by Dylan Keefer
“Ghhhhh,”
I twist my face hearing that, I look at Bourne who shrugs.
“Ghhh Mighty Ogre…does not…retreat. We advance…”
“Ok, ahhhh…” I roll my eyes in thought, a snap of the fingers, “Then advance backwards, to me. To me, come to me, your queen.”
“Advance, yes…we can do that.”
“Great,” I look up at the others, “saw that in a movie once.”
Victor breathed out hard, “Ok what next?”
The map showed the three Ogres moving quickly through the base towards us. I see glimpses of enemy dots chasing them. I use my finger to draw an imaginary circle around the number of dots visible outside the base.
“Number?” I ask.
A ping, female voice, “Forty,”
I almost groan, this was not looking so good for us. We never tested the strength of the walls. On top of that, there might be more players than that… they may just be hidden.
It was good I called the Ogres back, as powerful as they were, they were idiots. A well-organized team effort can easily beat a Ogre, especially in a open space. But with us around that would be a problem for any of these top players.
The Ogres can go wild in this closed space and we won’t have to work so hard.
Ok, J Ron is wearing Tank like gear. He probably cannot Tank but he can be enough of a distraction in a pinch. Bourne and Victor can be the front guard while Medpack can be the lone damage dealer.
Still I need information, if push comes to shove I should send Medpack out to scout. But how aggressively will they try to come in here I wonder?
I look back, Mom will be needed at the front door.
“Celina we need a command.” Victor said.
“We can do nothing more,” I say at first.
“So we are going to just give up?”
“Don’t put words in my mouth,” I look back and stare in his face. “All we can do is stay in here and wait,”
I hear a crashing sound, we flip our heads to look as a Ogre waltzes in, his feet wet. A low stream of water moved into our room and spread out.
Mom appeared, another Ogre came behind her. On the map, two more dots were on the other side of the room.
I cry, “Medpack, Victor, two people in the next room go,”
They nod swiftly and rush back to deal with it. As me and Mom get situated, they return with the third Ogre in tow.
Victor says slyly, “we should not stay in one place like this, what about the chest room?”
“Underground, the passage that leads to that side is from the three rooms here. The entrance chamber, the next room and the first recreation area, we should stay here.”
Victor shook his head in realization. “The only thing…the rest of the enemies we need to take them out. Medpack, go and track them down, I saw seven players chasing the Ogres meaning we have five unaccounted for now.”
She nodded and went off. Mom stayed in the entrance chamber with one Ogre, while Victor and Bourne were behind in the next room with the other two. Me and J Ron stayed in the recreation room, it was between this room and the second a set of stairs rested that led down to four rooms. One of them was the chest room.
One of those chests held the Axel Sword, I sent J Ron for it, my Sheepink set and my Breach Gloves. At this point I think the Breach Gloves might end up saving us.
I waited, and then I checked the map. He was taking too long. Medpack called me, “Ok, I have three guys in the next recreation room.”
“Can you deal with them?”
I take off my boots.
“I think so,”
I move down the stairs soundlessly.
“Yes or no, tell me seriously.”
“Yes.”
Urgent voices, I peek around the edge of the wall. A Gatlick and a Human were in front of J Ron. He was just barely on his knees, the Gatlick was acting boisterous towards him, J Ron shifted his head like he was shielding it from imminent hit.
It did not come though.
Sighing, I speak in my natural voice as I come around, “Do not fail me then.”
“Never Celina,” Medpack responded.
The guys drift back from seeing me. I set the mental call to only Mom’s ears. Crafting a hasty note for her to see, I glower at them as J Ron twirls and gives me this surprised face. I look at him with a gesture of my right hand, “Ron…”
“Hmm, Celina?”
“Speak…”
His face warped as his eyes shot to the earth.
“There is nothing to explain.” I looked at the Human who spoke, “you can obviously see what it is.”
Both stepped up and grabbed onto either side of his armor.
“Ya, J Ron is one of us. He always was.” The Gatlick said proudly, the Gatlick slipped his hand in J Ron’s black hair to which J Ron shivered under the touch.
His face held a bruise. I breathed out through my nose as I hold my hands wide.
“Are these your friends J Ron?”
He did not answer.
I continue, “I did not know friends hit each other.” The map showed Mom on the stairway.
“Come here J Ron.”
“I’m sorry” He finally said something, he still could not look me in the face though.
“Ron? I already knew.” I lied.
Ron looked up at me and the other two started looking at each other uncomfortably. Ron’s eyes held this sadness that I personally did not understand. I was not sure what he saw right now. It was not like I was pissed. I was not sure what I was feeling but I was sure Ron was on my mind.
I was sure I wanted him by my side besides he knows the codes to the chests.
“Listen to me, they made you join right? I did not know then but I had my suspicions I never said anything to anyone because I want you to have a clean slate. You can still stay with us.”
“Pfft, hahhaha!” The human was rude, he points at me, “Who would want to join a losing side?”
