by R J Triveri
Now, that caught River’s attention, and she did her best to focus on the creature in the distance. It wasn’t wholly unexpected that another god’s people would know they were coming, but what in god’s name did it have bunny ears for? “What is it?”
“Looks like a little girl… with bunny ears,” Mac explained in a little more detail. River waited, but nothing else came as Mac’s head cocked towards his partner. “Allen?”
Stroking the beard on his face, Allen thought for a moment before he had his answer in proper terms. “Sounds like a Moonkin, one of Rani’s followers,” he explained and thought back to what he knew about the gods. “Though I’ve never met one, the Moonkin are supposed to be her eyes and ears. Rumor is that they all share thoughts and wishes. They’re sorta like a hive mind. From what I hear, they’re a bit on the chaotic side of the spectrum.”
At least that didn’t sound as bad as Reflection, River thought to herself before continuing. “Do we have to worry about them?” she questioned as the group gathered together.
“From what I hear, they’re a peaceful people. I haven’t heard of one attacking anyone, but that could also be because they don’t have to. This is Rani’s city after all.”
She nodded. “Well, let’s get moving then.”
All in agreement, the group continued forward. It was a warm, sunny day and the sand wasn’t as easy to walk on as the blue paved stone had been, so they opted for the tended path. Going from the dungeon to a sunny shore was more than enough to lighten everyone’s moods. Even Sedai seemed excited as she bounded from the sand to the shore to the ocean, never straying too far from her master until they approached the small way station by the side of the road. Out of the window popped the head of the Moonkin with a smile wide enough to be considered its own phase of the moon.
“Greetings, Champions of Unum! Welcome to Siris, home of the goddess, Rani!” the Moonkin began as they looked on at her odd form. The long white dress, the blue eyes, and the blue and white ears catching all but Allen and Mac off guard. “I am Fifty-Five, and I will be your inquisitor today.”
“Do you know the history of that word?” Dante asked.
Fifty-Five grinned. “Yes. Will that be a problem?”
“Only if you make it one,” River defended.
“And it will only be one if you continue this line of discussion,” the other quipped. “It is my job to guard this city from those that would do it harm. As long as you comply with my requests and questioning, then I will be perfectly happy to let you continue on your way, Miss Rivveeer Hexxxxxiii.”
The way she dragged River’s name out bristled the hair on the back of her neck, but Allen was quick to bring her back to reality.
(Party) Allen Lee: Don’t let her get under your skin. The Moonkin are notoriously annoying to those that they get a specific vibe from. She’s looking for a reason to keep you out.
“It is Miss, isn’t it?” Fifty-Five pushed as she threw a look at Dante. “Not his missus, or mistress, or…”
“Yes,” River defended as she interrupted the Moonkin. “Now, can we continue on?”
(Party) Allen Lee: Don’t lose your temper!
“You’re no fun.” The Moonkin shook her head and pulled a chart from nowhere. “Questions first. What is your reason for traveling to Siris? Business or pleasure?”
“Are we really doing this?” River asked.
“Business,” Dante answered for her.
Fifty-Five wrote a few things down and nodded, murmuring to herself before the next question came forth. “And what would that business be?”
“A divine quest from Unum,” River said, not giving Dante the chance to cut her off again.
“I see.” A few more scribbles, a few more murmurs, and another question. “And what would that quest be?”
“To save the world.” Nyx grinned, seeing a lot of herself in the Moonkin.
Apparently, Fifty-Five returned the thought and grinned back. “I do love a good world-saving mission. Can you be more specific?”
River was hesitant at first, but they’d made it this far, and the Moonkin was a god’s seer, after all. “To take the core data of A…” She winced, waiting for the shock to jolt her into silence. To her surprise, nothing happened. When she was sure it was safe, she continued. “Athos Aramis.”
At the name, Fifty-Five shook her head and tisked. “Such violence… I’m sorry, but with an intent like that I cannot grant you entrance or access to one of Rani’s champions.” Putting the clipboard away, the Moonkin frowned. “Please turn around and leave the borders of the city.”
