World Tree Online: The Duchess of Hammers: 2nd Dive Begins

by M. A. Carlson

  “Sit there and look pretty,” snarked Butch.

  “I am afraid there is not much you can do to help us now,” said Sundance diplomatically. “You have yet to learn any spells able to strike at violent spirits. For now, I ask that you put your faith in us.”

  “Phooey,” pouted Micaela, sitting down heavily, resting her chin in her hands and propping her elbows up on her knees.

  “Better get stronger then, boss,” said Butch, not looking back at her.

  “We’ve talked too long, go,” said Sundance, ordering the start of their spirit battle.

  Butch howled loudly, the sound and spirit behind it filled the spirits around him with energy and weakened the wraiths, also drawing their attention away from Micaela’s friends.

  “Help us,” begged the tormented in one haunting voice. “Kill us, please end our suffering.”

  “Gladly,” said Butch, charging at the closest of the ghouls, going for the throat with his razor-sharp canines. The ghoul raised an arm blocking Butch’s path, but the wolf didn’t care, his jaws snapped closed around the limb just the same. He jerked back, yanking the ghoul off-balance and dragging it to the ground, vigorously shaking his head side to side, tearing into the creature and causing it’s HP to slowly drain.

  The ghoul tried to recover, its other arm tried to attack Butch with the dagger, but Vision was there, snapping his jaws closed around the offending appendage and pulling it away from Butch.

  While this was going on, Boots was running around with a train of ghouls chasing him, he had used his innate skill ‘Trample’ running over and stunning them one after another to gain agro. “Why are things always chasing me?” he cried out as he streaked past Micaela.

  With the first ghoul detained, it was Sundance’s turn to attack. The lithe wolf lit on fire and leapt on the downed figure, biting into the exposed neck and pouring fire into the ghoul, reducing it’s HP even faster than his brother and Vision.

  “Thank you,” whimpered the tormented as the last dregs of his health pool vanished.

  It didn’t take long before the ghoul was reduced to a pile of ash and reabsorbed by the spirit realm.

  “Heh, pitiful, I hope the next one has a little more fight to him,” growled Butch.

  “Focus, brother,” said Sundance. “They are clearly being controlled by a bad master, we owe it to them to set them free. Now, there are more, we have work to do.”

  *****

  “No!” the Anointed screamed as one of his daggers suddenly shattered.

  I couldn’t help but smirk as his health pool took a sudden and unexpected dip, not that we hadn’t been chewing him up since his daggers had suddenly stopped attacking us. If I had to bet, Micaela and her totems were doing their job rather effectively.

  “This is impossible, why are you abandoning me?” the boss yelled, looking at the line of dagger floating around the inner perimeter of ring of columns. “Help me,” he cried out, drawing one of the daggers away from the line toward him.

  “It’s going to heal him, Micaela, if you can hear me, kill it before it can,” I yelled, hoping to the Goddess Issara she heard me.

  I would never know if she did or not because the dagger halted, then fell to the floor, followed by Vision grabbing on to something unseen and shaking it for all he was worth. I wished I could see his damage notification.

  “Way to go, Vision, tell the others I said good job too,” I called to the little guy, but he didn’t respond, obviously still focused on his own fight in the spirit world.

  “No!” the Anointed screamed again as yet another of the daggers was vanquished and his health plummeted even further.

  “Jack, what is going on?” Rose asked, a faint smile on her face.

  “I told you, I figured it out,” I replied, unleashing another combination of attacks, ‘Justice Strike’ dealing -362-HP, followed by ‘Lesser Holy Shock’ for -220-HP, then ‘Power Thrust’ hitting him hard for -487-HP. The follow up ‘Power Thrust’ only hit for -425-HP. Despite the heavy damage I just dealt, it barely chopped down 1% of the Anointed’s health pool.

  “This is impossible,” screamed the Anointed. “The prophecy promised success. It promised I would be able to free Love. I cannot lose!”

  “Dude, you’ve lost,” said Heath, popping out of ‘Stealth’ to deal a powerful attack and vanish again.

  “But the prophecy,” protested the former soothsayer, not willing to accept his inevitable defeat. “I cannot have sacrificed so much for nothing. The prophecy cannot be wrong.” Another chunk of his heath vanished as another dagger was destroyed.

