Otherlife Nightmares: The Selfless Hero Trilogy (40 page)

And there it is. Here we go then.

“Stop tensing. I’m not leaving, nor is Hannah, or Nadine.”

Runner nodded his head, closing his eyes.

“Are you already set on this then? I wouldn’t push this on you until you’re mentally…fit? Stable isn’t the right word.”

“I’m fine. Please, continue.”

Thana was silent for a second or two before she began speaking again. She didn’t release him though. If anything he’d swear she leaned into him more.

“You slept with Katarina.” It wasn’t a question.

“I did.”

“You chose her?”

“Not exactly. I told her up front that if it had been you, Hanners, or Rabbit, I would say yes to them as well. Much as I explained to Hanners the other day, I’m taking the coward’s way out. I won’t be choosing anyone. I’m afraid I couldn’t choose even if I wanted to. I fear losing you all in choosing, and I fear losing you all in not choosing. So I choose not to choose.”

“I see. A terribly Runner answer of you. So you would have slept with anyone?” she asked in a whisper.

Runner pressed his lips together as his left hand dug into his pant leg. His right hand remained holding to Thana’s arm.

“No. Never. You, Hanners, Rabbit, and Kitten. That’s it.”

“Ah,” she whispered.

Time moved on a second at a time. Agonizingly.

“I suppose it’s a good thing no one is asking you to choose then, isn’t it? In fact, one could say you’re the only one who’s been worrying over this the entire time.”

“What?” Runner said flatly.

“It’s true. Has anyone asked you to choose?”

“No.”

“Runner, I’m afraid you really are a bit slow at times, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, kinda. I’m not good with women. I’ve never actually been the aggressor before.”

“We noticed.”

“We?”

“Of course. You thought we wouldn’t talk? Share information? Did you think this was a tacky romance novel where they all fight each other over one man? Please.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Clearly. For now, know that no one is asking you to do anything. Continue on as you have been. You’ll get there eventually.” Thana sighed dramatically and pulled at him a little tighter with her hands.

“You don’t care that I would sleep with all of you in a heartbeat?”

“I’m not exactly thrilled at that idea, no. Though they’re all women I would consider a sister so it’s not so terrible either.”

“You sound unsure, yourself.”

“I am. We all are. It’s a brand-new world out there. You change and break it wherever you go. So far, for the better. The benefits are finally paying off. Still no dental. We did all level three times when you had your meeting with the queen.”

Runner nodded his head a little.

“Quest completed. Wait, so, you’re not upset I slept with Katarina?”

“At first. The first few minutes. It was something we’d all talked about before it happened. If it should happen. After she explained it, though, I felt better. It’s not ideal, not what any of us wanted, but it’s workable.”

Runner would swear he’d just received tacit approval of being in a five-way relationship. He considered perhaps that it had to do with the fact that they were all Naturals. Then immediately dismissed that as he knew they had the full range of emotions one expected of a person.

One thing at a time.

“That isn’t to say that if you ever tried to include anyone further we wouldn’t leave. Nor would we seek to bring in others,” Thana said quickly. Her fingers tightened into his clothes as if to emphasize the point.

“I’m afraid I still don’t quite understand. If I had to put words to my thoughts, I would say it almost sounds like you’re telling me you’d enter a relationship with me, with Katarina included. And that you’d allow it to extend to Hannah and Nadine if they desired it. In a non-romantic way between the four of you, that is.”

“I suppose I am,” Thana grumbled and then sighed. “You’re a pathetic excuse for a man, though I find myself willing to take a quarter rather than nothing. I’m not sure if that makes me more pathetic than you, or not.”

“Less, to be sure. I’m sorry. I can’t stand the idea of hurting any of you. I’d almost rather walk away from the whole thing than harm any of you.”

“That’s one of the reasons we convened the ‘Runner’s an idiot, let’s talk’ council. Hannah was concerned you were going to run.”

Runner grunted, unsure of how to proceed. He was intrigued at the idea that Hannah was the one to suggest it though.

Turning his head to the side, he found Thana’s warm brown eyes inches from his own.

“Where does that leave us?”

“Alone in a bed.”

“This is true. Speaking of, how’d you get in here? Queen Helen seemed to deliberately separate us all.”

“
Stealth
potion. As to the queen, I believe she did that for your own safety. Apparently capturing the enemy general alive endeared you to quite a few young noble ladies of the court. Trouble is, they’re not as polite or as subtle as Sunless women.”

“Oh. It’s the charisma stat, it’s not me.”

Thana laughed and then pressed her lips to his. She pulled back as quickly as she had moved in and gave him a bright smile.

“You’re an idiot if you believe that. I’m cold and this castle is drafty. Warm this subtle Sunless Sorceress up already.”

“I can do that. Can do it repeatedly.”

“And you shall.”

4:26 am Sovereign Earth time

11/19/43

Runner felt his thoughts sharpen as his mind fired up. Nothing was out of the ordinary, it wasn’t a bad dream, and as far as he could tell everything was as it should be.

Thana shifted against him and her hand moved a few inches. Her fingers lightly rested against his stomach.

She settled her naked body once more into his side. Her long dark hair was starting to escape from its braid and spilled out on his chest.

Almost everything, that is.

A naked Thana couldn’t be further from ordinary.

Runner couldn’t help but wonder at his life’s turn of events and what it meant for him. Brunhild had been closer to the truth than he realized at the time. Apparently his little harem had been arranging itself without his knowledge.

They’d been working through their own feelings about the situation without any input from him.

Thana’s only request was that he continue on as he had been, which would be easy. He’d treat them as he’d done so up to this point.

