Shadow Sun Rebellion

by Dave Willmarth

  “Like a duel.” Allistor nodded. Many times in VR games major battles featured the option of single combat between the opposing leaders. It was a way to avoid large numbers of guild members losing valuable gear upon dying.

  “An honor combat.” Harmon nodded. “As I have reminded you more than once, you now live within a system where reputation is a main consideration. Your Fame and Infamy are not everything, as mundane wealth, power, and political maneuvering will always factor into your life from now on. But your reputation is what will win you allies, and enemies, and determine how you interact with both. It may be that your Fame with certain factions earns you some assistance in your planned attack on the goblin clan. At the same time, their aggregate Infamy might be what earns you some assistance, from a warring clan who wishes to help wipe them out, for example.”

  “Ugh.” Allistor sighed, shaking his head. He rarely paid attention to rep gains in his VR games, except when he was pushing a specific reputation quest line to earn epic gear or something.

  “Do not worry. My warriors and I will help you develop your skills. You have above average Strength for your species, which should enable you to hold your own with most of the weaker physical specimens like goblins, elves, and gnomes. I have also observed that you fight smart, and I suspect you have a high Adaptability score and Improvisation skill levels to go with your much higher Intelligence and Will Power.” Harmon grinned at him as Allistor’s eyes widened at the guess.

  “Those will help you against physically superior species like orcanin, dwarves, trolls, and some others you have not yet encountered. In those instances, you would be best served to employ stuns to allow you to get close and injure your opponents with unhindered critical strikes, then retreat and use offensive magic while keeping your distance. Thus eliminating their physical advantages.”

  Allistor was nodding along as Harmon spoke. One of his favorite old LitRPG books was about a Dark Elf Sorcerer-Assassin who used a combination of stealthy melee damage and magic to defeat enemies that often outnumbered him. Like the factions that Harmon was describing, Allistor had admired that character for using his brain and improvising to win fights.

  “Thank you Harmon. You’ve given me much to think about.” Allistor got to his feet. “I’m going to check on our raids groups’ progress, then retire early so that I’m ready for tomorrow. We’ll likely be having a mid-day feast to celebrate the addition of several thousand more citizens, if you’d like to join us.”

  Harmon rose as well. “I’d be honored. Speaking of feasts, you mentioned goblin prisoners?”

  “Oh! Yes. I nearly forgot.” Allistor’s gut churned a bit. He was having a hard time simply ordering the execution of unarmed sentients, even if he knew it was necessary.

  “Nigel, please instruct Prime to have all but six of the goblin prisoners escorted here from Pelican Bay and taken to the courtyard out back. Also, do we have any citizens left who are under level fifteen? Excluding children.”

  “Your message has been delivered to the general, Sire. There are one hundred forty-three children age twelve and under that have yet to reach level ten. There are an additional eleven adults and teenaged humans who are between levels ten and fifteen.”

  “Please reach out to each of the teens and adults individually, ask them to report here in the next…” Allistor glanced at his interface clock to see how late it was. “Twenty minutes.”

  “Of course, Sire.”

  While they waited, Harmon called a dozen of his warriors over to cart away the executed goblins. The prisoners arrived first, spitting at the humans with contempt. When the orcanin arrived, the goblins became much more circumspect, glancing nervously at the monstrously large warriors who were licking their lips and smiling cruelly at them.

  Allistor’s people drifted in through the teleport one or two at a time from their various locations. When Nigel informed him that they were all present, Allistor took them as a group past the goblin prisoners and into the dining room. He had them all take a seat, then began to explain.

  “I’m sorry to have called you all here on short notice. We have an issue that needs dealing with, and I wanted to use it to provide an opportunity for all of you. The goblins you saw outside were captured after attacking Michael’s Stronghold in Cheyenne.” He paused when a young girl of maybe fifteen or sixteen sobbed. Another girl put an arm around her and hugged her close.

  After a moment, the girl looked up and nodded at Allistor, wiping tears from her eyes. He continued. “The goblins have sworn a blood feud against us. I cannot release them, or even keep them prisoner, as they will do all they can to kill us given even the slightest chance.” He looked around. Among those gathered in front of him was Lilly, one of his core group and the tailor who’d made his armor. She was still low level because she’d refused to go out hunting or run dungeons. Most of her experience had come because she was present when they’d defended the Warren and the Citadel from attacks. Maggie, the teenage leader of the kids from Santa Barbara was also there.

  “I know some of you haven’t wanted to do any fighting, for whatever reason. And because of that, you’re still dangerously weak at your low levels. I’m offering you the opportunity to execute the goblins in the other room. There will be little or no risk to you, and they’re all between ten and fifteen levels above you. Which means executing a couple of them each should earn you at least one level, and maybe two or three.”

  Several of the people in front of him looked a little green as he finished. About half of them began to shake their heads slightly. Seeing this, Allistor added, “I won’t force you to do this. Some of you may have beliefs that prevent you from killing sentient beings. I respect that. I will just say that I have promised to do my best to protect all of you. And allowing you to level up and get stronger in this safe situation is one of the ways I can do that.” After a pause, he finished. “Any of you who do not wish to participate can head home. My apologies again for the sudden summons.”

