Scrambling to my feet, I looked around wildly. Was there a dragon? My face felt hot and tight, and I could smell … burnt hair and BBQ?

  My eyes were drawn to the little salamander. He had moved slightly and was now curved the other way, blinking slowly in the light. He was hazy.

  No, that wasn’t haze; that was smoke. Then my vision focused on the foreground, and it took a moment for my brain to register what I was seeing.

  It was Copperbeard, or what was left of him. Half of his charred corpse was standing there. The top part of his body was gone. Incinerated. The stump of his spine glistened whitely surrounded by the black and red cooked flesh around it. His intestines looked like sausage. His organs had been cooked in place.

  Vampress hyperventilated.

  Copperbeard’s body fell over, and his innards spilled out. I heard retching behind me. This was disgusting. I should be throwing up too, should I? Was this part of the barbarian class? An ironclad stomach.

  “Everyone back.” It was Vyper.

  I should have said that. It was obvious. That little fire coloured salamander was our big bad.

  We all crammed back into the area between the door and the wall. The wall’s solid, thick stone felt reassuring. We all just stood there, processing what had happened.

  “This is worse than a nightmare, you know.”

  I turned to find Vampress at my shoulder. “It is pretty bad.” I agreed.

  “I had a nightmare once,” She continued. I am not sure if she was really even talking to me or just talking. “Where something terrible happened to Duncan, Pal, my husband … you know. But this.” She looked down at her blood and gore streaked clothes and skin. “This is much, much, worse. There are no smells in dreams. Or at least my dreams. No roses, but also not the smell of iron in a person’s blood. I wonder if other people dream in smells?” She asked but didn’t pause for an answer. “In my nightmare, it wasn’t this detailed; my brain can’t render horror with this much realism I really wish I didn't dream in smells…” She looked up at me, her pupils constricted down into little black dots. She was very much in shock.

  “Would you like to sit down?” I was concerned she might fall down the way she was wavering.

  “I would like to have not played the event.” She said with great solemnity. “I would like to have not had that image created for me to remember.” Then she turned and walked away to run her fingers along the door.

  “That thing is a tiny nuclear reactor,” Satan ran his filthy hands through his medium length hair, leaving clumps and spiked of hair sticking up all over his head.

  “We obviously can’t get near it.” Barry was pacing in the small space. “But will it blow up when we kill it? Because even with the wall I think that would cook all of us.”

  “The game has to give us a way to win,” Satan said, risking a peek around the wall.

  “What’s it doing?” I asked him.

  “Sleeping, I think. It’s hard to see its eyes from here."

  “This is the first MOB that hasn’t tried to attack us.” I commented to everyone. I looked around the corner myself. “It really does look like it is just trying to have a nap.”

  “Whatever we are going to do, we need to hurry,” Rose said, also taking a look. “We have about 45 minutes left before people have to start logging off.” She gave a pointed look at my leg.

  Right, I too had a time limit. Not that I would aspire to be in here by myself with just Dekka and a napping thermonuclear amphibian.

  “We don’t have any archers left.” Barry shook his head. “Our mages have almost no manna.”

  “I am out of potions.” Aubie commented before anyone asked if he had any.

  I looked around the wall again at the wee sleeping beastie. “What do we know about salamanders? As in medieval mythology?”

  “The high medieval salamander dwells in fire, can create fire but also has the ability to and can extinguish it. The salamander is impervious to the poisonous of all creatures. Its very presence causes blight in apple trees and fouls wells.” Vampress was still slowly running her hands over the door. “At least that is what the internet says.”

  “How do you have internet in here?” Aubie asked her.

  I wasn’t sure she heard him or was going to answer when she said. “Duncan is in his pod talking to me.”

  “That’s a cheat I will need to remember.” Barry said. “So if this is the medieval version of a salamander, it will be impervious to poison and fire.”

  “So weapons should kill it?” Vyper was standing close to the wall but watching the creature.

  “Yeah, but who’s going to get close to it?” I asked him. Dekka was still in terrier form and looked up at me with a clear ‘not it’ look on her face.

  “What about a mage?” Barry asked, surveying our small group.

  “Vampress’s fire isn’t going to be useful.” I wasn’t sure if she would be in condition to fight regardless of her element.

  “What about electricity?” Zorgan asked.

  “Can you reach the salamander staying behind the wall?” Satan asked.

  Zorgan positioned himself behind the wall, his arm reaching out around the wall. He closed his eyes. “I don’t think it can quite reach. Most of us mages have a limit of around twenty meters that stone it’s on is at least 30 metres.”

  “Likely intentional.” Satan said. “Any other ideas?”

  “I can get closer; maybe its range is less than ours? Copperbeard was closer than I would have to be.”

