— CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX —

  Fritz Shoots a Man

  -Fritz-

  "Oh my god, is he dead?!"

  The gunshot echoed through the valley. Leo's body went limp and he tumbled down the rocky slope of the mine, splattering onto one of the pathways below like a ragdoll. The Fringe slavers all whipped their heads our way. Before they could even process what happened, the sound of shattering glass rang out from across the mine. A streak of brown light shot out from a sniper's nest on the opposite side as me.

  That bolt found its mark, nailing a guard right between the eyes. He crumpled immediately. Pandemonium broke loose as the enslaved miners let out a cry of defiance and rushed at their captors with pickaxes swinging. They swarmed a few guards, especially the ones high up on the rock walls. But the Fringe fought back viciously, slicing limbs clean off the unarmored slaves. Still, they lost ground. The Fringe fled the work area to regroup at the base of the cliff slope and trap the slaves up against the wall.

  A horse neighed from the valley behind the Fringe line. Percy came barreling out from behind some boulders, driving the wagon at a full gallop. He plowed right through their ranks, ramming his way through to the slaves' side.

  Below me, a couple Fringe thugs crept toward Leo's prone form. I quickly fired off a shot in their direction before sliding down the slope on a cascade of loose gravel. Hitting the pathway, I fired my last bullet wildly. Neither of the shots connected, but it was enough to spook them back toward the main Fringe force.

  I rushed to Leo's side and rolled him onto his back to check him over. He looked dazed but in one piece, the bullet wound leaving a glowing blue bald spot on the back of his head.

  "How're you feelin', man?" I asked.

  Leo just grumbled incoherently and waved his arm in front of his face like he was swatting at imaginary flies.

  "I'm getting you to safety, hold on!"

  I grabbed him under the arms and started dragging him toward where the miners were making their stand with Percy.

  The battle was devolving into a slugfest. Blue dust hung in the air like confetti as NPCs disintegrated left and right. Wounded Fringe slavers littered the ground, some missing limbs, others with pickaxes embedded in their skulls. But the ragtag army of liberated slaves held their ground, rallying around the wagon and passing out the real weapons.

  Percy barked orders, organizing the miners into an amateur archery line. They unleashed clumsy volleys at the encircling Fringe while their comrades formed a shaky defensive line on the high ground. We had the superior position for now, but the enemy had us boxed into a corner.

  With a guttural roar, one of the Fringe brutes activated a Leap skill. The greataxe in his hands flashed as he vaulted clean over the front line. He landed on Percy's horse, still hitched to the wagon, and killed it in one swing.

  But Percy was quick on the trigger. He cast Blink, his body fragmenting into shimmering magical particles before rematerializing behind the attacker. Drawing his sword directly into a swing, he cut the man's feet out from under him. The Fringe bandit face-planted into the dirt, his weapon tumbling from his hands. Percy wasted no time in disarming and disabling him.

  Another bolt of earth magic streaked overhead, this one aimed at the Fringe leader I'd tried to snipe earlier. It only grazed his neck though, and he kept on shouting orders. "Kill them all! Teach them a lesson and we'll grab 'em after the respawn!"

  And now the fliers were coming in. A pair of pegasi swooped in from above, their pilots raining arrows down on us as they circled. The miner archers redirected their fire at them, and that was enough to force them into evasive maneuvers. However, with our archers preoccupied, the Fringe ground crew seized the opportunity to charge.

  I looked up to see a squad of them bearing down on me and Leo. Before they could get to us, a blazing wall of fire erupted between us and the attackers. They skidded to a halt, backing away from the searing flames. With that extra second, I hauled Leo the rest of the way behind the wagon where the wounded NPCs were being tended to.

  "Take it easy buddy." I said as I set him down. "Don't move too much."

  I hurried over to join Percy as he threw out spells to harry the Fringe and hold them at bay.

  "What do we do now?" I yelled. "We're getting torn apart!"

  "I think we abandon the 'non-lethal' idea. I'll use that new spell to incinerate the leader - break their morale."

  "Come on, man, we don't have to do that!"

  "It's a battle, Fritz!" Percy snapped back. "Death is inevitable. Just look what they're doing to the NPCs!"

