Lightningbreaker

by L. T. Thornhill

  Kenji whistled. “Is there another one of you? Maybe they might have heard of Kenji the great?”

  “What is this foul abomination named Kenji you speak about?”

  “What did you say?” said Kenji, taking a step forward.

  Alonzo sprang to his feet so quickly that both Matteo and Kenji had to take a step back in surprise. “Great One,” said Alonzo. “This man seeks harm. Give me the command and I will shorten his already short stature.”

  “Did you call me short?” asked Kenji incredulously, although he remained where he was this time.

  “Wait, hold on,” said Matteo, interjecting himself between the two. “Why do you call me Great One? If this is an elaborate joke to lower my defenses and wipe out my team, I will not reveal their location to you.”

  Alonzo seemed genuinely hurt. “Great One. You think of me as a man of deceit?” He got down on his knee again and held out the knife. “If you do not trust me, then take this knife and strike me where I stand.”

  The situation had gone from being slightly odd to downright ridiculous. Matteo was still trying to process everything he had just witnessed.

  “Hold on.” Matteo raised his hands. “I saw you earlier with your group. Where are they? Did you kill them?”

  Alonzo looked up, shock written so clearly on his face that it made Matteo feel guilty for even asking the questions. “Why would you think that way, Great One? I would never assign violence to people who do not deserve it.”

  “Yet your teammates looked scared of you. Back when we were all getting ready to run to the forest.”

  A look of sadness enveloped Alonzo’s face like rain clouds on a sunny day. “Alas. I believe we had differences in opinion.”

  “What kind of opinion?”

  Alonzo stood up. He looked at the trees as if reliving a difficult memory. Matteo heard Kenji appear besides him, now that the young boy knew there was no harm in approaching the newcomer. “You see, I merely told my teammates that we needed to find you. That our salvation lay in your hands. We may be prisoners here, but freedom lies in the path that you forge.”

  “If someone told me that, I would have stayed away from them, too,” said Kenji, giving Matteo a look that said the boy considered Alonzo as someone who should be in a straightjacket. “In fact, I would have told them to walk fifty meters. Then walk another fifty meters. Then look the other way and keep walking.”

  The mere mention of walking conjured images of the walk Matteo had taken with Kenji to reach this point. Which made him recollect the reason why he was in this part of the forest in the first place. It suddenly dawned on Matteo that, in the confusion of the conversation with Alonzo, he had gotten sidetracked from his mission.

  Turning to Kenji, he indicated the healing well. “We need to get going. We can’t leave Kabaka in the state that he is in.”

  Without even wasting time on words, Kenji ran over to the well.

  “Great One,” said Alonzo, his chest swelling up and his back straightening. “You have friends?”

  Matteo nodded, wondering just how much information to give. He understood that he may not be able to hide that there are others waiting for him. At the same time, he didn’t have to reveal just how many teammates he had. “We have another member waiting for us.”

  “Just one more?” asked Alonzo. Matteo wasn’t certain what he heard in the man’s voice; doubt or inquisitiveness, but he decided to ignore it.

  There were many ways to tackle the situation. Sharing the truth could mean trusting a complete stranger. Yet what did Matteo really know about the man, apart from the fact that he seemed to hold some reverence for Godlike? Besides, all of this could be one big act.

  Kenji returned. All leaf-cones were filled three-fourths with the elixir and were tucked carefully into the boy’s belt.

  “Allow me to come with you, Great One,” said Alonzo. “I shall walk this path of war by your side. My blade shall be the extension of your hand. I shall be on the frontlines next to you.”

  “You mean, you will be in the frontlines way ahead of him,” amended Kenji.

  Alonzo seemed to ignore the jibe. “Give me this opportunity. Let us take the fight to the enemies. We shall face them with our might. Or die trying.”

  “Yeah,” said Kenji, drawing the vowels of the word to make it sound like a ‘yeeeaah.’ “Not quite fond of the dying part.”

