Chapter Ten

Dantenar's POV:

My mouth fell open at Jaron's words, and he hastily added, "It's just a thought." He looked down at Juute again, wincing as the cat dug his claws into his legs. "Ow."

Kile tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, it's not a bad idea, seeing as we have no clue how to get out. Still, I'm going to see if we can communicate to the makers of the game, somehow, before I resign myself to my Fate."

Zarathel was still to shocked to say anything, but Aileen perked up as Kile spoke. "Does that mean that there's still a slight possibility that we can get out?" Kile nodded, opened his mouth to speak, but Aileen rushed on. "So there's hope that I can see Seth again? Great! How do we communicate, a séance or something?"

Kile looked disturbed at that, and held up a hand to stop Aileen from going further. "The odds of being able to communicate with The Makers is slim, so don't get your hopes up. And no séances." At this last part, he looked meaningfully at Aileen, who blushed.

Jaron, who had started this conversation, had oddly enough not said anything after his initial sentences. I glanced at him, but he was preoccupied with petting Juute. He looked up as Kile added, "I think we should go back to the Dungeon."

Zarathel went a little pale at that, and put a hand to her middle. "Not a good idea, Kile, remember what Dreya said!"

I backed up my sister. "Zara's still healing, so if you want to go, you can. I'm staying in Grove, with her." Kile looked uncertainly at me, and I went on. "I'm sick of the Dungeon anyway. There's a better chance of surviving long enough to meet The Makers up here then down there."

Jaron quietly agreed, still stroking his cat. "Dantenar's right, Zarathel is still not strong enough to go back down, and we'll have a better shot at communicating with The Makers in Grove. If they join the game, won't they appear up here, first?"

Kile nodded. "You've convinced me. We'll stay up here until Zara's all the way recovered, then we'll try to find the way out. Does this sound okay to everyone?" We all nodded, more or less in unison. "Good. Now, I have got to find Kaos. Has anyone seen him?"

Aileen pointed to a spot about twenty feet away where Trouble and Kaos were wrestling. In a patch of sunlight a few feet farther from that, Fiddlestix watched sleepily, curled up in a little ball. She looked at me, and seemed to be smiling, although dogs can't smile very well. I realized that she hadn't spoken in a long time, and came to the conclusion that probably when the game became real, she'd lost the ability to talk.

The others began to talk about something that I really couldn't care less about, so I went back to the dock and sat down, casting my line and preparing myself for another long wait until I got a bite. Fiddlestix came and sat beside me, curling up again and falling asleep almost immediately. I smiled and patted her absentmindedly.

Finally, I felt the line tug, and tugged back, hooking the fish. I was slow in reeling it in, though, and it escaped. I sighed. "Darn." I put the fishing pole on the dock beside me, fell back on the sun-warmed wood, and closed my eyes. I couldn't fall asleep, so I just lifted my face to the sun and listened to the others talking about whatever it was they were talking about.

I heard someone walking on the deck, coming towards me, and then sitting down. I opened one eye. "Oh, hey, Jaron. Conversation get too dull?"

Jaron smiled. "I never understood football, anyway. So I thought I'd come join you. Mind if I use your fishing pole?" I shook my head. We both fell silent, and I started drifting off at last.

Jaron's POV:

I cast the line of Dantenar's pole into the water and glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. Her breathing had become slow and deep, so I assumed she was asleep. Fiddlestix was curled up next to her, although I couldn't imagine how uncomfortable and cold armor would be to lie next to. Maybe she didn't mind because she had fur.

I got a bite and reeled it in, letting Juute eat it. He'd joined me on the dock, and after he'd finished the fish, he cleaned himself almost daintily. I rumpled his ears. Juute purred, sounding like a mini-jackhammer. I stroked his back fondly, and he curled up next to Fiddlestix to sleep. "Lazybones," I whispered. "All three of you."

I heard a soft step on the dock, and turned to see Zarathel. "Hi. Get sick of football, to?" Zara nodded, and sank down beside her sister. She twisted her fingers in Dantenar's long, dark hair.

"I wish I had a brush. Her hair is so fun to play with," Zara said wistfully. "I miss showers and brushes and washing machines. And regular food, instead of this 'health potion' stuff. I mean, it used to heal us, right? Now it just sort of...fills you up, like food, and it tastes like whatever you're in the mood for at the moment. It doesn't heal you anymore."

I raised my eyebrow. "And you know this...how?"

Zarathel made a face. "I was trying to heal more quickly, and when I drank it, it tasted like apple juice. I always have a craving for apple juice." Dantenar made a noise in her sleep and turned over. Zara spoke in a whisper. "We have got to get out of here."

