Crystalfire Keep

by J. A. Cipriano

  Crysta: I think you will totally need to explain that one to us.

  Shale: Well, Wazif is the one that made me realize it. Look, with the entire Keep being a scaling raid, we don’t actually need raiders to beat it. All we need are good, competent players. In fact, it will be best to have people who will think outside the box instead of always following every order from the top. This is new content, after all, we will all be figuring it out at the same time.

  The surface-level insanity of it all sunk in and it brought about another round of silence. Burnie rubbed his hand down his face, Crysta’s brow scrunched up as I could see the gears turning in her head and parsing numbers while Wazif looked shocked, probably as much from me using him as inspiration as from the actual idea. Still, whatever else I could say, I had their undivided attention. Even Kayla was looking up now, eyeing me strangely.

  Shale: While it only gives us two days or so to test people out, we have a whole crowd of people who would be interested and extremely loyal. I’ve already talked with Nahma to make sure I wouldn’t be speaking out of turn and I think we could easily have our pick of the best of the FFC. Again, all I have to point out is how well Wazif did against Lucar and he wasn’t the least prepared. A day or two to tune his Gems and he could do as well as any of us.

  In her life up in the real world, Crysta was an IT tech and a programmer so it wasn’t a surprise that when she spoke, it was from that perspective.

  Crysta: Okay, like, I get where you’re coming from, but your theory isn’t entirely sound. Well, it could be, but we don’t know for sure. The devil is in the details, right? Like, we only have the smallest idea of exactly how the scaling algorithm works. All the number crunchers have been trying to crack it and it’s been a total no-go so far.

  Shale: You know I like to run the numbers, too, and you’re not wrong. The thing is … this may not make sense but bear with me … we know that the whole point of this scaling system was to let everyone enjoy the content. Think about it.

  I don’t know if that convinced her but Burndall’s eyes lit up. Well, more than usual.

  Burndall: Yeah! Everything we’ve really needed, the quests have given us and, seriously, from what I’ve heard, even the Dark Rider was a different kind of boss. Not a big hit point sponge to hold off the zerg rush.

  Shale: Exactly. The fights have relied more on teamwork and having a spread of abilities, not giving into the meta. Besides, the devs said they also designed this stuff specifically so that the big raid guilds couldn’t overwhelm the content on day 1.

  Wazif was nodding slowly at this point as Crysta chewed on her lip, her thumb worrying at her Ring of Promise.

  Wazif: It makes sense to me. I mean, if you also look at the perception of EO, uh, up top, there is a certain elitist perception. I have many friends that wanted to try it that decided against it, as they saw no way for them to enjoy the full scope of the game. No doubt from a business perspective they want to encourage an injection of new blood into the player base. They can’t do that if all the new content is walled off and the contest for Crystalfire entirely dominated by the elite guilds.

  Crysta: I don’t know. My only worry is … well … what if you’re wrong, Shale?

  That was the real question, one I hadn’t stopped asking myself. The tried and true method was there for us to take, if only we compromised a little. Why risk it all, especially something so critical, on an educated guess?

  We were all surprised when Kayla broke back into the conversation. She was standing up straight now, her jaw set and brow furrowed. So, what if turns out that he is? Right or wrong, Max’s way is the moral way, the way that’s right by everyone here. Do you want to throw a friend away or let Amethyst walk all over us, just for what you think is a sure thing?

  Shale: Mina …

  Crysta: Some of us can’t risk anything in making this work. I’m not, like, accusing you of not being one of those people but … I am most certainly one of them. We have to do this and … maybe I’m willing to give up something for that.

  Kayla: This has to do with Vanni, doesn’t it?

  Crysta’s eyes widened as a little arc of lightning shot between them. Now, Wazif had already taken a step back from our little huddle, realizing wisely that he was totally out of his depth. Burndall also realized that discretion was the better part of valor, fueled no doubt by the fact that we all knew he was well-off. He really didn’t have a leg to stand on in this moral quandary.

