《Realms of Destiny: A LitRPG Adventure》 Prologue Prologue
Your life is on the line, the blade is at your chest. It''s time to play the game to win. - ¡°Send in the Silver Gryphons,¡± Michael Longcor & Cecilia Eng
The rocky crags of the Ferchuvi Mountains rose high enough to block out the sun, and kept the chasm below in permanent shade, except for the few minutes at noon, when a slice of sunlight shot down through the cracks in the stony spikes that laced across the canyon sides and splashed across the chasm floor. To the red fox who sat, perfectly camouflaged, on one of the large rocks at the base of the canyon wall, the stone spikes looked much like bony fingers curled into grasping claws as they loomed over the building that sat nestled far below. The building was 20 feet tall and shaped like a gourd, with walls layered with pounded metal and a roof covered in iron shingles which were maroon with rust from long years in the elements. From between those shingles sprang not one but three large chimneys, two of which were currently puffing dark smoke into the air. All around the building, pipes of various sizes - from inches to feet across - rose out of the rock and disappeared into the building interior. All in all, the building itself probably would have stood out if it wasn''t for the deep shade that hid its presence from anyone who didn''t know exactly where to look. The Ferchuvi Mountain range was hundreds of miles long, and the Menuit Canyon was actually just one portion of the spider web of cracks that wound between the peaks, stretching from the Crystal Coast in the east to the Raging Wastes in the west, and as far north as the Frantoux Ice Field. The Rocky Webs, as the cracks were called, didn''t quite span the entire Ferchuvi mountains, but explorers believed they covered more than half. Some believed it was closer to three quarters, as mapping the Webs were difficult and many exploration teams got lost a few days in, never to be seen again. The fox snorted as she glanced behind her towards where the Menuit Canyon split into two like a river around rocks. She knew that in fact, the Webs were much larger than any mortal had reason to expect, and they expanded deep below the mountains in a cavern system that would put the ancient home of the deep elves to shame. The Menuit Canyon sat in the very center of the Webs, making it all but impossible to find if one did not know exactly how to navigate the rocky labyrinth. That made the steel workshop quite possibly the most secure location in all the Realms. The fox leapt off the rock and made her way towards the building, her tiny claws clacking against the dark red stone. As the fox moved behind one of the stalagmites that rose from the ground on either side of the canyon, she took the opportunity of being perfectly hidden and¡­ shifted. The woman who emerged wore a gown made of many cut strips of fabrics in red and gold, and a light cloak of shimmering copper, hood drawn up to hide piercing green eyes and red-tufted fox ears. Behind her, a bushy tail the color of purest flame twitched, leaving behind after-images of 8 additional tails. The fox-woman didn''t bother to knock on the steel door, but pushed through, wincing as the door screeched on its hinges, the hideous sound echoing down the canyon. She may have been confident that no one was around to see her enter, but she couldn''t help the paranoia - getting caught was absolutely not an option. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Stepping through the entry, the woman stood on a raised walkway that circled an open room almost three times the size of the building¡¯s exterior when looking at it from outside. The floor a dozen feet below was littered with tables and tools and panes of crystal that flashed with various lights. ¡°Xafran?¡± Leaning over the railing, the woman scanned the area below. ¡°Where are you? Xafran!¡± ¡°I¡±m coming; I¡¯m coming!¡± From behind what appeared to be a pile of metallic scales the size of an orc¡¯s hand stepped a short man with wiry red hair, pointy ears, an apron of dirty leather and large round goggles that made his eyes look far too large for his head. He stopped and peered up at the woman, blinking hugely. ¡°Who- oh. Huli?¡± The fox-woman - Huli - sighed and turned away, making her way to the rickety stairs that took her down to the lower level. ¡°Xafran. What news?¡± She asked as she reached him. ¡°Did you finish it?¡± Xafran waved a hand, dismissively. ¡°Of course I finished it. It¡¯s ready to go. Just say the word and I can pull them in. However¡­¡± he hesitated. ¡°There is a catch.¡± Huli narrowed her eyes, and a small flame flickered to life at the tip of her tail, a sign of her irritation. ¡°A catch? I do not like the sound of that.¡± The little man shrugged, ¡°Can¡¯t help it. I got into the system, just like I said I would. But Caiden - he¡¯s got hounds even there. I had to be¡­ subtle. We can¡¯t risk getting his attention.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Huli took a deep breath, then motioned for her companion to continue. ¡°Go on.¡± Xafran nodded. ¡°I can pull them in, no problem.¡± He paused to grin widely, ¡°I did pretty awesome there, if I do say so myself.¡± At Huli¡¯s huff, he sobered again. ¡°Okay, okay. But, see. I can¡¯t boost their levels. That would raise a red flag for the system, and something like that wouldn¡¯t likely be missed by Caiden¡¯s hounds.¡± When he didn¡¯t continue, Huli leaned forward, lowering her voice a little, ¡°Are you telling me that when you bring them here, they will start at level 1?¡± Xafran sighed, then nodded. ¡°That¡¯s about the shape of it, yeah.¡± ¡°How¡­¡± Huli took a deep breath, shook her head, ¡°How are they supposed to face down Caiden at level 1? It took me almost 30 years to get as powerful as this. We don¡¯t HAVE 30 years, Xafran!¡± Xafran took a step back as Huli¡¯s voice raised. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t be a twisted pipe, now! I¡¯m doing the best I can, here!¡± He sighed. ¡°Look. I¡¯ll do everything I can to help them out in ways that Caiden won¡¯t notice. I just can¡¯t be obvious about it.¡± For a long moment, Huli pondered. Then she nodded. ¡°Very well. We¡¯ll all help, offer our blessings and such-¡± ¡°Uh¡­ about that,¡± the little man interrupted. ¡°You all need to stay away from the players after they arrive.¡± Huli blinked once. Twice. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen my player in years, and you are telling me that I have to... stay¡­ away from her?¡± ¡°Well¡­ yes.¡± Xafran nodded sharply, two jerks of his head. ¡°Subtlety, remember? Caiden is watching all of you. You are his biggest threats. He¡¯ll be waiting for you to act against him. It would be better if you stayed far, far away from the players. Go¡­ do something else. Make Caiden think you¡¯ve got something else planned.¡± When Huli scowled, Xafran insisted, ¡°It¡¯s the best thing you can do to help them. You know that.¡± For a long moment, Huli mulled it over. ¡°Fine,¡± she said at last. ¡°Bring them in.¡± She started to turn away, then glanced back. ¡°You know that goes for you, too, right? Can you stay away from him?¡± Xafran didn¡¯t answer, but met Huli¡¯s gaze. Huli stared back for a time then, satisfied with what she saw in his eyes, she turned and left. Chapter 1: Welcome to the Realms of Destiny Chapter 1: Welcome to the Realms of Destiny
''Cause I''ve got faith of the heart I''m going where my heart will take me I''ve got faith to believe I can do anything - ¡°Where My Heart Will Take Me,¡± Russell Watson Theme from ¡°Enterprise¡±
