When Jason woke up, he found that the computer had shut itself off overnight. He rolled off the bed and went over to it, pressing the power button. It came to life, displaying the startup screen within a minute. He pressed one of the keys, yet the computer turned off before he could type in his password.
“OK, so it wasn’t some Windows update or a virus scan that shut down the computer,” Jason said, blinking before reaching under the desk and pulling the computer out. “But the real question is: Is it the motherboard or the power supply?”
The mental price for getting a replacement motherboard flashed within his mind, and he groaned. A power supply would be much cheaper, not to mention how common they were compared to a motherboard, especially for a gaming computer like his. Still, he must test one of them to see which one was failing, and he had a tool to test the power supply.
Jason grabbed his robes and put them on before unplugging the computer from the wall, removing all the USB cables connected to it and the plug to the monitor. Soon, the computer was under his arms along with a couple of plugs, and he opened his bedroom door, stepping out. The steps downstairs were clear, but he slowed as he stepped down, soon increasing it when he reached the bottom.
Once he entered the dining room, he set the computer down on its side, sliding the case open and setting it beside a printed paper. Soon, every plug within it was unplugged, with him sighing a bit. He stepped out of the dining room, descending another set of stairs before reaching his storage. All the while, he kept praying that it was the power supply.
Stacks of boxes piled up within the storage room along with a couple of desks and shelves, dust flying everywhere. Labels covered the top and sides of the boxes, with a couple labeled ‘Electronics,’ and he opened those boxes. A few minutes of digging later, he pulled out the power supply tester and, with a huff, stepped out, kicking the door shut behind him.
Soon, he stepped back into the dining room, plugging the motherboard power connecter into the tester. The computer got plugged back in, and he turned the power supply on, with the fan spinning. He turned to the tester, and he grunted, shaking his head.
“So far, the power supply is running fine,” Jason said. He turned the power off before inserting one of the power connectors, turning the power back on. Each time, the connector returned as a positive, yet his stomach tightened with every positive. He got to the last connector, and it returned as a positive after a moment. “So, it’s not the power supply. Gah!”
Jason flopped onto a chair, brushing his untidy brown hair with his hand. He envisioned money flying away, and the lights on his light blue eyes faded. He then turned to the printed paper and picked it up, an invitation to an online Armello tournament scheduled for tomorrow, with the cash prize displayed in bold letters. Even getting third place was at least a grand, which would soften the blow of replacing the motherboard.
Still, he could always borrow a friend’s computer, but he shook that thought out. There wasn’t a guarantee on how long Jason would last in the tournament, and he doubted his friend would let him since he held an online job. And even if he did register his username on the Nintendo Switch version, there was a no crossplay rule. With that final thought, he swallowed.
“Welp, I got to change into clothes,” Jason said, yawning before rubbing his eyes. “Then I got to go hunting for a new motherboard.”
# # #
After showering and slipping on clothes, Jason went off on the road, his arm hanging out from the window. Laying on the seat next to him was the motherboard, which he glanced at several times. Buildings passed by, a great deal of them empty when they were flourishing stores a couple of years ago. A great deal changed since then, which made it harder to get replacements and such in case something happened to his car or computer. Still, he kept on driving, his stomach still tight.
Soon, a store went by, and he blinked before turning his vehicle towards the parking lot. It was a lonesome gaming store with everything around the area closed, yet it looked like it was placed just yesterday. He raised an eyebrow at it but shook his head, parking in front of it. Perhaps that place sold computer supplies, something even GameStop was doing these days.
Jason stepped out of the car, motherboard in hand and locking the door behind him. He rubbed his hair once more, letting the strands press against his fingers as he turned from side to side. No other vehicles were parked, and his stomach tightened some more. Yet, he shrugged and stepped into the store, a bell ringing above him as the door closed from behind.
At once, he widened his eyes, the store much more massive than he thought. While the former shopping area wasn’t small, this seemed to engulf all of that and much more while having an appearance of a tiny bit. The architect must be a genius to pull off a trick or illusion like this.
He stepped through aisle after aisle, each with a variety of products centered around games, from board games to video games. Several of the aisles contained what seemed to be every PC game ever released, regardless of the format they came in, such as Armed & Delirious. Another group of aisles held plushies, a great deal centering around games; even plushies he didn’t think existed were sold here, and he rubbed his eyes.
“Hello there,” a voice from behind said.
Jason flinched before he turned around, and he gasped. Leaning against one of the aisles was a guy wearing the most detailed jackal fursuit he ever saw, from how his long tail swayed behind him to how his green eyes blinked. He rested his hand-paw on his belt, strapped around his cyan shirt and blue jeans tight, and straightened himself up. Then, in what may be even more impressive, he grinned as he stepped forward, his digitigrade feet-paws’ claws clicking on the wooden floor.
“Woah.” Jason’s eyes widened as he leaned forward at this person. “That’s one heck of a fursuit.”
“Fursuit?” The furry blinked before lifting up his hand-paw, and he laughed. “Oh. This.”
“Yeah. You’re pretty bold to wear something like that,” Jason said, walking past him, the furry’s tail at least twice his height. “Are you shopping here?”
“Me? Oh, no. I’m the owner, in fact!” The furry grinned as he twisted towards Jason. “The name is Luke. What can I help with you today?”
Jason tilted his head before rubbing the back of it. “This is kind of embarrassing, and I’m not sure if you have it or not.” He handed the motherboard to Luke, who blinked. “You see, my motherboard died, and I need a replacement as fast as possible. Do you have any in stock?”
“Huh. That’s the first time I got asked that.” Luke rubbed his muzzle, one of his ears somehow flattening to the side. “I’ll check out in the back. Just wait here.”
Before Jason opened his mouth, Luke had already spun the other way and sprinted, his tail not touching any of the products. He extended his arm forward, the motherboard taken away before he sighed and shrugged, with Luke already disappearing. He watched that direction for several seconds before rubbing his brow and stepping into the stuffed toys aisle.
He stuffed his hands into his green pants, fidgeting as he turned from side to side. Whoever this supplier was, they must be costing Luke a ton of money since many of the toys were custom-made. Such as the plushies for Armello like Thane and Scarlet, which he knew weren’t released officially. He paused a bit, his focus on one such plush.
It was an anthro wolf plush with scars all over his arms, legs, and even face. His left eye was white and glossy while the other was yellow, yet both eyes glared out as he snarled out with his sharp teeth. His back arched low, which did little to hide how massive this wolf was, with a chest broader than his waist and a neck that was thick with muscles. He wore wide blue bracelets, a brown belt wrapped around them, and a tunic with the wolf insignia sliced in half. A short sword remained sheaved on his belt, yet he carried a pair of massive axes.
