by Tyler R Lee
Not waiting a second longer than he had to, Gunner interjected. “Ya know, it’s interesting how much you object to ending all the fighting.”
“Is it, now?” The metal warrior did not even try to hide his disinterest in what Gunner had to say. “What you fail to realize, child, is that this fighting, as hurtful and heartless as it seems, is the only way to get into that fortress. Meaning, it is the only way to get to Yoshitsune and get out of this game. Many of us have family and lives outside of this game. I wouldn’t expect children such as yourself to understand.”
Gunner balled his fists and the metal creaked as it bent. He then felt NoScope’s hand on his shoulder and he relaxed. “If that is truly the only way,” the ninja started, “then why would you go to such lengths to make sure Artemis couldn’t present her theory?”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
“Just how you sent those players to kidnap Artemis,” Ariel answered. “You know, so she would miss this hearing.”
Gasps and whispers erupted from both factions. “That is quite the accusation,” Sonic Man stated, cooly. “But, like the immature brats you are, I assume it is just something you were hoping would pique someone’s interest, with no proof to back it up.”
“You would be wrong.” Gunner’s statement noticeably rocked Sonic Man. As much as he was trying to play it cool, he was not expecting such a response. Gunner opened up a small plate on his left wrist, revealing a few buttons underneath. He pressed a few, then shot a grin at the black and gold metal man. What came out of the speaker in Gunner’s wrist was the confession the player had given earlier that morning, about how Sonic Man had ordered them to capture Artemis and hold her until the hearing was over.
“This can all be corroborated by many of Artemis’s followers,” Lysander offered, casually leaning towards a visibly flustered Sonic Man.
The crowd had grown quiet again. But murmurs started to sound. Ones of confusion, of anger. The metal man looked to his followers, but found only scowls and looks of disgust. He found much harsher looks from the other faction. Amaterasu had begun to growl, going so far as to place his hand upon the katana sheathed at his side.
“Your move, dude,” Gunner said in a voice that dared Sonic Man to try something aggressive.
Instead, the disgraced cyborg activated the boosters in his feet, hands, and on his back and rocketed away.
“Not so fast, you son of a bitch!” Gunner called out as he took a wide stance, arms out to his side like he was readying to catch a large ball. “Full Frontal Assault!” he called out as the plates on his shoulders, forearms, chest, abdomen, and thighs opened up, releasing dozens of missiles and energy bullets, all headed straight for Sonic Man.
The projectiles closed the gap quickly, but Sonic Man was ranked as one of the best for a reason. He began barrel rolling in midair. His rapid spinning sent some of the projectiles into each other, exploding most before they could get to him. However, he could not shake them all.
“Got ‘em!” Gunner cried in victory, but it turned to a growl of anger as he saw his foe stagger, nearly fall, but then fly off, successfully escaping the fray.
“Good riddance,” Amaterasu growled as he relaxed.
After the debacle, there was a small murmur among the crowd. Many were uncertain of what to do now. One faction was completely leaderless, leaving them much weaker than the other. Finally, Amaterasu spoke. “I believe that it is apparent what must be done now. We must join together. Sonic Man obviously had ulterior motives. What they were, other than to keep the fighting going, I do not know. But, if nothing else, the fact that he was in favor of the bloodshed should be enough of a reason for us to be against it. I believe in what Artemis says, and I move to join forces. All those in favor, step forward.”
Peter, Ariel, Lysander, NoScope, and Gunner all stepped forward, immediately. A few heartbeats passed that felt like an eternity. Then, a player from Sonic Man’s faction stepped forward. Then, another. Then, several from Amaterasu’s group. Then, several more from both, until, eventually, everyone gathered had stepped forward. Smiles swept through the crowd as the factions came together. A cheer was about to go up, but a loud, metallic grinding noise from within the forest echoed through the trees and out of the forest, interrupting the celebration.
“Did that...did that come from the fortress?” Artemis asked as she slowly turned to the forest. Before anyone could answer, she bolted into the woods. Almost as quickly, the party followed her. Hot on their heels was Amaterasu and the rest of the massive crowd, stampeding through the forest along the trail.
As they neared the fortress, the grinding grew louder and louder. Until, suddenly, it stopped. When they entered the courtyard, they understood why.
“The gate,” Amaterasu gasped.
“It’s open,” Artemis finished through a proud and victorious grin.
The crowd before the newly opened gate cheered and roared with excitement. Cries of "let's go," and "charge" were heard between the commotion. Players readied their weapons, and several even took steps toward the opening. Amaterasu, seeing all this, stepped forward and offered words of warning. "Everyone. Please. I understand the importance of this moment. We have all waited so very long to be this close to our goal. It is...thrilling, to say the least." More cheers went up, weapons in the air.