  Being the one person that I knew could intervene safely, I needed to butt in, but I wasn’t quick enough.

  Crysta: Of course, it does, and you should understand how important your Promised is to you! I can’t … I won’t … risk Vanni just to feel a little better about myself. I get why Shale is trying to think of another way, his job is to think of everyone in the group, but the only reason you’re going along with it is …

  Kayla: You have no idea why I’m doing this …

  Crysta: … because you’ve done so much damage to your standing in the Sisters, you don’t care about it anymore!

  They were both blowing up and we were moving well outside of friendly discourse and polite disagreement. I literally stepped between the two women, hands raised to both sides in a bid for peace.

  Shale: Okay, everyone, take it down a notch. Remember, at the end of the day, we’re on the same side and we want to win this. Maybe some of us have arguably more important reasons than others, but does that matter in the long run? I mean, everyone here has helped anyone else here that has been in trouble or tried to.

  I gave an apologetic bow of the head to Burndall as I held a hand out for Crysta.

  Shale: Even if we haven’t always acknowledged it. We all want to help you help Vanni, Crysta, and I think everyone wants to help me with my own problems topside.

  Begrudgingly, she took my hand, palms together and held up. Her eyes were clouded with a mixture of anger and tears. Though I knew Kayla was still upset at having her dirty laundry thrown out so freely, I was confident she could get past that for the greater good. After all, when we’re hurt by our friends, we all tend to last out hard and that was all that Crysta did.

  My confidence was well placed. Instead of throwing a barb back, Kayla took a deep breath and stepped forward, putting her open hand on top of my and Crysta’s clasped hands.

  Kayla: I don’t know what all happened to you and Vanni, just like I still don’t know everything that is wrong in Max’s life, but I’m still completely committed to helping fix it. That’s the reason I’ve not been keeping up with Sister activities. It isn’t because I hate Amethyst or anything. It’s because the Ring is the only way I can truly help him.

  Burndall: I’m gonna just assume that makes sense, because I sure as Antarctica don’t get it.

  Crysta nodded slowly, dabbing at her eye with her free hand.

  Crysta: I do and, like, I think I understand now.

  While Burnie was still parsing the whole thing, Wazif was the one who took the initiative, pushing past the Sorcerer to plant his own meaty hand atop Kayla’s.

  Wazif: Then we’re united, then? I don’t mean to be presumptuous but this is truly one of those Three Musketeers moments!

  Burndall laughed under his breath as he followed suit, resting his hand atop the whole pile.

  Burndall: Dude, I don’t know what candy bars have to do with any of this but I’m all in.

  I smiled at Kayla, then nodded to Burnie and Wazif both. Finally, my gaze settled on Crysta and I gave her hand a squeeze.

  Shale: We can’t do this without you and we don’t want to … but you have every right to do what you need to do. Either way, we’ll support you, you know that, right?

  Crysta: … I do.

  Shale: So, I need to know what we’re doing. I think my idea will work, but it’ll only work with everyone united. We have to pick five players that will work with us, that we can trust, and we have only three days … less now … to do it. We need your expertise here.

  Cr
ysta looked over at me before her eyes passed over each of us. She lingered on Kayla for a moment before shooting a sidelong glance at where Amethyst leaned against the wall of the entrance hall, trying to pointedly ignore Thadivus chattering in her ear. Finally, she turned back towards our cluster of joined hands, her eyes seeming to focus on that knot of fingers.

  Crysta: You know, it’s funny. I never thought, you know, that I’d ever do anything against Amethyst’s desires. She helped me feel like I belonged, back when I first started playing EO and we were all newbies together. Did I ever tell you guys that she was the one that introduced me to Vanni?

  She took in a shuddering breath but didn’t break down into tears.

  Crysta: But, and this will sound even cornier than Shale’s idea, for this past month, it really has been you guys that have been there for me. You’re the ones that made me feel like I belonged when Vanni was gone. Everyone else, well, they weren’t nasty about it but it was always a question about when Vanni was going to be back.

