Brian sat in the school auditorium, finishing his preparations as the members of the expedition started to congregate in the room. He felt a strong sense of déjà vu as he glanced around. He saw Alexander put several boxes of socks down near the outfitting section and encourage everyone to get at least one pair of each. Brian sighed when he noticed the purple Australian hat and the ridiculous neon nightmare of a fanny pack around his waist. The rest of the characters packing weren’t much better.

  He had to remind himself that every member of this group possessed tremendous powers and abilities. They were about to step into an unknown world, likely facing unknown monsters. For some reason, Brian couldn’t shake the feeling that he, once again, was the only sane adult among them.

  To distract himself from the unease gnawing at him, Brian checked his watch. “Alright, well, let’s move some chairs into a circle and meet the team properly. We need to discuss strategies.”

  The group shuffled chairs around slowly, forming a sloppy circle. Brian noticed Alexander looking disapprovingly at the arrangement, no doubt calculating exactly how much each chair needed to shift to achieve a geometrically perfect circle.

  “Not everyone has agreed to disclose their abilities fully,” Brian began, “but it’s necessary to get an idea of what we’re each capable of. That way we can establish a working marching order and plan for combat if it comes to that. I’ll start. I’m Brian Ortes, thief class. I excel at stealth—literally disappearing into shadows under the right conditions. My combat abilities are strongest when I can surprise the enemy. I also have limited short-distance teleportation. I’ll likely be best used as a scout, though I may take turns with Johnny since I’m leading this group. Johnny, you want to go next?”

  Brian turned to a man dressed fully in hunter’s camouflage. His large, scraggly black beard sported grey streaks and partially hid a perpetual grin. The crow’s feet around his eyes made it seem he was amused by everything he saw. His dog, a chubby beagle, sat at attention beside his chair.

  “I’m Johnny Guidry,” the man drawled. “I come up from Louisiana to save the young lady what needs savin’. I’m a good hand at huntin’, fishin’, trackin’, and readin’ the land. I got a bag of tricks for fightin’ or gettin’ away from critters… I like to hunt deer, antelope, javelina, goose, duck…”

  Brian coughed politely as the list threatened to go on forever. The dog scratched at Johnny’s leg.

  “Ah, and this here’s Bubba. He’s a beagle what’s wiser than any dog I ever seen.”

  “I’m willing to bet you’re a ranger class or something similar,” Judah chimed in.

  “You could bet that if you want,” Johnny replied with a grin.

  “I guess I’ll go next,” Judah said. “I’m Judah. I work in special investigations. My specialty is fantasy game lore—which, if you haven’t noticed already, seems to be the prevailing theme with all the abilities and encounters we’ve had. I don’t have any abilities myself. I do have a black belt in karate for self-defense. If you need help figuring out your powers, I might be able to offer strategies on how to progress.”

  He smiled eagerly around the circle, clearly excited to learn the details of everyone’s abilities. It was also plain no one reciprocated the enthusiasm.

  Cassidy stood abruptly, pushing back her chair and placing a hand dramatically on her chest as she launched into what was clearly a well-rehearsed introduction. “My name is Cassidy Tenallie. Long has it been since my ancestors’ tribe was a force to be reckoned with in these lands. Their ancient bloodlines and traditions have awoken in my blood, granting me the powers of their legendary heroes.”

  She began her trick with lights and levitation for emphasis. “I have decided not to turn these gifts upon the colonists in vengeance, but instead to enlighten the world with their ancient wisdom.”

  Johnny started clapping enthusiastically. “Very impressive, sha! I like yo’ style. I might need to fix me up a better intro, ey Bubba?” he said, glancing down at the beagle.

  Cassidy sniffed and sat down. “I can fly short distances and shoot fire.”

  “But not at the same time, correct?” Judah interjected helpfully.

  She shot him a sharp look. “That is correct.”

  “Just making sure no one places unreasonable expectations on you,” Brian said calmly. “We need to know our limitations too. Linda, want to go next?”

