Phrenia, Bilateralis, Chapter Two

“I have a cousin who lives in Flannerytown,” the barkeep said. “His name is Taylor Annocene. He runs an Inn.”

Sibyl nodded.

“His daugher has been working for me for the past ten years, but she’s since decided that she wants to return with the money she’s made, and start her own Inn in Flannerytown. I think that idea is ludicrous. But I’m not going to stop her.”

“Alright,” Sibyl said, “I mean, I understand.”

He gave her a dull look that implied that he understood what alright meant. “I’ll fetch her right quick...” he turned towards the counter, behind which was a doorway. He cupped his hands, and shouted, “CAROLINE!”

“I’m over here,” said a frustrated voice from the right side of the room. A tall girl stepped out from between a crowd of men, carrying an empty plate. She wore an apron and her firetruck red hair was tied up in a bun. “And I heard. I’ll go pack my things.”

“Alright,” the barkeep grunted, giving Sibyl another look.

Sheesh, you know what ‘alright’ means, I get it.

Caroline looked at Sibyl, and then smiled at Ratty, as she walked across the room.

“What about me, you shit-kicking noneskull?”

Sibyl looked back over at Treble before the barkeep did. When the barkeep did look, he had regained his composure. “I’ll be sending a letter out to Lord Flannery. He’ll be pleased I caught you. Very pleased. Unlike you, I expect.”

“He’s caught me... how many times now?” He asked, smiling, “And how many times, exactly, have I gotten back out?”

The barkeep glared, as did Ratty.

“Fourteen times,” Treble said, no longer smiling but with an expression of distaste, “how can you forget? Fourteen times. This’ll be the fifteenth time. You idiots can’t keep anything locked up behind bars. Not here or on the mainland. I’ve heard about your precious, crazy, Princess Dolor--huff!” One of the men restraining him punched him in the gut, making him keel forward.

“Take him upstairs and lock him in a closet,” the barkeep said, “I’ll give one hundred chips to anyone who wants to guard the door.”

The bar’s patrons smiled greedy smiles.

“Only two of you should suffice,” the barkeep said, dryly.

Some of the smiles disappeared. The two men holding Treble led him away. Sibyl couldn’t help but notice that Treble did look a little sullen. “Was he lying, about having escaped fourteen times?” Sibyl asked Ratty.

Ratty shook his head, “I’d heard his count was at thirteen, but that was awhile ago.”

“How does he keep getting out?” Sibyl asked.

“Glitches, I think,” Ratty said. “I would say cheating, but no one’s hacked any of Pantheon game’s before.”

“And what was that that he called him...” Sibyl looked over at the barkeep who had begun to walk back over to the counter while the bar patrons slowly began to return to their meals, “Noneskull?” She whispered.

“It’s something assholes like Treble call the non players,” Ratty said, “I mean, I know they’re computer programs, but what kind of satisfaction can one possibly get out of insulting a computer program?”

“I don’t know,” Sibyl said, “Maybe Treble is just an asshole.”

“I told you that already,” Ratty said.

“Ah!” She shook her hands in his face, making him flinch. “Whatever. Come on, let’s go try the Exitus Gate again. That was exciting but I would really like to get back into a world where I’m not at risk of getting mugged all the time.”

“You don’t think it’s fun?” Ratty asked. “Like seriously, I just had a swordfight. That never happens in the real world!”

“It used to happen all the time,” Sibyl said grimly. “And you nearly lost.” She paused, her face blank. “What happens when you die in Phrenia?”

“Well,” Ratty said, “I’d have to make a new character, and Treble would probably have taken everything he wanted from my body, if you’d been chased off by those thugs.”

“See?” Sibyl said, “That would be awful! That’s so stressful!”

“Well since you’re a witch,” Ratty said, “you don’t have to worry too much about death. You’ll just dissolve on the ground if you’re killed all the way, and Assimilate at the nearest temple or graveyard. Or sometimes right on the spot. I’m a little fuzzy about how all that works.”

