CHAPTER FOUR
80AD LEVEL ONE
“Phoenix? Phoenix, wake up!” A worried voice dragged him out of sleep. As Phoenix reluctantly opened his eyes, a cool hand touched his forehead. Had he overslept?
“Mum?” He stared vaguely about. His room looked odd. The plain white ceiling had turned into wooden beams with straw over the top. The bed under his body felt like straw, too. What the…?
He sat straight up - and wished he hadn’t. His head ached, his arm hurt and his stomach turned flip-flops. Swallowing hard, he peered around, trying to work out what was wrong with everything. OK, he wasn’t in his room, that was obvious. Even apart from that, the world looked kind of…odd. It was sort of too smooth, too perfect. Yet, at the same time, it looked a little bit grainy – like a photo that’s been made too big so you can see the little square pixels of colour.
“Phoenix? Are you alright?”
He turned his head toward the voice and his mouth flopped open in shock. It was that character from the computer game, Jade. She was even more beautiful close up.
“You’re beautiful,” he blinked several times. He was seeing things. She blushed, pressing long fingers to red cheeks and glancing down at her well-curved body. She looked about seventeen.
“I know. It’s ridiculous. This body feels all wrong.”
“Huh…?” He reached out a hand and carefully touched her arm. She looked all wrong like the rest of this place but she felt real. He could feel the rough fabric of her tunic and the warmth of her skin. Did this mean she was a real person and she’d come to visit him for some reason? Had he been struck by the weird lightning? Was he in some sort of hospital?
Phoenix glanced about again and dismissed that thought. This was no hospital. Not unless cows had become doctors and chickens nurses. The tiny candle lantern that lit the room was feeble but he could see clearly enough. Two fowl roosted in one corner of what was now obviously a barn. A skinny cow munched calmly on hay nearby.
Not just any barn. Not just any cow. Memory came back and he gasped aloud at the realisation of exactly where he was – but couldn’t possibly be.
“It’s the barn behind the tavern! But how? That’s a computer game. I don’t understand!” He grabbed his head as pain shot through it. His left arm throbbed. A bloody scrap of cloth was wound around it.
“So you feel like it’s real, too?” Jade’s expression was both eager and worried.
Phoenix looked down. He snatched up a handful of straw and rubbed it on his skin. It still looked too perfect but it sure felt just like real straw. He sniffed it then bit it. It smelled and tasted just like straw, too. His stomach lurched again as his senses disagreed with each other and confused his brain. “I guess it seems real – sort of. I just don’t understand how.”
“Or why.” She slumped down onto the hay bale beside him. “One minute I was sitting in front of my Dad’s computer, playing the game. Next minute lightning shoots in the window and suddenly I’m in the game and you’re lying unconscious on the floor. You’ve been asleep for ages.”
“That’s just what happened to me, except that I tripped over my chair and hit my head,” he agreed. His head still hurt. Gingerly he felt the lump growing on the back of his skull. They sat in silence for awhile, feeling overwhelmed; listening to the rain pattering down outside the building. It was warm and dry inside but it did smell very strongly of cow and dung.
“Is it my imagination,” Jade frowned at the rough wooden walls, “or is it all getting more real looking.”
“Huh?” Phoenix squinted around.
“When I first got here,” she said, “it all looked sort of …computerish. Y’know? Too smooth. Too perfect.”
He nodded, remembering. Long black hair fell in his eyes. He shoved it back impatiently.
“Now it looks more like the real world, don’t you think?” She stared about the room, tilting her head to one side.
He did the same, wondering if that made a difference. He blinked in astonishment. She was right. All the too-smoothness was being replaced by the millions of tiny imperfections that people take for granted in real things. Maybe it was changing, or maybe his mind was filling in the blanks to make it more acceptable.
Phoenix didn’t know and didn’t much care. The un-reality of his situation sank in: he was actually inside the game. In the freaking game!
He stood up, a little unsteady as he adjusted to longer, stronger legs. Ignoring the thudding in his head, he looked around with new eyes. He really was inside 80AD. It wasn’t possible but here he was. Unless it was a dream, there couldn’t be any other explanation.
It wasn’t just an escape from reality any more; it was reality. A new, better reality. Freaking awesome!
“We’re in the game,” he said aloud, staring in wonder at the darkening room. “Actually in the game. Do you know what this means?” He turned to the Player girl, excitement welling up to take the place of bewildered confusion. She stared up at him and shook her head, eyes wide.
