by Dante Doom
“Is it ridiculous?” Sang asked. “Van, is it ridiculous to ensure that a game that’s so powerful that it can kill people is removed from the market? Is it ridiculous to make sure that there’s nothing left of Draco? The only way to kill their connection to Earth is to do everything in our power to purge this game from our world.”
“But… but, that’s…” Van’s words trailed off. The other line became incredibly silent for a few minutes.
“You alright?” Sang asked, finally breaking the silence.
“Sang, that can’t be right. Sang, this… we can’t destroy this game. I put my entire life into this game. Everything I’ve worked so hard to achieve has been related to Dragon Kings of the New World. There’s got to be some other way, right? Maybe we can convince the government to use it to train people for the military. I know they wanted to use it for that, right?”
“Look, Van, orders are orders here. The higher-ups made their decision a while back. I never told you because things were getting too heated and you didn’t need the additional pressure. But now, before we dive into another serious mission, I need you to be emotionally prepared ahead of time.”
“Emotionally prepared? Sang, how do you emotionally prepare for the destruction of your home? Of your entire world? This isn’t like some stupid hobby of mine is over, or my favorite restaurant has closed down—this is far worse!” Van ranted. She could hear that he was quickly becoming unhinged. “This is the only place that I have ever known true freedom! Inside this game, you can do anything, become anything. You have a world of possibilities! How can you ask me to do this?”
“I don’t know, Van,” Sang replied. “I really don’t know what to tell you. I think the brass was very careful to skirt around this issue, so I think I’m breaking some rules by telling you this, but you deserve to know.”
“What would you do if everything that you knew and loved would be destroyed by your actions?” Van demanded.
“I would carry on with my duty anyway,” Sang replied. “Because my job isn’t about me. It’s about something far greater. I know the idea of living without this game scares you—”
“Living without this game isn’t living at all!” Van interrupted. “You’re insane if you think I’m going to march back in there and willingly end the life of the thing I love the most.”
“You sound incredibly angry right now, and I get it,” Sang said. “I really do...”
“No, you don’t! You have a life outside of this game. You have a real job with real people to report to. You have an apartment that’s not the size of a cereal box. I’ve got nothing outside of this game!” Van shouted.
Sang took a deep breath. “I’m sorry that I had to be the one to tell you. But you’re going to need to sort this out before we go in there. We can’t have you compromised.”
“I… why didn’t I notice this before?” Van asked quietly. “There’s no way I’m this dense.”
“Sometimes people don’t see things because they don’t want to see them,” Sang said. “That’s why Draco’s so good at getting people to excuse their atrocities.”
“What do I do?” Van whispered. “I can’t let them destroy the world, and I don’t want the government to destroy my world. What do I do?”
Sang sighed. “You’ve got to choose, Van. You’ve just got to choose.”
There was nothing but silence on the other end as Van hung up. Sang felt a shiver run down her spine. What would he choose?
Epilogue
The thunder cracked in the sky above Kylian. He glanced up to see that the storm clouds had aggressively moved over the camp. They had been waiting for Van for nearly two days. Players waited in shifts, but over time, it was becoming clear that Van and Sang were gone. Were they dead? There was no other explanation—they would have contacted him by now if they weren’t.
After the fight against Lemuel, Kylian had been forcibly kicked out of the game. When he’d logged back in, the entire forest zone had been gone. There was no explanation, and no patch notes—it had just vanished, probably for good.
“Still nothing?” Bidane asked as she walked up to Kylian.
“Nope. Not a thing,” Kylian replied. The camp’s remaining players were in the process of packing up. The Iron Dragons had lost a great number of players during this little adventure and, without Van to convince them to stay, they were losing more people with each day. The core team was still around, however. Kylian, Bidane, Capello, and Sahara had all pledged to stick together until they could find out what had happened to Van.
