Sniffing the snow, the rabbit began to burrow. Its little paws scraping at whitish pink dots and shooting them up behind as it lifted its furry little bottom sporadically. A small pale bump with two holes poked though the surface. First the rabbit sniffed and then licked it - discovering that there were little hairs inside the holes. The rabbit hopped over to another spot and dug once again, this time uncovering a slightly warm, flat surface on which it promptly made itself comfortable. Slowly the surface became unstable, rising and falling in a rhythm that made the bunny spring to its feet. The rabbit looked back at the first little bump and noticed that the holes seemed to pulse, appearing larger and smaller in unison with the surface it stood on. Curious, the rabbit hopped back towards the little bump and placed its front paws on the tip of it. Whatever it was suddenly shook from side to side and uncovered a face; a human face.
Momentarily transfixed, the little woodland rabbit decided to do a brave thing. It began to lick the human’s face in order to see if the human would wake up. Slowly the human shook and rolled onto its side, causing the rabbit to hop off. The human turned its head towards the rabbit and began to rise to its feet, making strange sounds with its mouth. The rabbit didn’t understand the human and tried to return a look that said so as the human bent down and began to pat the little rabbit with one hand. Meanwhile, the human’s other hand reached over to the branch that the rabbit had spotted earlier and pulled some loose. Again the rabbit rose up on its hind feet and tilted its head; the human smiled as it extend the branch toward the rabbit.
The little woodland rabbit gratefully nibbled the food and thought; maybe humans are intelligent after all. After finishing the tasty breakfast, the rabbit licked the human’s hand and hopped back to the mound of branches. The human’s mouth dropped open and emitted an anxious sound. Humans are strange creatures. The human frantically began uncovering a branch. Yes, that’s it human, there’s lots of food in there! The rabbit joined the dig and, as the snow mound got smaller, it was able to see another bump… another human on top of even more food. The human and rabbit continued to dig. The rabbit was excited. It realised that as soon as the other human was off the branch, there would be lots of food to eat! Snow flew everywhere, forming a ring around the humans and rabbit.
The rabbit hopped onto the other sleeping human’s chest and lay down, but the first human seemed to have a plan in mind. Offering a handful of food to the rabbit to keep it happily in place, the human took hold of the thick end of the branch and began to pull; it must be taking us to its burrow.
For a long time the human dragged them through the trees. The red light had become more orange, illuminating the forest. The rabbit looked around. This human doesn’t know where it’s going; it thought and decided it had rested long enough after all the digging. So, the rabbit hopped up off the sleeping human and bounded in front of the other. I’ll find the way and then hopefully it will share more food with me! The rabbit stopped and turned to look at the human, thumping one foot. This human sure is slow. Eventually the human caught on and began to follow, pulling the branch behind. The rabbit led them through the forest, around trees and rocks, down dips and over rises. Eventually, it spotted a huge snow mound in a clearing. I wonder how much food is in there. The rabbit darted toward the mound with the human in close pursuit. As they reached the mound, they came to a stop, the human let go of the branch and began digging again. Its pale hands scraped small bits of snow away. The rabbit, with paws better suited to the job, worked beside. That’s it, human. Now you know what to do. Dig!
The rabbit was first to break though; its hole big enough for it to squeeze inside. This mound was hollow all right, but the rabbit couldn’t smell any food so it scrambled back out and watched as the human stared into the hole. There’s no food in there, the rabbit thought. Just a big green thing, I tried to bite it, but it wasn’t edible. I saw two other creatures, but no food. Suddenly the human clawed rapidly at the rabbit’s opening, throwing massive clumps of snow behind. So, the rabbit hopped out of the way and began to help the human dig again. Fine, if you want to get in there… It never hurts to practice your digging skills. As they broke through the wall of snow and into the snow cave, the human opened its mouth and let out a very loud sound.
The rabbit was first to break though; its hole big enough for it to squeeze inside. This mound was hollow all right, but the rabbit couldn’t smell any food so it scrambled back out and watched as the human stared into the hole. There’s no food in there, the rabbit thought. Just a big green thing, I tried to bite it, but it wasn’t edible. I saw two other creatures, but no food. Suddenly the human clawed rapidly at the rabbit’s opening, throwing massive clumps of snow behind. So, the rabbit hopped out of the way and began to help the human dig again. Fine, if you want to get in there… It never hurts to practice your digging skills. As they broke through the wall of snow and into the snow cave, the human opened its mouth and let out a very loud sound.
