by Matt Moss
“This is the Sanctum Stone?” I ask.
“The life force of Thannadas,” Gio states with reverence.
“Can I touch it?”
He holds his arm out, beseeching me to do so.
“What will happen?”
He stares into my eyes and doesn’t answer.
I walk to the edge of the fountain and slowly reach for the altar. My fingers touch the stone, and I wait for something to happen. Close my eyes and feel.
A screech causes my eyes to snap open and I see a monkey squatting on its haunches, perched on the open window that’s a good twenty paces behind the altar. When the beast sees me take notice, it begins to rub its genitals, never taking its eyes off me.
“What the fuck is up with the monkeys around here?” I ask Gio, raising my voice and my arm towards the hairy little bastard who’s grunting in pleasure and puckering his lips at me.
“They are part of nature. And Thannadas is the Mother of this world. Do not let them disturb you.”
I got half a mind to take the Sanctum Stone and throw it at the horny beast.
“Are monkey pelts worth anything?” I ask Gio, then stomp towards the monkey. The primate jumps up, shrieks in anger, then disappears as it leaps out the window.
I walk back to Gio. “May the Mother whoop his ass,” I say, throwing a thumb back, referring to the palace pet.
Giology laughs. “How did training go today? Well, I presume?”
“I laid out the plans to the guild. I’m delegating most of the training so I can focus on battle tactics and a plan of action.”
“The mark of a wise leader is to place trust in his people to perform whatever task is required of them, with the utmost confidence in their abilities. That is, if they’re skilled and knowledgeable enough for the task.”
“They are,” I assure him.
He folds his hands behind his back. “So, what is your next course of action?”
“I need to scout the enemy and see what we’re up against. I’ve got three volunteers going with me. We’ll be at Baleton and back before anyone knows it.”
“That is a great risk. What if you are caught?”
I give a grin of confidence. “I wouldn’t be who I am today if it were not for taking risks.”
Giology nods, then walks away.
I go back across the bridge and logout.
Leave the cleaners uninterrupted and text Deana when I stop for gas.
deana, i know where the last sanctum stone is.
it’s safe, don’t worry.
the gods will never get it.
She immediately texts back.
Where is it?
The gas pump shuts off. I throw the phone back in my pocket, get in the truck and drive home.
I’ll tell her later tonight. After Carla goes to bed.
I’m forgetting Alterlife and doing nothing else but spending time with my two girls for the rest of the day.
13
Know the Enemy
Early in the morning, hours before dawn, still hidden by the blanket of night, I open a teleport to Eden.
“Stay alert. We’re going back to my homeland, but a lot has changed since I was last there.”
I go through the portal, and my three companions follow behind me.
Standing at the fountain in Eden, I look around and a flood of memories wash over me. I speak to my group. “This is where it all started. For every player, except for you Thannadians, this is what Alterlife looks like. This is the town of Eden.”
Keeping my face hidden from the light of the street lamps, I keep my head down under a gray, hooded cloak; eyes up, wary of the people in town. There’s an abundance of players here now compared to the last time when I summoned Gela; back when Alterlife was in chaos.
That was when the virus was rampant. Now, it’s not, so players are coming back.
Still, I can’t believe players are coming back after the virus and all the deaths, risking their very lives to play the game.
Like moths to a flame, Alterlife is the light to the world...
After I kill the gods and destroy the Gamemasters, there won’t be a need for people to worry any more.
I need my presence in Alterlife to be unknown to keep the element of surprise on our side. Sure, I could use the Cloak of Invisibility to be safe, but I don’t want to lose my companions. On a dark night such as this, nobody will take note of me.
“Follow me,” I tell them and make my way out of town. Down the dirt road, just beyond the houses and shops, my eyes turn west and find the forest where Eldra first took me to hunt rabbits.
The place where the Creator gave me the Cloak of Invisibility and cursed my life.
I’ve got a score to settle with him. One day, we’ll meet again. I’m sure of it. And when we do, I’ll pay him back with interest.
Outside of town and away from anyone who might hear or see us, I speak to Fance, Seric, and Precious.
Do I have to keep calling her Precious? I’ve got to come up with a better name that I can call her.
“Baleton is about a four-hour journey east of here on foot. I would rather stay on foot and keep off the road.”
“I would rather ride a horse,” Fance says.
“I thought Scouts like to run.”
“Hmph. Dumb Scouts. Riding is better, and much faster,” he replies.
“That won’t give us much time before we are all forced to log off,” Seric notes.
“Most of us, anyway,” Precious says bitterly. Her eyes have a slight glow in the black of night, and they still seem to pierce into me.
I ignore her comment. “We should have plenty enough time to get to Baleton and scout the enemy before everyone is logged off. Do any of you have teleports?”
“We’ve never needed teleports before,” Seric says as a matter of fact.
Got it. Never left home. Still living with parents. In this case, Gio is your daddy.
