Blackout Series (Books 1-2)

by Adam Drake

  Greed has always been my undoing. I've died many times because of it, and have become quite familiar with the newbie zone to know that avoiding death for as long as possible would help me keep my sanity.

  Yet, now, it looked like I was about to be sent there in quick fashion.

  I heard the rustle of branches and the clomping of hooves, and whirled around, surprised.

  Head tilted down, with horn (uni-horn?) pointed right at me, the creature closed the distance between us in less than three frantic heartbeats.

  Had it been two heartbeats I would have been killed. Thankfully, that extra bit of time allowed me to select an icon on my view-screen; the only icon which might have saved me at that moment.

  Use Phase Ability

  I swear, even now, that I felt the tip of that horn press against my chest. But I can be dramatic when recounting near-death experiences.

  My phase ability kicked in at that instant and my entire body, armor, weapons, and inventory became as corporeal as a ghost. Wisp-like as smoke.

  The unicorn, large pink eyes wide with triumph, didn't have time to realize what had happened and passed straight through me like a steam-train in a fog.

  Instead of skewering me, and presenting me with the joy of leveling yet another new character, the unicorn charged into the dead goblin raider, and plunged its horn straight into the oak tree.

  For a few moments both I, and the unicorn – participants in this sudden little drama – were too shocked to move.

  I took in the sight of the animal. It was most definitely a unicorn but there were odd things about it. First, it was yellow. Bright yellow, almost offensively so. Second, it had a large saddle strapped to its back.

  I blinked in confusion. A mount? A yellow unicorn mount just tried to murder me?

  While the being was stuck, I queried the game to pull up its statistics.

  Species: Unicorn

  Subspecies: Unknown

  Level: Unknown

  Hit Points: 680

  Mana: Unknown

  Armor Class: 10

  Attack Rating: 80

  Damage Range: Unknown

  Weapon Type(s): Horn, Hooves, Bite

  Abilities: Charge, Animal Rage, The Prance of the Pony

  Special: This creature has been trained as a MOUNT.

  Owner: Unknown

  My eyes stuck on the final line. Owner: Unknown.

  I looked to the tree line from where the unicorn appeared, but no one emerged. Where was the owner?

  The unicorn pushed against the tree with its front hooves, desperate to pull loose. One large pink eye locked on me with rage.

  My Phase ability timed out, and my avatar became solid again.

  Time to go, I thought.

  I spun around to run away and make some distance, but was blocked by a wall. No, not a wall. A massive humanoid who towered over me.

  I think at that moment I squeaked in surprise, but I'm not admitting it now.

  Before I could react to this new menace, the humanoid scooped me up in two massive arms and lifted me. I struggled, but the opposing strength was greater. My body became wedged between two huge green pectorals.

  Held close, the humanoid's face leered down at me.

  “Hello, little Shadow,” he said. His voice rumbled from deep within his chest like the sound of a volcano ready to erupt.

  “He-hello, Kragg,” I managed. The meaty arms were tightening and my avatar's body made alarming popping noises.

  Kragg, an Ogre-Beserker, was one of the most feared bounty hunters in the game's universe. He had a reputation for being ruthless which lent to his success rating as a hunter. He always got his mark.

  And I knew why he was here.

  The ogre pulled me up closer to his face, mouth gaping wide in a grin. Hot breath gave my face a retched smelling steam-bath. I turned off my simulation-suit's olfactory settings completely.

  “Vivian Valesh,” Kragg said. “I never thought I'd catch you off-guard. At least not so easily as this.” He squeezed a little and something in my back cracked. “What's a famous Shadow like you doing out here of all places? Hmm?” Another squeeze for emphasis.

  “G-gold,” I sputtered. Which was true enough. I'd blown through all my reward money from my last big quest. Searching for high valued mats for the auction house offset my poverty.

  Kragg looked over at the oak tree. The yellow unicorn had pulled itself out of the tree, but the goblin raider's corpse was now stuck to its horn. The animal shook its head about, the goblin corpse flailing with it.

  “Yeah,” Kragg said, “Good money now, in leather mats.” He spoke slow, almost ponderously. But I knew better than to thing it was because he was stupid. He was far from it. Instead, he was taking his time tormenting me. Enjoying these moments before my death.

  He looked down at me, again. “But there is better money in collecting bounties. Far more thrilling, too. And you, little Shadow, have a sizable bounty on your pretty head.” Another squeeze, another crack.

  “Maybe we can make a deal,” I said through clenched teeth. My health bar was dropping steadily. If I didn't get out of this living vice I'd find myself in the newbie zone.

  Kragg threw his head back and laughed, giving me a rather terrifying view of his mouth with its rows of sharpened teeth. “Funny, Shadow. No, no deals. Not for you. Perhaps if I was feeling generous, but you have something more than just a bounty I want.” He leaned closer. “That Cloak of Shadows you are wearing. A Legendary Item. Don't get many bounties with those. Usually, after I kill a mark and loot their corpse, I find some interesting bits to sell on the auction house. But a Legendary Item? That there will fetch a high price on the black market. Even more than your bounty.”

