“Wow! Look at that sun! It’s so bright! Today’s so nice!” Jamie said, stretching his arms out to absorb the virtual rays. He inhaled the fragrant air. They were walking through a meadow after the road had stopped, the town a distant dot, and it was gorgeous.

“Vatch yourself. This is a business trip.” Alex said, frowning. All this sun…it didn’t feel wrong. It had felt wrong to be in sunlight somehow for over seven hundred years, and now it didn’t. It made him uneasy when this didn’t feel wrong.

“Lighten up a little. You’re right, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the view on the way.” Lina said.

“Hrmm. Ve must avay to Olympolis as qvickly as possible.” he said sourly, but letting it drop. He picked at the brown leather tunic on his avatar. It felt comfortable enough, at least.

When they’d gone for a new shirt, he’d immediately picked the cheapest one. He hated owing anyone anything, and didn’t know when he could repay her. She took one look at his inventory (wolf pelt, converted into 50g) and had bought him a shirt that could actually count as armor. He eyed the +2 to TGH on his stat screen. It counted as the most valuable thing he owned.

“S-Sorry.” Jamie said, falling back behind them. I’m, I’m just kind of excited, I guess. T-This’s the first time…Ieverhadaparty.” he said low and quick, looking down to hide his red face.

“Really? Why?” Lina asked.

“Aheh-heh, that’s ah…uh…” He trailed off, and Alex marched ahead, determined not to get caught up in this nonsense. “See, I’m not, exactly, what you might call cool. In real life, I uh, kinda get picked on in school a lot. High school blows.”

“Could not have imagined.” Alex muttered under his breath.

“And, well, e-even in here, no one wanted me in their party. I don’t play enough to be part of a guild, anyway. But I always thought it’d be…nice to adventure in a group. Just wish it wasn’t so dire. Heh heh.” he chuckled weakly, rubbing his head and smiling. It was painful to watch.

“Oof. That sucks.” Lina said, not sure what else to say. For a minute, they walked in silence. “Look, I normally don’t partner up anyway. But being rejected is, uh…”

“I know. But it’s ok, really. I’m not too sure how much help I would be anyway. My magic spell collection is-”

“Shh.” Alex held a hand up. Glancing around the beautiful meadow. He’d heard a strange rustle after the wind died down. There weren’t any animals around, either. All his instincts were screeching at him. “Something’s off.”

“Now that you mention it, there are a lot more wildflowers than I would have thought, even in a game.” Jamie said. The bright flowers surrounded them on all sides, starting to outnumber the strands of grass at their feet. Lina grabbed her oversized sword and pulled it off her back.

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“What’re we looking at?” she whispered, holding the blade aloft. “How many? Where are-”

“Ssskraaaah!” Eight blue flowers on thorny vine pillar bodies burst from the ground, each five feet tall. That was nothing as the earth shook, a fifteen-foot red rose that reared up, its vines much thicker and longer. Alex stumbled, the dirt shifting beneath his boots.

“What the *bleep* is that!”

“A Prime Mandragora! Level 28!” Lina cried, standing firm.

“A-And a whole swarm of Deadly Nightshades! This must be a miniboss, and these are the adds!” Jamie cried.

“Do calculations later! Fight now!” Alex drew his sword and charged, avoiding the swinging vines. Dear God, they were five inches thick!

“Look out!” Lina cried and shoved him aside, taking the brunt of the next thorny strike. He watched as her HP dropped, for m387 to 329. “These things’re tougher than they look! I only beat one once, and that’s ‘cause it wasn’t spawning mobs. Graaaaahhhhh!” She swung her sword, chopping into the vines. Alex wanted to scream at her poor form, but there were more important things to do.

“Magbolt!” He threw the spell at the rose, -1. Damn it! “Fine! Have at you!” He ducked under Lina, thanking himself he’d made Allocrax so small. A vine shot at him but he rolled to the side, not pausing as he sprang to his feet, launching forward and- “Yaaaah!” With a cry he speared his blade into the heart of the thick vines, hoping to make the monster bleed chlorophyll. It shrieked, then twisted away, taking his sword along with it. He stared for a moment, dumbfounded.

“H-Hey! That’s mine!” he shouted.

“Don’t just stand around!” Lina called, trying to break her way through the vines of the rose. Unfortunately, they encircled her, lashing and grasping far quicker than she could turn. “Hey!”

“Help me!” Alex tuned to see Jamie on the ground curled in the fetal position as the blue flowers lashed their thorns at him, chittering and surrounding him.

“Oh for the love of…” Alex leapt, kicking one of the tulip-headed monstrosities. “On your feet!” he growled, parrying the vines with his bare hands. They stung with every strike, but not enough to worry about right now. “Use your magic! Hit as many of them as you can!”

I-I can’t!” Jamie cried in a panic.

“Do it!” Each plant monster had six vines, and Alex only had two arms and legs to deflect with.

“But-But you see…”

“HURRY!” Lina cried, grabbing the vine choking her. These things were too fast, they could strike anywhere and everywhere, and she couldn’t hit back. “Can’t take much more!” He screwed his eyes shut.

“Naaaaah! Circle of Resistance!” A warm white glow expanded under his feet, making the vines shrink back and filling Alex with energy.

“Alright, that’s a-” A vine whipped him across the face. He saw a -7 appear, his HP dropping further than he’d like. “The *bleep!* This thing is-” More vines lashed out. He tried to guard himself, but the game still took hit points for every strike. In no time, he’d dropped to 3 HP. “God *bleep* it!”

“Run!” Jamie cried and they did just that, Lina grabbing her sword and cleaving through the vines, creating a path.

“Move it!” Alex and Jamie sprinted away, but Lina was having a hard time moving in her heavy armor.

“Guys, wait up!” she called, panting. She was barely faster than the plants, and they were catching up.

“Oh for-!” Alex ran the other way and dropkicked the flower reaching vines out, then darted between strikes until he was free. He caught up with them easily.

“Thanks so much for the help!” he snapped.

“Sorry! But I can’t go as fast as you!” Lina shot back.

“Talk later! Run now!” Jamie led the precession all the way back to Apollo City.