A New World, an immersive game experience

"Does it hurt?" Ilmadia asked.

"Aches, more than anything." Eldrian replied. Naturally, after the adrenaline of the fight had left him, he had been in quite a lot of pain. Talking about the firebird had distracted him for a moment, but thereafter the pain had returned.

Healing spells could only do so much. The charred stumps of his limbs and phantom pains of what used to be there did not go away so easily. In the end, Eldrian had wondered if there was a spell to cut off one\'s nerves. To get rid of the pain.

And as always, Two had been the perfect companion to ask. There were a couple of ways to go with this, Eldrian having decided with the least invasive. A spell that tricked the mind and dulled the senses of pain. The trick was similar to narcotics and alcohol, or so Eldrian felt. It left him a little lightheaded, but enabled him to pass the day without serious pain flashes.

Though, it did make his mind more prone to wandering. Due to this, he hadn\'t attempted to heal himself. Afraid he might mess up. Mostly, though, he didn\'t want to cancel the spell. He wasn\'t a stranger to pain, but he still wasn\'t a friend, either.

"That can\'t be right. I remember you once told me you no longer have the pain reduction that we have." Ilmadia frowned, concern clear as she looked at the one stump and then the other. The wounds had been healed hastily and burnt to stop the bleeding. "Why haven\'t you at least fixed the scarring?"

"I had other things on my mind. Besides, thanks to a certain spell, all I am feeling is indeed just some aches." Eldrian replied.

"You\'re also using magic to move, aren\'t you?" Ilmadia asked, having seen Eldrian hobbling about. He seemed far too stable on one foot for someone who had only recently lost a leg.

"Ah, yeah... It\'s a simplified version of flight. I\'m using it to balance myself. I still use this as a cane." Eldrian said, showing Ilmadia a random stick he had found to help himself move about.

"Seriously, what\'s wrong with you?" Ilmadia asked, rubbing her head as she looked at Eldrian\'s distant gaze.

His focus shifted to the firebird, who had just dived from the walls like an eagle. A few seconds later it flew over again, a small kounle in its claws.

"For me?" Eldrian asked as the bird landed next to the two, placing the kounle at his feet and nudging it towards him with its beak.

"Yaw!" the bird chirped, getting closer and closer to mimicking speech.

"Thanks," Eldrian smiled, though he didn\'t move to pick up the kounle. The bird seemed worried and after a beat it pecked the kounle and jumped onto Eldrian\'s remaining leg. Placing the kounle on the open side of the chair. "Thanks...?"

"Seriously, what is up with that?" Ilmadia asked once the bird had returned to Jade and Levana. Who seemed to be getting along really well with one another.

"I\'ll let you know as soon as I know." Eldrian replied, their conversation turning to the duel and later to runes as Eldrian waited for Myropsis to find him.

—

"Will you join us?" One of the guild leaders asked. After the chaos had subsided, Elizabeth and Nikki had somehow found them sitting at a round table with all the other guild leaders.

"It\'s just the two of us here." Elizabeth started, hoping to decline the offer. However, the players quickly chimed that that would not be a problem.

"We aren\'t asking you for reinforcements. We want to get your opinions on our movement and actions. Please, help us improve." The leader of the assembly bowed his head, followed by the others. Their action causing the two girls to become flustered.

"Alright! Lift your head already!" Elizabeth caved. Sighing as she signed up for yet another mission, though unofficial, Elizabeth realized she was going to miss the developments.

"Thanks! I believe the commander hopes to start with the first raid tonight. Our task will be securing the survivors and protecting them as we vacate after the vanguard. We\'ve already grown accustomed to this task, but your input will be greatly appreciated."

"A-Alright..." Elizabeth was unsure how much they could help, but she decided to do what she could.

—

"So, he is always so cold with people?" Levana asked, leaning in closer as Jade nodded.

"Yeah, you wouldn\'t believe how he treated me when I first met him. He actually aimed..." Jade paused as the firebird returned to the two. Having her recall that original this cutie was a deadly spell. "Well, I guess he did more or less the same with you."

A moment of silence settled between the two as Levana looked at the bird. It was difficult to accept that this little one used to be over three meters in size. A blazing inferno of flames. It was still compromised out of flames, but its flames felt more like water than fire.

It was soft and smooth to the touch. Soothing even, and resembled the texture of an actual bird\'s feathers.

"Oh, right, I have a question." Jade finally mustered up the courage to ask. "Why can you talk to me normally?"

"Is this about the power of charm surrounding you?" The vampire asked.

"Yeah, you\'re the first person who it seems to not bother."

"Oh, that\'s because I have a little trick to deal with it."