Nightmare Keep (Euphoria Online Book 2)

by Phil Tucker

  And it had worked. Kind of. Though she hadn’t needed to play me so hard. I was hurting so bad I’d have put up with almost anything.

  I stared at my hands, turning them over in the firelight. Almost anything.

  “Chris?”

  I startled, went to stand, but my leg spasmed and I bit back a cry.

  “Chris? Don’t get mad, all right? I just brought you a healing potion. I’ll leave it here for you by the cave entrance.”

  “How’d you find me?” I growled.

  “Well, it wasn’t too hard, luckily. I don’t even have Survival: Basic (I) yet.” I couldn’t make her out. The firelight was ruining my night vision. Of course, I could have switched on Darkvision, but I preferred to keep her in shadow. “You’re bleeding, you know. You left a pretty obvious trail. I’m surprised nothing else followed you up here, actually.”

  I closed my eyes. Should have thought of that. A trail of blood leading right to me in a high-danger zone. The last thing I needed was a dire bear or something coming in for a snack.

  “You got a second exit, right?” She sounded cautious, afraid of offending me. “You’re not just bottled up in there?”

  “I—no.” I stared at the heart of the fire. “Not that I’ve found.”

  “Oh.” There was an awkward pause. “I know you don’t want anything from me, but I’m going to leave this healing potion here, all right? And—and I’m leaving the Void Blade and the rest of the gear I brought you. Ignore it if you want. But I’m not going to use it, so why let it go to waste? Right?”

  I continued staring at the fire. “Fine.”

  The silence drew out. I thought she might have left, but then the shadows by the cavern entrance shifted. “Chris, I’m sorry.”

  That got my attention. In all the months I’d been with her, Brianna had never, ever apologized. For anything. Instead of assuaging my anger, her apology made me wary.

  “For what?”

  She laughed, exasperated. “For… for everything. I mean, where do I start?”

  “Where do you start?”

  “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?” It didn’t sound like a real question. “Well, I’m sorry for tricking you. For trying to find a way to get close to you again. I’ll admit, it was a little manipulative.”

  Sylvana’s voice was lighter and completely different from Brianna’s huskier tone. In a way, it made it dangerously easier to forgive her. Like I was forgiving Sylvana for Brianna’s sins.

  I almost didn’t want to know. To ask. To open up this conversation. But morbid curiosity compelled me. “What was your plan, when this all started? Why trick me into joining Cruel Winter?”

  “You sure you want to know?” Dark amusement in her voice. “I don’t think you’d understand my point of view on it.”

  “Try me.”

  “Well.” I could hear her settle down in the entrance. “I wanted you to appreciate what you’d thrown away. I guess I wanted you to admit you’d been wrong about me. That you did need me. That you were lucky to have me in your life.”

  The fire cracked and spat forth a stream of sparks. I let it be my answer.

  “So I came up with this invitation to Euphoria.”

  “There never was a raffle, was there?”

  “No, not so much. But that’s a minor detail. All that mattered was getting you into the game. I knew you’d leap at the chance. Chris Meadows, the all-star Golden Dawn champ turning down a chance to play Euphoria? Not in this lifetime.”

  I jutted out my jaw and hunched my shoulders. “So. Lies.”

  “White lies. What mattered was getting you into the game and finding a way to get you to spend time with me. I was going to show you the best Euphoria had to offer. The Glimmerstone Caves. Fly over the EverVortex. Go swimming through the Emerald Dream. All kinds of amazing adventures. We’d fight, level up, game together. And you’d see that we really do have a connection. One that was all warped and twisted in the real world, but which here, together, going on quests and having the wildest adventures possible, was true. Because that’s what I realized, Chris. The love we had was too big for the boring world. It choked us when kept at the mundane level of bars and parties and sleepovers and bingeing on movies. It needed an epic setting to flourish.”

  Her voice had picked up in urgency. God damn her charisma. She was causing my heart to beat faster just through her intensity. I knew that was Albertus messing with my brain, allowing her character sheet to trigger my hypothalamus or whatever, releasing endorphins and oxytocin, but that didn’t mitigate the effect it was having on me.

