The Final Chapter

by LitRPG Freaks

  “We have two more Demon Lords to kill,” Trajan pointed out. “Two more fights to get through and that’s not including any of the quests or instances we still have to run. And now, we can lose our characters, maybe even worse.”

  Maverick’s brow wrinkled and she crossed her arms as she glared at him. “What are you saying?”

  “I don’t know what I’m saying,” Trajan sighed, rubbing his forehead. “But this is getting insane. You have to admit that. The odds are against us!”

  “What odds?”

  Trajan’s face fell at the sound of Calista’s voice. She approached with the remainder of their combined guilds, hands resting on her ax and mace as always, but she shot daggers at him with that glare. “Calista, you have to admit—”

  “Admit what? That it’s getting crazy?”

  Trajan looked to Jimmy for help, but he wasn’t about to say a damn word. “Well, yeah to be honest. I didn’t sign up for a beta test just so I could lose everything I have accomplished a little over half way through. I didn’t sign up to risk my guild, or my friends in real life. You’ve said it yourself how this game is messing with your head. What if it starts doing worse to us out there, huh? What if it damages us all?”

  “And you think we did?” she snapped. “You think Bishop did? He didn’t have a choice! He’s the one stuck in this world and the only one who might die for good if we don’t help him.”

  “The hell he didn’t,” Trajan yelled. “He didn’t have to give into that woman’s meddling. He could’ve been stronger and put his foot down, said no.”

  “You don’t think he tried?”

  “I don’t think he tried hard enough.”

  Calista’s hands tightened around her weapons and Trajan gripped his hammer as if the two were ready to have it out with each other.

  Jimmy quickly stepped in between, holding his hands out to stop them.

  “Just everyone take a breath, alright? We can all agree this is not the most ideal situation, but we know now Bishop is still there, and I’m not about to leave him to fight this on his own.”

  “That makes one of you,” Trajan said firmly. “But I’m not going to keep doing this.”

  “So you’re out? Just like that, when things get hard for the heroes, you’re going to turn your back on your friends and give up?”

  Trajan chewed on his cheek, but nodded.

  “Wow, nice to know what kind of player you really are before we get any further into this game.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “How is it not fair?” she yelled, throwing her arms up. “We’re heroes, Trajan, and that means heroes have to deal with the shitty end of the deal. The villains always get the cool monsters and the gadgets. They always have overwhelming odds! That’s what these games are about, these worlds!” She paced back and forth, running her hands through her hair. “You came to this world to be a hero, so stop acting like a coward and be a damn hero! If we don’t stop this, worse things will happen than just losing your character!”

  He said nothing and Jimmy held his breath, waiting as Calista stepped closer, a pleading look in her eyes. “Bishop…Harrison, he might never come back from this. Do you want that hanging over your head?”

  “He made his choice,” Trajan stated and Jimmy’s gut sunk. “And I’m making mine. Anyone who wants to stick with me and avoid Bishop and this mess, you’re free to do so, but the rest of you…you’re on your own.”

  “Trajan, you can’t be serious,” Aiden asked alarmed.

  “I am. I’m not going to watch any of you suffer needlessly. Dennis admitted it himself, the effects of actually dying in this game can be detrimental.”

  Aiden shook her head and moved back by Benji. “I’m staying with them.”

  Trajan clenched his jaw. “Fine then. Anyone else?”

  Jimmy stood perfectly still and watched as Nell, Derrick, Orion, and Mack all moved to stand by Trajan, leaving the rest of the LongBeards to stand beside Bishop’s Guard. Jimmy frowned; losing one healer, two DPS, and two tanks was going to make their job a lot more difficult moving forward, but if Trajan wanted to leave them to fight this battle on their own, then that was fine with him.

  “Let’s go,” Jimmy said to Calista. “We have plans to make.”

  She grabbed his arm hard as Trajan and his few guild mates watched on. “You really saw Bishop in there?”

