You begin to fight back. The men are not fighters, they are thieves. Once you start to hit them, they rapidly sustain critical damage and retreat.

You are badly injured.

Tell me something I don’t know. Who were those men? Thieves? I thought you said they were body snatchers.

They are members of the Honourable Guild of Thieves. They usually steal bodies to sell. They steal anything they think they can make coin on. They will think twice about taking you on now they know you can handle yourself.

But it’s an actual axe! I just… I can’t believe I did that. There’s blood everywhere.

Most of it is yours.

This POD-VRI is more realistic than I ever thought it could be. My injuries actually hurt. And I never knew you could lose so much blood and survive.

You have lost half of your life. You only have 25 points remaining.

How do I get it back up?

Rest. Bandages. Dragon elixir. Herbal remedies.

So, it’s easy, right?

Wrong. And you are at your most vulnerable now. Another attack like that before you have fully recovered, and you will not survive it, but you will have learned a valuable lesson.

Don’t get into fights with weapons?

No. Use your weapons in a fight. It is what Valda is good at - if you let her.

Where are the other two men out of that group of thieves?

They will hopefully now cross you off their hit list. They have your purse but they almost lost two of their best men tonight. They should leave you alone for now. Others will see your weakness though. You must be on your guard.

The tavern owner, Sal, bursts through your door. He has been alerted by the shrieks and sounds of the fight. He has followed the trail of blood to your room.

“What happened in here? We don’t allow fighting inside the tavern! Look at the state of the place! There’s blood everywhere!”

“Most of it’s mine, apparently. It was two thieves. The same gang that stole my purse earlier on. They came to finish me off, but it didn’t go to plan for them.”

“So, you brought them here?”

“Me? You served them - in this tavern! Surely you know who and what they are? I don’t. That’s negligence, that is! I could’ve been killed.”

“I keep out of it. I just serve people food and drink. Other people’s business isn’t my business. I’ve got enough problems. I can’t be babysitting tourists. Hire a guide if you feel you’re in danger. I rent rooms to anyone who can pay; which reminds me, you can’t.”

“I’ve paid for tonight. I suggest you ask your barmaid about the part she played in all this. She drugged me - for them.”

“I’d be careful saying things like that about my staff.”

“She brought me a bittermint coffee after speaking to the men. Said it was on the house. It tasted weird so luckily, I didn’t think much of it. She’s working with thieves. How many more tourists has she drugged for them? Under your roof.”

“I’ll certainly speak to her about giving away free drinks. Bittermint coffee does taste funny. The clue’s in the name. Where’s the drink then, if you didn’t drink it?”

“I left it downstairs.”

“It’ll have been cleared away by now then so you can’t prove it was drugged, can you?. I suggest you go to bed. It’s late. Tomorrow, you can clean this mess up before my wife sees it.”

“I’m injured.”

“Whose fault is that? A good warrior doesn’t get injured. I never did, back in the day. Thieves wouldn’t have had a chance against me. It’s one thing having the weapons - it’s another to be able to use them in the heat of battle.”

“So I’m told.”

He leaves, shaking his head at the broken lock on the door. You wash and bandage your wounds carefully then you get into bed trying to avoid standing in the blood which is starting to dry.

You listen to the heavy rain falling against the window and the howling wind outside.

You wonder where you will sleep tomorrow night with no Kand to pay for a room somewhere and with others likely to try to attack you now you are weak. The straw filled mattress and heavy woollen blankets are warm and comfy and the fire heats the room well. The storm outside worsens but you soon feel relaxed enough to sleep.

You are woken by Elspethe banging on your door with a face like thunder. You are so startled; you fall out of bed.

“It’s time to get up.”

“What time is it?”

“6am. Your breakfast is ready downstairs and if you think I’m cleaning this mess up, you’re mistaken.”

“This is all your fault! I saw you talking with those thieves. You drugged me. Too bad I foiled your plan to kill me. I bet I’m not the first, either.”

“I did nothing wrong. You can’t prove anything. I gave you a free drink - and now, you’re blaming me for you being attacked later? I’m not sure anyone will believe I had anything to do with that.”

