true life videogame: chapter5

The morning came all to quick again. They all felt tried but yet refreshed at the same time. Vegeta grabbed his robe and pulled it over his shoulders. He hated how hot this thing was but he know the rules of these games. Everything was on stats here and without the robe, one bite or scratch could possible send him back to the save point. Mages of any kind, were weak against physical attacks. The robe gave him a bit of protection. Magic was his power and brute strength was his weakness. He couldn’t stand the insult of being a warrior in real life and had no choice but to play the opposite here. It was almost to much to bare.

Leaving the front open for some air, he pulled out the hood to cover his face partly. He walked out of the inn before a word was said.

“What’s with him? I didn’t know someone could wake up in a sour mood.” Goku said meaning only to tease but ended up ticking off Bulma. Bulma reached the handle on her sword. “Whoa! Whoa! Hey I was only kidding, sheesh!” Goku turned his back on her. “Hope it’s not contagious.” Bulma heard him but ignored it. She was just happy he didn’t seem too hungry. She was hungry and no doubt the others were too. Hopefully Chi-Chi fed him good before they came over. Not that it would last long.

X)(X

Vegeta watched as four monsters came at him. Low leveled to him but he didn’t raise his hand. They were getting closer, jaws open, wanting nothing more than to rip their prey apart. Vegeta lifted one hand and took off his hood. All three moved in close and jumped in unison. With a intake of breath Vegeta tried out his new technique. Flame breath.

Three flaming carcasses at him feet remained before absorbing into the ground. Leaving behind a few gold coins and a couple weak health potions. Scooping up the bounty he put into in his inventory bag. It was strange putting stuff in this bag. He had a dinosaur rib the size of a bus in there at one time. It was like a reverse capsule almost. The stuff went in smaller and not the bag that was small enough.

“Do you use anything else but fire?” Eighteen said amused by the short show. Vegeta pulled the hood back over his head. Not annoyed, not angry, not anything but neutral. “Maybe.” He left it at that.

“There you two are! We are going to level up a bit. So we need to split up again. Two pairs.” All but Vegeta and Eighteen spied Goku nervously. It wasn’t helping matters that his stomach was growling a bit.

“I nominate Vegeta to go with Goku!” Krillen said all the sudden. He was having a speaking before thinking moment. He looked at Vegeta who strangely looked more menacing under that hood. He would rather see Vegeta’s eyes, so he could tell if Vegeta was mad or not. He gave a few stutter laughs. “Not that I want him to attack and eat you.” He looked at Goku’s hurt expression. “Not that I think you would, cause you wonldn’t! It-its I . . . I . . . am to shut up now.”

“If only you did that fifteen seconds ago.” A thunder cloud appeared with it’s loud crackle in the sky.

“Vegeta stop that. He didn’t meant it.” Bulma said with armored hands on metal clad hips.

“That’s not me.”

A sudden down pour hit them all and drenched them completely. Krillen and Eighteen seemed the worst off as the little clothes and wet fur.

“Does armor rust?”

“No. There is no rust feature in the games. Luckily this isn’t a online game and have to keep repairing it all the time.” Trunks said holding the wide blade of his ax above his head like a make shift umbrella. Vegeta wasn’t bothered as the robe didn’t absorb the rain and it ran down the cloth like it would on steel. Eighteen stepped away from Krillen a bit and it didn’t go unnoticed.

“What’s wrong?”

“ . . . You smell like a wet dog.” Krillen brought up his arm and sniffed. Then gagged. Boy she was right.

“But I thought I was a cat?” Krillen’s whined as he was now smelling himself.

“Tell that to your fur. It thinks it’s a dog.”

Bulma looked at Vegeta and back at them. They were in the game but they could smell Krillen. Smells couldn’t be virtual, could it?

“Because he’s real might be the reason.” Bulma heard Vegeta asked her unspoken question. He was good at that when he wanted to be. “Or in the game. Cat-people smell in the rain. Hard to say. But there is no point in analyzing it.” Bulma decided to change the subject.

“So is this the storyline? Or no?” Vegeta sighed and was glad he still had his hood up. Vegeta raises his fist, shaking it a bit.

“I never played this game. So stop asking me!” He turned looking down the path seeing lights approaching. This wasn’t a online game so it wasn’t other players. “This may be storyline.” The others looked past him to see what he was seeing.

Men in armor came charging on white horses. They too were heavily armored. Everyone moved out of the way as they doubted them would stop or move around. Programmed or not programmed.

“What should we do?” Goku asked uncertain.

“Wait.” Trunks and Goten said arms crossed. Patience wasn’t their strong suit. And it wasn’t all from there Saiyan side either. The Knights stopped their horses looking at them. Their faces unseeable be the helmets they wore.

