The Slayer

by Darren Hultberg Jr

  Dungeon cleared:

  The Dark Caverns

  Reward:

  5,000 exp.

  The message burst into greenish light as petal-shaped pieces of translucent energy showered us. The words ‘congratulations’ appeared in the air next as my level increased, and then again.

  “Congratulations…” I muttered, watching the words hang there in the air. It caught me off guard the way that word stung at me…This game had nearly destroyed my body and my mind, and yet it had the tenacity to offhandedly congratulate me.

  “Damn you!” I yelled into the air. “Damn you all!” The others looked on at me in silence, a strange look crossing their faces

  “Not pleased with your experience payout?” Brenton asked in that quizzical tone of his. Damn did that man have to be so analytical about everything?

  “It’s this world.” I responded, my voice a bit sharper than I intended. “They lured us into this death trap, then when we’re broken and bleeding, they quietly remind us that it’s just a game… well, it’s not!” My emotions were finally getting the better of me. All of the fighting, the death; the recent invasion of my thoughts… it was all hitting like a ton of bricks.

  I dropped to my knees, bending under the unseen pressure, tears forming in the corners of my eyes. It felt like I was coming unhinged.

  Amidst my breakdown, I felt something nudge against my side, briefly taking my attention off my own self-pity. I turned to meet the gaze of the small blue drake at my side…. Razyr.

  The familiar moved in close, his small yellow orbs locked onto my gaze. He nudged his way under my arm, wriggling in close before bathing me in a soft, azure light. A wave of calm washed over me, an aura that settled my emotions, that grounded me. Razyr’s mouth formed into what might have been an attempt at a grin. “I am beginning to… understand you more and more.” The drake said as he moved atop my right shoulder.

  “What… what did you just do to me?” I said, feeling oddly refreshed after my breakdown just a moment before.

  “Your thoughts we’re becoming… erratic. Your emotions… were taking control. This is common after…. Prolonged periods of subjugation. Those creatures had… damaged your mind. I healed you.” The drake appeared proud of himself, and rightfully so.

  “You can do that?” I asked.

  Razyr nodded. “Our bond is strengthening.” He spoke from his perch with pride. “The more we work together… the stronger our bond will become.”

  “What about the others?” I said, eyeing them with care.

  “There bonds were severed… more naturally. Yours was ripped from your mind…. quite damaging if not for our bond.”

  I smiled at the little beast. If any good had come out of being stuck in this game, it was the surreal bond I had with this creature. It was empowering… it felt good. No, it felt right.

  I noticed Hilda approaching with a hobble, a look a concern etched into her face. “Wait a second.” She said. “Did you say prolonged subjugation?”

  Razyr nodded gleefully. “Why yes… you were under the creatures control for nearly… seven days.”

  SEVEN DAYS!

  “The tournament.” I gasped. We were still days away from Airrigar. Hell, I was doubtful we could even make it there on time.

  “You’re traveling to Airrigar as well?” Brenton asked, carefully pressing his spectacles against his face.

  “We were.” I said, defeated. “Though I don’t know how we’ll make it now.”

  Breton placed a hand on his chin. He wore a look of concern on his face… something I hadn’t seen much of. “Perhaps there’s a teleportation rune I can learn.” He offered,

  I scoffed. “By the time we find something like that the tournament will be over.”

  “Guys.” Helena said, though neither of us paid her enough attention to respond.

  “Maybe if we start running now, we’ll make it in time.” I suggested.

  Brenton shook his head. “No… even if this is a game, we’ll still feel the fatigue.”

  “Guys.” Helena spoke again, though being deep in thought I barely registered it.

  “I got it!” Brenton said. “We’ll pool our collective gold and craft an airship! There has to be a forge in the next town!”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, and it will be built by the end of the tournament. Time doesn’t just stand still for,”

  “GUYS!” Helena yelled, hellfire pooling in her palms.

  “What?” Brenton and I responded in unison, noticing the anger in her voice. What was her problem, anyways?

