I found an inn willing to part with some travel supplies and road rations for a reasonable fee. The food would last a week, perhaps a few days more. After that, I'd have to do some hunting, but that would be good for me. Val said I'd get some experience for killing small game.

  Tara was waiting outside the tavern; her posture made it clear her patience was waning.

  "Took you long enough," she said. "We need to get moving." She coughed into her arm.

  "The road to Danver's that way." I pointed east. "If we keep a steady pace, we should be able to reach the mountains in two or three days." I gave her a concerned look. "You're not going to die on me, are you?"

  Tara glared at me. "I'll be fine. Just get me there."

  I shrugged, threw my travel sack over my shoulder, and we headed off. It was going to be a long walk, but Val seemed convinced this would all be worth the effort and assured me there would be plenty of opportunities for me to gain experience along the way.

  For now, I would follow Val's lead, but if the road became too dangerous, I wasn't sure I had it in me to see this quest to the end, at least not at my current level, which was nothing.

  If we ran into a Kurskin or a Dalari, I would act like any other NPC, and by that, I meant I would act human. Val said the odds of us encountering a Voxal were practically nonexistent, but if we did, she wanted me to stay as far away from it as I could. It was clear she was particularly concerned about running into one of the System Administrators. I didn't know what they were capable of and had no desire to find out.

  "So, what's in Danver?" I asked Tara, hoping to strike up a conversation.

  "Private business. Nothing you need to be concerned about," she said.

  "Are you in trouble? I need to be prepared if you're on the run or something like that."

  "No, I am not in trouble," she said.

  "For my safety and yours, is there anything I should know about you?"

  "You have nothing to fear, I swear it. And before you ask, I don't have the flux. It's just a cold. Is that enough for you?"

  I nodded. "I'll do my best to see you there safely and swiftly."

  The truth was I didn't care why Tara needed to go to Danver. All I cared about was finishing this quest and getting some more experience.

  We walked on that hard-packed dirt road, mostly in silence, for six awkward hours. We passed a few other travelers heading in the opposite direction, but for the most part, the road was as quiet as Tara was.

  The sun would soon set, and we needed to find a safe place to camp. Another cave, like the one I met Val in, would be nice, as I didn't have anything to use as a shelter.

  "Val, are there any good places to camp around here?" I thought to her.

  'I will explore our options.'

  "How long do…"

  'I have found the ideal location,' Val replied, interrupting my thought.

  "Wow, that was fast."

  'I'm a highly advanced artificial intelligence,' Val said. 'It is only natural.'

  "Natural, huh?"

  'Is that a question?'

  "Never mind," I thought to her. "Which way?"

  Val led us east down the road for another hour. The mountains were visible in the distance now. The further they spanned to the north, the higher their peaks rose. Luckily, we wouldn't need to scale any mountains. Multiple passes had been carved through them, and our route took us through the southern portion, where the mountains were smaller and far less daunting.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  It was said the passes through the Bygone Mountains existed long before man walked the earth. The most common tale of their origin was that the Ancients, a precursor race to mankind, built them. No man had ever seen an Ancient, though, and there was no tangible evidence they ever existed at all, let alone carved the passes through the mountains. Their race was either long extinct, or they had dug so deep into the ground that they never saw the sun again. In truth, they were just one of the many fabricated legends used to build the lore of this fantasy world. I'd learn what legends were real and what weren't in time. My uncle claimed that when he was a child, he saw a dragon soaring across the sky. That was one legend I hoped was true. I always liked the idea of dragons, both on Earth and Erda.

  "Hey Val," I said quietly. "Why is the lore of this world all about ancient builders, witches, trolls, and other human folktales? Shouldn't this world be filled with creatures and legends from the Triarchy's home worlds?"

  'Good question, John. At first, that was the case, but in time, the Players and the audience grew bored of it. Now, they study the culture of the worlds they plan to seed. The Triarchy and Master Control Intelligence had access to every kilobyte of data available on your internet. It used the best and most interesting parts of your cultures, religions, entertainment, and folklore to create a cohesive but unique world for the Triarchy to have their fun in.'

