Neverfall: The Dark Path (Book 2): A Gamelit Lit RPG Series

by C. Wintertide

  “Ice this bastard, Luke! I’ll take care of Mack!” she cried.

  Luke conjured another set of ice daggers. Ten this time and he saw his mana drop to a quarter. All ten hit for 15 a piece! Another 150 hit points were eliminated. His spell really pissed the dragon off. It whipped around towards him, and away from Mack and Alicia. Dragon’s Claw blazed. It wanted him to use it, and not magic. He decided to wield both. He drained the rest of his mana to create another five ice daggers that sliced into its wings for another 75 damage.

  Still over a 1000 hit points and I’m out of mana! Damn!

  Luke leaped forward, Dragon’s Claw in both hands, as he slashed across the dragon’s left foreleg. But the dragon shifted away, and Luke cut through only air. He growled and shifted his attack to slice across its chest. But that was when he saw the dragon’s throat glowing bright gold once more. The atavistic fear of fire filled him. He imagined it boiling his flesh from his bones. Searing him until his fat was sticky and flowing. Horror had him frozen.

  Are you going to die so easily? It sounded like his father’s voice. Laconic. Amused. Dismissive.

  Anger had Luke unfreezing. He dove to the left as a spray of golden flames scorched the ground where he had just been. He felt the heat caress his back as his Shield sizzled away. And it wasn’t just the Shield that got singed. He smelled burning hair and saw his health bar lower by a quarter.

  I’m on fire!

  Quite the observation, my son.

  Luke kept rolling forward, trying to escape the seeming inexhaustible flames. He splashed into the pool, diving deep as flames skated over the water’s surface. Luke stroked towards the far shore. He kept looking above him to see when the flames cleared so he could surface and take a quick breath. But the red-gold stream of fire never seemed to end. His lungs began to ache.

  Fire or water. Will you let one of them be the end of you? His father asked. It wasn’t a taunt but a question. It was urging him to fight.

  Luke strained to swim faster. The flames continued to lick the water’s surface, lighting his way. He used all of his strength left to kick just out of the fire’s range. Only when black dots appeared before his vision did he finally surface, drawing in a deep, ragged breath. He expected to breathe in fire. But it was just cool air. He blinked water out of his eyes, and glanced over his shoulder. The dragon was at the edge of the pond looking back at him.

  You’re out of range of its fire breath, his father said. Unless I go into the water after you.

  Unless YOU go after ME? Luke thought.

  The dragon took one step into the pond. Luke’s eyes widened. For a moment, the Matrix-like numbers appeared over the dragon’s form. He could see his father dressed in that impressive black armor seated in his skull throne, regarding him impassively.

  His father was in control of the dragon.

  14

  IN THE BLOOD

  How are you doing this, Father? Luke asked the dragon. You’re breaking the rules!

  Breaking the rules, am I? I think not. I am the Dragon King. All dragons are under my sway, his father answered with amusement.

  Dragon King?

  This surprises you? You saw Asharoth. You even called him to you in your hour of need. Did you think that simply random? That it had nothing to do with me? With us? With our family?

  His HUD suddenly informed him that he had started a new quest called In the Blood. Discover your family’s heritage regarding dragons! Luke suddenly had an idea why his armor and weapon had the word “dragon” in them, and what quest they now related to.

  That’s one mystery solved.

  The Matrix-like numbers coursed down the dragon’s form, obscuring it, and showing him only his father on that terrible throne. Was it a portal? No, it was more akin to when he could tell who was a Beta player and who was not. This was just showing him that his father was truly behind this creature.

  You can see me? Yes, you can, his father sounded pleased. Like me, you have powers that allow you to pluck at the very weft and weave of Neverfall.

  We both can see the game’s code somehow, Luke said. Maybe it’s because you gave me special access.

  Game? Code? You are on with that again? His father’s tone was a mixture of amusement and frustration. There might have even been some concern in there, but Luke wouldn’t let himself believe that.

