by Cid Banks
The world went black.
“Shit, I’m blind!”
A shroud obscured my face. My only visual was my HP, MP, and the BLIND status. I tried to remove the shadow. My fingers sank into the darkness, but I couldn’t get a grip. Fear pierced my heart.
I was fucked.
“Just take cover!” Naomi’s scream was following by a roar. The demon sounded pissed.
I felt for somewhere to hide, but where was it safe? I walked backward, slipping. The battle raged around me in explosions of rock with occasional waves of heat. Metal smashed stone. Pebbles flew. Their screams raised my panic because I couldn’t tell if they were from pain or triumph.
What were my options? I couldn’t use magic or shoot my crossbow, but I had the lute. I slung it off my shoulders and plucked the strings.
What the hell. I’ll shred the fuck out of this thing.
I chose a metal song. The opening chords of Bodies by Drowning Pool crashed across the room. I strummed furiously and roared the lyrics. The music screamed from my throat in perfect imitation of the snarling chorus.
Song of Spirit successful
The melody infected the girls like a current of energy. I couldn’t see them, but I imagined Amy’s grin widening as she joined the chorus. Naomi added her voice with fierce yells.
My BLIND status couldn’t last much longer. Already it was fading. The girls moved like shadows behind a semi-transparent veil. A mighty crash shook the floor, followed by a rush of liquid. The cauldron must’ve been overturned. I strummed the heavy metal chords as wind blew into my face.
There was a scrape of steel. Then a splash.
“James!”
A hand grabbed my jacket collar. I was hurled across the room. The song broke as I was yanked from the strings. Steel gouged stone. Amy gasped in pain.
“Shit.” Keep playing. Buff the girls while they finish the boss.
I hollered the chorus to Bodies. My fingers hurt from the constant playing, but I would see this through the end. They were counting on me.
Finally, the shroud lifted from my eyes.
Amy and Naomi had cornered the Slaughterdemon. It lashed out with fists, but Amy’s agility kept her out of reach.
Duplicate
My duplicate ran into the fray. I continued my Song of Spirit as my clone played its lute. He was like a speaker, blasting the music in another direction. The music icon over Amy’s head gained another row.
Black energy whipped Amy’s stomach. She flew across the room, landing with cat-like grace. She charged the boss with a screech. She attacked with a flurry of wild slashes.
“Die, you fucker! Die!” She rained blows with so much force that she floated in the air. The Slaughterdemon could barely parry her attacks in time. A ringing blow broke his sword. A crack splintered the blade. The boss howled with outrage.
“I’m low on magic,” Naomi said, suddenly next to me, hands glowing with green energy.
“Heal Amy. She needs your help. I’ll be fine. I have enough MP for one emergency spell.” I grabbed her arm. “Wait. Are there any spells that’ll remove the blood? Is it flammable?”
“No, but it can freeze.”
“Don’t do it now!” A plan was forming in my mind. “Blast him when he goes through.”
Naomi frowned. “Are you sure?”
An ungodly scream tore the air. The demon hurled its splintered blade. I dodged. It whistled past as he jumped into the nearest pool and disappeared.
“This is it!” I slung the crossbow from my shoulder. “Get ready!”
The spiked crown of the monster poked from the floor.
“There!” Amy yelled.
Dripping, it rose from the portal. I aimed and pulled the trigger. The bolt struck home—right in the heart. 22 popped up, a critical hit. The boss was stunned. Naomi launched a spray of frigid air. Frost enveloped the demon, turning its red skin blue. Ice clung to it as it wailed. The portal flash froze. Half its body was submerged in the glassy surface. Realizing it was stuck, the boss wrenched against its icy prison.
“Let’s do this again sometime.” Amy positioned the sword over its head like an executioner. Then she swung. The demon’s spiked skull rolled from its shoulders for 31 damage. Blood froze upon impact from Naomi’s icy wind. Its head bounced on the stone, jaw unhinged. It gurgled from the bloody stump and fell.
We had done it.
I punched the air. “Hell, yeah!”