How many days until Spring Break? That had been Sophia''s mantra for two weeks, but today, she could finally answer: Just one. She sighed, watching her students as they relaxed on their devices. Some of them surfed social media, some of them played games and some of them watched videos of other people playing games. Usually, the VR-T 4000s were used to create a virtual classroom that Sophia could use to teach her students, but her kids had finished their unit test and she had unlocked the goggles so they could relax a little. She wasn''t getting anything more out of them today, not a couple hours before their week of freedom. Glancing around her, Sophia gave a wry purse of her lips. The classroom wasn''t much to look at. The education budget had been slashed again, and her public school of low income students got very little of what was available. She was lucky that she had won the grant for the VR goggles which allowed her to work with her students virtually, opening up the potential for great digital resources. It wasn''t optimal, but it had worked out okay. "Five minute warning. Go ahead and start packing up. Make sure you replace the VRs on their chargers." There were groans around the room and Sophia didn''t blame them. Not all teachers had the time or wherewithal to apply for the Future Classrooms of the World grant, and for those classrooms that didn''t have the goggles, the students would be stuck using archaic laptops for their classwork. It was an unfortunate side-effect of the society''s current view of education. The teachers were left on their own, expected to perform miracles with the resources that they cobbled together or spent their own money to buy. Even when a grant was offered, the "handout", as she had heard it referred to on her own social media, was always accompanied with strict requirements to prove that her students were, in fact, benefiting from the technology. Sophia hated it, but she was just a teacher surrounded by a society that figured teaching the next generation was her problem - not theirs. So, she did the only thing she could. She taught the next generation. "Be safe, be thoughtful, be kind!" Sophia called as the bell rang and kids headed for the door. "Get some rest - remember, we have testing the week we get back!" And then, she was alone. With a sigh, Sophia plopped back down into her chair, closing her eyes for a moment. She had a good 20 minutes before the next class would arrive. Just enough time to get caught up on her messages. Sophia scanned through the chat with her housemates about dinner plans and sent a quick reply about dinner: "Pizza Mac sounds good!" Then she pulled up her school email. 30 unread messages in the past hour. With a grimace, Sophia started through them. Early releases for athletes headed out to a tournament. *Delete.* Professional Development notices. *Delete.* Reminders from the administration that teachers needed to have grades submitted before they left for the day. *Delete.* Information on testing the week they got back. That one Sophia filed away in its proper folder. In a minute, she once again had the neat inbox that she preferred. That left Sophia with her personal email. Surprisingly, there was only a single message. "Big news from Realms of Destiny 2!" Sophia almost deleted the email as spam, but something had her pausing. Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was nostalgia. Sophia had played the original Realms of Destiny for almost 30 years, ever since her father had gotten her the game for her 10th birthday. It had been new then, and it quickly became the most popular MMO in the world. For Sophia, it had been the start of her love of video games. Even when she had to retire her Realms of Destiny account because she just didn''t have time to play anymore, she could admit secretly that she desperately missed the game and her character. Huli had started out as a kitsune bard, but over the years had become one of the most powerful characters in the game. She had reached the status of deity, something only a handful of players ever achieved, and became the Everblossom, goddess of hearth and family. It had broken Sophia''s heart to give her up. But children have to put their toys down when they become adults, right? And while Sophia might still put in a few hours a week with Hero Master or Knights and Lands, her current video games of choice, she knew that the time required to maintain a character in Realms of Destiny simply wasn''t in the cards for her. She had a life to live, and there wasn''t room for her fiery fox-goddess, no matter how much she missed her. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! If Sophia had been considering visiting Realms of Destiny again - just to visit! - it ended up being a moot point. Realms had been shut down suddenly not 6 months ago, followed by an announcement of a new game, Realms of Destiny 2. Realms 2 would supposedly take everything from the original Realms game and make it better. A massive world map, over a thousand class/race combinations, cutting edge AI technology, and - best of all - Realms 2 was built specifically for the new Virtual Reality MMO genre of video games. Several of the VR tech companies had started releasing cutting edge VR goggles to make the best of the new game''s high quality VR graphics and sensory functions. All of that may have made Sophia''s mouth water, but she knew it was just a pipe dream. She was an adult now, with a job and a family - such that it was - and errands to run and bills to pay. She didn''t have time for a new addiction. Still¡­ Sophia hesitated, then clicked open the email. It wouldn''t hurt to read about the new game, right? She might find herself discussing it with her students at some point in the future. Big News from Realms of Destiny 2! Congratulations! You have been selected to participate as a Realms of Destiny 2 alpha tester! You will be among the first to experience the awe and wonder, the thrill and adventure, of Realms of Destiny 2. Sophia blinked and when she had finished reading the email, she had to go back to read it again. An¡­ alpha tester? But¡­ she hadn¡¯t even signed up to be on their mailing list, and she hadn''t logged into her account for Realms of Destiny in over 3 years. It didn''t make sense. Except there it was, right in front of her eyes. Feeling slightly paranoid, Sophia didn''t follow the link provided by the e-mail, but instead went straight to the Realms of Destiny website. Where there had once been news and links relating to the original Realms of Destiny game, now it showed only the announcement for the much anticipated sequel. Still, there was an option in the upper corner to log into an account, and Sophia did so, surprised that she still remembered her password after all those years. "They say you never forget your first love," she mused with a smirk. Then her smile fell away as her screen changed. The login screen disappeared and was replaced by the image of a blue and green planet pierced by a sword and a magical staff at opposing angles. The Realms of Destiny logo. Sophia''s heart skipped a beat in longing. She couldn''t deny how much she missed that game. Then the logo spun three times before slowing again, this time was a bold script printed across the globe: Welcome, Sophia, to Realms of Destiny 2! *** ¡°So, let me get this straight.¡± Logan put down the wooden spoon that he was using to stir the pot on the stove and turned to stare at Sophia, who sat at the dining table a few feet away. ¡°You received an invitation to alpha test what could become the biggest MMO in our lifetime¡­ and you are going to pass?¡± Sophia frowned at her housemate. ¡°Well¡­ yes.¡± She paused, then continued, ¡°My plate is full. I have teaching and¡­ and a life. I don¡¯t have time to become addicted to Realms of Destiny¡­ again.¡± ¡°You have a week,¡± Logan pointed out. ¡°Spring Break, an entire week with no responsibilities. That¡¯s plenty of time to enjoy it.¡± ¡°And when Spring Break is over? What if I can¡¯t put it down?¡± Logan let out a disgusted sound and turned back to the food on the stove. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you are going to turn down a chance of a lifetime because you are afraid of what might happen. You can¡¯t go through life like that, Sophia.¡± Sophia fell silent, brows furrowed. ¡°Look,¡± Logan continued, ¡°We¡¯ll be out of your hair starting tomorrow. You¡¯ll have an entire week without kids. Take the time. Enjoy the new game. When it¡¯s over, you can go back to your boring life.¡± ¡°Boring!¡± Sophia tried to feel offended, but Logan¡¯s smirk made it difficult. She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Pulling the pot from the stove, Logan began pouring the contents - macaroni and cheese - into a large casserole dish. ¡°And let me know how that rig works out.¡± Turning back to the table, Sophia scowled down at the box in front of her. It had been on the porch when she got home. The note had said that as part of her role as an alpha tester, she was authorized her very own Titanium XVR. It was the top of the line in virtual reality hardware. Sophia had never owned a VR rig, but she know that the XVR was expensive. And she was getting one for free? Her suspicions had led Sophia to explain everything to Logan, hoping that he would explain what the catch might be. Instead, Logan had brushed off Sophia¡¯s concerns and insisted she try both the game and the new VR. With a nod, Sophia grabbed the XVR and carried it upstairs. She still wasn¡¯t sold on being an alpha tester, but she couldn¡¯t resist a box opening. Chapter 2: Character Creation Chapter 2: Character Creation
Or are you someone out there Who''s a little bit like me? Who knows deep down I''m not where I''m meant to be? - ¡°Into the Unknown,¡± Panic at the Disco Frozen 2 Soundtrack
Augmented Reality Integration Begun. Integration at 24% Integration at 58% Integration at 92% Integration complete. Welcome to Realms of Destiny 2.
