Riley was enjoying the bus ride back with his friends until they got off at stops of their own, leaving him alone with just Franz who got off the stop after himself. “Hey Franz. What is your character’s name? I just realized that you and Gert never said your character names.” Franz stopped a moment to think. “Oh, yea. I guess we didn’t. I don’t know Gert’s character, but mine is named Delric.” Riley looked at him confused. “You didn’t give yourself a family name? Isn’t that a dead giveaway? I thought that you couldn’t be of noble blood if you didn’t have a family name.” Franz smiled at Riley in the annoying way he does when he knows something the other doesn’t. “That only applies to the NPCs. Players, or adventurers as we are often referred to as, don’t need family to gain status. We gain status through fame and reputation. The more of each you have, the more people might recognize and respect you.” Riley nodded. “That makes sense I guess. To bad I’m not a reputation grinder, but that sounds like it fits you perfectly. I better start hearing about your courtly dealings in the upcoming months. With your obsession with how people see you, I doubt you will stay in the bottom rungs of the societal ladder for long.”

Franz checked his own palm drive to check the progress to the next stop then asked Riley, “So, What do you plan on doing once you get back online? You logged out right in front of the dojo from the crazy lady, right? Do you even know where you are at in town?” “Nah, not a clue. On the way there, the loli bitch was dragging my face through the dirt, and I was so exhausted when I finished I logged out of the game with my face in the dirt as well. All I really know is that it seemed like I was being dragged longer than it should have been if it was just for going through town. As fast as she was running in her excitement to torment me, I’ll bet I logged out just outside of town. Hopefully I won’t be too far from the walls.” Franz pondered Riley’s predicament during the brief silence until the two of them heard an ominous rumble outside. Franz looked out the window and cursed. “Shit, a big storm is rolling in. Now I’m gonna have to run through the rain once I get off the bus.” Riley leaned over his friend to get a look at the dark thunderheads rolling in the barely visible sky overhead. “It’s a good thing most of the towers have lightning rods on the roof. My Brother said it’s dangerous working in construction during thunderstorms because these buildings constantly encourage lightning bolts to strike them because they are so close to the clouds that form the storm.” Just then Riley received a notification from his palm drive that they were arriving at his stop. Sure enough, he saw his stop approaching from the window. Waving goodbye to Franz Riley stepped off the bus and made his way back to his apartment tower. Rain started pouring suddenly just as he got to his apartment Riley checked a message he just got during the 4 minute elevator ride to his floor and saw it was from his brother.

“I got home early today and figured I could make your favorite dinner. The Ribs and bacon are already marinated and baking in the oven. I Used the special honey pepper blended BBQ sauce you like so much.”

As Riley finished reading that message he jumped for joy. It’s been months since Evan last made his special ‘Honey pepper BBQ bacon ribs’. He had been planning on making a quick sandwich before jumping into Dreamscape again but this changes EVERYTHING!!! He ran down the hallway as soon as the elevator opened and fumbled with his keycard before finally opening the door and storming into the apartment. “Where the hell is this wonderful brother of mine and why the hell aren’t my damn ribs finished yet!” Riley heard a clatter of metal and some cussing followed by “Damnit Riley! Don’t scare me like that! Now I have to clean the damn knives again!” Riley walked around the corner leading to the kitchen with a shit eating grin on his face. “Hey! How bout I give you a big ol kiss to make up for it!” Evan made a mock face of disgust. “Uggh no way! I don’t want your nasty cooties all over my handsome face.” Riley rolled his eyes. “Puuh-leaase! If your face was any more ‘Handsome’ The pigs would have died of fright long before they were butchered if they found out their delicious bacon was going to feed you.” Riley took a good look at the kitchen. He was sure if he had come in just 10 minutes earlier, it would have looked like a hurricane had just blown through the kitchen. Evan was an absolute neatfreak and may have been a good cook, but every time you mix Evan and food ingredients together, a mess is guaranteed. Even now, He saw that Evan hadn’t had a chance to remove and clean the apron he always wore as “protection” because it was drenched in BBQ sauce and other mystery stains. Seeing me eyeball his apron Evan blushed a bit. “W-well, I just put the ribs in the oven. I was just about finished cleaning and was fixing to clean my apron. Dinner won’t be done for another 90 minutes.” Riley laughed at Evan’s outlandish statement. “There is no way you are getting those stains out of that apron. Just give up and end the poor things misery.” Evan looked down at the sad state of his cooking armor. “It’s not THAT bad, is it?” Riley walked over and poked Evan in the chest. “That apron is so dirty you might need to make a blood sacrifice to the patron god of laundry to get the stains out.” After a long sigh Evan removed the apron and handed it to Riley whom promptly balled it up and threw it into the trash. After performing a sermon for the piece of cloth that fought so bravely against such overwhelming odds, Riley Turned once again towards Evan, who was barely keeping a smile from his face at his little brother’s antics. “So, how long did you say dinner would take?” With pursed lips, Evan managed to reply calmly enough. “A-About an hour and a half.” Evan took a deep breath and mastered the giggles that threatened to overwhelm him. “You can play for a while in the game to pass the time, but don’t be late for dinner. I put a lot of effort into this and will be upset if you miss out on it.” Riley couldn’t help but laugh right back. “Ha! The only way I would miss out on an epic dinner like this is if I was dead! Even then, I would fight my way back from the grave! Nothing shall stop me from enjoying a meal like this!” With that said, Riley turned around and marched into his room. After dropping his bag on his bed he climbed into the Virtuo pod and booted up the game.