  “Look.” She said, pointing out into the field just beyond. A grin stretched across our collective faces. Stampeding across the open field was the answer to our problems, a solution that had seemingly been dropped neatly into our laps. Out there, crossing the field was a pack of beasts brimming with muscle, their long manes flowing freely as they galloped about. I couldn’t believe it…. Mere yards away was a pack of magnificent wild horses.

  Another problem quickly to rise… How in the world do you ride a horse?

  25

  Year of Rebirth 00013

  I couldn’t take my eyes off the marvelous view in front of me. The cave we had exited emptied out into a large open valley… a lush valley filled with tall grass and wildflowers that danced in the wind. I could see for a good mile in front of me to a point where the valley met a large wall of fog, though my eyes were transfixed on one sight in particular.

  A few hundred yards away, a pack of wild horses charged through the field, kicking up loose grass and brightly colored petals as they galloped. Around them, tiny blue sprites spiraled through the wind, following the pack gleefully as the horses galloped along.

  “There beautiful.” Hilda said, admiring the beasts as she leaned on her aegis shield for support. “But why are the sprites following them around like that?”

  “Because, those aren’t just horses!” Brenton said, a wide grin on his usual straight face. “Look at them closely!”

  I peered at the creatures, doing my best to inspect them as they made a pass near our location. The horses were all of similar size and color, sleek with gray hair and long white manes…. But those eyes! Each of the horses had brilliant blue eyes that glowed like tiny sapphires. They were beautiful!

  A powerful gust of wind followed as the horses passed, an unnatural wind seemingly caused by the creatures themselves. No, these weren’t any normal horses. They were more than that, a rarity to Aetheria. They were windsteeds.

  I gave the closest of the steeds a quick inspection.

  Windsteed

  Lvl 10

  (Aether-blessed)

  Another mighty gust swirled as the creatures galloped away. The way that they ran, so light on their feet… it was like the wind itself was carrying them. The windsteeds jostled each other, playfully bounding much higher than they had any right too. The sight was whimsical!

  “God, aren’t those just the most graceful things you’ve ever seen.” Brenton said, removing his glasses and squinting at the steeds. The way that he spoke of them was so…. So jubilant. I almost wondered if he should’ve started as a beastmaster instead.

  “We need to get them.” Taryn said. The man’s words came as surprise. He rarely spoke, choosing instead to keep company with shadows whenever he could.

  “But how?” Hilda asked, peering down at her damaged leg before taking another longing gaze at the galloping beasts.

  Taryn rubbed at his scruffy chin before shrugging and turning to Brenton. The rogue was efficient, but he wasn’t a decision maker. No, he’d survived by pointing his blades in the direction Brenton sent him, trusting in the runecaster to guide him right… and guide him he did.

  Brenton studied the windsteeds with a now speculative gaze, trying to formulate a plan in his mind. That is, until a soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

  “You cannot catch… a windsteed.” Razyr said, climbing down my arm to sit in my open palms. “Just as you cannot catch the wind.”
<
br />   I lifted him so that we met eye to eye. “So we leave them, then?” I asked. Razyr shook his head.

  “I… did not say that either. Windsteeds are creatures with close bonds… to the realm… to the Aether. Like us, the wardens bonded… with these creatures.”

  I could feel my expression brighten. “The wardens rode them?”

  Razyr nodded. “They did, though the windsteeds are…. What is the word…”

  “Picky!” Doomswell, Helena’s screechy familiar chimed in. “Damned judgmental beasts. If they don’t think you’re worthy, then they’ll drag you into the sky and buck you off. You’d be better off riding on a damned bird!” Helena laughed as the small gargoyle ranted on about the windsteeds. He was loud and much more animated then Razyr… a perfect match for the short-tempered warlock.

  I stepped forward as the creatures began to make another pass through the field. I set my jaw and planted my feet, focusing on the leader of wild pack. “I’m doing it.” I said, tracing the shadows left by the horses faintly glowing hooves. Razyr reclaimed his perch on my right shoulder, hooking his claws into the grooves of my field plate.

