Bianca put the last pan in the dishwasher and filled it with soap but didn’t start it, knowing her employer would put her dishes in first. She glanced at her watch: 4 o'clock.
“Mrs. Lexington,” she called from the kitchen. “Dinner is on the table. I believe I am done for the day.” She moved into the living room to see the elderly woman relaxing in her chair, doing a crossword puzzle on her iPad. Her body might have deteriorated, but her mind was still sharp. “Is there anything else you need?” the maid added in a softer voice as she stood before the older woman.
“Is it time already?” Cassandra Lexington looked at her wrist. At least she tried. She found that her 81-year-old elbow didn’t always rotate how she wanted. Eventually, she gave up, not that her eyes would have been able to decipher the tiny numbers on the watch anyway. “Well, don’t let me keep you,” she said, pressing a button that would rock the easy chair forward to help her get up. She had to toss two cats off her lap and then tried to stand.
“Oh, let me help you with that,” the much younger maid said, rushing to assist the frail woman.
“Oh, don’t you bother,” Cassandra said, shoeing Bianca away in the same motion she had used to discard the cats. “I get out of this chair every day when you’re gone. I can manage fine on my own.”
“Very well,” Bianca said, stepping back to watch the slow process.
Eventually, Cassandra reached her feet, nearly stepping on a different cat, and found her walker nearby. “Oh, Stiches,” she scolded the brown and white feline, “you are always underfoot. You will be the death of me one day.”
“I hope not, Mrs. Lexington,” Bianca said. “Besides, I thought Patches and Stella were going to smother you in your sleep.”
The older woman laughed. “Or Mittens and Scarf poisoning my food. Yes, I’m sure you’ll come in one morning and find me dead with my cats surrounding me.”
“Oh, don’t say that,” Bianca replied, but they joked about her impending death so frequently now that neither of them took it seriously. “I will be here tomorrow at eight, and I expect to see you alive and well.”
Cassandra had secured her hands with a death grip on her walker and began the slow plod toward the kitchen and her waiting meal. “As you wish,” she said. “Now begone with you. A beautiful young woman like yourself must have a busy night planned. Don’t waste it on me.”
“As you wish,” Bianca echoed with a smile and hurried toward the door of the large estate. In a few moments, Cassandra Lexington was alone in her massive home . . . except for the 18 cats. Well, it was supposed to be 18, but she hadn’t seen George in almost three days. She shook her head and continued toward the kitchen, almost floating on the aroma from within.
A bowl of soup waited for her on the table. After carefully lowering herself into the chair, pushing away Castro and Silvia, and giving a dirty look to three other cats who gazed hungrily at her food, she began to eat. The minestrone was excellent, almost an exact copy of what her mom had made back home in Napoli. It had been hard to find a reliable Italian maid living in Paris after her husband had gotten sick, but Cassandra had been insistent. James had taken over most of the meal preparation once Cassandra’s mobility had become a problem, and he had learned her mother’s Italian recipes perfectly. She hadn’t wanted to lose that once he also became too ill to cook.
James had been an excellent husband to Cassandra. He was already a wealthy computer programmer in London when they had met. They had lived in England for several decades before the move to Paris. It wasn’t Italy, but it was much closer in style and culture than London's foggy, cold streets. Retirement had been good for them, and they traveled Europe for many years before James got cancer.
Cassandra didn’t know how she would live without him, but soon, she realized she didn’t have to.
“James,” she said aloud, between spoonfuls of soup. “Play the Napoletana mix.”
“As you wish, my dear.”
The voice was a perfect copy of her husband, and soon, music played in the kitchen. She nodded in appreciation for a few moments before resuming her meal. James had designed the smart house, and, unbeknownst to Cassandra, he had been working on it for over a year before he got sick, so there wasn’t much more work to do once the necessity of the setup became apparent.
Having a husband who worked in computers had ensured that Cassandra wasn’t left behind in the technology boom. She had learned how to use the house quickly, and it helped her from feeling too lonely. However, James hadn’t designed the home to cook food, do laundry, or feed the cats, so Bianca was still necessary. The young woman had also left a collection of pills out for Cassandra to take, and she downed those one at a time with a sip of water in between. Two cats had died several weeks ago when they had investigated the colorful circles and ovals, and now all the other pets knew to stay away.
