Our plan for the rest of the day was simple. Get kiddo's guns and ride the Ira ferry. We arrived at Vulcan's forge not long after finishing breakfast to beat the morning rush. Turns out we weren't the only ones with that idea.

  Screenname: Orthrus. Race: Human. Level: 13. Class: Sword Dancer. Affinity: Water.

  Tall, dark, handsome. A black earring dangled from one ear. Most importantly, not wearing samurai armor or white robes.

  Rather, Orthrus wore a black jacket and pants, a sleeveless grey shirt, and no shoes. His smile was friendly if a bit shy.

  "Morning," he said with a little wave. "What brings you all here?"

  Nana aimed a pair of finger guns at his head. "I'm getting guns."

  His chuckle was equally shy and awkward. "Guns, huh? Sounds fun." Golden irises sized us up. "You here for a new knife?" He asked me.

  "Nah. Gotta make sure this one doesn't shoot anyone's eye out."

  There was that chuckle again. "I appreciate it. I'm Orthrus," he said, offering his hand.

  I hesitated. Not that I was opposed to making friends, but I wanted to be careful. His Level was painfully low for a Ripper. Sword Dancer didn't fit the apparent classes of Char's killers. His friendliness didn’t feel fake. No red flags so far.

  “Is that your real name?” I asked.

  He shook his head with a small smile. “I’m not that lucky. I’m Seth.”

  “Okay then, Seth—”

  He bit his lip. “Hey now, not trying to be rude, but I’d rather go by my screenname. Helps with the immersion.”

  Quirky but still not suspicious. “Okay then, Orthrus, I’m Robin.” I shook his hand.

  "Shadowcloak,” Nana said, following my lead. “Friends call me Nana."

  "Can I be your friend?" he asked.

  "Only if you tell me what weapon you're getting."

  "Nothing new,” he said. “Just upgrading the twins."

  "Twins?" I asked.

  Mischief gleamed in Orthrus's eyes. His nervous energy dissipated. A pair of longswords styled as serrated icicles appeared in his hands.

  Skaei’s Tears. Crystallized water from the coldest spring. Twin blades suited for warriors and hunters alike. Requirements: Frozen Spring Water: X1. Kinetics: 25. Level: 13

  "I've cycled through a few weapons,” he said, “but these are my favorite so far."

  Pride shimmered in Vulcan's eyes when he looked upon the swords. It quickly faded when he looked at me. "I'm sorry," was all he said.

  I nodded my thanks. "We got the mantis claws. Nana?"

  The claws appeared in her hands, and she delivered them to Vulcan.

  "Then I'll get to work,” he said. “Orthrus, I know you were here first, but this is a special case."

  Orthrus threw up his hands. "No issues here. Happy to wait my turn."

  Vulcan grunted his thanks and retreated behind the door. Clangs of metal striking mantis echoed for a few minutes. Nana bounced on the balls of her feet to the rhythm.

  "Excited?" I asked.

  "Yeah..." she said, grinning. "They're gonna look so cool."

  She wasn't wrong. Vulcan emerged, cradling a pair of double-barreled sawed-off shotguns. Curled mantis arms lay beneath the barrel. With a sharp click the arms unfurled into a bayonet. The vivacious red sheen matched the gleam in Nana's eyes.

  "These are really mine? I love them."

  "Wanna give 'em a test run?" Orthrus asked.

  "What are you implying?" I asked.

  "Hey now, no need for the glare, friend. Just suggesting a light spar."

  "It's common, Robin," Vulcan said. "Players often challenge me or a party member to get a feel for their weapon."

  "Is it safe?"

  "Duels are coded so a player's health never hits zero. You can fight to your heart's content,” Vulcan said. He nodded and retreated into his room.

  I glanced at Nana. Her awestruck eyes hadn't left Red like Roses.

  "I wanna shoot these so bad," she said.

  A little concerning but understandable. "On one condition," I said. "The fight stops before anyone's health gets too low. Don't want to take any chances."

  Orthrus chuckled. "Fair. I'll be cautious too and duel before I get the upgrades. Nana's a bit frail, and I don't want the fight to end too quickly."

  Now she looked up from her guns--eyes still gleaming. "Are you underestimating me?"

  "Hey now, what's with all the hostility? Just trying to make things fair." He shook his head, chuckling again. "You two really are siblings. You've the same glare."

  We shared the same grin too.

  "Fine, fight me however you want," Nana said. "Not that it'll matter." Her fingers fiddled with the triggers. The mantis arm snapped open and shut several times in succession. "Those swords aren't gonna do much good if ya can't catch me."

