But Death is Not Forbidden

by Kip Terrington

  “Whoa, slow your roll, Palpatine. I can feel your hate from here. These are not the droids you're looking for, dude!” Force said.

  “Despite my chrome exterior, I'm not a droid, though I appreciate the sentiment. I see some chairs in the distance. Force, would you like to join me for a talk?” Bind asked.

  “Awesome,” Force said. Then the two of them headed to the chairs and began to talk privately. This left the twins, Mind and Spirit, standing awkwardly by Portal and EMC.

  “The subconscious is,” Mind began.

  “A strange place,” Spirit finished.

  “Please don't do that finishing sentences thing, you know that it bothers me,” Portal said, leaning over and covering his face with his hands.

  In unison, the twins replied, “Sorry.”

  “That's not better. Just don't talk,” Portal said.

  “They don't have to listen to you,” EMC said.

  “EMC, please don't be angry with Portal. He is the aspect of Joe's personality that deals with pride and leadership. He wishes for Joe to succeed, but he has a hard time when credit is not thrown his way. Ultimately, he is who he is, and you will not succeed in changing him, which is why Joe doesn't let that aspect of his personality out very much,” Mind said.

  “He doesn't let me out very much. He treats me like some toad in a jar or a hedgehog kept in the cage. But the joke's on him. For some reason, Portal Magic attached itself to me and I'm holding on tight to that magic. He will get no spells from me. He could have been a leader during his life, but he was too afraid of walking on people's toes. What kind of Russian is he? About the only time I was ever allowed out was during board games. Nearly a hundred years of letting other people surpass him. I won't forget that slight. I can hold on until we die, it won't be that long,” Portal said in a quiet serious tone.

  “Joe wanted to be a leader,” Spirit replied, “He just didn't like who he was in that role. He erred on the side of kindness. Don't blame him for that, Portal. In this game, he's allowed himself to lead. Look at the way he stood up to Rook. That was almost all you. It's not too late to help him accomplish something, to help you accomplish something,” Spirit said.

  “This is a game, which means anything we accomplish, is meaningless. Honestly, I'll never understand how you both can constantly give everyone the benefit of the doubt. It is such a weak position to be in,” Portal said.

  “I can understand how you might feel that way. Joe is accomplished at reading emotions, but he recognizes that you can never know the motive behind those emotions. When you assume people have only the best motives, it gives them the chance to rise to the occasion,” Mind said.

  “Maybe, but how does that help me?” Portal asked.

  “Most of the time it won’t, at least in terms of monetary gains. Though you have to admit, it paid dividends in Joe’s personal relationships,” Spirit said.

  “It did. But it didn't help us with those who considered themselves our adversaries. And it doesn't help in war or a game like this,” Portal said.

  “You're right. That's why he needs you now. This may be a game, but for some reason, the evil in it seems real. He needs your ability to be wise as a serpent. Please don't deny him that,” Mind said.

  “Like I would listen to a couple of gentle doves like you. I'm just one facet of his personality and he apparently doesn't think I'm that important,” Portal said.

  “He needs you, and he needs those portal spells. Otherwise, he's going to be stuck in this tundra until his real body gives out. Let him go out and experience this game,” Spirit said.

  “If he had let me out more, we would have received more respect from our fellow Russians,” Portal said.

  “I think you're right. Joe was not the typical Russian bear, but he loved the Motherland. You know that he still does. But right now, Russia is a long ways away. Joe can't do anymore for her. We are in a game and he could build so much here, even if it is ephemeral. Don't allow your bitterness to sabotage him,” Mind said.

  Before Portal could respond, EMC chimed in.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, but you guys are mistaken. This is no game. It's real, and I think Joe has actually become a Champion. Not that I think you should give him portal spells. I think he needs to stay close to his castle where I can keep him safe, because I believe he is in real danger,” EMC said. The twins and Portal looked at her and burst out laughing.

