by Han Yang
Instead of a beam of light striking down from the heavens, a golden glow started from the upper parts of the caverns dome. The golden ball of power coalesced and tendrils of light swirled around the condensing magic.
As if shot out of a cannon, the orb blasted down for a stunned troll.
The magic burst the troll apart, creating a blinding light. I flinched, squinting from the insanely intense illumination.
When the magic dissipated, Korna jumped for joy. And then she realized she was nude. Her light green cheeks turned crimson, and she accepted a robe from Yermica.
A round of cheering erupted from the assembling tribe, and I smiled.
These moments of joy, they helped.
Asha came over, bringing the ram who had broken my fingers. Bell rode Charlie, joining my side after I jumped into the saddle.
Moving around without armor was incredibly refreshing, and I had to trust Jark that whatever awaited us at the bottom of the tunnel wasn’t a threat.
A goblin created an illumination orb, the magic lifting up high, gently revealing the way. We carefully walked down the descending incline for five minutes. When I heard jubilant celebrating, I grew a tad confused.
The bottom of the tunnel tapered off its downslope. An old entry had been blocked off. The massive pile of rubble stacked in front of what should have been a second set of doors.
Off to the left, a smaller tunnel, barely big enough for a wagon, revealed a new source of lighting. We walked around a bend, winding in a circle downwards for probably four spirals. The walls here held notches and arrow slits. The scars for this tunnel were newer. We descended until we suddenly leveled off at a moat.
After crossing a lowered bridge, we arrived in what I could only describe as an underground city.
A massive orb blasted a fake sunlight down upon neatly organized stone buildings.
At the far back of the enormous cavern, a breeze blasted into the space above a roaring waterfall. The constant roar of the distant waterfall created a constant background noise.
I spent a minute absorbing the sight. Each of the buildings varied, with some having unique flares like extra balconies or smoke stacks that went to a separate vent in the roof of the cavern. I saw districts of manufacturing separate from housing, and even a few open spaces for parks.
A fifty-foot tall water fountain spewed clear water down ruffled edges, cascading down in a dazzling effect.
Near the fountain, and in the water at the bottom, dwarven children played with a version of tinkering gnomes. There had to be at least a few hundred beings enjoying a cookout. None of them were bothered or frightened by our arrival. A spider queen tried to push forward her children into joining the others. The spider queen wasn't what I expected.
Six hells from six planets, none of this was.
The front door left ajar, the lack of help, and a functioning city…
It was like my mind delved into a muddy trench and became trapped, unable to cope with the sudden change in reality.
The spider queen approached our group, Jark already mingling with the residents. The woman, for she certainly held a feminine figure, had legs that stopped mid shin. Her back half consisted of a large swollen torso with eight legs that clacked on stone road.
Eight eyes went from her forehead to her cheek, and a wide smile showed very human teeth. She had her hands up to display a lack of aggression.
“Welcome to my home, I’m Nessio,” the spider queen said.
If her children were frightened before, they were downright terrified of my army.
“Put your weapons away,” I ordered. “I’m Damien, and this is Tribe Moonguard. May we enter your home?”
“Of course,” Nessio said, waving us forward. “Bring everything from above down here, and I’ll seal the inner gates. The winding bit has about a thousand traps that we disabled before your arrival.”
“Did Zozo tell you we were coming?” I guessed.
She shook her head no.
Bell guessed, “Caitlyn did?”
“Yes, we have a few churches here, and hers is one of them. She was a spider queen before she ascended,” Nessio said, and I frowned, not following. “Let her answer that. We left the upper door open for you and waited until you were ready to let you see our city. For now, you can rest easy before the gods burden you with their problems - until they become your problems.”
“Umm… just like that?” I asked. She smiled, turning to lead us into the city. “I thought you’d want assurances or sacrifices to grant us sanctuary.”
“You’re a champion to one of our gods. Even I visit Caitlyn’s church. The mining crews that abandoned this mountain were in the thousands. I only have a few hundred under my banner,” Nessio said.
