Enchanted Ever After

“Well, Kiri, what do you think?” Jenni was right there, staring down at her. Kiri pulled off her gloves harder than she’d anticipated because her palms were sticky. Looking up at Jenni, Kiri had to blink a bit because the woman actually looked a little red, like she’d gotten a sunburn.

Kiri rubbed her eyes, her fingers definitely smelled like her own sweat, and said the first thing that came to her mind in response to Jenni’s question. “I’m starving.”

“Hmm.” Jenni’s brows dipped. “Maybe I’d better talk to my kitchen staff.”

Kitchen staff, in an office? Jenni sauntered to the door.

“No, no!” Kiri amended. “Don’t worry about it.”

On her way out, Jenni tossed over her shoulder. “Sounds like the virtual reality might burn some energy.”

Lose weight while game playing. Oh, yeah, a win-win situation. “If that’s true, the marketing possibilities are incredible,” she said to Lathyr. He looked just the same. “Are you hungry?”

His smile was slow and male. His eyes didn’t really linger on her. Not really. “For food? No.” He sat in the last chair, his trousers still with knife creases. Kiri felt a little wrung out, glanced down to see if the slight dampness between her breasts showed. No. Good.

“I am more accustomed to the...ah, game, than you.” He swiveled until he faced her and set his arm along the edge of the desk. The keyboard platform was still tucked under it.

“More accustomed to the game? You don’t strike me as a gamer.”

His smile frosted. “Not often in this alternate reality.”

“Huh.”

His gaze turned considering. “Perhaps I should say that I am more accustomed to a magical atmosphere.”

Like that made sense.

Jenni walked in with a steaming omelet. “Here’s a mushroom, spinach and cheese omelet for you, and an English muffin.”

Kiri stared. “I love mushrooms, spinach and cheese.” She always stocked all three items. Amazing that the kitchen here had something like that.

Jenni’s smile was close to a smirk. She set the plate, a paper napkin and a fork down on the desk beyond Kiri’s monitor. “Eat up. We’ll have to, um, generally keep track of the physical energy drain with regard to the virtual reality of the game.”

Scooting over to the meal, Kiri dug in, but only ate a scrumptious bite before replying. “Like I told Lathyr, losing weight while gaming is one hell of a marketing point.”

“Ah, hmm.” Jenni frowned as she returned to her own seat. Like Lathyr, she faced Kiri and put her arm on the desk. Unlike him, her fingers drummed on the polished wood. “Well, the hardware is very expensive. I’m not sure how widespread we’ll be disseminating the game.”

Kiri stopped midbite. This was her game, her career, her future. “What? It’s not going to be an online massive multiplayer game like Fairies and Dragons?”

Jenni’s brown eyes widened. “Yes, of course, the general software...and available in stores, too, to lead people online to Transformation. But the gloves and visors are currently quite proprietary intellectual property items.”

“Oh.”

“We may allow only some players to buy into the virtual reality aspect of the game,” Lathyr said.

Discrimination. For the rich? Kiri chewed the omelet. The flavor should have stayed the same, but it hadn’t. Bitterness on her own taste buds maybe. “Like who?” she asked.

Again Jenni answered smoothly. “Like those who do extremely well in the general game. This isn’t the only game to have tiers of players, according to who wants to pay and who wants it free,” Jenni pointed out.

“Oh,” Kiri repeated. She drank some raspberry fizzy water—it went unexpectedly well with the eggs. Her taste buds had perked up. “That’s all right then.”

Lathyr snorted.

Jenni chuckled. “I sense a discrimination by skill level, here.”

Kiri nodded. “Choice and skill. You make the choice as to how long and involved you want to be with the game, and develop your skill.”

“Meritocracy,” Lathyr said.

He actually sounded dubious.

“Americans believe in that, even though it isn’t true,” Jenni said, her accent British. And Kiri belatedly remembered that Jenni lived in Denver, but had grown up in England.

Kiri stuffed egg in her mouth, drank and hurriedly finished her meal. “I’m so sorry for this, eating on the job.”

Jenni shrugged. “Not a problem.” She glanced at Lathyr. “We’re easy enough on this project, and have some wiggle room.”

“Thanks.” Kiri stood and picked up the breakfast stuff. “Kitchen?”

“We’ll take care of that,” Jenni said easily. “I’ll show you the bathroom to wash up.”

