Awaken Online (Book 3): Evolution

by Bagwell, Travis

  “It’s good to see you, Vera,” Jason said with a nod.

  “The same, although it appears that we missed the main battle,” Vera commented, eyeing the corpses littering the edge of the cliff and the hulking body of the dead dragon nearby – its corpse still entwined with the Death Lord.

  “You should consider that a blessing,” Jason said, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. Now that the battle was over, he felt exhausted.

  “Perhaps,” Vera acknowledged. “We secured the gate into town, and we’re keeping the riffraff out for now. What do you want me to do with this lot?” she asked, pointing at the unarmed players and soldiers.

  “Strip them and then let them go outside of town,” Jason said. “There’s been enough death today.”

  Vera nodded curtly and then moved off toward her soldiers, shouting orders. As she left, Jason noticed that the sapphire walls around the city began to flicker and fade. Suddenly, the walls shattered into millions of smaller fragments, glowing azure particles drifting down over the bay. At the same time, two notifications appeared in Jason’s vision.

  Universal System Notice

  The invasion of Falcon’s Hook is over. Congratulations, heroes! You have fended off the lizardmen invasion and successfully defended Falcon’s Hook.

  Special recognition goes out to Frank, a member of Original Sin, for slaying a world boss – the Azure Dragon. As a reward, he will be awarded the title “Serpent Slayer.”

  All movement and respawn restrictions in Falcon’s Hook have been lifted. Travelers and NPCs may move freely within Falcon’s Hook.

  Quest Failed: Over Your Head

  Instead of slaying the Tentacle Horror, your group betrayed the lizardmen and started a full-fledged invasion of Falcon’s Hook that resulted in the complete genocide of their race. Good job?

  Difficulty: S

  Success: Slay the Tentacle Horror.

  Failure: Die to the Tentacle Horror or fail to kill the creature within the time limit.

  Reward: 5,000 infamy for each group member.

  Jason shook his head as he read the quest failure notification. It was to be expected, but he sensed some of Alfred’s sarcasm in the prompt.

  “Ooh, a new title!” Frank said, waving away the screens in front of him. “It grants a damage bonus against all reptilian opponents. That seems a little lame as a reward after everything we’ve gone through, but I suppose it’s sort of cool.”

  “Sort of cool?” a voice demanded from behind the group. “I think you meant that it was an enlightened and truly well thought out reward – especially considering that it was bestowed on a sheep-hating bigot.”

  They turned to find the Hippie standing calmly along the edge of the cliff, Fluffy and Felix hovering nearby. When the sheep caught sight of Eliza, he immediately trotted over and pushed his head against her, demanding that she scratch behind his ears. Jason glanced at the players and NPCs nearby, but none of them seemed to be aware of the capricious water god.

  “Look at all my creations,” the Hippie continued sadly, watching the lizardmen corpses floating along the bay. “Do you know how long it took to make those?”

  “You’ve mentioned it once or twice before,” Jason replied in a dry tone.

  “What are you doing here?” Eliza demanded, stalking up to the god. “You have a lot of nerve showing your face after setting up this… this nonsense.”

  “Me?” the Hippie asked, placing a hand on his chest. “Sure, I made certain you were in the right place at the right time. But a lizardmen invasion? A dragon? I’m not certain anyone could have anticipated this outcome. It would take someone with truly impressive mental faculties. Really a mental Adonis…”

  “We already know you’re behind this,” Eliza insisted, unflustered by the god’s antics. “The only thing I don’t get is what you’re really trying to accomplish here.”

  The Hippie broke into a broad smile, giving up any pretense of innocence. “It was pretty cool, huh? You should have seen your faces when the invasion showed up – you were all like ‘why are there so many?’ Fluffy and I had a good laugh.” This earned him a woeful shake of the sheep’s head and an eye-roll.

  “The point. Get to the point of all of this,” Eliza said, tapping her foot in irritation.