“Woah. That is such an amazing and detailed Fang,” Jason said to himself.
“I know,” a voice came from the side said. Jason blinked, turning to the side, and Luke stood beside him, holding onto the old motherboard with a boxed motherboard, still wrapped in its plastic cover, underneath it. “Took me a bit, but I managed to find storage filled with motherboards. Didn’t take me long to find the one just like yours.” He handed the old and new motherboards to Jason. “And I can’t help but notice how interested you are in that plush. Want to add that on top?”
Jason hummed a bit, rubbing Fang’s head with the top of the boxed motherboard. He felt a tremendous pull on getting it, especially since he preferred playing Fang, his favorite character in Armello. He pressed Fang’s head harder, and he could’ve sworn that its lone-seeing eye sparkled a bit, but he shook his head.
“No thanks,” Jason answered, lifting the motherboard off of Fang. “I need to save money, which I’ll lose a great deal on from this purchase. Maybe next time, though.”
“Oh,” Luke said, sounding so disappointed. But he perked up and grinned, winking one of his green eyes. “Let’s take you to the registers then.”
Luke spun around, his tail swaying behind even as Jason followed, tempted to touch that tail but figuring it would be rude to do so. Aisles full of games passed by, though some of them held jewelry like necklaces and rings that contained a video game or animal motif. And, before Jason knew it, he stood before a register, with it painted gold, even as Luke hopped over the counter. He grabbed a scanner and scanned the motherboard, with the price popping from the top.
Jason flinched even as Luke said, “Your total will be $291.57. Is it going to be cash or card?”
“Um, card, please,” Jason answered, pulling out his wallet and slipping the card out from it. He handed it to Luke, who slid it through the register before typing it. Soon, it rang with the numbers retreated down and paper printing out. He ripped it off before handing it and the card back to Jason, who accepted them along with the new motherboard.
“There you go,” Luke said, his teeth shining even as Jason turned to the door. “Have a magical day.”
“I hope it’ll be,” Jason said, gulping before he stepped towards it, gripping against the handle. But he paused, turning back to Luke, who twitched his ears while tilting his head. “Tell whoever made that fursuit that they did an awesome job. It looks like the real deal.” He blushed a bit, pushing the door out as the bell rang. “Sorry if that came out more awkward than intended.”
Soon, he stepped out of the shop, the bell ringing once more as it closed. He slipped into his car and, after setting the motherboards onto the passenger seat, slid the key in and turned it, the vehicle coming to life. Then, turning back, he pulled out of the empty parking space and drove out.
Meanwhile, Luke turned to his hand-paw, flipping it over several times. “If you had brought that plush, you would have realized just how good this ‘fursuit’ is.” But he sighed and shrugged. “And I doubt that motherboard would trigger such a change.”
# # #
After some time driving, Jason parked in front of his home, motherboards in hand and locking the door behind him. After spending that much money, living for the next few weeks would be tight. Still, he hoped that winning the tournament would alleviate it.
He shook that thought out of his head, trying not to stay hopeful.
Soon, Jason slipped into his house, striding over to his computer and setting the packaged motherboard beside it. He picked up the old motherboard, having a slight pain in his chest as though he was saying goodbye. But he calmed himself before setting it down and turning to the new one, ripping its plastic cover off, and opening the box.
He inhaled a bit, picking the new motherboard out with great care before setting it where the old one was. Next, he screwed it into place, even screwing in the fan over the main chip. Soon, every plug was plugged in, and he slid the case back on, with it clicking into place. Then, taking the power cord, he carried the computer back up the stairs.
“Now, the moment of truth,” Jason said, bedroom empty outside of a bed, a couple of drawers, and a desk and chair. He turned on the lights, with the fan above it not spinning since that would disturb the papers on the desk.
He set the computer back beside the desk before plugging the main power cord back in. More plugs followed, from USB to monitor, until the setup was the same as the previous night. Then, as his stomach tightened, he pressed the power button, and the computer returned to life.
Jason flopped back onto his chair, sweat forming on his brow as the startup completed and the login screen displayed. A few minutes passed, the same screen still showing, and Jason typed in the password. Soon, he logged in, the screen displaying the desktop, and he grinned, brushing his hair even as various programs started.
“Looks like I’m back in business,” Jason said, the program Steam starting back up. He went through the desktop, clicking on the Armello icon, and soon the game loaded up. The game’s menu appeared, and he thought for a moment before starting a single-player match. Soon, he selected Fang as his player character, and after the game showcased his AI opponents’ characters, he grinned. “Let’s begin.”
He pressed start—
The screen flickered, with the computer below flashing bright lights. Jason blinked, pushing his chair back even as the lights turned purple. He reached over to it but recoiled, feeling a huge spark coming from it.
“Ow!” Jason shook his hand, with it feeling numb. “Must be one funky motherboard.” He pressed the power button and held it, but the computer refused to turn off. He blinked, reaching to the back and flicking the power supply’s switch, yet it remained running. “Huh?”
He pressed on the top, which grew colder rather than hotter even as the screen flickered faster until it became a solid gray color with black outlines. He sweated some more, the outlines becoming thinner as he stared at the center of it. His hair flowed, something that he blinked at as papers fluttered off the desk, spinning around behind. He twisted around, only for the papers to fly past him, phasing through the monitor screen.
“W-what?” Jason’s eyes widened as he felt a gust of wind that caused the overhead fan to spin. He jumped out from the chair, yet the wind blew harder, knocking him off his feet and toppling him over the chair. He crawled to the bed, grabbing onto one of its legs as he was pulled up by his legs towards the screen. The lights flickered, and his knuckles whitened as he pulled himself forward, his arm behind the bed leg. “This is impossible!”
The bed slid back, with him grunting as the current became stronger, pressing against his face. His arm cracked before he slipped, yet he grabbed the leg once more with both hands. Again, the bed was pulled back, and he felt a lot of pain in his arm and hands, but he held it. But then a couple of pillows landed on his hands, and he slipped again, falling sideways toward the monitor.
Jason screamed, flailing his arms as his feet phased through the monitor. For a moment, his descent stopped when both arms wedged themselves against the monitor. He pushed forward, his body inches out from the screen. Yet, his already damaged arm cracked again, and he fell back, screaming.
He flailed, the ‘window’ toward his bedroom fading from view even as the surrounding area became white. Then, finally, a faint stream of numbers and code appeared around him, but only for a moment, and the white became wavy, as though he was falling through a mist. But then the blue sky appeared, with him falling from a cloud above. A forest stretched down for miles below him even as he spun mid-fall, screaming.
