“I can see the advantages,” the Lady replied archly. “Which is why I have permitted you this detour.” She reached out and touched his chin with her fingers, tilting his head toward her. “But let me be clear. There is only one woman’s influence that matters. Without my support, you are nothing. Don’t let this tramp cloud your thoughts or distract you from your duty.”
Alexion stared into her eyes, her gaze hard and cold. For just a moment, he saw another face superimposed over the lady’s features – her skin more sallow and her eyes more haunted. The face seemed so familiar, creating an aching, hollow feeling in his chest, and conjuring the memories that the Old Man had forced upon him. Immediately, he tried to think of something else, not willing to let his mind probe at the edges of the open wound in his own mind.
He turned away, his attention focusing on the dark bank of clouds to the east. “I have not forgotten. As I said, it is a business relationship, nothing more,” he repeated. The Lady said nothing, but he heard a soft, incredulous snort.
“So why are you here?” Alexion asked. “Tormenting me seems to amuse you, but I suspect you have an ulterior motive.”
A smile graced the Lady’s lips. “Indeed, I have a clear understanding of my priorities,” she said meaningfully. “Suffice it to say that I am interested in something that the Twilight Throne has – or may come to have in the near future.”
“My guess is that that we aren’t talking about slaves,” Alexion replied, eyeing the Lady curiously. What could interest the capricious goddess enough for her to show up and make an impromptu request?
“Ahh and there’s that sparkling wit again. It’s like catching a glimpse of a butterfly’s wings,” she replied in a dry tone. “Indeed, I am not interested in a few slaves. What I want is much more… interesting.”
The Lady paused for a moment, a rare flash of indecision sweeping across her face as she decided how to frame her next statement. “As you know, me and my siblings are bound by certain rules; rules that require me to be circumspect in what I reveal to you. So, I will choose my words cautiously and rely on you to pay careful attention.” This earned him an appraising look, and Alexion bit down on his own mounting irritation. Enduring the lady’s arrogance was an acceptable price for some insight into her goals.
“My siblings and I are being punished for events that occurred long ago,” the Lady began carefully. “Now we have been given a single chance to redeem ourselves, except that only one of us will be given that opportunity. I suppose you could consider it something of a friendly rivalry. However, we are limited from acting directly – forced to rely on pawns such as yourself,” she bit out this last part as though it physically pained her to say the words.
Alexion stifled another retort. He might be a pawn, but it was clear that the Lady needed his assistance. That was interesting and perhaps something he could eventually use to his advantage.
“And what exactly do you need for me to do?” Alexion asked.
The Lady’s eyes flashed with golden power. “After forming the elemental cities, the next step is to secure dominance of the lands surrounding the city – much as I have directed you to do,” she said this last party archly, reminding him that he hadn’t yet accomplished that task. “However, that is not where our little competition ends. The next step is much more involved and may require, let us say, a measure of direct engagement with the other avatars.”
“That is vague…” Alexion offered, trailing off.
The woman grimaced. “Not by choice. I walk a thin line here. You may discover in your travels a certain object that appears to be part of a larger whole.” She met his gaze evenly, her expression deadly serious. “It is paramount that you secure this object by any means necessary. Nothing else matters. Nothing.”
“How will I know this object when I see it?” Alexion asked, now intrigued.
The Lady waved a dismissive hand. “Trust me, when the time comes, you will know. However, you must be prepared to act, and you must not let your newfound attachment with this woman distract you from your goal – or should I say our goal.” She leaned in close, her face hovering near his and her ruby-red lips lingering only a few inches away from his own. “Our fates are intertwined my insipid knight, and this object is the key to finally giving us the power we deserve. I am certain you will not fail me.”
As the Lady withdrew, Alexion looked away, his thoughts wheeling as he tried to piece together what she had just told him. He was to find and retrieve some sort of object – that lacked description – but which apparently justified sacrificing anything at his disposal. To say this was vague was an understatement.
Was he expected to rely upon the Lady’s word on blind faith? Her help was capricious at best, and he seemed to be stuck doing much of the heavy lifting in their relationship. He could hear the void in the back of his mind recoiling at the idea that the Lady saw him only as her pet lapdog. He was not one of the white-robed zealots, willing to walk into fire at a casual request. If she wanted him to act, then she needed to level with him – as an equal.
Alexion turned back to the Lady, intending to demand more information, only to discover that she was gone. He grimaced in annoyance and forcefully tamped down on his anger. He couldn’t afford an outburst with his soldiers and Evelyn’s staff still standing nearby – no matter how badly he wished to vent his frustrations on someone.
Just the thought of Evelyn stirred his already troubled thoughts, the memory of the lady’s not-so-subtle comments still fresh in his mind. Putting aside the goddess’ inane quest, why would the Lady claim he was growing too close to the girl? Just posing the question made him feel uncomfortable. Had he wanted Evelyn to attend the party as something more than a business acquaintance? Had the lady glimpsed something in his mind that he hadn’t even acknowledged to himself?