“Are you not worried Damien will kill you and claim your tribe?” Yermica asked.
Nessio laughed at the notion, not even giving it a dignified response until I frowned.
“This will be your home, but not your permanent home. My followers are mine. They’ll not follow you if I die. Quite the contrary. They’ll demand you surrender for a trial, and then hang you. These dwarves are free and powerful. I only rule because I founded the city and rescued most of them from other queens. I’m inviting you into my home, with open arms and friendly gestures. Be careful of who you let talk during your diplomacy, Damien,” Nessio warned.
Yermica flustered, almost finding the courage to give a defiant retort when Asha calmed her.
“I, for one, gratefully accept the safe harbor and will gladly help trade for your hospitality,” I said with a smile.
“Great, now Caitlyn is waiting for her hundred Zorta. You and Priestess Bell are to follow me,” Nessio said, leaving the main street for a side road.
“Tarla is in charge. You’re to behave and cause no problems. If a problem arises, avoid confrontation and seek a leader,” I said loudly enough for the others to hear. When the echo stopped, I turned to Tarla. “Ensure everyone settles, and I’ll fill you in on what news I hear from Caitlyn as soon as I can.”
We shared a tender kiss that became a smidge fiery. I opened my eyes to see her lovely browns sparkling in the artificial light.
Bell giggled, waving me on, clearly excited. “I got her hundred Z right here,” she said proudly.
“Bell, shush,” I said, still a bit concerned this might be a trap.
She rolled her eyes and replied, “I sense her nearby. Have a bit of faith, Damien.”
The miner town didn’t remind me of any construction I’d seen before. The utilitarian nature of the stonework held no carvings or intricacies. Everything served a purpose with a function. The windows held shutters with hinges only showing a light rust.
A dusty grime caked everything, even the side road we were on. You could see where the few residents had used this quiet road from the footprints in the center.
I inhaled deeply, feeling nervous. I’d been on Nordan for months, but I felt my journey had just begun. I certainly had the right tools to earn ten thousand Zorta with necromancer at level 4. One more enemy village raided, and I’d have an army.
Not to mention I could hear the clang of a hammer smashing metal, telling me this mine still produced. Maybe a fully armored army was in my future.
Bell and Nessio talked about Caitlyn while I absorbed the sights, sounds, and smells.
We left a side road, passing a commercial district, the hammering getting closer. A dwarf waved at Nessio. He didn’t seem enthralled or mind controlled.
“I don’t get it,” I said.
“The fact he is happy and not a minion of mine?” Nessio asked. I opened my mouth and then shut it, deciding to nod instead. “Spider queen secret; when they turn into thralls, they die from accidents often, barely fight, and don’t function as a society. I have a breeder like most queens, but the one is all I need. I use a dwarf who murdered his wife. You break the laws, you get punished.”
“Ah, I guess I try to do something similar,” I said. “I could kill the gob
lins to maximize my minions, but I’d rather have them content and happy. I can suppress memories and tend not to. However the centaurs are drones at the moment.”
We stopped in front of a plain warehouse. Nothing special dictated it was a church. Shoot, there wasn’t even a door on the building.
“We will catch up more later. It’s always good to hear what the outside world is like. You're safe for now, well, for however long you stay,” Nessio said.
We thanked her and walked into the church. My stomach twisted in a knot, nervous about what would come next.
CHAPTER 37
The Town of Seqa
The warehouse showed minimal signs of being a church. Against a far wall rested a desk with a drawing on it. The image was too distant to even make out.
Our footsteps echoed in the large room. Bell giggled, running for the desk. She placed a stick figure on the surface atop the drawing, placed the bag of orbs down with a thunk, and kneeled.
“Dear Caitlyn, in your name we give thanks,” Bell prayed.
Each of her words reverberated through the empty warehouse.
The stick figure attained a golden hue. A shimmering increased until the desk trembled from a magical transformation. The drawing burned, fueling the transitions and giving birth to a growing form.
When Caitlyn materialized, I was and wasn’t shocked she did so as a spider queen.
