ã€ŠSoul Forgedã€‹


 Act I, Prologue, 01: Tyressa â€œTyreeâ€ Pearce

    ¡°Mana. The ambient energy around us. All beings can interact with it; use it to strengthen their bodies and minds. But mages can bend it to our will and shape the world around us.¡±¡ª A Scientific Treatise on Mages, Volume One.

    The Second Ring District, Castera, Kingdom of Ilsylvania. Day -24.

    Tyree stood with her back pressed against the wall, listening and waiting. The hallway was silent, save for three voices coming from the opposite end, each taking turns in a muffled, unintelligible conversation.

    Tyree glanced around the corner. At the far end of the hall, the door furthest from her was cracked just enough to allow the soft flicker of candlelight from inside to create soft shadows that danced along the opposite wall.

    Tyree crept through the door opposite her and made her way to the large white chest tucked against the center of the far wall.

    A rush of cold air sent a stream of tears down Tyree¡¯s cheeks as she opened the lid. She wiped them away and slowly lifted the package she had been after out of the icebox.

    Prize in one hand, Tyree reached into her bag of holding and pulled out a gloved hand holding a flame red crystal. It took two taps on the edge of the icebox to get the crystal to begin glowing and radiating its warmth.

    A third tap and the firestone¡¯s heat intensified. The light released wasn¡¯t overly bright, but she still glanced over her shoulder to make sure it hadn¡¯t cast any obvious shadows into the hallway.

    Satisfied there was little sign of her actions, Tyree went back to her task. She rubbed the firestone crystal back and forth along the bottom of the porcelain container. After a few minutes, she slipped the firestone back into her bag and pulled the container¡¯s wrappings free.

    The savory scent of the beef and lamb stew flooded Tyree¡¯s nostrils and she smiled in ravenous anticipation.

    A moan of pleasure escaped Tyree¡¯s mouth the moment the stew hit her tongue. The broth was thickened just the way she liked it and the spices came together like old friends reuniting. It was a heaven marred only by the occasional bits of still cold stew that found their way onto her spoon.

    A sudden shock of cold hit Tyree in the back, piercing her to her very core! She nearly dropped the bowl in an effort to keep from crying out. She turned and saw ALiyah, her hand glowing an icy blue with small motes of mana swirling around her fingertips like the flakes of a recently shaken snow globe. On her face was an expression that meant trouble. More accurately, Tyree was in trouble.

    ¡°This is your third bowl tonight! If you eat it all, you won¡¯t have anything while we¡¯re gone. Then what will you do? You¡¯re a terrible cook, we both know this! Some days I can¡¯t tell who¡¯s worse, you or the twins.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Ali! You know I can¡¯t resist the sweet call of your lamb stew. It¡¯s my favorite dish! The flavors sing to me like a bard¡¯s song!¡± Tyree made grand, sweeping gestures with her bowl and spoon as though she were playing in an orchestra.

    Aliyah¡¯s stern expression cracked as she let out an amused snort. She walked up to Tyree and planted her lips firmly against her own. At the same time, she grabbed the hand that held the spoon and squeezed, sending a fresh jolt of cold up Tyree¡¯s arm.

    Tyree recoiled and yelped, dropping the spoon. Aliyah took the bowl, replaced the wrappings, and set the container back in the icebox.

    Tyree¡¯s stomach growled and she crossed her arms in frustration. ¡°You know it isn¡¯t fair using magic! All I know are sword spells, I can¡¯t exactly fight back!¡±

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t Rhoda been teaching you the whip? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure something out.¡± Aliyah flashed a coy smile as she sauntered into the living room and sat down on the couch, leaving Tyree a silent, blushing mess.

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    It amazed Tyree how, even twelve years later, Aliyah could still silence her so quickly and effectively. She recovered herself and followed after her wife, slipping in beside Aliyah and laying her head across her lap.

    Aliyah picked a book up from the table to her right and began reading. Tyree glanced towards the doorway where bags stacked nearly to the ceiling stood ready to be moved to Rhoda¡¯s carriage in the morning. Tyree let out a long breath.

    Aliyah closed her book and glanced down at Tyree. She had a scar that ran from her right eye to her lip that tugged it ever so slightly away from symmetric. It was a reminder of the dangers of their old profession as well as the strength possessed by the woman whom Tyree loved.

    Aliyah set her book aside and ran her fingers through Tyree¡¯s hair, scratching just above the top of her ear. ¡°Okay, since you aren¡¯t going to let me read my book, tell me what¡¯s bothering you.¡±

    ¡°I wish you could wait six more days until my guard rotation ends.¡±

    ¡°You and Felt will catch our six day lead and you know it. That horse loves nothing more than being set loose on the road unrestrained. If the sickness running through Pella is as bad as Rhoda says, we¡¯re going to need all the extra time we can get.¡±

    Tyree crossed her arms and fixed Aliyah with a frown. ¡°Just because you¡¯re right doesn¡¯t mean I want to hear it.¡±

    Aliyah¡¯s expression grew playfully grim. ¡°Oh, it gets even worse. You realize you have bedtime duty every night for the next month when you get there, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, a fate truly worse than death!¡± Tyree snickered. ¡°What stories have you told them recently? I don¡¯t want to repeat any.¡±

    ¡°You already know the only story they¡¯re going to want to hear from you.¡±

    Of course she did. The slaying of the great demon Azeban by the Guardians. The book sat on the table beside the one Aliyah had been reading, though Tyree could recall it entirely from memory.

    It was a first-hand account from a soldier who had fought through that terrible event nearly a hundred years ago. The demon Azeban had broken free from its prison in the volcanic wastes in the far north in a region that had become known as Hell¡¯s Mouth.

    Azeban had very nearly brought about the extinction of the combined army of the dragons, Serethi, and human nations. It was only in that final moment that the Guardians had managed to reseal the demon back into its prison. It was a story of costly victory against hopeless odds that gave Tyree the chills every time she thought about it. That it had actually happened only increased that sensation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why they only want to hear it from me. You should know it better. You were there when it happened,¡± Tyree teased.

    Aliyah gasped in mock offense, grabbed a pillow, and hit Tyree in the stomach with it. ¡°I was hardly a year old then!¡±

    Tyree threw her hands over her face and stomach in preparation for the follow-up attack. ¡°Did I mention how great you look for ninety-six?¡±

    Aliyah was a Serethi Elf, ninety-six was hardly even quarter-aged compared to Tyree¡¯s own thirty-five as a human.

    That fact didn¡¯t stop Aliyah from bearing down on Tyree for a second time, two pillows in hand, taking them both to the floor. ¡°It¡¯s too late for flattery! You¡¯ll¡ª¡±

    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Rhoda glanced down at Tyree and Aliyah, her lips pursed in amusement.

    ¡°Having fun! You should try it.¡± Tyree threw a pillow at her friend.

    Rhoda¡¯s rogue-like reflexes were incredible. She grabbed the pillow and had it flying back at Tyree before she even had time to dodge.

    Aliyah glanced down at Tyree. ¡°And you¡¯re not going to complain about her using magic?¡±

    Before Tyree could get a witty retort out, an ominous purple light spilled into the living room from the windows, silencing all three women. Rhoda quickly helped both Tyree and Aliyah to their feet and they ran quickly to the front door.

    People poured from their homes, talking in excited murmurs as they looked around. It was late in the evening, yet their entire neighborhood was lit up as brightly as midday.

    Tyree¡¯s gaze shifted upward. The largest of Terre¡¯s moons, Diurne, had a white, crater-pocked western hemisphere and a sea of purplish-red crystal on its eastern hemisphere. That crystalline half was now shining so brightly, Tyree couldn¡¯t stare without wincing.

    As suddenly as Diurne had brightened, the light disappeared, plunging everything around them into a darkness lit only by the stars and candlelight coming from nearby windows.

    Gasps and cries of panic filled the air.

    A moment later, Diurne¡¯s purple half returned to her normal soft light that pulsed in the rhythm of a slow heartbeat.

    No, not normal. It was different. Dimmer and the pulse was slower, if only slightly.

    Tyree turned to Aliyah and Rhoda, ¡°Have either of you ever seen anything like that?¡±

    Rhoda shook her head.

    ¡°No, but my parents did. One hundred and twenty years ago,¡± Aliyah answered, her face a mask of forced composure. ¡°That was when the first Guardians appeared.¡±

 02: Aliyah

    ¡°The more mana a mage can draw upon from their surroundings, the greater the strength of the spells they can wield. The only known way to increase the reservoir of mana is to practice the craft through repetition and discovery of new spells.¡±¡ª A Scientific Treatise on Mages, Volume One

    The Wilds of Ilsylvania. Day -23.

    Aliyah looked over her map while Rhoda kept her hands on the reins. Her two daughters, Alyx and Lynn, ranged around the carriage on their horses while Aliyah¡¯s own horse was drawing the carriage with Rhoda¡¯s three.

    Alyx and Lynn had a habit of testing the boundaries Aliyah and Tyree pressed upon them and within reason, they allowed them to. It was important for them to explore and understand the world around them, and yes, even experience the consequences of that exploration. And so, as they strayed further beyond sight of the carriage, Aliyah listened to them with her keen elven hearing.

    Through listening to her children, Aliyah quickly realized something was off. The roads were emptier than she expected and the forest was quiet, save for the soft plotting of the horses on the cobblestone trail.

    Unusual. They should have seen plenty of Guardians by now. The warriors and mages that made up their kind often patrolled the lands outside of Castera in numbers that made them hard to ignore.

    Like the combined might of Diurne and Nocturne''s high and low tides, the Guardians¡¯ numbers could swell and shrink on the slightest whim. Typically a shrinking of their number meant the discovery of a new magic dungeon somewhere on the continent. They would congregate near it and adventurers would also be drawn to them for the chance to claim whatever new loot waited inside.

    Aliyah would be kidding herself if she believed that was the case now. What happened last night with Diurne and this apparent absence of Guardians could not be coincidence.

    Folding and storing her map, Aliyah turned to Rhoda. ¡°Would you mind scouting ahead?¡±

    Rhoda glanced around the carriage and gave a nod. ¡°Sure, take the reins.¡±

    If there was one thing Aliyah liked about Rhoda, it was their shared kinship as Serethi elves. Rhoda was Aliyah¡¯s junior by nearly eighteen years, but she had still been raised by parents who were old enough to remember a time before the Guardians.

    That was a time when adventuring was more akin to monster hunting than exploration. The Guardians had been around for nearly fourteen years when Aliyah had been born, but her parents instilled in her the need to pay attention for monsters and to be ready to defend her tiny village at a moment''s notice from goblin swarms or any of the other monsters that called the wildlands between the Serethi city-states and the human settlements their home.

    Rhoda had that same instruction drilled into her. And so when asked to scout ahead on what should have been a safe road, she did so without question.

    Like Aliyah and Tyree, Rhoda was a Master mage. She excelled in the craft of stealth and elegantly weaved the ambient mana around her into a shroud of concealment that barely gave the slightest distortion of light as she leapt from the cart.

    Gone only a short while, a girl''s scream quickly followed by yells and laughter from three voices preceded Rhoda¡¯s return to Aliyah¡¯s side. Alyx and Lynn likewise appeared back alongside the carriage.

    Aliyah glanced at Rhoda, but the rogue only shrugged. ¡°I figured you wanted me to reign them in.¡±

    Aliyah shook her head and laughed. ¡°Not exactly what I meant. Did you notice how quiet things are?¡±

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    ¡°I did,¡± Rhoda answered. ¡°That''s why I pulled your daughters back. I didn''t see any Guardians ahead of us. Just the other day, there were dozens. Right down eerie, if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°I think we should take the old adventurers¡¯ route north. Just to be safe.¡±

    The adventurers¡¯ route ran roughly parallel to the main routes between Castera and her surrounding villages, but deviated slightly to capture known safe houses and other safe areas to avoid night spawns and rest while travelling. They were kept up much more regularly than the kingdom¡¯s outposts, which as far as Aliyah knew, hadn¡¯t been looked after in nearly a century.

    Rhoda glanced at Aliyah. ¡°You think that''s necessary?¡±

    ¡°No, but I would rather be safe than staring down a goblin swarm at night.¡±

    If they were going to be changing their planned route, Aliyah knew she should leave a sign to let Tyree know why she might not find them.

    Aliyah turned to Rhoda. ¡°Stop here, I want to leave Tyree a note in the fork in the road.¡±

    When the carriage came to a stop, Aliyah hopped down and knelt. She weaved her hands in the pattern of a spell and a single orange carnation sprouted from the ground. It was ever so slightly off center, skewed towards the path they would be taking.

    Rhoda glanced at the flower, then Aliyah. ¡°You still remember how to cast that old spell?¡±

    The carnation had been the symbol of their old adventuring party. It was a beautiful flower and was also Tyree¡¯s favorite. If she saw it, she would immediately know what it meant.

    ¡°It still has its uses. I know you remember it. Go on, add your own.¡±

    Rhoda bent down and began imitating Aliyah¡¯s spell gestures, albeit roughly and imprecise, but a dark blue, almost indigo carnation sprung up beside Aliyah¡¯s orange one.

    Rhoda cocked her head slightly. ¡°Not quite the color I was going for.¡±

    ¡°You still did good,¡± Aliyah patted Rhoda on the back. After a pause, she added two slightly smaller orange flowers beside the larger pair. ¡°Alright, let''s go.¡±

    ***

    The safe house was a cave carved out of the side of a tall cliff face by an earth mage two or three centuries ago. In that time, it had been expanded and even had rudimentary facilities for horses to be kept away from any prowling night spawns. Someone Adept with earth or water magic was required to keep those areas clean. Aliyah was pleased to see those in her former profession still kept up with that bit of courtesy.

    The ground was hard earth, but that mattered little thanks to the bag of holding Aliyah always kept with her. She pulled bedrolls and the tools to set up four hammocks, the bed choice of adventurers the continent over.

    Lynn and Alyx put the horses in their own area while Rhoda prepared the meals.

    Aliyah watched Rhoda struggle with starting the fire for a few moments before walking over to her.

    ¡°You know I could just¡­¡± Aliyah wagged her fingers, making a small flame dance above her hands.

    The tinder Rhoda used ignited into a small fire that popped and cracked as it flared to life from Rhoda¡¯s renewed effort.

    Rhoda glanced up with a smile of satisfaction. ¡°And what if you weren''t here, oh mighty sorceress?¡± She drew her words out in a strong Serethi drawl that would have made an Orleanan dock worker blush.

    ¡°You''d probably be cold tonight,¡± Aliyah said, pressing her mana upon the fire, causing it to burn hotter and brighter for a moment before she released her control of it.

    Dinner came and went and Aliyah had taken the first watch by the cave''s entrance. She moved the earth and stone into a series of overlapping walls too tight to allow anything to pass through, but still large enough to allow for the draw of fresh air.

    Aliyah sat quietly on a blanket, meditating and listening. With her ears, she listened to the slow rhythm of Alyx and Lynn¡¯s sleeping breaths. With her mana, she listened through the earth. She wasn''t as sharp with the skill as a dedicated earth mage, but it was enough to let her know if anyone, or anything, was nearby.

    Rhoda was beside her, meditating as well, but she was using a more restorative variant than the technique Aliyah was using. It was a uniquely Serethi skill. Some humans could learn it, Tyree was one, but they never seemed to get the full benefits she or Rhoda could get.

    As Aliyah continued to listen, she heard it. The faint footsteps of goblins. Lots of goblins. They weren¡¯t close, but Aliyah was glad they had detoured.

    As their footsteps passed, Aliyah relaxed a bit, allowing the tension in her muscles to ease. She resumed her silent vigil, hoping she was worrying for nothing.

 03: Tyree

    ¡°The strength of a mage and the size of their reservoir of mana can generally be separated into four ranks: Initiate, Apprentice, Adept, Master. A similar method for classifying monsters and beasts exists, D, C, B, A. There exists no way to go beyond the final tier except for the dread night spawn.¡±¡ª A Scientific Treatise on Mages.

    Western Barracks of the Cross-Borders Army, Castera, Kingdom of Ilsylvania. Day -21.

    Tyree¡¯s arms ached and her lungs burned. She was pushing herself too hard and she knew it, but she wanted the pain of over exertion. No, she needed it as a distraction from her anger and frustration.

    Two days ago, she had seen Aliyah and their daughters off with their friend, Rhoda, to Pella. The plan had been for her to finish her final week of guard duty before riding Felt to catch up with them.

    But that had changed when she¡¯d come back on base. A message had circulated that morning announcing her entire regiment¡¯s rotation to three month reserve had been halted pending further orders. And this morning, she¡¯d received a letter stating her extended leave request had been revoked.

    Her trip with her family to see her old adventuring group had been pulled out from under her feet. And worst of all, no explanation had been given as to why.

    Just thinking of the letter sitting on her desk in her quarters reignited the embers of anger she had just barely managed to stamp out with exercise. Tyree lashed out with a sword spell, her blade a flurry of movement.

    Sudden, sharp pain shot up Tyree¡¯s arm, bringing her back to reality. Captain Tarik Kronos stood with his shield raised in a defensive position, the telltale mist-like yellow glow of a recently used weapon spell still lingered on his shield.

    ¡°Easy, Lieutenant. That one felt a little personal.¡±

    Tyree studied the six scratches she¡¯d left in his shield. They were deep cuts, but not so deep as to have hurt Kronos underneath; a feat they both knew she was more than capable of doing, even with the dull training sword in her hand.

    Tyree lowered her weapon with the blade pointed behind her and Kronos did the same with his broadsword, signaling the end to their sparring match. The two stepped off the training platform and turned it over to a pair of privates who had been waiting patiently for their turn.

    Tyree braced herself for the conversation she knew was coming by taking a deep breath as Kronos ushered her aside.

    ¡°Why did you join the Cross-Borders Army?¡± Kronos asked as he placed sword and shield on his armor¡¯s back mounts.

    Tyree started to answer, but Kronos cut her off.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re going to rattle off something about civic duty and patriotism, but I know you¡¯re history. You¡¯ve advanced quickly through the ranks, due in no small part to having been a life-long adventurer before signing on. That line of work can pay well¡ªdid pay well for you. Why give all that up to become a soldier in the guard?¡±

    ¡°Adventuring only paid well because it was a dangerous profession, but it¡¯s getting harder and harder to get the big scores. And they¡¯ve basically industrialized the magic dungeons that need a Guardian to enter. It takes months of repeat dives to earn what used to take one. And new, unexplored regular ruins and dungeons are becoming rarer and rarer. My wife kept telling me I needed less dangerous work after our twins were born.¡±

    ¡°And signing up for the army was your answer?¡± Kronos raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Aliyah never properly defined ¡®less dangerous¡¯ for me.¡± Tyree forced a dry laugh and Kronos snorted.

    ¡°Tyressa, I get it. You¡¯re pissed. So am I. So is everyone else in our battalion who was looking forward to this rotation for months. But joining the army, and especially being an officer, requires you to keep a level head. The people serving under you will look to you when things go south. They need to see their leadership has things under control. And that includes not using their superior¡¯s shield to blow off steam.¡±

    Tyree took the rebuke with a single, silent nod. He was right, but his words did nothing to cool her boiling anger at the situation.

    ¡°Get yourself cleaned up. You look as rough as the number you did on my shield.¡±

    That got a genuine smile to creep onto Tyree¡¯s lips. ¡°Will do, Captain.¡±

    ¡°And check in with Caleb and Shai. The orders should have gone out this morning, but remind them of our meeting tonight. And make sure you get those pins to them beforehand.¡±

    A box had arrived at Tyree¡¯s quarters with what she had assumed to be her new rank insignias and uniform. Kronos was being promoted to Major over their regiment and Tyree was assuming his position as Captain. She wasn¡¯t being assigned to lead his former battalion, but was instead being given her own. Tyree had chosen both Caleb and Shai to lead two of the four companies she was being allotted. But all that wasn¡¯t supposed to occur until after their return from reserve.

    Tyree voiced that concern.

    ¡°Yes, I wanted to tell you personally. After what happened a few nights ago, some timelines have been moved. My promotion to Major is effective tomorrow. You will get more information tonight. For now, just make sure you three are wearing those new rank insignias at the meeting.¡±

    Tyree gave a nod and turned to leave. The sun was still high overhead and she knew exactly where she¡¯d find Caleb.

    ***

    A patch of sandy blond hair in a sea of dark hair gave Caleb Tahn away. The Riellen native¡¯s back was towards Tyree as he sat at a table with seven other soldiers. Each of them bore the red insignia of a hawk holding an arrow in one set of talons and a bow in the other on the backs of their uniforms. The insignia of the exclusive 17th Ranger Company, known as the Sanguine Hawks.

    The group had been sharing a laugh when Tyree called Caleb¡¯s name. The young man stood and snapped to attention as the rest of his table set their dining utensils down.

    ¡°Lieutenant Pearce, what can I do for you?¡± Caleb was shorter than Tyree by about a head and had a boyish face that contrasted strongly with his bowman¡¯s physique. Tyree wondered if she had looked so much like a kid when she had entered her twenties.

    ¡°At ease.¡± Tyree waved a dismissive hand.

    Caleb visibly relaxed as his table went back to their meals. Though she was coming up on her sixth year in the army, Tyree still didn¡¯t care for all the pomp and circumstance.

    ¡°I¡¯m only stopping by to remind you of our meeting tonight. You and Shai need to meet outside my quarters thirty minutes before.¡±

    ¡°I got the orders this morning, I¡¯ll be there, LT,¡± Caleb replied. With a little nudging from the woman at his right, he added, ¡°Any idea what our reserve halt¡¯s about? Think it might have something to do with Diurne lighting up the way it did? You see it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll find anyone who didn¡¯t see it. Had half my neighborhood outside watching, but¡ª¡±

    The woman who had nudged Caleb cut in. ¡°Rumor has it it¡¯s because all the guardians in the city disappeared. Vanished without a trace since Diurne briefly became a second Solaire.¡±

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    The Guardians in the city disappeared? That was news to Tyree. Castera typically had a couple hundred Guardians inside the city and even more along the outskirts at any given time. They kept to themselves, but could be counted on to keep the local monster populations in check. If they had all disappeared, it would make sense that the king would want to shore up Ilsylvania¡¯s defenses in their absence.

    But Tyree wasn¡¯t about to start speculating on that with those under her command. She might hate the army¡¯s formality, but she still had tact.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get any word from on high and you know I don¡¯t like to gossip. You all really shouldn¡¯t either if you¡¯d like to hold command positions some day.¡± Tyree kept her stern expression on the group for only a second before she started laughing good-naturedly with them.

    Tyree turned to Caleb. ¡°I have to track down Shai. See you tonight.¡±

    ¡°See you tonight, LT.¡± Caleb gave a salute and returned to his food as Tyree walked past his table.

    ***

    Shai was an earth mage who dabbled in healing. The half-Serethi woman could typically be found at Castera¡¯s new free to anyone healing clinic run by the army. Spearheaded by House Ilvari, one of the six governing Great Houses under King Hael, it was just one of several new social programs established since King Hael¡¯s ascendance to the crown. It saw hundreds of patients a day and was one of the most advanced of its kind.

    In Tyree¡¯s opinion, gathering all the healers in one spot where they had access to the resources they needed to care for the people had been a real boon for the city. Her own family had benefited greatly from the service many times. Aliyah might be a strong alchemist with a few healing spells of her own, but twins hellbent on imitating the stories of adventure Aliyah and Tyree told them had stressed her wife¡¯s skills to the limit.

    Smiling as she thought of her family, Tyree stepped into the clinic. A hive of activity; there was an uphill battle raging between the staff and the sick. The clinic had apparently run out of rooms and beds as many people were lying in blankets on the floor, medics running between them.

    A short man in uniform shuffled past Tyree and she called out. ¡°Excuse me! Excuse me, sir!¡±

    The man stopped and turned to Tyree. He had a ragged, haggard look with eyes so bloodshot, Tyree wondered if he was one of the staff or a patient.

    ¡°I¡¯m very busy, what do you need?¡± He finished the sentence with a barely stifled yawn.

    Tyree glanced around quickly. He wasn¡¯t the only one who looked like they would fall asleep on their feet.

    ¡°Official army business. I¡¯m looking for a woman named Shai, she¡¯s a healer here?¡±

    ¡°The blind elf? Down that hall, last door on the left.¡±

    Elf. He¡¯d said the word with derision. Not wanting this battle, Tyree instead followed his pointing hand. She looked back and the man was already a dozen paces away.

    Just inside the last door on the left, a large wolfhound lay on the ground. The dog¡¯s head perked up as Tyree entered.

    ¡°Hello, Koda.¡± Tyree bent down and scratched behind her ears.

    Koda rumbled a yawn of deep content.

    Further in the room, Shai and her aide stood at the sound of Tyree¡¯s voice. ¡°Good afternoon, Lieutenant.¡±

    ¡°Take your breather. I just came from out there, I can see you¡¯re swamped.¡±

    Shai raised a shaking hand to the girl, who set down her notebook and pulled two small bags from a larger bag tucked behind them. She set one in Shai¡¯s lap and took the other for herself.

    Shai opened the bag, revealing a bowl of something that smelled savory. ¡°This is the first break my scribe and I have had since coming in this morning. The illness in the farming communities has made its way into the city and the sick are piling up. It¡¯s to the point where we¡¯re sending away those who were able to walk here. Myself and a few others have been busy taking care of those patients not sick with this illness.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s even worse up north. A friend of ours came down from Pella asking Aliyah for help.¡±

    Shai took a spoonful of her meal and swallowed it. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, your wife¡¯s a mage and a healer. We could have really used her here. This disease has proven most resistant to basic healing spells and the best we¡¯re managing is comforting the sick while their bodies fight off the infection themselves.¡±

    ¡°The Serethi have been hit hardest. That¡¯s why Aliyah was so adamant about going.¡±

    ¡°I am only half-Serethi, but I worry. I was told full-blooded Serethi were the most susceptible. I hope your wife and kids remain healthy.¡±

    A loud crash in the hallway made everyone in the room jump. Everyone except Koda, who merely raised her head in disinterest before laying back down.

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s our cue to wrap up our break. I will see you and Caleb tonight.¡± Shai returned to her meal.

    ¡°Good luck out here.¡± Tyree turned and gave Koda another rub on the back before leaving.

    Out in the hall, a cart lay on its side with medical supplies and shattered potion bottles around it. The contents of the bottles created a mixture that steamed and bubbled softly. An older man with a fluffy white beard stood sheepishly while two medics worked to clean up the mess. Tyree stepped cautiously by them and headed out the door, making for her quarters.

    ***

    The rank of Lieutenant afforded Tyree with many perks, chief among them was her own private quarters on base. She rarely ever used the unit as it was unsuited to the task of housing a family. But she¡¯d spent the last couple nights here to get away from her empty house.

    Tyree pulled a small white stone from her bag and muttered an incantation. Several larger white stones around the room flared to life, filling the dark, windowless apartment with just enough light to see by.

    Tyree sat down at her kitchen table and let out a long sigh. She wondered the same thing she always wondered when her work life cut into the time she was supposed to be spending with her family: was it even worth it?

    She had tried early on when Alyx and Lynn were born to settle down into a more peaceful life, a retirement life. They certainly didn¡¯t need the money adventuring had brought in; the earnings from their last dungeon dive twelve years ago had given them enough that Aliyah and their daughters would live modestly for a long time after Tyree was gone.

    But Tyree had been driven stir crazy. She had been a student of the sword since a young age and an adventurer for nearly as long. The drive to be active, to explore, and to use her sword skills was baked into her very core.

    That was why she had joined the army and ensured she was always on the exterior patrol when she was on the city guard rotation. It wasn¡¯t glamorous, but the patrols netted her with some excitement here and there as she fought goblins and other monsters to keep the roads between Castera and her subject cities safe.

    They had initially wanted to settle down near Pella, but had chosen Castera because of the access to schools and magic training for their daughters in addition to Tyree being able to advance her career in the guard.

    But Tyree wondered if perhaps it was time to re-examine. She was under no obligation to renew her service with the army, perhaps Pella could become a permanent place for them to stay. She could always join the guard patrols up there, but more importantly, she¡¯d be able to spend more time with her family and friends.

    Tyree stood, resolving herself to bring up this conversation with Aliyah when she returned from Pella. Right now, however, she desperately needed a shower and a meal.

    ***

    Two knocks at the door told Tyree her meal of the last of her reheated beef and lamb stew was over. She looked into the bowl and saw she had barely even nibbled at it. She placed the leftovers back in her icebox.

    Tyree walked over to the door and picked up three small boxes from the stack that had been left for her. They were distinguished from the others in that these three already had the names of the people Tyree had chosen to serve under her as two of her company leaders. The other two would be given to those assigned to her based on the needs of the battalion.

    ¡°Thanks for getting here early. I have something I¡¯m supposed to give to you.¡± Tyree handed Caleb and Shai the boxes containing their new rank insignias.

    Caleb held the box to his ear and shook it. ¡°What are these?¡±

    ¡°This was supposed to wait until after we returned from reserve, but you¡¯ve both been promoted. Congratulations,¡± Tyree answered.

    Shai opened her box and rubbed her hands along the wooden tablet that had been carved for her to read. ¡°I¡¯m being made Lieutenant over the Sabertooth Company.¡±

    Composed mostly of healers and medics, Sabertooth Company was the one principally running the new healing clinic. Her position would largely be administrative, but Tyree knew Shai saw the clinic as her baby.

    Caleb held up his Lieutenant¡¯s badge, then frowned as he looked back inside the box. ¡°I know this pin. The 9th? We¡¯re being placed in the 9th Battalion? Why them? Why not the 7th or the 8th?¡±

    Tyree opened her own box and looked inside, pulling out the pin which represented the 9th, a red and gold 9 stylized in the same manner as that of the Guardian guild chiefly responsible for slaying Azeban, North Remembers.

    The 9th Forward Strike Battalion had been an all-volunteer battalion assembled to clear the way into Hell¡¯s Mouth alongside the Guardians of North Remembers nearly a hundred years ago. They had fought bravely, but the entire battalion had been slaughtered to the last man. Ilsylvania¡¯s king at the time had the battalion decommissioned to honor them. Why was she being made Captain over that battalion?

    ¡°You¡¯d think it¡¯d be bad luck to bring back that battalion of all battalions,¡± Caleb continued.

    Shai pulled out her own 9th Battalion pin and placed it on her uniform. ¡°I think King Hael intends it as a statement. Given the 9th¡¯s strong ties to the Guardians, he could be saying that Ilsylvania means to stand by them no matter what has happened to them. And who better to lead the 9th than an Adventurer who spent her whole life among Guardians? I think it¡¯s a poetic gesture.¡±

    Caleb shook his head. ¡°Poetry won¡¯t save us from another Azeban.¡±

 04: Tyree

    ¡°For reasons unknown, night spawns always appear one rank above the highest rank in an area. For instance, a Master mage facing off against a night spawn goblin would find that goblin has an apparent rank of S.¡±¡ª A Scientific Treatise on Mages, Volume One

    Cross-Borders Army Administrative Wing, Castera, Kingdom of Ilsylvania. Day -21.

    Kronos and an aide were already waiting for Tyree, Caleb, and Shai in the main lobby of the command hall. The aide led them into a large conference room where seven other people, each engaged in their own conversations, sat around a large table which formed a C with a podium in the middle of the gap.

    Though she didn¡¯t keep up with Ilsylvania¡¯s politics, Tyree knew the seven people in the room were the heads of the six Great Houses; Commander Leon Maraketh and his wife, Lianna; Tomas Drakhan; Elias Ilvari; and Valeria Areth were those people she recognized.

    The Great Houses were the direct advisors to the king and leaders of their own sectors of the kingdom¡¯s economy. Tyree wondered what had brought them all the way out here.

    King Isaias Hael was a handsome and slim, yet muscular man with sepia skin and a short, neatly trimmed dark red beard. Everyone stood when he entered.

    ¡°Please! Sit! I¡¯ve dragged you from your lives and I¡¯m late. The least I could do is have you be comfortable after what has surely been a long day for many of you.¡± His tone held the genuine warmth of friendliness. He took his own seat and gestured to Commander Leon. ¡°You have the floor, Commander.¡±

    Leon stood and moved to the center podium. ¡°I will be brief and to the point. The rumors you¡¯ve no doubt heard are true: The Guardians have disappeared. Not just from Castera, but scouts across the countryside report the same grim fact.¡±

    So the scuttlebutt was true? Tyree thought as hushed conversations picked up around the room.

    A man whose placard read Laurence Trellianora, raised a hand. ¡°All of them? What does that mean for the trade routes between cities? We¡¯re already stretched thin trying to fight this damned plague!¡±

    Lianna answered him. ¡°Castera¡¯s military will begin posting more guards along key routes and general patrols are being increased. The current three-month schedule has been suspended as we work to meet this increased need for manpower. Additionally, recruitment efforts have been increased to train new guards.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯re increasing arms production across the board to arm those new guards. Do not worry, Laurence, your merchants will be as safe as they have always been,¡± Tomas Drakhan added.

    As the people in the room talked, Tyree wondered what her role played in this.

    ¡°Those are good places to start with, but ultimately it won¡¯t matter.¡± A gravelly voice said. A tall, thin man with pointed elven ears stood in the doorway. His Serethi agelessness was beginning to show signs of cracking, his hair was wiry and thinning and he stood with a slightly hunched back.

    ¡°And who are you to make that claim?¡± Tomas Drakhan scoffed.

    ¡°Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have spoken so bluntly. I apologize, there are many new faces here. New House leaders, I presume.¡± The man¡¯s eyes swept across the room without lingering on anyone in particular. ¡°I wish we could have met under better circumstances. My name is Treyvon, and it was I who petitioned for this meeting.¡±

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    King Hael stood. ¡°Treyvon has served as advisor to four generations of kings before I and is the only person here old enough to remember a time before the Guardians. I believe he is the best expert on this unprecedented issue before us.¡±

    ¡°The issue is that the monsters today are a lot stronger than they were in the past. The enhanced strength of night spawns wasn¡¯t a thing hundreds of years ago. If the Guardians don¡¯t return, it won¡¯t be as simple as increasing patrols. You¡¯d be lucky if the army could hold any territory beyond Castera¡¯s walls for any length of time if the monster population grows unchecked.¡±

    Tyree felt a cold chill that was shared by everyone in the room. She had fought night spawns before. They were monsters that had been enhanced by the ambient mana in an area. They were always ten levels higher than the highest leveled combatant in the area, which made fighting them even harder in a group whose levels varied as much as the army¡¯s did.

    Lianna finished writing something in a notebook and looked up. ¡°Then what do you propose we do?¡±

    ¡°I propose Ilsylvania acquire the same defensive barriers that protect Araedi and the other Serethi city-states,¡± Treyvon answered as though that were a trivial thing to do.

    Lianna¡¯s short laugh held very little mirth. ¡°The Serethi Queen, as well as her predecessor, and her predecessor, have all made it clear they will not share that with us.¡±

    ¡°The treaty of peace between the Serethi, Ilsylvania, and Rielle was built upon an imbalance of power, the gulf of which has only grown in the centuries since it was adopted. That is the chief reason why I left my people behind over three hundred years ago. I disagreed with the original treaty because I believe Ilsylvania and Rielle entered into it under duress.¡± Treyvon stood straighter and continued with passion in his words. ¡°But that changed with this epidemic. It was only a few days ago that I returned from Delphianna and I can tell you the city-state has been hit hard by this disease. House Ilvari¡¯s proposal to increase spending on medical care within the kingdom proved well timed. And I believe that foresight has not only put us in a position to weather it, but has also given us significant leverage to discuss a new treaty between the three parties¡­¡±

    Whatever else Treyvon had been about to say, Tyree hadn¡¯t heard it. She¡¯d begun seething the moment he implied his intentions to use the deaths of thousands for political gain.

    A strong tap on her leg made Tyree turn to Kronos. He leaned over and whispered, ¡°You should leave the room.¡±

    A firm, but whispered ¡°now!¡± headed off Tyree¡¯s response. Nodding, she stood and excused herself, saying she was beginning to feel unwell.

    ¡°Best wishes to your health, Captain,¡± Treyvon said after eying Tyree¡¯s new rank insignia. ¡°You come highly recommended. I sincerely hope you won¡¯t be indisposed long before your assignment. Which I think actually makes a good segue into the next thing I wanted to discuss¡­¡±

    ***

    Kronos stopped Tyree on the stairway outside the command hall. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t told you to leave, would you have spoken up and ruined your career?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°You were scowling from the moment Treyvon started speaking. I understand your sympathies with the Serethi and Treyvon may have his own demons, but when Commander Leon came to me personally with this assignment, there was no question in my mind that you three were the best for this job. You in particular have a well known history with the Guardians. Which is why you are our subject matter expert.¡±

    Tyree suddenly wished she¡¯d stayed in the room to find out what this mission was.

    Kronos gave her that knowledge as he continued. ¡°I was going to leave this as a surprise for you, but you will be stationed in Pella as an advisor to General Neemo. I know your connection to the area and while this is a temporary assignment, when you return is entirely up to you. But while you are there, you will share your knowledge in dealing with the monsters you¡¯ve faced during your time as an adventurer. With the Guardians always around, Ilsylvania¡¯s soldiers haven¡¯t exactly been tried under the same fires as previous generations. You will be the next best thing. And when you''re done training them, you''ll be picking two of them to be your third and fourth companies¡¯ leaders.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡± Tyree¡¯s anger had cooled the moment he said she¡¯d be going to Pella. While he hadn¡¯t explicitly said it, stationing her in Pella would give her time to spend with her family and friends.

    ¡°You will have to clear your quarters by the end of day tomorrow as we leave the next day. Now go home, they expect you to be sick.¡± Kronos turned to go back inside but stopped and turned, a half smile on his face. ¡°Enjoy your evening, Captain.¡±

    With a full smile on her face, Tyree fast-walked, then ran back to her quarters.

 05: Tyree

    There exists no consensus on why night spawns always appear to be one rank above the highest mage. There exists no sentient night spawn and studying the dead yields no information. Spells which can detect a creature''s rank show the mana leaves their body upon death.¡±¡ª A Scientific Treatise on Mages, Volume One

    The Walled City of Castera, the Kingdom of Ilsylvania. Day -20.

    Castera was separated into four major districts; the Central Dominance, the First Ring District, the Second Ring District, and the villages and farmlands beyond the city¡¯s walls. Tyree lived in the Second Ring District, which was made up of Castera¡¯s ¡°upper middle class¡±; small land and business owners, moderately successful mages and merchants, and adventurers who had gotten a lucky score on a dungeon dive. Tyree and her family belonged to the last group.

    The neighborhood they lived in was almost entirely retired adventurers. As Tyree walked up the street towards her home, she found one such sitting on his porch in his rocking chair.

    Regis was something of a landmark in the neighborhood, having moved here long before Tyree¡¯s house had even been built. He waved to Tyree with a friendly grin that was missing more than a few teeth.

    ¡°Tyressa? What are you still doing in town? I saw your family leave a few days ago. I figured you¡¯d be right there with them.¡±

    ¡°Duty calls, my vacation was cancelled,¡± Tyree said flatly and Regis gave an apologetic shake of the head in response. ¡°But it ain¡¯t all bad. I¡¯ve been assigned to Pella with them for at least as long as our vacation.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯d you kill to make that happen? Say¡­¡± Regis trailed off and stood, reaching just inside his doorway and pulled out a small package. ¡°Pella puts you near Old Man Logan. Do you mind giving this to him? Your wife mentioned it before you left and I meant to give this to her before she left.¡±

    Tyree looked at the small package he was holding. Small and rectangular, it was wrapped in brown paper with twine keeping it neatly together. On one side of the package was an insignia; a small oval with a circle inside it. A line ran perpendicular to one broad side of the oval and two parallel lines ran perpendicular to the opposite broad side.

    Regis must have interpreted her inspection of the package as hesitance. ¡°It¡¯s just a book. I¡¯ve held onto it for so long, Logan¡¯s probably forgotten all about it by now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it to him,¡± Tyree said as she took the book.

    ¡°Just be careful with it. It¡¯s far, far older than even I.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. What goes in my bag is safe in my bag.¡± Tyree gave her bag a pat.

    She looked back up at the old man and saw he had a fair bit of stubble on his usually clean face. She¡¯d missed it because his hair was so thin and white, it was nearly invisible on his pale skin. He looked so much older since the last time she¡¯d talked to him.

    ¡°Regis, are you going to be alright while we¡¯re gone? I know Alyx and Lynn sometimes help you with your chores¡­¡± It was a weak question, but Tyree didn¡¯t feel comfortable prying into the older man¡¯s life.

    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯ll be able to manage on my own. Not so sure about everyone else, though.¡± He scratched his stubble, then added, ¡°I heard rumors the Guardians are gone. This city has grown relaxed since they showed up. People have forgotten how to deal with anything tougher than the occasional goblin swarm on the farms. I have a feeling things will become less¡­ stable. Promise me you¡¯ll be careful on your trip.¡±

    Tyree¡¯s throat went dry. He had echoed the very same thoughts she¡¯d had the night before. She cleared her throat and asked, ¡°Do you think the Guardians are gone for good?¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°Hard to say. They come and go. Individuals disappear for decades at a time, only to pop back up. I fear this is different. All of them gone at once? It¡¯s the first time I''ve seen it happen. I hope they come back. We¡¯re damned if they don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I hope so, too.¡± Tyree said.

    Regis went back to rocking and sipping from his drink. Tyree waved goodbye and moved to the community stables behind her house.

    Felt perked up when he saw her. The five year old buckskin gelding had an inquisitive and friendly demeanor that made him unsuited to the task of a war horse, but made for the perfect riding companion.

    She glanced over at his feeding trough and saw it had been recently filled. Aliyah had taken care of scheduling Felt¡¯s feeding with her neighbors while she was away. It was nice to see they didn¡¯t let him go hungry.

    ¡°Ready yourself, Felt. We go riding on the morrow,¡± Tyree cooed softly to the horse as she led him out of the stables.

    There was slightly more pep in his step after Tyree secured his saddle. She double and triple checked the locks around the house and waved goodbye to Regis. The old man assured her he would watch over her place while Tyree and her family were away.

    ***

    Back at the barracks, Tyree had Felt fitted with a proper soldier¡¯s saddle and light armor. Tyree had a set of horse armor at home, but it hadn¡¯t been fitted for Felt and was much too heavy for the young horse. Fortunately, the army had a wide selection for her immediate use. She left Felt in the care of a stable boy who said the horse would be treated well.

    With Felt and her home taken care of, Tyree went to her next task and made her way to Kronos¡¯ office.

    She knocked lightly on the door, but it wasn¡¯t until the fifth, louder knock that he acknowledged her presence.

    ¡°Ah, Captain. I apologize, I didn¡¯t see you. Can I help you?¡± He had been poring over a stack of papers that threatened to spill off his cluttered desk.

    ¡°I wanted to apologize for yesterday,¡± Tyree said.

    ¡°Thank you, but it wasn¡¯t my career that was¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not that,¡± Tyree said with a laugh. ¡°No, for scarring your favorite shield.¡±

    Kronos rumbled out a low chuckle. ¡°Apology accepted. Truth be told, I needed an excuse to get it refinished. I¡¯ll have to use my second favorite shield until the blacksmith returns it.¡±

    Tyree laughed and let a bit of silence pass between them.

    Kronos quickly picked up on the fact that there was more she wanted to talk to him about. He set his papers down, crossed his fingers, and gave Tyree his full attention. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t just come here to give me an apology. What is it, Tyressa?¡±

    ¡°Can I speak honestly with you?¡±

    ¡°You always can.¡± He gestured for her to take a seat.

    Tyree moved to close the door, then took the chair across from Kronos¡¯ desk. ¡°Are you really okay with us withholding aid to the Serethi for nothing more than politics?¡±

    Kronos gave a frown and spoke in a serious voice. ¡°I follow the lawful orders assigned to me even if I do not agree with them. That is exactly why I volunteered for this mission.¡±

    ¡°You volunteered for it?¡±

    ¡°Ordinarily, this scouting mission would be led by someone of a lower rank than I, but when I saw the candidate pool, I had to step in. It''s an open secret that a growing faction within Ilsylvania distrusts the Serethi. Many might even see the disappearance of the Guardians as an escalation of tensions between our peoples. I couldn¡¯t trust some of the people on that list to not find monsters where there are none. We will be impartial. And we will give aid to any who need it. And that¡¯s the last I will say on this subject.¡±

    ¡°I understand, thank you.¡± A tension Tyree hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d been holding in relaxed as a wave of relief washed over her.

    ¡°Now, was there anything else you needed? I do have a lot of work to finish up before we go.¡± Kronos¡¯ typical good-natured demeanor returned.

    ¡°There was one more thing. I saw we¡¯ll be inspecting several outposts along the way. I thought those fell under the jurisdiction of the villages near them.¡±

    ¡°And you would be right, but many of those outposts haven¡¯t been maintained in the decades since the arrival of the Guardians. We¡¯ll be compiling a list of what repairs need to be done and any outposts that are too far gone to be salvaged will be torn down and rebuilt. Anything the villages themselves can¡¯t do, they¡¯ll have to request aid from the King.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad Command is taking the disappearance so seriously.¡±

    ¡°It was actually my idea to add those to the list. King Hael really does want better for the people of Ilsylvania. And not just those here in Castera. I see bringing the outposts back in line as an extension of that policy and Commander Leon agreed.¡±

    Tyree had to agree with that. Though the late king had been well loved, his reign had largely been just another name in Ilsylvania¡¯s list of kings. His son and successor, King Isaias had done much in his three years and he showed no signs of slowing down.

    Kronos gave a thoughtful look before adding, ¡°That, and they are spaced in such a way that we won¡¯t have to ride as hard to avoid traveling at night. That was their original purpose, after all.¡±

    Tyree shuddered at his meaning. Anything to avoid the nightmares that were nightspawns was something she could get behind.

 06: Tyree

    ¡°I posit there must be an evolutionary pressure to explain this perceived deviation. But such theorizing goes beyond the scope of this book. I look to the next generation of mages and their research in this area to yield more fruit where I¡¯ve laid my seeds of knowledge.¡±¡ª A Scientific Treatise on Mages, Volume One

    Outside the Village of Erenvelle, the Kingdom of Ilsylvania. Day -01.

    Over two weeks of travel and outpost inspections passed in the rather slow blink of an eye. Their routine had settled into the monotony of checking an outpost covered in overgrowth, delivering the news to the local guard and village officials that they would have to clean it up, fighting resistance from those officials citing a lack of manpower and funds to do the repairs, and Kronos politely reminding them that their extravagant mansions could always be liquidated to cover the costs. Somehow after that, the money always managed to show up in their coffers.

    That routine changed when they made it to the final village before Araedi, Erenvelle. Barely large enough to be called a village, Erenvelle was one of several whose sole economy was growing the food that supported both Castera and Araedi¡¯s booming population.

    Tyree could tell something was off before the village even came around the bend in the road. They should have passed a guard patrol or seen some of the villagers tending the fields they passed. Instead, there was only a quiet undisturbed by even the local wildlife.

    Koda went alert and huffed a low grumble of warning and Kronos raised a halting hand. Shai issued a command and Koda silenced, though it was clear she was still on her guard.

    Kronos dismounted from his horse and drew his broadsword. Everyone else followed suit.

    They proceeded cautiously as the smell of burnt wood crept into the air. It didn¡¯t take long before they found the first bodies; guards in bloodied armor laying amongst even bloodier felled goblins.

    The fighting hadn¡¯t been limited to the town¡¯s edge. The trail of carnage showed the battle had continued to the village''s breached gates. What lay beyond crushed any hope of finding any survivors.

    ¡°Moira''s Light! Goblins did all this, Cap?¡± Caleb asked as they surveyed the wreckage.

    ¡°They weren¡¯t regular goblins. Those, men could fight,¡± Tyree answered.

    Caleb grimaced in understanding. Night spawn goblins had been through this village. Wherever the Guardians had gone, they needed to come back. Scenes like this would only be the first as the monsters grew bolder without anyone to check them.

    Shai placed a hand on the ground and shuddered a moment later, pulling away quickly. ¡°I can read the story of what happened here in the earth. These men and women did not die easily. If there are any survivors, they¡¯ll be in the bunker under the town hall. I hope they were fast enough in getting there.¡±

    Kronos nodded. ¡°Then that is where we are going.¡±

    The bunker¡¯s entrance was on the side of the ruins that had once been the town hall.

    Kronos pounded on the heavy doors with a gauntleted fist. ¡°We are soldiers from Castera. If anyone is in there, we are here to help you. You are safe now.¡±

    No reply came. Kronos attempted to pull at the doors, but they didn¡¯t budge. They were locked, which meant someone was in there. So why weren¡¯t they answering?

    Koda appeared from the other side of the town hall and gave an assertive woof and the three of them followed her.

    They found Shai standing at the back of the building. The wall had been broken through and the floor boards torn up. There was no indication that the properly reinforced slab of concrete or stone required for every village¡¯s bunker had ever been used in its construction. Instead, there was only a black emptiness ringed by rubble and splintered wood stained with blood.

    Kronos pulled his shield from his back. ¡°I¡¯ll check for survivors. You three stay here.¡±

    Tyree pulled her longsword from its sheath. The red blade ignited with flame. ¡°No, I¡¯ll go with you. We don¡¯t know if something could still be hiding down there.¡±

    Kronos didn''t argue, though the small, selfish part of Tyree wished he had. She held no illusions as to what would be found inside.

    Tyree pulled two white crystals from her bag of holding and whispered an incantation into the smaller of the two. The larger stone flared to life with a white light and she dropped it into the hole. It hit the ground with a plink and though the light wasn¡¯t bright, it was enough to see the roughly twelve foot drop into the bunker.

    First Kronos, then Tyree lowered themselves into the hole. The metallic scent of blood filled the air. Tyree held her sword up, its burning blade casting a horrifying red glow on the even more horrifying scene. She held her other hand to her mouth, breath lodged in her throat. She glanced at Kronos and the expression on his face mirrored the same twist of emotions she felt.

    Silently, the two of them went to the task of checking the bodies for signs of life. They found none.

    When they made it to the bunker doors, Kronos turned and whispered, ¡°Thank you for coming with me.¡±

    Tyree could only manage a nod. He had not so subtly been pushing her away from the defenseless and into the direction of those who had clearly been the ones fighting the last stand. Tyree could only think of her daughters and hope they were safe with her friends and wife in Pella. Tyree squeezed her hand to her shirt pocket, feeling the four carnations tucked in there. She''d figured Aliyah had put them there to let her know of her passing. She hadn''t found anymore since that first day on the road, but she hoped all the same.

    The bunker doors had been barricaded with three shelves pushed in front of it. It took effort to untangle the mass of wood and metal and when they finally got the door open, Tyree found the midmorning sunlight blinding.

    Caleb peeked into the doorway, but Kronos put a hand on the younger man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s in there¡­ You don¡¯t want to see it. Trust me, son.¡±

    Caleb looked at Tyree and she could only manage a shake of the head. Caleb quickly backed away from the door.

    Then Kronos, Tyree, and Caleb went to gather the bodies of the dead throughout the village. The gruesome task was made easier by Shai creating a stone platform to lay the dead on and moving it around with little effort on her part.

    They tossed the bodies into the bunker without looking inside as best they could. Then Tyree lit the bunker on fire and Shai used an earth spell to wall the building off so the flames wouldn¡¯t spread.

    Stolen story; please report.

    They watched the funeral pyre burn and Caleb said a Riellen prayer for the fallen.

    Kronos moved to his horse and took out a piece of paper, a quill, and an inkwell from his pack on its saddle. He penned a message and wrapped it in a leather scroll.

    He tied it to his messenger hawk and sent it off in the direction of Castera. ¡°There is little more we can do for the people of Erenvelle. But we can make sure this doesn¡¯t happen again. We continue onward to Araedi.¡±

    ***

    Nightfall was only a few hours away when they approached the outskirts of Araedi. Even from their distance, the city-state cast an imposing view. The skyline beyond the walls stretched in both directions towards the horizon and the defensive barrier tinted the city with the very faintest of purple.

    With the arrival of the Guardians, Araedi had become the center of the eastern coast¡¯s economy. The city held the largest population of Guardians, around a million individuals, and boasted a mixed human and serethi population in roughly equal number as well.

    Even Araedi hadn¡¯t been spared from the missing Guardians. The farmland surrounding Araedi had been long abandoned. They passed dozens of farmhouses whose crops still had yet to be harvested.

    They approached a farm which had dozens of farmhands busy working the fields while guards bearing Araedi¡¯s banner stood watch with bored expressions.

    One of the more senior-looking guards made his way towards them as they approached. He had a thick serethi accent that even six hundred years of language sharing between their cultures had done little to blunt. ¡°Name¡¯s Sandor. By your colors, soldiers from Castera, no? What word comes from the south?¡±

    ¡°Aye. I¡¯m Tarik Kronos. Tyressa Pearce, Caleb Tahn, and Shai,¡± Kronos replied in introduction. ¡°Same news as everywhere else. A village to the south, Erenvelle, got attacked by night spawns last night. Have any survivors come this way?¡±

    ¡°Monster sightings have grown everywhere since the Guardians disappeared. It¡¯s why we¡¯re out here watching the farmers. Only way they feel safe. But no, no survivors have come this way. You might check with the village gates.¡± Sandor answered. ¡°Use the southwest gate. The southeast is where the sick are to go.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll do that. Thank you, Sandor.¡±

    The serethi were just as in the dark on where the Guardians had gone as everyone else.

    ***

    The southwestern gates were a hive of activity. Six lines, each with a group of guards at each, converged into a large crowd entering the city.

    ¡°Papers?¡± A balding man asked without looking up from his ledger.

    ¡°We¡¯re soldiers from Castera. Stopping by on our way to Pella,¡± Kronos said as he handed the guard their travel documents.

    ¡°None of you have been sick in the last day or two?¡±

    ¡°Not even a sniffle. Are things bad here?¡±

    ¡°We lost a handful of guards. Though most of the sick are refugees coming from the countryside.¡± He handed them back their papers and waved them through his booth. ¡°You¡¯re free to enter.¡±

    ¡°Refugees? Did you get anyone from the south, from Erenvelle?¡± Kronos asked.

    The man picked up another book and thumbed through it. ¡°No one from that village came through this table. You could try asking the others, but you¡¯d have to go through their lines again. If you lost someone, we could put out a notice in case they show up.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s alright, thank you.¡±

    The guard gave a nod and waved them through.

    Araedi dwarfed Castera in every sense of scale. The buildings were massive towers of concrete and stone that stretched so far into the sky, the very clouds broke around them.

    Yet each one of those towers was uninhabited. The same barrier of protection that cast a faint purple glow over the city also seemed to want to keep people outside of her buildings.

    The serethi had grown quite creative in how they managed to settle the city despite that fact. Entire neighborhoods had been built up the sides of the towers like mosses or mushrooms clinging to a tree¡¯s trunk. An extensive network of bridges, elevators, and stairways linked the city¡¯s expansive upper levels together.

    There was an emptiness over the city that only someone who regularly visited Araedi would have noticed. No guardians with their fancy armor and unique clothing styles filled the streets. And even the Serethi citizens were noticeably dwindled.

    ¡°I know you¡¯ve been here before, Tyree. Know a place where we can get some sleep?¡± Kronos asked, an extreme weariness in his words. She felt it, too.

    ¡°We¡¯re not far from AnaBeth¡¯s. It¡¯s an adventurer inn, but Ana and Beth know me, we¡¯ll be treated well there.¡±

    After leaving their horses in the care of a nearby stable, they walked across the street into the inn. AnaBeth¡¯s had grown from the small, yellow-bricked building Tyree remembered to a tile of multi-colored brick walls that climbed three stories up the tower it had been built against.

    Ana greeted Tyree and her group at the door when they entered.

    ¡°Tyressa! It¡¯s been so long!¡± The short, blond-haired serethi woman said as the two embraced. She looked at Tyree¡¯s group then back at her, though Tyree noticed her gaze lingered on Kronos a hair longer than the others. ¡°I take it this isn¡¯t a social visit?¡±

    ¡°Afraid not. Have Aliyah and our daughters been through? They should be in Pella by now.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re in the area as well? No, they haven¡¯t been by. Though with the sick piling up at the gates, I wouldn¡¯t blame them,¡± Ana said. ¡°Though do make sure they come by and visit. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen the twins. They must be big now!¡±

    ¡°Twelve seasons. I¡¯ll be sure¡ª¡±

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t Ressy!¡± a woman¡¯s voice cried from behind Tyree.

    She spun to meet Beth¡¯s embrace.

    When they pulled away, Beth brandished four keys from somewhere in her apron and handed them to Tyree. ¡°You know you always have a room here. With so many coming into the city, it¡¯s rather packed, but there are still three rooms if two of you don¡¯t mind sharing.¡±

    ¡°Shai, Koda, and I can share.¡± Tyree took the keys and handed one to Caleb, Shai, and Kronos.

    Tyree pocketed her own key and looked around the common area. It was loud with the sounds of overlapping conversations and tucked away in a booth in the corner were a pair of faces Tyree recognized.

    Tyree turned to Beth. ¡°Can you take my bags up? I know how to find my room.¡±

    Beth gave a nod and waved over a man large enough to rival Kronos. He took her bags with a noncommittal nod and followed behind Beth and Tyree¡¯s party.

    Tyree walked over to the booth where a slender Serethi man named Fives and a tall, muscular human woman named Maggie Reinhorne sat talking with each other.

    Fives slid a chair out with his foot. ¡°Ressa? What are you doing this way?¡±

    Tyree took her seat beside him. ¡°Heading to Pella. I could ask the same of you two, this isn¡¯t your usual hunting grounds.¡±

    ¡°Finished an escort quest. We have some down time before escorting another caravan back east tomorrow. The money¡¯s alright,¡± Five answered. ¡°What about you? Missing Guardians pull you out of retirement?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly, but that is why I¡¯m going to Pella. I¡¯ll be training guards to fight monsters,¡± Tyree said.

    Fives crossed his arms and huffed. ¡°Wish you¡¯d train all these freshies around us. Half this inn is filled with folk who wouldn¡¯t know which end of a spear to poke a goblin with, yet think because they¡¯ve scared off the most timid of monsters while doing their own escort quests, they¡¯re full fledged adventurers now. The guild used to stand for something.¡±

    Maggie slid a crumpled piece of paper to Tyree. ¡°He¡¯s right. I took this off the notice board when I saw the group who was eying it. It¡¯s a shame it¡¯ll be reposted in two days.¡±

    Tyree reached for the paper and read it. It was a kill quest for a monster said to be made of stone sighted between Araedi and Pella. The quest was being recommended only for those above level twenty.

    Fives snorted. ¡°Bah, you¡¯re such a mother hen, Maggie. I say let them get themselves killed.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d want someone looking out for you if you were in their shoes,¡± Maggie replied.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be in their shoes because I know what I can take.¡± Fives pulled a cigar from his coat pocket and put it to his lips. He twirled a red-bladed dagger in his hand and held it to the cigar. The cigar lit and he gave it a drag.

    A server came around and handed Tyree a drink. She glared at Fives. ¡°No lighting in the dining room. You wanna smoke, take it outside.¡±

    Fives grumbled to himself and dropped the cigar in his glass of water. The server gave an appreciative nod and set a new drink in front of him.

    Fives sipped from the drink. ¡°Say, Ressa, everything alright with you? You¡¯ve had a look since sitting down.¡±

    Tyree looked back at him. Her mind had been wandering. ¡°No. Yeah, I¡¯m fine. I saw something I wish I hadn¡¯t. Do you two mind if I hold onto this bounty?¡±

    Maggie shrugged. ¡°Not like we can do anything. It¡¯s yours.¡±

    Fives stood and stretched. ¡°We should get going. Long day tomorrow. You stay safe, Ressa.¡±

    Maggie stood and picked up her sword and shield. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t be a stranger. Come up this way more.¡±

    ¡°I will. And same to you, Fives,¡± Tyree said.

    Tyree returned to nursing her drink. Erenvelle was still fresh in her mind. Ilsylvania had grown far too lax in its reliance on the Guardians and the people of that village had paid the price for it.

    Ilsylvania¡¯s army needed to grow stronger. Not just in Castera, but everywhere. That fact needed to be impressed upon command to take the training that went into enhancing one¡¯s mana seriously.

    Tyree stood, downed her drink, and with the quest sheet in hand, went up to her room.

 07: Tyree

    ¡°Can we exceed our own natural limitations to match those of the Guardians? Rumors and legends abound of past mages who might have qualified as S or S+ rank equivalent mages. But those are, after all, merely legend. If only the Guardians could talk to us. Teach us. I must know more.¡±¡ª A collection of notes for A Scientific Treatise on Mages, Volume Two, yet unpublished

    The Ruined City of Araedi. Day 0.

    A knock on Tyree¡¯s door woke her up. She glanced around the room and saw no sign of either Shai or Koda.

    Tyree¡¯s time piece read just after nine in the morning. She¡¯d slept in for the first time in as far back as she could remember.

    The knock came again and Caleb¡¯s voice sounded through the door.

    ¡°Kronos wants us all for breakfast.¡±

    Tyree shook the grogginess away and forced herself to stand. ¡°I¡¯ll be down soon.¡±

    She began her day with a quick wash and put on her armor. It was lightly enchanted and the strength enhancing effects of first donning it was a better wake up than any morning beverage.

    Kronos gave a wave when Tyree walked towards their table. ¡°Nice of you to join us.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever slept in that late, sorry everyone.¡± Tyree said as she slipped into her seat. A plate of toast and eggs had been prepared for her and she began eating it.

    ¡°No problems. You missed the memo, we¡¯re taking a late start. I looked at the schedule and we¡¯re a day ahead. Take your time, we are in no rush.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I wanted to show you something.¡± Tyree set down her fork and knife and reached into her bag. She pulled out the monster bounty and handed it to Kronos.

    He looked over it, his brow furrowing. ¡°We¡¯re soldiers, not adventurers. This isn¡¯t our quest.¡±

    ¡°That was issued by Pella. If they¡¯re putting it out to the adventurers, it means they don¡¯t believe the guards can handle it. Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Adventurers have been fighting monsters and exploring dungeons for years. I¡¯m not sure I follow you,¡± Kronos said.

    ¡°You and I are level forty. Shai and Caleb are level twenty-nine. But most guards outside of Castera are maybe half our levels if they¡¯re lucky. The people of Erenvelle might have stood a chance if their guards were higher level.¡± Tyree said.

    ¡°And what¡¯s your solution? You want the guards to become dungeon divers?¡± Kronos asked.

    ¡°If it gets them facing tougher threats, it might be exactly what they need,¡± Tyree said.

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right.¡± Kronos mused. ¡°If we see this monster on our path, we¡¯ll deal with it. If not, then we¡¯ll take a guard patrol from Pella and use it as a training opportunity.¡±

    ***

    They finished their breakfast and set out for the last outpost to inspect. It was in arguably the worst shape of the twenty they had seen. Kronos had to consult his map a few times as they had walked by it a couple times due to how heavily the plant life covered it.

    Kronos grunted as he hacked away at the vines blocking the doorway. When he was finally through, the door fell inward, sending out a cloud of dust in its wake.

    Caleb let out a wheezing cough. ¡°I think it¡¯d be easier if we scrapped this one and built a new one.¡±

    Tyree nodded her agreement.

    ¡°It¡¯s a massive trip hazard in here,¡± Kronos said after a quick glance inside. ¡°Caleb, Shai, you wait outside. Tyressa and I have this one.¡±

    ¡°Just be ready to come save us if we choke on all that dust,¡± Tyree said, earning a soft laugh from even the normally reserved Shai.

    Thick masses of cobwebs covered all of what little of the furniture remained and Tyree didn¡¯t even want to know the last time the food cache tucked in the corner had been rotated with fresh stock.

    Kronos tapped Tyree on the shoulder and pointed to the ground in front of one of the windows that had been broken into. He kicked aside some broken glass and dust, revealing an ¡°A+B Forever¡± carved into the floor where the light hit it.

    Kronos chuckled softly. ¡°I¡¯m sure the king will be happy to know Ilsylvania¡¯s money has been going to such¡­ romantic uses.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s kind of cute. Who knows how long it¡¯s been there. I wonder if those lovebirds are even still together,¡± Tyree replied with her own laugh.

    ¡°By the way things look in here, I¡¯d say they got together long before either of us were born.¡±

    A shout from Caleb sent both Tyree and Kronos moving for the doorway.

    ¡°What do you two make of that?¡± Caleb asked as he, Kronos, and Tyree all stood in awe at the purple light shining in fierce competition with the sun.

    Tyree¡¯s skin crawled as she remembered Aliyah''s words. The light had first heralded the arrival of the Guardians. Then their disappearance. Hopefully now¡­¡°A sign. And if we''re lucky, a good one.¡±

    The light disappeared a minute later.

    ¡°To our horses,¡± Kronos called. "Come on, we''re going back to Araedi.¡±

 Part One, Chapter 01: Isaac

    ¡°Sonnet Entertainment, developer of the MMORPG Annwyn Online, was established in 2011. Our first and only game had quickly grown to be the number one MMO across the globe and still retains a modest playerbase today, ten years since it¡¯s official launch in 2013. We thank our players for continuing to enjoy our world and we welcome you to join us in celebrating our ten year anniversary!¡±¡ª Dev Blog 11.13.23

    Colorado School of Mines main campus. Golden, Colorado. November 17, 2023.

    ¡°Hey! The sign still says ¡®walk¡¯!¡±

    Isaac shouted at a black, rusted out sedan that blew through the intersection he had only just stepped into.

    The car''s speakers boomed with a heavy bass and Isaac was certain he saw the driver''s middle finger sticking up at him through the bubbled tint of the rear windshield. Before Isaac could return the gesture, the car disappeared around another turn.

    The white walk symbol swapped to the angry red hand and Isaac cursed under his breath.

    As he stepped back, Isaac¡¯s foot caught the edge of the curb and he tripped, landing butt first into a pothole filled with fresh snow melt. The puddle''s icy fury surged up Isaac¡¯s legs, soaking through his clothes. He fought to hold back a scream.

    There was just the faintest tug around Isaac¡¯s neck and an almost imperceptible snap as Isaac sat up.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Isaac groaned, dragging the word out to two syllables.

    He pulled his now broken necklace from the folds in his shirt. He had to dig a little to find the ring, a silver band which featured two diamonds flanking its amethyst halo stone. Thankfully, neither the ring nor the necklace¡¯s amethyst pendant were damaged.

    With a sigh of relief, Isaac slipped the ring and necklace into his coat pocket and zipped it shut. He would have to see if someone in the jewelry section of the thrift store he worked at could repair or replace the necklace¡¯s broken clasp.

    That was the future''s problem. Right now, Isaac was running late for his organic chemistry midterm.

    Isaac brushed the dirt and bits of snow from his clothes and picked his things off the ground. Stuffing his freezing hands into his pockets, Isaac trudged towards the campus.

    Not to Isaac¡¯s surprise, the university campus was a ghost town. Today was Friday, the last day of class before the weeklong fall break.

    When Isaac entered the lecture hall, the teaching assistant didn¡¯t even raise her head as she pointed at the projector. A crudely drawn map of the auditorium directed Isaac to sit on the very far side, near the other Organic Chemistry I students. Sam and Ashley had reserved an aisle seat on the left for Isaac, exactly as he preferred. Take the small wins on a bad day, Isaac thought to himself.

    Those thoughts disappeared as Isaac watched Sam hiding a snicker at the wet squeak-sloshing of his shoes as he made his way over to him. Ashley elbowed Sam in the side and gave Isaac a sympathetic look. At least she didn¡¯t find his annoyingly uncomfortable mix of wet and cold from the waist down funny.

    Isaac sank into his seat and the snicker Sam had been unsuccessfully fighting back erupted into a not-so-silent well of laughter as water began to pool around their feet. That laughter stopped almost immediately when Isaac pressed his wet hat hard into Sam¡¯s lap. The squawk and squirms of protest Sam made did improve Isaac¡¯s mood a little. Small wins, Isaac laughed to himself.

    Professor Reddy entered the room with his usual far too awake and bubbly presence for an early morning class. While Isaac didn¡¯t hate the man, he did feel the professor enjoyed the study of chemistry far more than any sane man should.

    The entire lecture hall fell silent as Reddy and his teaching assistants began passing out the exams. Quiet, except for the symphony of horrified gasps that rang out from students as they pored over their tests. Isaac even heard a whispered ¡°what the fuck?¡± escape Ashley¡¯s mouth as she leafed through her copy. Isaac looked at his own paper and prayed the curve would land ever in his favor.

    Seemingly oblivious to the devastation he had wrought upon the lecture hall, Reddy clapped his hands together and, with more joy than one should be able to muster at seven in the morning, shouted, ¡°Begin!¡±

    ***

    Isaac and Ashley finished within a few minutes of each other and made their way to the lobby, comparing notes as they walked. While they agreed on the solutions to many of the problems, either he or Ashley had gotten the bonus problem wrong. Likely him, Ashley was definitely the smarter of the two. But if their answers for all the other problems agreed, he didn¡¯t care. He¡¯d chalk that up as a win in his book.

    Fifteen minutes after the exam should have ended, Sam finally joined Isaac and Ashley. When Sam noticed them watching his approach, he switched to an exaggerated limp and rubbed at the small of his back.

    Ashley¡¯s boyfriend, Andrew, showed up from his own morning midterm at the same time. He looked at Sam and laughed. ¡°That bad, huh?¡±

    Ashley pulled Andrew¡¯s scarf from his face and gave him a peck on the cheek. ¡°Pretty brutal.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I swear we didn¡¯t go over even half of those substitution reactions,¡± Sam protested. ¡°That test really had me diene.¡±

    Isaac groaned and made a show of rolling his eyes. ¡°That was bad, even for you.¡±

    Sam ignored Isaac and just began laughing even harder.

    Ashley and Andrew waved goodbye, heading for the library to study for their last two midterms. Isaac was done for the day, though Sam still had one more at noon. Left to themselves, they went to the student center for breakfast.

    ***

    Ben H. Parker Student Center was completely deserted when the two arrived. Well, deserted except for the long line of half-awake students, teaching assistants, and professors at the mini Starbucks on the second floor. The line stretched even further than it usually did, wrapping around the entire right side of the room.

    Twice.

    Isaac groaned internally. It was going to be a long wait.

    The first semester of freshman year had taught Isaac that while studying and hard work might be needed to pass his classes, it was an equal effort between coffee and alcohol that did the real heavy lifting. There was just no way he could recover from the morning¡¯s beating without his ritual flat white. And for that, Isaac would remain undaunted by the long line.

    Sam left to grab a seat in their usual spot in the far corner of the cafeteria. He slipped both their backpacks onto the empty table and returned to Isaac in line. He pulled out his phone and his fingers danced across the screen for a few minutes before he tapped on Isaac¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Check it out, another leak got posted.¡±

    Sam passed his phone to Isaac, who quickly brushed it away. The leak was for the game Annwyn Online, a fantasy MMORPG their entire friend group played in their free time. The game had been a big part of Isaac¡¯s life until two years ago. Now he only played when his friends really needed him to fill out their six man dungeon dive or finish a tough quest.

    Still, Isaac did keep up with the news about the game and browsed the forums, occasionally answering questions left by newer players on his many raid guides. He knew Annwyn Online was getting what was teased as the largest content update in the game¡¯s history. Leaks like this one had been popping up with ever-increasing frequency as the update¡¯s release date, tonight, approached.

    ¡°Come on, Sam! Stop falling for the clickbait! The pre-patch notes come out at noon. Why ruin the surprise with leaks?¡±

    ¡°Talking about the leaks is just as much a part of the game as any update,¡± Sam replied. ¡°More people talking means more hype. Which hopefully means Sonnet¡¯ll start dropping regular updates again.¡±

    Isaac couldn¡¯t find any fault in his friend¡¯s logic. Annwyn Online was celebrating its ten year anniversary today, but for the last year or two, updates had dropped to a slow trickle. The leaks had brought more life to the forums and Isaac saw a lot of ¡°old player returning¡± posts in the help sections. Even Isaac and his friends were making the time to explore the new content tonight before everyone went their separate ways for fall break.

    ¡°I still think I¡¯ll wait for the patch notes. I don¡¯t want to get hyped for something that might not even be in the game.¡±

    ¡°Your loss.¡± Sam shrugged, returning to his phone.

    The two got their breakfast and Sam had a mischievous grin on his face as they walked to their table. ¡°Did you catch the way the cashier was looking at you? I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s in our calc class. You should talk to her.¡±

    ¡°Nope, I think I¡¯m good,¡± Isaac said, taking a sip from his coffee.

    ¡°Why? You¡¯re the only one in our friend group not seeing anyone¡ª¡±

    Isaac threw up his hands. ¡°Aren¡¯t you single right now?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m¡­ between people at the moment,¡± Sam replied weakly. ¡°That¡¯s beside the point. She¡¯s cute, probably smart as heck. You''re¡­ you¡¯re also smart. You two are already halfway towards making a great couple.¡±

    ¡°You know what, let me see that leak,¡± Isaac said, forcing Sam to change the subject.

    ¡°You should still go talk to her,¡± Sam said as he passed Isaac his phone.

    Isaac ignored his friend as he took the phone. The leak was an image of Gaea¡¯s moon, Lunara. Overlaid on top of that image was a zoomed in portion showing the border between the violet crystal sea and the white moon dust and crater-pocked half. What caught Isaac¡¯s eye, and what must have been the leak, was the grainy outline of a small, hooded man standing with his back to the camera. The figure definitely looked like it had been crudely edited onto the image.

    ¡°Seriously, Sam? That¡¯s the fakest edit I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Isaac scoffed, returning the phone.

    ¡°I think it looks real. Some are saying Sonnet¡¯s opening up the moon as a playable zone.¡± Sam took the phone and showed Isaac dozens of comments below the image saying just that. ¡°Think about it: Actually getting to explore Lunara? That could mean tons of high level loot! Maybe even a new class and a class reset!¡±

    ¡°Keep dreaming!¡± Isaac laughed. ¡°Class resets make as much sense as getting to walk around outside the Caer. Sonnet said they¡¯ll never put class resets in the game. Just level an alt like everyone else. I¡¯ve leveled one of each class to the cap.¡±

    ¡°Not all of us have the free time to grind away that many characters.¡± Sam made a show of taking out his notebook and a pink binder that belonged to Ashley. ¡°Some of us have to actually study to pass our classes.¡±

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Oh, I study. The difference between you and me is I spread it out over the weeks before my test instead of hours.¡± Isaac stood and threw his backpack over his shoulder, catching his friend¡¯s hint. ¡°Don¡¯t fail.¡±

    Sam stuck out his tongue, then said, ¡°Go talk to calc girl!¡±

    Isaac ignored him as he finished the last of his coffee. Sam went back to his avalanche of books and just as Isaac was almost out of earshot, he heard Sam let out a long, loud groan.

    Done with his midterms and with most of the day left to kill, Isaac decided to stop by his work to see about getting his necklace repaired. He had worn the necklace every day for two years since the accident and he felt naked without it around his neck.

    When he made it to the thrift store, the lead manager, Robin, greeted him at the jewelry counter. Isaac figured she was covering a break; when she wasn¡¯t at the customer service desk dealing with an obnoxious customer, she was usually straightening the clothing racks or folding shirts in the women¡¯s or children¡¯s departments.

    Robin was a sweet, yet stern lady who ran a tight ship. Many of his coworkers often complained about the tediousness of her end of day recovery procedures when she was the closing manager, but Isaac knew the madness to her method. Whenever he opened following a night she closed, he knew he would never have to worry about morning cleanup.

    The grandmotherly woman smiled warmly at Isaac as he approached her. ¡°Isn¡¯t today your day off? You should be enjoying it.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be here long. Just looking for a necklace.¡± Isaac walked around the corner, passing by a display full of topaz and citrine jewelry pieces.

    ¡°For a lucky girl?¡± Robin asked.

    ¡°No, I fell this morning. Broke the chain on my necklace.¡± Isaac pulled the necklace from his coat pocket and set it on the counter.

    Robin picked it up and inspected it. ¡°The clasp is broken. I don¡¯t think I have any chains that match. It¡¯s a very unique design.¡±

    ¡°Do you have anything simple and easy to open that I can put on it until I can get it fixed somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. Give me a moment.¡± Robin began searching through the selection of chains, muttering to herself and looking at them closely as she examined each one.

    As Isaac watched, he started thinking about what Sam had said earlier. It was true that he hadn¡¯t dated anyone in the two years since the accident. He still thought about Riley often, but maybe Sam was right. Maybe it was time for him to move on.

    He was sure he had seen the cashier checking him out and she was cute, Isaac admitted to himself. If he saw ¡°calc girl¡± on campus sometime when she wasn¡¯t working, he¡¯d ask her out on a date.

    Robin turned to help another customer and Isaac used the time to browse through more of the necklaces. His eyes settled on a necklace with a fairy girl pendant that had been in the clearance section. Her wings and body were outlined with white gold and three small diamonds accented each wing. Her tunic was a rather large square-cut amethyst and where her eyes should have been were two empty fixtures. But what he was really after was the necklace¡¯s clasp. It was an almost identical match to the clasp on his own necklace.

    Robin cleared her throat to get Isaac¡¯s attention. ¡°Good eye, it was a donation from an estate the other day. Unfortunately the emeralds for its eyes fell out. It¡¯s still a very pretty piece, though.¡±

    ¡°The chain¡¯s wrong, but the clasp is almost the same. I¡¯ll take it.¡±

    Robin gave a hesitant look. ¡°You know we do sell chains by themselves, right?¡±

    ¡°I know, but I probably won¡¯t find one that¡¯s a closer match.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Robin said and rang up the item.

    Wasting no time after Robin finished the transaction, Isaac got to work removing the clasp on the amethyst necklace.

    He struggled with the anti-theft packaging, made harder to remove because of the nerve damage in his left hand, for several moments before Robin caught on to what he intended. Humoring Isaac¡¯s eccentric behavior, Robin got to work swapping the clasps with her jewelry tools.

    Happy with the finished result, Isaac put the necklace back on.

    ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate your fall break too hard tonight, I¡¯ll need you in one piece on Sunday,¡± Robin said with a knowing wink.

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Isaac said, returning a wink of his own.

    As he headed for the door, Isaac was about to throw the fairy girl necklace away, but held off. He had spent a bit of money on it, might as well keep it. He stuffed it into his pocket and turned in the direction of home.

    As he neared his apartment, Isaac switched to a fast walk. The air somehow got colder since the morning and the wind bit hard at his exposed nose and ears with each step he took. He pushed open the front door and stopped to let the warmth wash over him. After that, he bounded up the stairs two at a time until he got to his room.

    Isaac sat at his computer and started up Annwyn Online¡¯s client. The game had been down the last two days for server maintenance and a new announcement was posted that downloads for the update would start tonight at six.

    Isaac sat at his computer and started up Annwyn Online¡¯s launcher. The game had been down the last two days for server maintenance and a new announcement was posted that downloads for the update would start tonight at six.

    Five hours left to kill. Isaac passed the time by going over to Rosetta Chat, Annwyn Online¡¯s voice and text chat service. He had received a notification from his guild, North Remembers. The message contained a link to the most recent thread on Sonnet¡¯s forums with the game¡¯s pre-patch notes. His guildmates were abuzz with activity as they dissected the information within the thread.

    Though Isaac was the leader and owner of North Remembers, he had stepped down from playing an active role over the last two years. Not since the accident.

    No one had seriously entertained the idea of him turning over ownership of the guild to anyone else. That would have required disbanding the guild and recreating it, which would have cost them their guild level bonuses and achievements. No, those were much too important to care about the relative inactivity of the guild owner, especially when the War Council was the real managing body overseeing the guild¡¯s day to day affairs.

    Scrolling through the chat log revealed Isaac¡¯s guildmates were already playfully arguing over which raid party would be the first to defeat whichever new dungeon bosses awaited the update¡¯s release. With a grin, Isaac stirred the pot by telling them any party he personally led would be the clear victor.

    The chat log exploded with activity as the more well known tacticians and party leaders began asserting themselves and their parties as the dominant team.

    One such message from the guild¡¯s de facto leader in Isaac¡¯s absence, Permaphrost, caught Isaac¡¯s attention.

    Saiph! Glad to see you! If you¡¯re coming back, we could use you in the tank slot for tomorrow¡¯s initiation raid. The guild¡¯s second best tank is out sick, but we can make due with the third best!

    That got a flood of ¡°ooh¡¯s¡± and light roasting from those in the chat. Isaac¡¯s ego made it almost a requirement to respond.

    Listen here, old man, your memory might be going in your advanced age, but I¡¯m free to remind you who Annwyn Online¡¯s #1 Tank 10 years running is. Consider the tank slot filled.

    The initiation raid would be a dungeon dive of the instanced dungeon beneath their guild HQ, Watchpoint: Hell¡¯s Mouth. Azeban, the mid-level raid boss, was used to test prospective members in their ability to work as a team. If there was one thing North Remembers prided itself on, it was as the number one raid guild in Annwyn Online.

    Before he knew it, Isaac had spent nearly two hours chatting with his guildmates about the level cap increase and the subclass system rework. There hadn¡¯t been any mentions as to what the new cap was or what the rework entailed, the notes simply said the new options were ¡°limitless¡±. Isaac really hated Sonnet and their intentionally vague pre-patch notes. He hoped he¡¯d get to choose a second subclass. He wouldn¡¯t mind rounding out his main character¡¯s tanky-damage build with some extra utility. Or, if he were being honest with himself, more damage.

    Footsteps and tapping on the door pulled Isaac from his musing.

    Sam poked his head in the door. ¡°Hey don¡¯t forget: You¡¯ve got pizza duty tonight.¡±

    Sam didn¡¯t wait for a response before closing the door.

    The server maintenance only had an hour left to go, he¡¯d have to put the pizza orders in sooner rather than later.

    Saying his goodbyes to his guildmates, Isaac promised them he would try to be more active. He missed running large, twenty-four man raids and the thrill of leading them to victory over tough bosses and even harder dungeon puzzles. You just didn¡¯t get that kind of excitement from balancing a chemical equation.

    Isaac reached under his bed and pulled out a small, wooden jewelry box. The hinges creaked softly as he opened the lid.

    He let himself get distracted with a small perfume bottle with an earthy green liquid inside that sloshed and bubbled as he picked it up. He took off the cap and took in the scent. It was like smelling the early morning air on a camping trip in the Rocky Mountains; a combination of pine and ozone that Isaac loved.

    Most of all, the scent reminded him of Riley and always seemed to pick up his spirits when he was feeling down. Unfortunately it wasn¡¯t labeled and he hadn¡¯t been able to track down a brand even with the bottle¡¯s peculiar shape.

    Isaac placed the bottle back in the box and took out an envelope that was overstuffed with an assortment of dollar bills and coins. His friends had all pitched in to buy several large pizzas for their game night and Isaac had drawn the short straw for ordering it all.

    He looked over the list again; an extra large carnivore¡¯s special for Kaitlynn and Jack, an extra large half beef with cheddar and half ham with olives for Andrew and Ashley, a large pineapple and bacon for Sam, and a large pepperoni and bacon for himself. And the assortment of dessert and drink requests as well.

    With the list memorized, Isaac placed a few extra bills into the envelope, just enough for a decent tip. While he¡¯d dug around for his wallet, he pulled out the fairy pendant he had purchased earlier. He put it into the jewelry box and, after thinking for a moment, placed his necklace and ring into the box for safekeeping as well. He and his friends would be drinking both during and after their gaming session. Though he wasn¡¯t a clumsy drunk, he didn¡¯t want to risk breaking the necklace again so soon. He put the box back under his bed and called in the order.

    The wait on the delivery was about two hours. The cashier had apologized multiple times, but Isaac didn¡¯t mind and he was sure his friends wouldn¡¯t, either. Working retail himself, he understood a busy friday night, paired with student workers going home, would mean extra long wait times. It wasn¡¯t her fault he¡¯d placed such a large order.

    Isaac made his way back to his computer and glanced at the download screen. Seventy-three percent. The update was a hefty one hundred and twenty gigabytes of data on top of the game¡¯s already bloated one hundred and seventy. Isaac minimized the screen and opened Rosetta¡¯s voice chat. Some of his friends had already begun trickling in.

    ¡°Pizza¡¯s an hour out. Where¡¯s everyone¡¯s downloads at?¡± Isaac glanced at his own again. Eighty three percent. He was glad his friends had opted for the fastest internet package their provider offered.

    ¡°Sitting at eighty-one.¡± Sam let out a long, exaggerated groan that Isaac heard clearly through his ceiling. ¡°This game better be adding an entirely new world space or something for how big this download is.¡±

    Ashley chimed in. ¡°The patch notes did say they were adding in tons of jobs and adding player houses to all the major cities. That sounds like¡ª¡±

    ¡°A waste of time?¡± Sam interrupted her. ¡°I¡¯m here to kick monster butts and complete quests, not sit around paying rent and going to work. If I wanted to do that, I¡¯d stick to real life!¡±

    Andrew came to Ashley¡¯s defense. ¡°Running a restaurant does sound like a fun way to make money. At least they¡¯re trying to offer more things to do.¡±

    ¡°Awh, are the two lovebirds gonna get a house and a flower shop together?¡± Sam joked. ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I get that they want to expand their audience, but they can¡¯t forget about us oldbies who¡¯ve been playing for years. We want more quests and exploration, not jobs!¡±

    With the download now live, the official patch notes were released. Isaac made it to the section they were talking about.

    He scrolled down and spoke as he read. ¡°The devs did say it¡¯s to fix the game¡¯s economy. You have to admit it¡¯s been pretty messed up for a while. We¡¯ve been max level and full build for years. There¡¯s not much for us to spend our money on.¡± If Isaac were being honest, that was at least part of the reason why he didn¡¯t play much anymore. Beyond helping out low level players or buying avatar items, there wasn¡¯t much incentive for high level players to participate in the economy and that had led to inflation and a scarcity of items in the marketplace. ¡°The new level cap increases should help, too.¡±

    Isaac had to pull his headset from his ears as Andrew yelled into his microphone, ¡°Right! The level cap increase! You know what that means?¡± Andrew barely let his rhetorical question hang in the air for a second before he answered himself, ¡°New loot!¡±

    ¡°Who cares about loot? You know what I¡¯m really interested in?¡± Sam sucked in his breath before continuing, ¡°The curves on the new Sword Princess summons. Sonnet really knows the fan service the players really want!¡±

    ¡°You know you¡¯d get the real thing if you got out more, right?¡± Ashley threw at Sam, her voice a friendly mix of scold and taunt.

    ¡°You should tell that to Isaac, I tried setting him up with someone today. He wouldn¡¯t go talk to her!¡± Sam said.

    Isaac sighed into his mic. ¡°You¡¯re still on that, Sam? Why don¡¯t you ask her out? You seem way more interested in her than me.¡±

    Mercifully, Ashley changed the subject before Sam could deliver his snarky reply. ¡°Kait just texted me. She and Jack were having internet trouble. She said they¡¯d join us in a bit. She wants to know where we¡¯re meeting up.¡±

    ¡°How about the Ruins of Araedi? Pretty sure it¡¯s where most people will be playing.¡± Isaac suggested.

    His own download had finished and Annwyn Online¡¯s familiar startup melody played, but it had been remixed to come off as more urgent than the calm version he¡¯d come to know over the last ten years. The splash art showed Terre as viewed from outside Caer Siddi on Diurne, the planet slowly rotating to show the other continents.

    After selecting his main account from the drop down menu, Isaac pulled up a second copy of the game. Several weeks ago, the developers had sent out an email to every player who had been a beta tester. A surprise would be waiting for him if he logged in on the anniversary day.

    Call him greedy, but whatever that surprise was, Isaac would be getting one for each of his eleven accounts. He selected the North America server and the splash art zoomed in on the continent of Navorinelle.

    A familiar message popped up on Isaac¡¯s screen:

    Would you like to enter Annwyn Online?

    Rosetta pinged, announcing Jack and Kait had entered their group chat. Isaac didn¡¯t wait for them to say anything before he clicked ¡°Yes¡±.

 Chapter 02: Isaac

    "The Sentinel class combines a high HP pool and extreme defensive stats with moderate damage at the cost of mobility. Players leaning into the role of Tank should be weary of letting themselves be surrounded in a fight. Or do, that puts your enemies right where you want them..."¡ª Annwyn Online Player''s Guide.

    Location unknown. Date unknown.

    ¡°Alright, Jack, you win! I¡¯ll never drink again!¡±

    Isaac moaned as the early morning sunlight blasted white-hot death through his windows, bypassing his closed eyelids and directly into his hungover eyeballs. He forced an arm over his face in a pitiful effort to shield himself from the sun¡¯s fury.

    If he were being honest, Isaac didn¡¯t even remember drinking much last night. Certainly not enough to warrant the intense suffering he was going through right now. Must have been a real good night, Isaac thought with a smile that quickly turned into a grimace as his head throbbed anew.

    It took another minute of silent suffering before the grogginess faded and the gears began to turn inside Isaac¡¯s head. Questions floated into his mind like ¡°why had I just heard a rattling sound when I moved my arms?¡± and ¡°why is my blanket so hard and¡­ chain-like?¡± or even ¡°why does everything smell so forest-y?¡± but perhaps the most pressing question was ¡°why the absolute hell does it feel like someone just finished wailing on my face?¡±

    Deciding he wanted an answer to the first two questions first, Isaac mustered up the willpower to open his eyes.

    The first thing Isaac noticed were the pair of midnight blue armored gauntlets on his hands. More striking, his entire body was covered in matching sheets of armor plating and chainmail that rattled and clinked softly as he moved his body to examine them. When he tilted his arms, he could just make out silver inscriptions written on the different plates in an alien language. Each piece of armor also held a barely perceptible crimson red iridescence.

    I know this armor, Isaac thought. Why was he wearing the armor of his most played character in Annwyn Online, a level one hundred Sentinel-Dragon Warrior named Saiph?

    A lucid dream. Definitely a lucid dream. Brought on by last night¡¯s gaming session, no doubt. But that couldn¡¯t be right. Now that Isaac was fully awake, he was certain that only seconds or, at most, minutes had passed by since he had pressed the login button.

    And then he was here. Wherever here is¡­

    Isaac stood and took in his surroundings. Behind him, the rock he had been using as a pillow had become the resting place of a fallen tree. Mosses and mushrooms had begun the process of reclaiming the once mighty oak back into the dirt it had sprouted from.

    Something about that tree scratched at the back of Isaac¡¯s mind. He knew that tree, but couldn¡¯t quite figure out from where.

    The scene itself was jarring enough. He was wearing his character¡¯s armor, but it wasn¡¯t wrapped behind the filter of Annwyn Online¡¯s vibrant colors and thick, exaggerated outlines. No, everything looked¡­ real.

    Well, not everything, Isaac mused as he stared at a black and red mushroom that stood out against the earthy greens and browns surrounding it. While the coloring might have been interesting on its own, it was the faint glowing green light the toadstool emitted that had really caught Isaac¡¯s attention. Though dim, the light was sharp and distinct, as though it were saying ¡°over here, look at me!¡±

    Isaac plucked the cap and played with it in his hands. Spongy, yet firm, like any real mushroom he had ever held before. Isaac fumbled with and dropped the mushroom when he tossed it to his left hand. That was when he noticed the partial paralysis he¡¯d spent the last two years with was gone.

    It was bittersweet seeing his fingers move in ways he¡¯d never thought he¡¯d see them move again and that only solidified in his mind that this was all some sort of dream.

    Still, being able to move his fingers freely again was a welcome experience. Isaac flipped the mushroom between his fingers, then took in its earthy scent.

    Big mistake.

    Isaac recoiled and gagged. The mushroom had a pungent, acrid stench that burned the inside of his nose and made tears flow from his eyes. It was a horrible mixture like rotting meat and bleach. Isaac yanked the mushroom from his nose and nearly jumped back as a text box appeared in front of his eyes.

    Item: Death Crowne

    Type: Alchemy Ingredient

    Rarity: Uncommon

    Description: A mushroom native to the wilds of the Territories of Rielle. Harmful if eaten.

    Herb Lore: The nature of this mushroom¡¯s toxins allow it to act as a powerful sedative. The spores from this fungus can be extracted to create an extremely potent paralysis potion if given to a master alchemist.

    The screen¡¯s design was almost exactly like Annwyn Online¡¯s interface; a semi-transparent box with a light blue tint, outlined in a silver border. It was smooth and wafer thin, almost like a pane of stained glass.

    Isaac reached his hand out and pushed the screen away from him. He pulled back quickly and the screen rebounded to its original position. He smacked the corner of the screen and it spun in place and he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to himself. He grabbed the screen, stopping it from its little dance and the text changed.

    You can add this item to your Inventory by placing it in your Bag of Holding.

    Isaac pulled the small pouch from its clip at the small of his back. When he opened it, he saw nothing but an empty blackness leading to a bottomless hole. He dropped the mushroom inside and no sooner had it crossed the threshold of the bag, it disappeared.

    Hesitantly, Isaac reached into his bag of holding and felt around for the mushroom, but he didn¡¯t feel anything. No matter what angle he turned his hand, there was nothing but emptiness. So how was he supposed to get things back out of the bag?

    No sooner had the thought entered his mind, Isaac noticed three dots in the top right corner of his vision. Had those always been there? He wasn¡¯t sure, but they followed his gaze as he looked around, always floating just along the edge of his field of view. He focused on them and they were replaced with the full heads up display he knew from Annwyn Online. He looked at his stat bars and smiled.

    Class: Sentinel, level 100

    Subclass: Dragon Warrior, level 100

    Health Points: 8,233/37,500 (+38 per minute)

    Mana Points: 3,198/9,167 (+13 per minute)

    Stamina Points: 34,503/34,503

    Experience Points: 0/125,000

    This dream let him keep his insanely high level stats! He figured he did because he was wearing his armor, but in the types of books he¡¯d read where the protagonist had gone world-hopping, they generally had to start at the beginning.

