Virtual Reality: Dragon Quest II

His eyes were back on the prostitute's breasts again, and he jerked them away to respond. "You flatter me, sir. Once again, I thank you. I believe I will go have a beer before I go."

"Have a good one," I said to him as he left. I chuckled when he took one last, longing glance at the woman's breasts before turning toward the bar.

"So, Honey, what do you think? I'm really good company, and I'll keep you company all night long.

I glanced over at the musician, sitting down at the bar and ordering. I grinned and reached into my bag for some coins. The prostitute's smile widened when she saw the glint of gold. Letting the coins fall from one hand down into the other in front of her, I said, "I really have to be going, but how about you keep him company tonight?" I nodded my head toward the flutist, who was now taking a pull from his tankard of beer.

Putting her hand on her hip, she replied, "Honey, for that amount of coin, I'll company him until he can't see straight."

I held out the hand with the coins, and she scooped them up. "You must really like his music," she said with a laugh.

I looked over at the musician again, making sure he was still at the bar. I saw something out of the corner of my eye, and turned toward the front door of the place. I could have sword I saw Lars, but there was nobody in the door when I turned there to look. Shrugging my shoulders, I stood up and said, "Give him my money's worth."

She stood up and smoothed out her dress, primping her hair a little. "Honey, he'll be unconscious by the time I'm done with him. This is enough for me to take the rest of tonight and tomorrow off. I'm very enthusiastic when I'm happy." She wiggled, causing her breasts to jiggle, and then glided over toward the bar.

The first of the dancers came out then, and I turned toward the door. I saw the prostitute stroking her hand over the flutist's leg, pointing toward me with her other hand, and saw him looking at me -- his mouth and eyes both wide open.

"Have fun!" I shouted to him, and headed out the door.

@===||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I peeked in on Gwen when I returned, finding her sound asleep, and looking a little less pale. When I quietly closed the door, I saw Thakkor approaching. He patted me on the shoulder and said, "She'll be fine. After some healing herb tea in the morning, she won't even have any residual weakness. Where have you been?"

"I went to watch that guy play, like Gwen suggested."

"That's odd. Gwen asked for you, and Lars said he'd bring you. He returned a while later, and said he couldn't find you. He knew where you'd planned to go earlier; I would have thought he'd go there first."

Nodding to indicate what I was doing, and walking away from the door so our talking wouldn't wake Gwen, I said, "I thought I saw him at the door of the place, right before I left. He must have missed me. The place was pretty crowded."

"Guess so. I dozed off earlier this afternoon, and I had a weird dream," Thakkor confided. "I think you may be right -- you shouldn't go with us to Hargon's castle."

I sighed. "Wish I could. This isn't going to be an easy trip. I've got faith in the three of you, though."

Clapping me on the shoulder, he agreed, "We have the blessing of Rubiss, and the blood of Erdrick. Hargon must be stopped, and we will do it. I'm going to get some sleep."

"I'll come with you to the Final Refuge, and I'll be waiting there for you when you come back. Good night, Thakkor."

"Good night, Matusen. Don't worry, Gwen will understand why you can't come, just like I do."

We went to our rooms, and bedded down for the night.

@===||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Gwen was a bit distant the next morning, but I didn't think much of it. She was getting over an illness, and preparing to face the most difficult journey of her life, after all. After breakfast, we set out across town, on our way toward the dockside village.

As we neared the edge of town, Lars brought Thakkor up short, and Gwen looked over at me. "We need to talk," she said. She walked a short distance away, and I followed.

"Lars said he saw you at one of those taverns where women dance naked, paying a prostitute." Gwen paused for a moment before continuing, her lip quivering and her eyes hard, "While I was sick!"

I grinned, "I just went to listen to that flute player. I didn't know it was that kind of place until I got inside. I listened to him play, gave him a tip he's never likely to forget, and then left as the dancers were starting to come out. You were asleep when I got back to the Inn."

Gwen's eyes softened, and I mentally sighed in relief.

"Hey, Honey. I was going to take the night off, but if you're coming back tonight, I'll change my mind."

We both turned toward the voice, and I willed the prostitute, the one from the Bunny Club, to vanish. It didn't work.

When I looked back at Gwen, her eyes were burning with anger. "I don't believe you!" She slapped me hard.

Holding up my hands, I said, "Hold on, Gwen, it's not what you think! Remember how I said I tipped the..."

Gwen growled, slapping me again, and hurting her hand, as Thakkor and Lars hurriedly approached. Lars had a smug grin on his face, but Thakkor looked both perplexed and concerned at the same time. Thakkor said, "Gwen, what's wrong? Let's hold on a minute and..."

The prostitute laughed, and said, "If you don't want him any more, Sweetie, I'll take him!"

Screaming in hurt rage, Gwen reached into her bag and pulled out her Staff of Thunder.

"Have at thee, cad! I'll teach you to break my cousin's heart!" Lars shouted.

"Gwen, please listen to me. I know what Lars saw, and I know how this looks, but I promise you that I didn't..." Her staff discharging cut me off, leaving me twitching. The blast had been weak, and mostly rolled off my magic armor, but I certainly felt it. If you've never felt the hair on your butt stand on end, allow me to not recommend it.

She aimed the staff again, obviously beyond reason with anger.

Turning to run, because Lars was preparing to hurl a fireball, even as Thakkor tried to scream some sense into both of them, I thought, Here we go again! Damn you Lars. I should have left you at that Inn in Leftwyne in the game, you lazy, self-important, overreacting ass! The fireball exploded against my armor, even as another stroke of electricity slammed into me. I was fine for the moment, but Lars and Gwen did have powerful magic, unlike Nara and Mara, the last time this had happened.

I jumped down into a hollow, just as another fireball sailed over my head. I landed just right to slam the family jewels hard into the codpiece of my armor, bringing tears to my eyes and knocking the breath out of me.

Trying to ignore the pain, I ran into a little patch of trees, choked with undergrowth. I hunkered down, opening my bag. Sitting right on top, as if placed there for me to find, was a Wing of the Wyvern. Pulling out the wing, I saw the maker's mark on it -- Alihian.

I hesitated, wondering whether this was a good idea. That crazy old coot could have been up to anything. This was all to orchestrated.

Lars appeared at the top of the hill above me, and I found I didn't have much choice. Hurling the wing into the air, I flew high into the sky.

@===||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hope you've enjoyed this story, and that you'll take a moment to vote. The vote form is right down there, after all *wink* The votes and comments from readers are our payment as free authors, and they're what keeps us going.

Thanks to FTF for a great chain story idea, which I'm having a lot of fun with! Once again, I pop into a different DQ world, paving the way for VR:DQ3 to spill from my keyboard at some point. Keep yer eyes open!