by Jakob Tanner
I approached the door and placed my hand against it. A hot sharp pain shot out from my wrist. I screamed from the shock of agonizing hurt.
The Prophetic Seal on the door glowed, sensing the presence of the mark on my person. The doors swung open, revealing the hidden chamber.
The room before me was half collapsed. Bright light shone through holes in the ceiling, casting a silvery spotlight on the rubble and broken floors.
Standing in the center of the room was a majestic looking creature. It had white fur and wings. Its face was like an owl but with pointy ears and a large beak. Holy crap. It was gryphon!
As I got closer, a prompt appeared in my HUD.
Gryphon
Level 1
An old and legendary bird. In ancient Illyria, gryphon riders were only ridden by the strongest most elite summoners.
My eyes widened. I had hit the jackpot. The three creatures in the previous room were cool, but none of them beat a freaking gryphon.
I cracked my knuckles. “Time to bound this spirit.”
Chip rushed in front of me, floating through my body as he did so.
“That felt really weird,” I said. “Can you not do that again?”
“Sorry Clay! I promise to never float through you again. I have taken note that it is considered a faux-pas amongst materialized people.”
“Okay, apology noted.”
“Thank you Clay! You see, I slipped through you to stop you from approaching the gryphon. Unlike the mystic creatures of the other realm, you’ll most likely have to battle this gryphon to bind it to your summoner arsenal.”
I paused. I didn’t want to actively hurt this gorgeous majestic creature, but I didn’t want to walk away from this opportunity either. If I had to battle it, I would. I’d try and bind it peacefully first though.
I took a step towards the gryphon. Its head poked up, alert. Its hazel eyes stared into mine.
“Hi,” I said, feeling like a total dumbass. How was I supposed to talk to a gryphon? “You’re a strong and powerful creature. I seek an ally such as yourself.”
An ally or a slave?
I stumbled back a step. Did I hear the creature speak to me?
“Did you hear that Chip?”
“Hear what Clay?”
I turned to the gryphon. “Did you speak into my mind?”
Yes. Now answer my question.
“I wouldn’t seek to harm you,” I said. “I’d want you to fight alongside me for noble causes. I want an ally, not a slave.”
Such words are easier to say before I am bound to you and cannot leave your control.
“Well, what if we made a deal. You become a bound summon of mine and, say, if you ever wanted to leave my company, I’d let you do so, no questions asked. You’ll have fun with me and my party—more fun than up here in this crumbly room.”
Gryphons don’t live for fun.
“Sure, but think about all the fish and game to taste and try in all the places we will venture to.”
The bird’s brow peaked. It may not have lived for fun, but it certainly lived for meat.
I still don’t trust you.
“Here,” I said and materialized a slab of sand shark meat from earlier and tossed it over to the gryphon. The creature stretched out its neck and gobbled up the meat. The gryphon then spoke to me once more.
I like your offer and the conditions you propose. I will accept such a bound request.
Congratulations! You’ve learned new passive Summoner ability: Contract Negotiations.
Every bound summon enters a contract with its summoner; for most, it's a standard contract for life. Yet for legendary and powerful creatures that cannot be defeated so easily, it may be worth it to negotiate the summoner contract.
Do you wish to bound Gryphon to your summoner arsenal? Y/N?*
*(Special Summoner Contract enforced: Gryphon is allowed to leave Summoner’s Arsenal if it wishes)
I turned to the gryphon. “How do I know you won’t abandon me mid-battle or screw me over somehow?”
The gryphon shook its head. You don’t, but gryphons aren’t known to be swindlers. Also, you’re the first out of all the many summoners who’ve approached me to suggest such a noble proposal: that we are allies in battle, rather than master and slave. I’m not a pony you ride, but a friend you seek for aid. You interest me, human, and so far, have my respect.
I guess that was his version of: take my word for it, I won’t screw you over.
I clicked “yes” in my HUD and a new message appeared.
