Lost And Desperate

On one hand, he definitely felt like a better runner in this game than in real life. On the other hand, running out of stamina sucked. Ember tested it out as he went, finding no matter what he tried, he could not continue sprinting after that bar had fully depleted. He could push himself into a faster walk, but that was the extent of what sheer willpower could accomplish. Still, at least it didn’t feel completely unnatural. The lower his stamina depleted, the more exhausted he felt, and when it was completely gone, it was a struggle just to move. Thankfully, he could feel himself quickly regaining his energy if he stood still and breathed. It would also tick up as he walked, but at a much slower pace. Ember wasn’t certain, but he felt that getting a feel for how things worked now could be exceptionally important later. Though it seemed to operate by the rules the game had been taught, the differences between playing by them and living by them were night and day. At least he found that he could mentally turn the meters on and off at will.

Soon, he found himself hurrying up the path he and his friends had traveled down, and where they encountered the crying Golem girl. Ember turned his head to that house as he went, peeking around the hedges to see if maybe she had returned, but she was nowhere to be seen. Thinking about it, though it would probably be a good idea to try and seek out everyone with the mark, Ember doubted he would have much luck. Stepping back out from the hedges, he continued on his way, passing by a still very impressive number of players, despite how late it was getting.

Eventually, the Imp managed to arrive in the town square. It was not as densely populated as before, but the crowd was still significant. Here, Ember finally began to slow his pace as he navigated around the crowds. The feeling of being brushed by another player was hard to describe. Naturally, most players never bothered walking around other players since they simply clipped through each other for the most part, but every time it happened, it felt as if some sort of invisible force was pressing against him, even able to alter his course slightly. The players had little in the way of a physical presence with each other, though their models did seem to react cosmetically with collision. However, odd as that was, it was nothing compared to the fact that he was even feeling this world around him to begin with, which dwarfed it by quite a margin.

Eventually, Ember reached his destination, the bench where he spotted the Axolti, and his first sighting of that icon. Unfortunately, the bench was now completely empty. Ember crossed his arms in frustration. Of course he wasn’t going to be able to find them now, why would fate be so kind to him? It seemed to deem it fit to drop him into this world after all. He looked to the other players around here, briefly considering asking them if they’d seen anyone he was looking for but decided against it. With this many players running around and doing their own thing, he doubted his chances that anyone was paying attention to any random player long enough to remember them. Sighing, Ember decided to just continue running along in a desperate effort to find at least one of the other marked individuals.

Ember ran up and down main streets, and wove through the side streets, poking his head into any building that might have a player in it. The town wasn’t excessively large or anything, but Ember still had no luck finding anyone he was looking for. On top of that, he could feel himself actually starting to grow tired and… hungry? He was in a video game now, were these things even really necessary? Marcus wondered if his stats could be affected by this, the thought seemingly ushering his Hit Points, Stamina, and Mana meters into his vision as he did so. He had noticed that he was no longer able to sprint as effectively while he was running around town, and this seemed to explain why. He seemed to be suffering from a mild condition of hunger, thirst, and a heftier form of fatigue. He didn’t recall actually having to eat in this game, nor had he seen anybody doing it. Perhaps this was just another drawback of actually being a real entity in this world. As much as he would have loved to continue his search, it would appear that his normal human needs had still followed him into this world.

Resigned, Ember turned and made his way down the street. As he was scurrying about town, he recalled sighting an inn not terribly far from the main plaza. Retracing his steps, he soon set his sights upon it. The Slumbering Calf inn, featuring a stylized little cow with a moon over it sleeping soundly with a night cap on its head which rested on a pillow. Ember climbed a small set of stairs designed for characters of his size category while a regular sized set sat beside it. Opening the door and making his way inside, Ember found that the building was quite populated with player characters and NPCs alike, with players even sitting at the tables pretending to drink. Ember couldn’t help but try to inspect them to see if they were ‘Chosen’ and actually drinking, or just players having a fun time. It turned out that the process to inspect other players was actually still fairly straightforward like this, though instead of Ember needing to press a button to activate it, he merely had to desire it. Unfortunately, he found nothing in the way of the Chosen effect among the ones he looked over, but they did seem to actually be gaining some buffs from their food and drink. Somewhat disappointed, Ember just decided to turn in for the night, approaching the apparently dwarven innkeeper who stood behind the counter.

