Acedia was bustling this afternoon. A lot of players stayed in Acedia after the Admin’s announcement with the Desert Sharks Inn being the most prominent. Not sure how many of them were in on Diego’s plan or just trying not to get themselves killed in a dungeon.

  I closed my eyes and tried to find the soy and onion noodles by their smell. Almost had it but lost the scent amidst the alcohol and perfumes.

  Nana walked beside me a bit crestfallen. "It’s starting to smell like my mom…"

  It didn’t seem right to ask if she meant the alcohol or perfume. "Excited to meet Vulcan?"

  "Who?" she asked.

  "The Roman God of Fire."

  Char made a face at me before answering. "Vulcan’s a co-worker. He programmed most of the weapons in Auro. I promised he’d make you a cool weapon, remember?"

  Despite being Level 7, Nana hadn’t upgraded her starting armor or weapon. Char and I assumed she started off in Ayla. We agreed today’s plans were to get kiddo kitted out. Her FLASK distribution focused on Fortune and Kinetics, and her skills supported a hit and run playstyle.

  Passive Skill: Your Back Is Showing: Who needs honor when you can be efficient? Attacks targeting an enemy's back have a 5% increase in damage and 20% greater chance of being critical.

  Illusory Clone: Who can you trust if not yourself? Create a perfect replica of yourself and equipment. However, the clone’s equipment will have no effect. Mana: 5. Cooldown: 10 seconds.

  Flashstep: Running is overrated anyway. Instantly teleport to any location you can see within one meter. Mana: 5. Cooldown: 15 seconds.

  Red Clover. Quantity with a little bit of quality. Three quick strikes occasionally followed by a fourth. The fourth attack will always be critical. Cooldown: 15 seconds.

  Nana looked around Acedia. "Which one is Vulcan?"

  Char shook her head. "You won’t see his forge out here. He conducts his smithing in a basement.”

  "We get to go on a cool adventure after the basement?" Nana asked.

  "The coolest. We’ll travel the map, brave monsters, puzzles, and suitors galore."

  Nana grimaced at me. "Would we have to bring the bird brain?"

  "Of course." Char looked back at me and flashed a smile. "While many suitors may be braver, smarter, and more handsome than my Robin, he’s the only one I’d want by my side."

  I wasn’t sure how to take her endorsement, so I kept quiet.

  "What about my suitors?" Nana asked.

  Charlotte chuckled. "You’re twelve, Nana. Tell them you have better things to do."

  "Like what?"

  Charlotte lifted her index finger and pointed to the building in front of us. "Like shopping for armor.”

  Vulcan specialized in weapons, so we had to go elsewhere for armor. An idea struck me before entering. Char rarely let me out of her sight when we went out together, so this was the best chance to sneak away to buy her that locket.

  "I’ll leave you two here, while I restock some ingredients."

  Char narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

  "‘Cause it’s more efficient."

  Her glare didn’t relent. "You’re hiding something from me."

  She didn’t even need Elf powers for that. She just knew me.

  "Fine, you win. I’m sneaking off to buy your birthday gift."

  Char grimaced. "You could’ve just told me and not tried to act suspicious."

  "Two things, love. One, wanting to split up the shopping isn’t suspicious. Two, I can’t just tell you, because we both know you’d tail me to see what I’m buying you."

  She shrugged. "You know me too well. Nana, don’t let me out of your sight. I don’t want to ruin hubby’s surprise."

  Nana saluted. "Aye, aye, Lady Charlotte." She turned her head toward me. "You’re still actually buying food too, right?"

  "Might as well."

  "Can you get a cake?"

  "I’ll see what I can do, kiddo."

  She made a face at me. "Stop calling me that."

  "Sure thing, Nana—hey, what’s that on your shirt?"

  "What thing?" She looked down, and I flicked my finger to bop the bottom of her nose. "Ow, jerk!" She stepped back and rubbed her nose. "What was that for?"

  "A test. If you passed I’d stop calling you kiddo. Alas, you failed."

  Nana glared at me. "You’re a shrewd opponent, bird brain."

  "I try my best." I kissed Char on the cheek. "Meet you at the Desert Sharks?"

  She nodded and turned her head so I could kiss her other cheek.