“Well, I hate to be the one to say it,” Bidane said, “but it’s time to call it. Two days and nothing? They’re either dead or they quit the game for good. Either way, there’s no reason to stick around. The camp’s decided to move to the south, to fight in some good old fashioned Dwarven wars. I suggest that we go with them.”
“Why bother?” Kylian asked. “This game is some kind of death trap. Bidane, I felt real pain in that zone. Dolly just got out of the hospital, and you were close to dying in there, too. Do we really want to be here? Do we really want to deal with all this for a video game?”
“I want answers,” Bidane said. “But you don’t get answers from staying still. So, we’re gonna move around and learn as much as we can from other players. Listen for rumors, try to figure out if anyone else knows about Draco being some kind of weird alien thing.”
“You keep talking about aliens,” Kylian said as he shook his head, “but I don’t buy it. It’s gotta be some kind of government testing. This whole game is probably some kind of mad experiment they’re running.”
“You didn’t hear what I heard,” Bidane said. “Draco is up to no good and they aren’t in league with the government. Dolly will back me up if she ever gets back into the game.”
“If she’s smart, she’ll stay far away,” Kylian said as he began to move with the rest of the players to file out of Bloodrock. Getting out of this area was far easier than getting into it had been.
“I want revenge,” Bidane said. “I swear to God I’m going to have it.”
“Why?” Kylian asked. “Why go to such lengths to fight against these guys?”
“You know, I’ll tell you something,” Bidane said. “A long time ago, I was trapped in a relationship with someone who tried to control me. He tried to hurt me really badly, and for the longest time, I let him. Then, one day, I snapped. I broke free and I made sure he wouldn’t hurt me ever again. I swore that I wouldn’t let anyone control me again. These Draco bastards? They want control, Kylian. They want it really badly. And I’ll be damned if I let them own me like my ex-husband thought he did. So that’s why I’m going to find these jerks and kill them. Because they want to rule everything, and no one rules over Bidane. Not Sang, not Van, and certainly not Draco.”
“Cheers to that, I guess,” Kylian said as they walked down to where Sahara and Capello were waiting for them.
“When are we going to kill something?” Capello asked. “And when’s Van gonna get back? I miss him—he always knew the best places to go on a spree.”
“He’s not coming back, kiddo,” Kylian replied. “I think we’re on our own for now.”
“Are they... dead?” Sahara whispered.
“No idea,” Bidane said. “And it’s not worth worrying about anyway. Come on—we need to move south.”
As the party moved past the massive walls of Bloodrock, something caught Kylian’s eye. It was Jet, Sang’s pet dragon. He was gently flying through the air. As soon as Jet spotted him, he flew down to meet Kylian.
“Hey there,” Kylian said. “Sorry, buddy, but I think your mom’s not gonna be around anymore.”
“I have no human mother,” Jet replied.
“I’m sorry, what?” Kylian said as he took a step back. Jet flapped his wings and hovered above him.
“I said I have no human mother,” the dragon said.
“You’re speaking? Words? English words?”
“I speak your language, yes.
My fears are to be confirmed then? Have Sang and Van been slain?”
Kylian shrugged. He had no idea how this thing was so intelligent, and there was no way it was an AI. Artificial intelligence didn’t have the ability to contextually respond like that. But how could it be a player? That didn’t make any sense, considering that being a dragon just wasn’t an offered option. “I don’t know if they’re dead or not, but we’ve lost all contact with them.”
“They were in danger in there?”
“Yes,” Kylian said. “It was serious danger, too. Some kind of lizard guy.”
Jet didn’t like that. He began to grumble to himself in a strange language that Kylian couldn’t identify. It wasn’t any language that he had heard before. “I see, well, it is to be expected that they are dead then. A shame, for I had such high hopes for them. Do you still have control of your mercenary forces?”
“Um, yes, we do. Look, Jet, what exactly are you? Are you a player? You can’t be an AI—you’re far too advanced.”
“I assure you, Kylian, I am something far, far different than what you can imagine. Call those whom Van trusted over here. I wish to share something with them.”
