The tavern was dimly aglow. After having had a few beers the candlelight and the hearth melted their warmth. The tavern, for this night and this night only, appeared the sweet light amidst the long dark. Yet, the flames regarded the night as if looking up to a long lost older brother. The candles flickered playfully as the abundance of foamy beers clasped. Brotherly brawls were not intervened,but mused by fiddle and lute. Everyone, both AI, npc, DMT as well as other players were now enchanted underneath the dome of rest, drink and love.

  'Thank god for taverns' said Laeti as she drank a mug of ale, splashing a quarter of the contents on her face.

  Her energy was like a warm honey.

  'So, my ssshhtrong friendlet. I reckon you are a player no?' She asked

  'Yes,actually. My name is Jake. Are you from earth?'

  She shook her head as she frowned her eyebrows

  'Paris, et tu?'

  'I'm from.....Frissia' I replied.

  'Ah yes' She replied as she took another gulp. Yet, she wasn't awaiting engagement from my side.

  'Viking blood! I could hear it a bit in your voice. You enjoy this realm?'

  'Hmmm I do yes. It's cool. It's y'know bit of castles, bit of airships, occasional scifi spat. I look good for a change. Everyone, for that matter, looks really good.

  She smiled and nodded overlooking the crowd. 'Yes, but there is also an ahhh. A realness to everyone, a glow. More than escapism'

  'How about me using the perfect word for this realm?'

  She held her mug with both hands and squinted her reddish auburn eyes.

  'Go on then you wordsmith' She said.

  'Shhblime'

  'Como?'

  'Sublime'

  'No, no you said something else. You said ssssshhhblime'.

  'Surely not that slurry'

  'Sssssjhjjjlirry'

  Turned out all manners of intoxication were also applicable in this realm. In her, like many other players in the tavern, I had found outsiders, loners and the recluse. Happily enough though, it seemed inhibitions and extravert potential were being charted. Raindrops echoed on whatever metallic material the floating skull tavern was made out of. We had docked as we waited for Pershi to wake up. The captain, Jericho, sat next to her in a nook of the tavern.

  ' Where to begin, where to begin.....' he frowned as he looked at me.

  ' Hmmm a player, gunderhen sage….You don't know anything do you? Quondam? Miasma? Sherebun?'

  He let me think for a moment.

  ' Its clear from your vacant expression that you have no clue what I'm on about.'

  '-Put it simple, on the previous shard, the one where you were imprisoned, you've been overexposed to a substance called Sherebun. Therefore, you are temporally resistant to the other mineral substances, even Miasma. We are now headed for a city that harbors Miasma.

  ‘-Miasma is an addictive substance and users tend to build impenetrable arc cities around these veins shielded by arcane shrouds.’

  ‘-On Quondam, the spellblade-rings that we are orbiting, such a shroud has recently lifted. Visitors and warmongerers are headed for the city to seek out the powers of Miasma.’

  ‘-The seraph division, that’s us, has developed a special mission for those who are resistant to it such as yourself.’

  Jericho looked up at the lanterns of the floating skull tavern’s ceiling.

  ' We're planning an exodus. The Maat Abhorris is upon us......'

  He looked at me as he noticed me having no idea what he meant, then, he smiled.

  ' Never mind, please try and help around on the Skull-vessel and see if you can regain some of that skill you might have forgotten'.

  I wandered about a bit more around the skull tavern. There was a mechanized techno-wizard wearing blue robes and a crossbow. And various shadowy figures could be seen wearing an insignia that bore resemblance to the division Laeti was from. She was walking behind me from a distance, still gulping her beer.

  I saw what seemed to be the pilot room of the structure. There was a woman wearing a brown knitted sweater and soft orange hair.

  She busied herself with the panel on the cockpit

  ' Look I've got my hands full here, be a doll and check up with Rihn at the back-engine. We are headed towards a small asteroid field and without trusters....well....I'm sure you know what I'm hinting at.'

  I regarded her rogueish dimples as she commanded various people on the cockpit of the Floating skull tavern. One of which appeared to be a somewhat stern figure,exhausted of life.

  Unfortunately, he was one of those colleagues that I didn’t particularly like. He didn’t share much and was entirely focused on the job and this shadowy organisation. I didn’t hate him, nor did I feel any form of comradery or affection. In fact, the man was as indifferent as the soft whisps within the pocket dimension we were in.

