The Game (3)

I checked Blanks heartbeat and general condition once more before leaving the cave. We were in a side challenge. 43, the savage slot canyons, the whole area was filled with them. I had managed to access the game's map but I didn't have what canyon we were at. Which complicated things to say the least.

Why couldn't this map have a little dot to show the player's location or something? I should blame the game designers. I started walking up to the tallest point I could find. Maybe some sort of land mark would stick out.

The sun was setting in the game. Of course my luck would have me running around in the dark because I slept earlier. I glared at the only sense of true time I had.

[Status effect: Poison -50% all stats, +60% dizziness +20% hunger, duration 3 days 8 hours 13 minutes]

What else could possibly make my week worse? Wait don't answer that world. I'd like us both to remain alive please.

In the growing darkness I could barely make out the shape of the two nearest rock formations. I glanced back at the map my eyes scanning over it for something similar.

"Oh just great!" I hissed.

We were at the farthest point in the challenge. The log out spot was at least a day walk for a normal person. Carrying Blank and walking through the night I might make it in a day and a half if I was lucky. Assuming the other poison didn't kill me by then anyway.

[Status effect: sensation poison, effects: unknown]

I'd just have to hope it didn't. I probably only had the same amount of time though. 3 days to get Blank out of here and back to his guild. If I was lucky I could go squirm around in my bedroom for another two days before dying. Was that lucky? Maybe after dropping Blank off I'd just let the SnowLeopards kill me instead, it would be faster. What were the chances of finding someone who didn't currently hate my guts and happened to be a healer?

I decided to let my thoughts end there. I just had to save Blank, reincarnation was a thing right? A fitting end for an odd anomaly of the world that probably shouldn't exist anyway.

I slapped my face. Ok Mr. Morbid focus. I glanced at Blank's adorable face. So cute. I will save you.

The moon was half full and I could mostly see where I was going. I started walking making sure to keep track on the map so I wouldn't end up lost again. Walking around partly blind by a bunch of cliffs was a terrible idea really.

I strode carefully along. On the flatter parts I sped up my pace. I would cry if I died of dehydration first. Where would water be in this desert like climate? Preferably sill water that couldn't try to kill us.

I followed the rim of the slot canyon where we had taken an unintentional raft trip, well half drowned trip might be more accurate.

"Haha yes!" I spotted a crevice full of water and stopped by it.

I didn't have any tabs for water quality, looks like I'm the guanine pig. I drank a mouthful then waited for any poison notifications.

[Water 98% pure: 2% poison: low effect stumbling 3 minutes]

[Poison resisted: no affect]

Close enough to not die. I drank a lot more of it then fed some of it to Blank with a cupped hand. If he was being carried a stumbling affect would not be a problem.

I didn't have anything to carry extra in, darn. I couldn't even soak my shirt given that I currently didn't have one. I would have to get my revenge on flash flooding slot canyons in the future.

I continued walking following the map and a star that pointed the right way. Star charting was mostly useless since each challenge had a different sky. I shall call this star... stary. Okay wow lame I could come up with something a little better, glowy, little star, little brighty, guide? Sure Guide the star it is. It is my guild.

I blinked a few times. Maybe that water had some mental affects? Why did I care if the star had a name? Maybe I was completely loosing it. Or maybe I had already lost it a long time ago. What even is it? Sanity?

The tired thoughts of a person struggling to walk. I could go to an insane asylum after this. Do you think they would give me chocolate pudding? Or maybe they'd just dissect my brain? I wonder which is more painful?

Before I knew it the sun had started to rise. Okay I lied I had been inside my slowly going insane head for far too long. At least a view might give it something to stare at besides trying to count stars and make my own constellations?

[Status effect: Poison -50% all stats, +60% dizziness +20% hunger, duration 2 days 16 hours 49 minutes]

"If you feel like you will cry, go and catch a firefly, If you want to touch the sky, grow a pair of wings and fly."

I started humming an old walking tune my parents sang before they disappeared. Of course the lyrics were all out of order, but walking tunes were made to be in any order or to sing while working.

"And tell me, tell me, what does it mean to you."

Since no one was around to listen I went ahead and just sang my heart out, something I rarely ever did. And something I'd never be caught doing in front of another living soul.

I paused briefly on top of a rock to look at the sunrise. It was beautiful with purples and pinks streaming through the clouds. Then I saw a small piece of movement to my right and dodged just in time.

An arrow stuck out of a piece of driftwood behind me as I turned to face the direction it came from. My eyes narrowed.

"Destroyer how lovely to see you again." I spat as I lowered Blank to the ground.

Another arrow came at me and I caught it with a free hand.

"Shame, shame, you will have to be a whole lot faster than that to hit an assassin? What's your class? Slow shooter?" I smirked.

He leapt down from another rock and strolled forward his eyes on me. Now that he no longer had the element of surprise I had the upper hand. Still no reason to be careless. I didn't take my eyes off him as he roamed closer.

Then he stopped watching me. It seemed to finally hit him that he was out matched even if I was still weakened. That was when he tried to flee behind a boulder.

"Stay here Blanky, I'll be right back. I just need to get rid of a small little pest." I leapt after Destroyer and through a maze of rocks.

I paused standing silently listening. A scrambled of footsteps to the right. I launched myself that way. He really should of just hidden until I left the challenge, he could have had another several years to his life. A pity now he wouldn't.

He wasn't even facing me when I broke his neck and he crumbled to dust.

"That makes five." I whispered to the dead dust. "How many members are in your guild again? No matter I will find them soon enough."

His death left behind a water pouch and two energy pills, score! I immediately tossed one of the pills into my mouth and watched a large portion of my tiredness fade away. Great I could totally keep going now.

I looked around; darn it now where was I? Maybe I shouldn't have left Blank in such a low lying areas.

I jumped up onto a rock and started hopping between them.

I paused and opened a map then moved in a large circle around the area. Where did I leave that pile of lazy bones?

A bird's caw caught my attention.

"Hey get lost." I growled chasing it away from Blank.

I was insulted that it tried to eat my friend. Although at the same time I owed it for finding him for me. I'd let it live for now.

I picked up Blank's body and headed for the log out point. It was time for my revenge on the rest of Team Red. It was almost night again. As soon as the rest of Team Red was dead I was taking another nap.

[Status effect: Poison -50% all stats, +60% dizziness +20% hunger, duration 2 days 4 hours 49 minutes]