Awaken Online: Inferno (Tarot #3)

by Travis Bagwell

  Excitement, Finn thought. He could see the same energy shining in the others, replacing the insidious black doubt that had begun to creep into their mana.

  “And our forces will move in behind the storm front,” Kyyle explained. With a gesture, their army appeared on-screen, moving along at the back end of the storm. “We’ll use it to conceal our troops and our movements. And when the front strikes the city, that should also help neutralize Bilel’s spellcasting and cover our people as we lay siege to Lahab. You can’t cast at what you can’t see.”

  Finn looked to Kalisha then. “Happy now?” he asked with a faint grin.

  The merchant just nodded numbly, her eyes fixed on the display.

  Aerys coughed to clear her throat, visibly trying to tamp down on her surprise. “This is… impressive. But how much time will you need to set it up?” she asked Finn.

  His grin only widened. “The preparations are already underway. The mages are moving into position as we speak, and they will begin forming the storm tomorrow morning. Once the front is moving toward Lahab, the mages will return to the rest of the army, and we will ride east.”

  “Tomorrow?” Aerys echoed, her eyes widening. “You plan to attack Lahab tomorrow?”

  “As I said, the longer we wait, the stronger Bilel becomes,” Finn answered simply, his mana burning away any lingering trace of doubt or hesitation he might have. His plan was aggressive, but he saw no other option.

  His gaze panned the room, meeting the eyes of each member of their group. “Which concludes our meeting. Gather your people and make your final preparations. Because we go to war at first light.”

  As he finished speaking, Finn glanced at Julia, observing the delighted smile that now stretched across her face as she watched the model – the storm front raging across the screen and just beginning to crash into the city’s walls. He doubted even Bilel would anticipate this sort of attack. The sheer scale of what they were attempting to create went far, far beyond anything they had observed in this world.

  As he followed the projected path of the storm once again, Finn couldn’t help but visualize the dome of molten energy that he had witnessed in that short video. He hadn’t run his calculations with that barrier in mind – or the ambient heat that it would put off. Not that he supposed that mattered. He wasn’t certain he could predict how that much raw fire mana would affect the storm front…

  Although, he suspected he was going to find out soon.

  Either way, he just had to hope that storm would be enough.

  Chapter 37 - Maelstrom

  Finn watched the glow on the horizon as the sun began to gradually crest that line of sand. An orange haze of fire mana lingered there, leaking up into the sky and growing gradually dimmer as it rose. The heat gave way to open sprawling sky and air, blues and yellows swirling and colliding in his Mana Sight. As it rose, the sun had also begun to illuminate the ocean of green earth mana that sprawled out before him. A breeze tugged at his robes, bringing with it wisps of sand and the smell of dry heat.

  In the distance, he could just barely make out a cloud of sapphire energy forming. The water mages had begun casting Obscuring Mist hours ago, the cool vapor still clinging to the sands and dunes – at least for now. That cloud stretched for several miles across the desert, the product of hundreds of water mages working together. And once the sun had risen fully, the fire mages would start casting, the natural heat from the sun and their magics warming that vapor into a dense, humid cloud.

  But, for now, he just reveled at the sight. A rainbow of colors spanning out toward the horizon and drifting up into the sky. Green, blue, orange, and yellow, blending into a water-color portrait that had been painted just for him.

  “It’s almost beautiful,” Julia said softly as she approached Finn, coming to stand beside him. “This world, I mean.”

  Finn just grunted in acknowledgment. He’d had a similar thought many times since entering the game world. And yet, his thoughts kept returning to a familiar rain-swept terrace and boiling gray clouds. It didn’t matter whether he thought this world was magnificent. It wasn’t his opinion – or Julia’s – that mattered to him right now.

  “What’s eating at you?” his daughter asked, side-eyeing him.

  He glanced at her in surprise.