  I could see the last dagger was no longer moving, it was on the ground with Vision nearby, something invisible clamped in his maw.

  Still, we couldn’t afford to let up, no matter how low his health was. Finally, the last dagger shattered in a burst of red energy.

  “No! The Prophecy . . . the prophecy,” protested the Anointed in disbelief, his HP now at just 1% the red flames that anointed him in the first place burst from his body once more, this time rising into the air above him impacting the ceiling of the cavern, burning right through the marble and continuing upwards until only the old man remained. Laying on his back, breathing shallowly. “Prophecy,” he wept. “The prophecy promised you would be freed my Goddess. I am sorry . . . so very sorry. I have failed you.” He sobbed a few more times before huffing once and falling still, the last 1% of his HP vanished.

  “Okay, as cutscenes go, I’m gonna give that a 9.5,” said Heath.

  “Way to ruin the mood, jerk,” said Baby, kicking Heath in the shoulder.

  “Hey, that hurt,” complained Heath, rubbing his shoulder.

  “Would you rather I kicked you?” Rose asked, grinning deviously.

  “Whew, what a fight. I’m absolutely knackered,” said Micaela, coming from behind the pillar.

  “Why are you tired, boss? We did all the work,” said Vision.

  Micaela’s shoulders sagged, and she groaned loudly and irritably. “Vision, we’re going to have to work on your awareness. Don’t you know you are supposed to always agree with your master?”

  “But I do not always agree with you? Why would I do that?” the pup asked, getting another round of laughs. “And Butch agrees. He asked that I tell you all it was his brilliant strategy that won the fight and you should all thank him properly.”

  “So, you’ll lie for Butch, but not for me?” Micaela asked.

  “I did not lie, I only repeated what Butch told me to say,” protested Vision. “Sundance asked me to tell the truth, it was actually his strategy. And now Butch and Sundance are arguing.”

  Micaela was bright red. I think it was the first time I had ever seen her really embarrassed. It was usually her that was causing others to be embarrassed. I should know, I had been on the receiving end of that embarrassment inducing talent of hers more than once.

  “I love this little guy,” I gushed over the spirit wolf, scratching behind his ghostly ears. “You are so getting petted later.”

  “Yes, this is why Bye-bye is my favorite, you should take notes, boss,” said Vision.

  Micaela’s jaw dropped as everyone got a good laugh.

  “Much fun as this is, I do believe we have a Goddess to free,” said Olaf, reminding us of why we were there as well as giving Micaela a little relief.

  “And the prisoners,” I added, walking to the first of the bound women. Thankfully the lock chaining her up was fairly simple, even I was able to pick it. Looking to move on to the next, I saw Heath had already freed five of them in the time it took me to free just one.

  “What? I’m a thief, picking locks is kind of what I do,” Heath said with a shrug of his shoulders.

  Once the dozen girls were set free they wandered around the chamber in a daze, still in a drug induced trance.

  “I think they are fine for now. Mardi, ready to ask your dad for help?” I asked, looking to the exhausted looking duchess.

  “Aye, I will ask a
gain. His answer before was . . . well . . . it is not polite to say aloud,” Mardi replied, blushing a little.

  “What’s wrong Ivaldi? Afraid you’re not strong enough to break the work of Hephaestus?” I yelled loudly and disrespectfully.

  “Bye-bye, stop, are you insane?” Mardi asked. “What if he smites you for this?”

  “Then it will be worth it,” I said. “Besides, it seems like your father really is afraid of Hephaestus.”

  “NO! I AM NOT AFRAID! IT JUST TOOK FOREVER TO GET THROUGH THAT RUDDY SMITHS WARDS, YOU DAMNED BRAT!” the voice of the Dwarven God boomed as he materialized in the chamber. “NOW, I KNOW YOU SAID WHAT YOU DID WITH GOOD REASON. BUT I CANNOT ABIDE A LOWLY MORTAL SUCH AS YOURSELF SPEAKING TO ME IN SUCH A WAY. APOLOGIZE!”

  “I am truly sorry for speaking to you like that. I have the utmost respect for you and your skill, which is why I knew to turn to you for help, only your skill and expertise would be strong enough to break these chains,” I apologized, bowing deeply before the giant Dwarven God.

