“We piled up a bunch of wood over by the fire. You have food. Do you have enough water?” It was obvious to me that Rose was hesitating about leaving.

  “I’m fine. I will be fine.” I reassured her for the fourth time. I wasn’t sure if I would be fine, but there was nothing we could do about it right now. Rose was running out of time before the game would boot her.

  “Ok, I will be right back as soon as I can.” She went to her bedroll and logged off.

  I tried moving my leg. Nothing. It was dead. I sighed; this was going to be a long wait.

  Ayerelia sparkled her way over. “Hey, I remember something you said a while ago.” She knelt down. “You said time was even slower for you if there were no players around.”

  I had been trying not to think about that. I could be like this for the better part of a week with no players around to affect time for me. I nodded at her.

  “Ok I will see what I can do.” She left and logged off without explaining what she meant.

  Then, once again I was alone. The fire crackled; Dekka was curled up leaning on my leg. Will my leg smell? Will it start to rot without Rose here? I poked it a few times and, as expected, felt nothing.

  I was startled by Rose materialising over on her bed. She sat up and asked, “Miss me?”

  “No.” Well, that sounded mean. “I mean, I didn’t expect you back so soon?”

  “I logged off, got a coffee and checked my email. I got an email. A personal email from the GM. I think it’s them. I assume it’s them; they have details only they should know.”

  “Hold up. What is going on?”

  Rose took a deep breath. “They said not to put in a ticket.”

  “Why?”

  “Let me see if I can paste what they said. I pasted it in a note app that is supposed to work with Infinity Tale.”

  Hi Neil,

  I hope I am reaching the right person. If you were at the World Event in the King’s Quest Story line and have a friend named Elizabeth, then this message is for you.

  Do not under any circumstances create another ticket. Do not reach out for more help. Play the game. Tell your friend to play the game and act like any other player. I think they may be in danger.

  Please let me know if you received this and if you are the correct person for this message.

  I will get back in touch with you as soon as I can.

  Regards, Aeven

  Pronouns: they/them

  “And I did. Message them back.”

  “Do you think they could help my leg?”

  “No, that is a bad idea if you are supposed flying under the radar. There will be a log created anytime the GM comes into game, and sure as shit there would be if they give you a rare item.”

  “True. It was just a thought. You’re right, the wouldn’t have contacted us through your personal email.” I looked at Rose. “How did they get yours?”

  “Likely when I signed up for the game.”

  “Sounds like a breach of security or something. Getting your email and messaging you.”

  “Yeah, just goes to show how serious they think this thing with you is. Ok I really need to go now. But I will be back after I sleep.”

  Now I really was alone. Questions were racing through my brain. Why would they say I was in danger? Danger of what? Danger from what?

  And how bad was this danger? Bad enough that a GM messaged a customer on their private email. That was the sort of thing people got fired for, wasn’t it?

  I waited to see if anyone was going to show back up. When no one did, I scooted on my bum over to the fire and put a beast haunch on a spit with some of the vegetables Aubie had given me. I had to use the latrine. It was a terrible ordeal with a leg that was dead up to the hip. I couldn’t squat; I was stuck on the ground.

  This was so humiliating. I pulled my pants down all the way to my ankles as I didn’t want people to come back and find me smelling of piss. I used a lot of my water just trying to get myself clean. Tears of frustration formed as I got dirty again getting my pants back on and dragging myself back to the fire.

  I could grab monster bats out of the air with my bare hands; I could smash goblins to paste. But this — this was what made me cry? A dead leg and bodily functions were all it took to defeat the big scary barbarian?

  Dekka and I had a quiet dinner. She stayed close, and all I felt from her, other than hunger, was unconditional love. That there was nowhere else she would rather be than here with me. I fell asleep that night cuddling her.

  I allocated my skill point. The options after Beast Master were - [Make Friend] and [Heal Animal]. Dekka rarely ever got hurt. As much as that felt good [Make Friend] would likely be more useful. I still had all the unarmed options. As as much as I liked my club being even better at hitting things would be good. I sighed and and chose [Punch].

  The next day I was dragging myself back from the latrine when I heard a snap and rustle of someone approaching. Dekka took off barking, but kept her terrier form, so it wasn’t a monster. I made sure my pants were up. Somehow, having my trousers down with a person around was worse than with a monster.

