Mysterious Minstrel

Chapter 3

I'm in a city square, surrounded by buildings with thatched rooftops and flowers decorating the windowsills. The sky awakens with a robin-egg blue, and plains stretch long in the distance. Below me, cobblestone feels hard beneath my feet—I wear a basic pair of sneakers now, along with a cotton shirt and pants. All around me, players gather and make loud conversation. Their names hover above their heads, and they hold various weapons specific to their class. A tavern nearby boasts a line snaking around the building. An armory and weaponry sit nearby, selling basic equipment in open stalls.

"Oh my gosh!" Aileen's voice echoes in my ear. "You're actually online. Where are you?"

I cringe from her volume and the surprise of hearing her—the game's designer must have a buddy function that allows friends to whisper to each other. "Aileen," I say, trusting my voice will find the right person. "I'm in the beginner town. There's so many people here, it's insane."

"Oh, right, I'm a dummy." She sighs in wonder. "I can't believe it. Josiah Li playing Starlia. Finally."

"Just come here already," I say, rolling my eyes even though she can't see.

I wander the town for a few minutes, amazed by its vibrancy. The medieval houses and shops stand out with paint in warm tones—orange and tan and yellow. A healthy amount of greenery, shrubs and oak and cedar, fill up the gaps between buildings. I find the main city square, which has the name Star Town written on a huge billboard, on top of a bunch of notices—probably by the game masters.

Players come from all walks of life. There are little kids dueling in the square with wooden swords, college-aged people gossipping on the benches and picnic chairs. Middle-aged players show off elaborate outfits such as showy dresses and shining armor that must require a high level. And elders stroll on the cobblestone paths without worry.

Aileen shows up riding on a tiger of all things—white fur with black stripes, large enough to carry my friend and probably one more. Its eyes greet me with a striking blue, and it purrs upon letting my friend down to the floor.

"Josiah, this is Simba." Aileen pats her pet and then my shoulder. "Simba, Josiah."

"Nice to meet you, Simba," I croak out, my eyes on its sharp teeth as it yawns and opens its strong jaw.

"Relax, Jo," Aileen runs her hand across Simba's mane. "Simba doesn't bite."

"Okay," I say, not entirely convinced. "What should we do now?"

She points to my chest. "Let's head to the plains nearby. You're only level one, and you need to do some serious leveling to catch up to me." She gestures to her outfit, a metallic blue armor that makes her seem like a warrior goddess. She strapped a broadsword across her back, along with a lightweight shield. Her cosmetic differences are minor—a violet sheen to her eyes, and her dark hair a bit longer and curlier.

"I guess I should walk there?" I ask, hopeful.

"No way," Aileen jumps back on her ride, like a professional tiger tamer. "Simba can hold two. Get on behind me."

The wind whips against my face, and I feel nauseous as Simba bounds across the cobblestone and toward the plains. Aileen yells at people to get out of the way, and a few people barely scramble out of our path. Everything is so real—the breeze, the rough fur that brushes against my thighs, and the sunshine that warms my skin in the perfect amount. Here, I can forget about the destruction of the world, how our lives are constantly threatened by the ruined weather. I can breathe again.

The plains stretch before me, bright green in every direction and seemingly endless. Simba lets us off, and Aileen uses what looks like a Poké Ball to retrieve him—its large form minimizes into a small figure inside the device.