Welcome! So, you might be wondering, 'where's the sequel to GoT, Tmo? What happened? Is it still happening?"
I don't know, it's happening and yes. It's coming. I just have to work out certain things because I want to tell it from the pov of an oc and I hate writing ocs but that's what will be best for the story. Anyway.

This story is based on Dungeons and Dragons rules, spells and information. This means that the mechanics of Knights Errant are based on it. If you feel confused or anything at all about fighting sequences, let me know and I'll clarify as much as I can in the comments in case I need to make any changes to the descriptions.

Here are some basic rules of D&D to get you started with this story:

Fighting happens on a turn-by-turn basis.
In combat, players get an action and a bonus action which ranges in options for each class.
Players have six main stats called ability scores (dexterity, charisma, intelligence, wisdom, strength and constitution) which are all unique to each player and how they level up their character.
Most important: how well or how poorly a situation goes all depends on the luck of the draw.

I wrote up character sheets for Kakashi and Iruka's characters cause I'm a big dork, in case anyone wants to see them.

Hope you enjoy

Online

Knights Errant® is an online role-playing experience set in the award-winning Kneed universe. Players assume the roles of Errant heroes as they explore, adventure, and quest across a vast world. Being "Massively Multiplayer," Knights Errant allows thousands of players to interact within the virtual world unlike any other. Whether adventuring together or fighting against each other in epic battles, players will form friendships, forge alliances, and compete with enemies for power and glory.

As he backflipped through the air about to land, the rogue sent another dagger flying to the giant centipede so that it struck the insect right in an eye and it screeched out loudly before falling to the ground in a cloud of dirt and leaves.

Another low-level creature and another 50 experience points which wasn't a lot in a game that capped at one million seven hundred and seventy-five thousand, a total of one hundred levels of the map and one hundred levels per character. It was a slow climb but so satisfying at each level.

He had played the beta. The game was an investment and not just a one hit wonder. But he knew the key to getting a good start and that was teamwork. Even though he dreaded the thought of it.

Stepping over the pixelating body of the giant centipede, Kakashi kept moving through the forest until he reached where the trees dissipated into wide fields of grass and the rivers and forests in the valley beyond.

He wasn't good at working in large groups, but his saving grace was the purple skinned tiefling he had met on the first day of beta testing when he had walked into the cavern that seemed to have music that was too modern coming from it.

Leaning up against the last tree of the wooded edge, he watched the sky erupting into fiery colours as the day went on at the same time as the real world. His bard partner and he decided on the last day of testing to meet where the Whispering Wood met the Clearings of Landerdale and for once he was early despite the packed spawn area.

He couldn't wait to start adventuring and see the new lands and levels that they hadn't ventured to yet. The rivers below glimmered, and he wanted to be there everyday, walking along their banks with a few forest breezes flowing through his hair. He loved this game dearly already and knew he would sink endless hours of the day into it.

With a thrilled shiver, he pulled the brown started cloak up higher around his elvish form and looked down at his feet in wonder at how real it all felt.

He could feel everything so clearly on his skin and it reminded him of why he spent so much money on the game in the first place.

Pulling himself back from his own thoughts, he checked his friends list again out of habit before realising that this wasn't his beta profile. With a sharp eye watch around him, he waited to see the familiar purple haired and red eyed tiefling.

He started to wonder if he had the right place after ten minutes had gone by and still no sign.

Starting back through the forest, he kept his eye out for purple. Even when he got back to the outskirts of town, he didn't pay much attention to the brown-haired human who jogged by him and into the forest. Instead, he headed down the same route someone would take to get from the forest to spawn and found no tieflings of any skin colour.

A notification came.

Welcome to Knights Errant.

Now that you've acquainted yourself with the controls, please be aware that the logout function is now disabled. Please also note that attempting to leave the game by other means will have the same repercussions in real life. Reach level 100, defeat the final boss, and all players will be automatically logged out. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

- Sincerely, Knights Errant

Twenty-four floors later and a month of no progress, Kakashi was in a bar alone.

"I don't know… It seems risky." A small voice caught his ear and he glanced over his shoulder at one of the tables lit by candle light. There sitting small and pale, a girl who looked to be barely in her teens looked at her party in worry.

"It will be." Another person leaned in, back to Kakashi. They comforted her, "But we'll be all together, and we'll keep each other safe. It's only a small cave system too. Let's go meet up with the others."

