Awaken Online: Dominion

by Travis Bagwell

  Evelyn leaned forward hungrily, sunlight streaming down through the roof of the building and gleaming off her hair. She almost looked like an earnest angel as she asked, “What do you know about the market for undead slaves?”

  Chapter 7 - Optimistic

  Jason stepped off the last step and into the pitch-dark room. As the keep recognized his presence, blue torches sprung to life around the square enclosure. The flickering light revealed a squat rectangular pedestal positioned in the center of the room with a large bowl sitting on its surface. As Jason approached, he could make out the black substance that rested inside, the liquid mana seeming to absorb the faint light cast throughout the room.

  He was hoping that it would be easier for him to summon the Old Man here. The god had promised him new spells and abilities in exchange for completing his evolution quest. However, he hadn’t yet delivered on that promise. Jason planned to hold the dark god to his agreement. He wasn’t certain what else he could do. He clearly wasn’t capable of facing Thorn in his current state, and Morgan had already made it clear that he had surpassed her ability to train him.

  Frustrated, Jason focused his attention on the mana well. As he stared at the ebony liquid, brief flashes of memory appeared in his mind’s eye. Slitting Riley and Frank’s wrists. Tentacles of darkness crawling up his skin and piercing his eyes. His encounter with Rex and the other souls of the Kin that resided in the well. The memories of his friends – their pain and trauma.

  He winced as he remembered Riley’s memory in particular, including his poor attempt to confront her about whether the scene with her grandfather had been real. He had been so stupid. Even now, he could see her tear-streaked cheeks. His attempt to console her. The feeling of his arm around her shoulders. The brief pause as they leaned toward each other as their eyes met shyly.

  Despite his nonchalance with Frank, he had thought they had been about to kiss. He had been looking forward to seeing Riley again. But there was a stark difference between his daydreams and the awkward reality. How did he broach the subject again? And then there were the insidious doubts. Did she regret what had almost happened? Maybe he had just made it up in his head – tricked himself into thinking she was interested in him.

  Just the thought made his heart lurch painfully.

  He shook his head to try to clear it. His relationship with Riley aside, they needed to move quickly to secure the city and grow stronger. Jason turned his attention back to the pedestal, recalling what the Old Man had told him about how the well granted him access to other powers. If the dark god wasn’t going to deliver on his promises, then the well might offer an alternate way to grow stronger. The problem was that he had no idea how to access its powers. The obelisk at the top of the keep and the gate had both responded to touch, so maybe the well worked the same way?

  Jason tentatively reached toward the obsidian mana lingering within the bowl, the small gesture requiring more willpower than he had expected. His last few encounters with the liquid mana hadn’t exactly been pleasant. He eased his hand forward, ready to jerk it back or dive to the side at a moment’s notice.

  Yet, as Jason’s fingers touched the surface and sunk beneath the inky black substance, the liquid remained placid. The energy felt cool on his skin, leaving a tingling sensation. A blue menu screen appeared in the air before him, his eyes widening in surprise. He had expected something catastrophic. Eye-melting pain. Another one-way trip to the moonlit cave. This was a little… mundane.

  Am I really upset that the game didn’t try to kill me? Maybe Gloria was right, he thought with mild amusement. Perhaps the game really had been messing with him.

  He quickly scanned the menus and saw that the well offered pre-set options that could potentially provide bonuses to the city and its residents. For example, there was one category labeled “Miracles” that included abilities such as creating a cloud of temporary darkness. This didn’t seem terribly useful within the radius of the Twilight Throne, but it might come in handy if he ever ventured outside the city again – assuming, of course, that he could find some way to access the well remotely.

  One category, in particular, caught his attention as he was scrolling through the menu. It was labeled “Structures.” Jason tapped the option, and the menu shifted to a list of available build options. Strangely, only a single structure was listed. The remainder of the list was grayed out – implying that there were other structures that he could build eventually. Maybe he just hadn’t advanced enough to use this feature?

  With a mental shrug, Jason tapped the icon for the first building on the list, and a new prompt appeared before him.

  Mana Well Console: Build Options

  Structure: Dark Spire

  Description: This building can be formed anywhere inside the Twilight Throne’s radius of influence. The tower acts as an extension of the dark keep, expanding the territory’s aura of darkness in a larger radius. Further upgrades provide additional benefits.

  Cost: 5 Spirit Charges

  The prompt certainly raised a few questions.

  First, Jason didn’t see any obvious way to upgrade the building – although he assumed that maybe he needed to build the spire before it could be upgraded. That was a little troubling since he was basically gambling on whether the Dark Spire would be useful. Simply increasing the radius of the zone’s eternal darkness was a minor benefit at the moment. What he desperately needed was a way to cast spells remotely – like Undead Devotion. That way, Frank and Vera wouldn’t need to haul corpses back to the city as they conquered the outlying villages. This would could also greatly simplify William’s “population mine” in Peccavi.

  Next, Jason’s gaze flitted to the cost of the building, noting that the well’s resources were represented as “Spirit Charges.” However, that didn’t exactly tell him how many of these charges he had available. Were five charges a little or a lot? He quickly flipped back through the menus until he was at the original screen. Sure enough, there was an option labeled “Well Status.”