After her meal, Cassandra carried her bowl, spoon, and cup to the dishwasher, loaded them, and told James to start the machine. She nearly tripped over Scott and Stripe when she turned around and withheld a curse word. James didn’t like it when she swore. It took almost a minute of slow walking to move from the kitchen, down a short hallway, and to the elevator.
The home wasn’t new when they bought it, and the elevator had only needed slight repairs. Cassandra scoffed at the idea that she would ever need it, but for the last ten years, she wouldn’t have been able to get to her bedroom without it. However, she wasn’t going to her bedroom now. She stepped inside and spoke. “Third floor, please, James.”
“As you wish, my dear,” the elevator replied.
Access to the third floor was restricted. When James had been alive, Cassandra didn’t even know the elevator went to it. Stairs led to the third-floor computer lab, but once she hit 70, Cassandra no longer attempted them, and she shouted up to her husband if she needed him. James had programmed a tutorial into the AI system of the house so that once she returned from his funeral, her virtual husband would introduce himself and show her around all of the incredible amenities he had designed.
Including the third floor.
Initially, James had restricted access to the computer lab with voice recognition, so only Cassandra could go there. The door to the third level was locked from the inside and reinforced, so the elevator was the only way in. He hadn’t wanted the maid or any visitors to wander where they shouldn’t be. However, as her body deteriorated, Cassandra’s voice changed, and eventually, the elevator no longer recognized her. Her wrinkled fingers prevented an accurate print scan, and an optical scan wasn’t an option with cataracts in both eyes. Eventually, she was able to convince virtual James that it was her. Cameras were everywhere in the house, and the audio software had a record of her voice changing, so in the end, James no longer required verification that his wife was who she said she was.
The doors slid open at the third floor, and Cassandra stepped out into the spotless interior. Bianca never came up here to clean, but the state-of-the-art air filtration system ensured no dust. Cats weren’t allowed up here; they knew better than to crowd into the elevator with her. When she entered the lift, most of them scampered up to her bedroom, hoping for a surprise appearance, but Cassandra couldn’t remember the last night she had spent in bed. Her body slept up here, and she couldn’t imagine that ever-changing. She joked about Bianca finding her dead and surrounded by cats, but truthfully, it would likely be days or weeks before anyone found her if she died up here.
The room wasn’t large and had a smooth wood floor clear of cords, rugs, or anything else she could trip on. Cassandra guided her walker over to a harness hanging from the ceiling. Initially, she accused her husband of purchasing a sex swing, but James flatly denied it. He claimed to have designed it himself. Either way, it was essential for her nightly routine. Once in position, she trustingly fell backward into the straps, and it caught her slight frame gently. It was a zero-gravity experience as each point of contact on her body felt the same pressure. She barely weighed 100 pounds, so rolling back and forth in the swing was easy.
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First, she leaned forward to remove her shirt and then leaned back to pull off her pants. Velcro was essential for this process. Soon, her underwear and wig were off too. A whistle sounded in the room. “Oh, shut up, James,” she said but inwardly appreciated the compliment.
“You are as beautiful as ever, my dear,” he said. “I miss you every day.”
Cassandra rocked her body back and then forth to exit the swing, gently landing on her feet before her walker. She shuffled toward the computer set up, and a fully adjustable padded chair began rotating into position to receive her. It unfolded and lengthened until it stood vertically like a black surfboard. The elderly woman backed into it, and as soon as her skin touched the warm leather, it bent to conform to her lower body, pressing against her knees and lifting under her thighs. She trusted her husband’s craftmanship and let the chair carry her off the ground and rotate her back into a reclined position until she was again weightless.