“Dying would hurt though, wouldn’t it?” She asked.

“Yeah, but,” Ratty said.

“But what?”

“Hey.”

Sibyl and Ratty turned. Caroline was standing next to them, with a bag over her shoulder and a sack in her left hand. She had a walking stick in her right hand, although Sibyl thought it’d double as a quarterstaff in a fight. “Oh,” Ratty said.

Sibyl had very nearly forgotten about her promise to the barkeep. “Hey,” she said, sticking out a hand, “I’m Sibyl.”

Caroline looked down at the hand.

“What?” Sibyl asked, “You guys don’t shake hands?”

“Oh,” Caroline said, “uhm, sorry. I’m not interested.”

“Oh,” Sibyl said. She turned to Ratty, “What?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ratty said. He extended his hand and gave her a grin, “I’m Rattieus. But you can call me Ratty.”

She shook his hand, smiling modestly. “It’s nice to meet you, Rattieus.”

I guess I should be very careful with who I shake hands with in the future. And then. Wait, did Ratty just shake her hand on purpose?

“So,” Ratty said, “We should probably grab some food for the road before we go.”

“I brought food and wine for all three of us,” Caroline said, “in my bag.” She tilted her head towards the sack.

“Oh cool,” Ratty said, “So I guess there’s nothing keeping us from going, then?”

“I would like to try the Exitus Stone first,” Sibyl said, “Just to see if I can log out yet.”

Caroline raised an eyebrow at the mention of the Stone.

“I won’t abandon this quest or anything,” Sibyl said, looking at Ratty, “I just want to see if they’ve fixed it yet.”

“That’s fine,” Ratty said, “We’re going to make a stop in the center of town first, alright Caroline?”

Caroline nodded, “You don’t have to talk down to me. I know about you Outworlders. Treble isn’t the first to visit our bar.”

Caroline led them confidently out through the main door and took a right turn, as Ratty began to turn left. “Hey,” Ratty said, “We need to visit the courtyard first.”

“The Exitus thing, right?” Caroline said, “This way is faster. Follow me.”

Ratty glanced towards Sibyl, smiling when he shook his head. When they made it back to the courtyard in several minutes shorter than it’d taken Ratty and Sibyl on the trip down. “I didn’t know that alley went all the way through,” Ratty whined.

“I was a delivery girl before I was a barmaid,” Caroline said. “I know all the shortcuts.”

Ratty seemed unimpressed. They stepped back out into the courtyard, into the crowd.

“Caroline and I will hang back,” Ratty said.

“Uh, fine,” Sibyl said. “Whatever.”

She stopped in front of the stone, to let a player in heavy steel armor disconnect, and then stepped up to it. She waited a second, feeling daunted by the stone. What if it refuses me again?

She placed her hand and...

“Well?” Ratty shouted, almost inaudible over the dull roar of the crowd.

Sibyl shook her head. She hopped back off the platform and avoided the urge to kick and shove her way through the crowd, up until a man said “Hey, girl!” and she concussioned him with another palm thrust.

Ratty gave her a smile, “Listen. Mandril Dusk, the tech guy, he should be in Flannerytown. Which, as it just so happens, we were already headed to.”

“Yeah,” Sibyl said, “It just feels weird, you know? It’s like I’m stuck here. I want to get back to the real world.”

Caroline looked surprised, as though Sibyl had just thrust an open jar of angry bees into her hands, and then glared, as she might after having dealt with the angry bees.

Ratty was oblivious. “Are you ready to head to Flannerytown, Sibyl? The trip could take like three or four hours. And by that, I mean it will take an hour, tops, in the real world. So, see, you’re not losing too much time.”

“Won’t it still be late when I get back” Sibyl asked, worried.

“My uncle suggested get a carriage,” Caroline said, frustrated, “If all three of us spared some coin for a cheap ride, we could probably find a farmer taking crops over and ride with the hay. It would make the ride easier on our feet, if nothing else.”

