Awaken Online: Inferno (Tarot #3)

by Travis Bagwell

  That last battle was a little fuzzy. But it was coming back to him in pieces.

  He could remember the Supervisor, its body a collection of panels, crystalline wire, and glowing mana cores. The corrupted pounding on the blast door. The explosions as Julia destroyed the security mechs. The race through that room. Jamming his left arm into that brightly glowing sun and then the searing pain that had rippled through his body…

  He couldn’t help but rub at that arm now, just to reassure himself that his hand was indeed intact – the perpetual, aching burn no longer present. Although, the gesture did little to ease the anxiety that coiled in his stomach like a living thing.

  He met the goddess’ gaze. “Did I die?” he asked.

  “Irrelevant,” the Seer replied. “You need to focus.”

  “See, there’s another reason for my sour mood during these visits,” Finn grumbled, pulling himself to his feet before taking a seat across from the Seer. “The cryptic answers to straightforward questions don’t get old – not at all,” he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. “Have you spent so long in this damn tent that you’ve forgotten how to say yes and no? Or maybe this world’s gods are all training to be celestial politicians?”

  The goddess simply stared back, her eyes glowing a bright orange above the purple silks that wrapped her face. She seemed unamused.

  Finn let out a sigh. “Fine, you win. What’s so urgent?”

  “You have made much progress along the path I have laid before you,” the Seer began. “You have also begun to unite the guilds and the Khamsin – albeit your allies are still reluctant participants in the coming war.”

  “That’s one word for it,” he replied with a raised eyebrow.

  A part of Finn wondered if it would be easier to just stay in the Forge so he wouldn’t have to deal with the political bullshit and infighting that would likely be waiting for him back in the Hive. Things had been tense before he left, and he could only imagine that it would be worse once he was also dealing with the three guilds. At this point, he might prefer stabbing his ruined left arm into another mana core over the constant bickering.

  “They will come around in time. Eventually, they will realize that defeating your common enemy is more important than their petty squabbles. In fact, that process has already begun.”

  The Seer’s eyes went distant, staring at the wall of her tent, as though she were watching something Finn couldn’t see. “My view of Lahab is becoming cloudy with the sheer quantity of ambient mana caused by Bilel’s use of my relic. However, I believe most of the guild members have retreated from Lahab – with assistance from the former champions and the librarian.”

  “Isn’t that good news?” Finn asked, frowning at her severe tone.

  “In part. However, there are still a few crucial moves left before you have fully united our forces.” She paused, those glowing eyes drifting to meet his own. “Yet I wonder… can you anticipate the coming problem?”

  “I take it you aren’t talking about the guilds?” Finn asked. “Their motives seem quite clear, and it’s obvious at this point that Kalisha wasn’t setting us up.”

  At least, there hadn’t been a party of the Emir’s troops waiting for them at the entrance to the Forge. And Finn wasn’t certain that Silver and her druids counted. He’d gotten the impression that the rather intense shifter didn’t seem to be on friendly terms with anyone outside her own territory. Assuming she was telling the truth, of course.

  The Seer nodded, watching him and waiting.

  “Which means you believe the problem rests with the Khamsin?”

  No response. The stoic woman simply stared with that same, unwavering gaze.

  Finn chewed on the inside of his cheek. His thoughts immediately returned to his conversation with Eldawin – the way the older man had indicated that some sizable faction within the Khamsin didn’t support Finn. Or, at a minimum, they were on the fence.

  “You are on the right track, but you don’t yet see the full gameboard,” the Seer spoke up. Finn glanced at her in surprise as he realized she had just picked on his surface thoughts, yet he schooled his expression quickly.

  “Why are the Khamsin a problem? Especially right now?” Finn added. “We have a few more pressing issues at the moment. As I’m sure you’re aware, we’re trying to access the central chamber of the Forge and recover some technology we can use to fight Bilel.”

