Awaken Online- Flame

by Travis Bagwell

  But then again, the last five had also seemed decent.

  Taking a deep breath, he started reciting the incantation.

  His fingers twitched through a series of gestures, attempting to emulate some of the movements he typically made with his other spells. He felt a small spark of flame as he spoke the first word, a tendril of fire curling around his index finger.

  Yet a moment later, the flame sputtered out.

  “Damn it,” Finn muttered, abruptly rising from his boulder and pacing the cave in frustration.

  “A break might help—”

  “Shut up, Daniel,” Finn snapped at him. The AI pulsed once and then drifted off to a corner of the cave, hovering in place and his body glowing dimly. Finn had come to learn that this was how a fire elemental sulked.

  He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers coming away slick with sweat and dust. It wasn’t the incantations that were holding him back. At least one of these ten seemed like it would work. No, it felt like he was channeling the mana incorrectly. He could feel his mana begin to respond on that last spell, but it had just… died.

  As he paced, his eyes settled on the ant’s corpse again. He noted the burns along what had once been the creature’s leg and the crater in the wall from where he had first tested his sawblade. The heated metal had left scorch marks along the surface of the stone and chitin. As he stared at the black patterns, he couldn’t help but remember that night the caravan had made camp before reaching the Abyss. After Daniel had inscribed the wards into his temples, the surrounding stone had been covered in similar dark scorch marks…

  Finn froze. It was like a fire crystal had just exploded inside his head.

  “I’m an idiot,” he muttered, feeling his mana simmering in anticipation.

  “You’ll get no resistance from me there,” Daniel grumbled from nearby, having drifted over to watch Finn as he paced. For his part, Finn just glared at the AI.

  Yet he wouldn’t be distracted from his thought…

  Without giving himself time to overthink the idea, he glanced back at the incantation again, reciting each word in sequence. It wasn’t his most inspired reading. The entirety of his attention was on his hands. Instead of turning the mana outward and expelling it from his body, Finn shifted his focus inward. He replicated the same gestures he had used to pull the mana back into his body after Daniel had inscribed the wards into his temples.

  He knew enough from reading Bilel’s writings to understand what happened when he cast a spell. His mana was stored in his Najima, and he used his body to channel the energy. For most of his spells – and even Abbad’s training exercises – he let the energy flow out of him and into the spell, focusing on a point outside himself.

  That’s where he had made his mistake…

  He tugged at his mana, and Finn could feel a faint burning sensation in his limbs, the bite noticeable above the usual warmth of his mana. Yet it wasn’t enough, and the spell soon fizzled again. He suspected he needed to pump more mana into the spell.

  He let out a frustrated sigh. One more time…

  Finn called on his mana, this time insistent – demanding. He flooded his arteries, muscles, organs, and bones with the energy, letting it simmer and burn and blaze inside him.

  And burn it did.

  He let out a hissing breath, briefly pausing the spell as he felt the mana seep through his body like lava. The energy slid through him like molten sludge, leaving a burning, stinging, biting sensation in its wake. An entire colony of fire ants had taken up residence in his veins, and they were all marching in slow motion. But he refused to let himself stop, fighting through the pain as he forced himself to keep going.

  As the last word left his lips, he felt his mana abruptly stabilize, the pain receding and replaced with a sensation he’d never experienced before. It was like someone had mixed pure adrenaline and steroids into a cocktail and then injected the solution into every muscle group at the same time.

  He could scale mountains. Break rocks with his hands. Start running and never stop. He could dance with a tornado.

  He was a living flame, energy incarnate.

  It was nearly overwhelming, and Finn had to force himself to concentrate. He needed to observe the spell’s effects, not just revel in the sensation.

  He blinked hard, returning his focus back to the room.

  Daniel hung suspended in the air, barely moving as he continued his normal dancing pattern a few feet away. The lava lake simmered, an air bubble breaking through the surface ever-so-slowly. He could see the individual droplets of magma float in the air as the bubble finally popped, and then the faint ripples as they were reabsorbed back into the lake.

