Between Ani’s annoyance and the excitement that thrummed beneath my skin every time I glanced around, I found it challenging to stay focused on my reading. Around two-thirds of the way there, I zipped the book back up in my backpack and slouched unseemingly back in my chair, gazing at the clear blue sky. Bored, I let my eyes fall shut and used a smidge of mental magic to expand my senses, seeing what lay ahead. The ships traveling were beacons of light before me, the city we were nearing a sun. This far, finding Cove among the rest of the presence would be like finding a specific ant in a city of anthills. Nearly impossible.

I switched my attention back to the ship, focusing on the unique feeling of the presence around me. Players, I noticed, still felt removed, somehow. Sinbad was a sandy desert next to me, his company warm and free of that thin, second layer the players had. The other NPCs, however, felt even more removed than the players, as though I were attempting to look at them through drawn window shades.

My eyes refocused on the clouds outside as I withdrew. This world was so odd.

I slid down my chair a bit, letting the back prop my head out so I could properly watch my cat torture unsuspecting visitors. Sinbad caught me smiling as one girl, who’d had her gaze focused on the clouds floating overhead, shrieked and ran, tripping over herself into a fountain. Her bell-like laugh once Ani’s actions had settled in was infectious, and Ani trotted like a proud show horse back to his hiding spot, his steps high and prim.

“He’s a very cute cat,” Sinbad commented.

I wiped any remnants of the smile from my face. “He’s trouble. He got me fired from my last job.” I mentioned off-hand. We discussed Ani’s mischievous adventures, and Sinbad gave me a few stories of his own adventures on the ship with one of the ship cats they kept for vermin.

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I sent Cove a message as we drew close to the port, figuring between unloading passengers and exiting the doc, that he would have plenty of time to find us no matter where we were. He responded instantly and suggested the entrance of a nearby marketplace as the meetup point. I relayed this information to Sinbad, showcasing it on the map as we were ferried over to the port, Ani draped over my shoulders.

The weight vanished as we were lowered down the elevator, the sudden lack of weight enough to make me stumble. I glanced around the small transparent elevator to no avail. He must have teleported elsewhere.

The elevator dinged as it touched down, the doors opening to give us a clear view of the port and the city beyond. Square multicolored adobes rose over us, clear lines between as the roads flowed across and down the mountain. The streets themselves were patterned with different colored bricks, bringing to mind memories of Agartha, though it didn’t truly compare. Bright neon signs shone brightly over shops and public buildings even during the day. The curved tips of the palace peered over the tall buildings, dishonestly cheerful.

NPCs wandered plentifully in the streets, with shoppers and travelers roaming past the merchants offering wares on the streets and mamluks marching past in a show of the king’s power. The payers were even more plentiful, outfitted in every combination of outfits one could have nightmares of. Most were odd combinations of outfits, chosen for practicality rather than taste. Although I’d learned from playing as Blaze that many would rather dress their characters up in such horrifying color combinations ‘for the lulz’ and ‘because people hate it.’

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We turned a sharp left, pressing ourselves into a small alleyway as another squad of mamluks marched past in perfect synchronization from head to toe. NPCs were just as cautious around them as we were, but the players hardly parted for the mamluks, some passing straight through the open space between rows. The mamluks' sharp gazes and curved swords had no effect on them.

Well, I mused as I stepped back out into the center of the street; for players, there wasn’t much need to. Outside of specific missions, the cities were completely safe for players. My eyes caught Sinbad. However, I wasn’t sure how the rules applied to NPCs and myself.

A patch of dark hair poking slightly above the crowd beyond Sinbad caught my attention, and I did a double take. People passed by, giving me a glimpse of sharp blue eyes buried behind tired wrinkles. The outfit, a skintight navy blue suit with glowing cerulean veins running down the sides and legs, threw me off for a second, but I recognized that face. Cove.

I elbowed Sinbad sharply to gather his attention over the crowd and pointed in Cove’s direction. He shrugged and stepped back, allowing me to take point. I wove through the crowd, Sinbad following on my heels.

Then sharp pinpricks of pain shot through my heels, startling me for seconds before I looked down, seeing the irritating face of my cat, Ranch roaming behind him. I kicked him off, ignoring his pleas for attention even as I called out, catching Cove’s. The exhaustion dragging down his face vanished beneath his relieved smile, and he waved us over.

“I see Ranch and Ani have already found you,” he commented. “Ani jumped on my feet a few minutes ago.”

“He’s been doing that,” I acknowledged.

“Purr-ty troublesome.”

“No kit-ting,” Sinbad shot back.

Cove’s eyes vanished behind his smile altogether. He held a hand out for Sinbad to shake. “Cove.” Sinbad took it, introducing himself in turn.

“We’ll have to cat later. I went ahead and rented a few rooms at the inn,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out the very distinct default wallet. He tossed it in his hand, letting the clink and clang of the change do all the talking for him before he vanished it back into his inventory.

I grabbed my significantly larger bag of cash and mimicked the motion as Cove watched, suitably impressed. Sinbad tossed his hair over his shoulder and followed suit, pulling out a wallet larger than the two of ours combined with a flash of his teeth. “I think I win.”

“I figured you’d like to check out the Merchant’s Street while you’re here,” Cove suggested, gesturing to the hustling street beyond, where the voices of hagglers rose to the windows of the apartments above.

I eyed his outfit enviously.

“Good idea,” Sinbad said. “Perhaps I can find information about my companions.”

Cove eyed me with surprise. “You didn’t–” his mouth snapped shut as he cut himself off, gesturing toward the scenery around us.

“He knows about Zenith Online. He didn’t want spoilers,” I said as Sinbad nodded his agreement.