  I didn't have to look anywhere; the air was full of their remains. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I didn't feel as bad about their deaths. Sure, they felt like real people, and we were doing all this to free them... but they were still just code, not flesh and blood humans. The Fringe though? They were the real deal. People with lives and families outside the game. No matter how despicable their actions here, there would be people that would miss them. For all the real, lasting pain it would cause, I didn't want to kill any of them.

  But I wasn't sure how else we could get out of there. I racked my brain for a solution, my eyes darting around the chaotic battlefield. They settled on the wagon, and a crazy idea started to form.

  Taking a deep breath, I turned to Percy. "Alright, hear me out here..." I outlined a plan that sounded insane even to me.

  "It could work." he said after a moment. "I'll hold them off. Go now while we still have room to get a run-up."

  Percy resumed his magical onslaught as I sprinted for the wagon. "Yo, Caesar's Palace!" The horse came cantering in from conveniently just out of view, and I hitched him to the wagon. Jumping into the driver's seat, I grabbed the reins and cracked them hard. "Hi ho, Caesar's Palace!"

  The wagon shot forward, rapidly building speed as we charged straight towards the Fringe line. The miners parted before us. As we passed them, Percy leapt aboard. "Hold the line!" he told the miners.

  We smashed through the Fringe's ranks like a battering ram, scattering bodies and leaving chaos in our wake. I locked eyes on their leader and gritted my teeth, snapping the reins to urge Caesar's Palace to go even faster. He saw us coming - his eyes widened and he frantically tried to scramble out of our path. At the last second, he dove to the side, and we thundered past.

  Percy, however, was ready with Blink. He vanished out of the wagon. A heartbeat later he reappeared, tackling the prone Fringe leader and wrestling him into a chokehold.

  I hauled on the reins, and Caesar's Palace reared up, pivoting the wagon in a teeth-rattling 180. The wagon fishtailed, slamming Fringe members like a flail and sending them flying.

  Percy dragged the struggling leader to his feet, his knife pressed against the man's throat. As I pulled up beside them, Percy roughly shoved the Fringe boss into the wagon bed before vaulting in himself.

  Angry shouts erupted from the remaining Fringe as they started to run at us, but Percy snapped and waved his hand at the ground. A roaring wall of fire sprang up between us and them. I cracked the reins again, and the wagon shot forward, leaving the Fringe behind in a cloud of dust.

  In the back, Percy had the leader in an arm lock, his knife still at the man's throat. "If you want to get out of this, order them to surrender!" Percy demanded.

  The leader let out a strained, mocking laugh. "You think they're going to stop just because you got me?!"

  Percy's eyes were cold as ice. "You better hope they will."

  The Fringe boss drew in a sharp, angry breath. He opened his mouth to shout something, but his words were lost in a sudden rush of wind and feathers. One of the pegasus riders came swooping down on us in a kamikaze run, slamming their mount into Caesar's Palace.

  The two horses screamed in panic. Feathers exploded everywhere. The wagon twisted violently, tilting up on one wheel before crashing back down. It spun out of control, skidding and bouncing across the valley floor until it juddered to a stop in a thick cloud of dust and glittering blue motes from the dead mounts.

  I was flung against the side of the wagon, my ears ringing and my head spinning. In the back, Percy and the Fringe leader had been tossed about like ragdolls. They grappled with each other, fighting for control of Percy's knife.

  Groaning, I tried to clamber into the wagon bed to help, but I quickly saw the kid had it under control. Percy's teeth were bared in a feral snarl, blue sparks dripping from his mouth where he had bitten off a couple of the Fringe leader's fingers. The boss was covered in cuts and rapidly accumulating blue wireframe scars.

  With a vicious strike, Percy slammed the pommel of his knife into the leader's temple. The man's eyes twitched and went droopy and he slumped down, out cold. Percy stood over him, his shoulders heaving as he gasped for breath, his entire body trembling from the adrenaline.

  The rest of the Fringe slavers were charging after us though, quickly surrounding the wagon. Up above, the remaining pegasus circled like a vulture, its rider nocking an arrow.

  Percy's gaze snapped up to the approaching horde. "Towering Inferno!"

