All areas of the Last City were not equal in her eyes. While she disliked being in the designated Vanguard section of the wall near where the remains of the old Tower stood, she greatly enjoyed being in the city itself. It gave her time to check in with people she knew, many of whom she had escorted to the City personally. She kept her helmet on, mostly to avoid the exhaustion of having to explain to everyone why a Lightbearer had scars on her face, but it currently wasn't sealed against the atmosphere and allowed her to detect the odors of the street level bazaar around her. Most of the food smells were pleasant, though occasionally she would catch a whiff of excessively strong curry from one of the stalls at the far end of the area or the stench of some unwashed individual.
It was as she passed by a small bookstore that she spotted them. A group of teens huddled around a table that was far too small for their number, talking animatedly and gesturing and laughing. She couldn't hear them through the window, but curiosity got the better of her anyway and she slipped inside. Murdoch didn't exactly take up a lot of space, even with her Titan-esque armor, so it was easy to maneuver the disorganized bookshelves to get closer.
âAlright. The gremlins are advancing on your caravan, so everyone roll initiative!â The voice was familiar, feminine, but she didn't have the speaker in sight just yet. The sound of dice rolling across the table mixed with several thoughtful murmurs, shuffling paper and a couple groans of disappointment before the voice continued. âI saw that, Mick. What was that?â
âA one. I rolled a one.â The voice belonging to Mick replied with a snort. The mechanical echo told Murdoch Mick was an exo.
âThat's a shame. You have no clue what everyone else is panicking about, you're still half buried in the back of the wagon thanks to Boga the goblin.â Laughter followed. âEveryone else, get ready to fend off a gremlin ambush.â
Murdoch and her ghost exchanged a look before they stepped around the corner made by two bookshelves coming together. The group was a mix of human and awoken, with a trio of exos. Most of them were focused on the table, which held some sort of board that looked like it was supposed to be a model of a valley, complete with a river and a couple trees. Small figurines were arranged across the board to represent the gremlin ambush and the caravan. The girl at the head of the tiny table looked up as Murdoch was examining them, and her face lit up. âMurdoch!â
No wonder the first voice had been familiar. Murdoch hadn't seen Hannah since the onset of the Red War. She had escorted the girl's father, then a young boy, and grandparents to the Last City many years ago. Hannah's father was killed in the Red War defending Murdoch from a pair of warbeasts when she had lost her Light. The memory made the Lightbearer's chest tighten briefly before she spoke. âLook at you, kid. You've grown up a bit since the Legion got kicked out,â Murdoch said, grinning under her helmet. âWhat's this here?â
âIt's a game!â Hannah beamed. Several of her group eyed Murdoch warily, but the girl didn't seem to notice. âWe're pretending to be adventurers on a quest to deliver an artifact to a king. Do you want to play?â
Murdoch cocked her head to the side as Sybil floated by her shoulder. She could see the reluctance on the faces of several people. âI'm afraid I'm terrible at pretending. If it's alright, I'll just watch.â
âThat's weird, dad used to tell all kinds of stories of you entertaining people back at Ridgevale. He said you were pretty good at improv.â
âI think he embellished a little, if you ask me.â That was a lie. Murdoch had, on occasion, helped to lighten the spirits of the people she and several other Lightbearers protected by performing small acts. Those had been good times. âI'll watch. I don't know how this sort of game works, anyway.â
It didn't take long. Each player had a little figure that represented their character, and they either acted out or narrated their actions in the scenario. Dice rolls determined how well or how badly they did actions. Hannah was the storyteller, in a way, and was responsible for the actions and rolls of everything the group encountered. By sundown, the players had successfully reached the castle the king lived in with the artifact still in their position. Miraculously, no one's character died.
âAre you here in the City for long?â Hannah asked as she and Murdoch made their way down the street towards her family's apartment building.
âWe're here for a while. After spending a few months working between Mars and the Reef, we could use the vacation.â Sybil answered for them. She hadn't spoke while Hannah's group of friends were still present, but now that it was just the three of them, she was more talkative. âI have to ask. Why do you all crowd around such a tiny table? They don't have anything bigger?â
âNot since the Red War. The bookstore owner gave their old table up to help the resistance here, and they've been using these tiny little tables ever since. They can't afford a replacement just yet.â
âThat's unfortunate.â Murdoch stopped in front of the structure Hannah had lead them to. It bore battle damage from the Legion's occupation, but repairs had been started on the southern wall. This building was luckier than most. âYour game seems like fun, at least. If a bit crowded.â
âIt is, but it's still fun. I'm sorry about how they acted towards you. We don't get to see too many Lightbearers down here, not even the Guardian sort.â Hannah shrugged as she ascended the building's short staircase towards the door. âBut I'm sure they'd warm up to you, if you want to come back next week.â
Murdoch considered that for a moment. âWhen?â
âEvery Friday. We start around midday, and go till the sun's down behind the mountain.â
âI'll think about it. Tell your family I'll come visit later, and Joran and Zaeya send their regards.â
She had the table delivered halfway through the week, before Hannah and her friends held their next game. It wasn't fancy, but it was solid and bigger than the little card table they had been using. The shop owner tried repeatedly to repay her, saying that the table would be used by more than just kids playing games, and Murdoch declined it each time. The store had given up one table, she had explained, and it was only right that it get a new one.
When she returned that Friday, everyone else had already arrived and was setting up. Hannah patted a chair next to hers, ignoring the wary looks given to her. âWe've got a guest today! I've known her my whole life, like most of the rest of my family. She and my dad were real good friends.â After an awkward silence, one awoken teen finally came forward and welcomed Murdoch, and the introductions quickly commenced before Murdoch sat down to set up her character for the session.
âSo, hold on. You want to be a merchant?â Mick asked incredulously. âJust a merchant? Not a mage, or a barbarian, or even a cleric?â
âNope. Just a merchant.â
âThat's not near as exciting as a warrior or paladin.â
Murdoch peered at Mick as she fidgeted with the little horned figurine in her hand. It was supposed to be her in this game, and Hannah had pointed out the horns on her helmet almost matched the ones on the model. âIt might not be exciting to you, but I've spent the last couple hundred years or so being a warrior and fighting monsters. Being a trader sounds pretty good to me.â She watched the thoughtful expressions that crossed several faces, and so it was agreed she would be the proud minotaur owner of a shop.
Over the several hours that the game's session lasted, the questers encountered cut-purses and a mind controlled mob before reaching Murdoch's pretend shop. Her part in the game was small, but by the time she had nearly cleaned each of the other characters out of most of their money (and, sadly, had to sell a very nice magical weapon for almost nothing because of a bad dice roll) before seeing them off to the castle itself, Murdoch found herself smiling. At the end of the session, the artifact was delivered to the king and everyone was able to continue on for their next adventure.
âSo how'd you like your first ever roleplay game?â Hannah was asking as she and a few others helped to clean the store up before it closed. âDid you enjoy it?â
âI kind of did, actually. It seems like a fun way to pass an afternoon.â
âThen you're going to love this.â Mick held out something out to her, wrapped in paper. It was a book, and a fairly thick one at that. âIt's the latest edition book for the game. Goes over classes and races, skills, the whole bit.â
Murdoch hesitated, book in hand. âYou're giving me this? You're sure?â
âSure am. Just promise me you're going to be something more interesting than a trader.â
âHahah! Alright, that's fair. You've got a deal.â