Soon, he crashed through branches, his clothes ripping as his descent slowed. A couple of gashes ripped open on his arms, with blood flowing out, just before he crashed against the ground with a thud, lying on his back with a groan. The area above him spun around in a spiral for several seconds before his vision cleared, and he rolled himself back up. Pain still flowed from his arm, with it beside him, useless as blood poured from both arm wounds.
“I survived, somehow,” Jason said, a massive bruise forming on his back even as his bones popped from just getting back onto his feet, his footing unsteady. “Ugh. Where am I?”
He leaned against a tree, his vision clouded even as blood dripped onto the ground. He grimaced before pulling off his shirt with his other arm and ripping long chunks of it. Soon, he wrapped them around both gashed, though the broken arm’s pain became more intense as he tightened it. Blood soaked against both wounds, but their exiting became slow.
“I know that I fell into the computer screen somehow,” Jason said to himself, pushing himself off the tree. “I was about to play Armello when this happened, and now I’m here. If this is a fantasy story, I’ll say I’m in the game itself.” He raised his hand up with some blood covering it. “Either that or I went crazy. Regardless, I should get out of here and find a place to rest before the sun goes down.”
With that thought in mind, Jason turned to the surroundings, with many snapped-off branches on the ground. Soon, he nodded before bending down to one such branch, one just as tall as himself and on the thick end, and picking it up. Next, he ripped the smaller branches off, and after testing it against his weight, he smiled, but it was grim. Soon, he walked through the forest, improvised hiking stick in hand.
# # #
An hour of hiking later, the forest cleared up some, with chopped down trees and tree stumps all around Jason. A couple of buildings poked out from the trees, and he increased his pace, even as his broken arm protested from such movements. Soon, he stood at the very edge of the clearing, near some kind of settlement, yet he gasped, and his eyes widened.
Within were anthropomorphic animals, with human-shaped bodies but having furs, muzzles, tails, paws, etc. Indeed, their digitigrade feet-paws were exposed, with the anthros wearing tunics and cloaks, yet that did little to hide their looks. Many species within were canids such as wolves and foxes, yet there were a couple of frogs and such.
Jason paused for a moment before hiding behind a tree, pressing his back against it as his face paled. He slid down, the massive bruise on his back protesting against such movements, but he kept sliding. Soon, he sat on the ground, dropping his hiking stick to press his hand against his mouth, his heart slamming against his chest.
“I am in Armello. I am actually in Armello,” Jason said, shaking his head. “I-I guess I *am* in a fantasy world, but how? The motherboard? How could replacing it trigger something like this?” But he shook his head and instead breathed in and out. “OK. Breathe. Calm down.” Yet, he could not push back thoughts on whether he could get back home. Instead, he sweated, with it dripping down on what remained of his shredded pants even as he breathed harder. “I-I am so screwed.”
The first instinct that came to mind, especially with his broken arm throbbing with pain, was to enter the settlement itself. After all, they were helpful in the game, giving money to the Hero who claimed that settlement at the dawn of each turn. So perhaps he should enter it and seek help.
Yet, even as he leaned forward, he didn’t think the settlers here would consider him a ‘Hero.’ Instead, they would see him as an ordinary human in every respect rather than a savior. In fact, he even wondered if there *were* any humans in this world. Or any primates, for that matter. He sighed, his head hung low.
Perhaps it would be best if he—
“Hey! Someone is over there!”
Jason gulped, pulling his legs closer as he tried to make himself smaller. Yet, an anthro gray fox and wolf approached him, and he groaned. Part of him wanted to run, but even without the headache forming in his head, he doubted that he could get away from them in this state. So instead, he closed his eyes, his head feeling so heavy.
“Hey, take it easy.”
“He’s injured bad. We need to take him in.”
The anthro gray fox and wolf pulled him up from the ground, with one of his arms over the fox’s shoulders. The wolf leaned against him, keeping him from falling as they approached the settlement. Yet, Jason’s eyes felt so heavy that he couldn’t open them more than a bit, and even then, it was nothing more than a blur, and he passed out.
# # #
When Jason woke up, it was dark and snowing, with the area smelling of wood. It was so dark, yet he could spot an unlit candle and shelves beside him and a door ahead, with lights coming from the side, top, and bottom. His head still burned from the headache, but not as much as before, and when Jason lifted up his broken arm, he found that it was recovering faster than it should. Even the bruise on his back went down a bit, so he lay back, expecting to land on a pillow but instead landed on the mattress.
Pawsteps came from outside the room, with Jason leaning towards it, with some more like and shadows coming through. The doorknob turned, and the door swung open, with him holding his hand against the light. Once his eyes adjusted, he spotted an anthro wolf, the same one who found him, holding a lit candle, with her wearing brown garbs and a skirt that went down to her ankles. She carried a potion that had a bubbling red liquid.
“I was worried that you won’t wake up ever again,” she said as she sat on a stool beside the bed, handing the potion to Jason. “Drink this. It’ll help with your injuries.”
Jason rubbed the glass, its content cool despite the boiling levels of bubbling. He tilted it a bit before nodding in recognition, the potion being Wyldsap. He drank it, the fluids becoming warm as it slid down his throat and, at once, felt its warmth throughout his body. Soon, the headache faded, the bruise receded to nothingness, and what injuries were left of his broken arm were repaired.
“Thank you,” Jason said, handing the empty bottle back. “Where am I?”
“You are in Dawn’s Call,” the wolf replied, reaching over and rubbing Jason’s hair, his bright blue eyes reflecting against the light as she lit the other candle. “We found you injured and barely conscious. We couldn’t leave you there, so we took you in to recover, dear stranger.”
Jason nodded, though he shifted away from her. “Thank you. I wasn’t sure that you would’ve taken me in since, well—”
The wolf nodded. “It’s OK. We have seen far stranger, and you don’t seem to be some kind of manifestation of the Rot. Though we aren’t sure what you are.” She poked his ear a bit, with him flinching. “I am Ann. What is your name? Do you have a name for your kind? And where did you come from?”
Jason gulped but nodded. “My name is Jason. I’m what we call ‘human,’ though I’m not sure you ever heard of us.” She shook her head. “As for where I came from, it’s from a far away land. I’m not entirely sure how I got here, just that I found myself falling from a great height.”
Ann hummed for a moment. “I don’t sense any lie from you, but I believe you aren’t telling the entire truth. It’s OK, though, if it’s private. It might be fate that you came here.”
“How so?” Jason asked, rubbing his face.