  “Be careful…”. He warned. I nodded, then with the last remaining bit of my mana, I shadowshifted,

  I phased onto the back of the largest windsteed, gripping at its muscular body with my legs. In the distance the others cheered, though I could barely hear them over the horse’s huffing protests. “Easy girl.” I said, grabbing onto the steed’s mane to steady myself. Was this even a girl?

  The windsteed turned sharply and began running towards my companions. Wind churned around me like I was in the center of a tempest… it was amazing.

  I raised a clenched fist into the air as I approached the others, boasting a victory over the majestic creature. It was mine!

  The windsteed had other ideas.

  The steed came to an abrupt stop, lurching forward on its front legs as it propelled me off its back. I soared through the air, eyes wide with shock, before crashing directly into Brenton. The two of us slammed into the grass, rolling about as chunks of grass and dirt lodged themselves into my armor. Damn it all, did that ever hurt!

  “Damned horse.” I choked out as I peeled my body off of Brenton’s. The man’s chest heaved, gasping for breath as I peeled my armored body off his less protected form. “Looks like we’ll have to find another,”

  “Look!” Helena’s voice interrupted, full of excitement. I turned and gazed about, though I could barely believe my eyes. To my amazement, the windsteeds had stopped their gallops and were now approaching, though at a much slower pace. They were coming right towards us… No, not towards us, towards Hilda!

  The armored woman dropped her shield and hobbled over to the largest steed under her own power. Despite her cumbersome plate mail, she moved with a grace that she usually kept well hidden. She reached out her hand as the windsteed strolled up and began caressing the creature’s cheek. The horse let out a soft huff as it pressed its head into her palm. Tiny blue sprites swirled around Hilda, bathing her in a soft sapphire glow as she ran her fingers through the steed’s mane. What a sight.

  The horse bowed its head to her, as if welcoming her to climb on. She smiled, releasing the clasps on her cuirass and letting her armor slide off her shoulders.

  Without words, without looking back, and without armor, Hilda pulled herself atop the windsteed and the beast carried her off.

  ><><

  Perhaps it was the way the steeds glided on the wind. Perhaps it was the way Hilda disappeared into the ever-approaching fog. I wasn’t sure what it was… but something compelled me to run.

  I moved as fast as my legs would carry, following the breeze left in the windsteed’s wake. The others tried to follow, but soon they too were lost in the thick fog rolling in.

  “Hilda!” I yelled as I barreled forward into the unknown. What the hell was she doing, just riding off like that without saying a word! “Hilda!”

  A bit of panic began to set in. Hilda… she was the one who’d stuck with me since the beginning. She’d been there, fighting for her life during the culling, then the prison, then…. Damnit all we had been through a lot!

  Unfortunately, she’d taken the worst of it. Every battle she charged onto the frontline, shield in hand as the beasts bared down on us. And now… now for her troubles she was nearly a cripple. She didn’t deserve that.

  “Hilda!” I called for her again, though my sprint had slowed to a steady jog. I couldn’t see more than a foot in any direction, and thoughts of what might be lurking in the mist had my heart beating out of its chest.

  As I scanned the area a soft blue light caught my eye. It pooled on the ground, illuminating a small area of fog along with a moving figure… wait. Was that one of the steeds?!

  I dashed forward, giving up on my previous inhibitions that some sort of beast lurked in the mist. My eyes went wide I approached the light… it was the windsteeds… no, not just the steeds. It was Hilda!

  The light that I had spotted was originating from a small pool of water, a pool with large veins of Aether resting in its shallow depths. The horses frolicked through the pool, splashing each other and letting loose an occasional whinny. Hilda, on the other hand, had dismounted and nearly submerged herself in the shallow pool. Her skin glowed with a soft blue light as she swirled about in the water… what on earth was she doing?

  “Hilda.” I called out, half expecting the woman to ignore my call.

  She did not.

