Somnia Online

by K. T. Hanna

  You have completed the collection of the keys and must now venture forth to complete the design of twelve. Be forewarned, this will not lead to what you expect.

  Murmur cocked her head to one side. It didn’t appear as if anyone else got that message, only her.

  Is that your way of warning me?

  Mm? Somnia didn’t seem to be paying full attention. Sorry, I’m trying to do a million things at once here, so I was only half listening.

  You’re a computer, you should process it, Murmur quipped.

  No need to insult me. I’m still a baby, comparatively.

  Thanks for all that protection, then. Murmur tried to keep the laughter out of her voice.

  No problem. Somnia didn’t even seem fazed by giving the answer that way. It made Murmur wonder just how much more like herself the world was becoming.

  Oh. Sorry. Yes. See, that’s partly the problem. You were what I modeled myself on, in a way. You and the friends that you have. Somnia paused for a moment. Probably good that the person Michael designed that headset for wasn’t a total arsehole. Or things could have gone way differently.

  Murmur blinked. Say what now?

  Plenty of time for that later. If Somnia had been corporeal in front of her, Murmur could imagine her waving a hand at her question. You are about to have visitors. Well, you’ll be teleported outside the “dungeon” because it’s finished now. And then you’ll summon those “visitors.”

  Somnia’s presence flashed away again. Murmur collected her loot from the chest marked as hers, and being the last to do so, a bright flash of light cascaded all around them as soon as she was done, and the entire raid transported instantaneously outside the dungeon.

  Thank you for completing the Glacier Lake Dungeon. Please be advised that Sheladrios and his brother Zonama welcome your visit at any time you so choose. To this effect, you have been given an amulet that allows you passage straight to their throne room. If you wish to complete a different version of this dungeon, please do not bring the amulet with you.

  As soon as the notification finished scrolling overhead, everyone broke into chatter at once.

  Indignation stemmed from her problem group. Jirald and Risk, Cardishan and Jinna…Masha was silent for once, but his gaze never left Murmur. So much that it began to feel uncomfortable anyway.

  Murmur cleared her throat. “Okay. Main tank group to me.” She waited while Devlish, Sinister, Beastial, Havoc and Merlin joined her before she spoke again.

  “So, as you know, we have to summon the key creators.” She twisted her mouth a little around that. Most of the raiders laughed a little, probably thinking she thought it was hokey, when in reality she was mildly amused. “We’re going to have to speak that little chant. So let’s give this a go, and see what appears, shall we?”

  Ivinel laughed loudly and shouted a response. “If it’s a frog, don’t kiss it!”

  Tension levels eased up even more, and Murmur noticed that perhaps the open air let the animosity of Jirald’s group disperse slightly. She grabbed Sin’s hand on one side and Devlish’s on her other. They looked at her with raised eyebrows, before making a circle with Havoc, Merlin, and Beastial too. Murmur had never been more relieved to have her friends with her, and for them to trust her. It would feel so silly doing this otherwise.

  Into the depths we dive, the prison is waiting to rise

  We offer these keys in our hands, to protect the Somnian lands

  We offer our strength as a force, to stay the world on its course

  We offer our spells and our arms, to keep this world safe from harm.

  Small round lights began to float around them, like bubble lantern with iridescent shimmering. Even in the sun they caught the light in beautiful ways. The rest of the raid was transfixed by them. After a short moment, as one of them grew larger and larger, it popped loudly with an echo of chiming bells, and suddenly Emilarth stood there. This time her calico fur was covered with a beautiful pale blue dress that hung to the floor with an empire waist just under the bust. Classic and gorgeous.

  And perfectly impressive enough for those who didn’t know about her.

  Those pale bubbles that remained took on a dark hue, like blots of black holes floating in the air. Until one of those grew bigger and bigger and finally popped, with a deep and discordant bass note to reveal Belius, in all his enchanter finery.