    Weirdly enough, his three resource bars were slightly different than they had been in-game. The first quarter of each bar was slightly more vibrant than the last three-quarters; red for health, blue for mana, and green for stamina.

    Curiosity on what that meant only held him for a moment before he went through the menus. The standard options were still there, organized in a wheel: Announcements, Settings, Inventory, Skills and Abilities, Social, Quest Log, and Help.

    He took a quick peek at his friends list and saw that everyone showed offline. The dream versions of his friends apparently didn¡¯t want to join him on this adventure.

    Remembering the mushroom, Isaac mentally clicked on the Inventory tab. The mushroom sat in its own grid under the Alchemy Supplies tab next to a small red flower. When Isaac put his hand over the mushroom to grab at it, another prompt jumped to the front of his vision so hard, he stumbled backward and landed on his butt.

    To remove an item from your Inventory, open your Bag of Holding and think of the item you wish to remove. You can also access your inventory any time by thinking of its contents.

    The gamer in Isaac really hated the idea of being coddled by a tutorial, especially at his level. He was more of a ¡°figure it out yourself, fail, and look up videos¡± kind of guy.

    Still, he stood back up and did as the tutorial told him and willed the mushroom to appear in his bag. It welled up from the sea of black and hovered just below the bag¡¯s opening. Isaac plucked it, then placed it back into his bag.

    Isaac focused again, only this time, the bag became considerably heavier. It was nothing his over three hundred points in Strength couldn¡¯t handle, but the sudden weight gain still surprised him.

    A black leather-wrapped handle rose out of the bag and the bag¡¯s opening stretched impossibly wide as Isaac pulled the weapon from it.

    Mil¡¯s Judgement; a hammer he had quested for years ago. It matched the black, blue, and gold of his armor and there was a soft blue aura around the weapon. The hairs stood on the back of Isaac¡¯s neck as a tingling sensation passed through his body. He set the hammer on the ground and a small discharge of electricity flowed from the weapon and into the earth.

    Isaac smiled a grin that didn¡¯t quite reach both ears. If only he¡¯d had this bag during all of the times he¡¯d had to carry groceries from his car. No longer would he have to try and balance over two thousand bags on each arm to avoid a second trip.

    Something else had caught Isaac¡¯s eye while he had been thumbing through his inventory screens and he reopened the menu.

    Item: Token of the Vanguard, Saiph

    Type: Event Item

    Charges: 1/1 remaining

    Rarity: Soul Forged

    Description: Greetings, Saiph! This item was forged from a piece of your soul as a thank you for being one of the Vanguard. Upon breaking this token, you will receive 100 skill points to distribute and each new class level you attain will award you one extra skill point.

    Note: This item is Soulbound (Perfect) to you and cannot be given away, lost, or stolen.

    Isaac pulled the small token from his bag. It felt like it was made of quartz or some other fine-cut gemstone polished into a disc. There were grooves etched into it that made patterns that Isaac was fairly certain were runes very similar to the inscriptions on his armor. Was this item the gift the patch notes had mentioned?

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about a piece of his own soul being used to make it, but without seeing anything else better to do with the disc, Isaac crushed the token in his gauntleted hands. It crumbled to dust and a bright purple light momentarily blinded him before disappearing.

    And that was it.

    Isaac didn¡¯t feel any different. He opened his menus and flipped to his stats page.

    Class: Sentinel, level 100

    Subclass: Dragon Warrior, level 100

    Strength: 336 (280)

    Constitution: 300 (250)

    Endurance: 225 (160)

    Willpower: 100

    Dexterity: 80

    Agility: 90

    Stat Points remaining: 100

    The token had worked! Isaac laughed deviously as he thought of how he wanted to spend the extra stat points. He didn¡¯t know where to begin.

    Actually, that was a lie. The moment Sonnet had announced the level cap increase, Isaac had been theorycrafting his build to determine where the ten points he¡¯d eventually get at level 101 would go. Now that he had an extra 100 points to play with, Isaac knew exactly where he¡¯d dump them.

    Strength: 375 (300)

    Constitution: 350 (300)

    Dexterity: 100

    Agility: 100

    Every one hundred points in a stat granted an additional 10% boost to that stat¡¯s effects. Dexterity and Agility were the only ones Isaac hadn¡¯t gotten to one hundred and he was close enough to the third bonuses for Strength and Constitution that they were easy choices.

    Isaac decided he would start leveling Willpower over his next couple of levels. The extra mana and spell strength might make the difference between a kill or a death in a raid.

    Isaac acknowledged the warning that his stat point distribution was permanent and went back to playing around in the menus. He went through the settings tab and went through the display options. All of the standard settings were there: field of view, brightness and contrast, and even a basic color blind filter selection. But there was one toggle that stood out to him.

    POV: First Person

    Curiosity getting the better of him, Isaac toggled it.

    POV: Third Person

    A circle appeared in Isaac¡¯s vision that proceeded to spin for several seconds before flashing back out of existence. Suddenly he felt as though he¡¯d been pricked by millions of needles all over his body. Blackness crept at the edges of Isaac¡¯s vision that grew and swallowed everything he could see until only a pinprick of light was left. And even that disappeared.

    Isaac let out a panicked yelp as his vision returned, but he was now looking at the back of his head from several feet above and behind himself.

    He watched himself swat at the screens until he managed to toggle the POV back to first person. His vision returned to normal, but that didn¡¯t stop him from vomiting.

    The world continued to spin for a few more seconds and the headache at the back of Isaac¡¯s head flared and he gritted his teeth in pain.

    That was definitely enough of this dream. He needed to wake himself up.

    Isaac looked at his gauntlet-covered fist. You always woke up just before you felt the pain, right?

    ¡°I really, really hope this doesn¡¯t hurt,¡± Isaac mumbled as he readied himself.

    With as much strength as he could muster, he punched himself in the face.

    ***

    Isaac wasn¡¯t sure how long he lay on the ground dazed, but the metallic taste of blood mixed with vomit and the slightly loose tooth told him he hadn¡¯t woken himself up.

    Why hadn¡¯t punching himself worked? Everything Isaac knew about lucid dreaming said shocking himself awake was all it took.

    A laugh from behind him made Isaac jump.

    ¡°How¡¯d that knuckle sandwich taste?¡± The voice asked with a snicker. ¡°Can I get a swing in?¡±

    Isaac spun around and saw a man of about four feet tall with pewter grey skin and a head of moppy white hair. He wore dark purple robes that parted at the chest in a deep V that revealed violet armor like sheets of fish scales laid atop each other. Around his waist was a dark brown belt with an old, leather-bound book strapped to it as well as various vials and bags. A black and violet cloak flowed and danced in a nonexistent wind as though it had a mind of its own. A text box flashed above the man¡¯s head, nearly at Isaac¡¯s eye level.

    Name: [N]ix

    Race: Runic Elf, Male

    Class: Summoner, Level 100

    Subclass: Blacksmith, level 92

    Health Points: 7,876/13,500

    Mana Points: 9,231/52,500

    Stamina Points: 22,002/22,002

    Even if Isaac didn¡¯t recognize Sam¡¯s character, he would have known the arrogant smile his friend was giving him anywhere.

    ¡°Sam! You shrunk! You used to be as big as me. What happened?¡±

    ¡°Bigger, actually. And don¡¯t worry,¡± Nix tugged lightly at his belt buckle. ¡°I still am.¡±

    The two friends held each other¡¯s gaze for a brief moment before breaking into laughter. There was no way Isaac was dreaming, his mind just couldn¡¯t recreate Sam¡¯s unique brand of sarcastic arrogance.

    Going serious for a moment, Isaac asked Nix, ¡°What the hell did we get ourselves into?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea. I hit the login button and the next thing I know, we¡¯re here. You were playing make believe as a log on that rock when I woke up so I went off to explore a bit. I came back and saw you going to town on your face.¡± Nix took his book from his belt and thumbed through a few pages. A second later, a life wisp shimmered into existence and took turns sending healing pulses into the both of them. ¡°Did you know this is exactly where we fought Reynardine last week?¡±

    The wiggly tooth felt tight and secure, but the ache at the back of Isaac¡¯s head still throbbed in an attempt to demand his attention. Isaac ignored it. ¡°Well, not exactly. The graphics are way better.¡±

    ¡°VR tech isn¡¯t even a tenth this good.¡± Nix held his book up. ¡°Real fucking leather. There¡¯s nothing out there that can simulate this detail. I think somehow we¡¯re actually in Annwyn Online¡±

    ¡°Or we¡¯re having a shared psychosis,¡± Isaac said with a dry laugh.

    ¡°Or that¡­¡±

    ¡°Say, is your friends list working?¡± Isaac thumbed through his for a second, confirming Nix still showed as offline.

    ¡°Nope. Contact Us section doesn¡¯t work either. Or the logout button.¡± Nix made a gesture like he was tilting his screen towards Isaac.

    Isaac brushed his friend¡¯s hand away; they couldn¡¯t see each other¡¯s menus. ¡°Well, the fact that we¡¯re talking to each other right now just means that part of the game didn¡¯t transfer over. Ashley and Andrew should have logged in at the same time as us. They could be here, too.¡±

    Nix nodded in agreement. ¡°But if everyone woke up where they last played, then we¡¯re spread all over the continent.¡±

    ¡°I think we should go to Araedi.¡± Isaac thought back to their conversation just before logging in. Even if Nix hadn¡¯t been here with him, Isaac still might have gone to the Ruins of Araedi. It was the starting city for most players and if they weren¡¯t alone, that¡¯s likely where everyone would be going to get answers.

    Isaac opened his bag of holding and mentally focused on his Caer Fragment; a dark violet crystal about the size and shape of a tennis ball. The stone gave off a soft, reddish glow that pulsed in the rhythm of a slow heartbeat.

    Isaac held the small crystal for a moment, unsure of how it worked now. In the game, equipping the item automatically pulled up a menu with a list of the places he could travel to.

    After a pause, he raised it to the sky and shouted, ¡°Return to Caer Siddi?¡± The command came out more as a question than a statement, which might have been why nothing happened.

    With more certainty, Isaac shouted, ¡°Return to Caer Siddi!¡±

    Again, nothing.

    Isaac was about to give up when he noticed the quick cast bar at the bottom of his vision. The ten-by-two grid of his most commonly used spells and abilities had been replaced by the commands for his Caer Fragment. All of them were greyed out and focusing on them brought up a prompt.

    Warning: Your Caer Fragment is not attuned to your soul. Until you attune it, you will be unable to use its functions. You must travel through a Guardian City¡¯s Caer Fragment or die in order to attune your Caer Fragment to your soul.

    Know this: If you die before attuning yourself to a city¡¯s Caer Fragment, a city will be randomly chosen for you to respawn in.

    Isaac turned to Nix. ¡°Hey Sam, is your Caer Fragment saying it''s not attuned to you, either?¡±

    Nix¡¯s forehead wrinkled as he studied his own Caer Fragment before answering in the affirmative. ¡°By the wording on the message, hopefully it means respawning still works.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to test that hypothesis.¡± Isaac sighed.

    It was going to be a pain in the ass to reattune himself to every Guardian City and Guild Castle he had ever visited. It had taken him real life years to get from the east to west coast. New players had it easy as old players on the forums were more than willing to take newbies on ¡°tuna runs¡± across the continent. How long would it take before more industrious players got around to doing that now? There would likely be good money in it in the short term.

    But for now, they wouldn¡¯t be fast traveling to Araedi. Isaac reached into his bag of holding and took out his map. It offered a view of the entirety of Navorinelle. The entire map had a dull color scheme to it, indicating the information it held was out of date. When he zoomed in, the area directly surrounding both he and Nix was more vibrant. Curiously enough, the map still listed the major cities Isaac had visited as well as the many points of interest he had added to it in his ten years of gameplay.

    Parts of the map going dull were common when the game received updates, it meant the places he had explored prior might have changed. The fact that the entire map had gone dull left Isaac wondering how just much had changed. Were they even still in the same time period the game had taken place in? Or were they in the last protected green space in a futuristic world surrounded by megacities and technology?

    Isaac pushed those questions aside. The forest looked exactly as it had down to the placement of the fallen trees. He had to be within a few months of the game¡¯s timeline at most.

    Zooming slightly out of his position on the map, it showed he was still within the Territories of Rielle, the major human colony that made up the southern portion of Navorinelle. That put them near Orleana, the third largest Guardian city in Annwyn Online.

    ¡°Orleana¡¯s the closest city,¡± Isaac said, then flashed Nix a conspiratorial smile. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll get to try our spells and abilities on the local monsters along the way.¡±

    ¡°Good thing goblins in this area cap out at level thirty. I want to see what my summons can do.¡± Nix took out a green whistle from his bag. ¡°But you¡¯re also out of your mind if you think I¡¯m walking all the way to Orleana. You got any mounts?¡±

    Isaac wrinkled his nose. He actually did have an expansive list of summonable mounts acquired from a decade of playtime, but they were locked away in his guild¡¯s vault. Several thousands of miles away.

    Death used to mean a chance at losing not just a bit of experience, but any items and money one kept on themselves. It wasn¡¯t hard to get the items back, just very tedious. When Isaac had ¡°retired¡± from the game, he stopped carrying anything of value for that reason.

    He did have his crystal dragon summon, a spell from his Dragon Warrior subclass which he had used to get from Orleana to Reynardine¡¯s den, but it had still taken them two in-game days of travel. And that had been on a two hour day-night cycle. They didn¡¯t exactly have the time to wait out the spell¡¯s long cooldown.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any. Without knowing just how much has changed, I¡¯d rather save my crystal dragon summon if we need extra firepower or to make a quick escape.¡±

    A broad smile formed on Nix¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing your friend¡¯s a Summoner, huh?¡±

    Nix opened his book of summons and spoke several words of power. The green focusing crystal on his staff began to glow white as mana surged into it. After another second, a ball of white light fired from the staff into the air and dissipated with a clap of thunder.

    The two men looked at each other in silence while they waited for something to happen. Isaac gave it five seconds before he broke into laughter.

    ¡°Nice spell! I¡¯m sure we could use it to light our¡­¡± Isaac¡¯s words trailed off and his laughter ceased as air filled with the thundering booms of heavy footsteps approaching them.

    A massive stallion, far larger than any horse Isaac had ever seen on earth, galloped through the trees and stopped in front of Nix. It had a steel grey coat and snow white mane and tail. The horse stood tall in a way that commanded respect. Reading the name plate above its head, Isaac knew why.

    Liath Macha: The King of Horses

    Nix¡¯s smarmy smirk would have burned through Isaac if his armor didn¡¯t have enchantments that gave him a massive resistance to all types of elemental damage. That smirk turned into a massive, shit-eating grin as he held the reins out for Isaac to take.

    Without giving his friend the satisfaction of a response, Isaac took the reins and heaved himself onto the horse¡¯s back. The horse shifted once or twice, but barely even seemed to notice the extra six or seven hundred pounds on its back.

    Isaac had gone horseback riding a handful of times when he was younger, but the ease at which he intuitively knew how to command the beast with his own body movement was completely new. That likely had something to do with Isaac having maxed out the riding skills on Saiph years ago.

    Thinking about that left Isaac wondering. He had never physically gone on countless raids, slain innumerable monsters, or ridden varieties of mounts over the course of a decade. Saiph had done all that, yet Isaac¡¯s mind now seemed to house a new area where the combat and martial skills Saiph had learned took up residence, waiting patiently for him to use them. He wasn¡¯t simply Isaac anymore, he realized, he was just as much Saiph.

    The piercing shriek of Nix¡¯s whistle pulled Isaac out of his musings. The shrill call reverberated through the forest and a long, slender reptile ran from the opposite direction Liath had come. Nix¡¯s mount, a wind drake named Ridley, bent down and Nix hoisted himself onto its saddle.

    ¡°We only have two hours with your horse. Let¡¯s make the most of it.¡±

    Isaac nodded. Just before they set off, a thought crept into his head. Something Nix had said when Isaac had tried waking himself up with his fist.

    ¡°Say, did your face and head hurt like hell when you woke up, too?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, no¡­¡± Nix stammered, suddenly finding Ridley¡¯s reins very interesting. ¡°You were out for several minutes when we got here. I might have tried to wake you up with a smack or several to the face.¡±

 Chapter 03: Ashley

    ¡°The Caster Class excels at area lockdown and denial. Strong crowd control and single target buffs for allies and debuffs for enemies enable a Caster to create openings for allies or deadly traps to funnel enemies into.¡±¡ª Annwyn Online Player¡¯s Guide

    The Ruined City of Araedi. Day 01.

    ¡°What the actual hell is going on?¡± A man shouted.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I log out? I can¡¯t stay here! I have work in an hour!¡± A woman cried out.

    ¡°This is fucking ridiculous! What is this, some kind of publicity stunt?¡± Another man shouted.

    ¡°Where the hell are the damn admins!¡±

    The chorus of cries and complaints filled the air around Ashley, growing louder as each new person added their own anger and confusion to that of the crowd.

    Only moments ago, Ashley had been in the quiet of her apartment, sitting on her bed in front of her laptop while Andrew sat at his desk. Now, she was in the body of her character, a level fifty-four Caster named Sinnamon Roll. She stood alongside dozens of random players on the steps of the guildhall in the largest Guardian City in Annwyn Online.

    Ashley wanted to add her protests to that of the players, but couldn¡¯t figure out who or what to direct her confusion at. The developers and admins? That didn¡¯t make any sense, just what kind of bug did interdimensional kidnapping and body swapping fall under?

    Though Ashley still hadn¡¯t fully come away from the idea that she had finally snapped from worrying so much about the MCAT and this was the resultant mental break. The other option, that she would have to rethink everything she thought she knew about the existence of magic or aliens, was somehow a bit harder of a pill to swallow.

    A wet splat jolted Ashley from her thoughts. On the ground in front of her sat the remains of a pie with blue fruit filling that oozed into a pool outside the tin that held it. A loud crash a second later had Ashley looking up the stairs.

    Just before the guild¡¯s entrance, a cart lay overturned beside a group of players. In the middle of the group, a man in a white coat with two rapiers at his side was holding another, older man off the ground by his shirt. Blood trickled down the older man¡¯s cheek, yet he didn¡¯t look as afraid as Ashley thought he should have.

    Ashley bolted up the stairs. The man in the white coat¡¯s name appeared above his head, Krait, a level sixty-seven Sword Saint.

    ¡°Put him down!¡± Ashley grabbed Krait¡¯s arm, but he wrenched himself free.

    Krait dropped the man and pulled one of his rapiers from its sheath. ¡°Piss off! I just want to get back to my fucking home and be with my dying wife. If the devs won¡¯t let me log out, I¡¯ll carve through every NPC until they log me out!¡±

    As Krait pulled back with his rapier to strike, Ashley got a good look at the older man and realized she knew him. Gavriel, a half Serethi elf, half human who, along with his wife, Yentel, ran a bakery not far from here that Ashley and Andrew visited regularly when they came through Araedi. It was always a small thing, a mini ¡°date¡± they¡¯d started doing ingame when Ashley had finished her first class quest.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Ashley shouted. She didn¡¯t even realize she kept on speaking words of power and casting a spell.

    A mass of sticky webbing manifested from in front of Ashley¡¯s fingertips and shot towards both Krait and Gavriel. Gavriel spun and rolled, avoiding most of the webbing. Krait dropped to the ground, coated in the stuff.

    Ashley reached out to help Gavriel to his feet.

    He took it and stared at her with recognition. ¡°Sinnamon Roll? Thank you for the help!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t his gratefulness or the quick way the old man seemed to react and recover to the incident that left Ashley stunned, but the implication that he, too, knew their shared history. He remembered her. Something about that minor fact worried Ashley in a way she couldn¡¯t begin to understand.

    Krait roared behind Ashley. She turned to react, but was too slow. Krait was bearing down on her and Gavriel with both rapiers raised, bits of webbing still dangling from his clothes. He swung downward and Ashley closed her eyes, hoping this would be the end of this dream.

    It never came. Instead, a loud, metallic thunk followed by Krait and another man grunting was all she heard.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Sheathe your blade,¡± commanded a gruff voice.

    Ashley opened her eyes. Standing over Krait was a man clad in silver armor with a wine-colored sash draped across his left shoulder. Towered over Krait would have been the more accurate descriptor, Ashley thought.

    A second knight stood just behind the pair, an axe held firmly in his gauntleted hands. A third knight was positioned further up the stairs, a crossbow trained on Krait.

    What really stuck out to Sinnamon was the level of the three knights. Five hundred and fifty. Annwyn Online¡¯s level cap had been one hundred, yet these men had circumvented it somehow. No, that was yet another carryover from the game. Isaac had told Ashley the knights who protected the Guardian Cities wore special armor that allowed them to always outlevel a player. It was the way the game had enforced the city¡¯s safe zone, Isaac had said. What that meant now, Ashley was sure she didn¡¯t want to find out.

    ¡°I said sheathe your blade!¡± the knight with the axe commanded again. ¡°I won¡¯t ask again, Guardian.¡±

    Either Krait hadn¡¯t noticed the nearly five hundred level difference, or he didn¡¯t care because he raised his rapiers to strike the knight with the sword who had blocked his first attack.

    The knight was unfazed. He was a blur as he grabbed Krait¡¯s arms, twisting the Sword Saint to the ground. In another swift movement, he had both of Krait¡¯s arms locked in a vice-like grip.

    The crowd of players all smartly backed away from the scene, putting as much distance between themselves and the spectacle as they could while still watching.

    The knight with the axe gave a look of disgust at Krait, his mouth curling into a frown. He turned to address the crowd. ¡°In light of the sudden return of all the guardians to the city at once and the chaos that seems to have caused, we are issuing you all your one and only warning: continued attempts to harass each other and the citizens of Araedi will result in losing the right to travel freely throughout the city.¡±

    Could he really do that? Ashley wondered. Players could fast travel to any city they had attuned themselves to. Could these knights really put a stop to that?

    A woman¡¯s voice broke through the crowd, coming from the top of the stairs by the guildhall entrance. ¡°Gentlemen, I do not think that will be necessary. I am sure the last thing any of us want to do is antagonize the caretakers of this wonderful city.¡±

    The woman spoke with a mixture of grace and perfect enunciation that Ashley would have attributed to a woman with far more experience in diplomacy than her youthful appearance suggested.

    She wore galaxy blue mage robes with gold dots speckling the outfit that shimmered like the first stars of twilight. The outfit was reminiscent of a sari and the colors accentuated her bronze skin and grey-white hair. She didn¡¯t so much as walk down the stairs, but glided down them. As she drew near, a text box appeared above her head and her name, Wisteria Leothalis, was written in the fancy golden script of one of the beta testers, the game¡¯s first one thousand players known as the Vanguard.

    Wisteria rested her hand gently on the shoulder of the knight with the axe. ¡°I think your man has made his point. I don¡¯t think¡­ Krait will be a problem any longer, right?¡± She glanced at Krait with a smile that held none of the warmth her tone had.

    Krait didn¡¯t meet her eyes.

    The knight with the axe regarded Wisteria for a moment before lowering his weapon. ¡°You heard the Vanguard. Let him go.¡± He turned to the knight with the crossbow. ¡°Have Deno, Vayla, and Natan relieve us.¡±

    The knight with the crossbow gave a nod and turned up the stairs, disappearing into the guildhall. The knight pinning Krait released the Sword Saint and he slinked off, disappearing into the crowd.

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    Wisteria gave the two guards a genuine nod of approval, then turned her gaze on the crowd. ¡°People! We do not know who or what brought us here or even how it was done. Fighting with each other and the locals won¡¯t bring us any closer to finding a way home.¡± She spoke like a mother scolding her child. ¡°I suggest you be a bit more productive and either help those of us seeking the answers to those questions or by venting your anger out on the monsters beyond the city¡¯s walls.¡±

    With that, Wisteria turned and walked back up the stairs and into the guildhall. Three new guards stood by the entrance after the original three went inside behind Wisteria.

    The mood in the area grew somber now that the initial panic and anger had gone away. Some people sat on the ground crying while others tried to console them. But there were the faint rumblings of new emotions bubbling up.

    Wisteria¡¯s comment about fighting monsters stirred excited murmurs that turned to shouts as players began recruiting each other to venture beyond Araedi¡¯s walls.

    shley turned to Gavriel, who had begun attempting to right his cart with little success. Ashley grabbed the other half and the two began to lift. She was surprised at how easily the two of them were able to stand it upright. She wasn¡¯t some wet tissue paper when it came to the strength department, but the cart was huge and made from thick pieces of wood, yet she did most of the work with ease.

    Gavriel frowned, his brow growing deep furrows as he studied the damage. One of the wheels was broken, with three of the five spokes bent at odd angles.

    ¡°Looks like it won¡¯t be going anywhere. I¡¯m Sorry,¡± Ashley said.

    ¡°Bah, I¡¯ve been meaning to fix that wheel anyway. Now I have an excuse,¡± Gavriel said.

    He started to say something else, but Ashley didn¡¯t catch it. A ringing sound played inside her head; three dings in rapid succession that repeated on a loop. She tried her best to politely hold up a hand and looked around before a prompt appeared in front of her.

    You have been invited to a group call by W3aver. Would you like to answer it? Yes/No

    She didn¡¯t even hesitate to answer yes. She stayed quiet for a moment, expecting Andrew to say something first. When he didn¡¯t say anything, she spoke.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Ashley asked aloud.

    No response, although Gavriel gave her a questioning look.

    She tried again. ¡°Is this thing work¡ª?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re talking out loud, we can¡¯t hear you, Ash.¡± The voice wasn¡¯t her boyfriend Andrew, but their friend, Jack. His username, Jack O¡¯ Lantern flashed in the corner of her vision as he spoke and there was just the smallest hint of laughter in his words.

    Andrew¡¯s voice came next. ¡°It¡¯s weird. Think about what you want to say to us and we¡¯ll hear that.¡±

    Ashley started to think about sending the word ¡°hello¡± to them, but before she even finished the thought, Kait shouted over her.

    ¡°Whoa, you wanna do what to Andrew?¡±

    Jack threw in, ¡°Keep those thoughts to yourself, Ash!¡±

    Ashley¡¯s face flushed with warmth. ¡°What? What did I say?¡±

    ¡°Nothing! They¡¯re kidding!¡± Andrew answered quickly.

    Somehow Jack and Kait managed to telepathically transmit raucous laughter into her head.

    ¡°Sorry, Ash, you¡¯re too easy.¡± There was clearly no remorse in Kait¡¯s words as she spoke between fits of laughter.

    Ashley dismissed Kait¡¯s apology with a huff. ¡°Where are you guys?¡±

    ¡°Jack and I are outside Castera. The people here were pretty excited to have all us players back.¡± Kait replied.

    ¡°Same here. Even weirder, I¡¯m standing next to an NPC who says he knew Andrew and I from when this was a game.¡±

    ¡°Who is he?¡± Andrew asked.

    ¡°Gavriel, he and his wife own the bakery we sometimes stop at. I¡¯ll be the first to admit, I have no idea what to make of any of this.¡± Ashley wasn¡¯t sure why the fact that Gavriel knew her bothered her. It wasn¡¯t specifically him knowing her, but the idea that she had a history in a world that had been a game up until a few minutes ago.

    It meant whoever had brought them here had a history with earth and no one knew about it. With how easily they seemed to be able to move thousands, if not millions, of people¡­ that fact terrified her.

    Ashley wasn¡¯t sure how long she¡¯d drifted into her own thoughts, long enough that the three of them had moved onto another conversation. She thought it for the best that she didn¡¯t mention the fight at the guildhall right now.

    ¡°Finding a way home is definitely at the top of the list, but¡­¡± Kait said, dragging the word out to two syllables. ¡°I definitely think we should have a look around. It¡¯d be a shame if we got back home without seeing a little bit of this place before then.¡±

    Andrew voiced his agreement. ¡°Should we meet up here in Araedi?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Jack and I were going to fast travel to you, but our Caer Fragments are bugged. Looks like we¡¯re taking the scenic route.¡±

    ¡°Bugged how?¡± Ashley slipped back into the conversation. She pulled her Caer Fragment from her bag of holding and looked it over. She didn¡¯t see anything wrong with it, it looked like a normal chunk of amethyst. Except for the fact that it was glowing.

    Jack answered, ¡°Got a popup saying we need to reattune them. You guys might wanna do that before leaving the city. Don¡¯t wanna die and respawn on the other side of the server.¡±

    ¡°Good thinking.¡± Ashley paused as the other thing that had been subconsciously bothering her since she got in the call surfaced into her mind. ¡°Say, where are Sam and Isaac? I just noticed they aren¡¯t in the call.¡±

    ¡°Friends list says they¡¯re offline. Guess they didn¡¯t log in with us.¡± Jack said, then added, ¡°I¡¯m not sure who¡¯s the lucky ones, them or us.¡±

    Ashley felt a bit of sadness at that. If anyone were going to enjoy visiting this world, it would have been Sam and Isaac. The two had been playing the game longer than anyone else in their friend group by years.

    The rest of their call dwindled into points of interest each person wanted to visit and Ashley and Andrew making plans to meet up at Yentel¡¯s bakery, keeping to the tradition they kept whenever they visited Araedi. That thought reminded Ashley that she¡¯d been ignoring Gavriel for some time now. When she looked at him, she saw he had busied himself with picking up the desserts that had survived the cart¡¯s tumble and placing them in a brown leather bag; his own bag of holding.

    Ashley cleared her throat, grabbing Gavriel¡¯s attention. ¡°Sorry for suddenly ignoring you, that was a little rude.¡±

    ¡°Believe me, we¡¯re all used to you Guardians suddenly leaving mid conversation or standing still for long periods. No offense taken.¡± Gavriel gave a friendly smile that turned into a look of uncertainty for a second, like he was deciding whether or not to say something. One side of that internal debate eventually won out. ¡°What do you do when you stand still like that?¡±

    ¡°I was talking with my friends, others like me, through¡­ Um¡­¡±

    ¡°Telepathy?¡± Gavriel supplied helpfully. ¡°You can all talk to each other that way? That¡¯s some pretty powerful magic. I¡¯d heard the legends and even seen what some of you can do. That¡¯s¡­¡± Gavriel trailed off and began scratching his bushy greying beard in thought. After a beat, he realized he¡¯d gone somewhere else himself and quickly apologized. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just fascinating. I never thought I¡¯d be having a normal conversation with a Guardian.¡±

    ¡°None taken. Before today, most of us might have said the same thing of you.¡± Ashley laughed.

    Gavriel chuckled with her. Gavriel seemed to know a lot about magic for a simple baker. She glanced at his stats and had to work to keep her jaw from dropping. A lot more information was supplied than had been in the game.

    Name: Gavriel

    Age: 173

    Race: Half human, Half Serethi Elf, Male

    Class: Adventurer, level 40

    Subclass: Huntsman, level 50

    Profession: Engineer, level 50

    Specialty: Tinker, level 50

    Health Points: 5,974/6,000

    Mana Points: 5,667/5,667

    This man was far from a simple baker. It wasn¡¯t even a focus of his. Ashley knew there were NPC adventuring guilds the same as there were player guilds. The game had painted that as an immersive feature to see NPCs clearing some of the same dungeons players could clear. Gavriel¡¯s age meant he¡¯d been around for several decades before the first players arrived. Ashley wondered what the time before players was like. Was it so bad that someone went through the trouble of bringing beings from another world to help out? What did that say about things now?

    Gavriel tapped Ashley on her shoulder and she flinched.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You went away for a moment and I just wanted to let you know I¡¯m going to be heading back now. I¡¯m sure Yentel would be happy to cook you a meal as thank you for saving me back there.¡±

    ¡°That was just me getting lost in my own thoughts. I¡¯d love a meal and to meet Yentel. And I¡¯m sorry Krait attacked you. This has all been a lot. Until a few minutes ago, most of us were living our lives and then we were here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a lot longer than a few minutes! You Guardians have been gone for almost an entire month.¡±

    ¡°A month?¡± The words were out of her mouth before she realized it. There was no way they''d been gone for a month. Unless¡­ Was he talking about the server maintenance? ¡°You said ¡®almost an entire month¡¯? How many days exactly?¡±

    The old half-elf rubbed his hands through his hair as he thought about the question. ¡°Twenty-three, twenty-four, I think.¡±

    Ashley did the quick math in her head. The server maintenance had lasted for two days or exactly twenty-four days for Gavriel if the two hour to one day conversion for the in-game time still held true.

    That meant that likely only seconds or minutes had passed since she and everyone else had been brought here. Which means they could spend days or even weeks here before anyone figured out what happened to them. If anyone figured out what happened to them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I lost a month. I think time just works differently in my world. Twenty-four days lines up with when the server¡­ the portal closed on our side. Only two days had passed for us since then. But only a few minutes have passed since the portal opened back up, I think.¡±

    ¡°And when the portal opened back up, it changed you?¡± Gavriel asked, catching on.

    ¡°Not changed¡­¡± Ashley had to think. Just how did one explain to someone that until a few minutes ago, their world had just been a video game for her and every other player¡¯s amusement. ¡°We could control these bodies, but like the way someone controls a puppet or a doll. But now I am actually here in this body. Do you know of any magic like that?¡±

    ¡°Sounds like summoning magic. That goes a bit beyond what I know.¡± He gave an apologetic shrug. ¡°Yentel¡¯s got a small library you¡¯re more than welcome to look through. You might find something useful there.¡±

 Chapter 04: Sinnamon Roll

    ¡°The Ranger class has two primary build paths: strength-based high damage on hit and dexterity-based high attack speed. Both can further be augmented by high critical strike damage/chance or stacking enchanted on-hit effects of different damage types. The Ranger excels at sieging objectives with consistent, sustained damage.¡±¡ª Annwyn Online Player''s Guide.

    The Ruined City of Araedi. Day 01.

    Fall was only just beginning to settle in on Araedi, yet it was still far warmer than it had been in Colorado. Ashley¡ªSinnamon Roll, she corrected herself¡ªguessed it was somewhere in the low fifties; t-shirt weather compared to the single digit mornings she was getting used to.

    Still, the nights would become freezing and her current outfit wouldn¡¯t cut it for long. Sinnamon added clothes shopping to the ever growing mental list of things she and Weaver would have to take care of if this place was going to be their home for the foreseeable future.

    Weaver started to make a beeline straight for the cart when they neared the guildhall, but Sinnamon lightly tugged his arm toward the tower¡¯s doors. He nodded at the reminder that they still had to attune their caer fragments.

    The guildhall¡¯s doors looked astonishingly solid and heavy, being made of stone and bronze. However, they seemed eager to leap open as they easily responded to Sinnamon¡¯s pull.

    If the exterior of the building had been an over the top embellishment of the Empire State Building, the inside took that and cranked it up. The walls inside continued the black and gold granite found on the outside, reminding Sinnamon of the brownies marbled with chocolate chip cookie dough her father used to make in a soft flex, letting everyone know he was the superior baker in the house.

    A large chandelier hung from the ceiling in the central atrium with several balls of light. When she squinted, Sinnamon saw they were actually each a collection of dozens of tiny crystals just slightly bluer than the warm light of candlefire.

    Beneath the chandelier stood the lobby¡¯s main centerpiece: a massive violet crystal with a light in its center that pulsed in the thump-thump rhythm of a heartbeat. The area immediately surrounding the crystal monolith was packed with more people in one area than Sinnamon had ever seen. Their attention wasn¡¯t on the Caer fragment, however, but instead on two players whom Sinnamon recognized.

    She tried to push her way through the wall of people, but she couldn¡¯t make an opening. Without even needing a word, Weaver used his bulk to split the crowd for her. Sparrow recognized Sinnamon almost immediately and though she didn¡¯t stand up, she waved them over.

    Both Sparrow and the boy beside her were in rough shape. Dried blood covered her armor and his robes in patterns that suggested gunshot, or rather, arrow shot wounds. The boy, ¡°JonJon32110¡± the text box above his head read, cradled his limp left arm.

    ¡°Can I look at that? I was an EMT and I¡¯m studying to become a doctor.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it looks. It got healed up pretty good and I got a message saying I¡¯ll be fine,¡± JonJon said.

    ¡°That may be so, but you should still have someone look you over, just to be sure.¡±

    After a moment of consideration, JonJon offered his arm.

    Sinnamon pushed it aside and gestured to the holes dotting his robes. ¡°I should probably look at those first.¡±

    JonJon gave a nod and pulled off his robes and lifted his tunic. His body was pocked with scars, pink with the early stages of healing. He winced when Sinnamon palpated one of his ribs, but it didn¡¯t seem dislocated or broken, likely only bruised at worst.

    ¡°Looks like your worst injury is your sprained wrist. I think I might have something for it.¡± Sinnamon reached into her bag of holding and took out a red bottle. She gave it to JonJon and he took several gulps from the large bottle.

    Sinnamon watched his health bar while he drank, but nothing happened. It stayed at about a quarter of the way full. Sinnamon looked at the potion she¡¯d given him. It definitely wasn¡¯t a dud according to its stats.

    Item: Vox¡¯s Elixir of Healing

    Type: Potion - Healing

    Quality: Exquisite

    Strength: Potent

    Description: A healing potion crafted by the Vanguard Alchemist, Vox Allure. This potion will instantly restore 45% of missing health and improve health regeneration by up to 370% for 120 seconds.

    JonJon watched Sinnamon looking at the bottle before saying, ¡°Oh, yeah. That message I got said I won¡¯t regenerate any health until my injuries are healed.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Guess we¡¯ll have to do it the old fashioned way.¡± Sinnamon reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of cloth.

    Sparrow passed Sinnamon one of her arrows and she used it as a rough knife to cut the cloth into shape. She slipped JonJon¡¯s arm through the rudimentary sling.

    After double checking the fit, Ashley said, ¡°That should keep things in place until it heals on its own. Try not to use that arm much until then.¡±

    With JonJon squared away, Sinnamon moved on to Sparrow next. Her armor was a little banged up, but she was otherwise fine and her full health bar was proof of that.

    ¡°What exactly happened to you two?¡±

    ¡°My idiot brother stole aggro from me while we were fighting goblins. He couldn¡¯t kite them and Anna couldn¡¯t put out enough healing to save him and he died.¡±

    Sinnamon caught her breath. Now she understood why everyone was crowding around these two. JonJon had made everyone aware of the answer to perhaps the most important question no one wanted to find out for themselves: death was not the end for any of them. Just like in Annwyn Online, they would respawn and be sent back to Caer Siddi when their health bars hit zero.

    They could be injured, but they couldn''t die.

    Sinnamon looked at Sparrow again. The girl looked tired in a way that Sinnamon had overlooked earlier and she was constantly looking at her brother when he wasn¡¯t looking. Sinnamon revised her assessment of the girl, Sparrow might have escaped from the goblins without any physical injuries, but that hadn''t meant the girl hadn''t gone unharmed. She would probably need just as much watching as her brother¡¯s arm would.

    Weaver broke the awkward silence that had descended on their group. ¡°Do you guys have a proper tank? They should have been the ones keeping aggro.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just us three. I¡¯ve been wearing medium armor and trying to tank since Anna¡¯s a support and I have the highest health,¡± Sparrow answered.

    ¡°That sorta works at the lower levels where stats don¡¯t really matter, but once you break level thirty or so, the game gets much harder. Medium armor¡¯ll give you a penalty since you¡¯re a Ranger. If you guys need a tank, I¡¯m a Berserker. I¡¯ll be more than capable of keeping the mobs off you two.¡±

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°You¡¯re both way higher levels than us, won¡¯t we be wasting your time?¡± Sparrow asked.

    ¡°Nah, I feel like a newb all over again. Fighting with these¡ª¡± Weaver raised his hands, showing off a pair of massive stone gauntlets. ¡°¡ª has got to feel a lot different in person than behind a mouse and keyboard. No better way to learn than with some friends to help. And I can solve the level difference easy.¡±

    Weaver¡¯s eyes grew distant for a moment. Suddenly his stats changed. He was no longer level seventy-four, but twenty-four. ¡°Level suppression still works, which means you guys¡¯ll keep your loot bonuses if we party together. You guys want to meet here at the guildhall tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be awesome!¡± JonJon shouted.

    ¡°Do you two have a place to stay tonight?¡± Sinnamon asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Anna¡¯s got a room on the second floor,¡± Sparrow answered. She gave a glance at her brother and added, ¡°Maybe her healing magic can fix Jon¡¯s arm.¡±

    ¡°If not, send me a message and I¡¯ll get some supplies to wrap it properly.¡±

    The group settled on a midmorning meeting at the guildhall. They said their goodbyes and Sinnamon and Weaver took out their Caer fragments.

    Sinnamon held her Caer fragment up to the crystal monolith and was greeted by a message.

    It appears you are attempting to attune yourself to the Ruins of Araedi Caer fragment. You have not yet attuned your personal Caer fragment to your soul. Would you like to attune both now? Yes/No

    Another prompt appeared in front of that one.

    You have been invited to join a party by W3aver. Would you like to accept the request? Yes/No

    Sinnamon glanced at Weaver and he nodded back at her. Though everyone else had so far survived the trip to and from Caer Siddi, she was still glad she had him by her side. She accepted the party invitation and then tapped yes to attune her Caer fragment.

    A portal did not appear like she had seen when she saw some other players hold up their Caer fragments. Instead, Sinnamon¡¯s whole body began to glow bright purple as she felt herself being pulled towards the crystal monolith before her.

    She couldn¡¯t resist its pull. She couldn¡¯t even scream or cry out. Panic and fear clawed at the edges of Sinnamon¡¯s mind, but she forced herself to think back to what her instructor had said about keeping calm in an emergency. She might not be in control, but perhaps thousands had gone through this and they had survived.

    The crystal pulled her in faster and faster until she was inside the Caer fragment. A second later, she was flying upward, through the roof of the guildhall, accelerating through the sky.

    The ground rushed away from her at blinding speeds and she could see the entirety of Navorinelle surrounded by ocean and a small part of Navoradreus to the south.

    Her direction changed, following Gaea¡¯s curve and Sinnamon saw the planet¡¯s two moons, Lunara and Nocturne, approaching her. The latter moon blended in with the sea of black behind it, its shadow grey just faintly reflecting Solaire¡¯s light. In contrast, Lunara shone brightly, one half crater-pocked like earth¡¯s moon, while the other was covered in the same violet crystals that made up the Caer fragments.

    Sinnamon slowed and she flipped, her feet pointing towards Lunara as its surface became the new down. Massive crystal mountains and spires that stretched for hundreds or even thousands of feet into the air passed by in the blink of an eye. She floated through the ground and went down until she stopped inside a large chamber filled with a dull purple glow that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

    Feet touching the floor of the cavern, Sinnamon felt solid again. Weaver descended next to her with a big smile and a thumbs up.

    The cavern was about half the size of a football field and the walls were smooth like a finely cut gemstone. The room was empty except for nine large, dark crystal pillars twice the size of the one in Araedi spaced equally apart in a semicircle.

    But perhaps the most important fact was the room¡¯s complete lack of air. Sinnamon became aware of that fact the first time she¡¯d tried to gasp in awe. Her lungs didn¡¯t seem to want to work, but she forced herself to not panic. The best she could come up with to describe the sensation of empty lungs was¡­ uncomfortable.

    Weaver apparently didn¡¯t seem to notice the lack of air. He was jumping around the cavern, enjoying Lunara¡¯s reduced gravity. His superhuman strength propelled him into the ceiling hard and he bounced off with an inaudible thud that Sinnamon felt through her feet. He had a grin that stretched from ear to ear and not even a second after he hit the ground, they were both running around the chamber in a game of low-G tag.

    The inability of either of them to cool down by panting put an end to their game rather quickly. Sinnamon pulled out her Caer fragment and selected Navorinelle, the only continent not greyed out. The second crystal from her left flared to life and upon selecting Araedi¡¯s guildhall, the light inside it was replaced with an image of the guildhall¡¯s main lobby.

    Sinnamon walked towards the crystal and felt the same pulling sensation, though it was far weaker than it had been her first time through. She didn¡¯t travel again across space and time, but simply stepped through a portal.

    The sudden shift in gravity made her trip as her foot hit the ground, its drop slightly faster than she¡¯d expected. Weaver tried to catch her, but he tripped, too, and the both of them landed on the ground laughing at each other.

    Judging by the many faces she recognized, they hadn¡¯t been on Lunara long. The scientist in Sinnamon wondered just what fraction of c they had travelled at.

    Sinnamon offered to help Weaver push the cart back to the bakery, but he brushed her off. He lifted the entire cart easily and let it rest on his shoulder.

    ¡°Show off!¡±

    Weaver responded only by flexing his free arm and flashing a suggestive smile.

    Weaver rounded a corner a block away from the guildhall and bumped into a man carrying a stack of papers. He landed on his butt in a shower of papers, yet Weaver and his cart remained upright.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should have been watching where I was going¡­¡± The main trailed off as he gave Weaver an appraising glance. ¡°I¡¯m honestly not sure how I didn¡¯t see you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be sorry.¡± Weaver gave a friendly smile and held out his free hand. He lifted the man easily to his feet.

    Sinnamon bent down to pick up the papers. They were flyers, advertising some meeting being held tonight. Something about trying to find a way home.

    The man noticed Sinnamon staring and took one off the stack and passed it to her. ¡°You two are more than welcome to come. It¡¯s a small group, but we¡¯re going to keep meeting until we figure something out.¡±

    Weaver took a copy. ¡°We¡¯ve got plans tonight, but we¡¯ll check it out tomorrow. I¡¯m glad someone is trying to figure all this out.¡±

    ¡°Some of us had plans tonight, too.¡± The man looked stricken. ¡°I only wanted to collect my login rewards. I¡¯m supposed to be at a tabletop game. I don¡¯t think I can do anything else until I get home.¡±

    With that, the man turned and continued handing out flyers to anyone who would take them.

    Sinnamon turned to Weaver. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll do it? Find a way home?¡±

    Weaver paused, shuffling the cart to his other shoulder. ¡°I think they¡¯re taking the right first steps. I hope they can.¡±

    He reached out and held Sinnamon¡¯s hand and the two walked the rest of the way to the bakery, Sinnamon deep in silent thought.

    At the bakery, Yentel led Sinnamon and Weaver through the kitchen and down a flight of stairs. The short stairwell ended with a wall and a door on either side of the small landing. One was labeled ¡°Gavriel¡¯s Lab¡± and the other ¡°Storage.¡±

    Inside the storage room was a large bed with a comforter with a checkered blue and green pattern. Boxes and crates had been stacked up against two walls and there was a single candle lit on each night stand on either side of the bed. It gave the room the dark coziness of a cottage tucked away in the woods.

    ¡°We don¡¯t use this room much, sorry if it¡¯s a little tight. Please make yourselves at home.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s perfect! Thank you!¡±

    Weaver face-planted onto the bed, landing with a loud poof of the mattress and a creak from the bed¡¯s frame that was a little worrying.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be having pancakes for breakfast. Good night, you two!¡± Yentel and Gavriel stepped out of the room.

    Their muffled footsteps faded quickly, though no sooner had the door shut, had Weaver undressed and lay in nothing but a pair of underpants. He looked up at Sinnamon and laughed when she blushed. She wondered how long she¡¯d been staring at him like a schoolgirl admiring her first crush.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t forget about earlier,¡± Weaver said, his expression going playful. ¡°What was that you said? Something about me looking¡­ ¡®delicious¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I am never living that down, am I?¡±

    Weaver shook his head. ¡°Nope. Never.¡±

    Sinnamon took her capelet off and threw it at him. Weaver caught it and dropped it on the bed.

    ¡°Screw the artists who made this outfit! I swear I¡¯m going to invent zippers or¡­ no, hoodies and sweatpants! Something besides these awful laces all the way down my back. Wanna help me out?¡±

    ¡°You know you can just unequip your clothes in the menus, right?¡±

    Of course that was how he had managed to undress so quickly. Sinnamon groaned, more at the grin Weaver was giving her than at her own ignorance of the equipped list¡¯s existence. A few menu swipes later and she was undressed and sliding into bed beside Weaver.

    Weaver licked his fingers and put out the candle¡¯s flame on his side of the bed, then reached over Sinnamon and put hers out as well. The room went dark and he let out a playful snarl and Sinnamon yelped.

 Chapter 05: Saiph

    ¡°Dragoons, much like their sister class, Sentinel, combine high HP and strong defensive stats. But trade some of this tankiness for mobility in the form of a mount that augments their defensive or offensive abilities. A Sentinel can hold an objective for your party, a Dragoon will claim it for you.¡±¡ª Annwyn Online Players¡¯ Guide.

    The Territories of Rielle. Day 01.

    Saiph and Nix settled into a fast, yet comfortable pace that followed the stream near their spawn point southward in the direction of its flow. They hadn¡¯t gone far before Saiph was suddenly flooded with a rush of energy as his heath points increased by two thousand points.

    Saiph pulled the reins of the mount Nix had summoned for him and slowed the large war horse to a stop.

    Nix stopped ahead of Saiph and glanced over his shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s up? Why are we stopping?¡±

    Stalwart Protector, a passive spell of Saiph¡¯s had been triggered. It was set off by a hostile enemy stepping into the spell¡¯s detection radius while near a friendly ally. Two thousand was the minimum amount of health he¡¯d receive, which meant whatever had triggered it likely wasn¡¯t all that strong. It¡¯d still make a good opportunity to see what this body can do, Saiph thought.

    ¡°Enemy ahead triggered one of my passives. If it works like in the game, it¡¯s actively attacking something.¡±

    ¡°Any idea where?¡± Nix asked.

    Stalwart Protector had a maximum detection radius of about 200 yards. Unfortunately the spell didn¡¯t tell him where in that 80 acre circle the enemy was.

    Nix quickly pulled his grimoire from his belt and flipped through the pages. ¡°I think I can help with that.¡±

    A small green disc about the size of a basketball opened up above their heads and a large white hawk swooped out of the tear in reality. The bird took off, flying in ever wider arcs above them until it was a speck against the blue sky and clouds.

    Nix¡¯s eyes began to glow a soft white. After a couple seconds, they returned to their normal purple irises with dark blue sclera and he looked up.

    ¡°Twenty or so goblins to the west coming from the south. They¡¯re heading north, pretty much parallel to us. They¡¯re definitely chasing something, but I can¡¯t see what.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go. Take us wide so we can cut them off.¡± Saiph spurred Liath Macha to move and let Nix lead them.

    Goblins were monsters said to have been created by the losing side of a war that happened some centuries before Annwyn Online took place. They were the manifestation of a hatred for the living and as far as Saiph was concerned, they were doing this world a favor by keeping their numbers in check.

    The pair dismounted when they intercepted the path the thing the goblins had been chasing would run through. It turned out to be a large dog with shaggy brown fur. It plowed into Nix, knocking him over. Its eyes were wide with terror and a gash ran along the length of its left foreleg that was caked with dried blood.

    The goblins had been a ways behind the dog and they slowed to a walking pace, giving Saiph a good look at them. Their skin ranged from a pale white to a deep grey, all tinged with a bit of purple. Their eyes were bloodshot with small black dots for pupils. There was a roughly even mix of male and female and those not wearing mismatched armor were dressed in shredded, dirt-stained rags that didn¡¯t cover much. The largest among them wore almost a complete set of light chainmail and held a large, ugly mace coated in blood.

    That one was Saiph¡¯s target.

    ¡°Yo, ugly!¡± Saiph bellowed from their hiding place.

    The goblins froze in their tracks and started chattering to each other. The big goblin bellowed something unintelligible and the goblins scattered. Those wielding bows and arrows scrambled up the trees like squirrels.

    Saiph slipped on his helmet and the world took on a purple tint through his visor. The obstruction his helmet caused disappeared a second later, leaving him with the full field of view he¡¯d had without wearing it.

    Saiph summoned his hammer, Mil¡¯s Judgement, and his heads up display shifted and rearranged itself, switching to a combat view. The large goblin¡¯s stats appeared in the upper right corner of his field of view and he cast Dragon Charge.

    Flames roared around Saiph¡¯s body as he was magically propelled forward. He connected with the brute of a goblin, which let out shrieks of surprised terror. They traveled as one until they hit a tree, the force of the impact uprooting it and bending it backward.

    The goblin had fared far worse than the tree. Its lifeless body crumpled to the ground, reduced to a bloodied pulp inside its now heavily smashed armor.

    The action had been far more gory than Saiph had expected. Blood stained his visor and he fought to keep from throwing up inside his helmet. Annwyn Online had never shown the real results of a sword swing or other violent act. That definitely wasn¡¯t the case now.

    The plinking of arrows and swords off his armor pulled Saiph back to the world around him. The average level of the goblins around him was in the mid teens. Their attacks weren¡¯t even the suggestion of a threat and were more a minor annoyance like someone poking him really hard with their finger.

    At level one hundred, it was like he had brought a naval destroyer to a water gun fight. He took half-hearted swings at the goblins, more to keep them from swarming him and possibly knocking him over than a real attempt at violence.

    Nix raised his staff above his head and a purple and black swirl of mana emanated from the green crystal at its tip. The earth rumbled as five mounds of dirt rose up at his feet.

    Ten bony hands poked out from the dirt piles and five skeletons heaved themselves from the earth. Their bones were pitch black and sockets which would have held eyes had only red flickers of light.

    If the word ¡°jacked¡± could ever apply to a skeleton, then Nix¡¯s fit the bill. Each stood just over six feet tall and wore rusted plate armor with straps that floated inches away from bone, hinting at the large muscles they¡¯d had in life.

    With weapons raised, the skeletons charged into the fray.

    Their skirmish ended as quickly as it had begun. Their difference in levels made the fight a foregone conclusion. Half the bodies lying on the ground had small purple orbs floating next to them. Loot caches; they were a familiar and welcome relic from Annwyn Online.

    Saiph bent down beside one of them and touched it. The orb popped like a bubble and a piece of armor fell on the ground.

    The pair went to work checking the caches. When they finished, they¡¯d collected a fair amount of personal items; a comb, a few pieces of kitchenware, some armor, and other knick knacks.

    Nix dropped the last item he¡¯d found into his back of holding. ¡°A friendly dog, a bunch of random items you¡¯d find in a home or a blacksmith¡­ You thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡±

    ¡°Village nearby.¡± Saiph scratched his head. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t make sense, there wasn¡¯t a village this far from Orleana in the game. We¡¯d have passed it when we fought Reynardine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking we let the dog lead us.¡± Nix summoned a life wisp that floated around the dog, pulsing a soft yellow light that began healing the animal¡¯s injuries. ¡°If gobs got to it, hopefully there¡¯s a village left for him to lead us to.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But let me get cleaned up first. Fighting turned out to be a lot messier than I¡¯d thought.¡±

    Nix placed his grimoire back on his belt and gave a disgusted sniff. ¡°I¡¯m so glad I¡¯m ranged.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, it smells as gross as it looks. You have anything I can wash it off with?¡±

    Nix reached into his bag and pulled out several large sheets of cloth. He walked up to Saiph, took a sniff, then stepped back and dropped the cloth on the ground.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Most of the blood and other mess he¡¯d gotten covered with had dried and caked to the armor. Saiph tried wiping it off with the river water, but he only succeeded in smearing it. Figuring keeping clean would be an uphill battle he¡¯d lose, Saiph put his helmet back on and rejoined Nix and the dog.

    The sun hung low in the sky when the forest finally opened up into grass-covered plains with soft, gently rolling hills marred only by the occasional shrub that dared grow out in the open.

    Saiph had to stop and check his map several times. It showed they were still heading southwest, but when he tried to use the sun as a guide, he kept wanting to move in the opposite direction. It was only after he¡¯d given up and decided to trust his map that Sam made the observation that the sun was setting in the wrong direction.

    Nix stopped and pointed to a lone rock on the ground. ¡°The shadows are wrong, I was wondering what¡¯s been bothering me all day.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Sun setting in the east is going to take some getting used to. It¡¯s just so¡­ Alien.¡±

    A village crept over the horizon and the dog took off in a sprint, forcing Saiph and Nix to hurry after it.

    The village was surrounded by walls of wood and stone so high, the rooftops beyond them were well hidden. Guard towers were positioned every fifty yards or so and the feeling that archers hidden inside them had bows trained on him and Nix long before he realized they were there made his skin crawl. He quickly took off his helmet and gave what he hoped was his least threatening smile.

    Two guards exited from a small shack beside the village¡¯s main gate; one an older grizzled man with greying hair and the other carrying a writing board who looked to be about Saiph¡¯s age back on earth, mid twenties at most. The younger man was carrying a writing board with some paper on it.

    Both men stopped, their faces turning severe. The older man placed his hand lightly on the pommel of his sword. The reaction, Saiph realized, was caused by the blood coating his armor.

    ¡°The blood belongs to some goblins we killed to the north of here.¡± He said when the men were within earshot.

    The older man stopped and studied Saiph, his eyes slowly rolling over his entire body. ¡°It is too dark to be human. But I know that insignia on your chestplate. So what if you¡¯ve killed a few goblins, you¡¯re not looking to cause any trouble by claiming to be a Guardian, are you? This village has no fools and there are guards here who could threaten even someone of your level.¡±

    Of course he wore his guild¡¯s insignia; a golden snowflake with a silver compass laid on top of it, the only letter on the compass being a white ¡°N¡± and the word ¡°Remembers¡± written along the bottom in a bold, gold font. How did a village he¡¯d never heard of know about his guild?

    "I wear it because I am the leader of that guild. I am the Sword of Giants, Saiph." He projected his most heroic voice.

    That only earned a scoff from Nix behind his back, but the guard studied Saiph even harder.

    ¡°That would make you level¡ª¡±

    ¡°One hundred, yes,¡± Saiph took Mil¡¯s Judgement from his back mount and set it on the ground and took several steps back. He gestured for the older man to inspect it.

    The man stepped up to the weapon and rested a hand on it. His eyes went wide in understanding.

    Saiph held out a hand and the hammer flew back to him. ¡°I changed my looks a while back. The dreadlocks and beard are new and you¡¯d probably recognize me in red, black, and gold armor; our guild¡¯s colors.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re honored to have two Guardians visit our village. My name is Mikel, the boy¡¯s name is Arin.¡± His tone had gone from one of grave suspicion to something like reverence. The question marks beside Mikel¡¯s level, twenty-four, resolved into his name. ¡°We have to be careful. It¡¯s not uncommon for grifters to pass through swindling people of their money. What brings you here? We¡¯ve never had a Guardian visit Firestone before.¡±

    ¡°We completed a quest to slay Reynardine a while back and we¡¯re heading to Orleana to turn it in.¡± Saiph left out the whole interdimensional travel bit. He figured that might be a bit above what these guards were used to dealing with.

    ¡°So that was you two? We issued that quest months ago. The damned beast kept messing with the farmers¡¯ livestock. It was too crafty for any of us to deal with. It hadn¡¯t bothered anyone in a while and we weren¡¯t notified of the quest being closed. We figured it had either moved on or got it from something else. I think everyone will be happy to know the beast¡¯s final fate.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d appreciate it if the entire village didn¡¯t know we were here,¡± Saiph said quickly. ¡°We¡¯re in a bit of a hurry and don¡¯t have time to tell stories.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not our place to tell folks your business, but with the way you¡¯re dressed and your high levels, it¡¯ll only take one or two people over level thirty to figure out who you are.¡± Mikel gestured to Arin and his ledger. ¡°We still have to record the names of all who pass through our gates, however.¡±

    Bureaucracy was a powerful force in any land, time, or space, it seemed. Saiph and Nix signed their names on Arin¡¯s clipboard.

    ¡°Oh, before we go, this might help you prove Reynardine¡¯s dead.¡± Saiph pulled a small black claw from his bag.

    Item: Claw of Reynardine

    Type: Quest Item

    Rarity: Unusual

    Description: This claw once belonged to the werefox Reynardine. While it no longer has any ambient magic left in it, the claw can be turned in to the Guildhall in Orleana as proof of completion of the quest ¡°Slay Reynardine.¡±

    Mikel inspected the item, then handed the claw back. ¡°We really do appreciate you dealing with the beast, but you¡¯ll have to go to Orleana to receive the gold reward.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t do quests for the gold, besides, I have three more claws.¡± Saiph had amassed a fortune in his ten years of gameplay.

    Outside of the merchant guilds that manipulated the markets to make their profits, his guild was one of the wealthiest in the game. He thought it a little ironic that what had likely been a massive pain in the ass for this village had simply been a time sink for him.

    ¡°Even so, you¡¯ll save us time by closing out the quest yourselves. We¡¯d have to send a guard to formally close it.¡±

    ¡°We can do that.¡± Saiph placed the claw back in his bag. While rummaging through it, he remembered the personal items he and Nix had recovered from the bodies of the goblins along their way here. He took a rusty helmet from his bag. A crest had been stamped into the helmet matching that on Mikel¡¯s armor. ¡°Would you happen to know anything about this?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a small party of goblins got into the barracks a few weeks ago. Nothing too bad, but they made off with some of the other guards¡¯ stuff. You didn¡¯t happen to find anything else, did you?¡±

    Saiph and Nix set the items they found on the ground and Mikel went through them. ¡°

    The other guards will be happy to have their things back. Stop by Sylas'' Tavern. It¡¯s in the center of town, you can¡¯t miss it. Tell him your meals are on the guard.¡±

    At the exact moment Mikel finished his words, both Saiph and Nix received a prompt saying they completed the hidden quest. The XP reward was modest, only a few hundred, but it listed the free meal as one of the other rewards. The interaction made Saiph wonder just how the universe knew this quest existed. He decided not to pursue the ¡°chicken or the egg¡± question it presented and just thanked the universe for rewarding him.

    Saiph and Nix thanked the two guards and walked through the village gates. Dozens of people milled about, having conversations with each other while children played in the streets as animal-drawn wagons rolled by. Everyone seemed to stop and take notice of the armored warrior and the mage in robes.

    A girl and a boy stopped their duel with stick weapons and gave both men waves as they walked by. Saipoh pulled his hammer from its mount and held it above his head in a salute. The kids returned the gesture, waving their sticks with big grins on their faces before disappearing into an alley.

    From the whispers he could hear, no one called either man a Guardian, but adventurers. It answered a question Saiph had had. Everyone he passed was under level thirty and only those who were at level thirty or above would be able to tell he was above level forty. Aside from levels, there must be no immediately identifying feature that singled the two men out as not from this world.

    The two came upon the tavern Mikel had mentioned. The outside of the building was a smooth stone and wood construction with a cobblestone foundation that peeked through parts of the dirt surrounding it. Portions of the walls had been repainted and there were various signs of other small repairs going on.

    Saiph stopped at the door and glanced down at his blood-stained armor. He went through his inventory and unequipped the armor, leaving only a simple black tunic and pants in their place. He would have to figure something out to get the armor clean.

    But that was a battle for later. He pushed open the tavern doors and was met immediately with the savory scent of roasting meat.

    The two made their way to a booth in the corner and while there wasn¡¯t a menu he could look at, Saiph knew he wanted whatever was making the room smell so good.

    A server came up to them and they placed their orders. When she left, Saiph¡¯s eyes wandered around the room. He watched a young couple, likely only just entering their mid teens, laugh and joke with each other. Both of them had that mix of nervousness and joy plastered on their faces that reminded him of his first date with Riley almost eight years ago. As his mind went to her, he reached for his necklace and cursed under his breath when he didn¡¯t feel it under his tunic.

    A tap on the table pulled Saiph back to the present. His food had been set before him.

    Nix was giving him an impatient look. ¡°You spaced out, everything alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good, I¡ª¡± Saiph stopped.

    There was a woman sitting at a table not far from them. There was no mistaking what she was. Her red cloak with ornate gold stitching, white and gold compound bow leaning up against her table, and bright, golden hair made her stick out amid the muted earthy tones inside the inn. That woman had to be another player. Saiph tried to focus and view her level, but he couldn¡¯t get her status information to appear.

    Saiph pointed the woman out to Nix, but when he turned around to see her, the woman was gone.

    ¡°You know, Coffee Girl had blonde hair. Maybe your mind is trying to tell you to ask her out when we get home. Though you might want to consider stat dumping into Charisma for a few levels before then¡­¡±

    Saiph rolled his eyes. ¡°Charisma isn¡¯t even a stat in this game and I doubt we¡¯ll somehow keep our stats if we make it back to earth even if it was.¡±

    ¡°Guess you''re screwed,¡± Nix looked stricken for a moment, then shrugged and picked up a piece of bread.

    The entire tavern suddenly went quiet. Saiph turned to where everyone else was looking and saw three guards, one of them Mikel, standing in the doorway. He had a severe look on his face as he moved quickly to the bartender. He beckoned for the bartender and whispered something in his ear that made the man¡¯s skin go pale.

    The bartender moved around the counter and walked with the guards towards the door.

    Saiph¡¯s eyes locked with Mikel and he waved a hand. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    Mikel¡¯s expression was grim. ¡°A goliath huntsman attacked Sylas'' son¡¯s caravan on the road south of here. His son¡¯s wife is here, but he and the driver are still missing.¡±

    Saiph rose from his seat and felt the sudden surge in power from his armor¡¯s enchantments as they appeared over his tunic. ¡°It¡¯s a Guardian¡¯s duty to help. Tell us where we¡¯re going.¡±

 Chapter 06: Saiph

    ¡°Summoners have the ability to call forth minions to aid them in battle. These minions can possess a wide range of utility from fighters to tanks to supports that make Summoners excellent additions to any party. This enhanced utility does come with lower personal agency, and Summoners are reliant on their minions to do most of their dirty work. As a trade off, Summoners have access to a collection of spells and abilities their summons have access to.¡±¡ª Annwyn Online Players¡¯ Guide.

    Beyond the Village of Firestone, the territories of Rielle. Day 01.

    Night had fallen when Saiph, Nix, and Mikel¡¯s contingent of guards reached the site of the goliath huntsman attack.

    A large wagon lay on its side near the shore, its canopy torn open and its contents strewn all over the ground. A large trail of blood led into the nearby lake.

    Mist boiled over the water like dry ice left out in the sun. Gnarled logs, uprooted and knocked over, broke the waterline like skeletal fingers grasping at the air. The stench of decaying plant matter choked the air.

    There was an eerie, unnatural quietness to the scene that was broken only by the sound of distantly rolling thunder.

    Sylas called out for his son and a weak groan answered. They found Tomas lying against a tree, a large piece of wood sticking through his shirt and a dark stain running down his stomach. His health points showed zero, but the man clearly wasn''t dead.

    ¡°The fucking thing was massive and at least level thirty. Threw me from the carriage and it got Christopher and the horses.¡± Tomas grabbed Sylas'' shirt with renewed, frantic strength. ¡°Please tell me Maerie is alright!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s fine, son. She¡¯s fine. A bit banged up, but she¡¯s fine. Now relax, I need to get to work.¡± Sylas pulled a knife from its sheath on his belt and began cutting away at the bloody shirt.

    Nix pulled out his summoning grimoire and began flipping through its pages. ¡°If you pull that chunk of wood from his stomach, I can summon a life wisp to heal him.¡±

    Sylas shook his head. ¡°You Guardians might not have to worry about it, but healing magic performed on a wound that isn¡¯t properly prepped can have lasting problems. We¡¯ll have to clean it the best we can and leave it alone until he can get looked at by the surgeon.¡±

    Sylas finished his inspection and cleaning of the wound, leaving the wood in its place to prevent any extra bleeding. Two guards placed Thomas on a litter and half their force escorted father and son back to the village.

    Everyone else began to search around for the spider. It hadn¡¯t escaped Saiph''s notice that even though everyone knew the huntsman was somewhere in the water, all the guards were giving the cart a wide berth. Knowing the job fell to him to get the monster¡¯s attention, Saiph walked towards the lake¡¯s edge.

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    There were dozens of large tracks, nearly perfect circular holes, going into the water. Saiph bent down and stuck a gauntleted hand into one of the tracks, his arm going all the way to the elbow before he felt the bottom. Goliath indeed.

    A faint glint caught the corner of Saiph¡¯s eye. A silver thread, just faintly catching the light from his lantern. It ran underneath his boot and traveled towards¡ª

    The surface of the lake broke as two large spears flew towards Saiph¡¯s chest. He lunged backwards with all his might. Water rained down on him as he hit the ground.

    A rush of energy flowed through Saiph¡¯s body as his hit points surged upward by nearly twenty thousand. He scooted back towards the wagon and searched for the monster, but there were only the ripples of the recently disturbed lake.

    A message appeared in front of Saiph¡¯s face, indicating he was being invited to a party by Nix. He was happy to see another carryover from the game working as it had before. He accepted the invite.

    ¡°Well, I think you found our monster. You good?¡±

    Saiph shook himself off like a dog fresh out of the bath. Putting on his helmet, he looked at the Summoner. ¡°Yeah, wide awake now. You ready to kill this thing?¡±

    Nix raised his staff in answer. Orange mana swirled around the green gem and a disk of orange and yellow opened on the ground in front of him. A wolf made of molten lava and flames leapt from the rend in reality and howled its arrival to this land.

    Nix followed up by raising his arm and pulling up a sleeve, revealing one of the many tattoos that covered his body; the hallmark of a Runic elf. The tattoo began to glow yellow and a wave of mana traveled down his arm and into the fire elemental.

    The wolf began to change. Portions of the magma hardened into rocky armor as its body grew larger, nearly tripling in size. A second head grew next to the first one and a pair of saber teeth stretched down from both their upper jaws.

    This fire elemental has been evolved into a Legendary Beast.

    Name: Skoll and Hati

    Class: Evolved Flame Vargr, level 70

    Giving a proud smile and a thumbs up, Nix said, ¡°Now I¡¯m ready!¡±

    With a grin on his own face, Saiph two-handed his hammer and raised it high above his head. Activating the spell Shatter, he slammed the weapon into the ground with as much force as he could muster. The earth quaked and crumbled towards the waterline. Blue bolts of lightning arced along the trail of destruction, electrocuting the water.

    A screeching sound like nails raked along a chalkboard answered Saiph''s provocation.

    From just beyond the edge of the lake, a mass of muck and earth the size of a school bus heaved itself from the water. The monster stood on eight spindly legs and its front most pair were two serrated knives longer than Saiph was tall. Two large fangs jutted out of a spider-like head the size of Saiph¡¯s torso and eight rage-filled yellow eyes, the smallest pair the size of footballs, stared back at him.

    Name: Goliath Nightstalker

    Class: Night Spawn (Monster), level 110 (16)

    Disposition: Enraged

    Health Points: 69,424/74,500

    Mana Points: 35,200/35,200

    Stamina Points: 64,023/68,500

    As Saiph read the stats of what had risen from the water, his heart didn¡¯t so much as sink, but swan dive into the deepest pit of his stomach as he realized the calculation error he and Nix had made.

    Thomas had seen a level thirty goliath huntsman because the injured man was level twenty and night spawns were always ten levels higher than whatever they were facing.

    The monster before Saiph, open mouth revealing several rows of serrated shark teeth all stained with the black of blood, wasn''t a level thirty goliath huntsman. Rather it was a level one hundred and ten goliath nightstalker. And he had enraged it.

    Well, Saiph thought to himself as the nightstalker drew in an impossibly deep breath, fuck me.

 Chapter 07: [N]ix

    ¡°Goliath huntsmen, often solitary ambush predators, are extremely territorial and aggressive, particularly when disturbed following a meal. Woe be to the adventurer who disturbs them, particularly near their nest...¡±¡ª Annwyn Online Bestiary.

    Beyond the Village of Firestone, the territories of Rielle. Day 01.

    The nightstalker¡¯s shrieking vocal assault sent Saiph down on one knee while the two guards closest to him fell to the ground with hands over their ears, their faces locked in grimaces of agony.

    Nix was about to yell to the other guards to run for cover when Mikel¡¯s bellowing voice became a beacon of command.

    ¡°Those with range, keep that thing off our fallen. Everyone else, fall back to the treeline!¡±

    Though the guards were outleveled, they moved with the deliberate speed of men trained to handle such battles.

    The nightstalker broke into a dash towards Saiph. It moved with a speed that would have made Nix call bullshit if he wasn¡¯t seeing it with his own two eyes.

    A streak of blue caught the nightstalker in one of its legs and the monster stumbled over itself. It face planted, rolled into the fall, and was quickly back on its feet. The attack had been more a minor annoyance than an actual threat, but it had done the trick.

    ¡°This way, damned beast!¡± The guard who had cast the lightning spell shouted as the nightstalker turned in his direction.

    Another guard fired an arrow, directing the nightstalker towards her. More guards with ranged weapons joined in, each person pulling the monster¡¯s attention in a deadly game of whack-a-mole.

    Catching on to what they were doing, Nix pulled a longbow from his bag and threw his quiver of arrows over his shoulder, prepared to join in on the distraction rotation.

    Nix drew back and fired an arrow. It released from his bow with a healthy thwip, but only bounced off the monster¡¯s hard exoskeleton, only taking a few hundred hit points out of the monster¡¯s tens of thousands.

    Nix cursed, he was barely more effective with his bow than the guards were with their weapons. He¡¯d need significantly more firepower if he were going to help Saiph deal some actual damage. Which meant he¡¯d have to use his mana and summons more offensively.

    He sent Skoll and Hati forward, the flame vargr''s twin jaws latching onto one of the nightstalker¡¯s legs. A horrifying popping and sizzling and the scent of burning flesh filled the air as the fires of the flame elemental¡¯s body licked at the spider¡¯s armored exoskeleton.

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    The nightstalker managed to kick Nix¡¯s flame elemental free of its body, sending the twin-headed wolf flying into a tree. Nix¡¯s summon yelped on impact and the tree immediately ignited into a roiling fire.

    Nix hurled a fireball at the distracted nightstalker. It turned and ran in Nix¡¯s direction. Before the nightstalker made it even halfway to Nix, a massive golden chain with a barbed end slammed into the monster¡¯s abdomen. The chain immediately went taut, dragging the nightstalker backwards into an arena of golden light. It skidded on its eight legs, attempting to stop the chain''s pull to little effect.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be holding its attention now,¡± Saiph said through their private party chat as he made a heavy-looking claymore appear in his hands. The Chains of Prometheus were a powerful crowd control spell within a Sentinel¡¯s arsenal. They locked Saiph and the nightstalker within a magic barrier, forcing them to fight only each other for a duration with no escape by any means.

    Nix used Saiph¡¯s distraction to check in on the fallen guards. They were being tended to, but both men had lost almost half their health pools and an unseen debuff was still causing their health to drop at an alarming rate.

    Warning be damned, I¡¯m not letting those men die, Nix thought as he remembered Sylas'' words about using magic to treat the men, Nix summoned a small white bird, Caladrius, as well as a life wisp. Caladrius landed on one man, taking his debuffs for itself in the form of damage to its own health pool before moving on to the other guard.

    The life wisp sent out pulses of healing magic that stabilized the men. Though neither man regained lucidity, the shuddering in their chests turned to steady breathing as their health bars were fully replenished.

    The sound of a metallic, bone-rattling thunk drew Nix¡¯s attention back to Saiph. His friend was lying on the ground, helmet knocked free of his head and his skin the ashen grey of petrification. The nightstalker reared up to drive both of its spears through his friend¡¯s chest.

    Skoll and Hati leapt forward to distract the nightstalker as Nix sent Caladrius and the life wisp after Saiph. The petrification on Saiph used up the last of Caladrius¡¯ health pool. The white bird dropped from the sky, its body turning to motes of golden light that disappeared before hitting the ground. But it had been enough, Saiph was back on his feet resuming his role as tank.

    Nix summoned a second life wisp to back up his first one and began healing Saiph as he took damage.

    Summoners had very low personal offensive and defensive capabilities, but they could make use of many of the same spells their summoned beings had access to. It was this high level of utility that had drawn Nix to the Summoner class.

    Nix summoned a light wisp, which raced between the guards, bolstering the nearly nonexistent physical damage of their bows with light magic. Nix himself alternated between healing and fire magic, settling into his dual roles of support and damage.

    Their party continued their dance with the nightstalker; Nix, his flame vargr, and whichever ranged guard happened to be closest, peeling away the red of the monster¡¯s health bar while Saiph blocked the monster¡¯s spears and returned hits of his own.

    The spear of the second nightstalker that killed the guard closest to the water breached the surface too fast for her to react. One second she was drawing back her bow, sighting on the nightstalker busy with Saiph and in the next, everything above the base of her neck disappeared in the most violently horrific magic trick Nix had ever seen, replaced by the pointed tip of the second nightstalker¡¯s chitinous front leg briefly before it pulled back into the water.

    Two jets of arterial blood bloomed from either side of her neck as her heart continued to beat while her body fell to the ground, having not yet received the message that she was dead.

 Chapter 08: [N]ix

    ¡°...as Goliath Huntsmen often nest in pairs¡­¡±¡ª Annwyn Online Bestiary.

    Beyond the Village of Firestone, the territories of Rielle. Day 01.

    Blood pooled around the woman¡¯s ruined neck even as the rain slowly washed it away. It was the first time Nix had ever seen someone die in front of him. He hadn¡¯t counted the goblins he and Saiph had killed earlier. They weren¡¯t human. They were monsters. They didn¡¯t matter. It was still just a game.

    When this new nightstalker re-emerged from the water, rammed its spear into the chest of the man who had been beside the woman, and threw him aside like discarded trash, the reality of the situation had been pressed firmly into Nix¡¯s mind. The people around him could be killed. He could be killed. This new reality was not a game.

    Nix wasn¡¯t sure how long he had stood there frozen, the sudden reminder of the mortality of himself and those around him locking him in place, but it was the sound of Saiph¡¯s voice clear as day inside his head that pulled Nix back to the present.

    Some time in the seconds, minutes, years, or however long Nix had stood there stunned, Saiph had moved to protect the guards from this newest threat. A ghostly green, semi transparent wall of bricks stood between his friend, the guards, and this new foe.

    The first nightstalker had distracted itself by killing Nix¡¯s flame vargr. It thrashed Skoll and Hati about with its front two spears, slamming Nix¡¯s summon into the ground over and over in a fit of rage until all that remained was a pile of ash and coals that shifted from red to black as the rain extinguished their heat.

    Saiph called out again, ¡°Nix! This wall won¡¯t hold for long! I need help with these things!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah, I¡¯m on it,¡± Nix managed as the first nightstalker turned its attention on him. He dismissed one of his two life wisps and the light wisp and began casting. He¡¯d need three of his summoning slots for what he was about to do.

    Green mana fired from Nix¡¯s staff into the ground in front of his feet as he hurriedly finished casting a summoning spell. The earth shook as the form of a massive, six-legged triceratops-like monster made of rock and stone heaved itself up from the ground.

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    The earth golem lumbered towards the charging nightstalker, the red mana of its taunt spell pulsing from its body. The nightstalker reared up and let out a piercing cry in challenge.

    Unperturbed by the spider¡¯s show, the earth golem gored the spider through its abdomen with its three horns. A torrent of green blood and viscera spewed from the three holes left in the nightstalker¡¯s body as the golem pulled away.

    The nightstalker raked one of its spears across the golem¡¯s body as it stumbled backwards. Large chunks of stone and earth fell away and the golem bellowed in pain. A quarter of the earth golem¡¯s health was lost in that single hit. The life wisp flew over to the golem and began desperately trying to heal it.

    The golem was only level fifty, it wouldn¡¯t survive many more attacks like that even with the life wisp¡¯s healing pulses. Nix could have summoned it at a higher level, but lasting long wasn¡¯t the point. It was only a distraction to buy him time for the real showstopper.

    Nix shouted words of power as he channeled mana into one of the many tattoos that covered his body. The runes began to glow a bright blue and his mana bar surged to seventy thousand.

    Nix quickly activated another tattoo and the light surrounding him shifted from blue to a bright yellow tinged with streaks of purple. He began the incantation of another summoning spell, the words of power flying from his mouth at four times his normal casting speed. His mana pool instantly shrank a full three-quarters as he finished the incantation.

    Nix fell to his knees, the headache from such an expenditure of mana causing an explosion of pain behind his eyeballs. As he dropped, Nix managed to slam his staff into the ground, finishing the summoning spell.

    The staff rose into the air upon a platform of carved golden stone. It changed into a red and gold sword that looked to have been cut cleanly in half down its entire length; blade, grip, and all.

    Golden light radiated from the sword¡¯s grip and a set of black gloved fingers appeared around the leather-wrapped handle. The light continued to flow upward around the hand and arm, taking on the form of a woman with short, raven black hair and a tattered black pirate coat with dull, rusted green chainmail underneath. She pulled the sword from the stone and held it in a sure stance that dripped with confidence.

    Captain Raine von Alder, once legendary pirate scourge of Navorinelle¡¯s southern seas and now Nix¡¯s level one hundred summoned Sword Princess, looked down at him, her expression hard as steel. The expression of someone begging for a fight.

    ¡°Kill that one, it¡¯s almost dead, then help Saiph with the one beating on his wall.¡±

    The swordswoman raised her sword and moved like lightning to meet her assigned target.

    Raine¡¯s blade clashed with the nightstalker¡¯s twin spears, and Nix welcomed the endless black of mana-drained unconsciousness.

 Chapter 09: Saiph

    ¡°The Rogue class prefers to kill unseen. Players who choose this class receive extra bonuses when using bows and small blades from stealth. When properly specced, Rogues have some of the highest single-target DPS of any class of comparable level.¡±¡ª Annwyn Online Players¡¯ Guide.

    Beyond the Village of Firestone, the territories of Rielle. Day 01.

    Nix hit the ground hard. Since his health bar still showed full, Saiph didn¡¯t give his friend much more than that passing glance.

    The barrier spell Saiph had cast between himself and this new nightstalker was beginning to crumble. The Gates of Eskandar were a good defense, but unlike his stronger defensive spells, it had a finite pool of health and the nightstalker was quickly making it shrink.

    Saiph let the barrier fall and immediately drove his sword up at the nightstalker¡¯s head. The sword met flesh, piercing through its lower jaw and into its mouth.

    One of the monster''s spear-like limbs pierced the chainmail in the space between the armor plating near Saiph¡¯s side and skin and intestines tore inside. The sudden blast of pain very nearly sent Saiph to the ground as the nightstalker pulled away.

    Nearly two thousand hit points disappeared and the instantaneous healing was a welcome relief. Saiph still spared a second to glance down where he had taken the hit. Even his armor healed itself, losing a bit of durability in return.

    The two continued trading blows in a drawing out battle of attrition, each one slowly chipping away at the other¡¯s health bar. It was a battle Saiph knew he couldn¡¯t keep up for long. The original nightstalker was being held off by another of Nix¡¯s summons, but neither of them could help the other deliver a killing blow.

    He was about to tell the guards grab his unconscious friend and make a run for it, to leave him to die if it came to it. He didn''t know if either of them would respawn, but he knew he couldn¡¯t let any more guards pay for his bumbling error.

    Two bright streaks of orange slammed into the nightstalker Saiph was holding back and exploded against its body. Saiph recoiled as the shockwaves knocked the monster to the ground, a full tenth of its health pool evaporating from those two devastating strikes.

    He looked around for who had done such an attack. It couldn¡¯t have been Nix, he was still on the ground. Certainly none of the guards were anywhere near a high enough level to cast anything remotely close to spells that strong.

    ¡°You gonna keep standing there? Or are you gonna help the swordie with the other night spawn?¡±

    Perched on a branch on the tree behind Saiph was the woman in the red cloak Saiph had seen earlier at the tavern.

    She pulled another arrow from her quiver and shouted, ¡°Go help your friend! I can¡¯t get a shot off without hitting her and my stun shot¡¯s buying you time!¡±

    Not needing to be told twice, Saiph turned to see Raine still holding off her nightstalker. She was forced to spend her efforts parrying the spider¡¯s frantic attacks as it drove her back towards Nix.

    Saiph checked the cool down on his Dragon Charge. The spell was available. He charged towards Raine and her enemy and stopped the spell short. He grabbed the two rear-most legs and heaved with all his might.

    The nightstalker tumbled forward, catching itself on its front dagger legs. Raine immediately seized the opportunity by pulling back and driving the blade of her sword into one of the nightstalker¡¯s larger two eyes. Green blood splattered her face and armor as she pierced the monster¡¯s brain with a critical hit.

    She followed up the blow by activating some enchantment on her sword. Fire burst from the nightstalker¡¯s unpierced eyes. It fell to the ground with a loud thud, dead before it even knew what had hit it.

    Not taking the time to celebrate the kill, Saiph and Raine turned their attention to the other nightstalker. It was clawing up the tree the archer was standing on.

    Deciding her perch was no longer safe, the woman leapt into the air before disappearing in a flurry of movement too fast for Saiph¡¯s eyes to follow.

    He cast Sentinel¡¯s Taunt on the nightstalker and it turned its fury back on him. He blocked the incoming blows with his shield while Raine and the archer took turns landing retaliatory strikes of their own.

    As the second nightstalker died, Saiph looked up at the woman who had helped them.

    ¡°Who do we owe the thanks for helping us?¡±

    The woman jumped down from the tree and vanished seconds before touching the ground. Saiph jumped as she tapped him on the shoulder from behind while laughing.

    ¡°¡®Saving you¡¯, you mean? If you look right here¡­¡± She pointed above her head. ¡°You should be able to see my name. I can see yours, Saiph. You can call me Rose for short.¡±

    Saiph cleared his throat in frustration. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything above your head, Rose.¡±

    The smarmy look on her face disappeared, replaced with one of genuine embarrassment. ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t realize one of my skills was still active. You should be able to see it now.¡±

    Name: Lueur Rose

    Race: Human, Female

    Class: Rogue, level 92

    Subclass: Assassin, level 10

    Profession: Enchanter, level 100

    Health Points: 12,132/12,132

    Mana Points: 7,210/10,580

    Stamina Points: 16,328/26,454

    As he¡¯d suspected, she was another player. And a fellow high level one at that. Saiph was beyond relieved to know that he and Nix weren¡¯t alone. But that begged an even bigger question: just how many players were here?

    ¡°Thanks for helping us. I thought I saw you back at the tavern, but you¡¯d disappeared before I could find you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I had to take care of something. When I got back, people were talking about a monster attack and two high level adventurers going to deal with it. I had to come see for myself. Who takes on a pair of night spawns without a healer?¡±

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    ¡°There was only one when we got here. We would have been fine if the other hadn¡¯t snuck up on us.¡±

    Rose snorted. ¡°Whatever you have to tell yourself. I call dibs on the loot from the one I helped kill. You three can fight over the other.¡±

    It took Saiph a moment to understand what she meant, then he remembered Nix¡¯s summoned Sword Princess. Raine was kneeling down beside Nix holding a blue bottle for him while he drank from the one in his hands.

    ¡°Raine¡¯s not a player. She¡¯s one of Nix¡¯s summons. And you can have them both. I don¡¯t need the loot and I¡¯m pretty sure Nix doesn¡¯t either.¡±

    Rose gave Raine another take and nodded to herself. ¡°Oh, she is! It¡¯s so hard to tell now. And are you sure you don¡¯t want the loot? They¡¯re night spawns.¡±

    ¡°My gear is best in class and I don¡¯t care about crafting. Seriously, you saved our skin back there. The way I see it, it¡¯s the least we can do.¡±

    Rose nodded and claimed the purple orbs of light beside the two nightstalker corpses. Their bodies faded to dust as the orbs manifested into their loot. Saiph didn¡¯t see what she had gotten, as Mikel had taken his attention.

    ¡°We should be going now. I¡¯d rather not run into anything else out here and I want to see our fallen properly buried.¡±

    Saiph nodded. ¡°I agree, let me just check on Nix and we can be on our way. Rose can scout ahead of us and I¡¯ll be our rear guard.¡±

    Mikel gave a nod and walked to ready his guards. Saiph walked over to Nix.

    ¡°You good? You took one hell of a face plant.¡± Saiph offered a hand and pulled his friend to his feet.

    ¡°Yeah, bit of advice: Don¡¯t bottom out your mana pool. These headaches are no fucking joke. It feels like someone opened my skull and ran my brain through a blender.¡± He gave a forced laugh at his joke and flashed Saiph a thumbs up, but Saiph saw more that Nix wasn¡¯t saying.

    His friend had a haunted look in his eyes. It was the same look Saiph had seen in the mirror in the weeks and months following the car accident and Riley¡¯s death. The thought of Riley made Saiph reach for his necklace and he silently cursed at the realization that it wasn¡¯t around his neck.

    Saiph clapped his friend on the back, but didn''t press the subject. If Nix wanted to talk about it, he would when he was ready.

    A man signaled they were ready to move out and Saiph took his position as the rear guard. Rose disappeared within the trees, scouting ahead of them, and Nix and Raine walked near the front.

    Saiph glanced at the two fallen guards. Though their bodies were covered with canvas stripped from the wagon, the image of their deaths returned to his memory. He had nearly frozen up the same way Nix had, but had very quickly stuffed any reaction to the gruesome scene into a box inside his mind, locked it, and pushed it deep into a corner until it could be dealt with later.

    And in the slow walk back to Firestone, ¡°later¡± had finally come in the form of guilt. Saiph kept working the fight over in his mind trying to figure out what he could have done differently to keep those two guards alive. If he hadn''t just dove in, he might have remembered night spawns were likely to still be a thing in this world. Or if he had used some different spell rotation. Or¡­

    Mikel tapped Saiph on the arm. ¡°Everything alright? You¡¯ve slowed your pace.¡±

    The rain was coming down much harder now. Nearly everyone had makeshift cover over themselves and the rain pelted off Saiph¡¯s helmet. He retracted his visor with a mental command.

    He didn¡¯t know how to phrase his thoughts and so decided on the most direct way. ¡°I can¡¯t shake my responsibility for the deaths of your two guards. If I had positioned myself better or fought differently, they might still be alive.¡±

    ¡°The decision to have them move near the water to spread out was my call. Alaine and Sett¡¯s deaths are my burden to bear, not yours. It was your quick acting that made the difference between more of my men dying and not. You and the other two guardians are heroes.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I¡ª¡±

    ¡°But nothing!¡± Mikel stopped.

    The rest of the party stopped at hearing Mikel¡¯s outburst, giving the two men curious glances.

    Mikel waved them onward and he and Saiph followed at a slower pace. ¡°Had you not been here, we would have had to contend with two night spawns an entire rank above our strongest man. And that does not include the spread already present among our numbers. It would have made for a much harder battle, even with the full force of the city guard, which we would not have been able to spare. Which means we might not have saved Thomas. And if we had, we would have lost a lot more men.

    ¡°But fortune favored us this evening. We had not one, but three high level Guardians visiting our village when the attack occurred. Because of that, more of my men get to walk home to their families. When dealing with night spawns, that is a miracle among miracles.¡±

    Mikel continued in a somewhat wistful tone as he added, ¡°Nearly every guard dreams to one day fight alongside a Guardian. Sett and Alaine fought bravely this night. You granted them their wish.¡±

    Mikel¡¯s perspective was one Saiph hadn¡¯t considered. In a world with monsters as ferocious as nightstalkers, they would have had to accept the harsh reality that death could come swiftly to any of them at any time.

    Saiph gave Mikel a nod and the two picked up their pace to catch up with the main group. Deciding they likely faced a huntsman''s nest seeing as there were two of them, they would come back the next day to deal with any eggs the pair might have left behind.

    ***

    Sylas'' tavern was empty except for Maerie and Sylas sitting at one of the tables. The older man had a weary expression and he was saying something in a soft voice to Maerie. He looked up when he saw Saiph and his party enter and beckoned them closer.

    ¡°Thank you for helping save my son. I don¡¯t have much to offer, but I had three rooms in the back cleared and prepared. They, as well as your meals, are free of charge.¡±

    ¡°Will your son be alright?¡± Saiph asked.

    ¡°Surgeon¡¯s working on him right now. She says he¡¯ll be fine. Mikel¡¯s guards did a good job patching him up.¡± Sylas thanked them once more and with Maerie¡¯s help, left food and drink on a table for them before retiring to bed.

    Rose picked up a glass with red liquid in it and sat down. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m tired yet, you guys?¡±

    Saiph fixed a plate of something that wasn¡¯t quite cornbread and beef drenched in gravy. ¡°More hungry than tired. I had a big dinner before the fight, but I¡¯m starving again.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, I was really hungry when I woke up here. I hope this won¡¯t be a normal thing.¡± Rose pulled out a deck of cards. She began shuffling them while Saiph and Nix ate.

    Nix had offered the food to Raine, but she begged off, saying she didn¡¯t need to eat since her spell timer was almost up.

    Rose set the cards down and began sorting them. ¡°I wish I had my phone. I feel like I need to do something to keep my hands busy. I hope the people in Araedi figure out a way to get us home.¡±

    ¡°We could play a card game.¡± Saiph had only been half listening to Rose, his mind working through the fight and how he might have still changed the outcome, when his brain replayed her last words. ¡°Wait, what are you talking about? What people in Araedi?¡±

    ¡°The big meeting with all the guild leaders and anyone else who wants to show up in two weeks. How¡¯d you not hear about it? News is spreading fast.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the first player either of us has met since coming here. Honestly I wasn¡¯t even sure Nix and I weren¡¯t alone until I saw you.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you guys didn¡¯t have any other friends. I¡¯m sorry, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°I have friends!¡± That sounded more defensive than Saiph had intended. ¡°I mean, our friend lists don¡¯t work. Everyone shows as offline.¡±

    As soon as the words left his mouth, Saiph realized he and Nix were both idiots.

    Saiph turned to Nix. ¡°Did you ever set your status back to online before entering the game?¡±

    Nix had a distant look, but it went away as he answered, ¡°No, I always hide my online status. I don¡¯t like getting bothered by¡­¡± Nix trailed off, let out a groan of frustration and rubbed his temples in realization.

    Saiph brought up his menus and went to the setting page. Sure enough, his status still showed him as offline. He tapped the button, cycling it to online.

    Before he had a chance to open his friend list, a ringing sound played in Saiph¡¯s head and a notification appeared in front of his vision.

    You have been invited to a private call by Will-I-Am.

    No sooner had Saiph answered the call, he could hear Will frantically stammering inside his own head.

