— CHAPTER SIXTEEN —

Opening Day

  (Percival)

 I blinked awake to pale sunlight streaming through the dusty window of the inn room. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes and tapped open my party chat. Fritz had put in two new messages.

 The first was an invitation from the Guard. A week had passed since our raid on Oxtongue, and they wanted everyone involved to attend the gate opening ceremony. Guess they finally scraped together the resources. It was scheduled for later this afternoon.

 The second was a message forwarded from Excalibur: 'I can't message Percival; pass this on to him, will ya? I can't send him mail either, so I'm sending it to you.'

 I leaned back in bed with a satisfied smirk. She was faster than I expected.

---

 I limped through the shadowed back alleys of the Trade Union. Half my body was singed into streaks of wireframe and flecks of my burnt robe fell off as I jogged around the tight corners. We were coming fresh off the Oxtongue fight. Behind me, Fritz and Lucy followed, somewhere between curious and concerned.

 Excalibur's office was still in its desolate little corner, and I bashed right through the door.

 She was wobbling behind the desk, a half-empty bottle of bourbon in her hand. She jumped at the sound of the door, but spread her arms wide when she saw us. "Looked what the cat dragged in! You lookin' for a new face? We don't sell those here!"

 "I'm here to sell, actually." I said.

 "Hold on a second here, Percy -" Lucy stepped past me, "- who let you buy that?!"

 Cali waved the bottle around. "The store!"

 "That has to be illegal!"

 "International waters, baby! No one knows what's legal anymore!" She took a swig straight from the bottle, then flinched violently. Several shots of booze spilled on the floor as she nearly fell forward off her chair, barely catching herself on her desk.

 Fritz said, "Nah, Percy had this problem - they didn't let him buy alcohol 'cause he's underage."

 "So I paid a guy to buy it for me! It's my paycheck; sue me!"

 Lucy gaped at her in horror. Fritz leaned toward her and whispered, "The stuff's watered down; that'll be weaker than a canned beer. Just... let her believe."

 I cleared my throat. "So... check this out!" I went into my inventory and pulled out the Oxhide Greatcloak. A floor-length cape of thick, deep purple fabric spawned in my hands.

 Lucy reached out to feel it. "Oh, is that suede?"

 "Where'd you get that?" Fritz asked.

 "This is an epic drop from the first Citadel boss!"

 "Dang - you're gonna sell that?!" he sputtered.

 "It's level 10 and we're 13; we're gonna outclass it quick. Plus, it's dex-based, and you use str and I'm str/int hybrid. So... why not?"

 "You know I use dexterity, right?" Lucy asked.

 "How much money you got?"

 She sputtered indignantly. "I- I'm the one that hid that notification for you!"

 "I'd do this even if they knew I had it!"

 Excalibur watched us blearily, a bit of drool leaking out of the corner of her mouth. "What are you guys talking about?"

 I tossed the cloak onto her desk. "Look at this."

 She grabbed it to bring up the interaction menu and squinted at the description. "Dang, man. What do you want me to do with it?"

 "I was hoping you would... know how to find someone that could afford such an exclusive and valuable piece of finery. You know, with your work connections."

 "Oh..." she nodded absently, "Yeah, I can do that. ... For a 50% cut of the profit."

 Lucy put her hands on her hips and said, "I'm already taking 50% - I'm blackmailing you now."

 I turned to glare at her, but she stared me down, making a 'roll with it' motion with her hand. Catching her drift, I nodded.

 "Ah, fine." Cali grumbled. "Half of what's left, then."

 "For a commission?" Lucy scoffed. "You'd be lucky to get 5% of what's left!"

 Excalibur took another swig of bourbon, nearly choking on it before slumping back in her chair. "Why you gotta do this to me right now?" she whined. "I want, like, a quarter of what's left."

 "That's hard to calculate; why don't we make it a nice, round 10% of the total?" Lucy said. "I haven't even seen another epic - that's still got to be a lot."

