Sunlight broke through the window instead of the moonlight that had been there two minutes ago. Kenneth lifted his head, surprised he didn't feel still. Then again, his avatar couldn't really stiffen up unless his actual body did and he hadn't truly been laying here for eight hours.

Sitting up, he let the blanket slide off him to the floor as he yawned instinctively and looked over at Byrd. She was just now beginning to rouse from where she'd huddled up into the corner and sat to sleep. Her arms emerged from the blanket to stretch out in front of her as she yawned and rubbed at her face.

"I feel like I took a whole two-minute powernap," she grumbled and shifted forward to crawl off the edge of the cot and stand up. 

Kenneth stared past her and spotted two small forms now sleeping on the bed and other cot. David and Amanda had returned. Another yawn overtook Kenneth and he covered his mouth with his hand as he stretched out his back. "Yeah."

"Well, I suppose a powernap never hurt." Byrd got to her feet and folded up the blanket hastily before laying it back down on the bed. Kenneth looked over at his own blanket and then reached out and picked it up. He folded it slowly, his arms feeling a little heavy still. Was he actually getting tired or had he simply tricked his body into thinking it needed to be more lethargic than it was?

He shrugged and laid the neatly folded blanket at the head of the bed before rising to his own feet. He scanned the room. David was snoring a little bit. The kid was funny. He was safe here now, though, and he needed to stay with his sister. They couldn't take care of him forever.

The rest of the game world called, and there was still much to see. Kenneth's eyes cut to Byrd as she was stretching out her arms and inspecting the world outside the little window. He looked down at his feet. She saw everything. Every little detail, and she'd see through him eventually. I can't stay with her. I mean, she's got people to go back to anyway, remember?

He swallowed a bit and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Hey, whatever happened to your friend from when we met. You mentioned they'd gone off to somewhere or something? You sure they're not worried about you being gone so long?"

Byrd's head snapped back his direction and cocked to one side. She chewed her lower lip a moment then her eyebrows lifted. "Oh, right, Oli. I forgot we logged on together." She scratched absently at the side of her temple. "I mean, he left at the start to go solo questing and hasn't messaged me since. I'm sure he thinks I'm fine. Why?"

Kenneth shrugged a bit. "Just...curious." He looked away and moved towards the door. Pushing aside the cloth flap that served at the door, he peeked out. It was bright. Something fell in front of his vision, though, and he started before recognizing the bedraggled flower crown. It was finally coming apart. He patted the top of his head. I must've forgotten about it when I fell asleep, he thought as he picked the last few bits out of his hair. It fell into his hand and promptly disappeared as the flowers finally died. Kenneth watched the particles waft off into the air. He sighed.

"So, where you wanna go today?" Byrd asked as she stepped up to the other side of the doorway.

Kenneth jumped and looked back over at her. He shrugged a bit. "Don't know. I was just thinking on it, though."

She rubbed her thumb to her lips. "Hm, maybe we should grab that truck and see about making it back to a neutral settlement. Though...you should keep driving."

"Right." 

Byrd slipped outside and stretched out her arms some. She leaned her head back before starting to walk down towards the large dining hall. "I'm going to get breakfast, wanna come?"

Kenneth watched her walk and he stood there in the doorway. After a moment, he shook his head. "I'm good," he called back as she disappeared towards the large dining hall. He slipped outside after she was out of view. It wouldn't be right to strand her here if I do leave. I should see about arranging transportation, or at least try to figure out how long of a walk the nearest city would be. He peered up at the growing hills in the distance. These people seemed to like their seclusion, so he had a gut feeling the nearest city might be a ways off. Maybe I should just ride with her to neutral territory and split up there.

Nodding, he wandered down away from the little house. It felt wrong to leave without thanking Amanda and David, but they were NPC's. They probably wouldn't even remember this encounter. Kenneth swallowed back the guilt and let it swirl in his stomach as he headed back towards the entrance. Glancing over the empty landscape, he felt his stomach lurch a bit as he realized the Grafter's might have gotten rid of the truck. It was a glaringly obvious human transportation method. Please have it...please have it.

Kenneth jogged up to the nearest person he saw. "Hey, um, small question. Is the truck that was parked here still here?" he panted, his eyes glancing past the person towards the open field.

The grafter woman in front of him nodded and turned. She pointed to the right. "We placed it with our vehicles. You will find it there."

"Thank you." Kenneth sighed and headed towards what now appeared to be a large garage. He slipped inside and found the right vehicle before clambering into the driver's seat. Byrd should know to meet him here, or she'd at least come looking. He glanced up at his chat bar. It might be best to message her and let her know.

He clicked on her name and opened up the in-game chat. The keyboard sat at his fingertips as he stared down at the letters. They hadn't messaged previously, but it should still come up since their gamer-tags were connected. 

Hey, I went ahead and found the truck. It's in a depot near where we entered. 

