Jessica's Challenge (Puatera Online Book 5)

by Dawn Chapman

  Just as I was thinking this I heard a ping, something much rarer these days. I opened my system info to find a new quest. It took all my restraint to keep from laughing aloud, especially when I noticed Aimer’s eyes flicking back and forth, reading the same text I could see. The game had decided to ask us to put the river back. I accepted, hoping it would make a difference to the kind people in the village now behind us.

  “Is that our stone?” Terris called a few minutes later, pointing up ahead. I was surprised Aimer hadn’t spotted it first, but he still seemed lost in thought, only snapping out of it when I answered to the affirmative.

  Before any of the others could ask how we were going to get to it, I walked towards the river and concentrated. The water flow bent around me, allowing me to walk along the bottom and make my way to the stone. I placed the device on the centre, already in the right positions, and called out the reading it gave me to Jentin.

  I then waded back, unable to help grinning at the different reactions to my newest trick. I’d been saving it for an impressive occasion, and it seemed I’d found one.

  Jentin, all business as usual, showed me where our final destination was on the map.

  “We’ll be there by mid-afternoon,” he said as I noticed it continued north-east along the path of the river, towards the source. Perhaps I could find out why the river had changed path at the same time.

  Once more, we set off as a group, Kaylin asking me a few questions about my newest ability. It had taken me a few karma points to learn it, and a lot of practice playing with smaller amounts of water when I thought no one was looking, but it had been worth it. My clothes weren’t even slightly wet.

  Everyone agreed it would have been handy if I’d learnt it sooner, especially considering the nature of not just our first mission together but several since, but I confessed I’d not even realised something like that was possible until I’d worked out how to read an old journal of Cale’s. It seemed it was something he’d learnt how to do, possibly in preparation for this same quest.

  The notes had been vague after that, Cale making less sense, but Amifray and others had assured me that he just seemed like that when he was excited. What he’d been excited about, I still didn’t know. It looked like I would before the day was done, however.

  We trudged onwards, this time following the water, heading uphill just a little, still surrounded by forest. It was only after another couple of hours that I noticed the raedwulf again, still tracking along. It was a comfort to have them with us, one we all felt.

  We ate lunch with them, sharing some of our trail mix and food we’d got from the inn before getting going again. I was eager, but I wasn’t the only one, everyone getting up without a word once we’d all finished eating.

  Before we could set off, our animal companions came forward, their looks sombre as they gave a sort of half-bow. It was obvious they were leaving us to continue the quest without them, but I’d already been surprised they’d come this far.

  After saying goodbye in a similarly respectful manner we watched the magnificent creatures slink back into the shadows of the trees. Once they were gone, we grouped together and set out on our path again. It wouldn’t be long now, but who knew what we’d find just up river?

  Chapter 12

  Aimer was the first to spot it. Up ahead, something had grown dark, ravishing the land and sucking the life and colour out of it. Only the river, now much smaller, seemed unaffected, fish still swimming in it.

  As we grew closer, it was more obvious that what had caused this was unnatural, a glitch, something going wrong with the very game itself. I didn’t voice my thoughts, aware some of our party were NPCs who had no idea this was a game at all, but Aimer and I gave each other a look, making it clear he’d had similar thoughts to me.

  As we came even closer, the reason the river had changed became apparent. Someone had gone to great lengths to change it, a fresh bank having been created, and a new path, directing the river away from the damaged area and into the new path. It had been hastily done, with no thought to the consequences downstream, but evidently done with good intent.

  “Can you fix it? Aimer asked, looking straight at me.

  “Not alone. I’m not good at moving earth,” I replied, following where his eyes turned next. There was a small gap between the old bed and the new one farther down that might be breachable, helping the river go back the right way.

  “We could help,” Jentin said, stepping to the old bed and making it clear he understood what we were thinking.

  “We’re not going to rescue Cale first?” Terris asked. I shook my head. Wherever Cale was, I knew he would be on the glitched land, and the closer I got the more I could feel it sucking at my energy, like it was trying to tug it off my very body. If we were going to fix this, we needed to do it first.

  I helped Jentin make a plan, getting everyone to chip in with carving a channel back towards the old river bed, putting aside any large rocks while Aimer and Terris got to work carving up a tree to use as a dam for the current path. Once the wood was in the way, we could put the rocks and dirt we’d just dug up behind it to lend it strength, but we knew, even working together as a group, it was going to take the rest of the day and some of the evening.

  Although there were a few grumbles at the physically exhausting work, we made good progress and no one slacked. It was obvious to all of us the village needed it more than they’d let on.

  After taking a couple of breaks to catch our breath, I shared around a snack, giving everyone including myself a much-needed boost. I was going to need my magic again soon, and food was the best way to regenerate the energy needed.

  As soon as the party came close to breaking through and water began seeping through the dirt towards the new trench we’d made, I concentrated and held it back for the others to loosen the dirt a little more and get out of the way. Bit by bit, I let go of the water I was blocking and watched in satisfaction as the whole river slowly shifted back to the dry river bed.

