On the Lost Continent

by Andrew Novak

  “4”…

  “3”…

  Jack sent another jet at the burning priestesses to push them further back. He herded the priestesses into a corner and flew to the ground where the Shadow of the King gleamed among the ashes.

  “2”…

  He plopped down on the ground, raising a cloud of ash.

  “1”…

  When the “1” blinked out, his interface had returned to normal. The red haze disappeared. His hands could lift the sword again. Or rather, his right hand could because this left was still clutching the War Hound’s Heart.

  The priestesses froze, barely moving, their robes smoking on their bodies. They must have been badly hurt by the War Hound’s fire!

  Jack lashed out at the closest priestess. He was in a hurry. Next one…

  In a matter of seconds, all his opponents were lying on the floor in a tidy group. Without their evil vines attacking you from all sides, the priestesses weren’t all that great in a melee.

  Sartorius was huddled in a corner, busy gulping down a green health elixir. After he’d finished that one, he reached for the next. He must have been hard pressed if just one bottle wasn’t enough.

  “Hey, Sartorius!” Jack shouted. “Did you see what I did? How did that look from your end?”

  Mage drank his elixir, then exhaled noisily. “Awesome!”

  “But more precisely, how did I look?”

  “You… You became fiery. And huge! Those wings!”

  “Did I look like a dog? Like a large, fiery dog?”

  “Well… yeah, maybe like a dog. Anyway, you had four legs and a tail. But dogs don’t have wings, and you did. You glowed. Your whole body was on fire. And when you spewed fire, I lost a dozen health.”

  “War Hound, that’s what it was. No, don’t ask. I’ll tell you later. The War Hounds were Ged’s pets, and I’ve already visited his temple, so let’s not get side-tracked. Let’s go. Now the fun begins! Look at the altar.”

  The Heart turned out to be an awesome little thing. Even Ruger hadn’t been able to kill the dog and he was a strong fighter who’d struck fear throughout the entire Kingdom of Maxitor. And now what? The owner of the Heart could turn himself into a Hound, even if for a short time. But for those few seconds, you could destroy anyone you wanted.

  By the way, a new icon had been added to his interface, with a picture of a dog’s head. Now it was gray and pale with digits flashing next to it, “58”.

  So, an hour to cooldown, and the icon would light up again. It would be red, most likely. 58 minutes left.

  Jack brought his attention back to the matter at hand. This was the most important thing — the show for Sartorius.

  Once again Jack pulled out the Rosary and began to touch each colored bead over the altar. In a dim, colorless flash, the green ball disappeared. A crackling flame arose above the altar.

  “Watch closely,” Jack told Sartorius.

  Theokrist’s face appeared in the flames on the altar. Sartorius gasped.

  “Greetings, wanderer,” the voice rang out from the fire. “Greetings and congratulations. You have taken another step toward unlocking the Great Mystery of Alterra. The second temple has been restored thanks to you, and the fire on the altar has been rekindled. Count the stones of my Rosary, and you will find that you have a long road full of dangers. But the first steps have been taken. I hope you managed to find the Compass that will lead you to the next altar.”

  Jack jabbed Sartorius with his elbow. It was unlikely that there were any other omegas who would behave that way with someone from New Atrium. But the alpha only nodded.

  “Yes, I’m listening. Very carefully!”

  “Gaerthon continues to decay,” Theokrist continued. “Its outer edges have already ripped away from the mainland and become islands. The inhabitants of these islands have forgotten their glorious past. In that part of the continent which remains whole, the situation is no better. Left without divine instruction, the representatives of these glorious races of Gaerthon have become the most barbaric primitives. Do not expect any help from them. The most feral of these people might even try to stop you. But I am sure you will have enough resolve to continue down your Path. The Mystery of Alterra is waiting for someone to discover it. Follow my Compass, pray with the Rosary and may the Gods be with you!

  The face melted into the dancing flames. Sartorius stared at the altar, his cheeks reflecting the red light as he digested the information.

  The Great Mystery of Alterra. This was the very dream he had long harbored in his soul. And here, in front of him, was a road to it.

