Rebirth Online 2

by Michael James Ploof

  “I like this one,” said Ember.

  Nanaya offered her a wink.

  “How exactly do you suggest doing that?” Cecilia asked.

  “It’s easy, we fight our way through the levels.”

  Nanaya returned from the bar and handed us each a glass of red wine.

  “That’s easy for you to say,” said Tweak. “But Trinity and I didn’t retain our powers like the rest of you did. We’re basically useless.”

  “Speak for yourself,” said Trinity as she twirled her new sword.

  “You’re still helpful, Tweak,” said Kit. “Thanks to you, we got what we needed from Frig.”

  “Don’t remind me,” he replied.

  “Speaking of Frig,” said Nanaya, glancing over at the sleeping imp. He had crashed out on top of what remained of the pizza box.

  Nanaya kicked the pizza box and Frig rolled over and cuddled up to what was left of the greasy cardboard. “I don’t want to go to school!” he whined groggily.

  “I’ve got more pizza,” she said alluringly.

  Frig leapt to his feet looking spry. “It’s about frigging time!” He rubbed his hands together hungrily.

  Nanaya tossed him the rest of the pizza and smiled as he gobbled it down. “You did good, Frig, now I release you from your bond. You are free to go.”

  “Why the hell would I want to do that?” he asked as he munched on the last remaining pizza crust. “I haven’t eaten this well since my little brother died.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss,” said Kit, her eyes wet with sympathy.

  “I don’t think it was an accident,” said Cecilia.

  “Listen Babe,” Frig continued as he dined leisurely. “You keep getting me pizza, and I’ll get you all the information your little heart desires.”

  Nanaya tapped a finger against her chin as she considered it, and all the while Tweak glanced back and forth from the succubus to the imp.

  “Oh, hell no!” Tweak tossed up his arms and began pacing the little apartment. “I’m not getting any more fucking pizza. Y’all hear that? Tweak is officially retired. I’m not sucking any more demon dick.”

  “Demon dick?” said Ember. “I thought you had to sleep with a succubus to get the pizza.

  “Yeah, a succubus with a big red shlong!” Tweak screamed and fell on the couch defeatedly.

  “Poor Tweak,” Kit purred as she snuggled up to him.

  “Don’t worry Tweak,” said Nanaya. “I have other ways to get pizza.”

  “Oh, thank god.” He let out a long sigh, but then his eyes shot open wide and his head slowly swiveled in the succubus’s direction. “You what?”

  “Like I was saying…” Nanaya turned back to Frig and studied the imp. “Are you willing to allow yourself to be bound to me?”

  “Whatever you’re into, sugar tits,” Frig replied as he licked his fingers.

  “You will address me as Mistress Nanaya!” she suddenly screamed.

  Frig jumped in surprise and stood at attention rigidly. “Yes, Mistress Nanaya,” he said saluting her.

  “That’s better,” said the succubus. “Perhaps you will be useful after all.”

  “Oh yes, very, very useful,” said Frig as he rubbed his hands. “Frig can get you information on just about anyone in the Underworld, and if you ever find yourself in need of someone to eat your sweet p—”

  “Gross!” Kit yelled.

  “Watch it,” Nanaya warned him.

  “What? I’m only serious,” said Frig, but Nanaya’s scowl sobered him quickly. “Sorry, thought it was worth a shot.”

  “Can we move this along?” Trinity asked. “While we’re screwing around with this limp little imp dick, Anna is Kincaid’s prisoner, and who knows what that sick son of a bitch is doing to her.”

  The ritual to bind Frig to her took Nanaya about a half hour to set up. Once she did, the actual binding was quick. When it was over, Frig obediently kneeled before the succubus.

  “My mistress, how may I please you?” he asked with a bow.

  “I need some weapons,” she said with a grin. “And lots of them.”

  Chapter 19

  “Holy shit!” Tweak followed the exclamation with a long whistle.

  “Where the hell did you get all this firepower?” Trinity asked Nanaya.

  “I have my ways,” said Frig. He blew on his nails and rubbed them on his tattered robes feeling quite pleased with himself.

