by Tony Corden
Leah stepped back from the statue of Yuè Fēi and closing her eyes she lowered herself to the floor to consider Gèng’s words. After five minutes she stood and said, “Thank you, Gèng, you are right. Let’s try this again.”
Leah lost the next three bouts but fought the final one to a tie. Satisfied, she stepped away from Yuè Fēi and looked at the last statue, Merideath. The sense of calm she had achieved vanished as a range of conflicting emotions bombarded her. Fear, anger, disgust and hatred warred with anticipation, delight and compassion. She was afraid of what might happen to her and her family at Meredith’s hands. She was angry at what this player had done already and disgusted by the way she treated people like things. Leah hated what Merideath stood for: prejudice, entitlement, arrogance and greed. She had looked forward to the contest with anticipation as she planned how to defeat and humiliate Merideath. Leah took a perverse delight in the fact that even if she lost to Merideath, she would most likely have ruined whatever joy Meredith had in competing. Additionally, she also doubted this was the real Meredith Kodoman and wondered at the pain the woman had suffered being locked away for so long.
Stepping toward the statue, she steeled herself to respond dispassionately and objectively. Merideath was an accomplished fire mage and had a shroud as a part of her arsenal. Also, she had possession of a Fae elemental which showed some evidence of independent action. As a Sea Elf, it was likely she had some mastery over the conflicting element of water. Merideath was recognised as one of the best, if not the best, master of the Sword who played in Dunyanin.
Leah had Gèng magnify the statue and she studied it in detail. Although Merideath’s armour was made of leather, it was covered in what looked like Adamantine inlay. The inlay formed swirling patterns which reminded Leah of the ocean during a storm. From her discussion with the elven enchantress, Rabnesh Yucu, Leah understood that whatever enchantments were included in the armour, they were enhanced by the overall patterns. She hadn’t watch Merideath fight but wouldn’t be surprised if there was some aspects of storms appearing in Merideath’s magic.
Leah studied the recreation of Merideath’s supposed fire shroud and had Gèng pull up several different images of it in action. It was a deeper red than fire and different from the blood shroud Leah had used. She considered if Merideath might have a Demonic Fire shroud but didn’t reach a conclusion. Leah also studied Merideath’s staff and sword, as both were enchanted. She didn’t find anything that she might use against Merideath.
Finally, after spending longer than usual looking over the image, she watched the montage of fight scenes. It was evident immediately that Merideath had earned the title ‘Master of the Sword’. She was fast, agile, and she showed an impressive repertoire of strokes. Leah couldn’t be sure, but she thought some of the strokes bordered on the impossible and wondered if Merideath used some preset commands. At the end of the montage, Gèng included a sequence showing the variety of fire spells at Merideath’s command. Merideath could form weapons and other objects from fire in addition to the more common nets, webs, spikes, needles and bombs and storms. Looking closely, Leah was able to see how Merideath wove together the mana from the shroud and that of her own fire magic to form the more complex weaves, weapons and spells. The one weakness Leah did note was Merideath’s reluctance to combine her magic with her swordplay. Leah wondered if this was a result of Merideath’s possible reliance on the preset options.
Leah’s observations had taken some of her duelling time and she was left with only twenty minutes. Once again, Gèng limited the duels to three minutes. Leah asked that the first three duels focus on swordplay and the last three on magic. Leah lost all six contests but wasn’t too disheartened because she had been more intent on learning Merideath’s technique than she had been in beating her.
At the end of nine cyber-hours, she stepped out of the simulation and into the main part of the Tower. The competition was in thirty-minutes real-time, and she still needed to finalise which shroud she would use. Thinking through her options, she logged out for a fifteen-minute break to give Kevin the opportunity to strap her shoulders and check her wounds.
30
Chapter 30
December 17, 2073 - Morning - Part 10
HOME - REAL WORLD
No one was in the room when the cover on the Pod opened, and Leah found she was unable to get herself out of the Pod because of the pain. She lay there for a minute when there was a knock on the door and Jen entered. As she stepped forward to help Leah from the Pod, she said, “I’m so sorry Leah. I was chatting with Mrs Sperry and lost track of time.”
“That’s alright, Jen, I’m just disappointed I wasn’t able to get myself out of the Pod. This last time we started applying the neural feedback to stimulate my muscles and even at the lowest levels it hurt. I’m almost at ninety per cent of normal, and even the smallest of movements is painful. Can you check if Kevin is nearby, as he needs to strap my shoulder?”
“He’s just down the hallway. Both Conner and your dad stepped in for a minute to see what he was doing, but they disappeared pretty quickly. For some reason, seeing Kevin deconstructing sanitary pads unhinged them both.”
“I remember the first time I had to tell dad I needed some pads. He was going to the shops and asked what we needed. I think he almost died with embarrassment then he made me swear to only have those type of discussions with my mum.”
“I’m really sorry about what happened before Leah. I know Kevin’s been pretty downcast since then.”
“It was bound to happen sometime Jen. I doubt there is any lasting harm, and now we know that it won’t set off the bomb in her head, so that’s a positive.”