  It’s the truth. This is a game and you’re trapped in it. Not just you. All of us are trapped in it. But you don’t believe me! Luke felt a wave of frustration go through him. He could almost feel his father’s disbelief like a physical wall rising up between them that he could never climb over. So he tried another tack, asked a question he really needed the answer to, You can control every dragon in the game?

  I can. And, in time, so will you be able to.

  Luke felt two twin emotions fill him. The first was awe. He would be able to control dragons! Would he be able to ride one eventually? Would he have an army of them? That would be incredible.

  But the other emotion he felt was fear. His father could control all the dragons now. That meant that though his father might not be able to physically cross into other kingdoms in the game, his dragons could.

  Asharoth had come to Itaeria at Luke’s command. It had saved them from Marty. Couldn’t his father simply send Asharoth to retrieve Luke and fry his friends? Why hadn’t his father done this in the first place? Why hadn’t he stopped Asharoth from helping Luke? Perhaps there were some limitations to his father’s powers with the dragons. Maybe because Luke had been controlling Asharoth at the time, his father could not stop him. Further, it could be that Asharoth could only come to Itaeria when Luke contacted him. Too many questions, not enough answers were causing his head to spin. So he set all of that aside. His father wasn’t going to reveal any limitations he had. So Luke needed to concentrate on this moment, and what he could get out of the man.

  Why are you here, Dark Lord? Luke demanded.

  Dark Lord? What happened to ‘Father’? Though Luke could not see it, he imagined one of his father’s eyebrows rising up as he said that.

  Father… why are you here? Luke gritted his teeth as he switched the greeting. Alicia, Mack, Cassie, and Christopher were still on the other side of the pond with the dragon.

  Can I not visit with my son?

  Luke scowled. He saw Alicia helping Mack to his feet. And there was another figure emerging from the crevice. It was Cassie! A wave of relief went through him. His father saw that his attention was elsewhere than on him, and the dragon’s long sinuous head turned back to look towards his friends.

  You can! Visit with me, I mean, Luke quickly said, drawing his father’s attention back to him. Ignore them. Just focus on me, Luke willed silently.

  The dragon’s head swung back. Worried I’ll crush your friends while you can only look on?

  Luke’s mouth filled with bitterness, but tried to be nonchalant. Oh, I don’t know. We’re doing pretty good damage against you.

  For now.

  I thought you were going to allow Neverfall itself to teach me the lesson that I can’t win without you, Luke reminded him. Yet here you are. I must be doing better than you thought I would.

  The dragon let out a smoky snort. Do not puff yourself up too much, my son. I am here, because you have started on the path. I want to experience your choice in real time. Lucky this dragon was here.

  Lucky? Somehow I wonder about that. But what path? What are you talking about? But even as Luke asked this, he guessed which “path” his father meant. The Dark Path. This weird stuff happening to me: the desire to kill, the desire to drain my enemies, the burning in the tattoos. I bet that’s what this is. But I don’t want to go down the Dark Path!

  Or really, he wasn’t sure what path he wanted to take. But it seemed like it already might be out of his hands.

  The path that your blood draws you to. The Dark Path. My path, his father said with pride that Luke couldn’t help but hear.

  He hated the fact that, for a mo
ment, he was happy that his father was proud of him. That he’d earned some approval. He grimaced.

  I haven’t chosen any path. But if and when I do, I doubt I’ll choose the one you’re on, Luke muttered.

  Luke felt his father’s eyes on him as he then stroked to shore. Was his father hurt? Upset? Amused? He didn’t know. He stepped out of the water. His armor felt heavy and ungainly. When he set one foot down on fully dry land, it squished and water poured out of the top of his boot, and splashed onto the sandy shore.

  Luke’s gaze turned from the dragon to his friends. The red Heal spell whirled around Alicia, Mack, and Cassie, but did not reach him. He must be outside of the spell’s radius just as he was beyond the dragon’s fire. The good mixed with the bad. He checked his mana bar. It was crawling back up, but he was nowhere near able to conjure Ice Daggers yet.

