Eric woke up the next morning with a full stomach and a broad smile. Kaden and Finley shared some stiff beverages around the fire the night before, and Eric fell into a deep sleep after plenty of laughing with friends and comrades. He was thankful for the quick recovery of his virtual body and felt completely rested and renewed from the previous day’s battle and heavy drinking.

Eric looked up at the blue sky with rolling clouds and soaked in the beauty. He noticed the familiar blinking icon in the corner of his vision and remembered he had gained another level and had unallocated attributes to distribute. He had been too caught up in the excitement of the previous day to focus on where to distribute the all-important attribute points and put it off until he was more clear headed.

Eric browsed thoughtfully through his character page before dropping the available points into Intellect and Wisdom bringing his totals high enough to equip his new ring providing him with the attractive loot drop bonus. He smiled wickedly to himself thinking about how incredible the ring would prove to be as he continued to fight monsters and search for valuable treasures. He looked over his updated character sheet and was pleased with his quick progress.

CharacterName: Eric ShadowsparkRace: HumanSub-Race: SwiftswornLevel: 12Experience: 2,400/6,700 Satiety: 94/100Fame: 380Leadership: 22Competence: StrengthHealth: 264/264 - Regeneration: 26.4/HourMana: 110/110 - Regeneration: 11/HourStamina: 315/315 - Regeneration 31.5/Hour

Attributes (0 Points Unallocated)Strength: 65 (6.5)Intellect: 11Agility: 20Vitality: 24 (2.4)Wisdom: 11Dexterity: 30 (1.5)

Eric rose to his feet with a light stretch before he saw Clarke and Cattie chatting nearby and walked over to join them.

“Morning,” Eric said with a smile as he approached.

Cattie’s face brightened when she saw him approaching. “Good morning! I didn’t know if you were ever going to wake up,” she said while poking his side playfully.

Clarke returned Eric’s smile and stated, “We were about to have to send Liam’s familiar to wake you up.”

“At least you weren’t going to send Jax,” Eric replied with a grin.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Eric heard Jax say from behind him. Jax wrapped him in a loose headlock and chuckled.

Eric struggled against him for a moment before Jax let him go and everyone laughed at their antics, the both of them included.

“So what’s the plan? Is everyone leaving soon?” Eric asked after recovering from Jax’s headlock and giving him a light shove.

“That’s what we were just discussing. Finley and Kaden left earlier this morning hoping to get a head start on catching up with the allied rangers to the south. I am ready to go when you are,” Clarke replied.

Eric nodded, not seeing any reason to delay their departure further. “I guess we are burning daylight as it is. Let’s get going!” he said.

Farewells only took a few minutes as they gathered their remaining supplies. The group exchanged hugs and said their goodbyes. Cattie gripped Eric tightly for an extra moment before they split with awkward smiles and turned away from each other. Clarke and Eric were on the trail back to the main road to Drail by mid-morning. He hoped to avoid trouble on their way back to the city and was already keeping a vigilant eye out for anything unusual.

The morning passed uneventfully with small talk passing between Clarke and Eric about their past lives. Eric learned he and Clarke grew up in similar situations. Clarke had also escaped to Teurilia for a chance to do more with his life than watch the world crumble. They discussed their decision to choose a ranged specialization and Clarke’s desire to pursue the opportunities to join the kingdom’s military as a commander to oversee a legion of troops one day.

The companions stopped for a light lunch at a rock outcropping that overlooked a stunning view of rolling hills with waving grass and scattered trees. The road toward Drail was visible near the horizon due to a light dust hanging loosely in the air indicating recent activity. Eric soaked in the sunlight and felt the warmth on his skin causing a content smile to spread across his face. He sat in silence with Clarke while taking the breathtaking view after eating his fill.

Eric took a deep breath before rising to his feet, sharing an understanding look with Clarke as they continued their trek. Eric was thankful they didn’t run into any trouble and by late afternoon they had reached the evenly packed dirt roadway that led back to Drail.

