WORLD 8 - LEVEL 2

P R E V I O U S L Y . . .
After defeating five skeleton warriors, Game Girl walks down an old trail in The Valley of Torment. The sun was fairly high in the sky at Dragon Lake, but it appears to be almost night from the shade of the trees. Animals make chattering in the vegetation, emerald green leaves fall from the trees as crows take off from them. Paige buttons up her jacket as the air gets colder and a thin mist rolls in, getting thicker the further she walks down the trail.

After a few minutes of walking and frantic head turns, Paige sees a shadow of a man crouched in the distant. Paige squints her eyes to see past the fog, it doesn't appear armed nor does it see Paige yet. Game Girl's hand goes close to her satchel, just in case, as she comes closer to the shadowy figure. Several feet away, color can been seen on the shadow, red. But not blood luckily, just red fabric.

Several feet away, the figure stands to it's feet, not much taller than our hero. Paige stops dead in her tracks as the figure turns to face her. Paige's eyes go wide and she gasp, choking on tears.


"Game Boy?"

N O W . . .
Paige stands mere feet away from what appears to be Game Boy, a tear rolls down her cheek as her hands tremble. Game Boy stares at Paige, his mouth agape but slowly turns into a smile.


"Hey, Paige."

Through tears Paige breaks a laugh. She runs over to Game Boy and embraces him with a tight hug, knocking the wind out of GB who laughs with empty lungs before burying his head in Game Girl's shoulder. After some time the two separate, both smiling still.


"I thought you were dead."


"Heh. Me too."


"So, what happened?"


"Well, when I fought the Titan, it took a lot out of me. I pushed myself to my breaking point, using so much power like that, you can only last so long. When I fell to the ground, and. . And I saw you. . . I panicked, I didn't want anyone to see me die like that so I used fast travel."


"Fast travel? But why?"


"So I could go somewhere quiet, a place that could give me a good last memory. I wanted to go to that hill we sat on for like an hour, it was a nice view. But instead, something went wrong and I ended up here."

Game Girl smiles and lets out a short laugh.


"I remember that hill, awwww GB that's so cute!"


"Shut up :|"


"That's so weird though, why would fast travel send you here?"


"Been asking myself the same question for a while now."


"Why not just walk out? Or BAMF out at least."


"I tried but the fight sapped me of all my power, got nothing left. As for walking out, I keep getting lost."


"Typically Game Boy to get lost on a straight track."


"I know it looks simple, but the road winds and circles back. Reason it's called Cursed Woods."

Game Girl looks back to the before straight path, now curved in the distance passed the fog. GG turns back to who is crouched down again, looking over thick footprints in the dirt.


"Well, I know the way I came in. That means I'm heading forward, you coming with?"

GB stands up, adjust the strap around his body, the Sword of Heroes in a sheathe on his back and dusts himself off, he smirks at Paige as he turns to her.


"Sure. From the look of these tracks I'm heading that way anyway."

The two start to walk down the trail together, GG can't help but smile as she makes quick glances at Game Boy. After a little while, Game Gilr throws a quick jab into GB's arm. Game Boy says 'ow' looking at Game Girl like she's a psychopath as he rubs his arm.


"The heck was that for?"


"Just making sure you're real."


"Y'know sane people just pinch."


"Don't be such a baby."


"Hey! You lose all your powers and let someone with them punch you. You'd cry, I know you would."


"Pffffft. I SO would not cry."


"Yeah you would, you're a girl. Girls always cry."


"Do you want to get punched again!?"


"No ma'am. O_O"

Game Girl chuckles as they continue to walk. After a short silence from the two, and a lot of chirping from the birds. Game Boys speaks up.


"Did you cry when you thought I died?"

Game Girl hesitates, she brushes her hair to side with and tilts her head down. She shrugs.


"Yeah. Of course I did. I mean, I thought I lost a friend. I thought the world lost another hero, a lot of people cried when they heard the news."


". . . Told you girls always cry."

Turns and throws a hard punch into Game Boy's shoulder, GB tries to block the punch as he giggles like an idiot but is too slow and falls to the ground in pain, moaning with a mix of laughter and crying.


"You're such an idiot!"

Game Girl storms off down the trail, GB starts to get up but crumbles back to the ground and Game Girl disappears into the fog. Game Boy tries to ignore the pain and sighs.


"Crud."

GB eventually gets to his feet, rubbing his possibly broken arm better. He sets off down the path. Meanwhile, GG further down the road looks annoyed as she walks briskly. Her eyes dart to the right as a bush shakes, leaves dropping. She slows her pace and looks around the area. Something dashes behind her, a shadowy figure obstructed by the fog, she turns behind her with a gasp as a bush shakes behind her and the beats disappears in the foliage. Game Girl draws her Warhammer and wields it with both hands as she looks around for the beast in the fog. Game Girl hears fast footsteps behind her and swings around with the Warhammer, stopping inches away from Game Boy's wide eyed noggin.


