CD Chapter Thirty (Patreon)

Instantly, Tess whistled, then blinked and shook her head. “Wow, that’s… effective. I didn’t even know I preferred guys with long hair, but-” Color rose in her already pink cheeks. “Yeah, y’know what? Never mind. Okay, so, the good news is, it works. Other good news, since I know you, it was a little fuzzy around the edges, and I could shake it off, so you don’t have to worry about your allies not recognizing you. Bad news; you’re going to look male to some people and female to others, and you won’t know which until they say something.”

Alpha turned to scowl at Myles, who had a bemused look on his face. “I’m going to look like a guy sometimes? How will I know how to act?”

He shrugged, still with that strangely introspective expression. “Just act like yourself. Their perception doesn’t actually change anything about you. What matters is what they won’t see.” He tapped his lip pointedly.

She shifted, still uncomfortable with the whole idea, but closed her mouth as one of the teenage stablehands looked into the stall, caught sight of Alpha, and froze, mouth hanging open. “Uh, uh, um… C- Commander Cavendish is, uh, waiting for you?” His voice went up on the last work, turning the statement into a question as he blushed even redder than Tess.

Myles smiled and clapped the boy on the shoulder as he moved by. “Good lad. Take good care of our mounts, eh? And remember, don’t close the stall door on Traveler’s horses. They’ll break them down if we call for them, and they’ll stay in on their own until then.”

The boy’s mouth snapped shut, and he nodded, though his eyes never left Alpha, and he continued standing in the door. Tess glanced back and forth between Alpha and her new admirer, and pushed past him, using her width to gently move him back out of the way so Alpha could exit without having to brush by.

Alpha gave her friend a grateful smile, glowered at Myles’ back, and walked back toward the street, pulling her cloak tightly around herself so none of her skin was exposed. Tess followed up, preventing the stableboy from trailing after them, and a moment later, all three players were back outside with the Commander, who was looking distinctly impatient.

Commander Cavendish smiled at Myles, though he hesitated as he saw Tess and Alpha. Turning a frown on Myles, he said stiffly, “I would appreciate it if you didn’t bring stealthed individuals into my town from now on, m’lord. They rarely have good intentions.”

::Ouch, minus ten Reputation for that,:: Myles said, wryly. He leaned in toward the commander, lowering his voice. “You’ll understand when you see her, Commander. Shall we head on to the inn?”

Commander Cavendish looked from Myles to Alpha, then assessed the still form of the gnome Tess still held in her arms. He was clearly still displeased with his guests, but nodded anyway. “I see. Well, right this way, then.” Turning, he led them down another street, to an inn called The Olde Moon. They could hear laughter coming from inside, but as soon as the officer entered, silence fell.

Alpha stepped inside, suppressing a sigh of relief. While her cloak protected her from most of the sun’s effects, she felt like she was suffocating in a hot car when she was outside, and she’d still lost ten Blood just during the brief walk. As she took in the room, however, she was distracted as she realized that nearly every person inside was standing and saluting.

Commander Cavendish snapped a return salute and barked, “At ease.” Everyone settled back down with a quiet clatter of chairs and tankards. Conversations remained subdued, however, and a man holding a towel and wearing a canvas apron hurried over.

“Commander!” the man said respectfully. “Have your guests arrived?”

The officer nodded. “You have their rooms prepared? They’ve been riding all night, and they’re tired.”

“Oh, yes, ah, of course! Our very finest!” The innkeeper waved over a teenage girl wearing an apron that matched his own, then looked back at the Travelers. “Do you need a meal? You won’t find a finer venison stew anywhere in Quarternell, and the lamb cutlets are perfectly cooked.”

Myles glanced at Tess, who shook her head. While players could get buffs from food, any benefit would likely be gone before they woke up, and they didn’t actually need to eat. Alpha doubted she would get any benefit from real food, though she hadn’t actually tried eating any since she’d been turned. Myles turned back to the man, smiling apologetically. “I think we’ll wait and get something when we wake up. We just need beds now, and baths when we wake.”