  The water gurgled over the rocky bottom it had carved out many years before, but not all of it came that way, some still finding the new route easier to go down. Once again, I focused my mind and slowly turned it all the right way, allowing the rest of the party to get to work damming the side with the makeshift materials we’d gathered.

  Thankfully Jentin’s experience came in handy, and with his oversight, it didn’t take long to get enough of a barrier in place so I could let go. Exhausted, I collapsed, watching my party finish the job while I lay beside them, my head swimming and my body unable to move. I felt Aimer lift my head and cradle it in his lap while bringing a drink to my lips.

  It was all I could do to swallow. I’d taxed myself far more than ever before, not wanting to let go of the river too soon and risk it washing my friends away. Over the next few minutes, Aimer carefully helped me recover, giving me food and water until some colour returned to me and I felt strong enough to sit up.

  “I think we should rest here for the night,” Jentin said, once everyone was done. “We can’t tackle anything further until we’ve all had a chance to restore our energy. We’ll divvy up the watch between us tonight. You need the sleep, Jessica.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but it immediately sent a pain shooting through my head. He was right, I needed the sleep.

  Once more we made a camp, knowing tomorrow we’d find out if Cale was alive or not.

  I awoke to the sound of gurgling water, the noise soothing, but it wasn’t long before my eyes found the strange dark horizon. We were close to it, but still far enough away the land around us was lush and green.

  “What do you think it is?” Aimer whispered, sitting close by, evidently the one on watch. I hadn’t even realised he knew I was awake.

  “I’m not sure, but the game itself seems to want us to fix it.”

  “It’s not the game. Something in the game, something that wants the game to keep going.”

  “Oh,” I replied, slightly stung t
hat he had worked out something I hadn’t.”

  “It’s not really just a game, is it?” I asked, getting up and going to sit by his side.

  “No, it’s so much more.”

  I sighed, missing my sisters, missing my mum and missing my home. It had been too long. Before either of us could speak again, Kaylin stretched, yawning loudly. The sun was beginning to appear, brightening the sky and revealing the others as, one by one, they awoke. We ate in silence, all of us staring at the strange land ahead.

  Many times over the last few weeks we’d gone into the unknown, not sure what we’d find and how hurt we’d get before we came back home, but this felt different. This felt wrong, but we were going anyway, and all of us knew it. I could only hope I didn’t get my new friends killed. I already knew only Aimer could respawn. The others would die forever if they died on this mission.

  With that in mind, I handed out the healing potions Desiree had made me, noticing the grateful but sombre expressions I received in return. Aimer was the only person who refused his.

  “You keep hold of it. I’ll know where to find you if I need it,” he said. I frowned and was about to try and force it upon him when he walked off, the first to head out of our camp. I went to follow, to thrust it into his hands, but Jentin placed a hand on mine.

  “Tuck it away. Let a guy be chivalrous once in a while. It won’t do him any harm.”

  I nodded, feeling my heart skip another beat. Did Aimer like me the way I liked him, too? I made a mental note to try and find out once we were out of this whole mess.

  We continued to follow the river to a cave it was rushing out of. It was also black and strange, the stone looking almost pixelated. Whatever was inside this cave, it was the source of the glitch.

  I led the party into it before anyone else could, Aimer following me and Jentin just behind him, holding up a stick set ablaze. Since our first excursion into a cave, I’d acquired a little something of my own, a seedling to a plant that, when fully grown and cultivated, had a sap that gave off light. The warmer it grew the brighter the light.

  Desiree had provided a special bottle that aided the sap's abilities even further, something that looked a little more awesome than your average bottle, and helped me fill it. I clutched it now, watching it light up the cave in front of me, and felt a small amount of pride. I’d come a long way in only a few short weeks.

  Several times, there was a rumble from up ahead and the ground shook slightly, but still we carried on. Something was in here, but what was it? I intended to find out.

  The air grew warmer as we continued, until a sharp turn brought us to a split in our downward-slanting tunnel. Several small pebbles and loose dirt sat in a pile across one fork, and the other carried on beside the river, now little more than a large bubbling stream.

  “Down,” Aimer said, confirming my gut feeling as a noise from that direction caught our attention. I nodded, and stepped over the debris on the path, careful of my footing. I was only a little over half way when the cave shook again. I sped up as dirt fell on top of me, hoping everyone was following, but the rumble only grew, dumping more and more rubble behind me.

  I flung myself forward with as much energy as I could muster, a whoomph from behind knocking me off my feet. My light went flying from my fingers as the noise stopped and everything went still. By the time I’d managed to get to my feet, noticing I was unharmed due to the dress that had protected me from even a single graze, the dust had settled.

  I grabbed my light and clutched it tightly, warming it to brighten it again. Behind me was a wall of rubble, with a hand, Aimer’s hand, sticking out from a pile of rocks. I was cut off from my party, and from the stillness of the hand, Aimer was dead, crushed beneath the weight of the ceiling. I didn’t know what to do.

  Standing there, I stared at his hand, not sure if I wanted it to move, feeling like I wanted to cry. I wanted to run away. Aimer would live, I knew that much, but I also knew that would have hurt, and now he was gone, back to wherever he started playing. I was alone, truly alone, my connection to my mum gone with him.

