DarkAge©

Copyright 2010 Kirk Warrington

Smashwords Edition

In association with White Wolf Press, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely by chance. Names, characters, places, and incidents are figments of the author's imagination or used fictitiously.

DarkAge Crest art by: C-Side Designs & Illustrations

Book Edited by Emerian Rich and Sue Rossi

http://Kirkcast.com

Print ISBN is 1453606513

Print EAN-13 is 9781453606513.

I wanted to thank my wife, Emerian, as without her this book never would have been published.

Thanks to Sue Rossi for coming through on the extra editing and Ari for proofreading when DarkAge was little more than a rough draft.

Thanks to all my fans that have left positive feedback on iTunes, Podiobooks, and Amazon.

Also a special thanks to my mother for encouraging my writing.

Contents:

Chapter 1 - Game

Chapter 2 - Awakenings

Chapter 3 - Reunion

Chapter 4 - Sir Who?

Chapter 5 - Becoming

Chapter 6 - Eight

Chapter 7 - Portals

Chapter 8 - EndAll

Chapter 1 - Game

William

He cleared his throat before speaking. My name is William. Please raise your hand if you think you'll be able to survive tonight's entertainment. He kept the tone of his voice serious.

The eight other people in the apartment glanced at each other in nervousness. A few raised their hands, while others hesitated, and two did not raise their hand at all. William grinned.

We're here to play DarkAge? Right? John asked, squeaking out the last word. The group chuckled but overall they appeared tense.

This isn't Sex Addicts Anonymous? Then I'm in the wrong place. Ha, ha! Jeremy had an earsplitting laugh.

Very funny. William felt the muscles around his jaw tighten and relaxed. We're here to play the fantasy role-playing game DarkAge. The upcoming game is going to be very difficult. Some of your characters may not live to see the end of it. He ran his hand over his hair, feeling the shaved sides of his head and making sure his ponytail had not become loose. A few blond strands came away and he dropped them on the floor.

Why didn't we play online like usual? Jeremy spoke in a loud voice.

Because Will wants to see how many people can be crammed into his tiny-ass apartment, Henry said. He had short brown hair and freckles sparsely covered his white skin. We're like a bunch of 'clowns in a car' in this dump.

William sighed at the poor jest about his humble home.

The cozy studio apartment consisted of one large room, a kitchen and a bathroom. The main room had been sectioned off as the bedroom, living room, and study. With the queen-size bed being the bedroom area, a loveseat, and recliner set up as the living room, and a desk serving as the study. The white walls were sparsely decorated with a few posters of abstract pictures. An electric aroma sprayer attempted to cover the apartment's muggy air with a fake, pine odor.

We all hang out in different social circles and don't mingle with each other much anymore. I thought it would be great if we actually got back together for a game. William put on a smile. As far as I'm concerned, DarkAge should be played by a few friends, in a dark room, with plenty of beer and snacks. Playing it online filters the experience.

With his guests starting to fidget or stare at him with deadpan faces, William moved along with the game. I realize we all know each other or at least have seen each other in the past but let's go around the room and have everyone introduce themselves. It'll help break the ice. Just tell us your name, a little about yourself, and a few words on your DarkAge character.

Groans of despair echoed in the small enclosure at the suggestion of oral introductions.

Here, I'll start it off. As you know, my name is William. I'll be guiding you through DarkAge, as tonight's game guide, from the comfort of what I like to call 'The Captain's Chair'. He patted the black leather recliner that he sat on. Oh yeah, help yourself to food or beer on the mobile cart. It has wheels and can be moved around to strategic locations of need throughout the night. He motioned to a cart near the kitchen and turned to the person on his right.

Um, hello. My name is Rich and I have a drinking problem, he finished off his beer and burped, causing some chuckles. Just kidding. My DarkAge character is big, fat sumo wrestler named Sake. Rich, a young Asian man, wore a white t-shirt and jeans.

Why'd you name him Sake? the only woman in the apartment asked. Lourdes twirled several strands of her black hair between her fingers.

