(a/n: Hey everyone! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Please leave a review. Big thanks to Lucius Walker for his help.)

Ch.12: Back at the Funny Farm

"What...the fuck?"

Those were the first words out of Kane's mouth as he stepped out of the [Gate]. They expected to either see their inn base exactly the way they were before, or worse, in ruins, but instead, they ended up walking right into the village.

Gareth thought that he had teleported them into the wrong place, until they saw their familiar (albeit modified) base, with Caroline patiently waiting for them at the entrance of the village.

Not paying her any mind for the moment, they looked in astonishment and confusion as they were surrounded by monsters, who were in the process of constructing the new village.

Goblins, orges, and trolls roamed the area, but instead of trying to eat, kill, or rape everything in sight, they were working hard to help start a new civilization - much like the goblins back in Carne Village.

"Welcome home, my lords" Caroline greeted them with a curtsey.

"W-what's going on here?" Gareth asked slowly.

"You redecorated?" Kane asked half-jokingly.

"In a sense. Come, I'll show you." The pale angel in the blue dress beckoned them to follow as she crossed the village's open gates.

Gareth and Kane shared concerned looks and reluctantly followed, passing between the two large ogres guarding the way, holding massive clubs.

The little fortified area of forest had drastically changed in the few days since they were there last. All around them rose humble looking buildings made of wood and stone, all varying in size, ranging from small cabins large enough to house a handful of goblins, to enormous structures that housed ogres and trolls.

All around them there was a buzz of chatter and activity. Teams of goblins went about, carrying freshly cut logs, tools and other materials to construction areas scattered throughout the village. Gareth spied Osric the dwarven chef hammering away in a new forge, creating iron nails as a pair of young, scrawny looking goblins observed and assisted.

The bard looked to Randor and Lydia. The two NPC companions were just as surprised as the two players at this new development.

"Not long after you had departed" Caroline explained as they ventured up the newly formed road through the village, "The Inn came under attack by a very large force of Goblins, Trolls and Ogres."

Gareth looked at Caroline in surprise. "When?"

"A few days after you left."

The bard wanted to ask why they weren't informed of an attack but he stopped himself when remembered that Caroline did in fact try to contact them. It was during their job with General Zirdam in the Azerlisia Mountains. She had reported a situation but because he couldn't risk exposing himself while on the job, Gareth told Caroline that he trusted her skills and that she should handle it as she saw fit.

"I can see that you handled the attack" Gareth observed, noticing the odd stares they were getting from passing Goblins and Trolls.

Some stopped what they were doing and began whispering to one another. Slowly, Gareth felt more eyes on them. One Ogre, when he saw the passing group, dropped the log he was carrying and watched with a gaping mouth.

"Indeed," Caroline said proudly "After speaking with you, I decided to handle the situation myself. I went out and spoke with the enemy's leader, a War Troll named Gor."

"Gor?" Kane repeated. "War Troll?"

"Yes, a rude and nasty brute," the angel sniffed. "The self-proclaimed leader of an alliance of ogres, goblins and trolls, although the goblins seem to have been forced to join. Anyway, Gor demanded that we surrender and become his slaves."

Gareth made a mental note to write this down. He's never heard of a 'War Troll' on YGGDRASIL. Maybe they were a variant of troll unique to this world, complete with different strengths and skills.

The vampiric assassin raised an eyebrow "What did you do?"

"I politely informed him that we are no one's slaves and that the inn and the surrounding lands belonged to you, my lords."

"How did he respond?" Gareth asked.

Caroline scowled, "He laughed, saying that my lords were weak and cowardly for not showing themselves and challenging him in combat."

"And then what?" the bard prompted.

"I treated him as any of us should treat an enemy of the Supreme Beings," she answered coolly.

The bard and the assassin shared a look. The way she said those words made them both feel a little nervous. Although she had good karma and was loyal to them, they didn't want to do anything that might make her look at them funny.

Caroline and the group paused outside of another set of gates, though these ones were closed. It took a moment for the two brothers to realize that these gates and the high walls that sat squat in the middle of the village was the original wall that surrounded the Inn.

Standing guard at the gates were a pair of trolls, wielding swords and shields. What caught the players' attention was the fact that the trolls were wearing matching uniforms. The two wore steel breastplates and chainmail. From their shoulders hung large, heavy blue cloaks that reached to the back of their knees.

