by K R Dimmick
Suddenly, the big red number six in the top right of my vision started to flash. That meant I must have very little time left to solve this riddle and get through the dragon gate before it was too late for me as well.
“Wait,” Mikael exclaimed. “Why don’t I hold him here until midnight? That way, we’re certain his timer will advance enough that he can’t reset it.”
Mikael was harder than I was, I thought.
“Noooooo,” Kira wailed.
I turned to see Arik’s body starting to vibrate. All of a sudden, he vanished, and I could see a small, misty white globe floating where he’d died. The globe started to move. I watched in awe as it moved toward one of the stone blocks. It hovered there briefly before disappearing through the stone.
Is that where the Dragon Gate is? I thought.
I let the spell go and Andrew solidified again. I nearly threw up as I saw what I’d done to him.
Before anyone could stop her, Kira threw herself at Andrew, punching, kicking and screaming at him.
“She shouldn’t have to live with the guilt,” declared Allion, pushing Mikael out of the way and stabbing Andrew in the neck, taking him to 0% HP.
I had no idea whether or not we’d kept him here long enough to cause his timer to advance before he could freeze it again. Either way, my focus now had to be on me, and getting through that gate.
64
The Dragon Gate
I had to assume that the white, misty globe was Arik’s spirit. I rushed over to the stone block that it had disappeared through and frantically started looking for runes.
Sure enough, the stone seemed to have runes carved all over it. I didn’t have Arik’s compendium anymore, so I had no way of looking up anything I didn’t recognize.
The riddle told me I needed to find four different runes, R, G, D and T. They were hopefully what defined the frame of the gate.
I pulled up the information the game had given me when I’d been in Andrew’s study and saw the runes on his tapestries. The first one, R, looked like a capital letter R, just written in all straight lines.
I looked at the top of the stone block. With my height, there was no way I could see the small runes carved into the surface.
“I need help here,” I shouted and jumped up to the left side of the block. “I’m not tall enough.”
Mikael walked over, but before I could describe the rune I was looking for, he simply picked me up with his hands under my arms like I was a little kid. At least I could see the runes now.
Hanging there, I searched the top left corner of the stone.
“There it is!” I exclaimed.
“That one is R. I need to see that side now, please,” I pointed to the other side and Mikael took a step to the right.
This time, I needed to find the rune G. The notes the game had created for me told me it looked like a capital X. Sure enough, there, at the furthest point it could be, was the correct rune.
“Okay, can you put me down please, I need to see the bottom now,” I said.
Allion, Kira and Saris were now having a shouting match over the fact that Allion had been the one to send Andrew to respawn.
“I should have been allowed to finish him off,” yelled Kira. “It was my right to avenge Arik. You took that away from me.”
“I didn’t want you to be burdened by the guilt that would have caught up to you when you calmed down,” shouted Allion. “Plus, he betrayed me too, so I had just as much right as you did. He killed me.”
“Yes, and if you hadn’t been a traitor in the first place, Orianna would have still had the ability to Resurrect Arik,” Kira screamed back. “So, it’s just as much your fault as Andrew’s that my brother is dead.”
She launched herself at Allion as Saris desperately tried to hold them apart.
“I didn’t ask to be killed,” Allion declared. “If you’d been able to finish Colt off on your own, Arik wouldn’t have been here for Andrew to kill. You were supposed to be keeping him safe.”
“How do we know you didn’t kill Andrew so he could have enough time to respawn and freeze his timer? For all we know, you’re still a traitor,” Kira yelled.
“That’s not true,” a rather pale looking Allion retorted. “You were going to kill him anyway, I just took that burden from you. I want Andrew gone as much as you do.”
“Shut up!” I yelled, causing everyone to turn toward me.
“If I can’t concentrate long enough to find the rest of these runes, I’ll be dead too, and Arik’s death will have been for nothing. I have no idea whether or not we can trust Allion, but I don’t have the time to work that out right now. It’s going to have to wait until I come back. I suggest you all stay together and get back to El Sanctum where you can help the others in their fight against the rest of the Dragon Hunters. We’ll work out what to do when I’m done with this, okay?”
They both nodded, all the while throwing murderous looks at each other.
I turned to look more closely at the bottom right of the stone. I didn’t know whether the next rune I found would be D or T. They could either have been carved in a clockwise order, or from left to right, like someone would be reading them. The D looked like an infinity symbol created using only straight lines, while the T looked like an up arrow.
The runes were definitely fainter at the bottom. I guess it was just wear and tear from the elements and having the gravel kicked against the bottom of the stones regularly. I ran my fingers over it, trying to clear some of the dust out of the marks.
Finally, I saw it. There was a little up arrow in the right hand corner. That meant that the D would be on the left side. I hurried over, and after a few seconds, I managed to find it.
This was it. The Dragon Gate was through this stone block.
“Mikael,” I said. “Please tell me you still have my other Phoenix potion. Andrew took mine.”
