I shook my head and walked out of the classroom quickly, trying to make it back to the Blacksmith Guild’s trapdoor. The halls were filled, mostly with various fantasy races and monsters. I waded through the crowd, feeling strangely taller. I had only been connected to Narjak’s device for a few seconds at most, maybe a minute, but I’d regained a foot of height. Though he’d likely intended to clone himself, what he’d actually done was given me a reprieve from whatever was awaiting me as a Courier. Not long, but if I got back soon enough-
A teenager jumped out a portal and ran straight into me, sending the kid to the floor. I grunted, mostly from the shock of the impact, too well-muscled to be affected. Then I saw his face. Danny Houston, one of my friends who had been, well, too poor to afford the VR tech. Hell, his family could barely afford internet.
“Jeremy? What-why do you look old?” Danny looked at me, incredulous.
“35 isn’t old, it’s…” I trailed off when I saw Narjak watching from down the hall.
That’s when I realized everyone around me had stopped moving, the hall silent. Other former students were staring down at the human with lust in their eyes. Danny was done for if I didn’t do anything. But if I stopped to help him, I’d probably transform back into a dwarf and…possibly cease to exist when my work orders were complete.
A demon, cloaked in the same hood I saw in the Necromancer’s Crypt, stepped forward, beginning to chant. Danny stared at him with horror in his eyes. I couldn’t let him become some mindless undead monstrosity, so I scooped up the teenager with surprising ease and ran full tilt through the crowd.
“What the fuck is happening?” Danny cried as I barreled through a group of goblins.
“You ever see Invasion of the Body Snatchers or, um, what’s a good analogy here? You ever see The Faculty? Where aliens take over the faculty and try to infect all the students?” I ask.
“Yeah, my mom had it on DVD. Is that…what this is?”
I held up the bracelet. “It’s all because of these. They’re warping reality.”
“So take it off!”
“I can’t!” I grit my teeth against the bracelet’s warning clench. “And don’t speak it out loud or the thing cuts my arm off! You have to clear your mind and…do what needs to be done!”
“Where are we going?” Danny asked, glancing around.
I’d taken a few turns and found myself near the entrance to the gym. Entirely on accident, of course. I searched around for a supply closet and ducked into it just as a group of jocks strode from the locker room, licking cum from each other’s furry muzzles.
We waited, breathless in the dark. After their voices and howls receded, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and set Danny down. We huddled together as our eyes adjusted and the outline of a janitor’s cart and some shelves filled with cleaning supplies appeared.
“Why were they all looking at me like a piece of meat?” Danny asked, shivering.
“Humans are subjects of conversion. You’re lucky…I’ve seen what they do to people who resist.” I replied.
“They get forcibly turned into monsters?”
“Worse.” I replied, voice gruff. “Animals and slaves.”
My spine popped and my stride shortened as the pin did its thing. Soon, I was back down to about four and half feet of height.
“Not much longer for me now.” I said.
“Why is this happening?”
“Because someone realized they could control the population through these bracelets. And were clearly very horny.” I smirked.
“No kidding. I saw cocks hanging out. Is everyone gay or something?”
“I don’t know. I was already gay, so…”
“Right, I forgot.” Danny looked away.
“Listen, you need to get out of the school. Maybe…somewhere far away. Or a bunker or something. Anyone wearing a bracelet is an enemy and you need to avoid them. Got it?”
Danny nodded. “How do I get out?”
I reached up and flicked on the lights. We both blinked, our eyes adjusting. I heaved myself to my feet and looked around.
“There, the big white bottle?” I pointed at one of the cleaning supplies.
“Yeah?”
“Cut it up and put it around your wrist. Let’s get you disguised, okay?”
We got to work, fiddling around with the supplies. I opened my inventory in VR and bought a few more supplies. There were a few temporary items that could transform someone into a normally unavailable race. I chose the Frenzyheart Brew and passed the foamy beer to Danny.
“Drink that. It should only be temporary.” I said.
“And if it’s not?”
“You get to be a giant wolverine man.” I shrugged. “Just don’t stay in…reality warped areas for longer than you have to. Honestly, I don’t know how this stuff affects humans.”
“Why don’t you drink one?”
“Because,” I sighed. “Martin got caught, so I’m rescuing him.”
“Farmer kid?”
I nodded. “Hurry, I’m running out of time.”
“Hey, why are you helping me?” Danny asked as I affixed the faux bracelet around his wrist.
“Someone has to make it. My mom doesn’t play the game, and I want to make sure I have as many allies as possible before I try to form a real resistance to this…conspiracy.”
Danny nodded and stared at the brew. “Bottoms up.”
He drunk it, and began to grow as I watched. Fur, brown and black and white, sprouted from all his pores, face cracking and reshaping into a bestial muzzle, feet and hands turning into claws. His makeshift outfit adjusted to his new form. The false bracer held, but clearly caused him some discomfort, tight around his thick, furry wrist. The Wolvar stared at himself, taking in his hunched but powerfully muscled form.
“Danny?” I asked, cautious, “You in there?”
Danny growled, then blinked before he nodded.
“Can’t talk?”
Danny shook his head.
“Okay, this lasts ten minutes. Don’t run, but walk cautiously out of the school then figure out a way home. Get out to the country.” I said, and then opened the supply closet door.
We stepped out into the hall as the last bell rang for the second class before the end of the day. I thought I saw something at the end of the hall, so I hurried Danny along towards the exit. The double doors opened…to a rather normal world outside. Everything within 50 meters of the school was transformed, but beyond that, it was normal Earth. There were other spots of unreality off in the distance, but clear enough that Danny could avoid them.
Danny turned and took my hand in his paw in thanks before he lumbered off. As he left the VR field, his fur slowly receded. Soon, the teenager was back to his normal human self and was running for a bike. I smiled as he made his escape. My stomach growled, and I realized I hadn’t eaten anything since I got to school.
I pulled up my work orders. Just two more guilds to stop by, mostly to drop off invites. What I needed to do was to go to the guild, act like a Courier, leave. Nothing crazy needed to happen, no opening my mouth and revealing the truth.