Sophia blinked at the message that scrolled across her vision. It looked like the text that scrolled across her monitor screen when she was reinstalling the operating system on her personal computer. But she wasn¡¯t staring at her computer. In fact, Sophia realized with a start, she didn¡¯t know where she was. She had gone to sleep after watching a few episodes of Doctor Who - she hadn¡¯t had the time to watch lately and needed to get caught up - and had planned to get up early to see her housemates off on their vacation. ¡­And maybe to log into the Realms¡¯ alpha test server. Possibly. Probably. But she hadn¡¯t woken up - Sophia was sure of that. She wasn¡¯t sitting at her computer wearing the XVR goggles, and she most certainly wasn¡¯t logging into Realms of Destiny. Instead, Sophia looked around a dark room with walls 30 feet across and 20 feet tall. The walls, floor, and ceiling were made of 5 square foot panels, each one made of a shiny black material. Sophia couldn¡¯t tell if it was an obsidian-like stone, metal or some sort of ceramic, but the panels covered the walls, floor and ceiling in an almost unrelieved black. The only exception was the thin lines of white light that ran between the panels, and the massive screen that took up almost the entirety of one wall. On that huge screen, quite possibly the largest monitor that Sophia had ever seen, the words glowed in a stark, mechanical font, in bright blue font. Sophia barely had time to process her surroundings before the text scrolled up and more words appeared.
Welcome, NewPlayer1. Create Character? Yes.???? No.
¡°Uh¡­ okay¡­¡± She was dreaming. That was the answer. Sophia¡¯s subconscious could sometimes get overactive and her dreams could be unusual, but she¡¯d never had a dream this vivid. Still, if she was dreaming of Realms of Destiny 2, she might as well play along. She started to move towards the screen, looking for some way to interact with the system and wondering if it was perhaps a touch screen, but before Sophia could reach out to tap ¡®yes¡¯, a voice spoke up behind her, making Sophia jump and whirl around. ¡°Hello, Sophia. I am Minerva, an advanced intelligence resource system. I have been assigned to guide you through the character creation process.¡± Sophia stared at the figure standing just 2 feet behind her. The AI was almost 8 feet tall, with long, thin limbs that made her (it?) look more like a robotic alien than a human. She - Sophia decided to go with female because of the name and the female timber of the AI¡¯s voice - was clad in smooth, curved metallic plates the color of rose gold. Her head was smooth and egg-shaped and sat on a long cylindrical neck, with two blue glowing spots for eyes and no other facial features. ¡°Um¡­ hi.¡± Sophia stared, open mouthed, at the AI. She had seen videos of artificial intelligent robots, but she was pretty sure that humans hadn¡¯t yet succeeded in creating a robot with true sapience. And yet, Minerva gave her the distinct impression of an intelligence and¡­ awareness¡­ that unnerved Sophia. ¡°If you would like,¡± Minerva continued, seemingly unaware of Sophia¡¯s uncertainty, ¡°I can streamline the character creation process and maximize the potential of your character. Would you like me to do so?¡± Sophia hesitated. This whole experience was very different from the character creation process of the original Realms of Destiny game, though that had been built on a system designed over 30 years ago. Technology advanced and the video game industry was always pushing forward what was possible. Still, Sophia hadn¡¯t seen anything like this in any game she had played before, even the couple cutting edge VRMMORPGs that she¡¯d been able to try at a game conference the previous summer. Finally, Sophia shrugged. Might as well play along and see where it took her. ¡°Sure.¡± With a robotic jerk, Minerva tilted her head in what may have been a nod. Then, with a blink, she was just¡­ gone. Sophia stared at the spot where Minerva had been standing, then glanced back at the screen on the wall. With a start, she realized that the previous text was gone, replaced with a new message.
Welcome, Sophia. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Custom Character Creation Activated. Custom Character Creation Complete. Accept New Character? ???? Yes. ???? No.
Sophia¡¯s eyebrows rose as she stepped towards the screen. Custom Character Creation? That sounded interesting, but it also looked like she was being asked to accept the character without seeing the result. Frowning, Sophia reached up and tapped on ¡°no.¡± Nothing happened. Sophia tapped ¡°No¡± a couple more times with increasing pressure. Still, the screen didn¡¯t change. She looked around for some other way to interact with the screen, but found no mouse or keypad. She even spoke her choice out loud, wondering if it was voice activated like Minerva had been. Still nothing happened. Frustrated, Sophia tapped on ¡°Yes,¡± just to see what would happen, then she cursed silently as the words changed. She hadn¡¯t actually wanted to accept it without seeing it first.
Custom Character Approved. Name: Sophia Race: Human Class: Unknown Tier 0 Essences: Zoion Daimon Dynamis
Sophia scowled as the new information appeared. In Realms of Destiny 1, classes had been determined by a set of three essences that were chosen at character creation. These starting essences helped define how a character would start out, though new essences could be unlocked or discovered to help refine or alter the character down the road. It didn¡¯t surprise Sophia that Realms of Destiny 2 would use a similar system, but the three essences that the system, or Minerva, had apparently assigned to her were not like any she had heard of. In the previous game, essences had been pretty self-explanatory - things like ¡°strength,¡± ¡°fire,¡± or ¡°plants.¡± Sophia had no idea what the Zoion, Daimon, or Dynamis essences might represent. She also couldn¡¯t take a cue from her class, because for some reason, the system wasn¡¯t telling her what her class was. ¡°Is it a glitch?¡± Sophia wondered aloud. It was an alpha, after all, so some bugs could be expected. Sophia could find no way to report the bug, though, and even as she frowned over the situation, she watched the screen¡­ well, glitch was the only way she could describe it. The words flickered and danced on the screen, then changed.
Custom Character Approved. Name: Sophia Race: Human Class: Unknown Tier 0 Essences: Animal Demon Power
Sophia¡¯s eyes widened and she shook her head. There was still no description of her class, but with the new essences, Sophia could make some educated guesses. She imagined herself summoning huge demon dogs or maybe becoming a demonic creature herself. Whatever it was, she didn¡¯t want it! Sophia usually played a healer, and she always played good characters. Boring, maybe, but it was her archetype. Frustrated, Sophia reached up to pull away the VR goggles, determined to log off manually and report the bug or at least reload the game so that she could restart the character creation process. But when she reached for the emergency switch that was default on all VR systems, she instead smacked herself on the head. She wasn¡¯t wearing any VR goggles. For a moment, Sophia just stood, disoriented. She had been so absorbed in the game that she had forgotten that this wasn¡¯t Realms of Destiny - she was dreaming. And yet, this was more vivid and more bizarre than any dream she could have fathomed. She looked around the room, trying to shake off the feeling that she couldn¡¯t possibly be asleep. She didn¡¯t feel asleep. She felt wide awake and very, very confused. It was several breaths before Sophia¡¯s mind cleared enough to realize that new words had appeared on the large screen.
Character Creation Complete. Loading starting zone... Warning! Starting Zone Error. Recalibrating - please wait. Loading starting zone... Starting zone loaded. Enter Realms of Destiny 2? Yes ???? No
Sophia glared at the screen. ¡°No,¡± she snapped out loud. To her surprise, the text responded to her voice, but it wasn¡¯t the response she had expected or wanted.