Her stunning beauty hadn’t changed, and she kept two eyes instead of eight, but also had the back end of a spider. Caitlyn the Deviant who had become Caitlyn the Temptress was actually a spider queen. I sighed at the reality, not overly surprised that the woman who tricked me was from a species known for enthralling horny men.
“Finally, thank you, Bell,” Caitlyn said, walking around the big space.
Each time one of her pointy feet touched the stone floor, it echoed with a soft slap. I saw hairs on the bottom of her feet, spreading out her weight. She returned to the desk, instantly decreasing the size of the bag filled with small value orbs.
The sack compressed, and she sighed in ecstasy. Her hands slapped down to the desk, bracing herself during a shudder.
A hundred Zorta must be a lot to a god.
I went to a nearby wall, sitting down to lean back. Figured this was likely going to take a while and that I might as well get comfortable.
“I’m sure you have a million questions,” Caitlyn said, hugging Bell in thanks. “You’ve both been remarkable, and I couldn’t be happier.”
“We don’t have your ten thousand Zorta,” I said.
“Ah, true, but you did survive, you pleased Zozo, and grew in power,” Caitlyn said proudly.
“Who is Zozo?” Bell asked. “Not in general, but to you. I take it you weren’t always a god?”
“Have a seat by my champion,” Caitlyn said, and Bell obeyed. “So nice to be underground again. Where to start…?”
“I heard you weren’t always a god. That part is bothering me,” Bell said.
She eyed me as if I should care too that the woman who killed me wasn’t a deceiver.
No, I wasn’t shocked, and to be fair, my goal at the moment was to learn. Last time I didn’t take Caitlyn seriously, something bad had happened. This time, I was going to pay attention and take everything she said with a serious skepticism.
“Okay, to explain how I ascended, you must understand how the system works. There are six planets tied together: Earth, Ostriva, Nordan, Gearnix, Leo, Gillin. You know a bit about Gearnix from Ginli. It’s a steampunk world and the planet’s creation laid the foundation for what you’re experiencing now.
“That planet has no spells or great coalition of creatures trying to erase humans to the last. Leo is a monster world without humans except as food or slaves, very grim, very dark, and a terrible place that all want to escape from. Gillin is a world run by AI that were generated by gods. Think of everyone enjoying a lovely simulation, and if any trespassers dare to shift worlds to Gillin, the defenders squash them,” Caitlyn said.
“Six worlds, four I can go to, one I don’t want to, and the other I’d never be allowed entry,” I said, and she nodded. “Alright, why?”
“Why what?”
“Why out of the billions of planets that can likely sustain life are there six connected?” I asked.
She nodded and said, “Zozo, you wanna answer this one?”
A silence ensued.
Caitlyn nodded, folding her arms under her large breasts that I ignored. Mostly.
I guess she realized he wasn’t coming, huffing with loud stomps as she paced. I eyed her judgingly.
“Okay, I may say this incorrectly. There is a spot between this planet and the sun where gravity creates a hidden marker called a universal lock. The gods can access this lock and then exploit it. This planet has a gravity of nine point six. This sun has a smidge higher gravity than the sun’s gravity of the Sol System. This universal lock slash marker matches Earth’s marker.
“Basically, the universe has a way of connecting planets with similar tendencies. In this case, six of the old gods found six markers and created a magical chain, tying them together for entertainment,” Caitlyn said.
As outlandish as this claim was, I could fathom gods turning planets into play toys.
After all, why did the creator or ultimate god create the universe?
“Okay, humans are not from an all mighty god, but instead from these old gods?” I asked, taking a guess.
“Ah, about that: yes, no, and maybe. Also, this is likely why Zozo has not revealed himself. Some consider the old gods to be angels and demons of the one true God. They never ever mention much about their origins, and there could be an almighty God. I do know every species you see was not created by them, merely plucked from each of the planet's natural creations to build upon their fun,” Caitlyn said.
