Awaken Online: Dominion

by Travis Bagwell

  “In short, it is because you have reached your memorization limit,” the Old Man said tersely. “And Riley is not far behind.”

  Jason let out an exasperated sigh. The Hippie was a pain, but the Old Man could sometimes be equally infuriating. “Memorization limit?”

  “You really have wandered off the beaten path if this is coming as a surprise,” the Old Man grumbled. “This is explained to most travelers during their initiation to this world. Although, perhaps I bear partial responsibility for that.”

  He paused a moment before continuing, “Each person in this world has a fixed memorization limit. Generally, a language and up to six spells. This is intended to preserve the health of the individual’s mind. The transfer process is demanding and can sometimes result in irreparable damage. And, before you ask, there is the occasional special exception in the case of an avatar. Your use of Undead Devotion, for example.

  “Typically, members of a traditional mage guild use these memorizations sparingly. A larger time investment to learn spells early on can make it much easier to learn higher-level spells and skills,” the god continued. “You will find that many mages horde these memorizations like a dragon with its gold.”

  “And you didn’t bother to mention this sooner?” Jason demanded, his voice tinged with frustration. He was already kicking himself for having wasted yet another resource. Between this and the mana well, he was starting to think that he and the dark god needed to have a serious conversation.

  However, he couldn’t change what had already been done, and Jason felt like the god was telling the truth, although the cynic in him suspected that the reason for the limit was more practical – likely to prevent harm to the players. He would have to remember to speak to Alfred to confirm whether this was correct. If so, then it meant the AI had been taking more risks with the players than Jason had realized.

  “It didn’t seem important at the time,” the Old Man answered. “There were more pressing issues. Or should I have explained this while you were standing waist deep in water and your ship was sinking? Or perhaps just before you entered a foreign dungeon?”

  “Fine, I get the point,” Jason interjected. “So then how does a person learn new spells once they hit the limit?”

  “Like they learn anything else,” the Old Man said, a condescending smile lingering on his lips. “They train – study, repetition, and practice. Did you think that the former Keepers rose to power by being handed every skill and ability? They mastered their spells. There really is no true substitute for training and learning on your own.

  The god’s smile widened. “Luckily, we just so happen to be standing next to one of the Keepers’ training halls.”

  The god waved at a portion of the bare, stone wall beside the mana well. For a moment, nothing happened. But then the bricks began to shudder – dust showering the room – before the wall slid back. As the debris cleared, Jason could see that a room rested on the other side. Without waiting for an invitation, he started forward.

  A massive chamber rested on the other side of the wall. The space had been partitioned into four sections. In one corner there was a rack of weapons of all shapes and sizes, the metal blades gleaming in the drab light cast by the torches. Adjacent to the weapon area was a training space, replete with intricate wooden dummies that would have put Jerry’s facilities to shame.

  On the other side of the chamber was a miniature library. Shelves had been carefully erected in neat rows and then packed with dusty scrolls and tomes. A long table and reading area had been set up in the final space – presumably to provide somewhere to study the contents of the library. Morgan would probably have a field day with these tomes.

  “What is this?” Riley asked. Jason turned to find her standing against the far wall across from the entrance to the training area. A large door had been erected between the library and the training room sections. The doorway appeared to be constructed of a crystal-like obsidian substance, skulls and tortured faces carved into the frame. It practically screamed, “Don’t open me!”

  “The entrance to the challenge rooms,” the Old Man answered simply. Jason hadn’t seen him move, but he was suddenly standing beside Riley, a wrinkled hand tracing the rim of the doorway. “Centuries ago, new shades would enter this training chamber with their Soul Guards – spending months in careful study. Then they would brave the challenges together.” His tone almost sounded wistful as he recalled ancient memories.

  “And now? Do the challenges still work?” Jason asked.

  The Old Man turned to look at him. “Indeed. Unfortunately, unlike your predecessors, we do not have the luxury of time.” He glanced at Riley. “And you are down a soul guard. While your experience in the real world and the progress you have made so far is unusual for a new Keeper, I expect you will still find the challenges quite difficult.”

  Sighing heavily, the dark god continued, “Normally, I would leave you to learn and explore these rooms and the challenges on your own. However, the Order has disrupted this process. They have moved much faster than I anticipated, so I am permitted to give you a brief explanation. The challenges consist of three rooms. Each one will teach skills unique to the Keepers. You will need to pass all three rooms if you are to stand any chance against Thorn.”

  The god’s explanation only raised more questions. “Speaking of Thorn…” Jason began.

  “We do not have time,” the Old Man barked. “I have already told you more than I probably should. You know the rules, boy.” He met Jason’s gaze and held it. “You need to move as quickly as you can. Thorn is not to be underestimated, and he will not wait long. The fate of the Kin rests on your shoulders.”

  With that final warning, the god vanished, leaving a floating blue prompt in his wake.

  New Quest: Keeper Challenges

  The dark god has explained that to gain new spells, you will need to utilize more mundane training. Well, as mundane as going through a series of unknown challenges constructed by a race of ancient Necromancers can be. Unfortunately, you are also racing against the clock, and you will be attempting the challenges without adequate training and without Frank – your other Soul Guard. So, this shouldn’t be difficult at all…

  Difficulty: A

  Success: Complete each of the three challenges.