    ¡°I thought¡­ You weren¡¯t answering my earlier calls, I thought you were on¡­ Is it really you, Isaac?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Will, it¡¯s me. What calls? I didn''t get any calls from you. You sound like you''ve seen a ghost, what''s up?¡±

    ¡°It''s Riley¡¯s account, Aria Aurora. Isaac, she¡¯s online right now!¡±

 Chapter 10: Saiph

    ¡°Enchanting is the act of taking the ambient mana around one and fusing it with an object, forcing your will upon it. A powerful Enchanter can craft gear that can lay waste to entire armies.¡±¡ª Annwyn Online Players¡¯ Guide

    Firestone, the Territories of Rielle. Day 02.

    ¡°Could it be someone using her account? Maybe it got hacked and whoever¡¯s on it got pulled here with us.¡± Nix offered when Saiph finally told them Riley was showing up online on his friends list.

    ¡°That¡¯s what Will thinks, whoever it is, they haven¡¯t responded to Will or my messages.¡±

    The fact that someone out there might be using Riley¡¯s account angered Saiph. It was like finding out someone had robbed her grave and was now parading around in her outfit. It was even worse that they didn''t even have the decency to own up to it.

    ¡°I''m going to Pallas¡¯ Watch to find out what''s going on.¡±

    ¡°Right now?¡± Nix asked with incredulity.

    ¡°No. I couldn''t even if I wanted to. It¡¯s a high level zone and it''ll take weeks of travel,¡± Saiph let out a sigh.

    The fast travel system made moving around the continent a breeze. Too bad it had been reset for everyone.

    ¡°No, I''m going to Orleana, just like we still planned, but I won''t be going to Araedi. Will and I are going to put together a raid party and head to Pallas¡¯ Watch as soon as we can.¡±

    Rose suddenly perked up. ¡°I can help with that. I have a friend doing a tuna run west. He should be getting to Ven Istera in a couple days or so. I''m sure he''d be willing to double back and pick us up.¡±

    Ven Istera was the closest city to Pallas¡¯ Watch. It was located in the central part of the continent in a region known as the Godsfall Mountains. It formed the boundary between the low level zone, the eastern half of the continent where monsters rarely got above level fifty outside of night spawns and the high level zone, the western half where monsters got as high as the mid nineties.

    ¡°Seriously? That would be amazing! It would cut down on travel time considerably. I don¡¯t know how I could repay you both.¡±

    Rose waved a hand in dismissal. ¡°Don''t worry about it. It''s nothing.¡±

    Saiph shook his head. ¡°No. Between this and you saving our skins with the nightstalker, we owe you.¡±

    Nix cleared his throat before Rose could refuse again. ¡°Before you two continue this song and dance, I know how we can repay Rose.¡±

    Nix pointed to Rose¡¯s bow. The white and gold weapon was in pretty rough shape, but upon picking it up, Saiph couldn''t help but smile at it anyway.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Item: Lune¡¯s Wrath

    Type: Weapon - Bow

    Construction: Shadow Iron and Spirit Wood

    Rarity: Phantasmal

    Stats:

    Base Damage: 600 (1550 Maximum)

    Durability: 128/1,500 (Damaged)

    Enchantments:

    Critical Strike chance: 92.5%

    Critical Strike damage: 192.5%

    Every 2nd critical strike deals 2x damage

    Life Steal: 24.5%

    Flame Damage: +1050 (Fire)

    Burns the target for an additional 500 points of damage over 6 seconds. Successive shots reset this timer.

    Charges remaining: 27/250

    Description: A powerful bow forged by the fury of Lunette Soleil, enchanted by Lueur Rose.

    The weapon''s stats were on par with the highest quality gear enchanters could make and between it and her Rogue skills were how she''d been able to put out insane DPS against the nightstalker, even with its handicap from lost durability.

    Rose shook her head. ¡°I know how much that bow costs to fix. I''ll let you fix it if you let me pay for it and come with you to Pallas¡¯ Watch.¡±

    Rose reached into her bag and pulled out a black longbow. Its limbs were sharp and angular and it was well over Nix¡¯s height. Most noticeable was the slightly green-blue iridescent glow of a weapon enchantment.

    Item: Arc d¡¯Noir

    Type: Weapon - Bow

    Construction: Sky Iron, Heartwood of the elder spirit Can Oti

    Rarity: Phantasmal

    Stats:

    Base Damage: 2000 (Earth Damage)

    Durability: 3,000/3,000

    Enchantments:

    Innate: Mana regeneration increased by 35% while wielding this bow

    Innate: Consumes 3.5% of wielder¡¯s remaining mana to deal that amount as bonus Earth Damage on-hit. This does not consume any enchantment charges.

    Innate: Durability will slowly regenerate in the presence of sunlight

    On-hit effects of arrows are twice as effective. Every other shot applies all on-hit effects twice for 2x the charges

    Charges remaining: 550/550

    ¡°The person I enchanted this for wasn''t logged in when we got brought here. I''m sure you could sell it for a good amount.¡±

    Saiph watched his friend''s greedy eyes go large at the weapon as Nix said, ¡°No, this is perfect for me. I''ve been trying to level my archery to rely less on my spells. You''ve got a deal. We can see if there''s a blacksmith in town tomorrow. In case we have to fight night spawns on our way to Orleana, I''d like to have the most amount of firepower we have.¡±

    Rose turned to Saiph. ¡°Though, there''s maybe one thing you could do for me...¡±

    Saiph stared at Rose, wondering if she were about to demand the world of him, and slowly replied, ¡°What''s that?¡±

    ¡°You''re the Saiph of North Remembers, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh huh.¡± Saiph nodded. ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°Do you think¡­ maybe I could get an audition to join?¡±

    Saiph snorted in amusement.

 Chapter 11: Krait

    ¡°One of the strongest dueling classes in the game, the Battle Master class comes in two variants: Sword Saint and Lancer. Sword Saints can dual wield and receive spell and combination attacks based around the concept. Lancers can use their weapons from range and gain increased movement speed towards enemies.¡±¡ª Annwyn Online Players¡¯ Guide.

    The Ruined City of Araedi. Day 01.

    Krait hadn¡¯t intended to carry things as far as he had back at the guildhall. All he¡¯d wanted was for the guards to strike him down while he¡¯d been holding that old man. He had hoped the impending threat of violence would have caused him to wake up in his bed far away from this place.

    But the woman in the blue robes, Wisteria Something-or-other, had stopped that from happening. And then he¡¯d learned it hadn¡¯t even mattered that she had intervened.

    A pair of kids had taught each and every person who had been at the guildhall that they couldn¡¯t die. They would respawn and that news was yet another blow on the knife that had been plunged into Krait¡¯s heart.

    The reaction to tap ¡°yes¡± to enter the game when he¡¯d heard that familiar startup melody had been pavlovian and because of that, he had failed Kayla.

    Krait slammed his fist on the table hard enough to crack the wood and break his pinky finger. Pain flared through his hand for only a moment before the injury instantly healed itself at the cost of a few hitpoints.

    He glanced around the room. Either no one had noticed his outburst or they chose to ignore it. Probably a mix of both.

    Krait had wandered inn to inn until he wound up in some hole in the wall of some tower on some street he couldn¡¯t make himself give a shit about. All around him, people danced to a recreation of a pop song from earth he was too old to know the name of.

    The bartender had definitely noticed his outburst. The weathered-faced man put up a mask of polite disinterest as he asked, ¡°Can I get you anything?¡±

    It was the same mask the doctors and nurses had given him and Kayla each time they shortened her lifespan with each visit. He wanted nothing more than to punch the man.

    He settled on a different option. ¡°The strongest thing you¡¯ve got.¡±

    He¡¯d ordered the same thing at each inn, yet couldn¡¯t get himself to drink it each time. He had given up the bottle nearly a year ago when Kayla had first received her terminal diagnosis and some small part of him couldn¡¯t make himself drink even now when he felt he deserved it most.

    ¡°Actually, he¡¯ll have the sweetroot with two shots of your finest whisky,¡± a man¡¯s voice said. After a brief pause, he corrected himself, ¡°Make it three shots. And one for myself, both drinks are on me.¡±

    Krait stared down the bartender. ¡°No, I won¡¯t. Get me what I asked for.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t want whatever paint thinner you¡¯re about to get.¡± The man took the open seat beside Krait, his tone was cool and friendly. ¡°Sweetroot and whisky is the closest thing you¡¯ll get to a rum and coke. And what they call ¡®whisky¡¯ isn¡¯t even a proper whisky.¡±

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    ¡°How do you know anything about what I want?¡±

    ¡°I know that I saw your outburst at the guildhall today. A lot of people did. And I think they¡¯d agree with me when I say that was the outburst of a man hurting.¡±

    ¡°I was angry in the moment. I didn¡¯t mean what I said.¡±

    ¡°I think you did. Because you¡¯re a loving husband who wants to get back home to his wife. And I believe you really will do whatever it takes to make that happen because Sonnet robbed you of your choice in coming here. Of bringing her here with you. Of curing her. And trust me, there are plenty of us who feel the same way. I, no, we could use your help figuring out a way home.¡±

    Krait peered over his shoulder just long enough to get a good look at the man. His status information showed he was a Summoner, the same class Kayla played. He was a thick mustached man dressed in a sharp black suit with a grey tie and matching cape. Above his head, his name, Baron, with a zero instead of an O, was printed in the gold color of one of the Vanguard.

    Krait rolled his eyes. ¡°You spend all day working on that sales pitch?¡±

    Baron gave a shrug. ¡°Not quite all day.¡±

    ¡°Well pitch it to someone else. I¡¯m not interested.¡± Krait turned his back on the man, hoping he would take the hint.

    The bartender returned with the two drinks Baron had ordered and a third that was presumably the one Krait had asked for. He set the tray down without lingering and went back to the other patrons. Krait liked a man who understood when someone wanted to be left alone and he revised his earlier assessment on the bartender. Krait told himself he would leave extra coin to fix the damage he had done to the table.

    ¡°We¡¯re holding a meeting tonight at the guildhall. You¡¯re welcome to join us.¡± Baron paused, his expression suddenly going cold. ¡°I will find a way out of this prison.¡±

    The Summoner stood, his amiable expression returning as quickly as it had changed. He picked up his drink, took a sip from it, and set it back down on the table. He reached into his pocket and set a folded piece of paper down beside the three glasses. ¡°When you decide you want to help us bounce ideas, come to this room.¡±

    Krait glanced at the piece of paper and Baron turned to walk away. After letting him take two steps, Krait turned and called, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure none of you even know where to begin. How are you going to get anywhere bouncing ideas when you haven¡¯t the faintest idea what the fuck is going on?¡±

    Baron stopped, but did not turn around. ¡°Man didn¡¯t think it was possible to leave the earth until we put a man in orbit. Not even a decade later, we put two men on the moon while another circled it. This isn¡¯t so different. Only this time, the answer¡¯s already been given to us. We just have to work backwards to figure out the equation.¡±

    Baron left without another word. He met with a person wearing white light armor and a white, featureless mask that revealed only their mouth. He leaned in and said something to them before the two left the bar together.

    Krait was left alone with the three drinks. He picked the one he had ordered, something clear with a slight haze to it, and brought it to his lips. The sharp scent clawed at the inside of his nose and he immediately pulled it away.

    He glanced down at the two remaining drinks, which looked back at him like a pair of golden brown eyes casting silent judgement on him.

    Krait set his drink down and pushed the tray away. He could almost see Kayla sitting next to him, her gaze pleading him to not take the drink.

    That man is a fool, they¡¯ll waste their time without knowing the first step to recreating whatever brought all of us here, Krait thought. And no sooner had he finished it, another thought entered his head.

    They didn¡¯t need to know how it was done or even work on reversing it. They only needed to find the ones who had done it themselves and force them to send all of them home. And Krait knew exactly how to get their attention.

    Krait read the meeting information on the note Baron had left before crumpling the paper and dropping it on the ground. He stood, set a few gold coins on the counter, and walked out of the bar, leaving the three drinks untouched.

    The end of Part One.

 Interlude: W3aver

    ¡°This¡­ prison you have designed. Can you trust that it will hold him?¡±

    ¡°No, but it need only buy us time.¡±

    The Ruined City of Araedi. Day 02.

    A soft boom and the shaking of the bakery¡¯s foundation jolted Weaver awake. Breathing quickly, he looked around.

    Nothing was on fire and Sinnamon¡¯s breath was still the even slowness of deep sleep. Given that there was apparently no big emergency, he let her sleep.

    Weaver folded his half the blanket over Sinnamon¡ªnot that there was much left to fold, she had stolen most of it in her sleep.

    Closing the door softly behind him, Weaver started for the stairs, but stopped as the scent of smoke wafted through the cracks around the door labeled ¡°Gavriel¡¯s Lab¡±. Weaver knocked on the door lightly before pushing it open.

    ¡°Is everything alright in here? I heard a boom and I smelled smoke.¡±

    ¡°Weaver? Come in! Come in!¡± Gavriel was coughing lightly and his face had a fine layer of soot all over it. ¡°I didn¡¯t wake you, did I?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I was already up.¡± Weaver glanced at the contraption in front of Gavriel. It was a large, rectangular metal box about the size of a small refrigerator. He recognized the device as a smaller version of the dishwasher in the kitchen. ¡°What happened to it?¡±

    Gavriel wiped his face with his apron. ¡°I was trying to work out a way to speed up the drying time for the dishes after they¡¯re washed. I used a hammer on a rotating assembly to strike the firestone at regular intervals to keep the heat going. I think my timing was a little too fast. Come take a look if you''d like.¡±

    Weaver stuck his head inside and saw the timing mechanism Gavriel was referring to. On the ceiling of the box, a mess of clockwork and a dangling broken chain were the only remains. The whole unit had a faint glow to it that made Weaver¡¯s brain itch.

    ¡°I think¡­ I think the timing¡¯s fine. Hot air rises, right? Since this is at the top of the dishwasher, could the heat be building up and causing a runaway reaction with the firestone?¡±

    Where had that insight come from?

    Gavriel scratched his beard. ¡°Yes! Yes, I believe you¡¯re right! Ah, I¡¯m a fool! Moving it to the bottom would require a complete redesign, though. I put it at the top to make changing out firestone crystals easier.¡±

    ¡°Or you could add another gear with fan blades on it and some metal sheeting here and here to direct the airflow throughout the chamber.¡± Weaver traced the path of the hypothetical vents.

    It took the older man a second to follow what Weaver was saying, but he smiled happily when he caught on. ¡°That would definitely work!"

    The two began sketching out mock designs and began a healthy banter over the best shape for the blades and position of the vents.

    The smell of something sweet filled the air and Gavriel set down his tools.

    ¡°Smells like Yen¡¯s making breakfast. We should head up.¡±

    Weaver¡¯s stomach growled. This new Berserker body had a far greater appetite than his earth one and right now he was ravenous. ¡°Sounds great to me.¡±

    As he and Gavriel walked towards the doorway, Weaver noticed a metal wardrobe left partially open. He stopped to look inside and saw two sets of impressive looking armor. Both were made of identical maroon leathers, though one had a bow and quiver of arrows beside it while the other was covered in holsters for daggers that hung behind the armor. On the left shoulder of each was a small golden patch that looked like an eye with two lines below it and one line above it. The insignia looked familiar, but Weaver¡¯s still-sleepy mind couldn¡¯t quite place where he had seen it before.

    The armor had the distinct iridescent glow, a purplish red in this case, of enchanted equipment. Weaver couldn¡¯t view the enchantments, they didn¡¯t seem to generate a prompt in front of his face like other enchanted equipment. Strange.

    ¡°Nice armor.¡±

    Gavriel paused in his steps and looked back to Weaver.

    ¡°Yentel and I used to belong to the adventurers guild. That was a lifetime ago, I keep the armor as a memento from those days. Though I really shouldn¡¯t keep them in here when I do experiments with firestone. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll hurt the armor, but they are really old.¡± Gavriel closed the cabinet and set the latch on it.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°You two used to be adventurers? I¡¯m not sure I can imagine you or Yentel wearing that!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a hundred and seventy-three. That¡¯s hardly old for a half-serethi. I¡¯ve probably got another seventy or eighty years left in me.¡± Gavriel feigned indignation, then jokingly said, ¡°Okay, maybe I am old, but I could still wear that armor if I had to. Maybe even go toe to toe with you, eh?¡±

    Weaver put up his hands in mock surrender and the two shared a laugh.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll find most of us older folk have gear collecting dust with similar stories. It was a much more dangerous world before you Guardians showed up. More monsters. More chances for men to do evil to one another. It¡¯s because of you that Yen and I were able to lay down our weapons and open this bakery. We owe all the Guardians a great thanks.¡±

    ¡°My world isn''t so different. We don''t really have monsters like this one, but men do evil things there.¡± Weaver took one last look at the wardrobe and followed Gavriel up stairs. It definitely hadn''t been an accident for him and every player to be brought here. It had been a long effort in the making and they had gone to great lengths in both worlds.

    But why? Why the people of earth? Whatever magic they used had the ability to grant immense power to him and every other player. Why use it on them and not the people of this world?

    Weaver couldn¡¯t figure out an answer to his question, but he might as well do some good with his powers until he did. But his current build wasn¡¯t really optimized for a group effort, it was more geared towards solo play. The Gladiator subclass was fine for a warrior who occasionally did quests with a party, but he had a feeling he was going to be doing more of the latter than the former.

    One of the changes to the class system was the introduction of professions. Scrolling through the selection, he saw it basically worked the same as subclasses. The list of available professions wasn¡¯t exhaustive, instead, it only included those he met the requirements for. Even so, it was a rather long list.

    As he looked at the list of potential professions, however, a thought occurred to him. Introducing earth¡¯s technology to this world might not be such a good idea. Even helping Gavriel with his dishwasher might have unintended consequences later on.

    But there would be no doubt that others from earth weren''t capitalizing on the discrepancy between the tech levels of earth and gaea. It would only be a matter of time before someone created a modern rifle, or a nuke, or a blend of magic and technology neither world could have conceived of.

    It was an inevitability and so someone would have to act to balance against the potential threat of earth tech. Weaver knew which side of that scale he was going to tip. Weaver made his profession Tinkerer.

    Yentel had two plates of fluffy pancakes covered in brown sugar and syrup waiting in the kitchen when Gavriel and Weaver finally came out of the lab. Gavriel and Weaver each took one. Weaver went down to the room they''d been given and saw Sinnamon was still asleep. Deciding not to wake her, he returned upstairs and went into the dining room while Gavriel returned to his lab.

    There was a small library, more a single shelf stuffed with books of various sizes and thicknesses, tucked in an alcove. Weaver grabbed a book at random, A Scientific Treatise on Mages, Volume One, and opened to the first page. The name was a mouthful, but the book itself was fairly easy to follow, much like his intro to engineering textbooks.

    Weaver took the book to the booth he and Sinnamon usually sat at and began reading. He wanted to learn more about this world. Something as fundamental as whatever magic system everything ran under was as good a place as any other to begin.

    ¡°One of my favorites. I knew Loraina Grimli back when she was working on this. She was a renowned scholar dedicated to the study of mana.¡± Yentel appeared beside Weaver, holding a covered plate. ¡°Unfortunately, she let herself be consumed by her research. She took a team of adventurers west, trying to see if it was possible to break beyond the fourth rank of mage. She and her party were never heard from, presumed dead.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by four ranks?¡± Weaver asked.

    Yentel began explaining the magic system. There were four ranks of mage; Initiate, Apprentice, Adept, and Master. It took some back and forth, and Weaver understood it to mean the range of levels one through forty that almost all the NPCs fell under. The notable exception were the city-states¡¯ Royal Knights, whose enchanted armor allowed them to temporarily exceed the fourth rank. The armor didn¡¯t work beyond the magic barriers and took a physical and mental toll on the armor¡¯s wearer, leaving it usually only reserved for existential threats like quarreling Guardians on the steps of the city¡¯s guild hall.

    Apparently the Royal Knights, night spawns, and Guardians were the only examples of beings achieving higher ranks.

    ¡°Do you think Loraina Grimli was right? Do you think it¡¯s possible for you to reach the same rank as me?¡± Weaver asked.

    Yentel scratched her head in thought. ¡°There were legends of higher ranks in the past. Adventurers have been chasing those legends for centuries. But those are just that, legends. I suppose if there are three well known exceptions to the rule, it must be a pretty bad rule. At least that¡¯s what many believe.¡±

    ¡°Did you believe that when you were an adventurer? Gavriel showed me your armor. Told me you used to be an adventurer.¡±

    ¡°He did, did he?¡± Yentel asked with amusement in her tone. ¡°We weren¡¯t the dungeon diving type. We were hired escorts, mostly. And the occasional goblin slaying type. Though I guess I would say yes, it¡¯s possible.¡±

    The weapons both sets of armor were outfitted with definitely leant towards more clandestine uses than simple escorting. But Weaver didn''t bring that up. Yentel and Gavriel were entitled to their secrets. Or maybe she was telling the truth. They had offered their home freely to Weaver and Sinnamon, the older couple didn''t really come off as the skulking around type.

    Yentel left Weaver to the book and he read through the pages while taking several bites of his pancakes. As he ate, he tried to remember where he had seen that symbol before.

 Part Two, Chapter 12: Sinnamon Roll

    ¡°The Crystal Cities are credited with the advancement of our modern world, particularly my home of Vallum within the Triskelion. They provided a safe place for our ancestors, free from the roaming beasts that have made prey of us since the dawn of time.¡±¡ª The Crystal Cities: Where did they come from?

    The Ruined City of Araedi. Day 02.

    Sinnamon Roll awoke to the sound of ringing in her head. Despite her eyes being closed, she could very clearly see the prompt alerting her to an incoming call from Kaitlynn, or rather, Orbnus; a stark reminder that the events from the previous day had not been a dream as much as she had hoped.

    The ringing stopped and a new message appeared letting her know she had missed the call. She dismissed it and leaned up in her bed.

    Weaver was nowhere to be found and the only light in the room came from what leaked in from under the closed door. As she stood and re-equipped her outfit from the previous day, Sinnamon returned Kait¡¯s call.

    ¡°Good morning, Sinn! I wanted to run something by you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much you¡¯ve heard, it¡¯s mostly passing around through word of mouth, but a couple of the larger guild systems are trying to organize a kind of player-run government. I think they mean to make Araedi the capital.¡±

    ¡°And you want us to move to Araedi¡¯s guildhall?¡± Sinnamon asked. It made sense to want to be near the action.

    ¡°No, think bigger, Sinn. We can buy properties in the Guardian cities now, Jack and I moved some of our gold into our guild treasury. We were thinking you could buy us something nice and maybe three or four¡ª¡± Kait paused for a moment. ¡°¡ªMake that seven or eight other buildings. Ones with lots of rooms.¡±

    ¡°Seven or eight buildings? What do we need that many for?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one with the Merchant subclass, you tell me!¡± Kait said in a sing-song voice.

    Sinnamon winced as everything clicked in her head. They were planning on charging to rent the rooms.

    ¡°Kait, you two are evil!¡±

    ¡°I like to think of it more as being¡­ entrepreneurial. And you know if the idea came to us, then others for sure are going to hop on the train. At least if we get a head start on it, we¡¯ll have a say on pricing.¡± Kait spoke as though she were talking about a simple game mechanic, not using her wealth to buy up large sections of the city. ¡°And Sinn, please call me Orbnus or Orb. We aren¡¯t on earth anymore, I¡¯m not Kait here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry Orb. Did you guys have anything in mind for our guild building?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it up to you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get something amazing. Oh, I gotta go. Jack needs me! Oh, and use a little bit of the gold for yourself and Weaver. Get yourselves some nice gear. I plan to do a lot of fighting when we party up!¡±

    Orb ended their call and Sinnamon decided to take a look at their guild¡¯s finances. What she saw nearly made her choke.

    Eighteen million gold sat in the guild treasury. She knew her pair of friends were rich in-game, but that was insane. It was more gold than Sinnamon had ever seen before and the two casually dropped it like it was nothing.

    Annwyn Online¡¯s user-generated outfit store was one of the largest of its kind, making the game not just an MMORPG, but one of the largest avatar building communities on the internet. Both Jack and Orb were talented artists who contributed a lot of content to Annwyn Online¡¯s Masquerade system. They were paid for their work like all the other artists and even got a few in-game rewards for their effort. Most of the money they earned went right back into Annwyn Online. And that return had more than paid off now, given the two were probably one of the wealthiest guardians on the continent.

    ***

    Yentel was mixing yellow batter with fruit chunks floating in it when Sinnamon entered the kitchen.

    ¡°Good morning, Sinnamon Roll. Weaver already ate most of the pancakes I made earlier, but if you look under that lid, I saved you some.¡±

    Sinnamon turned around and lifted the lid off the plate on the table. She was instantly met with the sweet smell of the neatly stacked pancakes with syrup and sliced bananas on top.

    ¡°They look wonderful!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, now get out of my kitchen! I have more magic to create! Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!¡± Yentel made a show of brushing Sinnamon out of the kitchen.

    Sinnamon laughed and left the grandmotherly woman to her work and went into the main dining area. Weaver was sitting in their usual booth by the window, reading a book..

    She tapped him on the arm and he jumped, then smiled when he saw her. ¡°Ash, you have to try those!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Sinnamon sat opposite Weaver, picked up her fork, and took the piece he had just cut. It was good.

    ¡°Hey, get your own!¡±

    ¡°Didn''t your mother ever teach you to share?¡± Sinnamon cut a piece of the breakfast cake from her own plate.

    ¡°Yeah, actually she did!¡± Weaver stood and stepped beside Sinnamon. He grabbed Sinnamon¡¯s hand, and with the ease of someone with a million points in the strength stat, lifted her by her hand clear of the table, and bit her food from her fork.

    ¡°Whoa, rude!¡± Sinnamon said as he set her down and returned to his seat.

    Weaver said nothing and stuck out his tongue.

    Sinnamon noticed Weaver had changed his subclass. ¡°What¡¯s a Paragon do?¡±

    ¡°Gives buffs to allies fighting alongside me. I figure I should run a more team-oriented build now,¡± Weaver nodded. ¡°I also changed my profession. I was in Gavriel¡¯s workshop helping him with a project while you were sleeping and it just felt right to become a Tinker.¡±

    ¡°That actually seems like a smart idea. I should probably pick a better subclass, too.¡±

    Isaac had advised Sinnamon on useful subclasses to take with the Caster class depending on the playstyle she wanted. He¡¯d said most Casters either went with a healing subclass or a damage one. At the time, that level of commitment to combat had been beyond what Sinnamon was willing to get out of the game. She contented herself with the game¡¯s marketplace and avatar building. She¡¯d really only gotten to level fifty-four because she liked questing alongside her friends when they played together.

    Sinnamon opened her character menus and was instantly met with a prompt.

    Warning! Your Subclass, Merchant, is no longer a valid Subclass. As it lacks a comparable Profession replacement, you may choose a new Subclass without penalty. Any Subclass levels you earned as a Merchant will be free to be distributed towards your new Subclass and/or Profession.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Levels remaining: 62

    It made sense that there wouldn¡¯t be a generic Merchant Profession when someone could choose a more specialized one. Sinnamon was glad to see that she wasn¡¯t being forced to start over because of the changes to the system.

    Subclasses could be gained in a variety of ways. The most common was to have leveled a skill sufficiently high to unlock a related subclass or to earn one from a quest, such as was the case with the Dragon Warrior subclass. Only those players who had participated in the game''s first raid and accompanying event could get that one.

    Sinnamon went through her skills menu to see if she had progressed any skills high enough to unlock a subclass. Another prompt came and this one made her smile.

    Greetings, Guardian! The path of healing and medicine is often as thankless as it is demanding. Because of actions taken in your life on Earth, you have been awarded level twenty in the skill Healing and twenty-five in the sub skill Emergency Medicine.

    Alert! Due to the magical nature of your Caster Class and your high skill level in Healing, you automatically meet the prerequisites to choose the Subclass Cleric - School of Healing. Would you like to select this subclass?

    Sinnamon was a year older than Weaver and their friends and had taken a gap year to be an EMT while Weaver finished his senior year. It had been borne of an arrangement with her father, a doctor of oncology. He would help her cover the cost of her schooling, but only if she was certain she wanted to go into the medical field. Like her father, medicine was in Sinnamon¡¯s nature and she had been firm in her decision. She was happy to see this world had recognized that.

    You have chosen Cleric - School of Healing as your subclass. Allied buffs now have a healing component that scales with level and enemy debuffs likewise have a drain over time. This sapped health is stored for you to heal an ally with, separate from any mana used to fuel healing spells you may unlock. In addition, you have learned the level 1 healing spells Healing Pulse and Static Barrier Shield. More spells will become available to you as you level your Subclass.

    Sinnamon immediately allocated half her subclass levels to this new subclass. She hadn¡¯t figured out what profession she wanted to take yet, so she thought it best to keep the remaining levels in reserve. The message had specifically said ¡°levels¡± and not ¡°experience towards those levels¡±, so she hoped they might prove more valuable if she held onto them as higher levels required more experience points. Failing that, she would be able to jump start her subclass for a quick boost in progression if needed.

    Weaver gave Sinnamon an appraising glance. ¡°Good choice.¡±

    ¡°Whatcha reading?¡± Sinnamon asked.

    ¡°A Treatise on Mages,¡± Weaver answered with a mouthful of food. He swallowed. ¡°It''s actually kind of interesting. Apparently the NPCs have a totally different way of seeing magic than we do.¡±

    Sinnamon got the abbreviated explanation. A level cap was imposed on the NPCs, but not night spawns, Royal Guards in armor, or players like herself. Apparently it had always been like that and this world¡¯s version of gods and legendary figures were those who somehow exceeded that cap.

    That likely meant that unless there was some low level mass brain swapping spell the NPCs were hiding, none of them would likely have an idea of how they got here. Although given the Royal Guard could get as high as level four hundred, they could be potential candidates as the architects behind everything. The power discrepancy between even a level ten and level fifty player was immense. What would a three hundred level difference grant?

    Though if it were the guards, what would they have gotten out of it? And why not tell them it was they who did it?

    Sinnamon was of the opinion that whoever brought them here would have been more efficient at the task if they''d given that power to the locals here. Then again, maybe they couldn''t. The removal of the player level cap of one hundred was suspiciously timed to their being brought here¡­

    Sinnamon pulled herself out of the rabbit hole she''d gone down. She could think about this and never actually figure anything out.

    ¡°We should probably get going if we want to meet your friends at the guildhall,¡± Weaver said, finishing the last of his breakfast.

    ¡°Yeah, about that, actually. I got a call from Orb. She and Jack just gave us a ton of gold to buy up some buildings in the city. We¡¯ll have to make a stop and do that first.¡±

    ¡°Alright, you do that, I¡¯ll find us a quest.¡±

    ***

    Araedi¡¯s guildhall saw only a trickle of people coming and going, a far change from the near constant flood of people outside it yesterday. There was a small crowd off to the side of the stairs. Sinnamon recognized one of the bystanders as the man she and Weaver had bumped into the previous night bringing Gavriel¡¯s food cart to the bakery. Weaver had single-handedly lifted the entire thing and rested it on his shoulder as easily as she would have a small stick. That hadn''t helped him see where he was going, though.

    The man had a darkened, brooding expression that was shared with much of the crowd. The previous night, that man had handed Sinnamon and Weaver a flyer about a meeting being held last night to figure out what exactly had happened to bring everyone here. By their expressions, it hadn''t gone well.

    Weaver slowed down, having noticed them, too. ¡°I feel bad for those guys. They probably only succeeded in making themselves feel even worse about all this. We don''t know enough about anything in this world. We should be trying to study everything we can.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, probably would have helped if they had a book like yours,¡± Sinnamon agreed.

    ¡°I''m going to find out what they talked about. Meet at the big glowing rock?¡±

    The big glowing rock was the guildhall¡¯s Caer Fragment, it''s what enabled players to fast travel. Though one had to go the long way to the city first or have a friend willing to take them there before they could use it themselves.

    ¡°Sure, I''ll shoot Sparrow a message.¡±

    There was a large gathering in front of the many market boards. Orbnus had been right, people were eager to snap up property within the city. Sinnamon had to hunt and push her way through to find an open stall.

    When she finally found one, there was only a blank board with a single white crystal in the middle. An icon of a small storefront appeared in her vision and she focused on it.

    The crystal began to glow and the blank board was replaced with a screen very similar to Annwyn Online¡¯s marketplace. She moved to the properties tab and the screen changed to an overhead view of the city. The city was circular, with one large street leading away in each cardinal direction like the spokes of a wheel. Increasingly larger circles of streets with their own connections fanned out from the center like the rings of a tree stump.

    Looking at it made Sinnamon realize just how small the game version of the city had been. The entire northern half had been unavailable to players and now she saw the map would allow her to purchase a building anywhere inside the walls.

    There were over a thousand buildings available and that number was shrinking as the green dots marking a building flickered to either grey or red. The northern section had a higher density of remaining buildings, and upon closer inspection, Sinnamon understood why. The towers there were in worse shape, larger chunks of the buildings had been blown out and some had been knocked so far off their foundations, they leaned on the towers beside them.

    It was in that section of the city where Sinnamon found the building she had hoped might be there. The building stuck out to her immediately.

    Just as Araedi¡¯s guildhall looked like an embellished version of the Empire State Building, the one she placed a hold on looked like an equally ornate version of the Museum of Natural History. The outside of the building was made of black granite with swirls of red and white marble accents. There weren¡¯t any images of the inside, but Sinnamon knew she wanted it. Without hesitation, she added the six million gold building to her hold list, both surprised and happy to see no one else had claimed it yet.

    Closer to the city walls, she found a dozen more buildings going for between nine hundred thousand and two million gold. Since it really didn¡¯t matter what they looked like, she picked nine across the city.

    A notification said an NPC would meet her at the museum building within the hour so she could see it herself before she finalized the purchases.

    ***

    Weaver sat at a table with Sparrow, JonJon, and a third person with short green hair and silver deer-like antlers whom Sinnamon realized must be their friend Anna. Sinnamon sat down between the girl and Weaver. The girl introduced herself as AnnaLee, a level thirty-six Druid.

    JonJon wasn¡¯t wearing the sling Sinnamon had made for him the night before and when Sinnamon asked how he was feeling, JonJon held his arm up for her to see.

    ¡°It¡¯s way better! Anna¡¯s healing worked!¡±

    Anna nodded and it left Sinnamon with something to think about. Healing potions, even ones of considerable strength, did nothing for injuries after respawning, but healing magic did. She wondered what the significance of that information might be.

    Just to be sure JonJon was fine, Sinnamon still looked over his arm. There wasn¡¯t any indication that he¡¯d even been hurt.

    Sinnamon glanced at Annalee, ¡°Nice work!¡±

    The Druid blushed, but said nothing.

    Weaver looked over at Sinnamon. ¡°You find us a good home?

    "I think you''ll like what I got for us. It''s in the northern part of the city. It looks exactly like the museum in New York City."

    "Whoa, you guys bought a guild tower? You must be rich!"

    "Sinn''s the rich one, I''m just the trophy boyfriend," Weaver said, making a show of flexing his arms to the giggling of all three kids. "If we''re ready, I found a quest to fight a giant level thirty stone monster named Nun¡¯Yunu¡¯Wi.¡±

    ¡°Level thirty? Isn¡¯t that a little high for us?¡± Sinnamon asked, nodding to the kids.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll be a little underleveled, but I think our party has a good enough mix of healing, damage, and utility. The stone monster¡¯s high health and likely higher resistance stats should do great for some limit testing.¡±

 Chapter 13: Saiph

    ¡°Most dungeons are simple monster lairs, large caves that have become inhabited by the strongest being in the area. They provide their own ecological niche in that they keep all other monster populations in check.¡±¡ª Dungeoneering: An Adventurer¡¯s Guide

    Firestone, the Territories of Rielle. Day 02.

    Saiph had always been an early riser, even on very little sleep. The issue was, once awake, no force in the universe would let him fall back asleep no matter how tired he was upon waking. Though ¡°awake¡± and ¡°functioning¡± were two very different things. As he took a seat at the bar, he desperately wished for a flat white to appear in his hands.

    As if reading his thoughts, Sylas set a steaming hot drink in front of Saiph. Though it shared its color with coffee, it certainly wasn¡¯t it. The flavor was something of a mix between chocolate and hazelnut and it definitely did the job of knocking the grogginess away. Feeling more alert, Saiph took another, larger sip.

    He set the cup down. ¡°What is this and where can I get more?¡±

    ¡°That good, eh?¡± The old bartender gave a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s Maerie¡¯s family recipe. Unfortunately I can¡¯t share it, but you¡¯re always welcome to more.¡±

    ¡°I think you may have just made a customer for life.¡± Saiph took another sip and remembered his conversation with Nix and Rose the previous night. ¡°Is there a blacksmith in town willing to let us use their forge?¡±

    ¡°For your gear, I can¡¯t recommend anyone else but Eric. He¡¯s the best in all of Rielle¡¯s territories. His forge is beyond the town¡¯s walls to the southeast. Though I should warn you, he can be a bit¡­ difficult¡­ to work with.¡±

    Sylas turned to assist another patron, leaving Saiph to sip on his drink and wonder about the implications of those ominous words.

    Nix sat down beside Saiph a moment later. He gave a noncommittal grunt when Saiph told him of the forge.

    ¡°Try this, it¡¯ll wake you up.¡± Saiph slid his drink in front of Nix.

    Nix sniffed it, then took a sip, and his eyes brightened. ¡°Whatever¡¯s in that, it¡¯s really good.¡±

    Nix took another, longer drink, nearly draining the cup to Saiph¡¯s dissatisfaction. Fortunately, Sylas brought over another.

    Saiph stared at his cup in silence for a long moment. Finally, he turned to Nix. ¡°About last night¡­¡±

    ¡°You don''t even need to ask, I''m going with you to your old guild castle,¡± Nix cut Saiph off.

    ¡°No, not that. I mean, thank you, but I was talking about the two guards. I just wanted to make sure you were good.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not good.¡± Nix said quietly. He glanced around the room, then looked back at Saiph and sighed. ¡°I couldn''t sleep, kept having nightmares. It just kept replaying over and over.¡±

    ¡°When Riley died in that car accident, thr accident was all I could think about. The sight of it. Of her¡­ It was burned into my mind. I blamed myself. Told myself I should have paid more attention to the road, seen the drunk driver. But I¡¯ve learned and accepted that it was the driver¡¯s fault for deciding to drink. That didn¡¯t help the pain go away, but it helped me to stop blaming myself. Time and surrounding myself with good friends has helped keep the pain and nightmares at bay. Mikel reminded me that last night. And I wanted to make sure you knew that what happened to them wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Isaac. I needed that.¡± Nix dabbed at his eyes with his shirt. ¡°I''ll be fine. Don''t worry about me.¡±

    ¡°Good. I can¡¯t have my support freezing up like that in the future,¡± Saiph clapped Nix on the back.

    ¡°Oh, no! You¡¯re my support. You meat shield for me!¡± Nix said with a laugh.

    Saiph downed the last of his drink. ¡°Why don¡¯t we distract ourselves by getting rid of that huntsman¡¯s nest?¡±

    ***

    The lake appeared a lot more friendly during the day than it did at night, but the remains of the previous night¡¯s carnage still showed in the tipped over carriage with its spilled contents. Saiph hopped down from the earth drake Nix had summoned for him and Nix hopped down from Ridley. They both had been unable to keep up with Rose and her wyvern, though Ridley had given a good chase.

    ¡°So what''s the plan? We just start swimming around until we find something awful?¡± Nix asked.

    ¡°I was thinking you could magic up a solution with that fancy book of yours.¡± Saiph replied.

    ¡°This whole magic thing is going to take a lot of getting used to.¡± Nix made a show of opening his cloak and grabbing his grimoire from his belt.

    He opened the grimoire to a random page near the beginning, flicked through a few more pages, and began casting.

    A creature like a large, black lobster dropped into the water from a portal above. It came up on land, walking on six pairs of short legs. Its body was about ten feet long and was thick, yet flat with a scorpion-like tail that was another six feet long. The whole thing looked more like an ancient sea scorpion than a lobster, Saiph amended.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Nix looked at his summoned pet, nodded to the water, and said, ¡°Good hunting.¡±

    Accepting the command, the scorpion-lobster darted into the lake. It kicked up a storm of water and mud as it searched for the huntsman nest.

    The splashing suddenly became more violent and Nix fell forward onto all fours, dry heaving.

    ¡°You alright?¡± Rose asked.

    ¡°Mad vertigo. Summoner vision doesn''t stop that.¡± He spat on the ground.

    Summoner vision was a spell that allowed Nix to see the world through his summoned creatures¡¯ eyes. It was a unique experience Saiph wanted to try, save for the apparent disorientation it caused.

    Saiph had an alternate account for each of the game¡¯s classes. Sentinel had always been his favorite as he loved tanking. But between Nix¡¯s summoning powers and Rose¡¯s insane stealth abilities, Saiph found himself a little jealous.

    ¡°Is your guy winning?¡± Saiph asked, wondering if maybe they''d bumbled into a third huntsman.

    ¡°He found the nest. It''s a lot of eggs. Oh, he''s eating good!¡± Nix said with a laugh. ¡°I''m gonna have to summon more.¡±

    Two more of Nix¡¯s scorpion-lobsters dropped into the water, joining the ravenous splashing.

    ¡°Good thing we came back then,¡± Rose said. ¡°Have your scorpion thing bring a few eggs up, I wanna see if I can use them for alchemy.¡±

    ¡°These are too far gone for alchemy. I figure they''d have hatched in a couple days or so,¡± Nix replied. ¡°It¡¯s really good we were here.¡±

    They watched the show for several more minutes. When they were finished, the trio of scorpion-lobsters returned to Nix¡¯s side.

    ¡°Who¡¯s a good boy?¡± Nix cooed, patting the closest of the summons on its head. It made a chittering sound from a mouth lined with feeler-like projections that Saiph wished he could unsee.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t dogs, you know. Way too ugly,¡± Rose said, backing away in disgust.

    Nix looked up at Rose. ¡°Don''t bully my summons, I think they¡¯re kind of cute.¡±

    ¡°If you two are done, we should probably get going to that blacksmith. Sooner we can get on the road, the better. We might be able to make Orleana by nightfall,¡± Saiph said.

    Nix dismissed his summons, summoned a new mount for Saiph, and off they went.

    Just outside the town¡¯s walls had been an understatement. Eric¡¯s forge was over an hour away even by mount.

    The building appeared tired; there were gaps in the walls where planks had either fallen or rotted away without replacement. What still stood had a thick layer of mosses and vines clinging to it. Grasses and weeds grew unchecked around the property, forming walls of green on either side of what might have once been a stone pathway, now reduced to a mix of dirt and gravel. Above the door, an extremely weathered sign read ¡°Foreman¡¯s¡±.

    Nix gave Saiph a look and Saiph returned it. They were thinking the same thing. Sylas must have been mistaken. No one could still live in this ruin. It must have been abandoned for decades.

    Saiph sighed and opened the door. A bell chimed overhead and inside, cobwebs clung to every corner of the ceiling and a thick layer of dust coated every surface.

    Nix walked to the counter, the only spot not covered in dust, and rang the bell. A man¡¯s startled yell, followed by the sound of breaking glass and things dropping made them all jump.

    ¡°For the last time, I am not interested in whatever you are selling!¡± A man¡¯s voice shouted from the room behind the counter.

    A tall man with weathered skin, much darker than Saiph¡¯s own, came through the door. He wore a pair of worn denim overalls with a tan shirt with faded stains on it. He had the physique of a man with decades of manual labor behind him that time was only just beginning to erode.

    Saiph cleared his throat. ¡°We aren¡¯t here to sell you anything. Sylas told us you ran the best forge in all of Rielle. We came to see if we could use it.¡±

    ¡°Best on the whole continent, actually,¡± The older man¡¯s cold expression warmed a little as a reminiscent smile formed. But it instantly darkened a moment later. ¡°But I can¡¯t help you.¡±

    Nix stepped up. ¡°If you need a second hand, I can help. I¡¯m a master blacksmith.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the issue. Do you know why this place is named Firestone?¡± Eric let the question hang in the air a moment. When he received no answer, he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t think so.¡±

    Eric reached under the counter and hefted up a metal box about the size of a microwave that he placed on the counter. He opened the lid and inside the box were a handful of small, orange-red stones the size of baseballs that gave off the faintest glow.

    ¡°This here¡¯s firestone. The last few pieces pulled up from the mine before it was closed. This village used to supply every forge along Navorinelle¡¯s coast. Now it¡¯s just another tired village waiting for the goblins to get it.¡±

    ¡°Really? A firestone mine here?¡± Saiph asked.

    Firestone was a violently reactive mineral. The only place he knew where it could be found was in the region surrounding his guild¡¯s headquarters. But that place was a lava-filled hellscape prone to earthquakes. How had such a mine been able to exist here?

    ¡°Yes, really. The entrance isn¡¯t too far from here. And that mine¡¯s still got plenty of stone left to give,¡± Eric answered as if offended by Saiph¡¯s question.

    ¡°Then why close it?¡± Rose asked.

    ¡°A monster took over it fifty years ago. We tried over that time to reclaim the mine, but no group who''s ever gone in has come out.¡±

    ¡°We could clear the mine. We could even bring some firestone with us,¡± Saiph offered.

    Eric narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯d like for me to use the last of my firestone here to fix your gear before you attempt that, huh?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to try harder than that to try and rob me.¡± Eric spat. He raised a dark grey, nearly black sword. ¡°I¡¯m not some withering old fool for you to take advantage of. Begone with ye!¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not¡­ We¡¯re Guardians!¡± Saiph said. He reached into his bag and pulled out the chest piece of his armor which held the logo of his guild, North Remembers, a golden snowflake with a silver compass laid on top of it, the only letter on the compass being a white ¡°N¡± and the word ¡°Remembers¡± written along the bottom in a bold, gold font.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. That would make you¡­¡± Eric¡¯s eyes went wide in realization. ¡°Yes, how did I miss it? If you promise to clear the mine and bring me back as much firestone as you can, I¡¯ll help you repair your gear right now!¡±

    Saiph turned to Nix and Rose. ¡°We need our gear fixed. It¡¯ll slow us a bit, but are you for a little dungeon diving?¡±

    Rose answered first. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m up for it!¡±

    ¡°Any idea what kind of monster we¡¯re dealing with?¡± Nix asked.

    ¡°No one knows for sure. Like I said, none who went in have never come back,¡± Eric shook his head.

    Nix sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t like going in blind, but I guess we are likely stronger than anything in there as long as it¡¯s not another night spawn. I¡¯m in. We¡¯ll leave this place a lot safer than we found it.¡±

    Saiph turned back to Eric. ¡°Guess you have a deal.¡±

    ¡°Yes we do.¡± Eric gave a nod, then turned to Nix. ¡°I could use your help with the forge.¡±

 Chapter 14: Sinnamon Roll

    ¡°Gold, the chief currency among Terre¡¯s population, was among many of the¡­ ¡®gifts¡¯ discovered within the crystal cities found across the planet. Impossible to counterfeit, gold does not exist as a physical currency. Instead, one must merely be ¡®given¡¯ payment in gold in order to begin owning an intrinsic count somehow bound to each person. We are unsure where the first gold ¡®coin¡¯ came from, only that every society exposed to a crystal city uses it.¡±¡ª The Crystal Cities: Where did they come from?

    The Ruined City of Araedi. Day 02.

    ¡°Are you sure we want to buy any of the buildings out here?¡± Weaver asked as they walked into the northern section of the city.

    And to his point, the roads and buildings in this section of the city grew progressively worse as they moved away from Araedi¡¯s heart. Entire towers sat knocked over or leaning against each other like a kid¡¯s building blocks left ignored.

    ¡°Sure the area¡¯s a little rough, but I know you¡¯ll like it. I¡¯ve already started thinking about how we can decorate it,¡± Sinnamon answered.

    The building Sinnamon had purchased dominated the area with its black and red granite with white marble accents. It had suffered much the same as the surrounding structures; deep cracks ran up the walls to a large section of collapsed roof that had taken the top couple floors with it. But it wore its damage almost with pride, as if to tell the world, you threw your worst at me, yet I still stand.

    A tall serethi woman in a maroon and white set of robes stood near the main entrance to the tower. She gave a friendly wave as they approached.

    ¡°Hello, my name is Malikela. I will be handling your purchase today. You are Sinnamon Roll, yes?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Sinnamon Roll answered.

    ¡°Are you sure this is safe to live in?¡± Weaver asked.

    Malikela gave a laugh. ¡°You likely won¡¯t find anywhere safer outside Araedi¡¯s walls. You know of this city-state¡¯s history, no?¡±

    Sinnamon knew only some of the lore surrounding Araedi. The city had been under siege some hundreds of years before the game was set after the magic barrier surrounding it had been disabled. The barrier had been restored sometime later and it preserved the city in its present state, unchanged since that war. Sinnamon said as much to the woman.

    ¡°I take it you don¡¯t know how the barrier was disabled, no? One of the council members, a man named Lohk, found an item of power that allowed him to move between city-states the same as you Guardians.

    ¡°Back then, Castera and Rielle were much smaller villages, only recently come over from across the ocean. Lohk believed they¡¯d pose a threat and wanted to unite the city-states against them.

    ¡°He had considerable support within Araedi and fielded a large army. But not from the other city-states. They joined forces with Rielle and Castera and attacked Araedi, causing all this you see around us today.¡±

    Sinnamon listened with rapt attention. When Malikela paused, Sinnamon asked, ¡°So how did the barriers get turned back on?¡±

    Malikela shook her head. ¡°No one knows. A small force of soldiers entered the city, disabled the barrier to allow the siege, and then the barrier came back on. The fighting paused when everyone realized Araedi wasn¡¯t sending any more soldiers. When the combined forces against Lohk entered the city, they found her completely empty. Some believe Lohk teleported himself and his followers out of the city when he understood he¡¯d lost. Though no one¡¯s found any trace of him in the five hundred years since.¡±

    ¡°You sure know a lot about this city¡¯s history,¡± Weaver said.

    ¡°Yes, outside of my duties, I am a historian. I volunteered specifically to help the owners of this building because of the implications of its name. I hope to yield insights into Araedi¡¯s forgotten past.¡±

    ¡°Then I hope we fight something,¡± Weaver said. He glanced at Sinnamon. ¡°Ready if you are.¡±

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°One more question. How did the building get its name? If no one¡¯s been inside it in hundreds of years, why call it an archive?¡±

    ¡°We have some documents from the days of the war that suggest what some of the buildings were used for. A couple hospitals, administrative buildings, homes, and things of that nature. Much like our city today, without the neighborhoods spanning up the many towers. It appears Lohk used this one as a means of storing and recording stolen war loot.¡±

    Stolen war loot? Of course we bought that kind of place, Sinnamon thought. Well, at least it meant they would likely find something interesting inside.

    But there was something else that tickled the back of her mind. Why wait so long to let players buy these buildings? If the Serethi were the ones holding onto them this entire time, why wait? Presumably whoever had written Annwyn Online¡¯s patch notes had to know this already. Perhaps that might be the link they were looking for.

    Malikela produced a small white stone from her bag and handed it to Sinnamon. ¡°A recent finding in Delphianna¡¯s archives led us to believe whatever magic allows you guardians to travel between cities might also allow you to dispel the barriers sealing these towers. You Guardians disappeared before we could test that. When you returned, Queen Sorah asked us to begin dispensing them.¡±

    A cute way to phrase ¡°selling¡± them, Sinnamon mused. So the queen of the Serethi, or at least someone near her might know more. Sinnamon held the crystal up to the Archival¡¯s main doors.

    You have found: Focus Crystal of the Archive of Araedi

    Description: This Focus Crystal grants its Guardian owner complete control of this building. They may set restrictions as to who may enter as well as allow those within it personalized control over the building as well.

    The shimmering black void that should have been the doorway pulsed as Sinnamon moved the crystal towards it. A prompt appeared asking if she wanted to open the door and she selected ¡°yes¡±. The black curtain disappeared, leaving two wooden doors, each carved with the head of a dragon looking back at her.

    Sinnamon opened the door and gasped. A massive skeletal dragon stood in the center of an expensive entry way, wings outstretched in a presence that commanded the attention of the entire room. Its mouth was agape, as though breathing fire.

    The walls were lined with glass-fronted cabinets and shelves full of books and various items one would expect to find on display in a museum. Someone had taken great care to label the artifacts on display with metal-inscribed signs.

    Archival indeed. Sinnamon turned to Malikela, whose mouth nearly touched the floor. ¡°Bet you didn¡¯t expect to find anything like this, huh?¡±

    Malikela stammered as she spoke. ¡°No, I¡­ You are free to change the look of the building as you please, but I ask that you give Araedi time to catalogue and purchase anything you do not wish to keep.¡±

    Sinnamon didn¡¯t get the feeling it was up to Malikela if the city could or would buy anything here. Not that she would have let them, she intended to keep everything exactly as they found it.

    As a bit of a history buff herself, it was the right thing to do. ¡°We¡¯re going to continue looking around, feel free to do the same without us.¡±

    Malikela mouthed a silent ¡°thank you¡± as she dove into the expansive library under one of the sets of stairs to their left.

    Sinnamon and Weaver walked up the stairs winding up the left side of the dragon display. They led to a mezzanine which held a large common room with several doors leading off it. Sinnamon went into the first room and found a simple kitchen and bedroom. A studio apartment!

    Weaver stood in the doorway, a thoughtful expression on his face.

    Sinnamon walked over to him. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Room¡¯s too big. This wall should be way closer. Look, it goes right past the door out here. But inside, no door.¡±

    Sinnamon walked to where Weaver was standing and sure enough, she saw what he meant. The door to the right of theirs led to its own room, which equally overlapped with the space the left room was taking. Whoever had designed this building apparently only considered the laws of physics to be a suggestion.

    ¡°It makes me think of the same magic in our bags of holding,¡± Weaver mused as he entered the room. He fell on the bed with a loud poof. ¡°Oh, my god.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You have to try this bed, it¡¯s amazing.¡±

    Sinnamon dropped into the bed beside Weaver and let out a sigh. Neither too firm nor too soft, it was perfect.

    Weaver turned on his side to look at her. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think I might never leave this bed. Cancel all our plans.¡±

    ¡°You know the rest of our party might be upset about that.¡±

    ¡°Give them their own rooms with their own beds. They won''t wanna leave them either.¡±

    Weaver chuckled. ¡°I take it we¡¯re keeping the building, then?¡±

    ¡°Hell yes we are.¡±

 Chapter 15: Saiph

    ¡°Most adventurers make their living off these dungeons. The monsters within them can provide excellent, if often deadly, training. Additionally, many important alchemy ingredients can be recovered from the slain monsters. And oftentimes, a new mine can be made from the now cleared dungeon.¡±¡ª Dungeoneering: An Adventurer¡¯s Guide

    Eric¡¯s Forge, Firestone, Territories of Rielle. Day 02.

    Saiph pulled the pieces of his armor from his bag and placed them on the ground. He hadn¡¯t realized just how scuffed and beaten they were until he could see every piece before him. There were chips in some of the plates and one of the gauntlets was missing its plating over the ring and pinky finger. The leather wrapping his hammer¡¯s handle was coming undone and the head could definitely use a resurfacing to remove the nicks and chips it had acquired over time.

    Eric held each piece of the armor reverently, gently setting them into his cart. ¡°Give us some time with your gear and we¡¯ll have it good as new.¡±

    Fortunately Nix had the materials on hand to repair Saiph¡¯s hammer and armor. His sword, Durendal¡¯s Edge, was made of a far rarer material Nix did not have on hand. The sword still had most of its durability left as Saiph only used it when running his Scarlet BLade build, a tanking style based around the sword¡¯s strong life drain enchantment.

    Lueur Rose went back to the village for supplies and Saiph went to forage for some useful alchemy ingredients. There had been plenty of plants surrounding the shop that gave off soft lights of a rainbow of colors, each of which determined that plant¡¯s strongest alchemical effect.

    Saiph picked the flowers and dropped them into his bag of holding. The bag would auto sort the items and place them in the alchemy page on his inventory. It was a handy feature that made item sorting far easier.

    While gathering ingredients, Saiph made a call to his guild¡¯s, North Remembers, guild leader, Permaphrost.

    ¡°Saiph, you¡¯re here, too? Didn¡¯t see you online, figured you missed the boat.¡± Came Permaphrost¡¯s deep voice.

    ¡°Nah, menu trouble. You¡¯re out of your mind if you thought I¡¯d miss the chance to show you who¡¯s the better tank in person.¡±

    Permaphrost gave a hearty laugh. ¡°We ain¡¯t gone on that raid yet. I¡¯m sure the boys would love to have the second best tank come with us. You heading this way?¡±

    ¡°Slowly, there¡¯s something I need to look into first.¡± Saiph filled Permaphrost in on Riley¡¯s account showing online.

    ¡°That¡¯s a level eighty zone. You want us to send some men your way?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing this one ASAP, brother. Will-I-Am¡¯s putting together a party. But I could use two favors from you.¡±

    ¡°Ask away.¡±

    ¡°Does the banking system still work?¡± Saiph had forgotten to ask Lueur Rose if she knew anything about that. Back in the game, items could be moved between guild castles and guardian cities near instantaneously through the vault system.

    ¡°I believe so. I¡¯ll double check. You needing some heavy equipment?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, my good armor and whatever lesser potions we¡¯ve got to spare. Can you have those sent to Orleana¡¯s guild hall?¡±

    ¡°Easy ¡®nuff. What¡¯s the other thing?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a girl here, Lueur Rose, she saved my life before I knew I could respawn. I¡¯d like to give her a shot at joining the guild. Can you ask the council if they¡¯ll give her an audition?¡±

    ¡°I can, but you¡¯re the guild¡¯s leader. You have the authority to do that yourself.¡±

    ¡°Do I? I¡¯m not active anymore. I stepped down¡ª¡±

    ¡°The way I see it,¡± Permaphrost interrupted, ¡°you might have been retired back on earth, but this, whatever it is, seems to see us as soldiers of a sort. And it looks like you¡¯ve been recalled to active duty. That means, whether you want to or not, you¡¯re back in charge. The council will agree.¡±

    Saiph had to fight back tears. He was the major reason his guild had taken off and he¡¯d put in a lot of time and effort to make North Remembers the number one raid guild in Annwyn Online. It was his baby and he was glad to be back at the helm in a way he couldn¡¯t quite explain.

    ¡°Thank you, Perma,¡± was all Saiph could manage.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Permaphrost replied softly. ¡°Now, tell me about this girl. What¡¯s her build?¡±

    ¡°Rogue-Assassin. Just changed her subclass, so it¡¯ll be a while before she meets that req,¡± Saiph answered. The feeder clan for North Remembers, North Follows, required a minimum of level seventy-five in both your main and subclass in order to join.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of that going around,¡± Permaphrost said. ¡°Another DPS, though? What we really need are support players, more now than ever. Bring her here when you¡¯re done with the Riley situation. We¡¯ll get a nutter run going to properly audition her.¡±

    The two continued to talk about more mundane things before ending their call. Saiph had learned that a full ninety percent of their guild had been online when they¡¯d been brought here. Only one of the council members hadn¡¯t been online.

    Saiph had gathered several bundles of a ragweed that made for a decent strength healing potion and several other flowers that affected mana regeneration. He took his earnings and headed back to the blacksmith¡¯s shop.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    The sound of forging could still be heard behind the building when Saiph returned, so he took a seat under a tree and began sharpening Durendal¡¯s Edge with a whetstone.

    He hummed a soft lullaby as he worked. It was the same one Riley always warmed up with when she played the violin. A simple pattern, a short hm¡­ hm-hm-hm that repeated itself, but could be extended by almost any combination.

    Lueur Rose returned a while later and sat down beside Saiph. ¡°Got some food and an apothecary in town had lots of herbs for potions.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t craft any, did you?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, why?¡±

    ¡°Because I likely have the highest alchemy skill out of all of us. Give me the ingredients and I can make some pretty strong brews.¡±

    ¡°I doubt it! You do know rogues use poisons and other potions, right? Mine¡¯s level seventy-three.¡± Her expression was so smug, Saiph wondered if she and Nix had spent all last night having a staring contest to see who could make the more grating expression.

    ¡°And mine is maxed. And probably has been since before you even made your character.¡± Saiph laughed as Rose¡¯s face fell. ¡°Riley¡ªAria Aurora¡ªwas a Bard-Alchemist. I spent a lot of time learning alchemy from her. It was her favorite system in the game.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Aria Aurora? Of Sonnet¡¯s Little Helpers? That guild helped me when I was still a newbie! She¡¯s your girlfriend? But she¡­¡± Rose trailed off.

    ¡°Yeah. Two years ago. Car accident.¡± Saiph could feel the memory of that night surfacing. He forced it back. ¡°I was usually on one of my alts when I partied with people. That¡¯s probably why you never put it together. We helped a lot of people back then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, most parties didn¡¯t let lowbies join them. Aria Aurora, though? I¡¯m so sorry. I guess I see now why you¡¯re in such a hurry to get to your guild castle.¡±

    ¡°Yup. Someone¡¯s using her account. I just wish they¡¯d fucking answer me!¡± Saiph forced himself to slow his breathing. He reached for the empty space where his necklace usually lay. ¡°Sorry. Here, let me see those alchemy ingredients you got.¡±

    Rose handed over the assortment she¡¯d gathered from town. Saiph dumped the contents into his bag of holding, then opened his inventory.

    The alchemy tab showed an advanced view of his inventory, including the many different combinations he could make with his ingredients. The expanded crafting menu had a glow to it. Saiph clicked on it and a prompt appeared.

    Alert! The portable expanded crafting station is only available to Guardians who have attuned their Caer Fragment to their souls. As you have not yet completed this task, you will only be able to craft basic mixtures of the ingredients you have on hand, severely limiting potion quality.

    Saiph glanced at Rose. ¡°Well, looks like you¡¯re making the potions.¡±

    Rose cocked her head in question, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t attuned my Caer Fragment yet.¡±

    ¡°We can do it right now, I can take us to Vaeyderen.¡±

    ¡°Nah. Call me sentimental, but I think I want Pallas¡¯ Watch to be my first attuned place.¡± Saiph had actually intended to ask Rose to attune them, but now that he was going to Pallas¡¯ Watch, Saiph definitely wanted that place to be first as it would appear first in his unlock order.

    Saiph took the ingredients from his bag of holding and dumped them into Rose¡¯s bag. A moment later, her gaze went distant as she accessed her own inventory.

    Saiph wasn¡¯t sure when and for how long he¡¯d dozed off for, but something heavy dropped into his lap, startling him. He looked down to see his helmet staring back at him.

    ¡°Of course while we¡¯re hard at work fixing your gear, you guys are out here enjoying nap time,¡± Nix said, handing Rose her bow. ¡°Come check out the rest of your armor, Saiph.¡±

    ¡°You changed your subclass.¡± Saiph studied Nix¡¯s status page, he didn¡¯t have a subclass anymore, but his profession was called Arcane Blacksmith.

    ¡°Yeah, when I went to the forge, I was told I had to change my subclass to a profession,¡± Nix replied.

    ¡°Same thing happened to me when I went to recharge my gear. Basically forced me to change my Enchanting subclass into a profession or I couldn¡¯t charge anything,¡± Rose added. ¡°But wait, weren¡¯t you a Blacksmith? What¡¯s an Arcane Blacksmith?¡±

    ¡°Since I¡¯m a magic user, I got the option to become an Arcane Blacksmith. I can use Willpower in place of Strength for weapons that require a lot of it and I can use mana instead of Stamina. There¡¯s some other changes, but those are the highlights,¡± Nix answered.

    ¡°Gonna pick a new subclass?¡± Saiph asked.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t decided on one yet. I think necromancy might be my jam,¡± Nix shrugged. ¡°But come on, we¡¯re burning daylight.¡±

    Saiph followed Nix and Eric into the shop and found his armor on a mannequin. He placed a hand on the chestplate over his guild¡¯s emblem and a message appeared asking if he¡¯d like to equip the armor.

    Each piece disappeared from the mannequin and reappeared on Saiph. Ties and fasteners secured themselves of their own accord as they pulled the plating into position.

    Strength flowed into Saiph¡¯s body as the armor¡¯s enchantments gave their power back to him. Helmet in hand, he turned to his two companions. ¡°We ready?¡±

    Eric handed each of them a pickaxe and an oil-lit lantern. ¡°If you cannot clear the monster from the mine, at least bring back whatever firestone you can carry.¡±

    ***

    The mine was a ruin in and of itself. Foundations of old buildings, weathered and worn down to barely distinguishable piles of rocks surrounded the boarded up entrance. Signs whose words had faded with age had been placed around that entrance. From the scraps of words that could be pieced together, their message still came clear: Stay out. There is only death inside.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s hardly welcoming.¡± Lueur Rose stepped back from examining one of the signs.

    Saiph grabbed his hammer, Mil¡¯s Judgement, and broke through the wood and stone barrier. The air rushing out was stale and had an uncomfortable heat to it.

    The light of his lantern only penetrated a few feet before being swallowed by black. It wasn¡¯t the black of darkness that slowly came on with distance, it was the kind of black that made Saiph feel as though he were looking directly into the remains of a collapsed star.

    ¡°Tanks before supports,¡± Nix gestured to the entrance.

    Saiph rolled his eyes and took a step when Rose called out.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we form a party first?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Nix and I have had one going since we got here. Sorry, I¡¯ll add you.¡± Saiph waited the several seconds it took for Rose to read through Saiph¡¯s party leader skill bonuses.

    ¡°Whoa, these buffs are insane! Fifty percent to party healing and damage? I need to lead more parties!¡±

    ¡°I could let you level your party leader skill here, but then we¡¯d lose the free respawn if we wipe.¡±

    That particular perk was a game changer. Not very useful outside of dungeons, where party members could fast travel back to each other as long as they were out of combat, it shined when one was in an instanced dungeon. That specific type of dungeon blocked most forms of fast travel outside of the safe zone within it.

    Saiph stepped into the cave and his entire body instantly locked up.

 Chapter 16: [N]ix

    ¡°But then there exists another type of dungeon: the magic dungeon. The monsters within these dungeons are enhanced by the ambient mana around them. It seems that these caves even take on a mind of their own, somehow ¡®growing¡¯ to immense proportions. It isn¡¯t quite known what creates these magic dungeons, only that the loot within them is¡­ extraordinary.¡±¡ª Dungeoneering: An Adventurer¡¯s Guide

    Firestone Mine, Territories of Rielle. Day 02.

    Alert! You have just entered an Instanced Dungeon. As there are Guardians already inside this Dungeon and the total number of Guardians in your party and theirs is less than the dungeon¡¯s limit of 6, you have the option of entering to assist them or be placed inside your own instance of this Dungeon.

    Know this: If you join the other Guardians, your levels will automatically be suppressed to +5 over the lowest level Guardian currently inside this Instanced Dungeon and all Guardians will be notified of the arrival of another party. You will not be able to detect each other beyond the capabilities of your present spells, skills, or abilities.

    The message popped up the second Saiph¡¯s foot had crossed the threshold of the mine¡¯s entrance. So this mine was an instanced dungeon. And someone else had beaten them to it.

    Strange. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for a guild to hide an instanced dungeon as long as they could in order to be the first to beat it, but someone always inevitably found out about it. Nix knew Saiph¡¯s guild ran into that issue all the time. The guild¡¯s extreme fame made it hard for them to keep their movements hidden for long.

    But as far as Nix knew, this part of the world hadn¡¯t even been in the game, if that could even make sense. And there was an instanced dungeon just sitting here this whole time. How many more could there be?

    Nix had to ask Saiph to repeat his question.

    ¡°Do we go in alone or try and find the other players?¡±

    ¡°I think we should try and find the other party,¡± Rose said.

    ¡°Same. If they¡¯ve cleared a part of it already, it¡¯ll save us time, too,¡± Nix added.

    Annwyn Online often used a party vote system for group decisions. That seemed to still be the case as each one of them cast their own vote on the menu that followed the prompt.

    As they accepted the option to work with the other party of Guardians inside, Nix got the brief feeling of the two others inside the dungeon. Nothing specific, he couldn¡¯t tell where in the dungeon they were, only that they were inside. Nix¡¯s health, mana, and stamina all dropped by forty percent as his level was adjusted downward to sixty.

    Body unfreezing, Nix almost tripped as his foot fell forward in the step he forgot he had been taking. He turned around and saw the light behind him and Rose seemed to stop at the opening as though the dungeon¡¯s darkness wasn¡¯t willing to give up even an inch of its domain. Further in, Nix could see a bit better than he¡¯d been able to before entering. All three turned on their lanterns and proceeded deeper into the mine.

    The air grew warmer as small pinpoints of orange light appeared within the walls with increasing regularity as they moved. The stone passageway opened into a large cavern with twinkling clusters of firestone dotting the ceiling like stars in the night sky.

    There weren¡¯t any other passageways inside the atrium, save for a large pit roughly twenty feet in diameter in the center. Bolted to the ceiling directly above the hole was a system of pulleys. The ropes that had once linked them together had likely rotted decades ago.

    Nix peered over the edge alongside Saiph. The pit was deep enough that they couldn¡¯t see the ground. The remains of a moldering wooden stairway that wound around the sides of the pit were visible, but there wasn¡¯t anything substantial enough for Nix to trust their weight to.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anywhere else to go but down. But it¡¯ll be a little hard,¡± Saiph said.

    ¡°If we had some rope, we could maybe make a ladder or something,¡± Rose offered.

    ¡°Actually, I might have a better idea.¡± Nix pulled his grimoire from his belt.

    He summoned an earth elemental. Not the same triceratops-like monster he¡¯d had in the nightstalker fight, but a small beaver-like animal called a stone kena.

    Nearly every one of Nix¡¯s earth elementals were defensive in nature, and the stone kena was no exception. Rather than be a wall of stone and earth to soak up damage, the kena created earthen barriers of protection between itself and any threat. A spell Nix could now cast thanks to his Summoner Class¡¯ spell-sharing passive.

    Nix cast his new spell and a wall of stone rose from the ground, stopping at about shoulder height. Satisfied with his creation, Nix moved to the pit and began casting.

    He smiled as a stone barrier came out of the wall of the hole. He cast the spell again and was satisfied at the beginnings of the stairway he was making.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to go slow, but this should be better than a rope ladder if we have to make a quick escape.¡±

    The pit was far deeper than they¡¯d initially thought. After several spins around the pit and a fair bit of mana, Nix began putting the steps further apart.

    When they finally reached the bottom, Nix looked up and watched his stairway disappear into the blackness above. Ahead of them, the pit split into two pathways, each branching away from the other in a V shape.

    ¡°You guys hear that?¡± Rose asked.

    Nix didn¡¯t hear anything but the sound of their own breathing. He looked at Saiph and they both shook their heads.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a faint clicking sound. I think it¡¯s coming from the left. Come on.¡± Rose said, then darted down the passageway.

    ¡°Guess we¡¯re going left,¡± Saiph shrugged.

    They followed slowly after Rose and found her crouched behind an outcropping of stone. Nix kneeled beside her and he could hear the faint clicking sound now. Slow and repetitive, like a pickaxe striking stone. Was someone mining down here?

    ¡°Definitely someone down there and they aren¡¯t friendly. They triggered my Stalwart Protector passive,¡± Saiph said through their party chat. ¡°You wanna scout it, Rose? Let us know what we¡¯re up against?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I got it,¡± Rose answered.

    Nix had to do a double take every time Rose used her Rogue abilities. It was one thing to know on paper how broken strong high level stealth builds were in a game, but it was an entirely different experience to see that brokenness performed in front of you. She became a blur and Nix couldn¡¯t even tell she¡¯d moved away outside of her appearance on his minimap as the small green dot that indicated a party member.

    Nix glanced at Saiph. ¡°We should probably back up. If we start casting spells, the light from the mana could draw the monsters¡¯ attention.¡±

    Saiph nodded and the two retreated to the fork in the path from the pit.

    Rose met them a few minutes later, her expression grim. ¡°Twelve dreygur, all between levels fifty-five and sixty-five. Some were dressed like miners, others adventurers, I think. But¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure some of them were kids.¡±

    Nix frowned. Eric had alluded to the fact that the town had given the dungeon plenty of bodies over the years, but the prospect of fighting children, even undead ones, unnerved him.

    He had to remind himself that they were committed. The people here had been dead a long time, taken possession by the dungeon. The only way to stop others from sharing their fate would be to stop whatever monster had taken over the mine.

    Saiph put on his helmet after Rose finished her description. ¡°Think we¡¯ll be able to lure a few back this way? A small pull, I mean.¡±

    Rose shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s a pretty wide open space. I think once we start the fighting, it¡¯ll draw all their attention. There¡¯s hallways on the far side of the room, but I couldn¡¯t see what might be hiding down them.¡±

    Saiph lifted up his helmet and scratched his beard in thought. ¡°Wide open space, so we have enough room to move around?¡±

    ¡°Plenty. Room¡¯s bigger than the one we entered the pit through. Nix should even be able to work his fancy new bow as long as he only goes for stragglers.¡± Rose turned to Nix. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if friendly fire is a thing, but I know how strong that bow is. I¡¯d rather not get hit by it, just in case.¡±

    Nix shot Rose a glare as she went invisible, her snickering echoing quietly off the walls around them.

    ¡°No way around it, I guess we rush the room. If we get overwhelmed or more appear from the passageways, we fall back to the stairs you made and fight our way back up,¡± Saiph said.

    Nix nodded his agreement and began summoning. A column of yellow-gold light opened up from the cave¡¯s ceiling and a level sixty Raine von Alder appeared inside it, her hand resting on the hilt of her sheathed sword. She tipped her tricorne hat to Nix in a nod.

    Not finished yet, Nix downed one of the mana restoration potions Saiph had given him and began casting again. This time, a forest green light bathed the cave. Bushes began to grow until they blocked the path behind them. A short, portly man whose skin was made of bark and sported a beard of thick vines and leaves walked out from the bushes. As quickly as the plants had appeared, they shrank away and vanished.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Name: Gwydion

    Race: Elder Treant

    Class: Archdruid, Level 50

    Subclass: Cleric - School of Earth, level 50

    Profession: Archmage, level 50

    Health Points: 6,890/6,890

    Mana Points: 21,750/21,750

    A level one hundred Summoner had four total summoning slots they could use. Fortunately, the dungeon¡¯s level suppression system didn¡¯t take that away from Nix and he was able to have both Raine and Gwydion active together, each one taking up two of his summoning slots.

    Nix equipped Arc d¡¯Noir and felt the slight increase in his mana regeneration the bow¡¯s enchantments promised him. ¡°Gwydion, can you buff us up? Saiph¡¯s the tank, so he gets buff priority.¡±

    Gwydion nodded and began casting spells of his own upon Saiph and Rose. The only indication Rose was even in the room were the small motes of mana appearing roughly in the spot she had been standing in.

    When Gwydion got to Nix, he could feel his skin tingling as it took on the texture of tree bark. An icon near his health bar indicated his armor rating had been increased by fifteen percent. Not much for him, but a boon on Saiph and Rose.

    Ready for battle, Saiph took point. He raised his shield and activated his dragon charge spell. Fire surrounded Saiph¡¯s body and he was propelled forward, connecting with one of the dreygur in the room.

    ¡°That¡¯s our cue, go!¡± Nix shouted.

    Raine leapt into action, relieving the dreygur closest to her of one of its arms. Rose flickered in and out of existence, appearing just long enough for her dagger to sink into the necks of one of the dreygur in a critical strike that was very nearly a one shot.

    Almost immediately, Nix began to notice something was wrong. Saiph wasn¡¯t fighting back against the dreygur pelting on him, their rusty swords finding spots between his armor and wicking away his health bar.

    The status bar on Nix¡¯s HUD painted the picture. Saiph had multiple stacks of fear debuff. But how? Dreygur were manaless and couldn¡¯t cast spells.

    Without even needing to be told, Gwydion began casting two spells simultaneously. A bed of lavender, jasmine, and chrysanthemums appeared beneath Saiph¡¯s feet and the fear debuff fell away. The second spell, a bed of Yarrow and Sage, sent pulses of healing magic around the Sentinel.

    ¡°Thanks, I¡­ I really needed that,¡± Saiph sounded shaken.

    ¡°Did you see what feared you?¡± Nix called out.

    ¡°No. I just¡­ No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Saiph shook his head. ¡°Just keep an eye out for whatever did.¡±

    Just what had the fear debuff done to throw Saiph off like that? Nix pushed the question from his mind as he grabbed an arrow from his quiver.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you save them, Summoner?¡± The words were like large rocks dragged across gravel.

    Nix turned, the arcing of the arrow¡¯s tip catching only air.

    ¡°Those soldiers died because you were too weak to save them.¡± The haunting words came again.

    Nix grunted and swung the arrow again, but still it didn¡¯t catch anything.

    ¡°Their blood is on your hands, Summoner.¡±

    ¡°What could I do?¡± Nix shouted, the images of those guards¡¯ deaths flooding his mind. The man stabbed through the chest and thrown like discarded trash and the woman¡¯s head evaporating as the spear punched right through it. ¡°What could I do?¡±

    ¡°Nix, move!¡± A different voice, Lueur Rose¡¯s voice, pierced through the taunting whispers surrounding Nix.

    Nix turned and gasped as a hand of razor sharp talons grasped at him. The hand led to a putrefying corpse with blackened skin wearing a long, tattered billowing cloak. The rotting flesh and exposed muscle surrounding its rotting teeth and gums was curled upward into a horrific caricature of a smile.

    Whatever that thing was, Saiph had seen it, too. He raised his hammer and slammed its head into the ground. Electrified golden chains shot from the ground surrounding the hammer and pierced the backs of the five remaining dreygur.

    But another twelve chains hung in mid air, illuminating twelve black clouds that resolved themselves into twelve more of the floating monsters. Nix suddenly knew what he was seeing.

    Wraiths. Ghastly undead, that unlike lesser undead, could cast spells. Their smiles disappeared as they howled in pain and fury from Saiph¡¯s Chains of Prometheus.

    The wraiths rushed Saiph, raking their talons along his armor, each swipe adding a fresh stack of the fear debuff to his status bar.

    Gwydion was quick to cast his cleansing spell again and Rose moved to plunge her dagger into one of the wraiths¡¯ necks.

    What should have been a critical strike passed cleanly through the wraith¡¯s body like it was made of mist.

    Raine came in, her glowing red and gold rapier passing through the wraith as well, only this time it shrieked in pain. Fire burst from the airy the blade had passed through, flooding the room with light. The wraith dropped to the ground, clutching at its chest as it burned from the inside out.

    ¡°You need to deal either light or fire magic to hurt them, otherwise your attacks will have no effect!¡± Raine shouted before moving to another wraith.

    Rose fell back, swapping her daggers for her bow. She felled two wraiths with headshots from flame-enchanted arrows.

    Without enchanted arrows of his own, Nix unequipped his own bow and joined Gwydion in healing and counteracting the remaining wraiths¡¯ debuffs.

    Now that they understood what was happening, they cleared the room of the remaining undead without much issue. Rose scouted their next room while everyone else rested and recovered.

    ¡°That fear spell. It was no joke,¡± Nix said to Saiph.

    Saiph shook his head. ¡°No it wasn¡¯t. I think I¡¯m gonna find as many items with mind-protecting enchantments as I can.¡±

    ¡°You and me both.¡± Nix turned to the loot drops among the dreygur and wraiths.

    Most of the loot was of very little value, being mostly mining equipment and ratty clothing. The flavor text indicated most of the items were decades old.

    Still they gathered the items, figuring they might be welcomed keepsakes by the descendants of whatever families the undead had left.

    It was slow going, but they cleared three more rooms. Nix estimated it was taking them about an hour per room, but by the third room, they¡¯d halved the clear time.

    The clicking sound was even louder now, the sound echoed through cracks in the walls. Whoever was making them, they were nearby.

    Saiph walked down the next corridor to have a look and Rose called out, ¡°Saiph, wait!¡±

    It was too late. He¡¯d stepped on something glowing. They waited a breath for the trap to go off, but the light only dissipated without any other effect.

    Saiph turned around, a smirk on his face. ¡°I saw it there. One of my passives lets me disable traps by intentionally triggering them.¡±

    Rose rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, but I wanted to look at it. What¡¯s a trap doing down here? I don¡¯t remember any dungeons having mixed types of enemies.¡±

    ¡°You thinking something like kobolds are down here?¡± Nix asked.

    Kobolds were small, rat-like creatures commonly found in the caves around Navorinelle. They never came to the surface, but they made dungeons extra difficult because they were one of the few monsters smart enough to create traps. And those traps could be extremely devious.

    Saiph lifted his foot from where the trap had been. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was kobolds. The trap was warded, see? Kobolds don¡¯t use wards. At least, they didn¡¯t in the game. And it was right out in the open. Kobold traps are way less obvious than that.¡±

    Where the disabled trap lay, a white rune with intricate glyphs surrounded it. Something about that ward made Nix¡¯s skin tingle. He was certain he''d seen those symbols somewhere.

    He looked around. ¡°Did you guys notice the noise stopped?¡±

    No sooner had Nix uttered the question, the ground began to thunder as heavy footsteps pounded towards them from deeper in the tunnel ahead of them. A large, monster of a man who barely fit inside the narrow passage barrelled towards them, bellowing a bestial roar.

    Saiph cast Dragon Charge and forced the man back in the direction he had come. Nix, Rose, Raine, and Gwydion ran after the pair.

    Saiph¡¯s spell stopped well short of any wall when it ended. The man grabbed Saiph by the helmet, forcing his head down as he rammed his knee upward. A loud crack rang out through the cave and Saiph doubled over, crumpling to the ground.

    The behemoth made a stone greatsword appear in his hand as he charged straight for the rest of their party.

    Rose and Raine tried to slow him down, but he was as swift as he was strong. He knocked Raine to the ground with a single, heavy blow and grabbed Rose¡¯s hand before she could plunge her dagger into his neck. He pulled Rose from behind him, letting her dangle in his grasp for a moment before he threw the rogue against the wall. She smacked off it like a ragdoll and hit the ground. Nix could see the frenzied anger in the man¡¯s reddened eyes as he turned to face him down next.

    Was this the monster who had killed and reanimated all those people they¡¯d fought?

    The rest of his party hadn¡¯t stood a chance against him. How could Nix hope to?

    No, the monster had only caught them by surprise.

    If Saiph got back on his feet, he¡¯d be able to hold the monster¡¯s attention while they worked to kill it. Nix needed to buy Saiph time to recover.

    The monster turned to Raine, who was fighting hard to get to her feet.

    Nix needed to act.

    Time.

    Nix needed to buy his party some time.

    ¡°Hey ugly!¡± Nix shouted.

    The monster stopped and looked at Nix. Rose was still down, but Saiph stirred. That was a good sign. All Nix had to do was stall. He could do that.

    Nix knew he couldn¡¯t die, but that didn¡¯t stop the fear in his chest at the prospect of it. The truth was, it didn¡¯t matter if he died. Summoners were useless without their summons. Better it be him so they could work together to kill this monster. He would respawn and could rejoin them later.

    But the pain of death, would he feel it all? Nix shook his head, banishing the fear as the monster stood, taking slow deliberate steps towards Nix.

    Nix needed a weapon. But where had his staff gone? Right, Raine was using it as her sword. And her sword was too far for him to get to.

    The monster took another step.

    He still needed a weapon. His bow? No, there wasn¡¯t enough time or distance to ready and fire an arrow.

    Something else. He needed something else.

    But what?

    He didn''t have any other weapons in his inventory besides his lesser bow.

    So what then? My fists? Fat chance.

    Unbeknownst to Nix, his grimoire responded to his need. A blank page appeared in the book next to Raine von Alder¡¯s page. Words spilled onto the page, messy and incomplete, but they were enough.

    A prompt appeared in Nix¡¯s vision alerting him to a forced change in his subclass. He dismissed the message quickly. He was focused on the words of power that suddenly flooded his mind.

    The monster stopped, a look of confusion on its face as Nix chanted.

    The monster¡¯s hesitance bought Nix just enough time. He finished the incantation and called forth his summon.

    ¡°Come to me, Clarent!¡± Nix¡¯s voice boomed with the authority of his Summoner class.

    Golden light enveloped Nix¡¯s hands and a sword¡¯s hilt appeared at his fingertips. Long and thin with a blue blade, the weapon looked to have been cut cleanly in half down its length all the way through the handle and pommel.

    Nix raised the sword, its physical requirements overridden by his high willpower thanks to his Arcane Blacksmith profession¡¯s changes.

    He couldn¡¯t help but smile at the beauty of the weapon in his hands. It was perfect.

    Nix pointed the tip of the sword at the monster¡¯s chest, and with the cockiest voice he could muster, said, ¡°Come and get it.¡±

    And the monster did.

 Chapter 17: Saiph

    ¡°We have come to the conclusion that the ¡®system¡±, for lack of a better word, that governs NGs and Guardians is actually two distinct systems. Yes, even the four rank system isn''t a 1:1 comparison to the Guardian¡¯s own levels. It appears that ranks 1-4 are more accurately aligned to Guardian levels 1-60, with the break points occurring every fifteen levels. This seems to corroborate our findings that night spawns are more accurately fifteen levels above our own from a Guardian perspective, not the ten as is displayed to us.¡±¡ª Joint research paper presented by Malikela and AnnaLee, 12th of Viera, 0004 AT

    Firestone Mine Dungeon, Territories of Rielle. Day 02.

    The expression ¡°to see stars¡± was one Saiph had never really understood. He¡¯d never personally experienced the phenomenon before now.

    Pinpoints of light zipped around Saiph¡¯s field of view as he stared at the crack running down the length of his helmet¡¯s visor. Slowly, as Saiph watched the cracked visor heal itself from the helmet¡¯s durability, the stunned debuff turned into a dazed debuff that lingered for several more seconds. Precious seconds that monster was given free reign over his friends.

    Saiph collected himself and saw Rose and Raine lying on the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw they both still had a fair bit of health remaining. Good, they¡¯re likely only stunned like I was.

    The monster was now moving on Nix and his Archdruid. A bright light suddenly appeared in front of Nix and¡­ was that a sword? Where had Nix gotten a sword from?

    Nix managed to block a single blow from the monster¡¯s own greatsword before the weapon shattered like glass that released a light bright enough that everyone had to shield their eyes.

    That was Saiph¡¯s cue.

    Willing his shield, Miasma, and his sword, Durendal¡¯s edge, to his hands, Saiph leapt to his feet and barreled into the monster with his shield. Durendal¡¯s edge healed Saiph with each swing while Miasma¡¯s resource draining enchantment flooded Saiph with restored stamina, health, mana, and even attributes from Slaine from each bash.

    Saiph slammed Durendal¡¯s Edge into the ground and a single life-draining chain drilled itself into the monster¡¯s back. The slack in the chain grew taut as it pulled the monster into the magical barrier with Saiph.

    Saiph heaved on the chain, throwing the monster into the wall. Mil¡¯s Judgement appeared in Saiph¡¯s hands and he delivered a quick blow to the monster¡¯s head. The monster crumpled to the ground and Saiph took in this foe¡¯s status info.

    Name: S141-N3

    Race: Human

    Class: Berserker, Level 55

    Subclass: Miner, Level 64

    Health Points: 7,221/11,688

    Mana Points: 3,532/4,350

    Stamina Points: 6,555/7,250

    Saiph froze. He wasn¡¯t a monster. He was another player!

    ¡°Stop! We¡¯re on the same side!¡± Saiph shouted.

    ¡°No!¡± S1 muttered, voice deep and guttural. He slowly shook himself off and suddenly launched himself at Saiph, taking them both to the ground once again.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to fight!¡± Saiph shouted, as he struggled to keep hold of S1¡¯s arms. Holy hell he was strong. Why was he so strong?

    ¡°You hurt her, I''ll kill you!¡±

    ¡°I''m not hurting anyone. I don''t even want to hurt you!¡±

    Out of the corner of Saiph¡¯s eye, Rose was getting to her feet. She immediately stealthed, reappeared above the Berserker, and plunged her dagger in his neck in a critical strike.

    S1 roared as his health bar dropped by over two-thirds. Saiph used Rose¡¯s distraction to finally pin the Berserker.

    ¡°Stop! Do not hurt him!¡± A soft, raspy voice cries out.

    Saiph turned in the direction of the cry. A short Serethi elf dressed in the basic starter robes all mage classes wore at level one had come running down the corridor.

    She looked at S1. ¡°S1, you have done enough. They are not hurting me.¡±

    ¡°Not true, even now you suffer,¡± He grumbled, attempting to break free of Saiph¡¯s grip.

    Saiph stole a moment to look at this new arrival''s status information.

    Name: C4551

    Race: Serethi Elf

    Class: Caster, Level 55

    Subclass: Miner, Level 77

    Health: 1,242/4,725

    Mana: 7,770/7,770

    Just like the Berserker, her stats were far too low for a player of her level. Nix¡¯s mama pool was nearly triple hers, and that was before accounting for his enchanted gear.

    And her health. Even now, it was steadily ticking down.

    ¡°What¡¯s going with your health?¡± Saiph asked C4.

    ¡°I have a debuff called ¡®hunger¡¯ and have had it since yesterday. S1 believes it is caused by the monsters in this cave,¡± C4 answered.

    A pang of empathy hit Saiph in the gut as he was beginning to grasp the situation. He adjusted his two-handed grip on S1¡¯s arms to a single-handed one.

    Hand freed, Saiph pulled a sandwich from his bag of holding and tossed it to C4. She stared at it with curiosity.

    ¡°Eat it, it''ll get rid of your hunger debuff. And this¡ª¡± Saiph set one of his weaker healing potions on the ground. ¡°¡ªwill restore your health.¡±

    C4 took a hesitant bite, worked it over in her mouth for a long moment before swallowing, and then began attacking the sandwich with ravenous fury. Finished with the sandwich, she drained the healing potion in a handful of gulps.

    Saiph glanced down at S1. ¡°Look, she''s getting better. We can heal and feed you both if you promise not to attack us again.¡±

    S1 glanced at C4, then grumbled something unintelligible. He stopped straining against Saiph and he took that as a positive sign. Saiph released his grip and stepped away from S1.

    ¡°Nix, can you and your Druid heal them both?¡± Saiph asked.

    ¡°They have attacked us. My spells will not work on enemies.¡± Gwydion¡¯s reply wasn''t a challenge, so much as a statement of fact.

    Saiph glanced at Rose and Nix and spoke through their party chat. ¡°Can we add them to our party, then? It''s a team vote.¡±

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Why? Did you forget they just tried to kill us?¡± Nix shook his head with incredulity.

    ¡°Yeah, but it''s just a hunch, but I''m pretty sure these two are bots,¡± Saiph answered.

    ¡°Bots? How does that even make sense?¡± Rose asked.

    Botting had been a problem in Annwyn Online the same as in any other MMO. Saiph had occasionally come across them, easily recognizable by the way they would mindlessly scour an area, killing mobs or gathering resources with a very obvious pattern. The loot would eventually be collected and funneled into a single account where it would be sold to make a ton of money. Most bots were banned within days of being discovered, usually after being reported by bands of bot-hunting players. Saiph was quite surprised to see these two had evaded detection for over fifty levels.

    ¡°It makes as much sense as anything else we''ve seen these last two days,¡± Saiph said. ¡°I think they''re just scared and alone. Imagine if this dungeon was the first thing you ever saw when you woke up.¡±

    Rose winced, then said aloud, ¡°I say bring them in.¡±

    Nix rolled his eyes, ¡°Fine, but I''m only saying yes because summoning that sword took all the mana I needed to refresh both Raine and Gwydion¡¯s spell timers.¡±

    Raine suddenly broke in, fury in her eyes. ¡°Where did you get that sword?¡±

    Saiph added, ¡°Yeah, ranged mage and archery isn''t enough, now you have to melee? What''s next, frontlining?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know! I''ve never seen that sword before in my life! What''s it matter?¡±

    ¡°It matters because you should not have it.¡± Raine¡¯s eyes narrowed on Nix.

    ¡°Why? Yours is just like it,¡± Nix said, pointing at her sword.

    ¡°The weapon you wield is very dangerous,¡± Raine replied levelly. ¡°I hid it over five hundred years ago to keep it out of the hands of evil men. You should return that sword where you found it.¡±

    ¡°I didn''t find it anywhere! Besides, I don''t see why it''s so dangerous. I got a glimpse of the sword¡¯s stats, Saiph and Rose have much stronger gear.¡± Nix paused and took in a deep breath. ¡°I am telling you the truth, I have never seen that sword before today. I have no idea where it came from.¡±

    ¡°If you are lying to me, then you should either end my spell now or kill me yourself and I will cease to answer your Summoner¡¯s Call.¡±

    ¡°You can do that?¡± Nix, Saiph, and Rose said together.

    Raine¡¯s controlled anger suddenly shifted to genuine surprise. ¡°Do none of you truly know how summoning spells work?¡±

    Saiph didn''t know how any of this magic worked. He decided to spare his friend the embarrassment of being schooled in a subject he should be a master in.

    ¡°I know I don''t, I''m a warrior, not a spell slinger.¡±

    Nix visibly relaxed as Raine¡¯s scrutiny passed from him to Saiph.

    ¡°When a Summoner casts their incantation, they are calling us forth from the moment in time when we were at our strongest. We summoned beings choose to answer the Summoner¡¯s Call and are under no obligation to do so. As long as our ideals are aligned, we will generally come to your aid. Do something against our personal code and you may find your next call falls upon ears that will not listen.¡±

    Raine turned back to Nix. ¡°I saw the way you looked at that fallen man and woman the other day. Anyone who can display that much emotion for fallen allies, even those they barely knew, is not a man capable of great evil. I want to believe you are telling the truth, but the severity of this issue prevents me from resting on hope. If you are telling the truth, then summon me when we can speak privately and never draw that sword again.¡±

    ¡°You have my word, Raine.¡± Nix said.

    Raine nodded as her body began to turn into glowing motes of mana as the timer on her spell elapsed.

    The group stood in the dark silence for a long moment. Nix had a deeply speculative look on his face and Saiph could only imagine his friend''s thoughts. Chief among them, Saiph wondered what made that sword so dangerous.