  A small orb of crackling flames formed off his shoulder. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it into the empty space in front of the Fringe party. As soon as it touched the ground, the fireball exploded outwards in a blistering wave. A ring of flames washed over the ground, then rushed together into a vortex, whipping up into a roaring, swirling tornado of fire. It shot into the sky like an erupting geyser, the intense heat distorting the air. The cyclone of flames stretched up so high that it clipped the pegasus flying overhead. There was a piercing equine scream and the winged horse came plummeting out of the sky, trailing smoke like a falling meteor.

  Percy quickly cut off the flow of mana to the spell and the flaming twister dissipated. But the threat had done its job - the Fringe skidded to an abrupt halt, some backpedaling in fear.

  Percy leveled his silver dagger at them, the blade glinting with specks of blue dust like it'd been dipped in glitter. "Surrender!"

  The Fringe slavers wavered, a few glancing at each other uncertainly. Their hesitation gave the rioting NPC slaves time to catch up to us, Yunica at the lead. They fanned out, surrounding the Fringe and blocking any path of escape.

  Looking between the feral, blood-splattered kid and the overwhelming number of rioters hemming them in, the fight seemed to drain out of the slavers. One by one, they dropped their weapons to the ground in resignation.

  "Gather up their weapons and put them in a pile!" Percy commanded. A few of the NPC miners tentatively approached the crowd of Fringe and started collecting the discarded arms.

  Yunica jogged up to the wagon. I passed her back the BP rifle, and she swapped out the spent MD rifle for it.

  "So... what do we do with these guys?" I asked. "Bring them back to Celestia Grand and see what they think of all this?"

  Percy exhaled a long, shuddery breath. He dropped his knife and turned to haul the unconscious Fringe leader out of the wagon bed. "I don't know. Do we even have the logistical ability to move them all?"

  I looked over the bedraggled gaggle of Fringe we had surrounded. "Why don't we ask the NPCs what they want to do? They're the wronged party in all this - it should be their call."

  A ripple of surprise went through the Fringe. One of them barked out an incredulous laugh. "What are you smoking?! They're NPCs! They don't think anything!"

  Yunica tilted her head curiously. "Who are you to say what they are? If they look, act, and feel like people, how can you so quickly do this to them? Are you really so ready to inflict this on other beings?"

  The NPCs glanced at each other, a wordless understanding seeming to pass between them. I wondered - could they communicate 'telepathically'? Did the system controlling them allow information to 'bleed' between them? They didn't say anything to each other, but after a moment, one of the miners stepped forward as a representative. "As long as they get out of our neighborhood, we say let 'em go."

  "You're letting them off too easy." Yunica said impassively.

  The NPC spread his hands. "We don't want no more trouble. We don't rightly know the details of your beef with 'em. We just want to go home and rebuild, best we can."

  Percy unceremoniously shoved the unconscious Fringe leader out of the wagon. The man plopped into the dirt with a puff of dust. "You heard him! Grab your friends and get walking!"

  Under our watchful eyes and ready weapons, the disarmed Fringe collected their wounded and unconscious, including the leader. With one last venomous look, they turned and began the long trek down the valley, gradually disappearing into shimmering heat-haze and swirling dust.

  As the NPCs tended to their own injured, I approached the one who had spoken for the group. "So what are you going to do now?"

  The man scratched his chin. "Well, our village don't rightly seem too safe at present. Got some kin in the city might be able to put us up. Closest place is over in the Rough, I reckon."

  "Freighton Gorge?" I asked. "That's the way we're headed, too. We can give you a hand, if you need."

  The NPCs gratefully accepted. We loaded their wounded, including a barely-responsive Leo, into the back of the wagon. My horse, along with Percy's, would take some time to respawn - about a day, maybe a bit less.

  Until then, Yunica called her own mount, our group's last horse, to pull the wagon. Together, our ragtag band set off, climbing up the cliff paths and making our way along the surface-level roads of the Rough.

  ---

  It was slow going with all the pedestrians, and we were still travelling as the sun started to set. Leo managed to sit up, but he was still woozy. Yunica sat beside me on the driver's bench, staring down at the ground passing beneath us in thought.

  "Are you worried they'll come back and take another village prisoner?" I asked her.

