by Dante Doom
Van shrugged. "It's not like I can just turn my back on everyone here. And it's not like I'm some kind of psychopath who wants to see the world burn, either."
"That's the interesting thing about cowardice," Neil said. "It never comes from a place of hatred. It doesn't come from a place of malice or any desire to harm others. It comes from a desire to put yourself first. So you don't really tell yourself that you're screwing over everyone else. No, in that moment, Van, you're going to tell yourself that it's all going to be okay. You won't even be thinking about the rest of the world. You'll just be thinking of yourself."
"Why are you bothering to warn me about this at all?" Van asked. "So you can threaten me? Tell me to do what's right or you'll kill me?"
Neil shrugged. "Maybe I just want to give you a heads-up as to what you're going to be facing out there. Sang seems so dead-set that you're going to be a shining paragon of justice, so much so that she's not even willing to warn you about the powerful temptation in your path. Me? I'm far less hopeful about humans in general."
"So that's it then? No violence? No yelling? Just a friendly warning?" Van asked.
"Eh, I don't have it in me right now," Neil said. "It's fun to boss people around and watch them cower before you. It's an easy way to get people to do what you want them to do in the moment. But… it doesn't work in the long term. You've been in this long enough to know that you can totally get away with screwing us all over. There's nothing I can do. Sang doesn't even have the guts to kill you if you start to go down that road. So you've got to realize you have all of the power here. You've got to make the decision well in advance. You're a smart guy, Van. You can figure out some way to sabotage us. Hell, maybe you already are and we have no way of knowing it."
"I don't understand you at all," Van said. "Why tell me all of this?"
"Because, damn it," Neil shouted, "you’ve got to know your position before you can make a decision! If you suddenly realize that you can get away with treason in the field, then we're all screwed. I'd rather you know that you hold all of the cards in your hand right now, rather than risk you figuring it out minutes before you defeat that Dragon Emperor. Only when you have all of the information can you truly make the right decision."
"That's pretty philosophical, coming from a CIA goon," Van said.
Neil shrugged the comment off. "I just want to win this thing. And I'll do whatever it takes to win. That's why they put me and O'Hara on this job, you know. Yeah, we're mean, violent, and startlingly savage, but guess what? We get results."
Van shrugged, but said nothing.
"Here's the thing," Neil said as he lowered his voice. "You have a choice in front of you. But you need to know that it's going to take real strength if you're going to do the right thing. You better prepare now. Because it will take everything that you have not to screw this up."
Van narrowed his eyes. "I don't care what you believe about me. I don't care what you or O'Hara think I'm capable of, but you should know this right now: I'd never betray us."
"And I’m saying that I think you're lying to yourself and to me," Neil replied. "Now… Eat up. We've got a war to win in less than three hours."
"The clock is ticking," Sang said as she began to walk toward the Iron Dragon's camp. When they had logged back in, they'd discovered that they were back at the fairgrounds where they had first entered the tournament. The entire area had been abandoned since then, however, and the tents themselves had even vanished. The only thing that remained was the trash from all of the players who had been camping out there in the hopes of becoming a Draco pro. Kylian and Sahara were walking alongside Van as they waited for their ride.
"Yeah," Van said as he looked toward the sky. "I really hope Jet gets here soon."
Sang nodded. She checked her map and started to do some math in her head. The plan was relatively simple. All they had to do was inform Jet of the feast's location and then head to the Feast Hall. Reaching the hall would barely take any time at all, for it was located in the heart of a castle named Castle Eliorn. Eliorn was 10 miles away and was heavily fortified. With everyone being granted a position as a Draco pro, though, they'd all been given rings that would allow them to teleport to the hall.
"There!" Sahara said, pointing to the sky. Jet was in the distance, flapping his massive wings all the harder as he got closer to them.
"Great!" Van said. "Get ready to teleport."
Jet swooped down low and landed on the ground. Bidane was holding onto his neck.
"Well, I'm glad to see you guys!" Bidane said as she climbed down from the dragon. "What's the plan?"
