I don’t remember when I fell asleep, but clearly, I had. Sunlight beat down on me, forcing me to shield my eyes. I slowly opened them and looked around. I was lying in a field of grass, a forest filled with evergreen trees standing not far away. A chill filled the air, and dew clung to some of the surrounding grass. It was still morning.

Blinking several times, I tried to come to terms with what had happened. I certainly wasn’t in Chicago anymore. Gone were the clothes I had dressed in for work. Instead, I wore a pair of brown leather boots that felt as stiff as they looked. Soft gray tights, I guessed, hose? On top of that, was a white tunic right out of a medieval fair. A black leather belt held it all up, tied in a knot on my side. Hanging off my shoulder was a satchel with a flap closed by strips of leather.

I was no tanner, but I could tell the satchel was well made. As I went to open the satchel, I saw the real prize... a sword. The blade was three feet long with a simple cross guard and leather wrapped handle. The true value of the weapon, though, was the palm sized amber stone fit onto the pommel.

I reached for the blade, mesmerized by the light glinting off the amber. My fingers wrapped around the leather handle and the sword buzzed. Colors flashed all around and just like in the game, a HUD appeared. Shocked, I dropped the sword. The instant my hand left the hilt, the HUD vanished.

“What the actual hell?” I whispered.

I was in another world, and it was the game world. Picking up the sword, I held on tight as the HUD appeared. Lights flashed in my field of vision and words appeared.

Welcome to the War for Mystaria.

A NEW MESSAGE light blinked in the corner. I had no idea how to activate it. I reached out with my off-hand thinking I could push a button, but nothing. It wasn’t like I had a keyboard.

“Open message?” Nothing. I focused on the message and willed it to open. The envelope unfolded on the screen and words appeared.

Nick, thank you! You won’t remember how you got here, and it’s best you don’t. The tunnel between dimensions would drive a mortal mad. I’ve left you, Lexi, as a guide. She will see you through the trials ahead. Trust her. In the game, you were at max level with amazing skills. You have none of that now. For all purposes, you are level one. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Above all else, be true to the man you are. You need to hurry though, Kojiman is coming and if you don’t stop him, my entire world is doomed.

“Who’s Lexi?” I asked aloud at the sudden information.

“I am!”

Wings fluttered, reminiscent of a mesmerizing dragonfly, as a captivating creature, no larger than my hand, gracefully soared before me.

She possessed not one, but two sets of wings—an impressive pair sprouted from her shoulder blades, their constant rhythmic motion beating the air, while a smaller set emerged from her lower back, serving as an enchanting dual rudder.

She darted through the air with an effortless grace, executing impossible maneuvers to scrutinize me from every angle. As I regained my composure, her ethereal presence continued to captivate me. However, her nimbleness and perpetual motion made it impossible to truly observe her, offering only fleeting glimpses of a mesmerizing feminine form.

Recalling my fondness for Peter Pan, a cherished childhood tale ranking just behind Winnie the Pooh, I couldn't help but wonder if Adora had sensed this and gifted me my very own Tinker Bell. "And who might you be?" she inquired, her voice resonating in a high-pitched buzz that sent a shiver down my spine. I couldn't help but smile upon hearing her melodic tone.

"I'm Nick Spencer," I replied, unable to conceal my fascination.

In an instant, she halted midair, defying gravity as her adorable bare feet seemed to stand on air. "Well, what do you think?" she asked, punctuating her question with a graceful curtsy. Despite her diminutive stature, her voice reached my ears as if she were a full-sized woman. Its timbre was silky smooth, skirting the higher register without descending into squeakiness.

Her captivating skin bore the same enchanting blue hue as Adora's, adorned with delicate specks of glitter along the outer curves of her legs. The twinkling particles disappeared under the hem of her dress, only to reappear on the outer contours of her arms, tracing the elegant lines of her shoulders, collarbone, and neck, before vanishing beneath her pointed ears, hidden beneath the luxurious curtain of her hair. What I had initially mistaken for antennae turned out to be two ivory-colored horns, discreetly emerging from the crown of her head, their seductive tips visible through the tresses.

As she stood before me, her translucent wings, adorned with glistening accents along their edges, fluttered languidly, casting an irresistible spell. It was as if she pondered the possibility of departure, a decision looming within her captivating gaze.

Without inhibition, I spoke from the depths of my impulsive heart. "I think you're beautiful," the words spilled forth before rationality could intervene. Leaping before looking had always been my style.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Ahh," she murmured, her graceful form tilting to one side, her knee rising as her head dipped. A blush spread across her face, deepening the blue hues into a shade of alluring darkness. "Aren't you sweet?" she replied, her voice tinged with a mixture of admiration and intrigue. "I don't sense a hint of guile within you. How delightful. It seems Adora has given us a true winner this time. “That piqued my curiosity, so I asked. “This time?”

She nodded, almost bouncing up and down, which, I had to say, did nice things to her figure. “The last champion she sent was too much of a... What did she call it? Power gamer? He was only interested in the next level. He let too many people die because saving them wouldn’t help him,” she said the last part softly, like she had witnessed it herself. “It’s because of him that Enthmar fell.”

“I’m no power gamer, but I’m no pushover, if that helps. Where do we begin?” I asked.

She perked right up, her full little lips forming an adorable O. “There are a few things you have to know first. This isn’t a game. If you die... you die. While you can see the world around you as if it were the game you played, it’s a real world, with real people and consequences. Please understand that.”

