The Legend of Dave Ch. 01

I nodded, and McBride went on. "Next, you need to get up to Echo Ridge Mine. Our scouts report more kobold activity up there. Take down another ten; that should put the fear of the Light into them. See Sammuel first, though; he might have some things to teach you before you head off."

Saluting, I moved off, deeper into stone hallways of the abbey, stopping near a candelabra to open the letter and read its contents. There was a lot of flowery speech on the page about faith and protecting Azeroth and fighting corruption, but at the bottom it said Brother Sammuel was going to oversee my training.

Intrigued, I ventured further into the abbey, down a short, narrow corridor and into a circular room lined with stone busts of presumably famous knights, priests and paladins. Beyond the circular room was a stairwell, leading up to the next floor, but beside the stairs was another hallway which took me to a big room with a massive, square stone table in the centre, littered with enormous books.

Two men stood by the table, both with the hard look of those who had seen their fair share of fighting. One, the closest to me, had fair skin, short brown hair and carried a sword and shield. The other was darker, with longer hair and a heavy hammer in one hand. The latter was the one who called me.

"You! You are Daveparty, are you not?"

"Yes, sir," I answered as I rounded the table to him. The other man granted me only the briefest of looks before going back to the book on the table, absorbed in its contents.

"Then welcome to Northshire!" he said, clapping me on the shoulder when I was close enough. "This is to be your home for a while, young Knight of the Silver Hand!"

"Thank you, sir," I said gratefully. "I am ready to serve."

"Your zeal will serve you well, lad," Sammuel told me seriously. "Now, as a paladin, you have the gift of Holy magic inside you. No doubt you have discovered some aspects of it already." When I nodded, he went on. "At your level of ability, you will already have access to your first Seal: Righteousness. It will add Holy power to your attacks. Also, you should be able to cast the Holy Light spell, to heal yourself or an ally." Again, I nodded. I knew this much already.

"Today," he continued, "I will show you another power, called Devotion Aura, though you must pay for this lesson."

"I have to pay to learn?" I asked, incredulous. I immediately tried to cover my rudeness by adding, "sir."

Sammuel cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Yes, well. A man needs to eat, you know, and the brotherhood requires donations to stay afloat."

I felt like rolling my eyes. "Very well." I fished out my coin purse. "How much?"

"Ten coppers, for this lesson," he said. I brightened; that was quite reasonable. "And the price goes up the more complex the spell." Brightness diminished. I handed over the coppers and he took me through casting an aura that shielded me from damage to some extent. Oddly, I seemed to feel a strange tingling in my loins when using this power. In fact, I had noticed it earlier, too, when using Holy Light. Unsure if it was worth mentioning or not, I decided to avoid embarrassment and keep it to myself lest Sammuel call me down for acting like a randy youth.

The aura was simple enough to use, and it was meant for constant, passive protection, something I could cast and forget about, even in battle. After the lessons, I left Brother Sammuel with the intention of visiting the merchants out front, but I took a wrong turn and ended up in the library, instead. Shelf upon dusty shelf reached all the way to the ceiling, loaded with tomes that looked heavier than a man could carry. Not really interested in reading, I turned to leave, but a noise stopped me. A man was grunting, back there. Picking up a heavy book, maybe?

Curious, I ventured further in, passing rows of solid timber shelves. The sound grew louder, but it appeared the source was through an archway in the back of this room. I heard another sound, then; a higher-pitched sighing, followed by a giggle. My brain put together what the noises could mean at the same time I entered the next room through the archway.

More shelves lined the walls in here, well-lit by candelabras in every corner. A heavy timber table stood in the centre of the space, ladened with still more books and another carved stone bust of some noble-looking fellow. What really caught my attention, however, was the red-haired woman bent over the table, her yellow-and-brown robes hiked up around her waist to expose long, pale legs and a plump bottom.

A man with long, fair hair and a matching moustache stood behind her, gripping her hips and thrusting his own in a steady rhythm. His white robes were hanging open, and the soft slap of skin on skin echoed in the small chamber.

