“Just kill me and end this ruse,” Lang sighed looking down at the snow.
“As I said before, you're the one killing me, Stonehead. Don’t want to decide? Fine, I will decide for you, then,” Joe said, jumping up onto his feet. Lang flinched at his sudden movement, but Joe ignored her involuntary reaction. Using his foot, he cleared the snow in front of Lang, creating a space where he could place the items he would offer to her. Carefully, he laid out ten vacuum-sealed large sausages, an equal amount of bagged potatoes, and a large crystal of rock salt. Seeing the edible resources, her eyes widened but Joe continued to lay down carefully selected food items. As a last measure, he placed a small stack of silver coins and one gold coin on the pile.
“The game was generous with me, so I can be generous with all of you. I think that's why they gave me so much. Oh yeah, one fun little fact, see that picture on the small gold coin? That's Citizen Putin,” he finished with Lang and then called out to the crowd, “For everyone else here, I will give each of you an equivalent amount, but not until I am able to free you. And, I can't free all of you out here in the cold. Everyone who wants me to remove their slave mark, join me at the top of the castle,” Joe announced. He executed an abrupt about face and marched toward the castle, never turning to gauge the crowd’s response.
Many hurried to follow Joe the moment he started up the hill. Others, however, walked over to Lang. They touched her forehead, wondering if what they had witnessed had been a subterfuge. Lang didn't resist. She was too stunned by what had happened. After a short time, she stood alone with only Remi beside her.
“I'm going too. I'll come back and check on you once I've been freed,” Remi chirped with enthusiasm.
“Could this all be real?” Lang risked, kindling hope.
“No! I'm sure that I'm dreaming, but I don't care, it's a good dream. It was so wonderful when you were dancing around the bar with him. Stop crying, Lang-ee! You’re ruining my pretty dream. I'll be back to check on you later …unless I wake up,” Remi blurted out and then hurried after the crowd of slaves making their way to the castle.
The yetis who had positioned themselves for possible battle on the mound stood and watched the hopeful slaves pass. As the crowd crossed over the bridge, a handful of the yetis inexplicably changed from NPCs to players. The chief saw them standing around and grunted, pointing them back to their work now that the excitement had passed. The tribe immediately went back to widening and deepening the defensive trench.
Alone for the first time in longer than she could remember, Lang looked up at the crystal dome and saw something she could not comprehend. Looking through the triangles, she saw what appeared to be a huge head with tightly curled blonde hair. Only the face appeared to be flat, as if it was a picture on a large wall. What puzzled her was how the picture moved across the dome front. Suddenly, the first head disappeared and a second one emerged. The second was clearly talking and moving about as well. This King Joe had powerful magic. If what he was accomplishing with her and the others was a ploy, then there was nothing any of them could do about it. Carefully, she picked up all the loot he had laid down before her and tied it up in the large blanket issued to her for the trip into the cold wastes. She would head to the castle herself, find out what this wall of moving pictures was, and see if this king was who he claimed to be.
Chapter 5 - I’m Not a Part of Your System
Walking up toward the throne room, Joe's eyes widened as he dodged a young elf child who was bounding down the stairs holding a gnarled white root. He had no time to read the lettering above the boy’s head. The child didn’t even acknowledge his monarch as he flew by. Joe stopped and looked back down where the boy had gone, hearing a sing-songy childlike taunt.
“I got your foo-od, bunnies! Better catch me before I eat it.”
Unbidden, a smile formed on Joe’s face as he turned back to continue up the stairs. Once more, he was forced to dodge. This time a pack of at least thirty bunnies bounced past and through his legs. Luckily, Joe's new body was extremely athletic and he could dance around the mobile furry balls of fun. “This better not turn into a Trouble with Tribbles quest,” Joe said through his grin.
He reached the peak of the stairs and scanned the domed cathedral-like floor. In the short time since he had departed, Spooky had made one major alteration. The Canvas of Netflixia hung from the crystal ceiling and spanned the full height of the dome. The gigantic movie screen now divided the mammoth space in half. Spooky had attached ropes to the top of the ceiling and was using those to suspend the magical fabric which currently displayed Napoleon Dynamite. With the canvas partially unfolded, excess fabric hung from the sides, falling down to the ground. The injured yetis, held back from digging the trench, sat with the former slaves of the vampires. Though none of them understood the words from the movie, they were enthralled nonetheless.
Joe smiled and wondered if the same thing would happen here that happened on Earth in the 2040’s. Though distrust and division still remained, Earth was not as it had once been. Over time, everyone in the world, across multitudes of cultures, had been exposed to all the same television series and movies. It had not led to world peace, for people still fought for resources, but it had greatly lessened global conflicts. People were less likely to attack those who agreed with them on who the best Star Trek captain was. Joe grinned as he remembered being careful to keep a tight lid on his captain opinion from his wife so as not to be murdered in his sleep.
Careful not to block the view of the screen, Joe weaved through the crowd and reached the altar where he promptly sat down and breathed a sigh of relief. His mana began to refill at an accelerated rate and Spooky flew to his side.