  “I did. He could’ve killed us, but he hesitated and then he left us alive.”

  Jimmy cast the milestone again and it was the longest casting time of his life, feeling the eyes of Trajan on all of them. He didn’t say it, but Jimmy knew he wanted to call them all fools for thinking they could weather this storm and beat back Valen.

  That they could save Bishop.

  But friends didn’t leave friends behind. As long as there was a sliver of hope for them to save Bishop, save Harrison, Jimmy would keep fighting.

  Chapter 7

  Valenastrious cackled in delight as she stood before her wall of mirrors. Bishop had wanted to disappear back to Hillside and continue his duties of preparing the army, but she had summoned him here, to watch. He didn’t want to and kept his gaze focused on the ground. Hearing Calista and Trajan argue tore him up inside.

  No, not him. The voice inside his head.

  That voice was currently raging inside his skull, bashing into his head as if it was going to break free and go after Valenastrious. Bishop snarled, trying to silence it, but it was too strong and after the incident that just occurred, he doubted it would be silent for a very long while. That voice was the only reason two of his old friends were still alive instead of burnt out skeletons on the ground. He had them. He had them in his sights and he missed his shot.

  You can’t kill them, the voice chanted again. You won’t kill them! It’s not who you are!

  “Be silent!” he hissed furiously, but not quietly enough.

  “Is there a problem, my pet?” Valenastrious asked as she turned from the mirrors.

  Bishop met her gaze for a moment before his eyes were drawn to one of the ornate mirrors. His friends had split. Several stood beside the dwarf, but most stood beside Calista.

  Those are the ones willing to risk everything for you. Do you see that? Do you see how many of them care for you?

  And I see the ones that don’t, he thought, focusing on the dwarf and the few with him.

  Not everyone loved Bishop as Calista claimed, but still, the number standing beside her was more than he expected. He watched until Calista’s face was gone along with the rest of them. The mirror hazed over and he blinked, feeling Valenastrious’ intent gaze focusing on him.

  “Apologies, my Queen,” he said, bowing his head. “Things did not go according to plan today, or at least not as well as I hoped.”

  “I saw.” She waved her hand across another mirror and Bishop saw himself standing before Jimmy and Maverick, ready to kill them. “Care to explain to me why you did not?”

  Bishop anxiously moved from one side to the other. “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know,” she repeated. “That is not a good enough answer, my pet.”

  He knew it, but what else could he say? He’d been tracking them all and, the moment Jimmy was alone, he knew he had him. Knew he could pick another hero off once the storm Valenastrious had created had spread across all of Samar, sealing the fates of the heroes. Jimmy should be dead, and Maverick along with him, but instead…instead they lived and got away from him.

  “A mistake, my Queen, one that will not happen again.”

  “Are you certain of that? It appears to me your resolve wavers.” She snapped her fingers and all the mirrors went blank. “Do I need to worry about you?”

  “No, my Queen. It was a moment of hesitation, nothing more.”

  “Hmm.” She circled him, dragging her long talons along his shoulders. “You try my patience,” she hissed. “Be wary of your next move. If you fail to kill one of them aga
in when the chance is presented to you, you will find yourself chained to that wall right beside Tavin. Do I make myself clear?”

  She might as well just chain you up now, the voice uttered. You won’t do it.

  Bishop rolled his shoulders to try and ease the tension building up from the quiet argument raging in his mind. “Yes, my Queen. I will not disappoint you again.”

  “I am very glad to hear it. Now, back to Hillside. You have much work still to attend to and I have plans of my own to carry out.”

  “My Queen?” he asked.

  “When I have need of you, I will call, until then go. You are needed elsewhere.”

  He bowed his head again and backed out of the throne room. Once in the courtyard, he marched towards the portal that would lead him to Hillside, but his gut told him not to go. Instead, he veered off and opened another portal for himself, taking him just outside of Weston. Going there was dangerous, but the need to see Calista’s face drove him and he soon found himself standing in the trees, watching the front gate of the city as if she would miraculously appear. His feet itched to move onwards, head right into the city and track her down, but he remained firmly planted, just watching.

