Demetri actually found it fascinating to watch Chloe go through the trials she was encountering in-game. Compared to her egotistical brothers and sisters with their scoffs and whines and petty little problems, it was almost addictive to spend time watching someone redevelop herself in a brand new world. He had to give it to Mia and Praxis Games. Obsidian could be a huge hit in the future.
Mia caught Demetri up on what he had missed, which was to say, she told him about Chloe’s journey through the woods and the incident with the bear. Now they could both see Chloe live on the screen, working with this new character, Gideon, to prepare something in a large pot.
“Another NPC?” Demetri picked up a piping hot drink, side-eyeing Mia, who had changed into different clothes since he had left.
Now she wore a pair of leggings and a sweatshirt, and her hair was in a ponytail. He figured he should maybe take a leaf out of her book at some point. He was still wearing the same suit he had been since Chloe started her adventure.
Demetri raised his mug. “Thanks for this, by the way.”
Mia waved a hand. “Don’t mention it. And, no, not an NPC. A real person.” A smile played on her lips. “You know what this means, right?”
Demetri shook his head, recoiling as he burned his tongue on his drink.
“We’re officially live in beta testing. Praxis opened up the game to a selection of candidates, and now they’re meeting for the first time.”
When Demetri’s expression remained blank, Mia explained that this was a necessary part of game testing. Chloe had been their first player and was the constant in the game, the first player to fully submerge themselves into Obsidian for an extended period of time. Meanwhile, approximately a thousand other players were now finding their way into the game, spawning in random locations across Obsidian’s vast map and getting involved in quests, conversations, and battles.
“They told me that trials wouldn’t start for at least another week,” Mia said, curling her feet under her butt to warm them, “but I guess that they deemed the game stable enough after Chloe’s playbacks that they just went ahead and got everyone involved.”
Demetri watched as something exploded in the pot on the screen. Chloe and the other character were dancing around manically, Gideon waving a towel as Chloe wagged a finger in the man’s face. “You mean they didn’t tell you when they were going ahead?”
Mia rolled her eyes. “I’m a game developer, D. One of the lowest rungs of the ladder, although probably a shoo-in for a promotion, thanks to your powers of persuasion.” She winked. “And probably an even bigger shoo-in considering that your baby Lagarde has already managed to exploit quite a big hole in the game’s story development. No level 1 player should ever have been able to complete that task, especially the way she did.”
“Right, I meant to ask you about that,” Demetri said, remembering the question that had hounded his head as he had sat and listened to Henry and Hilary Lagarde drone on about the fact that one had stolen the other’s Netflix password and for some reason the wi-fi box had decided to reset itself at a moment at which they were about to lose their investment. “Chloe was saved by Divine Intervention, right?”
“Mmhmm.”
“And her bracers are a fragment of a god, correct?”
“Goddess. What’s your point?”
Demetri rubbed his chin. “How exactly does the god system work in Obsidian?”
Mia thought for a moment, searching some lost corner of her mind. “It was explained to me once in a storyboarding meeting about the root makeup of Obsidian’s narrative, though, for the life of me, I can’t remember much. I’m pretty sure I remember it being loosely based on the structure of the Greek Gods and Olympus. Y’know, brothers and sisters, incest and fighting. It doesn’t matter what I remember anyway. The AI could have changed it all.”
“What do you mean?”
Mia sat up, bringing her drink to her lips. She pressed a button on the remote and muted the TV as another explosion went off, this time causing the man to run around the kitchen with his hair on fire.
“Praxis created a gaming AI that can predict, create, and interpret a player’s style of play, manipulating the world around it to create the challenges players face. Truth be told, only a few elements of the game are predictable. The rest is created by a super-advanced computer that has been fed enough information from fantasy roleplaying games over the last few decades to be able to create its own game. That means the gods, the rivers, the towns, the NPCs—they’re all artificially created. There isn’t a single developer who knows everything about Obsidian. That’s what makes it so fun.”
Mia’s eyes were alight. In the dim, flashing glow of the TV screen, Demetri couldn’t quite believe she was still as beautiful as he first remembered her.