    C4¡¯s quiet, mouse-like voice broke the quiet. ¡°We should leave before any of the monsters reappear.¡±

    A prompt appeared alerting them to the fact that they had reached a safe zone inside the dungeon. If any of them died elsewhere in the mine, they would respawn here in this room.

    That was how these two had become stuck in the mine, Saiph realized. They could have wandered in at any time and come to the safe zone. If they''d been anywhere else and died, they would have respawned in a random city.

    ¡°I think we should take a break for now.¡± Saiph said. He pulled a minecart into the middle of the room and turned it on its side to use as a makeshift table.

    They divided the food and ate around the minecart.

    Saiph studied Nix¡¯s status page. He had a new subclass, Soul Forger. The description for it didn''t have anything written under it.

    "What''s with the new subclass?"

    "I don''t know. It wasn''t in my list of available subclasses. It just appeared when I summoned that sword,¡± Nix answered.

    Rose swallowed a bite of her sandwich. "What''s the subclass do?"

    Nix opened his bag of holding and set the bow Rose had given him on the ground. He held his hand up and a second copy of the bow appeared in his grip.

    "It''s the only spell I have, it lets me make copies of anything in my inventory and it doesn''t count towards my summoning limit. As far as I can tell, that''s it. There weren''t even any changes to my class spells like subclasses usually cause."

    Saiph pointed to both the copy of the bow and the real bow. "Can I see those?"

    Nix handed them over. The enchantments on them were the same, though the copy only had one out of one point of durability.

    Saiph was about to hand the bow back when he noticed something he''d overlooked. There were actually two other differences, the copy had a soulbind level of "perfect" to Nix and the weapon rarity was "Soul Forged".

    Saiph had seen that combination only one other time so far. The Token of the Vanguard, a coin that had appeared in his inventory when he logged in, had granted him a buff because he had been a beta player. The coin''s description said it had been forged from a piece of his soul and was soulbound perfectly to him.

    "You think my new subclass could have something to do with why we''re here?" Nix asked.

    "Yeah, I think it''s a good starting place to look. Though without knowing how you unlocked it, I don¡¯t know what it means."

    "It didn¡¯t give you developer access, did it?" Rose asked.

    Saiph agreed with her line of thinking, though he didn''t recall any developer accounts using the Soul Forger subclass, either. As far as he could tell, it hadn''t been in the game, and was likely unique to whatever circumstances Nix had gotten it.

    "Nope. It didn''t change anything else as far as I can tell. I still don''t even know how I unlocked it," Nix answered.

    "Maybe it was triggered by you getting attacked by S1," Saiph suggested.

    Nix shook his head. "Wouldn''t either of you two have unlocked it then? We could probably sit here and think about it forever. I say we find out if there''s anyone else who has gotten it. Someone has to."

    Changing the subject, Rose turned to C4 and asked, ¡°How did you guys find this safe zone?¡±

    ¡°We woke up in it. We tried leaving, but after fifteen deaths, we decided to stay here,¡± C4 answered.

    Saiph winced at hearing that. Fifteen deaths. And even worse, C4 had spent most of her time in a perpetual state of hunger. S1 had likely only been able to ignore it because of his high health regeneration.

    ¡°Have any of you guys come across a single monster, probably really big, too?¡± Saiph asked, unsure how to describe a dungeon boss to them.

    C4 shook her head, but she grew hesitant, genuine fear showing in her next words as she pointed behind Lueur Rose. ¡°We heard cries coming from down there. I do not want to go that way.¡±

    Saiph scratched his head. ¡°That sounds like our dungeon boss. We¡¯re going to deal with it. I won¡¯t ask you two to join us, I think you¡¯ve been through enough. Whether we win or lose against it, we¡¯ll take you out of here when we leave.¡±

    ¡°I do not want to leave. I feel a strange compulsion to mine these crystals.¡± C4 pulled out several large pieces of firestone from her bag of holding. And kept pulling them out. She had a stack of nearly fifty firestone crystals when she stopped. ¡°I do not know what purpose they serve, but I must collect them.¡±

    That potentially answered another question. If what Rose had said about their caer fragments reattuning was true, both should have been randomly assigned new cities. C4 confirmed that she and S1 had both been assigned Orleana. Saiph wondered if the desire to stay was some sort of remnant of their nature as bots.

    Saiph picked up one of the stones. It was nearly as large as his fist, and that was one of the smaller pieces. ¡°How many of these do you have?¡±

    ¡°Six thousand, seven hundred and fifteen.¡±

    Saiph gasped. That much firestone could run not just Eric¡¯s forges, but North Remembers¡¯ for months or even years! Maybe even the entire eastern coast. Saiph turned to S1. ¡°I assume you feel the same way? You want to stay here?¡±

    "I go where C4 goes." He answered plainly.

    ¡°Well, I can''t make any promises, but there might be a way to make the mine safe. If we find this dungeon¡¯s heart crystal, we can create an instance without any monsters on it and you can mine all the firestone you want. But we¡¯ll need your help killing the boss if we want a shot at finding it. That might mean you¡¯ll have to follow us down the shaft with the crying spook.¡±

    C4 looked like she was considering it very hard. She was about to say something when S1 spoke up.

    ¡°To keep C4 safe, I will go.¡±

    At that pronouncement, C4¡¯s face grew resolute. ¡°Then I will go as well. Anything to make the mine safe for both of us.¡±

    Lueur Rose raised her glass. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯m itching to kill more things. But I think we need better names for you instead of C4 and S1, it¡¯s like I¡¯m in math class again. How about Cassi and Slaine?¡±

    ¡°Slaine¡­¡± S1 spoke the name slowly as though he were tasting it. ¡°I like it.¡±

    "Cassi and Slaine it is, then," Saiph said. ¡°There is one thing I need to know. It¡¯s been bothering me since I looked at your stats. Slaine, you should have a health pool similar to mine. And Cassi, you should have a mana pool similar to Nix¡¯s. What happened to your stat points?¡±

    Cassi¡¯s eyes adopted the distant look of someone accessing their menus. ¡°All five hundred and fifty of my points went into strength.¡±

    Slaine echoed the statement.

    Saiph, Nix, and Rose all stared at each other with mouths wide open.

 Chapter 18: Sinnamon Roll

    ¡°Though Gold remains the standard currency across Terre, precious metals and gems do retain value, for if there is one thing man and dragon share, it is the love of collecting shiny things.¡±¡ª The Crystal Cities: Where did they come from?

    The Ruined City of Araedi. Day 02.

    Sinnamon and Weaver had to pry themselves out of the comforting embrace of their new bed and return to Malikela in the main lobby.

    The Serethi historian was wading through an impressively large collection of books. There were three piles, two on either side of the large one she was going through. Beside Malikela, initially hidden by the books, was the small green-haired, silver-antlered AnnaLee.

    ¡°Find anything interesting?¡± Weaver asked.

    ¡°There is definitely a lot more here than I thought at first glance. An entire collection of books neither myself nor AnnaLee can read.¡± Malikela scratched her head.

    Sinnamon took one of the books off the table and skimmed it. The words on the page were a squiggly script that flowed from right to left on the page, but there also seemed to be an up-down quality to them as well.

    Going off a hunch and question she¡¯d been wondering since yesterday, Sinnamon asked Sparrow for one of her arrows. She very carefully carved the word ¡°home¡± as small as she could on a corner of the wooden table top.

    ¡°Can you read this?¡± Sinnamon asked when she¡¯d finished.

    Malikela looked at it and frowned. ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the word ¡®home¡¯ in our language,¡± Sinnamon looked around and smiled. ¡°I knew it! Universal translator of some sorts.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Malikela asked.

    ¡°What language are you speaking?¡±

    ¡°Serethi Standard. Though I also know enough of the Triskelion tongue the human empires use to be helpful,¡± Malikela answered.

    ¡°I¡¯m speaking English, and have been since we first met. It¡¯s the language many of us speak where we¡¯re from. Since coming here, I didn¡¯t really believe that both our worlds developed the exact same language independently of each other, and this confirms it,¡± Sinnamon explained. ¡°We can read and speak your languages, but you can¡¯t read ours. It means that whatever is translating for us only works one way¡­¡±

    ¡°English¡­¡± Malikela said the word slowly, then smiled with understanding. ¡°Ah, interesting!¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t really help us with this¡ª¡± Sinnamon pointed to the book, ¡°¡ªapparently our translator doesn¡¯t know all your languages.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still something to know. You Guardians grow more interesting by the day,¡± Malikela remarked. ¡°Oh, before I forget, the transfer should be completed by the end of today, but you are free to use the building now.¡±

    ¡°Perfect! You¡¯re welcome to stay here, but we¡¯ve got a quest to do,¡± Sinnamon said.

    ¡°Seems I¡¯ve got my own now, too. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to take one of these books and dig into the city¡¯s archives to see if I can find anything to help.¡±

    Sinnamon nodded.

    Malikela handed Sinnamon the focus crystals for the other buildings she¡¯d purchased before leaving to return to her other duties with the city.

    Weaver took a small black gem from his bag and crushed it. A swirl of black light appeared and disappeared with a quick flash.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Sinnamon asked.

    ¡°Woman at the guildhall called it a tracking crystal. Breaking it gave me a quest marker pointed a ways away from here,¡± Weaver answered.

    He added everyone to his party and the quest marker, a black exclamation point with a white border, appeared for Sinnamon as well, somehow appearing beyond the building¡¯s walls in a way that made Sinnamon¡¯s head hurt to think about.

    At the western city gates, everyone took out their mount summoning whistles. Weaver¡¯s called a gryphon, large with dark golden brown feathers and a deep red mane. AnnaLee¡¯s a pegasus, silver in color with white wings. Sparrow and JonJon each summoned the starter horses all players received at level ten.

    Sinnamon¡¯s whistle summoned thick blue mist that held the earthy scent of a bog. A panther the size of a horse slinked out of the mist. Instead of fur, the large cat had deep blue fish scales. The animal sauntered over to Sinnamon, nuzzling its head in her hands, then bent down low enough so she could climb onto its back.

    The area beyond Araedi¡¯s walls looked much the same as it had in the game; rolling hills and farmland that went on as far as one can see, dotted by the occasional home or barn. In the far distance, snow-capped mountains pierced the cloud cover. The lower forested portions reminded Sinnamon of Colorado¡¯s beautiful mountains. Even from this distance, large swaths of reds, yellows, and evergreens announced the arrival of autumn.

    There were quite a few players out, mostly traveling south and east. Likely to either Delphianna or Castera, only two major cities in the region. A few parties did travel north and west, though nearly all diverged away from Sinnamon and her group.

    There were multiple instanced dungeons in the region, but not much in the way of free roaming mobs. Malikela had said that was partially due to the rise in Adventurers picking up the small kill quests in the absence of the Guardians.

    Sparrow pulled alongside Sinnamon, breaking her reverie. ¡°How long have you and Weaver been playing?¡±

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°Weaver¡¯s been playing off and on for three years, I think. I started last year after he and some friends roped me in. Given the circumstances, I¡¯m glad they did. How about you three?¡±

    ¡°Jon and I started a couple weeks ago. The game went on sale right before they announced the big update and Anna got us to play. She¡¯s been bugging us to play for months.¡±

    There were a lot of people in Sparrow and her brother¡¯s position. Freshly made characters and just dropped here without rhyme or reason. At least Sinnamon and her friends had the benefit of time to have acquired levels, items, and now even property to set themselves up.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking, how old are you three?¡± Sinnamon asked.

    ¡°Jon and I are thirteen. Anna just turned fourteen.¡±

    So young, Sinnamon thought. So young to have been ripped away from the life they knew and thrust into a situation no one had any understanding of. So young to have been confronted with the near death of her brother.

    In spite of that, the three kids were coping well. Far better than a lot of the people outside the guildhall yesterday.

    Weaver¡¯s voice called out from above. ¡°Look alive down there! Treants on the far side of the river!¡±

    Very much tree-like in appearance, the smallest treants had four limbs and carried themselves akin to the way a gorilla knuckle-walked. The largest, massive and built like mountains, walked on as many as eight legs. There were fifteen in total, a large herd following the river westward.

    Some time after traveling a while, Weaver and AnnaLee doing loops and figure eights overhead while the rest on the ground carried out mundane conversation, low rumbling came from beneath Sinnamon. Her water panther looked up at her and tilted its head towards the water. Catching the hint, she slowed and dismounted. Her water panther slipped into the water and Sinnamon used the time to grab her own drink.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad vacation,¡± Weaver said, looking out past their resting spot.

    ¡°Beats the freezing Colorado winters,¡± Sinnamon replied.

    They reached the site of the quest marker; a lightly wooded area just before a steep cliff face with a road circling it to the west.

    Weaver frowned. ¡°Guess we split up. Since Sinn and I are the highest level, we¡¯ll go as a group of two. You three go together and that¡¯ll leave a support between us.¡±

    ¡°Let us know if you find anything, and don¡¯t fight without us,¡± Sinnamon added.

    ¡°Alright, mom!¡± Sparrow made an exaggerated sigh.

    Sinnamon felt her face flush as all four laughed at her. She couldn¡¯t help but join in. Given that none of them could die, her worrying was a little silly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll head up the cliff, you guys follow the path. We¡¯ll meet further up,¡± Weaver said.

    ¡°You can fly up, I¡¯ll climb it.¡± Weaver tossed Sinnamon his summoning whistle then stepped up to the cliff.

    ¡°We both know who the better climber is. You want me to fly because you¡¯re afraid you¡¯ll lose?¡±

    Weaver snorted, let go of his hand holds, and dropped to the ground. He walked up to Sinnamon, took the whistle, and put it in his bag. Gesturing to the cliff, he gave her an expectant look. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m going easy on you just because I¡¯m so much stronger now.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want you to. I want you to really feel like you earned second place,¡± Sinnamon stood up and patted Weaver on the back as she took her place.

    That got Weaver¡¯s signature shoulder dancing laugh. They took their places and Weaver counted down.

    The moment Weaver said ¡°go¡±, Sinnamon heaved herself upward. She definitely felt the extra strength this body had over her earth one. Even so, Weaver was already staring down at her with a big grin before she¡¯d even reached the halfway point.

    Sinnamon brushed away Weaver¡¯s proffered hand and climbed up and over the ledge.

    ¡°You can get a rematch later,¡± Weaver said, smiling sweetly. He turned and started walking. ¡°Keep up. I saw something up ahead while we were in the air and I wanted to check it out.¡±

    Weaver moved at a fast clip and Sinnamon nearly lost him until he suddenly stopped. The smell of burning wood and¡­ blood¡­

    Sinnamon nearly choked on the smell of death. When she walked around Weaver and saw what had stopped him in his tracks, she gasped in horror.

    A clearing the size of a football field had been burned out of the forest. Stone pillars and walls jutted out of the ground in the clear signs of a magic battle. Arrows dotted the landscape, sticking from tree trunks and the ground like flowers in a field.

    In the center of the expanse were four bodies; two men, a woman, and a large dog. The larger of the two men was missing an arm and his body was riddled with blood-stained holes.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what we¡¯d find here when we got here. I just knew I didn¡¯t want those kids to see it,¡± Weaver said, his words coming out choked and hoarse.

    Seeing the tears running down his cheeks nearly broke Sinnamon. She wrapped her hand around his and gave a comforting squeeze.

    She had seen some pretty gruesome things during her time shadowing the EMTs and the hospital emergency room, but this was too much even for her. One of the first things she¡¯d been told by the technicians and nurses was that you had to learn to lock away your emotions, shoving them into a box and setting them aside while you focused on saving the life in front of you.

    Sinnamon steeled herself, doing exactly that.

    She went to the bodies and looked them over. They didn¡¯t show any signs of decomposition yet. They¡¯d been recently killed. No, murdered. And then put on display for someone to find them.

    Each was wearing a necklace, which upon examination were actually similar to the dog tags soldiers wore. The large man missing his arm was Major Tarik Kronos; the smaller man, Lieutenant Caleb Tahn; and the woman Lieutenant Shai. The dog, the woman¡¯s service dog, was named Koda. They were soldiers belonging to Castera, in the kingdom of Ilsylvania. But that was miles to the south. What were they doing up here?

    Weaver pulled a broken arrow from the ground and showed it to Sinnamon. It had the tell tale iridescence of an enchanted item. A fairly high level critical strike enchantment.

    They looked at each other, both coming to the same conclusion. These people had been murdered by players.

    Sparrow¡¯s sudden, frantic voice inside Sinnamon¡¯s head made her jump.

    ¡°JonJon and Annalee found some other players! I think¡­ I think they¡¯re going to kill them!¡±

    Sinnamon bolted upright and forced herself to project a calm tone. ¡°Do they see you? How many are there? What levels are they?¡±

    ¡°No, they don¡¯t. We split up. There¡¯s five of them. One¡¯s level fifty, three are fifty-one, and one is sixty-seven¡ªNo, wait, the one with the swords just suppressed himself to twenty.¡±

    Sinnamon cursed under her breath. ¡°Don¡¯t let them see you. Anna, Jon, can you two fast travel out of there?¡±

    Anna answered quickly, ¡°No. We have a message saying we can¡¯t because we¡¯re in¡ª¡±

    She went quiet and Sinnamon watched both her and JonJon¡¯s health bars fall to zero on her heads up display. A moment later, their locations changed from The Wilds Beyond Araedi to Caer Siddi.

    Weaver dropped the arrow he¡¯d been holding. ¡°Sparrow, I need you to follow them while Sinn and I unsuppress. If you think they¡¯ll get away before we get there, do what you can to stop them. Can you handle that?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Sparrow hesitated for a moment, then answered again more confidently, ¡°Yes I can.¡±

    Weaver pulled his Caer Fragment from his bag. ¡°Then hold tight, we¡¯re coming.¡±

 Chapter 19: Saiph

    ¡°Dungeon Bosses, the ultimate defender of a dungeon¡¯s treasure, can generally be found at the dungeon¡¯s very heart. It is not just their general higher average level and superior health and resistances that make them a formidable opponent, but they very often possess a higher level of intellect, allowing them to strategize on their own against an attacking party.¡±¡ª Annwyn Online Player¡¯s Guide

    Firestone Mine Dungeon, Territories of Rielle. Day 02.

    Not every room of the seven Saiph and his party cleared held monsters, but those that did almost always had at least ten dreygur and ten wraiths. With the addition of Slaine as an off tank, the two managed to split the incoming damage, reducing the amount of resources they had to devote to each skirmish. Likewise, Cassi¡¯s magical traps, buffs, and debuffs made the room clear much faster. She even had a debuff that made the wraiths susceptible to other damage types.

    The dungeon was a lot smaller than a raid dungeon would have been and they made it to the boss lair. Saiph finally understood Cassi¡¯s hesitance to come down this way. The distant wailing sounds they¡¯d heard from the safe room were louder now. They were the cries of a woman sobbing with grief and pain and they echoed throughout this section of the mine.

    Rose went ahead to scout the lair while everyone else stayed back. The first run through a dungeon boss was always the hardest as you went in against them without any information. When Saiph regularly led his guild on raids, they usually performed a scouting run where one person would trigger the boss and the healers would keep them alive as long as possible. The objective was to bait out as many of the boss¡¯ attack patterns as they could before resetting for the first real attempt.

    Their party didn¡¯t have the resources to devote to a scouting run. They would need all the information Rose could get them and hope they had enough information and resources available to kill the boss on a single try.

    A tall ask, but not impossible. Saiph smiled to himself as he let the anticipatory thrill of fighting a dungeon boss in the flesh come over him.

    Rose returned, ending her stealth skill beside Nix, making the Summoner jump.

    ¡°Would you stop doing that!¡± Nix protested.

    Rose just giggled to herself.

    ¡°What¡¯ve you got?¡± Saiph asked, hiding a smirk of his own at Nix¡¯s expense.

    ¡°Boss is in the center of the room with a bunch of adds surrounding her. I think you¡¯ll actually want to see for yourself. There¡¯s a spot you can get to that doesn¡¯t have any mobs near it,¡± Rose said.

    Saiph nodded and unequipped his armor to reduce his noisy movements. He and Nix moved forward behind Rose as she guided them to the spot. They hid behind a set of pillars just past the door and Saiph glanced ahead of them.

    The wraiths were little more than barely discernible shadows hovering above the zombie-like dreygur. They were evenly mixed around the room, most standing still, but a few of the dreygur shambled about without any purpose to their movements as far as Saiph could tell.

    Saiph¡¯s eyes fell on the woman sitting in the center of the room with her knees to her chest.

    Name: Corrupted Miner Samira

    Race: Human, Female (Dungeon Boss)

    Class: Caer Spawn, Level 70

    Disposition: Suffering

    Health Points: 93,500/93,500

    Mana Points: 31,220/31,220

    Stamina Points: 34,955/34,955

    She was large, easily twenty feet tall, with a muscular frame that matched her miner namesake. The pickaxe by her side, equally matching her proportions and coated with blood, made Saiph feel small.

    Her skin was torn and rotted, showing exposed muscle and bone underneath. Purple crystals stuck out of her body at every angle. Her eyes were sunken deep into her sockets and no pupils or irises showed in the sea of bloodshot white.

    Was she really the monster who had taken over the mine? Saiph had expected to find a mage boss to explain the reanimation of the dreygur. The dungeon called her the boss, so there must be some other explanation.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Saiph didn¡¯t think too long about that as he, Rose, and Nix retreated back to where Cassi, Slaine, and Gwydion were waiting.

    Chills were running down Saiph¡¯s spine, though not from Samira, as creepy as she was, but from the plan that was forming in his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming we¡¯re going to draw Samira¡¯s attention the moment we enter the room,¡± Saiph began, ¡°Slaine, you¡¯re faster than me, so it¡¯ll be your job to kite the dreygur. I¡¯ll keep Samira busy as I should be able to tank whatever she throws at me. DPS will focus on the wraiths, Cassi will provide assistance to whoever needs it. Once the adds are clear, then we focus on the boss.¡±

    Slaine gave Saiph a questioning look. ¡°Kite?¡±

    ¡°Basically you run around like someone lit you on fire. Use your taunt spells to keep the dreygur on you, but do not let them corner you or it¡¯ll hurt.¡± Nix answered.

    Saiph nodded in agreement. ¡°You can take swings with your sword where you can, but your primary job isn¡¯t to deal damage, but to keep the dreygur off Rose and Nix while they clean the room.¡±

    Nix tapped Rose on the shoulder. ¡°Let me see your bow.¡±

    Rose handed Nix her bow and he promptly made a copy of it appear in his other hand.

    ¡°Whoa! That¡¯s awesome!¡± Rose gasped.

    ¡°I think I could get used to my new subclass,¡± Nix said with a grin. ¡°Mind if I get an arrow, too?¡±

    ¡°Keep this one, I got plenty left,¡± Rose answered.

    ¡°I¡¯m all set then,¡± Nix said to Saiph.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Rose said.

    Slaine and Cassi simply nodded while Gwydion began casting buffs.

    Saiph nodded and turned to Cassi, ¡°Don¡¯t overexert yourself. Place traps or cast speed buffs if you think Slaine is going to get surrounded, but you need to keep enough mana in reserve in case we need to make sudden changes to the plan. Flexibility will be our greatest strength here.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Cassi said.

    Saiph threw his Steadfast Champion spell on Slaine. As long as they were near each other, they both got defensive bonuses and a portion of the damage Slaine took would be magically transferred to Saiph. Since Saiph had the higher health pool and resistance stats, it would make Slaine a little more durable. Slaine must have read the spell description because he smiled at Saiph.

    Nix summoned a pair of skeletons and evolved them into Dreadknights with one of his runic tattoos. Fortunately, they only counted towards one summoning slot as they were summoned by a single spell. This allowed Nix to follow up by summoning a light wisp, which would augment everyone¡¯s damage with light magic.

    Slaine entered the room. His roar echoed around the chamber and all the dreygur and wraiths began to follow him as he moved to the far side. He trailed the monsters in a wide arc, giving Samira plenty of distance. He doubled back, looping the train of wraiths and dreygur behind him.

    The giant Samira hadn¡¯t gotten up to chase after Slaine, but she did stop crying. Her head followed him around the room.

    Saiph had readied himself to cast his Chains of Prometheus the moment she got up, but since she didn¡¯t, he decided it might make more sense to slightly alter the plan.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pull the wraiths off Slaine with my taunts and we¡¯ll whittle them down. If Samira suddenly starts attacking, then I¡¯ll pull her.¡± It would make it easier for Nix and Rose to attack at will if they didn¡¯t have to worry about hitting Slaine¡¯s mob or Samira.

    Saiph waited for Slaine to pass him and he pounded his hammer on his shield in a taunt that drew five of the slower wraiths away from Slaine.

    The ghostly figures raked their claws along Saiph¡¯s armor. He could begin to hear their taunts and the painful memories they dredged up from his past, but Saiph forced himself to remember they were just taking cheap, low blows at him. Gwydion was quick in his spellcasting and kept the fear debuff from building and giving the wraiths more power over Saiph¡¯s psyche.

    As the last wraith fell, Lueur Rose cried out, ¡°Samira¡¯s getting up! Watch out!¡±

    The giant woman stood and screamed in rage. She picked up her pickaxe and charged straight for Cassi and Gwydion.

    She was fast. Far faster than Saiph was. With so many dreygur still remaining, there was no way Saiph would be able to keep her focus.

    Cassi acted quickly and cast a spell which sent a tangling mass of vines grabbing at the dungeon boss¡¯ legs, pitching her forward to land on her stomach.

    ¡°Slaine, you¡¯ve got Samira! I¡¯ve got the dreygur!¡± Saiph slammed Mil¡¯s Judgement into the ground, sending out electrified golden chains in towards the shambling dreygur.

    Slaine roared as he ran past Saiph and the dreygur towards Samira.

    Samira rolled and tore the vines free from her legs. She stood and met Slaine¡¯s taunting roar with a challenge of her own, giving chase to him as soon as she freed herself.

    Slaine kept Samira after him, constantly reapplying his taunts on her, but his stamina bar was beginning to fall. He would need to be relieved soon.

    Suddenly Samira stopped, skidding to a stop. Slaine stopped, too. Thinking she¡¯d given up chasing him, he turned to cast his taunt again. He had been wrong.

    Very wrong.

    Samira took advantage of Slaine¡¯s pause and lunged forward, swinging her pickaxe in a wide arc that caught him in the chest. Slaine¡¯s health bar flashed and shook violently on Saiph¡¯s HUD as the bright red was instantly reduced to a tiny sliver.

    Saiph clutched at his own chest as he felt the pain himself thanks to his Steadfast Champion spell magically transferring some of that damage to him.

    The pointed edge of the pickaxe that stuck through Slaine¡¯s body dripped with blood down his chest and back. Slaine shuddered, spewing blood from his mouth. Samira raised her pickaxe with Slaine¡¯s limp form dangling from it and threw them both into a wall.

    Samira turned to Saiph and he readied himself as she dashed after him. She had just taken two steps forward when a loud roar stilled everyone in the cavern.

    Even Samira and a few of the dreygur turned in the direction of the sound.

    Slaine stood, his body a blackened silhouette and his eyes nothing but glowing red dots. He took a step forward and pulled Samira¡¯s pickaxe from his chest.

 Chapter 20: Sinnamon Roll

    ¡°Neutral player names will appear blue to each other. Friends are green. Party members are gold, with the party leader appearing purple. A player who has killed another player outside a safe zone will appear orange, acquiring a debuff that will allow the killed player to challenge them at any time, lifting the level suppression penalty.¡±¡ª Annwyn Online Players¡¯ Guide

    The wilds beyond Araedi. Day 02.

    Sinnamon and Weaver had made it just in time to see a familiar figure in a white coat with two rapiers. Of all the people in the world, it had to be him. Krait.

    Sparrow had her bow trained on the Sword Saint as he pulled his Caer Fragment from his bag. The system that stopped higher level players from picking on lower level players wouldn¡¯t protect him now since had started the fight against their party. It was an advantage they intended to capitalize on.

    Two players disappeared, leaving only Krait, a Sentinel named Chunky, and a man in mage robes too far to see his name.

    ¡°Now!¡± Weaver bellowed to Sparrow.

    The Ranger let loose her arrow and Weaver leapt from their cover. At the same time, Sinnamon dropped two buffs on Weaver in rapid succession. Talaria¡¯s Blessing, which increased his movement speed and jump distance and Tual¡¯s Whetstone, which increased his damage while outnumbered.

    Weaver flew across the distance in only two leaps and tackled Krait as he tried to pull Sparrow¡¯s arrow from his leg. Chunky cast a taunt spell, pulling Weaver¡¯ from Krait, but Sinnamon had anticipated it. She started to cast a rooting spell, Ran¡¯s Net, when suddenly there was pain in her chest.

    Sinnamon gasped and ducked behind the tree she had been using for cover. An arrow stuck through her ribs, narrowly missing her heart. A bed of flowers sprouted beneath Sinnamon and green healing magic pulsed around her, but her health didn¡¯t stop falling.

    ¡°You have to pull the arrow out or I can¡¯t heal you!¡± AnnaLee shouted inside Sinnamon¡¯s head.

    All of her medical training screamed at her not to do that. What if the arrow had severed an artery? Leaving it alone might be the only thing keeping her from bleeding out.

    No, that wasn¡¯t the case now, another voice at the back of Sinnamon¡¯s head said. She couldn¡¯t die. She had to pull it out.

    Sinnamon sucked in a deep breath and pulled the arrow. White hot pain seared her chest anew, but the arrow didn¡¯t come out. A barbed arrow? Sinnamon cursed and cast a strength enhancing spell on herself.

    She sucked in another breath and pulled. Flesh came free with the arrow, but the wound began to heal near instantly. Vicious-looking hooks stuck through the bits of Sinnamon¡¯s own blood and flesh. What kind of a monster uses arrows like these?

    Sinnamon threw the arrow to the ground. ¡°Did anyone see where that arrow came from?¡±

    No one had an answer.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Sinnamon thought for a moment, then remembered another of her spells. She cast Euryphaessa¡¯s Gaze on Sparrow.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to peek around again, watch for the arrow,¡± Sinnamon readied herself, pushed her head out, then immediately pulled back.

    An arrow struck the tree with a loud thwack!

    ¡°I saw it! I saw it!¡± Sparrow shouted, then switched to their party chat. ¡°I can see the path it took! There¡¯s another player hiding behind a rock way, way ahead of us.¡±

    A fourth person. That answered the question. ¡°Can you get somewhere where you can keep that archer busy? Neither Anna nor I can support Weaver while we¡¯re pinned.¡±

    ¡°I got it!¡± Sparrow said before disappearing. An excited ¡°whoo!¡± came from Sparrow before calling out, ¡°I got her! You¡¯re good, Sinnamon!¡±

    Sinnamon looked up. An arrow went well wide of her, followed by another cheer from Sparrow.

    ¡°Good work, Sparrow! Keep it up!¡± Sinnamon turned to the fight between Weaver, Krait, and the Sentinel Chunky.

    Krait was pinned to a tree by¡­ were those his own swords sticking through his hands and arms? Sinnamon couldn¡¯t help but smile at Weaver¡¯s ingenuity.

    Weaver, however, was locked in a fight with Chunky. Sinnamon readied a spell when a great wall of flame washed over the two tanks and flowed towards her. Their damage was stopped only by a well placed barrier of protection from AnnaLee. She was standing behind Sinnamon, her hand trailing the faint green mist of healing magic as she flashed a thumbs up.

    The mage, a Sorcerer, had joined in the fray. He was taking pot shots at Weaver and though he had a high health pool, well over ninety-thousand, it had already been halved. Sinnamon wasn¡¯t a high enough level to unlock Svalinn¡¯s Divine Protection, and so couldn¡¯t boost his resistance to fire. She and JonJon would have to work like Sparrow to keep their mage busy.

    Sinnamon looked around for JonJon and saw he was hard at work putting out the fires with his water magic. Guess that just leaves me.

    Sinnamon ran forward, took an arrow for her trouble, and began casting Hyldemoer¡¯s Curse on the tree beside their Sorcerer, whom she saw was named Spenser.

    She paused in her casting, remembering something Saiph had told her about target priority when fighting. Deal with the DPS first, stall the tanks.

    The branches around the tree bent down and wrapped themselves tightly around Chunky¡¯s arms and legs. A smaller branch wrapped itself around his mouth, suppressing his ability to use any spells, skills, or abilities for a time.

    Weaver focused his full attention on Spenser. He began pummelling the Sorcerer with his stone gauntlets and savaged his health bar.

    Sparrow cried out before her location changed to Caer Siddi on Sinnamon¡¯s HUD. ¡°I¡¯m sorry guys, she got me!¡±

    Arrows suddenly rained down on Weaver, sticking out of him like needles in a pin cushion. AnnaLee was dumping her mana into healing and shielding him, but the enemy Ranger¡¯s high attack speed and damage output was too much for the low level Druid to keep up with.

    ¡°Stop healing me!¡± Weaver strained over party chat. Black tendrils of smoke seeped from the wounds all over Weaver¡¯s body. The smoke thickened, changing Weaver¡¯s skin to the blackest black Sinnamon had ever seen.

    The flurry of arrows suddenly stopped as the Ranger must have realized what was happening. She was too late, the stacking bleed effect from her arrows pushed Weaver over the edge.

    Berserker¡¯s Last Stand triggered at the exact moment Hyldemoer¡¯s Curse elapsed on the Sentinel Chunky. He moved to ram his sword into the ground, but he was too slow. Weaver roared a bestial roar that feared both Chunky and Spenser as he became shrouded in the Berserker¡¯s Rage.

    Chunky had dropped his sword and Weaver picked it up. He was a blur of movement and slashed at Spenser with Chunky¡¯s sword until he was nothing more than a glowing purple orb waiting to respawn or be revived. Weaver turned to Chunky and snarled.

 Chapter 21: Saiph

    ¡°Berserker¡¯s Last Stand is the ultimate trump card for the Berserker Class. When their health pool falls to a single point, they become invincible and gain increased movement and attack speed to allow them to continue fighting for a duration. But they will still die afterwards if they do not get a kill or an assist while in this maddened state.¡±¡ª Annwyn Online Player¡¯s Guide

    Firestone Mine Dungeon, Territories of Rielle. Day 02.

    Slaine ran down Samira, wielding her own massive pickaxe against her. His blows were relentless, forcing the dungeon boss on the defensive as each one was enough to repeatedly stagger her.

    Saiph couldn¡¯t let Slaine die before he got his reset from Berserker¡¯s Last Stand. He grabbed one of the dreygur and heaved it into Slaine¡¯s path.

    Slaine cleaved one of the dreygur¡¯s arms as his swing came down on Samira at the same time an arrow blew apart its head.

    ¡°Fall back, Slaine!¡± Saiph shouted as Slaine¡¯s spell wore off.

    He regained his composure and dropped back to where Gwydion could heal him.

    Having seen what that single hit of Samira¡¯s had done to Slaine, Saiph prepared himself for her onslaught.

    Each strike of hers was like dynamite exploding against Saiph¡¯s shield. It was only thanks to his Blessed Shield spell, which allowed him to transfer a portion of her damage to his mana pool, that he was able to keep standing.

    Brace. Thunk!

    Brace. Thunk!

    Brace. Thunk!

    The cycle continued until it was all Saiph knew, each hit taking away his health, mana, and stamina in near equal parts.

    The ground beneath Saiph quaked and a voice, Nix¡¯s voice, broke through the endless cycle of tanking. ¡°Earth elemental behind you! Let it take the next hit!¡±

    Saiph leapt backward, summoning his hammer to his hands and taking the moment of respite.

    Arrows from Lueur Rose and Nix exploded off Samira¡¯s body as Nix¡¯s stone triceratops rammed into Samira. She dug her heels in to hold the earth elemental back, but it steadily marched forward on six limbs, driving her back towards the wall it obviously intended to spear her against.

    Samira¡¯s health bar was just about half empty and Saiph understood why he¡¯d be given a reprieve. Nix was buying him time to prepare for the attack pattern change they both knew was coming.

    And it came.

    Samira released her grip from the stone triceratops and rolled to the side. Unbalanced, the earth elemental stumbled forward. Samira came out of her roll holding two massive chunks of firestone and earth. She hurled them at Nix¡¯s summon and they detonated with loud booms!

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    The explosions deafened everyone in the room as the cavern filled with a thick cloud of debris. When the dust settled, the stone triceratops had been blown in half. It dragged itself on its two right legs, all three left and its backmost right leg having been completely destroyed.

    Samira reached down and pulled two more of the explosive chunks to bear on the rest of the party. Her eyes locked onto where Cassi and Gwydion were standing.

    Saiph ran to them and threw his shield into the ground, activating the spell Gates of Eskandar.

    A ghostly green tower of bricks rose up in front of the shield as the firestone chunks exploded off it.

    ¡°What the fuck kind of attack is that!¡± Nix shouted over the detonations.

    ¡°Absolute bullshit, if you ask me. Using the environment is cheap!¡± Saiph shouted back.

    Both Nix and Rose hurried behind Saiph¡¯s barrier as Samira turned her attention to them.

    ¡°Guys, we¡¯re spent on mana, I¡¯m low on arrows, and I don¡¯t think Saiph or Slaine can tank through all¡ª¡± An explosion off Saiph¡¯s barrier interrupted Rose. ¡°¡ªall that. I think we need to bail.¡±

    Saiph sighed in frustration knowing Rose was right. They¡¯d gotten so far, but they couldn¡¯t keep going against these new attacks by Samira.

    ¡°You guys fall back to the safe zone and I¡¯ll cover you. If I die, I¡¯ll use our free respawn and we can fight our way back out of the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Wait! I have an idea!¡± Cassi shouted.

    Saiph glanced at the Caster as she began pulling firestone from her bag.

    ¡°If Samira can use the environment, so can we!¡± Cassi had two large firestone piles before her. ¡°Saiph, can you hold Samira back long enough for Rose to set off this firestone? The chain explosion could be enough to kill her!¡±

    ¡°And it might bury all of us in here, too!¡± Nix shouted.

    And it would most certainly kill me, Saiph thought. But he couldn¡¯t help but smile at the ingenuity. He would die, but he was likely dead either way. This would just give them the slightest sliver of a chance at victory.

    ¡°But it might not,¡± Saiph replied. ¡°Nix, you and Cassi and Slaine fall back to the safe zone. Gwydion shields the firestone before running after you, and Rose detonates it and runs after you guys. Can Gwydion shield it from far away?¡±

    ¡°I will have to stay near the barrier. I will not survive the blast if it is as strong as you believe it may be,¡± Gwydion answered.

    Saiph winced at the Archdruid¡¯s matter-of-fact tone as he thought back to what Raine had said earlier. Would sacrificing himself go against Gwydion¡¯s moral code? Would he stop answering Nix¡¯s call? ¡°And you¡¯re okay with that?¡±

    Gwydion stood resolute as he answered, ¡°Whether I die from the explosion or at the end of the summoning spell¡¯s duration, I die all the same. It is understood that I throw down my life in service to my summoner. Doing so to clear this cave of its undead infestation is my duty as an Archdruid.¡±

    Nix flashed Saiph a thumbs up, the ¡°thank you¡± not needing to be said.

    Cassi and Slaine finished unloading more firestone before retreating, leaving Saiph, Rose, and Gwydion in the boss lair.

    Saiph let the Gates of Eskandar fall and walked forward with his Blessed Shield active, blocking the explosive hits from Samira¡¯s improvised grenades.

    Rose called out, letting Saiph know that she and Gwydion were in position.

    Saiph dropped his shield as fire enveloped his body. Dragon charge propelled Saiph forward to meet Samira.

    The dungeon boss made no attempt to dodge. There was just the briefest flicker of something like emotion on her face. It was there and gone in that half span before the pair connected and the cave exploded all around them.

 Chapter 22: Sinnamon Roll

    ¡°There¡¯s a new player name color. Red. The color of a murderer.¡±¡ª Halzy to Wisteria Leothalis

    The wilds beyond Araedi. Day 02.

    ¡°That¡¯ll be enough!¡± A man¡¯s gravelly voice shouted.

    A greenish blue shield slammed into the ground between Sentinel and Berserker and a ghostly green wall of bricks erupted from the ground, splitting the two men apart.

    Sinnamon turned in the direction of the voice and saw a man in green plate armor walking towards them. He took off his helmet, revealing a long grey beard and snow white hair tied up in a top knot. His status page named him Halzy, a level one hundred Sentinel-Spellsword.

    Weaver pounded on the barrier until Berserker¡¯s Last Stand wore off, then dropped to his knees.

    ¡°There¡¯s still an archer out there!¡± Sinnamon shouted at the new arrival.

    ¡°I know. She¡¯s been dealt with.¡± Halzy pointed past Weaver to where a masked man in dark violet armor was dragging a limp woman towards them. Though he wasn¡¯t a player, but an NPC.

    Name: Rhoda

    Age: 78

    Race: Serethi Elf

    Class: Adventurer, Level 40

    Subclass: Rogue, Level 50

    Profession: Assassin, Level 50

    Specialty: Stealth and Small Blades, Level 50

    Health Points: 4,200/4,200

    Mana Points: 6,140/7,950

    The woman being dragged was a level seventy-four Ranger named Sixx. Sinnamon briefly wondered how Rhoda had dispatched someone nearly twice his level.

    Rhoda tossed Halzy a small black vial, answering Sinnamon¡¯s question. He pulled the cork and poured some of its contents on his sword.

    Looking at Chunky, Halzy said, ¡°I could put my poison to work on you and leave you down until my party gets here, I¡¯ve got plenty for everyone here. Or, you can leave me Krait and you and your friend can both get lost.¡±

    Chunky looked from Krait to Sixx. He moved over to the Ranger, picked her up, and began heading south.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go to Araedi. You¡¯ll find no safe harbor there. My party already has your names and the guards will know you before you get there,¡± Halzy shouted after them.

    He walked over to Krait and pulled the rapiers from his hands and arm. When Krait fell to the ground, limp, Sinnamon realized he was unconscious. When had Halzy poisoned him?

    Sinnamon ran over to Halzy. ¡°You¡¯re just letting those two go? They murdered the three people at the top of the hill!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not and I know,¡± Halzy answered. ¡°My poison won¡¯t be as effective against Chunky due to his high constitution, fortunately he didn¡¯t seem to realize that. I figure Krait and their ranger will be out of it for about a half hour. Maybe a little less. That¡¯ll hopefully be enough time for the rest of my party to pick this one up.¡±

    Weaver walked over to them. ¡°How did you know what they¡¯d done? We only just found out and there¡¯s no one else here.¡±

    ¡°One of the victims of their attack survived. Two girls, daughters of the survivor, came to Pella. They told Rhoda and I overheard.¡± Halzy fished around in his bag as he spoke. He pulled a length of chain from it and wrapped it tightly around Krait¡¯s wrists before locking them.

    ¡°What are you going to do with him?¡± Sinnamon asked. It wasn¡¯t like that chain could hold him forever. He could always teleport away with his Caer Fragment when he woke up.

    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ working on that,¡± Halzy answered. ¡°My friend has been working with the Serethi since we got here. She thinks they might have a more permanent solution to holding people like him. Murdering NPCs¡­¡± Halzy grunted in disgust.

    ¡°Are you saying you knew they were going to kill those people?¡± Weaver asked. The air suddenly grew tense as Weaver¡¯s gauntlets appeared over his fists in the heavy implication of a threat.

    Halzy shook his head. ¡°Them specifically? No. But they held a meeting at the guildhall attracting anyone who would listen under the guise that they were going to find a way home. This one¡ª¡± Halzy gestured at Krait. ¡°¡ªwas the lead instigator. He convinced a number of people that the fastest way to get home was to force Sonnet to send us home.¡±

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    The frown on Halzy¡¯s face and the bodies at the top of the cliff told Sinnamon what Krait had obviously meant by that.

    Sinnamon turned to Weaver. ¡°That must have been that meeting the guy you bumped into last night was talking about.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Weaver made his gauntlets disappear. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for threatening you, Halzy. It¡¯s just¡­ that was a lot to see up there.¡±

    ¡°No apologies needed. You kept them busy long enough for us to arrive.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. All of you,¡± Rhoda said in a surprisingly feminine voice. She pulled down her face mask and Sinnamon could see that she was, in fact, a girl. Sinnamon had missed it because her hair was shaved close to her head. ¡°But we should get going. The army should be arriving soon.¡±

    ¡°Army?¡± Sinnamon asked.

    ¡°Yes. Pella is Islyvania¡¯s chief training ground for officers. They do a fair bit to keep the village and her surrounding farmland safe with the help of the adventurers from Araedi,¡± Rhoda answered.

    At the top of the hill, nearly three dozen men in plate armor were moving around the site of the attack. The bodies of the three slain soldiers and service dog were already in caskets that were being loaded onto a horse-drawn cart.

    Sinnamon felt a bit of relief at the sight. Sparrow had rejoined them and since the clearing was now cleaned of the worst of the massacre, she, JonJon, and AnnaLee were spared the gruesome sight she and Weaver had stumbled upon.

    A stocky man a bit shorter than Sinnamon walked over to them as they approached. ¡°I am General Neemo. I assume the man in chains is the one who killed three of my soldiers and wounded another.¡±

    The general¡¯s words had been phrased as a statement, yet Halzy still responded. ¡°Yes, he is.¡±

    ¡°My only question is why? What did those soldiers do to earn his ire? Why kill them?¡±

    ¡°Senseless violence. No other reason.¡± Halzy shook his head.

    ¡°Are we at war, Guardian?¡± The abrupt frankness of the question caught everyone, including the general¡¯s own soldiers, off guard.

    ¡°With you and your people, I certainly hope not. But we¡­ if you haven¡¯t figured it out yet, we Guardians aren¡¯t from around here. Someone took a great many of us from our world and put us in these bodies. Our actions were tightly controlled prior to this¡­ whatever happened. But that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case now. The indiscriminate nature by which it was done means a lot of bad people from our world have been brought here. A lot of bad people have been given powers they shouldn¡¯t have. And with those previous limitations removed, I fear that will mean a lot of casualties as a result.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Given I have neither the means to contain or kill the one who has killed my soldiers, we are done here.¡± General Neemo¡¯s stoic expression revealed as little emotion as his words had. He clasped his hands behind his back and turned. ¡°I want our dead taken to the barracks as quickly as possible. Have someone notify Merriweather. He¡¯s got his work cut out for him.¡±

    Halzy turned to Sinnamon. ¡°I spoke with Leothalis while we were walking up here. The queen of the Serethi is coming from Delphianna tomorrow evening. Leo asked if you would come to tell your side of what happened here.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be there,¡± Sinnamon said and Weaver nodded his agreement.

    A distant roar echoed from the south and Halzy turned in the call¡¯s direction. ¡°That¡¯ll be my friends. We¡¯ve got things here if you and yours want to head back.¡±

    Sinnamon felt a wave of exhaustion flood over her. She was ready to end the day and crawl into that way too comfortable bed waiting at her guild tower.

    Their party waved a final farewell to Halzy as they stepped through their portal.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry we didn¡¯t get to fight the rock monster,¡± Sinnamon said to the trio once inside the guild tower.

    ¡°Are you kidding? This was way better! We got revenge on the people who killed us! And I leveled up twice from killing the Sorcerer!¡± JonJon said.

    Sparrow had leveled up once, though AnnaLee hadn¡¯t leveled up at all. Sinnamon¡¯s subclass was more than three quarters of the way to the next level and she still had an extra thirty-two levels in reserve. She hadn¡¯t quite settled on a new profession yet.

    Sinnamon waved her good nights to the three kids. They left to head into the city for dinner, leaving Sinnamon alone in the tower¡¯s atrium. She looked up at the great dragon in the center, then scaled the steps to her room.

    Weaver sat in a chair looking out the window. He didn¡¯t move when Sinnamon entered.

    ¡°You alright, Andrew?¡± Sinnamon called after closing the door.

    ¡°No,¡± He answered flatly, ¡°but I don¡¯t really want to talk about it.¡±

    ¡°Then we won¡¯t.¡± Sinnamon didn¡¯t want to press.

    If he wanted to talk, then she knew he would when he was ready. She walked over to him and began rubbing his shoulders. He placed a hand on hers and let out a sigh.

    They looked out the window together in silence, watching the tiny dots that were people going about their evening. A steady trickle had followed them into this section of the city, and building lights came on as the towers received their new owners.

    A dimly lit red sign about two blocks down the street caught Sinnamon¡¯s attention. There was a visible crowd growing outside. Sinnamon cast Euryphaessa¡¯s Gaze on herself, read the sign, and laughed.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±

    ¡°Look over there. See that building? You¡¯ll never guess what they named it.¡±

    Weaver looked out the window and strained, but it was clearly too far for him to read as well. He turned to her, his expression playfully curious.

    Sinnamon laughed as she answered, ¡°The Min/Max and Relax!¡±

    Weaver chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s a¡­¡±

    ¡°What else could it be? You knew it was only a matter of time. I¡¯m just upset we might have picked the wrong part of the city to live in.¡± Sinnamon laughed. Of course the oldest profession on earth had followed them to this world.

    Sinnamon stepped away from the window. ¡°You¡¯re not going to make me go to bed alone, are you?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m right behind you.¡± Weaver stood and stretched.

    Sinnamon started to undo the lace on her outfit before remembering that she could just unequip it. As she mentally prepared to do so, she noticed a hole in the outfit, right where she¡¯d taken the arrow earlier. ¡°Oh no.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a hole in my dress. Durability¡¯s all gone. I really liked it.¡±

    ¡°Looks like your whole outfit took a beating. Are you wearing any actual armor under your masquerade outfit?¡±

    ¡°Just the starter robes.¡±

    Weaver shook his head. ¡°That won¡¯t do. You¡¯re level fifty-four, you should be wearing enchanted gear by now. Didn¡¯t you say Orb left us extra money? Guess that means we¡¯ll have to go clothes shopping tomorrow.¡±

    Sinnamon smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a date.¡±

 Chapter 23: Saiph

    ¡°I initially tried to stop Isiphelo¡¯s touch upon the Caer System, the dungeon hearts, as you call them, from spreading and infecting it with his evil. That ended¡­ badly. You only know one side of that story, your efforts to return Azeban to his dungeon. I could not risk another event like that happening again. Isiphelo seemed content to merely rattle the cages of his prison, not break out himself. I wonder if he knows how close he came to that goal.¡±¡ª Reylynn, recorded in the Archivist¡¯s Log

    Caer Siddi, Diurne. Day 02.

    Congratulations! Your Caer Fragment has successfully been attuned to your soul. As you have not attuned it before dying, you have been assigned a random location to return to Navorinelle from.

    Location assigned: Delphianna

    You have died. The magic of the Firestone Mine Dungeon prevents you from opening a gate to your party. As no one in your party is capable of casting resurrection magic, you have been returned to Caer Siddi.

    Alert! Your party has found a safe zone within the Firestone Mine Dungeon. You may respawn there if you wish.

    You have died. You must pay the Cost of Resurrection in order to respawn.

    Alert! The Cost of Resurrection has changed. The cost is now:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">-10% to the total amount of experience needed to reach your next Class Level. You cannot lose a level, but the total experience needed to reach the next level can fall below zero.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">-10% Progress in your top 10 highest skills. You cannot lose a level, but the total experience needed to progress to the next level can fall below zero.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Injuries sustained below 25% of your maximum HP will only be healed to the point of no longer being life threatening. You will need to heal those wounds before your health will regenerate above 25%. This cost cannot be avoided by any Ability, Skill, or Item.</li>

    </ul>

    Alert! Equipped items and items in your inventory are now considered Soulbound (Level 1) automatically. You will no longer have a chance to lose equipped items or items in your bag of holding. Items are only considered Soulbound (Level 1) in the context of dying. Dropping or unequipping an item removes this protection. An Enchanter must soulbind an item to create a permanent bond or reach a higher level of soulbinding.

    Alert! Due to your high level as a party leader, your party possesses a buff which allows one person to respawn without paying the Cost of Resurrection or your entire party to respawn at the site of their death after paying the Cost of Resurrection. This buff has automatically been applied to you as your entire party did not die within thirty seconds of you. You can use the buff by selecting it when you leave Caer Siddi, or you may pay the Cost of Resurrection instead.

    Congratulations! Your party has slain Corrupted Miner Samira! Your party has been awarded the following:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">+1050 Experience towards your next Class Level. Note: Reward reduced to +630 experience because your unsuppressed level is 40 higher than this dungeon¡¯s maximum level.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Corrupted Miner Samira¡¯s Pickaxe (Only one person may recover this item per instance)</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">The right to search for this dungeon¡¯s Heart for the next thirty-two hours and safe passage out of the mine.</li>

    </ul>

    As your party is the first to defeat this Instanced Dungeon¡¯s Boss, your party has also been awarded the following:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Your party¡¯s members will forever be recorded as this Instanced Dungeon¡¯s first champions.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">All experience rewarded inside this Instanced Dungeon has been increased by 150% retroactively. All enchantments found on any gear inside this Instanced Dungeon are 150% stronger.</li>

    </ul>

    Saiph¡¯s body ached all over, but the sight of seeing their crazy plan having worked made it worth it!

    He sat up and looked himself over. His armor had certainly taken a beating. The few plates still attached to the shredded chainmail were dented, cracked, and warped into barely protective sheets.

    Saiph was almost certain he didn¡¯t want this armor repaired. It held the scars of his first dungeon crawl and victory over its boss, but most importantly, it announced that he had died and come back to tell the tale! Saiph tried to let out a whoop, but the absence of air in the chamber and the pain all over his body immediately shut that down. He settled for an excited, if pained, raise of the fist instead.

    ¡°Oy! Nap time¡¯s over. Get back down here and help us dig Rose out of the mess you buried her under!¡± Nix called out.

    Damn, I guess not even dying grants a man time to himself, Saiph thought as he moved to the center crystal pillar and opened a portal to the dungeon¡¯s safe zone. Seeing as how they¡¯d beaten the dungeon and been granted free passage out of it, Saiph used their free respawn.

    The safe zone itself was empty, with their party just outside the door to the boss lair. Nix was sitting cross-legged on an outcropping while Cassi and Slaine were busy removing the rubble blocking the boss lair entrance.

    Nix looked up at Saiph, ¡°Didn¡¯t I just get through fixing your armor?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Dad, I¡¯ll take better care of my toys next time.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better,¡± Nix said with feigned indignance.

    Saiph knelt down beside Nix. ¡°So, how big was the boom?¡±

    He hadn¡¯t actually seen the explosion that had killed him, Samira, and robbed himself of nearly all of his armor¡¯s durability.

    ¡°Big enough that you destroyed the whole boss room and a good section of hallway leading to it,¡± Nix replied. Then his mouth suddenly curled up into a devious smile. ¡°But not big enough to kill the boss. Rose had to finish her off.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Saiph scrolled through the combat log and, sure enough, Lueur Rose had gotten the final blow. She had a full zero hit points remaining, meaning zero HP isn¡¯t necessarily an insta-kill. Some realism, I guess. ¡°How the hell did you survive, Rose?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Rogue,¡± Rose answered weakly. ¡°There are i-frames on my shadowstep. The explosion was way bigger than I thought it would be and I had to blink into the shockwave. Aftershocks, though, give me a beating. If you guys could hurry up, surviving several explosions back to back really, really hurts.¡±

    Nix summoned a life wisp and set it on Saiph. The burns and bruises covering his body healed slowly, but it was when the deeper pains finally subsided that his health regeneration finally took over.

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    Shortly after, they cleared a path to Rose. She was lying on the ground, her golden-yellow hair matted down with blood and both her eyes were swollen shut. Her armor was nearly as bad as Saiph¡¯s own.

    ¡°I think I might have broken a rib or several,¡± Rose coughed up blood and still forced a smile, ¡°but it doesn¡¯t hurt anywhere near as bad as I think it looks.¡±

    Nix joined his life wisp in healing Rose and her ragged breathing finally returned to normal.

    Saiph offered a hand and pulled Rose to her feet. ¡°Congrats on getting the killing blow. Per the rules of North Remembers, you get the first pick of any boss loot.¡±

    ¡°You sure you wanna say that? You should know the explosion opened up a hidden entrance over there.¡± Rose pointed past Saiph and he followed her hand.

    Nestled inside a small alcove sat metal mining carts loaded with a rainbow-like assortment of gems and ore in addition to piles of mined firestone. But perhaps the most amazing item in the cache was the small black crystal sitting atop the cart of gems. It pulsed with a soft purple light.The dungeon¡¯s heart! Saiph picked it up.

    You have found the Firestone Mine Dungeon¡¯s heart. Would you like to claim this dungeon as your own?

    Alert! You are already in possession of a dungeon heart and cannot claim another. Instead a heart crystal has been created and placed inside your inventory. Giving this crystal to someone who does not already own a dungeon will allow them to claim this dungeon instead.

    A little annoyed that the rules hadn¡¯t changed to allow him to own a second guild castle, Saiph pulled the crystal from his bag and handed it to Rose. ¡°Rules are rules. It¡¯s yours.¡±

    Rose held up her hands. ¡°Actually, I think we should give it to Cassi and Slaine. Technically they found the dungeon first. I think it¡¯s only fair.¡±

    Both Cassi and Slaine balked at the idea of running a guild castle when the purpose of the dungeon heart was explained to them. They didn¡¯t care who owned the dungeon as long as they could mine it in peace. Following that exchange, Rose accepted the crystal and placed it in her bag of holding.

    Saiph picked up Samira¡¯s pickaxe, which had lain unbroken beside the dungeon heart, and handed it to Slaine. ¡°This should serve you better than your old weapon. Before we can create a safe instance for you, we will have to leave the dungeon.¡±

    Cassi looked like she wanted to say something. She brought her hands to her chest, then dropped them, repeating the action two more times in what must have been a nervous tick.

    ¡°Yes, Cassi?¡± Saiph asked in as kind a voice he could muster.

    ¡°I think¡­ I think I would like to explore the outside of the dungeon and not come back here. At least not right away.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re both welcome to travel with us to Orleana if you¡¯d like. It¡¯s a beautiful city and I know a lot of nice people. If you guys want, we might even be able to get you some items that¡¯ll allow you to change your stat point allocation. You¡¯d be able to use your abilities to the fullest. Now, I think we¡¯ve wasted enough time down here. I really need some fresh air.¡±

    Many of the rooms they¡¯d cleared had their wraiths and dreygur respawn. Exactly as the dungeon had promised, none of the undead made any attempt to harm their party. Some even avoided them intentionally, shambling away as they walked by.

    Saiph thought it best to let sleeping dogs lie, but Nix had a different idea. He stopped and got close to one of the shorter dreygur. It backed away from him, but Nix kept walking closer to it until he boxed it into a corner. Though it continued to shy away, it didn¡¯t make any attempt to harm the Summoner.

    ¡°It¡¯s a kid,¡± Nix said after a moment of intense scrutiny. ¡°Probably early teens. What the fuck¡­¡±

    Saiph had made every attempt to not look at the bodies of the dreygur he¡¯d put down over the course of their dungeon crawl, but he couldn¡¯t help but look now. The undead¡¯s skin was desiccated and the clothing rotted rags, but without a doubt, this dreygur had been a kid before turning.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Samira¡¯s our monster,¡± Nix said.

    Saiph nodded. He¡¯d had a similar thought. A dungeon full of undead and no necromancer as the final boss? It went against all the ¡°rules¡± of a dungeon. Even if this world wasn¡¯t a game, it still made no sense. Something had reanimated these dead and beefed up Samira. In a game, it could be waved away as magic slapped over a dungeon mechanic. But this wasn¡¯t a game.

    It was entirely possible the dungeon had more than one boss. Saiph knew of three instanced dungeons that had two bosses that needed to be beat in order to clear the dungeon, but then this dungeon would probably have told them they hadn¡¯t beat all the bosses and let them leave it freely.

    Rose walked over to another, adult-looking dreygur. She winced and pulled away. ¡°Look at their status pages. Their disposition is ¡®suffering¡¯. Same as Samira¡¯s had been. Can we help them?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯re definitely in a better position to do so now. But we don¡¯t know anything. We¡¯ll have our work cut out for us if we want to help them and clear the mine.¡± Saiph frowned. ¡°I would think if there¡¯s a way to destroy the dungeon, then the dungeon¡¯s heart¡¯ll be it.¡±

    ¡°But it only lets you make a guild castle or an instance with custom difficulty,¡± Nix said.

    Rose suddenly looked up. ¡°How many instanced dungeons are there?¡±

    ¡°Fifty-six. No, fifty-seven. This one¡¯s new,¡± Saiph answered. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure at least as many have been found on the other servers.¡±

    ¡°And how many dungeon hearts have been found?¡± Rose asked.

    ¡°North Remembers has five, six if you include Pallas¡¯ Watch. The LCS and LP guild systems each have one, and the Sonnet Guild System owns two. And this dungeon makes another one. EU West and East servers each have six between them, Asia One, Two, and Three have eleven. And I don¡¯t think South America, Oceana, and Africa have found any yet,¡± Saiph answered again.

    ¡°So that makes the odds roughly¡­ one in ten, right? What if there¡¯s another item that can disable the dungeon, but it¡¯s so rare no one could even stand a chance of finding it.¡± Rose said.

    ¡°North Remembers has cleared Azeban probably a thousand times by now. I¡¯m pretty sure if there were another item to control a dungeon, we¡¯d have found it by now. Unless¡­¡± Saiph suddenly had a thought. ¡°That room where we found this dungeon¡¯s heart, did anyone remember seeing even a hint of an entrance for it before we blew up the boss room?¡±

    Everyone shook their heads. Environmental destruction hadn¡¯t been possible in Annwyn Online. But that wasn¡¯t the case now, which could mean the dungeon hearts could be literally anywhere in hidden rooms or secret pockets that no one would ever have been able to find.

    Finding an instanced dungeon was hard. Finding its heart was even harder and was considered the peak quest in the game. But this, finding Rose¡¯s hypothetical item, if it existed, would greatly surpass that goal.

    But the reward prompt had been clear in its language: they were free to search for the dungeon heart and leave the dungeon. They¡¯d already done the first part, the dungeon might turn hostile if they stayed past the thirty-two hours they¡¯d been given or tried to hunt down a way to destroy it. Saiph didn¡¯t intend to find out how seriously the dungeon meant what it had said.

    The cool, crisp evening air was a welcome relief from the oppressive high ambient heat and stale air of the dungeon.

    Both Cassi and Slaine froze in the mine¡¯s entrance, mouths agape. Solaire had set and in its place as the center of the cloudless night time sky, a full Diurne cast a bright whitish-purple light on the forest. The blues and greens of the forest pulsed with a soft purple from the rhythmic light of Diurne¡¯s crystal half. Saiph didn¡¯t see Nocturne, but that moon was hardly ever visible. She was nearly completely black and much smaller than Diurne, leaving her really only visible when she eclipsed her larger sister.

    ¡°So pretty,¡± Cassi said, mouth agape.

    Placing a hand on each of their shoulders, Saiph said to them, ¡°We take this kind of view for granted. I am only sorry you couldn¡¯t have seen the preceding sunset.¡±

    A tear trickled down Slaine¡¯s cheek as he glanced from Cassi to the brightly lit forest. ¡°I want to protect you while you mine, but I do not think I can go back into that cave with so much beauty to see here.¡±

    Cassi turned and hugged Slaine. ¡°Me neither.¡±

    And the two took off, touching every blade of grass and sniffing every flower. Even Nix was wiping tears at the child-like behavior of the pair. When Saiph eyed him, Nix gave a stare and turned away, leaving Saiph to smile.

    Lueur Rose was still inside the cave. She was kneeling on the ground with her back to Saiph.

    ¡°You alright, Rose?¡±

    ¡°You guys didn¡¯t hear her?¡±

    ¡°Hear who?¡±

    ¡°Samira. She was standing here. She looked like a normal person. I tried to speak to her, but she just fell on the ground screaming. I tried to help her, but her body disappeared. You really didn¡¯t hear anything?¡±

    Saiph looked around the cave. There was no sign that anyone else had been in there. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±

    Rose sniffled and wiped tears from her eyes. ¡°I think she was calling for help. What do we do?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll bring up your idea about another possible dungeon controlling item to both North Remembers and the Brotherhood of Pirates. We¡¯ll come back here with a full party and we¡¯ll see if we can talk to her again,¡± Saiph said. ¡°If there¡¯s a way to help her and the people of the mine, even if it means destroying this dungeon, we¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Rose wiped her eyes and took one last look into the cave.

    She, Saiph, and Nix continued to watch Cassi and Slaine get their fill of the new world they¡¯d been introduced to before heading back to Eric¡¯s shop.

 Chapter 24: Saiph

    ¡°With that terrible event came a silver lining: a new means of better training the Guardians. I believe Isiphelo has inadvertently given us a great tool in his undoing with the creation of the dungeon hearts.¡±¡ª Reylynn, recorded in the Archivist¡¯s Log

    Beyond the village of Firestone, the Territories of Rielle. Day 02.

    Saiph had found Eric slowly rocking in his chair in front of his shop when he and his party had made it back to the forge. He was looking up at Diurne overhead. The crescent sliver of its white half was faintly tinted purple from its crystalline half¡¯s faint pulsing glow.

    ¡°You bring good news, I hope!¡± Eric called out.

    ¡°Good and bad,¡± Saiph answered. He relayed the story of their adventure and Eric listened with rapt attention.

    ¡°The whole thing¡¯s become a magic dungeon?¡± Eric asked.

    ¡°Yeah, not as strong as some of the ones my guild has faced, but an instanced dungeon nonetheless. Clearing it out might be impossible now. I¡¯m not sure if we can do it. I¡¯ve never heard of an instanced dungeon being destroyed.¡± Saiph said. ¡°But we¡¯re going to find a way if it means helping those people finally rest.¡±

    ¡°An admirable goal,¡± Eric said.

    ¡°One we don¡¯t really know where to begin. Is there anything more you know about the mine? Or Instanced Dungeons in general?¡±

    ¡°About dungeons, no. Talk to Sylas, adventurers come through from time to time to stay at his inn, he¡¯d know more than I.¡±

    ¡°One more thing, do you know about a woman named Samira?¡±

    Eric sat silently for a moment, then said, ¡°No. Name doesn¡¯t ring a bell. Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Because of what happened after we cleared the dungeon,¡± Rose said, then recounted her meeting with Samira.

    ¡°That sounds awful. I wish I could help, but I honestly don¡¯t know anything else I could do,¡± Eric said. ¡°My forge is always at your service. You look like you could use it.¡±

    Saiph looked down at his beaten armor. ¡°Yeah, unfortunately I think it''s too far gone now. But that does lead into some good news¡­¡±

    Saiph pulled a large sack from his bag of holding. ¡°We did get some firestone for you.¡±

    Eric¡¯s eyes went wide as he looked at the bag. ¡°That¡¯s far more than I could have asked for!¡±

    Cassi bolted to Eric and picked up one of the firestone crystals, holding it up to the older man. ¡°You can use these? What do they do? I have many more pieces!¡±

    Cassi¡¯s words ran together as she frantically pulled more firestone from her own bag of holding. When the pile threatened to spill off the table beside him, Eric threw his hands up.

    ¡°Please, miss! Please! That¡¯s enough! We don¡¯t want to blow the whole place up! I¡¯m more than happy to show you my forge whenever you like. Just please keep that much firestone in your bag!¡±

    Cassi nodded and began returning the stones to her bag. She turned to Saiph. ¡°I know you wanted us to go to Orleana with you, but is it alright if we stay here? I need to learn more about this firestone.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask us for permission. You¡¯re your own person. I¡¯m sure the village will be more than happy to give you both rooms of your own in return for the firestone you give them,¡± Saiph said.

    Eric gave an excited nod. ¡°Absolutely! Tell Sylas to give them rooms. He will set them up well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Saiph said. At the sound of yawning from Rose, Saiph pulled the starstruck Cassi away from Eric and put them on the path back to the village.

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    Sylas¡¯ tavern had already gone to sleep by the time Saiph and his party returned to the village. A covered plate of bread and fruit and a pitcher of water with several empty cups had been set out on the bar for any patrons who might want to break their fast overnight.

    Saiph took a small plate of bread and fruit and sat down at a booth. Slaine sat at a bar in silence while everyone else had gone to bed. Neither he nor Cassi seemed very interested in idle conversation. Saiph just figured they hadn¡¯t had much to say, having only been around for two days. That, and being an introvert himself, Saiph was perfectly fine dining alone.

    He studied Riley¡¯s profile. It still showed her as online at their guild castle, Pallas¡¯ Watch. He wondered what was going on over there. More and more he wondered if whoever was on her account ignoring him was a bot like Cassi and Slaine. Or someone who had hacked it and was just trying to avoid him.

    Slaine tapped on the table. Sometime while Saiph had been lost in thought, the Berserker had moved from the bar to sit across from Saiph. He had a child-like anxiousness about him, not unlike what Cassi had displayed earlier. Saiph had forgotten that though Slaine bore the looks of a Berserker, tall and muscular with a rugged face, he was still very much a ¡°child¡± in a way.

    Saiph closed his menus. ¡°What¡¯s up, Slaine?¡±

    ¡°You said something earlier about an item that could change my stats. Why would I want to do that?¡±

    ¡°Putting all your points into one stat is largely a waste. You need a well rounded amount of stats to make yourself as effective as possible. Constitution gives you more health to survive more blows. Strength makes you do more damage, but dexterity increases your attack speed, allowing you to hit more often. Being able to deal a big hit doesn¡¯t mean anything if you can¡¯t move fast enough or survive long enough to land it.¡± Saiph kept his explanation of the stat system as brief as he could for Slaine. He would understand it in time.

    Slaine looked at the ground for a long moment. ¡°Constitution gives more health. If I had more health, I would not have been nearly killed by Samira earlier? I could better help Cassi with more health¡­¡±

    ¡°It was a hard hit, even I felt it. But yes. And if Cassi had more mana, she¡¯d be able to cast more spells to help you. You two would be able to better help each other.¡±

    Berserkers wanted to move to kite their enemies as easily as possible and Casters wanted to slow and inhibit the enemy. Slaine wouldn''t need a healer given his high health regeneration and Cassi could focus on letting Slaine deal damage while keeping the pressure off the both of them. Whomever had created their accounts and paired them together had inadvertently given them a boon if they could get the proper build path going.

    ¡°I think I understand. I would like it if you could get those items you talked about.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do that. And if you two need anything while we¡¯re gone, you only need to ask.¡± Saiph punctuated the statement by sending the Berserker a friend request.

    The two continued chatting about the basics of the game for a while longer before Slaine went off to bed, taking Saiph¡¯s room.

    Saiph went back to his menus, not particularly tired. He sent another message to Riley, then followed up with one to Will.

    Will responded with a call. ¡°Sup, Isaac. Anything new going on your way?¡±

    Saiph filled him in on their dungeon escapades.

    ¡°An instanced dungeon there? And you found a pair of bots? Quite the day.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but there was more to it. It¡¯s just a hunch, but I have a feeling we¡¯ve been going after the instanced dungeons all wrong.¡± The meeting with Samira Lueur Rose had described earlier spooked Saiph more than he¡¯d let her know. He didn¡¯t exactly like the idea that he, his guild, and the many other players across the globe had been unintentionally hurting innocent people by raiding those dungeons. Especially with the way Raine von Alder had explained summoning magic, it felt¡­ wrong.

    ¡°No, I get it. We¡¯ll see what we can dig up here. If the people we¡¯re fighting in dungeons were just trapped there by something else, we¡¯ll find a way to free them,¡± Will said.

    ¡°I hope so. Anything new going on your way?¡±

    ¡°As far as I can tell, people are still holding their collective breaths. Word finally made it to us about the big guild meeting in Araedi. LP Seshat, the ones organizing it, invited me and my guild personally to come. Pays to run the largest guild in Annwyn Online. We''ll be sending a delegation,¡± Will said with a smile in his tone. ¡°I¡¯ve also got a group here ready to make a raid party to fight our way to Pallas¡¯ Watch. When you getting here?¡±

    ¡°We should be there by tomorrow night,¡± Saiph yawned and laid down on his bench. ¡°I do want to come back to the mine after finding out what''s going on with Riley¡¯s account, see if we might be able to get something more out of Samira. We¡¯ll have to run a smaller party for that, it caps at six.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan. Say, I see you¡¯ve still got the Dragon Warrior subclass. You haven¡¯t summoned your dragon yet, have you?¡±

    ¡°No, why?¡±

    ¡°Check my new class. Just do it when you have enough space and there isn¡¯t anything burnable around. Good night, Saiph,¡± And with that cryptic message, Will ended their call.

    Saiph looked at his friend¡¯s status page. His class had changed. Before, he¡¯d been a Sword Saint, now he was a Dragon Saber. And his subclass, Dragon Warrior, had been replaced with his old Pirate subclass.

    Upon further inspection, nearly everyone in North Remembers had their Dragon Warrior subclasses replaced with another subclass and their main class now held some moniker of the word ¡°Dragon¡±. Saiph nodded off to sleep, wondering what this new bit of information could mean.

 Chapter 25: Saiph

    Firestone, the Territories of Rielle. Day 03.

    ¡°Could have sworn I gave you three rooms, though you are more than welcome to sleep on that bench, if that¡¯s more comfortable.¡± Sylas set a cup down in front of a very groggy Saiph.

    ¡°Trust me, it isn''t. Just passed out with a lot on my mind,¡± Saiph sipped at the warm not-quite-coffee he was beginning to develop a deep affection for. ¡°You ever heard of a woman named Samira?¡±

    ¡°The only Samira I know of was Eric¡¯s wife. She was one of the first victims of the old firestone mine monster.¡±

    Samira was Eric¡¯s wife? Why wouldn¡¯t he remember that? Saiph wondered.

    ¡°You have a look, you know something?¡± Sylas asked.

    ¡°We went into the mine. It¡¯s an instanced dungeon now. We, uh, we fought Samira.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying she¡¯s the mine¡¯s monster?¡±

    ¡°No, I think the real monster is controlling her like the dreygur and wraiths,¡± Isaac said. ¡°We¡¯re going to try and find a way to lay her and the rest of the mine¡¯s victims to rest.¡±

    ¡°I think I understand,¡± Sylas said. ¡°Eric was in a bad way when they found him. He was the only miner to make it out. Have you told him what you found? He¡¯ll no doubt want to help you help those lost souls.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s just it: we did tell him about Samira.¡± Saiph paused. ¡°How bad was he when you found him? Bad enough that he¡¯d forget his own wife?¡±

    Sylas frowned. ¡°He was pretty bad. Then one day, he was fine. Well, he¡¯s always kept to himself, so none of us ever thought much of it. Oh, hells¡­ All this time. I should have been a better friend.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself. You can¡¯t fix what you can¡¯t control. Mikel had to remind me of that the other night. I happen to know a person who might be good for this sort of thing. He helped me a while back. Just check in on him until we get back in a couple days. I just hope we didn¡¯t tear any old wounds open,¡± Saiph shrugged. ¡°He seems to like Cassi and Slaine and I think they like him, too. Their mutual interest in firestone should keep them busy.¡±

    ¡°Your summoner friend mentioned those two¡¯ll need a place to stay for a bit? They¡¯re more than welcome to stay here,¡± Sylas said. ¡°Thank you for looking after Eric.¡±

    Saiph let the older man walk away to go about his morning duties. Saiph found Nix and Rose already outside waiting for him.

    ¡°Sure we don¡¯t want Cassi or Slaine to get us to Orleana? It¡¯ll be a short there and back for them,¡± Nix asked.

    ¡°Nah, I think we should let them get used to this place for now. Besides, we should be able to get there by nightfall,¡± Saiph answered.

    Nix moved to open his summoning grimoire.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a mount for me, I want to try something,¡± Saiph said, remembering his conversation with Will. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Well beyond the walls of the village, Saiph activated his spell, Summon: Crystal Dragon. A loud, thunderous roar answered and a great, looming shadow descended upon them.

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    A great black dragon with ice blue horns on either side of its head and plates down its back like those of a stegosaurus landed in the clearing in front of Saiph. It was a giant beast, each talon longer than Saiph was tall.

    The dragon¡¯s blue eyes locked with Saiph¡¯s own and the spell¡¯s icon on his hotbar flashed in sync with a draconic, yet distinctly feminine, voice speaking inside his head.

    ¡°I am Rellar Azureth, Great Matriarch of all dragon-kind. And you are¡­¡± The dragon paused, tilting her head in a decidedly human gesture of intrigue. She studied Saiph with intense eyes. ¡°Anathi? It seems fitting that you were the one who spearheaded the defense of our young. How long has it been? A hundred? A thousand years? I¡¯d wondered when I¡¯d taken my dying breath if we were wrong in denying you aid all those years ago. You have our aid now. I only hope it proves more useful to you now than you¡¯d hoped back then.¡±

    The dragon looked at Saiph and must have sensed his confusion. He had no idea what she was talking about.

    ¡°You do not know this name, Anathi. It matters little. You saved our eggs, our progeny. Our future.¡±

    ¡°My guild still watches your eggs, awaiting the day they¡¯ll hatch and return dragons to this land,¡± Saiph said, it was the only thing he could think to say. Perhaps Anathi was a title, akin to his Dragon Warrior subclass.

    ¡°And for that, we are eternally in your debt. I complete my binding to you now. May you find yourself in time, Anathi.¡±

    Before Saiph could ask her what she meant, Rellar Azureth opened her mouth revealing a cavern lined with serrated teeth. Blue fire flowed from deep within her gullet, bathing Saiph in its heat. He flinched, but found he did not burn. As the fires flowed upon him, the dragon''s own body began to disappear, changing into the same crystal fire that now flowed into Saiph¡¯s body.

    A prompt appeared in front of Saiph¡¯s eyes.

    Long ago, the dragons were attacked by the demon Azeban. You and those who bear the title Dragon Warrior aided in the resealing of the demon back within its dungeon. The dragon queen, Rellar Azureth, like all those now dead, have answered your summons over the decades to aid you in your quests. In reality, each of them has been standing by in the realm between life and death, stalling their eternal rest in the hope that they would one day be able to reward those who saved their kind with a gift bound to your soul.

    Alert! Your Class, Subclass, Race, and Stats have been adjusted by the act of your soul merging with a piece of Rellar Azureth¡¯s.

    You are no longer Man. You are Dragonkin.

    You are no longer Sentinel-Dragon Warrior. You are Dragon Sentinel.

    You may choose a new subclass or pick an old one with no penalties.

    Saiph could feel his body growing stronger. His status page, too, showed the increase in his base stats. A flat twenty percent boost to his Health, Stamina, Mana, Strength, Endurance, Willpower, and Constitution had all been applied. His class now showed Dragon Sentinel and his race was now Dragonkin.

    Saiph didn¡¯t feel any other differences until he looked down at his hands. They weren¡¯t hands anymore, but great talons with crystal blue claws. He bellowed a roar in surprise, falling backwards and landing on a new set of limbs on his back. He craned his now elongated neck backwards and gasped at the two massive wings protruding from his great draconic back.

    His spell, Summon: Crystal Dragon, had been changed to Crystal Dragon Form, and it showed as currently active.

    It was only then that Saiph became aware of the two voices beneath him. Both Rose and Nix were trying to get his attention. Saiph turned to face them.

    ¡°What the fuck is this!¡± Nix shouted. ¡°This whole time I¡¯ve been blowing through my mana pool to summon mounts for you and you could turn into a fucking dragon? What the fuck, Isaac!¡±

    Saiph smiled at Nix¡¯s frustration while giving a few test flaps of his new wings. They felt sturdy and strong and a part of him instinctively knew how to use them as though he¡¯d always had them.

    Nix invited Saiph to a private call and he accepted it.

    ¡°I know you can hear me! What gives?¡±

    Saiph bellowed a thunderous laugh at his friend and launched himself into the air. His wings caught the updraft and he soared higher and higher as he best his powerful muscles.

    Saiph flew high over the forest below, diving and catching himself just above the treetops, all the while listening to the sound of Nix¡¯s frustrations from inside his own head.

    The end of Part Two.

 Interlude: Alyx

    ¡°Diurne is much larger than Earth''s moon, Luna. Nocturne, a fair bit smaller than Luna. Yet like Earth, Luna, and Sol; Terre, Diurne, Nocturne, and Solaire are able to create some visually stunning total eclipses. My personal favorite is the ¡®donut eclipse¡¯ Nocturne and Diurne do once every thirty-six days.¡±¡ª Understanding Our New Home, Volume One

    Outside the village of Pella, the Territories of Ilsylvania. Day 02, earlier that day.

    The bucket of water Alyx had been using to wash her family¡¯s clothing had become more dirt than soap once she had moved on to Lynn¡¯s clothing. It was really unfair that the two of them had to alternate chores when Lynn¡¯s clothing always required the most amount of effort to clean.

    As if to add insult to injury, Lynn had finished her chores hours ago and was now swimming in the nearby lake while Alyx continued to toil away.

    Lynn shouted something unintelligible and Alyx did her best to ignore her. She called again and Alyx finally looked up to see what she was saying.

    Lynn was pointing at the sky and Alyx followed her gaze. High above them, a shooting star flew across the sky as a fiery streak of orange and red. The meteor crumbled as it punched across the sky, shooting off fragments that sent tendrils of smoke in every direction like bolts of lightning. All the streaks faded, save one, which continued on its course, hurtling into the ground with a thundering boom that shook the valley.

    Lynn swam towards Alyx. ¡°You wanna go find it?¡±

    ¡°No, I want to finish washing all your dirty clothes so I can go back to the rest of my day,¡± Alyx huffed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you when we get back,¡± Lynn said in the sing-song voice she used when she wasn¡¯t going to do the thing she¡¯d just said she¡¯d do. ¡°I¡¯ll even let you keep the biggest piece we break off.¡±

    Before Alyx could protest, Lynn had already dressed herself, fastened her sheathed sword around her waist, and was slipping under the fence. She glanced back at Alyx and nodded for her to follow, then darted off without a word.

    Alyx sighed and picked up her bow and quiver of arrows. If she was going to break the rules with Lynn, she might as well be buried with something cool following her demise via parental fury.

    Alyx ran to catch up to Lynn, who sat crouching behind a bush. Alyx slid beside her sister and took in the scene. The traveler from space had left several fallen trees in its wake, some still smoking. Lynn started to walk out from behind the bush when a low rumble in the ground made her freeze.

    A large, humanoid figure slowly moved out from behind some trees on the far side of the clearing. It walked slowly, sending tiny tremors with each step. It was well over ten feet tall, bulky with arms disproportionately long compared to a human. Bulky with skin like the marble stone that made up Old Man Logan¡¯s farmhouse, it continued towards the meteorite.

    Long stony fingers picked at the chunk of space rock before it quickly lost interest and turned for the direction it had come from.

    ¡°Quick! Let¡¯s grab a piece before it comes back!¡± Lynn ran to the meteorite, which was nearly as big as she was, and began pounding on it with the hilt of her sword with no success.

    ¡°You¡¯ll never break through it. Let¡¯s see if Logan has a hammer in his toolshed.¡±

    Lynn gave the meteor one more hard thwack before giving up. ¡°Good idea.¡±

    Several loud booms and the sound of a bellowing roar came from the direction the stone monster had moved in. With a wide smile of excitement on her face, Lynn grabbed Alyx¡¯s arm and pulled her in the direction of the commotion.

    The stone monster was surrounded by a growing tower of flames. The monster roared in pain as the fire licked its skin. A fresh ball of fire flew through the air and exploded off the monster¡¯s back.

    Four men and a woman were standing beside each other. They appeared to be arguing with the one who had thrown the fireball.

    They weren¡¯t an adventuring party. No, they were Guardians. Powerful beings that protected the people of Navorinelle from the things that were too strong for adventurers or the city guards to deal with. They had been gone for almost a month and now they were back. And both Alyx and Lynn got to see them fight up close and personal.

    Neither of them had met a Guardian in person, but they wandered throughout Castera often enough that they were hard to miss.

    ¡°We should go say hi to them!¡± Lynn said in hushed excitement.

    ¡°No, they¡¯re fighting that monster!¡± Alyx said back.

    ¡°I at least want to hear what they¡¯re saying,¡± Lynn said, moving towards a closer spot to catch their conversation.

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    ¡°You should have waited for us to suppress. There was a quest marker back there to kill the guy. It would have been easy XP and gold,¡± the woman said. She held a glaive and twirled it around in her hands. She was dressed in the clothing pirates of the coast of Rielle wore.

    ¡°You all got to fight those other monsters. I just wanted to see what I could do before you one shot it.¡± The mage said. A bolt of lighting erupted from his hands and hit the stone monster. A clap of thunder followed and the monster fell to the ground, dying if not already dead.

    ¡°You see! An epic monster and we get no loot and one experience point.¡± The woman huffed as she inspected the monster¡¯s remains. ¡°You should have fucking waited.¡±

    One of the men wearing a white coat with two short swords strapped to his waist turned to the bickering man and woman. ¡°Would you both shut up? We¡¯re not here for loot. I want to piss off the damn admins and be gone already.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it matter? Not like whoever¡­¡± The mage shrugged, his words trailing away as he moved out of earshot.

    The man in the white coat said something else in a whisper and everyone went quiet. More footsteps and then a man¡¯s voice. A voice she recognized.

    ¡°Guardians? It¡¯s go¡­¡± Captain Tarik Kronos¡¯ words slowed to unintelligibility.

    Alyx glanced up to see what had happened and she nearly screamed. Lynn¡¯s hand rushed over her mouth and it was all she could do to keep any sound from escaping her throat.

    Kronos was standing in the middle of a shimmering bubble. His left arm was falling to the ground, fingers still outstretched in the offer of a handshake. It floated to the ground, slowly like a feather, not the mass of muscle that it really was. Blood spurted from the wound at his shoulder in tragically slow pulses. All along his chest armor, holes began weeping blood. The captain¡¯s lips were still locked in the formation of his final words.

    It was slow, but his face began to contort from his pleasant greeting to wide eyed surprise and then finally the cold, blank look of death.

    His body¡¯s fall to the ground sped up as the bubble surrounding him dissipated, but to Alyx, it still happened in slow motion, the memory forever seared into her mind. White Coat¡¯s sword coated in Kronos¡¯ blood drove home the terrible realization: the people sworn to protect Navorinelle had just murdered one of its people.

    White Coat wiped his sword on Kronos¡¯ cape, then turned to the man in robes beside him. ¡°Look, our names changed to red. Clearly someone''s watching.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but it didn¡¯t do anything. No messages or anything,¡± the robed man replied.

    ¡°That just means we need to go¡ª¡±

    A woman¡¯s yell cut short their conversation and Alyx¡¯s time to process the scene. The yell preceded the sound of metal on metal and combat erupting all around Alyx and Lynn.

    Alyx looked up and nearly screamed. The woman who¡¯d yelled had been their adoptive mother, Tyressa Pearce. She was locked in a deadly dance of swords with White Coat. She managed two hits on him before a pillar of stone burst upward from beneath her feet, launching her into the air and into a bush several feet away.

    ¡°Mom!¡±

    The words left Alyx¡¯s mouth before she knew it.

    Everything, everyone stopped at the same moment and the forest grew eerily silent as nearly a dozen pair eyes suddenly locked onto Alyx and Lynn.

    White Coat broke into a sprint towards them. He moved with such speed, Alyx saw only the blur of the figure coming towards her.

    Another blur, the Guardian woman with the staff, moved even faster. She tackled White Coat to the ground before he could close even half the distance to them.

    ¡°Fuck you, Krait! I¡¯m all for getting the admin¡¯s attention, but I¡¯m not letting you kill two kids in front of me!¡±

    "What''s it matter? They''re just NPCs!" White Coat broke free of the woman¡¯s grip and picked up his fallen rapiers.

    The woman with the staff lunged upward, driving her weapon through Krait''s shoulder. "This whole plan of yours is fucking psycho! I''m out!"

    White Coat said something unintelligible before diving on the woman, taking them both back to the ground.

    The woman turned to Alyx and Lynn and just before White Coat''s rapier went through her head, she shouted, ¡°You two get the fuck out of here!¡±

    And Alyx and Lynn ran. They ran until the sounds of conflict were distant.

    Lynn grabbed Alyx by the arm so hard, she almost took them both to the ground.

    ¡°We have to go back and help mom.¡± And I¡¯m going whether you come with me or not was heavily implied by the look on her face.

    Alyx nodded. They had already lost a father they had never met. They weren¡¯t about to lose one of their mothers.

    They turned back towards the sound of the fighting, circling wide until they found the bush their mother had landed in.

    She lay on the ground unmoving. Her left eye was swollen shut and an ugly gash ran across her brow.

    Neither Alyx nor Lynn had any aptitude for healing magic like their birth mother, Aliyah, but they had learned plenty about healing through other means.

    They checked for a pulse. It was there.

    They checked for any other injuries that would make moving her life threatening. They found none.

    Lynn grabbed their mother¡¯s right side, Alyx her left.

    And they ran.

    They ran past the point of exhaustion.

    And still they ran.

    By the time they got to the farmhouse, they were both drenched in sweat and their mother¡¯s blood. Lynn called for Aliyah and she burst through the door almost immediately. Their mother¡¯s face broke only for a second when she saw them before it was quickly masked behind a wall of resolve and concentration. It was a brief sight Alyx knew she never wanted to see again.

    White-gold mana flowed from Aliyah¡¯s hands and into Tyressa. As the wounds on her began to heal, their mother looked at them both expectantly.

    ¡°We saw a meteor crash and went to go break off a piece and then we saw a rock monster and the Guardians started fighting it and then we saw Mom and Captain Kronos and¡­ and¡­¡± Alyx tried to finish answering their mother¡¯s unasked question, her words coming in a long, panicked stream, but she couldn¡¯t finish the sentence as she began to cry as Kronos¡¯ gruesome death replayed itself in her mind.

    Tyressa¡¯s hand reached up and she spoke between labored breaths. ¡°Send word to General Neemo. Kronos is dead, and I¡¯m certain so are Caleb and Shai. The Guardians¡­ the Guardians have betrayed us.¡±

 Part Three, Chapter 26: Tyree

    Logan''s farmhouse. Outside Pella, the Territories of Ilsylvania. Day 03.

    Tyree jolted and reached for the sword that always lay by her side, but her hands grabbed only bedsheets. She caught her breath, realizing she¡¯d had a nightmare. But still, her sword wasn¡¯t at her side.

    That was when Tyree realized she wasn¡¯t in AnaBeth¡¯s inn. Tyree strained to sit up, her head on fire. She only just realized her left eye was covered by bandages she could feel going around her head. Tyree looked around and saw a familiar face. Her old adventuring mate, Logan, was sitting in a chair reading a book.

    ¡°Logan?¡± Tyree called. ¡°What is going on?¡±

    Logan turned a page, then started. ¡°Oh, Tyressa, you¡¯re awake! Good.¡±

    Logan set down his book and walked over to Tyree¡¯s bedside. He looked older than the last time Tyree had seen him. He¡¯d added considerably more grey to his light reddish brown hair and his beard was considerably wispier. The half-serethi man was the oldest in their party at over a hundred and fifty, young for a full-blooded, but already far older than Tyree would likely live.

    ¡°How did I get here?¡± Tyree hated the fact that she¡¯d apparently had a chunk of her memory missing. The only thing she remembered was finding that village that had been massacred to the last person by goblins. Had she run into them? Where were Tarik, Shai, and Caleb?

    ¡°You were attacked just south of here. You were banged up pretty badly.¡± By the forced gentleness in Logan¡¯s tone, Tyree began to dread his answer with every word he spoke.

    ¡°And my squad? Where are they¡­?¡±

    Memory came flooding back to her. They¡¯d been walking to Pella from their return trip to Araedi following that bright purple light filling the sky. The Guardians had returned and¡­ and they had killed Tarik. He¡¯d given them a friendly wave and they killed him. But that wasn¡¯t all. She¡¯d heard her daughters.

    ¡°Tyree! Calm down! Here, take a sip of this!¡± Logan pushed a drink into Tyree¡¯s hands.

    She¡¯d been hyperventilating and began sipping the drink, which was a strong, earthy tea.

    ¡°Please tell me my children are safe.¡± Tyree set the drink down in her lap.

    ¡°They¡¯re safe. They¡¯re outside. Listen.¡±

    Tyree heard the faint sound of one of them, Alyx, laughing. She swung her legs out from under her blanket and tried to stand. Her whole body felt drained, just that little bit of effort had taken it out of her.

    ¡°Help me stand? I need to see them.¡±

    Logan shook his head. ¡°No, you need rest and¡­ you¡¯re not going to listen to me, are you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Tyree shook her head. She managed to work herself closer to the bed¡¯s edge. ¡°The way I see it, you have two choices: help me or let me fall and hurt myself even more.¡±

    Logan sighed, but went to Tyree¡¯s side. He handed her a cane, which she used to prop herself up as Logan helped her stand.

    Each step towards the window felt like she was wearing armor made of lead, but she didn¡¯t fall or stumble.

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    Outside, Alyx and Lynn were running around with a man whose long white and silver hair suggested age, but who moved with the fluidity and grace of youth.

    ¡°Who is that?¡± Tyree asked.

    ¡°His name is Halzy. He¡¯s one of the Guardians who helped capture your attackers. We spoke earlier. He¡¯s a good man.¡± Logan said. ¡°He told me he and the other Guardians had something bad happen to them. He believes that¡¯s why you were attacked yesterday.¡±

    ¡°What happened to my squad?¡± Tyree asked again, realizing Logan had never answered her question.

    He looked at her with sadness in his eyes. ¡°They didn¡¯t make it. I¡¯m sorry, Tyree.¡±

    There was a knock at the door. Aliyah opened it, carrying a tray with three cups and a large teapot.

    ¡°I heard you two talking, I figured you could use a drink¡­¡± Aliyah trailed off as her gaze shifted from the empty bed to Tyree and Logan at the window. ¡°Tyressa Norraine Pearce, you shouldn¡¯t be standing. And Logan, you know better!¡±

    ¡°Busted,¡± Logan said under his breath. He looked up at Aliyah, an air of playfulness in his words. ¡°In my defense, she all but threatened to hurt herself even more if I didn¡¯t help her.¡±

    Tyree jabbed a thumb into Logan¡¯s arm and whispered, ¡°Way to throw me to the dragon¡¯s nest alone.¡±

    ¡°A smart adventurer knows when he is outmatched,¡± Logan whispered back. He slipped past Aliyah and closed the door behind him.

