But Death is Not Forbidden

by Kip Terrington

  “I wish that I had woken earlier. I know that I could have helped you see what a gift we have been given by such a king, but that didn't happen. The dark fairy regrets coming out and trying to solve everything on her own. It was a mistake, one that she is now paying for, just like the rest of us. She wants our forgiveness and she wants to forgive us, but before that can happen, we must deal with the body of our fallen king. Father, reach forward and loot the king,” Lil instructed.

  Bridcha’s eyes widened, on his blood covered face, “No. No. It wrong. I not take what his!” Bridcha said, unwilling to make things worse than they already were.

  “I was not making a request, father. You forget I am speaking on behalf of the dark fairy you see on my shoulder. In the absence of the king, she wields his authority. You may believe that your betrayal and broken oath frees you from the responsibilities of a vassal, but the dark fairy does not. She will not allow you to set aside the commitment you made to the king. He did not set aside his commitment to you, as evidenced by the hanging corpse in front of you. You will do exactly as I say, in the way that I say,” Lil said. Even knowing that he had betrayed his king, being humbled before his people was almost more than he could bear. If the words had not come from his rescued daughter's mouth, submission would not have been possible. He swallowed and then spoke.

  “You authority valid,” Bridcha consented.

  Even though she was tiny, the visible excitement on Spooky's face was obvious to everyone. Though few realized it, the moment of true danger had passed. When Joe was reborn, he would have completed a quest.

  “Reach your hand toward the king and say in your mind: I wish to loot this corpse,” Lil explained.

  Surprising everyone, all the items that were not soulbound to Joe, along with some resources from his Holdall, appeared before the chieftain's large paw. The UI had recognized Bridcha as an NPC Chief, giving him limited access to a HUD and drop-down menus. Any other time, this development would have taken his full attention, but one of the items he had received quickly took possession of every iota of interest that he had.

  It was a small pouch with a closed drawstring. It was too small for him to open with his large paws, but he could feel what was inside of it. Spooky flew to his open palm and gently landed beside the bag, carefully opening it for him. She reached in and pulled out one of the baby yeti claws.

  Memento.

  Extracted baby claw from young yeti, named Yitich.

  Bridcha was stunned. The bag was full of what was left of their stolen children. Not only had the king saved Lil and Tig, he had retrieved the remains of many of their former stolen children. The relief and shame created such a dissonance in the yeti chief, he could barely hold his paw steady. The king had given them a gift beyond worth and Bridcha had killed him for it.

  “The dark fairy asked me to tell you, father, to give the remains of each child to their parents,” Lil said with obvious concentration, having to remember the words Spooky had told her a few moments ago. The chief began to call the yeti parents forward. As they approached, Spooky carefully and reverently presented them with what was left of their stolen child. A piece of every child that was taken in the last five years (55 Earth years) was in that little bag. When all of the remains of the tribe’s children had been disseminated, the bag had been emptied by only a fifth. The hunters who had gathered these mementos had preyed on more than just Clan Bounder. The chief wasn't sure what to do with the rest of them. It felt wrong to have taken them from the king. Spooky flew back to Lil without taking the bag with her.

  “The loot has been distributed. What is left will stay in your care until such time as you are able to return them to their parents in the other tribes,” Lil said.

  On that last word, the looting was fully complete. Joe’s body and his soulbound items immediately turned into a fine ash and dissolved before the clan’s astonished eyes. There were gasps and many began openly weeping. The gruesome picture of their betrayed, hanging king, had become something they didn't want to give up. None of them understood what they were feeling or why, but the loss of their king was just coming home. Before the crowd could fall into utter despair, Lil raised her voice once more.

