Prajio and I, along with Deek's massive, severed thumb, traveled south along the base of the mountains, hoping to connect with a road and perhaps find some adventure along the way.

  We considered taking the path from Lucard back to Danver, but nothing was set in stone. Now that Prajio had his prized thumb, he seemed eager to explore before going back to collect his reward.

  While we walked, he told me tales of his time on Erda. He rescued the daughter of a local mayor from a group of bandits. The mayor was glad to have his daughter back but demanded revenge as his daughter had been traumatized from the experience. The mayor went through the formal process of securing a warrant, which allowed Prajio to hunt and kill the man who attacked her.

  That was the beginning of his bounty-hunting journey.

  "I enjoy the chase," he said. "I prefer not to kill, but I will not weep over the death of an evil man. It also pays well. More than enough to support my needs."

  "So Prajio," I said hesitantly as I changed the subject. "I saw you sort of vanish into smoke when we were fighting Deek back there. Was that magic?"

  He leveled his eyes at me. "As you know, all Kurskins are blessed with unique powers, just as the Dalari are. But, like you, I have no affinity for magic. I am simply blessed with some inherent abilities."

  "What else can you do?" If he knew I was a Player, he would never answer that question. But to him, I was an NPC, so why would it matter?

  "Hmm. That is a rather personal question, my friend." He smiled at me. "If we happen to engage in another fight, then maybe I'll show you." He winked, the eyelids closing sideways.

  I decided that was fine and didn't press him. It would be useful to know what he was capable of in the event our friendly relationship soured.

  Not for the first time, I wondered what level Prajio was. The one skill he had used seemed like something that would be rewarded only at higher levels. If I ever had to fight Prajio, my best option would be to run.

  We walked and chatted for another hour. The weather was perfect, the sun was warm, and the flowers that bloomed in the foothills of the mountains were vibrant and abundant.

  The company was good, too. I grew to like Prajio. He was saying all the right things that an honorable man would say. He was confident, complimentary to others, and seemed like he wanted to spend his game time going from place to place and helping the humans/quest givers who were in need. It was the only correct way to play this fucked up game, in my humble opinion.

  I soon saw the familiar road leading from Lucard Pass and remembered the view after I had exited the pass and saw the sprawling city of Danver for the first time.

  "We can take this road to Danver," Praijo said. "Thank you for taking that hike with me. It was uneventful, but I prefer to walk the wilds of this world."

  I laughed. "So far, both the roads and the wilds have given me plenty of trouble."

  "Trouble finds you, eh?"

  I had to think about that question for a moment. "I don't think trouble finds me," I smirked at him. "I find it."

  Prajio laughed. "Perhaps, if it is adventure I seek, I can simply follow you around and have my fill of it."

  "I must admit, having capable and companionable company the last couple of days has been a nice change of pace for me," I said.

  Prajio cocked his head, his attention no longer on me. He was listening to something.

  "Something wrong?" I asked in a hushed tone.

  He shook his head but had a slight smile on his face. "There are more of my kind ahead. I can hear their laughter. Come, Ethan. Maybe there is a friend among them."

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  My stomach sank. Keeping my composure around one Kurskin was difficult enough, and he was as friendly as a sunbeam. I had no idea what these others could be like.

  “Val, what can you tell me?”

  ‘They are recessed a couple hundred yards into the pass, and all this rock is making them difficult to detect. I cannot say with certainty, but I think there are at least five Players in the pass.

  My gut told me whatever was going on wasn't good, but I saw no way of diverting Prajio from his course. His mind was set, and I had no suitable reason to object.

  So, I followed behind him as he happily entered Lucard Pass. We didn't have to travel far for my inferior ears to pick up their laughter and boasts. I could have had Val enhance my hearing again, but it was rather unpleasant and difficult to focus through the onslaught of ambient sounds.

  We turned a shallow corner, and my heart dropped when I saw the group ahead. The wagon they were sitting around was immediately recognizable.

  It was not their wagon. They had stolen it from Benji, the kind man who had given me a lift a few days ago.

  A sense of panicky rage boiled up inside me as I walked toward the group. Benji was nowhere in sight.