  He squeezed, and I kicked futilely at his prominent belly. I must have looked like a tiny temperamental child caught in an adult's bear hug.

  Fighting was not an option. But I had one trick up my sleeve.

  I turned my head and set my eyes on a nearby hill, about fifty paces away. My screen wavered as my avatar began to lose consciousness.

  Hold on a few more seconds.

  The top of that hill was all I cared about in that moment.

  Set Recall Point.

  “Gonna put this death video up on the forums. For posterity,” Kragg said with grin. He was enjoying my final moments of high-level living.

  Then the message I was practically dying for appeared.

  Recall Point Set.

  Finally!

  Use Teleport Ability.

  I then appeared on the top of the hill.

  Suddenly free of Kragg's grip, I collapsed to my knees on the ground. Air sucked back into my lungs, and I used a Health Boost to shoot my health bar back up to 100%. But I was still in immediate danger.

  Stunned, Kragg looked down at his empty arms, then locked onto me. His face boiled with rage. “You FILTERED!” he shouted.

  My language filters were set to maximum. It helps me pretend that my fellow players are as civil as I am.

  Although I had escaped, it was only momentary. I needed to get some distance from this freak and fast.

  The yellow unicorn was hopping about begging for an order to attack me again. Kragg had different plans.

  Like a sumo wrestler preparing to fight, the ogre lifted one thick leg up in the air. The unicorn, ducking his head, scooted underneath. Kragg dropped into the saddle. He looked ridiculous. A giant, green, oversized ogre riding a mustard-yellow unicorn mount far to small by comparison.

  But neither he, nor the unicorn, cared about aesthetics. They both locked angry eyes onto me. Kragg kicked the unicorn forward and the small creature who easily carried his weight, shot forward.

  My instincts kicked in and pulled me out of the incredulous spectacle of the ogre and unicorn. Fight or flight?

  Flight!

  “Two can play at that game,” I said, and selected an icon from the bottom of my view-screen.

  Summon Shadow Steed.

  A beautiful bla
ck horse, with full rider's tack, blinked into existence beside me. It was partially transparent, which was why I had given it the name Smoke.

  Smoke noticed the incoming ogre/unicorn threat and nickered, tossing his head about in alarm.

  I leapt up into the saddle, and without delay, kicked at his sides and lashed the reigns.

  Smoke charged ahead and in moments we were at full speed. We raced away from the forest's edge and into a dry grass plain.

  After a few moments of exhilarating speed, I risked a glance behind us.

  Kragg and his mount were closing fast. The ogre had brought out a large iron mallet from his inventory and gripped it in one hand. Its comically huge size was nearly as big as him.

  I was dismayed. The unicorn was faster than Smoke!

  As the distance between us evaporated, I felt a growing sense of dread. This would not work. I needed to buy more time, slow the green maniac down. Scanning the horizon I looked for anything that might help save my life.

  Then I spotted something. Up ahead to the left was a trio of what looked to be raptors. They were loitering in the shade of a small copse of trees.

  I angled Smoke in their direction, and he didn't protest. With another look back to ensure my pursuers were still with me, I then focused on the raptors and called up the stats of one them.

  Species: Raptor

  Subspecies: Emerald Claw

  Level: Unknown

  Hit Points: 320

  Mana: Nil

  Armor Class: 15

  Attack Rating: 30

  Damage Rating: Unknown

  Weapon Type(s): Hind-Claws, Fore-Claws, Tail, Teeth

  Abilities: Jurassic Bite, Run Like The Wind, Claw To Arms.

  Special: Pack animal, can summon others to its aid.

  Yup, that'll do, I thought.

  As I drew closer the raptors perked up and turned their heads to point an eye at me. They were fearsome to look at, let alone intentionally approach.

  Smoke and I flew passed them at top speed. The killer dinosaur pack became agitated and appeared to be trying to decide if I was worth attacking. Maybe they had just finished hunting and weren't interested?

  Regardless, I didn't draw their aggro, and they watched me ride by. I was now moving away from the idle pack.

  Frustrated, I selected my bow from my inventory and it appeared in my hand. Barely aiming, I fired into them.

  I scored a hit.

  The raptors issued screeches and animal barks and ran after me. They fanned out from the shade and onto the grassy plain.

  It was at this moment Kragg and his unicorn barrelled straight into their midst. Either he didn't notice them or, most likely, didn't care they'd been pulled in my wake.

  With me moving out of range, the raptors turned their attention to the new arrival. The deadly trio ran up alongside Kragg looking for an opportunity to attack.

