Dungeons & Disappointment

Chapter 17: Bandit Battle

"So wait, there are levels in this game?" She said, her eyes nearly going wide with panic. "Is my world just a game? Am I just a game?"

She looked at me with the wide eyes, and I saw beads of sweat growing on her face. She was just about a single statement away from having a full on panic attack, and I had very little time to avert it.

"Well, if its any comfort to you, this world is a lot different than the one that we had the game based off of." I said, trying to calm her down a little bit. "And no, if you were a game, you wouldn't be real. And you are real. And not only that, but the world is different, so that has to mean something, right?"

And boy, that only made it worse. She immediately put her head in her hands, and she started to hyperventilate, trying to compose herself in the worst way possible. I had no clue what to do with the panic attack, but I had to make her feel better somehow, and fast, because the Serpentines might hear us.

"Listen, you're not a game, I promise you." I said, looking her in the eyes to try and get my point cross. "Obviously the game was based on this world, right?"

Thankfully, that seemed to do the trick. She sniffled, trying to keep herself calm, and she stared at me with watery eyes.

"Okay. Okay, I'm real." She said, pinching her arm and wincing. "And this isn't a game."

My phone buzzed in my pocket right as she said that, and I took out my phone while making sure that the Serpentine's backs were still turned, and I saw that it was just Henry checking in.

Hey man, y'all doing alright?

For the time being, kind of yeah. I texted back. I just had to deal with her having a panic attack.

What the hell was happening?

Well, I kinda let it slip that this all might just be a game.

Dude, don't tell anyone that! He replied. They're gonna freak out about it!

"Are you talking to your friend Henry again?" She asked, wiping her forehead of sweat. "The one from the other world?"

"Yeah, he messaged me." I said.

However, the moment I looked down at my phone, a horn blew through the air. I nearly dropped my phone as the entire caravan lurched to a halt, and before I could even react, an arrow came flying out of the woods, and it stuck into the side of one of the barrels. I grabbed and wrenched the arrow out of the barrel, staring at the black metal tip, and I silently cursed to myself.

"Raiders!" Finana said then stood and grabbed her glaive and spellbook. "WE GOT RAIDERS!!!"

All of us popped on our feet, but out of the woods, there came a volley of arrows, one of them screaming right in my direction, but I dodged out of the way, letting the arrow sail past my shoulder and into the thickets on the other side of the convoy. However, as I was near celebrating the fact that I had dodged an arrow, I heard a yelp behind me, and I saw Finana pull an arrow out of her thigh, wincing as she did so.

"Oh my god, are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine!" She said, then thrust her hand towards me. "Get ready for this!"

The moment she said that, just like with the Worg, I felt a surge of strength in my arms. I jumped off of the carriage, booking it for the Raider with the crossbow, and as I swung the Halberd down in a deadly arc, the fiery blade split the guy down the middle, spraying blood all over my face.

"RRRAAAHHHH!!!" I yelled.

The bandit turned to face me, but he dodged out of the way as Finana swung her glaive, missing him by just a hair. He freaked out, but in a moment, he charged at me, attempting to swing the short sword at me, but I blocked it out of the way and swung the Halberd again. The flaming blade of the Halberd cut him straight across the chest, opening a horrific looking wound. He screamed and backed up, trying his damndest to get away from me, but I gave chase, nearly drunk on bloodlust, and through the rest of the fighting, I heard Finana yell from behind me.