  Five of the eleven quickly got to their feet and walked out, heads down and not making eye contact with Allistor. After an awkward moment, two more got up and followed. The remaining four were Lilly, Maggie, the teenage girl who’d been crying, and her companion.

  “Lilly, Maggie, thank you for staying. I know you’ve both seen your share of death, and I’m glad you’re willing to take this opportunity to get stronger.” He looked at the other two. They looked familiar, but he couldn’t place them. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”

  The girl who hadn’t been crying stood up and stuck out her hand. She looked to be slightly older than the other girl. “I’m Sydney. This is my sister Addy.” Allistor shook her hand, then smiled at Addy, who remained seated.

  “I’m glad to meet you both. But it seems I’ve called you here at a bad time. Is there some way I can help you, Addy?”

  “You can let me kill those little green monsters!” the girl spoke through gritted teeth, raising her eyes, staring into Allistor’s with the heated intensity of rage.

  Sydney sat back down and put her arm around his sister before she explained. “Our father was one of those killed during the attack.”

  The statement struck Allistor like a physical blow to the gut. That was where he’d seen them. At the funeral for the two men. They hadn’t gotten up and spoken, but they’d been near the front, crying. Allistor suddenly felt like a horrible human being for not making the connection.

  “I’m so sorry. I would never have called you here if I’d realized.”

  “No!” Addy growled at him, getting to her feet. “I want to be here. I want to look them in the eyes and tell them they killed my daddy before I put a bullet in their brains!”

  Allistor’s legs nearly failed him. He needed to say some things to this heartbroken young lady that he didn’t know how to say. She’d already suffered so much, and he didn’t want to make it worse. He let the silence drag on for a moment as she hugged her sister.

  “I know
you’re hurting, both of you.” He looked at the girls with tears beginning to form in his eyes. “I watched my sister and both my parents get killed in the very early days of the apocalypse. We’ve all known way too much death since then.” He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “I’m afraid if you say to those goblins what you just said to me, it won’t help you to feel any better. They’ll take it as a compliment, without the slightest remorse. I don’t want you to experience that. I’m sorry, but it’ll be better for you, I think, if you just kill them quickly and quietly.”

  Addy glared at him, the anger in her eyes almost a physical attack. But after a moment, she lowered her eyes and nodded. “I can do that.”

  Allistor led the four ladies out to the courtyard where a few dozen droids and a dozen orcanin encircled the condemned goblin prisoners. Before Allistor could say anything, four of the warriors stepped forward. Each of them took a knee in front of one of the ladies and drew a knife from sheaths on their belts. They turned the weapons and offered them to the ladies hilt-first. The knives were short, the blades only about eight inches long. But they were wide, and thick, clearly meant for stabbing.

  As the ladies hesitantly accepted the blades, Harmon grabbed one of the goblins and strode over to place it in front of them, facing away. He pushed the goblin’s head forward and used his own blade to point. “This spot, right here. Drive the blade in swiftly and surely. It will sever the spinal cord just below the brain stem. Death will be instant and nearly painless.”

  Addy stepped forward. “What if I don’t want it to be fast or painless?” her voice rasped with emotion. The orcanin thumped their chests and roared their approval, startling her.

  Allistor put a hand on her shoulder. “You are angry now, and justifiably so. But later, when you’ve grown older and look back at this, I think you’ll be glad you did this as mercifully as possible.”

  A few of the orcanin shot Allistor dirty looks, but they held their tongues.

  The young woman nodded, stepping forward and shouldering Harmon out of the way. In a single motion so smooth and swift it surprised Allistor and the others, she pushed the goblin’s head down with her left hand and drove the borrowed dagger into the exact spot Harmon had indicated. There was a soft pop, and the goblin’s body went limp, collapsing to the floor. Addy closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she leveled up.

  A great outcry rose from among the prisoners, all of them jumping to their feet and rushing toward the droids and orcanin who were guarding them. They were quickly subdued, the battle droids grabbing two or three each and holding them aloft while the orcanin went with a much more expedient method of just knocking the goblins unconscious with their massive fists.

  With a nod from Allistor, each of the orcanin who had donated blades moved to pick up a goblin and hold them. The ladies advanced, and one by one drove their blades home. Lilly made her kill, then quickly handed her blade back to the orcanin who had loaned it to her even as the golden glow of leveling up surrounded her. She stepped away into the garden and vomited loudly.

  Maggie looked as if she wanted to do the same, but held her ground and executed two more goblins before giving up and returning her blade. She didn’t run off to be sick, just took a few steps back and stood next to Allistor. “That’s enough for me. I don’t like it.”

  He put an arm around her shoulders. He noticed that she’d gained five levels from the three kills, and was now level fifteen. The last goblin she’d executed had been level twenty-eight. “You did just fine. You don’t need to stay for the rest. Lilly can escort you home.”

  Maggie shook her head. “No, I want to stay and support the sisters.”

