“The trial to gain the druid’s favor is simple,” Solarin informs me. “A test of heart, administered right here in this very glade.”

  “Great,” I say, eager to begin. The sooner I complete this trial, the sooner I’ll be able to learn secret druid techniques. I don’t know what they are just yet, but I’m banking on at least one of them being of use to my character build. “What do I have to do?”

  “If you agree to enter a lucid state, I will put you in a trance here and now, and you will face your test. How you handle it will prove your motivations to us, as well as your true nature.”

  “So, you’re saying the trial takes place in my mind?”

  “Where no harm will come to you, yes. You will enter the lucid dream state, taking into your dream nothing that is forged by fire, by wizardry or by alchemy. Only that which nature provides among what you carry will be permitted. Garments woven of fibers, staves, leather and so on.”

  So no shields; no armor of any kind. And no potions. Dang.

  “I have a wooden sword.”

  “It is allowed.”

  It ain’t much, but it might come in handy.

  “One more thing—” Solarin tells me. “I must tell you of the caveat now, or you will question me later.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Your memories of our encounter, of this conversation. You will not take them with you into the trance, though they shall be restored the moment you leave it.”

  I think I understand. Because a player is bound to go into such an instance with the aim of impressing the druids, their actions would be deliberately performative. But without their memories the druids can see the player’s true nature. Are you the sort of person who would work to stop a forest fire if no one were watching, Solarin wants to know. Or would you stand there, and watch the trees burn? Some test like that...

  An interesting concept. Almost diabolical, in a way. It strips away all role play, and shows a player for who they really are. To think the game would go so far as to erase memories, even temporarily, just to convince an AI druid of your true intentions.

  “Well? Do you consent to being put under my spell?”

  “I do.” Since I really want to learn those druid skills. Also, I want to see it myself. What kind of man I really am.

  “Shall I stand here, or?”

  “No. I will take you to my shelter.”

  Solarin leads me inside a nearby root and vine hut. There is no furniture, only a humble bed roll and a carpet of moss. That, and a stump with a single stick of burning incense sticking vertically out of the middle. He seats me cross-legged in front of it, and takes his seat somewhere behind me.

  “Should I close my eyes or something?”

  “Relax,” is his only command, and I take a deep breath. Then, he starts to pray.

  He’s invoking the Earth goddess, I think as I listen, somewhat curious. I can’t understand what he’s saying, but I do catch the name Anira from time to time, so I’m certain she’s the one he prays to.

  While he does this, I look outward to the center of the glade, where Anira’s voluptuous statue rotates slowly over the moon pond. Gradually, listening to Solarin’s droning prayer in this eerie gloom, I feel my eyelids growing heavy.

  Something about the statue’s spinning figure I find oddly hypnotic. No longer just turning in place, she seems to dance, limbs swaying in time with some faraway instrument. Then before my eyes the marble of her form seems to soften, till she is flesh and blood, with long curly fawn colored hair and generous, undulating curves. She is Mother, yes, I think as I watch her dance, mesmerized by her beauty. She cradles each of us to her bosom...and nurtures us lovingly as the seasons turn...

  My eyes snap open suddenly.

  Bright. Day. The forest. The grass is yellow, the trees are too. Autumn.

  I look down to find myself garbed in a simple linen tunic and leather breeches. In my right hand I grip a wooden sword. I stare at it, momentarily baffled. Where am I? What am I doing here?

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  Just walking? Yes, I think that must be right. I was just taking a walk, enjoying the beautiful weather and the autumn scenery.

  I start forward with no real destination in mind. For some reason, that doesn’t bother me, though really it should. Was I ever the type of person to wander aimlessly without a plan? I don’t believe so. And yet…

  It comes without warning, hits me square in the back.

  [-346 HP]

  Yowza! Sneak attack!

  I wheel, sword raised, Essence Drain aura on. All the auras are on, in fact, though I fear they will not be enough to save me from my opponent.

  A lynx, a wild mountain cat. I’ve never seen one up close, but she seems enormous, almost as big as a tiger.

  Her lips curl back in a snarl, every muscle beneath her tawny hide is tensed and ready to pounce. I check her health bar. Caught up in my aura, her hit points are draining, though not nearly so fast as I’d like. I reach for a potion, but my belt is empty. My shield too, where is it? And my armor—what’s going on?

  The lynx swipes at me suddenly, I jump back. I can’t afford to take many more blows from this one. But without my armor or a single means of attack, I have no choice but to resort to the tactic of my earliest days playing Tetra Chronicles. Keep the aura on, pray and—

  RUN!!

