Chapter 23 (Patreon)

As Anna rolled for her attack. "And that hits!", Bram exclaimed. "You manage to slip out of the shadows, and you drive your short sword into the exposed back of the goblin. It lets out a wail of pain as you plunge your blade into it, and it falls to the ground in a heap alongside its fallen brethren. With that, you've earned a short reprieve and a chance to rest."

Chad, Pam, Anna, and Victoria had just finished the last member of a goblin raiding party. After a surprise ambush amidst the desert sands, the four had won their first battle. The ensuing battle had been precisely what they needed to draw them back into the game. Anna's attention had started to wane before the fight, but she'd quickly regained her interest after the first attack. The waiting had been the most challenging part, but Bram had done his best to streamline the combat encounter. Years of practice had given him enough insight to ensure new players were entertained. Truthfully, he was surprised at how well the four of them had managed to work together. Chad had held the frontlines while Pam hung back and attacked from a distance with her firebolts. Victoria kept close to Chad to battle and buff while Anna slunk off to the shadows to attack from behind.

Twenty minutes later, their characters were surrounded by battered and burned goblin corpses. "Yes!" Anna exclaimed triumphantly, pumping her fist in excitement, "Do they have anything useful on their bodies? Gold, weapons, keys, anything that we could use or that I could sell?"

Bram smiled as he looked over his notes. Anna had been the most difficult to convince to join, but she seemed most into her character out of everyone. Victoria was a close second, but Anna took her role as a rogue quite literally. She'd kept busy in town trying to steal and maintained that she didn't work for free. "You find a collection of crude weapons on them, but nothing that seems like it would fetch a high price," Bram replied, "You do manage to find a coin purse on the one you just killed, but outside of that, there's nothing of note."

"Damn," Anna sighed as she sat back down, "Alright, I'll try to grab the purse and hide it before anyone sees me."

"Hey!" Victoria exclaimed, frowning at Anna, "We all fought them, so we all deserve a share."

"Finders keepers," Anna shrugged, grabbing the D20 and rolling it, "I'm a rogue and a thief, not some goody-two-shoes priest like you. Besides, according to this, you're not gonna see me do it anyway."

Bram nodded and laughed, "She's right, sis. Anna, you manage to pocket the pouch of gold before anyone can detect what you're doing."

It was impressive how quickly they'd all managed to grasp the concept of the system. Bram was glad he'd given them extra time in town to play around. He'd only needed to clarify a few things in battle, and that had just been what to add to hit and initiative. After that, they leaned on each other for questions and support. Bram had expected everyone to have fun, but he hadn't expected everyone to get as into character as they had. Pam, in particular, had adopted her persona as a sorceress remarkably well, and both Anna and Victoria seemed to be taking their roles seriously. So far, this night was going better than he could have hoped, with minimal incidents involving himself and his father.

Since Chad's last disappearance, and excluding Anna rolling him with her dice, Chad had managed to avoid any perils this far. It was a relief to him and everyone else at the table that things had gone smoothly since the debacle with the wine. He was finally starting to let himself relax and enjoy the game. He'd gotten to kill two members of the goblin raiding party, and Bram had allowed everyone who'd finished one to describe their demise. It was all pretend, but there was something satisfying about the image of crushing a goblin's skull with his shield. Chad was ready to see what else Bram had in store for their evening together.

"Alright," Bram said, "You four have earned a chance for a short rest. Do you guys want to continue, or do you want to table this for the night?"

"Was that pun intended?" Victoria asked, giggling at her brother's joke.

"Yes, yes it was," Bram beamed.

"So stupid," Anna sighed, grinning despite her insult, "I'm game to keep going if everyone else is."

"I want to see what happens next," Victoria chimed in.

"Didn't you help build this?" Anna asked, "Don't you already know what's coming?"

"Sort of," Victoria shrugged, "I did help Bram organize this, but he never shared any details about the plot with me. I was more like a record keeper and assistant than anything. Pam, Dad, are you two good to keep playing?"

"I am if Pam is," Chad answered.

"I'd like to continue and, hopefully, see this quest through," Pam said.

"Alright, awesome," Bram exclaimed, "So, why don't we take a short break so everyone can stretch, get something to eat, go to the bathroom, or whatever? Does anyone have anything they want to do during your rest?"

"I have to use the restroom, but I'd like to take some time to read more on the legends about where we're going," Pam said, pushing her chair back as she stood up, "If there's anything in there that could help us when we arrive or something for me to look for, I want to know."

"I'll go through and heal everyone, but then I'd like to spend some time in prayer," Victoria added.

"Lame," Anna scoffed, earning a glare from Victoria, "Can I scout out a little ways and still get the benefits from resting?"

"Yes and no," Bram answered, "You'll be running the risk of another encounter if you do that, but you can hang back on the fringes of the camp."

"That's bull," Anna argued, "I'm supposed to be stealthy, right? Why can't I go scouting without getting into a fight?"

"Just because you're stealthy doesn't mean you can't be caught," Bram explained, sweating a bit as Anna's indignant attitude started to show, "It's just the risk you'll run."

"Guys, let's try not to fight here," Victoria tried to step in and mediate, "Remember, this is just a game."

"That's exactly my point, though," Anna argued, "It's a game, so why can't I play it the way I want?"

"Because there are rules in place, hon," Pam said as she prepared to excuse herself.

"Ugh, this is so dumb," Anna sighed, realizing she was outnumbered in her argument, but then an idea came to her, "Whatever, I'm gonna run to the bathroom too since we're taking a break. Bram, why don't I take you with me? You can freshen up a bit and regroup."

"Oh, I-" Bram started, but Anna was already reaching for him.