“We’ve made good time so far,” Eric said casually to Clarke as they fell into step eastward.

“Yea, I just can’t wait until I can afford a mount. As much as I enjoy the great outdoors, it would be nice to be able to get around a little faster. The designers didn’t hold back on realism between areas that is for sure,” Clarke replied thoughtfully.

“Yea! A mount would be incredibly useful,” Eric said energetically, thinking about how much time it would save them. “I will have to check that out once I get back to the city.”

“Good luck, I’ve heard the mounts are ungodly expensive for most players this early. Not to mention the supply is so limited since there aren’t many established breeders in the area,” Clarke said bringing Eric back to reality.

“I’ll have to ask Flynn. Maybe he knows of a better way to find one,” Eric said with a smile. He knew Flynn would be anxious to put him back to work once he reported back in and the least he could do was help me get around faster.

“Let me know how that goes,” Clarke responded with a smirk.

Eric chuckled knowing his description of Flynn had been harsh at best. The two warriors continued their march toward the capital, and Eric added getting a mount to his ever growing list of things to look into whenever he had extra time.

After walking for a couple miles, Eric was shaken out of his thoughts by a figure quickly approaching ahead. Clarke had already noticed the figure and was immediately on alert. As easy going as their trip had been up to that point, they were both well aware of the threats of monsters and bandits when traveling between settlements.

Eric equipped Shadowspark and nocked an arrow in preparation for any threats. He looked up to see the figure appeared to be slowing down as it grew closer. The movement suddenly stopped completely, and the figure collapsed onto the road ahead.

Eric glanced to Clarke. Clarke shrugged and said, “I guess we should check it out. We don’t have Liam here to patch you up again though so take it slow. No telling what we might be walking into.”

Eric nodded in agreement, and they tensely proceeded, keeping their eyes sharp on any other movement ahead or nearby. It didn’t take them long to identify the figure as an injured child. It was a young boy that looked no older than twelve or thirteen, but they still approached carefully.

“I’ll go check on the boy, I can’t help feel like this might be a trap, but I can’t leave him there to suffer. You should get off the road and scout ahead. Send me a message if you spot anything of concern,” Eric said with a worried look towards Clarke.

“Okay, be careful,” he replied flatly before dashing off the road and into the loose forest of trees lining the road to their left.

Eric was thankful one side of the road was open terrain that couldn’t easily hide enemies, but the forest that grew along the other side of the road was of concern. It could conceal an unknown number of enemies. He cautiously proceeded towards the injured boy and spotted a thick blood stain forming on the boy’s cloth shirt under his left arm. Eric felt anger start to grow in him after seeing the level of pain on the young boy’s face.

He kneeled down and immediately pulled out bandages and a health potion to treat the deep wound on the boy’s side. The boy’s breathing was heavy and inconsistent, and Eric realized time was of the essence. He quickly wrapped the wound tightly with bandages to stop the bleeding and poured the health potion into the boy’s gasping mouth, ensuring not a single drop was wasted. The potion had an immediate effect, and the boy’s face started to return some color. Eric sighed at the sight knowing the boy would have likely died if he hadn’t been around to help.

The world of Teurilia was beautiful and amazing, but the brutality and cruel death of the world Eric left was still present. Although death wasn’t permanent for players it still appeared all too real for the NPCs and the pain to an innocent boy was difficult for Eric to watch regardless of the circumstances. He sent a quick message to Clarke and checked his immediate surroundings. Nightfall was quickly approaching.

Eric looked back down and saw the boy’s eyes were open, and he was watching him intently. The boy had calm gray eyes and a mat of blonde hair mixed with blood and dirt. Eric gave him a gentle smile and said, “Hey there. My name’s Eric, and you are going to be just fine. What’s your name?”

The boy looked hesitant for a moment before speaking. “Err-win. I’m Erwin”, he mumbled quietly.