  Prajio shouted a greeting and raised a clawed hand in the air. Two Kurskins saw him and returned the gesture. Another appeared from behind the wagon, and Prajio's face turned sour. This new Kurskin was female, larger than most of her kind, and her skin was a dark purple.

  She had a longsword in a sling on her back and a curled whip on her hip.

  From the look on his face, Prajio had a history with this particular she-lizard.

  "I was wrong about finding a friend," Prajio said to me in a quiet tone. "Instead, you have the displeasure of meeting one of the most repugnant individuals I know."

  Great.

  "My dear, Prajio Vrentris," she purred, "is that really you?"

  "Shask," Prajio said neutrally, "I did not expect to find you here. I had thought you were heading west."

  Her lips curled into a knowing smile. "We encountered a man on the road, and after that, we were forced to change our plans."

  Prajio leaned forward. "What was so important that it caused you to abandon your journey westward?"

  She gestured over her shoulder. "Drisk over there has Farsight. He claimed to have seen a man and woman leave this wagon and run off into the woods." She moved her hands to her hips. "When we finally reached the wagon, we questioned the old man about them. At first, he was reluctant to tell us anything, but you of all people know how persuasive I can be." She winked at Prajio.

  I clenched my fists as I imagined all the ways in which they tortured Benji. Did they kill him?

  "Eventually," Shask continued, "he gave in and told us a name. The name was curious, so we decided to investigate."

  "What was the name?" Prajio asked.

  "John McClane." Shask seemed to hiss the name more than speak it.

  Prajio took a step back. "You misheard. Or the old man made a mistake. There are no non… no humans by that name on Erda."

  "Those same thoughts crossed my mind, but hunting a potential anomaly was just too enticing to pass up."

  "Even if it is real, chasing something like that is not within the spirit of…" Prajio glanced at me. "…of our people."

  She smiled wickedly, "But the Voxals would pay whatever bounty I asked for to get their hands on a genuine glitch."

  Prajio waved his hand. "You're wasting your time. It's far more likely the old man misheard the name."

  "Like I said, I shared your concerns. We were only going to scout for a couple of days. However, we ran into someone who was able to corroborate the story."

  Shask whistled sharply. "Bring out the human girl."

  ‘Do not let your composure slip, Ethan,’ Val said. My anxiety tripled.

  One of the Kurskins went behind the wagon. We waited for a moment, but nothing happened. The lizard's yellow head popped out from behind. "She's still asleep from Troji's charm."

  Shask's lips curled in a snarl. She snapped her fingers at Prajio. "Follow. You can bring your pet along if you wish, as long as it doesn't touch anything."

  I assumed she was referring to me.

  We rounded the back of the wagon, and my already sinking heart dropped like a stone.

  In the back of the wagon was an unconscious Dalari female, and next to her was my former quest giver, Tara Honeytender.

  Shask pointed at Tara. We found this one while exploring some mountain ruins, and unlike the old man, she sang like a bird.

  The girl told us she had been on that wagon with a man named John, who was escorting her to Danver. He never told her his last name, but she did mention that he was completely crazy, which would be consistent with a true system anomaly."

  Prajio nodded contemplatively. "I agree that lends credence to the idea, but it does not prove the theory. If you asked me, which I know you never would, I would say you're hunting for a ghost."

  "Fifty gold says I catch this John McClane by the end of the week."

  Prajio laughed. "I don't make deals with devils. Enjoy your hunt, Shask. I'll have no part in it." He gestured to the back of the wagon. "And what of the Dalari?"

  Shask shrugged. "She had become separated from her group of adventurers, so we decided to borrow her." Her reptilian eyes glittered with evil intentions. "My men needed something to play with. We'll drop her weight when they've grown tired of her."

  The dark glare Prajio shot at Shask was a sight to behold, yet she didn't shrink under his piercing and judgmental gaze.

  "Come, Ethan," Prajio said. "Let us seek better company in town. Anyone will do compared to this lot."

  Shask hissed. "Typical Vrentris, always too good for the common folk."

  Prajio ignored her jibe at his family name and turned to walk away. I followed, my mind a whirlwind of emotions, fears, and plans.