Meziah spawned inside a stone building illuminated by candlelight. The candles lined the floor and threatened to tip over at the slightest touch, but the wind had no presence. A large tree, thousands of years old judging by its size and thickness, rested in the middle. The ceiling had been destroyed by its powerful branches, and a hum of energy emanated from it in steady waves. It was a faint, but powerful energy, not unlike a heartbeat.
Meziah wobbled to the first person in sight. Not one to be invited to many parties, she struggled with the heels she defaulted in. She smiled a little smile at her height, however. She felt tall for once. But her cheeks flushed at her outfit or lack thereof. Knowing the dark elves flaunted sexuality, Meziah was still unprepared and took hasty steps to the quest giver, covering herself with her arms despite the other dark elves dressed similarly.
With closed eyes, the man said, “Hello.” His voice was silk. Sitting in a lotus position, he was wearing a leather outfit that would be kinky on any other race. He popped an eye open. “Are you prepared to lay down your life in the name of duty?”
Not really. “Yes,” Meziah said, lowering her head.
Players around her chuckled in muted tones.
“Is she roleplaying?” one said.
“How embarrassing,” another responded.
“Can’t be helped, there’s only one server. You’ve got all kinds of players.”
Fidgeting, Meziah imagined chucking herself off a bridge.
The man, whose name he revealed was Veranel, rubbed his chin and nodded, then glanced at her. “The corp sent word that a promising new recruit was coming, but they didn’t specify much.” A simple, bronze sword and wooden staff appeared in his hands.
Meziah researched little about the class system, but she knew beginners had some leeway. It was at later levels that she would be forced to commit to something. She grabbed the sword knowing it wasn’t a permanent selection. The gym was not her thing, and more physical activity interested her. That would change today. Virtually.
“I’m a master of the sword,” she said, swinging the blade clumsily in the air.
“Of course,” he said with a measured tone. “Your first mission is to curb the giant spider population plaguing our land. The undead are bad, but they do not hunt our livestock. Slay them, and bring back their legs as proof.”
Meziah froze, then rubbed at the bridge of her nose. “Is there an alternative to that?” Why was it always spiders? Why not skin fluffy rabbits? Realizing she made a grave mistake, she suddenly found the high elven forest to be a more agreeable experience.
“No,” he said.
She stared at him. Veranel stared back. Meziah knew she ran out of dialogue. After a beat, she handed him back the sword. “I lied, I’m actually a mage. One that fights long range, far from enemies. Very far.” She stressed the last bit.
In silence, they exchanged weapons. Veranel’s blank stare made his nonexistent judging worse.
[General] Lugina: LFM Necromancer’s Tomb, gear check 30+
[General] Sylphy: Can anyone help me? Whisper plz.
[Trade] Agaremneis: Selling leather in bulk, PST
Meziah selected her chat and moved it out of view. Most was spam, and she heard most with her ears that reading was unnecessary. If she had to, she could skim it later. She was more urgent troubles. Lost in the city, Meziah became fascinated and frustrated by its beauty and likeness to a labyrinth. It seemed the old cathedrals could touch the moon with their staggering height. The tree had nothing on everything outside its own home. The city was illuminated by sparse, yet oddly bright candles. It seemed as if it would be in a permanent state of darkness without it, as the entire place was covered by a dome, leaving but a small hole in the sky for moonlight. From afar she saw a large, stone statue of a hand situating itself in the middle of the dark elf city, reaching as if longing for a lost love.
“This place sucks,” she stated. Meziah couldn’t help it. That was what she felt.
A player walked up to her, judging by the symbol denoting him as such. A bearded dark elf scarred over the mouth, he was wearing firm leather, the armor unashamedly revealing in the abdominal area. Upon closer inspection, he was quite handsome.
Only in virtual reality, Meziah thought with a mental eyeroll. Not that she disliked it. Neither was she one to judge, considering she was living a fantasy herself.
“You’re quite a rebel to declare that,” he said.
Meziah shook her bangs out of her face. “That’s me.”
“New player?”
“You could tell?”
“Well, you’re naked?” he said, flashing a smile.
She raised a brow. Veranel had given her a robe with her staff. It was, however, light on materials and still revealing. She chalked it up to games being games.
“Not literally,” he continued. “You know, starter equipment.”
“Again, that’s me,” she said, raising her hands as if surrendering.
“Care for some help? I don’t know about you, but when I first started I wandered here for days looking for the exit.”
She admitted to herself that she was lost, but wasn’t prepared to do so to a stranger. “I’m not lost, but I could use some help.” Meziah recounted to him the quest, and told the man she did not wish to loot spider legs. “Can you carry it for me? I know it sounds stupid, but I really don’t like spiders.”
“Few do,” he said, and raised his hand for a shake. “I’ll do it on the house. Someone once helped me when I started. I’ll return the favor today. The name’s Sharkeyes.”
She took his hand. “Meziah.”
“Let’s be off,” he said. “This place is simpler than it looks.”
He was right. Despite a couple twists and turns that he promised would become second nature, the city was straightforward to a fault. They exited quickly, and Meziah got to breathe in relatively fresh air. Relatively, because the forest within Meziah’s sight was dead. Gray, spindly trees without a leaf in sight littered the dry ground and waited to die. Malnourished animals perked their ears up at their presence, but kept their distance as if they were demure deer.
“What happened here?” Meziah asked. The continent the dark elves lived on was grimmer than she imagined, the opposite of high elves. The large webs inhabiting some of the trees concerned her, too.
“Wouldn’t want to spoil racial-specific storylines, right?” her companion said. “Before I forget, here.”
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
[Sharkeyes sent a party invitation]
She confirmed it.
“We can group chat if you want,” he said.