Logging out... Log out failed. Loading starting zone... Starting zone loaded. Enter Realms of Destiny 2? Yes ???? No
¡°No!¡± Sophia spoke more firmly this time, but she once again got the same result. ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± She muttered but the screen gave no response. This wasn¡¯t a dream, and it certainly wasn¡¯t VR - it was too real for either of them. But the alternative explanation was pure lunacy. For the time being, though, Sophia could find no alternative except to play along. With a sigh, she acquiesced to the system screen. ¡°Yes.¡± In the next instant, Sophia¡¯s world went black, but the instant before her consciousness faded, she could swear she saw one last message flicker onto the screen before it, too, disappeared.
Upload complete. Sophia.cha installed. Program dohan.exe activated. Good luck, hero. Oh, and please don¡¯t die.
Chapter 3: Aporia Chapter 3: Aporia
Will you find your greatest glory? Will you be a falling star? Here you''ll learn what nature teaches Here you''ll learn more who you are - ¡°The Legend of Everfree,¡± Daniel Ingram Equestria Girls - Legend of Everfree Soundtrack
When Sophia came to her senses, she found herself standing on a narrow beach nearly a mile long covered in white sand. The ocean that washed up onto the shore was a vivid turquoise that struck Sophia as strange until she leaned down and cupped some of the water in her hands and realized that the water itself wasn¡¯t clear but actually had a light blue tint. Taking a deep breath, Sophia lifted her face to the ocean breeze, the scents taking her back to her time spent living with her dad on an island in the tropics. The sun that beat down warmed her face and the sounds of the waves were a rhythmic wash that hummed to her of sand and sea and paradise. Letting out a long breath, Sophia opened her eyes and stared out to sea for a long moment before turning to take in the rest of her surroundings. Behind her, the beach ended abruptly at a line of palm trees and ferns with wide fronds that danced in the breeze. Sophia could see little past the tree line except more trees, suggesting that the point beyond the beach to be a thick tropical rainforest. Chances are the cool breeze would disappear as soon as Sophia entered the tree line, allowing the heat and humidity to grow uncomfortable. Sophia glanced up the beach and spotted a rocky outcropping which jutted out into the ocean. Built onto the rock was a stone structure, clearly man-made, but worn down and in ruins. A fort, perhaps? Something about it gave Sophia a sense of deja vu, and she guessed it reminded her of the colonial forts she¡¯d seen on some of the Caribbean islands as a kid. When she glanced in the opposite direction, Sophia found the beach veered around a bend and disappeared out of sight behind the tree line. She couldn¡¯t tell if the beach actually ended or continued on. For several moments, Sophia stood on the beach, taking in her surroundings and considering her options. When she had been in college, Sophia had taken a course in ancient philosophy, which had been one of her favorite classes and had almost convinced her to change her major. One of the ideas they had learned in the class was the Greek concept of aporia. Though loosely defined as a feeling of confusion or disorientation, aporia was far more complex, and was connected to how people processed their understanding of the world around them. Sophia liked to imagine it as an enormous puzzle. As a person grew from a child to adult, they learned about the world, asking questions and fitting the answers into their understanding of the world, like pieces fit into a puzzle. Slowly, the picture revealed by the growing puzzle would determine how the person would see the world around them. There were times, however, when a piece would be revealed that simply didn¡¯t fit into the puzzle as it was. It was then that a person had two options. They could either discard the new piece, refusing to accept that it was true because it did not fit their preconceived ideas. Or they could accept that their puzzle wasn¡¯t correct, or at least that corner of the puzzle. Pulling apart the affected part of the puzzle was required to then refit it into a new pattern, where the pieces fit better and revealed a different picture. But it was in that moment before the new pattern was revealed, when the pieces were tossed and out of order, that a person was truly in aporia. Everything they thought they had understood was, at best, misguided and overly simplified, and at worst, completely wrong. Aporia was the disorientation that stood between a person¡¯s perceived understanding of the world, and their new broader understanding with increased clarity. Though she hadn¡¯t gone on to get a major in philosophy, Sophia had been fascinated by the ideas she learned in that class, including that of aporia, and she loved seeing it play out with her students. It wasn¡¯t uncommon to see a moment of complete befuddlement in her students a moment before their eyes lit up with understanding. On the other hand, every teacher had faced the struggle of reteaching a concept to a student who refused to accept the new understanding because it conflicted with everything they had been taught. To grow and evolve and learn, one had to be willing to accept those moments when the world didn¡¯t make sense. Now, Sophia realized she had a choice to make for herself. She could discard the pieces that she was being shown, which did not fit anywhere in the puzzle of her own understanding. She could continue to insist that she had to be dreaming, or maybe she was in the VR simulation and just didn¡¯t remember waking up. She could push through, forcing the pieces to fit in a puzzle that had no room for them. But the pieces did not fit. Sophia wasn¡¯t dreaming. Her hands were wet from the water. Her feet sank into the sand. She felt the spray of the ocean as the mist was carried on the wind. These were more vivid than any dream could possibly be, and while VR technology had made great strides in the past decade, creating brilliant 3D images and immersive surround sound that could make a person almost forget they were in a video game, there was not yet the technology to add smell, touch or taste. This wasn¡¯t an experience that could be replicated with VR. Then what was the answer? Where was she, and how did she get here? It was possible she was hallucinating, but that didn¡¯t feel right either. All that was left was the feeling of aporia. With a sigh, Sophia turned away from the ocean. She was getting hot, standing in the sun, and so she decided to accept that she simply did not know. Perhaps finding out where she was would be the first step to figuring out how she got there. So, that would be her goal. Once again, she turned her gaze to the fort on the rocky outcropping. It was her first clue that there might be civilization nearby, so with a sigh, Sophia began making her way in that direction. Sophia had only taken a few steps before she stopped and looked down. She hadn¡¯t until that moment realized that she wasn¡¯t wearing the t-shirt and sweatpants that she had worn to bed the night before. In fact, the clothes she was wearing were unlike anything she had ever worn before. They looked more like a costume in a fantasy movie or something she might see worn at the renaissance festival. Sophia poked at the pants of brown leather with a frown. ¡°What in the world...?¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Item: Simple Leather Pants. 2 Armor Durability: 20/20 A basic pair of pants, made from simple leather. For when you don¡¯t want to be naked in public.