“It’s nice to meet you, Erwin. Unfortunately, we need to get off the road and find somewhere safe for the night. I’m going to help you get back on your feet nice and easy now,” Eric said calmly.

Eric wrapped his arm around Erwin’s shoulder and slowly lifted him to his feet. He supported most of the small boy’s weight, but a small gasp of pain escaped Edwin as he steadied himself for a moment. The two headed toward the tree line at a slow pace making it to the edge of the road after several weary steps.

Eric suddenly received an urgent message from Clarke, “We have a problem. I’ve spotted half a dozen bandits, and I think they are looking for that kid. There could be more, but I’m pulling back to your position so we can face them together. We don’t have much time.”

His face hardened, and he increased their pace knowing time was running short. As they entered the forest, Eric noticed a small alcove of trees a few dozen meters ahead. He didn’t see any better options so he gently lifted Erwin into his arms and dashed off toward the alcove. He found a small gap between the tightly gathered trees and slipped in between them. He was greeted with darkness from the thick shadows and paused a moment to allow his eyes to adjust.

Eric spotted a small bare section against a thin tree trunk and slowly set Erwin against the tree. He looked down and saw Erwin’s eyes were struggling to hold back tears. Eric gave him his best reassuring smile and said, “Stay strong. Your journey is just beginning.”

Eric pulled out a spare dagger from his inventory and rested the shaft under the shaken boy’s hand. “Keep this safe for me. I will be back shortly and have some dinner,” Eric finished saying before turning and slipping out of the hideout.

“Tha—thank you,” Eric heard Erwin whisper as he ducked back into the forest.

Eric hastily sent Clarke a message to fill him in on his situation and was re-armed with Shadowspark in the blink of an eye. He didn’t know what to expect from the bandits and needed to find Clarke as quickly as possible so they could figure out how to proceed. He saw a flicker of light in the distance and then rough voices were audible. The bandits were closer than he expected and he was able to catch pieces of their crude conversation. He ducked behind a tree nearby and scanned the area for any sign of Clarke.

Eric finally spotted Clarke in the shadow of a thick tree with twisted branches about fifty meters away from his position. He was well positioned and facing away from the bandit’s line of sight. Eric and Clarke met eyes and simply nodded as they both nocked arrows. The noise of the bandits increased as they approached Eric’s position and he was thankful for their unorganized and careless approach, clearly not expecting any resistance.

Eric focused on the approaching sounds while layering Shadow enchantment onto his arrow to prepare a stealthy volley, hoping to stay hidden after his first attack. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes waiting for his moment to strike. After several seconds, he heard a deep voice laugh out sharply, and Eric’s eyes snapped open. In the same moment, he pivoted his body around the tree and released his prepared arrow directly toward the sound.

The arrow disappeared into the shadow streaked forest and Eric turned back behind the tree he was using for cover before he could witness the results. All he heard was a stark grunt and immediate silence of all the other voices. Eric glanced over to Clarke position and saw he was nocking a second arrow. Eric followed his lead and started to prepare another Shadow arrow while peeking around the tree trunk and discovering two of the bandits lying on the ground.

One of the bandits was still moving with an arrow lodged deep in his upper leg, but the other was motionless. The rest of the bandits had scattered by this time, and Eric saw light glowing from the hands of one bandit who was glaring toward Clarke’s location. Eric pulled back his arrow and combined a layer of Lightning damage to the tip of the arrow resulting in a sizzle of sparks and arching electricity as it flew toward the enemy mage.

The noise drew the attention of the other bandits, and Eric heard a battle cry ring out from behind him. He looked up to see a thick two-handed sword cutting through the air toward his midsection. He reactively dodged below the blade thanks to his prior training and twisted around to meet the next strike with a targeted parry. Eric identified his opponent as an overly sized man with a twisted face of rage, and Eric used the man’s angry outburst to his advantage. He swept at the bandit’s legs with a quick strike after deflecting the second attack.