  Dammit, he thought.

  It is frustrating, isn’t it? Your spells are… limited, his father agreed. That is your mother’s doing. If you’d been with me from the start, you would be a master of magic by now, but at the moment, you are barely an apprentice.

  Don’t speak about her! You have no right to speak about Mom! Luke snarled as his temper got the better of him.

  His father went quiet. His fingers tapped the arms of his throne. Luke’s temper settled.

  Why do you not wish to speak of her? His father asked.

  Because she’s dying--

  No, she--

  She is! Luke shouted mentally, and his father went silent. I know you don’t believe it. I get it that you think she’s safe in the high elven kingdom. But she’s not. She’s back in the real world suffering. Dying. I’m losing her. Every minute I’m here is one less minute I may have with her. She could… His throat went tight. If he’d tried speaking these words out loud, he wouldn’t have been able to do it. She could die while I am in here.

  You believe this, his father’s voice was soft.

  Yeah, because it’s true! And you… you’re the key to me getting back to her. Luke thought of something then. He doubted his father would go for it, but what if he did? Look, the game resets when the Dark Lord is defeated. There’s time between when you are defeated and respawn. During that time frame, the devs can fix the bug that’s keeping us all in the game. We could get out. Me and you. We could go see Mom.

  His father was silent. He did not move on his throne. He didn’t even seem to be breathing. Luke did not even see that snake-like creature crawling around his father’s form. He wondered where it was. He hoped it couldn’t slither here.

  You wish me to… be defeated? To let you defeat me? His father finally clarified. His tone was unreadable.

  Yeah! You can’t die so what does it cost you? Nothing. If I’m wrong, you respawn, and we’re still all here. You’d be right, and I’d be wrong. But if I’m right… Luke let that sentence hang so his father could let his words sink in. If I’m right then we both win. We’re out. We’re safe. We can see Mom.

  It’s impossible, his father practically whispered.

  I know you don’t believe--

  No, my son, that is not what I meant, his father interrupted. Even if I was inclined to try this insane plan, you cannot defeat me. Not now. Not until you are so much stronger. Even if I stood still and let you hack at me. Nothing would happen.

  Luke’s heart fell into his feet, but it was buoyed somewhat by the fact that his father had not rejected the idea out of hand.

  But if… I mean when I do become strong enough, we could try this, Father.

  Let you defeat me? His father let out a chuckle.

  So we can go home. To Mom, Luke pushed.

  There was silence again. His father remained frozen on his throne. His emotions and thoughts were completely hidden from Luke.

  Think on it, Luke said as the silence stretched.

  It would be insane to let you do that, his father said.

  Would it? It would cost you nothing. No one is going to fault you for letting your son defeat you, Luke pointed out.

  Remember, weakness in Neverfall is not forgiven, his father advised.

  This wouldn’t be weakness. It would be strength. Just think on it.

  Luke left it at that. He had no hope that his father would agree to do this now, and if his father was being truthful, nothing could happen at this moment anyways, but maybe in the future, his father might consider it.

  Or I am just out of my mind. That’s more likely.

  Luke scanned this side of the pool. There was not enough dry land on this level of the cavern to get back to his friends. If he swam back across the pond, he would be a sitting duck for the dragon to fry him or snap his head off with its teeth. The only way to his friends was to climb up to the path, and head back to the other side of the cavern. He turned around to grab hold of the ledge.

  Do you think that it is wise to come closer to this dragon? His father asked.

  I can’t stay over here forever.

  No, you cannot. You must come to me eventually.

  The skin between Luke’s shoulder blades tightened. You really know how to change a nice conversation into a threat, don’t you?

  Luke jumped up, and caught the edge of the path. He lifted himself up onto it before getting to his feet, and turning to face his father. The dragon was still standing at the edge of the water. It could have easily waded into the pond--it wasn’t deep enough to cover the dragon fully-- his father had remained at a distance. Luke’s stomach knotted. It was one thing to fight a monster, but this was his father. He could see the man in the dragon’s eyes. The wash of Matrix-like ones and zeros were gone, but he could still sense his father in the monster. Luke began to inch his way back to his friends. The dragon tracked his every movement.