  Something moved behind him in the underbrush and his hand slipped to the dagger at his side. Growling accompanied the noise. Familiar growling that teased a memory in his mind.

  Bishop pushed through the hazy images in his mind, searching for where he knew that sound from. It was distinct and, when the sight of a white wolf appeared in his mind, it was like a punch to the gut.

  “Willy,” he whispered, not even sure where the name came from.

  The growling ceased and Bishop whipped around, but there was nothing behind him. He was alone. He backtracked his steps and saw the footprints on the ground leading away. Massive pawprints easily the side of his face.

  “Willy…you were with me,” he whispered, trying to remember more, but the memories refused to come. Growling in aggravation, he shook his head and moved back to his spot watching the gate. After a few long moments, he drew his hood over his head and walked towards the city.

  People bustled around him, some with bars over their heads and those numbers Bishop failed to understand the purpose. Some form of sorcery or other he presumed, caused by the priests who seemed to watch over these heroes. No one paid him any attention as he moved through the main courtyard and followed the path upwards. Flashes of memories hit him every step of the way, but he never slowed his pace. He expected the voice in his head to be ranting, yelling at him for some reason, but all was quiet. He let the flow of the busy streets wash over him and a strange sense of comfort settled over him he had not felt in days. Being with his Queen made him feel strong, invincible almost, but there was no comfort beside her. No warmth and certainly no friendship.

  None of that should matter to him anymore, but all around him he heard laughter and cheerful voices of the heroes. How could they still be in such joyous moods after the storm that raged not so long ago? A storm dooming them all to a horrible fate? He could wipe so many of them out here and now and none of them would be the wiser.

  And yet, they sounded as if today was the best day of their lives. Why?

  Because this isn’t real, the voice reminded him. It’s a fake world, a game, and even if you kill them here, they’ll still be alive outside of it. Just like you are if you would be smart enough to listen to me.

  “How can this not be real?” He stopped, stepping out of the way of the people passing by, and held his hand before his face. It appeared real enough. His heart beat beneath his chest. He was breathing. He felt warmth and cold on his skin, so how could it not be real?

  I’d explain it to you, but it won’t make sense. Just trust me.

  “What is it then? Magic?”

  Magic, yeah, we’ll call it magic. Everyone is here because of magic and you are just like everyone else.

  Bishop curled and uncurled his fingers, watching the appendages intently as if they would give him some clue as to what was happening inside his mind. All it did was frustrate him more and he moved on. The bright atmosphere of the city pushed away the darkness that clouded his mind of late, so many colors, giving life to an otherwise dreary appearing town. Fabrics hung from stalls and tapestries from windows. Ale flowed out of taverns and into the hands of patrons who sang rowdy songs and clanked their mugs together with laughter that seemed would never stop.

  But Bishop didn’t stop moving until he stood outside a shop door, peering in through the window.

  “Calista.”

  She stood behind the counter, but unlike the others he had passed, she did not seem happy. There was no smile on her lips and, when she wiped at her eyes, he knew she was trying not to fall apart. His hand was on the door handle and he opened it and stepped inside before he realized what he was doing. The bell tinkled overhead and Calista’s head shot up immediately.

  “Can I help you?” she asked, her words thick with emotion.

  Pain, that’s pain you’re hearing.

  Bishop cleared his throat and wiped his suddenly clammy hands on his breeches. Why was he even doing this? He had just tried to murder two of their friends and yet here he stood about to…to do what? Comfort her? He couldn’t do that.

  “Are you just going to stand there all day or what?” she asked, sharper this time and moved from behind the counter.

  Bishop took a hasty step backwards, reaching blindly behind him for the door.

  “Bishop?” she breathed.