My family makes sake in their spare time. It's kinda tradition for us. When I made the sumo character, it just fit, Rich said.

Doesn't Sake have a weapon attached to him or something? Kevin asked. The sandy-blond haired man appeared to be trying to remember Rich's character from past gaming sessions.

Yep, that's right. Sake found a spiked, steel ball connected to about four feet of chain, which magically attached itself to his wrist when he put it on. The weapon is possessed by a demon and won't let go of him, Rich said.

Isn't having a demon-possessed weapon bad? Lourdes raised one of her thin eyebrows.

I suppose. Sake's willpower has grown and it doesn't bother him too much now. Although the demon likes to torment him, it really feeds by taking a bite out of whatever it strikes. The only way I can think to remove the weapon is to cut off his hand, which I don't wanna do, Rich replied. No further questions were brought up and he turned to the next person.

Hey, I'm Jeremy. My character is working on the relationship between chaos mathematics and the mysterious forces of magic but he'll be ready for the game. Ha, ha!

A few people in the apartment cracked a polite smile in response to Jeremy's joke.

I'm a game guide too and have run a couple of DarkAge games myself. My character is basically me but he can wield magical powers. He's a mage, Jeremy explained using his hands. His brown hair, short on top and on the sides but reaching down to almost the middle of his back, formed a classic mullet. I'm only three semesters away from getting my Masters in Quantum Physics at Berkeley. Several large corporations are already expressing interest in hiring me for outlandish sums of money. Plus, I got lucky with a one night stand last week. Ha, ha!

Thanks, Jeremy. William intervened. Let's keep it moving. He turned to the next person for the introductions to continue.

I'm Henry. Me and this man right here, Henry said and placed a hand on the shoulder of the person sitting next to him. We run DarkAge. Me and John have played DarkAge with William since back in high school. My character is King Kronerth. Kronerth is the biggest, baddest, ass-kicker around. He's a knight that rules Mirinea with an iron fist. All you newbies here need to stay out of our way. Our characters are at a much higher level than any of you will ever reach. He slapped John's back. Go ahead and take it from here John.

My character is Hades, John said in a quiet voice. He sat on a beanbag and did not glance up from the comic book he had been reading since he arrived. The thin teenager wore his solid clump of coal-colored hair as if it were a helmet, not a hairstyle. The hairdo appeared in desperate need of a haircut, some gel, and a heavy-duty comb.

Come on, John. Get into the swing of things, Henry said. He spurred his friend to get into character by slapping John on the arm.

Hades is an assassin who is Overlord of the Assassins' Guild. John glanced around the room. He's an Elf.

Are you two going to try and kill each other in this game? Jeremy asked.

Nah, we signed a Non-Aggression Pact, Henry said. My King Kronerth is focusing on conquering the rest of DarkAge and I think John for some reason wants to marry Death.

As if forgetting his shyness at the mention of DarkAge's Goddess of the underworld, John said, Actually I'm going to try and free all the souls in Hell and give them to Death. I think she'll marry me… I mean my character, Hades, then. He turned to Henry with a sly grin. Though, if the opportunity to stab you in the back comes along, I'll gladly take it.

I've participated in thousands of role-playing games and I have to admit that John's DarkAge character is the deadliest I've ever seen, William said. Hades' very touch is that of death to any living creature. Since an assassin's work mostly takes place at night, Hades had his eyes replaced with black orbs that allow him to see when there's no light.

Yeah and he's got no dick, Henry said.

Who? John or his character? Rich smiled, showing off his perfect set of teeth.

Hades made himself a eunuch so that he can concentrate solely on death, John replied.

At least your character isn't hair challenged like you are, Henry said. He reached over and ruffled John's hair.

Hades doesn't have any hair but he's got a cool tattoo of a winged snake on the back of his head. John attempted to fix his hair. A few strands remained sticking out at an odd angle.

