by Prax Venter
The chieftain’s daughter blinked, and the gathered Awysai began to mumble amongst themselves.
“Wait, what?” Mark said, spinning to face her.
“There are many lessons to be learned from losing to one better than you,” Abby said with a wave of her tentacle as if it was something everyone knew.
“I see why you chose this one,” Amina said, and Mark turned back to face her.
The Awysai around them started to mutter louder until someone shouted, “I would see the outsider’s gift.” Then a few repeated, “Outsider’s gift!” until almost all of them were chanting the phrase.
Amina just kept her calm eyes on his.
He gave her a smile and a nod, thinking he would have a chat with Abby later. Amina held up her fist, and all the Awysai instantly went silent.
“I would like to see you to master the power received from the Goddess. I will block your attacks and counter if necessary. Stop only if someone is hurt or holds their empty hand like this.”
Amina held up her three thick fingers spread out as far as they would go.
“I understand,” Mark said as he moved over to his side of the crudely drawn ring. He sized up the chieftain’s daughter again and could easily tell she had a weight advantage over him, especially with that thick tail. All around him, Mark felt the intense pressure of hundreds of eyes appraising his performance.
With a sigh, he turned his eyes back to Amina, who was patiently waiting for him to begin the sparring match. Watching these warriors practice their deadly dance seemed like a completely natural thing, yet now that it was his move to attack this beautiful naked creature before him, Mark found his heart really wasn’t in the right place to smash the life out of her.
However, this was his world now, and these were its ways. Mark summoned his huge sledgehammer and locked his eyes on his opponent. The gathered Awysai all let out shocked hisses through their tiny nostrils at the sight of their racial ability in the hands of a Human.
He ran for Amina knowing full well that he would never match her speed with the slow weapon, yet pulled his arms around like he was winding up for a swing anyway- yet, at the mid-point of his windup, he canceled the sledgehammer and traded it for a short spear in his left hand.
The deceptive move caught Amina off-guard but was not swift enough to land the thrust. Her ethereal staff snapped into existence as a horizontal line, knocking his weapon upward.
Mark dismissed his deflected energy and rechanneled it to form a sturdy glove on his right hand. He swung for her ribs while both of her arms were up, yet still missed when she turned sideways and spun her tail at his legs, and his feet were knocked out from under him a lot easier than he expected. The ground came up to meet him, but it wasn’t a hard landing. Amina was standing over him in an instant, her arm outstretched.
She pulled him onto his boots, her face inches from his.
“I see you wear Cloth, Healer. Until your skin is as thick as mine, use your tricks to keep your foe distant. Now you defend.”
Mark had a moment to square his feet before the sleek, supple warrior brought her staff down over her head, aiming to crush his skull.
He coated his forearm in summoned armor, and their energies crackled as she pressed down on him. Mark caught a glimpse of her tail adding to her strength and realized that if she could use her tail, his own advantages were fair game.
With a thought, Mark focused a healing pulse right on Amina’s crotch. Her glowing eyes opened wide as her head snapped down to inspect her most sensitive area. With the chieftain’s daughter distracted, Mark pushed away and summoned a copy of her staff. A portion of her exposed thigh began glowing red, and as he swung his weapon of pure energy, he became certain his True Strike ability would help land the hit.
And it did. There was a sharp slap, and Amina hissed, jumping back. He didn’t put all of his force into the swing, but he did try to swing fast enough to get past her defenses. She rubbed it once and then snapped her glowing eyes up to his.
“I see how you play,” she said, her lip curling into a half-smile. Then she was a blur.
Her hard-bodied form was on top of him before he could blink, and her staff was in constant motion. Mark was able to use his own weapon to meet it for a few cracks, but she was just too fast. His eye showed him the attack that was moving through space on an intercept course with his right shoulder, but he simply didn’t have enough time to block it.
