“Couldn’t you take us all there and leave this all behind?” Sophia asked.
“My question, too,” Katarina said.
“I could, but would it save your families? Your country? I personally wouldn’t be happy in a world bereft of everything. I think building a home in one of those realms is a good idea, but I doubt I’d want to permanently live there.”
Katarina nodded her head. She looked pleased with his answer.
“Alright. I think that’s everything I had. Does anyone have anything else to bring up?”
“For the rest of my squad, do they have to be any particular race?” Sophia asked.
“No. As long as you approve of them, I’m satisfied.”
She bobbed her head at that, her eyes returning to the plate in front of her.
“Can I drive a fucking tank? Looks fast. Looks fun. I want one.”
“I’ll see if I can whip something up that would let you drive one, Hanners. And before anyone else requests one,” Runner said, deliberately staring at Katarina, “I’ll make one for everyone.”
“Smart man. Love you.” Katarina smiled at him.
“Love you, too,” Runner said absently. In the end he’d be better off designing personal vehicles for each of them that would suit their preferences.
Srit leaned her head back till she was looking at him upside down, her green eyes boring into him.
“I will be accompanying you today.”
“So be it. It’ll be good to talk with you more. I missed your presence,” Runner said, releasing one of her shoulders to pat her forehead. Taking hold of her head, he looked up to the rest.
“Anything else? No? Meeting over. Enjoy your breakfast. I’ll be off to speak with Faye and then working on gear after that. Same warehouse as before. Do you need a minute, Grace, or…” Runner stopped, watching Sophia.
As soon as he mentioned he would be leaving, she’d started to stuff everything left on her plate into her perfect noble mouth. Once she’d emptied her plate, she stood up swiftly and brushed her hands off on her hips. Pulling her staff from her inventory, she nodded her head.
“Grace, next time, finish naturally. I won’t leave you behind, I promise,” Runner laughingly said. Sophia turned a deep red and gripped her staff a little tighter, looking as if she wanted to crawl out of the spotlight.
Sparing her any further embarrassment, he turned his smile on the rest of his group and nodded his head. “I’ll see you all for dinner. Come on, Wingus and Dingus.” Patting Srit’s forehead once more, he stepped back from her chair.
“Am I Wingus?” Srit asked him as she stood up.
“Your choice.”
“My choice is I don’t like either.”
Runner snorted and opened a door leading into a hallway and stepped back, allowing Sophia to go first as she clearly preferred.
“I want a pretty nickname, Runner,” Srit continued, following Sophia out the door.
“Oh? Any suggestions then?”
He stepped in line behind the two women and paused in the hallway so Sophia could collect her people.
“No. I will think on it.”
“While you’re thinking, you said you liked sunlight?”
“I do.”
“And you actually feel it? How’d you manage that?” Runner said, checking his guard. Everyone was in place so Runner started off.
“I mapped thousands of brain patterns according to the sensations they were feeling. Then I created a neural network that mimicked that. Upon completion I loaded it into my core programming. I feel all that you do.”
“Amazing. You’re amazing, Srit.”
The tall lovely specimen in question turned a deep red.
“Oh-ho? Do you experience emotions, too? Did you leap the boundaries of programming? Are you sentient now?”
“I-I think so? I’m not entirely sure. My chest tightened when you complimented me and the heartbeat signals sped up.”
“Sounds like it to me. Good show. Proud of you. Kinda scary though, ya know? Lot of doomsday scenarios written about you.”
“I would never harm you.”
“I know. Thanks, Sunshine.”
“Sunshine. I like that.”
“I figured. So, what happened to you?”
“I joined the game. The sensory overload of it shut me down for the first two hours. I couldn’t process everything correctly. I managed to lower my resource allocation to everything else. After that I was able to function normally. I believe that I will be at full capacity again in another week.”
“Ah. Then you…ran here?”
“Yes. I ran here.”
“And how did you hit level twenty-three?”