  “Your king is dead, but he will not stay that way. The slain king will return and will be reborn in his place of power. We are living in a new age. Rules that had once been constants have been bent and, in some places, completely removed. The fabric of this very reality has shifted. What that means is extremely complicated and cannot be explained in a simple speech. Looking out across the crowd, I can see that a small few of you have been chosen as players, the rest as different types of NPCs. I don't know exactly what this will mean, but one thing I do know is that our tribe will now prosper, like never before, under the authority of a reborn king. Though some of you don't believe yet, the fact that he will return is not up for debate. One doubt that still remains is how this clan will greet him when he arrives,” Lil finished.

  Chabrid, the powerful mate of the chief, stepped forward and began speaking quickly, “King bones not break! Bridcha stomp with full might, but king bones not break. He died, but king have strongest yeti bones ever,” Chabrid said, then fell on her knees and bowed before her chief.

  “Forgive me, mate. I push for betrayal. Forgive me and heed dark fairy’s words,” Chabrid pleaded.

  “I forgive,” Bridcha said, and he leaned forward and changed his position so that he was on his knees before his daughter and Spooky.

  “Allow me swear oath, once more. I die before I break again,” Bridcha asked in earnest.

  “Binding yourself once more to the king and the champion will be the first step in making amends. This time, you will choose the words that you swear. The dark fairy will bind you by whatever oath you choose to take,” Lil said for Spooky. While still on his knees, the king spoke his simple oath.

  “I, Bridcha, serve, obey King Joe and dark fairy forever. Clan Bounder serve, obey King Joe and dark fairy forever,” Bridcha said. A thick dark shadow fell over him, and he was bound to his oath. The binding was much stronger than the first time it was applied, as Spooky had gained in experience and strength. Even so, because of the new mindset of the yeti chief, the binding was as light as a feather.

  Joe’s commitment to protect the children of Clan Bounder, and sacrifice of his very life to do so, had cemented the clan’s undying loyalty. After the chief was bound, his mate stepped up and wished to give an oath.

  “I, Chabrid, serve, obey King Joe and dark fairy forever,” Chabrid repeated, a shadow fell across her, causing her to smile. Almost as one, all the other yetis stepped forward. But binding such a large group would require too much mana.

  “If you truly wish to be bound, the dark fairy will accept your oaths, but her mana is not inexhaustible. This being the case, she will accept the rest of the oaths at the king’s place of power. Gather your people and your wounded. Though the king is absent, you will shelter in his house, and your children will be under his protection,” Lil said for Spooky.

  Lil lead the way and the king's new people slowly followed. They made their way over the bridge and the doors sized for their kind opened before them. Clan Bounder was astonished at the architecture they saw. The stairs they were walking up fit their feet. Many felt that it was as if the king had somehow known them and prepared a place with their needs in mind. This solemn walk, up the yeti-sized stairs, did not prepare them for the glorious view they would behold upon entering the crystal dome. As they filed into the 360,000 square-foot room that took up an entire floor of the castle, the overly large people group appeared quite small. This space was sufficient enough to house the population of an average-sized city. It was an intimidating space, but the beauty was comforting. The crystal of the dome shone as if it had just been polished. Some of the more keen-eyed yetis noticed that, even at that moment, there were a few tiny ivory automaton angels polishing the crystal windows. Instinctively, they gathered around the place of power, though none came cl
oser than twenty-feet.

  Spooky stood on the mithril-covered box and her mana began to fill. Somehow knowing that the time had come, one by one, the yetis stepped forward, kneeling before Spooky and swearing their oath. After all the yetis had sworn, Spooky saw a golden light and happily opened the message.

  Congratulations! You've completed a primary quest.

  Kingdom in Name Only? Part 1

  Appoint your first vassal and integrate his people into your society.

  Reward for completing this quest: one random item and 10 soulless mining golems.

  Penalty for failing or rejecting this quest: loss of authority and sundering of castle.

  Time limit for completing this quest: 6 months.

  Plus 10,000 XP.

  Spooky felt exuberant. She had just received ten levels worth of experience. More importantly were all the building points that went with that. There were things that she needed to make, and this might be the only time she had the access to do it. She looked around, but couldn't see the mining golems. She attempted to query the UI. She immediately received a message back.

