《Realms of the Veiled Paths [Isekai • LitRPG • Progression Fantasy]》
1: World Start
Was he dead?
The thought bounced off the edges of nothingness, rippling through the dark abyss, like a stone skimming across black water under the light of a new moon. Darkness pressed against him like an unseen blanket, thick and heavy. He tried to look around. He could feel his eyes moving, his head turning, but it was like he was underwater, in the depths of the oceans where light feared to tread.
Where am I? he wondered to the void and his thoughts echoed back to him. Then another thought appeared, more concerning than the first.
Who am I?
More thoughts appeared in the endless vacuum. Images. Memories. Flashes of vivid colour against the black, like fireworks in a midnight sky. Visions flit through his mind faster than he could decipher them.
¡°Mr Smith,¡± a voice called out. A feminine, melodic voice. His heart leapt at the sound, eyes frantically searching for the source of that beacon in the darkness.
¡°Mr Smith,¡± she called again.
He darted through the nothingness, searching, but found only black. An infinite expanse of nothing. Suddenly, he felt pain. Red-hot pain, spreading across his face like lightning branching through storm clouds.
His eyes fluttered open. A young woman, tall and slender, leant over in front of him. Blonde hair spilled past her shoulders like golden rivers, settling into the valley between the twin mountains straining against her tight blouse. It was like an invitation to a climbing expedition.
He put a hand to his cheek; his flesh raw and hot like his face had been pressed to a burning stove.
¡°Did you¡¡± he rubbed the side of his cheek, felt the heat under his palm, ¡°¡slap me?¡±
¡°Come now,¡± she purred, ¡°you should be so lucky.¡±
He looked at her ¨C the cleavage, the blonde hair, the piercing blue eyes and he had to admit to himself. He should be so lucky.
He peeled his eyes away and looked around the room. It was some sort of waiting area, the stench of cigarettes and cheap coffee masked unsuccessfully by the perfume that clung to the girl. He was sprawled across a sofa of purple velvet fabric that hugged the wall next to a massive wooden reception desk that he supposed served as the office for the young lady hovering in front of him. Around him, the walls were plastered in endless patterns of figure eights in oranges and reds that burned his eyes. A potted plant in a bright orange vase stood guard in a corner, its green leaves swaying with uncertainty, like an unwanted guest at a party.
¡°The Gamesmaster is ready for you,¡± the young girl said, putting a hand beneath his arm and helping him up. She pointed at a door beyond her desk.
¡°The Gamesmaster?¡± he asked, looking into her eyes. She said nothing but nodded and led him towards the door.
¡°He¡¯ll explain everything to you,¡± she said and pushed him through.
Was he dead?
The thought bounced off the edges of nothingness, rippling through the dark abyss, like a stone skimming across black water under the light of a new moon. Darkness pressed against him like an unseen blanket, thick and heavy. He tried to look around. He could feel his eyes moving, his head turning but it was like he was underwater, in the depths of the oceans where light feared to tread.
Where am I? he wondered to the void and his thoughts echoed back to him. Then another thought appeared, more concerning than the first.
Who am I?
¡°Mr Smith,¡± a voice called out. A male, deep voice. His heart leapt at the sound, eyes frantically searching for the source of that threat in the darkness.
¡°Mr Smith,¡± the voice called again.
He darted through the nothingness, searching, but found only black. An infinite expanse of nothing. Suddenly, he felt pain. Red-hot pain, spreading across his face like lightning branching through storm clouds.
His eyes fluttered open.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± an old man said, leaning over. He was short and fat. Grey hair fell past his shoulders like polluted rivers, settling into the valley between the sagging mountains straining against his tight t-shirt. It was like an unwanted invitation to a climbing expedition. ¡°Most people wake up quite quickly, especially after being called.¡±
He put a hand to his cheek; his flesh raw and hot like his face had been pressed to a burning stove.
¡°Did you¡¡± he rubbed the side of his cheek, felt the heat under his palm, ¡°¡slap me?¡±
¡°Come now,¡± the old man purred, ¡°you should be so lucky.¡±
He looked at him ¨C the fleshy mountains, the grey hair, the piercing red eyes and he very much hoped he wasn¡¯t lucky.
He felt like he¡¯d had this same experience not too long ago. Or maybe it was very long ago. It didn¡¯t seem like the first time. Nor the second, nor the third. But things were different. Details were different. He couldn¡¯t put his finger on what.
He looked around the room, filled with the calm scent of spring flowers and the juicy aroma of summer fruits. It wasn¡¯t much of a room at all. Something drifted across the edges of his mind. A wooden desk. The figure eight. A plant. No such things existed here. He was cradled in a fluffy white sofa, as if sitting amongst the clouds, it¡¯s fabric undiscernible against the limitless expanse of white that surrounded him. It was broken only by a single disc, hanging in the air a few feet beyond the old man.
Inside the disc was the image of a young man he didn¡¯t recognise but he felt he should. Dressed in a hospital gown with faded blue dots, the man lay motionless in bed, white sheets covering half his body. It was a white man, no older than thirty, his face pale and thin with dark hair matted against his forehead. A neck brace held his head in place and tubes and wires reached out from the man¡¯s arms to machines that surrounded the bed. A middle-aged woman, slightly plump with fading blonde hair sat by the man¡¯s side, clutching his left hand between hers and looking lovingly at his face. A younger girl, in jeans and a sweater, slept in a chair by the window, her cheeks red and puffy.
¡°Who is that?¡± he asked.
The old man turned to view the disc himself. ¡°That¡is you.¡±
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He stared at the motionless man. ¡°Me?¡± Then he realised he didn¡¯t even know who he was. But if that was him in the bed, then where was he now?
¡°You¡¯re not dead,¡± the old man said, as if reading his mind. ¡°Tyler Smith, twenty-five, unemployed, college drop-out. Citizen of the United States of America, on the planet of Earth. Welcome to Purgatory. Well, without the torment. Yet.¡± The old man laughed.
The name meant nothing to him but he understood Earth and the USA. Again, thoughts drifted across the edge of his consciousness as if his mind were trying to recall the memories but the connections were lost.
¡°What happened to me?¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad you asked,¡± the old man said, skipping away towards the disc. ¡°Stay seated. Let me explain,¡± he said, as if he were giving a tour. ¡°You, good sir, were on the way to shoot up a school, but, luckily for you-¡±
His eyes widened. ¡°Wait! What?! Why the hell would I do that?¡±
It was strange. He knew what a school was. Understood how to use a gun. But he couldn¡¯t recall either being in a school or holding a gun. The knowledge was there in his head but not the experiences. It was like knowing how to paint but having no visions to share.
The old man waved at the disc. ¡°Recognise the girl sleeping there?¡±
He shook his head.
¡°She¡¯s your younger sister, Hannah. Eighteen. And she had a friend, Madison, also eighteen, that you¡¯ve known for about a year. Now, I hate to break it to you but you kinda¡had a thing for Maddie. Asked her out. She said no.
¡°She wasn¡¯t the first to say no to you, but you were going to make sure she was the last. One of those ¡®if I can¡¯t have her, no-one can¡¯ situations. Luckily for you, you had a crash on the way to the school. Left you quadriplegic, brain-damaged and in a coma.¡±
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and stared at the disc. If he couldn¡¯t recognise the comatose man before, he sure didn¡¯t recognise him now. Didn¡¯t want to recognise him. Hitting on his little sister¡¯s friend? School shooting? He searched his memory for any hints of such darkness, but found nothing. He remembered nothing.
¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±
¡°Am I?¡± the old man smirked at him. Looking into the old man¡¯s red eyes was unnerving, like he knew secrets that he wouldn¡¯t reveal.
He turned back to the disc, looked at the younger girl ¨C his sister. If what the old man said was true, he had been on his way to kill her friend and there she was, face puffy from the tears she had cried. He looked at his mother holding his hand, as if she were praying for him to come back. Perhaps they didn¡¯t know what he had been planning. Perhaps they had as many questions for him as he did. His mind was completely blank. He¡¯d like to think he wasn¡¯t the kind of person this old man was insinuating but he had no memory to confirm it.
¡°If I really planned to do that, maybe the crash wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Maybe it was justice.¡±
¡°Maybe it was. Maybe it was the fate of the gods for you to end up like that.¡± The old man looked at him and smiled. ¡°But what if you could have another chance?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°What would you do if you had the choice between returning to your body as it is right now,¡± the old man twisted his body and swept an arm out to motion towards the disc before turning back to him, ¡°or returning to your life before you asked Madison out?¡±
The offer was intriguing but made no sense to him. He still wasn¡¯t sure he was the person in the disc, and even if he were, how exactly could this man return him to a time before now?
When was now, for that matter? Where was here? He glanced at the endless expanse of white. ¡°What is this place?¡±
The old man made pistol motions several times, like a cowboy in a shootout, before he stopped and pointed a single finger towards him with a wink. ¡°This is the world between worlds. Like I said, Purgatory, without the torment. Except, the worlds you can go to aren¡¯t heaven or hell. Well, not literally, anyway.¡±
The old man gestured to the disc, and the image of the comatose man blurred, replaced with the image of a planet that looked like Earth at first glance, though on closer inspection, he saw that it wasn¡¯t Earth at all. It seemed to have less water, less clouds and greenery, but most noticeably, from north to south was a vast region of black desert that divided the planet in two.
¡°This is Cytheria, a planet in the outer reaches of the Andromeda galaxy. It¡¯s a game-world.¡±
¡°A game-world?¡± he asked.
¡°Yeah. Gain experience, progress through levels, acquire skills, increase your advantages, become as powerful as you can? Like a game.
¡°See, Cytheria¡¯s inhabitants have been in a centuries-long war with entities from other worlds that invaded their lands. What Cytheria, and many others like it need, are heroes. Heroes to help them fight. What I do, is offer the chance of redemption for those in positions like yourself.
¡°See, here, you have an opportunity. You¡¯re not the only one. Billions of souls, across billions of worlds, in circumstances similar to yours, given an opportunity for another chance. Granted, not all of them planned to do what you were planning but then there¡¯s plenty that did worse.
¡°Now, you could go back to that hospital bed. No memories. No guilt. Just a broken body and a lost mind. Or, you can go to Cytheria, live an amazing life, become a hero of the people and then, you get another choice. Stay in Cytheria and never return to your life or you get to go back to before it all went wrong.¡±
¡°What would happen to me on Earth, if I chose to remain in Cytheria?¡±
¡°Nothing. Right now, you¡¯re an empty shell there anyway. The heart¡¯s pumping but the engine¡¯s not there. Your soul, the essence of your being, is right here. You¡¯d get a new body on Cytheria. On Earth, you¡¯d remain comatose until your body withered away.¡±
The offer was tempting. His eyes remained on the world inside the disc as he pondered on the options, but his thoughts turned to his mother and sister. Did he have a father too? How would they cope if he never came back? Did it even matter?
¡°Can I see me again?¡± he asked. The image in the disc blurred again and Tyler Smith returned, comatose, mother and sister at his side. As he looked upon the image, wondering what this new world might hold for him, he was fairly certain that he didn¡¯t want to go back as he was now. Quadriplegic. Brain-dead. A mother spending days and nights, holding his hand, praying beyond hope that he would return. A sister, spending days and nights crying, blaming herself for having introduced him to her friend. It might have been a deserved punishment for him but it wasn¡¯t fair to them.
And he hadn¡¯t done the deed, had he? Intention and action were two very different things. The line between them might be thin but it was there.
¡°What would I have to do?¡±
The old man smiled, mouth curling towards his eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you. It won¡¯t be easy. You¡¯ll arrive in the Kingdom of Aleria, on the borders with The Rift, the black region you see here. Over the course of your journey, you need to become a hero and join the armies or lead your own to take back the Rift. As long as it exists, its threatens the Cytherians. Fortunately, the Rift Lords don¡¯t seem interested in encroaching upon the rest of the world for now but it¡¯s only a matter of time. We need to break through first. If we don¡¯t who knows what might happen?
¡°Unfortunately, some heroes have settled in, carved out empires for themselves and skirmish with each other. Others have decided to master professions and live simple lives. Only a few are still searching for a way to take the Rift. With enough bodies, they think they¡¯ll have the power to move forwards and to convince the other heroes to join them.¡±
He took a look at the image of himself again. If he helped to overcome these Rift Lords, he¡¯d get another chance. Get to go back to before he made that choice. A clean slate. A chance to do things properly. Or, the chance for a new life altogether. A new world. A new life. A new beginning.
His mind was made up.
¡°So how would this work?¡±
¡°Is that a yes?¡± the old man said.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°You¡¯re absolutely sure?¡±
He had a final look at himself, asleep on the hospital bed, hooked up to the machines.
¡°I¡¯m sure. I¡¯ll go to Cytheria. I¡¯ll become a hero.
¡°And I¡¯ll win.¡±
The old man looked at him and smiled, hands rubbing together in glee. ¡°That I would like to see. Perhaps you¡¯re just the right kind of crazy to make it work.
¡°Okay, first things first. Do you want the simple tutorial or the advanced tutorial?¡±
¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±
¡°That I can¡¯t tell you but look at it as a leap of faith. You¡¯re going to a new world. You¡¯re going to be making a lot of leaps of faith.¡±
¡°Give me the advanced tutorial,¡± he said. He needed as much information as he could get if he was going to make this work. He just hoped the tutorial wasn¡¯t boring.
¡°As you wish,¡± the Gamesmaster said. ¡°You can¡¯t choose a different race or gender, so you¡¯ll spawn as a human male, looking as you do now. You can choose a different name, if you wish. Anything you want, fifty character limit.¡±
Imtheawesomestherothatseverheroed came to mind.
¡°Can I change my name after?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Tyler Smith is fine.¡±
¡°Okay. Human. Male. Tyler Smith. Once you¡¯re there, if you say ¡®status¡¯, it will open up your UI and you¡¯ll be able to navigate from there. Are you ready?¡±
He nodded.
¡°Before you go, I should warn you about one thing. If you die in Cytheria, that¡¯s it. There¡¯s no going back, not even to your current body.¡±
He nodded again.
¡°Then I guess I better not die.¡±
2: The Advanced Tutorial
Tyler found himself on his hands and knees, looking at a patch of red grass, flecked with touches of green. It felt slimy beneath his hands and carried the scent of rusted iron. Lifting his left hand, he stared at the thick, cherry liquid that coated his palm and dripped between his fingers. Before he could process what it might be, something hit the grass ahead with a wet thud, and rolled towards him, leaving a glistening trail in its wake. The ball gently bumped his right arm and came to a rest.
Except, it wasn¡¯t a ball at all. It was someone¡¯s head. Without the body. The face was frozen in terror, teeth smashed in its open mouth, eyes bulging as if to escape their sockets.
Tyler let out a scream, guttural and harsh from the very depths of his throat as he scrambled backwards. He looked up, searching for the body that was missing its head. He found it several feet ahead of him, slumped against a tree with blood spurting from the shredded remnant of its neck as it slowly slid down to take its final rest.
Standing over the corpse was a tall figure. Too tall for a man. Skin that looked like the charred remains of a tree was stretched so thin across its body that it seemed impossible it hadn¡¯t torn. Gnarled ridges and rough edges covered every inch of the thing. It turned its head in his direction but where eyes and ears should have been, there was only grooved skin. The thing had massive nostrils though. Three of them, stretching across the centre of its face, flaring as it sniffed its surroundings. It¡¯s mouth was open, revealing sharp teeth, like black stalactites hanging inside a cavern.
Tyler¡¯s heart beat against his ribcage, wanting to escape whether Tyler followed or not. His breaths were shallow, swift, like his beating heart. Every instinct, every fibre of his being was telling him to run but he forced himself to stay calm. Forced himself to stay still. The thing continued sniffing, twisting its head this way and that, eventually settling in his vague direction.
Given the lack of eyes and ears, Tyler reckoned it was dependent on smell. Like a cat or dog. And if that was the case, it would likely be able to discern his scent. At least, it would know there was something here that was not like the other smells. As if to prove Tyler right, the thing began moving in his direction.
If his heart had been beating fast before, now it was trying to set a world record for beats per minute. His breaths were struggling to keep up, his lungs failing to draw air fast enough. He glanced frantically around him, searching for a place to hide, a place to flee to but the forest offered little cover, like it had not to the headless corpse before him.
The headless corpse?
The headless corpse!
He looked to where the head had fallen. The red grass. The glistening trail of blood it had left behind. He leapt forward and grabbed the head, holding it above himself so what blood remained would fall from its severed neck and drain over him. Then he put the head back, rolled in the puddle of blood that soaked the grass, and stood as the thing was almost upon him. Cautiously, carefully, he crept past the advancing creature. The thing turned towards him as he passed, but Tyler ran as quickly as he dared and positioned himself against the headless corpse that lay against the tree. He hoped it would work. That the creature would think he was the corpse and leave him alone. The thing looked in his direction, sniffed the air several times but then stilled. It turned back to the head, walked over to it and crouched down, where it opened its mouth impossibly wide and consumed the head whole. Tyler silently gasped. He had thought, or rather, he had hoped the corpse was nothing more than a hunter¡¯s kill.
He watched from the corner of his eye as the thing returned, its massive nostrils flaring again as it sniffed around Tyler. It leaned in closer, its head hovering above Tyler¡¯s right shoulder, then against his face, then to his left. It sniffed across his torso and stopped over his heart. Did it know? Could it sense him some other way? Tyler thought back to his words to the old man and grimly smiled. He better not die? He hadn¡¯t even lasted five minutes.
The thing began to open its mouth but then stopped. It turned its head, looked into the distance and stood abruptly. Tyler carefully shifted out of the way, and lay a few inches from the headless corpse. The creature began to walk in the direction it was looking, but as it did so, one of the gnarled ridges on its bark-like skin detached with ferocious speed, shooting into the corpse, where Tyler had been.
His heart still pounding, Tyler watched as the creature walked away before letting out the breath that he had been holding. Above him, the black leaves of the forest trees shuffled, as if they too were glad to see the creature leave. Slivers of sunlight danced through gaps in the canopy. He looked down at the drying blood on his body, its stench thick in his nostrils. Only then did he realise he was naked. But he didn¡¯t care. The most beautiful girl in the world could walk upon him in this moment and he wouldn¡¯t care.
He was alive.
Suddenly, white text floated into his vision.
[Quest Complete: Survive an Encounter with a Demon Tree Sprite]
[+176,000 XP]
He sprang upright, legs still resting on the forest floor, but the text followed him, fading out when it reached the top of his sight, before more text faded in at the bottom.
[Level Gained!]
For the briefest of seconds, a brilliant burst of golden light enveloped him like a miniature supernova, before dissipating in a flare of flickering sparks.
+1[INT]
+1[RES]
+2[WIS]
+1[CNV]
That¡¯s right. What had the old man said? Cytheria was a game-world. He tried to think back to the last time he¡¯d played a game but nothing came to him. The memories of his old life remained missing.
Perhaps he should have chosen the simple tutorial. He¡¯d thought an advanced tutorial would take him through every aspect of the game. Be more comprehensive than the simple one. He hadn¡¯t considered that it would force him to learn or die. Though now that he thought about it, it couldn¡¯t really get more advanced than that. What better way to learn than by doing, and what better motivation than having his life on the line? And he had to admit, it had been effective.
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He looked at the headless corpse to his right. Perhaps not effective for everyone.
He wondered briefly who the person had been, what dreams they might have had. Whoever the person was, it was over for them. There would be no going back to make a better choice. There would be no living a new life. Tyler burned the image of the headless corpse into his memory. It would be his first memory ¨C a reminder of what could happen if he wasn¡¯t careful. A reminder that dead men have no purpose.
Speaking of purpose, he¡¯d been here too long. He needed to move. That creature ¨C the Tree Sprite, he guessed ¨C could come back at any moment. He recalled the old-man¡¯s words on accessing the user interface but he needed to get to somewhere safer first. He could figure out what it all meant then.
He stood and looked around him, gathering his bearings. The forest floor was littered with dying leaves and fallen branches, the vibrant golden glow of a setting sun scattered across its surface. Dark tree trunks, looking thin and sickly, rose to the black canopy above in all directions, their long shadows cutting across the dark roots on the ground. Not a sound could be heard. He looked to the right, the direction the Tree Sprite had walked, and thought it best to head in the opposite way.
He turned to do so but stopped himself. He had no idea if there were more of those things out there, or whatever else could be lurking in the shadows. But the Tree Sprite had been drawn to something. There would be others here. Others like him and the headless corpse who had chosen the advanced tutorial. Billions of souls across billions of worlds, the old man had said. That Tree Sprite had to be heading towards something. Perhaps it was heading towards someone.
He looked back in the direction the Tree Sprite had gone. How far ahead was it? He looked down at his naked body, still covered in blood. He started grabbing leaves from the forest floor, slapping them onto the blood and sticking them to his body. Where the blood had dried, he wiped more from the corpse beside him, feeling revulsion every time for violating its dignity but what choice did he have? He was alive and he planned to stay that way.
Before long, he looked like a budget version of the Tree Sprite, small twigs hanging off the leaves plastered to him. He felt a little relief that his important bits were covered. If he did run into someone else, he wouldn¡¯t be completely embarrassed.
He crushed some more leaves between his hands, rubbed his face with it, doing his best to cover every inch of himself in the musky scent. He hoped at the very least, that the smell of the leaves was more powerful than the blood. It smelt that way to him.
Text floated across his vision again.
+1[WIS]
+1[CNV]
He chuckled quietly to himself. Seemed the game agreed with him. He turned to the direction the Tree Sprite had headed in, took a deep breath and started walking. Well, he tried walking. His legs seemed to be as useful to him as they were in the hospital bed he had left behind. During the rush of adrenaline, they had been eager to do his bidding but now, they were staging a quiet mutiny, as if they had more sense than to be heading towards the thing that almost killed him.
¡°You will do what I need you to,¡± he said, looking at his legs like a parent to their child.
If he wanted to survive here, he¡¯d need to learn to do things he might not want to, like with the blood, and not always under the influence of adrenaline. His mind and body would have to get used to it. Moving one foot in front of the other was difficult but he forced himself forwards, one step, two, three. He got into a rhythm, the adrenaline reduced, his heartbeat slowed down, his breathing normalised. Before long, he began to jog lightly.
He followed a parallel path to the one the Tree Sprite had taken. He didn¡¯t want to be right behind it when he caught up. The leaves that covered his body rustled with every step, a few occasionally falling away, the odd twig snapping under his feet. He wondered where in this forsaken forest, he¡¯d be able to find some proper clothes.
It didn¡¯t take long to catch up to the thing. It hadn¡¯t gotten farther than a few hundred metres from where Tyler had first encountered it. It didn¡¯t seem to be in a particular hurry, moving languidly towards its target. As Tyler got closer, within thirty metres of it, it abruptly stopped and turned its head, nostrils flaring, sniffing the air around it. Tyler ducked behind a tree for what little cover it could offer and watched carefully. His heart beat faster but not like before and his breaths came naturally. After a few moments, the creature lowered its head and continued on. Tyler gave himself a pleased smile. It seemed his camouflage had worked. Maybe outfits made of leaves was the way to go. With a bounce in his step, he followed at a distance, off to the right, matching the creature¡¯s pace.
As he followed, the unnatural silence in the forest was broken only by the rustling of his makeshift outfit and the crunch of twigs beneath his feet. No birds chirped in the branches above. No excited chitter of squirrels leaping between trees. Even on the forest floor, he saw no signs of life. No sign of ants building a colony, or the webs of spiders between branches. No slimy trails through the fallen leaves.
The leaves themselves and the grass were merely touched with green, the rest tarnished in black. The bark of the trees surrounding him had blackened, with layers peeling away in places, revealing a soft pulp beneath, with an off-colour amber hue. Even the roots sprawled across the ground looked infected, their surfaces dotted with puffed-up boils leaking black pus.
Before he had time to ponder further, he noticed the trees ahead began to thin, the space between the sickly trunks growing ever so further apart. He took a chance and sped up, staying on the parallel path but getting closer to the Tree Sprite. He could see the edge of the forest, dark orange sunlight bathing large grey pebbles where they met the last of the rotted grass and dead leaves. He got even more closer, ducking behind a tree, right at the edge of the treeline, so he was no farther than ten metres from where the Tree Sprite stood.
It had emerged onto a bank that gently sloped down to the edge of a stream of clear water. Smooth river stones of various sizes spread from the forest¡¯s edge right to the turquoise-blue water, disappearing beneath its surface. On the far side, another bank rose to meet another swathe of forest, but even in the fading light, it looked healthier, more alive than the one Tyler was in.
At the water¡¯s edge, no more than fifteen metres ahead of where the Tree Sprite stood, ripples of waves lapped against the river bank as something swam towards it. A moment later, a woman emerged from the water, fully naked. Long silver hair framed a face with high cheekbones, and large, alluring eyes. Her golden brown skin glowed in the light of the setting sun, while her silver hair, like a waterfall of liquid moonlight, flowed past her shoulders, over her body and to almost halfway down her thighs, protecting her honour from his gaze.
He knew he shouldn¡¯t stare but he hadn¡¯t seen someone so beautiful. Not that he would remember if he had, but he was sure he hadn¡¯t.
She moved with delicate grace, stepping lightly across the stones beneath her feet, her eyes firmly on the Tree Sprite. Her lips curled ever so slightly.
The creature didn¡¯t hesitate. Projectiles flew from its body with incredible speed, aimed at the silver-haired woman, but they never reached their target. Tyler¡¯s eyes widened as the sharp pieces of bark bounced off an invisible barrier and fell to the ground. Almost in the same instant, flames erupted from the Tree Sprite¡¯s body, engulfing it from head to toe. Reflections danced across the wet stones as the Tree Sprite writhed in agony yet it didn¡¯t move. It didn¡¯t try to run to the water that could save its life. Tyler realised then that it was trying to, but just as there was an invisible barrier protecting the woman, there was something trapping the creature in place. In mere seconds, the Tree Sprite crumbled to the ground in ashes, its screams unheard, like the person it had killed earlier.
The ashes settled on the wet stones, absorbed into the water as Tyler turned his attention back to the woman. She gave the creature less thought than he did, having already turned away towards her equipment, gleaming by the water¡¯s edge. Tyler knew he shouldn¡¯t look but he was mesmerised by the curves of her body, the flawlessness of her skin, the confidence with which she moved. The power she had displayed was both terrifying and stunning. He needed to speak to her. If she was another one on the tutorial, she was clearly ahead of the curve. He just hoped she¡¯d be willing to help him. As he made to leave the cover of the forest, he felt something sharp press against the nape of his neck.
A female voice whispered into his ear.
¡°Move, and you die.¡±
3: Fourth Defender of the Realm
-1[RES] floated across his vision as he was marched from the tree line and forced to kneel down in front of the silver-haired woman. She had her back to him as she donned her armour, helped by another girl, the clang of metal on metal drowning out the gentle lapping of the stream. The other girl looked to be a little younger than himself, dressed in what seemed to be a blue silk gown that hugged her figure from neck to waist and flared out towards her ankles. The gown was adorned with gems of a variety of colours. Startlingly, she had a shaved head, highlighting her round face, and brown eyes that seemed lost in distant thought.
He squirmed in discomfort, his leafy outfit providing absolutely no protection against the rocks biting into his knees, but he remained silent with the unseen woman behind him still holding whatever was pressed against his neck.
He knew nothing of armour ¨C wasn¡¯t even sure he¡¯d seen any before, but what the silver-haired woman wore looked expensive. Violet plates caught the last of the setting sun like the gleaming petals of an exotic metal flower as the young girl worked to secure the shoulders that flared like the wings of a mythical beast.
Once done, the woman sat down on a rocky outcrop to face him, the ends of her silver hair resting on her thighs. The other girl placed a helm and gauntlets at the silver-haired woman¡¯s feet, and took a place by her side, setting a sheathed sword against the rocks.
The ornate scabbard hinted at the beautiful weapon hidden inside, with its foot-long grip, and a blade three times as long. Gold inscription was carved along the length of the sheathe that was twice as wide at the hilt than at its point. The golden hilt was curved at its ends, and inscribed with silver cursive lettering.
Just as beautiful were the gems, in yellow, red or blue, each marked with a silver line or cross that were set into her violet armour. He glanced at the gems on the young girls simple dress and noticed they too had markings. Every piece of the silver-haired woman¡¯s armour seemed to be adorned with at least one gem and some pieces had more, like her gloves and belt. Only her chest and helm didn¡¯t seem to contain any.
Seeing her up-close made him feel stupid for staring at her by the river, but he found it difficult to keep his eyes away now. She wasn¡¯t as old as he¡¯d first thought, and was shorter than she had looked from afar. An inch or so shorter than himself, yet tall for a woman, and imposing nonetheless. She was beautiful for sure, with captivating light-green pupils within impossibly large, rounded eyes, and a delicate, upturned nose that complemented her high cheekbones. She had berry-coloured lips that he could almost taste and flawless bronze skin, but he could feel the confidence in the way she sat with the quiet certainty of judge, jury and executioner. She was beautiful in the way her sword was beautiful. With an edge that could kill. And would.
She looked into the air above his head and nodded, and he felt the pressure released on his neck. He wanted to turn his head but dared not. The young girl at her side stood still, eyes on him, a green pendant he hadn¡¯t noticed earlier around her neck.
¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± the silver-haired woman asked, her soft voice at odds with the crushing pressure he felt.
¡°Tyler.¡±
¡°Where have you come from?¡±
¡°You mean like what planet?¡±
¡°I mean, where in the Kingdom are you from?¡±
¡°Kingdom?¡±
¡°Yes, Kingdom.¡±
The old man had said he would be in the Kingdom of Aleria but he had no clue where. He could tell from the woman¡¯s eyes that she was waiting for him to give her the wrong answer.
¡°Honestly?¡± he said after a moment of silence, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± she said, leaning forward, looking at him as if she could see the answer in the very depths of his being.
He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t. I¡¯m from a planet called Earth but I can¡¯t remember anything from my life. I woke up in some kind of weird waiting room, with this beautiful woman with big t-¡° he stopped himself, looking at the beauty in front of him, recalling how he had looked at her when he first saw her emerge from the water. Probably best not to bring attention to that. Not to mention the other two women there. That knowledge he had from Earth tickled his mind that mentioning such things in front of women was not the same as if you mentioned it in a room of men. Especially when those women had shown themselves quite proficient at killing.
¡°Anyway, I then found myself in another room, and some guy called the Gamesmaster gave me the option to come here to Cytheria and I said yes. I thought it¡¯d be better than the alternative but so far, I¡¯m being proved wrong.¡±
She glanced to the darkening sky and he tilted his head to look up too before turning his eyes back to her. She gestured to the sky with her finger. ¡°You¡¯re from another world?¡±
At first, it concerned him that she didn¡¯t know that but then he realised that he was assuming everyone on this planet was from another world but it was just that ¨C an assumption. He had no evidence to say that was the case and from the way she was talking, it was evident it wasn¡¯t. Nevertheless, he had a feeling that his survival counted on convincing her that he was telling the truth. It would be an irony to avoid being killed by a monster, only to be killed by a human instead.
¡°Yes, I¡¯m from another world.¡±
¡°How many is that now?¡± he heard the woman behind him say, her voice deep and slightly hoarse. ¡°Three?¡±
Alina looked to the woman he couldn¡¯t see and affirmed what she had said with a brief tilt of her head. He assumed that meant there were at least two others like himself, but he found it hard to read Alina¡¯s expression. He continued on. ¡°When I got here, I found myself in the forest on my hands and knees, looking at that creature you killed, and it had just decapitated someone.
¡°Do you know what that looks like? A body without its head?¡±
She nodded.
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¡°Right. Of course you do.¡±
¡°How did you survive?¡±
¡°You saved me,¡± he said, not wishing to recall how it was that he had survived.
The silver-haired woman looked to the young lady to her left, who gently nodded to her. ¡°It¡¯s the truth but he¡¯s hiding something.¡±
¡°Interesting,¡± she said, turning back to him. He flashed his eyes at the young girl and noticed the pendant had a soft glow. ¡°What is it that you¡¯re hiding, I wonder?¡±
¡°Nothing important.¡±
¡°Let me be the judge of that,¡± she whispered softly. He almost had to check whether she was unsheathing her blade.
¡°I covered myself in the blood of the decapitated person. It was enough to hide myself and then you did save me. The demon walked this way before it noticed me and I decided to follow it, hoping it would lead me to others who could help me understand what¡¯s going on.¡±
She looked at the young lady again, who nodded.
¡°Very interesting. And the leaves?¡±
¡°I used the blood to stick the leaves to myself. The creature seemed to sense with smell, so I hoped the leaves would camouflage the blood and my own scent.¡±
She gave him a look as if impressed but he could tell she wasn¡¯t entirely convinced his story was true.
¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± he protested, as if his words could sway her.