  "Ho ho?" Orthrus laughed, his own eyes gleaming. "Thems fightin' words. Let’s see how well you back ‘em up."

  Orthrus has challenged Shadowcloak to a duel. Does Shadowcloak accept? Y/N?

  The translucent golden wall shimmering around Nana and Orthrus answered that question. No interference. No escape.

  "Don't blink," she said, flourishing Red like Roses. "You might miss me kick your ass."

  “Hey!” I shouted. “Keep it friendly, kiddo.” Not that I wanted to dampen her confidence. But the last thing I wanted was Nana’s trash talk pissing off the wrong person. Orthrus seemed like a chill guy. The next player might not be.

  “I am being friendly,” Nana scoffed. “This is all part of the fun, right?” she asked Orthrus.

  Orthrus chuckled. “Not to step on your toes, Robin, but she’s right. A fight’s more fun with banter.”

  I wasn't sure if them sharing the same brain cell was good or bad news. But at the very least he wasn't aggressive. That might be my first answered prayer in Auro.

  Only fitting God would appear to ruin the mood.

  The Admin hovered above the duelists. HIs hands transformed into tiny flags–one gold, one silver. "In the gold corner, the two-headed dog whose all bite and no bark. Let's hear a round of woofs for Orrrrthrus."

  Orthrus daintily waved like British royalty. Nana rolled her eyes at the dog and pony show. I wasn’t that kind.

  “Don't you have anything better to do?” I asked.

  "Tough crowd," the Admin said, tugging his collar. “Here I thought we bonded this morning. Two friends practically bound at the bosom. Not unlike Charlotte and that arrow. Yet your excitement tis as cold and dead as she.”

  I flinched; his grin showed all his teeth.

  A pair of shotgun slugs severed his smile. The first tore a hole through his jaw. The second exploded a series of teeth. Nana fired until his head resembled a split pomegranate.

  That was dangerous. Stupid. But I couldn't deny how proud she just made me.

  The Admin waved the silver flag. “I may have deserved that,” he said. The flag booped the remnants of his nose, and his face repaired itself. “Get it out–” He spat out a chipped tooth. “Out of your system?”

  “No, but I’ll save the rest for Orthrus.”

  The Admin slashed the silver flag through his tulle collar and pointed it at Nana. "In the silver corner, the sanguine gunslinger. Don't blink or you might miss Nana!"

  She narrowed her eyes. “My friends call me Nana. It’s still Shadowcloak to you. Unless you wanna get shot again,” she said with another gun flourish.

  HIs ensuing grin showed all but his missing tooth. “Such moxie. Robin must be so proud,” he said looking at me. The malice in his eyes told me something extra. Nana wasn't too brittle either. Another toy he’d enjoy breaking.

  Each flag pointed at the duelists. “Your duel begins on my signal. In three… two… one…” He exploded into rainbow confetti and luckily didn’t reform.

  “Finally,” Nana snickered. She struck a pose–one gun pressed against her heart, with the other pointing at Orthrus’s. Shadows leaked from her eyes forming a pair of clones that mimicked her.

  “Now I can get back to that kicking your ass thing,” they said in unison.

  The Nanas tossed their guns as they rushed forward. Six Red like Roses jumbled around until I lost track of which were the original pair. Each Nana fired. Orthrus’s swords flailed to block the shots. He was mildly successful, but some of the slugs found their mark.

  Ah, so that was Nana’s plan. Tossing the guns was more than showmanship. It was sleight of hand to keep Orthrus guessing which guns could actually hurt him. Not to mention she found a loophole with her clones. Their weapons couldn’t do damage. But her weapons in their hands didn’t have that restriction. Spreading damage amongst the clones took pressure off the original and camouflaged her.

  She was right about not blinking. One missed movement could spell a quick ending for Orthrus.

  He chuckled after taking a few more pot shots. “You’re more clever than I thought.”

  The Nanas collectively paused to glare. “Did you think I was dumb?”

  “No, no,” he said with a quick shake of his head. “Just didn’t know what to expect. I, uh, traveled with a party for a while. Not everyone thinks outside the box. Those that don't..." His eyes drifted toward the ground.

  "You've lost people?" I asked.

  He flashed a smile that never reached his eyes. "Went questing with a group for a bit. They were fun, but that wasn't enough to save them."

  "What was enough to save you?" Nana asked.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  His eyes flashed gold. A flick of his wrists coated his swords in water. “Slippery When Wet. It soaks anything I touch."

