Mysterious Minstrel

Chapter 2

Green landscape stretches out before me. Flowers, all sorts of lilies and roses and tulips surround me in parallel bushels. The sweet scent of them immediately draws me in, and the realness of the graphics already reads so much better than the first game Aileen introduced to me. Overhead, the sky comes to life in turquoise blue with stratus clouds—clearer than the real, polluted outdoors could ever be. A forest area stretches out to my left. To the right, a mountain range blurs in the distance. To my front and back, a lake shimmers like a melted mirror.

I'm approached by an elven lady. There are no other players around. It's just me and a beautiful elf dressed in a gold-sequined dress and her hair tied in an intricate braid. Her skin is fair, and jewelry ornaments her wrists and ankles—mostly a bright platinum that matches her hair.

"Welcome to the world of Starlia." Her voice sounds ethereal, smooth and rich and out of this world. "Could you tell me your name?"

"Josiah," I say, taken aback by how real this lady is. It's almost like I'm facing an actual person in the Internet cafe.

She smiles, pink decorating her cheeks. "Josiah, you are about to make a choice that will decide your fate during this game."

She waits for me to respond, and I guess I look like a fish taken out of water. "Sure, I'll make that choice now."

She giggles, actually giggles, and waves her hands in front of her face. In an instant, a holographic chart materializes in front of me. It's simple, with six options and empty boxes right next to them. I assume I need to check one of them off. I tap each option and discover the six classes of Starlia, my brain overloaded with information.

Warrior—to fight in close combat and be tanky

Mage—to attack from a distance with powerful spells

Rogue—to be fast, evasive, and tricky

Bowman—to shoot with constant damage

Priest—to provide healing and protection

Minstrel—to support and implement crowd control

The elf stares at me with an open smile, like I hold all the answers inside this virtual world. It's like I'm being treated like a hero, but I certainly don't feel like one yet. My brain still hovers somewhere in calculus class, trying to find x and y. Still, something about the game relaxes me. Maybe it's the light breeze whistling past my ears, sounding like a melody from an alternate dimension.

Without thinking too much about it, I press the box next to minstrel, tensing my body to prepare for what's supposed to happen next. The elven lady smiles, like my decision gives her personal joy and fulfillment.

"Amazing decision," she says, with reverence. "Now prepare yourself for a marvelous journey."

Surprising myself, I smile back. Starlia already feels like a perfect escape from a world that's slowly being destroyed. While the raging waters surround Seattle, while natural disasters are a common everyday occurrence, here there is peace. Here, I have some power to change things.

My whole surroundings evaporate away into a million pixels, and I'm encased by complete darkness for a few seconds. I blink a few times, and my new environment loads in newfound brightness. I'm in a cathedral, marble structures stationed around the borders showing the faces of saints. Stained-glass windows let in an array of colorful sunlight. The pews are all empty, and maroon and gold carpet feels soft underneath my bare feet. I'm facing a podium of polished oak wood, and a lady dressed in a choir-lady's outfit faces me with an expression I can only describe as expectant.