The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

The Reality

by asianpersuasion & J. Darksong

Gathering

“C’mon Kyle!” Honor cried out loud with a whoop as she ran forward, into the fray. “Keep up!”

Shit, she’s moving too fast! Kyle thought in a panic, sprinting to catch up with her. Gotta make sure she’s—

They were fighting ice drakes in the Hinterlands. Him and Honor. Just the two of them. They were fighting a weak one right now, just enough to ease Honor back in, but it was still an extremely dangerous foe. Honor was a strong player, with all the knowledge and skill of her previous years as a guild master, but she was still a physically weak character. Her new character was called Honor Fellchild, created earlier this very day, and this time her character was an entirely new class.

Kyle had been exploring the Hinterlands further and stumbled upon an NPC character named Deckard who had offered to teach him a new class called a Blade Runner. The class was heavily based on a character’s sword, magically empowering the character through his blade and being supernaturally impervious to disarm and sunder attempts. Kyle had chosen to not take the class, but he had offered it to Honor. And the girl had taken to it like a fish to water.

With a loud battlecry, she leapt over the ice drake, slashing her blade multiple times as she did a spinning mushu flip over the creature. The blade itself did not touch the drake, but magical fire-energy imbued into the blade by her slashed the drake, doing massive damage despite her low level. She hadn’t even passed the Proving Grounds yet, but she was already hitting like a far superior fighter. This class was strong. Looking at the damage outputs, Kyle estimated that she was hitting at around a level 35 range, even though she was only a level 12.

Damn she’s good. Kyle thought, simply pausing to watch in appreciation. Gotta remember she was a guild master for a reason.

Shaking off his momentary trance, Kyle rushed in himself, charging up his own special technique, and making a powerful slash. Although the slash itself did little damage, the drake was paralyzed instantly. Honor walked over calmly and slit the drake’s throat, then walked away, wiping her blade lightly with a cloth tucked into her belt pouch.

Honor continued to impress Kyle with her aptitude skill and flawless grace. Incredibly, she was able to keep up with him for her level. If she had been around his level she might have even outclassed him! It was refreshing to say the least. Something about their synergy seemed just so right. They were on the same wavelength—one fluid body with two parts. Two aspects, two weapons, honed in for the kill. They finished off a last drake, and stopped to collect their drops.

“Hey, cool! Rare drop!” She said picking up a piece of perfect drake skin, perfectly preserved. “Check it out! This is perfect! This’ll sell for a high price!”

“Pat, if you need money…”

“I’m not just going to take your money Kyle!” Honor said, putting her hands on her hips.

“Hey, I don’t need it.” Kyle said with a shrug, “I’ve got everything I’ve ever needed in this game that money can buy.”

“Are you sure?” Honor said teasingly, drawing close.

“Yeah! You wanna house? How big you want it? I can make it ten times bigger if I can find the property.” Kyle said nonchalantly. Honor sighed deeply. Kyle hadn’t picked up her signal at all.

“I don’t feel right about it.” She said with a frown. “It feels like I’m leeching off you, or something.”

“It’s not that way at all,” Kyle protested with an identical frown. “We’re friends, right? Comrades in arms? Friends help each other. And comrades share the spoils of their battles equally, right? Well, you made the actual kills, so you should keep the prize.” He shrugged. “What am I going to do with it anyway?” he asked. “Create a cave to hold all my money, then swim around in it, or nest on it like a dragon?”

“You could always use it to start your own guild.” Honor replied half jesting, half serious.

“Me? A guildmaster?” He shook his head. “Nah. Not me. I’m no team player.” Kyle said dismissively.

“That’s not true. Serena and Leila are already on your team. And what am I, chopped liver?”

“No, no of course not,” Kyle replied, leaning forward to kiss her lightly. “And I’m very appreciative. Really.” He’d told her about the situation with Leila and Serena, wanting her advice and input on how to deal with it. She had a rather different view of Leila and Serena’s “predicament”, that if they were happy as they were, then so be it. Still, she was more than willing to help Kyle with his plan to free them. “But a guild… no.” he continued after a moment. “I’m no leader. I’m not. No one in their right minds would follow me.” Kyle countered.

“Also not true.” Honor replied. “You lead by example.”

“And who would follow me?” Kyle asked.

“Many. Every promising recruit would want to join your cause. You’d be the hottest new guild. You could make your own rules in this game. We could be together.”

Kyle pondered this for a long while. He took a seat in the cold snow of the Northern Mountains. Honor sat beside him. “You want to be together?” Kyle asked, “You? With me?”

Honor nodded. Resting her head on his shoulder. “Of course I do silly.” Her voice was chiding, but this time it was serious not playful.

Kyle sat there longer. Thinking. She had a point. He really could do it if he wanted to. He was gaining fame at a rapid pace. He’d been reading and watching the T for a while and he was currently “the newest thing.” It was as if HE was all they ever talked about. Steve Banks and Erin Halifax had been gabbing about him for days on end. Between defeating Marion in that duel and the trial at the Lynx guildhouse, he had enough clout to form two guilds if he wanted. But… the question was… did he want that?

He really preferred his solitude. Letting someone else in like Patricia had been a huge step for him. A huge stretch. It was just so… different. It wasn’t a negative thing per say, but at the same time it was very different. He didn’t know how he felt about that. He couldn’t deny that he did feel a special connection with Patty, however.

“We could be together here,” he proposed softly. “In the wilds. Just us, you and me. No need for people, or anyone else.”