¡°I know,¡± she said, ¡°unbelievable though it is.¡±
+1[WIS]
Another stat point, and he was sure now it meant wisdom. Four wisdom points he had, and he could guess why. It seemed to be linked to making the right decisions or trusting his gut when the stakes were high. One when he had decided to use the blood to camouflage his scent. One when he had moved away from the headless corpse. One when he had decided to camouflage with leaves. And another now for telling the truth. His life had been at stake in all four instances.
¡°You¡¯re not the first we¡¯ve met claiming to be from another world and it¡¯s a claim that you would do well to keep to yourself. Most people will think you¡¯re mad but others? Others might believe there¡¯s something you can offer them. Something important enough that they¡¯d be willing to use excruciatingly painful means to extract it.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°I mean there are people here who would be very interested in you for information that they think you might be hiding but that you most probably don¡¯t have. They¡¯ll skin you alive like they would skin an animal for its hide. Except it won¡¯t be quick and they won¡¯t care when they realise you had nothing to offer them. All because you were careless with your words.¡±
¡°Should I have lied to you?¡±
¡°Of course not. I have Mira here with me. She can tell when someone is lying and had you lied to me, I might have had to see another body without its head.¡± She raised an eyebrow at him with a wicked smile on her lips and a wink. Had he thought those lips reminded him of summer berries? Blood of innocents, more like.
¡°So then,¡± he said, as he shifted his knees, ¡°if I were to meet someone like that, and they also have a way to tell if I¡¯m lying, what am I meant to do?¡± He shifted uncomfortably again. ¡°And please could I get up before I need my knees replaced?¡±
The woman¡¯s laugh was rich, like honey mixed with sugar, and would as easily trap him as any ant.
¡°You can get up now.¡± With a sigh of relief, he pushed himself off the ground and rubbed at his sore knees, a leaf or two falling away from his outfit. ¡°Lucky for you, you¡¯ve met us. I¡¯ll arrange to have you taken care of but I was being serious. Do not mention it again until we¡¯ve figured out what¡¯s going on.¡± She turned to Mira, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it means but I imagine it has something to do with whatever¡¯s going on in this forest.¡±
¡°Can I ask who you are?¡±
¡°My name is Alina,¡± she said, turning back to him. ¡°Mira, you¡¯ve already met and over there is Kiri¡±
He turned to look, finally getting to glimpse his captor. His eyes narrowed and his mouth almost hit the floor. His ego fell through it. She can¡¯t have been more than sixteen or seventeen, and barely five feet tall. She was dressed in faded brown leathers and similar to the other two, she had gems all over her clothes in various colours, and several knives slotted into her belt.
It reminded him of a time when his younger sister, who had been no older than Kiri was now, had managed to sneak up on him during a round of paintball. She¡¯d absolutely blasted him, as younger sisters would. He smiled as he recalled the memory.
A memory? From his old life. Frantically, he searched for anything else that came to mind, tried to think deeper but there was nothing. Still, one memory meant there would be more. Maybe he just needed to find the right triggers. Looking at Kiri, he could see why she might have triggered him ¨C she looked similar to his sister. Slim, with a narrow face and thin lips. She had small green eyes with short blonde hair, and the softest of dimples in her cheeks. From an angle, she could almost look the same.
¡°She¡¯s being modest,¡± Kiri said.
¡°Don¡¯t do it, Kiri,¡± Alina responded.
Kiri stuck out a tongue at her. ¡°Sitting before you is the magnificent, the beautiful, Princess Alina. Fourth Defender of the Realm. Commander of the Academy of Champions. Glorious Leader of the Seven Sisters of Retribution.¡±
Alina looked down at the wet rocks scattered across the bank, shaking her head. ¡°Ignore her,¡± she said, looking at him. ¡°She¡¯s lacking in charisma. We¡¯re trying to teach her.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not lacking in charisma,¡± Kiri protested. ¡°What is the point of having your titles if you don¡¯t use them? Look at him. He doesn¡¯t have a clue what¡¯s going on but-, OW!¡± She started rubbing her head, frowning at Alina or maybe it was Mira. Mira hid her smile, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly but Alina made no attempt to hide her amusement, her mouth open wide with laughter.
Tyler¡¯s wariness and trepidation began to subside as he watched the playful interplay between the three. Alina, imposing as she was, seemed at ease with her status, not at all egotistical with the impressive titles, though he wondered what they meant. Fourth Defender of the Realm sounded important.
¡°Excuse me,¡± he interjected into their levity and three sets of eyes immediately snapped to him. Wariness and trepidation were going to be his friends for a while, it seemed. ¡°I just have a few questions, if I may?¡±
Night had begun to fall, darkness settling on the land as thousands of stars twinkled across the sky. A floating sphere of light materialised between them. He couldn¡¯t tell which of the three had made it appear, though Mira seemed the most likely.
Alina nodded to him, still sat on the rocks, Mira at her side. Kiri squatted by the water¡¯s edge, throwing small pebbles into the stream, breaking the reflection of the floating orb. Like Alina, he felt there was a practiced ease to her nonchalance. Nonetheless, for however dangerous they seemed, he was glad to have found them.
¡°Is this Cytheria?¡±
Alina nodded.
¡°And is this the Kingdom of Aleria?¡±
She nodded again.
¡°Where are we?¡±
¡°The Forest of Learning. We¡¯re about a third of the way from the exit.¡± She pointed across the stream.
¡°The Forest of Learning?¡±
She looked at him the way a teacher would look at a teenage maths student, horrified they hadn¡¯t learned their times tables, before her face softened as if she had recalled a particularly slow student, where the only option was to smile and nod and feed them morsels of encouragement.
¡°I guess you wouldn¡¯t know anything, would you?¡±
He shook his head. She looked towards the forest that he had come from. ¡°Kiri. Find the others. We may as well make camp here tonight.¡±
¡°Oooooo,¡± Kiri said as she stood. ¡°It looks like Alina¡¯s made another friend. Alina and Tyler, sitting by a stream¡¡±
A rock went flying through the air, but Kira had already darted towards the forest, moving faster than seemed humanly possible. The rock whistled through the place she had been, crashing into the water a moment later with a large splash. That could have done some serious damage if it had hit its mark. Still, Tyler couldn¡¯t stop himself from smiling at Kiri¡¯s teasing, and neither could Mira.
Alina wasn¡¯t smiling. She looked at him, her eyes narrowed. He had a distinct feeling that he might need to sleep with one eye open tonight. Or find somewhere else to camp. Maybe the demon sprites would have a place for him.
¡°My sisters are my companions. You, however, are not.¡±
¡°Not yet?¡± he raised his eyebrows at her and put on his best hopeful face. Nope. She wasn¡¯t amused. He stopped smiling.
+1[CHR]
¡°Now, I suggest you sit down.¡±
4: Status
It didn¡¯t sound like much of a suggestion at all. He did as he was told and sat cross-legged on the jagged stones beneath him, which was only slightly more comfortable than kneeling on them.
¡°If you don¡¯t need me, I¡¯ll set up camp,¡± Mira said.
¡°I¡¯ll help you once I¡¯m done,¡± Alina replied.
¡°Here!¡± Mira threw a cushion at him as she walked away from the rocky outcrop, a second ball of light appearing in front of her.
¡°Thanks,¡± he shouted after her, placing the cushion beneath him. His backside was grateful for it. He turned back to Alina. The floating orb of light hovered to his right and though he could see her face, Alina¡¯s violet armour had almost disappeared, its presence only visible from the faintest of a bluish outline. Around them, it was otherwise dark with just the gentle lapping of waves from the stream breaking the silence. One thing that he noticed now was that there seemed to be no wind in this place, but he didn¡¯t know if that was another oddness from the dead forest.
The gravity of his situation was beginning to sink in as he sat there on the cushion in his makeshift leafy outfit, covered in someone else¡¯s blood. He¡¯d tried to joke with her a moment before, his false confidence masking his fear and unease but he knew he was out of his depth. He¡¯d escaped death narrowly through luck more than foresight and no amount of bravado was going to get him through this.
¡°I¡¯ll give you an overview of our world,¡± Alina said. ¡°Then you¡¯ll camp with us tonight. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have someone take you to the Academy, where you¡¯ll be able to choose what you want to do next.¡±
¡°Before you start, can I ask? Are you really a princess?¡±
He was grateful to have stumbled upon Alina and Mira and Kiri, but he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why she would take the time to help a nobody like him. If she truly was a princess, why was she here, in full battle armour, with companions who seemed to be every bit as dangerous as her?
¡°I am,¡± she smiled reassuringly. ¡°My grandfather is the King of Aleria.¡±
¡°But why aren¡¯t you in a castle or something?¡±
¡°I could be, if I wanted to be,¡± she replied with a faint chuckle, ¡°but I wanted to do something for the people. I wanted a responsibility to fulfil, and was made the Commander of the Academy of Champions. Truth be told, the King probably sent me here thinking it would keep me away from the fighting on our borders. We¡¯re about as far from the Riftlands as we can be and still be in Aleria. I don¡¯t think he was expecting the fight to come to me.¡± She laughed that rich laugh again.
¡°But even then, why would you be out here and not at the academy? Surely, you could have others investigate on your behalf?¡±
¡°What kind of leader would I be if I was happy to send others into areas that I myself feared to go?¡±
¡°What kind of leader would you be if you¡¯re not around to lead?¡±
She understood the insinuation, though she didn¡¯t seem phased by it. ¡°Do you doubt my ability or are you questioning my judgment? You think that perhaps I¡¯m reckless?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know which,¡± he replied honestly. He got too curious, too comfortable. His question was flippant at best but rude nevertheless. The last thing he wanted to do was get on her wrong side. Not just because he felt she did have all the power she hinted at and more but because, for whatever reason, fate had thrown him a lifeline. He needed to understand his place in this world, but he knew that it was always good to have friends in high places. ¡°I just think I¡¯d rather be safe and have others check things, even if I have to get involved later.¡±
¡°Would you be comfortable knowing you had sent others to their possible deaths in your place?¡± He remained silent as she looked at him with a playfully curious smile on her lips. A smile that suggested she understood his point of view but was going to prove it wrong anyway. His words weren¡¯t something she hadn¡¯t heard before. ¡°Why did you come here?¡±
The question threw him. He wasn¡¯t expecting her to flip the switch. He was the newcomer here. The one with all the questions on this new world. He hadn¡¯t expected someone to ask about his motivations. Honestly, he hadn¡¯t given much thought to anything when he had made his decision, except not wanting to live in the horrific reality that he had been presented in that weird, white waiting room. ¡°I was in a bad place and was given another chance,¡± he replied.
¡°And what was that chance you were given?¡±
¡°To come here and help in the fight against the Rift Lords.¡±
¡°And what were you offered that made you choose to come here?¡±
Tyler thought back to what the Gamesmaster had told him. The shooting he had been planning. The accident on his way there. ¡°A chance to undo a choice I made.¡±
¡°A choice that would have resulted in people¡¯s deaths?¡±
It hadn¡¯t but if what the Gamesmaster had told him was true ¨C and he still wasn¡¯t sure that it was ¨C it would have. How could she have known though? ¡°What makes you say that?¡±
Her expression changed to the hint of a knowing smile. ¡°The others who came here made a choice. A choice that resulted in death. They told me they were offered the chance to go back to before they made the choice. I¡¯m curious to know if you were offered something similar?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± he answered, nodding to her as he recalled the sight of his broken body on the hospital bed, his mother by his side and his tearful sister asleep. ¡°I planned on killing people and had an accident on the way. My body was broken; my mind lost. The Gamesmaster said if I came here and helped to take back the Riftlands, as you called it, I would be able to go back to before I made the choice.¡±
¡°Then you understand why I would choose to come here myself, rather than send others to do it for me? We¡¯re all responsible for our own choices but I can¡¯t take back death.¡± She smiled again, gently, as if to soften the blow of what she was telling him. It would have been easy for her to send others. Others who might die in her place. But those were not deaths she wanted on her conscience. Tyler had come here not wanting to remain in a broken body and to relieve his family of the shame of his choice.
¡°Now, I can¡¯t say I haven¡¯t enjoyed your questioning. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had someone question my decisions, but I think we should continue this another time.¡± She continued smiling at him. He felt no malice or offense in her expression. Just the look of a princess who welcomed honest words over flattery. She looked towards the forest where Kiri had disappeared, whilst he quickly glanced behind him. Mira had already put up several tents with little lanterns inside. ¡°My sisters will be back soon and I¡¯d like to give you that overview before they return. I¡¯m sure you would also like to get out of that delightful dress you¡¯re wearing, have a shower in the stream and then get a good night¡¯s sleep?¡±
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Of course,¡± he said, smiling himself and settling into the cushion beneath him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for wasting your time.¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t. I look forward to continuing the conversation another day. Maybe when you have the choice to make instead of me.¡±
There were no sinister undertones to her words but they were enough to make him understand that it was easy to make judgments when you weren¡¯t responsible for the choice. Easy to speak about putting others in danger, when you weren¡¯t the one who had to live with that on your conscience.
¡°Now, you asked me what this forest is. It¡¯s a special place where people come to take the next step on their way to reaching the very best they can be.
¡°I don¡¯t know how things work on your world but here, we grow stronger through our deeds, our experiences, our decisions. Every difficult task we accomplish, every challenge we overcome; even every friend we make or enemy we defeat makes us stronger. Our minds, our bodies, our talents, our skills all adapt, evolve. Become more than they were before.
¡°We measure our growth through ¡®Status¡¯. It¡¯s a way for us to navigate our progress. If you were of this world, you would be taught this at a young age. When you say ¡®Status¡¯, it will show you who you are and how far you¡¯ve come. Say it.¡±
¡°Status.¡±
A floating blue screen appeared not too dissimilar to a tablet from home but without the casing. It hovered in the air, roughly a foot in front of his face, within arm¡¯s reach. He could see Alina¡¯s face through it but it was solid enough that the white text at the centre of the screen was clearly visible.
{Name} [ Tyler Smith ]
{Age} [ 25 ]
{Level} [ 39 ]
{Experience} [ 5091/20550 ]
{Health} [ 9959 | 9959 | +0 ]
{Energy} [ 2162 | 2162 | +0 ]
{Power} [ 319 | 319 | +0 ]
{Class} [ UNAVAILABLE ]
[? Press for more]
¡°Status shows us what level we¡¯ve attained. What skills we have. Which stats we¡¯ve favoured.¡± As she spoke, Tyler listened but instinctively reached out to see if the screen truly worked by touch. It did and what looked like a menu screen showed.
[ VITALS | vitals ][Off]
[ CLASS | class ]
[ TITLES | titles ]
[ ATTRIBUTES | stats ]
[ SKILLS | skills ]
[ EQUIPMENT | equip ]
[ INVENTORY | bags ]
[ QUESTS | quests ]
[ ACHIEVEMENTS | achi ]
[ JOURNAL | notes ]
[ MAP | map ]
¡°Everything you need is just a word away,¡± Alina continued. ¡°Your progress. Your skills. What¡¯s in your bags. You can even keep a diary. As you become stronger, you won¡¯t even need to say anything. You can just think it and imagine it and the right pane will come up. But while you¡¯re learning, you can use your hand to navigate.¡±
He reached out again and pressed [ VITALS | vitals ]. At first he thought nothing had happened. The screen in front was still there and the page hadn¡¯t changed. He tapped [ VITALS | vitals ] again. Still nothing. And again. Still¡no, it had changed. He just hadn¡¯t noticed it.
[ VITALS | vitals ][On]
¡°Status,¡± he said, and the screen disappeared. Then it became apparent.
Just on the edge of his vision, in the top left, a green and orange bar faded into view, the orange beneath the green, both overlapped to the left by a large circle. When he turned his head to see the bars better, they moved with him. He flicked his eyes towards the bars instead and they became crystal clear, the numbers from the status screen that indicated his health and energy now overlaid on those bars and his level ¨C 39 ¨C inside the circle.
At the bottom of his vision, again on the edge, was a thin progress bar, showing the experience he¡¯d gained for this level and the total he could gain, a quarter filled with a darker shade of green than the health bar.
He looked at Alina.
¡°Should I be able to see your information?¡±
¡°Not necessarily. You only see your vital information and information for your party, if you have one¡± Alina explained. ¡°You can only see someone else¡¯s vitals if they have hostility towards you or you to them. Then you¡¯ll be able to see their level and their health and mana or energy bars. They¡¯ll be more prominent than your own bars, but it won¡¯t show you in numbers how much of either they have.
¡°In truth, once you reach the higher levels, you¡¯ll turn your display off. You rarely, if ever need it. You develop an intuition for these things.¡±
¡°How many levels are there?¡± Tyler asked, glancing at the 39 in the top left corner of his vision.
¡°One hundred. Most people in this world don¡¯t go past level twenty-five, sometimes thirty at a stretch. You can reach those levels without doing much, if anything, extra. Most people are content with that. You ply a reasonable trade, earn a decent living, and live out your life quite comfortably at such levels.¡±
Most people reach level twenty-five but he was already well beyond that. It didn¡¯t seem right but he didn¡¯t have the opportunity to question it.
¡°But some want to reach further. Others don¡¯t have a choice but to,¡± Alina continued. ¡°This forest is one of the places those people go to reach higher levels. Here, your experience is doubled; you have more quests, more beasts to kill, higher gear to obtain. The Forest of Learning enhances your skills, whether that¡¯s with hammers or axes, fishing poles or hunting bows.
¡°You can enter the forest at level twenty-five at the entrance to the north. It¡¯s about fifty leagues from north to south, and when-¡° she gave him a curious look and he realised his expression probably reflected the confusion he felt, but then she smiled in understanding. ¡°A league is three miles or about how far you can walk in an hour. At the quickest, someone could complete the forest in about ten days, to get all the experience they need. That should take them to level fifty by the time they make it to the exit to the south.
¡°After that, it¡¯s really how far you want to take it. At level fifty, you get to choose a class. Think of classes as professions. Jewelcrafting. Tailoring. Blacksmithing. Cooking. Soldiering and many more. If you have aspirations of becoming proficient in your craft, you need to reach level fifty, which isn¡¯t difficult but it requires effort on your part. You won¡¯t be able to stumble to it. If you have aspirations of becoming a master of your craft, that¡¯s when you need to dedicate your life to it.¡±
He thought back to the quest he had completed and the enormous xp he had gained. If that wasn¡¯t the definition of stumbling to it, he didn¡¯t know what was.
¡°And princess wasn¡¯t something you wanted to dedicate your life to?¡± he joked, and then immediately felt stupid. There he went again, covering the uncomfortable weight of the situation he found himself in with false bravado. He wondered if he¡¯d always been like that. Back on Earth. Or was it something he was developing in the moment. He wished he wasn¡¯t missing those damn memories. Then a thought occurred to him. One he hadn¡¯t considered before.
If the Gamesmaster had the power to send him back in time, then surely he might¡¯ve had the power to give him back his memories. He frowned and looked down at the pebbles at his feet, annoyed with himself for not having this thought back then. Perhaps stupidity was a trait of his from his old life. How had he had the ability to stay calm in that life-or-death moment with the Demon Sprite but he hadn¡¯t had the wherewithal to ask for his memories back.
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Alina said, drawing his attention back to her. The light from the orb danced across her silver hair. ¡°I wasn¡¯t annoyed by your joke.¡±
¡°Huh? Oh, I was thinking about something else,¡± he replied. She raised her eyebrows. A slight panic took him, remembering he was talking to a princess. She seemed totally normal and accessible to him but he still needed to be respectful. Quickly, he added, ¡°Not that I wasn¡¯t thinking about you. I was thinking about you but not exclusively about you.¡±
Her eyebrows raised further and she tilted her head slightly. His words sounded back to him in his ears.
¡°Not that you¡¯re not worth thinking about exclusively,¡± he said in a rush. ¡°I mean, of course you¡¯re absolutely worth thinking about exclusively.¡± His mind thought back to that moment when she emerged from the water. That silky silver hair flowing over her body. Her golden-bronze skin. The curv¨C. What the hell is wrong with you, Tyler? Where the hell is your mind going? Focus. Focus. Don¡¯t lose your head.
Literally.
He breathed in deeply and held it for a moment, before letting it out slowly. He looked into her light-green eyes, thought of his mother at his hospital bed and remembering he was talking to a princess, said as politely as he could, ¡°Can we continue with the lesson?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± she replied, her lips twitching slightly, as if she was suppressing a smile.
5: A War is Coming
¡°Where were we before you interrupted?¡± Alina asked, with a hint of a smirk that had been there for far too long now. Throughout their conversation, she had barely budged on the rocky outcrop that she sat on, and he imagined the armour couldn¡¯t be that comfortable and yet, she gave no indication otherwise. ¡°Ah, yes. Picking a class. Once you¡¯re level fifty, you can pick a class and reallocate your stat points.¡±
¡°Like wisdom?¡± he asked.
¡°No,¡± she replied. ¡°Wisdom is one of the stats you can¡¯t allocate points to. Why don¡¯t you call up your stats?¡±
He hesitated as he couldn¡¯t exactly remember the command, so he settled on the command he did know.
¡°Status.¡±
The floating blue screen appeared with his baseline information. He reached out and tapped the screen, bringing him back to the earlier menu. He made a mental note that the command was ¡®Stats¡¯ and pressed the button on the screen for attributes. Only two items came up.
[ STAT POINTS AVAILABLE ] [ 78 ]
[ ALLOCATED ] [ 0 ]
He noticed on the right hand side of the screen, there was a white triangle pointing right. Instinctively, he swiped his hand left as if he really was using a tablet and it had the desired effect. The interface responded almost instantly, the experience smoother than he would have expected. No lag, no stuttering, no spinning coloured circle. Another vague memory of his time on Earth. Another page came up, with triangles on either edge pointing left and right.
[ PHYSICAL | phys ]
{ STRENGTH | STR } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ ENDURANCE | END } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ VITALITY | VIT } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ AGILITY | AGI } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ DURABILITY | DUR } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
[ CONFIRM ]
¡°It says I have no stat points allocated,¡± Tyler said, looking through the screen at Alina. ¡°Should I?¡±
¡°It¡¯s up to you,¡± Alina replied. ¡°Before you¡¯ve chosen a class, you can¡¯t use magic so you can allocate to physical attributes only. You can get to level fifty without allocating, but if you wanted to speed things up a little more, you could allocate to strength for raw power or agility for speed and control. The other three aren¡¯t really relevant at your level or even later, depending on the class you¡¯ve chosen.¡±
¡°Why can¡¯t you use magic before choosing a class?¡±
¡°It¡¯s just the way it is. I¡¯m sure someone¡¯s done the research into it but it¡¯s not something I ever looked into. When you¡¯re at the Academy, you¡¯ll be able to study these things further, if that¡¯s what you want to do.
¡°Though, I imagine it¡¯s to ensure that mages and clerics have some physical skills. At higher levels, the opponents you¡¯re likely to face will be highly skilled and you¡¯ll need to think fast, move when necessary and sometimes be in close quarters combat where your magic can be just as dangerous to yourself as to them.¡± She made a gesture with her hand, clenching her fist near her face, then splaying her fingers outwards. At the same time, she puffed out her cheeks and rounded her lips into a small circle, softly blowing out air as if to mimic an explosion.
¡°A base level of physicality ¨C being able to fight or use a sword ¨C can buy you distance and time to cast stronger spells. Mira is a mage. She doesn¡¯t have the same damage resistance or health as knights such as myself, nor the speed or movement of an assassin like Kiri. But she¡¯s the most powerful of all seven of us, as long as she has the time to cast.¡±
Knights, assassins, mages, clerics. He felt a hazy familiarity with those concepts from games from Earth or one of those fantasy novels written by one of the greats, occupying that strange place in his mind between memories and knowledge. Well, he needed neither memory nor knowledge now that he was living it.
He swiped left again.
[ MAGICAL | magic ]
{ CHI | CHI } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ SUSTENANCE | SUS } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ SPIRIT | SPT } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ FOCUS | FCS } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ FORTITUDE | FRT } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
[ CONFIRM ]
¡°If mages are so powerful, why wouldn¡¯t everyone just be a mage?¡± Tyler asked. This screen also had triangles left and right.
¡°Because not everything can be solved with magic and not every enemy can be defeated with it either. Some beasts are resistant to it and many are immune. Not to mention the biggest enemies need multiple people with multiple classes to even have a chance.¡±
He swiped left again, and this time, there was only a triangle to the left, but unlike the previous two screens, there were no plus or minus signs next to the stats.
[ MENTAL | ment ]
{ INTELLIGENCE | INT } [ 126 / 250 ]
{ WISDOM | WIS } [ 104 / 250 ]
{ RESONANCE | RES } [ 75 / 250 ]
{ CHARISMA | CHR } [ 76 / 250 ]
{ CONVICTION | CNV } [ 52 / 250 ]
The scores were confusing to say the least. High in intelligence and wisdom but low in the others. It looked really bad on the conviction. Not even halfway to the midpoint. And even being high in intelligence, he just noticed it wasn¡¯t high at all. Just above average, if even that. He wondered how that compared to others. Was it usual for someone of his level or was he lacking in ways he couldn¡¯t yet understand? The only saving grace was that he¡¯d have opportunities to increase them all.
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¡°So if I have this right,¡± Tyler said, his mind still processing the manner in which his identity had been stripped down to nothing more than raw numbers. ¡°We earn stat points per level that we gain and we can allocate to magic or physical attributes but for mental attributes, we can only gain those through our actions?¡±
¡°Correct,¡± Alina replied, shifting in her seat for what seemed to be the first time since Tyler was first made to kneel in front of her. ¡°You get stronger as you grow. Your health, your energy, your attack power all rise and then you can allocate to physical or magical stats to increase those characteristics. But then yes, the mental attributes can only be earnt via your actions. Like I said earlier ¨C we grow stronger through our deeds but also through our experiences and decisions.
¡°Mental attributes are harder to earn, though in a zone like this, you¡¯ll earn them a bit faster. Once you get to the Academy, you¡¯ll get a better understanding of it all. I¡¯ve given you a brief overview so you¡¯re not completely out of your depth, but in any case, one of my sisters will be going with you, so they¡¯ll help you on the way, and once you get to the Academy, you¡¯ll be taught alongside the other two we picked up.¡±
He had so many questions to ask but he also knew she was a princess and had given up much of her time already helping a newbie like him. He felt it unwise to push her further. He could ask those questions to someone else, but there was one burning question that he did need to ask her. Before voicing it, he decided to test the commands he had been memorising as each screen had displayed.
¡°Status.¡± That brought him back to the original screen.
{Name} [ Tyler Smith ]
{Age} [ 25 ]
{Level} [ 39 ]
{Experience} [ 5091/20550 ]
{Health} [ 9959 | 9959 | +0 ]
{Energy} [ 2162 | 2162 | +0 ]
{Power} [ 319 | 319 | +0 ]
{Class} [ UNAVAILABLE ]
[? Press for more]
¡°Stats.¡±
[ STAT POINTS AVAILABLE ] [ 78 ]
[ ALLOCATED ] [ 0 ]
¡°Phys.¡±
[ PHYSICAL | phys ]
{ STRENGTH | STR } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ ENDURANCE | END } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ VITALITY | VIT } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ AGILITY | AGI } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ DURABILITY | DUR } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
[ CONFIRM ]
¡°Phys.¡±
The screen disappeared.
¡°Vitals.¡±
The bars for health, energy and xp faded away, with only the lingering afterimage of the thirty-nine haunting his vision, before it too disappeared. He found Alina beaming at him, a hint of pride in her smile.
¡°You catch on fast.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± he said. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be able to figure out the rest on my own.¡±
She tilted her head to him in acknowledgement and then looked over to Mira. He glanced back too and saw that Mira had created a snug little haven by the stream¡¯s edge. Eight colourful tents formed a loose circle around a crackling fire, its oranges flames casting shadows across the pebbles nearby and reflecting on the water, shimmering with each ripple of waves.
Each tent had a lantern hanging inside, with one tent that was twice the size of the others. Even from a distance, he could tell it seemed to be made with a heavier fabric, intricate embroidery and patterns lining its edges and the entrance. Across from that tent, was one that was conspicuously small, barely large enough for a person. Perhaps that was Kiri¡¯s tent, too pint-sized to be for anyone else.
Mira sat on a large log between the tents and the fire, one of several that seemed to have just appeared from nowhere. Given what he¡¯d learnt about her power, perhaps they had been conjured out of thin air. She seemed to be concentrating intensely on the slightly charring animal that hung in the air above the fire. Whatever beast it was, it slowly rotated on an invisible spit, juices and fat slowly dripping onto the flames below, causing them to occasionally crackle and roar.
¡°Seems Mira got done without me,¡± Alina said, head downcast, though Tyler couldn¡¯t hear any actual disappointment in the statement. Was there the slightest hint of a pleased smile on her face? Her lips seemed to twitch with what he thought was satisfaction, but it was hard to tell, though he had the feeling Alina was quite content to not have helped. She couldn¡¯t entirely keep that princess persona under wraps. ¡°I think it¡¯s best you clean up now. I¡¯m not sure how much longer I can deal with your stench.¡± She winked at him. ¡°You can use the stream ¨C I¡¯ll ask Mira to heat up a spot here so you won¡¯t freeze to death. When you¡¯re done, I think you might want to check your bags.¡±
She stood up, her silver hair prominent against the dark armour she wore. He stood up too, picking up the cushion he had been sat on. Alina was hunched over her gauntlets and helm, which disappeared before his eyes. Her sword soon followed. He wondered what magic she must be using, but he had more pressing concerns. Before she could leave, Tyler spoke up with the question that had been bugging him. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡±
She turned back to him, a questioning look on her face.
¡°I get it,¡± Tyler said. ¡°You¡¯re a princess and you have responsibilities towards your people. I get that. But I¡¯m not one of your people. I¡¯m not even of this world.¡± It had been playing on his mind since she¡¯d mentioned it earlier, though it had taken a while to process. There were people here who would want to extract information from him. At the time, he hadn¡¯t given it much thought but during her explanation of how the world works, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what¡¯s in it for her.
¡°I¡¯m grateful for your help, but I¡¯m not na?ve. You could have had someone take me back to the Academy already, or just sent me on my way, with nothing more than what I have on. Or you could have had me killed. No-one would know. But you¡¯re taking the time to explain things to me. Build a rapport with me. You, the Princess. The Commander of the Academy. Why?¡±
She smiled that knowing smile again. ¡°I think your question answers your question.¡±
It was his turn to give her a questioning look.
¡°You¡¯re perceptive, resourceful, quick. As you said, you¡¯re not na?ve. You¡¯re new to this world. A little fearful perhaps. Confused. But not na?ve.
¡°Something is happening on Cytheria. We¡¯re seeing phenomenon that have never occurred before. Take this forest. I¡¯m sure you noticed the disease invading it. And you¡¯ve already encountered a creature that isn¡¯t a part of it. That Demon Sprite. We¡¯ve only ever seen these things in the Riftlands.
¡°Over the past several months, similar events have occurred elsewhere. Creatures like that Demon Sprite appearing in the middle of our nations. Forests being diseased. Rivers drying up or turning black. We¡¯ve heard rumours from Saphildor to Telkand of such happenings. Some of those rumours even spoke of several Demon Lords themselves appearing. Beings of immense power, far beyond what any hero on Cytheria or any size of raid could handle.
¡°There¡¯s always been an uneasy truce between our nations and the Riftlands. There¡¯s always skirmishes on the borders. The lower demons try to cross and we force them back. And sometimes a party or raid from our side makes it into the Riftlands but not far. It¡¯s not too far in before you encounter the Demon Lords and no party is stupid enough to attack them. But one thing has always held. On the border, there is an invisible barrier that the Demon Lords themselves cannot cross.
¡°But now they¡¯re appearing in the middle of our lands. And wherever they¡¯ve appeared, massive dungeons have appeared soon after, as if the world itself is trying to keep them contained. Some of those dungeons have vanished since, even though no raid party had managed to clear even a single floor. Many died trying.
¡°What we don¡¯t know is how these demon spawn and their lords are managing to appear in places they should not be able to.¡±
He was trying to take all the information in but nothing of what she¡¯d said answered his question. There was something that stood out though. Something that concerned him. If the Demon Lords were so powerful, why would the Gamesmaster send him here? The more he thought about it, the more it just didn¡¯t make sense. Alina thought he was perceptive but he knew there was something he was missing here. It bothered him no end that he had no idea what.
¡°What does all that have to do with me?¡±
¡°Well, with all these strange happenings ¨C now, I¡¯ve found three people who are from a different world to ours. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s others like you out there. Most have likely perished but there will be a few like you and the other two. Resourceful. Survivors. Perhaps they¡¯ve also found allies.
¡°I have some ideas as to how the demon spawn are getting through, but I haven¡¯t confirmed anything yet. But if it¡¯s as I fear, then I¡¯m going to need people I can trust. What better than people who have no allegiances already?¡±
¡°So, you don¡¯t have a problem with sending others where you fear to go?¡± Tyler responded.