The innkeeper nodded, nudging the girl toward them. “This is Doreen. She’ll take care of you, so if you need anything, just let her know!”

Commander Cavendish turned back to Myles. “May I have the pleasure of your company for supper this evening, Lord Myles2Go?”

Myles grimaced. “Ah, just Myles is fine. Really. Lord Myles, if you have to, and I’m terribly sorry, but we need to leave as soon as possible. We’re on a mission of some urgency.”

The officer bowed his head. “As you wish, Lord Myles. I’ll say good evening now, then, and I hope you enjoy the hospitality of our little town.” He turned to Tess, nodded once, and then looked at Alpha, and she saw something in his eyes besides stern seriousness for the first time. It was curiosity, and she remembered that Myles had implied that her appearance would explain why she’d needed to be hidden when she’d entered the town.

Sighing, she tugged at her hood, letting it fall back just enough that someone standing as close as Commander Cavendish could see her face clearly, and the man choked. Faster than she would have guessed he could move, his hand darted out and pulled the hood down again. Glancing around, he cleared his throat. “Pardon my rudeness, lady. It’s just that while my men are generally well-disciplined, even they have their limits. Please remain covered while you’re here, for your own safety.” He shot a glance at Myles.

::Got my points back,:: Myles laughed over party chat, though he kept a straight face on the outside.

As Doreen led the trio up the stairs to their rooms, Tess shook her head. ::And this is level one. Do you become Helen of Troy at level fifty?::

::It’s a racial trait, really, rather than a skill,:: Myles said as he slipped Doreen a few coins before she scurried off. ::We had to put it in the skill tree, because it can be turned on and off, unlike other traits, but it doesn’t actually level. It’s just based on Alpha’s Intelligence versus the viewer’s Wisdom, and while the chance of failure is very, very small, it can be more or less effective.::

Their rooms were connected by a door, which Myles opened. He glanced into the second room and nodded. “All clear. Which room would you ladies prefer?”

Alpha and Tess also looked at the second room, which seemed identical to the one they were standing in, complete with two twin beds. “I don’t care,” Tess shrugged. “I’m just going to take my boots off and see if I can get a Well-Rested buff before we leave again. Myles, why don’t you take that one? Feel free to go there now.” She pointed through the door, and Myles raised a brow.

“Why do I feel like I’m being evicted?” he asked mildly, though he didn’t protest as Tess urged him toward the second room.

“Because you are,” Tess said, firmly. “We girls need to have a chat, and you need to go away. We’ll see you at sunset.”

Myles stopped just on the other side of the door. “But what about-?”

Tess closed the door in his face and turned to Alpha. “You, spill! Everything, including the parts you aren’t telling me.” Carefully, she laid Toggle’s body down on the closest bed, and the little gnome sighed and rolled over, though he remained unconscious.

Alpha walked over to the other bed and flopped down on it. “I can’t.”

Her friend crossed over and sat down by her feet. “Uh uh. You can, you just don’t want to.” She leaned forward, lowering her voice to a bare whisper. “That guy is totally manipulating you. He wants something from you, and he’s using his moderator powers and his cuteness to get you to do it.” She looked back at Toggle. “Do you really think it was an accident that you got shot when no one was near you but Toggle? That using that [Turn Ally] skill that he wants you to level was really the only option you had? Heck, don’t you think that a Mod would have known those idiot PvPers were there, and just have avoided the whole thing in the first place? If he can shorten almost two days of travel to just a little over ten hours, don’t you think he could have just zapped us here in the first place or something? He’s jerking you around, and I want to know why!”

