Page 51 of My Fated Minotaur Hero

A murmur of excitement ripples through the crowded room. I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing. The basic premise is kind of on-point though in a weird way, I have to admit.

As the various tables of players all begin their various campaigns, I focus in on our own game here with our friends. I find myself playing Olivia Jones, Daring Treasure Hunter.

Kalen is the Cubicle master and describes the scene. "Wordis there's a cache of ancient artifacts in the ruins of what was once called a 'mall.' What do you do?"

To my surprise and delight, the monsters get really into it. Koda's character, a burly ex-soldier named Charlie is the muscle. Finn, playing a scrappy mechanic called Joe, is an expert in crude human technologies ...

As we navigate the imaginary wasteland, I laugh to myself at the absurdity of it all. Here I am, a human, playing a monster game about humans with a bunch of magical creatures.

Totally bonkers.

During a break in the game, Zoe pulls me aside, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I still can’t believe you are here too. Who am I kidding. I can hardly believe I am here! It’s incredible! And this C&C game is actually fun! Who knew?"

I nod, grinning. "I know, right? Who knew monsters would be so into roleplaying as humans? But I guess it’s not that different?"

Zoe chuckles. "It's crazy. Let’s face it. This is all crazy! But I am super glad the night is a success. Did you see how excited Elder Faelar got when he thought he’d found a latte machine?”

Elowen joins us, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Speaking of the human world," she says, "I've been meaning to ask you two about that seal you found on the map, and the murals ... and you said you saw it in the outside world too?"

I feel a thrill of excitement. "Oh yes! Have you seen it before?"

The witch nods slowly. "I had seen it on the building, but that was it. I never really gave it much thought, and actually always thought it was a fairy or sprites face. But now with it showing up all over, and in your world on the outside, suddenly it is looking decidedly ... human ... and of course it begs for further investigation..."

Elder Faelar joins our little huddle, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "I couldn't help but overhear," he says, stroking his chin. "This business with that seal ... the whole mystery of it is absolutely fascinating. Who knows where it could lead ..."

I feel a thrill of excitement shoot through me. "Really? What doyouthink it means?”

He shakes his head. "Well, beyond this idea that there was some sort of um, what did you call it?”

“A Secret Society."

“Yes! That ... beyond that, I really don’t know. But with the statue being unveiled, and now the seal, it only adds to things. I had thought that the statue and this Charlotte with her orc was an isolated incident. But it all seems to point to far more.”

But before we can dive deeper into the mystery, Kalen's voice breaks into our little conversation. "Alright, humans. Ready to keep going? When we stopped, you had just come across the ruins of a coffee shop ..."

As we return to our seats, I can't help but grin at the monsters' enthusiasm. Koda's character, Charlie, is adamant about exploring the ruins of an ancient "gym," convinced it must be some kind of human battle arena.

"Wait," Kalen interjects, "As you get closer to the strip mall, you realize it is not just any coffee shop. A battered old sign above reads “Star-Bucks.”

Instantly, the monsters' attention shifts.

"Just throwing this out there," I add, trying to keep my voice steady despite my urge to laugh, "but maybe we're getting a little too fixated on the coffee angle?"

"But coffee is life!" Koda insists, pounding his furry fist on the table.

I catch Zoe's eye, and we both burst into giggles. "Oh, if only they knew how true that was," she whispers.

“Speaking of which, we are going to have to get coffeegoing in Fablewood, aren’t we. Coffee and research go hand in hand, after all.”

“I always knew we had the potential to become besties ...”

Just then, a familiar meow catches my attention. I turn to see Othrix sauntering into the tavern, followed closely by ... "Mary Poppins!" I gasp, a bit louder than I meant to.

Zoe's jaw drops. "Wait, what?That’sMia's cat? Here?"

I nod, my mind racing. "Sure is, but I don’t know how ... remember we were looking for her when Mia read the words ... something about feeling free ... Zoe, what if Mia's somewhere in Fablewood too? Oh, speaking of which, this is her bracelet, you should have it ..."

She gives me a quizzical look, accepting the bracelet, but before we can discuss further, Kalen stands, raising his mug. "A toast," he says, his voice carrying across the room. "To new beginnings, to acceptance, and to my beautiful mate, Olivia. Welcome to Fablewood, sweetheart."

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