Jen’s mouth had dropped open, and she sat down slowly before saying, “Bomb in her head!”
“Oops. Sorry. I thought John might have said something. I forgot how secretive he can be. Yes, besides making her forget, the chip they inserted has a small claymore type of bomb in it. That’s why she has to enter the Pod every day and why John, my dad, and I, are so concerned that we are the first people to get to her.”
Jen was still processing the statement when Kevin knocked and poked his head into the room. He said, “I’m ready when you are.”
Leah nodded and said, “I’ll take a short shower and be ready in two or three minutes. If possible, I need something stronger for the pain because the stimulation seems to have undone all the relief of the last twenty-four hours.”
Kevin disappeared and Jen helped Leah to the shower. As soon as she was dry and covered in a robe, Jen let Kevin into the room. With him was Mrs Sperry and John. John said, “I need to talk as soon as Kevin has finished strapping your back. Olivia has had some success, but there are complications you need to be aware of.”
Leah nodded, and as soon as John left, she let the robe fall off her shoulders as Kevin examined the wounds. Mrs Sperry helped Kevin to wrap the wounds and strap Leah’s shoulder so it was almost immovable. Finally satisfied, he said, “Leah, the scans show some internal bleeding and some re-tearing of tissue that had begun to heal. I know you think you have to do this, but you should know I suspect you will do even more damage if you are not extremely careful. The only thing I can do for the pain that might improve your range of movement might also end up permitting you to do even more damage. I’m not in the right head space to decide something like this. If I end up, even obliquely, doing something which hurts you even more, then I suspect my somewhat fragile hold on sanity will fragment.”
Leah looked deeply into his eyes and then nodded. She said, “In that case, I’ll deal with the pain. I value your advice, and I accept that just as you have a responsibility toward me, I also have one toward you. Thanks for being honest.”
Kevin looked relieved, and Mrs Sperry nodded before saying, “Then off with you Kevin. John needs a few words and Leah needs to get back in the Pod.”
John entered as Kevin left. He started talking before he sat down. “Leah—Olivia, with the back up of several other la
wyers and consultants has been able to postpone the virtual interview until tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, someone in the police department released details of the investigation to the press. The person has been identified and put on administrative leave, but the story is now all over the news sites. Olivia expects an apology from the police and maybe even some payment for damages, but you should be ready for trouble. I informed Sharon as soon as I found out, but she was already aware of the news and was dealing with it. Sharon suspects the release of information was timed to have the greatest effect. She’s already dealing with the Dunyanin administrators who worried about their image. Several ‘anonymous’ commentators are suggesting you be forced to leave the Merkize competition.”
“What did Sharon suggest?”
“Repeating the words ‘no comment’ as often as you can. She did say she didn’t think you would be able to do that, but she suggested that be the gist of it. Be aware they not only revealed you were a suspect in a murder case but also likely to be questioned over a similar assault last year. I sent some of the boys around to have a talk with Ben, but he and his whole family have disappeared. Apparently, they all left sometime yesterday afternoon. They left separately, but different witnesses said they were headed toward the bus stop. I suspect they’ve been paid to report the incident to the police. Olivia says the likelihood of a real-world interview and arrest is now a certainty. She wants your permission to look into the facts about Ben’s assault. I shared that there were no witnesses and that it was Ben’s word against yours. She said she doubted you would deny the charge, but she pleaded with me that you didn’t support, justify, agree with or in any way admit to it.”
“Fair enough! What does she think will happen?”
“She’s certain at this stage that you will be acquitted in both cases. She asked me if there was anything that might surface that she needed to know about?”
“It is possible that Ben still has copies of some images he took. I confiscated his recordings, but he may have hidden some from me. I doubt it, but it is possible.”
“Do you have the recordings?”
“Nope. Passed them over a strong magnet, shredded them and dumped them in different garbage pits.”
“That isn’t like you. You normally keep things ‘just in case’.”
“I knew it could be a temptation sometime in the future, so I destroyed it. Stuff like that should never be used. I didn’t need the temptation.”
Jen had been listening to the conversation and said, “I take it the rumours about Ben Mullins are true; what a scumbag. You should have done more than break a few bones, Leah. John, if you need to find him, then someone who might know is Merinda Fellows. She and Ben were getting kind of close.”
John said, “Thanks Jen. I’ll send someone over to ask her. I don’t want to come down too heavy, but we do need to find him.”
Jen said, “Send Johan. Merinda’s has had a crush on him for years. Tell him to come over all concerned.”
John nodded, and after looking at Leah to see if there was anything else, he excused himself and left the room. Jen said, “Leah, if Johan has no luck maybe showing Merinda what Ben had been doing will work. Where did you hide the recordings?”
Leah tried to look offended but didn’t quite manage it. Jen continued, “I agree with you that those recordings should never be used. We both know John and the others would use them to clear your name. I promise I’ll only show them to Merinda, and only as a last resort.”
Leah nodded and said, “They’re hidden in my old room. I saved them on a small drive, it’s stored in the corner post of my bed, the post in the corner. Pry off the metal cap and you'll find a piece of string taped to the inside. If you pull it up the drive is tied to the end. Please be careful. I was serious about it being a temptation. I don’t want the people on it to be hurt.”
