Void

by Riley Morrison

  “Who are you calling a flying lizard?” Dawnspark glared at her. “Do you know of any lizard that breathes fire?”

  “Actually, I do. In the Infernal Realm where I come from, there are frill-necked lizards who vomit fireballs.”

  “Bah.” Dawnspark huffed smoke in the succubus’s direction. “No relation to me.”

  Lillus came to stand beside them. “Let’s gather some crafting materials before the sun is gone.” She scanned the red-tinged sky. “It’s good to be out here in the wild again.”

  Ajax raised an eyebrow. “You like it out here? I find it lonely.”

  “We both like it here,” Yana said, moving to stand beside her mistress. “We passed through this area on our way to find you.” She reached inside Lillus’s cloak. “And, oh did we ever have fun together!”

  Lillus’s cheeks reddened as she removed her pet’s groping hand from under her cloak, then she grinned at Ajax. “Be thankful you’re making the journey to the Oracle on dragon back. We had to ride on a randy centaur with a knack for getting us into trouble.”

  “A randy centaur?” Ajax narrowed his eyes.

  “Yes, his kind were introduced in the Odyssey expansion pack. They live in the expansion zones near where the Oracle resides.”

  Yana hefted her whip. “The horse-men (and women) like it rough and kinky, too. You just have to ignore the horse hair and mind their hooves.”

  “Let’s get to work,” Ajax said. “I don’t think I want to know what you got up to on your journey to meet me.”

  With that, they set about farming materials for their professions. Ajax headed over to the rock outcropping he’d seen earlier and was amazed at just how much ore could be found there. Did anyone else know of its existence? Few players ventured beyond the human lands, except those foolish enough to try to find the elven race, or fewer still who had the urge to explore everything.

  Ajax had once been one of those latter sort of players. Someone who never felt right leaving a game until every area had been fully explored, every quest complete, every NPC’s dialogue exhausted. He’d been a lore nerd for a few games too, and once contributed to the official wiki of a post-apocalyptic game called STALKER.

  As he chipped away at an ore node, grinning appreciatively every time his Mining professions gained in rank, he found something rare.

  An emerald.

  Holding up the green stone to the fading light of the setting sun, he marveled at its perfection. Already, it appeared as if a jeweler had cut the stone to perfection. Emeralds and other special gems, like rubies, sapphires and diamonds, could be slotted into specially-crafted armor in a socket, a concept stolen from ARPG’s (Action Role Playing Games). Acting a little like augments, they increased player stats or added special powers to equipment.

  Ajax tried to identify the emerald to see what it might grant him, but only got the basic information.

  Random drop

  Large Emerald

  Power: Unknown

  After identification, insert into a socketed item to apply the stone’s bonus.

  Maybe Lillus could tell him more. Though he lacked socketed armor (they didn’t come along until Tier 4 items which were for players level 13 and above), he might find a use for it one day. Or at worst, he could sell it.

  When he had finished mining the easy-to-get ore, he climbed off the rock and put his pick back into his inventory. He’d have gotten more, but it had began to grow dark.

  Mining

  Level: 112/300 Apprentice

  + 42 chunks of iron ore

  Now, he only needed to find a foundry and smelt the raw metal into bars so he could use it to forge items to level his Blacksmithing profession and be able to make his own base-level augments.

  When he returned to Lillus, he found her and Yana grinding up herbs in a mortar and pestle as Dawnspark watched on. The Demon Mage would only be able to make basic potions for them, as she would require an apothecary to make higher level items. But health and mana potions were about all they needed for now.

  “I found this.” He held up the emerald, and it glimmered in the fading light. “Can you identify it?”

  Lillus got a far away look, then said, “It will grant you +5 Dexterity, +10 Evasion, and +3 Luck. Seems like something a Rogue would love, though everything it gives, would benefit you as well.”

  Ajax put the emerald in his inventory. He sat with them, and watched the Demon Mage make her potions. As she put the stopper into a mana pot, she gave him a mischievous grin. “You want to know what the final ingredient I added to this was?”

  Leaning back, Ajax stroked his chin. “Considering that grin on your face, I don’t think I do.”

