In any case, Malik started getting his parachute ready early. Especially when he saw how good Tissa was doing. Yes, she’d lost out in Dis, but made gains in real life. Her life was set up, her future guaranteed. But what would be Malik’s fate if something happened to Alex? Ed had scooped up all the financial operations, and Irita had been pulled into them too (How did she earn that? Malik wondered in surprise, but never voiced the thought). Hung himself had become a Threat, and even without Scyth, he would provide for himself — his divine quest chain into an underwater kingdom would ensure that! As for Alex… Well, Malik had no doubt at all that he’d squirreled away plenty for himself.
So the bard began to do the same. Scyth’s trust allowed him to set aside a few valuable finds, gear, money. It was all attached to him personally, not his character, so that was at least some insurance.
In his heart, Malik hated himself for acting this way. He was behaving like a rat. Grandpa Yusuf would never have approved. He would have beaten Malik with his cane and not only demanded that he give it all back, but that he kneel before his friends and beg them for forgiveness. And he’d be right! Ed, Hung, Alex and Tissa were Malik’s best friends. His only friends! When he was with them, he was truly happy. They had replaced his family. His father had always been overly strict with him for no good reason, as if trying to make up for Malik’s uselessness in the eyes of his relatives. And his mother… She feared to contradict his father, and although she never said it, she seemed to feel shame before her family. They had somehow managed to convince her that her son was the family’s shame, and it was her own fault for spoiling and humoring him. The result was that in public, she was even stricter with him than his father. And they never got to spend much time in private. The door was always wide open, the house more a public thoroughfare than home. No personal space whatsoever.
In short, two identities fought constantly within Malik. One, born in his childhood, was full of envy and believed that his friends didn’t value him, that they were tricking him, and their good words were merely a cover for laughter behind his back. The other, which emerged recently and was the more mature, loved his friends and was ready to give up anything for them. There was a third, too, the one in love with Tissa. It seemed that this was the one, combined with the first, that now guided Malik’s steps…
Infect checked the clan tab to see who was where. Scyth’s nick was gray, although he was still online. Apparently the Ordeal didn’t count as taking place in the world of Dis. The same had happened when Scyth was stuck in the Nether. Crawler and Irita had gone to Kinema, and Bomber was moving toward the Kharinza coast. Perfect.
Infect activated Depths Teleportation to the Mountain Dams, where Bomber had caught his goldfish. The place wasn’t popular and was often deserted.
Tissa was waiting for him. As soon as he appeared, she invited him to her group, cast a regeneration spell on him and only then threw herself into his arms.
“I missed you so much!” she said.
“Likewise,” Malik answered, glancing impatiently at his teleport cooldown timer. “Let’s jump to the Blencatra Foothills, the mobs there start at level forty-five. Does that work? Nether, the junior debuff is killing me!”
“How long on the cooldown?”
“A minute…” Malik stepped back unwillingly. “We have time to talk. How are you?”
“Just great,” she answered, her tone making it clear to Malik that things weren’t going so well. “As soon as we’re done here, I’m flying out to see my dad. Shame you and the boys aren’t in the district, or we could have met up.”
“Actually… You must know already — Scyth and I are heading to the Demonic Games.”
“I heard about that. I’ve decided to enter too.”
“What?” Infect smiled in surprise. “Are you serious?”
“Why not? I have the right. Elizabeth liked the idea and came to an agreement with school. It’s all arranged, so we’ll see each other there.”
“Are you doing this for Scyth?”
“What? No! I have a chance, so why not use it?” Suddenly, her face lit up with an idea. “Hey, we could fly there together! Me, you, Scyth…”
“I’m not sure he…” Infect stumbled. “I mean, we’ll be flying separately.”
“Has something happened?”
“He always has a million things to do. He’s going straight to the Games, but I’m going to stop off at home first. Need to pay my folks a visit.”
“That’s great!” the girl said. “When are you flying? Today? Does that mean we can get a drink somewhere?”
Infect wanted to answer that he was planning to set off tomorrow, but then thought: What the hell? The thought of seeing Tissa in real life excited him even more than the coming Demonic Games.
His vision turned red. The cooldown on Depths Teleportation was down to 2… 1…
Infect activated the ability, and a few seconds later they stood in a small grove in the Blencatra Foothills. Snow hid the base of the trees and a cold wind sighed through the air. Tissa shivered in her cloth equipment.
A branch snapped under the foot of a level 48 Hill Yeti. The humans caught the mob’s eye, but it was too wary of the bard’s superior level to come closer.
