I used what mana I had left to summon a wall of ice. So this is my end? What a joke. Lying on the floor in a puddle of filth and my own blood surrounded by more loot than I could have ever imagined. Pathetic. Fine, whatever, let it be over with then, let this be the end. How long has it been? Minutes? Hours? Who knows? Somebody will find me soon enough. Ha, as if. This is no time for jokes, stupid mind. I’m dying. No, I must survive. How did this happen to me, what have I done wrong? I can’t. Somebody please help me. There must be somebody nearby, please…
I’m so tired I can no longer feel my legs. I need to get up. I need to get moving. My body refuses me. I’m protected by a wall of ice but not for long. Bendi, Ariane, Ellie, please…. I can’t focus, everything is a haze. It doesn’t matter which way I look. Everything keeps spinning and I feel dizzy. Even when I close my eyes I feel dizzy.
I can see her smile as I hand her the key. I had just made a copy for her not half an hour before. We were going to go together but she was running late from work. I let her open the door. Inside the living room was completely empty. We hadn’t moved in quite yet. She grabbed me and slammed me against the wall. I felt her lips against mine. There was a cool mint taste as she pressed against me. I felt my hands, both my hands move down towards her hips. Ellie was slim. Firm breasts. I put my hand back against the side of her soft cheek and pulled back. I smiled. I almost laughed I was so happy. Never in my whole life, never in reality had I felt as happy as I had in that moment. She smiled back. As quickly as the memory came it faded.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry Ellie I’m not going to make it back to you.
I’m sorry I couldn’t survive.
Chapter 16
There was silence. The smell of fire and ash in the air. Molto exited his mech and screamed in a fit of rage taking his dragon’s blade out from his cockpit and slashing a wall in half. His mech, the ‘Doomcollar’ was a wreck. Jace approached him.
“We should settle this,” Jace said slinging his rifle over his back and taking out a katana called the ‘Wind Thief’.
“You little shit,” Molto cursed readying his weapon, “I’m going to make you pay for betraying us, I’m not going to kill you, no, I’m going to make you suffer,” said Molto.
“I have suffered under your thumb long enough, its time to let go, I finally realized it when I saw the way you were looking at Adam, you were trying to lay a curse down on him, how long have you been doing that to us? How long have you been leading us down this path? Ariane didn’t disappear, she ran,” said Jace.
“So what, I’m making a difference, I’m saving this world,” Molto said.
“Saving it? No, you are condemning it, condemning all of us,” Jace accused Molto. He was holding his katana now pose for attack.
“You want to make a fool of yourself fine by me,” said Molto holding out his dragon’s blade in front of him with one hand. He motioned with his other hand for Jace to come at him.
Jace looked on with caution. The other soldiers of the five’s army were gathering around, some holding their rifles ready to fire at Jace while others stood in awe and confusion.
One foot came down hard on the ground followed by another. Jace’s body moved like he was a feral daemon. His mind began to spin. How did he get here, how could he let this happen? He roared as he swung his katana in the air and it screamed as it made contact with Molto’s blade. The two looked at each other with anger, frustration, betrayal. The fog in Jace’s mind was clearing more and more every second. It had only been a few hours since he had broken free of Molto’s curse and by mistake.
Jace swung again and Molto blocked it. The soldiers surrounding them were trying to decide whether to fire. Jace peered at them with glowing red eyes and they all lowered their weapons. Jace had broken free of Molto’s curse and in turn had cast one of his own. Jace was a paladin class, the same as Molto. Both were nearly the same level too. Molto being a 53 and Jace at 52. The two of them had been like brothers for years… since before the five even formed. Back then Molto was a scout. A part of an expeditionary force. The two of them tried to kill each other when they first met. Jace was a scavenger. He hadn’t lived with human beings in years and had been raised in the north near the Tomb of Giants. Jace was wild then and he used that part of him now. An ability called daemonic possession. His eyes glowed red and he was drawing strength from within himself. His biggest regret now was not killing Molto way back than.