  Jack turned to him. “That’s all, show’s over. To be continued in the next temple, but that’s still a long way off.”

  “The man spoke of a Compass,” the alpha recalled.

  “Yes, I have the Compass. It was a reward for completing a quest for the local elder. Supposedly they found some strange thing, ‘here take it as a gift, stranger’, and so on… The Compass points to the northwest. We’ll have to head in that direction and search for the next temple there. Considering that every fire takes one stone from the Rosary, we still have six altars. Two white beads, two black, one blue and one yellow. So far, I’ve finished Ged’s temple and, now, Astra’s.”

  “Two of the beads are Zaratos and Faceless. What about the others?” Sartorius asked. “Of our Gods, that leaves Vecta and Chronos. But Chronos is our quest objective, right? Which means it’s unlikely that we’ll have to restore his temple. What do you think?”

  Jack shrugged. “I think I won’t get to finish this quest, so I’m not looking that far ahead. Eh, Ruger, Ruger… I had so much riding on him.”

  “Jack, you know I don’t have the resources that General Eckerhart had. I’m just an employee in the communications system. Besides, there’s no way into New Atrium without a chip. There are video cameras and sensors every step of the way that detect living objects. They even detect rats. They’re everywhere! If a living thing shows up with no chip, it will be noticed immediately. Not to mention, you still have to get across the Barrier where defenders and an automatic defense system guard the walls.”

  “Alright, stop,” Jack waved a hand, “I get it. Of course you don’t have the same resources. I just want to spend my last few days in Alterra, make them interesting. One last adventure. Plus, you’re a good companion. I remember sailing down the Chand with you. So I want to share this experience with you. It’s the right thing, after all we went through together.”

  He noted to himself that Sartorius was apparently considering it. He was already weighing his options, taking note of the obstacles. There had to be a way. He must find one. Jack only hoped it wouldn’t be too late when Sartorius finally found it.

  “Okay, we’re done for today,” he said. “Let’s gather the drops and I’ll show you one more miracle.”

  The loot in this temple was surprisingly abundant. There were some pieces of jewelry from the priestesses — rings, pendants, bracelets. Many with bonuses, some had hidden properties as evidenced by the red question marks. That wasn’t even counting the wands, though there were only five, because Jack had hacked one wand to pieces with the Shadow of the King. Yet another reason to visit Egghead.

  “Astra takes good care of her servants, even the dead ones,” Jack said. “Look at all this jewelry. All of it will go to our partner on Stoglav. He might fetch a decent price for it. In future, you’ll sell everything through him.”

  “Just who is this mysterious partner? Can you tell me now?”

  “We’re going to meet with him next, and you already know him. It’s Egghead.”

  “But he’s in Maxitown,” the alpha began to worry. “I’m in the necromancers’ guild now. I can’t show my face there.”

  “Don’t worry, we’re meeting him at a forest crossroads where no one hangs out. A secluded spot, very remote. You’ll have to get back to Nightmare from there somehow. The first time, you’ll have to lie low and go carefully, but later you can buy teleport scro
lls ahead of time. You’ll be fine, but you’ll have to travel between continents without me on your own. Now, I’ll introduce you to the locals. These Gaerthonians are an interesting bunch.”

  Sartorius watched in amazement as Jack got hold of a black sheep in the Lahitte village and dragged it into the hills.

  “I know what I’m doing,” Jack said over his shoulder walking quickly along the path, searching for any kind of intersection. “You’ll have to get used to this. We are working in the service of the Dark Goddess. Although, what am I saying! You’re the necromancer! Surely you know about these things. When it begins, stay close to me. Better yet, take my hand, to be sure.”

  “When what begins?”

  “The Dark Path, the Path of Blood!” Jack explained gravely. “This is Gaerthon, the land of wonders. Alright… Mother Necta, take this modest offering from your servant, open the Dark Path to us and take us to the crossroads near the town of Narim.”

  Grabbing Sartorius and pulling him close, Jack struck the sacrificial sheep with his sword, then waited. With a continuous drone, the funnel of the Dark Portal formed in front of him. Two maps unfolded in the air.