--- ooo ---
“Guys! Guys! I made it! Wake up!” Masadorraed shouted into the shelter. Saroheed rolled over and pulled some snow over his head. It didn’t take long for the shock of the cold to wake him up.
“Whoa, morning! Wait... What’s going on? Did I fall asleep?” Saroheed rolled back and glanced to the side, noticing Karisia stretching and Aluria staring at them. “We’re still in the game, right?” he asked somewhat confused. “Aluria, if you have something to do with the back-end of this game, I think you’d better tell us how we fell asleep.”
Masadorraed noticed the blood drain from Karisia’s face. She looked like she knew something. Did she? Maybe she figured it out last night while we all slept, he wondered. I wish I knew what happened.
Aluria looked away and Masadorraed, suddenly remembering Izifaris, turned to look back at her as she lay on the branch. Her skin was pale and her semi-exposed shoulder revealed long red scratches, the snow she lay on was a pale pink from her blood. Karisia emerged from the snow shelter and ran over to Izifaris, kneeling by her side... There’s something about those two... I just can’t put my finger on it.
Karisia looked around then reached for an ever-so-small plant that stuck up out of the snow next to her. Using the nail of her finger to scratch the surface off the plant, she exposed a bright lime green inner that was wet with moisture. The little woodland rabbit hopped over and dug at the plant’s base, eating the small remains while Karisia wiped the leaves along the snow to freeze the moisture in the plant. Then she scraped the frozen globules off the plant and held them to Izifaris’ shoulder. Like time lapse photography, the cuts began to heal and repair themselves as they were covered in new skin. The sap is probably some kind of healing stuff in this world... game... whatever, Masadorraed thought.
Izifaris groaned as she began to roll over, sit up and stretched. Her arms were pale, stiff, sore and cold. She noticed Aluria first and instinctively locked her face in a fierce snarl. “Where am I? Tell me now!” Izifaris demanded as she jumped to her feet, glaring around. “Oh, sorry,” she apologised as she noticed the others. “I only saw Aluria. Is everyone alright?” She turned towards Karisia, who was only just beginning to get up from where she had treated her patient.
“You’re the one who needs to be asked that. You took quite a beating from those wolves...” Karisia paused - I bet she really doesn’t like those things now – then continued, “You got knocked out. Masadorraed saved Saroheed, you and me. If it wasn’t for him they would have gotten us for sure.” Karisia smiled in Masadorraed’s direction.
Izifaris’s eyes almost popped out of her head when she heard Karisia.
Yeah, that’s right, thought Masadorraed. I saved your life... and Karisia’s... and Saroheed’s... That just sounds corny.
Izifaris tipped her head forward and whispered under her breath so the others wouldn’t hear. “Thank you Masa. I owe you one. The others may not know what you did for them, but they will in time.” A small tear began to roll down her cheek.
Whoa, this is serious, Masadorraed realised as the situation sunk in, making him feel both amazed and unsettled at the same time. It feels like I’m in a book or something. I could actually die here; we all could. And I’ve just been acting all silly... He seized up, as if frozen in ice.
Izifaris’ tear froze as it fell through the cold air and disappeared in the snow. She put her right hand to her temple as she thought. They had to tell the others.
Saroheed had come out from the shelter and glanced between everyone. “Okay, what’s going on now? Please, no more secrets.” Masadorraed’s face was more serious than before; Saroheed noticed it. “Don’t tell me you know something and won’t let us in on it!” He looked at his friend and tromped over the muddy snow to Masadorraed and nudged him with his elbow.
“Believe me Saroheed, I want to tell you, but I don’t think I would be the best one too. Izifaris or Aluria would be better at that. I’m only just beginning to understand it myself.” Masadorraed’s voice trailed off in the frisky wind as Karisia approached to address him on his left.
“I think I know... I was thinking about it last night.” Masadorraed turned to face her. Karisia‘s reddish-gold hair blew to the side, revealing her angular face. The definite outline of her jaw, forest green eyes and long pointed ears left no doubt that she was an elf. Her face tilted downward as she spoke, “The game... it’s not a game is it?” Karisia looked down and closed her eyes. “I’m not sure how I know, or how it happened, but we are really here and not at our computers… Right?”