"Trust me, you'll thank me for it later," Anna cut him off as she scooped him up and turned to Victoria, "Relax, I'm just going to make sure that he goes to the bathroom. He'll be fine."

Victoria still found it difficult to trust Anna to be alone with her father or brother. She wanted to object but reminded herself that Anna deserved a chance. "Just be careful with him," Victoria finally relented.

"You don't have anything to worry about," Anna assured her as she hurried off to her room, "We'll be back and ready to go before you know it."

Anna was gone with her brother before Victoria could say another word. She sighed as she stood up, "I guess I'll grab something to eat from the kitchen and check on Gran. Are you okay, Dad?"

Chad had been sitting down watching everything unfold. He was mildly concerned about Anna and Bram being alone together, but he didn't want to worry Victoria or Pam. He shook his head as he replied, "Yeah, I'm fine, hon. I'll be fine here until you all get back."

"Alright, if you're sure," Victoria said as she got up to head off to the kitchen.

While everyone else broke off to handle their affairs, Anna hurried back to her room with Bram in her hand. She knew she didn't have much time, but she had long enough to get her point across. Anna closed the door to her room and glanced at the clock on her nightstand. Ten minutes, maybe fifteen was all she had. Opening her hand, she brought Bram close to her face and scowled at him, "Alright, bug-boy, why are you making this difficult for me?"

Bram was a little caught off guard by Anna's question and disposition. "What do you mean?" he asked, genuinely confused by her harsh tone, "You're not talking about the game, are you? Anna, it's just the mechanics that are in place. I swear I'm not doing anything deliberately or trying to make things hard for you."

Anna rolled her eyes, "I thought you said this was a custom campaign, though. I'm not asking for a lot here, yet you're telling me I can't do something as simple as scout around."

This was ridiculous, but Bram had heard from his father that Anna could be easily upset. He'd never thought that something as simple as this would do it. "Anna, you're overreacting," Bram said, immediately regretting his choice of words, "Hold on, that's not-"

Anna's eye twitched before she clenched her fist around his little body and cut him off. "Do not tell me I'm overreacting, little boy," Anna warned, "I'm going to let this one slide because I like you, Bram, but don't push your luck. Unless, of course, you want to spend an afternoon stuffed in my volleyball shoes."

Bram's heart was racing. An all too familiar sense of confusion washed over him. He felt somehow both afraid and excited by Anna's threat. It didn't make sense, but then nothing about his fascination did. Logic dictated that he try to defuse the situation, but he couldn't fight a budding sense of curiosity welling up within him. Defying all sense, Bram opened his mouth to edge Anna on further, "You're being ridiculous right now!"

Anna's frown deepened as Bram blatantly ignored her warning, "Are you trying to piss me off, or are you just that thick? Insult me again and see what happens."

Anna's tone carried a heavy edge, but it only heightened Bram's growing excitement. He needed to stop, but he wanted to see how far she would go. Knowing that their family was still waiting gave him some additional confidence. "You're not going to do anything!" he shouted at her, throwing caution to the wind, "Dad, Pam, and Victoria are all out there waiting on us!"

Anna was about to snap, but she stopped herself before she could. This wasn't like Bram. Hell, even Chad didn't intentionally push her buttons like this. Something was amiss, but she couldn't put her finger on it. It almost felt like she was being manipulated, which added to her frustration. "You're right; we don't have time right now," she said calmly, watching Bram closely, "But I didn't say it would be tonight, did I? We're out of school, and it is incredibly easy for someone your size to get misplaced. So, are you sure you want to go down this road, little boy?"

"Y-you wouldn't dare," Bram said, his nerves beginning to outweigh his almost morbid fascination.

The tremble in his voice wasn't lost on Anna, but she still felt something was amiss. This wasn't like Bram to be so contentious. "Do you want to test that theory?" she asked, hoping he was smart enough not to call her bluff, "I don't know what's gotten into you, but I'm going to advise you to think about your next words carefully. You've got two choices, bug-boy. You can either apologize to me, and we can move on, or you can keep up your attitude and find out the hard way what happens when you piss me off. So, what's it going to be?"

Bram hesitated for a moment. He was torn between testing the waters more and indulging his unusual fantasy or heeding Anna's warning. Anna was scrutinizing him. He could see it in her eyes. Did she suspect something? He couldn't risk being found out, not by someone in his family. He swallowed nervously and chose to try to appease the titan holding him, "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Anna stared down at him for a moment in tense silence. Maybe she was reading too much into his behavior, but she couldn't shake her suspicion that Bram was hiding something. She could worry about it later, though. He'd apologized, and she wasn't about to go back on her word.

"Thank you," she said, "Alright, I'll deal with your dumb game's mechanics since you were nice enough to apologize. I still don't understand it, but I guess it's not that big of a deal. Come on, let's get you into the bathroom so we can get back."

"Thanks, Anna," Bram sighed, smiling and returning to his usual behavior, "If you want, I can go over this stuff sometime with you after our session. We can talk about some stuff your character could do between adventures."

"Maybe," Anna said, carrying him to her bathroom, "We'll see how it goes."

While Bram and Anna had their exchange, Chad had been sitting and patiently waiting for everyone to return. He had been trying to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, but Anna's quick and insistent departure had him worried. Surely she wouldn't try anything with Bram; the two of them had, perhaps, the healthiest relationship out of their blended family. He had to trust that she wouldn't hurt him, but he could always ask her about it later. They were still building a relationship, but she had been honest with him since the debacle with Jessica. He needed something to distract himself from his growing concerns. So, Chad decided to review his character sheet while everyone busied themselves with their break. His stomach growled as he stood up and made a note to ask Pam or Victoria for something to snack on when they returned.

