“Yeah,” I echoed weakly, all that camaraderie giving way to tense muscles and an unhappy gut as I was reminded again of the extent of our rivalry. It was my plan B too. If I could win, I’d get the distance I so desperately needed from all the pressures and questions and doubt. It wasn’t just about the validation of winning or even the money. I’d known, of course, that he wanted to win at the tournament, but that wasn’t quite the same as hearing him say it, hearing the conviction in his voice, knowing deep inside that he wanted this every bit as much as I did.
One of us was bound to lose big, and the last thing I wanted was to feel sorry for Conrad if—when—things didn’t work out for him.
Chapter Thirteen
Conrad
Stopping for zombie hot dogs had been a mistake—both because it pushed us even later getting to the Dayton game store and because all those jalapeños burned a path down my throat that wasn’t helped any by the sour feeling of knowing Alden needed this tournament win. Maybe not as much as me. But still, the guy was in search of a plan B, and I could respect that. Understand it even. And realizing that Alden wasn’t as perfect as I’d thought was also weirdly discomforting—like meeting a movie star and having them be human, not living up to expectations. I’d come to depend on seeing him as an unfeeling academic robot for whom everything came easily. Sympathy was a dangerous emotion—I knew full well the consequences of letting feelings guide my actions.
So, as we unloaded the merch at the game store, I tried to steel myself from unwanted emotions. Feeling sorry for Alden wasn’t going to help anything.
“Here. Let me take something.” Alden held out his hands.
“I’ve got it.” My voice came out far snappier than usual as I shouldered the equipment bag along with the box of T-shirts and books.
“Well, I’ll get the door.” He sounded put out, which I supposed was fair. Rushing ahead, he got the old-fashioned wooden door. This game store was in a neighborhood of older buildings, most of which had a sort of European look—lots of brick and unnecessary gables and trim on the roofs. It gave what would otherwise be a typical strip mall a quaint feel. The game store was on the first floor, tutoring service above it, insurance agency next door, jeweler on the other side, pub on the corner.
The space inside was bigger than it looked from the street, but rather than taking in the floor plan, I was distracted by the appearance of a large man dressed in full wizard gear—pointy hat, velvet robes, plush frog riding on one shoulder, and even a wand clutched in his meaty hand.
“Welcome, welcome. We’ve been expecting you!” He had a booming voice, and as he stepped forward to offer a handshake, he revealed an equally tall woman in a full-on burgundy Victorian ball gown, complete with fancy hair and skirts wider than the doorway.
“Uh. Thanks.” Alden seemed about as gobsmacked as I was.
“I’m Mage Ulric, wizard to the beast kingdom, and this my lady, the fair Aria, a sorceress of the underworld.”
“Nice. I…uh…have your cards.” My brain might be mush, but I did recognize them as important figures in Odyssey. Jasper made a better wizard when he dressed up in my opinion, but this couple deserved major kudos for going all in.
“Excellent. Your reputation precedes you, young Conrad.”
“You know our names?” Alden frowned.
“But of course. We are but humble fans of your show.” The guy kept up the Old English accent, which was starting to get annoying. “And I have gifts!”
However irritating his gimmick, gifts sounded promising. “Awesome. Thank you.”
Mage Ulric bustled to the back of the store, leaving Alden and me to trail behind.
“Don’t thank him until you see what it is,” Alden said in a low whisper. “Better not be anything alive. I remember that Mage Ulric travels with goats as well as frogs in the game lore.”
“Crap.” My hands tightened around the box. Now he had me worried. This guy did seem to take his cosplay pretty seriously, and I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or horrified when he presented us with a large plush goat wearing a shirt with his store logo emblazoned across the front.
“Thank you.” It was going to take up a fair amount of space in the back seat, but I wasn’t sure how to decline the honor.
“And of course, some packs for our noble warriors.” Ulric had a box filled with older packs of Odyssey cards. Now those I could use, and I swapped boxes with him, giving him the books and Gamer Grandpa swag. We sent a bunch of photos of their costumes and gifts on for Professor Tuttle, then did some filming, having them show us around the store. Unlike a lot of game stores, here the player tables were in front, beneath a sunny window, with the merchandise spread throughout the space, intermingling with more spots to play. Because we were both pressed for time and down a helper, we decided to only play a single game.