She was certainly earnest about it all. I took a second to turn in a small circle, taking everything in. If I wasn’t talking to a tiny uh...

“Hey, if it’s not rude, what are you?” I asked. Was she a Fae or something?

She giggled, and it was like wind a chime. “You’re cute. I’m a fae-dragon, can’t you tell?” She lifted her arms up and shaped her hands into claws. “Rawr,” she said.

Maybe I had died and gone to cuteness heaven because she was the most adorable thing, I’d ever laid eyes on. I mocked being afraid and played along with her and she laughed. More wind chimes.

“I’m glad we settled that, mighty dragon!”

She smiled at me and stuck out her little pink tongue. “Okay, which way should I go? All I see is forest,” I gestured to what I suspected was the west. “And mountains?” I asked as I waved at the tall snow-capped peaks to the East where the sun was.

“You’re in the heartland of Mystaria, five hundred leagues to the East of the Great Worm Dessert, and two hundred leagues south of the Shining Sea. Adora sent you here because it will give you time to prepare. The West, including Enthmar, has already fallen to Kojiman. However, even he cannot cross the desert overnight. It takes time.”

I nodded, trying to remember the map of Mystaria. If this were the heartland, then there were three major kingdoms within a week's walk. The ancient city of Legendora, the Dwarven kingdom of Undermountain, and the human lands of Duhlamehr. If I were to go due North, I’d find the seven trade kingdoms of the Shining Sea. If I headed south, eventually I’d get to the deadly jungles of Raknor. No, I’d find no help there. Nothing but barbarians and cannibals in the jungle.

The only other people in the area were the orc tribes of Oz. I chuckled as I thought about the green skin orcs named after the land of Oz. But no; it was their god, Ozrimar, everyone in the game just called them the orcs of Oz. Unlike in a lot of games, the orcs were not necessarily the bad guys. Though as a tribe they sided with their own, they weren’t marauders murdering and pillaging.

It was a lot to take in. The geography I knew like the back of my hand. The lore, I barely remembered. However, playing the game for a few years burned some things into my memory... like there was a dungeon around here.

“Lexi, do you know where the Haunted Halls are from here? If I’m going to do anything, I’m going to need some levels to actually be of use. As it is, all I have is this sword and my wits.”

She leaped off my hand, her wings buzzing as she circled my head a half dozen times in a second.

“Hmm, let me think...” She stopped in midair, turned to the East, and darted in a straight line before pulling a ninety-degree turn to the north at full speed. “This way!”

I followed. While walking I took stock of what I had on my, besides my clothes. Which wasn’t much. The pouch contained a piece of salted pork and a bit of cheese. No money, no water, no weapons, other than the sword.

Holding the staff in one hand, I focused on Lexi. Just like in the game, a nameplate popped up over her head.

Lexi Lilian Leviathan.

Level 5 Fae-Dragon

Body: 7

Strength: 3

Agility: 30

Endurance: 10

Intuition: 25

Willpower: 30

Charisma: 35

Movement Speed: 80 (Feet per second)

Skills:

Flight: 40

Spells

Daylight

Level: 1

Cooldown: 1 minute

Light extends around the subject in a twenty-five-foot radius. The light is as bright as a strong torch, but with the properties of sunlight. Good against low-level undead.

Dazzle

Level: 1

Cooldown: 30 seconds

A burst of light forces a target to close their eyes or be blinded for ten seconds. For ten seconds after that they see double.

The stats were just like the game, which meant the lower, the weaker, the higher the better. While there was no upper limit to the numbers, they were also very incremental. There was little difference between 25 and 30, but a big difference between 30 and 100. As a level 80 warrior, my strength was just shy of 100. With the giant-sized weapons I wielded, it kind of had to be.

That made me curious, and so I focused on myself and pulled up my ‘character sheet’ to take a peek at what I was. After all, I had to be something?

Nicholas J. Spencer

Level 0 commoner

Body: 7

Strength: 12

Agility: 11

Endurance: 15

Intuition: 16

Willpower: 25

Charisma: 14

Movement Speed: 12 (Feet per second)

Skills:

Engineering

Trap Making

Survival

Navigation

Spells:

None

I frowned. Well, that wasn’t promising. Level zero commoner? How the heck was I supposed to do anything as a peasant? In Mystaria, there were several classes available, and you picked them before the game started.

“Lexi?” I asked her as she darted down the path in front of me. “How do I choose my class?”

She turned and bee lined for my face, stopping just inches from me so I had to stop walking and scoot back so I could focus on her.

“You don’t have one?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at me.

“No, it just says, ‘level zero commoner’ and then my stats.”

“Oh...” she shook her head. “I guess you have a lot of work ahead of you. Most people train their whole lives to be what they are. I didn’t hatch yesterday. I’ve spent the last hundred years working to where I am,” she said proudly, poking her voluptuous chest with her thumb.

“A hundred years? I’m guessing I don’t have that long to level up,” I said, letting my voice trail off.

She shook her tiny head. “Nope. It’s hard to say how long it will take them to cross the desert, but it won’t be a hundred years.”

I nodded. It was a sobering thought, but nothing in life worth having is easy. This wouldn’t be the first time I had to work my butt off.

“Let’s be about it,” I said to her.

“That’s the spirit! Onward to the Haunted Halls!”