 With a dispirited shrug, Cali mumbled, "Fine." She pulled the cloak off her desk and leaned back in her chair, hugging it against herself like a blanket as she stared blankly at the ground. "Why do people do this to themselves?"

 Fritz walked over and took the bourbon on the verge of falling out of her hand, setting it on the desk. "Because life can get messy, and sometimes it's simpler if you're the one screwing yourself over. And, y'know, on the responsible side, it's fun to get stupid with friends. Nothing you can do but wait it out. Here, try some water."

 He sat on the desk and looked back at Lucy and me. "I'm gonna stay with her for a bit; you get out of here, matador."

 "Alright." I shrugged. To Lucy, I asked, "Have you heard of a place called 'Hero Hero'? It was in the paper."

 "I have not." she shook her head.

 "Man, I thought we were gonna go!" Fritz protested.

 "It's supposed to be hard to find; I'll sus it out for you!"

---

 Back in my bed, I lay there and typed in the group chat.

[Percival]: Oh-ho-ho, how much we lookin' at?

[Fritz Carlton]: It looks like the final price was 1,000 marks - she sent me 900.

[Percival]: Hot dog, baby! Go ahead and split the rest 30-30-30- between you, me, and Lucy.

[Fritz Carlton]: A'ight. You know where to find me.

 I hauled myself out of the cushiony depths of the bed and headed out.

 Fritz had taken to an arcade - an actual 80's-style arcade with all your cabinet classics plopped right in the middle of this VR world. I watched him mash buttons, leaning side to side as he fought through the last life of a game of Space Invaders.

 "Doesn't this feel unnecessary?" I asked as his last cannon exploded. "You can play these on your computer."

 He slapped the machine in frustration. "No way, man! Arcade games are so much more than the game itself! It's the sense of community - seeing the locals' scores and competing against them! Getting tips from the guy that just dominated Galaga! You need that physicality, that human element!"

 I looked at the empty arcade around us. "What human element?"

 "So people haven't discovered this place yet! You know what? I'm going to write in to the paper recommending it." He pointed to the back. "Plus, have you seen the stuff they've got in the back? There's this 3D fighting game where you get in pods that put you in the game for real! Can't get that experience sitting at home!"

 "Minigames are fine and all, but doesn't it kind of break the immersion? We're in a fantasy game. You could at least do all of this within the theme."

 "If we were out in some backwater village out in the plains, I'd agree with you. But in this city? It's the center of the world! There's an Egyptian pyramid next to a roman villa over in the mansion neighborhoods! A few blocks from the arena, there's an Italian joint next to a blacksmith! This place was built to be a playground; a place where you log in on the weekend to just hang out!"

 "You are dressed like a tourist."

 "Exactly!" he said. "Oh, Eagle messaged me, by the way. They've got another job for us."

 "If we used this money to pay off the debt, do you think they would actually let us walk out?"

 "C'mon, it's not bad work. We're not out there busting kneecaps or anything - they just send us into high-level zones to look for chances to get ahead. And honestly? Better us than someone actually loyal to them. If it's big, we can always leak it. Don't think of it as helping them, think of it as us using them for information!"

 "Yeah, alright. So what do they want?"

 "Word is there's a quest up in the Deep King's Woods."

 I checked my map. The King's Woods was one of the largest regions in the game, broken into three zones. The Deep King's Woods was the second, in the far northern section out by the coast - intended for the 15 - 20 level range.

 "Only level 15?" I asked. "That's awfully close to the current par level - why are they sending us?"

 "'Cause it's Resistance territory and, after they found that grinding exploit, all of their go-to guys have committed to the Loyalists."

 "Are there still not enough falsified insignias to go around?"

 "Guess not. That one's in the current-level zones, so only the dedicated adventurers are in the right area, and you only get one per group that happens into the quest and remembers to search the insurgents' supplies."

 I said, "Alright, I guess we'll take the train to Townsville tomorrow."