  Are you truly up for the challenge of facing this dragon? his father asked. I do not think you are.

  What a vote of confidence! Luke snarked back.

  I am not insulting you. I am stating facts. If you only rely upon your weak spells, and the keen edge of that blade without something more, you will fail.

  What else do I have? Luke asked, interested despite himself.

  You feel the hunger inside of you, do you not? Those huge yellow-gold eyes narrowed.

  Luke did. He almost felt lightheaded from it, not to mention queasy.

  Maybe, Luke answered cagily.

  His father laughed, smoke exiting the dragon’s nostrils as he did so. You think yourself clever by answering vaguely? I know that you feel it. I can sense it within you.

  Okay, yeah, I do. What is it?

  You can devour the energy of your enemies, and fill yourself with it.

  What? Luke stopped in place. His eyes huge. A sense of unease flitting through him. Like a vampire?

  Yes, in a way. But you do not drink blood. You drink energy, his father explained.

  That’s not helping. That sounds worse!

  Worse? In what way? You are going to kill your enemies in any case, why let their energy go to waste? Take it and use it, his father pointed out.

  Luke saw the logic in this, of course. So I can drain my enemies, and fill what? My health?

  No, the energy is stored in your tattoos. You can then use that energy for stronger martial acts, or to strengthen your magical spells, his father patiently explained.

  Luke considered this. That kind of power sounded incredibly cool. But the Light Path would have cool powers, too.

  You said the Dark Path is in my blood. Does that mean I can’t choose the Light? Luke asked.

  You’ve already chosen.

  No, I haven’t.

  You haven’t? His father was amused again.

  I… He stopped his denial. That last battle had led him to the edge of something. He felt that hungry, empty space inside of him. It needed filling. His hand went to the sword’s hilt. He’d sheathed it in the water. He quickly pulled his hand away as if burnt, though the metal was quite cool. That was just some aspect of the sword acting through me. It will go away if I don’t want t
o--

  To what? Drain his enemies? Destroy them? Make them pay? When they hurt his friends? When they hurt him? He didn’t want to strike them out of existence? Was that true? Would he have spared Marty if he had another chance to do so? Or would he slam the point of Dragon’s Claw into his heart and then… then take Marty’s power as his own? Especially if he could use that power to protect his friends?

  The sword is a dumb thing, my son. It has no mind of its own. It only does your will.

  Luke’s mouth went dry. I’m not going down the Dark Path! I’m not like you!

  His father laughed. Really? So you do not wish to keep your friends safe? You do not want to have the strength to defeat your enemies? That is what the Dark Path offers.

  Luke was silent for a moment. He looked at Mack who was still swaying on his feet, but getting steadier. Cassie was seated on a rock. Even from this distance, he could tell that she was far from full health. More red light swirled around his friends. More healing. Luke’s health bar was stubbornly remaining at 75 percent.

  The Light Path, undoubtedly, has different, but just as strong powers, Luke finally said.

  That was the usual game convention. The game designers often didn’t want to punish people for playing the game as they wanted to. He’d always liked playing as a paladin-type character. But maybe he’d been able to do that because there were no real stakes before. Yet now, when his friends could die, shouldn’t he be taking whatever path was strongest?

  Not the way you fight, my son. It does not fit your style at all. His father’s voice was amused. But we all have our… preferences, and you have chosen yours.

  I’m not like you! Luke’s cheeks flushed with anger again.

  Lie to others, but never to yourself, Luke. You made a choice--

  I didn’t! Luke’s heart clenched.

  Was that true? Was his father lying? He couldn’t deny what had happened with the Windstalker and his temper. He had been afraid and furious in that final moment. He had been desperate. That was the word. Desperate. He couldn’t let them die again. He’d reached for something then. Something dark inside of him. And it had done the job.