William broke into the conversation. John and Henry always demand and create a lot of meaningless bloodshed and chaos when playing. Apart, the two are relatively normal but together, in the world of DarkAge, they are unmatched for being cunning, devious, and above all, evil. These two will cause their own intrigue with underhandedness and excitement by making plenty of enemies. If nothing else, they'll try to rake up ways to humiliate each other if things get boring.

With a pause in the conversation, the group's attention shifted to a couple who sat on a loveseat in front of the bed. The man had his skinny arm wrapped around his much shorter girlfriend. He had short, stylish black hair. The woman's dark brown complexion appeared amplified by her boyfriend's pale white skin. Her curly dark hair reached past her shoulders.

Our characters are thieves. They use stealth instead of steel to get what they want. Oh, by the way I'm Lourdes and this is Malcom, the woman introduced herself and her boyfriend. Our characters are named Kat and Malcontent. He's Malcontent. She pointed to Malcom. William gave us some magic to overcome all the sword wielding bad guys in DarkAge. My Kat has an extra saving roll when attacked. Malcom tell them what your character can do. This is supposed to be your game. She prodded her man to speak.

My character, Malcontent, has a magical golden mace. When I hit someone or something with it, the mace will teleport them somewhere else. The harder I hit them, the farther they're teleported, Malcom said.

How does that work? The mace that is. What's the ratio for how hard you hit a target and how far it is teleported? Jeremy asked as if trying to view the magical weapon from a mathematical angle so that he could understand it better.

I believe for every pound of strength the mace is swung with, the target is teleported a mile away. Malcom rubbed his chin.

William nodded in agreement.

I guess if you ever need to make a quick getaway you can just bash yourself in the head. Vaughn kept a straight face.

What do your characters look like? Jeremy asked.

We modeled our characters after ourselves. Though, I did enhance my character, Kat, some. Besides that they're our spitting image, Lourdes answered.

What did you change? Jeremy asked. He checked Lourdes out with some admiration.

My character is pretty much the same as me. Lourdes's dark eyes glanced about as if nervous. I think the only difference in Malcom's character is that his hair is long.

Back when I generated the character, my hair was halfway down my back but I had to cut it after getting a job, Malcom said.

At least one woman is here tonight to represent. William felt himself beaming. I wish I could get more women involved in playing DarkAge but they just aren't interested.

I think the women just aren't interested in you, William. Lourdes wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Malcom, Henry said.

His fists clenched and William sat up straighter in his chair. His brain could not think up a good comeback against Henry's insult.

I want to thank William before we get started. Lourdes raised her hand to get everyone's attention. I was initially turned off from DarkAge because it has so much violence sewn into the game but William has a way of making role-playing fun without anyone getting hurt.

Huh? Henry's expression twisted in puzzlement. What's the matter with a bit of senseless violence now and again?

John shrugged, still reading the comic book, he appeared uninterested in the current conversation.

Many people who run role-playing games often use violence as a substitute for action and excitement. Kind of like MSG being dumped into Chinese food to add flavor, when all the food needs is a good cook to make it scrumptious. Lourdes and Malcom's dislike of violence helped me think of new ways to stir up enthusiasm when running a game. William received the compliment on his game guiding with pleasure.

Anyway, I'm Vaughn, a man with short, brown hair said. My character is Steel Blood Hunter and he was once a dwarf until William got a hold of him. I had designed my character to look like Wolverine from Marvel Comics. Wolverine-Hater!

I like Wolverine but I don't want to infringe on any trademarks or copyrights that Marvel Comics might have on the man. William waved off the criticism but felt his face coloring at being put on the spot.

All he had was Wolverine's rugged face and sweptback hair. Now he's an elf with a dead wolf stuck on his head, Vaughn said.

What the hell happened? Kevin had his mouth twisted into a crooked, half smile.

I had Vaughn's character hunt down the Fenris Wolf is all. William attempted to downplay the situation.

Yeah, and after I killed it, you tricked me into skinning the wolf and having my character put on the skin as a cloak and helmet. Vaughn paused. The only thing is, now it won't come off. Even worse is my happy, go lucky dwarf is somehow transformed into an elf by it. I don't know how William can explain that away.

