by Eden Redd
Faye curled her fingers into a fist, ready to finish the Dread Lord when Edric shouted from behind.
“We need him for now,” Edric shouted, his eyes still in disbelief at what he just witnessed.
Faye looked down on the crumpled Dread Lord as his legs fell over and he lay there, his smashed face moaning into the shattered floor.
Tears streamed down Faye’s smooth face as she turned away. Edric stepped to the wood elf, arms open. Faye rushed to him, the two embracing as the wood elf sobbed into his shoulder. Edric’s eyes teared up, knowing the emotional pain she felt as they both failed to save someone before, the cathartic sobbing releasing them of their guilt.
Juna moved to the lever as the summoner and monk let their tears flow. The half-troll pulled back a fist and smashed the lever, rendering it inoperable. Juna turned to her friends as they cried through their grief, her heart glowing as they finally achieved peace in their spirits, the battle won.
Nine
Lunatina stood before the glowing portal. Surrounding the jester were a dozen high level guards. A nervous tremble filled her hands as she stared at the swirling red glow of the gate. Memories touched her mind and a faint sadness wrapped around her heart. It had been so long since she was there and now she was returning home. The bittersweet thoughts played out before she tightened her gloved hands into fists.
The portal rippled and Rayna appeared. The bard gave the jester a sardonic sweet expression as she stepped closer and stood before the hesitant woman in purple and black.
“Is it done,” Lunatina asked with wary eyes.
Rayna nodded. “The kingdoms are ours.”
The jester looked down, processing the information. It didn’t feel real and doubt loomed.
“Are you nervous?”
Lunatina looked up and gave a slight nod. “It doesn’t feel like it’s really happening.”
The bard reached out and took the jester’s hand into hers. “I know but we won. The trolls began to surrender when we captured Maggar. The players have secured the kingdoms and your throne awaits.”
“What about my duties here in Elora? I am a courtesan,” Lunatina said with a feeble attempt at staying.
Rayna gave her a loving smirk. “You’re royalty. Someone needs to sit on the throne and who better to trust. You helped Jayson, Sonja and Lance when you journeyed to the Cursed Coast. You helped us with defending Elora from the Dread Lords. You were there for me when I was having a hard time with my secrets. I can’t think of anyone better to rule over the Middle Kingdoms. None of us can. That is why you should take the honor and be there for your new kingdom.”
The jester looked down, “I have spent so much time trying to survive. I don’t know how to rule.”
Rayna stepped closer, leaned in and kissed Lunatina on the lips. The jester’s eyes widened before they closed halfway, enjoying the bard’s taste.
Rayna pulled away, still smiling. “You’ll be fine. It’s not like we won’t visit for royal orgies.”
Lunatina let out a loud laugh. “How could I forget about that?”
Rayna pulled at Lunatina’s hand, “Let’s get you to your new home.”
The bard, jester and guards moved to the portal. Rayna tugged the new queen into the portal and they melted into the swirling energy. Lunatina’s eyes were wide as streams of light streaked past and then they appeared in the square of the Bellor Kingdom.
Lunatina’s eyes glimmered as she looked around, not realizing until now how much she missed her true home. Blast marks covered some buildings as gold and gems lay about in the streets but other than that, it still felt like home. Some players standing about looked to the jester, bard and guards. Eyes on Lunatina, they bowed in polite courtesy.
Lunatina’s eyes shifted to the bard as she began to walk toward Bellor’s Keep. Following along, she basked in the familiar sights, her heart swelling. Glancing up, she noticed the flags of Elora being hoisted on poles, a blooming tree with white angel wings spreading out from the trunk.
Rayna looked back, catching the jester’s eyes. “Elora’s flags will be taken down when you’re ready to take full control of the kingdoms. You will still have to appoint lords or ladies to the other three kingdoms. Belmont was called the King Lord. Does that make you the Queen Lady?”
Lunatina smiled. “I may just keep it Queen.”
