The Sleeper Must Awaken

by Kip Terrington

  Joe believed the audience to be at an end, when a large group of former slaves approached. The halfling, who had been the natural leader of the first slaves to arrive, stepped forward and began to speak in gesture. Feeling a resonance with this halfling, Joe mind-clicked.

  Level- 32

  Character- Cit

  Race- Halfling

  Mana- 182

  Muscle/Gears- 10

  Magic

  Novice Portal Magic

  The UI decided to translate the rather simple language of gesture into a more aristocratic style of communication, considering the audience and location.

  “Greetings, King Joe and Queen Zoya. I apologize, for I am not on the schedule. I would greatly appreciate it if I may be allowed to speak on behalf of the former slaves?” Cit said.

  For a moment, the conversation felt jarring as Joe understood the language of gesture but was also receiving the translation. Focusing on the translation, Joe relaxed and allowed himself to listen.

  “I see that many of your people have gathered and your smile tells us you have good news. Speak for your people,” Zoya allowed, covering for Joe's hesitation.

  “Thank you, Your Majesty. I do indeed have good news. The former slaves of Dollmar and the former slaves of the vampires have decided to unite under a common clan. We shall henceforth be called, The Unchained,” Cit replied, with obvious pride in the name.

  Zoya leaned over and whispered in Joe's ear, causing him to smile.

  “Both the queen and I take joy in your well-chosen name. We recognize and fully support The Unchained. May your clan thrive and grow in strength, power, and the pursuit of freedom for all,” Joe announced.

  “Have you also decided on a lord for your clan?” Zoya asked.

  “We have. The Clan of the Unchained asks that Molasses step forward and take the mantle of leadership,” Cit said.

  The troll-kitsu hybrid stepped forward with a sad look on her face.

  Joe stood up and walked down toward Molasses, Zoya still on his shoulder. In a whisper meant just for Molasses, Joe spoke.

  “Your freedom did not come with any conditions. Your choices are yours to make, alone. Are you sure this is what you want?”

  “Not what I want. No. However, you are in error. Freedom comes with conditions. You did not assign them, but I did accept them. What is power for, if not for service?” Molasses said with an uneven tone, as she was still not used to using her voice and tongue for speaking.

  The gathering crowd was beginning to swell as most of the yetis filtered into the throne room. Apparently when big things were happening, there was no longer a communication lag. With so many children sprinting up and down the stairs, it was unlikely that anything would remain private for long.

  Joe nodded and walked back up to his throne, but he did not sit. Turning to face the gathering crowd, Joe addressed Molasses with more formality.

  “Molasses, chosen leader for the Clan of the Unchained, do you wish to swear oaths of fealty to the king and queen enthroned above you?” Joe asked.

  “I do,” Molasses answered.

  “Step forward, kneel, and swear your oaths,” Joe replied.

  “I, chosen leader of the Clan of the Unchained, do voluntarily swear fealty to King Joe and Queen Zoya. My clan, whose existence has only become possible through the true spirit of liberation that began here, do so swear to serve the king and queen of this kingdom for eternity,” Molasses said, and then immediately looked toward Cit who smiled, reassuring her that she had said every word correctly. It had taken the clan more time to choose that specific wording than it had for them to choose the powerful Molasses to be their lord.

  Major NPC, Chieftess Molasses

  Troll-kitsu Fighter

  Once again, Zoya whispered for only Joe to hear and he nodded at everything she said.

  “As you can see, and I'm sure feel, the queen has not bound you to your oath. After all, this is not a kingdom of slaves. However, we will be binding ourselves to our oaths. Queen Zoya and I recognize the oaths of our new vassal, Chieftess Molasses, and swear to do everything in our power to protect and uplift the Clan of the Unchained. We are your monarchs and you are our people,” Joe said.

  Black binding cords shot from Zoya and wove a web, piercing both of them through the heart, soul, mind, and body. The fact that this was real should have made Joe uncomfortable with the new responsibility, but in that moment, he only felt the joy found solely in worthwhile purpose.

  Ding

  Congratulations! You've completed a primary quest.

  Joe quickly minimized the messages. Now was not the moment to disengage from his people.

  “Tell her to stand, then congratulate everyone. My angels have already begun work on the feast,” Zoya whispered to Joe.

  “Rise, Vassal Molasses. Congratulations to you and your clan, and congratulations to us all,” Joe said as he noticed Chief Bridcha make his way through the crowd toward Molasses. Joe wasn't quite sure what was going to happen, but he decided to let it play out.

  “Chieftess Molasses, authority valid. The Unchained Clan recognized. Clan Bounder’s equals. Friends. Your enemies, our enemies,” Bridcha said and then with a powerful thud, he brought his closed paw down hard on his chest in salute.

  Chieftess Molasses returned the salute and the whole of the gathered crowd began to cheer.

  During the roar of the crowd, a high-pitched voice of a childless mother could be heard above the rumble. She began to chant, “Death to the mistress and all her kind! Death to the mistress, righteous genocide!”

  It was not the most catchy chant, however, the common practices of the vampires were now known to Clan Bounder. They understood what it meant to lose children. The death chant quickly picked up speed among their sympathetic kind.