  “What about throwing something at it?” I said. “Like throwing a weapon? It’s pretty small. Wouldn’t take much to smush it.” I swung my club experimentally. I bet I could hit it from the beside the wall.

  “Let’s try that first. If it doesn’t work, then we can Zorgan,” Barry decided.

  Everyone packed themselves in at the far end of the little hallway. Once they were safe, or as safe as anyone sharing a room with a living incinerator could be, I moved to the wall, eyed the distance, swung my club and let it fly, then ducked behind the wall right as a wall of flame shot towards me.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  Fuck.

  After the heat dissipated, I cautiously looked around the wall. The salamander looked at me and licked one of its eyes. My club was nowhere to be seen, but there was a blob of glowing molten metal on the floor. The wood must have been vaporised.

  Zorgan looked around me at the metal. It pinged as it cooled. “Well, if it kills me, it will be fast.”

  “We can try something else.” Satan didn’t sound certain, however.

  “We are running out of time.” Ayerelia said. “Someone has to do something.” But someone she meant anyone, not her.

  “I’m doing it.” Zorgan moved around the wall and took five steps to the center of the cavern and then unleashed his magic. I could hear the electricity arc and snap through the air. The smell of ozone vied for a moment with the smell of burnt flesh and hot stone. Then there was another wave of heat.

  We all waited, but there was no sound of movement out there. Barry and I exchanged a glance. I walked over and stuck my head around.

  All that was left of Zorgan were a pair of shin bones sticking out of the a pair of tall smoking boots. I rolled my shoulders back against the wall and I closed my eyes. I heard Barry sigh. Yeah…

  I felt bad for us, but also for the little guy. He just wanted to nap! I could so relate.

  Wait. How did I know he was a he? And how did I know he wanted a nap?

  I looked at him again. Yes, I knew it was male, and that he was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. Must be my new skill.

  “Hey guys…” I said, watching the salamander bask and blink slowly. “Can anyone here sing?”

  “What the hell are you going on about?” Ayerelia asked.

  “Can anyone sing, like a lullaby?”

  “Oh,” said Satan, catching on. “To soothe the savage beast?”

  “The quote is ‘to soothe the savage breast,’” Ayerelia rolled her eyes at our lack of education.

  “Same deal,” I said impatiently. Most people were shaking their heads.

  “My singing would get me fried instantly,” Aubie laughed.

  “Mine too,” I said to him.

  “I can sing,” Vampress said and drifted over to us. “I used to sing when the children were little. To help them sleep.”

  I was about to say no; it was ok. But she was the only one to come forward. And either we died or waited till we were kicked out. And if she died, she would be back with her husband, which, by the look of her, was likely the best-case scenario.

  “Ok, so you step around and sing to him and see if he falls asleep,” I said and guided her gently by the shoulders. Not that I was worried she wouldn’t go out there, more that I was worried she would go in too far.

  “Him? And why do you think singing to it will help?” Ayerelia leaned in and whispered.

  “New skill,” I whispered back. “Seems it’s passive. [Beast Master]”

  She looked surprised but said nothing more.

  Vampress began to sing. Her voice was lilting and beautiful. Perfect for a lullaby. We all stood transfixed as the cavern filled with her song. The acoustics were perfect; her voice was clear but amplified; the song was haunting yet sweet. I didn’t know the song, but it was perfect. It was about being on their way to dreamland. My eyes teared up, and I didn’t know why. A few others wiped their eyes.

  I remembered the salamander. I focused on him. He was happy, dozing. Almost asleep. “Keep going, you are doing great.” I whispered to Vampress, though I wasn’t sure she could hear me. She seemed lost to the song.

  I had moved up beside Vampress and watched as the little chin drooped and its eyes closed. It was now sleeping. I knew it was sound asleep.

  Had I just been given the skill that let us win the event? Or was I not supposed to choose it and die knowing I could have saved everyone?

  We weren’t safe yet; I reminded myself. We still needed to kill it. I had no club.

  “Anyone have a knife?” I asked softly. I couldn’t use a sword, but I should be able to stab it with a knife.

  People looked around, but while we had an array of swords and an axe, no one had a knife.

  “I could go out with my sword.” Satan offered.

  Glancing at the sleeping amphibian. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I have … a feeling that it can sense big threats.”

  I could probably just hit it. But would my presence wake it? The best plan would be if Vampress could kill it; her singing likely would let her get close. But could she squish it?

  “Vampress,” I asked softly as I came up beside her. “Do you think you can kill it?” She had started the song over again. She looked up at me, a question on her face. “Can you hit it? Fast enough to kill it immediately?”

  Her head tilted as she thought. Then shook her head no. Yeah, if she wasn’t fast enough, or only wounded it she would be incinerated.

  “What if I found you a knife?”