Noticing who stood before them, the trolls bowed their heads. One of them knocked on the gates and the gates creaked open. The uniformed trolls stepped aside.

"Thank you," Caroline said to them sweetly. "Keep up the good work, gentlemen."

The trolls nodded.

Caroline led the group through the gates. As they passed the trolls, the two brothers could tell that the large, sword wielding creatures were watching them carefully. Once they were through the gate, Gareth glanced over his shoulder. As the gates were closing, the bard saw that the trolls guarding the gate, along with a sizable crowd that had just gathered in the street, were all watching him and his brother with a mixture of curiosity and awe.

Gareth shivered. Although the looks didn't seem hostile, the bard felt very uncomfortable with drawing the attention of so many dangerous creatures. Why were they staring at them?

The bard's question was answered when he returned his gaze to the front and saw the large severed head atop a large wooden spike. The severed head was large, larger than those of the trolls and ogres seen wandering the village moments ago. Based on its size, Gareth guessed that this was the head of Gor, the would-be conqueror of the Bronze Ox Inn. Gor must've been huge, considering that the head looked big enough to bite a grown man in two with no difficulty. The head was large and beefy, its green skin was discolored, bruised and sagging. In some parts, the bard could see bits of muscle and bone. A dark cloud of flies buzzed about the head, occasionally landing and crawled into its open, toothless maw. Devoid of hair, the head almost looked like it belonged to some hideous monster baby. The enormous head's golden eyes were now a pale yellow, staring aimlessly forward.

"Gnarly," Kane whistled.

"Thank you my lord," Caroline said with a proud smile.

The sight of a bloated, partially decayed severed head would've made Gareth vomit. However, all it did was make the bard pause and consider Caroline's actions. Part of him worried that this experience may give the angel dark ideas or turn her cruel, but a greater portion of Gareth told him that Caroline was justified. She was only protecting the inn and everyone there. Afterall, he told her to take care of it her way.

Gareth tore his gaze away from the enormous severed head and looked about the clearing that surrounded the inn. The space enclosed within the original fortifications looked generally the same, with the wooden building itself standing at the heart of the ring of wood and stone. Behind it stood the stables, the pig pens and the various sheds that accompanied them to this world. However, there appeared to be some new additions and changes in Gareth and Kane's absence. Off to one side stood a wooden structure that reminded them of a gazebo, though in the center of the structure sat a shrine of sorts. Along the path leading up to the inn itself, the two brothers saw that the gardens and crops that were planted were being tended to by both the inn's maids and a group of goblins in plain brown robes.

Marching along the ramparts were more goblins, wearing cloaks and armor similar to the trolls stationed outside the gates. They marched with purpose, looking about with solemn expressions. Gareth noticed that some of these armored goblins were eyeing them, but seemed surprised and awed rather than angry or suspicious.

"Lady Caroline!" an unfamiliar voice cried out.

Caroline and the others turned and saw a scrawny old goblin with a long beard hurrying toward them. The old goblin wore brown robes, similar to the goblins working in the gardens.

"Vret!" the angelic woman greeted with a smile. "How are you?"

"Excellent!" the old creature said. "I had just finished cleaning up the shrine and tending to our glorious lords mounts. I'm certain that they'll be pleased with…"

The goblin trailed off when he saw Gareth and Kane. The elderly creature looked them up and down, realization dawned on his wrinkly face gradually.

He looked to Caroline.

"Is-is this...are-are they…?" the goblin sputtered.

Caroline nodded.

The goblin immediately prostrated himself before the two adventurers. "My lords!" he cried.

Vret lifted his head and cried out "They're here! Come! Gather around everybody! Our lords are here!"

The two brothers watched as every goblin within the clearing and on the ramparts stopped what they were doing and looked toward them. The ones in brown immediately set down their baskets and tools and rushed to Vret's side. Kane instinctively reached for his knife but stopped when he saw the gathering mob of goblins throwing themselves down on the ground and pressing their foreheads to the earth, shouting praises and welcomes.

"Uh…" Kane began, but Vret began to speak.

"Lady Caroline had said you would come and here you are!" the elderly goblin cried, shedding tears of joy. "We have awaited your arrival!"

"T-Thank you," Gareth said, feeling very confused. "I-I see that you've, uh, done an excellent job with-with the garden and the village."

"Thank you my lord! We are unworthy of your generous praise!"