Steel Blood Hunter? Lourdes crinkled her brow. That's a stupid name.

Vaughn ignored the gibe as he glared at William in mock resentment.

Well, the Fenris black fur hide is practically impenetrable and its skull makes a fearsome helmet. I might have gotten carried away with the elf part but it does cover Wolverine's crazy hairstyle and makes his face hard to see, William said. That way I don't have to worry about Marvel Comics coming after me with their lawyers.

You use that dead animal's skull as a helmet? How? Jeremy asked as if unable to picture Vaughn's character in his head.

Steel Blood Hunter can see out of the Fenris mouth, like an open visor, Vaughn explained, opening and closing his hands in front of his face.

It must smell horrific. Lourdes pinched her nose for effect.

That's not the only thing that stinks around here, Vaughn groaned dramatically. After Steel Blood Hunter was transformed into an elf, his own dwarven clan, the Beer Drinking Dwarves, banished him. So my little guy is off all by his lonesome in a harsh, cruel world.

Yeah, well, life's rough. Who's next? William said to keep the introductions moving and get off the uncomfortable subject.

Vaughn threw his hands up in futility and fell back onto the apartment's bed.

Me Kevin. Me character Kev. Him gladiator. Very good gladiator. Very good looking gladiator too. Kevin did a piss poor imitation of a caveman's voice.

Kevin's character participates in blood sports and has won over one hundred death matches. William could not take Kevin's atrocious acting. Kev is Champion of the Arena and more popular than Henry's King Kronerth.

What? Henry choked at the affront. King Kronerth is more popular than Kevin's hapless, buffoon gladiator and no one can defeat King Kronerth in battle.

Kevin did not say a word but grinned. An aura of confidence seemed to surround him, which caused Henry to become even more agitated.

I bet if your character didn't have all his magical armor and weapons he'd be a wuss. Henry's face colored a few shades redder.

More like one big, overly-muscled wuss you mean. Kevin did not appear to mind that he purposefully made himself look foolish.

In battle, your King Kronerth is undefeated because he has everyone else do the fighting for him. In the Arena, it's just Kev and an opponent to the death, Vaughn said as if trying to settle the brewing dispute over whose character was better.

Henry glared at Kevin.

Oh, hey William, I forgot to tell you that I put a charm on Kev's weapons and armor to summon them back if he ever loses them. Jeremy's volume was a few levels higher than it needed to be.

Did you do that in the last game? William asked as he scanned Kevin's character sheet. I don't have any notes on it.

Jeremy nodded and William updated his records with the help of a pencil.

I don't want to lose my magic-sucking sword. Kevin shook the beer can that he held before holding it upside down over his mouth to be make sure that he got every last drop inside.

I've noticed Kevin and the word 'suck' seem to be in a lot of sentences together. Henry smiled. Personally, I don't think you need a sword to help you 'suck' anymore than you already do.

The apartment door burst open, startling William. Two men stormed in without knocking.

James, Tony! Jeremy yelled at full volume.

The late gamers both had short hair and were dressed as if they planned on going out on the town later. James had dark ebony skin, while Tony had an olive-colored complexion. Though not overweight, Tony had a soft looking body, while James appeared strong.

Thanks for joining us, William said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He hated when people arrived late for his game. Neither of you have ever played DarkAge before, so I hope you brought your character sheets.

Here ya go, James said as he handed in his and Tony's character sheets for inspection.

The DarkAge game guide could not help but notice that James and Tony wore dubious smirks on their faces. William found out what the two were up to when he reviewed the completed character sheets. You gotta be kidding me? I don't think this will work Tony. Why don't you choose something more normal?

Kevin slid off the bed and snatched Tony's character sheet away to review it. What the crap is it? The football jock stared at the piece of paper.

His name is Monsta, Tony said in defense of his character. Monsta is part lion, gorilla, and a little bull.

Everybody fell into hysterical laughter at the pronouncement.

Sounds like a lot of bull to me, Henry replied.

Yeah, bull shit! Kevin chortled.

Frowning up at the much larger man, Tony said, You're not too big to take down.