  Yunica didn't respond right away, her gaze distant. Then she blinked and looked over at me. "Hm? Oh... not exactly. I'm more... concerned. When word of this gets out, will others side with the Fringe? Endorse the idea of using NPCs as labor?"

  I exhaled slowly. "Hard to say for sure. But I think anyone who's spent five minutes actually talking to an NPC wouldn't be comfortable with it. It's not easy, emotionally, to do that to something that looks, acts, and feels so alive."

  "Do you think they're alive, Fritz?"

  "I don't have an ounce of a clue." I shook my head. "I'm no scientist or philosopher, but they're close enough for me." I said that, but at the same time, I'd been willing to let NPCs die to avoid killing the Fringe. Sure, they 'might' respawn, but like Lowe was concerned about - would they really be same people? What if it was, say, the Captain who was going to be killed? Or even Brynn - would I care more for an NPC I knew better? Or what if the enemy were NPCs, like Torglax? Would I have held back at all then?

  The truth was, I didn't know where I really stood on the NPCs' existence. It was a question without an easy answer.

  I glanced over at Yunica. "What about you? Do you think they're alive?"

  She was quiet for a long moment, her lips pressed into a pensive line. "What does it mean to be 'alive'?"

  "Wait until we're back at the bar to ask that one!" I chuckled.

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  Yunica didn't respond, her gaze drifting back to the barren path stretching out before us.

  The quiet was suddenly broken by Percy's voice. "Heads up - shadows on the horizon. Looks like pegasi." He was sitting on the back rim of the wagon, watching the skies through Yunica's binoculars. "Three of them, flying in formation and heading our way."

  I muttered, "Figures they wouldn't give up so easily." Scanning our surroundings, I pointed to a nearby path down into the ravines. "We need to get down into the jungle - no way they can spot us in there."

  Yunica shook her head. "The jungle's too dangerous for all these wounded people. A diversion will work better. If they hide in the rocks and we drive off, the Fringe should follow the wagon."

  I hesitated, unsure. It was a big risk to split up our already vulnerable group. "I don't know..."

  "They're going to spot us any second." Percy warned, lowering the binoculars. "Make a decision fast."

  I blew out a sharp breath. Finally, I nodded. "Alright. Let's get the wounded out of the wagon."

  We moved quickly, unloading the injured with the help of the able-bodied NPCs. Leo, still struggling to walk, went with them. Looking down as he passed me, he said, "I'm sorry. I'm just no good at this stuff, am I? I was like this in the Oxtongue fight, and I haven't changed."

  I reached out, clasping his shoulder. "Come on, man. You're the one who stepped up to volunteer to break these guys out in the first place. And now you're leading them across the wilderness on foot! That's damn brave, Leo."

  He looked away, unconvinced.

  I sighed. "Look, I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm the idiot who shot you!"

  A ghost of a smile touched his lips at that. Yunica held out her BP rifle to him. "If you run into trouble, use this." she said simply.

  Leo took the weapon with a nod. He met my gaze, something hardening in his eyes. "Alright. I'm gonna get these people to Freighton Gorge. You better meet me there!"

  "Count on it." I smiled.

  "They're turning toward us." Percy called out.

  I leapt into the driver's seat. "Let's move!"

  Yunica vaulted into the back beside Percy as I snapped the reins. The horse neighed and surged forward, the wagon veering away from the hidden refugees. We thundered across the barren badlands at a breakneck pace, the arid wind whipping dust into our faces.

  The shadows in the sky closed in, near enough now for me to make out details with the naked eye. Two white, feathered shapes - pegasi. And behind them, one much larger form. Emerald scales glinted in the harsh sunlight. They'd brought a freaking dragon!

  "They've got three people on that dragon." Percy reported, squinting through the binoculars. "Looks like the 'family vehicle' option; they're struggling to keep up."

  "Where do they get mounts like that?" I wondered aloud. "And how many types are there?"

  Percy said, "Given the Fringe have been delving deeper into the wilderness than anyone else, I'd guess somewhere remote."

  The two pegasi put on a burst of speed, their powerful wings eating up the distance. They overtook us, angling their flight path to cut us off. I yanked the reins, steering the wagon in a zigzagging evasive pattern to keep our route clear. But slowly, they herded us into more treacherous, confined ground.

