Read Online Lost Lands: The Game - Atlantis by A.E. McCullough - Free Book Online

practical, both on the other side and in game, Gamble just shrugged his shoulders and buried his problem for the moment and turned to the task of waking everyone up. Cozad was the easiest to awaken, since his eyes flew open at the dwarf’s approach. However, Pixi was the hardest. It seems that fairies have the natural tendency to turn invisible when sleeping, mix that with her ability to shrink down to about six inches tall and you have a very hard companion to find. The dwarf only found her when he tripped over her.
    Breakfast for the companions was a mixture of dried fruits and travel biscuits, not the most tasty fare but edible and nourishing. Everyone seemed to want to keep the morning conversation light and about unimportant subjects. Finally Mathias said, “Something has been bothering me.”
    Arieal was the first to respond. “What?”
    “Time.”
    Moira asked, “Time? What about time?”
    “If this is the game and we are governed by the rules of the game, wouldn’t time also be affected?”
    “How so?” asked Arieal.
    “It has probably been eight to twelve hours since we came across, right?”
    Bjǿrn looked up at the twin suns just starting their race across the sky. “Yes. That would be a good estimate.”
    “So, how much time has pas sed back home?”
    Pixi said, “The same amount, right?”
    Gamble shook his head. “No. Game time was much faster than real time. I want to say almost twelve to one.” Seeing the blank stares from Pixi and Moira, the dwarf continued. “I’m sure it wasn’t a straight twelve to one conversion but I know that every two hours of real time was one full day in game time or twelve game days to one day real time. Does that help?”
    Mathias cocked his head to the side while he considered what that meant. “So, only an hour or so has passed back on the other side?”
    Gamble shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not sure but if this land follows the rules of the game and that also includes time, then yes.”
    Tao rejoined the group. “Also remember that Al Shaytan said that time would not be a problem. I can take that remark two ways. Either that time moves much different in this land or more likely, we’re stuck here and have all the time in the world.”
    Mathias grinned. “So, I still have a chance on making it to my wedding on time.”
    Tao nodded. “It would seem so.”
    Mathias hopped up. “Outstanding.”
    Everyone else seemed to be infected by Mathias’s sudden good mood and began to pack away their belongings. Within minutes, the companions were ready and followed Tao as he moved down to the shoreline.
    *   *   *   *   *
    A large bat landed on a granite headstone just outside an old stone chapel.
    Callistra cancelled the transformation spell and returned to her natural form. One byproduct of the transformation was that the blood was gone from her clothes. She didn’t know why or how it happened but she just accepted it and went on with her business. Moving through the graveyard, Callistra thought about the misconception that vampires couldn’t walk on holy ground. If that was true, she hadn’t run across a holy enough spot to stop her… yet. Hearing singing from inside the chapel, she decided not to use the main door. She didn’t relish running into any innocents. Her hunger might be sated at the moment but she didn’t trust herself around that much fresh meat. Seeing an open window on the second floor, she leapt the distance and landed gracefully on the small window sill. Sniffing the air, she could smell the humans below but none were close by so she entered the room.
    Judging from the furnishings, it was Kastle’s room. It had a simple cot for a bed, a wardrobe full of robes and two large tables covered with scrolls and parchments. Covering one wall was a hand-drawn map of Hyperborea and all its known villages. On a second wall was another of Atlantis or at least what was known about the fabled city.
    Callistra rummaged through the scrolls while