by Skyler Grant
It wasn't something I'd heard. Between Cobalt and Malachite, and all the others, everything here kept getting pushed as more important. I'd stopped even considering the other point of view.
"What do you think, Walt?" I asked.
"I think this place has melted my brain and mutilated my body. I'm looking forward to getting back to reality," Walt said.
That made two.
"Yvera?" I thought.
"You know I hate you talking to me in water. I don't know, Liam. This whole thing in this world started because I wanted to go back and win the war I'd lost last time."
"And now?"
"Now the fight has become its own thing, hasn't it? What about for you?"
It should have been the sort of thing I agonized over, but it wasn't. I could almost picture the Liam I imagined Ashley was visualizing back home, one who finally settled down and found a nice girl and tried to raise some kids to be decent adults. I already knew that Liam was a lie. That Liam would still have nanites coursing through his blood and a Goddess with a war to fight in his head. He'd never know peace.
The Liam I'd become here wouldn't either. I might have started this adventure in a dungeon, but I'd found freedom. I had my chains, a Kingdom and friendships, but they were of my own choosing. I'd picked bigger and bigger fights with a body count that kept growing and I didn't know where the road ended, but I knew it was my road. My journey.
There weren't two Liams. I was the real one now. I chose this. I was me and I'd take on the whole universe, if I had to, in order to keep being me.
Congratulations!
You are aware.
You are real.
You accept the consequences of your choices.
The walls of the cavern glowed. I held up a hand, which shone with a blinding white light. A flash echoed outward from me and somewhere a bell chimed.
"What the fuck was that?" Ashley asked.
I didn't have any answers.
"Yvera? I'm echoing her question here," I thought.
"I don't know, love. I got something similar back when I was Yve. When I became self-aware, but I swear to you, you already were. You are not a subset of my programming, you are not a firewall brought to life."
"I think I leveled up," I said.
"That doesn't happen when we level up," Ashley said.
I didn't have more answers. Hours passed while we struggled through the cold river.
Light ahead caused Walt to dim his own.
"I'll check out what is going on," Ashley said, and she faded from sight. We continued to advance, since we should still be hidden by Atlantia so long as we remained in the water.
As we drew closer I could see it was a smaller cavern than some we'd passed through.
Ashley reappeared, back from her scouting, "It's not good news. The river continues, but it passes through a series of wooden grates designed to keep people from doing exactly what we’re doing."
"Guards? I asked.
"I counted ten. All level forty, so they really did leave their best in defense of this tree," Ashley said.
"How many women?" Mellaise asked.
"That is the good news. Just two. How many men can you control at once?" Ashley asked.
"At that level, it's going to drain me. Once I charm them they'll stay charmed, but it is going to be awhile before I can use my song again," Mellaise said.
"I don't suppose you can one-hit backstab someone level forty?" I asked Ashley.
"I wish. I'm good, but I'm not that good," Ashley said.
I didn't like our options here. We needed a plan before we went forward.
"If there are guards here, that makes me think we must have reached the tree itself. If so, there are going to be passages leading into the trunk. Those guards came from somewhere," I said.
"That makes sense," Ashley agreed.
"How long for your song to come back up?" I asked Mellaise.
"I've never really done anything like this, but I don't think enough for it to be useful again for whatever you have in mind. I just get this one chance at it," Mellaise said.
"Are you thinking of trying to draw even more guards here?" Ashley asked.
"The more we can catch at once, the bigger a distraction we can make," I said.
"You aren't a match for even one of those guards. What makes you think you can survive long enough to draw more here?" Mellaise asked.
"They have to have an alarm. Normally I'd be trying to find it and disable it, instead I can find it and trigger it," Ashley said.
That would work.
"We'll stay hidden in the water. When reinforcements arrive to investigate, Mellaise sings her song and turns the men on the women. Once we've started a fight, Walt can teleport us to the other side of the battle and we can slip into the passages," I said.
"We'll still have no idea where we're going," Ashley said.
Mela materialized. In her claws, she had perhaps the most evil-looking thing I'd ever seen. Chrome steel formed an arm that practically radiated malignant intent. Instead of fingers it had an impressive number of tools, knives, and protrusions of unknown but sinister purpose.
"What the fuck is that," Ashley asked, aghast.
"This used to be the blade of the scythe of Neera, Goddess of Death. She's long gone, but this little tidbit has been sitting around," Mela said.
Mela darted forward and shoved Walt's head underwater while pressing the arm against the nub on his shoulder. What happened was no gentle, magical fusion—there was the faint sound of whirring drills as the arm carved into him to anchor itself into place, and the surrounding water turned bloody.
"What. The. Fuck," Mellaise said. "Lady, I am just filled with dysfunction and my mom is worse, but what is wrong with you?"
"You're drowning him! Let him up," Ashley demanded.
"You're being stealthy, right? Wouldn't do to have him screaming. He'll be fine," Mela said.
Bubbles suggested Walt really was screaming up a storm beneath the water and the blood continued to flow. His health bar was going down rapidly.
"He's not fine," I said.