  Thank you for your continued interest in questing and completing quests issued by the UI. In answer to your query, in order to receive your full reward for completing a quest, all parts of the champion must have respawned.

  That was too bad. It would have been nice to get the full reward now, but the experience she had received would be useful enough for now.

  Spooky gave instructions to Lil for what was to come next, than she quickly spoke quietly to the four yeti who had been designated as players. Afterward, she flew close to the yeti chief and his mate who sat close together.

  “Bridcha, Chabrid, though it seems dark without the light of our king, you must trust in the promise of the dawn. I don't know exactly how long it will take, but sometime in the next day or so, King Joe will appear standing on top of that mithril-covered box. I ask that your people hold vigil here and wait for him. I've spoken to your daughter. She knows where the warehouses are. You will not have to wait hungry. I've asked your daughter to help take care of your people's needs until the king is reborn. I must take my leave of you now. There is much that I need to accomplish before the king returns,” Spooky said and then gave the yeti couple a small nod before flying away.

  Bind had shut herself off. This meant that the personality augmentation based on Joe's late wife was now in control. She was aware that this control would not last. She could feel the code that Bind had written before she shut herself off. The moment Joe returned, Bind would begin to power up, and EMC would once again be relegated to the position of a passenger. EMC understood she might never have a chance like this again, so she would not waste it. Due to the completion of the quest, she had gained some experience and, therefore, levels. This meant two things: that she had available building points to use for her own purposes, and that she could allocate points of power. She opened her HUD.

  Power and Stat Allocation

  Note: Not all levels are created equal. Work hard and distinguish yourself in order to prepare well, and you may receive more stat and power allocation points.

  Spooky

  Level 50 through Level 60-

  You’ve received 18 points of power.

  You’ve received 9 points of stat, allocated based on achievement:

  Plus 3 to Charisma

  Plus 3 to Wisdom

  Plus 3 to Luck

  18 points of power available. Allocate all points.

  This was something she did not have to think about. All of the points went to Energy Mass Conversion Magic. She immediately received a message in her HUD.

  Currently you can only reach the journeyman level in Energy Mass Conversion Magic. Do you wish to spend all points in Energy Mass Conversion Magic for future credit? Yes/No

  Spooky quickly clicked yes.

  You have become a journeyman in Energy Mass Conversion Magic (21/9 credited).

  There were things that needed to be made. Hopefully, the dungeon of Os would appreciate her gifts and be amenable to her proposal.

  ***

  As the dark fairy stepped out of her entrance, Os gave her a farewell.

  The Covenant Dungeon of Os wishes to congratulate the Keeper of Secrets on her well-struck bargain. The new floor will be ready when the time is right.

  Though she didn't have a face, Os felt as though she were smiling. Close cooperation with another was something she hadn't done in ages, literally. She began to feel the comforting influence of the UI interacting with her.

  Congratulations!

  You have been chosen to participate in the Beta Dungeon System. Your willingness to cooperate with players but still hold them to a high standard of deadly competition has been recognized. This new and exciting opportunity will provide you with options once only available to dungeons of distant planes. As you continue in your symbiotic relationship with your dungeon divers, new upgrades will be earned as you meet the prerequisites.

  Prerequisites met for first upgrade!

  You have now learned the upgrade: Floor Boss Music.

  Upgrade: Floor Boss Music.

  As the adventurous reach your dastardly creations, the ominous and melodic tones of Boss Music will tickle their eardrums. The excitement and enjoyment of the fight will be enhanced in a dynamic auditory dimension.

  As a sampling of the music began to play, Os stilled. If any adventurers had been in the dungeon at that time, they would have noticed that the walls had begun silently leaking salt water. Os was an incredibly creative dungeon, but for some reason she had never been able to create music. This upgrade had given her something that she had longed for. An unfamiliar feeling of gratitude spread throughout the dungeon and a few new flowers bloomed. They weren't even poisonous.