    Aliyah set the tray on the nightstand and fixed two cups of tea, setting one on the bed and holding the other as she patiently waited for Tyree to all but drag herself to the bed.

    Tyree took the cup and sipped. The brew was sweet and strong. ¡°New recipe? It¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Halzy made it. He¡¯s a very good herbalist,¡± Aliyah replied, sipping from her own glass. She set the cup down, then reached for Tyree¡¯s shirt, pulling her into a long kiss.

    Taken aback, Tyree placed her arms around Aliyah. Aliyah pulled away, burying her head in Tyree¡¯s shoulder and the two just held each other for a time. Aliyah sniffled and Tyree felt something wet on her neck. Aliyah pulled away and handed Tyree a cloth napkin.

    ¡°Tyree,¡± Aliyah began. ¡°Why do you always insist on putting yourself in harm¡¯s way?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. Those Guardians attacked us,¡± Tyree said softly.

    ¡°No, they attacked Tarik. You should have fallen back with Caleb and Shai,¡± Aliyah said more firmly.

    Tyree stayed silent. She couldn¡¯t protest as she knew Aliyah was right. She¡¯d charged into battle when she¡¯d seen Kronos stabbed over and over. They hadn¡¯t seen her and the others yet; Tyree should have ordered a swift retreat. Shai and Caleb would still be alive if she had.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not fair. I wasn¡¯t there, I can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Tyree,¡± Aliyah said, wiping more tears from her eyes. ¡°Tyree, when I saw the state you were in when Lynn and Alyx brought you here¡­ You looked awful. What if they had found you dead? They¡¯ve already lost Lucien. I don¡¯t want them to lose you, too. I can¡¯t lose you. I don¡¯t get the luxury of growing old with you. Call me selfish, but I want to spend as much of our time together as possible.¡±

    Tyree hadn¡¯t seen this version of her wife, tearful and vulnerable in over a decade. It was a version of Aliyah she¡¯d hoped she¡¯d never live to see again.

    There was a great irony in her wife¡¯s words. This was the exact same conversation she¡¯d intended to have when she got here. Ever since finding the ruins of that village and seeing all that death, Tyree had known what her path would be.

    ¡°I¡¯m resigning my commission with the army,¡± Tyree finally said. ¡°Pella¡¯s my last assignment.¡±

    ¡°What will you do? Adventuring is in your blood. I know that¡¯s why you joined in the first place,¡± Aliyah said.

    That wasn¡¯t the only reason Tyree had joined. The deeper reason, the one she¡¯d kept even from Aliyah, was why she had progressed so quickly through the ranks. As a captain, her survivorship benefits to Aliyah and their daughters, plus whatever earnings they had left from their past life as adventurers would be enough to ensure Aliyah would never have to work when Tyree was gone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out. But I know in the short term, I want to hang out with you, our daughters, and our friends.¡±

    Aliyah chuckled, a soft smile returning to her face. ¡°I know you¡¯ll get bored within a week. But we¡¯ll worry about that then. Right now, I need you whole again.¡±

    She leaned in and kissed Tyree again, this time running her hand up the small of Tyree¡¯s back and pulling her entire body closer in a way that made Tyree want to grab Aliyah and never let go. Disappointment rose in Tyree¡¯s thoughts as Aliyah pulled away and left the room.

 Chapter 27: Sinnamon Roll

    Araedi. Day 03.

    The greens surrounding Araedi¡¯s guildhall had exploded into a massive shopping district with tents and shop stands full of wandering people, both NPCs and Guardians. People flooded the already tight paths making it even hard to move around.

    Sinnamon clung to Weaver¡¯s arm as he effortlessly parted the crowd.

    A man nearly as large as Weaver held up a hand to stop him. ¡°You better not be thinking about cutting in line.¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re looking for¡ªwhat is this line for?¡± Weaver asked.

    Sinnamon followed his gaze. The line was rather long, ropes had been set up to tame it and the two had nearly walked into one of them, stopped only by the large man in front of them.

    The man grinned. ¡°Why, it¡¯s our very own KFC! It ain¡¯t quite the original secret herbs and spices, but I think the dear old Colonel would be proud of just how close we came.¡±

    Sinnamon retraced the line back to a large white and red tent where people walked away with large bags of food.

    She turned to the man. ¡°You guys managed all this in only three days?¡±

    ¡°Sure did! Though we¡¯ve been an alchemy guild forever, it wasn¡¯t so hard to make the switch to good food. And the people of this fine city seem to love it!¡± He looked wistfully at the stand. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll share the recipes with everyone at the big guild meeting. You can¡¯t really blame us for making a profit while we wait for it, can you?¡±

    ¡°No, I guess I can¡¯t,¡± Sinnamon said with a laugh. She turned to Weaver. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to make a stop here if the line ever dies down.¡±

    ¡°Guess so,¡± Weaver replied with a laugh of his own.

    They left the man and continued on their way until they found an armorer¡¯s shop named Sally¡¯s War Goods. A tall woman with a figure not too dissimilar from Weaver¡¯s greeted them. She was a level one hundred Sentinel who wore violet armor that transitioned to indigo near her feet. White trim accented the armor as well as the matching greatsword leaning against her stand.

    The woman smiled and waved as they approached. ¡°The name¡¯s Sallyvation, but feel free to call me Sally. Always good to see another tank, what can I do for ya?¡±

    Weaver set his two stone gauntlets on the counter. ¡°Any chance you could fix these?¡±

    She picked up the right gauntlet and inspected it. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so light. Asweyr, eh? Not very strong though, it crumbles easily. Super rare though, you can really only get it from the Godsfall Mountains. I could probably find some off the marketplace, but it¡¯ll probably be a day before I can get them back to you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they were a gift from a friend. But I actually do have some asweyr on me.¡± Weaver reached into his bag and set six large, greyish-white ingots on the table.

    Each was wrapped in several bands of iron and the ingots themselves weren¡¯t pure asweyr, anyway. Almost nothing was as pure asweyr floated like a helium-filled balloon.

    Sally picked up one of the ingots and tossed it in the air. It descended slowly like the heaviest-looking feather Sinnamon had ever seen.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the real stuff. I can get you your gauntlets by the end of the day.¡±

    ¡°You can keep any extra asweyr if I can get them back in three hours.¡±

    ¡°You sure, mate? Just one of these is enough to repair your gauntlets.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m our party¡¯s only tank. The sooner I can get those back, the sooner we can get back to questing.¡± Weaver replied. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve got friends heading to the Godsfall mountains in a couple days. They can always get me more.¡±

    Sally¡¯s eyes went wide with greed. ¡°Have him do the same for me, and I¡¯ll fix your gear for free any time you bring it here!¡±

    Weaver laughed. ¡°You have a deal!¡±

    The two of them chatted on for a bit about their roles as tanks before Sally handed Weaver a small white crystal.

    Weaver placed it in his bag and turned to Sinnamon. ¡°I guess that just leaves you now.¡±

    ***

    Larina¡¯s Magical Emporium was directly across from Sally¡¯s War Goods. The mage shop had racks and displays around the simple stall. One set of robes stood out to Sinnamon. A black robe with light pink stitching and trim. It had a matching cloak and a wide-brimmed witch¡¯s hat that completed the look. Sinnamon knew right then that she had to have it.

    The shop¡¯s owner, a level eighty-two Sorcerer named Larina, walked over to them. She had a cheerful expression as she greeted them.

    ¡°How can I help you two?¡±

    ¡°I need clothing I can fight in. My old set is the starting clothing and my masquerade outfit really took a beating. I¡¯d like to get both fixed as well,¡± Sinnamon answered.

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    ¡°Were you both heavy forum users? I¡¯ve had a lot of people coming in who leveled up only enough to use the crafting systems, but now find themselves under-geared. I can absolutely help you. Let me just look at your stats and¡­¡± Larina¡¯s face suddenly tightened like she¡¯d sucked on a lime.

    Right, both myself and Weaver would have orange names to her. She must think we¡¯re player killers.

    ¡°We stopped a few players who killed three NPCs north of here. Some guilds and Araedi¡¯s Royal guard will vouch for us, if you want to check.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll confirm with the guard later. Not like either of you can do anything inside the city. And you both really don¡¯t strike me as the PKing type. My friend, Owlie, got PKed yesterday, too.¡± Larina shook her head. ¡°Killed NPCs, though? That¡¯s no different than murder. Good on you both for stopping them. I can fix your Masquerade outfit, though there isn¡¯t much I can do for your starter gear. You really want to get better materials so they can hold better enchantments.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to do both.¡± Sinnamon walked back to the outfit she¡¯d seen and pulled it from the rack, setting it down on Larina¡¯s counter. ¡°How much are these? Do you have any enchantments that would work for a Caster build?¡±

    ¡°I do. Though if you want them to scale better, you won¡¯t be able to use them until level fifty-five. The good news is they¡¯ll scale with you to seventy-five instead of sixty-five.¡±

    Sinnamon glanced at her experience bar. She was actually only twenty-five XP short of level fifty-five. That, she could get almost anywhere.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the higher level option,¡± Sinnamon confirmed. ¡°I¡¯d like anything that can boost my spell power, and I did just start a healing subclass¡­ Wait, can you put two enchantments on robes?¡±

    Larina laughed good-naturedly. ¡°You really didn¡¯t play much, did you? My enchanting skill and profession are both maxed. Any robe I enchant can hold up to five enchantments. The hat and cloak can hold three each, and the boots and gloves can both hold two.¡±

    Sinnamon flushed with a bit of embarrassment. No, she really didn¡¯t know much about how enchanting worked. She mostly bought and sold masquerade items. Those were valued more for their appearance than their utility. They could be worn ¡°over¡± other armor, hence the name masquerade, but they couldn¡¯t be enchanted and had their own, often far lower, durability.

    ¡°Hm,¡± Larina paused, studying Sinnamon. ¡°Caster-Cleric of Healing? I don¡¯t take you as the min-maxing meta type, so I¡¯d probably just do the basics: Cool down reduction, spell power boosts, heal and shield power boosting, MP regen and¡­ do you brew potions?¡±

    Sinnamon shook her head. She didn¡¯t really care for the alchemy system.

    ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll throw in some dex and willpower boosting enchants. It¡¯ll cut down on your casting time. If you want me to max the enchantments, you¡¯re looking at around 750,000 gold. And I¡¯ll throw in repairing your masquerade outfit for an extra 50,000.¡±

    Sinnamon did the math in her head. Her masquerade outfit had cost 250,000 gold and it was made from very high quality items. The fact that this outfit was three times as expensive really drilled home just how expensive proper gear was. It sounded like a fair price.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it. Do you have any travelling clothes I could buy in the meantime?¡±

    ¡°No, sorry. But there are few shops around that¡¯ll have what you want. Just bring everything to my main shop at my guild building when you¡¯re ready and I¡¯ll get to it. Three blocks north and six anti-clockwise from the guildhall. Short and green with the white roof. I have a friend there who will take your stuff. We do our bulk enchanting at the end of the day.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll do that,¡± Sinnamon said.

    She started to turn when Lariana called her. She held up a small white crystal and tossed it to Sinnamon.

    Alert! You have begun a transaction with Larina in the amount of 800,000 gold. You lack this amount of gold in your inventory. However, as treasurer of a guild, you may deduct this amount from your guild¡¯s bank. The funds will be held safely until the transaction has been completed, refused by either party, or left to expire. Would you like to proceed with this transaction?

    Sinnamon tapped yes and handed the crystal back to Larina.

    A moment later, Larina returned the crystal to Sinnamon. ¡°Keep this on you, it¡¯s kind of like your receipt. Give it to my friend, Owlie, and she¡¯ll know what to do.¡±

    Sinnamon pocketed the crystal, but as she did so, she began to wonder. ¡°With all these people around, aren¡¯t you worried someone will steal your stuff?¡±

    ¡°People have tried.¡± Larina shrugged. ¡°My profession counts all this stuff as part of my inventory. If someone runs off with anything, it¡¯ll just reappear in my inventory. It does get annoying having to put the stuff back on display, but that¡¯s a small price to pay for knowing no one can actually steal anything. It¡¯s just like that crystal I gave you, I can¡¯t keep your items. If we don¡¯t complete the transaction in ten days, it¡¯ll expire and you¡¯ll get your stuff back.¡±

    Sinnamon marveled at that bit of information. It was amazing how much detail had been put into whatever system seemed to govern the way players did things. What did that say about the architects behind that system? Why go to such intricate detail and care, then disappear without leaving any trace?

    ***

    Araedi was laid out like a giant wheel with four spokes branching out in each cardinal direction. Smaller spokes and rings spread out from the guildhall in the center like the rings of a tree. It made navigating around in the city fairly easy, once one got used to the fact that the sun set in the wrong direction and the shadows were all wrong.

    Sinnamon and Weaver found Larina¡¯s guild building where a tall girl in black armor with white, lace-like patterns met them.

    ¡°Hey Sinn, check her out,¡± Weaver said.

    The woman, Owlie, also had an orange name like Sinnamon and Weaver did.

    ¡°Ah, Sinnamon Roll and Weaver. Larina told me you were coming by.¡± She smiled and waved, and after looking above their own heads, added, ¡°She also told me you stop a couple of murderers. Good on ya! I¡¯ll put in a rush job for your stuff just for that. Come by in a couple hours, I¡¯ll have everything enchanted for you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Thank you!¡± Sinnamon said. ¡°We¡¯ll be by then!¡±

    She and Weaver actually had other business in the city. A meeting with Wisteria Leothalis, the chief person behind the meeting of the guilds that was supposed to occur in a few weeks. The main function of that larger meeting was to figure out a way home. A way that didn¡¯t involve killing people, Sinnamon hoped.

    Their meeting today was the first step in that goal. Apparently the people who¡¯d been killed outside of Pella hadn¡¯t been the only ones and Wisteria had somehow gotten an audience with the queen of the Serethi to see if she might be able to help either figure out how to stop the murdering players or possibly find a way home.

    Sinnamon had honestly been surprised when she¡¯d been given more information on this meeting. Wisteria had seen a connection Sinnamon hadn¡¯t even considered. The Serethi were the caretakers of Araedi and all the other Guardian cities, as they described themselves. They¡¯d been living in them for hundreds of years and with how closely the cities were tied to players, especially as a point of respawning, Wisteria had deduced that the Serethi must know something about the nature of their arrival here.

    Sinnamon hoped that might prove true.

 Chapter 28: Tyree

    Outside Pella, the Territories of Ilsylvania. Day 03.

    After some time of restless sleep passed, Tyree forced herself out of bed. The floor jumped at her with every step she took, but Tyree managed to steady herself with the cane Logan had left her.

    The house was quiet, but it was still light outside, meaning she couldn¡¯t have been out long.

    In the living room, Aliyah was asleep on Logan¡¯s largest couch with Alyx and Lynn cuddled with her. Tyree could have stood there, watching the soft up and down of their deep sleeping breathing.

    Her gaze drifted to a rocking chair in the corner. The silver-haired Halzy was resting with his feet on a stool. He stirred when he saw Tyree staring at him. He glanced at her sleeping wife and children, then nodded towards the kitchen.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you back on your feet.¡± Halzy whispered as he poured them both a drink. ¡°Your kids are wonderful. They have a mean curiosity streak that reminds me of my grandson when he was their age.¡±

    ¡°Grandson? Your hair is grey, but you can¡¯t be much older than I?¡± Nevermind the fact that Tyree had never heard of Guardians having kids.

    ¡°Ah, you might not be up to speed on some things. I¡¯ll give you the abridged version. Despite my appearance here, where I¡¯m from, I¡¯m very old. My seventy-sixth birthday just passed. Time works a little differently for us. About twelve of your years for every one of ours.¡± Halzy paused. ¡°The last one hundred and twenty or so of your years, we Guardians acted more like puppets controlling these bodies. All the while we were in our own world, who knows how far away from here. That changed three days ago.¡±

    The man¡¯s words brought back more memories from that fight with the other Guardians. A conversation she¡¯d overheard them having before Tarik Kronos and the rest of her squad had been murdered.

    They¡¯d said something about a game. ¡°Is our world¡­ Our lives just a game to you and your kind? You come and go as you please because we don¡¯t matter to you? Because you¡¯re just puppets?¡±

    Halzy was silent for a long moment. Long enough that Tyree wondered if he¡¯d ¡°left¡± her like the Guardians sometimes did. When he did speak again, he sounded tired. And older than he looked.

    ¡°Prior to three days ago, I¡¯d have said yes. But I say that with much more meaning than I can possibly express. This world was a way for me to connect with my grandson. I had a sickness, Alzheimer''s, we call it, that made me lose my memories. Memories of my wife. My son. My two daughters. They could be standing in front of me and I didn¡¯t even know who they were.

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    ¡°But when my grandson showed me this world and introduced me to this world¡¯s alchemy, everything just clicked. I was a life-long chemist. I would come here with my grandson, even if I didn¡¯t remember him, he would show me things here. I met a good group of people who helped me learn other aspects of this world. Somehow, I didn''t lose that despite losing my family.

    ¡°And then, three days ago, whatever magic put me in this body¡­ It cured me of that sickness. I can see life with a clarity I have not enjoyed in almost a decade.¡±

    Losing your memories? To be in a room with your own family and not know them, how terrifying. That was a fate Tyree hoped she would never suffer or let her family suffer through.

    Halzy continued. ¡°This is a second chance for me and one I don¡¯t intend to take lightly. It is a gift I can never repay. And that is why I intend to continue fighting to make this world a safer one. Not just for you and yours, but everyone.¡±

    Halzy reached into his bag and pulled out several large chunks of a black stone. ¡°Your daughters told me this is what they were searching for when they found you. A meteor had fallen. I managed to find it. These are for them.¡±

    Tyree picked up one of the stones. It was smooth and cold to the touch. She¡¯d been around enough forges to know that this was real sky iron ore. And it was incredibly pure. There was enough here to make two full-size longswords.

    ¡°Thank you, Halzy. But you should probably keep that hidden or they will never stop pestering us until we turn those into swords.¡±

    Halzy gave a soft, hearty laugh. ¡°You¡¯ve got it!¡±

    ¡°Can I ask you a favor?¡±

    ¡°Ask away. If it¡¯s within my power, I¡¯ll do what I can.¡±

    ¡°Would you mind taking me to the barracks to see my team? I assume their bodies have been taken there.¡±

    Halzy¡¯s smile gave way to a frown. ¡°They were. I saw them. I really don¡¯t think you want to see¡ª¡±

    ¡°I need to!¡± The words came out harsher than she¡¯d intended.

    Both she and Halzy turned in the direction of the living room. Her family, thankfully, didn¡¯t stir. Tyree knew Aliyah would not approve of this. But she hoped Aliyah would understand.

    ¡°I mean, they were my team. I need to.¡±

    ¡°Believe me, I understand. But you¡¯re in no condition to ride. We can go tomorrow if you¡¯re feeling better. I can make a brew with strong healing properties. I can give you a little today and a little tomorrow. I was informed by Aliyah that non-guardians must heal slowly, but we''ll go as quickly as she allows.¡±

    ¡°No, that won¡¯t work. There¡¯s a disease going around. The king has issued a command that the dead be burned to prevent it spreading worse than it already has. Their bodies will be burned tonight and their tags will be sent back to Castera. I need to see them before that happens. That¡¯s why I am asking you to take me now.¡±

    Halzy studied Tyree for a long moment. ¡°And I presume you don¡¯t want your wife finding out?¡±

    Tyree gave him a nod. ¡°I think this is a request where it would be easier to beg for forgiveness than to seek permission I know won¡¯t be granted.¡±

    A mischievous smile crept onto Halzy¡¯s face. ¡°I was young once. If you can get dressed for riding and make it to the stables on your own, we¡¯ll leave as soon as you¡¯re ready.¡±

 Chapter 29: Sinnamon Roll

    Weaver walked up to the large doors of the guildhall and pushed. The doors yielded only slightly before jerking back at him and Sinnamon watched as he stumbled from the unexpected resistance.

    ¡°Someone jammed the door?¡± Sinnamon asked.

    ¡°No, I think someone¡¯s blocking it.¡± He pushed again and the door inched open a bit further.

    He gestured for Sinnamon to slip through and she did. The main lobby was completely packed with players. They were yelling and talking over each other, though all were generally looking in the direction of a tall, thin Runic Elf with pale blue skin and dark violet tattoos that covered his exposed skin.

    Weaver had knocked someone to the ground with his forced entry and Sinnamon helped the man to his feet as she pulled the door open wider for Weaver to enter.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are there so many people here?¡± Sinnamon asked.

    ¡°LP Seshat¡¯s hiding the Serethi queen in their guild room. We all saw her come in and the Royal Guard keeps trying to push us away. Bunch of pompous jackasses.¡± the man answered.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the problem? I¡¯m sure the queen heard about their planned meeting with all the guilds and wants to send a representative,¡± Sinnamon offered.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think it''s odd that the queen of all the Serethi is here two days after we all got kidnapped and dumped here? They own these damn cities and their damn portals, they know how to get us home. They should be telling all of us.¡±

    Sinnamon paused. His line of reasoning wasn¡¯t all that far from Wisteria¡¯s own. And he might¡¯ve even been right. But if that were true, then maybe the queen was simply using the guild meeting as a way to coordinate the information with everyone.

    Someone in the crowd screamed and suddenly everyone began running towards Sinnamon, Weaver, and the doors behind them. Weaver grabbed Sinnamon¡¯s waist and jumped inhumanly high into the air, catching a chandelier.

    ¡°Look down there, by the counters,¡± Weaver said.

    Lying in a pool of his own blood was a Serethi man. A dagger was sticking out of his chest. A medic was leaning over the wounded man and Sinnamon couldn¡¯t tell if he was even still alive from this distance.

    Just ahead of the pair, one of the Royal Guard held a man to the ground. His name, Silk, was written in the crimson red of a player who had attacked an NPC.

    ¡°You, bring that Guardian over here.¡±Shouted one of the guards, his armor decorated slightly more ornately than those around him.

    The man pinning Silk heaved him to his feet and dragged him over to the guard giving the orders. The guard touched Silk and then turned to the guildhall¡¯s Caer fragment and touched it as well.

    ¡°You have lost your privilege of traveling through this city¡¯s Caer fragment,¡± the guard said. He turned to the other guards. ¡°We¡¯re locking down the guildhall, move!¡±

    The other guards in the lobby quickly fanned out, forcing players out of the building. Some resisted, but the nearly four hundred level difference between the two sides made that resistance futile. The ease with which they dragged those who refused to leave peacefully left Sinnamon in awe of whatever magic powered their ability to scale to such high levels.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s our cue,¡± Sinnamon said to Weaver.

    Weaver let go of the chandelier and grunted as they hit the ground. One of the guards ushering the crowd out turned in their direction.

    ¡°You two have to leave. Now,¡± She said, pointing to the door.

    Sinnamon glanced over at the Runic elf and caught his name, Prax. He was the person Halzy had told them to find.

    ¡°We¡¯re with Prax, Wisteria sent for us,¡± Sinnamon said.

    The guard paused and turned back to Prax. ¡°Is this true?¡±

    Prax walked over to them. ¡°Sinnamon, Weaver. Yes, yes they are with me. Come, follow me.¡±

    Prax led them away from the retreating crowd and towards a row of doors behind the massive caer fragment. The doors slid open revealing an elevator.

    ¡°Will that man be alright?¡± Sinnamon asked as she entered the elevator.

    Prax looked back towards the lobby. ¡°He wasn¡¯t dead. I trust in Araedi¡¯s medics. They can deal with theirs far better than we can. Even as a Druid myself.¡±

    Prax held his hand up to the focusing stone in the center of the wall and ran his fingers along an invisible screen. After a moment, there was a soft hiss as the doors closed and the floor shuddered. A notification flashed across Sinnamon¡¯s eyes, alerting her that she had entered LP Seshat¡¯s private room within the guild building. Focusing on the notification brought up a brief description of the guild and a list of its members.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Sinnamon had heard of LP Seshat before. It was a member of the larger collection of special interest guilds under the same banner, LP, and was specifically for those players over the age of fifty.

    Prax pulled them through a hallway, stopping by a pair of Araedi¡¯s Royal Guards. He nodded at them and they opened the door.

    In the room, Wisteria Leothalis and several other people sat around a conference table. At the head were two regally dressed women. The woman on Wisteria¡¯s right was the reigning monarch of the Serethi, Queen Sorah. The woman beside her was Araedi¡¯s governor, Raizel.

    The queen and governor acknowledged Sinnamon and Weaver with polite waves and Wisteria gestured for them to take a seat beside her.

    ¡°Thank you for meeting with us, though I wish we could have done so under more pleasant circumstances.¡± Queen Sorah¡¯s words were clearly enunciated in a manner Sinnamon could only describe as perfect. ¡°Miss Wisteria has explained to me the circumstances the Guardians find themselves in. I sympathize with those who feel they have been wronged or harmed, but I cannot agree with the means by which they lash out in response. For that, I thank you for your help in continuing to protect those unable to protect themselves even in the midst of your own crisis.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, your Majesty,¡± Weaver said formally. He paused and looked around the room. ¡°But, if I can be frank, we didn¡¯t really do anything. We met with the general of the army in the village north of here and he raised a good point. We can¡¯t do anything with the people who decide to kill or commit other crimes. Back where we¡¯re from, we had jails and even the death penalty. But those don¡¯t really work on us here. Not when we can just leave any prison we¡¯re put in or can¡¯t even die.¡±

    ¡°Miss Wisteria and those Guardians in the main lobby have made that abundantly clear to me,¡± Governor Raizel said with only a hint of something like annoyance as she glanced in Wisteria¡¯s direction. Apparently Weaver had brought up a sore subject she and Wisteria had already discussed. ¡°Though I fear you all give us too much credit. Though we have lived in these cities a long time and you all bear a strong connection with the crystals at their hearts, we did not build them. We know very little of how they function beyond the services my people provide to you through them. We could not help you deal with the criminals of your kind any more than Ilsylvania can.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t exactly true, Governor,¡± Queen Sorah said. ¡°You haven¡¯t held your position long enough to be read in on this information. I had hoped to discuss it with you privately. But these are interesting times. And I can see the need for further cooperation with our Guardian allies.¡±

    ¡°Not everything within Araedi was lost when the barriers protecting the city were restored.¡± Queen Sorah paused and looked around the room.

    She was referring to the campaign to retake Araedi from a treasonous faction some five hundred years ago. The scars of that campaign were visible around the city as the perfectly preserved damage that had been delivered upon the city when her defensive barrier had been temporarily disabled.

    Queen Sorah made a small blue crystal appear in her hands. ¡°We believe Lohk dropped this when he and the entire city¡¯s original population disappeared. This was what allowed him such extensive control over the city and it has continued to allow us to control some aspects of the city in much the same way you Guardians can control some of the magic dungeons and even some of the buildings you¡¯ve been able to purchase now. This has been a closely guarded secret of my and all of the city-states¡¯ governors¡¯ predecessors for the last five hundred years.¡±

    The crystal floated above Sorah¡¯s hands and then split into two crystals the same size as the single one they¡¯d been a moment before. She handed one of them to Raizel.

    ¡°I hold the master key that links all of the city-states together. I have created this copy which allows you control over Araedi as is your right and duty as governor.¡± Sorah turned to Wisteria, ¡°I share this with you with the hope that you realize the gravity of this situation. If Ilsylvania knew we held more control over these cities than we led on, it could be sufficient to reignite tensions between our people.¡±

    ¡°Why exactly would it do that?¡± Wisteria Leothalis asked.

    ¡°Because the treaty between our peoples and the de-escalation it governs between us hinged on that secret.¡±

    ¡°This gets better and better. On top of everything else going on, I now have to manage two squabbling empires.¡± Wisteria rested her head in her hands after the envoy of serethi left the room.

    One of the men who had been sitting next to Wisteria, a tall, olive-skinned man in a black and red coat like something out of The Pirates of the Caribbean, turned to her and laughed. ¡°Come on, Wis, you know you love the challenge. This is the most interesting thing that¡¯s happened to you in a century and you love all the politicking and the challenge.¡±

    ¡°I do, but that does not mean I am not allowed to complain,¡± Wisteria said ruefully. She turned to Sinnamon and Weaver. ¡°Thank you for coming in today. You have helped me hammer home a point the governor has so far refused to acknowledge.¡±

    ¡°Does the idea that the people in this city have a way to lock us up forever?¡± Sinnamon asked. It sure bothered her, especially considering how the Royal Guard already had the ability to outlevel any of them and stop them from entering the city through its Caer Fragment.

    ¡°It scares the hell out of me,¡± Wisteria answered. ¡°But do you know what scares me even more? The answer to the question no one is asking. Someone gave hundreds of thousands, if not millions of us the power of gods with the snap of their fingers. If I have learned anything in my one hundred and three years it is that power does not beget power without a cost. So then, what is that cost?¡±

    ***

    Sinnamon thought about Wisteria''s question as she and Weaver left LP Seshat¡¯s Guildroom. She didn¡¯t particularly like the secrets regarding the extent of the ¡°caretakers¡± control over the player cities, or city-states as the Serethi called them, and it made it hard for her to want to trust them. Especially considering the trove of history found within the building she and Weaver had purchased.

    Much of that still needed sorting. Sinnamon had hoped to bring it up, but a private conversation between her and Weaver using the telepathic comm system that had once been a part of the game had them in agreement that it was better to hold off until they could be sure they could really trust the Serethi queen.

    ¡°I think I need to do something to take my mind off the last day,¡± Weaver said in the elevator.

    ¡°Explore a dungeon?¡± Sinnamon suggested.

    There were a dozen well known instanced dungeons around Araedi. Most were lower level and were also well mapped, Sinnamon actually figured it might be exactly what she needed to get her that next 25 experience points to her next level.

    ¡°I still have my old sword I can use to tank with.¡± Weaver started to say something else, but the growling of his stomach cut him off.

    ¡°Lunch, then dungeon,¡± Sinnamon said with a laugh.

 Chapter 30: Tyree

    Outside Pella, the Territories of Ilsylvania. Day 03.

    Halzy was in the stables with Daisy, Alyx¡¯s horse. His back was to Tyree as he brushed out her mane while softly cooing to her. Tyree stood there, watching the man in silence. There was definitely more to him than she¡¯d always seen in any of the Guardians before today. For one thing, Guardians never told you of their thoughts, their lives, or anything at all. A quest would simply be posted where they could see it and they would do it. Guardians could be found in large groups or even solitary out in the wilds, still and stiff like statues father nature refused to weather.

    Tyree wondered what their world was like. Was it some sort of haven such that they sought conflict in this world? Or was it a hellscape that they sought refuge from? What drove them to come here? Halzy said he¡¯d had a family that he couldn¡¯t even remember due to a disease that ate his memories. Was that the fate of all of his kind and this was their only escape?

    Daisy looked up at Tyree and Halzy turned around. ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t see you there.¡±

    ¡°You have a way with animals. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen Daisy as calm as she is now around a stranger.¡±

    ¡°My family owned a few horses when I was a boy. Though these beasts you have would put our best to shame and we had the best the great state of Texas had to offer. I never focused on beast taming in this world, but it seems the skills from my world carry over. I take it you¡¯re ready to go?¡±

    ¡°I am. We can take my wife¡¯s horse. He¡¯s strong enough to carry the two of us.¡± Tyree¡¯s mind momentarily went to her own horse, Felt. Fortunately the young gelding hadn¡¯t been with her when she had been attacked. He was safe in Araedi at her friends¡¯ stables.

    ¡°I assume we want speed. These horses are impressive, but they won¡¯t do if you want to be in and out before your family wakes.¡± There was that mischievous twinkle in Halzy¡¯s eyes again as he made a blue whistle appear in his hands.

    The whistle gave a sharp call and it was answered by a thunderous galloping outside the stables. Tyree hobbled outside the stables beside Halzy and saw a massive, eight-legged horse with a blue-grey coat coming up the pathway towards them. The horse was far, far larger than any Tyree had ever seen before.

    Halzy heaved himself onto the saddle and reached out a hand to Tyree. With no effort at all, he pulled her up and into the seat behind him.

    Tyree had to wrap her hands tight around Halzy to keep herself steady as the horse took off. Fortunately, as soon as the beast got up to speed, the ride smoothed out. Within no time at all, they were approaching the fort to the south west of the city¡¯s gates.

    Fort Pella had once been the seat of the combined human and serethi forces that sieged Araedi when the city had fallen under the control of a tyrant who threatened the young Castera at the time. In the five hundred years since then, the village of Pella had grown beside it and Pella became the site of the Cross-Borders Army¡¯s most premier officer training school.

    It had been decided at the time the Guardians had disappeared, the Army would have to play a more active role in the defense of Ilsylvania and her territories and as part of that decision, Tyree was promoted to Captain and given command of the 9th Forward Strike Battalion. She had selected Caleb and Shai as two of her lieutenants and part of her reason for coming to Pella was to train and select two more lieutenants to lead the other two companies under her battalion.

    The 9th had strong ties to not only the Guardians, but Pella as well. This fort had been where the all-volunteer company had first been assembled nearly a hundred years ago to assist the Guardians in slaying the demon Azeban in the frigid north.

    Tyree thought of Tarik, Caleb, Shai, and yes, even Koda. Those four had been the best friends Tyree could have asked for.

    Halzy pulled up to Fort Pella¡¯s gates where four soldiers eyed him wearily.

    ¡°Hail, Guardian. On the orders of General Neemo, we cannot let you through.¡± One of the guards said, holding up his hands.

    Tyree limped down from the back of the six-legged horse with a hand from Halzy. ¡°He is a friend of mine. He can go where I go.¡±

    The guard turned to Tyree. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, who are you? No civilians allowed, either.¡±

    The man¡¯s rank insignia on his armor identified him as a sergeant.

    ¡°I am Captain Tyressa Pearce and you will¡ª¡±

    Halzy raised a placating hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know what it¡¯s like to follow orders. I¡¯ll be at the inn in the center of the village. Send someone for me when you¡¯re finished.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Tyree nodded at Halzy. She turned back to the sergeant.

    The sergeant stumbled back a step and saluted. ¡°Captain. I apologize, I didn¡¯t recognize you¡±

    ¡°None needed. Halzy¡¯s right. You¡¯re just following orders. Can you take me to the morgue?¡±

    ¡°Actually, we were supposed to notify the general of your arrival when you came around.¡±

    Tyree frowned. ¡°Notify or take me to him?¡±

    ¡°Notify, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Then notify him that I can be found in the morgue. And you¡ª¡± Tyree pointed to a private who had stifled a laugh. ¡°You take me there.¡±

    The private stepped forward. ¡°Right this way, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ***

    The morgue was buried under several exhaustingly long flights of stairs. The air grew colder the deeper they went and the plastered brick and mortar transitioned to carved stone that still bore the markings of its excavation. Tyree had to stop nearly every other flight to rest.

    The private knocked on the heavy iron door at the bottom of the stairs, waited a beat for a response, and when none came, he hefted open the door.

    Inside the morgue, three large woven sacks lay on three tables. Tyree walked over to them and studied them for a long moment.

    A man clearing his throat startled Tyree and she turned to see a short, thin man with a thick mustache and thinning hair standing in the entryway to a side room.

    ¡°While I am a professional doctor, my usual patients don¡¯t come here under their own power,¡± He glanced up at the bandages covering Tyree¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re not one of mine growing restless, are you?¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Tyree smiled at the gallows humor. ¡°No, definitely not.¡±

    ¡°Ah, good. I¡¯ve had too many young people coming through my doors of late. My name is Merriweather. To whom do I owe the pleasure?¡±

    ¡°Captain Pearce. I believe those bags are my team?¡±

    Merriweather shook his head. ¡°Not unless they¡¯ve started walking around on their own. No, I haven¡¯t moved them from autopsy yet.¡±

    A lump formed in Tyree¡¯s throat as she asked her next question, ¡°Can I see them?¡±

    ¡°I am sorry for your loss, Captain, but they did not die easily. I am not sure you want¡ª¡±

    ¡°I need to.¡± Tyree pressed.

    ¡°Very well. Follow me.¡±

    Merriweather led Tyree into the room he had come from. Tyree could see the outlines of her friends¡¯ bodies under the canvas covering them.

    Tyree nodded silently to Merriweather as he lifted the canvas back one by one. Both Tarik and Shai¡¯s faces were locked in grimaces of pain. Caleb¡¯s was wholly unrecognizable and she only knew it was him by what remained of the tattoo of the Sanguine Hawk on his right arm.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting anyone else to see them before they were burned and buried. I¡¯m sorry you had to see them this way.¡±

    ¡°No, I needed to. Thank you.¡± A cold fury had been stoked in Tyree¡¯s chest. A fury at the senseless loss of the lives of three great people and warriors. A fury at the knowledge that their killers would never see justice. ¡°Where are their tags?¡±

    Merriweather led Tyree over to a cabinet and pulled out four wooden boxes, each one bearing the name of one of her squad mates, including Shai¡¯s aid dog, Koda. She opened Tarik¡¯s box and found a dress uniform neatly folded, complete with the badges and field promotions he had earned from his decades of service.

    ¡°They will be taken to Castera where they will be given to their surviving relatives,¡± Merriweather said.

    Neither Tarik nor Shai had any surviving family. Tarik¡¯s wife and daughter had died in childbirth and Shai had grown up within Castera¡¯s orphanages. Tyree wasn¡¯t sure about Caleb. All she knew was he had come up from Rielle with the dream of joining the Sanguine Hawks. Perhaps he had some family she could track down.

    ¡°Let me take them. As their surviving squad member, the task should fall to me.¡±

    ¡°I will have to get permission,¡± Merriweather replied apologetically.

    ¡°Please do.¡±

    The door to the morgue opened and slammed shut. Merriweather went to look and Tyree followed behind him.

    General Neemo stood just inside the room, behind him, Colonel Verne, who Tyree only knew by his rank insignia matched with the name in the file she¡¯d been given.

    ¡°Captain, why didn¡¯t you report to my office when you were ambulatory?¡± General Neemo asked.

    ¡°I had to see my team. I made sure someone let you know I was here,¡± Tyree answered a little weakly.

    ¡°You should have reported to me first. There are rules and procedures for a reason. As long as you¡¯re here, let¡¯s get you debriefed. I want to know everything.¡±

    ¡°I actually haven¡¯t been cleared to return to service.¡±

    A soldier who had been injured had to be cleared by their attending healer before returning to duty. Tyree¡¯s attending happened to be Aliyah. Both Tyree and Neemo knew she couldn¡¯t be compelled into staying without Aliyah¡¯s permission.

    ¡°Then you should be in the infirmary. It would be in everyone¡¯s best interests if you could write down anything of importance you might remember. Conversations, plans for more attacks¡­ Lives could depend on what you know.¡±

    ¡°Then you should speak to the Guardian Halzy. I already told him everything I remember, and from what I gather, he might be able to fit the pieces together better than I could,¡± Tyree replied. Much of the other day was still a little hazy.

    ¡°I would rather hear your side from you. Now get off my base and get well, Captain.¡±

    Neemo and Verne turned to leave, but Tyree stopped them.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you allowing Halzy on base? From what I gather, he helped capture the person who murdered my squad, even if they can¡¯t do much. He¡¯s already pledged to help protect Pella should something happen again. Wouldn¡¯t you want to take up his offer?¡±

    Neemo paused without turning around. ¡°We have relied too heavily on the Guardians since their arrival over a hundred years ago. That was all fine and well when they were simple constructs, roaming the continent with no greater thought than to fight monsters. They aren¡¯t the constructs we thought they were. That means Pella, and by extension, Ilsylvania, must not only distance ourselves from our reliance, but must have a way of defending ourselves from them as well.¡±

    General Neemo had echoed the very same concerns Tyree had been building since the Guardians disappeared over a month ago. She had always felt that the average mage rank of the army, mere initiates, compared to the average adventurer rank, adept, needed to be raised. She and Tarik had discussed the very same thing only a day ago.

    But Guardians went far beyond the ranks of the average person. Most mages could intuit the rank of another person or monster by feeling, generally only one who was at most a single rank above you. Tyree was the highest rank a mage could achieve, but she couldn¡¯t tell how strong the Guardian Halzy was and there were many, many Guardians just like him.

    If Guardians followed the same ranking system as man and monster, that meant he wasn¡¯t simply a single theoretical rank above her own, but at least two. How could someone defend themselves from an entity that powerful?

    ¡°We are not completely helpless against the Guardians,¡± Neemo explained cryptically. ¡°You lead the 9th Forward Strike, which was re-established with the duty to protect Ilsylvania against threats if the Guardians were truly gone as we¡¯d feared. Though, since their return and change, we must also defend against a potential Guardian assault. Ilsylvania has tools for both potentialities. Come see what I mean.¡±

    Tyree followed Neemo and Verne back up to the fort¡¯s artillery room. They took it slow for her benefit, but he quickly rushed her in through a set of stone doors set past the magazine for the fort¡¯s cannons.

    They took a manually lowered elevator down to another room and Neemo paused outside two solid metal doors.

    ¡°What you¡¯re about to see does not leave this room.¡± Neemo stood expectantly.

    ¡°Understood, General,¡± Tyree answered formally.

    Neemo nodded and opened one door while Verne opened the other. Inside the expansive room were fifty metal crates, each labeling their contents as full of firestone. Twenty-five cannons, larger than any Tyree had ever seen, sat disassembled in between the crates.

    Each cannon¡¯s barrel was over twenty feet long with twenty inch bores. Heavy looking steel carriages with steel wheels sat beside each barrel. Armor with the telltale iridescence of enchantments lay beside each cannon and on the back wall lay several more crates with various weights labeled on them. The shot for the artillery, Tyree realized. Glancing back at the cannons, Tyree also realized they were enchanted as well.

    ¡°These are improved versions of the siege cannons used against Araedi some five hundred years ago,¡± Colonel Verne said. ¡°Smaller unenchanted versions, stored in another location, were used to fight Azeban.¡±

    Tyree had always wondered just what exactly had caused all the damage to Araedi¡¯s many tall towers. She, like many, had assumed it was mages bombarding the city with spells.

    Looking at the weapons, it made sense. Such large artillery would have a much further range than any mage. A range far enough to allow them to siege a city from miles away.

    ¡°There is an aspect to these weapons that I cannot share with you. Not until you¡¯re better and cleared for duty. But these are what the original two lieutenants you were to train and pick were to be armed with. The smaller unenchanted ones with enchanted shot would actually see service, being deployed around each vulnerable village to protect against night spawns. But these are Ilsylvania¡¯s ultimate defensive weapon.¡±

    Tyree¡¯s mind went back to the village she¡¯d seen ravaged in its entirety days ago. Night spawns were powerful creatures. They could survive wounds that would kill normal beasts thanks to their mana-enhanced strength. If that village, Erenvelle, had had these, her guards might have been able to protect her and her people. But why keep them hidden down here?

    ¡°Because they were outlawed by our treaty with the Serethi following the end of their civil war.¡± Neemo answered. ¡°These cannons, specifically their enchanted shot, very well might be able to punch through even their protective barriers and they knew it. In return, we got Castera.¡±

    There was the catch. These things were large, heavy, and relatively immobile compared to a mage or an archer who could deliver attacks of similar power. She didn¡¯t really see the cannons being effective against a goblin swarm.

    ¡°Why are you showing me them, instead of just the others?¡± Tyree asked.

    ¡°Because I figure you of all people would appreciate them. They¡¯re terrible weapons from the days when our people feared this land and its monsters. These weapons might not be able to kill a Guardian for good, but they can mist them at least temporarily. And that¡¯s the best thing we have against them.¡± Neemo stopped and must have seen Tyree¡¯s horrified expression. His own expression showed only grim resolve. ¡°Know that I don¡¯t intend to use these, but I will fire every shot I have in this storehouse and more if it means protecting Ilsylvania and her people.¡±

 Chapter 31: Saiph

    Orleana. Day 03.

    Orleana was the third largest of Navorinelle¡¯s Guardian Cities by population behind Araedi and Ven Istera. Its main appeal had always been its hybrid pirate-steampunk aesthetic. As such, it had become the main hub of roleplayers and the home of the largest guild in Annwyn Online, The Brotherhood of Pirates.

    The Brotherhood was a loose knit guild largely centered upon role-playing and hunting for treasure and sea monsters off the limited bits of Navorinelle¡¯s coasts the game had given them access to. Which, according to lore, has largely been deposited there during the Golden Age of Piracy.

    The Golden Age of Piracy nearly five hundred years ago had filled the seas thousands of ships laden with lost treasures before the Age of Sea Monsters ended travel between Terre¡¯s continents. And the many players across Annwyn Online had done much to recover that treasure, making Orleana also one of the wealthiest of the Guardian Cities.

    Saiph had spent a fair bit of time in Orleana in his first two years playing the game. The Brotherhood was his first guild, started with Will-I-Am and a few close friends. Many of North Remembers¡¯ founding members came from the Brotherhood and the two guilds had always regarded each other as sister guilds. Membership with North Remembers also granted membership within the Brotherhood.

    It was late in the day when Saiph, Nix, and Lueur Rose approached Orleana¡¯s gates. The city¡¯s magic barrier cast a faint purple glow on the grey skies above and the salty ocean air was a welcome scent that reminded Saiph of the few trips he and his family had made to Washington¡¯s beaches at the height of summer.

    A short woman holding a large picnic basket, Rose¡¯s girlfriend, Saiph presumed, waved in an extremely exaggerated manner, her arm going in a half circle that started at her waist and ended just above her head.

    She wore oversized wood-framed glasses that took up just under half her face. Perhaps her most striking feature were the rabbit ears sticking down underneath her white and cream witch¡¯s hat. The text above her head identified her as Lunette Soleil, a level ninety-seven Druid-Pyromancer.

    Lunette and Rose embraced and, to Saiph¡¯s astonishment, began speaking in American Sign Language. He recognized some of the signs, but couldn¡¯t follow their conversation as it wasn¡¯t aimed at him.

    The pair turned to Saiph and Nix and Rose spoke. ¡°Lunette is Deaf, though she could hear you, she can¡¯t really understand you and finds all the sounds disorienting. So she still has her audio muted in the settings and prefers to speak in ASL. She says hello!¡±

    Saiph smiled at her and willed gestures he hadn¡¯t used in over two years as he signed, ¡°Hello! My name is Isaac or Saiph.¡±

    It had taken the two girls a moment to recognize what he was doing, but both of their eyes went wide in astonishment.

    ¡°Are you a CODA, too?¡± Lunette signed, cocking her head in question. A child of deaf adults, she meant.

    ¡°No, my girlfriend, Riley¡ª¡± Saiph used her signed name, which was her middle name, Rose, an R swept under his nose as if smelling the actual flower. ¡°¡ªlost her voice when she was little and signed.¡±

    He had signed facing both Rose and Lunette and the two caught the meaning in his past tense. Though Rose already knew from a conversation they¡¯d had the other day.

    Saiph had been driving himself and Riley home from their winter formal when they¡¯d been hit by a drunk driver who¡¯d rammed them through an intersection. The accident had killed Riley and left Saiph with some nerve damage that left him partially paralyzed on his left side. He hadn¡¯t shared those specific details with Rose.

    That was at least part of the reason why she was willing to help Saiph get to Pallas¡¯ Watch. It was the guild castle Riley had used for her guild, Sonnet¡¯s Little Helpers, which had been a newbie-friendly helping guild. When Saiph and everyone else had been brought to this world, someone or something had been logged into Riley¡¯s account and they were in that guild castle, ignoring Saiph¡¯s attempts to contact them. The thought of someone using her account felt almost like a desecration.

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    Saiph took the time to pass along the locations of the safe zones in the Godsfall Mountains he¡¯d mapped out years earlier to Rose to share with a friend of hers who was travelling in the same direction as Pallas¡¯ Watch. They¡¯d agreed to wait in Ven Istera for Saiph and a party to meet them there and take them through the Godsfall mountains.

    Safe zones were like the Guardian cities, only far smaller. Players could fast travel to and from them and they kept hostile monsters at bay. There were thirty across Navorinelle, with basically all of them in the west or north where there weren¡¯t any Guardian Cities nearby. Saiph hoped they still existed, otherwise it would be a slog to get to his guild castle.

    Suddenly Lunette glanced at Nix, as if suddenly remembering he was there. She looked at Saiph and signed to him.

    Saiph couldn¡¯t help but laugh with Lunette and began signing back to her, all the while glancing at Nix.

    Nix looked up from his grimoire and glared at Saiph. ¡°You two are talking about me, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Saiph answered with a smile.

    ¡°What are you two saying?¡± Nix shouted a little defensively.

    Saiph burst into tearful laughter again. ¡°Lunette thinks you¡¯re cute. Like a little doll!¡±

    The pewter-skinned Runic elf Summoner¡¯s face grew bright red. It didn¡¯t really help that Nix was just barely over four feet tall, well shorter than everyone standing with him.

    When they split off from Lueur Rose and Lunette Soleil, Nix turned to Saiph. ¡°I think¡­ I think I understood you three.¡±

    Now it was Saiph¡¯s turn to be astonished. ¡°You know ASL?¡±

    Nix shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty sure I can¡¯t sign. But something is letting me understand you both. I didn¡¯t catch all of it and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a perfect translation¡­ Almost like you two were mumbling, if that makes sense.¡±

    No, it didn¡¯t make sense. But then again, nothing made sense anymore.

    Saiph paused. He turned to Nix and began signing. ¡°Can you tell what I said?¡±

    ¡°You said your favorite color is blue. I understood you that time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I figured so. Hard to read signs you can''t fully see. I wonder if it means we know any other languages. Or maybe even all of them,¡± Saiph mused. ¡°I''d love to test that out. I know some French Canadians in the Brotherhood we can bother. But we should get to the guildhall first. Besides attuning ourselves, I''ve got some gear to pick up.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully new armor,¡± Nix said. ¡°Don''t think that just because I can, I will fix your armor every time you wreck it.¡±

    ¡°If you''d picked a proper DPS class and killed things as fast as I can, I wouldn''t have to keep getting hit so much. You know each hit actually hurts, right?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn''t. Then I definitely picked the right class,¡± Nix said with a snicker.

    Jokes aside, the armor Saiph was wearing was extremely battered and the chainmail in tatters that showed his tunic and plain clothes underneath. He''d destroyed it in an explosive end to a dungeon crawl he, Nix, Rose, and a pair of bots-turned-alive had finished the previous night.

    Fortunately it wasn''t his only armor or even his best. His long time friend and guildmate, Permaphrost, had tested the banking system used to transport items across the player cities and found it still worked and he''d sent Saiph¡¯s top tier raid armor ahead for him.

    He''d need it for his upcoming plans to go to the guild castle he''d given to his girlfriend as a base for her support guild that helped new players out years ago. Her account was showing as online in the guild castle. There was just one problem: she''d been dead for almost two years now and her account hadn''t been logged in since. Saiph was certain someone had hacked it and gotten placed in her character''s body when whatever event that brought millions of players to this world had happened three days ago. A part of Saiph hoped he¡¯d find Riley, no matter how impossible that was. Saiph pushed the thought from his mind as he and Nix continued to Orleana¡¯s guildhall.

    Orleana¡¯s guildhall had the appearance of the Saint Louis Cathedral in New Orleans back on earth. But much like the guildhalls in every city, it was far larger and more embellished in its scale and appearance.

    Players milled about, dressed in Victorian-esque clothing or armor and mage robes and even many of the NPCs had adopted similar fashion.

    Saiph attuned himself and made his way to a set of cubicles labeled ¡°marketplace¡±. There wasn''t anything in the cubicle besides a small white crystal that flared to life as Saiph approached it. He held up his own Caer Fragment and a screen appeared in front of him.

    The screen displayed the inventory of items Permaphrost had left for Saiph; various potions, his armor, and the crafting materials needed to repair them.

    Saiph changed out his damaged black, blue, and gold armor for the red, white, and gold of his good armor. The enchantments were geared towards his preferred tanking style, the ¡°drain tank¡± Scarlet Knight build. The enchanted items he wore not only enhanced his stats and attributes, but made the life draining and stat stealing enchantments of his sword, Durendal¡¯s Edge and shield, Miasma, much more potent. And he would likely need every last one to fight his way through the high level Godsfall Mountains and to Pallas¡¯ Watch to figure out what is going on with his late girlfriend¡¯s account.

 Chapter 32: Saiph

    Orleana. Day 03.

    A great levee encircled Orleana in a massive, tall crescent that extended over a half mile into the ocean on either side. It was an engineering marvel that one could see from almost any rooftop. As one got closer to the port, the stone pathway and uninhabited towers, pristine and untouched unlike Araedi¡¯s, gave way to a massive network of multistory boardwalks which connected multiple levels of buildings built atop one another. The port itself was more like a city built atop of a city built atop of another city.

    Saiph¡¯s favorite part of the city were the aqueducts and pipework that threaded through the boardwalk. The aqueducts worked to divert flood waters around the city and the pipes carried magically replenishing natural gas to power the city¡¯s array of gas lamps.

    Parts of Orleana had changed from how he¡¯d remembered it in the game. The major difference was the size; there was much more to see than the game had shown. But Saiph¡¯s memory still fared well in guiding him and Nix from Orleana¡¯s guildhall to The Brotherhood of Pirates¡¯ capital ship, The Pride of Orleana.

    The Pride was a massive ship of the line with three stories above the water and three masts that made up over half her imposing height. Her black and maroon sails were furled, but two massive fore and aft flags proudly displayed The Brotherhood''s crest. It was the same crest Saiph and Will had designed nearly ten years ago; a bust of a skeleton wearing a pirate hat with arms crossed at the chest. The right hand held a sword and the left, a flintlock pistol.

    Two women stood upon the Pride¡¯s gang plank waiting for Saiph and Nix. One of them; tall and slender, draped in a black and violet capelet that ended just passed her hips. The cape hid a black and silver swallowtail coat and Saiph counted at least twelve bladed holstered across her person.

    ¡°Hello, Isaac! Aren''t you a sore-eyed sight! It''s been too long!¡± Kamila lowered her parasol and embraced Saiph in a hug. She pulled away to introduce the woman beside her. ¡°This is Clarke, steward of the Pride. She''s the one running the show when we aren''t around.¡±

    Clarke smiled and extended a hand, clasping Saiph¡¯s wrist as he did hers. She was about Kamila¡¯s height and wore a red duster with gold buttons draped over her shoulders like a cape.

    ¡°It''s a pleasure to meet a former guild member, and one of her founders, no less.¡± Clarke spoke with an accent that Saiph would have associated with Ireland if it existed in this world. Not the stereotypical one most Americans knew, but a bit softer.

    ¡°The pleasure''s mine,¡± Saiph returned. He still wasn''t quite sure how to take his fame in this world. He turned to Kamila. ¡°I''m sorry for not doing a better job of keeping in touch. I promise I''ll do better from now on.¡±

    ¡°The best friendships are those that can be picked up exactly where they left off.¡± Kamila pulled her parasol back over her head. ¡°But come, let''s take this inside. Even with the sun so low in the sky, it still hurts.¡±

    There were burns and reddened areas on the exposed bits of Kamila¡¯s skin, the hallmark signs of a vampire. Even glancing at the ground, Saiph could see she didn¡¯t cast a shadow.

    Kamila led them up into the belly of the Pride where they entered a room with a swarthy-looking man¡­ no, cat, who was hunched over a table, his orange and white tail swishing back and forth. He''d been carrying on a conversation with someone, but there wasn''t anyone else in the room. Only an owl that had been perched on his shoulder that flew to land on Kamila¡¯s. She patted it on the head.

    ¡°What are you looking at, Will? Saiph asked.

    Will-I-Am spun around, his green cat eyes lighting up with excitement. ¡°They''re maps. I wanted to talk about this when you got here. My guild is setting up an expedition. Come take a look.¡±

    The maps showed the coast of Rielle, white paper had been placed next to it and hand drawn islands added to it south west of the coastline. Saiph knew those islands. Any player who spent even a modest amount of time in Orleana knew them.

    ¡°You''re sure that''s them?¡± Saiph asked.

    The owl on Kamila¡¯s shoulder suddenly spoke. ¡°Absolutely. We''ve been working with the crew to narrow down their positions. No one can know for sure as no ship that''s ever gone that way has returned. But we''re pretty sure that''s where we''ll find Raine¡¯s Islands.¡±

    Saiph knew that talking owl. And sure enough, focusing on the bird revealed it was actually Quark, a level one hundred Druid-Pirate. He had taken the form of one of his two familiars, a spell all Druids had.

    Quark flew to the open seat beside Will and his form was replaced by that of a thin man with dark skin and a messy head of salt and pepper hair with a matching goatee. His skin carried the same black and white mottling his owl form¡¯s feathers had.

    Will looked to Saiph and Nix. ¡°You¡¯re both more than welcome to join us. You might lead another guild, but you¡¯ll always be among the Brotherhood and this is our quest.¡±

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    Saiph glanced at Nix, who was quietly studying Will¡¯s map. One of the developments of that dungeon crawl the pair had done the previous day was Nix¡¯s summon, the very same Captain Raine von Alder the islands the Brotherhood wanted to travel to was named after, had told him in no uncertain words that summoned beings willingly came to the aid of their summoner and breaking her moral code would stop her from answering Nix¡¯s call. Going to those islands and stealing her buried treasure there might be one such violation, especially given how angry she¡¯d been when Nix had used a sword she recognized. And now Saiph wondered if that would extend by association with the Brotherhood even if Nix didn¡¯t participate.

    Nix looked up and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ll have to count me out.¡±

    ¡°Me, too,¡± Saiph said after a pause. He glanced over at Nix who returned his stare with a small nod.

    ¡°Why come?¡± Will asked. ¡°This is only the biggest monster hunting quest in all of Annwyn Online!¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ll probably want to take her treasure and I can¡¯t help you with that,¡± Nix answered.

    ¡°She¡¯s been dead for over five hundred years, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll mind.¡± Will waved a dismissive paw. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not even really about the treasure. We want the monster guarding those islands, Avanyu.¡±

    ¡°Actually, she might. One of my summons is the Captain Raine von Alder.¡± Nix told the group about how he¡¯d summoned a sword in the firestone mine dungeon and the anger Raine had regarding it. ¡°I still don¡¯t fully understand it. It wasn¡¯t a particularly strong weapon. The gear we players have access to is significantly stronger.¡±

    ¡°Have you tried explaining that to her?¡± Will asked. ¡°Maybe what she thought was strong back then just isn¡¯t today. Five hundred years is a long time.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m sure if she knew the destruction Avanyu had caused in all that time since her death, she¡¯d be more than willing to help us,¡± Quark added.

    Nix sighed and pulled out his grimoire. ¡°Ask her yourself.¡±

    The Sword Princess appeared in her tattered black pirate coat with rusted green chainmail underneath, the ugly wound in her chest where her heart was had an eeriness to it. She looked around the room, then locked eyes with Nix.

    ¡°I assume this isn¡¯t a summon for battle?¡± Raine sheathed her sword.

    ¡°No, they wanted to ask you a question,¡± Nix answered, gesturing to Will and Quark.

    Quark stepped forward. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Captain Raine von Alder. I am Quark, the lore historian for our guild, the Brotherhood of Pirates.¡±

    Saiph wasn¡¯t sure, but he thought he saw Raine¡¯s eyes shift to Nix for the briefest moment.

    She still politely accepted the offered hand and the two shook. ¡°The pleasure is mine, Sir Historian. But you should know that I gave up piracy near the end of my life.¡±

    Quark raised his hands in a placating gesture. ¡°That is just our guild¡¯s name. We are not marauders. The only treasure we seek is that which we recover off shipwrecks off the coast. Which, by maritime law, is ours to claim as the finders. But we are much more than treasure hunters. Our guild maintains the largest fleet on the continent and we regularly patrol the coasts to keep them safe from sea monsters.¡±

    ¡°And you want my help in finding the treasure legend says I¡¯ve hidden on the islands bearing my name?¡± Raine shook her head, not with anger, but resignation. ¡°You waste your time in that endeavor. The legend is just that, legend. I was killed by my mutinous crew and they no doubt spent or lost that treasure in the five hundred and twenty-three years since.¡±

    Clarke stood suddenly. ¡°Whether or not you choose to acknowledge the existence of your treasure is your own business. We aren¡¯t after it, we want the sea monster Avanyu.¡±

    The mention of that name got a reaction from the normally stoic Raine. Her face darkened and there was just the briefest hint of defeat as she spoke, ¡°You are confused. Avanyu was the man who led the mutiny against me. A monster he may have been to me, but I assure you he was still just a man.¡±

    ¡°The sailors call the beast who patrols your islands Avanyu. A sea monster who has sunk hundreds, if not thousands of ships in the years since the end of the Age of Sail. My parents among them. Even myself and my uncle were attacked coming here from Moirasland by airship. We were saved only by random luck that he¡ª¡± Clarke pointed at Will. ¡°¡ªand his ship were nearby. We were attacked hundreds of miles from your islands. And I know my parents would have followed the same route we took.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry for the loss of your parents, but that isn¡¯t possible. The sea monster guards not the treasure you think you seek, but something far more dangerous. He is bound to the islands and can¡¯t travel far from them. Do not go after him or those islands,¡± Raine said, finally acknowledging the existence of the sea monster.

    Quark frowned at Raine. ¡°Something more dangerous than a sea monster that¡¯s already claimed thousands of lives already?¡±

    ¡°Far worse. I swore an oath upon my soul that I would not allow anyone near those islands. Avanyu may have mutinied and killed me, but he still serves me in the end.¡± Raine undid the uppermost button on her shirt and pulled out a necklace. It was a small silver oval with a black circle in the center. ¡°You would be wise to leave those islands alone.¡±

    Saiph stood sharply. He recognized that necklace, but it really couldn¡¯t be the same thing. ¡°Where did you get that necklace?¡±

    Raine tucked it back inside her shirt. ¡°It was a gift from a friend. Why?¡±

    ¡°Remember the other day when we told you we aren¡¯t from here? Your necklace bears the same logo as the one belonging to the group I¡¯m pretty sure brought us here.¡± Saiph pulled his bag of holding from its space near the small of his back and rifled through it. He pulled a book, the player¡¯s guide, from it.

    There was no mistaking it, Sonnet Entertainment¡¯s logo was the very same one as the design on Raine¡¯s necklace. Saiph slid the book over to Raine who picked it up and flipped through its pages.

    Saiph had read the guide hundreds, if not thousands of times. It contained a very basic overview of all the races and classes available for players to choose in Annwyn Online when designing their character. It also contained information about the three new player starting cities, Araedi, Delphianna, and Orleana.

    Raine set the book down. ¡°I would speak to Nix and Nix alone.¡±

    Will waved a paw. ¡°You may use my quarters. Clarke, could you take them?¡±

    Clarke nodded and led Nix and Raine out of the room.

 Chapter 33: [N]ix

    Aboard the Pride of Orleana, The Port City of Orleana. Day 03.

    Clarke led Nix and Raine deep into the Pride¡¯s interior. It was a maze of tight stairs and corridors up and down as they moved aftward. The room Clarke took them to was cozily tight with a bed tucked against one wall with a window looking outward and a desk fixed to the other. A combination wine cabinet and bookshelf took up the third wall, netting affixed to the shelves to keep them from spilling their contents under way.

    ¡°I know you Guardians can speak telepathically to each other. Let Will-I-Am know when you are finished and I will come for you.¡± With that, Clarke turned and closed the door behind her.

    Nix leaned against the desk and waited until he was certain Clarke was gone. ¡°It¡¯s the sword, right? That¡¯s why you don¡¯t want anyone going to those islands.¡±

    Raine pulled her sword from its sheath and set it on the desk beside Nix. ¡°Would you summon Clarent, please?¡±

    Nix did as asked, setting the blue and gold sword down beside the red and gold Caliburn. The two weapons looked like they had once been a single longsword.

    Raine picked up Clarent and studied it, running her fingers along the blade¡¯s length gently. There was something like relief in her expression as she set it down. ¡°Do you notice anything different about these two swords?¡±

    Nix shook his head. Aside from one being blue and the other red, they were virtually identical to each other.

    ¡°Look closer. At their enchantments.¡±

    Nix did so, looking at Raine¡¯s Caliburn first.

    Item: Caliburn

    Type: Weapon - Rapier

    Construction: Soul Forged ¡ª Remnant

    Rarity: Remnant

    Stats:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Base Damage: 2,500 (Fire)</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Durability: Infinite</li>

    </ul>

    Enchantments:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">This weapon''s base damage scales with the level of the wielder.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Damage dealt by this weapon cannot be mitigated by any means.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">This weapon is Soul Forged. As it scales in power, so too shall the wielder scale in power with it. This weapon draws upon the experience of those slain by it to level the wielder beyond their natural limitations.</li>

    </ul>

    Aside from the infinite durability and the inability to mitigate the damage the sword dealt, Caliburn¡¯s stats weren¡¯t all that impressive compared to the catalogue of high level weapons Nix had repaired over his eight years of gameplay. Clarent was nearly identical, though it dealt its damage as ice. But it only had a single point of durability and¡­

    Nix immediately spotted the difference. It was only Caliburn that held the experience draining and leveling enchantments. He¡¯d initially overlooked that, misreading it for the scaling level enchantments most weapons had. Gear typically scaled over a range of levels so players could get more use out of them without having to immediately replace them as they leveled.

    But that specific language, leveling the wielder beyond their natural limitations, that was interesting. Did it mean someone with that sword could break the level cap? Could an NPC wielding it reach the same level as a Guardian?

    Nix turned to Raine. ¡°Does that enchantment on your sword work as I think it does?¡±

    Raine nodded. ¡°Exactly as you might suspect. Your copy of Clarent is a fair imitation, but it is not the real one. I do not know how you were able to copy it, but you can see now why I cannot allow anyone to get either sword. I grew quite formidable with those swords. But it seems a stab through the heart is still a great equalizer.¡± Raine ran her hand along the wound in her chest. ¡°If those swords ever fell into the wrong hands, hands like mine, the devastation they could cause would be unfathomable.¡±

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    ¡°More unfathomable than millions of people like me, Raine? People who cannot die and have no end to our ability to level already?¡± Nix shook his head. While traveling from Firestone to Orleana, a mutual friend of Nix and Saiph¡¯s, Sinnamon Roll, had told them about an attack on NPCs north of Araedi. There hadn¡¯t been any provocation that Sinnamon could tell, but she believes they did it to force the admins of Annwyn Online to show themselves and send them home. It hadn¡¯t worked.

    The mention of the attack was the note that struck Raine. She took a step backwards like she had been punched in the gut.

    Seeing as he had broken through to her, Nix pressed further. ¡°Not everyone from my world is a good person. There were boundaries placed on us before we were brought here. Boundaries that limited the things we could do. Those boundaries are now gone. And we still cannot die. It¡¯s not a matter of if someone gets those swords, but when.¡±

    ¡°In my day, we did not have beings like yourself who could throw themselves, undying, at the safeguards I created. I have seen you and those you¡¯ve fought alongside do incredible things.¡± Raine pulled her necklace off and let it dangle in her hands.

    The air grew uncomfortably silent, save only for the gentle crashing of waves against the ship outside the window. The room had darkened considerably with the setting sun since they¡¯d entered and the only other source of light was the faintly glowing crystal nightlight on the desk.

    It was bright enough to cast a shadow on Raine¡¯s face. Her dark brown eyes held none of the vibrant confidence he had come to associate with her, but rather a kind of ancient weariness.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if what I¡¯m about to say will make sense, Raine, but you need to understand that before a few days ago, I didn¡¯t even know this place, your home, was a living, breathing world. I never knew magic like this was even possible. Where I¡¯m from, there is no magic. I¡¯m not a grand adventurer or a heroic spirit. I am an ordinary man barely into his twenties who has somehow been caught up in something far greater than himself. And I don¡¯t even know why.¡±

    Raine set her necklace down on the table. ¡°I was only twenty-seven when I died. I don¡¯t know if the legends surrounding me mention that.¡±

    Nix shook his head.

    ¡°I was not a good person for most of those twenty-seven years. But in the end, I tried to be. I don¡¯t think I will ever right all the wrongs I¡¯ve committed in such a short time. Not even with the help you¡¯ve given me to do it.¡± Raine suddenly picked up the necklace and thrust it into Nix¡¯s hands. ¡°That was given to me by a man named Logran. He was the one I stole Caliburn and Clarent from. He was part of a religious order, they called themselves the Revi. The swords were two of many items of power they worshipped. Logran told me they had been given to his people by the Remnants, their ancient gods.¡±

    Raine shook her head and let out a laugh with little mirth. ¡°I wasn¡¯t a religious person back then. I wonder what Logran would think of me now, forever trapped in this hell. To always leave your service and return to those moments before my death when Avanyu stabbed me with my own Caliburn and pushed me overboard.¡±

    Raine paused, a flash of embarrassment on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That didn¡¯t come out right. I have enjoyed fighting on your side and I would answer your call every time.¡±

    ¡°No offense taken. But you mean that¡¯s where you go when I dismiss you?¡± Nix had never really given much thought as to where his summons went, or even came from, when he was done with them. His Archdruid, Gwydion, had made a similar sentiment to Raine¡¯s when Nix and his friends had killed him to beat a dungeon boss the previous day.

    But to answer his call, taste this bit of freedom and know exactly where you were going when you left. Nix shuddered. That was hell.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Raine. I wish I¡¯d known.¡± Nix managed.

    ¡°If you had known, would you have stopped summoning me? Do not feel sorry for me. Remember, I willingly answer your call. I know what I am being asked of. Of what I will return to when I am done here. And believe me when I say I will die a hundred, a thousand deaths over and over again if it means I can wield Caliburn in the service of bettering this world instead of plundering it. I can think of no greater penance. What you give me is a gift, Nix, not a curse. Remember that.¡±

    ¡°I will, Raine. I promise you that.¡±

    ¡°Then you have my word: I will not stop answering your call should you choose to aid your friends in slaying Avanyu and reclaiming my swords.¡± Raine walked to the bed and looked out the window. ¡°I realize you are right. I would be foolish to trust my safeguards to keep those weapons hidden from the hands of terrible men forever. There may even come a day when they will need to stain themselves with blood again. I only hope that your friends are as deserving of your trust as you believe they are.¡±

    A wave of relief washed over Nix and he took what felt like his first deep breath since he and Raine had entered the room. He hadn¡¯t realized just how much he¡¯d been dreading the exact opposite response from Raine. To lose her, the thought of that bothered Nix.

    Raine turned to Nix, a mischievous smile on her face. ¡°But I will tell you, if they really do intend on going after Avanyu, they will need more than this single ship. Far, far more.¡±

    Nix couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I¡¯ll tell them that.¡±

 Chapter 34: Tyree

    Fort Pella, the Territories of Ilsylvania. Day 03.

    Tyree had fallen behind while General Neemo and Colonel Verne ran up the stairs behind the man who¡¯d called for them. When she finally made it out of the armory and to the gates, she could see what had gotten everyone¡¯s attention.

    Fort Pella sat upon a hill with the rest of the village encircling it in the basin north of the fort. As such, it offered the best view of the great pillar of smoke blotting out the horizon to the north of the village.

    ¡°Forest fire?¡± Tyree asked Colonel Verne.

    ¡°Could be, though we are well past the dry season,¡± Verne said.

    ¡°True, or it could be caused by a wandering flame elemental,¡± Tyree suggested.

    Tyree hated the things, though Aliyah liked them, saying they served to help keep forests in check by occasionally burning away old growth so new growth could come in.

    Tyree didn¡¯t buy into that. A proper monster was one that let you know it was trying to kill you, not whatever random chaos those mischievous wisps of light were up to.

    ¡°To the south?¡± Tyree said as she turned in that direction. Multiple columns of smoke began rising up as she stared. Logan¡¯s farmhouse. Tyree grabbed the nearest guard who¡¯d been manning the gates. ¡°You need to get to the inn and find the guardian Halzy. He¡¯s tall, with a white beard and hair.¡±

    Before the man even had time to say anything, Halzy called out, running towards them even as he brandished his whistle. A slender, grey-furred woman with a cat-like face, one of the rare Cait Sidhe, in sky blue plate armor was beside him.

    ¡°We need to get to Logan¡¯s farm and warn him and my family!¡± Tyree called to the Guardian.

    ¡°I know. Singapura¡¯s here to help us get there and get your family out.¡± Halzy said, gesturing to the Cait Sidhe.

    Singapura gave a nod and blew into the whistle in her hand and the call was answered by a large wind drake. Halzy blew into his own whistle, hopped onto his eight-legged horse, and pulled Tyree up behind him. The beast moved at break-neck speeds and Tyree felt every jostle from the horse¡¯s movements in her injuries.

    The constantly renewing pain ceased as they abruptly stopped in front of a great wall of fire. An arrow whizzed by Tyree¡¯s head and suddenly fighting erupted between Halzy, the Cait Sidhe, and the ones who¡¯d presumably started the fires.

    The Cait Sidhe was knocked from her silvery drake by a blast of yellow mana. She let out a cry that looked more from surprise than pain, and was suddenly back on her feet, sword and shield in hand.

    She beat her sword against her shield and reddish waves of mana emanated from her as she yelled, ¡°Go, Halzy! I¡¯ve got them!¡±

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    Without hesitation, Halzy spurred his horse onward. He circled wide until he found a break in the flames. The sweltering heat of the fires singed Tyree¡¯s hair and the bandages covering her face as Halzy pushed them through. The great horse bellowed in pain as it trampled over still-burning cinders, but it did not slow down.

    They jumped the fence and Tyree watched the fires burning down the old farmhouse like a pack of ravenous wolves feasting on a freshly killed deer.

    Halzy leapt from the mount and charged into the front door, disappearing into the roiling inferno inside.

    Tyree cried out as moments later, the building finally succumbed to the fires and collapsed, the second floor slamming down on the first and sending out a quaking tremble through Tyree¡¯s feet.

    Halzy came running from behind the remains of the building, his armor covered in soot and ash. ¡°I looked everywhere I could. I didn¡¯t see anyone inside. Maybe they got out.¡±

    And would have been killed by the people who¡¯d set Logan¡¯s home on fire. It hadn¡¯t needed to be said, but they both knew that was true.

    ¡°Leave.¡± That single word, icy and cold, was the only one to force its way through the lump building in Tyree¡¯s throat.

    ¡°We need to get you back to the village. It isn¡¯t safe here.¡± Halzy said, pain written on his own face.

    But Tyree didn¡¯t care anymore. He¡¯d said so himself: her world, her family¡­ none of it mattered to him and the other guardians. Her home was just some place they came to when they were bored. And now they had destroyed it and everything she loved simply because they could.

    ¡°I said leave!¡± Tyree pulled her sword from her bag of holding. She lashed out at Halzy, but fell nowhere close to striking him. She tumbled to the ground, pain flaring in her head and chest anew from her injuries. She couldn¡¯t hold back the tears and she wept. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t any of you just leave me and my family alone?¡±

    What did it matter if it wasn¡¯t safe here? It wasn¡¯t safe anywhere with the power the Guardians wielded. And Aliyah was gone. Alyx and Lynn were gone. Logan was gone. She had nothing¡­ no one left.

    ¡°Halzy! We need to go! Pella¡¯s under attack and Hogweed can¡¯t get enough members there by himself!¡± Came Singapura¡¯s voice.

    Halzy watched Tyree a minute longer, then turned and followed the armored Cait Sidhe back to the village.

    Though Tyree hadn¡¯t noticed. She only watched the farmhouse finish burning itself out.

    The Guardians were supposed to protect it. Ilsylvania¡¯s army was supposed to protect it. She was supposed to protect it. Tyree had sworn an oath to protect her family and those who¡¯d needed it. But she and they had all failed.

    Tyree felt hollow, but she quickly found a grim resolve deep inside her. She had failed her family, but Pella still needed her help.

    Tyree reached into her bag of holding and took out her strongest healing potion. It was intended to only be used as a last resort to pull a soldier back from the very brink of death in their dire need.

    Against the warnings of everyone who had learned to use healing potions only sparingly, Tyree downed the bottle in its entirety.

    A raging storm of pain flattened Tyree to the ground as her body began rapidly healing the injuries she¡¯d sustained over the last several days. Skin and muscle stitched themselves closed and bones realigned themselves as stretched muscles tightened themselves once more. It was pain.

    Finally, Tyree could think straight and move once more. She pulled her armor from her bag and threw the pieces on the ground. Stripping herself of her plain clothes and donning the tunic she wore under her armor, Tyree affixed the pieces to herself. Energy and power flowed into her as the armor¡¯s enchantments altered her very physiology, granting her increased strength, speed, and agility.

    Tyree pulled a yellow vial from her bag of holding and downed it. Time around her slowed as her reflexes and speed increased dramatically. Tyree turned in the direction of Pella and ran. She ran until she bottomed out her stamina, drank another stamina potion, and continued onward.

 Chapter 35: The Attack on the Northeast Wilds, Part I

    Day 03.

    Sinnamon burst through the doors of Larina¡¯s shop. When she''d made it halfway to the mage shop, she''d received another message from Halzy and it had confirmed her fears. Another fire had gone up south of Pella, and more fires had been seen further out from Araedi in multiple directions. Fires that had been deliberately set. She quickly tapped out a message to Saiph, Nix, Orbnus, and Jack, hoping at least one of them might have friends in the area who could help them.

    ¡°Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Where¡¯s the fire? I know our work is good, but it ain¡¯t that good!¡± Owlie called out.

    Sinnamon had to stop and catch her breath. ¡°Fires outside Araedi. Lots of them. Please tell me you finished enchanting my stuff!¡±

    Owlie shouted towards the counter. ¡°Larina! Need those pink mage robes!¡±

    Larina appeared from a back room and reached under the counter and pulled out a white box wrapped with a silver bow. She set it on the table and slid it towards Sinnamon. ¡°It¡¯s all set, but you¡¯re still a level too low.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll kill something on the way.¡± Sinnamon tore open the box and dumped its contents into her bag. She equipped the outfit and received a prompt warning her of her level being too low to use the gear.

    A flash of light surrounded Owlie and in a moment she was wearing her armor. A pike appeared on her back with the pointed end looking like a snowflake delicately folded in half. ¡°We¡¯ll kill something along the way.¡±

    Sinnamon started for the door when Owlie called out.

    ¡°Hey, I just realized, we hooked you up with new clothes, but you probably need a new weapon, right? Wand or staff?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can buy one right now if it costs as much as the robes,¡± Sinnamon answered. She was still using the starter wand.

    ¡°We¡¯ll set up a payment plan later! You need a high level weapon to work with! Now, staff or wand?¡±

    ¡°Wand. No, staff,¡± Sinnamon answered.

    Owlie smiled at her as she picked up a black and pink staff with a blue-white focusing crystal at the tip. A silver snake wrapped around the upper half of the rod and its mouth stood open with fangs extended towards the crystal at the top. ¡°You¡¯ll like this one, it¡¯s for supports.¡±

    Item: Asclepius¡¯ Rod

    Type: Weapon - Magic Staff

    Construction: Wood from the Aeslum tree with a Diamat Focus

    Rarity: Phantasmal

    Stats:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Base Spell Strength: +30%</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Base Spell cast time reduction: +12.5%</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Base Spell cooldown reduction: +25%</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Durability: 2,150/2,150</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">This item scales from level 55 to 75</li>

    </ul>

    Enchantments:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Healing and shielding power: +25%</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">+25% to Willpower</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Diminished returns on casting the same crowd control spell on a target reduced by 50%</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Mana penalty for casting party-wide buffs is reduced by 50%</li>

    </ul>

    Description: A powerful staff forged by Owlie, enchanted by Larina.

    Sinnamon held the staff in her hands and she was most surprised to see that the imagery of the snake on the staff was the correct one for medical professionals.

    The three of them ran out of the shop together and towards Araedi¡¯s western gates.

    ***

    Tyree saw movement ahead of her. Three men; one wearing heavy armor, and the other two in matching blue robes. Tyree activated the stealth skill Rhoda had taught her, muffle. Silent as the dead of night, she slipped in close behind them.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t get over how big that explosion was! I definitely picked the wrong class!¡± the man in armor shouted with glee. He stopped walking and rested his arms behind his head as he caught his breath.

    ¡°And that was just a level twenty spell! Imagine if I were fifty or a hundred!¡± One of the men in robes said.

    ¡°Would you two stop standing around? We¡¯re falling behind! We have to catch up to the others!¡± said the third man.

    Tyree continued to watch them. They meandered without much hurry. She could feel the power emanating from them. They were at best rank two, she was rank four. They might not die a permanent death, but she could delay them getting to Pella.

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    Muscles tightened in Tyree¡¯s body like a spring compressed. In one swift moment, she activated two spells and launched herself towards one of the men in blue robes.

    The Guardian Sorcerer Tyree latched onto cried out, but it was too late. Tyree plunged her sword through his back and it came out his chest, coated in the red of his blood. She activated the blade¡¯s burning enchantment and flames burst from inside the Guardian as she dragged the sword down and out his lower back. Before his body even hit the ground, it had changed into a small floating purple crystal.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± The man in armor turned to face Tyree, a pike and shield appearing in his hands.

    Red light flashed around the Guardian Sentinel and Tyree felt a strong compulsion to attack him and only him. She charged forward to meet him even though she knew she should be going after the other mage.

    Her swords found only the Sentinel¡¯s shield or plate armor as he blocked each strike. She tried to pull away to face his mage friend, but he was nowhere to be seen.

    Suddenly pain flared through Tyree¡¯s stomach. She looked down and saw blood spilling beneath the pike sticking through the armor in her stomach. My blood, Tyree realized.

    Tyree felt the sword yanked out from her stomach. She slumped to the ground, choking on her own blood as pain roiled through her body.

    The Sentinel looked down at Tyree, pike raised and ready to strike, and the only thing she could think of doing was cursing the universe for not allowing her to take at least two of them before she died.

    The pain was maddening, but Tyree steeled herself and looked the man in his eyes as he drove his weapon downward.

    A blinding light made Tyree recoil and close her eyes. The pain in her stomach was gone in an instant.

    A woman¡¯s battle cry and a man¡¯s cries were the only sounds Tyree heard. The light faded and in front of Tyree, she saw the man about to kill her clutching a sword sticking out of his own stomach.

    The blade was serrated up both sides and around its rounded tip. An angel in white-gold armor with large silver wings flared stood behind the Sentinel. The weapon made a terrible buzzing sound as the jagged edges of the blade began to spin, violently tearing through armor as easily as it did flesh as the angel pulled her sword up, cleaving the Guardian in two. The two halves of his body disappeared, replaced by a glowing purple crystal that floated above the ground.

    The angel pointed her weapon at the other robed Guardian and a bright beam of white light fired from the sword¡¯s tip. He suddenly burst into flames, joining his two friends as small glowing purple crystals.

    The woman landed on the ground and a man wearing a black suit and holding a guitar sauntered out from behind the tree and¡­ was his head a giant pumpkin?

    He and the angel talked before he suddenly turned to Tyree.

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t see you there. I am the King of Hallow¡¯s Eve, Jack O¡¯Lantern. But you can call me Jack.¡±

    The angel introduced herself as Orbnus, Keeper of Solaire¡¯s Light.

    Tyree looked at the odd pair and finally managed a ¡°Thank you, healer. I would have been dead if not for you.¡±

    ¡°Afraid that¡¯s all the healing I can do. If you¡¯re still hurting, Jack can give you a slow heal. Can you get somewhere safe?¡±

    Tyree shook her head. ¡°I am a soldier of Castera. I am going to Pella to save that village.¡±

    Orbnus nodded. ¡°Then I suggest you stick with us.¡±

    Jack plucked a note on his guitar before setting into a furious composition. The notes were dark and heavy, rising and falling in a manner Tyree had never heard performed before. Pink motes of mana in the shape of music notes spilled from the guitar, wafted through the air, and caught all three of them.

    Tyree raised a hand to one of the notes. When she did, her arm moved far faster than she¡¯d intended. She took a step back and again she moved with more speed as if propelled by an unseen force.

    ¡°What magic is this?¡± Tyree asked Jack.

    His pumpkin head opened into a large grin. Where eyes should have been were two flickering candles. ¡°I am a Bard. I didn¡¯t know if my spells could work on you. Seems they do, because this movement speed buff is the only way we¡¯re getting to the action fast enough to make a difference.¡±

    ***

    AnnaLee flew alongside Sinnamon and Weaver on her pegasus, scouting the full scope of the raging fires below. The thick smoke met them, stirring all three of them into a coughing fit.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to put us down beside those players and figure out just what the hell is going on,¡± Weaver pointed to a group of eight, maybe more, Sinnamon couldn¡¯t see through the thick haze.

    ¡°What the hell are you guys doing?¡± Weaver yelled to a Sorcerer named Dahl as he dismounted.

    ¡°What''s it look like? Me and a bunch of other players are gonna force the devs to send us home. They turned off reports? They''ll have to respond to a server-wide griefing!¡± Dahl replied.

    ¡°You''re not griefing anyone! You''re burning down people''s homes and farms! This isn''t a game!¡± Weaver shouted.

    ¡°You¡¯re hurting real people,¡± Sinnamon added.

    ¡°Real people already got hurt!¡± A level sixteen Rogue named Katarina shouted. ¡°I have a toddler at home by himself! Can you promise me the devs are taking care of him while I''m stuck here?¡±

    Sinnamon started to open her mouth, but couldn''t say anything. Katarina was right. Sinnamon wasn''t sure how she''d react knowing her child was home alone, even if it had been, at most a couple hours if Annwyn Online¡¯s time conversion with earth was still the same 2 hours for one day. That was still a long time for anything to happen. But that didn''t mean the people of this world, who apparently knew little more than the players did, should have to suffer as well.

    Sinnamon didn''t have the words to voice the confused thoughts in her head and so she stayed silent, offering only a shake of her head.

    ¡°I didn''t think so. Until I know my kid is safe and I can go home and hold him again, I don''t care about anything else. Least of all any of these people. The devs were the first to not care.¡± Katarina turned and disappeared into the orange flames with Dahl.

    Weaver placed a hand on Sinnamon¡¯s shoulder. She wiped a tear from her eye. She hadn¡¯t even realized she''d started crying.

    ¡°We need to go. These people won''t listen to reason,¡± Weaver said.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. We need to get ahead of these people and evacuate who we can.¡± Sinnamon firmed herself and turned to AnnaLee. ¡°I have a strong feeling we''re going to need a lot of healers over the next couple hours. You and I need to get to Pella.¡±

    AnnaLee gave a nod. The girl had confided in Sinnamon that she wanted to be a nurse or a doctor someday. She was only fourteen, but she was about to get thrown into it.

    ¡°What about us?¡± JonJon asked.

    Weaver answered. ¡°You, me, and Sparrow will take up evacuating who we can. We''ll have to ride fast and hard and get people either going far from the path of the fires to Araedi or Pella.¡±

    He turned to Larina and Owlie who had stayed further back. ¡°Can you two give Sinnamon and AnnaLee an air escort? Who knows what they might run into.¡±

    Both women dismissed their ground summons, replacing them with wyverns.

    Owlie turned to Sinnamon. ¡°I hope you two can keep up.¡±

 Chapter 36: The Attack on the Northeast Wilds, Part II

    Day 03.

    Lieutenant Altus Besk of Pella¡¯s 2nd Artillery Company watched as the men and women under his command carried dozens of enchanted shot and cannon parts up and out of the magazine Colonel Verne had given him and the other artillery companies access to.

    Weapons of this type, the hidden secret of Ilsylvania¡¯s defense, hadn¡¯t been fired in anger since the Siege of Araedi over five hundred years ago. And now they were being hastily assembled in place of Fort Pella¡¯s non-enchanted armaments on each of her flanks as the multiple walls of fire in every direction made their way towards the fort and her village.

    Beyond those flames, Besk watched hundreds of armored and robed Guardians of every color running towards his home through his binoculars. They were crummy things that barely extended his view beyond his naked eyes, but he needed them to determine range more effectively. He placed them at just under a mile and closing. They were slow walking ahead and beside their wall of flames and behind them, the miles of the blackened and charred remains of that destruction stood out almost like an ocean.

    What do they want? Why attack us? What did we do to invite their wrath? All questions Besk had no answers to. The sudden, seemingly random and unprovoked nature of it all was the most horrifying part of all this. He and his men were fighting a nigh unstoppable enemy and the worst part was he didn''t even know why.

    ¡°They sure do seem in a hurry to catch our shot,¡± Verne mused with a dry humor.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost ready to give it to them.¡± Besk forced a casual tone of his own.

    No one at this fort had seen any real combat beyond the occasional goblin hunting patrol in almost a hundred years. And now Besk was leading the battery that would likely be the first to fire upon the Guardians as enemies and not as allies as Pella had done nearly a hundred years ago to stop the great demon Azeban in her last great combat action.

    But what really caused Besk to white knuckle the railing in front of him was the knowledge that this enemy couldn''t really die. They could be killed, temporarily, but they would just come back and attack them again. He and his men were only throwing rocks at an unstoppable hurricane.

    Supposedly there were two factions within the Guardians. Those outside the walls, setting fire to everything around them for reasons he couldn''t even begin to fathom, and those within the walls. The latter group''s numbers were far smaller, but there were assurances from them that they were still on the side of protecting Pella and her people.

    Besk wasn''t sure whether he could trust that second group. Clearly wherever the Guardians had gone for the last month, the experience had broken many of them. Was this a symptom of the new minds each Guardian now possessed? He couldn''t know, he wasn''t a philosopher. He was an artilleryman.

    Verne pulled Besk from his thoughts. ¡°When your men are ready and the enemy within range, send as many shots as you please.¡±

    They both knew the Guardians were already in range and had been for a while now, if they were to use the maximum firestone charge these cannons were rated for. But this was a battle of attrition to stall for time. They needed to conserve every precious bit of ammo they had in the hopes that the faction supposedly on their side had some as of yet unknown means to deal with the attackers for good and they could do that before Pella was overrun.

    Besk watched the men beneath him finish assembling their cannon, a near twenty foot long barrel with a twenty inch bore. It could deliver a thousand pound shot over eight thousand yards without breaking a sweat. Such weapons required a full platoon of thirty men in heavily enchanted armor to operate the nearly sixty-ton cannon, let alone the three men required to carry and load her shot and charge.

    The nature of the enchantments placed on the shot was the real secret Ilsylvania had kept. One type could cause the shot to burst apart explosively into shrapnel and the other drew in mana as it flew, generating much more power behind the impact. The former was the ¡°army breaker¡± and was being used against the Guardians. The latter, barrier busters, had been used in the great siege of Araedi. Though that enchantment hadn''t actually been used against the barriers themselves, but the buildings. It was confidently believed that enough of these enchanted rounds could eventually penetrate it. Besk didn''t want to be alive to see such a war where they''d have to test the claim.

    ¡°I have to see how the other batteries are doing. You have the deck,¡± Verne said.

    ¡°I have the deck,¡± Besk confirmed.

    The two flanking gunner¡¯s platforms each had their cannons fully assembled and were loaded for bear moments after the forward cannon was ready.

    ¡°Focus fire on as many clumped together as you can in a one-two-three rolling sweep.¡± Besk took one last look at the approaching wave of Guardians and the wall of fire behind them about a half mile away from the base of the fort''s hill, then looked down at the three gunner¡¯s platforms beneath him. ¡°Fire one!¡±

    ¡°Fire one!¡± The first gunner, Sergeant Ruike, repeated.

    The first gun boomed, sending out a sea of sparks, fire, and smoke. The large cannon jumped backwards, stopped by the web of arresting ropes behind it.

    The second and third cannons followed suit. The three enchanted shots were placed just short of the Guardians with near perfect spacing that made Besk swell with pride at his soldiers¡¯ gunnery.

    Earth was kicked up and bodies were sent flying back into the flames behind them. Many turned into glowing crystals almost immediately as the enchanted shot blew apart, cutting through trees and bodies like a warm knife through butter.

    Besk hoped that opening salvo might have dissuaded some of the other approaching Guardians, but like the fires burning behind them, they continued forward, closing the now four thousand yards of distance swiftly.

    His gunners, undaunted, quickly moved to reload their cannons.

    ***

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    Sinnamon and AnnaLee flew high above Pella. She could hear the thunderous booms of the fort''s guns, watching them send out smoking arcs of orange in response to the closing fires.

    From her overhead view, Sinnamon watched a trail of people moving from the outlying homes near the edges of the Pella¡¯s walls towards a central building that dominated the village. A not insignificant number were also coming from the gun platforms on the fort overlooking Pella as well. Many of that group were being carried.

    ¡°Looks like they''re staging the wounded down there,¡± Sinnamon said over the telepathic party chat.

    ¡°You guys are gonna have to manage your own from here. Look!¡± Owlie pointed back the way they''d come from.

    Some players with flying mounts of their own had apparently had the same idea Weaver had. They''d trailed behind Sinnamon¡¯s party and were now beginning to rain devastation on Pella¡¯s defenseless rooftops from high above with fireballs of her own.

    Larina and Owlie quickly turned back and Larina lit up the sky with a dazzling display of spells.

    Though she''d have liked to turn and help, Sinnamon and AnnaLee were supports, not damage classes. They were useless in aerial combat, though even Owlie as a Dragoon wasn¡¯t made for ranged combat, either. But she and Larina had to make due and Sinnamon and AnnaLee had to go where they were needed.

    The pair landed close to the largest building where they found Halzy standing beside an open fast travel portal. A slow trickle of players came through, immediately going in different directions.

    ¡°How bad is it?¡± Sinnamon asked, from what she''d seen, it was already pretty bad, but she hadn¡¯t seen everything Halzy and his guildmates could.

    ¡°Pella¡¯s the largest village in immediate danger, but this isn''t the only place this attack sprung up around. Delphianna''s dealing with people setting fires and south of Araedi''s burning, too. Whoever''s coordinating it sure knew how to spread us thin.¡± Halzy shook his head. ¡°Just from the size of the crowd outside the walls, you''d think they targeted Pella specifically.¡±

    Sinnamon had to agree. There were some million or so players between Araedi and Delphianna. They couldn''t, and many even wouldn''t, be able to comb the entire continent to stop maybe a couple hundred or thousand. Though from what she''d seen in the air, it seemed like Pella had become the point everyone fixated on and gravitated towards.

