For Damon, the trip to the torch-lit room he was currently standing in was very similar to Kim’s. He was living both his and his father’s dream by rocking out to Anvil. Then the electricity hit his body. All went black; the concert fell silent. After what seemed a lifetime, a magical, distorted chord rang in the distance. It reminded him of the first chord in Iron Maiden’s “Revelations”. In fact, he momentarily heard words being sung that might have been his imagination.
Then stars appeared. And he fell through darkness until he landed in the dungeon and was kicked in the head a moment after he opened his mouth.
He didn’t blame this Kim person for kicking him. He perhaps should have cleared his throat to warn her. But he was just so confused by what he was seeing: green numbers. Floating above her head. Set in a shimmering square that reminded him of an LP’s sleeve, similar to the numbers he’d seen in the countless online role-playing games he’d consumed in his nineteen years of life.
Metal Health: 11
Kind: Human, Female
Type: Class 1 Warrior, Axe Grinder
Metal Skill: Class 1 Diva, Hummer
Metal Mana: 0
Proclivity: Lightbearer
When he mentioned these numbers, he received the aforementioned kick in the head. The funny thing is, the kick made more numbers appear:
Roundhouse Kick: -2 damage to Damon
Metal Health: 6
He looked above his own head to discover:
Metal Health: 6
Kind: Human, Male
Type: Class 1 Mage, Spellbinder
Metal Skill: Class 1 Shredder, Fumblefingers
Metal Mana: 0
Proclivity: Lightbearer
Special Ability: Rainbow Vision
The number 6 was red and glowing, just like his cheek was red and glowing. That might mean he had lost two points of the thing called Metal Health.
And moments later, when Shayne appeared, there were numbers above his head.
Metal Health: 15
Kind: Human, Male
Type: Class 1 Warrior, Axe Grinder
Metal Skill: Class 1 Quadhead, Thumper
Metal Mana: 0
Proclivity: Lightbearer
Special Ability: Realmstriding
So this guy was a warrior, too. But what was a Quadhead? And unlike Kim, Shayne had a special ability: Realmstriding.
He noticed one other strange thing. The spiked leather wristband was the only piece of clothing from the concert to remain on Damon. And it had writing above it too:
KK Bracelet of Power +2 picking
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Did that mean it somehow helped him pick things? Those numbers and those questions, added to the sudden change of clothes and location and kick, made Damon overly disoriented. On top of it all a very dramatic and intimidating voice had declared, “The authorities, if you could reach them, would listen carefully to your story … and then they’ll not so carefully use a dull ax to cut off all three of your heads."
“Who was that?” Damon asked. He looked left and right. According to his eyes, there were no more people in the room besides his two companions.
“Yes, who spoke?” Kim added.
Shayne said nothing, perusing the room as if everything were normal.
“Hades bells!” The voice was a soupy mix of anger, frustration and resignation. “I’m so very bored with your kind appearing in the spawning chamber and knowing nothing at all about my world."
“Could you be kind enough to tell us where we are?” Kim said. “Maybe without all the rudeness."
“The girl has a backbone,” the woman said. “Backbones can be broken, of course, and the marrow slurped out.” The woman let those words echo before charging on.”You are in the spawning chamber of a dungeon in Blayre Palace in the kingdom of Rothland which is in the world of Metaloria."
“Cool,” Shayne said.
Damon let out a loud and crazed laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Kim asked.
“I get it! I get it!” It was so obvious he couldn’t help but let out another chuckle. “This is an elaborate prank by the Tolkien Tokers. They’re my D&D crew, and they don’t really toke. It’s a reference to JRR’s love of pipe smoking. C’mon, guys!” He waved toward the far corner as if to a camera. “Totally elaborate joke. Expensive, too—not sure where you got the money to rent this room.” He looked above his head at the numbers floating there. “And a projector! You even hired an actress to kick me in the face."
“This is not a jest,” the female voice said. “If that is what you think, then you have another think coming. You three idiots have spawned in this room. That is why there are spawning stars beneath your feet. And I have spawned with you. We have spawned together."
Damon didn’t like the word spawned. It reminded him of salmon, and he had a very strong distaste for salmon, despite the fact they spawned in the Snohomish River Basin near his home. Tuna was okay in a tuna melt. But salmon spawned, and that was disgusting.
Damon burbled another half-mad chuckle. “It has to be my crew. Funny guys and gal! Joke’s over, you gaming gamesters."
“Alas, only a part of your brain spawned with you.” Judging by the deep huskiness of her voice, Damon pictured this woman as quite tall, tough and smoking a cigar. In fact, a slightly smoky smell wafted each time the stranger spoke. “You three gormless pincushions will die because you are not one with the metal."
“Ma’am,” Shayne said. “You are frightening these young people."
“I don’t give a damnation,” the woman rumbled. “If you’re having difficulties dealing with this room, you will never handle what is outside that door.” Damon glanced at the medieval-style door. The runes and carved eyes on it gave off an ominous air.
“What’s outside the door, Lady?” Shayne asked.
“Another room,” the woman replied. “Then another and another. The whole experience will rock you like a tentacle.”
“Rock you like a tentacle?” Damon, of course, thought immediately of the Scorpions song “Rock You Like A Hurricane”. But he often thought of that song because he often listened to that album. It was his dad’s second favourite metal album after Piece of Mind.
“Yes, rock you like a tentacle because the larger the tentacle, the more you are rocked when it hits you. Anyway, we four of us of us will have to survive what’s in each room before we make it out of this Hades hole. And then our troubles will truly begin. This will end badly for you."
“Okay, okay!’ Kim straightened, seeming to will herself to be taller. “I won’t be intimidated by someone who isn’t brave enough to show her face. So, at the very least, tell us your name."
“I am Fiora the Face Melter,” the woman replied.
“That’s a very interesting name,” Shayne said. “Honestly, I mean that."
“Okay, Fiora,” Kim said. “Now show yourself."
“In my experience, when I reveal myself to the newly spawned, their minds melt."
“This is getting ridiculous,” Kim said. “I promise my mind won’t melt. Is that good enough?"
“It is the best you can do.” There was a cracking sound. “But please, gird your minds and your loins."
“I’m girded, get on with it,” Kim said.
“I’m girded, too,” Damon added. His heart had turned into a hummingbird. “Totally girded. Like steel."
“I am in a similar state,” Shayne added. “Like I was forged in fire."
“Then, here I am,” Fiora said.
Nothing happened.
“Where?” Damon asked. He kept his head on a swivel of flesh and bones supported by his neck muscles. Truth be told, it was always that way.
“Right here!"
Damon squinted, and a slight movement an arm’s length away attracted his attention. Then a pattern came together. It was like staring at one of those optical illusions that eventually form an image.
His brain didn’t believe the image that was coming into focus. Perhaps his cerebral cortex had malfunctioned. Was there a face there? No. Oh, wait, yes there was a face appearing, and that face had what on it? Scales! Yes, scales that were changing colour so that they no longer matched the wall behind the woman who was appearing right in front of them.
As the face became clearer, Damon’s mind concluded that the woman had used those scales on her face and body to camouflage herself, so that she was the exact grey of the wall behind her. Like a chameleon.
He noted there was now a green number floating above her head:
Metal Health: 116
Damon’s brain had left out a few details. The woman also had a long snout and sharp teeth.
And wings.
“You’re a dragon,” Damon said. “Oh, wow. My brain is totally melting now."