She laid a hand on Alpha’s. “Do you know him in real life? I mean, is he, like, your new boyfriend or something? Because I told you about my ex, and how I did all kinds of things I knew I shouldn’t because of him. He was just so good at manipulating me-”

Alpha turned her hand over, briefly gripping Tessle’s small, powerful fingers before drawing away and sitting up. She sighed, running her hand through her hand through the crimson hair that still felt so alien to her. “It’s not like that,” she said, thinking about it. “I mean, you’re right, he manipulates people as easily as he breathes.” She snorted, realizing it was a poor analogy, since Amythyst didn’t actually breathe at all. “But I do believe he’s doing it because he thinks it's in my best interests. I have no doubt he could just poof us to exactly where we need to go, and pop a series of NPCs into being for me to bite, to get the skill level up. But, he also knows that would be really hard for me. Honestly, I’m not sure if I could actually bite someone if I wasn’t in a kind of emergency situation.”

Standing, she crossed the room to look down at Toggle. He was clutching his hat as he slept again, and Orah was still curled around his now-unblemished wrist. “He wants something from me, yes, but I know what it is, and I know what I get in return.” She flashed a grin over her shoulder. “And I really, really want my quest reward. So, if anything, he’s going out of his way to help me do this naturally, instead of telling me, ‘Do this, or you get nothing’. Plus,” she turned back toward the dwarf and smiled, “he made sure I connected with you. Does that sound like he wants to hurt me? I’m pretty sure the first thing the kind of person you’re worried about does is make sure their victim is isolated and helpless. Kind of the opposite of what’s going on here.”

Tess narrowed her eyes, but nodded once, slowly. “I’m still keeping an eye on him. He comes across all friendly and open, but he’s hiding something. I can tell. And, speaking of being isolated, where are you? I mean, in real life, not-” She waved expansively, indicating both the room and the game world in general.

Alpha rolled her eyes. “Oh boy, that’s a tough one. I… I’m somewhere safe, but I have some things I need to do. Things you don’t need to be involved in.”

Tess jumped up, pointing a finger in agitation. “See? That’s what I mean! At least when Rouge got pulled into one of Bridget’s schemes, she had Motte with her the whole way. And she still almost got shot!”

Well, there was a story there, but at the moment, Alpha needed to find a way to reassure her friend. She held up her hands. “Look, I’m a big girl. I can make my own choices, and take the consequences if they’re the wrong ones, but no one is getting shot.” Her lips quirked, “Well, I’ll be getting some shots, but, you know, the,” she mimed giving herself an injection with a hypodermic, “kind.”

Tess froze, then asked incredulously, “Did you just make a joke? You?” The dwarf shook her head, but she was smiling reluctantly. “It was a terrible one, but I’ve never heard you make a joke before, so I’ll take it.” She tapped her foot, drumming her fingers on her crossed arms. “Yeah, okay. If you’re happy enough to actually attempt to be funny, I’ll let it go. Though I want to hear about these shots, because that’s super sus. But you’re not leaving my sight in-game, and you’d better contact me in real life soon, too.”

Alpha held up two fingers in an ‘I swear’ gesture. “I promise. I have something to do on Monday, but after that I should be able to call or message you.”

Tess nodded, and started to turn away, but paused. When she looked back, her expression was conflicted. “One more thing before I have to log off, though,” she said, tugging at one of the little braids hanging in front of her ears. Alpha raised her eyebrows expectantly, and Tess sighed. “I’m really really sorry I made you tell VaVa you were quitting. It’s my fault that jerk Mayhew attacked you.”

Alpha frowned. “I’m pretty sure it’s his fault that he attacked me, but what do you mean?”

Tessle grimaced. “Yeah, but you know how you suddenly ended up with a ‘going away’ party because VaVa had to switch up shifts, and Alexis freaked out when she heard she was going to get the full-time position? Apparently, before she came in, she posted about it everywhere, and one of Mayhew’s gang saw it on social media. I guess Mayhew had been complaining because he was going to have to replace your fridge or something, and so this guy recognized your name, mentioned it to Mayhew, and bam. VaVa and Alexis feel terrible about it, too.”