¡°Not where I fear to go,¡± Alina said. ¡°Where I am unable to. You¡¯re right. I¡¯m not helping you from pure altruism. I¡¯m helping you because one day soon, after we¡¯ve trained you, I¡¯m going to need you.¡±
¡°Need me for what?¡± Tyler asked.
Alina looked him right in the eye. Those alluring light-green eyes were anything but right now. They looked cold and determined.
¡°For the war that is coming.¡±
6: Survival or Death
Tyler floated in the stream, lying on his back, gently moving his limbs every now and then to maintain balance as the waves embraced his body. The water traced the grooves of his joints and flowed over the chiselled muscles of his legs. It caressed his lithe torso, pooled in the valley where his neck met his chest, and rounded his shoulders to continue on its path past his ears.
Nearby, another orb of light hovered ¨C gifted to him by Mira ¨C its soft glow shimmering on the surface of the water. Earlier, he had watched as she¡¯d performed an elaborate dance with her hands and a moment later, without a sound nor a splash, a blinding flash of light had exploded beneath the water. She had headed back to the logs then, leaving him to it. He had cautiously dipped a toe in and found the water to be at that sweet spot between hot enough to be pleasurable but not enough to be painful. It had been like that since and he had a feeling it would remain so until he left the stream. She must still be maintaining the magic, even though she was more than thirty or forty metres from him.
Above him, the constellations that spread across the night sky looked nothing like those on Earth. Not that Tyler knew that from looking at them. Even on Earth, he didn¡¯t think he was an avid stargazer, but the Gamesmaster had told him this was the Andromeda galaxy, so naturally, the stars couldn¡¯t be the same.
That¡¯s if the Gamesmaster had been telling the truth.
He fluttered his arms a little towards the shore as he began drifting with the waves. It was troubling to think that the picture the Gamesmaster had painted for him wasn¡¯t as he thought. There was little thinking done at the time, if he was honest with himself. The shock of seeing himself in that hospital bed had been enough to make his decision but now he was ruing not taking the chance to think longer. Survival was a powerful drug. It was what coloured his decision. What kept him rational enough to survive the Demon Sprite. But like any drug, there were downsides. Sometimes, trying to survive was to seek death.
The more he thought about it, the less everything made sense but his mind lingered on those missing memories. The connections that had been lost. Or were they merely severed; the remedy yet to be found? If he had had his memories from Earth, would he have made a different decision? Probably not. That image of his broken body would have been enough, he had to admit.
More concerning was that from what he had gathered from Alina, they had never before encountered people from other worlds on Cytheria. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what that meant. Did people sent here forget the Gamesmaster entirely, or had the Gamesmaster sent them somewhere else? If no-one remembered how they had got here, then how had they lived their lives. Were there multiple people walking around without any memories at all, except from the moment they arrived on Cytheria? Perhaps nobody had been sent here before at all. Perhaps he was the first. But then there were the other two that Alina had mentioned. Where were they from and how had they got here? Most puzzling was why any of them had retained the memories of their time with the Gamesmaster and why had no-one before?
Gosh, there were so many things to think about. And as if he didn¡¯t have enough on his plate, he also had to deal with Alina. That was the problem with beautiful women. By the time he¡¯d managed to peel his eyes away from her, he¡¯d already signed his life away and he hadn¡¯t even realised. And not just to any woman. A Princess. One that could have his head chopped off and wrapped as a gift with just a command. And sheesh. Not just any princess either. One that wouldn¡¯t even command someone else but would gleefully remove his head herself.
Why couldn¡¯t he have bumped into a village girl? Someone simple in their aspirations. Someone who likely wouldn¡¯t be able to command armies. Someone who would faint at the sight of blood, rather than revel in it.
And still, a part of him was grateful to have found Alina, though her words had been ominous. She would call upon him when she needed him for a war that she was sure was coming. A war that wasn¡¯t his.
Isn¡¯t that what you signed up for though?
He chuckled softly. That¡¯s right. That was what he signed up for.
¡°I¡¯ll go to Cytheria. And I¡¯ll win,¡± he mocked himself.
The hot water lapped over his body and he massaged the pains from his muscles, kneaded the weariness from his bones. He hadn¡¯t quite realised just how much he had needed this but the day¡¯s events had taken their toll, his body as drained as his mind. He closed his eyes, heard the gentle lapping of the stream pass him by as he submerged himself a little deeper until only his nose remained above the water. He felt the heat pressing on his body, soothing knots of tension that he hadn¡¯t even known were there. For a few precious moments, he allowed his mind to drift. To forget about princesses and demons and a wiry, fat old man. To forget about missing memories and impending wars. For a few precious moments, he just wanted to be cuddled by the hot water, like the calming embrace of a mother¡¯s love.
But peace couldn¡¯t last. Not for him. Not anymore.
He opened his eyes and stood upright, tilting his head to either side to clear his ears of the water. The stream wasn¡¯t deep but it was deep enough that his feet didn¡¯t touch the bottom in the middle where he was. He swam towards the shore, which wasn¡¯t far at all.
He seemed a tad faster than before, a tad stronger. His allocated points seemed to be making a slight difference. Of the seventy-eight, he had allocated most to [STR] ¨C fifty points there, with ten in [VIT] and the rest in [AGI]. It couldn¡¯t hurt. He¡¯d also checked his bags before he bathed and was pleasantly surprised to find [Uncommon Pants], [Uncommon Shirt], [Uncommon Tunic] and a [Club]. He¡¯d left them by the rocky outcrop where he had conversed with Alina.
He emerged onto the pebbled bank, like Alina had earlier, stark naked and he was more than a little aware of it. The orb of light had followed him, but it was off to the side a little, the light too dim for Alina or Mira to see him. He glanced beyond the orb to the campfire, and could just about make out the silhouettes of both women, where they had been seated since he began bathing. He noticed a third person, smaller than them. Kiri, presumably. The figure looked small enough. He saw no-one else. Perhaps the rest were making their own way back. Or perhaps she hadn¡¯t found them, which would be more troubling.
Water droplets fell off his body, wetting the stones beneath as he made his way to his clothes at the base of the rocky outcrop. Just as he was about to bend down, shadows emerged from behind the outcrop. Four faceless heads rose, growing taller by the second. His heart hammered away, but he was more prepared this time. An invisible chill blew away the lingering steam that clung to his body, as one of the figures began reaching out.
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Tyler turned and ran, the orb whizzing along with him. He tried to shout out but his words caught in his throat. He focused on the campfire ¨C he couldn¡¯t be more than twenty metres away. He sprinted as fast as he could, his lungs burning, but as he approached, finally they were able to expel the words he wanted to say.
¡°Help,¡± he shouted over to the other three. ¡°Monsters. Demons. Behind me.¡±
The campfire crackled and spat, flames flaring. The beast from earlier had been carved and placed in bowls to the side, along with some greens and gravy. Alina and Mira were both wearing nightgowns, whilst Kiri remained in her leathers. All three turned to him, but not a single one rose to help or seemed particularly concerned, though all three had growing smiles on their faces amid clear amusement. Smiles that grew into little giggles. Kiri didn¡¯t stop at giggling. She right out started cackling, arms over her ribs as she rolled around on the floor like a cat with a ball.
¡°What¡¯s so damn funny?¡± Tyler demanded. He put out a finger to point at the monsters coming, ¡°There are-¡° His words caught in his throat as he saw what was actually coming. Four silhouettes approached from the direction of the outcrop, but as they entered the light of the campfire, he could see they were four women. One was holding his gear.
The leftmost was slim and tall, dressed in what looked to be simple cloth, not too dissimilar to the dress that Mira had on earlier, the small gems catching the light of the fire. She held a long, white staff in her hand, inlaid with intricate etchings. She looked a little like Mira too, with the same distant brown eyes, but she looked older and had shoulder-length hair the colour of late autumn leaves. She carried herself with a quiet dignity, the sympathetic smile on her face saying she¡¯d seen this kind of thing before, and offering comfort in the presence of her sisters had become second nature.
Second from the left was a taller woman, almost as tall as Alina and wearing leather armour like Kiri, but more rugged and weathered as if she¡¯d spent years in the wilderness. She carried a dark bow in her hands, a quiver of arrows at her hip next to a short sword, and all gemmed like the others. Her black hair, flecked with silver, hung halfway to her waist, framing a round motherly face, as weathered as her clothes. There was a slight hint of concern in her blue eyes.
The third, holding his gear with an amused smile, was also dressed in leathers but here and there, hints of gleaming silver mail peeked through amongst the gleaming gems. She was broad-shouldered and stocky, like she was born to be in a boxing ring and preferred to solve problems directly. At her waist, on either side hung footlong axes, with an even larger axe strapped to her back. She was older than him by a few years and she stood with the confidence of someone approaching their third decade. Her red hair was cut short and bunched out wildly, and she wouldn¡¯t have looked out of place among the crackling flames of the campfire.
The last was an imposing figure that stood taller than anyone else. She was dressed in gleaming silver plate, the reflections of the campfire dancing across it. The armour looked similar to Alina¡¯s but less ornate, less expensive. Just as many gems. She was even more broad-shouldered than number three. She had a scrunched-up face that perhaps even a mother couldn¡¯t love dominated by a scar down the left side of her face, cutting through not only skin but an empty eye socket too. She seemed to be smiling. At least that¡¯s what he thought. Was it her lip curling upwards or was that the scar? The black hair on her head had been shaved as close as possible without being bald, and protruding above her head were the hilts of two massive swords.
¡°The rest of the sister¡¯s, I presume?¡±
They nodded as one.
It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t aware that he was standing there naked in front of them, his backside to Alina and the other two. It¡¯s just he wasn¡¯t sure what he should do. Grab his clothes and run? Flee back to the comfort of the water? His skin was neither pale nor tan but he could feel it burning with embarrassment like the flames behind him.
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± older Mira said in a soft tone as if she thought it would console him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing we haven¡¯t seen before.¡±
¡°Is there anything to see?¡± one-eye on the right said, looking directly beneath his navel. ¡°I think we might have an eighth sister of retribution here.¡±
Axes snorted before throwing him his clothes. ¡°Here, you forgot these. I hope that¡¯s only water pooling by your feet.¡± Kiri cackled louder behind him. One-eye, axes and older Mira moved to walk past him, older Mira giving him an apologetic nod. The eldest of the group stayed ahead of him.
¡°I apologise for my sisters. Kiri told us about you on our way back and that she caught you gawking at Alina this evening. My sisters felt you needed to learn a lesson.
¡°Out here in the wilderness, or on the battlefield, you¡¯ll find yourself surrounded by men and women needing to take a piss or shit, needing to bathe, needing to fuck. There¡¯s no need for modesty, even for princesses. You just get about your business, no matter who¡¯s watching. But it¡¯s your choice to do so. I¡¯ve known people to trek a mile, risk attack by man or beast, just because they¡¯re worried about being seen as if nobody but them relieves themselves.
¡°What nobody should be doing however, is watching from the shadows. We have ways of dealing with those types. It¡¯s a lot worse than what we¡¯ve done here.
¡°Now, get dressed and join us for a meal.¡± She gave him a motherly smile and walked past him also.
Tyler heard her words and stood there. He hadn¡¯t really thought that he was gawking at Alina. He couldn¡¯t deny he had seen her naked, though he hadn¡¯t seen much at all but it hadn¡¯t been a deliberate choice. Nothing that had happened to him so far had been a deliberate choice. It was all just happening to him. And he was reacting. Reacting to the Gamesmaster. Reacting to the Demon Sprite. Reacting to Alina. He¡¯d been constantly on the back foot. Scrambling to live, scrambling to survive, scrambling to understand. When was he going to start acting?
If he hoped to get by in this world; perhaps even to thrive in it, he couldn¡¯t keep being blown here and there like a leaf in a storm. Alina had already trapped him into her service but if he wanted her to take him seriously and if he wanted any hope of taking control of his destiny, he needed to stop reacting and start acting. It might just be the difference between survival or death.
He turned. Slowly. Deliberately. It was almost as hard as when he wanted to follow the demon earlier. He turned, until he was facing all seven sisters, including the beautiful princess. They had all forgotten him already, as they sat around the fire, weapons by their side, plates in hand. That pissed him off even more. Treat him like a child, make him stand in a corner to learn his lesson and then forget he¡¯s there. Unacceptable.
¡°You know what?¡± he shouted and the camp fell silent, seven pairs of eyes turning to him. He looked at Alina, right into her light-green eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right, Princess. I did see you naked. But I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I was fighting for my life and you happened to step out of the water at that time. Frankly, if you didn¡¯t want to be seen, perhaps you should have put a screen up or something. I¡¯m sure Mira could have prepared something for you.
¡°Am I the one in the wrong for stumbling upon you? But it doesn¡¯t matter, because you¡¯re right. It wasn¡¯t fair to stare at you. So here I am. Take a good look.¡±
The others turned away but Alina did look. But she was looking at his face, a glint in her eyes. Her lips curved into a smile, but not of amusement. It almost looked like respect. She held his gaze a moment before she turned back to her sisters.
He felt a rush of exhilaration. Almost as if letting them see him naked out of his own choice had somehow freed him from some unseen shackles. He turned around and began to get dressed. Behind him, he heard one of the sisters speak. He thought it sounded like one-eye.
¡°I like him. Got a spine to him, that one.¡±
7. The Gathering Storm
Tyler¡¯s wooden plate held a thick cut of steak, its edges slightly charred. He had no idea what kind of meat it was, the roast on the spit long since stripped and discarded. The steak nestled against a fluffy cloud of steaming mashed potato, surrounded by glistening green beans and chunky carrots, all settled in a rich gravy. The fragrant aroma rose to his nostrils, whilst the warmth of the plate spread through his fingers.
He sat on a log opposite Alina, the campfire between them keeping the slightly chill air at bay. Alongside him sat Kiri and Sadie, the stocky boxer. He¡¯d found out she was of noble birth, and grew up in court alongside Alina.
¡°You guys aren¡¯t sisters at all then?¡± Tyler asked.
¡°No,¡± Sadie stated, ¡°not in the traditional sense, except those two.¡± She tilted her head towards Mira and Celeste, who sat off to one side, deep in conversation out of the earshot of the others. Any words that may have found their way to Tyler were drowned out by the occasional sputter of the campfire.
Tyler grabbed the steak on his plate. He¡¯d looked around for utensils but not seeing any and not wanting to ask, he had to go primal. He held the steak and tore the meat with his teeth. It offered a little resistance but was tender enough to come apart, the inside an exquisite shade of pink. He rolled the piece around in his mouth as if to let every corner and crevice feel its firm but silky texture before letting it melt on his tongue as he scooped in some of the mash. Both succulent meat and creamy potatoes slid down his throat, wrapped in the rich gravy, a small part of which traced a warm dribble down his chin.
¡°I don¡¯t get¡¡± Tyler began as he shoved a handful of beans and carrots into his mouth, ¡°¡why¡¡± he brought his teeth down on them, felt the satisfying snap, heard the crisp crunch, ¡°¡the Princess and a Lady such as you¡¡± he had another chew, ¡°¡would want this kind of life.¡±
Kiri punched him in the arm. Hard. He felt a blossoming pain in his left shoulder. Much as she seemed to be the life of the party ¨C in fact, both of them sat with him seemed to be the least serious ¨C her dimples had regressed and there was a slight sheen to her green eyes, as if she was holding back tears. ¡°Not everyone wanted this life.¡±
¡°We all have our stories,¡± Sadie said.
¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything by it Kiri,¡± Tyler said reassuringly, ¡°I just meant that I always imagined royalty to have it easy.¡±
¡°In some things,¡± Sadie said. She took a bite of the meat on her plate. ¡°But in some things, they have it harder.¡±
¡°Like in what?¡± Tyler said, a slight hint of a disbelief in his voice.
Sadie stared ahead into the flames and in a whisper almost too low for him to hear, mumbled ¡°Relationships.¡±
He saw the melancholic look on her face and decided not to press her. He continued biting into his steak, carefully scooping up mash and gravy and greens into his mouth. The two women next to him ate quietly by his side.
He looked over at Alina, deep in conversation with Imanie and Emelyn. Emelyn, the one-eyed warrior, had been Alina¡¯s bodyguard since birth and Imanie had been someone who had lived in the wilds by themselves, away from civilisation. He wanted to know how these seven had come together but no-one had offered the information yet and he thought it would be crude to ask. From both Kiri and Sadie¡¯s reactions, some of those stories didn¡¯t seem to be pleasant to relive.
It didn¡¯t take him long before he was staring at an empty plate. He carefully looked over, as nonchalantly as possible, to where the rest of the meat was. There didn¡¯t seem to be much left, but he remembered the size of the beast and felt there should have been much more. He couldn¡¯t remember when had last eaten, nor what the meal had been but it seemed like it had been a long time ago.
¡°Just go get some more,¡± Kiri said and he glanced to his left. Her smile was back, like a younger sister looking at her idiotic but exceptionally charming older brother. The charming might have been wishful thinking on his part. It dawned on him that Kiri had seen him naked and it made him feel a little uncomfortable, not least because she seemed to be no older than his younger sister, but he supposed it wasn¡¯t much different from siblings accidently crossing paths in their bathroom at home.
He glanced at Alina again. It had given him a weird sense of freedom to do what he had. Sort of like taking the power away from them to make him feel embarrassed, even though he could still feel the lingering effects of his skin flushing. Regardless, he wasn¡¯t intending on making it a habit.
¡°Are you sure lil¡¯ sis?¡± Tyler asked. Kiri¡¯s expression was part confusion, part incomprehension.
¡°It¡¯s a shortened version of ¡®little sister¡¯,¡± Tyler explained, which drew a smile from the young girl.
¡°And what do you call an older brother?¡± Kiri asked.
¡°Just bro,¡± he replied, though he had a little think about it and added, ¡°but you can use that for friends as well.¡±
¡°Maybe I¡¯ll call you bro.¡±
It was his turn to smile. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±
¡°Now, Bro, go get some more food. There¡¯s no shortage of it,¡± Kiri said with a smile. ¡°That truly is one of the perks of being around a princess.¡±
He didn¡¯t need to be asked twice. He scrambled over to the bowls, where little remained of the steak and veg. His stomach softly growled and he hoped he wasn¡¯t drooling, but, despite what Kiri had said, there just didn¡¯t seem to be enough. He knew it might be wrong to take it all, but he doubted it was enough to feed a child, let alone all eight of them. And he was so damn hungry. He quickly looked around, checking if anyone else had any interest but no-one was looking in his direction. As quick as he could, he dumped all the remaining food onto his plate and rushed back to his spot before someone could object.
As he bit into his seconds, from the corner of his eye, he could see the bowls slowly filling up again. He paused, holding a handful of meat and mash in mid-air, and watched as some invisible caterer had returned to make sure the food was flowing. His face began to flush. Every time he was getting comfortable with his surroundings, he was reminded just how much a fish out of water he was. Of course, the bloody mage with the bloody magic would have a way to refill the food.
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Then he heard Kiri whisper into his ear with a soft chuckle. ¡°I really did mean there is no shortage of food. Take as much as you want. Try not to overeat though. We need to move quickly sometimes.¡±
¡°Alright, gather round,¡± Emelyn suddenly bellowed from across the fire and all heads turned to her. Mira and Celeste continued to whisper before getting up from where they sat. Tyler had his eyes on Alina, and was surprised to find her looking right back at him. She gave him a gentle smile as Mira and Celeste came to join them all, standing just beyond the fire. Alina rose, the firelight casting shadows across her nightgown.
¡°For those of you who don¡¯t know,¡± Alina said, ¡°there¡¯s a dungeon about half a day¡¯s walk north of here. It¡¯s like the ones we¡¯ve heard about, and we can only assume it¡¯s just as dangerous.
¡°Sadie, tomorrow, I want you to go back and find Guyet. Bring him, his company and every mage that can be spared to the dungeon. Tyler,¡± she looked at him. ¡°You¡¯ll be coming with us to the dungeon but as soon as Sadie arrives, we¡¯ll be sending you to the Academy. Bold though you are, this isn¡¯t the place for you.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll take him,¡± Kiri offered without being asked. Alina nodded.
¡°We¡¯ll use the mages to bring reinforcements to secure the area and make sure no adventurers enter until we know what we¡¯re dealing with. Us six are going inside. If the dungeon contains foes that are too powerful for us like the rumours say, we¡¯ll retreat and we¡¯ll put up a permanent cordon.
¡°Any questions?¡± Nobody said a word. ¡°Finish up and get to sleep. We set out at first light.¡±
She was an impressive woman, princess or not. Commanding. Her beauty and the soft silkiness of her voice belied the true nature of her personality. Looking at the expressions on the women around him, each of them trusted Alina explicitly and dared not question her publicly. He imagined that¡¯s why she had been speaking to the older two women. One, her bodyguard, the other old and experienced. She was a princess that seemed to welcome counsel, had a sense of duty to those in her care and was not afraid to lead from the front.
She must be hiding something, he thought. Nobody could have it all. Beauty, empathy, morality. These things were not bedfellows. Perhaps she had seven toes or something. Or she turns into a monster at midnight. He was determined to find out.
He turned to Kiri as he continued his meal. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go to the dungeon?¡±
She¡¯d finished her meal, her plate by her feet. ¡°I do, but somebody needs to make sure you get to the Academy. The mages can only open portals to the edge of the city. It¡¯s forbidden, even for Alina, to allow portals inside the city walls, so someone needs to take you the rest of the way, and it would have to be one of us. The princess trusts few people.¡±
He finished his meal, as Mira and Celeste began to gather the plates of their companions. After licking his fingers of the lingering juices, he placed his plate next to Kiri¡¯s and signalled that he was going to the stream. His hand felt sticky, the juicy fats from the meat and gravy drying into a thin crust of slime that enveloped his fingers.
Once there, he squatted at the edge of the stream and dipped his fingers into the chill water. He wiped his hands down, kneading each hand with the other. The cold water had the strange sensation of numbing his fingers even as he felt relief from scrubbing the grime away. He concentrated on removing every last semblance of fatty glaze, pressing fingers in between each other, rubbing at the skin between his knuckles.
¡°Did you enjoy your meal?¡±
He almost lost his footing. To his left, Alina had squatted down, barely visible in the darkness, the campfire feet away at their backs.
¡°Are you making it a personal mission to terrify me?¡± Tyler said, having composed himself and continuing with his washing ritual. Alina laughed softly.
¡°I should apologise to you personally for my sisters¡¯ behaviour earlier. I didn¡¯t put them up to it, I assure you.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay. Maybe it was a lesson I needed.¡±
¡°Your reaction was remarkable. You certainly impressed us all,¡± Alina said.
¡°Did I now?¡± Tyler said like a rascal, looking into her face. Though there was little light, he saw her smile.
¡°You didn¡¯t impress us that much,¡± she gave another soft chuckle and he chuckled alongside her. He finished his washing and stood, shaking his hands in the direction of the stream to shed the excess water. Alina stood also, facing him. He was aware of how close she was, the nightgown she wore, the gentle hints of flowery perfume that he could smell from her. He took the smallest of steps back and hoped she didn¡¯t notice. It wasn¡¯t because he wanted to distance himself from her. It was because he was starting to have the slightest of feelings that he didn¡¯t want to.
He looked towards the campfire, watched the others clean up and get ready for bed. ¡°So, Princess,¡± he said, almost to remind himself, ¡°how long will it take to train me?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t need to call me Princess,¡± she replied. Was she still looking at him?
¡°I should. Someone of your status should be respected.¡±
¡°It¡¯s really okay. None of them call me that.¡±
¡°Yeah, but they¡¯re your companions. I¡¯m not.¡± He continued to look at the campfire but flicked his eyes in her direction. She was still looking at him. She looked like she hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off him and she began laughing to boot. He turned back to her slowly, carefully. Remember she¡¯s a princess, you damned idiot. And you¡¯ve only just met her.
¡°It will take a few months to train you,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe more. We¡¯ll need to get you some new gear as well, but better to do that once you¡¯re closer to the top.¡±
¡°What are you planning for me after?¡±
She did look away from him this time, briefly glancing at the camp before turning back to him. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no harm in telling you. It would be more dangerous to you if anyone found out than me.¡±
Her words sounded ominous and he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to know now.
¡°The only way,¡± she continued, ¡°demons could be coming here from the Riftlands is with help. Human help with magic. The only way they could be getting within our Kingdoms is someone creating a gateway and the only way to create gateways is to know the destination. The magic user would have had to visit the Riftlands and not only that. They most likely struck a bargain with the Rift Lords.
¡°I¡¯m sure the other nations are running their own investigations but there¡¯s been so many incidents, this isn¡¯t isolated to one or two people. You, and the other two back at the academy will form the basis of a new squad I¡¯m putting together. What¡¯s happening in this forest will not be the end of it and we¡¯re going to find out who¡¯s behind this and why. That¡¯s what you¡¯re going to be trained for.¡±
¡°Do those two know they¡¯ve signed up for a suicide mission?¡±
¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have the luxury in this matter of considering the danger to you or to them. Frankly, if these incursions continue, the whole of Cytheria is in danger. I need people I can trust to go where I can¡¯t. And I think you¡¯re exactly the kind of man needed for something like that.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure that I am.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll find out.¡± She turned and walked away from him but paused. ¡°Try to get some sleep tonight. We¡¯re leaving early. Tomorrow, on our way to the dungeon, I want you to stay close to me.¡±
He watched her walk away as he wondered why she would ask that of him. It couldn¡¯t be, right? Surely not? Of course not, you halfwit. She probably doesn¡¯t trust you to not get lost or run away.
¡°Princess,¡± he shouted as she almost got back to the campfire. ¡°Which tent is mine?¡±
¡°Which one do you think?¡± she shouted back. He shrugged his shoulders.
¡°That one,¡± she said, pointing at the smallest tent, the one that was half the size of the others. Of course that would be his one. Why wouldn¡¯t it? He sighed as he followed her path to the campfire, wondering why he had ever agreed to come to this place anyway. The alternative looked more appealing by the minute. If he ever got to see the Gamesmaster again, he would make him pay for his false advertising but that was for another day. For now, he needed to get to bed. If the day¡¯s events were anything to go by, tomorrow might prove to be even more chaotic. He hoped not, but something told him that this world didn¡¯t care for his hopes.
8. Demons in Their Midst
Tyler¡¯s eyes snapped open, his consciousness stumbling through layers of sleep to catch up. He could feel something smooth pressing against his mouth, rough stitching digging into his cheeks amidst faint smells of earth and wax. In the darkness of the tent, his bleary eyes barely made out a silhouette but nothing further, no matter how much he blinked. He didn¡¯t need to see further to know someone had pinned him down.
He grasped at the person¡¯s wrist with both hands, and thrashed and kicked out as wildly and violently as he could. He twisted his body, shuffled upon the thin mattress, tried to throw his assailant off.
¡°Bro, stop,¡± a voice whispered, deep and hoarse. He stopped kicking. They removed their hand from his mouth.
¡°Kiri?¡± he whispered into the darkness, his breaths a little shallow.
¡°Yes,¡± she whispered back. ¡°Get dressed. We need to go.¡±
She left him, and squatted by the entrance to the tent with her back to him. The flap was slightly open letting in cool air from outside as she looked over the proceedings. He could hear a voice out there. A male voice. A newcomer, but judging by Kiri¡¯s reaction, not a welcome one. He rolled out from under the thin linen covers, enough to have kept him from getting cold during the night but not thick enough to keep him warm. His [Uncommon Pants], [Uncommon Shirt], [Uncommon Tunic], [Uncommon Boots] lay discarded on the mat that had been laid above the pebbles to the side of his makeshift bed.
In the dark, he fumbled with his clothes, twice putting his head through holes meant for his arms, before finally pulling his shirt on. He stood up, blinking at the pants he held, as if somehow that would help him see the dark hole in an even darker tent. He pushed out a leg. Nope. And again, catching the hem of the pants and almost falling over. The third time, he wrestled with the pants as if fighting in a world championship match and he was not about to lose. Eventually, pants and shirt on, he grabbed the tunic, again putting his head through a hole meant for an arm but only once this time. Finally, he grabbed the boots. The struggle was less but he had no idea if he had put the boots on the right feet. Whatever. It was the least of his worries right now. He wondered if he needed his [Uncommon Club] and then imagined himself besides Alina in her violet armour and great sword and him in his pants and tunic with a club. He thought better of it. He sidled up besides Kiri and looked outside.
A large orb hovered above the remnants of the campfire, its light reaching as far as the logs they had earlier sat on. The stream was quite a few metres off to his left, the forest just as far to his right. He spotted Alina in full armour, standing with Emelyn and Imanie in front of the tent a couple over, just beyond the reach of the orb¡¯s radiance. He looked around and found Mira and Celeste halfway behind that tent and the forest¡¯s edge. Sadie was nowhere to be seen.
Right in the middle of the light, a fair way away from where Tyler sat was the man who was speaking, if it was a man at all. He towered over anyone else there, probably a good ten feet tall. He was dressed in a figure-hugging black outfit that covered every inch of his body, leaving only his eyes visible. The outfit slithered and writhed in the light of the orb, making it seem like some living liquid metal, moulded to his body and ready to protect him with all the fervent devotion of a loving guardian. He had no weapons that Tyler could see but that otherworldly guise suggested he didn¡¯t need one.
¡°Who are you?¡± Alina asked, a hand on the hilt of her sword, though it remained sheathed. For all the confidence she displayed, Tyler heard the slight crack in her voice. All the women were as tensely wound as the bowstring that Imanie held, ready to let loose. Even sat at her side as he was, unable to see her face, Kiri¡¯s anxiety was evident, her breathing measured, a muted alarm that made his own pulse quicken. From what he had seen, these were not women easily frightened.
¡°I am called Reaper,¡± the man said, his voice smooth and firm. ¡°I¡¯m here for the one called Tyler Smith.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no such person here,¡± Alina responded.
¡°Of course there is,¡± Reaper replied. ¡°He hides in the shadows there.¡± He pointed directly at the tent that Tyler was in, and Tyler felt his pulse quicken further. The others pointedly didn¡¯t look in his direction.
¡°What do you want with him?¡± Alina asked.
¡°I assure you, young Princess, that no harm shall come to him.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question.¡±
¡°He is not of this world. He does not belong amongst you.¡±
¡°That still doesn¡¯t answer my question,¡± Alina said, her voice firm now. ¡°What do you want with him?¡±
¡°He will be brought before The Nexus Prime and be given the option of joining the Riftborn.¡±
¡°You¡¯re from the Rift? You¡¯re a demon?¡±
The man¡¯s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. It was the only hint of emotion Tyler had seen from him.
¡°The Riftborn are not demons. We are defenders of this world, at the bidding of The Nexus Prime. I go where my master needs me.¡±
¡°I think we should go now,¡± Kiri whispered to him, her eyes firmly on Reaper.
¡°I¡¯m not going to argue with you,¡± Tyler whispered back, almost surprised he was even able to speak.
¡°Follow me and do as I do.¡±
Kiri lay down and slithered out of the tent, making as minimal movement as possible, careful not to disrupt the flap and give them away. He followed her lead, lying as flat as possible against the pebbles at the entrance and doing his best to shuffle out of the tent like she had. As he moved, he kept his eyes partly on her, partly on the events unfolding ahead. Once out of the tent, Kiri slowly slithered towards the forest¡¯s edge, less than ten metres away, and Tyler followed. Behind the tent he had just emerged from, the eastern sky had begun to faintly lighten with the first soft rays of the morning sun.
¡°STAY WHERE YOU ARE.¡±
The words exploded in his mind, reverberated around his skull like he was on the inside of a bell that had been struck. Instinctively, he curled over and held his head in his hands, vaguely aware that Kiri was no less impacted, though she seemed to be doing her best to fight against it. Ahead of him, he could see Mira and Celeste looking at him and Kiri, worry on their faces as they edged closer to the forest. They did not seem to be affected by the command, and through the fog in his mind, he could hazily see Mira motioning with her hands but not at him. It looked like she was preparing a spell. He glanced at the other three, and like Mira and Celeste, they did not look affected at all. It seemed the command had been isolated to Kiri and him.
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¡°There he is,¡± Reaper said.
Tyler turned to Reaper to find the man looking at him. The effects on his mind had stopped, though the excruciating pain of someone shouting right into his head was still subsiding. Reaper kept his eyes on him briefly, before turning his attention back to the three women. No. Not at them. He was looking beyond them at Mira and Celeste.
¡°Were you aware of the demons in your midst?¡± he said to no-one in particular, his eyes firmly on the pair of sisters. No-one responded to him immediately but from the looks on their faces, none of them seemed surprised. Emelyn and Imanie had turned to face the sisters when Reaper spoke, and just ahead of him, Kiri was focused on the pair like a hawk in flight with pigeons below. She seemed poised to attack, one palm on the ground ¨C ready for an explosive pounce ¨C another gently placed upon a dagger at her hip. She seemed like she had been expecting this.
