by Dawn Chapman
“Leenz!” he shouted. “Leenz, wake up!”
Mr. Kaleidoscopius gave a loud, nasty laugh. “You want her to wake up?” he said, snapping his fingers. Leenz jumped as if she was stricken by an electric current. “Are you up now?”
She stared at Pierce, eyes wide open. “Pierce, what’s happening?”
“Uh-uh!” said Mr. Kaleidoscopius pointing at her. “You talk to me now. To me!”
“Who’s this asshole?” said Pierce. “What is he…”
Pierce couldn’t finish the sentence, for the worst pain he had ever felt in his life went through every cell of his body. It lasted a fraction of a second, but it was enough for him to realize Mr. Kaleidoscopius, whatever he was, was being serious.
“You’ll talk when I let you!” he shouted. “I can make you feel a million times what you’ve just felt. You’re here to amuse me, don’t forget!”
Pierce breathed hard. There was no residue of pain in his body, but just remembering was enough to make him shiver. He turned around and saw Leenz’s big eyes staring at him in panic. At that moment, he knew she had felt it too.
“Now,” continued Mr. Kaleidoscopius. “Between you and Leenz, between you guys and I… between I and I—is that correct? Anyway, it doesn’t matter what I say to you, you are not smart enough to break in. How do you feel?”
Pierce had no idea what he had just said and was afraid of saying that. Mr. Kaleidoscopius realised and taunted. “Go on, son, speak!”
Pierce spoke slowly. “What are we doing here?”
“Glad you asked, my boy!” he said, slapping his hands on his also spindly legs. “You have two choices. You can amuse me, or you can die a horrible death.”
Unless I get out of this chain… thought Pierce.
“Well, you can’t!” said Mr. Kaleidoscopius, as if Pierce had just spoken out loud. “And the answer to your next question is yes, I can read your thoughts. It’s not hard, you know? I can see you are still thinking of that boy you wanna kill when you get out of here — which won’t be soon, I assure you — and also…” Kaleidoscopius bit his lip. “This is odd… what happened to those thoughts? Let me ask Leenz here,” he said, turning to her. Leenz was staring at that creepy devil with more rage than she had shown anyone since Pierce met her. “Leenz, who, by the way, finds you very hunky, Pierce… Leenz, as I was saying, did a small procedure on your brain, didn’t she? I don’t care for that. Here is some more pain for you.”
Mr. Kaleidoscopius snapped his fingers, but this time only Leenz got the pain. Pierce saw when it passed through her, for again just the fraction of a second, but her body twisted in agony, hurting her wrists and neck on the chains that held them.
“Annoying,” said Kaleidoscopius. “As I said, you can amuse me… or you can kill me through my only weakness, which I’ve already revealed to you. But you, like all the others, are too stupid to see what it is, aren’t you? Sure you are. Now, you are here for a game! And I’m gonna offer you one! A game inside a game, isn’t this fun? Tell me it’s not, and I’m gonna skin alive everyone you’ve ever cared about. Again, where were we? You are gamers, aren’t you? I already gave you a riddle. Now you’ll go inside this little game of mine. The rules are very simple. Kill the monster, capture the diamond and bring it back here, and I’ll give you your freedom. You wanna play, Pierce?”
“Sure,” he said. “I’ll play your stupid game.”
“That’s terrific!” said Mr. Kaleidoscopius, clapping his hands. “Oh, and by the way, your scores are pretty low at the moment, and don’t think all the workout you did back home is gonna be of any use.”
Pierce’s eyes grew wider.
“Oh, I know about your previous life too, little Pierce,” said Mr. Kaleidoscopius. “I know everything you know and even some things you don’t know. I know you wanted to destroy Lynette because she reminded you of a crash dummy, like yourself…”
“You son of a…”
“And also, how you think Wayne is in love with you, and that’s the only reason he helped you so much after the incident.”