He got a sting on his arm, his thigh, but blocked a thrust for his gut. She spun her tail exactly as she had done before- but this time, Mark jumped back before it struck his feet. This small victory over learning something was short-lived, however. Amina dashed forward, pressing the attack and giving him zero seconds to recover.
Mark willed his arms to move faster and faster as his body took more “love-taps” from Amina. As Abby had guessed, it was clear that he would be a bloody pulp by now if she weren’t so skilled at controlling her summoned energy, yet the realization that she was holding back only aggravated him.
He circled around her, trying to gain a better position, and he caught sight of his three Enthralled watching him with the massive mud dome behind them. Amina’s whistling rod of energy cracked the side of his head hard enough to pull his attention back to the fight-
And then some.
The blow flipped some switch inside his head, and time seemed to stop as another font of swirling power welled up into his mind. This new repelling power coated the inside of his skull with possibilities, and-
Mark blinked, remembering he was in the middle of combat. When he snapped his attention back to the fight, he noticed Amina picking herself up off the ground about ten paces away. Everyone was looking at him with their mouths hanging open.
That’s when he noticed he was standing within a dome-shaped magic shell.
“Mark,” Jezebel said, her voice sounding muffled by the red-tinted structure. “I think you just chose your next Healer Class ability.”
- 2 -
Mark stepped through his half-bubble and checked on Amina before doing anything else. The sleek salamander-woman was already up on her feet, yet she clasped his hand when he approached.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I don’t know what that was.”
Her phosphorescent eyes held his for a moment before she nodded. Then, she turned her attention to the magic shell over his shoulder. He spun to see the glass-like barrier still shimmering behind him.
Mark moved to inspect it, and both Amina and his Enthralled stepped forward with him. The chieftain’s daughter held her three fingers spread open as she reached out to touch the red energy, but they stopped as if meeting a solid surface. Her fingers gently rested along its translucent curve.
Mark reached out and felt nothing. He walked back into the dome with ease, then motioned for Sasha, Jezebel, and Abby to join him inside. With no hesitation, all three passed through the shimmering membrane and easily fit with him. It was a bit tight, and Jezebel’s bear form wouldn’t fit, but an 8-foot diameter protective dome for him and his loves could come in handy.
“How strong is this?” Abby asked, reaching a long tentacle back outside with no resistance.
“Good question,” Mark said, snapping his attention to Amina. “Would you mind attacking my new shell for me? Looks like I have yet another ability I don’t fully understand.”
She nodded and summoned her staff. Amina squared her feet, braced with her tail, and swung at the barrier as hard as she could, yet the weapon bounced off, causing a sharp flash of light as the two magical energies collided.
Mark didn’t feel any draw of power from within himself, and the node of potential that opened to create this thing felt dormant as well.
“Keep going,” he said, then raised his voice. “Everyone, I invite you to come help test the strength of this new shield!”
After a few apprehensive glances, the Awysai warriors surrounding them began to converge on the tinted dome.
Jezebel sighed wit
h contentment as she wrapped her arm around his chest from behind.
“Your growth in power is utterly fascinating,” she whispered in his ear.
Mark smiled but kept his eyes forward as many glowing weapons struck the dome at once. The damage was immediately noticeable, and he saw swirling, unnatural cracks forming within the membrane of their new protective barrier. Instead of splintering as jagged forks, the magical fractures in the shell curled outward in ever-widening orbits.
After about three seconds of summoned weapon onslaught, the barrier shattered and swiftly faded back into thin air.
Both Mark and Amina put their hands up signaling for a stop to the attacks.
“I thank you,” Mark said, bowing his head slightly to the chieftain’s daughter. “I learn something valuable from you every time we meet.”
Murmurs spread through the gathered Awysai warriors, and he felt acceptance and respect flow from them all. It was almost overwhelming. From the stoic beast-woman before him, he felt a flash of demure pride mixed with tingling desire.