Honor leaned in closer, her lips to his cheek. “I’m sorry Kyle. I couldn’t. Not because you’re not great. Don’t get me wrong. The ideal appeals to me. But it’s not who I am. I just… I need people to survive. I know myself.” She shrugged. “I’m a free spirit, remember? I flourish best in a crowd. You? You’re a little different. You only need one maybe two or three to survive.”

“Ok.” Kyle said, with a soft nod. “Give me time alright? This whole thing is new to me. You, I mean. Now this, a guild, groups or people? Adding something else on top of that? It’s a lot to process.”

“Don’t worry.” Honor said with a grin, kissing him on the cheek again, “It’ll keep. I can wait. Just not for too long ok? Don’t keep me waiting. Patricia’s got an itch she’d like you to scratch.”

Kyle laughed. “Keeping that ‘itch’ scratched could be a full time endeavor. But for now, let’s continue on. Another pair of drakes should put you up to the next level.”

Standing, Honor stretched, and drew her blade once more. “I’m game if you are. And I think I see the next target just over that next rise. Race you over!” she called out with glee, taking off in a sprint.

“HEY! Wait, dammit!” Kyle called out, stumbling to his feet after her. Damn, she’s fast! And strong too. But she’s not invincible. She’s still learning about her new class, and even if she WAS a former guild master, it’s still reckless to just head off by herself without me for backup! Cresting the ridge, he found Honor already engaged in battle, playing a dangerous game of tag with a much larger ice drake that the younglings she’d been fighting earlier with him. Grunting, he strode forward, channeling his magic, preparing to unleash a spell or funnel into his blade if need be to empower his attack… but as Honor dealt the creature a mortal blow, he sighed heavily, dispelling the charge.

“All right!” she cheered as the beast rolled over onto its back, writhing in its death throes. She wiped her blade then slid it gently into its sheath. “Just like riding a bicycle, eh, Kyle?” she said with a grin. Kyle shook his head ruefully, opening his mouth to comment, when a sudden movement caught his attention.

“Honor! Look out!” he yelled, drawing his sword and throwing it at the dying drake. The newly minted blade runner turned just in time to see the ice drake’s tail, easily the size of a large tree branch, whipping towards her. Kyle’s blade deflected it at the last second, but the tail still lashed her, catching her arm with a glancing blow.

“Shit!! Oww oww oww!” she hissed, clutching her arm tenderly. “Dammit… stupid! So fucking stupid,” she murmured as Kyle knelt down to retrieve his blade from the now deceased drake. “I got so caught up in celebrating that I forgot to watch out for the damn thing’s death throes.” She sighed heavily… then groaned, weaving slightly in place. “Wha... why do I feel… ooohh… ah, shit.”

Kyle glanced up alarmed, moving over to catch her as she swooned into his arms. “Honor? Honor! Are you okay? What is it?”

“Spines,” she managed, grunting, shaking her arm, tapping at his menu display which began to flash the telltale warning yellow light. “Fuck. Poisoned again! This would almost be funny… if it wasn’t so ridiculous…”

“Damn,” Kyle hissed in sympathy. He’d completely overlooked the fact that one of the biggest dangers of an ice drake wasn’t the claws and teeth, of the ice breath capable of freezing an unwary target solid, but the poison contained within its spines. As a werewolf, he was immune to all poisons except the obvious, silver and wolfsbane—it hadn’t even occurred to him to be concerned. Kneeling down, he placed his hands on Honor’s arm, and chanted, using his best healing spell to stabilize her. Her eyes fluttered for a moment, then cleared.

“T-thanks, Kyle…” she panted softly. “That fe… feels much better…” “For the moment,” he murmured, helping her to her feet. “That was the limit of my healing abilities, and all it did was heal the damage from the wound and restore some of your life. The poison is still in you. And left untreated, it can still kill you.”

“Any chance you happened to… have a few antidotes… in your pack?” Hone asked, hopefully, only to sigh as Kyle shook his head. “Yeah. Werewolves don’t generally… have to worry about that… kind of thing, huh?” she grunted. “And of course, my new avatar… is a human Northman this time around… instead of a werecat.” She sighed heavily. “Sorry Kyle. This is all my fault. I should have waited for you.”

“Yeah, you should have,” Kyle replied with a smirk, as they made it to the top of the hill, glancing down at the covered grotto on the edge of the cove. “But don’t worry. I have an idea. We’re pretty close to an old friend of mine, and I think she just might be able to help…”

* * *

“SHIT! FUCK!” Vale Stormsinger growled, wincing as she drew back a slashed and bloodied arm yet again. “Okay! Fuck this! Fuck this shit!” Moving back from the ‘relative’ safety of the walls, she turned to face Marion. “What the fuck is up with this shit anyway? Is this a fucking hallway or some kind of goddamn torture chamber?!?”

Marion sighed heavily. “Look, Vale, I told you before we entered what to expect. This narrow hallway if booby-trapped. Last time I was here, I marked the safe tiles with an ‘S’. All you have to do is step only on the marked tiles and you’ll have no problem—“

“Except that you need to be a goddamn acrobat or contortionist to reach some of them,” Barena growled, wiping the blood oozing from a cut on her forehead as well. “Sir, with all due respect, this is bullshit! This fucking tunnel is too narrow to maneuver in fully, especially with the damned statues lining the center path—“

“And again, I told you, you can’t walk down the center,” Marion reminded them, weary with this entire conversation, “because those ‘statues’ aren’t statues at all. Each one is an Armored Golem, that will come to life if you so much as brush against it. And there’s no way to move between them without touching at least one, possibly both, in passing. And this hallway is more than fifty yards long… that’s a hundred golems, ready to attack and hack us to shreds, so unless you’d simply rather fight your way through them all—“

“Sure! Why the hell not?” Vale answered, unstrapping her bow. She was smiling again, a dark twisted grimace that showed perfectly white teeth. “Fuck this sneaking around! Moving along the walls, we’re getting cut up anyway, and it’s taking forever! So to hell with it! I say we fight our way through!” She laughed maniacally, readying her bow, pulling several magic arrows from her quiver. “After fighting our way through the jungle and carving up a ton of dinosaur corpses, I was starting to get bored!”

