by David Petrie
Suddenly, a black robe and canvas bag flew past Kira’s head. Both landed in the sand as Nix took off down the beach, running out on to the stone bridge that lead to the throne. She jumped off the side and tucked her legs up close to her body so her tail trailed behind her like a comet.
“Cannonball!”
She hit the water face first with a splash that seemed disproportionate for a character her size. Ginger let out an exhausted sigh as she picked up the discarded robe and bag and placed them on a lounge chair.
“She’s worse than my kids.”
Kira watched the reynard splash about. “At least she knows how to have fun.”
“That’s one way to put it.” The Coin untied the sheer fabric from her waist and tossed at Max as if he was her servant. The skirt hit him in the face as he looked out across the water.
“Thanks.” He squinted back at her as she lay down on the sand, positioning herself like she was ready for a photo shoot.
“You know it’s nighttime, right Ginger?” Max pointed to the pyramid’s ceiling.
“I do.”
“You’re not going to tan.”
“Yes but, Corvin and Kegan are off working on something for later so there’s really nothing else to do right now. I’m going to take this time to relax the best I can while this fire pot next to me is nice and warm.”
Max sighed and stood beside her like a good bodyguard.
Kira snickered and leaned over closer to Farn. “They’re kinda cute, in an old, bickering, married couple sort of way.” Farn snorted a laugh at the comment.
Ginger glared back at them, clearly overhearing the comment. “Shouldn’t you both go play with Nix.”
“I think she drowned.” Farn pointed out at the water.
Kira followed her finger to where Nix should have surfaced. Eventually, a pair of pointy ears poked up like a periscope. Then a moment later, the rest of her head followed as she doggy-paddled her way back to the shore.
As far as characters went, Nix could be described as pretty. Well, could, being the operative word. At the moment, she looked more like a drowned rat crawling on to the beach on all fours. She wobbled as she got to her feet, like the weight of her waterlogged tail was throwing her off balance.
“I have to check something.” Max grabbed the leather ball from Farn and launched it in Nix’s direction. “It’s dodgeball time.”
“Wha–” was all Nix got out before being hit in the head and falling back into the waves.
“Sorry! Thought you were looking.” Max sounded less sincere than he should have.
Kira cast an accusing glare in Max’s direction.
“What? I thought she’d have better reflexes.”
“I’m okay. I’m okay.” The spunky reynard sat up out of the water, coughing and shaking her ears like a dog. “Just swallowed some water.”
“You might want to stop being suspicious of her.” Farn gestured to the mercenary. “She might not be a genius.”
“I really thought she’d catch it.”
Farn shook her head and walked off toward the water.
Kira let out a sigh in his direction.
“Fine, I feel bad about it, okay?”
“You probably should,” Kira said as she motioned to join Farn.
Max laughed as soon as she passed him. “Nice butt, by the way.”
Kira thrust her hands over the sparkling heart on her rear. She’d actually forgotten about it.
“You know what, I’m owning it.” She puffed out her chest and marched the rest of the way to the water. “I’m a mascot, and it’s cute.”
Slipping into the water, the artificial ocean surrounded her like a blanket of happiness, washing away whatever she had been concerned about a moment before. Kira really did love the water. Even if the last time she’d gone swimming had been a year ago, back when she’d been shackled with the pendant that still clung to her throat. She ducked under and let the water strip away that worry as well.
Everything will be fine, she thought as she surfaced.
Of course, that was when Farn chose to belly flop off the throne.
The Shield crashed into the water beside her, sending a wave over her head. Kira brushed her dripping hair out of her face as her friend rose to the surface.
“How’d that feel?”
“Not great but still fun.” Farn let out a wheezing laugh.
“Well, I guess it’s war then.” Kira turned away without another word and swam to the throne. Moments later, a fairy-sized cannonball plopped into the water next to the Shield, barely sending more than a few droplets in her direction.
Kira frowned.
Farn seemed equally unimpressed.
That was when Kira remembered she could fly.
She suppressed a grin as she flicked a few points on mana into the spellwork of her wings, shooting into the air. Thirty feet up, she swiped open her spellcraft menu and glanced at the fifty hit points displayed in the readout on her wrist. She was going to need some protection. Glyphs spun into place, activating a defense spell with water resistance.
That should do it.
She dove.
Below, Farn scrambled to get out of the way.
Too late. Kira flattened out to give her body the maximum surface area possible as thunderous clap hit the air, followed by muffled laughter. Kira floated back to the surface, holding her chest as her entire front burned from the full body slap.
“I regret nothing. Tell my family I died how I lived. Being totally awesome.” She let herself sink back down for the sake of comedy.
She almost swallowed a mouthful of water when she noticed her stat-sleeve.
5 out of 50 HP remained.
Damn, that was a little closer than I expected.
She surfaced and sent some mana into her wings, fluttering in place, to heal herself with the dust they produced. That was when a quiet voice came from the side.
“Oh wow.” Nix stared up at her, floating with her beach ball held against her chest. “You can actually fly.”
It wasn’t surprising that she was impressed. After all, it was rare to see a fairy with a level high enough to have wings, let alone one that could actually use them. Most just crashed into things since the control system was difficult to master.