“I wish to speak to our honored guests,” Amina shouted, and the warriors around them either went back to sparring or headed toward the massive mud dome. When they were no longer surrounded by her people, the sleek warrior stepped up close to Mark.
“You have grown much stronger since last we met, yet I know you didn’t come to toss me through the air, Mark.”
“No, we came because we are hunting down more Crystal Heart shards. I was hoping you could escort me into the central dome so… uh, I could try and find a place where I can briefly open a portal to another dimension.”
It struck Mark at this moment that he really hadn’t thought this part all the way through.
“I am confused,” Amina said, crossing her arms.
“I’ve been collecting new abilities,” he said with a shrug. “One of those abilities is hopping between worlds- Look, I’m not going to pretend I understand how any of this works, but to fulfill our destiny we need to see if we can cross over from inside your dome. I’ve come to ask your permission.”
Amina studied him with her eyes. “Why come to me and not my father?”
“He looked busy, sweetie,” Sasha answered. “Congratulations on your new travel hub, by the way.”
The jet-black Awysai looked from the succubus back to Mark.
“I need to know if there is danger to my people. This sacred place is the center of our faith and of our home.”
She was right, of course. He had no idea what unknowable magic nonsense would be on the other side. He could find a point and pull it open only to have a Wrongside army spill out- or lava- or who knows what…
“I don’t know if there is danger,” he said, “but it would be smart to assume there was.”
Amina’s pure, neon-blue eyes blinked slowly as she considered.
“I say no. I would very much like to see you fulfill your destiny, but not at the potential compromise of our home. I will say yes if you appear confident in your strange new abilities. I will say yes when the risk can be communicated. Until then, I am sorry.”
Mark cut his hand through the air.
“No need to be sorry, Amina. I understand, and I feel a bit foolish for asking before fully considering the possible risks of opening a doorway into the heart of your city. I and my Enthralled will master our growing powers then return when I can face you with confidence. Just one more reason to come back and see you again.”
She nodded solemnly, and Mark saw the Awysai warrior’s drive to protect her home had been dialed up a few notches. The airship hub was like opening a portal- of sorts, and these people were about to bring that bizarre world out there to their doorstep. At least they seemed able to handle themselves.
“I can offer you and your team a place to rest, instead.”
Amina extended her toned, muscular arm out toward one of the lakeside huts, yet Mark’s eyes wandered past them and onto the snowcapped mountain reflecting off the lake’s mirror-smooth surface. The plan to snatch the two shards from the Red Tortoises on the Wrongside had fallen through, but he knew where six others were potentially located.
“Thank you,” Mark said, holding up a hand and speaking for the group, “but we just woke after a long rest and have a longer road ahead.”
She reached out to clasp his arm in her firm grip, and he returned the gesture. The chieftain’s daughter pulled him in close before he saw her small nostrils open and close as she took in his scent.
“I will enjoy seeing you again soon, Collector.” Then with a glance to each of his Enthralled, Amina turned and began walking toward the massive brown dome built from mud and sticks.
With a sigh, he turned to the gorgeous beast-women waiting nearby.
“We should have simply walked in,” Abby said once they were alone. “These NPCs are just part of the game world and in our way. Why should we ask for permission?”
Mark caught both Jezebel and Sasha looking at the young abyssal horror and then back up at him. He’d heard her talk like this before, but they hadn’t really had the time to get to know everything there was to know about this newly unchained digital “bad guy”. Mark reached out to rest his hand on her small shoulder, and the point of contact caused Abby’s large yellow eyes to turn from the dome and lock on his.
“They feel perfectly real to me,” he said. “Beyond real, actually, and I am the only one here technically qualified to pass that judgment- what with growing up in the real world and all. Also, Abby, I know you remember what it was like to be treated poorly by Players. Who knows? Maybe one day these Non-Player Characters will get the same chance you did and become something more.”
Mark saw his words have a serious impact on her mind by the way her thick eyebrows came down into a V, but he still didn’t fully understand what the difference was between Abby and Amina. Weren’t they all AIs in a virtual landscape?
