Virtual Me- Valkyrie

by Michael Ocheskey

  ​“Ah! The White Avenger. I’ve heard so much about you!”

  ​“The White Avenger? What are you talking about?”

  ​She chuckled under her breath before answering. “You must not have been logged on for very long today. Word of the Avengers has spread like wildfire. There are lines of people on Evanasia, Teranali, and Rennalus stretching across the horizon. Many players and residents alike are hoping to be recruited. It got to the point where Aurora had to initiate recruitment tests and allow only those who passed to become Avengers.

  ​“Only, the rumors of you don’t seem very accurate. Some of them, yes, but others...”

  ​I felt like a fish watching bait on a hook and Merissa knew it. All that was left was for me to bite. “What rumors?”

  ​Then she reeled me in. “Well, the obviously true rumor is that the White Avenger is a beauty almost celestial in appearance with long, flowing, white hair and seductive, white clothing. As for the others, there are rumors that say you are a fierce warrior with a heart of ice and a gaze that can paralyze even the strongest of men. But you don’t look vicious or heartless to me, and your eyes are lovely, nothing menacing about them.”

  ​I was outraged and hurt. “I’m not heartless!”

  ​As I protested, an image of the goblin-killer’s head rolling away from his body and another of William and Richard trembling in fear entered my mind.

  ​“I’m just...I just....” I fell to my knees, tears welling in my eyes. I covered my face in shame. “I’m not heartless! I’m not!” As sorrow enveloped me, I shook my head violently, tears falling to the floor with every pendulum-like swing.

  ​Warm arms embraced me from my position on the floor.

  ​“I know child.” Merissa’s voice was soothing. “Pay no heed to those rumors. They were probably started by someone you fought to spite you.”

  ​“But,” I sobbed, “I’ve seen it. I even made my fellow Avengers tremble in fear simply by looking at them after I killed a man. It was a cruel way to kill him, too. I cut his head off, very slowly, to make him suffer.”

  ​“I’d heard about that,” Lesley announced. He had moved across the store and was now behind Merissa. I’d been so lost in my memory and tears that I hadn’t noticed. “The way I heard it, the man you killed had slaughtered many of the goblins west of here. Everyone in Melodia knows those goblins to be peaceful. Many people are glad that he didn’t die quickly. Besides, from what I gather, you took your time killing him so that you could tell him something and when you were finished you ended his life quickly.

  ​“That’s not the act of a heartless person to me, but one who knows when to deal out proper justice and when to show mercy. As for your gaze, many warriors look frightening immediately after a battle. The fury and adrenaline takes a little time to die from their eyes. Your companions just saw the remaining fury you had intended for your target. That gaze can be a powerful weapon as well.”

  ​“Yes,” Merissa agreed. “And your eyes hold no malice now. I would be worried if you always looked frightening because it’s a sign that you’ve lost yourself to power, but the peace in your eyes tells me all I need to know about you. Far more than any rumor could.”

  ​Merissa helped me to my feet, gave me another comforting hug, and walked out of the shop. “I hope to see you again, Valkyrie,” she smiled as the door closed behind her.

  ​Lesley cupped his hand on my shoulder and led me through the shop to a chair behind his work desk. I took off the pack and laid it on top of the desk. It made a hollow thud despite my attempt to set it down gently. I sat in the wooden chair by the desk, leaving the comfortable, padded chair behind the desk for Lesley. He sat, opened the pack, and was speechless for a few seconds.

  ​“This is….” He regained his composure and started again. “This is far more than I expected. I can’t believe you got so much. I won’t have to restock for quite a while. Maybe never.”

  ​He didn’t have to say it. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he conveniently left out “before I die.” He coughed a few times and then placed the bag in the corner of the room.

  ​“Alright,” he told me. “Let’s get started. First off, before you can learn to cast a spell, you have to understand magic and how it works. Magic is a force that flows freely throughout this universe. It is invisible to the naked eye, like the air we breathe, and passes through everything like a flowing river, only at a very slow pace, trickling through space instead of rushing through it. To use magic, you must learn to harness that flow as it passes through your body. A person’s total magical energy is equal to the total magic residing in their body. As you use the magic in your body, more is constantly being absorbed by your body, but it is a slow process.

