Scout (Blades VR Book 1) Read online

  “Well.” The wizard stopped a few feet in front of him and placed both hands on his hips. “Who are you and what do you want?”

  “How long have you lived here?” Sebastian asked.

  The wizard’s eyes narrowed and flashed with red light. “You are mad if you think I will answer a single question of yours. How dare you come into my lair and command me.” He brought both hands up and began to weave them through the air in a pattern. Red light gathered around the shape he traced. The air began to hiss and crackle.

  Sebastian tilted his head, watching the pattern.

  An orange ball of light formed. The wizard made a popping noise, and the ball streaked toward Sebastian, screaming and sizzling.

  An instant before it made contact, Sebastian raised one hand and shook his head. “No.”

  The fireball split as if it feared touching his hand, each half dropping to the floor, but melting away before they touched the stone.

  Sebastian dropped his hand.

  The wizard looked at him, eyes wide, an expression on his face of first anger, then fear. “How did you do that?”

  “Child’s play.”

  The wizard shook his head. “I could have absorbed or deflected that, but the discharge would have been devastating. You sent it away.”

  Sebastian shrugged.

  “Are you here to kill me?”

  “If I must, but that isn’t my desire.”

  “What then?”

  “I like your tower.”

  The wizard frowned.

  Sebastian looked down at his meagre clothing. “And your possessions.”

  The wizard stood taller and he laughed. “I have lived two hundred years.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “Two centuries I have collected, learned, gathered.” He spread his arms. “Everything I am is contained in this tower. You expect me to turn my back and leave it to you.”

  “Yes.”

  “Simply because you have learned how to dispel a fireball?”

  Sebastian shrugged. “You were the one impressed with what I did. If your sense of awe has already faded, that’s your problem.”

  The wizard paused.

  “Walk away and live, or stay and die. Doesn’t matter either way to me.”

  “Perhaps you will allow me to retain a few items?”

  “Pardon?”

  “So that I can defend myself while I rebuild.”

  Sebastian sighed and shook his head. “Forget it.” He flicked his hand and a shimmer of air pulsed from it. The wizard’s eyes widened and he raised his hands. Then the wave passed through him and faded. The man disappeared as if he had never been there.

  Sebastian stepped into the main room of the tower, nodding as he examined the various magical relics and artifacts scattered about the room which now belonged to him. “This will do nicely.”

  3

  The Non-Player Characters (NPCs) of Blades VR are the most advanced NPCs of any game ever created. From their point of view, they are real people, with a sense of history and the desire to build good lives for themselves and their children. That’s right, the NPCs of this wondrous new game believe that they fall in love, marry, and create offspring. The intention was to make the game as real as possible for players and we are delighted to report that this is the case. More than one beta tester has been amazed to enter villages where NPC children scurry about playing while their parents work and live exactly as real people do. The realism of Blades VR runs deeper than any game before, and hopefully any game to come.

  When they envisioned the game, Isaac and Sebastian hoped to create an entire world that would grow and advance to keep players interested as the story evolved. After seeing live feeds and hearing from early beta testers, we are confident that players will be blown away by the realism.

  Some may ask, if NPCs are so realistic, how does one differentiate between the two when you are playing? Players are referred to as Travellers inside the game. When a player hears the term, they know the individual is another player. When NPCs hear the term, they are programmed to accept the player as a visitor from another land or a spiritually touched individual. All reports indicate that the distinction is working very well in beta testing.

  When Sebastian found him, Ezref appeared to be leaning his head against a very clear glass wall. His cheek was smoothed as if it were touching a surface. The lad pulled his head up and looked at Sebastian, squinting.

  Sebastian scanned the rest of the room, taking in the scrolls, vials, and other magic items. Moments passed and nothing attacked. He nodded and retrieved a chair from behind a small desk and dragged it along the stone floor to the black circle where the apprentice stood. Then he sat down, crossed one leg over the other, and smiled. “Hi there.”

  “Hello.”

  “What’s your name?”

  Ezref frowned.

  “You do have a name?”

  “Yes.” His gaze flicked to the door.

  “He’s not coming.”

  “Oh.” A smile touched his lips, then disappeared. “You kill him?”

  “Yes.”

  Ezref laughed. “So quickly?”

  “There was nothing to gain by killing him slow.”

  “His body?”

  Sebastian waved a hand. “Gone.”

  “That’s a shame. You could have used it to create many different spell components. His flesh has been infused with powerful magic for a long time.”

  Sebastian raised one eyebrow. “I didn’t think of that.”

  “How could you not?”

  Sebastian did not answer. Instead he looked around the room once more.

  “Ezref.”

  “What’s that?” Sebastian’s eyes returned to the young man.

  “My name. It’s Ezref.”

  “Ah.”

  “What’s yours?”

  “Sebastian.”

  Ezref leaned forward to bow, but his head banged against the barrier and he scowled. “ It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sebastian. Could I ask a big favour?”

  “You can ask.”

  “Could you let me out of here?”

  “Sure.” He got to his feet.