Kevin's smile fell from his face and his expression became cold as he absorbed the discourteous counseling. The imposing jock flexed his muscles, not to show off but to make sure each muscle was ready for action, like a computer running diagnostics on its systems before starting up.

Dang! Jeremy threw his hands up. Tony tries to start a fight every time he comes to a party.

Rolling his eyes, William stood up and said, We're all friends here Tony. Calm down. He kept his tone soothing as he attempted to stop the potential brawl.

Why not pick a dwarf? We don't have one in the group anymore. Vaughn sat up on the bed.

Turning his attention away from Kevin, Tony glared hard at William and the fight was averted.

I'm going be Monsta or I'm leaving, Tony said.

All right, you can use Monsta as long as you can make up a decent past for this misshapen monstrosity, William said, accepting Tony's character.

Freak! Kevin shouted.

Tony gave the football linebacker an angry sneer before going to think up a history for Monsta.

Tony sure can cause trouble but I don't want him to leave. Hopefully he'll mellow out after a few beers, because he can be pretty cool when he wants to be. Are you guys just trying to yank my chain here with these whacked out characters? William shook his head. You sure you want this character, James? William asked, shaking his head.

James nodded.

What's your character? Kevin asked.

It's nowhere near as bad as Tony's Monsta but James wants to be the first Afro-Samurai in DarkAge. William held out the character sheet.

Although a black man hasn't achieved samurai-hood yet, it doesn't mean it can't or won't happen, James said.

True. You got a point. William nodded.

How do you explain your character becoming a samurai? Lourdes inquired.

Well, I named my character after me, James said, sounding like a proud father talking about his son. As a baby, my character is shipwrecked in the Far East of DarkAge. A samurai saves him from the ocean and trains him. He learns the discipline of a samurai, their fighting art, and the bushido code of honor. He becomes a samurai and a master of the katana. My character has made it his purpose in life to perfect his fighting style and protect his honor.

Does your samurai have an actual fro, Bro? Henry asked.

No fro, Bro. He has long, straight, black hair in the traditional samurai style. James did not seem offended by the borderline comment.

It's a lot easier to swallow than Monsta the bizarro beast, William said. Well Tony? Have you thought up a history for your character yet?

Yep. Monsta is dumped in a gutter after birth and is eventually recruited into a circus. He is made into a sideshow to earn his keep, Tony said.

Freak! Kevin yelled.

Even William could not help but crack a smile at the insult to Tony's character and ego.

Ignoring the pestering jock, Tony continued, Those running the circus were extremely cruel but they didn't realize that Monsta would grow up into a gigantic beast man of enormous strength. Monsta killed his mean masters and escaped to find happiness.

Should I allow these new characters into the game? William asked, taking a vote.

Everybody in the room agreed by nodding or by giving a thumbs-up sign.

OK, they're in. William felt like a judge presiding over a court of law. To make up for the low experience levels of your new characters I'll allow you both to choose an inherit ability, skill, or item. This should boost your survivability in DarkAge.

William handed Tony and James a paperback book to search through. Within moments the DarkAge beginners decided which abilities they wanted for their exotic creations.

I want this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality. Tony pointed out the ability in the book. It'll allow Monsta to fall into berserker rages and will triple his strength and endurance.

The only problem is that Monsta will lose control over himself and run rampant as his I.Q. level plummets to zero, Jeremy said. Maybe you should pick another power.

Or another character. Henry smugly smirked.

No way! Monsta is ready as is. Tony pushed his new character into the game.

I'm going to pick this Sword Art of Sigla Creation for my samurai character. James decided and put the book down.

That's a potent learned skill which will give your character the ability to perform devastating and spectacular magical attacks with his katana. This skill takes great concentration and perfect form while drawing a magical rune in the air with the sword. When successfully done it'll tap into ancient magic and annihilate your foes. William felt excitement coursing through his abdomen.

How are we all going to meet when our characters are from opposite sides of the DarkAge world? Jeremy asked.

