by Rick Scott
NO!!!
I jab my kunai into Lady Diana’s arm at the same time she reacts to Xavier’s pull on her puppet strings.
You hit Lady Diana for 212 damage.
Lady Diana is Stunned!
Her blade is thrown wide, but still grazes her cheek before jerking to a halt.
“Val, knock her out again!” I cry.
The giantess reacts to my call and crosses the distance to Diana in three huge strides. Her gauntlet-clad fist flies like a torpedo and strikes Lady Diana square in the jaw.
Val Helena uses Subduing Blow.
Val Helena hits Lady Diana for 136 damage.
Lady Diana is asleep.
10% of her Health bar disappears as she goes sailing through the air. She hits the ground unconscious and the sword tumbles from her grasp.
Gunshots ring out as Rembrandt unloads on Xavier, but the fat man is already on the run, cowering behind his flunkies.
“Protect me!” he cries and several of the soldiers run forward with raised shields. Sparks bounce off them as the soldiers backstep in retreat. One of them falls and for a half second I consider sprinting after them to finish the job, but it’s far too late now. The main force is just a few hundred feet away and Xavier is running right to them.
“I’ve got Diana,” Val Helena says and scoops the unconscious Knight off the ground and throws her over her pauldron. “We need to go!”
I hesitate a second more, once again feeling the chagrin of our enemy slipping from our grasp. But there’s nothing I can do. I swallow my failure and turn to run with the others, sprinting off into the night.
Chapter 4: Separation
“A quarter mile,” Maxis shouts. “We can make it!”
I scan to my right as we cross the path of the oncoming army. The giants and mammoths are out front, eating up the distance quickly with their slow but lengthy gaits. I look for Gilly and run next to her.
“I’m sorry, you guys,” I say. “I really screwed that up.”
No one says anything and their silence drives home the heat of failure that’s burning on my face. I feel guilty and embarrassed, both for the outcome and my hubris that pushed it all to happen, despite everyone saying not to. I guess I still have a lot to learn.
“We saved Diana,” Val Helena says somewhat graciously. “That’s all that matters.”
I suppose that’s true.
Gilly doesn’t look at me though and I can’t tell if she’s upset with me or not.
No time to worry about that now, I suppose.
We need to get to the wild.
* * *
Aiko dashes ahead as we finally near the entrance to the crevice.
“Run past me,” she says. “I’ll set traps!”
We do so and I take a glance at her as she kneels by the entrance.
Aiko sets an Explosive Trap.
Aiko sets an Explosive Trap.
She stands and rejoins us. “Done!”
“Wow, that quick?” Gilly says.
“They’re not that powerful,” the elf says, “but if we’re lucky maybe they’ll cause a collapse.”
“I don’t think those things can fit through this passage anyway.” Gilly casts a light spell and as its glow illuminates the dark interior of the crevice, it’s clear that she’s right. It’s barely five feet across and the giants and mammoths would be hard-pressed to follow us, much like they weren’t able to follow us down the worm tunnel back at the keep.
I feel a huge sense of relief at that thought.
“Almost home free now, mates,” Rembrandt says and then he adds with a laugh, “blimey, who’d have thought we’d be running to the wild as a source of refuge, eh?”
“No kidding,” Maxis says and then laughs as well.
We all share a laugh then, breaking the tension somewhat.
“I trust that you all know what we’re getting into out there?” Becky says with a hint of trepidation.
“Won’t be easy, Becks.” Rembrandt throws her a grin. “But I’ll see us through.”
We exit the cliff on the other side and then run through the canyon-like terrain leading to the safe zone. We travel for a couple of minutes, the canyon growing wider until the edge of the safe zone finally comes within view. We’re about thirty feet away when a jostling voice calls out.
“Could you….please…set me down…!”
“Lady Diana!” Gilly says and we all halt.
Val Helena lowers Diana from her shoulder and places her gingerly on the ground. “Sorry. I had to hit you again.”
“I recall,” she says, rubbing her jaw. “Thank you, though.”
Relief washes over me as I recognize the true Lady Diana again. Gone is her Knight’s armor and standard rolled-in-a-bun hairdo, but the cop eyes are still the same. They squint at me as I look at her, and I have to admit, if not for her emerald dress cursing her to become a living puppet, she looks quite good in it, especially with her hair down.
Lady Diana: It’s good to see you, young Reece.
Me: You too, Lady Diana.
Gilly rushes in and gives her a hug.
“You’re not charmed anymore!” she says and then steps back smiling. “What happened? Did he remove the ring or something?”
“No. It’s out of range, perhaps.” Diana then glances around. “Where are we?”
“Not far from where we were,” Val Helena says. “A passageway leading from the Vale of Sorrows to—”
An explosion rocks in the distance, cutting her off.
“What was that?” Diana says.
“One of the traps I placed at the entrance.” Aiko looks behind her with a grimace. “They got here fast. We need to move.”
“Stealth up and let’s roll,” Maxis says. “We can chit-chat later. I’m not sure how far they’re willing to follow us, but if we can sneak past the watch towers and dogs, I’d say we’d be safe from them for sure. No way an army that size is sneaking past those things.”