  ​“Let’s say, for example, that you cast a spell which uses ten percent of your total magical energy. It will probably take hours or even days to restore that missing ten percent. That’s why control is an essential in magic usage. Many people, especially players from your world, simply think that by reading a spell in a book they can use magic, but there’s so much more to it than that. For instance, you and I could cast the same spell and you’d use a lot more magical energy than I would while I would have better results. The reason, I’m practiced at controlling magical energy and you’re not.

  ​“The better your control, the easier the process. Not only can you use less energy to cast a spell, but you can also learn to control the flow of energy to your body, meaning you can restore your magical energy at a quicker pace and even substitute the energy surrounding your body for the energy inside your body. This becomes important if you are in a battle and your energy levels reach zero. Being able to use the energy around your body will let you cast one, maybe two more spells before you become powerless. That may not seem like much, but it could very likely give you the edge you need to claim victory or escape defeat.

  ​“Now, check your stats.”

  ​I gave the stat command and saw that I had a full magical energy reading.

  ​“But I didn’t do anything. How come I suddenly have a magical energy reading of one hundred percent? Yesterday it was non-existent. It didn’t even read zero, just blank.”

  ​“The magical energy level doesn’t give a reading until the person is instructed in the basics of magic and magical energy. All I had to do was tell you how it works. Congratulations. You’re now a magician.”

  ​I pursed my lips in agitation. “Please tell me that’s not the end of my magic lessons. I thought you’d teach me spells and stuff.”

  ​Lesley gave a wheezing laugh. “Of course not. We’ve still got a lot to do. I’m not going to be around much longer...” Lesley stopped abruptly, having said something he was afraid to admit. He let out a sigh and continued, “I’m not getting any younger,” he corrected, “and I don’t have any heirs to pass along my knowledge to, so I’m going to teach you everything I know: jewelry crafting, enchantments, a few healing spells, some basic attack magic and defensive magic. I’m not well versed in the last three, but I’m sure a knowledgeable lady like yourself can find a way to learn more without my help.”

  ​And so, I began the long process of learning magic. I rarely left Lesley’s shop for the next two weeks. My routine became entirely predictable; breakfast, shower, work, dinner, shower, and bed. Every night I spent my sleeping hours studying metalsmithing, how to shape and set gemstones, controlling magical energy, memorizing and reciting spells, and comparing my new works to my old.

  ​I found I had a natural instinct for craftsmanship. In real life, I couldn’t do much of a physical nature due to my clumsy demeanor and poor hand-eye coordination, but in the SRU my hands worked without falter and with a precision I’d only dreamed of in my youth. I was soon creating jeweled works of art to rival Lesley’s.

  ​Lesley became increasingly joyful as time passed and was constantly using humor to brighten my mood whenever I started to become discouraged. I could tell he was more excited passing on his meth
ods than he’d been in a long time. My ability to memorize quickly made learning magic very fast and easy, so most of the time was spent on craftsman training.

  ​I even found myself sitting at work reciting spells in the back of my mind while I wrote my latest article.

  ​I found out through my craftsman training that there were three classifications of items: regular items, magic items, and enchanted items. There were actually two ways to enchant an item. If you made the item first, then placed the enchantment on the item, it was called a magic item. You could turn any normal item into a magic item by placing an enchantment on it, but the enchantments on magic items would wear down over time and eventually stopped working. The preferred method was to create enchanted items where you worked the enchantment into the item as you were creating it. These enchantments were permanent. Their powers wouldn’t fade no matter how much the item was used.

  ​On the sixteenth day since I’d started my training with Lesley, I entered his shop to find him sitting at his desk, his head resting on the tabletop. I went over to greet him, surprised that he hadn’t heard me enter. Every other time I’d come in, he would turn and greet me with unsurpassed glee.

