Sean wanted to stay wrapped up in Mark's arms and lost in his kiss. Laying over him, he lightly teased Mark by grinding against him. Mark's breaths turned deep and heavy, giving Sean goosebumps as his heart sped up. Reluctantly breaking the kiss to sit up enough to grab his vest, he started to shrug it off but stopped when a voice called out from beyond the window. "IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO GAME MASTER? A single Valkyrie? I'm insulted!" Slipping off Mark, Sean stumbled in his rush to the window. Where outside the hooded skeletal figure stood in the square, standing over the dead body of the N.P.C. Valkyrie, chuckling out to the people cowering around the town. "Here's the deal. My people will let you the players live. IF... you allow us to establish a guild here. Pay us ten percent of your earnings and in addition to my generous offer. I want to hunt someone that will bring me one step closer to my collection... So, give me your strongest Light Elf." The human players looked around confused.

The few Light Elf players were little more than young girls. A burly human warrior player snatched a cowering elf girl from her friends, dragging her to the skeleton as he yelled out. "Here! Take it and be done with this raid!" The elf screamed, while her friends cried out her name. Other players followed the man's example. Snatching light elf party members from groups to of the skeleton. Sean turned to run out of the room, but Mark grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving, his eyes on the figure outside. The hooded skeleton raised his boney hand and stated over the frightened party members. "No. They aren't worthy of becoming a trophy. I need a prize. Someone special like... JackSepticEye?" Some people looked confused. Others scoffed with sarcasm. Among the crowd, a slender Aesir woman with bright red hair purred out. "JackSepticEye? The youtuber? He's here in town?" The younger kids gasped, glancing around at the faces of people expectantly.

The hooded skeleton turned to look at the Aesir woman lazily, answering coolly. "Yes. The very same. He arrived just last night and defeated the boss." A group of men in the crowd suddenly snapped out. "What a surprise! Another Gamer stealing all the glory and sucking the fun out of the game for the rest of us!" A young girl quickly shot back. "You're wrong! Jack doesn't do that! He's-" She became drowned out by a woman snapping out bitterly. "Bet he got the game early and already knew how to defeat the boss! I bet he took out that boss on purpose to snatch a cool item for his collection! Asshole!" A dwarven man snapped out to the group. "If you wanted the item than YOU should have fought the boss!" The woman stopped her heel, sneering out. "I WOULD HAVE! But the Gamers are forming parties and depleting spawning zones! I can't level up if THEY are hoarding all the good hunting areas for themselves and killing lesser players to boost themselves up faster!"

Another man in mage robes, quickly intervened by saying. "Guys, stop! We all want to win the game. Doesn't really matter who does it? Soon the other levels will open up and the spawning zones will be accessible again." Another burly Aesir woman shoved the human mage to the ground, snapping out. "Fuck off! This isn't about just winning the game! It's about WHO is going to win this game! You want some spoiled Gamer with an I.Q. of nothing to win and brag about how he single-handily won an easy game! Not caring how many lives he killed to achieve that! Or how sick it is that they think this is a game in the first place!!! They don't fucking deserve it!" Mark pushed Sean back from the window as the hooded skeleton shrugged out. "Sooo? You'll bring me JackSepticEye then?" All eyes returned to the skeleton who added menacingly. "The person or party who does will get their pick of the legendary items or spells that I have found. Hell... Bring me my prey 'Alive' and I can hack them up a few levels. If you prefer?"

An unseen man in the crowd, yelled out. "Where did you see him?!" Sean gasped as he watched the skeleton point right to their window. All eyes in the square eerily turned to look and Mark quickly pushed Sean back more as he moved out of sight. Sean's voice shuddered from him in a whisper when he asked. "Mark...?" Mark's face was hard and unreadable. Whirling around, Mark tugged his arm, commanding seriously. "Stay behind right behind me." Sean winced from Mark's tight grip that bruised his arm, but he ignored the pain. Rushing out into the tavern, Mark skidded to a stop as players burst through the door. They pushed and shoved, shouting and yelling in a mass of sharp sounds. Sean couldn't believe how frightening a mob was. He'd been in many, but none like this. These people were almost wild and feral. Mark quickly wrapped his arms around Sean and rolled over the bar counter. Pushing Sean to run toward the back door as people fought each other in attempts to grab them.

Sean hit the wooden door, but it didn't budge until Mark slammed his shoulder into it. The door swung out, knocking out two players before the others ran in to keep them from fleeing. Sean yelped as a woman's sharp nails slashed his arm, but Mark shoved her aside before she could pursue him. Running after him, Mark yelled out. "We've got to get out of the city bonds!" Sean couldn't answer him. He was focusing on changing course as players flooded into alleys and doorways to cut them off. Mark knocked things down to try and slow some of them down. Skidding to a stop, Sean fell to his side on the wet cobblestones as a group of players burst from a house in a narrow housing area. Mark snatched Sean up to his feet by his belt and dragged him down another narrow road. Sean collected himself and made a quick decision to dash down a road that ultimately led to a large iron fence that was over eight feet tall. Barely grabbing the bars in time to stop himself from slamming face first into them, he cursed and whirled around to look at Mark.

