by Seth Ring
The battalions fighting against the cultist force on the eastern side of the battlefield suddenly began to move backwards, leaving the cultists who had been holding them back swinging at air. Confused, the cultists milled about as some of them pursued the retreating players and the others began to rush to reinforce the cultist army on the western side of the battlefield.
“Re-engage!”
As Hasta’s order came through, the now familiar cry burst from the battalion commander’s lips.
“Iron Wolves!”
“KILL!”
Like a ton of bricks the sixth through tenth battalions hammered into the disordered cultists, swiftly crushing through them. Toward the back of the battlefield, one of the large Children of the Moon looked at Maugrim.
“You know, I sure am glad we didn’t go with your plan of trying to drive them out of the valley. Immortal is one thing, but they’re organized too. Fighting by their side sure is exciting.”
“That’s why Mother is the master, and I am not.” Unabashed, Maugrim licked his lips with a long tongue. “I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities to fight alongside these Iron Wolves in the future. For now just focus on making sure that none of the cultist scum escape.”
With a howl that was picked up by the other Children of the Moon, the two large wolves began to comb the battlefield, ending the lives of any of the cultists that tried to flee. Within less than forty-five minutes the battle was over, the cultist army completely defeated. From where he stood, Thorn could see a few crowds of red-robed cultists holding defense points in the ruined temple, but the thick throng of cultists who had met them outside the walls had been wiped out.
“Still have about fifteen minutes on the second potion. After that, we have four more hours.” Mina stood next to Thorn, petting Akira who was still in her battle form.
“So let's try to clear the temple within an hour. Then we’ll take ten minutes to rest up and I’ll release Mayari. Who knows what sort of fight this will be, so we’ll need to keep our guard up. Hasta.”
“Yes, my lord?”
“Begin to clear the temple. We need to be done within the hour.”
“Yes, my lord!”
Snapping a salute, Hasta began barking orders, sending squad after squad into the temple to hunt down the remaining cultists. The last thing that Thorn wanted was a group of cultists distracting them as they were trying to fight Mayari. Mina watched Hasta leave, a small frown forming on her face. Noticing her expression, Thorn squatted down next to her.
“What’s up?”
“These guys are...” Mina paused as she searched for the right words. “Different. They’re not like normal players, are they?”
“Hasta and the other soldiers? Haha,” Thorn’s deep chuckle carried through the abandoned temple’s courtyard, earning him some looks. “No, they’re not normal players. They’re soldiers. Real ones.”
“How on earth did you find soldiers?” Mina’s frown deepened even further. “I thought that the world was at peace? When was the last armed conflict? And why do they seem to be so familiar with using cold weapons?”
“Eh, peace is relative. Any time money and power are involved there will be conflict. Atlas did not grow to be the foremost energy company in the world without conflict. Henr...Hasta and his men were responsible for making sure that me and my aunt were, uh, safe. As for their weapon use? Well, guns are not always the best option in close quarters.”
“You mean you had your own army? In the real world?”
“Haha, you know? Sometimes I feel like real life was even stranger than this game. But no, armies are illegal. Private security details? Totally legal. And if you assign bodyguards to every single one of your staff at every single one of your homes, you build up the numbers pretty quick. We were able to pull in nearly a thousand of our own men for this army, which has really accelerated the army’s overall training speed.” Seeing Mina’s mouth hanging open, Thorn could not help but chuckle again. “Look, there are things that come with wealth and influence that are great.
“And there are things that are, frankly, terrible.” Here Thorn’s tone gained a bleak edge, his gaze drifting into the distance as if he was watching a distant memory. “The world I lived in before Nova Terra was probably not what you imagine. My life, ever since I can remember, was bound in place. My aunt did her best to protect me, but it is sort of hard when your bodyguards are taking bullets aimed at you, simply because some power hungry board member thinks that the most expedient way to climb the hierarchy is if you are not breathing.”
Looking down at his gauntleted hand, Thorn slowly squeezed his fingers together, forming a fist. Feeling a slight weight on his shoulder, the Titan looked up and saw Akira had transformed back into her pet form and jumped up on him.