  “I wasn’t talking to you, little freak,” said Trinity without looking at him.

  “That’s not very nice,” said Kit. “Imps have feelings too.”

  “This coming from the crazy cat lady who told him she’d cut off his hands?” Trinity scoffed and returned her attention to Nanaya. “Seriously, this is some pretty amazing shit.”

  “I knew about the stockpile for a while but didn’t have a way or the will to steal it before. Surprisingly, Frig pulled off the heist.”

  “Did you ever have a doubt?” the imp asked.

  I stared at the enchanted weapons piled in the center of the room, and I started to feel a lot better about our odds. The weapons consisted of about a hundred bows and twice as many crossbows. The bowstrings glowed with bright green light, and when Ember pulled one of them back a shimmering jade arrow appeared.

  “Now that’s cool,” said the drow assassin.

  “They were made by real world players long ago to be used in overthrowing the former dark lord,” Nanaya explained. “But one of their own sold them out and the dark lord devoured them and confiscated all their weapons.”

  “Why didn’t he just destroy them?” Cecilia asked as she inspected a crossbow.

  “Because they cannot be destroyed. Their strings are said to be made from angel hair,” Nanaya told her.

  “Like the pasta?” Tweak asked, and we all offered him a concerned frown.

  “Uh, no, not like the pasta, like actual angels,” said Nanaya. “The arrows that are conjured when the strings are pulled back are said to have been fashioned by the bones of the righteous.”

  “What kind of damage do they do?” Trinity asked.

  “They’ll instantly kill any Underworld NPC level 20 and lower, and they’ll inflict massive damage to baddies up to level 100.”

  “They have those down here?” I asked, hoping she was exaggerating.

  “Yes, they do,” she said solemnly. “But with some teamwork they shouldn’t be a problem.”

  When I envisioned the freed players wielding these enchanted bows and storming Kincaid’s castle, I smiled to myself. I’d had my doubts about our ability to help the corporation deal with Kincaid, but now it seemed like we might just have a shot.

  “We should all rest up,” said Nanaya. “Fighting our way through the levels of hell is going to be a bitch, and I for one could use some rest.”

  Tweak and Frig crashed out on the couch, and the girls and I retired to Nanaya’s bedroom. I was still feeling pretty spent from the epic sex session with Megulla, and to my relief the girls were understanding when I said that I really wanted to get some sleep.

  We all passed out on Nanaya’s bed, and I quickly fell asleep amidst my women’s warm, naked bodies. My sleep was blessedly dreamless, and when I awoke, my interface told me that nine hours had passed. The girls were still asleep, but they began to stir when I sat up.

  “Morning Big Daddy,” said Kit with a yawn.

  “Are you feeling better?” Nanaya asked as she too began to stir.

  “I feel like a new man,” I told her.

  She grinned, and I followed her eyes to the bulge in the sheets.

  “It looks like you're not the only one who feels better.” Nanaya’s head disappeared beneath the sheets as she trailed kisses down my abs. Her hot mouth wrapped around my shaft, and I let out a satisfied groan.

  Cecilia, Ember, and Trinity woke up after Kit joined in with the succubus, and the girls began playfully fighting for a turn on the magic stick. During the sex infused pillow fight, we all leveled, and I
emerged from the bedroom with a big smile on my face. I was now a level 36, and I had unlocked a new spell called Firestorm.

  “You look like you slept well,” said Tweak from the dining room table. He was playing poker with Frig who was wearing a green dealer’s cap and smoking a fat cigar. By the size of his chip stack, it was apparent that the imp was winning.

  “You?” I asked.

  “Nah. I keep having bad dreams.”

  “Sorry to hear that.”

  “It’s all good,” said Tweak. He slapped down his poker hand and yelled, “Flush, Bitch!”

  Frig stared wide-eyed at Tweak’s poker hand, but then a sly grin grew across his ugly mug. “Full house mutha fucka!” he said with a devilish laugh.

  We all ate cold pizza for breakfast, and I inquired to Nanaya about finding a mage trainer in the Underworld.

