Jimmy scrunched his forehead and then said, “No. I can’t really say that I do.”
“That’s because it doesn’t need it. It will never lose its edge. That’s part of its magic.”
“Sweet.”
“Yeah. I don’t suppose you know where you found it, do you?”
Jimmy thought for a few moments. “Well, part of me says no, I don’t. I just wanted to carry a big honkin’ sword when I made up my character, and there it was. But . . .” He trailed off. “But yeah. I do remember where I found it. It was some years ago. I was exploring a cave down south, and I stumbled upon it in a pile of rubbish in some room. I liked the way it looked, so I picked it up and took it with me. And I’ve been using it ever since.
“But . . . whoa. Where did that memory come from? I can actually remember the smell of those caverns, and the taste of the water that flowed in an underground river. How is that possible?”
TJ shrugged. “The same way it’s possible that I know the history of most of the major magical artifacts in this world. We have become our characters. Tell me, how well do you remember high school? Or driving your truck? Or precalculus?”
“Well, the fact that I can’t remember any math isn’t a shock. Precalc wasn’t really my thing. But yeah, I know what you mean. Those memories aren’t fading away, per se. They’re just becoming less vivid. And new memories are taking their place. Like the fact that I met you at a tavern down in Highpass several years ago, and we have rarely separated since. Or that you”—he looked at Allison—“are my buddy’s kid sister. Just like we talked about before the game started. I just ran into him . . . last month was it, just before you were scheduled to leave the temple. That’s when he told me he couldn’t make the trip and asked me to pick you up and keep you safe while he was off on an adventure of his own. If we ever see him again, he’s going to be quite surprised when he sees how I bungled that job.”
TJ smiled. “I can’t wait to hear that conversation. We’ll need to make sure that we live long enough to see it. I, for one, remember being recognized as a prodigy early, and being packed off to study with the magicians at the Tower. Years of books before I was given permission to learn even the most rudimentary of spells. Seeing my colleagues struggle and fail at understanding what seemed second nature to me. I rose quickly, and graduated quickly, and went to make my way in the world. And never a second thought about any of it, because of that rush you get when the magic pours through you. It’s like crack, I tell you. Or heroin.”
Allison shook her head. “That’s totally bizarre. I don’t have any memories like that. I don’t remember learning to use my power, or having an older brother. I mean, I’m an only child!”
The boys exchanged looks and TJ offered, “Well, maybe you don’t have any memories because you’re such a newbie. We’ve all had years of adventures, not to mention imagined exploits and a good bit of backstory we’ve used to fill in the rest of our characters’ histories. I guess that since yesterday was the first time you even thought about playing, and you only got your character this morning, you’re more of an open book.” He shrugged. “Maybe it will fill in over time. Your guess is as good as mine.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes until Chuck’s voice floated in from around a corner. “I don’t suppose you’d like to hear what I have to say, would you?”
TJ and Allison shot each other a glance.
“Sure, what do you have to say, Chuckles?” TJ said, trying to make up for their earlier harshness.
“Well, like you were saying, I’ve got all this stuff floating through my head that I’ve never even thought about before. Like, I look over at the wall over there, and I see the places where I would need to put my fingers and feet if I wanted to climb up. And it looks plenty easy. And you know those pouches of gold I found earlier? I didn’t really even have to look for them. I walked into one of those buildings and my eyes just found them. They were hidden, but I just knew where I should look to find them. I look at the locks on these doors and it makes me laugh. I could open up most of them with a small twig, and one with just my fingers, believe it or not.”
His voice dropped a little. “And I have those memories. Memories that I know aren’t mine, but at the same time I know they are mine. Little snippets of character that I never thought about when I made up this character for a weekend of gaming. Like how I grew up alone on the streets of Westmarch and was taken in by the guild there. They turned me into the finest pickpocket, lockpick, and cat burglar of our generation, and I spent years breaking into houses and robbing people blind. And even though they had me committing crimes my entire youth, all I can feel for them is gratitude. The alternative would have been being rounded up and pressed into service, or being abducted by those with less than savory tastes.
“And I remember the beatings I received by those who thought they were better than me and thought they deserved more respect, more prestige. They were always careful to avoid damaging my fingers—the master would have had them killed for risking my earning potential—but the beatings were horrible. That was what eventually drove me away from the Westmarch and into the company of mercenaries.” He waved his hand at his companions. “I tried to fight back from time to time, but it was never any good.” His shoulders drooped. “And you wonder why I ran and hid when things went south. I’m not a fighter. I’ve never been a fighter. But what I am is a survivor.”
Silence fell over the group as each one digested what they had heard, and what they were learning about themselves as their minds absorbed new memories.
“Well, I don’t know about any of you,” Jimmy finally said, “but I’m still hungry.”
CHAPTER 8
Both TJ and Allison realized they were ravenous as well. The energy involved in the healing—on both sides—seemed to have taken a toll on their bodies. No one in the group had bothered to pack food in their bags, since the gamers typically returned to the lodge for meals. However, their transition to the game world seemed to have included day-to-day sundries in addition to their armor and weapons; each found a small cache of dried beef in their gear. TJ took a bite of his and chewed. And chewed. And chewed.
“Whoa, this stuff is horrible.” He made a face. “Let’s see what they’ve got in their larder.”
Chuck pointed over his shoulder with his thumb and said, “It’s that hut just over there. The one with the low ceiling. They’ve got quite a spread, from what I was able to see. Looks like they’ve been roving all over the place, stealing from just about everyone nearby. I’d say they have enough food set aside for several weeks for the lot of ’em. Some cheese. Some pepperoni-looking things. Kinda reminds me of the Pepperidge Farm store at Christmastime.” He tittered. “Nothing says merry Christmas like a yard o’ beef, huh?”
Allison laughed. “Yard o’ beef I could take or leave. That cheese sounds really good, though. Lead the way, little man.”
No one had noticed it before, but as he led them to the larder, it became clear that Chuck was the smallest of the group. He wasn’t hobbit small, or dwarf small, but he definitely fit the stereotype of a cutpurse or a burglar sneaking in and out of tight spaces. He was light on his feet, graceful even, and he looked like he was ready to dodge an attack from any direction at any time, even though they all knew the camp was empty. Similarly, Jimmy appeared to have grown several inches in both height and breadth since the morning.