“Not so fast, traveler,” the guard said as Lucas approached, holding up a hand.

Lucas hesitated, his foot hanging suspended in mid-air, before coming to a complete halt. Why is he stopping us? Lucas glanced around and instantly spied two other players in the distance, so he knew that his being a player wasn’t an issue.

“Shoulda worn the ears!” Bonnie whispered. “We’d have gotten through without an issue.”

“I bet you know all about easy entry,” Nick muttered under his breath.

“Relax,” Lucas said in a low tone, putting a stop to their bickering before turning his attention back to the guard. “Sorry to take up your time,” Lucas began, flashing his winningest smile. “What seems to be the problem?”

“Look, sir,” the guard responded, stressing the title as a way of letting Lucas know that the man was clearly aware of his rank, “we’ve had an issue with your kind and those others attacking the village lately, so it can’t be helped. Orders come straight from the top: no new foreigners.”

Lucas looked past the guard at a throng of players and shook his head. “What you mean is ‘no new non-Alfar’?” he asked. “Because I can plainly see people who look rather new in your town.”

The guard scowled. “Yes, that’s what I mean. I don’t mean to be rude, but your kind is especially unwelcome.”

Lucas knew what the guard was trying to say. It was the same type of racist crap he had heard in real life before, and no matter how evil he wanted to act, it definitely wasn’t something that he ever wanted to base the backbone of his own villainy around. “I’m sorry,” Lucas sighed in an exasperated tone. He raised both of his hands up as if admitting defeat and slowly shook his head. “But I just can’t let you block my entrance.”

“You don’t get a say in the matter,” the guard grunted.

“But I do, though,” Lucas retorted. “Your town and mine have an agreement, an ironclad contract, that lets me visit as I please—free from interference.” Lucas stressed that last bit in the same way the guard had “sir” earlier. He then opened his territorial HUD and double-checked the fine print, just to be certain. His rights granted him what amounted to diplomatic immunity and free travel, but he hated the fact that he was being forced to flex his status at the gate. Still, some circumstances were just unavoidable.

The guard’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I see, sir. You’re the new noble who now fills Kegan’s role. I trust that Kegan is—”

“Yes, he’s dead,” Lucas clarified, preempting the question.

“That’s a shame,” the guard grumbled regretfully. “I guess that big bastard finally got his way. Oh well, he ain’t getting his way here.”

“What?”