  A decision had to be made. Matteo wasn’t certain if he could trust Alonzo or if he should risk simply walking away. He could not deny the fact that the man was truly skillful with his knife. The question was not about the man’s capabilities, but of his intentions. Was Alonzo merely trying to talk his way into meeting a team and then finally getting rid of them? Then again, that would serve no purpose. Matteo was the ultimate prize. His teammates were not important. In fact, now that he thought about, he had just revealed that his teammates—or at least one member, if Matteo’s lie had even worked—was injured badly enough that they needed water from the healing well.

  “I’ll be honest,” said Matteo. “I don’t trust you, Alonzo, even though you just offered your weapon to quite literally kill you.”

  “Would you feel safe if I handed you my weapon and you bound my hands behind my back?” asked Alonzo.

  “And a blindfold and gag, if possible,” added Kenji.

  Matteo considered the proposal. He had to admit, five pairs of hands had a better chance of making it out alive from the Battle Royale than four.

  “Fine,” said Matteo.

  “Excuse me?” interrupted Kenji before anything further could be said.

  Allowing an exhale to escape his lips, both out of frustration and from exhaustion, Matteo waved his hand to indicate the forest. “Look around you, Kenji. We’re surrounded by our enemies and there is nothing we can do.”

  “So, the answer is to allow an enemy into our group. Brilliant plan, oh great one.”

  “The plan is to allow more allies.” Anger flooded into Matteo’s response. He hadn’t intended to, but he realized that he was slowly losing control over his emotions. Counting backwards in his mind, he slowly brought his heartbeat to a calmer rhythm. Or, at least, he felt as though he did. “We’re stuck here, with nothing to help us on our journey. Our only hope is to trust as many people as possible.”

  For a while, Kenji did not say anything. It was obvious that the boy was slightly offended by Matteo’s outburst. Shrugging his shoulders, he simply looked back in the direction of his teammates, who were still out there.

  The world looked like it was filled with a blue tint. The sun was preparing to retire for the day, allowing the dark to take over. If the group hadn’t made their way back, they would find it even more difficult to retrace their steps.

  “It’s time we leave this place,” said Matteo. “We need to get those flashbangs.”

  “I’m on it,” said Alonzo and nearly sprinted off to get the duffel bag that was the property of a once-conscious man by the name of Tourd.

  When Alonzo returned, the team were ready to depart. “There are a few interesting things in this bag,” remarked Alonzo. “Some strawberries, a canteen, and a loaf of bread. Seems like this group was a little prepared to survive in the forest.”

  “It will help us now,” said Matteo. “Let’s move on.”

  Before anyone could take a step, a sudden gust of wind blew dirt, leaves, and other debris in the direction of the trio. When the dust settled—in a manner of speaking—Matteo saw an old man sporting a sombrero and poncho standing with his hands clasped behind his back.

  “Xipe Totec,” said Alonzo.

  Level 7

  How does one greet a god?

  The question plagued Matteo’s mind as he stared at the old man who stood before him. While outward appearances showed Xipe Totec to be quite frail, one had to only take a longer look to see the strength in the god’s posture. He stood tall and firm, a look of wisdom and cunning in his eyes. There was a glow at the god’s feet, but no light source. The gl
ow seemed to illuminate the surrounding area. Matteo hoped no one out there would spot them.

  Slapping his trousers to dislodge some dirt, Xipe Totec looked at each member of the trio before him.

  “Once again,” spoke the god, “I cannot stay here for long. But I have taken this moment to explain a few things to you, Matteo.”

  “You could have appeared an hour or so ago,” said Matteo. “Healed our teammate.”

  Xipe Totec shook his head. “That is not how it works. We gods have a binding agreement to not interfere in the affairs of this world. Think of it as an oath among us gods, punishable by a gruesome fate.”

  “What kind of fate?”

  “We will be stripped of our powers and turned mortal for a thousand years. A deadly, and quite painful, disease will plague our bodies, turning it weak and eventually killing us every fifty years. We experience many deaths, Matteo. Most importantly, we lose time as a god. Time that others can use to their benefit.”