  “Come on. You’ve been keeping to yourself the last few days.” A pause as her gaze drifted back to the sunrise. “We’re a team, remember? Or at least, I thought we were.”

  A grimace tugged at Finn’s lips, and he rested a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Trust me. We are. It’s just…” He hesitated, having a difficult time putting his thoughts into words.

  “Do you think she’ll like this place?” he asked finally, his voice barely above a whisper. “This world full of sand and conflict and death.” He gestured at his left hand to emphasize his point, the regular flesh now replaced with translucent crystal. He’d even given up his eyes – the only way he could now see the mana fluctuating across the dunes.

  Finn couldn’t bring himself to look at Julia, but he felt her shift under his hand, turning to look at him. A brief silence lingered in the air as she weighed how to respond.

  “I think… I think you’re selling it short. Even our world is full of hardship, death, and despair – we’ve certainly experienced our fair share. But this game – this world – it also has magic, friendship, and discovery. It’s a whole new horizon ready to be explored,” Julia said, waving at the sun that was slowly rising above the sands.

  He managed to meet her eyes then, seeing the confidence shining there as he activated Short-Sighted, and her face came into view. “Is that how you came up with this new plan?” Julia asked. “Creating a storm front, I mean.”

  Finn just nodded as he turned his gaze back to the sunrise. “Your mother always loved the rain.”

  “You mean she was just a little crazy and would regularly get drenched sitting out in the middle of a thunderstorm,” Julia replied with a chuckle. “Although, I used to love that – going on walks, splashing through puddles, dancing and running through the yard. Counting down the seconds after a flash of lightning, just waiting for the peal of thunder.”

  A small smile drifted across Finn’s face as those memories returned. Those had been happier times. “You would both be soaked to the bone when you came back inside,” he said. “You always wanted to go back out immediately.”

  “And you always told me there would be other storms.”

  Finn’s good humor faded at that statement. The truth was that there wouldn’t be other storms – not really. Not for Rachael. And he knew firsthand how the “magic” of a storm front rolling in had faded in her absence. It had been her enthusiasm that made those moments special. And with that thought, the reality of their situation crept back in – the sheer magnitude of what they were trying to do resting squarely on his shoulders.

  The weight felt impossibly heavy.

  “There won’t be rain here – not without all of this,” Finn said, squeezing his eyes shut and willing his voice to remain even. “Not a single drop.”

  The implication of his words was unmistakable. When they brought back Rachael, she would be stuck here – trapped inside this digital prison for an indeterminate amount of time. And those same questions returned. Could she accept that? Would she? Would being with Finn and Julia be enough for her to cope with what had happened to her? What she had become?

  And all of that was based on so many assumptions.

  That they could really conquer Lahab and defeat Bilel.

  That it was even really Rachael that they would be bringing back – and not just some sort of carefully crafted illusion.

  Julia grabbed at his hand, squeezing his fingers. “Hey. Hey, look at me.”

  Finn obliged, meeting his daughter’s eyes. She wasn’t a little girl any longer. Those days of splashing through puddles were long gone. She was a grown woman now, determination and strength rippling through every fiber of her body. It was evidenced by
the scars that marred her skin. The shield and lance strapped down against heavy platemail. The thick coating of dust that lingered across her armor – accumulated over days and weeks spent struggling through this world.

  She was a warrior. And she planned to keep fighting.

  “We’re going to bring her back,” Julia insisted. “We’re going to retrieve that staff. And when we do, we can shape this world however we please. We can make this into a place where we can live – together.

  “And if Mom wants to see the rain… well, then by the gods, we’re going to make it fucking rain,” she added more forcefully. “And that starts here.” She waved behind them at the cluster of air mages lined along the sands in the distance.

  He stared at her for a long moment before nodding. “You’re right.” Then, more firmly. “You’re right.”

