I let out a breath I didn’t know I had been holding when I saw Nessa on the horizon. We’d made the trip safely. My anxiety had been maxed out the last couple of days, worrying that something would go wrong and deter us from our destination. Alas, we made it in peace, and in half the time thanks to Tabby’s wonderful wagon. It was a shame she’d have to leave it here when we portaled to Liport.

  Danver was a big city. By far the biggest city that the Milton version of me had ever seen. Unlike Danver, there was no wall I could see that would protect the citizens within. A wall didn’t seem necessary as the sandstone buildings of Nessa were formidable enough on their own, rising multiple stories high with a grand dome atop. The most prominent building in the cityscape was right in the center and looked like a palace of some ancient, heinously wealthy sultan.

  “How many people live here?” Kitz said, awe evident in his voice.

  Everyone was walking alongside the wagon to get a clear view of the city ahead.

  “At least a hundred thousand,” Delen said. “Probably twice that.”

  Kitz’s eyes widened at the revelation, and I could see a flash of fear cross his young face.

  I patted his back. “Don’t worry, Kitz. We’ll be out of here in no time. Once we take the portal to Liport, you’ll be more comfortable. The land there is lush, with lots of plants and animals. Think you can deal with crowds for a few days while we figure our way out?”

  He nodded and put on a brave face. I heard Petrie screech somewhere in the sky above.

  “You really think you’ll be able to gain access to this portal within a matter of days?” Delen asked.

  I looked at Ersabet. “What do you think?”

  “It is possible,” she said. “I’m not sure what to expect, as I have never used a portal before. At least, not in this game. Has Bluey had any luck finding a quest related to the portal?”

  I stifled a laugh at Val’s new name. “She hasn’t found anything yet.”

  “Oh, how beautiful my dreams of sweet revenge are,” Val said stoically. “Oh, beautiful, so frightening.”

  “The lack of quests is troubling,” Ersabet said. “It could mean the quest to access the portal is no longer active, or there was no quest to begin with; however, I find that less likely.”

  “We’ll find a way,” I said. “Once we get into town, we’ll find a nice place to settle down, and then we’ll start asking questions. One of us will find a lead, and we’ll go from there.” I pointed forward toward the towering palace in the center of Nessa. “But if I had to bet on it, I’d say the portal is in the Sultan’s palace.”

  “What is a Sultan?” Delen asked.

  “I think it was a real title some people held, but I only know it from a movie called Aladdin.”

  Delen rolled his eyes. “Your movie references are bothersome, especially since I have no idea what a movie is.”

  “Sorry, bud, I didn’t mean for you to feel left out. I’ll try to stay in the world you're familiar with.”

  “It’s just maddening beyond belief to know that I have memories inside myself that I can’t access,” Delen said. “I’ve been searching my mind, and I swear, I know they are in there somewhere. It’s like when I forget a word. I know I know the word, but for some reason, I just can’t bring it forth. I remember it later, of course, but none of these lost memories will ever return to me.”

  “Would you rather I didn’t tell you the truth?”

  “No, of course not. It’s just difficult to deal with, and it’s hard not to be envious of you and Tabby.”

  “One year,” Kitz chimed in, “when I was little, I lived with an old lady for a while. She made me go to church with her. I don’t remember much, but I remember the bishop saying that envy was the first step along the path to the abyss.”

  Delen looked at Kitz like he wasn’t sure whether the boy was serious. “To feel envy is to be human.”

  Kitz shrugged. “I’m a warg. I’m different.”

  “Still human,” Delen said. “And just as envious as I.”

  “You should not be jealous of John or Tabby,” Ersabet said. “I have seen some of these Earth movies they speak of, and they leave much to be desired.”

  “Ridiculous!” I said. “Do the Dalari even have movies?”

  “We have multitudinous forms of entertainment, none of which involve sitting motionless as you stare at a screen for hours upon hours. Our version of your ‘movie’ would be ziozoe, which allows us to go on extraordinary adventures or partake in dramatic stories. It is wholly immersive and nearly indistinguishable from reality. You run, dance, and fight, all in a single room where the setting is rendered in perfect detail around you.”

  “Won’t you just run into a wall?”

  “Never,” Ersabet said. “The floor flows underneath as you move. It’s quite the experience.”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “Well, just wait until humans get their hands on one of you zozos. We would create experiences that make your people’s best work seem like it came from the mind of a child.”

  “Here, here!” Delen said.

  Ersabet turned to him. “What does a man like you know of art?”

  “Art and science are one and the same,” he said. “Look at an arc of electricity and tell me it isn’t beautiful. You can see art in the turning of gears, in the perfect blow of a hammer, even in a drop of mercury.” Delen waved his hands, encompassing the world. “I see no art in this genocidal game of yours.”

  “It is not my game,” Ersabet growled. “Watch your tongue around me, human, or I’ll have it for dinner. I am fighting to end this game. You should be thanking me.”

  “I didn’t mean you specifically,” Delen said sheepishly.

  “Then you should pick your words better.”

  I groaned, tired of their nonsense. “Bluey says if you two don’t stop fighting, then she’s going to make me kick you both out of the group.”

  “Fine. I’m going to sit in the wagon with Tabby,” Delen said.

  Ersabet just huffed.

  “I said no such thing! Do not put words in my mouth, Ethan. Let them squabble all they want. Eventually, they’ll realize it.”

