Playing Games

© 2019 by Walter Reimer


Thumbnail art by  rabbi-tom


“What is that?” Kirian asked. Varan had invited the kam to her quarters for the night. He peered a bit closer at the holoprojector, adjusting the light robe he wore around himself. “Is that the game you and Meredith have been playing?”

Varan smiled and moved slightly so he could see more easily. “Yes, this is a new level. I’m currently exploring the area, looking for dangers or traps. Would you like to try?”

The kam smiled. “Certainly. It doesn’t look that difficult.”

“That’s what I thought at first,” Varan laughed. She saved the current game and gave Kirian a brief explanation of the characters and setting. “You can use Meredith’s character,” and she showed the list of the paladin’s strengths and weaknesses, concluding with, “We’re now scouting the Land of Contusion.”

“Odd name,” and for a few turns the two moved about the game landscape, discovering that the area was mainly rolling hills with a few sealed tombs and a forest. “Where are all the traps?” Kirian asked. “It seems rather too quiet here.”

“Yes, and you’re correct, it is too quiet,” Varan said. “The game’s AI is probably plotting something.”

“AI?” He turned to look at her. “How did it get past Security?”

“It’s not self-aware. Meredith told me ImpSec checked it twice before they let it across the border, and Army Intelligence talked to me about it after she transferred back to Terran space.”

“Aka, if they say it’s not a hazard – ernh! Here comes something.” From over a hill came six figures, three foxes and three badgers. They were dressed in a variety of clashing colors, cartoonishly large noses and were accompanied by music as they danced around, laughing as they capered downhill.

Varan’s kobold mage turned to flee and paused to look at the equine paladin. “Kirian, you need to run,” Varan said.

“Why? They look harmless – “

“They’re clowns,” the vir said.

“Trickster figures?” the kam asked. “What’s so dangerous about them?”

Varan sat back as her kobold character moved to a safe distance. “Just watch.”

The badgers and foxes danced up to the paladin, bowed, and started dancing around her. Slowly at first, then faster and faster until they were a blur around the mare. Kirian watched, and blurted “Kras?” as the paladin’s sword and shield were suddenly flung out of the dancing blur. More pieces of armor started flying, and Kirian tried to extricate the mare from the maelstrom.

The dancing suddenly stopped, leaving the clowns standing around the now-naked mare, and she braced as they each produced a mallet.

And the music started again, as Kirian winced and flinched as the paladin was reduced to a bloody puddle of flesh in the grass. The happy smiles on the clowns’ faces hadn’t changed.

“Aka, now I know why it’s called the Land of Contusion,” Varan remarked as she exited the game.