Alert! Summoner Arsenal Over Occupied (4/3). Please set free one bound summon.
Uh-oh. I chose to set free one of the mecha spiders. It clicked and clacked away from me. It was lonely by itself. All the other mecha spiders had fallen away with the previous room’s trap. I set free the other mecha spider so I wasn’t separating the two of them. They clacked away into the other room.
The gryphon was no longer in front of me. It had disappeared. It now existed in a nether realm of familiars.
The floating old wizard reappeared in the room.
“An interesting choice,” said the wizard. “You have proven yourself to summon elemental spirits and have them do your bidding. Make alliances with unlikely creatures to help you solve your problems and wise enough to negotiate contracts with creatures far beyond your power. For proving all of this, I hereby grant you the powers of a summoner!”
Class Unlocked: Summoner!
“Congratulations Clay!” cheered Chip. “I knew you could do it.”
I smiled at the elemental spirit. “Thanks dude. Keep it mind this may have been the easiest part of today. This trial is like an oasis from where we’re heading back to.”
“Oh no!”
“That’s right Chip,” I said, walking towards a portal that replaced the freaky wizard. “Prepare yourself for a world of shit.”
33
I emerged back on the deck of the Horizon’s Dream. The gray skies of the bottom world lingered overhead. The cool breeze brushed against my skin. The party stood exactly where I had been standing when I’d pressed the portal scroll.
“Um, have you guys been standing here the whole time?”
Serena’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean the whole time? You haven’t done anything.”
“Whoah! Cool ship Clay! Are these your other best friends?”
Chip flew out from underneath my feet and zoomed around the mainmast of the Horizon’s Dream.
“Back off foul spirit,” yelled Shade, whipping out his pistol.
“No Shade! He’s with me.”
“Oh, really? Can he float through us? Now that would be a cool parlor trick for the pub.”
Chip floated up to Shade. “Clay told me not to float through him. He said it was a faux-pas against materially substantive persons. May I float through you?”
“Go for it,” said Shade, shrugging.
The spirit floated through him and the Lirana thief giggled. “Tickles!”
Serena and Jackson stared with disbelief at the happy ghost and thief getting along and then back to me. Their faces were unimpressed.
“I see your class has changed,” said Jackson. “So you must’ve entered a different temporal zone from here when you entered the trial. Interesting. Regardless, well-done on unlocking your class. Is this ghost your main companion?”
“His name is Chip and no, I wouldn’t say he’s my main. Actually, I was able to form a bond with a gryphon.”
“A gryphon!” said Kari, eyes-wide.
Chip flew over to Kari. “Yeah! It was so cool. The gryphon was all like, ‘I don’t want to be allies with you’ and then Clay was like, ‘C’mon gryphon, I’m the best’ and then the gryphon was convinced.”
“Cool story, bro,” said Serena. She turned to me. “Is, uhh, Chip over here aware of our current situation?”
“Yes ma’am,” said the elemental spirit. “Clay said we were about to walk into a world of shit, but to tell you the trut
h, I only see black sand.”
“Chip—I know you’re excited but I need you to calm down,” I said. “When I said world of shit, I meant a world of metaphorical shit.”
Chip’s small black eyes widened. “You mean immaterial shit? Like me.”
“Sort of like you, but even more immaterial. Like non-existent. Figurative. To rephrase what I initially meant was: there’s real bad people who want to hurt us beyond the gates of this world. In a second, I’m going to open them up and we’re going to face those people. The battle is going to be long and grueling and I’m going to need you to fight and help me with even more strength than you showed me in the trial temple. Understand?”
The spirit nodded.
I looked up to the rest of the team. “We’ve done all the preparation we can. It’s time to face Captain Kaige. It’s time to face Arethkar. It’s time we ended this fight.”
Everybody cheered and assumed positions. I turned to Serena and said, “It’s time we tried the other way.”