Shaking her head, Meziah said, “Say is fine.” She wanted to practice speaking with others out loud. She wasn’t the most vocal woman in real life.
He started toward the webbed forest.
Meziah followed, kneading her forehead. Why spiders?
“You haven’t fought before, correct?” he asked.
“Correct, Sharky.”
“Sharky?” He turned around after stepping over a thick, wilted vine. The density of trees was growing, and became harder to traverse.
She bit her lip and wondered if she offended him. “Sorry, it’s just your name was too long so I shortened it. Made it more endearing.” She thought it was cute.
Sharky’s forehead wrinkled. “Call me what you like,” he said, returning a friendly smile. “Take out your weapon, we’re almost there.”
They came upon a clearing in the woods. The trees had reached heights of over two, maybe three stories, and above the clearing with the moonlight at its backdrop, a large, singular web. Spiderwebs shadowed the ground.
“This doesn’t look safe,” Meziah said, crouched next to Sharky. There were five spiders patrolling on the grounds, with a couple latched onto the trees. An especially large one hung upside down on a web, the thick, hairy kind that caused nightmares for those cursed with arachnophobia. “I don’t need to kill a boss, just a few simple legs.” The thought alone made her shudder.
“Attacking any spider will aggro the queen,” Sharky whispered. “In Viarem, the world doesn’t stop moving for you. The spider population has gotten out of control, and to be honest, dark elves aren’t the most popular race. Their influence has risen to this level. This is the result.”
“What do we do? I can’t handle a queen. I’m literally fresh out of character creation.”
He patted Meziah’s shoulder. “That’s why we’re in a group. The spiders are weak individually. Even a novice can take them down. I’ll handle the queen.” Sharky took out a cruel dagger, its edge serrated and tinged with a hint of red. “I’m going to pull one. If it’s far enough, the queen won’t notice.”
Meziah hugged her staff. It was smoothed out and didn’t have the characteristics of rough bark, but retained a gnarled appearance. She briefly checked her skills.
[Mystic Blast]
[Heal]
[Summon]
Self-explanatory, she thought. A basic attack spell, a heal, and a summon, Meziah assumed it was a basis for all mages. She could further specialize later, although she immediately wrote off healing. “I am absolutely not going to support,” Meziah said to herself. She did that enough in life.
Too far to speak in say, Sharky messaged in chat. She almost missed it, with her hud to the corner.
[Party] Sharkeyes: A regular spider incoming. I’ve already poisoned it, so it’s weak. Finish it!
Meziah combed a hand through her hair and gripped her staff harder than needed. “It’s only level one,” she said. “Only level one. I should one shot it, shouldn’t I? I should. It’s just a big spider after all.” Just a big spider. Meziah laughed nervously. She was terrified. With VR technology, it was practically reality itself. “Got to kill it before it gets close.”
She raised her staff and began focusing on the spell. Her thoughts translated into magic, and the power homed in on the tip of her staff. A dim light began to glow until it grew brighter and brighter.
“I’m ready!” she shouted to her teammate running toward her.
[Sharkeyes left the party]
[The party has been disbanded]
Sharky’s legs failed him, and he crumpled to the ground, grasping at his chest. Behind him was a hoard of confused spiders, ogling at the spasming body. They zeroed in on Meziah, their eyes frozen on her.
“Huh?” Meziah stared. Dozens of eight-legged freaks sprung into action, switching their hatred onto her. “What?”
Her spell fizzled out, her terror disturbing the incantation, and she tripped trying to flee. Sharky hopped to his feet after the monsters’ hatred transferred to her, then trotted to the queen without care. With a salute, he began to turn translucent until he stealthed out of sight. Footprints from an invisible man marred the dirt. “That ****!” With her naturally low stamina, Meziah had no hope to escape. Closing her eyes, she said, “I really hate spiders.”
Their skittering closed in, and fangs pierced Meziah’s flesh. In Viarem, the sense of touch was present, but subdued. Tactile perception was optional. If she wished, she could up her sense of touch as if she wasn’t gaming. Gooseflesh formed on her skin. That level of realism was out of the question, and she curled into a fetal position until death visited and gave her respite.
The next time Meziah opened her eyes, familiar shouts rang through the air.
[Trade] Terry: Selling Tuna, 20 silver/piece!
[General] Lugina: LFM Necro Tomb why won’t anyone join?
Meziah was sprawled over the cold, hard floor of the temple she started in. The large tree was the same as before. Her staff, the sole weapon in her possession, was chipped, and her robes had tears. That came second. The first was Sharky — no, Sharkeyes — he had tricked her. She didn’t know his class, but she was aware certain leather classes could feign death.
“He ****ing ****ed me!” Meziah yelled in frustration. “With spiders no less!”
Mumbles could be heard around her.
“She sounds mad.”
“Think she’ll quit day one?”
“lol”
Meziah stood up sluggishly and stomped her feet. The NPC Veranel cocked his head at her. “Have you returned with the spider legs?”
Gritting her teeth, she opened the options menu and unchecked the profanity filter she happily skipped over at the start. Meziah smiled pleasantly and took a deep, calm breath. “Fuck you, Veranel! Fuck you, too, Sharkeyes! Fuck spiders, fuck this game, and fuck this world. I’m done.” With a heavy breath, she started the logout timer. “And for the rest of you, I’m not a fucking roleplayer. Jesus Christ.”
“She’s definitely mad,” one woman said.
“Must be a real girl,” another said.
[Meziah has logged out]
Miranda took off her headset and set it aside, then perched herself at the edge of her bed. “Fuck,” she said one last time, her hands cradling her face.
Meziah Title n/a
Level 1 Dark Elf Mage
Reputation 0