The Magic Sequence

by Dawn Chapman

  “I came to help you,” I said. “The—”

  “No, no one can help,” he replied, cutting me off, his voice almost a screech. “Must keep going, must stop these creatures. Don’t stop me. Don’t take this pretty thing. It’s not for you.”

  He stopped speaking, his eyes going up and down my dress. Suddenly, he pointed at the gem I’d taken from the neighbouring guild.

  “Thief! You’re a thief. No, won’t let you take this.” He pulled the circlet close to his chest, his eyes going narrow and angry.

  “I’m not here to steal anything. I’m here to help. Tell me how to help,” I said, trying to speak calmly, but it was evident he wasn’t convinced.

  “Can’t help. Not powerful enough. But the crown is full anyway. Job done. Just got to get it into the portal. Overload it, make it stop. Kill these things, let life return.”

  “Brilliant,” I replied, astounded by what he must have done and sacrificed to do so. He must have poured his own magic in. It made sense that he was half-insane now. I doubted he’d slept for a while, working on this thing while surrounded by creatures trying to suck the magic from him. And he’d been all alone the whole time.

  Before I could say anything else, he started moving, the black circle around him going, too. He tried to move towards the portal, now on the other side of me, but tripped on something and dropped the circlet. It rolled towards the edge, and I had to use my magic again, to buffet the crown and stop it from falling into the chasm.

  Not wanting the ornate piece of jewellery to fall when he’d evidently sacrificed so much to make it work, I hurried towards the little bridge, snapping it out of the air before it could fall. Immediately I felt the creatures tugging at my magic again. Several came rushing at me, pushing me back towards the portal.

  As the old main wailed, I backed up, not sure whether to use magic or not.

  “Thief,” he suddenly yelled, firing blasts of lightning at me in quick succession. I smelt the burning as one singed the ground directly in front of me and made me jump even farther back.

  “Thief. You’re going to ruin everything. Can’t let you. Mustn’t let you. No.” Each sentence was punctuated with yet another zap of lightning, forcing me to keep dodging back and forth. I tried to summon some magic to retaliate, but as soon as I tried to, I felt the energy being drained from me again. Exhausted and unable to fight back, I felt pushed farther and farther back.

  Suddenly, a ping showed a new quest, offering me the option of going through the portal and closing it. I frowned, not sure I wanted to accept, but at the same time it showed me the conclusion of my previous quest to find Cale, and I was shown my reward. It was evident the two were linked. With no other option, I leaped through the portal, clutching the tiara tightly.

  At first it felt like I was underwater, unable to breathe, my body feeling like it was being tugged in all directions, and then I was hitting the ground, the world around me dark, lifeless, devoid of almost any colour. I shivered, cold, and stood up. My dress had still somehow protected me from all the bumps and bruises along the way. I thought about telling Aimer how grateful I was, and then remembered he was dead.

  Once more, tears threatened to fall, but the sound of a strange gurgling noise, like the water rushing out of a bath when you pull the plug, came from behind. I spun to see the portal I’d come through collapse in on itself. It had done as Cale had said. The crown had overloaded it somehow and closed it.

  It was only then that I realised I was surrounded by the creatures that had been coming through the portal, seemingly attracted to the game world. I didn’t know if I was still in Puatera. To check, I tried to access my system, but I couldn’t, no matter how I tried. I also couldn’t tell if they were draining my energy. I felt less tired than before jumping through the portal, and none of the creatures were reacting to my presence.

  Not sure what else to do, I studied the crown. Nothing happened. No info box, no clear indication of anything. I reached out with my mind, feeling the magic in the crown. I quickly realised it was still sucking in magical energy, now drawing on my own a little, but also drawing very faintly from another source ahead of me.

  I frowned, wondering what it could be, but knowing this world didn’t seem to have any magic of its own, it would give me something to do next. I stuck the circlet on my head, instantly feeling a boost of energy. There were definitely other charms and enchantments on the piece of jewellery.

  It was difficult not to feel lonely, and as if this part of my journey was pointless, especially in such a dark and desolate place, but as my feet moved and I connected with the faint source of magic ahead, somewhere, I found myself picking up.

  The signal grew stronger as I moved closer, the world around me so similar and my desire not to stop so constant I lost track of time. I kept walking, ignoring everything but the tug of magic up ahead, using it to guide me in. It was like running through almost nothing, the terrain constantly flat, constantly the same feel, like I wasn’t somewhere real.

  Eventually the view on the horizon changed, something circular coming nearer. As I approached, I realised it was another portal, and the source of the magic I felt. I grinned and hurried up, knowing I’d found a way back. I wasn’t stranded after all.

  It was soon obvious that I wasn’t the only one drawn to the magic. More of the creatures were travelling through, and I could only assume they were trying to infect another part of Puatera, sucking the life out of it. I grew angry, eager to stop them.

  Without thinking, I stepped through the portal. This time I was prepared for the rough landing, but not for what I saw. Everywhere I looked it was the same desolate wasteland, with one exception—bodies of people littered the ground. Dead bodies, no decay, no dusting to be respawned. Static, like they were stuck.