I nod and cast Shadow Wall. “Let’s go.”
I reach for Gilly’s hand and grasp it as we run toward the barrier. We pass through and there’s no abrupt change like before when it was daytime, but the dark clouds still billow overhead and block out what was once a starry sky.
Something crackles like electricity and the barrier flashes with a faint image of hexagons. Lady Dana becomes visible as she crashes into it and then bounces back, falling to the ground on the opposite side.
“Diana!” I shout, turning back to her.
The Knight stirs and gets on her feet. “What was that?”
We all phase out of stealth as we approach the barrier again.
What the heck…?
“It’s the border to the wild,” Val Helena says. “Only you didn’t pass through.”
Nausea creeps into my stomach. “Try walking through it again.”
She does so and again the barrier reacts, becoming visible as she presses against it with her palm.
“Oh my God…” Gilly says. “She can’t get through?”
My heart freezes as my stomach drops through the floor. “Diana?”
“Is it the dress?” Gilly says.
Aiko steps forward, frowning. “It’s probably because she’s an NPC. She must be bound to this particular safe zone. I’ve never actually heard of NPCs wandering into the wild before and I guess this is why.”
A chill fills the air when she says it. It’s a cold reminder that there’s a fundamental difference between Diana and ourselves. Even though she’s as real and courageous as any person I’ve ever met, she’s an AI. Born of this world and bound by different rules than we are.
Rules that we take for granted.
Rules that will now see her killed.
Oh God…why did we bring her here?
She vainly presses against the barrier and I have a flashback to the little girl, Amanda, banging against that tube on Planet Hell. Just like then, I’m helpless to aid her.
A warhorn blows in the distance.
; “What are we going to do?” Gilly asks.
No one has an answer. Her escape is cut off and there’s an army behind her, ready to take her captive or worse.
Diana grimaces. “Run. There’s nothing more you can do here.”
My stomach sinks another ten feet into the ground.
“We can’t just leave you,” I say. “We can’t let him capture you again.”
“He won’t,” Diana says. “Which of you has a blade to lend me?”
Oh God. “Diana….”
“If this is to be the day I leave this world, then I want to do so with a blade in my hand.” Her eyes squint as she looks back towards the caldera. “I’ll exact my own vengeance.”
No one says anything for a moment, digesting her words.
Finally Rembrandt steps forward and materializes a longsword in his hand. He trades it to her through the barrier. “I’m so very sorry, Lady Diana.”
Diana then looks to Aiko. “I’ll ask a favor of you, as well.”
“Me?” Aiko says.
“Plant one of your traps here. As strong as you can make it.”
My stomach lurches again. I understand what she wants to do and I can’t blame her. I can only imagine what it would mean for her to fall under the control of Braxus again after all this. Reluctantly, Aiko slips back to the other side of the barrier and lays the trap for her.
Tears tug at my eyes. I can hardly accept it. To have freed her from Braxus only to be killed like this? Guilt torments me. Maybe it would have been better to have left her captive. At least then she would still be alive. “Lady Diana, please tell me there’s something we can do! Don’t tell me we saved you for nothing!”
She cracks a weak smile. “You need not mourn for me, young Reece. My time is here. I told you as much a moment ago. I thank you for saving me, but my life is not what’s important. You’ve gifted me something far more valuable.”
I search her face in incomprehension.
“You’ve gifted me an honorable death.” She chokes up on the hilt of her sword. “My dignity is restored. I will not die a puppet in a green dress. I will die a Knight in combat. And for this I’m eternally grateful.”
My heart melts as my mouth drops open. I have no idea what to say. But I still can’t accept it. Suddenly something flashes into my mind.
“Wait!” I shout as my heart leaps with hope. “The favor!”
My friends all look at me.
“What are you talking about?” Gilly says.
“Remember?” I say, searching for the key item in my inventory and then linking to it. “I received something from a quest after we defeated Witgar.”
Favor of the gods
You have performed a task so great that the gods themselves are in debt.
Single use. Untradeable.
I have no idea what it does, but if there is ever a time to find out then now is it.
“Guys,” I say. “I’m using it.”
“What’s it even do?” Gilly says.
“I don’t know,” I say as I fix my eyes on Diana. “I guess we’ll see.”
I activate the item and the whole world disappears in a brilliant white light.
Chapter 5: Interloper
Bruce arrived at his office to find it already occupied.
He stopped just short of the doorway and his breath caught when he saw who was standing within. A tall, bald-headed man in dirty blue jeans, black boots and a white undervest, had his back to him. His muscular shoulders were adorned with an intricate array of body-art that resembled a gothic mural, all dead crows and upside-down crucifixes. Bruce’s insides bubbled with disgust at the intruder and the gall of him to not only enter his office uninvited, but to be poking around on his desk as well.
But then, what else could you expect from this kind of low life?
“You looking for something, Novak?”
The larger man, at least a head taller than Bruce, didn’t react to the question right away. He continued to fiddle on his desk for a few seconds, before slowly turning to face Bruce with a ridiculous grin on his face.
“Sup, Bruce?”