  'We're out of coffee' He said, then, as he noticed that I was lingering he continued.

  'Ah yes, you have had a rough night. Our guests have basically rounded off the deal you had proposed but they also commenced a shamanic preparatory ritual to make you somewhat ahhh....forgetful. In any case, you need to finish their trials before they donate this floating skull tavern to us. Suffice to say that we've been with these people for over six months and we effectively prevented a civil war on one of their pocket belt enterprises. At any rate, this is the best part of the trip. You don't need to remember the azure pyramids and the thing that you did with that lantern, trust me. Anyway, I've got work

  This happened on occasion within WanderX. I held a memory inside the game which was unbeknownst to me. For the memories were procedurally generated, not recalled. In other words, I, at times, had an entirely different backstory than I could imagine. It was as if the memories rendered themselves befitting to the quest at hand.

  I tried to descend the floating skull taverns in an attempt to reach the engine room. There, a dwarf smoking a chrytal inside a pipe could be seen.

  Lo!' said the stocky dwarf as he lifted up his goggles to take a look at me.

  '-Seems like the clotted cream and scones of those Lunar lords 'n ladies have softened yer surry arse back on the Onyx highlands'

  He looked closely at the silvery layer that seemed to hover around your skin.

  ' Still, the abjurators are no fools. Yer protected from the other elements and yer memory's wiped. With a face like that, I'd say two birds, one stone and all tha'

  He bellowed out a laughter and looked around to see if anyone heard the joke, briefly oblivious to the fact that he was all alone in the engine room.

  'So the Seraph's engine's power core appears busted. I need to have a component or something that I can use ta repair her.'

  He took a moment to look at me.

  ' Do I need ta spell it out fer ya, ya diddy? GUUOOO...DUUU...THANGS!!!!'

  There was no calling, no mission, no quest that attains higher purpose than that of the depths within Wander X. Where microdesires are catered to in the an adventure that lives! The melting of dreams which suffused souls with that of brotherhood, which released the endorphins of being unique as part of many. A hero amongst heroes. For it didn’t equate to a false adventure, it had beholden a similar place to my heart as music does to some.

  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  I was looking for some sort of core on the ship, standing in front of the dwarf, I realized how real he looked. Yet, I couldn’t quite recall to what I compared that reality. For he did look hyper proportionate and like a videogame character. At any rate I walked behind him to open what appeared to be an elevator door, only to realize that it housed a black green creature with spiked legs.

  ‘ No, ye bastard. That’s the Datasliver I’d locked up, we’ve done the trial ye diddy’.

  A feeling that I was all too familiar with had returned,

  For combat had started.

  I was wielding a one handed double-bladed Axe and a One-handed short sword.

  The beast first backed into what seemed to be a small docking elevator. The ones that you see in factories. With its onyx green pincers it lashed out on me. I wasn’t fast and it latched to my broad shoulders as it was trying to bite my face, to no avail luckily, for my mercenary comrade Laeti had pointed her energy pistol at it and shot It off of me. Towering above the critter, I lifted my axed and chopped of its legs and hacked into its carapace. The beast had died.

  ‘Dat be the cyphernauticum’s final trial’. Rin said proudly.

  ‘The shotgun grandma will be pleased, she resides with the three at the medbay. You can go to them to inherit this vessel. But first, I urge you to fix that core in the Floating skull tavern. Asteroid field be nigh!

  The cyphernauticum caused another pang of recognition. Didn’t they harbor the mammoth seers of Ro, oracle of beasts? The ones that read the horns of etherlen?

  The etherlen….Weaves if memories forgotten singed into my dull brain. That is where the green-eyed beauty resided. Alyx!

  ‘Right the core’ Laeti said, and me and some techno-wizard followed her into the elevator going down into the loading bay. We entered the bay which was filled with wooden crates bearing odd runes.

  ‘Pure sherebun’ the techno-wizard deduced

  ‘-We’ve come prepared’

  Sizzling shortcircuits above in the conductors of the ship dazzled and exploded. Some strange spirit inhabited the Floating skull tavern and activated three elven security automatons, placed tactically within the loading bay. They were completely black with orange and aquablue lining indicating some computational analysis before heading into combat.

