Game Alive: A Science Fiction Adventure Novel Read Online Free Page B

told the others, spreading his arms proudly to indicate the town. “Welcome to Everheart.”
    He watched his friends’faces closely for their reaction. Both looked round slowly with widening eyes and lifted brows. They stood in the center of a living, breathing medieval village. People wandered along the streets, some paved with cobblestone and others nothing more than muddy paths. They went about their tasks, pausing here and there to chat with one another.
    Nearby, a few chickens pecked busily over the grass. As Jake and his friends watched, a housewife chose one and carried toward a butchers block near the back of her simply built but sturdy house. Children chased each other around another house further up the street, and a wagon pulled by a team of four shaggy-maned horses rattled past. The driver raised a hand in salute to Jake as he went by, before taking up the reins and giving them a gentle snap.
    “This is incredible,” Kari said, her voice low and full of awe. Turning about in place, she pointed to a procession headed through a flower-laden stone archway on the far side of the square. “Look at that!”
    Jake followed Kari’s finger with his eyes. “Looks like Hershan and Loya have finally gotten married. They’re both really shy.” Kari turned a questioning look on Jake. “They’ve been smiling at each other for years,” he explained, “but nobody was sure he’d ever work up the nerve to ask her.”
    Des made loud smooching sounds. “Did you put that in the program?” he asked teasingly.
    Jake shook his head. “No, they were just random NPCs I added to the environment. The AI did the rest.”
    “I still think it’s amazing,” said Kari, still watching the procession as it passed out of sight down one of the streets leading away from the square. “Do they all have stories?”
    Jake, pleased that Kari was so enthusiastic about the game, was about to explain. Just then he was interrupted by Ethrett Palon, blacksmith of Everheart. “Good morrow, Sir Xend!” Palon boomed warmly, striding past on his way to the well. His thick arms shone with sweat and his heavy leather apron smoldered from the forge he had only just walked from. “Good journey?”
    “Not exactly, no,” Jake answered distractedly, thinking back on the week of extra chores his mother had imposed for his “disrespectful behavior.” He didn’t want to dwell on that now, not in Xaloria. “It’s good to be back,” he said, smiling again.
    “Certainly good to have you here,” the blacksmith added, stooping to lower his bucket into the well. “What with the dread wolves and all.”
    “Dread wolves?” Jake echoed in surprise. “What dread wolves are those, blacksmith?”
    “You must’ve just got to town. A pack of them have been picking off livestock in the outlying farms. Sure could use your sword out there.”
    Jake’s hand jerked toward the weapon strapped to his side before he checked the motion. He had let himself get taken up in his role, fully in character, but he realized that something more was wrong here than dread wolves picking off sheep.
    “I’ll take care of them,” he said thoughtfully. “My friends and I, that is,” he added, glancing hopefully at Des and Kari. Kari nodded excitedly. Des’s expression was grudgingly impressed, and he also nodded.
    Blacksmith Palon eyed Jake’s friends uncertainly, taking in their t-shirts, jeans, and sneakers. “Your pardon, Sir Knight, but they lack the looks of good companions in a tussle.”
    “That’s because we haven’t picked up their gear yet,” Jake assured the blacksmith quickly. “Not to worry, Master Palon. We came equipped for the task at hand.”
    The big man patted Jake’s shoulder with one heavily-muscled arm, causing the chainmail to jingle. “I never doubted you, Sir Xend. The people of Everheart can always count on you.”
    Retrieving his bucket, the blacksmith offered each of the three a shallow bow before striding away with his water. Des