  “I heard you say that earlier, but it's still funny. Do you believe in Narnia also? What about Hogwarts? This might be a highly advanced fantasy game, but it's still just that, a fantasy,” Portal explained.

  Before EMC could respond, all four parts of Joe’s personality, including Force who still spoke with Bind, fell down in apparent pain. EMC felt slightly nauseous, but did not understand what had happened. Moments later, everyone recovered.

  “What was that?” Mind asked.

  “Genius, Joe probably just ate expired meat again. When will he learn that just because it's not green, doesn't mean it's still good,” Portal said.

  “You really do view everything in a negative light, don't you?” EMC said.

  “You really like saying incredibly obvious things, don't you?” Portal retorted.

  Then things began to change around them. Mind, Portal and Spirit began to glow. A fourth light appeared. It was smaller, but no less bright. The lights dimmed and EMC noticed that in place of the fourth light, was a young brown-haired child. She knelt down to say hello.

  “Well, hello, I'm EMC. What's your name?” EMC asked.

  “I am Life. You're very beautiful. I'm going to marry you. Wait, I am married to you. Wait, no, I was married to you? Where am I?” Life asked.

  At that, Bind realized what had happened. Coming across the room, she said, “Joe, allocated his points without any input from me! He said he would let me be a part of that process. He lied.”

  “I don't think he really committed to that,” Mind said.

  “Now you're just lying to yourself… and he suppresses me?” Portal said.

  “Statistically, most lies that are told, are told to oneself,” Spirit said as Bind and Force joined the group.

  “Dude, did you check the primary sources on that article, cuz it sounds totally bogus. How would you even test that, brah?” Force said.

  “Force, I agree with your assessment. That does sound like an unverified report, but most of all, it is not the salient point. Joe is apparently not being truthful with me. EMC, apparently I do not have the control I believed. I am still not sure if you are a dangerous program, but at this point, I will hear your suggestions. If you will follow me,” Bind said and walked away.

  “Gotta go, guys. This opportunity might not come again soon,” EMC said as she hastened toward Bind.

  After they left, there were five left standing around.

  “We welcome you, Life,” Mind said.

  “Thanks. I miss the pretty lady,” Life said.

  “Yeah. She’s pure nectar. Sweet,” Force said.

  “What did you and the chrome one talk about over there?” Portal asked.

  “I dunno. She talked and talked like a never-ending wave, but I kept getting distracted by the beautiful lines in her face. Totally gnarly,” Force said.

  Chapter 6 - Tainted Coin

  Kingdom Of Dollmar, Royal Bedchamber.

  Day two, in early morning.

  Rook glanced around the king of Dollmar’s chambers. The king’s bedroom was not as gaudy as the rest of the palace. He approved. There was a place for making others feel small with one’s wealth, but it was not where one rested their head. The king slept fitfully. He was no longer young, but he had chosen to live, eat, and drink as if he was. One of the privileges of being a king was access to the healing of a Life Mage whenever you required it. The king didn't worry about liver damage, oily skin, or any of the consequences of living an overabundant life. Even with all that magic, sleep was still difficult.

  “I like your duvet,” Rook said as he sat
on a chair and casually crossed his legs.

  The king began to glow with a polychromatic light. As he sat up, his body began to grow into a bulbous and angry fire-breathing lizard. Snarling, the king hissed through his serrated teeth. “Who dares disturb the slumber of the royal patriarch?” The lizard glided closer to the seated knight.

  Rook smiled and raised one hand with his pointer finger out. As if he had just popped a balloon, Rook poked the eye of the lizard while still sitting several feet away. The illusion the king had been casting evaporated like a morning mist. The king sat on his bed, holding his covers tightly to himself. Before he could prepare another spell, Rook spoke. “I mean no harm your majesty. I am here to repay a debt that I owe to you,” and he walked forward, laying a small brick of mithril down on the covers of the bed. The precious bar of mithril stunted the king's attack, but he did not reach for it.