Kira nodded, trying not to make a big thing of it.
Nix’s ears pricked up and she squeezed her beachball tighter. “How high can you go? How fast are you? Can you touch the top of the pyramid? Can I see?”
“Whoa, slow down.” Kira looked up at the crystal above, not really sure where the top was. “I guess I can show you something.”
She floated gracefully into the air. Then took off like a bat out of hell. It was good to fly, as good as swimming even. Especially considering that she hadn’t had much opportunity to stretch her wings in the last few days.
Kira made a lap of the beach before setting her sights on the pyramid above. She reached out, letting her fingertips glide against its crystal surface, slowing as she reached the apex. Her reflection surrounded her on four sides in endless lines of fairies. It was dizzying.
She let gravity take her, dropping straight down and forcing a torrent of mana through her body. Reflections of a falling star shined in the crystal until she stopped dead above the water. Her toes dipped in the gentle waves.
It was then that Kira noticed the other players on the beach were looking at her with the same expression as Nix. Some even watched from the balconies. Heat rushed through her body, reminding her of how much skin she was showing. Her first instinct was to duck into the water in embarrassment. She shoved it back and locked it away. She was, after all, a mascot. It was time to own it.
Suddenly, a voice shook her out of her thoughts.
“I heard that a fairy was flying around in here so I thought I’d come to see.”
Berwyn stood on the beach, holding his hands behind his back and smiling. He wasn’t wearing his regular gear, just his crown and a linen shirt. He looked comfortabl
e yet stylish. A less casual Ripper still accompanied him, standing a few dozen feet away at the edge of the beach. Fortunately, the night had left Kira in a good mood. She drifted through the air toward him.
“I might know something about that.”
His eyes widened as she floated in a slow circle around him. Delicate sparks flaked away from her wings like embers in the night air. Kira stopped short.
Holy crap, I’m flirting, and successfully, I might add.
She took a breath and committed to her role, stopping in front of him so that she hovered at eye-level. Her feet dangled a foot from the sand. She made a point of getting close enough so that her dust could dance across his skin.
“You’re quite good at that.”
“Thanks, I practice.” She winked.
“I guess you do. I’ve heard flying isn’t easy.” He glanced down at the rest of her, then quickly brought his eyes back up.
Kira ignored the stolen glance and smiled her most enchanting smile before floating back down and sinking her toes into the sand. She tucked her arms behind her in a way that seemed innocent enough but also displayed her barely clothed form. Glancing away across the water, she gave him the chance to take in the view without being caught.
“You should have come out to swim earlier.”
He sighed. “I definitely would have rather been here than inside working all night.”
“Is it worth it?” She turned back to him. “The empire, I mean?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets, slouching in a way that made him seem more familiar. “Sometimes, or at least, it can be rewarding. I do have a palace, I suppose, but I do wish I had more time to relax.” He looked back to her eyes. “I think that’s part of what draws me to you.”
Kira flushed instantly but suppressed the urge to look away.
He smiled. “Sorry, what I mean is that your house has a freedom that I don’t. It kind of makes me remember why I started playing this game in the first place. Before I got caught up with all this.” He gestured weakly back at the palace as if it was less important than spending a few minutes with her.
“Well, it’s never too late,” she chirped.
Berwyn laughed. “You’re right about that. Might as well start now. Would you want to get a drink with me over at the bar? Since we’re here.”
Kira thought about it for a second, wondering if that would be letting things move too fast or if turning him down would be moving too slow. She didn’t really want to go on a date alone with him, even if her friends were close by. Not that she was worried he’d try something but more that he might try something tomorrow night if she gave him too much encouragement. There was also a part of her that felt surprisingly guilty about leading him on.
She shook off the thought. It was best to worry about the heist first. Besides, what could one drink hurt, right? She settled in at his side, landing with a quiet, “Sure.”
Ripper them followed like a distant shadow, drifting far enough behind to give his Lord some space. His presence made Kira’s skin crawl as she walked past the rest of her party. She wanted to stay close to them. There was safety in numbers.
Ginger sipped a drink from the bar while Max avoided eye contact, both preserving their cover as the honeypot went according to plan. Farn, on the other hand, was less covert, squeezing the beach ball hard enough to depress the leather.
The Shield nodded as if to say, ‘I’m ready when you need me.’ Kira breathed a little easier knowing Farn was there for her.
That was when Berwyn placed a hand on her lower back, sending a chill surging up her spine to the base of her skull. Kira resisted the urge to flinch for fear of sending the wrong signals. It wasn’t that she was bothered by being touched. Well, she was, but there was more. He was charming and gentle, but as his fingertips traced her vertebrae, something felt off, something that she didn’t notice until he touched her with more intent than just dancing.
Whatever it was, it scared the hell out of her.
Apparently, Farn didn’t like it either because Kira didn’t even have to signal for help. The Shield had already sprung into action, creating a distraction in the most awkward way possible.
By starting a fight.
“So what’s so special about this thing here?” Farn grabbed at Ripper’s gauntlet as he tried to stay out of the way.
