Page 7 of The Glass Unicorn, Part 1 (Quest Wars #1)
“I don’t know—Liesel! I wonder if she’s okay. That house didn’t look all that secure,” I said, thinking of our host. “We can come back and hunt through the burial chamber tomorrow. I want to check on her.”
“Not a problem,” Thornhold said. “One thing I’ll say for being a dwarf. I didn’t have far to fall when I was knocked off my feet.”
We all felt a little beat up as we made our way back through the forest. The silence was eerie—worrisome, really. Not a creature stirred, nor insect droned. Every few yards we saw a tree that had tumbled over. What the fuck was going on?
We finally reached the back of Lisel’s field. Up ahead, flames were crackling from her house.
“Oh hell, come on!” I started to run, grateful for the speed which being an elf had given me. Maybe it was better than being a Symcat, after all.
We sprinted through the field, nearing the house. I was relieved to see Liesel safe and clear of the fire. She was trying to put it out, but it was a lost cause. If there were emergency personnel, they weren’t around.
“Get those out!” she said, pointing to several chests in the house. Given one of the walls had crumbled during the quake, it was easier to get in and out to retrieve what we could.
The blaze continued to grow and we backed away, to the table out back. Liesel quickly took one of the small cases we’d carried out and opened it. Inside was what looked like a mini-computer.
Before she could turn it on, though, our Game-Guide watches all let out a high pitched siren for five seconds, then fell silent as a voice echoed out.
attention! attention! all players and employees of abarria game-guides, this is not a test. we have an emergency situation. listen carefully for instructions.
I glanced at Liesel, wide eyed. “Do you know what’s going on?”
She shook her head. “Sshh…listen.”
we have been attacked in cyber-space. every one of our company’s computers have been damaged.
the software to transport you into the world of abarria has been corrupted beyond repair.
all backups have been destroyed. we no longer can control the Syms within the world, nor can we help you if you’re harmed.
“We’re on our own,” Liesel whispered.
The announcement continued.
until we can investigate the damage and determine the severity of this situation, i’m afraid you’re stuck within the game, on your own.
we cannot transport anybody out and we don’t know when we’ll be able to retrieve you.
we no longer have control over the syms. they are, for all intents and purposes, autonomous.
We were stranded. It was like being washed up on a desert island. Only instead of Gilligan and the Skipper, it was me and my friends.
please know, we’ll be working as hard as we can. while we can communicate with you, you will not be able to communicate with us. our apologies and sympathies are with you. do your best to stay alive. we’ll update you as soon as we know more.
We stared at one another, speechless. Stranded in the game, unable to leave. And the Syms were no longer under the Game-Guides’ control.
Liesel let out a deep sigh. “I…I…” She shook her head.
“What do we do now?” I asked, trying to grasp what had just happened. I knew the reality hadn’t fully hit yet because instead of panicking, I felt numb. “Where do we go?”
We turned to Liesel, waiting. She was an employee of the game. Surely she would have some sort of an answer.
She stared back at us, then looked back at the house that was fully ablaze. “We need to find shelter. It’s going to be dangerous in Dusmaria, so we can’t go there. People will be panicking. There’s an abandoned house near here. If it wasn’t destroyed in the quake, we can go there for now.”
“What about the other houses near the forest?” I asked.
“I know one person who lives near the entrance to the forest. He’s another employee…but I suggest we wait for morning to check if he’s all right. Meanwhile, it will take about fifteen minutes to reach the house. Let’s go. Be on your guard.”
My heart racing, I stood. Liesel instructed us to gather some of the last ears of corn from the field while she salvaged some ham and cheese from an outdoor pantry.
As we headed out, hiking into the dusk, I glanced up at the sky.
It was so beautiful, filled with stars. But beneath the surface, I could feel the fear rising.
We were stuck in a game where a good share of the world wanted to kill us.
My pangs over killing the Syms vanished, as I realized that what had been a game—an adventure—had now turned into our only reality for the foreseeable future.
If you enjoyed The Glass Unicorn (A Quest Wars Adventure ) part 2 will be coming out shortly. Or you can read it chapter by chapter by joining the Moon Minions tier on Yasmine’s Patreon .