  “There are a few, but they’re not easy to find,” she said with a sidelong glance at Frig.

  “I can find him!” Frig slapped down another winning hand and scooped up the rest of Tweak’s chips. “I’m bored from beating this loser anyway.”

  “The mage trainer's name is Fiaccus,” said Nanaya. “Last I heard he had disguised himself as a troll and was living in the cavern south of the big maze.”

  “You got it babe…er, I mean mistress,” said Frig. “I’ll be back before you know it, oh, and I’ll take Hawaiian pizza this time.”

  With that he disappeared, and Nanaya stood from her seat at the table.

  “Alright, here’s the plan…”

  An hour later, we emerged from Brikturd’s place, each carrying a sack full of the enchanted bows. Nanaya led us all by the ropes tied around our necks, and we didn’t get too many looks from the demons, imps, witches, wolfmen, and other Underworld baddies moving about the city.

  If all went well, then this would be the last time that we had to pretend to be her slaves.

  If all went well, there would be no more slaves.

  We traveled to the Pits of Anguish, and I saw Kit visibly shiver when we once again laid eyes on that terrible place.

  “You alright?” I asked the cat woman.

  “I will be in about ten seconds.” She dropped her sack on the ground, withdrew a bow, pulled back, and took aim at the closest guards. She glanced at Nanaya, who gave her a go-ahead nod, and Kit fired.

  The arrow became a green streak as it sped through the air and took the ogre square in the middle of the forehead. His eyes crossed and focused on the shaft, and a second later his head exploded.

  “Fire at will!” said Nanaya, and we sent a volley of arrows into the startled guards.

  The arrows tore through the ogres, trolls, even the soul reavers who came swooping down from the ceiling like demonic bats. A horn blared nearby, and the guards overlooking the slaves down in the pits began charging up the winding road leading out.

  We could have just stood up there and taken out the guards one by one as they charged up the path, but Trinity wasn’t a big fan of killing from afar, and before I could stop her, she was leaping from the top down to the first ring of the pit. Her new sword sang out of its sheath, and when she stabbed the first troll in the gut, the poor bastard exploded.

  “Damn,” said Tweak beside me, and I had to agree.

  I leapt down after her with Tweak close on my heels, and a moment later I got a chance to try out my own blade. A soul reaver landed in front of me and cocked back a big black scythe. I blocked the blow with my enchanted sword, and to my surprise, the blade shattered the scythe and continued through the soul reaver’s body. The thing reeled back, and I struck again, this time severing its head.

  Trolls, ogres, demons, and maniacal imps surged up from the pit, but Trinity didn’t relent. As our friends riddled the attackers with volley after volley of streaking arrows, Trinity tore into the remaining thugs, severing limbs and sending heads rolling. I struck a troll with my sword and was rewarded with my first soul-shatter strike. My thrust hit the troll in the gut and the creature exploded into a puff of red mist. I ran through the misty remains of the dead troll, painting myself red in the process, and joined Trinity in her manic attack.

  The slaves deeper down in the pits began to fight with their captors, and though they were all level zeros, they still caused enough chaos to give us the upper hand. We fought our way all the way to the bottom of the pit, leaving a long trail of dead and mangled bodies in our wake.

  When all the guards were dead, the captives burst into celebration. They hugged us and cried as they offered their thanks, and my heart broke to see them in such a sorry state. Everyone recognized me from the battle with Kincaid, which was still being talked about in Rebirth Online as well as the real-world news stations, so I used my celebrity status to get everyone settled down and led them up out of the pit.

  Once they were all out, I took to a guard tower and addressed them all.

  “Citizens of Rebirth Online, hear me now!” I yelled over the cheers. They eventually settled down, and I continued. “Friends, you may be free, but the fight has just begun. I need your help if this revolution is to continue. I know that you’re scared. I know that you feel powerless. But I’m here to tell you that you must find your strength, you must find your courage, and you must fight.”

  “We’re all level zero!” someone yelled. “How is it that you still have your magic?”

  “Some of my guildmates and I have been blessed by a powerful shaman. But just because you have no magic does not mean that you are powerless. There is power in numbers my friends.”