He distracted himself by taking another sip of his drink. Now the TV displayed Chloe and the man sitting down in chairs in the living room while the man ate some food, possibly to restore his health. Demetri pondered Mia’s words, wondering just how safe it was that there was no one on the planet in control of the storylines in this game.
“What if it’s dangerous?” Demetri asked, his voice so quiet, Mia had to strain to hear.
“What do you mean? There’s nothing harmful in that game.”
“You heard her say it herself before she ran through that hidden crack in the wall. The pain receptors are too high, and you’ve just admitted that the game is sentient and can create its own narratives. What’s to say the game won’t freak out and suddenly send spikes through Chloe’s chest? Who’s to say she won’t be imprisoned or tortured by corrupt dead men?”
Mia rose from her seat and padded over to Demetri, finding a place to sit on his lap. “Oooh, that’s quite the imagination. Ever thought about writing for Praxis Games? Obsidian isn’t the only game that we’re working on at the minute,” she said playfully.
Demetri blushed, unable to meet her eyes. “I’ve got an investment in that game too. If she suffers, I’ll suffer. I’m out of a job if this fails.”
Mia’s hand found his chin and teased it toward her until their eyes met. “Believe me, I’ve got an investment in this, too. Why do you think I jumped at the opportunity to talk to you and see you again?”
Before Demetri could respond, Mia’s lips were on his. The kiss was sweet. Tender. They tasted each other in the darkened room for an amount of time that seemed to stretch to eternity.
Demetri forgot all his troubles, losing himself in Mia. On the TV screen, Chloe and the man fist-bumped, then punched the air, clearly excited to have finished whatever the hell they had been working on.
Chapter Eleven
The smell of the damned thing was foul, a mixture of burned sulfur and her brother’s farts. Even from across the clearing, Chloe and Gideon were forced to cover their noses against the stench from the pot.
They had been crouched for a while, biding their time. Waiting. Occasionally Chloe would scan the area, cocking an ear for any sign of the beast. She caught sight of Gideon and had to stifle her laughter.
Gideon tsked. “Will you get over it?” he whispered.
Chloe closed her eyes, trying to erase the image. Gideon’s hair was in patches, there being a large bald area where the fire had burned away his hair.
“Seriously, will you—”
Gideon’s demand was cut short by a colossal roar that sounded as though it was right next to them. As they ducked and peered through the bushes, they saw the bear emerge from the tree line.
It approached cautiously, nose in the air. Spotting the pot, it padded nearer, standing on its hind legs and letting out another roar. Several birds took to the sky. A tiny squirrel that had been foraging for food near Chloe skittered up the tree and disappeared into the foliage.
Satisfied that it was alone, the bear reached the pot and stuck its head inside. Its red eyes disappeared into the pot as its tongue came out and lapped the viscous amber liquid. At first, it seemed that the heat was still too much, but then the bear went in
for several more mouthfuls. After about a minute, the bear plonked back on its behind, sitting in a way that seemed oddly human.
“Aaand three...two...one…”
As Gideon counted down on his fingers, the bear’s eyes closed tight. The next thing they knew, the bear had folded over and was snoring loudly.
“Okay, warrior,” Gideon whispered, body visibly shaking. “Over to you. Time to put the creature out of its misery.”
Chloe moved into the clearing, her heart beating double-time. She advanced slowly, terrified that the bear would wake up before she made it to him. She held her dagger out in front of her and swallowed.
“Oh, hurry your ass up,” KieraFreya hissed, forcing Chloe’s arms forward. To Gideon, it looked as though an invisible cowboy had lassoed her arms and pulled her forwards. Chloe jogged to catch up.
“Hey, quit it.”
The closer she got to the bear, the bigger it seemed. Its great bulk rose and fell with each breath. Chloe stood beside the bear, noting that its paws were the size of her head. She raised her dagger with both hands, prepared herself to strike, and—
A soft mewling came from somewhere in the woods. Chloe hesitated, spotting the three bear cubs as they crept out and wandered up to their mama. Even on all fours, the babies were at Chloe’s hip height.
