Something was not the same with Calum and Nala gone, NPC concluded.
The next place they were going was the Sphinx's cave.
The next day came and Calum and Nala were going to play only two hours that night. They had earlier talked about how they weren't going to get the sphinx level completed that night, it was a large area to traverse.
NPC thought he might have felt something, or his limited version of feeling, about their upcoming gathering. Last time they played, Calum had suggested they come up with a name for the three of them. They had decided to wait until the sphinx cave to give all three of them time to come up with ideas for a name.
*21
As they were first walking into the erie cave, Lily789 turned to the barbarian and said something NPC was not expecting.
"Cal, the Valentine's Dance is coming up."
"Oh," Cal replied.
"One of the girls from my house asked me if I would like to be set up to go to the dance."
NPC remained silent.
"Would you like to go on a date with me?" Calum asked. "Or dance, or a date, we could go out this weekend, or not, we could play a videogame." Calum went silent.
Nala replied, "a date would be nice."
Calum was excited at what he heard in his headset and simultaneously typed in the groups chatting text box.
They came to the end of one of many tunnels in the cave. At the end of this tunnel were the openning to three other tunnels. At the top of the tunnels was chiseled the words:
The correct tunnel to take is the one behind you
They also noticed a word chiseled above each entrance to a tunnel. The three words when put together, from left to right, spelled: you should leave.
*22
~They really don't want us here,~ said NPC to them.
"I think it's a riddle," said Nala to them.
"I think the tunnel we should take is the one with 'you' above it," she said pointing at the you written in the top sentence.
Calum was like, "What, Oh .. I get it. The correct tunnel is the one behind the word 'you.'"
They all walked into that tunnel.
As they walked on, they came to three pedastals.
On the pedastals was what looked like three cups of water.
The two on the sides had infinity signs on the glass and the center one did not.
Chiseled in an overhang above the glasses was written:
antidote you seek does not reek
it's clear, your fear
is Your fate with what's ate
Some skunks came walking in from little side rooms and started spraying. The three's health bar started to slowly go down.
*23
NPC knew what one to drink that was an antidote and what wasn't. He just didn't figure out why it was the one that it was.
Calum & Nala stood in front of the glasses and were trying to figure out what to do while reading the sign.
"Why does the infinity sign look like the # 8 when it is turned sideways."
NPC said ~why is the comma in the wrong place, it should be after reek I would think.~
"That's it NPC! 'the antidote you seek.. it's clear.' then the comma," said Nala.
Calum added, "Your fear is with what's ate, or 8, do you get it."
They all drank from the clear liquid in the middle cup and their health bar went back up.
They made it out of the skunk cave and into a large cavern. Inside was the Sphynx with a save point when 1st entering. They saved the Sphinx for another day.
Before they left, Calum asked Nala, " Would you go to the Valentine's dance with me?"
Nala said, "Though you'd never ask. Yes."
*24
They both said goodbye to NPC and then they logged off.
Calum and Nala had homework and more stuff to do, chores – normal human stuff. They didn't have much time to play the Sphinx and then it was time for their date that weekend. They were going to play the game again after the date.
The next time they got online, to face the Sphinx, NPC could tell before they got online and when they would chat with each other, that they were giddy with each other.
NPC's conversation was rather stoic or depressed for a something-altered A.I.
The Sphynx was near the end of the very large cavern. It was atop a mound or small hill made of rock. There were long steps leading up to it. The Sphinx lounged atop something that looked like a long and large golden throne without the backrest or armrests on it.
Large pans were resting on pedestals surround the top of the hill generally around the Sphinx. Blazing fires were burning out of each pan giving off light and supposedly warmth.
The Sphinx acted like it was sleeping with it's chest or rib-cage moving in and out like it was breathing. The cut stone steps were gray, in contrast to the rough, dark texture of the rest of the cavern, supposedly made of rock.
*25
Then the Sphinx lazily opened it's eyes that were facing them. Though it still seemed far from them and it's mouth was moving like it was regularly talking, the volume was up and the cavern was made to look like it was shaking with each word it spake.
what acts like it's alive, but is lifeless
what lays before you, but isn't here
what can give questions and answers, but never came up with either
who's atop an imaginary throne?
They said, "the non-player character Sphinx," and of course they got it right.
The game makers wanted to make it easy, so the players could keep playing the game.
Something about the answer they gave really troubled NPC.
Nala said, "I think I have a name for the three of us. The imaginaries or the imaginary team."
They didn't argue and decided to go with it.
*26
YOU ARE READING
There and back again. A Non-Player Character story.
General FictionA NPC (Non-Player Character) from a RPG (Role-Playing Game) enters the human world and then back again. While in the human world, the NPC meets its 'ordinary' human maker or creator.