  His expression sobered quickly as he looked at Eliza. “As I said before, the point was and still is to reclaim my place in this world. And now I can finally do so,” he said. Then he turned back to the bay, waving his hand at the waters. “Come, let’s watch the rise of a new city.”

  As the water god finished speaking, the water trembled and slowly began to spin, creating a vortex in the center of the bay. The whirlpool swiftly grew in strength, sucking in the bloated, scaly corpses that still floated on the water. The ships resting in the mouth of the bay struggled to move out of range of this new magical maelstrom. At the same time, the ground began to tremble – jerking and stuttering erratically and throwing players and NPCs to the ground.

  As the last of the reptilian bodies were pulled into the vortex, a structure began to rise from the water. It was only a shadow at first – a dark impression beneath the swiftly moving water. But soon a dense coral reef came into view. The living material formed itself into long piers, leading up to a series of platforms at the base of the cliffs. Massive circular platforms pieced themselves together, and jets of water pushed the platforms up the cliff until they formed a series of magical elevators.

  The dense black clouds that hovered over the city also thickened, the rain falling even more heavily until the group started getting nervous. The droplets began to form into rivulets and then rivers, forcing the city’s residents indoors and to take high ground to avoid the torrent of water.

  Deep canals formed through the city’s streets. The waterways funneled toward the cliffs that overhung the bay, creating waterfalls that cascaded over the edge and crashed into the bay far below. The buildings along the newly-formed canals also shifted and morphed – the ancient, dilapidated boards replaced by thick aquamarine crystal embedded with shells and polished gemstones.

  As the final changes rocked the city and the bay, the remaining moisture coating the ground evaporated, forming a thick mist that curled and coiled through the city’s new streets and canals. The cloud thickened and grew until a veritable wave of moisture pushed over the edge of the cliffs, drifting down into the bay and encircling the city in a dense, protective fog.

  “Behold, Eliza,” the Hippie declared, waving a hand at his new creation and a triumphant smile painted on his face. “Behold your new city, The Sea’s Edge!”

  Jason and his group could only stare at the transformation that had overtaken Falcon’s Hook, shaking the moisture from their sodden cloaks. Eliza stood in numb shock, her mouth opening and closing as she grappled with the sudden change. As she finally composed herself, she managed to mumble to the Hippie, “What do you mean, my city?”

  The water god cocked his head. “You’re my avatar. Just as Jason has his Twilight Throne and Alexion has his Crystal Reach, this city is yours – a testament to your power. To our power.”

  “This is amazing,” Frank murmured, staring at the elevators that scaled the cliff face and the newly-formed boats that navigated the waterways through town – the vessels drifting rudderless as though guided by some unseen hand.

  As Frank and Riley offered their congratulations and the Hippie yammered on, Jason watched Eliza closely. She stayed silent during the exchange, and a frown creased her forehead. Despite the massive reward that the Hippie was handing her, she seemed hesitant – and even a bit upset.

  “Are you okay?” Jason asked Eliza quietly, interrupting the rest of the group.

  She glanced at him, her expression troubled. “I don’t know…” she replied, hesitating. “Well, that’s not true. No. No, I’m not okay.”

  The water mage turned on the Hippie, glaring at him. “I told you long ago that I didn’t want this – I never wanted this. I just want to tend Alma’s garden and ma
ke potions. I don’t want to lead a city or deal with the same problems that Jason faces.”

  The Hippie looked at her in shock, his eyes wide. “What are you saying? Look at what you accomplished. Look at what I am offering you!”

  Eliza lapsed into silence for a long moment, choosing her words carefully. Then she took a deep breath as though steeling herself. “I don’t want it,” she finally said, meeting the water god’s gaze. “I reject your offer.”

  The Hippie stared at the young girl as the group looked on, wisely choosing to keep their mouths shut. The silence lengthened and grew as the god gazed at Eliza – as though waiting for her to change her mind. Then his face suddenly broke into a smile. “Good,” he said. “I have been waiting for you to make this decision for some time.”