Marion gaped at her openly. “You… you’re NOT serious?” he asked, incredulously. “We’re talking a hundred golems here, armed and armored! And you’re planning to attack them with your bow and arrows?!?”

“Not just her, Marion,” Barena replied, stepping forward to stand next to Vale, pulling out Wildling’s Stabber. “I never thought I’d ever utter these words in my life but… I agree with Vale. She’s right. This is taking forever, and we’re still getting injured in the process. If the idea here is to make us stronger, to test our ability to be able to take down the Pantheon, then we might as well consider this a test to see how we stack up.” Her expression twisted, becoming taunting. “I don’t have a problem with this, Sir…. Do you? I bet Kormak Greensteel wouldn’t hesitate. He’d simply walk straight through and destroy anything that gets in his way…”

Marion bristled at the insult. He knew the girl was goading him into action, but he did have a sore spot where Kormak was concerned. In fact, the only thing he wanted more than having that upstart Kyle Shadowchaser’s head on a spike outside his castle gates, it was to have Kormak’s head mounted beside it! “I’m not worried about taking on this bunch of antiquated tin soldiers,” he growled menacingly, causing Barena to back down slightly, “but you’re forgetting about the other member of our group. Nora can’t handle a golem yet on her own. That mean’s I’d have to devote myself entirely on protecting her!”

“Then do that,” Vale replied, notching an arrow, taking aim. “You keep your little PET nice and safe, while we take care of these guys!” She fired, the arrow striking, hitting, then ricocheting onto a second golem, then another, and another, on down the line. One hundred activated golems shuddered, their eyes glowing red as they turned in unison towards the invaders.

“Your moronic bitch!” Barena hissed angrily, whirling on her companion. “You didn’t have to activate them ALL at the same fucking time! Do you have a fucking death wish or something?!?” Vale merely laughed gleefully.

“Death wish? Hell yeah! I wish to bring death and destruction to these fucking robots and get the damn treasure so we can get the hell OUT of this shithole!” Charging her innate magic, empowering her arrows with corrosive toxic acid, she let fly a barrage at the closest pair of advancing golems, which staggered back at the assault. “C’mon you fuckers!” she yelled at the top of her lungs! “You wanna piece of me? Well, come and get some!”

Barena, for her part, merely watched in amazement as the thin, wiry archer rushed forward into the thick of battle, surprisingly managing to hold her own and actually do damage despite the close quarters. Grinning, she shook her head and stepped forward as well. It was time to show Vale and their leader what SHE could do! “Don’t think you get to have all the fun, Vale,” she called out as a golem strode forth, weapon at the ready. “I’m about to go all out… so you’d better make sure you don’t get in my way!” Gripping her spear, she held back, leaving herself open as the golem charged, allowing it the first strike.

A wave of pain swept through her small compact frame as the golem’s blade sliced into her, a deep wound, but not serious or crippling. It did, however, activate Barena’s true power, her savage nature responding to the attack, causing her blood to boil and the pain to pump pure adrenaline through her. Her vision went red, and her lips pulled back, her teeth exposed, as a savage growl ripped forward from her lungs. Flying into a berserker rage that would have done Wolverine proud, she charged at the golem, skewering it with a single blow of her spear before ripping it apart with her bare hands. “Ararrrrrggghhhh!!” she growled, leaping up to stab a second golem in the eye as it approached, destroying it before moving on to join her partner in the middle of the fray.

“Damn,” Marion muttered softly, watching his two subordinates fight. They were both impressive in their own ways, Vale with her complete lack of fear and mindless glee at carnage and destruction, and Barena’s fathomless rage and battlelust, virtually unstoppable once invoked. There were very clear reasons why he’d taken them as his lieutenants in the first place. Plus… better to have them on my side than have them against me, he reasoned. Aside from their battle prowess, they both accept and follow my orders without my having to resort to Dragontongue. And loyalty like that is worth more than their weight in gold.

“Master,” Nora said suddenly, “one of them has gotten through. It is approaching now.”

“Right,” Marion replied, drawing his hammers. He winced slightly as the armband he wore imbued its power, raising his speed to ungodly levels. The artifact, however, came with a price. As he’d discovered in his research, each of the seven artifacts of the dragon gods imbued the wearer with one of seven abilities, any of which would far surpass the abilities of a normal player. However, each also imparted a ‘cursed’ effect on the wearer, inflicting them with one of several weaknesses that the user was forced to bear in balancing the empowered effect. The armband he wore boosted his speed, offsetting his class’s poor speed and reflexes in battle, but it also inflicted poison status on him, causing his health to steadily drop. Granted, he has a buttload of life points to spare—the effect of the armband would take weeks, possibly months, to actually kill him on its own. Still, it was an annoyance he needed to remedy soon. And with any luck, the artifact hidden within this cave would allow him to do that.