The man stumbled to the ground, and Eric ended his life quickly with a thrust into the man’s chest using the sharp edge of Shadowspark. The chest cavity caved in under his heavy strike, and Eric had to put his boot on the man’s side to wrench his weapon free of the defeated enemy. Eric was still on high alert and kept low to the ground as he moved to a new position to engage the next enemy.

Eric saw the remaining bandits were smarter than their fallen comrades and were using the trees for cover, only peeking around enough to momentarily seek their foe. He looked over toward where Clarke was positioned and saw another motionless body laying several meters away with an arrow shaft protruding from the victim’s chest and neck. Eric was thankful for his ally’s strength and capabilities. It was no small feat to take on a larger force with little preparation even with the help of a surprise first assault.

Eric detected three remaining enemies. They were patient and refused to make the next move. Eric nocked another arrow and found an opening that would allow him to leverage his newest ability Spark Teleport to flank the remaining bandits. He checked his mana and inwardly smiled knowing the enemies wouldn’t know what hit them. He sent Clarke another message to coordinate the strike and nocked a new arrow.

After mentally selecting his target, he slipped from behind the tree trunk he had been using for cover and let his enchanted arrow fly activating Spark Teleport. The skill activation felt more natural the second time around, and he was prepared for the momentary body warp as he traveled along the path of the released arrow. It only took a moment to arrive at his destination, and the enemies were startled by Eric’s sudden appearance.

Eric dashed toward the closest bandit, a short husky man wearing dull gray armor and armed with a shield and short sword. The man lifted his round wooden shield and blocked Eric’s first attack with a grunt, taking a step back into the soft dirt beneath them. Eric didn’t hesitate and continued his barrage finding a seam with his next attack and crippling the man’s arm that held the thick shield. After losing his shield, it only took one more strike to the man’s throat to end him.

Eric pulled the tip of Shadowspark from the man’s gurgling throat, and blood poured down his chest canvassing his armor in red. Eric pivoted to defend against the other bandit and felt a heat impact his stomach causing him to stagger and let out a grunt of pain. He lifted his head and saw his attacker was a venomous looking woman with a thick-spun burgundy robe. She glared at him with piercing yellow eyes and a small fireball began forming in her hands. Eric realized he didn’t have much time before her next attack and based on the burning feeling he felt in his mid-section he wasn’t confident he could handle a second shot.

The burning pain caused Eric to stumble as he raced toward the woman. He still closed the short distance within seconds, and the bandit’s next fireball shot harmlessly into the air after Eric threw his weight against her. Eric slammed into the woman with a vengeance and took them both to the ground forcefully. He was able to easily force his dagger into her side causing an audible cry of pain and fury. Eric began to feel the woman’s body start to warm, and he was blown backward. Another searing pain flashed across his exposed skin.

He landed on his butt only a couple feet away from the enemy who had fell victim to the damage done by Eric’s dagger. She laid lifeless with a ring of black ash spread outward from her body. Eric crawled back over to her body and pulled his dagger out of her side which released a pool of blood.

Eric stood wearily and was greeted by an eerie silence. He looked around on high alert, but didn’t see any movement. He nocked another arrow and leaned his back against a nearby tree to wait for the next enemy. He felt relief when he saw Clarke waving for his attention nearby and walking toward him casually.

“You always have to be the hero don’t you?” Clarke said teasingly as he got within a few meters.

“Heroes are overrated. I’m just making sure you don’t die before we get back to town so I don’t lose any of my cut of the loot,” Eric shot back in response.

“Hah, I know you are all about the glory. No fooling me,” he replied with a grin.

Eric shook his head with a light chuckle and took a moment to rest his back against the tree as the rush of battle died down within him.

“So… I guess we better go figure out what that kid knows about these clowns. I don’t want to walk into another group of them. We might not fare so well next time, and you look like you already took a little bit of punishment from that fire mage,” Clarke said after looking over Eric’s burns.

Eric nodded in agreement. He slowly stood and they made their way back to the alcove of trees to learn more about the evening’s events and get some welled earned rest for the night.