  He tapped the icon, and another screen appeared in the air before him.

  Mana Well Console: Status

  Description: The well holds liquid dark mana that can be used to aid the city and its residents. The available mana (or Spirit Charges) is limited, however, and there are two methods to accumulate additional power: actions taken by citizens of the Twilight Throne that are consistent with their desires and deaths that occur within the city’s radius of influence or kills made by its citizens. Both will increase the Spirit Charges held by the well. The mana well can also be upgraded and expanded to increase its storage capacity and the efficiency with which it collects spirit charges.

  Well Level: 1 (15% to level 2)

  Current Spirit Charges: 12/100

  Spirit Charge Income: +1 every two days (average).

  It doesn’t seem like I have very many Spirit Charges right now, he thought to himself.

  Jason couldn’t help but recall the various events where the Old Man had intervened to help him. For example, after the townspeople of Peccavi had chosen to sacrifice themselves or when he had slain the slaves aboard the Marietta on the way to the Hippie’s temple. Had the god been using the power of the well? That might explain why he only had twelve charges. If so, then that seemed to indicate that the god could use the Spirit Charges at will. Jason grimaced as he realized that the Old Man had likely been spending his hard-won resources. Although, on second thought, he supposed he would have made many of the same choices.

  Perhaps more importantly, what could Jason do to increase his Spirit Charge income and capacity? It was clear that the well was capable of leveling and seemed to have already accumulated some experience. However, it wasn’t clear from the description how he could level the well intentionally. And he didn’t see many useful options yet to spend the Spirit Charges. Despite these problems, he suspected that the well would quickly become important once he figured out how to use it.

  Jason had been so caught up in hi
s inspection of the well, that he hadn’t noticed the dark figure behind him until a hesitant cough echoed through the stone room. He whirled, his hand gripping his staff defensively as his other began to twine through the motions of a curse. His movements stilled as he caught sight of Riley standing at the bottom of the nearby stairwell. She was dressed in her familiar black and red leather armor with her cowl pushed back to reveal her blond hair.

  “S-sorry,” Jason said, relaxing his stance, although his heart was still beating rapidly. This was the first time he had been alone with Riley since the bubble tea shop. “I guess I’m just a little on edge after the run-in with Thorn.”

  “I can understand that,” Riley replied quietly. She moved toward him with hesitant steps, not quite meeting his gaze.

  “Uh, so what’s up?” Jason asked, kicking himself for how stupid the question sounded as it left his lips. What he really wanted to do was ask her to dinner or bring up their almost-kiss, but just the thought made him queasy. Plus, standing beside the mana well where he had slit her wrists didn’t exactly seem like the right place. At least that’s what he kept telling himself. “Weren’t you supposed to be helping Jerry?”

  Riley frowned slightly. “He insisted he didn’t need my help – something about my good nature spoiling his fun. I think he might be overestimating me,” she offered with the hint of a smile.

  Jason returned her smile, although he was a bit puzzled by her explanation. At the meeting, the innkeeper had seemed enamored with the idea of having her as a teammate. “Well, Jerry is certainly competent. I trust he’ll manage on his own,” he answered noncommittally.

  Riley nodded in agreement. “What are you doing down here anyway? I had to get Pint to tell me where you went after your cryptic comment at the meeting.”

  “I was hoping that the Old Man would be here,” Jason replied with a grimace. “He promised to teach me new spells after we returned with the grimoire and completed the evolution quest.” He gestured at the room. “Although, he doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to show up.”

  Riley nodded in understanding, and the pair lapsed into an awkward silence. She bit her lip, looking distinctly uncomfortable – like she wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure how. Jason’s stomach was doing summersaults, and he fumbled with his staff as he moved, nearly dropping. Sometimes the game was just too realistic. The irony of this situation also wasn’t lost on him. He could destroy a city and face a dragon, but he couldn’t talk to Riley?

  Mustering what little courage he had, Jason decided to break the silence. “About the other day,” he began tentatively. “At the bubble tea place, I mean. I’m sorry about confronting you about the memory of your grandfather. I really wasn’t certain if it was real, and I didn’t know how to check aside from talking with you. I never meant to hurt you.” Jason had begun to babble, and he forced himself to shut up before he said something stupid. Well, something more stupid than the jumbled nonsense that had just spilled out of his mouth.

  “I-it’s okay,” Riley said, still not quite looking at him as she stood beside the lip of the well. “I probably overreacted a little. I guess I was just surprised. That was a lot to process at once, and that’s not a memory that I like to focus on.” Her fingers traced the edge of the bowl, and she glanced at Jason out of the corner of her eye.

  Now was the really painful part. How did she feel about their almost-kiss? Had he taken advantage of her? Was that why she had been a little distant? Was it something about Alex? His stomach had finished its warm up and was now going through a full-fledged gymnastics routine as he thought about how to word his next question.

  Riley saved him from another fumbling attempt.

  “About what happened after our talk – or almost happened…” her gaze had drifted down the mana well, an odd expression on her face that he couldn’t identify.

