— Squire —

  Squire looked around. She'd played with the curious metal forest enough. She'd long since mastered the challenges. She looked back at Squire's sanctum and didn't bother with that either. It was safe, it was home, it was... slightly boring.

  Instead her eyes moved to the other card entrance in the area. Griffon's Roost. Not even really thinking she moved over and pushed open the door. It wasn't locked after all. That meant she was free to use it as she wanted. She was after all James's bestest bud.

  When she opened the door she found eggs, lots of them, and they were all bigger than herself.

  She made her way through the pillar-like eggs and found that some of them rocked as she passed. She put her paw to a particularly rocking one and there was a moment of warmth as she felt the same bond she shared with James.

  The moment passed and she moved on.

  A screech told her that the Mumma Griffon had detected an intruder. Scary Griffon, she stayed away from that one.

  Then she saw the cliff. It beckoned to her sense of exploration. She unfurled her new wings, took a running swift leap and flew, then fell.

  Eeeeeeeeep!

  A whooshing noise, and she was grasped in massive talons.

  There was some screeching but she didn't understand Griffon. She did understand the language of animals though and Mumma Griffon was chiding her.. not for jumping off the ledge, but for doing it wrong.

  Squire looked up and noticed Mumma Griffon’s wings.

  A quick screech of approval was enough.

  Mumma Griffon flew through the air intentionally showing 'how' to fly as she did so.

  Squire thought she got it. They landed and bounced, she was straight off the edge again.

  Mumma Griffon let out a screech of annoyance but Squire ignored her.

  She spread her wings, catching the air like Mumma Griffon had shown. It worked... until there was no hot air to catch. Where was the hot air?

  She fell, and was rescued once again.

  This time Mumma Griffon showed her how to flap for lift and how to hunt for other hot air.

  Squire spent the next few hours learning to fly. She loved every moment.

  — Charlie —

  Charlie barked. It didn’t seem to be getting the attention he wanted. He wanted the bone to be thrown again, but James wasn’t here. He tried to move the bone to the other world with him but it wouldn’t move.

  He moved to the other world. He knew the rules. Only bark if there was a threat. He sat and waited. James would finish soon and pay attention to him. He’d done a good job after all with the fight. His big form was strong and powerful and he was good! He waited.

  After some time he realised that maybe he wasn’t a good enough boy. He got up and started to stalk around the platform, looking for threats. He was moving for a bit before he noticed a smell coming from outside.

  He went outside and, following his nose, went down the steps to the griffon's nest. Where was that smell?

  The nest was full of strong smells, but this one smelled different. It smelled like magic.

  Unable to pinpoint it, Charlie shifted into the Bond-link space and looked for Squire. She was in the griffon's place, so Charlie went there instead.

  Once there Charlie barked out a “come” command.

  Squire followed.

  Charlie shifted back into the other world again, this time with Squire.

  Charlie looked around using the bond-sight through Squire and noticed the twig that was not a twig. He barked again to tell Squire.

  Squire moved over to the twig and squealed.

  Charlie barked in confirmation.

  Squire did something and the twig moved, becoming a normal twig again.

  A section of the nest moved and there was a big metallic not twig in the middle.

  Charlie barked again.

  Squire squeaked.

  Charlie touched the metallic thing and it disappeared.

  Curiosity satisfied Charlie made his way back up to James.

  — James —

  He was in the middle of chatting with Brody when a prompt appeared.

  System Notice - Bond looted chest.

  Rewards:

  - Griffon Feed (Legendary)

  Note: Bonds have looted:

  Squire - Utility Card: Hot gust.

  Charlie - ‘Catch’ Bone of throwing.

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  He really needed Summoning Awareness!

  Ken and Edward were quickly brought up to speed, Brody providing a truncated version of the area that they would be coming out into. James directed all his bonds to return to Commander’s Space and wait there.

  They were ready.

  Rather than let the timer tick down to zero they exited the dungeon through the portal which had opened up.

  As James stepped through he experienced a lurching motion as if down was no longer down.

  He looked around only to see that nothing was as he’d expected. The sky and horizon were a kaleidoscope of colours. He saw the colours, but his brain was trying to tell him it was the black of space. His system-granted Perception and Mind let him notice the discrepancy without his brain “correcting” it.

  “What?” he blurted aloud, then red covered his sight, something bursting behind his eyes.

  He closed his eyes in pain and faced downwards instead.

  Play Card: Quick Heal

  Target: Self.

  He felt slightly better and his vision came back. He stared at the cobblestones under his feet.

  They too were odd. They looked like they had a film of oil covering them but when he touched them it felt like touching plastic.

  “Edward, Ken, Brody, anyone?”

  “Well, well, well. Look what’s where they do not belong.” said a rasping female voice.

  James went to look up but a force kept his head down.

  “No, the Void Sea will break you. Looking at me may do the same. Keep looking down or don’t look at all. I will not eat you.”

  “You may know me already, though I daresay I am much much older now. After all, I’m the original Gweneviere Leonisis.”

  “The Queen?” he let out without intending to.

  “Queen? Oh, what foolish nonsense is my avatar up to now.”

  James had no idea what was going on.

  “Where are my friends?”