I nodded. "I agree. But how? We don't know how to get out." Zara shrugged, looking dejected. I reeled in the line and set it on the dock next to me. "There has to be a way, we just have to find it."

"Like that'll happen any time soon," Zara snorted. "Look. I'm wounded, we're all exhausted, I'm tired of the Dungeon and nearly getting killed. Dantenar was never very violent anyway, and this isn't getting any easier as we descend. What happens if one of us actually dies? Do we die in real life? Are our bodies still sitting at the computer or did we disappear? All these questions and no answers!" Zara smacked the dock in frustration.

The sound woke Dantenar, who sat up sleepily. "Wha's going on here?" She said, yawning. "Why's Zara all upset?" She stretched leisurely as I explained. "Don't worry, Zara," she said, turning to her sister. "We'll find the way out. I'm sure of it." She looked at me. "Right?"

I nodded, letting a small smile show. "Right." Juute climbed into my lap again, and Fiddlestix came and laid her head on my knee, falling asleep almost immediately.

"Oh, Fiddlestix," Dantenar said fondly. The dog opened one eye, as if to say, "What?" Dantenar shook her head. "You're so lazy. Normally she doesn't like men," Dantenar added to me. "You're the first. You and Kile. It's sort of strange." She smiled.

Speaking of Kile, I heard him stand and start towards us. He must be sick of football as well, I thought. I stroked Juute's back. Glancing at Dantenar, I saw she was cuddling with Fiddlestix, who'd gone over to her mistress. She laughed as Fiddlestix licked her chin, and I realized that she was really pretty when she smiled. Both of them (Dantenar and Zarathel) were.

Kile's POV

I stood, sick of hearing Aileen gush about Seth to Dreya, who'd joined us. I walked towards Jaron, Dantenar and Zarathel and saw that they were talking quietly. Dantenar jumped when I sat down next to her, but put her head on my shoulder. I touched her hair and wrapped some around my fingers.

"We were trying to think up ways of getting out of the game," Jaron clarified for me. "Have any ideas?" I shook my head. "Bummer. I'm tired of being here, stuck in this game. I was in college when I started this game, and I was only a year or two away from graduating."

Zarathel sat beside Dantenar, playing with her hair. She braided a couple strands of hair together, then groped around for something to use as a hair-tie. Finally, she used a strand of cloth from her sleeve. She kept going, braiding more hair together. After five small braids, she ran out of the cloth she'd been using and stopped. Dantenar had fallen asleep again.

"Zara, does Dantenar have something wrong with her?" I asked. "She seems to be sleeping an awful lot." I pulled my fingers out of her hair to touch her neck.

Zarathel looked away. "Well, she has a disease. Her ankles are weak besides that, so walking long distances makes her tired. The disease keeps her from playing sports. They aren't sure exactly what it is. Our doctor has never seen it before."

Dantenar opened her eyes. "I'm just fine. Just a little tired. And my head hurts. The Dungeon is to dim for my taste, to hard to see in. It needs more light." She sat up. "Zara's the one with-"

Zara cut her off abruptly. "We could make torches to make it more light," she said quickly. Dantenar relaxed against me again. "I don't know where we'd get the wood and fire and such, but I'm sure we could find it somewhere."

Jaron smiled. "Del Arnes has fire. He probably wouldn't mind if we borrowed some. But you really should recover the rest of the way first, Zara." Juute raised his head and made a plaintive noise and Jaron started petting him again. The cat purred loudly. I'd always liked the way cats sounded.

With a yawn, Dantenar dropped back off to sleep. Fiddlestix curled up in her lap and completed the picture of relaxation. Jaron re-directed his smile at Dantenar, who had sighed.

Zarathel's POV:

I hid a grin behind my hand as Jaron looked at Dantenar. He liked her, it was so obvious. And why shouldn't he? She was the prettier of us two. Even though we were identical. I laughed at that. Kile looked at me inquisitively, and I shook my head at him. "Nothing."

Kile smiled and rolled his eyes. He stroked Kaos, who had joined him. Aileen and Dreya joined us, and the dock was full. Kile turned to Dreya. "Do you know how to get out of the game? And are you a real person, or what?"

Dreya shrugged. "I don't know if I'm real anymore. I used to be, I suppose. A long time ago, when the game was first made."

"What do you mean?" Aileen asked. She looked curious. "Are you trapped in here to?"

Dreya looked down at her hands. "I'm one on the Makers."

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A/N: Ooh, what now? Sorry that it's been so long, but school got me really busy and with Christmas coming up, my family's in a flurry of preparations and not to mention the fact that my room is a total disaster. Thanks to almostinsane and Measha of Clomati () for the reviews/suggestions!