Adam Drake - Blackout

The impact of his head knocked the breath out of me, and my view-screen went black for a second.

When I could see again, I was sailing over surprised players below me. As my body spun around, I caught a glance of Mudhoof surrounded by a mass of angry players who closed in on him.

Then I hit the top Temple step and bounced hard through the entrance, and across the threshold.

You have entered a PvP safezone.

I slammed against the inner foyer wall tearing down a large dove tapestry.

For a few moments my avatar was disoriented from the impact. Once I got my bearings, I looked out into the town square below.

Weapons were rising and falling where Mudhoof had been, but I couldn’t see him through the mass of players.

Then, someone raised a twin bladed battle axe up in the air. There was a cheer of triumph from the crowd.

My body went numb. No, I thought. It can’t be!

I barely registered the mass of players now surging up the steps of the temple. They didn’t matter now. Only one thought filled my mind.

Mudhoof was dead.

Stunned, I could do nothing but sit and stare at the upraised battle axe.

Mudhoof’s axe.

Then the tide of players crested the top Temple step, and the axe was lost from view.

He had died to save me. Again.

This was not the first time, nor did I believe it would be the last. Mudhoof was a true friend and a fellow player I could count on in a pinch. And I had just been in one heck of a pinch.

I shook my head, trying to get my senses back.

Players now pushed into the Temple, crowding the inner foyer where I sat slumped against the wall. They loomed over me, shouting and gesticulating wildly. The air filled with FILTERED this and FILTERED that.

With a hand against the wall, I stood. As if expecting I would be dumb enough to leave the safety of the Temple, some of the players parted so I could exit unimpeded. But I wasn’t going outside. Instead, I turned and pushed my way further into the Temple. If someone tried to block me, I simple shoved them aside, and they slid out of my way as if on ice.

Once in a safezone a player can’t be hurt in any manner nor physically blocked, unlike the rest of the gaming world. If that was the case, the griefing of players would be epidemic. I took some small solace that, although they had killed my friend, they could not stop me from where I wanted to go.

As I entered the main chamber, the others followed close behind, a cacophony of FILTERED obscenities and gestures. With minimal effort, and avoiding direct eye-contact with my would-be tormentors, I pushed my way to the same little bed I’d vacated only a short while ago.

As I sat down, the healer appeared.

“Oh, by the Blessed One herself, you have returned, and so soon,” he said. He examined my wounds and the various arrows that seemed to sprout from my avatar. “Tsk-tsk,” he said. “You need to be more careful. Allow me to heal your wounds.” He seemed unaffected by the horde of people that now jammed his beautiful temple.

“Yes,” I said over the shouts. “Please do. I would be most grateful.”

As he attended to me, I looked up at those who crowded around, pressing up against my space. From the myriad of words and phrases thrown at me I came to the following conclusion.

They thought I was a very bad person. Very, very bad. I needed to die. Now, and preferably quick. I was a FILTERED of a FILTERing FILTERED as well, which I thought was just plain mean to say.

But I had enough. From an icon at the side of my view-screen I went into my game settings. Then I selected ‘MUTE OTHER PLAYERS’. A prompt popped up, ‘EXEMPT FRIENDS LIST AND NPCs’? I answered yes.

To those all around me, the image of a large ear appeared above my head which in turn had a red line slashed across it. Now I didn’t have to hear anyone speak, or even receive chat requests.

The effect was immediate, and my world went blessedly quiet. Players threw themselves around and jumped up and down. This had only enraged them further, but I didn’t have to hear any of it.

Then I selected ‘AWAY FROM GAME’.

Instead of a symbol, a white translucent vector box was drawn around me. My avatar, now encased, went still and my eyes closed.

I could still see fine. But now the others knew I would not engage them in any way. The possibility now existed I could be away from the game for a long time. What would they do then?

While I let them ponder that amongst themselves in the civil manner I expected, I pulled up my chat menu and pinged Mudhoof. As I waited my heart was in my chest. What he had done was amazingly selfless.

And creative, too.

Mudhoof, for whatever reason, did not answer my chat request. I tried not to read too much into it. Maybe he was tired after the fight and was taking a break, away from the game. Or maybe he was ticked off with me because now he had to level up in the newbie zone, yet again. Something he was famous for.

I shook my head. He would be in touch when he’s ready.

From my inventory I removed the Teleport Token.

Get to Thorm , Mudhoof had said.

Thorm might be the only other true friend I had, besides Mudhoof. We’d all adventured together countless times. All of it fun. Would he be interested in a suicide mission to find and kill Ogden Trite?

A quick scan of my short (but distinguished) friends list showed Thorm was currently online. Selecting his name brought up more detailed information on what he was up too.

Questing in Farewell Falls on planet Orkrin .

Even on his own quest I knew Thorm would drop everything to come help me. Did I want to impose on him with something this big? Add to this that I did not want to see yet another one of my friends end up re-rolling because of me.

But did I have a choice?

From the safety of the Away From Game vector box I spied on the surrounding players. There were so many now they filled the chamber from wall to wall, and even out the main entrance. The town would now be packed with bounty hunters all hoping to be the one who would claim the bounty on my head.

I wasn’t going anywhere. Logging out was not an option. Such a tactic was beneath my code of gamer-ethics. I would not hide from a fight by leaving the game then returning much later to see if anyone was still around. The very thought was repugnant. Why even bother playing the game if you would stoop to such cowardly tactics?

But, even though I wouldn’t hide from a fight, didn’t mean I wouldn’t run from one.

I thumbed the Token in my hand.

Might as well just ask Thorm if he was interested. Couldn’t hurt.

I sent him a chat request.

While I waited I noticed a group of players moving aggressively around the Temple chamber. It was obvious several groups where arguing over me, but couldn’t hurt each other here. Instead, they yelled and screamed. To me it all played out like a silent movie.

There was little doubt that fights were going on outside in the square. And all over who would have the honor of killing me.

Sighing, I watched as the players slid around each other in pathetic attempts of intimidation. I don’t mind being popular, but this was ridiculous. Removing this bounty once and for all was my only hope.

A chat acceptance sound brought me out of my gloomy thoughts. I opened the chat screen in front of me. Thankfully, the vector box masked my activities.

The face of Thorm filled my view. Human, and handsome, with a bristly blond mustache which covered his mouth, Thorm embodied the very best of character customization. I will admit I found his avatar attractive, even though I hadn’t a clue what Thorm, the player, looked like in real life.

“Miss Valesh,” Thorm rumbled, his voice was low and deep. “Always a pleasure.” Although I could not see any details of his surroundings, it looked as if he was resting against a tree.