Jace tried to save himself from falling. He leaned to the right. A foot came up from under him and kicked him in the face. Jace fell back. Molto swung downward. Jace barely managed to dodge as he dropped back. He pulled himself to his feet. He had heard his clothing rip. His favorite jacket. Something of a memento he had been wearing since before joining the five.
Molto dove his shoulder into Jace’s chest, slamming him against as wall. He started to swing again towards Jace’s gut but watched as his adversary rolled throwing his rifle to the side. Molto thought about grabbing it. Finishing this fight quickly. Both Molto and Jace were on equivalent terms when it came to melee combat.
Jace was breathing hard. Molto was fast. He moved like a daemon. No, he was faster. It was no wonder he had been the one to take down the Fanden. Jace forced his mind to pattern Molto’s moves. He couldn’t attack him like an animal. Jace sidestepped to the right just enough and the dragon’s blade passed a hairs breadth from his face. He smiled. Before Molto could respond with a follow up Jace dropped his katana and launched himself forward. Stunning Molto for a brief moment. It was enough. Jace drew from the magic inside himself a sword of energy draining his mana.
The soldiers could only see a flash of light. The fight had taken a dangerously close turn. Many were backing away. Whoever lived would lead the five’s army and the other would be branded a traitor.
Jace was open for more attacks as Molto summoned a shield to protect himself. Both energy weapons dissipated. Molto sidekicked Jace in the ribs doubling him over. He followed that up with an uppercut holding his sword down by his side. Jace fell curling his legs into his body as he touched the ground. He put his weight together pulling he jumped back up. Molto fell back violently not expecting Jace to be so agile. A groan escaped his lips as the pain from one of Jace’s earlier attacks started setting in.
Jace smiled. Molto had been hit with poison. He was losing health fast.
“You little shit, I’m going to kill you,” Just as Molto was about to reach Jace the entire world fell silent. Every person watching was shocked. Jace had already won but Molto wasn’t done.
Jace barely had time to breath, let alone dodge. It was a testament to Molto’s strength and endurance that kept moving, kept pushing forward even as his health dropped. Jace’s legs smashed into the ground. Molto was not longer holding any weapon. With his bare hands he swung in the air. Wisps of mana wrapped around his knuckles. The sound of a sonic boom. The attack was so quick Jace didn’t dodge. The force of Molto’s fist pushed him a foot and half backward into the air. “Stay down, damn dog,” Molto screamed. He looked around at all of the soldiers surrounding the two of them, “and all of you, nothing, no one brave enough to take the shot, no one here ready to step in and save their leader from this traitor,” Molto turned his anger towards his men. He was a monster. Jace lay on the ground clenching his stomach. He was probably bleeding to death now though his health didn’t seem to drop as much as he though. He still had stamina left too. His mana was depleted because of the sword he summoned but he wasn’t completely out. Not yet.
Molto walked towards Jace and lifted him off the ground. “Now you will see what happens to those who betray the five.” Jace smiled lifted his legs and kicked Molto in the chest. The two of them flew in opposite directions. Jace landed with ease and rolled to his feet. Molto hit the ground in an uncomfortable position. The five’s army stared at him in disbelief. Both were still breathing. “That had to hurt,” laughed Jace. He walked over to him and placed his hand against Molto’s che
st. There was a blast of red energy and Molto passed out unconscious.
“He’s not going to die now, we all deserve answers,” Jace said.
“What do we do now?” asked one of the soldiers. None of them were aiming their rifles anymore. Most of them felt like they were waking up from some kind of daize. Jace had not just stopped the poison he had inflicted on Molto with he had reversed the curse, the argent magic that he had been using for years.
Chapter 17
Dying had been the most horrible experience I had felt in my whole life. The first time the Nanook killed me. I lost my experience, my gear, everything. It hurt like hell. Mentally, physically. The next few times I killed myself and the pain was just as unimaginable. The Nephilim was bearing down on me. It was breaking the wall of ice I had summoned and there was little time left. The last minute. Perfect timing. It couldn’t have been scripted better. A flash of lightning came down from above and struck the Nephilim. It roared its massive head and looked towards the open sky above us. Straight up we could see a hole had been punched through all twenty levels of the dungeon. A hole 40 stories deep. It was Jace who came down from above. He was holding the a katana when he dug it across the face of the beast. It was similar to the attack Molto had used to kill the Fanden. If I had to give it a name I would call it ‘Paladin’s strike’. Someone was always saving my ass. Smoke rose from around the Nephilim’s flesh like its skin was on fire. It was steam. It was trying to heal itself again. As it did Jace hacked away at it some more until there was nothing left.