¡°We knew,¡± Alina responded, ¡°and we were going to deal with it, but you¡¯ve unfortunately ruined that now.¡±
¡°You have my sincere apologies,¡± Reaper said, ¡°but I cannot ignore their presence.¡±
¡°Your master didn¡¯t send you here for them,¡± Alina said, facing Reaper. The other two women had their eyes firmly on Mira and Celeste. Both sisters seemed prepared for an attack themselves, their postures defensive and Celeste gripping her staff.
¡°I was sent to retrieve Tyler Smith, but my primary function is to kill demons. Especially those escaping beyond the Rift. I wouldn¡¯t usually bother with these lesser ones but they should not be here.¡±
¡°You know what they are, don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Then you know the real ones are held somewhere. We need these two alive until we can get our sisters back.¡±
Reaper looked at Alina but it was impossible to tell what the man might be thinking, but it was clear that he was considering something. He remained silent for a few moments before speaking. ¡°Then shall we strike a deal?¡±
¡°And what would that be?¡± Alina asked.
¡°Rightfully, I should kill them and take Tyler Smith. There would be nothing that you could do to stop me. Not even if all of you tried together. But, I do understand your desire to get your companions back. I understand well the bonds of fellowship. Without them, who would we be?
¡°Give me Tyler Smith, and I shall be gone. You can kill them both once your companions have been located.¡±
Ahead of him, Kiri, who had remained motionless, shuffled at the suggestion, her head turning slightly in the direction of Alina. Alina hadn¡¯t looked at him at all, but she remained quiet, as if considering the proposal. What was there to consider? She had to save her companions. Yet, Alina was looking at the pebbles on the floor. Taking too long to answer. It made no sense. If it had been him, he wouldn¡¯t have needed to think twice. It would be like him having to decide between saving her or his family but as he thought about it, could he really sacrifice her life for theirs? He¡¯d like to think he could, but what kind of person would that make him?
As he watched her struggle, he actually hoped that wasn¡¯t a decision he ever needed to make. He began to understand exactly what kind of leader she was. What kind of person she was. He understood why she was struggling. Understood why she didn¡¯t want to make the decision.
He smiled softly to himself, looking at the beautiful girl who had threatened to cut his head off earlier. It wasn¡¯t fair for her to make this decision. It wasn¡¯t fair for him to make her make the decision.
He felt a sense of sorrow that those shoot of feelings he had begun to feel hadn¡¯t even had the chance to put down roots, as he stood up.
¡°I¡¯ll¡ª¡±
¡°Did you all think it would be so easy,¡± Mira bellowed. All eyes turned to her. Nobody even gave him a fleeting look.
Kiri tugged at the legs of his pants. ¡°Get down, you idiot!¡±
¡°Do you think we have no say in this?¡± Mira screamed, before pushing her arms out at the tents.
A brilliant light flared across the area, causing Tyler to shield his eyes. The glare lasted only a moment and when it was gone, two large discs hung motionless in the air ¨C one behind the sisters and a much larger one near to Reaper. The one behind the sisters looked into a room, it seemed and he could see the vague outlines of two figures. The other one seemed to look into pitch black water, though there were faint contours of rocks and craggy outcrops.
¡°I hope I see you again, Bro,¡± Kiri said.
Suddenly she shot forwards in the direction of the two sisters, daggers in her hands. The sisters didn¡¯t seem surprised. Celeste quickly ran through the gateway with Mira hot on her heels as Kiri surged forward. Out of nowhere, large fireballs ¨C three of them ¨C appeared and hurtled towards Kiri but she focused on the sisters getting away. Tyler wanted to shout after her, to warn her but before he could, the fireballs crashed into her like flaming asteroids in the night. When the lingering sparks dissipated, Kiri was unharmed. She hadn¡¯t even been knocked off stride as she closed the distance to them in a blur of motion, and plunged through the closing gateway.
¡°Tyler,¡± Alina screamed firmly. ¡°To me.¡±
Turning back to the other three women and Reaper, who seemed just as surprised as them at the turn of events, Tyler then noticed what was coming out of the portal.
It bellowed out blue and green fumes, the pungent acrid smell like vomit mixed with shit. With it, out poured nightmares brought to life, like cockroaches scattering from a disturbed home, and spreading out as quickly as they could. Some looked like the Demon Sprite Tyler had escaped earlier, their nostrils flaring, taking in the smell of blood in the air. Others were grotesque, small, fat, with hairy bellies and small curly horns protruding from their heads like an experiment had crossed stunted humans with deficient rams. Those ambled out of the gateway on legs that looked too thin and frail to carry their large torsos, and had saliva drooling from their goat-like mouths. Winged creatures burst through, with elongated heads and serrated teeth in cavernous mouths, and torsos that were skeletal and thin. As they broke free of the portal, they screeched as they climbed for the sky.
Tyler ran as quickly as he could and took cover behind the three women.
¡°Bags,¡± he shouted, and the blue screen appeared displaying a three by five grid, with only one of the fifteen slots filled. [Uncommon Club]. He pressed it, and it appeared on the ground by his side. There must be an easier way, he thought to himself as he shouted ¡°Bags.¡± The screen disappeared, as he picked up the club. It was useless. He knew it was useless. But it was all he had.
Reaper, stood not far from the portal, sprung into action. His fluid armour writhed and wriggled, the metal pushing out from either side of his abdomen, sculpting two great swords, as if they had been contained within his body, waiting for this moment. He swung both swords with the graceful motion of a dancer, and where he sliced, several demons fell simultaneously. As he danced through their ranks, the liquid metal on his back shot out like grappling hooks, piercing through the wings and torsos of the beasts above, pulling them down to the earth so Reaper could finish the job. Golden fireballs appeared in the air from several places around them, striking the demons that managed to get out of the portal, but none made it more than a few metres before they were hacked down.
Tyler and the three women watched in awe and he knew now why they had been so fearful, so apprehensive of Reaper. The man hadn¡¯t lied when he said he could have killed Mira and Celeste and taken Tyler and there wasn¡¯t a damn thing any of them could do about it.
But even with such ferocity and might ahead of them, the demons didn¡¯t stop pouring through. If anything, it seemed their numbers swelled, and their desire to push through became frantic as they clawed past each other. Even coming through the portal, seeing Reaper there, knowing what they were walking into, it didn¡¯t stop the demons from surging through.
And then he saw why.
A large trunk of a leg, far taller than Reaper and almost as thick, crashed through the portal and pounded into the ground, squashing multiple demons with it. The earth shook with a tremor, the pebbles around them clattering against each other as they fought to keep their footing. A second leg followed, then another, and another until six legs attached to a body the size of a large house had emerged, each textured like an elephant and just as big. Above the body was a massive torso, chiselled from dark green and grey muscles with four arms at the shoulders, each holding swords or spiked clubs that dwarfed some of the trees behind them. The head was bulbous, blue and green flames swirling around its nostrils and mouth, gleaming green eyes surveying the scene before it. Two large horns protruded from its forehead, and curled all the way back to its shoulders.
Reaper stared up at its face.
¡°Oh, fuck.¡±
9. A Thirst for Blood
Reaper went flying. One moment he was there and the next, a gigantic club swung through the spot where he had stood. Tyler could almost hear the stadium announcer scream, ¡°Hoooooooooome Ruuuuuuuuun!¡± He watched as the strange man who had come to take him flew upwards, back arched away from the blow he had just taken.
With Reaper gone, the demonspawn had free rein to surge through the portal with grunts and snarls and the thirst for blood. Alina and the other two didn¡¯t panic. They stood their ground, the three in a half-circle almost acting as a shield for Tyler. A couple of demons got hold of their scent and charged towards them, but Imanie let loose two arrows in quick succession. They whistled through the air, burying themselves with a thud in the rotting flesh of goat-like faces. No sooner had those two fallen than others turned to see what had killed their brethren.
Above them in the lightening sky, Reaper controlled himself in his uncontrolled flight, twisting mid-air to face the ground. The black liquid metal that writhed over his body shot out multiple grappling hooks from his shoulders. How it could do so but still cover the man¡¯s entire body was a mystery, but those hooks smashed into the demon that had swatted Reaper away, digging deep into its flesh in a spray of green blood. The behemoth of a beast growled, the sound like rocks grinding against each other, the green flames around its head flaring with the pain. Reaper had the purchase he needed, the hooks halting his momentum away from the fight, and slingshotted him right back towards it before he released the hooks.
¡°This foe is beyond you, but may I ask for your assistance until my companions arrive?¡± Reaper¡¯s voice spoke directly into Tyler¡¯s mind, as the man hurtled towards the giant demon. ¡°Given this could have been avoided had you allowed me to kill the two shapeshifters, I do believe you owe me, as they say. My companions shall be here shortly. Until then, contain the lesser ones in the area, and kill as many as you desire.¡±
From the portal, demonspawn surged through, wave after wave, an endless tide of nightmares, stampeding over the bodies of their fallen kin, flooding the pebbled bank. Several of the goat-heads charged towards Tyler and the three women. Alina drew her sword, a gleaming blade of silver with gold inscription along its length that seemed to match the engraving on her scabbard. Emelyn shrugged her shoulders, reached around her back and unhooked her giant battle-axe, about half her height in length. It had a wickedly curved serrated blade to one side, and a massive hammer-head on the other, with gold inscription curving along the edges of both. Imanie was already shooting arrows, nock-draw-release, almost faster than he could blink, her quiver seemingly as full as before her first shot.
Tyler watched as the growing horde came closer, stumbling over the ones felled by Imanie¡¯s arrows. He held his club firmly, determined to help in any way that he could, but seeing the numbers across the field, he knew there were far too many to hold out for long. Only a handful came towards them, but it wouldn¡¯t be long before more would appear and overwhelm them. For a passing moment, a part of him wanted to flee. He could turn around. Run back to the forest. Maybe find a way back to the Gamesmaster. Tell him it was a mistake. Tell him he¡¯d rather go back to his broken body and lost mind on Earth.
Suddenly, a blue screen appeared in front of him like he had called up his stats, but it wasn¡¯t his stats.
{Reaper offers you an [ENDOWMENT]}
[EPIC ENDOWMENT][REAPER¡¯S SHIELD]
[Immune to all damage from demons less than or equal to level 100 for ten minutes. XP cannot be gained during the duration of the endowment.]
{Do you accept?}[YES][NO]
{Reaper offers you an [ENDOWMENT]}
[EPIC ENDOWMENT][REAPER¡¯S BANE]
[Hits cannot miss and damage is multiplied against demons less than or equal to level 100 for ten minutes. The multiplier applied is equal to the difference between you and your opponent¡¯s levels. XP cannot be gained during the duration of the endowment.]
{Do you accept?}[YES][NO]
{Reaper offers you an [ENDOWMENT]}
[LEGENDARY ENDOWMENT][REAPER¡¯S VIGOUR]
[Endurance will not decrease for the next fifteen minutes. XP cannot be gained during the duration of the endowment.]
{Do you accept?}[YES][NO]
He pressed [YES] to all three. The first one alone was enough. He couldn¡¯t be damaged. That¡¯s what counted. To survive this. To move forwards. A brilliant burst of metallic violet light enveloped him, similar to when he had gained levels, but he had the feeling of an invisible coat settling on his shoulders, and immediately after, another burst with another invisible coat. The final burst of light was a metallic amber flare, followed by a warmth spreading through his body. Alina and the other two shone briefly like a violet and amber bonfire. Tyler understood that they must have also taken endowments, though he wondered if they were given the same as him.
His thoughts were brief, as packs of blood-seeking demons descended upon them in an unholy din of howls and snarls. Imanie shuffled backwards, taking a position beside Tyler behind the other two, but she never stopped loosing arrows. ¡°You guys take care of the ones on the ground,¡± she shouted above the clamour of the hundreds of clawed feet clattering on the stones beneath them
¡°I have the ones in the air.¡± She was tracking moving targets above them, a trio of the winged beasts flying southwards over the stream. Imanie nocked an arrow, drew, released. The arrow flew towards the middle of the trio, before splitting into three, and striking the winged terrors, sending them plummeting into the stream with a splash. She didn¡¯t even bother watching, as if she knew what the result would be, her eyes already on another pair off to the left.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Alina crouched down, sword held across her body. She held the position for a few seconds, looking down at the pebbles, speaking silently to herself. The pebbles at her feet seemed to be getting ready to dance, stirring softly against each other.
To Alina¡¯s left, Emelyn swung her battle-axe like the seasoned veteran she was, the giant of a human carving through any beast that came within her range. A head went flying here. A torso there. Two demons were sent crashing to the side together, stopped only when they hit a tree on the forest¡¯s edge. The pack stopped. Tentative. Unsure. They had not expected such resistance, but they had little time to consider their next move.
The pebbles at Alina¡¯s feet bounced into the air, almost suspended in time, before clattering to the floor as Alina burst forwards, her sword arcing through the demons ahead of her in a spatter of green and blue blood. She came to a halt, arm outstretched, sword held away from her body. Where she had passed, several of the demons, goat-heads and sprites alike seemed to almost not understand what had happened, before their upper bodies slid past the stump of their torsos and fell to the ground in wet, heavy whacks in a synchronised dance of death.
But the three women did not stop there. Alina needed a moment to recover, but finding herself in the midst of the horde, a moment was all she had. She swung her sword with relentless precision as Emelyn slowly waded through the numbers ahead to get closer to Alina. The demons hesitated. Stay and die. Or run back to the safety of the Rift. Those were their only options.
Emelyn took advantage of the confusion, spending a few seconds like Alina had to charge up, before she jumped forwards through the air, battle-axe held in both hands behind her. She swept the axe over her head as she smashed the hammer side into the ground. A blast wave of air toppled the beasts to the floor like dominoes. Alina jumped on them, sword stabbing downwards, and scything through necks wherever a demon had dared to survive. Ahead of them, the demon surge through the portal was slowing down. Where five or six had been jostling to burst through together, now only the occasional one or two stumbled across the threshold.
Everything felt like a surreal dream, a series of events unfolding before his eyes, the likes of which he could never imagine. Alina, her silver hair whipping in the faint breeze, her violet armour glinting in the weak morning sunlight as her blade swung with the majesty of an orchestral composer, conducting her masterpiece of death.
Emelyn danced, her delicate balance and speed more suited to ballet halls than a battlefield, belying her overwhelming stature, and making a mockery of her size. Imanie, to his right, had not moved except to spin on her toes like a figure skater on the ice, her bow constantly raised to the heavens, the bowstring continuously loosed with a satisfying twang.
And besides these fearsome women, he stood. A novice amongst a company of veterans. A child amongst a dance of adults. A lamb sheltering amongst a pack of wolves. And yet, watching them move, watching them kill, watching them fight to survive; to protect, filled him with a determination to prove himself amongst their ranks. He might be weak. He might be a nobody. But even the greatest of rivers began with a single drop in space and time. He held his club with a firm resolve, holding it in front of him in both hands. He would not run. He could not run.
¡°They look like they have things covered over there,¡± Tyler shouted to Imanie above the dying howls of the creatures around them. ¡°I¡¯ve got your back.¡± The older woman found another target in the air and followed it with her bow, before releasing the arrow and briefly turned to him.
¡°Make sure you do,¡± she smiled.
As Alina composed, and Emelyn danced, and Imanie spun, Reaper was engaged in a frantic battle with the demon lord. The two of them had moved closer to the forest, some way from the rest, and it was apparent that Reaper had done that intentionally. As cold as the man seemed, he understood that Tyler and the rest would stand no chance.
The behemoth was slow, but every swing of a sword or whack with a club left a wave, like a hurricane was passing through the area, the air cracking with the ferocity of the blow. Trees in the forest leant back as if to duck. The water in the stream surged away from the bank as if retreating from the battle. Every time the demon lord smacked the ground, a deafening crack could be heard from the pebbles and small craters were being left in its wake as it was drawn closer to the forest.
Reaper dodged everything, twirling between the demon¡¯s arms, his suit of armour shooting hooks anywhere and everywhere into the behemoth to help Reaper manoeuvre. Every hook that landed drew blood, as Reaper manoeuvred himself onto the demon¡¯s back. He sliced and diced with his swords furiously, his movements almost invisible but for a blur of silver blades and green blood. The behemoth roared, hands tearing at his back to swat at the little man, but before Reaper was hit, he would jump off and swing on his hooks again.
A claw clacking on stone to his left snapped his head around. Alina and Emelyn were in the thick of battle and Imanie still felled the flying beasts from the sky, her quiver never emptying. Tyler was the only one to have noticed it. A few metres away, it had been edging around the dangerous women, its eyes on Imanie, hoping to take her by slyness. No, not just her. He could see other shadows beyond it, circling around the two warriors and their fearsome sword and axe and hoping to take what they deemed to be the weaker members.
He hadn¡¯t noticed before but the short, grotesque ones didn¡¯t all have goat¡¯s heads. The one sneaking up on them had the head and torso of a wolf, with thick, stale yellow drool hanging from the edge of its long canine teeth. This one had two longer legs, skinny in the lower half, thick and powerful in the upper, and arms ending in sharp, powerful claws. It snarled as it noticed he had seen it and it dropped to all fours, tentatively shuffling forwards.
¡°Imanie,¡± Tyler shouted. ¡°They¡¯re getting behind us.¡±
Imanie whipped her head around, saw there were more to her right. ¡°Alina. Emelyn. To us. Now!¡±
It was too late. The wolf-head leapt at him. He panicked and raised his left arm to shield himself, but the wolf-head was upon him, bringing its teeth down on his arm. Tyler grimaced, expecting the inevitable, steeling himself against the pain. He¡¯d been bitten by a dog once. Had needed stitches. He knew this would be worse. But nothing happened. The wolf-head bit down but its long canine teeth came to a halt against an invisible barrier. The endowment.
Tyler raised the correct arm this time, and swung his club with all the force that he could muster. He gave the wolf-head a ferocious whack across the jaw but it barely moved. That wasn¡¯t right. From his physique alone, he knew he had to be strong, and he was young, in his peak. And then he had the endowment on top. He knew the women were higher level than him, but they were carving through these beasts like a Sunday roast and he barely made it move.
That pissed him off. That damn-well pissed him right off.
¡°I have had it¡¡± he swung his club, ¡°¡with these motherfucking beasts¡¡± he swung again, ¡°¡on this motherfucking riverbank¡¡± he swung again, ¡°¡I¡¯ve had it with this fucking world¡¡± he swung again, ¡°¡and with being scared¡¡± he swung again, ¡°¡and with relying on others¡¡± he took a deep breath, swung again, ¡°¡to protect me¡¡± he swung again, ¡°¡I have had it¡¡± he swung again, ¡°¡with being pushed¡¡± he swung again, ¡°¡and pulled¡¡± he swung again, ¡°¡and I WILL NOT¡¡± he swung again, ¡°¡FUCKING¡¡± he swung again, ¡°¡TAKE THIS SHIT¡¡± he swung again, ¡°¡ANY¡¡± he swung again, ¡°¡LONGER.¡±
He stopped swinging. In truth, he had long since stopped feeling any resistance to the club but as he looked at the wolf-head, the head wasn¡¯t there anymore. In its place was a pulp of flesh and green blood, of burst eyeballs, broken teeth, a ripped tongue. Green brain matter lay spread across the stones of the bank like mouldy popcorn. As he looked upon his masterpiece; his painting; the gentle strokes of his club, he realised what he had done. He had killed the beast. The bastard. How dare it try to sneak up on him? How dare it think he was an easy target?
Tyler looked up. Looked ahead. On the edges of the forest. He saw more of the foul human-animal hybrids looking at him. Kill them. Kill them all. Make them regret the day they met you. His eyes had a feral look, and he snarled. Snarled like a beast had overcome him. He had a thirst for demon blood.
With a roar, he charged.
In that moment, a river was born.
10. The Circle of Death
He didn¡¯t know how long he had been swinging his club, but as soon as he had bashed one head in, he was onto the next. Every blow he struck had all the hate and fear and anger in him, channelled with pure venom through the rounded club he held in his hands. Every swipe crashed into bone with a satisfying crack; every thump smashed into flesh with a morbid squash. The grey stones and pebbles of the riverbank became a canvas of death for him. Every splatter of blood, every strip of grey flesh, every chunk of brain matter thrown together like a novice artist was experimenting with new materials. His first piece of art was a splotchy masterpiece devoid of life and beauty, accompanied by the peaceful sloshing of the river.
It¡¯s not like he had a choice. He understood why he couldn¡¯t kill the demons clean like the women. His level was far lower than the enemies he faced and the endowment was enough power to do a little damage but nowhere near enough to kill in one-shot. So he had no choice. He needed to bash them multiple times. Bash their heads in. Their arms. Their legs. Bash. Bash. Bash. Like the cockroaches they were, he bashed their heads in with the same satisfying squelch, green blood spraying his face and arms.
He was so focused on his art, so focused on spraying the green blood in just the right way that he was unaware of the beast behind him until it touched his shoulder. Frenzied and feral with only thoughts of survival in his mind, he swung his terrifying weapon with a guttural roar. It clanged against a metal gauntlet. A violet gauntlet. The beast in front of him had large, rounded eyes. Long silver hair. High cheekbones. He didn¡¯t hesitate and swung the club again, this time at the beast¡¯s face but the beast held his blow like it was nothing. A boot to his chest sent him to the floor, his backside slamming against the pebbles, the club falling from his grasp.
Two other shadows appeared at the beast¡¯s sides and it stepped closer to him, tossed its gauntlets to the side, dropped to its knees. It clambered over him, held his head in its hands, shouted at him. He kicked out and the beast sat over his thighs, locked its legs around his to keep him pinned.
¡° ¨Cler.¡±
It was screaming at him in a language he couldn¡¯t understand. The apparitions to the side moved in a spectral dance, wisps of smoke and shadow.
¡°TYLER.¡±
The world came rushing back to him. He could hear the rasping snarls of demons nearby. The thuds of their bodies hitting the floor. The pitiful howls as an arrow pierced flesh. Imanie was to his right, relentlessly re-targeting with her bow and loosing arrows. Emelyn to the left, battle-axe in hand, hacking and chopping. Both of them controlled. Patient. Calm. They didn¡¯t seem like people who enjoyed death. They seemed like people doing what needed to be done but taking no pleasure in it. Killing wasn¡¯t fair but somebody had to do it. That¡¯s how they seemed to him.
In front of him, pinning him down was Alina, concern in her light-green eyes, her blood-red lips slightly parted in worry. ¡°Are you back?¡± she asked softly, her voice slightly alarmed. ¡°Thought we¡¯d lost you there. I¡¯ve seen people overcome with bloodlust before. If we can¡¯t bring them back, there¡¯s only one way to stop them. Or we remove them from society, and keep them in a cage. I¡¯m not sure which one is kinder.¡± She smiled at him, and stood up, offering her hand to him.
He took it, and let her pull him up to his feet.
¡°I think it¡¯s best if you stay behind us,¡± Alina said, picking her gauntlets off the floor and putting them back on. ¡°We¡¯ve seen you¡¯re capable, but you¡¯re not ready yet. Killing shouldn¡¯t be pleasurable.¡±
But it was. He hated to admit it, but it was. He looked around him at the piling bodies of demonspawn. Of the picture he had painted. The smashed-in faces, or the bulging eyes of terror-stricken beasts. Even these pathetic creatures felt fear and pain. But it wasn¡¯t wrong. He had been right to kill them. To crush them. But he also knew she was right. It shouldn¡¯t have been as pleasurable as it was.
For all the demons they had killed amongst the four of them, it had barely thinned their ranks, though no more looked to be appearing from the portal. The three women encircled him and fought to keep the demons at bay, as they closed in on them, but the beasts were fearful. Cautious. They appeared to be driven to attack them. Compelled almost, but he could see in the way their eyes darted around that above all else, they had the same primal instinct as anyone. To live to see another day.
The animal-heads, with the human bodies, the sprites with their three nostrils, and others that must have joined them later ¨C red-skinned demons with horns, and almost-translucent wiry spirits warily circled the four of them.
Suddenly, an unnatural silence fell upon them as if the very air around them was being sucked into a vacuum. The air fizzled amongst the demon ranks, and crackled with tiny beats of thunder, growing louder by the second. Time slowed as tiny orbs of light began to gather. At first one, then two, then four, then eight, and as the orbs grew, they merged into each other, growing ever larger, until a blinding light erupted, with a loud clap of thunder. Demons howled as their skin sizzled, their eyes burned. Some that had been caught in the light just ceased to exist. In the middle of the light, the air wavered and shimmered until it formed a silhouette, before the light scattered as swiftly as it came and where it had appeared, stood a woman.
She stood as tall as Reaper, and wore an outfit that exposed more of her sepia-coloured skin than covered it. In fact, it scarcely covered it. The black dress was barely more than two flaps at front and back that stretched only halfway down her thighs. It was held up at the waist, the sides of her legs fully exposed, and revealing the delicate hem of her undergarments. On her chest, she wore a whisper of a bra, two thin strips of purple fabric, held up by straps that she had a lot more faith in than he did.
It wasn¡¯t the flaunting of skin that drew his attention, however. It was what was on it. Where Reaper had living liquid metal, this woman wore tattoos as if she was the artist¡¯s practice site. Golden and silver spirals and curves stood out against the darker skin, bending around her midriff, spreading up and out towards her shoulders, where, he had no doubt they would wrap around her back also. Geometric patterns and concentric circles trailed up her arms, whilst seven and eight-sided angular shapes lined the inner and outer edges of her legs. Triangles and squares covered her shaved head, decorated her cheeks beneath her small, purple eyes. She looked like a walking mathematical equation.
¡°Hello!¡± she said in the most cheerful voice he had ever heard. Then her tattoos glowed. A flash of light emitted from her midriff, instantly expanding outward in a perfect circle, with a small hole in the disc where Tyler and his companions stood. The light pulsed, the thin disc swelled for a split second, before the light contracted as quickly as it had appeared. ¡°I call it the circle of death.¡± She winked at them.
The effect of the light was like Alina¡¯s sword strike earlier. Except on a much larger scale, and without the bisected torsos. Where the light had touched, the demons just stopped existing, like when the woman had arrived. One moment they were there. The next, they weren¡¯t. Even the trees in the forest, where the disc had touched, had gone, leaving a clearing on the edge of the riverbank, like something had taken a bite out of the forest there.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°Halo,¡± Reaper¡¯s voice echoed in his mind. ¡°About time. What took you so long?¡±
¡°There was some trouble in the city,¡± Halo replied, her cheerful voice chiming in Tyler¡¯s head. He glanced to his companions, who seemed every bit as lost as he was in the face of such flippant authority. Both Reaper and Halo had absolute conviction in their power over all else on this battlefield, including Alina and the two women, to the point that they could have a light-hearted conversation. Tyler afforded himself the smallest of smiles. He wasn¡¯t the only fish out of water now.
¡°What trouble?¡± Reaper asked. ¡°And can you endow these four. Mine are running out.¡± Out to the far right of the riverbank, right up against the forest, Reaper continued his battle, a black and silver blur leaping and vaulting across the behemoth¡¯s back.
¡°Sentinel and I were sent to pick up the two outworlders,¡± Halo replied. She looked out across the battlefield, and saw a group of demons who were sneakily trying to flee towards the forest. ¡°When we got there¡¡± Compulsion or not, the group of demons certainly did not want to lose their lives. ¡°¡there were two shapeshifters there and a tiny human running after them.¡± Unfortunately for the demons, that very desire would be the end of them. ¡°Of course, it took us by surprise.¡± The tattoos glowed. A blinding flash of light erupted in the midst of the fleeing group, and like the ones before, they were gone by the time the light disappeared. ¡°Before we had the chance to wonder what was going on, the shapeshifters opened a portal much like that one, and none other than General Zeren emerged.¡±
¡°Zeren?!!¡± The disbelief was clear in Reaper¡¯s voice. Halo, satisfied the immediate area had been cleared, walked past Tyler and the three women.
¡°Why don¡¯t you guys take a rest? I¡¯ll endow you in a moment, once I clean all this up,¡± Halo said aloud to them.
¡°I want to know about the city,¡± Alina replied. ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡±
Halo¡¯s eyes flashed at the Princess. ¡°I said you should take a rest.¡±
It was said firmly, the cheerfulness of her tone removed. The undertones were clear. Alina may be a princess but she doesn¡¯t get to ask questions of this fearsome tattooed woman. All four of them plopped themselves down where they stood. They weren¡¯t tired in the physical sense. The endowment made sure of that. But the entire endeavour had been mentally trying, to say the least. Tyler wasn¡¯t sure he had even recovered fully from his frenzy.
As he watched small bursts of light erupt in various places across the riverbank ¨C and wherever the light erupted, the demons that were there simply vanished ¨C he wasn¡¯t saddened in any way. He wasn¡¯t excited either. Yeah, the demons were being dealt with but it wasn¡¯t the same as when he could feel their heads give way to the club that he gripped firmly in his right hand. He glanced at Alina, silver hair flowing, gauntlets removed and laid to her side, her sword lying on the pebbles below. The irritation was clear on her face. He supposed not many people were in a position to put her in her place.
Maybe he could discuss his thoughts with her later. The violence that was; not her being told off. He doubted she¡¯d appreciate him bringing that up. No, he wanted to get her thoughts on his bloodlust. It was the first time he could recall being violent in his life, but he had enjoyed it far too much. He had given in to some base instinct that he wasn¡¯t even aware that he had. He wondered if it had really been the first time he had been violent. Perhaps he was better off without the memories of his former life.
¡°Sooooooo,¡± Reaper¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°Zeren?¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Halo chimed back. ¡°Got distracted. Yes, Zeren and some lieutenants. Pure chaos and havoc followed. Had no choice but to contain him in the Academy.¡±
¡°Right there?!!¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°What happened to the shapeshifters?¡±
¡°They got away with the two outworlders. The tiny human girl followed. We could have easily got them, but Zeren emerged and we got your call at the same time. Sentinel and I couldn¡¯t take him alone, so we decided to secure the area. Sentinel stayed behind and I came to you.
Wraith should be here soon, and once we¡¯ve cleared this up, we¡¯re to go help Sentinel. Now, tell me something. Why have you not closed this portal?¡±
¡°Hah,¡± Reaper said, ¡°like I¡¯m not already preoccupied. Truth is, I couldn¡¯t close it. It¡¯s beyond me.¡±
¡°How can that be possible?¡±
¡°The shapeshifter might have had an artifact. Or she¡¯s that skilled.¡±
¡°Or you haven¡¯t been working on your magic beyond attacking skills?¡± Halo didn¡¯t sound amused.
¡°That¡¯s a possibility. But even so, my raw power should have been enough, so there¡¯s something else to it. Something else keeping it open, maybe?¡±
Halo methodically cleared the riverbank, flashes of light bursting here and there and just as quickly, disappearing. Everywhere the light touched, demons vanished. The tattoos on her skin pulsed with every flash, sometimes the ones on her head, at others, the ones on her torso or arms or legs. Never all together. Never in the same place twice. He wondered what the significance was. Why she needed the tattoos. Clearly, they had some effect, the way they glowed when she channelled her magic but Reaper hadn¡¯t needed such things and nor had Mira. Or the shapeshifter, as she was. The real Mira was being held somewhere. And now the two shapeshifters had gone. And taken the outworlders too.
Alina and the other two women seemed to be deep in thought to his side. No doubt wondering the same things he was. It was clear that they were discovering things about their world that they hadn¡¯t known before. He looked at Alina more closely. She wasn¡¯t just musing. She seemed anxious. Troubled. He thought he knew why. The tiny human girl that followed. That must be Kiri.
¡°Will she be alright?¡± Tyler asked, and Alina turned to face him. ¡°Kiri?¡±
Alina studied the pebbles by their sides. Or perhaps the ruined heads of the beasts he had slain.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said finally. ¡°She¡¯s fearsome, and brave. Too brave. We had a plan to deal with the shapeshifters. I was meant to meet my intelligence squad today to confirm where they¡¯re holding Mira and Celeste, and then when we had that information, we were going to trap the two demons. I asked Kiri to make sure they don¡¯t get away. And then this happened.¡± She gestured to their ruined camp. ¡°I never expected her to follow them like that. Sometimes, she takes things too literally.¡±
He saw the worry in her face. He wanted to reach out and hold her hand. Try to comfort her. But he thought better of it. He didn¡¯t want to give her the wrong impression. Or maybe he did, but the moment wasn¡¯t right. Not here. Not now.
Soon, the riverbank was almost cleared, the last of the demon stragglers running towards the portal. They had that choice earlier, but now the Riftlands was their only hope of survival. Halo wasn¡¯t about to let them dream. There was no burst this time. Instead, she formed a circle of light, above a spot that the demons were running towards on their way to the portal. When they reached it, the circle of light dropped quickly and almost immediately rose, but the outcome was the same. The demons were gone and with it, a calm fell on the shores by the stream.
Where there had been snarls and howls and the clang of metal axes and sword, or the twang of Imanie¡¯s arrow; and where there had been Tyler¡¯s bloodlusted rage, there was now only the gentle murmur of the stream and a slight breeze that brought with it the stench of stale blood and the faint smells of burned flesh from when Halo had appeared. The only traces of what had occurred here were the strewn carcasses and pools of green and blue blood that littered the pebbled bank, but those too would soon be washed away or taken by the carrion scavengers.