 "Since we're killing time until the ceremony, you want to check out Dino Attack with me?" He jumped excitedly as he started toward the games at the back of the arcade. "It's another VR game - you're on a jeep driving through the jungle, fighting off dinosaurs with an assault rifle!"

 "... Sure."

 So we spent the day getting eaten by dinosaurs in a virtual jungle within a virtual arcade. I still had doubts about the standard games, but there were definitely things there that were impossible on a normal computer - or even at a normal arcade!

---

 Later in the evening, as the sun was still about an hour or so above the horizon, crowds of people began to trickle up the side of the motte. The ceremony was being held in the courtyard, right where the fight had taken place, though you'd never recognize it.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

 Even as we were walking up the hill, we could see the bleachers and stands that had been built out of tables and wood scaffolding surrounding the edge. The bulk of the courtyard was filled with rows of chairs all facing toward the gates. Most of the seats were still empty at that point, and the people currently milling about were largely members of the World Guard and Trade Union finishing the setup.

 At the back, roughly where Oxtongue had stood, they'd made a stage out of a block of pushed-together tables. Two people were standing up there, talking to some of the event coordinators. The first was a quite large man in a suit of polished armor with a tabard showing the World Guard crest - a globe with a winged shield in front of it. Sir Alka the Seltzer - the founder himself. He looked to be in his mid-forties, touches of grey coming into his dark hair. The game's character creator turned his dad bod into a heap of raw muscle, but he carried himself casually.

 Next to him was a leaner man in a more modern business-casual getup - khakis and a button-up. Poe, also World Guard. I knew I'd seen the name in the papers, but I wasn't sure what he'd done. He kind of reminded me of what I imagined Fritz would look like in 30 years - if he got serious rather than leaned into hippie grandpa/beach bum territory.

 The two of us standing in the middle of the aisle caught their attention, and Poe waved us over with a broad gesture. "Fritz Carlton and Percival!" he called out. "Two of our raid members!"

 Alka gave us a broad smile. "Welcome! We've got front-row seats reserved for you all."

 He motioned to a cluster of chairs directly in front of the stage, and Fritz and I made our way over to the earmarked section. The coordinators Alka and Poe had been speaking with dispersed, and the two men descended from the platform to greet us.

 "Hello there!" Alka said. Even without the stage to boost his height or if I was standing, he towered over me. "I don't believe we've met, though I've read your names many times. I'm Alka - please, just Alka - guild leader of the World Guard."

 Fritz leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. "I used to name my alts after whatever was on my desk; I get it."

 "And this is Poe, our primary logistics coordinator."

 He gave up a quick smile and nod.

 "He's the one that pulled our guilds together to gather the resources for the gate." Alka explained.

 I had read his name in the paper, I realized! He was the one that proposed the alliance between the Guard and other large guilds!

 "That was the easy part." Poe said with a humble smile. "If there were anyone whose efforts were irreplaceable, it'd be your group's."

 "Oh, stop; you're going to make me think I'm a responsible person!" Fritz said. "We were just the first ones that signed up - someone woulda got it done."

 "I don't think that's true." Alka said. "I saw the pictures and heard the uncut recording." Looking at me in particular, he said, "You, young man, did something very few could."

 I said, "It was reckless disregard for the commander's orders. In most situations, that would have put everyone in danger."

 "I'd say command had already broken down." Poe put in. "Regardless, we would like you to be the one to do the honors of turning in the materials to the gate."

 Oh boy.

 A crowd full of people, all those eyes on me... Monsters are easy - simple. You know exactly where you stand with them - they’re going to try and kill you, and you’re going to try and kill them. Facing down a minotaur? Old hat! But that many people? Watching every move I make, silently judging me, waiting for me to mess up - that was truly terrifying.

 "Oh... I, uh, I don't have the inventory space for all that! I'm a... consumable hoarder. I'm saving those potions for when it counts, you know?"