A short distance away, a folder containing Victoria's sheets and papers slipped and fell off the table. Chad heard it fall to the floor, but he paid it little mind. It wasn't as though he could do much about it, so he ignored it and resolved to inform Victoria about it when she finished in the kitchen. However, his dear mother happened to be passing by and spotted the fallen folder. Rose, trying to be helpful, bent down to retrieve it and collect the spilled papers. Chad spotted her from the corner of his eye, but he remained focused on his sheet. He'd been trying to memorize the modifiers when things took an unexpected turn for him. Victoria called out to Rose from the kitchen, and Rose dropped the folder onto the table near Chad. The action was minor but created a violent wind that sent Chad backward again. Unable to stop himself this time, with no one around to save him, Chad continued to roll until he flew from the edge of the table.

Finding himself in freefall once more, Chad cried out as he searched for some way to save himself from an untimely demise. There was no way he could survive the fall from this height. Luckily, the wind had carried him just far enough to land on the chair's cushion. He landed with a bounce that stung, but he thanked the stars above that he was alive. Chad couldn't help but laugh at his situation. These days, it felt like all he could do to keep his spirits up. He had to count it as a win as long as he survived. Of course, being stuck on a chair meant he wasn't out of the woods quite yet. The way Chad's luck had been, he doubted that anyone would bother to look before they sat. Honestly, he couldn't fault them for it, either. However, that didn't make him feel any better about the prospect of being sat on. He hoped that if he yelled loud enough, someone would hear him before they sat down.

Time ticked by as Chad waited for everyone to return. Pam was the first, and she approached the very chair Chad was trapped upon. He shouted and flailed his arms about in hopes of getting spotted, but his lovely wife never heard or saw him. Pam's shapely rear eclipsed Chad's world as it fell like a meteor toward his unfortunate position. As the shadow of her ass descended, Chad tried to run for shelter and safety. His little legs couldn't carry him far enough fast enough and smashed him against the padding and her right cheek in a matter of seconds. It wasn't the first time he'd been sat on, but that didn't take away from the pain and humiliation of it. Pinned beneath his wife, he could only hope that she would notice he was missing sooner rather than later.

Unbeknownst to Chad, everyone else was returning and preparing to resume their game. Above him, the conversation turned to character interactions and activities. Pam wiggled in her seat to settle in and get comfortable. The simple and mundane action ground him back and forth beneath her as though he were dough. He felt like his body might turn to paste in seconds, but he barely managed to avoid becoming a stain on Pam's gown. Instead, her movements brought him closer to the last place he wanted to be: her crack. Chad found himself lodged in the space between her cheeks in no time. The only upside to his new position was that it provided some relief from the crushing weight of his wife. However, it was still an utterly humiliating and debilitating place to be.

The satin of Pam's gown acted as a stark contrast to his prison. The smooth fabric might have been lovely were it not for what loomed overhead. Memories of previous encounters with backsides came to mind, and Chad hoped that he might be discovered before too long. As it stood, he had no room to move, let alone breathe. While Pam was indeed clean, the scent of an ass was still just that, and it was far from pleasant. What little breaths Chad could take were strained and tainted by a natural odor. Then there was the heat of her body and backside compounding with his own. Soon, he'd begin to sweat, literally rather than metaphorically. He could squirm beneath her, but his struggles were minimal at best. His only hope would be that either someone would notice his absence or that Pam might feel him under her. Optimism was something he found difficult in the face and seemingly grim situations.

Seconds turned to minutes, but Chad's concept of time was distorted in these predicaments. While he suffered in silence and struggled in vain, Pam's attention was elsewhere as Bram answered what questions he could. Her attention was further diverted when Anna tried again to convince her to keep some of the relics they might find, and Victoria tried to sway her to fulfill their promise to their employers. As their conversation slowly turned to a more heated debate, Pam glanced between them as they began to argue. Once again, her simple action brought further discomfort and pain to Chad beneath her. Simple twists and turns dragged his body back and forth beneath her and rolled him from one side of her canyon to the other.

Chad's hopes were fading fast in the face of his unfortunate misery. Surely Pam would get up sooner or later. His struggles were growing weaker as hunger pains began to set in. He also feared risking an injury if he moved the wrong way. The image of some of the other tinies from LIFT and their horrendous injuries was still fresh in his mind. He'd been lucky thus far, but Chad knew that luck wouldn't last forever. Time passed and he was definitely feeling the heat. While the pressure had subsided, the temperature had continued to rise. Chad was sweating profusely, and he hoped that the grime he felt was just his. As much as he loved his wife, he didn't relish the idea of mingling in her sweat. She shifted again, and he prayed that he would soon be discovered.

"Dad, you've been quiet so far," Bram said as Anna and Victoria finally agreed to disagree, "Do you have anything to add or anything you want to do? Dad?"

After fifteen minutes of discussing and debating, everyone's attention turned to the missing patriarch. They waited for Chad to say something, but they looked around for him when he never did. "You have got to be kidding me," Anna sighed as she leaned down to see if Chad might be buried beneath papers, "Where did he go now?"

"Crap," Victoria groaned as she looked for her father and called her grandmother, "Gran, have you seen Dad?"

Rose had been in the living room, but she quickly joined everyone in the dining room. She looked around on the floor for any signs of her son. "I'm afraid I haven't seen him," she answered as she approached, "The only thing I've seen lately was your folder on the floor, hon. I picked it up before helping you in the kitchen. The last I knew, he was on the table waiting. Pam, did you take him to the bathroom with you?"

Pam shook her head and frowned, "No, I left him right where he was. Where could he have gone?"