Mark whirled around, attempting to run back but skidded to a stop as a group of party members with black lions on their chests chuckled out. "Here. Kitty. Kitty." They beckoned them with their hands and whistled to them teasingly as they closed in on them. Mark backed up slowly, his eyes scanning around, but this was a dead end with nothing in it. The leader grinned, extending out his hand and playfully teasing aloud. "We don't want to hurt you. We can't. We're still in the safe zone. So just... come aloud now." Mark stopped backing up, causing them to hesitate. Shaking his head, Mark raised his fists and growled back. "You want him? Just try and take him! I can't kill you, but I can fucking hurt ya!" The group laughed. Giving Sean the extra second he needed. Looking at the stone wall, Sean backed up enough to get a running start. Then, running to the wall as fast as he could, he jumped at the last second to run up the wall. Concentrating to step on the glowing circles that showed up on the wall, he reached the right height and let his wings shoot out to full length.

Catching the wind under his wings, Sean twisted in the air and swooped back down, yelling out. "Hands up, Mark!" Mark raised his hands up into the air without asking why. Reaching down, Sean snatched Mark's wrists. Gripping him in a death grip, Sean arched himself up to start gaining height again. The strain of Mark's weight made Sean groan, but his adrenaline coursed through his large dragonfly wings. Mark helped by seeing the glowing circles that appeared on the opposite wall and hit them to help push Sean higher more easily. Below them, the black lion party yelled out curses. Sean hefted Mark over the iron fence, flying out over the thick mist that spanned this stretch of the town. Sean grew distressed as he watched his stamina and his flight bar drain rapidly. His wings just were not strong enough to hold them both up. When one of his hands lost its grip on Mark's wrist from lack of stamina, Sean yelped and started to panic. Mark grabbed Sean's arm, giving Sean a worried look as Sean's flight pattern faltered.

Sean's wings were locking up, causing him to drift too far to one side. He was descending fast and completely out of control. Sinking through the thick mist, Sean let out a strangled scream as he saw the ground approaching them. Mark didn't panic. Sean was level enough in the air that when the ground was close enough, he braced himself. Mark's feet hit the soft grass first. Allowing him to brace himself and use himself as a counterweight. Gripping Sean's wrists tight, Mark yanked Sean close to himself in the hopes to slow him down. It worked. Kind of. Pulling Sean close made Sean slam into his torso before the force flipped Mark over Sean from the force. Tumbling fast and hard across the ground, they fell into a deep hole. Sean released Mark, falling into the hole chest first, where he landed on what felt like a silk bed. The air knocked from his lungs. Only to wince and inhale a gasp of pain as Mark's heavy body fell on top of him seconds after. Their combined weight caused the coffin they'd landed in to bounce and snap the lid closed.

Shaking, Sean started to blurt out in fear. "Oh my god! Did we just fall into a-!" Mark's hand clamped over his mouth, his warm breath puffing over his ear when he told him in a whisper. "Shh. Listen." Sean fell silent. Faintly he could hear muffled voices calling out. "Do you see them?!" "No!" "Where the fuck did they go! I swear I saw them heading this way!" From somewhere close, a man called back. "They must have made it to the cemetery gate! Come on! We can't lose them!" For a minute or two, neither of them moved or made a sound. Sean let his eyes adjust to the darkness, exhaling slowly in relief. The coffin was empty and clean... but confined. Lifting a shaking hand, Sean tried to push the lid up, but it didn't budge. Mark groaned by Sean's ear as his hands braced beside Sean's shoulders, his back clearly trying to push the lid open. It didn't open, causing Mark to give up and curse out. "Shit... I think it locked." Taking an uneasy breath, Sean mumbled out as calmly as he could. "Mark... I've got to get out." Mark banged an arm on the lid, huffing out. "Ya. I know. I'm working on it."

Sean's whole body tremblednow, when he whined out in a broken voice. "No. Mark. I mean, I NEED to get out. I... I..." Mark stopped banging on the lid, settlingdown over him. Putting his arms and legsoutside of Sean's, he buried his head close to his neck and whispered to him sobeautifully. "Close your eyes, Sean. It'sfine." Sean shook his head but closedhis eyes. Mark kissed his cheek,continuing to whisper when he said. "Youcan't suffocate like this in the game. Just relax. Imagine we are just in bed,and I'll get us out of this." Seannodded, asking to break up the tension. "Whatdo you think Lulu is doing right now?" Mark snorted, chuckling out quietly. "Probably playing with Billy and enjoying the view." Sean couldn't help peeking over his shoulderto look at his view of Mark. He didn'tknow how they were going to get out of this but was thankful he had Mark withhim. To Be Continued...