“Haha, but enough of that. I’m here now, and what matters is not what has happened, but what I do with what is in front of me. Ms. Chen said that.” Thorn let out a big breath as he scratched Akira under the chin lightly. “So let’s end this ancient priestess and protect our valley.”
Staring at Thorn’s back as he walked away, Mina did not know what to say. Sometimes she thought she understood the gentle giant who had blundered around Nova Terra for so long, and then he would reveal a side of himself that took her breath away.
One by one, the cultists fell under the players’ blades until the entire temple had been cleared out, and Thorn found himself standing before the door where he had first met Mayari. Much had changed since that encounter, and this time Thorn had brought an army. Lifting his hand, he was about to place it on the door when his sharp hearing picked up the soft patter of paws behind him.
“Earl Greymane, please hold for a moment.”
Turning around, Thorn looked at Maugrim with surprise. The Children of the Moon had proven themselves powerful allies in the fight against the cultists, even though they had stayed clear of the front lines. If anything, they had shown their intelligence by picking the perfect role for themselves.
“The master has requested that you wait for her before you release the fallen priestess. We, uh, did not anticipate your, uh, efficiency in dealing with the cultists.” The massive black wolf looked almost embarrassed. “I have dispatched my fastest scout to fetch her, and she should be here soon.”
“Oh, sure.” Nodding, Thorn took a couple steps away from the door. “I’d be foolish not to accept such a powerful ally.”
“Thank you.”
Thorn and Maugrim lapsed into silence. Noticing that the giant wolf kept stealing glances at Akira, Thorn brought his battle pet down from his shoulder and held her in front of his chest, scratching behind her ears. Akira ignored Maugrim completely, but after a few minutes of silence, she batted Thorn’s fingers away with her tails and bolted up his body, standing tall on his head as she stared toward the mountains.
Feeling how tense she was, Thorn surreptitiously summoned his tetsubo behind his leg and sent a message to Hasta. Oblivious to Akira and Thorn’s reaction, Maugrim wore a pleased look on his face as he kept his gaze on the mountain.
“The master comes.”
As the players watched, a huge shining form appeared from the mountains, walking out from behind a hill. Easily twice the size of the hill, the gargantuan silver wolf soon reached the players’ lines. Too shocked to make way, the players only recovered when the silver wolf stepped over them and strode to where Thorn, Akira, and Maugrim stood.
[Hello, Lord Greymane, Moon Wolf. I see you have solved your small stone problem.]
[Hello, Lady Mani. Yes, it was the sap of the World Tree that helped.]
[That must have been quite the adventure. I must express my thankfulness that you have made time to deal with this corruption. Had Mayari been allowed to spread her corrupting tendrils any further this whole valley may have been lost.] Pausing, Mani’s calm eyes lifted to scan Akira, only to widen in surprise.
Chapter Twenty-One
[Greetings to you as well, Akira. You have changed m
uch since I last saw you, little one.]
[Hello, Lady Mani.] Akira bowed her head. [I benefited from the sap of the World Tree as well.]
[I can see that.]
The giant silver wolf sat down next to Thorn and opened her mouth in a wide yawn, revealing teeth as big as Mina. Despite how dangerous she looked; Mani gave off a motherly air that made the players nearby feel comfortable. Still, there was not a person present who doubted that she could swallow any of them whole.
[Lady Mani, Maugrim said that you were hoping to be involved in the fight against Mayari?]
[That is correct, Lord Greymane. Mayari is a master of beguilement. As a Foxkin, she excels at twisting people to her service. I will assist you by restricting that aspect of her abilities. While I am keeping her occupied, you will fight against her minions and assist me as I slay her.]
[That sounds like a great plan. We’ll leave the main fight to you and will handle the rest.]
Turning to Hasta, who was standing next to him keeping a wary eye on the massive silver furred wolf, Thorn relayed what Mani had said.