Masadorraed put his arm around her and looked to Izifaris and Aluria for confirmation. Both Izifaris and the dragon nodded in approval.
Masadorraed confirmed her theory, “I don’t know how it happened either, but we’ll find a way out of this world. There are lots of people who play this game and unfortunately they don’t realise that when they die here that they will lose more than just experience points.”
“You mean, if anyone dies here they’ll…” she began sobbing on his shoulder. The realisation of death by a video game was so strange and far off yet so real that it was a scary thing.
Saroheed stumbled backwards and fell into a pile of snow. “So… we are really here? And if we die we-” He stopped when he saw Masadorraed’s wet shoulder, “Never mind... So now I’m really a dwarf?” Saroheed felt something land on his lap; the small woodland rabbit.
“Yes, yes and yes. This is all real now Saroheed,” Masadorraed replied as he gestured at their surroundings. “We need to find a way to escape… and I think Izifaris has a plan.”
Izifaris lifted her head. “I think it would be better if I explain it as we go.” She turned to face the forest.
Karisia lifted her head from Masadorraed’s shoulder and stood upright. She shivered in the cold as she wiped away her tears with her sleeve. “Tell us what to do, and we’ll do what we can to help.”
“I do not think I should be the one leading,” Izifaris responded. “Especially in my current condition, Masadorraed?” Everyone’s eyes fell on him.
“Um... I’m only a newbie. I can’t do anything, really; Aluria?” Masadorraed’s voice sounded uncomfortable. He faked a smile and looked over at Aluria.
The dragon walked closer to the group and settled on all fours. “It is not my place to lead; I came to protect you, not to give you a path to follow. I’ll do what I can to help, but you must lead.” She lay her head down in the snow, looking up at him with her large dark eyes.
Masadorraed looked down at his feet. Sure, make the newbie save everyone... I DEFINITLY feel like I’m in a story now. He sighed and looked up again. “Alright,” he conceded. Masadorraed held his sword out flat into the centre of the group; a golden beam shot down from the sky towards the gem of his sword, exiting green and refracting into the ground.
The area enveloped in light sank down as rises, bumps and mounds rose from the ground to form miniature mountains. Water gurgled up to fill the dents, and nano-sized bonsai trees grew into a forest, completing a 3D land layout of Thaihaelon before them. An aqua blue glow shimmered at their current location somewhere in the forest, slightly north east of the great tree. Four glowing orbs pulsed at different positions around the representation of Thaihaelon.
To the North West, hovering over the oceans of Claender and atop Aluria's island was the first sparkle of light. An opposing light floated up and down in the south east, sitting upon what seemed to be a cloud. Back down at ground level and slightly to the north was a small cave with another shining beacon. The last shone from amongst some mossy old ruins located in the central south of the map.
“What are they?” Karisia pointed at the glows clockwise in turn; she did not touch them.
“The Towers of Thaihaelon, the generators that power the game... and keep the players trapped here.” Izifaris glanced between the lights, then to Masadorraed.
Masadorraed knelt down and looked at the nearest one to their location, the one in the cave. “It’ll sure be handy having a dwarf around.” He pointed to the glow. “We’re going there first.”
Everyone laughed; the short stubby dwarf lowered his shoulders and angled his face into a quirked frown. “You sure like those dwarf jokes don’t you?” He said as he rolled his eyes.
“They’re always good for lightening the mood.” Masadorraed got up and placed a hand on Saroheed’s shoulder. “Shall we get going?”
Izifaris nodded, they had taken enough time already. Aluria looked at the cave on the map in the ground again, then to Masadorraed. “We should, more wolves will find us sooner otherwise.”
Izifaris stood next to Karisia - who looked concerned. “M-more wolves?” her voice quivered.
“I’d expect there to be more, much, much more...” Masadorraed replied. “I don’t know what we’ll face or how we’ll achieve what we need to. But I’ll do what I can, which includes protecting you. I did it before and I will again.” Masadorraed walked over to join the girls then turned to the map again. With a single swipe he unsheathed his sword and hit the map; the ground evened out and returned to normal. Masadorraed faced into the forest more and began to walk. “Let’s go.”
--- ooo ---
Trees thickened around them, darkening the area; it was almost like it was night, even though it was the middle of the day. Aluria flew above to scout for spies and enemies and periodically returned to report. The air was so thick and humid that Karisia found herself choking on it; if it wasn’t for the breeze, she would have passed out. Occasionally branches and vines crowded their path. Masadorraed swiped these aside with his sword, allowing them to continue, but eventually they became trapped... They had reached the cave but a large boulder blocked the entrance. Typical!
