Mazor and Goo shot ahead, Goo’s wingtip whispering past Mav’s ear. She flinched, then grinned as the dragonettes slalomed around the portals, wheeled up into the branches, and dove back down to land neatly on opposite ends of the table. Goo’s tail curled smugly as he chirped.
Arthur’s voice was calm, but she caught the little lift at the edge when he gestured to each oval. “Antumbra, Penumbra, Umbra. This is a portal hub. Once you hit level ten, you can use it to jump between scenarios or go directly between. Any hub works, this is just the training one.” His knuckles brushed the table as he added, “Here you can pull your full inventory, swap presets, trade, prep for whatever’s next. I’ve set it so you can see mine, just to get the hang of it.”
A flick of his fingers brought up a glowing 12x12 grid with ten tabs hovering over the table. His hands moved with easy precision, pulling a leather shirt from the hologram and setting it down. More items followed, appearing with a faint hum as he swept between tabs. His mouth tightened slightly as he worked faster, half habit, half awareness she was watching.
Mav’s eyes widened as she caught glimpses of the chaos in his storage. ‘Holy crap, Arthur’s a digital hoarder.’ The neat stacks of weapons and armor were one thing, but ‘grease-covered rags’ sat next to ‘spotted ice mushrooms’ and an entire tab labeled Fisher’s Finest. She smothered a laugh, glancing up to see if he’d noticed. His lips twitched, he had.
When he finished, he dismissed the display and spread his hands to the table like he was presenting treasure. “Your starter kit. Standard for a new player, with a few extras from me. It’ll morph to fit whatever scenario you’re in, but here it’s Antumbra form.”
Goo paced along the table, inspecting each piece like a tiny, furred quartermaster, occasionally tapping one with his forepaws and nodding gravely. Mav bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Arthur caught the look and shook his head with a smirk, like he was in on the joke.
“Go ahead,” he said, stepping back but keeping his gaze on her hands. “Touch an item, and you’ll get the option to equip or store. Equip replaces what you’re wearing, if that slot’s empty, it just appears.”
“What about my custom gear, the stuff you… programmed for me?” She tried to sound casual, but his eyes flickered at the word programmed. He nodded and pointed to one of the mannequins that was now covered in cloth.
“It’s there, and it’s level ten gear,” he said, checking something in his HUD. “Heirloom, levels with you, evolves with how you play. If you start as a caster but end up swinging a mace, it adapts. Keeps you protected without slowing you down.” His tone quickened, hands sketching shapes in the air as he spoke.
He gestured at the wooden form and the cloth faded away in motes of light. Mav let out a small gasp of surprise at the armor that hung on the frame. It was a full set, torso, legs, shins, forearms, shoulders and head all in gunmetal gray. It was accented by a super dark rouge and splashes of iridescent purple. The exact colors she’d told him back when they had met.
For a moment she held still, then she launched across the space between them and hugged him tightly. “Thank you,” she mumbled into his chest as he gently hugged her back. “That’s super kind of you.”
Stepping back she caught himself, exhaled, and smiled sheepishly, a small blush coloring her cheeks. Arthur looked similarly embarrassed, “yeah, okay, I geeked out, problem is you just can’t use it yet, but you will be able to at level ten, cool?”
She nodded, then tapped the name of the item on the inventory screen. Only two tabs of 12x12, one empty, the other showing her gear labeled simply Heirloom Set. “Yours has a name, Suit of S.A.M., why’s mine just… heirloom?”
“Because it hasn’t ‘matured’ yet,” he said, a small, knowing smile tugging at his mouth. “Heirlooms name themselves when they’re ready. Let it happen.” His chin tipped toward the laid out gear. “Try something.”
She sighed in mock defeat and reached for the leather shirt.
C-Class Basic
Novice Leather Jerkin
Type: Armor - Leather
Material: Tanned Leather
Mods: None
A prompt then asked [Store] [Equip]
Mav mentally clicked [Equip]. The weight of the leather settled across her shoulders, warm and scratchy against bare skin. She wrinkled her nose. “Okay… could definitely use something under this.”