“New plan, instead of a normal tank rotation, Lady Mani is going to tank Mayari. We’ll be responsible for adds and DPS on Mayari. Split the tanks into groups and spread them out so we can react no matter where the adds come from. Let me know when everyone is in position and I’ll get this party started.”
“Yes, my lord.” Hasta snapped a salute and went to reorganize the teams.
Word that the giant silver wolf was going to fight alongside them quickly spread through the Iron Wolves, lifting morale as all the players rushed to their new spots. Once everyone was in place, Thorn told Akira to protect Mina until he came back, and he walked into the tunnel where he had first met Mayari.
The stone hallway had been cleaned up since the last time that Thorn had been here. Fresh torches burned on the walls, lighting up the stone carvings that decorated the walls. Thorn had walked about half way down the hall when the torches flickered and a robed figure appeared at the end of the hall by the door to Mayari’s chamber. A blood red mask glistened sinisterly in the torchlight; the rest of the figure’s body hidden by the black robe that they wore.
“Greetings, Lord Greymane. Lady Mayari waits for you inside. She has been expecting you for some time.”
“Devil’s Blood? I’m surprised you guys have not run away. I thought I made myself clear that you and your minions will not be tolerated in my land.” Thorn spoke sternly, as he continued to walk down the hallway.
“We exist to serve and free our Lord’s allies, we never shirk our duty.”
“Hah, oddly honorable considering that your lord is a devil. I find it surprising that you would be marked by steadfastness.”
By this point, Thorn was within arm’s reach of the red-masked assassin so he stopped and regarded the assassin’s mask with interest.
“Tell me, what do the different masks mean? I’m guessing the color and marking mean something right? White masks for minions? Red masks for leaders? Gold masks for mages? Are there others that I have not run into? Purple? Blue? Do any of them glow in the dark?”
Pointedly ignoring Thorn’s questions, the robed figure gestured to the door behind him.
“Lord Greymane, Lady Mayari is waiting for you.”
“Mmm. Well, lead the way.”
The door to Mayari’s chamber opened slowly, giving Thorn a glimpse of the room before he entered. Mayari herself had not changed one bit, still sitting in the magic circle. Around the chamber, facing Mayari, stood black-robed figures in red and gold masks. Not seeing any traps, Thorn walked into the room confidently.
“Hello, Lord Greymane.”
Mayari’s voice was just as sickly sweet as it had been the last time, though Thorn found it much easier to identify the coercive effect that it carried. Like a faint pink mist, Mayari's coercion was visible to Thorn’s [Spiritual Sense]. He could feel it swirling around him, attempting to infiltrate his body through his ears. As the mist crept in with her words, Thorn could feel a faint call to his subconscious.
Come closer and free me. Serve me, worship me.
Instantly, Thorn’s [Spiritual Sense] rose in his body, a faint yellow light that swept toward the pink mist and surrounded it, blocking out its call. Like a devouring beast, Thorn’s [Spiritual Sense] eliminated the mist, leaving Thorn completely clear-headed and undistracted by Mayari’s beauty.
“Have you finally come to your decision, my lord? If you free me we will rule the valley together, bringing peace to the Wolfkin.” Even without the influence of the pink mist, Mayari’s words were persuasive, her soft voice awakening Thorn’s protective instincts.
Looking at her beautiful, innocent face, anger began to boil in Thorn’s chest. Though she looked like she could not hurt a fly, Mayari had split the disciples of the Temple of the Moon, nearly killing Elder Havva in the process. Her corruption of the head disciple, Gelish, had created the Bloodkin, a twisted abomination that made a mockery of the Wolfkin. Forcing back his anger, Thorn kept his tone polite.
“I have certainly come to free you from your imprisonment, Lady Mayari.”
“You have? Oh, how wonderful. I just knew that you would make the right choice. Tell me, Lord Greymane, what did that oversized fur ball tell you? Did she say that I was evil and would corrupt the Wolfkin? Did she tell you that I was going to try and seize the valley from you?” Mayari batted her long eyelashes at Thorn, giving him a gentle smile. “But as wise as you are, I’m sure you know what I really want, don’t you? I just want to serve at the side of a powerful man, doing my duty as the priestess of Hati.”