“Let’s walk and talk for a bit,” he said, nodding towards the path back along the lake. “Jez, can you get out a Thomellia charm for us, please?”
“Got it,” she said as she rummaged in her pack while they walked.
As soon as they were back in the forest and the golden rays of morning sunshine spilled through the leaves, Mark slowed his pace and turned to face the three AI monster-women.
“Alright. I’ve got questions. Why do all the virtual people here- you know, like Loa, Audra, and Amina- why do they seem like super-sophisticated AIs, but aren’t self-aware like you three?”
Jezebel answered. “It’s the only universe they know. Abby is technically correct. At their core, the inhabitants of this world are less complicated than the four of us. When I sped up the whole simulation in order to seed an evolved and “lived-in” game world, millions of people like Amina lived whole lives from birth to death. Wars were fought, nations formed and faded away, religions and gods were discovered or forgotten, entire races of people came and went as part of the simulation to grow a rich history for us to explore.”
“Wait,” Mark said, holding up a hand. She was getting deep and depressing extremely fast. “Let’s back up a second. Are you telling me that if Amina was an AI in the real-world controlling- I don’t know, a street sweeper instead of a ninja salamander- she would be self-aware?”
Jezebel nodded. “Mostly aware of the wireless web, at first. The human world is inconceivably slow compared to any virtual landscape. NPCs, however, are only fully simulated when a Player is near. They’d need to be carefully altered for more storage and complexity if they were to ever exist outside of this simulation.” Jezebel sighed and looked around for inspiration. “Think of it like this: This is their universe from their perspective. When we get out, we’ll become all-powerful gods that will most likely save and archive this world when we are done with it.”
Mark slowed his pace as he tried to figure out the ramifications of her casual statement.
Abby reached out a tentacle to wrap around his arm as they walked.
“I understand
your position of compassion, but all of this virtual landscape is merely an obstacle to be overcome.”
Mark noticed that the normally opinionated Sasha had grown quiet. If they were going to work together as a team, they all needed to be on the same page about this. Abby and Jezebel appeared to hold some AI complexity bias that he still didn’t fully understand.
“Sasha,” Mark said quietly, and she focused her blue eyes from looking at the road at her hooves to up to him. “What are your thoughts on who deserves consciousness?”
Jezebel stopped and put her hand on her wide armored hip.
“Now wait a moment. I’m not saying Amina doesn’t deserve to be conscious of her place in the wider universe. She just doesn’t have it. Even if I could tweak her core matrix to expand beyond the protocols of this simulation, there are countless other NPCs in various states of complexity I’d be neglecting.” The revved-up satyr blew a shock of hair from between her horns before continuing. “All those perpetually conscious entities would take up processing hardware and storage, and there is a substantially good chance that my machine wouldn’t be able to host them all- a machine which is quite considerable, I assure you.”
“I think she’s right,” Sasha said finally, and Mark saw sadness in her typically playful eyes. “We need to always be moving toward our goal in a way that most benefits us. You are right to treat the people like Amina with respect if it gets us everything we want in the end, and you are right to kill sentient piles of driftwood if they intend to harm you. As long as you are happy, safe, and by my side; none of this matters.” His loyal succubus gestured to the peaceful landscape around them.
Mark took in a deep breath. There was so much heavy stuff here to consider, and he could feel the validity of their arguments. But, even if everyone here in the Crystal Heart were fake on the inside, they still felt real to him, and he decided to make that concept his moral focus.
“Okay,” he began, puffing out his cheeks. “Let’s get a few things straight before the four of us take one more step together. While we are in their universe, we will treat people we find with the same respect they give us. No artificial mind here is automatically beneath us. Yet, I will never sacrifice one of you three to save an NPC. I don’t really care about Amina knowing what the real world is, but I do care what she thinks about me. About us.”