  Jason felt a hollow feeling wash over him as he watched her reaction. She must regret what they had almost done. That look spoke volumes. “It’s okay,” he blurted quickly. “I shouldn’t have done anything. It’s really not a big deal.”

  Riley glanced up at him in surprise, her brow furrowed in confusion. A strange mixture of emotions flitted across her face. Then her expression hardened. “I guess not,” she said quietly. Her gaze shifted back to the well, and an awkward silence descended upon them once again.

  Jason couldn’t help but stare at her, his mind awash in uncertainty. He felt like he had messed up somehow. Was she upset with him? He hadn’t meant to take advantage of her – especially not with her history with Alex. Still, he desperately wanted to hug her and tell her that it hadn’t been a mistake – that he had been thinking about it for days. He reached toward her hand where it rested on the lip of the bowl. While his hand was still hovering in the air, a voice spoke from behind them.

  “Am I interrupting something?”

  The pair both flinched, and Jason’s arm retreated to his side. He whirled for a second time, a glare lighting his eyes as he stared at the Old Man. The dark god stood nearby, his face shadowed by the cowl of his hood. Although, Jason felt like he could detect a faint smirk. Of course, he would pick this moment to appear! He felt like the dark god had chosen this entrance intentionally.

  “No, no you weren’t,” Jason answered quickly. Since she was standing slightly behind him, Jason missed the way Riley flinched at his words.

  The god’s lips twitched slightly in response, the only indication that he had noticed the tension between the pair. Then his hooded face turned toward Riley. “Hello, little sister. It is nice to finally meet you in person.”

  “The two of you have met – or spoken?” Jason asked, surprised. As far as he knew, the dark god had only ever appeared to him.

  “Sort of,” Riley replied in a quiet voice, her eyes focused on the Old Man and her fists clenching. “You could say that he helped me in Vaerwald when I was pursuing the quest for my bow. Or you could say that he branded me as his disciple and painted his name on the side of their Great Library – which almost resulted in our group getting imprisoned,” she added sourly.

  The Old Man spread his hands wide in a conciliatory gesture. “And yet here you stand. Alive and well. And I believe you accomplished your objective, no? So why quibble about the means?”

  Jason didn’t love the god’s tone. He was intimately familiar with the Old Man’s machinations, and he could only imagine what he had put Riley through. However, another question was poking at the edges of his mind – demanding attention. “Should you be showing yourself to other travelers? Doesn’t that violate your rules?” he asked in confusion.

  “We are not technically required to avoid contact with the other travelers,” the god explained as he paced around the well to face them both. “However, having more than one avatar is prohibited. Consequently, we tend to avoid such interactions for fear that our siblings might claim we are violating the covenants. Such accusations are easy to make and often difficult to refute.”

  “What about the Hippie?” Riley asked, curiosity lacing her voice. “He didn’t seem too shy around us. In fact, he was a pain in the ass.” Jason was happy to see that she was regaining some of her spirit, although she still wouldn’t look at him.

  The god’s lips dipped into a frown. “My brother can be a bit… eccentric. Although, I suspect he felt the risk of being accused of violating the covenants was reasonably low given that Jason is already my avatar and his friends are bound to his service.”

  “Bound to his service?” Riley asked, an edge to her voice. “What exactly does that mean?”

  The Old Man cocked his head. “I forget that you come from an age where none of this information is readily available. You and the other traveler Frank are bound to Jason – this was part of the ritual that allowed him to become a Shade. You are now his Soul Guard.”

  The god could still see the confusion written on their faces, and so he continued, “This was once an honored position. The Soul Guard served as bodyguards and companions to th
e Keeper. The ritual is just the beginning. As the bonds grows, so will your strength. In the height of the Twilight Throne’s power, several of the Soul Guard became nearly as exalted as the Keepers themselves.”

  Jason glanced at Riley, his mind focusing on the word “bond.” What exactly had that ritual done to them? And the god had been clear that this connection would grow over time. What did that mean? He gritted his teeth, trying to tamp down on his frustration. The Old Man was notorious for leading him down one rabbit hole after another – chasing an endless series of questions but finding no answers. He suspected the god did this to deliberately distract him. What topic was he trying to avoid this time?

  “Let’s get back on track,” Jason said, cutting off Riley before she could ask any more questions. This earned him a glare, but he supposed she was at least looking at him now. “What about the new spells you promised to teach me?”

  The Old Man’s lips curled upward ever-so-slightly. “Oh, did I promise to teach you new spells? Or did I merely say that the evolution would allow you to learn new spells.”

  Jason stared at the god, his fists clenching. Was the Old Man messing with him right now or was he really trying to wiggle out of their bargain with clever wordplay?

  Before he could demand an answer, the god let out a rumbling chuckle. “No need to look so upset, boy. I will clarify. I cannot directly teach you new spells in the way you have learned them previously. However, I can provide you with the tools you need to gain new abilities.”

  “Why can’t you teach me?” Jason asked. The way Morgan had simply given him the memories of the requisite hand gestures and incantations had been straightforward. It often only took one or two tries for his body to pick up the movements – after which they became second nature.