“You see,” Ann explained while staring out the window, with snow piling up outside, “for the past few days, there have been bandit attacks. We suspect a bandit camp is within Winterblossom Woods, but we’re not sure exactly where. And we fear that they might use it as an opportunity to attack if we search for it.” Ann sighed, her ears folding down to her shoulders. “If fate brought you here, you may be a hero who can help. So, if you’re willing, we wish you would find this camp and drive them out. Kill them if necessary.”
Jason gulped. “I’ve never held a weapon before in my life. But,” his expression steeled, “I can’t lay here while people suffer. So, I’ll accept this quest.”
Ann smiled, her ears pointed upright. “Thank you. And we kept a stock of weapons, armor, and any clothing for you. Still, it’s best that you—”
She paused, tilting her head as her right ear twisted to the side.
“Anything wrong?” Jason asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Look at your eyes,” Ann said, and Jason turned to the window, a shadowy reflection shining back from the glass. “Can you ‘humans’ change your eyes somehow?”
The shadowy reflection stared back at Jason, the eyes shining yellow back. “No, we humans can’t change how our eyes look.” But he sighed, laying back on the bed. “But don’t worry. That is how they always look.”
Ann blinked, her muzzle half-open as though to ask some more questions. But she sighed and shook her head, getting up and walking out of the room, closing the door behind her. Jason lifted himself to the window again, confused, before shrugging and blowing out the candle.
# # #
Morning came, with Jason wearing gray robes as he followed Ann to Dawn’s Call’s blacksmith. His sneakers squeaked as the two walked inside, with a pair of badgers working. The larger badger hammered a chest plate into shape with a ball stake before pulling it off and laying part of it on a charcoal forge, where the smaller badger kept it burning. The two badgers turned to Jason and Ann and nodded, with the larger one pulling the chest plate off from the fire once a part of it glowed yellow as the other got up.
“We’ve been expecting you,” the larger badger said, setting the chest plate back on the ball stake and hammering it again. “My brother will take care of helping you.”
“Indeed. And it’s best not to poke at stuff here,” the smaller badger said, with Jason pulling his finger away from one of the anvils. “Everything here is dangerous, especially if you touch it carelessly.”
“Sorry,” Jason said as Ann pulled him away, the smaller badger huffing and leading them into a room. Within held multiple supplies, from swords and spears to armor and clothes. He nodded as he pulled off his robes, and the badger handed him a long white shirt. He slipped it on, its warmth already helping, before spotting a blue scaly tunic armor with a large brown collar with thicker scales. He pointed at it, and the badger nodded, handing it over to Jason, who pulled it on over his shirt. Jason wrapped a blue and brown belt around his waist, with the wolf insignia, though it felt large on him. He then slid on a couple of wide blue bracelets, and the badger tightened the brown belts around them. “So far, so good.”
“Good. In fact, if it weren’t for your lack of fur, you look like you belonged to the Wolf Clan,” the badger said before chuckling and turning to a wall and table filled with weaponry, with long and short swords, axes, spears, pikes, bows, and even maces. “Take whatever weapons you need. It’ll cost us to give them away for free, but as long as you drive out the bandits, we’ll forgive the debt. Just know that if you bail out on us, The Brock Brothers Blacksmith will hunt you down to the ends of the earth, and you won’t like what plans we got.”
Jason gulped and nodded before he turned to the various weapons before him, the two arms on his scars emphasized by his armor. He picked up each sword one by one, getting a feel for them, until he got to a short sword, lifting it up and even pulling it out from its sheath, swinging it a bit but making sure it’s away from the others. Soon, he nodded and, after sheaving it, he handed it over to the badger.
Soon, the badger attached the sword to Jason’s belt before crossing his arms. “Will that be all?”
Jason hummed a bit, several axes laying on the wall, before shaking his head and grabbing two of them. The first ax held a ‘bearded’ blade with a small barb on the back, with strappings keeping the ax head attached to the wooden handle. The other had a diamond tip shaped blade with a large spike on the back. He swung them a bit before turning to the badger, nodding with a grin.
“A handy weapon and tool,” the badger said, going into a desk and pulling out a pair of holders for the axes, attaching them onto Jason’s belt. “It’s a shame to give them away like this, but I trust you’ll drive those bandits out.” He then added in a low tone, “Just don’t betray our trust.”
“I won’t,” Jason said, setting the axes onto the handles.
The badger nodded to Jason and Ann, who picked up the gray robes before leading them out from the shop, his brother still hammering the chest plate. He sighed and shook his head even as the larger badger nodded at them, and he sat before the charcoal forge again, heating it back up. Jason and Ann stepped outside, his sneakers squeaking once more from the snow, and he shivered. Ann pointed northeast, where a wide field of the forest was.
“That is to Winterblossom Woods,” Ann said, with it snowing once more. “The bandit camp should be there. It can’t be more than four, but it’ll still be dangerous. But I have faith that you’ll be alright.”
“I hope so, too,” Jason said, gulping as his stomach tightened. Yet, he steeled his expression before taking several steps towards there. A snowflake landed on his nose, which he flinched at and shook off, exposing his teeth even as Ann tilted her head. “I’ll return or die trying.”
“Say, Jason?” Ann asked as she stepped over to Jason, who paused. She pulled up his lips, showing his teeth with his fangs grown larger and sharper. “Is that natural? I checked your teeth when I fed you some Wyldsap while you were unconscious, and they weren’t like this.”
Jason tilted his head and even wiggled his ears as he poked his teeth, but he shrugged. “I don’t see the issue. Sorry.”
Before Ann could say anything more, Jason turned away towards the forest, leaving her thoughtful. Soon, he disappeared into the woods, and she remained standing there, rubbing one of her ears. Part of her wished to follow, but she shook her head and turned away, her tail fluffed up a bit.
“Perhaps it’s just me,” Ann said to herself, though doubt hung over her.
# # #
A couple of hours passed as Jason stomped through the snow, which faded the further he went down the forest. Finally, he flipped over his arms, exposed to the elements, and a brief thought entered his mind even as he raised an eyebrow. While he was used to the cold and the snow, they weren’t bothering him as much as they used to, the hair not even raised into goosebumps. But he shook his head, thinking it was a side effect of being in a game.
He sniffed a bit, smelling smoke, and he crouched low. He turned from side to side, sniffing, until he nodded and followed the scent. His expression darkened, guessing that a camp was at least a mile away, and he gripped one of the axes.
Jason walked, the remaining snow showing pawprints and a couple of round holes. He nodded, following the disturbed snow while remaining low, his sneakers no longer squeaking. Finally, a red, orange and yellow light appeared ahead, and he stepped from tree to tree, striding between them.
