Contest (The Stork Tower Book 6)

by Tony Corden

  Pudra said, “But if what you say is true, they will still come.”

  “That is correct unless we change two things. First, the Günahkâr need to accept there are more paths to self-improvement than engaging in war, and then we need to change the area in which the Günahkâr can live.”

  Duman said, “How can the boundary be changed?”

  Leah took a deep breath and said, “These are my terms. My name is Atherleah, and I am recognised as the Empress of Vatan. If you accept me as the rightful leader of the Günahkâr, then I will appoint those Günahkâr who wish it to serve as my Imperial Guards. They will be tasked, by me, to protect my lands and all my people throughout Vatan and elsewhere should I acquire other lands. The Günahkâr will be free to travel through all Vatan in my service. I have many enemies, and there will be an abundance of those who wish to steal from me or to hurt my people. You will be free to learn and grow as you fight my enemies.”

  As Leah finished speaking, a wave of Psychic magic swept over her that almost brought her to her knees. None of the Günahkâr had moved, but she could feel their turmoil as they considered her words. Suddenly there was a spike of mana which Leah felt almost as a physical blow before the movement of mana slowly waned to a trickle.

  Pudra said, “Your offer caused us to lose our concentration in the battle, and several squads were killed because of their inattention. The Günahkâr have placed the final decision in our hands, and we five are not inclined to give up our way of life.”

  “Then don’t. I don’t want to change how you live, I simply want to give most of you a chance to live. You five can rule the Günahkâr and oversee their destruction, or you can rule under me and give them an opportunity to survive and to grow. Each of the nations who have acknowledged me as their Empress have their own leaders, those leaders answer to me, but my demands are few. You are honourable warriors, and I expect you mostly rule according to my laws already.”

  There was was a long pause and Leah could sense the five leaders as they wrestled with the idea. Finally, Sivi said, “What do you require of us?”

  Leah outlined the oath she expected them to give and outlined her ideas about equality and freedom. There was some discussion on how Leah would use the Günahkâr who wished to enter her service as guards. After almost thirty minutes, Pudra said, “Empress, please wait while we discuss this with all the Günahkâr.”

  Leah stepped back and waited as Psychic Mana pulsed outward from the five leaders in a continuous flood of information and ideas. Finally, the flow of mana slowed and Tesin said, “If you can lead us to victory over all those now in our lands then we, on behalf of all the Günahkâr, will accept you as War Leader. As such, you will have the right to determine the direction of our evolution as warriors.”

  Leah nodded and taking out the map of the Günahkâr lands she spread it out. Starting at their position, she traced out each of her statements as she said, “We are here. I want to lead the attackers through this small valley to this stretch of forest. I have some spells prepared which we will place to block the army, and I have others prepared with which to destroy them.”

  Leah then took out the Fiery Death crystals she’d made and explained the damage they would do. She also showed them the balls with seeds in them and explained how they worked. Their discussions lasted almost an hour but finally the five Günahkâr all inclined their heads slightly, Sivi said, “Already our front lines are slowly falling back. The Toprak chosen to plant the seed balls are ready to begin laying the perimeter. Please join us as we move our command closer to the field of battle.”

  Leah nodded and seeing she had their agreement, she sent the chest of communication to Peter. He quickly sent it back with the different things she’d requested. She realised that most of it she wouldn’t need; however, she wanted to be ready for anything. It wasn’t far to the expected battlefield, and as the five leaders initiated Leah’s plan, she made another hundred Fiery Death dodecahedrons and another hundred of the seed balls.

  When she’d finished making the spelled artefacts, she asked Zaman to keep watch for the army coming through and to give her warning. He lay down and began to keep an eye on the future. After almost forty minutes he suddenly came to his feet and said, “The future has become too disturbed to walk with any accuracy. I suspect Lady Vakit herself would struggle to see clearly.”

  Gèng quickly informed Leah that Vakit was the Goddess of Time, but before Leah could respond, there was a shimmering in the air and a tall woman appeared. It was hard for Leah to see her face as it constantly transitioned between that of a young woman and an older lady. Leah could see her identity clearly.

  VAKIT - GODDESS OF TIME (Level 15248) 232501504 HP (762400 EP)

  Vakit said, “Empress Atherleah, I greet you. One of my followers has seen fit to mention my name in your hearing, and I wished to meet with you.”

  Leah bowed gently and said, “Welcome, Lady Vakis.”

  Looking around, Vakis said, “Zaman is correct. The threads of time are twisted almost beyond my ability to discern. Are you sure this is the correct action to take? The approaching army was bolstered moments ago by the arrival of one entire clan of travellers from Hiddet. This clan numbers over three thousand members. They used a most sacred artefact created by my brother, Lord Seyahat, the God of Journeys. I suspect they will be most distressed by what I see in their future.”

  Leah smiled and said, “I certainly hope they are. I wonder where they may have found a site to anchor their souls to out here in the forest?”