That was the other reason for seeking ALL seven of the artifacts. Not only did they imbue great power upon the bearer, and allow them increased control of the mind control power of the gods, the seven artifacts perfectly balanced and counteracted each other’s ‘curses’. With any luck, the one tucked away inside the cave would neutralize the poison effect when it granted him its next boon.

Focusing back on the task at hand, he attacked, smashing the armored foe with a brutal barrage of smashes before the hapless automaton could even mount an attack. A soft gentle cooling feeling swept over him as Nora, as commanded before, healed him, using her powers to keep his life at its maximum at all times. “Thank you, my dear,” he said with a grin, “but I want you to focus on Vale and Barena for the moment. They’re doing well, but both taking some pretty nasty hits. Can you heal them from here?”

“Yes, Master,” she replied with a smile. “I gained the ‘Farreach Healing’ ability at my last level up. As long as they are within fifty feet of us, I can heal them both.” Clutching her staff, she closed her eyes and chanted, sending out a wave of cool, healing energy out to her comrades. “It is done. They are both back to full health once more.”

“Perfect!” Marion chuckled with glee. “You are coming along quite nicely, my dear. Your battle skills are also improving. You’ll never be an expert with a sword, but your dagger and knife skills are becoming noteworthy.” He sighed softly. “But yes, I think after this next level, you should return your focus back to the healing arts, and concentrate your growth in that area. You’re not meant to be a combatant, after all, only to be able to hold your own enough to provide support and backup for me.”

“Of course, Master,” Nora replied with a bow. “As you wish it.”

A pair of golems approached, again somehow making it past the savage and arcane archer’s battle. Marion drew his second hammer, duel-wielding, and attacked once more, bashing each foe with a separate hammer. One of them managed a parry, however, the force of which pushed him back slightly to the side, into the wall. A wince of pain swept through him as the trap triggered, and a blade imbedded in the wall struck him, dealing minor damage.

Nora immediately went into action, moving forward, casting a holding spell on the first golem, as she stepped forward to block the second golem from attacking her Master. Using a quickened spell to boost her own defense she blocked the golem’s sword slash with her staff, deflecting it, giving Marion enough time to recover and launch a follow up attack of his own. Demolishing it, he turned his attention to the second golem, still struggling to break free of its confinement. A second hammer blow transformed it into shattered bits of metal.

“Are you okay, Master?” Nora asked, placing a hand gently to her Owner’s side, healing his wounds once more.

“Yes, yes, I am fine,” he said with interest, nodding at her. “More than that, I’m impressed with the way you were able to step in and defend me just now. Have you always been able to doublecast your spells that way?”

Nora frowned slightly. “Actually, Master, it wasn’t double-casting, as such. I merely cast two spells back to back, very quickly, with no delay between them. And… I believe I could always do so, I just never attempted to do it before. It felt perfectly natural just now… I think it’s merely a facet of my healing class.”

“Incredible,” Marion breathed, as the possibilities ran through his mind. The biggest and possibly main weakness of all spellcasting classes, aside from the terrible stat bonuses and boosts to stamina and HP, was the time needed to cast each individual spell, with the stronger, more powerful ones taking more time. During such time, the caster was open and vulnerable, unable to do anything to defend themselves, or risk disrupting and losing the spell energy. Nora, however, did not apparently suffer that limitation. True, her spells had no offensive potency at all, doing no actual damage to an opponent, but the ability to chain together powerful defensive and healing support spells, seamlessly, without pause, raised her value and worth as a team mate and support member dramatically!

Oh yes, this girl was definitely a ‘keeper’.

“Master,” Nora replied, cutting into his introspective thoughts, “they have done it. Vale and Barena have cleared the hallway. All of the golems have been destroyed.”

Indeed, all of the enemies had been dispatched. Both female warriors stood at the end of the hallway, surrounded by metal debris, panting, tired, covered in a few dozen scrapes and cuts, but both alive and well. “All right,” Vale managed, sagging against the far wall, leaning against her bow for support. “That was… fun! Not quite… the same… without the splatter of blood and gore… but fun all the same!”

“Fucking lunatic,” Barena muttered without heat, shaking her head, using her spear to hold herself up. “You have a very skewed view of what constitutes ‘fun’. But… in this case I have to agree with you. That was infinitely better than crawling through this hall at a snail’s pace.” She sighed deeply. “I just wish the experience and item drop was worth the effort we put into it. A hundred damned golems and I didn’t gain a single level OR find anything worth taking.”

“Maybe not,” Marion said, joining them, “but dear Nora did. She leveled up again just as you dropped the last golem. Not exactly the best strategy for clearing this place but it worked, so I’m not complaining.” He placed his hand against the ornate door, which glowed faintly before opening, allowing them to proceed. “Good job, team. We’re halfway there. Another three rooms to clear and we should be at the vault.” Vale and Berena groaned loudly. “Don’t whine. It was your choice to fight your way through,” he reminded them. “Just make sure to save some of that energy for the end. That’s when the real challenge begins.”

* * *

A small splash of water announced the arrival of visitors, and the lovely young mermaid roused from her dreams and swam forward to meet them. Her crystal blue eyes sparked with joy as the familiar form of her dearest Kyle Shadowchaser stepped into view… a joy that was muted somewhat as she spied the injured visitor limping alongside him. “Greetings, Willowfang,” she said pleasantly, moving over to the edge of her pond, “I see you have returned to me. And with a visitor as well.”