“Oh, I, uh, I’m not sure—” Kylian began to stammer, but then he was fiercely interrupted by Jet.
“I did not ask! We do not have the luxury of time to decide such trivialities! Bring them here!” the dragon roared.
“Sure,” Kylian said. “Sahara, Bidane, Capello! Over here, now!” The three turned to see Kylian waving them over.
“What is it?” Bidane snapped.
“Oh, is that the dragon? He’s gotten so big!” Sahara said as she rushed over to see Jet. As the four gathered around the dragon, he looked back at them carefully.
“I should hope you are prepared to learn a great deal of things in a very short amount of time. The fate of the entire world now rests upon your shoulders.”
“What the hell? It talks?” Bidane asked.
“It does a lot more than that,” Kylian said with a heavy sigh. And with that, the floor beneath them collapsed and the leaders of the Iron Dragons Mercenary Company found themselves drifting in space, where they would be taught the darkest secrets of Draco.
End of The Black Dragon
Blurb
Can two fugitives beat Draco at its own game?
Van and Sang are on the run, forced to log on and play Dragons of the New World from a dank basement hideout with borrowed characters while the world crumbles around them. Sang is losing hope after being fired by the CIA, but Van’s resolve is only growing.
When Allie reveals that her people defeated the Dracos by striking them directly, they know what they have to do, but there’s just one problem—their only access to the mysterious Dracos is through a game that’s rigged against them. When they learn of an online tournament that will make five players Pros—and access to the Draco compound—Van and Sang know they have to win at any cost.
Now, with the help of some old friends from the Iron Dragon mercenaries, as well as a few bold new recruits, Van and Sang must survive every punishing challenge and prove themselves to be the best players in the game. With an in-game rebellion brewing and spies targeting them in meatspace, it will take all their courage to face Draco’s bloody endgame.
Prologue
"Do you think what they're saying is true?" Fredlin asked as he stalked through the woods, bow in hand. Alongside him was his companion, Savorn. The two were busy searching for elk to hunt in the Great Forest of Alketho.
"If what's true?" Savorn answered, pointing at one of the bushes. They could see evidence of grazing on the corner of the green shrub. Saliva glistened off of the plant in the sunlight, indicating that an animal wasn't too far off.
"The rumors," Fredlin said, "about the Iron Dragons?"
"Oh, them again," Savorn said with a chuckle. "Look, I don't know what you're on about. They're a bunch of crazies and cheaters. Whatever they're yammering about is nothing more than silly myths."
"You keep saying that," Fredlin replied as he knocked an arrow onto his bow and crouched down, "but I'm not convinced. I mean, I was doing some reading on the internet last night and I saw more than a few articles talking about people found dead while playing this game."
"Yeah, because when an idiot decides to pop a ton of Cwake and spend 72 hours in a tube, they tend to die," Savorn said. "The Iron Dragons are just trying to use those deaths as a way to gain more people. It's ridiculous, really. I mean, first their leaders get kicked out of the game for cheating, and the next thing you know, they're all over the place talking about how evil Draco is. Just give it a rest already."
"There!" Fredlin said as he aimed his bow at a rustling bush. The words Legendary Elk hovered above it. He released the bow and the words Hit! Lethal Blow floated above the bushes. They heard the elk crash to the ground.
"Nice shot. I thought we'd be searching for that thing all day," Savorn said as she holstered her own bow and began to walk towards the bushes. Neither of them had seen the elk, but the game system's alert was guarantee enough that they'd been successful.
"Look, over the course of the last month, nearly 17 people were found dead after playing this game," Fredlin said.
"Are we still talking about this?" Savorn asked as she leaned over the bush to look at the dead elk. Its majestic white fur glistened in the sunlight, and the arrow had struck it clean in in the heart, leading to a quick and merciful death.