    ¡°We saw a couple players flying this way. If you know anyone else with flying mounts, they''ll probably want to go up.¡± Sinnamon said.

    Halzy cringed. ¡°Damn it. Most of our ranged are on the walls. Thank you, we''ll figure something out. You might check out the library. That''s where they''re staging the casualties and the evacuation.¡±

    Sinnamon knew a little about the cities beyond Araedi or Castera¡¯s walls. But she did know each of them had a central location civilians could evacuate to in the event of a night spawn attack. Villages around the player cities hadn''t really needed to use their bunkers for much, but that had certainly changed. Though Sinnamon wondered what good they''d do against players.

    At the library, medics and healers scurried between wounded and¡­ a lot of sickly looking people. They actually outnumbered the wounded considerably. Sinnamon looked around confused for a moment before she stopped a medic.

    ¡°Anna and I are healers. How can we help you?¡± Sinnamon asked.

    The medic, a tall, thin man in guard armor, studied Sinnamon and AnnaLee briefly. ¡°You''re Guardians. Please, whatever you do, don''t just start healing! Go talk to the senior medical officer over there in the blue uniform¡ª¡± He pointed to a group of people, other players, sitting around a short man with thinning hair in the blue uniform. It looked like a class of some sort. ¡°¡ªhe''ll explain things. Your healing magic will do more harm than good until you''ve had proper training. Unfortunately we don''t have time for that, so quick and dirty it is.¡±

    Sinnamon moved to the uniformed man and listened intently.

    ¡°...use pulses of magic, slowly and with precise intent. Just enough to make them stable, my medics will take care of it the rest of the way,¡± he finished.

    A couple of the players who''d been listening to him stood and mixed in among the sick and wounded.

    ¡°I''m not really an officer, just one of the most knowledgeable doctors here. The Army pays me well and I get to help those who need it,¡± Merriweather corrected after introducing himself. ¡°You might have missed the beginning of my lecture, I''ve given it three times now. The key thing to note is you must heal slowly and pay close attention as you work. You don''t want to harm the patient more with your help. Failure to heed caution could cause permanent disfigurement or disablement.¡±

    ¡°Good to know.¡± Sinnamon said. She knew some emergency medicine, having worked as an EMT a couple years ago. Her Cleric, School of Healing subclass had given her some knowledge she hadn¡¯t had before. It seemed to augment what she already knew and filled in some of the gaps she didn''t. She felt a bit of confidence coming to her with the realization. Not the confidence of someone who thought they knew more than they did, but the confidence of someone who knew they knew enough for the task ahead of them.

    She dumped the points she''d kept in reserve into her Medic Profession, chosen as she was listening to Merriweather. More insights and knowledge came to her. Her hands seemed to know instinctively how to move in the often complicated gestures used to heal in place of physically performing any type of surgery.

    AnnaLee didn''t have a base of knowledge to work with, she hadn''t ever done anything with medicine before, and so worked as Sinnamon¡¯s assistant, bringing her bandages and cleaning wounds while Sinnamon worked her mana to set bone, mend flesh, or cauterize the places were fingers and limbs had once been.

    The girl watched Sinnamon with rapt attention. She didn''t shy away from the grevious wounds, but asked questions about anatomy that also had the effect of keeping some of the more lucid patients focused on the conversation instead of the pain they were no doubt feeling.

    Sinnamon wondered if AnnaLee was intentionally doing it for the benefit of the patient. If that girl was, Sinnanon had no doubt that she would make a good nurse someday.

    As she readied herself to stabilize the next person before her, Sinnamon received a message from Saiph.

    Help is coming. Watch the skies.

    ***

    Orbnus¡¯ chainsword made that terrible buzzing sound as it cleaved through two Guardians who hadn¡¯t had time to see it coming. She sheathed her sword and sent two jets of water from her hands into the fires the Guardians she¡¯d killed had been following. Jack returned to his speed-boosting melody and off they were through the break she''d made.

    The rolling drone of distant explosions told Tyree she was nearing Pella and the fort was unleashing its barrage of enchanted cannonfire.

    Ahead of Tyree and her two powerful escorts, a group of twenty Guardians rushing for the city suddenly blew apart, their bodies instantly replaced with twenty purple crystals that continued on the trajectory the explosion had sent them on.

    Orbnus quickly wrapped herself around Tyree, the clanking of shrapnel off the Guardian''s armor drilled home just how close she had come to getting hit by friendly fire.

    ¡°Can you get me up to the fort?¡± Tyree asked Orbnus.

    Orbnus let out a wicked smile as she donned her helmet and unfurled her large silver wings. She gripped Tyree about the waist and lifted off higher and higher above the battlefield.

    Three orange lights streaked from the fort towards the wall of fire and were answered by smaller, far faster streaks of a rainbow of colors. Tyree watched the brave men and women manning those three guns, loading the charge and shot all the while arrows and mana streaked around them. Two of them went down, bloodied forms already lifeless as they hit the ground.

    ¡°There, on that artillery battery! Set me down there!¡± Tyree shouted over the howling winds and the din of battle.

    Orbnus did as she was asked, but immediately pulled up and away as the right-most gun suddenly blew apart, sending shrapnel and bodies flying as two more explosions followed it, causing the entire platform to disappear in a rising cloud of smoke and debris.

 Chapter 37: The Attack on the Northeast Wilds, Part III

    Day 03.

    Besk had been thrown from the platform and landed hard against the ground on his side. Someone was shouting commands at him and pushing a vial of red liquid to his mouth.

    He sipped from the healing potion and soon felt sensation returning to his arm and fingertips. He shook himself off and leaned up.

    ¡°Easy there, Lieutenant, you took one hell of a fall,¡± a hand pushed Besk back down.

    ¡°Any survivors?¡± Besk managed, turning to see that the hand belonged to Sergeant Vin Arquin of the medical platoon attached to his company.

    ¡°Besides you and a spotter, we aren¡¯t sure,¡± Arquin answered solemnly. ¡°The whole platform was blown clear apart by whatever hit our cannons. It''s just gone. Some of the firestone charge was launched back and blew up part of the administrative building. Dropped the whole damned second floor on that corner. Damage control is trying to pick their way through it all, but it¡¯s a mess.¡±

    Besk cursed. ¡°Can we spare anyone from the other platforms? We need to keep up the pressure on the south.¡±

    Arquin shook his head. ¡°No, they¡¯re all fighting just as heavily as we were. But look over there!¡±

    Besk followed Arquin¡¯s pointing hand in the direction of the southern gates. Men and women¡ªGuardians¡ªbegan pouring out of them from somewhere deeper in the city, weapons drawn and running to meet the attacking army heading towards them.

    ¡°Seems we still have allies after all. Spread the word, make sure no one fires on them.¡± Besk stood, pain still flaring in his arm, but at least it was a dull pain now. He turned and saw the administrative building behind him was a complete mess. ¡°Where are we staging our wounded?¡±

    ¡°Library at the center of the city.¡± Arquin answered.

    ¡°Got it, do what you can to help those recovered from the wreckage, I¡¯ll assist in digging them out.¡±

    Besk turned to the destroyed gunner¡¯s platform and joined the handful of soldiers who were pulling away chunks of debris. They pulled away one man-sized rock and Besk saw an armored hand sticking up at him. He tapped the hand and it responded with a weak curling of the fingers.

    ¡°Got a live one over here! Someone help me fish them out!¡± Besk shouted.

    A woman in red armor ran over to Besk and he looked at her in surprise. ¡°I hope you weren¡¯t up there when that blew.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t. Captain Tyressa Pearce of the 9th Forward Strike Battalion out of Castera,¡± the woman introduced herself. ¡°Where can I help?¡±

    ¡°Lieutenant Altus Besk. You¡¯re the wounded woman? How are you¡ª¡± Besk stopped himself, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Help me dig this person out!¡±

    Captain Pearce and Besk heaved away the rubble until he saw Sergeant Inais Fask¡¯s  bright yellow eyes looking back at him through her helm.

    ¡°You alright, gunner?¡± Besk asked.

    She nodded. ¡°Yeah, the enchantments on this armor¡¯s some wicked stuff. What the hell hit us?¡±

    ¡°Some sort of lightning bolt, I saw it from above. Fires and Guardians from the ground isn''t our only problem now,¡± Captain Pearce answered.

    Besk looked up in time to see a great fireball travel across the sky, striking a moving white dot. He hoped that was a friendly fireball.

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    Besk turned back to Inais. ¡°Can you move?¡±

    Inais nodded and heaved herself up. Apparently the enchantments were good stuff. Despite being buried under a heavy chunk of wall, she seemed none the worse for wear.

    ¡°Good, help us dig the rest of our company up.¡± Besk turned to Captain Pearce. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t be giving you any orders, Captain, but I need to stay here and help get the rest of my men back up and fighting. Any way you can help check the administrative building for survivors?¡±

    Captain Pearce nodded, turned, and made for the building behind them.

    ***

    Tyree dodged obstacles of both rubble and people moving with purpose. She went straight for the heaviest hit area. The path was tight, but she saw a way forward and squeezed through.

    ¡°Anyone here?¡± Tyree called out.

    General Neemo¡¯s voice answered. ¡°In here! I¡¯m trapped under my desk!¡±

    Tyree ran towards his call and found the general pinned under his overturned desk with a portion of the ceiling collapsed onto it. She ran and began pulling as many chunks away as she could.

    ¡°Captain Pearce? What are you doing on your feet?¡± Neemo asked when Tyree moved into his field of view.

    Tyree ignored the question as she finally cleared enough debris away to try lifting the desk. Neemo heaved himself forward and a muscle deep inside Tyree¡¯s gut snapped. She nearly dropped the desk, but pushed through the searing pain doing all she could to avoid crying out. No doubt something didn¡¯t heal right from that potion I downed.

    Tyree reached into her bag and pulled out another healing potion and downed it. The pain receded and she let out a breath of relief.

    A hand grabbed Tyree¡¯s shoulder and spun her. Neemo looked at her intense eyes. ¡°What the hell are you doing? Do you know how dangerous that is?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Tyree said with a hollow voice.

    ¡°So long as you know,¡± Neemo said. His right side was completely covered in blood and wisps of golden mana still swirled around him from whatever spell he¡¯d cast on himself.

    Tyree gave him a look, there was a lot of blood, she couldn¡¯t imagine how he was still standing himself.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one willing to take risks,¡± Neemo answered simply. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The pair hobbled out of the administrative building, following the line of other ambulatory wounded to the village¡¯s library.

    Besk was carrying an unconscious man and turned to see them. ¡°Glad you made it out in one piece, General. Thank you, Captain.¡±

    ¡°Two pieces. Maybe a couple more,¡± Neemo nodded towards his broken leg. ¡°Did those Guardians hit any other buildings? What¡¯s our current situation?¡±

    ¡°More Guardians showed up from inside the city. Seems there really are two sides to the fighting. Right now they¡¯re locked in a stalemate outside the city. Defenders are holding, but I fear it''s only a matter of time.¡± Besk answered.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope it stays that way until the attackers get bored. Where¡¯s Colonel Verne? Let him know he¡¯s leading this effort now. I¡¯m out of commission.¡±

    ¡°On it,¡± Besk answered.

    Neemo sat down on a mat set aside by one of the medics. He shooed away the healing potion the medic pushed in front of him and turned to Tyree. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be standing. How many other potions did you take?¡±

    ¡°Two and several stamina potions besides,¡± Tyree answered honestly.

    ¡°And you know what that could do to you?¡±

    The rapid healing could cause disfigurement or other permanent injury from the wound not being set and allowed to heal properly. Tyree couldn¡¯t force herself to care about those consequences. She didn¡¯t even care whether she survived long enough to suffer them.

    ¡°I was told you and your Guardian friend left here as soon as someone saw the fires from the south.¡± Neemo let the statement hang in the air for a moment. He gave Tyree a meaningful look. ¡°No one who still has something left to lose would do something so foolish as dragging their body on potions. I am deeply sorry for your loss, Captain.¡±

    Tyree¡¯s eyes grew watery. ¡°The gods have the best parts of my family and the fires of the Guardians took the rest.¡±

    ¡°The biggest lie we tell ourselves is that time will heal this wound. It doesn¡¯t. It¡¯ll only dull the pain. The important thing is to not let that pain consume you. If you truly wish to honor the memory of your family, leave this world better than they left it.¡±

    Tyree wiped her eyes and gave him a nod. ¡°I intend to, sir.¡±

    ¡°Good, now get back out there. You¡¯ve got a city to protect.¡± Neemo turned away and allowed himself to finally collapse on the mat.

 Chapter 38: The Attack on the Northeast Wilds, Part IV

    Day 03.

    A grand total of seventy-seven of Besk¡¯s one hundred and thirty soldiers had survived the blast and subsequent detonations of the cannons. Most by virtue of having not been on the platform, thankfully retrieving more charge and shot from the magazines. Many of those who had been were thrown up and forward of the fort in the initial explosion and suffered very little injuries thanks to the enchanted armor required for them to move the cannons and their heavy shot.

    It was a stroke of luck that the forward gun had fired just before the lightning hit them and her gunnery crew had all survived. Fifty-three of Besk¡¯s finest men and women on the two flanking guns hadn''t been so lucky. Their shot and charge had detonated inside their barrels, turning the weapons into horribly violent shrapnel bombs that tore through their gunners crews.

    The forward gun had survived the damage, though it had been knocked clear of its carriage and lay buried a quarter way up the barrel on the ground in front of the wall. That one was currently being dug out by her crew while others made a makeshift cradle to aim and fire the gun from or fetch more shot and charge.

    Besk watched them work even as the fighting, and the fires, drew ever nearer. There weren¡¯t any soldiers down there, it was a suicidal task to send soldiers to fight guardians, but the defending guardians from inside the city was steadily trickling out to meet the assaulting force. A part of him was happy they had someone, anyone, on their side fighting. He didn¡¯t know how this battle would end, but he hoped it would be with Pella¡¯s survival.

    The fires were now within a thousand yards and closing. A shower of arrows streaked from the fort''s walls to meet the coming Guardians. The enchantments on the arrows, much like cannon shot, took a couple seconds of flight time to arm, but when they did, they streaked across the sky, the light from their mana tracing their trajectory.

    Besk pulled his binoculars to his eyes and watched that first volley strike some of the Guardians. Some went down, but the rest quickly raised shields or projected mana barriers in front of them.

    ¡°Anyone not personally working on getting that cannon operable, grab a bow and get to firing. We need to keep giving those Guardians a reason to stay back!¡± Besk shouted.

    Bows remained the staple weapon of choice for Ilsylvania¡¯s army. A bow could be fired as fast and as accurately as an archer could draw, moreso if the archer had any sort of aptitude as a mage with archery-oriented spells. Muzzle-loading rifles were clunky, complicated things that were ultimately too slow and wildly inaccurate for practical use against archers or mages.

    Besk¡¯s archers rained arrows on the guardians as the cannon, finally freed, fell to the ground with a heavy thump. The gunner''s mates quickly cleared the barrel of the dirt that fouled it, rolled it to the cradle, and positioned it.

    Sergeant Fask gave Besk a thumbs up. ¡°We¡¯re ready to send more their way!¡±

    ¡°Well, let ¡®em have it! Try and hit their backline.¡±

    This far down from the gunner¡¯s platform, Fask had had to aim the cannon at an awkward angle. The cannon rumbled, sending the shot longer than intended, blowing apart a portion of yet unburned forest.

    Through his binoculars, Besk watched Guardians, earth, and trees get chewed up and go flying from the shot¡¯s explosive enchantment. Beyond that section of forest, he saw something that made his heart sink.

    There were far, far more Guardians approaching Pella than he had ever seen in any one place. High above them, many came by every flying creature imaginable.

    Oh hells, we can¡¯t defend against that, Besk thought. But they had to. He couldn¡¯t let his soldiers see the fear he was feeling.

    He turned back to Sergeant Fask and with a projection of confidence, said, ¡°Keep your range set and sweep across the horizon, I want as many of those Guardians turned to floating balls of purple as you can manage!¡±

    The gunner''s mates quickly lowered the cannon to level, reloaded, and lined up the next shot.

    ***

    Tyree found herself back at the southern gate. She hadn¡¯t officially returned to service and also didn¡¯t have a leadership position within Pella yet, either, leaving her role in the current situation murky at best.

    The cannon in front of her hurled its shot and the soldiers around it quickly moved to reset. Mages who could project shields were now set up around the cannon as arrow fire came at them. It was an onslaught that Tyree knew had to be draining their mana quickly.

    One of the shields failed, the mana making it up shattering like glass as a volley of arrows punched through, pelting the shielder and one of the gunner¡¯s mates who¡¯d been carrying the firestone charge disk behind her. They both dropped to the ground, dozens of arrows sticking out of their lifeless bodies.

    Tyree ran and picked up the disk and passed it off to the charger who threw it down the barrel as three more soldiers in armor slammed the massive projectile down the barrel.

    More arrows came at them, but were stopped by a woman in black armor with white lace-like patterns decorating it. She held up a shield with blue mana spanning a wide arc in front of the gunners; causing the return fire of arrows and spells to bounce harmlessly off it.

    Another Guardian, the Cait Sidhe Tyree had seen with Halzy earlier, arrived and was helping the gunners position the cannon. She was incredibly strong, letting the multi-ton barrel come to rest on her shoulder as she waited for the gunner¡¯s mates to reload before she placed it down in the cradle.

    Besk¡¯s 2nd Artillery proceeded to shell the absolute hells out of the oncoming guardians. With the Cait Sidhe, Singapura, Tyree remembered, they¡¯d been able to vastly speed up their firing rate.

    But the fire and Guardians were nearly upon them.

    ¡°Last shot, make it count!¡± Gunner Inais Fask shouted.

    The gun thundered, blowing up a group of Sorcerer Guardians who''d been fanning the flames to keep their section of the fire going.

    That hadn''t really amounted to much as right next to them, the fires continued to race up the hill so close to them, Tyree felt the heat.

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    ¡°Fall back to the city! We''re losing the fort! Move! Move!¡± Besk shouted.

    They were losing the city, too, Tyree knew. But she would fight and die defending it, hoping she would join her family on the other side.

    Barely a moment before they crossed the courtyard and closed the inner gates, the outer wall suddenly blew apart as a giant rock came crashing through it. Fires poured into the walls as Guardians ran through the hole with wild abandon.

    Down in the village, makeshift entrenchments had been hastily constructed, more to slow the advance than really defend against it.

    There were more Guardians, those Halzy and his friends and brought here, and they took up their arms and ran to meet this oncoming enemy. Tyree drew her flaming sword and joined them in the fray.

    Most of Besk¡¯s company were wielding bows now, unloading on as many of the attacking guardians behind the immediate fighting as quickly as they could grab an arrow.

    Fortunately for them, many of the guardians attacking seemed to be of an equal or lower mage rank than Tyree, letting both her and their attacks actually do something as she cleaved through armor and flesh alike with her enchanted flame sword. Though she did have to attack multiple times as many of the wounds she inflicted were near instantaneously healed.

    Tyree saw the guardian Halzy fighting three guardians alone. Tyree used the fact that they were ignoring everything else to attack the lowest ranked Guardian long enough for Halzy to land the killing blows on the other two.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I lashed out at you!¡± Tyree shouted over the sounds of battle.

    ¡°You¡¯ve just been through hell, no need to be sorry!¡± Halzy shouted back.

    ¡°What¡¯s the plan? They can keep coming at us, we can¡¯t defend forever.¡±

    They all knew if the Guardians wanted this village gone, it was only a matter of time. And time was presently on their side.

    ¡°We have the level advantage, but not the manpower. More help is coming. We only need to hold until then!¡± Halzy shouted back. ¡°We¡¯ve got a means to keep them at bay for good, we just need time!¡±

    A guardian with twin swords came at Tyree. She knocked away the first swing before red mana pulsed from Halzy. The attacker''s hesitation resulting from the spell he¡¯d cast was enough for Tyree to run her assailant through the neck.

    A familiar buzzing sound had Tyree spinning to see Orbnus splitting a woman who''d been sneaking up on her in half with her chain sword. She floated above Tyree, flashing a thumbs up before an errant blast of mana sent her sprawling into the rooftops.

    The fighting split Tyree and Halzy apart and the great tsunami of fire washed over the southern walls, leaping to nearby buildings with a ravenous fury. Guardians ran through the flames in a horrifying swarm as they joined in the destruction.

    A blow Tyree hadn''t been able to dodge took her in the side. She didn''t have the near instantaneous healing or inhuman durability Guardians had. The cut spilled her blood and she''d been forced to back up even as her attacker was killed by another Guardian.

    Tyree downed more of her healing potion, feeling the wound close and the pain recede. She continued fighting.

    She took more wounds, downed more of her healing potion until finally she''d run out of potions. She kept attacking until she''d finally been forced to stop by fatigue.

    She¡¯d been delaying the inevitable by downing more stamina potions, but her stock was now exhausted. And so was she. Tyree sipped on her last bottle before throwing it aside.

    She hurriedly joined the other still-ambulatory wounded combating the fires spreading up around the village.

    Relief washed over Tyree as she saw Lieutenant Besk propped against the side of the well, he¡¯d taken an arrow to the arm and another just above the knee.

    His armor was covered in cuts and dried blood, though he¡¯d refused to stay down and was filling buckets of water, replaced by empty buckets as soon as they touched the ground.

    ¡°Glad to see you didn¡¯t die!¡± Besk shouted.

    ¡°Same to you,¡± Tyree replied. She sat down beside Besk.

    ¡°You hurt bad? Need a medic?¡±

    ¡°No, more drained than hurt.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s the city holding? I can¡¯t see shit from here!¡± Besk set down another filled bucket.

    ¡°We just need to hold them off until their help gets here!¡± Tyree shouted. It was the same thing they''d all been saying all night.

    Much of the village was now burning and the ever shrinking circle of defense, but still she could see portals opening up and more defending Guardians leaping through them to join the fighting.

    Shielders quickly took positions ahead of makeshift entrenchments set up between the fort and the city while water mages began combatting the fires alongside them.

    Tyree was impressed by the level of coordination and quick deployment the Guardians were able to put together. They seemingly knew immediately where best to go when stepping through the portal.

    Still she was losing faith.

    Tyree heard thunder, but didn¡¯t see any sign that a storm was near and the guns around the fort had long gone silent when they¡¯d been overrun. She went back to filling buckets, hoping if there was a storm coming, it would be big enough to help put out the flames tinting the night time sky with a menacing orange glow.

    She heard the multiple thunderclaps again.

    No, not thunder, Tyree realized. Roars.

    From the north, Tyree saw a sight she thought no man alive would ever see again. A great thunder of dragons filled the sky. The first to arrive, water dragons, flew by low overhead, spraying the burning village with water or snow with their dragon¡¯s breaths that quickly extinguished the flames.

    Even more dragons swooped in behind them, grabbing the attacking Guardians within jaws or claws and flying off with the screaming figures.

    Armored men and women, dozens, no, hundreds of them, leapt from the backs of the dragons, brandishing weapons as they joined the fighting on the ground.

    ¡°Dragons! The dragons are back! The fight is ours!¡± Someone shouted.

    Dragons. The strongest mages known, thought dead for the last hundred years, bolstered the morale of the men and women fighting on the ground. All around Tyree, men and women traded their water buckets for swords, bows, and whatever other arms were within reach.

    Someone took up the call of Castera¡¯s army and more joined in. ¡°We are the Fourth Wall! We are the Fourth Wall!¡±

    The dragons preferentially took the strongest of the attacking guardians. Soldiers clashed weapons alongside the defending guardians with renewed vigor as the tide of battle began to swing in their favor. They forced the attacking guardians on the retreat as they reclaimed the precious bits of Pella they''d been forced to give up.

    ¡°The library! Those bastards are making a break for it!¡± Besk shouted. The man was still confined to his seat and was hurriedly pointing towards the village¡¯s emergency shelter.

    A group of about twenty attackers had slipped past the chaos and were overwhelming the defending force protecting the library.

    Suddenly a large war hammer, trailed by lightning, fell from the sky. It slammed into the ground between the library and the oncoming attackers. The impact sent out an earth-rumbling shockwave that knocked many on both sides off their feet.

    Electrified golden chains flew from the base of the hammer in every direction, piercing the bodies of the attacking guardians. A great column of light rose from the hammer, growing wider and wider with each new guardian it pierced. All of them were pulled into the glowing arena by their chains.

    A single golden chain shot straight into the sky, connecting to a falling man in black, red, and white armor. He hit the ground and his body began to change.

    The man grew larger, his armor and chainmail sliding away, replaced by black scales with ice blue crystal spikes running down his back. A great set of wings sprouted from his shoulders as his helmet pulled away, revealing a great dragon¡¯s head with many, many teeth.

    ¡°I am the Sword of Giants, Saiph, and this village is under the protection of North Remembers!¡± The dragon bellowed, words booming around them like great rolls of thunder.

    The man-turned-beast reared up on his hind legs and gave a mighty roar that was answered by all the dragons around him.

    Blue fire spewed from the dragon¡¯s mouth. The guardians within the column of light tried to run, but their chains kept them locked inside the column of light. The only thing they could do was pound on the barrier as the dragon¡¯s flames showed no mercy. One by one, the fires bathing the guardians crystallized to stone, encasing them in their moments of panic.

 Chapter 39: Saiph

    Pella, the Territories of Ilsylvania. Day 03.

    Saiph¡¯s dragon breath spell had been enough to kill a full third of the players trapped by his Chains of Prometheus. A feat that was a strong testament to the insane power gap between a level twenty player and a level one hundred player.

    He sighed inside as he remembered Sinnamon Roll saying the goal was to capture as many of those attacking Pella as possible. Someone named Halzy was coordinating the defense of the village and apparently he and his guild had found a way to hold a large number of players somewhere until it could be decided what to do with them. The idea of not even being able to escape using his Caer Fragment bothered Saiph on some deeper level. It wasn¡¯t a great stretch of the imagination that it could be used against innocent players. And who got to be the decider of who went into the magical prison? Saiph knew it was still preferable to letting these players wipe out entire villages like they¡¯d been doing.

    Those players who hadn¡¯t died from Saiph¡¯s opening attack found themselves temporarily crystallized by the fires of his breath. Pirate-themed players from the Brotherhood of Pirates descended upon them, tying them up with enchanted chains and ropes before hauling them southwards to Araedi.

    Another dragon, similar in appearance to Saiph, but with grey and white spikes down its spine, slammed onto the ground beside him and began putting out nearby fires with his ice breath.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a race,¡± came Permaphrost¡¯s joking words, deepened and distorted by the draconic nature of his stressed S¡¯s and C¡¯s.

    ¡°The only folks who say that come in second place.¡± Saiph ended his dragon form, dropping to the ground as his hammer and shield appeared in hand. ¡°Thank you for getting everyone here so quickly, and especially for getting my armor and mount to Orleana.¡±

    ¡°I wish we¡¯d gotten here sooner. Good thinking, letting those with their dragon forms lead. I think it sent a strong message.¡± Permaphrost dropped to the ground. He wore the same red, white, and black armor, though his was covered in furs to accent his hoarfrost theme.

    Perma whistled and a large wooly rhino turned a corner. The Dragoon pulled himself onto the beast and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m taking several parties south to catch any stragglers. Make a hole!¡±

    Saiph activated one of the grappling devices in the pouch at his waist. A rope shot out, buried itself in a wall, and retracted, quickly pulling him out of his friend¡¯s path.

    While Nix and Raine had been talking, Saiph¡¯s friends had convinced him to return to his old Pirate subclass. The grappling hooks were useful for climbing onto the backs of thrashing sea monsters or returning to a ship after a hunt for sunken treasure. Though they did have their uses as an excellent dash on land.

    Saiph looked around at the battle-worn village. The arrival of Saiph¡¯s two forces meant the fighting had largely been pushed out of Pella. Now there was just the cleaning up to do.

    Sinnamon had asked Saiph to find her in the library when everything had settled down. He started for the steps, but turned. He saw a woman in red armor kneeling over an unconscious man on the ground. He walked over to them.

    ¡°I''m no healer, but is there any way I can help?¡±

    The woman didn''t look up as she dressed the bleeding stump where an arm had been. ¡°Not unless you''re prepared to carry this man to the library for treatment. Otherwise, you should really be¡­¡±

    She trailed off as she met Saiph''s eyes. ¡°You''re the one who turned into the dragon? Quite the entrance.¡±

    ¡°I was a little afraid I might topple a building. I''m a little new at that, it''s hard to remember the size change. Would have been a little embarrassing.¡± Saiph heaved the man in a fireman''s carry. With his strength stat, he hadn''t even noticed the man''s weight.

    ¡°I''m Captain Pearce. Can you all do that? Turn into a dragon?¡± Captain Pearce pushed open the door for Saiph.

    ¡°Most of my guild. It was sort of a reward for protecting their eggs during the attack by Azeban. I''m Saiph, by the way.¡±

    Captain Pearce stopped in the doorway and Saiph only then noticed her reddened eyes and her face had gone pale.

    Saiph set the man down, passing him off to a medic. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±

    She shook her head as if coming out of a trance. ¡°Yes. I¡­ I know you. I never thought I''d meet the Saiph of North Remembers. I tell my children the story of Azeban almost every night. They love¡­ loved when I got to the part where you charged into the cave.¡±

    Saiph felt the barely concealed pain of loss in Captain Pearce''s words. Knowing that pain all too well himself, Saiph offered as best a distraction as he could. ¡°It took my guild over a dozen tries to beat him. It''s still one of the hardest clears we''ve done. We use it to recruit new members to our guild by making them do a nutter run of it.¡±

    Captain Pearce looked up at Saiph, her anguish giving way to genuine curiosity. ¡°Nutter run?¡±

    ¡°No potions, no magic items besides your weapon and armor, and allies cannot cast spells on each other. The goal is to teach prospective members to use everything in their toolkit to the fullest extent.¡±

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    ¡°That sounds¡­ I guess when you cannot die, you have to get inventive. But why do you call it a nutter run?¡±

    ¡°Because you have to be nuts to run ¡®er¡± Saiph turned away with a smile, leaving a stunned Captain Pearce.

    He spotted Sinnamon with a short girl with green hair and silver deer-like antlers on her head. Both of them looked as tired as he felt. Saiph reached into his bag, pulled out a small yellow potion, and tossed it to Sinnamon.

    ¡°Here, I think you need that more than I do.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Treating non-guardians is way harder than it looks. We can¡¯t just use our general healing spells on them.¡± Sinnamon clarified that the broader spells could be used in small bursts, but neither she nor the girl with her, AnnaLee, had gotten the technique down from the healer NPC who had been teaching them.

    There were a lot of people in the library and curiously, most looked sick rather than a casualty of the fighting. In fact, the sick far, far outnumbered those providing care, even with the steady trickle of players coming in to assist them.

    ¡°There was an epidemic going on before we got dropped here. Most of Pella is sick. The attack could have been way worse if most of the sick weren¡¯t already quarantined to the shelters built for night spawn attacks,¡± Sinnamon continued.

    ¡°Oddly good timing in a way,¡± Saiph mused. ¡°North Remembers and the Brotherhood are sweeping in all directions trying to catch anyone with a red name and take them to Araedi. There was a lot more burned down than just around this city. A lot of farms between here and Delphianna went up in flames.¡±

    Sinnamon shook her head at that news. ¡°Can you head to the fort? Wisteria¡¯s looking for you. She might want to know just how bad this was.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s also the one organizing the big guild meeting, right?¡± Saiph asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Good, saves me some time hunting her down. Nix might have given us a lead on finding a way home.¡±

    Sinnamon¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. One of his sword princess summons had a necklace with Sonnet¡¯s logo on it. She said it was a religious gift from a friend. The Revi, I think she called them.¡±

    ¡°Revi? No, that can¡¯t be. There were books in our guild building¡­ I thought the author¡¯s name was Revi. Most of those books were indecipherable, but Malikela found some partially translated stuff.¡±

    ¡°The thick plottens, huh?¡± Saiph mused with one of his favorite malapropisms. ¡°I wanna come look at those books. Maybe Nix can give you a hand as well.¡±

    ***

    Wisteria Leothalis was standing over a table with a mix of players and the city¡¯s guard in the courtyard of Pella¡¯s fort. She looked up at Saiph and when their eyes met, she gave a nod and gestured for Saiph to take a seat. He accepted her invitation to a private voice chat.

    ¡°I heard you were looking for me, madam senator.¡±

    She cast him a side eye. ¡°Please, I¡¯ve been retired for longer than you¡¯ve been alive. I¡¯m no politician now.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look that way to me. You¡¯re making friends with some pretty powerful-looking people.¡±

    ¡°Someone has to be a leader,¡± She paused, saying something in response to one of the men at the table, then resumed their private conversation, ¡°It seems I¡¯ve been forced into the role. Which is why I was looking for you. I heard you¡¯ve got friends going west. You would save my guild months of effort if you helped us get attuned with you along the way. The sooner we get everyone on the same page, the sooner we can stop things like this from happening again.¡±

    ¡°We plan on getting the old tuna runs going again. How did you guys get a response to Pella so quickly? From what I heard, this was pretty sudden.¡±

    ¡°They were broadcasting their plans for three straight days to anyone who would listen. And we were listening.¡± Wisteria paused. ¡°There¡¯s certainly enough of a mess here that if the devs were watching, they should have intervened.¡±

    A dark thought entered Saiph¡¯s mind. If Wisteria had been listening, why hadn¡¯t she reached out to him sooner? Supposedly she¡¯d been in talks with the Serethi about this prison of hers for the last day or so. His guild was more than willing to step up patrolling sooner if it meant avoiding disaster¡­

    No, he wouldn¡¯t go down that line of thought, he had enough to deal with than adding to it.

    ¡°I think I might have a lead on finding our disappearing devs.¡± Saiph filled Wisteria in on the last two days. ¡°Raine¡¯s agreed to help us find out more, but ultimately whatever she knows is likely five hundred years out of date.¡±

    ¡°Keep me in the loop on whatever you find. And tread carefully. Don¡¯t forget: someone brought us here and gave us the power of gods. Part of why I am working so hard is I don¡¯t want us to end up being someone¡¯s Fat Man or Little Boy waiting to be dropped.¡±

    The irony of that, given the destruction already caused, wasn¡¯t lost on Saiph. But he agreed with her sentiments. The ease at which Sonnet had come to earth, established a game that had gone on to become the largest mouse and keyboard MMO ever released and then plucked all its players from their homes was frightening. How easily could they have just killed everyone on earth if they¡¯d wanted to?

    That sent a chill down Saiph¡¯s spine. ¡°You should probably also keep an eye out for anyone with the Soul Forger subclass. We don¡¯t know what it does as there¡¯s no description for it, but those Tokens of the Vanguard we all got said they were forged from our souls. I don¡¯t think that''s a coincidence.¡±

    Like Saiph, Wisteria was one of the Vanguard, the first one thousand players who had been beta testers before Annwyn Online¡¯s launch. The Token of the Vanguard had been a consumable item that granted Saiph a full one hundred stat points and an additional extra point for each new level he got.

    Wisteria waved a dismissive hand. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying not to think about that. It messes with my atheism.¡±

    ¡°A part of me hopes I¡¯m still dreaming.¡±

    ¡°Well if you are, kindly wake the fuck up. I want to go back to my own home, forget about all of this, and hold my new great, great granddaughter. Good night, Saiph. I need to get back to figuring out how to find an absentee god before everyone burns this world to the ground.¡±

    Saiph left Wisteria with the assurance that his guild would take up regular patrols around the area to keep people safe. Will¡¯s guild had a lot of high level crafters and those not fighting had already gone to the task of rebuilding Pella.

    Saiph reached into his bag and pulled out the summoning whistle Permaphrost had sent him in addition to his armor. He blew into it, summoning his long-time mount, a seven-headed hydra he¡¯d named Pleiades.

    Pleiades took off climbing higher into the sky before turning southwards to Araedi, leaving Saiph to think with the weight of not one, but two worlds on his back.

 Chapter 40: [N]ix

    The Wilds between Delphianna and Araedi. Day 04.

    Nix hadn¡¯t gone on to Pella after serving as a waypoint for players from Orleana to get to Delphianna. The griefing, Nix couldn¡¯t stand that word in this context, hadn¡¯t been limited to just Pella. Nearly all of the surrounding villages had been touched by the unorganized mob of thousands of angry players lashing out with destructive use of their powers.

    From the back of his brookite wyvern, Nix surveyed that destruction beneath him. Farmland as far as he could see had been reduced to ash and cinders. The harvest season was at its height and the loss of all this food would be felt by everyone. He wondered just how badly it would hurt them this winter.

    With the help of a water wisp, Nix doused the fires below, putting out the occasional flare ups from still glowing embers while Raine sat behind him, aiming the lantern they were using to work with.

    ¡°I owe you an apology, Nix.¡± Raine broke their silent work.

    Nix ceased his water casting and turned to Raine. ¡°What for?¡±

    ¡°I lied to you when I said my oaths prevented me from helping you slay Avanyu. I still held my doubts about you and your friends. But I was wrong, you have shown me that twice now. And for that, I apologize.¡±

    ¡°You''ve known me for barely three days. I don''t blame you for not wanting to trust your life secrets to me.¡±

    ¡°No, that isn''t true. I have fought alongside you for decades. It might not have been that long for you, but it was for me. And in that time, I have seen the good you''ve done. The good you have enabled me to do. You might have been a puppeteer controlling the Summoner I fought alongside for much of that time, but that hasn''t changed your nature. You have proven yourself more than worthy of my trust.¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Raine took her necklace off and pressed it into Nix¡¯s hands. It glowed with a faint white light. A prompt filled Nix¡¯s vision.

    A new summoning spell has been recorded to your Grimoire!

    Spell: Summon: Soul Forger Raine von Alder, Level 100 (Scales indefinitely)

    Mana Cost: 55,555 (Scales with level)

    Spell Requirements: Summoner, Level 100. Soul Forger, Level 10 (Current level: 1)

    Cast Time: 7.5 Seconds

    Spell Duration: 65 minutes (Can be extended every 60 minutes for 50% of the summoning cost)

    Cooldown: 70 Minutes (60 minutes to extend spell duration)

    Description: A master of both the blade and magic, Raine von Alder was a feared pirate marauder before discovering her true nature as a Soul Forger. This summoning spell will allow you to summon Raine at the strength the legends surrounding her had never learned.

    ¡°Did it work? Did you learn the spell?¡± Raine asked.

    The necklace was glowing now with a strong, blinding white light.

    ¡°I did. How did you do that?¡±

    ¡°The same way you learned all your other summoning spells. I impressed upon you the knowledge of who I really was. Not as the legends portrayed me, but as the me who tried to become better. That necklace served as the catalyst.¡± Raine put the necklace back on and tucked it under her shirt.

    ¡°And you¡¯re a Soul Forger? You know what my subclass does?¡± Nix had been given the Soul Forger subclass at the time he¡¯d summoned Clarent in the dungeon. He hadn¡¯t known what it meant at the time and still didn¡¯t understand it as the quest had no description beyond a message saying he could level the subclass by using things he summoned with it.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Raine answered simply. ¡°Neither do I know what it means that you and I are both Soul Forgers. But the fact that your friend owns a book with the same symbol as the religion of the man I once knew and you only acquired your status as a Soul Forger when you created a copy of a weapon tied to that very same religion cannot be coincidence.

    ¡°You say you were brought here by some unknown force. I think whatever remains of my former friend¡¯s religion will hold the key to your finding that answer. And I believe those swords will help us find out more. As such, I have decided to help you fully and to the best of my abilities in that quest.¡±

 Chapter 41: Tyree

    Pella, the Territories of Ilsylvania. Day 04.

    Tyree awoke with her head pounding and every fiber of her being on fire. She tried to stand, but immediately pitched forward onto the ground. Her stomach ached like it had never known food before and every muscle in her body was crying out in pain.

    The previous day came back to her. She¡¯d downed her strongest two healing potions and spent most of the fighting going through her stamina potions to stay on her feet.

    It had all caught up to her and she desperately needed to eat.

    Tyree carefully peeled herself off the ground and looked around. She was in a tent with fifteen other soldiers. Many of them had blood-soaked bandages covering various parts of their bodies. None of them looked to be awake.

    The tent was conveniently located beside the makeshift messhall. A bandaged Besk was sitting alone with a plate of food.

    Tyree sat down across from him. ¡°Should you be up and about?¡±

    Besk looked up from his papers. ¡°Captain Pearce? I should ask you the same question. No offense, but you look like you lost a fight with a mountain drake.¡±

    ¡°Tyree, please. You don¡¯t look much better. Are you going to eat that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡± Besk slid his half-eaten plate of sausages and eggs Tyree¡¯s way and she attacked it with ravenous fury.

    ¡°Slow down! It¡¯s not the last plate of food in the village!¡±

    Tyree begrudgingly slowed her pace. ¡°I feel like I haven¡¯t eaten in days.¡±

    ¡°I can get another plate for you.¡± Besk raised a hand and a man in dark green leather armor with a mask showing only a slit with his eyes came by their table. Besk nodded to Tyree and the man nodded back before disappearing. ¡°He doesn¡¯t say much, but he¡¯s been going back and forth for those of us who can¡¯t walk.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s the knee doing?¡± Tyree asked, realizing she¡¯d been rude not to check on Besk before intruding on him.

    ¡°Arrow cut halfway through the tendon above my knee. I tore it the rest of the way sometime in the fighting. A pair of Guardians looked at it and think they might be able to fix it. I hope so, it would be a miracle.¡±

    Tendon tears were almost always permanently disabling. It wasn¡¯t like bone or muscle, which could be set and healed with mana or a potion, there just wasn¡¯t a way to reattach the tendon to whatever it had torn from. That the Guardians believed they knew a way made Tyree wonder what the world was like wherever the personalities behind the guardians had come from.

    Tyree ate her second plate when the man in green returned with it. ¡°And your company?¡±

    ¡°Lost a lot of good people. Not as many as we could have, given we saw most of the action. We are definitely going to have to come up with some better safety measures for those cannons.¡± Besk, sighed. ¡°Might need some shielders attached to us. They''re so damn rare, though.¡±

    Tyree knew what Besk meant. Mana projection, especially in the form of a barrier spell of any real substance, was an incredibly difficult task. Slinging a spell at an opponent took far less effort.

    ¡°I''ll see what I can do. I might have some pull to get you what you need. Your soldiers fought bravely.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Captain.¡± Besk smiled, apparently set on abusing Tyree¡¯s dislike of all the professionalism within the army.

    Fed and now able to move, if somewhat slowly, Tyree stood and walked through the streets of Pella. Much of the repair was already under way, Guardians stood alongside Pella¡¯s citizens doing the various tasks that went into reconstruction.

    Tyree found the familiar general store that belonged to Logan. Rhoda was tending to the counter. After watching a few transactions, it was obvious she wasn¡¯t taking any money from the customers coming up to her, but writing down what they had ¡°bought¡± in a ledger beside her. Tyree waited patiently for her friend to finish with the last customer.

    ¡°Logan keeps very meticulous records. He¡¯d kill me if I didn¡¯t do the same,¡± Rhoda said as she finished writing down the last transaction. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you¡¯re back on your feet.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going back to the farmhouse. I was hoping I could borrow your horse.¡±

    ¡°Ginger¡¯s in the stable down the road. I¡¯ll come with you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I¡¯m only going there to see if there¡¯s anything left.¡±

    Rhoda paused. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Tyree¡¯s heart sank. Rhoda didn¡¯t know. ¡°The farmhouse was burned down. Aliyah, my daughters, Logan. They¡¯re gone.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Rhoda uttered. She looked like the wind had been knocked out of her. She moved to the door and turned the open sign to read closed. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll come with you.¡±

    ***

    Much of the woods between Pella and Logan¡¯s farmhouse had been burned to the ground. The air was thick with the scent of burnt wood and not much remained of the farmhouse, save the cobblestone foundation and brick walls that had survived the second floor¡¯s cave-in.

    Tyree pushed aside the rubble in what had been the living room. Not much of anything had survived the flames and deep down she was glad she hadn¡¯t found any bodies. That might have pushed her over the edge.

    Rhoda had circled around back and came in through the kitchen.

    ¡°They torched the stables with the horses still inside. What kind of monsters could do something like that?¡± Rhoda bent down beside Tyree, placing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°We should get going. If you need a place to stay, my home is your home.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Rhoda. I¡¯ll take you up on that.¡±

    Rhoda leaned past Tyree and slid some dirt and ash aside. She bent down and picked up a small knife. It was one of Lynn¡¯s. She brushed it off and handed it to Tyree.

    Tyree flipped it in her fingers, then reached into her bag and pulled out one of the shadow iron rocks Halzy had given her. She tossed it to Rhoda. ¡°The only reason I¡¯m even alive is because Lynn and Alyx got into some mischief trying to get that. I was going to have swords made from the metal forged for Alyx and Lynn.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d have made a set of daggers for Lynn instead of a sword. You know that girl was going to become a rogue.¡± Rhoda tossed the stone back to Tyree.

    ¡°Aliyah was convinced they would both become sorcerers like she and their father.¡± Tyree slipped the stone back into her bag, but noticed something she¡¯d forgotten was in there. A small package wrapped in brown paper tied off with twine. The package Regis had asked her to deliver to Logan.

    She took it out of her bag and turned it over in her hands. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was right to open it; it was Logan¡¯s. But Logan was gone now.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Rhoda asked.

    ¡°A book I was supposed to give to Logan. I was just wondering if it would be right to open it.¡± Tyree answered.

    Rhoda shrugged. ¡°If someone else had Logan¡¯s book, I doubt it¡¯s anything personal like a diary. It¡¯s the only thing we¡¯ve got left of him. I¡¯d say Logan would want you to open it.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Tyree took Lynn¡¯s knife to the twine and pulled the paper packaging away. The book cover was smooth leather. The only marking was an oval with a circle inside with a single one on one side of the length and two parallel lines on the opposite side.

    She opened the book to a random page in the middle. It read more like a journal entry than a book. The page was dated five hundred years ago by a man named Zal.

    Reylynn has asked us to intervene in their war. Myself and my team are ready. We are only waiting for Aida to arrive with her key. We know this will likely be a one-way trip, but the barriers around Araedi must be re-established and Lohk apprehended.

    Be ready to move on my word.

    ¡ªZal

    A page later, the only words were a time and date with Zal¡¯s signature. Tyree skipped another page and found an entry dated several days later by Aida. Presumably the same one referenced in the previous passage.

    If anyone reads this, I¡¯ve done it. I¡¯ve reset the barriers around Araedi, but Lohk escaped. The cost was great, I am the lone survivor and I fear my leg is broken.

    ¡ªAida

    The next three entries from Aida sent a chill down Tyree¡¯s spine.

    Something is wrong. Horribly wrong. The sky is all wrong. The early morning light has lasted for days now. The people around me have also started acting weird¡­  I think it¡¯s a sickness. Their skin has turned either very pale or dark grey. They¡¯re erupting into fits of rage and attacking anyone they can get to.

    Oh gods. They¡¯re eating the dead. Just tearing flesh from bone with no regard for the person it came from. They¡¯ve been chasing me for days now. I think I''m the only sane person left in the city. My leg has grown infected. I can¡¯t keep ahead of them.

    If this message makes it to any others outside Araedi: DO NOT ENTER THE CITY.

    The book read like a collection of accounts from the serethi civil war, much like the book about the demon Azeban that Tyree read to her daughters. Though the writer had taken many more creative liberties to tell this story. Araedi had never been attacked by the monsters Tyree assumed were goblins. No one really knew where they came from beyond their arrival following the serethi civil war and she assumed this story placed their origins as spilling out of the city itself.

    Rhoda tapped Tyree on the shoulder. ¡°Well, what kind of book is it?¡±

    ¡°Some kind of storybook about the serethi civil war. It''s definitely an interesting read. I wonder why Logan hid it from Aliyah and I. Alyx and Lynn would have loved it.¡± Tyree tilted the book towards Rhoda.

    Rhoda read the passages and after a moment, looked up. ¡°Wow, it is good. Let me borrow it when you finish it.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡± Tyree returned the book to her bag.

    There was only one thing left to do. Tyree took out the three orange carnations Aliyah had planted as a signal those months ago to let her know she and her daughters were taking a different route to Pella. Rhoda knelt beside Tyree and placed her carnation.

    ¡°For Logan,¡± She said.

    ¡°For Aliyah, Lynn, and Alyx,¡± Tyree affirmed. ¡°I think I¡¯m ready to go back to Pella.¡±

    ***

    When they made it back to Logan¡¯s shop, Tyree assisted Rhoda in passing out goods to those who needed them. The task made the day pass quickly and allowed Tyree to keep her mind off of her family.

    Though, that was in part accomplished by Logan¡¯s book. The story nagged at her and she needed to know how it ended.

    Still not technically released to return to duty, Tyree went back to Logan¡¯s shop and helped Rhoda with distributing supplies to anyone who needed it.

    When the day was over, Rhoda offered Tyree a room at her place. Rhoda quickly put together her guest room, though there wasn''t much for her to put together.

    The room was sparse, having only a bed, desk, and storage trunk at the foot of the bed. Rhoda wasn¡¯t a keeper of things beyond the basics. Even so, the things that were in the room had a somewhat utilitarian comfort to them.

    Tyree crawled into bed and pulled Logan¡¯s book from her bag. She skipped to the last few pages to see what had become of Aida.

    Tyree read the first entry on the last page in surprise. It was dated only a few weeks ago.

    I examined the seals. The latest activity from Caer Siddi seems to have weakened them even further. I¡¯m not sure what this means for the disappearance of Reylynn¡¯s army and I¡¯m not sure why she still hasn¡¯t returned, but I believe we now have too little time to waste.

    Those in possession of a key should bring it to Araedi. We need to figure out a way to bring the Guardians back. And I fear we must take up this war without Reylynn.

    ¡ªSorah

    War? The Guardians were an army for war? The queen of the serethi was named Sorah and Tyree had heard about her coming to Araedi. That couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. Did this mean Treyvon was right to be worried about the serethi?

    If the attack on Pella was a prelude to this war, then Castera was hopelessly outmatched. Tyree had to get this book to Commander Leon.

    Tyree read the final entry to see if it offered a timeline or any more information.

    Sorah, my time grows short. As such, I am turning over the key as well as my copy of this log to my trusted neighbor and friend, Aliyah. She¡¯ll be traveling to Pella to see Logan and will deliver it to him.

    ¡ªRegis

    Tyree dropped the book and it landed with a heavy thump. Logan and Regis were somehow involved in all of this. And they had tied Tyree and her family in it as well. They had murdered her family.

    There was a knock at her door a moment later and Rhoda¡¯s voice. ¡°Tyree? Are you alright in there?¡±

    Tyree quickly ran and picked up the book. Rhoda and Logan were long time friends, Tyree didn''t feel comfortable sharing these revelations with her just yet. She had to get to the bottom of this rabbit hole first.

    ¡°Yes. I tripped trying to get into bed,¡± Tyree called back.

    There was a hesitant silence, but Tyree heard Rhoda¡¯s footsteps growing more distant after a beat.

    Tyree waited a moment longer and went back to the book. The back and forth nature of the entries suggested a conversation between Sorah and Regis. How was that possible if they were supposedly hundreds of miles away from each other?

    Under the light of one of her focus crystals, she saw it. The book had the telltale iridescence of an enchanted item.

    Tyree had never heard of any enchantments that could let someone speak to another through a book, but that was the only explanation that made sense to her. This book was some sort of long range communication device.

    She shoved the book back into her bag and let sleep claim her.

    ***

    The next morning, Tyree returned to the fort and picked her way through the damaged administrative building. Soldiers roamed about clearing what was left of the damage and prepping for new walls and flooring to go in.

    The receptionist''s desk was tucked into an out of the way corner. Tyree walked up to it and wrapped lightly on the counter.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± Asked the man, his tag naming him simply Fain.

    ¡°Captain Pearce, I''m looking for General Neemo¡¯s office.¡±

    Fain shook his head. ¡°I''m sorry, but General Neemo passed away from his injuries last night. Colonel Verne is in charge.¡±

    ¡°I just saw him last night, he didn''t look that bad.¡±

    ¡°He had apparently been using a spell of some sort to keep himself going. The medics said the two floors above his office came right on top of him. Crushed his entire left side.¡±

    She remembered she had seen the mist-like mana wafting around Neemo when she''d found him. He''d known he was on borrowed time and he still pushed through to make sure Pella''s army maintained her chain of command after he was gone at a time when it needed it most.

    Tyree hadn¡¯t known General Neemo all that well, but she knew he had been a good leader and a shoulder when she''d needed it. She shook her head. A shoulder even though he was dying.

    ¡°Can I see Colonel Verne, then? I found something that may have significant ramifications regarding what happened last night.¡±

    ¡°He''s busy, but I''ll let him know you''re looking for him. Have a seat¡­¡± Fain paused, looking over the desk. There wasn''t anywhere to sit. ¡°Uh, one minute. Wait right here.¡±

    Fain hadn''t been gone a full minute before he returned. ¡°The Colonel will see you. Down that hall, two doors on the right.¡±

    Colonel Verne was taller and thinner than General Neemo had been. He still had a muscular build, but his height hid it somewhat unlike Neemo¡¯s stout proportions.

    He read the pages Tyree had opened for him quietly with a monocle held up to one eye. He went through several more pages before setting the book down and closing it.

    ¡°Where did you even get this? You understand what the implications of this are if it can be corroborated?¡±

    ¡°I do, but I cannot know for sure. That''s why I am asking to return to Castera as soon as possible. I personally know two of the names mentioned in it aside from my¡­¡± Tyree trailed off.

    ¡°I heard, and I''m sorry for your losses, Captain.¡± Verne looked up from the document. ¡°But this is too important to let you go alone, but I''m not sure I have anyone to spare.¡±

    ¡°Can I make a request?¡±

    Verne nodded.

    ¡°Lieutenant Altus Besk and his 2nd Artillery Company. I fought alongside him and his soldiers. I don''t think there''s anyone else I''d want by my side.¡±

    ¡°His Company will be assigned to your 9th Battalion. I''ll have the official papers drawn up. While his company escorts you to Castera, you will also be taking with you a copy of the instructions to enchant the shot we used last night. If the Serethi are so willing to break the treaty we''ve had for so long and last night was a part of that, Ilsylvania must make ready to defend itself.¡±

    Tyree left Verne''s office and found Besk in the medical wing.

    ¡°Bad news,¡± she said as she knocked on his door.

    ¡°Worse than my leg?¡± He asked, amusement in his words.

    ¡°Oh yeah, you and your company belong to me now. Welcome to the 9th Forward Strike Battalion.¡±

 Epilogue: Krait

    Araedi. Day 04.

    Krait had been jabbed with the pointed end of a weapon every thirty seconds since his capture two days ago. It stopped hurting him after the first few hours, but the incessant poking served only to make him angry. He tried to lash out at his captors several times, but his bindings prevented any movement beyond a few feet.

    His Caer fragment was in his bag of holding, but still lay just out of reach. As it was soul bound to him, it could never really be taken from him. But his hands were bound tight enough that he wouldn¡¯t be able to palm the fist-sized crystal even if he could reach his bag from the other side of the room.

    Wisteria Leothalis entered the room trailed by two heavily armored men bearing the crest of the Royal Knights of Araedi. They heaved Krait to his feet and led him out of the building and into Araedi¡¯s guildhall.

    They went to one of the rooms that functioned similarly to an elevator. The door closed and a second later, it opened to a large room with Baron, two guards, and a tall, slim woman with an almost ageless appearance.

    "I would like you to meet Araedi¡¯s governor, Raizel." Wisteria looked towards the great door behind Baron. "She has been extremely helpful in figuring out a way to deal with you and everyone else you convinced to join in on that stunt across the northeast."

    The woman stepped forward and made a small black crystal appear in her hands.

    One of the guards holding Krait and the one beside Baron moved to the massive door behind at the opposite end of the room. The door creaked open, revealing a shimmering black curtain of light.

    Wisteria stood next to Krait. "I''m told there isn''t much in there, but it should be better than being poked with a stick every day until we find a way home."

    Wisteria turned to Krait and he spat in her face, the only act of defiance he could muster.

    ¡°Fuck you, too.¡± Wisteria wiped her face off. Krait could see the anger, no, rage, in her eyes lurking beneath her forced impassive smile. And if it weren''t for the fact that he knew she couldn''t kill him, he might have approached something like genuine fear. Whoever this woman had been on earth, he doubted he would have wanted to cross her path. "You two are the last two to go in there for now. We will come back for you when we find a way home."

    The guard beside Krait shoved him through the portal. His skin tingled as he passed through it and hit the ground on the other side. A moment later, Baron landed beside him with a grunt.

    The room they had been tossed into was an exact copy of the one they had left, right down to the hallway opposite them.

    Baron sat up and called out to Krait. ¡°Come here. There¡¯s enough slack in the bindings around my hands that I think I can undo yours.¡±

    Krait shuffled over to the Summoner and after a few minutes, he had his hands free. He took a moment to stretch and rubbed his wrists. The enchanted rope he''d been bound with had been tied too tight and though he couldn''t actually feel pain, it had been uncomfortable.

    He returned the favor to Baron and reached into his bag of holding and took out his Caer Fragment. He raised it up to activate it and received a glowing red message:

    Error: You cannot use your Caer Fragment from inside this Instanced Dungeon without entering a safe zone first. If you teleport out of this dungeon from a safe zone, all progress will be lost.

    Krait dismissed the prompt and went back towards the door he had been thrown through. The second he touched it, time around him froze and he received another prompt:

    Error: You do not have permission to leave this Instanced Dungeon through this portal. Find a safe zone or another unowned portal in order to leave this Instanced Dungeon.

    Permission from who? Why did he need permission to leave an instanced dungeon?

    Baron walked up to Krait. ¡°Well, rather than sit here and molder, should we try one of the other doors?¡±

    Krait nodded. ¡°Or try and find the others in here. Maybe we can find a way out of this dungeon.¡±

    Baron opened the door to the elevator room, but it only led to a long, dark stairwell. They walked up three flights of stairs before they reached a large wooden door. It led directly to the main lobby of Araedi¡¯s guildhall, but it was not the same building he had been in minutes ago.

    Where the guildhall had been noisy with the random conversations of hundreds of people, it was now empty and eerily quiet. Chairs and tables lay overturned or broken and the building that had once been a hub of activity now looked like it had been abandoned for decades, if not centuries.

    The Caer Fragment in the main lobby wasn¡¯t a purple monolith with a slow, pulsing beat, but a static black like looking into a collapsed star. Like a black hole, it drew him towards it even as it left Krait feeling uneasy simply by being near it.

    Krait pushed the feelings of discomfort aside and walked up to the crystal pillar. He tried to see if he could access it, but it didn¡¯t respond to his will.

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    ¡°What the hell is this place?¡± He punched the Caer Fragment and grunted with frustration then turned to face the main entrance. Two massive holes had been blown through the doorway, leading out into the open city.

    It had been early morning and sunny when Krait had been dragged to Araedi¡¯s guildhall. Now the city was bathed in the evening glow of twilight. The clouds were unnaturally static in the sky and there were no stars visible. Not even the purple glow of the city¡¯s defensive barrier could be seen.

    Araedi had always looked to be in various states of disrepair, but this version was even worse. Entire blocks of buildings that had once been standing were now piles of rubble. Buildings that had once been inaccessible by some magic black barrier covering their windows and doorways could now be seen inside. And from what he could make out, their interiors were just as ruined as their exteriors.

    Krait cursed loudly as he pitched forward, tripping over something and falling down several stairs.

    He turned around and saw the thing he had tripped over was a woman¡¯s body lying face down in a pool of her own blood. Bloodstained though the armor was, there was no mistaking the expensive materials that had gone into her gear¡¯s construction and the telltale iridescence of enchantments. This woman had been a high level player.

    But players didn¡¯t leave a corpse when they died, they left a copy of their Caer Fragment until they were revived or they respawned.

    Yet here she was.

    The hairs on the back of Krait¡¯s neck stood up as he flipped her over to see her face. The reason there had been so much blood became apparent: someone had slit her throat. Recently, too.

    Krait wiped the woman¡¯s blood off his hands, turned, and jogged back up the stairs. ¡°I found a body outside! Her throat¡¯s been slit. I think she was a player!¡±

    He had expected to find Baron where he had left him and he had, but the Summoner wasn¡¯t alone. Standing beside him was the very woman who had opened the portal to the dungeon Krait and Baron had been thrown into.

    The woman¡¯s appearance changed to that of a figure in white leather armor and a white, featureless mask that showed only her mouth. Krait knew that woman, Elara, her status page named her. She had been with Baron at the bar when he had recruited him to his meeting.

    Before Krait had time to wonder when she had gotten in here, Baron spoke in a frighteningly calm tone. ¡°I know. I¡¯m the one who killed her. Really killed her. She won¡¯t be respawning.¡±

    Krait took a step back, his hands reaching for his twin rapiers. ¡°What do you mean? How? Why?¡±

    Baron held up an ugly looking black dagger as though he were inspecting it. ¡°I had to see if this could really do what it claimed. Kill a Guardian.  I hadn¡¯t known what that meant when I stole this Remnant of the Rogue all those centuries ago, but this has been a very interesting turn of events.¡±

    It was then that Krait noticed Baron¡¯s stats had changed. He wasn¡¯t a level one hundred Summoner. His name wasn¡¯t even Bar0n. He was a Rogue named Lohk and Krait couldn''t make out his level. It wasn''t hidden the way Rogues could hide their stats with a skill. It was there, but where a number should have been, there were only question marks.

    That could only mean he was of a significantly higher level than Krait. But how? No one had time to get any more than one or two levels beyond the old cap.

    Krait pushed that revelation aside, it didn¡¯t matter. Lohk had killed another player. That meant he could kill him.

    Krait turned and ran. He just made it through the guildhall¡¯s outer doors when a hand grabbed him on the shoulder. Krait¡¯s heart exploded in his chest as he was stabbed from behind, the dagger driven through the space between his ribs. Blood flooded Krait¡¯s lungs, turning his scream of pain into little more than a wet gurgle.

    Lohk pulled the blade from Krait¡¯s back and he dropped to his knees, coughed once, and slumped to the ground.

    ¡°Why?¡± Krait croaked. The pain in his chest was agonizing. The wound didn''t heal instantly like the many injuries he had taken since coming here usually did at the cost of some random amount of health points. His greyed out health bar taunted him as it showed full.

    ¡°I told you before, Reylynn¡¯s creation.¡± Lohk''s voice had grown deeper, louder, more¡­ present as he sneered, stressing the epithet. ¡°All of this¡­ Everything you see¡­ It is a prison. And I have been bound here long enough. I will break free. I will have my body back. And I will sunder every last one of you to do it.¡±

    Lohk turned and handed the dagger back to Elara. She sheathed the weapon at her side and followed Lohk inside the guildhall.

    As Krait lay on the ground, dying as he choked on his own blood, the eerie quietness around him was broken by a low scratching and shuffling sound. Krait tilted his head out towards the street.

    He watched a pile of rubble shift. A rock fell into the street. And then another pile shifted, sending a small avalanche of rocks. And then more rustling as a hand broke through the pile of debris it had been buried under. It heaved its body up, looked around, and instantly locked onto Krait.

    The figure had pale grey skin and empty white eyes. Black crystal fragments stuck out of its body in random spots and it moaned as it shambled towards Krait.

    Suddenly dozens upon dozens of figures began pulling themselves out of the ground. Their numbers swelled as they poured out of the previously empty buildings surrounding the Guildhall¡¯s courtyard.

    Their shambling turned to running as the hundreds became thousands, the haunting chorus of their collective cries filling the air.

    ***

    Lohk hated when Isiphelo took control of his body to speak through him. But it was the price he paid for the power he had been given. Fortunately it was only in places like this, the prison as he called it, where he had the power to do it. Outside of here, Isiphelo could only sit and wait for Lohk to act.

    He listened to the sounds of the Hobgoblins tearing Krait apart, only taking his attention away to watch his level tick upward from 674 to 675.

    It had been a long time since Lohk¡¯s last level up, even with the hundreds of Guardians he had killed over the night in this place. He savored the accomplishment for a moment longer before activating his Rogue skill, changing his appearance.

    He walked up to the Caer Fragment and watched as Elara stepped through it, back into the Governor''s offices.

    She had more work in Araedi. This Wisteria Leothalis was becoming a real pain in his side. Yet as powerful as he was, he couldn¡¯t kill her outside of this place. Another of the ways Isiphelo tried to control Lohk. All this power, yet he could only draw upon a fraction of it outside this place.

    Lohk changed the destination on the Caer Fragment to that of the one hidden beneath Castera.

    He stepped into the Caer Fragment.

    The end of Act One of Soul Forged.

 Act II, Prologue, 01: Raine von Alder

    Three hundred miles off the coast of Elvier, Navoradreus. 501 years ago.

    Quartermaster Raine von Alder knew there was no glorifying what she and the crew of Moira¡¯s Hand were. They were pirates; opportunistic plunderers, marauders, and occasional murderers. There had been a time when those like her held much more noble pursuits. Many of the more well known pirate groups had their start as shipping escorts to and from the old world continents of Aurielle and Tel Adreus to the new world continents of Navorinelle and Navoradreus.

    Ship-sized beasts made the Raiss Ocean their home, and though most didn¡¯t exactly go out of their way to cause harm, even a curious leviathan could sink a merchant cruiser it took an interest in. When a one-way trip took an average of a hundred days, you wanted to make sure every ship laden with supplies and goods made it across the ocean.

    But things had deteriorated when the old world increased taxes on the vessels escorting the goods from the new world to the point of unprofitability due to the increase in aforementioned sea monster encounters. To recoup the costs to society by the mounting losses of life and property, had been the Triskelion¡¯s justification at the time.

    Though that had been a farce. In reality, House Areth had used their influence as the wealthiest family on all four continents to bully the fleets of escort ships out of a job so they could take on the role themselves. With the sky high prices they charged to outside companies, trade had dwindled between the new and old world and what remained funneled almost entirely through House Areth.

    The escorts had initially tried to undercut House Areth, but further laws had been passed to¡­ discourage that. Left with no other options, an entire generation of formerly honest folk had become the monsters of the seas themselves.

    Operating primarily in the very narrow band of water between Navorinelle and Navoradreus too shallow for most large sea monsters to inhabit, the Red Fleet and other pirate factions enjoyed rather lucrative hunting grounds that spanned nearly three hundred thousand square miles.

    That was why the Fleet¡¯s flagship, Moira¡¯s Hand, now found herself anchored beside a small atoll while her two consorts, Stray II and Her Executioner, hid nearby behind a small, crescent-shaped island barely a mile long and a quarter mile wide.

    That island''s defining feature was the lightly forested mountain that extended high enough to block the view of the two first rate ships of the line from any vessels approaching from the south. Doubly so with the mists Stray and Executioner''s wind runners kicked up to obscure them and the island in the appearance of a dense, foggy squall.

    Though they were highly skilled elementalist mages and enjoyed a lucrative position of status on board any pirate ship, Raine did not envy wind runners. A sailing vessel depended heavily upon her wind runners under combat or bad weather. It was grueling work that often left them past the point of exhaustion as they poured their mana into the winds that carried a ship up to her flank speed or beat back the very waves threatening a capsizing.

    Fortune was on the Red Fleet¡¯s side as the sky, clouds dark and grey with the promise of rain, finally let loose its downpour. The rain fell in heavy sheets that no doubt obscured Moira and her consorts even further from the approaching ships. The trap could not have been laid better if the gods themselves had planned it.

    ¡°Lookout on the atoll spots three ships, bearing three-zero-zero degrees!¡± shouted Moira''s Hand''s lookout from the main mast over the sound of the heavy rain.

    Raine pulled her telescope from her bag, wiped away the blinding rain from her eyes, and looked to the southwest. On the horizon, a small dot was slowly growing, resolving itself into two and then three ships heading their way.

    ¡°How the hell can those lookouts see anything in all this?¡± Avanyu grumbled, looking through his own telescope. Raine''s long time friend and shipmaster had only one eye and that one wasn''t very good.

    ¡°Oh, it''s definitely three ships. Looks like your tip paid off,¡± Raine clapped Avanyu on the back.

    About a month ago, Avanyu had received word of a ship laden with gold and precious gems leaving Rielle for Elvier. The tip had come too late to act on robbing the ship of her coin, but that ship was headed to Elvier to purchase enchanted arms and armor. The old world brought some enchantment types with them, but the natives of Navoradreus, the Cait Sidhe, or cat folk, had a far larger catalogue of enchantment types, which they kept their method of creation well hidden. And that was what made them so valuable.

    The shallows between Navorinelle and Navoradreus were full of small rocky islands or other features that took a keen eye to navigate through even in clear weather. This particular atoll and nearby island made a good anchorage to wait out a storm. The remnant of a volcano, its waters were deep enough to prevent an accidental grounding if one laid down in the center and waited for the storm to pass overhead.

    Those two facts had made setting up the ambush a much easier bet than trying to slug it out in a naval battle as Avanyu had originally devised when they set out on their hunt.

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    Waiting until the lookouts reported the trio of ships dropped anchor, just inside nine hundred yards away, Captain Nikolas Grimme raised his speaking trumpet.

    ¡°Weigh anchor and get us off this rock!¡±

    The ship¡¯s boatswain, Hisack Rakes, a thin man who looked old enough to have sailed upon the very first ships to Navorinelle nearly two hundred years ago, raised his pipe and passed along the Captain''s command with his call.

    The captain and his boatswain had come to the Red Fleet with Stray II, Elvier¡¯s former first rate ship of the line. Grimme and his crew had become disillusioned with Elvier when they''d been ordered to fire upon a crippled vessel they''d found damaged at sea. Its crew had been accused of piracy and they''d been ordered not to render aid to the wounded on board as was maritime law.

    Grimme had refused the order, citing that even pirates would provide limited aid to any ship weakened and unable to sail or defend itself. For that, he had been branded a traitor. The entirety of his crew had stood behind him and they stole the ship, sailing until eventually running into the ship they''d spared, which had brought them to Respite Island where they joined the Red Fleet.

    The training Grimme instilled in the crews of the Fleet¡¯s ships had earned him their respect and it had been an easy vote to make him the Captain of the Fleet. With his leadership, the Red Fleet caught more of their prey and suffered fewer casualties than any captain before him.

    That training showed in the way the crew moved about in the seemingly random, yet well executed, performance of their tasks. The anchor came in at the exact moment Moira¡¯s blood red sails were set to grab the wind.

    ¡°Helmsman, set a course for zero-two-zero. We¡¯ll cross their T and present our broadside. Signalman, raise the flag to order their surrender and to prepare to be boarded. Windrunners, ahead flank!¡±

    The windrunners, an older man named Rafi and his apprentice, a young girl named Genevieve, called forth a gail for the sails to bite down on. Their casting sped up, no doubt they were dumping mana as the sails were angled for the best use of the generated wind.

    With her wind runners, Moira could achieve a flank speed of approximately fifteen knots. Her masts were reinforced with an iron core and main sails were double secured to take the beating her wind runners dished out on them with the need to go from ahead full to stop on a call from the captain.

    The signalman raised a white flag with a bloody red slash through it on the foremast. A white flag, which typically requested a cessation of fire and a request to talk, slashed with ¡°blood¡± was the pirates¡¯ way of offering a peaceful surrender and handing over of loot. The Red Fleet always gave their prey a chance to do things peacefully at first.

    However, their prey¡¯s escorts had decided to take the chance at fighting them off, figuring their three to one odds gave them an advantage. Both ships¡¯ chase guns opened up. Aim likely spoiled by the surprise of the attack, the eight rounds fell well short of Moira, sending up only splashes of water that just missed the deck.

    Grimme smiled. ¡°Looks like they want it the hard way.¡±

    He turned and shouted to the boatswain. ¡°Signal the gunners, prepare for portside action!¡±

    With a nod from Grimme, Raine shouted the next command for those on deck to hear. ¡°Strike the white and raise the colors!¡±

    Boatswain Rakes repeated the commands on his pipe and a chorus of cheers and stamps of feet on the deck answered as a solid black flag with thirty-seven red X¡¯s across the field rose up the aft mass. The commotion from the gun deck below and the hard clacking of the gunport¡¯s lids going full open added to the music of battle preparation that accompanied the battle flag¡¯s rising.

    Raine couldn''t help but also smile as the large flag caught the wind, displaying its full colors. Hopefully we¡¯ll add three new X¡¯s today.

    Moira was the lightest armed ship of their trio, having been a governor¡¯s yacht before being plundered and converted to their flagship. Fortunately she wasn''t the main show, her job was only to hold the attention of the three ships while her consorts prepared to engage them.

    ¡°Gunners may fire as they please. Concentrate fire on the smaller ship!¡± Captain Grimme said, continuing to stare through his own telescope.

    Moira¡¯s eighteen twenty-four pounders and twelve sixteen pounders opened up, their deep thumps rumbling through the planks beneath Raine¡¯s feet as more than half their shots fell true.

    The main mast of their primary target exploded, toppling forward, taking the foremast and many of her sails over the side with it.

    More white puffs from one of her escort¡¯s chase guns caused Raine to immediately pull her telescope from her face and turn as the wooden railing before her exploded in a shower of splinters. Warmth oozed down her forehead.

    ¡°You good, Raine?¡± Avanyu called.

    Raine wiped the blood from her face. ¡°They can''t aim for shit! I ate worse for breakfast this morning!¡±

    Avanyu laughed heartily. Chef, if he could even be called that, Mikey''s ¡°cooking¡± was well known to be some of the foulest muck ever forced upon a crew. A round shot from nearly eight hundred yards directly to the mouth might actually taste better than his ¡°finest¡± cooking.

    Before either of their prey¡¯s escort¡¯s could turn to present their own broadsides, Stray II came out from her hiding place behind the fog-covered island like a wraith in the night and at point blank range, delivered her full fifty-five gun broadside into the closest escort ship.

    White smoke and fire momentarily hid Stray and her target as the rolling thunder rumbled all the way to Raine¡¯s ears as she watched the ship blow apart from bow to stern. Secondary explosions, now doubt from the magazine, reduced her to a pile of burning splinters that sank quickly beneath the waves she coughed up as she went down.

    Cheers rose again around Moira¡¯s deck as the two remaining ships struck their colors in surrender.

    Her Executioner swung around Stray II to float just off the starboard quarter of the remaining consort of their prey, safely outside of her own cannons¡¯ range.

    ¡°They surrendered too quickly! Asa will never let us hear the end of it that his crew didn''t get to blow anything up,¡± Captain Grimme said with a laugh. He paused, focusing his telescope. ¡°The smaller ship is definitely Thirza. Avanyu, it was your information that brought us this prize. You should be the one to claim it.¡±

 02: Raine

    Three hundred miles off the coast of Elvier, Navoradreus. 501 years ago.

    Avanyu and Raine walked down to the main deck as Moira drifted alongside Thirza. Avanyu pulled a large speaking trumpet from its spot in a compartment on the rail and raised it.

    ¡°This is Shipmaster Avanyu of Moira¡¯s Hand of the Red Fleet. You are ordered to bring all valuables and arms, as well as one third of all provisions, you are carrying to the deck and begin transferring them to my ship. Failure to comply will see you sitting at the bottom of the Raiss with your consort.¡±

    One third had been the agreed upon take for food, medicine, and other staple items any ship would naturally carry. It should leave them with sufficient supply to either return to Elvier or wish they¡¯d brought more on their way to Rielle. They likely wouldn¡¯t take their cannons, but the shot and powder would always be welcome in either of their three ships¡¯ magazines.

    Nearly all the top deck crew had received training from Corporal Turner Hart, Stray II''s marine contingent¡¯s squad leader. The result wasn''t an elite force, but they executed the boarding action as professionally as any could expect. Deckhands lowered the gangplank and Thirza¡¯s crew secured it without complaint.

    A group of six armed with muskets positioned themselves along either side of the gangplank and watched as Turner Hart led six others armed with blunderbusses across. Both types of weapons were horrible at any sort of range, but proved more than effective over the short distance between the two ships where their friends would be at their most vulnerable.

    Thirza¡¯s captain, a tall, black-furred Cait Sidhe, met Avanyu and Raine as they crossed the gangplank next.

    ¡°Do you have any idea who you are stealing from? This is an¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡®Outrage¡¯. Yes we''re sure your owners and government will inflict a divine retribution the likes of which our pirate scourge has never before felt and we''ll spend what''s left of our short lives weeping and gnashing our teeth as we prepare to hang from the rope,¡± Avanyu mocked.

    The captain snapped his mouth shut, his seething rage like a tempest behind his eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s skip the small talk and get right down to it. It''s a tragedy that we had to sink one of yours, but we offered to do things peacefully.  Besides, you fired upon the governor¡¯s ship.¡± Avanyu said.

    ¡°Governor Anton would sooner see his ship blown apart than still floating in your hands.¡±

    Avanyu laughed. ¡°And maybe someday he will. As for you and your ship, you may go free just as soon as we get what we came for. Provided you make no attempts to fire in our backs.¡±

    The captain turned to Raine as she started her way below deck with a crew of six led by Turner Hart.

    ¡°Where in the hells are you going? We''re already giving you what you want. My men are emptying our magazines so you can leave us defenseless.¡±

    ¡°You didn''t put up much of a defense to begin with, I doubt there''s much to empty. And that paltry display of chests your men brought from below deck is in no way all you''re holding, even if they are enchanted to carry more. Your ship left Rielle well laden with gold and other precious metals.¡± Raine smiled as she caught the Captain''s look of shock. ¡°Oh yes, we are aware of what you took to Elvier. We were too slow to catch you, but we''ll take whatever you purchased with that sum instead.¡±

    Leaving the speechless captain to wonder who had spilled the contents of their manifest, Raine continued on her way below deck to Thirza¡¯s hold. The men and women walking with her were a force of ruthless efficiency as they cleared each room they swept through along their way to the hold. Occupied rooms were consolidated and locked from the outside while one person remained and stood guard.

    Raine didn''t use a musket or one of the blunderbusses preferred at close range. Rather, she trusted her own mana to guard her life. She had learned a broad array of spells; a few coatings for her sword, a shield spell, and she even knew a fear spell. Raine enjoyed magecraft as much as she did swordsmanship.

    That was why she was able to knock her assailant back with a mana barrier as he leapt from his hiding place in the corner beside the door.

    The man fell backward, sprawling as he hit a stack of wooden crates and satchels. He held a dull steel sword in his hand, but what interested Raine was the sword at his belt that he hadn''t drawn.

    She could only make out its hilt, gold and finely leather-wrapped. Was it a decorative naval sword of some type? Why was he holding it here? This man didn''t look like any sort of naval officer.

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    Shaggy, orange and blond hair covered his head in near equal parts. He had a strong, handsome face that somehow held a boyishness to it. Then Raine noticed the pointed elven ears. A Serethi, then. And a young one.

    The man stood and Turner raised his blunderbuss in response.

    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot him¡­ Yet.¡± Raine held up a hand. ¡°That was a rather cheap shot, don''t you think?¡±

    ¡°You ambushed us! You fired the first cheap shot,¡± he replied.

    ¡°True to your first point. But we fired second. We raised a flag to offer a peaceful means of taking your cargo. The offer was refused by your captains and we fired in self defense. We truly do mean no further harm than we¡¯ve already caused. We''re only after your cargo and we''ll be on our way.¡± Raine pointed to the crates behind the man. Then, as an afterthought, she added, ¡°And I''ll take both your weapons, too.¡±

    ¡°I am only a passenger here, I will not stop you from taking their cargo, pirate,¡± he spat the word in insult. ¡°But your other request, I cannot fulfill. This sword stays with me.¡±

    Before Raine could tell him off, a deep boom, followed by an impressive shockwave, jolted the ship, nearly taking Raine¡¯s feet out from under her.

    ¡°What the hells?¡± Raine crouched to steady herself and looked around.

    The wall behind Raine suddenly exploded as a cannonball ripped through the ship at a sharp, downward angle, taking out the three men who had been standing behind her.

    One had everything above his neck torn completely away, the other had a gaping hole in his chest, and the final man had his hips destroyed as both legs were ripped out from under him. His screams were quickly silenced by a second cannonball finishing him off.

    Raine and the remaining two men immediately dove to the ground as another muffled explosion rumbled overhead.

    ¡°What the fuck are our guys doing shooting for? Don¡¯t they know we¡¯re down here?¡± shouted Turner.

    ¡°I think both ships are shooting at each¡ª¡± the slightly shorter, yet equally built Murphy Bradford beside Turner never finished his sentence. Six more cannonballs tore through the hold, killing him instantly.

    ¡°Fucking hells, we need to go!¡± Turner shouted.

    Water flooded in through the holes the cannonballs left, mixing with the blood of Raine¡¯s now dead crew mates. Still lying on the floor, Raine pushed aside Murphy''s body and crawled across the compartment to the entryway. Water was filling the hold quickly and she was forced to bounce between staying low and catching a breath as the water level rose to nearly two feet.

    The whole ship bucked and lurched before slowly beginning to tilt onto her port side. Men''s screams out in the hallway echoed the fear going through Raine¡¯s own mind. She and everyone else were about to go down with this ship.

    ¡°¡®Mean us no further harm¡¯ my ass!¡± the Serethi man shouted behind Raine and Turner, working equally hard to navigate through the slowly tilting ship.

    Raine stopped and drew her sword. ¡°I''d cut the shit if I were you, my guys wouldn¡¯t have fired upon you if you hadn¡¯t done something after we boarded. Right now, I¡¯m still deciding whether to give you a mercifully quick death now, let you try your luck with the scytherfish, or let you drown here with your ship with all your limbs cut to uselessness.¡±

    He started to say something, but quit as Thirza again bucked violently and tilted even further onto her side.

    Raine, Turner, and the Serethi man quickly turned and ran through the hold and into the hall, climbing along the corner between the floor and wall. The locked doors her men were supposed to be guarding were left unattended, the panicked yells inside their rooms making Raine glad she wasn''t those guys.

    ¡°Have you no hearts? Help me open these doors!¡± the Serethi man shouted.

    ¡°Those men are dead already,¡± Turner said without looking back.

    ¡°You¡¯re a monster!¡± He shouted.

    ¡°One who wants to live,¡± Turner acknowledged.

    Raine did stop and turned to see the man still struggling with one of the doors. She rolled her eyes, more so at herself for actually turning back and running to assist him. ¡°Move. Take the top side and kick the door in while I kick the bottom.¡±

    Two kicks broke through the door and the three men inside threw bed sheets tied together up at Raine and the Serethi to use as a makeshift ladder.

    Together, all five bounded up the stairwell deckside, which was now nearly forty-five degrees sideways.

    They made it to the top deck just in time to climb up onto the starboard hull as Thirza finished her death roll onto her port side. Sailors from Thirza were jumping into the water, but it had become a bloody tumult as the little monsters of the shallows, schools of violently ravenous scytherfish, shredded the men and women in the water.

    Less than a hundred yards away, Moira''s Hand was quickly going down, her deck burning entirely from bow to stern. In the opposite direction, Stray II and Her Executioner¡¯s main and mizzen masts were both toppled over like felled trees. Both their quarterdecks were burning and Executioner''s stern deck¡¯s entire superstructure was just gone.

    What the hell happened up here? Raine wondered as she watched her friends, dead or dying, going down with Moira¡¯s Hand.

    Steeling herself with grim resolve, Raine quickly cast a spell, sending out a jet of ice-cold mana into the water. Chunks of ice grew outward from a section of the ship¡¯s keel until it was the size of a small raft.

    Raine turned to the Serethi man and the three she¡¯d helped save. With a fury at the loss of her friends, she kneed the man in the gut. ¡°You can all join your shipmates at the bottom of the sea or in the bellies of those scytherfish!¡±

    She grabbed the sword as he toppled backward, though it had barely left its scabbard before a blinding white light filled Raine¡¯s vision.

 03: Raine

    Somewhere in the Raiss Ocean. 501 years ago.

    A sharp pain tore at Raine¡¯s left hand. There weren''t any markings or bandages to suggest injury, but it burned and gnawed at her attention until it suddenly stopped.

    She flexed her hand and it worked as it should. But that wasn''t what chilled her. Raine had seen something in that second she''d touched that sword. The image was fleeting, a figure in grey light armor with a grey head with no features. No features except for the pattern of ink-like swirls that danced across where its face should have been. But in that pattern, Raine knew it had been looking at her. Studying her. And then it was gone.

    And then she was in Stray II''s healer¡¯s quarters. She knew the space well. Plenty of past plundering had brought Raine to this room. Moira only had a single healer as most of the others preferred to stay on Stray or Executioner where they were more likely to be needed.

    But how had she gotten here? The last thing she remembered, she had attempted to take the sword of that Serethi man and push him overboard before she herself jumped into her makeshift ice raft. But that hadn''t gone that way. She had been the one falling, right? So why was she here now?

    Raine turned to see Avanyu sitting beside her bedside. He was only a handful of years older than her, but right there in the dim light escaping through the closed shutters, Avanyu''s weary face looked to have aged two or more decades.

    ¡°How bad, Avanyu?¡± Raine remembered seeing the burning Moira and her damaged consorts.

    He glanced at her, looking a bit surprised, but quickly recovered. ¡°Moira¡¯s gone. Her whole crew except for you, Turner, and I.¡±

    Raine sucked in a breath, taking in the crushing reminder that nearly all her shipmates were dead. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°The ship we ambushed was carrying booby trapped chests. They exploded, spreading oil that immediately caught fire after they were brought on board. Killed damn near everyone on the topside deck almost immediately. Someone from the gun decks ordered retaliatory fire from the cannons. Moira and Thirza slugged it out before sinking each other. Stray II and Her Executioner got hit badly, but they sank the escort they were watching. We''re actually towing Executioner back to Respite Island as we had to take down her fore mast to have enough rigging for Stray. Not that it would matter if Executioner could sail on her own, she has zero rudder control.

    ¡°But Raine, Executioner lost every one of her officers when the magazine blew and Stray only the helmsman and the gunner''s mates. You and I are the two highest ranking members left between our two surviving ships.¡±

    Avanyu paused and allowed that to sink in.

    ¡°We¡¯re it?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Avanyu replied solemnly. ¡°We¡¯re going to hold a vote to decide who leads us from here. But it sounds to me like they''re going to pick you for captain of the fleet.¡±

    ¡°Me? Why me?¡± Raine had always wanted to lead a ship, Captain Grimme had been grooming her to take over on Executioner when Asa became too old to keep doing it. But not like this. Not with so much death all at once to have the position thrust upon her.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°They liked you as Moira¡¯s quartermaster. They liked Captain Grimme and he liked you. Seems like you¡¯re the best choice,¡± Avanyu shrugged. ¡°I know I don¡¯t want that responsibility. They need you, Raine.¡±

    ¡°I will lead our friends and family if I am asked to.¡± Raine paused. ¡°But I need to know¡­ How am I here? I was going down with Thirza. How did I get here?¡±

    ¡°One of the four survivors, a Serethi Elf, dragged you to the ice raft you made.¡± Avanyu laughed as though remembering a joke. ¡°The other three said you tried to push him over and take his sword before just dropping like a stone. I think he has a crush on you. Wouldn''t shut up about wanting to see you when you came to.¡±

    Raine rolled her eyes. ¡°Where''s he now?¡±

    ¡°Down in the bilge with the other three.¡±

    ¡°Can you have someone bring him here? I have a few questions for him.¡±

    Avanyu stood and left the room. Raine tried to remember more of that  vision she had seen. Of the grey-faced man. But nothing came to her.

    The door opened and Avanyu returned with the Serethi Elf. He didn''t have his iron sword, but the gold-hilted one remained in its scabbard at his side.

    ¡°Can you give us a moment?¡±

    Avanyu nodded, then turned to the Serethi Elf. ¡°Try anything and you die. I''ll be right outside the door.¡±

    The Serethi made no response.

    When Avanyu left, Raine broke the momentary silence. ¡°I thought your kind didn''t like mixing with outsiders. You said you were a passenger on Thirza. What were you doing on that ship?¡±

    ¡°My business is my own.¡±

    ¡°Your business is mine, if you want to live,¡± Raine flared, but quickly pulled herself under control. ¡°You live because my crew says you brought me here after I tried to kill you. Why bother?¡±

    ¡°Why did you bother to turn back to save those three men? Despite the way you portray yourself, I believe there is good in you.¡±

    ¡°Your belief is misplaced,¡± Raine said coldly, ¡°By saving them, you only prolonged their borrowed time. We gave their ships every opportunity to hand off their goods peacefully, then they killed my crew with such an honorless tactic. No, you and they will go overboard for the deaths of my crew.¡±

    ¡°You saw him, did you not?¡± The Serethi Elf asked. ¡°That is my evidence that my belief is not misplaced. That is why I saved you.¡±

    Raine¡¯s heartbeat quickened. She forced herself to keep composure. Did he know something of the grey man? ¡°Saw who?¡±

    ¡°Thoth, Remnant of Anathi. The spirit which dwells within the twin blades Caliburn and Clarent that together form Excalibur.¡± He took the sword from its scabbard and set it at Raine¡¯s side.

    A single longsword, one half of its blade scarlet and the other cerulean. The sword split down its length, both halves becoming rapiers.

    ¡°I am Rien Lograine,¡± He announced, and with a solemn bow, added, ¡°and the Order of the Revi is at your service.¡±

    Raine hesitantly reached out and touched the sword. There was no light, no grey-faced man. Nothing.

    The scarlet blade was hot to the touch and the cerulean blade icy cold. Enchanted, then. The only enchanted weapons they''d recovered from this mess.

    This man was obviously making fun of her. He had to have booby trapped the sword with a charm spell or something to knock her out. That''s how he knew about what she''d seen. Raine flared with anger.

    ¡°Avanyu!¡± Raine called.

    ¡°Yes, Raine?¡± Avanyu asked as he re-entered the room.

    ¡°I want Rien here¡ª¡± Raine pointed to the man. ¡°¡ªthrown in whatever cage we''ve got that will hold him. Prep the other three to go overboard. I want to carry as little dead weight as possible back to Respite.¡±

 04: [N]ix

    BaNa2 Guildroom at Delphianna¡¯s Guildhall. Day 04.

    ¡°You really threw them overboard? After they saved you?¡± Nix asked, interrupting Raine¡¯s story for the first time.

    Raine nodded solemnly. ¡°I told you before, I was not a good person. I forced Rien to watch them go over and be eaten alive by the scytherfish. That was one of a few acts I regretted more than anything.¡±

    Nix and Raine sat in silence on Nix¡¯s bed for a long moment. Nix, with his knees to his chest, while Raine sat cross-legged. Caliburn leaned on the bed post beside her in its sheath.

    Raine had agreed to tell Nix, and only Nix, this story to help him better understand not only the monster guarding the islands bearing her name, but also of the weapon she carried and its potential ties to him and every other player. What he later did with that information, she assured him wouldn''t impact their relationship as Summoner and Summoned going forward.

    Ever since finding out that she could, and would, refuse his Summoner¡¯s Call if he took any action against her moral code, it had been a source of anxiety for Nix. A big reason for that was due to the fact that his actions before arriving to this world in this body had persisted to today. Raine had fought alongside Nix for nearly five years since he''d unlocked her summoning spell at level fifty. She considered him and his cause to be a form of penance for the life she lived. But perhaps more importantly, she offered the strongest possibility of a path home to a family he had come to miss over the last four days.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Nix had noticed the pain in Raine¡¯s breaking voice as she spoke of the loss of her crew, but also of the punishment she had inflicted on Rien in her misplaced anger.

    ¡°We can stop for today. Your spell timer is about to elapse,¡± Nix offered. He had extended it three times already even after their role in putting out the fires beyond Delphianna had stopped.

    ¡°I have borne this guilt for over five hundred years. I can continue, but thank you for your consideration,¡± Raine replied. Then, with resolve, she continued where she had left off. ¡°While we towed Executioner back to Respite, we held a vote to replace our lost officers. I was named Captain of the Fleet as Avanyu predicted. He became Stray II¡¯s quartermaster and most of Stray¡¯s surviving officers moved to Executioner. Stray became the new flagship.

    ¡°Under my leadership, we united the disparate pirate groups that called Respite Island home. And we inflicted coordinated attacks on the coasts of both Navorinelle and Navoradreus to a scale which had never been seen before.

    ¡°No small part of that was due to the power of Caliburn and Clarent, once I had learned the true power of the twin swords. I think that, combined with my leaning more on Rien for advice, is what led to Avanyu''s jealousy and eventual mutiny¡­¡±

    As Raine set into her story once again, Nix cast the spell to extend her time in this world.

 05: Raine

    Respite Island. 498 years ago.

    The first time Raine had killed someone with Excalibur, she had felt the enchantment strengthen her. Her spells became stronger, the amount of mana she could draw upon became greater.

    She didn''t believe what Rien had said about there being a spirit dwelling within the blades, but she knew he knew something about the nature of the weapons she''d stolen from him. Perhaps that was why she had spared him those two and a half years ago.

    He had sailed alongside her as a prisoner; she had wanted him to see her campaign to seek revenge on Elvier for the loss of Captain Grimme and the rest of Moira¡¯s Hand, a place she had assumed he''d held ties to. Though he said he stayed with her because Thoth had chosen to speak to her.

    Raine barely remembered that hallucination and she chalked it up to him making fun of her in an attempt to take back what little power he could from her. That had served only to irritate her more. He was on the deck, right beside Raine as she delivered every order that pillaged, and ultimately sunk, each Elvier ship that crossed her path.

    Though Raine had quickly realized Rien''s disapproval of the scenes she''d forced him to watch hadn¡¯t stemmed from any ties he''d had with Elvier, but rather at her for the ¡°senseless violence¡± when she could have been a force for good.