“Hello, Calypso,” Kyle greeted her warmly. “Yes, I’m back. And I’ve brought a friend. She’s injured—poisoned, actually—and I’m hoping you can heal her.”

“Poisoned, you say?” the mermaid replied, “Oh, Willowfang, you always bring me the most interesting things.” Moving up to very edge of the land, She focused and willed the change, caused her tail to part, forming into a pair of pale blue legs as she walked over to the injured young woman. “Hmmm… venom from an ice drake’s barbs,” she muttered softly. She glanced at Kyle. “And you were unable to purify the venom yourself?” she asked chidingly. “You have not been keeping up with your lessons in healing magic.”

“Yes, ah, um,” Kyle responded, blushing slightly in embarrassment, “I, um, never really thought I’d need to master that particular spell. Poison doesn’t affect me anymore, after all, and I mostly travel alone… I thought it was a waste of time.”

Calypso merely laughed, a soft tingling sound, like raindrops. “Oh, Willowfang, I am actually glad you failed to master that spell. It did bring you back to visit me after all.” Even if it WAS with another woman in tow, she added silently. “At any rate, I can easily heal your friend. Please bring her over to the altar, and let me tend to her.”

“Thanks, Calypso,” Kyle replied, gratefully, as he carried Honor to the huge stone slab in the corner of the cove. For a moment, he’d actually felt slightly worried, that she wouldn’t treat the girl, or even that she wouldn’t be here. But that’s silly, he reasoned with himself. Calypso is an NPC… she’s always here, and she always helps anyone that comes to her. It’s just… she’s so interactive sometimes that I forget she isn’t human. He sighed softly, staring at the glittering gemlike walls as Calypso treated her patient, remembering the last time he’d visited...

“You look troubled Willowfang.” a feminine, flowing voice had said.

He’d resting against her as she stroked his hair. She was a beautiful mermaid with orange colored locks that flowed down to her lower ribs, large breasts encased in a purple bra that matched her mermaid lower half. She’d smelled like the smell sugar water would have if it could actually produce a smell, like comfort, sweetness, and vitality all at the same time. Her name was Calypso. A fitting name for this girl, an NPC who was there simply to talk, perhaps to bestow a secret or too, but he came for the conversation. Calypso, sometimes, even felt alive.

This place was known as Kêr-Is. A private cove that was his escape from The Reality. His escape from everything, really. When the game was too much, real life was too boring, he would come here. He had found this place in his travels and immediately fell in love. Small tide pools of water dotted the landscape of rolling sand encompassed in a coliseum of pink coral rock. It was out by the sea, just past the Northern Mountains in the Garlathan Hinterlands, land which no guild had claimed because the monsters here were far too strong to deal with on a regular basis and the difficulty of travel through the Northern Pass which housed many aggressive Yeti and Ice Drakes. Several important sites were out here, secret to many. This cove, which none had discovered, was the Schoolmance, a private school of dark magic whose entrance was part of a system of caverns leaking to that dark cavern where he had learned his mind control speak, the tongue of dragons, and the tomb of Gruenwald Icebane, where he had found his current armor and weapons, in addition to his class.

The Hinterlands had made Kyle who he was. His past characters had died many a times attempting these wilds. But he had outsmarted them eventually, and he was the more powerful for it. This current character had been bitten here in the Wilds, by a werewolf, an Alpha werewolf, and he had run with the pack for several weeks until they parted ways. Hollowclaw, the Alpha that had bitten him had trained Kyle Shadowchaser, or ‘Willowfang’ as Hollowclaw had called him, to become powerful indeed. Calypso had met him as Willowfang, and so to her Willowfang he would always be.

“I am troubled.” Kyle had said, replying to Calypso, turning to look into her beautiful aquamarine eyes.

“How can I help you?” She asked.

“I’m not sure you can.” He replied.

Calypso frowned, “My duty is to help all those who come here.”

Kyle had mulled over this thought, briefly, and decided to tell her anyway. “Anadriel and I, we used to love each other…”

“That pretty elf you’ve talked about? That’s sweet.”

“Yeah… her. Well, now we don’t.” He said with a wince, “She dumped me, basically. Left me behind on The Proving Grounds after I sacrificed my life, my money, my talents, my time, just to protect her. She betrayed me really.”

“I’m sorry that happened.” Calypso had replied in earnest, “But I’m not sure I can help with that.”

“Oh there’s more. I made a vow. A vow to keep her safe. And I keep my vows. You know I do.”

“Yes. I do.” She’d sighed softly, considering. “I have a prophecy for you,” she’d said then. “Something important.” She’d told him then, a strange cryptic rhyming poem that had hinted at the threat that Marion represented, and that Anadriel herself might be in danger. It was all very subjective, of course, but considering the source, he was more than ready to believe it.

“Do you know what it means?” he’d asked her then.

“I am not meant to.” She replied.

He sighed, sitting up and kissing her, “Thank you. I’d best be going. I need to talk this through with a friend, someone much wiser than me. If it means what I think it does, then we may all be in for troubling times ahead.”

“Oh please, stay just a little while longer.” She whimpered, then, pressing her soft lovely form against him. “Make love to me, Willow.”

He looked at her, and then smiled, “As you wish…”

“Uhhhnnnn, ohh my achin’ head,” Honor croaked out, opening her eyes. Kyle turned to find his friend sitting up again, her status bar once again clear. “Wow… where am I? Where is this?” She blinked, finding herself standing next to an exotic and beautiful girl with red hair and bluish purple skin. “Um. Hi… I’m Honor Fellchild,” she said, extending a hand. “Do I have you to thank for my continued existence?”

