The Seeds of Evermore

by Andrew Haines

  He looked up at Charlotte, “I don’t think we have much time before she shows up.”

  “We have enough time to enjoy the few minutes we have before she does, and I need to take your mask up to the king… or at least have Elana do it to claim the bounty.”

  Scott looked at her, “A bounty?”

  “Something Archangel put into motion no doubt, a duel edged mission, to save you but remove the masked man.”

  Scott nodded at her words, “Very well, but before we do that…” he leaned in and kissed her, “I’ve missed you so much, the gaps are filling. I am so sorry…”

  She jolted back, for she was not expecting the kiss. Charlotte calmed back down. Then leaned back into him and kissed him again, “We can make up lost time, we can, and we will, I have you back again.”

  A knock on the door interrupted them, “Excuse me my lady, there are two adventures here for you.” one of the servant’s voices came across the door.

  Charlotte leaned back away from Scott, “Thank you, I will be out to great them in a moment.”

  “Very well my lady, I shall inform them.”

  Charlotte kissed him one more time, “Come on, we need to start putting the rest of things into place.”

  Scott nodded and stood up, and reached out his hand for her. She accepted and he pulled her up off the bed, and they walked to back to the front of the mansion.

  Dracus and Liliana were standing by the gate as Scott and Charlotte exited the mansion’s main doors. “May we enter the gates?” Dracus said sarcastically to them.

  Liliana slapped the back of his head, “Ow!”

  “We’re in a game doofus, I can’t actually hurt you!” She responded, “Which reminds me… why was Donovan looking like he was bleeding to death?”

  “Inside, let’s go, no information until then.” Charlotte answered her.

  The two entered the gate and walked up to the door where Scott and Charlotte were waiting. The door creaked open again and the four of them entered the mansion. They were walking toward the study, when Scott stopped in the middle of one of the hallways. He looked at the light that came through the stain glass again and had a memory of that night he first saw the glass that resembled a last stand of men against a demonic evil, the goddess standing there, about the man with the glowing sword. Sighing he commented to himself, “Goddamn personal foreshadowing right there, and we never saw it coming.”

  Catching up to the others, Liliana asked if he was okay, he said he was, he lied and said he thought he dropped something. They reached the door to the study and Charlotte knocked loudly. “Come in,” A voice responded to the knock.

  The door opened and Tuomas was sitting at the desk, like he normally was. He looked up to see the four of them standing inside the study. His eye lit up when he saw Scott, “You’re alive!” He exclaimed, “Memories restored I hope,” he continued, ignoring the fact that Liliana and Dracus were in the room as well.

  “For the most part,” Scott answer him, “The important stuff, but I think it is time that we get everything out on the table.” Scott put on a serious face as he looked at Tuomas, “It is time to put all the cards on the table.”

  Tuomas looked at him with content, then looked at the others in the room, “Very well, might as well start from the day we thought we lost you.”

  They sat there for three hours as Tuomas, Charlotte, and Scott explained what had happened, the reason that Evermore became open for beta testers, the trail that has come back around to the sorcerer and Archangel forging this path for them.

  “That is a lot…” Dracus finally said when there was a break in the conversation, “Like a whole lot.”

  “So you guys are stuck in here for real, so that injury to Donovan is real?” Liliana asked.

  Tuomas looked at Charlotte, “What injury?”

  Charlotte sighed before answering, “Yes Liliana, it is a real injury, we feel everything in here, we smell it, hear it, we are truly in this world, this virtual world.” She looked at Tuomas then at Scott, “Scott injured him before we were able to revert his memories and bring him back.”

  Tuomas folded his arms, as Charlotte did what she could to calm him, “He is at the Apothecary, Alissa and Nick stayed with him. I’ve never heard one of the Apothecaries give complements before, but one did to Alissa for her bandage work.”

  Tuomas nodded and took a deep breath, “Okay.”