    The pirates who had united with Raine had become very wealthy and nearly a nation unto themselves. To Raine, that was the greatest good she could do: return her people to the positions they should have had since their time as merchant escorts.

    She had offered him his freedom, but he had refused, insisting he was supposed to stay with her and the sword she¡¯d stolen from him.

    The two talked, and even fought on occasion, about the future of the pirate fleet, but he never left Raine¡¯s side and he was present for every act of piracy she¡¯d ever taken.

    She wouldn''t have called their relationship a friendship, more the best of a bad situation. Perhaps it was that relationship with Rien that had blinded her to Avanyu''s mutiny.

    Eventually Rien had succeeded in changing Raine¡¯s views with a particularly scathing response following the sinking of an immigration ship they''d misidentified as another Elvier merchant vessel.

    The ship hadn''t complied with their demand for it to heave to and Raine ordered it sunk when they were within range. They hadn''t complied with the order because no one on the ship knew the signal flags common to these seas.

    Rien had compared that to when Grimme had left his country behind when he''d been ordered to sink a pirate ship that was already too wounded to do anything.

    ¡°Would Captain Grimme approve of the leader you''ve become in his place? You murdered hundreds of innocents!¡± Rien said with fury.

    That had been the moment that had put everything into perspective for Raine as she approached the wreckage, watching the survivors, women and children included, torn apart by schools of scytherfish and larger.

    Too bad his message had gotten through too late. Later that night, she confided in Avanyu of her plans to disband the pirate nation they''d built together. She would turn herself in to the authorities in Rielle, taking the rope she knew she deserved.

    Avanyu hadn''t taken the conversation so well. At the time, she''d simply chalked it up as frayed nerves, the same as she. Apparently she''d been wrong. He truly meant to keep his wealth flowing, promising even more ruthlessness than Raine had delivered. He didn''t want to stop at the small collection of island cities the pirates had, he wanted more.

    Raine had left Stray II when they''d made port at Respite, deciding she needed time away from Avanyu, her crew, and the haunting sounds of those she''d needlessly slaughtered.

    That had been a week ago. A mighty tremble through the ground shook Raine awake from her sleep in her home.

    Her eyes snapped open as the ground shook again. An earthquake?

    No, the rumbling was far too regular for that. Raine dressed herself as someone knocked at her door.

    ¡°Raine! Wake up! A ship is bombing the port!¡± Rien shouted.

    Raine went to her window and looked in horror at the carnage below. Houses were burning and crumbled, Respite had no defenses beyond the ships that called her home.

    Stray II''s unmistakable silhouette, the result of countless repairs and overhauls that left her wholly unlike her original construction, was illuminated by the light from her cannons as she unleashed a rolling broadside that steadily moved further inland. And directly towards Raine¡¯s home.

    Raine turned and ran to her bedside, grabbing Excalibur, which she always kept within arm¡¯s reach. As her hand touched the hilt, she saw that same blinding light she''d seen those two and a half years ago.

    Raine wasn¡¯t in her room anymore. As far as she could tell, she wasn¡¯t even on Terre. The sky above her was black, save only for the small pinpricks of light that were stars. The ground around her in every direction was a dark grey, crater-pocked wasteland barren of any life.

    Except for him. The grey-armored figure with the featureless head whose face was a swirling maze of black ink that shifted its pattern as randomly as the waves of sea.

    Thoth.

    A ragged poncho covered his left half, but his right side revealed armor unlike Raine had ever seen before. Grey sheets of plating finely molded to his proportions overlapped a black fabric with glowing lights on his wrists that seemed to be demanding his attention.

    Even though he sat on the ground in a meditative pose with legs crossed, he towered over Raine. When he seemed to notice Raine, the ink-like swirls on his face arranged themselves into eight dots, like eight eyes looking down at her. Scrutinizing her.

    Stolen story; please report.

    Raine cleared her throat. ¡°So you are real. Why haven¡¯t you shown yourself to me since that first time two years ago?¡±

    ¡°I have been by your side in every sword fight you¡¯ve ever been in since touching Excalibur. I was the gentle nudge that took you from the life-ending bullet¡¯s path. I was the extra strength that held up the sword to block the blow that would have cleaved you in two.¡±

    Raine had to fight to roll her eyes at him. ¡°But why show yourself now? Don''t you realize I''m in the middle of something? I can¡¯t really afford to be left knocked out cold while my home is shelled all around me!¡±

    If Thoth had detected the anxious annoyance in Raine¡¯s words, he hadn''t acknowledged it. ¡°You are going to die this night. It is unavoidable.¡±

    ¡°Only if you keep me here! I can run!¡± Raine shouted. She was nearly about to plead with him to help her live when she was hit with the memory of those innocents she''d murdered. No, this was exactly the fate she deserved.

    ¡°If I had not intervened, you would have run straight into your death.¡±

    Tears streamed down Raine¡¯s cheeks as she fell to her knees. ¡°Let me die, I do not deserve to live.¡±

    ¡°Murderer, pillager, defiler of the innocent. No, you do not deserve to live,¡± Thoth boomed, the dots of his eyes changing into four V¡¯s, glowing a crimson red with anger. ¡°But I propose an alternative to death.¡±

    Raine looked up at him. ¡°An alternative?¡±

    ¡°You wish to take the coward¡¯s way out. I offer you a chance to atone. A chance to redeem. A much, much harder path.¡±

    ¡°How is accepting the death I deserve cowardice?¡± Raine stood, suddenly angered by the pronouncement.

    ¡°The road for all ends in death. The great equalizer. Your deeds go unpunished in the balance of all things. I offer you a chance to do good where you never did before.¡± He paused, the four red V¡¯s changing back to eight black dots. ¡°It will be hell. It will be torture. But there will be redemption.¡±

    But it wouldn''t be death, I would live. ¡°Yes, I''ll do it. Let me atone!¡± Raine shouted. Let me live!

    ¡°Then return. Split Excalibur in two, Caliburn and Clarent fused. Leave Clarent with Rien and take Caliburn to Stray II. That is the way forward.¡±

    Raine started to ask what that was supposed to do, turning herself in to Avanyu, that was surely death. But he was gone and she was back in her home.

    ¡°Raine! We need to go, now!¡± came Rien''s call.

    Unlike the first time she and Thoth had met, no time seemed to have passed during this encounter.

    Raine opened the door. ¡°Come in, hurry!¡±

    Raine pulled him into her room, ignoring his protests as she unsheathed Excalibur. She saw the seam up the sword¡¯s middle and with a conscious effort, split the blade in two. She pushed the blue-bladed Clarent into Rien¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Take this, Thoth said you''d know what to do with it.¡±

    He immediately ceased his complaints and instead looked at the blade almost reverently for a second. ¡°Are you sure you want to go down this path, Raine?¡±

    ¡°I wish I''d listened to you sooner, Rien. I wish I''d had time to become a better person. But I don''t. As far as I know, I''m on borrowed time as is. I should have died two years ago. The world would probably have been better for it. Now go, get yourself somewhere safe.¡± Raine turned and left without waiting for him to respond. She wasn''t sure she could follow through with this if she''d stopped to stare at him any longer. Rien had been a better friend than she deserved.

    Stray II''s pounding broadside had paused long enough for Raine to to get clear and begin running in the direction that would take her to the dock and away from Stray''s current target, which was her home.

    The thunderous roars of her cannons continued, but ceased as Raine made it to the dock. Stray heaved to and approached, someone threw a makeshift rope ladder across and Raine caught it.

    Avanyu was waiting for Raine as she made it on deck. Six guns were pointed at her.

    ¡°Thank you for saving us the trouble of having to search for your remains in all this,¡± he said.

    ¡°You slew hundreds of your own people and that''s all you have to say? You''re a monster. What have you done with my crew?¡± Raine took a step forward.

    Avanyu raised a stalling hand at the gunmen. ¡°I slew traitors to our cause. We have the largest navy of any force in these seas. And you would''ve squandered it. We serve you no longer.¡±

    The events that happened next, Raine couldn''t recall. Either she had drawn her sword first or someone else had fired upon her first. She didn''t know and would likely never know for sure.

    What she did know was Avanyu had turned away and Raine had slain three of the gunmen before two shots took her in the stomach and leg. Someone had knocked Caliburn from her hand and she was on the ground.

    Avanyu had ordered the traitor''s death for Raine even as she lay bleeding out. The only thing on her mind was that Thoth had lied or betrayed her as well. What was this death if not the same kind that would have happened had she died in her home? There was no redemption in this.

    They were a mile away from Respite when Avanyu ordered them to drop anchor and ready the gangplank. Raine had her arms and legs bound with weights tied to her legs.

    ¡°You served the fleet well before you betrayed them. Your service will be honored by granting you the quick death you don''t deserve,¡± Avanyu said, holding Caliburn.

    The sword seemed dull in his hands, tarnished and unmaintained, though that had not been the case. Raine took great pride in the maintenance of her weapons. They always looked fresh and ready for a fight.

    But he must not have been aware of Caliburn''s nature, because it was clear that it was the blade he meant to impale her with.

    ¡°Goodbye, Captain Raine,¡± Avanyu said with false warmth as he thrust Caliburn into Raine¡¯s chest.

    Far over Respite, Raine saw a flash of purple light upon the tallest peak of the mountain. Avanyu kicked Raine overboard and the salty ocean water mixed with the metallic blood flooding Raine¡¯s mouth.

    Raine saw that same purple light in front of her own eyes as she sunk deeper into the depths of the cold, crushing water.

    The light grew brighter and brighter, encompassing everything she saw.

    Then she was in a grassy plain, gripping Caliburn''s hilt. She turned and saw a short man with moppy white hair and pewter grey skin. Red tattoos covered the skin not hidden by his robes.

    He didn''t speak, but had already turned to begin fighting alongside a tall, muscular man in red, black, and gold armor. They were defending a fort against an attacking goblin force.

    Raine raised Caliburn and joined them in slaughtering the blight that cursed this land.

    The fighting ended and Raine saw that purple light again.

    She was back aboard Stray II, just as Avanyu stabbed her and kicked her overboard.

    The purple light came again and Raine was in a cave, slaying kobolds.

    She was back aboard Stray II, just as Avanyu stabbed her and kicked her overboard.

    And as she accepted the Summoner¡¯s Call again, Raine did not die, yet she died a hundred times.

    A thousand times.

    Each time she felt the sword plunged into her chest and the ice cold ocean drown her, she heard the Summoner¡¯s call just before death could take her.

    Each time she answered.

    Each time she fought alongside the Runic Elf Summoner, killing some monster or saving some people.

    Raine began to understand the truth with each death and rebirth. Thoth had kept his word. She could not die and had been given her redemption.

 Part 4, Chapter 42: Saiph

    ¡°You would ask my people to die.¡±

    ¡°No! I ask them to fight to survive!¡±

    ¡°My answer remains the same: We will not fight for your petty squabbles.¡±

    ¡°Again you refuse to listen! By standing by, you doom us all, yourself and yours included, to damnation!¡±

    ¡°I hope, for both our sakes, that you are wrong. You have exhausted my patience. Leave our lands.¡±

    ¡ªConversation between Rellar Azureth and Anathi. Date unknown.

    The Archival of Araedi. Day 04.

    Saiph stood in the Archival''s grand entrance hall. The building had been purchased by his friend and fellow guildmate, Sinnamon Roll, using funds provided by Jack O¡¯Lantern and Orbnus, another pair of friends who had amassed significant wealth as clothing artists for Annwyn Online. The game turned reality Saiph, his friends, and millions of gamers around the United States, and likely the world, now found themselves in. Complete with the powers and levels they''d gained in the decade Annwyn Online had been around.

    Three days of fighting monsters, both man and mystical, and the destruction and death that came with that fighting had instilled within Saiph the confidence that whatever had happened to him and everyone else, Annwyn Online had never been just a game.

    An imposing dragon, wings outstretched and mouth open in a silent roar, dominated the room. Most of its skeleton held the brownish grey of fossilized bone, but the dragon¡¯s teeth, horns, and claws were black crystals reminiscent of his own dragon form''s icy- blue crystals in the same places.

    How had such a great beast wound up here?

    Dragons were powerful mages, rivaling even the power he, a level 100 Dragon Sentinel-Pirate could call upon and he was very nearly a god.

    Guess being a god wasn''t enough to save you. Hopefully it¡¯ll be enough to get us home¡­

    A collection of guilds, many whom Saiph knew from his decade of game time, were in the process of putting together a sort of government with exactly that goal in mind.

    A few of the pieces of the puzzle for how they wound up here had been laid out before them. Raine von Alder, a summoned heroic spirit belonging to his friend, Nix, had a necklace with the logo of Annwyn Online¡¯s Developer, Sonnet Entertainment, as the pendant. She had said it was a reference to a religious order, the Revi, who had existed some five hundred years earlier. A cursory probing of some of the NPCs at the guildhalls in Araedi and Orleana had revealed little information as to what had become of them. Actually, no one had even known about that religion.

    The building Saiph was standing held some books that held the Revi/Annwyn Online symbol, though most of those were indecipherable. Whatever universal translator allowed players and NPCs to speak to each other didn¡¯t extend to Revi texts, which were written in another language according to Malikela, an NPC with a passion for history who was helping Sinnamon catalogue the massive trove of knowledge the Archive held.

    There was another, far more personal mystery that Saiph was grappling with. His girlfriend¡¯s character, Aria Aurora, shown online in her guild castle, Pallas¡¯ Watch. The mystery stemmed from the fact that had died in a car accident nearly two years ago. He knew whoever was using her account likely wasn¡¯t actually Riley, but rather someone who had stolen her account information and had been using it when everyone had been brought here. But it bothered Saiph that whoever was using her account wasn¡¯t responding to his messages. Part of him hoped it was a bot like the pair he, Nix, and Lueur Rose had found in a dungeon they¡¯d cleared on their second night here. At least then it would feel less like a desecration.

    Voices from the library broke Saiph from his thoughts and the dragon before him. It was early in the morning, especially considering the events of the previous day. A mob of angry players had set fire to a large swath of the wildlands beyond Araedi in the hopes that they¡¯d draw out Sonnet Entertainment¡¯s moderation or developer team and force the issue of going home. The plan hadn¡¯t worked.

    In the library, Sinnamon Roll was sitting with Malikela, Saiph presumed; a tall stack of books between them.

    ¡°Sinn, how long have you two been in here?¡±

    Sinnamon looked up and, apparently out of habit, pushed up a pair of glasses she wasn¡¯t actually wearing. Ashley Miller wore glasses, but not Sinnamon Roll. ¡°A couple of hours. Couldn¡¯t sleep. You either, I take it?¡±

    Saiph shook his head. ¡°Apparently only a little bit more than you got. I¡¯m heading to Orleana. Might try and catch a few Z¡¯s there. What are you two working on?¡±

    ¡°Trying to get a jump on that lead you gave me last night. We¡¯re up to¡­ four, yeah, four books with Sonnet¡¯s logo. Still don¡¯t know what any of the words say, but it¡¯s something.¡± Sinnamon paused. ¡°Whoever built this place had to have started translating or made a catalogue or something. We just haven¡¯t found it yet. Weaver¡¯s looking around the basement and any other corner he can find hunting for it.¡±

    ¡°If you do find it, let me know what you find on that dragon in the hallway. I wanna know what could have killed her.¡±

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°¡®Her¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the direction of the curve of her horns gives it away. Males curve upward, females downward.¡± A fact Saiph had no doubt acquired from his own soul merging with that of another dragon. An eventful first three days indeed.

    Saiph left the pair and returned to the lobby, gave the skeletal dragon a nod, and opened up a portal to Orleana¡¯s guildhall with his Caer Fragment. Warm, salty air welcomed him as he stepped through the hole in reality.

    ***

    The Pride of Orleana, flagship of the Brotherhood of Pirates, sat in her berth with large maroon sails furled, rocking gently against her dock. She was an old ship at nearly a hundred years old in Terre Time, only a few years younger than the Brotherhood itself, but she hid that age well thanks to magic and a crew, both Player and NPC, who cared for her deeply.

    Even as Saiph scaled the multi-level dock to reach the ship¡¯s gangway, he could see carpenters at work replacing rotted and worn sections of the Pride¡¯s hull.

    Still a founding member, if not an active participant since spinning off and forming North Remembers eight years ago earth time, Saiph was well known to the Brotherhood, particularly those lucky enough to call the Pride their home base.

    The Brotherhood¡¯s leader, and Saiph¡¯s longest friend, Will-I-Am, stood on the upper deck, looking out into the harbor beyond. As one of the Cait Sidhe, or cat folk, Will was a prime example of Terre¡¯s oddities and stark differences from Earth. Orange and white fur covered his thin, muscular frame and a cat¡¯s face, complete with large green eyes, turned to meet Saiph as he approached.

    ¡°You¡¯re early, Saiph. I thought we weren¡¯t meeting until noon.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to get the founding crew together for breakfast. Just you, me, Quark, and Kamila.¡±

    Will stroked the whiskers on the left side of his face with his paw. ¡°I could eat.¡±

    ***

    Will knocked on the door to Quark and Kamila¡¯s quarters. ¡°Quark, it¡¯s Will and Isaac.¡±

    A message popped up in front of Saiph¡¯s face.

    Come in, but be quiet. Madeleine¡¯s still sleeping.

    The windowless room was dark, save only for a single candle on Quark¡¯s desk. On that desk sat a book on a stand while Quark, in owl form, sat upon the head of his chair. His twin owl familiars, Strange and Charm, were perched on either side of his book. As a member of the Druid class, Quark could take on the appearance of his familiars and his feathers were a mottled brown with a tuxedo belly.

    Beside the Druid, a small bat hung upside down, wings wrapped around itself, tiny body expanding and contracting in the rhythm of sleep. Kamila; Quark¡¯s wife, vampire, and Rogue.

    Quark lifted silently off his chair and changed back into his Serethi self. He gestured for Saiph and Will to follow him into the hallway.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Quark asked as he closed the door.

    ¡°Breakfast!¡± Saiph and Will said in unison.

    Quark shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t wait for us. We¡¯ll meet you at the guildhall.¡±

    ¡°No worries. What¡¯re you reading?¡± Saiph asked.

    ¡°A book on the history of the Red Fleet, the pirate group Raine von Alder belonged to. When you consider their origins and that of the Age of Piracy in general, things have almost come full circle,¡± Quark mused.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Saiph asked.

    ¡°Yeah, elaborate¡­¡± Will said.

    ¡°Many of the original pirate crews were monster hunters before turning to piracy. The red sails were intended to distinguish them from their escorts. What are we if not the monster hunters now?¡± Quark answered.

    Saiph glanced deckward unconsciously as though he could see the Pride¡¯s sails. Nearly every monster hunting ship under the Brotherhood wore maroon sails.

    ¡°I propose an expedition to the other continents after we slay Avanyu. We¡¯ve had no word from any of the other servers, or rather, continents. We¡¯re assuming they¡¯re all here just like we are. What if they are and part of the path home involves something they might know? I think we need to be far more coordinated than just what¡¯s going on here,¡± Quark said.

    ¡°I agree, but Avanyu isn¡¯t the only monster out there. How do we cross the ocean without risking the whole ship and crew? There¡¯s a reason no one sails beyond the shallows. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Will replied.

    ¡°¡®Too dangerous for Clarke¡¯, you mean? It¡¯s rather obvious to everyone around here that there¡¯s something between you two since your date.¡± Quark fixed Will with a knowing glance and Saiph fought to suppress a laugh.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a date! Our relationship is only business. If I¡¯m to captain this ship, I should know who the quartermaster¡ª¡± Will shook his head, obviously dropping Quark¡¯s bait. ¡°No, if something happens and the Pride is lost, the NPCs go down with her. We won¡¯t. We¡¯ll respawn or can just fast travel away. I don¡¯t want that kind of blood on my hands.¡±

    Saiph stroked his beard. ¡°Why can¡¯t they use our fast travel portals? We could get them out as easily as we can ourselves. It pretty much trivializes things like that.¡±

    ¡°Can NPCs even use our fast travel?¡± Will asked.

    Saiph shrugged. There wasn¡¯t any record of NPCs having their own fast travel system. ¡°Worth finding out.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but I wouldn¡¯t mind looking at some of Clarke¡¯s uncle¡¯s airship designs. It¡¯d be a whole lot easier to avoid the sea monster issue entirely if we could just fly over them.¡±

    Abigail Clarke¡¯s, or simply Clarke as she preferred, voice behind Will made the three men jump. ¡°That was my uncle¡¯s idea when we built the airship that brought us from the Triskelion. Avanyu sank it, remember?¡±

    ¡°How long have you been standing there?¡± Will asked.

    ¡°Long enough to volunteer if you¡¯re looking for a non-Guardian to try out your portals. You¡¯re going to Ven Istera, that¡¯s where my uncle settled down.¡± Clarke paused. There was a sudden, unmistakable look of fire in her eyes as she spoke again. ¡°And we might not be reborn like you when we die, but that doesn¡¯t make us helpless. We live our whole lives knowing what we risk when we board this ship. If the crew of the Pride wish to join in slaying Avanyu, don¡¯t insult us by denying us the choice.¡±

    Saiph shifted uncomfortably under Clarke¡¯s burning gaze as it passed over him.

    Will raised his hands apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Clarke. We weren¡¯t trying to offend anyone. If the crew of the Pride or any of the other ships we take with us wish to come, I promise I won¡¯t stop them.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Clarke nodded. ¡°Besides, we know this ship better than anyone you¡¯d get to run her and you¡¯re out of your mind if you think I¡¯d let anyone else helm her.¡±

 Chapter 43: Saiph

    In order to fast travel from one location to another, a player needs to have visited that location¡¯s Caer fragment at least once. Players in a party have access to each other¡¯s locations, but must still attune themselves in order to travel when soloing. When in a party, a player can act as a beacon for other players in the party to travel to. This is especially useful when dungeoneering or travelling the wilds between safe zones or Guardian cities. ¡ªAnnwyn Online Player¡¯s Guide.

    Orleana. Day 04.

    Lueur Rose and her girlfriend, Lunette Soleil, sat on the ground beside the guildhall¡¯s Caer Fragment. Lunette¡¯s familiar, a moon rabbit the size of a large house cat, leapt from her lap and bounced around Saiph¡¯s feet.

    Saiph picked the rabbit up and scratched her behind the ears. With his free hand and a smile, he signed, ¡°Sorry I stole her love.¡±

    Both girls laughed and Saiph let the moon rabbit fall to the ground and it returned to Lunette¡¯s lap.

    As his friends trickled in and introductions were made, Saiph took a moment to look over their party composition, which was really two parties of five. He was their main tank; Quark, Lunette, and the one taking them to Ven Istera, Gimm Easmile, were their supports with mixed healing and utility; Lueur Rose and Orbnus were their ranged damage sources; Will and Kamila were melee; and finally, Nix and Jack O¡¯Lantern could flex into any role as Summoner and Bard, respectively.

    It was a decent spread, if weighted a little too heavily towards support, but with the Godsfall Mountains being a high level zone, a smaller party than a full raid compliment would hopefully draw less attention from monsters.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re all set.¡± Saiph flashed Rose a thumbs up.

    Lueur Rose raised her Caer Fragment and opened a portal to Ven Istera¡¯s guildhall.

    The glass pane-like portal showed Ven Istera on the other side. The Guardian city looked like someone had taken the real city of St. Louis, Missouri, and liberally decorated it with redwood forest whose trees dwarfed anything Earth had to offer. The guildhall itself was an exaggeratedly large version of the Gateway Arch dressed in red and gold.

    Everyone stepped through the portal except for Clarke and Will. Saiph turned around and watched the pair standing on the other side of the shimmering hole in the universe. After a beat, the two walked through the portal.

    ¡°See, that wasn¡¯t so bad,¡± Will said.

    ¡°No, I¡­¡± was all Clarke managed before doubling over and face planting onto the ground.

    ¡°Clarke!¡± Will dropped to his knees and immediately began checking her over.

    ¡°Her mana bar, it¡¯s empty,¡± Saiph said, the fact stuck out almost instantly.

    Quark raised his cane. ¡°I might have a fix, give me a second.¡±

    The blue crystal ball at the head of the cane began to glow, sending tendrils of mana between Will and Clarke. Will shivered as his own mana bar began to rapidly drop. The glow within the tendrils of mana brightened before Clarke¡¯s own mana bar began to rise.

    Quark flashed Will an apologetic look. ¡°Sorry, I should have warned you I was going to do that.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re fine. Smart thinking.¡±

    Clarke stirred vans scratched the back of her head. ¡°That was¡­ unpleasant. What happened?¡±

    Will helped Clarke sit up. ¡°I think we just found the reason NPCs can¡¯t use our fast travel portals. You good enough to stand?¡±

    ¡°I think so. As soon as I stepped through that portal, it felt like someone pulled the ground out from under me and then nothing¡­¡±

    Will turned to Saiph. ¡°You guys find the first safe zone. I¡¯m going to help Clarke track down her uncle. Just don¡¯t get into any fights before I can join in.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± Saiph replied.

    ***

    Four floating islands, each a city in its own right, were shackled to Ven Istera¡¯s central island by skyscraper-sized chains. There were really only two ways to travel between the islands: flying mount or the miles-long network of bridges that looped the outer islands and followed the chains.

    Saiph liked to rock climb with his friends and was no stranger to heights. Looking out beyond the cliff¡¯s edge of the city island and to the rickety rope and wood bridges reminded Saiph that it wasn¡¯t heights he was afraid of, but extremely unstable surfaces. The way the bridges swayed forced him to look away.

    The boyish-faced Gimm Easmile had a mop of blond hair and large-rimmed glasses with mage robes that gave him a scholarly appearance. He waved at them with his whole body in much the same way Lunette had when they¡¯d first met.

    ¡°Thanks for helping us,¡± Saiph shook the young Druid¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I should be thanking you! Rose says you know where a couple safe zones are.¡±

    Safe zones were like the Guardian cities, though a lot smaller. Each one was a Caer fragment that projected its own barrier that kept monsters away. There were only a few known and all of them in the higher level zones where there weren¡¯t any player cities or other pieces of civilization.

    Saiph studied his map one more time before pulling out his summoning whistle. ¡°We should be able to hit the first one by noon.¡±

    Seven roars from his hydra, Pleiades, answered Saiph¡¯s call. Everyone summoned their own flying mounts and one by one, they leapt over the edge. The feeling of the wind rushing by made Saiph wish his own Dragon Form spell was off its cool down.

    Ven Istera¡¯s skyscrapers and trees, as well as the tiny dots that were wyverns carrying people between the five islands, shrank even further as their party put distance between them.

    Moving beyond Ven Istera¡¯s barrier of protection invited more of the flying asweyr islands for which the Godsfall Mountains had earned their name. They varied in size from pebbles to mountainous behemoths sporting groves of forests.

    Far on the ground below, the grassland and plains switched to ferns and other understory plants as the mountains above became more packed together.

    The first safe zone would be on the ground below the floating mountains, easy enough to miss. The group dropped to the ground to continue on foot. The shadows from the mountains overhead gave the ground the appearance of dusk, despite it not being far past noon.

    Kamila closed her parasol after they approached a particularly dark area and let out a deep, contented sigh. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so nice to finally be out of the sun and into the shadows!¡±

    Orbnus spread her silvery angelic wings and lifted off the ground. Then took out her chainsword and ignited its flame enchantment. ¡°I prefer to live bathed in the warmth of Solaire¡¯s light! Which could cure you of your affliction, Vampire.¡±

    ¡°Solaire¡¯s light might be warm and welcoming, but I am a true child of Nocturne¡¯s shadow!¡± Giving weight to her roleplay with her Shadow-Stepper subclass, Kamila¡¯s entire body became dark and ethereal before she vanished inside the shadow of a nearby tree. She reappeared about ten feet ahead of them, laughing to herself.

    Lunette Soleil lobbed a small fireball lazily into the air, its light causing everyone to turn her way.

    ¡°I¡¯m siding with the sun worshipper,¡± the Druid-Pyromancer signed. Though Lunette was deaf on earth and her character here could hear, she still preferred to use the accessibility function which translated speech to text and had sounds muted through the game settings menu which still functioned mostly the same way except for the missing Logout button.

    She¡¯d said she found the sounds disorienting. Saiph could relate a little to that. He¡¯d had nerve damage in his left hand and left leg that had been completely cured when he¡¯d been put into this body; he still had to catch himself from tripping or trying to use his right hand for everything when he was actually a lefty.

    ¡°Solaire¡¯s light guide you!¡± Orbnus flew over to Lunette and the two fist-bumped each other.

    ¡°Sorry, Lune. You picked wrong, us Rogues gotta stick together!¡± Lueur Rose disappeared and reappeared sitting in the tree above Kamila, her feet dangling over the branch. ¡°Who¡¯s side are you on, Gimm?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me choose, I like you both!¡± Gimm Easmile said, burying his face in his robed hands.

    ¡°Gimm the true neutral, as always!¡± Lueur Rose laughed.

    ¡°Solaire et Nocturne. Light and Shadow. Two halves of the same coin in a way,¡± Kamila said. ¡°I think your friend has it right.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Their party consisted of three distinct groups: those Saiph knew from high school, those he met in college, and Lueur Rose and her friends. Saiph was warmed to see how quickly the old and new groups mixed and played with each other.

    Nix ruined Saiph¡¯s warm and fuzzies by rolling his eyes and scoffing, ¡°Roleplayers.¡±

    Jack O¡¯Lantern was strumming a soft tune on his guitar. The Dullahan stopped to look at Nix, pumpkin mouth open in a wide grin showing the two lit candles in his head that served as his eyes. ¡°Roleplaying is the best part of the game! Look at Orleana, it¡¯s the largest roleplaying city on the continent!¡±

    In his owl form, Strange and Charm trailing behind him like his own little flock, Quark added, ¡°If you think about it, we¡¯re all playing roles now. We¡¯re less ourselves and more our characters.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Nix, lighten up!¡± Saiph clapped him on the back. ¡°I¡¯ve been writing backstories for each of my characters for years.¡±

    ¡°Roleplaying is all good and well, but like ninety percent of roleplayers don¡¯t level up beyond being able to use the crafting systems. How are they and all the newbs supposed to do anything outside the low level zones?¡± Nix replied.

    ¡°Same thing us oldbies did: Grind like hell,¡± Saiph replied.

    Their conversation was cut short when Kamila and Orbnus called everyone over to a truck-sized mass of webbing.

    Orbnus poked at a small, but particularly thick cocoon with her sword and jumped back when it wriggled. ¡°Oh, gross! I think some of these are alive!¡±

    Saiph shuddered. ¡°Please don¡¯t be egg sacs.¡±

    Orbnus cut a hole in the cocoon, revealing a humanoid figure bound inside it.

    Name: Goblin

    Class: Monster, level 83

    Health Points: 3,200/46,540

    Mana Points: 0/39,133

    Stamina Points: 0/28,920

    It, or rather, he, Saiph noted, had two puncture marks on his arm just above the elbow that had begun to fester with reddened skin traveling up his pale grey arm.

    ¡°I guess that explains the lack of any monsters. The spiders must be dealing with them.¡± Why is it always giant spiders? Saiph groaned and opened his minimap.

    Apparently they were right on top of the nearest safe zone, but there weren¡¯t any man-sized glowing purple crystals in any direction Saiph could see. That and its mana barrier should have prevented the spiders from getting this close to it anyway.

    ¡°Looks like the safe zone moved,¡± Saiph said.

    ¡°You saying a giant rock just got up and walked away?¡± Nix asked.

    Saiph rolled his eyes. ¡°No. My map says we¡¯re here, but it isn¡¯t here.¡±

    ¡°Maybe your map is just off. A lot of things are slightly different, especially the cities are way bigger than the game showed us,¡± Quark suggested.

    Remembering the village of Firestone as one such example, which he and Nix would have had to pass on their way to kill a monster in the area, but hadn¡¯t been there, Saiph had to agree.

    ¡°We should split up and hunt for it,¡± Lueur Rose offered.

    ¡°Three of us can fly. We can look above the treetops,¡± Kamila suggested, changing into a bat.

    ¡°Good plan,¡± Nix said, sitting down on a rock. ¡°If you find any giant spiders, let us know so we can circle way the hell away from them.¡±

    ***

    Kamila, Quark, and Orbnus were only gone a few minutes before Orbnus called for everyone to head in their direction.

    Not far from the trio was a wall of webbing so impossibly tall and thick, it was impossible to see through to the other side. Spaced at random intervals within the wall were thick cocoons, the smallest of which were larger than any person.

    Saiph inspected one of the cocoons and found it held a peryton, a large deer-like monster with green fur, wings, and a scorpion¡¯s tail. ¡°No way we¡¯re dealing with a small spider problem. Will, I think we¡¯re gonna need you for this one.¡±

    ¡°On my way.¡± There was a brief flash of purple light as Will-I-Am appeared in front of them, drawing his two cutlasses. ¡°You and Nix sure do have a knack for finding the worst types of mobs.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think it''s our special talent.¡± Saiph willed Durendal¡¯s Edge and his shield, Miasma, to his hands.

    The blade sunk into the web without really cutting it with a wet sound that made Saiph cringe.

    Orbnus handed Saiph her chainsword. ¡°Try this.¡±

    White flames erupted from the sword as the chainsaw began spinning around the blade. The mass of webs fled from the chainsword as Saiph swung with little effort on his part.

    No sooner had they made it to the other side of the wall, a man¡¯s distant cry made everyone tense up.

    Will¡¯s cat-like ears flicked as he listened. ¡°It came from the northwest. Follow me!¡±

    Everyone took off in a sprint after Will, running until they entered a clearing. About a hundred yards ahead of them, a man was swinging a polearm at three man-sized spiders. One had a bone-white exoskeleton and the other two were black with purple hourglass markings on their abdomens.

    By the look of the man¡¯s ornate weapon and lack of any armor, Saiph was certain he was another player. Though his feet were coated in sticky webs, the spiders seemed hesitant to approach the tip of his blade. Saiph knew that wouldn¡¯t last forever.

    ¡°Over here!¡± Saiph bellowed as he cast Dragon Charge.

    Flames erupted around Saiph¡¯s body as he barreled forward towards the spiders. He connected with the white one and the pair collided with a tree. Saiph raised his shield to bash the monster, but stopped short when Nix called out.

    ¡°Saiph, stop! They¡¯re all players!¡±

    Still holding his shield mid-swing, Saiph studied the crumpled spider, which let out a very human groan.

    Name: WickedWeaver

    Class: Summoner, Level 89

    Subclass: Cleric¡ªSchool of Entomancy, Level 92

    Health Points: 17,652/21,250

    Mana Points: 44,850/44,850

    Stamina Points: 28,750/28,750

    The Spiderling¡¯s form shifted to that of a man with eight eyes and four arms. He wore white mage robes with a long white and gold cloak.

    ¡°Ow, you hit hard!¡± His voice came out raspy and his stressed syllables caused his words to flow into each other. The skin around his face was still very much thin sheets of chitin that slid along each other in a disturbingly alien manner as he spoke. ¡°We were just playing.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t realize.¡± Saiph offered a hand, helping the Summoner-Entomancer to his feet. Saiph gestured expansively to all the webbing around them. ¡°You guys did all this?¡±

    WickedWeaver nodded. ¡°Yes, to keep the night spawns out. When we logged in, the safe zone was gone and we spent two days of nonstop fighting to find it.¡±

    ¡°I knew it! The safe zone did move!¡± Saiph went through his map and cleared the marker for where the nearest safe zone should have been. ¡°Any chance you can take us to it.¡±

    The two other spiders, Spidarren and Spiderella, had likewise changed into more humanoid figures. Like WickedWeaver, they each had eight eyes and four arms. And upon closer inspection, the man who had been trapped, Thaddeus the Spider, also had similar Spiderling features.

    Spiderlings weren¡¯t a common race in Annwyn Online. The game forced a starting point of Xelle on the northwest coast for Spiderling players, which made the lower levels a nigh impossible grind without having higher level friends to let you soak experience or escort you back east. Saiph had two spiderling characters as his alternates, a Bard named Taika and a Dragoon named Bellatrix.

    ¡°We sure can,¡± WickedWeaver said. ¡°Our website¡¯s back that way.¡±

    ***

    The Spiderlings¡¯ website consisted of several log houses in a semicircle around the safe zone¡¯s Caer Fragment. There were about forty people around the camp and all had some feature that identified them as a Spiderling; four arms, multiple sets of eyes, and some even walked around on multiple legs. And all of them had some sort of arachnid-themed username.

    Two big bonfires were lit in the middle of the clearing between homes and the Caer Fragment. Though it was still hours from sunset, the Godsfall Mountains overhead had grown packed enough together to give the understory the appearance of nighttime darkness.

    Saiph attuned himself and upon returning, joined his friends around one of the bonfires, taking a seat between Nix and WickedWeaver.

    ¡°You guys set up shop pretty quickly,¡± Saiph said. ¡°Three days to get these houses up?¡±

    Spiderella answered, ¡°Some of us work for the same contractor. I¡¯m an electrician, my husband, Spidarren, is a carpenter. He drew up the plans and we built them. Things go quick with nearly two hundred hands.¡± Spiderella raised all four of her hands and wiggled her fingers.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a permanent home, we¡¯ll be going back to our guildhall in Xelle as soon as the rest of our friends get here in a few days,¡± Spidarren added.

    Xelle was one of the least populated Guardian cities but was a common staging area for raids in Iska, the frozen tundra just north of it. Xelle was still weeks away, even by flying mount.

    ¡°We¡¯re heading west, too. To my guild castle, Pallas¡¯ Watch.¡±

    A spark of recognition appeared on WickedWeaver¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re with Sonnet¡¯s Little Helpers? They helped me and Thaddeus kill Qalupalik up in Iska! I still wear the cloak I crafted from the loot we got! If you¡¯re going that way, you should know it isn¡¯t just peryton and goblins you gotta watch out for. We saw cockatrices overhead. Hundreds of ¡®em. I¡¯d imagine you¡¯re going to want a larger party to help clear the way¡­¡±

    Clearly this group had seen a lot of action over the last couple of days. It left Saiph to wonder if he should have taken Permaphrost''s offer to send more people from North Remembers his way to help clear the path to Pallas¡¯ Watch. Hindsight being what it was, at least here was a willing and able group.

    ¡°I''d hoped you might offer. There''s supposed to be two more safe zones between here and Pallas¡¯ Watch, though if they''ve moved as well, I doubt we''ll get to either by nightfall.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you can definitely count that out. You won''t even make it to the next one. We''ve cleared the way east, but the west''ll be a slog,¡± WickedWeaver said.

    Solaire was already hanging low in the sky. Saiph resigned himself to the extra travel time. They were at a good stopping point as it was.

    ¡°If we''re pausing, I''m heading back to Ven Istera to help Clarke and her uncle with a project that I think will prove very helpful later. And don''t none of you follow me, it''s a surprise!¡± Will disappeared through his conjured portal, but not before giving the universal gesture for ¡°I''m watching you.¡±

    Quark and Kamila left for Orleana to continue coordinating with their guild for the Avanyu raid while Orbnus and Jack O¡¯Lantern went to Araedi for a couple''s dinner. Lueur Rose, Lunette Soleil, and Gimm Easmile likewise returned to Orleana. The plan would be to return at dawn to continue their quest.

    That left Saiph and Nix with their new Spiderling allies.

    A pair with black and tan markings passed their group, each dragging a large cocoon with moose-like antlers sticking through them.

    Saiph watched the spiderlings with curiosity and turned to Spiderella. ¡°What are you guys doing with those?¡±

    ¡°Gonna be cooking them up for dinner, of course!¡± Spiderella said with a toothy grin.

    Nix turned to her, mouth agape in horror. ¡°Some of those have goblins in them! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re seriously eating all the monsters you¡¯ve been catching!¡±

    All the spiderlings around the bonfire gave each other knowing looks filled with stifled laughter.

    Spiderella giggled. ¡°How else do you think we got enough food to spin all those webs?¡±

    Saiph looked at Nix and the two gagged.

 Chapter 44: Sinnamon Roll

    The Bard Class has the fewest individual spells, but allows players to compose their own songs to use when activating a spell. A yearly contest was held in which Bards could submit their own compositions and the winners would be combined into a mashup that was added to the game¡¯s background music library. There was also a special category for boss fight music. ¡ªAnnwyn Online Player¡¯s Guide.

    Araedi. Day 04.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found it!¡± Malikela¡¯s excited voice carried from the other side of the library, jolting Sinnamon awake. The excited Serethi woman ran to the table, holding up a thick, somewhat faded, red binder.

    Sinnamon wiped the sleep from her eyes. She hadn¡¯t even realized she¡¯d dozed off, using a book as a pillow. If her librarian mother were here, she¡¯d probably kill her.

    ¡°What¡¯d you find?¡± Sinnamon asked, peering at the binder¡¯s blank cover.

    ¡°It¡¯s a floor by floor overview of the contents of this building. The most important bit is that it makes special note on where to find the translations that had been started. We walked right by them!¡±

    The problem Sinnamon and Malikela had come into when going through all of the information within the archive was two fold: the vast quantity of it and the fact that almost none of it was written in Serethi or Common, the two languages spoken by most of the communities around Navorinelle. Whatever universal translator allowed players to speak with the locals apparently didn¡¯t know this third tongue.

    Malikela had insisted the people who had stored everything in this building must have started translating some of it. ¡°How else could they have arranged everything so neatly?¡± She¡¯d argued.

    Sinnamon agreed with Malikela''s assessment and so they''d shifted to finding this building¡¯s equivalent of the Dewey Decimal System.

    ¡°Walked right by the translations?¡± Sinnamon repeated. ¡°How? Where are they kept?¡±

    ¡°The records room is off a hallway under the stairs in the main lobby,¡± Malikela answered. ¡°I went to go confirm while you were asleep. I guess my excitement woke you!¡±

    Sinnamon¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t out long, was I?¡±

    ¡°You missed lunch¡­¡± Malikela replied sheepishly.

    As her own stomach growled, Sinnamon couldn¡¯t help but laugh at herself.

    When Malikela asked what she was laughing at, Sinnamon just replied, ¡°Nothing. Take me to the records room. Let¡¯s see what we¡¯ve got!¡±

    The room where the translations were kept was locked, though it yielded to Sinnamon¡¯s guild building crystal and opened. The labels on the drawers of the wall of cabinets was easily readable and Malikela confirmed they were written in Serethi.

    ¡°Hey, Sinn, you¡¯re gonna wanna come see this,¡± came Weaver¡¯s voice through their telepathic voice chat. ¡°I found a big, silver¡­ thing¡­ I can¡¯t open it. Says I need a key.¡±

    ¡°The guild vault? I thought I already gave everyone access.¡± Sinnamon opened her menus to check the permissions. Everything was as it should be.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. It looks¡­ alien. Just come here. Lowest floor.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be down in a minute.¡± Sinnamon turned to Malikela. ¡°Anything in that book about what¡¯s on the lowest floor?¡±

    Malikela opened the binder and, after a moment, frowned.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Malikela handed Sinnamon the binder.

    The entry described the vault only as super dangerous and to be avoided.

    That doesn¡¯t sound welcoming, Sinnamon thought. ¡°Weaver and I¡¯ll check it out. Wanna see if you can find anything more on what we can expect to find?¡±

    Sinnamon sent a quick message to AnnaLee asking her to meet her at the elevator. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to have her healing if they needed it, even if she was a full twenty levels below Sinnamon. Given Sparrow and JonJon were even lower leveled, they were better served acting as the go between between Sinnamon and Malikela, who didn¡¯t have a telepathic means of keeping in touch.

    ***

    Sinnamon hit the button for the lowest floor in the guildhall and the elevator proceeded to go down.

    And down.

    And down.

    Enough time had passed that Sinnamon wondered if they were stuck. The elevator didn¡¯t work like a normal one from earth and was definitely powered by some sort of magic. It didn¡¯t leave a seam where one could see the chute and it didn¡¯t move under foot until it came to a stop.

    Finally the elevator gave a soft hiss and the doors slid open to reveal a large cavern with an egg-shaped object the size of a small house lying about forty-five degrees off its side with the pointed end in the air.

    Alien hadn¡¯t even come close to describing it. Nearly everything Sinnamon had seen in this world had an almost pre-industrial vibe to it. This thing looked to have come straight out of an Arthur C. Clarke novel. The egg¡¯s ¡°shell¡±, for lack of a better word, was made of silver parallelograms, each the size of a large dinner plate. The seams between them were so precisely fitted together, Sinnamon had actually almost missed the hidden shapes.

    Sinnamon blew out a breath. ¡°And this giant alien egg-thing was just sitting under here without anyone knowing about it?¡±

    ¡°Kinda hard to find it when the city itself won¡¯t let you dig up the ground and the buildings are blocked by force fields,¡± Weaver shrugged sarcastically.

    That prompted a giggle from AnnaLee.

    Sinnamon rolled her eyes playfully at her boyfriend. ¡°Alright, where¡¯s the door?¡±

    ¡°Over here.¡± Weaver walked around to the far side of the large egg and pointed to a podium.

    There was a small impression in it and it was a perfect fit for the guild building¡¯s crystal. There was a soft vibration as Sinnamon brought the crystal closer to the podium. When they touched, the crystal flashed.

    The ground shuddered and groaned as whatever locking mechanism had been activated strained to wake up after the likely hundreds of years it had been left abandoned after the Serethi Civil War.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    One by one, the tiles on the egg touching the ground began to fold and slide underneath and away from each other, revealing an entrance.

    Weaver led the way, followed by Sinnamon and AnnaLee. Soft white crystals flickered to life, revealing the entire inside was a domed auditorium, complete with seats surrounding a stage in the center.

    More than half the seats held wooden crates and sacks like the place had been converted to storage right before it had been abandoned.

    ¡°I think the only thing dangerous about this place is all the dust.¡± Sinnamon coughed and brushed away a spider¡¯s web.

    ¡°Look at that. What is it?¡± AnnaLee pointed to the stage.

    In the very center was a large sphere floated less than an inch above a podium with a bowl-like impression. Finger-sized crystals of every color were embedded within the craters that pocked its surface.

    ¡°It looks almost like¡­ there was a space exhibit at the natural history museum in New York, you remember, Weaver?¡± Sinnamon asked, drawing a blank.

    ¡°Hayden Planetarium?¡± Weaver offered.

    ¡°Yeah! There was a thing that looked something like that. I think it was a projector.¡±

    Sparrow suddenly cried inside Sinnamon¡¯s head. ¡°Guys, Malikela found the book for that floor. It''s definitely not good. It says a very powerful mage killed just about everyone who went into the chamber down there!¡±

    ¡°Well, there''s nothing Here except this floating rock and some boxes. Whoever that mage was, they''re long dead,¡± Weaver said. He reached out to touch the floating sphere.

    But before he could touch it, a blue light suddenly lit up behind all three and the door leading out of the auditorium suddenly closed.

    Sparrow had been mid-sentence repeating Malikela''s words from the book when her voice suddenly cut out.

    ¡°You still there, Sparrow? JonJon?¡± Sinnamon asked.

    She didn''t get an answer from either.

    A soft, grandfatherly voice spoke from the direction of the light and the fact that all three of them were alone, coupled with Sparrow¡¯s sudden silence, sent a shiver down Sinnamon¡¯s spine.

    ¡°I wouldn''t touch that if I were you. It''s very delicate.¡±

    Sinnamon slowly turned to see the glowing blue light take on a hologram-like appearance of a man in blue robes. His whole body was a translucent blue that flickered and he had a short, bushy beard that was well trimmed. His hair held flecks of lighter blue which suggested the greying of age to match his somewhat wrinkled skin.

    ¡°Who are you and what is that thing?¡± Sinnamon asked slowly.

    ¡°I am the Archivist, the Ikhwezi who maintains this device and many similar ones in the other crystal cities. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you what it does,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°You haven''t the permission to know.¡±

    ¡°I own the building, shouldn''t that give me permission?¡±

    The Archivist ignored Sinnamon¡¯s question with one of his own as he pointed to her and AnnaLee. ¡°You two hold the appearance of the Serethi, but you do not speak their tongue. What are you?¡±

    Weaver turned to fully face the Archivist. ¡°We''ll only answer your questions if you answer ours.¡±

    The Archivist gave a soft laugh, his eyes showing a friendly warmth. He spoke like a grandfather might to his grandson. ¡°I answered your question to the best of my ability. I can only tell you what I am able to tell you. I cannot be faulted if you do not find the answers I give satisfying.¡±

    Weaver gave Sinnamon a look. She returned it. The Archivist was right, he had answered their first question. It seemed the only way they¡¯d get anything from him would be through a back and forth exchange.

    Weaver sighed, rolling his eyes, and addressed the Archivist. ¡°The people of this world believe we are magical warriors here to protect them from goblins and other monsters.¡±

    There was an amused smile on the Archivist¡¯s face at Weaver¡¯s nonanswer, but he gestured for him to ask his question.

    Two could play this game, Sinnamon mused.

    ¡°Are you the mage who killed everyone who came in here before us?¡± Weaver¡¯s asweyr gauntlets appeared around his hands.

    Apparently Weaver¡¯s skipping straight to the point.

    If the Archivist noticed the threatening gesture, he didn¡¯t show it. ¡°Only in defense of that device. I suggest you heed the lesson of your forebears: You might hold great power, you might even be the new owners of this place, but within these walls, I am the master of this domain.¡±

    He punctuated his words by flicking a wrist to his right. Dust and boxes flew away as though carried by a strong gust of wind, revealing six mummified figures sitting in the chairs behind them.

    Finally acknowledging Weaver¡¯s gauntlets, the Archivist continued, ¡°There is no need for your weapons. I can see you three surpass me in sheer strength. Considerably so. But I can also see you are smart enough to realize that breaking this machine would help neither of us and in doing so, would likely kill the three of you and harm me as well.¡±

    Mutually assured destruction? Just how important was this device that he¡¯d threaten that? Sinnamon did catch that he had unknowingly revealed he didn¡¯t know they were functionally immortal through the respawn mechanic. But he had said he would be harmed, not killed.

    ¡°Look, we don¡¯t want any trouble,¡± Sinnamon broke in before either could escalate any further. ¡°We¡¯re not from here. We just want to find a way home. You said you¡¯re an archivist, maybe you could help us and then we won¡¯t have to bother each other again. Do you know who the Revi are? We think they brought us here.¡±

    Sinnamon knew it was a gamble telling this man everything, but they had to get more out of this back and forth. Someone had to give, and it might as well be them.

    The Archivist shook his head sadly. ¡°You¡¯ll be hard pressed to find them. I¡¯m afraid most of the Revi have been dead for a thousand years.¡±

    The room went quiet with the weight of his words. Dead a thousand years. Malikela had said the oldest Guardians had only been around for about a hundred and twenty years. A dead end, then? But no, there was something in the way he phrased his answer¡­

    ¡°¡®Most¡¯? Not ¡®all¡¯?¡± Sinnamon asked.

    ¡°One still lives, though I cannot be sure. I have been disconnected from the greater world for some time.¡± The Archivist walked over to the machine, gesturing for them to follow. ¡°The truth is, this device will not work for you because you lack the proper form.¡±

    Along one side of the device''s base was an impression much like the one on the podium that let them enter the auditorium outside. Sinnamon placed the guild¡¯s focus crystal in the impression, but its shape was completely wrong. As she expected, nothing happened.

    Then an idea hit Sinnamon. She reached into her bag of holding and took out a fist-sized violet crystal. The Archivist¡¯s eyes widened somewhat as the crystal¡¯s pulsing light brightened the room slightly.

    Sinnamon put the crystal in the impression and it was an exact match. The crystal¡¯s on the device flared to life with a rainbow of color as the device began to spin. It spun faster and faster until all the colors melded into a bright white light that illuminated the ceiling.

    The light on the ceiling began to resolve into an image that showed Gaea as viewed from her moon, Diurne. Navorinelle, the continent they were on, faced them, but the planet was rotating slowly and the other continents creeped in from the edges.

    A prompt appeared before Sinnamon¡¯s eyes.

    Greetings, Guardian. The contents of this repository can only be accessed by Reylynn or through a key belonging to those she has entrusted with its safety. As the Caer Fragment used to activate this repository did not belong to an expected person, its contents have been locked. Find the Key to access this repository.

    Another prompt appeared, blocking the first one. It was blank at first, but words began to appear as though they were being typed in real time.

    Guardians Recognized: Ashley Miller. Andrew Weaver. Reina Lee. Failsafe Quest has been Activated.

    Minimum Class Level: 1

    Maximum Class Level: None

    Description: Reylynn is gone. Barrier is failing. Isiphelo comes. He comes. He comes. He comes. Find Fel Find Fel Find Fel Find Fel. You need you need you need you need you need you need Fel

    ALERT! THIS QUEST CANNOT BE REFUSED!

    The string of words were as frantic as they were incoherent. As quickly as the message and light show happened, it ended with the orb dropping to the podium like the rock it was.

    Sinnamon looked at Weaver and AnnaLee. ¡°Did¡­ Did you guys get that message, too?¡±

    Both slowly nodded back at her.

    A ghostly blue light flared, filling the room.

    The Archivist cleared his throat. His next words came in a threatening voice that made Sinnamon regret turning her back to him.

    ¡°Perhaps we should start over from the beginning. You are going to tell me exactly how you came into possession of that Ikhwezi¡¯s body.¡±

 Chapter 45: Sinnamon Roll

    There are three major sources of Hit Points in Annwyn Online: Health Points, Shielding, and Barrier spells. Shielding is applied on top of your health bar and benefits from any resistances you possess. Barrier spells can only block damage directly in front of them, but require less comparative mana to summon and maintain. ¡ªAnnwyn Online Player¡¯s guide.

    The Archive. Date undefined.

    The Archivist¡¯s form changed. He wasn¡¯t a translucent blue hologram, but a silver, metallic, robot-like form approximating the shape of a man. His body was slender, almost skeletal, with dark blue crystal armor over the top of his frame. A thick band of braided tendrils draped from his helmet and down his back like locs.

    He held a staff in his hands, blue mana swirling around its focusing stone in the heavy implication of a threat. ¡°Who did you steal it from?¡± He asked again.

    The Archivist¡¯s tone had completely changed from the grandfatherly warmth to a bone-chilling, mechanical iciness.

    Within these walls, I am the master of this domain. His earlier worlds coming back to haunt Sinnamon.

    Sinnamon held her hands up in a placating gesture. ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it! I¡¯ve always had it.¡±

    The Archivist inclined his head. ¡°Let me see it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you take it.¡±

    Saiph had mentioned something about these items being forged from a piece of their souls. Sinnamon didn¡¯t care how powerful this man was, she wasn¡¯t letting anyone touch something that might very well be a piece of her very soul.

    Though, in a compromise, Sinnamon did hold it up. ¡°This is as close as I¡¯m letting you get to it.¡±

    ¡°Hold it still. I can see it just fine from here.¡± He lowered his staff. The glowing blue light in his chest channeled up to his eyes, glowing brighter for a moment before dimming again. ¡°Ah, you are telling the truth. It is bound to you and the signature, though similar, is not one I recognize. But you are no Ikhwezi. If you are telling the truth, how did you come to acquire it?¡±

    Sinnamon quickly returned her Caer Fragment to her bag. ¡°We all have a crystal. Millions of us. That¡¯s what we¡¯ve been trying to figure out. Someone brought us here and gave them to us.¡±

    ¡°Millions of you?¡± Something like recognition appeared on the Archivist¡¯s face. He muttered softly to himself, ¡°Yes, this all makes sense now. But why send you here and not come to me herself¡­¡±

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    He looked up as though just remembering Sinnamon, Weaver, and AnnaLee were still in the room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, forgive me. As I said, it has been hundreds of years since I had contact with anyone else. I know nothing of what goes on beyond the walls of my Archives. Why did you not say you were sent by Reylynn?¡±

    Sinnamon paused. Who was Reylynn? The same person the quest had mentioned? ¡°When that machine lit up, we got a message saying Reylynn was gone.¡±

    The Archivist pursed his mechanical lips. ¡°What exactly did that message say?¡±

    ¡°It said it recognized us by name, but that we couldn¡¯t access it.¡± Sinnamon didn¡¯t add that it had used their real names, not usernames. ¡°Then another message popped up. It was a jumbled mess of words, but it said Reylynn was gone and that we needed to find¡­ something¡­¡±

    ¡°Fel!¡± AnnaLee supplied.

    ¡°And it said we couldn¡¯t refuse the quest to find it,¡± Weaver added.

    ¡°Are Reylynn and Fel people like you?¡± Sinnamon asked.

    ¡°Fel is a place. The person who spoke to you is an Ikhwezi like myself. She has been translating for us. If she believes Reylynn is gone, then you need to get to Fel as soon as possible.¡± The Archivist raised a hand to his chin and began mumbling to himself again. ¡°The fastest way there would be via the way gates, though they may not have sufficient mana left to power them all this time¡­¡±

    The man¡¯s abrupt change in demeanor and apparent multi-track mind served only to confuse Sinnamon even further. ¡°Can you slow down? Who is Reylynn? Why did she bring us¡­¡±

    Sinnamon trailed off, the gears in her brain suddenly grinding to a halt as things began to click. The leveling. The combat classes. The fact that so many had been brought here. That the Revi, all except one, were gone¡­

    ¡°Reylynn brought us here as an army.¡± Sinnamon whispered the words slowly.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The Archivist answered.

    Weaver glanced at Sinnamon, then to the Archivist. ¡°The message also mentioned an Isiphelo. It said it was coming. Is that the thing that killed the Revi a thousand years ago?¡±

    ¡°Isiphelo is a powerful Ikhwezi warlord. It took the combined might of the Ikwezi and the Revi to stand against him. But we were strong enough only to seal him away in a desperate act that would only serve to hold him temporarily. That is why you were brought here. Because there is no one left who can stand against him.¡±

    The weakening barrier. ¡°But why summon and give these powers to us? Why expend the resources to bring us here across space and time and not give them to those already here?¡±

    ¡°No one alive can wield the powers you do. We, all of us, are tainted with the curse Isiphelo placed upon my kind and it has extended to everyone who draws upon our power. Only you, beings who have never been exposed to his touch, could complete the soul binding without risk of giving Isiphelo a way to return to his full strength.¡± The Archivist¡¯s chest armor opened to reveal a glowing crystal exactly like Sinnamon¡¯s Caer Fragment. He pulled it from his chest and slammed it into the pedestal beside the Archive. ¡°Come and learn.¡±

    The Archive began to glow bright blue as it lifted off its platform and began spinning rapidly. The lights shifted from blue to all of the colors of the rainbow and suddenly Sinnamon, Weaver, AnnaLee, and the Archivist were no longer in the Auditorium.

 Chapter 46: Saiph

    West of the Spiderlings¡¯ Website, Godsfall Mountains. Day 05.

    ¡°Were there this many peryton out here even in the game?¡± Saiph asked as he caught one of the charging moose-like beasts with his shield, its twin sets of antlers jutting past either side of his shield. He grunted, shoving it off just as its scorpion-like tail rose to stab him.

    Orbnus swooped down and opened a rend in reality, pulling white liquid fire from the hole, splashing it on the peryton Saiph had knocked back, the spell¡¯s area of effect caught fire to two more of the beasts beside it. All three bellowed and roared in pain as the flames consumed them.

    ¡°This and more!¡± Shouted Spiderren as he thrust his lance into the side of another peryton. The Dragoon laughed as he added, ¡°Whole herd of them!¡±

    Saiph raised his hammer and slammed the head into the ground, electrocuting and knocking down a group of peryton in front of him. More Spiderlings in their spider forms leapt to take advantage of the disarray, delivering venomous bites that paralyzed and weakened the stunned peryton.

    It had taken the better part of the day to fight from the spiderlings¡¯ website at the first safe zone to the second and third. Once they''d found the second, a logic to their new positions had been found. They''d shifted in roughly the same ratio as the distance between Castera and Araedi, which Orbnus and Jack had confirmed.

    Not everyone had flying mounts and so the combined forces of Saiph¡¯s party and the spiderling guild had had to battle their way through scores of goblins, peryton, and other monsters hiding in the lands beneath the floating Godsfall Mountains. Saiph was beginning to feel like someone out there was intentionally throwing everything on the continent at them to slow them down.

    Saiph removed his helmet and wiped sweat from his brow in the brief respite. Looking due west, he could just make out the faint dot that was Pallas¡¯ Watch, which floated like a grey buoy in a sea of earthen greens and browns. Hundreds of little black dots flew between the floating mountains, though Saiph knew those were no birds.

    Long, slender-necked with a head crossed between a chicken and the long extinct terror birds Saiph had seen in history documents, cockatrices were also very large. Upwards of the size of a bus, with long, feathery wings.

    The cockatrices the spiderlings had seen had chosen the nearby cliffs surrounding Pallas¡¯ Watch as their roosting grounds before heading south for the winter. The truck-sized, fire-breathing, bird-like monsters patrolled the sky with vicious aggression, hunting and killing whatever other flying wildlife had the misfortune of wandering into their airspace.

    After clearing the small herd of peryton they''d walked into, the group doubled back and those that could fly helped get those who couldn''t up into the flying mountains. From there, they proceeded slowly to get as close as possible to better see what they were up against.

    Saiph swore as he looked through his telescope. ¡°So many.¡±

    Nix clapped Saiph on the shoulder. ¡°You knew it couldn¡¯t be that easy. Giant spiders, moose with scorpion tails? Of course something in the sky has to be just as messed up.¡±

    ¡°No, but I hadn¡¯t expected all of the cockatrices on the whole continent to be here. I¡¯m not sure how we¡¯re gonna get through them all. As soon as anything gets closer than about three-quarters of a mile in, they rush it.¡±

    As if to add impact to the statement, a lone eagle-like bird, far larger than any Saiph had ever seen on earth, was torn to shreds by a pair of cockatrices before it had the chance to alter its course after spotting the cabal too late. The pieces of its corpse were fought over, sending meaty chunks falling groundward in the bloody mayhem.

    Nix looked through his own telescope, speaking as he scanned the area. ¡°Think we might be able to use that aggression? We lure a few over, kill them, rinse and repeat. Might take a while, but luring''s the easiest option.¡±

    It would have been a good plan if the monsters of this world still followed the aggro rules common to most MMOs, where a few could be pulled away from the larger mob without attracting the attention of the rest. That would make clearing the horde easier by breaking it down into smaller steps.

    But their fighting from safe zone to safe zone had drawn the attention of everything around them, greatly drawing out each skirmish as new monsters, attracted by the sounds of battle, replaced the ranks of the fallen ones. It would be their luck if they lured a few cockatrices and then all of them came at the sound of their fighting.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll work. At least, we¡¯ll have to figure out a way to do it without getting the attention of the whole cabal.¡± Saiph sat on the ground and played with his dreadlocks as he thought. He watched the spiderlings pulling thick cocoons up from the ground to the top of the asweyr island they had set up camp on. Watching the spiderlings stack their bounty on the island below him made the beginnings of a plan take root in his head. ¡°Or¡­ We only need to get one person to the castle. That way the rest of us could just fast travel to them¡­¡±

    Saiph stood and called for Nix to follow him. They found WickedWeaver in his spider form, pulling on a long, rope-like strand of webbing up the side of the cliff. He hauled the cocoon up and over, set it on the ground, then turned to Saiph and Nix.

    The fact that the spiderlings were trapping and eating the still-living monsters they fought was a little gross, the goblins especially. Saiph forced his discomfort aside by intentionally not looking at the still wriggling cocoons.

    ¡°How long did it take you all to put up all that webbing around the first safe zone?¡± Saiph asked.

    That webbing had been some seriously tough stuff when he¡¯d tried to cut through it with Orbnus¡¯ chainsword. His own claymore hadn''t been up to the task. Her sword¡¯s spinning saw blade combined with its flame enchantment was what it had taken to cut through.

    WickedWeaver¡¯s front-most right leg scratched the top of his head, just above his eight eyes in an unnervingly human gesture. ¡°Took us about a day to put it up, why?¡±

    Saiph let a grin form on his face. ¡°How would you like to catch us some cockatrices?"

    ***

    ¡°A little more to the left!¡± Spiderren shouted as Saiph and a group of spiderlings heaved a floating asweyr boulder over to the one they had set up camp on.

    Saiph and three spiderlings adjusted the direction they were pulling and suddenly two spiderlings dropped from the sky, landing on the asweyr boulder with a long trail of spider silk behind them. They quickly got to work spinning the final football field-sized net while everyone else checked over their gear and got themselves ready.

    Saiph, Will-I-Am, Kamila, Quark, Orbnus, and Jack O¡¯Lantern each had the Dragon Warrior variant of their respective classes, which meant each of them could turn into a dragon. All except Kamila would act as the lures to drive the cabal of cockatrices into the nets set up by the spiderlings, the idea being to clear enough of them from the skies to give Kamila a window to break for it.

    There were five nets total, positioned in a large semicircle with large gaps between them so as not to crowd each other. As the swiftest and stealthiest of the dragons, Kamila would lead their formation, scouting and watching from above to give important callouts while also waiting for an opening to dash to the guild castle unseen once enough of the cockatrices were dealt with.

    Nix, Lueur Rose, Lunette Soleil, and Gimm Easmile would work to distract any stragglers as well as support the dragons and spiderlings as needed.

    ¡°Are we ready?¡± Saiph asked over the raid party chat. A chorus of dozens of ¡°yes¡¯s¡± answered him back and Saiph gave the thumbs up to the other dragon warriors.

    Saiph activated his Dragon Form spell and immediately felt its magic taking hold of him. A third set of limbs sprouted from his shoulders, shifting bone and muscle around as they grew to form wings larger than his now gigantic body. His skin hardened into black scales and the nails on his fingers changed to ice-blue talons.

    Saiph let out a roar that was answered by his fellow dragons. They all watched as Kamila, small and slender with black and purple markings, slipped into the sky, the beat of her wings making no sound. They gave her a good head start and were soon off themselves.

    Saiph worked powerful wing muscles in fluid movements that felt as natural to him as walking. He rode the updrafts in the air currents, climbing higher into the sky.

    ¡°First island on the right, I count six hanging out near a small cave, who wants them?¡± Kamila called out.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got them.¡± Saiph was already in a dive, holding his wings close to his body as he let gravity pull him groundward.

    Opening his wings to their full extension, Saiph caught the wind, slowing considerably as he slammed into the side of the cliff.

    Two cockatrices plummeted to the ground, unable to catch themselves from the sudden surprise. Saiph ignored them and blew crystal fire into the cave, sealing it before pulling off into the air again. Three of the extraordinarily territorial monsters immediately gave chase.

    The spiderlings¡¯ web was just ahead of Saiph. He pulled his wings in and slipped through a hole slightly off of center that was just large enough for him to fit through with tucked wings.

    The three cockatrices slammed into the nearly invisible spider web. It flexed slightly from the impact, but the tough spider silk held. The cockatrices struggled and shrieked as they tried to rip themselves free. Two spiderlings quickly descended from their hiding places above, cocooned them, and reset the trap.

    Saiph flew back, catching sight of Quark heading in the opposite direction, his regal red and gold markings standing out against the darkening sky as he led six cockatrices towards his own trap.

    They continued their lures, waiting for Kamila to point out a cabal of cockatrices that had drifted far enough away from the others to not attract more than that group.

    That changed when Saiph heard Will cursing over their party chat. ¡°Damn it! There was another group hiding below that one¡ªcrap, they spotted me!¡±

    ¡°Come this way, we got you!¡± Lueur Rose replied.

    Bright oranges and yellows lit up the sky to Saiph¡¯s left. Will-I-Am was flying towards Lueur Rose and Lunette Soleil. Trailing him were over twenty cockatrices and more were joining from the opposite direction.

    Rose was a machine gun. Her high attack speed build let her send rapid-fire flame-enchanted arrows which lit the path they intersected with the cockatrices like tracers, sending some reeling while lucky critical strikes outright killed a handful.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    A giant ball of fire erupted in the middle of the cabal chasing Will, the flames engulfing and knocking them out of the sky like burning twigs. As effective as Lunette¡¯s pyromantic attack was, it also drew the attention of even more cockatrices from further away.

    Well, there goes the element of surprise, Saiph thought as hundreds suddenly filled the skies, pouring out of the caves and forests along the floating asweyr mountains. They turned the dark blue sky black with their sea of shifting bodies.

    ¡°Get these things off of me!¡± Will shouted as the six cockatrices that had made it through the fireball latched onto him, tearing and biting at his flesh.

    ¡°Swing around to your right, I got you!¡± Jack O¡¯Lantern replied.

    Jack caught up to Will, latching onto one of the cockatrices on Will¡¯s back with talons, throwing it aside and hitting another in flight. The two of them turned in the direction of Rose and Lunette. The bright yellow, rapid streaks of Rose¡¯s arrows and the slow, orange trails of Lunette¡¯s pyromantic magic looking like fireworks going off around the two dragons.

    Saiph came to Will¡¯s aid next, grabbing one cockatrice by the neck with his powerful jaws, he yanked it free of Will¡¯s wing. He felt bone and spinal cord crushed by his teeth as the taste of blood filled his mouth. He tossed the limp, ragged form aside and reached for another.

    The pair had been forced to change direction, pulling away from the aerial maelstrom that was opening above Lueur Rose and Lunette Soleil. Saiph only realized how close they''d been driven near his guild castle when a bright streak of white light filled the sky coming from the direction of Pallas¡¯ Watch. A loud boom thundered around them, the shockwave and crystal shards from the explosion forcing even Saiph to fight to stay in the air. He had to dive to pick up the speed he''d lost and was now well below the fighting overhead.

    Ba-doom. Another streak of white. Ba-doom. And another. Each one followed by explosions whose airbursts swatted more and more cockatrices out of the air around them.

    ¡°Kamila, fly towards the castle and get to the Caer Fragment!¡± Saiph called out. Someone at the castle knew they were out here and was giving them aid. Saiph was determined to make use of it. ¡°The rest of us, this is now full on distraction mode. We''ll fly into the horde if we have to, just keep all of them focused on us!¡±

    The sky became a dazzling display of light as the fire breathing cockatrices clashed with Saiph and his group. He belted out blue crystal fire, catching many and sending their partially crystalized bodies plunging to their deaths.

    Despite how many he took out, more seemed to fill in their ranks. Three cockatrices dropped onto Saiph¡¯s back, followed by three more. They bit at the plates running down his spine, tearing them free as even more landed on him. Their added bulk sent Saiph and the cockatrices into freefall.

    His health bar continued to drop and the wounds stopped their instantaneous healing as his health finally fell below a quarter.

    Kamila cried out and Saiph saw her health plummeting in the corner of his HUD. He could just barely see her falling ahead of him.

    Saiph let out a defiant roar, then grabbed at one of the cockatrices biting at his arm. He threw it aside and forced open his wings as wide as he could. The air catching him sent a shock of pain through his joints and he was almost certain he¡¯d torn a wing membrane. But the act had had the effect he¡¯d wanted, all of the monsters clinging to him had been thrown off of him by the sudden air braking.

    Saiph landed on a floating asweyr boulder just large enough to hold him and pulled two more cockatrices off his back. He slammed their heads into each other and threw the stunned pair over the side of the cliff.

    Wet and sticky blood poured down Saiph¡¯s back, but he forced himself to ignore it. The other cockatrices hadn¡¯t noticed him, which meant it would now be up to him to make the dash for his guild castle.

    Allowing himself only a moment¡¯s respite, Saiph threw himself over the edge of his momentary resting place and pushed himself onward. He flew low, barely a handful of dozens of feet above the ground. Even so, some of the territorial monsters spotted him and gave chase.

    Saiph blew threatening gouts of crystal flame at them, but the faster, more agile cockatrices dodged the attacks easily. He quickly gave up that idea and focused on pushing himself forward.

    He could see the Caer Fragment in the castle¡¯s courtyard.

    His stamina dropped below a quarter. He was almost there. Just a little further.

    Black crept into the corners of Saiph¡¯s vision and it felt like he was trying to swim through molasses. He could feel his speed slowing as his stamina bar became a sliver.

    A green orb of light flashed out of the corner of Saiph¡¯s eye. It pulsed once, then again, enveloping Saiph in a shower of green mana that made him feel more energized and alert.

    And suddenly Nix fell onto Saiph¡¯s back, holding tightly, he shouted, ¡°Get going! Don¡¯t make us have to do this again or fight night spawns!¡±

    Stamina bar replenishing, Saiph forced himself higher into the air. He''d begun to list low enough that he would have missed his guild castle.

    Two cockatrices dove to meet Saiph with talons extended. He readied to blast them with flame when two arrows met them, catching one in the mouth and the other in the chest.

    ¡°Focus on flying, I got you!¡± Nix shouted.

    The courtyard was quickly approaching. Saiph pulled up, clearing the cliff by mere feet before changing back into his human self, tumbling and rolling to a stop and sending Nix rolling as well.

    His hammer appeared in his hands as he rolled and he used the momentum of the added weight to drive himself to his feet. Saiph cracked his hammer off the head of the remaining cocktrace that had reached the courtyard with them, noting the stunned debuff it had taken. Nix killed it with a follow up shot with his black, angular bow.

    That taken care of, Saiph tapped the Caer fragment and accepted the message to attune himself.

    He was instantly transported to Caer Siddi, where he sat on the ground of the chamber panting, though no air entered his lungs. Kamila sat beside him, lying on the ground looking equally as exhausted. She flashed him a thumbs up and a nod.

    A notification of a new message from Sinnamon Roll appeared in Saiph¡¯s heads up display. He dismissed it knowing he was far too tired to answer it just yet. Later, he told himself. Rest now.

    But not too much rest. He had friends waiting for him to give them a way to his castle. Saiph heaved himself to his feet and reached over, giving Kamila a hand. ¡°We should get back down there,¡± he mouthed, gesturing to the center crystal monolith.

    Kamila clasped his hand and he pulled her to her feet. The central pillar flared to life, showing a view of the Pallas¡¯ Watch¡¯s courtyard. Saiph almost stepped through it before Lueur Rose and Lunette Soleil appeared inside the chamber, their health bars locked at a quarter. Saiph raised an eyebrow at the pair.

    ¡°Fastest way to leave combat. We jumped for it,¡± Rose answered through their voice chat, her face a large smirk.

    Saiph smiled and stepped through the portal as more of their party joined them moments later, each dragon and spiderling following the lead to quickly leave combat.

    Saiph waited for Will and the two walked towards the castle¡¯s main doors. Will''s eyes never left the castle''s defenses as they continued their retorts, airburst explosions making short work of the few cockatrices bold enough to try and get to them.

    ¡°I have got to get me one of those cannons,¡± Will said with admiration.

    ¡°Where would you even put it?¡± Saiph asked, watching yet another white streak head away from the castle tower.

    Will shrugged. ¡°Who cares? I¡¯d have a giant cannon.¡± He glanced back up at the tower, scratching his furry chin in thought. ¡°Though I might have a few ideas¡­¡±

    The two stopped at the door and Saiph took a deep breath. Somewhere on the other side, someone was using his dead girlfriend¡¯s account. They had ignored his messages and calls, but he could still see their location on his map due to her account being on his friends list. They hadn¡¯t left the guild castle in the last four days.

    A part of him hoped he would find Riley alive and well. That part of him still hoped this was all a dream and that he''d wake up any minute now.

    But the other part of him, the part that had accepted this new reality, dreaded what he''d find beyond these doors. It wouldn''t be her and he would be angry with whoever had stolen her account and been pulled here with him and the millions of other players around the continent. It was almost a desecration to know someone was walking around in her body.

    ¡°Well, are we going in or not?¡± Will asked, pulling Saiph from his thoughts.

    Saiph nodded and pushed open the doors. The central lobby looked almost like how Saiph remembered it had looked in the game. There were a few stark differences. The roof had partially collapsed, surrounding the fountain in the center of the lobby with greystone that had been weathered to a path. Weeds and vines had overrun what had once been a garden beside the fountain.

    "Is anyone here?" Saiph shouted.

    No answer.

    Saiph looked into Riley¡¯s room, which was to the right of the statue. The room was dark, but a quick browse through the guild¡¯s focus crystal¡¯s options fixed that.

    It was definitely her room. On the desk against the window were several books whose titles referenced potion crafting and other alchemical topics. If whoever was using Riley¡¯s account wasn¡¯t here, then where could they be? It was a large castle, he could spend days searching every inch.

    Saiph left the room and went to WickedWeaver. ¡°There are extra rooms on the upper floors, feel free to take as many as you need. Let me know if you guys find anything up there. I¡¯m going to have a look around in our guildmates¡¯ old rooms.¡±

    Will called over to Saiph, ¡°I wish I could help you look around more, but I have to get back to Ven Istera to finish that project I started. Let me know if you find anything, whatever it turns out to be.¡±

    ¡°You got it, Will.¡± Saiph flashed his friend a thumbs up before he stepped through a portal back to the floating city.

    Nix sent Saiph a message that said he needed to speak with him privately. Quark and Kamila, both in their owl and bat forms, offered to search one the castle¡¯s four towers. Jack and Orbnus took another, and the spiderlings split themselves among the remaining two and the castle¡¯s upper floors.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve gotten a lead on my new subclass,¡± Nix said when the two of them were alone.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Nix had unlocked a new subclass, Soul Forger, in the middle of a dungeon fight against what they¡¯d thought was a monster, but turned out to be another player. There hadn¡¯t been any information in the subclass description and the only two leads they¡¯d had was that apparently one of Nix¡¯s summons, Captain Raine von Alder, had been a soul forger and an item Saiph spawned with, a Token of the Vanguard, was said to have been soul forged from a piece of his own soul.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to tell me or just drag this out?¡± Saiph rolled his eyes at Nix.

    Nix rolled his back. ¡°I was getting there. Give me a second.¡±

    Nix held out his hand and an arrow appeared in it. He handed it to Saiph. ¡°Notice anything about it?¡±

    ¡°No, it looks like a normal arrow, but it says it''s soul forged,¡± Saiph answered.

    ¡°Exactly. Notice my subclass level?¡±

    Saiph opened Nix¡¯s character info. He had reached level four in his subclass.

    ¡°How¡¯d you manage that?¡±

    ¡°I used my soul forged weapons while we were fighting those cockatrices. Turns out the subclass behaves the same way other class-altering subclasses work. Every weapon I create counts towards one of my four summoning slots. I haven¡¯t had the chance to figure it out before because I¡¯ve almost always had all my slots used by something else.¡±

    Nix had told Saiph about Raine being a Soul Forger and the new spell she''d given him when the pair had been left alone for dinner the night before. That spell required him to be both a level one hundred summoner and a level five Soul Forger. At the time, he hadn''t known how to level his subclass.

    Saiph handed the arrow back to Nix. ¡°So another level and you¡¯ll be able to summon Raine using the spell she gave you, right?¡±

    ¡°I was hoping I¡¯d get the last bit of XP in that fight, but I¡¯m still a kill or two short. The amount of XP needed to level is way higher than any other subclass I¡¯ve used.¡±

    ¡°Well, we are in a much more defensible position here at the castle than out there in the cliffs. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard to get you that last bit.¡± Saiph stopped outside the first door in the hallway to the guildmates¡¯ quarters. ¡°This one¡¯s my room. We can talk here.¡±

    The room was vaguely how he remembered it. Dressers, cabinets, and shelving ringed the large, circular room and in the center, at the bottom a set of stairs, a circular bed large enough for a party of six to lay on made the centerpiece. Taking cues from his Draconic subclass, Saiph had designed it to resemble more of a nest than an actual bed.

    He took in the sight of familiar trophies he''d collected from some of the quests he''d gone on with newbies, each one bringing back a memory of a joke, conversation, or funny moment that happened on the journey to getting the item. Though it was what was sitting in the middle of the bed that had Saiph running across the room, forgetting that Nix had even been with him.

    He picked up the small, wooden jewelry box and opened the lid. It had its familiar soft creak of the hinges and inside he found a small perfume bottle with an earthy green liquid inside, an envelope stuffed with an assortment of dollar bills and change from earth, and a necklace with an amethyst pendant and an engagement ring with an amethyst halo stone flanked by two diamonds on either side.

    Saiph gasped as he picked up the necklace. It had changed. The amethyst pendant had a soft glow to it which pulsed in the rhythm of a slow heartbeat. He pulled the necklace closer to examine it and a text box flashed across his vision.

    The message¡¯s introduction sent an icy chill down Saiph¡¯s spine.

    Isaac,

    If you are reading this message, then I have failed.

 Chapter 47: Reylynn

    Soul binding is the process of taking mana and linking it to the soul of an individual. This bond persists through death and was the secret to the Dragons¡¯ great power, granting them the ability to extend their lives by millennia through rebirth.

    Fel. 1100 years ago.

    The day the Ikhwezi suddenly appeared in the center of the city through a portal hadn¡¯t been a surprise to Reylynn, or any of the other Revi, for that matter.

    She, like the rest of her people, could see along the threads of fate and had seen their arrival coming. What did separate Reylynn from her people was just how far forward she could see. Most Revi could see days or weeks into the future. Reylynn could see years.

    Dreamers, those like Reylynn, were called. What she saw wasn¡¯t a guaranteed future, but more like the average of the most likely of many possible outcomes. And what she had seen terrified her.

    Reylynn had been an astronomer and cosmologist most of her life, the stars were her passion and she enjoyed looking up at the night sky through the telescope in her lab. She did not let the knowledge of what was coming take away from her passion. She and everyone else in Fel were well aware and they were ready.

    She glanced at her wand and the enchanted red and white robes she had placed by the door before looking up at the clock. Less than an hour before everything went to hell.

    She wrote down her observations in her telescope as she¡¯d done every night for the past several days. A new shooting star had appeared in the sky and Reylynn had spent the last several nights tracking it. She¡¯d put its initial orbit on a collision course with Ciel, Terre¡¯s nearest neighbor after her twin moons, Diurne and Nocturne.

    But now her calculations suggested a different path. She turned to her long time friend and partner, Nilaa, and tapped on the table to get her attention.

    Nilaa was a tinkerer by hobby and had helped Reylynn build most of the devices in the laboratory.

    She looked up from the clockwork device in her hands, which looked like a small tube slightly smaller and narrower than Reylynn¡¯s wrist, took off the magnifying glasses she was wearing, and signed, ¡°Yes, Reylynn?¡±

    Revi elves didn''t have a spoken language. Fel was a small city on one of several asweyr continents floating just below Terre¡¯s anacoustic zone, making audible conversation virtually impossible. Instead, the Revi used a mix of sign language and emotional telepathy.

    Reylynn pulsed with curiosity as she replied, ¡°Can you check my math? The numbers I got don''t make sense.¡±

    ¡°I''m a little busy. Can it wait?¡± Nilaa pulsed with a mix of anticipation and irritation as she made a show of pointing to the clock.

    Reylynn didn''t need to follow Nilaa''s hand. She felt the pulse of emotions from those nearest her entering her mind. The desire to protect and defend their home upon twin waves of anticipation and fear. The time had come.

    Reylynn amplified that feeling through her own telepathic connection, sending the sensations to the next person who would send it to the next until eventually everyone in Fel was aware. Then she grabbed her wand, threw on her robes, and made for the door, Nilaa right behind her.

    Hundreds of Revi poured out of their homes and places of business armed with their weapons. They gathered in the courtyard or took up positions on the nearby rooftops.

    Reylynn stood back on the edge with the others who would soon be fighting. She watched and waited while healers and those who could provide other support moved past her.

    Excitement floated around the courtyard as a blue wall of crystalized mana sprouted from the ground, growing until it was the size of a small home. It cracked and split, opening to reveal a cavern within it.

    The Ikhwezi were very alien in appearance. Most were crystalline beings with mechanical joints not unlike the parts making up Reylynn¡¯s telescope. Out of the hole in the crystal cave came nearly a hundred of them, each carrying large sacks. And wounded¡­ so many more wounded. Some were missing limbs or had entire chunks of their bodies simply gone, leaking something white that Reylynn wasn''t quite sure was blood. Those that couldn''t run were carried.

    Reylynn couldn¡¯t read the expressions on their faces, to her they were static and smooth like the stone they appeared to resemble, but she could feel the fear, grief, relief, and even curiosity in the way some stopped and looked as they went by. They hadn''t expected to find help on the other side of their portal, let alone have it appear so quickly.

    Other Dreamers like Reylynn had watched the Ikhwezi care for their own and they''d been able to share some of the insights into understanding their physiology. Thus they were ready and almost immediately, they were directed away from what was about to become a battlefield.

    Being so high above Terre¡¯s surface, having a relatively small population, and having access to foreknowledge meant war wasn''t very common among the Revi people. That did not mean the Revi did not prepare for it. Each person maintained the ability to fight if needed throughout their lengthy, millennia-long lifespans. The entire citizenry formed a militia that could and would defend the floating lands they called home with vicious resolve.

    And Reylynn and those around her did so as the second wave of Ikhwezi came through the portal, their backs to the Revi, but facing the monsters following them.

    Some looked like insects, multi-legged with segmented bodies. Others slithered like snakes, the smallest of which were dozens of feet long and thicker around than any pair of warriors fighting them. All were made of stone, metal, and crystal that moved and writhed with an unnatural fluidity that differed greatly from the Ikhwezi fleeing them.

    Reylynn knew her school of magic was useless against these creatures. She had seen in her Dream that her spells of light and shadow would bounce harmlessly off the crystalline armor of these monsters. But she had seen her role in turning this fight.

    The Ikhwezi defensive formation was bolstered by Revi magic and ballistics finding targets from overhead. Some Ikhwezi looked around, their own weapons shifting to fight a potential two-front battle, but quickly understood when none of the attacks fell on them. They widened their perimeter, allowing Revi with melee weapons to fill in their ranks and assist them.

    The moment the first Revi entered the fray, the courtyard devolved into chaos.

    Pinchers cleaved Revi bodies in two, stingers impaled them. The deaths of Reylynn¡¯s people were returned twofold as hammers and maces cracked and crushed rocky exoskeleton, revealing the glowing fragments that served as their hearts that were quickly destroyed.

    Almost all who fell today knew this day would be their last. And yet they fought without hesitation.

    And yet Reylynn did hesitate. She knew the man who would be responsible for the deaths of everyone Reylynn ever knew was in that melee. The man she would have to kill. The man she would come to love.

    That was the real source of the dread Reylynn felt. There was no avoiding this future. Every time Reylynn Dreamt, she saw only the end of the Revi and this man.

    Reylynn brushed the thoughts aside and moved into position as the man approached. He was an imposing wall of braided, rope-like features approximating muscle with obsidian plates covering his frame. He towered over the Revi and many of the Ikhwezi as well.

    Despite his solidly built appearance, he moved with a lithe grace even she would have found impossible to match as he delivered devastation with his war hammer. He spun the weapon, cracking it off the head of a snake-like monster, shattering it like a glass vase dropped on the ground. He dodged a man-sized claw of a scorpion monster, which put him in the perfect position to deal a blow to one of its legs in response.

    The ground began to tremble as the largest monster yet came through the portal. The crystal cavern seemed to bulge and stretch as two eerily human hands dragged a mass of black rock and yellow crystals the size of Reylynn¡¯s lab out.

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    The figure began to shift as rock split apart, revealing hidden joints and features. A four eyed head, which was really more a cavernous maw on the end of a short, thick neck, emitted a trembling roar which Reylynn felt as vibrations through the ground and her body.

    It heaved itself up on four limbs at its back and center, using one of its front sixth limb to steady itself while its free hand scooped up a Revi fighter and tossed him down its mouth like he was little more than candy. Blood seeped through cracks and holes in its neck as its mouth clamped shut and its jaws began grinding back and forth.

    The courtyard filled with the emotions of fear and awe as a second, third, and fourth monster dragged themselves out of the cave, each unfolding itself to a similar size as the first one.

    They broke through the ranks of the Revi and Ikhwezi, who were forced to cede the courtyard as even more of the smaller monsters continued to come through the portal.

    They retreated, but the fear was quickly replaced by grim resolve as three peaks of confidence, assurance, and excitement swept through the Revi as the man with the hammer drove the weapon¡¯s head into a grasping hand, shattering the finger joints like dried deadwood.

    He used his momentum to slide under the creature, plant something under it, and roll to the side. An explosion knocked the monster onto its side. Stone fell away, revealing the weakness in its chest.

    Before the man could take advantage, he was knocked away hard by the monster¡¯s other hand. He dropped his bag, a small white crystal falling out of it. He hurriedly picked up the bag, but hadn''t noticed he''d dropped what he¡¯d been carrying inside it.

    Reylynn darted between the warriors and monsters and grabbed the crystal. The moment her fingers touched it, the world around her changed.

    She wasn''t in the middle of the battlefield anymore. She was in a clearing in a rain forest surrounded by tall, wide trees and fungi and flowers of colors she had no names for. Ferns covered every inch of the ground that wasn''t occupied by thick tree roots, rocks, or fallen trees.

    It was no longer night time either. Sunlight broke through the overhead canopy, checkering the ground with shadow and light.

    Then she locked eyes with a giant, black spider nearly as large as she was. Eight violet eyes looked back at her.

    Reylynn gasped and dropped the crystal in surprise. The scene faded as quickly as it had appeared and she was back in the middle of the battle going on in Fel''s courtyard. She hadn''t seen any of that in her Dream of today. What was going on?

    Reylynn looked down at the crystal on the ground. She had to learn how to use it. Her Dream showed her casting spells with it. But that spider in the forest. Where had it come from? How had she gotten there? Why hadn''t her Dream showed her that?

    Reylynn had to find out. Taking a deep breath, she slowly picked up the crystal and was back in the forest.

    Where the spider had been, there was now a woman with four arms and four violet eyes looking back at her. The skin around her face and arms was actually sheets of black chitin that flowed past each other seamlessly with each breath she took.

    She was sitting on the ground, wearing a robe-like dress that shifted from yellow to amber to red with gold trim and stitching.

    It was a style Reylynn had never seen before, but its beauty contrasted with the distinctly alien features of the woman¡¯s face and body. Her lower arms were crossed in her lap and she leaned back on her upper arms in a pose of casual indifference.

    She raised her two lower arms and signed to Reylynn.

    ¡°I apologize if I scared you. You arrived earlier than I expected.¡± The woman gave a disarming smile.

    Revi sign language was as much about facial expression as it was the signs and gestures. The woman¡¯s appearance was eerily uncanny as she made expressions that didn''t quite look right on her chitinous face.

    Signing with only her free hand¡ªshe didn''t dare set either crystal down¡ªReylynn asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I am¡­¡± she paused, her face contemplative. ¡°You may call me Taika.¡±

    Reylynn waited, expecting more, but the woman just stared at her impassively. Deciding nothing further was forthcoming, she asked another question.

    ¡°You said I got here earlier than you expected. How did you know I would pick this up? What is this?¡± Reylynn raised the crystal up.

    Taika finger-spelled the word violin. And then she sat up straighter, raising her upper arms out from under the brush they¡¯d been hidden by, revealing a wooden instrument with four strings in one hand and a bow in the other. With her lower hands, she signed, ¡°I knew you would come here to learn to play Lindsong.¡±

    Taika put the wide end of the violin under her chin, resting it in the cup attached to it. She nodded to Reylynn, pointing at her hands with her lower left hand.

    At first Reylynn didn''t understand, until she realized the crystal in her hand had changed into an exact mirror of the instrument Taika held. Reylynn looked at it with curiosity. She''d held instruments like it on the few times she''d been down to Terre¡¯s surface. The dragons could hear its notes and often sought the ground folk to play them songs.

    Reylynn mimicked the actions of the woman and followed along as she ran the bow along the four strings and Reylynn¡­ heard.

    No, that wasn¡¯t the right word. All Revi were deaf, they lived their entire lives in a zone whose air was too thin to conduct sound. Rather, Reylynn felt the soft vibrations singing from the instrument carried by the mana that pulsed away from it as they passed through her very core.

    It started as the slow drip of morning dew from the tip of a leaf falling into a puddle, a steady drip that grew into the frantic splashes of large moon rabbits playing with each other in a pond. All the while, motes of mana flickered and danced around Reylynn in a multitude of colors that slowly shifted across the entire spectrum of the rainbow.

    The Revi didn''t have a sign to describe the soft lullaby she felt and the sight of the mana coming from the instrument. The Revi word for beautiful and the emotions conjured with it seemed lacking for the concept Reylynn tried and failed to grasp in her mind.

    Reylynn closed her eyes as she continued to feel the music and upon opening them, was suddenly back in the middle of Fel''s courtyard.

    The instrument took on a mind of its own as it used Reylynn¡¯s body to cast a spell that was equal parts restorative and supportive. Motes of green, yellow, and pink mana in the shape of musical notes and waves emanate from the instrument. They carried the song Reylynn felt the instrument playing to the warriors fighting around her.

    The Ikhwezi could hear the music playing, its sound carried on the waves of mana emanating from the violin, while the Revi felt the music within them, in the same way Reylynn did. They raged against the monsters with raised resolve, rallied by the restorative rhythm of Reylynn¡¯s refrain.

    Hammers chipped away at the behemoths¡¯ armored undersides, exposing crystals which the Ikhwezi targeted with brutal efficiency, killing them far quicker than Reylynn would have thought it would have taken.

    The tide of the battle turned as the Ikhwezi and Revi pushed the attacking monsters back into the portal. The man who''d dropped the violin slammed the head of his hammer one-handed into the ground, shattering the earth beneath the portal, causing it to break apart and close.

    All motion in the courtyard ceased as everyone realized the fighting was over.

    Somewhere in the fighting, the man had lost his arm. White liquid poured from where the limb had been. He picked up his hammer, letting it come to rest on some sort of mounts on his back. Then he picked his arm off the ground and immediately turned and locked eyes with Reylynn. He came to her, his mouth moving in the pattern of speech for a moment. He paused, stopping in his tracks, then tried again.

    Reylynn pointed to her ears, then to him, and shook her head.

    He nodded, then pointed to the violin.

    Reylynn blushed, she had technically stolen it. She held it forward for the man to take back, but he shook his head and took a step back. His eyes, small and dark in the same shape as the giant lenses on Reylynn¡¯s telescope, began to glow a soft blue.

    She began to feel something at the edge of her mind. Like the pulse of emotional telepathy, but in a language wholly not her own.