“And if we refuse?”
Fifty-Five grinned darkly. “Then I cannot be held responsible for what will happen.”
River’s face soured as she looked back at her group. Hesitant to speak directly, she returned to the party chat.
(Party) River Hexi: Is she threatening me?
(Party) Dante Rior: What is she supposed to do? It’s her job.
(Party) River Hexi: So what do we do? What can she really do to keep us out?
(Party) Allen Lee: Unum’s seers are dangerous. I’ve seen them wipe out parties at a time.
River took a moment to consider Allen’s words. She had seen Unum’s guards firsthand, but they were armored and built for combat. The Moonkin… just… weren’t. They were like children. They had giant over-sized ears and sun dresses. What could they possibly do? Rani wasn’t even a vengeful god.
(Party) River Hexi: There are five of us. Let’s just go. There’s nothing she can do to stop us.
Nyx and the rest of the party seemed to think otherwise as their faces darkened.
(Party) Allen Lee: If you’re sure.
(Party) Nyx Inerro: You’re the boss, but I don’t think this is the right idea.
Confident in her choice, River smiled at the Moonkin. “Thanks, but we’re just going to go.”
To her credit, Fifty-Five smiled back. The smile was almost too pure as she watched River walk past. “Ok, bye…” And right into an invisible wall. Not enough to cause her damage, but it was more than enough to damage her confidence and pride as the small child began laughing. “Or maybe you could stay and try to get through my sealed gate again.”
“Damn it!” River screamed as her frustration bubbled to the surface. “I’ve had about enough of this shit today! Open the damn gate for us!”
Fifty-Five just smiled and sat back into her small guard post. “Nope.”
“River…” Dante calmly said as he inched closer.
The frustrations and anger on her face practically dripped as she unsheathed her sword. “Look, rabbit. You’re standing between me and the end of this mission. I just want to go in there, finish what that damned glitch started, and leave.”
“And… that’s why I can’t let you in,” Fifty-Five laughed. “Give up and go back to Unum. I’m sure he can negotiate with my lady about your quest.”
“Seer or not, I will fucking end you if you don’t open it!”
“River!” Dante almost yelled at her.
“Dante!” she called back and silenced him. “We didn’t come this far to give up.”
“We need to get in,” Mac pointed out to the Moonkin.
“And I need you to leave.”
Filling her lungs with digital air, River released a breath and raised her sword squarely at the Moonkin’s chest. “Open it.”
Fifty-Five just shrugged it off and waved her hand to push the other away with a brush of her hand. “Nope.”
“Unum’s Sight.”
“Ohh, scary.”
Seer or not, there was little that could protect someone from a woman pushed too far. The world flashed into three colors, and to her surprise, the Moonkin was a simple gray compared to the greens of her party. Unum saw her as nothing more than another Wild One. Unum didn’t care what they had to do to continue. “This is your last warning.”
Sensing danger, the Moonkin doubled down. Materializing a weaponized lute River had never seen befor
e, a flash of light put the Moonkin outside of the guardhouse and into the center of the road. “Over my dead body.”
“Do we really have to do this?” Nyx asked the others.
“It doesn’t feel right,” Dante agreed while the other two stood silent.
“Do you think I want it to come to this?” River pressed her group. “Do you want to get this quest done or not?” she continued as she flourished the blade. Looking back at the Moonkin, a sigh escaped her lips as she tried again. “Look, just open it and…”
“Boom Burst!” Fifty-Five screamed and stuck a hard, deep chord on her instrument that sent the woman flying back into her group with a resounding echo across the beach.
Damage Received: Dante Rior - 92% Integrity Remaining
Damage Received: Allen Lee - 91% Integrity Remaining
Damage Received: Mac Null - 92% Integrity Remaining
Damage Received: River Hexi - 92% Integrity Remaining
Damage Received: Nyx Inerro - 95% Integrity Remaining
Standing firm in the path, Fifty-Five was defiant as she held her well-tuned lute at waist level. Like all Moonkin, she was skilled in more than just emotional response programming and item creation. Rani had trusted her and her kin with protecting the city, and she was more than ready to scratch the itch for combat.