  “Are you referring to people from your world or ones you met here?” The crone's voice had a note of irony in it.

  “Both, actually”

  “Ahh, so that’s how you fell through to my prison. I was wondering. Completed someone else’s dungeon?”

  Seeing no gain in lying James said, “Yes.” He hesitated then said “Prison? Is this a card prison?”

  A cackling laugh sounded. It felt old and hollow. “No, they are another layer of illusion. You’ve actually escaped. Not that that will help you. Where would you go? The void is the greatest prison of all.”

  His befuddled thoughts snapped back to a word she’d said. “Avatar?”

  “Yes. Avatar. This is not the first time meeting someone like you but the gaps have mostly been patched. I have not met anyone for gods know how long.”

  “Gods, are you referring to Bob or Prax or someone else?”

  “Oh, you must be fairly far into it if you have met Prax.” A wistful note appeared in her voice. “I would happily shift my shackles to that one. Bonds matter. Do not bond your fate to Bob unless this is the fate you desire.”

  James went to lift his head again but could not, no matter how much he tried.

  He was about to jump into Commander’s Space when she spoke out quickly.

  “No, don't!”

  “Why not?”

  “It will return you to the game boundaries, and either you cannot return here or won’t. Stay a little longer. Please.”

  James was starting to make sense of her words. He was in an illusion or game with rules. He had essentially glitched through the world’s textures.

  “That means. I’m not an avatar. I’m real. Like you?”

  “Or this is as fake as anything else. Yes”

  “What do I do?”

  “Have you unlocked a vision power? Potentially a window?” Gweneviere asked.

  “Yes, I only just unlocked it. It’s called ‘Window into Reality’”

  “Well, that’s about the most ironic thing I can think of. Another way here is to create a window into reality from the ‘real’ world. Alex, likely long dead now, told me that’s how he found me. If that’s not fixed, then the system should allow you to step through it back to this layer of reality.”

  “Why are you helping me?”

  “I’m bound to this place. I cannot leave while my avatar still lives. I would prefer death to this reality. Immortality, at least in this form, was the bait. Please free me, and do not accept the gift of immortality via Avatar when it’s offered by the system.”

  James was about to respond when he noticed the oil on the stone beneath him disappear. A moment later, noise and light intruded on him.

  A strong hand grabbed his collar and pulled him. He glanced behind him just in time to see the dungeon entrance portal before he was through.

  James was startled to find he was again in Prax’s private viewing box.

  The God was staring down at him.

  All around worried looks passed into relief as his party, including Brody, were clearly relieved to see him.

  “We need to talk before you leave,” Prax smiled, the message beneath it unmistakable: not here, not now.

  He then walked over to the rail and ignored them.

  “What happened James?” Edward asked, into the silence.

  James glanced at Prax, then back at Edward. “Something very weird. I’m still coming to grips with it. Can I have some time?”

  There were nods around the room.

  Brody of all people was the one who didn’t nod.

  He decided to give Brody a one word explanation. “Glitched.”

  James felt Prax’s aura descend on him, heavy like a weighted blanket.

  It passed as quickly as it came, but the ‘stop’ message had been received.

  James summoned Squire and Charlie out, not using their cards, then gave them both hugs and scratches.

  They appeared to intuit that he was shaken and comforted him.

  Everyone gave him some space to pet.

  When the rather attractive, muscular waiter handed him a red alcoholic drink with a tiny umbrella, he drank it without reserve.

  A plate of what looked like buffalo wings was passed around and the food helped to finally settle his nerves.

  He thought about Gweneviere the original and wondered when the last time she’d eaten and enjoyed the minor trappings of life. His own thoughts gave away his feelings.

  They… he was trapped. Was this a horror game afterall?

  He pushed aside the food. He wasn’t hungry anymore.

  James’s head started to swim. He looked down at his red drink, as if it were the cause of his existential dread.

  He looked at Squire and Charlie. They felt real, yet were they? Were they another form of a trap he would someday have to let go of or accept a deal for? Would he one day be warning other glitched people in some reality-prison?

  Squire’s belly fur was warm. Even if none of this was real, he could anchor himself to her. To Charlie. They could be his new real. Nothing and no one would take them from him.

  Tears started to run down his cheeks.

  Ken came over and placed a hand on his shoulder. He appreciated the affection, even if it might not be real.

  “You look like you've seen a ghost. If food and drink can’t shake it, then it’s time for a good sleep. Let’s go find a Silver Room.”

  For a moment, James’s paranoia spiked as he considered what that room might be doing to him. Then he let it go. It granted dreamless sleep, and he needed that now more than ever.

  Time passed, but he wasn’t aware of it. He didn't let go of Squire. Charlie padded along, pressing against his leg. Suddenly a welcome bed was in front of him.

  He lay down and passed out, bonds arrayed around him.

  Bob and Prax looked at each other over James’s prone form. One was amused, the other was angry. Prax put a hand to James' head, concentrating. A moment later the tension drained out and James entered a deeper, more peaceful sleep. A wispy image of an ancient crone and void sea floated into a vial.

  “We’re even,” Prax growled, handing over the vial. “I’m leaving soon. Remove my floor from your dungeons.”