  He ground his teeth, his frustration momentarily getting the better of him. “Oh, and we’re also trapped in that same facility, and for all I know, I just died in that last battle – a question you still haven’t answered, by the way.” He looked at her archly. “I also feel compelled to remind you that you were the one who gave me the vision of that place, which indirectly led to our current predicament.”

  The Seer frowned, lines bunching at the edges of her eyes. “Here is where our conversation becomes more challenging. I cannot tell you how the pieces connect. Or how to act. At least, not directly. Not without violating the covenants that bind me and my siblings. I am limited to the poetry of prophecy, leaving you to divine your own meaning and myself to hope you understand me.” Finn detected a note of bitterness in her voice.

  He could certainly understand why she might be frustrated. After reading Bilel’s journal, it was clear that the Seer’s disciples had used her so-called prophecies to justify murdering the man’s family and imprisoning him within the Mage Guild. That had started Bilel down the path to becoming the demon that they now faced.

  For only a moment, Finn felt a flash of compassion – almost pity. To be a creature of nearly infinite power, but locked in this cage and forced to speak in riddles.

  “Do not mourn my plight,” the Seer interrupted his thoughts in a harsh, angry voice, her eyes flaring brightly. “Focus on your own. Even allies do not agree on everything. It is essential that those allies need you. That is the only way to maintain their loyalty. Bilel will serve that purpose for now… but not forever.”

  Finn chewed on that. Why should he care about the long-term political problems faced by the Khamsin? Once he recovered Rachael, he didn’t see how that would affect him.

  “You think that is the end?” the Seer snapped, her eyes flashing once again. “When you recover your love… what then? What will you do? Somehow transport her to your world? Do you even know how?”

  Finn’s eyes widened as he stared back. Okay, that was a good point…

  With everything that had happened, he hadn’t really considered what would happen if he was victorious over Bilel – only what needed to be accomplished to defeat the demon. Would Rachael be trapped here? Inside this game? And what would that look like? Could… could she die here – in this place?

  “Indeed, you may find yourself more reliant upon this world than you realize,” the Seer finished his thought for him, her tone more kind now – almost understanding. “And you need to consider how both your allies and enemies may react to the upcoming war… as well as the aftermath of that conflict. A wise traveler looks not to where he might place his next step, but to the larger path that is sprawled out before him.”

  Finn rubbed at his chin in thought. He found himself at a loss to rebut her logic. But what then was her larger point? Was the Seer implying that that Eldawin’s faction within the Khamsin might revolt? He’d certainly already gotten the impression that he was treading on thin ice with the elder Khamsin leader.

  He shook his head. “I will consider your words carefully,” Finn answered, his tone more measured. “But I cannot do anything about that issue right now. I have a few more immediate problems that must be addressed first.”

  “Indeed, you cannot… but you must still think of the future.” A pause and a soft sigh. “Which I suppose brings us to the heart of our meeting,” the Seer replied, waving at the tent around them.

  She leaned forward then, peering at him with those glowing orange eyes and weighing her words carefully. “You will be given a choice soon. One that will greatly infl
uence the game that is in play. A poor decision on your part may have telling implications in the coming war… as well as what may come after.”

  “Well, that’s more dire than usual, although equally cryptic,” Finn replied. He rubbed at his eyes wearily. “So, you summoned me here to advise me of a problem you can’t explain that will somehow influence the upcoming conflict with Bilel? And perhaps may affect Rachael even if we manage to succeed in defeating the demon?”

  The Seer nodded.

  “You see why I get frustrated with these meetings, right? Especially with what’s at stake for me,” Finn said, some irritation leaking into his voice. He was being asked to take a lot on faith. That the Seer was being honest, that she had his best intentions in mind, and that she wasn’t playing some convoluted game for her own benefit.