  An astonished exclamation from the alpha was swallowed by the howling of a necroportal. Jack squeezed Sartorius’ hand tight and stepped into the intangible black shadow.

  * * *

  Once again, he was at the intersection in the forest. Sartorius turned his head, looking around. He needed to be very careful now. He was now a necromancer, which meant in Maxitor, he was in enemy territory. That is, he could be a legitimate kill for any player.

  “Relax,” said Jack. “Players questing in this neck of the woods are level twenty maximum. Nothing to worry about.”

  He could see now in Sartorius’s stats that he had 47 XP. Making a career as necromancer, he hadn’t yet gained much experience. Still, the mage did have to start from scratch, with the simplest of dark rituals. Naturally, he looked at Jack with envy. That was fine. Let him see how quickly Jack had gained experience adventuring on the lost continent.

  Jack called up Egghead in chat but he wasn’t in the game.

  “Annoying, but it looks like we’ll have to postpone the next items on the list. Sartorius, you can exit the game here. Tomorrow, check your email in the Shell before returning. I’ll show up here, pick you up, and we’ll hop back over to Gaerthon.”

  When they were saying their goodbyes, Sartorius appeared to be struggling with the desire to say something. He gathered his thoughts for a minute, sighed, but ultimately decided against it. Whatever. When we finish a couple more quests like the one in Astra’s temple, you’ll finally understand that you must help me. You’re just that kind of person… slow to start, indecisive. You need time. Just as long as I don’t die during that time. That’s my problem. It’s my only, but very serious, problem.

  There were letters waiting for him in the Shell. One was from Romeo:

  I don’t know you. They say Jack the Tramp died. Why should I believe you?

  Excellent, Jack thought. Romeo hadn’t told me to go to hell right away. He was asking questions, which meant that we could come to an agreement. He said he didn’t believe me? He wanted to, though, because Brandt really had pissed him off.

  Okay, Romeo, here’s your answer:

  They’re right. I spread the rumor about my death myself. It’s part of my plan. Let’s meet.

  The second message was from Egghead:

  Well, are we meeting tomorrow?

  Tomorrow? It took Jack a few seconds to understand what he meant. Then it sunk in. Of course! He’d played during the night. In reality, it was probably already getting light outside. It was already “tomorrow”.

  He needed to sleep a little bit before entering Alterra again. So, what news did Egghead have?

  …I have almost reached an agreement with the client. The War Hound’s Heart is not an item for the Wardens. They aren’t a strong enough guild to own such an artifact. Our buyer is an alpha. In the game, he’s a Lahitte Khan, chief of a whole horde of nomads in Sepheron. He really wants to buy the Heart, even though he doesn’t know its purpose. I tossed a few hints that it gives its owner incredible power, and he’s already dreaming that he’ll be able to slaughter and burn all his enemies. He loves that sort of thing. It would be good to find out exactly how the item works. But how long will it be? I’ll stick around the archives for another two, three hours and go through the scrolls again at the Scribe’s shop, but that’ll result in a delay in negotiations. But are you willing to wait? I need your consent.

  Tomorrow around noon, I’ll go into negotiations with the alpha. I’m flying to meet him in Sepheron. Let’s write in the Shell before then, alright?

  Jack thought for a minute. Wasn’t it lucky that the alpha who played this militant nomad was located in Sepheron! Sepheron was the Khanate that bordered the holdings of Brandt Ironfist.

  Everything was coming together, coming together beautifully. If the alpha agreed… it was probably best if Jack took part personally in the negotiations.

  Before you go to Sepheron, pick me up at the crossroads near Narim. I’m coming with you. I’ll tell you on the way what the Fiery Heart does. I’ve already figured it out.

  Jack left the Shell and turned off the console. His plan was taking on the finishing touches. Just a bit more, and everything would be in place. Brandt, Sartorius, Shifty Peter, the alpha from Sepheron, Romeo… each will have his own role to play. Break a leg, my actors. Director Jack has come up with an excellent show for you. If he survives until the premiere, that is.