  Great, I was worried more about my pride than my skin. Though if I died, I could pee normally again. But the grinding to level up … The person kept approaching regardless of my feelings on the matter.

  It was Arjun! Probably the last person I had expected to walk out of the forest into camp.

  “You came back to play the game!” I tried to look like I was intentionally sitting in the dirt in the middle of camp.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  He shook his head sadly. “No, I am never playing this game again.”

  “But you are here.” I looked up at him in confusion.

  “I am here visiting a friend.” He smiled at me and extended a hand. “To help.”

  I looked at his hand and then up at him. “My leg doesn’t work from the hip. And um … I am larger than I was before.” Half orc or not, I imagined I was very heavy now.

  “It is ok,” he assured me.

  If he said so. I took his hand, and though he staggered a little, he managed to haul me upright pretty smoothly. We were eye to eye now. A slight smile curved his lips, and the corners of his eyes creased.

  My cheeks felt hot. I better not be blushing; this was a game. Who coded blushing? And that would be silly—he was just helping me.

  “Ok now let us get you over to a log so you can sit properly.”

  I wanted to protest that I was fine. But that was clearly a lie, so I just nodded my head in thanks. He helped me across the camp, with Dekka getting in the way. She, too, was happy to see Arjun.

  We made our way to the cut logs that were our camp chairs over by my still smoldering camp fire. I let go of him when we got there and plopped ungracefully down onto a log. That had been more physical contact than I had had playing this entire game.

  “This is a very big camp.” He said, looking around at all the fire pits that dotted the grounds.

  “Yeah, you missed it. There were a lot of us here.”

  “Ayerelia told me. Though I think I am glad to have missed the event.” He tossed some wood on the fire and poked at it a bit.

  “I was wondering how you knew I was here.”

  “Ayerelia said you would be alone, and that you were injured.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. So I said nothing.

  “I remembered that you said time passed even more slowly for you when you were alone. That the game treats you differently.”

  “Oh, yeah,” I had been trying not to think of how many times I would have to drag myself around camp. “I would have been fine though.”

  He sat down beside me. “Elizabeth, that is one thing I am sure you would have been. But fine is not good. Fine isn’t even ok.”

  It was stupid. I began to cry. His kindness hit me like an avalanche. It felt overwhelming. This was doing nothing to prove to him I was fine.

  He patted my hand. “I am glad to come and help a friend.”

  Fucker. That was it. I was ugly crying now. I had been bracing myself for days of loneliness and hardship. I should be happy, right?

  “I’m sorry.” I said, trying to get my breathing back under control and find something to blow my nose on. “I am happy you showed up.”

  He grinned at me. “I can tell.”

  “Did Ayerelia tell you that everything I said was true? A GM showed up, and people saw them. But they couldn’t see me.” I managed with only one embarrassing hiccup.

  “Yes, she told me. But I believed you before. That you were stuck.”

  “I know. But now she believes too. And a bunch of other people.” Then I remembered the email. “But you can’t tell anyone! Don’t post about this anywhere.”

  The wind picked up, and the fire caught on the logs with a crackle and snap. Dekka sat on my foot and looked up over her back at me.

  “It’s important. I don’t know why exactly. But a friend, one you haven’t met yet, got a note on the outside that said I shouldn’t draw attention to myself.”

  “That sounds serious.”

  “Yeah,” I stared into the fire. It was harder to see the flames in the daylight. But the smoke was more visible than at night. “Can you tell Ayerelia? Tell her in a way that isn’t obvious if someone was watching players? I don’t want her to do something … well, something very her.” I had the impression Ayerelia could be very goal oriented.

  Arjun was looking at me, puzzled. “Look now that she believes me, she told you I might need someone to come stay with me. What else could she be doing out there?” Panic made my voice hitch a bit. “Maybe you should quickly log off and see if you can tell her not to tell anyone else?”

  Arjun took a moment to study me. “Ok, I will be right back.” And he was gone.

  My heart was still thudding in my chest. What if Ayerelia was rallying the troops? Tracking down my parents? Calling news stations? Demanding answers?

  She did give some serious ‘I want to talk to your manager’ vibes.

  There was nothing to do but wait. The afternoon dragged on to dinner time. I managed to get more wood on the fire and some meat on the spit. I looked over to the wooden stools. That would be too much effort, so I dragged myself to my bedroll.