“I hope you don't mind that I extended the screen to its maximum capacity for this space,” Spooky said.
“No, I don't mind, it's a good idea. This place was so empty with just a tiny little altar. Now it feels like an IMAX. It's comforting, having a little bit of community, you know. As far as I'm concerned, we should do this quite often,” Joe said and he received a new message in his HUD.
Create retractable theater on the top floor of castle? Yes/No
Joe loved when the UI responded to him in such an intuitive manner. He clicked yes and immediately a piercing rip resounded throughout the grand dome. Looking up at the floor-to-ceiling movie screen, he noticed the superfluous fabric from the magical canvas fall to the ground like leftover Christmas wrapping paper. Most of those surrounding the screen scattered in reaction to the drop, however, more than one of them remained close so as to cut off a little piece of the seemingly discarded fabric. The displayed screen was only a small portion of the original Canvas of Netflixia, the remaining portion now lay on the floor. Two Corinthian columns rose to the height of the dome on each side of the now perfectly rectangular screen. No longer a simplistic set-up, the canvas now lay framed between two beautifully carved ivory columns. He received a new message.
Congratulations!
You have created the Mile-High Crystal Theater. Never before, on the face of this Moon, has there been a place to experience true cinematic events. Even now, whispers have begun to spread about a miraculous place where stories come to life and wonders still exist. Note: This retractable screen has many benefits, including: increased immigration, increased tourism, and most importantly, increased unity among the people in your kingdom.
“Well, I didn't expect that. I had an image in my mind of how I wanted the theater to look, and amazingly, that's it! Astounding,” Joe exclaimed pointing at the elegant theater.
“You did that, Joe. I thought I was the only one who could use building points, but somehow you channeled what you wanted through me and I had no choice but to build it. Not that I wouldn’t have built it for you, but in this case, it was as if your will flowed though me,” Spooky explained, looking slightly nauseous.
“So that was actually a surreal experience, then. We combined part of an established item with building points and, in so doing, crea
ted something new and useful. That’s an interesting gaming element to have us work together like that,” Joe said looking around.
Congratulations, Joe and Spooky!
You’ve gained six levels in your Creative Mechanic skill. Plus 2 to Muscle/Gear. To increase your level further, continue your collaboration in out-of-the-box thinking by combining items and magic in new and interesting ways.
“That was unexpected. I wonder if we’ll gain an extra attribute point after every ten levels in that skill. I believe as a unit we can accomplish much more. I know we've already had this argument several times, so I won’t argue with you now. I just ask that you don't close the door forever. I’ll change the topic, though, as I can tell you don’t want to go there now. A curious UI oddity has been occurring. Many of the yetis and slaves here are registering as players instead of their original designation of NPC. I don’t know why or how it’s happening, but over the last fifteen minutes our player count has been steadily increasing,” Spooky said.
“Well, with the scenarios building up steam, it makes sense that more people would decide to log in,” Joe said, almost offhandedly. Suppressing her desire to object, Spooky took a deep breath.
“You’re wanting to free the slaves now, right? I can see that the new group from Dollmar is climbing the stairs as we speak, and I've already gathered together the slaves we liberated from Neg and Devigo. There are quite a few here. All included, I’m calculating that you have 281 slaves to free.”
“That is not an inconsequential number. I'm worried it won't be as easy as it was before. When I freed Grork and Bork it had been like throwing a champagne glass against the wall. I could feel my will easily shatter the slave mark. But that’s not how my liberation of Lang went. Her slave mark was stronger and the magic in it was of a different sort. If I'm going to free all these slaves, I need to go about it systematically. We might not be partners, but we are co-Champions. Do you have any suggestions for how to go about all of this?” Joe asked.
Recognizing his extension of the olive branch, the black diamond dust floating around Spooky began to swirl as her enthusiasm elevated. “When you spoke to Devigo,” she began, “he said that he could feel one of his mistress’s marks from inside our castle. And, given what you just said about your contrasting experiences with these separate incidents of freeing a slave, I think we can conclude that not all slave brands are created equal. I postulate that the reason the removal of Bork and Grork’s slave marks was so effortless was that they were fresh. Maybe slave marks are like concrete, the longer they sit the stronger they become.
“Therefore, I suggest we organize all of the slaves in order of how recent their brands were created. I can do that for you and move them toward you in small groups. The process may become more difficult as you go, but hopefully you’ll advance in your skills and authority as you free the fresher marks. In the meantime, while you're freeing the slaves, I will interview them- find out what skills they have, and if they need training or medical attention,” Spooky proposed.
“Great, sounds good,” Joe said. Spooky smiled at him before flying away. As she retreated, she noticed Moes walking up to Joe. The halfling and the fairy made eye contact, acknowledging one another.
“You've had a pretty eventful day,” Moes said cautiously to Joe.