Calypso giggled, taking the girl’s hand, shaking it warmly. “I did treat your poison and heal your wound, but in truth the one who deserves your praise is the man who brought you here.” She turned to smile as Kyle approached them. “As you can see, WIllowfang, your friend is fully restored.”

“Willowfang?” Honor asked, glancing at her lover. Kyle blushed hotly again, nodding.

“It’s a long story,” he said shaking his head. “Suffice it to say, you’re not the ONLY person to nearly lose their lives here in the Hinterlands. I burned through several previous characters just to reach this place, and even then, I was in pretty bad shape when I first crawled into this cove.” He sighed softly in rememberance, then chided himself. “Sorry, where are my manners! Honor, this is Calypso, the owner of these caverns and a dear friend. She is… perhaps the most incredible NPC I’ve met in this entire game. Calypso, this is Honor Fellchild, formerly known as Honor Crayfellow, the Guildmistress of the Lynx Guild, before her untimely death due to the betrayal of one of her chief advisors.”

Calypso blinked in surprise. She’d thought the blonde beauty before her seemed familiar, but she’d been unable to place the face. She, too, has seen the footage on the new, had learned about the poor girl’s fate and Kyle’s intervention on bringing the person behind it to justice. If anything, she felt sympathy for the girl, having to start over again after so many years of her life devoted to her character, and to her Guild. And to have it all simply taken away in an instant like that? She wouldn’t wish that upon her worst enemy.

Remembering, however, that to Kyle at least, she was merely an ‘interactive NPC’, she kept her reaction neutral. “Well, it is good to meet you, Miss Fellchild,” she replied, bowing politely. “And I am pleased you are feeling better. The Hinterlands are a very beautiful and exciting place, but it is also very dangerous. Please be careful in the future. I’ll, of course, be here if you need my services again, but I’d much prefer it if they weren’t needed.”

Honor nodded simply, looking at the young girl. “Wow… I see what you mean,” she said with a grin. “Most of the NPC’s you see in towns and villages only have a few generic lines of text they spout, that’s the same for everybody. But she’s good… it almost feels like I’m talking to a real live person!”

“Perhaps,” Calypso said with a smirk, “but, NPC or not, the ‘person’ is still in the room, you know.”

“Oops! Sorry,” Honor replied chagrined, as Kyle laughed merrily. “That was rude, wasn’t it? Well, Miss Calypso, thank you again for saving my life. And yes, I’ll take your advice to heart. I do hope to see you again sometime soon… just not as a patient!”

Calypso giggled in response “So, what’s next for you two now? More adventuring in the northern wildlands?”

“No, we’re off to the Proving Grounds,” Kyle announced with a grin. “Surviving that last encounter pushed Honor’s level up to level fifteen.” He shook his head in silent awe. “If anyone had ever asked me if it were possible to gain that many levels in a single day, I would have said no way, not a chance…”

“It’s all thanks to your help, loverboy,” Honor gushed, leaning in close and giving Kyle a deep kiss. Calypso blinked in surprise again, but said nothing merely watching. “C’mon, Kyle. The sooner we do this, the sooner I’ll be able to help you, Serena, and Leila with this little errand of yours.” Turning back to the mermaid, she smiled as she and Kyle headed back to the cave’s entrance. “Take care of yourself, Calypso. It was nice meeting you!”

Calypso nodded simply waving back as they departed. “Yeah,” she said softly, staring after them as they left. “Nice meeting you too.”

* * *

“Finally,” Marion breathed as he and his companions stumbled forth into the wide opened chamber. Sagging to the floor momentarily, they took a moment to catch their collective breaths. All things considered, the first time Marion had made his way through to these chambers the trip had been considerably easier. Then again, he mused, the last time I was here, I’d had help. Very special help. Lynn might still be around, but her assistance has been a regretfully small lately. I understand that her movements are watched, that she can’t do anything to overtly help me, but maybe adjusting the difficulty level of this place a bit wasn’t too much to ask?

“Damn… this is it?” Barena grumbled, getting back to her feet, glancing around. “This big wide cave filled with absolutely nothing?” Making her way past the litter of stalactites and stalagmites throughout the room, she stood in the center of the space, and growled. “This place is empty! There’s no treasure in here, unlike that last cave!” She turned to glare at Marion. “Tell me that this wasn’t some wild goose chase!”

“Nothing of the sort,” he replied confidently, striding forth, walking past his cohort to the far wall, placing his hand against a flat discolored section that appeared to be burnt or scorched. Closing his eyes, he spoke the familiar words, “Evnek wer houpetor rasvim!” A soft flash of light illuminated the area briefly, and when it cleared, a raised dais stood just a few feet away from where Barena was standing.

She yelped, stumbling back as a bright shining silver jewel encrusted band appeared on the dais before her. Marion chuckled. “See, Barena? Hardly a wild goose chase. The gold, silver, and platinum stored here are long since gone,” taken by himself long ago, and used to start his guild, but he felt no need to share that tidbit, “but the true thing of value within these hallowed halls lies there at your feet. That simple looking band is worth more than a king’s ransom.”

Barena picked up the band, looking it over, nodding in appreciation. “In that case, perhaps I should hold onto it then,” she said, half joking, expecting Marion to retort with some scathing remark. To her surprise, the bastard knight merely shrugged.

“Feel free to hold onto it for now,” Marion replied, non-plussed, walking back across the cavern. “It’s not specifically the one I seek, and without it, wearing that one as well would only provide me with an additional handicap. Of course, for you, it might actually prove useful.”