His left hand fell naturally onto the hilt of his sword. He gripped it and drew it halfway out of the sheath. “It means we can live the Quest instead of just pretending to. It means we can kill dragons, beat up the badguys, get treasure and basically wreak havoc without any consequences. We can do anything we want. Sweet! This is so totally cool!”
There was a long silence as Phoenix inspected his sword with satisfaction. He swished it through the air experimentally, enjoying the sound and weight of it. Muscles in his arms bulged. This was going to be so great! How many times had he wished he could do what his game characters could? Now he was his character. Now he could really kick butt.
“But I don’t want to be in the game.”
Jade’s small, worried comment intruded on his enthusiasm. Phoenix paused, looking down at her in surprise. What gamer didn’t want to live the game? This was the ultimate escape. How could she not want to be here? Suddenly she seemed a lot younger than her beautiful avatar appeared. And a lot more frightened.
He sat down, grinning encouragingly. “Come on. It’ll be fun. We can steal the Jewel of Asgard, like you’re supposed to do in Level One. Who knows, maybe we could even get right through to Level Five, kill Feng Zhudai and win. This is like, every gamers dream. It’ll be great. It’s just a game.”
She shook her head. “But I only wanted to play for a little while. I’ve never played games before, really. I don’t even know what you’re supposed to do. I’d just screw everything up.”
Phoenix frowned at her, a sudden realisation kicking in. “Hang on,” he pointed at the P on her clothing. “You can’t be here, anyway.”
She screwed up her nose and shook her head again. “What are you talking about? I thought we’d already established that. The fact that we’re in a computer game is just impossible but it’s happened and we’re stuck with it.”
“No.” He waved her words aside impatiently. “I mean you can’t be here. You’re another Player.”
“So?”
He slapped his forehead at her obtuseness then forced himself to calm down. She’d said she didn’t play games much, so she obviously didn’t understand.
“80AD is a Pre-release game. It means we can all have limited access to it on the internet servers but the game isn’t ready for full multi-level, multi-player interactive playing yet. Players shouldn’t be able to see each other at all.” Experimentally, he prodded her arm. “You must just be a digital construct. You can’t be a Player.”
“Ow!” She poked him back, scowling. “Of course I am. Maybe you’re not the real one.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffed. She kept glaring, so he held up his hands. “OK. OK. Let’s prove it. We can both think of something that
was on the news today as proof that we’ve come from the real world.”
They did so, Phoenix recalling a story about the latest football grand final, Jade relating one about a whaling ship sinking off Japan. Convinced of their own realness, if not that of their current world, they both sank back onto the hay bales.
Phoenix’s earlier elation seeped back into his scattered thoughts, like water finding its way though cracks in a dam. He was in the game. Weird or not, this was just too good an opportunity to miss. He hefted the sword again, a grin of anticipation stretching his mouth.
“D’you know what this means?” He turned back to Jade, eager for her to be as excited as he was.
“You’ve already asked me that,” she sighed.
He ignored her lack of enthusiasm. “It means we’ve got at least forty-eight hours to kick butt before the game is opened up to the world and we get swamped with other Players.” He stood up again, swishing the sword and striking what he hoped were warrior-like poses. “For-ty-eight-hours-of-fun!” Each word was punctuated by a strike at an invisible foe.
“I just want to go home.” Jade hunched her shoulders and turned her head away.
He stared at her, his mouth half open in shock. He dropped back onto the bale beside her, his mind suddenly overwhelmed with images and ideas.
“What?” She grabbed his shoulder, seeming worried when he just sat there with his mouth open. “What is it? Have you thought of a way to get us home?”
Phoenix shook his head. “But when you said ‘home’, I suddenly realised I remember everything.” He touched his aching head in wonder. It felt bigger than he recalled; with longer hair. He fingered the scar on his cheek – the scar he’d put on his avatar’s face only hours before. That was the moment he fully realised that the body he occupied now was not his usual, awkward, half-grown teenage one. It was his computer-generated Warrior one.
“What do you mean, everything?” Jade blinked at him.
“I remember everything about being me, Phoenix Carter from Cambridge, England,” he pointed to his chest, “and I remember everything about being him, Phoenix the Warrior.” He slapped his new body, feeling hard muscles for the first time. “I remember wandering about the woods this afternoon, fighting bandits. I remember growing up in a little village near Bedford and training for years with my uncle to be a swordsman. The game gave my character a life history when I created him.” Phoenix shook his head. “Now I have both lives in my head and it’s confusing the hell out of me. My brain’s full.”
