…

…While all the breath rushed out of me in a waterfall of relief. Seriously?! That’d worked? Maybe using all my Baddie Points had been a smart move…

I grasped his palm, feeling the sandpaper consistency as I shook it. My mind reeled.

One elder down.

Two more to convince.

...Well, one out of three was pretty good so far, I figured... So, why were my insides churning, making me feel like I wanted to throw up?

The root powder. I should ask about the root powder before I forgot. Afterall, it was the whole reason we were here in the first place...

"Before I go," I rushed, well aware that the gray-bearded man looked about done with me, "I wondered if—do you know if your town has any root powder?"

The elder squinted at me, itching his nose as he thought, "Root powder? Child, that is serious healing magic. It's very rare—"

"I know," I countered quickly, then, realized I shouldn't have. "Joy and I came looking for it. We need to heal...a very sick child."

...Not entirely a lie—he'd called me that only minutes ago. I was hoping to get a vote of sympathy with my words...

His brow creased further, "Alas, no. Not two moons after the darkness first began, raiders ravaged our town hospital." He shook his head, "I'm sorry, we have none of what you seek."

And my heart sunk.

My soul sunk.

We'd come halfway across the world for this?! —To find that the Dragon's Sea Town didn't have what we were looking for? Joy might die because of this? Because of my stupid, entitled need to prove that I could do something right—lead an expedition? Be a hero?

And, now, I most certainly would die too.

Without the herb.

From the darkness. Joy’s sacrifice to save me would be for nothing even if she made it out of here with her life.

I felt numb.

Empty.

...Scared.

Grand Dragon, help me. I was terrified.

My face felt drained of color. "I need to go," I told the man, slipping out of the chair and around the table, towards the hut's door, "I have to—"

One out of three.

No root powder.

I was there again—where I’d started after getting out of the dungeon prison—still flailing in helplessness.

I knew this was more than a Game so...why did it feel like I was constantly losing? Dying? ...When did I get to live? To thrive instead of survive?

Was that even a thing?