“Yeah, that’s true… I just had this, well, kind of weird experience with a woman named Lang. For some reason, she wanted me to beat her, as if she wanted everyone to see me as an evil jerk. I was running away from her and she was chasing me. I put my MIL Bar between us and we just danced around it. I felt like I was in grade school again, playing ‘run away’ from the girls. It was kind of surreal, feeling like a child again. When it was all just a fun game,” Joe reminisced.
“Yeah, I saw that. I was up on the defensive mound, too far away to see her clearly. Was she pretty?” Moes asked.
“Well, she had a lot of scars on her face, but her eyes were attractive. But that's not the point. She was fiery and so determined to accomplish her goal that, for a moment, I forgot I was in a game. I was just interacting with a woman. It felt fun, not romantic or anything, just fun. It's been a long time since my wife died, but during that time I really haven't had close friends who were women. I let my guard down with Lang. I enjoyed the vulnerability, but the implications worry me. Is there something about this place that is causing my memory to fade?” Joe said as he watched the crowd slowly organize into smaller groups.
“I'm a master of mind and spirit. Nothing has messed with my memory. I can't speak for the rest of the people here, though. You did an amazing job, by the way, getting those platoons to withdraw and somehow give you all of the slaves. Once everyone is free, this will be an actual town. It's impressive. You should focus on that and keep building,” Moes encouraged.
“Thanks, Moes. I think it's important to point out, though, that you didn't actually clarify if my memories have been impacted. You said it yourself, you are a master of mind and spirit. Is there something wrong with me?” Joe asked.
“A good teacher never gives his student the answers. A great teacher always gives his student more questions,” Moes almost chanted.
“Just because you're a scholar and you’re wise, doesn't mean everything you say fits under that second category. I've opened more profound fortune cookies,” Joe remarked.
Moes frowned. Clearly, the UI’s translation of fortune cookie made no sense to Moes, and he made no effort to conceal his confusion.
“And, at that, I will return to my task. I need to provide more slaves with the help they need in order to deal with their traumatic memories,” Moes excused himself.
Resting on the metallic box, Joe looked around at the people who sat viewing the screen. Some watched and others talked quietly to each other. There was something about the low level of chatter that felt comforting. On the first day, the castle had been empty and it had felt that way. Joe realized that, as of this moment, the castle would never feel empty again unless he failed to protect it.
Chapter 6 - Call Me, Maybe
Lil approached Joe with ten slaves following warily behind her. The gargantuan yeti raised her right fist to her heart and bowed before Joe. Joe quickly jumped to his feet to return the salute.
“King Joe, Spooky say these new slaves,” Lil said, gesturing behind her.
“Let's get this party started, shall we? Each one of you was enslaved relatively recently. I am going to remove the mark your former slaver put upon you. There will be no slaves in my kingdom. I'm going to be putting my hand on each one of your foreheads because that's what's worked before. If you wish to kneel you can, but I don't think it's required,” Joe explained in the trade language while miming the protocol and using Lil as an example.
Some of them kneeled while others stood defiantly, glancing over at their mutilated comrades and then back at Joe with an angry expression. Joe made the connection and stopped. “I'm bad at this leader thing. No one understands what's happening except for me and Spooky,” Joe said, pausing the movie screen and raising his voice.
“Those of you on the other side of the screen, please make your way around it to the east side, facing the large gas giant on the horizon. Those who are able, please help those who are not. Lil, if you would be so kind, please inform the rest of the yetis, along with Grork and Bork, and have them join us in gathering around the mithril box.” Lil exited to complete her king’s bidding.
“While we're waiting for everyone to make their way here, I will sing for you all. What shall I sing? Shall I sing my favorite Russian lullaby, Tili Tili Bom? No, something tells me that would frighten all of you enough to run from this castle. No, I'll sing the soft Russian Cossack Lullaby, that will calm things down.”
Joe sang the gentle melodic lullaby about sleeping in a faraway land yet remaining safe, remembering a parent's love. It was clear that the whole crowd, even those still filing in, felt the soothing comfort it offered. Some of the younger children fell asleep in the arms of th
eir caretakers. A tension was relieved, one that Joe hadn't even quite realized was there.
After singing through the song multiple times, Lil had returned and everyone was in attendance and gathered. All of the slaves and all of the free people in his kingdom were within range of hearing him. Joe stood up on top of his altar for greater visibility.
“Thank you all for coming here. I am King Joe and I brought you all together to quickly tell you what has happened, what is happening now, and what I hope will happen in the future. A few weeks ago, Spooky and I were summoned here, to our castle. We were chosen for a specific reason. The two of us will be creating a diverse kingdom free of oppression. Any who wish to be free and are willing to live under the rules of our kingdom will be welcome. I see that many of you are looking around and recognizing that there are quite a few slaves here. Some of you were enslaved by vampires who did unspeakable things to you. Neither Spooky nor I were the cause of these mutilations. It is my hope that through magic we will be able to heal what was done to you. Spooky and I were only summoned weeks ago, so we are new to this process. As of right now, I have only freed three individuals of their slave marks. I can see them in the crowd right now,” Joe said.
The Sleeper Must Awaken Page 6