  Kayla frowned at that, nodding slowly to back up Crysta’s claim, and again Wazif was shocked at the callous concept of it all. Burnie, well, I think he shared my feelings on the matter as his face contorted in anger. I was pretty pissed myself.

  But then again, to those that acted like that, they likely saw it all as a game. Anonymity might lead to safety but it also leads to dehumanization.

  Shale: So, I guess the answer is obvious, guys. The only thing I ask is that you all keep on your best behavior and let me do the talking. We’re going to get heat for this, so let me at least try to take it as much of it as possible on myself.

  Crysta: Are you always going to play the tank?

  Kayla: Would he be him if he didn’t?

  Despite the heavy mood of the moment, a little bit of laughter cut through and we all had a good chuckle at that. The outward noise caught the attention of the two guild leaders and they both watched us closely now, Amethyst having pushed off the wall and Thadivus planting his staff to lean against.

  Nodding to everyone, I reluctantly broke out of our little tower of hands and stepped around my friends toward Amethyst and Thadivus. “So, I’ve come to a decision.”

  Thadivus tilted his head slightly as Amethyst arched an eyebrow. “Oh?” she said. “For you alone or for everyone?”

  I nodded politely, trying to still put a diplomatic spin on the whole thing. “For everyone.” I cleared my throat. “What I’ve decided is that, while we are greatly honored by your offers, we will be choosing a third option.”

  Thadivus shook his head like he hadn’t actually understood what I had said. “Wait, what? You four are getting a gold ticket into the El Rec elite and you’re snubbing it? And the Sisters, too? I mean, Ammy’s girls don’t match up to us but still …”

  “Third option?” Amethyst growled, her hand impotently and instinctively going to her sword hilt. “What second-rate guild has you by the doughnuts, Shale, and how did you bully my Sisters into going along with it?”

  “There isn’t another guild, well, not really.” I stood my ground as I shook my head. “If you can’t see the logical option for us to take, it’s not my fault.” I glanced over at Thadivus. “While I respect your guild and your work, don’t assume that everyone is going to bow down to you and toss their friends to the wayside in the process.” My eyes snapped back to Amethyst. “As for bullying, if you think I could bully either Kayla or Crysta, you sure as heck don’t know your Sisters as well as you think you do.”

  Thadivus’ eyes flashed from under his cowl but all he did was abruptly leave the raid group. Once out, he was no longer tethered to this instance and instantly teleported back to his point of origin, disappearing in a flash of light.

  Amethyst felt that she couldn’t leave without some final gesture, though. Turning from me, she stared at Kayla and Crysta, visibly seething. “I have no idea what he has been feeding into your ear but please, don’t be foolish. We’ve conquered everything together in the past and turned the Sisters into a matchless guild. Are you going to side with a bunch of kids who got lucky or are you going to side with your Sisters?”

  It was a powerful argument. We had only known each other for a month, really, and no matter how well I now knew Crysta and Kayla, each in their own unique way, I didn’t share the history they had with Amethyst and more importantly with the rest of the Sisters of Artemis. Crysta found it hard to keep Amethyst’s gaze and even Kayla noticeably flinched under the force of that argument.

  Still, it was Crysta that managed to clench her jaw and force herself to match Amethyst’s purple-eyed stare. “I’m doing this for Vanni. This is what she’d want me to do because she’d stand by her friends” - she spread her arms out - “and these are my friends.”

  The Battlemistress didn’t even bother waiting for Kayla’s response. With a guttural snarl, Amethyst spun on her heels and quit the raid group. A second later, she was gone. As I turned back to the others, Kayla’s pained hiss of a sigh mixed with Crysta’s sharp gasp. I knew what had happened in the pit of my stomach before I even finished turning.

  Crysta and Kayla no longer bore the guild tag or crest for the Sisters of Artemis under their names. Instead, the space was utterly blank, as empty as that under my or Burndall’s name. In her spite, Amethyst had kicked them both from the guild.