"We've managed to leak to Draco that the Iron Dragons are moving toward a DRZ," Van said. "We're hoping they fall for it and move in that direction. But you'll need to send a small force out there."
"We've got enough illusionists and decoy players to make it look like the army is moving out there," Bidane said. "And I'm guessing you know where the feast is going to be?"
Van nodded. "Yeah, we do. It's in Castle Eliorn, about 10 miles from here. But it's heavily fortified. I’m talking like, they have insanely high walls and an NPC army that's there at all times."
"So what are you thinking?" Bidane asked. "I doubt we'd have a chance of getting in there if the place is that impenetrable."
"Well, according to Sang, we should be able to screw with the teleportation device's settings," Van replied.
Bidane raised an eyebrow. "Really? How so?"
Sang smiled at Bidane. "It's simple; we can just change the area of effect with a tiny little tweak. We'll change it from affecting 1 person to the entire army, and pop in there when the time is right."
"That's more like it!" Bidane said. "So I'm guessing I’m taking you with me?"
Sang nodded. "We don't have a lot of time. I'll be going with you and the rest of the team will be moving into the castle so they can figure out a strategy for when you arrive."
"Now, it's going to be cutting it close, but you guys have to wait for my signal before you teleport in," Van said. "We're going to try and make sure that things are set up enough so that you are able to get in and attack the Emperor without him having enough time to react."
"And what do we do if you're cut off for some reason? What if they jam your communications?" Bidane asked.
"I'm running a timer," Sang said. "When it hits zero, even if we don't hear from Van, we're going in there."
Bidane nodded. "Alright, if you say so."
"Are you ready, Jet?" Van asked.
Jet looked at Van and slowly nodded. "I am prepared to see the end of this struggle," Jet said. "My race has been waiting a long time for Draco to receive their just rewards."
"Good," Van said. His heart was beginning to pound again. "This is it, people! We've got less than three hours before the world goes kaboom! It's now or never!"
"Let's do this," Fredlin said.
"For Kylian!" Sahara replied.
"I heard the news from Capello," Bidane said as she shook her head. "Poor guy. Draco's gonna pay for that."
"They're gonna pay for all of it," Van said as he adjusted his ring. "I'll see you guys soon." And with that, he activated the ring and allowed it to transport him to the feast.
The teleportation effects made a cool schwoom noise around him and, the next thing Van knew, he was standing in front of a large red door. He glanced to the right and left of him to see that Fredlin and Sahara had teleported alongside of him, as well.
The red door had big words emblazed on it. Welcome, Professionals! it said. There was an ornate, golden handle just waiting to be twisted.
"Alright, team, remember, we're trying to survey this place, but we need to blend in," Van said.
"Got it," Fredlin said.
"You bet!" Sahara replied.
Van took a deep breath and twisted the knob, causing the bright red door to swing open. A parade of laughter, music, and smells assaulted them as they entered the large banquet hall. There were hundreds of tables where play
ers were sitting and feasting merrily. The stained glass windows high above everyone allowed for colorful light to shine down upon the party. There was a large band of NPC musicians playing in the background, and dozens of waiters were walking by with all kinds of foods on their trays. At the opposite end of the hall was a large throne where a red dragon sat. This dragon was nearly three times the size of any of the other dragons Van had seen. He wore a large crown adorned with diamonds and sapphires atop his head.
"That's gotta be the Emperor," Fredlin whispered.
"Gee, you think?" Van replied as they walked further into the banquet. As they were examining the area, a scaly humanoid approached them. It was a lizardman who looked identical to the Draco individual that Van and Sang had faced off against before. Van stiffened as it walked up to him.
"Greetings, greetings," it said as it clasped its hands together. "Draco welcomes you to this festival. You are the tournament winners, correct? There is another one here already, but where is the fifth?"
"She'll be on her way," Fredlin said. "Just had to take care of some stuff first."
