Chapter 1 – Forced Companions
We moved in silence for a long time. Meanwhile, thousands of thoughts crossed my mind.
I had observed the prince while playing the game, but meeting him in person was quite different. He terrified me with his burning eyes… The look in his eyes when he explained to me what his 'life' was like showed me that he really hated me and everything I represented. I couldn't blame him, it must have been and still be hell for him to be on this quest. For eternity. Trapped in here forever.
The prince interrupted my musings, halting in front of me. He turned around and asked me, his voice dripping with sarcasm:
"Do you think you're up for it?"
He was referring to the chasm up ahead. Spikes outlined the bottom, dried blood of less fortunate adventurers on them.
Considering my options, I looked at the chasm and then back at him. I decided to go down proudly. Sarcasm was one of my strong points.
"Show me how it's done, prince. After all, you're the star of the game." I smiled at him coldly.
Without a word, he turned around and ran along the wall, reaching the other side safely. He moved on, not bothering to wait.
"Son of a bitch," I muttered under my breath. I took a deep breath and started running. To my own surprise, I reached the other side, defying some basic gravity rules in the process.
'I'm in the game, so I can move the same way he does. Pretty cool…' I thought. I caught up with him, pleased with myself.
"Where the hell are we going anyway?" I asked.
"To find Kaileena," he said.
"You lost track of her?"
"That damn Dahaka is after her as well. Something changed recently and Kaileena lost control over it. I haven't got a clue why, but I'm very determined to stop that creature for good."
"You can't kill that thing. If Kaileena can't even control it, what makes you think you can?"
He shrugged as if he didn't care.
"I've got an eternity left to try and kill that thing. Why wouldn't I succeed? After all, I'm the star of the game." He looked at me sharply, and I averted my eyes.
"What the hell do you need me for then? All I do is slow you down."
A weird sound emerged from him and I didn't recognize it. Then I realized he was laughing.
"Stop trying to talk your way out of this, woman, it's pathetic. The reason you're here, is that Kaileena and I want to get out of this dump. We're tired of running around in circles all the time."
"And how is my presence here going to contribute?" Images of blood sacrifices and worse went through my head.
"You'll see."
I stopped dead in my tracks, feeling very indignant.
"No way! I'm not moving another inch until you tell me what you're going to do to me!"
"Fine. Then experience what it's like to be devoured by the Dahaka."
He walked off. I listened until I couldn't hear his footsteps any more.
Alone. In monster's paradise. Goddamn it, what did I get myself into? Tears welled up in my eyes. This was ridiculous. I'd rather die at the claws of the Dahaka than at the hands of Kaileena or the prince.
"Fuck this…" I sobbed. Maybe, if I died here, I'd be warped back into the real world.
Suddenly, I heard noises from the direction we came from. It wasn't the Dahaka; a group of common monsters approached.
My pride revolted when I considered dying at their hands. I knew I wouldn't do that. Too painful. From the looks of the prince, he was pretty traumatized by all his former injuries and deaths. I got up and took off as fast as I could.