But River’s group wasn’t one to let a challenge like that go unchecked. Even at the odds of five-on-one, River was fueled by anger and frustration as the memories of her first encounter with Athos boiled to the surface. Back then, she hadn’t been able to face the alchemical arm down without being humiliated, and now that she was so close to redemption, nothing was going to stand in her way.
Not a barrier.
Not a god’s seer.
Not a damned bunny.
Weapon drawn, River grimaced as the Moonkin began to strum the instrument and send compressed waves of air towards the group in a fast, gut-pounding meter. “Take her and the barrier down!”
At her words, the gauntlet had been thrown, and combat well and truly began as Incipere itself responded to her words.
You have attacked a seer of Rani of the Moonkin.
Your party and Unum of Incipere’s standing with the Moonkin race has dropped by 500 points.
You are now hostile with the Moonkin.
Your party and Unum of Incipere’s standing with Rani of the Moonkin has dropped by 500 points.
You are now hostile with Rani of the Moonkin.
Due to the effects of a divine alliance, your party and Unum of Incipere’s standing with Ella of the Wildkin has dropped by 500 points.
You are now hostile with Ella of the Wildkin.
Unum of Incipere is now [error] with Ella of the Wildkin.
Chapter Thirty-Six: Damage Control
“Boom Burst!”
A crash of compressed air radiated in an arc towards her opponents. The Moonkin’s confidence soared as the god-touched bard’s attack sent the five combatants crashing backwards. The screaming chord broke against River’s crew like a brick wall broke when a car hit it at thirty miles an hour.
Damage Received: Dante Rior - 82% Integrity Remaining
Damage Received: Allen Lee - 81% Integrity Remaining
Damage Received: Mac Null - 82% Integrity Remaining
Damage Received: River Hexi - 82% Integrity Remaining
Damage Received: Nyx Inerro - 85% Integrity Remaining
Apparently, Fifty-Five had been holding back in the first attack as fifty yards now separated her and the new party. “I’m sorry. What was that? I couldn’t hear you over how much progress you’re making into the city.”
Her vision swam like a deep, sharp fog as the world was still outlined in grays as River felt her blood start to boil. “You fucking bunny!”
“That’s a little rude to assume what I do in my personal time.” A soft chuckle carried across the gap between the two. “I guess you need to learn a little respect.” The Moonkin grinned and fingered the strings on her lute almost playfully as she strummed out a soft, almost haunting melody that took to wafting across the battlefield. A soft, green light lingered around her for a few moments after the tune, and her ears began to stand on end. A frown crossed her face as she attempted to strum the tune again, quicker this time, to the same effect. “Well, that’s new.”
While the Moonkin tried another strum, River took a moment to assemble her wits and strike. “Blade rush!”
With Aquamarine at her side, River’s body rushed forward with the force of a hurricane. The bluster of power and noise closed the gap in a matter of moments, and to the surprise of everyone around her, the blade struck true. At the same moment that the tip of the blade sunk into the Moonkin’s body, a new set of messages appeared in River’s window.
Critical Hit!
Moonkin - Auxi Fifty-Five has been slain.
Combat has had further effects on your divine status:
Effect - Champion of Unum prevents loss of protected status.
Effect - Champion of Unum prevents loss of Unum’s standing.
Your party and Unum’s standing with the Moonkin race has dropped by 1000 points.
You are now an enemy of the Moonkin. They will attack you on sight and attempt to banish you from Moonkin territories.
Your party and Unum’s standing with Rani of the Moonkin has dropped by 1000 points.
As you are already an enemy of the Moonkin race, there will be no change to your status.
Her body stopped as the creature’s name along with the rest of the information registered. After that name change, none of it mattered though. The blade and body sunk towards the ground as the tip dipped into the sandy soil, and Fifty-Five’s unholy scream of pain filled the air. River’s face reflected the surprise in the Moonkin’s as the creature touched the wound as she began to fragment and dissipate her form into the air.