  She glanced at Yana. The succubus’s cheeks went bright red. “I can’t help it if you humans made me with magical—”

  Ajax held up a hand. “Stop. I might be drinking that, and the last thing I want to hear is what you’ve put in it.”

  Yana shook her head. “You humans have such dirty minds.”

  Later in the night, they curled up under Lillus’s blanket. Yana had refused to remove her mouth from Ajax’s face, kissing him, licking him, and holding him in her arms. He held the succubus and Lillus both, kissing each, and basking in his love for both of them.

  How surreal is this? He thought to himself as he let Lillus explore the inside of his mouth with her tongue, her hands groping his chiseled chest, her lips soft, moist and warm. I’m on a impossible floating island with two beautiful women in my arms, one a half-elf goth chick who can summon demons, the other a perfectly proportioned succubus who likes nothing more than to pleasure or be pleasured. And watching over us, is a busybody dragon (who at that very moment was giving them a disapproving glare)!

  Now Yana kissed him, her voluptuous body pressed against his, her clawed hand gently exploring his inner thighs. And I’m the savior of the world. The Chosen One.

  They are coming, Ajax. You must leave. Now!

  Ajax jolted upright at the terror in the voice. What? Who? Valeria?

  Then another voice intruded upon his pleasurable thoughts. Get out of there Ajax. They’re coming for you.

  Yana tried to pull him back down. “What is it, my love?” Her voice was soft, and filled with lust.

  He squirmed until both women had let go. “Valaria... she just spoke to me.” Scanning the sky, he added, “she says they’re coming.”

  CHAPTER 23

  BEAUTY AND THE VOID

  THEY WERE UP IN THE air, and away from the floating island before Dawnspark spoke. “There better be something out there, because I was looking forward to catching up on my beauty sleep.”

  Ajax ran his eyes over the star-filled sky. “Valeria wouldn’t have warned me if they weren’t close.” He had no idea how the Spirit Mage had spoken to him again, but she’d fallen silent after the warning. Or perhaps she’d been silenced...

  He glanced at Yana and Lillus who both watched the sky behind them. When the succubus had first flown on Dawnspark, she’d latched onto Ajax or Lillus so tightly, she could’ve broken one of her claws. Now she seemed at ease.

  Yana cared deeply for him and Lillus, and maybe deep down had been upset about how showing such terror while flying made her feel weak. She’d been almost unable to act, failing her duty as a pet. If the minions of the void caught them now, there was no doubt, she’d stand her ground, and show no fear.

  Several more tense hours passed, and still they’d seen no sign of enemies.

  Ajax leaned back against the side of the basket saddle and stared absently into the distance. Had he imagined hearing Valeria’s voice? Might he have slipped off to sleep without realizing it, and dreamed the warning?

  That almost made him laugh. No, surely not. He’d been so turned on by Lillus and Yana, there’d be no way he’d have let himself fall asleep, and they’d never forgive him if he had. Then what could the message mean?

  They flew toward a group of floating islands, hanging half a mile above ground level. A chill of premoni
tion ran up Ajax’s spine.

  He moved to the front of the basket saddle. “Turn east. Now.”

  Dawnspark glanced around at him. “What is it? I don’t see anything, and my night vision is far superior to your own.”

  Ajax norrowed his eyes and focused on the feeling growing inside him. “I think there are void wyrms hiding on those islands. They mean to ambush us when draw near.”

  Just as he finished speaking, a distortion in the air above the larger of the four islands drew their attention. The distortion quickly split into smaller pieces, that spread out in a long line.

  Void wyrms.

  Dawnspark didn’t have to be told a second time to change course. She swerved to the side and began to head east.

  Lillus latched onto the rail next to him. “Don’t go too far out of the way. The Oracle is south of here.”

  “How much further?” Dawnspark asked.

  The Demon Mage stared up into the stars. She’d been using them to navigate. “About four hours.”

  “They’re coming after us.” Yana pointed in the direction of the void wyrms.

  Ajax’s heart skipped a beat. There had to be twenty of them back there, maybe more.