 "That won't be a problem!" Poe reassured me. "Most of the materials have already been submitted; we're just waiting on the last of the life crystals. You only need a single slot."

 "But... so many people worked on this! We were only there for half an hour, really. You should let someone that's been grinding all week do it!"

 "There's no need to be modest!" Alka chuckled. "We're making sure we recognize everyone's efforts getting us this far."

 I shot Fritz a desperate look, but he was too busy holding in laughter. Jerk.

 Before I could think of another protest, a Trade Union runner hurried over to us. "Sirs! A representative of Shake Spear arrived with the last of the crystals; I have them here!"

 "Give them to our designated gate opener here - Percival." Poe indicated me.

 And suddenly there was a trade window in front of me with a thousand life crystals on offer. The deliveryman said, "Oh, you're that guy from the paper! I can't wait to see what's in there. I'm not going in, but it's hard not to be curious! Are you going to continue fighting inside?"

 The only thing I could do at that point was accept the trade. "I don't know about that. There's a lot of levels to get, and... who knows what the future holds, really?"

 The deliveryman ran off, leaving me alone with my impending doom.

 Poe said, "We'll be calling your team up onto the stage at the end of the ceremony to give you medals, and we'll open the gate right after. Until then, relax! Enjoy the moment - you earned it!"

 With that, he and Alka returned to the procession of coordinators looking to confirm details, abandoning Fritz and me to our front row seats.

 I spawned one of the crystals in my hand. It was a little transparent gem about the size of a house key with a double helix of light and darkness frozen inside it. "You want these?" I offered it to my so-called friend.

 "No, I could never take this achievement away from you!"

 We sat, and we waited. The chatter of the crowd swelled behind us as people began to fill in. I tried to shut them out, focus on the stage ahead, but each one added together, the babble of a thousand faceless voices pressing in, echoing off the walls, closing in on me bit by bit.

 The other members of the raid group trickled in as well. Most of them, anyway. Lucy came by and sat with us, and Fritz passed her her cut of the cloak sale.

 She nearly fell out of her chair when she saw the amount. "How- who even has that much money?! And why waste it on some cape?!"

 "People do dumb things for shiny stuff." Fritz said. "I once blew a hundred bucks trying - trying, I never got them - on a character in a gacha game. And an addict will tell you that's nothing!"

 Siegfried arrived next. His eyes had healed fully, and he gave us a nod as he took a seat. After that was Flora, who was looking a tad overwhelmed by the crowd. Then came Filius with Rose trailing behind. She looked distracted as she sat at the end of the line.

 Last to arrive was Davi, bouncing over excitedly. "It worked! I found him!" she said. "Or, he found me!"

 "You mean your brother?" Fritz asked. "Fantastic!"

 "Yeah, he's-" Davi scanned the crowd behind us. "Oh, shoot, I lost him. There's a lot of people here."

 Thanks for reminding me. I clenched my jaw.

 "You'll have to meet him later." Davi said, "Is anyone free after this? I thought it might be nice to get dinner or something. To celebrate."

 "Sure, I'm game!" Fritz said. "I'll even pick up the tab!"

 "Really? Are you sure?" Davi asked.

 "I came into some money, so why not?"

 "That sounds lovely." Flora said.

 Fritz pulled up his menu to check the time and said, "Only a few minutes to go. Anyone heard from Sebas or Leo?"

 Siegfried looked up his friends list with a frown. "I know Leonard said he wasn't coming, and I messaged Sebastopol earlier. He didn't reply, but he was still in the Capital this morning. ... That's odd. Now I can't find him."

 Flora's smile stiffened. "That's uh... isn't that what happens when someone ... you know, dies?"

 "I'm sure there's a simpler explanation." Siegfried said. "Where would he even - I mean, I suppose the sewers are always dangerous, but still. No news is good news - all we know is that it doesn't look like he's coming."

