The inside of the drop pod was rather cramped. Sally didn’t mind, as it was at least a temporary reprieve from the rest of the group arguing with each other. How Humphrey fit into a similar space was anybody’s guess, but he had managed it with plenty of complaining.

  Now a countdown to deployment pulsed on the small screen right in front of her face. Fifteen seconds.

  Not quite enough time to reflect on why she had felt so sour lately. Maybe all this traveling was just taking it out of her. A nice vacation sounded good as soon as they got back to Sanctuary. Somewhere with plenty of fresh brains. She closed her eyes, smiling as she licked her lips.

  The drop pod jolted, and an intense force started to pull on her as if she was being stretched downward. She winced as her metal container rocked and vibrated - it hadn't done that before.

  With the countdown gone, the screen flickered and was replaced by a display of Archie.

  “Good news and bad news,” he said.

  “What… is… it?” the zombie asked in return, through clenched teeth.

  “The locals were prepared for invaders. That is both the bad and the good.”

  She opened her mouth to chew him out, but the pod rocked violently. A screaming noise echoed from outside her containment and vibrations threatened to tear the whole thing asunder. As she closed her eyes, ready for the inevitable, the drop pod jolted again. Steam jettisoned in her face as the interior lighting flickered.

  With a hiss, the front of the pod popped off, allowing sunlight to flood the zombie. She groaned and stepped out, tripping over the door and landing on soft grass. Sally palmed at her eyes. “Ouch,” she said.

  The grass was green. Head was throbbing with pain. A gentle prod and her hand came away bloody. As she sighed, a warm body of orange fur brushed against her face.

  “That’s unfortunate,” Archie remarked. “Injured on entry, and you have System Sickness.”

  Sally clenched her teeth as she pushed herself up off the ground. Woozy and tired. Back up to her feet, she winced at the bright sunlight illuminating warm browns and verdant greens.

  “Always a forest,” she grumbled, wavering slightly. “What do you mean System Sickness? The amount of times that I’ve dropped different places…”

  “This place must be something special,” the cat replied idly.

  Sally scowled at him. If anyone knew, it would be him. Was there an alternative reason they had to come save this world? Surely not, otherwise they would have made sure Theo came along, or at least had more say over what team would be arriving here.

  First things first—sickness or not—she had to arrange the…

  An eyebrow raised as she looked back at her singular drop pod. “Where are… the others?”

  “That would be the unfortunate side effect of being shot out of the sky.” Archie sat and wrapped his tail around his feet. “The pods split into segments like an orange, dispersed to avoid any further damage.”

  Shot out of the sky. She let the phrase roll around inside her skull for a moment. The natives thought that they were the bugs invading, so had done something to the group of five pods on arrival. Typical. Now she would need to go on a treasure hunt throughout the world to gather the goofballs.

  “Alright,” she sighed. “First thing first, we need to…”

  Her sentence trailed off as she turned to face a noise coming from the side. Figures emerging from the vegetation.

  “Do not move,” a bearded man at the forefront said. He held a large bow, tense with a flaming arrow at the ready. Elven ears and ornate nature armor. “We have been expecting you, monster. Are you prepared to perish?”

  She looked between the dozen other figures appearing. Each of them looked like an experienced warrior of some kind. Different skills and proficiencies. Maybe a whole Guild that was on the way to stop her. Mistaken identity or not, they were on edge and probably wouldn’t be all ears for her explanation.

  “I’m here to save you,” she said, only slightly slurring her words due to the sickness. “But if even one arrow is fired on me, I will kill you all.”

  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

  “Silence. You will not threaten our world.” The man grimaced and fired the projectile.

  The arrow zipped across the clearing in an instant, bursting straight through Sally’s neck and falling onto the grass behind her. Blood ran from the open wound, soaking through her shirt.

  She grinned, her eyes glowing crimson as thin magical thread moved through the injury, stitching it up.

  “Oh dear,” she croaked. “Someone likes learning the hard way.”

  Humphrey pulled his greatsword from the corpse of a large scaled creature with a wet sucking noise. Looked as though their blood was poisonous, perhaps. It ran from the body and hissed across the ground as if it was melting through the scenery. Tainting it.

  He turned and glanced around at the rocky scenery. No other drop pods had arrived beside him, which was concerning. The fact that he was immediately assaulted by round dragon-like monsters wasn’t as much of a bother, but he wasn’t here to maim the wildlife.

  Looking down, Archie stepped into view from behind the slain creature.

  “Hello, big brother.”

  “We have become scattered?” Humphrey rested the blade across his shoulder. “Where is Sally?”

