Following their directions, we headed a couple of floors up toward Bannon’s sleeping quarters. Every enemy we passed was either an Antmarshall or a Beetlelord. Whenever we ran into one of the factions, both sides pretended not to see us.

  On the map, every dot except Bannon’s glowed blue, which meant ally. And for once, it felt good not having to worry about fighting. The unexplored areas were still grayed out, but we were filling them in fast.

  We stumbled across a couple of chests along the way, both packed with MP potions and armor. Not the flimsy junk I’d been finding before, either. This was real, silver-plated chainmail. Only problem? It was level 40 gear, and I was still 35. Pretty, but useless.

  The weapon in the last chest was a different story. A rare, level 34 bolt-action crossbow called Dragon Skewer

  Cashius muttered that the game was being too generous, that I was getting more rare drops than he ever had, and that my level was higher than his at this point in his run. I didn’t have a better answer, so I chalked it up to luck. Cashius, though, looked suspicious.

  Maybe the game was just being good to me, and why not? The game was set to difficult, and the villain had subverted the code somehow.

  In my reasoning, the Maker, or Makers, of Orbralis felt cheated and were evening things out. Or at least that is what I told myself.

  But if it were up to me, I wouldn’t just want help. I’d make it a straight shot to the end, stacked with the rarest weapons and the best armor the game had to offer. And if Cashius wanted a chance at getting back home, he ought to quit complaining and start congratulating me, because without all the help I’d been getting, we would have been finished a while ago.

  Then there was the whole situation with Nefa, making things even more confusing. She had apologized for what she said, but ever since our night together, she hadn’t said much to me at all, let alone touch me. Not that I was stressing it, but a little conversation wouldn’t hurt.

  Still, who was I kidding? Duty came first. Anything else played the rear. Getting involved with me wasn’t on her radar, no matter how much we liked each other.

  Anyway, none of this would matter if I couldn’t defeat Bannon and then his boss. Not Cashius, not Nefa, not even Sparks, who was perched on my shoulder at the moment.

  A bright mirth spread across her face when I glanced at her, and the foot-kicking stopped, replaced by a cheerful tune as we gathered what loot and gear we could before taking on Bannon. The whole thing left me feeling heroic.

  Normally, I would’ve found it annoying, but not today. Every superhero needs theme music, and what she was humming felt pretty damn fitting.

  While searching one of the rooms, Nefa pulled me aside and leaned against the wall. Looking down, she let out a sigh and crossed her arms under her chest.

  “Lamont,” she said softly, bringing her head up to look into my eyes. “I don’t think my mother survived all that time away from us. And the longer we keep trying to take down Linuux, the more that bothers me. Do you think it is bad for me to feel that way? To not believe she is alive?”

  I shifted on my feet, scrambling for the right thing to say. “Uh, I don’t know. If my mom were missing, I’d try not to jump to any conclusions until I had more information. And I don’t know why we haven’t thought of this before, but maybe we should ask one of the Beetle guys or Ant men if they’ve seen her. They might be able to help.”

  Nefa’s brow softened as she thought it through. “That might be a good idea.”

  “Yeah, just think back. Did she have any birthmarks or anything that’d make her stand out? If so, I’m sure someone would remember.”

  “The only thing I can think of would be her eyes. They are the same shade of amber mine are.” Her hand shot to her chin. “Oh, and she has a mole under her nose.”

  “That’s it then,” I said. “We will ask one of the guards if they have seen someone who matches that description, and hopefully they have. But right now, we need to finish our business with Bannon.”

  Cashius walked over to us. “Maybe while you are doing that, I can ask around and see if anyone has seen someone who matches that description. It will keep me out of harm’s way and give me something to do besides hanging back.”

  I grabbed him by the shoulders. “Sounds good to me. Just don’t wander too far,” I said.

  Sparks flew to Cashius’s side, extended a tiny fist, and tapped his hand. Cashius gave a puzzled look and shook his head from side to side. Where she learned that, a complete mystery.

  Then she zipped back over to me and began orbiting like she always did before a fight.

  “Be careful, old man. We will be back,” I said. “Oh yeah, what advice can you give before we run off?”

  He turned. “Bannon’s tough, but not invincible. To beat him, you just have to keep at him. Go over your abilities and see what you can come up with.”

  We said our farewells and headed toward Bannon’s quarters. On the way, I flipped through my abilities and weapons, looking for a combination. Something nasty.

  I planned a nasty combo, a string of heavy strikes, a midair launch, then a quick weapon switch to Havoc Maker for a precision bolt. I was saving Dragon Skewer for Linuux. The idea was to keep him reeling long enough for Nefa to land the follow-up and seal the kill.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  By the time we reached his room, anticipation for the fight had my nerves kicking hard. When I glanced at Nefa, she was biting her fingernails and stopped the second she noticed me watching.

  “Nervousness is contagious,” she said, as if the whole thing was somehow my fault. “A deep breath before battle should suffice. Here, like this.” She placed a hand over my abdomen. “Breathe until your stomach fills, hold, then release.”

  Her deep, amber-colored eyes locked on mine. “Do that a couple of times, and your blade will land with lethal precision,” she said.

  Maybe it was the technique, or being close to her, but it worked. No more jitters. No more apprehension. All of it was replaced by an ice-cold calm.

  Sparks matched my mood, buzzing against my shoulder, and Nefa stepped back and gave me a slow nod of approval.

  “Are you ready?” she asked.

  “Always,” I chuckled, hand on the door’s handle. “Let’s give this Bannon guy a rude awakening.”

  All that calming down shattered in seconds when we stepped into an empty room. Stark and cold, but no Bannon in sight. Just a bed and the kind of furniture you would expect on a Game of Thrones set, like a tall changing divider, a nightstand, and a big brutish dresser.