  “But then it went all wrong,” she said, her excitement abating. “You weren’t on the highland meadow when I arrived to pick you up. And it took me far too long to find you. I hadn’t expected you to be quite so enterprising without me.”

  “Enterprising? You know the first thing I ran into upon arriving here? Two ogres. I was lucky enough to accidentally trigger my Shadow Step ability, because otherwise they’d have crushed my head right there and then. Killing me, Brianna. You hear me? Your plan – your trick – nearly led to my death.”

  “Like I was supposed to know you were crazy enough to pick Death March mode?” Her outrage was just as sharp as mine. “Who the hell does that? Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you let me know what you were up to?”

  Her words stung, and partially because she was right. Still, I didn’t want to concede any ground to her. Bitter experience had taught me to hold my own. “Like you and your friends were so forthcoming when I arrived. What was his name, Arvid? The guy who kept cracking up every time I asked what class I should play, or anything of practical benefit? Brianna, you made it real clear that you didn’t want to talk shop. You couldn’t get me into Euphoria fast enough.”

  “Fine. I might have been a little pushy, but Death March? I’d have made time to convince you not to commit suicide.”

  “I had no choice,” I said, turning back to glower at the fire. “You wouldn’t understand, even if you think you do.”

  “Sure I understand. Now. Your little brother. Justin. You want to save him.” She paused. “I’d no idea things had gotten so tough for you guys.”

  “No, you wouldn’t have. You were too busy enacting your master plan to reveal our true love.”

  I could sense her stiffen.

  “I… I deserve that. You’re right. Let’s fold that into my general apology.”

  Again she surprised me. I’d been ready for her cutting rebuttal, but her quiet words disarmed me. Almost. “And why Cruel Winter?”

  “Does it matter?” She sounded tired. “You going to grill me over every detail?”

  “Yes.”

  “Fine.” She blew out her cheeks. “Cruel Winter’s a dead guild. It’s as isolated as it gets, in case you hadn’t noticed. So it was insurance. A means to ensure you’d join my group and hang out with me.”

  I smiled bitterly. “Insurance? You mean blackmail. A way to force me to be dependent on you. With no guild to turn to, no way to respawn anywhere but the middle of nowhere.”

  “Eh, don’t be dramatic. You’d agreed to join my party, hadn’t you? This changed nothing. Not as long as you planned to remain true to your word.”

  “Changes nothing?” I opened my mouth to spew out vitriol and then snapped it shut. She just wouldn’t get it.

  “Hey, I’m apologizing, right? Like, unconditionally? I’m sorry for my setup. I’m also sorry for this whole ‘Sylvana Ember’ thing. Though... I could have sworn you’d like this avatar.”

  “Your avatar’s fine,” I said, voice flat. “I’m just tired of being lied to.”

  “Yeah, I can tell. And I know you won’t believe me, but I did this for you. Because I knew you wouldn’t accept my help otherwise. That you’d doubt me and suspect me at every turn if I showed up as Brianna. But as Sylvana? I thou
ght there might be a chance I could do you some good. Earn your trust.”

  I sank my forehead into my palm. “By lying even more?”

  “Well, not when you put it that way.” There it was; her impatience with me. “No. I was finding a way to deliver high quality items and back-up to you while you were out here.”

  “Sure,” I said. “And why Death March mode? I mean, are you really in Death March?”

  “Yeah,” she said, and suddenly sounded despondent. “I had the stupid idea that it would be more romantic. That you’d be more inclined to take me in. That it would unite us. Seems stupid now. I’d take it back if I could.”

  I laughed weakly. “Brianna, you’re incredible. You went with suicide mode because you thought it’d be more romantic? Seriously? Seriously?”

  “Now you’re just being offensive,” she said. “I’m leaving the healing potion here, along with the promised gear. I’ll wait for you in the waystation. Don’t be late or you’ll miss breakfast.”

