"Rin!" I rush over to her, ecstatic to finally have found her again. "I—I didn't know—I mean, I am so sorry that I wasn't there in the morning. I meant to be there, to go with you. Gosh, I don't even know how many days it's been... But I meant to!"

The smile on her is stunning. She shrugs, brushes her black hair behind her shoulders, and dismisses my concerns with a wave of her hand. "It's no big deal. I figured something came up that you couldn't ignore. For awhile there I was wondering if you'd changed your mind and joined another Guild, but now I see that's not the case, and all I want to know is why you're late. Get lost?"

"N—No," I say. "I wouldn't join up with another Guild when I already said I'd help you guys. And I'm sorry I got held up, but I couldn't help it. I was kinda taken hostage by those two River Raiders who gave you a hard time at Cutter's Cry."

Suddenly, Rin's expression grows way more serious and tense. Even a little angry. In a deeper voice she asks, "Leonard and Finn?" Just the way she glares those purple eyes makes my bones shiver.

I nod. "Yeah, them and a guy named Alloy knocked me out with a spell and dragged me half way across Anticore. I escaped though, and had to find my own way here."

Rin becomes a thunderstorm of frustration, stomping and fist-clenching around the market stall. "Those two good for nothing, loot stealing bastards!" She points at me like I'm the one in trouble. "I should have known they're too deadheaded and vengeful to leave us alone. And all this trouble because of a party wipe over some loot..." she sighs, shakes her head, and seems to calm down a bit. "So, they tried to steal our tank?"

"Yeah," I say, scratching the back of my head. "They forced me to help them clear a dungeon, and Alloy did hint that I should join the River Raiders, but I had already given you my word to you and your people."

She laughs. "My people? I think you mean my idiot friend and his equally idiot friend, I think. Something tells me that starting our own guild isn't the smartest idea we've had, but..." She shrugs.

I smile. "I hope you're not mad at me, really. It wasn't my intention to leave you hanging."

"Oh well, I believe you. Crazy things happens in Libertas like you wouldn't believe. I only wish I would've thought to add you to my friends list that night, that way we could have private messaged one another and maybe mounted a rescue mission. In fact..."

She waves her hands around in the air, pokes at nothing visible to me, and before I know it a message appears in my log.

Rin has sent you a friend request. Do you accept?

I focus on yes, and another message follows.

Rin's last name, Akari, has been revealed to you!

"Akari?" I ask. "That sounds... Chinese?"

"Yeah," she says, smiling. "And yours... Rockwell? What's that?"

"I'm from Florida. United States, that is. I live on the Shield now, though. Of course." I feel my face redden but try to ignore it. "What about you?"

I cross my fingers behind my back for a split second before she responds, hoping that Rin is in stasis on my ship.

"I'm on the Dream."

While I think to myself 'oh shucks you're really far away', what I really say is, "Oh, right on! The Dream. You launched from China right? The fourth ship? I've heard they have great... Chinese food?"

She laughs awkwardly as I realize that the pace of my mouth has overtaken that of my brain. Yet again, I surprise even myself at how terribly nervous I get around Rin. Whither that's her stunning looks or her bouts of righteous fury that makes me feel that way, I'm not sure. Probably both. But Rin's good stuff. She seems to sense my regret, smiles, and takes me by the arm and says, "Come on, greeny. Let's go grab a drink and you can meet the others."

With Rin leading me through the packed crowds of the market, I take a quick moment to gauge some of the players we're passing by. Birch Castle, by far, is way more varied than Tiengen was. There are warriors in their mid 40's with shimmering plate armor, necromancers whose every step leaves a wake of black smoke, and nearly nude players who customized their characters to look like beggars. For a split second, I swear I see one doing the cha-cha slide for gold. I try to get a better look at the show, but Rin tugs me away.

The tavern is made of cobblestone with rough-cut timber framing, red clay shingles, and the wooden sign hanging above the doorway reads 'The Wizard's Den'. A small flight of stairs takes us up to a porch, and pushing our way through the swing doors I find myself assaulted by smells both delicious and not so good. Garlic, honey, and roasting chicken that compliments the wafts of sweat and bad breath. Players from all over the galaxy are packed tightly at booths and round wooden tables scattered throughout the room. Luckily for my nose, this place is full of open windows, allowing the fresh seaside breeze roll through.