 A neatly-dressed event coordinator came by our row. "Excuse me, when you come up to receive your medals, would any of you like to say a few words?"

 Rose remained quiet in the corner, frowning at the ground. Filius put an arm around her shoulder, and she broke into a faint smile, but still didn't speak up.

 I sure wasn't going to try to say anything, and Siegfried shook his head. "I don't feel I have the right."

 The coordinator nodded. "Alright then. We'll be getting started shortly."

 Going back in time, I wonder what would have happened if I got up on the stage and started shouting about the government conspiracy behind the game. I can't imagine it would have changed anything - they'd haul me outta there and throw me in an asylum - but it'd make a memorable event.

 A few minutes later, the sun began to set, dying the walls black and turning the grass amber. Alka took the stage with a microphone. The chatter died away. He tapped the microphone, the sound reverberating through the speakers set around the perimeter of the courtyard, echoing off the stone ramparts until it reached every last seat.

>  "People of Dawnfall, it is time.

>

>  "It is with immense pride that I welcome you all to this momentous occasion - the moment we take our first steps into the Citadel.

>

>  "Today marks the culmination of countless hours of hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment of thousands of people - crafters, gatherers, and dungeoneers alike. This celebration is not only a reflection of our achievements but also a testament to the collective effort of each individual who has contributed to this journey.

>

>  "To the members of the teams that worked tirelessly to get us to this day, your hard work, resilience, and dedication is the driving force behind our success. To every unaffiliated donor who gave their time and materials to help us gather the toll, your support has been invaluable. And to our guests, thank you for taking the time to join us in this celebration. We hope that you will share in our excitement and take pride in what we have accomplished together.

>

>  "I would like to take a moment now and acknowledge those that gave their lives to make today possible. This includes all of the people that risked their lives out in the field - in the dungeons and gathering areas. But also, the four individuals who died in the line of duty in the fight against the boss. Those four are: Schumacher, one of my guild's own members; Cinter, who was a woman of few words; James, who always had a way of making people laugh; and Razzmatazz, who stood his ground with the last fighters and tackled the beast head on."

 He lowered his head for a moment, and the courtyard went silent.

>  "They were not the first to die in this game, and they will not be the last. But whatever fate has forced us into this position, we will not give in to it! We of the World Guard are committed to creating a stable ecosystem so that we all may focus on what matters: returning to our friends and loved ones beyond the reaches of this world's boundaries. Joining us in this endeavor are several partners, and now I would like to give them a chance to say their piece."

 The heads of each of the World Guard's coalition guilds stood and headed for the right side of the stage. They all had their turn giving their pledge of support and that hoopla. The only one I was really listening to was the Protectorate's. Pascal ended the procession by reminding everyone there would be a public forum on how to handle property right to NPC houses - make your opinion heard!

 Property rights! The wild west was dying. Well, it was fun while it lasted. It was probably for the best, honestly - don't want another squatter muscling in on your turf.

 When they were done, Alka retook the stand. "In addition to these esteemed groups and tireless volunteers, a few remarkable individuals proved absolutely integral to our success. Without them, this project would have never started. I am, of course, speaking of the valiant players who slew the boss. Raiders of Oxtongue, come forth!"

 Fritz helped drag me to my feet with the rest of the line. We filed onto the stage to thunderous applause. A cacophony of claps and cheers rose from the sea of bubbling spectators. They sloshed and hopped in a crashing tide of colors backed by the bleachers rising like a tidal wave coming to engulf us.

 Yeah, I'd take the minotaur any day.

 Poe joined us on stage with a cluster of gold medals.

 "A small reward compared to what you risked." Alka said. "But please, accept these tokens with our deepest gratitude."

 They draped them over our necks one by one. I flipped mine over. It was engraved on one side with the head of a bull, and a depiction of the Citadel on the other.

>  "And now, it is time!" Alka declared. "Today, we throw open the gates! Today, the true fight begins! Today marks the second step on our march to freedom! Let the game commence in earnest!"

