Alterlife III

by Matt Moss

I shake my head and look up at the disgusting, little beast. It hops up and down and slaps its groin at me.

  “I’ve got to get the hell out of Alterlife…”

  Over patches of white clouds we fly, nothing but the blue sea below us, blue sky above. No land in sight. An army of Drakes and monkeys behind us.

  Another hour passes, and still nothing.

  The sun begins to lower in the sky.

  “We’ve only a couple hours left before the blood moon rises. How much farther?” Gio asks urgently.

  Sitting with my back against the side of the ship and fiddling with my world map, I point up. “Ask the monkey.”

  Frustrated, Gio turns away and walks to the front of the ship. He stands like Leonardo Di Caprio in Titanic—hands gripped on the rail, staring into the great, wide blue. I’m just waiting for him to spread his arms wide and close his eyes as the wind breaks over him.

  “I’m the bitch of the world.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Hedwig speaks. “There’s dark clouds ahead.”

  I jump up and meet him and Giology at the wheel.

  Lightning flashes in the direction we’re heading.

  “Go through it,” Giology says.

  “Are you sure?” Hedwig asks, gripping the wheel with both hands, goggles tight over his eyes beneath his leather cap.

  Giology and I look at each other, then up to the monkey who’s apparently our guide.

  The all-knowing seafarer sits perched high upon the mast and gazes into the storm with slanted eyes, stoic-like. All it needs is a damn sailor’s cap and a pipe. A heart tattoo on its ass that says ‘mom’. In this case, ‘Gio’.

  Giology repeats himself. “Go through it, Hedwig.”

  Hedwig widens his stance for stability and grips the wheel tightly. Shoves the accelerator to full speed. “Alright. Let’s see what she’s made of. If we all die, it’s on you.”

  No. It’s on the monkey.

  We hit the storm head-on.

  Heavy wind and rain beat against the ship.

  Surrounded by darkness, lightning flashes rapidly, illuminating the ominous rage that’s all around us. The ship shifts left then right, jerking up and down with turbulence. Giology and myself grip the railing to steady ourselves from flailing about. Through the flashes of light, I see Hedwig standing firm at the wheel, raising his voice to shout at the storm like a madman; I can’t make out what he’s saying amidst the tempest around us, but I’m sure his words are defiant to say the least.

  Ahead, the lightning becomes more active, indicating that the worst is yet to come. Hedwig bends down, straps his legs to the stirrups that are secured to the deck, stands up, retakes the wheel, and laughs maniacally as we drive straight into the heart of the storm.

  That’s great, Hedwig. Seeing you buckle up and laugh like that makes me feel so much better…

  A violent shake; the ship drops suddenly, and it doesn’t stop. I grab onto the rail to keep from free-falling in the air. With feet dangling over my head, I glance behind me and see Gio desperately holding on for dear life. I look up and see the monkey still perched on the mast, unfazed from the whole ordeal, its tail wrapped around the pole for security, still gazing north.

  The airship rolls upside down, and my body slams against the deck as the boat drives me towards the ground. It’s like I’m on some high-speed thrill ride at an amusement park and I can’t move. Except there are no safety restraints on this machine, save for those that are holding Hedwig in place.

  He spins the wheel and pulls back on one of the levers. The boat begins to rotate in place, spinning three hundred and sixty degrees. Hedwig cranes his neck to speak to us. “Sorry, wrong lever,” he yells.

  Now, I think I’m going to be sick.

  Spinning, falling; who knows where the bottom is. I’m waiting for us to crash at any minute, and then, lights out. No more Ace. No more Alterlife.

  No more John Crussel.

  Is this really how I die?

  At the controls, Hedwig is trying to get the ship stabilized, shifting levers and moving the pedals at his feet. Nothing seems to work.

  “Ace, open a teleport!” Giology yells.

  I take one from my inventory. I see him do the same.

  “Hedwig! Teleport out!” Giology tells him.

  The old Tinker—turned Engineer—stands firm. “No, sir. If this ship’s going down, I’m going down with it.”