  I was getting tired by the time Arjun returned.

  “Woah, it is almost nighttime,” he said, looking around.

  “Yes, that tends to happen at the end of the day.”

  He gave me a level look, and I just shrugged.

  “Elizabeth, it is one thing to know time is passing faster for you; it is another to see it.”

  “True. But what about Ayerelia?”

  He laughed. “She was most annoyed with me. I woke her up.” At my slump of relief he said, “But it was a good idea. She was going to start calling people in the morning.”

  I let a big breath out. If Arjun hadn’t come, things could have gotten bad. I am not sure how they would be bad, but the feeling in my gut told me it would have been very bad.

  Goddamit. I needed to pee again. And now I had company. He must have noticed my discomfort. “Do you need to use the toilet?”

  My face heated again. “Yeah, but it’s just a ditch.” I gestured with my hand towards the latrine.

  “That must be awkward,” he said eyes narrowed. After a moment’s thought, he said. “Can you hold it a bit? I might be able to do something to help.”

  Oh fuck. Now I was sure my face was beet red. I squeeked out, “Yeah, for a bit.”

  He got up and disappeared into the bushes. I heard him moving around, and Dekka left me to see if he was up to something interesting, like fighting a large rodent.

  I was getting to the point of deciding what was more embarrassing, trying to drag myself to some bushes on the other side of camp or asking for help when he returned. “Let us get you up.”

  When we got to the latrine, instead of just a ditch dug in the ground, there was a makeshift toilet. Perhaps calling it a toilet was a bit of an overstatement. Arjun had taken short logs and lashed them together to make a base. Then some more on top to make it higher. I could see the drag marks in the dark soil where he had then dragged it over top of the ditch.

  This was awesome!

  “Thank you,” I said, hoping he would leave.

  “Um, do you-“

  “No, no,” I hopped away from him, showing him I was good on one leg.

  He frowned but left, saying, “Call out if you need help.”

  “Ok I will.” I would not. I would die first.

  Getting to the makeshift toilet was not a problem. Using it was well, a relief. But then how to get off the toilet?

  “Dekka.. Psst Dekka,” I said in a loud whisper to my dog, who was nosing something in the bushes by the trail.

  She looked up and wagged her tail.

  “Come here,” I said urgently.

  She trotted over obligingly. Then stood there.

  “Get big,” I told her.

  Her tail stopped.

  “Come on, I need your help. Get big.”

  She sat and eyed me.

  “I will give you an extra bit of meat for dinner.”

  She continued to sit.

  “Dekka, get big, come on, don’t do this to me.” I pleaded.

  My dog blinked slowly at me. She was waiting for a better offer.

  “I will give you double dinner.”

  Blink.

  “Double dinner and I will give you scritchies for ten minutes straight.

  She tipped her head but didn’t move.

  “Dekka!”

  She looked over her shoulder like she was contemplating leaving.

  “Ok fine,” I hissed. “Double dinner and half an hour of scritchies.”

  She stood up, and shadows raced from the encroaching gloom and surrounded my dog. Then my hellhound shaped dog walked over and allowed me to use her to pull myself upright.

  With her help, I managed to get back to the clearing where Arjun had refilled my water from the stream and was turning the meat. He rushed over to help me, and with Dekka supporting my right side and Arjun my left, it was a much more graceful return trip.

  We ate dinner and spoke into the night. Arjun told me of his family and how he looked after his mother. That was why he was so comfortable helping me. I told him about the world event. He looked concerned when I told him how people had died. I hastened to assure him that none were NPCs. Everyone would wake up in their VP pod. Yet still he sat there and shook his head.

  He rolled out his bedroll, and we slept. It was the fast reset of player sleep, vs the restless sleep that I got. How did NPCs sleep? For them, was it like a long blink or did they toss and turn in their beds at night sometimes?

  The next morning we were just waking up when Rose popped in. Hooray for a working leg!

  “I should go now,” Arjun said after Rose had introduced herself.

  “Already?” I knew he didn’t want to play the game anymore, but he could hang out, right?

  “Yes, Elizabeth.” I came to make sure you were ok. And to say goodbye. When you get out of this game, message me.”

  “If I get out, you mean.”

  “No, my friend, when.” He gave me one of his sad smiles and left.