Dreamland

I might have left them a bit abruptly, but I was just too exhausted.

What comes next? Will I go to sleep with the dream interface still on my head? It looks like I have no other choice. Lola must have come back from her shopping trip, seen me in bed, and most likely went to her room, upset that I was still playing. How could she know that I couldn't exit the game?

I needed to use the restroom, and it wasn't the first time during this gaming session. I hadn't really thought about it before, but why would someone include bodily functions in a game? Did they really include it, or had I actually done it in my bed? If I had, well, it didn't matter anymore; I could always go again. I couldn't believe I was thinking that.

But, in this case, why did I really have to pee here in the game? It wasn't just the sensation.

Nevertheless, I wouldn't do it just anywhere... It was all a bit confusing. I headed to the virtual toilet, and, well, I went through with it... I mean, in the game, of course. Uh.

I left the headquarters and stepped outside. It was still dark, but in the east, a brighter sky hinted at the approaching sunrise. Watching the twin suns rise was always a remarkable sight.

Now, the smaller sun rises first, followed by the larger one. Well, they may look almost the same size currently in the sky, but if you could measure them, you'd notice that one is slightly larger than the other. Interestingly, the one that appears a bit bigger is actually the smaller one.

At times, the suns seem almost perfectly synchronized, like they do now, indicating the upcoming rainy season. Rainy times follow when the suns converge.

At other times, the planet experiences nearly constant daylight, with one sun chasing the other when it's positioned between the two stars. That period marks the time of the great harvest and, unfortunately, the time of severe droughts if luck is not on your side.

My mind was wandering, and I let out a tired yawn. I desperately needed some rest; it was time to head to bed, or I was going to sleep in my boots.

"Lynx? Where are you?" I called out.

"Here!" a voice responded from right behind me, startling me.

"Why do you always sneak up on me like that?" I asked, a bit annoyed.

"Sorry, I was napping," Lynx replied.

"Right behind me?" I sighed, too exhausted to argue. "Can you please take me back to the camp?"

"To Alice's camp? Of course, hop on. By the way, do you have five gold?" Lynx inquired.

That question almost jolted me awake. "What? Are you trying to charge me for the ride?"

Lynx snorted and helped me climb onto his back.

"Sorry, all that running made me hungry. I had to eat something, so I devoured a whole cow. Just toss the gold through the window as we pass the house on the right. The family is gathered inside there and mourning their dear Matilda but too scared to speak up."

There were several peasant houses scattered throughout the fields surrounding the town, and he was referring to the closest one, about a couple of hundred meters away.

I assumed Matilda was the cow's name, and five gold should be more than enough to cover the cost.

I let out a sigh; it felt like I was practically throwing away my money. But then again, he was hungry and had been waiting for me with limited options.

He veered slightly off our path toward the house, and I leaned to the side to place the gold in a pile on the windowsill as we passed by. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a hand from inside the house reaching out to retrieve it. Perhaps I even heard a word of thanks or something similar.

After that, I must have dozed off a couple of times during the journey on Lynx's back. The blanket that was still draped over my shoulder spikes came in handy, providing warmth as I nestled under it.

Sitting atop that soft fur, swaying gently on his back, I couldn't help but feel that the journey back to the camp had passed by far too quickly.

Alice, her face filled with concern, hurried over to us.

"Is she injured? Is it something that can't be healed?" she inquired anxiously as the Lynx carefully navigated closer to her.

"No, she's just asleep," the Lynx replied.

"Oh!" Alice exclaimed in relief.

She moved to assist me, but as I had just woken up, I prepared to dismount on my own. However, something went awry as my foot got tangled in the blanket. Thankfully, Alice was there to prevent my crash landing.

I snorted, annoyed. Since when did I need help dismounting from my mount?

"I'm not asleep; I'm just a little tired." - I protested and then requested - " Could you help me with these scraps, Alice?"

As Alice got a better look at me, she inquired with concern.

"Oh, you've been badly scorched. Are you okay?"

"I'm just sleepy," I reassured her.

She sighed and assisted me in maneuvering. I felt somewhat disoriented, almost as if I were drunk. Perhaps it was just the exhaustion catching up to me, but at least I knew I would sleep well that night.

The Lynx, on the other hand, let out a yawn and began searching for a comfortable spot.

"I'm going to close my eyes," he announced as soon as he settled near the campfire, and in the next moment, he was already drifting off, lulled by the gentle sounds of the campfire, and started to snore softly.

"I'm fine, Alice, really!" I insisted.

She responded with an eye roll. "Yeah, sure, just let me help you."

I let out a sigh but allowed her to assist me. While she worked, I glanced around and noticed Spartacius sleeping near the fire. But then... he wasn't alone? Someone was sleeping next to him?

"Oh, the ghost is here!" I exclaimed, recognizing the figure. It was quite a sight to see a ghost sleeping, as I had thought they never needed rest.