Bell cleared her throat and said, “The queen spiders are a natural creation of…”
“From Leo, I think. They could have been from Earth and then one of the six moved them, later saying they were from Leo for all I know. Again, even I’m not privy to the origins of everything and am answering the best I can. Make no mistake, the old gods tinker, fiddle, and change as they deem fit, but I think their boss sets limiters just as we have rules. We’ll never know, though.
“Back to it. The six old gods created six planets. All the planets stagnated in joy. Every last one of them. The reason - the gods stopped tinkering after a while and just watched on occasion, growing bored with their creations.
“At some meeting, in some ancient time, they decided to assign champions to mess with each other. Proxy wars are entertaining, and yeah, I got joy from watching you kill Perqueta like the fool he was. These champion wars were great. If there is strife, interesting events unfold and therefore, there are activities worthy of spectating.”
Caitlyn paused, pointing to my water flask at my hip. I handed her the container, and she gulped happily, smacking her lips with a content sigh after.
Caitlyn continued. “Now, this one will make sense to Damien more than you, Bell. The internet of random chaos. Or the connected web brings additional excitement. In the beginning, to help generate excitement, the six gods created rules, one champion each on only Gearnix. Then they grew bored. The one turned into six champions each and jumped to Ostriva and Nordan.
“That grew tiresome, and they finally decided to bestow minor god powers to champions who pleased them - up to ten minor gods each. The ten minor gods all had a single champion. No surprise, this wasn’t enough, and currently it's a thousand minor gods per old god.
“The minor gods, myself included, have two champions each. We can pull from any planet and are restricted to placing one per Ostriva Prime or Nordan Prime. Which, you’re my Nordan Prime champion. Okay, so you saw the math exploded, and this is because of the network. Now add that I have two high priests or priestesses per planet, and I suddenly have six of my own minions to manage and countless recruits vying for attention. I actually am really bu
sy.
“If there are six thousand champions and twelve thousand empowered priests running around on the planet, the connecting web of exciting events happening to mundane people increases. Give them all magic, and the ability to grow from exploiting their environment, and you have a system that seems to be working,” Caitlyn said with a sigh, taking a break.
Bell frowned and asked, “You’re a minor god with two head priestesses and a champion per planet? How much better is being a champion? We haven’t figured out exactly what Damien is.”
“The champion is special in far greater ways. I can tell you about your environment but not give you everything. One of my rules is that I have to be minimalistic, and trust me, these meetings are monitored,” Caitlyn said.
“I’d love to know more about my necromancer powers,” I said dryly.
A moment later, she answered as I expected. “Buy books, record what you learn for the next guy. That is the extent of what I can tell you.”
She lowered her torso at an inhuman angle until she neared Bell’s face and said, “I have an opening for my Ostriva Prime champion. I could drag you over there if you abandon being a head priestess here. You’ll be more powerful, but you’ll likely die and never ascend. Here, you’re almost done.” Caitlyn smirked with a shrug. “Trust me, become the divine mage, far less stress for the power gained.”
“Can Asha go? To Ostriva Prime that is?” I asked, wording it awkwardly, but she caught my meaning.
“Sure, ten thousand Zorta to fix him first,” Caitlyn said with a smirk, and I groaned. “It gets worse for you Damien, so much worse. That is his cheapest fix, and you’ll understand in a bit. Any questions before I continue?”
I shook my head no, and Bell eyed me, then Caitlyn, and then back to me. She rested into my side, telling me she picked to be my priestess over being an Ostriva champion. I released a nervous breath I had been holding.
I liked Bell, and she was a good friend. Replacing her wouldn’t feel right, and she had been resolute in her dedication to Caitlyn.
“About a thousand years ago, I lived in a basement of the caverns on Ostriva. Zozo found me. Both of us were bored. He gave me a thousand tasks, all of them tedious and mostly mindless trivial tasks. When I finished, he said, and I don’t joke, ‘Being a god is more boring than this. It is like planting a tomato, watching it grow and only getting halfway until it asks for more power. Are you interested?’” she said, giggling from the memory.