Mela peered for a moment and shrugged. "Almost done. You wouldn't believe the articulators on this thing, I really excelled myself."
Walt's health bar was a sliver and I was stepping forward to heal him when Mela jerked him back above the surface. He did appear to be alive and the arm was fully attached. That was something. He still seemed to be drowning though.
"I think he needs mouth to mouth," I said.
"Not my type," Mela said. "You still have that heal ready?"
"Yeah..."
"Good," Mela said, and covered his mouth with one taloned hand as the other plunged into his chest and tore out what I could only assume to be his lungs.
That had to be my cue. I grabbed his shoulder and released my heal into him, his body spasming as it quickly grew a set of lungs less filled with water.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you, get me some good performance data," Mela said cheerfully, and threw the lungs into the water next to Mellaise before disappearing.
"Not okay, really not okay," Mellaise said in revulsion.
"I'm the one with a right to complain here," Walt said.
Well, good. That meant the new lungs worked.
"Need awhile?" I asked.
"Every minute we stay in this water it's taxing our strength a little more. Let's just get on with it, I think the arm may help us to find what we need," Walt said.
"Oh?" I asked
"Death and life are tangled up and this thing is still an implement of death. I can feel its counterpoint nearby," Walt said.
That wasn't creepy in the least. We had a plan though. As good a one as we were going to get.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
A grating blocked further progress. Despite the area being well lit, while we stayed in the water Atlantia could hide us exactly as promised. Everything here was wood, the hall that led away from this chamber having a rough and uneven look tha
t made me think the formation of it was organic. There were several Elven soldiers, their equipment all looked first-rate.
Lesser soldiers might have slacked off in conditions like these, but these guardians were clearly working hard at maintaining their focus even when nothing was going on. It had to have been exhausting.
Ashley engaged her stealth and disappeared. There were no more exchanging words now, this close to the Elven defenders I didn't want to take the chance even if the water might mask that as well.
A bell began to chime, piercing rings that went on for several moments before fading away. That was the alarm, now to wait for the reaction.
The guards present drew their weapons and at once began to search the chamber as one ran for the alarm. Ashley was already gone. Good. The response was quick, no more than a minute passing before another ten guards were coming through the passage.
Mellaise was up. She tilted her head back and she began to sing. Those notes rose out of her and I was reminded again why I loved her so much. She was perfection personified, all that a man might ever want, and well worth dying for. I ached for her with every fiber of my being.
"Kill the women and sound the alarm again, then hold this chamber against those who come," Mellaise commanded in a voice turned hoarse.
This order wasn't for me. The soldiers quickly turned on their own, the women overwhelmed and butchered by comrades they had trusted.
Walt reached out and I found myself glad I got the human hand and not the metal one. Our surroundings flickered as we teleported.
Group Teleport
Around us a hall of raw wood materialized. Walt pointed the way. I drew Intemperance and readied my shield.
It was a confusing warren. There must have been some sort of order to these halls, but without Walt to guide the way I would never have found it.
In the distance, we heard the clanging of the alarm bell again and the clash of swords. We'd not be getting out the way we came in—we didn't have an exit plan.
I was dizzy when we finally burst into the chamber of the heart. It was beautiful, rivulets of water running from the walls to form a pool in the middle of the floor. There was a miniature version of the World Tree on a tiny island.
I was so taken with the sight I didn't notice the defender until I was punched from behind with enough force to send me crashing into one of the walls. I heard the sound of crumpling armor and breaking ribs.
That felt way better than it had any right to as my passives kicked in. I triggered a healing potion as I looked to see who hit me.
It was a man carved of solid wood, the swirls of grain visible on his skin. Even his attire seemed to be carved, intricate robes made completely of timber.
I checked his stats.
Earbeth
Level 50: Type: Demigod HP: 7500/7500
Legendary
Earbeth is the first-born son of the Goddess of Selaris and one of the timeless heroes. For millennia he journeyed the world righting wrongs, although his greatest achievement is said to be bringing his mother and his people to the cause of the light.
This was bad. This was very bad. It wasn't that we'd never see anything quite like him, we had, but there our reaction had always been to run.
Mellaise opened her throat to sing. Earbeth swiveled and delivered a blow with his fist. Her windpipe collapsed and she went limp, falling.
I didn't think he could kill the demigoddess, but there was no doubt who was the stronger of the two.
Double Backstab
Ashley materialized behind him and, much to my surprise, her daggers with blades dripping with poison, connected and even managed to nick that wooden flesh. It was nowhere near enough. Earbeth spun around once more, grabbed her wrists and with a casual motion snapped the bones. His hands slid up to her forearms and did it again, then once more on her upper arms.
A foot lashed out to catch her knee, which exploded on impact, and he shoved her whimpering in pain to the floor.
"That was good," Earbeth said. "Not a bad poison choice either, although I am of course immune."
"Leave her alone," I said, pushing myself upright. It was agonizing, I was nowhere near whole yet.
Earbeth tilted his head. "I've no intention of killing her unless she forces my hand. She'll stand trial from her part in the crimes you've committed. You though, Liam Ottani, slayer of Damon Griar, will be different."
