The Dark Lord Bert 2 by Chris Fox (bookstand for reading .TXT) 📕

and if a sentient construct touches it? He became the game master. He had all the power, and he used that power to bring himself and his dog here. When he did that they became real. They exist. Sure they can enter the mat, just like you can. But as players. Bert and Boberton live here now, in the real world.”

“How?” Robert finally choked out when no one else spoke. He cleared his throat then repeated the question, “How did Bert become sentient?”

“That’s on my son.” Mr. V nodded at Todd, who winced as if he’d been struck. “The moment he stole the die and performed the ritual for the first time he brought the world out of stasis. But because Mr. Game Master here didn’t know how to put the game back in stasis at the end of a session it’s been running on its own during the years you’ve been playing. Hundreds of generations have probably passed in the game world, and eventually anomalies in the system rise up.”

“Whoah,” Max muttered as the ten-year-old sat back in his seat. “Bert is like…the one.”

“That still leaves you with a big problem.” Mr. V shook his head sadly. “I can’t know about this. Literally. Once I’ve put the die back in storage I’ll use a memory erasing charm to remove everything after I left the office today. Going forward I know nothing about this. I have no idea you broke the rules, and no idea that you’ve created a life form that could get both your mother and I disbarred, and you expelled. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Todd murmured sheepishly. “We’ll take care of our mess. I’m sorry I got you involved in this.”

The angry wizard softened as he stared at his son. Something unreadable flitted across his face. A memory maybe?

“You know what? It’s not that big of a deal. We caught it in time.” Mr. V suddenly smiled, ice thawing as his expression brightened. “My friends and I did all sorts of stupid things. We made all sorts of mistakes. You guys are going to do exactly the same thing.” He started for the door, but hesitated, then turned to walk back to Todd. “I forgot. We haven’t put the game in stasis.”

Mr. V focused his hawkish gaze on the mat, which still hadn’t been rolled up. “Silentium!”

A mote of green light pulsed from the d20, which was still clutched in Mr. V’s hand. The mat suddenly rolled up of its own accord, and sent miniatures and dice rolling off of it, some clattering to the floor.

“Now the world is paused.” Mr. V offered the die to his son. “I am going to do that memory wipe, but you’re old enough to fix your own mistakes. I’m going to trust you to do that. Don’t let me find out the die was taken, and make all this go away.”

Todd’s shoulders squared as he accepted the die. “Thanks for trusting me, Dad.”

“Bert will help!” The goblin waddled to the edge of the table, and mirrored Todd’s determined stance.

Mr. V began to chuckle, and hadn’t stopped by the time he left the back room and exited Castle Games.

That left them all staring at each other. What the heck were they going to do with Bert and Boberton?

Their world might never be the same….

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