  "You saved yourself by making your swords moist?" Hated it the moment it left my lips.

  Orthrus flushed but chuckled. "Not the way I'd phrase it, but you're not wrong. There's a lot of utility in water. Let me show you."

  He approached one of the Nanas. His steps quickly evolving into a graceful glide. "Wet soles let me close a distance quickly."

  Skaei’s Tears slashed. The bayonets snapped open, catching both swords in the mantis's elbow.

  "Works for me," Nana said. "Harder to miss from this close."

  Orthrus smiled. His left foot kicked at Nana's. She hopped over his foot and fired. Slugs pelted his chest, but Orthrus took no damage. Nana landed but immediately slipped and fell.

  "Wet surfaces so enemies lose their footing." He slashed her throat, reducing her to shadows.

  “Plus, puddles are reflective." He bent backwards and thrust his swords into the air. The Nana sneaking behind him was caught mid-leap. One blade lodged in her chin, the other in her stomach.

  "So I'm harder to sneak up on."

  Skaei’s Tears ripped through the clone. A single shotgun clattered to the ground, leaving one Nana left.

  "Bit violent for a friendly spar," I said.

  "Hey now," he said with another chuckle. "She shot me first. Am I not allowed a few good hits?"

  "Sorry for not enjoying the sight of my sister's slashed throat," I snapped.

  Orthrus grimaced. "Fair enough, but–if I may, the game doesn't pull its punches so why should I? Better to learn your weaknesses now when there's a chance to adapt. Besides, she wasn't in any danger. I knew they were clones."

  "How?" Nana and I asked at the same time.

  He laughed. Not the awkward chuckle I was starting to find grating but a genuine, if a bit condescending, laugh. Skaei’s Tears gently tapped the sides of his face.

  "Eyes. Figured the guns were a distraction, so I kept eyes on the original. Went for a clone first and checked the reflections. Original hadn't moved, so I knew the one sneaking up was the other clone."

  "So," he said, kicking the gun towards her. "Still think you're too fast for me?"

  Nana answered by running. Not towards the gun but along the outskirts of the golden wall. Orthrus stood still. He followed her with his eyes or glances at the water when she reached a blindspot.

  She took two laps around the arena and disappeared. She reappeared quickly, maintaining her momentum. Her first step closed the distance between her and the discarded gun. She seamlessly scooped it off the ground and reloaded with another flourish. Red like Roses trained on Orthrus and fired.

  But he didn't stand still. Orthrus rotated thrice in the blink of an eye. His momentum slung the water coating his clothing and weapons in all directions. Dozens of aquatic needles sailed towards Nana.

  She danced in place to dodge or block, but she wasn’t fast enough. Water peppered her legs until she dropped to one knee. Her needle-riddled left arm dangled across her knee. Blood trickled from a cut on her cheek. Despite the damage, and losing about a third of her health, the glint in Nana’s eyes told me she wanted to keep fighting.

  But I’d seen enough. “This duel is over.”

  “No, it’s not!” Nana snapped. Her left arm twitched but didn’t otherwise move. She leaned down and snatched the shotgun with her teeth. Nana struggled to her feet, snarling, and the gun fell from her mouth. Undeterred, her right hand pointed the other Red like Roses at Orthrus. “I’m not done yet.”

  “Yes, you are. You tested your guns and tried a new strategy. Stop before someone gets seriously hurt.” Like you already are.

  Her arm and legs shook. “You said we’d keep going until one of us got too low. I have plenty of HP left.”

  Orthrus kept quiet. He shot me a look, both a little concerned and excited.

  I shook my head at both of them. “Stop being so stubborn. This duel is–”

  “—Robin, please!”

  Nana’s legs crumpled beneath her. I rushed to her side. No golden forcefield stopped me. Even the game acknowledged this duel was over.

  Her tear-stained eyes refused to look at me. "Dammit!” She slammed her fist against the ground. “I promised Lady Charlotte I’d take care of you, I'm not strong enough. Dammit!"

  "Hey," I said, gently touching her shoulder. "Badasses don't cuss."

  She sniffled. "What?"

  "You want to be strong, don't ya? A real badass. First thing is stop cussing. Real badasses don't need that shit. Their actions speak for 'em."

  Kiddo rubbed her eyes before looking at me. "Aren't you cussing now?”

  “Well, yeah,” I scoffed. “I’m not the badass here. That’s your job. You’re going to become the highest-level player in Sins of Auro, Nana.”

  She sniffled. “You really believe that?”