  “Don’t be late? Who said I was going to join you? An apology doesn’t absolve you from all you’ve done.” I waited, suddenly furious. “Brianna?”

  No response.

  “Damn it!” She’d always had a thing about getting in the last word. Used to piss me off no end. Still did. I listened carefully, but after a minute decided she’d really left. With a hiss, I rocked over onto my side and edged my way to the cavern entrance. The moon had yet to rise, and the last of the sunset was turning the clouds to lavender, so I could barely make out the pile she’d left by the cavern entrance.

  I turned on Darkvision and surveyed the immediate environs. It would be just like her to hide so as to watch me accept her largesse. But for all I studied the bushes and rocks, I couldn’t make her out anywhere.

  Frowning, I turned to the pile. A cut-glass bottle was set atop a folded robe. The Void Blade lay beside it, along with three rings, a coiled belt, and an amulet.

  If those items were nearly as powerful as I suspected, I’d just hit the jackpot.

  I took up the bottle, uncorked it, and then hesitated. Could it be some kind of charm or love potion? I wouldn’t put it past Brianna. But fatigue and pain won out over my caution and I tipped the bottle back, chugging the potion quickly. Warmth spread through my body immediately, alleviating my fatigue and aches, healing scrapes and cuts I’d not even realized I’d had till they were gone, and finally smoothing over the agony of my wound, leaving my leg limber and hale.

  By the time the last tingles were gone, I felt better than any other time since arriving in Euphoria. I smacked my lips in an excess of energy, grinned, and stoppered the bottle. “Thanks,” I told the absent Brianna.

  That done, I gathered the items and retreated into my cave, setting them before me in a pile so I could examine them carefully.

  I held the robe out before me. It was hard to tell its exact color in the firelight, but it seemed to be a marbled gray, and thick like wool. Only partially warmed by the fire, I pulled the cloak over my shoulders and fastened the clasp under my chin.

  Nothing happened.

  I popped open my character sheet and checked my stats. Nothing had changed there, either. So either Brianna had just brought me a nice warm cloak, or there was some kind of keyword involved. Quick way to check: I activated Detect Magic and the cloak immediately glowed brightly. Keyword-activated, then.

  Next I picked up the rings. Each was distinct from the others. The first was a simple band of glossy black metal. I slipped it onto my pointer finger and a subtle shiver ran through my body. I’d left my character sheet open, so saw the change immediately: my mana total had just jumped to thirty-six.

  For a second, I just stared. Then I let out a whoop and punched my fist into the air. This ring carried twenty mana points in it! I grinned at one of the depictions of the goblin that I’d started thinking of as Barry. This ring alone opened up a host of new possibilities in combat. I could now drop Night Shrouds and summon Ebon Tendrils with much greater flexibility. Double Step everywhere and not worry about running dry only ten seconds into combat. Amazing.

  The next ring was of carved ivory and was composed of a series of small shields being blown around the ring’s circumference by gusts of wind. I slipped it on and the air faintly shimmered surround me, so quick and subtle I almost missed it. A ring of armor? I’d confirm with Brianna tomorrow.

  The third ring was made from amber with a symbol like a stylized bull affixed to the front. Mystified, I examined it carefully, but found no clue as to its nature; putting it on made no changes to my character sheet, so I shrugged and moved on.

  The amulet was simple in design, being a blue gemstone cut in the shape of a hexagon with the cord running through a hole in its center. When I looked through it at the fire I thought I could see faint wisps of smoke curling through the gem. Again, its nature was opaque, so I slipped the cord over my neck and let it sit over my spider silk shirt.

  The final item was the belt. I uncoiled it, marveling at its slippery texture, like a band of liquid black ink. There was no buckle nor holes for a belt tongue, so I rose to my knees, removed my own plain leather belt and slipped the black one through the loops of my pants. When I touched the ends together, they melded and cinched to the perfect degree of tightness.

  A number flickered on my character sheet.

  “Holy crap,” I said out loud.

  My dex had just jumped to twenty-three.

