The crown thanks all brave warriors who risked their lives in the pursuit of liberty. Bards will sing of your bravery for generations to come.
A new City State has appeared on the world stage. All hail Queen Poppy of Castellane!
Akkorokamui has fallen in battle. All hail Empress Gretchen, the new liege of the Orochi!
Gretchen stood dumbfounded at the top of the tower. Floating over her head read the words “Her Royal Empress, Gretchen of the Orochi.”
“Gretchen,” I said. “Have you seen your level yet?”
Popper was still level 30, and I was still 37. Gretchen had rocketed past me and was now level 52. I hadn’t even received assist experience for the kill.
“God damned game,” I grumbled.
Popper Note 30
“So all three of us are royalty now,” I said.
We stood under the awning of the Menagerie. All the cages were full again save one. I sighed. I kinda liked being royalty, even if it was only for a bit.
I opened the menu, found the spot I wanted, and hit the right buttons.
Are you certain? You cannot undo this action.
I clicked Yes.
System Message> Queen Poppy of the City State of Castellane has abdicated the throne, submitting to the rule of the Dominion. The kingdoms are now merged.
I watched Jonah as his eyes went glossy. Now that he was officially back in Dominion territory, he was being inundated with updates. He needed to check in with everybody, especially Larus, who’d hopefully managed to get to a fast travel portal.
“I can’t believe it’s going to let you do this,” Gretchen said. “It’s like cheating. If you pulled this in the real world, people would be calling for your blood.”
“This is the real world,” Jonah said, frowning.
“What is it?” Gretchen said.
“Castle Harmony still stands, but it won’t for long. Keta hasn’t left yet.”
“Fuck that bitch,” I said.
The day wasn’t over yet. This next part wasn’t going to be easy.
While we waited, Jonah continued to bitch about not getting assist experience for killing the demon.
“Now you know how we felt after the tournament battle,” I said.
“That was different,” Jonah said.
“How?”
“She’s coming,” Gretchen hissed. We stopped, turning. The figure of Isabella picked her way from Fort Bloodgasm toward the Menagerie where we waited to talk to her.
Next to me, Alice growled. I put my hand on her.
Jonah leaned up against the cage that held the pazuzu. They threw themselves against the cage, trying to get to him. Isabella approached, and she clapped her hands.
“Bravo,” she said. “You killed one of the most powerful demons in the game with a level one spell.”
His Royal Majesty Jonah: Larus, are you with him?
Larus: Yes, your majesty. He is an odd man.
His Royal Majesty Jonah: Has he responded to our offer?
Larus: He says, and I quote, “Shove your offer up your ass. The Celestial Tear is far too valuable for someone like you to have. There isn’t a thing in this world you can offer me that will change my mind.”
“That sounds about right,” Gretchen mumbled.
“Let me ask you something,” Jonah said to Isabella. “What does Smallthunder want?”
“He’s driven by the idea of revenge,” Isabella said. “The guy is a little obsessive. We killed his sweetie, you see. Conestoga. Everything he’s done since he got here is in service to his grudge.”
“What about The Hibiscus?” Jonah asked.
“I don’t know for certain,” Isabella said. “But I honestly don’t think he’s given the ship two thoughts since he’s gotten here. Every moment of his day is spent searching this world for us.”
“So he hasn’t looked in Rafingo yet?” Jonah asked.
Isabella stopped dead.
Poppy: Chauncey. Do your thing.
Chauncey: Opening the door.
“Charlie, tell me you didn’t tell him about that place,” she said. “You don’t understand how angry he is.”
“No,” Jonah said, raising a finger. “You don’t understand how angry I am, Isabella.”
I’d never seen Jonah like this before. In that brief moment, I saw something in Jonah I’d never noticed. It was a terrible realization. A devastating one. He has it, too, I thought. The Hobgoblin Riot. It lives and breathes in him.
Isabella took a step forward. I moved into position, Alice with me. My hippocorn quivered with anticipation. One more step. One more step.
“I didn’t tell him,” Jonah said.
She visibly relaxed.
“But I’m afraid my magic advisor did. She helped me visit you the other day. I saw your pet dinosaur. Cute.”
Fire formed in Isabella’s hands, and she stalked forward, her face a mask of rage.
“Do it,” I hissed.
“Barrel roll!” Alice shrieked, rolling to her left, slamming into Isabella. The harbinger flew straight into the open Menagerie cell. The door snapped closed. Fire immediately filled the cage, followed by a blue lightning, followed by screams and pounding at the impenetrable door.
“I didn’t get to say ‘Motherfucker,’” Alice pouted. “That’s the best part.”
I patted her on the side. “It’s okay. Next time. I promise.”
“Is it safe?” Chauncey asked, coming out from around the corner.