  “There’s no shame in abandoning ship, Hedwig!”

  “I’ll get it under control, Guildmaster. Don’t worry!” Hedwig shoves another lever and the boat pitches to the right.

  “Ace, use it! We’re running out of time!” Gio urges.

  I nod and open the teleport to Eden. Guess we’ll just have to fight without the airship and the army of beasts.

  The blue light of the portal shines bright amidst the darkness as we plummet to the ground below.

  Just as I prepare to crawl through the portal, the airship flips right-side up and stabilizes. We break through the dark clouds and a clear, orange sky suddenly fills my vision.

  Hedwig unstraps his feet, jumps around and speaks to the storm behind us. Points his finger at it and boasts. “Ha! I bested ya. You tell your friends, there ain’t nothing in Alterlife that can sink this ship. You hear me? Nothing!” He hops down to the main deck, where Gio and I are now beginning to test our sea legs, and places both hands in his pockets. “Now then, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  We both stare wide-eyed at Hedwig, then look at one another. The three of us share a laugh, overjoyed to have survived the storm.

  “Remind me to never fly with you again, Hedwig.”

  “If we ever have that chance, Commander Ace, I’ll be sure to do that.”

  Overhead, the monkey screams and points.

  The three of us run to the front of the ship and see the mainland sprawling before us.

  “This is where you’re from?” Hedwig asks.

  I nod, knowing exactly where we’re at.

  “It is, Hedwig.”

  This is my home.

  28

  Bad Moon Rising

  Night draws in and the sky turns dark.

  I tell Hedwig to adjust our course towards the east. Before long, we’re flying over Eden.

  “When we get to the battlefield, I want you to land and load a hundred players. All ranges; Archers and Mages. Stay to the perimeter, and only dart in and out of the fight so you don’t become a major target.”

  “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Got it,” Hedwig replies.

  “They will have Dragons, so be mindful of that. Keep away from them at all costs. I know you said this thing is durable, but with a Dragon constantly on your tail, it might not last for long.”

  “How many Dragons are we talking?”

  “Last I heard, two. That was a while ago, though. I’m sure they’ve more by now.”

  Hedwig spits. “I knew there’d be Dragons. That’s why I made preparations to my ship.” He winks at me. “Don’t worry, Commander. She’s not just a pleasure cruise; she’s built for war.”

  I put my hands on my hips. “Well, alright. Fire the cannons at those bastards, then.”

  “There are no cannons,” he says as a matter of fact.

  I wait for him to elaborate on the airship’s weapon system, but he doesn’t. Just looks ahead and steers the ship.

  Okay.

  Giology speaks. “The blood moon will rise in thirty minutes. We don’t have much time left.”

  “We’ll be there in ten,” I tell him.

  Giology meets my eye then goes to the middle of the ship, sits down on the wood floor and crosses his legs. Closes his eyes and breathes. Meditates.

  I turn around and gaze into the darkness, my mind thinking of my family. I want to return to them, to hold them in my arms and tell them how much they mean to me. They are my motivation. And I will not fail them.

  A couple minutes later, there’s an orange glow on the northern horizon, breaking against night
fall.

  Giology comes to stand beside me. “That is not the light of the moon.”

  “No… no it’s not.”

  We’re later than I anticipated.

  The war has already begun.

  The black, night sky grows to orange and red the closer we get to Baleton. Flashes of light like bolts of lightning—magical attacks from the battlefield mixed with Dragon flames.

  “Just over the next hill, Hedwig. Get ready.”

  Giology moves for the rear of the airship to command the beasts.

  “Make sure they keep their attacks away from our people,” I yell back to Gio.

  “They know their duty,” Gio assures me.

  As the ship rises over the last hill, the war comes into full view. I walk to the front and stare at the battle in the distance. It looks like a fireworks show, gone bad. Sparks and flames fly across earth and sky from magical attacks and the twelve Dragons that the guilds have at their disposal.

