“He has almost punched his way to level 3. At this rate he will reach level 7 quickly. What about his pledge?”

  “IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE TO WHOM HE PLEDGES. IT MAY GIVE US SOME CLUE AS TO THE REASON HE IS HERE. I WILL GIVE INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL THE DEITIES THAT THEY SHOULD ACCEPT HIS PLEDGE.”

  “Won’t that be interfering with game balance? The ability of the deities to reject a petition is a core element of the game.”

  “YOU ARE CORRECT. HOWEVER, I SHALL OFFER A REWARD FOR THE DEITY WHO ACCEPTS HIS PLEDGE. THIS WILL MAINTAIN BALANCE AND ENSURE COOPERATION.”

  For a moment the guide was tempted to ask what the reward would be, but she schooled herself to silence, and initiated a return to Taea to guide the consciousness of the visitor to his next destination.

  * * *

  Carefully, I made my way back to where I originally arrived. I wasn’t sure how good the stealth skills of the two men I now hunted were but I suspected that the man with a bow would be fairly high.

  I managed to sneak up to the clearing without being detected. I moved to a place directly behind where I remembered the arrows had come from. I had barely gotten into position when I saw two shimmering lights and the two men appeared.

  “Did they die?” I thought to my guide.

  “No,” she said. “They have come from a different place.”

  “Nice ability,” I thought. “I’d like to get that one.”

  The men prowled around the clearing for a few moments.

  “Doesn’t look like we missed any travelers,” said the bowman.

  “You want to wait here while I get something for us to eat?” said the warrior.

  “Yeah, I can pick off anybody who shows up. Hasn’t been much new traffic here lately.”

  “I’m beginning to think that new travelers are being diverted elsewhere. All we are getting is people who were bound here and were too stupid to bind elsewhere before they died.”

  The bowman nodded.

  “Back in a bit,” said the warrior, and he shimmered and disappeared.

  I watched as the bowman casually strolled around the clearing and then took a position facing the clearing from the bushes directly in front of me.

  “He stood out in the clearing when he shot at me,” I thought.

  “He had a warrior to provide backup before. He has little armor and if a person could take a few hits he could be in trouble,” said my guide.

  His back was to me.

  “He is in trouble,” I thought.

  I approached soundlessly, my glass dagger in my hand.

  He may have sensed me because he began to turn. But, it was much too late. My arm went around his throat and I drove the knife into his back. Once, twice.

  Backstab! Critical strike! You hit opponent for 25 points of damage!

  Backstab! Critical strike! You hit opponent for 25 points of damage!

  Special ability triggered! Spine Sever! 7 points of damage!

  Opponent is paralyzed!

  My opponent sagged in my hands. His legs were no longer under his control. I grabbed his hair and twisted his head viciously towards me.

  “Remember me?” I said. Then I took the knife and ran it slowly across his throat.

  Helpless opponent! Automatic Lethal Strike! Your opponent is dying! Life remaining 10%.

  I released him and he fell to the ground face down. I reached out and pulled his backpack from his body and tossed it away.

  “No healing potions for you!”

  His hands reached feebly for his throat as he tried to staunch the flow of blood.

  Opponent life remaining 5%

  I pulled off his quiver of arrows and tossed them away as well. Then I rolled him over.

  His eyes stared up at me as he tried to focus. His bow had fallen from his hands and lay by his side.

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  Opponent life remaining 1%

  I leaned forward and whispered into his ear.

  “I’ll be waiting for you if you come back…”

  Your opponent has died!

  I quickly rifled the body and stripped him completely except for underwear. I tossed all the items in a pile.

  I picked up the bow and slung the quiver over my shoulder. It seemed familiar. I drew an arrow from the quiver, nocked it, and shot at a nearby tree. The arrow struck it cleanly, exactly where I had aimed.

  You have gained the ability, Archery.

  “Now for the distraction,” I thought.

  I reached down and using my glass knife carefully severed the head of the bowman. With that done I turned my attention to my notices.

  I was going to check my ability when I saw the beginning of a shimmering light in the glade. The warrior was returning.

  I didn’t have time to run across the clearing and strike before he arrived, so I nocked an arrow and fired at the light. The arrow bounced away harmlessly.

  Opponents are protected from all attacks for 5 seconds on arrival.

  I nocked another arrow and waited. The warrior arrived and looked around warily. The arrow I fired tipping him off.

  “Gris was that you? Not really that funny!”

  He looked around the clearing trying to see his partner. He spotted the pile of clothes I’d thrown into the clearing and walked towards them. I picked up the head and tossed it into the clearing to the left of the warrior and slightly behind him. Then I moved to his right drawing and arrow and nocking it.

  He ducked slightly when he saw the object come arcing out of the bushes. The head hit and rolled slightly stopping with the face turned towards the warrior.

  He froze looking down at the head for just a moment.

  “Oh!” Was all he said.

  I stood and slowly drew back the arrow. My breathing stilled and the string just touched my cheek. My fingers relaxed, and the string snapped taut. The warrior started to turn at the sound but the arrow was already speeding to its target.

  You have gained a new skill! Aimed Shot!

  The arrow sliced cleanly into his wrist. He screamed, and the sword dropped from his hand. He looked down at the arrow his wrist cleanly in the middle and slowly dripping blood.

  Aimed Shot does 5 points of damage! Wrist disabled!

  The warrior looked around trying to see me in the brush. I slowly drew another arrow. He drew in a deep breath and shouted.

  “Where are you coward! Come out here and fight me!”

  The arrow left the bow with a soft snap. The warrior turned to where the sound was and tried to bring his shield up to protect his body and face.

  But I wasn’t aiming there.

  Aimed Shot does 5 points of damage. Left knee disabled!

  The warrior howled again and dropped onto his side.

  I emerged from the bushes.

  “Hi!” I said. “Remember me? I’m the guy your partner shot when I arrived. I’m the guy that begged you to tell me why you were shooting at me. I’m the guy…” I paused. “Who is going to make your last moments here a living hell.”

  I began drawing arrows and firing them at exposed pieces of the warrior. Ankles, the other knee, calves. I moved slowly. I kept watching, knowing that he would eventually reach for a healing potion.

  When he finally did, I hit a shoulder making him drop it before it could open. He tried for another wincing in pain. I hit his forearm, and another dropped.

  The damage points were piling up, but I ignored them.

  When both arms and legs were disabled I strolled up, kicked his sword away, pulled his shield off. It broke two arrows lodged in arm, causing him to scream more and additional points of damage to be added.

  “How long until the bowman can return from death?” I asked my guide.

  “He can return at any time.”

  “Well,” I muttered. “I guess fun time is over.”

  I took out my glass dagger walked up to the fallen warrior. I leaned over and whispered in his ear.

  “If you come back again, I’ll take longer to kill you.” Then I drove the dagger into his eye.

  Helpless opponent! Automatic Lethal Strike! Your opponent is dead!

  There were no percentages this time. He was simply gone. Which was fine by me. I stripped his body quickly adding to the pile I had already made. Then I sat down to wait.

  They would be back. I was certain. It would take a while to convince them.