Desert Storm (Puatera Online Book 3)

by Dawn Chapman

  “You’re doing all of this for something in your world?”

  Dail pulled a knife out. I watched it glint in the light, and cringed. He really was going to kill me I was sure of it. When he placed it on the side of my face, I was sure I flinched. I tried not to. I tried not to let him get to me. But he did.

  Then, he placed the knife on my wrist, and he cut one of my bonds. With his other hand, he grabbed hold of me and dragged me up onto shaky feet.

  HEALTH - 15%

  It was falling fast. I wondered if he knew. If he could see how badly I was feeling. I coughed more blood. This time I couldn’t do anything to wipe it off my face.

  Pulling me behind him, Dail dragged me through and into a hallway, then down it and into another room.

  The room itself was massive, and there before me was the same shimmering glow of a portal that we’d seen in Doctor Foster’s home.

  “This is why I’m doing it. Somehow, this is all messed up. There are portals that have sprung up around Puatera that shouldn’t be. You are the reason for them, you are the problem, and when you die, so will they.”

  I looked out into the portal. There was a world before me that I’d not seen before. A large river and monastery? I wasn’t sure. There were tiny boats crossing it, but they looked out of place. I wanted to reach out to touch the water, but Dail pulled me back.

  “Oh, there’s no way you’re going through there. That place will die with you.”

  I thought instantly of the three sisters, trapped, and knew this was where one of them was. I couldn’t let Dail win this. I just couldn’t. I would not die.

  HEALTH - 10%

  There was that little problem, though, and it was waning fast. But. I still had my ring, and I still had some stat points. I could do the one thing I didn’t want to—win this by using my brain.

  I thought carefully about what I needed, not only the health to heal but that I needed more than the art of surprise here. I needed to be able to hit hard and kill him for good.

  My character sheet pinged before me, and I quickly scrolled through what I wanted. There was a slot for the ring he’d given me, and there was an advantage for it. Could I stack Karma onto the ring? It looked like it was going to take everything I had to survive this, but I had no choice.

  I dropped six Karma onto the ring and felt nothing. I knew I had to activate it, but it seemed the time just wasn’t quite right. I needed to wait a little longer.

  HEALTH – 8%

  My focus wasn’t quite right, and I noted a pool of blood beneath me, the injury obviously somewhere down below, my leg or stomach. Yes, stomach. I tried to breathe in deeper and felt it sting.

  Dail dropped me, and I felt the shock as my knees hit the floor. Just about able to stay upright, though it was from sheer willpower alone.

  “You can’t destroy these portals,” I said. “You have no idea what they’re for or why they’re here.”

  There was a tiny ping in my ear. Dalfol was close by, but he couldn’t find me, his voice was panicked and pained.

  Maddie, I need to get to you. I can help. I can heal you. Please, tell me where you are in the building.

  I spoke back but warned him to keep clear. You have to trust me, Dalfol. I can handle this. I won’t let you down, ever. I need to do this on my own. I need to kill him.

  His voice seemed to back off a little, and I glanced up to Dail who stood over me, waiting for what little life I had left to fade.

  “Was there any love between us?” I managed to remember some of the good times we’d had. But this programming had been just that, the only reason for it.

  Dail laughed. “You were the best Runner in town and the only one who would do some of the most dangerous missions. You were a ticket to money, nothing more.”

  I fingered the ring behind my back, his words stung. More so because they meant my life before I became conscious and before things had changed meant nothing. The people in Puatera meant nothing to these visitors. That had to change.

  With a quick twist, I activated the ring. The energy that shot through my veins filled me with fire.

  HEALTH BOOST

  HEALTH - 100%

  I’d never felt this good before, ever. I jumped up, feeling the strength in every new muscle I had. Dail stepped backwards, the shock evident on his face. He reached for his knife, but I knocked it clear out of his hand.

  “You see,” I said. “The thing with you Visitors is you never listen. You always underestimate those around you.”

  Dail’s eyes flickered to the portal. He was going to make a run for it. With a quick step, I managed to get myself between him and the easiest way out.

  “Not only did you never know who I was, but the fact you kept using me, pushing me into things I didn’t want or would never want is the only reason why I am who I am today.” I felt the energy still surging through me, the wound in my stomach not only healed over, but there was no more pain.

  A message popped up from Tibex.

  That was some trick. Finish this. You’re running out of time, and these quests are getting harder by the hour.

  I flicked it away. and glanced at the door. He wasn’t going anywhere. I had no weapons, but if he came at me, I’d disarm and re-appropriated.

  That’s exactly what he did. Lunging forwards with his knife, he once again underestimated me. I slipped by him, twisting his arm out and snapping the knife from it. It clattered to the floor.

  “How the hell did you manage this?”

  “I listened to someone, a Visitor. I let him see who I really was, and we discovered many things about me. Maybe you could have been the one to discover them with me, but no, you chose the wrong side. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from. Visitor, you will be no more. Dresel will see to that.”

  “He can’t, he won’t. I’m one of his largest investors!”

  I pushed Dail closer to the portal. “He will because he’s more invested in Puatera than anything. He might love money, but money isn’t it all. Do you have any idea why I’m not just an NPC?”

  Dail looked up at me. His face paled. “No....”

  I pushed him further to the portal. I could almost smell the water across that river, feel the night airbrush my skin.

  “No, Maddie, don’t. I’ve never died in a game before. Please, don’t kill me!”

  The water bubbling ahead of me was very inviting. I wondered...

  “You should have thought about that while you let me bleed out.”

  Then I didn’t wonder anymore. I just did it. I pushed Dail’s head through the portal while keeping his body here in my world.

  He struggled, but I held on. I knew what was happening to him as the water filled his lungs and he could no longer breathe. Maybe the nicest way he could die—because if I had to really fight him when I had weapons, it would not be pretty.