The appearance of the screen in Sophia¡¯s vision caused her to let out a startled squawk and fall back, tripping in the uneven sand and landing on her butt. Despite her movement, though, the screen remained right in front of her vision. It looked similar to the screen that had been on the wall in the empty black room, but this one was smaller, and it floated right in front of her. She tried turning her head, but the words turned with her. A sinking feeling entered Sophia¡¯s gut and she groaned. ¡°You have got to be kidding me.¡± Suspicious, she narrowed her eyes at the screen. ¡°Exit.¡± Instantly the screen vanished, leaving her vision unimpeded again, but Sophia wasn¡¯t relieved. ¡°You have GOT to be kidding me. A video game?¡± Glowering, she pushed herself to her feet. ¡°All the mysteries of the universe, and I get stuck in a fucking video game?¡± She pursed her lips, considering, then sighed in resignation. She decided to put off further investigation until she reached the ruins, mostly because the sun was working its way high into the sky and she thought it wise to find some shade before the heat became too oppressive. So, once more Sophia headed off in the direction of the rocky outcropping, this time at a slightly faster pace. The closer Sophia got to the ruins, the stronger the feeling of deja vu she felt. Had she been there before? She couldn¡¯t place it, but something about what she could see felt distinctly familiar. The ruins were made primarily of stone, with no sign of the canons that she had seen at the forts built by the colonial Spaniards. And Sophia wasn¡¯t an expert in architecture, but she didn¡¯t recognize the style with which the fort had been built. Despite being made primarily of stone, it lacked the stocky, fortified appearance of a medieval stronghold. The walls curved into a circle, though parts of them had crumbled, and it looked like a third of the fort had fallen into the sea when the rocky outcropping had crumbled beneath it. The windows were wide arches, not the narrow slits that were used to protect defending archers while allowing them to shoot at attackers. And it looked to Sophia that there had never been a roof at all, as if the entire fort had been open to the elements. The stone was white and textured, but as she got close, Sophia realized that what she had assumed to be marble-like stone carved with intricate designs was actually dried and white-washed coral, still with the grooves and designs of its original state. Frowning, Sophia climbed the last few feet and reached the base of the structure. It was much larger than she had originally assumed, possibly a hundred feet across, and she stood in the shade of the tall wall, pressing her hand against the coral that made up the outer defenses. Despite the obvious age of the fort, the coral showed no sign of erosion, which surprised her. Coral wasn¡¯t actually a stone at all, but the skeletal remains of tiny aquatic animals. It wasn¡¯t very sturdy and Sophia couldn¡¯t imagine it standing up to the elements well in the long run. Yet the coral itself seemed to show no sign of degradation, rather of falling over or crumbling due to the erosion of the rocky ground beneath the structure. Sophia ran her hand over the rough surface of the wall as she moved around the fort until she found the wide opening that she assumed to have been the front gate. There was no sign of a door, not even hinges or metal plates. Sophia was beginning to wonder if this fort had actually been built for defense at all, but if it wasn¡¯t, what was its purpose? And why did it feel so damn familiar? With a sign, Sophia slipped inside and found a block of wall that had fallen over, sitting down to rest in the shade while she took stock. She started by looking down at the shirt she wore. It was a sleeveless tunic of the same leather as her pants. Poking at it, Sophia muttered, ¡°Inspect?¡±
Item: Simple Leather Tunic 3 Armor Durability: 30/30 A basic tunic, made from simple leather. Goes well with pants.
No surprise there, Sophia thought. She started to do the same for her shoes, a pair of low-rise boots that came up to just above her ankles, but she stopped and reconsidered. Instead of speaking, she tried to summon the information with a thought.
Item: Simple Leather Boots 2 Armor Durability: 15/15 A pair of boots, made from simple leather. Useful when you don¡¯t want to step in muck.
Sophia nodded, pleased with her discovery. ¡°Now to see what else I can do¡­¡± She pondered for a moment, then decided that if this was a video game similar to Realms of Destiny, then maybe the commands would be the same. She started by thinking ¡®character¡¯ and was pleased when a new window popped up.
Name: Sophia Race: Human Class: Unknown (level 1) Health: 100% Mana: 100% Stamina: 100% Attributes: Presence: 12 Mind: 12 Spirit: 16 Power: 6 Agility: 8 Endurance: 10 Essences: Animal - Tier 0 (0%) Demon - Tier 0 (0%) Power - Tier 0 (0%)
Accompanied with her stats page was an image of a hexagon that illustrated the strength of her 6 core attributes: Mind, Spirit, Presence, Power, Agility, and Endurance. The attributes were familiar to Sophia, as they were the same ones that Realms of Destiny had used, but the hexagon was new. Sophia wasn¡¯t sure if it was simply a pictorial representation of the numbers, or if it represented some other aspect of the game. As for the attributes, it had been a long time since she had been a 1st level character, but Sophia was pretty sure that the numbers looked about right for a newbie. What wasn¡¯t normal was the fact that she still couldn¡¯t see her class. What kind of character was created with the animal, demon, and power essences? Sophia had no idea, and she wasn¡¯t really looking forward to finding out. It was different when she had been playing a game, when she could start over at any point. But if she was stuck here? If this was real? ¡°Minerva better hope I don¡¯t get my hands around her skinny neck¡­¡± Chapter 4: Swinging for the Fences
¡°Build high the walls, build strong the beams. A new life is waiting, but danger¡¯s no stranger here.¡± - ¡°Two Worlds,¡± Phil Collins Tarzan Soundtrack
It didn¡¯t take long for Sophia to discover her other gear. With a thought, she could summon up an inventory window which held 5 rows of 10 spaces each. All but four of the spaces were empty. The first slot held the image of a loaf of bread with the number 5 in the corner. The second was the image of a water skin. The third held the image of a small knife or dagger. And the fourth looked like a crooked staff of unworked wood. By focusing on each of the images, Sophia was able to pull up descriptions of each.
Item: Traveler¡¯s Rations (5 uses) Restores health while eating. Fends off starvation. Slightly increases thirst.
Item: Waterskin (refillable) Can be filled with various liquids. Contains: Water (5 uses) Decreases thirst. Also good for washing.
Item: Simple dagger 1 handed (light, off hand) Attack: +2 (Power) Durability: 10/10 Stick the pointy end in the other person.
Item: Simple staff 1 handed Attack: +1 (Power) Durability: 15/15 Common among shaman and witchdoctors. Can be used as a walking stick or to bonk heads.
Sophia considered a moment, then tried to think about drawing the simple dagger. In the next moment, she was holding a small knife that was sharpened on both edges. The blade was simplistic and made of an unimpressive metal - Sophia guessed it was either iron or steel. Probably iron, since it was part of her starting equipment. Sophia tested the dagger with a few slashes, but then she frowned. She had never gotten into a physical fight in her life. She had no idea how to use a weapon and she doubted it was as simple as sticking the pointy end into her enemy. She¡¯d be lucky if she didn¡¯t stab herself with the blade. Swapping the dagger to her left hand, Sophia summoned the staff and it appeared in her right. It was about 3 feet long and looked like a well-used tree branch, sturdy and polished with use. It was lighter than she expected, but still had enough heft that it could probably bonk a few heads without cracking. With a nod, Sophia placed the dagger back into her inventory. Surely whacking someone with a large stick was easier than stabbing them with a tiny blade, right? Sophia decided not to inspect the rest of her gear, but left it in her inventory and turned to study her surroundings instead. The fort wasn¡¯t a building as she had originally thought, but seemed to be an enormous open-air gazebo, except with thick, solid walls instead of decorative pillars. The outer walls seemed to be the only standing structure, and there was no sign that there had ever been any inner walls. The space inside was filled with what Sophia assumed to be benches made of the same coral as the walls, except this coral was clearly worn down from years subjected to rain and wind. The floor wasn¡¯t more coral, but was covered in wide tiles of smooth gray stone, and Sophia could now see that the entire eastern third of the structure was missing, with nothing but a cliff dropping down 30 feet into the ocean. Looking up, Sophia noted that she had been correct in her earlier observations - the walls ended cleanly about 15 feet up, with no sign that there had ever been a roof or ceiling. The only other clue as to the purpose of this strange structure was a deep circular hole cut into the center of the floor, stretching about 5 feet across. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Hesitantly, Sophia stepped up to the edge of the pit and looked down and her eyes widened in surprise. The hole dropped well below the 30 feet to the ocean and, in fact, she couldn¡¯t even see the bottom. Carefully, Sophia took a step away from the edge, then started when something crunched beneath her boots. Beneath her feet, Sophia saw the sunlight reflecting off of hundreds of tiny shards on the ground. The largest pieces were barely larger than Sophia¡¯s pinky fingernail, and she picked one up, turning it in her fingers. ¡°Glass?¡± Frowning, Sophia looked back to the pit and could spot the miniscule shards of glass all the way around the open pit. Sophia was starting to get a sinking feeling in her stomach. The deja vu had intensified and it had turned into a pointed feeling of familiarity. She was almost positive that she had been here before, but if she was right, she didn¡¯t like the implications of what she was seeing now. With a growing dread, Sophia stood back up and turned towards the open eastern corner of the structure. She had only taken a single step towards the opening when Sophia caught a dark shape out of the corner of her eye. Whirling around, she barely had time to raise her free arm to protect her face before a creature of fur and teeth and claws slammed into her face with a vicious screech, and Sophia felt the sharp pain in her forearm and scalp as blood began to flow. Sophia let out a squawk of pain and instinctively threw out her arm, hoping to throw off the creature. It worked to a lesser extent, but the pain as the claws and teeth that had pierced her were torn free caused her to stumble. Her attacker landed lightly on one of the benches and quickly regrouped before leaping at Sophia again, but this time, she was slightly better prepared. She ducked to the side and swung at the creature with her good arm. It hit, but Sophia¡¯s first priority had been to dodge the sharp claws, so her arm had been outstretched, leaving the blow without any strength behind it. Nevertheless, the creature squealed in pain and surprise as it was tossed aside again, this time with just enough force to hit the wall before it dropped to the ground, landing on its feet. For a moment, Sophia and the creature stared at each other, and she finally had an opportunity to see what had attacked her. The thing looked like a squirrel, with dark red fur and glowing amber eyes, except it seemed to be the size of a small cat, and it had a long prehensile tail, like a monkey¡¯s. Sophia couldn¡¯t take any more time to stare, though, because the creature screeched at her, then bunched up, clearly preparing to leap at her again. This time, Sophia snarled back and took one step to the side, gripping the staff with both hands. She channeled all her high school softball skills and when the mutant squirrel flew at her, she swung for the fences. The sickening crack was followed by a thud as the squirrel flew back and smashed into the wall once more, but this time when it landed on the ground, it did not get up.