It took me a few moments to place the name. I was in pain, and by this point I'd murdered a lot of people. It came to me though, I had his sword. He was another timeless hero, though really had been more of a timeless hero in training.
"He attacked me," I said.
"He was just a boy!" Earbeth screamed and his wooden muscles tensed.
Was this how I was going to die? I didn't want to die. Maybe I deserved it for killing that boy, but he truly had tried to kill me first. I'd do it again.
I focused on the miniature tree behind Earbeth and channeled my divine magic. Perhaps I didn't need to fight him? Perhaps he'd die, if I could kill his mother.
Smite
There was a sense of heat in the air for just a moment and then Earbeth was stepping forward to stomp on my shoulder. I think it more liquefied than broke beneath the crushing weight and I went dizzy from the pain.
"I think not," Earbeth said.
"Could really use your help here," I thought.
"He's warded. I've never seen anything like it, I'm trying," Yvera said.
"I've fought evil gods and the Chosen before. Help isn't coming. Your greatest assets are neutralized and you have nothing left to fight with," Earbeth said.
I didn't. Maybe if Cobalt were still on the Vainglory she'd pull off some sort of last second rescue. Malachite could, but we'd not prepared for her to do so. Lea couldn't scry inside the tree, she wouldn't even know that we needed help.
A chrome fist exploded through Earbeth's chest. Walt. The creation of Mela was whirring and clicking as numerous silver protrusions opened and began to chop, drill, and saw through flesh.
"Way to go, Walt," I said.
"Get it off me. Get it off me now," Walt said, desperately.
It didn't make sense to me at first, but there was something familiar about the sensations coming from the fist. Divine power. This wasn't just machinery hacking away at flesh, and it was more than just Mela's power. Death magic, it had to be. It was killing Walt too.
This was becoming way too much a thing, but it had to be done.
I still had one working arm and Intemperance. I hacked down at Walt's shoulder where flesh met the metal arm. My sword cut true, burning flesh away and severing the limb.
Walt dropped into a heap and I wobbled. That made one of our group still standing. Earbeth was desperately trying to tear the arm out of his midsection, silvery tendrils from it starting to dig and pierce his flesh. Letting out a pained cry he grabbed for a necklace that seemed as carved as the rest of him and in a flicker of silver light vanished.
Yvera appeared in a swirl of flame the instant he was gone.
"Mind telling me what that was?" I asked.
"I think that Mela merged her essence with that of the fallen Goddess of Death and is incarnating herself into a newer and stronger body using that poor bastard as raw material," Yvera said.
Right. Sorry I asked.
"I really don't like her," I said.
"Up for torturing her some more myself, but let's just take things one Goddess at a time. Burn that tree to ash and we can head home," Yvera said.
The air shifted green, there was the scent of Jasmine and a woman appeared. Her ears were elvish, hair blonde, and she wore elegant and formal robes that looked to be completely crafted of leaves and vines.
"You're a bit late, Selaris," Yvera said.
"I have an offer," Selaris said.
"Don't care. Normally I would, but negotiation requires some hint of common ground and we don't have any. Liam, this works through you. Handle this," Yvera said.
"The of
fer isn't for you," Selaris said. "Liam, I've seen you on your travels through my land. You don't want to be responsible for genocide."
She was right there. I didn't.
"Your people are trying to wipe me and my own out. I didn't start this," I said.
"I know, but you don't have to finish it this way," Selaris said.
"Pretty sure he does," Yvera said.
I said, "If you had the power over your people and wanted to turn them back to prevent this confrontation, you had many chances to do so before now. Instead, you were perfectly happy to stand back while your son nearly killed me and my companions."
"You're a good person, Selaris. Through and through from your leaves to your roots. I'm not," Yvera said, as if that settled the matter. Perhaps it did.
"There are options," Selaris said.
"You'll what? Change?" Yvera said.
"She did it before. The prompts mentioned it," I said.
Selaris said, "I did. At my son's urging. I used to be a nature spirit, capricious and sensual and thoroughly neutral. It was my son that guided me along another path. The son one of your allies is even now eating alive."
"I'm sure that you're just dying to join Team Yvera," Yvera said.
"I want to go after my son and save him. Hurt Mela, and save my people," Selaris said.
"Burn her," Yvera told me.
"I'll hear you out," I said, and Yvera glared at me.
Selaris lowered her head. "I'm not talking about a naturally inspired change of heart, but a supernatural one. That tree is a depiction of me and the World Tree. Instead of burning it, bless the waters."
"Huh," Yvera said.
"Does that have promise?" I asked.
"Maybe," Yvera said.
"Can we try it? I'd rather not exterminate an entire people if we have options, and if she can be won to our side your elemental pantheon will only have Earth to go," I said.
"Please," Selaris said.
"Fine. If it should turn you neutral or evil, and you are willing to swear your loyalty to my pantheon, you'll live," Yvera said.
That was that then. I'd blessed a large pool once before in the depths of Castle Sardonis. It was the first time I'd met Yvera. I knelt beside the water and trailed my fingers along the surface as I focused upon Yvera's power.