Attachments wrapped around her legs, cradled her midsection, and held her arms firm. She didn’t have the strength to sit up and see what they did, but she knew they massaged and stimulated her old muscles, kept her skin soft, and cared for her bathroom needs. Every morning, when she got out of the chair, she had a slight spring in her step and felt she might even be able to move about without the walker. By noon, the rejuvenated feeling was gone, and by 4:30, it was all she could do just to get up to this room. She guessed this chair had kept her mobile much longer than she would have been otherwise.
“Any news on my old party members?” she asked once she was in position and a tight-fitting cap secured itself against her bald head.
“I’m sorry, Dear,” James replied. “It appears that Jace is still holding them hostage.”
Cassandra Lexington closed her eyes, took the familiar trip into her digital fantasy land, and opened them to see the ceiling of her other room. Lexi sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed. “Has he reached out at all?” she asked, rising from the bed and flexing her legs and arms. Like in the real world, she slept naked in the Realms of Infamy. “What does he want? An apology? To gloat? I don’t understand it?”
{Neither do I, Dear,} her operator replied, his digital voice perfectly simulating her husband's tone of frustration and confusion. {He released the other NPCs belonging to Brock and Ian. All of them have been collected. That last module was completed earlier today.}
Lexi didn’t care about the North Koreans or their NPCs. She knew it had been a mistake joining up with them. They had offered her so much gold and jewelry that she couldn’t resist. Plus, the number of unique visitors and traders they entertained had been exciting for her chaotic play style. At least she had gotten out of there alive. She hadn’t been able to salvage much, though. Her hand went to the large medallion over her sternum. The necklace and a few other jewelry pieces were the only things she had escaped with.
She took a moment to regard her reflection in the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. She had designed her avatar to match the appearance of her 25-year-old self. Perhaps her waist was a bit thinner and her chest fuller, but this was supposed to be a fantasy. The only drastic change was in her hair color. Not many Italians had brown hair, but she felt it looked more natural for a half-elf and blended better with the foliage she often hid in. Another difference was that she had been obsessed with her wardrobe as a young woman. Not so much now.
Maintaining clothing was challenging when she constantly shifted from a leopard to a human. Few items could survive the transformation. Rings, necklaces, earrings, and belts were the only things the leopard could use. And with fewer feline toes than she had fingers, she could only wear a few rings.
The druid moved over to her window and opened the curtains to let light into her room. The warm jungle air caressed her skin like a lover, and she sighed. She didn’t want to worry about Jace or her missing NPCs but knew she had to. She needed revenge, but it clouded her mind now, and she wanted a few moments of peace first. Rain began to fall outside, and she succumbed to the temptation to climb through her open window. She nimbly stepped through the paneless opening onto the deck wrapped around her sizeable wooden home. Cassandra felt the rain on her skin and turned her face up to catch the drops.
The rainforest sang to her. The pitter-patter on the leaves, the rustle of animals in the branches, and the birds chirping created a harmony that spoke to the druid's soul as much as the Italian music from her homeland. She moved along the deck to a raised balcony that competed with the tall trees and found her favorite meditation spot. She let the rain wash away the lingering effects of her real-world arthritis. The painful stiffness infected her mind even after descending into the game. The lethargy of her limbs affected her gameplay if she didn’t cleanse her mind first. Sitting there with her eyes closed, she pulled up her character sheet.
[https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ADCreHdSxCJQlYJpyj80ZLoHrMh3kdzJpvm9rdBSOj7j1HPOR9Hl3OPjvvlswnJSIESb2AduGRKUb1r-rXv96hQPLf6sIRl0mrqSRB20un0I8UoeCh4PuqYbXv5PceTYKeXLqEFSQTt7yu99hVUUgHqdyM-L=w750-h873-s-no?authuser=2]
[https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ADCreHcAFIS3xnXQyghqktKEi1uOCNgUcQ5yV1j-v6ZPY1Xw9JdeZXQv6ILJw918u1mBaFeHptQtr-2fBprfEE32fHQrM_XjAQ_9V1ay5AyTGdPRcn4BgPIHIQwL6i1F1w-Igq7xQo901LtcFaLzajyzFLt6=w821-h898-s-no?authuser=2]
When her virtual husband had first revealed this game to her after his physical death, under his close tutelage, she had tried out many characters, all of which had either died or been canceled. This was by far her favorite. As a leopard, she had 28 Dexterity. As a human, in the real world, she felt she had 1 for Dexterity, and the freedom she experienced leaping through the trees and undergrowth of the jungle environment around her home was more therapeutic than anything a physical therapist could offer.