"Yo. . ."

Game Girl pants nervously, GB places a hand on the head of the Warhammer and slowly pushes it down, not breaking eye contact.


"Sorry for being a glitch before."


"It's fine. Was a little funny but I think we have bigger problems."

GB looks around and draws the Sword of Heroes from his back. Paige and Game Boy go back to back, weapons ready.


"You seen it?"


"No. Just heard it moving around, stalking me. This the thing you're tracking?"


"Mhm. Vampire, feral. Been hunting it for a while, keeps stealing any food I hunt and it's tried to attack me once or twice."


"Lucky you weren't bit."


"More than lucky, it's so fast, almost tore me in two before I could raise my sword. Only weakness I found is fire, scares the thing to death."


"Anything else? Garlic? Holy symbols? Ward spells?"


"I know garlic won't work, found some not too long ago. Threw it at him and he didn't flinch. Wouldn't know about the other two, and it can travel over running water. River nearby, he can jump it. I cannot."


"Good to know. So we do this the old fashioned way."

The two keep their backs together, searching for the beast. Game Boy tired of waiting decides to draw the beast out, slitting his forearm with his sword. Blood starts to ooze from him, and the scent of blood flows through the air. Smart. A very old hunter tactic. The bushes rumble to their right and a large creature bursts from the forest with a high pitched scream. It's tall with white fur, a bat looking creature, skinny and disgusting with devilishly long claws. A Higher Nekron Vampyre, very uncommon and very deadly. GG and GB step away from one another and ready their weapons as the Vampyre takes a swipe. The two hop back, safe from it's reach as it growls and screeches at the two.

GAME GIRL

100%

GAME BOY

99%

HIGHER NEKRON VAMPYRE

100%

The creature makes a quick swipe at Game Boy, tearing at his flesh. The attack was so quick GB couldn't dodge in time, he stumbles back, his shirt torn. Game Girl panics and looks back at GB worried, she throws the hammer into the Vampyre's head with a mighty force. The beast's neck makes a loud snap and it is falls to the ground feet away.

GAME GIRL

100%

GAME BOY

76%

HIGHER NEKRON VAMPYRE

0%

The beast doesn't move. Game Girl stares at it for a moment and looks back at Game Boy, who seems fine. Wounded, but alive.


"You alright?"


"Yeah, just a flesh wound. But damn Game Girl, how hard did you hit that thing?"


"Pretty freaking hard. Didn't think I'd kill it, you had trouble with that? Lol."


"Again. No powers! I would have killed it before it could even think about swiping me."


"Ooh shut up."

Game Girl rolls her eyes as GB chuckles, looking at the damage. The two sheathe their weapons.


"We're gonna need to patch that up."


"A herbalist lives here, he's crazy but not evil. Could help."


"Cool, we'll head there before we find a way out."

The two turn back to the dead Vampyre, but the body is gone.


"What the heck?"


"Crud. It must have regenerated."


"Should we worry about another fight?"


"Nah, if it was going to try and kill us it would have done it while we were talking. Must have gone back to it's nest, just stay on your toes."


"Okay. C'mon let's find this herbalist."

GB nods and the two set off again.

After a long walk the two come across a small cave with an old man with a long beard wearing purple robes and holding a staff with a glowing purple crystal on top. He stares at the couple, GG whispers to GB.


"That the herbalist?"


"Nooooooo? That looks like a warlock."


"Ugh, just avoid him. Warlocks are creeps."

Game Girl looks ahead but Game Boy continues to stare at the crystal, the warlock speaks.


"You two make a cute couple, I like your cool t-shirt sir."

GG is confused but avoids the warlock as her and GB continue to walk, GB smiles.


"Thanks! I like your staff and beard!"


"Thank you. You should totally come into my cave, we can hang out and talk about cool things."


"Dude! Ilove talking about cool things!"


"Game Boy?"


"We can also play the newest popular video games on my Ultra awesome Warlock console, and also, I don't care if you smoke in here. I know parents don't like it but I think smoking is cool."


"O M G! Those sound like things I totally want to do!"


"You don't smoke! You don't even have parents."


"Wow. Way to be a buzzkill dude."


"Come on inside brah, I'll get some hot cocoa ready."


"Sweet! I love hot cocoa!"

Game Girl grabs Game Boy's hand to stop him but GB breaks the hand holding and rushes towards the warlock and his cave. GG stand there puzzled.


". . . The fCENSORED just happened?"