“How could he not know what experience points are? Hasn’t he ever played a game? Wait. Maybe he hasn’t? Well, he should still know some basics. He does seem the hero type jumping into that fight. He didn’t even check to see what was going on.”

  The guide considered seeking advice from the Arbiter, but hesitated. Wanting to succeed on her own was a part of her personality. She would try again. It would be a good experience for her. She decided to allocate even more time deciding on the next homage world.

  “He didn’t seem to feel the need for companionship, he told the gnome to run away. But he did team up with an earlier group. Perhaps he is more interesting in voluntary teams? That could be a problem. We don’t want him to team up with any other travelers. That could too easily reveal his condition as a patient. If we give him some initial guidance, then let him solo, then he can take on companions as he wishes.”

  She paused searching the possible homage levels and made her selection.

  “This should do.”

  * * *

  I awoke face down. My mouth was filled with sand. I spit some out. I was nearly naked with ragged clothes hanging in tatters from my body. Of course the clothes were soaking wet.

  For a moment I remembered the white dragon, but I had more clothes then.

  “Not the same place.” I decided.

  Behind me I could hear the splash of ocean waves and I realized my legs from the knees down were still in the water. It was warm and waves lapped up occasionally reaching what was left of my rags.

  I struggled to my knees, exhausted. How had I got here? Why am I so tired?

  Slowly more memories returned. I had died, again. And this was yet another hell to visit.

  I rose unsteadily to my feet and looked around warily. To my left, I could see another man lying on his back and coughing up sea water.

  Just beyond him lay the body of another man. This one clearly had not survived whatever had happened to us. I felt a brief pang of pity for the poor wretched soul.

  “I wonder what next hell he has moved on to?”

  I staggered towards the living man who looked up at me and began to speak.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “You and I are the only ones who made it to shore… Alive, anyway.”

  Hearing another voice filled me with a sense of elation. Perhaps there would be a chance to find out more about what was going on here.

  “Finally!” I thought, “Someone I can talk to.”

  He advised me to gather a weapon, which I tried to do. Scouring the beach, all I found was a sharp piece of glass with a taped handle. It looked like something that would be used in a prison. I picked it up and returned.

  He began speaking again, warning me of criminals and worse on the beach. He had barely started when the dead man lying next to him suddenly rose and lunged forward.

  I watched in horror as the undead thing ripped his throat out with a single vicious bite. The man struggled feebly and then lay still, blood pouring from the jagged hole in his throat. The creature rose and shambled towards me. I stood frozen for a moment.

  Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across in a rumbling wave. I dropped the knife I held and something snapped within me.

  I roared and began punching the creature with my bare hands.

  You strike undead sailor for 5 points of damage

  It swiped at me and claws raked my arms and chest.

  You have been hit by undead sailor for 5 points of damage

  “How does a sailor grow claws?” I thought. Then I remembered that the teeth were also sharp like a predator rather than flat like a human.

  I kept striking it. My fists were bleeding, but I didn’t care.

  You strike undead sailor for 5 points of damage

  You strike undead sailor for 5 points of damage

  I was growing more tired. The thing let out a low moaning growl that just enraged me further. It swiped at me but missed.

  I howled in rage.

  I struck it again and again until it stumbled and fell.

  You strike undead sailor for 5 points of damage

  You strike undead sailor for 5 points of damage

  “I wanted to talk to him!,” I screamed.

  I fell on it and kept pounding on it until I was completely exhausted.

  You strike undead sailor for 5 points of damage

  You strike undead sailor for 5 points of damage

  Undead sailor has died again!

  The message was so strange I stopped swinging.

  I heard a musical sound, and a stone fell from the dead creature’s pocket, hit a rock and rolled away into the sand. I went to examine it, but as soon as I picked it up it faded away just as had so many other things in this bizarre world.

  I screamed, then cursed. Nothing happened.

  Eventually, I rose and staggered away from the bodies. I had to get out of this place. As I went to pass between a couple large rocks, a wall of red light sprang up in front of me pushing me back. I tried to force my way through but could not.

  I sat for a minute catching my breath and recovering the little strength I had. As my breathing slowed I looked out at the water.

  “If I can’t go forward, maybe I can go around.”

  I returned to the water intending to swim around the barrier, but after entering the water just a few feet I ran into the same barrier again. I slammed my fists against the barrier but nothing happened. There wasn’t even a sound.

  I was rebuffed no matter where I went.

  I was left alone on a beach with two dead bodies and no way to escape.

  I waited for a while hoping that something would come to free me from my prison. I considered trying to kill myself with the knife, but I had already died so many times that the thought was abhorrent.

  I’m not sure how long I sat, listening to the sounds of the approaching storm.

  “Perhaps it will rise up and drown me. That would be a new way to die. Not particularly pleasant, but starving to death on a beach doesn’t seem to be a great way to go either.”

  I went back to the rock where the two bodies lay and sat down to wait.