In the distance, Reaper¡¯s battle continued, and ahead of them, Halo concentrated on the portal, her tattoos cycling through gold and silver, the shapes glowing in sequence as she concentrated on the portal.
¡°Well, that was eventful,¡± Emelyn said. ¡°Not something I wish to face again.¡±
¡°Oh, we¡¯ve had worse,¡± Imanie responded. ¡°Remember Hazhar Palace? You pulled a hundred mobs, thinking we were so powerful that they didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t wrong, was I?¡± Emelyn said, looking over her shoulder with a grin. Imanie chuckled.
¡°You may have been right,¡± Halo chimed in his mind again. ¡°Something is keeping the portal open.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t close it?¡± Reaper said, a note of concern in his voice.
¡°No.¡± Halo replied. Then there was silence. Reaper said nothing. Tyler looked over to the battle but it was hard to make out how it was going, though with the nonchalance Reaper displayed, Tyler wasn¡¯t worried about the outcome. Halo turned to them, her purple eyes glowing, the tattoos across her body all glowing. But Tyler couldn¡¯t focus on her. Beyond her, from the portal, a large red hand emerged with black fingernails, each as long as Tyler was tall.
¡°Endow them,¡± Reaper shouted. ¡°The four of you need to leave. NOW.¡±
11. Prince of the Rift
Halo concentrated on Reaper¡¯s battle, her hands balled into fists at her side, her tattoos beginning to shine. A spiral here. A curve there. Circles, squares, triangles glowed. A few feet ahead of her, a concentric halo of light formed with the sequence of glimmering tattoos, and as the light cycled through the shapes that marked her body, the halo expanded. The outer loops stretched faster than the inner, growing ever larger. Every ring rotated counter to the one beside it and in the middle of them all, a cavity formed. Within that void, a solid ball of light took shape, throbbing, pulsating, spinning, like a star was materialising before their eyes, the air around it shimmering as if caught in waves of heat.
The ball swelled with a low hum, glowing in shades of white and yellow and red. Rough spikes, like fiery mountains erupted across its surface in cadenced waves, one rising whilst another receded. As the outer halos expanded, so did the star in its centre, and the hum intensified to a whine, like the groans of metal being slowly ripped apart.
Soon, the orb was over ten feet across, the concentric halos surrounding it larger still. The whine built to a crescendo, a furious scream that made him put his hands to his ears and hunch over. Then the sound suddenly stopped, like it had done earlier when Halo appeared, as if it had been sucked into the mini star. The jagged spikes on its surface danced violently. The star spun faster than he could see, so that it almost appeared stationary.
Then it detonated.
A massive beam of white light shot forth from where the star had been, and collided with the six-legged behemoth that Reaper fought, slicing through the ant-like abdomen.
¡°About time,¡± Reaper¡¯s voice echoed in his mind.
No sooner had the beam crashed against the demon lord than a twinkle of light appeared in the sky above it. A speck of a man hurtled towards the ground, and carved through the behemoth¡¯s body, in a spray of green and blue blood. He landed with a shockwave that blew across the riverbank and almost knocked them down.
The flames around the demons head flared furiously, but Reaper was already on the move, hooks embedding deep into the creature¡¯s shoulders, as he propelled himself towards its neck. The speck of a man who had entered the arena ran across the demon¡¯s body, a shadow of motion, leaping across its legs, its abdomen, its back, until he had caught up to Reaper. Haloes of light enveloped them both, tattoos blazing across Halo¡¯s skin.
From where he stood, Tyler couldn¡¯t see what the two men were doing but in unison, they struck at the demon¡¯s neck in a radiant blast of light that shone across the sky. As the glare subsided, and a silence descended upon them, where the behemoth had stood, a smoking crater twice its size remained. Reaper and the other man stood atop the back of the colossal body, as its elephant-sized legs toppled like trees being felled. Its chiselled torso lay in ruins, its arms scattered across the floor, clubs gripped tightly, but swords half-buried in the earth beneath. The horned head rolled to a stop by the river, green and blue flames sputtering to their death.
And still, the fight was not done yet. During their fight, another hand had emerged from the portal, and was stretching it wider.
Alina and the other two women stood, weapons drawn. Alina had her helm on now, her long silver hair flowing beneath. Halo turned to them, and suddenly, Reaper and the other man appeared at her side. The newcomer ¨C Tyler assumed it must be Wraith ¨C was a little taller than Reaper, dressed in tattered black clothing and a cloak that gently fluttered behind him. There was no discernible face that Tyler could see. Not even eyes.
¡°What are they still doing here?¡± Reaper said aloud, his eyes on the portal. ¡°He¡¯ll come through soon.¡±
¡°I thought it would be better to help clear the Knight, before attending to trivial matters.¡± Halo turned to them.
{Halo offers you an [ENDOWMENT]}
[LEGENDARY ENDOWMENT][HALO¡¯S SANCTUM]
[Immune to all damage for five minutes. XP cannot be gained during the duration of the endowment.]
{Do you accept?}[YES][NO]
{Halo offers you an [ENDOWMENT]}
[LEGENDARY ENDOWMENT][HALO¡¯S BLESSING]
[Hits cannot miss and damage is multiplied against all opponents for five minutes. The multiplier applied is equal to the difference between you and your opponent¡¯s levels. XP cannot be gained during the duration of the endowment.]
{Do you accept?}[YES][NO]
{Halo offers you an [ENDOWMENT]}
[LEGENDARY ENDOWMENT][HALO¡¯S FERVOUR]
[Endurance will not decrease for the next fifteen minutes. XP cannot be gained during the duration of the endowment.]
{Do you accept?}[YES][NO]
Again, he pressed [YES] to all three, as did the others, it seemed. A brilliant burst of metallic amber light enveloped each of them, but this time the invisible coat on his shoulders felt heavier, more substantial. Immediately after, another burst of light and the same feeling of the invisible coat, followed by the final burst of light, and a warmth spreading through his body.
Wraith spoke, in a raspy voice. ¡°Why the endowments?¡±
¡°Reaper asked me to,¡± Halo replied, turning to view the portal.
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¡°You¡¯re not expecting them to fight, are you?¡± Wraith said.
¡°Of course not,¡± Reaper replied. He looked over his shoulder at Tyler. ¡°I will come for you later. Now, the four of you must leave.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Alina asked defiantly. ¡°With these endowments, we can fight with you.¡±
¡°We could keep them with us,¡± Halo offered in that cheery tone of hers. ¡°They could serve as distractions for us. I could help chuck them at the Demon Lord, and then whilst he¡¯s bewildered, you two sneak behind him with a killing blow?¡±
Wraith chuckled, a raspy sound from the depths of his throat, but Reaper gave Halo a look before turning to Alina. ¡°The only demons that could stop Halo from closing the portal are Demon Lords.¨C¡±
¡°Or above,¡± Wraith cut in. It was his turn to receive a look.
¡°Or above,¡± Reaper continued. ¡°Your endowments won¡¯t last long enough to save you. Once they run out, you¡¯d be killed instantly if you stayed. The one we just killed was a Demon Knight, and you saw what it took to take it down. Usually, only the Knights and Acolytes come through, and the lesser spawn along with them. But sometimes, you get a Demon Lord, like the one that¡¯s going to appear.¡± The portal had been widened to the size of a small building but still, those unearthly hands weren¡¯t done, stretching it further.
The women were quiet, as was Tyler. Like him, they were discovering things they had never known. Or maybe it was known. Maybe someone had researched it. Formed a theory. But just like Alina had said about magic last night, perhaps they had never looked into it further.
¡°What is General Zeren? The one you mentioned earlier.¡± Alina asked.
¡°A Demon Lord. That¡¯s why he had to be contained.¡±
¡°Contained how?¡±
¡°With a dungeon.¡±
¡°Like the one in the north?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Reaper replied.
¡°So you¡¯ve put a dungeon where the Academy was?¡±
¡°We made the Academy itself a dungeon,¡± Halo interjected. ¡°There¡¯s no need to completely warp the area if there¡¯s already a good prospect for containment there.¡±
¡°And the students there? The staff?¡±
¡°Anyone in the vicinity of the dungeon will also be absorbed into the dungeon,¡± Reaper replied.
¡°Can they get out?¡± Alina asked.
¡°No. Once inside, you can only leave when the main target of the dungeon has been slain.¡±
¡°How could you be so irresponsible?¡± Alina asked.
¡°Irresponsible?¡± Reaper replied, an edge to his voice.
¡°Yes, irresponsible. Most of the students aren¡¯t even level 100 yet. They won¡¯t survive, and you¡¯ve trapped them in there with this Zeren and who knows what else.¡±
¡°They would have been alive when they were absorbed, and if they¡¯re smart, they¡¯ll find a safe place and stay hidden. Until we clear Zeren.¡±
¡°Why did you have to contain him? Why not just kill him there and then, like that one over there?¡± Alina pointed to the remnants of the six-legged behemoth.
¡°There¡¯s a magnitude of difference in power between a Knight and a Lord. We had no choice. It requires at least four of us to take on the Demon Lords themselves, and there aren¡¯t enough Riftborn left to deal with every threat. Our only option is to contain them, until we can face them as a group.¡±
¡°Innocent people will die. Kids will die,¡± Alina whispered it, almost to herself. Her light-green eyes clouded with a touch of sorrow.
¡°If they do, it will be because of you,¡± Reaper responded. For the first time, his eyes showed real emotion, glowing purple like Halo¡¯s. Behind him, the portal still widened. Tyler wanted to leave. He could tell from the tone of the Riftborn that whatever was coming was not something they should be here for. Even Imanie and Emelyn seemed to be glancing towards the forest¡¯s edge but no-one wanted to get hold of Alina.
¡°Because of me?¡± Alina said indignantly. It was the first time Tyler had seen her truly unsettled.
Halo cut in again, her tone cheery and light. ¡°Why are you even bothering, Reaper? These heroes think they¡¯re powerful with their epic armour and their fancy titles. This one¡¯s a princess. Probably has someone wiping her arse for her. They don¡¯t have a clue how their world is kept safe. All they care about are their petty squabbles, and who owns which bit of rock. Dismiss her. We don¡¯t have time for this.¡±
Reaper ignored her. ¡°Yes, because of you. How long were you with the shapeshifters, letting them roam free? Not once did you consider the consequences of your actions?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Alina replied, her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°We needed to make sure they didn¡¯t know that we knew about them, so we could locate the real Mira and Celeste.¡±
¡°And that one decision has led to all of this.¡±
¡°All of this is because you turned up this morning to take Tyler, and gave them away.¡±
¡°You made the decision to let them be free to wreak havoc. That portal over there. It was made far earlier than this morning. She¡¯d probably been working on it all night. She had already planned for this. She¡¯d probably already planned for the two outworlders, and to have your party killed in the process. I did make a mistake, it¡¯s true. I made the mistake of not killing them when I felt their presence. I made the mistake of listening to you. Maybe it has been too long since I walked amongst the world of men. I¡¯d forgotten how your kind betrays, even when you think you don¡¯t.
¡°So, if anyone else dies today, that will be all on you, Princess Alina.¡±
Alina looked troubled. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. She closed her mouth, looked at the pebbles and thought, before turning back to Reaper. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have known. I just wanted to protect my sisters.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t let the mistakes of your past lead you to mistakes in your present, Fifth Defender of the Realm.¡±
Alina¡¯s eyes widened at Reaper¡¯s words. Tyler saw them watering ever so slightly, a tiny tear falling from the corner of her eye. Imanie and Emelyn looked at her with some concern on their faces.
Emelyn spoke, taking charge. Alina¡¯s eyes remained on Reaper. ¡°Come on. I think we need to go now.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Reaper said, turning back to the portal. ¡°I think it¡¯s time you went now. I would stay clear of the forest, until we have dealt with this matter.¡± He glanced over his shoulder at Tyler. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±
Halo and Wraith already faced the portal and the rest of them watched as the hands disappeared back into the portal that was now as high and wide as a fifteen-storey building. From the desolate, dark wasteland beyond, an obsidian figure emerged, as tall as the gateway itself. It was inscribed with symbols that Tyler did not understand, and from which fire flared and licked at the air.
Red eyes glowed above a wolf¡¯s snout with jagged white teeth and a dark hanging beard. Its ears were like a bats, wide and thin, stretching away from its head, beneath two large horns that curled outwards as if they sheltered the ears. Bark-like carvings stretched across its chest, like armour made from dead trees, ridges and points lining the edges of its body, stretching down to its thighs. It had two human-like arms, fiery symbols spouting flames but from its ribcage, and its abdomen, multiple other arms extended outwards, except they looked nothing like arms. They were more reminiscent of a spider, with serrated blades all along their length. From its back, large wings flared with a membrane stretched thin and its edges ending in talon-edged fingers.
The Demon Lord¡¯s thighs extended to powerful legs that ended in hooves, and as it walked, smaller versions of itself scuttled around its feet. Demons like the wolf-head he had killed earlier, but these were larger than the Riftborn, and like their master, they had various aspects of the Demon Lord. Some had the fiery runes, whilst others had several extra limbs, and yet others had the wings and horns.
¡°That¡¯s not a Demon Lord,¡± Reaper said, a determined edge to his voice. ¡°That¡¯s a Demon Prince.¡±
¡°You all need to go. Now,¡± Halo said, before refreshing their endowments. The four of them took her offer, flaring briefly in the metallic amber glow and they turned in unison and headed for the forest¡¯s edge. As they ran, Tyler risked a glance back. The three Riftborn were already in motion, but concerningly, the mini-demons had no interest in those three. Their eyes were firmly on Tyler¡¯s party that was heading for the relative safety of the forest.
The last thing Tyler saw as they plunged into the forest was the demons running after them.
12. Reapers Gambit
Reaper was upon the Demon Prince¡¯s back within moments, slashing with his twin swords. He knew it would do no damage. He wasn¡¯t trying to. He just needed to ensure the demon¡¯s threat was on him. Give the boy and his companions time to escape. The demon-spawn below didn¡¯t even bother to try to stop him or go for Halo or Wraith. They knew they stood no chance against them, and their priority would be the boy. Get their hands on him, and just like he could become Riftborn, they could offer him the taste of Demon-blood.
But he couldn¡¯t worry about that now. The boy was on his own. Alina and the other two would be able to protect him a while longer. As he saw the small group dive into the forest, he leapt down, channelled his energy, and dashed towards the demon-spawn that followed the boy. He unleashed [Twin Blades of Death], both arms cutting across each other, releasing invisible blades of energy from his swords that sliced across the demons running into the forest. Not all of them. Some had made it through.
¡°Master,¡± Reaper reached out with his mind, the word wound tight in a bundle of energy as he pushed it beyond his consciousness, along the pathway that connected him to his leader. One of many across the network of pathways that connected all on Cytheria to The Nexus Prime, though most were unaware of it. An eternal web around the planet, unseen, and felt only by a few ¨C the Riftborn, and those gifted in the arts of the mind ¨C otherwise, it was known only to The Nexus Prime. Even the slightest flow of information on those pathways; a rain drop through the clouds, or the silent slaying of a fly would transmit to him. He would hear his call.
The Nexus Prime was aware of all and everything, at all times. At least, that¡¯s what the Riftborn had been told. They¡¯d always believed it to be true. Reaper knew better now, though he also knew better than to speak his thoughts aloud. The others might have noticed anyway. The Nexus Prime wasn¡¯t omniscient. The Nexus Prime wasn¡¯t eternal.
This battle wouldn¡¯t go well. Reaper hadn¡¯t expected it to. Three Riftborn weren¡¯t enough for what they faced. Prince Zerralan, The Herald of Fear. Reaper saw the shadow of an unearthly arm, and dodged the incoming strike. The Prince¡¯s arms, with their serrated blades smashed down again and again, testing the limits of Reaper¡¯s agility. He continued to dodge at speeds unfathomable to the man he had once been. His armour writhed with anticipation, the demon within relishing the chance for retaliation, but Reaper needed her to focus on keeping him alive.
Revenant was one with him, as she had always been, no matter that her mind and body had been lost a millennia ago. The two of them had a connection beyond that even of The Nexus Prime. She responded to him with a fervent euphoria, born from love, and a hope that he would give her what she yearned for most. Vengeance. Vengeance against those that had made them what they were now. They needed each other to complete their mission. Then they could both rest. They could both end. Together.
¡°Master,¡± he thought out again. Revenant shot out hooks that embedded into a tree, yanking him away just as Prince Zerralan¡¯s clawed hand crushed the ground where he¡¯d been, and left shattered stone erupting across the riverbank. Halo was as far away as she could be to build her destructive light beams, but they were mere annoyances to the demon. He was too powerful to be deconstructed in the manner of the demon-spawn earlier, or sliced through like the Knight. Wraith on the other hand, stayed close to the Prince¡¯s body, phasing in and out of dimensional reality, striking at the Prince, but he may as well have been a mosquito for all the good it did.
The three of them together could hurt the Prince, but they would run out of energy and mana long before they would cause enough damage to take him down. Attacking alone, even with their skills wouldn¡¯t be enough to slow him down. He wished Oracle would hurry up with the dungeon to the north. Her squad would be enough to assist them in the takedown, but he knew he¡¯d be a fool to place his faith in hope. In any event, he always had that card up his sleeve. A dangerous card to use, but he might not have a choice. Revenant softly wailed at the thought, but she had been here before. Without being asked, she cast-off a small part of herself, and the black liquid metal slithered across the pebbles and into the forest.
¡°Why isn¡¯t he answering?¡± Halo spoke into his mind, connected to the same conduits that he was.
¡°It¡¯s been happening¡¡± Wraith spoke, then disappeared, then appeared again, slashing at the prince, ¡°¡more often recently.¡±
¡°What do we do, Reaper?¡± Halo said. ¡°We can¡¯t win this.¡±
¡°We can,¡± Reaper replied as Revenant propelled him towards Zerralan. His swords were in his hands, but the Prince was not an easy foe to approach. Spider-arms, with their serrated blades lifted up to cover his body, whilst others jabbed out, too slowly to hit Reaper, but they weren¡¯t meant to. Zerralan was testing, trying to calculate the speed at which Reaper was moving and could move. That was the biggest problem with fighting Demon Lords and above. It wasn¡¯t just their power. They had to contend with their intelligence too.
¡°It¡¯s too risky,¡± Halo said, another [Starscream] shooting across the riverbank. It was an impressively powerful beam, but she really had to do something about that deafening noise. A Starwhisper would be easier on the ears. ¡°We can¡¯t lose more of us. There¡¯s too few left to deal with all these threats.¡±
¡°But deal with them we must,¡± Reaper said, striking at the arms covering the Demon Prince, and swiftly moving again, Revenant bombarding hooks into the ground, the trees, anything she could find purchase on to keep Reaper moving. ¡°Whatever it takes.¡±
¡°I agree¡¡± Wraith said, before phasing. He reappeared on Zerralan¡¯s shoulder, and stood for longer than he should. ¡°¡with Halo.¡± He was charged up, ready to plunge his blade into the demon¡¯s flesh. The idiot!
¡°Wraith! MOVE!¡± Reaper shouted into Wraith¡¯s mind.
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It was too late. Reaper had always told him that his phasing became too predictable. He moved in patterns, shuffling between the same spots, even if never in the same spot in succession. For a trained eye, the pattern would eventually make itself clear. All Zerralan had needed was the time to figure it out. Against lesser demons, Wraith would have been alright. Not against a Prince.
An arm from the Prince¡¯s Torso curved around his body, heading straight towards Wraith. He saw it but the Riftborn was nothing, if not determined. He knew he couldn¡¯t avoid the Prince¡¯s strike but he¡¯d be damned if he didn¡¯t strike back. Reaper had always liked that about him. Wraith plunged his blade into Zerralan¡¯s shoulder, just before the pointed end of the arm struck him too. He phased.
Reaper was on the move, knowing where Wraith would likely phase to. Perhaps it made it easier for him. Reaper hadn¡¯t studied the intricacies of dimensional phasing, and whether the pattern was something that could be avoided. If that idiot survived this, Reaper might need to go study it to see if Wraith could become more unpredictable. The kid was young. Less than ten years a Riftborn. So much growth left in him.
Wraith appeared exactly where Reaper thought he would. Problem was that Zerralan also knew it. He activated his [Evasion], ensuring he was unhittable, and swooped in to grab Wraith. Revenant was already one step ahead, a hook embedding into Zerralan¡¯s leg, wrenching the both of them out of there as multiple bladed arms came stabbing down at the spot they had just vacated. Reaper didn¡¯t stop, carrying the limp Wraith on one shoulder. He may have been a kid but he was heavy.
¡°Halo!¡±
Multiple small beams of light smacked into the Demon Prince. Any one of them would have annihilated the demon-spawn or Alina¡¯s party but they would do nothing more than cause Zerralan displeasure. It didn¡¯t matter. It was enough to draw the demon¡¯s attention and it gave Reaper the opportunity to escape with Wraith.
¡°Into the forest,¡± Reaper said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to deal with this another way.¡±
Halo sighed, a gasp of air echoing in his skull, but she didn¡¯t argue. ¡°Should we try and lure him to the dungeon? If you distract him, I¡¯ll be able to charge up enough power to force him inside.¡±
It wasn¡¯t a bad idea, actually. It wasn¡¯t what Reaper had in mind, but it was definitely more preferable. ¡°Let¡¯s do it. We¡¯ll meet you there.¡±
He ran into the forest, near to where Tyler and the women had gone earlier, and he sped through. Wraith was badly hurt, but alive. Reaper could feel the kid¡¯s chest move slowly up and down.
¡°Master,¡± he called again.
¡°YES, REAPER?¡± The Nexus Prime¡¯s voice boomed in his head, like thunder. The first time he had heard it, his legs had trembled and his knees buckled, forcing him to kneel voluntarily. It had taken years for Reaper to adjust to the voice, but it still had that transcendent quality.
¡°Prince Zerralan has broken free of the Rift. This conspiracy is larger than we were aware, and more dangerous. I ask for your assistance in containing him, until our brethren are free to assist us. Wraith is already down. He will not survive, unless we bring him back to the Citadel.¡±
There was a moment of silence, which was odd. The Nexus Prime never needed to think.
¡°I CANNOT ASSIST YOU. IT IS AS YOU SAY. A CONSPIRACY LARGER. THE DEMON¡¯S HAVE BEEN PREPARING FOR A LONG TIME FOR THIS ASSAULT. THEY ARE AT THE GATES OF THE CITADEL. THE GUARDIANS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED, AND ALL RIFTBORN THAT CAN, HAVE BEEN RECALLED. YOU MUST DEAL WITH ZELLARAN YOURSELF.¡±
¡°Master,¡± Reaper said, almost in a whisper, although Wraith and Halo could hear everything. ¡°We cannot take him alone.¡±
¡°I BELIEVE IN YOU, MY CHILD. YOU HAVE NEVER FAILED ME. ONCE THE CITADEL IS SECURED, I WILL SEND THE ASSISTANCE YOU REQUIRE. FOR NOW, I MUST ASK YOU TO FULFIL YOUR DUTY TO CYTHERIA.¡±
¡°I will do as you say. I will not fail.¡±
Silence. That was it. A millennia in servitude, and not even a grateful wish for success. It was what it was. And it confirmed what he already knew. The Nexus Prime was weakening. No wonder the demons were gaining the upper hand. No wonder Riftborn were dying.
¡°Halo,¡± Reaper called out.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Change of plans.¡±
¡°Are you thinking what I think you¡¯re thinking?¡±
¡°You and I both know I have no choice. But I do have a plan.¡±
¡°The last time you had a plan, you almost died. Is this plan any different?¡±
¡°This time, I might actually die?¡± Reaper said, a dry chuckle on his lips.
¡°It¡¯s not funny,¡± Halo replied.
Behind them, they could hear the tremors of Prince Zellaran, as he pounded on the ground in pursuit. The Riftborn were faster, but they couldn¡¯t get too far ahead. They needed to keep him focused on them, though the Prince might have been going this way anyway. He was one of the few who could enter the dungeon to the north, and kill the Riftborn there. Perhaps that was his plan from the start.
¡°Halo. Find your way to us. You¡¯ll need to take Wraith back to the Citadel. Help in the fight there, and then join back with Sentinel. If all goes well, I will join you there.¡±
He sped past a decapitated corpse, decaying and rotting into the soil,. As he ran with Wraith on his shoulder, Revenant whispered to him, a ghostly wail that he had come to understand. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time they had communicated properly, and even with her wails and moans, she was limited in what she could express. But it was enough. She¡¯d found the boy. Reaper darted to the northeast. Alina¡¯s group seemed to be heading away from the dungeon, maybe trying to circle around where they thought the battle was taking place, and head to the city. At least he hoped that¡¯s what they were trying to do. Given his admonition of the girl, she might well be trying to put things right. He smiled to himself. She reminded him of himself.
¡°Where are you Halo?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be there in a minute. We have time.¡±
Reaper burst through the trees, into a small clearing. Sunlight shone on the diseased grass, highlighting the pockmarked leaves and gnarled roots. Reaper knelt down, and gently laid Wraith to the floor. He was waning, his eyes and mouth starting to become visible, along with splotches of his light skin. Reaper had always thought it useless to use mana to maintain himself in shadow, but even such a tiny use was beyond him right now.
It wasn¡¯t long before Halo arrived, tattoos dimming down. Reaper picked up Wraith like he was a sleeping child and placed him gently into Halo¡¯s outstretched arms.
¡°Go now.¡±
¡°Wait,¡± Wraith whispered weakly. The kid had heart. Even opening his mouth must have been challenging in his current state. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±
¡°The only thing I can. I¡¯m going to gamble. Now, go.¡±
He watched as the air around them shimmered, and suddenly a blinding light flashed in front of him, before it dissolved, little droplets of light dissipating in its wake. He could hear the tremors of the Prince arriving. He wasn¡¯t far away. Neither was Tyler¡¯s group. Revenant coiled around his waist, pushed out a small bracelet to hold in his hand, in the same black liquid metal that she was composed of. It was a fascinating metal, found in the nooks and crannies of the highest mountain range in the Rift. The bracelet was an artifact of his own making, sanctioned by The Nexus Prime. He wasn¡¯t strong enough to make his own, without imbuing it with the energies that The Nexus Prime had access to.
It was his trump card. His ultimate attack. Now, all he had to do was find Tyler.
He needed bait for this to work.
13. Bloodlust No More
Tyler ran as fast as he could through the undergrowth, twigs snapping underfoot, sickly branches scratching at his face as he clawed as many as he could out of the way, a trail of disfigured leaves floating to the floor in his wake. His eyes were firmly on the boil-ridden roots that spread across the ground. He didn¡¯t want to trip. He didn¡¯t want to make it harder on the women than he already had. Alina was ahead of him, Imanie to the right, Emelyn behind, like a triangular defence, tearing through the gaunt trees, sometimes catching the sickly bark with a stray arm to reveal the amber pulp inside.
The three women kept pace with him. Which meant they were running slower than they could. He knew that. He was nothing but a liability to them, and yet he was a commodity to others. Hunted by the Riftborn. Hunted by the demons. He wondered what the shapeshifters planned to do with the other two Alina had found. What would they do if they ¨C or the ones that chased them now ¨C got hold of him.
He pushed a branch too strongly, felt it whip back and smack him in the face. His cheek puffed up, that annoying rawness tugging at his skin. He followed Alina, and for now she was heading north, moving quickly in her armour. The endurance buff ensured she wouldn¡¯t get tired, but being able to move as she did with it on was all her own strength. His movements on the other hand were a little stiff from the drying blood on his linen clothes. Other than the slight discomfort, he wasn¡¯t feeling any fatigue at all. Not from the running anyway. The situation he found himself in? That was exhausting.
It had all seemed so simple when he said yes to coming here, but it hadn¡¯t even been a day yet, and he¡¯d barely had the time to process what was going on. The Gamesmaster, Alina, Demons, Riftborn, Outworlders, Nexus Prime. It was all too much. This was not a game at all. He couldn¡¯t recall a game that didn¡¯t start you in a beginner area. True, he couldn¡¯t remember playing a game to begin with, but he was definite they started easy. They came with rules, instructions, manuals. Some even had cheat codes from the off.
Everything in life started in a beginner area, not just games. The only similarity to life on earth that he could think of was having a woman with him to help him take his first steps. Or several in this case. He stumbled, and almost fell, but gathered himself and kept on. Did you just compare Alina to¡your mother? He shook his head at the notion. That was not a comparison he either wanted nor enjoyed.
One thing he was becoming more confident in ¨C a feeling he couldn¡¯t shake ¨C was that the more he learned about this world, the more he realised the Gamesmaster had sold him a dud. Like he¡¯d gone into a second-hand car showroom and walked out with a¡well, he wasn¡¯t sure what he would walk out with because he¡¯d never done that before, but whatever it would be, it wasn¡¯t good. That¡¯s what the Gamesmaster had done. Sold him something he didn¡¯t want and didn¡¯t need. And he had no way to give it back. He was stuck here now, caught in a fight that was far beyond what he had expected it to be. Glancing at his companions, it seemed to be a fight far beyond what they had ever known too.
As if the world had come full-circle, from the corner of his eye, the rotting remains of a person without a head was slowly being absorbed into the decaying earth, along with the pockmarked leaves that littered the forest floor. Sunlight struggled to break through the canopy but it wasn¡¯t due to the trees themselves. Something else was blocking the light. A ghastly scream sounded above their heads. Tyler wanted to take a look, but was afraid he would lose his footing as he jumped over blackened roots.
¡°Alina, they¡¯re onto us,¡± Emelyn shouted. Behind them, far enough away to not be an immediate concern, but close enough that it needed to be dealt with came the low hums of growls, and the rhythmic thundering of hooves.
¡°How many?¡±
¡°Not enough that we can¡¯t finish them before the buffs wear off.¡±
¡°There¡¯s a clearing up ahead. We¡¯ll make our stand there.¡±
Suddenly, Alina shifted to the right, and Tyler turned to follow. A few seconds later, they broke through the trees, into a small clearing. Alina continued to the other side, before turning. Tyler ran up alongside her, Emelyn on Alina¡¯s left, and Imanie on Tyler¡¯s right. Sunlight shone into the clearing, across the rusty red grass dotted with specks of green. The demon above them ¨C a miniature version of the Demon Prince, but one that still towered over them hovered in the air, waiting for its brethren to arrive.
¡°We need to be quick. We need to be nasty. Only got a couple of mins on these endowments. Let¡¯s make it count,¡± Alina said. She looked at Tyler with a gentle smile. ¡°I think we need you to do what you did back there by the stream. Just try not to lose yourself this time.¡±
He grinned at her. She was trusting him. He¡¯d earned that. The trust of a princess. It was a start. The three women began chanting quietly to themselves, and he began to suspect it was necessary for the power element against multiple opponents. Earlier, none of them had needed it against one, two or even three opponents, but he suspected they needed to charge their power up in some way before attacking more numbers than that. He¡¯d need to ask them about it, but he recalled Halo had done the same thing. Although, she was a mage. It seemed that it would make more sense for her.
So many questions to answer. Since he¡¯d got here, just so many questions. And every time he was thinking he might have some answers, the answers only led to more questions. It got him thinking though. Maybe somebody had all the answers. Maybe even knew of outworlders being sent here. Knew of the Riftborn, and The Nexus Prime. Maybe even had tried to warn others or talk to them at least, but nobody had been listening. Nobody wanted to listen. Everybody just lived their lives the way they always had. Because that¡¯s what everyone did. That¡¯s how life worked. Why change what works?
What was it Halo had said earlier? ¡°They don¡¯t have a clue how their world is kept safe. All they care about are their petty squabbles, and who owns which bit of rock.¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong. Earth worked much the same way.
¡°Hey, Princess,¡± Tyler said, loosening his shoulders, and jumping on the spot and kicking his legs out. It felt like the right thing to do.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You guys didn¡¯t know about all this? The Riftborn? The Demon hierarchy?¡±
¡°No,¡± Imanie said, from his other side. ¡°I doubt anybody in the Kingdom knew about this. I¡¯ve seen a lot of things in my time, but this is a first.¡±
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Tyler looked at her, the elderly woman almost of a height with him. ¡°Have you travelled far? Outside of the Kingdom? Do you think it¡¯s true for the whole world?¡±
¡°There isn¡¯t an empire or kingdom that I haven¡¯t travelled to on this side of the Rift, but I¡¯ve never even heard whispers of Riftborn, or Demon hierarchies.¡±
¡°Maybe in the Great Library?¡± Emelyn offered.
