For the next couple of days, Zein didn't touch his headset. He shuttled to work and back. Zein broke this cycle on the weekend to sit in a park and observe. The way people walked. The way the birds flew and the geese swam. The way the ants crawled around his feet, carrying food on their back. The way the dogs chased each other in circles until they were tired. Breathing in the fresh cold air, he couldn't feel more alive.
Brrrring brrrrrring! Brrrring brrrring! Brrrring-
"Tell me?" Zein held the phone close to his ear.
"Zein!!! My friend! My pal! My beautiful baby boy! I hope you are having a wonderful Saturday morning." Clark answered, energy overflowing.
"What happened, Clark." Zein said, energy kept to a bare minimum, moving the phone away from his ear.
"Aww, come on, at least give me something, Zein." Clark whined. "What are you upto! I am having an incredible start to my day cause i get to talk to you of cou-"
"I'm at the park. Now, are you going to tell me what happened?"
"You're no fun, Zein! No fun at all!" Clark said. Zein could feel the man's pout through the phone. "In any case, i got something to talk to you about, get on the game."
"Can't say it here?"
"Isn't it more fun in-game! Come on, it's been a while, too. Just get on!"
"I'll be on in a couple of hours." Zein sighed.
"That's what I like to hear." Clark giggled. "I'll see you in a bit!" he ends the call.
Zein slid his phone into the pocket of his down jacket. He stared into the infinitely stretching sky and the clouds which move towards it. A never-ending quest to reach an end. Zein blew a wisp of cold air and closed his eyes.
Upon reaching home, Zein slipped out of his layers of clothes, leaving him in boxers and a beat-up graphic t-shirt, detailing an old man with a crown, sunken eyes and a frown. The Age of Divinity logo behind him was cracked and faded. He switched on the heater by the foot of his table, picked up his helmet, made himself comfortable in bed, and returned to Copperton.
Zein sat upright on his bed. The copper bedframe reflected the moonlight, making the room visible enough for him to navigate. Wu, sleeping by his side, woke up to the sound of Zein's ruffling.
"Oogie!" Wu exclaimed.
"Good evening, Wu." Zein smiled. "Did you sleep well?" he opened a blue window and began typing.
"Oogie! Oogie oogie!" Wu said, climbing Zein's sleeve and into his scarf.
"That's good to hear, Wu. Shall we get going?" Zein asked, closing the blue window.
"Oogie! Oogie!" the little monkey tugged on Zein's scarf in excitement.
Tail swaying from one side to another, Zein switched on the lights and tidied the room. Pillows stacked atop each other, floors dusted, and books arranged on the table. It was a cleansing, a ritual he performed. It was something he didn't do back in Aria, a fact that ate at him. Doing it here in Copperton set him free. Atonement for his forgetfulness. Brushing the untouched, folded blanket one last time, Zein stood by the door, admiring his work. He stashed the dustpan and broom by the copper table with pride and walked out, switching off the light and closing the door behind him.
At the bar below, he browsed the age forums. Checking out updates, rumours, and builds. He thought about how much had changed, yet hadn't. New weapons like nunchucks, SMGs and whips. A new skill branch which utilises the stars. 2 new planets apart from Babel. And of course, being a cat. In the span of one year, the game he loved so much changed, and he was starting to fall in love with it again.
During his scroll, Zein stumbled upon his video. He was caught off guard by how many views it got. 90,000 anything was far too massive for him to even imagine. Zein wondered why people liked it; he wondered how much money the video made. Reading through the comments made him feel sick, even if they were mostly compliments. It made him feel naked. Exposed to the greater internet. Zein left the comment section quickly and decided to rewatch his gameplay. It was the reason why he recorded everything in the first place, so he could learn.
Zein rested his fingers on his chin, eyes glued to the screen. If he saw something he didn't like, he'd click his tongue and scroll back, going through each frame, analysing his swing, his spell cast timing, his health management, his movements, and his eyes. How did he scan the battlefield? Was he efficient when it came to taking in information? Did he move his head around too much, or too little? His clicks grew louder with every mistake he noticed, startling the other adventurers within the bar. Biting on his thumb's nail, Zein opened a blue screen and typed. He typed about the little errors, how to fix them, and sometimes on what JJ, Torell, and Skada could improve on.
20 minutes passed, and Zein wasn't close to finishing. If things were left as they were, he would remain there for another hour. Examining the Spider Queen fight would've been on the cards as well. Unfortunately for him, company had arrived.
"Zeizei! Did you miss me!? I missed you, buddy!" Clark said, walking in. He placed his arm on Zein's shoulder and brought him closer, fur grazing against his beaten leather armour.
"Sit down, I'm in the middle of something." Zein waved at the seat opposite him.
"Whatcha doing? You going through the recordings?" Clark asked.
"How did you- never mind, yes I am. The fight against the Skull Kidds in particular. Your editor didn't edit too much, which I am grateful for. It has been easier to review everything." Zein said, still typing and rewinding.
"Any notes for me?" Clark asked, giggling. "I'm always eager to learn from the best."
"No. You were perfect."