  "See ya’ll soon. Don’t have too much fun without me."

  ***

  I made quick work of the grocery shopping and bought a strawberry cake. Hoped Nana liked that flavor.

  The jeweler was with another customer—a young woman with silver hair and pupilless eyes wearing a necklace of chocolate rosary beads. The inside of her cloak was mauve with light blue markings, while the outside was white with red markings. She was pretty with an air of mystique. Char wouldn’t want me saying more than two words to her.

  Screenname: Versantoinette. Race: Elf. Level: 10. Class: Spirit Medium. Affinity: Light.

  She waved at me. "Bonjour."

  And she was French. Char would definitely not want me saying more than two words to her. "Bonjour, mademoiselle."

  She clapped her hands together, tilted her head and smiled. "Est-ce que tu parles Fran?ais?"

  "Sorry." I shook my head. "Don’t understand."

  She giggled. "That is okay." She extended her non-gloved hand. "Je m'appelle Jasmine."

  "Robin." I shook her hand. "Pleasure."

  "Pleasure is mine, monsieur. Do you have business here?"

  "Yes." I pointed to the quartz locket on display. "Do you have these in white?"

  The jeweler ducked behind the counter and quickly returned with a white locket.

  Jasmine’s eyes glittered. "C’est beau."

  I didn’t know what that meant but nodded. "It’s perfect."

  "For your amour?" Jasmine asked.

  "Oui. Wife’s birthday."

  Jasmine clapped twice, tilted her head, and smiled. "That is so sweet, monsieur Robin."

  It was also one thousand gold. Not exactly chump change, but Char was worth it. I paid and added the locket to my inventory.

  "I hope your wife enjoys her present, monsieur."

  "Same. Still shopping?"

  Jasmine shook her head. "Non, I will be leaving soon. Till we meet again?" She extended her hand once more.

  "Until then."

  ***

  Char and Nana waited for me outside the Desert Shark’s Inn. Kiddo changed into a sleeveless black tunic, baggy magenta pants, and the closest thing to sneakers an NPC cobbler could muster. The new clothes raised her Somatic from pitiful to below average. Enough to tank a stray arrow and rampaging pig without ending up on death’s doorstep.

  The inn’s exterior didn’t look too different from the standard NPC taverns. The notable difference swapped the crescent moon and bed insignia for a shark swimming through a patch of sand.

  The spacious interior had the aroma of a café, bakery, and an old bookstore melded together. Varnished wood furniture decorated the room, most of them garnished with comfortable velvet cushions. The bar itself was made from orichalcum–apparently a goodwill gift from AzurekNight.

  A crystal chandelier lit up an empty stage at the far end of the inn. Inn policy was to host open mic night every night. Couldn’t blame them for encouraging levity. Even with an empty stage the place was pretty lively. I smelled booze, saw a couple decks of cards, and watched a kitsune arm-wrestle a lacertilla.

  "Five gold on the fox," I whispered to Nana.

  "You’re on," she whispered back.

  I kept an eye on the match, while following Charlotte to the bar. "Sure we should be drinking this early?"

  She waved me off. "I haven’t had an Old Fashioned in days, don’t judge me."

  That caught me by surprise. "Wait, you’re actually getting something to drink? I was just going for playful banter."

  "And I’m going for whiskey, an orange slice, and a cherry."

  I considered arguing until seeing the glint in her eyes. "Alright, I’ll get a Shirley Temple. Nana, you want anything to drink?"

  She gasped. "You’re gonna let me drink alcohol?"

  "Pfft, no, but nice try. My drink has no alchy in it."

  "You mean adults drink things that don’t have alcohol in them?"

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  "Of course. Don’t your parents…"

  Nana stared at the ground. That answered my earlier question. Alcohol reminded her of her mother. I cleared my throat and summoned the cake from my inventory. "Want some milk to go with it?"

  Nana sniffed the cake. "Strawberry?"

  "Yeah. Is that a problem?"

  "No. Just not my favorite."

  Damn, should’ve asked what kind of cake she wanted. I was two for two in upsetting her in about two seconds. Was there something that could cheer her up? Maybe a street magician or a clown.

