by Simon Archer
It was true. I hated being lost or not knowing where I was going. I know some people thought of that as an adventure, but, well, when I was a kid, I’d gotten horribly lost. See, my dad had left me at a little league pizza party and neglected to come to get me for some reason or another.
So, my seven-year-old self had the bright idea to try to walk home. I’d gotten a cup of orange soda from the fountain and then made my way outside where I got horribly, tragically lost. After a few hours, a guy at a local Chinese restaurant saw me crying into my cup and asked me what was wrong.
That wound up being the best thing that happened to me that day because the guy called my dad and got directions to my house. Then he drove me home while telling me I was very brave and that I’d walked several miles and had made really good time.
Needless to say, my dad had been less than pleased, but he hadn’t gotten mad at me. Not really, anyway.
With all that being said, I was now the guy who triple checked directions.
“We’re almost there,” she said with a cutesy smile that nearly melted my heart. “Don’t worry.” She shot me a wink. “Trust me, it will be worth it.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt it,” I said, and I’ll be honest here, I believed her in the core of my being. There was just something about her I couldn’t quite put my finger on, something ethereal. It wasn’t just that she was Greek-Goddess-level beautiful or that she seemed to like all the same things as me. It was more that in her presence, I felt, well, truly understood. Like I could have told her anything about myself and had it be okay.
Now, I’m not one of those guys with a closet full of skeletons. Hell, my most embarrassing memories were rather tame to some of the stuff I’d seen in movies and on television, probably because I was also one of those guys who didn’t like watching embarrassing stuff on television.
And yet, I felt like I could have told her about the one time at band camp where, well… And it would have been okay. Better than okay.
She squeezed my hand, and another surge of warmth shot through me, calming my nerves.
“I know you don’t like not knowing where you’re going.” She smiled at me, and my heart skipped about twelve beats. “It’s why you’re such a good player.”
“You’ve seen me play?” I asked though I wasn’t sure why I was so surprised. And Jesus, I was like a schoolboy with his first crush. I knew that and knew I should get it together, and yet, somehow, I knew it would be okay.
“Many, many times.” She winked again. “In fact, you’re my favorite,” her grin grew mischievous, “and now you’ll be mine.” She licked her lips. “I have to say, I’ve waited a long time for this moment.”
I couldn’t help it. All the blood rushed to my lower region, which was probably the only reason that I didn’t flush cherry red.
“Ever since you beat Windsor in that qualifying match, I knew you had something special.” She watched me as she spoke, her eyes darting around my face to search for clues.
The thing was, I knew my face revealed everything. It always did because I wasn’t really a good liar. My manager hated it, always said I needed to go sleeveless so I wouldn’t wear my heart there, but I was who I was.
“That match was six years ago.” I shook my head. “It was by winning that tournament that I got a seat in the All-Star Amateur Expo Tour.” I took a deep breath. I’d had to win like seven more tournaments to even enter the pro qualifiers. “I thought like six people saw that.”
“Everyone thought Windsor was going to win.” She smirked. “He had so many more monster units surrounding your hero units, and half of them were down.” Her eyes went far off like she was re-watching the match in real-time. “Then you pulled off that Shadow Teleport and appeared in the middle of the horde.” She looked right at me. “After that, it was a foregone conclusion.”
“Yeah, well,” I said as I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment. “They were just NPCs, and he should have known not to trust the AI to control them against an actual player. Then again, he had abysmal micro, so…”
“So it wouldn't have mattered,” she agreed as we came to a stop in front of a big brown warehouse-looking building that had definitely seen better days.
For one, it had boards where the windows should have been and was covered in graffiti, some of which was pretty good. Hell, there didn’t appear to even be a door. Worse, it was surrounded by a rusty chain-link fence with that razor wire across the top. That said nothing of the weed and trash-strewn parking lot between the gate and the building, nor the overflowing dumpers leaning haphazardly against a wall with part of its guts exposed.