You have killed: Level 1 Kisq You have gained 30xp. You have looted: Damaged Kisq Pelt
Quickly dismissing the window that had popped up in front of her vision, Sophia stared at the body of the creature for a moment longer, before she slowly lowered her staff, swallowing hard, then collapsed onto one of the benches before her knees, suddenly weak, could give out on her. She pressed her fingers tenderly at her temple where deep gouges had been scored into her scalp, and hissed at the pain of the contact. She didn¡¯t have any bandages, though, so all she could do was try to wipe the blood away before it could drop into her eyes. Her arm wasn¡¯t much better, and Sophia took out her waterskin and poured some of the water over the scratches, gritting her teeth against the pain. Still, Sophia figured that it could have been a lot worse, and she figured that as long as she could avoid any infections, she would recover quickly. Relieved, Sophia closed her eyes and let herself relax. For a long time, the only sounds in the ruins were Sophia¡¯s heavy breathing and the pounding of the waves against the rocks below. When another sound came, it startled Sopha so badly that she let out a scream and fell over backwards, landing on the stone floor with a grunt. ¡°YOU KILLED ME! HOW COULD YOU?!¡± Chapter 5: Spirit Guide Chapter 5: Spirit Guide
There''s a time for love and a time for healing Can''t go back and undo what''s been done Word of mouth, time is revealing Just how far we''ve let this kingdom come Hand in hand we''re finding our way And today is just tomorrow''s yesterday. - ¡°All Kinds of People,¡± Susan Ashton
Sophia lay on her back on the stone floor, staring, wide-eyed, at the cloudless blue sky above her, her knees up as her legs were stuck on the bench she had been sitting on. She only had a moment to try to regain her breathing before a translucent copy of the kisq that she had just killed scurried into view on top of the bench next to her legs. ¡°Are you listening to me?¡± It cried in a voice that sounded exactly like how Sophia imagined a crazy mutant squirrel would sound. ¡°You¡¯re ignoring me, aren¡¯t you? You-¡± Sophia was already rolling away from the weird encounter, hissing through the pain as she pushed herself up to her feet and tried to back away. Now that she had the vantage of standing up, she could see that the kisq¡¯s body still lay in a broken pile against the far wall. This new figure looked just like the kisq, down to the part of its ear that had been missing - something Sophia hadn¡¯t had time to notice before. But this version of the kisq was decidedly less¡­ tangible. Sophia could see the right through it to the bench and rubble beyond. As Sophia stared in silence, the kisq¡­ ghost? ¡­ was getting more and more hysterical. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m talking to YOU! You can¡¯t just ignore me - you¡¯re the reason I¡¯m DEAD!¡± Finally, Sophia shook out of her stupor and held up a hand. ¡°Okay okay. Hold on. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just¡­ surprised.¡± ¡°Surprised? Surprised that someone as pitiful as you could defeat the marvelous Tiko? Of course you are! I don¡¯t know how you managed it, either.¡± The spirit huffed, still looking peeved but perhaps a little less hysterical from the perceived compliment. Slowly, Sophia nodded. ¡°Right... I mean¡­ yeah. Of course. I can¡¯t believe I stood a chance against the great and powerful Tiko.¡± She wondered idly if she had overdone it with the sarcasm, but the ghost didn¡¯t seem to notice. It nodded sharply, straightening in pride. ¡°That¡¯s right! It is good that you understand the great potential that you have removed from this world. Are you ashamed yet?¡± Sophia felt her back going up and she scowled. ¡°In my defense, YOU attacked ME.¡± ¡°I did nothing of the sort!¡± The ghost protested, then scowled and grumbled, ¡°Just because I lost control and can¡¯t remember. It¡¯s not nice to throw accusations around.¡± Sophia opened her mouth, then shut it quickly. She was starting to feel a headache coming on. ¡°Um¡­ okay, look. I¡¯m sorry? I¡­¡± Sophie stopped herself before asking whether the creature had perhaps been rabid, thinking that that might just set off the ghost again. Instead, she changed directions and just sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Can you forgive me?¡± For a long moment, the kisq seemed to glare at her and Sophia just shrugged, trying to look sympathetic. Then the ghost huffed. ¡°Fine. You are forgiven. It wouldn¡¯t do to stay mad at you anyway, if we are going to work together.¡± ¡°I¡­ what?¡± Sophia took another step back and shook her head. ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re a ghost, right? Don¡¯t you need to¡­ move on or something?¡± She had hoped that making amends would help the thing do just that, though in truth she hadn¡¯t actually interacted with a ghost before. ¡°Move on? To where?¡± The kisq exclaimed, starting to get agitated again. ¡°You called me! Now you don¡¯t want me?!¡± Sophia groaned and shook her head. This was getting ridiculous and she was losing her patience. ¡°I did not call you! I killed you, and I said I was sorry! Now you need to go. Go¡­ frolic in squirrel heaven. I¡¯m sure there are lots of trees and hoards of acorns or something.¡± For a long moment they just stood there, Sophia and the kisq staring at one another. Then the little ghost¡¯s nose started twitching in a way that reminded Sophia distinctly of a child¡¯s upper lip quivering. She groaned silently. ¡°You AREN¡¯T crying. Tell me you¡¯re not¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me?¡± The ghost bemoaned through what were clearly sniffles. ¡°I thought¡­ I thought you needed the great Tiko to guide you! Why would you call me if you didn¡¯t want me to be your spirit guide?¡± Sophia felt her eye twitching and she started to speak, but stopped herself and pulled up her character sheet, curious.