¡°Maybe,¡± Alina said. She turned to Tyler, face hidden behind her helm. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s something we need to look into, once we survive. Don¡¯t forget, Tyler Smith. You¡¯re still mine. They haven¡¯t taken you yet.¡±
The way she had said he¡¯s still hers. It had sounded so firm. Almost matter-of-fact. A claim to his person, like she was collecting on a debt. But what did she mean? In what way was he hers? In what way was he hoping he was hers? Maybe she was simply making extra effort to keep his bloodlust away, or maybe she only meant it in the sense they had already discussed. Of her using him. But he was sure she knew what she was doing with a statement like that. But did she? She could have just meant it exactly as she said it. Better to think that way, he thought to himself. He was glad she had her helm on, because she was proving to be just as distracting with it. He wasn¡¯t sure he''d be able to handle seeing her face at the same time.
Alright, shut up. Get in the game. They¡¯re coming. Focus.
¡°I¡¯d like that, Princess,¡± Tyler replied. Then he had a thought. Go on then. Say it. You may as well. What do you have to lose? ¡°Keep me alive, and I¡¯ll stay yours.¡± He winked at her. What the hell? That wasn¡¯t part of the plan. The corners of his mouth turned up in an awkward smile.
[+1 CHR]
A snarl from the other edge of the glade saved him. All eyes turned to the mini-demon princes entering the clearing. There were seven of them, including the one that still hovered in the air. It flew down when the others arrived. All of them stood almost twice as tall as Emelyn, and all had the same wolf-heads as their master. Tyler wondered for a moment if the wolf-head he had killed earlier was also somehow related to the Demon Prince, but if it was, it had none of the menace of the ones standing in front of him now.
Alongside the winged one, four of the other six had eight extra arms extending from their torsos, each extra arm with serrated blades along their edges. The other two had flaming runes across their bodies, almost like the tattoos that Halo wore.
¡°Never seen these types before. Looks like two mages, four melee, one ranged,¡± Alina said. The two other women nodded their heads in agreement. ¡°How do we want to approach this?¡±
¡°We probably need to assume one, or both mages might be able to heal?¡±
As the women discussed the tactics, Tyler wondered why the caution, and quietly whispered, ¡°Vitals.¡± The green and orange bar had faded into view in the top-left, with the large circle still displaying 39. The xp bar appeared at the bottom, but this time, three symbols surrounded by a metallic amber halo showed to the right of his health bar, with little timers beneath them. Two had just over two minutes on the clock, whilst the other showed just over twelve.
He looked at the demons opposite, as they edged closer, the two mages lingering behind. Their bars showed clearly, larger than his own, in the top-right of his vision, the one he focused on being the most prominent on the display. The winged one and the four spider-like ones had red health bars and brown bars beneath that, but the two with runes had purple bars beneath. All seven had the number 103 in the top-right circle that overlapped their bars. Three higher than the one hundred levels Alina had told him there was. Yet another question.
¡°I¡¯ll take the mages,¡± Tyler said. ¡°Keep the others off me, and I can take them down.¡± He turned to Alina. ¡°You said mages need distance. They look intimidating, but I doubt they¡¯ve had to deal with close-range fighters much. Especially ones immune to damage. I might not be much, but I can sure swing the shit out of this.¡± He hoisted the club.
All three women looked at him, then at each other. The surprise was clear on both Imanie and Emelyn¡¯s face but it was mixed with something else. Wonder maybe? Or admiration? Alina¡¯s expression was hidden behind the helm but she said, ¡°It could work. Are you sure?¡±
¡°Sure as I¡¯ll ever be. Let¡¯s do it. We¡¯re running out of time.¡±
The women said nothing, but all turned to face the oncoming demons. Alina put her hand out. ¡°Hold my hand.¡± He hesitated. Why right now? What was she trying to tell him? She turned to look at him. ¡°I¡¯m going to [Dash] you over there. We don¡¯t have time.¡± Her tone was firm. He took hold of her gauntleted hand.
¡°Now, Imanie,¡± Alina said. From the corner of his eye, Tyler could see Imanie unleash several arrows that arced through the air. As they approached the demons, all except one arrow exploded in a shower of golden light, blinding the approaching horde. That final arrow continued on its trajectory, striking the shoulder of the winged creature, stopping it from taking flight.
Immediately after the burst of light, both Emelyn and Alina dashed forwards. Tyler felt his skin trying to remain where it was, whilst his body left it behind. In a flash, he was standing in front of one of the mages, Alina on the other. Behind them, Emelyn was dealing with the four others for now, with support from Imanie.
Tyler wasted no time. He smashed his club at the runed demon¡¯s side, and struck an invisible barrier, shock vibrating down his arm. Small red lightning fingers splayed out from the point of impact. The damn thing had some sort of shield. The timer on his buffs was down to a minute and forty. He had no choice. He struck again and again and again. The demon was trying to move away. Tyler¡¯s guess had been right. It wasn¡¯t used to fighting in close quarters. In the Riftlands, it probably never had the chance to. Never thought it would need to.
Tyler wasn¡¯t about to let it escape. He smashed the club down again and again and again. That damn shield would break at some point, or Tyler would die trying. The princess to his left was having a better time of it, though the runed demon was doing its best to fight back with small fireballs that seemed to have sucked the light from the air. It might as well not have bothered. Alina¡¯s violet armour wasn¡¯t even marked.
An arrow whistled over his head and struck the shield nearer to the head, but the red lightning was larger, as if the force it had endured was far more. Several more arrows followed. Imanie. He continued hitting the demon in the sides, trusted in Imanie¡¯s skills. The runed demon was doing its best to locate the source of the arrows, and to either side of its shoulders, black fireballs formed, growing ever larger. It was too late, however. Imanie¡¯s arrow pierced through the barrier, struck into the demon¡¯s cheek, causing it to howl in fury. With the barrier down, Tyler was ready. One minute left on his damage buffs.
He smashed and he smashed and he smashed at one of the legs. Smashed again. Imanie¡¯s arrows still continued hitting the demon¡¯s heads. He was aware that Alina had already managed to finish hers. He suspected these two had low hp, and with the buffs and the barriers down, they took short work. Alina must have gone back to help Emelyn some. Tyler pulled the club back as far as he could and smashed. Over and over. Again and again. Eventually the leg gave. The demon dropped to one knee.
Tyler smiled gleefully. The head was within range. He wasn¡¯t done. He hadn¡¯t drawn blood. He swung the club with all his might at the side of the demon¡¯s face, then into the other side. Thirty seconds. Cheeks ripped. A lip split. He smashed again into the demon¡¯s eye, and again into the same eye. Fifteen seconds. Aware he was running out of time, he smashed with his fist, and pummelled with the club, felt the demon¡¯s flesh stop resisting, its skull cracking beneath the blows until the buffs ran out.
Before he could see the artwork he had created this time, a gauntleted hand yanked him away, and back to the safety of the others. He still smiled. He hadn¡¯t bloodlusted this time. He¡¯d enjoyed it. Enjoyed feeling the demon¡¯s head give way to his blows. But he didn¡¯t lose himself. He could control it.
What did it matter if he enjoyed it some too?
14. A Princess Cant Save Everyone
Tyler stood on the edge of the clearing, the three women between him and the demons, ensuring he was protected. The damage and immunity buffs were gone. Only the endurance was left with less than ten minutes on the clock. The club in his hands was a mess of blood and flesh. How many demons had it taken down now? He¡¯d lost count.
The clearing resembled his club ¨C a mess of flesh and limbs, sunlight glinting across the pools of blood spattered across the diseased grass. A rotting stench lingered in the air, like the smell of week-old meat left in the sun. The winged demon, and the runed demon that Alina had felled had been shredded to pieces. He¡¯d be hard pressed to know which limb or flesh belonged to which. The demon he had ruined lay in a splattered mess further back.
He wondered if he felt no remorse due to the nature of the creatures in front of him. Or because he wasn¡¯t capable of being so. The thought troubled him. Part of him hoped he would never have to face a human opponent. He wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to find out the answer.
He couldn¡¯t help but think back to the Gamesmaster¡¯s words, of being on his way to commit a horrific crime. He hadn¡¯t thought it was something he was capable of, and yet, he knew now that violence existed within him. Anger. Fear. Hatred. He knew now what he was capable of when taken by his emotions. And he had enjoyed it. With or without the bloodlust. With an effort, he wiped the smile from his lips.
The other four demons with the eight extra arms stood close to their fallen brethren, wary, but no less determined. A couple had been maimed, an arm missing, or a gashing wound in their abdomen or legs. He wondered what compelled them to remain. To continue forwards, when their friends had been destroyed so brutally, and they were injured. Did they have feelings like humans? The need for revenge? Retribution? Or was it that they feared the repercussions of not following after them more than they valued their lives? Or did they just simply enjoy it. Were they hoping to tear into human flesh as much he wanted to cleave theirs.
¡°You need to go, Emelyn said, holding her battle-axe firmly in her hands, blood slowly dripping to the grass below, eyes firmly on the demons ahead. ¡°Alaric should be at the rendezvous soon. He can get you both out. Take Tyler, and get out of here.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t go,¡± Alina replied. She stood ahead of them all, leader that she was, her sword held in both hands.
¡°You can¡¯t stay,¡± Imanie said. ¡°Do you want to lose Mira and Celeste?¡±
¡°We can take them. We¡¯ve faced worse before.¡±
¡°No, we haven¡¯t.¡± Emelyn said. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to take them. Maybe if Sadie and Kiri were here, but not us three alone. Besides, it seems they want Tyler, and I know you wouldn¡¯t want to risk them getting their hands on him. Imanie and I can hold them off. We can¡¯t all run, and we can¡¯t all stay.¡±
¡°I can go alone,¡± Tyler said, thinking he was helping.
¡°Where would you go?¡± Emelyn replied, with a soft chuckle. ¡°A day ago, you didn¡¯t even know where you were.¡± It was true. He could run, but he wouldn¡¯t get far. The only reason he¡¯d met them in the first place was because he¡¯d followed that demon sprite to find people who could help him. What would be the point of running alone now? He should have done that yesterday. None of this would have happened had he never come across them in the first place. Reaper probably would have found him, scared shitless in the forest, and saved him. In hindsight, it might have been better.
¡°I can¡¯t lose you two,¡± Alina said in scarcely a whisper.
¡°Don¡¯t let the mistakes of your past lead to mistakes in your present.¡± Imanie nocked an arrow. ¡°Reaper wasn¡¯t wrong. He could say to you what we couldn¡¯t. You can¡¯t save everyone Alina. I know you want to. But you can¡¯t.
But you can save him.¡±
¡°Now, go,¡± Emelyn said. ¡°We¡¯ll buy you time. Maybe with a bit of luck, we¡¯ll join you later.¡± Even Tyler could tell she didn¡¯t mean it. Alina delayed a moment. Then, stood back, sheathing her sword in its scabbard, and walked backwards until she was behind the other two women, by Tyler¡¯s side.
¡°Come on, Tyler,¡± she said, turning to the forest. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± But she didn¡¯t move. He watched her, but he couldn¡¯t tell what she was thinking with that helm on her head. It seemed like she might be wanting to say something more. Perhaps something inspiring, but the words wouldn¡¯t come. Eventually, she took a step forward, and another. Tyler began to follow her but he felt that he should say something. Anything.
¡°If I managed to survive so far,¡± he declared, loud enough for the two women behind him to hear, ¡°I¡¯m sure it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for the both of you. You better come find us.¡±
Alina stopped, and turned to his direction, but he walked right past her. He wasn¡¯t sure what had overcome him, but it just felt right. The way the women spoke, he doubted it would help, but he could tell Alina was struggling. Mira and Celeste were missing. Kiri had run after the two shapeshifters. Emelyn and Imanie might not survive. Only Sadie remained. Alina¡¯s world was disappearing before her eyes. It was better for him to give her false hopes. She knew it. He knew it. Emelyn and Imanie knew it. But it was sometimes better to lie, than be honest. The women knew how it would end.
He began to jog. ¡°Now, Princess. Didn¡¯t we strike a bargain? Keep me alive, and I¡¯ll stay yours.¡± He looked back, and winked with a smile. He saw her take the briefest of glances towards the other two as they began their attack, before she ran into the forest after him. In a flash, she was ahead of him, back to business. She really was a tough cookie.
Tyler kept pace with her whilst they ran through more of the diseased forest. He was pushing himself as hard as he could. At times, he nudged ahead of her, making her run faster. Effectively, she was doing this to save him from whatever fate awaited him if the demons or the Riftborn got their hands on him. He didn¡¯t want to slow her down, and he could maintain this pace as long as the endurance buff lasted. It was down to less than eight minutes.
As they flew past the gangly, dying bodies of the trees to either side, crashing through thin, sharp branches and pockmarked leaves, Alina suddenly stopped. He almost clattered into her.
¡°What¡¯s wrong,¡± he said, head darting in all directions for the hidden threat she must have felt. He couldn¡¯t see anything. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was meant to be looking for, but he couldn¡¯t see it. She shushed him gently, as she looked left and right, studied the bark of the trees nearby.
¡°This way,¡± she said, and whizzed off towards the left. He followed her, and then she did it again. Stopped, looked around, even took a closer look at the trees, then sped off, Tyler rushing after her. As they ran, the forest became more dense. The trees were still as sickly, the grass as diseased, but there were more bushes and brambles, like the aftermath of a giant vomiting its dinner, the green covered in a thick off-colour sludge. Alina stopped several times more. Checked a tree, sometimes the ground beneath their feet. It continued, and they ran together, until they finally pushed through a thicket of dense bush. Tyler wasn¡¯t prepared for Alina stopping this time, and he saw the ravine too late. One moment his foot was on land, and the next he was stepping to his death, until a gauntleted hand grabbed the back of his tunic.
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Small rocks went teetering off the edge. Tyler¡¯s heart pounded as he looked at the sheer drop into the glinting stream hundreds of feet beneath him. His breathing came ragged, whilst his arms flailed for a purchase on something; anything. Alina dragged him back to safety, and he stumbled back, right to the forest¡¯s edge. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I should have slowed down earlier.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said, trying to calm his breathing. ¡°Although, would¡¯ve made all this rather pointless if I¡¯d ended up down there.¡±
Alina gave the softest of laughs. Not that rich honey and sugar mixture from earlier. This one was more like a tiny drop of syrup on the end of a teaspoon. Still, it was good to hear. It had been a pretty brutal day all round. They could do with some of the tension being lifted. He was sure they¡¯d have plenty of time to feel awful later. They would need it. His thoughts were with Emelyn and Imanie. Protectors. Veterans. He hoped beyond hope that they could be alright. That they found a way to defeat those foes, even without the buffs. If anyone could, those two struck him as the kind that could, but the odds were against them.
To the right, he could see the vague outline of a city, it¡¯s towers rising above where the forest diverged, on the opposite bank of the stream, the terrain gently sloping downwards to the east. Ahead of him, the forest stretched out beneath two suns in the sky ¨C a smaller yellow one partially eclipsing a larger blue one. As if he needed further confirmation that he was indeed not on earth. The forest curved to the north, rising gently, until it levelled out again to the height he was at, the stream coming to an end against a rocky cliff. The whole south-eastern portion of the forest looked like it had been scooped out.
¡°Is that where the Academy is?¡± Tyler asked, pointing to the city.
Alina nodded. ¡°That¡¯s Valar. City of Champions. Hopefully, you¡¯ll get to see it soon. Come.¡± She walked in the opposite direction. Where they had emerged, the edge between the forest and the ravine was slim but it widened out as they walked, until after not more than a minute or two, they emerged into a small area that had been cleared of trees. The sickly forest grew right up to it, but then stopped. The grass too. There were weathered and battered stones strewn across the ground in a jagged formation, unsheltered from the elements. The way the stones were placed was too random for it to have been chance.
¡°What is this place?¡± Tyler asked.
¡°A meeting area. A place known only to us.¡±
¡°What¡¯s it for?¡±
¡°A place for us to gather in secret, when there¡¯s need. There¡¯s a ward around it. Anyone walking close by would see the forest. It¡¯s where we¡¯re meeting with my intelligence squad. They¡¯ll be here soon.¡±
¡°Intelligence squad? Like, information gatherers?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Alina said, walking over to sit on one of the rocks, looking out towards the east. She took her helm off, and placed it by her feet, shaking out her silver locks. She took her gauntlets off too, and placed them beside the helm. ¡°They were sent to find out the location where Mira and Celeste are being held. Imanie or Emelyn had been meeting them every day.¡±
¡°So, they haven¡¯t found them?¡±
¡°Not yet. They¡¯re getting closer.¡±
¡°How long have you known?¡± Tyler said, standing opposite her, a few metres from the ravine¡¯s edge.
¡°About the sisters?¡±
Tyler nodded.
¡°For about two weeks.¡±
¡°And you didn¡¯t do anything?¡±
She looked at him with a gentle smile. ¡°We couldn¡¯t. Shapeshifters only keep their shape as long as the original is alive. Their magic works by creating a connection to the object they want to mimic. It allows them to take on that person¡¯s attributes. If it¡¯s a cleric like Celeste, the shapeshifter would have access to the same magic. A warrior like me, and they could use all my skills. Someone like Mira, and they become one of the most powerful mages in the realm.
What they won¡¯t have access to is the originals memories or persona. Most shapeshifters won¡¯t bother with that. They only want to gain something quick. Maybe mimic a maid who works in the palace, and steal some gold or jewellery. Maybe mimic an adventurer to pick up a harder quest, and have the skills to complete it. Something small, along those lines. If a shapeshifter truly wants to turn into someone else, they have to turn to mind manipulation. They would have to engage the services of a highly-skilled mage, who specialises in the mind, if they wanted to steal the persona and the memories of the one they want to mimic. The cost of doing so is beyond the reach of just anyone. Not only is the magic intrusive and forbidden, to be caught doing it is punishable by death. No mage would even consider it unless you made it truly worth their while.
Unfortunately for these two. Mira has an ability that makes her immune to mind manipulation and control for a limited time. She used it to manipulate her own persona. Made the shapeshifter have a memory that wasn¡¯t true.¡±
¡°What was that?¡±
¡°The fake Mira called me dumdum.¡±
Alina laughed. The rich laugh, this time. Probably at the sheer confusion on Tyler¡¯s face. He had no idea what that was supposed to mean.
¡°It was something we devised a long time ago,¡± Alina explained. ¡°If she ever got kidnapped for such a purpose, she would plant false memories of a nickname she would call me when we¡¯re alone. The shapeshifter had that memory and used it. I knew on the first day she came to us, and since then, I¡¯ve been working to find them.¡±
¡°How¡¯d you know the others weren¡¯t also fake?¡±
¡°Both sisters had been away together. They were on leave. The rest had been with me. We assumed both sisters had been taken.¡±
Tyler paced along the edge of the ravine, thinking to himself. Given they had this moment, and assuming he survived, he needed to start thinking ahead. Especially if he was a target. He needed to protect himself.
¡°Is it a mage skill?¡±
Alina raised an eyebrow at him.
¡°The ability you said Mira has. Is it a mage skill? I¡¯m just curious. For when I can pick a class. You said mages are the most powerful, and it seems like a useful skill to have?¡±
¡°It¡¯s called an Imprint. Certain people, for certain reasons, have an Imprint. An ability that they can use at anytime, anywhere, with no mana or energy costs. It¡¯s unique to them.¡±
¡°Do you have an Imprint?¡±
¡°No.¡±
He looked out across the ravine. An Imprint. He wondered what he would need to do to get one of those. ¡°Why do you think they wanted Mira? Seems risky to go for someone close to you?¡±
¡°It is risky, but these ones clearly had lofty ambitions. We can¡¯t be sure what they are. The plan was to rescue the sisters, and then beat it out of the shapeshifters. And whoever else we find.¡±
¡°We can still do that,¡± he said with a chuckle over his shoulder, before turning back to the ravine. The stream below glimmered with the reflections of the twin suns.
¡°These two have higher connections. There¡¯s a much larger game being played here, but I don¡¯t know what. We¡¯ll have to be careful when we approach wherever the sisters are.¡±
¡°How long¨C¡° Tyler began, turning back to the Princess but the words stuck in his throat. His legs began to tremble ever so slightly. He almost couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. The Demon Prince from earlier was right there. How was it possible? There was no sound. No warning. He just appeared. His head, sizeable enough to shelter a large family, was just to the side of Alina¡¯s right shoulder. His immense frame seemed to be sprawled behind him, like he was sunbathing atop the forest, trees flattened beneath him. The Demon Prince¡¯s red eyes glowed beneath the two large horns that curved away from his face and he stuck his wolf¡¯s snout further forward, the dark hanging beard dragging across the floor. Alina¡¯s eyes slowly moved to the right as she became aware of his presence, One of his massive hands hovered above Alina¡¯s head, gently brushing the top of her silver locks.
Alina looked back at Tyler with the eyes of somebody who knew it was their time. There was no remorse, or fear. No tears, or sadness. Just acceptance. And peace with who she was, and who she had tried to be. She smiled at him, and it was the most gorgeous smile he had ever seen. He filed the image of that smile away.
The Demon Prince brought his hand down instantly.
15. The Binding Contract
Tyler couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away from the Demon Prince¡¯s hand. The palm rested on the ground where Alina had been, six red fingers splayed out with Tyler-length black nails on their ends reaching over the ravine¡¯s edge. Tyler stood between two of them, but he was focused only on the spot where Alina had been. Where the Demon Prince¡¯s hand now was. Is that really how Alina had died? Crushed like scrap metal in a hydraulic press?
That wasn¡¯t right. It couldn¡¯t be right. Such a young woman. A brave woman. An amazing woman. Her life ended so brutally, with a finality that made him question whether she had existed in the first place. He stared at the red hand of the Demon, as if trying to drill through it and see Alina again. In the place where she had smiled her final smile. He was trying to process what had happened but reality refused to make sense. One moment she was sitting there. The next, she was not. He rejected the idea that Alina had been crushed so callously. As long as he did, then she hadn¡¯t been. She¡¯d got away somehow, or maybe she hadn¡¯t been there to begin with. Maybe this was all a dream, and he¡¯d be waking up soon, safe and sound in his bed. On Earth. That would be it. That must be it. He chuckled to himself softly.
He willed himself awake, but nothing changed. He closed his eyes, and opened them again. Nothing changed.
The Demon Prince raised his hand, fingernails scraping on stone as they rose to display his palm, his fingers wagging in a parody of a greeting. Splotches of crimson, darker than the surrounding red streamed down his open hand. Sunlight caught the corners of crushed violet armour amidst chunks of sinew, bone and mutilated muscle lumped together in a thick, dark red liquid. Like the Prince had created a type of stew. Human stew.
On the ground, more pieces of violet armour, and a scabbarded sword lay crushed against the jagged edges of the stone formations. Lumps of golden-brown tissue lay squeezed like toothpaste out of the armour that had contained it. Never a whole limb. Just the hint of an arm here. A portion of a leg there. The mashed remnants of a skull further back, silver strands floating in pools of cherry-coloured blood. An eyeball ¨C its partner missing ¨C stared at him with a light-green pupil, that was neither sad nor happy. Not even accusatory, or with a fond remembrance. It just looked at him. Stared at him. Alone.
He turned away and retched. Last night¡¯s meat and potatoes burned his throat as they tried to join the distressing hallucination that surrounded him. His cheeks puffed out, but he held the contents in, forcing it back down his throat. A slight pain spread across his chest, as the slimy lump of saliva and vomit seared his insides as it retreated. The discomfort was still preferable to the scene ahead of him.
At least the vomit had given him a new focus, each internal burn reminding him that he was still alive. Imanie. Emelyn. They¡¯d given their lives for him. Alina too. Looking at the remains pooled on the floor, he would do well to remember how it had ended. He still couldn¡¯t believe it. Didn¡¯t want to believe it. But he needed to. He had to. For Alina.
He looked at the Demon Prince. At the wolf¡¯s snout with the grey beard, and the red eyes beneath those curved horns. He composed himself. Breathed in slowly. Breathed out slowly.
¡°Why?¡± he asked, a slight tremor in his voice.
¡°Hmmmm?¡± the Prince said, his voice deep and booming with a raspy edge. ¡°Are you feeling upset, little one?¡±
¡°Of course I¡¯m upset,¡± Tyler said, a touch of anger in his words. It was an effort to hold his voice steady.
¡°Are you?¡± the Prince said, turning the palm of his hand towards himself. He studied the contents for a moment, before turning the palm back to Tyler. ¡°Did this upset you?¡± That touch of anger was rising, but before Tyler could respond, the Prince said, ¡°Did it upset you when you did the same thing to my children?¡±
The question caught him off-guard. It resonated with his earlier thoughts, though he doubted the Prince actually cared about the demons he had killed earlier. He didn¡¯t care much for them either, if he was honest with himself. They weren¡¯t human, and they would have killed him first, if he had let them.
¡°I killed to survive,¡± Tyler replied.
¡°And that makes it moral?¡±
¡°Was what you just did moral?¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t claim that it was,¡± the Prince laughed, a harsh rasp that scraped against Tyler¡¯s ears.
¡°Well, I never claimed I was either.¡±
The Prince laughed louder this time, a sound like coarse sandpaper grinding down stone. ¡°And that¡¯s why you would be perfect to join us.¡±
¡°To join you? Is that why you want me?¡± Tyler shuffled back slightly. ¡°Is that why you want the other two as well?¡± he said as an afterthought. ¡°Why do you need us?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think we do, but I was voted down by the Council.¡±
¡°Why do you want me then?¡±
¡°I told you,¡± the Prince said, as he gently laid his hand back down, two fingers to either side of Tyler. Closer this time. He had nowhere to run. Just somewhere to fall, the edge of the ravine a few feet away. ¡°To join us.¡±
¡°But why me? Why the other two? Since you¡¯ve managed to escape the Riftlands, shouldn¡¯t you be out there terrorising cities or something? Plenty of people there.¡±
¡°You mean locals like this one?¡± the Prince raised his palm again. Wiggled his fingers. A lump of Alina plopped to the floor. The contents of Tyler¡¯s stomach stirred, his throat gagged slightly.
Tyler looked to his left, as much as to avoid seeing what remained of Alina as it was to catch a glimpse of the city. ¡°There¡¯s a city over there. Not far at all. Thousands of people you can turn to your cause.¡± He turned back to the Prince. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go bother them?¡±
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The Demon Prince remained silent for a moment, put his hand back down. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no harm in telling you. You¡¯ll either join us after. Or you¡¯ll die.¡± The nonchalance was terrifying.
¡°Outworlders like you are different. When an Outworlder arrives, the Elysian overrides their memories, and gives them new ones so that they believe they are of this world. It creates a connection between the outworlder and the Elysian. Of course, those born on this world are born with that connection. It limits their potential. Even if they joined us, they would not be able to surpass the limits imposed by the Elysian¨C¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry but, what is the Elysian?¡±
The Prince was not impressed at being interrupted. He might seem okay for now, but he had just crushed Alina without a moment¡¯s thought. Tyler looked slightly towards the sky near the Prince¡¯s head. He didn¡¯t want to think about Alina right now.
¡°Have you heard of The Nexus Prime?¡±
Tyler nodded.
¡°That¡¯s the Elysian,¡± the Prince said, like that should be enough of an explanation. Tyler wasn¡¯t about to interrupt again though. ¡°But outworlders like you? That connection was severed before it had completed. You¡¯re only partially connected. Enough to be a part of this world, but not of it. Your potential is limited right now, unless you join with us. Then you¡¯ll be able to access the power of the Asuras. You¡¯ll be able to become more powerful than you could ever imagine.¡±
¡°Is that what the Riftborn are? And demons? Outworlders with only a partial connection to The Nexus Prime?¡±
¡°Those Riftborn fools gave their souls to the Elysian. They are as much his puppet as the rest. We are different. We seek our own destiny.¡±
¡°But were you an outworlder?¡±
¡°No. Now, I do have other things to do. You have two options. Join us. Or end up like your lover.¡± He raised his palm again.
¡°Well, hold on a minute,¡± Tyler said, then after processing what the Prince had said, he added, ¡°firstly, she wasn¡¯t my lover. I barely knew her. Secondly, this isn¡¯t a split-second decision. I can¡¯t just make it without more information.¡±
The Prince stayed his hand. ¡°What information do you need?¡±
¡°Well. I mean, are there perks to the job? What will I be expected to do? Do I get time off?¡± It wasn¡¯t the time to be making jokes, but Tyler needed to stall. He needed to buy time. Needed to think.
The Prince began raising his hands again.
¡°Okay, wait, wait, wait¡¡± Tyler said, hands outstretched, halting the Prince. He couldn¡¯t see a way out of this, except for the ravine behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, saw the drop. Other than the fall through the air, the ending should be quick. Is that what he wanted? Was death preferable to joining the demons? Death was but a part of life. Happened to everyone, good or bad, young or old. But he wasn¡¯t Alina or Imanie or Emelyn. He couldn¡¯t face death in the same way they had.
Dammit, he didn¡¯t even have memories other than those of the day he¡¯d spent here, and they weren¡¯t exactly the memories he wanted to die with. He looked back at the Prince, wondered if he would be transformed in the same way. Look like one of the demon-spawn by the stream, or like the Prince in front of him. He could get used to it, he thought. The beard, under a wolf¡¯s snout. What wasn¡¯t to like? And then he saw the remains of Alina again. The splotches of crimson on the Prince¡¯s hand. A thought occurred to him. If the only way he could live was to join the demons, then at least maybe he could make something right.
¡°Can you bring her back?¡±
The Prince looked at him questioningly, and then glanced at the remains on his hand.
¡°I thought she wasn¡¯t your lover?¡±
¡°She¡¯s not. But she didn¡¯t deserve to die.¡±
¡°I can, but it would only delay the inevitable,¡± the Prince said, but he thought on it a moment. ¡°If you join us, I will bring her back.¡±
Hidden in the shadows of gaunt trees on the edge of the rocky clearing, Reaper observed the exchange between the two of them. His [Prime Shadow Veil] had a while to run. He wished Alina were alive. She would have served his purposes far better than the boy. The other two women would have worked just as well. Perhaps better. He had caught up with those two in time to kill the demon-spawn, but not before the women had been lost already; the impressive brute with the axe spluttering her final breaths; the older one already passed. They had put up one hell of a fight, taking down two of the creatures, before finally falling. They would have been excellent candidates.
Looking at the pool of what had been Alina, he felt the slightest pang of regret. As Reaper had approached Alina and Tyler, getting ready to offer the contract, he had been just as surprised as them when Zellaran appeared. The boy had been the bait, but Alina was meant to have been his prize. That was ruined now. He hadn¡¯t expected Zellaran to have his own version of [Shadow Veil]. To be able to go invisible, and cover his movements. Although, that was his own oversight, but he hadn¡¯t expected a demon to utilise such means. They preferred to be seen.
He listened to Zellaran¡¯s explanation of outworlders. It reminded him of when he had first arrived. Daniel, he had been called then. Born in a small village in the Kingdom of France. Back then, the first outworlders that had been sent arrived with their memories. The Nexus Prime had put a stop to that, when he realised what was happening. Most of those early outworlders had perished, only a few making it into the Riftlands. Of those that did, only he and Sophie remained, and Sophie could barely be said to remain. He gently stroked the black armour writhing across his chest.
The ones that made it to the Citadel were given the option to become Riftborn. Or die.
Revenant wailed softly. Reaper heard Zellaran offer Tyler what Sophie had once been offered. Revenant wailed again, the sound becoming distant, as if she were retreating within herself.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, my love. We will have our vengeance.¡±
Reaper heard the boy ask about Alina, and heard Zellaran¡¯s lie. It was time to intervene. Time to play his trump card. Before the boy made the wrong decision.
¡°You can?¡± Tyler asked.
The Prince nodded. ¡°If that¡¯s what it will take to bring you to our side.¡±
Tyler was reminded of his time with the Gamesmaster. Either choice was shitty, but one seemed a little less shittier than the other. His eyes remained on the crimson splotches, and the floating lumps on the floor. He could bring her back. He just needed to become a demon. He really wanted to know what that would entail, but he didn¡¯t think the Prince would tell him. Would Alina have made such a sacrifice for him? Hasn¡¯t she made an even bigger one already? She had. She¡¯d died so he could live. It was only fair that he remedied that.
He steeled himself to answer, and looked at the Prince. He opened his mouth to speak.
¡°He¡¯s lying to you,¡± a voice echoed in his mind. Reaper¡¯s voice. ¡°Zellaran doesn¡¯t have that power.¡±
Tyler kept his eyes on the Prince. He didn¡¯t want to give away that he was conversing with the Riftborn.
¡°If you want to live without becoming a demon, I need you to do something for me.¡±
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Tyler replied in his mind.
[Reaper offers you a Quest]
[Mythic Quest: Return Reaper¡¯s Essence to the Citadel]
[In the event of Reaper¡¯s death, his essence will transfer to your body for a period of one hour. During this time, you will have access to all of his power, his skills and his abilities. His suit of armour ¨C Revenant ¨C will be yours to command for the entirety of this period. During this time, you must return his essence to the Citadel
Quest Rewards: 2,000,000 XP. Gear of your choice from the Citadel]
[Reaper offers you a Binding Contract]
[Binding Contract: A life for a life]
[You have one hour to return Reaper¡¯s essence to the Citadel. If you fail to do so, all three of you will perish]
[All must be accepted for the offer to be valid.]