"Dammit," Anna sighed, slowly standing up, "Every time we start to get into a rhythm, he pulls this crap."

"He's not doing it on purpose," Victoria remarked, getting up as well, "He can't help his condition, Anna."

"I know, and I get that," Anna replied, carefully shifting papers around and checking the bucket of dice, "I know it's not all his fault, but it doesn't make it less of an inconvenience. Bram, you're about the same height; see if you can find him under anything. Try not to get yourself in any trouble, though."

"You got it," Bram said, walking and surveying the table for anything out of the ordinary.

"Mom, are you sure you didn't move him?" Anna asked.

"Positive," Pam said, getting up and unknowingly freeing Chad from his torment, "I guess I should have taken him with me to be safe."

Chad felt the weight of his wife lift from his body, and he took a sharp inhale of fresh air. He was free at last, and he assumed someone had finally noticed that he was missing. His body was still exhausted, and his stomach was rolling with hunger pangs. This was his chance to be found! Chad forced himself to stand up and shouted as loud as he could, "Down here! Somebody, anybody, I'm on the chair!"

His voice was little more than a squeak on the wind. Faint and nearly unheard by his family as they searched for him. "Did you hear something?" Victoria asked, barely catching Chad's muffled cries for help.

"Nope," Anna said as she bent down to check under the table.

Pam looked around, having heard something faint as well. She'd thought she'd imagined it, but now she wasn't so sure. "What did you hear, Victoria?" she asked, looking around for the source of the mystery noise.

"I thought I heard Dad," Victoria replied, "Maybe I'm hearing things, but I swore I heard him yelling."

Anna popped her head up and pursed her lips, "Maybe, maybe not," she said, "I'm not seeing him down here, though. Any idea where it might have come from?"

Pam looked around and turned to walk past her chair. She spotted something that contrasted with the white cushion of the chair. She knelt down to take a closer look, and her cheeks flushed as she spotted her husband. "Oh my God," Pam breathed as she reached out to grab Chad gently, "I think I found him. Chad, are you okay?"

Chad let Pam scoop him up. Anna rolled her eyes and sat down, "Little pervert must have gotten bored."

"Anna, don't start," Pam said, standing and placing Chad back on the table, "I doubt that he purposefully put himself on the chair."

"I wouldn't put it past him," Anna scoffed, "Bram, we found him."

Chad fell onto his butt and breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm alright now, hon."

"Do we need to stop for the night, Dad?" Bram asked, hurrying over to check on his father.

"No, it's fine," Chad assured him, "I appreciate it, but I'm quite alright. I've been through worse. I wouldn't turn down something to eat, though."

"You've been under an ass for at least twenty minutes and want to eat?" Anna asked in disbelief.

"What?" Chad countered, "I was hungry before I got knocked onto the chair."

"You're gross," Anna replied, but she moved to get him something to eat, "What do you want, bug-man?"

"I'm not picky, just whatever is available," Chad replied, ignoring Anna's insult.

"Dad, what happened?" Victoria asked.

"I kinda just got swept off the table," Chad replied, watching as Anna placed a couple of broken chips, some fruit she'd cut up, some dip, and some veggies on a plate for him, "I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but I'm lucky I just landed on the chair."

"I am so sorry, honey," Pam said, feeling guilty for nearly crushing her husband, "I should have looked before I sat down."

"No harm, no foul," Chad replied, happy that he was alive and that Anna had gotten him some food, "Thanks, Anna."

"Yeah, yeah, can we get back to the game since our party idiot is still alive?" Anna asked.

"Don't be mean," Victoria said.

"I'm glad he's okay, don't get me wrong," Anna said, "But you heard him, he's fine. Let the little dork eat, and we can keep going while he does."

"Anna, try to have a little sympathy," Pam sighed, knowing her daughter meant well but understanding Victoria's viewpoint.

"It's okay," Chad assured everyone, "I'm alright, and I want to see where this goes. We've got a quest to finish, after all."

"Glass half full, right?" Anna asked, grinning as she looked down at him, "Ever the optimistic little dork with a dash of perversion."

"Well, you're half right," Chad laughed, "I wouldn't say I'm a pervert, but I try to be positive."

"Agree to disagree, shrimp," Anna said, shaking her head, "Let's get back to the game."

"Okay, if you're all sure," Bram said, walking back to his place, "If nobody has any more questions or business, we can resume the adventure!"

With yet another crisis averted, the McCallum family resumed their role-playing evening. Bram led them through their journey across the desert sands. Chad munched and snacked on his food while listening to his son talk. He'd never realized what a vivid storyteller his son was until tonight. Bram's depictions of the shifting sands, scorching sun, and the toll it took on them made everything feel almost real. A group of rag-tag adventures braving the deadly expanse of a lonely and forgotten land. Perhaps one day, his son would become an author; he certainly had a talent for words. He'd have to speak with him about it sometime.

The evening continued without incident. Chad, Anna, Victoria, and Pam listened as Bram described their journey. According to Bram, it had been two full days' worth of walking before they finally arrived at their destination. "The four of you pass through an ancient archway that's somehow withstood the test of time," Bram said, everyone hanging on his words as they approached the climax, "It's been a grueling journey thus far, but each of you feels hopeful and in awe of what you see. The city lies half buried beneath the sands, but what isn't seems to have an almost arcane glow. The stonework is intricate and ornate, and not one of you can resist marveling at it as you pass. Relics from a time long since past surround you as you explore deeper into what's left of the Forgotten civilization. Pam, you can feel a pull of something coming deeper in the city."

"I'll mention this to everyone," Pam said, having learned that she needed to clarify whether or not to inform the others, "Can I tell anything about what it might be?"