At character creation (Level 0), a druid had to choose whether they would bond with a biome or an animal form. And while she had seen the power a forest druid could have when in the woods, they didn’t travel well and were often a liability when venturing through a cave or dungeon. Her animal form went everywhere with her. At level 5, she had a choice between Spirit Bridge, which let her share mana between her two states, and Ability Bridge, which allowed her to raise and lower her human abilities scores to match her animal ones.
She chose the second option, as it was a stepping-stone to the feat she got at level 10: Skill Bridge. The level 5 feat allowed her to raise her human Dexterity (or any ability) to match her leopard, but she had to lower another ability by the same amount, usually her constitution or intelligence. This was useful in a pinch if she needed to Dodge attacks or move quickly, but lowering an ability score was never a good idea. However, with the level 10 Skill Bridge, she could use specific skills of her animal or human form, and the only cost was that she had to transform the relevant part of her body. So, if she wanted the claw attack of her leopard form, she had to change her hands into paws. If she wanted to use the leopard’s Dexterity base to her Dodge or Stealth while still using her human training, she needed to transform her legs, but not all the way, or add her camouflaging fur, but not completely.
The result was that she walked around as a half-elf-leopard hybrid most of the time, selecting the best of both forms. The only drawback was her Wisdom skills. She used her animal intelligence if she transformed her head into a leopard. Her Wisdom was tied to her mouth. In order to talk, she needed to maintain her human tongue and teeth anyway, but the leopard’s most useful attack was a bite, and to fully transform her mouth and jaw meant she lost the impressive Magic Defense skill her high Wisdom gave her. She was still working on the way to meld those two skills properly.
The one thing she couldn’t transform was her Spirit skills. So, at level 15, she took the Spirit Bridge feat. This meant she could use her human mana while in leopard form. The animal had access to very few spells, but the magical items she wore needed to be charged, and she didn’t need to change back into a human to get access to the mana. At level 20, she would take the next step along that path and gain the Spell Bridge feat. Right now, in order to access her druid spells like Strength Boon or Heavy Weapon, she needed to keep her head (Intelligence) in human form. But with the Spell Bridge feat, she would be able to cast all her leopard spells as a human and all her druid spells as an animal.
For the first twenty levels, her animal form only gained predetermined feats at even levels, but once she reached 21, she could choose feats that linked her human skills, meaning she would soon have access to her entire arsenal. She was about 100k experience away from level 19, so she hoped it wouldn’t take long.
Lexi opened her eyes. The rain had stopped. Showers were frequent and brief in this rainforest. Her eyes found the sun. At this time of year, Paris was one hour off GMT, and it was now about 4 p.m. in the game. The evening hours were when all the fun happened.
{Cassandra, dear,} James said in her head once he had seen that her meditation was over. Despite her pleading, he refused to call her Lexi. {I have not heard from Jace, but I did hear from Pieter. The mage is willing to meet, but he insists it be at his stronghold.}
Lexi stood, stretched her limbs again, and walked to the edge of the railing to look down at the green foliage. “Where is that?” she asked.
{In a mine north of Ironfel.}
Lexi nodded and checked her inventory. She didn’t carry much and felt she had everything she needed. Before logging off this morning, she had reached out to Pieter and prepared her items for his immediate response. She didn’t need to go back into her palatial estate to retrieve anything. Her home was built like the Swiss Family Robinson house on steroids. It had half a dozen rooms, several meeting areas, dining halls, relaxation areas, and many more amenities. But without her NPC companions, it felt empty and lonely.
Instead, she leaped over the railing before her, transformed into a leopard, and raced through the woods. Though she had just eaten in the real world, her animal stomach growled, and the scent of a deer tickled her nostrils. The prey appeared to be in the same direction as her travel node, and she took off after it.