The Realm of Nevergarden

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Meliadol's vision blurred, little more than hazy blackness upon a dark background. Yet it was upon this that the words appeared:

"Congratulations on clearing the tutorial, Meliadol!

Welcome to…Endless Nevergarden!"

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He lurched as he suddenly found himself on solid ground.

Light drove away the darkness like dawn breaking over the horizon, and Meliadol's vision was awash with the crisp clear view of blue sky. But it wasn't blue in the conventional sense. This was a deep, pure color that dominated everything else, leaving only the sky and Meliadol behind.

"Ah, a new arrival." A soft feminine voice drew his attention. Turning, it took all his sense of decorum to not openly gawk.

It was if an angel had deemed him worthy and had come to address him herself. She bore no wings, but from her crisp alabaster armor, to the way she held herself, had she claimed to be from heaven, Meliadol would have believed her.

Radiant, simply radiant.

"You are?" Meliadol congratulated himself in keeping his wits about him.

The woman bowed slightly, her long blonde hair partially hiding her face, "I am Selenis, the guardian of this pathway. It is my task to guide new 'walkers such as yourself toward any avenues that they desire."

Meliadol frowned. She was an NPC! That put a damper on things. He turned back, looking off into the horizon. In the distance a gleaming ivory city could be seen, but the immediate area was endless rolling hills and forests. Even further off; it seemed as if they were surrounded by a cocoon of clouds.

"Where am I? Are we floating?"

The guardian gave a soft smile, and he couldn't stop his heart from beating faster, "We are in the pathway of planes, also known as Endless Nevergarden. It is here that others like yourself eventually wind up, fated to walk the pathways to adventures and worlds yet unknown." Selenis paused, gazing out to the distant area, "As for your other question, well, this world sits upon an endless sea of clouds known as the Great Boundary."

Boundary? That usually implied that something was being kept at bay. "What's beyond the boundary?" he asked.

"Certain death." The beautiful woman replied with a conviction that left no room for debate.

"Well color me vague," he muttered under his breath, but there was no point in needling the NPC; instead he pointed to the gleaming city in the distance, "And that place?"

"That is the city of Arendall, where others like yourself gather." she said promptly before gesturing to a set of arches behind her, "This portal will take you to the outskirts, if you so desire."

Sounded like his next destination! After that small taste he had gotten in the goblin mines, he couldn't wait to see what else the game had to offer. Meliadol wanted to meet other players at least. He eagerly nodded to the woman.

The guardian snapped her fingers and the arches began to spin, filling the area between them with a substance not unlike water. Within the reflection he could see the pale buildings of the city.

How convenient! He thought, approaching the portal. Right before he entered, another thought struck him and he turned around. "What am I supposed to do in this city?"

Again the woman gave that secret smile of hers, "Anything you wish."

Meliadol's heart burned. That's what he wanted to hear!

With his sword set squarely on his shoulder, he stepped into the murky mirror.