  Behind them a big yellowy grained suit of powerarmor stood motionless. The suit of armor was known as a Construction Power Armor.

  These devices were commonly used for hazardous and laborious lifting.

  Only engineers would be apt in programming and dismantling such a device.

  I had the study of armorcraft fresh in my memory. I knew the language the designers tried to manifest with this magnificent feat of engineering. The three components that could be seen were the compartment in the back which held the plasma core, the socket next to the belt was meant for programming, whereas the powercore was often located at the knee.

  I saw see a tubular device which bathed in a yellowgold liquid within the compartment.

  The socket was meant for computing the commands of the power armor..

  The power armor could be programmed for chores and perhaps combat. Which succeeded me to fight the automatons which were already at a standoff with my two comrades, who both wielded a ranged weapon. The techno-wizard relied on an acid dart crossbow, and Laeti stuck with her energy pistol. I gathered up my confidence and entered into the power armor. Quickly pushing the buttons made me actually pilot the thing.

  I struck the automaton with my weaponry but to no avail, the robot merely accepted the impact.

  Nor the guns of my comrades seemed to do anything. The automotons moved towards us and struck first at me, as I had piloted the mech. They attacked my suit of armor but most were apprehended. One did jank the armor revealing a casing that seemed to actually be a viable powercore. The one Rhin was looking for.

  ‘You gotta get that thing out of it, we’ll protect you’

  I got 8 points of damage on me by the automaton but the damage was severely reduced by my power armor, no worries there.

  I decided to not listen to my comrades, but fight them first. I did a full heavy attack. They didn’t seem to apprehend this at all. 12 slashing damage was given to my main assailant.

  But my comrades were not at all able to do something about these automatons. The techno-wizard moved towards my armor and removed the powercore himself, making the thing defunct.

  ‘ What are you, now what do I do?!’ I cried.

  The three automatons stood in front of me and I stood steadfast, ready to take the blow. The fists were flurrying towards me resulting into about 11 damage in total. I was getting tired.

  My axe strikes were actually dodged by these guys, and I didn’t feel much for pursuing this type of combat. My comrade quickly opened a door which harbored a grandma wielding a shotgun and a nerdy scientist with big metallic gloves. I didn’t know what they were talking about, but the grandma appeared senile.

  I blocked one attack from the automaton and dodged the other two, next to me the guy with the golden fist stood and started to strike one automaton. Grimm grann (such was her name) struck the automatons as well together with the merc. But the kept missing, the grann even pointed the shotgun towards me at one instance.

  The automaton and I had entered a true melee, I saw a ghost within the machine, or perhaps this was what battle felt like for me. I started to bruise and became exhausted.

  A few last sweeps were struck against the automaton. I couldn’t pass its defenses and would lose….again?

  Was this it?

  Where was she?

  She was at home….on Earth.

  My resilience was a given in this world. But how long ago was I in my own. There was a home….right?

  Another strike from the automatons was headed towards me. He hit me critically and I was deducted 12 heath points.

  I remained at 18 health points.

  The shooting was awful, they seemed useless to me. The guy with the fist however, destroyed the automaton.

  The comm said ’ Yer ready to go caroline, go go go’

  Whatever had happened we seemed to be passing through the asteroid field with a modicum of agency.

  I struck the automaton for 10 health points again. I showed damage. The automaton almost seemed angry and struck against me. And at this stage, it was the thing vs me. I was also a machine, pain was information.

  Fuck me, I was losing strength, I couldn’t get my axe passed the assailant. Goldenfist guy destroyed the second one. The gran shot the automaton but also me.

  The delirious woman wielding a shotgun was strolling around on the ship. She mumbled in herself and said the words 'Sliver,sliver be my little sliver'

  When she looked at me a fierce smoldering rage could be seen in her gaze.

  'Ach,och Steward! Stewards are a blight if anything, you want me to put some lead into you steward boy?'

  Then, out of nowhere she shifted into a more relaxed and wise posture.

  'People who make plans always think they're the ones making plans dearie....cookie?'

  I felt the blackness envelop me. Once again. Like that one time with Markus knotter.

  Like that one time with Bellwitch.

  Bellwitch, oh bellwitch, Another struck against the automaton lead to nothing. Sparks were flying off of our encounter. The automaton seemed to be resting up against me. My final slash went across the face of the automaton and it perished. Nothing beside remained.

