“We are good,” Joe replied, “I am excited about taking this journey with you. I have an idea! Let’s you and I be partners. We’ll explore this new world together, as a team.”
Spooky tilted her head and tapped her lip, considering the proposition, “Partners. I like that. Partners serve each other, right? In some sense, you could say it was what I was made for. Agreed. Just remember, it was your idea. This is going to be fun. But, once we leave this room and step into your game, I have to follow different rules than here. Even though we’ll be partners, it will still be my role to make your gaming experience fun, not to give you the answer. I won’t lie to you, but often, I won’t be able to tell you everything. Now, let’s pick up your last free item, I promise this one won’t hurt. Afterward, we can chose your appearance and then, the game you will play and where your starting point will be. You are going to love this last item, it is by far the most powerful,” Spooky smiled.
Hesitating, Joe studied Spooky for a time, “Well, you did say that you would not lie to me. The other items were pretty amazing. What the hey, let’s take a look,” Joe said, as he mind-clicked the last item with blind faith.
Divine Item: Abiogenesis Bunny Generator
Congratulations! You have found a Divine Item: the Abiogenesis Bunny Generator. This item produces something, from nothing. The something is a month-old bunny, produced every six hours. There is an even chance of it being male or female. Every week, there is a tiny chance that an animal ‘after the owner's own heart’ will be born. This is a unique item that is soulbound on pickup.
Pick up Abiogenesis Bunny Generator? Yes/Yes
“What! ‘Yes/Yes’? I don’t have choice? You said you did not lie. This is not the most powerful item I have been given, and what does ‘after the owner's own heart’ mean?” Joe asked.
“What do you mean not powerful? Did you not hear, it makes bunnies from NOTHING! Abiogenesis! Something from nothing. That is ultimate power! There is no pleasing some people,” she said, with her arms crossed, pacing back and forth in mid-air.
“Fine. The ‘after owner’s own heart’ thing?” he asked again.
“Guess you will just have to wait and see,” Spooky replied. With that, Joe accepted the Abiogenesis Bunny Generator and put it in his Holdall. Joe held up his Holdall and studied it. It was amazing to him that the weight had not changed, even with all the powerful items placed in it. With his Holdall in his hand, he was the most powerful quartermaster ever to be. What was it they used to say, ‘Wars weren’t won by rifles, but by logistics’?
“Okay, let's see about deciding what my face will look like,” Joe continued.
“Sounds good,” Spooky said. Then, she stopped and froze in mid-air, even her wings stopped beating. For a moment, it seemed as if the room Joe was in, and Joe himself, began to stretch like a rubber band. Joe looked up at Spooky to see what was going on, but she was no help, still completely frozen. Joe could not help but feel like he was being weighed and measured. The tension continue to build. Joe was unable to speak, or get any kind of answers. Then, from everywhere and nowhere, Joe and Spooky heard a powerful soft voice.
“The conflux has come! Congratulations! You have been chosen to become an Immortal Champion. The followers of The Way ask that you come to their aid. They have only one true creed: ‘Do not oppress the weak. Live and prosper, together, in harmony and diversity.’ Do you consent?” the voice asked.
Joe felt pressure on his very being. This was not the way he thought his game would begin, but it did not matter, because that creed was a representation of how Joe had chosen to live his whole life. What better thing could he fight for, even in a game? They must have really figured out what he wanted, and created a game completely around it. Joe fought with everything he had, and forced out two simple words, “I consent.” Then, everything changed.
For the E.I., it was not so simple. The moment the unidentified force, energy, or hacker began its intrusion into the virtual world, facilitated by the E.I., Spooky's core processor tried to stop it. Despite the fact that the core processor devoted 100% of its processing power toward stopping the intrusion, it had absolutely no effect whatsoever. Because all of its attention was going toward defense, the E.I., now known as Spooky Joy, was for the first time in its computer existence, taken completely by surprise. For in the instant Joe gave his consent, both Joe and Spooky were no longer on earth. This included all of Spooky's core processor and memories, and Joe’s old and broken body.