I retort, “We may be a losing side, but we are at least a fun losing side. We used to be weak, always were considered as such. Bullied and spat on, called a waste of space, we been that. Some say it was the staff that made us powerful, but it was not. It was all of us, our friendship and teamwork.”
Ron stepped forward as the two players ogled him.
Clenching my fist hard, “Friends do not hit each other, Ron come to me now. No one will know, but you have a choice my hand of fun times losing with you or being nothing more than a servant to their power hungry times. But when they go up, they will never look at you as a significant player. We can lose a million battles I will never leave you as long as we both sweat and work to the ends of the earth.”
“Woman shut the hell up, and stop your damn…” The Human advances past J Ron, “…stupid speech, tired of you girls playing this game.” His spear spinning as he lunges at me, I was about cast but in my back step, I swerve to the right as his spear stops short.
“Thanks.” I told him. The human looked up at J Ron’s rather serious face. Ron had grabbed the bottom of the spear.
The Human began, “You little…”
Ron swings but the Human man easily sidesteps and elbows sending Ron flying. That was enough. I grab the Human’s chest plate.
“How?”
“Takomundo,” He flies off, but I see the Gatlick sending his bones in swirling spikes, I dodge and cast Inlodius and then Moontle. His bones follow, they hit me, cutting through the chemise blouse, the plate shearing open, sending me upward. Grasping the bones, I cast Dogglehead.
The Gatlick tried to push me out, but I hammer my way in. My body falls badly, the Human surges up as J Ron struggles with the weight of the armor he wore.
The Human kicks my body and goes to attack Ron.
I call, “Sector!”
My bones rush out and slice right through his up swung right arm. He looks back at his former ally.
“What the hell?!”
I smile, “Goodbye.”
I
cast a five sign seal, “Expand,” The bones expand ripping through his body causing it to dissipate.
“Ron?”
He gets up and looks at the Gatlick with wild eyes.
“It’s me Celina, hit me!”
He whips his head back in shock but after a second, nods soberly and rushes the Gatlick. I slip out and back into my body.
The Gatlick gets thrown over as I rush over to my chest. Axel Sword in hand, my Breach Gloves holding it tightly. I move proportional to the fight’s direction. I swing the sword to my side as Ron is kicked off, dropping in front of me. The Gatlick twirls up and send a flurry of his bones into Ron’s armor.
I stiffen, the bones withdraw and rush towards me. They crush into Ron’s armor, he had stood up, last second. I breathe more steadily, Ron grit his teeth, “No one touches her.”
I cast multiply and then grab him from the back to prevent him falling over.
Gatlick laments, “You idiot, she does not care about you.”
“Moonlight, let me take care of this.” I slipped around Ron’s impaled form.
“Ah, you can use that Mage?”
I say nothing, rushing headlong from his right side. The bones come, I throw the sword. Before I get hit I become smoke.
His eyes widened, but it was too late. The sword bashes through him cutting through his left side. The boom that cratered the inside of the wall, he reached out to me but the hand drops as he dies.
I try to take out the Axel Sword. Not moving, guess I was not strong enough. Breach Gloves, they allow me to throw anything I can lift with hundred percent accuracy regardless of weight, air pressure or my own strength. I thought this glove would come in handy. I may not be able to wield a sword but I can still definitely throw one.
Ron was beside me now, without his chest plate. I smiled at him, “Thanks for believing in me, also we will never talk about this. Since the others might look at you weird, ok?”
He nods with a pert smile, but I push my hand down and rub his hair emphatically.
“Come on Ron, take out the sword and let us go, we will show them who is weak.”
I check the map and noted Mom was not there anymore. Yes we were growing up. She did not need to interfere, she never did, because she believed in me like I believe in them.
Chapter 38
The air was cold at this time and no matter how I look at it. It was not a good situation. But then again losing would never be a good situation.
Arrows slip through, and dodging them was a hurdle. Noises of spells breaking apart upon hitting the Cafia Shield. The bastards congregated behind the wall up the narrow path.
“Bourne, watch out!”
Convulsing, I twitch my head slightly to the side, a wave of my right hand the sword made a light shriek. The Multiply spell was holding, I should drink another potion soon to restore my energy.
“Celina…”
Wiping the sweat off my face with the other hand, I could not think of much, not even a plan. It was likely we were stuck here, even now I could see how to get out of this. Breathing out I knew potions were limited, soon they will be finished, and we cannot cast anymore.
“Celina…”
It will be over then.
Alvain, Killon, Alice, behind me, we had one Ogre left. We lost the upper floors. We had to rush down with the chests the Ferrets helped us carry them down. But now it was a dead end.
“Celina…”
Trapped in the jail like dungeon, Alice’s eight sign seal Yellow magic Cafia spell prevented us from being wiped out. It prevented any living thing coming through the large round shield that covered the whole room. Hence we trapped ourselves to save ourselves.
But material things and magic can go through, but only with a small chance. The bastards would swoop down the passage one at a time and shoot something at us. A fireball, an arrow at Alice, anything to hopefully end this quickly.
Thank god she had such high magic resistance and power, the Kingdom of Pain’s Mages would have countered her spell long ago but with Mom’s Depth Break Alice’s Cafia spell shield held.