“As you wish, your majesty,” Rayna smiled and continued to lead the way.
Many more bowed in the streets as the small party made their way to the main gate of the keep and then up the stairs to the royal entrance. Lunatina marveled that the keep had remained mostly intact with only a few walls cracked from the fighting. Climbing the stairs, the main doors were open as the bard and jester made their way inside.
The main hallway and throne room was filled with bodies. Players and NPCs bowed as Rayna pulled back and Lunatina walked forward. The jester looked to everyone, disbelief coloring her eyes. Ahead, Edric, Faye, Claudia, Jinn, Juna, Leeta, Sonja and many others stood at the bottom of the dais leading up to the pair of thrones.
The crowd was silent, eyes on the jester as she climbed the dais steps, stood before the thrones and turned back to the gathered crowd. Edric, Faye, Claudia and Rayna stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up at the jester with adoring eyes.
Edric spoke up, “Lunatina Belmont, we, the lord and ladies of Elora, release you of your courtesan duties.”
“So say we all,” Faye, Claudia and Rayna said in unison.
Lunatina felt the bond slip away and a new one formed. Sitting down on the throne of her father, sadness flowed before it was replaced with hope for a better future. The silence blanketed the entire throne room as everyone stared, waiting for her first words as Queen of the Middle Kingdoms.
Lunatina looked down at Rayna’s smiling face, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Opening her eyes, the jester now queen, lifted her chin and addressed the crowd. “My first decree is…..open the wine cellars and food stores…..we celebrate our victory!”
The throne room erupted in a deafening cheer as fists pumped into the air. Players and NPCs hugged one another while others screamed their lungs out. Applause vibrated through the throne room as whistles pierced the air. Lovers and friends kissed while some danced. The rulers of Elora clapped and shouted, watching as the queen take her rightful place on the throne and giving them a loving gaze.
Jinn smiled as he stepped closer to Edric, leaning in so he could speak into his ear, “We still have some things we need to address.”
Edric nodded as the cheering stormed on in excited fervor.
***
Sonja walked outside as the crowd grew a little rowdy in the throne room. The night air cooled her hot skin. Thoughts raced to duties she took upon herself to complete. There were a lot of troll prisoners and the guards were quickly filling the dungeons until Queen Belmont could decide what to do next with them.
Stepping down the stairs, she reached the courtyard of Bellor Keep when four guards approached the knight, surrounding a troll in chains. The troll was all smiles as he looked on, one of the guards breaking away and bowing before the blue knight.
“Lady Sonja, this troll said he knew you and started giving a tremendous amount of information about you to us. We felt he might be a spy and maybe worth bringing him to your attention.”
One guard pushed the troll forward and he stumbled a few steps, keeping his smile. Dark eyes connected with Sonja’s gaze as he stood to his full height, shoulders relaxed. Sonja stepped closer, unsure what to think but a nagging feeling of familiarity washed over her heart. The energy was there, flowing between them and the way he stood spoke of a not too distant memory.
“Till the end,” the troll said simply.
Sonja’s eyes widened to the size of saucers as her heart thumped in her chest. “Lance?”
The troll gave a confident smile as dark eyes began to water. Sonja drew her sword and slashed it down, breaking his binds in one strike. The guards s
tepped back as she sheathed her sword and rushed the troll, throwing her arms around him, tears streaking her cheeks. The troll held her, snuggling his face to her neck, taking in her scent the feel of her hair on his cheek. The moment flowed on as the guards eyed each other and one shrugged.
“I….didn’t know….” Sonja nearly sobbed.
“I couldn’t just come back and start again,” Lance said as he held her fiercely, “I knew the day would come when you attacked the Middle Kingdoms and took it back. I thought…I would create a new character in enemy territory…so when the time was right, I could help you from the inside.”
“You were on the roof, firing the scorpion at the others. You destroyed their advantage,” Sonja said with a loving edge.
The two pulled apart but kept their hands on each other.
