"I swear I could do this on the four day Back to Your Human Core excursion I did for my twenty-third birthday."

  Oliver said this after his fifteenth minute and sixtieth attempt to ignite a fire to set up camp. I crossed one leg over the other, sat on a log as I watched him huddled around a stone circle filled with twigs and dried leaves, huffing periodically into it to try and coax the most minuscule spark into something warming.

  Oliver suggested we make camp out in the woods instead of heading back to town. It was already late evening, and getting dark, and I reasoned that it wouldn’t be much harm to do so. And hey, it would give me some different surroundings for a night, so why the hell not.

  A campfire would be a necessity though, as while I wouldn’t be affected by the elements, Oliver could be, and it would also keep most mobs at bay, the animal based ones anyway.

  "Step back, Oliver," I sigh. He rocked back on his heels and looked at me with an apologetic expression. In turn, I flashed him a lopsided grin and shooed him to the other log. He took a seat as I waved a hand towards the fire-pit and cast a level one fire spell. The kindling ignited immediately with a whoof, and our little cosy campsite is complete. Oliver shot back up, whooping in surprise and joy at seeing such a small wonder. I looked up at him from under my brow, and he quickly quietened down and took his seat back on the log.

  Sitting in silence around the campfire, staring at the flames as they lick the dark air, silence grew fell, the only sound the crackling and spit filling the emptiness between us accompanied by the quiet sounds of the woods.

  "Sorry," Oliver finally said.

  "It's fine, Oliver," I respond, genuinely meaning it. "You don't have to be some great wild man of the woods right away. And remember, there's so many other ways open to you now too..."

  "That's not-I mean, yeah, I'm kinda sorry about that too, I really thought I could do it, but I guess it's a lot harder without the firestarter toolkit they gave us- I meant, about before...with the goblins."

  I turn my face towards him, and watch him lower his own eyes, like he can't meet my gaze. He looks like he's shrinking into himself, which with his thick set shoulders and brawny neck looks a little ridiculous, but also kinda sweet. He genuinely looks heartbroken about what happened earlier.

  "It's okay. Obviously, no harm, no foul, right?" I say, smiling, but Oliver seems unconvinced.

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  "No, I shouldn't have been showing off. Whatever my starting stats, I'm still new to this and you know what you're doing and I should have been listening to you. I just wanted you to know you didn't have to worry about me...if you wanted to leave me to it, you know." His eyebrows raise at that last bit, and he returns my gaze. There's something in his face I can't quite read, like he's hoping for something, maybe.

  I slap my thighs and stand. I sway from foot to foot, thinking just how to play this. Oliver watches me, but not directly: he's turned his face towards the fire again, but I catch his eyes following as I move. Finally, I walk around the fire slowly, towards his log.

  "Look, Oliver. Yes, you have started further along than most Players. Well, all Players to be entirely honest, as far as I’ve been told. And yes, you absolutely should be listening to me, I'm literally here to help you. And I know maybe you're not used to being told what to do--"

  "That's just it, I don't mind. But I know you don't like me, so if you don't want to bother with me, I totally understand," Oliver jumps in, eyes pleading as he looks up at me. It catches me off guard.

  "Oliver, I-I don't even know you yet..." I stutter.

  "Exactly! But you've made it pretty clear, I mean, I totally get it, I do, what with..." he drifts off, lowering his gaze into the fire again.

  "What with what, Oliver?" I say after a moment, opening and closing my hands by my side.

  "Sorry. I know it's none of my business," he starts. "But Meph told me a little about why...why you...you know. And well, I know what LifeZest did to you, and so if you don't want to be around me, I totally get it. It's...it's cool."

  For a hot second, a flush of rage runs through me about Meph, speaking out of turn. But then I realise I've not exactly made it easy on him. Or Oliver. Or anyone, I guess. I composed a quick note to Meph to let him know we’d be having words when I next see him, pondering whether to send it or not. I do, but then mute the chat channel for a while.

  I sit on the log next to Oliver, looking straight ahead. "It isn't your business, true," I say, calm and steady, letting a long breath out. "And Meph really shouldn't have told you anything. But I didn't...do what I did because of LifeZest. Because of you. I'm not ready to talk about that with you yet, maybe ever, but don't assume that my choice rested entirely on what your company was doing."

  "Sor—"

  "But I will admit I maybe also haven't been the nicest to you, or the most forthcoming, and I'm sorry for that. I’ve maybe jumped to a few conclusions myself, and I should be more…flexible. I'm going to be better at that, I promise, because yeah, it's what I'm here for and it's my job. But also, this is the most interesting my afterlife has been in a while, so I'm happy to do it. So, Oliver, you're stuck with me. How can I help you?"

  Oliver turns to me, and a smile slowly blooms across his face, his small tusks peeping out more from his lips as he looks at me.

  "Well, for a start, please...call me Oli." He puts out his hand to me, and I take it in a short, firm shake.

  "I can do that, Oli. So let's start by talking about tactics, and go from there, yeah?"