“You there! Identity yourselves!” Trunks shrugged and stepped up.

“Hi. Were are . . .”

“How cute. A Barrian kid that can talk.” The leader said to his troops before looking down at Trunks again. “Be silent or your life will be short. This is grown-up talk only.”

“Look we are only passing through.” Bulma said getting mad at the knight who threatened her son. In her mind she knew he wasn’t real but it still enraged her. He turned to her.

“A female knight. How rare.” That was all he said. Possible all he was programmed to say to a female knight warrior.

The leader looked around at all of them. As one said someone he would comment on there race or gender. It’s programmed response to the character. Like when Goku piped up he said he was to keep his hands of his purse. The boys snickered at that one. A man calling a money bag a purse. Classic.

“A Mage.” Vegeta turned his partly hidden face to the leader. “I hope you are strong. The king hires the strongest mages. Train hard and you can earn a living.” He turned to his men and motioned them ahead. At the last one entered the gates he turned back. “Grow strong for the king but be warned. Do not raise your sword against him or us. Or I shall will strike ye down in the name of lord Rufus!” He snapped the reins and the horse took off. “Good day!”

Bulma watched him go through the gates and them walk into some building.

“What was that about?”

“If I had to guess. He’ll be one of the bosses we have to fight later in the game.” Trunks and Goten nodded in agreement with Vegeta’s reasoning.

“We might have to go through the others fight and then him but sooner or later.” Eighteen crossed her arms refusing to look back.

“I’m glad.” Eyes turned to her. “I love the chance to stab him between the eyes.” She pulled out her breast dagger and sighed. “Do these come any bigger and sharper?”

“Maybe. . . . they should . . . I guess.” Goten said unsure. “We should go before he comes back.” Vegeta stopped himself from saying that it was probably all he was going to say to them. Even if they were real, what they interacted with wasn’t. Yet the things could cause them pain when there life points were down. Vegeta felt a headache forming and pushed the thoughts away.

X)(X

“How long is it going to rain? If this was the real world I be dead by ammonia by now!” Chi-Chi groaned not liking the rain.

“Stop complaining. At least you have clothes. This rogue outfit leaves nothing to the imagination.” Goku smiled at them both as if that helped.  

“At least you don’t stink when your wet. I can’t stand to be around myself right now.” Vegeta smirked under his hood. He kept his head down a little to keep the water from dipping inside. But one thing bothered him. Why did Mages have to go without shoes? There was no worst feeling than mud between your toes. Virtual mud and real mud had no difference. Both was disgusting like that. He just wanted a small amount of ki power top float above the ground. “I thought we were going to split up?” Krillen said to change the subject.

“We will when we know were we are going.” Eighteen answered watching Marron sleep in her hand, stoking her hair with one finger gently.

Chi-Chi focused her eyes on a pole that has arrow signs. She walked faster and ahead of the group wanting to see what it said. As the others got close, she read them out loud.

“East Polivatian, west Polivatian, City of Decay, forest camp, Goldshine.”

“Goldshine is where we were and the game gave no real direction. It’s seems we have some choices here.” Vegeta said.

“All the monsters are the same strength so that’s no help. Should we hit them all?” Trunks said questioning but no expecting anyone to answer.

“I say this is were we split up.” Eighteen said all the sudden. The others couldn’t argue. It seemed like the best time. “But who with who?”

“Trunks.” Vegeta turned to son at his side. “See if you can find something we can use for lots.” Trunks nodded and walked off the road.

“Lots?”

“Did I stutter? Do you want to be here all day arguing on who goes with who.”

“You mean who goes with me.” Goku said dejected with his head hanging.

“Exactly.” That made Goku’s knee bend as thought was hurtful.

“Vegeta!”

“Oh. Was that one of those moments where I was suppose to lie to him? Like, no not at all or this way it’s fair?” Bulma growled at him

“Jerk!”

“Careful. My hit points might start depleting.”

Trunks came back minutes later with eight small but long twigs. Vegeta quickly broke them into four pairs. Normal, short, shorter, and shortest. Placing them inside the sleeve of the robe with only the ends sticking out.

“Okay. Longest stick goes East, second longest goes to west, third longest, city of decay and the shortest goes to forest camp.” Everyone shrugged and pulled a stick out.

Bulma and Krillen got the longest stick. Chi-Chi and Trunks got the second longest, Eighteen and Goten got the shortest. Vegeta pulled the remaining one out of his sleeve seeing it matched Kakarot’s. He could have groaned. Their differences were settled after Buu and all but he still didn’t like the idiot all the time. Especially when he was in a chatty mood. And now that he could go insane from hunger at anytime. It didn’t help anything.