  If age had taught him anything, it was that everyone had their own motive. That seemed just as true inside AO as it did in the real world. Even now, he could visualize that glowing orange pylon that stretched up through the mountain – skimming mana from the river that flowed through the sky. He suspected the gods were aware of that theft. Was this so-called advice aimed at that problem?

  “I have been honest with you that I have my own agenda, and you are on the right track,” the Seer answered. “Unfortunately, my hands and lips are bound. And if you cannot approach a problem directly, you must find a more circuitous route. Have you considered what this Forge is? How it came to be? How – and more importantly why – it was attacked?”

  “I’ve been a little busy trying to survive,” Finn grumbled. “It’s also difficult to piece together the history of a thing when it’s mostly destroyed and overrun by some sort of mech-human hybrids.” He paused as he watched the goddess. “However, it seems that this choice I’m to make will involve the Forge.”

  “Possibly,” the Seer replied evenly. “It was once a place of knowledge. And the lure of discovery is tantalizing. It has driven many men to take incredible risks. You have seen this with Bilel – with his search for the answers to the source and nature of magic in this world. With his anger at both god and man alike. The lengths he is willing to go to achieve his goals. His is a cautionary tale with a dire conclusion.”

  Her eyes gleamed above those flowing silks. “Even your own history serves as a warning. You know firsthand the cost of reaching for your dreams – that drive that pushes you to test the limits of your knowledge. What price did you pay, Finn?”

  He clenched his jaw, unable to answer that question.

  “Your wife… Your life… Your children.”

  Finn winced as each statement landed like a physical blow. Yet he refused to drop his gaze from the Seer despite the chaotic whirlwind of emotion that swept through his chest – warring between guilt and anger. Indeed, it was his ambition and his drive that had put Rachael at risk. He had been sprinting along the razor-edge of progress… and he had stumbled. And that one mistake had cost him everything.

  “What is your point?” Finn ground out.

  “That is for you to determine,” the Seer replied. “But our time is almost up. I will leave you with one final question for you to consider.” She leaned forward, those glowing embers staring directly into Finn’s soul – weighing, measuring.

  “If you could do it again, would you choose love or ambition?”

  Chapter 24 - Disoriented

  “Dad… Dad, wake up!”

  Finn felt someone smack him. Hard.

  His eyes shot open… and he immediately regretted it.

  The world had regained its normal swirling, watercolor pattern – mana bleeding together and drifting apart in hazy, indistinct lines. That kaleidoscope of color only served to aggravate the headache that was pounding behind his temples. With a thought, he immediately activated Short-Sighted, and Julia’s face resolved into focus. Blood marred her cheek, and her platemail was scored with burns and dark lines – probably from shrapnel.

  He saw worry in her eyes… and tears.

  “You look like shit,” he croaked.

  Julia just shook her head, smiling despite the moisture in her eyes. “Watch it, or I’ll smack you again.”

  Finn held up his hand. “No. No, please don’t. My head is killing me.”

  He groaned as he tried to sit up, letting out a hiss of pain as he attempted to use his left arm instinctively. He immediately fell forward, off-balance, and the stump scraped against the stone floor. Luckily, Julia caught him and held him steady. He spared a glance down at his arm and winced. The makeshift blade was gone – probably melted down when he fractured the fire mana core. Only fragments of the metal remained, now coating his elbow. It seemed the near-death experience had also done little to stop the infection of his Najima, and the ever-present aching burn was back in full force – the pain now stretching down his right shoulder and up his neck.

  He could also see another telltale notification flashing in the corner of his eye.

  System Notice: Infection Status

  Continued spellcasting has caused the magical infection that afflicts your body to spread.

  Current Contamination: 38%

  Intact Najima: 4/6

  Stat Loss: -20%

  He’d had a reprieve from the pain during his conversation with the Seer – which only made the searing sensation that throbbed beneath his skin even sharper. He almost wished he could return to the Seer’s tent. Almost.