  I hated the Triarchy just a little bit more. They even stole our stories.

  I told Tara we needed to set up camp and lead her off the road at Val's direction. During the walk, I had attempted to strike up a conversation with Tara, but her responses were brief and curt. She wasn't the most enjoyable travel companion, but she kept pace despite whatever illness she was plagued by.

  We came upon a creek, and I followed it for a short time until I saw two large boulders resting against each other. A sizable gap at their base created a suitable shelter.

  I hadn't realized Val's map of the world was so precise. This was the perfect spot to rest.

  "Let's make camp here," I said.

  "I can keep going," Tara said.

  "I don't want to keep going," I replied. "I want to build a fire, eat, and rest."

  "Very well. But we should start the day early tomorrow to make up for lost time."

  "Fine by me," I said. "I'm going to look for some dry wood to burn. Maybe you could check the creek for crawfish. Something fresh would be nice." The jerky I had bought in Brighton took more effort to chew than it was worth.

  A look of shame flashed across her face. "I've never caught a crawdad before."

  "There's a first time for everything. Just be quick when you go for the grab, and watch out for the pincers."

  "Pincers?" she looked disgusted.

  I realized I had the wrong impression of Tara from our first meeting. From her demeanor and clothing, I had deduced she was well-traveled and possibly even knew her way around a knife or a bow. But now, I saw through it all. She was wearing a disguise.

  Tara was out of her element. She must have been from a large city, maybe even Danver. Her parents were probably wealthy traders, not field hands or beekeepers, as her name wrongly suggested. I wondered what else she was trying to hide from me.

  "Don't worry, kid. I'll handle it," I said as I walked away.

  "I'm not a kid," she said from behind me. Only a kid would proclaim, 'They're not a kid.'

  "How old are you?" I asked.

  "I'm twenty-one."

  "Try again," I said. I wasn't the best judge of age, but I was questioning everything now.

  "I swear, I'm twenty-one."

  "Val, how old is she?"

  'Her NPC profile does not list her age, likely for quest purposes. But, if you must know, she is seventeen.'

  "Thanks, Val."

  'Happy to be of assistance, John.'

  "Look, you're obviously not twenty-one," I said to Tara. "I don't care how old you are as long as you aren't lying to me about anything important." I raised a questioning eyebrow.

  "I've been honest with you."

  "Okay," I shrugged and began my hunt for wood. Her age mattered little, and it changed nothing about the quest. I still had to get her to Danver.

  Dry wood was easy to find, and I brought a large bundle back to camp. Before I did anything else, I wanted to start a fire, so I dug a shallow pit and began stacking wood. My father taught me to build a fire as soon as possible when camping. If the fire had enough time to burn, the hot coals would keep you warm throughout the night.

  I tossed in some dry grass for kindling and pulled out the flint and steel I had received from the inn back in Brighton.

  I sparked the kindling to flame, then gently blew to give the fire oxygen. It flared to life.

  A notification popped, and I opened it.

  COMPETENCY UNLOCKED: FIRESTARTER

  Gaining control of fire is one of the most critical steps in the evolution of all sentient species. Congratulations, you're as smart as a caveman.

  Warning: fire is hot.

  One point has been added to the FIRESTARTER passive ability.

  I checked out the description of the FIRESTARTER passive. It would give me an incremental increase in fire damage and burn duration, along with a minor resistance. I needed four more points to complete the first tier before the passive effects kicked in.

  "Cool," I said.

  "Huh?" Tara asked, approaching me from behind, crawfishless.

  "Oh, nothing, just uh, built a fire for us."

  "How is fire cool?" Tara said. "From my experience, it is the opposite."

  I was about to tell her that 'cool' was a popular term where I came from but thought better of it.

  I smiled at her. "You're right, of course. Will you tend to the fire? I'm going to set a snare and see what I can pull from the creek."

  "Okay." She remained a woman of few words, but I would break down her walls eventually. If not, it was going to be a long, boring trip.