  “Thank you.” Ezref made certain that his body was not too close to the barrier. He smiled and waited.

  Sebastian stood still, arms hanging at his sides.

  “Well. What are you waiting for?”

  “I’m not sure what to do.”

  Ezref wiggled his fingers. “Magic.”

  Sebastian ran a hand through his hair. “Trust me, kid. You do not want me to throw magic at you.”

  “Not me, the barrier.”

  “Look, there’s no point in lying to you. I’m new at this.”

  “Impossible.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “But you destroyed my mast—”

  “I did.”

  “Then you are powerful.”

  “Yeah.” He frowned. “I’m pretty sure that I am.”

  “Then get rid of this thing.” Ezref rapped a knuckle against the barrier. “It’s a simple spell.”

  “Maybe.”

  “There’s no maybe about it. Come on.”

  “You know a lot of spells, Ezref?”

  The young man frowned. “Of course I do.”

  “How long were you an apprentice here?”

  “Ten years.”

  “So you know quite a bit.”

  “Yes, but I lack the magic.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “My master put a block on me. It prevents me from accessing the source.”

  “Poor fella. That sounds terrible.”

  “What?” He shook his head. “No. That’s standard practise. An apprentice agrees to blocking in exchange for being taught.”

  “Sounds like a crappy deal.”

  “It’s safe. An apprentice able to cast whatever spells they want without supervision from their master is a dangerous thing. No master would teach without blocking the student. This is
basic knowledge.” Ezref frowned. “Even a warrior knows these simple facts. How is it that you do not?”

  “I’m new here.”

  “To this country?”

  “World.”

  “You are a Traveller?” Sebastian nodded and the young man raised his eyebrows. “I cannot recall one of your kind ever arriving with sufficient talent to defeat a wizard, especially a dark master.”

  “I’m different from most.” Sebastian shrugged.

  “That’s an understatement.” Ezref laughed. “For future reference, you shouldn’t admit that to another crafter. To show weakness is to invite attack.”

  “I can protect myself.”

  More laughter. “I know that has to be true. I don’t understand how you can be so powerful one moment, then lack the ability to bring down a simple barrier.”

  “Sorry.”

  Ezref shook his head. “Okay, there must be a way around this.” After a moment, he snapped his fingers and pointed toward a small chest near the far wall. “Open that chest and take out a dark stick.”

  “A wand?”

  “No, a stick.”

  Sebastian walked to the chest, opened it, and withdrew a plain stick with smooth grey bark. “This?”

  “That’s it.”

  “It’s a wand.”

  “Trust me, it’s not. I’ll show you the difference after you let me out.”

  “Okay.” He returned to Ezref and the black circle. “Now what?”

  Ezref turned his back so that they both faced the same direction and raised his right hand. “When I say to, hold the stick in your hand and make this pattern.” He made a slow circular motion, starting at the top and moving counter-clockwise twice before stopping at the top. “Trace two circles in the air, like so, and then tap the barrier lightly with the tip of the stick.”

  “All right.”

  “Wait.” Ezref turned with both hands in front of him, then nodded. “Okay. I wanted to be able to watch you. It’s very important to make the circles in the direction I showed you. And no more than twice. Got it?”

  Sebastian scowled. “It’s pretty simple, kid.”

  “That’s what I said earlier, but you had no clue how to do it.”

  “Point taken.”

  “Okay, then.” Ezref nodded. Sebastian raised the stick in his right hand and moved it in the motion as he’d been shown. When he finished the second rotation, Ezref nodded. “Now tap the barrier.”

  As it made contact, Sebastian felt the stick vibrate. Then there was a faint whoosh.

  Ezref laughed, stepped out of the circle, and flung his arms around the other man. “Thank you so much. I hate cramped spaces. It would have been horrible to die in there.”

  Sebastian pushed the boy away. “Don’t do that.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “What kind of evil apprentice hugs another wizard?”

  Ezref laughed. “The kind that’s happy not to die a horrible and slow death.” He looked around the room, his eyes narrowing. “And where’s this other wizard you speak of? As far as I can tell, there’s just me and a kind middle-aged man who knows less than a newborn babe when it comes to magic.”

  Sebastian’s lips pursed. “That’s the worst thank you I’ve ever heard.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry.” The young man bowed. “The truth is that I am not very good at being evil.”

  “Huh.”

  “Apparently I have the talent inside of me.” He shrugged. “My master assured me that the evil part would emerge over the course of my instruction.”

  “That’s a cheerful thought.”

  Ezref laughed. “Not as bad as staying behind in the village and living out my days as a weaver.” He paused and then his eyebrows furrowed. “Although maybe that’s where I will end up anyway.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, my master is dead. There is no one to teach me how to become a mage.”

  “I can teach you.”

  Ezref laughed.

  “Wait a minute.” Sebastian shook his head. “Hear me out.”

  “Okay.”

  “I need to learn all this.” His hand swept outwards to indicate the charms and artifacts in the room. “How to be a proper wizard.”

  “If you can kill one, I don’t see why you need to learn any more.”