When the Nephilim fell to the ground a squad of soldiers came down.
“JACE!” shouted Ariane, “ARIANE! You are alive, thank god,” shouted Jace in return, “yes, I am, get me a damn healer!” she cried.
Most of her body was broken. The two of us had been traveling deeper and deeper inside the dungeon for days. Bendi and Ethan had been supplying us with medicine and food but the Nephilim was our greatest challenge. It had broken both of us and Ethan… poor Ethan. He stood near Ariane. His eyes were pitch black and his skin had turned a pale grey. He was bound to her but it was a bond that wouldn’t last long. It could be hours, days, weeks, eventually the magic would fade and he would die again but for now he was living. Rather than a living body his body was overflowing with mana.
Ethan was undead and no longer had the ability to speak or feel like a living being. I couldn’t believe he was gone. The only thing worst than losing Julie was losing another kid. He was too young for this shit. There were two things I hated more than anything else in this world. Kids dying and animals dying. It was the kind of shit that would make me stop watching or reading. But Ethan wasn’t quite dead… he was kinda in between. I wasn’t sure what was worst.. Being in his state or mine. Twenty days trapped in a game. At least I think its a game. The line between this reality and my own are starting to blur. I feel like I’m falling to pieces. As each day passes I feel more and more like I am bound to this world. Giving up feels like it would be the same thing as dying.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a glimmering sword. I reached for it and grabbed hold of it. A small two headed creature appeared and I felt the world around me slow to a crawl. I wasn’t just in the dungeon anymore. I felt my wounds heal, almost as if I leveled up. I began to worry that maybe I had respawned but this wasn’t the same. I was no longer in any pain. The creature looked at me as I held the sword. I didn’t swing at it. There was something familiar about it. In a way it reminded me of Bendi. I want to say it was some kind of familiar. It wasn’t the witch’s though. It belonged to someone else… someone that was gone. I knew holding the sword in my hand that it and the creature were somehow bound together. I tried to speak to it. No words came out of my mouth. I was in the dungeon in some kind of void. I felt the swords name. ’Ithil Naur’ and I knew it meant ‘Moon Fire’. It was another gift. Like my pendant. It was something that wasn’t a part of the game.
The creature smiled at me as I came to understand and slowly it disappeared. The sword was almost overpowered. It looked fairly long, narrow, slightly curved blade made of silver. It was held by a grip wrapped in ivory and leather. The razor-sharp point made this weapon stand out. It had no runes, no symbols to speak of, just bare. I could tell just by holding it that it was incredibly strong. It had a Damage of 70 with a weight of 10. No class. No stamina drain. No mana drain.
I felt myself level up again only my wounds didn’t heal. I had to wait till we were carried back to the surface. It was strange being back in the light of the sun. I felt like I had been underground for days, weeks.
Jace had brought us some food and Croon was there with them. Ariane smiled. It looked like this was the resistance she had told me about. Jace was the only unexpected revelation. She had no idea that he Adam’s presence would somehow allow him to break free of Molto’s hold. She was proud of Jace, who she had thought of as a little brother, though a little brother who was much more stronger than her.
“Your jacket is torn!” Ariane said studying Jace.
“Its no big deal.”
“Yes it is, give me a few hours and I’ll have it sewn back up,” she smiled, “its the least I can do. You saved us.” Jace blushed. I’m not sure if he liked Ariane or liked liked her. There was definitely a chemistry there but I’m wasn’t exactly sure what it was. She thought of him as a younger brother but it was obvious in some ways that he had a crush, or at the very least some kind of deep admiration.