  As quickly as the effect began, it abruptly ended.

  As the heat drained away, it left Finn feeling exhausted. He slumped back onto a nearby boulder, suddenly too weak to stand. But he missed his mark, hitting the rock at an angle, and falling off to the side where he landed with a thump. Red notifications were flashing in the corner of his vision, but he was having trouble focusing on them. His vision blurred and spun – as though he was trying to move with the sight active.

  Except I didn’t activate the sight.

  “Finn! Are… okay?” someone shouted.

  Daniel. That must be Daniel, Finn thought feebly.

  The AI’s voice sounded indistinct and garbled. Also, just a bit alarmed. Although Finn was having difficulty caring. His attention was instead consumed by the way his bones ached. His head was pounding, but his arms were too weak to rub at his temples. Already, he could see black blotches encroaching at the edges of his vision.

  Something was wrong. This response was too extreme to be part of the game.

  My real-world body, he realized feebly.

  “Get… help…” Finn croaked.

  Yet even as he tried to speak, he realized there was no one to call. Julia and Kyyle weren’t online. There was only Daniel. And this in-game instance of the AI couldn’t access Finn’s lab directly. He could only pray that his home workstation had registered a problem, and Daniel – the real Daniel – would yank him out of the game.

  Otherwise, he was alone.

  That was the last thing Finn thought before the darkness claimed him completely.

  ***

  Finn woke with a groan.

  His head was still pounding, and his body felt like it had been passed through a meat grinder. But he was alive… maybe? Or perhaps this was the afterlife, and he could finally relax. It was only a bit worrying that he felt somewhat relieved at the possibility of dying.

  I suppose that would also be an easier way to see Rachael again, he thought dryly. Surely, I’ve earned some one-on-one time in the afterlife.

  “I’m glad you didn’t lose your sense of humor,” a familiar voice said. “But I can assure you that you aren’t dead. Not yet, anyway.”

  Finn’s eyes crept open, expecting the harsh glare of the nearby fire mana crystals. Instead, he was met with the soft glow of lamps that hung from the tented, canvas canopy above him. His brow furrowed. He had seen this place before…

  “Oh, shit,” Finn muttered.

  “It’s a pleasure to see you again, as well,” the Seer replied with a trace of sarcasm.

  Finn struggled to push himself upright, his vision swimming, and a dull pain pounded behind his temples. But he managed the feat, if only by pure, obstinate willpower. He wouldn’t let the goddess see his weakness – at least, not entirely.

  He soon took in the tent around him. It was just as he remembered. Ornate tapestries hung along the canvas walls, streamers of silk drifting down from the ceiling. Finn was lying on a small podium in the center of the room, the Seer sitting calmly at her table a few feet away, a stack of tarot cards, and a glimmering crystalline ball adorning its surface. Although, before he could address her, a notification flashed in front of Finn.

  New Spell: Haste

  Who doesn’t like going faster? Well, probably some people… Especially if they were s
trapped to a rocket or someone just cut their brake line. Those rare exceptions aside, there’s nothing like the thrill of slamming your foot down on the accelerator. This spell does just that, with just a minor stamina cost!

  Skill Level: Beginner Level 1

  Cost: 200 mana upon activation. 75 stamina/second sustained.

  Effect 1: Increases total speed by 30%.

  “Huh, it worked,” Finn muttered.

  “Indeed, but at a cost,” the Seer replied sourly.

  Somehow, he didn’t think she was talking about the stamina cost…

  Finn glanced at the goddess sharply, recalling the flashing notifications and how he had passed out. He grimaced as another jolt of pain lanced through his temple. This reaction seemed intense, even with the massive stamina cost of the Haste spell. “Is it going to do this every time?” he asked.

  “No,” the goddess answered curtly. She sounded angry.

