Path To Radiance; First Ascent

Chapter 9 - Healer: Part 1

Falling asleep is hard. First off, I'm too excited to finally enter the Tower. Secondly, I'm still angry about having to do all this extra work to enter the Tower in the first place. Lastly, I'm worried about having only four party members. What are we going to do? Healers are usually hard to come by. People are usually more concerned with being DPS and doing the most damage. I am guilty of that myself. We need a dedicated party. One where players don't leave every few days.

Once I am finally able to drift off, a whistling tune wakes me. It sounds a lot like that "Hi Ho" song and it's just irritating enough that I can't get back to sleep. So, I decide I'm either going to find the source of the noise and kill it or complain to the staff.  I throw off my covers and rise from the rented bed. Tella is still fast asleep, but it appears she's having bad dreams. Her blankets are tossed all around and wrapped around her in weird ways. I slip out quietly as to not disturb her further, locking up behind me.

Once in the hall, I notice that the direction I face affects how loud the whistling is. I face the direction in which the whistling is the loudest and begin walking.

I walk down the hall, take the stairs to the ground floor, and go into the Southern Comfort's small side courtyard. There's a man already there. He is watering the potted plants that are scattered all about and he is whistling while he does so. At first glance, I thought it was George. When the man turns to me, I see my mistake.

This man looks more like a stereotypical lumberjack. His upper body is very broad in comparison to the rest of him. His hair and beard are thick, curly, and milk blonde. I could make out a pair of deep earthy brown eyes analyzing me. As soon as our eyes meet, a sheen of light blue passes over the brown. Is he scanning me? Red and blue plaid ripples and jean pull tight as the well-built man meets me halfway across the courtyard.

"Ah, you must be Jut." He sticks his hand out to me, still holding the watering can he had been using. Before I can reach a hand out to him in return, the can disappears in a puff of dirt. When our hands grip in a handshake, I can feel the power emanating from him. It's like a slight buzz of electricity just under his skin. His eyes crinkle into a kind smile. "I've been looking forward to meeting you." He has a slight southern accent.

I step back a polite distance. "Uh...that's kinda creepy as I've no idea who you are. I was just going to ask if you could please refrain from whistling." I say, rather bluntly. "We're going to have a long day as we now need to find a healer."

He chuckles jovially. "Haha, that's why I've been watching you, boy. Always working and working hard. Let me tell you. I am impressed. Out of the near million souls we brought to this wonderful place, you are the only person who hasn't taken a single day off." His tone is light.

"A MILLION?!" I didn't intend to shout, it just slipped. Are there a million players in this game? That wasn't unusual for extremely popular games, but one where you can't leave? "A million people are unable to log out of this "game"? What about our bodies?" I had lowered my voice, but a rather sharp edge made an appearance in my tone.

"No need to worry about that, my boy. We've got everything under control. And, you can leave; once you've cleared the Path to Radiance that is."

"Path to Radiance? I don't see anything radiant about this situation." I try to keep the snark out of my tone but I fail miserably.

He just laughs again. "No, I guess you wouldn't. Striving to be one's best self while on a difficult path is the radiance, my boy. That's how I look at it anyway." He nods solemnly. "Those who follow me tend to feel the same."

"Then why? Why bring us here? We're our lives not difficult enough without being kidnapped?" I ask. My voice beginning to escalate again. Oops.

He must have read a look on my face that puzzles him because he is silent for a long while. It takes everything I have to not lunge for the man-god. "It's all part of my work, my boy. No need to worry about that. We've got everything under control." He trails off for just a moment then continues. "Since you've asked me a question, I'll ask you one. Who do you think I am? If you guess it right, I'll give you a gift." He said in soothing tones. Another kind smile shining through his beard.