"Yes, we're still talking about this," Fredlin replied as he stopped next to his companion. He drew out his field knife and began to work on harvesting the meat from the animal. The words Butchering 00/100 appeared above him as he began his work. "The Iron Dragons posted something serious on Reddit yesterday."
"Yes, because an online forum like Reddit is the epitome of civil discourse," Savorn snapped.
"They were talking about some kind of cataclysmic event that'll be coming soon. And from the looks of it, it's gonna be serious stuff."
"Cataclysmic how?" Savorn asked.
"End of the world type stuff, for sure!" Fredlin replied. "Draco's been working with some kind of terrorist cell. They've been using the game to radicalize other people and get them to carry out missions. There's some kind of gas line in San Francisco that's reportedly being rigged to explode."
"A gas line? In San Fran?" Savorn repeated. "And Draco the video game company is behind it? Do you hear how crazy that is? I mean, I've been living in San Francisco for six years, and I've not once seen a video game company try to rig a gas main."
"I'm telling you, it's really convincing stuff. I'm thinking about joining the Iron Dragons."
"You're going to join a bunch of nutjobs who think Draco is Al-Qaeda? I have no idea why we hang out," Savorn said.
"Well, you're free to join me if you want. It's not too far to reach their headquarters from here," Fredlin said as he finished butchering the elk. "And if I were you, I'd get as far as I could from San Francisco. That main's gonna blow up any minute."
Savorn sighed. "Look, Fredlin, I think you're crazy, but if you're serious about joining the Iron Dragons, I'm in."
"Really? I figured you'd give me all sorts of flack about it," Fredlin replied.
"I might think they're nuts, but have you seen the board rankings lately? The Iron Dragons just overcame the Kingdom of Gloran and the Kraken Gods Mercenary group. They're on fire," Savorn said. "But they don't let just anyone in. I assume you've got an invite?"
"Smart girl," Fredlin said with a chuckle as he dug out a small letter from his satchel. There was an image of a large dragon made out of iron emblazoned on the letter. "They sent this to me last night."
"Can you get me in, or do I have to prove that I'm insane before they consider me?" Savorn replied with a laugh. Then, in the distance, she heard a loud boom sound out. She paused and turned around to face the direction of the sound, but saw nothing.
"You alright?" Fredlin asked. "Hear another elk?"
"No," Savorn whispered.
"An explosion, I think." There was another boom, and this time it had been closer.
"I'm not hearing anything," Fredlin said. "Maybe it's a –" His words were interrupted as the power to Savorn's game system was abruptly cut.
"What the hell?" she gasped once she realized that she was sitting in her bedroom. She fumbled for a moment, trying to regain control of her senses. Getting kicked out of the game sucked hard, and for a moment she felt as if she were going blind. After a few seconds passed, she was finally able to regain her senses long enough to pull the haptic goggles off.
A stinging sensation welled up in her eyes right away, and she began to hack and wheeze. "The…hell?" she gasped out as she fell to her knees and began to blindly crawl away from the computer. The smell of smoke was overwhelming. As she instinctively crawled toward her window, she felt little pricks of pain in her knees that were accompanied by the sounds of glass crunching. She yelped in pain as the sirens in the background began to grow louder.
Savorn grunted as she hoisted herself up, stumbling to the window. She needed air, and badly. Opening one eye, she could see that the window had been shattered. Sticking her head out the window, she tried to take a deep breath of fresh air, but felt only more pain as the smoke entered her lungs. In the distance, someone was calling to her, but she was beginning to lose consciousness from the smoke inhalation. Another explosion in the distance rocked the entire house. Holy crap, she thought as she slid to the ground. The Iron Dragons were right.
1
"Is this a good sign or a bad sign?" Sang asked as she pointed to the horde of players who were trudging toward the home base of the Iron Dragons. Originally, the plan had been for them to just stay in an abandoned castle for a few days while the entire team of mercenaries found a suitable home, but word had gotten out that this castle was the new base of operations. Now more people than ever were arriving to meet with the team.