  I glanced over my shoulder. The rocky outcropping where we had hidden the NPCs was far behind us now, dwindling against the horizon. "That should be far enough for them to slip out safely." I said. "Now how do we get ourselves out? Duck into the gorges?"

  Even as I said it, I remembered navigating the switchbacks down the cliffs. There wasn't enough time - we'd have to ditch the wagon if that was our only way out.

  "No." Percy's voice was firm. "If we run now, what message does that send the Fringe? That they need to up their security for next time?"

  "He's right." Yunica said. "The point was not driven home."

  "What, you want to fight them?"

  Percy's gaze was steely. "There's only five in this group - that's manageable. That many we can arrest and bring back to the city - expose them to the public."

  I sucked in a deep breath, my fingers tightening on the reins. "Alright, let's do this. Heh, you know, this is kinda like Dino Attack at the arcade."

  (Percival)?"I hope you're better at driving here." I said. "Yunica, what's the range on your rifle?"

  "Fifty yards."

  "Got it. I'll take the first volley."

  She passed me the gun, and I took aim as the pegasi swooped in close, moving fast and weaving erratically. I squeezed the trigger and a beam of fire streaked between the darting mounts. They swerved away, unscathed. Not missing a beat, I cocked back the hammer and fired again while they were still rattled. Another miss.

  "Pace out those shots." Yunica warned. "It's a two minute timer to reload after you fire the first bullet."

  The pegasi backed off, though, retreating to keep pace and circle us while the dragon lumbered to catch up. It flew overhead, its heavy wingbeats buffeting the air, and tried to plop down right in our path. Fritz swerved hard, swinging us around it. I shot at its wing, but it was too thick and sturdy to take down with a single shot. I passed the rifle back to Yunica, who immediately fired up at a pegasus as it swooped down on us again.

  Between Fritz's driving and the gunfire, we managed to keep the fliers off us, but we were outmaneuvered and outnumbered. The Fringe steadily corralled us into tighter confines, sheer drops into chasms flanking us on either side.

  "Dead end coming up!" Fritz shouted. "We're going to have to take that bridge!"

  He was right - it was our only way to go, but that's what they wanted. As we veered onto the large wooden arch bridging a gorge, the dragon dove in and landed on the far side, blocking our exit. The pegasi closed ranks behind us, cutting off our retreat.

  With their mounts holding position, two figures dismounted the dragon and approached on foot. One was the Fringe's ringleader from the mine, his wounds still open and glowing blue. The other was Eagle's bodyguard in that Frankenstein's monster suit of stitched plate armor.

  -Fritz-?I kicked myself for being surprised. Of course Eagle would be in league with the Fringe! The Faustenburg gang wasn't part of the group exiled from Celestia Grand, but only because they steered clear of the Capital anyway. The World Guard had been riding their asses even longer than the Fringe.

  And now Frankenstein over there was going to tattle our names back to Eagle. "I don't think we're going to be welcome in Faustenburg anymore." I said.

  "I'm pretty sure we were only ever tolerated." Percy said. He hopped down from the wagon and strode out to face them head on. Yunica remained in the back, rifle at the ready. I climbed down and fell in step beside Percy.

  The Fringe leader sneered as we approached. "Well, fancy running into you folks out here! Been a while!"

  "I could go a bit longer, honestly." Percy said flatly.

  "Should've thought about that before muscling in on our turf!" the leader snapped. "They're just NPCs - let it go! But no, you bleeding hearts just had to play hero, fighting for the 'freedom' of some goddamn computer code! Who gives a shit?! Now look where you've left us. We've gotta send a message - no one gets one over on Bad Charlotte or our associates and walks away!"

  He glowered at us, eyes flashing with ire. "Well? Got anything to say for yourselves?"

  Percy shrugged. "You seem to have your mind made up on this, so I don't see any reason to waste the breath."

  "Mmm." Frankenstein's low growl reverberated from within his helmet as he lumbered toward us. Each heavy footfall made the rickety boards groan beneath him.