  One bright green raptor leapt onto Kragg's back and tried to bite his neck. The ogre looked annoyed and shrugged the beast away. A slight motion for him, but was strong enough to send the animal tumbling off. The two dark green raptors snapped at the unicorn's legs. To deal with them properly, Kragg slowed down. He swung his huge mallet in wide arcs, keeping the raptors at bay.

  This gave me a chance at getting some more distance. But I knew it wouldn't be for long. I got my bearings and turned back toward my original direction.

  I came upon a wide river that cut across my path. On the other side towered a high rocky cliff which stretched out of sight in both directions. Turning east, I followed along the riverbank. My eyes scanned for a clear path on the other side. I was running out of time.

  Then I saw it. A break in the cliff face which presented a narrow chasm north.

  This was the place.

  At that moment, a bellowing roar came from behind. Kragg was coming.

  I slowed Smoke and made a wide turn so we were facing the river. If we didn't make it, this would be embarrassing.

  Noise of clomping hooves approaching through the high grass spurred me forward. I kicked at Smoke and we charged at the river.

  To my left, Kragg broke through the tall grass. His eyes locked onto me. His mallet was spattered with blood, and crimson patterns sullied the unicorn's yellow hide. Only a short distance away, and seeing what I was about to do, he picked up speed.

  The second Smoke hit the edge of the riverbank we jumped. I then gave Smoke a much needed boost.

  Use Leap Ability.

  My leap transferred to my mount and added to Smoke's already substantial leap ability. We sailed across the raging waters as if carried on wings.

  I'd learned the hard way not to neglect Leap. Over the last two hard earned levels, I put all four subsequent skill points into the ability. Before, making any jump was wrought with doubt. Now, I felt tremendous satisfaction when we easily landed on the other side.

  But the satisfaction did not last long. The chasm entrance I had jumped to was only a small bite in the cliff face. High walls confronted me.

  Nestled in the side of the cliff face was a tunnel entrance. Its door frame etched in strange runes, much like a travel gate.

  With nowhere else to go I spun Smoke around.

  Kragg was already flying over the river. Even before they landed, both ogre and blood splattered unicorn glared at me in triumph. They knew they had me trapped.

  As Kragg landed, I jumped off Smoke. I made a show of looking about for an escape. A trapped, frightened animal. This only got Kragg's blood-lust up more.

  The ogre dismounted and grinned. “That was fun,” he said. He patted the huge mallet against a meaty palm. “But this little game is over,” he said.

  In answer, I snapped my fingers and Smoke winked out of existence. Then I drew my sword, turned and promptly fled into the tunnel entrance.

  Kragg shouted something which was filtered, but I ignored him as I ran through the darkness.

  The tunnel was short, and I emerged in a vaulted chamber. Huge, ancient tapestries lined the walls, punctuated by the occasional fire sconce. The floor was made of flat stone, covered in a thin layer of sand.

  I looked about. There was nowhere else to go. From the tunnel I heard more filtered words, getting louder. He was coming.

  I dashed to the wall on the other side of the chamber and turned, sword at the ready.

  Kragg burst in, blood covered mallet in his hands. He stopped when he saw me and took a moment to examine the new surroundings. Then he smiled.

  “You want to die here? Not outside?” he shrugged. “Doesn't matter to me.” He sauntered forward.

  I waited. Not yet, I thought. Not quite yet.

  “I'm a little disappointed with you, little Shadow,” Kragg said. He took another step closer. “I expected greater things. A bigger fight. You have a reputation as someone not to tangle with.” He laughed.

  I said nothing and concentrated on his position. This would be close.

  “All those tough quests you've completed. A legendary one, too. Now it all comes down to this.” He motioned at the chamber dramatically. “You die in little room in the dirt. So sad.”

  Another step. This one kicked some of the sand aside, revealing the section of a symbol painted on the stone floor beneath.

  “What do you have to say now, little Shadow? Do you-,” Kragg's gaze snagged on the partial symbol. “What is-,” he said, but didn't finish. At the last moment, his eyes widened at his mistake.

  “Now!” I shouted.

  One of the tapestries fell to the ground. Behind it, stood a tall breast-plate wearing minotaur. The man-bull was not carrying a weapon. Instead, he clutched a crystal orb in each of his huge hands.

  “No!” shouted Kragg as he turned to confront this new threat.

  The minotaur, with a wide maniacal grin, smashed the orbs together, and they shattered.

  Instantly, from the drawn symbol on the floor, a massive glass orb bubbled up and fully encased Kragg.

  The ogre blinked in shock, hands outstretched p
ressing against the inside of the orb. The orb floated up a short distance from the ground with Kragg inside, like the universe's ugliest snow globe. He looked from the minotaur to me, in stunned amazement.

  “What do I have to say about this?” I said, looking smug. I raised eyebrows and offered a huge smile. “Gotcha!”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Kragg punched a massive fist against the clear material of the orb which only produced a low thud. “What the FILTERED is this?” he roared. The orb allowed sound to pass through it, but nothing else.