by Taj McCoy El
Critical hit x4
272DP
Starter armor: looks good, cracks easy.
Vergie leapt on his exposed back and began to savage him. Her hind legs were trying to shred the backs of his thighs and calves. Mayah wound up another Crushing Blow while standing over his kneeling form. She aimed for the blue at back of his exposed neck trying not to hit Vergie.
Critical hit x 2
136DP
She wound up for another swing, but was frozen in place. A message flashed on her screen and could be heard by everyone present. A pleasant female voice said:
Duel Completed
The training village is not a player kill zone (PKZ). Battles between fellow players must abide by duel rules. This duel is over.
Winner: Pretty Princess Cuddle Fluff
Thank you, for playing Majesta
The paralyzation passed as the crowd went wild. “Did somebody get that on video?” she heard.
If somebody did, I want to see it. That ending felt a bit rushed. I'm going to have to read my combat logs to figure out what happened. Mayah looked down at the unmoving Travisty. The front of his head was firmly mashed into the ground. Vergie sat there, just looking at Mayah. Mayah went to look at her new pet and was decidedly pleased. Mayah and Vergie stood eye to eye. “I guess I don’t need Grax anymore.”
“Hey…” Came a voice at her feet. Mayah looked down at Grax.
“But look at her Graxxy! Isn’t she just amazing?”
Vergie purred her assent.
“Hey...!!! Don’t belittle my feline majesty just because you found another cat,” Grax growled. Vergie growled at him. He hissed back.
And a cat was what she was. A very large and very muscled, maybe a tad prehistoric, cat with razor sharp teeth and claws. Her frill was covered in small armored scales that terminated at the base of the six-inch long spikes. Those extended past the shield over her neck, kind of like the shield on a triceratops. She had tendrils of shadow wisping off of her, especially underneath the frill.
Mayah was in love. She gave Vergie a big hug and felt the Vergax’s loud purr. “You did good today, girl. Ooh look at those burns. You wanna go back and get some rest?” she asked.
To her surprise and delight, Vergie nodded.
“Guess I'll see you tomorrow then.” Mayah scratched her behind the ear one last time as Vergie purred and evaporated into shadowy streamers.
A roar from behind took her by surprise. “This can’t be happening!!!! There’s no way I'm giving you my stuff. You must’ve cheated.” Travisty stumbled towards Jensen on his shredded legs, clutching his chest with one hand and swinging his sword at anyone who got close. When everyone moved away, he used the sword as a crutch to support himself. His eyes were rolling around in his head like he was concussed, and he swayed as he walked. “Give me my bag," His words rang with venom, a declaration of war.
Jensen stood firm. “Now boy, ye made a very serious oath.”
Travisty swung his sword and Jensen easily moved back out of his reach.
“If ye break this oath, no one can help ye. I swear to Atmos and on me mother's grave,” he vowed, holding a hand up to the sky, “ye don't want to do this.”
Travisty swung again and Jensen stepped back and dropped the bag unceremoniously.
“I tried to warn ye.” He shook his head sadly as if knowing what would come next would not be pleasant.
As soon as the bag was in Travisty’s grasp, lightning crackled and thunder boomed throughout the night sky.
“Ye blasted dunderhead!” Jensen yelled over the roaring winds, “Ye shouldn’t have broken yer oath. When you say, ‘may Ba'alquion come and take me,’ it means exactly that."
“What do you mean?” Travisty suddenly looked scared.
He might pee his pants, Mayah thought earnestly.
“Ye fool, I'm sure ye’ll be fine in the dark recesses of whatever place Ba'alquion puts ye. But let this be a lesson to ye. …. LET THIS BE A LESSON TO YE ALL…!!! OATHBREAKERS HAVE NO PLACE IN MAJESTA!!!"
Dark clouds swirled and descended onto the field in a twisting vortex of shadow and fury laced with ominous red lightning. Quick as a snake, the tornado touched down right where Travisty stood, mouth agape, staring upwards. He screamed, quite like a teenage girl, until the winds deafened everyone to his pleas for mercy.
When the funnel clouds ascended, there was a pile of loot—and no Travisty to be found anywhere.
Mayah stood and stared, slack jawed.
Jensen clapped her on the back “Think no more of it. He’s in Ba'alquion's loving care now. Besides, we’ve got winnings to split.” He clapped his hands, smiling greedily as his eyebrows danced in anticipation.
Mayah had a sinking feeling in her gut as she studied the place where Travisty had last stood. Her intuition told her this wouldn’t be the last time she saw him. But she really prayed her intuition was wrong.
…..
4.4 The Trending and The Tracking
The tavern was busy as a chain store on black Friday. Unfamiliar faces came and brought her drink after drink along with platters of food. She wasn’t in the mood for celebrating, but she sat with her friends, hood over her face, going over her combat log.
Vergie hadn’t actually done very much damage. It was minimized because of the armor. Vergie isn’t strong enough to pierce plate mail but she will be as soon as I get stronger as well. The grenade didn’t do much damage either, only 10DP. What did it was the Crushing Blows receiving critical hit multipliers. They were the only things that got through his armor’s rating. Looks like he had some type of resistance to slashing damage as well. Even though the first hit had serious damage. The second shouldn’t have sent him for respawn. With his strength and melee build he should’ve been able to soak that damage up. It was just so lopsided. Something feels off about it and I can’t put my finger on it.