  The guardian rose from the pool, her skin still aglow with a soft blue light as she turned and met my gaze. Was she… was she smiling? “Hilda?” I said, wiping sweat from my brow. To my surprise, the woman approached, her leg perfectly absent of its limp.

  “Zander.” She said, her voice soft and tender. “I… I think I’ve been healed.”

  I smiled wide…. By the gods she was healed. But wait… I pointed to something behind her in the fog. “What is that?”

  26

  Watching Hilda emerge from that pool fully healed had truly been a sight to see. Oddly enough, my eyes lingered on another sight. Behind the guardian another woman emerged, her skin a soft blue color that matched the glow of the Aether. Tall and slender, the blue woman floated across the water behind Hilda before pausing at her side.

  Hilda traced my gaze over to the woman, nearly jumping at the sight of her. The blue woman merely laughed, then floated back across the water, spinning playfully in her short floral dress.

  “H-hello?” I said, though the woman wholly ignored me. Instead, she danced around the top of the water like a child. It was quite strange. “Hilda, are you doing thi-.”

  “No.” She cut me off, though not intentionally. Her attention was merely absorbed by the woman’s playful dance. I took a step towards the edge of the pool and gave the woman a closer look. Her features were fleeting… almost translucent, and the steps that she took floated just above the water. This was no woman at all.

  “It is a sprite.” Razyr chimed in, as if he were reading my thoughts

  “A sprite?” I replied, puzzled. “Like you?”

  The small drake furrowed his brow, as if he were trying to formulate the correct response. “Yes… and no. It is not a familiar… not nearly as smart. This variety of sprite is what they call… an imitator. It must’ve… taken a liking to the Hilda. Thus it… is doing its best to imitate her form.”

  Hilda reached her hand out towards the imitator and the thing lurched back before letting out another playful giggle. Her eyes were focused sharply on the imitator, as if she were trying to decide if its imitation was at all accurate. Personally, I found its appearance a bit more juvenile than that of my companions.

  “Is it… dangerous?” She asked.

  Razyr shook his head. “It merely copies… what it sees, creates a… representation. This one appears… not dangerous.”

  She nodded as the imitator floated towards one of the windsteeds, then spun around the beast making a taunting face. The s
teed pranced about, enjoying the creature’s playful nature. Hilda continued to eye the sprite. “I don’t much think this thing looks like me at all.”

  We stood by, watching the two of them play in the wind as we waited for the wall of fog to pass through. It was relatively peaceful hear and the thick, cloudy air had made it nearly impossible for proper navigation.

  Hilda leaned in close and I instinctively draped an arm over her shoulders. I immediately became self-conscious but chose to let my arm linger…. and she didn’t object. Damn, was I growing bold.

  We stood in silence as the fog continued to roll by, bringing with it a coolness to the air. I knew that we didn’t have time for any of this, that we should’ve been racing towards Airrigar with everything we had… but just for a moment, it felt good to enjoy a reprieve.

  “Do you think we’ll ever go back?” Hilda asked softly, as if she’d been quietly contemplating the question in her head.

  A cocked an eyebrow. “What, you mean back to our bodies?”

  She nodded. “I’m worried, Zander. The longer we’re here… we’ll, it’s just that I’m starting to forget things.”

  I grimaced. I had told her about my momentary lapse back into my body, but she claimed that she hadn’t felt anything similar. Apparently, that was changing.

  “How bad?” I asked.

  She lingered in silence before finally speaking up. “I…”. Her voice cracked as she forced the words out. “I’m starting to forget everything. I had a decent life before I logged in. I had a decent job, people that loved me… I had a future. But now, it’s like all of that is becoming a fleeting memory, like something that happened in a dream that you can’t remember all the details of. Zander.... I’ve almost forgotten my own name.”

  The words stung at me as she spoke them. It reminded me of my own life, the life of Adam and that troubled father he’d left behind. Certainly not the life she was describing, but it was my life all the same. That person was worlds away from Zander Darkblade, slayer of Aetheria.