  “From what I see in their past, they have brought a portable soul anchor. Several of the other clans have also brought such devices. Now, I did not come only to satiate my curiosity but to warn you against walking too far into either the future or the past. You are able, I think, to understand how mana can be used to do so. Nevertheless, time belongs to me, and the creators have placed limits on how it may be shared with travellers. Should you attempt to walk forward more than two beats of your heart, then the result is a severe loss of both mana and health. This barrier seems immovable. All who seek to manipulate time are so warned. Usually, I send an acolyte, but this time I decided to come myself.”

  Leah bowed her head in acknowledgement and said, “Thank you for your warning. I was intrigued by the use of time mana but will be much more circumspect in trying to apply it after our discussion.”

  As Lady Vakit disappeared, the five family leaders drew close and said, “Empress, the time approaches for battle. This is your plan, and we are in full agreement that you should direct the battle through us. We have discussed the matter with all the Günahkâr, and we hereby appoint you as War Leader of the Günahkâr. I suggest you join with us that you might direct the battle through us.”

  Messages appeared, but Gèng dismissed them as Leah formed a ball of Psychic mana and connected herself to all five leaders. Leah could suddenly sense all the Günahkâr in the area and through them see both the current battle underway and the area which had been prepared. Her mind noted there were 8,430 Günahkâr in the area and 17, 349 players and NPCs fighting along an 834-metre battlefront. The forest behind the approaching army had been torn away in the conflict and players trailed the front row for almost a kilometre. In the centre and at the very forefront of the approaching army were the one hundred Elite Warrior demons.

  Leah could see areas where her planning could be improved, so she sent hundreds of messages along the network of linked minds to shift the placement of Günahkâr and the different spells she’d forged. Leah began walking toward the front lines so she would be visible just as the demons reached the bottom of a slight depression.

  Four hundred of the Günahkâr’s best archers had been given the spells of Fiery Death and the spheres containing the seeds. As Leah began the battle by attacking the demons, the Günahkâr archers would ring the army with the seed potions. When each of the seed balls landed it would trigger both sides of the seed pods. Leah’s chosen seeds had been a type of carnivorous v
ine called a Dragon-tailed Vampire vine. They were often used in Dunyanin to protect homes and estates. When first planted they were soaked in the blood of the owner of the house. Once they were fully grown, they would attack anyone not a descendant of the one whose blood was used in their birth. The blood spell Leah had used allowed her to change the focus to attack anyone not allied with the owner of the original birth-blood.

  From each double seed pod, two vines would grow twisted together. Based on her reading, Leah expected the vines to grow to a length of about fifty metres. She’d spaced the Günahkâr using the seed pods every forty metres hoping to completely encircle and trap the army. Along the entire length of each vine, sharp thorns would grow. These were shaped like a dragon’s tail and were able to move semi-independently. The use of the Basilisk’s fang would make the sharpened dragon tails instantly lethal while the Adamantine and Mithryl would ensure they would be able to penetrate the strongest armour. Leah had mixed Light and Shadow to ensure the vines were deadly to both types of races. Once the vine penetrated the flesh, it began to suck all the blood from its victims. Leah had warned the Günahkâr that even though it would not attack them, it was still deadly to touch.

  The Günahkâr archers were also to shoot the Fiery Death crystals and spread them across the entire army with a separation of fifty metres between them. With the Psychic link, Leah could accurately place each shot to ensure she effectively covered the areas which had the greatest player concentration. As Leah walked forward she began to cast and stack Chain Lightning spells. She’d subtly changed the spells by forming them from the already prefocussed Divine Light shroud. She timed her casting so she came into view as she stacked the last three spells.

  As soon as the demons saw her the Günahkâr who had been fighting them all sunk into the earth as Leah had filled the front ranks with members of the Toprak family. The demons roared when they recognised Leah. As they roared, Leah threw her hands forward and cast the stacked spell while simultaneously issuing the order for the other spells to be cast.

  The Divine Lightning tore through the demons, arching from one to another, causing the demons to disintegrate in massive explosions. From points all around the army the spelled vines erupted from the ground. Each duo of vines was bound together like a twisted rope. Half grew from the light focussed section and was covered in silver bark as hard as mithryl, the other half was formed in the shadow part and was dark like adamantine. The twisted vine was almost a metre in diameter and extended out more than twice what Leah expected as each Günahkâr added life mana to the casting. Every three or four metres along the length of the vine was a flexible dragon’s tail thorn over five metres in length with a starting width of just under half a metre.

  Each of these vines grew rapidly toward the army just as the crystals of Fiery Death began to fall in the centre of the army. Everywhere a crystal fell, there was a fiery explosion which formed a small mushroom cloud. The basilisk poison Leah had added to the spell meant that even a slight burn might be fatal. In addition, eight thousand fire, lightning, earth and poison spells attached to the remaining Günahkâr’s arrows exploded across the entire battlefield. These were followed by a second similarily spelled arrow. Peter had provided the crystals which Leah had arranged for the Günahkâr to add to their arrows. Leah was thrown backwards by the force of the demons’ exploding and the massive fireball caused by the exploding crystals and spells.

