Chapter 11

  Felix

  The sharp echo of a gunshot pierced the predawn silence, jolting me awake. I sat up abruptly, my heart hammering against my ribs. In the faint purple glow that passed for pre-dawn on this world, the smaller sun not yet cresting the horizon, I could see Corwin and Jackie stirring on their cots nearby.

  "Did you hear that?" Jackie whispered, her voice tight with fear as she looked toward the entrance.

  "Yeah," I replied, my voice barely audible. My hands were already shaking. I crept toward the closed flap of the hospital shelter and eased it open just enough to peer outside.

  What I saw made my blood run cold.

  Armed men moved through the camp like predators, grabbing people and herding them together. Some of our own camp members moved with them, their movements oddly mechanical, too eager in their compliance. Something about the way Thomas followed orders, moving without hesitation or question, set my teeth on edge. Through the darkness I couldn't make out details, just hulking silhouettes that moved with disturbing purpose.

  Human, Level 10.

  The notification appeared in my vision, and my stomach dropped. Level 10. No one in camp had reached level 10 yet. The highest of us were hovering around 7 or 8. I searched the darkness for Maura's tent at the edge of camp, the one she'd been staying in alone. Suddenly a figure ran out, pulling her along by the hand.

  Shit. The word stuck in my throat.

  "What's wrong?" Corwin asked, pushing himself up on his cot with his good arm.

  "Get dressed," I said, turning from the tent flap. My voice came out steadier than I felt. "Quietly, and quickly. There are high level people in camp. I... I think they're taking us over. And I just saw them take Maura."

  Jackie stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock. Corwin swung his legs over the cot and tried to dress himself, but he struggled with his pants. He'd only lost the arm a couple days ago. He wasn't used to navigating things one-handed yet.

  "Felix," he said quietly. There was embarrassment in his voice, but also urgency.

  I turned and helped him finish dressing, trying to keep my hands from trembling. "Okay, Corwin. I... I've got an idea but you're not going to like it. I'm going to bandage your arm back up. You need to act way worse than you are. Under no circumstances do you tell them you're a mage. Any surprise we have could be the difference between getting away or not. I don't know what their end goal is."

  Corwin agreed immediately. "Sure, but why won't I like it?"

  "Oh buddy, that's not the part you won't like." I took a shaky breath. "We need Jackie to wear her shadow cloak and leave. Hopefully to find others who can help us, but either way we need to get her away from these men."

  I watched Corwin's eyes swim with emotion as he nodded slowly. I turned to Jackie, who was already shaking her head.

  "No no no no no. I'm not leaving you guys. I'm not going to be alone." Her voice broke on the last word.

  I fetched the cloak from the corner where she'd been staying and grabbed our remaining supplies. The cache from Day 2 had given us 25 health potions, but we'd used ten already treating injuries around camp. I put the 15 remaining potions in Jackie's spatial storage bag along with the leftover hunk of bread from dinner and a waterskin. My hands moved on autopilot while my mind raced.

  "Felix. Felix they're coming this way!" Corwin hissed from the entrance. "I think I can hit one of them."

  Corwin readied a firebolt and flung it through the tent flap. "Dammit," he swore. "I missed. I caught a tent on fire. At least I think it bought us some more time."

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  He turned and grabbed Jackie by the shoulder, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Jackie, listen to me. You have to go, now. It's the only way you'll be safe, and we might have a chance to fight back. We need someone on the outside."

  "I'm not going to leave you."

  "Yes you are. If you want us to survive this you will, because if someone hurts you I will be unable to hold back and I'm in no condition to defend you right now."

  Jackie's eyes were wide with fear, but she nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Okay, Corwin, but please be careful," she whispered, her voice breaking.

  I helped her into her shadow cloak while Corwin turned back to watch the entrance, my fingers fumbling with the clasps. The cloak shifted immediately to match the colors and textures of the tent walls. "Remember, use the terrain to your advantage, stay hidden, and find help. You can do this," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

  Jackie hugged me quickly, then Corwin. "Be safe," she murmured, before turning to slip out of the back of the tent. Her form blended into the shadows until she was nearly invisible.