Chapter 2 - The Beginning
On Gravin Moon, a world with a slight dimensional shift, millions of light years away from earth.
Gretchen’s cave.
One hour before the Champion is summoned.
Those gathered together were the same only in their beliefs and desperation. Elves, dwarfs, sprites, pixies, drow, halflings, a single giant, and many other races less well-known. The cave belonged to the lone giant, Gretchen. She was gigantic, as was the case with any giant, but instead of harsh angry features, like most of her kind, Gretchen had a soft face with smile lines around her eyes. Her hair was short, cute, and spiky brown. She wore a loose tunic and shorts with pockets. Being that she was a giant, the pockets could hold a substantial amount, and often did. Gretchen liked to keep her friends close, so some rode on her thighs for all to see. Today, however, was not a day for such frivolity. Her mother and father had sacrificed their lives for this mission and today their purpose would be fulfilled. And then, Gretchen could finally let go of the cave she had fought so hard to maintain possession of.
It was the type of cave that could only be held by a powerful being. For though there were many locations like it, they were not endless, and therefore, highly sought after. This was a place of power. Held deep within the cave were chords of power which came from the intersection of four ley lines. Most of these locations captured a much greater number of ley lines, so this was a modest one at best. Ley lines were the very essence and concentration of magical energy. They were created and condensed by the forces governing the universe itself: gravity, electromagnetism, the weak and the strong force. Most ley lines were in flux, requiring special circumstances, geography, items of power, or even powerful individuals, to hold them in one place for an extended period of time. Gretchen, along with her deceased parents, had worked diligently and struggled to finally gather the necessary ingredients to stabilize this intersection.
Although it was only a small place of power, it could be their salvation. She had kept its existence secret for decades, and guarded it with the help of a few friends and her own considerable might. All for this auspicious day. For, on this day, the stars would align and create a powerful conflux, where they could summon a champion. After today her secret would no longer be secure, for she had invited this assembly of peoples to witness their call for help. What needed to be done could not be done by one race, let alone one giant and a few friends.
All were together for one purpose. They followed the Way and needed a champion if their belief system was to live on past themselves. Their beliefs were simple: ‘Do not oppress the weak. Live and prosper, together, in harmony and diversity.’ Gretchen looked out on the hundreds of individuals, great and small, filling the large cave. She spoke softly, which, with her loud giant voice, easily carried throughout the cave.
“The conflux will be ready soon. We must prepare the ritual precisely, so that our Champion will be summoned here. This conflux will be the greatest in multiple millennia. This means we will have more than enough power to design the summons so as to give us complete control.”
Most gathered agreed with the assessment the giant had put forth, but not all. The lead elven lady gathered all eyes on her. Ellena was a true high elf: tall, fair skin, strikingly beautiful features. She had blonde hair, an upturned nose, and a prominent scar on her right cheek bone. “Hear me,” she began, in a loud and elegantly commanding voice, “For time is not as long as we had hoped. Sadly, I cannot agree with the noble Gretchen. Many others wi
ll be performing summonings this day. This is not the only intersection of ley lines, and it is not the greatest. For this reason we cannot take the time to argue and negotiate how the ceremony will go. We must perform the most basic and the most powerful summoning of a champion to our aid, as soon as possible. We cannot deviate from the basic spell, for that would lessen its power.”
The crowd, who had gathered in the huge underground cave, erupted in shouts of dismay and opposition. The loudest, though not shouting, was the giant, Gretchen. “Why must we use such an imprecise summoning? We wouldn’t have any control of where she or he ended up, and couldn’t let our Champion know what needs to be done,” the huge lady retorted.
“Yes, we would have no control. But! Listen, control has not helped us in the last millennium. Our belief, that we know what is best in the small details, has been our undoing,” Ellena directed toward Gretchen.
“True, but why would you, an elven highborn, stick your rigid neck out against detail, when detail has always been your touchstone?” Gretchen pushed back.