"Not that I'm complaining," Kane whispered to his brother, "since it is nice to get some recognition, but why are there a bunch of goblins acting like they know us?"

Before Gareth could even begin to come up with a halfway decent suggestion, Caroline clapped her hands. The throng of adoring goblins immediately fell silent and gave the angel in blue their fullest attention.

"Alright everyone, our lords have just returned from a long journey," Caroline said, her voice clear and firm. "They will wish to rest and unwind."

"Of course, of course" Vret said, nodding quickly. The other goblins followed his example.

"Any questions or requests will have to wait until later. There is still much to do with our little village: houses to build, crops to sow, and so much more."

"R-right!" Vret said. He jumped to his feet and turned to the other goblins. "Back to work everyone! Let's not keep Lord Kane and Lord Gareth! Let's go, chop, chop!"

The robed goblins scurried away, returning to their respective stations and tasks.

Gareth, Kane, Lydia and Randor stood there, utterly confused by what had just happened.

"Come along now," Caroline said, motioning them onward, "I'm sure you're tired from your journey." The angel in blue proceeded up the path toward the inn. The group of adventurers followed.

Along the way, Kane leaned over to his brother and whispered. "If she tries to kill us in our sleep, I'm going to be very pissed."

The inside of the inn was exactly as they had left it. Tables scattered about, devoid of patrons. A great fire crackling away in the fireplace. Neremyn the elf mage sat in his corner, smoking his pipe and perusing through the pages of a large old book.

As Gareth and Kane sat at one of the tables, Lydia and Randor made their way to the backrooms.

When asked where they were going, Lydia politely bowed and informed the duo that she was returning to her duties. Randor nodded in agreement and stated that he had to check in on the forge. The two brothers dismissed them, and were left alone in the common area.

In a matter of moments, Osric the dwarven chef entered, carrying a tray of food.

"Welcome back my lords!" He greeted with a bow "How was your journey?"

"Great!" Gareth said, glancing at the bowl of fruit and back to the chef "We earned ourselves some money and learned more about this new world."

"Excellent! If there was anyone who could unravel the secrets of this new world, it'd be you two."

"Osric," Kane spoke up, after sniffing a hunk of cheese that he suspected was poisonous. "What happened while we were away? Why is there a village beyond our walls?"

"Oh that?" Osric blinked. "Uh, well, Lady Caroline can explain it best. After all, she was the one who rescued that sorry lot."

"Rescue?" Gareth asked.

"Indeed," Caroline said, emerging from the kitchen, bearing a bottle of wine. As she poured them a cup each, the angel explained, "As I said, this Gor fellow sought to conquer the region and make us his slaves. The trolls and ogres were drawn to his strength while the goblins were forced to join. Some were beaten in bloody battle and made to swear fealty to him, the rest fell in line out of fear."

"I see," Kane nodded. "So...what happened?"

"After he shouted his little demands and mocked you both, I was ready to smite him in your names. However, I noticed the ragged state of his army, how hungry and tired they were. I could sense their hatred and fear of their so-called leader. I also sensed that they desired to be free of Gor's tyrannical rule. I offered them freedom and my protection."

Caroline finished pouring and set the bottle aside. "Gor laughed, again. He called me puny and hideous, saying that I could not protect anyone, nor could you. So I challenged him, saying that the winner of our little duel would take command of the army and the loser would become their slave. The greedy little mongrel accepted."

The angel's lips twitched, threatening to form a smile. "We had our duel. I allowed him to strike first with his axe."

"Didn't leave a scratch," Kane observed.

Caroline nodded "Indeed. Tried as he might, he could never harm me. Such a feeble thing. I almost pitied him. It was my turn. I showed him what true power looked like and broke his axe."

Gareth swallowed nervously. Caroline was a powerful NPC, nearly matching the brothers in level and power. To have her go up against some troll with an axe seemed almost unfair.

"What happened then?" Kane asked.

"I offered him a chance to surrender and leave with his life. He simply roared and tried to pummel me with his fists. It was then I took his head with a single stroke."

Caroline's expression softened "After his death, Gor's army cowered in fear before me, begging for mercy. Some ran away, but most were just too frightened to move. However, I made good on my promise. I offered them peace. They were reluctant at first, but they gladly accepted a safe place to start a new life. Gor had taken them from their homes, and the others had nowhere else to go. Seeing how most lived in the woods as hunter-gatherers, I listened to your advice and took the initiative. Osric, myself and a number of the other staff members decided to teach them."