  “HA! YOU ARE DAMNED RIGHT I AM! APOLOGY ACCEPTED. NOW, NEVER DO THAT AGAIN OR I WILL ERASE YOU, CLEAR?” the God Ivaldi asked, leaning down and looking me in the eye.

  “Crystal,” I replied, petrified of the being in front of me. Gods were truly terrifying and somehow, I kept having to deal with them, almost on a weekly basis.

  The God Ivaldi leaned back looking very self-satisfied with the abject fear he had instilled in me. “Good, now, let us see about breaking these little ladies free,” said the God Ivaldi, cracking his knuckles loudly, the pop of each knuckle echoing through the room and shaking the pillars. “Normally, I would not be allowed to interfere, but, seeing as we are dealing with the work of a fallen here, those rules do not apply.”

  The Dwarven God leaned in, looking closely at the chains that bound the two women in eternal combat. “Greeks and their shoddy bronze, give me a good chunk of iron any time,” complained the God Ivaldi.

  The God Ivaldi looked back at us, “Might want to shield your eyes . . . or you might just die from this next part.” It was the only warning he gave, as a smithing hammer materialized in his hand.

  I quickly turned away and closed my eyes and despite that I still saw spots from the flash of light that filled the room. Worse, my ears were also ringing from the thunderous boom.

  “Keep them closed, this bronze is being stubborn,” complained the God Ivaldi.

  I closed my eyes and plugged my ears. Several thunderous booms and flashes of light echoed and illuminated the chamber.

  I wasn’t sure if I had gone deaf and blind by the time he finished, and I kind of wished I had. So many colors danced in dots of light and dark before my eyes that didn’t really comingle well with the loud ringing in my ears, nor did the sudden sobbing and wailing that followed.

  Finally, able to see more than pretty colors and realizing the sobbing and wailing wasn’t damage to my hearing, I turned to source to see the Goddess Aphrodite and her mortal enemy Pasiphae, clinging to each other and wailing as they hugged one another and spoke some kind of unintelligible sobbing language that they both seemed to understand perfectly.

  Hearing a sniffle next to me, I turned to see Mardi, Vari, Rose, Micaela, and Baby all with tears in their eyes.

  I looked to Olaf for help and he only shook his head, as if to warn me off.

  “Right, my work here is done,” said the God Ivaldi. “You have got this right? Yeah, I think you have got this. Until next time, Daughter, good luck.”

  And just like that the Dwarven God Ivaldi had made a less than Godly exit, leaving my friends and I to handle whatever was going on with the wailing Goddess and her mortal enemy.

  I looked to Olaf again and he motioned me over to a pillar.

  “What?” I asked.

  He quickly hushed, the whispered, “You just need to wait it out. Trust me, you do not want get into that.”

  I looked at him puzzled and was about to question him when he put a finger to his lips and glared at me in warning.

  With no other choice I rejoined our friends and waited . . . and waited . . . still waiting . . . How long can they cry-talk like that? Was it strange that I was starting to decipher the mysterious language?

  After waiting almost an hour, the Goddess Aphrodite and her mortal enemy Pasiphae finally broke their hug and sniffled, wiping away tears.

  “Ugh, these rags simply will not do, Pasi,” said the Goddess Aphrodite, her tattered clothes instantly replaced with a clean, Grecian toga. “A bit dated, but as much as I can manage right now.” She then turned to Pasiphae and replace her clothes as well.

  “It will have to do, Dite,” said Pasiphae, not sounding even remotely like the mortal enemy she had been forced to combat for who knows how long.

  The Goddess Aphrodite breathed deeply and let it out slowly. “I know it is not the greatest air to breath, but there is something to be said for the smell of freedom. Thank you, adventurers, you have earned my gratitude for setting me free.”

  “We were very happy to help,” said Rose first.

  Quest Alert: Blood Trail to Where? 10 (Recommended Level 6-8) – Completed!

  Defeat the final remaining leader of the Ardentia Guild. Rescue the trapped Goddess. Earn a well-deserved reward.

  Reward: +25,000-Experience, to be determined

  That was great experience, but what the heck did ‘to be determined’ mean?

  Congratulations! You’ve reached Level 9!