¡°Accept my offer, and we both live to see another day.¡±
16. Parley with The Nexus Prime
Tyler thought a moment. The Demon Prince waited. Reaper waited. But he needed to think. He was in this damn situation because he hadn¡¯t thought enough, making decisions under duress. Wisdom gained or not, had those decisions been the best he could make? But he didn¡¯t have time. Delay too long, and the Prince would squash him, like he had Alina. In that pool of blood ahead of him, that solitary green eye still stared.
¡°What do you mean, he¡¯s lying to me?¡± Tyler asked of Reaper. He kept his eye on the Prince, trying to gauge how long he could delay before the Prince became suspicious.
¡°Zellaran does not have the power to resurrect,¡± Reaper said, but after a pause, added, ¡°not in the way that you would want.¡±
¡°Can you really bring her back?¡± Tyler asked aloud to the Prince. ¡°The way she was? I¡¯m not doubting you, but I need to make sure.¡±
¡°What does that mean?¡± Tyler said in his mind to Reaper.
¡°All you have to do is say you will join us, and I will fulfil your wish to show you the power that could be yours,¡± Zellaran said. ¡°But make your choice soon. I have given you too much leeway already. I have a world to conquer.¡±
¡°I need time,¡± Tyler pleaded.
¡°You don¡¯t have it. Choose.¡±
¡°Reaper?¡± Tyler thought.
¡°You have my offer on the table,¡± Reaper said. ¡°You need to choose. If you choose Zellaran, I¡¯ll kill you first. You cannot be allowed to live as a demon.¡±
¡°Can you take the risk?¡± Tyler echoed back. ¡°He¡¯s more powerful than you, isn¡¯t he? If you could kill him without dying, you wouldn¡¯t have made me the offer. Tell me the truth.¡±
¡°We don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Reaper replied.
¡°You mean, I don¡¯t have time for this. Whatever I choose, I¡¯m screwed, so fucking tell me what I¡¯m missing.¡± Tyler was playing with fire, but he was already in the frying pan.
¡°He can resurrect but he will resurrect an empty shell of a person. Alina will come back intact, with her memories and her skills, but no emotions or feeling. And she¡¯ll do the Demon Prince¡¯s bidding without question. She would kill you, and not blink. She¡¯d become the perfect killer for him. He might do it anyway, just to teach you a lesson for taking too long.¡±
¡°Can you bring her back?¡±
Reaper stayed quiet. The Demon Prince was running out of patience. His red eyes glowed, narrowing at Tyler.
¡°The Nexus Prime can.¡±
¡°The way she was?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Then do what you have to, to make that happen and I¡¯ll take your contract. You need me as much as I need you,¡± Tyler said. Of the two, he much preferred Reaper¡¯s proposition, but he needed to gain an advantage from the situation. He was learning. Fast. Nothing in life should be free. And he had value. He needed to make sure he secured his worth.
¡°Mr Prince,¡± Tyler said aloud. ¡°I¡¯m considering your proposal. Definitely, being alive would be preferable to being dead.¡±
¡°I would think so,¡± the Prince responded.
¡°But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, I think?¡± The Demon Prince nodded.
¡°Can you bring back her companions too? I assume they¡¯re already dead?¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I want Reaper,¡± he said in his mind. ¡°Tell your master. I¡¯ll take your offer, if Alina, Imanie and Emelyn are resurrected. With their memories, skill and whatever else intact. Most importantly, with their free will. No strings attached. No hidden conditions. No puppeteering. Bring them back exactly as they were at the moment they died, and let them live their lives.¡± Then he thought about it. Thought about the Demon Prince¡¯s words earlier. The Nexus Prime¡¯s connection. The limits it imposed. He wasn¡¯t sure what it meant, but it gave him an idea. ¡°In fact, bring them back exactly as they were at the moment they died, and without the limits imposed by The Nexus Prime, whatever those limits are. Those are my terms and conditions.¡±
¡°I can bring back her companions too,¡± The Demon Prince stated. ¡°Now, join us.¡±
¡°You ask for too much,¡± Reaper¡¯s voice echoed in his mind. ¡°You ask for the power of the Riftborn, without the allegiance.¡±
¡°Then that¡¯s what I¡¯m asking for. I want Alina, Emelyn, and Imanie to be resurrected as they were before they died.¡± Something else occurred to him. Since he¡¯d pushed it this far, might as well go that extra bit. What was there to lose? ¡°And I¡¯m asking for the limits The Nexus Prime imposes on The Seven Sisters of Retribution to be lifted. And any limits on me to be lifted. I don¡¯t want to join either of you. Demon or Riftborn. And I don¡¯t want to be a puppet.¡±
¡°Mr Prince,¡± Tyler said aloud. ¡°I think we can come to an agreement.¡± He took a step backwards towards the edge of the ravine, trying to seem relaxed.
¡°I¡¯m going to jump off this ledge, Reaper,¡± Tyler spoke into his mind. ¡°Make your choice.¡±
+2[INT]
+2[WIS]
+2[CNV]
+1[CHR]
¡°Master,¡± Reaper reached out beyond his consciousness, his thoughts passing along that information pathway to The Nexus Prime. The boy was edging back, slowly enough that Zellaran wasn¡¯t noticing. The Demon Prince was overconfident, thinking he held all the cards. Reaper didn¡¯t blame him. He had been much the same, but the boy had proven to be elusive. Smarter than he looked. More resourceful than he even knew. Reaper allowed himself a smile. Revenant moaned as she curved across his abdomen.
¡°REAPER,¡± the booming voice of The Nexus Prime echoed back to him. ¡°WHAT IS IT?¡±
¡°My apologies for bothering you, master. The boy wishes to change the terms of the binding contract.¡±
¡°I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS, MY CHILD. THE CITADEL IS UNDER SIEGE. TOO MANY OF MY CHILDREN HAVE DIED OR ARE UNABLE TO BE PRESENT IN ITS DEFENCE. AND NOW YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THE BATTLEFIELD TOO. I DO NOT HAVE THE PATIENCE FOR THE BOY.¡±
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¡°He makes an enticing offer, master.¡±
¡°I VERY MUCH DOUBT THAT. HE JUST NEEDS TO BRING YOU BACK TO ME. AND FOR THAT, HE WILL LIVE. HE NEEDS NOTHING FURTHER.¡±
¡°His companions have been killed. He seeks their resurrection, as they were at the moment of their deaths, and without any conditions attached. And he seeks for you to remove the limits imposed upon their growth, and upon the growth of four others in their guild. And he seeks for you to remove the limits imposed upon him.¡±
¡°YOU WOULD DARE TO ASK SUCH A THING OF ME?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have much choice, master. He is willing to kill himself. And if that happens, then after I kill Zellaran, there is no option for me. Can you afford for more Riftborn to die?¡± Revenant wailed. Reaper agreed with her. After so long, this death would be so pointless. But he had no choice. He lived to serve The Nexus Prime. And right now, that service meant the death of Zellaran. The boy was correct. Zellaran was far more powerful than Reaper. He would stand no chance, but he had his trump card, pressed against the palm of his left hand.
[Mythic Artifact: Reaper¡¯s Gambit]
[On use: Grants the user the ability for their next attack to bypass all damage reduction, all invulnerability or protective effects, and all healing effects to cause 110% of the opponent¡¯s maximum health as damage. This attack is fatal. It cannot be survived.
On attack: User will be reduced to 1HP for one hour. During this period, user will be immune to healing, immune to invulnerability and protective effects, and have 0 damage reduction.
Usage: One attack per cooldown.
Opponent Level: Mythic C grade and below.
Cooldown: Seven days.]
He wouldn¡¯t survive. Zellaran¡¯s [Backlash] ability would make sure of that. But he would have killed the Demon Prince, in any case. And the boy could make sure he survived this. Tyler was almost upon the edge of the ravine, making a long-winded speech about the greatness of the demons, but not yet accepting Zellaran¡¯s offer. He was a natural at deception. He would have fit in well in their ranks. Demon or Riftborn.
¡°AND YOU THINK I SHOULD GIVE THEM THE POWER OF THE RIFTBORN? WITHOUT ANSWERING TO ME? WITHOUT BEING COMPELLED TO ASSIST ME IN THE DEFENCE OF THIS WORLD?¡±
Reaper remained quiet for a moment. ¡°Perhaps it could be a good thing, your Excellency,¡± he said, reverting to a more formal honorific. ¡°Your power is undisputed, but with so many incursions, perhaps having allies with the power of the Riftborn, but with more flexibility in their decisions could turn out to be a blessing? Allies with armies at their command. The Riftborn are weakening. We find fewer to persuade every year, and very few of us remain at the height of our powers. We cannot deal with every threat, and soon, we will not have the power too.¡±
¡°IF I GRANT YOUR WISH, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IN TIME, THEY WILL RIVAL THE POWER OF THE RIFTBORN AND SURPASS YOU. THAT IN TIME THEY WILL BE ABLE TO CHALLENGE THE CITADEL ITSELF.¡±
¡°I do. But that also means they will have the power to rival the Asuras. And I think we will lose the Citadel to the Asuras if we do not do this.¡±
The Nexus Prime stayed silent for a moment. He knew what it would mean if the demons ¨C the Asuras ¨C took the Citadel. The world would be lost. Like so many others before.
¡°I WILL GRANT YOUR WISH. BUT FOR THE BOY TO BE GIVEN SUCH REWARDS, HE MUST PROVE HIMSELF WORTHY OF THEM. AND IF HE DOES, AND WHEN YOU HAVE RETURNED, YOUR DUTY WILL BE AS A MENTOR TO HIM AND HIS COMPANIONS. YOU WILL TEACH THEM. YOU WILL TRAIN THEM. AND YOU WILL SECURE THEIR ALLEGIANCE. AM I UNDERSTOOD?¡±
¡°It will be as you say, master.¡±
Tyler had neared the edge of the ravine and was distinctly aware that his next step would be his last. He wasn¡¯t sure how much more he could blow smoke up the Prince¡¯s arse, but he was running out of things to say. There was only so much he could bullshit about the relative advantages of joining the demon ranks, and helping them in their incursion on Cytheria. What was taking Reaper so long? The Prince was smiling, a rather chilling juxtaposition on the wolf¡¯s snout of a face, but Tyler could feel he was coming to the end of his patience.
¡°So, Mr Prince,¡± Tyler said, the heels of his feet hanging at the ravine¡¯s edge. ¡°I think, for anyone, it would be an incredible honour to join your organisation. I have always admired you, since I became aware of you less than an hour ago.¡±
¡°Reaper?¡± Tyler spoke into his mind. ¡°It¡¯s now, or never.¡±
Suddenly, Reaper¡¯s offer came to him. But it wasn¡¯t the same as before. There were three quests now. And the rewards had changed. Most concerning were the terms and conditions of the binding contract.
[Reaper offers you a Quest]
[Epic Quest: Rescue the Outworlders]
[Investigate the kidnapping of the two outworlders, rescue them, and bring them to the Citadel to join the Riftborn.
Quest Rewards:
500,000 XP.
1000 Gold Crowns.
Gear of your choice from the Citadel.
Resurrection of Imanie.
Imanie, Mira and Celeste, of The Seven Sisters of Retribution to have the limits upon their growth removed, with no requirement of allegiance to The Nexus Prime]
[Reaper offers you a Quest]
[Legendary Quest: Defeat Prince Zellaran and General Zeren]
[Assist the Riftborn in defeating Prince Zellaran, and complete the dungeon at the Academy of Champions by defeating General Zeren.
Quest Rewards:
1,000,000 XP.
2000 Gold Crowns.
Gear of your choice from the Citadel.
Resurrection of Emelyn.
Emelyn, Sadie and Kiri, of The Seven Sisters of Retribution to have the limits upon their growth removed, with no requirement of allegiance to The Nexus Prime]
[Reaper offers you a Quest]
[Mythic Quest: Return Reaper¡¯s Essence to the Citadel]
[In the event of Reaper¡¯s death, his essence will transfer to your body for a period of seven days. During this time, you will have access to all of his power, his skills and his abilities. His suit of armour ¨C Revenant ¨C will be yours to command for the entirety of this period. During this time, you must return his essence to the Citadel.
Quest Rewards:
2,000,000 XP.
4000 Gold Crowns.
Gear of your choice from the Citadel.
Resurrection of Alina.
Alina, of The Seven Sisters of Retribution, and Tyler Smith to have the limits upon their growth removed, with no requirement of allegiance to The Nexus Prime]
[Reaper offers you a Binding Contract]
[Binding Contract: A life for lives]
[You have seven days to return Reaper¡¯s essence to the Citadel.
If you fail to do so, you will live, whilst the other nine will perish. You will be located, hunted and brought to the Citadel, where you will become a Riftborn, forever in service to The Nexus Prime. You will not be allowed to die, living with the knowledge of your failure for eternity.
If you succeed, you and your companions will be free to live your lives, free of any constraints. The Nexus Prime reserves the right to ask for your assistance, by way of a world quest, for which you will be adequately rewarded]
[All must be accepted for the offer to be valid]
¡°The other nine will perish?¡± Tyler spoke into the void of his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll need to live for eternity with my failure?¡±
¡°You wanted to negotiate with The Nexus Prime,¡± Reaper said. ¡°These are the terms of the deal. You get everything you wanted. You just need to deliver. Or are you afraid? Whatever you choose, it needs to be now. Either we all die. Or no-one does. Make your choice.¡±
Tyler thought about it a moment. He had been given everything that he wanted. He just needed to complete some quests. Like they were nothing. Alina had spent two weeks trying to locate the sisters, and still hadn¡¯t done so, and he was supposed to find the two outworlders in seven days? And in the same time, help defeat General Zeren?
Did he really have any choice?
He recalled the moment yesterday when he had stumbled upon the riverbank, and saw Alina for the first time. The silver hair, the green eyes, the beautiful curves. She was fierce, both in command and loyalty. He recalled meeting Kiri, and his shock at her size, and at how young she seemed. But she had a zest for life, and she¡¯d called him bro. He had liked hearing that. He recalled meeting the other four and how they¡¯d warmed to him. Protected him. Saved him. The camaraderie between them. He had felt like one of them. They were the kind of companions who would die for each other.
They had died for him.
He knew in that moment that he wasn¡¯t afraid that he would fail the quests.
He was afraid that he would fail his companions.
¡°My choice is made,¡± he spoke into his mind. ¡°I agree to all the quests and your binding contract. Let¡¯s do this.¡±
+2[CNV]
17. Revenants Embrace
Nothing happened. No flash of light. No Reaper swooping in. No dead Demon Prince. Tyler shuffled backwards on the edge of the precipice, a few stray rocks scattering down the side of the ravine. Their rhythmic clattering against the rockface echoed in the silence, as if to make it known just how alone he was. The Demon Prince tilted his head at him curiously, red eyes narrowed, a smirk appearing across his wolf¡¯s snout.
¡°I was beginning to believe you were stalling me for some reason,¡± the Prince said. ¡°But I thought that was a ridiculous notion.¡±
¡°Reaper?¡± Tyler spoke in his mind.
¡°Whatever would you gain,¡± the Prince continued, ¡°from stalling me.¡± The Prince raised his arm, ready to strike. ¡°I give you a final chance. Make your decision now. Or die.¡±
¡°Reaper?¡± Tyler thought again. He shuffled back a tad more. An inch or so further and he would fall to the stream several hundred feet below. The Prince drew his face closer, his grey beard trailing a stream through the pool of blood, mere metres away from where Tyler stood. What blood remained of Alina had begun to seep into the ground beneath the rocks, leaving behind dried crusts of flesh and shards of splintered bone. That one solitary eye no longer looked at him, disturbed in its place of rest by the Prince¡¯s beard.
¡°Well, you see, Mr Prince, sir,¡± Tyler wasn¡¯t sure how effective his bullshitting was. Whether he was good at stalling or not. ¡°¡This is a monumental decision¡¡± But he didn¡¯t think Reaper would let him down. ¡°¡not one that I could take without some time to think¡¡± Not after getting The Nexus Prime to agree to what he wanted. After all that, why would he let Tyler die? ¡°¡and I needed to think about the best way to tell you this¡¡± Yet, Tyler couldn¡¯t see any way out of this. ¡°¡Princess Alina, Imanie, Emelyn died to save me¡¡± Just like the Prince had appeared out of nowhere, hand on Alina¡¯s head, he could easily wipe Tyler out of existence. How far could he push it, really? ¡°¡and I think they would be disappointed, if I didn¡¯t consider your proposal carefully¡¡± He didn¡¯t think he could push any further, so he could only do the one thing the Prince wouldn¡¯t expect, and hope that Reaper came through. ¡°¡and after doing so, I think they¡¯d want me to tell you this.
¡°Fuck you.¡± He held his middle finger up, and let himself fall backwards off the edge. He spoke into his mind, ¡°Reaper, it¡¯s on you. Either no-one dies. Or we all do.¡±
He closed his eyes, spread his arms outwards, like a diver on the edge of a boat, diving into the waters behind him. Except there was no water behind him yet. Just a fall, mere seconds to the stream below. Time seemed to slow. Air whispered past his ears, gently caressing them until it became louder, more violent, rushing past him as if it had somewhere to be and he was in the way. He could feel his heartbeat, the rhythmic, calm thump intensifying, but not from fear. It hastened from the adrenaline of falling, as his stomach floated upwards. As the seconds stretched, the inevitable impact brought a calm to him. It would all be over soon.
+2[CNV]
Pain erupted throughout his body with a force that exploded through every bone, every muscle, every strand of sinew holding him together. His skin burned like he had been dipped into a vat of liquid fire. White spots burst across his vision, even as tears of anguish spread down his cheeks. His flesh ripped itself from his body. Every nerve from his head to his toes, screamed in agony. His brain felt like it was in a blender, struggling to make sense of all the signals it was receiving.
Then, as suddenly as the pain had come, it began to recede. He lay there for a moment, feeling the aftermath; a slow cooling down of his skin, his flesh, his nerves, as if he lay atop ice as it worked its magic across his body. He felt an energy within himself, like a stream of millions of tiny masses bundled together, jostling inside of him, empty and weightless. An unseen energy force, like the illusion of a dream, teetering on the edge of his perception.
He felt it move throughout his body with the delicate, sensual touch of a lover. It stroked his arms, his back, embraced his torso, nestled between his lungs, his abdomen and traced a path into his legs. Wherever it moved, tiny strands of skin and flesh, muscle and tendon, reached across the chasm of bone beneath, swam through the spilling pools of blood, and pulled themselves towards each other. Several strands became tens; hundreds; thousands; millions and wounds began to disappear, muscles began to regenerate, neither leaving even the trace of a scar behind, or the hint of weakened mobility.
Bruises across his skin cycled through the full array of colours they were capable of. Crimson red turned to indigo purple, which in turn became inky blue. All the while, the flesh softened and reduced in size. He winced as he felt crushed pieces of fractured bone in his back and legs seek each other beneath his restoring muscle ¨C then fuse together like compressed steel being forged and melded. All the while, the bruises continued to cycle down, becoming light shades of yellow with small shadows of grassy green.
He didn¡¯t know how long it took, nor how often he had flinched and squirmed and winced, but after, the evidence of any bruising on his skin, or damage to his bones, or cuts to his flesh was erased. Not an inch of him was anything but what it had been. No. It felt more. Stronger. Faster. Small sparks discharged across his body, as his nerves came back to life and the reawakened tissue and muscle writhed with newfound purpose, his muddled brain beginning to make sense of it all.
He fluttered his eyes open, blinked the tears away. He could feel hard stone jut into his back and shoulders. He was shrouded in darkness except for a tiny jot of blue light at the end of the tunnel.
Was he dead? Is that what had happened? He died from hitting the ground, and he had now been put back together. Was this the tunnel to the afterlife? Was this the end of this terrible day? He wasn¡¯t sure whether to laugh or cry.
No, a voice echoed in his mind. Reaper¡¯s voice. You¡¯re not dead. You¡¯re an idiot is what you are.
Reaper. Why are you in my head? Didn¡¯t you kill Zellaran?
Yes, I did. And then my essence rushed to you just in time for you to almost kill us both anyway.
What do you mean?
You decided to jump. Why would you jump?
What was I supposed to do? Zellaran was going to kill me anyway. I put my faith in you.
And I put my faith in an idiot, Reaper¡¯s tone was particularly sardonic. The number one rule in this world is that you never fall.
Why is that the number one rule?
Because fall damage bypasses any damage reduction you have. Your armour is useless, and you don¡¯t have that anyway. And any points you have in durability are useless. It¡¯s just straight damage to your person. The only reason you¡¯re not dead right now, is because Revenant managed to slow your fall at the point of impact, and because this soil is full of water. And because we managed to merge before the impact.
But what about Wraith earlier? He dropped from a height much higher than this.
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His was a controlled descent. He knew what he was doing. He didn¡¯t fall.
So a fall would kill you?
If it¡¯s high enough, yes.
Revenant couldn¡¯t save you?
She has her limits. If we fall together, she would be crushed just as much as me.
So, try not to fall again?
After you return my essence, you can fall all you want. There was an outworlder that I trained who struggled with balance, and would fall often. One day, he fell too far.
What happened to him? He died?
No. Riftborn cannot die as long as our essences are returned to the Citadel within a given time. The Nexus Prime rebirthed him into a body that helped him better manage his suicidal falling tendencies.
So even if I die, your essence would survive?
For a while. But I would be tethered to your body and I would eventually wither away unless someone else came along. So, please, try not to fall again. Try not to kill me while we¡¯re together. And your companions for that matter. Don¡¯t forget the terms of our contract.
I¡¯ll bear that in mind. So what was that crushing pain I felt earlier? Your essence?
No. That was the fall.
From hitting the ground?
Yes. Most of it.
What do you mean, most of it?
The skin burning might have been me.
On purpose?
There was silence, but Tyler could almost hear the hushed giggle.
Reaper?
We¡¯ve spent too much time down here. We need to find a way out. Zellaran is also capable of living for a while, even though his body is dead. We need to destroy his essence.
The change of subject wasn¡¯t lost on Tyler. Maybe the skin burning was Reaper¡¯s way of causing Tyler some discomfort for the deal he had extracted. Tyler smiled to himself.
Where is here anyway?
The man-sized crater you created in the riverbank.
How do we get out?
That depends on you.
What do you mean it depends on me?
My essence is contained within you. You have my power, my abilities and my guidance. But I have no control here. It¡¯s all on you.
¡°Stats,¡± Tyler said aloud.
[Stats Unavailable.]
¡°Status.¡±
[Status Unavailable.]
¡°Skills.¡±
[Skills Unavailable.]
You cannot access my information.
Well, how am I supposed to know what I¡¯m capable of?
By doing.
And what does that mean?
Don¡¯t think. Just do.
You know what I¡¯m thinking right now? I¡¯m thinking that outworlder fell to get away from your training.
Reaper chuckled softly.
That seemed to be all that Tyler would be getting out of him for now. He needed to think this one through a little as he blinked at that hole in the distance. With an effort, he stood up, bones creaking, muscles groaning, flesh still stinging. His back felt a bit sticky, no doubt blood from where his skin had split on the fall.
He tilted his head upwards. The walls around him seemed smooth and muddy. He could climb out with some luck. Then he recalled the fight between Reaper and the Demon Knight. Reaper¡¯s mobility. Revenant¡¯s hooks.
Question. Where is Revenant?
Call to her.
How?
Don¡¯t think. Just do.
Tyler sighed. Don¡¯t think. Just do. He blinked several times at that opening above.
¡°Revenant?¡± he called out softly. No answer.
¡°Revenant,¡± he said it more firmly this time. More like a command. Nothing.
¡°REVENANT,¡± he shouted commandingly. She didn¡¯t respond.
¡°REVENANT?¡± he pleaded. The only response he got was the echo of his voice returning embarrassed.
Maybe he needed to call to her like he was talking to Reaper. A mental communication. Revenant, he called into the void of his mind. Nothing. He tried again. Still nothing. But Reaper had said call to her. She must be nearby. She must be able to hear him. He just had to call to her.
Call to her.
Call to her.
He concentrated on that opening. Imagined she was listening for him. Imagined she would be able to hear him if he just concentrated enough. Revenant. Nothing happened. He concentrated again; tried to imagine every fibre of his being wanting Revenant to hear him. To respond to him.
Revenant. Again, noth¨C Wait, something had happened. He could see it in his mind. A small, slender thread. Like a piece of golden string, thinner than a strand of hair. He concentrated his thoughts into that thin strand.
Revenant. The strand widened.
Revenant. It widened again.
Revenant. It widened to as thick as the width of a pen, and this time he felt something travel back to him. A soft wail, like the ghostly whisperings of wind on a cold, winter¡¯s night.
Well done, Reaper congratulated him. That is your connection to Revenant. Do exactly as you did. Feel her. Want her to respond to you. The more you strengthen that connection, the more responsive she¡¯ll be to your thoughts.
Revenant, he thought into that golden connection in his mind. I need you.
A soft wail answered. Tyler stared at the jot of blue light at the top of the man-sized hole he had carved into the riverbank. A moment later, a shadow passed over the opening and plunged rapidly down the hole, bouncing between the walls. As it moved, it covered and uncovered the opening, creating twinkling pinpricks of light chasing its descent.
He watched as Revenant came closer, a smile on his face that she had listened, her lithe liquid metal form leaping across the walls with the fluid grace of water, until she hit the floor in front of him. The black metal stood as tall as Reaper had ¨C nine feet or more ¨C but had taken on a female form, the curves of her body shimmering when it caught what little light there was, though the head had no features. He sensed a melancholy within himself that wasn¡¯t his own. A sense of lament and sorrow from Reaper.
¡°Revenant,¡± he said aloud.
You can talk to her like you can talk to me.
I might go crazy if I keep talking in my mind, he responded back.
¡°We need to get out of here,¡± Tyler said to the woman. ¡°I know you want Reaper back, and I want to help both of you. But I need to help my friends too. Let¡¯s work together, and get our own back on the ones who did this to us? What do you say?¡±
Some of the metal on the featureless head drew back a little, and he could see the curves of what appeared to be a smile. Suddenly, she reached out and tore at him. No. At his clothes. With a single swipe, he stood there naked, looking at her. He heard a soft laugh from Reaper.
Your clothes were stained with demon blood.
The liquid metal woman pushed out two arms from her midriff, like she had earlier when she gave Reaper his swords, and offered Tyler a large bowl of water and what looked like a scrubber. He took the hint, washed himself down, scrubbed grime and blood from his body. He was grateful for it. The blood he washed away felt like he was cleaning himself of all that had occurred today. The bloodlust. The death. The trauma. The memory of Alina¡¯s passing. That last one would haunt him even if he succeeded in bringing her back. Good, he thought to himself. It would always remind him of what he never wanted to happen again.
Once he was done, Revenant absorbed the water and scrubber back into herself and then presented him with some musty black clothing. Part leather, part cloth, but with small hints of metal peeking out.
These should fit you, Reaper said.
Tyler took the clothes from her and took his time to put them on. First, the undergarments. Undergarments like nothing he had ever worn in the one day that he could remember. Silk. He could breathe down there in a way he didn¡¯t think was possible. He doubted he¡¯d ever be able to wear cotton boxers again.
He pulled on figure-hugging leggings with padded knees. They weren¡¯t so tight as to restrict his movement; in fact, they had just the right amount of give, as if designed to be comfortable to move in, but reducing the chance of making too much sound.
He grabbed the tunic, tugged it over his head, slipped his arm through sleeves that hugged his biceps. The tunic fit close across the chest and stretched over his neck. It had secret pockets and hooks, and cleverly placed hidden plates to protect his sides and ribs. He grabbed the pair of matching forearm bracers and placed them over the forearms of his sleeves. He heard a satisfying click as they latched into place.
Then there were some shoulder guards ¨C matte black like everything else ¨C and boots that fit as snugly as any slipper, light and supple. Finally, he put on the helm, a pliable headpiece with a detachable lower section that covered his mouth and nose, but allowed him to breathe. Once he had finished, only his eyes were visible.
Revenant offered him a pair of daggers. They were like mini versions of Alina¡¯s sword, about a foot and a half in length, including the hilts. The silver blades were engraved with black lettering, the hilts covered in black leather. He slotted them into hooks at his waist, though they were ornamental for now. He had no idea how to use the things.
As soon as he was done, Revenant jumped on him, encasing him in that black liquid metal, moulding herself to his form. She glided across his body, a living shadow clinging to every contour of his body, gripping every curve of his muscles as if darkness itself was embracing him. With her hugging him as she was, he felt more power than he had ever known. Felt he could do more than he had ever done.
He smiled.
He looked up at the opening, and in his mind, he gave Revenant a single command.
Let¡¯s get out of here.
18. World Start II
Azam knew something was wrong as soon as he opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep in his bed, but this wasn¡¯t the bedroom he had fallen asleep in. It didn¡¯t feel like it. It wasn¡¯t cold and dingy. And the area felt vast. Not cramped, like the bedroom that barely fit him and his two suitcases. The pathetic space he¡¯d been reduced to. The shitty bedroom in a shitty hovel that he¡¯d been forced to rent when that bitch had forced him out of the house with her lies to the police. He couldn¡¯t let that go. He wouldn¡¯t let her lies stand. Wouldn¡¯t let her get away with it.
Darkness surrounded him. He turned his head, darted his eyes about but all around him was nothing other than infinite darkness. He wasn¡¯t lying down. He was upright, though he couldn¡¯t feel his arms or legs. Like he was disembodied. Suddenly, like a cinema projector was out of control, hundreds of images flew past his eyes. Memories. Visions. Flashes of vivid colour against the black backdrop. But the images seemed wrong. The memories tainted. The visions obscure. As if something was in his mind, and trying to erase his reality.
He caught a whiff of cigarettes. The faint stench of coffee. The hazy traces of perfume. Something was moving. In the darkness. No. Outside of it. He wasn¡¯t awake. Not yet. That had been his mind. Someone was trying to mess with him. And they were coming closer.
He stood up instantly, reaching out with his hand, his eyes snapping open. His hands felt flesh, a moment before he was able to see what he had caught. A woman. A blonde bimbo. Tall. Slim. Tits staring out at him, asking for a seeing to. He held her by her throat. How long had it been since he¡¯d lain with a woman? Not that bitch. That bitch had been resisting him for a while, and he had allowed her to. He hadn¡¯t been bothered. He¡¯d fulfilled his needs elsewhere. In other ways. Maybe that¡¯s why he had been blind to her plotting. Blind to what she was really after. It had consumed his days, thinking about her. Thinking about the divorce. After everything he had done for her, the bitch just wanted the house. That wasn¡¯t going to happen. He would make sure of it. He just needed to get close to her, but he wasn¡¯t able to yet. But this one in his hand. He sniffed. She smelt fresh. Ripe.
He looked around the room he was in. A purple sofa that he was sat on. A wooden desk to his left. Eclectic wallpaper, with patterns in shades of orange and red plastered the walls, and a lone plant stood in the corner. He turned back to the woman. Eyed her up and down. Took in the curves of her tits, her hips, her arse. She was exactly the type that would enjoy it. That would want him to take her on the sofa. Like his wife. That¡¯s how they all liked it. Quick. Dirty. Forceful. That¡¯s the only language these bitches understood. He glanced down. Noticed he was naked. Beyond the pouch of his dark brown belly, he saw he was ready, and she was gagging for it.
¡°I suggest you take your hand off me,¡± the bimbo said. He supposed it was meant to sound threatening. It just made him laugh. He threw her to the sofa. At least he tried to. She didn¡¯t budge. She stood several inches taller than his five and a half feet, but other than the tits and arse, there were very little curves to her. No defined muscle hinting at strength or athleticism. She shouldn¡¯t have been able to stop him. He tried to throw her again. She still didn¡¯t budge. Defiant. Like that bitch. Well, he¡¯d taught that bitch a lesson or two when she¡¯d defied him, and he¡¯d need to teach this one too.
He raised his left hand, went to slap her with the palm, but it stopped an inch from her face. Something he couldn¡¯t see was preventing his hand from moving further. On the hand he had around her throat, the fingers peeled back involuntarily, and both his arms began to be pushed away by an invisible force. He narrowed her eyes at her.
¡°What is this? Who are you?¡± he demanded to know. His arms were slowly pushed back until he looked like he was being sacrificed on the cross. But the pushing didn¡¯t stop there. His arms were shoved backwards, towards an unnatural position. He felt his shoulders begin to strain. He grimaced at her, but that¡¯s all she would be getting from him.
¡°He looks at you with intent, Nemaira,¡± someone said, but not someone he could see. ¡°I do believe he means to kill you.¡±
The room around him shifted. It spun. The purple sofa. The desk. The wallpaper and the plant. It spun, faster and faster, until it seemed the very substance of this reality had been dispersed into streaks of colour. The lone plant melted away in shades of green and brown, lost amongst the swirls of orange and red. Only he and the woman stood, like they were in the centre of a hurricane that would take everything else with it.