The girl nodded her dark head, seemingly reassured by the mention of other party members. The party finished their drinks and headed out into the early morning, catching Kakashi's attention even though parties setting out to travel were quite common.

Still, he had a feeling brewing in his gut.

"Hinata!" Kurenai surged towards her student and Iruka knew that things were about to go very bad. With a slash of its claws, Kurenai and Hinata were thrown out of sight and into the smoke that surrounded them.

"Shit." He mumbled behind his handkerchief mask that was covering his mouth from the ash hanging in the air. Everyone else was completely lost to the cover now. He heard shuffling and slamming though and feared the worst.

The most terrifying though was when the sound stopped. Light thuds in the distance slowly crept closer towards him. Step by step, Iruka knew that he was in deep trouble if he didn't move. Quietly as possible, he reversed and used his turn to take the long way around into the direction he saw Kurenai run towards.

With a low-level cantrip, he pushed the smoke away from his feet to try and find his teammates. There was a rumble from where he had come, and he pushed forward quicker, peering into the ash as far as he could.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a boot and hurried towards it as the rumbling turned into an ear-piercing shriek from the ash drake. In under a second, Iruka had reached the body and was about to cast Cure Wounds into it when a tail came swinging through the dust.

There was nowhere for him to dodge to. He could only throw his arms up and brace for impact and it slammed into him and sent him flying back, rolling and tumbling over himself through the ash.

As he looked up, he watched his health bar sink lower, down into the red as the dark shape of the drake barreled towards him alarmingly fast. He saw a flash of claws and felt a slash of pain across his arms, the crunch of his own bones and skin as he was thrown again. Falling like a ragdoll, Iruka rolled and slid again. The pain was agony, and everything screamed as he pulled himself up onto his elbows and knees. He didn't have any spells that could help him now. His health was two points away from nothing, their cleric was down, and he didn't know where their monk was either. He was alone and going to die at the hands of the approaching beast that was going to eat him.

C0pyCat requests to join your party.

The message popped up in front of his face and he almost didn't believe it was real. After all this time, he was alive.

There was a low growl and Iruka saw the dark figure stalk out of the shadows, moving quicker and quicker towards him. In an instant, he suppressed the memory of sitting at a forest's edge and the regret that followed, reaching out a hand for the accept key.

Just as he accepted, the invitation vanished and instead he was face to face with the grey, scaled dragon that was looking down at him and barring its teeth.

It was the comforting hand on his shoulder that gave him the first ray of hope and he watched the dark shadow next to him pass in a flash as a glint of metal flew out of its cape.

Reflexively Iruka stood and tagged the shadow back, casting Longstrider on them before the person sprinted off to the left where Iruka knew his unconscious teammates were. And he trusted and knew that his teammates would be okay.

The distracted dragon snapped its head back to the only figure in range.

"Shatter!" Iruka called and an ear-piercing shriek erupted from right above the dragon's head. The ringing bounced off the walls but stayed within a ten-foot radius for a few seconds without dissipating. With a roar, the ashen monster shook its head, not as affected as Iruka had hoped but still angry and agitated.

Iruka slipped out his wand and stayed in his position, standing tall and commanding the drake's attention with the last of his health and no remaining spell slots.

As he was about to cast again, a deep and powerful voice roared in mimic of their foe. In a flash of light, a bright and powerful greatsword broke through the ash. The woman in leather armour roared out and cleaved her way through the dragon's side as it shrieked in pain.

It was bleeding now but still standing.

With a twirl of his wand, Iruka cast with a flick of his wrist, "Fireball!"

In a blast of fire and wind, a tiny bead of red energy manifested in front of the wand and was went flying towards the dragon before impacting the dragon and exploding into ball of flames.

"Tsunade!" A voice called out and the two visible figures watched as another shot through the air and straight into the dragon's face for a combo of fists. In his green tunic and trousers, Gai ground to a halt next to Iruka with a great smile on his face, "Aha! I am no longer blinded by the ash cloud!"

"Nice job, Gai," That smile was infectious, but the most hopeful ray of hope was Hinata's tiny figure stepping out from the smoke and letting loose a spell.

"Guiding Bolt!" She called as light shot from her hand and into the drake's chest, Kurenai stepping up behind her and firing an arrow.

The creature's pain echoed through the caves but was silenced with a dagger that stuck itself into its eye and out the other end.