"Teach them what?" Gareth echoed.

Caroline shrugged. "Basic farming techniques, how to use a forge, construction, combat techniques, everything they need to build a healthy and stable society."

The two brothers stared at the angelic woman in surprise.

Well that's one way of taking care of things, Gareth thought to himself.

"It was a slow process," the angel admitted, "but with positive reinforcement and repetition, the goblins caught on really quickly. The trolls and ogres are the most difficult, their intellect being very basic and crude, almost animalistic. However, they too have shown signs of growth and improvement."

"What else did you teach them?" Kane asked, thinking about Vret and the goblins who fawned over them.

Caroline's cheeks turned pink. "I taught them about you, my lords."

"Us?" Kane and Gareth asked in unison.

"Yes. Early on, the goblins assumed that I was a witch or a goddess, but I dispelled such assumptions. I-I can never compare to the glory of my maker, Lord Gareth, and the might of Lord Kane. I told them how wise and powerful you both are, how you two were our creators."

It took a moment but it clicked in the bard's head. Oh no, Gareth groaned in his head. The awe, the reverence and the shrine outside. These creatures believed that they were gods! Then again, he did take on a dragon and survive. Gareth rubbed his eyes, suddenly feeling very tired. That's just what they needed, a religious following. So much for keeping a low profile.

"Are you mad?" Caroline asked, frowning.

"No, no, no," Gareth said quickly. "I'm-w-we're not mad, we're just surprised...a-and proud."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Kane chimed in with a smile. "I mean, not only did you defend the inn, you saved all these poor creatures from a life of carnage and misery. You've taught them to build a better life, rather than kill and steal. That's a big win in my book."

Gareth nodded in agreement.

Caroline blushed, and bowed her head low. "Thank you my lords. Thank you for putting your faith in me."

A thought occurred to the bard, and he asked Caroline, "What did you mean 'requests'?"

"I-I may have also mentioned how you both could perform miracles" Caroline answered. "Their healers have been struggling to help their sick and wounded these past few months."

"Say no more," the vampire assassin said, holding up a hand. "We can help them later."

Caroline smiled. "They'll be most pleased to hear that, my lords!"

Gareth nodded slowly, and wondered how they got into this mess.

Caroline and Osric left the two players to eat in peace. After what felt like an hour, the angel in blue returned, accompanied by a trio of maids, one of whom was Lydia, and cleared the table. Once the table was clean and the maids left, Caroline asked them how their "information gathering" mission went.

The two took turns recounting what they had experienced. In short, it was a smashing success. Gareth and Kane had indeed collected a mountain of information and learned more about the world that they currently resided in. From there, Kane talked about their journey in the Azerlisia Mountains. Caroline twitched and clenched her fist when the vampire mentioned how the Worker team Foresight treated them, and how Gareth stayed to face off against the White Dragon Lord alone. Gareth filled in the blanks, as to where he went and how he lost the Dragon Lord. The bard had already explained this stuff to Kane when he returned to the fort at the Great Rift but he didn't mind retelling it.

Caroline was enthralled by their tale, and was surprised to hear of another Supreme Being, and was greatly pleased to hear that he was an ally.

"Maybe he can help modernize this little town in the future," Kane suggested. "Maybe teach them how to build things."

"W-would he?" Caroline asked, intrigued. "I hope he could. There are quite a number of children who could benefit from an education."

"I think he'll be thrilled," Gareth said. "They can probably help him test some of his newest gadgets."

"Wonderful, wonderful!" the angel said with a pleased sigh.

As the bard took a sip of wine, a question came to Caroline's mind.

"How did you escape the dragon, my lord? In fact, if I may be so bold as to ask, why didn't you vanquish him right then and there. It would've saved you and the dwarves a lot of trouble."

Gareth nodded slowly. "Yes, though there was the issue of the Quagoa and the numerous other creatures that dwell in those mountains. With the Dragon Lord gone, other dangerous figures may step forward to fill the power vacuum, even other Dragon Lords."

"I see," Caroline said, understanding.

"How I got away, well that was an interesting story. I didn't think I'd make it out of there myself. I couldn't use [Gate], and I wasn't eager to take the long way out. I found myself in what looked like an old garden, and I touched these runes and I ended up in a tunnel. I followed the tunnel until I found this crypt."