  “Really?” Sebastian frowned. “Is that all you ever wanted to do with magic? Melt a person?”

  “You melted him?”

  “Kind of. No puddle, though. He’s totally gone. My point is, there is much more to magic than being able to kill another.”

  “That’s true.”

  “Well, I don’t know about any of it. And I want to learn.”

  “Then it sounds like you need to find a master to teach you.”

  “I found one.” He smiled and patted the young man on the shoulder.

  “No.”

  “Come on. You teach me the basics and I let you stay here and study. We can both improve our skills together.”

  “I don’t think it could work. There is much that I don’t know.”

  “Then we will bring in another to teach it.”

  Ezref laughed. “That’s not how things work. Magic users guard their secrets jealously. They rarely take an apprentice and when they do, they teach with grudging reluctance. We can’t simply invite a wizard for tea and expect them to teach us their secrets.”

  “Maybe we can.”

  Ezref laughed again and shook his head.

  “Tell you what, stay with me for a while. Teach me what you do know. If I show no improvement, you can leave.”

  The apprentice stroked his chin.

  “Like you said, you don’t have anywhere better to be, right?”

  “No.”

  Sebastian arched one eyebrow and waited.

  “I think I can teach you how to remove my block.”

  “I’m certain you can.”

  “After that, I could share what I’ve learned.”

  “Sounds like we have a deal?” Sebastian extended his hand.

  Ezref paused, licked his lips, then nodded and shook.

  4

  Investors who wish to obtain multiple beta accounts in Blades VR can do so by investing more capital. For every two million dollars contributed to the project, an investor gains access to one beta account.

  Beta account holders will be contacted one month prior to actual immersion in the virtual world of Preu Treya.

  Accounts may be assigned however the investor desires. Looking for the ultimate birthday gift for the teenager who has everything? Consider Blades VR beta!

  ARC Gaming Investor’s Prospectus, Section 127 d) Obtaining a Beta account

  Aleron rolled onto his back and opened his eyes. A shaft of sunlight shone from his bedroom window and touched his neck. He considered pulling the covers over his head and going back to sleep, but instead grabbed his phone and looked at the time.

  “One-thirty.” He groaned and pushed the covers off, sat up, and swung his feet onto the floor. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing stray pieces away from his eyes. “Too late to go to school.” He could still catch last class, but it wasn’t worth the pain. He would have to jog, then sign in late at the office. The thought of having to listen to the secretary, Mrs. Mars, scold him for being late made him want to go back to bed. Then, after all that, he would actually have to sit through the class.

  Typing. Why had he even bothered to sign up for it? Cause I thought it would be easy. He could type, did it for hours every day while playing online games. That’s where he’d messed up, thinking it was just making words from a computer keyboard. Instead, they had to use heavy, old-fashioned machines, doing drills where you would repeat the same word, then type numbers, and then the shift symbols. It hadn’t taken Aleron long to hate the course. And then there was testing yourself on how many words per minute you could type. To him that meant typing a bunch of words and seeing how long it took. Apparently, that wasn’t how it went in the old
days. Instead, they spent their time first typing, followed by taking the pages (yes, they typed on paper!) and counting the mistakes before subtracting that number from the total words that you had muddled through. Or at least it was something like that, he couldn’t remember.

  “Waste of time,” he grumbled. “Not going.”

  His decision made, Aleron stood and went to use the bathroom. After that, he went downstairs, made a cup of coffee, toasted and buttered a cinnamon raisin bagel, and returned to his bedroom to boot up The Blades of Verchinor on his computer. While the loading bar filled, he opened his chat program. A familiar name was already present in the private channel. He put his headphones on and clicked on the name to enter the chat room.

  “Good morning.” With a grin, he brought up the Game. Inside the world of Preu Treya, his avatar sat in a dimly lit tavern. Across from him sat a female Night Elf. Pointy ears poked out through the avatar’s shoulder-length red curly hair tinged with forest green. Her body was fit and shapely, covered in pale green and brown leather armour with a hint of thin chainmail that announced she belonged to the Ranger class.

  The avatar raised one hand and waved. “Finally.” A female voice spoke in his earphones. “I was afraid you had actually gone to school and I would miss you.”

  Aleron laughed and reached for his coffee. “Morning, Shale.”

  “Afternoon here.”

  “Yeah.” He took a sip and brought up a mini map in the top left corner of his screen. “No school for me, today.”

  “Then what took you so long to log in?”

  “Sleep.”

  Laughter. “Getting old?”

  “No. Maybe. I was tired after we got done raiding. It was five a.m. here when I finally logged out.”

  “And you slept ‘til one. That’s eight hours.”

  “Damn, you’re right.” He was normally good with five or six. “Sometimes it catches up to me and I crash.”

  “I hear you. Same happens to me.” The tone in her voice became playful. “That mean you’re good to go for a long session today?”

  He smiled. “Absolutely.”

  “That’s a shame. It’ll have to be without me.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve gotta log off soon.”

  “No. Why?”

  “Real life.”

  “But we were gonna try and get you the Corsair’s Jacket.”