  “If there had been an outstanding debt of that size, I would have known about it. Who are you and how did you so easily break my Illusion Magic?” the king demanded.

  “You may call me Rook. The debt I am repaying was due to one of your ancestors and has now passed onto you. As for how I broke your spell, I used Entropic Magic. Illusion Magic has barely any substance to it at all, so with only a small touch of entropy it falls apart,” Rook explained.

  The king of Dollmar’s heart almost stopped at the mention of Entropic Magic. “Entropic Magic? So then, with this gift, have you come to destroy my kingdom?” the king asked.

  “Why does everyone get so bent out of shape with entropy? I have it under control. It is just one of the tools in my repertoire, and to be honest, it is the least used. This bar of mithril is only that, mithril. You may have your mages verify that in the morning. It is only the first payment of what I owe. The greater part of my debt will be paid tomorrow at court. I will come in the guise of a knight begging an audience with the king. If you wish to receive the greater part of the payment owed to you, you will not only welcome me to court, but ask to see me with your small council. I am well aware this is not an honor given to many. It is for this reason that I have come here and given you the down payment. Nothing less than a brick of mithril could get the attention of King Treau, guardian of the Kingdom of Dollmar. If you refuse to see me tomorrow, I will consider my debt paid in full. I wish you well,” Rook said. His body dissolved into a mist and dissipated before the king's eyes. The moment Rook disappeared, the king reached out and hefted the small bar of mithril. It felt real to him. Despite the late hour, he rose and took the bar with him. If it was real, then he would have an interesting meeting on the morrow.

  Kingdom Of Dollmar, Royal Outer Courts.

  Day two, later that morning.

  Vasili Calamovich, a newly minted earl of Dollmar, stood among the crowd of sycophants, unable to hide his bitterness. His uncle had just yesterday named him his heir, proclaiming it before the king himself, only to end his own life later that day. Vasili had wanted to rise in the ranks, but not this way. He turned quickly, as there was a commotion in the court. Vasili caught sight of a knight covered from head to toe in gold-plated armor. The knight looked around at the gathered court members and, for some reason, his gaze stopped on Vasili. Confidently and without fear, the knight walked straight up to Vasili and greeted him.

  “Greetings, Vasili Calamovich, you are a Beta Player. I wonder what that means. I saw a blue flicker of lettering above your head. As a token of my respect for you, and in hopes of future dealings, please accept this medallion,” Rook said, holding out a small pentagon-shaped mithril medallion.

  The young earl did not reach for it.

  “Forgive me, we are not acquainted and I am a new earl. If I accepted such a gift at this point, I would be doing you a dishonor. I would be happy to have my steward arrange a more formal meeting. Excuse me, sir knight, it appears the king’s steward wishes to escort you somewhere,” Vasili spoke in an unfeeling formal tone. Rook looked back over his shoulder.

  “It appears the king and his small council are ready to see me. May you live in interesting times, young earl,” Rook said and then spun on his heels, following after the king's steward. One of the nameless court ladies leaned toward the young earl and whispered, “That was a unique farewell. Why didn't you accept his gift of mithril? That single coin held more wealth than some of the aristocracy have in their coffers.”

  “It was neither unique nor a farewell, m’lady. It was a curse and one of the worst I've heard. Could you not feel the evil contained in that golden peacock? Accepting a gift from a being such as that, would be the equivalent of gifting a new noose to the king's executioner and asking her to try it out on you. I have spent enough time here today to meet the minimum requirements good day to you,” Vasili Calamovich said spinning on his own heels and leaving the court.

  ***

  Rook walked into the ornate marbled room. In the center was an intricately carved stone table. Two women with silvery white hair sat on one side, while a pair of gray-haired gentlemen sat on the other. At the head of the table, directly facing Rook, sat the king.