 The crowd erupted in a deafening roar. Alka turned to me expectantly but I stood completely frozen; none of my limbs would move. I could only stare out at the churning throng, a teeming mass roiling like a sea of hamsters coming to devour my flesh one nibble at a time.

 "Woah!" Fritz suddenly shouted. He windmilled his arms, teetering dramatically on the edge of the stage, then fell backwards. The crowd gasped, but he stood up chuckling and waved. "I'm good! No worries!" Relieved giggles rippled through the spectators.

 Taking advantage of the momentary break in tension, I hopped down from the stage and awkwardly walk-jog-stumbled toward the towering wooden gates. Laying a hand on the timber, a notification popped up listing all the materials needed to open it. Most were filled and greyed out. All except for the very bottom line - life crystals.

 I maxed out the donation quantity and hit the confirm button. The notification winked out, and, for a breathless moment, everything went still.

 Suddenly, shouts rang out from the back of the crowd. I couldn't see what was going on back there, but Lieutenant Anderson's voice echoed through the courtyard. "The gate's exposed! Sappers, get in there and burn through before they can muster reinforcements!"

 The crowd rippled as a squad of Loyalist soldiers in rose armor pushed their way through. But before they could take more than a few steps, a flash of purple lightning forked across the sky, striking the curtain wall. Gasps and screams rang out as the crackling energy seared a smoldering line along the archer's gallery.

 From the dark flames, a hunched figure limped into view, swathed in a rich purple cloak. On his head, over the unkept and matted white hair was a crown of gold and rubies. One eye gleamed a sickly yellow, the sclera around it dyed into a pool of swirling, inky darkness that spidered out in tendrils across his withered, ashen skin. The Corrupted King sneered down at us in contempt.

 "So, you finally muster the courage to face me directly." he rasped.

 "Defensive formation!" Lieutenant Anderson called out. "Do not approach!"

 The King let out a mirthless chuckle. "Oh? Getting cold feet at the merest sight of me? You scabs share the spine of my traitorous spawn." His cloak billowed as he gestured toward the gate with a long, skeletal hand with discolored fingernails. "But please, be my guest! Come in, come in! Let us cease dragging out this tiresome dance! Bring my son! Bring my spymaster! Bring all you can muster - I have no wish to leave anyone out! Come in, come in! This long night draws to a close - let us greet the end as a proper family. Dawn approaches!"

 With another flash of purple electricity, he vanished, leaving only tendrils of fading fire. And once again, we were left in silence.

 Then a deep, grinding thud resonated from within the walls, the weighty sound of ancient mechanisms stirring to life. With a shudder and groan, the massive doors began to move.

 They lurched inward, opening the way to a carnival of colors. The Citadel proper rose across from us, an imposing monolith of a more vibrant red stone as the outer walls, and here adorned with countless entrances, balconies, and rooms. Spires reached above terraced gardens and glimmering pools. Billowing smoke stained the sky, pouring from an industrial sector in the east wing.

 Between us and the main structure, filling a half-mile-wide gap between us and the body of the Citadel, was a tangled labyrinth of floating pathways. They rose and dipped and coiled about each other to make an aerial hedge maze surrounding plants of all sorts. Giant luminescent mushrooms rose from the far west side, glowing in a rainbow right next to the autumnal colors of orange-leaved trees. On the east side, the skyways steered out of the way of a terraced depression, forming a massive bowl. In its center stood a tree as tall as the curtain wall. Pitch-black veins streaked through its trunk and limbs, while its canopy - and the orbs of oily darkness hanging from it - dominated a vast swath of the gardens.

 Standing there, one thought crossed my mind:

 For hell, it didn't look half bad.

---

Next Time:

 What is love? Is it something that can be classified? Can it even be defined? Who's to say?

 On an unrelated note, looking to get away from the attention, the boys head back into the world following another quest rumor.

Episode 5 - Love and Other Potions