  Finn squared his shoulders and tugged at his robes, channeling his fire mana and using that burning energy to drive away his own doubts. They were going to keep fighting. They were going to bring this war straight to Bilel. They were going to storm Lahab and gut the hounds that roamed its streets. Then he planned to rip that staff from the demon’s pale, sickly fingers. He planned to bring Rachael back – man, deity, or reality be damned.

  “You ready?” Julia asked gently.

  He met her eyes, the amalgamation of metal and crystal glowing softly behind the cloth that wrapped his face. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

  “Then let’s get started.”

  Julia waved at the group of nearly a dozen earth mages that stood around them in a circle, standing as far away from Finn as possible – at the very edge of their control range. Brock’s rocky form signaled that Kyyle lingered among the group, directing their movements. He was there primarily for damage control in case this went sideways. They couldn’t afford a delay waiting on a respawn timer. His directions were to protect Finn and the healers… they couldn’t afford to lose either.

  At a gesture from Finn, Kyyle and Brock made a beeline for their position.

  Kyyle nodded at Finn as he neared. “Everyone is in formation. They’re all in the same raid group as you now, so you should be visible in their UI, and I marked you to make it easier for them to keep track of you… since, well, I expect this to get a little hairy. They’ll be rotating clockwise as they cast to conserve mana and ensure a continuous stream of healing.”

  A pause and a grimace. “I just hope it’ll be enough. You’ve never tried absorbing this much mana before. I can’t be sure the healing per second will be able to keep up.”

  “Have they been equipped to weather the absorption?” Julia asked.

  Kyyle nodded. “They’re all wearing thick furs – Kalisha even supplied a few pieces of cold-resistance gear. I also created a small embankment of stone and rock around each of them. That should blunt most of the cold and wind. They’ve been directed to keep an eye on their own health and top off when it isn’t their turn to cast. That should be enough to keep them safe and healthy,” he said, although his voice sounded worried.

  Finn glanced at the healers, who each stood several yards away. As his gaze swept over them, they each met his eyes, placing a fist to their chests like the Khamsin. It seemed that the legends had continued to spread among the guilds. And if they succeeded here, he suspected that the tales of exploits would only grow.

  After all, he was about to conjure a storm in the middle of the desert.

  Or fail miserably and kill himself by accident…

  He was really hoping for the former outcome.

  “Once your absorption is complete, I’ll create a barricade to help protect us,” Kyyle continued. He glanced at Finn then. “I looked at the model again carefully. We probably also need to be wary of microbursts and tornadoes. It may take some time for the currents to stabilize.”

  “That’s only two potential problems,” Daniel chirped. “You’re forgetting the possibility of intense hail, lightning strikes, hurricane-force winds, and torrential rain.”

  As the group turned to stare at him, the elemental’s light dimmed slightly. “Uh, what I mean is that we’re definitely going to be fine!”

  Finn let out a snort. “Just stay near me. Make sure to alert me if the healers start to run dry on mana and update my UI as I continue to expand my absorption. I doubt I’m going to be able to spare much attention to those details.” The AI flashed once in acknowledgment before hovering close beside Finn.

  A hand rested on his shoulder then. “I’ll also be here with Kyyle to help pull you into cover if need be,” Julia said. “I suspect you’re going to need someone who can ambiently absorb mana with the amount of energy that’s going to be swirling around you.”

  “Thank you,” he replied, putting his hand over hers briefly.

  Then Finn looked toward the east. The sun had now risen above the horizon. And the enormous cloud of vapor in the distance was beginning to warm as the fire mages went to work, forming a brownish haze just below the horizon that stretched for miles. That cloud was already beginning to rise slowly up into the air, until a wall of moist, warm air lingered to the east, nearly obscuring the sun.

  “It’s time,” Finn said, and the healers around him tensed, tendrils of emerald energy already winding around their hands. Meanwhile, Kyyle and Julia gave him one last reassuring nod before scrambling away, putting some distance between themselves and Finn.

