I found an inn willing to part with some travel supplies and road rations for a reasonable fee. The food would last a week, perhaps a few days more. After that, I’d have to do some hunting, but that would be good for me. Val said I’d get some experience for killing small game and would improve the associated Competencies.

Tara was waiting outside the tavern; her posture made it clear her patience was waning.

“Took you long enough,” she said. “We need to get moving.” She coughed into her arm.

“The road to Danver’s that way.” I pointed east. “If we keep a good pace, we should be able to reach the mountains in two or three days.” I gave her a concerned look. “You’re not going to die on me, are you?”

She glared at me. “I’ll be fine. Just get me there.”

I shrugged, threw my travel sack over my shoulder, and we headed off. It was going to be a long walk, but Val seemed convinced this would be worth the effort and assured me there would be opportunities for me to gain experience along the way.

If we ran into a Kurskin or a Dalari, I would act like any other NPC, and by that, I meant I would act human. Val said the odds of encountering a Voxal were practically nonexistent, but if we did, she wanted me to run as far away from it as possible. It was clear she was particularly concerned about encountering one of the system admins. I didn’t know what they were capable of and had no desire to find out.

“So, what’s in Danver?” I asked Tara, hoping to strike up a conversation.

“Private business. Nothing you need to be concerned about,” she said.

“Are you in trouble? I need to be prepared if you’re on the run or something like that.”

“No, I am not in trouble."

“For my safety and yours, is there anything I should know about you?”

“You have nothing to fear, I swear it. And before you ask, I don’t have the flux. It’s just a cold. Is that enough for you?”

I nodded. “I’ll do my best to see you there safely and swiftly.”

The truth was I didn’t care why Tara needed to go to Danver. All I cared about was finishing this quest and getting some real experience.

We walked on that hard-packed dirt road, mostly in silence, for six awkward hours. We passed a few other travelers heading in the opposite direction, but for the most part, the road was as quiet as Tara was.

The sun would set soon, and we needed to find a safe place to camp. Another cave like the one I met Val in would be nice, as I didn’t have anything to use as a shelter.

“Val, are there any good places to camp around here?”

“I will explore our options.”

“How long do…”

“I have found the ideal location,” Val replied, interrupting my thought.

“Wow, that was fast.”

“I’m an artificial intelligence,” Val said. “It is only natural.”

“Natural, huh?

“Are you trying to make a joke?"

“Never mind,” I thought to her. “Which way?”

Val led us east down the road for another hour. The mountains rose in the distance, their size beyond anything I had ever seen on Earth. Luckily, we wouldn’t need to scale them. Multiple passes had been carved through the mountains, and our route took us through the southern portion, where the mountains were smaller than those that ranged further north.

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I recalled stories about how these mountain passes existed long before man walked the earth. The most prevalent theory was that the Ancients, a precursor race to mankind, built them. No man had ever seen an Ancient, though. Their race was either long extinct, or they dug so deep into the mountains that they never saw the sun again. In reality, they were just one of the many fabricated legends I falsely believed.

“Hey Val,” I said quietly. “Why is the lore of this world all about ancients, witches, shamblemen, and other human folktales? Shouldn’t this world be filled with creatures and legends from the Triarchy’s home worlds?”

“The games were at first, but in time, the players and the audience grew bored of it. Now, they study the culture of the worlds they plan to seed. The Master Control Intelligence used the best and most interesting parts of your religions, legends, and folklore to create a cohesive but unique fantasy world for the Triarchy to have their fun in.”

I hated the Triarchy just a little bit more. They even stole our fairy tales.

I told Tara we needed to set up camp and lead her off the road at Val’s direction. During the walk, I had tried to strike up a conversation with her, but her answers were short and terse. She wasn’t the most enjoyable travel companion, but at least she kept pace despite whatever illness plagued her.

We came upon a creek, and I followed it briefly until I saw two large boulders resting against each other. A sizable gap at their base created a suitable shelter.

I hadn’t realized Val’s map of the world was so precise. This was the perfect spot to rest.

“Let’s make camp here,” I said.

“I can keep going,” Tara said.

“I don’t want to keep going,” I replied. “I want to build a fire, eat, and rest.”

“Okay,” Tara said. “But we should start the day early tomorrow to make up for lost time.”

“Fine by me,” I said. “I’m going to look for some dry wood to burn. Maybe you could check the creek for crawfish. Something fresh would be nice.” The jerky I had bought back in Brighton took more effort to chew than it was worth.

A look of shame flashed across her face. “I’ve never caught a crawdad before.”

“There’s a first time for everything. Just be quick when you go for the grab and watch out for the pincers.”

“Pincers?” she looked disgusted.

I realized I had the wrong impression of Tara from our first meeting. From her demeanor and clothing, I had deduced she was well-traveled and possibly even knew her way around a knife or a bow. But now, I saw through it all. She was wearing a disguise.

Tara was out of her element. She must have been from a large city, maybe even Danver. Her parents were probably rich traders, not fieldhands or beekeepers, as her name wrongly suggested. I wondered what else she was trying to hide from me.

“Don’t worry, kid. I’ll handle it,” I said as I walked away.

“I’m not a kid,” she said from behind me. Only a kid would proclaim, ‘They’re not a kid.’

“How old are you?” I asked.

“I’m twenty-one.”

“Try again,” I said. I wasn’t the best judge of age, but I was questioning everything now.

“I swear, I’m twenty-one.”

“Val, how old is she?”

“Her NPC profile does not list her age, likely for quest purposes. But, if you must know, she is seventeen.”

“Thanks, Val.”

“Happy to be of assistance, John.”

“Look, you're obviously not twenty-one,” I said to Tara. “I don’t care how old you are as long as you aren’t lying to me about anything important.” I raised a questioning eyebrow.

“I’ve been honest with you.”

“Okay,” I shrugged and began my hunt for wood. Her age mattered little, and it changed nothing about the quest. I still had to get her to Danver.

Dry wood was easy to find, and I brought a large bundle back to camp. Before I did anything else, I wanted to start a fire, so I dug a shallow pit and began stacking wood. My father taught me to always build the fire as soon as possible when camping. If the fire had enough time to burn, the hot coals would keep you warm throughout the night.

I tossed in some dry grass for kindling and pulled out the flint and steel I had received from the inn back in Brighton.

I sparked the kindling to flame, then gently blew to give the fire oxygen. It flared to life.

A notification popped.

COMPETENCY UNLOCKED: FIRESTARTER– Gaining control of fire is one of the most important steps in the evolution of all sentient species. Congratulations, you’re as smart as a caveman.

Warning: fire is hot.

One point has been added to the FIRESTARTER passive ability.

I checked out the description of the FIRESTARTER passive. It gave me an incremental increase in fire damage and burn duration. I needed four more points to complete the first tier before the passive effects kicked in.

“Cool,” I said.

“Huh?” Tara asked, approaching me from behind, crawfishless.

“Oh, nothing, just uh, built a fire for us.”

“How is fire cool?” Tara said. “From my experience, it is the opposite.”

I was about to tell her that ‘cool’ was a popular term where I came from but thought better of it.

I smiled at her. “You’re right, of course. Will you tend to the fire? I’m going to set a snare and see what I can pull from the creek.”

“Okay.” She remained a woman of few words, but I would break down her walls eventually. If not, it was going to be a long, boring trip.