I choose not to say anything to give offense, and I take three teleports from my inventory. “Here, take these. I may stay online to check things out after you all get logged off. If that happens, I might not be around when you log back in. Don’t wander, or go exploring. Use the teleport and immediately go back to Atlantis.”
Seric places it in her inventory and speaks to her companions. “We all know the rules. Nobody, save for us, goes through the teleport. Under no circumstances do we allow anyone to follow us back to Thannadas.”
Fance nods, and Precious gives a wry grin before looking away. They all put the scrolls in their inventory.
“Aye, we know,” Fance replies.
“What if one of us doesn’t want to go back?” Precious says to the group.
Silence sits for a moment as though the thought of staying was never an option.
Seric shakes her head. “Don’t even think about it. That would be breaking another rule. Giology would come for you, and that would not be good. You know this.”
Precious steps towards her. “Oh yea? What’s he gonna do?”
Fance chuckles. “Gods only know. But I think it’s best that none of us find out. You know how he can get when someone breaks the rules,” he warns Precious.
Curious, I ask the question. “How can he get?”
They all look to one another, as if they’ve already said too much. Fance clears his throat. “Well then, we better be off. We’ve wasted enough time already… and since we’re on foot instead of riding a perfectly good horse, I’d say we better not stop for rest.”
“Get over the damn horses already. We’re on foot, so deal with it,” Precious tells him.
“Easy for you to say, Elf. You got long legs,” Fance replies.
I take a look around, making sure we’re still alone. “Sun will be coming up soon. Let’s get a move on.”
After a long journey through the mountain pass and across the great plains, we finally make it to our destination. The trip was painless for the most part, save for Fance’s endless complaining.
&nb
sp; There was one point in the journey that Fance and I lagged behind the other two, and I used that time to get to know him better.
“Fance is an interesting name. Squirt said it wasn’t your real name? Is it short for something?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“It’s just a name. I’m terrible at names. I mean, c’mon… Ace? Sounds like a ten year old kid, right?”
Fance chuckles. After a moment, he reluctantly gives in. “Fance is short for…” He doesn’t want to say.
“Short for…”
He looks up at me and growls. “My avatar’s name is… Fancy_Feast.”
I nod slowly and look ahead, trying my best not to crack up. Pursing my lips together to keep a laugh from spilling out, I look back to him and try to stay composed.
He shrugs. “I have cats.”
“I’m sure they’re fortunate to have you,” I say and can’t help but burst out laughing.
He furrows his brow and shoves me away. “You better not tell a soul. Nobody else knows my name, and I don’t know why I just told you. This new land must have me losing my mind.”
I hold a hand up. “Your secret is safe with me. Thanks for letting me know.” We walk for a moment in silence. “Can I call you Fancy?” I jest.
He darts after me, and I run away from what I imagine would be a rage-filled throttling.
We passed travelers along the way and, for each one that came a little too close or gave us a suspicious glance, I wondered if they belonged to one of the guilds. Lucky for us, and them, no trouble came about and everyone kept about their business.
In the early-morning light, and perched down among the tall grass on top of a knoll outside of Baleton, the four of us wait and watch the city. Fance has maxed out the Scout class, which gives him Eagle Eye like the Ranger. Eagerly, I watch his eyes shift as he peers into the vast distance.
“Yep. The rumors are true. The gods are helping them,” he says nonchalantly.
I narrow my gaze upon the city and the war camp establishment that the Soldiers of Justice erected outside the walls of Baleton. It’s so far away, I can barely see anything move—only the occasional flash of magic comes from what I assume would be a training session.
“What do you see, Fance?” I ask. Beside me, Seric shifts in anticipation of his findings, though I don’t know why she doesn’t use Eagle Eye herself.
“Probably a couple thousand players in front of the city gates. A few of them sparring. It looks like they’re getting ready for something.”
They’re going to look for the last Sanctum Stone.
“What else do you see?” Seric asks.
“Not much else of note. It’s a rather large city and, without being inside the walls, I can’t really tell how well equipped they are or how many players they’ve got.”
“Tell them what else you see, Fance,” Precious says, her eyes gazing into the distance. I notice that she’s using Eagle Eye as well.
I wonder how many other talents she has. Being an Assassin, there’s no doubt she’s versed in the skills of death. And I’m having a hard time pinpointing what her motives are. Better to keep an open eye and never turn my back on her.
Fance mumbles something.
“What’s that you say?” Precious replies with a knowing grin.
“I said the gods are with them.”
Precious puts a hand to her mouth in elaboration. “But I thought the gods were fairy tales. That’s what we were led to believe our entire lives. That’s what Giology has told us.” She flops on her back and looks up into the clear, blue sky. “But I read the forums, and I knew the gods must exist because other people claimed that they walked among mortals.”
“You read the forums?” Seric asks, appalled. “You know that’s…”
“Breaking the rules. Yea, I know,” Precious says and puts both hands behind her head. “Giology lied to us.”
“I’m sure he had his reasons,” Fance says.
“Maybe he didn’t know,” Seric states.