Pierce didn’t move. The thoughts and feelings raging through his system were more than he wanted to admit. Did Wayne love him? As a brother, yes. He was sure, he thought about him a lot like that now. He watched Kaleidoscopius eyeing him. He knew the creature would enjoy seeing him fight against the shackles. Instead, he just stared at the strange Devil. His fists were so tight his fingernails cut the palms of his hands, making tiny drops of blood drip on the floor. But that pain was bearable. The pain he’d uncovered wasn’t, and it stung more than any blade could have.
“I know you were thinking of a girl the night you were driving your parents’ car,” said Mr. Kaleidoscopius. “And that’s why you were driving so fast.”
“I’m gonna kill you.” The anger and pure emotion raging through his veins were the highest they had ever been.
For the first time, Pierce saw his stats go totally out of whack.
HEART RATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE—DANGEROUSLY HIGH
Pierce dismissed it; he already knew this.
“You want your gun?” said Kaleidoscopius. He snapped his fingers, and the chains that held Pierce were gone.
The plasma rifle lay by his feet.
Pierce grabbed it and unloaded it into the awful being’s body.
Mr. Kaleidoscopius didn’t move as the plasma bullets destroyed the wall behind him, without making a single hole in him. “Fuck!”
“Dear Pierce!” the devil said. “Dear, pathetic, Pierce. You are such a macho, aren’t you? I told you how to kill me, but you are too obsessed with your own firepower to listen. You are a silly creature. A very human creature.”
“What are you talking about?” shouted Pierce the emotions rushing his system. He wanted to do so much more but wasn’t capable.
Mr. Kaleidoscopius jumped from the rock that served as his throne and walked in Pierce’s direction. His skimpy legs really made an impression; this dude was a skeleton. “The next time you hit me,” he said, “will have to be the last time. You’ve already taken all of your chances but one. If your next hit doesn’t kill me, you and Leenz — and even Chopper there — will experience a pain you can’t imagine.”
He stood right in front of Pierce now - so close Pierce felt the urge to punch him in his big pointy nose. But he couldn’t do that if it wasn’t going to kill Mr. Kaleidoscopius. “What now?” asked Pierce.
“Now,” said his enemy, wringing his fingers together, the excitement showing in his face. “You’ll amuse me.”
Despite what every inch of his body told him to do, Pierce took two steps back and relaxed his shoulders. He might have a hot temper, but even he could tell it wasn’t the time for action — at least not that kind of action. Mr. Kaleidoscopius wanted him to partake in a game, and Pierce figured winning the game would be the best thing to do. He could demolish that funny face later, and with great pleasure.
“Rescue the diamond, then,” said Pierce. “I can do that.”
“Swell!” yelled Kaleidoscopius, raising his finger and pointing to a corner in the cave. A square portion of it moved like a door, revealing a stairway which would take Pierce deeper down the ground. “It’s waiting for you in there,” he said. “A game just like you used to play.”
“What are the rules?” he asked. “Besides me having to amuse you.”
“Oh, let’s not spoil the fun!” said Kaleidoscopius. “Haven’t you ever played a game without knowing the rules? It’s much more exciting.”
Pierce wondered if it was worth it to argue. He had played games like this before, but not with so much at stake. “What if I die before I learn the rules?” he asked. “Won’t be much fun for any of us.”
“I’ll give you three lives,” said Kaleidoscopius. “Just as an extra gift.”
Pierce stared at him for a few more seconds, thinking of all the things he wanted to do with that bastard and knowing he could read his thoughts. He then looked at Leenz, chained to the wall. She smiled at
him. “Don’t fuck this up,” she said, and her eyes said everything that she was feeling. They twinkled in the dark of the room. “Or you won’t be able to fulfill your promise.”
“What promise?” he asked, but she didn’t answer. Pierce’s eyes moved to Chopper. The poor thing was crouched on his six legs, his eye moving from one place to the other.
It had to be done. There was no other way.
Walking down those stairs was a strange feeling. As he went down, Pierce felt lighter, like each step took away some of his weight. He couldn’t stop walking down, though, even if he tried. He was attracted by that feeling. It was like going back to the womb.