  As Leah got to her feet, she came to the ready in case there was a counter attack, but one look was enough to see it wasn’t necessary. Fires still burned and the vines around the outside still writhed as they drained the shredded dead and dying players. Leah turned as she felt the approach of the five leaders of the Günahkâr. They bowed, and Pudra said, “We, on behalf of the Günahkâr, confirm you as War Leader. We agree without reservation to be designated as Imperial Guards. War Leader Atherleah, what are your orders?”

  “Send as many as necessary to reclaim the land which has always belonged to the Günahkâr. You may find an area where Travellers begin to reappear. Warn them to leave and if they do not, then kill them. I will walk through the battle and take the weapons and armour that has been left behind. Do the Günahkâr wish to keep any of the war spoils?”

  “No, War Leader. The spoils are yours. We, the Günahkâr, seek only that which will ensure we can do our duty.”

  For the next three hours, Leah moved among the dead and collected everything that had been dropped by players. As she, or the Günahkâr, approached the vines they would wriggle out of the way giving her access to the dead. Leah didn’t have time to check everything she collected and had to log out several times to empty the mining bags she had brought with her. Gèng let Leah know she had received thousands of threats about taking player’s gear, but she ignored them all.

  Looking through the Günahkâr who had moved to the edge of their borders, Leah found three portable resurrection stones. As she watched, some players resurrected near one and immediately begin to attack the Günahkâr standing nearby. The players were killed effortlessly. Leah teleported to the stones and found a way to change their ownership to Clan Guàn and then placed them in her bag. When she took the resurrection stone belonging to the Clan from Hiddet she also found the artefact created by Lord Seyahat, the God of Journeys.

  By the time the cleanup was done, Leah was ready to log out. She promised to teleport to the Arch on the next day. She then sat beside a tree surrounded by a hundred outward facing warriors. With this protection in place, she logged out.

  STORK TOWER

  When she arrived back in the Tower Gèng said, “You have messages from Stephen and from Jesse Hood requesting meetings. Both are marked urgent.”

  “Arrange meetings for after my break. If they can’t meet then, then I’ll meet them after I visit Survival.”

  With that, Leah logged out of the Pod.

  72

  Chapter 72

  December 18, 2073 - Evening - Part 2

  HOME - REAL WORLD

  Leah was helped this time by a bald Lacey who updated Leah on the gossip from the Switch. After having another large meal with supplements, Lacey helped Leah back into the Pod.

  STORK TOWER

  Arriving back in the Tower, Gèng said, “Both Stephen and Jesse are willing to meet here, but I’ve scheduled a meeting with Sharon first. She’ll be here in five virtual minutes. She’ll meet you in the gazebo near the entry portal.”

  Leah nodded and walked down to the outside meeting area with Gèng. They discussed the afternoon’s skiing and the different things still to be done. Gèng reminded Leah she was getting behind in her Brisbane Community College coursework and needed to set some time aside. Leah hoped once her mother was rescued, she’d have time to do the things she’d been letting slide.

  As Leah waited near the dais for Sharon, she looked out over the river which was gently lit by Chinese lanterns and a full moon. When Sharon arrived, she embraced Leah then said, “I know you’re busy, but I wanted to see if you could do another interview?”

  Leah’s first reaction was to immediately say, ‘no’ but instead, she was silent for a moment, then asked, “Why?”

  “Because you’ve been silent for three full news cycles. That can probably be explained as you not wanting to take the limelight from the winners, but even Meredith and the ninja girl have given interviews. OK, Meredith’s interview was more a case of her being hijacked by a couple of reporters. She came off all arrogant and unconcerned about the ‘Merkize thing’ as if it was a minor event in her life. Everyone else has given a few interviews. How about another here, a private one? I can get Erica Morrison again. Honestly, your Dunyanin feed was fairly boring the last few days since the contest, although the word is you really spiced things up today.”

  “What do you mean, ‘the word is’?”

  Sharon said, “I have an AI dedicated to sifting through the main gaming forums looking for references to Atherleah. I hear you killed a few players.”

&n
bsp; “Yes, I had a fight with some players.”

  “Some of the ones chasing you actually caught up? What did you do? And why would the forums be exploding with references to a massacre?”

  “All the players died.”

  “OK, now that is exciting, and most people will love that. Why is it being called a massacre? How many did you kill?”

  “If I count only the players and ignore the demons and NPCs, then we ended up killing all 16,721 players who were chasing me. I actually destroyed an entire clan who had teleported in from Hiddet.”

  Sharon had no idea what to do with the information, so she sat down. She was stunned for a few seconds then said, “How long did this massacre take?”

  “Ignoring the preparation, I imagine it took somewhere between twenty and thirty seconds.”

  Sharon said, “Leah, honestly, you are a PR representative’s worst nightmare. You need to explain yourself now before more people write the narrative for you.”

  “Sharon, if they watch the feed, it is pretty self-explanatory.”

  “They don’t. People watch the small exciting bite-sized highlights. Is it at the beginning or end of the feed?”

  “It’s about two-thirds of the way through.”

  “Then the feed will be watched for the massacre, not the reason why. Everyone will tune in to see you destroy thousands of players. I want you to let me have the feed and get Erica in to do an interview soon. That way, she can give it some good spin.”