  "Damn straight. But you won't get there if you get yourself killed. Promise you won't push yourself too far."

  "I promise," she said averting her eyes.

  Wasn't sure I trusted her, but I'd let it slide for now.

  "Sorry about your arm, Nana," Orthrus said. He approached, replacing Skaei’s Tears with a bandage. "Can I still call you that?"

  "On two conditions," Nana said, holding out her arm. "First, fix my arm."

  Orthrus chuckled and applied the bandage. "And the second?"

  She glanced at me before saying anything, giving me a pretty good idea of her demand. I wasn't against having Orthrus join us. That chuckle was a bit annoying, but I'd gladly accept a minor annoyance alongside sharp eyes and a good vibe. If I wanted to keep Nana safe, Orthrus was the exact person I wanted around.

  "My sister wants you to join our party."

  She nodded emphatically.

  Orthrus grimaced. "I noticed you didn't say my sister and I. Is she overruled?"

  "Far from it. You said you lost your last party. She and I... lost someone too. New friends might do us all some good."

  "Sorry for your loss," he said. "Truth be told I could use some friends. Been pretty lonely lately. I was thinking about joining Diego's player army after getting my upgrades. Going through the District Dungeons sounds like a ton of fun. Y'all headed that way?"

  "Heck yeah." Nana flexed her fixed arm and twirled Red like Roses. "Excited to beat this stupid game."

  "That's a sentiment I can get behind." Orthrus summoned one of Skaei’s Tears to clink it against the gun. "So, y'all find us a spot on the ferry while I get my upgrades?"

  I nodded. "That about sums it up–"

  Two new messages from Haruhism88888888.

  "Hang on, just heard back from a friend."

  "Yeah, we'd be happy to have some company. We're taking our time getting back to Acedia, but we'll be there for the afternoon ferry. Fair warning, though. I think Jeremiah's got a bit of a crush on your wife. Might want to keep an eye on him.

  Bradley."

  Couldn't help but chuckle after reading the first one.

  "Oh my God. I'm so sorry, Robin. Michaela was looking through her Friends list and… Wherever you are, we all hope you’re okay. Just... forget what I said about Jeremiah in the last message. He even said a prayer for you and Nana. We’ll see you this afternoon. I’m sorry…"

  There went my chuckle, but the sentiments were appreciated.

  "Okay, new plan," I said. "I promised to meet up with some friends who’ll be on the afternoon ferry. We can kill a few hours and ride with them.”

  “Sounds like we’re forming a real party,” Orthrus said. “Any plans on how to kill the afternoon?”

  I yawned before forming a sentence. “Sorry, didn’t exactly sleep last night.”

  “Take a nap,” he said. “Nana can watch over you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Fiiine. I'll spend the next few hours being bored.” She shot me a good-natured grin. “But I guess I owe ya. Back to the cabin?"

  Supposed there were two cabins now. Truth be told, I didn’t exactly want to return to the one I shared with Charlotte. But I needed to return to my spice garden. Probably better to rip off that band-aid now.

  "Yeah, I'll take us."

  She nodded and looked at Orthrus. "Get the best upgrades you can, 'cause I won't lose next time."

  "Hope not," he chuckled. "Rivalry is more fun when both sides win."

  Nana high-fived him and took my hand. The world flashed gold, and we were back home.

  ***

  It hadn’t been much of a nap. Hard to get any sleep with that empty space beside me. Never thought nothing could be so distracting.

  “I miss you, Char,” I whispered.

  Nothing. Not even an imagined response. I tried imaging the warmth of her hand, but all I got was the icy-emptiness from this morning.

  I considered opening my eyes but didn’t want to glimpse my own hand. My wedding band hadn’t made it into the game world. Not seeing it was another bit of nothing to break my heart.

  Instead, I thought about the proposal. Christmas Eve–the second Char spent with my family. I asked GranBear if I could use her old ring. She huffed and grumbled the way she always did but didn’t say no. During our early present exchange, Granbear handed Charlotte the wrapped ring. But only on the condition that she “marry my dumbass grandson.” Char refused unless said dumb grandson asked her first. And she looked at me with that special smile of hers.

  Nostalgia ached my chest, but the memory was at least warm. There was something comforting in that, even if not by much.

  My eyes stayed closed, but I opened my HUD. Still another hour and half-ish until we needed to head out. At least there was a new message to distract myself with. Must’ve gotten the notification in-between winks.

  It was from 3ShotsUvMonstr, my guitarist buddy from Ayla.

  Boy Wonder!