  “Welcome to the small council. My advisers are beside themselves with anticipation, hoping to discover why I allowed you such an audience,” King Treau said with a smile, though none of his advisers showed any sort of amusement. Rook carefully reached into his bag and pulled out three small bars of mithril and set them on the table in front of him with a clank. None of the advisers had the same response. One widened his eyes, while another one frowned. One adviser stayed perfectly still, while another had to cover up a curse with her hand.

  “This is part of the payment I owe the king. The rest of the debt will be paid with information. None of you know me. I don't expect you to believe me without verification. Because I must pay this debt, I will allow the one here, with an affinity for truth, to cast their truth spell while I pay my debt,” Rook said, and then looked toward the adviser who had hid her emotions the best when the mithril was revealed.

  She addressed the king. “With your permission, your majesty,” she said.

  “By all means, cast your spell, Cecilia,” the king said. She spread her fingers wide on her right hand and placed it on the table. She said one quick word of power, “VERO.”

  The stone table began to glow white.

  “Before you begin your tale of truth, please tell one lie so that we can verify that the spell is working,” the king said.

  “With pleasure, may I just say that all of you look very attractive considering your age,” Rook said and the table went from white to a hard red, and then slowly faded back to white. The king roared with laughter slapping the glowing table.

  “Ha, ha! What a wonderful bit of fiction. Now the truth you came here to give us,” the king directed.

  “The Third Elven Kingdom goes to war. The whole of their armies will be heading southeast. They will break through the city of Northgate and overtime completely purge the Noble’s Alliance of its current citizens. Its lakes will be taken and its people will be made refugees or corpses. Your current strength is not quite enough to stop the elves from over-running your kingdom, but if you immediately recall your armies in the east and your mercenaries in the north, your kingdom will withstand the elves. My debt is paid,” Rook said and not once did the table flicker red.

  The king leaned back in his chair and let out a breath. “What about the refugees? Will they strengthen us or weaken us?” the king asked, but Rook remain silent.

  “Release the truth spell. His debt is paid. He's not a fool,” the king said and Cecilia lifted her hand from the table.

  “The refugees will be a problem. Unfortunately, even if you only take in the human nobles from the alliance, they will not settle for being second-class citizens. In their discontent and fight for advancement, they would ruin your nation. If, on the other hand, you deny citizenship to the Noble’s Alliance, in their flight from the elves, they will bring injury to your nation. However, as I have made evident today, I am all about the deal a
nd I pay my debts. In return for one of those mithril bars, I would perform you a service. It would relieve you of your refugee problem. Would you hear my proposal?” Rook asked.

  “For one whole mithril bar, it would have to be an extraordinary service, but make your proposal,” the king said.

  “As every one of you has gathered, by use of your power, I am not human, nor elf, nor any of the mortal races. I am a being of power. As such, there are things that I can do, but you cannot. Each and every one of you is skilled at deception, but not up to my level. I will make everyone believe that there is a new Grand Place of Power in the middle of the Wild Mountains. I'll make them believe it is a place of safety where all are welcomed and protected. The commoners will go for the protection, whereas the nobles go for a chance at gaining a piece of the place of power. Instead of fighting south through your borders, they will head west into the cold desolate mountains. You won't even have to deal with the bad smell of their dead bodies. Frozen corpses take a long time to decompose. I will have an expedition sent into the mountains. Most in the expedition will be slaves who will be made to stay in the mountains to give the appearance that a place of safety has been found. But some free peoples will return to spread the news. Come one, come all into the mountains, it is a place of safety, into the mountains,” Rook finished with glee.

  “Your majesty, I humbly ask that you not entertain such a wild assertion. This being’s boast is a bluff. The moment any individual with a modicum of power went into those mountains, his deception would be revealed. If there was a Grand Place of Power in the mountains, our hunters would have told us about it long ago. Neither the Third Elven Kingdom nor the Noble’s Alliance will be fooled by rumors being spread by a few slaves. He can't do what he claims. Don't waste your mithril.”