  How ‘bout a musician? A brown-haired woman rested her feet on a table and sipped a cherry-colored drink. A blue guitar with a white flower painted on its face occupied the seat beside her. I recognized her from the Auro-ientation. The one with the Ayla lanyard.

  Screenname: 3Sh0tsUvMnstr. Race: Human. Level: 7. Class: Performer. Affinity: Fire.

  I chortled at her screenname. God, I missed energy drinks.

  Char didn’t say anything, but she gave me a questioning look. I pointed at 3Sh0ts, and that look became a full-on glare.

  "You’re looking at other women when I’m right here?"

  I rolled my eyes. "It’s not like that. Just hoping some music could lift the mood a bit,” I said, shifting my eyes toward Nana.

  "Uh-huh, sure."

  "You really don’t trust me?"

  She frowned. "It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just don’t trust other women."

  "Are you gonna chaperone me while I talk to her?"

  She seemed to consider it. "No, but I’ll be watching. Make it quick."

  "Done." I pecked her cheek and approached the table.

  3Sh0ts grinned at me. She set down the drink and folded her hands behind her head. "So, McRobin, did you come to play show and tell?"

  Uh oh. She wasn’t flirting with me, was she? "Show and tell?"

  She nodded. "Yeah. I showed you my dashing grin, and you tell me what you think of it."

  Definitely flirting. I’d wager a lot of people enjoyed playing that game with her, but that wasn’t for me. "I was hoping you’d show and tell me about your pimped out guitar."

  3Sh0ts’s grin evolved into a massive smile. "You want to know about Mrs. Nesbit? My guitar back home looks just like this, so I had one of them Artifiicialers make her for me. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to play right. Throw off my mojo, ya know."

  "Pretty sure you mean Artificers, but I get ya." Cooking in the cabin fet off until the kitchen was arranged to my liking. "It’s a nice guitar."

  "She."

  "Hmm?"

  "Mrs. Nesbit is a she." 3Sh0ts cradled the guitar against her ample chest. "So, what’s on your mind if you’re not here to hit on me?"

  I pointed at Nana. "Ruined kiddo’s vibe and am hoping some music could cheer her up."

  3Sh0ts waved her hand. "Say no more. Your words have touched me, McRobin. Mrs. Nesbit and I will take the stage. And we’ll give you the cool guy discount, so this performance is free of charge." She winked.

  "‘Preciate it, 3Sh0ts."

  She laughed and offered one of her hands. "Maria."

  I shook it. "Robin."

  "Alright, Boy Wonder, what should I play?"

  I had no idea what kind of music Nana liked. The cake mistake all over again. Hmm. Shadowcloak plus the Shadow-Reaper combo gave me an emo music vibe. But guessing wrong could make the vibe even worse. Better choose something safe. "Something classical?"

  Maria closed her eyes and mimed playing a song. She nodded to herself and flashed another grin. "Alright, Boy Wonder, I’ve got this. Sit down, have a drink, and prepare for good vibes."

  She bounded toward the stage, and I returned to the bar. Perfect timing too. The Shirley T had just been delivered.

  Char didn’t look too terribly happy. "So…" She lifted her glass, and there was an empty one beside it. "How did her hand feel?" She didn’t break eye contact while drinking.

  Neither did I. "Dunno. Wasn’t paying attention to that."

  “Oh, I’m sure you were paying attention to something else.”

  “Didn’t think there was anything to notice.”

  "Really? Girl that pretty?"

  "Was she?"

  Char finished her glass but still held it tight. "It’s more suspicious that you didn’t notice."

  "There’s just no winning with you is there?"

  "It’s easier than you think. Don’t touch another girl."

  I made an X over my chest. "Cross my heart, hope to die."

  "Careful. Break it and you just might."

  Was… was that a threat? Our playful banter occasionally edged into meaner territory. But the look on her face didn't indicate a joke.

  Nana tugged on my sleeve. "Are you and Lady Charlotte fighting?"

  I shook my head. "Nah. She’s just a little drunk."

  Char shrugged. "It’s not untrue," she said and put down her glass.

  "Trust me, Char and I are fine." I cocked my head toward the stage. "Ready for a show?"

  She nodded. "I really like music."