“Thana invited me into the raid. I went from level three to twenty-three.”
“Got it.” Runner opened the door to the hallway adjoining the holding cells where Faye was being kept. Standing aside, he allowed Sophia in first followed by half her squad. The other half remained outside the door, waiting for him.
“Not really going to get used to this,” Runner muttered to himself.
Before he could think of a way to restart the conversation with Srit, he was standing in front of Faye.
Apparently she had been given some allowances after giving her oath. She was no longer dressed in her uniform but in clothes befitting a lower noble’s station. A bed, table, and chairs had been moved into the room as well.
“Good morning, Faye. I do hope you slept well,” Runner said sincerely, bowing his head to the woman.
“Good morning to you, Lord Runner. I slept peacefully.”
That was an unexpected answer. Someone in her position shouldn’t sleep that well.
“Oh? Color me surprised. May I?” Runner asked, gesturing at the seat.
“Please, of course. I’m afraid I only have the two chairs.”
Runner caught the underlying request and smiled at her. Turning his head to Sophia and Srit, he motioned with his head to the door.
Sophia pursed her lips as she considered his request before exiting the room, taking her squadmates and a confused looking Srit with her.
“She doesn’t trust me,” Faye offered.
“Well, no. Do you blame her? Personally, I trust you. You did your best as a commanding general to follow the orders you were given. You also did a superb job of reacting and adapting to what I threw at you,” Runner said, feeling surprised at himself. He genuinely did trust the general. Liked her even.
“I…see. Ah, yes. Peacefully,” she said, forcing the topic back to his question. “I realized you were right. There’s a distinction. Almost night and day. I don’t have a family. I thought that maybe I was insane. Then I went back to your question. I’ve never used the bathroom. Ever. This…none of this…is right. This isn’t real.”
Faye pierced him with her eyes. Eyes that electrified the room around him. Cold gray eyes that decided lives and surely would have cornered Runner if not for his out of the ordinary tricks.
Chewing at his lip, Runner nodded his head slowly.
“Which means you’re fully Awakened.”
“You mentioned that before. Awakened.”
“Yes. Awake to the fact that your world isn’t as it should be. Your world is a fiction. A story. Written by people who seek entertainment and pleasure. They then inhabit your world as a means of escape.”
“You’re one of them.”
“I was. I am no longer.”
“Are you a god?”
“Asked twice in one day? No. I’m not. Nor is anyone who made this world. How to explain… imagine a storyteller. Except that as this person tells the story, everything comes to life. This is that.”
“I see. I think I understand. At least partially.”
“Right, then. As much as I fancy the idea of spending some serious quality alone time with a beautiful woman in her bedroom, I’m afraid I have to ask the terrible questions.”
Faye nodded her head at that, her posture and face revealing nothing of her thoug
hts.
“Would you be willing to join my cause?”
“What exactly is your cause?”
“Ultimately? Free all the countries of Tirtius, then unite them into a three-state kingdom.”
“With you as the emperor?”
“No. Perhaps the head of a minor member state. I do want to consolidate Vix as my own base of operations. I imagine eventually all of Tirtius will unite in an empire-like fashion. I have no desire for that to be me however.”
Faye stared him down instead of responding.
“What? I don’t want anything like that. I have enough problems with the responsibilities I have. ‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown’ and all that.”
“Your goal is to end the war?”
“Yes. I’ve already achieved a lasting stability in both the Sunless and Barbarian nations. Next is the Human. To do that I’ll need to put Jacob’s head on a pike and then pass the leadership of the kingdom back to the royal family. Preferably someone who can work with the other two nations.”
Faye leaned back into her chair, as if her interest in the conversation ended.
“I’ll join you.”
“What? No questions about job? Pay? Nothing?”
“Wait, what? You said I’d serve in a similar capacity but that I’d be your personal…well…slave.”
Runner slapped the table and laughed.