Soon, he spotted a group of five anthros within a clearing, them around a campfire. They wore brown and green tunics, which showed a bit of chainmail around their collars. The brown wolf of the group stood up, stirring the pot hanging over the fire and even sniffing in it, before shaking her head.
“Not yet ready,” she said, sitting back down next to a pair of daggers.
“Give it some time,” the white wolf said, the largest of the group and having a sheaved sword laying on him, just as massive as he. He rubbed his chin some more, his yellow eyes shifting. “Do you think that settlement will finally hunt us down?”
“I doubt it, Rollo,” the rabbit sitting next to the white wolf replied with a cheeky grin. “Only someone with steel in their hearts would’ve hunted us down, and we’ve been doing it for days.”
“Perhaps they are preparing, Agnar,” the otter said, sitting on the other side of Rollo and sliding a grit stone against his ax. “A small spark can explode into a fire that runs through a forest, and we’ve already caused several sparks.”
“Regardless, it might be best if we sneak out by night,” the squirrel said, having at least six daggers strapped across her chest. “Better safe than sorry.”
“I doubt it’s as bad as you think, Cathal and Kirsa,” the brown wolf said, standing up once more and stirring the pot, her ears twitching. “We got plenty of treasures, and I bet my gold coin they have plenty more. We just need to hunt for them in the next few days.”
Jason gulped, hiding behind a tree as he breathed fast, his chest expanding and retracting. Part of him wondered if he wound himself over his head, not expecting this many bandits at once. He cast a glance at his axes, doubting that even a surprise attack could take down one of them with his lack of skills. Still, the group was debating on whether to leave; if they did, he wouldn’t need to fight them. After all, the problem solved itself with or without him, and he could head back to Dawn’s Call to explain.
“We went through that place thoroughly, Fayre,” Kirsa said, pulling out one of her daggers even as Jason leaned an inch out from the tree. “We got everything that was valuable.”
“Not every place,” Agnar said, poking the burning logs with his spear. “We haven’t checked their storage yet. But, given how this month seemed to be winter season, we may have to just get some food.”
“Yes. We only have one week’s worth of food left. Two if we stretched it,” Fayre said as she sat down, holding onto the wooden spoon. “Might be best if we raid for them.”
“If only there wasn’t someone who eats twice as much as the rest of us,” Cathal said, glancing at the glaring Fayre.
“Interesting thoughts you all have,” Rollo said, and the other four turned to him. “Yes, our food supplies are running short, and we should raid a settlement for them. However, even if there wasn’t a hero,” he spat at that last word, “in that settlement, word will spread. Soon, everyone will be after our heads, and it’ll worsen if the king’s guards get involved. The longer we stay here, the greater our chances of being dead will increase.”
The others nodded at him, though Agnar frowned and sighed. At that point, Jason pulled back, sighing. Perhaps he wasn’t needed for this quest after all. Dawn’s Call’s troubles will end, and all he had to do was explain that to them. Though he couldn’t help but feel a bit of guilt from it, Rollo looked like he could rip his head off from his body, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
“Besides, we already got a mighty treasure from them,” Rollo continued, and Jason blinked. “The Bane’s Claw.”
The other bandits grinned, with one of them cheering, even as Jason’s eyes widened. As a weapon, the Bane’s Claw was useless since it couldn’t allow any extra rolls, attack, defense, or even cause the dice to explode. However, it could deter any Banes from attacking the wielder, making it useful from not undergoing a counterattack from them.
At once, he envisioned a Bane, a hovering and legless ravel that looked like death, hovering over to Dawn’s Call, spreading a mist that caused decay. Soon, it burned down entire buildings, razing them with the settlers screaming, trying to run only to fall for its Rot. The vision faded, and he pulled out his axes. He held no battle experiences and was outnumbered five to one, but the settlement would still be in danger if he didn’t retrieve it.
There was only one thing he could do.
“When night comes, we’ll head north,” Rollo said. “It’ll take a few days to get to another settlement, but if we move swiftly and tighten our belts, we should be fine.”
Jason inhaled and stepped out from behind a tree, his yellow eyes shining and his fingernails long. Branches snapped, and the bandits got up, pulling out their weapons. He flinched, but he steeled himself and continued, standing within the clearing, his brown hair showing black highlights.
Rollo tilted his head at Jason. “Who and what kind of being are you?” Cathal stepped forward, but Rollo grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. “Wait. I wish for this being to answer.”
“The name is Jason,” he answered, raising his axes. “I am a human from another land, far from here. I came from Dawn’s Call, which you’ve been raiding upon, and they asked me to drive you out.” He pointed his right ax at Rollo, who raised an eyebrow. “I am willing to be reasonable, though, since I heard that you all will sneak out. So what I demand is this: return your stolen goods and leave, never to return. If not, I’ll fight.”
Rollo leaned back in a burst of howl-like laughter, the others following suit. “That’s the best laugh I ever got.” He pointed his massive sword at Jason, its reflection shining cold, and he flinched. “Thought so. You never fought a day in your life. But I’m willing to counteroffer to cravens: We’ll leave, take everything we stole, and you get to keep your life. If not, I’m afraid I’ll have to kill you.”
Jason gulped, the sense of going over his head returning with force. Rollo’s words echoed in his mind, his heart slamming against his chest, and his stomach tightened with stress. Yet, he stepped forward, raising his left ax behind his head, and Rollo grinned.
“You’re not so much a craven as I thought,” Rollo said, slamming his sword against the ground, which Jason thought he felt. But Rollo slipped on a pair of metal gauntlets and pulled the sword out from the ground, stepping out from the ring around the fire. He raised his hand-paw up at the other four, who nodded through Cathal’s ears drooped in disappointment. Soon, he gestured Jason to follow, the steel sword reflecting cold in the light before gripping it with both hand-paws, the left one near the pommel. “Still, I *may* spare you. I don’t like killing cubs, after all.”
Jason frowned, his legs spread out while standing sideways to Rollo, his knees bent low, and his left foot pointed forward, the other horizontal. The left ax raised ahead, the right one just behind his head, yet he sweated in the cold. But he calmed himself, letting his instincts lead him.
Rollo nodded. “A natural for a cub, but cubs are so young, empty of experiences.” He raised his sword beside his head, standing at an angle. He bent his knees low, his toes flexing against the snow, his fangs shining from a grin. “Begin.”
Rollo charged forward, swinging his sword back, and Jason assailed. They roared out, with Rollo swinging his sword down at Jason, who raised his left ax to block it. The attacks collided, and Jason stumbled back, his back stressed from the sudden impact. But he shook his head and swung his right ax over, but Rollo lifted his sword up, even gripping against the blade, and blocked it.