Gareth blinked, remembering the crypt and what he found. He lifted his hand and a small black portal appeared. He reached inside and began pulling out the souvenirs he brought back. He dug into his bag and placed the rest on the table. Kane and Caroline leaned forward, interested by what they saw.

"A Cursed Totem?" Kane said, picking up the raggedy doll. "Man this thing takes me back. I remember using this on that punk-ass necromancer, what was his name? Nevil the Magnificent? No, it was something lamer than that."

Caroline inspected the books and then the tattered banner with a frown. "I don't recognize these, my lord."

"Thought not, but I can't shake this feeling that I've seen these things before, especially this" Gareth said, tapping the ring on the table.

The angel in blue and the vampire looked at the ring, which gleamed in the light of the candles above. Caroline's eyes narrowed at the piece of jewelry.

"I sense dark powers within this ring, my lord."

"Neat bit of bling," Kane said, leaning in close to inspect it. "A bit too much with the skull and crown, but not bad."

"Do you recognize it?" Gareth asked.

"Nope," the vampire replied plainly. "Didn't you ask Damien? I mean, that guy can tell you the specs of every item in YGGDRASIL."

"I tried, but he was stuck in all those meetings with the Dwarf Regency Council," the bard said with a sigh. "Apparently they're quite taken by his 'mechanical wonders,' and hoped to hammer out a trade agreement."

"Let's hope that he doesn't mention the battle mech and magic nuke idea."

Gareth sighed and kicked himself for not talking with the Artificer when he could. However, even if Damien wasn't stuck in all those meetings with the dwarves, the bard was constantly diverted by various Adventurers and Workers who begged him to recount his daring escape from the Dragon Lord. Everyone thought he was dead, and he couldn't very well just teleport into the middle of the fort and shout, "Surprise!" Gareth cursed himself for making up that ridiculous, over exaggerated story of his supposed escape.

After leaving Carne Village, Gareth teleported back into the mountain, but ended up back at the rallying point and had to walk back to the fortress from there. He was ambushed a few times by Quagoa, but they weren't too difficult to deal with. The bard reached the fortress, covered in blood and grime. He staggered through the front gates, and pretended to have crawled out of the bowels of Hell. For a time, people left him alone as Lydia and Kane tended to him, cleaning him up and 'healing' him. The dwarves were gracious enough to give him his own room, which made Gareth feel a tad guilty. During the few days that the expedition partied and rested, a few people began visiting him in his room, much to his further discomfort.

Gareth had no choice but to feign exhaustion and pain as people prodded and question him on how he escaped. The bard told the truth, mostly. He threw in some obviously fictitious details, including a lot of close calls and nearly being bested by the goblins and Quagoa. For a while, people bought it, until Arche came to visit him.

The young blond mage still put up a cold front, but it was obvious that she was happy to see him alive. She asked the same question everyone else did, only she asked about a bright light that came from the palace. Gareth tried feigning ignorance but Arche was undeterred. Eventually, the bard told her that he used an item a friend gave him. The answer didn't seem to satisfy her, but she didn't press the matter.

By the time General Zirdam's expedition started the homeward journey, Damien had already left. Apparently, the Regency Council were taking him on a personal tour of Feo Jera and their mines. Commander Balmund mentioned how Damien was questioning the ore they mined, but not much else. The journey home was long, but not nearly as stressful. Grolir, along with a contingent from the fort, guided the expedition through an underground road out of the mountains. The trip was smooth going. The road was well lit and devoid of danger. It wound its way upwards until it led them to a pair of great stone gates. Through the gates was a quiet forest road back to one of the Empire's main roads. According to Grolir, the road they took was one of the few remaining tunnels that the Dwarves used to maintain trade and communication between them and the Empire.

Gareth, Kane, along with the White Clovers, were still on guard duty for the supply wagons, but none of them cared. They were leaving the Azerlisia Mountains, and were getting a hefty paycheck.

At Arven, General Zirdam led the weary expedition up to the upper rings of the city, where the wealthier and more powerful resided, including him. At his manor, the general rewarded each team for their service, as promised. When it came to the Good Companions, the general whispered that he left them a little extra for their hard work. With a wink and a pat on the shoulder, the Good Companions left.