“Cut it out.” Ripper yanked his clawed hand away, drawing the attention of his Berwyn and the others.
“Relax, I was just looking,” Farn answered as if channeling Nix while coming across as vaguely antagonistic.
“Oh I can give you a look at it. You just might not live through it.” He gave her a grin that didn’t seem appropriate when directed at a woman in a swimsuit.
Berwyn dropped his hand from Kira’s back to call to his Knight. “Ripper, play nice.”
“I’ll take that challenge.” Farn gave a decisive nod.
“Huh?” Ripper questioned, clearly unaware that he had issued one.
“I’d kind of like to see what I can do against you.” Farn sounded like she was sure she’d lose but still wanted to try. She turned her attention to Berwyn and Ginger without giving Ripper time to back out. “Would that be okay?”
“As long as it’s fine with our host.” Ginger stirred her drink with a little umbrella.
“It’s fine with me. I’d love to see what your house can do as well.”
“Great, I’ll run back to the palace and get my gear on.” Farn turned back toward the patio. “Then we can meet back in the training hall.”
“Actually,” Ripper smiled, “there’s a washroom by the patio with a quick-change panel. So we can do this right here.” He pointed down at the sand.
Kira gave Ginger a dirty look for making her change upstairs when she could have just changed easily at the beach’s washroom. The Coin ignored her, pretending to be more interested in her drink.
“That’s perfect.” Farn clapped her hands together. “I’ll be right back.” She ran off toward the patio, only to come back moments later back in the stylish armor that Larkin had given her. She practically radiated power as she casually grabbed her cape off the patio railing and swept it around her. “You ready?”
Berwyn stepped between them. “Okay, I do feel I have to say a few things. First, this is a friendly duel, so there’s no need to go and kill each other.” He gave a stern look to Ripper. “That being said, Ripper doesn’t really do nonlethal. It’s a big reason why I made him my First Knight. So try not to get killed.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Farn responded.
Kira ran to her savior, grateful for the rescue. She tugged on the Shield’s collar which was stuck under her cape, mouthing the words, ‘thank you’ as she popped it back up in a way that looked cool. “Don’t worry, I believe in you.” Kira made sure to squint at Ripper to let him know who she wanted to lose. A little psychological warfare couldn’t hurt.
With that, the two Shields took positions further down the beach where there was more room to move.
Kira sat down next to Berwyn, who was using one of the lounge chairs as a bench. She tried to stay calm, but in truth, she was doing her best not to think about the elf, Luka, who died so horribly the previous night. The beach suddenly felt a lot darker than it had before. She stood back up and swiped open her spellcraft menu, spinning glyphs into position to activate her strongest light spell.
A sphere of pure energy gathered in her hand just before she tossed into the air. It took off like a flare, climbing high above the sand where it stopped and hovered like a miniature flickering star. She couldn’t help Farn fight, but she could at least help her to see her enemy.
Farnsworth stared up at the light pulsing above, then lowered her eyes to her opponent. “So is there some kind of signal to start, or do we just start swinging at each other?”
Ripper smiled.
Then he stabbed her in the stomach.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Pain ignited Farn’s senses as R
ipper twisted his sword through her virtual kidney. How he had known exactly where would hurt the most was uncanny. It was as if he was challenging the system to keep it under control as it soothed the sensation back down to a dull numbness.
Farn didn’t bother checking her health. Her defense could take it. It wasn’t going to kill her. She doubted that was Ripper’s goal anyway. Judging from the uneven grin on his face, he wouldn’t have ended things so soon. No, right now, he was having fun. Stabbing her was just a greeting. He hadn’t even waited until she was ready. Damn, I was practically in mid-sentence.
Farn’s brain caught up quick. Synapses fired, sending one of her legs out to kick him away before he could do any more damage. She fell in the sand and scrambled to get her fingers through the brass knuckle grip of her Feral Edge. No luck, there wasn’t time.
All she could do was get a hold of the sword’s extended handle, leaving her with little leverage as Ripper prepared to strike. There wasn’t time to get her gauntlet’s barrier up either. She cursed herself for leaving herself open. Then she cursed Ripper for starting the duel with a cheap shot. That gave her an idea.
If you want to fight dirty. Let’s see how you react to this.
She grabbed a handful of sand as obviously as she could. Ripper's eyes widened as he pulled back and activated the Death Grip’s shield generator. A construct of crimson energy appeared, projected by a glowing, red stone embedded in the back of his clawed hand. He ducked behind it to shield his face, clearly expecting a handful of sand to be flung at his eyes.
Gotcha! She was never one to fight dirty. It didn’t sit well with her. Instead, she dropped the sand and used the opening to roll back and get to her feet.
The glowing wound on her abdomen faded before her opponent realized he’d been tricked. He lowered his shield just as Farn activated her own. Larkin’s White Rose bloomed from her wrist to form an oval shell of light.
Farn gestured with her head at the Ripper’s shield, its size only that of a standard buckler. It was clearly meant for offense rather than protecting others. The corner of her mouth tugged up into a smirk.
“Mine’s bigger.”