Name: Sophia If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.Race: Human Class: Unknown (level 1) Attributes: Presence: 12 Mind: 12 Spirit: 16 Power: 6 Agility: 8 Endurance: 10 Essences: Animal - Tier 0 (1%) Demon - Tier 0 (1%) Power - Tier 0 (0%) Abilities: Summon Spirit Guide (Zoion, Deimon): Call the spirit of a recently slain animal to be your guide. Can only have 1 animal spirit guide active at a time.
With an arch of her eyebrow, Sophia focused on the new ability.
Ability: Summon Spirit Guide (Zoion, Deimon) Type: Spell Mana: High Stamina: Moderate Casting Time: 5 minutes Duration: Permanent Effect: Bond with the spirit of a recently slain animal. This animal spirit can provide insight and wisdom as well as bonuses to attributes based on the type and quality of the spirit. You may only have 1 spirit guide at a time.
While the new addition to her character sheet offered some insight, Sophia found herself with even more questions. After considering for a moment, she focused in on the abilities section and a new window popped up.
Constellation: Tier 0 Evolution Name: Sophie Class: Unknown Essence nodes filled: 3/3 Abilities unlocked: 1/3
Sophia stared at the image on the window in front of her for a long moment. When the kisq - Tiko - started to get antsy, she just waved her hand, ¡°Hold on a moment, okay?¡± Then she lowered herself onto one of the other benches and let her mind go blank. It was as if the amount of information - questions and answers and more questions - had shorted out her thought processes for a time, and she had to let herself settle before she could go forward. The triangle might have surprised her, but she realized, once she could think logically again, that it shouldn¡¯t have. In Realms of Destiny, character advancement had been achieved through a character constellation built of a series of essences and abilities. Symbolically, the essences made up the stars in the constellations and the abilities were the lines between the stars. Each ability was formed through the interaction between two of a player¡¯s essences. For example, a character with the essences of shadows and vision might forge a bond between those two essences and gain a darkvision ability. There were an untold number of combinations, and in fact it wasn¡¯t unheard of for a pair of essences to create different abilities for different characters. Thus, it didn¡¯t really surprise Sophia that Realms of Destiny 2 (if that was in fact where she was) would have the same mechanics. What did shock her was the sight of her tier 0 constellation. It had been over 30 years since Sophia¡¯s character had been at a tier 0 evolution, and she had forgotten how¡­ simple it was. The first evolution was typically considered the tutorial phase in Realms of Destiny, with only 3 essence nodes and 3 connected abilities available to unlock. At the tier 1 evolution, the constellation would become a 6-pointed star with 6 essence nodes and 12 abilities. It wasn¡¯t until the tier 2 evolution that the constellations of each character became unique based on their essences and the use of their unlocked abilities. Each additional evolution a player underwent increased the complexity of their constellations. When Sophia¡¯s character, Huli, had reached her final evolution and become a deity, her constellation had been mind-bogglingly complex. Sophia had known that she would be starting over at level 1 for the alpha test, but to see her constellation in its tier 0 evolution, just a single triangle, was like a punch in the gut. It was hard to let go of what she had had. ¡°But I¡¯m not Huli,¡± Sophia sighed, ¡°And this isn¡¯t Realms of Destiny.¡± Looking over, Sophia realized that the kisq was giving her a strange look, but she just shook her head and turned back to her windows. Though it was a hard blow to revert back to such a basic constellation, Sophia knew it shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise. What didn¡¯t make sense was the notations of her essences. In the description of the ability that she seemed to have just unlocked, the connected essences were noted as ¡®Zoion¡¯ and ¡®Deimon¡¯. Those were two of the names that she had seen listed as her essences in the character creation room, before they had been changed. But in her constellation, her ability seemed to be connected to the ¡®animal¡¯ and ¡®demon¡¯ essences. Was it a glitch, as Sophia had originally thought? Or just a translation issue? After a moment¡¯s consideration, Sophia guessed that ¡®deimon¡¯ must mean her ¡®demon¡¯ essence, which left - if her triangle was to be believed - ¡®zoion¡¯ to represent her ¡®animal¡¯ essence. Sophia tried to think back and remember what the third strange essence had been, the one that might pair with her ¡®power¡¯ essence, but she couldn¡¯t remember. Finally, Sophia turned her attention to her new ability. While it wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad ability, Summon Spirit Guide confused Sophia because it didn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with demons. Was it possible that ¡®daimon¡¯ meant something different than ¡®demon¡¯? And if so, why were the two seemingly interchangeable? It seemed that despite giving her answers, Sophia¡¯s character sheet had left her with just more questions. For the time being, though, she closed her windows and turned her attention back to the kisq. ¡°Tiko, you said your name was?¡± The kisq still looked sullen and about to start crying again at any moment, but he nodded. Sophia sighed and pressed her fingers to her twitching eye. What would happen if she accepted this¡­ rodent¡­ as her spirit guide? Would she be blocked from getting another one? The ability said that she could only have one at a time. Would she be forever saddled with the ghost of a rabid squirrel monkey? Resigning herself to her fate, Sophia finally lowered her hands. ¡°Alright. You can be my spirit guide.¡± Chapter 6: Death and Madness Chapter 6: Death and Madness
In sleep he sang to me In dreams he came That voice which calls to me And speaks my name - ¡°Music of the Night,¡± Phantom of the Opera
Sophia wasn¡¯t immediately sure how to go about bonding with Tiko, and her ability¡¯s description didn¡¯t give many clues. She finally figured out that if she closed her eyes, she could feel his presence, and by reaching out to him with her mind, she was able to make a connection. A window popped up in front of Sophia, which was especially strange since she hadn¡¯t opened her eyes.
