A Game Of Pawns

Chapter 11

I was in my apartment, hanging with the guys. We were eating junk food and playing video games; nothing particularly special, but it was. I was happy. The whole scene seemed brighter somehow. The past several days had been hard and I had really missed the life I used to have. The life that I would give so much to have back. Not constantly wondering if I would be attacked or having to deal with Saris' intense training. Not that it was all bad. I was learning a lot about how to fight and I had a sort of pride about my improvement. Still I was sore. Even in my dreams I was sore.

But then, everything changed. Normally, you don't really notice a change in a dream. But this was more like my dream was hijacked. It was abrupt. I was very aware of the changes and I fought against them, clinging to my friends as darkness crept in around us. I didn't want to say goodbye to my reality again so quickly, but I was pulled from my apartment regardless. I had a feeling I knew what was coming. The sky changed from a pleasant and vibrant blue to a dingy, stoney gray. The buildings faded away, the grass disappeared, replaced by a stone platform. There were no trees, no people, no sun, only me and the figure that I remembered from a previous dream. But now, thanks to Saris, I knew what to call him; the Traveler.

"We were interrupted last time." The cloaked man said with over enunciated words. "This time, I will ensure that we have a firm grip on you so we will complete your initiation before we set you loose."

I crossed my arms. "I don't want to be a part of your game." I said, realizing then just how much Saris was rubbing off on me. "I want to go back to the way my life was." It felt strange to disagree with him. I didn't know if it was the hazy mind I had from dreaming; like I wanted to just accept everything he said, or if it was something that the Traveler was doing to me to make me more complacent.

"It is not up to you. The deed is done. I can only set you up with the tools you'll need to keep on the same footing as your opponents in this, as you called it, game." A part of me already knew this. It was something I had to accept but I wanted to at least try to get out. For some reason, it didn't surprise me when he floated in the air. What did surprise me were the many objects that appeared all around me. Weapons of all shapes and sizes. Swords, spears, scythes, knives and daggers, maces, bows with arrows, even nunchucks; who would go with nunchucks? Maybe they were hoping for Bruce Lee. The only thing I didn't see were automatic weapons, or really any type of gun. Everything was old school and medieval; hand to hand. The bow was probably the most ranged weapon there. The man continued in his computerized tone. "Since you have had time to adjust to your situation, I will advance to the necessary steps for your survival. First, you must choose a weapon. If you do not see one that is to your liking, think of the weapon you desire and I will tell you if it is acceptable."

With the lack of guns, it made me think of guns. And as soon as they came to mind, I was told that they were not acceptable. I knew this already from Saris. Plus, a gun would have given me a really unfair advantage against the other weapons I've witnessed thus far. Even Saris would have a hard time against a simple handgun if he was far enough from the wielder. If this had happened during my first encounter with the Traveler, I would be at a total loss of what to do. But thanks to Saris' training, I knew that I needed a good defense that would allow me to get close to an enemy; or more specifically, influence an enemy to get close to me. I thought for a while; maybe too long. It seemed like the Traveler was getting impatient, he started to cycle through my options so I could see each one. My thoughts drifted to a video game I played a lot while growing up.

"Is this the weapon you are interested in?" The Traveler asked. The arsenal of weapons had faded slightly and one option had cycled to the front, clearly standing out from the rest.

I wasn't trying to broadcast it to the Traveler, but I was glad to see that it seemed like a valid option. But was it? Or was there a catch to this? "Does that work? It's technically two weapons." I shut my mouth and mentally kicked myself. Why was I trying to give him reasons to deny me what I wanted?

I was standing in front of what I considered to be a legendary weapon combo. Their properties and abilities probably wouldn't be the same as in the video game from my childhood, but my nostalgia drew me to them. I suppose I could not demand the same designs of the Hylian shield and the Master sword from the Legend Of Zelda games that I love, but these metal tools looked amazing in their own right. They seemed to be crafted from unreal metals, giving an almost blue tint to them. The shield curved in a way that would force attacks to slide around it. The top curved like two half circles intersecting, creating three points at the top, and the bottom came down to a soft point. The front held a design of thin, deep black wings reaching out, contrasting the hint of blue of the metal. Between the wings was the image of a sword; the same sword that hovered directly next to the shield. The sword was not long. It paled in comparison to Saris' sword, but was much larger than a dagger or a knife. The short sword had the same wings printed on both flat sides of the blade near the hilt, which was a deep black that looked like the night sky.

I looked at the Traveler; he nodded, approving the choice. I walked up and took the weapons. They felt lighter than I had expected. The leather of the sword's hilt felt warm in my hands and the shield fit my left arm perfectly. The leather straps were firm against my arm and there was a bar for me to grasp with my hand for more control, which felt natural to grab. I felt good. I felt confident; capable. Maybe I would stand a chance in this game.

"And now," The Traveler continued, "You may choose an ability. What do you dream to do?"

I felt like I was getting a short version of this. It would be too vague for me to come up with something if I had not had some first hand experience with Saris. Was there anything else I might miss? I couldn't afford to be left without some information that might be vital. I was about to ask but didn't get the chance.

As if reading my mind, the Traveler said, "You will want to choose soon. Or you may die. Would you like some suggestions?"

I didn't know how to respond. Was he going to kill me or was I in trouble outside of this dream? And if I was in trouble, did that mean Saris was in trouble too? If I wanted an answer, I had to choose and choose now. But what? My mind was going in too many places at once.

Without waiting for an answer, the Traveler suggested, "Flight; Fireballs; Portals; Transformations; Energize weapon; Invisibility."

"Wait." I said. "What was that last one?"

"Invisibility." He said dully.

"No. No. The one before that." I amended.

"Energize weapon."

"Yeah, what is that?"

The traveler paused for a moment. "Energize weapon is the ability to create an energy field to elongate or extend the range of the weapon. For example, the short sword that you have acquired has a blade that is just over two feet long. Using an energized weapon would extend the blade to more than ten feet long. The shield can currently cover forty six percent of your body without you crouching. Using 'energize weapon' will allow you to cover two hundred twenty five percent of your body from one direction."

I was unsure if this was a smart choice but I was even less sure that I would be alive if I waited to make a different decision. It sounded like a decent ability. It would surprise anyone who thought my range was small and limited. It also was practical. During a training session with Saris, I had broken the bedpost we were training with. We had to get a new one from the spare bedroom, but he told me that any weapon could be thrown, broken or lost and then resummoned as if they were brand new, so relying on my weapons didn't seem like a risk. Was there a downside? I guess there would be a downside to any ability, right? "Ok. That'll do. How do I use this ability."

"The knowledge is inside you. Simply will it to happen. This may take practice or more precisely, getting used to, but you will learn it. I should apologize for not being able to give you a full introduction, but our time is up."

At that final word, I heard a snap and my eyes opened only to see the point of a spear plunging into the ground inches from my face. Two figures stood over me. Saris stood, arm outreaching with his sword extended, clearly defending me while I was sleeping. The other was a gorgeous woman, holding the spear.