  I turned, hoping the crown I was wearing would have done the trick once more to close the portal, but I was disappointed to find it was still open. Creatures still came through behind me, although, as before, every single one ignored me.

  Before I could look any further, I heard another ping, letting me know I was back in Puatera. Once more, I was rewarded for completing a quest, and offered another. This new one simply instructed me to stay put and wait for a rendezvous with a woman called Akillia. It said someone with her would have news of one of my sisters.

  It was both a good and a bad quest. I accepted it immediately, but I didn’t like the idea of waiting there for someone to come to me. I wanted to be doing something, not sitting around waiting.

  As I looked around me, I realised there was something I could do while I stayed put. I could copy Cale’s magic, slowly drawing magic into the crown, charging it again, and at the same time, I could start to heal this land. I had a pack full of seedlings, a whole heap of plants, many of them useful, but some of them just lovely to see.

  Less than a second later, there was another pop up and another quest, this one offering me the responsibility to begin healing this area and replanting. I grinned as I accepted. There. I had something to do while I waited. The second quest also served to draw my attention to a timer on the first one. It seemed I also knew how long I had to wait.

  With a task and a deadline, I wandered over to one of the small huts nearby and decided to make myself at home. I had a garden to plant, food to grow and a person to wait for. I’d best get busy.

  Chapter 14

  I huffed, having finished eating the stew I’d prepared. I was bored of the same few meals, bored of waiting, and bored of going back and forth between resting and using my magic.

  It seemed I was the only living person for miles, if you didn’t count the creatures still coming through the portal. They’d spread out, despite my attempts to plant a garden and heal this area. It was beginning to work, but for each little area I replanted, I had to increase the energy in the crown. And still the crown wasn’t powerful enough to close the portal alone.

  Also, no matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t get the game to offer me the
quest to close the portal, almost like it didn’t want me to attempt it. So instead, I focused my magic on growing flowers and plants and vegetables. I thought I’d seen a bird earlier, but when I’d looked again it was gone, or it had been a figment of my imagination, a mirage born of hope, impatience or possibly both.

  But a little while later I saw it again, and I knew I had to get a message to it. I could feel its magic, and I quickly realised other things and creatures around me had magic, not just the birds. Others were coming, others with far more magic than me. They needed to reverse the energy in the area. To team up, to do what Cale and I had been doing. To stop the spread of this darkness once and for all.

  When the bird swooped down and plucked one of my flowers, I was awed at its size. It was huge, its wings almost aflame. I hid, not daring to face such a creature, just in case. My magic was almost all drained, the food I’d just eaten still working to regenerate me a little.

  It flew off almost immediately, taking one of my creations with it. I concentrated, following it with my mind. Not long later, I felt it connect with another, one more powerful. I concentrated all the nature magic I had to show whoever was connecting to it what I’d seen, what the area had seen, and finally pass on the message.

  Before I could say more than one word, I felt my power go. I was drained, and I knew I had to stop. I couldn’t let myself get entirely drained while here. The area I protected, kept sort of hidden, grew smaller when I did, and I didn’t want to go backwards again. I’d put in too much effort.

  After doing everything I could, I went back to my tasks, waiting, growing, and hoping whoever had got my message had enough strength to act on it.

  Two whole days later I was standing outside my little hut, watching some men come closer, fighting the creatures. They were winning; with their passage, everything was almost entirely reversed. The person who’d got my message had known exactly what to do. I just had to wait that little bit longer.

  Suddenly everything went white, everything apart from my patch of garden, and I knew it was a beginning. My time to wait was over. It was time to go find Akillia and help. I grabbed my pack, shoved it onto my back, and strode out towards the source of magic, feeling it pulsing ahead of me. It wasn’t far now.

  As soon as I got close, I noticed several other players—visitors, like Aimer and me. Then I spotted Akillia, working with a bunch of undead people in dark robes. I shuddered but carried on. The game had said someone with Akillia would know about my sisters. I just had to find out who.

  One of the visitors, a tall man, came up to me first. He and a team of others were guarding a bridge. I nodded, and presented him with a flower as I grew it in my hands. He immediately smiled and ushered me closer.

  At first I didn’t know what to say, but when someone from behind called him Abel, I thought introducing myself would be a good place to start. He instantly asked me several questions, and after so many days alone, I found my whole story tumbling out. Then I listened to his. It seemed this wasn’t the only portal, and it was possible more needed investigating, but it still didn’t give me any information on my sisters. Instead he talked of someone they had to find to get help. A woman named Maddie who had disappeared right when they needed her most.

  “I can help get this portal closed,” I said, “but it’s more important to me to find my sisters right now. I can’t help you find Maddie, I’m sorry.”

  He nodded, not seeming to mind, and beckoned for me to follow him, taking me to Akillia. I saw many wounded and hurt men along the way, but they seemed confident, most of them ignoring their pain.

  “Do you want some help healing everyone?” I offered, but Abel shook his head.

  “Not yet. Once we’ve got that portal closed and the rest of the monsters gone.”