Victor Novak, the leader of the Citadel Kings, was perhaps a decade younger than Bruce, but his graying red beard that extended to the top of his chest made him look much older. His body was layered with both muscle and fat, a giant of a man—and no doubt his size was his main bargaining tool when it came to the gritty politics of the hub underworld.
But here he was just another problem that Bruce had to deal with.
“You’re late, ain’tcha?” Novak said in a slight drawl that was the trademark of his particular clan. “Or is it the boss can make any time he wants?”
The Kings were one of the oldest and largest gangs in Citadel, and—for all intents and purposes—one of the more civilized. They had structure and a code of sorts. But civilized was a relative term, particularly when it came to their leader.
“You tell me, Novak…” Bruce squared him up and looked him dead in the eye. “You’re a boss yourself, aren’t you?”
Novak chucked at the grammatical correction. “Fit and proper. Just like you, Bruce. I dig it.”
Bruce’s patience waned. He was preparing to have a long hard think about what to do about Dennis and this was a distraction he just didn’t need.
“What do you want?” he said. “I’m busy.”
“Oh, you will be,” Novak said. “I’m sure. Especially after this.”
Bruce tensed as Novak reached for something behind his back.
The bigger man grinned and laughed. “Easy, jack rabbit. If this was a hit, it wouldn’t be me personally, and you sure as hell wouldn’t see it coming either.”
Bruce’s heart raced, accompanied by a flush of embarrassment. Bruce was a solid man and built well for his age, if not a bit stocky. But he wasn’t a natural scrapper by any means. Words were always his weapons of choice and the unpredictability of this kind of company set him on edge.
“Thanks for the reassurance,” he said folding his arms but taking a step back.
He waited while Novak produced something wrapped in a dirty towel and dropped it onto his desk. He unwrapped it and lying within was a small handgun, made of black graphite and plastic.
Bruce’s heart raced for a second time. “Where did you get that?”
Novak cracked a grin. “I thought that’d get your attention, chief.”
It certainly did. Bruce stared at the weapon, almost afraid to touch it. “Is it real?”
“Well it ain’t no toy.” Novak casually handled the weapon, removing the ammunition clip before pulling back the slide to eject a brass-encased bullet. Novak caught it in midair and then tossed it to Bruce. “See for yourself.”
Bruce caught the bullet in his palm and then stared at it incomprehensibly. It had a weight to it he didn’t expect, but then, he’d never handled an actual piece of ammunition before. “This has chemical in it? Gunpowder?”
“That’s right,” Novak said. “This ain’t no hopped-together component contraption from the hubs.” The gang leader twisted the gun in his hand, marveling at it. “Pre-war Glock 17, standard, gen seven. It’s noob gear in most of the reality-based Shards. The question I got for you, Bruce, is how the hell was someone able to print this?”
How indeed? Weapons—even ones far more technologically advanced than the gun before him—were available in the game worlds of the Crystal Shards. And like anything else, they could be sent straight to a nano processor to be replicated in the real world, but hard-wired protocols prevented certain items such as these from being reproduced. The lack of real weapons kept the entire population, especially the hub, relatively safe—limited to crude melee weapons, like pipes and fists.
But a real live gun?
“I go back to my first question,” Bruce said. “Where did you get this?”
Novak chortled. “Well, I guess it’s a relief that you look genuinely shocked, Bruce. Only you ivory tower stiffs have the unlock protocols to allow this to happe
n. So you tell me?”
That sent Bruce’s head for another spin.
Could this be Dennis again? Acting already? To unlock the protocols by normal means took a unanimous vote by the board and the security clearance of both himself and two other members. It was reserved for defense against an all-out attack, or in extreme circumstances, as a form of law-enforcement if all hell broke loose within the hubs. But Dennis, with his access, would certainly have the means to pull something like this off.
“You holding something back, Bruce?”
Bruce flinched out of his thoughts as Novak thrust his face into Bruce’s. Bruce stepped back again, composing himself. Perhaps he let his thoughts show a bit too much that time. He had to get back in control here.
“You still haven’t answered my question, Novak. Where did you get it?”
“Found it on a punk that was robbing people down in the third quadrant,” Novak said.
“And where did he get it? Did you interrogate him?”
“He killed himself with it before I could get a word out of him.”
Dear lord. Bruce grimaced at the thought as his insides churned.
“But that’s not the worst of it,” Novak said.
He raised a brow. “What else?”
“He was part of a gang, Bruce…A Trencher.”
Trencher? Bruce knew many of the gangs that existed within the hub, like the Castle Rats, who were known for their ability to smuggle things in and out of the Shards—no doubt a prime suspect when it came to this gun, but the name Trencher eluded him altogether. “Who are they?”
“Bunch of kids who hang down in abandoned levels. They usually keep to themselves and spend most of their time trying to hack into the Shards for free. Was a real surprise to find something like this on one of them. But clearly he knew its value, because he offed himself with it to keep his source a secret.”
Again Bruce winced inwardly at what would drive an individual to do something like that. Whoever had done this had a firm sense of control indeed. “Well at least that’s a lead. Alright, so we’ll have to find these Trenchers and see who gave them—”