  “How close are they?” The dragon’s wings flapped so rapidly they’d become a blur.

  “It’s hard to tell,” Ajax replied. He couldn’t see the void wyrms properly to get an idea how far away they were. It was too dark, and the enemy were too numerous.

  Lillus handed him two mana and three health potions. “Take these. I think you’re going to need them.”

  IT TOOK TWO HOURS FOR the first of the void wyrms to be within striking distance. On its back rode a figure, much like the armored void wraith Ajax had seen when he had fought Sejanus. The figure carried a long lance, and wore ancient-looking plate armor.

  Behind it, came fifteen more of the winged monsters. These ones were slightly smaller, and lacked riders.

  Ajax removed the Eye of Destiny from his inventory. The swirling white glow lit the darkness around them.

  There were too many enemies for the Eye to kill and they were too spread out. Last time he’d used the item, it had been drained after only a few attacks, barely enough to kill a single target. Now they were up against a score of them, and the Eye wouldn’t be able to recharge itself until the sun had risen.

  And sunrise was more than an hour away...

  “I’ll use my game master powers if I have to,” Lillus said, watching the approaching wyrm rider.

  He snapped his head around. “No, not again. You’ve yet to fully recover from the last time you used it.”

  She turned to him and bared her teeth. “What choice do we have?”

  Growling under his breath, Ajax turned back to their pursuers, letting his hate for the enemies grow. I’ll kill all of you.

  Lillus raised her hand. A bolt of purple-black shot out from her fingers, and sped toward the void wyrm carrying the rider. The monster didn’t move to avoid the attack, and simply continued to bare down on them. The Infernal Fire Bolt struck it square in the face, but seemed to have no effect.

  Unknown airborne entity

  File corrupted

  Sub routine compromised

  Please contact an administrator and quote the numerals 3567/1/13 03:56

  Check out our daily deals in the Visaria Online Store!

  Even years after the game makers were dead, they still wanted you to buy stuff! Ajax rolled his eyes and thought, And they can’t even tell us if her spell did any damage.

  The armored figure leveled his lance as he came within fifty-feet of Dawnspark. Now they were so close, Ajax could see the wyrm more clearly. The gray flesh of the monster had no texture to it, as if the whole thing were simply a solid gray object. Ajax had watched the behind-the-scenes videos of a few games where the artist had shown off the 3d composite models of an in-game character with nothing textured onto it. They were simply what the character would look like without any color applied to them. This is what the void wyrm looked like. An unfinished game asset, perhaps for a future, never-released expansion, ripped out of Visaria Online’s code, and given life.

  A manifestation of the broken dreams of the old world. Or, something like that...

  The void wraith rider on the other hand, had color, mostly gray with an icy, light blue aura. His weapon seemed forged of deep sea ice, as it steamed in the already icy air. Behind the dark slits in his helmet, Ajax caught sight of two eyes, shining with the empty gray of the void. Then he heard a voice in his head.

  We are the unmakers, the death of all things, born of the horror of the destruction of the old world. You will join us, and lead our legions to our unmaking.

  Ajax shuddered. The voice was the one of the void cloud he and Nylus had seen. Cold, flat and devoid of any emotion.

  The voice of death.

  Lillus fired more of her bolts, this time at the void wraith. Several struck him, but he never reacted once. Bringing up the Eye of Destiny, Ajax willed it to unleash its power. As a bolt of white lightning shot forth, the void wyrm ducked under it, and the bolt flew past the wyrm and stuck another two coming up behind it. The two wyrms let out simultaneous all two human screams, then plummeted to the trees far below.

  Bringing the Eye up for another attack, Ajax aimed it at the void wraith.

  Too late. The wraith leapt into the air and flew over twenty feet to land heavily on Dawnspark’s back, driving his lance deep into her flesh. Dawnspark stiffened, then roared in agony. She started descending toward the ground, blood gushing from her wound.

  The void wraith’s eyes never left Ajax as he let go of the lance and nimbly strode along the dragon's back. Lillus moved to confront him, the angelic wings sprouting from her back. Before she could destroy the wraith, a bolt of ice shot from his eyes, taking her in the stomach. She flew backward, and slammed against the front end of the basket. Instantly, her wings dissipated and she collapsed in a heap.

