Three days after Lightforge had gone to sleep, Gray Guardian woke up to rain hitting their face. This is a generally unpleasant way to wake up, but it is especially disconcerting to someone who had been wearing a mask at virtually all times for weeks. They snapped awake and felt their face, where gloved fingers met skin. The mask had slipped while they’d been asleep, revealing a strip of pale, sun-starved flesh.
They sat up and fixed the mask back into its proper place before looking around to figure out where they were. They were standing on a fire escape four stories up, a few blocks away from their base. It was an odd place to sleep, especially so close to safety and comfort. Why had they done that?
I mean, it wasn’t such an inconvenience. One of the upsides of their big billowing outfit was that it was both comfortable and warm enough to sleep in. Of course, it was almost too comfy sometimes. This wasn’t the first time they’d woken up in a strange place because they’d taken a break and immediately fallen asleep. Had that happened again? They didn’t think, but then what…
Oh. Right. Their brain came back online slowly, and the events of the previous evening came rushing back to them. There had been a group hanging out and drinking right in front of the entrance to their base. If they were civilians or even common criminals, that was no big deal. If anything they would probably scatter if a mysterious portal showed up right next to them.
The issue came if they were other players. If so, then they would instantly recognize the gateway for what it was and take steps to keep the owner away. Or kill them. Jamie had seen that happen in person, and it seemed like a terrible way to go, though there weren’t a lot of good ways to go.
They slapped themselves in the head and whispered under their breath.
“Gray Guardian. Gray Guardian. That’s my name now, even if I do think that it sounds stupid.”
Despite how long they’d spent inside this new world, thinking of themselves as “Gray Guardian” rather than Jamie was a challenge. They hadn’t even been allowed to choose their own codename, and they found the one they’d been assigned to be a bit dull. Descriptive, but dull. Maybe there was an item that let you change your name? Maybe Lightforge would know.
Actually, on second thought, Sunbird was more likely to have that kind of knowledge. It was hard to notice under the shouting and cursing, but the woman had a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of the game. It was actually impressive to see the random tidbits that she peppered into casual conversation without ever seeming to notice that she was doing it.
They came back to their senses as rain began falling on their hood. Right, they were still outside. Such bouts of following aimless thoughts were a common morning occurrence, but this was not the place for it. They looked around to check for people and found no one out on the wet early morning streets. With a hidden grin, they leapt over the railing and dropped to the ground.
Just before contact a glowing barrier flashed to life before absorbing the impact and leaving cracks across its surface. As quickly as it appeared it vanished again, dissipating into energy. Gray Guardian held up an arm and watched closely. It was so easy to miss the faint wisps of light that flowed back into them as the shield vanished. It was such a cool little detail, and they rarely had a chance to look at it.
The sight put just a bit of a spring in their step as they walked through the rain and returned home. Despite having just woken up, a rainy day like this seemed like the perfect time to curl up in bed and relax for a while. With the big rush for experience over, the area was experiencing a lull before the next big thing happened. Maybe that would be more rookies arriving, or maybe something else interesting would happen. Regardless of what it ended up being, it would surely wait a few days before picking up in earnest.
They were convinced of the truth in that statement right up until the rain parted and someone walked through, dry as could be. She wore a short blue cloak so dark it was easy to mistake for black. It faded into the background on a dimly lit day, unlike the bright blue pointed hat that the woman wore. She was smiley brightly under the hat’s brim, but her eyes held a malicious gleam that never seemed to go away.
Gray Guardian slumped at the sight of the woman who had clearly been waiting for them.
“Salem. Shall I assume that this rain is your doing? That I’ll be dry if I go a few hundred feet in any direction?”
The witch’s smile twisted with amusement as she shook her head.
“Not me, Guardian. Far too obvious and, frankly, over dramatic. I prefer to leave such displays to others. Now, shall we go inside?”
Gray Guardian nodded, and the two of them went inside the base. It was the best situation that they could have hoped for, and they both knew it. It would keep things civil to know that they physically couldn’t get into a fight. Well, Gray Guardian could throw the first punch, but they wouldn’t.
They walked inside and Jamie observed their guest. Salem was exactly what she appeared to be: a witch. She’d never revealed her exact powers, but some sort of elemental manipulation seemed to be one of them. Cold and rain were frequent occurrences around the young woman, but it was never conclusive enough to make any solid guesses.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
They sat down side by side on the couch and Salem took a moment to consider before speaking.
“Well, you’ve had an interesting few days, haven’t you? You nearly started a war, as I heard it.”
“Ah, yeah. I guess? It was a hairy situation, but I don’t think I’d go as far as that.”
The witch considered that for a moment and nodded.”
“That’s right, I suppose. Fights like that happen all the time, after all. But this one feels different, and I can’t put my finger on why.”