The coypu had reappeared immediately after the wave finished. The creature had been aghast at the destruction wrought on the city.
His Royal Majesty Jonah: Larus, ask him if he’d be willing to trade Isabella Farooqi in exchange for the tear.
Larus: He doesn’t appear to believe you have the ability to hand this person over, your majesty.
His Royal Majesty Jonah: Tell him this. I’m giving him Isabella. I’m also giving him something else, whether he likes it or not. I suspect he’s an honorable man, and I believe he will hold up his part of the bargain. Tell him I want the celestial tear installed back in the castle at Harmony within the next six months.
Larus: He wishes to know what this something else is.
His Royal Majesty Jonah: He’s gonna know in about thirty seconds. Tell him Isabella may be found cooling her heels in Castellane. Oh, and Larus.
Larus: Your majesty?
His Royal Majesty Jonah: Thank you for your help. I underestimated you. I promise I will try to do better. Goodbye.
“You sure about this, bud?” I asked.
Jonah nodded. Next to us, Isabella continued to rage, slamming against the wall of the cage. Tears streamed down her face. I was starting to feel kinda bad.
System Message> The Dominion Crown has relinquished control of Harmony to the usurper, Keta. A new city state has formed in the country of Aberdeen. Harmony is now an autonomous region.
System Message> The Dominion has lost their capital city! A new capital has been chosen. From this moment forward, the capital of the Dominion shall be the city of Grandeur in the country of Hermosa.
System Message> King Jonah of the Dominion has abdicated his crown! A new king has been chosen. All hail King Garcia!
As the rules indicated, the system had picked the highest-ranking player in the Dominion to be the new liege. Jonah visibly relaxed when it was done.
“Oh thank god,” he said. “It feels as if the weight of the world has lifted off my shoulders.” He peered in his pack. “That stupid helmet is gone. So is the regular crown. They must have teleported themselves to Smallthunder.”
“You really think he’s going to give the celestial tear back?” Gretchen asked.
“No way,” Jonah said. “We’re going to have to steal it back.”
Starr, Crystal, and Kitty Chapman approached, followed by Ace and a small army of kappa warriors. About a hundred of them. Alice growled, but their dots were all white on the minimap.
I raised an eyebrow at the demons.
> “They’re ours now,” Starr said. “Ace wooed them with his songs.”
“We’re gonna need some of that Tupperware,” I noted. The monsters stood, swaying as if they were listening to music only they heard.
“We had a deal,” Starr said. “Now you gotta tell us how to get to L.A.”
“Actually, ladies,” Jonah said. “Give us a couple days, and we’ll take you there ourselves. It’ll be a road trip, just like the old days.”
“So you’re just handing kingdoms out today? I don’t understand why you would do that,” a new voice asked.
We all turned to face the voice. An old man stood there, leaning on a walking stick.
“Master Gold,” Gretchen said.
The mysterious player had remained outside the city for the remainder of the fight, despite being arrowed. In all the craziness, I’d forgotten about the dude.
“There are two primordials hunting the crown,” Jonah said. “The only reason we tried to keep the city was because of my access to Waldo, and Smallthunder took it. There’s no reason for me to remain king until I get my Waldo access back. My name is Jonah. Who are you?”
The man shuffled forward. “I suppose that makes sense,” he said. “But you can’t give Smallthunder too much of an advantage. He’s a brilliant tactician. If he’s truly gone off the deep end like Daniels suggested in your book, you shouldn’t be giving him that much power.”
“Who are you?” Jonah asked again, eyes narrowing. His hand went to the hilt of Triple Fang.
Master Gold held a pouch in his hand. He pulled out a ring. “No, not this one,” he muttered, putting it back. He grabbed another. “Oh, yes, here it is.” He slipped the ring onto his finger. He pointed his finger at Alice, and a magenta bolt shot forth, surrounding the hippocorn.
“Alice,” I cried. “Alice!” I reached forward to grab the hippocorn’s saddle in an attempt to jump on. My hand went right through her like she wasn’t even there.
Gold popped another ring onto his finger, and a yellow aura surrounded the man. The word Invulnerable appeared over his head with a 30-second countdown. A fraction of a second later, Gretchen slammed him in the head with her spear. Three arrows bounced off him, like he was made of stone. He didn’t flinch.
Thirty seconds. That was a really long time for an invulnerability spell. Who was this guy? What was happening?
“Popper!” Alice cried, eyes wide. Her normally black, pinpoint eyes had been replaced with flashing lights. A data transfer. A big data transfer. I’d never seen anything like it. Alice continued to move and talk while the lights flickered. “They’re alive! Molly and Juliette! They are on The Faith. It’s a ship in the new fleet. They’re not coming in five years. They’re coming now! They left less than a year after you left earth, but they are due to arrive in a matter of days!”