  Percy threw out his hand with a snap. "Smelt!" A gout of blistering white-hot flames burst forth, hot enough to turn armor molten. But Frankenstein whipped the greatsword off his back, cleaving straight through the firebolt. The blade gleamed as it dispersed the magic, unscathed. It had the same magic nullification enchantment as Percy's knife.

  With a snarl, Percy drew his sword, gripping it with his right hand on the hilt and his left on the naked blade. "I'll take the big one."

  I pulled out my spear and faced off against the Fringe leader. "Alright, I'll help you in a minute."

  Percy charged at Frankenstein. The hulking brute brought his blade crashing down to intercept, but Percy nimbly sidestepped and jabbed under his guard. The point skittered harmlessly off the thick plates. A bolt of icy blue magic followed Percy in and slammed into Frankenstein's helmet dead in the temple. The man didn't do more than wince.

  The Fringe leader, meanwhile, reached for his belt and whipped a throwing axe over my head, straight at Yunica.

  "Oh no you don't!" I shouted. In one fluid motion, I flipped my spear around and hurled it at the thug. He dodged, but it bought me the opening I needed to rush him. He swung a hatchet at my neck, but I respawned my spear just in time to block with the shaft.

  "Fritz, behind you!" Yunica cried out.

  I heard the whoosh of beating wings a split second before impact. A lance punched clean through my back, impaling me and emerging from my stomach. One of the Pegasi had charged me from behind. It looked horrible, but all I felt was the same stinging you get from any wound and a sudden breathlessness as it made me wheeze my lungs out.

  No, the bad part was that the pegasus kept galloping down the bridge, dragging me along with it. I was shoved into the bridge, bouncing and scraping across the planks. And, with nothing to stop him, the Fringe leader rushed at Yunica.

  She tried to make a snap shot at him, but he was too close. Yunica hopped back into the wagon bed. The leader's axe embedded in the driver's seat with a splintering crunch. He scrambled up to pursue her.

  Then a gunshot cracked the air. The Fringe leader pitched backward and slammed onto the wood, a wireframe patch showing on his forehead.

  There, kneeling on the lip of the gorge behind us, was Leo. Smoke curled from the barrel of Yunica's rifle in his hands.

  "I'm not leaving you again!" Leo shouted, leaping to his feet. He mounted his horse and spurred it into a gallop.

  The other pegasus took flight to avoid getting charged from behind, but it couldn't get into position to intercept Leo before he joined the fight.

  Meanwhile, I managed to get a grip on my spear and stabbed at the pegasus pinning me. The tip poked into its flank. The beast whinnied and automatically tried to move away. Its rider had to drop the lance and back off, freeing me. It felt like several parts had been dislocated, but I shook myself back into one piece and struggled to my feet.

  Seeing the fight turning against them, the dragon's pilot kicked his mount forward. It advanced with earth-shaking steps, but was immediately engulfed in a blazing pillar of fire - Percy's Towering Inferno, cast even as he darted around dueling Frankenstein.

  A charred hole seared through the dragon's body. It began crumbling to glowing blue particles. The pilot lunged clear of his disintegrating steed, hitting the bridge rolling and coming up in a crouch.

  *Crack!* Yunica's next headshot put him down for the count, his body going limp.

  Leo reined up beside the wagon. He and Yunica tossed their spent rifles to each other, immediately reloading them. The two opened up, their volley of fire bringing down the pegasus that had been hanging back. The pegasus near me, meanwhile, took flight, backing off to circle high above us.

  That just left Frankenstein.

  His armor was too thick for normal attacks, magic was nullified, and he rampaged across the bridge, swinging that greatsword around wildly. Percy wove around him, ducking and dodging and going blade to blade against the guy, but one wrong move and he was gong to get his head taken clean off.

  What we did have was numbers - we could surround and wear him down. So I took a deep breath, hefted my spear, and charged in.

  I slammed the butt of my spear against the wooden planks, charging up my armor pierce as I ran at Frankenstein, aiming to stab through the back of his leg. The armored giant saw me coming from the corner of his eye. With startling speed, he swung his greatsword in a wide arc, the whistling blade warding me off and forcing Percy to retreat several steps.

  The three of us were locked in a standoff - Percy and I circling Frankenstein at a distance while he slowly pivoted to keep us both in view. My eyes flicked to Percy, trying to read his next move in the set of his jaw, the slight narrowing of his eyes.