“Thanks.” And was Kiri going to be embarrassed and repeat the word all day long? She put the plate, crumpled napkin and fork on the counter and followed Jenni down a still-empty hallway with a murmur of voices sounding only behind one door.

“This is the executive area and like many executives, ours work more out of the office than in it,” Jenni said, as if catching Kiri’s stares.

“Um-hmm,” Kiri said. She hadn’t ever worked on an executive floor so didn’t know what to expect.

“What do you think of the game?” Jenni asked.

Kiri didn’t have to fake a smile. “I really like the concept and the taste I got of it.”

“Good.” Jenni waved at the women’s bathroom door.

When Kiri had finished, Jenni was still in the corridor, talking on her cell. “That is correct. Later.” She hung up and smiled at Kiri, stuck the cell in a pocket. “Ready for full-immersion and to start play?”

Sounded a little daunting, but Kiri nodded. “Absolutely.”

Another wide smile with sparkling eyes. “Good.” Jenni actually rubbed her hands. “This project is going to be a winner.”

“I hope so.” And Kiri hoped she was a part of it.

Soon she was back in her chair, green chamois gloves on, visor wrapping around her head.

“Initiating game,” Jenni said, and Kiri heard it both aloud and as words vibrating from the visor.

To her right, Lathyr said, “I’ll accompany you initially once more.”

“Thanks.”

Meld magic swept Lathyr up and to the pocket dimension of the game. Rock slid through him, nastily. At least the transition was fast enough that it didn’t absorb his water magic. His toes—feet in shoes were not as hardy as his webbed ones—tried to dig into the earth, but he found himself standing on the stone bottom of a cave, a place just large enough for himself and Kiri.

“Wow,” she said, sounding breathless. He glanced at her temples and the tracery of veins he used to mark humans’ heartbeats...and had to glance down.

Her skin was brownish, what humans would think of as deeply tanned. Lathyr kept a mild look on his face. Like all Waterfolk the actual color—blue, green, gold—didn’t matter. Her ears were large with fleshy lobes, her features broad, her figure sturdy with not much waist but ample breasts and hips. Lovely, heavily lashed chocolate-brown eyes with split black pupils looked up at him as she smiled at him—with pointed red teeth.

Also beautiful was her golden-brown hair, the color of light honey with hints of true metallic gold and streaks of wheat-blond—all earthy comparisons for an earth elemental.

“You’re a dwarf,” Lathyr said.

She literally jumped, then appeared surprised as she didn’t rise in the air as much as a human would have.

Staring at her feet, she said, “A major earth elemental.”

“Yes. And one that other dwarves would find beautiful.” If there had been any other dwarves in this area. But no dwarves or other players were here, only in the Earth Palace, which was her goal.

“Thank you, sir.” She looked at her clothing. “Hmm. A robe.” She skipped forward and back a dwarf pace. “Comfortable and I can move in it. A nice, fine weave.” Then she turned in place. “This really feels real.”

“Yes. Your robe should have some protection spells woven into it,” Lathyr said.

Kiri cleared her throat. “Jenni?”

“I’m here,” Jenni’s voice echoed from the walls.

“How do I know what powers and equipment and spells and qualities I have?”

“You have a belt with a pouch. The info’s in there.”

Shock crossed Kiri’s face. “I have to stop and open a pouch and, what, read my data?”

“Welcome to real life, kid. It ain’t all gesturing and chanting up earthworks,” Jenni said. “And you’re at beginner level.”

“Huh.”

“Take a look at your staff against the wall.”

“Ooooh.” Kiri trotted the three steps to the wall and picked up an intricately carved staff that appeared to be solid gold.

“It’s light,” Kiri said. “Like balsa wood.”

“Gold leaf,” Lathyr said.

“Real gold?”

He knew the smell of gold. “Yes.”

“I suppose that’s a plus,” Kiri said, but a dubious note had entered her voice. She found the dark brown suede pouch, though the minute she touched it, a piece of paper popped into her hand. “Nice. But it’s too dim—” The staff brightened to a steady yellow light.

“Okay. That’s pretty,” Kiri said, then, “I don’t like the looks of this character, though. Magic user—sorceress—and magic users tend to be squishy.”

“Squishy?” asked Lathyr.

“Not many hit points, easily defeated.”

“Ah. May I see your paper?”

“Yes, how good are these spells?”

“That, I believe, you would have to ask Jenni. I am here to show you how to use them.”