Rollo grinned at the grunting Jason and slammed his shoulder against Jason’s chest. Jason stumbled back, blinking, as Rollo swung his sword low. Jason turned his left ax against it, but the sword overpowered it. He leaped back, but the blade sliced into his thigh, blood flowing out, and he yelped at its burn.
“Should’ve jumped back sooner, cub,” Rollo remarked, pulling his sword back and stabbing forward. Jason swung his left ax, knocking the sword off course, but instead, it ripped through his arm, blood flowing and staining the blade. “Give up, cub. I’m sure that settlement won’t be unhappy about your failed attempt.”
At first, Jason felt fear, blood dripping onto the ground, but soon, anger came. He glared, lowering his axes even as his sneakers suddenly felt tight. “I won’t, not until you return your ill-gotten goods.”
“Such spirit. I hate killing cubs.” Rollo’s fangs barred, swinging low once more. Jason leaped back, but the sword still gashed through his shoe. He stumbled back, only for Rollo to swipe again, ripping through that shoe again, blood soaking it. “But I may have to.”
Jason grunted, bits of black hair poking out from the shoe’s gashes. He shook his head, only for everything to turn red all around, everything but Rollo disappearing into it. He tightened his grips, his wounds burning and the area stained with his blood, yet he thought nothing but his opponent. Then Rollo laughed, turning black, and Jason cracked his knuckles, his exposed ears becoming pointy.
He charged forward, with Rollo smirking and swinging his sword down upon Jason. But he raised his left ax to block it, not feeling the pain from the recoil. Instead, he kept running, ax scraping against sword, and pulled his right ax back. Rollo grinned, drawing his sword back, and, upon gripping the blade, slammed the hilt against Jason’s face. Blood flooded out from his nose, but he swung, his ax ripping through Rollo’s tunic and knocking bits of the chainmail off.
With Jason’s vision reddening, he swung, the ax’s ‘beard’ catching Rollo’s sword and pulling it down. Rollo roared out, which Jason returned, sliding the blade back but not before Jason swung his head forward, slamming it against his snout. He stumbled back, blood flowing down his nose even as Jason’s nose blackened.
Blood dripped from both Jason and Rollo, a cool breeze flowing through. Rollo shook his head with blood droplets flying around before he growled and charged forward. He barred his fangs, swinging his sword down, and Jason stepped aside and slammed both axes against it. The impacts caused the blade to rip from Rollo’s grip, his eyes widening in disbelief, even as Jason swung the spike side of the left ax against Rollo, piercing into his thigh. He grunted, but Jason lifted his right ax up, rubbing against his neck and even shaving bits of fur off.
The two stopped moving, Rollo blinking even as Jason’s mouth pushed against his face, it shifting forward along with his nose. A roar echoed in Jason’s mind, thoughts of chopping Rollo up until no one could tell what he was. It roared louder, yet instead, he growled.
“Yield,” Jason said, a fire behind his eyes.
Rollo stood there for several seconds before nodding. “I yield.”
Jason lowered his axes before stepping back, his vision expanding with all other colors returning. He turned to the bandits, them pointing their weapons at them, rage and incredulity flowing through them. Agnar took a step forward, but Rollo waved his hand-paw, and he stopped and took a step back.
Rollo picked up his sword, cleaned it up, and bowed before Jason. “Well done, Jason. I underestimated you, for you fought with a fury I have never seen before.” He turned to Kirsa, who lifted her daggers up. “Give him the goods. He has earned it.”
“But—”
“I will not repeat myself,” Rollo said, cracking his knuckles. Kirsa blinked before she sprinted over to the tent, returning with a large chest. She lowered it before Jason, who set his axes onto the holders, and as she stepped back, she kept her eyes on him. “You will find everything we stole from that settlement. I swear that we will not return to this part of Armello for a year and a day.”
Jason grunted, but he nodded before picking the chest up. He tilted it a bit, feeling its heavy weight, but it somehow felt light against his grip. He turned to his hands, with thick black hair growing on them, and shrugged, the sudden strength feeling natural. He stepped back, keeping an eye on the bandit group, with all but Rollo glaring at him. Soon, they stepped into a circle around a fire, and Jason faced ahead.
Yet, he found that he still felt that wrath, even if it was tranquil. And he discovered that he welcomed it.
# # #
The sun shone at the sky’s peak, yet Ann remained waiting, staring out at the edge of Winterblossom Woods. Anthro children played upon the snow, throwing snowballs at each other, while the old anthros sat on their porches, chatting with each other. Finally, a gray fox stepped to her side, and she turned to him.
“Going to tell me to wait back home, Hartwin?” Ann asked, and he grunted with a nod. “I can’t. Not until he returns.”
“I know you’re worried about him,” Hartwin said, shaking his head. “But you’ll get sick if you stay out too long. Besides, this Jason is probably dead. Or fled.”
“You haven’t seen him,” Ann insisted, turning to him. “You haven’t seen the fire behind his eyes. He won’t run, not unless he has to.”
“If you insist,” Hartwin said, rolling his eyes. “A strange being we found. I’ve checked through all of our books, and not one mentioned a ‘human.’ Still, I don’t doubt he is what he claims to be, especially if he came from a far away land.”
“And metamorphosis?” Ann asked, and Hartwin raised an eyebrow. “Seen anything about magic triggering that?”
“Now see,” Hartwin said, his hand-paws on his hips as he raised his head. “I didn’t bother because I know that no magic in Armello could cause transformation. I’m sure you’re just seeing stuff. You even said that he—”
His last word dragged out for a few seconds before stopping, his eyes widening. Ann blinked as Hartwin’s face paled, and she turned to his gaze. There, she gasped, raising her hand-paw against her muzzle.
Jason stepped out of the forest, his arms, legs, feet, and face stained with blood even as he carried a large chest. Yet, it wasn’t the blood that bothered Ann, but how he looked. His mouth and nose pushed forward, becoming blocky even as his nose became black and wet. Black hair grew on his chin, growing longer. The whites in his eyes were gone, now replaced with yellow, and his hair became black, with black fur growing on his arm and legs. His tunic filled out with his body, which had swollen with some muscles, claws poking out from his sneakers.
He handed the chest over to Hartwin, who huffed and bent low from the sudden weight. “You’ll find everything that’s been stolen in there.”
Hartwin set the chest down even as Ann rubbed Jason’s cheek. “Oh, Jason. You went up and beyond in this quest. But you’re so wounded and changed so much.”
“I couldn’t just let them get away with the settlement’s stuff without a fight,” Jason said, shrugging. “Still, wounds can heal.”
