by David Petrie
Well, kick wasn’t really the right word. It was more of a push. One hard enough to shove both players in opposite directions, sending them flying off the sides and into the water below as she dropped safely to the stairs. She finished by unloading the rest of her pistol into the last of them to make sure he was down without needing a critical.
Kira hovered with her arms dangling limp, staring at the brutal display of tactical violence that the small reynard mercenary had demonstrated.
The crowd on the central platform did the same, finally realizing there was a fight going on. Several players moved toward Nix, though it was hard to see them mixed into the crowd. More of Amelia’s Moon’s, no doubt.
Nix spat out a breath, her ears flicking back as over a hundred casual players gawked at her laying on the stairs. She tapped the magazine release on her pistol and flipped it to the side to eject the spent mag before slapping in a fresh one.
Max approached the top of the stairs and fired two rounds into the air, shouting, “Clear the floor!”
The crowd just stood there staring up at him, leaving him looking a bit awkward, clearly at a loss of what to do next.
Nix pushed herself upright. “It’s a game. Warning shots are useless.” She switched her M9 back into burst mode and fired directly into the crowd.
Kira froze at the sight of the mercenary shooting into a packed dance floor. The situation suddenly felt too real as the horrific act turned her stomach.
Screams erupted as panic took over the crowd. They ran, many opting to dive off the platform, taking their chances with the fall into the water. It was like there was something about being shot in a nightclub that overwrote the knowledge that it was all just a game.
“That got them moving.” Nix smirked.
Guilt stabbed at Kira’s breast. She was an accomplice.
Then she felt worse.
Not because of the shady morality of what her temporary teammate had done but because there were far more players holding their ground than she expected.
At least twenty.
They must have been Amelia’s main force.
Nix reloaded again, but before she was able to fire off another round, Max leaped clear over her from the top of the stairs. With the bystanders gone, he was free to unleash hell.
Fire and smoke erupted as he came down, landing on the floor in a roll that ended with him back up on one knee for a moment before hopping back to his feet. He never stopped firing.
Kira let out a cheer, just happy to see Max back in the fight. Things were black and white again. Her best friend against Amelia’s Moons.
Max stopped in the middle of the dance floor surrounded by well over a dozen enemies. The slides of his guns were locked back, empty, after letting loose on the way down the stairs. The players circled him, adjusting their positioning. As soon as he ejected his magazines, they would rush him. Even Kira knew that much.
Max did it anyway. There wasn’t a choice. Hopefully, his Reaper class could keep him alive, though he could only hold his breath so long, and without range on his side, he was a sitting duck.
Just as his spent mags hit the floor, Nix ran into the fray, firing at anyone who made a move. The timing was perfect. A moment later, Max’s guns were full and ready to go, just as Nix’s M9 ran dry.
The Moons rushed from all sides, using their numbers to overwhelm them. Spectral swords flittered in and out, slapping away any projectile as Max and Nix thinned out the melee classes who might have landed a hit.
Max’s hands moved independently of each other as he fired, only letting his enemies get close enough to ensure his hits. He spun, firing forward, backward, and sideways. Players fell with every movement.
The Moons didn’t stand a chance.
From what Kira could tell, their level had been closer to Corvin’s, down in the mid-range. If they had been closer to Max’s, things might have been different.
Kira wondered where Amelia’s best fighters were. It was a large house. Surely she must have had a few high-levels. Even more surprising, there wasn’t a single Fury, Leaf, or mage on the floor.
That was when she realized the trap. She scanned the platform as Max finished with the group of mid-levels, looking for where the Moons might have set up their ranged classes.
Then it was obvious.
The bar.
Two Furies, five Cauldrons, and two Leafs popped up and took aim from behind the counter. Max could block the bullets, but the magic could still take him out. Kira willed herself to shout a warning, but all she got out was a confusing, “Trap is here!”
There was nowhere for Max to run.
Then with an epic roar, Farn slid in, putting herself in the line of fire, dropping low so that the energy projected from the White Rose protected her whole body. Apparently, she had figured out the trap first, and being completely sober, had acted fast.
Max and Nix huddled close together at her back to reload as the players behind the bar gave them everything they had.
The Reaper’s translucent swords swirled while a hail of crystal shards pinged against Farn’s barrier. She braced, losing twenty percent of her health in spillover damage.
That was when a brewed spell from each of the Cauldrons rose around her in a gust of wind and fire, combining in an explosion of colored smoke. Kira lost sight of her friends and checked their health as their totals plummeted, only stabilizing in the red. Nix probably didn’t fare any better.
As soon as the smoke cleared Max stood with both guns drawn, his scarf pulled down from his face. A full-auto barrage of explosive rounds poured into the bar. The sound of shattering glass filled the air as bullets riddled the players and bottles alike.
Kira counted on her hands.
That’s three bars we’ve destroyed so far this week.
Finally, Max’s pistols locked back, leaving just a couple of the Moon’s for Nix to handle. They both smirked at their handiwork. Then another trap sprang.