Hitting send, Kenneth leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. Propping one knee up on the side of the chair, he tried to settle down. She'd get here when she got here. He pressed his hand to his chest and tried to feel his heart beating through the layers of virtual reality masking the real world. He couldn't feel it. 

It was a good sign. It meant his heart wasn't racing, and his chest felt a little better anyway. He rubbed at it slightly out of habit and just leaned his head back. They said two weeks until the transplant. Will she be here the whole time? Surely she has family to go back to. I know dad is gone, but I hope she's at least caring for my siblings, at least in some capacity. Kenneth felt his face pale slightly. What if she brings them here?  They'll think I abandoned them with her, they'll blame me...

Putting his hands to his face, Kenneth inhaled sharply and pressed his elbows into his sides. He shook his head some. She wouldn't do that. She wouldn't bring them to see him, she didn't care that much. Still. Shivering, he hugged himself.

Footsteps crunched across gravel. Kenneth perked up and peeked outside. He spotted Byrd picking her way around the other trucks and cars as she made her way. Looking up, she smiled and waved.

"Hey, I'm all ready to go. I stopped by and said thank you to Amanda and David too, they were just waking up when I left."

"Oh, thank you." Kenneth slid back down into his seat and pulled on the safety harness. He made sure the door was unlocked so she could get it.

Byrd stepped up inside and settled down, buckling in. "Right then. Nearest neutral territory?" 

Kenneth nodded. "Yup." He started up the truck. How long of a drive that would take, who knew? 

Pressing his foot to the gas, Kenneth eased them out of the depot and back out across the little field. Byrd had her back to him as she turned and waved out of the window to the people inside the camp. Kenneth glanced at the small groups watching them leave in his rearview mirror and just dipped his head slightly.

Thank you, he thought. They'd been kind, kinder than most people. He was glad he'd decided to take their side of things in the end. They weren't murderers or trigger happy psychopaths, just simple people living out their lives.

He wanted that. 

The truck started to run a bit smoother as he made it back to the road and followed it around the last of the hills. A long expanse stretched before them, probably several miles of road that cut through the countryside. He didn't remember how long it had taken them to leave the neutral territory they'd last been in, but it felt like it had taken hours in-game.

Byrd kicked back and put her feet up on the dashboard. She folded both arms behind her head slightly and stared out of the window. "What are you thinking when we get into the city?" she asked. "Questing maybe?"

Kenneth's lips compressed and he refused to look over at her. "Hadn't really decided," he said. "I was waiting till we got there."

"Makes sense," she said. She sighed. 

Kenneth peeked at her out of the corner of his eye. His gut twisted slightly as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. This was the best option, Remember that, he thought and focused on the road again. She had her friends to get back to, he had his life of being a loner to get back to. There was a reason he didn't play with people and it was exactly this.

She won't ever have to question what I've told her, and it'll be better for her in the end, he thought firmly. His chin dipped slightly in an affirmative nod. 

The road stretched on. Silence passed through the cabin of the truck as they continued. After somewhere around two in-game hours, though it was probably only about twenty minutes, Kenneth spotted the first city. He noted the grey flag waving at the top and relaxed. They were back in neutral territory.

"There we are!" Byrd sat up excitedly and leaned forward. "Neutral territory, finally."

Kenneth pressed down a bit more and the truck sped up as they came up onto the city. He only slowed down to turn in and pull the truck down into the large area outside the city walls where several other vehicles were parked. Putting the truck into park, he unbuckled and looked over. A sigh escaped his chest. This was it. He'd need to tell her he was leaving. I need a good excuse. Maybe...I need to just log out? No, she'll just wait for me. Maybe I need to meet someone in-game?

He sat there, staring down at the steering wheel when a blue box appeared before his eyes. Kenneth sat up and squinted at the box as he read it off to himself.

Congratulations! You've been invited to participate in the first Game Event Battle. Join?

The accept or deny button stared up at him and he lifted a finger. He glanced to his right to see Byrd chewing at one fingernail as she stared down at her screen, probably having the same notification he did. He looked back down at his own screen.

Event Battle, that sounded like a lot of fighting, Knowing Byrd, she enjoyed the combat and tactics enough she might join. If I needed a reason, now I have one, Kenneth thought to himself. He glanced at her again out of the corner of his eye. Her finger seemed to be hovering more to the left towards where her 'Accept' option would be. She looked up and caught his gaze.

"Did you get it too?"

He nodded, his breath catching in his throat.

Byrd drew her hand back. "Well, you wanna try it? I don't mind doing quests either."

Looking down, Kenneth stared at his hands and then the decision sitting in his lap. He shook his head. "You go on."

She tilted her head slightly but then smiled and nodded, jabbing at what he assumed was the 'Accept' button. Her avatar faded before it was whisked away in a flurry of blue crystals. 

Once she was gone, he exhaled slowly and pressed the button on the right.

'Deny.'