"You're not sure, but it's as though something is calling out to you," Bram answered, "Does anyone object to following your sorceress?"

"No, I'll follow her and stay close to keep her safe," Chad said.

"Could be something valuable, so I'm going along," Anna shrugged.

"Whatever it is could be a threat or evil, so I'm definitely going," Victoria agreed.

Bram tried to suppress his excitement as everyone agreed to venture further into the city. "The four of you follow Pam then as she leads you through a maze of ruins," he explained, "As you continue, you come to what appears to be some basin with crumbling columns, shattered stones, and what looks to be skeletal remains. Dad, you're reminded of an arena you frequented before leaving your home, almost like this were some coliseum for sport. Beyond the bones and ruins, you notice some sort of colossal gemstone jutting out from the sands. It's prismatic, and as the sunlight pieces through it, it casts an eerie, yet colorful, glow around the area."

"Can I do an arcana check on it?" Pam asked.

Anna spoke up before Bram could answer, "I'm heading over to it to check it out. If I can break off some shards of that, I'm totally pocketing them to sell!"

"Anna, wait," Pam warned, "It could be dangerous."

Bram smirked as his players hit their first dividing obstacle outside of their beliefs, "This is a player choice that she can make without consulting everyone. Anna, if you want to charge in ahead of everyone, you've got that right as a player."

"Really?" Anna asked, excited by the news, "Hell yes, I'm going in! Sorry, guys, but I'm in this for the money."

"Spoken like a true rogue," Bram laughed before clearing his throat and setting the stage for the climax of their evening, "Okay, so as you rush towards the gemstone, you find that it towers over you. It must be close to thirty feet tall, maybe more. As you approach the towering stone, the area around it seems cooler than it had been only moments ago. Instinctively, you lay your hand against the coarse surface of the stone, hoping to find a good place to chisel away a piece of the huge rock. Your hand gets cut by part of the rock, and blood trickles down onto the surface. To your surprise, the stone responds to your touch. There is a rumbling that causes a quake throughout the entire coliseum. Everyone, give me an athletics check!"

"What?!" Anna exclaimed, snatching her dice, rolling it, and groaning, "Shit, I rolled a five."

"Thirteen," Victoria said, checking hers as it stopped.

Pam rolled hers and Chad's and announced their totals, "Sixteen for Chad and a nine for myself."

"Everyone except Dad is knocked to the ground as the tremors become more violent," Bram said, "A voice booms across the land, and it seems to be coming from the gem. The voice of a woman, fierce yet almost joyful, calls out, 'Long have I slumbered and waited for someone to answer my call! My sisters imprisoned me eons ago, but their seal shall hold me no longer! By the blood of this newcomer, I shall return to the world that has shunned me, and I will reign as queen over this sad world!' As she finishes speaking, the stone begins to crack and split."

"Fuck, can I get to my feet and book it?" Anna asked, hoping to avoid taking any additional damage from whatever was waiting inside the stone prison.

"Give another athletics check to see if you can get to your feet in time," Bram answered, earning a stern glare from Anna as she did as he requested.

"Uhm, seventeen total!" Anna proclaimed with excitement and relief.

"Perfect, you manage to vault upright and run as an arm bursts through the rock," Bram continued, "Shards of the crystalline prison fall around you as you dash and dodge your way back to the rest of your party. The rest of you look on as the figure of a mighty woman bursts forth from her prison. Pam, from what you've read and researched, you think she may be a member of the old civilization. You can't be certain, but you've never seen any human as gigantic as this. Twin horns jut from the top of her head, and deep, almost crimson locks fall well past her shoulders. Her body is barren beyond tattered cloth that barely covers her chest and thighs. Her skin is tanned and looks almost human, but her eyes glow a vibrant shade of red. Finally, she steps out of her prison and scans the area. Her eyes land on the four of you, but she spots Anna as the closest target."

"I'm going to go ahead and cast bless on everyone!" Victoria exclaimed.

"Alright, you can get that off before initiative rolls," Bram replied, deciding to allow his family a slight buff despite the oncoming battle, "Your resident cleric utters a quick prayer, and you all feel as though you're stronger than you were moments ago. It's as though the sun's light shines brighter for a fraction of a second, and your confidence grows despite the threat looming ever closer. Hit me with some initiative rolls!"

Everyone quickly grabbed their dice and rolled them. The order of combat was swiftly decided, and Bram took a moment to revel in his family's excitement. Anna had rolled the highest, thanks to a healthy boost. Pam was second, their titanic enemy was next, Chad was just above the bottom, and Victoria had rolled the lowest. This was the moment Bram had been waiting for, but he hoped no one would notice his subtle blending of fantasy within the game. It seemed that everyone was more focused on their opponent, though, and he felt confident that this would be a battle to remember. It was time to see how well everyone had prepared and how well they could work together.

"The Titaness laughs as she looks down on you all," Bram said, "Her laughter is cruel, but her words are crueler, 'A group of ants come to sacrifice themselves to a Goddess! Come, entertain me, you little insects!'"

With his short speech as the giantess, Bram turned to Anna to let the fight begin in earnest. Not wanting to get crushed and eliminated early, Anna used her turn to put more distance between herself and the titan. Using her athletics skill, she exhausted her movement to find cover. Her turn came to a close as she tucked behind cover and switched to her crossbow. Pam, ready for her turn, was prepared to attack. However, she had to move into range to hit. Expanding her movement, she found a position to dig in and attack. She hurled a firebolt at the titan, landing the first blow against her. They'd managed to deal damage, but the giantess remained unphased and undeterred.