“Okay. I guess gather all the information you can and meet back here at the post.” Bulma said trying to be in control. That was her personality and such. Being in a situation out of her control and understanding, she would overcompensated for it. But she had a good idea so they let it slide.

X)(X

On the trail there were only a few battles before Bulma and Krillen stepped into town and looked around. It looked a lot like goldshine really. Barely any difference really. Fashions were the same and the buildings were nearly mirror mirage. There wasn’t really any originally. If there wasn’t a sign that on west Polivatian then were might have thought they had got turned around somewhere.

“Do all the towns look that same? That’s boring.” Bulma said shaking he head

“No wait. Look!” He pointed to building being fixed. It was half like the others with white painted wood and half black bricks with points. Both walked to the workers.

“Excuse me. What’s going on?”

“Be order of the king. All building must be fixed and orderly. All others must be fixed or destroyed.” Bulma turned to Krillen.

“That would explain it.”

“Say.” The man turned back to them. “Mind helping out a bit? You see the wolfs here have been going crazy. They don’t like all the noise and killed at least one of my men here. You could thin them out a little? And put my mens worries at ease for a while?” Bulma and Krillen looked at each other.

“This must be a quest that Vegeta was talking about.” Bulma nodded.

“Good. Thanks.” Bulma snapped her head back. She didn’t say anything about doing it. “Bring five wolf pelts and return to me and I get you a reward.”

For a few minutes Bulma tried to talk to him and understand but he wouldn’t respond. She finally gave up.

“I didn’t say yes.”

“Let’s just do it real quick. I mean how hard can it be?”

“I have the feeling we both are going to wish you never said that.”

X)(X

Chi-Chi and Trunks popped into west Polivatian and see that place crawling with knights like before. Each talking to people in front of the buildings. You could see the mouths moving and hand actions but heard nothing.

“So you and Goten like these things?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you get enough fighting in the real world.”

“No such thing.” Chi-Chi could have laughed. He sounded just like Goten and Gohan. She learned with Gohan fighting the fighting instinct of Saiyans, even half Saiyans ones, made it worse.

Trunks went over to the people and asked what was going on. It seemed the king was abusing his power and wanted every town the same. The people here were resisting and the knights warriors of the king didn’t like it.

“The weapons here are cheap but they refuse to sell.”

“That makes sense.” Chi-Chi said sarcastic and confused.

“They can only sell to the knights right now. Other sells are prohibited.” She looked seeing the knights all around. There were only fifteen of them and there was over fifty town people, children not included.

“They should be able to take them.”

“One, they are not programmed to fight them. Two, even if they did, more would show up. And three, swords verses rocks. No brainier on who wins.”

“Let’s give them a lesson of common cursity.”

“Go ahead and see what happens. After all their levels is no doubt twenty above you. And this game goes on stats and no true strength.” She sighed looking at the dusty ground of the grimy town.

“I rather have enemies coming to earth than doing this game. I hate this game!”

“You dare be defiant to the king’s orders!” Both turned to the yelling. “I’ll teach you to yap at your betters, you slimy, dirt digging scum.”

“Sense we can hear them. We are to interfere . . . probably.”

“You’re not sure?”

“I haven’t played this game before.” Trunks said annoyed. Sounding like a miniature Vegeta right then. If only he had black hair and eyes, he be a little clone. Just not as ruthless and such. A sweeter version of what Vegeta had been.

Chi-Chi looked back at the knight that was over the farming on a threatening way and raised her wooden staff. Apparently it was a game choice to interfere as the knight slide backwards, glaring at her enraged.

“How dare you strike a servant of the king, you filth! Blasted Amazons!” He un-sheathed his sword. “I’ll scatter your remains over the country side.” Trunks jumped in fight sighing lightly.

“And here I thought Goten got he’s rashness from his father.” He raised his axes and deflected the knights blow. This guy were way lower leveled than the ones they met before. A double axes attack with Chi-Chi staff under the chin knocked him out for the count.

“That was easy.” She said before looking back up seeing more. She and Trunks went back to back ready for their attack.

“You were saying?”

X)(X

Goku and Vegeta walked into the town. It was a ghost town with skeletons and rotting corpses all of the ground. You couldn’t throw a stone without hitting one. There was no smell and Vegeta was thankful. He smelled burning and rotting flesh before. The smell had the power to make you pass out and that would be with one body. But here, the smell could push out the air.

“Man it like a grave yard with no graves. What happened?” Vegeta didn’t bother to answer him as the bodies started moving. Standing on bony and rotting legs, picking up without weapons that were littered on the ground including detached arms and legs of others.