I stopped, frozen still, wondering if I should try and remain unnoticed or attempt to leave. That was when another wave of pain crashed over me, making me stumble and hit the nearby wall. Leaning heavily against the stone, I shut my eyes tight against the assault, and when I opened them again, the man and woman were standing well apart, chatting amiably as if what I'd seen had never been.

Am I losing my mind? "Are you well, lad?" the robed man asked. There was genuine concern on his face. The woman looked over, too, giving me a curious look. Was that the ghost of a smile curving her lips? Muttering something in reply, I hurried away.

In a few strides, I had forgotten all about the pain and the man and woman in the library. I had tasks to be about. Once outside the abbey -- and once past a scrutinizing Marshal McBride in his usual spot -- I made a beeline for the pair of wagons where I'd seen weapons, armour, and other attire earlier. Three men stood at the wagon closest to the abbey, while a man and a woman occupied the other. They all watched me with what I thought was amusement.

Hey!" one man called, waving from where the three stood. A lantern hanging from the end of his wagon banished the shadows of night. Red-haired and thickly moustachioed, he was carrying a heavy smithing hammer in one hand. His two companions said nothing. "I am called Godric. You look like you could use some fresh coverings, my boy." He pointed to the cut in my shirt, over my ribs.

That was an understatement. When I agreed, he went to the wagon and produced a chain vest and chain leggings. They didn't look of the greatest quality, but they outshone my current attire by a fair margin. "Seventy-five coppers each," he told me, hefting them to show their weight. "They'll serve you well."

I fumbled around and pulled my coin pouch free, counting out enough coin to pay the man.

"Here, lad," he said as he handed me the armour. "Take this, too. No charge." He turned away and dug something else from the wagon: a white cotton shirt that he lay atop the bundle in my arms. "Get dressed behind the wagons, if you like."

Grateful for his kindness, I went around the back and began to pull my ruined garments off, glad for the cover of darkness. No sooner was I shirtless than a voice spoke softly from behind me. "Such a fine figure of a man. Who are you?"

I turned slowly -- my new shirt dangling from my hand -- to see the woman from the other wagon. She was standing in the shadows, making it hard to see her, but I knew from earlier today she was pretty, with sandy-brown hair down to her shoulders and a slender, yet well-curved figure tucked into a tight blue blouse and brown breeches.

"I'm Daveparty," I replied politely. "What is your name?"

"I am Merissa if you must know," she answered in a throaty voice. She moved closer, until she was only a pace away. "I've been watching you since you arrived."

Her tone sent tingles all over my skin, as if she'd brushed my neck with her fingertips. Reaching toward me, her fingers trailed over my chest and down to my navel. Her touch was electric, and I instantly began to harden in my pants. A shaft of moonlight angled through the trees and caught her eyes. They glimmered up at me, large and hungry. What in the Light is happening? I asked myself.

"Do you like me, Daveparty?" she asked quietly, withdrawing her hand. With the other, she twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers and smiled at me in a way that made my heart race.

"I... Uh... You are very pretty," I replied. It was true, though I was a little shaken at how forward she was being.

My answer seemed to please her. She closed the distance between us until she was pressed against me. Her soft body felt wonderful, even through her clothes. "Would you like to kiss me?" Her lips parted as she tilted her face up in invitation.

The heat from earlier filled me again, making me gasp. Why had I summoned the Seal? My body warmed at once, but this time the heat was centred mostly in my loins. Constrained in my trousers, my cock tingled with energy. I was kissing her before I knew it, firmly and thoroughly. Her arms came up to twine around my neck, and I felt her shudder as I pulled her close.

When the kiss ended, she gazed up at me with smoky eyes. "I think I'm going to enjoy this, young master Daveparty." I watched, transfixed as she stepped back a little and brought her hands to the buttons on her blouse.

***

--TECHNOLOGICAL FACILITY, LOCATION UNKNOWN--

"This is extremely abnormal!" S called from where she stood one side of the large, glass-walled room. Square, backlit panels covered the floor and ceiling, bathing the space in a clean, bright light. The wall before S was alive with images, graphs and readouts, all updating in real time. Her hands were a blur as they flew in different directions, moving images back and forth, dismissing some and calling up others.