“I saw you talking and laughing with them whilst you were looking at me.”

“Have you suffered from paranoia for a while? I’m a barmaid - I have to talk to people. Even when I don’t want to. I’m talking to you, now, aren’t I?”

“Why don’t you like me? What have I ever done to you?”

“You don’t belong here. Same as them others. There’s a bad vibe about your kind. Makes me uneasy. Bad things start happening around people like you. I’m on a good number here. You’d best not ruin it for me. I know many people and I’ll stop at nothing to get rid of the lot of you. I promise you that. You should be thankful it wasn’t poison.”

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“So, you did drug me?”

“Prove it. You can’t. Who will they believe? A stranger, or their local barmaid?”

“There’s others like me? You’ve met them?”

“Not for long. They weren’t as lucky as you. Most met unfortunate accidents soon after arriving and no - I didn’t drug them. The guides got a couple of them, and some others made bad choices. The main thing is, they vanished. You should, too. If you know what’s good for you.”

“The guides? So, they can’t be trusted, either?”

“Ha! Everything is a lie here. Truth is an illusion. Those guides… You can’t buy trust it seems. Your breakfast is getting cold.”

She leaves the room with a sly smile on her face leaving you to hastily wash and go downstairs for breakfast.

You sit down in front of a hearth nearest the bar to a hearty breakfast of thickly cut toast, poached dragon eggs and butterhoney jelly. A steaming tankard of honey coffee is also on the table, and you eye it warily.

I don’t know what I was expecting when I ordered the dragon eggs, but I wasn’t expecting them to be blue. Blue yolks? I hope they taste better than they look.

That is the very least of your problems.

I believe so, but this is my current problem so let’s deal with one crisis at a time, shall we?

As you wish. It is good you have rested in the night, and you have food and drink. It will help you heal this avoidable damage quicker.

Avoidable damage? I think I did very well, considering. I won, didn’t I?

Eventually. You should have won easily with little to no damage to yourself despite being mildly drugged. I hope you have learned that to win a fight, you must fight. Why do you think they needed to drug you? It is because even two thieves cannot beat a fighter of your ability. No one would have been more surprised they were winning so easily than those two.

You go on a bit, don’t you? I get it. I’ll swing the axe around more next time but, I’ve gotta tell you, this isn’t like a game. It’s as real as reality. I don’t like it. You can forget it’s a game too easily.

Except it is not a game. Not when you can die here, and you also die in the real world.

So you said. I came pretty close to that last night, didn’t I?

You have survived to see breakfast. Most do not. That is an achievement of sorts.

The barmaid, Elspethe, gave the impression others have died here, ones she said are like me and ‘don’t belong here’. Is that what you mean? Who are these other people if my grandad’s POD-VRI is the only one, our prototype and I’m supposed to be the first to use it - and that was months before I should’ve done thanks to those men with guns… Whoever they were, arriving.

The logical answer is you were not the first to come here from your reality.

Who are the others?

Who were the others. You will find out in due course.

You continue to eat your breakfast. You cautiously sip the honey coffee, but it tastes okay, and you hope for the best. Just as you finish eating, Elspethe walks towards you carrying a mop and wooden bucket filled with grey water.

“This is for you.”

She stomps off without looking back. You look around the tavern hall. It is full of people eating breakfast and talking in low tones. They are talking about the fight - and your injuries.

The travelling bard, Trellis, walks towards you.

“I hear you had quite a night. Not too much damage, I hope?”

“No, I’m fine. I’m a fighter, they were just a couple of thieves. They thought they could get the better of me, but I foiled their plan.”

“I see… but you are badly injured…”

“Flesh wounds, a couple of scratches here and there. I just put bandages on to… test them out to see if they were any good. Turns out they are so… I’ll be buying more.”

“You reckon you’ll be needing them then? Do you have enemies?”

“I didn’t think I had any enemies here but I’m learning that I have for some reason. And coin isn’t the only thing they’re after, they’re after my body, too.”

“Interesting. I heard you’d been robbed earlier in the day. Same gang, do you think?”