From all sides, players began stepping on to the floor, surrounding them again.
That’s where the high-levels were. Kira slapped her forehead.
The only members of Winter Moon missing were Amelia and her two commanders, Klaxon and Kashka. Obviously, the first wave on mid-levels had been just to soften them up. Amelia’s had saved her best for last.
With Max’s health and ammunition running low, things were looking grim.
Kira smiled and cracked her knuckles. Good thing they have one of the best Breath Mages in Noctem on their side. She dove straight toward them, her casters snapping open to cast two of her strongest heals from her quick-cast queue.
The air began to glow as glowing particles of white and green rose from the floor and swirl around… a set of chairs.
“Oh dang” Kira halted to a stop.
She was, of course, entirely trashed, thus making casting an area effect spell a bit difficult to target while flying.
Max looked up at her with one eyebrow raised.
“Oh man, sorry,” she blurted as she opted to fly in a circle around them, dumping pixie dust like a crop-duster.
Well, sort of. It wasn’t quite a circle.
She veered off course, floating to the left when she meant to go right, only making it worse the more she tried to correct it.
Good enough.
She slowed, throwing her hands on her hips in satisfaction just as a Leaf from below fired an arrow at her.
“Ack!” Kira dodged to the side and took off to keep moving. Looking back, she shouted a loud, “Nice try!”
Then she looked forward again.
“Ack!”
One of the platforms somehow flew straight at her. Then she realized it was her that was flying toward it. She corrected her path just in time to avoid hitting it directly. Instead, she just skimmed its surface in a ridiculous display of flailing arms and wings.
A few patrons of the club who had been hiding there watched with confusion as she jogged past, unable to stop her momentum. She kept runni
ng right off the edge.
Kira closed her eyes and screamed, forgetting that she could fly for a moment and remembering just in time to swoop up above the main floor again.
“Ha ha!” she laughed in an attempt to sound victorious as she passed over Max and the others. Their health climbed back to where it belonged.
Then a bowstring thumbed from behind.
She didn’t even it coming.
An arrow burst from her chest almost in slow motion as it streaked through her heart.
That’s… not… good…
Chapter Forty-Five
“No!” Farn cried as an arrow tore through Kira’s chest with a burst of crimson light.
The fairy’s health crashed to zero as her body did the same, smashing into the bar at full speed and falling out of sight behind it. It happened so fast; she couldn’t believe it. Even Nix looked shocked.
“Shit!" Max put a round into an attacking Blade before turning back to Farn.
“No,” she repeated, unable to shake the image of Kira’s limp body hitting the shelves of broken bottles.
“Umm, Farn?” Max pointed at her hand.
She looked down at the black onyx ring on her finger. The one that tied her life to Kira’s in a one-way bond.
It was glowing.
Suddenly, the display of Kira’s health woven into the Celtic knot-work on her wrist ticked back up by one. At the same time, a countdown appeared next to Farn’s name. Kira’s death had been passed to her.
5:00 minutes ticked down.
A few minutes of power and the life of her friend in exchange for her own. It was a price worth paying.
Farn stared down at the ring, not knowing what to expect. Her gauntlet deactivated involuntarily, its barrier of white light blinking out as her arm began to burn. The sensation was familiar. Her Feral Edge was taking over, drawing power across her body from her gauntlet.
The instant it reached her heart, her world ignited.
A new energy welled up from within her. It tingled the way the dust from Kira’s wings did on her skin, except this time, it was from inside and far stronger. It surged into her, filling her to the brim with warmth and strength.
Her sword split, now glowing purple as light gushed out to form the weapon’s energy blade. Farn glance back over her shoulder at Max and Nix.
“Make sure Kira’s alright.” Then she flicked her eyes to the Leaf responsible for the arrow that had struck her friend. “You’re so dead.” She dashed forward as purple sparks flew from her footsteps.
An enemy Shield stepped in front of the Leaf, only to be struck with a strength unheard of. The player blocked, but it made no difference as her Feral Edge radiated with power. He flew over a dozen feet with a slash of crimson light nearly a foot wide staining his body. A trail of shimmering particles poured from his corpse as it slid across the floor, tripping another enemy before his form dissipated.
The rest of Amelia’s Moons took a step back.
Farn gave them a smug grin as she twirled her sword around her, from which her message was clear.
Bring it.
Without her Gauntlet’s barrier, she took hits. It didn’t matter. The contract item on her finger regenerated her health faster than her enemies could hurt her. She had no clue as to what her stats were, but even with the drop in defense that came along with using her sword’s contract ability, they must have been off the charts.
The Feral Edge felt impossibly light in her hand as she cut through Amelia’s Moons like they were paper. Her body felt the same, like she weighed half as much, making each move feel effortless.
Enemies either fell by her sword or were launched off the platform as she darted across the floor in streaks of purple light. The timer on her wrist ticked down as the sands of her life slipped through the hourglass.
Farn let out an enthusiastic growl.
She was going to go down swinging.