From the opposite side of the room, V turned to regard S, but only grunted before going back to his own wall, which looked much the same as hers. So busy was he with his work, he barely noticed her nudity. Working naked was a requirement, here, for many reasons, but despite V having worked with S for years, he had never taken her beauty for granted. It was just that he needed to focus, right now.

"That is an understatement!" V replied. He hadn't had to work this hard for months!

"Should we terminate?" S suggested for the third time today.

"Negative!" V shot back immediately. Always so quick to hit the 'terminate' button, was S. "That is our absolute last resort, S. Don't ask me again!" He knew there was an edge to his voice, but this project had gone sideways almost from moment one. This version of the system was intended to inhibit the consciousness of the Subject to better facilitate complete immersion. So far, intentions had not been reality.

"Copy that!" S confirmed. V sighed; he hated being hard with her; she was only trying to make the right call. He would have to make it up to her later.

"We need to manage the immersion," V told his partner. "The Subject is resisting, and the pushback is altering the neurovirtual landscape." Indeed, as V watched a live feed of the Subject's experience, a woman was attempting to seduce him, which should have been impossible.

"Sound familiar?" S asked, a hint of amusement in her tone.

V grunted again and worked on, tweaking the intensity of feeds that were affecting the Subject's brain through the AID device that had been planted in his apartment. The Subject had not been able to tell the difference between his old computer headset and the replacement. Not so long ago, this kind of work had not been possible without a heavy black box and a head band. Now, so much more could be done.

"Let's stay on him, for now," V said, his eyes flickering over his displays.

"Did we make a mistake with the installation?" S asked. That was only the second time today. She already knew the answer, so V remained silent. The same tech had worked with the other subjects. She knew that as well as he did.

"H is going to want an update soon," S said grimly.

V frowned as he worked. "Leave H to me."

Minutes passed in silence. The live feed showed the Subject submitting to his seduction by the woman behind the wagons, and the brain activity readouts shot through the roof. "Christ!" V grated, his teeth clenched as he strained to operate around the increasingly powerful Subject's effects.

From behind him, S shouted something, too, but V didn't have time to check on her. The whole framework was at risk of coming apart if he didn't do something. "Boot him, S!" he called without looking around. "I'll hold the setting!" Arms and hands flying, V adjusted feeds, tweaked levels and balanced stimuli until finally, the live feed winked out, indicating the Subject had left the program, for now.

Breathing hard, V turned to see S in the same condition. He was surprised to feel sweat on his brow; it normally took much greater physical exertion for his body to produce sweat. Perhaps it was only partly physical, this time.

Crossing the room, V acknowledged his partner's work. "Well done. That was smooth, considering the circumstances."

S smiled at the compliment, her face lighting up. She was a stunning creature, with large, brown eyes, long, mocha hair and a fit, five-foot-ten body with amazing curves. "He took us by surprise, there, huh?"

"Yeah," V agreed with a disbelieving shake of his head. "Those readouts at the end..."

"I know!" S enthused. "And just so we're clear; I wanted to terminate hours ago."

V spread his hands apologetically. "I know. I just wanted to see where it went, is all."

S grinned and stepped in close, pressing her body into his. Her plump breasts bumped against his chest, a feeling he would never tire of. "You always want to see where it goes."

She was right; V was always pushing the boundaries, much to the frustration of the upper management. But what were they going to do? Fire him? Not likely. "Guilty," he admitted, putting his hands on her hourglass waist. She hadn't had a body quite this perfectly formed when he'd first met her. Really, it was not so different, now; more an enhancement of what was already there, like his own body.

"Sorry for snapping at you, before," he said earnestly, looking into her open gaze. "You were just doing your job."

"Don't worry about it," she replied graciously as she put her forehead on his chest. "It was a tough few minutes."

They stood like that for a few moments, until it was time to get back to work. "Well, we found him," S said as she returned to her wall, now an expanse of clear glass, floor-to-ceiling. It lit up again as she approached, coming alive with images and data.