“To begin with, not all elves have the same personality. Though, admittedly, I am a stickler for detail,” Ellena said as Gretchen grinned, “But, I will admit my insistence on the use of the most basic summoning of a champion was not from my own mind, it was from a True Dream,” Ellena confessed, with embarrassment evident all over her face.
Gretchen laughed. “Elves don't have True Dreams, they have visions. Only two foot tall halflings have True Dreams. Surely, this cannot be confirmed,” Gretchen said with reluctance.
“No, it is confirmed…apparently I have at least a little halfling heritage. No pun intended. But, I give consent for the confirmation to occur again. We have very little time,” Ellena said, rushing past the revelation that she was not entirely elven.
A small and soft voice came forward, “You have halfling blood? No wonder you're not as ugly as the others. Congrats to you. I can perform the confirmation,” Moes, the blonde little halfling said.
Gretchen looked far down toward Moes, who was barely taller than her ankle. “Thank you Moes,” she said with a smile meant only for him.
“As most of you know, I am Head of Magic for my clan. A True Dream confirmation will be easy. I will even include everyone present, so all will know the outcome,” Moes spoke up.
“Do you have enough mana for all of them?” Ellena questioned.
“Could you be more ignorant? Wisdom is not measured in stature. ‘Enough mana,’ she says! Dark stars!” The halfling quickly shot back. Ellena grimaced, but tipped her brow.
“Please begin,” Gretchen said.
Ellena walked toward Moes and knelt before him. Straining her back, Ellena bowed low and presented herself to the tiny halfling. Moes put his hands on her temples and began to chant. Twitching his index fingers in a persistent rhythmic motion, he allowed the power to flow through him. As the confirmation spell grew in resonance, Ellena’s body began to emit a faint blue light. Slowly, the blue light began to coalesce above her head. As the halo formed, Moes began to open his mouth wide. Numerous golden blue threads steadily extended from his mouth, reaching out to all that gathered in the cave. Ellena’s blue halo rose into the air and burst to the sound and vibration of shattering crystal. As the sound tapered off, the lights in the cave faded to black, and all was silent and dark.
Shift.
They were now in the faded blue tint of a True Dream. Moes stood with Ellena in her dream, and through his eyes, everyone else watched the scene unfold. They were in a field with armies at three opposing points. One of the armies was familiar, so Ellena headed toward it. Moes followed, seeing the shining armored Champion at its head. As they approached, the Champion only greeted Ellena, for it was Ellena’s True Dream and Moes was only watching.
“Greetings, follower of the Way. Join me, we have much to see and say,” the Champion said. Her name was Trista; she was tall, dark, and beautiful. Her hair was pulled back in a tight black bun. She had lovely epicanthic folds around her eyes, and moved with a deadly grace. A long slender blade dangled at her hip, and almost hit the ground as she advanced toward Ellena. “I have done all I could do,” she reported, “Your followers are well equipped and trained, but together, we have come up short. Each of those two opposing armies is a match for this one. That is two to one odds, not in our favor. Even if we were somehow victorious, there are many more enemy armies to face, and those armies are only the most obvious problem. Dangers multiply around every corner. Something about this conflux was different. A new dungeon is discovered every other day, and the monsters coming out of them are wreaking havoc. Gretchen’s cave will fall. I will be destroyed. And, in losing me, the people of the Way will lose their one and only Champion. And, once I’m gone, no one will be able to protect the place of power. Your people will be scattered,” Trista lamented. Even in the dream, Moes could feel Gretchen’s heart begin to pound.
“What else could we have done?” Ellena asked. The Champion pursed her lips as if deciding if she should speak. Seeing this, Ellena said, “Please speak freely.”
The Champion relaxed slightly and began, “You bound me tightly. Your summoning was so specific and so rigid, it could not bring you the mighty Champion you needed. I am powerful, indeed, but the conflux gave many the opportunity to add a champion to their army. I am simply one of many. Unfortunately, you were already behind. My addition did not offset the deficit, but made it permanent. The only thing that you could have done differently would have been to remove the bindings. Don’t summon a slave. Put all the power into summoning a Champion for the Way.”
