Chapter 41 - Traveler Con (Part Two).

The next morning, Søren, Neeka, and Sehro met in a disused storage building in the abandoned section of the settlement. They had brought with them a few baskets of food, some jugs of water, and blankets to sit on after clearing some debris away from the center of the room. Neeka checked the perimeter one last time before settling down, cross-legged, on a blanket across from Søren and Sehro. Søren had his head buried in his interface while Sehro stared vacantly out a crack in the remaining part of a wall that had tumbled down some years past.

"I've set up a queue for several build projects around the settlement," Søren said to start. "The walls and some platforms for sentries spaced along the top as well as a watchtower near the Waystone. There's an agriculture project that could help provide a long term source of food for the settlement instead of relying on hunting and gathering, but we need to acquire enough crop seeds to lay out the initial farm. It will require clearing some land north of here, but that's something to look at later."

Søren got Sehro's attention and looked him straight in the eye.

"So, what happened?"

Sehro took a deep breath and exhaled before speaking. "After getting eaten by the Monarch, I found myself in a black void. No body. Just thought. And one of your floating blue windows you have described to us before. It said that I was champion of Caisleán. That I had died without binding and gave me the option to wait or to replay the Tutorial while I waited. I recalled your description of what you called a Tutorial and decided it was better than waiting."

"I hope your experience with it was better than mine," Søren commented as he picked up a small, wriggling grub from the bowl in front of him. He closed his eyes and popped the squirming insect into his mouth and chewed. The tiny legs scrabbled against the roof of his mouth and back of his lips before going still a few moments later as he bit down and crushed it between his teeth. The meaty flavor was reminiscent of a blend of mushroom and chicken. The mouthfeel had taken some getting used to. Closing his eyes before taking a bite seemed to help. Søren would have preferred venison, but the meat was still being processed by the villagers and these grubs were a traditional breakfast for the Fuerven.

"I think your Tutorial was broken," Sehro said. He tossed a grub from the bowl between them into his mouth and swallowed it nearly whole after two bites that snapped audibly, his head jerking sideways a bit with each snap. "I started at the Ring Gate and your Guide showed me into a room filled with many tables covered in wondrous devices. It wouldn't let me touch any of them and directed me to a table where it changed what was on top after scanning me. Told me I was a hunter, but also had the option to be an assassin."

"An assassin?" Neeka asked. "I do not know that word."

Søren frowned and then carefully spoke, "The word is familiar to me. Assassins are killers. They use stealth, poison, a variety of sneaky and underhanded ways to kill. They often hire themselves out to do these deeds. Taking out officers in an opposing army or political leaders. Here though, I think you can make it what you want. You don't have to be a killer for hire."

Neeka and Sehro had both recoiled at Søren's description of assassins.

"They sound like warriors that fight dirty," Neeka said.

"There's a saying where I come from. All's fair in love and war. Another one is that if you're not cheating, you're not trying hard enough. Essentially the ends justify the means when it comes to killing," Søren explained. "There are some lines I won't cross, but if I can take out a proven enemy before they threaten me or my family and friends, I'm going to do it."

"You see that in nature," Sehro said. Neeka nodded and hissed in agreement. "Creatures will do whatever it takes to live. Even slaughtering and eating the young of their competition, or their own. I believe that is one of those lines you speak of, that I won't cross. Ever since dying and going through the Tutorial, my mind feels, free. Before, I always knew exactly what I would do no matter what. Now, I wrestle with who I am and what to do."

"I think I might know why," Søren said quietly. "Neeka would feel this freedom as well I believe. This world, I think it was created as a game, for Travelers, visitors from other planets. Your people were created as part of this world, to be friends or enemies to the Travelers. Part of that was programming, commands in your mind to make you behave certain way, such as when a mission is completed and a Traveler gains reputation. The higher their reputation, the more you trust them, even if you've never met them before."

Neeka watched Sehro, seeing the play of emotions across his features as he processed what he had just learned.

"That makes sense," Sehro said. "You showed up and despite being a stranger to us, I wanted to trust and to help you. I don't feel that now. Instead, it is akin to knowing someone and earning that trust. Even if you did fail to save me from being eaten." Sehro laughed, his mouth open slightly and hissing.