“We’re here,” she said after giving me just enough time taking in the scene to get worried.
“Are we condemning it or something?” I asked while trying to keep my apprehension in check. “Because that place looks like it will come down any second.”
“Oh, you’re quite right about that.” She tapped her left wrist with two slender, red-nail-tipped fingers. “In about seven minutes, the whole thing is going to come down. It’s why I picked this place.” She gave me a smile that said, “Aren’t you quite pleased with me?”
“That seems bad,” I hedged, not sure where the hell we were going with this. “I’m going to ignore how you know that for obvious reasons, mostly so when the cops ask what the fuck happened, I can shrug and be like, ‘I dunno, officer,’ but at the same time, why are we here?”
“To go to my place.” She gave me a look that made me think I was being dumb and try as I might, that didn’t make any fucking sense because I was very much not the dumb one.
“Is your place in there?” I asked while hoping against hope that it was not.
“No,” she replied, and as she shook her head, I let out a sigh of relief. “Just the gateway to my world…” The way she said that last part made me think she wasn’t being one-hundred percent truthful.
“The gateway to your world?” I repeated. “Is that a euphemism for your vagina?” At my words, she turned bright red.
“I’d never thought about that,” she said with a laugh as she tapped her chin with one finger. “I suppose it could be, but no, that’s not what I meant.” She quirked her head then and stared at me for a long time. “Wait, did you think I was taking you somewhere for mating?”
“Well, I wouldn’t normally call it mating, but yeah?” I was thoroughly confused. “Is that wrong…?”
She burst out in a fit of nervous laughter, and I’ll be honest, it made my stomach twist with embarrassment. Normally, I wasn’t the type of guy who assumed girls wanted to fuck me or whatever, though, honestly, it was usually the case.
“It didn’t even cross my mind that you would want to mate with me,” she said a bit shyly when she’d finished laughing. “It has been a long time since someone wished to.” She moved toward me and ran one hand down my chest, sending a wash of heat rocking through my core. “Unfortunately, while I believe it would be very pleasurable, I also believe it would kill you in your current state.”
“Wait, what?” I blinked at her like at least seven times, maybe eight. “Kill me?”
“Yes.” She nodded fervently. “Your weak human body could not possibly survive mating with someone like me.”
“I’m one hundred percent lost.” I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
“Allow me to demonstrate,” she said as she took a quick step toward me, and before I realized what was happening, she kissed me full on the mouth. Not deeply or anything. Hell, it was scarcely a brush of her full lips against mine. But that? Well, it was enough.
Because for that split second, that infinitesimal nothingness of time, I ceased to fucking exist. Every cell, no, every atom in my body screamed out in such sheer pleasure that it was all I could do to keep my heart from exploding.
My chest sucked in a breath so hard that it wracked my whole body as I crashed to my knees on the sidewalk beside her. The impact rattled through my entire body, and yet I barely felt it. No, the entiret
y of my being was focused on trying not to come apart at the seams.
And then it hit me.
Withdrawal unlike anything I had ever felt. A craving, gnawing, insatiable need to have her. To throw myself into her flame and never come out because it would be worth it.
Thankfully, that didn’t last long because as my jaw clenched and my hands curled into fists, she nodded at me and waved her hand. A wave of glowing golden warmth spread over me, and just like that, it was over. In fact, it was better because I was fine. I wasn’t sore, or thirsty, or hungry, or anything other than one hundred percent tippy-top very best ever health.
“Jesus,” I said when I finally regained my breath, “I think you might be right.”
The strange thing was, she didn’t seem to hear my words right away. Instead, she was still focused on me with a very curious look on her face. One perfect red eyebrow was arched in curiosity, and her eyes swam with a million calculations I couldn’t register.
“You know,” she said carefully. “You should have died from that.”
“Huh?”