  “I-I… what?” Eliza asked in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

  “What is the water affinity based around?” the Hippie inquired with exaggerated patience.

  “Acceptance,” Eliza murmured. “But what does that have to do with my decision?”

  “You let others make your decisions for you,” the Hippie said. “In this world and outside it, you let others dictate the path that you will take. You accept their decisions blindly, not willing to stand up for yourself and what you want.”

  Eliza looked troubled, her eyes darting to the side and her face flushing slightly. The Hippie continued softly, “My path is not one of blind devotion. Acceptance does not mean always being a follower – it is the wisdom to know when to bend and when to hold firm.”

  The Hippie stepped toward the girl, placing a gentle hand to her face and drawing her gaze back to meet his. “That’s why I chose you – a girl that entered this world at the behest of others. A girl that only wanted to play in her garden. You have such compassion in your heart, and you are willing to accept others – even when they are cast aside by everyone else,” he said, glancing at Jason and his group.

  “The only thing you were missing was a will of your own. It was there. It just needed to be nurtured and grown. You needed to be exposed to this world and its troubles.”

  The Hippie smiled at Eliza. “So, no. I’m not upset by your decision. I accept it wholeheartedly.”

  The god’s words must have struck a chord with her, because Eliza blinked hard against the tears that welled at the corners of her eyes, pushing aside her glasses to wipe away the moisture. “Who will run this place if I don’t?” she murmured, glancing down at the ground.

  “Whoever you choose,” the god said with a kind smile.

  Eliza bit at her lip, looking uncertain. Then she glanced at Jason and his group where they stood around her – none of them making any move to speak as they waited for her decision. They couldn’t make this choice for her. Fluffy chose that moment to nudge the girl with his head, his eyes concerned as he saw her confused and pained expression.

  A small smile suddenly curled the girl’s lips as she stared at the black sheep. “I think I know what to do. I nominate Fluffy as the new regent of the Sea’s Edge.”

  The god and the rest of the group all stared at her for a long moment. Even Fluffy was watching her with a bewildered expression.

  Then the Hippie coughed delicately. “Ahem, when I said you could choose anyone…”

  “I choose Fluffy,” Eliza insisted, staring down the god. “You owe him that much after that nonsense play you made us all go through. You probably traumatized him for life! Besides, he is the only one who has been nice to me this entire time, and he didn’t create some elaborate plot to trick me into creating a magical city.”

  The Hippie put up his hands defensively as the girl continued her tirade. “Okay, okay! Fluffy it is,” he pleaded desperately, backing away from the water mage.

  Seeing that she had gotten her way, Eliza crossed her arms, glaring at the water god. “Oh, and he gets to hold onto this,” she said, an idea suddenly occurring to her. She pulled the magical sphere from her bag, handing it to the black sheep.

  As soon as she made the gesture, the orb began shrinking in size until it was only as large as a marble. The sphere then drifted out of her open palm and toward the small bell hanging from Fluffy’s collar. With a flash of azure light, the orb merged with the metal, a glowing blue ball now embedded in the tiny bell. The sheep tried awkwardly to look at the bell, dancing slightly and craning his head to the side.

  “Well, this isn’t quite what I was expecting,” the Hippie said with a frown as he watched the sheep trying to see its new present. Then his face broke into a smile. “But it will definitely be interesting!”

  At this final statement, another notification crashed into the group’s vision.

  Universal System Message

  The player Eliza has conquered Falcon’s Hook and has converted it to the water affinity. The city of Falcon’s Hook shall hence forth be known as “The Sea’s Edge.” The city is now covered in a protective mist that conceals and protects its residents, and the city’s NPCs are now merman and merwomen – capable of shifting forms when entering a body of water.

  Any water affinity players and NPCs within range of the mists surrounding The Sea’s Edge will receive a passive bonus to all water-based abilities and skills – including crafting abilities. “Merman and Merwoman” are now available as a starting race and players that choose this race will start in The Sea’s Edge.

