“You would ask my people to die.”

“No, I ask them to fight to survive.”

“My answer remains the same: We cannot fight for you.”

“Then you doom us all to damnation.”

“I hope, for both our sakes, that you are wrong.”

—Conversation between Rellar Azureth and Anathi. Date unknown.

The Archival of Araedi, Araedi. Day 04.

Saiph stood in the Archival’s grand entrance hall, staring up at the imposing dragon skeleton before him, wings outstretched and mouth open in a roar that dominated the expansive room. Most of its skeleton held the brownish grey of fossilized bone, but the dragon’s teeth, horns, and claws were black crystals reminiscent of his own dragon form’s icy-blue crystals in the same places.

How had such a great beast end up here? Dragons were powerful mages, rivaling even the power he and millions of other players around the world had been given when they’d been pulled from their homes and dropped into their characters’ bodies in what had supposedly been a game.

Three days of fighting monsters, both man and mystical, and the destruction and death that came with that fighting had instilled in Saiph the confirmation that whatever had happened to him and everyone else from earth, this wasn’t a game.

A collection of guilds, many Saiph knew from his decade of game time, were in the process of putting together a sort of government with the goal of solving the mystery of what had brought them here and how to get them home.

A few pieces of that puzzle had been laid out before them. Raine von Alder, a summon belonging to his friend, Nix, had a necklace with the logo of Annwyn Online’s developer, Sonnet Entertainment, as the pendant. She had said it was a reference to a religious order, the Revi, which had existed some five hundred years earlier.

Moreso, the very building Saiph was standing in, the Archival of Araedi, as it was named, held some books mentioning the Revi. Most of those were indecipherable, even to Malikela, an NPC who had a passion for history and was helping Sinnamon and Weaver catalogue the massive trove of knowledge held here.

There was another, more personal mystery Saiph was grappling with. His girlfriend, who had died in a car accident nearly two years ago, was now online on her character, Aria Aurora, in her guild castle, Pallas’ Watch.

He knew it was likely someone who had hacked her account and been logged into it around the time everyone got brought here, but the fact that they were intentionally ignoring the dozens of messages Saiph had sent over the last couple days was maddening.

Not getting an immediate reply had been driving the small hope that Riley somehow really was alive. He’d never admit it to his friends, but that was the driving reason for his insistence on heading to the guild castle. In truth, Saiph didn’t really know what he’d do when he got there and found the person using her account. A part of him hoped he’d find a bot like he, Nix, and Lueur Rose had found in the firestone mine dungeon they’d cleared. It would feel less like a desecration to Saiph if he found a Slaine or Cassi using her account.

Voices from the library broke Saiph from the dragon and his thoughts. It was considerably early in the morning, especially considering the events of the previous day. An army of angry players had set fire to a large swath of the wildlands beyond Araedi in the hopes that they’d draw out Sonnet Entertainment’s moderation team or developers and force them to send them home. That plan hadn’t worked.

In the library, Sinnamon Roll was sitting with Malikela, Saiph presumed; a tall stack of books between them.

“Sinn, how long have you two been in here?”

Sinnamon looked up from her book and, out of habit, pushed up a pair of glasses she wasn’t actually wearing. “A couple hours. Couldn’t sleep. You either, I take it?”

Saiph shook his head. “Not a wink. I’m heading to Orleana’s guildhall in a bit. What are you two working on?”

“Trying to get a jump on that lead you gave me the other night. Malikela found some notes that referenced the Revi. Whoever put everything here took care to set up a reference system for it all. We just can’t find it.” Sinnamon paused. “We’ve been over every room down here. Weaver’s looking in the basement while we continue looking through what we already have here.”

“Well, when you find that reference thing, let me know if you find anything on the dragon in the lobby. I wanna know what could have killed her.”

“‘Her’?”

“Yeah. The direction of the curve of her horns gives it away. Males curve upward, female’s downward.” A fact Saiph had no doubt acquired from his own soul merging from that of another dragon. An eventful first three days indeed.

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Saiph left the pair and returned to the lobby, gave the skeletal dragon a nod, and opened up a portal to Orleana’s guildhall with his Caer Fragment. Warm, salty air welcomed him as he stepped through the hole in reality.

The Pride of Orleana, flagship of the Brotherhood of Pirates, sat in her berth with large maroon sails furled, rocking gently against her dock. She was an old ship at nearly a hundred years in Terre time, only a few years younger than the Brotherhood itself, but she hid that age well thanks to magic and a crew, both Player and NPC, who cared for her deeply.

Even as Saiph walked up the multi-level dock to reach the ship’s gangplank, he could see carpenters at work replacing rotted and worn sections of the hull.

Still a founding member of the Brotherhood, if not an active participant since spinning off and forming North Remembers eight years ago earth time, Saiph was well known to the guild, particularly those who called the Pride their home.