William contemplated for a moment to make the problem appear much more difficult than it really was. In truth, the dilemma had already been figured out in his head. Henry's character King Kronerth rules the country of Mirinea as monarch. In Mirinea's capitol city, King Kronerth has his fortress of steel and stone where he'll be handling preparations for his next military conquest. The Guild of Assassins also sits in Mirinea's capitol where John's character, Hades, is Overlord of the Dark Tower. Kevin's character, Kev, is currently in Mirinea touring arenas and trying to find some competition to prove himself against. Kev is searching for an opponent who can defeat him or a slice of humble pie, so to speak. Rich and James have their characters sharing a ship from the East to Mirinea. Sake meets James and they become good buddies on the voyage.

James and Rich played along, pretending to be best of friends.

Smiling, William continued, James's self-named samurai wishes to explore the world and further perfect his skill with a blade. Rich's sumo character, Sake, seeks fortune and an opponent worthy to fight. He has totally dominated every challenger on his island for the last decade.

Please don't say Sake's looking to have a helping of humble pie, Rich said, mocking some of the language the game guide used earlier to help illustrate the story.

I bet your big booty'd sumo is looking for some pie and I don't think he cares whether or not it’s humble pie, Kevin said.

Vaughn's character Steel Blood Hunter is coming to Mirinea in hopes of finding a mage who can remove the Fenris skin so he can become a dwarf again. If nothing else, he hopes to find some employment as a mercenary. William went around the room to explain how each player's character ended up in Mirinea.

I might do a bit of thievery as well, Vaughn growled, taking on the role of his character.

Jeremy's mage, Jer, also lives in Mirinea at the Magical Academia of the Mystic Arts where he studies and teaches. Lourdes and Malcom's characters, Kat and Malcontent, have come to Mirinea to deprive some of its wealthiest people of their gold. Thieves are attracted to the luster of gold like moths to the flame and Mirinea is the richest country in DarkAge. William turned to the couple. Don't forget you two that this is the last day your dues are paid up with the Mirinean Thieving Guild.

We'll be leaving tonight. I want to go back to that tropical island where we can lounge in the sun and relax, Lourdes said in a cooing voice and with love in her eyes.

Sounds good to me, Malcom said, giving a slight nod.

Tony's twisted beast, Monsta, walks around Mirinea lost and in despair. Monsta hopes to find peace after a lifetime of cruelty in the circus. William took a long swig of his lukewarm can of economical beer for a storytelling pause.

At The Busted Skull Tavern and Alehouse, Kev, Jer, and Steel Blood Hunter finish off their sixth pitcher of extra-potent lager as Kat and Malcontent stroll in. The two thieves have decided to celebrate their latest successful robbery. When Malcontent momentarily leaves Kat to order some food and wine, she is targeted by Jeremy's womanizing senses. William felt like smirking.

P.I.M.P. That's me, Jeremy said as if attempting to pump up his image as a player.

More like P.I.M.P.L.E.S., Kevin joked.

Jeremy felt his face for acne and wrote the insult off when he found none.

Smoothly sauntering over, Jeremy attempts his manly wiles on Kat but is interrupted when Malcontent returns, William said, doing his best to keep his poker face on.

Jeremy glanced over at Lourdes and Malcom who cuddled together on the loveseat. Malcom glowered at Jeremy for his character attempting to hit on his girlfriend in the make believe tavern.

Can't blame a guy for trying. Jeremy shrugged.

Lourdes seemed especially uncomfortable and her face became a slight shade redder. Malcom held his girlfriend tighter as if to make sure she would not go off with another man.

Coughing to cover his amusement, William thought, I love watching my friends squirm. He smiled. They're responding well so far. Now, to keep it going and not let them get bored. Jeremy plays off the rejection by inviting the couple over to have some drinks with his friends. The volatile situation is diffused and to Jeremy's surprise, Kat accepts the invitation. Malcontent isn't pleased but doesn't want Kat being alone with a bunch of strange men. Kat accepts because thieves need contacts and a good network to be successful. If nothing else, these obviously wealthy heroes can make potential victims.