  Allistor, Maggie, Lilly, and the others watched as the two sisters grimly worked their way through the remaining three dozen or so goblins. Initially they each leveled up with every kill, then every few. By the time they were through, Addy was level twenty-one, and Sydney was twenty-two. The orcanin saluted the two young women, then encouraged them to loot. Lilly and Maggie stepped forward to loot their kills at Allistor’s insistence. When it was all through, the orcanin gathered the bodies and took them away.

  Harmon took a moment to address all four of them. “You did well. You all acted with honor and mercy. I believe you will find you have earned a number of Fame Points this evening.” He nodded to them respectfully, then turned and followed his troops.

  Allistor took the ladies back inside and sat them down in the lobby. “Lilly, are you okay? Can I get you a drink or something?”

  She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. It was just… it’s one thing to kill a monster when it’s trying to kill you. But that…”

  “Yeah.” Maggie agreed. “I’ve helped kill a few monsters. But that felt… I don’t know.”

  The sisters didn’t say anything, the two of them sitting close together on a sofa. Allistor spoke up. “I’m sorry you had to experience that. I was only looking at it as a way to make you stronger, better able to survive some future attack. I didn’t put enough thought into how it would affect you.”

  “No, you were right to ask, Allistor.” Lilly said. “The failing is mine, not yours. But if it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll go home now.” She got up when he nodded, and he gave her a brief hug before she set off toward the teleport pad. Maggie got up and walked after her, smiling weakly at Allistor and the sisters as she departed.

  “How about you two? Would you like an escort home?”

  Sydney shook her head. “Home is… well there’s nothing for us there except empty quarters and memories that make us sad.”

  “Your mom?” Allistor asked, his stomach sinking. He already knew the answer before the words left his mouth.

  “She was killed nine months ago. Our dad was all we had left.” Addy sobbed, covering her face with her hands as she leaned forward.

  Allistor felt tears start to form in his own eyes. He hadn’t realized they’d been orphaned when their father was killed. The fact that he didn’t know that bothered him just as much as failing to protect two of his people.

  After taking a ragged breath, he said, “How ‘bout you come with me? Amanda and I have a couple guest rooms in our suite. You can stay with us for a little while.”

  Addy didn’t respond, but Sydney nodded and pulled her sister to her feet and they walked with Allistor to the elevator.

  *****

  The following morning Allistor jerked awake well before dawn, alarmed at the realization that he’d failed to check on his raid crews the night before. The execution and getting the girls settled afterward had completely pushed the raids from his mind.

  Sitting up in bed and getting out as gently as possible so as not to wake Amanda, he snuck out of the bedroom and into his office. Closing the door behind him, he asked, “Nigel, any reports from the raid groups? And please speak quietly.”

  “Yes, Sire. The groups in Boston, Detroit, Toronto, and Chicago have reported successful construction of new Strongholds in each location. Boston also reported two Outposts. Teleport links were established, and most have returned here. General Prime has assigned troops to each facility, and all is quiet. The Detroit group secured land transport and planned to proceed north to their secondary objective this morning. The Florida group reported that they had obtained three large boats and were departing for the islands just before dark yesterday. I have not heard from them since.”

  “And the group that was going to Vegas?”

  “The flight left the airport in Cheyenne late yesterday, Sire. Gene elected to use one of the cargo planes at the airport rather than the jet, in order to better transport twenty battle droids and one of the Juggernauts. He wished to circumvent the need to obtain proper ground transport upon landing. He did mention that the flight would take longer in the larger plane, which he referred to as a C130. They landed safely late last evening, and the humans are currently sleeping inside the Juggernaut. Their last report placed them less than a mile from their objective.”

  Allistor
nodded. “Makes sense. And I’m sure he spent some time inspecting every inch of the plane before they left. And once they landed they had to go twenty miles on the ground to reach the dam. Please let me know the moment they report in, Nigel. The same goes for the other crews still out there. If we haven’t heard from all of them by noon, we’ll take the yacht and go find them.”

  “Very good, Sire.”

  Allistor pulled out his list from the day before, checking off the boxes and adding more items at the bottom. Amanda emerged from the bedroom after a few minutes. “There you are. Everything okay?”

  Allistor stood and gathered her into a hug. “I forgot to check on the raid groups last night. I suck as a leader.”

  Amanda leaned back to look into his eyes. “No, you don’t. You were concerned for the girls, as a good leader should be. If there was a problem with one of the groups, they would have used the communication droids to report in. You don’t need to micro-manage every single thing that goes on anymore, mister Prince Fancypants. You’ll make yourself crazy if you try.”

  He stuck his tongue out at her, taking a seat and pulling her into his lap. “I know you’re right. In my head, at least. But last night when I didn’t know those girls had lost their dad, or that they were orphans, that stung. In my heart I feel like I failed there, too.”

  “You didn’t fail. You’re only human. And speaking of the girls, I’ll go wake them up while you hit the shower. Then we’ll all go down and have a nice breakfast. If they haven’t already assigned all the points they got from leveling up last night, we can help them figure out their paths.”

  Careful not to dump her on her butt, he rose from the chair. Pulling her close, he kissed her for a good long while, taking in the scent of her and the warm feel of her against him. When he let go, he said, “Thanks for the talk. Love you.” and gave her a light swat on the butt.