“Would it be faster though?” Sibyl asked.

Caroline shook her head, sighing. “No, but we wouldn’t need to rest at all. And a carriage with three people defending it isn’t going to run into much trouble in the woods.”

“Well, alright,” Sibyl said. She realized that Caroline had taken offense to her comment about Phrenia not being the real world.

Sibyl didn’t bother asking Ratty if he was alright with the Carriage Option. He had nodded when Caroline mentioned the carriage and was already wandering off by the time Sibyl finally agreed.

“Hey!” Caroline shouted after him, “Wait up!” She hurried off, visibly eager to get away from Sibyl. She took her time following them. She remembered where the stables were.

There were less players around now that it was getting late in the real world. Maybe I should just call it the Outworld when I mention it in front of non players.

In Phrenia, however, the afternoon was changing into evening. Caroline and Ratty were standing before the stablemaster, an old man with grey hair and skinny limbs.

“I can contribute thirteen Ivans,” Caroline announced, “I can’t spend too much here.”

“I can contribute twenty five,” Ratty said, “Sibyl, how much do you have again?”

“Like... seven,” Sibyl said. She shrugged, “I can pay you back, Ratty.”

“No need,” Ratty said, “I’ll contribute thirty, and Sibyl can pay with all seven of her chips. That’ll get us a decent ride, right?”

The stablemaster nodded, “You’ll have to wait, though. The carriage has three more seats, and I will to wait for three more passengers.” He spoke with a wizened tinge in his voice, as though he were entirely certain of everything he was saying. He was commanding them to wait, not asking.

“Alright,” Ratty said, “Got anywhere for us to sit?”

“I will show you three to the carriage,” the stablemaster said, walking into the stable. Sibyl was surprised at the size of it. There were three carriages, each with four horses, in the back, with room for three or four more. There were only two gates that opened into the street, though Sibyl guessed two was probably good enough.

Ratty offered to help Caroline into the coach, and when she refused, silently stepped in after her. Sibyl climbed up last, finding the inside was cozy, if marred by a particularly large cobweb on the window across from the door. Ratty stretched his legs onto the seats opposite from him. Sibyl and Caroline sat on either side of him; Caroline, fortunately, was closest to the window. Sibyl watched her swat away the cobweb and then saw her wind back her hand to smash the arachnid where it cowered.

“No!” The stablemaster shouted. All three of them turned and looked. They didn’t realize he was still at the door. He climbed in, awkwardly sliding across the furthest seat. He extended a hand towards the spider.

Caroline looked disgusted as the stablemaster let the spider crawl out onto his hand. He harumphed and made his way out of the coach, walking with the spider cupped between his hands.

“What was that all about?” Caroline asked.

Sibyl shrugged and moved across the seats from them.

“Eh,” Ratty said. “Probably some kinda thing he does. ‘Cause he’s old and a bit nutty.”

Caroline smiled.

Sibyl, however, didn’t really care much for the way the stablemaster had been so urgent about saving the spider’s life. She cared less for the fact that even Caroline was put off by it.

Ratty was unperturbed. He began asking Caroline questions about her life and how Flannerytown was. Ratty explained that he had never been there, and was interested to hear more about it. Caroline danced around the questions, but it was playful. Sibyl could see the way they looked at each other.

“Guys,” Sibyl said, as Caroline laughed and said something flirtatious that Sibyl didn’t understand.

“What?” Ratty asked.

“Ah, just...” She tried to think of something that would justify her interruption. “Do you think it’s strange I can’t reconnect?” She mostly just wanted them to stop flirting in front of her.

Caroline didn’t bother to give any sort of reply. She looked over to Ratty as he seemed to think it over in his head. “Well,” he said, “I guess it is strange. But check your journal. Maybe there’s been an update?”

Sibyl reached into her robe and drew out the journal. The first page still held the same message. “No updates,” Sibyl said, “Has this ever happened before?”