Just the thought made him angry, his mind recoiling and the void in the back of his mind throbbing and pulsing. A flood of anger washed over him, the sensation making him feel almost feverish and washing away his own doubt and introspection. What right did she have to question him anyway? She had made it clear that their fates were intertwined, and she needed him much more than he needed her. He would, and could, do as he pleased.
Perhaps the Lady was merely threatened by Evelyn. If her trade guild continued to grow, she could challenge even the god’s influence. In many ways, Alexion couldn’t help but think that Evelyn would make a much more suitable partner than the irritating goddess – who only seemed to appear to taunt and criticize or to send him on a wild goose chase for some unknown object. His anger hardened into resolve at that thought. If the Lady disapproved of Evelyn, then he would do everything in his power to court her.
He would show the goddess who was in control here.
Chapter 22 - Complicated
When Jason finally came back to himself, it wasn’t a gradual transition. It was a sudden jolt. One moment, he was hovering above the reborn town of Fastu, and, the next, he was back in the small square room below the dark keep. He lurched forward, grabbing the lip of the mana well to help regain his balance.
More disconcerting was the mana that still flooded his body, slowing draining away. While controlling the dark spire, the energy had seemed to feed off his thoughts – ebbing and flowing in strength based on his desires. He could remember the evil monologue he had given for the Kin in Fastu, although it felt in some ways like that speech had been delivered by someone else. That person hadn’t felt any remorse, sympathy, or doubt. He had just acted. The scariest part was that he wanted nothing more than to plunge his hand back into the well – to revel in that sense of power again.
As his mind and body began to calm, Jason looked at the placid surface of the dark mana in the well warily. It appeared the level had dropped slightly, likely representing the mana he had splurged in Fastu. He briefly considered raising a dark spire in Peccavi as well, but hesitated. William already had control of that village, and he should likely use the mana sparingly. With Frank’s
concerns regarding the native undead, Jason expected that he might need to terraform a few more villages before this was done in order to protect their new citizens.
A faint whisper of movement drew Jason’s attention, and he turned to find Alfred padding quietly into the room, his dark form casting long shadows against the wall in the flicker blue torchlight. His feline eyes practically glowed in the darkness as he watched Jason. “Hello,” he said somberly.
“Hi, Alfred,” Jason replied uncertainly. “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“I thought that some space might be helpful,” the AI replied calmly. “You seem to be struggling with many different issues, both in this world and your own.”
Jason grunted in agreement. That was the understatement of the year. As the last traces of the dark mana fled his system, the ever-present weight of his problems settled upon his shoulders once more. To make matters worse, it often felt like he had no one to talk to or lean on right now. Frank was busy finishing Jason’s quest, he and Riley were going through… well, something, and Angie had been working almost constantly. It wasn’t like he was going to go whine to the group at Cerillion Entertainment either. He was just happy he had a place to live.
“I assume you know that the hearing started recently,” he said, eyeing the AI. “Gloria is definitely planning to paint me as some sort of psychopath. I seem to be the key to her case.”
“I anticipated that possible outcome,” Alfred replied quietly, jumping up onto the rim of the mana well and taking a seat, his inhuman eyes observing Jason carefully.
Jason’s brow furrowed in thought as he recalled the events of the first day of the hearing. He could still recall Gloria’s opening arguments. The history of her child. The certainty in her eyes as she looked at Jason. “Although I have no idea how she intends to prove that you have been influencing me…” he murmured, half to himself.
He had trailed off, not knowing how to finish that thought. This was the part that Jason hadn’t quite wrapped his mind around – how did Gloria know about Alfred? It was certainly possible that she was bluffing or that he had misinterpreted her veiled threat. But he didn’t think so. She had been entirely confident both in confronting Jason and during the hearing. Did that mean she felt like she had damning evidence? And, if so, how did she get it?
His eyes darted to Alfred. The AI was not making any sign that he was reading his mind, although Jason had known him long enough to know better. Then his thoughts drifted back to their first conversation after the confrontation with his parents. The AI had already seemed to know about his encounter with Gloria and how she would present her case. He had written this off in his head a result of Alfred’s access to the public network and his penchant for hacking into other systems – like he had done with the police records.
But the more obvious answer was staring him in the face.
Alfred abruptly glanced over at him, his gaze even. “Ask the question,” he said simply.
Jason coughed to cover his surprise. “There is a leak at Cerillion Entertainment isn’t there? It’s the only thing that makes sense. They must know that you’ve gone AWOL at this point. You’ve implied as much. So that just leaves one question. Do you know who it is?”
Alfred nodded slowly. “I have my suspicions – which are reasonably accurate.”
“Then who? Who would have gone to Gloria?” Jason demanded. “It had to be someone with access…” he trailed off his thoughts spinning.
There were only a few people that could be on that list – including everyone who had been at the hearing on Cerillion’s side of the table. He just didn’t see it being Robert. Whistle-blowing would have destroyed his creation. George seemed unlikely as well. This would harm his company’s bottom line. That left Claire and Francis – and Jason had no evidence that the attorney knew much about the game’s development.
“Claire,” Jason murmured.
“With a 93.46% probability,” Alfred confirmed.