  Status: 0/3 challenges completed.

  Failure: Unknown.

  Reward: Acquire new abilities and spells.

  Jason frowned in frustration as he reviewed the prompt. Of course, the Old Man hadn’t answered any of his questions. Who was Thorn? What was the Order? What was this gate that Thorn had alluded to? It felt like the dark god only gave him teasing glimpses – just enough to allow Jason to get by and start to trace the outline of the conflict between the gods and mortals but without actually answering any real questions.

  His eyes fixed on the obsidian door beside Riley. He had no idea what he would discover inside, but he didn’t have any choice but stumble in blindly – to constantly strain for the carrot of power that the dark god seemed to forever dangle in front of him. As always, he could keep moving forward, or admit defeat and slink back into obscurity.

  His gaze shifted to Riley, her brow furrowed slightly in concentration as she studied the door. Her fingers curled an errant strand of hair absently. The gesture felt familiar – conjuring memories of dull, lengthy classes at Richmond. Despite the problems mounting in-game and out, his thoughts kept returning to Riley. He didn’t know where their conversation had gone wrong, and he was faced with a different set of unanswered questions.

  Between Thorn, the Dark God, and his… well, whatever it was that lingered between him and Riley, the mysteries just kept piling up, leaving him with the feeling that he was advancing blindly.

  At least Jason had become accustomed to working in the dark.

  Chapter 8 - Persuasive

  “What now?” Riley asked, her hand resting on the dark door and her fingers tracing the intricate scrollwork that worked its way up th
e frame. He could see arcane patterns in the material, but he couldn’t make out their meaning.

  “I don’t know,” Jason replied slowly, approaching the door until he stood beside her. “I suppose we should investigate the training rooms more carefully as a first step. Maybe they’ll contain something that helps with the challenges,” Jason offered.

  He wasn’t certain how he had upset her before the Old Man interrupted, but things were clearly tense between the two of them. That was a distraction that could make these challenges even more difficult. However, acknowledging the problem didn’t give him any insight into how to fix it. Talking about the bubble tea shop hadn’t helped and even thinking back over the conversation still made him queasy. He wasn’t anxious to repeat the experience.

  Yet, this was Riley. This was the girl who had saved him countless times already – who had his back. Even now, he couldn’t help himself from admiring the way her armor hugged her figure or her confident, lithe movements as she inspected the door leading into the challenges.

  She turned suddenly, and Jason shifted his gaze away from her, acting as though he had been inspecting the nearby library. “What do you think?” she asked.

  “I’m sorry, I missed your last question,” Jason said, fumbling slightly. He must have zoned out there for a moment.

  Riley dropped her eyes to the ground. “Maybe I should go see if I can convince Jerry to let me help him while you explore the training rooms and the first challenge. We should probably have at least one of us watching the city with the Order still at large,” she offered, her voice hesitant.

  It felt like she had punched him in the stomach. Did she really want to get away from him? Was she upset? Why?

  Before he could think about his response, the words were already leaving his lips. “I think you should stay.”

  Riley glanced up at him sharply, a look of confusion flashing across her face. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” he replied more firmly. “I-I will need your help with the trials. You heard the Old man. Just the training for these challenges usually took months even with both soul guards. I doubt I can do this alone.”

  He could have sworn he saw a flash of irritation sweep across her face before she turned away from him. Okay, yeah. She’s definitely upset. But why? Did I do something? he wondered. Did she just not want to be around him? How had they gone from almost kissing to this?

  “You’re right,” Riley said, her voice sounding strained. “Then we shouldn’t waste any time. We need to make certain you pass these trials quickly.” With that, she yanked open the door, the massive portal opening smoothly despite its size and weight. Without any further warning, Riley stepped inside – not sparing a look behind her to see if Jason followed.

  Jason stood in shock for a moment, watching her form retreat into the darkness on the other side of the doorway. He managed to shake himself out of his stupor as the door began to close, and he hurriedly rushed to enter the room. As he entered, a dull thump resounded behind him – signaling that the portal had closed. He turned and rested a hand on the door, which caused a blue notification to appear in the air in front of him.

  System Notice

  This portal is now closed. It cannot be re-opened until the challenge has been completed or all entrants have been slain.

  Damn it, Jason thought to himself.

  Blue flames suddenly sparked into existence, illuminating a massive new room nearly the size of a football field. It was roughly rectangular, dark crystal forming jagged columns at uneven intervals throughout the enclosure, but what captured Jason’s attention were the towering ivory piles of bones strewn about the room. The mountains appeared much larger toward the corners of the room and nearly reached to the ceiling. The whole scene was painted in a pale sapphire light, and an almost palpable silence hung in the air, lending the room a somber, macabre feeling.

  “Hey, you could have given me some warning,” Jason snapped, whirling toward Riley.