“No,” Ratty said, “But this game has only been out for a few months. Something like this was bound to come up.”

“I mean in any CIRG.,” Sibyl said. “I can’t think of any other game where they had problems with solar interference. What kind of network has something to fear from solar interference?”

“The kind of network Pantheon uses,” Ratty said, shrugging. “I mean this is their first attempt to use this kind of network. The game itself is wonderful. Some connectivity issues aren’t so bad, are they?”

“No...” Sibyl said, not agreeing at all with herself.

            Sibyl heard a pair of footsteps approaching the carriage. A player wearing an outfit not unlike Ratty’s stepped into sight along with the stablemaster. He, however, had no mouse-like features to speak of. He had a mess of black hair on his head and strong jaw. The sword in his scabbard was curved. A scimitar. “Here are the other three,” the stablemaster said.

The player looked up at them, “Hey,” he said, “You all can reliably call me Grannus.”

“Hey,” Ratty said, “Welcome aboard.”

Grannus stepped up into the carriage and Sibyl scooted across the seat until she was next to the window. “Mattheius told me about your money problem,” Grannus said to her, “I told him I’d cover for you.”

“Oh,” Sibyl said, “You didn’t have to.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he said, “It isn’t too expensive when you pay for half a carriage, you know?”

“Yeah,” Ratty mumbled.

“I will fetch my nephew to send you four on your way,” the stablemaster, whom Grannus had called Mattheius, said. Sibyl had forgotten he’d been standing there.

“I guess you three are headed for Flannerytown, right?” Grannnus asked, in an eager tone.

“Yeah,” Sibyl said, “Flannerytown. I have to talk to the in-game tech guy.”

“Mister Dusk?” Grannus asked, “Why?”

“I’m having trouble disconnecting,” Sibyl said.

“Ah, that’s a shame,” Grannus said, “My friend Kennel left earlier today to seek Mandril’s advice about the same problem. Haven’t heard back from him yet, but he may not have even reached Flannerytown by now.”

Sibyl nodded.

“So,” he said, “Your name would be?”

Sibyl realized he was talking to her. “Sibyl,” she said. “I’m from New England.”

“Right, right,” he said, “I come from Old England.” He smirked.

“That’s how you have that accent down so perfectly, then?” Sibyl asked.

Grannus nodded with an honest grin. He turned to Ratty, “Hey!”

“Ratty,” Ratty said, extending a handshake and eliciting a confused expression from Caroline. “I’m from New England too. Sibyl and I live right by each other in real life.”

“Caroline,” Caroline said, not extending her hand for a handshake.

Grannus seemed unfazed by her lack of handshake. “Well that’s cool,” Grannus finally said, “I already know what business Sibyl has in Flannerytown. How about you two?”

“I’m just helping Sibyl get there,” Ratty said. “And I’m escorting the lovely Miss Caroline there as well.” Caroline smirked.

“I’m going to Flannerytown to start my own business,” Caroline said, sounding very confident.

“What kind of business?” Grannus asked.

“A pub,” she said.

“Top notch!”

A few minutes later, Mattheius’ nephew, a scrawny blonde haired teen, announced that they would be departing, and swung up onto the driver’s seat to lead the horses out.

Through the window, Sibyl watched the town rolling past, the people and buildings looking up occasionally as the carriage left the main square, headed east. The buildings grew smaller as they went along, until they were cottages, and then gave way to trees and woods. Grannus had grown silent, seemingly content to stare down at the floor.

            “So, Grannus,” Ratty said, “How long have you been playing?”

“Just a few weeks,” Grannus said, “I haven’t had as much time to play as I’d like to, with Uni and all that. But I just got past midterms. So I am enjoying this wide breadth of free time I am now left with. Isn’t this game just, kind of amazing?”

Caroline stared out the window, seeming to not to care at all about their invalidation of the virtual world she was a part of. She was frowning though. Sibyl reached over and put her hand over Caroline’s, and Caroline looked up, appearing surprised at the gesture of comfort.