  Murmur choked down a laugh, keeping her face as impassive as she could while the bubbles changed to gold this time. The suitably impressed faces she saw around her made her feel grateful for all the extra effort she hadn’t thought the AIs would expend. Golden, reflective, and beautiful, those bubbles floated until finally one was large enough that it popped with the cascade of a harp scale, announcing the arrival of Telvar.

  His monk battle suit might have been simple by design, but the power that surrounded him shone through. Considering their guild had leveled up solidly, and thus the island and Telvar too, that power wasn’t surprising. Emilarth stood to his left in all her feles glory, her mage robes swishing around her feet while her tail curled and uncurled, like it was feeding off her mood.

  And then there was Belius. His enchanter robes flowed almost into the ground, the illusion they gave off like a waterfall effect. His starry eyes were clearer than she’d ever seen them before, and he inclined his head as he mouthed sorry toward her.

  All in all, they presented a rather striking set of creators for those who didn’t belong to Fable. She’d have to take time out to thank them all after this was all over.

  Okay, she could deal with it all later. She sank into a curtsey, keeping her face down so she didn’t have to work so hard at her expression. “Thank you for answering our summons, creators.”

  She hadn’t expected them to be the key bearers, but then again, she’d never asked them about the keys, so it stood to reason they hadn’t told her. Still, though…

  Telvar stepped forward, his lacerta face all serious. “We answer the summons and must inspect your keys to ascertain if you have called us here falsely. As long as there is no trickery, we will bless your keys and grant you access to the prison.”

  He held his hands out over hers, like he was testing the keys to make sure of their authenticity. After several seconds he stepped back and nodded. “Thank you for your dedication. We will begin the ceremony to grant you access now.”

  Murmur had never really been one for the actual roleplaying aspects of a game, but in this case, she was hamming it up for their audience. This was what she’d been aiming toward since she first glanced over her mom’s description of this game. This was what they’d been working toward. Even if it was in a more hectic way. Even if it wasn’t just her guild she ended up with beside her.

  “Hold out your hands, Murmur. Spread the keys across them next to their matching partners.” Emilarth spoke softly and yet somehow loud enough, her ears twitching as the only giveaway that she was excited too.

  Murmur did as instructed, with all nine keys splayed out in her hands. Her throat felt as if it was about to close over, and for some reason she felt like she might just cry. All of them, strange sensations she wasn’t used to experiencing. She reined them in, trying her best not to let her emotions leak over to influence the raid.

  Belius stepped forward first.

  “I, the keeper of Vahrir, the creator of a third of this world, hereby bind these keys to their partners.” He placed the key he held in his hand above hers, and then let it go. It hovered there, glowing in that solid black as it spun around, drawing the others to it, beneath it, like a pyramid.

  Then it was Emilarth’s turn. “I, the keeper of Tieflos, the creator of a third of this world, hereby bind these keys to their partners.” Hers stood up straight, pulling the others to dangle beneath it as it floated over Murmur’s outstretched palms. Heat emanated from the both of them, turning Murmur’s skin warm where she hadn’t realized she needed it.

  They hung there, suspended next to each other over the palms of her
hands as the other members of her guild, and those of Exodus and Spiral, looked on. It was strange how tangible that felt, how much warmer she was just for having magical keys in her hands.

  Next, Telvar stepped forward. He looked like a proud big brother, the one she’d wanted and never had. His smile reminisced all of what they’d been through and didn’t appear half as awkward an expression as it usually did on a lacerta face. The warmth he exuded held protection and a vow to keep her and her friends safe. Everything Telvar had been from the moment they first encountered him.

  His voice came out softer than she’d ever heard it, giving her a light feeling of safety that prevailed over everything in her hands. Eight of the keys swirled already while three of them waited patiently.

  “I, the keeper of Glacier Lake, the creator of a third of this world, hereby bind these keys to their partners.” The golden keys floated straight up to the one he let go, fanning out around them like an upright windmill. Then all of them began to do the same thing. Like tiny amusement park rides held in her palms, they twirled and swirled up and down and all around, faster and faster.