The first thing that I noticed when I came to, was the taste of dirt. Ahhh, such a familiar thing, yet it brings back bitter memories. I spit out the granules of sediment from my tongue and stand up to take in my surroundings. I am surrounded by the forest canopy on all sides. All sides, except of course right behind me where the dojo is. Shivering I push down the memories that are still very fresh. After taking in my surroundings, one fact makes itself VERY apparent. “Where the fuck am I?!” I stand there long moments debating on whether or not it would be worth asking Dali for directions back to town. I’m sure I could find my way back to town eventually. I just need to get a sense of where I am in the forest. How hard could that be?... Still It wouldn’t hurt to ask. Mustering up the courage, I turn and step towards the dojo. I open the door and peek insi- “Well if it isn’t my favorite apprentice! Back for round two alre-” I close the door and walk away from the dojo. I glance up into the sky and grimace when I see that the sun has almost set and I only have an hour or two of daylight. “Well, no point in stalling. The sooner I get going, the sooner I get out of here.” After saying that, I realize that I’m feeling pretty hungry as well. “Guess I should probably hunt some food too.” Instead of wasting time worrying about which is the right direction, I pick a random direction and walk into the woods.

While walking I pay attention to any signs of wildlife, hoping to find a trail I could follow without much trouble. After some time I spot some rubbing from a young buck on a tree where it had rubbed the bark off with it’s antlers. I search the area around the tree and quickly find a trail to follow. I take a deep breath and with my enhanced sense of smell, I catch a faint trace of the animal. Hmm… seems a few hours old. Shouldn’t be to hard to find. Looks like it’s heading off to the east. After stringing my bow, I carefully crept forward striving to remain silent and vigilant as I begin stalking my prey. The going is difficult at first since the underbrush is somewhat thick, but the buck eventually gets to a game trail and starts following the path through the forest making travel much easier for me. I am careful to occasionally sniff the air and listen for any unusual sounds though, to make sure I am still on the buck’s trail and the occasional hoofprint provides reassuring evidence as well. I also pay attention to any slight noises that might hint at incoming danger. There may still be light, but it is quickly vanishing and the hunters of the night are just now starting to wake. It isn’t long before I hear the howl of a wolf, but it is miles away and I’m not worried about it finding me.

Suddenly, the wind shifts and starts blowing towards me and it brings a much stronger scent of the buck I am hunting. I Immediately freeze and take stock of my surroundings and only start moving when I am sure the buck isn’t nearby and able to see me. After another 40 yards I reach the edge of a clearing. I don’t break cover, but instead carefully observe the area. Slowly easing myself forwards until I am able to see my target. The buck is settled down in the grass bedding for the night. I take the time to stab an arrow into the ground, ready to be snatched and fired in case I don’t get an immediate kill shot. Once preparations are ready I nock my second arrow to my bow and carefully pull the string taut sighting down the shaft. I ease my breathing then let the shaft fly. It impacts the deer’s chest with a dull meaty thud. The deer startles and immediately jumps up to it’s feet with the adrenaline rush and stumbles a few steps before collapsing again, legs thrashing in the air wildly. I sling my bow to my back as I sprint towards the deer and quickly draw my dagger. I pounce on the helpless beast and quickly saw the knife back and forth across its throat. Blood pours from the wound forming bloody bubbles as the deer gasps it’s final breaths. When the heavy spurts of blood become a slow trickle and its eyes glaze over I know it has finally died.