  I remained frozen in place, staring at the new number. My stat had just leapt up four whole levels at exactly the time I’d been warned such gains were doomed to slow down. I reached down and snagged a pebble from the ground, then caused it to dance over my knuckles. I’d never been able to do that. I snatched up a couple more stones and began to juggle, another feat I’d never been able to perform in real life. The three pebbles interwove in the firelight, and somehow my hands knew just how to pluck each one from the air and toss it back up.

  It was easy.

  Out of curiosity, I reached down and picked up a fourth pebble without breaking the flow and added it to the mix. The pattern changed but remained easy. My hand darted down to the ground once more, quick as a viper, and a fifth pebble was thrown into the pattern. I laughed, marveling at my own ability, then snatched three more pebbles and threw them up into the air.

  And like that I was juggling eight pebbles without breaking a sweat, my hands dancing beneath them all, keeping the rocks in motion. I separated the pebbles into two groups, four to a hand, and kept those cycling through the air, no longer crossing them over, then tossed one over from my right, making it five in my left. They tumbled around and around, my left hand catching them and flicking them back up almost quicker than I could follow. I added a sixth. Now I couldn’t follow the movements of my own hand. The muscles in my shoulder burned, and my fingers were growing stiffer by the second, but with a determined grin I added the seventh pebble and the whole chain collapsed to the ground.

  I laughed and sat back down on the pallet, amazed. Everything had changed. Brianna’s gifts had shifted me into an entirely different threat level, and that was without knowing what the cloak, amulet, and ring could do. I’d a Void Blade that could bypass armor and steal my foe’s strength, a belt that had boosted my dex to ungodly levels, a ring of armor and another of mana. Add in the cloak, ring, and amulet, and perhaps the situation was no longer quite as dire as I’d thought.

  The firelight was dying down. The healing potion had erased my injuries but done little to soothe the emotional exhaustion of the day. I lay down on Barry’s pallet, head propped on one hand, and watched the branches collapse into the fire’s core, slowly turning to glowing coals.

  Brianna had changed the equation. Did that mean I forgave her? I didn’t know. Did I trust her? Hell, no. Was I glad she was here? I thought of her exquisite form, her liquid eyes, her coppery red hair. Those full lips, her curvaceous body. I d
idn’t exactly mind having such a beautiful woman by my side. I scowled and thought of Lotharia with a pang of guilt. Was that the effect of her charisma on me? In Euphoria it was impossible to tell.

  With a groan, I lay back and covered my face with my elbow.

  Life had just become incredibly more complicated.

  9

  Brianna hadn’t been kidding. I could smell the fried eggs and sausage the moment I stepped out of the forest, a faint and indescribably delicious scent that immediately flooded my mouth with spit. Stomach yowling as if I had a furious alley cat trapped in there, I hurried across the meadow, all thoughts of dignified reserve lost before the visions of eggs over easy and greasy links. I came to an abrupt stop, though, at the sight of the dead monsters.

  There were three of them. Apparently, I’d not been the only one captivated by the smell of a succulent breakfast. They were all of the same species; some kind of wolf mutant the size of a cow, their frames massively powerful and vaguely humanoid, their fur charcoal colored and thick. Each of them had been ensnared by garlands of vines that had wreathed them cruelly, their lengths covered in morning glory-like flowers, binding them to the ground then apparently shattering their bones. Some of the vines had cut so deep as to nearly slice off their limbs.

  I resumed walking. The three monsters lay completely still. The earth was torn and gashed by their claws. They’d fought for their lives, but been unable to break free. I frowned at the longhouse. Brianna might only be level one, but she was clearly packing some firepower.

  “Hello?” I ducked in the doorway. Brianna had tossed a white tablecloth over the flattest of the stones, and on this she’d laid out plates, silverware, glasses and a cutting board. An open picnic basket sat to one side, its interior teeming with further tableware and wrapped bundles. Brianna straightened from where she’d been bent over a cast iron pan and blew a lock of her hair from her face.