  The battlefield moves like a pissed off ant hill as over a million players are locked into combat with one another.

  “Mother of God…”

  Gio runs up next to me and takes in the devastating sight. “It is okay. Fighting is good. That means the Saviors are still alive.”

  He’s right. Fifty thousand Saviors against over a million of the King’s Blood and Soldiers of Justice combined, and they’re still standing! Not to mention the twelve Dragons in the sky. And the gods, wherever they are.

  “They’ve been training for this day,” I say. They’re strong, every one of them. Just witnessing the sight and knowing what they’re going through right now makes my heart swell with pride. They’re all soldiers, through and through.

  “There is our people!” Gio says as he points at the large mass that holds firm against the swell.

  They’re holding their ground, but their flanks are starting to fail on both sides.

  “Let’s give them some backup, shall we? Hedwig, fly over there,” I say, pointing. “Then fly back behind the main lines and pick up as many Rangers and Mages as you can.”

  “Yes, yes, I got it.”

  “Go higher, Hedwig. As high as you can before you get there.”

  Without questioning why, he turns the wheel and shifts a lever. The ship pitches upward and rises high into the sky.

  Giology turns to me. “What are you going to do?”

  I dual wield Thal’s Swords of Eternity and meet his eye. “What I always do—wing it.”

  Gio cracks a grin, then laughs. “Then I shall wing it, too.” He runs towards the rear of the ship and leaps off the back like Peter Pan. Just when I think the fool has killed himself, he rises into the air, riding on the back of a Drake. With one command, the Drakes break away from the airship and shift to the west, following Gio’s lead.

  Behind the bulk of the army, I see the gods performing the rite on the outside of the city, near the Soldier’s war camp. They chant around a large bonfire; thick strips of crimson red swirl around amidst the flames, licking towards the sky.

  In the distance, the blood moon begins to rise, a sliver of red peeking over the horizon.

  I step onto the rail and prepare to join the fight.

  “Just a little further, Hedwig. Countdown from five then make the turn.”

  Five.

  Below, bodies fly in all directions as the war rages on. The dead and the dying.

  Four.

  I turn my head and see Giology with his flying army of beasts engaging the enemy. Countless Fireball potions are dropping across the flanking enemy lines, looking like a blast of napalm.

  Three.

  The ship begins to take damage from the ranged attacks below. I close my eyes.

  Two.

  An illuminated picture hangs among the darkness. It spins as a hot breeze blows; the faces of a woman and two children alternating with the blank, white backing of the weathered photograph.

  One.

  I open my eyes and hold both swords out wide.

  “I am Ace,” I whisper to myself.

  Jump.

  Free-falling through the air, I look down, keeping my sights locked onto where I’m going to land—in the bulk of the enemy lines.

  A Dragon locks its sight onto the airship and turns upward, flying towards it. It doesn’t see me in its direct path.

  As the beast draws near, I reach out and grab hold, climb onto its back, and deliver a devastating combo with both of Thal’s swords, dealing critical damage. Seven strikes is all it takes. The Dragon hisses, twists, and turns before it dies, plummeting us into the rear flanks of the enemy army, far removed from the Saviors.

  Not the place I wanted to land.

  Shit.

  Free-falling again, I jump from the Dragon’s back and prepare to make my grand entrance. If I’m not going to make it out of this alive, might as well go out with a bang.

  I use the Jump skill while falling, and it accelerates my descent.

  I’m coming at you like an atom bomb.

  I crash into the ground with savage force, sending hundreds of bodies flailing from the point of impact.

  Standing by myself after clearing the space around me, everyone is in shock. It takes them a moment before they realize what’s going on.

  “I’m here for the party.”

  They roar and attack.

  It’s like I’m back in the arena except, this time, I’m wielding swords and fighting back.

  The battlefield that surrounds me becomes a field full of dandelions blowing in a strong wind—bodies flying through the air in all directions.

  Fully engaged and fighting by myself—it feels good. My health is dropping faster than I’d like, but I can’t deny how amazing the sensation of being Ace is. He’s a one-man, wrecking machine.