"Who?" V asked curiously, still standing in the centre of the room.

"The one we were looking for. The next Jake London."

V didn't know whether to be excited or afraid.

***

I awoke with a start, jerking upright in my chair. My face came away from where it had been resting on my keyboard, bringing with it a strand of drool. Gross. That was my first thought. My second though came at the same time as the next forty. Holy crap what the hell just happened? Was I dreaming? Am I still dreaming?

Staring at my computer screen, now blank, I relived what I'd just experienced. Had I just had the most intense dream of all time? Surely not, but the world, the people, the-

"Fuck me!" I wailed, launching my chair away from my desk and holding my hands to my forehead, unable to accept the fact that the experience might have been real. I blinked in disbelief when I noticed there was daylight coming in through a nearby window. How long was I out? My brain slowly pieced together what it could remember. Right, I thought to myself, trying to be calm. I was online with Steve, and then I started a Classic game, and then... That weird noise! And then...

I had been in WoW. Actually inside the game.

"Okay, Dave," I panted, trying to keep my breathing under control "Don't have a panic attack. It was just a dream." That was no fucking dream, I said internally. That was some next-level shit!

A familiar ping sound brought my gaze back to my computer. It had been off, a moment ago, but now my screen showed the Windows background, and my emails were open. "How?" I muttered, rolling my chair back to the desk. I would have walked, but I didn't think my legs would work. Absently, I registered soreness in my body, as if I'd been exercising, something I usually avoided at all costs.

There was an email in my inbox from someone simply called 'V.' With a shaking hand, I clicked it open. "This better not be identity theft or some shit," I muttered.

Time: 7:03pm

Date: Sunday 21^st March 2021

From: V

To: davelong69@memail.com

Subject: It has begun...

"What the hell...?" I murmured as I read.

You're probably wondering whether the experience you just had was real or imagined, Dave. I can confirm it was very real. Your consciousness was integrated with your computer game via our technology, allowing you to explore a virtual version of the game in full immersion.

"Holy shit," I breathed, reading on.

You were selected from an exceedingly long list of candidates, Dave, for testing of our new technology, which you have just sampled. We are always improving on what we do, and you fit the profile for a perfect tester. Before you consider going further, you should know the following:

Our testers are employed by us on a full-time basis. Any current employment you have will be terminated immediately, should you continue with us. Starting salary is $80,000.00 per year, with a high opportunity for promotions, advancements and a slew of benefits, including the potential for company-provided accommodation, vehicles and health plans.

You will be undertaking all work from your home residence. Our technology has been thoroughly tested on hundreds of people, and there are no adverse side-effects on our testers. We perform regular health checks at our own expense to monitor this.

You must sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect the interests of The Company. Once the employment contract has been signed, you are legally obliged to work for The Company until you provide one month's notice to terminate, though please be aware we have an extraordinary employee retention rate. We believe in caring for our people, and we find our testers deliver excellent results because they feel valued.

"Yeah, right," I muttered. "A company that actually takes care of its employees."

Should you wish to accept this exciting and potentially life-changing opportunity, please click the link below where you can complete the employee registration process. We already have all your personal details. We just need your signature.

Click the link below to begin. If we do not hear back from you in the next four hours, we will assume you do not wish to continue, and you will not hear from us again.

Regards,

V.

There was a link at the bottom, which looked to me like a jumble of random letters and numbers that could lead anywhere. I sat there, stunned, for a long time. It was all too much to think about, right now. Getting up, I walked away. I would have a shower and put on clean clothes, then I'd make my decision.

I can't believe you're actually considering it! I said to myself incredulously as I stepped into the tiny shower. Some mysterious company hacks your hardware and Matrix's you into WoW without your permission, and you might work for them full time?!

I had a lengthy argument with inner Dave as I washed myself, but in the back of my mind, I wanted to be back with Merissa, behind the wagons. She'd been about to take her top off... And then there was that thing with those two in the library. Had I really seen that?