“But, didn't we do that? ...for the most part?” Ellena asked.
“No. You summoned me to the cave, but in addition to that, you also required that I was the kind of champion that would follow your orders. I could feel the universe force changes in my mind so that I would comply. I had no choice, I gave no consent. It was what all who summoned champions did. Otherwise, they risked summoning a king instead of a servant. This world is dangerous, with many beings full of evil and malice. The only condition you should have set was a Champion of the Way. Who knows what that kind of champion would do? Maybe nothing. Maybe die. But maybe, having more power available, the universe would have made a surprising choice, one that would have had a chance. Not that it matters. You can't go back, no one can travel through time.”
At her last word, the blue tinted True Dream shattered to the, now familiar, crystal bursting sound.
Shift.
The lights in the cave returned, only to find Gretchen on her knees, head in her giant hands, weeping. Ellena stepped up to Gretchen and said in a forceful voice, “We don't have time for this, Gretchen. All of you here were witness to the confirmation. It was a True Dream. We need to do as the Champion said. No finesse, just raw power to summon a Champion of the Way. Who knows where he or she will appear. We may never even meet them. But, it is our only hope. Shallow as that hope may be,” Ellena said, taking measurement of the room.
Gathering herself, Gretchen took a deep breath and slowly looked up toward the crowd, “Yes, we can only hope that our Champion chooses to stay our Champion,” she paused, “Are we all agreed? We simply ask for a willing Champion of the Way, nothing more.”
Most voiced their agreement. The few, who did not agree, held their peace. At this, Gretchen walked to the back of the cave, and the rest followed behind her. As she got to the back of the cave, a huge stone could be seen. It was a black marble box, with a large slab of white stone on top, sealing the container. This stone box was directly on the intersection of the four ley lines. The summoning would be rather simple, relatively speaking. All that needed to be done was to inscribe, on the item inside the box, the description of who they wished to summon. When the stars aligned and the power began to flow through the conflux, what they had written down as a fantasy would become a reality.
Gretchen easily pulled off the large stone lid and carefully set it aside. In the center of the box was a disc o
f mithril, weighing nearly half a ton. It was worth a small kingdom. Looking down at the shining disc, she could not help but remember her mother and father. Gretchen’s parents had braved a deep dungeon to mine this mithril, and had defended themselves from an ice dragon who sought to steal it from them. The wounds they had taken in that fight had weakened them greatly, leading to their death years later.
With the strength of a giant, Gretchen picked up the disc and set it before Ellena, who was practiced in inscribing runes. “The inscription will read ‘Champion of the Way,’ and nothing more,” Ellena announced. She then began inscribing the runes with a hammer, an etching chisel, and her mana. Even with tools designed specifically for this purpose, the inscription was only microns deep. In a short time she was finished. The writing was barely visible, but it was there, and it was enough. Ellena then placed her palms on the disc and flooded it with all her remaining mana, and promptly passed out. Her fellow high elves moved her to the side of the cave, to eventually wake and recover.
Once Ellena was out of the way, Gretchen moved in front of the mithril disc, and a line of diverse people formed behind her. Gretchen raised her fists high and, with as much strength as she possessed, slammed her hands down hard on the metal disc. In this way, Gretchen transferred as much kinetic energy as she could into the disc. Exhausting her fury on the metal, Gretchen stepped aside, letting the next in line charge the disc with whatever energy was their strongest. Moes stayed close, monitoring the disc so that it would be charged fully and with as many different types of energy as possible. The theory, postulated by Gretchen's late parents, was that if they charged the disc in this way it would attract a champion as diverse as the people he or she served. When Moes confirmed that the disc was at its limit, Gretchen placed it back in the marble box, putting the stone lid back on. If their calculations were correct, then the conflux would begin in minutes.
You're Not Allowed to Die (The Twenty-Sided Eye Series Book 1) Page 4