  Chapter Thirteen

  A $4000 Alpha Citizen

  WHEN JACK peeled off his helmet, he found himself sitting on the bed. Goodwin was lying opposite staring intently at him.

  “Finished playing?” the old man asked reproachfully. “I managed to visit your friend. Found her place, spent a long time trying to persuade her that you were alive and needed the potion. Then waited while she prepared her brew. I barely convinced her to hear me out.”

  “That’s normal for Greta,” Jack croaked. “She’s always… secretive. Never has guests, doesn’t chat with strangers.”

  “Yeah, you mentioned that. But she wasn’t alone this time.”

  “Another customer?”

  “No, someone’s moved in with the old woman.”

  “You’re imagining things. She would never let someone come live with her.”

  “That’s why she wouldn’t let me in. She talked to me from the doorway. She agreed to my request, then she kicked me out and slammed the door in my face. I waited outside while she mixed her smelly potion. Honestly, I just couldn’t help myself and peeked through a crack. Part of her lair was curtained off. There was someone there tossing and wheezing.”

  “Wow! I never thought our old healer was capable of it. She’s always been alone. Did you bring the potion?”

  “Here you go, with compliments from Greta,” the old man held out the bottle. A muddy brew sloshed around inside. Dark flakes swirled below its surface. “And you spent all that time virt?”

  “Don’t you play at all?” asked Jack, uncorking the bottle. “Strange.”

  “Alterra is a lie,” the old man replied somewhat nervously. “You ought to be worrying about saving your own skin, but instead you distract yourself with that useless game. Oh, I get it — it’s so beautiful there. You can relax and forget about what’s happening to your body here, in real life.”

  “Hey! That’s all I’m thinking about. You’ll see in a couple of days when we get into New Atrium, and it’ll all be thanks to my efforts in Alterra. You’re probably just useless in the game and that’s why you nag. Oh, I see. You’re jealous of me! That’s it! Tell me, are you jealous?”

  Goodwin just stared at the cabin walls, picking at the peeling paint with a fingernail. Finally, he growled, “I can’t play. My brain doesn’t seem to function correctly. In virt, it causes disorientation. I can’t see the whole picture in the helmet like everyone else does. I g
et dizzy, my vision blurs… so, I can’t play. Maybe you think I’m jealous, alright. That side of life doesn’t exist for me, but I can still watch it in a detached and unbiased way. I can see how virtual reality affects your behavior and distracts you from really important things.”

  Of course. The old man was jealous of those who could dive into Alterra. He was simply making excuses for himself so he had come up with this “detachment and impartiality” thing. That was the face he put up.

  But Jack didn’t need a quarrel with him. Easier to just pretend to agree.

  “Yes, you’re probably right,” he said aloud. “Really, if you see it from the outside, we the players look like complete fools. But we are the majority and, so, our foolish behavior becomes the norm. And, like it or not, my last chance to get over the Barrier lies in Alterra, because I don’t see any options in real life. You don’t have to believe me. You’ll see soon enough. And what about sleep? Is that because of your brain, too? Why aren’t you sleeping while you still have a chance?”

  Goodwin frowned. “You sleep. Those people are rummaging around again in the White Avenue ruins. They almost saw me when I was returning from Old Greta’s. A one-eyed man and another, big guy.”

  “They’re here!” Jack jumped up and nearly fell right back down. His head started spinning; a disgusting lump rose in his throat. Damned disease, it was destroying him too quickly. “Why you didn’t tell me right away?”

  “What for?” Goodwin asked. “Come over here and get some water. They won’t make a move. Too afraid of the emitters. After all, they tore the ship to pieces and nobody else knows the defenders won’t risk shooting the cable.”

  “Ha, no, they won’t make a move! I need the one-eyed man,” Jack said, heading for the door. “He’s part of my plan, although the primary part is in Alterra, of course. But I also need Shifty Peter. Without him, nothing will work.”

  Maybe it was wishful thinking, but after drinking the potion that Old Greta had sent, Jack felt better. He could move almost normally now. He had to make use of it right away because who knew how long the healer’s medicine would last.