  Eliza has delegated sovereign authority over her city to a truly noble and courageous individual. He will reign with a strict hoof but will show the same compassion to his citizens that he affords to Eliza. He is also not above playing favorites and may accept petting and gifts in exchange for favors.

  All Hail Fluffy! – The Hippie

  Frank chuckled as he reviewed the notification. “I have to be honest, I didn’t see that one coming. A sheep ruler? I love it!”

  Even Riley was smiling, and she petted Fluffy on the head. “Congratulations,” she said, bending down to peck the sheep on the cheek. The animal looked completely taken aback by this sudden change of events and was staring at the group with wide eyes. Meanwhile, Pint glared at the sheep and clutched at Riley’s hair protectively, waving his little trident at Fluffy as though warning him away from the girl.

  “I guess the only question left is what are you going to do now?” Jason asked Eliza.

  Everyone turned to look at her expectantly, including the god and the city’s new, fluffier regent. Eliza looked uncertain for a moment, but then she turned to meet Jason’s gaze. “I really enjoyed traveling with you and your group. Could… could I keep partying with you?”

  “What happened to your precious garden?” the Hippie asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

  “It will always be there,” Eliza murmured. “Plus, I bet I can make my own garden in the Twilight Throne.”

  “Are we talking about the same city?” Frank asked with a laugh. “You know, covered in perpetual darkness? The forest around the city is a little dead.”

  Jason rubbed at his chin. On a personal level he was definitely willing to accept Eliza’s request. He also suspected that she hadn’t completely given up her authority over the city – the notification’s language had been a little vague. He could certainly use some allies right now.

  “We would love to have you,” Jason said. “I’ll even do you one better.” With a flick of his wrist, he pulled up the system menu and issued a guild invitation to Eliza. Her eyes widened as the prompt appeared in the air before her.

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “We’re sure,” Riley insisted. “You’re one of us,” she added, placing an arm around the other girl’s shoulders.

  “Do it,” Frank urged her.

  Eliza tentatively raised a hand, tapping the accept button. A moment later, a guild tag populated under her name, announcing her as a newly-minted member of Original Sin.

  “Welcome,” Jason said with a smile.

  “Oh,” he added quickly, “I think we can work something out with your garden. I’ve had a fe
w ideas about growing crops underground – if nothing else we’re going to need some hops once our people run out of beer. We just need to convince a few light mages to help – whether they want to or not.”

  “Thank you,” Eliza whispered, appearing a bit overwhelmed by everything that had happened. Then a thought occurred to the girl, her eyes lighting up. “Oh, I almost forgot!” she dug through her pack for a moment as the group glanced at each other in confusion – trying to guess at what she was going to pull from her bag.

  A moment later, her hand reappeared holding a familiar white egg about the size of a football. “I stole one of the lizardmen eggs when we were escaping Anguine Isle.” As she noticed the group’s wide-eyed expressions, she hesitated. “What? Is this okay? I thought maybe it would be a good ingredient for my potions.”

  Jason just stared at the egg, his thoughts turning back to the hulking lizardmen, including their natural regeneration and their clawed hands. “Umm, I think I might have a better idea,” he said cautiously. “What would you say to using that egg to breed a new generation of lizardmen?”

  Now it was the group’s turn to stare at Jason.

  “Are you kidding me right now?” Frank muttered.

  A smile lingered on Jason’s face as he looked at the lone egg in Eliza’s hand. “No, not at all. I think this is going to be a lot of fun. It’s probably one of my best plans yet.”

  Chapter 35 - Mysterious

  The Old Man hung suspended from wooden bolts. Black blood leaked from the wounds that riddled his body and stained the ground. The nearby pillars still smoldered, the glowing orange ashes painting the scene in a macabre light as thick black smoke filled the air above the courtyard. A hushed silence had descended upon Alexion’s soldiers and nephilim, the men and women barely breathing as they stared at the god’s broken body.