It was that giantess’s turn and her sights were still on Anna. Bram had a few tricks up his sleeve for her, but he wanted to start slow and allow things to build. He had her advance and attempted to stomp down on Anna with her bare foot. Fortunately, the roll for her attack, courtesy of Victoria, failed to land. Still, Bram brought a fair share of flair to even the failed attack. While she missed Anna, the sole of her foot shattered a shard of her former prison, sending a shockwave throughout the arena. He had Anna perform another skill check to remain on her feet, and she barely managed to keep from getting knocked down. It was a small victory, but one that Anna was excited about regardless.

Next was Chad, and he chose to try to draw their enemy's attention. He hoped he could spare Anna from taking damage, but he couldn't get close enough before his actions were spent. Already, he was planning his next turn, though.

Victoria brought the first turn to a close, and she followed suit behind Pam in preparation for her first attack. She tried to move closer to her party in case they needed her, and as a result, she could only get one attack off. The Titan was well within sight, and she used an offensive spell. Her enthusiasm was brimming as she proclaimed her choice to use sacred flame. Another successful attack slowly began to whittle away the giantess' hit points.

The first round finished, and Anna was once more able to attack. She fired twice with her crossbow, but she missed her first attack. Her second bolt hit, though, but Anna was locked in place. Pam flung another firebolt that managed to land, but their opponent remained seemingly unaffected by their attacks. The time had come again for the titan to unleash her attack, and Anna was still her target. Much to Anna's dismay, the giantess managed to succeed on her attack roll. Anna was scooped up by her titanic hand and squeezed mercilessly. Bram used his experience from only a short while ago to paint a picture of the pain and agony of Anna and the others. To finish her turn, the titan thrust her fist down, with Anna still held tightly, and dealt a hefty amount of damage to Anna.

The battle raged on for several more turns with various failures and successes. Anna remained the focus of the titan until Chad managed to save her with his protection skill. A thunderous blow from his axe drew her attention to him, but it bought Anna the time she needed to retreat. Even so, Anna had taken the most damage and needed to find a way to heal herself. Victoria had forgone her opportunity to attack to move her character closer to Anna. With their combined efforts and communication, they got close enough for Victoria to heal Anna and hand off a healing potion for good measure. It came at an opportune time; Anna had received a vicious stomp and grind from the Titan before Chad intervened. If Pam hadn't used one of her more powerful spells, Anna would have been pinned and trapped until she could have broken free.

"This is starting to piss me off," Anna said as she adjusted her health on her sheet, "It's like our attacks have no effect on this lady!"

"Welcome to life at the size of a bug," Chad chuckled before asking Bram, "Can we tell if we've done anything to hurt her?"

Bram checked his math before he answered, "She's furious, and you can see wounds from your melees, bolts, and burns from the spells. Her attacks are becoming increasingly violent as well."

"Okay, so we've managed to make her angry," Chad sighed, reminded of times he'd infuriated Anna, "We need to think here. She's gigantic, but she has to have a weakness of some kind. Wait, is that a thing in these games? Is there a spot that would do more damage to enemies?"

"Not typically, no," Victoria replied with a sigh, "Unless Bram has something special planned that he didn't tell me, I wouldn't count on finding a weak spot."

"She towers over us, but what if we tried attacking above the waist?" Pam asked, trying to think outside the box, "I know you said weak spots aren't typically used, but something is better than nothing."

Bram bit his lip as he listened to his family try to strategize. Victoria was right about enemies, but he knew throwing a giant at them this early wouldn't be easy. So, he'd concocted a hidden strategy for them to use, two in fact. Pam was close to one of his ideas, but nobody had even considered an alternative beyond fighting. "What about anything around this place?" Anna asked, making Bram's smirk grow bigger.

"What do you mean?" Victoria asked.

"Well," Anna began, trying to get creative, "Whoever this bitch was, she was imprisoned here, right? We're here because of some technological or magical curiosity for the guild, so maybe there's something around here that we can use against her. At this point, I'd settle for just freezing her in rock again and calling this one a damn loss."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Chad said, "I don't think running is the best idea, but using something here could work. The question is, how do we know what we can use?"

"I've got detect magic, but if I use it now, I won't be able to use any other first-level spells after this," Victoria offered, "Do we want to try this?"

"I don't know," Chad sighed.

"We're running out of options here," Anna sighed, "I, for one, am tired of getting stepped on, literally. I say go for it, and if nothing else, we die trying to find a way to beat her. Mom, what do you think?"

Pam frowned as she weighed their options, "I think it depends, honestly. What if we try both tactics?"

Bram waited and listened, curious to see what Pam was planning. "What do you mean?" Anna asked.

Chad perked up and answered, "I think she means that the two of us work together while she and Victoria try to find a way to use this old technology. It'll be risky, but you already said we're running out of options."

"This is a stupid plan," Anna sighed, "But I don't see another way. How are we supposed to try to attack above her giant foot?"

"The rocks!" Victoria exclaimed, "You can try to use them as a jumping point."

"Alright, I'll draw her attention as best I can and try to get to higher ground," Chad said, "It's not the best plan, but it's the only one we've got."

It was quite the unorthodox plan, bordering on breaking a few rules, but Bram was willing to allow it. Tonight wasn't about introducing everyone to a by-the-book session but about bringing his family together. This was the first time he'd seen everyone on the same page before the virus hit. "Okay, try not to get killed," Anna said, pooling both her and Chad's dice, "Just be your usual annoying self and piss her off."

"Okay, are you guys ready?" Bram asked, wanting to make sure they didn't have any further plans to make.

"Let's do it," Pam said with a wide smile.

"I cast detect magic," Victoria said as their plan began.