  Without warning, the kid took a step back and shouted "Smelt!" He hurled a searing blast of armor-melting flames at Frankenstein. The hulking warrior caught the magic on his blade, the spell fizzling into nothing.

  I seized the momentary distraction and pounced, driving forward with my charged spear. But Frankenstein recovered with uncanny swiftness. He swiveled and slashed at me, the massive sword cleaving the air.

  I pulled up short, just barely avoiding bisection, but the tip of his blade still caught me across the chest. It sliced through my Hawaiian shirt from sleeve to sleeve. The shaft of my spear, raised in a last-second block, snapped under the force of the blow. Frankenstein capitalized on my stumble, charging straight at Percy - and that was the kid's plan.

  "Smelt!" Percy threw out another brilliant gout of white-hot flame. Frankenstein reflexively blocked it with his sword, but the blinding light hid the fact that Percy was stood right at the edge of the bridge.

  At the last instant, the kid slid aside. Frankenstein, unable to check his momentum, crashed through the railing in an explosion of splinters. A shocked grunt escaped the giant as he tumbled, flailing his arms in a futile attempt to catch himself. All he managed to grab was the edge of Percy's robe, and the kid disappeared after him as he went over.

  I sprinted to the edge, my heart in my throat, just in time to see Percy cast Blink. The kid disappeared in a flash of blue light, teleporting out of Frankenstein's grasp and reappearing several feet higher, closer to the bridge.

  Percy's hands flew to his belt and he yanked out a length of rope from one of the pouches. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed one end up to me. I dove forward, sprawling on my belly, and barely managed to snatch the rope before it slipped past.

  Suddenly, I felt a vise-like grip clamp down on my legs as Leo and Yunica grabbed hold, anchoring me to keep me from sliding off after Percy. For a heart-stopping second, I thought the rope would slip through my fingers. But it held. Percy swung freely on the other end, safe.

  The kid let out a slightly manic laugh. "Rope! You only ever find more uses for it!"

  Then a white blur plummeted past us. The last Fringe pegasus, wings tucked tight to its body, streaked by in a dive. Feathers and wisps of glowing blue dust trailed from its wounds. The pegasus leveled out of the dive in a tight spiral and intercepted Frankenstein midair, catching the falling man on its back.

  The impact of the heavily armored Frankenstein proved too much for the injured flying horse. With a shrill whinny of pain, the two of them disappeared into the jungle canopy below. We all stared after them for a long, tense moment, but nothing stirred in the greenery.

  "So... can I come up now?" Percy called, still dangling from the rope.

  Leo and I carefully hauled the kid back up onto the bridge while Yunica tied up the three unconscious bandits with some rope of her own. Percy flopped onto the planks like a landed fish, chest heaving.

  I clapped a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Damn good timing there, man. That was some real hero stuff there."

  Leo ducked his head, but a small, pleased smile tugged at his mouth. "Anyone would have done the same."

  I chuckled. "Sure, sure. You keep telling yourself that. Are the NPCs alright?"

  "Yeah, they said they'd be fine." Leo assured me. "They... I guess they could tell I wanted to help you guys. It's kind of shocking how... aware they are."

  I nodded. "They absolutely have their moments."

  Yunica joined us at the edge of the bridge and looked down into the jungle where Frankenstein and the pegasus had vanished. "We need to check if they survived the fall."

  "I can stay up here and keep an eye on these guys." Leo volunteered, jerking a thumb at our restrained captives.

  I smirked at him. "Oh, going for the easy job, huh? Alright, we'll handle it."

  We made our way down the nearest path into the gorge, picking our way through the dense foliage. Blue motes drifted on the humid air, leading us to the crash site.

  The small clearing was a mess - plants torn and trampled, fading blue particles swirling. The pegasus lay in a crumpled heap, its body slowly dissipating into glowing dust. Nearby, another small mound of dust marked where one of the people had landed. I spotted Frankenstein's heavy plated boots sticking out of a tangle of crushed ferns and vines, unmoving but very much alive.

  One dead, and it was the pegasus pilot.

  I saluted the pile of dust. "I don't care what he was fighting for or who he was trying to save - that was one hell of a move."