  "What kind?"

  "Classical, but I also like jazz."

  Thank goodness I went with the safe pick. "Then you should enjoy this."

  Maria tapped the microphone. "Testing. Testing." She nodded and lifted Mrs. Nesbit. "Hellllooo, Desert Sharks." She pointed the neck of Mrs. Nesbit at me. "This performance goes out to my friend, Boy Wonder, and his crew. Hope you all enjoy."

  The opening notes of "Claire de Lune" filled the air.

  The ghost of a smile graced Charlotte's face. "I hate this song."

  "What's wrong with it?"

  She shook her head. "The song is beautiful. Unfortunately, it's the unofficial theme for Project Ayla. And every note now drives me insane."

  Shit. So much for my attempt to save the team vibes. Hopefully it at least raised Nana’s spirits. "And what do you think, kiddo?"

  Nana kept her head down. "I heard Mom play this once. Dad said she used to play it a lot before I was born." Teardrops splashed into her glass. "It was really pretty." Nana's arm wiped across her eyes, and she smiled despite the tears. "Thank you. I'd, uh, forgotten that."

  I didn't want to ask if she was okay; that answer seemed clear enough. But I wanted her to know she didn't need to be. "You don't have to hide your tears with us, kiddo. Cry if you need."

  She hesitated, probably gauging if this were a joke. "You promise not to make fun of me?"

  I made the X over my chest. "Hope to die."

  "Thank you," she said, no longer fighting her tears.

  I didn't offer any comfort. Instead, we sat silently as Maria finished her song.

  ***

  Maria played another song, but we didn't stick around for the rest of the show. Vulcan's forge, Char said he called it Mount Aetna, waited underneath the stairs.

  Torchlight guided us down the dank staircase to a large metal door. Crackling flame and clanging metal sounded from within Mount Aetna. Heat leaked through cracks in the door hinge to kiss my skin. Far hotter than any kitchen I'd worked in.

  Char knocked thrice upon the door.

  "I'm closed."

  "Even for your boss?"

  A scoff rasped behind the door. "You're not my boss here, Charlotte. You're just another player who needs my services."

  "One who will be very happy with your performance when she gets back home."

  The clanging stopped. Vulcan's footsteps plodded, and the door opened ajar.

  A wave of heat crashed over us. Charlotte scowled, which was normal, but seemed otherwise unaffected. Nana winced, turning her head away from the forge. A purple-scaled Lacertilia stared at us through the opening.

  Screenname: Vulcan. Race: Lacertilla. Level: 10. Class: Artificer. Affinity: Fire.

  I didn't need to see his whole face to tell he looked tired.

  "How you doing, Vulc?" Char asked him.

  "Peachy. My rent was already a week late. Landlady is gonna raise hell when I get back."

  "You can pay on time if we finish the game. Any chance of joining that player coalition?"

  "No, thanks. I’m not risking my life out there." He stepped outside and rubbed his face. "I'm not holding my breath for a return trip home, but I won't stop anyone from trying. What do you need?"

  Char lightly tapped Nana on the back. "Tell him, Shadowcloak."

  Nana lit up upon hearing her screenname. "Hello, Mr. Vulcan. My name is Shadowcloak. And I was hoping you could make me a weapon."

  Vulcan's eye fixated on Nana. "You adopt?"

  Char tilted her hand back and forth. "Ish. She was by her lonesome, and we decided to look after her."

  "Charlotte shot her with an arrow," I added.

  Nana nodded emphatically. "M-hmm. And now she's gonna teach me to kick butt."

  Char sighed. "That about sums it up."

  Vulcan's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Sure you feel safe with these two?"

  Nana nodded "Yeah. He's a bit of a dingus, but he's okay."

  Vulcan chuckled. "Alright. What kind of weapon do you want?"

  "I want a gun!"

  "A gun?" I scoffed. "There aren't any..." Gleaming eyes and condescending smirk surrounded me. I checked the Player’s Manual for the Reaper weapons.

  Weapon Proficiencies: Blow Gun; Dagger; Hunting Rifle; Kunai; Scythe; Shotgun; Shortsword; Shuriken; Sniper Rifle; Throwing Knife.