“Oh.” Jade’s reply was thoughtful. “I see what you mean. Now that I think about it, I have the same stuff. My character grew up in the great forest to the west. I…I remember the spells she knows; and what herbs grow around here. Wow. I even remember eating that stew from the tavern.” She made a face and pretended to throw up.
Phoenix couldn’t help but smile a little as he glanced at her. He spotted Jade’s pointed ears and pale blonde hair and realised her character was an Elf. They were very magical, according to the game rules. That gave him an idea.
“You said you know some spells?” he suggested. “If you want to go home so much, why don’t you just try magicking yourself back?”
She shook her head with a sigh. “I’m only a half-elf and a minor Spellweaver. I know lots of small spells for healing and a few minor curses to use against enemies but nothing big like that. I…” she trailed off frowning at him.
He wondered if his expression betrayed his utter lack of understanding of anything magical. It must have, for she pulled out a small bag and carefully selected two small leaves from inside. Crushing them in her palm, she mixed in a little water from her waterskin. Closing her eyes, she laid her hand on his bandaged arm. He started to pull away.
She grabbed him and held him still. “Just comfrey leaves. Watch.”
A spiky, tingling warmth started under her palm. A faint, purple-blue shimmer wavered around her fingers like a heat haze. The warmth spread up his arm, into his shoulder. Then it stopped. Jade took her hand away and tugged the bandage off. Phoenix blinked in surprise at the smooth skin beneath. It was smeared with blood but undamaged. He flexed his fingers.
“Way cool,” he approved. “Thanks. That will sure come in handy here.”
“I told you: I don’t want to stay here!” she repeated forcefully. “I like reading fantasy books but that’s all. I’m not hero material. I’m just…me.” She drooped again, staring morosely at her own boots.
“Hey, don’t stress. It’ll be ok.” Phoenix put on his best reassuring voice. “I’ll take care of you.” He slid his sword back into its scabbard carefully, trying not to slice his own thumb off. “It’s getting dark. We’ll stay here tonight. Tomorrow we’ll work something out.”
There was silence for awhile, except for the spatter of drizzling rain and chewing noises from the cow.
Jade straightened suddenly, turning her head toward the open door.
“Did you hear something?” she whispered, gripping Phoenix’s newly-healed arm with surprising strength.
He listened hard then shook his head. “Just chickens again. It’s your imagination.”
“No,” she said, “I heard something. Elves have better hearing. There’s someone outside – sneaking.”
“So what do we do?” He felt suddenly breathless; heart racing. It was one thing to watch this stuff on a flatscreen…
She frowned at him. “I don’t know. You’re the warrior, aren’t you? You just said you’d take care of me.”
Stung he stood up, drawing his sword again with an ominous shing of metal on metal. Swallowing hard, he faced the door. “Right. You stay back. I’ll protect you.” He tried to ignore the kernel of doubt in his mind. Could he actually use this sword effectively? Would he know how?
After a moment, Jade stepped up beside him; face pale, knuckles white as she held her staff ready. “There’s more than one. I think you’ll need help.”
Phoenix glanced at her doubtfully. He couldn’t help feeling a little relieved but she looked like she might faint at any minute. He didn’t think…
There was no more time to think.
Three peasants slid into the room, their eyes glinting with greed. Wearing rough, homespun clothing that was distinctly worse for wear, they crept in on bare feet and carried an assortment of ill-kept, notch-bladed knives and axes. They looked more poverty-stricken than professional. A fourth man appeared, his right hand swathed in dirty bandages. Phoenix groaned and took a firm grip on his sword-hilt, eyeing the weasel-faced man in disgust.
“Not you again. I see you have some new friends,” he mocked. “Didn’t the other guys want to get beaten by a girl again?”
“Give us your coin, girl, and you can go free,” weaselly ordered, ignoring him. He wasn’t holding a weapon now but he looked the sort to have an extra knife hidden somewhere in his baggy clothes – a knife that he would use left-handed if necessary. Phoenix wondered how he knew that. Jade shifted her weight and he brought his attention back where it belonged. This was no time to get distracted.
From the corner of his eye, Phoenix saw her hand begin to move toward her belt pouch. He nudged her with an elbow and shook his head. Something told him these men were not open to easy solutions. They were desperate. This was not going to end well.
“You’ve taken these guys once, remember? We can do it again,” he murmured.
“That was her, not me,” she hissed, her voice strained with fear.
“You are her now,” he reminded her. “You know what to do. Just let it happen. They’d kill us anyway. The Romans are law around here and they’re afraid we’ll report them.”