  He soon stood alone in the center of the group, planting his feet firmly into the sand. Finn raised his hands, one crystal and the other flesh and blood. His eyes centered on the gem embedded in his new limb. As Kyyle had mentioned, he hadn’t yet been able to test the full limits of the gem – neither its capacity nor the enhanced range of his Mana Absorption. But he was about to see just how far he could push both.

  This is for you, Rachael, he thought to himself.

  And then his fingers began to move.

  As the channel completed, his fingers maintained their regular rhythm. He began to pull the ambient heat from the air around him. Streamers of energy streaked toward his position, and a fine coating of flame wrapped his skin. He swiftly pulled that energy into the gem in his hand until it began to glow with a mixture of orange and red energy. Even so, his health began to drop, his skin blistering under the heat. The first healing spell struck him, and the energy coursed through his body, immediately repairing the injuries. The welts disappeared in an instant but returned just as fast as he maintained his absorption.

  Finn’s eyes hovered on the glowing orange line that denoted his control range. He pushed at that boundary – gingerly at first – and saw that orange line grow as he expanded his absorption range. He kept going, pushing farther and farther out. He needed to cover this entire area, stretching out to the very edge of his control range.

  The flames barreled toward him now, sweeping across the sands and streaming between the healers as he tried to avoid harming them. And yet he hadn’t gone far enough – not nearly far enough.

  Finn pushed harder, flames wrapping his body in a blaze now, and the gem in his hand began to glow more brightly. The heat was so intense that it flayed his skin in an instant, only to be repaired immediately as emerald energy washed across his body. Those healing spells struck every second, a bright surge of emerald energy flashing in a circular pattern around him as the healers maintained their formation – their precise timing a product of the hours they’d spent practicing throughout the night.

  “25 yards,” Daniel reported at his shoulder.

  The air was growing colder and colder, steam rising above the flames that encircled Finn. And yet it still wasn’t enough. He needed to push farther. Much farther.

  With another gesture, Finn expanded the absorption. Every yard he added to his control range dramatically increased the area of the absorption. The pain was excruciating, yet he pushed himself through it. He kept adding one yard after another, more fire adding to the stream of energy that was glowing toward him and wrapping around his body, the flames arcing outward for more than a
dozen feet now.

  “40 yards!” Daniel shouted.

  Halfway, Finn thought weakly. His thoughts were starting to become fuzzy as he maintained the channel and strove to stay standing amid the pain that wracked his body. He spared a blurry glance at his UI and saw that the healers were dropping below half mana already, the constant stream of healing energy keeping his health level.

  I need to move more quickly.

  “How much overhealing?” Finn managed to bark at Daniel.

  “You are currently taking 1,200 health damage per second. Current healing per second is 3,000,” Daniel shouted in response, a new indicator suddenly appearing in Finn’s eye, tracking his damage taken and healing received dynamically.

  I can push harder then.

  Finn squeezed his eyes shut.

  He forcefully shoved at that barrier that ringed him, forcing his absorption outward explosively – 40 yards in an instant. The fires enveloping his body raged up into the air, now completely obscuring the area around him in a blazing inferno of orange and red – forming a wall of flame almost five feet thick.

  In the seconds before the next wave of healing energy struck him, the fire ate through his skin and into his muscles. Finn staggered, and then his legs finally gave way. He fell to the ground, the sand grinding into the ruined flesh of his knees. But he could barely feel that anymore. He knew there was a limit to this – a critical inversion point. If the damage taken per second exceeded his total health, he’d die before the next healing spell struck.

  He hadn’t reached that point yet, though.

  So, he kept going.

  He pushed at the edges of his control range, holding his left hand high and funneling a catastrophic amount of energy into that gem. The Focusing Prism now glowed so brightly that it looked like a miniature sun was resting atop the sands, wrapped into a cocoon of swirling flame and fire, the gem unable to absorb the energy quickly enough.

  Finn ground his teeth together. Another glance at his UI.