“Oh yea. This keep getting better and better.” Goku laughed humorlessly at Vegeta’s sarcastic comment as an army of undead and rotting flesh surrounded them.

“I don’t suppose if we explain to them we mean no harm, that they will just go away?”

“I don’t think they care.”

“Flesh! Blood of living!” The one with a skull headdress said stepping forward.

“Must be the leader.”

“What was your first clue?”

“Um . . . the big headdress.” Vegeta smacked his forehead.

“Sarcastic is lost to you, isn’t it?”

“That a thief ability?”

“Just. Stop. Talking.” The first wave rushed in at them. “And duck.” Vegeta throw off his hood taking a deep breath again and started spinning on his heal.

X)(X

Eighteen and Goten stepped into a shabby tented town. The people were dirty and looked thinner. Many were laying down on makeshift beds rapped in bandaged.

“This a hospital?”

“A poor one if it is.” Eighteen said walking towards one of the few that were healthy looking with pieces of armor. The man looked up with a tried expression but a bit friendly.

“Hello travelers. Welcome to are camp. We don’t have much to offer you but if you want to sit a spell then pull up a bit of ground. Or if you could like to help we be most gracious.” Eighteen looked at Goten.

“What now?”

“Talk to the people and see if there is any information, quests, or anything else here we need.” Eighteen sighed no doubt thinking ‘why me?’ to herself. But quickly recovered and went over to the other side of the camp. Goten walked to the other side.

Both moved to the center talking to everyone that could talk. Both stopped at the top of town.

“Well?” Eighteen asked slightly impatient.

“A nurse wants us to collect six Huolo leaves. Red with white dots on them and two Yuonli roots.”

“We a delivery service?”

“No. It’s a quest. We get stuff for helping.”

“What do we get?” Goten looked away from her eyes. Trunks was right, she was scary. Her and Vegeta had to same ability. Causing fear with there stares.

“A slightly used rouge dagger or a knight helmet.”

“Is t he dagger better than my beast dagger?”

“It not a beast dagger and it comes with a belt holder to hold it.”

“Fine, we are doing it.”

“Yes mama!”

X)(X

Night had fallen over the area. And the others were waiting for Goku and Vegeta to come back. It had been a while now. The others were starting to think that maybe . . . something happened.

“Should we go to city of decay?”

“Not yet.”

“What if something happened?”

“If that happened a few minutes isn’t going to make a difference. Now be still and quiet.”

“Wait! There!” Marron said fluttering her almost see-through wings wildly. Two figures were walking down the road one a bit shorter than the others. The mist was starting too clear. The hooded and half masked figures were in view. Goku and Vegeta had finally returned.

“Hey! We were starting to worry.” Goku smiled for one of the few times that day and took off his pack.

“Sorry guys but we figured you would want this.” Goku pulled out bread, fruits, and pouches of water. “As Vegeta said, it seems characters in the game do eat to regain health and mana points. It like the real thing here.”

“You mean you would go hungry and kill us or anything?”

“Nope. I’m stuffed. The undead hoarded lots of gold and food from people they killed. So we get pass them, we took it.” The others didn’t want to be invited to the feast. They hadn’t eat since the game started either.

Not a crumb or drop was left after they were done. They also figured out that Vegeta too would go into the hungry craze but it would take two or more weeks as his body would store energy instead of constantly burning it off. Apparently power level at birth wasn’t the only factor in determining classes for saiyans.

“We should set up camp soon.” Vegeta said off-handedly.

“Can we back to Goldshine?” Chi-Chi asked not wanting to sleep on the ground.

“If you want to spend the next three days in jail, go ahead. I rather not.” Vegeta replied almost meanly but was able to remain civil.

“We can go the forest camp. It’s not fancy but no enemies in the area and no knights.” Eighteen said no caring if those two fought or not. She just wanted to be one step closer to finishing this game. Deciding it was the best decision that set out for Forest Camp for the night.

________________

okay. My father got a staff infection so he went back to the hospital. Four more days and another surgery later then went over to his father’s house. His half-brother was found dead in his bed. That was a week ago. We cleaned out his room yesterday. This hasn’t been a fun two weeks. Work still sucks but no one else is hiring until after Easter. There is my process report.

P.S. interesting piece of trivia for you. To choose the teams they be spilt into. I wrote there names down on pieces of paper and mixed them up. Pulling two at a time that’s what I got. I laughed when Goku and Vegeta came up. I did change the order though. Goku and Vegeta was the second pair I pulled but I wanted to put them in the most dangerous area. Because I could. ^.^ okay later! I’ll update when I can. Love ya!