"Alright, your palms begin to glow as your body begins acting as a conduit for anything arcane," Bram said, falling back into his role as the dungeon master, "The entire area seems to hum with magical energy. You can feel something unfamiliar and active several floors above you all. You're grasping at straws, but your instinct tells you that the answer to your questions may be above. Looking upwards, you can see what looks like a strange device carved out of a mineral you've never seen before."

"Pam, let's try to get up there," Victoria said, her excitement shining through.

"Alright," Pam said before asking, "Can I try to provide cover fire for the others? Assuming that this giant is in range, that is."

"Don't waste your actions on that," Chad said before Bram could answer, "We need you two to get up there as quickly as possible. If we have to hold out for a few turns, so be it. We can handle it, right, Anna?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Chad," Anna said, "I'm probably gonna regret this, but I'm trusting the little guy for once."

"That's a big step forward, even if it is a game," Chad joked.

"Don't push it, shrimp," Anna warned, "Let's move at the first chance we get. Bram, I want to try to stick to the shadows and look for a place I can jump from."

"Alright," Bram said, hoping to streamline things for the sake of time, "Anna, I'll need a stealth check from you and Pam an athletics check for you."

Anna and Pam rolled their respective dice, and they succeeded on them. Anna disappeared into the shadows, and Pam was able to break away despite the tremors from their angry, giantess adversary. With only two targets within range, their titanic foe set her sights on Chad. A successful attack roll for her and Chad was hoisted into the air by the furious titan. She squeezed Chad and brought him close to her face at the end of her turn. Chad's health took a significant hit, but their plan was working well enough. He used his turn, trying to break free from her grip and to scale her arm in hopes of getting close to her face. Anna rolled for him, and the resounding nineteen that rang out allowed him to free himself. Chad felt he was living through the great battle as Bram painted a colorful picture for everyone.

"The titan roars and screams in rage as you break free from her grasp!" Bram exclaimed, "She taunts you all as she begins to grow tired of your antics, 'Meddlesome little ants, all of you! I, the great Diana, will not be undone by such insignificant weaklings!' Victoria, you've managed to catch up with Pam thanks to Dad's distraction, and the two of you begin your ascent upwards!"

"Is she within range for me to jump and climb her stupid loincloth or whatever it is?" Anna asked as her turn was about to start.

"You'll have to roll for it, but you can try it," Bram replied.

Anna rolled her dice and felt a rush of joy when she saw a twenty land on the table. "Yes!" Anna nearly jumped out of her chair in excitement.

With a perfect cast of the die, Anna vaulted like an acrobat and stealthily landed against the cloth of the giantess. She scaled upwards in hopes of dishing out hefty damage of her own. Her turn ended before she could attack, though. Pam and Victoria managed to break free from the combat zone, but they could only continue upwards in search of the mysterious device needed to seal Diana away. Diana's turn came again, and her attention was focused solely on Chad. She attempted to snatch Chad and hurl him to the ground, but her roll failed, and she missed. Chad rushed up along her arm and tried to attack. He swung his axe and drove it into her neck. A high damage heavy blow caused Diana's fury to go into overdrive.

"Your axe sinks into her neck, and you're forced to hold on for dear life as she goes into a blind fury!" Bram shouted before asking, "Victoria, can you roll for me?"

Victoria happily grabbed Bram's dice and rolled it. A low five meant that Anna could remain undetected as she continued to ascend. Three more turns came and went, and Diana had yet to regain control over her rage. Anna had been acing her rolls, and she and Chad were slowly whittling away Diana's health. Their only damage had come from debris as Diana continued destroying parts of the arena. The giantess had finally spotted Victoria and Pam trying to reach the ancient device. However, Chad and Anna's continued assault left her frantic and distracted. It allowed Pam and Victoria the time they needed to get to the top floor, and it was finally time to activate the mystery machine.

"Okay, now how do we use this?" Pam asked as Bram informed them of their success.

It went against some of Bram's instincts, but he was too swept up in the moment to care. Everyone had worked hard to get here, and it was beginning to get late. "You hear the voice of spirits crying out to you as you approach the odd-looking machine," he said, "They seem restless and uneasy, but through their wails, you can hear one speaking out despite the sorrow. 'Wayward travelers,' the spectral voice calls out as an apparition begins to take shape, 'Forgive us for our transgressions and hubris. Our sister, Diana, was corrupted by lust and greed. She was the mightiest among us centuries ago, and we could do nothing but seal her away with this machine. It was made for a singular purpose and was our greatest creation. Diana sought to use it to imprison the Gods, but we stood against her conquest. She slayed us so that she could use the device for herself, but with our dying breaths, we activated it and imprisoned her. Allow me to channel through you to make right the wrongs of our past. I ask this so that we may free your world from the tyranny of our beloved sister.' The choice is yours, Pam. You can let this spirit into your body or reject her and try to work the machine yourself."

"Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast," Anna said, "This chick is nuts, and she is getting more pissed by the second. We've been lucky so far, but Chad can't take another direct hit from her."

It was true. Chad's health was easily the lowest out of everyone's. Against an average foe, he may have been fine, but against this titan, he would fall fast. "Okay," Pam said, "I'll give it a shot. Spirit of the forgotten ones, I permit you to use me as a conduit to save my friends and seal this woman."

"Nice touch," Bram chuckled, surprised that Pam was showing as much flair as she was, "The spirit enters your body, and it's like having an out-of-body experience. You watch as your body moves of its own accord as the spirit takes complete control. You open a stone panel on the side of the device, and your hand begins to glow a strange shade of blue. The device hums to life, and you can hear Diana scream no in protest."

"Shit, we're stuck on her!" Anna suddenly shouted, "Is there any way for us to jump somewhere safe?"