34
//Run:Open_DLC_Content
The words transformed into an inky black blast of magic from my hands, opening up the gates of the bottom world once more to greater Illyria. Jackson ignited the engine and blasted the ship through the newly opened portal.
The bright blue skies of the cloud ocean were in sight, a mere arm’s reach away. It was a deception though, part of the magic. My stomach stretched, my teeth ached, and my ears popped as our ship traversed the dimensional tunnel.
The ship shook and vibrated, arriving back in the skies of Argon’s Rage. The situation was as we had left it. Or partially as we had left it. There was not a Sky Wyrm in sight. The Arethkarian fleet, greeting us with its turrets and cannons, had taken care of the other threats while we’d been away. They’d been waiting idly for us to return.
A crew member ran up to me, holding a crystal transmission device. “Captain! The fleet is making contact with us, sir!”
“Bring the communication crystal over here then.”
I took the crystal out of the crew member’s trembling hands. I’d managed to raise the morale up to neutral before we’d embarked, but the fear being stoked by the sheer number of the Arethkarian fleet, was hard to swallow.
“Captain Hopewell,” spoke Oren Kaige from the crystal transmitter. “I’m sure you can see you’re vastly outnumbered. Hand over the Ultriga Weapon and we’ll show you mercy.”
“I wonder what mercy from slave traders looks like,” said Shade. “Why don’t you ask him?”
“I don’t know why you’re acting like you hold all the cards here Oren,” I said. “We now control the greatest weapon ever created in Illyria. How about you listen to our terms? Retreat back to the shores of your continent. Take your fleet and armada with you. Sign a peace treaty.”
Laughter transmitted from the crystal. Our whole ship was silent, listening in fearful captivation of the manic cackle echoing through the crystal.
“Here’s something I’ve learned about you Captain Hopewell. Why I wasn’t afraid when you entered the bottom world and sealed the opening from us. Even if you got your hands on the bloody Ultriga Weapon—you wouldn’t have the guts to use it. You’re not someone who pulls the trigger. It’s the fundamental difference between you and me. I’ll do what it takes to save my people. You—you’re nothing but hot air.”
I was sick of listening to this asshole talk. It was time to put our plan into action.
I stretched out both my arms and cast summon bound spirit. Gryph emerged, neighing its beak.
“Is that your freaking bound spirit,” said Jackson, taken aback.
“That’s right, bitches,” I said. “Clay Hopewell has got a motherfucking gryphon. Now let’s initiate the plan.”
Oren Kaige was still yammering about how much I sucked via the crystal transmitter which I let slip into my pocket. I walked over to Gryph. “Hello again, ally of mine. If it’s alright with you, would it be okay if we mutually agreed I ride on your back and you help me kick these lame guys’ asses?”
Certainly. The gryphon dipped its neck in front of me. Get on.
The rest of the party looked at me funny.
“What?”
“It’s just you have a weird relationship,” said Serena. “Why were you talking to it so politely?”
“It’s like, the gryphon is in charge, not you?” said Jackson.
“All hail captain gryphon,” said Shade. “Ask it if I can be first mate?”
“Alright, stop chirping me,” I said. “Let’s initiate the plan.”
I grabbed the reins of the gryphon and we kicked off the deck of the ship and flew into the clouds.
The wind of the open air blew my hair back and I gripped on tightly to the gryphon’s back.
“That doesn’t hurt, does it?”
No. It is less than a pinch. Nothing.
I pulled back on the gryphon when we were midway between the Horizon’s Dream and the Arethkarian fleet. I grabbed the transmission crystal from my pocket and found Oren Kaige still yammering into it.
“Alright Captain Kaige, you convinced me,” I said into the crystal. I summoned Chip and then the fiery phoenix. I gestured with my finger on my mouth to be quiet.
“Hrmph. I wasn’t expecting you to be so reasonable. How about you lower your cannons and turrets and let us board your ship?”
I cast status cure over and over again. I spun my finger in the air and both Chip and the phoenix knew what I wanted them to do. Gryph followed their lead. I kept casting status cure over and over again, creating a field of golden glowing crystals, all swept up in a spinning gust of wind.