No one could pass through now that we were stuck in here.
“Celina!”
I twitch, looking up I see Medpack looking directly at me, Cloud’s Multiply stopped briefly, I immediately cast it back setting the illusions about.
The place was silent as everyone was looking at me. Their faces wet with sweat, eyes dreary, their motions slight and devoid of life. Medpack swallowed, the lump rolling in her throat she turned and pointed. On the stairway was him, the blasted King of Pain, the Mata King himself.
Slumped up just outside the gleaming light of Cafia’s Wall, he was wearing a rather elaborate designed light yellow armor, covered from head to toe in slim metal, his dark red boots that were pointed at the end with green out lashing spikes stretching to the back rounded off a rather eccentric style.
“Celina, it has been hours let us end this.”
I growl, “Blow off, you did not come here to give us anything worthwhile, you know we are disadvantaged here. I do not want your pity, as I know you only come because you are impatient to get what you want.”
“Ah you know me well. Well then let us not stretch this out too long. Surrender now and I will let you keep the God equipment.”
I must have looked shocked, I straightened instantly as my lips moved but I could not speak yet, not yet. What was his motive, this bastard?
“I thought it was odd when you sold such extremely rare items at the auction houses. Maybe you were strapped for cash? No, I studied you and you are smarter than that. Then I inquired of my spy,”
“Do not speak that name!” I hastily, his lips opened. I speak more calmly, “If you want me to accept this deal or any other deal, do not speak his name, between you and me, no one else should know that.”
“Mm, I see very well. Regardless, my spy told me you guys have been practicing on the same Desert God you conquered for the Paradise Bow to prepare you for the other challenges, am I right?”
“Correct,”
“So you get the same super rare items from that challenge minus the Paradise Bow am I right?”
“More or less, that is correct.”
“So you never feel a twinge of regret selling those items after all, you can just go back in the challenge and win them again.”
“Pretty much.” I reply with strained voice. Corner of my eye I could see J Ron was looking down with sulky eyes.
“So how about it, I will take the staff but you keep everything else? The Paradise Bow and the Armor of Black Flames you have now, you can keep that. But we will take the sword now as a show of good will, deal?”
Bastard, he would have complete control over limited and rare items that way, plus considering the circumstances he would be more powerful than me overall.
Why offer me this now, he could just be patient and just take everything when he wipes the floor with us? It was not like we had a chance of winning now. Unless he assumed I would never call for reinforcements. But I did and honestly I should not have. They would be walking into their own slaughter.
Unless there is something happening or maybe he fears the rest of the guys coming? No, it cannot be that, even if Joshua and the others came he would still wipe the floor of us.
The map counted eighty of them, well there was fifty now. That was odd. There were more of them. Maybe some went into hiding or they were shadowing themselves.
This deal seemed too rushed, why would a man who wants everything settle for less?
“Hey,”
I look up.
“I already got the contract ready for you to lay your palm on, come on.” He shook the parchment under his wavering hand.
My eyes peek it and naturally I wonder how he drew that up so fast.
He was in a hurry but why? Something was amiss, I need to wait, I’ll regret this, but I have to trust when Joshua and the others come we can beat them.
“Guys, what do you think?”
“You are actually asking?” Victor’s voice, I side glanced him, Victor’s hand wavered around the room, “We don’t surrender to no one.”
Medpack, Mom, Alice, and the whole them had strong faces, with direct eyes. Even J Ron smiled at me his eyes held a warmth that I was recipient to. I breathe out with a smile, “All of you guys, I swear…Mata King, shove that parchment down your throat, never would we make a deal with you. We will beat you or lose here with pride”
“You know you are idiots of a grand scale.”
“Bite me!” I retort.
He groans and goes back up the stairway. The battle continued and we did as we had to. It became clear something was happening outside, the Kingdom of Pain players were moving erratically. But I could do nothing to investigate. It would be the lone Ogre to eventually tell me.
“He comes…”
“Who?”
“The boss is here,”
Of course, “guuuuuys, it looks like we are getting some deadly assistance.” I bellow.
Chapter 39
Eyes shooting to and fro, legs stretch, each twinge of the accompanying force of each step, I jump left. The rounded tip of the club careens on my right.
My legs never stop, but I was not going to last long like this. The fatigue weighing heavy on my abilities, I look round, Medpack was still behind me, good.
Rushing through the narrow passageway it was me and Medpack, I need to find Alice. I was right, the Mata King was in a hurry, to avoid the Ogre boss and his two devastating sons.
Hell, I was trying to avoid them. The evil three with a horde of forty Ogres behind them easily killed off half of the Mata King’s men and I did not know where the Mata King was.
All I knew was one of the sons’ were chasing us.
”Celina! We have to move faster!”
“Faster, woman we are running around in circles in our collapsing base because if we go outside we have to fight at least five or more Ogres at a time, back to back I might add.”
I turn again and jump into the recreation room, I skid and drop looking into a huge Ogre’s face. To the side were two more, that’s just fantastic.