“I’m more surprised that you’re still standing,” a new voice came, and when the others turned, they spotted the younger badger running up, holding onto a Wyldsap potion though he held an incredulous look. He handed it over to Jason, who drank it up, with the wounds sealing up, leaving scars. “Though, why are you—” Ann raised a hand-paw at him, who blinked before nodding. “Never mind. In any case, your debt is fulfilled.”
Jason nodded, rubbing against the axes’ heads. “Thanks.” He lifted his hand up, staring at the fur growing on it, the palm becoming thicker and leather-like, but he shook his head. Instead, he turned to Winterblossom Woods, a rip coming from his shoes, falling apart even as he stood on the front of his feet. His fingernails blackened and thickened, yet he nodded. “The wilderness is calling. I can feel it.”
“If that is your calling,” Ann said, and Jason turned back at her. “We won’t stop you.” Both badger and Hartwin started at her, but she continued. “You have proven yourself to be a hero.” She sighed at that last word, with both badger and Hartwin turning aside. “For months, the king’s orders have been erratic, even self-destructive. Some whispered that the king’s dealings with the Rot have corrupted him, yet the guards refused to disobey him. Even if it meant pillaging entire settlements. In such times, as told in the old tales, heroes appear to help restore the lands. Perhaps this is one such time.”
Jason shook his head. “I don’t think you can call someone like me a hero.”
But Ann reached over, touching his long ear, which showed black fur growing. “I don’t know what troubles you. All I can say is that regardless of any darkness lurking within you, your choices matter. You could let it consume you or hold it at bay.”
“Very true.” Jason turned back to the woods. “I’m not sure if we’ll ever meet again. And even if we do, I doubt that you’ll recognize me. Still, it is my time to depart.”
Ann nodded, the badger and Hartwin both bothered and fearful even as Jason stepped towards the woods. His shoes slipped from his feet, yet he didn’t turn down even as he stepped on the snow. Chunks of his hair fell from his head, and a stub formed below his back.
And throughout that time, the anthro children stopped playing in the snow, their eyes on Jason until he disappeared.
Hartwin shook his head. “You’re right. He is undergoing a change.” He clasped his hand-paw on Ann’s shoulder, which she held. “And he doesn’t seem to notice at all.”
“I don’t think he can,” Ann replied, shaking his head.
“It’s strange,” the badger said, rubbing the back of his head. “This Jason looks more like a wolf now than this morning. Could it be a strange quirk these ‘humans’ have?”
“Or he is affected by the magic here,” Hartwin said, though he shook his head, doubt behind his face. “Though what kind of magic does that?”
But Ann only stared where Jason went off to.
# # #
Jason kept walking as the sun went down, patting his axes with his padded hands. His forearms held thick black fur, though his scarred skin remained exposed, which he scratched on occasion with his black, thick claws. He walked on his toes, his foot grown longer than before even as black fur sprouted all over his body, his tail still as he moved. His nose and mouth pushed forward, becoming a blocky snout with long, sharp teeth on his jaws. Already, his tunic felt filled out, his thick bracelets stretched against his forearms and his neck filling up the collar, his chest broad.
To think it was only a day since he fell into Armello, and yet he found himself as though he belonged all along. Or perhaps it was a feeling of returning home. Home.
He grunted, rubbing his triangular ears on the upper side of his head. He wasn’t sure why, but home reminded Jason of a place powered by lightning, a machine that allowed communications even if it was the other side of the world, and warm falling water splashing all over his short black headfur. But that was ridiculous, much like playing games meant for children. Why thought of something—
Jason’s ears twitched, and he crouched low, heavy breathing nearby. But it wasn’t the kind where someone ran for miles or pulled heavy carts around. Instead, it was the one sounding from death incarnate. He unholstered his axes and gritted his teeth as he growled low. Soon, a cold burst of wind came along with a loud screech and a mist.
A mist that killed any plants it touched.
Soon, a black entity flowed in, with any plants dying and rotting below it. This creature’s long skeletal beak pointed forward, with milky purple eyes that glowed through the darkness, expelling a purple mist even as its beak and neck showed burning purple cracks. Its head twisted from side to side, spreading out massive wings with purple streaks at the very ends of its feathers. Its bony ribs exposed, expelling a low purple glow, even as various wavy wisps wiggled in the air.
Jason recognized it as a Bane, Rot incarnate. A being appearing and shifting within the darkness, awakened by hate. They appeared all over Armello, spreading decay and destroying entire settlements, with only a few daring to stand up to one. Jason blinked, wondering how could he know so much about a creature he had never met before. Perhaps it was something his father talked to him about.
The Bane turned to him and screeched out, his ears wiggling, but he ignored the pain. Instead, he lifted his axes and roared, charging forward, with dirt flying behind him. He swung his right ax at the Bane, but it raised its wing, blocking the attack; though those wings looked thin, they were just as durable as any steel armor.
The Bane screeched out, lunging at Jason, but he turned his head to the side, avoiding its bite. Instead, he slammed his left ax at its neck, with black blood oozing out. It screeched in pain, recoiling as its blood dripped to the ground, with any decayed plants dissolving to nothing, leaving bare patched.
But its wound closed, and, expelling a massive amount of mist, it screeched and charged. Jason slammed his axes towards it, but it blocked both attacks, with a low growl coming from it. Then, it spread its wings, knocking Jason back, and it charged, swinging its wing at him.
This time, he wasn’t fast enough.
He yelped, howling in pain as blood flooded from his left eye. Yet, there was something within that attack digging in. He dropped one of his axes, covering that eye even as the Bane growled, swinging its wing. The wolf insignia blocked it, but it was sliced in half. Jason fell onto his knees, the pain overwhelming.
Yet, he felt a fury he had never felt before, a wrath that burned throughout his body. His bones cracked even as his tail twitched behind him, the beardfur on his chin growing longer. His tunic felt tight, his body filling out the little extra space with muscles. He turned to the Bane, his lone eye glaring out even as everything else turned red, leaving him alone with it. He opened his jaw, showing his sharp teeth, and the pain became bearable.
He grabbed his fallen ax and charged at the Bane; his axes swung behind. The Bane raised its wings again, but he slammed his entire body against it. It floated back, tilting its head at him. He tightened his grip and, with a swing of his left ax, hooked onto its wings, yanking it down. Soon, he swung his right ax, slamming its neck again, and more black blood oozed out.
It screeched and waved its wings, yet he kept avoiding and swung again and again before he howled, one that was mixed with a growl and heard for miles. He then resumed crashing his axes on the Bane, with it screeching out as it hovered back. With every ax swing, its wings were chopped off, its beak sliced in half, and black blood flowing and unable to be sealed. Soon, he swung both axes, its head flying off.