“Really?” the savage asked, frowning, suddenly suspicious. “Why is that? What exactly does this little trinket do?”

“If my research and the translation of the Dragon God’s language is correct, that band should grant the wearing an immunity to magical attacks,” he replied with a smirk.

“WHAT?!?” Vale yelled, stomping her way over to the pair. “It shields you from magic attacks… and you’re giving it to HER? What about me? Why don’t I get a magical artifact?”

“You’re an arcane archer, Vale,” Marion reminded her. “Your attacks are so potent because they’re charged with mystical energy. Putting that thing on will only hamper and block your own abilities. And, of course, there’s the downside to the artifacts. While it does indeed grant you protection from magical attacks, its curse weakens the bearer’s physical attacks, cutting them down to half strength.” He shrugged. “In your case, cutting your physical strength in half and repressing your own magical attacks, that band would make you less than useless in battle.”

“Oh,” Vale said with a sigh, turning away. “In that case, let Jungle Girl, keep it…”

“Watch it, you bimbo,” Barena growled. Marion merely laughed.

“You see? That’s why you should keep it, Barena. You’re a purely physical fighter, so affecting your spell casting abilities does nothing at all. And even cut in half, your damage dealing prowess is more than sufficient. Add to that your ability to ‘rage’, to nearly double your power when you go berserk, and you become a force to be reckoned with.” His smile turned wicked. “Just remember, once all seven bands have been found, I’ll be wanting that one back.”

“Sure thing, Marion,” Barena replied with a wicked grin of her own, sliding the band around her wrist. “Anything you say. But for now, let’s get the hell out of here. I’ve seen more than enough dark damp cave tunnels to last me for a while.”

* * *

Calypso swam in her pool, lying idly on her back, staring up at the glittering crystal ceiling, watching the light sparkle and flash through the various multicolored stones that comprised her cave. She stared, lulled by the lights, but it wasn’t the cave she saw in her mind’s eye at all, it was Kyle. She was thinking of the past, the time when she’d first met him, the day he’d first stumbled into her life…

She could remember him the way he’d looked that day. A dashing hero, bloody and ragged from battle stumbling, into her cave bloodied and dying. He was still in half-wolf form, then, furry and mangled from his duel with some terrifying adversary. From the marks on his chest and arms, he knew it had to be none other than Hollowclaw. No beast had such claws or fangs. She herself had never encountered the fabled wolf, but the ripples he caused in the Hinterlands were always felt. Even here, in her private sanctuary.

She had nursed him back to health, and then, afterwards, he’d said he had to leave because he knew that Anadriel was in danger. He’d said she was going to be assassinated by a rival guild member who had aspirations for the throne of the guild. He had to protect her. Even though they had parted ways, even after all she’d done to him, he still had to help her. But, he had promised he’d be back, that he’d return to thank her properly.

And he had kept his word. He had repaid her with fine jewels, gold, gifts, and most importantly, with love, both the physical and the emotional. Willowfang always kept his vows. He had many names—Shadowchaser, Dragonslayer, Basilisk Charmer, Demon Tamer, Phoenixrider—but to her, he was Willowfang, the man who came back. She loved him dearly for it, and she longed to help him.

She knew, however, that this was her only place. She couldn’t really exist in the real world. Her body wouldn’t allow it. Not with her paralysis. Not with her condition. This world was her escape. There, she was an invalid, a girl trapped in a wretched shell of a body. Here, she was a Shapeshifter, a mage who specialized in the altering of her appearance. The best one alive as far as she knew. She was also a Diviner, a sorceress who specialized in foreseeing the future. She herself was the one who had told him of Anadriel’s impending doom. She had made Kêr-Is and the Hinterlands her home, and it was here that she was truly free.

Kyle knew none of this of course. He thought she was an NPC, an advanced, specialized interactive one, perhaps, but only a computer program. She had tricked him, quite quickly from the very beginning, with illusions so powerful, that not even he could break through. She’d tricked him into believing she was just an NPC. The eternal friend, always there, always available if he needed her. That was as close to him as she would ever come…

”You should tell him the truth.”

Calypso started, shaken from her thoughts. Sitting up, she found herself staring at a cloaked figure standing at the edge of her pond, staring down at her. As she stared at him in shock, wondering how he could possibly have entered her sanctum without her noticing, he surprised her again by walking across the surface of the water, as if it were solid ground. “Wha… how… who the hell are you?” she asked angrily, splashing back several feet. “How did you get in here?”

Sighing softly, the man lifted his hood, revealing his face. “What? Forgotten me already, Bonnie?” he said gently, giving her a soft sad smile. “You did say I had an open invitation to visit you the last time we talked.” He glanced around, nodding appreciatively. “Love what you’ve done with the place. You certainly have a way with sprucing up a place. I remember back when this was just an empty dark hole in the ground…”

“Jeffrey!” the girl sighed. “Geez… you nearly gave me a heart attack.” She glanced down, smirking slightly. “So, walking on water, eh? Just a tiny bit sacrilegious, don’t you think?”

Jeffrey Danzig blinked, glancing down at his feet, then shrugged. “I never claimed to be ‘God’, you know,” he said ruefully, moving back over to solid ground again. “I’m just a guy who knows a lot of shit, and has the ability to use most of it. And you, my dear, are dissembling, trying to change the subject. That boy, Kyle… you should tell him how you really feel about him.”