A humungous Asian man squeezes through the tavern's entrance with some difficulty, followed by a heavily-armored samurai. William glanced over at James and Rich. What do you two want to do?

I want to prove that Sake is the best. He can beat up anybody, Rich said, with all the haughtiness he could muster.

My character is just going to kick back at the bar, James said.

The sumo introduces himself as Sake and challenges the inhabitants of the tavern. Does anyone dare accept this fight? William scanned the apartment.

I'll take on El Tubbo! Kevin jumped in.

Eager to escape the waning conversation at his table, Kev undertakes the challenge. Everyone in the tavern falls into a flurry of excitement and betting as the two titans step outside for a feast of fisticuffs. Outside, hundreds of people gather around to watch the unbelievable contest. A troop of Mirinean soldiers even cease their patrol to rest and watch the colossal match up. A chorus of people shouting 'Kev' grows in intensity as Sake stomps the ground to warm up. William could see his friends hanging on every word as suspense from the coming conflict grew.

The battle commences with a thunderous collision. The rock-hard muscled body of the gladiator collides with the soft, bulging fat of the sumo wrestler. William spiced up the game with some action.

You're going down, blimp boy! Kevin said, pointing at Rich.

Sake is only big boned and he's gonna be using your face as a toilet, Rich replied, getting into the role-playing mood.

Ew! Lourdes squeaked at the disgusting insult. Gross.

Sake is almost three times the weight and size of Kev. The gladiator's gnarled muscles strain as the sumo pushes the much smaller man around with his enormous girth. Sake tries to fall on top of Kev to finish the battle with a splat but the gladiator twists around and manages to throw the giant sumo down by himself. William rolled some dice on a small book to determine the events. Kev manages to pin Sake despite his ale related intoxication.

Bullshit! Rich yelled, standing up.

Kevin struck a triumphant double-bicep pose at his character's victory. Oh yeah! His voice thundered in the tiny apartment.

I want a rematch, Rich said. His lower lip stuck out.

OK, let's go again, fatty. Kevin accepted the challenge. He appeared to be in complete confidence that his character would win.

William tried to keep down the excitement in his voice as he went on. The two have another contest. The game guide rolled the dice to determine the winner. Kev beats Sake but with less work this time. The veteran gladiator uses his strength deceptively at crucial moments to win the match. Although younger, Kev has gone against better quality opponents than the older and much wider Sake.

Damn, no way! Rich shoulders slumped over. I'm re-matching until my sumo wins!

That's fine with me. My Kev will be glad to whip your thong-wearing butt some more, Kevin said, referring to the traditional sumo garb.

William threw the dice and kept rolling them. Sake lost, Sake lost, Sake lost, Sake lost, Sake...won? He surprised everyone by the last roll of the dice. You won one, Rich. Do you guys want to continue?

No. I think I'll stop while I'm ahead. Rich's voice sounded dry.

Ahead? Kev won six matches and you only got one, Jeremy said. He appeared confused by Rich's calculations.

Yeah, but I won the last match. That's all I care about. Rich placed his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair to revel in his victory.

They do say that you're only as good as your last fight and Kevin, you lost! James said.

Can't win 'em all. Kevin shrugged and waited for the game to move on.

Everybody starts heading back into The Busted Skull Tavern. Kev and Sake are bruised, battered, and exhausted. William felt his mouth drying out and took a sip of beer.

I challenge Sake to a drinking contest. Kevin laughed as he hoisted his own can of beer into the air.

You're on. Rich returned the alcoholic salute.

The two players drained their beers before returning their slightly diminished awareness to the ongoing story.

"The Mirinean patrol, which had stopped to watch Sake and Kev fight, notice someone out of the ordinary standing nearby on the stone paved street and investigate. Voices are raised and the argument escalates. All the people returning to the tavern stop and stare, hoping to see some blood spilled yet this night. A giant mutant is exposed as a brave Mirinean soldier rips off the rags covering what appeared to be a very large man. The soldier receives a backhand from the horned monster