“Wow,” Alpha blinked. “That’s… totally not yours, Alexis’, VaVa’s, or anyone else’s fault. Except Dominic’s, obviously. I’m really glad Alexis got the job. She deserves it, and the customers love her.” She shook her head. “Would you tell her I said that? It’s not the first time one of the tenants has come home to find they’d been robbed after turning in their notice. It’s just the first time we actually caught him, instead of just suspecting. He’s scum, that’s all, and I hope this time he actually gets in more trouble than just having Frederic kick his behind.”

Grinning, Tess said, “Is that the big guy’s name? I heard about it when I went down there to see if anyone knew where you went, and Frederic is seriously everyone’s hero. Plus, the cops actually arrested Mayhew in the hospital. I don’t know what the charges are, but there are whispers that he’s going to be doing jail time. Plus, I heard someone bought Mayhew’s loans from the bank and demanded immediate repayment, so he’s probably going to lose everything.”

“Fingers crossed,” Alpha said, smiling in dark satisfaction. Amythyst had promised he’d regret hurting her, and it sounded like the AI was coming through in spades. “I hope he’ll at least think twice about hurting anyone else.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Tess grinned, “but I’ll keep you posted. And, thanks. For forgiving me, I mean.”

Alpha shook her head. “There’s nothing to forgive. Seriously. Now go, and I’ll see you back here in about six hours. The sun should be down by then.”

Looking back and forth between the two beds, Tess hesitated. “Which one do you want?”

Alpha looked at the child-like figure of the gnome and shrugged. “I’ll sleep with Toggle. He doesn’t take up much room, and he’s apparently my servant now, anyway.”

“Got it. See you after lunch.” Tess darted forward and gave Alpha a quick hug before retreating to her bed. Before Alpha could respond, the dwarf’s boots vanished from her feet, and her eyes went blank.

Alpha chuckled a little to herself. It was always funny to see a fully armored person with bare feet, but someone on the development team for VO must really have a thing about sleeping with shoes on, because you couldn’t get the Well Rested buff unless you took them off.

She drew a fortifying breath, puffed it out, and turned to look at the door between the two rooms. “You can come out now. I know you’ve been listening.”

The door opened a crack, and one green eye peered through cautiously. “Am I in trouble?” came a muffled voice.

“What are you, five?” she asked, reaching out and tugging the door open. To her surprise, it was Amythyst who fell through, not Myles. Instinctively, Alpha caught the other woman, wrapping her arms around Amythyst to help her stay upright. As soon as she realized what she was doing, she pulled back, but she could feel her cheeks heat.

“No,” she said, gruffly, “but I know how much you like to spy on people, so I figured there was no way you weren’t listening in. Why do you look like this?”

Amythyst crossed her arms over her chest, which was lightly covered by a flowing dress made of some gauzy green material. More of the material draped from her back, almost floating in the still air, and her hair was long, wavy, and covered in sparkles. “Oh, um, I was… uh, multitasking, and I had to… You don’t like it?”

Alpha reached out and brushed a lock of chestnut hair from the AI’s pale, lightly freckled shoulder, then jerked her hand back and cleared her throat. “No, yeah, it’s nice. Nice… dress. Just, I was expecting Myles. He’s… easier to deal with.”

Amythyst blinked at this apparently unexpected response, but raised two fingers in a V-shape, laying it across her eyebrow and cheekbone, then swept the other hand in a wide ‘jazz-hands’ arc. “Cute! Guy! Power!” she exclaimed, and a shower of silver sparks trailed from her fingers. She bent one knee in an exaggerated pose as the sparkles swirled around her body, transforming her from the green-gowned woman, back to Myles.

Alpha blinked. “What was that?”

Myles rolled his eyes. “That was my henshin sequence. Zoey and Marcus watch a lot of anime, and when I get bored, I watch some of the old shows Marcus likes to talk about. Which, since my processing power is so much faster than a human’s, means that I’ve actually watched way more anime than probably anyone else in the history of the world.”