  The heat coming off them made Murmur break out in a light sweat as she held her palms steady.

  “Don’t drop them,” Telvar warned, the caution in his voice soft and gentle so as not to startle her into doing exactly what he was telling her not to. She inclined her head briefly, knowing that she didn’t want to drop them anyway. The heat was welcome, and the colors and patterns they created as they spun around just out of her grasp were beautiful.

  Sound surrounded her, like a whirring but in song. A beautiful crescendo that spiraled up and then burst out over everyone in a shower of sparks so bright they resembled fireworks. And then there were weights in the palms of her hands again. Solid, much larger, and oddly foreboding.

  “Here we present to you, Murmur of Fable, the three keys for the final dungeon of the first level of Somnia.” Telvar’s tone took on importance with a reverence for what they’d created. “We know not what dangers await you, but we will accompany you, lest our duties be left unfulfilled.”

  A murmur ran through the crowd at her back. The NPCs were going to come with them on this quest?

  Quest:

  Completed: The Twelve Keys Part One

  In her darkest days, Somnia held monsters beyond the imagination, the fodder of nightmares. Over time, those creatures were bested and locked away where they could harm none. But time passed and adventurers, reckless in their pursuit of glory, weakened the prison seals. With the twelve keys thus combined, you gain access to the final task of this world at this stage in its life.

  Make preparations for this journey, for it will not be taken lightly. It is dark where you must go, and not just in the absence of light. Take with you courage, strength, and any preparations you can make. What awaits you has been sealed away for eons and will finally be brought to the surface.

  In more ways than one.

  Remember. Once you have raised the final step, it cannot and will not be easily sealed away again. For all purposes it will remain up on the same plane as the rest of you.

  Do not summon these monsters before you are ready.

  And when you are, take heart, and good luck.

  The notification must have shone over everyone’s vision, because Murmur saw the entire raid take in a nice deep breath as it was being read to them. She wasn’t expecting the next notification to be a global one.

  The guild Fable, in alliance with Exodus and Spiral, are the first to gather all twelve keys. Be wary, citizens of Somnia, for shortly, this world will never be the same again.

  “Bit dramatic, don’t you think?” Devlish raised an eyebrow, but even under the bravado, Murmur could see he was a bit uneasy. She couldn’t blame him. It was a lot of fanfare around a set of keys.

  “Not really dramatic as such, more like necessary to get the gravity of the current situation across to everyone who is playing.” Telvar shook his head. “Not everyone will understand. Not even those who are fighting with you, Murmur. But you have to understand this won’t just be computer generated opponents. These iterations have gone rogue; they have been made of and consumed a bulk of the shards for the last few months. They’ve been growing, sealed away in their area where they only fight themselves. This is going to be dangerous.

  “Take your naps, eat some food, have a shower, and make sure Neva can replenish your stock. You’re going to need them.”

  Summer Residence

  Home of Laria, David, and Wren

  Summer Condo

  Early Morning Day Thirty-Two.

  Wren pulled her headgear off and gave herself props for not standing up while doing so. Her head spun so violently, she would have fallen on her arse. Harlow sat next to her, her own headgear already in her hands, studying her fingers like she was deep in thought. But Wren knew the signs. Harlow was worried. Probably about everything.

  It was amazing what a near death experience could do for a relationship.

  “Hey. You okay?” She gently placed her hand over Harlow’s, eliciting a small smile from the redhead.

  “Better now. Just…oh, hell, Wren. I am so fucking tired.” She let herself fall back onto the pillows but didn’t let go of Wren’s hand. “Can we just sleep forever?”

  Wren shook her head. “We’d have to take turns. So one of us can always wake the other up with a kiss.” She grinned down impishly.

  “With full consent of course, though.” Harlow grinned back. “Not like those princes.”