  We took the grann towards the medbay where the mysterious three would be. There on the bed there was a woman whose head was cut open.

  Two surgeons were operating on what appeared to be a regular pastron of the floating skull taverns. However, as they lifted her scalp nothing within her head could be found save for a small orb of light. The orb of light quickly dissipated within the Tavern.

  Jericho quickly entered the medbay of the tavern and regarded me, Laeti and the Techno-wizard. He waved his hand, motioning us to join him at the bridge of the tavern.

  Right, now that we're all here it is time to explain a thing or two.'

  Jericho leaned on his hands on the mission table.

  ' You three are what the Conjurist scholars of the Elder collapse call the Shere-touched. Legends of Quandom state that whenever a shroud is lifted from an Miasmic Arcology City, three people share a vision of a primordial eagle combined with being Shere-touched. It is one of the few relations Miasma holds to the other minerals.'

  'Symptoms of being Shere-touched are: briefly forgetting who you are, and you are immune to the properties of other minerals, including Miasma. That, and the bird-vision-thing.'

  Jericho points at a screen showing geographical data of the shard we were closing in on.

  'We are now orbiting Quandam, and we are preparing a dropoff into Farenheim, One of the Miasmic metropoleis.

  'The last time the three shere-touched had ventured into this particular Arcology city, Farenheim, the mission failed. It is an Arcology city of quite some renown because Mornath, the drifter, had guided the three into the city and has now taken hold of the region.'

  'The three Shere-touched before you were Darveron Marat, Aleera Dale and my Father, Oaden Nedarque.'

  He looks down and clenches his fists on the mission table.

  ' For 12 years, we've heard almost nothing, safe for a serious attempt on Mornath's part to unite the people that dwell within the cities. it is strange to me, I don't know what happened to my father, or Darveron or Aleera. But somehow Mornath seized power. All I know is that, during their mission, they had attempted to start a rebellion. Something went wrong.’

  ‘-The mission is simple. Find out what happened to the previous Shere-touched and aid them in any way you can. Second, try to gather information from Mornath as to how we can use Miasma safely. Your companion, Alyx, is located there as well.’

  ‘-For more than 150 years, Miasma remains one of the strangest substance minerals within the Valley. It is believed that it contains powers that could be used to defeat the Maat and perhaps aid us in the exodus from the Valley. Scriptures say that it grants wishes and puts the wielder in a desired position. Additionally, the wielder witnesses lucid visions when it is consumed, causing severe dependency on the substance. You ought to be protected form that for a brief time. Another strange benefit is that it attracts demonic and necrotic subtype creatures for no apparent reason.

  With the recent lifting of the shroud on Quondam, we send you, the shere-touched, together with a negotiator to see if you can investigate what happened to Mornath and perhaps harbor the power of Miasma by diplomatic means. Noah will fill you in on the how of it all.

  Noah stood and briefed us quickly

  ‘’-You will land in Faren-cyth, far to the south of Farenheim. There you will board one of their trains. Beware of the Undead there by the way. We are not supposed to call them that because of the Cyphernauticum, but hey....Undead...Be careful.

  Data indicates that these trains are used to deport madmen craving for Miasma from the city to the necro-outskirts and back. You are to board one of their returning trains that return to the city, wait past Faren-Tur, and then jump off into a little fishing town named Choldr-7 which is situated just outside the metropolis walls. You'll have to do some searching there, but our intel states that it is possible to enter the city walls through some of the sewers. But were exactly...No idea.

  You'll have to be careful in Choldr-7 for the citizens there are ordered to enter the Faze. Which is like this ritualistic prayer that ends in bloodshed. Best to avoid and hide when that happens.

  So there you have it. As to how to board the train. No idea. But we do know for a fact that Alyx, your comrade, has been last seen with Mornath over there.

  I was tired….I was beaten, but I was aware. There were too many implications so I quickly wrote them down in my aqua blue menu screen.

  We arrived at a small space station called Mutten.

  As we arrived and I disembarked there was time for some R&R.

  There was also, luckily a chrystal…A chrystal that would take me back to where I was from. I needed to rest, plan and think.

  My heart was beating slowly for far too long.

  I had made it, and touched the chrystal to log off.