She turned back to Gideon, who was standing behind in the bush, gesturing her forward with his hands.
Chloe pointed at the cubs with an “Aw, but they’re so cute” expression on her face.
Gideon mimed stabbing the beast before raising both arms and imitating a bear standing at its full height and tearing an animal limb from limb.
“Fine,” Chloe spat.
She raised the dagger again and paused. The cubs had made it to their mama and now looked at Chloe with an inquisitive expression. The largest of the three moved toward the pot, putting both paws on the pot’s edge.
“No, no, little cub. Not for you.” Chloe dashed toward it, gently nudging the cub away from the pot. “Come on,” she said, struggling against the cub’s muscles. “That’s for grown-ups only.”
Gideon threw his hands in the air and joined her in the clearing. “Tamara, just dispatch the problem so we can collect the experience and go on our way. That bear’s been tailing me ever since I got into this game. Just because it’s got cute little fluffy babies doesn’t mean we’re suddenly safe!”
“He has a point, y’know,” KieraFreya whispered.
“So that makes me the monster if I’d rather not dispose of three innocent cubs or their mother. I’m sorry, but this changes things, Gid. Can’t we just run into the forest and find your friends?”
Gideon’s nostrils flared. “Only if you like your chances taking on all four of the bears at some point down the line?”
“I’d rather that than—ow!”
While Chloe had been arguing with Gideon, the smallest of the cubs had approached and was now on its hind legs, reaching for her. Its claws were sharp and had left small bloody tracks down her hip.
Cut the little shit down before he cuts you, KieraFreya growled, her voice appearing in Chloe’s head.
Chloe gasped. “What?”
“What do you mean, ‘what?’” Gideon responded.
The bear reached for her again, its claws cutting deeper into the previous tracks. Chloe sucked in a lungful of air. Unbidden, her stats came into her vision.
KieraFreya snapped, With every scratch, you’re losing HP, Sweet Tits. Kill the bastards before they decide they want to kill you. You know that bears eat people, right? Take the dagger, shove it in the bear’s skull, and collect the loot!
Chloe blinked the stats away and was about to tell KieraFreya where to shove it when the bear cub bit her leg. She cried out and kicked the cub away, noticing now that the cub’s eyes had turned the same red as its mother’s. Meanwhile, the second cub was advancing on Gideon, and the largest had managed to take a deep draught of the potion and was now out cold, flat on its back.
The red-eyed bear cub turned to Chloe hungrily, teeth bared. A growl emanated from the back of its throat.
Chloe swallowed hard before realizing that her hands were acting of their own accord again. The hand that gripped the knife spasmed toward the bear, slashing and narrowly avoiding the bear’s face as Chloe fought against her bracers.
Seriously? You’re going to fight me on this? I’m doing you a favor, girl.
“No. I will not kill the innocent,” Chloe said through gritted teeth.
Gideon, on the other hand, was busy moving his hands in a sequence of gestures he had picked up from his book. He muttered an incantation under his breath, finished his movements, and pushed his palms toward the second bear cub. His hands glowed a fearsome purple, and smoke erupting from his palms as a small fireball shot toward the cub…
Well, at that general area. The fireball missed the cub by a good foot and continued its travels toward the mother, hitting her stomach. Immediately her fur burst into purple flames.
Chloe’s cub cried out in distress and lunged at Chloe. Instinctively, she brought her hands to her face. The bracers took the brunt of the damage, although a second later, Chloe felt teeth biting again into the chunk it had previously bitten. Chloe crumpled to one leg, too preoccupied with her own pain to notice the knife switch from her left hand to her right, then find its way across the bear’s throat.
The cub roared, reared back, and came in for another charge. This time Chloe was ready. She dodged to the side, one knee still on the ground, and as the cub flew through the air, her dagger found the center of its back. She focused her intent and used Creature Identification, finding a surprising statement blinking back at her.