“You look a little like Lorn,” the blue knight said, looking the troll over.
“I thought I should come back and do something right for him. I go by the name Lornus,” the troll smiled.
Sonja looked past the troll to the guard, “He’s a friend and ally.”
The guards eyed each other before bowing and walking away.
Sonja looked to Lornus and her brow wrinkled. Taking the bottom of her fist, she hit his chest a few times.
“You jerk! You did the same thing Jayson did to us!”
“I had to. We don’t know who is watching all the time and if I spoke to you, I would have spilled my plan. I couldn’t risk being found out by the trolls or other players.”
“Is this going to be your new avatar?”
Lornus nodded, “For now. I spent the last few months here, getting to really know the kingdoms and the trolls here. Many of them are scared, forced to fight in a war they never truly wanted to be part of. They are afraid of the Dread Lords. They never wanted to exterminate the dragons, only to be an equal.”
Shadows grew under Lornus’s eyes. “Harkkon freed Master Kurss Darkwhisper. He has him in Kraznith. The other Kunarr masters have been slain except for him. Harkkon is using him to keep the southern kingdoms in line.”
“We have to tell the others,” Sonja said before Lornus held her tighter to him.
“We have a little time. I just want to stay with you for a little bit. I missed you beyond words.”
Sonja looked up to the handsome troll. “It hasn’t been the same. Jinn is busy being a father to Juna and with you gone, I was starting to feel alone again.”
“What about Drakkus,” Lornus smirked.
Sonja returned the smirk. “He’s nice but he isn’t my true loves.”
Lornus and Sonja leaned toward each other, lips pressing and arms wrapping around each other. The sounds of celebrations carried into the night, the couple lost in a reuniting bliss.
***
A single torch flickered in the plain room. A figure sat in an iron chair, white collar around his neck and binds on his wrists and ankles. Chains glowed white as the figure sat, bound to the iron chair. The metal burned against exposed skin and the figure grunted in pain. A vile regeneration pushed against the burning chains, creating an equal balance of pain and pleasure.
An iron door opened. The tattooed head of the figure looked up with wide, madness filled eyes. Edric and Jinn stepped in first, Juna and Faye next with Rayna, Claudia and Thorrin coming in last. The paladin closed the iron door behind him as the group formed a semi-circle around the bound Dread Lord.
“Is this where I confess my sins and you offer absolution,” Maggar chuckled.
“There is no forgiveness for something like you,” Jinn said in a low, menacing tone.
Maggar looked down, “I suppose not.”
“The only reason you’re still here is for information,” Edric said with a hard edge.
Maggar looked past the group to Thorrin, “I assume once you have your information, the paladin will end my dreadful existence.”
The room fell silent, eyes on the Dread Lord.
“It’s just as well. I earned my fate when I didn’t hold the Middle Kingdoms. Harkkon would have me destroyed anyway just like that fool Riktess Grimm for getting captured by the vampire. Time has run out for all and I rather a chance to respawn than be cut down by an abyssal blade.”
“What do you mean,” Edric asked.
Maggar leaned back, a small sigh falling from his lips before he spoke. “I have looked beyond the code and programs. The creators have spoken to each other, telling each other a full reboot will be needed to wipe the world of the corrupted code. They are pressured by their superiors who are pressured from the public and high-profile people in your reality.
“Once the reboot takes place, Lukken will be reset, the Awakened wiped out and replaced with simpler artificial intelligence so there will be fewer attachments between immortals and this world.”
“William Tanner’s confession is affecting the real world,” Jinn said as he rubbed his jaw. “Players are continuing to tell their stories and those who don’t play or don’t understand are becoming afraid.”
Maggar nodded. “The end has come and there will be no escape.”
Jinn looked to Juna but spoke to Edric, “We have to save Oksuna before that happens.”
Maggar’s wide eyes stared at the grizzled assassin. “What difference does it make? The Rose Seer is Harkkon’s slave. The troll kingdoms belong to him…,” the Dread Lord trailed off.