"However," Artemis continued, "caution is needed now more than ever." The commotion died down a bit, replaced with confusion and disappointment. "I realize the urge to rush in. But, remember, this is Davo's Fortress. It is a living deathtrap designed to keep all who enter from reaching their destination on the other side."
"Meaning..." Amaterasu stepped towards the large opening into the fortress. "If we all just charge in, half-cocked, with no organization, it will not end well for any of us. We need a plan."
The commotion had died out completely at this point, the crowd taking in the warnings from the more experienced players. Murmurs of realization could be heard throughout the gathering, and when the feeling of agreement was felt throughout, Artemis spoke again. "I believe the safest and most efficient way to handle this fortress would be to split into much smaller groups. Each group would enter and make their way through. After an allotted amount of time, let's say...one hour, the next group could enter. This way, we avoid the problem of grouping too many together and something terrible happening, but we also allow an opportunity for backup if need be." The collective nods from the crowd showed everyone was on board.
"The first group will be led by myself and Amaterasu." This brought about some questioning cries from all those in attendance. "In order to provide the best chance for following groups to make their way, it is important that the leading group have the strongest, or at least many of the strongest. This allows us a good shot at getting all the way through. If we don't, then we will at least be able to clear out a path for those behind."
"Furthermore," Amaterasu added as he stepped forward, "it is the duty of the strongest to go first. It would be selfish to send any who are not the most capable headlong into unknown danger. This is not survival of the fittest. Here, we will let the strongest support those who could use their help. We will not send those less prepared to make our way easier."
"Well said," Artemis nodded as she placed a hand on the samurai's shoulder. “Our lieutenants will lead the following groups. And we will trust your judgment on who and how many you pick. For our party, we will be entering with these warriors." She gestured to the party from New Beginnings. Not unexpected, the group still wore a few looks of surprise.
"We get to be in a party with Artemis and Amaterasu? Sweet." Lysander changed from surprised to excited. When his friends looked at him, he simply shrugged. "What? I'm a fan."
Perhaps it was from their entrance with Artemis earlier, perhaps it was Gunner's unflinching assault on Sonic Man, but the crowd showed no signs of disagreement with these unknown players getting a first crack at Davo's Fortress. With no objections, the group stepped forward to
stand beside the two veteran players. As the seven of them looked into the opening that led into the massive fortress, a mix of excitement, fear, and finality washed over each of them. This was the last obstacle before the final confrontation.
"Is everyone ready?" Amaterasu's voice was thick with his own uncertainty, but still carried a confidence that could inspire the rest of the group.
"Not even a little bit," Peter answered. "Let's go."
Chapter 21
Davo's Fortress, from the outside, was intimidating enough. It stood at least a couple hundred feet tall, composed of stone that carried a dark, corroded, and overgrown look that painted its own grim and ancient story. Inside, however, was a dark and desolate mixture of torturous dungeon and once refined castle. The entryway very much matched what one would expect. It was massive enough to encompass the large gate that had always barred the entrance, and composed of the same ancient stone that made up the courtyard and the outside of the fortress. As the party made their way up the first flight of stairs, eyeing statues of what looked to be twisted forms of knights and demons, and through the first of many narrow hallways, they came upon a surprising sight.
"Interesting," was all Artemis could say when she laid her eyes on the ragged, rundown, but clearly once very beautiful castle foyer.
"Unexpected, is what I would have gone with," Peter added.
The room was large, as castle entrance halls are want to be. It had two half-spiral staircases that led to the same second floor balcony, and two more shorter stairways, one on each side of the room, that led to other balcony areas. There were several doors on the second floor, and a few on the first floor in front of them.
What was so striking about the room was the stark contrast between it and the entrance to the fortress. This room was old, surely. Dust and cobwebs, as well as cracks and broken stone decorated the area. But the white stone walls and ceiling, the marble floors, even what was left of the chandelier spoke of something much more refined than a simple dungeon or fortress.
"I mean, Davo did initially build this as a home for himself before turning it into a death trap," Artemis offered. "Perhaps the game designers made the first bit of the fortress look more like an old manner in disrepair."
"Oh, good," Gunner mused. "So, we get the deathtrap later."
"Well, we better start looking for the way forward." Lysander took a step towards the double stairway and surveyed the room.
"I know it seems obvious," Peter offered, "but how about we try the big double doors on the second floor that both staircases lead to?"
"Bet it's locked," Artemis said.
"Let's see." NoScope leapt up to the second floor with ease and, cautiously, tried the door. "Yep," she called down.
"Welp," Artemis started, "Let's see if we can find the key."
Much to the group's surprise, finding the key didn't take long, nor was it particularly dangerous. Most of the rooms were just smaller versions of the foyer. They were bedrooms, dining areas, a kitchen, and storage area, all in similar levels of disrepair as the entrance hall. Chairs and mattresses were destroyed or overturned, curtains molded or torn down, letting in shards of light from the outside. Food left in the kitchen and storage area were rotted.