And as suddenly as it began, it stopped.
He seemed to be in another room, but this one had nothing but white all around, broken only by a single disc hanging in the air a few feet ahead of him. He was no longer just standing up. He was hovering in the air. The bimbo morphed. No longer blonde. No longer slightly built. She increased in size and stature before his very eyes, the revealing top dissolving into a silver metal breastplate that shone so bright, he had to squint lest he be blinded.
She continued expanding upwards, transforming into a figure almost four times his height. She towered over him in every sense of the word. Polished silver and gold armour clung to her body, curved around her muscles and her shape. Intricate engravings and patterns, like ancient hieroglyphics, adorned the metal plates. She had no weapons that he could see, but his arms were still ever so slightly bending backwards. He had no doubt she could snap them at any moment.
It was typical of her kind. Man, or woman. Those who had power and sought to control him. Do their bidding. As if he wasn¡¯t wise to their game. Wise to their manipulations and machinations. Sure, she seemed intimidating now, towering above him in that suit of metal, but he just needed time. Whatever was needed, however it was needed, he¡¯d be back to teach this bitch a lesson. For now though, he¡¯d play by her rules. He had no doubt he would figure out how to outsmart her. Sooner or later.
¡°I asked you¨C¡± He didn¡¯t get to finish the sentence. Pain shot through the left side of his face as it whipped violently to the right, the muscles in his neck wrenching from the force whilst spurts of blood spewed from his mouth and stained the white floor.
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¡°Silence, wretch,¡± the woman spoke, her voice echoing through his head. ¡°Be grateful I don¡¯t take your head for your insolence.¡±
A manic laugh broke from the shadows. ¡°My, my,¡± the voice from earlier said. A male voice. Clear, and almost musical. ¡°Come now Nemaira. That¡¯s no way to treat a guest.¡±
¡°Clearly, you¡¯re not the one in charge,¡± Azam said to Nemaira, his voice dripping with condescension, a smirk on his bloodied lips. ¡°Why don¡¯t you run along now, while the men talk?¡±
There was that laugh again. Manic. The laughter of someone who had long ago abandoned reason, finding pleasure in things others would flinch at. A figure appeared at Nemaira¡¯s side, several feet taller than even her. Azam had to wrench his neck muscles even more as he craned up to look.
The man¡¯s face was strong, angular, a perfect jaw beneath granite cheeks. He had no hair whatsoever. None on his head, no brows, no lashes. Not even a beard though it may have suited him. His skin was flawless porcelain, like the best china someone kept for only the most special of guests. He wore no armour. Just robes of midnight blue, with intricate gold embroidery along its edges, that hung past his feet and touched the floor. At the neck, the high collar stretched and flared upwards and outwards towards his ears. Most remarkable were his eyes. Pools of molten gold that seemed to pulse and shimmer as he spoke.
¡°I think there¡¯s no need for trickery with this one,¡± the man said in that musical voice, as if the heavens themselves spoke through him. ¡°No need for false narratives. He¡¯s not the type of man to feel guilt or remorse.¡±
Azam was confused as the man spoke about him as if he wasn¡¯t there. Guilt? Remorse? The words sounded strange to his ears. He knew what they meant, of course, but why would this man think he wasn¡¯t the type to feel these things. It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t. He just never had a reason to. Guilt and remorse suggested doing something wrong. And he never did anything wrong. Everything was justified. It was right. Even his wife knew that. He supposed outsiders would see it as wrong though, always meddling in other¡¯s affairs.
When the bitch¡¯s friend heard he¡¯d punched her, they¡¯d called the police. Nobody had wanted to hear his side. He¡¯d barely left a mark on her, and did they ask him why he had to do that? Of course not. They just took her word for what happened. That¡¯s how life worked. People wronged him. And then they blamed him. They should feel guilty and remorseful for the wrongs done to him, but they always found a way to twist the narrative.
¡°You¡¯d need to have done something wrong to feel guilty,¡± he stated simply. Baldy laughed again.
¡°You see, Nemaira? I think we might have found our perfect specimen.¡±
¡°What specimen? What are you talking about?¡± he demanded to know. ¡°I don¡¯t know who the fuck you are but whatever this dream is, I¡¯d like to wake up now. I have things to do.¡±
¡°Ah yes,¡± baldy said. ¡°Let me see now.¡± His molten gold eyes rolled upwards, as if he was thinking, accessing some long lost fragment of his memory. ¡°Azam Drummond. Forty-seven. Citizen of the United Kingdom. Husband to a battered wife. Father to mistreated children. And you seek vengeance. In this life, or the next.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have a battered wife,¡± Azam replied. ¡°But you¡¯re not answering my questions. Where is this place?¡±
¡°This is the world between worlds,¡± baldy said. ¡°I am Dagathir, and this is Nemaira.¡±
¡°Is that supposed to mean something to me?¡± Azam replied. He was still suspended in the air, though his arms had stopped being pushed backwards. It was uncomfortable, but he wasn¡¯t about to let them know that.
¡°At this point, I normally show you a picture of yourself in that disc in front of you. Then I sell you on seeking redemption for a cruel act you did. Or in most cases, didn¡¯t do. But redemption isn¡¯t going to work with you. No. I know what you¡¯ll need to do this job.¡±
¡°What job?¡±
¡°How would you like to go to a new world? Become powerful. Rich. A man of status?¡±
¡°A new world?¡± Azam was already powerful, rich and a man of status. He owned a four-bedroom home, had savings in the six figures, a property abroad. The wife and children were a problem. They did little for him, always scrounging from his pockets, but he would take care of that problem soon. He had little need of this man¡¯s strange offer. And no doubt the offer came with strings attached. Some small print that Dagathir hoped to trap Azam with.
The disc ahead of him blurred, coalesced, shimmered and then an Earth-like planet appeared, a large strip of black separating the two halves of the planet from north to south.
¡°This is Cytheria. A game-world¨C¡±
¡°What¡¯s a game-wo¨C¡± Pain shot through the right side of his face as it whipped violently to the left. More spurts of blood spewed from his mouth and stained the white floor like a mirror image to the other side.
¡°I have warned you about your insolence,¡± the bitch said. Once he found himself out of this place, he¡¯d show her. He¡¯d make her pay.
¡°All you need to know is it¡¯s a world where a man like you can have fun, and grow powerful. And when you¡¯ve become powerful enough, you can get back at that wife of yours, like you want to.¡±
¡°I could do that now.¡±
¡°No, you couldn¡¯t. Do you really think she¡¯ll lift the non-molestation order and let you back to the house? Knowing what you¡¯ll do to her.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t do anything to her. I¡¯ll ask her forgiveness for everything she thinks I¡¯ve done, and she¡¯ll treat me right. And we¡¯ll be happy.¡±
Dagathir smiled, like someone had carved into the porcelain. ¡°I know you think that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to happen, but I¡¯ve seen cases like yours before. They always end in death. One or the other¡¯s. And the one that survives spends the rest of their life behind bars.
¡°What I¡¯m offering you is a chance to start a new life. Have as many women as you want. Kill whoever you want. Become rich. Become powerful. And then, if you succeed, I¡¯ll give you the chance to stay on Cytheria, or return to Earth. Or you can stay on Cytheria, with a detour to Earth to disappear the wife and children. If that¡¯s what you desire. If you succeed, you¡¯ll have the power to make her vanish without a trace.¡±
Azam pondered in silence. Now, Dagathir was talking his language. Wouldn¡¯t that be the sweetest revenge? Become so utterly powerful that he could make her disappear, or better still. Make her wish she could have him back. Make her regret her choices. Her lies. The idea was compelling to say the least.
¡°What would I have to do?¡±
Dagathir made pistol motions several times, like a cowboy in a shootout, before he stopped and pointed a single finger towards him with a wink. ¡°Now, we¡¯re getting somewhere. You see this black mark here?¡±
Azam nodded.
¡°That area is the Riftlands. There are various powerful beings there known as Riftlords. Demons. Dragons. Others of immense power. All you have to do is clear the Riftlands of these beings. And luckily for you, an opportunity has opened up to give you a headstart.¡±
¡°What¡¯s in it for you?¡± Azam asked.
Dagathir smiled. ¡°Think of me as a protector of the universe. Unfortunately, I cannot intervene directly. So, I find people who can. People who have the ability to become the most powerful. People who have the will to rule. I think that describes you pretty well? Wouldn¡¯t you like to become the ruler of an entire world?¡±
It was Azam¡¯s turn to smile. Suspended in mid-air, arms still spread and pushed back at an unnatural angle, he couldn¡¯t help but smile that this Dagathir recognised his worth. His power. His justice. The offer was tantalising. Become the most powerful. Get everything he wanted. His eyes flickered to Nemaira, standing beside Dagathir in her silver and gold armour. It wasn¡¯t just his wife who would need to pay for her mistakes.
¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±
Dagathir laughed that manic laugh and smirked at him. ¡°I knew you would.¡±
19. A Date with the Devil
Azam opened his eyes. He was lying on his stomach, small rocks digging into his skin, his hands on the edge of a precipice. His head overhung the verge as he looked down at the shimmering stream hundreds of feet below. He took a moment to gather himself. Find his bearings. He pushed himself back from the edge onto his knees, grimacing slightly as tiny rocks embedded themselves into the surrounding flesh. He was naked, like he had been in that bizarre room. He stood up, wiped the gritty debris from his belly, mopped the little pebbles from his knees.
His eyes followed the line of the stream as it snaked towards his left, where a mile or more away, it disappeared into a rocky cliff-face. He could see a forest stretch out in all directions from that cliff, sloping gently downwards until it came level with the stream. Ahead of him, he could see over the canopy of the trees, where the light of dual suns ¨C a smaller yellow against a larger blue ¨C made coloured patterns upon the leaves and the grassy hills beyond the forest. He carried on glancing to the right, where the ravine curved gently, the stream lost behind it, the forest hiding whatever lay beyond.
That¡¯s the direction Dagathir had instructed him to walk towards. The incident with Dagathir and Nemaira had been peculiar to say the least, but the dual suns ahead of him told him this was real, though it could be a dream he supposed. It didn¡¯t feel like it though. He didn¡¯t think they had been lying about sending him to another world, and he had no reason right now not to trust their words. He needed to be wary though. Dagathir hoped to use Azam for his own ends. Azam knew that, but as long as their interests were aligned, there was no harm in complying with the instructions. Once he had what he needed, he¡¯d be rid of Dagathir. Be rid of the girl too.
¡°Status,¡± he said, recalling Dagathir¡¯s last words to him.
A floating blue screen appeared, hovering in the air, inches from his face. It was transparent enough that he could still the outlines of the suns, but solid enough so he could read the screen in front of him.
{Name} [ Azam Drummond ]
{Age} [ 47 ]
{Level} [ 25 ]
{Experience} [ 0/6615 ]
{Health} [ 3696 | 3696 | +0 ]
{Energy} [ 857 | 857 | +0 ]
{Power} [ 90 | 90 | +0 ]
{Class} [ UNAVAILABLE ]
[? Press for more]
He¡¯d seen his youngest, Nassah, play games like this at home. The kid had always been useless. Headstrong too. Did what he wanted without a care, and what he wanted was to play video games. The wife never let Azam fix the kid so he understood the value of time. The value of work. Understood the value of family. It bothered Azam that he had allowed the kid to live in his house and not have to pay for anything, at the request of his wife. Of course, Nassah would claim otherwise. He had a job, but Azam never saw any of the money. The wife and kids just ate off him. Let him work. Let him struggle. And now those two had conspired to take the house.
He pressed for more.
[ VITALS | vitals ][Off]
[ CLASS | class ]
[ TITLES | titles ]
[ ATTRIBUTES | stats ]
[ SKILLS | skills ]
[ EQUIPMENT | equip ]
[ INVENTORY | bags ]
[ QUESTS | quests ]
[ ACHIEVEMENTS | achi ]
[ JOURNAL | notes ]
[ MAP | map ]
¡°Vitals,¡± he said.
A green and orange bar faded into view, in the top left of his vision, the orange beneath the green. A large circle overlapped both bars. He flicked his eyes towards the bars, and they became clear, showing his health and energy, and his level ¨C 25 ¨C in the circle. At the bottom of his vision was a thin progress bar.
He cycled through class and titles but both screens were empty. When he spoke, ¡°Stats,¡± two items showed.
[ STAT POINTS AVAILABLE ] [ 50 ]
[ ALLOCATED ] [ 0 ]
Fifty stat points for twenty five levels. Two per level. He wondered what they were for, and noticed the white triangle to the right of the screen. He pressed it, and another page appeared, triangles to left and right.
[ PHYSICAL | phys ]
{ STRENGTH | STR } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ ENDURANCE | END } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ VITALITY | VIT } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ AGILITY | AGI } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ DURABILITY | DUR } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
[ CONFIRM ]
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He glanced around the forest ahead of him and at his back. The floating screen and his vitals moved in sync with the direction he faced as if anchored to his field of vision. With little to go on, he put all fifty points into strength, tapping the little plus button. This place looked like he would need it. He knew he was strong. Always had been. Had had to prove it on occasion too, but he didn¡¯t know how that translated to this world. Still, more strength was never a bad thing. He tapped the arrow to the right.
[ MAGICAL | magic ]
{ CHI | CHI } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ SUSTENANCE | SUS } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ SPIRIT | SPT } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ FOCUS | FCS } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
{ FORTITUDE | FRT } - [ 0 / 200 ] +
[ CONFIRM ]
Magic. He¡¯d heard of voodoo and black magic. Curses and witches. He wondered what kind of magic they had here. Would it be worth it for him? Too many options really. He preferred things simple. Not that he had a problem making decisions, but why overcomplicate things? It just took away from getting on with the job. But he didn¡¯t want to be disadvantaged. He¡¯d need to look into it as soon as possible, but right now, he had that job to get on with. He tapped right again.
[ MENTAL | ment ]
{ INTELLIGENCE | INT } [ 145 / 250 ]
{ WISDOM | WIS } [ 50 / 250 ]
{ RESONANCE | RES } [ 10 / 250 ]
{ CHARISMA | CHR } [ 190 / 250 ]
{ CONVICTION | CNV } [ 225 / 250 ]
Those numbers were just wrong. Conviction was alright, he supposed, but Charisma was lower than it should be and the other three were just plain wrong, even though he wasn¡¯t really sure what Resonance might allude to. More things he would need to find out about.
He cycled through the next two options and found no skills or equipment, but when he spoke, ¡°Bags,¡± a grid appeared on the screen, a white arrow in the top left above it. The grid was four squares by four, and five of the slots at the top had images in them with an item name beneath. [Uncommon Pants], [Uncommon Shirt], [Uncommon Tunic], [Uncommon Boots] and [Uncommon Dagger].
Each image had a transparent circle in the top left, and at the bottom of the screen was a button [Drop]. He selected each of the items and pressed [Drop]. The items shimmered into existence by his feet, hovering slightly above the ground before the clothes landed with a soft plop, the dagger atop them, and the boots settled beside them with a gentle thud. Now that seemed like magic. On the screen in front of him, he pressed the arrow in the top left and then cycled through the last four screens. They had nothing to show. Not even a map. He could have done with one.
He knelt down to the clothes, put the dagger to the side. No underwear, but the fabric felt well-made. A lighter sort of cotton. Breathable. He pulled the pants on first, then the shirt over his head, with its long sleeves, and buttons and laces, like a collarless polo. He pulled the tunic on over that, its hood hanging down his back. The boots were durable, the leather worn and rough but they fit him well enough.
He picked up the dagger, a foot or so long with a simple black hilt and a muted silver blade. He tested it in his hand, felt the balance. It should do until he could find something better. And it was small. He¡¯d have to get up close and personal, not that he minded that. An image crossed his mind of a woman in his arms, a trickle of blood flowing from her lips as he placed her gently to the floor. No, he didn¡¯t mind getting close at all.
He tucked the dagger into his belt and looked over the forest and at the twin suns. If this place was anything like Earth, it would be about halfway to noon, it looked like. Best to get moving. Dagathir said he wouldn¡¯t have a lot of time, if he wanted the upper hand. He never told him what that meant. Just told him to make sure to follow the ravine¡¯s edge away from the cliff-face where the stream ended.
He set off along the verge, hugging the tree line to his right. The trees bore little resemblance to the ones on earth. These ones had black bark, stripped away in places, the sap darker than he would expect, oozing from the trees like sludgy oil. Brown leaves hung still on the branches, splatted with black marks. Not entirely unusual for late autumn or winter, but the temperature was too hot for those seasons. It was more like early spring. The leaves should have been gaining colour, not losing it. It was awfully quiet for a forest too. None of the noises he would expect to hear. No noises at all, in fact.
He hadn¡¯t walked far when he began to make out a distant voice, further around the edge of the ravine. It was deep and raspy. Not entirely human from the sounds of it. He supposed it might¡¯ve surprised him had he not already encountered Dagathir and Nemaira. Had he not already experienced things that seemed impossible. But like anything in his life, the initial shock wore off quickly, replaced by thoughts of how to make the most of the situation. That¡¯s what life was really. A chess board. Figuring out what move needed to be made next; what piece could be sacrificed; what pawn could be replaced for something stronger. Life was a game, no matter what world you played it on. The only objective was to win.
The voice didn¡¯t sound too far. He briefly glanced into the forest, wondering if he should try to find cover before approaching closer, but he decided against and hugged the tree line as close as he could as he edged towards the voice.
The voice became louder as he approached, but then was replaced by a quieter voice. A human voice. Azam snuck from tree to tree until he came across the source. He crouched down and took cover, not that the gaunt trees offered too much of it, but it didn¡¯t seem to matter. Azam saw a man about as young as his youngest son. Maybe a year or two older. He was around six-feet tall, with short black hair and a strong jaw, and had the look of someone who enjoyed the gym. Standing on the edge of the ravine, he held a club and wore clothes not too dissimilar to Azam¡¯s, caked in green and blue muck. Ahead of the young man, across a stony clearing was the source of the deep, raspy voice. A wolf¡¯s head with a long grey beard, as large in stature as Nemaira. It had wide, thin ears beneath two large horns that curled over them. From where he crouched, Azam couldn¡¯t see the rest of him, except for the giant hand above the young man. He was neither shocked nor surprised. Just mildly curious as to what manner of beast this was.
¡°Fuck you,¡± the young man said, holding his middle finger up, before flinging himself off the edge of the ravine. Not even a second later, that giant hand crashed down on the spot where the young man had been, sending a dust cloud into the air. Azam steadied himself as tremors shook the ground.
He had only caught the tail end of their conversation, but he had a hint of admiration for the boy¡¯s actions. Not that stupidity about what his friends would want him to say, but to have the balls to die rather than join with the wolf-head. Azam couldn¡¯t say whether it was the right decision or not. He never caught what the other choice was. But it was a ballsy one, he had to give the young man that. It¡¯s what he would want from his friends. Conviction in their choices. Make a decision and stick to it. Of course, you had to be careful with those kinds as well. Couldn¡¯t let them get ideas above their station.
He turned to look at the wolf-head with the horns, but he didn¡¯t get the chance to see a reaction. A streak of black light shot through the area, followed instantly by a burst of red steam from the wolf-head, and its hand. The streak of black light seemed to be the figure of a man, thirty or so feet in the air above the head. He had been caught in that steam, like someone inadvertently flying over a thermal geyser and being caught as it spouted scalding vapour. The man plummeted to the ground. As he fell, a cloaked shadow peeled itself away from him, like smoke dancing away from a flame. The shadow shot towards and over the ravine¡¯s edge before Azam¡¯s eyes could even keep up with it.
The wolf-head slumped to the ground with a larger tremor than earlier, dust and debris scattering in all directions. Azam dropped to his knees, shaking with the ground around him, covering his face and eyes with his arms to shield himself from the bombardment of small rocks that pelted him.
It took a while debris to settle, the groans of the earth to quieten. The silence of the forest returned. He waved his arm in front of him to clear the dust in his face. The horned wolf-head slumped across the clearing, it¡¯s hand splayed out like roots of the trees in the wood. The fallen man lay in a crumpled mess, his head planted into the ground, the neck at an angle that it wasn¡¯t meant for. Azam watched for any signs of movement from either. Not that he thought the man could have survived, but he was still learning the rules of this game. You couldn¡¯t know what to expect or exploit, unless you understood the rules. He also didn¡¯t want to be taken by another surprise.
After a few moments, he grabbed his dagger, rose slowly from his position and cautiously ventured forwards, looking from the man to the head to the forest and back again. He knew he needed something here. Afterall, it¡¯s where Dagathir had sent him. Baldy must have had a reason. He did say an opportunity had opened up to give Azam an edge.
Suddenly, a deep, raspy voice boomed inside his head.
Well, well. You wait decades for an outworlder to appear, and now two of them come at once. Let¡¯s hope you, at least, can make the right decision.
20. Outworlders and Muffins
PREVIOUSLY, IN CHAPTER EIGHT - DEMONS IN THEIR MIDST
A brilliant light flared across the area, causing Tyler to shield his eyes. The glare lasted only a moment and when it was gone, two large discs hung motionless in the air ¨C one behind the sisters and a much larger one near to Reaper. The one behind the sisters looked into a dark open field, it seemed and the other one seemed to look into pitch black water, though there were faint contours of rocks and craggy outcrops.
¡°I hope I see you again, Bro,¡± Kiri said.
Suddenly she shot forwards in the direction of the two sisters, daggers in her hands. The sisters didn¡¯t seem surprised. Celeste quickly ran through the gateway with Mira hot on her heels as Kiri surged forward. Out of nowhere, large fireballs ¨C three of them ¨C appeared and hurtled towards Kiri but she focused on the sisters getting away. Tyler wanted to shout after her, to warn her but before he could, the fireballs crashed into her like flaming asteroids in the night. When the lingering sparks dissipated, Kiri was unharmed. She hadn¡¯t even been knocked off stride as she closed the distance to them in a blur of motion, and plunged through the closing gateway.
¡°I hope I see you again, Bro,¡± Kiri said, a little sad that she wouldn¡¯t get to spend more time with Tyler. He reminded her a little of the older brother she had lost, but she remained focused. She had a mission. Alina had told her to make sure the fake sisters don¡¯t get away, and make sure of that she would.
She pushed off the ground, pulling Poppy out of its sheath and burst towards the shapeshifters, grabbing Rosie ¨C her other dagger ¨C from its scabbard. The shifter mimicking Celeste ran through the portal, the other one impersonating Mira right behind her. On the periphery of her vision, Kiri saw the three fireballs begin to appear, and readied her [Evasion] talent. With it maxed out, she couldn¡¯t be hit for the next four attacks, magical or physical. That wasn¡¯t the only trick up her sleeve. She had a fair few ways to avoid magic damage. That¡¯s why Alina gave her this duty.
All three fireballs came at her together, but she only had eyes for the shifters. Fake Mira was stepping through the portal just as the fireballs hit Kiri. She blinked to avoid the glare and then activated [Kiri¡¯s Hug], eyes on the shrinking gateway.
The flames disintegrated around her as her personalised skill triggered, honed with months of training. She felt her calves burn with that familiar energy of [Dash], as if lightning had decided to dance upon her legs. Her spine coiled, as [Lunge] leapt her forwards. Her stomach dropped as the reality around her distorted, [Shadowstrike] ¨C usually used by assassins to slip behind their targets ¨C allowed her to flit through folds of space unseen. Time slowed. Space compressed. The world blurred. In combination, the three abilities propelled her across the thirty or so metres to the gateway in the time it would usually take to take a step. She plunged through just before it closed and landed on soft grass, rolling with her momentum, the hardest part of controlling the ability. It allowed her to cover a considerable distance in an instant, but not understanding how to control the momentum was the quickest way to broken bones. She shuddered as she recalled her training.
Morning hadn¡¯t broken yet, but as she stood, Kiri didn¡¯t need the light to know where she was. One moment she had been on the riverbank, leaping through, and the next, she was here at The Academy of Champions, outside the city of Valar. A day¡¯s journey traverse in an instant. Mira had tried to explain to her the magic behind portals once. Something about distorting spacetime through dimensional reality. Kiri had nodded and smiled whilst listening, but for a girl who¡¯d only learnt to read at fourteen, the intricacies of magical laws were a bit beyond her.
She stood in the courtyard of the bailey, the three wings of the castle rising at her back and side. The dormitories and classes they contained were quiet now. None of the students would be awake yet, and barely a teacher at this time of the morning. Maybe the cooks were by now, preparing breakfast in the great fires of the kitchens, but they wouldn¡¯t be of any help here, though Kiri would have loved a muffin. There was always time for a good muffin.
Ahead, the imposters fled in the opposite direction, towards the motte, a mound of raised earth, sixty or so metres high, atop which sat the castle keep. Kiri activated [Shadow Veil] ¨C which would keep her hidden for several minutes ¨C and rushed after them, resheathing her daggers. She was about ten paces behind, but they were in figure hugging dresses of silk and cotton, where she was in moulded leathers. Even without her abilities, she¡¯d pass them easily, but she kept a steady distance behind them. There was a fair amount of ground to cover to the gates, but it was too open to confront them here. And she didn¡¯t want to kill either of them. Not yet anyway. Not whilst the real sisters were still missing. She hoped Alaric had found them, but in any case, Alina and the others were tied up with the strange man who had come for Tyler. Kiri needed to track these two instead.
At the base of the motte, soldiers guarded the gates to the stairs, wearing purple livery alongside their mail armour. Soldiers twice her age, but with a fraction of her experience, carrying halberds and swords. They were largely ceremonial, having never seen combat, and were mainly there just to keep the Academy students from the keep ¨C the living quarters for the Commander of the Academy, and other senior tutors. It was also the quarters for The Seven Sisters of Retribution. The guards wouldn¡¯t stop the shifters. They had no reason to. For all intents and purposes, that was Mira and Celeste running towards them, and they knew better than to interfere with the Seven Sisters. It was better that way anyway. They would stand no chance against them.
As expected, the two shifters ran past the gate guards and began running up the one hundred and twenty steps to the entrance at the top. Up there, the curtain walls with the towers on each corner was a square stone construction, thirty or so metres tall and about seventy metres on all sides.
Kiri maintained her pace behind the other two, a dainty jog so as not to get too close. She was of no mind to try to stop them. It was much better for her to let them get inside, where it was tight and suffocating, and she could work her daggers best. Mages were most dangerous outside, with the distance and space they had to work in. Powerful offensive magic in a tight, confined space was never a good thing.
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Though, as the two imposters neared the top, Kiri about 10 steps behind, she wondered why they would be going to the keep. Only the teachers would be there now, and with morning still on the horizon, they would all be in their rooms. One or two might have even ventured out, looking for a bite to eat from the kitchens here. An image of a muffin popped into her head. Stuffed with berries. Maybe she¡¯d have time to pop by the kitchens, but for now she kept herself focused.
Had the two phony sisters left something in their bedrooms, maybe? Even with the teachers there, they knew there was little risk of capture, except Kiri behind them. The teachers wouldn¡¯t interfere, even if Kiri asked them to help. They¡¯d most likely think it was an internal dispute amongst the sisters and leave them to sort it themselves. None of them would want to risk answering to Alina. Sweet though she was, she was still the Commander. And Princess of the realm.
Two guards at the gates of the wall with their halberds across the opening saw the imposters coming. Recognising the two women in the faint light of daybreak, they raised their weapons allowing them through. Kiri used [Dash] and slipped past unnoticed, her soft leather boots silent against the stone slabs on the floor.
The courtyard beyond was a sparse affair with a stone walkway leading to the keep, trimmed lawns on either side. The two charlatans cast a furtive glance back. Kiri was tracking them ten paces behind, but they didn¡¯t attempt any magic. No attacks aimed her way or even light to see if she was following. [Shadow Veil] could be broken with damage, so either they thought she hadn¡¯t made it through or wasn¡¯t following them, or maybe they also weren¡¯t looking for a fight here. Maybe they just needed to get somewhere quickly and be on their way again. They must certainly be after something, Kiri was sure of that.
Atop the motte, at seven storeys high, the keep dominated the academy grounds, visible from the city beyond, Alina¡¯s violet colours flying above masts on the corners. It was forty metres wide, about half as much as the walls that surrounded it, and unlike when the castle had been used as a defensive post in earlier centuries, the entrance was now on the ground floor, towards the left of the building.
A third set of guards stepped aside to let the women through without a word, Kiri ducking past them too. The inside of the keep was cool and dimly lit by torches in sconces along the walls, their flickering flames casting shadows down the hallway as the two shifter¡¯s soft boots echoed with a dull thud. They headed to the right, towards the other corner of the keep, where a spiral stone staircase wound to the top of the building. This was the perfect place to ambush them in the tight corridors, but Kiri continued following, within arm¡¯s reach of the two. With no way to tell if the sisters had been found, she had no choice but to continue following. Maybe they¡¯d lead her to the sisters themselves. Hopefully.
She crept behind the two as they made their way to the upper floors. Round and round they walked, passing by each floor as they made their way to the sixth, where the two had their quarters. They didn¡¯t stop there, however, continuing on to the final floor. That was where Alina¡¯s living quarters were, as well as Emelyn and Imanie¡¯s. It was also where the common room for the Seven Sisters was located, and that seemed to be where the two were headed.
The common room, where the seven of them would gather to share information on their investigations into corruption in the Kingdom was a large rectangular space, with a high ceiling supported on four stone pillars. On the opposite side to the entry, windows along the wall filtered in the first hints of dawn, though sconces to either side still held torches burning bright. A large wooden bookcase lined the wall to the right, filled with thick leather-bound volumes and on the opposite side was an ornate black hearth, embers still burning. In a corner to the right, two people slept on some sofas arranged by a small table. It was a man and a woman. The male was about thirty years of age, unkempt hair falling across his face, a blanket laying over him. The woman looked older, dark brown hair hanging off the edge of the sofa and touching the floor.
In the middle of the room, four soldiers sat around a circular table, enjoying what looked like bowls of porridge but Kiri¡¯s eyes were drawn to a basket in the middle of the table. Muffins. Piping hot muffins, steam rising to the rafters above. She almost squealed in delight. The soldiers, speaking amongst themselves in low voices, hadn¡¯t noticed the two women enter.
¡°Excuse me,¡± fake Mira said. The soldiers turned to look at her, surprise on their faces. When they recognised who they thought it was, wooden chairs screeched as they were pushed back and the soldiers saluted.
¡°Lady Mira,¡± one of the guards said, with a polite nod. He was a tall man, with a grey beard and shrewd eyes. ¡°Lady Celeste.¡± Kiri quietly stepped into the room, taking a position in the left corner, as the two shifters walked towards the two people sleeping. Those muffins smelled good. ¡°How may we serve you?¡± Torven. That was the guy¡¯s name. He served in Alaric¡¯s squad.
¡°Princess Alina has asked us to take these two someplace else,¡± fake Mira said, as fake Celeste stood near the two sleeping. Kiri understood now. These must be the other two outworlders like Tyler. Kiri hadn¡¯t been there when they had been found, but she¡¯d been told they had been returned to the castle.
¡°Forgive me, my Lady Mira,¡± Torven responded ¡°These two are not allowed to go anywhere until the Princess arrives personally.¡±
¡°Do you question my authority?¡± fake Mira asked. Fake Celeste held her staff, which began to glow slightly. Kiri glanced at the muffins. They weren¡¯t far.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, if I wasn¡¯t given explicit instructions,¡± Torven said, hand on the hilt of his sword, and he looked ready to draw it. The other men spread out slightly, hands on the pommels of their swords. As far as Kiri knew, no-one other than the Seven knew these two were imposters. Torven and his teams actions were surprising, especially given they were going up against a mage. ¡°She told us to not allow them to leave with anyone, even if one of the Seven show up.¡±
You could feel the tension in the air as fake Mira and Torven locked eyes. Kiri¡¯s money was on the imposter. With access to all of Mira¡¯s power, it shouldn¡¯t really be a contest. Alaric¡¯s men were brave soldiers ¨C some of the best in the realm ¨C but they weren¡¯t heroes. They weren¡¯t Champions. Lucky for them, Kiri was here. She cast a forlorn look at the muffins again, figuring out how she could grab one, maybe two and stuff it into her pockets. It would have to be later though. Couldn¡¯t risk them getting squished.
She drew Poppy and Rosie, and stood ready to fight, but before any of them could do anything, an unnatural silence fell upon the room. The air hissed with tiny crackles of thunder as orbs of light began to gather in the far corner, near the windows, like moths drawn to flame. One, two, four, eight, the orbs merging together even as they multiplied in number, until they began to form shapes. The silhouette closest to the wall stood tall but grew ever larger, whilst the one to its left reached only a third of its height. As the light shadows became larger, the air began to waver and shimmer and in a blink of scattering light, that vanished as quickly as it had come, stood two figures.
A nine-foot tall woman. And a three-foot cat.