They spent a day in Arven, hanging around the Green Dragon tavern and at the Adventurer's Guild, depositing a portion of their earnings as per the Empire's laws and checking the job board. Once they fulfilled their obligations, the Good Companions decided to head home.

Which brought them to a village full of goblins, trolls and ogres who now worship them, and have built a shrine in their honor.

Gareth sighed deeply, but perked up when he heard the familiar chime of someone trying to reach him through [Message].

["Hello?"] Gareth said, answering the call.

["Yo, what's up!"] Damien greeted in the bard's mind.

["Damien?"]

["The one and only."]

Gareth smiled. ["How's it going man? How'd it go with the Dwarves?"]

["Perfect! We finally reached an agreement. About time too, I was beginning to miss my guild base, and being able to have some alone time."]

"Who's there?" Kane asked, noticing the way his brother was behaving.

"It's Damien," the bard told the vampire.

"Nice, tell him I miss him so badly"

"Piss off."

["So, what's new with you?"] Damien asked

["Oh nothing much, just a village of fantasy monsters has just sprung up outside our base and they all worship us like gods."]

["Seriously?"]

["Unfortunately, I'm not"]

["Yeesh. Make sure they don't try cutting your hair and offering you live sacrifices."]

Gareth grimaced.

The bard noticed Kane holding up the black ring, pointing at it and mouthing, "Ask him!"

Gareth nodded and mouthed, "I'm getting to that."

["Hey, I got a question for you"] Gareth asked

["Yeah?"]

["You see, when we were up in the mountains, I found this ring-"]

Before the bard could finish asking his question, a new, but familiar voice cut in.

["Aw shucks, that's sweet, but I'm already taken!"] Jinx giggled. ["And I would've preferred a new gun."]

["What the?"] Gareth said with a frown.

["Jinx! G-get off the line!"] Damien ordered, obviously flustered and annoyed.

["But I want to hear you guys talking about jewelry! I know a lot about jewelry."]

["No you don't."] Damien told her flatly.

["One day you'll need my expertise! And then you'll be sorry!"] Jinx declared, before going silent, the link being severed.

["That should do it."]

["How did she do that?"]

After a brief pause, Damien told Gareth, ["I...gave Jinx and the other NPCs my address book. That way we'd all stay in contact, should we work on a future job together. It also appears that the Group Chat function works."]

Gareth nodded slowly. ["Makes sense, though I'm not looking forward to any potential prank calls from Jinx"]

Damien chuckled. ["Don't worry, I'll make sure that won't happen. So, you were saying something about a ring?"]

Gareth recounted his little side adventure in the mountains, including the crypt and what he found. The former head of the Artificers guild listened in silence. Once the bard finished his explanation, he waited for a response. For a few long moments, there was nothing.

["Hello? Damien?"] the bard tried.

["Right, sorry about that, I'm still here. I was just looking through my records"]

["Records?"]

["From what you described, it doesn't sound like an item created by the developers of YGGDRASIL. It sounds more like a player-made item."]

Gareth blinked. ["Player-made?"]

["Yep, and strangely enough that ring sounds vaguely familiar. I think I made it"]

["You?"] The bard frowned.

["Yeah. Before the Artificer's Guild, I set up shop in Vanaheim. I worked in that little blacksmith's shop making custom items for other players."]

Gareth nodded. One of the aspects that made YGGDRASIL famous was the level of freedom that it afforded to players. Players could do nearly anything on the DMMORPG. Not only could they raid dungeons and wage war against rivals, players could open stores, have adventures, buy homes, run in-game businesses. Damien was one of a number that decided to take a different path when it came to gameplay.

["Well I made a lot of items during that time, most were by request and custom jobs."] Damien explained. ["Fortunately, I kept some extensive records in order to keep track of what I made, who ordered what, what materials were used, et cetera. This way I can improve my skills and improve on old designs."]

["And find ways to defend yourself in case those items were turned against you."] Gareth added.

["Yep. While it is paranoid to do such things, it pays to cover your bases in that crazy game."] Damien chuckled.

There was another length of silence, occasionally interrupted by Damien talking in order to prove that he was still on the line. As time seemed to drag on, Damien properly returned.

["Ah ha! Found it!"]

["You did?"]

["Yep. The book was wedged between a couple of old albums. Now let's see here, a black ring…"]

Gareth could hear Damien humming in his head, until he spoke again.