Pausing slightly, Mayari’s eyes scanned Thorn’s face, registering every reaction. Seeing that he was not saying anything, she smoothly changed tactics, trying a different angle.
“After all, the Wolfkin have been obstructed for too long. It is time that they rose to their rightful place at the forefront of the continent. Their birthright is that of a god and it has been an age since they last claimed it. Together, you and I could forge them into a powerful and fierce fighting force, seizing what is rightfully ours for Hati’s honor.”
“Hati’s honor? Oh? Is that why you have allied yourself with the Devil’s Blood? I’m confused as to how cooperating with such an evil organization could be good for the Wolfkin? I mean, I’m pretty sure that even the last owner of this ring thought so,” Thorn said, unequipping his gauntlet and holding up his right hand to show off the [Wolf Lord’s Ring].
As Mayari’s mouth opened, a cold voice came from the side of the room where one of the red-masked figures stood.
“Lady Mayari, why do we bother with this? Wouldn’t it be simpler to just kill him and seize the ring?”
“What’s the matter, Abatos, jealous?” Another voice sounded from a golden-masked figure on the opposite side of the room. “Don’t tell me you still have illusions of making Lady Mayari yours after you failed to find Gelish the Blood Hunter for so long.”
“Shut your mouth, hag!” The red-masked figure took an aggressive step forward as two long blades appeared in his hands.
“Or what?” A burst of laughter drifted from the golden-masked figure. “Are you going to shut me up with those tiny knives of yours?”
“Abatos, Genfir, be quiet.” A third voice rose from behind Mayari, causing the arguing Devil’s Blood officers to fall silent.
Leaning to the side slightly, Thorn saw a figure with a half red, half black mask who had been hidden from sight behind Mayari. Unlike the other figures, this one had an open robe and a large sword on his back.
“Look, I don’t even know why we’re here.” Genfir’s nasal voice echoed in the small room. “We are all busy and he is going to do our job for us.”
“Threat elimination.” This time Thorn did not catch who spoke.
“Threat elimination?” Genfir burst into laughter. “Ahahaha, you are crazy. He killed Kenyos in single-hand combat and bested that insane witch, Nellourous Belle. What makes you think that we ca
n fell him?”
“We outnumber him significantly?”
The voice spoke again, though less confidently, allowing Thorn to identify a short red-masked assassin as the speaker.
“Oh? Do we? Have you looked outside recently? Because I’m pretty sure we don’t outnumber anyone. There is an entire army of travelers just waiting outside. Honestly, this is a complete waste of time.”
“I agree.”
Before anyone else could respond, another gold mask wearing figure spoke and then snapped their fingers, vanishing into thin air. After a stunned silence, a smattering of snaps rang out and most of the other masked figures vanished as well, leaving Thorn, Mayari, and three of the Devil Blood officers in the room.
“I guess they all agreed.” Thorn chuckled, letting his gaze sweep across the remaining three assassins. “How about you? Do you want to throw down? I’m happy to entertain you if you do.”
“No, I have no desire to fight.” With a sigh the assassin with the half black, half red mask held up his empty hands. “Genfir is right, we have way too much to do to worry about what you will do with Mayari after you free her. Whether you free her or we do, our objective will be reached.”
“Then what are you still hanging around here for?”
“I just wanted to meet you and see if I could come to a better understanding of you. After all, if you are setting yourself against us, we will eventually clash.”
“Hm. If we’re going to fight later, why not simply do it now?” Thorn asked, re-equipping his gauntlet and flexing his shining claws. “We could cut to the chase, save time for both of us.”
“No thanks.” With a click of his fingers, the man in the half black, half red mask vanished like those before him.
“How about you two?” Thorn looked at the two remaining red-masked assassins.
Making a spitting sound, Abatos snapped his fingers and vanished without replying, but the other masked figure did not move.
“I remain to witness whether you actually free Mayari. As soon as the seal is broken, I will be on my way, just like my sisters and brothers.”