"You can try, but you'll need to pass an acrobatics check, both of you," Bram replied.

Anna rolled for her and Chad, but Chad's dice landed on a resounding two. Anna's dice clattered until the golden twenty sat facing up. She'd make it to safety, but Chad would surely fall to his death. There was a second of tense silence before Anna asked, "Can I save him? Like, I rolled a crit or whatever, so can I try to keep him alive?"

Bram was about to give his closing speech and prepare to describe Chad's fate, but he paused to think. It went against many rules and mechanics, but they didn't need to know that, not right now anyways. "You can try, but you'll need another high roll to do it," he advised, "There's no guarantee that you can make it, though."

"Anna, don't worry about me," Chad said, "You three can still make it out, but you don't need to worry about me."

"If there's a chance, then I'm gonna try it," Anna said definitively, surprising everyone, "We've come too far and worked too hard for one of us to die here. Remember the whole point of this stupid night was for us to work together? We did that, and you saved me from getting squished under this nut job's foot. So, stop trying to be the noble little dork, and let me try to save you."

"Anna-" Chad started.

"No buts, little man," Anna said sternly as she grabbed her dice, "What do I need to roll?"

"Anna, are you sure about this?" Victoria asked, "I think it's great that you want to help, but this is just a game. Dad can always make another character."

"I'm sure," Anna replied, shaking the dice in her hand, "Besides, I like this version of him. He's still a dork, but we're in this together."

Pam smiled but didn't say a word. This was a shocker, but it filled her with joy that Anna was willing to put herself on the line for Chad. Even if it was pretend, this was still a monumental step for them as a family. "Okay then," Bram said, "You'll need a seventeen at least to pull this off, and that's without any bonuses."

Anna nodded and rolled her twenty-sided dice one last time. She threw it harder than she meant to, and it knocked into Bram before it stopped. Bram was knocked onto his butt, but he shook it off quickly. "Nineteen!" Anna cheered happily before apologizing, "Sorry about knocking you down."

"Don't worry about it," Bram laughed as he crawled to his feet. The excitement overtaking him as he asked, "Alright, what's your plan?"

"I want to use the rope I've been carrying to try to lasso Chad," Anna explained, "I don't know, maybe do like those skydivers do in the movies or something to get close enough to him."

"Alright, gimme a second," Bram said, trying to improvise the rescue alongside the finale, "Okay, so the ancient device begins to power on, and the tip of it starts to glow. Pam, you and Victoria watch with bated breath as your comrades try to get to safety. Your warrior friend stumbles and slips as Diana continues to try to stop what you two are doing. Your resident rogue sees this, and you two watch in disbelief as she performs an agile miracle. She kicks off Diana's midsection, grabs the rope from her satchel, and deftly throws it at Dad. Dad, you're in a state of free fall, and you've made peace with your Gods. You've done everything you can, and you're prepared to die knowing that you've saved your new friends and possibly the world. However, you see the rope flying towards you, which coils around you against all odds. Anna, you're not prepared for the weight of his armor and weapons, but you still manage to hold on. The two of you crash through a window just as the device fires its magical beam. Diana begins turning to stone again, and the last thing you hear is a curse upon your houses and a vendetta against you all. She swears that she will one day break free and that you four will become her personal playthings as punishment for defying the will of a Goddess. Go ahead and take ten points off your HP, but the battle is over, and you've all managed to survive, despite the odds."

"Holy crap, we actually did it," Chad laughed, "Thanks for saving me, Anna."

"Yeah, yeah, don't make a big thing out of it," Anna sighed.

"That was really cool of you," Victoria added.

"Yeah, well, he owes me now," Anna said, "The way I see it, I've got some muscle if I get into any trouble back in town."

"I'm sure that's all you were thinking about," Pam finally chimed in, "Well, Bram, what do we do now?"

"I think we're pretty much winding down," Bram replied, "You guys finished what I had planned, and all that's left now is downtime and dividing up loot. It's getting late, though, and we can handle this next bit one-on-one when you've all got some time. What did you think?"

"I thought it was awesome," Victoria answered, "It was better than I could have hoped."

"I admit, this was quite fun," Pam smiled, "I'd be up for another game sometime."

"This was a blast," Chad agreed.

"I'll admit that I didn't expect much, but this was pretty awesome," Anna added, "I'm up for another session sometime. Who would have thought that numbers and make-believe could be fun? Then again, you're a pretty good storyteller, Bram."

"She's right, son," Chad said, "You've got a knack for putting people in the middle of a great story."

"I'm only as good as the characters I'm playing with," Bram said, trying to remain modest.

"They're right, Bram, you've got quite a talent," Pam said, "More than once, I really felt like I was really in the game."

"I'm just glad everyone had fun," Bram said, trying to change the subject.

"I'm inclined to agree with everyone," Rose added as she grabbed her coat, "I was listening to the entire thing, and it was quite the little story. If everyone is finished, though, this waitress is going off the clock. It's far past my bedtime, but I couldn't resist hearing how this little story played out."

"Thanks, Gran," Bram said, "For everything, and I'm glad you all enjoyed it."

It had been an evening full of surprises, twists, and turns in more ways than one. While everyone had gone in with varying expectations, they'd all been pleasantly surprised. Bram's game had brought them all closer together. They talked for a bit longer before everyone decided to turn in for the night. Whatever the future had in store, the McCallum family felt closer after tonight than they had in months. A night of team building through a tabletop session allowed them to bond and grow closer together. It was a small victory, but it meant the world these days.

<Storyteller note: I hope you enjoyed these past two chapters! Admittedly, a bit of character development, but things start "heating up" again soon. Stay tuned!> :)