Slowly, the ash and dust started to dissipate, and a bright light appeared over all their heads.

Iruka knew that it said that they had all leveled up, but he wasn't focused on his level or the new items in his inventory. He was watching the glowing twenty-six that glowed down into the cloaked figure, casting shadows onto a pale face and was familiar but new at the same time. Their eyes met and Iruka knew who this strange face belonged to.

"Kakashi! It can't be!" From across the cave, Gai dashed over and went in for a big hug that surprised everyone but Iruka stayed away from the special moment between friends and tended to Kurenai and Hinata who gathered near Tsunade.

"Gai?" Kakashi was speechless and almost couldn't process the man who was squeezing the life out of him. "You're here. In game?"

"Yes! And you're here too!" Gai pulled away and there was a moment where the stunned rogue let the overwhelming feeling of happiness take over. "I can't believe you're here, my fri-"

He was cut off by the abrupt hug Kakashi gave back and they both laughed happily.

"I thought you weren't going to play." Kakashi said softly as they pulled apart again. "You swore off video games when you started training."

The cheeky grin told Kakashi that Gai's will had faltered at the enticing promises of Knights Errant. "Ah, I got the console for Lee as a birthday gift, but he wanted me to have the honor of trying it out first. But better me than him in here!"

It was under grim circumstances, but he was glad to have a familiar face in here. The world suddenly became not so lonely. On the note of familiar, Kakashi looked over at the other party member who were taking inventory and healing each other up.

The young girl seemed to be talking to the darker-haired woman as a man in a ragged ponytail mumbled words under his breath from a book he had, his eyes glowing a low, reminiscent purple.

"Thank you, stranger," Said the blonde-haired barbarian who was coming up to them, shaking hands with Kakashi who nodded.

"All in a day's work."

"I see you two know each other. Call me Tsunade." Her keen eyes analysed him.

"Tsunade." He acknowledged and returned with, "Kakashi."

"Kakashi and I have been in school together since elementary. Our work has led us to different paths, but the game has brought us together again." Gai explained simply to Kakashi's relief.

"So, a rogue."

"I think so." He played, and she grinned a salty smile at him.

"Watch that sass, boy."

"Yes, ma'am." She scoffed at him and wandered over to the rest of the group who were waiting for their caster to finish up his Cure Wounds ritual. The woman's name was Kurenai, a ranger who was also Hinata the cleric's tutor in real life.

"I feel like I know you from somewhere..." Kurenai wondered to him after they were introduced but he couldn't place her face even though her crimson, curious eyes were hard to miss.

"I don't think we've met before. I have been around though."

She studied him for longer in a way that set him on edge, but he was doing the same for all of them. They were a mixed bag of people. It was lucky that they had an assortment of classes; barbarian, monk, cleric, ranger and even a bard.

The bard was the most interesting. He had expected wild tattoos, sexual energy from miles and bright eyes but this was not who he was expecting as his beta test partner.

Paradox, as his gamertag had been in beta and still was, had been a charming, red-eyed creature with horns curling out of his hairline and back into the mane of tousled lavender locks. Of course, Kakashi hadn't been himself either but this difference was major. Instead of flowing locks, the ponytail that held his hair back couldn't keep back the tuft that had sprung up in the front from all the fighting. Short and lean of frame, the outside wasn't noticeable or memorable to any extent but Kakashi was curious.

As normal as the man seemed, there were hints of the fire he knew resided within. He remembered their long nights of battling and travelling together only barely and that was even possible because of the interesting company he had.

"What brings you out this far from town?" Gai asked and Kakashi shrugged.

"Was in the neighbourhood." He looked to the small girl who looked beaten and battered but staying strong and quiet as she let the healing magic flow through her wrist. "How did you end up fighting an ash drake at this level?"

"We were greatly misinformed." Tsunade grimly crossed her arms but Kurenai nodded.

"Thank you for your aid. If you hadn't jumped in when you did, we would have died." Her words made the room go quiet at the reality of what had transpired.

"There we go. That's as much as I've got." A new voice finally said as the purple glow died back into the dim light of the caves. Paradox the bard finally stood with Hinata in tow, putting a hand on her shoulder as he met dark eyes to Kakashi's and give a warm, familiar smile that lit up nostalgia in Kakashi's chest. "I think that thankful would be an understatement in this circumstance but… Thank you."