  Companion suffered -152 damage (Unknown ability)

  Companion afflicted with Unknown Debuff

  -5hp

  -5hp

  Lillus Pwnfire

  HP: 98/250 (+10 BLS)

  “Lillus!” Instinctively, Ajax moved to help her, as the now-riderless void wyrm followed them toward the ground.

  He got to her side. “Lillus, wake up.”

  She was loosing hp fast, and the void wraith stood just outside the basket saddle. Using his Touch of Light on her, restoring all her lost hp, he spun around and brought up the Eye. It still had a little power left. Enough to blast the wraith out of Visaria!

  Yana had moved to protect them, her whip circled around the wraith’s neck. “Die, beast,” the succubus screamed, yanking on her weapon.

  The void wraith lurched forward, slamming into the basket saddle. But then he gripped the whip and tore it out of Yana’s grip.

  “Get out of the way, Yana,” Ajax screamed, trying to shove past her.

  Yana lunged at the wraith, raking it with her claws. “Die!”

  Ajax tried to drag her off, but she shoved him back with her leg. “Die, die, I won’t let you hurt them.” Yana’s voice was a high-pitch wail. “Die!”

  Before Ajax could get back to the succubus, the void wyrm spat a gob of gray goo at her.

  The ball of goo splashed over Yana’s wings.

  As reality seemed to slow to half speed, the world around them falling silent, Yana turned to Ajax, her mouth opening to let out a pained cry. But nothing came out.

  She collapsed forward into his arms, the gray goo spreading the void infection along her wings. Soon it would enter her body, and at that moment, there was nothing he could do to stop it. Ajax’s heart felt like it had been torn apart. Yana’s beauty, her loving digital soul, would be gone forever.

  The void wraith spoke again.

  Join us.

  CHAPTER 24

  VOID SWARM

  DAWNSPARK SKIDDED ACROSS the ground as she made a rough landing. Ajax was thrown backward, s
lamming into Lillus, still holding Yana in his arms. As they came to a sudden stop, he caught sight of the void wraith reaching for him over the edge of the basket saddle. Shoving Yana off, Ajax brought forth the Eye. As soon as the wraith saw the item, it ducked out of view.

  Ajax got to his feet, and to his horror, saw some of the gray void goo had gotten onto his armor. Then he relaxed a little. It didn’t seem to be able to sink through the metal.

  Turning his focus back on the enemy, he noticed the riderless void wyrm had landed nearby. The beast watched him, its eyes nothing more than circles within the gray 3d model. No pupils, no iris, no window to its soul.

  The other wyrms hovered overhead like birds of prey.

  Ajax approached the side of the basket saddle warily. Where had the wraith gone? Dawnspark seemed to have fallen unconscious, as had Lillus and Yana.

  All of them were in trouble. Lillus had already lost a third of her restored hp.

  What am I going to do? Ajax struggled to not let fear overwhelm him.

  Suddenly, The wraith appeared to his right. Ajax spun around and let loose the remaining power of the Eye. The wraith caught the bolt of energy in a strange cube it held in its hand. The cube arched with an electrical hum as it consumed the energy. No...

  The wraith hurled the cube high into the air, where it exploded into fragments. Ajax covered his face, as pelting debris fell around him. When the barrage was over, he brought up the Eye for another attack but found it had gone dark. His stomach lurched. The item wouldn’t be able to recharge itself until dawn.

  He was on his own.

  Join us. The wraith watched him. Unmake us all.

  Drawing his sword, Ajax bared his teeth. “I will never join you!” He lunged forward, and drove the point of his sword deep into the void wraith’s chest.

  The wraith screamed, shuddering as the blade tore through his back. As Ajax went to pull the weapon free for a second plunge, the wraith grabbed his wrist. Ice shot up his arm, freezing the blood in his veins.

  -78hp

  Join us.

  Ajax tried to pull free, but the wraith had a firm grip on him, pumping ice into his body. Already, Ajax had began to feel weak. He’s trying to immobilize me.