  ​A chill crept through me as I closed in on the desk.

  ​Lesley’s skin was pale with a grayish tinge and sweat ran down his face. His eyes flicked open when I approached him and a twitch of a smile appeared from the corner of his mouth.

  ​“Hello, Valkyrie,” Lesley murmured, his voice barely audible, “I’m glad to see you one last time.”

  ​I crouched down by his side, placing a hand on his arm. His skin felt like ice.

  ​“I’m sorry, but it looks like you’ll have to find a different instructor. I’ve taught you almost everything I know. I wish I could have shown you how to work with chrystavite. It’s really difficult to cut...so brittle.”

  ​“Shh.” I rested my head on his arm to hide my tears. “Don’t speak. I’ll go get a doctor.”

  ​He tried to laugh, but all that came out was a cough and a trickle of blood. “Don’t bother. Doctor or not, I’m not going to last much longer.” With what must have been the last of his strength, he lifted my head, his hand under my chin, so that our eyes met, “Thank you, Valkyrie. Thank you for making my last days the best of this lonely man’s existence. You’re a wonderful person and you’ll make a great sorceress in time. Make me proud.”

  ​His hand fell limp at his side. One last rush of air from his lungs caressed my face and his body sank, head first, into my arms. I set his head upon the desk. He appeared to be napping. I walked to the door, flipped the sign from open to closed, and stepped out onto the crowded streets.

  ​I let the tears fall freely for a few moments before heading toward the hospital. At the reception desk, I told the nurse of Lesley’s death and watched as a stretcher was loaded with a black bag and pushed by two orderlies toward Rings and Things.

  ​“I’m sorry,” a familiar voice behind me addressed. I turned to find Merissa Nightshade standing there. “Lesley was one of my good friends as I’m sure he was yours.” She saw the unspoken questions in my eyes and answered, “I’ve been coming to check on Lesley a couple of times a day for weeks, knowing his time was near. I was on my way to see him when I saw you crying outside the shop.

  ​“It didn’t take a genius to figure out what happened, so I followed you. I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

  ​I shook my head, both in answer and to clear my head.

  ​“He was the first friend I’d made in this world. I only got to spend a few weeks with him. It isn’t fair! Do you know what he told me before he died? He said I’d have to find someone else to teach me. Like that matters!

  ​“I could care less about the training! He was my friend. Did he really think I only spent time with him for training? Even if he hadn’t been training me, I’d still have spent time there. I liked him from the first moment I met him. He was kind and gentle. My parents died when I was a teenager, so I’ve been all alone. Being with him, it was like having a family again; like he was the grandfather I never knew.”

  ​Merissa came up to me and folded me in her arms. “Don’t take it to heart, dear. I’m sure he knew all of that. He was just trying to joke around with you; leave you with a smile on your face. That’s how he was. You know that.”

  ​And I did. I’d been so torn up by my grief that for the briefest moment I'd doubted our relationship, but now I recalled how often he joked with me during training. Teasing was his way of showing affection. He’d been like that every time we were together.

  ​I took comfort in Merissa’s presence. Together, still wrapped in each other’s arms for comfort, we went back to Rings and Things. Lesley’s body had already been removed and the shop was locked up. Standing in front of the shop was a man dressed in a brown suit and polka dotted tie. He saw us coming and waved us forward.

  ​“Good day,” he greeted cheerfully.

  ​What’s good about it? I thought as I struggled not to punch him.

  ​Something of my anger must have shown on my face because he shivered slightly and lowered his gaze. After he regained his composer, he looked up and announced, “My name is Edwin Lucas. I’m Mr. Mintlock’s attorney. Are you Miss Valkyrie?”

  ​“Yes.” A one-word answer was as far as I was willing to go with this person at the moment. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but for him to be so carefree at a time like this made me sick. I had to keep reminding myself that drawing a weapon inside a city was against the law. I really wanted to threaten this man into running away so I could grieve in peace with Merissa.