  +1 to bonus Holy Spells, +1 Intellect, +1 Charisma

  “Ding!” Olaf cheered, his nameplate now showed Level 8.

  “Me too,” said Micaela.

  “Same,” said Heath.

  That was my entire party up to at least level 8 now. It was looking more and more feasible we would be successful in Hammerton when we leave in a couple days.

  “Dite, I know you and I have settled our differences and I am glad for that . . . but my curse,” said Pasiphae, apparently no longer the Goddess Aphrodite’s mortal enemy.

  The Goddess Aphrodite looked sad. “Alas, I cannot break that curse. It would mean breaking my word, something no God or Goddess can ever do without severe repercussions, up to and including loss of divinity. However, I can, perhaps change you.”

  “Change me how?” Pasiphae asked.

  “I can remake you in the image of your children, that is the cost to give you the divinity you deserve after surviving such an ordeal,” offered the Goddess Aphrodite.

  “I would become a Goddess, not just an immortal?” Pasiphae asked.

  “If that is your wish,” said the Goddess Aphrodite.

  Pasiphae was silent for a moment. “I accept, make me the Minotaur Goddess,” stated Pasiphae clearly.

  The Goddess Aphrodite pricked her finger, a drop of golden ichor formed on her finger. “One drop of my blood will awaken your divinity, drink and be reborn.”

  Pasiphae tentatively licked the finger and ichor, swallowing it, and instantly become engulfed in golden light.

  “And the spots are back,” I complained. A little warning would have been nice.

  When my vision cleared, Pasiphae was replaced by a female minotaur, a head taller than me and very lithe. Despite the bull’s head and horns, she was quite attractive.

  ”How . . . odd,” said the now Goddess Pasiphae.

  The Goddess Aphrodite giggled. “It does take some getting used to. It will come to you in time. For now, I believe it is time we reward our rescuers. Do you agree?”

  “I do agree, sister,” said the Goddess Pasiphae.

  “I do like the sound of that, little sister,” said the Goddess Aphrodite, giggling happily. “Now, as my little sister, I will allow you to offer your reward first. If they decline, I will offer my reward.”

  That explained the ‘to be determined’ part of the quest reward.

  “Thank you, elder sister,” joked the Goddess Pasiphae, laughing lightly.

  I looked to the other Goddess, she wasn’t laughing. Why did I get t
he feeling these two were about to start a brand-new feud?

  “I have not much to offer, except this. I will offer to make you one of my children, not just one of my children but for the males, a Minotaur Bull, and the females, a Minotaur Matriarch.”

  The Newly Born Goddess Pasiphae has offered to make you one of her children, a Minotaur Bull.

  Race:

  Minotaur Bull

  Minotaur Bull Racial Bonus:

  +3-Strenght per Level, +1-Stamina per Level, +1-Endurance

  Do you accept?

  Yes

  No

  “Can we discuss this?” Micaela asked.

  “Of course, take a few minutes to discuss it with your companions,” said the Goddess Pasiphae.

  “Right, Olaf, come with me,” ordered Micaela, dragging Olaf away.

  “So, this is an upgrade from your run of the mill, minotaur, right?” Heath asked.

  “Significantly so. Not only are my Bulls and Matriarchs stronger than most other minotaurs, they carry with them my blessing,” answered Pasiphae.

  “And what does your blessing do?” Heath asked.

  “You will only find out if you choose to be reborn,” answered the Goddess Pasiphae.

  “Does being reborn mean starting over at level 1?” Heath asked.

  “Not at all, you may lose your current progress but no more than that,” answered Pasiphae.

  I was getting the impression that Heath was interested. It kind of made me wonder how a minotaur and a werewolf would mix, assuming Heath had learned the ‘Lycanthropy’ spell from the charm he got after defeating Graves last month.

  As if reading my mind, Heath asked exactly that. “So, I might become a werewolf soon, does that mix?”

  “No, absolutely not, I will not have my bloodline sullied with the blood of our most hated enemy. I rescind my offer to you,” spat Pasiphae, crossing her arms and pointedly ignoring Heath.

  “What about you, Jack?” Rose asked, giving me a measured look.

  “I’m happy with my race and my class,” I answered. And I was, I don’t know why I hadn’t declined the offer yet.