"The game designers did a great job or reproducing the smell of old people and stale bread," Peter said as he placed a hand over his nose.
"Or stale people and old bread," Gunner joked.
"I meant to ask earlier," Amaterasu started as silent exploration took over the group, "where is the other member of your party? The blue one with the cat-like face."
The mention of Streak, even just a vague description, was like a vacuum sucking all the warmth from the group's bones. A few stopped moving and just stood there, while a few others continued searching, not saying a word. Immediately, the perceptive samurai realized what his question had brought up. "I apologize. I didn't know."
"It isn't your fault," Ariel said, still pretending to search, but mostly just hiding the moisture forming in her eyes. "It's just still fresh."
"I know the feeling. Believe me." Amaterasu's voice was proof enough that he knew exactly what they were feeling.
All the rooms provided were bits of game currency and the occasional healing potion, but nothing of serious consequence. It wasn't until they opened a door under one of the half-spiral staircases that they found anything of interest.
"Going down?" NoScope asked as she noted the stairs behind the door that clearly led to a lower part of the fortress.
"Might as well," Artemis answered as she started down.
The stairs spiraled down a thin corridor only wide enough for two people to walk abreast. The group made their way down for what must have been five minutes. Finally, at the bottom, they encountered a heavy, steel door. When Artemis pushed, it opened with no issue aside from its size and the fact that it was designed to show it had not been opened in centuries. The archer put her shoulder into it, joined by NoScope and Lysander. The loud scraping sound it made across the floor echoed in the dank corridor it revealed.
The long hallway was lined with a few torches, providing the smallest amount of light dancing in the shadow along the walls. Cautiously, the group began their trek down the dimly lit hallway. As they walked, they began hearing a deep, rumbling from the other end. Though a bit unnerved, they had no other way to go, so they continued. The rumbling became louder, but stayed steady. Soon, it was sending tremors through the floor with each thud.
"What in the hell is that?" Gunner whispered, gun arm at the ready.
"I think we're about to find out." Amaterasu pointed a few feet down the hallway to what looked like bent or broken bars protruding from the wall on the left side.
As they approached, they saw that the bars were part of a long opening that stretched the remainder of the hallway. The bottom of the opening was about four feet off the floor and measured about three feet in height. The bent bars were only the first few. The rest, running all the way to the end, were in place.
"It's like a long prison window," Gunner said as he examined it.
"Did the rumbling stop?" Peter asked, the question caught in his throat when he, himself realized it. The rest of the group looked around, then looked through the barred opening, examining the dark, poorly lit but obviously large cavern that lay beyond.
"I guess it's one of the caves from the mountain," Artemis offered. "The fortress is built into a mountain. There are probably dozens of caves underneath.
"How about we just move before the rumbling starts again." Without waiting, Peter started down the hall.
Near the end, the hallway opened up by a couple of feet on both sides. The final twenty feet were lined with barred doors. Most with an emaciated, lifeless corpse reaching out.
"Oh, jesus," Gunner said with a start as he noticed the corpses.
"I don't think he's here," Artemis deadpanned.
“I’m gonna hope that isn’t true,” Lysander whispered.
The group peered inside the cells and found them to be completely barren, aside from some hay for bedding. At the end of the hallway was a cell door of a different kind. This one was steel, much like the door that gave them entry to the area, but with a small, barred window. However, this door was ajar, allowing the group to see a bit of the small, dark room within.
"Who's first?" Gunner asked, aiming his arm at the door.
"Are you planning on taking out the door?" NoScope asked, holding back a chuckle.
"No," Gunner sneered. "But, maybe what's behind the door."
"Well, let's find out." NoScope unsheathed her wakizashi and crept up to the door. With the hilt of her sword, she pushed the door the rest of the way open. When the door swung all the way, allowing the torchlight to enter, the only thing they saw was an assortment of hay, a bucket, and a corpse in the center.
"I think ya got 'em," Lysander said with mocking admiration of Gunner. This drew smirks from all and a middle finger from the cyborg.
Despite th
e playful attitude of the group, NoScope slowly approached the corpse and gave it a couple of pokes with her sword.
"Is it dead?" Peter asked, muffling a laugh.
"We're all so funny, today," NoScope sighed. She then searched the corpse when she was sure it was safe. On the body she found a key that was labeled "2F Key."
"They never let you forget your still playing a video game," the ninja said as she shook her head. "Not with the 'key on random body in random place' trope still going strong."
As she spoke, the group noticed the rumbling start up once again. This time it was much stronger, much louder, and much closer.
"How about we get the hell outta here," Peter offered.
With no argument, the group begin their way back down the long corridor. As they stepped out of the area with the cells and back in front of the long, barred window, they finally saw the source of the rumbling.