Jen said, “I promise. Now, let me help you back into the Pod. You’re running a few minutes late, and I need to make sure no one takes my seat.”
Leah let Jen help her up as she said, “Your seat? What seat?”
“The competition is being broadcast on the free media channels as well as online. Jimmy arranged for several large screens to be placed around the Switch. John agreed to put one in the common room, and those of us still without chips will be watching what happens. There is a channel dedicated to each contestant. They estimate that over five billion people will watch the live broadcast of the competition.”
Leah shuddered at the thought and slowly levered herself into the Pod. She said, “You know I’m not likely to do that well. I’ve the lowest level, the least experienced, and I'm not in peak form.”
“Leah, everyone who knows you knows you’ll do your best. Sure we want to see you win, but if you don’t, then we will cheer just as loudly. It’s probably selfish, but we’re cheering the fact that one of us is there. One of the forgotten is being seen by billions and accepted as worthy. It gives us hope and pride. Two things we’d somehow thrown away. You’ve shown us that we can stand on our own two feet and become something. You always had hope. You had dreams, and you took pride in what you did and who you are. That is what we’re celebrating. Win or lose; it doesn’t matter.”
Leah was lying down, but she reached up and squeezed Jen’s hand before closing her eyes for the Pod to close.
31
Chapter 31
December 17, 2073 - Morning - Part 11
STORK TOWER
Entering the Tower Leah felt some of the pain dissipate, but the deep-seated ache remained. She strode purposefully toward the stairs leading to the Dunyanin portal. Gèng appeared beside her and walked beside her in silence until they reached the top of the stairway. Once on the level, Gèng said, “Have you decided what shroud, or shrouds, you are going to apply?”
“I have. I didn’t realise I’d made the decision until listening to Jen just then. I think I actually made up my mind after the discussion we had about magic. I’ve even been thinking about different ways to use them.”
They walked the rest of the way to the portal in silence. Leah equipped her clothes and was about to step through the portal when Gèng stepped forward and gave her a hug. Gèng said, “Take care, Leah, and have fun.”
Leah returned the embrace and looking into Gèng’s eyes, saying quizzically, “Fun?”
“Yes, fun! I’ve watched as the burden of responsibility has gotten heavier and heavier. Through everything you’ve kept going. This is your chance to step away from that for the moment. Whatever happens today won’t change anything. If you lose every fight and come last, you are still in the contest and have a month to prepare for the next battle, so have fun. Enjoy the opportunity to fight nine of the best warriors in Dunyanin. There are literally billions of people who would love to be in your position right now. So go show them that win or lose, you can enjoy what you do when you do your very best. I can think of nothing better to teach the millions of kids who may never get the chance to do what you are doing.”
Leah smiled and mouthed “Thank you,” before stepping through into Dunyanin.
DUNYANIN
Leah arrived in the clearing where she’d fought the glitchwolves several days before. Looking around and seeing nothing dangerous, she took the vial containing Lady Utsal's gift, the Divine Light Shroud, and examined it. The liquid wasn’t blood, and though it looked clear, it radiated a brilliant white light. As Leah moved her fingers toward the stopper, the light increased in intensity, and a message appeared.
A Shroud of Light (Divine)
This vial contains a potion constructed using the divine magic of Utsal, Goddess of Light and Truth. The potion affects the one who drinks it by permanently changing their racial characteristics and adding an additional statistic to the player’s profile - Light Shroud. The Shroud is constructed from mana and is exuded through the player’s pores. It operates as a source of mana and protection for the player and is primarily operated via the player’s will. Uncontrolled, the shroud can disrupt the
player’s gameplay and is best utilised when under the player’s direct will. Uncontrolled, it will still absorb or negate magical attacks and diminish physical ones. Note—Shroud mana regenerates more quickly than regular mana.
The precise value of mana generated is a complex calculation and beyond the scope of this description. More details can be obtained from the Dunyanin Administrators on request. Suffice it to say that Shrouds generally have foci in one or more levels of magic. Each level with a foci increases the amount of mana which resides in the shroud. Foci in the higher potency magic levels have a more significant effect than those in the less potent. The particular focus also affects the strength of the shield, so a Level 4 Divine focus creates a stronger shroud than does a Level 4 Mundane focus.
This shroud has a Level 2 Light focus, a Level 4 Divine Focus and a Level 9 foci based on the person who drinks the potion. Additional foci may be added depending on the player. (Note: a. the Level 2 Light focus negates the application of a Level 3 Elemental focus, and b. Information relating to the foci which will become a focus for a given player may be obtained from the Dunyanin Administrators on request.)
Shrouds utilise a range of metrics including Blood Potency, Race, Fame, and elements of a Player’s skillset. The minimum strength of the Shroud will be equal to the level of the player’s mana. Each focus or metric will potentially increase the Shroud's strength. None of the parameters used will reduce the strength of the Shroud (Example: A Level 4 Mundane Focus is the least potent, it applies no additional mana and is given a value of 1).
As the player’s mana statistic increases, so does the shroud's strength.