The puddle trapping the boss melted. The corpse sank underground, consumed by the bubbling blood. A bevy of popups emerged, including one for Level Up! and Quest Completed and Settlement Liberated.
All of it could wait.
Amy shouted in ecstasy, twirling her blade in a victory pose. Naomi seized my bicep and squeezed. Both girls had a level up icon.
“Good job, everyone.” Grinning, I faced Naomi. “You were awesome.”
“Thanks.” She beamed. “I don’t think I could’ve done it without those buffs.”
Amy sheathed her weapon and wiped her brow. She laughed as the boss’ head finally came to a stop. A splash echoed behind Naomi. Amy’s mouth was open in alarm.
It happened so fast. The serrated blade struck Naomi’s back. She gasped, blood bursting from her lips.
“No!” I screamed, grabbing her shoulders.
Naomi fell against me as I pulled her free. All the color drained from her skin. Gasping for breath, she grabbed my cheek. She mouthed something. It might have been, help me.
A crimson damage number glowed above her, but I couldn’t look at it. “Amy, heal her!”
She skidded to a halt beside Naomi, stricken. “I don’t know any healing spells!”
Neither did I.
Naomi choked on blood, tears filling her gaze. I grasped her trembling hand. “Naomi, stay with us.”
A tear slipped down her pale cheek, and then the light faded from her eyes.
Naomi was dead.
Twenty-One
We covered Naomi’s body. I hated myself right now.
I’d failed her.
A rush of self-loathing consumed me. Naomi had begged me with her eyes, but I was powerless to help. All I could do was hold her as she died.
Crimson flowers bloomed across the sheet we draped over her. My heart throbbed with guilt. Amy ripped banners from the walls and mopped the floor. I didn’t want Naomi to respawn into a grisly mess, but cleaning seemed like a futile enterprise. There wasn’t a spot that wasn’t red. There was nothing to do except wait and comfort Naomi the best I could.
This was all my damn fault. “Where will she return?”
“The castle’s clear, so probably here,” Amy whispered. “Don’t blame yourself.”
“I convinced her to join.” I sank to my knees and rubbed my scalp. “If I hadn’t pushed her to come, she’d still be alive. She wouldn’t wake up with a chunk of her identity missing.”
“She made a choice.” Amy ran her fingers through my hair. “Believe me. Danger is everywhere in this world. It’s a risk to walk down the road.”
“I as good as killed her, Amy.” Our bodies would never disappear, but our minds were chipped away with every death. “A piece of her is gone forever.”
“You didn’t kill Naomi. It was a delayed attack. None of us saw it coming.”
I wasn’t the type to wallow. When I broke up with my last girlfriend, the next day I was on dating websites trying to meet other women. The pain numbed after a few beers, but it wouldn’t with Naomi. Drinking wouldn’t make me forget what happened.
The guilt would stay with me always.
I faced Amy. “Did you find anything interesting?”
“The upper keep seems normal enough, aside from some weird cult crap. Bedrooms, dusty old libraries, that sort of thing. The whole place needs a lot of repairs. I didn’t climb the towers. They didn’t look structurally sound.”
I nodded, standing. Nothing would get my mind off Naomi. Judging by the concern knitting Amy’s brows, she was thinking of her, too
. Naomi would return, and I’d make it up to her.
What if she left the team? She might want nothing to do with us after this. God, I hoped she’d stick around.
The bedsheet flattened as Naomi’s corpse vanished.
“Where is she?” I paced the room, anxious. “Did she respawn somewhere else?”
“Give it a sec.” Amy looked as nervous as I felt. “I’m not usually on this side.”
We waited in silence.
A pop echoed in the hall. Naomi winked into existence with a scream. She tumbled onto the stone, trembling. Gone was the dress with the plunging neckline. Patched rags wrapped around her. They were stitched so poorly that a gust might’ve blown them off. Her feet were bare. Her ebony hair was a tangled mess. The cape, book of magic, and her bag were in Amy’s possession. All that remained of her old outfit was a silver ring and a necklace charm.