  The cat paused for a moment before responding. “Currently going counter to our mission. As a Player, she has System Sickness. Sleep and rest are necessary, but you know how she likes to fight against what’s best for her.”

  Humphrey shook his head. “Give me her location. I will make my way there.”

  “Hmm. Unfortunately, there are several settlements between you and her. Currently, you all are viewed as the invading force, so that will delay your progress. There is someone closer to her, however.”

  “Who?”

  “Edward.”

  The Death Knight sighed and rubbed at his empty eye-sockets. “System damnit.”

  “Demon. I’m a demon.” Edward crossed his arms, scowling. “Plus, I could break these restraints if I really wanted to.”

  The group of masked people around him didn’t seem to be swayed by his protestations. Murmurs broke out, but were silenced by the leader of the mob. A tall woman with dark skin in an ivory dress. Her mask looked like a sad moon and hid her whole face.

  “Although the prophecies said the invaders would have six arms and a thick exoskeleton, we will not be swayed by weasel words.” Her voice was commanding and confident.

  “Plus, the Shackles of Yon cannot be broken!” A high voice interjected from the back.

  Edward rolled his eyes. Not even ten minutes on this terrible planet, and he had already been captured and put on trial as being part of the cockroaches on their way. It was just like the zombie to ditch him when he needed a hand.

  “I assure you these couldn’t hold me,” he said, rolling his eyes. “But breaking them would just make me look even more guilty. Something I’m clearly keen to avoid.” For a change.

  “There is one way we can find out if you are telling the truth.” The woman gestured to two armored guards standing over on the right of this hut-like building. “Put him into the Trials. The truth will then be known.”

  The demon worked his jaw and considered his options. Killing his way out and escaping? Possible, but there was always some risk of failure. Going through the Trials sounded uncomfortable at best, but if he could get the facts through their thick skulls, then maybe he’d have some allies. To exploit.

  Once free, he could find the others, who were probably having a worse time of things than he was - without such a silver tongue.

  Especially that abrasive mobster.

  Jackie looked between the members of the group around her. Each of them wore horned helmets and armored plates that were polished to show an interesting blue sheen. Both the women and men had long blonde hair, and held battleaxes and spears. If it weren’t for their height, they almost looked dwarvish in nature.

  She lowered her hand and gave them a reluctant nod. “What did you say it was called, again? For a sweet alcohol, that ain’t half bad.”

  “Brim’s mead,” the man who had introduced himself as Svor’den replied. He lifted up a pitcher and filled both of their mugs. “You’re an afficionado?”

  “I’m co-owner of an inn.” She lifted the mug and tipped it in cheers to the man. “Prefer whiskey on the rocks, but I taste test anything we consider having in stock.”

  “Thank the Lords you are not one of the invaders,” a woman standing behind Svord’den said. “We had been praying for assistance in the coming battle, but hadn’t expected it to be someone so… down to earth.”

  “There’s five of us,” the mobster explained, leaning back in her chair. “Which don’t sound like much, but we punch above our weights. Seems the others… got split up when we arrived.”

  Svor’den nodded, running his hand through his wide beard. “It is by the Lord's graces that you arrived so close to us. We Hoardrin are a very rational people, unlike those who live in the south who might see your friends as a threat…”

  “Or try to eat them,” the woman behind him said, rolling her eyes.

  Bully was never much for swearing, but in this instance he would make an exception. Sweat ran down his slick skin as his breathing came in via deep gasps. Up here in the tree, he might be safe.

  As it stood… he didn’t feel that lucky.

  Dizzied by his arrival away from the rest of the Outsiders, he had thanked the stars that he was at least near civilization. How wrong he had been.

  It wasn’t enough that the villagers had chased him away, but several of them even took the time to grab a cooking cauldron and hoist it along for the run.

  That was a certain amount of dedication that was alarming.

  Adventuring might be a mistake. Thankfully, the others had more experience and a cooler head on them about this sort of thing. No doubt they’d be over here any second to come rescue him.

  Bully blinked his large eyes and looked over at one of the thick branches opposite him.

  “Things are going well,” Archie said, smiling.

  The frog-man looked down at the path to make sure there was nothing to overhear him, before returning a worried glance to the cat. “I can’t read sarcasm well. Are things really okay?”

  “Depends on whether you think murdering the locals, destroying important wildlife, being sent for torture, prepared for sacrifice, or chased by the native cannibals are all things that were on our itinerary.”

  Bully maintained a blank expression.

  Archie deflated. Perhaps bringing the vampire would have worked out better.