  Scott diverted the subject, “We know that Hela is coming, and that is inevitable thanks to Archangel. But we can start preparing, get some more beta testers to help defend the city.”

  They looked at him, “Defend the city?” Dracus asked, “Why would we need to do that?”

  “Oh come on.” Scott said sarcastically, “It is the biggest cliché in written history. Big baddy always has an army. And we are what, eight or nine if everyone is at fighting strength.”

  Tuomas nodded in agreement, “Very well, I will write up a letter to send to the king to prepare war. That an enemy is approaching. My pull should be enough with Elana’s help to get him to prepare.”

  They nodded, “I think Liliana and I can round up some of the better players and the persuade them to get their clans involved to help out, spill it as a secret raid that the developers have been talking about.” Dracus said.

  “And knowing how some of the clans work, they’ll make a huge competition out of it too, which will have them bring their ‘A’ game to it.” Liliana added.

  “I have a feeling that it will be just me to bring down the Goddess though.” Scott cut back in, “I will be the one to deliver the final blow.”

  The four looked at him with cocked heads, “And how do you know that?” Liliana asked.

  “The stain glass in the mansion, has a single man underneath a female looking demon. The man holding a glowing sword up against her, well and I now have this…” he pulled on the hilt of Exuberus and the room illuminated from the glow of the sword.

  Sliding the sword back into the sheath he looked at everyone. Not one had words for what he just show them. Tuomas opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out, he was lost for words. “Yeah pretty damn close to a self-fulfilling prophesy. As if the world had been set on this path, and I don’t know about all of you, I need to rest and prepare for this fight, whenever it arrives.” Scott stood up and excused himself from the group.

  After he left the other four sitting in the study room, they began to talk more, trying to figure out the plan if the attack came sooner than they were hoping. Liliana and Dracus left to begin gathering the clans to inform them about what would soon be upon them. Charlotte left Tuomas to write the letter and deliver the mask to the King and claim the bounty, for she then sought out Scott. She found him in a familiar place. Their room. His armor, weapons, and under-clothing was lying on the bed and she heard the shower running when she entered.

  She knocked on the door to the bathroom, which Scott had shut for the small amount of privacy that it gave him. She could hear him humming a tune, one that she was not familiar with, though she thought that she had heard it before, but not from him. She knocked again for Scott gave no answer. His humming stopped, and she heard him speak, “Who is it?” he asked, his voice slightly shaky.

  “It’s me,” Charlotte replied, “May I come in?”

  For a few moments all she heard was the water from the shower, “Yes, but only if…” Scott answered, “Never mind, come in whatever way you seem fit.”

  Charlotte picked up on what he was hesitant to say. She pulled off her armor as quickly as she could and placed it next to Scott’s. She became hesitant herself, they had seen each other naked before, but now, it seemed so foreign as if they never were together, the first time anxiety took her for a moment. She wanted to but she didn’t at the same time. She slipped her top off, her thoughts now shifting to what Scott now looked like, any new scars or how his body has developed since he fell.

  She pulled off her pants and walked back to the door in nothing but her underwear. P
ushing the door open, a plume of steam met her body, and she shivered. She was covered in goosebumps, and quickly entered. Securing the door behind her, she saw Scott’s steam shadow. The bathroom was easily over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Charlotte took off her bra and slipped off her underwear, placing them on the floor in the corner so no one would trip on them.

  Pulling back the curtain she saw him standing in front of her, his back to her. She clasped her mouth when her eyes saw that his back had three large scars from his right shoulder down to his left hip. That must be from the drake…: She thought: He must be in so much pain all the time.

  She reached out to him and placed her hand on his back. He didn’t flinch but let her traverse the scars. “They don’t hurt anymore,” He said, “There was a time that they did, I struggled walking out of that cave, I don’t remember most of it due to that pain.” Scott continued to look at the wall of the shower.