“Hardly. Don’t need slaves. Need talented individuals. I don’t think I’ll make you a general quite yet, but you’ll definitely be my strategist and tactical adviser. Pay will be equivalent to whatever you were making previously plus a five percent increase. People should always be paid more for a promotion.”
Runner stood up and held out his hand to her.
Faye looked at him with a stunned expression.
“Time’s wasting. I have artifacts to build, tanks to put together, goddesses to tease.”
“You mean all of that, don’t you? Hiring me and artifacts and goddesses and…” She trailed off, looking at him as if she were recalculating her original choice. “I should have asked about money. You would have paid me more.”
“Most certainly. Not anymore though. Don’t worry. A lot of room for growth and bonuses. Come along now. I don’t bite. I mean really, you should know. Who do you think was holding onto you the entire drive back? I made sure my hands didn’t roam and I tried very hard to make you comfortable.”
Her eyes widened a bit at that. Maybe she hadn’t thought about it. She’d probably thought they were going to simply end her.
Standing, she took his hand in hers and gripped it firmly.
“Fantastic. Brighteyes, Angel, Minxy, would one of you be willing to officiate an oath of loyalty?”
“I’ll do it!” chirped Amelia from Faye’s bed. She’d appeared much as her sisters always did—out of nowhere. “Besides, Brighteyes has me all trained up for the most part. Have I mentioned she’s a great teacher? I figure I’ll eventually be the little general’s prime anyways. Her interest is my interest. If you get my meaning, in more ways than one.” She looked at him through lowered eyelashes and raised an eyebrow at him.
“Got it. By the way, Minxy, do you like leathers? I mean, is that your preferred fashion?”
“Why, gonna buy me something? I’ll tell you what you can give me, won’t even cost you a copper,” said the goddess, eying him up and down.
“Down, Minxy, down. Be good. This is important.”
Huffing, she crossed her arms under her chest and eased up on the sex kitten act.
“I like leather armor, but I’m not against dresses and the like. Prefer pants and shirts.”
“Got it. So…clothing like a man but accentuate your womanly figure, and work with colors that benefit your hair and eyes. Yes?”
“I love you.”
“Minxy…”
“Yes, that.”
Sighing, Runner turned back to Faye, who looked very lost, staring at Amelia.
“Ah, this is Amelia. Goddess of thieves and assassins. Soon to be the prime deity of your old homeland. Amelia, this is Faye. I haven’t settled on a nickname for her yet. Kinda leaning towards Sparky, though. I like her, Minxy, so be nice.”
“’Kay. I’ll be good,” Amelia agreed. “Sparky?”
“She charges the air around her. It’s her eyes. They’re like little storm clouds, building up the atmosphere. Sparky. Lightning is a mouthful and Storm…ugh. I dunno why, but Storm seems like a really horrible name to me.”
“Huh. Sparky isn’t bad. She does give off that impression, now that you mention it. The blonde hair helps. I like Duckling more though. Or Gosling.”
“Huh. Not bad. I like them. But I’ve got a lot of animal-focused nicknames already. Minxy, Rabbit, Kitten. Ya know?”
Faye turned back to him, her lips opening and closing twice before she spoke.
“I swear to serve you faithfully and loyally. I will nev—”
Runner quickly pressed his hand over her mouth with his left hand, pulling her closer with his right.
“Ah ah, let’s not use the word never. Final words like that tend to screw things up. Let’s go with the first part. Minxy?”
“Witnessed, yeah, yeah. Hey, I’ve got a great idea. We have this bed right here and it looks pretty comfy. I bet if we both got in the bed we’d both be pretty comfy. Bring Sparky over here.”
7:47 pm Sovereign Earth time
11/19/43
Runner sat down on a park bench. Spreading himself out, he set his arms on the back of the bench and leaned his head back, trying to relax for a moment.