I stopped dead. What the hell? “What? What’re you talking about?”
Alice continued. “You have to stop her. Stop Gemma. As soon as she’s brought The Hibiscus to the point of no return, she is going to transfer herself to an SK-33 satellite. She’s preparing to launch the satellite now. It’s designed to shoot down unauthorized ships! Waldo is programmed only to protect those on The Hibiscus. He is not concerned with any other ship. Gemma is who must be stopped! She’s going to kill Molly, Popper! Gemma is going to kill Molly!”
“Sorry kid,” Master Gold said. “But she was mine long before she was yours.”
Then he and Alice winked out of existence.
Epilogue
The shop was much as he left it. The small thunderbird remained on its perch, squawking angrily. He’d placed a containment spell around it that would last another couple of days. The old man lay in a fetal position on the ground in the shop, also surrounded by a spell. The NPC was dead, but the Preserve Meat spell would keep him from regenerating. Discovering the ring that cast that spell and its usefulness had been a happy surprise.
The Instant Recall spell had worked as intended, and the hippocorn had arrived in one piece. She continued to scream and bellow, unleashing a torrent of curses. The Holding spell would dissipate in a few seconds. He grabbed the trap off the counter and held it menacingly over the angry hippocorn.
“Alice,” he said. “You got the data transfer. I saw it. Don’t you recognize me? You told me you’d be waiting for me outside of town when I regained my memory. You didn’t say you wouldn’t have any memory, either.”
“Bring me back to Popper!” Alice screamed. “Bring me back right now or I swear to the gods I will rip your throat out, eat you from the inside out, and shit your remains on your mother’s grave!”
“Take a deep breath,” Master Gold said. “And think. I need you to remember.”
The hippocorn huffed angrily. This shop was much too small for her bulk. He’d underestimated her size when he’d picked this place.
After a moment, her eyes went wide. “Richard?” she asked.
Relief flooded Master Gold.
***
“Okay,” Bruce Bruce said, peeking out from the bush. The entire area crawled with the viper fish. They just kept coming and coming, but most were now moving south, away from where they hid. “Jenny, Eli, the coast is clear.”
Bruce Bruce emerged from cover, and the two donkeys followed. That stupid equort had refused to come with them, opting to stay near her master. She was probably dead now. The hobgoblins had defended the castle for a while, but the viper fish just kept coming.
They’d sneaked out through the side exit. A few of the fish had given a half-hearted chase, but Bruce Bruce had swiped at one, slicing its leg good. It fell to the ground, squealing. After that they went north. If they could make it to Crediton, they’d be safe. From there they’d find out where Jonah, Gretchen, Popper, and Alice were, and they’d join up with them.
I am Strong Mount the Powerful, Bruce Bruce thought. I promised King Jonah I’d keep them safe, and with the gods as my witness, I will.
Jenny snorted.
End.
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The Thieves of Grandeur
Dominion of Blades, Book III
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Table of Contents
“Jesus, it’s beautiful,”
Note from the Scriptorium Guild.
Author Unknown Note 1.
Part 1
Jonah Note 1
Jonah Note 2
Jonah Note 3
Jonah Note 4
Jonah Note 5
Jonah Note 6
Jonah Note 7
Popper Note 1
Popper Note 2
Popper Note 3
Unknown Note 2
Popper Note 4
Popper Note 5
Popper Note 6
Popper Note 7
Popper Note 8
Part 2
Unknown Note 3.
Popper Note 9
Popper Note 10
Popper Note 11
Popper Note 12
Popper Note 13
Popper Note 14
Popper Note 15
Raj Note 1
Popper Note 16
Unknown Note 4
Jonah Note 8
Jonah Note 9
Jonah Note 10
Gretchen Note 1
Popper Note 17
Jonah Note 11
Gretchen Note 2
Jonah Note 12
Jonah Note 13
Jonah Note 14
Popper Note 18
Jonah Note 15
Popper Note 19
Gretchen Note 3
Popper Note 20
Jonah Note 16
Gretchen Note 4
Gretchen Note 5
Jonah Note 17
Popper Note 21
Jonah Note 18
Popper Note 22
Jonah Note 19
Part 3
Unknown Note 5
Popper Note 23
Gretchen Note 6
Popper note 24
Popper Note 25
Popper Note 26
Jonah Note 20
Jonah Note 21
Jonah Note 22
Jonah note 23
Jonah Note 24
Jonah Note 25
Jonah Note 26
Raj Note 2
Gretchen Note 7
Jonah Note 27
Popper Note 27
The Hobgoblin Riot: Dominion of Blades Book 2: A LitRPG Adventure Page 53