"Of course," the thing chuckled. Its large, yellow eyes blinked a few times as it looked at Van. "You are a fortunate bunch. The world changes in but three hours. Your courage has saved you. Take a moment to feast and enjoy yourselves. There will be a lot of work to do when we reshape the image of the world, so enjoy this time while you still can."
Van nodded at the creature as it walked off to greet some more players who had just arrived.
"I'm counting a lot of people here," Fredlin said with a whisper. "Nearly 2,000. If the Iron Dragons show up now, they'll get the crap kicked out of them without the dragons having to lift a finger."
"Yeah…" Van replied as he eyed the gigantic dragon that was overseeing the entire event. It didn't seem to notice him.
"We've got to get rid of all these players," Sahara said. "Any ideas, Van?"
Van shrugged. "I have no idea. Just fan out and poke around. We've got an hour before I need to give the signal. Maybe we can find some kind of weakness before then."
"Yeah, like some kind of lever we can pull that will make everyone log out," Fredlin said. "I'll look, but I doubt we can figure some kind of solution that doesn't involve violence."
The three split up as they all went about investigating the area. More players were trickling in by the minute, and most of them seemed to be in good spirits. They were laughing and clapping for each other, telling tales and talking about their excitement for the new world that was to come.
Yet, as Van surveyed the area, he noticed that there were also a great many who didn't seem to be in a good mood at all. They were sitting in silence, eating their food and not looking up at anyone else. Perhaps they would be an ally in the struggle that was to come. But there were far too many people for Van to be able to approach them and have any sort of a long chat. Even one conversation might take far too long.
"Excuse me?" said an alien as it approached Van. He tried to relax, but couldn't help but stiffen at the sight of the creature.
"Uh, yes?" Van asked.
"The Great Emperor himself has requested that you meet with him," the thing said. Van grimaced. That wasn't good at all. Van had a sinking feeling that the dragon knew who he was, and he wasn’t sure why, but his gut told him he was caught. With a heavy sigh, Van began to walk toward the throne of the gargantuan dragon.
"Hahaha, there he is, at last!" the dragon boomed as Van approached. "After all of this time, I am finally able to meet the Great Van."
"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Van lied. "My IRL name is Byorn."
"You cannot fool me in here," the Emperor said as it leaned its massive head down to face Van. Its gigantic yellow eye was staring at him with intensity. "This place is the heart of our computer systems. All of our processors are running at full capacity in this small area and our sorters have finally found out who you are. I am impressed that you were able to infiltrate this place without getting caught. We've been searching for you and Sang for quite some time."
Van sighed. There was no way he'd be able to avoid the dragon if it decided to attack him now. "What do you want from me?" he asked.
"Ah, I don't suppose I want anything from you," the Emperor said. It spoke differently from all of the other aliens that Van had met before. They were all so emotionless and cold, dispassionate and mechanical, but this Emperor was alive and excited. He seemed cheerful, even. "I just wanted to congratulate you on finally joining our ranks. That was why you joined the tournament, wasn't it? I'm sure that you aren't planning anything cunning in here."
"Not at all," Van said through gritted teeth. The dragon chuckled again and leaned back in his seat.
"My race commends you. In all of our years of running this operation, we have never seen a race so belligerently refuse us. You have been fighting so hard to stop us, and now what? You have failed miserably. Even as we speak, our protocols are beginning to activate. Sleeper agents are being ordered to do things that will forever change the face of this planet. There is no stopping us at this point."
"Yet, here I am," Van said. "You think I'm here because I gave up?"
"Oh no," the Emperor replied. "I think you're here because you are under the delusion that your army can somehow defeat me. That you can come in here and fight against us. But let's be honest here, Van – you are fighting against a god. This world is my own creation. I labored extensively to bring it into existence. I am the lead designer and was given this task so that I could create the perfect simulation for you humans. Something that would entice you, interest you, and test your strengths. Those foolish Xevov, including your little dragon friend? Their simulations are nothing compared to this. I and I alone crafted this realm. I am the father and author of its existence. You and your team trying to defeat me is pitiful at best. You cannot kill a god."