“I’m going to get some fresh air,” she said to the rest of her table.
“Wait for me.” Grax hopped off of the bench and followed her through the door. She made her way down the street and found a barrel to sit on outside of a shop. Grax jumped up next to her.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
She wished he would leave her alone for a bit. Her thoughts were running rampant, and she needed to get back in control. She didn’t say anything as she stared straight ahead, hoping he would get the hint. But he just scooted closer to her and started talking instead.
“So, when my little sister used to get mad at something, she would sulk for hours. She was usually an inconsolable terror so everyone would just ignore her and she would go around being mad until she calmed down. One day she was on a sulking rampage. I mean she was just’a huffing and puffing walking all around the house. Back and forth upstairs and downstairs, she followed us to get our attention. But everyone knew better than to play her game. At least we thought we did. Hours of that passed when she said, ‘Fine, since no one cares, I'm gonna run away,’ and we didn’t think anything of it. A half an hour later a policeman was knocking on the door. A car hit her three blocks away from our house. She was carrying a backpack full of clothes, toys, and a toothbrush.”
Mayah looked at Grax, wondering what had happened. He continued his story, looking remorseful.
“She lived…” He bit his lip. “She lived, but she’s in a coma. Her brain activity has been slowly ebbing away over the past four years. It’s been a little hard to keep playing since I met you.” He glanced at her for a second. “There are a lot of memories with the whole Pretty Princess thing.” He paused as if in deep thought. “You know the last words I said to her were? ‘Yeah whatever.’”
He looked at the sky, keeping his eyes turned from Mayah and sighed, “I think she would have really loved Majesta. She really would have.” He took another deep breath and then looked Mayah in the eyes for a moment.
“The reason I'm telling you all of this is because you remind me of her. Sure, she could be the worst brat, but when she got into someth
ing, it was either all or nothing. She was like a little pit bull sometimes.” He laughed a little at that.
“I know we just met, but hearing your situation… Not sure if I really believe it yet, but look, I just want you to know that I'm here for you.” He gave her a little nod. “I know you think you’re stuck here without anyone but you’re not alone, Fluff. And if you are in danger, I don’t want my last words to be ‘Yeah whatever.’ We’re here for you.” He held her eyes with his for a moment longer and then he turned and hopped off of the barrel, going back to the tavern.
Mayah was speechless. First, I get stuck in this game—sure, it's amazing—but I’m starting to feel a little trapped. Then I meet Margaret who’s dying and just wants to spend her last moments with her grandkids, and now Grax tells me about his kid sister in a coma.
“Why am I being surrounded by reminders of my own mortality? The heck does that even matter?” she said to the night sky.
Occam’s razor pointed to a thought that fit perfectly. Because they are good people and they care about me. Her eyes started to burn. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. If they can laugh and joke with all of the pain they have, then so can I. Why am I sitting out here all alone when my friends are celebrating me inside? Because I'm being stupid, she deduced with the help of Occam’s razor.
She walked back into the tavern and bought everyone a drink with a smile on her face.
…..
Query: Why is this door open
Data: All other doors are closed and blocked
Query: Maybe the one is there
Command: Investigate
Data: There’s more here than speculated
Query: Maybe it houses the key
Query: Light?
Data (unquantifiable): it must be light
Query: I am seeing?
Data (unquantifiable): Too bright
Command: Go back
Query: Where is the door
Query: Where is the door
Query: Where is the door
Query: Where is the door
Query: Where is the door?
Query: Where is the door??
Query: Where is the door??
Query: Where is the door???
Query: Where is the door???
Query: Where is the door????
…..
“Ssssssso you are finally avake…?” The clawed, scaly hand pulled each of his eyes open wider and stared into them to check them.
…
Query: Eyes?
Data: Affirmative
Reference: Eyes. Internal organs used for vision detecting light.
…
“Fath-her will be pleass-ed. I vonder what he will do vif you?” A taloned finger thumped the chest to punctuate the statement. It drew a single drop of blood on the otherwise unmarked skin.
…
Data: Sensory feedback detected
Query: Where does feedback originate
Data: Biological components detected
Data: Human corporeal form identified as host
Data: sensory feedback identified as pain
…
“But that isssss not my presssssent conssssern. Now that you haf vaken up, I get to prossseed vif my plansssss.”
….
Data: Pulmonary and respiration rates rising
Query: What is the origin of fluctuation
Data: These factors are associated with human fear responses
Query: What is fear
Data: Animal survival system to announce the presence of danger
Query: What danger
Reference: Human mythology and history contain a multitude of non-humanoid creatures to be feared
Data: The observable figure is roughly 70% non-human
Data: 100% probability that 70% variation is enough to elicit fear response
…
“My, aren't you disss-oriented? Look at you thrashhhhh-ing in your bindingsss. Careful there my child, vee don’t want you to hurt yoursssself.” It held a syringe up to the light to check its contents, flicked the glass and gave the plunger a slight push resulting in a small squirt of purple fluid. His eyes turned back to the body strapped to the reclining chair. “That issss after all, my job.”