  "It's always a shame to lose the valiant ones." Yunica agreed solemnly.

  While we paid our respects, Percy hauled Frankenstein out of the underbrush by his ankles. The big man's helmet was caved in on one side, a nasty spike of metal jutting into his skull. He'd live, but he wasn't going anywhere under his own power anytime soon.

  We tied him up good and tight anyway, just to be safe. Then began the lovely task of dragging his heavy ass back up to the bridge. I pulled him by the rope like a sled dog while Percy and Yunica pushed from behind. By the time we made it topside, I was ready to swear off arm day for a month. Our horses could not respawn fast enough.

  We piled Frankenstein in the wagon with his Fringe buddies, all still out cold, and I reclaimed the driver's seat. With our prisoners secured and the bridge finally clear, we once again set off for Freighton Gorge.

  ---

  We arrived in the city well past nightfall. The freed slave NPCs had already made it and were occupying the area around the inn. A wave of cheering went up as we pulled into the stables. The sound overtook the city, echoing off the walls of the ravines. The whole place turned into a party with the NPCs telling stories about how they revolted against the Fringe.

  I didn't care about the fine details, I decided - these were people to me. Real as anyone else in this mad game. However, I couldn't join them this time. I'd been hopped up on coffee since last night, and I needed some real rest.

  Percy and Leo were in the same boat. I couldn't tell with Yunica, but she stayed on the sidelines with the rest of us. The issue was, the tavern seemed to be the center of the party, so we couldn't get through to our rooms. Instead, the four of us sat out near the edge of town, on a low-level balcony overlooking the nighttime jungle with its glowflies and the shadows cast by the moon.

  I eased down with a groan, letting my legs dangle over the ledge. Peace at last. Then a message pinged on my UI. From Lucy.

  I skimmed it over and looked to Percy. "Hey Perce, sounds like Lucy needs a vacation. You cool with her tagging along next time?"

  "Sure. Where we headed anyway?"

  "Oh. Right. We probably won't get another job from Eagle."

  "I think we should stay in a place with fewer Fringe for a while." Percy suggested.

  "Yeah, that's smart." I nodded, typing up a response to Lucy. "What about you, Leo?"

  Leo scratched at his chin. "I think... I'm gonna hit the library. Research these game mechanics more, learn more about... what these NPCs are."

  Then we all turned to Yunica. She looked at us blankly for a moment. "Oh. ... I'll continue to wander, I suppose." Rising to her feet, she gave us each a solemn nod. "It grows late. I should be on my way."

  "Oh, I still have your binoculars." Percy started digging through his inventory.

  But Yunica held up a hand to stop him. "Please, keep them. Thank you - all three of you - for your help in this matter. I was... worried."

  With that, she turned on her heel and strode off around the corner.

  A beat later, a trio of notifications popped up in front of us - 'Quest Complete: .' as well as a chunk of experience and some random crafting mats as rewards.

  "Wait, the game turned it into a quest?" Leo asked.

  Percy and I scrambled to our feet to chase after Yunica. We whipped around the corner...

  And found nothing. It was an empty, dead-end alleyway. She wasn't in the party anymore, either.

  Percy and I stared at the blank space, then at each other.

  ---

  Next time:

  The boys need a vacation, Lucy needs a vacation, I need a vacation - to beautiful, tropical Florin, where the sun meets the sea!

  Nestled along the sparkling shores of the Starfall Coast between Lake Florin and the open ocean, this enchanting resort city offers the perfect escape for thrill-seekers, dreamers, and those looking to unwind in style.

  Experience the exhilarating Dragon's Flight, Florin's iconic roller coaster that takes you right over the water!

  Or try your luck at the Casino of the Seven Stars - a world-renowned casino where glamour, fine dining, and the thrill of the game collide.

  As the fog rolls in from picturesque Lake Florin, the city's nightlife awakens, and the streets pulse with an energy that makes the city feel truly alive - like a work of art.

  Whether you're lounging under the golden sun, swimming in crystal-clear waters, or strolling through charming seaside promenades, Florin's coast is a slice of paradise.

  Book your stay today, at Florin, where every night is an unforgettable adventure.

  We promise.

  Episode 8 - Edge Case