He knew he couldn't help the tug at the corners of his mouth. With all his sincerity, he stepped forward, "My pleasure."

"It's good to see you again." A few of the team's attention was raised as Iruka articulated for the first time, "Kakashi."

"You too," They were already shaking hands like they were meeting for the first time which felt both automatic and absurd, but that ribbon of familiarity was home. It had been the same with seeing Gai again.

"Iruka."

Kakashi took the name he was given and finally put a real face to a real name and it clicked into place. With a nod, he acknowledged, "Iruka."

"And then he gave me this funny look and it kinda looked like he was going to tell me to go die in a hole or something." Iruka was explaining over drinks at the Leaky Tap tavern. There was a plate of cheese and breads between them but Iruka had an audience to enraptured with his tale of how they met that it was only Kakashi who was filling up on carbs. The others were chuckling and then Iruka finished it up with, "But instead, this high elf tells me: I like you."

Surrounded by loud laughs that were mainly dominated by Gai, Kakashi even quirked a smile at the memory of Iruka looking down at him in his tiefling avatar with his hair a mess of twigs and leaves from falling together down a semi-tall cliff and surviving.

"So, how do you two know each other?" Iruka asked between Gai and Kakashi, sparking a conversation about kindergarten nap times and parents.

"Looks like we have another one from Konoha, I assume?" Tsunade asked.

With a nod, Kakashi looked around the table after motioning for the server to bring more food just as Kurenai gasped, "That's it! You led the raids, didn't you?"

There was a moment of silence among them, a seriousness descending onto their shoulders and reminding them that this wasn't reality.

"I did." Kakashi quietly responded.

"What happened to them?" Hinata piped up from across the table and all eyes were on Kakashi again.

"A lot of people stopped doing quests and died in boss fights when numbers weren't enough. Many got scared and eventually stopped coming. And that's why I'm here." He explained, and they fell quiet again.

"Well then," Tsunade was smirking. "I guess everyone will just have to finish the game."

"No cutting corners." Gai agreed, putting his hand between them all.

"Together." Hinata was standing, brows furrowed in determination and her hand on Gai's. Her eyes passed over everyone's and the others joined her. Kakashi's was the last to fall on top, following hand under his to Iruka's bright, inspired eyes.

"Together." They echoed.

The quest board was soon empty of jobs that they could sign up for, including the mundane ones that earned little experience. They had even gone back down to previous floors and finished up any remaining quests that the others had to finish from their quest menu. It was when they returned an npc to their parents that they finally were all at their twenty-sixth level.

Deciding to face the next boss as a team, they gathered for the night and went over what Kakashi knew about the dungeon and what was to come. After all the undead and goblins, they would face a stone golem. He went over all its attacks and what spells would be most useful against it. They came up with a plan and worked it out until they felt one hundred percent about it.

"Hey, Kakashi." Iruka caught his elbow as they were headed to their inn for the night. "Do you want to work out our combo one more time? I'm a little rusty."

"Sure." They walked together towards the training fields, stepping together slowly.

"I wish it would rain sometimes." Was the first thing Iruka said after the comfortable quiet between them.

"Snow would be nice too." Kakashi commented back and they shared a smile.

"We haven't practiced since the lockdown."

"We have."

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, with the group we have."

"Ah, you mean just us two." Iruka nodded and Kakashi knew that he was trying to stir up conversation, so he joined in playfully. "Miss having me all to yourself?"

"Hah, you wish." He said no more but Kakashi knew what he really meant.

"Why don't you channel your music for spells anymore?"

"My playlists are cheesy."

"I like them." Kakashi supplied and even though Iruka chuckled, he could tell that his words meant something.

"Maybe for this boss, I'll use them."

"Ooh, can't wait to watch the show." He teased and Iruka blushed.

"Yeah, yeah, the way I lip-sync, and air guitar is mesmerising."

"You sure manage to charm me." Kakashi shrugged as they carried on to the training grounds, both grateful for each other's company and nervous for the day to come.

As the cutting blow from Tsunade's great sword slammed into the golem's chest, a bright light filled the dark dungeon. Kakashi slid back and buckled onto his knees when they suddenly went numb. Undead climbing at Gai's legs and skeletons banging at the door all disappeared into the white light until it was just the party standing on nothing.

With a flash, a door mystified itself into existence and above it the number twenty-six materialised.