"... Thank you." Clark cleared his throat hurriedly. He sat in silence, staring at Zein for some time before opening a blue window and reading. For the next 40 minutes, neither man moved. Adventurers who spotted Clark reacted in one of two ways: as a fan unable to contain themselves, shaking his hand profusely and wishing him the best, or with bewilderment as to why someone of his stature would just be skulking around in a random bar on a random planet. None of this bothered Zein; the noise was entirely blocked out until he reached completion.
"I'm done." Zein stretched his arms instinctively. "I didn't expect you to wait."
"What!? Of course, I can wait! Always so mean to me, so mean!" Clark closed the blue window, huffing,
"Alright, alright, my bad. So, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Zein asked.
Clark's demeanour changed. Seriousness brewed on his face. His eyes, piercing. "The ten great guilds had a meeting, and I was present." Clark said. "The main topic of discussion was you. The guild leaders were shaken to hear of your alleged return." he took a beat, reading Zein. His face was neutral, yet the little thumps heard from the floor gave him away. "The leader won't be coming after you. You can trust me on that." Clark clasped Zein's hand. The scratching began to stop, the thumps began to fade. "They can't prove it's you after all! Ain't I the best, Zeizei!? I did a lotta talking, I'll have you know."
"Thank you, Clark. I appreciate all the help, truly." Zein said, freeing his hand.
"Any time, for you." Clark smiled. "So, what's your plan now?"
"I'm going to the gorge, I got the Spider Queen's ingot after beating her with someone."
"Someone who wasn't me! How could you do this to me!? Also, send me the video, pretty please!" he dragged the last word until Zein responded.
"I will, I will. That being said, I'm going to head out. It seems like Johnny is online too."
"Before you go, you mind waiting fooooor 15 minutes?" Clark opened his messaging window and began typing.
"Why?"
"I'm sending spies."
"I do not want to be spied on."
"Oh, c'mon! Please! It'll give me some peace of mind! Plus, I'm sending Torell over. You love Torell, right!"
"Hold on, love is a strong word here," Zein saw the hidden desperation in Clark's face as he fought to keep a smile on his face. "Alright, I'll look after them. This will be the first and last time you do this. Send them to the gorge, I'll see them there."
"Yesss, don't you worry. I would love to fill their roles, but unfortunately, Jorah will kick my ass, so I must head back." Clark chuckled. "With that, goooooooooodbye! I'll see you tomorrow at work!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll see you at work." Zein said, watching Clark wave while exiting.
Watching Clark leave, Zein opened his notes, re-reading them while the video was still fresh in his mind. Annoyance returned. Word after word, it made him curse himself. If Clark wasn't there, he may have logged back out. His break further extending. A man barely holding out, a man who wanted to scream in embarrassment. The frustration Zein had, the level he held himself to, was unnatural. This was never redirected at his party- he alone bore the brunt of his wrath.
Minutes past Clark's departure, Johnny came stumbling in, rushing towards an exhausted Zein.
"Good evening, Mr. Cat!" Johnny saluted. "Are you okay? You seem ill, Mr. Cat."
"Ah, Johnny. I'm okay, thank you for worrying. Let's head out." Zein got out of his seat. Stretching himself once more. Wu, awoken by the sudden movement, peeked from the scarf. Spotting Johnny, Wu jumped from his friend's scarf, choosing to hang on the shoulder of his younger friend.
Reentering the desert, Zein, Johnny and Wu trudged through, cutting any monsters in their path. The sands were loose, and the dunes were shifting much faster this evening. Zein missed his bike. An all-terrain dirt bike he built with the aid of a friend. It was the last item he made before leaving the game for good. The slower he moved, the more the sands resisted, the more he thought of the past, replaying the mistakes he made. A day of troublesome reflection, Zein felt.
"Look, Mr Cat! We're almost there!" Johnny said, pointing to a crack extending into the horizon; it grew larger with every step.
"Oogie?" Wu looked in confusion from Johnny's shoulder.
"It's called a ravine, Wu, we'll be going down there."
"Oogie…" Wu turned to look at Zein, scared.
"Don't worry, Wu, I'll keep you safe."
Clearing out any remaining spiders and cacti, the trio reached the edge of the ravine. Sitting at the edge, on a bench made from hardened sand, a dwarf with a brimmed wizard cap and an orange braided beard. His dark skin reflected the moonlight. By his side, fidgety and nervous, an orc Zein knew.
"Torell! How are you?" Zein approached. "Look at you? Almost level 40. Kalel's been working you, huh."
"Anodos! H-hello, it has been a while yes I am-"
Ahem. The dwarf cleared his throat, interrupting the reunion. "You're Anodos? Kalel sent us here to help. He said it'd be a good way to learn but…" The dwarf examined Zein's and Johnny's levels. "Alright, in any case, Heathen's my name. An adventurer affiliated with the Blue Lightning Guild, same as him." he pointed to Torell. The orc simply gave an empty chuckle.
"Is that right? Good to meet you. Let's do our best." Zein held his hand out.
"I've sent you a friend request to you both. Accept it and join my party." Heathen ignored the outstretched hand, turning to walk along the edge of the ravine. The sand bench collapsed, dropping Torell onto the sand. "Hurry up, no time to waste."
"Mr. Cat. I don't like him."
"Oogie!"
Zein picked up the fallen Torell, who thanked him profusely. "Come on, let's get going. To the dead Spider Queen's lair."