The next item shimmered into view.
D-Class Poor
Shirt - Black
Type - Clothing
Material: Cotton
Mods: none
She equipped it instantly. Soft fabric materialized between her and the jerkin, the itch fading away. “Much better,” she muttered, moving down the table with a growing rhythm. Each piece she touched became hers, light boots, gloves, cloak.
When she was done, she turned toward Arthur. “Is there a way to see how I look?”
One eyebrow arched. “Vain much?” His smirk faltered at her flushed cheeks. “Kidding, kidding.” A flicker of concentration crossed his face as he pulled up something in his HUD. “Just open your character sheet, click Main, then focus on your paper doll.”
She followed the steps, and a perfect digital replica of herself appeared, floating in the air. She looked like a fantasy action figure. Beside the image, a neat list of her new loadout scrolled by:
- Black Shirt – Class D/Poor
- Black Pants – Class D/Poor
- Black Low Boots – Class C/Basic
- Black Novice Leather Jerkin – Class C/Basic
- Black Novice Leather Gloves – Class C/Basic
- Black Novice Leather Leg Armor – Class C/Basic
- Black Novice Hooded Leather Cloak – Class C/Poor
- Black Novice Leather Belt – Class C/Poor – 8 Slot
- Small Steel Dagger – Class D/Poor
- Short Bow – Class D/Poor
- Small Quiver – Class D/Poor
- Black Novice Leather Shoulder Bag – Class C/Poor – 20 Slot (+Hidden Pocket)
- 2 Health Potions – Class E/Subpar
- 2 Arcane Potions – Class E/Subpar
- 2 Bandages – Class E/Subpar
- 10 Traveler’s Rations – Class D/Ordinary
- 2 Water Pouches – Class D/Ordinary – 6 servings each
Closing the menu, she spread her arms and spun slowly. “Well?”
Goo leapt from the table to her shoulder, mimicking her with tiny outstretched wings and a proud little chin tilt.
Arthur barked a laugh. “You look like a noob playing dress up.” Her smile faltered. He stepped forward quickly. “Hey, I’m joking.” His hands closed gently over her shoulders. “You look like a leather clad, butt kicking badass, and a very courageous one at that. Diving in headfirst like you have? Not everyone does.”
Her lips curled into a small, almost private smile. “Thanks. I was fishing for that, you know.”
“I know,” he said softly, stepping back. “Now… check the hidden pocket in your bag.”
“Oh, right.” She slung the bag forward, fingers brushing the inside seam until it folded open on its own. Her HUD filled with new text:
Hidden Pocket
- 1 Crystal Pouch
- 100 Milky Quartz
- 10 Onyx
- 1 Citrine
She glanced up. “Crystals? What are these, currency?”
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“Yes, this is the currency system for Antumbra.” Arthur flicked his wrist, and a new holo-screen spun into the air between them.
Mav leaned in and read the columns:
Antumbra / Penumbra / Umbra / Value
Milky Quartz / Bit / White Card / 10
Onyx / Byte / Silver Card / 100
Citrine / Meg / Gold Card / 1000
Amethyst / Gig / Platinum Card / 10,000
Rose Quartz / Tera / Black Card / 100,000
“That’s… way easier than trying to explain it all out loud, right?” he said, tapping the chart.
“Yeah, I get the gist.” Her eyes narrowed playfully. “You gave me a small fortune, didn’t you?”
He grinned, not even trying to hide it. “Thought you should start on better footing. We were going to give the milky quartz to any test subject, but I might’ve slipped in a little extra for you.” His tone softened. “You are the first, after all.”
“Mm-hm.” She let the comment hang, unconvinced but unwilling to push. “Well… gear, weapons, stats, and now shopping money.” She glanced up at him through her lashes with a slow smile. “I’d say I’m ready to roll.”