He seemed blessed and cursed in his own eyes. Granted incredible boons that were far outside the realm of normalcy and dashed upon the rocks on every other beat.

In truth it didn’t make sense. Not really.

Women didn’t normally go in for polygamous relationships. At least not that he’d heard. Though he knew they happened in certain cultures and religions. Or so history books claimed before the Sovereign made everyone into one culture.

Maybe I died. Maybe this whole thing is nothing more than an afterlife for me. Maybe none of this is real at all. Maybe I’m dreaming. Do I try to wake up? Do I fight it? Do I—

Thana lifted one of her legs and draped it over his waist, cuddling closer to him in her sleep.

Good dream, very fair, lovely feeling. Thank you very much, hope I never wake up. Long live the dreamer.

Reinvigorated with his life Runner smiled. Even one spent forever in this game wouldn’t be too terrible.

Runner rolled over and proceeded to wake Thana up. Sunrise was still a fair bit off. No time to waste.

Chapter 16 - Breather -

9:01 am Sovereign Earth time

11/19/43

At long last, his group had reassembled. They were sitting around a table, eating breakfast.

Nadine had finally stopped fussing over everyone after everyone got a full plate. Settling in across from him she seemed happy. Apparently taking live prisoners, and so many of them, sat well with her conscience.

Hannah had proceeded to do her best at stealing what she wanted from everyone else’s plate. That or bargaining with those who were quick enough to catch her.

Katarina had taken a seat next to Runner and for all the world acted as if nothing were different. Though to Runner’s eyes she did carry herself differently. Like she’d shed a backpack full of iron weights she had been lugging around. Not that he could blame her. Two days’ worth of events had shifted her entire world around.

Thana had taken the seat to his left. She smiled and made conversation as she would. Acting as if nothing were different. Though he would swear that she’d managed to communicate the situation to everyone else without having ever left his side this morning.

Isabelle had taken up next to Nadine and looked to be feeling like she finally belonged. When she first started joining them for meals on the march here, she had kept herself to merchant and trade discussions with Nadine. Now she took on the whole table in conversations. Even to Runner, Isabelle felt like she’d slid right into the group dynamic rather well.

Though he found himself mildly annoyed that he had to struggle to keep his eyes from staying too long or wandering.

After having amazing nights with Thana and Katarina each, you’d think he’d had enough.

Sophia hovered near the edges of the room, unsure of herself and her job. She fluttered from door to door, as if unwilling to stay still. The rest of her squad had taken up position outside of the room. Finally she went to open a door and step out.

“Grace, stop. Get a plate, sit down, eat with us. Honestly. You know everyone here. If you don’t, I’ll tie you to a chair. And not in the pleasant way either. I’ll leave you to whatever mercy Hanners has at that point.”

“None,” Hannah said around a mouthful of food.

“See? There you have it. Sit your ass down and eat.”

“Err-I-yes, sir.”

“No. None of that. In public, yes. In private, no. Runner. I get enough of that one from Miss Belle over there,” Runner said, gesturing at the Elf, who had the decency to turn a faint shade of red as if she were actually embarrassed.

Sophia bobbed her pretty head once and then managed to get a plate of food and seat herself without any more problems.

Runner waited for a minute or two to give everyone time to settle in before he opened up the discussion.

“I’m sure some of you already heard. The plan is simple. We’re heading south to end Jacob and free the Human country from his grip. What you don’t know, and I apologize, Grace, as you haven’t been around us long enough to know all the details, is that I’m officially trapped here. I can free every other player and crew member from the game. I cannot free myself. Jacob is the only one who can do that.”

“Free from what, exactly?” Sophia asked, holding a hand in front of her mouth as she spoke.

“Yeah, about that. Long conversation that spawns a lot of quest—”

A side door opened and in stepped a gorgeous woman. Even for the standards here in this world she seemed put together as if for his personal preferences.

Without realizing it, Runner stood up for her as she entered the room.

She was quite tall. Nearly as tall as Katarina actually. She didn’t have the broad-shouldered width of Katarina. Instead she had an hourglass figure similar to Thana’s. Long blonde hair cascaded down over her shoulders in an unbound fashion. Green eyes peered back at him. Her face had a triangular look with fair clean lines. She looked familiar and yet he couldn’t place it.

Runner tore his eyes from her face and checked the nameplate.

Srit Norwood. Level twenty-three. Fighter.

Now it made sense. Srit had said she liked the way Thana looked. Apparently she also liked the way Hannah did. She looked familiar because she looked like a blending of the two women’s faces.

“Srit?” Runner said, flabbergasted and at a loss.

“Yes,” replied Srit. Her voice was warm and reminiscent of Nadine’s. “It took me some time to get here. I manag—”

Runner grinned and then immediately closed the distance to her and hugged her tightly, interrupting her.

“I’m so glad you’re here. I was worried about you. Without you being able to respond I couldn’t even tell if you’d managed to get into the game okay.”

“Uhm, I’m sorry,” Srit mumbled, her arms settling around Runner in return. “I’m well. I died a few times on the way. Definitely learning experiences. I like sunlight. It feels good. I dislike pain. Significantly. This…this is nice, too.”

Laughing, Runner pulled back and then grabbed her by the hand and hustled her over to the table. He sat her down in his own chair and placed his hands on her shoulders.

Leaning down, he whispered in her ear.

“I’m ecstatic that you’re here but this is a conversation I need to have immediately. Eat, listen, relax.”

Standing back up, Runner smiled at everyone. He felt better. Everyone was here. He held tightly to Srit’s shoulders as if afraid she’d escape.