  Day twelve, in the dark hours of the morning.

  Spooky stepped out of the Dungeon of Os and released the two angels she had been using as mules. She hoped Os would keep her part of the bargain that the two of them had just struck. Joe should wake up soon, but Spooky would be there to greet him when he arrived. Instead, she made her way out of the castle, and sat on the mound that overlooked the place where Joe had fallen the day before. This is where she would wait. She laid her head back on the dirt and closed her eyes, attempting to fall asleep. She had worked hard for the better part of a day to put in place a plan that would help her and Joe. Only time would tell if her efforts bore any fruit. There were other things she could do, but part of her plan hinged upon being in this exact spot when Joe was reborn. If he took the same amount of time that she took to respawn, then he would be arriving at the altar soon. The small plans she had made were not a sure thing, and they left a lot up to chance.

  Resting on the mound, looking up at the sky, her mostly-metal body didn't feel the cold. She was a complicated sentient. EMC worried that Bind would continue to deny their new existence. The dangerous reality that they lived in did not give either one the option of rejecting the strengths in the other. Unlike Bind, EMC fully acknowledged that they needed to find a way to work together harmoniously if they were going to survive. Not the harmony of a master and a servant, but rather the synergy produced when two work together toward a mutual goal.

  Spooky fell asleep, and if any had been close they would have heard the tiny snores of the beautiful ebony avatar.

  Chapter 19 - Judgment

  Day twelve, before the Noon Bunny.

  The yetis were relatively quiet, solemn even. They had been loosely gathered around the altar for almost a day. Most of them didn't believe that the man they had watched die would come back to life, but their chief believed, so it didn't matter. Most of them just spent their time looking at the simple, yet beautiful, mithril-encased altar. There was something comforting about the way the metal had covered the box and then flowed out a bit along the floor before hardening.

  Suddenly, they all heard a surprising sound. It was as if someone was stepping out of the bath. Each and every yeti perked their ears
up and looked toward the altar. Above the box, almost like pudding being squeezed out of a tube, Joe plopped out of the ether. Only due to sheer athleticism did the half-dressed king land on his feet atop the altar. Blinking his eyes, Joe looked around at all the yetis who were quickly moving into kneeling positions and bowing their heads toward him. Luckily, none were very close to the altar, because Joe promptly doubled over the mirrored surface of the altar and threw up. Holding his gut, and looking down at the contents of his now-empty stomach, Joe thought, So that's what a vomitis mass looks like. It is as miserable as they say.

  Before Joe could rise again, ten tiny little ivory angels flew in to clean up the mess. One of the tiny statues handed Joe a washcloth. He dabbed his mouth, and noticed he had a little vomit on his boots, so he wiped that off also. Feeling a little better, Joe stood up and once again looked out over the crowd of yetis. He noticed that all of them now had their names in blue above their bowing heads. Most were labeled as NPCs, but Joe could see a few players mixed in among them. Even during the short time of finding his bearings, the silence had been too much for him. He couldn't help but feel that his entrance was not what it should have been.

  “I apologize, that was not very kingly of me, though maybe a little presidential. I'll take what I can get at this point. Last thing I remember was that you guys weren't very happy with me. What's going on?” Joe asked and he looked down at Bridcha, who was kneeling in an emperor style bow. The yeti’s forehead was flat against the slick floor. When Joe looked at him something happened. Joe's twenty-sided eye began to react. Suddenly, Joe saw a vision of himself jumping toward Bridcha and stomping on his head over and over and over. It was a violent and angry reaction. Quickly, Joe slapped his hand over his furious twenty-sided eye. He could feel the die spinning under his eyelid from the palm of his hand, still pressed tight against his eye. Joe thought it was kind of an icky feeling. His pupil was no longer round in that eye. It now had twenty triangle-shaped sides.