“In a minute.” His gaze went distant, HUD-light flickering across his eyes. When he looked back, his tone had shifted to serious. “About shopping, you’ll start in a tutorial area. Martial training, arcane training, you name it. You’ll get skill and perk intros there, too. If I were you, I’d take some of that crystal and invest in learning the world before you dive in headlong.”
“Quests first?” she guessed.
“Yeah. They’ll walk you through the basics, then you’re free to roam. That’s when you grab training, or skill books, if you prefer to study.” His grin returned, lighter now. “I maxed out my swordsmanship and monastic arcane before leaving the tutorial. Saved my ass more times than I can count.”
Mav tilted her head, lips twitching. “You’re saying I should listen to you?”
“I’m saying you should consider it.” He stuck his tongue out at her. She returned the gesture, both of them grinning like co-conspirators.
“I’ll take all of that under advisement,” she said. “It would be nice to have a tutorial. I mean, you’ve been great, but I’m a hands-on learner, and what better way to get it than by being in it, right?”
Arthur didn’t answer right away. His gaze had gone distant, eyes tracking something in his HUD. His brows drew together, fingers moving in short bursts as he air-typed.
“What?” Mav tilted her head, trying to read his face.
He didn’t look up, jaw tightening. Then his frown deepened. “Shit.”
The curse was quiet, but it had a weight to it. He glanced at Mazor, still perched neatly on the table’s edge, and there was a subtle flicker in the air between them, Arthur ‘thinking’ something to the AVA. Mazor’s tiny head shook once in answer.
“What is it, Arthur?” Mav asked, a little unease creeping into her voice. Not much seemed to faze him, and she didn’t like seeing it now.
Arthur finally met her gaze, expression resigned, and held out his hand. She hesitated but took it.
“Do you remember the final meeting you were supposed to have before entering the game world?”
It hit her like a slap. “Yeah. TzuLau.” Her voice went flat, eyes narrowing. “The mysterious dude who hit me with a car.” Heat began to rise in her cheeks. “What, too scared to show up?”
“Hey now.” His voice softened, steady but firm. “Remember what we talked about the first day we met? About retribution?”
Her shoulders dropped a fraction. “You said I don’t have to carry the burden, it’s theirs.” She let out a breath. “Fine. Maybe you’re right. But I don’t like cowardice or what I perceive is cowardice.”
“Fair,” Arthur said. “But in this case, maybe it’s not that. Maybe it’s… juggling too much at once, they only delayed the meeting, not canceled it.”
Mav started pacing, energy prickling under her skin. ‘Shit, this pisses me off! What am I, some inconvenience? Just something they can push back whenever something else pops up?’ Her father’s voice echoed in her mind: ‘Now, Mav, where is this coming from?’
Insight flashed for her and she wheeled back on Arthur, her expression more at ease. “You know, I have an insight on why this pisses me off.” She said to him as he was opening his mouth to speak and bringing him up short.
“Ok,” he said, his eyes showing curiosity, “what is it?”
“Simple really,” she began, hands twisting around themselves with the uncomfortable realization of the illusion of her thinking. “I hate being a burden.” She saw Arthur beginning to speak and spoke quickly, “hang on. I know I’m not. It’s not that the root of my anger is not real, it’s an illusion of thinking. I understand that, it just feels real to me, feels like I am nothing more than an inconvenience, something to be dealt with.”
She felt tears welling up in her eyes and marveled at the realism of the game once again. “That’s why I push so hard, that’s why I drive myself. So I can never be a burden on anyone, because I have no one to be a burden on...” she stopped, covering her face with her hands and letting the tears fall.
Tears slipped free before she could stop them. Arthur didn’t hesitate, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her into his chest. She clung to him, forehead pressed into the leather across his ribs, the dam breaking.
Arthur stood strong, holding Mavis against his chest and letting her just feel her pain. He knew this path was full of cathartic moments and also knew there was a time for words and a time for silent strength, this was a silent time.