“What,” Edric demanded.
Maggar’s face took on a calming edge, looking almost like he was alive again. “Harkkon wants you to go to Kraznith. He wants you all to try and defeat him. I must tell you, you should not go, for all of Lukken’s sake.”
Maggar shifted uncomfortably in the iron chair. “I thought if I had more time, I could understand the code of our world better. Instead, my God-King commanded me to alter his body. His power has grown to the likes never witnessed before but he still has his weaknesses to holy and arcane power. An army of powerful dragons would be needed to defeat him or a few Sormir.”
The Dread Lord looked up to the group with defeated eyes. “Harkkon’s death will unleash a cataclysmic event. What, I don’t know. All he could tell me is my work will ensure life will end with him.”
“He’s goading us to come to him,” Jinn said in a low tone.
“Why not just unleash his power and be done with it,” Rayna said with an annoyed edge.
Edric looked down, “He can’t. He’s a program; something may be hard wired in him to not destroy everything unless conditions are met. He set the condition. We have to fight him and defeat him.”
Edric turned to the group, “You play enough video games to know even a villain won’t take their own life unless it’s scripted. He’s following his long-term script. The raising of the Dread Lords, the battle on the Cursed Coast and the conquering of the Dragon Kingdoms, it’s all part of the scripted events.”
“I thought the Awakened have free will. They can break from their scripts,” Faye said.
“It’s not a perfect free will,” Jinn added. “Despite seemingly breaking from their directives, they do sometimes return to old behaviors once in a while. I’ve seen it dozens of times, an Awakened conflicted with what they wanted and what they are programmed to do.”
Edric nodded. “Harkkon may have free will but he is still falling back into his scripted behavior. He might not even know what it means so he is taking extra precautions so he wins no matter the choices. He is ensuring a fate he wants to happen.”
Juna looked to Jinn, “Does that mean we can’t save mother?”
Jinn shook his head, “No matter what happens, we are saving your mother.”
Edric nodded. “We promised to save her and we are not breaking from that promise.”
Maggar leered. “You have doomed Lukken to its fate.”
Edric turned to the bound Dread Lord, “No, we’re going to save it!”
Maggar’s leer faded, “Your bravery is admirable but if Harkkon dies, what untold horrors will you unleash?”
Ed
ric leaned in close to the Dread Lord, gaze meeting his. “I don’t think you will have to worry about that anymore.”
Edric stood up and stepped back. Thorrin stepped closer as the rest of the group gave him room. Maggar’s eyes fell to the white hammer in the paladin’s hand and a resignation crawled into his knowing eyes.
Thorrin stood before the Dread Lord, eyes holding judgment. “Maggar Wormwood, you are an abomination not fit for this world. I send you back to the void and your proper home in the universe.”
Maggar looked up with a simple smile. “Send me home kind paladin.”
The group watched as Thorrin lifted his hammer without hesitation and brought it down on the Dread Lord’s head. The skull caved in, pixilating as the paladin continued his grisly blows. The white hammer stained with black streaks as Maggar’s head cracked in half and soon the shoulder bones.
The gathered players watched dispassionately as Thorrin reached into the caved in top, dug down with searching fingers until they clamped on something vile. Pulling the black heart out; Thorrin tossed it on the floor and brought his hammer down with one mighty swing. The blow cracked the heart, shattering it to shards of gray lights. The mutilated corpse on the chair cracked with light before it too shattered to pieces.
Jinn rested a hand on Thorrin’s heaving shoulder, “You okay?”
Thorrin nodded. “I may need a moment,” his eyes were wild with satisfaction.
Jinn nodded and moved to the group, ushering them into the corridor and closing the iron door behind them.
The older assassin turned to the group, eyes lowering and taking in a small breath. Edric eyed Jinn as did the rest of the group, seeing an internal conflict play out before the assassin looked up.
“There is someone I need you all to meet,” Jinn said firmly.
***