Shouting and cheering is almost constant, and while most people seem to be magic users, there are a few melee classes, most notably a small group of Monks in the corner. But before I have a chance to ask one of them what it's like to be a monk, Rin sits down at a small round table with four rickety wooden chairs.

I take the seat across from her, and not a moment passes before a blonde woman seems to come up to us out of nowhere. With her hands folded over her dress and apron, she smiles with perfect teeth and says, "Hello, I'm Ashley. Can I get you something to drink?"

"We'll have two of the Den's finest ales," Rin says, taking my decision out of the equation.

Ashley nods curtly and is off on her way.

"I don't want to spend money on that..." I admit to Rin.

"Yeah, I know," she says with a grin. "That's why I'm paying for it. I wouldn't have chosen for you if I wasn't going to pay for it."

"Oh," I say. "You didn't have to do that. I don't know if I even like ale."

Her smile goes ear to ear. "If you want to be a part of this group, you'll learn to like it."

Ashley arrives with a big wooden mug in both hands, foam dripping onto the floor. The liquid sloshes onto the table a bit as she places them down. Without realizing it, I'm focusing on Ashley enough to trigger her stats to appear before my eyes.

Ashley

LV. 7 Waitress

HP: 24

Not the lustiest barmaid in the realm, but perhaps the sweetest.

I laugh. "A level 7 waitress? How can I get that as a class?"

Rin chuckles, picks up her mug and takes a long pull of ale, savors it for a moment, swallows, then says, "Yeah, the developers employ a sense of humor here and there in Libertas."

I sip my own drink. It's sweeter than I expected, with a mixture of cherries and honey, but I'm not a fan of the aftertaste. Still, I swallow it, because part of me wants to see what this drink is all about. She must notice my expression, but doesn't say anything to me.

"So, when am I going to meet the others?" I ask.

"They should actually be here just about any time. I told them I'd ran into you at the markets, and they both still have their characters in town so it shouldn't be too much longer." She wipes the froth mustache from her lips, smiles at me. "Nervous?"

"I mean, kinda."

"It'll be all right. Felix is pretty chill, but passionate to the point of being a perfectionist about certain things. And be patient with Rubble. He likes to gab, but most of the stuff he says is just to get a reaction out of you. He doesn't mean it."

It's not long before two men of different classes approach the table and pull out their own chairs. The first is taller than I am but just as lanky. He pulls up on his black cassock robe and the bright red sash wrapped and knotted around his waist as he sits down, then waves for Ashley with a white-gloved hand. He has straight black hair that's longer than most dudes', circular lensed shades, a sharp jawline and pointed chin.

Felix II

LV. 15 Bishop

HP: 192/192

STRENGTH: 11

FORTITUDE: 20

DEXTERITY: 22

WISDOM: 39

INTELLIGENCE:18

SWAY: 30 (35)

(LV. 14) Black Cassock: +6 ARM

(LV. 12) Red Preacher's Sash: +10 MR

(LV. 10) Pristine White Gloves: +5 SWAY

(LV. 1) Lenny Shades

No buffs cuz the cool factor is enough.

(LV. 15) Wheelock Pistol: +8 DAM

Felix leans back in his seat, runs his fingers through his hair and says, "Finally found you. It's packed in here." He turns to me, removes his glasses and sets them down on the table. "So, you're the greeny Rin was telling us about, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

The second man groans loudly as he drops onto his chair. He's built his character with deep brown skin, a crazy amount of muscle mass, and a scar running down the left side of his face over his single pale white eye. I really hope that he just chose to make his character that way, and that it isn't an actual resemblance of his face, because the way that eye looks at me has me spooked.

Rubble II

LV. 8 Ranger

STRENGTH: 18

FORTITUDE: 20

DEXTERITY: 30

WISDOM: 20

INTELLIGENCE: 20

SWAY: 18

(LV. 8) Roughspun Vest: + 6 ARM

(LV. 8) Leather Survivor's Belt: + 3 ARM

(LV. 4) Shoddy Gaskins: + 2 ARM

(LV. 4) Hempen Bandana: + 1 SWAY

(LV. 5) Rabbit Foot Charm: + 3 MR

(LV. 6) Maple Shortbow: + 6 DAM

Sitting on my right, Rubble just keeps on staring at me uncomfortably long until I realize he must be looking at my stats. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, he says "Yes" in a deep voice.