Her breath eventually slowed, the quaking of her body easing. Her arms relaxed around him, no longer clinging, just holding. She drew a huge breath and let it out, then pushed gently against his chest. Looking up into his eyes, she nodded and mouthed, thank you.
He nodded back, pulling a handkerchief from his inventory with a small smile. She wiped her face, dabbed at her nose, then gave up and blew into it with a loud honk. ‘Too cliché to ask if he wants it back,’ she thought, ‘but what the hell do I do with it now?’
“Keep it,” he said, catching her look. “And if you put it in your inventory, it’ll clean itself in an hour. Handy little spell.”
She smirked faintly and willed it away. “Thank you again… for everything.”
“Hey, no skin off my… hands?” he half-joked. She giggled at the near slip, and for a moment the tension thinned. Then her expression sharpened. “So, do we wait, or do we go back?”
He tapped into his HUD. “By their DND message, I don’t have a timeline for when they’ll be with us. I’d say we go back, good to check if your real body needs anything. I’ll have Anni and Dwight on standby.”
She tilted her head. “How’d you get TzuLau’s DND message, anyway?” She asked as innocently as she could. Arthur was distracted by his HUD and answered automatically.
“I asked Mazor to ping him. If someone’s in-game, you can message them. If they’re busy, you get a status.”
Mavis took a step away, lowering her voice toward Goo. “Contact TzuLau.”
Seconds later, Goo whispered in her ear, “I have a reply. It is a voice message. Shall I relay it?”
She nodded.
TzuLau → DND: I’m getting some game time in Umbra. ‘Getting my kills on!’ to paraphrase one of my heros, H. I’ll be done soon and get back to you ASAP. Thanks and game on!
The blood drained from her face. ‘Maybe it’s old…’ Then she noticed the time stamp, about an hour ago, no, not old.. The heat in her chest flared. ‘Or maybe I’m just inconsequential. They’ve got time to game, get their fucking kills on, but not to face me?’ Her eyes fixed on the Umbra portal, where they’d say they were. ‘Fine. Maybe I’ll talk to them directly. Maybe I’ll get better faster so I can kick their ass in the real.’
Arthur had just closed his virtual keyboard when she moved, striding for the portal. “Hey, um, Mavis, where do you think you’re going?” He cut her off, matching her pace.
“Things came up,” she said flatly, trying to slip past him. “Like what things? Getting their kills on?” Her voice cracked sharp. “Why didn’t you just tell me they were fucking off?”
He started to hedge, saw her eyes harden, and switched tracks. “You’re right. I should’ve told you up front.”
“You’re fucking right you should have! A lie of omission is still a lie, Arthur. Fuck, I was just starting to…” She broke off, dodged left, then right, but he mirrored her moves.
“Look, Mav…”
She growled at him and said. “Look Arthur, I want, no I’m going to find this TzuLau and kick their ass, and if they are in Umbra, then that’s where I’m going, now get out of my way! I need some control, some say in, fuck it…!”
She yelled and tried to go around him again, running left then juking right like a football player only to have his arm held out in front of her palm up and open. With a feral grin she said, “Ok, have it your way,” and exploded forward in a blur.
She exploded forward. Arthur recognized the koshinage hip throw as it locked in, too late. Her hips slid under his, her body turning like water under stone. His weight lifted, floated, ‘missed that in her file, didn’t we, folks?’ He thought, then crashed in stages: legs, hips then shoulders. He slapped the ground, twisted, and saw her already at the portal’s edge.
“Mav, don’t! It’s too difficult in there!” He yelled with a grunt.
“Oh, concern for me now? Well, fuck off! I’ll stay in the tutorial area, just leave me alone!” She yelled back and leapt. The portal flashed black, holding her afterimage for a heartbeat before it faded.
Arthur stared at the empty oval. “Shit, girl… there is no tutorial level in Umbra.”