  “What kind of benefit?” This came from Alonzo, who seemed to have mustered his courage, probably because his “Great One” had been confident in asking a question to the god.

  The only movement from Xipe Totec was his eyes, as they swiveled in their sockets to focus on Alonzo. The young man immediately lowered his glance.

  “Each god has dominion over a territory,” Xipe Totec explained. “However, that does not mean that one cannot plan for, let’s say, an expansion. While they cannot directly come down here and do whatever they like, they can influence the people under their command, the people who belong to their class, to attack or conquer parts of nearby territories. The more parts under their control, the more of the territory they rule.”

  “How does one know about these parts? I don’t think it is as simple as having one class set up camp in a territory and claim that they have conquered it.”

  The god gave a single shake of his head. The movement was subtle. If one was not paying attention, they might have not even noticed. Matteo and his two companions, on the other hand, had their eyes glued to the god.

  “Each territory has a town, landmark, or structure that has a certain area of influence. The town of Valhalla,” the god pointed in the direction of the town, “has an area of influence that covers this entire forest. The area of influence is a territory. Or, at least, one part of it.”

  Matteo wasn’t certain what the god was trying to communicate with this information, but he wasn’t about to dismiss learning more about the world. “So, we are in Zeus’s territory.”

  Xipe Totec shook his head. “We are in mine. Or, what was once mine.”

  The revelation surprised Matteo. He excavated through the information in his brain to recollect any hints of gods and territories but could find nothing. “There was no mention of control and influence in the video game.”

  When no response came from the god, Matteo thought that it was perhaps time for the celestial being to disappear. “The game that you play,” said Xipe Totec, “was created by us gods. After all, if one wants to control territories, one needs an army. The game is created to introduce players to the world of Axis Mundi. Think of it as a tutorial. After some time, the players are transported to the real Axis Mundi.”

  “And that’s when they are placed into classes,” said Matteo.

  “That’s right.”

  “But I was not in any class. I was classless.”

  “One of the rare ones to be so,” said Xipe Totec. “Thankfully, that means I could reach out to you.”

  “So, you are an Agri,” said Kenji.

  Matteo shook his head. “Not by choice.”

  There was a lot to digest, but Matteo was battling the first wave of exhaustion and hunger. It took his entire will to force his brain to stop focusing on the delicious fruit in the duffel bag.

  “So, we were just being scouted,” said Alonzo.

  The god gave a barely perceptible nod. “You and hundreds of thousands of others.”

  “And what happens when you run out of people? What happens when people start dying?” asked Matteo, almost fearing the response he would get. He hoped that death held some meaning in this world, that it wasn’t all chaos and tragedy.

  When Matteo looked at the somber expression on the god’s face, he instantly knew that he would not like the answer. “They just disappear. Their existence is wiped out from both this world and Earth.”

  The silence that ensued was loud, like it had much to communicate. It was the kind of silence where even one’s own thoughts seemed as though they were being broadcast over loudspeakers. Kenji walked over to the fallen trunk and rested against it, a dazed look in his eyes.

  “So,” said Alonzo, his eyes darting around wildly, a sign of someone trying to tackle multiple thoughts pinging through his mind. “People just forget about us? Like our friends and families just continue living as though we were never there?”

  Another quick nod from Xipe Totec.

  “Oh, man,” said Kenji, his voice quavering. “I think I am going to be sick.”

  Rage suddenly took over Matteo. Perhaps it was the combination of a lack of sleep and a rumbling stomach. Maybe it was the explosion of information compounded with the stress of battling for his own life. It could even be a combination of multiple factors.

  Regardless of what it was, Matteo’s voice could barely contain his emotions. “This is not fair,” he said, his finger punching through air to emphasize his point. “Nobody asked for this. We don’t even want to be here. You can’t kidnap people from their homes to do what you want. You gods are nothing but the devils.”