  Feeling frustration build in me, I screamed, not caring if anyone heard. The silence that followed was broken by Jentin yelling, his voice strong and clear, “Jess, is that you?”

  “Yes,” I yelled back, relieved to hear a familiar voice even if I was cut off from it.

  “Is Aimer with you?”

  “No. He’s...” I trailed off, not able to say it. As I stood there, I watched his hand thinking it ought to disintegrate, the game tidying him up, but it didn’t. It stayed there, all grey and strange, like everything else down here.

  “We’ll try to find a way through to you,” Jentin said after a while. I almost yelled for him not to bother, but I kept my mouth shut. I wanted Aimer, not them, but I couldn’t voice that thought. It wasn’t fair.

  For the last few weeks I’d been treated like an adult, lived like and adult and fought for my own survival like an adult, but one moment had reduced me to a child again and reminded me just how young I still was.

  Before I could decide what else to do, I heard a distant laugh, the kind of crazy cackle mad old men made when they were up to mischief. The hairs on my arms rose as I broke out in goosebumps. I wasn’t alone. Something was in this cave with me. Something, or someone.

  Gulping and gripping my light, I turned back to the path ahead and started walking towards it. This cave had one more surprise for me, and I was going to face it bravely, the way I thought Aimer would have done.

  Chapter 13

  The laugh came again, louder this time, and longer, more of a cackle. I shuddered, still not sure I wanted to find out what was below, where this cave led. But I had no choice. This was the only route left to me.

  Closer and closer I came, until I saw him—a man, surrounded by strange creatures I couldn’t properly focus on, their skin pixelated, odd, like they weren’t part of this game but were, all at the same time. Behind that was a chasm, a narrow stone bridge over it to more cave on the other side. A strange circular whirling pool sat on the other side, a couple more creatures appearing through it as I watched. It was some kind of portal.

  Around the old man’s feet was a weird bubble of blackness, something that seemed to keep the bizarre animals back. They hovered around him almost uncertain, until they noticed me. Suddenly they stopped bothering him and, as one, they focused on me, coming closer.

  He looked up, noticing me only then.

  “Ahh, you got through. I had hoped you wouldn’t but I’m not surprised you did. Followed my research, did you? Yes, yes, the guild must have sent you.” He lifted a finger to point at the guild emblem around my neck, a mark of honour, but didn’t stop talking. “My replacement, no doubt. Well, yes, I’m afraid you’ve got yourself in quite the mess… doubt you’re as powerful as me. No, can’t be, not at your age. Practically impossible. Shouldn’t have come. No, shouldn’t have come.”

  He finally stopped speaking, shifting his attention back to something in his hands. I crept closer, wanting to see, hoping the creatures wouldn’t come any nearer. They chittered, and I could feel something being sucked away from me. Energy, they were after my magical energy.

  I stopped again, but now I could see what was in his hands—an ornate circlet, like a sort of tiara. It looked like he was trying to charm it somehow. Taking another step closer, I tried to read the system tag to work out what he was doing, but this attracted his attention as the creatures came even closer to me, now drawing more energy from me.

  “Silly girl. Doesn’t know to stay away, doesn’t know to stop them taking her energy. They don’t take mine. I’ve reversed things. Got to make them go home, make them stop coming. I’ll close the portal. Stop them, yes, must do it, must stop them before they stop me.”

  It was obvious Cale had gone half-mad, and I wondered how long he’d been down here, what had happened to make him this way, and why the creatures didn’t drain his energy.

  Beginning to feel tired, and k
nowing I couldn’t stay where I was, I decided to run to Cale, see if I could help him.

  “Have these creatures done all this damage?” I asked, hurrying closer, using my wind to buffet the creatures out of the way until I was right beside him. It was only as I stood on the black ground around him that he noticed me again.

  “What are you doing?” he said, suddenly growing agitated, but I didn’t answer the question, surprised by what I could feel. Somehow, he was sucking the energy out of everything around him, sucking it all into the circlet in his hands. No wonder he was still standing; he was filling it with magical energy. I quickly stopped using mine, letting go of my spark, not wanting him to sap that as well.

  “I came to help you,” I said. “The—”

  “No, no one can help,” he replied, cutting me off, his voice almost a screech. “Must keep going, must stop these creatures. Don’t stop me. Don’t take this pretty thing. It’s not for you.”

  He stopped speaking, his eyes going up and down my dress. Suddenly, he pointed at the gem I’d taken from the neighbouring guild.

  “Thief! You’re a thief. No, won’t let you take this.” He pulled the circlet close to his chest, his eyes going narrow and angry.

  “I’m not here to steal anything. I’m here to help. Tell me how to help,” I said, trying to speak calmly, but it was evident he wasn’t convinced.

  “Can’t help. Not powerful enough. But the crown is full anyway. Job done. Just got to get it into the portal. Overload it, make it stop. Kill these things, let life return.”

  “Brilliant,” I replied, astounded by what he must have done and sacrificed to do so. He must have poured his own magic in. It made sense that he was half-insane now. I doubted he’d slept for a while, working on this thing while surrounded by creatures trying to suck the magic from him. And he’d been all alone the whole time.