  "Charlotte, why are there guns in a fantasy game?" I asked.

  Char shrugged. "Don't look at me. I didn't program the weapons.”

  "Vulcan, why are there guns in a fantasy game?" I asked.

  "Because it’s cool!" Nana said.

  Vulcan nodded. "Kid's right. Shit's cool."

  I conceded the argument.

  "What specific gun do you want?" Vulcan asked.

  Nana's eyes turned gold. "Not sure yet. There's a lot of good choices…"

  "Why aren’t you using guns?" I whispered to Char.

  "Guns are too quick. They spoil the hunt."

  Nana suddenly gasped. "I found the perfect weapon. Red like Roses."

  Red Like Roses: A pair of blood red shotguns made from the claw of a praying mantis. Because why not put a bayonet on a shotgun? Requirements: Mantis Claw x2. Kinetics: 25. Level: 7.

  Vulcan nodded. "The twin sawed-off shotguns. Not a bad choice, but I have to ask if you’d rather use a sniper rifle. You’re pretty frail if you don’t mind me saying."

  Nana rubbed the bottom of her chin. "Dual wielding sniper rifles does sound cool…"

  Hilariously impractical. But, alas, pretty cool.

  She shook her head. “I’m sticking with the bug shotguns!”

  Nana had the Kinetics score and level. That only left the mantis claw.

  Charlotte bristled. Poor girl hated bugs. Couldn’t imagine her willingly being within sniping distance of a praying mantis. "Nana, sweetie, are you sure you want this particular shotgun? Wouldn’t a scythe fit a Reaper better?"

  Nana shook her head. "No way. This is perfect."

  Char’s gaze flicked between me and Nana. She jerked her head toward the kid, but I wasn’t going to budge on this one. Puppy dog eyes were hard to say no to, but I could do it. But a smile that excited? I’d be heartless to say no.

  Char rubbed her brow. "Shotguns it is. Vulcan, do you know where we can get the part?"

  "There’s a mantis boss in an Aleppe dungeon called Colve."

  Aleppe was the Earth District. Char and I hadn’t traveled there, so fast travel was out. Looking at the map, Colve was about a day away on horseback. The recommended level was 6, so it was certainly doable.

  "Colve?” I asked. “Like colony and hive?"

  "It’s a bug dungeon?" Nana jumped and punched the air. "Yeah, let’s go squash some bugs!"

  Char groaned and grimaced. "It had to be bugs," she grumbled.

  I squeezed my wife’s hand. "Sorry, Char. Does that bug you?"

  Char ripped her hand from mine and crossed her arms. "I hate you so much right now."

  "Love you too."

  Nana gagged and stuck out her tongue. So, I did the adult thing and stuck mine out too.

  Char tapped me on the shoulder. "Robin. A word?"

  "Sure." I flashed Nana a thumbs up, received a smile back, and followed Char partway up the stairs. "Let me guess, you don’t want to do the bug dungeon."

  "I’d rather swallow a nail. Think we can talk her out of it?"

  “If there’s logistical concerns, I think she’ll understand but be disappointed. If it’s because you’re too scared, then I’m going to be disappointed in you spoiling her fun.”

  Her classic scowl returned. "Do you take pleasure in guilt tripping me?"

  "Of course." I brushed her cheek and kissed her nose. "Your scowl is too cute."

  Her scowl intensified, and she pushed me. I chuckled; she didn’t. She just stood there scowling. "If we leave within the hour, we can find a tavern by nightfall. If and when we find some monsters, I can watch Nana fight and give her some pointers."

  "Sounds like a plan to me. Want to rent horses together?"

  She shook her head. "No, I need another drink."

  "Can't say no to that," I said.

  "Cute you think I'm inviting you too, Robin. I said ‘I need another drink.’ It’ll be Vulcan’s treat. You can take care of the horses before I change my mind about this."

  "Alright, don’t get too wasted without me. Want me to bring the kid or–"

  "Just hurry up." She got her message through by aggressively slapping my behind.

  "Hey!" I hopped ahead. "Not that I’m complaining but maybe give a warning next time."

  Char still scowled but winked. "Have to keep you on your toes."

  With a bit more pep in my step, and bump on my rump, I set out to find those horses.