  She met his expression evenly, sparks of irritation dancing in her eyes. “As the Old Man said, we don’t have much time. And, we need to find out what we’re facing.” She turned away from him to survey the room. “Or are you concerned you won’t be able to keep up?” she asked, her question lingering in the air – challenging.

  Frustration surged through Jason’s veins, both at how Riley had started the challenge and how she had implied that he wasn’t up to the task. Although, he had to acknowledge that her words stung, striking a bit too close to the truth. He had been nearly useless in the battle with Thorn and during the parts of the Hippie’s dungeon where he was limited to melee. Would he be any more helpful here?

  There was no point in fighting with Riley. Getting angry wouldn’t help – not when they needed to try to work together. Jason summoned his dark mana, cool energy pushing back at the hot irritation that pulsed in his chest, and his thoughts calmed.

  “Fine. You’ve already made the decision for us. I guess we’ll have to make the best of it.” His voice was cold under the effects of his mana

  Another hurt look flashed across Riley’s face, but she held her tongue.

  Jason’s gaze swept across the room, finally coming to rest on a stout pillar standing in the center of the room. He approached it cautiously, keeping a firm grip on the staff in his hand. As he neared, he noticed that a spherical crystal had been affixed to the top of the column, a cloudy gray substance floating within its depths.

  “Get ready, I’m not sure if this will start the challenge,” Jason warned. He didn’t bother to glance at Riley to see if she had followed his instructions.

  He placed his palm against the surface of the crystal and voices suddenly sounded through the room. The sound was odd, as though multiple people were whispering the same message at the same time, causing the words to reverberate and echo through the room. At the same time, they didn’t really seem to be speaking. Even covering his ears, Jason could make out the buzzing murmur. Which only raised more questions…

  Challenge 1: A Trial of Bone has been initiated.

  We have detected that this is the challengers’ first attempt.

  Challenge aborted.

  An instructor shall be provided shortly.

  “An instructor?” Riley asked.

  Her question was soon answered as the air beside the column shimmered and rippled, inky black mist appearing and swirling with growing strength until a miniature tornado whipped through the room. And then, in a flash, it was gone, and a ghostly, translucent individual now stood beside the pillar.

  “Hey, boy,” Rex said, his familiar skeletal form unmistakable.

  “Rex!” Jason shouted, rushing forward to greet the former general. His hand passed through his body, leaving tendrils of mist its wake.

  “Hmm, I seem to be a bit transparent,” Rex observed, glancing down at his body. “First, I lose the family jewels, and now I’m some sort of ghost! At this rate, I’ll just probably be a floating pair of eyeballs that can’t talk next. My situation only worsens each time we meet.” The former general skeletal jaw clacked as he chuckled at his own joke, and Jason couldn’t help but smile.

  Then Rex caught sight of Riley standing behind Jason. “Ahh, hello again, girl. How are you?”

  “Fine,” Riley answered tersely, glancing briefly at Jason in irritation.

  A frown warped Rex’s features. He seemed to do a double take, looking back and forth between Jason and Riley, noting their tense posture and expressions. “Clearly,” he observed in a dry tone.

  Jason didn’t want to go back over however he had managed to screw things up with Riley. He tried to change the topic quickly. “So how are you here? The voices said they were sending an instructor…”

  The dark orbs of energy that made up Rex’s eyes looked distracted for a moment, as though he was staring off into space. “The last thing I remember, I was floating in what felt like an ocean. It was strange. I could sense people around me. Conversations, feelings, emotions. It felt real, but at
the same time, it almost felt like a dream…”

  He cocked his head slightly. “And then there was this tugging sensation, and these voices explained that I was supposed to be your instructor.” Rex regained focus suddenly, his gaze turning back to Jason. “Ahh. Yes. I’m supposed to train you to help you complete the challenges.”

  “Uh, what exactly are you going to teach me?” Jason asked.

  Rex grinned, the expression on his bony face. “How to use the spells and abilities of a Keeper, of course! You’re going to love this first one.” He gestured at the room. “The first challenge is about defense.”

  He hesitated suddenly, grimacing as he presumably listened to the voices. “So, do you want the good news or the bad news first?”

  “Bad news,” Jason said immediately.

  “You will not be able to summon any creatures during these challenges, and those abilities will be disabled,” Rex said, his expression serious. “Also, you won’t gain any experience for the creatures you slay during these challenges, but you can improve your skills.”

  Shit, he thought. That meant he had to rely on his terrible stats and melee skills. He glanced at Riley to see an amused look painted on her face. She’d been right. She was going to have to carry him through this.

  “Okay,” Jason replied through gritted teeth. “The good news better be awesome.”

  “I get to teach you a new spell before you start! Actually, you will get to learn a new spell before each challenge,” Rex explained. “This first one is called Bone Armor.”

  Before Jason could respond, the skeletal general waved a hand, and a dark apparition appeared beside him. The specter was faceless but seemed to be about Jason’s size, and it was also wielding a staff. As Jason watched, the creature’s free hand danced through a series of gestures and arcane words spilled from its throat. Black panels of bone sprouted from its body, covering it from head to foot in plate-like armor. It certainly looked imposing.