  His brow furrowed. “Then why—”

  “Because you were being reckless,” she interjected, rising from her seat and circling the small table to approach Finn. “Do you remember the last time you left this world?”

  “It was just…” Finn trailed off, suddenly realizing he couldn’t recall the last time he had logged out. Maybe two or three days in-game? He winced again as he immediately did the math to take into account the game’s time compression. That would have been about 18 hours in the real world.

  “Far too long,” the Seer replied for him. “You pushed yourself too hard, and this was the result. You might feel younger and stronger here, but your real body is still that of an old man – one you have begun to neglect.”

  “And you have no role in that?” Finn bit back, glaring at her as he cradled his aching head. “A storm is coming, don’t be afraid to leap? Your cryptic advice is what put me in my current predicament. We’re stuck at the bottom of a hellhole with the clock ticking because of you.”

  “Hmm, I must have forgotten the part where I also instructed you to stop using the restroom… or eating,” she answered sharply. “Certainly, you have time to handle those mundane tasks if you can also sit for hours reciting nonsense phrases.”

  Finn didn’t really have a good comeback for that, so he ground his teeth together instead. The fire goddess was starting to sound a lot like Julia.

  “A woman wise beyond her years and with the patience of a saint,” the Seer offered, picking up on Finn’s surface thoughts.

  Then her expression softened slightly, and she offered him a hand. Finn glared at it for a moment before grudgingly accepting her help. Her skin felt warm – almost hot to the touch – as though she had a fever. The Seer yanked him to his feet in a single fluid movement, demonstrating an eerie level of strength despite her slender frame. Finn’s head spun for a second, disoriented by the abrupt change.

  The goddess held him in place. The fingers of her other hand lightly traced the tattoos along Finn’s temples, the touch causing the pain to recede slightly. “You even abuse my gift to you – this new vessel,” she muttered in disapproval, flames dancing in her irises. Despite her tone, she led Finn gently to the chair opposite her table and sat him down, soon taking her own seat.

  He remained quiet through this exchange, uncertain what game the goddess was playing here. If he was really that sick in the real world, then why were they having this conversation. Why hadn’t the goddess just booted him? Certainly, she must have some sort of administrative privileges. And if she hadn’t kicked him out already, then that probably meant his real-world body was fine…

  And that the Seer had an ulterior motive in bringing him here.

  “Do you have nothing to say?” she asked, those eyes watching him above her silken mask.

  “What do you want me to say?” Finn snapped. “We made a bargain – with my wife as a prize. That was one hell of a carrot you dangled in front of me. Do you really find it surprising that I’ve pushed myself this hard?”

  A single arched eyebrow was his response.

  “You are the goddess of passion, after all. The burning flame,” he added, pointing at the tapestry behind her, the young phoenix pulling itself from its shell, its body covered in a weak aura of fire.

  “Indeed, I am, but a fire needs fuel. You are useless to me if you burn yourself up in the process,” she responded.

  “Now you’re really starting to sound like my daughter.”

  “Perhaps you should heed her advice,” the Seer retorted. “Apparently, she was right in advising moderation.”

  Finn winced. “What is this? Did you bring me here just to nag me about taking breaks? I’m too old to need a mother hen pecking at me.”

  To his surprise, the Seer laughed, the sound feeling odd coming from the normally reserved woman. “You certainly don’t lack for spirit. That stubbornness is part of your charm, I suppose. But to answer your question, your real-world body has stabilized. I am here to offer some help – to nudge you back onto the path.”

  “I don’t need any more of your help,” Finn replied curtly. He didn’t enjoy her laughter or her condescension. It felt like she was toying with him.

  “You seem to be making a habit of pushing away those that offer a helping hand – first with Julia and Kyyle and now with me. An odd choice for someone in your predicament. I wonder… do you really wish to obtain your goal?”

  Finn’s eyes widened, glaring at her.