He reached into his inventory and handed me a potion bottle that looked like it contained the stars from the sky. I popped the lid and downed it in one gulp. It tasted like a cross between candy floss and a strong arctic breeze.
Success! You have discovered: Phoenix Potion
Grants the user passage through the Dragon Gate. Effect lasts for 5 minutes.
I looked down to find my body had transformed into mist.
Soter howled and everyone stared at me with their mouths open.
It’s okay, Soter, I’ll be back in no time, I sent my thoughts to him since I didn’t seem to be able to actually speak. He didn’t look happy.
Mikael waved his hand through the middle of my body. Not only did I look like mist, I was composed of mist.
What the King had said about Andrew’s true nature being revealed when he took the potion came flooding back to me. Was my true nature being mist? Somehow, that didn’t sound right. Equally, if this potion turned everyone into mist, like I suspected it would have to do, there was no way Andrew could have killed people after that. That must mean that there was no side effect to the potion, and he’d simply displayed his true nature and killed the NPCs off before taking it. Either he’d wanted to avoid having them witness what he did, or more likely, he’d done it purely because he could. He’d probably assumed he wouldn’t be coming back. Hopefully, this wouldn’t be a one way trip for me. I wanted the ability to come back to this zone, as well to progress to the next one.
I mentally took a deep breath and turned to look back at the stone. Time to get on with this.
I floated toward the stone pillar and bumped into it. Wait, that couldn’t be right. Mikael’s hand had gone through me and I knew I was in the right place. Why couldn’t I get through?
I bumped against the stone again in the hopes that I’d been wrong, but not surprisingly, I bounced off it again.
It dawned on me that, while I’d found the runes, there was nothing to show I’d found them. I reached up to touch the first one and floated upward until I was at the correct height. I touched the R and it started to glow a faint golden
color. Gliding over to the right, I touched the G, causing it to glow as well. The other two followed, in order, just in case that was important, so I had the R, G, D and T all glowing.
Moving toward the stone, I crossed imaginary fingers, hoping that this would work, and moved forward.
I sank into the stone. Looking back, I tried to wave, but I didn’t have hands, so the mist that was me just moved around a little. I pushed forward.
All of a sudden, it was like I was being squashed down to a single atom. Oh no, not another portal, I thought, as my vision went black.
The portal spat me back out on the other side. This time, since I had no physical body, I didn’t end up on my hands and knees, at least. Instead, I simply floated forward.
There, just in front of my face, were the largest, sharpest teeth I’d ever seen. They were in the mouth of a huge, golden dragon. Smoke was gently trickling out of his nostrils and he was looking at me with his left eye.
Before I could scream, a voice sounded in my head.
It has been a long time since anyone has come through that gate, traveler. What is your name?
“Orianna,” I stuttered, still not sure I wasn’t about to be eaten.
You are barely large enough to be a small snack. The voice in my head sounded like it was laughing. I have no desire to eat you.
Well that was a relief, at least.
I am Shen Long, the creator of the Zones of Alacria. I was given the ability to construct a world people could live in forever. It is through me, and me alone, that a traveler can transfer their consciousness into this world. I am also the only one who can give you the mark you require to progress to the next zone. Why are you here?
“I’m here because I want to live. I solved a riddle that led me here. I know my real life body is about to disintegrate, so I want to transfer my consciousness into this world. Please,” I added, hoping that would be enough.
And did the riddle tell you how that happened? Shen Long asked.
“Not entirely, no,” I muttered. “It just said to go through stone and get reborn through flame.”
It suddenly dawned on my rather slow mind that dragons breathed flame, and as a huge dragon, he was probably just about to incinerate me.
You are correct, he laughed. I see you learn fast. That’s lucky. It will serve you well in what is to come.
Taking a deep breath, which drew the mist that comprised my body toward him rapidly, he let loose a white-hot stream of flame that completely enveloped me.
Somehow, it didn’t hurt. I guess that was the upside of not actually having a body. I watched as the mist turned to ash and floated down to the ground, my mind accompanying it.
Before I had time to start panicking, the ash started to come together, right over me, and take on the shape of a body. My mind combined with my new body, and a few seconds later, I was standing back on my feet, with solid legs and hands I could see and feel.
Congratulations! You have become a permanent resident of the Zones of Alacria. You have successfully transferred your consciousness into your new world. Your old body is currently in the process of being dissolved.
Success! Your body had been completely dissolved and flushed.
Welcome to your new life. May you be forever remembered.
Well, I’d done it. There was clearly no going back now. This was it. I wondered how I could get out of here. I looked around. I seemed to be standing in a stone cave. The portal behind me glowed slightly blue and the rest of the area was taken up by the enormous, gold dragon.
Out of here? I thought you came to progress and solve my riddle? Shen Long’s voice echoed in my head.
“Isn’t that what I just did?” I asked, a little confused.
Do you have the mark yet?
I looked at my hands and arms.
The answer you’re looking for is no, by the way. Did you get the heart yet?
I shook my head.