  Charlotte stepped into the shower, and pulled the curtain back into place so the water didn’t escape the porcelain and tile down to the drain. She put her chest up against Scott’s bare back, her breasts met the scarred skin and she wrapped her arms around his chest and stood there in the water with him. They stood there in silence. The water running down their naked bodies, Charlotte nestled her head up against Scott’s back and kissed his bare skin. “I love you.” She said suddenly.

  Scott slightly flinched when she said that, then relaxed, “I never thought I was going to hear you say that.”

  She kissed his back again, “It feels right, after everything we’ve gone through, what I did to get you back. How you were taken from me. It is the truth, I love you Scott.”

  Scott stood up straight and tried to turn. Charlotte loosened her grip around him and let him turn to face her. Taking small steps to not slip on the water, he faced her and looked at her. It had been a long time since he had seen her like this, bare, not just physically, but mentally in front of him. The last time she was, was the night at the Inn, the night they got here, the first day in this world.

  She dipped her head downward to not look him in the eyes. Scott placed his hands on her face and pulled it back up to face him. “You don’t have to look away.” he said, “I want you to see me, this me, all of it.”

  She leaned back into him and placed her ear on his heart, “I missed you so much.” The repetitiveness continued for them, they didn’t know what else to say to each other at the moment.

  “I love you Charlotte, and I always will.” Scott finally said, “You are it, my everything.” They swayed side to side in the shower their bodies touching.

  Charlotte felt her face turn red from excitement, “Can I ask you something?” She asked.

  “Anything,” Scott answered.

  “Will you tell me the full story of Cogs of War… the Grashers incident from your perspective?” She asked him.

  “Can it wait until after we get out of the shower? It is a long story,” Scott asked sarcastically.

  “Yes, you dork,” She responded, “We probably should get out and stop wasting water.”

  Scott reached for the knob and turned off the water. The few last drops hit the ground of the shower, and they pulled the curtain open. Charlotte stepped out first and she grabbed her towel off the rack. Scott grabbed a clean one from the closet that was in the bathroom. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her underneath her breasts at her stomach level. Leaning in he kissed her neck.

  Charlotte reached down and grabbed Scott’s right leg, and bit her lip, “Don’t get too feisty,” she said, “As much as I want to…”

  Scott kept kissing her neck, “Why not?” he asked, “We have time.” He brought his hands up to her breasts. “I haven’t been able to love you.”

  Using her other hand Charlotte grabbed one of Scott’s hands and turned around to face him, “Okay,” she whispered, “But on the bed, and I get to start.”

  She pulled him away and out into the bedroom. She pushed him down onto the bed, “I love you.”

  28:

  The morning broke over the city once again. Scott and Charlotte were lying together in their bed, cuddling up with each other. While they both were still asleep a knock on the door awoke Charlotte, “Yes?” she said tiredly as she rubbed her eyes.

  “Sir Nick and Madam Alissa have returned with Sir Donovan, my Lady,” A female servant voice said from behind the door.

  “Thank you for the update.” She yawned, rolling over to face Scott, who was still fast asleep.

  She placed her hand on his face, leaned in and kissed him on his forehead. Charlotte crawled out of bed, careful to not wake Scott. She stood in the middle of the room, still naked from last night. Making her way to the bathroom to shower, she noticed that there was a letter at the edge of the door to their room. She stopped and walked over to pick it up. The name on it was hers. She took it into the bathroom with her to read it.

  Once the door to the bathroom was closed, Charlotte opened the letter and began to read it. It was an apology letter from Tuomas, in full, and some instructions on what to do once they get out of the world. He thinks he isn’t going to make it out. Christ…

  She opened the bathroom door as quietly as she could and placed the letter on the table with her name face up. Quickly, she retreated into the bathroom again and turned on the water for her shower. When she deemed the water warm enough she got in and cleaned herself.