  Realize what?

  “That they like each other, and I don’t mean in a friendly sort of way.”

  My eyes bulged in surprise. Could that really be the case? I looked at both of them and saw two things that did not and could not ever match.

  I don’t see it, I thought to Val.

  “You wouldn’t, however, thanks to my vast intellect, I can see it clear as day.”

  Even if they did, uh, like each other. How would that even work? She’s an alien!

  “Cross-species relations was taboo among the Triarchy a few thousand years ago, but they have since come around. There are many instances of Kurskin and Dalari mates, although they cannot produce any offspring. There are even a few rare but documented cases of a Voxal having a relationship with a Dalari. Never a Kurskin, though. Can’t say I blame them.”

  Let’s hope you're wrong because that is a complication I don’t need. I’d almost rather they just keep arguing.

  “Give it time. You’ll see I’m right. On another note, I have located an inn which would be suitable for your stay in Nessa. It is near the center of the city, so hopefully it will be easier for you to find whoever you need to find. If you need the names of any special NPCs from Nessa, I can provide them; however, I won’t be able to track their location due to the damage suffered from my heroic self-sacrifice.”

  You’re amazing, Val. We’d be lost without you, I said, trying not to roll my eyes. Now, losing power was ‘damage,’ and her manipulating light particles and vibrating crystals was ‘self-sacrifice.’ It was harmless, and Val really did stick her neck out for us all. She deserved to relish it for a while.

  As we approached the outskirts of Nessa, signs of a bustling city nearby were evident. No longer was it a rare sight to see other travelers on the road. Instead, there was a steady flow of traffic going both to and leaving Nessa. We had just passed a crossroads: the north led to Danver, where we had just come from; the south to Nessa. The road west, if followed, would pass through dozens of small towns and villages and, theoretically, eventually lead to Liport. Still, the majority of travelers heading west intended to turn north halfway to reach central Vedra and Antata, the capital city.

  There was a road east, more of a path really, to the barren wastes and scorching sands of the eastern side of the continent, beyond the Kingdom of Vedra. The inhospitable land to the east, impassable mountains to the north, and long desert to the south before any ocean made the little slice of ocean-front property in Liport and the surrounding towns in the southeast valuable to the Vedran empire as the rest of the western coast was under Alturan control and had been since they successfully split from the Vedran Empire hundreds of years ago.

  The main value gained from ocean access was the fish, crab, and whale within it. Ocean travel, as far as I knew, was rare if it ever happened, and there was no contact with any continents beyond the one I was on.

  All of which begged a question. Hey, Val. What’s on the other side of the world? There have to be other continents, right?

  “There are four continents on Erda. Each a similar version of the game with a different setting. For example, another continent hosts a game world reminiscent of feudal Japan. Players picked their favorite setting, but not all were accepted. Your continent was quite popular as it was the most, let's say, Westernized version of this iteration of the game, and as you know, many in the Triarchy loved American movies.”

  Wow, I can’t believe I had never thought to ask before. Good to know that people are suffering all around the world in all sorts of diverse ways. Makes my plan of starting an uprising against the players seem even more foolish in hindsight.

  “We’re past that, Ethan. We both failed. I should have taken control of the situation, but I let you burn yourself just to teach you a lesson. It was wrong of me, just as your lashing out against the Kurskins was wrong. We need not speak of the past so often.”

  I nodded slowly. Val was right. I needed to put the memory of Danver somewhere deep in the back of my mind, where all dark things go, and lock it away. The problem was that I wasn’t ready yet. I owed it to those who died to berate and belittle myself for a while longer. Someday, I would let it go, but that day was not today.

  My attention was drawn to a loaded wagon passing us on the road, and my eyes widened when I saw the camels that were pulling it.

  Kitz saw them too and pointed excitedly. “Camels! I’ve never seen a camel before.” He looked at me. “John, can you get me a camel? Petrie needs a friend.”

  “Do camels and birds make for good friends?” I asked.

  “All my animals are friends.”

  I laughed. “I can’t promise you a camel, but I can promise you’ll get to at least meet a few.”

  That seemed to mollify the kid.

  The closer we drew to the city, the busier the road became. At this point, I wondered whether we were already in the city, as scattered sandstone buildings lined the road and beyond, and locals hawked their wares and services to passing travelers.

  I was about to walk over to a man who was selling something on a stick, which smelled amazing, and I hadn’t eaten in half a day, but I was interrupted when Ersabet put a hand on my shoulder.

  “Eyes up,” she said.

  I looked down the road and saw them immediately. Three Dalari had emerged from a building and were walking ahead of us toward Nessa. My stomach dropped as I realized the anxiety I had been feeling on the road had been wasted. I should have saved it for here, where real danger was around every corner. There would be players everywhere, and this time, Val wouldn’t be able to track them.

  Stretching my vision, I caught a glimpse of another group of Dalari further ahead. I couldn’t tell if they were coming or going.

  The loud and distinct trumpeting laugh of a Kurskin emanated from the same building from which the Dalari had left, and my heart skipped a beat when two Kurskins emerged from the doorway. They turned our way and their eyes locked on Ersabet the moment they saw her.

  For her part, she seemed nonplussed and ignored them. I held my breath as we passed. One of them let out a grunt, as if he had sized Ersabet up and found her lacking. And then they were behind us.

  I let out my breath. The game was about to get real again.