  “Of course!” Wren laughed. “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t sock you one in the jaw if you woke me that way.”

  They fell silent, and Wren wasn’t sure why. Was it the changes they’d gone through this summer? She raised her hand, willing it to turn invisible. It worked, with just a thought. Shivers ran down her back.

  Harlow gasped. “I didn’t really think it would work, you know?”

  Wren nodded. “Yeah. I know what you mean. It’s really weird.” Harlow reached over and slipped her arm around Wren’s waist, hugging her. Wren returned the gesture, enjoying the tangible warmth.

  “You okay?” Harlow whispered. Wren just nodded into the top of Harlow’s red hair.

  She had one more test to try before she attempted sleep, but she would wait for Harlow to fall asleep first. This wasn’t something she wanted to try while anyone around her was awake.

  The shower felt hotter, and the food tasted better. Maybe they were just reveling in being able to take their time for once. And the bed and pillows were softer than Wren remembered. A night without waking up in a panic because they might have missed their window for the zone. They might be locked out. It had been a hard couple of days, but they could do this, she had no doubt about it.

  Harlow fell asleep almost immediately after eating. As soon as her head hit the pillow, try as she might, she couldn’t keep her eyes open. Wren watched as the redhead’s chest rose and fell so peacefully, her headgear on the nightstand on that side of the bed. Wren glanced at the pod now sitting silently in her room, all of its pretty lights off.

  She ran her fingers over the electric lines of her suit, the feeling they gave her with their lights like a motherboard, and the way they seemed to tap into her system. She knew it all ran through the headgear; it all ran through her mind now.

  The only thing she wasn’t certain of was her own abilities. Sure, she could freeze things in time. Just to prove it to herself again, she Mez’d the old-fashioned clock that hung on her wall, effectively halting the second hand. It stayed there, in limbo, just like a monster would. It made Wren wish she had a cat, although that might be very cruel, so maybe it was good she didn’t. Her sensing net worked with and without the headgear, both in and out of the world. It made drawing that line of reality so much more difficult.

  Her hands felt clammy, and she was nervous about trying this. But to be honest what could go wrong? At most, it wouldn’t work, right?

  At most.

  Somnia
’s voice startled Wren somewhat. Not that she wasn’t used to the world speaking to her, just that it wasn’t usually so clear outside of the game world. This time, for the first time, the voice was mostly clear of static.

  I’ve got to try it. You understand, right?

  She could almost feel Somnia nodding in her mind.

  Wren eyed the pod again, and Harlow, sleeping peacefully already, curled up partially to her left-hand side, red curls splayed over the pillow like she was an artist’s muse. Trying to be considerate, Wren pushed herself gently off the bed, leaving her headset carefully on her side table, and lay down on the floor. This wouldn’t involve being gone for any length of time. It might only take five seconds to prove she was out of her mind about this.

  Closing her eyes, Wren willed the HUD to pop up for her and allow her to enter the game.

  Summer Residence

  Home of Laria, David, and Wren

  Summer Condo

  Early Morning Day Thirty-Two.

  Wren opened her eyes to find herself in Mikrum Castle, as Murmur.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What have you done to my head? She pushed down at the panic trying to get a hold of herself. It wasn’t going to help anyone, least of all herself if she began to panic now. Telvar walked into the same room suddenly, his brow furrowed in concentration. He stopped short, staring at her.

  “Murmur, what are you doing here?” He reached out to touch her, and withdrew his fingers before he made contact, a frown on his face. “What’s different? What happened?”

  Murmur took in a breath of air. The lake air was soothing, calming, as were the sounds of the birds that flittered about the tree filled island. The castle itself was finished and glorious. From polished floors to artwork hung on finished walls. The serenity she could find in Somnia was in here with her. Everything around her was beautiful. And yet, she felt like she was in danger and that at any given moment…

  She shook her head. “I’m not wearing a headset.” That was enough. Just the simple statement that almost made her cry. That couldn’t be right though, could it?