Alice quickly hushed me. "Shh! Not so loud. Come over by the river."

She led me a few meters away and had me sit down before starting to remove the scraps of clothing from my body. It felt comforting to have someone taking care of me, and my mind began to wander, reflecting on the events of the previous day.

"What do you know about Noviel?" I inquired.

Alice raised her head to meet my eyes, offering a reassuring smile before resuming her task.

"She'll be okay," she reassured me. "I spoke with a couple of soldiers who are still friendly with me, and they mentioned that her recovery is going well."

"What's her plan now?" I asked.

"Well, since she broke her contract with Spartacius, I don't think it makes sense for her to return to him," Alice replied.

I nodded, and Alice continued her explanation.

"She will return to the camp," she said. "I added some money to her purse to ensure she won't be pressured into another contract. Hopefully, she'll take some time to rest."

"Good. You did a great job!" I praised her.

My head began to droop, tired from the day's events. Alice had finished tending to my right arm and was now working on my left one, carefully undoing all the small leather straps of the spiked shoulder piece. It was a relief to have someone else doing it for me.

She grinned mischievously.

"The conversation the ghost had with Spartacius was quite interesting!" she teased.

That raised my interest. Curious, I asked,

"What did they talk about?"

"Well, to start, the ghost seemed really frightened," Alice began. "He mentioned something about shadows chasing him."

"Shadows?" I pondered, intrigued.

"Yeah, shadows," Alice confirmed. "I kept an eye out for them, but I never saw any creatures like the ones he described. It appears that shadows are ghostly beings that avoid the living but attack other ghosts. You need really sharp eyes to see them, similar to those needed to see ghosts. That's about all he mentioned."

"Oh!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"I've seen some, too!" a voice behind me chimed in.

It startled me. I turned and snorted when I saw him: it was the Lynx again, lying down nearby as if he were asleep. He lazily opened one eye, glanced at me, and then closed it.

"What are you doing here?" I protested.

He shrugged with his eyes still closed. "Sleeping and listening to Alice..."

I raised an eyebrow. "Can't you do both?"

"Of course, I can," he retorted. "I can also talk to you and sleep!"

He said this with a big yawn, revealing his numerous sharp teeth.

Then, he resumed snoring once more.

Alice began to wash my body with a damp towel, using water warmed in a magical cauldron. It felt wonderful. It had been a very long time since anyone had taken care of me like this. Not since I was a little girl. I couldn't help but smile at the memory.

"And what about the shadows you saw?" I inquired.

The Lynx responded with a slight, minimalist shrug of his shoulders.

"Not much more to tell. I saw them. You know that I've killed a couple of raids before, and after that, I've seen shadows chasing the ghosts. That was unusual... That's about it."

I let out a sigh. It wasn't much information, but at least it confirmed the ghost's account. Alice continued her explanation.

"This ghost here, his name is Ivar."

"Ivar?" I repeated.

"Yes, he has a castle near Silver Town."

"A castle?" I was surprised.

"Yes, he must have been a very important person to own a castle near Silver City. He mentioned that there was heavy fighting in the lands he visited, what he calls Chapter 1 lands."

"Oh," I replied.

"There was also a part that I did not understand," Alice continued. "He talked about a dream interface. Do you know about such?"

I decided to be straightforward with her.

"Yes, the dream interface is the tool we use to come here. What did he say about it?"

"He mentioned that there is feedback built into the dream interface. Something that is half experimental, half official?"

"Oh, I hate those things," I grumbled. Feedback built-in? What kind of feedback? To where? To my brain?

"He says it helps you learn what you did when you were not here. Does this make sense to you?" Alice asked.

Yes, it did. I nodded. Feedback to my brain.

"In a strange way, it does..."

"Well," Alice continued, "they also said that Mephisto is stronger than any possible opponent, so he must be stronger than Grackak."

"Uh, really?" I raised an eyebrow in surprise.

The Lynx chimed in once more, adding his perspective,

"That's speciesist. Why is Mephisto stronger than any possible opponent and not me?"

Alice rolled her eyes and disregarded the Lynx's chatter.

"Well, that's about all they talked about. Are you hungry? Spartacius made plenty of sausages and other food for when you two come back!"

I shook my head. "No, I can't now. Just let me lie down here."

"Now, come by the fire. I've prepared a couple of blankets for you."

The Lynx suddenly became very helpful. "I'll take care of the food."

My eyes went round. "You can't be hungry again; you just ate a cow?"

He chuckled. "Phah, that would be just dessert."

Alice had arranged a makeshift bed for me, allowing me to lie down, and she covered me with a couple of blankets. A few moments later, the Lynx added some fur comfort to my bed, lying down beside me with a satisfied grin. I think he teleported those sausages directly into his stomach.

That was my last conscious thought before drifting off to sleep.