I knelt beside Naomi, covering her with a blanket Amy found. “Hey.”
Confusion knitted her features. “I-I don’t remember what happened.”
Amy stooped to her level. “You were hit, but it’s all right. We got your gold and the rest of your gear—here.” Amy skipped over the word, body, pushing Naomi’s things into a pile.
Naomi ignored them, inhaling quick breaths. She cupped her cheeks, wide-eyed. “What the hell? Why am I wearing this?”
“You died.” I took her hands and squeezed. “It was a freak accident.”
“No!” Naomi yanked from my grip, as her voice choked with emotion. “No, no, no! It’s all gone!”
I opened Naomi’s character information. The respawn had stripped half her experience, just as it had for me. Naomi’s level had fallen from 13 to 9. She was no longer a sorceress.
My stomach clenched. “I’m so sorry, Naomi.”
“I’m fine.” Naomi wiped her face furiously, shrugging off the blanket.
She was miles from fine. I slid my arm across her shoulders, but she flinched at my touch.
“I’m okay.” She turned a shade of beet-red. “I need a minute—a moment to myself.”
Naomi looked like she was about to blow.
Amy whispered as though Naomi was on a sickbed. “Do you want to leave?”
“No,” Naomi snapped. “I want you to get out.”
I didn’t want to go. Her eyes swam in tears, and she trembled like a leaf in the wind. Her choked breaths stabbed my heart. My chest caved in as sobs shuddered from her throat.
I held her shoulder.
She shook me away. “Don’t touch me.”
“It’s my fault. I’m so sorry.” I balled my hands to keep from touching her. “This shouldn’t have happened. I thought we were safer as a group.”
“Safe? What a joke.” Struggling to her feet, Naomi pointed an accusing finger at me. “I was doing great before I teamed up with you. Because of you, I lost everything!”
“Naomi, what can I do to fix this?”
“Nothing! There’s nothing you can do! Stop trying to help me. There’s no point.”
A small icon glowed above Naomi. It was the same one for my traits, but it was blue instead of gold. Naomi’s secret trait was revealed.
Depressed
I swallowed a lump as Naomi stormed outside. I chased after her, but Amy tugged my sleeve. “Let her be.”
“But she’s so upset.” I cringed at Naomi’s retreating cries. “I can’t stand watching her like this.”
“I know.” Amy squeezed my arm. “I’ll handle it.”
Amy ran to Naomi’s side. She whispered what I assumed were compassionate words and held her hand. Then she guided Naomi into a room.
I didn’t follow.
A full moon glowed behind thick clouds. Raindrops sprinkled my head. I flinched from every drop. Sleep wouldn’t come. I was restless.
It was a warm night, but I shivered anyway. Overwhelming guilt sapped the heat from my body. I didn’t deserve comfort after what happened to Naomi.
The girls were holed up in a room together. Staying away was torture. I wanted to help her through this.
Sighing, I sat against a rocky step that descended to the lower keep. A torn crimson banner fluttered above me. It was dark, but I could make out the ruined tops of ramparts.
Nothing to do but wait and hope. I turned my attention to the pop-ups I’d ignored.
Level Up! You have reached Level 6!
HP+2 Reflex +1MP+1
Add one point to the attribute of your choosing!
(May not boost the same attribute as previous level)
New song available!
New spell available!
I was level 6. My total experience was nearly 1200, but that was still 500 shy of level 7. The requirements for each level were growing exponentially. Death cut a player’s experience in half, which wasn’t the same as cutting their level in half. Naomi’s respawn must’ve cost her between 3000 and 4000 points.
Half of her work in the world was destroyed.
I pushed aside my agony and focused on the pop-up. Where should I put the extra stat point? Increasing my magic ability was appealing, but I’d chosen willpower last time. Pain throbbed in my gut as I selected charisma. It increased to 10.
Picking a new song should have been exciting, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Naomi. It wasn’t right. I was gaining powers when Naomi had lost so much.
“James?” Amy’s voice echoed from the main hall. “Where are you?”
“Down here.”