  “We thought we lost you there,” Julia hesitantly offered as she helped him to a sitting position, leaning him back against the nearby wall. “You were right on the edge.”

  “How exactly did I…?” Finn trailed off as he took in the pylon chamber.

  The answer to his half-formed question was staring back at him. They were near the back of the room, a few yards to the side of the terminal where the Supervisor had been mounted. A stone wall ringed them, fragments of rock crumbling away and sliding back across the room to where Kyyle still leaned against the blast door. As he saw Finn glance over, the earth mage managed a weak wave.

  “Daniel clued me in on your latest batshit plan,” Julia explained, a note of irritation in her voice now that she confirmed he wasn’t dead. “You didn’t have enough health to absorb the blast from detonating the Supervisor’s core completely – but you managed to absorb enough to blunt most of the explosion. I grabbed you at the last moment and pushed us both out of the trajectory of the blast. Then Kyyle walled us in,” she offered. “You must have hit your head or something. You were unconscious for a few minutes.”

  Finn grimaced. Just long enough for the Seer to be her usual unhelpful self, he thought. Although, her parting question lingered with him, teasing at the edges of his mind – a mystery he wasn’t certain how to solve right now.

  He shook his head to try to clear it, refocusing on his daughter.

  “Daniel did what now?” Finn asked, slowly catching up.

  “I took the liberty of modifying your plan,” the AI replied, his glowing form darting in front of Finn and pulsing softly. “Your calculations were based on an estimate of the energy stored in the Supervisor’s primary core and had an unacceptably small margin of error. It seemed that a contingency plan was in order. Particularly given the in—”

  “—intelligence of our opponent. That was quick thinking,” Finn said in a harried voice, interrupting the AI before he could tattle on him to Julia and Kyyle. If they knew the extent of the infection and its toll on his body… He shook his head. It didn’t matter. He had enough fight left in him to finish what he’d started.

  Finn refocused his attention on Daniel. “You saved my ass. I appreciate it.”

  Daniel pulsed once brightly in acknowledgment. “The least I could do after you saved me from the corrupted,” the AI replied, dipping in the air slightly.

  A faint grin pulled at Finn’s lips. “Then I guess we’re even now.”

  As Finn heard a muted banging against the blast door on the far end of the chamber, he shoved at the floor, sliding up the wall and shru
gging off Julia’s help. “I’m fine. My natural regeneration is kicking in. I’ll be back to full strength in a few minutes. But we need to regroup and take stock of the situation.”

  Finn eyed the blast door warily. A small army of the corrupted still lingered on the other side, and that last blast probably hadn’t encouraged them to disperse. He couldn’t be certain that the hastily melted slag that filled the gap between the door and the frame would hold forever. Yet he let out a sigh of relief as he noticed that no cracks marred the door or the makeshift metal barrier beside it.

  He shuffled over to Kyyle with pain-filled steps. “You alright?”

  “I’ve been better. But I’m guessing I look better than you right now,” the earth mage replied with a tired half-smile, earning him a snort of amusement from Finn.

  Kyyle glanced at the pile of rubble that was partially embedded in the slag between the blast door and the frame – what was left of Brock. His expression fell, and the earth mage closed his eyes against the image. Finn could sympathize. Brock had been rather single-minded, but he’d saved the earth mage’s life at least twice already.

  “And we won… I guess,” Kyyle muttered.

  Finn just patted him on the shoulder as he took in the rest of the room.

  They hadn’t just lost Brock. They had also done some damage to the pylon chamber.

  The terminal at the back of the room had practically been blown apart, although the two low counters along either side of the chamber were still intact. The Supervisor’s body had been obliterated. Its limbs were, quite literally, strewn across the room in a collection of half-melted metal fragments and pieces of crystalline wire. That left them without an obvious way to access the room’s controls and unable to salvage any of the technology that might have been hidden within the Supervisor’s corrupted body – apart perhaps from what they might be able to glean from Daniel’s preliminary scans.