The Lag (The Game Master: Book #1) by Alex Bobl Page B

circle of light, waited a couple of seconds and stepped back in. This time he kept his eyes open. The sparks glistened; the light grew brighter, then faded again.
    He was still in Gamekeeper's hut.
    What the hell was going on? So much for his escape! Had the Admins disabled this station? But that was against Terms and Conditions! Attila had read them and he knew that the game owners had no legal right to obstruct a player's logging in or out in specially designated places. And this was much more serious than his attempt to sell some dodgy software. In theory, he could now sue RussoVirt for millions.
    He heard a short tense chuckle behind his back. He turned his head.
    The Elfa entered the hut. "Keep on trying. It might just work."
    Ignoring the sarcasm in her voice, he walked out of the circle of light and entered it again. Bummer. The portal wasn't working even though this was impossible because... because it was impossible! No one had ever heard of logout options being disabled before. This just couldn't happen!
    What now? Should he try to outrun his pursuers again and hurry toward the Fortress station in the hope that the legionnaires had already left it? Or should he try to get to the next nearest station? Shame he didn't remember exactly where it was so he'd have to consult the map.
    Angry and annoyed, Attila barged out of the hut. The Elfa shrank back, giving way. He reached for the Book in his pocket when an arrow whizzed past his ear and thudded into the wall behind him.
    The hut didn't have windows. In the absence of the portal it was a dead end. Attila ducked behind the corner. The Elfa followed suit. The bulrushes on the shore were moving like crazy, disturbed by the approaching legionnaires. Long time no see.
    The Elfa raised her bow and, ducking behind the side wall, loosed off three arrows at an incredible speed. At least one of them must have found its victim: they heard a scream followed by cussing.
    Now their pursuers lay low, their advance betrayed only by an occasional rustle. Judging by the bulrushes' movement, they'd decided to split.
    Snap! An arrow very nearly grazed the Elfa's cheek. Her long ear twitched as she recoiled, joining Attila behind the hut.
    "What's going on?" he demanded. "Why isn't the portal working?"
    "I thought you could tell me that."
    They peeked around the corner. Elfa wrinkled her pure brow, as if considering which of the two opposing sides she should join.
    "Did you try to log out too?" Attila asked while studying the area behind the hut. Not a single tree in sight anymore, just an expanse of marshes with an occasional sparse growth of reeds. Heading there meant exposing oneself to enemy arrows and fireballs.
    "No, I'm just hanging out here," the girl snapped. She seemed to have come to a decision as she raised her bow and leaned out, loosing off an arrow at the bulrushes. They echoed with generous cussing.
    The girl shrank back, bumping into Attila. "Oh!" she shouldered him aside. Attila heard the crackling of another fireball as it hit the wall. "Who's that idiot shooting fire?"
    "It's a half-orc."
    "Great. He very nearly burned me to death."
    The girl pursed her lips and reached into her pretty beaded quiver, pulling out three arrows. Loading them all onto her bow, she pulled the string back and jumped from behind the corner, dropping to one knee and turning the bow horizontally. With a loud snap, the arrows fanned out, triggering another bout of cussing and groaning in the bulrushes.
    The girl ducked back behind the safety of the wall. "There. That'll make them lie low for a while. Who the hell are you? Are they legionnaires? Why are they after you?"
    "They want me alive," Attila said. "Can you help me?"
    She shook her head. "I've already been seen firing at them. I don't need any more hassle. It's your problem, after all."
    "I don't have any weapons on me. I'll pay you if you help me. A hundred gold."
    Interest glistened in her slanted eyes. "You don't look as if you have the