“When I kissed you, I used the barest fraction of my power because the gulf between us is so large that it would be incalculable, but as you knelt there seething with want, I realized I’d used double what I had meant to.” She touched her lips briefly. “What can I say, you’re a good kisser.” She flushed slightly, making her freckles stand out on her cheeks.
“And it should have killed me?” I took another deep breath and got to my feet.
“Yes.” She nodded. “I am very sorry about that.”
“Okay.” I sighed and tried to do something other than recall the memory of her touch. It was hard. Even with the spell she’d done and the full knowledge that touching her might actually kill me, I still wanted to do it. Crazy. “So, what are you, some kind of succubus?” I gestured at the building. “And why are we here?” I smirked. “Because it’s obviously not for my hot bod.”
“Sadly, I wish it were,” she bit her lip as she looked at me longingly, “but alas, I have come to you, Garrett Andrews, because I need your help.”
“Like ‘Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope?’ help? Or ‘I need a couch moved across my foyer’ help?” I asked. If she was confused by my reference, it didn’t seem to show.
“The first one.” She grinned. “Though if you’re offering for the second one…”
“Hey, what can I say, I’m a helper.” I nodded once. “So you didn’t answer the first question. Are you a succubus or something then?”
“A goddess.” She shrugged like it should have been both obvious and wasn’t a big deal… only I thought it was a big fucking deal.
“You’re a goddess?” I said a bit disbelievingly. “You mean, I kissed a goddess?”
“I suppose you have. Without even knowing her name, no less.” Her cheeks were flushed. “I am Rhapsody.”
“So, one name. Like Rhianna or Ke$ha.” I was trying to take this in stride, but it was hard.
“Exactly.” She nodded at me. “Though I have many titles.” A wicked grin slipped on her lips. “Devourer of Souls. Scourge of the Wicked. Bitch.” Her eyes met mine as she said that last one. “But there is one title I truly adore.” She leaned in then, so close that I could feel the heat and power radiate off her like I was next to a blast furnace. And when she spoke next, the words hit my brain like an electric shock. “Forger of Worlds.”
“No…” I whispered as I stumbled away from her. The Forger of Worlds was the goddess from Terra Forma. The game started off with her appearing to the hero in a dream and asking for help. Then your eyes would flicker open, and a black-cowled woman with flame-red hair would reach out her...
“Yes.” She gave me a nod as she held out her hand. “What do you say, Adventurer? Wanna go on a journey?”
6
“You’re serious?” I said. The fact I could speak was a marvel in itself because I had so many thoughts going through my brain that I could barely process them.
“Yes.” The Goddess Rhapsody nodded resolutely. “You are the only one who can help me.” She paused for a second. “No, not just me. The entire universe.”
“B-but how?” I asked, and yes, I’ll admit it, I felt a little like Ryan Reynolds as I said it.
“Zaxcs is real.” She took a deep breath, which caused her breasts to strain against her shirt. “And he’s coming here.” She snapped her fingers, and in that instant, a 3D map of the cosmos stretched out between us. On one side was a giant red dot and on the other was Earth. It looked far, but even as I watched, I could see the red dot moving closer. “He will be here soon, and then your planet will be doomed.”
“How the fuck am I supposed to stop Zaxcs?” I asked a bit incredulously. “In Terra Forma, I’m a God, and he’s nearly unbeatable there. This is just Earth, and somehow, I don’t think he’s gonna care if we hit him in the face with a shotgun blast.”
“He will not, no.” She shook her head sadly. “That is why I have come to you now, while there is still time.” She smiled then. “I wish for you to build an armada unlike any the universe has seen and drive Zaxcs back to the underworld. Once he is there, I will be able to subdue him.”
“The ritual of Anithma?” I asked curiously. I’d remembered reading it in some flavor book I’d found in the game once. It was a ritual that was supposed to be able to stop Zaxcs from ever returning. Unfortunately, it required a lot of effort to acquire the few items the ritual called for, and even then, the recipe I’d seen in the text was incomplete.