  She nodded more confidently.

  I looked over at what was left of Copperbeard. His top half was gone, but his belt was still there. I went to walk over to him but stopped suddenly when I saw the salamander’s tail twitch. My presence was enough of a threat; it was going to wake him.

  Vampress had seen what I was going for. She held her hand back to stop me, though I was already still. Never taking a break in her song, she walked over and unflinchingly moved the belt to expose the knife sheath on Copperbeard’s body. It was likely good she was already in shock. Some part of his body, bladder perhaps, flopped out and hit her hand. She just moved it aside and drew out the knife.

  Her voice still strong and tender, she walked across the floor. My heart was in my throat as I watched her lift the knife over the unsuspecting salamander. She paused. Was she regretting this action? The light of the sunbeam glinted off the sharp knife. I was worried her shadow would wake him.

  Then she brought the knife down in a swift, decisive strike and sliced his head off. The little body stiffened, twitched and then went still. No fire, no heat. I let my breath out.

  100XP!

  CONGRATULATIONS BARBARIAN YOU HAVE LEVELED UP - YOU ARE NOW A LEVEL 9 BARBARIAN

  +2 to Con +3 Str - You have one skill point to allocate. Would you like to allocate your skill point now? Y/N

  This notification was immediately overwritten.

  CONGRATULATIONS PLAYERS! YOU HAVE COMPLETED THIS WORLD EVENT!

  The cavern filled with a warm golden light as everyone moved out from behind the wall. A series of spotlights lit up one after the other in rapid succession along the wall, illuminating loot boxes. One for each player left.

  “Oh, good!” said Ayerelia with real pleasure. Diving into the first box.

  I smiled tiredly at her. “Never change sparkly elf.” She just glared at me and went back to her loot.

  I went to a box and opened it. A blinding light filled it, making it so I couldn’t see the contents. So, I just reached in and felt a handle. I pulled up. And up.

  Out came a massive war hammer [Lament’s Hammer - Legendary -Soul Forged]. It was much too large to have fit in the box.

  Instantly, I loved it. It was a huge metal hammer, and it was beautiful. And that wasn’t the barbarian speaking — well, not just the barbarian. It was covered in ornate knotwork carvings with animals worked in along the flat of the hammer. The handle was a dense wood, polished so that it practically glowed.

  I gave it a few test swings after making sure no one was around. Now, the fighter in me was delighted. It was heavy but well balanced. Swinging it took a bit of strength, but I had plenty. The momentum felt … delicious - there was no other way to describe how it felt. This was a huge upgrade from the club.

  I grinned down at my dog. She had put a paw on my leg. She wanted me to … open something. Now that she had my attention, she turned her head and looked at a box. This box was low to the ground. Was it for my dog? All the other boxes had people at them. There were no players left over. The game gave my dog a box.

  I leaned over and flipped it open. Dekka immediately went to it and stuck her head inside. She pulled out a collar with a big shiny pink bow. She gave it a shake and dropped it on the floor with a sneeze, then stuck her head back in.

  Chuckling, I went back to my box. I pulled out a pair of boots that gave me + 2 to speed and +1 to constitution. They were soft and sturdy with laces. I put them on right then. They were as supportive as good work boots but as comfortable as well worn slippers. I also got another ring. +2 to Con. I could only wear one ring, which was silly as I had so many more fingers. I put it in my inventory.

  I glanced over at Ayerelia. She was swirling, wearing a robe that looked as if it had been dipped in diamond dust and sapphires. I had to squint as she moved over to the beam of sun and spun.

  “You are doing nothing to refute your stereotype.” I called over to her.

  “Stereotypes exist for a reason,” she sang back at me, a smile on her face.

  Dekka dragged her bow over to me and sat on my foot.

  “Not even a ball?” I asked her.

  She gave a little snort. I could tell she was annoyed but also wanted to wear the bow, so I put it on her. It changed her. Oh, that bow must have stats! I could tell she was pleased but had still hoped for something more fun. I gave her a pat and turned as I heard a loud grinding of stone on stone as the wall opened up and the sunlight streamed in. There was the plateau of the escarpment, just on the other side of the wall.

  It was weird to think that camp was out there and to the left.

  “Hey, let’s get to camp and get you settled before I have to log out,” Rose was wearing midnight. That was the only way to describe it. Her robe looked like it had been fashioned from starless parts of the night sky. She smiled up at me. “Like it?” She asked and swished it around.

  “It, uh, makes you kind of hard to look at,” I said and scrunched my nose.

  A few people walked out into the sun and popped away. Logging off immediately. Vampress was one of those. The rest of us moved toward camp.

  “What did you mean by getting me settled?”

  A frown crossed her face. “When I log out, your leg will stop working.”