  Linda looked mildly perturbed at having to follow Cassidy’s theatrics. “My name is Linda with Naturoleum. We help people heal naturally with our therapeutic-grade essential oils. We also help others achieve financial independence through part-time work.”

  Her hands opened and closed reflexively, as if missing the handouts she normally distributed. Brian had made her promise not to pitch her business opportunities to the team. As extra incentive, he’d agreed to buy all the oils she used on the group during the trip, plus enough starter bundles to give one to each member afterward as a gift basket.

  Unable to help herself, she burst out, “Let me know if you’d like to meet up and learn more or host an event where you could receive some free products! My favorite is the diffuser necklace paired with peppermint oil.” She held up her necklace proudly after getting it out as quickly as possible, then glanced guiltily at Brian, who had an annoyed look on his face. “You can find more info at Naturoleum dot com forward slash Linda Mackenzie,” she said in a whisper.

  “She’s a cleric class who can heal people,” Brian cut in.

  “Well, see, now that’s a misconception,” Linda corrected quickly. “We do not heal, treat, cure, or prevent disease. We enable the body to activate its full potential to heal itself.”

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  “I saw her close a seven-inch-wide, two-inch-deep laceration to the bone instantly, leaving no scar,” Brian added, making sure people took her seriously despite her best efforts.

  The group turned appreciatively toward Linda. She sat quietly; Brian had thrown off her memorized script, which seemed an effective way to keep her on track.

  As she finished, everyone turned to Alexander. Of all the oddballs they’d gathered, he stood out the most. He was dressed like he was heading on an Amazon jungle cruise: purple wide-brimmed hat with mosquito mesh draping past his neck, tan long-sleeve shirt bearing the orange Congo logo, tan cargo pants bulging with zipped pockets. To top it all off, he now wore a hideous baby-blue-and-lime-green fanny pack strapped around his waist.

  “I am Alexander Brewton, Multi-Dimensional Brand Ambassador for Congo,” he announced. “I am authorized to negotiate temporary agreements with other intelligent races to establish business relationships, in hopes of finding new products and distribution channels for the mutual benefit of those races and the Congo Corporation.”

  He held up a packet of papers that may or may not have been relevant. They had the Congo logo on them, so Brian guessed it was some form of legal papers.

  “And?” Cassidy asked, rolling her eyes.

  “If you are inquiring about my abilities,” Alexander continued, “the relevant ones would be shielding my proximity and others from harm and binding enemies with a web.”

  “So, crowd control?” Cassidy asked pointedly.

  “Defense and crowd control would be my preferred role if necessary.” He nodded.

  No one seemed particularly impressed—though they didn’t need to be. Special investigations had decided it was best if few people knew he was a wizard class for now. It was difficult to keep Judah from pestering Alexander about it; even now Judah wanted to explain everything he had figured out to the group. It was obvious to Brian that a secret weapon was better than no weapon at all, and he had strictly ordered Judah that it was to remain a secret—if not fully classified yet.

  He glanced around and felt a pang of regret that minors weren’t allowed on the expedition. He wished Darin were here. Darin was exceptionally capable and, despite being fiercely protective of his mother, he was easy enough to work with. He had to hide the fact that Brian had taken his mom on a date in order to keep their working relationship functional. Not that Brian was afraid of the kid or anything.

  Time to focus.

  “Okay,” Brian said, standing. “We’ll keep it simple for now. Johnny or I will scout, depending on terrain and conditions. Alexander, you’ll be disabling and slowing enemies in any actual encounters, binding threats and using your shield to protect Linda or Cassidy if they’re targeted. Cassidy, you’ll handle damage.” Cassidy nodded like it was obvious. “Judah, stay near Alexander and watch for enemy weaknesses. We have light body armor—make sure you put it on.”

  Brian looked at everyone and made sure they were paying attention before he nodded.

  Judah stood and cleared his throat. “There are several points supporting the theory that this portal leads to something similar to the land of fairy.” He shot Brian a pointed look. “Despite the name, in lore, it’s potentially a very dangerous place. We sent a tactical unit through earlier. When they engaged giant spiders, their guns couldn’t injure them. Brian, however, dispatched them without much difficulty—which is why you’ve all been gathered.”