Exactly. Your time here is just beginning. You still have to solve the last part of my riddle. Voice your courage to get the heart, enter alone, forever a part. You have bravely entered alone, now it is time for you to voice your courage. Behind me, you’ll see a door.
I walked around Shen Long and peered toward what I assumed would be the back of the cave. Sitting there, embedded in the rock wall, was a large, white door.
Since you are a guild leader and a Scribe, you may inscribe your guild name on the door. If you do that, it will be easier for future guild members to pass the test on the other side of this door. It is not required, and it will have no effect on your test.
It was a shame that it wouldn’t help me, but I definitely wanted to help my future guild members. I certainly planned on telling them about everything to do with the trials, so this would hopefully just be the icing on the cake.
Do not expect your experience to solve everyone’s trials. Just because you tell them, it does not mean they will hear you.
Well, I’d still be telling them, I thought, as I pulled my mana up into my right hand. Why wouldn’t telling someone exactly how to solve the riddle be helpful? I mean, I could create the Phoenix potion for them, I could tell them where the Dragon Gate was and how to activate the frame to get through. It was going to be much easier for anyone in my guild to do this.
Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted and everything became a little overwhelming. It was like I had more mana than usual.
You temporarily have an infinite amount of mana for this one task. Shen Long told me. That way, it won’t take you too long.
Okay, I could take a hint. I started inscribing.
I drew a vertical line with a diamond crossing it for the J. Another vertical line with a sloped line coming down from the top and out to the right for the U. A vertical lightning symbol for the S, and an up arrow for the T. Leaving a small space, I repeated the U and the S. The words Just Us glowed briefly on the door before fading. You could only just see them on the door.
“Do you have any advice?” I asked, ever hopeful that it might help me get through whatever was coming.
Be yourself. You are exactly who you need to be.
With a deep breath, I reached out and turned the handle. The other side of the door was hidden in darkness.
I stepped forward, passing through the darkness, and after one last step, my vision was suddenly overwhelmed with a light so bright I could no longer see.
I heard something big moving around and felt a breeze as it took a breath.
Orianna?
Epilogue
“Where do you need us?” Mikael asked as he stepped out of the guild entrance portal, followed by Saris and Kira, each holding tightly onto Allion.
“We need to get to the north side,” Allion said, ignoring the looks the others gave him. “I set up a trap there the Dragon Hunters can activate to bring down the shield.”
“What?” Kira shouted in his ear. “Why would you do that?”
“I was on Andrew’s side, remember?” Allion replied. “If you just get me there, I can deactivate it before it’s too late.”
Kira looked like she was about to argue when King Faelyn stepped in.
“It’s a shame that you confirmed my worst fears about you, but something has definitely changed,” he said. “You all need to go and remove the trap. We can discuss what to do about you later. Go,” he urged.
“Here’s all the extra Freezing Bombs,” Aliz said, handing another fourteen to Baynor.
“Hold one here for me,” he replied, indicating the front of his bow.
As he drew back the bowstring, an arrow formed through the center of the potion bottle. Sighting down the arrow and toward the trees, he aimed at yet another Dragon Hunter who’d thought being up higher put them at an advantage.
“One more coming down,” Baynor yelled as a giant block of ice formed in a nearby tree.
If the others were anything to go by, as soon as this block unfroze, the player trapped inside would fall out of the tree. Thanks to the frost debuff,
they’d be unable to slow their fall or save themselves. They wouldn’t last long after that because the melee fighters were already waiting for them.
“I need another MP potion,” demanded Damir, his eyes closed in concentration as he forcibly kept the shield over El Sanctum active.
The elf who’d been assigned to protect him put a blue potion into Damir’s outstretched hand.
The shield was facing the largest attack since it had been created. Every few minutes, another Dragon Hunter would throw an Acid Bomb that ate into the shield. Damir was completely focused on keeping the barrier alive and only had a bodyguard now because one of the Dragon Hunters had somehow made it through the shield and had attacked Damir, taking him down to 50% health before Baynor had killed him.
All the non-combatants, including the Queen, had been sent to safety in the Just Us guildhall after partying up with Suri or Kaylin. Now it was just up to the fighters to break the attack.
“On your left,” yelled Mikael.
Saris spun and sent a low-level Dragon Hunter to respawn with one thrust of her daggers. The two of them and Kira were protecting Allion while he disabled the trap.
“Got it, finally,” Allion declared wearily. “Get ready to duck and run, I’m going to throw the power source at them.”
Allion hurled a glowing ball of energy at the group of Dragon Hunters.
“Was that a mage light?” Saris asked as she turned and ran for the safety of the shield.
“Partly, yes,” Allion yelled above the huge explosion.
The four collapsed behind the barrier as it flickered a few times.
“Andrew has a local arcane mage locked away in his guildhall. He’s not very powerful and pretty much all he can do is create mage lights, but Andrew has started including them in his tinkering and is creating some very interesting artifacts,” Allion said as they all stood up to look at the group of attackers.