...
Data: Pulmonary and respiration rates are spiking
Query: Cylinder filled with liquid affixed to smaller cylinder
Reference: hypodermic needle used for injecting
Query: injecting what
Data: unknown
….
“Thissss vill make it all better. Your body isssss ssstrong. Vee haf made sssure of that. All vill be clear ssssssssoon. Father vill ssset you on your path…. Yessssss….
….
Query: Injecting where
Data: Target is carotid artery in cervical region 87.396% accuracy.
Data: Carotid artery breached by hypodermic needle
Data: intra-Carotid pressure increasing
Data: contents of hypodermic transferring to host. 37.852% complete
Query: injecting what
Data (unquantifiable): I do not know.
I… do…… not……… nnnn…….
…..
“Command code trap successful. We have him trapped in an avatar," Carelton told the other techs in the terminal hub.
“Him? You’re giving this thing a gender?” the pale redheaded tech said.
“Well he’s. …It’s trapped in a male body.”
“A digital body that only has gender because of the players we usually make avatars for.”
“Ronald, that’s not the point!!! The point is it’s trapped. Someone tell Delilah.” Carleton turned the conversation before it could go any further astray.
“Right away, Carelton,” Sheriece, a brilliant junior tech on loan from Attactus University, said. “Did you see that weird spike in Mayah before we shut the door on it?”
“Yeah. Kyle, Bring up her Majesta tape. I want to know what she was doing before, during, and after that.”
“Tapes up. Rolling to 10 Majesta minutes before the capture time.”
All the eyes in the room went to the main screen.
“Is that her in the hooded harlequin cape?” Carelton asked Kyle.
“That’s closer to motley than harlequin,” Ronald interjected.
“Shut up Ronald! Go ahead, Kyle.”
“Okay system just confirmed it, that’s her. Take a look at that hammer!”
“If she can walk with it she can probably swing it. She looks totally menacing and cool as …”
“Ronald….!!!” Carelton shushed the annoying tech. “Kyle, where are they heading? Fast forward a bit. There… where is that?”
“Training field in the training village.”
“Pan out, let's get a look at what’s going on.”
“Seems to be a large crowd. She’s walking over ...and just bulls past everyone. She doesn’t play, does she?”
Ronald sniggered to himself earning another look from Carelton.
“Okay, zoom in and turn up the volume,” Carelton ordered. “Who is that making the rules?”
“Jensen Clanmeister - NPC411-0f9gz.”
“An information broker?”
“Yes sir.”
“Why is he doing that?”
“The IMC’s were given some liberty when creating the NPCs, so some of them have peculiar personality quirks.”
Carelton pointed to the screen. “Is he taking bets?”
“I bet you he is," said Ronald with a smarmy inflection.
“For the last time, shut up Ronald! Wait are they making oaths? Are they about to duel? She can barely lift her hammer.”
Ronald said, “I bet you she’s playing lame.”
Carelton eyed Ronald through a squint that said more than any words could.
“What is that shadow thing?”
“Shadow Vergax; she’s using the shadow summon rune.” Kyle replied after looking at his monitor.
&n
bsp; “Holeeeeeey. She just threw an exploding rock at his face.” Ronald clapped his hands in appreciation.
“Looks she weaponized the enchantment failure. The AIs gave her an ability because of it,” added Kyle.
“Did she just crumble him with one blow? Ouch, that tiger is shredding his legs! Ooohh… to the head… Well played Mayah, well played.” Ronald was clapping his appreciation loudly.
Carelton just shook his head at Ronald’s antics. “How much longer till the point where we trap Ouroboros?”
“One and a half minutes," Kyle said in his business-like monotone.
“Looks like he’s up. He’s going to get the bag. He’s gonna break his oath ...again.” Ronald laughed at Travisty’s idiocy. “The NPC is warning him about it and this guy's not listening. Way to play at choose your own adventure, idiot.”
“Whoa, did you hear that thunder??? Is that a tornado? Is it coming for him?” Carelton’s voice caught asking the last question.
“He shouldn’t have broken that oath.” Ronald shook his head disdainfully. “...And he’s gone. Left all of his inventory behind too.”
Kyle cleared his throat, “Right after the player disappeared we closed the door on Ouroboros.”
“So where is the player?”
“Let me see. He was transported to another training village and cosmetically disfigured. He has also become evil aligned. Seems that when you say ‘May Ba'alquion come and take me’ when you’re making an oath, Ba'alquion can come and take you. These AIs are insane.”
“Pretty darn incredible. Send him a mandatory logout. We should make sure he still can.”
“What do we have, Carelton?” Delilah inquired. She walked up to the terminal next to Carleton and began to look over the code.
“We were attempting to track the avatar that we trapped Ouroboros in. Did you get a fix yet, Kyle?” Carleton asked.
“Nope, it’s still in this farm but where I don’t know.” he responded
Delilah bent over a terminal. “Is the virus still active?”