Max dove over the bar’s counter, mostly to get to Kira but also to stay out of the way of Farn’s rampage. Just as he landed, an enemy Coin slammed into the shelving nearby, his corpse dissipating as he landed. Damn, remind me never to piss Farn off, he thought.
That was when Nix jumped headfirst over the counter, tumbling into the narrow space and landing on her face.
“I meant to do that.”
Max ignored her and crawled to the other end where he found Kira rubbing her head.
“You okay?” Max shouted over the noise and screams of the fight on the other side of the counter. The fairy just stared at him with a puzzled look that said she was unsure and still completely wasted. He repeated his question, this time adding that she had taken a fatal hit.
Kira glanced at her health through her drunken haze, taking a moment to figure out which wrist it was displayed on first. It took her another few seconds to process what the single hit point next to her name meant. She scooted back against the counter like she was trying to get away from the readout on her wrist.
“I’m so stupid. I got careless.”
“It’s okay.” Max reached out to steady her. “This is what you have that contract for. It had to get used at some point.”
“No, it didn’t.” She shook her head.
Max sighed. His partner had always had trouble sorting out her emotions in regards to what was real and what was virtual. In her inebriated condition, it was a lost cause. To her, Farn was going to die, and it was her fault. It didn’t matter that her friend would respawn. She would still blame herself.
Kira shut her eyes tight with tears trickling down her cheek. Max touched her shoulder. Her body trembled as she furrowed her brow and scrunched her nose in concentration.
Then she really did do something stupid.
“Oh, no you don’t.” Max squeezed her tighter, knowing that it was already too late.
It was easy to forget that Kira still held the power of a god in Noctem thanks to the entity that she had been bound to the year before.
Carver’s parting gift.
Alastair had warned her not to use the power in the vault or around the hard they were trying to steal, as it could nullify the legal loophole they needed. On top of that, Kira had even said that she was afraid of losing herself to the other whatever it was that lurked inside her mind. Using that power was out of the question, but now, they were nowhere near the vault, and Kira wasn’t exactly in her right mind.
Max couldn’t stop her.
He froze, having no idea what the inebriated fairy might do with the power of a god. Ultimately, she could tell the game’s system to do anything—spawn bunny rabbits, open the gates of hell, or summon something entirely unimaginable.
It was all on the table.
Not even the medical team at Checkpoint that treated her knew what her limits were. The result could be a nightmare.
Kira opened her eyes, revealing two bright pools of crimson power in place of the dreamlike purple irises that Max had gotten used to over the last year. It was only a moment before her eyes faded back to violet, but he was sure it hadn’t been his imagination. He didn’t understand what it meant, but it scared the hell out of him.
Max glanced at Nix out of the corner of his eye, hoping she hadn’t noticed the brief color shift. The mercenary didn’t seem to react, which could’ve meant anything at this point. She could’ve been pretending to be oblivious. Max couldn’t be sure.
Without a word, Kira braced her weight against the bar and stood, her legs wobbling under the influence of several shots. Her lip quivered as soon as she saw Farn. The Shield simply tore through the last of Amelia’s house as Kira clasped her hands against her chest.
That was when Max noticed something new.
The ring on Kira’s finger that had traded Farn’s life for hers had changed. Gone was the black gemstone that represented death. In its place, a brilliant ruby sat at the center of the silver band.
Such a small change.
Max wondered what it could mean.
Farnsworth let out a ridiculou
s howl as she cut down the last three players in a rapid attack that flowed from her like poetry.
She couldn’t help it.
It was awesome.
Never in her entire life had she felt as powerful as she did at that moment, but nothing could last forever.
As the few seconds of the contract timer slipped away, she twirled the Feral Edge in a flashy display of pride before slamming the tip down into the floor to strike a final pose. If she was going to die, she was at least going to look cool.
Her sword returned to normal, the blade of violet energy shattering like glass. Farn fell to one knee as the power drained away from her body.
She missed it already.
Weakness consumed her as if weeks of exhaustion had caught up with her all at once.
This is it.
Farn let her body fall to the side and roll on to her back. She closed her eyes and waited for the world to fall away. The moment seemed to last forever.
Umm, I don’t remember respawns taking this long.
That was when she felt a gentle tap on her cheek.
“Poke.”
Farn cracked one eye open find Kira squatting on her toes and hugging her knees with one arm. The fairy’s hair was damp, leaving it messy and fluffed as it fell across her eyes. She poked her again.
“I’m not dead?” Farn furrowed her brow.
Kira winked and raised a finger to her lips. “Shhh.”
Farn’s blood immediately began to boil as she realized how she had been saved. She had half a mind to chastise the fairy right then and there in front of the Lord of Serpents and everyone else. Kira knew better than to use that power, to put herself at risk just to cancel out a meaningless death was insane and stupid. Farn would have just respawned in ten minutes.
She pushed herself up on to her elbows and looked up at the fairy, the little idiot’s drunken expression faltering into that of a worried friend.
The anger faded.
Max jogged up behind her, glancing around before adding a suspiciously awkward, “I never thought you’d use that contract. I guess it was worth saving.”