  7

  With everything that Crysta had dealt with over the month, I wouldn’t have blamed her if she completely broke down at that point. Once again, she surprised everyone with her resilience, shaking her head as she screwed her eyes shut to keep what had to be tears at bay. It was something I admired, something I hoped I shared with her in the long run.

  “I should’ve totally expected that, but this is the right thing to do,” she said, the last part with the conviction of a mantra. “You can’t abandon your friends.”

  Wazif frowned as he pulled on his beard. “I don’t pretend to know what is going on and what I have to say may not count for much, but you’re right. If there’s anything I can do …?”

  “We can win this.” While I’d be lying if I said that all the worry was gone from my thoughts, newfound confidence pushed that worry down into the depths. “We’ll beat them both and we’ll get one of those top prizes. That’s how we’ll help Crysta and everyone.”

  “Just let me help with any business or money stuff that comes up this time,” Burnie chuckled. “I know I look like some kid who only knows how to throw money around, but I’m really a kid who knows how to throw money around and make it back.” He smirked. “After all, you can’t spend what you don’t have!”

  Kayla put an arm around the Aurum’s shoulders. “It just means we can find a guild that suits us all, one that we can join as a group. It’s not like we don’t have an amazing resume, right?”

  She nodded slowly in return. “I guess. It’s not … it’s not important right now.” Crysta passed her misty eyes around the chamber. “Uh, do you guys, like, need me for anything right now? I mean, I know we have thirty minutes left or something before the auto-logout but …”

  “I think we’re all good if you need to take care of something up top,” I said with a slow nod. “This has been a big day and I’m pretty sure we could all use a little time to process it.” As I said that, I fired off a private message to Crysta.

  Shale: Vanni?

  Yeah, I had to be subtle to avoid the Filter making things a garbled mess.

  Crysta: Yeah and I need to have a moment and … you understand.

  Shale: I do. I’ll talk to you later then.

  I would be talking to her much sooner than our evening game session but the Filter didn’t need to know that. Kayla gave Crysta a last encouraging squeeze while Burnie patted her other shoulder. She forced a smile through her whirling emotions and then blipped out, logging out where she was.

  Wazif let out a deep sigh. “I really feel for her. It doesn’t help that she reminds me of my chiropractor.” We let out a little laugh at the Filter’s antics and as
we got it out of our systems, he turned towards all of us. “I really have to thank you all. Some of you have given up a lot here and I only hope I make it worth that sacrifice.”

  “Dude,” Burndall said as he clapped Wazif on the shoulder, “you make me that sword you promised, and you'll be good with me! Speaking of that, how about we do that and maybe shop around for some Gems for you, huh?”

  Wazif blinked for a moment before his face lit up with a smile. “Oh, of course! In fact, with all the metal I mined, I think I can do so much more than one sword and we have enough time to see.” He glanced over at me, even as visions of crafted masterpieces danced in his eyes. “Assuming you don’t need us, Shale?”

  “I think we’re good.” I glanced over at Kayla. “There’s something we need to take care of anyway and I need to let Nahma know that we’re all ready to go.”

  She quirked an eyebrow at me before realizing what I was talking about. “Right, plus it will let us all take care of any last little bits. Starting this evening, I think we’re all going to be way too busy to deal with anything on the side.”

  “You got that right, Kay!” Burndall produced a Return Crystal from his inventory. “We’re off to Kalaam then. Be safe and we’ll see you later!” He held the faceted stone up and it flared with light, encompassing him and Wazif.

  As the prompt to accept or refuse the teleport flashed up in the corner of my eye, I refused and turned towards Kayla, letting the carefully maintained mask of calm drop away. “Please tell me we did the right thing there.”

  “While I’d argue that the rotting hallways of a corrupted monster aren't the best place for me to reassure you of anything,” she pointed out, “I do honestly believe we’re doing what’s best. After seeing those two portcullises raw like that, without all their reputations and, well, for Amethyst, her polite mask, how could we work with them?”