Soon, it fell onto the ground, disintegrating into nothing. He stood there, panting even as blood still fell on the left side of his face. But he shook his head and, with a rip, he tossed the hoisters off, walking away.
The axes felt better being carried anyways.
# # #
A month passed in Dawn’s Call since they met a human stranger named Jason. A month since he disappeared into the wild, with no word about what happened to him. Rumors spread, suggesting that he died in the wilderness. After all, he didn’t seem well-versed in living in the wild.
Yet, Ann still held out hope for Jason, hoping he was alright rather than falling for the dangers within Armello. She knew it was foolish, for the king set up magical traps, and Bane lurked within the darkness, but she couldn’t help but believe in him. Perhaps it was because of the changes she spotted him undergoing, assuming it was fast enough.
She turned to the window and, just in the middle of the road, a massive being carrying a pair of huge axes walked. Ann blinked before stepping away, pulling on a gray robe before grabbing a lantern and stepping down the stairs, her chest pounding. Soon, she ran out the door, with it hung open even as the lantern’s light shined on this newcomer. He turned to her, his left eye milky purple and the right yellow.
She felt her heart sink, meeting this massive black wolf who hunched down and glared out. But they softened, but just a bit, and he lowered his axes. Again, Ann felt fear, with it a cold feeling flowing through her blood, yet she approached, touching the left side of his face.
“You met with a Bane, haven’t you?” Ann asked, and the black wolf turned away.
“Afraid so,” he answered, his voice gruff and with a growl. “A month ago. One ambushed me and sliced my eye, which I responded by killing it. And the pain came to me every morning since.”
“I’m sorry,” Ann said before tugging her ear. “During your travels, did you encounter someone named Jason?”
The black wolf growled low, yet a light flashed in his yellow eye. “That name sounds familiar, but I haven’t encountered anyone with such a strange name.” He shook his head. “I spent years in exile, which I returned from. Though maybe I might have heard that name during that time.”
“Oh,” Ann said, turning away as her ears flattened back. “You reminded me of him. Perhaps it was because—” but she paused before shaking her head. “Never mind. Sorry.”
The black wolf tilted his head, twitching his fingers. “Still, I came back with a goal that my traitorous clan and especially my family will feel. Oh yes, they will feel my wrath.” Ann nodded a bit, but her fur flattened, and she shrank back. “But don’t worry. Dawn’s Call, that is the settlement’s name I believe, will be under my protection.”
Ann shifted her eyes away. “A couple of weeks ago, Thane,” the black wolf’s grip tightened against his axes, “came and promised the same.”
“He is weak and foolish,” the black wolf said, his voice deeper. “Always has been.”
Ann inhaled, swallowing her fear. “I can sense something troubling you, something deeper than the Rot in your eye. Darkness trying to break free. Though you may struggle against it, your choices still matter. You can surrender to it or battle against it.”
The black wolf’s ears perked up, his yellow eye shining. Yet, it was for a moment, and he shook his head. Instead, he turned to the other side of the settlement and stepped towards it. Ann stood for just a moment before running over to him, with him pausing and turning back.
“Sorry,” Ann said as the black wolf tilted his head. “You never shared your name with me.”
The black wolf gave a low growl before answering, “Call me Fang.”
With that, Fang stepped away from Ann, his tail still and grip tight.
# # #
Fang stood on top of Winters Bane, with snow on top of the mountain as the sun rose. His body flinched from the sun’s rays as though his heart had stopped for a few seconds. But the pain passed, and he stared to the east again, his shadow long behind him.
Below for many miles was a mighty palace, with great gardens around the massive castle. Yet, massive thorny roots grew from the castle, crawling all over its tall walls. Despite that, guards managed to make their patrols within the palace, blocking anyone from breaking in. Plus, the king set up traps all around, making it difficult to break in and remain in.
Yet, there must be a way for someone like Fang to break in. Or perhaps he need not break-in at all. After all, he sensed that the king wouldn’t last any longer; those who dealt with the Rot always find that it demanded something in return, and the king dealt with the Rot more than anyone should. So perhaps all Fang needed to do was build a reputation and if someone thought he could overthrow the king, that would be fine as well since they should know how to break in. Or, he thought as he rubbed his Rot-invested eye, he could make dealings with the Rot himself. Or he could find Spirit Stones, which should break the curse he was under.
Regardless of his choices, Fang knew the throne was destined for him, with him as ruler as Armello. That alone would show the worthless Wolf Clan and his weak brother, Thane, of their mistake. But he would show them all the true consequences of betraying and exiling him once the crown set upon his head.
For he, Fang the Exile, will become king.
# # #
“Hello?”
Luke, the anthro jackal, ran through a house, a tablet under his arm. The dining room held some tools and a toolbox, but nobody was there; he even checked under the bed. He ran downstairs and swung the door open, but this storage room held no one with only a thin layer of dust. He shook his head and ran upstairs, entering the bedroom. The computer screen glowed blue, with the bed pulled from the wall, yet he knew nobody was there.
Luke shook his head, lifting his tablet up once more. “Jason couldn’t have gone far. Where is he?”
Already he searched for a half-hour, going through every inch of the house three times. Yet, since he got an alert about the motherboard triggering its magic, he felt a slight tightness in his stomach. Part of him wondered if Jason turned into a motherboard, yet he only found the broken one and the one within the computer.
“I don’t get it,” Luke said, licking his lips. “What could it turn him into? It’s a shame that there weren’t any notes from the previous shop owners about such a thing.” He turned to the tablet and blinked; it displayed an alert. From the time it popped up at the same time the motherboard alert showed up. “What’s this?”
He pressed it, and it said:
*Item: Fang the Exile plush toy*
*This product triggered a transformation on Jason. Location not found.*
“That’s impossible! He didn’t take the plush!” Luke said, shaking his head. “He didn’t even touch it. All he did was pressed it with that motherboard—”
He stopped at that last word, with gears clicking into place. He turned to the computer, with its screen still blue. He turned to the bed, with part of it pulled out towards the screen, and widened his eyes. Then, at once, he sprinted to the computer and turned it off, unplugging it.
“Perhaps he was here after all,” Luke said, computer under his arm. “But I’ll see if I can pull him out.”
Soon, Luke opened the closet door, yet it did not lead to a small space for clothes. Instead, it opened up to his shop, which he owned since the last owner retired to be with his love. Before, it was a jewelry and plush shop, but he added his own tastes to it, like all kinds of games. It was a rocky start, especially after that DnD game that went wrong because of some dice, but he learned some nifty tricks.
Luke turned to the door and snapped his fingers, the door closing itself.