She paused, nodded and tightened her hold on the staff.
The thief-leader’s eyes narrowed. He jerked his head at his companions. “Right then. If
that’s the way you want it. Have at ‘em, lads.”
With no more warning, the four peasants launched their attack. As though planned, they split up and moved to encircle the pair. Jade and Phoenix turned back to back, waiting.
“You ok?” Phoenix asked softly, feeling her tremble.
“What do you think?” she replied acidly. One man ran at her, swinging his own short staff in an arc toward her ribs. “No! I. Want. To. Go. Home!” Each word was punctuated with a sharp crack as her staff found its mark six times in quick succession.
Relieved that she seemed to still be able to use her weapon and wasn’t going to have hysterics, Phoenix gave in to the flood of adrenalin that pumped through his body. He grinned at the two attackers facing him. His new body automatically dropped into a fighter's crouch, shield slung on his left arm, sword ready in his right. Then, for a brief moment, he felt confused and wondered if he ought to use aikido instead. He half-stood, ready to move into an aikido fighting stance. One half of his mind fought with the other. The warrior part proved stronger in this new body. It took over, thrusting the real-world Phoenix’s impulses aside. He dropped back into the crouch, grinning.
Let them come.
The small man hung back, watching as his bigger companion swung a blunt Roman sword at Phoenix’s head. This peasant obviously had little training. Phoenix watched, waiting until the last second. He took a half-step forward and to the right, turning just enough to deflect the descending blade with his shield. He brought his own sword down in a deadly stroke that sliced the man from shoulder to opposite hip. The peasant dropped his sword and staggered a couple of steps back, clutching at his belly in horror before collapsing to the hay-strewn floor. He twitched once then lay still, eyes open.
Momentarily stunned, Phoenix-the-boy surfaced and gulped. Nausea twisted his stomach. He’d killed someone. The third man rushed him with a wooden club and the Warrior took over again. He dodged instinctively, turning to chop at an exposed neck as the man stumbled past. He, too, fell to the haystrewn floor – and was clearly not going to get up.
Behind, he heard the hollow thwack of wood on skull, followed by the thump of a large body hitting the ground. Sounded like Jade taking care of her adversary. He looked around. The smaller man had disappeared. A small, stifled shriek made him spin quickly, only to see the weaselly man standing next to Jade. His blade glinted at her throat. Wide eyed, she dropped her staff and put her hands up. Weasel-face grinned.
“That’s the way, lassie. You too,” he nodded pleasantly to Phoenix. “Put the sticker down or she dies.”
Something in his voice told Phoenix the man was not joking.
“Do it,” she whispered. “It’s just money. We don’t know what would happen if we get killed.”
Phoenix hesitated; wondering what would happen if he disobeyed. The game rules said they were supposed to have seven lives but did that apply now that they were actually in the game? It was only a Pre-release, after all. What would happen if they were killed here? Would their real bodies die in the real world? A cold sense of foreboding swept through his body, leaving him shaky. Slowly, he laid the sword down.
“Good choice. Now…” The thief sliced the leather tying Jade’s money pouch to her belt and hefted the little bag in his hand. With a smile of satisfaction, he backed away. Phoenix watched with mounting anger. This was not how it was supposed to go. This was his game. He was the hero. He wasn’t going to be beaten so easily by some grubby little git.
Perhaps seeing the red light of rage building in his face, the little man shook his head warningly. “Now then. I’m letting her live, aren’t I? Surely her life is worth this little bundle.” He tucked the bag into his belt, watching Phoenix as he edged away. “Besides, I can tell you what would happen if you got killed. You die. End of story.”
Unable to contain the burning anger, Phoenix took a step forward. Jade cried a warning. The thief flipped the knife over, holding it by the blade as he retreated. Heedless, Phoenix snatched up his sword and stalked after him. Their attacker slipped into the darkness with a grin. Phoenix growled, low in his throat, ran to the door and yelled after him.
“I’ll get you, you coward!”
A faint laugh floated back through the night. The blade flew out of the gloom to bury itself deep into Phoenix’s left shoulder. Staring numbly at the protruding handle, he turned towards Jade. She covered her mouth as if to stop a scream escaping. His shield slipped from a lax hand and clattered to the earthen floor. Pain exploded in his shoulder. He staggered back, astonished, groping for support. His heel caught in a loop of rope left on the floor. Jade screamed his name as he fell.
His head hit the packed earth. The world darkened and vanished.
****