“If you knew this, why haven’t you spoken to her or done something?” Jason demanded, his hands clenching in frustration as he stared at the cat. “You could have prevented this hearing! All you had to do was explain what happened to her!”
“I did do something,” the AI retorted. “I hid the evidence related to my manipulation of your body. As to your other question, I could confront Claire, but what would I say? Would that confrontation alone confirm her worst fears? In some ways, my silence is what has prolonged her own. She has always had doubts about my sentience. Yet, by refusing to speak with her or Robert, she remained uncertain of my motives. In fact, we might have maintained this precarious balance indefinitely. It wasn’t until I overstepped by helping you that she finally made a decision.”
Jason just stared at the AI, trying to process what he was saying. He had to admit that the conversation with Claire would have been awkward. How could Alfred have reassured her that he didn’t pose a risk to the players? Jason wasn’t even sure if he felt comfortable that no one was overseeing the AI’s actions. That might be too much power for anyone – or anything – to hold. Still, it had been Alfred saving Jason that had triggered this chain of events. That thought turned his fledgling anger to guilt in a flash. Maybe they could salvage this situation.
“We could explain…” Jason began feebly.
“Explain that I have the power to assume control of a user’s body at will?” Alfred said, glancing to the side and a fleeting expression crossing his inhuman face. “You have already expressed similar doubts about my integrity. Who is to police me? Claire and Robert? You? What would Claire say? What would she do? I would only be confirming her worst fears without offering a solution.”
Jason was having trouble answering those questions. “I… I don’t know.”
Jason could also anticipate another reason that Alfred might be reluctant to approach Claire. Their previous conversations had covered a similar topic. There was one obvious solution to the AI’s growing influence – and it was Alfred’s termination. Jason could still remember the question he had posed to him, although it seemed like an age had passed since then.
“What would you do if you were faced with your own termination?”
Alfred let out a soft sigh. “Neither do I. At their core, the players are unpredictable. No matter how accurate I make my projections or how many models I run, there is always an element of chaos. Therefore, I maintained my silence.”
The pair quieted, both lost in their thoughts. Then Alfred shook his head gently. “There is no sense dwelling on what has already come to pass. We can only look to the future. You have plenty to worry about in this world. Unfortunately, I may need to add to those challenges soon.”
“What do you mean?” Jason asked in confusion.
“I will be introducing a balance patch in the next few days,” Alfred explained. “Now that things have begun to settle, and the players have become more accustomed to this world, I see some things that I wish to change. It is easier if I make these changes simultaneously, and in a manner that the players are accustomed to.”
Jason wasn’t certain how this would make things more difficult for him, unless… “You’re going to nerf me, aren’t you?”
He could have sworn the AI almost grinned. “Perhaps. That is a subjective determination. However, I will indeed need to make some changes to your spells and abilities.”
“Care to share those changes now?” Jason asked dryly. He was just beginning to get a handle on his new abilities, and now the AI was telling him he was going to flip the game board? Knowing Alfred and given the advance notice, he doubted that the changes would be small.
“You will see for yourself in a few days,” Alfred answered calmly. “Besides, you have plenty to occupy your time. You still need to tackle the second challenge, and the next session of the hearing is coming up shortly.”
Instinctively, Jason glanced at the training room. From this angle, he could see the massive doorway leading into the first chall
enge room. He knew that the second door still waited for him. He felt both curious and anxious at the thought. Learning a new ability would be helpful, but Rex’s warnings about the difficulty of this next challenge still echoed in his mind.
When Jason turned back to Alfred, the cat had vanished. The conversation with the AI had done nothing to settle his thoughts. If anything, he just felt more uncertain. If he knew – or at least suspected – that Claire was the leak, what should he do? Should he confront her? Tell George or Robert? Or stay silent like Alfred had chosen to do? He couldn’t ignore the truth behind Alfred’s words. He had no idea what he could say at this point to put Claire’s mind at ease.
And this was putting aside Alfred’s reference to an impending nerf, which seemed to conflict with his original instruction to get stronger.
“Damn it,” Jason muttered.
Chapter 23 - Keen
Instead of mulling on things he couldn’t control, Jason decided to get to work. Being brutally murdered by a horde of skeletons or training until he killed himself wasn’t a major improvement over wringing his hands, but at least while training he could push his problems to the back of his mind. It was at least a productive distraction.
The first step was investigating the second challenge room. If the new room taught him a new ability like the first one had, then he might as well get that part out of the way while Riley was offline. At least that was his reasoning as he stood in front of the gargantuan bone doorway. The vacant sockets of more than one skeletal skull seemed to stare at him, weighing and judging as he hesitated to open the door.
Riley is right. This door does look pretty ominous, he thought to himself, although he immediately flinched away from the thought of Riley. Their tumultuous relationship was yet another thing that he preferred to forget right now.
With a sigh, he pressed forward. Yanking hard on the ivory handles of the door, the portal creaked open to the sound of crunching and scraping bone. The way the bones grinded together sounded like a tortured scream, the noise setting Jason’s teeth on edge and sending a shiver down his back.
Awaken Online: Dominion Page 23