A strong light of undefinable colour appeared around him, and suddenly, Pierce wasn’t walking anymore. He was falling, and there was a whole new world around him, a world full of plants and clouds and coins floating in the air. When his feet touched the ground, there was no impact.
Pierce tried to breathe, but then he realized he didn’t have to. He wanted to look around, but there were only two directions he could stare at: back and forth. It all felt so bi-dimensional! Pierce swung his fists in the air, and an old robotic sound followed it. That was odd. He then jumped, and a similar sound followed him as he went up and down.
STAT’S SET TO ZERO
FIND THAT DIAMOND!
Shit! Pierce thought, and at least this was something he was still able to do. I’m in a 1980’s video-game!
This was his quest now. This was what he had to do. And it was better to do it fast, for he still had a mission up there for Leenz and his own species. So, no distractions or second thoughts. It was time to rescue the diamond, go back to the crypt, kill Kaleidoscopius and save mankind.
It was going to be fun. Pierce was totally sure of it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Drayk
Keriy’s touch warmed Drayk’s skin, and her smile beamed at him while she whispered in a language he didn’t know. Almost singing to him, words purred from her lips.
“Close your eyes,” she whispered in his tongue. “When you open them, do not be afraid. This is the past. What happened, not what is happening.”
Drayk sucked in a breath, letting the feeling of being whisked away settle in his bones. He shivered, the cool air whistling by.
BOOM!
Drayk almost jumped back, but Keriy held onto him. “Do not be afraid, Drayk, or this won’t work.”
BOOM!
Then the pop-pop of gunfire exploded around him as well as the larger shells of massively destructive projectiles.
HEART-RATE ELEVATED
Drayk dismissed the popup and tried his best to make his mind calm down.
BOOM!
Another explosion ricocheted around them, he felt a blast of warm air and the smell of burning flesh. He swallowed. Was this real? She said it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. It was part of the game surely? Or was it all to confuse him?
“Open your eyes,” Keriy said. “But look at me, don’t look around yet.”
Drayk hesitated for a moment, then opened them. He stared into her eyes. They still glowed, but were softer now. Nowhere near as bright as before. This was using a lot of her magical energy he was sure of that.
“Now,” she nodded behind him, “keep hold of my hand, and turn around.”
Drayk lowered his eyes and then turned. He blinked twice at the scene before him.
Standing on a cliff face, they looked out at what was a large battle. Yet, nothing like he expected. There were thousands of figures fighting on the ground, but what shocked him was the ships. His eyes drew skyward as projectiles shot forth.
From the ground it seemed that over a hundred Mage’s and Sorceress stood centre of the field. They’d erected a shield, but it was failing fast. No magic could protect against such vast weaponry. And if it were a game, it was vastly wrong on so many levels.
“This happened?”
Keriy squeezed his hand gently. “Many years ago, yes, before I was born. They came, they conquered.”
“Who are they?”
“They don’t have a specific name. I believe the wars you’re fighting within your star systems are part of their plan. They make you feel weak and lost on the outside, then you turn inside, for comfort and promise of a new home.”
“It’s a game though?”
“Yes, and no. I am a player in their game, sanctioned by them. I do also know that our species have a rebellion inside the game.”
Drayk watched as the battle before him drew to its conclusion. He flinched as the shield lost all power and the projectiles began to strike the ground. Huge tremors followed. Dust and burning.
“They’re killing their own as well, but they don’t care!”
“No, they cared little for anything planetside. The species that came with them, we’ll never know if it was them, or another they enslaved.”
“What can we do?”
There she smiled, a genuine one. “It’s entirely up to you Drayk. If Altus trusted you, you’re a player worth knowing. I for one, am very grateful to meet you.”
“My quest doesn’t take me back to Altus?”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Close your eyes and turn around again.”
Drayk did as she asked. This time, slight rain pelted his skin. When he opened his eyes, he looked out to something different. This was his home, his town. “How?”