Precious laughs for the first time since I’ve known her. “Don’t be foolish. He knows everything.”
I speak up. “The gods are real. I’ve killed two myself so far, and aim to finish the other three.” I spit to the side. “Which gods do you see?”
I can feel their stares after making my claim. I’m sure they can’t quite believe it, let alone conceive it.
“Two gods. A beautiful, kind woman dressed in white, and a man wrapped in clothes that looked more like vines.”
“Gela and Davi,” Precious notes. “Goddess of Life and God of the Land and Sky.”
“Learn that on the forums, did you?” Seric jabs.
Precious gives her a look, grins, then turns her focus back to the city.
Seric speaks to Fance. “How do you know they’re gods? What makes them stand out?”
“Probably the way the world reacts around them. And the fact that they stand at least eight feet tall. Oh, and, now that I look closer, it’s not clothing or armor; that nature guy is half made out of vines.”
Seric purses her lips and looks into the distance.
I can see that she longs to meet these gods for herself and is ready to go to war. Would probably march right into battle with me if I commanded her to. Two against two thousand.
The trait of a fine soldier.
The intelligence of a fool. This battle won’t be won by being headstrong.
Fance points. “They’re starting to move.”
We watch for the next hour as the army marches. Even my own naked eye can witness the sheer size of the two guilds as they emerge from every side of the city and converge into one endless line. Ants marching. Two Dragons fly over the line.
“Creator’s Will, I’ve never seen so many players before,” Seric says.
“Fance, how many do you count?” I ask.
He thinks for a moment.
Precious speaks for him. “I count three-hundred-thousand.”
“Three-hundred-thousand, seven hundred and sixty-two. And they’re still coming out of the city,” Fance says with confidence. Looks to me with lost hope in his eyes. “And they’ve got two trained Dragons.”
I don’t even know how they can count an army like that. Must be a perk of their skillset.
Either way, we’re fucked. No way we can go against an army that size, let alone the majority of their force that doesn’t even march with them right now. I don’t care how much skill and power the Saviors possess, an army of that size is insurmountable.
The goal is not to defeat the guilds. It is to destroy the gods.
Right.
“Are the gods with them?”
Fance scans the city. “No. Both of them are standing near the war camp, outside of the city. The home of the Soldiers of Justice, you say? It would seem that they are content with staying behind. Perhaps they never… wait.” His words cut out and he raises up higher as his eyes watch something with great intent.
I look to Precious, and can see her face light up as she sees the same thing.
“What is it? What do you see?” I ask.
“Another god dressed in black just emerged from the war camp and took her place beside the other two.”
Zena...
“Zena,” Precious muses with great admiration. “Goddess of Death.”
Seric scoffs. “Let me guess, she’s your favorite. Figures.”
“We’re screwed. There’s no way we can take on an army that size. Let alone the gods who stand with them. I’ll deliver this report to Giology myself. If the Saviors have any sense at all, we’ll stay in Thannadas and let this world sort itself out,” Fance says.
“We can’t do that. All of Alterlife is at risk,” I tell him.
“Says who? Thannadas is protected by the Creator. It will not suffer the same fate as this cursed land.” Fance stands up, preparing to leave. “I’ve seen enough here.”
Seric tries to stop him. “Fance.”
“It’s alright,” I
tell Seric, then look to our disgruntled friend. “Fance, we’ll all leave in just a moment. Can you look one more time and tell me if you see anyone else with the gods?”
Fance grumbles and folds his arms. His pupils change shape again as he uses Eagle Eye. “It’s still just the three. Who else am I looking for?”
“A woman. She might be bald, or she might have short hair, and she’ll be wearing a suit.”
Fance shakes his head. “I only see the three gods. They’re talking with each other outside the war camp.”
I thought Cari might be with them…
I stand up. “Okay, so here’s the deal. I agree that there’s no way the Saviors can defeat this army. But our mission does not lie with the guilds. It lies with the gods. And now we know that they stay behind while the army marches. That is good for us.” After saying the words, I can see Precious staring off into the distance at nothing, no doubt contemplating my words.
Her fascination with the gods worries me.
“So we strike after the guilds leave,” Seric notes. She cocks her head. “But how will we know when they leave, and that all of them will go?”
“And this isn’t the full might of the guild, according to what we’ve heard,” Fance says and points at the army. “Those numbers don’t account for all the players who aren’t online right now.” He rubs his chin. “I’d say that’s only a third of their force.”
“You’re saying that there’s a million players between the two guilds?” Seric asks.
Fance stares at her in reply.
I wave them off. “As I said, their numbers don’t matter. We’ll just have to wait until the bulk of the Soldiers and the King’s Blood are away from the gods, like they are now. Once the gods are alone, we attack.”
Fance shakes his head. “I don’t like this. I’ve got a bad feeling about all of it, and a Dwarf’s instincts are never wrong. I say we stay in Thannadas and forget about the whole thing.”
Kneeling on one knee beside us, Precious shifts nervously.
“Be quiet,” she tells us with urgency.