“I think so. It’s because I’m a tourist. When no one knows you, villains think they can get rid of you, and no one will know.”

“I’m a stranger in many towns when I’m on my travels but I don’t have those problems myself. No one takes from me. On the contrary, I have no need of coin. I pay for nothing. People give me everything I want in exchange for songs and the latest news.”

“I need to think the way of earning some coin so I can eat and have a place to stay. I also paid for a provisions pack, but after that - I have nothing. I need to recover my strength, to heal. Although… I’m sure I’ll be fine and back up to 100% or whatever it was by tomorrow.”

“Why are you here? Why did you come to Dragonclawe?”

“I found myself here and now I have to find some scrolls my grandad left here.”

“Are they valuable?”

“Only to me. They’ll help me find my way home.”

“Have you hired a guide?”

“No. I’ve no Kand left but I think I might be safer without a guide what with all the accidents tourists seem to have in their company.”

“What do you think of our King?”

“I don’t know anything about him but if you’re singing songs about people plotting to overthrow him, I can’t imagine he’s very popular.”

“Oh he is! The trouble is everyone wants to be king. Whoever is on the throne is a target, much like tourists such as yourself are. Any plotters and conspirators must be rooted out! The King is king. May he rule for many years.”

“I’m sure he will if he has dutiful subjects such as you looking out for him.”

“What do you know about spies?”

“Nothing. They eavesdrop and follow people then report back to… Whoever, with what they find out.”

“Have you heard any plotters, plot?”

“No. I’ve been too busy trying to foil my own would-be assassins, to be honest.”

“You would be a good plotter, I think. You have no allegiance to our King. No one knows you. Thieves tried to kill you and failed despite using a sleeping potion. You’re injured when you shouldn’t be. You have no coin and yet… You say you’re looking for scrolls that are only of value to you. I think I’ll be keeping a close eye on you. And I travel about. Wherever you go, I may turn up. I’m loyal to the king. I will bring down anyone who isn’t.”

“I’m not involved with spies or plotting or… How did you know they used a sleeping potion?”

“It’s my job to know everything that goes on. Nothing escapes my notice No whisper goes unheard. Be warned.”

“Sounds to me like you’d be the ideal spy.”

“I’ll be watching your every move. I’m not a common thief. I have skills you could never dream of. You would not win a fight with me.”

“I wouldn’t win a fight with a paper bag right now. If you’ll excuse me, I must go mop up the blood from last night.”

You grimace picking up the bucket of water and mop as you climb the stairs to your room, watched by Trellis.

You mop the floor and notice the fire has gone out. You take a last lingering look at the cosy bed, and are about to leave the room with your bag of belongings when you notice something odd.

The water is heading for the back wall then disappearing, making a dripping sound. You head towards it, noticing a draft coming from the same wall. You trace the wall with your fingertips. There is a square shape gouged into the stone wall. Intrigued, you press it and a secret door opens.

A secret door? This is wild! What do you think might be behind it?

You could guess - or you could walk through it and find out.

Are you not excited? I am! This could lead anywhere! I could find long lost treasure; a famous prisoner being kept here or maybe someone is being hidden here for their own safety or…

Or… nothing except damp and cobwebs. I suggest you leave this alone. You have enough problems. Go and get your provisions pack and decide where you are sleeping tonight.

I’m going to light one of my candles. Let’s see what we’re dealing with. I wonder if Sal knows about this? There’s a corridor! A long one, too!

I expect he does as he owns the place.

You are some way in the corridor when you hear stone scraping on stone followed by a loud crunching noise.

The secret door has closed behind you, and it appears you can only open it from the other side.

I didn’t think that could happen! I’m trapped!

One day you might listen to me.

You’re right, I should’ve got the provisions pack, then explored down here. I wonder if tale-teller Trellis knows about this place? He thinks he knows everything. Kind of like you do.

I do not think.

So you keep saying. Well, there’s only one thing for it, I’ll just have to see where this leads. Unless you have a better plan?

You are the one who must make the decisions which is why you are in yet another tricky predicament.

Thanks for the support! I can hear something! What could it be down here?

You are about to find out…

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