  Been meaning to hit you up but kept getting too busy or just forgot. Whoops. Anyway, the performance the other day went great. Mrs. Nesbit and I got a ton of song requests (not to mention quite a few in tips!).

  Been a while since I’ve seen people smile like that. I’m pretty hopeless at this game thing, but I can cheer up a crowd like nobody’s business. Thinking about joining that Diego dude. Might be an asset. Just wanna help out, ya know?

  So, Boy Wonder, since you inspired me and all, I decided to give you a private performance. Free of charge; )

  She attached a video. The paused screen showed Mari sitting on a bed with Mrs. Nesbit on her lap. Nothing indicated the private performance was anything but music, so I clicked. But I’d stop if anything got too distracting. I was still a married man.

  Maria strummed a familiar tune. “Hope you didn’t get any weird ideas when I said ‘private performance,’” she said, grinning. “Just wanted to say thanks. Don't make fun of me for playing "Wonderwall". It's the first song I learned, and I've always had a soft spot for it. So, sit back. Relax. And enjoy."

  The performance was pretty good. Her raspy cadence added emotional depth that I appreciated. She requested for me to sit back and relax, but I couldn’t. Like the song said. I realized what I got to do.

  Ingredients: Garlic X10. Scallion X10. Cabbage X10. Ginger X10. Cinnamon X10. Tomato X10. Potato X10. Mushroom X10. Onion X10.

  Thankfully harvesting veggies and spices wasn't accurate to reality. Otherwise cinnamon would be a real pain. The garden was right outside the window, so I hopped outside for kick access.

  I saved the onions for last. Most went to my inventory, but one of them stayed in my hand. Char had this habit that drove me nuts. But now I felt compelled to try it myself.

  I bit the onion, epidermis and all. It tasted terrible. The onion's sharp taste didn't mesh well with its bitter bulb. Each bite was a mistake, worse than the last. But I kept chewing. What possessed Char to enjoy this? I half-wondered if she were currently possessing me for one last onion.

  I choked on something between laughter and tears. What would Char say if she saw me now?

  “Reach for the sky, varmint!”

  Probably not that. I gulped one last mouthful of onion bulb and turned around. A pair of shiny red shotguns pointed at me. Their wielder glowered for a moment before tilting her head.

  “Bird brain? Weren’t you sleeping?”

  “Kinda. Then I hopped out the window to tend my garden.”

  “Ohh. Thought you were a thief. Almost shot ya.”

  “You really are itching to shoot someone,” I laughed, but it trailed off pretty quick. “Why did you shoot the Admin? You know he could’ve killed you, right?”

  She averted her eyes but nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

  I hesitated before asking my next question. “You weren’t trying to get killed, were you?”

  She quickly shook her head. Thank goodness.

  “So why do it?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Do you actually not know, or are you afraid the truth will make me mad?”

  She nodded.

  “What if I promise I won’t be mad?”

  She lifted her head to look at me again. “Promise?”

  I made an X over my heart. “Cross my heart, hope to die.”

  She didn’t look like she believed me, so I laughed again to ease the mood. “Come on, would I lie to my little sister?”

  She seemed to consider it but shook her head. “No. You’re a bird brain, but you’re a pretty good big brother.”

  She returned Red like Roses to her inventory and shoved the empty hands into her pockets. “It’s because of him Lady Charlotte died. Even if he hurt me back, I just wanted to wipe that stupid grin off his face. Partly why I don't keep a lot of friends. I don't let people get away with hurting me."

  She glanced warily at me. “Did ya keep your promise?”

  I couldn't fault her for that. It wasn't dissimilar from me flipping him the double bird. My risk was a touch more calculated. Hers had a better payoff. “Nope. I’m furious,” I said. “You got a hit on him before I did.”

  It took a moment for my words to register, but her apprehension and sadness faded. Replaced by a grin and cocky snicker. “Early bird gets the worm, bird brain.” She violently jabbed at my heart. “And since you broke your promise, that means you’re gonna die.”

  Given what we were just talking about, that should’ve come across as callous. But, somehow, both of us just laughed.

  “A promise is a promise. I’ll be happy to die once we beat this damn game.” Despite my laughter, I honestly wasn’t sure if I was joking.

  Her grin gave way to a frown. “Hey,” she said, lightly tugging on my sleeve. “No dying on me, got it? I won’t let you.”

  “Don’t know how much you can do about me dying once we get out of here, but–”

  “I won’t let you,” she said again. No raised voice. No grin. Just a clear statement of intent. She had her own promise to keep, after all.

  “Okay. No dying on you. I promise.”