  Weeks before, it would have been unthinkable that the yetis would call such a group their friends. However, nothing could unite like common pain and a common enemy.

  Part of Joe wanted to engage and fall into the highly contagious fury of the mob, but he knew that he was not at his best when berserk. With effort, he restrained himself and resolved not to let the mission fail.

  Zoya, however, flew into the air with her dagger drawn and held high. She exerted her tiny lungs and joined in the scream.

  “Death to the mistress and all her kind! Death to the mistress, righteous genocide!”

  The enthusiasm of the mob was not easily set aside, so the chant continued for some time.

  Joe decided that it was time rationality took hold again, so he focused his mind and instructed the Mile-High Crystal Theater to begin playing music.

  Guns N’ Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine filled the crystal dome. Fortunately, at that same time, the first party hors d'oeuvres had started arriving up the stairs and people began to eat and mingle.

  Zoya landed on his shoulder as if in a daze.

  “You okay?” Joe asked.

  Zoya sat cross-legged on Joe's shoulder and held her head with both hands.

  “I don't know. Part of me feels revved up, but I'm also feeling kind of sick,” Zoya processed.

  “Yeah, that sounds about right. An overdose of testosterone and adrenaline can have that effect,” Joe sympathized.

  “I think I’d prefer estrogen, although admittedly, I have no idea what hormones this body uses. Magic definitely makes it more difficult to understand one's own biology,” Zoya said.

  “I get that. It also makes physics difficult to get a grasp on. For instance, now that we have confirmed this is real, I don't understand how your wings can give you enough lift,” Joe commented.

  “Oh, that's one thing I think I might have nailed down. My wings don't only interact with the air. They also push on the ambient magic that flows through everything. They're able to work for the same reason that long range rifles will never be a viable option,” Zoya said.

  “You're sure there’s not a workaround?” Joe asked.

  “There isn't one for traditional rifles. T
he extra magical friction is a powerful limiting factor. However, in the short range, I think gunpowder will eventually be useful. Unfortunately, it's going to be extremely difficult to find a powder that burns at a consistent rate. It seems that in this world, unless you use magical safeguards, consistency in anything is nearly impossible,” Zoya lamented.

  Player Rod, the dwarven mage, wishes to resurrect at your Grand Place of Power.

  Allow resurrection here, or divert player to next available resurrection point? Allow/Divert

  “I'll work my way to the drop-down menus and approve all of our current players so we won't have to continue to approve them,” Zoya said as she clicked allow.

  Joe and Zoya eagerly locked their eyes on their place of power. The moment of truth had arrived. Would the dwarven mage have access to his magic and would he arrive whole?

  The dwarf flowed from the place of power and landed on the altar. Falling to his knees, he caught himself with both hands. His eyes began to glow white. Leaning back on his heels, he raised the hand that was so newly formed, marveling at the brand-new skin. Despite no longer being an amputee, his hand didn't hold his attention for long. With his glowing eyes, Rod could see everyone gathered, but he saw more. Without realizing it, he began to speak with his newly formed tongue.

  “There's life everywhere, even in the air, even in my breath. Little tiny animals,” Rod said in wonder, as he viewed the ever-present bacteria floating all around.

  Joe could see that Rod had inadvertently activated a Level 1 spell that apparently gave microscopic life sight.

  “Congratulations, Rod, and welcome back, but you're going to want to focus right now and cancel your spell. Otherwise, you're going to run out of mana and feel terrible,” Joe said and Rod looked up at him.

  “What?” Rod asked, still overwhelmed.

  “Use your HUD and press the cancel spell button. It should be on the bottom left of your vision,” Joe instructed and the dwarf finally understood and his eyes stop glowing.

  “Everything has changed for you! Your whole world is about to open up,” Joe said, smiling. But when he looked over at Zoya, she looked uneasy.

  “It's incredibly good news that a player’s death not only returns their limbs, but it also unbinds a mage’s magic. However, I think we're about to have a rash of hara-kiri’s,” Zoya commented.

  Joe looked around and noticed that there were quite a few players with missing limbs who clearly looked eager to fall on their sword. Joe was silent.

  “I can see this makes you uncomfortable, Joe, just like me, but in my short existence, I’ve learned sometimes what has to happen is unpalatable,” Zoya whispered.

  “It really is difficult to get used to these new rules, but you’re right. We have a duty to protect these people, even if it means letting them respawn whenever they want,” Joe said to Zoya before turning back to the crowd, “Before anyone attempts to respawn so they can make their bodies whole, let's see if we can make a deal with the dungeon first. If you have to die, it makes sense to get everything you can out of it.”

  “That's good thinking. We should put together a proposal and then I'll go present it to the dungeon and see if I can get a response. First, however, you need to assign all of your points and we should find out what our rewards are for finishing one of our primary quests,” Zoya said.

  Kingdom in Name Only? Part 2

  Appoint your second vassal and integrate her people into your society.

  Reward for completing this quest: one random item and one free castle upgrade.

  Penalty for failing or rejecting this quest: building points reduced by half.

  Time limit for completing this quest: 2 months.