You currently have 0/1 spirit guides. Create a spirit guide bond with Kisq Tiko? Yes ???? No
As soon as Sophia selected yes, she felt her senses explode outward. She could hear the wind whistling through the palm trees in the distance and smell the sweet tang of the fruit growing there, even over the salt on the wind from the ocean. Sophia gasped at the new awareness of the world around her, but before she could open her eyes, she suddenly felt the world closing in around her as a suffocating aura swamped her. She barely felt the thud of her body hitting the ground before she lost consciousness. * * * When Sophia¡¯s vision returned, she was standing on the edge of an enormous tower which rose thousands of feet into the sky. Below her, vast swaths of land were covered in a thick green forest, the canopy so dense that she couldn¡¯t see past the first layer of leaves. A few of the taller trees speared up through the canopy towards the sky, though none reached the breathtaking heights of the tower where Sophia stood. In the far distance, Sophia could see the very edge of the forest, and, just past that, the sun¡¯s golden light reflected off a sliver of crystal blue that must have been the ocean. The tower itself was of rough hewn white washed coral, much like the fort where Sophia had been moments earlier, but without any sign of wear from time or weather. The top of the tower was flat, with a low ridge around the edge, about 6 inches high. There was no other feature at the top of the tower, not even a trap door or apparent way down. Suddenly feeling leery of the heights, Sophia took a step back from the ledge and started to sit down, just to be safe. She had barely gotten to her knees, however, before she was hit with a wave of nausea. Looking out over the forest, she saw what looked to be a massive stormcloud billowing out to cover the entire area. This stormcloud, however, was distinctly unnatural and made Sophia¡¯s gut clench in a visceral terror. The clouds were lit up with a red hue and the lightning that sparked out with frightening regularity was black, driving the area around it into darkness. One of the taller trees that rose above the forest was struck with a large bolt of the dark lightning and rather than exploding or catching fire, Sophia watched the tree wither and twist, the leaves turning gray and giving off a putrid yellow smoke. Screeches and bellows began to rise from within the forest as everywhere the lightning struck, the trees twisted and warped, the land and air becoming deadly for the animals who had called the forest their home. Sophia gaped, horrified but helpless as the clouds quickly spanned the entire eastern half of the forest and roiled towards the tower where she knelt. The clouds didn¡¯t rise up to the level of the tower, but even at her height, Sophia¡¯s nose scrunched as the putrid smell reached her, and it left her stomach roiling. The clouds themselves seemed to filter the light of the sun, leaving the entire world tinged with a foreboding crimson light. In mere moments, the storm had overtaken most of the forest that had spanned an entire continent, leaving it a hellish landscape blanketed in death. And high above that, on the tower of white coral, Sophia stared at the devastation and wept. * * * Sophia woke with a start, the echo of a voice calling her name still fading from her mind. The voice had sounded familiar, but it faded into barely a memory, and then was gone completely when Sophia sat up in a panic. The sun was shining brightly, which meant that Sophia had slept in and was unacceptably late for work! In the next moment, Sophia went through a series of emotions in a flash as her mind tried to process everything that had happened. First, the realization that she wasn¡¯t in her bed. Confusion - where was she? Oh, right - memories of the beach, the fort, and Tiko. A flicker of denial - hadn¡¯t it all been a dream? - then resignation. If it was a dream, she was still dreaming because Tiko sat there on one of the stones, staring at her. She could feel him in her mind, their bond almost tangible, but not quite. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sophia blinked at the small creature who stared back at her, his squirrel-like face giving off an impression of brows furrowed in concern. ¡°Yeah,¡± Sophia sighed and rubbed her face, then slid back to lean against the wall. She felt her nose start to tickle, a sign that she was on the verge of crying, but she ruthlessly pushed down the urge. This was neither the time nor the place for a breakdown. ¡°I just¡­ this is a lot, okay?¡± Worries that she had blocked out threatened to overwhelm her and she swallowed, leaning her head back to rest against the wall, closing her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know where I am or how I got here.¡± Sophia had been referring to this place as Realms of Destiny in her head, but she couldn¡¯t be sure that was true. She didn¡¯t even know for sure that she was inside a video game, despite the game-like prompts in her vision. ¡°And I don¡¯t know how to get home.¡± That was the scariest part for her. Sophia didn¡¯t have a lot of attachments tying her down at home - some close friends, nieces and nephews that she loved, but no one that depended on her for their lives or livelihoods. Even so, it was her life and she had been happy. Would she never again see her friends or her family? Her students? Sophia didn¡¯t think she could bear that. ¡°Well¡­¡± the kisq tilted his head and seemed to consider. ¡°I can at least tell you where you are.¡± ¡°You¡­ can?¡± Sophia frowned and looked up. ¡°Sure! You¡¯re on the island.¡± Sophia waited for a beat, but when Tiko didn¡¯t say anything else, she groaned and let her head fall back against the wall with a thud. ¡°I must have gone crazy. That¡¯s the only explanation. Better than the alternative - that the entire world has gone crazy and I am now talking to the ghost of a sentient squirrel-monkey hybrid.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Tiko stomped his foot, scowling. ¡°Who are you calling sentient?¡± When Sophia only whimpered, he harrumphed. ¡°You aren¡¯t crazy. I know crazy, and you aren¡¯t it. Now, the way I see it, you need answers. And I¡¯m going to help you find them. So, what do you know?¡± Sophia was silent for another moment before taking a deep breath and sitting up. ¡°You¡¯re right. About the answers. I¡­ I don¡¯t know much. I still don¡¯t know that this isn¡¯t a dream.¡± ¡°Well, maybe not,¡± Tiko replied, surprisingly agreeable, ¡°But even if it is, there¡¯s nothing you can do about it, yeah? So you might as well play along.¡± Sophia figured that¡¯s what a hallucination would say, but she couldn¡¯t really argue the point, so she grudgingly agreed. ¡°Very well. In that case, I know I¡¯m on a beach, in the ruins of an old fort that looks¡­ really familiar.¡± Once again, Sophia looked around, and felt a shiver run up her spine. This was more than a sense of deja vu. The feeling of familiarity was almost tangible, but when she tried to place it, the memory was just out of reach. Turning back to Tiko, Sophia frowned. ¡°Do you know the people who used to live here?¡± The kisq frowned and looked around, then shrugged. ¡°You mean this? It¡¯s always been here. Like this. Why?¡± Sophia shook her head, shaking off the question. Then she looked back, as something else occurred to her. ¡°Tiko, you said that you¡¯d lost control when you attacked me. Why was that?¡± Inwardly, she was holding her breath. She hadn¡¯t completely dismissed the possibility of rabies and she honestly wasn¡¯t sure what to do if the kisq had been rabid. He¡¯d scratched up her scalp pretty good, and she thought she had remembered teeth being involved. But she wasn¡¯t an expert on rabies and wouldn¡¯t know how to treat such an infection. But Tiko surprised Sophia by straightening and snarling viciously, though not at her. ¡°It¡¯s that¡­ that thing! The dark thing on the mountain. It¡¯s making the animals crazy!¡± Suddenly, Sophia wondered if perhaps rabies would have been the easier answer. ¡°Dark thing? What does it look like?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dark!¡± Tiko answered with a tone that said the answer was obvious and Sophia was stupid for not understanding. ¡°Right. So¡­ how is it making the animals crazy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the music!¡± Tiko started hopping on its stone in agitation. ¡°It gets into your mind and tells you what to do! It started with the worgen pack that roams the jungle, but lately, it¡¯s been whispering to the other animals, the birds and the smaller creatures. Most of the time, it drives us crazy. I think only the worgen have stayed not-crazy, but they can¡¯t resist the call of the music.¡± ¡°What does it want? This dark thing that plays music to control the animals?¡± Tiko hesitated, then shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I tried to avoid it after the other kisq starting going crazy, but I was hungry and I wandered too close to the mountain. That¡¯s the last thing I remember before¡­ the music. Horrible music, bad notes.¡± Tiko shuddered and Sophia frowned, thoughtful. From the kisq¡¯s description, Sophia imagined he could be describing anything, from a magical spell gone awry to an actual monster with sound-based powers like a siren. There also was no telling whether it only affected creatures with animal-like intelligence or whether Sophia would be affected as well if she got too close. Finally, Sophia wondered if there might be any connection to the mysterious fort, but she was able to mostly dismiss that possibility with a question. ¡°This dark thing - has it always been there, on the mountain?¡± ¡°Oh, no! The dark thing arrived¡­¡± Tiko hesitated and then held up his paws, all 10 claws out. ¡°This many minutes ago.¡± Sophia was pretty sure the little kisq didn¡¯t actually know how to count, or what a minute was, but if he remembered a time before the music, then the origin of the dark thing on the mountain wasn¡¯t likely connected to the fort, which had been in ruins for as long as Tiko could remember. ¡°Okay.¡± For another long minute, Sophia considered. She still didn¡¯t know exactly where she was, but she did have some more clues to work with. ¡°What else can you tell me about the island, Tiko? Are there any more ruins like this one?¡± Tiko suddenly grew very serious and he nodded. ¡°Yes. But we don¡¯t go there. Even before the music, we didn¡¯t go there.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s forbidden.¡±