  Something flashed in Xipe Totec’s eyes that deflated all the anger in Matteo. It was a slight flicker of emotion, a promise of great power that could destroy anything in its path if it wanted. The god was capable of unleashing tremendous power, of that Matteo had no doubt about. Would he unleash it, was the question.

  Xipe Totec’s face was calm, as though he was unaffected by Matteo’s outburst. “I know your anger. Believe me, I have been trying to rebel against the gods.” He closed his eyes, looking like he was holding back something that caused him anguish. When he reopened them, Matteo knew that there was more shock to come and braced himself. “Sadly, I cannot do it alone.”

  “So, you kidnap people to fight against kidnapping?”

  “There is no other way.”

  Matteo joined Kenji at the trunk. Alonzo was the only one left standing, the lone warrior who was ready to brave more of the god’s onslaught of revelations. It seemed the man wanted to ask the god something but chose to purse his lips instead, perhaps because he would not be able to control the flow of words if he opened his mouth.

  When no one spoke for a whole minute, Xipe Totec waved his hands toward the ground. “I have to leave. If I stay here any longer, then my absence will be noticed. And then it is a thousand years of mortality for me.”

  At the spot on the ground where he pointed his hand, a seedling sprouted out of the soil. Within a span of a few breaths, the seedling had grown to a large plant and eventually to a tree that was nearly forty feet tall. Hanging from the branches of the tree were dozens of apples that were so red, it almost seemed like they had a glossy sheen.

  “I may not be able to help much,” said Xipe Totec, a genuine look of sadness accentuating the lines on his face. “I will aid you all to the best of my abilities.” He hesitated for a brief moment. “Perhaps the gods are too proud to admit their mistakes. But I am truly sorry that this had to happen to everyone.”

  Xipe Totec faced Matteo. “I recommend that you choose your skill immediately.”

  Matteo frowned and was about to pose a question, but the god disappeared in an explosion of maize leaves that rained down to the ground slowly. The forest was suddenly cast into darkness, now that the god’s unearthly source of light disappeared along with him.

  Despite the presence of the apples, the air around the trio seemed to have taken on a lifeless form. Their lives, and the very thought of survival,
had taken on a more sinister meaning. Matteo could not fathom the idea of not existing. One minute, he could be there and the next, emptiness. Nothing. He wouldn’t even be a memory in someone’s mind.

  For the first time in his life, Matteo felt like his tiny apartment was not such a small place after all. At least he had a bigger sense of freedom than the one offered by the expansive lands of Midgard.

  “Let us not forget our goal, Great One,” said Alonzo. Matteo gave a look of confusion, but he realized that the other man could not see his expression. As though reading his mind, his “follower” continued. “I was talking about your companion. The injured one. We should get to them.”

  The fireflies burst out of the ground. A thousand little motes of light, like lanterns floating in the air. Thousands upon thousands of the bugs cast a greenish glow around the area. The sight was almost magical, like a god himself had dug their hands deep into the planet and pulled out the little creatures.

  Matteo heard a small cough. At first, he thought it was a trick of the air, but when he followed the sound, he looked at the figure of Boss trying to sneakily get to his feet.

  The reaction from Alonzo was instant. One second, he was next to his companions, and the next, he raced across the glade to stand next to Boss, his knife held against the big man’s throat. “Don’t move.”

  “Wait.” Matteo called out. He checked the lying forms of Boss’s companions, but they were unmoving. “Keep a watch on his companions and yell if you see them move,” he told Kenji. The small boy gave a half-hearted nod, but focused his gaze on the unconscious men.

  Matteo walked up to Boss. “How much did you hear?”

  The man didn’t answer. Alonzo pressed his blade against Boss’s neck. “Everything.”

  There was something in Boss’s eyes, a wariness that he hadn’t possessed earlier. Although it could also be a trick of the light. Matteo held out his hands to Alonzo. “The duffel bag.”

  Without taking his eyes off Boss, Alonzo opened his mouth to say something. Instead, he handed over the bag. “As you say, Sir Godlike.”