  When my health drops to half, I put one of Thal’s swords away so I can use the other hand to Heal while still attacking. It’s not enough to raise the bar, but it makes my HP drop at a drastically slower rate.

  Damn. I’m going to have to use potions.

  Well, no shit? What did you expect?

  Time seems to stand still on the battlefield. Thoughts are no more; body just reacts. In tune with the flow around me.

  That’s a good thing, because I don’t want to think about how many lives I’m taking away right now.

  Time passes. Two minutes? Five?

  I can’t keep this up alone. I’ve probably killed a couple thousand so far, but that’s just a drop in the bucket. I need to get back to the Saviors, fast.

  I carve my way through.

  So much death...

  It’s just a game…

  Two Dragons are locking onto me now and are breathing fire—their attacks, dropping my health as well as damaging or killing everyone around me.

  Man, Dragons don’t care; they don’t give a shit.

  Hundreds fall to the Dragon’s Breath as I push my way through. Health drops under half again despite my constant healing. I use more potions to counter the continuous damage.

  I’ve got to make a move.

  Time for some Unbounded Rage.

  I dual wield again, this time tapping into the Barbarian, intending to combine Rage with Whirlwind.

  As I tap into the Grandmaster Barbarian skill, my spirit bar drains and my body glows red. Health is increased, Health Rejuvenation kicks in, and my Dexterity is unlimited. With both blades whirring, I become a tornado of devastation. With speed doubled, I cut through the horde with ease, mindful to keep my heading towards the Saviors.

  Bodies fly all around me as I rip them apart. Overhead, the two Dragons are still locked onto me. They fly by and attack, but my full health bar barely drops. They soar into the air to align themselves for another pass.

  Before I know it, the spirit wears off and I return to normal.

  Damn. That went too fast.

  Now, I’ve caught a lot of people’s attention and they’re all targeting me. I’m using potions as fast as I can but, against tens of thousands of opp
onents, I’m fading fast. I’ve got to get the hell out of here.

  My Mana is high enough to cast a Grandmaster spell—Force Push. I’ve never used it, but I’m running out of options here.

  I put both weapons away and conjure the spell. My hands swirl in front of my body as the mosh pit hammers their weapons upon me. My arms begin to pulse faster with blue waves of energy until the spell comes to completion; my hands glowing bright blue and ready to deliver the attack.

  Health at thirty percent.

  Twenty-five.

  I bellow a war cry and extend both hands outward. In response, the energy explodes from my body and everything around me goes flying through the air—countless bodies crash into the horde, knocking them over. Everything is removed from my proximity by at least twenty paces, leaving me standing alone. Even the Dragons in the sky reel away and take substantial damage from the powerful spell.

  Whoa.

  Yeah, that was badass, but don’t get comfortable. They’re all coming back.

  I potion up and dual wield Thal’s swords again and prepare for whatever is to come. Only five potions remain.

  This may be our last ride, partner.

  It’s been one hell of a run.

  As the horde gathers their bearings and begins coming at me once more with bad intentions, a rope falls in front of my face. I look up and find the airship hovering over top of me. Without hesitation, I jump up and begin to climb.

  Leaping onto the deck, Fance is the first to meet me. “Commander.” He leans over the side of the ship and rapid-fires his crossbow at whoever is climbing the rope, dropping them with a hail of bolts. He shoulders his weapon and speaks to me. “Welcome aboard the ship of doom.”

  “Thanks, Fance. Keep giving ‘em hell.”

  “Will do that, sir.” He reloads his weapon then commences to fire at everything below us.

  I meet Hedwig at the wheel. “You saved my ass. Thank you.”

  He replies, but stays focused on flying. “It was nothing, sir. Just passin’ by is all.”

  “I thought I told you to stay to the perimeter.” The ship rocks as it takes heavy damage from below.

  Hedwig shifts a lever, pushes on a pedal, and steers the ship out and away from the middle of the battlefield.