“You forget once inside the ‘game’ they see everything, and that means some people inside the game can also see things they perhaps shouldn’t.”
Before him, the Guild gates rose up and opened. Though he didn’t enter, five figures were exiting, and one he recognised above all. “Cale?”
What was he doing near Hygon? Haal’s large form took up his view, and as they walked, he was swept away with them inside the vision.
“I can’t find him, anywhere…” Cale said, the concern evident as his usually steely voice quivered.
“He can’t have gone far, where did you last see him?” Haal asked.
Drei’s eyes lowered to the ground as she listened to Cale tell them of their trip to the café, and his taking the young lady out dancing.
Haal noted Drei’s posture and turned on her. “Where is he, Drei?”
Drei couldn’t lock eyes with her command leader. “You know where he is. Where I couldn’t be—saving the village.”
Haal grabbed hold of Drei, and Drayk wanted to stop him, so much so he almost forgot where he was and went to step off the cliff edge.
“Easy there,” Keriy whispered, grasping his arm tight, “they don’t know you’re watching. This is the past still.”
Cale was the one to stop Haal from doing Drei any real damage, but he spat out, “We’ve got to go in, I have to see him. Now. There are things he needs to know.”
Drayk wondered what he needed to know? His brother had genuine fear and concern etched into his face. But panic too and Drayk shivered.
The vision started to fade, as Keriy’s energy did. “I’m sorry, I can’t keep this going much longer, I’m still much weaker than I thought.”
Everything went black, and Drayk blinked once, the walls surrounding them shimmered and his focus returned.
Drayk’s panic took tight hold. His chest compressed, and he needed to bolt. Keriy kept a tight hold of him. “You will continue with this quest, then you’ll see him.”
This seemed so far from any kind of game he’d played in the past that the reality frightened him. Who or why should he believe anyone inside here? They all told him different things. They all wanted to beat the system somehow, to earn money for something back home, to pay off debts, to manage the system, so they didn’t have to go to war.
Yet, he wanted to believe Keriy.
Drayk realised how cold he was, his shivering wasn’t just because of being scared, and so he searched for enough dry wood to start a fire in the cave’s entrance. Keriy raised her hand just once to bring a flame to the wood. It was wonderful to see the colours bounce around the walls,
and for the first time, he could see where they were.
The cave itself was just a dugout into the wall of one of the small mountain mounds. There was nothing at the back of it, but a place to rest. Someone had lived here. There were small tools, bowls, and equipment stashed at the back.
Drayk frowned, “I don’t think anyone lived here recently.” He moved around to check out the bowls. Everything he touched had a covering of dust. That’s where he noticed the book.
Drayk picked up the book and leafed through a few pages.
You have acquired Rais journal. Return the book to Rais’s family for a reward.
Drayk was surprised at the quest, but wasn’t going to accept it just yet. He flicked the popup away and carried the book over to the fire.
Keriy held her hand out so she could take a look. She read carefully through the first couple of pages. “Rais was from a small village west of the mountains. It seemed they were attacked, and he came out here to hide. He lived well for a time completing small quests, and his family was safe until late on in the year. They were also attacked, and he lost his wife and daughter to slavers.”
Drayk listened. “I didn’t think this was the kind of game where you could get kidnapped away from the people you were fighting for.”
“New Ararat has many good and bad places. The slavers were more than likely just passing through.”
Keriy stopped at one page and held it out for him to look at. “There are some very interesting maps and theories in here. I don’t know about returning it to his family, but you could learn a lot by reading through it.”
Drayk took the book back and looked over the page. The map was intensive, plotting animal migrations, herb fields, and water drops. It was a wealth of knowledge. “I’ll study it for sure. I think we could really do with something warm to drink, and food though.”
Keriy’s stomach grumbled, on cue. “I’ve nothing to offer, I’m sorry. When I fled…” her eyes filled with tears.
“Tell me about your family,” he said. The pain that crossed her face was hard to bear. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