“On second thought captain—why don’t we admit we’re both stubborn bastards and start this shootout already.”
The seven ship fleet zoomed towards me right into my tidal wave of status cure.
“Keep spinning you guys,” I shouted to Chip and the phoenix.
The elemental spirit smiled, unphased by the sheer amount of violent force heading our way. “Sure Clay! Anything you want!”
I hoped this plan of mine worked. Otherwise we were screwed. I kept casting status cure over and over, feeding the glowing vapor sky more and more residual status cure spell. The patch of sky we were spinning around had become my cauldron. The incoming ships were my final ingredient.
The Arethkarian ships headed straight for us. “Duck!”
The gryphon made a sharp decline into the air, Chip and the Phoenix following straight behind us. Above, the Arethkarian ships flew right into our floating cloud of status cure.
There was an immediate tremor of air from the ships above us.
Gryph flew back up around the ships and I grinned at the sight. Shadow wraiths were losing their inky smoke exteriors. The pale players beneath were sad shells of humanity. Prisoners seeing the light of day after weeks of torture. With the status cure air keeping the debuff deactivated, they ripped off their slave necklaces and attacked the Arethkarian guards, soldiers, and crew in an animalistic fury.
The enemy ships were imploding from the inside.
This was Serena’s other way.
I don’t know why I didn’t see it earlier. We didn’t want to harm the enslaved Chosen; ultimately they were on our side. The key to winning was in saving the most amount of lives possible; not just the ones on our team.
In the distance the Horizon’s Dream maneuvered through the air, circling the Arethkarian ships, unleashing loads of cannon fire and turret blasts. The battle was in our favor now. We were gloriously on the offensive while Arethkar’s fleet was struggling to fight on two different fronts: on board their ships and outside of it.
“Okay, Gryph, land me down on the central ship there. That’s Kaige’s ship.”
The gryphon soared upward, shooting through clouds and then back down in the air towards the deck of the large metallic dreadnought.
The deck was a bloodbath. The pale bald headed Chosen were enacting their vengeance on everything on board. The soldiers and crew
had been so caught off guard by the player’s sudden freedom from the enslaved buff, they weren’t ready for the attack. Bodies of crewman laid strewn across the deck. Crowds of freed players were mauling the guards, stealing their weapons and shooting them.
A group of them ran at me when I landed.
“Don’t shoot,” I said. “I’m on your side. I’m a player too. I’m the one who cast the spell that freed you.”
“Took you long enough,” hissed one of the men. His eyes were red and his veins were purple along his paper white skin.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “You’re right, but there’s still more of you out there, so we can’t give up now.”
The antagonistic man growled. I understood where he was coming from. I understood the anger boiling inside of him. When you were this angry, you weren’t trying to make sense or have a rational argument or discussion, there was only one thing you wanted to communicate: rage.
Luckily, two other wearied and newly freed Chosen stepped between me and the angry man.
“He’s right,” he said. “We’re free of the necklaces but we’re not free of this ship. We’ve been given an opportunity here. Let’s not squander it.”
The man turned around and nodded his head to me. “What do you need from us?”
“Keep doing what you’re doing,” I said. “Take over these ships. Let’s get them in our control.”
“Done,” said the angry man, smashing a clenched fist into his palm. He ran off down the deck, picking up two mana rifles off fallen soldiers on the way.
“I’m looking for Oren Kaige,” I said. “If we capture him, this battle is as good as over. Where on the deck is he?”
The two players pointed to a platform above us. It was a smaller deck hidden by a tinted glass wall. The Captain’s Quarters.
I nodded my head. “Thanks.”
I ran up the deck towards a staircase, stepping over fallen bodies. The ship was pure chaos. The slaves were rebelling, a mutiny aboard the ship. I had to duck behind a wall to avoid a blast of a laser turret the slaves had commandeered.