Jace gave Ariane his jacket. His combat armor was sleeveless. I was surprised when I saw his arms covered in scars. Monster wounds. Jace, as Ariane had explained to me while we were in the dungeon, had once been a scavenger. He spent most of his life wandering the Valley of Decay fending for himself. He had gone there with his parents when he was a child with their caravan. They were hoping to find a new place to establish a third colony. It seemed the farther west you went in Eda the more dangerous the world became.
Jace gifted me with my own set of ‘Fives’ armor. It was a nice set of combat gear. Almost an all black suit that formed to the body covered in silver plates across the chest, shoulders, lower body. The pants were basically black cargo pants cut with ballistic weave. He offered me another cybernetic arm but I declined. Using my nub as a weapon made of ice had saved my life now more than a few times.
As Ariane sewed up Jace’s jacket and we healed she told him and the others everything she knew about Molto’s deception. What he had done to the troll king’s son and the reason that the goblin kingdom and troll kingdom had begun massing their armies. Jace already knew. After beat Molto and dragging him to their brig they spent several hours interrogating him. They learned he had been experimenting with Argent magic, cursed artifacts and weapons, and manipulating politics dealing with the five and the hub. It felt good to hear it straight from Ariane though. It only proved to Jace that what he had done had been the right thing.
“Scouts have returned from the goblin kingdom, they came just after I seized control, its a part of the reason we were so late getting here. Croon is actually the one that delivered us the intel, it seems that the goblin kingdom is in ruins, most of their army has been enslaved by the troll king and they are already moving towards the chasm. Apparently there are tunnels that lead out from there and into the wilds. From there they are planning to march on Arcadia and once they do that, the hub. If their army escapes the valley there won’t be any way of stopping them,” Jace said. He looked like he was already starting to age. The role of being a leader was not something that he wanted. I knew what it was like. The stress. It was a familiar feeling. Back in the real world others had always looked up to me as a leader, I’m not sure why, I never really cared one way or another but I knew what needed to be done and I had always been first to step up. I guess guiding by example was a part of it. Looking back maybe I should have done more with that.
“Give Molto over to the troll king,” I said.
“We can’t even get close, what are we going t
o do walk into the kingdom and hand him over without a fight, it wouldn’t work. Both the goblins and trolls are killing humans on site. We are the invaders in their lands not the other way around,” said Jace.
“The only other option we have is war,” said Ariane.
“Then we go to war,” I said.
“We can’t go to war we don’t have a real army,” said Jace.
“Yes we do, we have the Valley, Croon, he can tame monsters, we can set up an assault somewhere and draw them out while a small troop ride into the troll kingdom and force the troll king to hear us out, we don’t actually have to attack them. Just make enough noise that they come looking for us,” I said.
“Yeah but how do we do that,” asked Jace.
Ariane looked at us both wide-eyed. I knew if any of us could come up with a plan it would be her.
“We use the mech, ‘Doomcollar’, well what’s left of it and we bait it,” she said.
“Bait it?” I asked.
“We’ve been hunting monsters for awhile, Croon has developed a way to tame some of them, its not just his singing. Its the vibrations he creates with his voice and instruments. It draws them near. We can amplify it using the ‘Doomcollar’,” she smiled. The whole time we were inside the dungeon I had never seen her so happy. She always had a determined look on her face, a pain behind her eyes. She always seemed like she was searching. I felt like for the first time that Ariane had found what she was looking for.
Day 23
We spent three days getting back to base camp and setting up. For the first time in twenty three days I managed to get a good look at myself in the mirror. My five o’clock shadow had matured into almost a full beard. I hadn’t shaved since being here… hadn’t even through about it. I barely had time to bathe. I could see the grime on my face as I used a rag to brush it away. I was paler than usual too though I had pretty dark skin. Too much time in a dungeon. I almost laughed. My hair was starting to dread. I was glad I had kept it short before I got here. If my character… If I had been a person with long hair it would probably have been in dreadlocks now. After I bathed and shaved I ate alone in the mess before I moved towards the others. I was thrilled to finally be somewhere the food had taste.
Glimmer, A Throne of Souls (Convergence Book 1) Page 13