  I’ve never been so glad for all the points I invested into Agility. And I’m unburdened by my heavy armor, as well, so I move even faster, jumping easily from side to side, avoiding the worst of her blows. And just when I think she’ll get me for sure, Baba’s fart aura activates.

  Riiiip!

  Gas cloud! Swing and a miss! Nice!

  The Tremor Aura comes in handy as well, activating so the ground rumbles beneath my opponent’s feet, slowing her down. She can’t touch me! She can’t—

  The lynx lashes out suddenly, tearing my thighs with her claws.

  [-293 HP]

  Owowow! That hurts like heck!

  Dang. A few more hits like that, and I’m dead.

  Calm down, Rev, stay on your toes. Dodge left, feint right. She goes for the swipe!

  Toot!

  Miss! Man, I love the sound of my own farts!

  One minute and nine seconds, that’s all it takes me to kill an opponent now. She’s already down to 10% health. I’ve got this in the bag!

  The fight ends as abruptly as it started. One minute I’m playing ring around the rosie with a pussycat, the next she’s darting off into the trees.

  Oh, no you don’t!

  I follow after her, demanding satisfaction. She started this fight, but I’ll finish it.

  I find a cave—did she retreat to her home? From inside I hear feline growling and hissing. Fortunately it’s light enough, I can see inside clearly. She’s just out of reach of my aura, backed up against the wall, nowhere to run. If I step inside and just stand at the entrance, it should be enough to—

  Just then I hear another sound. A tiny mew.

  I stop, look around for the source of that sound, and find it in the shape of four little lynx kittens gathered around her feet. My heart gives a sudden, painful thud of realization.

  So that’s why the lynx attacked me. I was too close to her den, a threat to her litter. She was only protecting her family.

  Now what? My foe is weak, a fount of HP waiting to be harvested. Her kittens too, mini treasure troves, once I deal with the mother, killing them will be no trouble at all. I just have to stand here till the helpless things die in my aura and absorb their exp. I won’t even have to lift a finger…

  Well? Is that what I’m going to do?

  “Mew! Mew!”

  I could. There’s no one to see, no one to stop me, or judge me for being heartless. Anyway, they’re just a mass of code and AI. What’s it to my conscience, if I have the blood of a few cats on my hands?

  “Mew! Mew!”

  Something breaks inside me then, and my breath comes out in a whoosh.

  What the heck am I thinking? They’re just kitty cats, for god’s sake. I can’t murder helpless kitty cats—not even knowing they’ll grow up into future mama cats that could claw my throat out with a single swipe. I just can’t! I’m not that kind of guy!

  Mind made up, I make the instant and inadvisable decision to switch my Essence Drain aura off, one second before I drain mama cat’s final point of HP.

  “Just this once, cat,” I say to the still hissing lynx. “For your kids’ sake, I’ll let you off the hook. Try another sneak attack, though, and it’s over.”

  I turn to go, but the light shifts then, from a yellow sunny day to a greenish sort of gloom. I shake my head, for a moment not knowing where I am. Then I glimpse the rotating goddess statue in the middle of the glade, and it all comes back to me.

  “Congratulations,” Solarin’s voice pulls my eyes to him immediately. “You passed the trial.”

  “Whoa,” I say, shaking my head, clearing it from the lingering fog of the trance. “That was wild. I really did forget all about the test.”

  “As I said. I removed your memories of the trial to test you. This way, I got to see your true nature. I know now you are pure, without ruthlessness in your heart.”

  “My friend said differently,” I say, thinking of Sherbie and the cockatrice eggs. “Because of my ruthlessness, he said I was heartless.”

  “Dueling natures. You are logical, cold and ruthless, Revelator, but your conscience holds you back from giving into all your logical mind demands. Herein is your humility; herein is your humanity.”

  “My humanity?”

  “For less intelligent creatures, ruthlessness is nothing, merely survival. But for creatures with conscience and soul, ruthlessness is nothing more than pride. Believing we can impose our will upon other creatures for something other than basic survival, that is to take the role of Elyon Himself into our own hands, and play God.”

  “I could never betray my conscience for gain,” I say, coming to this realization in real time. Unlocking some core feature of my personality as of yet undiscovered, unexplored. “After all, in the end, I still have to sleep with myself.”

  “Well put,” Solarin nods approvingly. “A clean conscience and a steadfast heart is a thing to be admired. Though, sadly, it is only a matter of time, I fear, before you discover your price.”

  “Price?”

  “As they say, all men have one. If you won’t betray your conscience for bloodlust, then what? Gold, perhaps? Success? Renown?”

  “No,” I say with a twinge of guilt when I think of a certain pretty face. “Not for any of of those things…”