“Ah! Welcome customer, what can Ruthrik of Clan Gold Water do for ya?” Welcomed the gray haired Dwarf, his accent reminiscent of the people of real world Scotland.

“Umm, just a room please. I’ve had a rough day.” Ember groaned.

“Oof. Ye, I can tell! Ye look like ye’ve been body slammed by a Bramble Bear, minus the holes.” The innkeeper remarked.

“A what?” Ember asked, too tired and done with everything to really humor him.

“Eh, big ol’ bear what’s got brambles grow’n out o’ em, biggest critters on the island. Bah, I’m sure you’ll run inta one eventually, but nah, I getchya, yer look’n rough. If it helps at all, I truly appreciate what you lot’re do’n for us out there. Here, take this key, your first night’s free lad.” Ruthrik offered, reaching to his belt and pulling a key from it before tossing it to Ember.

“O-oh, thanks.” Ember replied, a hint of appreciation coming through his near monotone.

“Eh, think nothin of it. Have a good rest.” The dwarf said with a smile and a nod.

Ember looked down at the key reading room 1-08 on the tag. Clutching it, Ember sauntered up the stairs step by step and headed straight to his room in the middle of the hall. The Imp had a lot to think about right now, but lacked the immediate brain power to do it. Unlocking his room, he stepped inside to find it modestly furnished. It was definitely much cozier looking than the one on the ship had been. The mattress was larger with a thicker quilt atop it. Directly in the back, a window sat within the wall, giving a nice view of the forest out back and the small garden just below. Beside it to the right was a wooden desk with an oil lamp resting upon it along with some basic writing materials. Nearby to that, against the right wall was a storage chest. Curiously, Ember approached it, not having had a chance to investigate a chest since the tutorial. Unfortunately, it sat empty, as Ember didn’t seem to have been lucky enough for the previous guest to leave behind some gold or anything. Shutting it, Ember made his way over to the bed and climbed atop it.

He took a moment to look over the room, taking in just how big it and everything else now felt to him. Quite frankly, things still didn’t feel real. How could the human mind so easily accept all of this when just a couple hours ago, he had been standing in his room, playing a game and having fun with friends. Now here he was, inside that very game as a living entity, in the body of a creature he created, yet who’s form felt so drastically different than his own to inhabit. He flicked his tail without thinking, turning his head to it. He really had one of these things now. Looking at that reminded him of his wings. Taking off his pack and weapon he glanced at them and with a little bit of focus, gave the little things a brief flutter. Was this it then? Was this his life from now on? Trapped in this video game world, never to see his friends or loved ones again? No, that wasn’t quite right. He could see Thordon and Clarissa again if… Wait a moment, Thordon and Clarissa? Those weren’t their names. Despite knowing that though, Ember couldn’t think of them as anyone else, and was too tired and stressed to think about it any further. The fact was, if they came back to play, maybe he could explain what happened and they could help him get out of here.

As he sat there contemplating matters, his stomach let out a growl, reminding him of his need for sustenance. Video game world or not, Ember didn’t care to risk what might happen should he actually go without food too long. He turned to his pack and pulled it open. As he did so, the inventory UI popped up over it. Though it seemed as though he would actually be able to fish around in the bag for what he was after, picking what he wanted off of the grid seemed much easier. He took hold of one of the boxes of rations, popping it open to reveal some jerky, a fruit and nut packed nutrient bar, and a tin of water. It sure didn’t look glamorous, but he always enjoyed jerky. He was impressed at how well he could smell the spices on it now that box was open. He was aware that his senses were all still there, but every time he thought about it, it sort of threw him off a bit. Either way, he eventually reached in and removed the jerky, curious as to what video game food would actually taste like. Taking a bite as his pointy teeth easily cut through a chunk of jerky, Ember’s eyes opened wide in surprise. It was actually surprisingly good, some of the best jerky he’d ever eaten. He couldn’t begin to imagine how the developers managed to program in flavors, but he was about done questioning all the weirdness he was encountering in this place.

Ember continued munching on his ration, finishing off the jerky before moving on to the nutrient bar, all the while downing it with the tinned water. Though not one of the biggest meals he had ever eaten, he was at the very least satisfied which reflected in his stats as much of his maximum stamina had been restored. Of course, now he was left with an empty box. Unsure if littering was a thing in this world, he just placed it into his pack to dispose of later. Now, with a meal in his belly and a goal in mind, Ember let out a yawn. He would hit the hay for tonight, and come morning, he would see about seeking out the other marked individuals like himself.