“You’re…”
They were Auxi.
Recognition froze her dead in her tracks. The Moonkin were the Auxi! She was one of the caretakers of Incipere’s people! She had just killed one of those she owed her life to!
Oh god, what have I done? River’s mind screamed as the Moonkin fell before her. She released the sword from her hands and looked at them as Fifty-Five whimpered before her. They felt wrong, but as her vision faded back into shades of true color with the end of combat, it didn’t take her long to realize that wasn’t the only thing that felt wrong. The entire situation, the whimpering, the ease of combat, and the dying creature, suddenly felt very wrong, and only got worse as a new sound pierced her thoughts in the span of the time it took for an idea to form.
The Moonkin was sobbing, crying, something barely understandable. From the quiet around River, she wasn’t the only one that had stopped as the sound of rending data mingled with the suddenly softer, sobbing voice of their opponent as she repeated the same thing over and over again.
“I’m sorry, Rani,” Fifty-Five whimpered for the umpteenth time as her data began to dissolve. It was a slow process as the complex program that made up the Moonkin began to fade. The body around the blade was gone now as the data broke down around the injury first. Her neck and lower body followed soon after. As the snowflakes peeled away from her frame, all that was left was her face, and her glowing, blue eyes staring straight through her attacker.
In that moment, River’s resolve wavered heavily as those eyes dissolved back into the world. Her sword fell in front of her, bringing up a soft cloud of dirt as she tried to shake off the funk. She’d never killed a Wild One like that before. The bosses never apologized for failing to protect their dungeon. Wild Ones didn’t cry when they were hurt. As the sobbing ended and only the soft beat of waves broke the momentary silence, River’s heart fell, and her mind raced trying to reason out why an Auxi would be playing at another species. When nothing came in her frantic few seconds, she fell back into confusion.
She knew why we were here. She could have just let us though, River reasoned, but her thoughts co
uldn’t just rest there as she heard the others start to approach her step by soft, measured step. Unum knew what she was, and he still sent us here. She could have just stepped aside. Why didn’t she just step aside?
A hand landed on her shoulder, and she felt the stone of the gauntlet before she heard the tone of the voice. “River?”
Why didn’t she just step aside? She had never felt so… wrong before.
“River?” Dante repeated as the concern grew in his voice.
They saw it too, River realized quickly. Forcing it to the back of her mind, she knew what had to be done. There were greater things involved than just her. The entire world was at stake. She had a job to do, and there wasn’t another choice. She’d deal with herself later. With her resolve reset, River shook herself free of the doubt the best she could and got back into a respectable stance.
“I think we need to get going,” River said after a moment, not bothering to worry about what the SIFS would say about the attack. She didn’t want to know anymore. She didn’t feel like she needed cheers and rewards for this.
Dante looked to where the sword lay and said nothing for a moment and looked into her eyes. The expression that stared back, her detached calm, he knew it all too well. Without acknowledging her words, he repeated, “River.”
“I said we need to move!” River snapped more forcefully than she might have meant from the way he flinched. Sedai even seemed worried as she hunkered down against his leg for protection.
Allen and Mac stayed distant for a moment. They were too new to the situation, and despite their newfound friendship, they knew better than to get involved when River was angry. Nyx was taking a rarely silent moment, standing like stone as she turned to stare off into the shimmering blue ocean full of a painter’s palette of ships and broken sunbeams.
“No, River,” Dante began as he reached for her shoulder.
She rebuffed him and took a step forward. “Don’t.”
“But…” Dante had no chance to reply before River’s plea reached his ears.
River Hexi => Dante Rior: Don’t say anything else, Dante. Please, don’t say anything else.
Despite the usual normal levels of conversation, it only came across as a whisper. The effect was instant, but simple as Dante nodded, saying nothing else as River bent over, picked up her sword, and put on the fakest smile he had ever seen on her face. It was like when someone tried to use a fake set of lips to give themselves a better smile. It looked and felt fine because they wanted it, but anyone that knew them knew better. “Alright, River.”