  Corwin and I watched the flap where Jackie had disappeared, each of us silently hoping she'd make it to safety. Then, without another word, we turned our attention back to the front of the tent.

  Josie, the healer woman who'd been taking opposite shifts from me, ducked through the flap. She was holding her healing staff and breathing heavily. "There are men taking over the camp. They've been capturing everyone and killing anyone who resists. They're on their way."

  "Alright, let's make these invaders believe they've got us cornered," I said, checking the bandages on Corwin's arm to make sure they looked freshly applied and more severe than they actually were. My healer's training, limited as it was, at least helped me fake injuries convincingly.

  Just then, a commotion outside drew our attention. Corwin peeked out again and his face lit up with a mix of shock and hope. "Felix, it's Maura! And she's not alone. She's got someone with her, but I can't tell what it is."

  I ran to join Corwin at the tent entrance. Maura was indeed there, and beside her a figure continuously shifted in and out of focus, just like the being from class selection.

  What the hell is going on? I thought. They worked their way in this direction and I was too busy watching what she was doing when suddenly a duplicate of her appeared and ran off in the opposite direction. Several of the men gave chase. I just hope Jackie made it to the treeline.

  Before I could react, two men stepped into the shelter. A yellowed sneer under a dirtied mustache stuck out in the dim light. "I found three more," the man shouted to an unseen leader outside of the tent. His smile widened even further as he caught sight of Josie's healing staff. "And we're in luck! We got ourselves a healer!" He grabbed Josie and Corwin, tugging them out of the shelter as his accomplice grabbed me and dragged me along behind them.

  As they pulled us out of the tent, I caught sight of Corwin struggling to keep up, wincing with every step. The men didn't care, dragging us toward the center of the camp where others were being held.

  The camp was chaos. Fires spreading. People crying out in fear and defiance. I searched desperately for any sign of Maura or Jackie, hoping against all odds that they were safe.

  Suddenly an arrow flew past my face and buried itself in Mustache's clavicle. He wailed, a guttural sound of pure rage. Letting go of us, he and the man who had been holding me drew their weapons. Mustache brandished a handgun while his slightly smaller, clean-shaven lackey bore a short curved blade in each hand.

  Elara stepped out of the shadows, arrow nocked and ready. "Let my friends go or the other one is going in your head," she threatened.

  "You bitch. You'll be sorry," Mustache wailed, taking aim with his gun.

  Elara loosed her arrow and Mustache fired. The arrow flew true and hit Mustache through the eye. Gore sprayed from him onto his lackey, who jumped backward from the attack. I turned to look at Elara, who was clutching her stomach. Blood was soaking her shirt and dripping to the ground. She was staring at the treeline. Mouthed a silent, "Run." I turned to see who she was looking at as Maura turned and disappeared into the forest.

  I ran. I didn't think. I just ran after her.

  I followed behind Maura and that shifting being at a distance, keeping low among the massive alien trees with their veins of bioluminescent sap. I wasn't sure who this creature with her was, and more importantly I wanted to know why they were sneaking off at the exact moment our home was being destroyed. After a couple of hours walking through forest that grew denser and stranger the farther we went, silvery ferns brushing my blood-spattered shirt, the air thick with a mineral tang I couldn't name, we came across a cave. As they went inside and sat down, I stayed out of view and sat against the side of the cave within hearing distance.

  My breathing was ragged. My shirt was still splattered with blood. What am I even doing? I thought. What if she sees me? What if that thing sees me?

  But I stayed. I had to know.

  * * *

  "You're not alone," the being said to Maura, and without further explanation I heard them teleport away with a blip.

  Maura let out a shuddering breath and, more to herself than to Byte, she spoke aloud. "What am I supposed to do now?"

  After having heard the entire conversation, I realized this was probably as good a moment as any to announce my presence. If I waited any longer, it would just be creepier.

  With a deep, calming breath that did nothing to calm me, I stood up and walked into the mouth of the cave.