“Wow,” Alpha said. “Just… Wow. Anyway, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Myles glanced away, shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry?” He looked back at her, and she could see his sincerity as he went on. “Tess is right. I do manipulate people. Amy was bad about it, since she had to pretend to be Daddy’s sweet little girl pretty much her whole life, and it was a solid habit by the time she left home. Bridge helped her learn to do better, but when I woke up in here,” he shrugged, “I fell back into old habits. I swear I didn’t mean for Toggle to get hurt, though!”

Alpha raised an eyebrow at him.

“Okay, fine, eventually, maybe, but only if I had to. I was hoping to talk you into trying it just for the low-key telepathy and recovery boost. You really do need to get [Turn Ally] to twenty before you can control players when they’re away. Still, it was sheer luck that Toggle and D3th were in that temple, though I may have nudged the little guy into following you. I can’t control or completely predict what players will do, though, and Plague Bunny going after him instead of one of us? That was all her.”

“And why didn’t you just take us around the ambush completely? We didn’t have to have that fight at all,” Alpha demanded.

Now Myles looked stubborn. “Alpha, you’re a vampire for a reason. Yes, we have a few weeks before it becomes an issue, but you have to learn to use your vamp skills, and level them up. That battle was an opportunity for you to get the feel for what fighting is like, now, and practice a little. You can’t run away from what you have to do. Not and help Amy, anyway.”

“Then tell me that!” Alpha poked a taloned finger into Myles’ rock-hard chest. “Find a hot second to explain the things I need to know, instead of just throwing things at me! I don’t like being blindsided!”

He set his hands on his hips, expression stormy, and voice strident. “You can’t control everything!” Stopping, he drew in a breath, staring up at the ceiling. When he looked back at her, his green eyes were calm again. “We don’t know what’s going on in that house, and I’m not going to be able to help you, at least at first. Carl has the whole thing in an encrypted, closed system, and you have to be adaptable. If you panic the first time things don’t go as planned, you’re going to be kicked out before we even start.”

Alpha shook her head. “If we plan for every contingency, we can-”

“No, Ava, listen,” he interrupted, then lowered his voice. “I know you felt like your whole world broke when your mom got sick. Every plan, every expectation, every relationship, all of it shattered. You picked up the pieces, and you went on with this life that you glued together out of splinters, and then when Molly died, it all crumbled again. You’ve spent the last year making sure that you could control everything, and now I’m destroying the house of cards that you’ve been tip-toeing around, pretending it was made out of bricks.”

Alpha’s eyes burned, and she swiped at her cheeks, even though they were dry. “I can handle it,” she whispered. “I just need a minute to figure things out.”

Myles wrapped her in a warm embrace, chin resting on her head like an adult comforting a sobbing child. “I know you can. You’re amazing. I’m so proud of you.”

Alpha wanted to pull away. She wanted to demand what right he had to be proud of her, like she was his in some way. But she couldn’t. It had been so long since she’d been held, so long since anyone who mattered had said those words, that she could only clutch at his shirt and come as close to crying as Veritas allowed.

“It’s all right,” Myles murmured, not moving, just letting her hold him for however long she needed to. “You’ve just got to learn to bend again. Learn that taking a chance, or having something unexpected happen, isn’t always going to mean something terrible is coming. When you walk into that house, when you meet Amy, you have to be able to do whatever it takes to stay there, and help her.”

Alpha stilled, reminded that the person Myles really cared about was Amy, not her. He was putting her through this purely so he could get to Amy, and he’d been clear that Alpha and Ava were acceptable sacrifices for achieving that goal. Once Amy was free and safe, Alpha would probably never hear from Amythyst again.

This time she did find the strength to pull away, and even managed to plaster a smile on her face. “Yeah, she said, forcing her eyes to meet his, “that’s right. I’ll do whatever I have to do to save Amy. You don’t need to worry. I mean, you probably wish you’d known how messed up I am before you stabbed me, though, right?”

“That’s not what I-”

She waved him off, walking over and lying down with Toggle. “I’m going to log off, now. Make sure Alpha doesn’t eat anybody while I’m gone, okay? And… maybe just don’t come back to the house for a little while? I’ll see you when I log back in.”

“Ava-”

She logged off.