"Hey, I tried," Søren protested. "I really did, you know. I'm sorry. I should have just killed the Monarch instead of trying to free you."

"It's ok Søren. You did everything you could."

"Doesn't feel like enough," Søren said.

"It's done and behind us. Don't let it weigh you down," Sehro said softly to Søren. "It may have been for the better, since now I am a Traveler like you two." Sehro grinned, splitting his gaze between Neeka and Søren.

"Søren and I have decided that we're going to help the people here. Give them the tools and training to defend themselves and grow in strength and size. Then we're going to explore this world and see if we can find a way for Søren to return home."

Sehro sat quietly for a moment, his body absolutely still. Then he lifted his head and eyes to Søren. "I would join you if you would have me, Søren. You've proven to be a friend and ally of my people. Of my friends and my family. If I can return that favor and help you back to yours, I would do so."

"I think I speak for Neeka when I say that we would appreciate your company," Søren said. He reached out and took Sehro's hands in his.

"Søren is right," Neeka interjected. "You are most welcome to travel with us, but I should warn you that the road will likely be long and dangerous."

"I've died once already and now I'm a Traveler," Sehro said, grinning. "The Chorus should worry about us instead. Speaking of the Chorus, I haven't reached that part of the Tutorial yet. Though I do not believe it was intended to be part of the experience."

"I've heard about two different groups, both using the name Chorus. I had a cutscene ... " Søren trailed off seeing the blank looks on his companion's faces. " ... a story with sound and moving pictures, that told me about the Chorus rising up and casting down the Gods, but I think they were part of the Collective. The faction that has corrupted this world with the Hordelings and who knows what else. And then there was the company that created all this, called Chorus Entertainment Incorporated. A corporation is like a merchant or peddler, but many thousands or more people working together.

Something went wrong, over eight hundred years ago. The Guide said there was a Merge and it might be why Gate travel to and from this world is shut down. Maybe there was a virus and the Atlanteans were worried it would spread. I'm supposed to find Athena in a haven and she will help me somehow and unblock some memories or information I should have."

"Haven? Long ago, before the Scrappers moved into the north, there were peddlers that would bring interesting stories from further north of a settlement of many races called Haven. It has been many generations since a peddler from anywhere visited our village though. The world has only grown more dangerous and its peoples more isolated as the years have passed," Neeka shared.

"My grandmother mentioned her father buying a metal tools from a traveling merchant," Sehro said. "That was so long ago, but we still have those tools in our family."

"We have a direction now," Søren said, "but unfortunately it sounds like we have to go through these Scrappers to get there and deal with the Chorus threatening us. Speaking of that, sorry Sehro. We keep getting off track."

Sehro laughed. "No, it's ok. A good story takes time to tell and may wander down paths not yet tread. As I said before, your experience in the Tutorial seems very different from mine. The Guide was helpful and I could take my time at each section. I didn't see any broken or destroyed areas either and I was able to activate some training scenarios based on rank."

"That certainly sounds more interesting than my own experience," Søren said, a frown on his face.

"I decided to take a break and that's when I heard the voices in my head. It was like a cacophony of hundreds of people talking at the same time. The pressure on my mind was immense. That's when the Eyes of the Devourer told me I had to join the Chorus or people would suffer. It was fortunate you completed the resurrection shard when you did. I don't know what I would have done if I had to bear that pain any longer."

"We'll figure this mystery out at some point," Søren said. "I just hope it's not too late to stop whatever is happening."

The door to the storage building swung open and slammed against the wall. Dust drifted down from the rafters above and a section of the thatched roof slid free. Torza had struck the door with her cane and now held it brandished in front of her with both hands. Behind her a crowd of adults were trying to wrangle a dozen hatchlings together. The little ones were laughing, shouting, and giggling as they chased each other around, one of whom was on fire and another was flying around with a rope attached to its waist. A frantic looking adult held tightly to the other end of the rope, both eyes on their hatchling.

"What did you do?!" shouted an angry Torza.

Søren's face fell and his eyes went wide.

"Oh shit."