I’d actually gathered them a few times in the game, but they’d never seemed to do anything on their own, and I’d never been able to complete the recipe.
“Yes, that ritual.” The goddess graced me with another smile. “While it is not complete, I have people searching all over for the remains of it.” That divine smile fell into a frown. “But all that will be for naught if we cannot drive him to the underworld.”
“And you expect me to do that how?” I stared at the map. I wanted to help, to find some way to stop the devourer of worlds from consuming Earth, but it just seemed impossible. “As I said before, I had the power of a God in Terra Forma, and even then, it still required help from legions of worlds--”
“So, become a God and raise your army.” Admittedly, her worlds rebounded in my head a lot longer than they should have.
Was that even possible? To become a God?
“Are you fucking with me?” I glanced around. “Is Ashton Kutcher going to jump out and yell Punk’d!”
“This is quite real. That is why I have brought you here, Garrett Andrews, Champion of Earth.” With those words, Rhapsody turned toward the warehouse. “Only you can save the universe, and to do it, all you have to do is step through the gate within. It will take you here.” A spot on the map between Earth and Zaxcs appeared on the map. “There you will be able to create your world, make your armies, and stop him.” She bit her lip. “You must hurry, though. The gate will not stay open much longer.” Her frown deepened. “And even if we succeed, I cannot guarantee you will not be killed, and even if you stay alive, you may never be able to return.”
As she spoke, I could almost see the headlines.
Garrett Andrews vanishes off the face of the planet. No one knows where he went.
But more than that, I felt bad for my family. What would my mom think? My dad?
I swallowed hard.
Even still, I knew I had to do this. I couldn’t just stand idle and let Zaxcs come eat us all. According to Rhapsody, our only chance to defeat him was for me to do the damn near impossible.
I clenched my fist.
I could do this.
No.
I would do this.
“How long do we have before the gate closes?” I asked as my gaze swept from Rhapsody to the gate and back again.
“Only a few minutes,” she said with a sigh. “The celestial bodies will not be in place for much more time, and we must be through them before they shift. Alas
, the portal will either close or send us somewhere we will wish we were not.” She reached out to me again. “So, will you come?”
“Yes.” I nodded resolutely.
My response pleased her in a way I couldn’t rightly explain because, at that moment, the smile that blossomed across her face was like seeing Heaven for the first time. It was watching a baby bird fly from the nest for the first time or hearing a child’s first word.
“Excellent.” She clapped her hands together. “Let us not delay then.”
“There’s just one thing I have to do first,” I said as I fished out my cellphone. “It won’t take long.”
“Okay…?” Rhapsody gave me a look as I began scrolling through my contacts and finally hit the call button.
“Go ahead, I’ll follow,” I said as I put the phone together and listen to it ring.
“It’s not like the fate of the entire universe is at stake or anything,” she grumbled as we headed through the broken chain-link fence and began moving across the weed-strewn field. “Honestly, this is the worst possible time to order a pizza.”
“It’s not that--”
“Hello?” an older woman’s voice said from the other end of the phone.
“Hey, Mom. It’s Garrett.” I scratched the back of my neck nervously as we reached the doorway of the warehouse. Even from here, I could feel the power of the place in the pit of my stomach like a lead ball. My knees started to shake, and I began to sweat as every hair on my body stood end to end. It was like standing next to a tiger armed with a tactical nuke while wearing a turban made of steak.
“Hi, honey. Is everything okay?” she asked while no doubt looking at the clock. It was, what? 6 AM where she lived? Damn, I was inconsiderate.
“Yeah, well, sort of.” I sighed into the phone. “I need to go away for a while, and I wanted to wish you goodbye.” It was weird because as I spoke, my vision got a bit blurry, and even as I swiped at my eyes with the back of my hand, I couldn’t seem to clear them. “I’m not sure when I’ll be able to call again. It’s kind of a hush-hush thing.”