  I nodded, refocusing on the task. Up ahead stood Akillia, a brown-haired woman I instantly liked the look of. She appeared normal, nothing special about her, until she looked at me. Her eyes had depth, soul, a whole world behind them. She was wonderfully brief, issuing instructions and getting straight to the point. And the bird I had noticed earlier kept close to her, responding to her as if they shared one mind.

  There was little I could do at this point but offer Akillia my support and magic, such as it was. I wanted to help her, but I was also eager to hear about my sisters. Someone here knew something.

  Bit by bit, we collectively funnelled our magic into one, letting it all be used to push the creatures back. The sounds of battle came to my ears, but I blocked it out, funnelling magic until it hurt, until every part of every limb screamed in agony, and then suddenly it was over, the bird firing our combined energy directly at the portal, like some kind of phoenix-like conduit. I’d never seen anything so amazing.

  I watched the portal collapse in on itself, knowing how it would sound if I was closer, and smiled. We’d done it, even if I could barely stand. I reached for one of the healing plants I carried and chewed on a leaf. It would help reverse the damage to my energy.

  Before I could react, some kind of fight broke out. Akillia and the largest of the dark figures were fighting over the fire bird and a woman. Coming to her aid, I blew him away with a blast of air, about all I could muster after the draining I had just taken. It was enough to break up the fight.

  “What do we do now?” I asked Akillia when everyone had calmed down. “There’s no quest update. I don’t get it.”

  Akillia shrugged, and as more wounded came up, she turned her attention to them. While waiting, I decided to help out and tend to the wounds. I was drained magically, but I still had several potions and plants that aided in recovery. I might as well make myself useful, and it gave me the option to see if any of the wounded knew about my sisters.

  Eventually, a quest update came through, urging me to travel with Akillia, saying she’d help me. I grinned and went over to her, noticing her reading something in mid-air. She’d got the quest update, too, but I asked, to make sure. A nod confirmed it.

  Over the next hour I told her everything, just as I had Abel, letting her know I’d snuck into the game, confirming who my mother was, and then moving on. She didn’t seem as surprised as I’d have expected, but she was supportive, and at least for now I’d found someone who could let Mum know I was okay again. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start.

  By the end of the day, the companions and fighters with Akillia were ready to move on, leaving some of the elves and dark creatures to reclaim the area. Not wanting to stay and without a quest to guide me I decided to stick with the party.

  As soon as they were ready to move out I was offered a seat one of their wagons. I accepted, sitting beside a furry creature that looked like a cross between a cat and a woman.

  “Hi, I’m Macie,” she said.

  “I’m Jessica, but please call me Jess.”

  “Nice to meet you. And thanks for the healing help back there.”

  “No worries. I’ve been learning everything I can for weeks. Trying to find my sisters, but I keep hitting a dead end, moving from one quest to another and never quite getting enough information to know where to search for them.”

  Macie looked at me, her face a mask of sympathy. “I’ve lost my brother, too. I know he’s alive, but I don’t know where. I do know I’ll find him, though. How about we work together? Maybe we’ll both make progress that way.”

  I nodded, loving the sound of it. Although I wished Aimer and the rest of my party were there with me, I knew I’d found some more people to help. And maybe, just maybe, I’d find my sisters soon. Just as I was thinking it I heard a ping. Finally!

  QUEST - ACCOMPANY AKILLIA TO FIND YOUR LOST SIBLINGS.

  Y/N

  With a grin and the warmth of relief, I hit the accept button. It seemed the game hadn’t forgotten to nudge me in the right direction after all.

  Dahlia’s Shadow

  Puatera Online Book 6

  Chapter 1

  Dahlia - Cibang Cove

  I raced to the markings on the f
loor, arriving a split second after my twin sister, Lila, giggling.

  Ever since Mum had told us about Puatera Online we’d talked about playing it, and now was our chance. It wouldn’t hurt to play for a little while, would it? After all, they were about to open it up for the next hundred people. We could visit the world, stay for a few hours and still get home in time for bed. Mum would never even know.

  My big sister, Jessica, was just behind us, stripping down to her underwear and getting ready to play as well. It only made me giggle harder as Lila and I stepped onto the footprint shapes on the floor. Almost immediately, the system reacted, lifting us into the air somehow, as snake-like arms rose out of holes that hadn’t been there seconds before.

  There was a sting in the back of my neck. I winced right before the sedative coursed through me, relaxing my tense muscles. All of the excitement and apprehension faded into a strange calmness before everything went dark.

  GAME PLAY PAUSED

  GLITCH RECORDED

  REBOOTING

  TUTORIAL MISSED

  GAME PLAY PAUSED — Time passed — 1 week

  PROGRAMMING DEFRAG % 5 complete

  PROGRAMMING DEFRAG % 10 complete

  GLITCH RECORDED

  REBOOTING

  GAME RESUMED

  When I came to, I was lying on rough ground in the middle of a forest. Frowning, I stood up. This couldn’t be right. I looked around from left to right, expecting to see menus, things to select and decisions to make, but there was nothing. I merely stood in plain shoes, my body dressed in a sack-like top and baggy brown trousers.