  ​Still wary of me, he held out his hand. In it, he held a set of keys; the keys to Rings and Things.

  ​He cleared his throat and addressed me again, “According to Mr. Mintlock’s wishes, he has left all of his possessions to you, Miss Valkyrie. This includes the deed to Rings and Things, all of the merchandise inside, his small shack on the second floor of Rings and Things, and all of his monetary assets, which total fifty-three thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven gold coins, four hundred and thirty-three silver coins, and eighty-seven copper coins. The money has already been transferred into a bank account in your name. Here is your account information. Congratulations.”

  ​He handed me the keys to the shop, the deed, and a slip of paper with my new bank account number and walked away. It was a good thing too. If he’d stayed a moment longer, I’d have broken his nose.

  ​“Congratulations!” I was shaking with fury. “What a jerk. How could he act like this has been the greatest day of my life? I just lost a close friend and he congratulates me for it?”

  ​“Stay calm, Valkyrie,” Merissa rubbed my back, until my breathing slowed. “Do not be too upset with him. He’s a lawyer. It’s his job to distance himself from individuals. If he gets too close to a client, it can cause problems. Now, let’s go inside and have a sit.”

  ​Inside the shop, I could almost sense Lesley’s presence. It was strange to see the shop, looking no different from usual, especially after what I’d seen in here only a few hours ago. I'd expected the smell of death to linger in the place, but all I could smell was moth balls and stale air, the same as any other day. I sat down in my usual chair. Merissa conjured a chair out of thin air, refusing to sit in Lesley’s chair. I could understand why. I didn’t feel right in that chair either. Sitting in Lesley's chair seemed like a violation of personal space to me.

  ​We sat discussing Lesley’s life and character for hours, our own private funeral for him.

  ​“Merissa?” I asked. An idea had begun forming in my mind the moment we stepped into the shop and I had to get it out. “You said you were an herbal woman. Do you own a shop somewhere?”

  ​“No, child. I travel from place to place gathering herbs and selling them out of my basket. Why do you ask?”

  ​“I can’t stay here. Being friends with Lesley has shown me many things; given me a new perspective on my life. The things he
’s shown me, the dreams he’s instilled in me, they aren’t things that I can continue cooped up in a shop. Would you mind taking care of the shop and home for me? I’ll give you the deed and you can turn it into your own herbal store.”

  ​“Thank you, child,” Merissa accepted, “but what of the jewelry?”

  ​“I’ve come up with an idea for that, but I’ll need some help carrying it outside the city. Will you help me?”

  ​After agreeing, we gathered up all the jewelry in the store, loading them into the backpack I’d gathered gemstones with previously. The bag was still about three-fourths full of unused gems, including all of the chrystavite. Lesley only used chrystavite on rare occasions when a customer specifically ordered it. What wouldn’t fit in the backpack we loaded in the Rings and Things paper bags that were used for customer purchases.

  ​When we’d completely emptied the shop of jewelry, we locked up and headed toward the bank. At the bank, I withdrew ten thousand gold coins which I gave to Merissa to help her start her herbal shop, withdrew another ten thousand coins so that I could purchase necessary supplies, and purchased a large personal vault for five thousand gold coins where I stored the gems I’d collected for Lesley. One day, when I was emotionally ready, I’d return and use the gems in jewelry of my own design, an entire line of jewelry in honor of my mentor. Until then, I needed them safe.

  ​Now that the bag was almost empty, we moved the rest of the jewelry from their paper bags into the backpack. I’d felt guilty making Merissa carry so much when she was nearly as old as Lesley, so carrying everything in the backpack was my subtle way to make up for it.

  ​We had one more stop to go before leaving Melodia. We walked to Kaligan’s General Store, where I’d seen the very item I needed for what was to come.

  ​The shop reminded me of Rings and Things. It was also one of the simple shops in town. Inside the glass case near the cashier was a small purse, the only expensive item in the store. It was a simple piece of leather with a long leather thong through it, which sealed it shut and could be secured around your waist. This was the main thing I’d come for.