  Reward: Rare Journeyman Alchemist Recipe

  Rare Journeyman Alchemist Recipe: Steel Shellac

  Congratulations! You have received a Rare Journeyman Alchemist Recipe: Steel Shellac. This potion is a fast-drying, highly processed resin that can be used for a variety of purposes. Most common uses include: strengthening of wooden weapons, temporary repair of metal items, battlefield closure of deep wounds, and decorative embellishment of keratin. Warning: heavy use of Steel Shellac on open-wounds may lead to cardiotoxicity.

  Reward: Castle Facility Upgrade.

  Your Woodworking Room has been upgraded to a Woodworking Shop, which includes a brand-new lathe! Bonus: 14% fewer building points required to craft with wood.

  Plus 2,500 XP

  Voice of Monty Ring bonus- 2,500 XP

  Total received- 5,000 XP

  You have moved up a level.

  Current Level- 77

  …

  You have moved up a level.

  Current Level- 81

  “Wonderful! I just received six stat points, all of them in Wisdom. I could literally feel my mana capacity grow,” Zoya said.

  “That’s interesting, because I just received six points in Muscle/Gears. Wait, wait… let me check something,” Joe peaked inside of his uniform. He frowned. “Nevermind. I still don’t have a six-pack.”

  Zoya’s eyes opened wide as she quickly looked off to the side. “I allotted three of my five points of power toward Hard Drive Partitioning, allowing me to control up to 25 six-foot automaton angels and a few other slight increases. The final two points let me reach 30 in Energy Mass Conversion Magic, and with that, there’s bad news and extremely good news. Which would you prefer first?” Zoya looked back at Joe.

  “Let’s start with the bad, cuz I like to work my way up,” Joe said.

  “The bad news is, I’m not yet a master, but, that almost doesn’t matter because in addition to several new spells, I can now use 10% of the building points we acquired, outside of the castle. And though it will require a little bit more mana, this magic is now a true force I can use outside of these walls,” Zoya beamed.

  “That means… when we attack the mistress, you could build fortifications with a wave of your hand,” Joe replied.

  “That’s right. I’ll be the Fortnite Queen,” Zoya said.

  “That makes me wonder if I should have concentrated my points more in one magic, rather than spreading them out as I’ve done. No, stay the course,” Joe said.

  Power and Stat Allocation

  Note: Not all levels are created equal. Work hard and distinguish yourself to prepare well, and you may receive more stat and power allocation points.

  Joe

  Level 77 through Level 81-

  You’ve received 5 points of power.

  You’ve received 6 points of stat, allocated based on achievement:

  Plus 6 to Muscle/Gears

  Without a word, Joe allocated his points.

  You are now a journeyman in Portal Magic (9/9 credited).

  “No, I want all of my points allotted to Portal Magic,” Joe said.

  Currently, you cannot reach master in Portal Magic. Do you wish to spend your point on Portal Magic for future credit? Yes/No

  “Yes.”

  Portal Magic (10/9 credited).

  Note: Multiple conditions are unmet to qualify for the status of master.

  You are still a journeyman in Portal Magic.

  “Man, that was a bunch of spells. Do you get a head rush when you get a bunch of spells? I know I do. This opens up a world of possibilities. With a bit of work, I can actually build a portal that reaches a distance of four kilometers,” Joe began, pacing back and forth. “What makes it useful is the fact that the structure itself can be opened by any mage who has at least 100 mana to expend. Unfortunately, the structure to create this portal uses rather costly ingredients, but there are definitely some strategic locations that would warrant the costs.”

  “Can you make it so that only our people can use it?” Zoya asked.

  He looked up. “Unfortunately, I can’t. I know that it’s possible because of what I’ve read in the Book of Useful Information, but I’m pretty sure it would take a master to create any sort of portal network that could only be used by those the caster approved. However…�
� Joe said as he pulled out a ring.

  Zoya examined it.

  Uncommon Item: Home Portal Ring

  You have found an uncommon item: Home Portal Ring. When charged, this ring can port you through any cleared teleportation area. Charge: 1/1

  “Remember this? When we first received it, it was too dangerous to use, but as our valley fills up with people, this item will become useful. But, this isn’t something I need.” Opening his left hand, Joe began to wave his palm over the ring, whispering a few words. The ring began to glow with a bright yellow light that continued to grow in intensity.

  Congratulations! You have changed the home location of this ring to the top floor of the Five-Sided Castle.

  “Zoya, can I borrow your dagger?” Grabbing it, he carefully popped a small stone out of the ring.

  Congratulations! You have modified the Home Portal Ring and created a Home Portal Gem. Plus 1 Level to Creative Mechanic.

  Reaching up to his shoulder where Zoya sat, Joe handed her the small yellow gem. “Turns out the only part of the ring that the spell attached to was that piece of citrine,” Joe said as Zoya placed the gem in her pocket.

  “Thanks… We should really accept the next part of the quest, you don’t want the UI to give you another message headache,” Zoya said.

  You’ve been offered a quest:

  Kingdom in Name Only? Part 3

  Appoint your third vassal and integrate vassal’s people into your society.

  Reward for completing this quest: Dark Tower Shield and one free castle upgrade.