“Sorry, Kiri,” Jenni said, “but that’s how your innate qualities manifested you into this game—as an earth elemental, dwarfem magic user. But you also have healing powers you can use on yourself.”

“That’s something,” Kiri said, this time absentmindedly, as she stared at the paper. “All right. My robe has a high-level defensive spell woven into it. That’s good, and I can also draw a shield around me.”

“A stone dust shield. That will protect you, but it will not allow you to throw offensive spells at your enemies.”

“A trade-off,” Kiri said. She didn’t seem as concerned as Lathyr was. He knew the spells she was being given were those practiced by true dwarves. But of what use was a purely defensive shield, except to huddle behind like in a fort—or a cave? He disapproved of the notion—but much of mer magic was based on movement.

She took back the pitiful list. “I have two offensive spells here, beginning level, I imagine. One is ‘stiffen enemy’ and the other, ‘barricade.’” Looking up at him with her beautiful eyes, she asked, “How do I cast these?”

For the first time Lathyr was glad that he’d spent a few decades in a seaport as mostly human. The town had held an unusually eclectic mix of minor Lightfolk, and he’d fought with them against sea monsters, the occasional land monster and some bloody-minded humans. At the time, he’d seen the spells often enough, and he’d learned the few that Kiri would be able to master in each realm during the short time she’d be given.

It only took three minutes for him to show her the gestures, make sure she had them memorized, before she went to the cave opening. Looking at a winding path, she touched her information sheet again. “My goal is to reach the Earth Palace and make my curtsy to the Dwarf Royals before receiving quests from them.”

“That’s right,” Jenni said. “Though due to your limited amount of time, once you reach the palace, we will call it done in the Earth Realm, then will renew the settings so you will manifest in a different elemental realm.”

Kiri’s shoulders squared as she nodded. “That’s right.” She took a step out, and glanced back at Lathyr, who hadn’t moved. “Aren’t you coming?”

“I’m afraid you are on your own,” he said, keenly regretting he couldn’t help her. “My presence here is limited to this cave.” And he was beginning to dislike the smell. The magic had gathered around Kiri and moved with her.

“Oh.”

“Fare we—” The last syllable was cut off and rock jabbed at his nerves again as Meld tech-magic moved him from the “game” back to the tall building in Denver.

Lathyr vanished from Kiri’s sight. She was on her own. Her heart jumped in her chest and she wiped her palms on her robe. Her staff stood upright beside her. Magic.

She inhaled deeply. Wow. Magic had a scent in the game, like sleeping under a tree full of spring blossoms and having them drop down and cover her, fragile and pink. Wonderful, wonderful fragrance.

Against the wall she saw a brown leather pack that turned out to be full of food and journey items and medicines. Kiri picked it up by one of the straps and her brows rose. “Also light.” She studied the bulging bag, shrugged and slipped it on her back.

So she left the cave and stepped into warm sunshine...which appeared to be more yellow, too. Hmm. She’d see if she liked that; it did seem more cheerful.

How closely would Jenni and Lathyr be watching her? She didn’t know, but time to get on with the game. Fun and stressful all at once.

* * *

“Welcome back,” Princess Jindesfarne said to Lathyr.

Lathyr shuddered as he pulled off his visor and placed it on the counter. “I do not like that construct. Real and game.”

“Face it, Lathyr, you don’t like games.”

“I have no problem admitting that.”

The princess chuckled throatily, her cinnamon-colored brows winging up. “But you do like our charge, Kiri Palger.” There was a beep from the machine in front of the princess and she swirled toward it, fingers racing over the keyboard.

“Problems?” he snapped, striding to the monitor, not even taking time to remove the loathsome gloves that soaked up and channeled his magic in ways he didn’t care for.

“Not really,” Jindesfarne said. “I have the game set up to notify me when Kiri reaches some important goals. She’s through the first rath—first magical Hill.” The large screen in front of the Fire Princess lit up and showed Kiri with a staff in one hand, a long dagger attached to her hip.

“Explain the pocket dimension to me,” Lathyr said.

Now Jindesfarne swung her chair to look at him. “We can form and populate it as we please,” she said.

“I thought all dimensions were closed to us.” He knew the more magical Lightfolk, the royals, yearned for a permanent gate to intensely magical worlds...dimensions. “How can this be?”

She gave an exaggerated shrug. “The two guardians developed it.”

“Do you mean those who are older than the royals? The dwarf and the elf?”

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