I narrow my eyes. "Yes what?"

"I saw that face." He points at me with a thick finger. "So, yes. My name really is Rubble. Don't forget it."

"Yeah," Rin chirps in. "Because that's–"

Rubble hits the palm of his hand against the table, cutting off Rin and shifting his sausage finger to point at her. "Because rubble is what I leave behind. Don't be taking my line from me, Rin. You ruined it. It's one of the few joys I have." He turns to me. "Other than eating up newbs for their easy xp."

Rin stretches out over the table and slaps Rubble on the exposed skin of his ripped arm. It was a playful gesture, no damage given. "Come on, now," she says. "Be nice to him."

Rubble's expression changes instantly. He lifts his head and bellows a great laugh like the giant he is. "No need to hit! You know I like to rile them greenies up. I like to see what good they got in em, and ain't no better way to learn a new person by putting a little pressure on em. Pick on em. Then they show their true colors."

Rubble shifts his attention to me. "Already, I can tell you two that this greenie is resilient and persistent. He can take a punch, and that's just what we need in a tank." Rubble nods and gives a harrumph as he crosses his arm, as though he's settled the whole meeting.

"I'd second that," Rin says with a smile. "He did survive a dungeon run with the River Raiders. Why don't you tell us all the details?"

Ashley pops up out of nowhere again, dropping off a mug for both Rubble and Felix. Rin asks her for another round for the two of us even though I haven't finished my first one. It's perfect timing for me to take a nice long drink and put my story together in my head. When it's empty, I put the cup down and wipe my mouth.

Felix rests his elbows on the table and leans in, placing his chin on his hands. "So, the River Raiders, huh? Not the greatest group of players to work with. What did you clear?"

I take a deep breath and say, "Well, I wouldn't say we cleared it, because I'm the only one that finished the dungeon or made it out alive, I think. But, we got through majority of it together anyways. It was the Five Roses Keep. The guy running the show was named Alloy, and he was after loot more than anything, but they needed a tank and held me hostage pretty much."

Felix raises his eyebrows, seeming relatively impressed. "It's a decently challenging low level dungeon. The puzzles require wits, so not a lot of people care for it."

"Yeah, I got that impression, but it ended up being pretty worth it, I think. I got this sword, but I can't see it stats, or even wield it yet."

Everyone's eyes light up. Except for Rubble's creepy one, of course, but jaws drop so low a bird could make a nest in their mouths.

"You mean to say that you have a sword with no damage modifier or description?" Rin asks.

"Yeah."

Rubble's voice sounds an octave higher than it was a minute ago. "Does the sword have no name? Just a bunch of question marks?"

"Yeah, here take a look at it."

With a wave of my hand and the focus of my mind, I bring up my HUD and initiate a trade with Rubble. He accepts the initial request, and we can share and show each other specific items in our inventories. I select the icon with the smoking black sword titled '???' and drag it into the trade field so he can see it.

Rubble beams and wipes away the sweat on his forehead. "Damn, greeny! That there's an Artifact. And an 'A' rank sword too. Pretty good. You're hella lucky, you know?"

I shrug. "I mean, I guess. How many ranks are there?"

"The ranks run like this: D, C, B, A, double-A, S, and double-S."

"So this sword is only middle of the pack? Not going to lie, that's kind of disappointing. I went through hell to walk out of there with it."

Felix smiles and shakes his head. "Don't get dejected. Artifact weapons of even the lowest letter classes provide better boosts than standard equipment of the same level. Besides, it's only a level 10 sword. There will be more and better ones for you to try out later on." He lifts his cup, takes a long drag of his ale and sighs. "You should be happy. Not only is the Five Roses Keep difficult to clear, but you were lucky enough to pull an ancient sword that will assuredly have some good skills and statistics. It will last you a long time. That is as long as you can wield it."

"Why couldn't I be able to wield it? Is it because I'm not level ten?" I ask.