I release the tension in my body and take in my surroundings to make sure I’m alone. It’s then that I discover that I, in fact, am not alone. At the edge of the clearing stands a large black cat. It stands at about 4 feet at its shoulders and is staring at me intently. I panic for a moment before I remember one of the features of the beast kin being a neutral disposition towards beasts they resemble. Being a cat kin, I am quick to jump on the opportunity of NOT losing reputation with the animals. I carefully stand up and hold my hands out to my sides to show I am unarmed. “I apologize great hunter, I did not realize you were hunting this prey as well. I am willing to let you have the kill and resume my hunt elsewhere if you wish.” After a moment’s pause, it leaves the forest’s cover and approaches me in the center of the clearing. I slowly back away from the deer and am careful not to make sudden movements but stop at about 20 feet away from it. The cat approaches the deer and inspects the kill. Now that the cat is in direct moonlight, I can get a better look at it.

Shadow Stalker Panther- These large cats are dangerous hunters. They are able to blend almost perfectly with the shadows and stalk their prey until an opportunity to strike presents itself

After reading the description of it I take a closer look at the panther. I can clearly see most of it’s body but where ever it’s legs are caught in the shadow of it’s own body, the outer edges become indistinguishable from the shadows themselves. If he didn’t know they were there, he would say the cat was gliding on shadows. The cat sniffs the arrow in the deer’s chest and looks at me. It almost seems to be… glaring at me? Acting on intuition I bow to the cat. “I’m sorry if the way I killed it seemed dishonorable. I am not a powerful hunter like yourself so I need every advantage I can get.” When I look up the cat is still staring at me, but the intensity of its glare seemed to have lessened. Just then a window popped up right in front of me.

Quest: Honor among hunters

The Shadow Stalker Panther is dissatisfied with the methods you used to kill your prey. He wishes to show you how to hunt with honor. Follow the panther and learn the ways of the hunt.

Quest type: Rare

Difficulty: B

Conditions for failure: Fail to satisfy the Panther enough during the hunt. Use your Bow at any time.

Penalties for Failure: You will become the prey. Reputation lost with feline beasts.

Rewards: Reputation gained with feline beasts.

My eyes widen in surprise at the unexpected quest. I couldn’t help but smile at the opportunity. I accept the quest and face the panther. “I would be honored to learn the proper ways to hunt.” The panther glances meaningfully at the corpse at its feet. Oh right. I shouldn’t let this go to waste. The cat waits patiently as I skin the deer and harvest the meat from it for cooking later when I have a chance. I offer the heart to the cat and after a moment of hesitation it accepts the offering and eats it while I use a water skin to wash the blood from my hands. Once finished, I nod at the cat to signify that I was ready. The cat’s eyes go unfocused for a moment and then a window pops up in front of me. “Shadow Stalker Panther has invited you to a party” I hesitate for a moment because I never expected a mob could invite players to groups but accept the invitation anyways. A small window indicating its health appears in the corner of my vision and I get a sudden wave of emotions that I realize is coming from the cat. Impatience, hunger, excitement. I guess it’s ready to hunt. Without further delay the two of us leave the clearing in search of new prey.

It isn’t long before I smell something new. A musky odor. After a moment of thinking the image of a wild boar springs into my head. At the same time I feel the cat’s thoughts. Hungry. Prey. Hunt. Eat. We silently follow this new trail and eventually come upon the target. A large boar is rooting around the forest loam but it isn’t alone. There are 5 other pigs in the same area. We sit there for a few minutes observing them. The cat’s thoughts direct me towards a hog closer to us than the others are, and I see it’s back left leg bent in an unnatural way. hunt weak, easy kill, no see, no die. I take a moment to translate his broken thoughts. Go for the weakest prey, since it’s the easiest… no see… Stay hidden? No die… don’t die. Oh! Don’t let them see me until I attack or I might die. I nod to myself and look around the area for a means of approach. As my gaze wanders upwards, I notice how the trees branches almost interlock from tree to tree. I look to the cat and see that it sat down to get more comfortable and is watching me. I guess I’m doing this alone. I look one more time at the pigs among the tree to make sure none are looking this way and I dig my claws into the truck of the tree I was hiding behind and climb upwards. Once I’m in the branches I start moving from tree to tree, being very careful to stay on the thickest branches to avoid any unnecessary shaking of the limbs. I use hunter’s focus and carefully pay attention to the prey as we both move. As I get closer to my target I move more and more smoothly. The leaves no longer shiver, the branches only sway with the wind and my target remains blissfully unaware as I approach a tree directly over it. It took a good 10 minutes to move the 50 feet or so but it was worth the wait and as I poise myself over my target I find my center of balance. I have long since forgotten about other pigs among the trees. I tense my body in preparation to strike. The wind shifts and seems to be enough to bring my scent to my prey. It looks up suddenly alert for danger, but it is too late. I pounce, dagger ready.