["Okay, I got it. The ring was a custom job, and apparently I made several."]

["Really?"]

["Yeah, eight in total. They were made as a matching set for a up and coming party...Jeez this was a long time ago."]

The ring belonged to a player? That certainly opened a box full of new questions in Gareth's head. How did it get here? How long was it here? Is the owner of this ring still around? In fact, was the owner brought to this world like Damien, Kane, and himself?

["Who was the ring made for?"] Gareth asked, his curiosity piqued.

["The party that requested it was called Typhon. According to my notes, each ring had their own symbol, including a fly, a tree, a demon skull, and several others, including that skull with the crown. That one belonged to a player known as TheKnightingGale, though I noted that her party members call them Olivia."]

Gareth felt his mouth go dry.

["Olivia?"]

["Yeah, you know her?"]

["Y-yeah, sort of. We weren't friends or anything, b-but we got along. Sort of."]

["Who was she? Girlfriend?"] Damien asked, a slight joking tone in his voice.

["No! No, no, nothing like that! We met at this in-game event once, and kind of hung out a few times until she just stopped returning my messages."]

["Kind of sounds like an ex-girlfriend."]

"Well, what did he say?" Kane whispered

"He said it belonged to Olivia," Gareth replied quickly.

The vampire cocked an eyebrow. "The skank?"

"She's not a skank!" the bard hissed.

"I beg to differ."

["Any ideas on what it does?"] Gareth asked.

["According to my notes, the rings were made to boost stats, though each one was unique."] Damien explained. ["Each ring was tailored to match each player's race and class attribute. For instance, one ring was made to decrease cool down time and boost Dark magic for a demon. Another one increased the range of insect control for Entomancers, and, well, you get the point."]

Gareth nodded slowly. ["Okay. Anything else?"]

["Not really. They placed their orders and paid full price for them. Never saw them again. Wait...I recognize some of these names. Talk about a blast from the past, I remember hearing about how these guys used to be a part of these big name guilds before getting kicked out. Apparently they didn't play well with others. One of them even tried overthrowing his old guildmaster."]

The bard snorted. ["Yeah, I heard about that too. Hell, I got my ass kicked by two of them back when I was with the Legion. A bunch of grade-A douchebags if you ask me, even bigger than Oswald."]

["And that's no small feat."] Damien quipped. ["If they were that bad, then why did your girlfriend hang out with them?"]

["Again, not my girlfriend, but from what she told me, they sort of just clicked together. Apparently they were all kicked out of their respective guilds for various reasons, and had found each other in a dungeon in Helheim. Don't ask me how a bunch of egotistical and antisocial types could form a functional guild, but it somehow happened."]

"Still thinking about that Olivia chick?" Kane asked, who was picking his teeth clean. "Maybe you should tell Damien about the time she and her band of flying monkeys ambushed and robbed you."

Gareth scowled, but said nothing. Although he would like to argue that he and Olivia were friends, the bard couldn't make a decent argument. Their relationship was tenuous at best. After their initial meeting at that in-game event, they met again a few times during dungeon raids and randomly in neutral zones. They had polite conversations, giving each other pointers and discussing developments going on in YGGDRASIL. At first, Gareth thought that they were getting somewhere, that maybe she was a friend. But the bard soon realized his mistake when her friends ambushed him, and stole a valuable item he fought so hard to achieve.

It was the second worst moment of his life on YGGDRASIL. Everytime he thought of Olivia, he remembered that moment. Those smug bastards laughing about how "the great nightingale" had caught another "sap" hook line and sinker. All while they pocketed his items and gold, she stood by, watching and laughing with the others. He tried talking to her one last time, sometime after her ruthless betrayal. He wanted to know why she did what she did. All he got was nothing in return. Apparently he was just a mean to an end, a naive fool to be taken advantage of. From then on, Gareth did his best to screen his friends list a little more carefully. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he would again face betrayal a second time. He seriously had the worst luck when it came to making friends.

["You said you found the ring in a crypt?"] Damien asked, intrigued. ["Interesting. I wonder how long it's been there."]

["I don't know."] Gareth replied. ["The place looked old, maybe a hundred years old or more."]

["If it's been there this whole time, would that mean that she was brought to this world as well, but at an earlier time?"]

["I don't know, but at this point it's a possibility."]

There was a length of silence before Damien spoke again.