  Before he could speak, the Seer cut him off. “Let’s see… You’re trapped at the bottom of the Abyss. You face impossible foes. You’re racing against the clock. And your love hangs in the balance.” At this last statement, the Seer waved a hand. Streamers of smoke curled away from the lamps swiftly morphing a shape beside Finn. The gray fog condensed quickly, Rachael’s face forming for only an instant, her hand reaching out to Finn.

  Definitely fucking with me, he thought sourly, forcing his eyes closed.

  “Enough,” Finn croaked, his voice hoarse. “Get to the point. What do you want?”

  “To give you a simple gift,” the Seer murmured, waving at the crystalline orb in front of her. Wispy, dark tendrils circled its depths, spinning and dancing.

  “Are you going to read my future again?” he asked, skepticism dripping from his voice. “Instead, how about you give me some spells? Or an armory of magic weapons? Maybe some reinforcements or a way to fly back up the central shaft of the Abyss? You know, something that’s actually fucking useful.”

  “Unfortunately, those options are all unavailable to me,” the Seer replied tersely. “Besides, you already have everything you need – you must simply pay attention.”

  “Great, another cryptic riddle then…” Finn rubbed at his temples in frustration.

  “If you choose to see it that way,” the Seer murmured, cocking her head. “However, to answer your question, this orb doesn’t foretell the future. It was a present from one of my siblings, from a time when we enjoyed a more… warm relationship. It shows one their own memories, diving into their past.”

  Finn gave the sphere an appraising look. That seemed like an interesting tool, perhaps a chance to re-live a moment with Rachael – the prospect both painful and tantalizing in equal measure. Even as he stared into the mists, he thought he could see images, fleeting and ephemeral. He peered closer, his attention unnaturally riveted on the orb. Yet when he tried to pull his eyes away a moment later, he suddenly realized that he couldn’t.

  “What is the point of this? Just be straight with me,” he managed to bite out. He could no longer make out the Seer sitting across from him, her form bleeding away into tendrils of gray fog. That seemed like a bad sign.

  “To help you find some perspective,” was her only answer.

  Then there was only bottomless gray smoke.

  Chapter 25 - Oblivious

  Bilel’s Journal – Entry 111

  I am not anxious to share this experience, but I feel compelled to record it, nonetheless.

  I have made little progress of late – perhaps only to dr
ive myself half mad sitting in my lab for hours on end. That may explain why I decided yesterday evening to replicate the mistake of that silly novice who broke one of my mana crystals. What would happen if I attempted the same thing, but with a healthy limb?

  The short answer is severe burns and a trip to visit the healers. My fingers are only now capable of holding this quill – and not without considerable pain. To make matters worse, the mage that healed my injuries insisted on lecturing me on the wisdom of caring for myself. He rambled on about how the gods granted me this body and my gifts with the hope that I would treat them well and use them to fulfill my “purpose” in this world.

  Needless to say, he doesn’t understand my research, nor did he appreciate the irony of his unsolicited advice.

  ***

  Finn blinked as the world abruptly popped back into focus. Even after his experience with the Duels, he found the teleportation abrupt, the world listing and tilting erratically. He was forced to lean against a nearby piece of furniture, resting most of his weight on his arm and his legs wobbling.

  Maybe I’m more tired than I realized, Finn thought grudgingly.

  “Hello, Mr. Harris.”

  Finn’s eyes snapped up. “Excuse me—” he began but cut himself short as he took in his unusual surroundings.

  He was standing in a rather mundane office. The Seer’s tent had completely disappeared. Even more odd, the furniture appeared modern, carefully polished wood and plastics combined to create a sleek, minimalistic layout. The piece of furniture Finn had leaned against was actually a bookcase, filled with all manner of books and binders. The titles along the spines indicated that they were likely riveting reading, at least if you were into “Employee Health Insurance” and “Rules and Safety Guidelines.”

  And the person sitting behind the desk was familiar.

  Although, he never would have expected to see her here.