  “Easy for you to say, you weren’t nerfed like the rest of us!” a woman yelled from the crowd.

  “We’ve attained powerful weapons that you can wield no matter your level. My friends are handing them out now. Please do not take one unless you are familiar with the weapons.”

  The hundreds of bows were handed out, which left at least half of the group with a weapon.

  “With these weapons, and with our numbers, we will battle through the seven levels of the Underworld. We will take the fight to the Lord of Darkness, and we will be victorious!”

  The crowd cheered and began chanting my name and that of my guild. Nanaya glanced over at me and offered a nod of approval, while Kit snuggled up to me and purred happily.

  When the crowd had died down, I turned to Nanaya and shrugged. “Now what?”

  “Now we free the rest of them,” she said with a mischievous grin.

  “Fight the power!” Frig screamed defiantly.

  “Amen brother,” Tweak said, high-fiving the imp.

  A deep growl issued from the pit that shook the stone beneath us, and everyone became quiet as a mouse.

  “What the hell was that?” said Kit out of the corner of her mouth.

  “Fools!” came the deep, guttural voice from deep in the depths of the dark pit. “Your actions have awakened me from my eternal prison. Now I shall dine on your innards, and your bodies will feed my young. I will dominate—”

  “Shut the fuck up!” Trinity screamed down into the pit and shot five successive enchanted arrows into the depths.

  A pained groan answered her attack, and the ground began to quake.

  “Nice job!” said Ember as she tried to keep her footing.

  “Let’s get the hell out of here!” said Cecilia, who like the rest of my girls was now training their bows and crossbows on the lip of the pit.

  “No,” I said, unsheathing my blade and turning to the frightened players. “No more running. No more hiding. We’re going to face these fuckers, and we’re going to win!”

  The crowd cheered like bloodthirsty Vikings, and I couldn’t help but crack a proud smile. Everyone with a weapon turned to face the dreaded pit as the ground shook and rumbled. Whatever form of monster it was down in the pit finally broke through the bottom, and debris shot up out of the pit like a geyser. Dark green flames followed the steaming debris, and we were all forced to turn from the intense heat.

  As soon as the flames subsided, I cast
Scorched Earth on the ground beneath us, and the flames that leapt from the stone buffed the entire group with fire resistance. Thusly armored, we bravely faced the mouth of the pit. There came an intense pounding from the depths, and I imagined massive claws digging into the stone as the creature clawed its way to the top.

  When the monster’s head finally emerged from the pit, everyone in the group took a few steps back.

  Cursed Harbinger of Death

  Immortal Fire Wyrm

  Level - ???

  Some players gasped and ran away, others fainted, but the rest of us pulled back on our bows and trained our enchanted arrows at the monster. It had three snake heads covered in red hot scales that resembled fire embers. Three long necks disappeared into the now glowing pit, and two massive clawed hands crashed down onto the stone.

  “Fire!” I bellowed, and a second later two-hundred green glowing arrows streaked through the air.

  About eighty percent of the arrows found their target, and the wyrm’s three heads were riddled with what looked like tiny glowing needles. I thought I saw the creature’s health bar move a hair, and I ordered the group to fire at will.

  The wyrm endured the onslaught and began to pull itself up from the pit. It spewed its molten green fire in our direction, but my buff held up against the flames and left us all untouched. Even so, Kit and Cecilia abandoned their weapons and began frantically enchanting the group with healing buffs and holy enchantments that boosted our armor. There were only two of them, however, and their enchantments did nothing to help those poor bastards who were snatched up by the wyrm’s long arms and tossed into one of the three fang-filled mouths.

  My heart sank when one of the wyrm’s hands shot out and grabbed ahold of Nanaya, but even as it began to pull her to the middle head and gaping maw, she began to shift.

  The succubus’s body contorted and twisted, and a heartbeat later she had changed into a large white shimmering dragon. The wyrm recoiled when Nanaya shifted, and the talented succubus blasted the middle head with a torrent of snow and ice from her own mouth. Another volley of arrows riddled the wyrm, and I was heartened to see that its health was now at about 75%.