  Finishing her shower, she dried herself off and entered the bedroom again to get dressed with clean clothing, hoping to slip out before Scott woke up to go see Donovan and tell him that Scott is back to normal. For the most part: She thought about the next step, as she put her shirt on. After slipping on her boots she left the room to head down to the servant’s area to see if they knew where Donovan was. If he was in his room, or in a different spot if the Apothecaries needed easier access to him if his wound reopened.

  One of the servants told her that he was in the room just down the hall from the servant’s quarters so they were able to serve him better with his wound. It took her about sixty steps to make it to his door. She knocked before entering. Everyone was there. Donovan was lying on the bed, he looked over at her and asked, “Did we save him?”

  She nodded, “We did, his memories are restored,” She looked at them all, “I didn’t bring him, he’s still sleeping. I wanted to make sure everyone was okay to see him.”

  They all nodded, “Okay, I will make sure he comes and sees you all after he is ready.”

  She left them to continue their conversation with Donovan before she arrived. Charlotte kept running the same scenario through her head, how Scott was supposed to defeat this demon goddess. She could not wrap her head around it. That it would be just him to defeat the goddess. Her mind went to movies, books, video games, history even to think of last stands of single individuals who held the line or defeated the biggest enemy alone. There were not many that came to mind, and that was excluding games with main characters that were enhanced via science or supernatural conditions.

  The sword: The thought hit her mind: the sword was glowing, that is not a natural entity. It must have been forged by a God or something along those lines. There is no other way it could be like that, this world has alchemy not enchantments. The sword must give him the power to defeat the goddess. There is no other reasonable explanation.

  Charlotte stopped in the middle of a corridor. She looked up to see the stain glass mural that sat at the end of the hallway. She tilted her head and spoke aloud, “I thought this was in a different hallway…”

  Charlotte moved from corridor to corridor to see that each of the stain glass murals were the same one. Each one depicting the man underneath the demon goddess. Making her way back to her room, she asked one of the servants to get everyone to meet at Donovan’s room, they needed to have a meeting.

  Scott was getting dressed when Charlotte opened the door, “Good morning babe.’ Scott said with a smile on his face.

  “Good morning.” Cha
rlotte replied walking up to him to kiss him.

  Scott stood up straight after tying off his boot straps. Leaning in to kiss him Charlotte asked him a question, “Ready to see everyone?” She pecked him on the cheek.

  Scott nodded and gestured his hands for her to lead him to where they were going to be. Leading, Charlotte picked up her pace, she needed to tell everyone at once. To make this conversation as simple and straight forward as possible.

  Picking up on the fact that Charlotte was feeling uneasy, Scott stayed quiet. He realized something was on her mind and the way she was walking and holding herself up was giving him all the evidence that she was scared. She was leading him down a familiar hallway, towards the servant quarters. He knew it, though not well, there was no reason for him to go that way, never needed the servant’s aid.

  Stopping in front of a smaller wooden door, Charlotte knocked on the door and waited for a response. One came, “Come in.” It was Donovan’s voice that they heard.

  The wooden door swung open inwards to the room. Alissa was sitting on the far side of Donovan with her hands on top of his left hand. Nick stood in the corner of the room near the cot that Alissa was planning to use to sleep on while Donovan recovered. Tuomas was standing at the foot of the medial bed that Donovan was lying upon. Elana was sitting in a chair in the right corner closest to the door, her legs were crossed and she seemed to be half asleep. Charlotte and Scott entered the room and everyone looked up at them.

  “So, what is it that we need to talk about?” Alissa asked, having a slightly hostile voice towards Charlotte.

  “The fact that the last fight against this goddess is much closer than we think it is.” Charlotte started, she crossed her arms and looked at each one down the line, “All of the stain glass murals have been magically changed to the man under the demon pane. All of them, I checked.”

  The serious face that most of them had, dissipated away into looks of fear, “We are still down two people, and there is no way we are going to be ready in time with the clans.” Tuomas said, after a hardy cough.