  A small footlocker sat at the foot of the bed. I went straight for it, already thinking about what I could steal. Unlike Elder Scrolls, this game did not care one bit if you robbed someone blind.

  Inside were a pair of socks full of holes, a small book, and a silver key. No spells, no weapons, nothing of real value. When I shook the book, a scrap of paper fluttered to the floor.

  I bent down, grabbed it, and stood.

  Behind the door is where the real riches are hidden.

  No name and no hint beyond that.

  I pocketed the note while Nefa searched the dresser. A swift hand picked up a stick with a painted end that looked like an eyeliner pencil. Twisting off the cap, she pulled out the little wand as if she might try it on.

  I laughed. “Is that what I think it is?”

  “It appears so,” she answered with disgust. “It appears that Bannon likes to play dress-up.”

  “I guess Cashius was right when he called him a blowhard.”

  Nefa set the makeup back and lifted a brush. That was when I heard a sharp click, and a bright light blasted down from the ceiling. I tried to move, but the light locked me in place.

  The one thing I could still do was breathe and move my eyes. My body refused every other command, no matter how hard I fought.

  Nefa, quicker than me, slipped out of the spotlight and out of harm’s way.

  A million death scenarios played in my mind. Each one with me sprawled on the floor with a hole in my chest.

  Fists pounded against the outside of the light that held firm under Nefa’s smaller but mighty fist. The strength she delivered began to fail as panic gripped her too.

  All I could do was stare, as hope receded.

  A heartbeat passed. More death scenes played when the door burst open with a force that shook the room.

  Heavy footsteps followed, tapping the stone floor.

  Seconds later, Bannon strode inside, his face covered in amusement. Nefa’s eyes widened, and she slid under the bed to avoid being seen.

  Bannon rubbed his palms together as he stepped farther into the room. “Oh, I see,” he said. “We have a visitor. A boy trying to be a man.” His steps stayed slow and deliberate. “A stranger as well. What brings you to the house of Linuux? A plea for mercy, or suicide?”

  Two Beetlelords followed behind him, hats askew, knives drawn. One winked at me. The other gave a curt nod.

  Bannon, focused on me alone, did not notice.

  “Answer me,” he demanded. The beam of light trapping me flared brighter, stabbing at my eyes.

  My lips strained to move. “I am a traveler, nothing more, nothing else,” I said, unable to shield my eyes from the blinding light.

  “To travel here, you would need help,” he said. “Did you get those insolent people of the desert to bring you?”

  “I told you I am a traveler. Who brought me, that is for you to figure out.”

  He flicked a wrist, and the light returned to its previous intensity. “The trapped insect pretending to be confident when I know you are filled with fear.” He leaned in inches from my face. “One more chance. Who brought you here, and what is your game?”

  Under the bed, Nefa began to move, her eyes burning with violence. Nightbringer’s blade glinted in her grip. If I wanted her attack to stay secret, I needed to keep talking.

  “Alright, I’ll play,” I said. “I came here on a mission. One I chose for myself. A task some might say is too risky for a newcomer. But since this place feels like a dream to me, I accepted it.”

  I scanned the room and saw that Nefa was out from under the bed, creeping up behind Bannon like a silent assassin.

  “A dream?” he scoffed. “Just who are you?”

  “A trapped insect, according to you. But one with a plan. A plan so ambitious you wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I said.

  “What is it?” Bannon asked.

  I laughed, short and curt. “To take out Linuux and secure his Stone. Then find the others and, with them, take on the Nameless One.”

  His eyes went wide, veins bulging from the side of his puny neck. That was the moment Nefa slipped her arm around his throat and raised her blade to strike.

  “Die,” she screamed, lifting the blade.

  Bannon anticipated the move and warped across the room in an instant. He moved so fast that even Nefa could not track him. A bright light slammed down where he had been, locking her in place just as it had done to me.

  “Your intelligence is a charade,” he said, his voice echoing throughout the room. “A false front for your ignorance.” He laughed, the sound echoing off the stone walls. “And now look at you. Both trapped in a web you willingly walked into.”

  He flashed back to his previous position, standing between the two of us once more. “Killing Linuux, ha. The dragon of the mind will not fall to the likes of you. Not while I am always watching,” he purred. “Now, your life will come to an end.”

  This was it.

  We had come all this way only to be tricked and held captive by a lunatic with powers far beyond us. A man who was psychotic, yet smarter than he appeared.

  I struggled against my invisible bonds and glanced at Nefa. Her eyes said it all. The realization of failure settled in, fear taking its place. This was the end of our journey.

  If I could have lowered my head, I would have. Just to shut my eyes to whatever came next and accept my fate. The proverbial nail in the coffin, as they called it.

  Whatever Bannon was about to unleash, I would be forced to watch it. And even though I could have called on my allies for help, something felt wrong about asking them to give up their lives just to save mine.

  The Beetlelords, though, took it upon themselves.

  They crept up to Bannon and tugged at his robes.

  “Boss, can we speak to you for a second?” one of them asked, granting Nefa and me a few more precious seconds of life. “It is important,” he added. “Something that might mean life or death?”

  Bannon snarled. “What do you want this time?” he snapped, eyeing them like playthings. “Can’t you see I am about to have a little fun?” He paused and looked me over for a moment. “Or do you want me to take out my aggression on you two, huh?”

  The Beetlelords glanced at each other, fiddling with their knives and bumping into each other.

  “Answer me,” he yelled.

  They straightened their helmets.

  “Since you put it that way,” one of them said, “how about we give you this?”

  Then he drove his dagger straight into Bannon’s gut.

  The lights holding us shattered into rays of particles.

  I caught Nefa’s glance, a flash of amber fury, and we moved as one.

  Time to kill this sniveling piece of shit.