  One last jerk and Dail’s body went limp beneath me.

  Panting, I collapsed, letting myself rest while I tried not to let my emotions get the better of me. My thoughts flittered to Steve and John. Pushing myself up, I picked up Dail’s knife and rushed back to the room. John looked to be the worst out of them both, I flicked the knife through his bonds and let him slip to the floor. His breathing was heavy, very laboured. Blood oozed out of a gaping hole by his right eye.

  Dalfol, I don’t know if you can reach us, but we really need some extra assistance.

  Yehu’s father is trying to get inside the building. It seems they’re arguing over the password to the entrance.

  Can you help them?

  Didn’t he just blow up a building?

  Don’t be worrying about that, I don’t think they knew what they were doing. This was all Dail’s plan to get me in here, to kill me, to stop this world from evolving.

  Dalfol’s snort came through quite sternly. I laughed, and moments later, there were rushing footsteps in the corridor outside.

  Yehu was first through the door. I could only presume it was his father behind him. “Maddie
, I’m so sorry,” He glanced at John and immediately kneeled beside us.

  “Can you help him?”

  Yehu’s eyes sparked with his fire once more. “Yes, but it will take some time.”

  I turned to Steve who was coming around. I was soon at his side, cutting his bonds. “Maddie, what happened?” he asked. His eyes struggling to focus.

  “There’s a lot that happened. How are you feeling? Will you be okay?”

  Steve seemed to be accessing his character sheet. It was the weirdest thing to see someone else’s eyes focus on something you couldn’t see.

  “Yes,” he replied eventually. “I’ll be okay. Just get me out of here.”

  “No.” I looked at John and Yehu and then his father. “You’re the town’s leader. I need you to see this.”

  I pulled Steve to his feet and walked with him through to the portal’s room. Dail’s body was still there, but it started to fade. Pulsed and fade some more.

  Yehu’s father kneeled down and declared he was dead, which I already knew since I had just drowned him. Then his body vanished, and there were only several small items left behind. Yehu’s father picked them up, and I nodded to him. “You keep them. I have no need for any more magical items or loot.”

  Steve stepped closer to the portal. “This is part of London still. I recognise the river and the buildings.”

  “I must continue this journey. Now more than ever.”

  “You want to go through it? The river will be freezing!”

  I smiled at him. “I know. But there’s a young girl in there who is terrified and needs someone to save her.”

  “That’s your next quest?”

  I saw the notification flashing up before my eyes, reminding me that time really was running out. “They have less than twenty-four hours to be reunited.”

  “Or what?”

  I pointed to the building, it’s eerie glow setting golden shimmers across the water. “I don’t know the answer to that question, only that to help save Puatera and the Tromoal, I need their help. To get their help, I need to go find them and bring them back together.”

  Steve glanced back to the doorway. “And John?

  “John will be fine. They can help with the town, start to gather enough protection for this portal. We can’t have anyone finding out about it, coming through, or putting anyone else’s lives in danger. You can do that, right?”

  On the town leader’s nod, he added, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. It was like I was possessed. I’ve never argued with Yehu like that before. I always trusted him and his reasoning. Dail just seemed to come in here, place his orders, and it was like I had to do them.”

  I placed a hand on the older man’s shoulder. “I know, don’t worry. There’s still a war coming, and we’re on the wrong side of the desert at the moment. You need to keep your town off their map. You need to make sure your people and this portal are protected at all costs. Outside your town now is a Tromoal, Yehu can speak with him, trust that the two of them will have your best interests at heart.”

  Yehu’s father smiled at me. “Thank you for your quick forgiveness Maddie. I will do everything you’ve asked.” He looked at the portal. “The young girl you seek, do you think you’ll find her?

  I looked at the river and its bouncing waves. “I have no idea where to start. It looks like a huge place to be.”

  Steve stepped forwards. “Yes, it is, but I have some ideas. I think I can help you find her, and together, we’ll bring her back.”

  I glanced once at the doorway. This was it. I was going to step out of my comfort zone and away from my world.

  I placed my hand on Steve’s and squeezed it.

  “For Puatera,” he said.

  “For Puatera,” I reciprocated, and whispered. “For Alex.”

  Then, with a deep breath in, together, we stepped through the portal and into the unknown depths of the river.

  The End

  Coming Soon

  Maddie’s story may continue in – Jessica’s Challenge – another adventure into the world of Puatera Online.

  From the Author

  Dawn Chapman has been creating sci-fi and fantasy stories for thirty years. Until 2005 when her life and attention turned to scripts, and she started work on The Secret King, a 13-episode Sci-Fi TV series, with a great passion for this medium.

  In 2015, Dawn returned to her first love of prose where she revelled in the world of The Secret King, Letháo and First Contact, as an epic prose space journey over 3 generations.

  This year her experience of working with Producers/Directors from the US and AUS has expanded. From Drama, Sci-Fi, Action, to Litrpg. Dawn's built a portfolio of writing, consulting and publishing.

  You can follow Dawn on any of her public pages.

  Author Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/kanundra

  Twitter Link – https://twitter.com/kanundra

  Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Chapman/e/B014A0RUBC

  If you’ve enjoyed Maddie’s story, please let us know, consider leaving a review or sending a message.

  Many Thanks!

  Also by Dawn Chapman

  Also by Dawn Chapman

  The Secret King Series with interactive website, conlang and more at – www.thesecretking.com

  The Secret King – Letháo – KU, e-book, audiobook.

  The Secret King – First Contact – KU, e-book.

  Audio Accompaniments

  The Secret King – The Truth Hurts - myBook.to/TSK-TheTruthHurts

  The Secret King – Brie’s Results - myBook.to/TSK-BriesResults

  Coming Soon – Brie’s Choice

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