To Thunderwolf7226: thanks for the reviews, you are a big help!
to all readers: if you like, then say so! I don't know if you hate it, or live this story!
also, yeah, in a chapter or two, it's going to get really depressing... mwahahahahaaaaaa!
It was hot…. fire everywhere….. I couldn't move… I saw my parents… they were screaming for me to help them… I couldn't move…. I tried to yell…. my voice didn't work… as they burned I saw the look of hatred in their expressions…. I felt the heat… consuming me….
I woke up screaming. I found I was in a bed, sweating my ass off. I saw at the foot of my bed were Daknight, Majik. Angelica was at my side, hugging me, and whispering assurances that I was safe, everything was fine and so on. This is why I don't associate well with people.
After I calmed down, Angelica let go of me, and asked, "what was wrong? Nightmare?" I just stared at my hands, I have to be strong, for my brother and sister beside me. After a pause, I nodded. I mastered my heart rate and breathing after a minute or two, that felt like hours. The adrenaline stopped pumping into my system, and I finally calmed all the way down. I thought they had stopped? What the hell happened to make the night terrors come back?
"He watched our parents die" explained Daknight (Bronts, my younger brother). He was rescued by the fire fighters, but all of our relatives died except him. Now our family is just us, and a grown up sister."
She looked at me with pity. I hate it when they do that. It starts with pity, then hate, and rou ors spread, and nobody trusts me, or likes me. It always happens. No matter what.
Then, she did the unexpected, she hugged me. "We are here for you, if you need a friend, I am here!" She proclaimed forcefully in my ear. A friend? We just meet two days ago. Hell, we have to go back to the labyrinth today, and she is calling me a friend? Does she really care? Or does she just pity me like all of those sons of bitches?! She let me go, knowing we were on a tight schedule, and I dressed, and went downstairs to the dinner for a light breakfast. My three companions followed.
We ate in silence, quickly finishing our meal. I laid a tip down on the table, even though it's a npc run diner, I still leave one. Angelica was following us to the labyrinth meeting place. I turned to face her, "what are you doing?" I asked harshly.
"I am coming!" She said, getting defensive.
"No, it's too dangerous." I countered.
"Oh yeah? What's your level?"
I didn't expect that. "Eighteen" I replied.
She grinned in victory, "I'm seventeen, so whatever you can take, I can too!"
"No, stay here!" I pushed.
"I am coming, and that is that!" She brushed past me stubbornly. Girls.
"The meeting place is the other way" I called to her. She turned and walked the other way, saying "I knew that!" Yeah, right!
I donned my cloak, as did my companions. "Wee, since you know my secret, it's either take you or kill you" I said.
She paled, then laughed, "you are joking, right?" I grinned maliciously at her, and she paled even more, gulping. Ha! Serves her right!
We arrived outside of the labyrinth, and Diavel and his gang showed up, with the other group. "Who is this?" He asked
"Someone we picked up" I replied cooly.
"Hrmph. Just make sure she in in your party" and he walked away.
"You didn't have to be so rude to him!" Scolded Angelica
I shrugged. Majik sent her the request, and she accepted. I saw her health bar appear under mine. Now, under my bar, I had all of us. In a party, we can see how each other's health is doing. She tapped my shoulder, "ummm, Tryth? Why do you only have 150 health when I have 750?"
I grinned at her question. "Because I don't upgrade my health, I dodge everything coming at me." She looked worried.
"And if you can't dodge it?" She asked.
"Then I have Majik for that, she won't let me die!"
The little girl nodded.
"Hey wait a second!" Angelica said, "she is a little girl! No older than eight, and she gets to fight, but you don't want me fighting? Why?" She demanded. Majik giggled.
"I threatened to cut him into bits. My speed is equal to his, and my strength is much higher!" She got out.
I shrugged at Angelica's gaping mouth. We headed towards the labyrinth, the group fully here.
Once inside , we dashed to the uncharted section of our maps, easily killing anything in our way. We sort of rotated, me in front, with Majik on the right, Anjelica on the left, and Daknight playing clean up with whatever slipped through. We made it all the way to some big imposing doors. I am going to guess that is the boss room.
We grinned by it for a while, then headed out. Diavel PMed everyone that there was going to be a boss meeting tomorrow at the amphitheater, tell others.
Well, that means I have the rest of the day off! I had leveled up to nineteen, and placed a few SP on Str, so I can lift a little bit heavier swords, especially this Anneal, which got hard to swing after a while.
We went back to our room, since I still had a day on my rent, and relaxed.
We took baths in our suite, and had some fun. The girls decided to go shopping, on my money, so I gave them a thousand col, which they grumbled at the large amount, saying, "it's too small! How will we get anything good?" And I gave them another thousand.
They came back that evening, and showed me the shitload of stuff they bought. There were pots, pans, clothes, gloves, and even four new black cloaks "So we look uniform" exclaimed a enthusiastic Majik. Bite me, I should have limited them to that first thousand. We went to sleep happy and content.
The next day, we entered the amphitheater, and chose a spot at the back corner.
As everyone filed in, the total was a good 300. The tension about the boss raid was so thick, I could cut it with my Anneal.
Diavel took center stage, and shouted, " my name is Diavel, my specialization is knight!" Everyone suddenly laughed. The heavy armor and broadsword made it obvious, but it was a good ice breaker. Even I grinned.
"As we know, my group found the boss room yesterday" at this everyone cheered, "tomorrow, we are going to storm this boss, and take our first step towards clearing the game!" He was a good speaker, I thought. Riveting the crowd and all.
"I have something to say" yelled this person in the middle of the bleachers.
He ran from his spot to the front. He was shortish, brown spiked hair, and an attitude. "Beta testers. They are the reason we are here! They should have known something was off, and they keep taking the good hunting spots, and good gear!" At this, he gestured to my Anneal blade. "All the beta testers should come forward and apologize now! And while they are at it, give up their good items!" Many people shouted their agreement. I should do something…
Angelica stood up, and shouted "beta testers did nothing wrong! They wanted the good spots to level up faster and beat the game faster! If you have a problem with getting out of here, then leave now!" I nodded my consent towards her.
"Oh yeah? Explain the hundreds, maybe thousands dead already?! Huh? What you got for that miss pretty?!" Her cheeks flushed in anger, before she could speak, however, a deep bass voice interjected.
"Shut up Kibaou." A tall and well muscled black man took the stage. He pulled out a small book and continued, "everyone got this book, which gives many tips on how to survive, the best quests to use for leveling and items, and so forth. The beta testers made this book, and the beta testers passed out this book, everyone had this info right in their inventories, yet they still died. This isn't the beta tester's fault, it's the idiots who didn't heed the warnings in the book".
Kibaou grumbled something unintelligible, but sat down. "If I may continue" said an annoyed Diavel, "Everyone, group up, then, when I come by, tell me your specialization" and again, parties were made. He came by us, "so, what do you?" He asked. We all had our features obscured by our matching black cloaks. Daknight stood, and equipped a shield. "Tank" he said quietly. Angelica, Majik and myself stood, and I stepped forward, "damage" I explained. Then we sat. "Your party is a little small…. but, we need all the fighters we can get!" And he walked off to talk to another party.
"Now then," he said, once again at the front, "we will fight tomorrow. Be at the entrance to the labyrinth at ten o'clock. Don't be late! Use today to rest, and get your weapons fixed and upgraded, see you tomorrow!"
Well, this is going to get interesting.