Black bear cub (Lv 5)
Health remaining: 21%
Another message appeared, which reminded Chloe that she really needed to take a second to adjust her notification settings to prevent this type of shit in battle.
Skill increased: Creature Identification (Lv 2)
Great stuff, hero! Now you’re able to view an increased amount of information on monsters, enemies, and even friends you encounter on your travels. Remember to use your powers for good, though. Or bad. We don’t actually care.
Bonuses: +2 intelligence
(NOTE: Increases in skill override any previous bonuses gained from the skill).
“Great. A skill increase. Now could you move the hell out of the way so I can focus?”
“You know you can adjust your notification settings in the main menu— Argh!” Gideon shut up as the cub lunged at him. Before he knew it, the cub was chasing him in circles.
KieraFreya chuckled. “Your new boyfriend is a helluva soldier.”
Chloe took another stab at the bear cub, watching as the health percentage bar lowered to 0. “Quiet, you!” A pang of guilt flew through her stomach, but when a wave of pain coursed through her leg, all of that guilt was forgotten.
Chloe spent the next few minutes chasing Gideon and the bear cub around the clearing. The bear was fast, but more than that, Gideon ran like an idiot. His arms flailed and his cries rang out. Eventually, Chloe managed to launch herself onto the back of the cub and distract it, and Gideon managed to hit the creature with a fireball from close range.
When the bear stilled, he took a knee and looked at Chloe’s leg. “It’s a basic spell, but we’ll see what it can do.”
His hands glowed bright yellow as he muttered something beneath his breath. A moment later, Chloe watched as the bite in her thigh began to heal. She felt the pain ease and let out a sigh of relief.
When Gideon was done, he smiled and rose to his feet. “Woohoo! Seems actually having the chance to use that on another player gains an additional boost to the skill! Thanks, Tamara.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Okay, enough of this Tamara business. Just call me ‘Chloe.’”
“Why?”
“Because that’s my name. It’s what I’ve set as my character’s name. It’s just my goddamn name, okay?”
&
nbsp; Gideon looked startled until he noticed that Chloe was smiling. “Fine. If that’s how you want it...Chloe.”
Chloe opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it again as she heard a sound that made skin prickle. A deep, booming growl came from behind them. With sinking hearts, Chloe and Gideon turned around as Mama Bear began to stir. Her red eyes blinked stupidly as she pushed herself to her feet.
“Quick, Gideon, teach me your spell.”
Gideon looked confused. “What do you mean, ‘teach you?’”
Chloe’s arms rose, slapping Gideon’s head. She apologized, then glared at her bracers. “I mean, you must have learned the spells somehow. How can I learn them?”
Gideon pondered the question, eyes fixed on the bear, which seemed to now be realizing that her children had been vanquished. “Er, I guess…you just have to know the incantation. Know the words. It’s…it’s complicated. You’re not a mage. I’m a mage.”
Chloe scoffed. “I haven’t specified my class yet. Who says I can’t be a mage? Now, teach me.”
With great speed, Gideon recited the incantation to Chloe and showed her the hand movements. For the first few times she tried to copy him, nothing happened. Then, with each repetition, she felt the familiarity of the spell grow.
Gideon’s hands blazed with purple flame, creating an orb that he pushed toward the bear. The ursine stumbled, still fighting the effects of the sleep potion Gideon had concocted. His eyes widening at the circles of purple flame now blazing on the grass around him as each orb missed its target.
“You really need to work on your aim.”
Gideon glared. “Shut up and keep practicing.”
Chloe closed her eyes, thinking of the incantation and moving her arms. She felt power surge over her, a sense of warmth stirring her very soul. When she opened her eyes, she laughed because an impressive ball of purple fire hovered in the space between her hands. She aimed for the bear and threw the ball, but it dissolved just before it left her hands.
“Damn.”
Gideon threw another of his own, this time hitting the bear’s foot. The beast roared and began to advance. “Don’t worry, mine did too that first time. It just takes practice.”
Collecting The Goddess (Chronicles Of KieraFreya Book 1) Page 8