  He froze and lifted his head, peering at her from under his hood. He knew the moment she recognized it was him. Her eyes widened and she held her breath as if waiting to see what his next move would be. But what struck him right to the core was the hope that appeared in her eyes. Hope that he was trying to come back.

  A sharp pain shot through his skull and he gasped, nearly falling to the floor.

  “Bishop!” Calista rushed for him, but he threw his hand back to stop her, not wanting to lash out and hurt her.

  Without a word, he staggered backwards out the door, opened a portal as quickly as he could to Hillside, and threw himself through. Right before it closed, he felt her hand brush against his, but then it was gone. Pain overwhelmed him and he sank to the ground, holding his head as he waited for it to pass.

  Valenastrious. She was always inside his mind, always watching him. Even if he wanted to change his mind, go back, she would never let him. She would make him kill everyone before she allowed him to be a hero again. He imagined Calista’s lifeless body in his arms and shied away from it. He couldn’t let that happen, not at his hands.

  Bishop was left with one choice and one choice only: carry out Valenastrious’ plan and pray, if the end came for him and his friends, it would be swift.

  ***

  Calista watched the flames die away from the portal as a few curious players looked on.

  “Are we under attack?” one of them asked, looking more than ready to cause a riot in the city, but Calista shook her head and said everything was fine. They moved on and she ducked back inside her shop, locked the door, and pressed her back to it. What the hell had just happened? She knew it was Bishop, but he hadn’t come here to attack her.

  He'd come to talk to her, maybe even try to figure out what was going on inside his head. She sank to the floor, holding her knees to her chest. If she’d only managed to grab his hand and stop him from jumping through, she could’ve found a way to bring him back to her and the others. He had come for help, she knew he did, otherwise why sneak into Weston and risk being spotted? Why come all the way to her shop?

  Jimmy said it himself; Bishop could’ve easily killed him and Maverick, but something made him stop. He told her it was like he heard a voice, or was hearing something, the way he acted. If the real Bishop was in there, they needed to keep pushing to see if they could draw him out.

  Calista sensed she knew what she would have to do, not that anyone would like it,
but it might be their only choice.

  Once she finished up in the shop, she was meeting those in the guild still willing to fight for Bishop, back at the guild house to go over their plan moving forward. They were level 63 and needed to push to reach the next dungeon within the next day. That meant doing quests until they couldn’t see straight. One of the quests she hoped would lead them to information on this Demon Lord Calict. All she wanted was a straightforward Demon Lord for once, but the lack of detail on this one gave her the sense that whenever they faced him, it would not be an easy fight.

  As if hearing her thoughts, a message from Jimmy appeared. She opened it and he said he and Maverick were already back in Seaside, the main town in the new territory, and went ahead and picked up all the quests and dailies they could find. They’d share them once everyone was back over there. Calista said she’d be finished up in the shop in twenty minutes or so, bringing with her a hefty amount of gold they could use for potions and salves before they headed out.

  She stood and peered longingly out the door, but Bishop was nowhere in sight.

  “Keep fighting, Bishop,” she whispered. Suddenly, she felt like she was being watched and doubted it was Bishop. She turned in a slow circle, taking in her shop as she added, “And we’re coming for you, bitch. Your days are numbered.”

  ***

  “How dare she think she can challenge me?” Valenastrious snarled as she wiped her hand over the mirror, forcing the image of Calista away. “She is nothing to me.”

  “Then you are blind.”

  Valenastrious whirled around and lunged for Tavin. She wrapped her hand around her throat, squeezing until the other woman’s eyes bulged and she strained against the chains holding her captive. “So easy it would be to snap your neck.”

  “But…you…can’t.”

  Disgusted, she released the woman and stepped back. “Only because you are me. Funny how this works.”

  “Funny, or our sweet Daemyn knew what he was doing.”

  “If he did, he would have made the fail-safes much harder to get to.”