The pig screams as I land on its body and my weight topples it to the ground. Without hesitation I drive my dagger up behind its front leg towards it’s heart. I feel the throb of the heart against the tip of my dagger. Hammering itself against the tip, tearing itself apart even as the organ struggles to pump the blood to keep the pig alive. The animal thrashes on the ground struggling to stand on its feet again, but with its lame limb pinned against the ground it doesn’t have the leverage to right itself. Within a few seconds the thrashing slows down until its struggles finally cease. I sit there a moment to shocked to think that it was over already. Once I gather my wits I look up to see the panther sitting right next to me. There is no condescension in it’s eyes now. I stand up and back away from the boar and bow to the large cat. “I thank you for the chance to learn. Please accept this prey as my thanks.” The cat continues to stare a moment longer then starts tearing hungrily into the carcass, seeking to sate its hunger.

Quest complete: Honor among hunters

You have impressed the Shadow Stalker Panther with your tactics during the hunt.

Reward: Increased reputation with feline beasts. Increased reputation with this Shadow Stalker Panther. Your Reputation with this Shadow Stalker Panther has risen to friendly.

My own stomach grumbles reminding of my own appetite and I walk a few yards away and start making a cookfire. The cat watches me as I go about my task. I get the fire going and bring out some of the deer meat I have carved from the young buck earlier and spit a few chunks of meat on a stick. Then I position the meat over the fire by jabbing the sticks into the ground. 10 minutes later I enjoy my meal of roasted venison and release a sigh of satisfaction once I finish it. I glance at my internal clock and have a near panic attack. “Shit! The ribs!” I stand up and quickly bow to the cat. “Thank you for the quest. I will never forget what you showed me. I must go now to my own world. Safe hunting.” The cat only stops tearing into the flesh of the pig long enough to nod at me in appreciation but quickly goes back to its meal. I bring up the menu and log out of the game.

Riley opens the Virtuo pod as soon as the seal releases and he jumps out and runs down the short hallway towards the kitchen just in time to see Evan setting the tray piled high with ribs onto the table. “Ha! Just in time! I was afraid I would have to start beating on the lid to get you to come out of there.” Evan grinned at Riley as he grabs two plates for the both of them. “There is no way you could stop me from eating dinner tonight” Riley said as he sat down at the table. “Enough chit chat! Lets eat some fucking ribs!”

Riley and Evan both start digging into the meal. The ribs melt in the mouth with the juicy bacon exploding with flavor. That alone would be an excellent meal, but all that is only enhanced even more by the BBQ sauce spread over everything. The sweet and savory flavor is accented perfectly by spicy kick that comes in moments later. The spicy heat is almost overwhelming until you take another bite, the sweet flavor of the honey mixed in with the sauce immediately cools the mouth and quenches the spicy peppers that were burning your mouth only moments ago. As if to counteract that the peppery aftertaste kicks in again and forces you to take in another mouthwatering bite. It is like a rollercoaster of pain and pleasure. The sweet and spicy perfectly balancing each other even as the ribs and bacon join the medley of tastes.

Riley is in heaven with the delicious meal and it’s a struggle to stop eating even as his stomach feels like it’s going to pop if he ate one more bite, but stop he does. Once the two of them finish eating Riley helps Evan with the dishes even though there were only two plates and glasses for drinks. No utensils, because who in their right mind eats ribs with a knife and fork?! Once the kitchen is cleaned, Riley gives Evan a big hug. “Thanks so much for that Evan! You’re the best bro ever!” Evan couldn’t keep the happy grin off his face. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Riley let go of Evan then and started blushing furiously. “That was a bro hug! Just so you know! Nothing girly about it. I’m gonna go back and play some more Dreamscape. Good night Evan.” Evan smiled even more. “Good night Riley, have fun.” With that said, Riley dashed off to his room to log back into Dreamscape online. Evan walked into the living room and turned on the Holo screen to see what was on. When the screen activated it was on the weather channel.

“There is a lot of rain due for tonight, expect plenty of electrical strikes in the area as we-”

*click*

“Get your own Robo-Pet toda-”

*click*

“-ere was another attack in the southeast district last night. A person was found stabbed to dea-”

*click*

“-AT THE 40’s, THE 30’s, THE 20’s, TOUCHDOOOOWWWNNN!!!”

Evan brightened up once he found the channel he was looking for. “Alright! Just in time. I was afraid I was gonna miss the game!” Evan got comfortable and enjoyed his favorite past time. Sports.