Bonnie sighed softly turning away, unable to meet his gaze. “You know I can’t do that, Jeff,” she said softly, “and you know the reason why. We both live in two different worlds, he and I. He’s a fighter, a warrior, an adventurer… and I’m not. The entire Reality is the world he lives and travels in… but this cave, this pitiful little cavern is MY entire world!”

“But it doesn’t have to be,” Jeffrey insisted, frowning slightly. “Sweetie. I’ve explained to you a few dozen times now. The Reality is a world of pure imagination. Yes, there are rules, laws that you have to obey,” he said, walking over to a wall, placing his hand lightly against it. “But at the same time, you can… well, not break the rules exactly,” he stated, as the entire cavern shimmered, and shifted—becoming a wide expanse of desert, “but you can certainly bend the hell out of them.” He smiled, changing the area again, transforming it into a tropical island, with white sand and crystal blue ocean waters. “It’s kind of like the Triforce. With the right amount of Power, Knowledge and Courage, you can make the world into anything you want it to be. You can be anything you want to be.”

“No, you can’t!” she cried out in frustration, kicking at the sand furiously with her tail. “All this… it’s just an illusion! And I should know, I’m an expert with them, remember?” She waved her hand idly, using her magic to try and shatter the view… then grunted, trying again, only to glare at Jeffrey who merely stood expectant. “Fine. So your magic is stronger than mine. Big surprise there, considering who and what you are. But even still, none of this is real! The real Bonnie is back home, in the real world, lying in a hospital bed, wearing a high tech VR helmet over her head, sending her consciousness here to this virtual playground. When everyone else logs off and goes home to do normal things, I stay here, all the time, all day, every day. This is my life, my reality now… because the REAL Bonnie is nothing but a living breathing vegeatable!”

“And you think that matters to Kyle?” he asked her pointedly. “You think he is so selfish, so self-centered and shallow, that he cares MORE about what your outside looks like than what is inside? So you’re probably not going to be able to go dancing with him in the real world. It doesn’t matter, because HERE you can go dancing on the surface of the moon if you want!” He gestured again, and the environment changed once more, this time becoming a perfect replica of the moon, except with breathable air. Finally, with a sigh, he gestured again, returning the cove back to its previous original state. “My point, Bonnie, is that he cares for you. He truly does, and he thinks you’re nothing more than a computer program, an automated construct. Just imagine how much deeper and stronger your relationship might be if he knew that the person that that cared for him, healed him, that laughed and smiled and talked to him, that had helped him through some of the toughest parts of his life, was a real flesh and blood person!”

“I… I can’t,” she insisted, shaking her head woodenly, clutching herself tightly, as if cold. “If he… what if he… rejected me? I couldn’t… I just couldn’t deal with that…” She sighed, forcing herself calm once again. “And anyway, it doesn’t matter. He’s with someone else now… that girl, that bimbo slut that was the former leader of the Lynx.”

“Honor?” Jeffrey said, considering. “Yes… she is a nice enough girl. I haven’t watched her as closely as I have your dear ‘Willowfang’, but I have heard nice things about her. She’s not a bimbo, just… ahem… free spirited.” He sighed softly, picking his words carefully. “That said… I don’t think she and Kyle are what you would call… a perfect match. More like, friends with benefits, maybe? And anyway, from what I know of the boy, he probably wouldn’t mind having more than one beautiful sexy girl in his life, if you know what I mean?”

“That would be even worse,” she grunted, crossing her arms at her chest. “To be just ‘one of his girls’? Another smitten ‘fan’ like the ones he complains about when he come here to escape the pressures of his life?” She shook her head. “No. I have to keep things the way they are, Jeff. As his friend, at least, he can confide in me… can tell me things he can’t talk to anyone else about. He needs that. He needs me to be there for him that way.” She sighed. “As for what I need… I’ll be happy enough having him this way.”

Jeffrey nodded simply, lowering his head. He didn’t believe her in the slightest, knew just how badly she hurt, how badly she yearned to be with Kyle the same easy and comfortable way he’d been with Honor Fellchild earlier. But the girl’s bound and determined to do things her own way. I have to respect it. I just hope it doesn’t come back to bite her in the ass someday…

“All right then,” he said after a moment. “Fair enough. Handle things as you see fit. Just do me a favor, will you?”

“Of course,” she said with a small smile. “It’s not as if I could ever refuse my own patron after all. What do you want me to do?”

“Deliver another message to Kyle when he returns in a few hours,” he said, removing a small rolled up scroll from his belt pouch, handing it to her. He smirked. “Another ‘prophesy’ of yours, this time by way of the ‘Dragon God’ himself,” he said, making finger quotes. “Frankly, with what’s happening in current events, he probably already knows what’s happen, but better safe than sorry. Things are coming to a head faster than I’d liked.” He sighed ruefully. “I might have to reveal myself to him soon. My true self, that is…”

Calypso blinked in surprise at that. “Really? You think the situation is that dire? And what if the Admins catch wind of what you’re up to? Your disguise is throwing them off so far, and this place was created specifically to shield us all from prying eyes… but if you keep using your abilities this way, it’s just a matter of time before they catch on and lock you out of the system for good!”

“If that happens, it happens,” Jeffrey Danzig replied in resignation. “If the kid can actually pull things off, if he can manage to do what Milo, Cyrus, and I couldn’t do all those years back, then it’ll be worth it. Dark days are coming, Bonnie. This world need a hero. And right now, I’m putting all my faith in this kid, that he can be the one we sorely need.”