["This is something to look into. Maybe we aren't the first ones to end up here. In fact, I can't shake this feeling that we're not alone in this world, that other players from YGGDRASIL are out there."]

Gareth frowned. ["Seriously?"]

["Like I said, YGGDRASIL was a genre defining game. Although it dwindled in popularity as time went on, to think that nobody would've paid it one last visit before it shut down for good would be absurd."]

The bard considered Damien's words. Before the drag mission, a part of him said that the likelihood of there being other players from YGGDRASIL in this new world was astronomical. However, the Artificer was right. YGGDRASIL was a huge chunk of many people's lives. The reaction to it's planned shut down was overwhelmingly negative. It was likely that some of the more diehards would've shown up one last time and got pulled into this new world just like them. However, with Olivia's ring, it would appear that this event was not a random one-time thing.

Gareth shook his head. It was a lot to think about.

["Please let me know if you find anything else from YGGDRASIL."] Damien implored. ["Maybe we can uncover what brought us to this world and come up with a timeline."]

["We will."] Gareth promised.

["Sweet! Stay out of trouble and don't talk to strangers."]

["You too."]

With that, the connection was severed. Gareth sighed deeply, and took a sip from his cup of wine.

"So, what's up?" Kane asked. "Fill me in on what I missed, I only caught a little bit of the conversation."

Gareth quickly recounted his conversation with Damien. Kane was somewhat pleased to hear about the Group Chat function, but quickly grew sour at the thought of Olivia being transported there. Caroline's expression grew dark, and was muttering something about, "wiping out a stain."

"Though, if she were here," the vampire said with a slight smile, "she'd be an old hag by now."

"Maybe, but her in-game avatar wasn't human. I think she was a demon."

"Ah, right, immortality. Shit. Then again, I always thought she was the spawn of Satan."

"Hmm."

"But the idea of there being other players in this backwards-ass world is terrifying."

The bard cocked an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Come on, think about it. Being given the abilities of your in-game character and being dropped in a world like this? Screams nothing but trouble. People are evil little shitbags. Given the opportunity, they'll just take that power and live out their morbid little power fantasies, and there'll be no one to stop them."

"You don't know that."

"Uh, yeah, I do, and you should too."

"This news is indeed troubling," Caroline murmured, speaking up for the first time in a while.

The bard had forgotten that she was still there.

"We will need to be vigilant and do everything we can to bolster our defenses! We cannot let anyone have power over us, or attempt to harm the Supreme Beings!" The angel in blue stood and marched out the inn's front door.

Through one of the windows, Gareth noticed goblins and maids moving about in a hurried fashion. Judging from the mixture of worried and serious looks, it would seem that Caroline was preparing them for an upcoming battle. Part of the angelic bard wanted to calm everyone down and assure them that everything was fine and that no one was going to harm them. However, if Damien was right and if there were other players, they couldn't be certain of their intentions.

The rules have changed. This was not YGGDRASIL, and there was no rule book or guidelines to how things should work. Gareth didn't want to admit it, but Kane was right. Some people, if given the chance, would indeed use their powers for sinister purposes. They would also use them on those who they deem a threat. Besides, it was better to be safe than sorry.

As Lydia and another maid entered the common area to inquire about the needs of the two players, Gareth sat there and inspected the black ring in his hand. The band of black was smooth and shiny, untouched by the ravages of time and wear. It looked as if it were brand new. The bard's mind wandered to the memory of Olivia. If her ring was here, then maybe she was too. If she was here, where was she now? What was she doing? Would she remember him? Was she even still alive? Questions and more questions. The bard returned the ring to his inventory, and packed the items from the crypt back into his pack.

They'll have to put those questions aside for later. For now, Gareth knew that there were other things that take priority. Like a village of goblins, trolls, and ogres.

The bard rubbed his tired eyes, and for a brief moment, he thought of the strange woman in the Great Forest of Tob. Although he had never seen her before, there was something about her that was bugging him.

As Gareth tried to think more on the supposed phantom that haunted those woods, his mind ended up wandering back to the idea of other players.

The bard stood up and excused himself from the table, although the only other person there was Kane, everyone else had rushed off to review the inn's defenses.

He needed some sleep and some alone time. All these questions and fears can wait until tomorrow.

AN: what do you think? Leave a review!

(References)

(Chapter title): song by Motörhead.