Again, Felix shakes his head, amused at my lack of knowledge. "It's because you haven't converged with the sword yet. Convergence is a player skill. Artifact weapons are fragments of old powerful beings imbued into weapons and armor. In order to wield that sword, you'll have to defeat the deity inside it once you hit level ten. And failing will kill your character outright."

I swallow hard and wonder why Libertas has to be so punishing at times. "Okay, that sounds kinda tough. And I don't want to start over again, so do I have to converge with it if I don't want to?"

"No," Rin says. "You don't have to. Some players go all the way to max level without risking a convergence, but the buffs you'll see other players wearing will make you wish you had. Trust me."

A sigh escapes me. "I guess I got some more leveling to do, huh?"

The others nod.

"We all do," Felix says. "But don't worry so much about dying. With our bodies in stasis and the never-ending search for a hospitable planet, all we've got is time. Besides, there are trinkets and blessings you can get later on that reduce the negative effects of dying. They're expensive, but a nice fallback."

That's a relief I can't wait to have. For a moment we just focus on our drinks and our thoughts, but it doesn't take long for Rin to say, "So what you guys think of Aiden? We're letting him in, right?"

Felix leans back in his chair and rubs his smooth chin. "You weren't kidding when you said he was brand-new to the game. I mean, just look at his stats. He is all over the place, but we are early enough in his cycle that we can make it work. Especially considering he has an 'A' class sword. That, and since he's a tank, makes him pretty valuable to us."

"When's the last time you had an Artifact?" Rubble asks Felix.

"A while," he admits. "And I lost it right away because of that damn Dark One..."

As curious as I am to know what a Dark One is, Felix turns to me and says, "maybe a greeny is just what we need. Most people in this game already have affiliations with people and their guilds. We need four people to start our own guild, and it's hard to convince anyone to break their ties and join us when there's only three of us."

"I agree," Rin says. "Even though he is incredibly new and has a lot to learn, he helped me get out of the tutorial and even defended me against the River Raiders in Cutter's cry. Seems like a stand up guy to me."

Felix seems to appreciate that. And then everyone's eyes settle on Rubble. The big guy scratches the stubble on his cheek with his giant hand, groaning as he thinks.

He shrugs. "Like I said before; he is resilient and that's exactly what we need in a tank"

"Well then," Felix says. He stands on his feet and extends a hand across the table I take it in my own and shake it. "Welcome to the crew."

Felix has sent you a friend request. Do you accept?

Rubble has sent you a friend request. Do you accept?

I smile and say, "I know this will take a lot of patience to work with me and teach me what I don't know, so thanks in advance, but I have a request I have to make before I can agree to be a part of this guild."

That silences everyone at the table. They're shocked at my sudden mention of a demand, and look at me with sullen and confused expressions.

I continue, "When I was in Cutter's cry, I overheard someone talking behind a closed door. They said that they were planning a mutiny on my ship, the Shield."

Rubble throws his hands up, clearly bewildered as he says, "Now, who would do something stupid like that?"

I shrug. "I don't know, but I did hear it. They said something about taking the keys of the Shield and forcing the captain to relinquish his leadership. Then they said something about turning the ship around to find the others before heading back to Earth, and something about needing two weeks."

Everyone's expression is hard, and I know they are debating with themselves if I'm pulling their legs or not. I don't blame them. If I hadn't heard those words myself, I wouldn't think anyone who told me the same story was telling the truth either. But, here I am. The only person on the Shield that knows something is going on, and the only one who can do anything about it.

"I need help finding whoever those people were," I say. "A lot of lives are on the line."

Rin takes another long slurp and sets her empty cup down before asking, "You really think that's going to happen? I mean, whoever would rouse a mutiny would have to be out of their mind." She glances to Felix, who stands up.

"All right," Felix says with a shrug. "We'll help you look for this mysterious conspirator, so long as you get yourself to level 20, too. Then, we can create a guild and start overthrowing a few dirtbag guilds like the River Raiders. We gain their villages, we gain their NPCs." He raises a finger to his temple and knocks. "And if we churn out our own NPC troops dirt cheap, we can plant spies everywhere. They can overhear conversations at taverns, searching for keywords we give them."

"You can command NPC's in this game?" I ask, astonished. "Unreal!"

Felix laughs as he runs fingers through his hair. "Yeah, greenie. Just wait