"You really made this world?" Van asked.
The Emperor grinned. "Indeed, I did, child. I built this place by hand. I envisioned the Spires of Alderban, and I told tales of the mighty Dragon Kings and how they have shaped the land. I wrote every quest, oversaw every event. I spoke and life came into this world."
Van wasn't sure how to reply to the Emperor. That was quite an awe-inspiring thing, as even this was, to meet the mind that had created the most brilliant thing in the world… but on the other hand, this mad creature would also see the entire world burned down before him.
"I see conflict on your face. No doubt, you are travailing over this decision to save the world," the Emperor said. "That is why I sent for you. If I had wanted to, I could have devoured you and then waited until your army arrived to wipe them all out. That would be quite easy for me to do. I know you have other team members here, as well, although I don't have their names yet. But it won't be hard to time find them."
"So what, you're going to make me an offer? Tell me to join the dark side so that we can rule the universe together?" Van asked.
The Emperor chuckled. "The dark side? Nonsense. What we are doing is a good thing. Perhaps you, as a limited human, don't understand the nature of what we do, but that is fine. There is plenty of time to learn. Plenty of time, indeed. I am curious: do you know what we do with the best of the best of each race?"
"Put them in a bottle so you can add them to your collection?" Van suggested. This caused the dragon to let out a powerful laugh – one that sounded almost like roaring.
"Put them in a bottle!" the dragon wheezed. "It is so refreshing to meet a race that understands humor. I have been doing this for so long, I often forget how funny jokes can be. Most races barely even have a basic understanding of sarcasm or satire. You humans are excellent at it."
"Glad we could be of service," Van said.
"Ah, more sarcasm," the Emperor replied. "I love it. I absolutely love it. So, let's get back to what I was saying. We don't simply leave the best of the best on this planet. That would be insane, to waste such talent. Normally, we place the very best on other
planets so that they may assist us with laying down the groundwork of going forward. Humans are an interesting race because of how adaptable they are, though. Unlike most of the other races we've conquered, humans are relatively good at understanding and improving on other cultures. I fear that most of my Draco brethren are rather of dull minds. Few, if any, are as sharp as I am."
"I noticed that," Van said. "You seem somewhat more… independent than the others."
"Ahhahaha," the Emperor boomed. "We are a collective race! Independence is looked down upon as a terrible plague, and a curse even! If a child is ever born with a fierce independent streak, after it is evident that they cannot be tamed or controlled, they are killed. For the good of the race, of course. The child's parents won't shed a tear, after all, as they belong to the same collective and have the same values. So the child is killed." The Emperor ceased talking for a moment, his face lit up with an expression of pure joy. "But sometimes the child is stronger than the others. Smarter even. Smart enough to play the game. To blend in. And when that child grows up? He's the strongest of all of them."
"I'm guessing one such child is you?" Van asked.
"Indeed," the Emperor replied. "I and I alone command this collective. I speak their language with ease, for all I have to do to justify actions is use lofty language about the good of the group, and use their philosophical talking points. They are fanatical about our mission." He leaned forward to whisper. "But none of them know that our mission is really just my mission."
"So you're… you're behind all of this?" Van asked. "You're the one who told them to do all of these terrible things?"
"Of course," the Emperor said. "Why not? To be stranded on that wretched planet, surrounded by fools who drone endlessly on about order and the proper nature of existence being to be unified… why wouldn't I seek something else to do? And so I led them to believe that their task was to garden this galaxy. That they were created for this purpose. To bring order to the universe – ha, but that was what I told them. And they ate it all up. And when a collective makes up its mind to do something, it does it quite well. So they created these systems, they came up with this plan, and I oversaw the whole operation. Each race we have conquered has been for some purpose. The Xevov for their administrative powers, the Elgorians for their powerful psychic healing abilities, the Shrinar for their brilliant ability to manipulate matter, and countless others. Each garden that we build, we take the best out and put them to work for me."