The Brotherhood’s leader, and Saiph’s longest friend, Will-I-Am, stood on the upper deck, looking out into the harbor beyond. As one of the Cait Sidhe, or cat folk, Will was a prime example of Terre’s oddities and stark differences from Earth. Orange and white fur covered his thin, muscular frame and a cat’s face with large green eyes turned to meet Saiph as he approached.

“Saiph, you’re early. I thought we weren’t meeting until noon.”

“I wanted to get the founding crew together for breakfast. Just you, me, Quark, and Kamila.”

Will stroked the whiskers on the left side of his face. “I could eat.”

***

Will knocked on the door to Quark and Kamila’s quarters. “Quark, it’s Will and Isaac.”

A message popped up in front of Saiph’s face.

Come in, but be quiet. Madeleine is still asleep.

The windowless room was dark, save only for a single candle on Quark’s desk. On that desk sat a book on a stand while Quark, in owl form, sat upon the head of his chair. His twin owl familiars, Strange and Charm, were perched on either side of his book.

Beside Quark, a small bat hung upside down, wings wrapped around itself, tiny body expanding and contracting in the rhythm of sleep.

Quark lifted off the back of his chair, changed into his elven self, and walked over to Saiph and Will as his two familiars took up positions on each shoulder. He gestured for the pair to lead him into the hallway.

“What’s up?” Quark asked as he closed the door behind him.

“Breakfast.” Saiph and Will said in unison.

Quark shook his head. “Don’t wait for us. We’ll meet you at the guildhall.”

“No worries. What were you reading?” Saiph asked.

“A book on the history of the Red Fleet, the pirate group to which Raine von Alder belonged. When you consider their origins and that of the age of piracy in general, things have come almost full circle,” Quark mused.

“What do you mean?” Will asked.

“Many of the original pirate crews were monster hunters before turning to piracy. The red sails pirate ships use has its ties to that origin,” Quark answered. “Much like our own.”

Saiph glanced deckward unconsciously as though he could see the Pride’s sails. Nearly every monster hunting ship wore maroon sails.

“I would like to propose an expedition to the other continents after we slay Avanyu. We’ve had basically no word from any of the other servers, we’re just assuming they’re here like we are. Either way, if we’re to find out what brought us here, I think we need to be coordinated with everyone.” Quark said.

“I agree, but Avanyu isn’t the only monster out there. I’m not worried about us, but it would be too dangerous for the crew. That’s why no one sails beyond the shallows.” Will replied. “I was thinking we might even do a Guardian-only expedition to kill Avanyu. It would require more players to run the ship, but we’d only be risking the ship. No one else.”

“‘Too dangerous for Clarke’, you mean? It’s become obvious to everyone around here there’s something between you two since your date.” Quark fixed Will with a knowing glance and Saiph fought to suppress a laugh.

“It wasn’t a date! Our relationship is only business. If I’m to captain this ship, I should know the quartermaster—” Will shook his head, obviously dropping Quark’s bait. “No, if something happens and the Pride is lost, the NPCs go down with her. We won’t, we’ll respawn or can just fast travel away. I don’t want that kind of blood on my hands.”

Saiph stroked his beard in thought. “Why can’t they use our fast travel portals? We could get them out as easily as we can ourselves. It pretty much trivializes things like that.”

“Can NPCs even use our fast travel portals?” Will asked.

Saiph shrugged. “Worth finding out.”

“Maybe, but I wouldn’t mind looking at some of Clarke’s uncle’s airship designs. It’d be a whole lot easier to avoid the sea monster issue entirely if we could just fly over them.”

Abigail Clarke’s, or Clarke as she preferred, voice behind Will made the three of them jump. “That was my uncle’s idea when we built the airship that brought us here from the Triskelion. Avanyu still sank it, remember?”

“How long have you been standing there?” Will asked.

“Long enough to volunteer if you're looking for a non-Guardian to try out your portals. You're going to Ven Istera, that's where my uncle settled down.” Clarke paused. There was a sudden, unmistakable look of fire in her eyes as she spoke again, “And we might not be reborn like you when we die, but that doesn't make us helpless. We live our whole lives knowing what we risk when we board this ship. If the crew of the Pride wish to join in slaying Avanyu, don't insult us by denying us the choice.”

All of them shifted uncomfortably under Clarke’s gaze.

Will raised his hands apologetically. “I'm sorry, Clarke. We weren't trying to offend anyone. If the crew of the Pride or any of the other ships we take with us wish to come, I won't stop them.”

Raine nodded. “Good. Besides, we know this ship better than anyone you'd get to run her and you're out of your mind if you think I'd let anyone else helm her.”

“I still think we shouldn't rush into anything before we find out more of what to expect,” Will hedged.