Her boots scraped the step above me. “Drowning your guilt in the rain?”
I shrugged. “Something like that.”
Amy sat next to me, thighs pressed against mine. “I found a straw mattress in one room. Hopefully she’ll get some sleep.”
“She okay?”
Her lips curved. “She will be. Obviously, she’s exhausted.”
A drop pinged off Amy’s armor. It was still dented and stained from the battle with the demon boss.
“I didn’t want this to happen.”
“I know,” Amy said, subdued. “Even she knows that.”
“Dragging you both to this quest was insanely selfish. I’m such an asshole. I’m sorry, Amy. Risking your lives for a stupid guitar was unforgivable.”
“Last I checked, you didn’t drag anyone. You asked me, and I said yes.” Amy leaned into me and kissed my brow. “It’s sweet that you care, though.”
“Of course I do.”
Amy grinned. “So devoted. I like it.”
“Can you blame me?” The sickness in my gut deepened. “We have a connection, and I’m scared I ruined it.”
“I’m not going anywhere, James.” She rubbed my back, soothing some of the aches inside me. “As for Naomi…I’m hoping she’ll see reason in the morning. She’s in shock. People say things they don’t mean in the heat of the moment. Trust me. She knows it wasn’t your fault.”
I nodded, never feeling so hopeless in my life.
Amy hugged me, squeezing hard. “Naomi just got murdered. She deserves a chance to cry and process it at her speed.”
I returned her embrace, burying my face into her hair. I felt terrible doing nothing, but Amy had been in Naomi’s position. How many times had Amy been killed? One more death might be enough to lose everything from her former self.
I had to protect them.
A UI popup interrupted me.
I gently disengaged from her. “I keep seeing a message about the settlement being liberated. It’s pestering me more than usual. Are you getting the same thing?”
“No, that’s never happened to me before.”
I pulled up and accepted the notice, and was greeted with a massive prompt framed with gold.
“Whoa!” Amy’s brow furrowed as she stared above my head. “What did you do?”
Settlement Claimed: Blackspire Fortress
In the heart of the Spirelands, at the headwaters of the Lete River, lies Blackspire Fortress. The castle is carved from and built upon a towering hill of black rock. For centuries, it gua
rded a crossroads of trade in the Spirelands, serving as ancestral home to the lords of the region.
Constructed 221 years ago by Atriok The Slayer. Sacked 65 years ago during the War of Spiteful Summers. Sacked 2 years ago during the Conquest of the Storm King.
Pledge of Fealty
Blackspire Fortress is part of the Lordship of the Spirelands, in the kingdom of The Storm King. Do you wish to swear fealty to the Storm King?
No way. “Fuck that guy.”
New Feudal Status: Rebellion!
You are in rebellion against the Storm King
Reward: 300 experience, 50 influence.
Feudal Rank Increase!
The settlement of Blackspire Fortress grants you the Feudal Rank of 1.
New Title Gained: Baron of Blackspire Fortress
Reward: 1500 experience, 50 influence
Level Up! You have reached Level 7!
Level Up! You have reached Level 8!
Whoa! What was all this crap?
My spirits plummeted as I read the descriptions. Somehow I’d multiplied my experience two and a half times and gained a couple levels by just answering a few prompts. I deserved none of this. Yesterday, Naomi had been seven levels higher than me. Now she was only one level higher, which made me feel a hell of a lot worse.
I had to fix things with Naomi.
Twenty-Two
“What’s the point of owning this piece-of-shit castle?” I asked a harassed-looking Amy, who shrugged.
“There have to be benefits.” Amy rubbed her eyes, worn out from reading. “We have to look everything over.”
Amy and I sat on a ledge overlooking the courtyard as we dug through the Gamepedia. In two days, Naomi hadn’t resurfaced. She was holed up in her room, refusing meals and my attempts to keep her company.
This couldn’t go on forever. Leaving Naomi alone would do more harm than good. I had to help her, but I had no idea how. Neither did Amy.
So we killed time by reading up on my new ruins. I opened my page to compare notes on my research.