Her gaze was far away as she thought through the scenarios and came to a conclusion. She didn’t share that conclusion, but there was a particular look in her eyes that Gray Guardian had learned to recognize. And then, after a moment, the look was gone, replaced by a wide smile.
“In better news, you were on that particular misadventure with your new friends. I’m glad to see that working out for you.”
“Ah, of course! Thank you for the tip that time. And the other times, too of course.”
“It’s fine. I’m happy to help. Just so long as you remember the deal.”
“Of course I do! But Circe hasn’t been around much, and no one knows how to get in touch with her. She just shows up sometimes.”
“Oh, I’m aware. All the same, you’re now friends with some of her latest obsessions. I’ll take it.”
And there it was. Salem was some sort of information broker, though it might be more accurate to call her a ‘relationship broker.’ She found people who could help each other and arranged for them to meet. Those meetings always came with a price, but Jamie had yet to meet someone who’d regretted taking the deal.
They might well become the first. It had sounded so simple at first: some villain named Circe had gathered a bunch of robots to attack someone. All Gray Guardian had needed to do was hang around in the shadows and ensure that Circe didn’t get what she wanted. At first it had gone swimmingly, with Lightforge winning the fight and coming out stronger than before.
The problem arose once it became obvious that had been Circe’s plan all along. Salem had been furious and demanded some “renegotiating” of their deal. For weeks Gray Guardian had been attempting to follow Circe and throw wrenches into the villain’s plans, but she was just so slippery! And, well… in a lot of ways the villain had been more helpful than Salem.
Instead they’d been relegated to simply observing. Salem came by to check in once or twice a week to learn anything and everything that had happened regarding the villain. Gray Guardian had no idea what had caused the bad blood between the two, but they constantly hated the fact that they had been thrust into the middle of the conflict.
Salem drummed her fingers on the couch as she considered what to do next. Gray Guardian had slept on a fire escape and woken up to rain in their face, so they weren’t in a good mood. And quite frankly, they had had enough.
“How much longer am I supposed to do this? I held up my end of the bargain a long time ago.”
“Your end? Your end was to interfere with Circe’s little plots. That hasn’t happened yet.”
“No. You asked me to do something, and I did. I felt bad about how things happened, so I kept on helping. But enough is enough. I don’t work for you, and I don’t want to be involved in your little grudge match with Circe. We’re done.”
Had they been outside, the air would have turned icy to match the look of cold fury on Salem’s face. Of course, within these walls that stare had no power to back it up. And really, they both knew that Gray Guardian had gone above and beyond for what had been a simple introduction. But Salem’s gaze remained frigid as they considered the cloaked healer.
“I suppose I should consider that fair. You’ve done more than anyone else has to repay my services. All the same, I still require your assistance.”
“I don’t think so. We’re even.”
“And yet, I have more to offer. And you’re too smart to walk away without even knowing what it is.”
“Ok, I guess I’ll bite. What’s this new offer?”
“It’s incredibly simple. In fact, I’ll even give you a choice: carrot, or stick?”
Anger flared in Gray Guardian’s chest, and they almost threw the pompous witch out without another word. The only thing that halted them was the fact that they knew that Salem wasn’t alone. She represented a larger organization, one with both power and reach. If she was going this far, it must be important.
“I don’t appreciate your tone. It sounds like you’re threatening me.”
“I am.”
“What kind of stick could you possibly have?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Bull-[BLEEP]. If you don’t want to say, then I have no reason to believe you.”
“As you wish. Jamie Pettit. Age 26, nonbinary. Born and raised in Casper, Wyoming, where you faced… let’s just say adversity, shall we? Would you like me to continue?”
Now the room was icy cold. Gray Guardian’s blood was frozen in their veins and their stomach was twisted into knots. They wanted to throw up, pass out, and then hide under the covers. Through it all, only one thought bubbled to the surface and forced its way to the forefront.
“How? How could you…”
“We have ways, Jamie. But you needn’t worry; the stick is the last resort. So long as we get what we need, you’ll find your belly filled with all the carrots you could hope for. In fact, I’ll give you your first one for free. Call it compensation for the mental anguish I just caused you.”
She dug around in her pockets and came up with something that glinted in the base’s poor lighting. It was a small glass bottle filled with a glowing blue liquid. It looked familiar, but Jamie didn’t know enough about the game to know it on sight. They raised an eyebrow at Salem, who merely smiled.
“That right there is an XP potion. Drink it and you’ll gain double XP for the next 12 hours. Perfect for keeping a dedicated healer up to speed with the rest of their party.”
Jamie’s heart was pounding in their chest and their hands shuddered as they reached for the bottle. It was the kind of item that they’d been dreaming of finding for days on end. And here it was, just waiting for them. It wasn’t free; of course it wasn’t. But with it they wouldn’t be left behind. They dropped their head and grasped the bottle.
“What do you need me to do?”