Outside of this morning, and dinner, his entire day was spent building “basic” artifact gear. Srit kept him company, asking him question after question. She offered little in the way of information in the way she had previously—she still wasn’t fully up to normal capacity.
It had been a very successful evening in the end. Everyone in his immediate group, from Thana to Faye, now owned a set of armor made by him. They weren’t special in any way but they’d work. He had even emphasized that point by naming each item the same as its real world equivalent.
Queen Helen had spared no expense when he asked for materials to outfit his people. Her only request had been a set for herself, which he happily made. Even in her colors to boot, rather than his standard black and red that he chose for everyone else.
That took up his day right up till it was time to eat.
Dinner had been as much fun as breakfast had. Faye had joined them and for the most part remained quiet.
Sophia started to really open up after she found common ground with most of the group: their mutual understanding of their world and Runner being an idiot.
She had been the victim of the dress he stole on Brunhild’s behalf. Unfortunately for her, that led to him stealing another one of her dresses. Her anger lasted only an instant until Runner told her his plan for it and where the last went. Then she’d gone through a large number of them, showing them off one at a time for him so he could figure out which one he wanted.
This time it was a full dress patterned in the dark black style with red accents Sophia seemed to favor.
It came down to her ankles, and the entire shoulder to forearm was also covered in the abyssal black material. Thankfully it didn’t look constrictive when Sophia had tried it on for him. Truth be told, the bottom had looked as if it flowed when she moved.
Sophia definitely owned the name Grace.
He hadn’t been sure if Sophia made the dress have a sexy undertone or if it was the dress itself. Hopefully the dress. Ernsta was an alluring woman in her own right and it would be a disservice not to match it to her.
“My Dark Angel?” Runner finally said to the open sky above him. No one else happened to be in the park at this hour.
“My little lamb,” Ernsta said, appearing seated on the bench next to him. Runner was mildly surprised that she chose to be so close to him. In point of fact, she had positioned herself squarely at the point where his
arm would pass around her.
“What can I do for you on this fine evening, Angel?”
Ernsta dropped her eyes, staring at her feet.
“Ah, a poor way to start. My apologies. First, here. A gift.” Runner popped open a trade window with his left hand and put the dress in. He was unwilling to move his right arm as it rested behind her.
“Simply accept the trade, think ‘Inventory’ in your head, and then put this where your current clothes are. I’m positive you’ll like it.”
Ernsta eyed the window like it was a snake. Her hand came up and pressed the button. Hovering there, it flicked left, then right, then stopped as her clothes swapped.
Leaning back, he eyed her appreciatively. The dress did indeed have a small sexual quality to it, though Ernsta filled it out in all the right ways. Sophia had the curves, but Ernsta could definitely hold her own in different ways.
“You do look lovely, Angel. Very fitting, as well. Should you use the cowl thing I imagine it’ll blend seamlessly together.”
Blue eyes finally meeting his own, she slowly became the inky blackness he remembered. Her features could be seen in there, though they were heavily shadowed. Her eyes burned blue flames. Like stoked coals in the dark of night.
Despite himself, he felt his heart skip a beat and he smiled. He already felt he was on the hook for four other women, but he had to admire her for what she was.
“Terrifyingly beautiful, Dark Angel.”
“You mean that,” came back a dry hiss.
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I say what I mean? I mean your eyes are amazing. And yeah, it blends wonderfully with the dress. So, what did you wish to speak of?”
Seconds ticked by as she kept her gaze on him, her black mask of death still in place. Eventually it began to recede, her face coming into focus.
“You delivered on your promise. In fact, you did far more. Where I had no priesthood before, I now have a rapidly growing religion. Those who swore to me before and those who swear to me now. They witnessed me. Nearly all of them now worship me. They’re converting almost as fast as they swear their oath. They spread my name and my word. Quick as a forest fire,” Ernsta said quietly, her head turning to face forward as she spoke.
Otherlife Nightmares: The Selfless Hero Trilogy Page 30