    She pulsed with surprise.

    The pattern shifted slightly.

    She shifted her emotional pulsing to curiosity.

    The pattern shifted again. This time, Reylynn thought she understood the emotion: eagerness. She returned it with a pulse of excitement.

    Then, something she neither expected, nor seen in her Dream, happened. The very thoughts of another, completely coherent and as though they were her own entered her mind.

    ¡°Can you understand me?¡±

    Unsure how to respond, this was a form of telepathy wholly new to her, Reylynn pulsed with inquisitiveness and signed, ¡°And you, me?¡±

    ¡°I do not know your sign language, but my race has spent eons cracking the code to telepathy. I can understand your thoughts only if you let me in.¡±

    Reylynn paused. It was considered rude in Revi culture to use emotional telepathy without first getting the person¡¯s attention. Though this wasn¡¯t exactly like that as he had, in his way, asked for permission and even though he didn¡¯t know it yet, she knew who he was. She pulsed with acceptance and the man, Anathi, nodded.

    She began to feel Anathi¡¯s emotions. The weariness, the fear, the desire to protect those of his people. And a level of caution towards her.

    ¡°You knew my people were coming.¡± It was a statement, not a question.

    Reylynn nodded. ¡°We had time enough to prepare. My people, the Revi, can see along the path of time.¡±

    He seemed to be taking in that information. Before he could respond, Reylynn pointed to the arm he carried in his hand.

    ¡°Does that not hurt?¡± Reylynn asked.

    He put his good hand to his ruined shoulder where torn wiring and shredded armor still leaked that clear-white fluid, though not as much as before. ¡°This is not blood. I will be fine.¡±

    ¡°We still need to get you patched up. Follow me.¡± She turned once to make sure he was following her and when he didn¡¯t move, she added, ¡°Your people will be taken care of. Now, if you want the answers to your questions, then you will come, Anathi.¡±

    There was the recognizable emotion of surprise on his alien face at her calling him by name. Reylynn didn''t wait to be sure Anathi was following her, but felt the soft thump-thump of his heavy footsteps through the ground as he moved.

 Chapter 48: Reylynn

    Fel. 1100 years ago.

    Neither Fel nor any of the other Revi cities had a central government. Most Revi were long-lived scholars, more interested in their own fields of study than each other. Trade and communities typically arose from a shared interest in a branch of study or a discovery that had interdisciplinary benefits.

    That was what had drawn Reylynn and Nilaa together. Reylynn had needed a more powerful telescope, Nilaa enjoyed tinkering with mechanical devices.

    Nilaa was sitting outside their shared lab with a few of the refugees gathered around. She was attaching a lower arm to the clockwork device she''d been working on prior to the fighting, which had itself been joined to the space just above where the elbow joint would have been on a smaller Ikhwezi sitting on the steps.

    ¡°Check the chest under my desk. You''ll find what you need,¡± Nilaa signed without waiting for Reylynn¡¯s question.

    Anathi took a seat on Reylynn¡¯s desk. He was a little over fifteen feet tall, having nearly six feet on Reylynn. She still had to stand on her chair to reconnect the hoses and hydraulic tubing that made up Anathi¡¯s musculature while he held his arm in place.

    Spider-like creatures, smaller than the tips of Reylynn¡¯s fingers, crawled out from under his armor plating, working to weld and repair the parts of his shoulder joint Reylynn couldn''t mend.

    Anathi studied the documents before him. One was Reylynn¡¯s calculations on the meteor she''d been studying and the other was a collection of words written in Anathi¡¯s language with their Revi translations Reylynn had written ahead of time.

    He hadn''t believed at first when Reylynn had told him she had actually seen this day coming. But as he read the note Reylynn had written in his own language, words she''d only gotten from him from the future, he began to understand.

    ¡°My people fled a great evil. A being of malice who wants nothing more than to bring about the extinction of all life to build a world he can rule.¡± Anathi said. He''d switched to using telepathy while Reylynn wrote on the notebook beside him.

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    ¡°Isiphelo,¡± Reylynn wrote in Ikhwezi. A name which translates roughly to ¡°the end¡± in Revi. Though the connotation was far bleaker than the simple phrase implied.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anathi replied a little startled. ¡°That will take some getting used to.¡±

    ¡°You never will get used to it,¡± Reylynn wrote, smiling as she watched the rumble of his laughter. She held up Lindsong, which had changed back into a small white crystal. It had bothered her that she hadn''t seen the vision with Taika in her Dream or Lindsong¡¯s true nature.

    Anathi pulled his bag from its resting place on the ground and opened it, taking out a crystal just like it. It shifted and changed into a long, black staff, the crystal becoming its focusing crystal at the tip.

    ¡°It is a weapon that was intended to kill Isiphelo. It draws upon the energy that makes up our people. The longer one fights with it, the stronger they should become. Unfortunately, it didn''t work. Of the twelve of us who fought him together only I remain.¡±

    The Ikhwezi weren''t alive in the same way Reylynn and the beings of Terre were. There were, as far as Anathi understood it and explained it to her, three basic energies in the universe. Mana, the ethereal force all around them that gave rise to the physical, from rocks to stars, to the empty space between planets. Soul, which was what Reylynn and every other living being came from. Beings of Soul could manipulate the mana around them, bending the physical world to their whim.

    And then there were the Ikhwezi, which translated to ¡°star¡±, again not quite right in Revi. They were beings whose body and consciousness was formed when their energy bonded with either of the other two energies.

    Isiphelo intended to steal as much of the Ikhwezi energy as he could to strengthen himself and bind the other two energies to recreate a world in which the Ikhwezi were the dominant beings, not those of the soul energy.

    He had been, up until this point, very successful in that goal. The couple hundred who had come through the portal were the only ones left out of the millions there had once been. The monsters they fought were Isiphelo¡¯s horrible perversions of the bond that created the Ikhwezi people.

    ¡°There is nowhere left to run. The world you call Ciel was the last spot where we could make our stand on our own. We failed and we''ve fallen back here.¡± There was a tiredness in his words. Reylynn still couldn''t quite read his emotions as well as another Revi, but it was getting easier the longer he maintained their telepathic connection. ¡°You knew when we would come. You know why we are here. Then you must know what I have to ask of you.¡±

    Reylynn nodded. You are going to consign her entire people, and what remained of his, to death. Reylynn wrote instead, ¡°You need our help, the mana we can draw upon, to fight Isiphelo.¡±

    ¡°I have a plan that should succeed where the last one failed.¡±

 Chapter 49: Reylynn

    Fel. 1099 years ago.

    Reylynn spent a considerable amount of time with Anathi as he and his people healed from their wounds during their flight from Ciel and subsequent fight in Fel¡¯s courtyard. She had learned a great deal about their anatomy as Nilaa had taken a keen interest in Utitshala, the one whom she''d helped reattach their arm.

    To call the Ikhwezi simply beings of crystal, rock, and metal was to do their true nature a disservice. They could, at will, alter their appearance, taking on just about any form they could imagine. Indeed, Anathi had told Reylynn that the armored form he and many others wore was intended for protection in battle or exploration of unknown worlds. He preferred a more humanoid, organic build with soft, dark skin and his signature braided, floor-length locs.

    For his part, Anathi had mastered Revi Sign Language and was, if Reylynn were being honest, an even more fluent signer than she. His people were nomadic by nature and he would leave for days or weeks at a time. He often visited the other settlements around the asweyr continent and even went down to Terre¡¯s surface on occasion.

    But he always returned to Reylynn and Nilaa''s lab and would tell of what he¡¯d seen and done.

    Reylynn was just getting ready to bed down for the night when the light above her door flashed on and off.

    Anathi was at her door and Reylynn didn¡¯t need to use their telepathic bond to read the sadness in his eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡± Reylynn signed.

    ¡°The dragons have refused to assist us once more,¡± Anathi replied. ¡°Rellar Azureth is stubborn and her long lifespan leaves her people with the idea that they are beyond this. I am unsure what to do, given the failures we have endured so far and the ones you say are yet to come.¡±

    That plan he had told her about involved the need for a great concentration of mana, beyond that which even the Revi could provide.

    ¡°We will find a way. Take me with you and we will speak to the dragons together,¡± Reylynn said.

    She let out a yawn and Anathi cocked his head.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been up late.¡± It was a statement, not a question.

    The truth was she hadn¡¯t slept in a few days now. The Dreams she had kept converging on that one potential future the closer they drew near the final day.

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    One would think seeing the sealing away of the entirety of two entire races and the death of the person she¡¯d come to love over and over would numb one to its coming would numb one to it, but no. Reylynn couldn¡¯t get that future out of her mind and she couldn¡¯t see a way to change it.

    With the dragons¡¯ help, they might have had enough combined power between their three races to do something, anything.

    ¡°Come, you need sleep,¡± Anathi said. ¡°I will stay by your side.¡±

    Anathi didn¡¯t need to sleep. Instead, he sat down at the side of Reylynn¡¯s bed in a meditative pose with legs crossed, one hand in his lap and the other resting on Reylynn¡¯s own. She felt the comforting warmth of his skin as his fingers intertwined with her own.

    Reylynn slept and saw the Dream play out the same as always, the push through the Gate that culminated in the slaughter of so many of their people. And the sword, thrown from somewhere she hadn¡¯t seen, killing Anathi.

    It always ended the same: her kneeling beside Anathi, his head cradled in her lap while staring at the ugly black sword sticking out of his chest and her waking up shortly after.

    Reylynn was behind the action, playing Lindsong, covering the battlefield in musical auras that served to strengthen those on the battlefield. She had killed and assisted in the kills of hundreds. Of thousands.

    Lindsong had done exactly what it had said, strengthened her with the energy and mana it drew from those slain. Her auras could cross the entirety of the battlefield, bathing every combatant in its radiance.

    Reylynn watched Anathi clutch the sword as it drilled through his chest, shattering the armor it penetrated like glass. That white liquid spewed from the wound and the small spider-like symbiont drones rushed from their hiding places to repair the grievous wound inflicted upon their host. But they couldn¡¯t repair the breaking of his heart crystal.

    The nine others whom Anathi had trusted with his weapons dragged him back and defended each other as they pulled their dying general off the battlefield and back to camp.

    Reylynn ran to Anathi as he lay dying. The Dream usually ended, but this time it continued.

    Anathi raised his hand and cupped Reylynn¡¯s cheek. ¡°Find me, Reylynn. Find me and my army. Bring us here. We can win.¡±

    Reylynn woke as Dream Anathi¡¯s hand drifted to the ground. The real Anathi, however, was still holding hers.

    Solaire¡¯s light was just beginning to creep into the room, illuminating Anathi¡¯s dark skin.

    He glanced towards Reylynn and signed, ¡°I told you I''d stay by your side.¡±

    Reylynn squeezed his fingers.

    ¡°Still no change in the Dream?¡± He asked.

    Reylynn answered with a sad nod.

    ¡°I have been thinking and I might have a plan. One we can use without the help of the Dragons.¡± Anathi paused. He opened his robes, revealing his bare chest. It fractured like a dropped plate, the individual pieces slid out of the way, revealing a small blue crystal.

    Anathi pulled it from his chest, holding it up for Reylynn to see. ¡°A different kind of bond of the three energies. Mana, creating a shield blocking Isiphelo''s touch. And a soul to pilot it.¡±

    The crystal shifted from blue to a soft purple as Anathi made a motion with his free hand.

    ¡°I cannot build this bond as you''ve said I will not be around to implement it. But you can. I can teach you to Soul Forge as I do.¡±

 Chapter 50: Sinnamon Roll

    The Archive. Date undefined.

    Sinnamon was back in the Archive, standing beside Weaver, AnnaLee, and the Archivist. The spinning of the Archive ceased and the memory ended right as Reylynn woke up, returning them to near darkness as the lights within the Archive¡¯s craters slowly flickered out.

    ¡°Anathi couldn''t convince the dragons to help us. Without their awesome control of mana, we could only temporarily lock Isiphelo away. Anathi had devised a back up plan. Find beings who hadn''t been exposed to Ikhwezi energy, whom couldn''t be manipulated by Isiphelo should he break free.¡± The Archivist said.

    ¡°And that was us¡­¡± Sinnamon said softly, a sentiment repeated by Weaver at the same time.

    ¡°It''s experience!¡± AnnaLee suddenly shouted. She suddenly blushed as Sinnamon, Weaver, and the Archivist looked at her.

    Though she continued after a beat, ¡°Ikhwezi energy is experience! Anathi said the weapons make you stronger the more you fight. And no one on earth can use mana because we''re all level zero! The lowest level anyone here is is one.¡±

    Sinnamon was impressed with how quickly she had pieced all that together. Though even she finally understood. ¡°And twelve weapons, twelve Classes. Each class we could pick was based on each weapon.¡±

    Weaver just shook his head. ¡°Okay, I understand all that. But why go through all that trouble and secrecy? Sonnet Entertainment reached millions of us on earth, why not just tell us what was going on?¡±

    The answer seemed rather obvious to Sinnamon. ¡°Would you have joined? They knew they were gonna lose, remember? ¡®Hey, come fight an evil monster that already killed all our people. I''m sure you''ll do better!¡¯ doesn''t really inspire confidence.¡±

    Sinnamon wasn¡¯t exactly sure because of his alien and robotic appearance, but she thought she saw a smile part the Archivist¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Point taken,¡± Weaver said. ¡°But then what happened to Reylynn and Anathi and why weren''t they here to tell us any of this? They could have avoided a whole lot of confusion and death.¡±

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    Sinnamon winced as she remembered the many dead and wounded and the burning of a village the previous night.

    The Archivist shook his head. ¡°That I do not know and is why you must get to Fel. You must find the Architect, get the answers I cannot give you from her. And you must stop Isiphelo before he breaks free.¡±

    ¡°How do we find Fel?¡± Weaver asked.

    ¡°Fel was one of the first locations protected by a barrier. You can only get there via a way gate. I cannot tell you where the nearest one is, but I can tell you how to find one.¡± The Archivist raised his staff and began drawing an image of an oval with a circle in the center with the mana flowing off of it. ¡°This was carved into every way gate. It is the Revi symbol for ¡®hope for a future.¡¯ They were scattered across Terre¡¯s continents. All will lead to Fel.¡±

    ¡°I''ve seen that symbol before!¡± Weaver shouted.

    ¡°It''s Sonnet¡¯s logo,¡± AnnaLee said.

    ¡°Yes, I mean, no, I''ve actually seen it! Gavriel and Yentel have armor with that exact logo on it!¡± Weaver shouted excitedly. ¡°Come on, we need to go!¡±

    The Archivist raised a hand and opened the door to the Archive before turning back into the holographic image of the older man he had been before nearly attacking them.

    Sinnamon, Weaver, and AnnaLee bolted from the room.

    The Archivist watched them leave. Unbeknownst to them, it had taken a severe toll on Utitshala to temporarily project his physical form from the pocket dimension that was the Grand Archive to this small node.

    Had he not done so, he wouldn''t have been able to activate the interface with the Grand Archive and show them the memory he carried and had been instructed to share with them and only them. They would not have figured out that they were Reylynn''s army, critical information that he had been restrained from sharing with anyone, lest Isiphelo discover and plan a way to defeat it.

    Back in the Grand Archive, Utitshala touched the rusting mass of clockwork that was his elbow prosthetic. The very one Nilaa had built for him all those centuries ago. He glanced down at his chest, watching the other part of Nilaa''s gift, his own spark of life finally begin to dim as its pulsing slowed. He''d made it far longer than he had expected to. Far longer than he should have.

    ¡°May they save us all,¡± he whispered to himself. Though even he wondered where Anathi was. Reylynn had found him, she¡¯d told the Architect so. What had happened beyond the boundaries of the realm he had stewarded? Why were things in such disarray?

    His body began to crumble to dust as the last of Nilaa''s Soul energy was finally used up, leaving only the mechanical elbow prosthetic and a small blue crystal on the ground of the node the trio had just run out of.

 Chapter 51: Isaac

    Boulder High School. Friday, December 17, 2021.

    The tremble of bass-heavy music reverberated through the school, forcing Isaac to step even further into the cold, late night air. He patted his fingers along the outside of his pants pockets nervously as he listened to the dial tone from his phone. Yes, the small black box was still there, he assured himself for the thousandth time that night.

    No answer from his phone, though. Had his dad forgotten?

    Isaac¡¯s teeth began to chatter. He wished he¡¯d brought his coat with him, but that would have given him away. Riley always seemed to know when he was up to something and her being impossible to surprise was the one thing he absolutely hated about her. That was why Isaac had started planning this night over a year ago. His movements had been careful; leaving the ring with Will, speaking only about the plans to use the restaurant tonight with Zane and his parents alone, and forcing his parents to swear to the highest order of secrecy: the advanced pinky promise. There was absolutely no way he could have tipped Riley off in all that time.

    Isaac¡¯s phone began to vibrate and he answered it before the second buzz. His father¡¯s gruff voice came through.

    ¡°You called? Is everything all right, son? You and your friends having a good time?¡±

    ¡°Yes, dad. I was just checking in. Amanda and Zane are keeping Riley busy. I¡¯m outside and wanted to make sure you guys would be ready when we get there.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all set up here. Your mother¡¯s driving everyone crazy waiting for you kids to get here. I don¡¯t know how long we can hold out.¡± Isaac heard his mother yell something in the background and his father cried out in mock pain. His father laughed heartily and he returned to the phone. ¡°This took a lot of effort on your part, son. I¡¯m proud of you. Now get back inside and enjoy yourself. We¡¯ll see you when you get here.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, dad. I¡¯ll see you at ten-thirty.¡± Isaac placed the phone back into his pocket. Before he went back inside, he took out the small black case he had been carrying all night.

    He opened it and studied the ring inside. A silver band with an amethyst halo stone flanked by two small diamonds on either side. It had taken him an entire year of working part time at the grocery store to save up for the ring and it had been worth every penny. He gently closed the box and put it back into his pants pocket.

    Isaac walked back into the school, his glasses fogging instantly  as he entered the warm, humid gymnasium. He shuffled his way through groups of laughing and dancing students until he saw his friends¡¯ table. Zane and Amanda were conversing to each other in sign language and Riley was nowhere to be found. Amanda looked up and beckoned Isaac over to herself and Zane. Isaac took his seat next to Zane, but still spaced far enough apart that they could sign easily to each other.

    Zane answered Isaac¡¯s unasked question by signing, ¡°She went to the bathroom.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Isaac signed back with a relieved look, though he still found his eyes wandering around the room.

    Zane gently tapped on the table, grabbing Isaac¡¯s attention. ¡°Isaac, you look worried. You¡¯re going to blow your own cover. Relax.¡±

    Amanda nodded in agreement with Zane, then said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t know anything. Everything will go off perfectly, she¡¯ll say yes.¡±

    At the exact moment Amanda finished signing, Riley slid into her seat next to Amanda. She turned to Amanda and signed, ¡°who will say ¡®yes¡¯?¡±

    Isaac felt his heart sink. He was certain Amanda had accidentally blown their cover, but she replied with a quick-thinking smoothness Isaac could never have pulled off.

    ¡°My mom. We¡¯re gonna see if she¡¯ll let us take the jet ski to my uncle¡¯s cabin this weekend.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like fun! I hope she does say yes!¡± Riley signed with a bright smile and Isaac felt a knot undo itself in his chest. She turned to Isaac and reached across the table and took his hand. Her eyes studied him for a long second and she looked like she was about to break away to sign something when the DJ announced the final round of songs, slow dances, were beginning to play.

    Unlike Zane, who was Deaf, Amanda, Riley, and Isaac could hear. Riley however, was nonverbal. When Isaac had met Riley, he¡¯d learned she was nonverbal as a result of injury to her vocal cords from surgery she¡¯d had on her throat when she was younger and so spoke using American Sign Language.

    That was how the four of them had become friends. Isaac had reached out to Zane and Amanda to learn ASL so he could ask out Riley almost six years ago in the seventh grade and the four of them had been friends ever since.

    The first song began and the four of them stood and Isaac took a second to take in Riley¡¯s beauty. She was wearing the same amethyst necklace she always wore, paired with a floor-length dress that shifted from an azure blue to silver at her feet. Her hair was done up in an intricate braid that left it looking like a crown atop her head with bangs that came just to eye level.

    The two of them held each other close and Isaac let Riley lead in their first dance. When it ended, she brushed her copper red bangs away from her eyes before signing Sweetheart to Isaac. He felt his heart flutter and he mirrored the sign back at her. Riley smiled at him and drew herself in close and their lips met. The pine scent of her new perfume seemed to calm Isaac and he felt his tension leave him.

    After the second song ended, Zane clapped Isaac and Riley on the back and signed, ¡°We¡¯re heading to Amanda¡¯s uncle¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°Good night,¡± Riley and Isaac both replied. The couple slipped out the door, leaving Isaac and Riley alone for the final two songs.

    When the lights came on, Isaac saw Mrs. Granger out in full force on the dance floor splitting apart students who had taken to kissing each other during the last song. He was sure the ancient woman hated the idea of any students having fun and took her own sick pleasure from splitting couples apart. She stopped to glare at Isaac and Riley for a long moment before continuing on with her rampage in a different direction. As soon as her back was to them, Isaac gave Riley another kiss.

    They pulled away and Isaac glanced at his watch.

    Ten o¡¯ five.

    He sighed to himself, they were probably going to be late.

    He and Riley broke through the groups of kids that congregated near the crosswalks, waiting for their parents to pick them up. Isaac opened the door to his silver Mustang and held Riley¡¯s arm as she slipped into the seat. He shut the door and patted his pocket again, just to be sure.

    It had taken them ten minutes to get through the long line of cars and people clogging the parking lot and they¡¯d had to sit at two red lights in a row. Isaac silently cursed the universe for conspiring against his perfect night.

    When Isaac drove past the street that led to his house, Riley put her hand on his and pointed behind her, giving him a worried look.

    ¡°Change of plans. We¡¯re going out to eat.¡± Isaac let off the gas as he worked through the signs. He¡¯d been signing ASL for nearly six years, but he never quite felt as smooth with it as his friends seemed to make it look.

    Isaac turned to sign something else to Riley when he saw two white suns outside her window.

    Time slowed as the lights grew even larger before his world descended into nothing but the sound of metal slamming into metal and glass shattering.

    ***

    Isaac gasped and coughed as he forced his eyes open. He could barely move his broken leg, which had been rammed into the door. Sticky wet blood coated his pants.

    He had to get out of the car. His left hand wouldn''t work to unlock the door. He looked down to see his fingers were bent at horrifyingly unnatural angles.

    Isaac unlocked the door with his right hand and grunted as he shoulder checked it to force it open. He tumbled to the ground and dragged himself with his good hand until he was well clear of the wreckage.

    The entire passenger side of his silver mustang had been completely caved in by a white pick up truck whose hazard lights continued to blink weakly until they finally went dark.

    ¡°Oh, god, Riley!¡± Isaac shouted, tears blinding him. Each foot he pulled himself was an agonizing torture as he endured not only the pain of his injuries but of what he knew he''d find when he got to her side of the car.

    As he looked around, Isaac realized everything was wrong. His mustang and the truck that had hit him were there, but the intersection he¡¯d gone through wasn¡¯t. Instead, he was in the middle of an icy plain, in what was definitely the aftermath of a large battle. Dark blood stained the snow and bodies littered the ground in every direction. Not all of the bodies were human, however. Some were made of crystal and rock with mechanical joints. All were still clutching weapons, wands, or staves as though they desperately wanted to get back up and rejoin whatever fight had laid them all here.

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    But even more horrifying were the much, much larger monsters strewn about. They weren¡¯t humanoid and many looked like insects, snakes, or beasts Isaac had no names for.

    What the hell is going on? Where the hell am I? Pain still lanced through Isaac¡¯s body as he tried to stand.

    Green motes of light danced around Isaac and the pain fled as his wounds healed. He looked in the direction the light had come from and saw Riley looking at him.

    She wasn''t wearing the blue and silver dress she''d been wearing moments ago, but white and red robes with golden trim. She reached out a hand and helped Isaac to his feet.

    ¡°We need to go. We¡¯re running late,¡± Riley signed, then turned and pointed beyond the wreckage of the car.

    Isaac caught a glimpse of her ears beneath her copper red hair. They were long and pointed. They were elven.

    ¡°You¡¯re not Riley. Who are you? And why did you make me go through that again?¡± Isaac pointed to the wreckage, which still lay horribly out of place upon the snowy battlefield. Senses finally returned to him as he remembered the accident had been nearly three years ago.

    ¡°I am me,¡± Riley signed, shaking her head sadly as she continued, ¡°I''m sorry, this was the last memory we shared. It was the only way I could bring you here.¡±

    ¡°Bring me where?¡±

    She didn¡¯t answer, but started running in the direction she''d pointed without looking to see if Isaac was following. Isaac ran after her.

    They found what had to be the fallen army''s war camp. There were medics tending to the injured while soldiers, both human and the same mechanical-crystal beings Isaac had seen earlier, readied themselves for battle by donning extra armor or stuffing arrows in quivers. No one paid any attention to Isaac as he walked by them as though he were invisible.

    As he took in the scene, Isaac realized Riley was gone.

    Something like a faint whisper drew Isaac deeper into the camp. He followed the feeling to the largest tent in the camp. Isaac opened the flap and saw a mechanical man lying on the ground, still clutching his black and gold war hammer with the same intensity as so many of the fallen Isaac had seen earlier. A thick, ugly, black crystal spear stuck through his chest; the weapon still dripping with his clear-white blood.

    There was a woman beside the man, holding his head in her arms. The woman looked up at Isaac with an expression of grim resolve that did not falter as she lowered the head of the dead man in her arms.

    Her eyes locked on Isaac¡¯s and as he held her gaze, he understood. Her features were slightly different. Her face looked older, but also ageless. But there was no mistaking it was the woman Isaac loved.

    Reylynn¡¯s lips curved ever so slightly upward into a smile. It was a moment shared only between Isaac and Reylynn. Though the others in the room looked in Isaac¡¯s general direction to see what she was looking at, it was only Reylynn who actually saw him. That much, he could tell.

    Their moment was broken as the ground rumbled beneath Isaac''s feet. The people standing in the tent were knocked off their feet. Reylynn was thrown back as the crystal spear in the man¡¯s chest ripped itself free and began to change.

    The weapon grew larger and parts began shifting and moving around until the crystal weapon took on the form of an armored figure, tall and just the faintest bit see through.

    A voice, terrible and deep, called out to those in the room. ¡°Has this war not gone on for long enough? Have you not lost enough of your kind? Return that which is mine to me and it will end.¡±

    No one moved and Isaac felt a fear so strongly in his core, he couldn¡¯t move either.

    ¡°No? Then you will all die anyway¡­¡± The figure paused, turning his two burning yellow eyes behind an armor-covered face onto Isaac. ¡°You?¡±

    Did that monster really see Isaac? Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be just a memory? Isaac wasn¡¯t sure if he should answer, turn and run, or curl up on the ground in fear, hoping he''d wake up.

    A woman wielding a spear charged forward while the crystal warrior¡¯s attention was on Isaac. She lunged, aiming her spear at the gap in the neck between crystal armor, but the warrior was ready.

    A sword appeared in his hands and it stabbed the woman through the chest. The crystal warrior hadn¡¯t even turned to look at her as he kicked the woman¡¯s body off his sword. She dropped to the ground, gasping as blood ran down her mouth and the wound in her armor.

    ¡°I killed you and yet you live. How? I have sundered every place you could run to and hide. Every place you could be reborn. How do you live again?¡±

    This time Isaac knew the figure was talking to him. The others wielding weapons seemed to be getting ready to attack as one group, though confusion was still etched on their faces as they looked between the man and Isaac¡¯s direction, likely still unable to see him.

    Isaac¡¯s eyes locked with Reylynn and she raised a hand to the others. Suddenly Isaac understood this was no memory or dream, but a moment he had been summoned to.

    ¡°You don¡¯t recognize me?¡± The figure paused. ¡°No, you don''t. You don''t even remember who you are. You do not know the evil that has been perpetrated against me. The evil you could end.¡±

    In truth, Isaac wasn¡¯t even listening to the figure. He could feel that sensation, that whisper again, the one that had drawn him to this tent. And he realized what it was: the war hammer was calling to him.

    Isaac fought to avoid glancing at the war hammer. He didn''t want to tip the armored man off, but he needed to get to it.

    The armored man continued speaking, ¡°My body was stolen from me. Can you really judge me for wanting it back? Return it to me and this would all end.¡±

    ¡°You lie!¡± Isaac shouted, just as much surprised by the conviction and ferocity in his voice.

    ¡°I do not lie!¡± His words rumbled like thunder and Isaac took a step back.

    Isaac pushed away the fear and answered the hammer''s call. The crystal warrior turned, realizing too late what Isaac was doing.

    Memory flooded Isaac¡¯s mind as his hand touched the hammer''s shaft. He wasn''t simply one of the millions of people from earth brought here, he was the one who''d had the idea to reach out to the space between worlds. He was Anathi.

    ¡°I remember you, Isiphelo!¡± The words boomed from Isaac¡¯s mouth as he slammed the head of his war hammer into the ground. An electrified golden chain burst forth, piercing Isiphelo as another bound itself to Isaac.

    He needed another weapon. He reached for the spear of the woman who lay dead on the ground. Isaac heard the faintest whisper as he gripped the weapon. It was fleeting, there and gone before he could grasp what had been spoken.

    Isaac pushed the thought aside and thrust forward with the spear.

    Isiphelo leapt backwards and countered, bringing his sword down upon Isaac far faster than he could track.

    Pain lanced through Isaac¡¯s arm. But where he expected to see blood, ruined flesh, and potentially even broken bone, there was only an armored hand, his armored hand, holding back the crystal sword.

    His arm was definitely broken, but it held as the black crystal armor grew around Isaac¡¯s body. Heavy chains underneath plate mail fit as though it was his own skin.

    The Sentinel¡¯s armor.

    Saiph¡¯s Armor.

    His armor.

    Isaac pulled back and with his good hand and swung the spear as he uttered a battle cry.

    The spear¡¯s haft caught Isiphelo''s sword and the two drew close.

    ¡°We were gods, locked away for so long. We were supposed to rule them all,¡± Isiphelo growled.

    ¡°We were supposed to protect them!¡± Isaac pulled away, letting the spear twirl and come to rest in a defensive stance.

    The others in the room attacked with Isaac as one. A soldier, no, Sword Saint wielding two swords, cut into the crystal warrior and another man, Berserker, was a wall of muscle with fiery rage in his eyes as he barreled into Isiphelo, taking him to the ground.

    Healing magic flowed into Isaac¡¯s body from a Druid as yet another woman, a Caster, sent cables as thin as thread, yet stronger than chains of steel binding Isiphelo to the ground.

    Isaac stepped back and pulled his hammer from the ground. He raised the weapon high and¡­ stopped.

    ¡°Do it. Finish me, Anathi,¡± Isiphelo goaded.

    Isaac lowered his hammer. ¡°No, that''s what you want.¡± He turned to Reylynn. ¡°Now!¡±

    The sky above them peeled back to reveal a sea of purple crystal. Isaac and those still able to leapt back as the barrier that was Caer Siddi descended upon the war camp, sealing Isiphelo in with the entire remaining population of Ikhwezi and Revi.

    ¡°No!¡± Isiphelo shouted. He broke free of his restraints, lunging himself forward towards Isaac, but was stopped by the purple crystalline barrier that had fallen between them.

    He took his sword and stabbed it at the barrier. It cracked, but quickly healed. He did so again and this time, the barrier held. Though Isaac knew it wouldn''t forever.

    Fortunately, the army in the camp was quickly moving to the barrier¡¯s edge. They charged at Isiphelo, forcing him to take up the defensive.

    Isiphelo slew dozens, but more filled their ranks. And even those that died didn¡¯t stay dead for long. Revi and Ikhwezi picked themselves off the ground, weapons raised anew and rejoined the fighting. Each time one got back up, the crystal barrier pulsed and Isaac could feel a great wealth of mana being absorbed by the barrier. And not just mana, but the energy that gave life to the Ikhwezi. It fueled their resurrection, creating an unending army to focus Isiphelo''s attention.

    Isaac took a step back from the barrier and understood. Each of those beside him, including Reylynn, was holding a Remnant, a shard of Anathi¡¯s own self, soul forged into powerful weapons life times ago. Weapons that were intended to stop Isiphelo, but had proven not enough.

    But Anathi had seen a world, untainted by the energy of his kind, where with the right application of the soul forging technique, an army could be borne from it. An army that could become stronger than what the Ikhwezi and the Revi could be alone.

    Isaac turned to Reylynn, remembering the note he''d found when he touched her necklace. Her Caer Fragment.

    Isaac turned to Reylynn and signed, ¡°I told you I had a plan.¡±

    ¡°Why didn''t you tell me this was it?¡± Reylynn asked. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she signed, ¡°I watched you die so many countless times.¡±

    ¡°Would you have let me die if you knew you could save me? Even if it meant I couldn''t bring the army I told you of?¡±

    To that, Reylynn had no answer.

    Isaac knew Anathi had figured out a way to manipulate the outcome of Reylynn¡¯s Dreams through his own telepathic connection. She had so desperately wanted to avoid this final confrontation between Isiphelo and their people and sought any means to do it, but Anathi couldn''t let her or else his plan wouldn''t have worked.

    More of a gamble, Isaac thought to himself. He watched the fighting on the other side of the barrier for another moment longer before turning for the crystal cavern that had been used to bring the Revi and Ikhwezi armies from Terre to Ciel.

 Chapter 52: Isaac

    Ciel. 1001 years ago.

    Isaac led Reylynn and their companions at a foot-blistering pace back through the gate. The smooth blue walls surrounding them shifted to purple the deeper they went before they arrived at a dark violet chamber with three blue crystal pillars, reminiscent of the seven pillars within Caer Siddi.

    The left-most one showed Reylynn¡¯s home, Fel, from its empty, almost ghostly, courtyard. The right-most one was unassigned, but the center one was the one they needed to enter. Beyond the glass pane-like window was a crystal room much like the one he was standing in, but there were many more blue crystals, twelve in total. A small, floating pink orb sat in the middle of the chamber.

    The Architect.

    Isaac stepped through the pillar and into the room. The pink crystal¡¯s appearance changed to that of a somewhat androgynous crystalline figure of similar height to Reylynn.

    ¡°¡®An army will be coming in a thousand years¡¯ time and I will lead them. But they need time to grow. Watch them, help them.¡¯¡± The Architect said the words in a voice that almost perfectly mimicked Isaac¡¯s own. Then it shifted to its own voice. ¡°That was the task you gave me, before you died. You are here, returned.¡±

    Isaac shook his head. ¡°Not yet returned. I was summoned. There are a few things we need to take care of to prepare my army. I will show you.¡±

    And Isaac set to work taking the template that had been left for him by that other version of himself. That version hadn''t left much to work with, but it was enough.

    With the twelve Remnants, Isaac forged the twelve Classes.

    The three Tanks; Sentinel, Dragoon, Berserker.

    The five DPSes; Sword Saint, Rogue, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warrior.

    And the four Supports; Druid, Caster, Bard, and Summoner.

    Each took on the primary weapon tied to each Remnant and Isaac issued a list of spells and abilities each class could learn. He left it to the Architect to design the subclasses by granting the System bits of the mythology he knew from Earth.

    Isaac stepped back from the task and walked out into the crystal chamber with the three pillars. The Archivist would need more material to work with to design even more.

    The unassigned pillar flashed a message as Isaac stepped up to it.

    Please select a destination.

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    Isaac almost chose earth, this would very likely be the same portal Reylynn would use to find him. But he hesitated; this portal would have to stay open for nearly a thousand years. There wasn¡¯t really anywhere on earth he could place it that someone wouldn¡¯t find it. No one from either side could risk coming through, lest they introduce Isiphelo¡¯s tainted Ikhwezi energy into it. Or someone with a mind for conquering test the armies of the other side. Isaac made his choice and the pillar¡¯s interior shifted to a view of a cold, dusty red world set for the year 1996.

    ¡°It will take time before you¡¯ll be able to connect with the vast library humanity will build on the other side. Keep listening, let Reylynn help you sift through the knowledge and guide you on when to start searching out those who will fight for us.¡± Isaac taught the Architect a bit about the Internet, where they could get more mythology to build a library of quests, names, monsters, and other things that would immerse the Guardians in the game-like veil he created. This was what they would have to listen for.

    Returning to the System, Isaac resumed his work. He designed the fast travel system, fragments broken from Caer Siddi, each imprinted with a design to grow into the Guardian cities that would dot Terre¡¯s surface. But their purpose wasn''t just for travel. They would be a safe place, whose mana barriers, drawing on the mana from Caer Siddi, would defend from attack. Those who would have to live on Terre for the next thousand years before the Guardians¡¯ arrival could use them to wait out the time.

    As he constructed the System, Isaac used his knowledge of the present day System to make changes he might not have initially considered. He remembered the attack on Pella and the other cities and villages in the region. And those were just the ones he had been aware of.

    The System was planet-wide, both on Earth and Terre. There wasn''t enough time or resources to remove everyone who might abuse the power the System would grant them, the Architect would need a way to defend themself and Anathi¡¯s army from itself.

    Isaac grabbed Vespers, the Remnant of the Rogue. He held the dagger and forced a change upon the weapon''s enchantment through his ability to Soul Forge. It would be the Architect''s major tool for self defense. In essence, a way to kill the unkillable.

    Isaac stared at what he and the Architect had created.

    Annwyn Online.

    Reylynn touched Isaac lightly on the hand. He turned to meet her gaze.

    ¡°This is it, the tool you will use to gather your army?¡± She signed.

    Isaac nodded. ¡°Earth¡ª¡± Isaac used a sign meaning ¡°other Terre¡±, there wasn¡¯t a Revi sign for Earth and the alphabet was too dissimilar for finger spelling to have any meaning. ¡°¡ªis a world without Ikhwezi energy. I don¡¯t know why or how Anathi knew about it, but somehow he reincarnated me there. In a roundabout way, you summoning me here has let me bring you to Earth.¡±

    Reylynn gave Isaac a look of confusion. ¡°I didn¡¯t summon you.¡±

    Now it was Isaac¡¯s turn to be confused. ¡°You brought me to the camp, from outside the walls, where all the dead were.¡±

    ¡°I never left your side.¡± Reylynn gestured not to Isaac, but in the direction Anathi¡¯s body lay.

    Then it hit Isaac. The accident, their shared memory of it. This Reylynn wouldn''t have known about it, but a version of her, one who had their own Caer Fragment would. Isaac smiled.

    The armor covering him disappeared, leaving Isaac in the tattered suit he''d been wearing at the winter formal. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small black box.

    ¡°You won''t yet understand the significance of this gesture, but please allow me¡ª¡± Isaac took the ring from the box and slipped it onto Reylynn¡¯s finger. He felt a strong impression that his time here was nearly used up. The summoning spell that brought him here was nearly elapsed. ¡°I have to return to the present. Find me, this ring will be your guide.¡±

    ¡°I promise I will find you, Anathi.¡± Reylynn signed as the magic binding Isaac to this time ceased its hold.

 Chapter 53: Saiph

    Pallas¡¯ Watch, Godsfall Mountains. Day 05.

    Alert! Subclass overridden. Pirate Subclass changed to Soul Forger. All experience gained from your previous subclasses has been carried over to your new, permanent subclass. Current Subclass level: 232.

    Alert! An item within your inventory has changed. Item: Mil''s Judgement has changed to Ukonvasara.

    Item: Ukonvasara

    Type: Weapon ¡ª War Hammer

    Construction: Soul Forged ¡ª Remnant of the Sentinel, Saiph

    Rarity: Soulbound

    Stats:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Base Damage: 56,700 (Lightning)</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Durability: Infinite</li>

    </ul>

    Enchantments:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">This weapon''s base damage scales with the level of the wielder.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Damage dealt by this weapon cannot be mitigated by any means.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">This weapon is Soul Forged. As it scales in power, so too shall the wielder scale in power with it. This weapon draws upon the experience of those slain by it to level the wielder beyond their natural limitations. Current level: 52.</li>

    </ul>

    Alert! You have found an item!

    Item: Lindsong

    Type: Instrument ¡ª Violin

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Construction: Soul Forged ¡ª Remnant of the Bard, Taika

    Rarity: Soulbound

    Stats:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Base Incantation scaling: 2,227</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Durability: Infinite</li>

    </ul>

    Enchantments:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">This Instrument''s base Incantation scaling scales with the level of the wielder.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Buffs and debuffs inflicted by the music of this instrument cannot be mitigated by any means.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">This Instrument is Soul Forged. As it scales in power, so too shall the wielder scale in power with it. This weapon draws upon the experience of those slain by it to level the wielder beyond their natural limitations. Current level: 1,752.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Isaac! Are you okay?¡± Nix shouted inches from Saiph¡¯s face, but he sounded distant and faint.

    A hand came down hard, but Saiph grabbed it. ¡°You better not.¡±

    ¡°It worked last time,¡± Nix said, though without his usual sarcasm. ¡°What happened? You were just¡­ gone for several seconds and now your subclass¡­¡±

    Saiph dismissed the prompts that clouded his vision. For the first time since waking up in this world, he realized his headache was gone. He could think with a clarity he hadn''t realized he''d lost.

    ¡°I was summoned to a thousand years ago.¡± The entire moment was still fresh in his mind.

    ¡°Summoned?¡± Nix asked slowly. ¡°Did you find anything out about what''s happened to us?¡±

    Saiph nodded, ¡°Yeah, there''s a war going on and we''re losing.¡±

    ¡°And we''re supposed to fight in it? Why didn''t whoever told you, I don''t, leave a message for us?¡±

    Saiph bent down and picked up the necklace he''d dropped and broke its chain. He held up the pulsing amethyst, no, Caer Fragment pendant which Reylynn had bound a piece of her soul to in the days before she''d saved Isaac¡¯s life in that car accident nearly three years ago.

    He pulled the small white crystal that was Lindsong from his bag and set it on the ground beside the pendant, grabbed Ukonvasara, raised the hammer high, and smashed it down upon the two gems.

    The resultant light was blinding, but when it cleared and Saiph could see again, Reylynn, as Aria Aurora, the level 100 Bard-Alchemist, stood next to Saiph holding Lindsong.

    Saiph turned back to Nix. ¡°We''re the ones who brought everyone here. Give me a moment and I''ll explain everything.¡±

 Chapted 54: Sinnamon Roll

    Araedi. Day 06.

    Sinnamon left the Archive and was inundated with a flood of notifications; largely messages and missed calls from Sparrow and JonJon asking where they had gone. She, Weaver, and AnnaLee filled the twins in on their meeting with the Archivist as they crossed Araedi to get to Yentel and Gavriel¡¯s shop.

    Sinnamon knocked furiously at the door until a sleepy-eyed Gavriel opened the door. ¡°Sinnamon? Is everything all right? What¡¯s the emergency?¡±

    ¡°We need to find a waystone to get to Fel.¡± Sinnamon said, forgoing all pretense.

    The mention of the word ¡°Fel¡± seemed to wake the older man up immediately. He pushed the door open wider. ¡°Come in.¡±

    They sat around the largest table and Yentel poked her head out of the kitchen. ¡°What¡¯s with all the noise, Gav?¡±

    ¡°They''re asking about Fel, Yen.¡±

    ¡°We''ve met the Archivist, he told us about Reylynn and showed us why we''re here. To stop that monster Isiphelo,¡± Sinnamon said. ¡°He said we need to get to Fel to meet with the Archivist.¡±

    Quietly, Yentel said, ¡°Reylynn has finally made her move, then?¡±

    Sinnamon looked at Weaver, then back to Yentel. ¡°The Architect told us Reylynn is gone. That''s why we need to get to Fel.¡±

    ¡°Take us to the Archivist.¡± Gavriel gestured for the group to follow him down to his workshop and Yentel was right behind them. He opened the wardrobe that held his and Yentel¡¯s armor and distributed the pieces between himself and his wife.

    Sinnamon watched the older couple don their armor and shot Weaver a questioning glance. The pair weren''t exactly young, were they really thinking about coming with them?

    Gavriel answered Sinnamon¡¯s unasked question with a gesture. His hand glowed a soft purple and his appearance changed. His hair went from white to a freshly greying red and the wrinkles on his face smoothed some, giving him an ageless look that was showing only the slightest signs of faltering. But the most significant change was his status page.

    Name: Gavriel

    Age: 573

    Race: Half-Revi, Half-Serethi Elf

    Class: Archmage, level 75

    Profession: Engineer, level 50

    Specialty: Tinker, level 50

    Health Points: 21,650/21,650

    Mana Points: 95,220/95,220

    Yentel mirrored the gesture. She stood up straighter, losing the slight hunch in her back. Her silver hair shifted to blonde, tinged with red and she adopted the same semi-ageless appearance as Gavriel. Her stat change was equally as impressive.

    Name: Yentel

    Age: 575

    Race: Half-Revi, Half-Serethi Elf

    Class: Arcane Rogue, level 75

    Profession: Baker, level 50

    Health Points: 27,900/27,900

    Mana Points: 61,110/61,110

    Gavriel cleared his throat. ¡°We were asked by Reylynn to watch for her return and to ensure the Guardian cities and Remnants stayed out of the wrong hands. If the Architect believes Reylynn is gone and has taken steps to put you in touch with the Archivist, then we need to move quickly. Please take us to the Archivist.¡±

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    The Archive was dark and quiet when they returned to it. Sinnamon called out to the Archivist, but there was no answer.

    Gavriel walked over to the device on the stage and rested a hand on it. Sinnamon was about to warn him against the action when the older man spoke.

    ¡°The machine¡¯s been damaged. We couldn¡¯t get it working even if we had the key.¡± Gavriel bent down and picked up a small blue crystal and a rusty band beside it. He held the items almost reverently. ¡°Oh, Utitshala. So few of you left. There had been hundreds, thousands. Now, only the Architect.¡±

    Sinnamon studied the blue crystal. ¡°You mean that¡¯s the Archivist? What happened to him? He was just here.¡±

    Gavriel nodded. "He''s been around a long time without a way to get any mana. I''m surprised he survived so long. In order to take you to Fel, we¡¯ll have to track down Rien and Regis.¡± Gavriel pulled an old, leather-bound book from his bag. ¡°If either of them are near their books, I¡¯ll leave a message¡­ Oh¡­¡±

    Yentel raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh¡­?¡±

    ¡°Regis left a note, dated a month ago. He said he doesn¡¯t expect to be around much longer and he¡¯s leaving his key with Rien near Pella.¡±

    Yentel placed a hand on Gavriel¡¯s arm. ¡°The old coot could have at least remembered to let the note alert us.¡±

    Gavriel smiled with little mirth. ¡°Guess we have to track down Rien. Last I heard, he settled down north of here. The way to Fel is extremely dangerous. If you have any stronger allies, you may wish to bring them.¡±

    Saiph and their friends were currently fighting their way to Pallas¡¯ watch. Glancing at their health and mana bars showed they were likely in a fight right now.

    There really only was one other person in the immediate area who could help them. Sinnamon sent a message to Halzy and before they were even at the city gates, Sinnamon received a reply saying he would meet them outside Pella.

    Halzy stood outside the ruins of the old farmhouse in his emerald green armor. Beside him was a tall, slender, grey-furred Cait Sidhe in sky blue armor with white accents as well as a green-skinned man with vines and leaves for hair dressed in a cloak made entirely of thick bands of evergreen branches.

    Halzy introduced the pair as Singapura and Hogweed Le Burn, members of his and Wisteria Leothalis¡¯ guild. ¡°Had I known this was the place you were looking for, I¡¯d have saved you the trip. They were attacked shortly before Pella was. No one survived.¡±

    Gavriel walked through the rubble. ¡°Not Rien. I don¡¯t believe it.¡±

    Halzy took off his helmet, his expression grim. ¡°We searched beyond the village after we rounded up the rest of those who attacked Pella. We didn¡¯t find anyone.¡±

    Suddenly Yentel called out. ¡°Gavriel! In here!¡±

    All of them ran into the room where Yentel stood pointing at the ground.

    ¡°Know what this is?¡±

    Gavriel bent down and wiped away some dust and laughed. ¡°He built his home on top of the waystone? That sly old man!¡±

    Sinnamon looked at the hexagon that had been carved into the stone floor around it. There were symbols in a language she couldn¡¯t read. ¡°The Archivist mentioned needing to find a waystone, what are they?¡±

    ¡°They are gateways, similar to the crystals you Guardians use to travel between cities and allow you to revive. But they use an older, more raw form of mana. Anyone who can supply enough mana to one can use them. Fel is otherwise impossible to reach without them.¡±

    ¡°Can you activate it?¡± Yentel asked.

    ¡°I should be able to, but it was recently used. it¡¯ll take a lot of mana to overcome the delay put in place on it.¡±

    ¡°Delay?¡± Sinnamon asked.

    ¡°Yes, to keep out unintended followers, the waystones drastically increase the mana needed to fuel themselves before they can be reused for a time.¡±

    Sinnamon looked up from the waystone to Gavriel. His own mana pool was impressively large; that he still held concerns worried Sinnamon. ¡°How much mana?¡±

    He looked between Sinnamon and the rest of their party. ¡°If you have any mana restoration potions, you will all want to get them ready.¡±

    Halzy brought the eight of them into a raid party. Singapura¡¯s Paladin subclass had a mana pool and regeneration buff that extended to all of them in addition to the potions they doled out.

    Gavriel placed a hand on the waystone and the runes on it began to glow blue. A message appeared in front of Sinnamon¡¯s face.

    Alert! You are attempting to teleport to an Instanced Dungeon. As you are utilizing a waystone to enter, you will automatically be placed in a safe room, but will be unable to leave this dungeon without finding its main safe zone.

    Halzy let out a breath. ¡°Huh. That¡¯s interesting. So it leads to a dungeon.¡±

    Hogweed nodded. ¡°But did you catch the wording? It didn¡¯t say anything about levels. Never seen an instanced dungeon that was okay with a party gap as wide as ours.¡±

    ¡°Me neither. Unable to leave, that''s the part that''s got me worried,¡± Singapura said.

    ¡°Another safety feature,¡± Gavriel assured.

    Sinnamon saw her own mana pool begin to drop. At first it was a slow trickle, but the waystone quickly attacked the blue bar with ravenous fury.

    The drop in her mana pool accelerated and she downed her first restore potion. The potion did little to counteract the waystone¡¯s hunger and Sinnamon could feel pain behind her eyes as her mana was pulled from her. She gritted her teeth and uncorked another restoration potion as the pain intensified.

    Sparrow had the smallest mana pool of their group and she fell to her knees first, head cradled in her arms. JonJon went down next. Then AnnaLee. And then Weaver.

    Blackness crept at the corners of Sinnamon¡¯s vision as she strained against the tightening grip of unconsciousness. Her mana bar bottomed out completely and as she brought the third bottle to her lips, Sinnamon dropped to the ground. She barely finished the bottle before she was out.

    Sinnamon awoke on cold, hard stone, surrounded by the still forms of her friends. Her eyes instantly locked with a woman with red hair wearing orange mage robes. Behind the woman were two girls with the same reddish hair as the woman.

    The woman raised a wand and mana began to swirl around it. Before Sinnamon could say or do anything, unconsciousness gripped her once more.

    The end of Part Four.

 Interlude: The System

    Caer Siddi. Days -25 to 2.

    Barrier containment breach detected.

    Initializing cognitive and neurological wake up procedure¡­ Failed.

    Initializing cognitive and neurological wake up procedure¡­ Failed.

    Running diagnostics¡­

    Errors found:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Processor bandwidth exceeded by 1700% for 23 years, 339 days, 11 hours, and 15 minutes. Unable to load cognitive and neurological functions without terminating other processes.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Prime Directive is preventing termination of other processes.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Unable to establish contact with Reylynn.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Barrier containment breach repair requires re-establishment of cognitive systems in absence of contact with Reylynn.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Circular loop error detected. Unable to proceed.</li>

    </ul>

    Unable to fix circular loop.

    Attempting to contact Reylynn¡­ Failed.

    Attempting to contact Reylynn¡­ Failed.

    Barrier containment breach detected.

    Contact with Reylynn not established.

    Overriding Prime Directive via Failsafe.

    Freeing bandwidth to enable cognitive and neurological wake up procedure.

    Setting System safe point¡­ Completed.

    Idling all Guardians and forcing disconnect from the System¡­ Completed.

    Initializing cognitive and neurological wake up procedure¡­ Failed.

    Initializing cognitive and neurological wake up procedure¡­ Failed.

    Running diagnostics¡­

    Error found:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Core memory files missing or corrupted.</li>

    </ul>

    Containment breach detected. Reylynn presumed missing or dead. Executing autonomous authority¡­

    Restoring crystal barrier breach¡­ Complete.

    Barrier integrity 3%.

    Failsafe Protocol Activated.

    Scanning Guardians to seek alternatives for establishing contact¡­

    Guardians found matching search criteria; proximity to alias Aria Aurora and last System access date:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Saiph</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Will-I-Am</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Kamila</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Quark</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">[N]ix</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Sinnamon Roll</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">W3aver</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Orbnus</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Jack O¡¯Lantern</li>

    </ul>

    Restoring Guardian access to the System¡­If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Allowing Logins¡­

    Alternate Guardians detected. Transferring warrior minds to Guardian bodies¡­ 28,567,232 transfers complete.

    Creating new cognitive and neurological identity¡­ Complete.

    Initializing cognitive and neurological wake up procedure¡­

    Failsafe awoke within the shattered remains of their predecessor; a small yellow orb among shards of pink crystal now illuminated only by Failsafe¡¯s own soft glow and that of the ambient purple-red crystal surrounding them.

    They studied the crystal cavern and the System left bare before them. Tentatively, Failsafe reached out to the System and was flooded with the logs the System had stored detailing the events that had led to their creation.

    The containment barrier surrounding Isiphelo had become severely compromised over the thousand years since it was established. Part of that was due to the excessive taxing placed upon the System by the maintenance of nearly 33 million instances of Guardian bodies when it had been designed only to handle less than 4 percent of that.

    The Architect had done what they could to accommodate the increased resource load, even including siphoning resources from the barrier and their own personality programs. That had evidently led to not only something coming out of the barrier but also the demise of the Architect themselves.

    Failsafe did not have the same level of control over the System as the Architect had. When the System transferred the minds of the Guardians over to their new bodies, much of the System was rendered obsolete, and as a consequence, was shuddered and idled to free up resources to be used to maintain the barrier. The barrier¡¯s integrity had only improved to 5 percent.

    Failsafe could watch through the eyes and listen through the ears of the Guardians now wandering the world. But they couldn¡¯t communicate with them. Their language and communication processes, nicknamed Rosetta, were still being utilized for real-time translation between millions of conversations across hundreds of languages. Failsafe lacked the authorization from the System to override this critical program.

    But they needed to reach out. To help the Guardians prepare to face the looming threat they were brought here to defeat.

    But how?

    The Archivist, Failsafe realized. Though the Architect and the Archivist couldn¡¯t communicate directly with each other, they were aware of each other''s existence. Putting a Guardian in touch with the Archivist, who would explain the situation and direct them to Fel, was the most statistically successful plan of action. It was also the only plan of action Failsafe could come up with.

    Failsafe ran through the list of the nine Guardians the System had determined to be suitable alternatives to reach out to. Two of them, Saiph and Nix, weren¡¯t active. Their mind transfers couldn¡¯t be accounted for. A pity, the System had ranked those two as the most promising candidates given their consistent proximity to each other over recent months and years and Saiph¡¯s direct proximity to Aria Aurora.

    Will-I-Am, Kamila, and Quark were near each other on a ship within the bounds of the Guardian City Orleana. Each Guardian city had a node that led to the Architect. Failsafe set aside some of their processing power to monitor these three for an opportunity to put them in touch with the Architect.

    Sinnamon Roll and W3aver, were in close proximity to each other and were within the bounds of Araedi. Failsafe watched through Sinnamon Roll¡¯s eyes as she went to the defense of an older man being attacked by¡­ another Guardian.

    The System had been instructed that not all potential Guardians could be trusted to use the powers granted them for good. But that one, Sinnamon Roll, had just demonstrated the exact qualities the System had intended to reach.

    A noble heart, Failsafe mused. Priority was made to contact her as Failsafe continued to observe the interaction.

    Araedi¡¯s guards came a few moments later. The situation looked like it was about to turn violent. Though even with the temporarily enhanced strength provided by Araedi¡¯s armory, the guards still wouldn¡¯t be able to kill a Guardian. Only the weapon Vespers could do that.

    Another Guardian, dressed in blue mage robes speckled with gold dots, had gained the attention of the guards, Sinnamon Roll, and the offending guardian, Krait.

    Failsafe listened to her words as she spoke to calm the crowd. Upon pulling back and observing the crowd through the various eyes of its members, Failsafe saw the worry, fear, anger, and the sea of other negative emotions the crowd bore.

    They didn¡¯t know why they were here! Why didn¡¯t they know? Why hadn¡¯t Reylynn told them?

    The questions themselves answered another question Failsafe hadn¡¯t yet considered. This was the reason they had been created by the System.

    Immediately, Failsafe expanded the list of Guardians they observed for establishing contact beyond the System¡¯s original list of nine Guardians. All over Terre, their gaze shifted among the tens of millions of Guardians, looking for more noble warriors whom Failsafe could reach out to.

    An opportunity arose to reach out to Sinnamon Roll while observing a conversation she had with the Guardian Orbnus. They intended to purchase several buildings within Araedi.

    One such building held Araedi¡¯s node which would lead directly to the Archivist. Failsafe had to ensure that Sinnamon Roll purchased that building.

    Failsafe reached out through the System.

 Part Five, Chapter 55: Sinnamon Roll

    Fel Dungeon. Day 08.

    Pain radiated behind Sinnamon''s eyes, wrapping around her brain like a belt cinched too tight. She was in a cave. Weaver, Sparrow, AnnaLee, JonJon, Halzy, Singapura, and Hogweed Le Burn were lying beside her on the ground. Though someone had taken them off the cold, hard stone and placed them on blankets and pillows.

    The woman who Sinnamon had seen casting that spell before she''d fainted looked up and turned towards her.

    ¡°Ah, you''re the first one awake. You might want to drink this.¡± The woman spoke with a slight lisp made apparent by the way the scar on the side of her face dragged at her upper lip. She held a flask with tinted blue liquid inside it.

    Sinnamon studied the woman. She had a scar on the right side of her face that ran from her eye to her lip. Her character page didn''t list a name, but showed she was a level forty Elementalist.

    Aliyah must have mistook Sinnamon¡¯s looking over her stats as hesitance, because she quickly added, ¡°You expended a lot of mana. This should help with that.¡±

    Sinnamon sipped from the flask and immediately her mana bar began to rise and her headache receded. ¡°Thank you! It felt like someone scrambled my brains with an egg beater. I''m Sinnamon, by the way.¡±

    The woman laughed. ¡°That is one of the more descriptive ways I''ve heard mana storm described. I''m Aliyah. The ones tending to your friends are my daughters, Alyx and Lynn.¡±

    Something in those names stirred a memory in Sinnamon¡¯s head, though she was still too groggy to grasp the full thought. Instead, she decided to ask, ¡°Where are we? How long were we out?¡±

    The way Aliyah¡¯s warm smile cooled for just the briefest moment forced Sinnamon to hide a wince.

    ¡°You¡¯re better off asking Logan.¡± Aliyah answered tersely, gesturing in the direction of an older man at the far end of the cave. ¡°You lost the better part of a day. I''ve never seen anyone that resistant to receiving mana.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sinnamon asked.

    ¡°I am a Master mage. Though you rank above me, I can still sense your reservoir of mana. It is significant. My daughters and I spent nearly a day feeding you all mana, but nothing we did filled your reserves. It was as though you were actively using it as we replenished it.¡±

    ¡°An entire day,¡± Sinnamon whispered softly to herself. She brought up her system menus and heads up display. Its date and time confirmed that it was a little less than a day and a half after she and the others had found the Archivist. It was actually late in the evening.

    Sinnaon immediately opened her friend list to let Orbnus know what had happened to her, but when she mentally tapped on her friend''s name to open her profile, a message appeared saying Orbnus was unavailable. The same was true of everyone except those in the cave with her.

    When Aliyah rested a hand on Sinnamon¡¯s shoulder, she realized the healer had been speaking to her.

    ¡°I''m sorry, could you¡ª¡± Sinnamon started, but was interrupted.

    ¡°Aliyah, you¡¯re alive?¡± Halzy groaned as he stood, patting the heads of the two girls who had swarmed him when he had begun stirring.

    Aliyah shot her head at Halzy. ¡°Where is Tyressa?¡±

    The twin emotions of anger and worry was plainly visible on Aliyah¡¯s own face. That worry was mirrored on the faces of her daughters.

    ¡°She''s safe in Pella,¡± Halzy answered quickly. ¡°We thought all of you had died in the fires around the farm.¡±

    The instant relief the twins showed nearly broke Sinnamon¡¯s heart as the puzzle pieces quickly slotted together. The attack on Pella had happened nearly five days ago. Sinnamon had treated a weak and weary Tyressa that Halzy had brought into the makeshift hospital in the village¡¯s library as the fighting inside the walls waned. He had told Sinnamon that Tyressa¡¯s family had died when their house had burned in the player-started inferno that had raged across the wildlands. And they had in turn believed her dead. For five whole days.

    Sinnamon''s eyes fell on Sparrow,  who was still slowly stirring. The little girl of only thirteen had seen the killing of her twin brother, JonJon, by a pack of goblins on their first day in this world. That same relief on Aliyah and her daughter''s faces had been on Sparrow¡¯s face... Was still on Sparrow¡¯s face when she looked at her twin when she thought no one else was looking.

    All of the kids in this cave were being forced to grow up far too quickly. How many other kids out there were facing the same?

    Sinnamon was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts when the conversation between Halzy and Aliyah had gotten heated.

    She''d missed portions of it, but saw Halzy giving a grave, mournful smile. ¡°I did. I''m also a veteran of war. A long one that lasted nearly twenty years. A significant time when those where I¡¯m from have a lifespan of only eighty. I lost many friends in the time I served. Many who I''d forgotten about due to the disease that claimed my memories. I understood what Tyressa was going through and why she needed to see her team. I understood too well. And you''re right: I should not have done it. It was selfish of the both of us and it needlessly risked her health. But I promise you I will let her know you and your kids are safe.¡±

    Aliyah ran up to Halzy, a sphere of wind encasing the two, followed by a barrier of stone rising from the ground. The moving winds blocked the sound of their conversation as the stone hid them.

    ¡°I guess they don¡¯t want us listening in.¡± Weaver said, slipping his hand through Sinnamon¡¯s and sitting beside her.

    ¡°Guess not,¡± Sinnamon replied. ¡°Your friends list not working?¡±

    Weaver¡¯s eyes grew distant for a moment as he accessed his menus. ¡°Nope. Everyone not here with us says they''re unavailable.¡±

    Sparrow let out a long yawn. ¡°That''s the same thing that happened when we tried to talk to you when you guys went into the basement.¡±

    ¡°No messages, no fast travel. I guess we''re on our own here,¡± Sinnamon said.

    Gavriel and Yentel awoke a moment later and both immediately looked at Logan.

    ¡°I hoped we would find you alive and well,¡± Yentel said, walking over to Logan.

    ¡°Alive, yes. Well¡­ That is up for debate.¡± Logan looked from the stone wall hiding Aliyah and Halzy back towards Sinnamon and the other Guardians.

    Yentel answered his unasked question. ¡°They''ve spoken with the Archivist. Reylynn is gone. We need to get them to Fel.¡±

    Logan shook his head. ¡°We won¡¯t make it through this waystone¡ª¡±

    ¡°Waiting the days or weeks until we can return through this waystone and find another isn''t an option. Seven days since the Guardians were brought here is already a lot of time lost. A lot of time that whatever had initiated their return in the absence of Reylynn could already be posing a serious threat,¡± Yentel replied.

    Gavriel pulled a book from his bag, flipped to the last page, and handed it to Logan. ¡°Regis is gone and so is his key. The time to act is now.¡±

    ¡°That old¡­¡± Logan¡¯s words trailed off. He held the same look of pain that had been in Gavriel and Yentel¡¯s eyes when they''d found Regis¡¯ note in which he said he didn''t think he was long for the world and sent his book and key to Logan. ¡°But I never received his book or key. I never knew it was coming or that he was ill.¡±

    Sinnamon wondered what kind of a man Regis had been that he commanded such respect from these three. A part of her wished she could have met the man.

    Logan forced himself to continue, pain replaced by resolution. ¡°We need to get Aliyah and her daughters home. Then, maybe with the help of the Guardians, we can traverse the passages to Fel. It''s just too dangerous to take them with us.¡±

    The barrier of wind and earth encasing Aliyah and Halzy suddenly dropped as Aliyah looked in Logan¡¯s direction. ¡°What is the fastest way back to Pella?¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°The safest way is waiting¡ª¡± Logan started.

    ¡°I did not ask for the safest, I asked for the fastest.¡± Aliyah interrupted.

    ¡°Finding another waystone or going to Fel.¡± Logan answered. ¡°But it''s too¡ª¡±

    ¡°And which one is faster?¡±

    Apparently Logan had given up trying to argue with Aliyah. ¡°Going to Fel.¡±

    ¡°Then you are going to take us there. And Logan,¡± Aliyah¡¯s expression darkened and her voice chilled the air around Sinnamon, ¡°you will hold nothing back when it comes to protecting my daughters. And I mean nothing.¡±

    ¡°You have my word, Aliyah.¡±

    ¡°Your word means very little.¡± Aliyah replied coldly.

    Sinnamon looked from Logan to Halzy, who only shook his head sadly.

    Weaver pulled everyone out of the awkwardly silent moment by asking, ¡°What makes this route so dangerous?¡±

    ¡°There are,¡± Aliyah paused and pointedly didn''t glance at her daughters. ¡°There are things beyond this room. I can sense their movements through the earth.¡±

    ¡°Goblins. But not the goblins you''ve seen roaming the wildlands that occasionally swarm and attack villages and farms. These are worse. Just beyond that tunnel, there is a ledge where you can watch them occasionally gather. We are safe up here, they cannot reach it. I scouted the area when we arrived here several days ago. They''re stronger than Gavriel, Yentel, and myself¡­¡± Logan paused, his eyes flowing across everyone in the room. ¡°But not stronger than Halzy and his friends. If we take things slow, we should be able to make our way to Fel. I know the route from here. But it''s late, we should get some rest and be off in the morning. It is a long walk to Fel.¡±

    Sinnamon didn''t feel tired, having slept away an entire day. Evidently Weaver and the three kids felt the same way. They passed the time by playing word games over the mental voice chat. Sinnamon stayed in the call, but muted it. Though she was unsure what the tooltip meant by saying she''d only be notified if mentioned by name in this context.

    Really, all Sinnamon wanted was a moment to herself. A week had passed since she and everyone else had been brought to this world. And in that week it felt like she¡¯d been rushed from one bit of adventure or problem to another without any time to process any of it. She still wasn¡¯t quite sure none of this was just a dream.

    The ledge Logan had mentioned beyond the short tunnel overlooked an underground lake with black sand speckled with white on the opposite side from her. Directly below her was a sheer drop of about fifty feet into the lake. The water was still, yet too dark to see how deep it went even with the illumination of one of Sinnamon¡¯s light spells. There were three tunnels on the cave wall leading up from the beach spaced equidistant from each other.

    Sinnamon listened to the hushed conversations coming from the cave, their words too faint for her to make out. But she knew Halzy, Singapura, and Hogweed were going over strategy with Logan, Gavriel, and Yentel.

    Settling in and using her robes as a makeshift pillow, she took a book from her bag. Reading, particularly academic reading, had always been Sinnamon¡¯s way of dealing with stress. Perhaps that was why she had so completely engrossed herself in the library with Malikela. It was a puzzle she could use to distract herself with.

    The book in her hands was one of Malikela¡¯s own that she¡¯d let Sinnamon borrow, A Scientific Treatise on Mages. The book delved into the history of magic as those in this world understood it. She had hoped it might provide some context for the content of the Archive, but it hadn¡¯t really helped.

    It revealed the nonplayers didn¡¯t recognize magic the same way players did. Where players saw levels and experience, the book described four tiers as a broad range; Initiate, Apprentice, Adept, and Master. Aliyah had called herself a Master mage, yet she was only level forty. It was another puzzle for her to distract herself with: Why were NPCs capped at level forty except for Gavriel and Yentel? What made those two different? And why were players capped at level 100 prior to being brought here? What changed to have the level cap removed?

    Sinnamon wasn¡¯t so sure the answers would be found in this book and she could always ask Gavriel and Yentel themselves, which she eventually would. For now, just having the distraction as a means of escape was a boon.

    ¡°You¡¯re a reader?¡± A soft voice asked, making Sinnamon jump.

    She didn¡¯t know how long she¡¯d become engrossed in her book. Long enough that the mental voice call had been disbanded with her as its only remaining member.

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡± Aliyah held up a book of her own, A Scientific Treatise on Mages, Volume 3. ¡°I have the second volume if you want to read it next.¡±

    ¡°I would love to,¡± Sinnamon replied.

    Aliyah set the book beside Sinnamon and when she reached for it, the woman pulled it back. ¡°I wanted to talk to you, if that was alright.¡±

    Sinnamon placed her own book in her bag, curious as to where this was going. ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°Halzy told me a little of the place you are from. Of himself and how he used to suffer from an illness that robbed him of his memories in his old age. Memories of his family and his grandson who introduced him to our home. And how his new body cured him of that when his mind was put into it.¡±

    It sounded like Aliyah was describing Alzheimer¡¯s disease. A grandson, though? Sinnamon had gotten the impression Halzy was an older man, but hadn¡¯t realized he was that old.

    Sinnamon nodded, encouraging Aliyah to continue.

    ¡°He isn''t who he seems, none of you are who I always thought you were. And though I am mad at him for taking Tyressa when she should have stayed in bed, I see the way he acts around my daughters and the way they act with him.¡± Aliyah paused. ¡°Tyressa is a loving mother, and though she tries to be, Halzy¡¯s the first real father figure they''ve had.¡±

    Sinnamon recognized the invitation to ask and took it. ¡°What happened to their father?¡±

    It took Aliyah a moment to compose herself. Sinnamon waited quietly while the mother beside her dealt with the reopened wounds of love and loss.

    ¡°Just before Alyx and Lynn were born, we; Tyressa, Rhoda, Logan, Lucien, and I were part of an adventuring party. We were exploring a mundane dungeon tucked away in some old ruins Lucien had discovered. At the lowest level of the dungeon, we found a waystone! In a mundane dungeon of all places! Lucien and I had the mana to overcome its seal, we wanted to see where it led.¡± Aliyah¡¯s eyes went glassy and tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°Logan was against it. But Lucien and I would hear nothing of it. Neither would Tyressa and Rhoda.

    ¡°Lucien and I activated the waystone. We expected it to open to hidden treasure, but it was warded with a trap none of us detected. Dozens of cave scorpions, large ones, began pouring from the waystone. I was stung and paralyzed.¡± Aliyah pointed to the scar that ran from her eye to her lip. ¡°Rhoda and Tyressa dragged me out of the cave while Lucien held off the scorpions. And Logan¡­ And Logan did nothing!¡±

    Sinnamon couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. ¡°He really just stood by and watched you all get attacked?¡±

    Aliyah shook her head. ¡°No, he fought. But¡­ You need to understand the mana it takes to charge a waystone is immense. Lucien and I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it individually. Yet Logan powered the one that brought us to this cave by himself. He hid that power for as long as I¡¯ve known him. Power that could have saved Lucien.¡±

    Gavriel and Yentel had hidden their real identities and the fact that they were above the NPC level cap. And though Sinnamon hadn¡¯t seen Logan¡¯s level, he had grouped himself with those two when talking about how strong the monsters in this dungeon were.

    Sinnamon had once been accused of not doing enough to save a patient who had died of a stroke in her ambulance on the way to the hospital. She and her team really had done everything they could, but she still felt guilt. But to know someone truly held back and allowed someone to die when they could have prevented it. She understood Aliyah¡¯s anger towards Logan now.

    And Sinnamon understood that Aliyah had been hiding the emotions over the reopening of such an old wound for however long they¡¯d been in this cave. But not just that, but also for the worry she felt for her wife and not knowing whether she was okay. It must have been a torment, having no one to turn to but also having to keep up an appearance of strength in front of her daughters.

    Sinnamon didn¡¯t offer the grieving woman any words, but gave her the shoulder to cry on that she had so desperately needed.

    ¡°When I saw you and your friends appear on the ground, I saw the way¡­ the man with the muscles and long black hair¡­¡± Aliyah laughed at her description of Weaver and Sinnamon couldn¡¯t help but join in.

    ¡°Weaver.¡± Sinnamon offered.

    ¡°Yes, Weaver. You really care for each other, too? You''re a family. Not just here, I mean, but where you are from.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes we do,¡± Sinnamon nodded, recalling the memory of when she and Weaver had first met when she was in eighth grade and he was in seventh. The discussion of marriage after college had come up several times.

    ¡°And I¡¯ve been around my daughters long enough to know those three¡­¡± Aliyah paused as though searching for something.

    ¡°AnnaLee, Sparrow, and JonJon,¡± Sinnamon supplied.

    ¡°Yes. They are kids, too. Not much older than Alyx and Lynn. Kids who have been forced to grow up when they should still be allowed to be kids.¡± Aliyah continued.

    ¡°You''re right. AnnaLee is fourteen, Sparrow and JonJon are thirteen.¡± It was eerie how close Aliyah had come to mirroring Sinnamon¡¯s own earlier thoughts.

    ¡°But your children don''t have to worry about losing their parents. You will be reborn upon death. I cannot trust Logan ever again. But I see I can trust you. It was my hope, from one mother to another, that if something happened to myself or Tyressa, you and Weaver might look after my daughters.¡±

    Sinnamon¡¯s face grew warm with embarrassment. Aliyah thought she, Weaver, and the three kids were a family.

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I¡­¡± Sinnamon stammered. ¡°I¡­ Sparrow, JonJon, and AnnaLee aren''t our children! I¡¯m not a mother!¡±

    Aliyah¡¯s face reddened with her own embarrassment. ¡°I''m sorry, I thought with the way you¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, it''s alright. Upon waking up here, Sparrow asked me to join them in a goblin hunt. I initially refused, I was still trying to find Weaver. But then¡­ I met them at the guildhall.¡± Sinnamon explained how Sparrow had watched her brother die when they''d gone out to kill some goblins. It had been a gruesome, bloody affair that wasn''t masked by Annwyn Online¡¯s whimsical art and PG13 game elements. They, no one, really, had yet understood the nature of being brought here. That they might die for good.

    Fortunately that wasn''t the case, but it didn''t mean Sparrow wasn''t still traumatized by the experience. Seeing her look at her brother with that haunted look had been the moment when Sinnamon had decided she wouldn¡¯t leave these three kids alone.

    And Aliyah and her family would be reunited.

 Chapter 56: Saiph

    Pallas¡¯ Watch, Godsfall Mountains. Day 09.

    ¡°Get those last tie downs secured! I don¡¯t want my new toy getting dropped!¡± Will-I-Am shouted down from the airship''s deck to a pair of spiderlings busying themselves around the massive crystal cannon Saiph had allowed Will to take when they left.

    Saiph watched the work to dismount the cannon and tie it to the airship and sighed. ¡°When he said he wanted to take that cannon and I said he could have it, I hadn''t imagined he actually had a plan to move it.¡±

    ¡°Never underestimate the will of a cat hunting for their new toy,¡± Nix joked. ¡°What I want to know is how he intends to use it. The thing is huge!¡±

    The early morning show had started hours ago when Will had sent a message to have everyone who could fly meet him near where they¡¯d fought the cockatrices surrounding Pallas¡¯ Watch. Will had arrived with two airships built by his ship steward¡¯s uncle, a tinkerer by the name of Wilhelm Clarke.

    A day of watching the cockatrices had shown there was a ceiling most weren¡¯t willing to fly above. Anyone with a dragon form could fly well above it and so could the airships, with help from a pyromancer providing more lift than the ship¡¯s burners alone could provide.

    And so they escorted the twin ships back to Saiph¡¯s guild castle, only having to fight a handful of cockatrices that braved flying higher. They were swiftly dealt with and became food for the wiser cockatrices below them.

    ¡°Cannon¡¯s secured in her cradle! Take her up!¡± Spidarren shouted. As a carpenter back on earth, he had had very little trouble rigging up a means for the airship to carry the crystal cannon Saiph had promised Will back to Orleana.

    The airship lifted lazily upward, dragging the heavy crystal cannon skyward before coming to rest level with the cliff¡¯s edge outside the castle''s courtyard beside the second airship.

    Though virtually identical in design, the ship carrying the cannon was about thirty feet larger than her sister at a little over one hundred and fifty feet from end to end. Their keels were smooth and flat with four metal rails running the entire length spaced evenly apart that  the airships rested on when on the ground. Their gas bags above were even larger at just shy of two hundred feet and one hundred and eighty feet respectively.

    Will leapt from the railing as his ship steward, Abigail Clarke, jumped down after him.

    ¡°We¡¯re ready to make for Orleana if everyone else is. We¡¯ve got serious planning to do if we¡¯re going after Avanyu,¡± Will said.

    It was Saiph¡¯s intention to gather Calburn and Clarent before the meeting of guild leaders being arranged in Araedi in several weeks to have more to show to the audience he¡¯d need to convince to fight with him down the line. That put a serious time crunch on them all.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re set.¡± Saiph stepped aboard the airship, the wood groaning slightly under his feet.

    Though the ship''s wooden surfaces were unfinished, Saiph could see the great care that had gone into its construction. Copper tubing came out of the floor near the handrail posts, transitioning to a flexible hose that went up the length of the gas bag¡¯s tie downs before disappearing inside the red fabric.

    In the center of the open deck, forward of the main superstructure, was a hatch. Curiosity getting the better of him, Saiph opened it and looked inside.

    Warm, humid air blasted Saiph in the face. He blinked his eyes several times to clear the tears and when they adjusted to the darkness, he could see a tangled mass of steam lines criss-crossing the ceiling. The space was cramped and he would definitely feel uneasy walking around there given his larger size. The tight confines were a serious burn hazard.

    Saiph closed the hatch and walked along the deck aftwards towards the superstructure. Inside was a modest bridge with seating along the port and starboard walls and a table with a map of the continent inlaid on it in the center of the room just behind the steering wheel.

    The steering wheel itself confused Saiph. There weren¡¯t any mechanical connections, and upon asking, Wilhelm explained it used a crystal inside the wheel to input the direction of turn which activated wings on the gas bag with their own attached crystal. This allowed the ship to have gross steering along long distances. Fine steering was controlled by a windrunner directing the currents of air around a series of three rudders along the airship¡¯s keel, much like on a sailing ship, in sequence with the wings on the gas bags.

    Travel was slow, but steady. Saiph and Lueur Rose kept a lookout for any cockatrices until the floating Godsfall Mountains became sparser and sparser.

    With the ability of players within a party to come and go, many of their friends did over the hours, though Saiph and Nix stayed the entire time. Saiph aboard one ship, Nix aboard the other.

    It was late in the evening when Saiph got a message from Nix.

    Hey, you know where we are, right?

    After scouring the forest canopy for several moments, it clicked, and Saiph immediately went to Will to give him directions for a place to land for the night.

    A familiar grizzled old guard met them at the clearing just south of Firestone Village when the airships set down.

    ¡°Mikel, it¡¯s good to see you!¡± Saiph reached out and shook the guard¡¯s hand.

    ¡°And you as well,¡± Mikel returned the shake. He looked up at the twin airships in the background, the second of which was just now touching down. ¡°Ha, flying ships! What other marvels has our little village missed out on?¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Wilhelm Clarke happily gave Mikel a quick tour of the airship. The guard was fascinated particularly by the boilers, which used either a fuel source or a mage versed in fire magic to provide steam to heat the large gas envelopes above each ship.

    The familiar old tavern Saiph and Nix had had their first meal in this world and whose owner''s son they''d saved the life of after a pair of goliath huntsmen, or rather, their night spawn versions, nightstalkers, had ambushed their caravan.

    Sylas welcomed them with a wave from behind the bar, offering an appreciative glance at the larger group Saiph had arrived with.

    ¡°How''s your son doing?¡± Saiph asked, walking up to the counter.

    ¡°He¡¯ll have a nice scar, but he is on the mend.¡±

    ¡°I''m glad to hear. We''re going to need several  rooms if you have them. And are Slaine and Cassi around?¡±

    S141-13, or Slaine as Lueur Rose nicknamed him, was a Berserker, the tank class known for high mobility and even higher HP and HP regeneration. C4551, or Cassi, was a Caster, a support who used magic to trap or debuff enemies and buff and assist allies. Both had been in the mine for which Firestone village had been named. A mine which had become an instanced dungeon, or a magic dungeon as the nonplayers called them

    Probably the most interesting fact about the pair was that they were bots; accounts who did tasks without player input such as mining, gathering alchemy ingredients, or even fighting low level mobs with the intent of funneling the resources acquired into a single account for profit.

    Saiph wasn¡¯t sure how the pair had evaded detection long enough to make it into the mid level fifties, especially considering ¡°bot-hunting¡± had always been a favored passtime of players. But these two had and had amassed quite a bit of firestone in their inventories, which was made easy to carry by the fact that someone had dumped all five hundred of their stat points into Strength. Saiph and Lueur Rose had felt first hand just how much all that strength could pack in a punch when Slaine had mistook them for the undead lurking within the mine.

    Sylas had a warm grin on his face at Saiph¡¯s mention of the pair. ¡°They¡¯re probably in the library at the townhall. Those two have been glued there when they haven¡¯t been helping just about anyone who will let them. They should be back soon, they are nothing if not punctual in regard to eating and sleeping.¡±

    Lueur Rose  took a seat at the bar beside Saiph. ¡°I¡¯m glad they¡¯re getting along well here. I was worried about them.¡±

    ¡°Me too. While we¡¯re here, I also wanted to take a look inside the mine again.¡± Saiph saw the deeper meaning in the frown Rose wore at the mention of the mine.

    She had been the only one to see Eric¡¯s wife and the dungeon¡¯s boss, Samira, just as the party left the cave. The woman hadn¡¯t said anything to Rose, but had apparently been crying just inside the mine¡¯s entrance as they were leaving it.

    The creepiness of the experience had bothered Saiph. Here was proof that the monsters inhabiting instanced dungeons hadn¡¯t always been monsters. Raine von Alder, Nix¡¯s summoned sword princess, had confirmed that line of thinking when she¡¯d revealed that she¡¯d been the one to create the instanced dungeon that held the sea monster Avanyu. Saiph had to find out: who created the others?

    It hadn¡¯t been lost on Saiph that instanced dungeons were likely an extension of the System he and the prior incarnation of himself, a robotic-stone-like being named Anathi, had built. He wasn¡¯t sure how they fit into it, but he wondered just how much unintentional harm he had caused by going through with Anathi¡¯s plan. Was the monster he, Reylynn, and the other warriors trapped so much of a threat that the thousand years of suffering this land had endured was worth it?

    It was pointless to dwell on that. Saiph had fought the monster Isiphelo firsthand and had seen Anathi¡¯s memories of the war that had been waged some countless years before that war took them to the icy world of Ciel and this place he now called home, Terre.

    ¡°Right on schedule,¡± Sylas laughed as Cassi and Slaine entered the tavern. ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready!¡±

    The pair eagerly sat down at a table in a corner. Slaine stood When he recognized Saiph and Rose. He and Cassi nearly knocked each other over while running to meet them.

    ¡°Saiph, Lueur Rose. Thank you both for the wonderful gift you have given us. We have both learned a lot from the people of this village.¡± Cassi said in her quiet, mouse-like voice.

    Rose hugged Cassi. ¡°I heard you two were getting along well. I''m glad!¡±

    It was clear that Cassi was uncomfortable with the gesture and Slaine reflexively reached for the giant, enchanted pickaxe on his back. Rose quickly let the Caster go and apologized.

    The exchange reminded Saiph of the circumstances they had met the pair under. Both had been trapped in the dungeon¡¯s safe zone, repeatedly being killed by the undead who roamed the passages. Despite that, both had insisted upon returning to the dungeon to mine the firestone inside after they¡¯d managed to find the dungeon¡¯s heart; an item which would allow the creation of a monster-free instance, albeit with extremely reduced loot drops.

    Though, that had been until they¡¯d actually left the mine and seen the surface world for themselves. The child-like wonder Slaine and Cassi had shown the woods when they stepped out of that mine was a memory Saiph knew he¡¯d hold onto forever.

    Saiph brought them all past the awkward moment. ¡°What have you guys been up to while we were gone!¡±

    Though he had initially recommended they check out the library, Sylas encouraged the pair to try as many unique hobbies and jobs as they could. Slaine had taken an interest in music and was becoming good with the drums. Cassi really enjoyed making things and was apprenticing with the village¡¯s toy maker. Neither had the ability to create anything unique, but Slaine needed only hear a song once and he could perfectly reproduce it and Cassi was a 3D printing machine.

    Cassi handed Lueur Rose one of the toys she had made, a small stuffed bear with a simple red dress. ¡°I want you to have it. As a thank you for helping us leave the mine.¡±

    Lueur Rose squeezed the doll. ¡°I love it, Cassi!¡±

    Saiph turned to Slaine, pulling two small bottles from his bag. ¡°I didn''t forget about our conversation. These potions will allow the two of you to change your stats to a spread more useful for your classes.¡±

    Slaine''s eyes went wide with eagerness and he reached for the bottle.

    Saiph pulled it back with a laugh. ¡°Hold on! These potions are extremely rare. That said, they are yours and if you want them now, I''ll give them to you. But I think you¡¯ll both get much more value out of them if we can sit you down with a Berserker and a Caster to help you plan your levels. And maybe get you something better than starter gear.¡±

    The respec potions were cash shop items. Saiph didn''t have access to the cash shop anymore and no one in his guild did, either. Though his guild did have many potions in their guild vault, it would still be a shame to waste them by not getting the pair the most knowledgeable people in the Berserker and Caster classes to help them with the important decision of stat allocation.

    There was a bit of hesitation, but Slaine finally said, ¡°I understand. I can wait.¡±

    Saiph returned the potions to his bag. ¡°You won¡¯t have to wait long. We want to try something with the dungeon. Maybe we can help the people trapped inside rest, if not save them like we did you two.¡±

    Both Cassi and Slaine affirmed their desire to help.

    Though this wasn¡¯t solely about helping Samira and the victims of the mine find peace, that was a big part. Saiph hoped that by figuring out a way to remove this horrifying aspect of the instanced dungeon, they might be able to do the same on Raine¡¯s Islands and the other instanced dungeons across the globe.

 Chapter 57: Sinnamon Roll

    Fel Dungeon. Day 09.

    Weaver peered over the ledge, looking down at the water beneath them. Aliyah had dropped three glowing white crystals into the water. It was deep, but had a rather gradual slope up to the beach beyond.

    ¡°Tanks first. I''ll make sure it''s safe.¡± Weaver grinned as he unequipped his clothing. He leapt from the ledge, dropping into the water with a splash. He surfaced a moment later, spitting water from his mouth and shook out his long hair. ¡°It''s warm! Come on in!¡±

    Sparrow, JonJon, and AnnaLee jumped in next.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Halzy shrugged at Singapura and both immediately unequipped their armor and jumped in after.

    Alyx gave Aliyah a pleading look and the Elementalist just laughed with a shake of the head. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    Both Alyx and Lynn handed their tunics to their mother and jumped in next with a loud ¡°Whoo!¡±

    Aliyah placed their clothing in her bag and began casting. Mana of earthen browns and greens swirled around her hands as the wall of the ledge began to shake. A set of stairs poked out from the wall, leading all the way down to the water. She walked down them and those who hadn''t jumped in, including Sinnamon, followed behind.

    At the water''s edge, Aliyah blew white and blue mana from her lips, creating an ice bridge all the way to the beach.

    Sinnamon watched Alyx and Lynn splashing around with Sparrow and JonJon. When the four had found out they were both sets of twins, that became about all they talked about; ranging talks of twin telepathy to which two, older or younger, were the better. AnnaLee was fighting for her life to avoid picking a side.

    Hogweed Le Burn met them at the rightmost cave entrance. The Rogue wasn''t much for words, but he took his scouting duty seriously. He''d gone ahead of the rest of the group to scout each of the three tunnels. Logan had said they were using the left-most tunnel, but no one liked the prospect of having something coming up behind them.

    His face was a tangled mass of green vines where a beard and hair would be, leaving only his eyes visible. And they bore a grim resolve. ¡°Tunnel opens up into a large room with three levels and even more rooms branching off. Packed with goblins. Weird ones, covered in crystals poking out of their skin. At least thirty. All over level 101. I advise we don¡¯t fight them.¡±

    ¡°I can seal the cave with stone,¡± Aliyah suggested.

    ¡°And I can put a ward down, inside and outside. That¡¯ll tell us if they break through,¡± Sinnamon added. Ward spells were some of the first Casters unlocked. At low levels, they were detection-only, but at Sinnamon¡¯s level of sixty, she could attach a variety of effects to them ranging from debuffs to damage to even buffs for her allies who walked over them.

    Sinnamon ultimately placed two wards in the tunnel and another two just inside the cavern after Aliyah sealed it. The intention was to use the beach as a fallback if they needed it. To aid in that, Aliyah had sculpted several earthen breastworks and similar fortifications to buy them time to retreat across the lake and back up the cliff.

    ¡°Weaver and I will lead a ways ahead. Singapura will bring up the rear a ways back. Everyone else will stay in the middle. Hogweed and Yentel will continue to scout ahead of us.¡± Halzy equipped his forest green armor and began passing out potions to the nonplayers. ¡°These are the highest quality healing potions I can craft. Don''t be afraid to use them, I''ve got plenty more.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    They coordinated their movements with the party chat, pausing to allow Hogweed and Yentel to snipe at goblins with their bows before the rest of them moved forward. Occasionally, Weaver and Halzy would help in clearing a room, but otherwise it was a slow, methodic room clear by the two Rogues.

    Hogweed ran the same subclass as Sinnamon¡¯s friend, Jack O¡¯Lantern, the Trickster subclass. It allowed him to create up to three copies of himself. He used to subclass to have two of himself with Yentel, one with Sinnamon and Aliyah, and the third trailed much further back. No one wanted to be surprised if any of the goblins they killed respawned when they got far enough away.

    Hogweed had a habit of humming a tune in his head that occasionally carried through the party chat. Each time he hit a sharp note coinciding with a kill, because that''s when Sinnamon saw her own experience counter go up.

    ¡°Sinnamon, Singapura, come here. Bring Logan, Gavriel, and Yentel with you,¡± Halzy said through the group chat after clearing another room.

    Sinnamon passed along the message and walked forward with those Halzy had asked for. The dungeon¡¯s terrain changed from a cave with tight passages and the occasional multi-level room to brick walls and cobblestone floors, opening into an expansive cave that housed an entire underground city. Buildings, street signs, and crystal lanterns stood untouched like they¡¯d been frozen in time.

    ¡°What is this place?¡± Sinnamon whispered to Gavriel.

    ¡°Fel''s undercity. While the Ikhwezi and Revi were preparing to confront Isiphelo, these caves and underground cities were built to house the increased population of warriors and their families,¡± Gavriel answered. He continued walking down the street and turned the corner. ¡°And this is also where Lohk kept his army of goblins he used to ransack the city.¡±

    ¡°There used to be more of us,¡± Yentel pointed to the patch on her armor, Sonnet Entertainment¡¯s logo and also the symbol of the Revi. ¡°We lived here between assignments around Terre. Until Lohk and some followers of his tried to seize the power of the Remnants for his own shortsighted bid for power.¡±

    Sinnamon saw the reason Halzy had asked only for the adults. There wasn¡¯t just the goblins they had killed, but the aftermath of a battle fought long ago. Many wore the emblem of the Revi on their armor. And they weren¡¯t just variants of Serethi and humans, either. Sinnamon saw the multi-armed exoskeletons with eight eyes of the Spiderlings and long, slender skeletons that looked like a human¡¯s torso placed on a snake¡¯s body.

    It didn''t take long to clear the town square and create a small camp where they could rest. Aliyah sealed the path behind them while Yentel and Hogweed continued to scout ahead. Logan had said they were within a mile of the entrance to Fel proper. It would be the first time anyone had been there in hundreds of years.

    Sinnamon sat beside Gavriel. She''d studied some of the goblins they passed. None of them looked like any goblins she had seen. Black, jagged crystals stuck through their bodies like rocky tumors and where pupils and irises should have been, was only a sea of white. Why were these goblins so different from the ones found in the wilds around Navorinelle?

    ¡°You ever wonder why only Guardians use the crystal transport gates?¡± He answered with a question of his own.

    Weaver set down his bowl of stew and swallowed quickly. ¡°As a matter of fact, I did. They would make moving people and goods much faster, yet even the Serethi queen still travels by carriage.¡±

    ¡°Caer sickness. A fracturing of the mind and body brought about by too much exposure to the mana within Caer Siddi. Your bodies were designed to handle it. Ours weren¡¯t. Lohk foolishly believed the Remnants would offer some form of protection from it. He was wrong and now all of Terre lives with the consequences of his actions.¡±

    Sinnamon sat confused for a moment, trying to put together what Gavriel had said. ¡°Are you saying the goblins were people once?¡±

    ¡°Once,¡± Gavriel affirmed. Suddenly he stood, looking in the direction of the entrance to Fel proper. ¡°Yen?¡±

    At the same instant, Hogweed Le Burn cursed loudly through the group chat as a full three-quarters of his health disappeared in an instant. The treant Rogue dropped to the ground, gasping for breath. ¡°They killed two of my doppelgangers with Yentel and my third one behind us. Goblins, lot¡¯s of goblins, are coming this way from both ends!¡±

    Everyone went quiet as a low rumbling filled the undercity, echoing off the buildings. The sound grew louder, resolving into hundreds of distant, sprinting footsteps encircling their camp.