Free Dark Realm, The by Anthea Sharp

shadows, but before he could be sure, the leaves swirled once again. This time, the screen cleared to show something much more familiar: a character-creator interface.
    “Have you made your avatar yet?” Jennet’s voice came clearly through the headset. It sounded like she was standing right next to him.
    “Just about to.” He studied the choices, trying to get a feel for the game’s design, the various roles people could play. Was Feyland really going to be as different as he hoped?
    Spellweaver - no, not another magic user.
    Bard - interesting, but obviously not a heavy combat class. He figured Jennet would need a serious warrior-type.
    “Got any thoughts on this?” he asked.
    “How about a Knight?” she replied, confirming his guess.
    Lifting his index finger, he highlighted the choice.
    KNIGHT - Skilled at feats of arms, noble, courageous, and true, the Knight can best almost any enemy in battle. Only magic can bring this hero to his knees - but even then, the Knight’s sword may prove of greater power.
    Below the description stood a basic character, ready to be modified to his specifications. He scrolled through the options, adding more detail to the avatar. His Knight would be tall, of course, and strong. But not bulging with too much muscle - quickness could usually beat strength, if there was room to move. Thick dark hair, and, yeah, that heroic-looking chin. Blue eyes, but not quite that close together. With another flick of his finger, he put the final touches on his new self.
    The character bounced slightly up and down, and Tam smiled to himself. Now for a name. Roland? No, that seemed too stuffy. He needed another anagram. Wernin? Newrin – yeah.
    He double-clicked his thumb and index finger, the universal glove command to bring up the keyboard. Though he preferred voice and finger commands, he could type well enough when he had to. He entered the name, Newrin, then vanished the keyboard interface. Yes, his Knight looked good, clad in shiny silver armor with a huge sword at his side and a grim-looking shield strapped to his back.
    Character complete. Enter game?
    He pulled in a breath, then tipped his thumb up. Yes .
    A fanfare of trumpets blared as his vision went golden. There was an odd, queasy sensation in the pit of his stomach. The sandwich and brownie weren’t sitting too well.
    Then all discomfort was forgotten as Tam got his first glimpse of Feyland.
    He found himself standing in a clearing surrounded by white-barked trees. The sky was bright blue overhead, the grass a vivid green. Wind moved across the leaves of the trees, leaving flashes of shimmering silver as they rustled in its wake. A bird swooped past him, singing, and he could practically feel the warm air against his face. He glanced around, looking for Jennet, and saw he was in the middle of a circle of pale mushrooms.
    Beside him, the air glowed brightly, and Jennet suddenly appeared. She was wearing a green dress that looked like something from the Middle Ages, but fancier. Her hair was intricately braided, and she carried a tall oaken staff with a white glowing crystal set in the end. Other than that she looked almost exactly like herself - her features a touch sharper, her eyes brighter.
    “We’re in!” She smiled at him. “Welcome to the game, Tam. What do you think?”
    “I’m not sure.” He took an experimental step forward.
    “Careful! Don’t crush the fairy ring.”
    “The - oh.” He eyed the mushrooms surrounding them. “Ok. How do you change the camera angle to a different POV? I’m not used to gaming in first person.”
    An anxious line appeared across her forehead. “I should have explained. You stay in your character - it’s part of the immersive experience. The designers decided you should always see through your character’s eyes, hear through their ears - and feel,” she reached out and brushed her fingers across his cheek, “what your character feels.”
    “I think I actually felt that.” He