It was Saroheed’s turn to clear the way. He worked hard, digging a tunnel with his shovel while everyone else sat down for a rest. “It broke again...” Saroheed called out from his tunnel. Izifaris opened her small floating computer and made another one appear, which she then threw into the hole. “Oww! Stop doing that!”
Saroheed called up. “You know you could make yourself useful and either bring it to me or make it appear here in the first place!” Izifaris rolled her eyes and walked back to her patch of grass, plonking herself down again.
Saroheed called up. “You know you could make yourself useful and either bring it to me or make it appear here in the first place!” Izifaris rolled her eyes and walked back to her patch of grass, plonking herself down again.
Most of the snow had melted by now and the area seemed relatively dry. Large patches of dirt and small tufts of grass were covered the terrain. Karisia got up and started to walk east to the clearing’s edge and deeper into the forest.
“Where are you going?” Masadorraed sat up and turned to her. “You shouldn’t go wandering about here you know...”
Karisia looked back. “I won’t go far; I just want to stretch my legs and have a look around.” Again she turned to the forest and began to peer through the thick branches.
“You might get lost; these forests are the thick. We don’t have time to look for you so I advise you don’t leave.” A voice came from above the clearing; Masadorraed and Karisia looked upwards to see Aluria come in for a landing.
Karisia gave Aluria faint glare then shifted it to Markus. “I won’t go far daddy,” she mocked. I’m not a little girl! We’re the same age! He starts playing... if you can call it that... Thaihaelon and now he’s all serious and everything. I can protect myself; I’ve been ‘playing’ longer than him! Karisia shoved aside the bush at her feet and stepped into the forest.
Thick trees were everywhere, forming a dark maze with a roof; only worse. Anything could jump out from behind the trees. Maybe I shouldn’t have left them... Karisia heard a twig snap behind her. She spun around so fast that her hair whipped her face but she missed whatever it was. Should she go back? Karisia looked around; trees, trees, trees, bush... large dark lump covered in moss. I think I should go back, Karisia thought as she turned back the direction she had come from and began to walk.
A creaking sound came from behind her. It sounded like a floorboard missing a nail or two and in need of attention. Frightened, she began to run. If something was there, she didn’t want to see it. Karisia caught her foot on an exposed tree root and fell to the damp earth. She rolled over to her back and saw the strange lump roll towards her; the moss remained intact leaving it a dark green mouldy colour. The elf clawed at the root holding her in place but it wouldn’t budge. I hope that thing isn’t heavy! She curled up and put her hands over her head protectively. The creaking sound grew as the lump approached... Then it stopped.
Karisia warily opened her eyes. The lump had stopped at her foot only it wasn’t as large as it appeared before; it was only about the size of an ostrich egg. Karisia hesitantly reached out, touching her hand on the cold mossy surface. Her delicate fingers pulled at the moss, which gave way easily revealing a large clay bowl. Resting in the bowl was a wooden egg. Karisia gently lifted the egg from the bowl; a rumbling sound boomed behind her. Shocked, she dropped the egg back in the bowl and the rumble ceased. Karisia carefully picked up the bowl. No rumbling... but the root released her foot. What is this thing? She wondered as she returned to the others.
Karisia stopped just before the clearing and saw Izifaris throw another shovel to Saroheed while Masadorraed looked over the boulder. Karisia’s eyes widened with a thought... maybe... She put the bowl down on the ground and lifted the egg from it. The rumble sounded louder than before and the boulder blocking the cave rolled to the side. The wooden egg is like an entry key! She dropped the egg into her inventory bag she had been carrying together with the bowl; both items weighed nothing once inside the bag. Karisia darted out of the trees, stopping next to Masadorraed.
“Any ideas?” Masadorraed asked. Izifaris called Saroheed come out of his tunnel and Aluria cautiously entered the cave.
“I think I found the entry for you.” Karisia smirked as she picked up the rabbit and joined Aluria. Masadorraed, shaking his head side to side, followed.
Saroheed emerged from his hole. “This is pointle-” Before he could finish, Izifaris had grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the cave. Everyone stared down the dark cavern. It was large, dark, damp and scary; it was the first of the Towers of Thaihaelon.
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