  He gestured at the group before continuing. “Key points from fairy lore: never tell anyone your real name, never make deals with anything, and be extremely wary of mind-affecting spells. Almost any monster could appear, at any strength level. The best weapon against fairies is said to be iron—so everyone will get an iron knife for self-defense.”

  “Thank you, Judah,” Brian said, standing. “We’ll avoid conflict if possible while we explore and search for the missing girl, Megan Dyer.”

  He held up a photo for everyone to see, then passed it around.

  “Megan Dyer, age sixteen. Large curly brown hair, freckles. She was last seen in a costume playing the part of Alice in a school play. Yes, the same Alice in Wonderland based on the book and movies.”

  She looked like she was just emerging from the awkward phase—common for drama kids, Brian thought. Her parents were active school volunteers; they had to be kept away from the disappearance site to stop them from diving in after her. They’d been furious about the response time, unmoved by warnings that this could spark conflict with an entire otherworldly nation of unknown destructive capacity.

  As the photo circulated, Alexander had a peculiar look of recognition on his face.

  “Alexander, do you know this girl?”

  “No, I just had a warning about a girl named Alice. Pay it no mind.”

  At that, a green screen appeared in front of Brian.

  ^

  New Quest!

  Save the damsel in distress!

  A young maiden has fallen into another world and been kidnapped!

  Objective: Survive the perilous new world, find Megan Dyer, and rescue her!

  Quest rewards:

  2000 XP

  Crystalized Essence of Light

  2 gold

  Brian was glad to see a quest appear—he’d been hoping for one. At least it confirmed Megan was alive and being held, so the primary objective remained viable.

  “Why is it green?” Cassidy muttered, waving a hand in front of her face.

  “Green?” He heard several people mutter. Everyone else was staring at the air and moving their hands the same way.

  “Did everyone just receive a quest?” Brian asked.

  Most nodded or said yes. One loud “No” came from Judah, who sulked beside him. It had to sting—the one who loved this stuff most had no abilities.

  “Does green mean it’s a special quest?” Cassidy asked the group.

  Everyone shrugged in confusion.

  “Maybe that will be clear as we continue through the portal. We also have basic supplies over here in various sizes,” Brian continued. “Organize your gear in accordance with the guidelines recommended in your debrief. One hour, then we depart.”

  At that, the group began preparing. Brian watched Linda from a distance; thankfully, she was eyeing a pair of boots in her size. He’d been worried she’d try to march in those high heels. Alexander surveyed the gear pile and shook his head in disapproval.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Brian saw Cassidy marching toward him. She started speaking before she arrived, loud enough for others to hear.

  “I might have suspected you didn’t have anyone else of my caliber on this team. I guess I’m expected to do all the heavy lifting. It’s New York all over again.”

  “I think it’s too early to say who’ll carry whom,” Brian replied evenly. “These powers can have unexpected results when used creatively.”

  “I’m the only real damage dealer from what we just heard.”

  “The only dedicated damage dealer… and we’re glad to have you. But remember, there are multiple ways to end a fight. Blowing things up is just one.”

  She rolled her eyes, unconvinced.

  “Are you planning to wear that red dress the whole time?” he asked, changing the subject.

  “There’s no need to worry about my clothing. I will take some boots, however.” She deflected.

  “Hey, Brian!” Judah called from near the portal. “Look at this.”

  Brian hopped onto the stage and approached the iron-bar cage surrounding the tree-trunk prop that contained the portal.

  “Look down into the portal and tell me if anything looks different.”

  Brian peered in and immediately saw the change. Though the portal opened onto ground level perpendicular to the stage floor, what had been a scattering of distant trees was now a dense forest canopy encircling the exit.

  Brian looked at Judah. “Could the portal be moving and we just didn’t notice?”

  Judah gave him a wry look. “Sure. Let’s go with the least disturbing answer.”