Awaken Online
Side Quest: Retribution
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Travis Bagwell
Copyright © 2017 by Travis Bagwell
All rights reserved.
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Seriously, my wife comes up with all the good ideas.
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Contents
Foreword
Chapter 1 - Reviled
Chapter 2 - Cathartic
Chapter 3 - Recruited
Chapter 4 - Adventurous
Chapter 5 - Rural
Chapter 6 - Depressed
Chapter 7 - Confronted
Chapter 8- Convoluted
Chapter 9 - Thieving
Chapter 10 - Fated
Chapter 11- Studious
Chapter 12- Tempered
Chapter 13 - Resolute
Chapter 14 - Masochistic
Chapter 15- Tenacious
Chapter 16 - Mercenary
Chapter 17 - Enchanting
Chapter 18- Deceptive
Chapter 19- Devised
Chapter 20- Strategic
Chapter 21- Disgusting
Chapter 22- Sneaky
Chapter 23- Harried
Chapter 24- Experimental
Chapter 25- Infectious
Chapter 26 - Furious
Chapter 27- Avenged
Chapter 28- Judged
Chapter 29- Confronted
Epilogue
Foreword
Hello there! Before you launch into this book, I wanted to mention up front that this story takes places after the end of the second book in the Awaken Online Series, AO: Precipice. If you haven’t read the other books yet, you may feel a tad lost since I didn’t devote much time to bringing brand-new readers up to speed. The good news is that the first book is on sale through November 4th so this is a great chance to jump into the story!
If you have read the other books, then this will be an interesting change of pace. This novel is actually the culmination of a side project I started last year as a way to flesh out the world. It follows Riley and the quest she received in book two. I have used it as an opportunity to explore other parts of the game in a way that is difficult to show through Jason’s exploits alone. Expect new characters, new locations, as well as plenty of badassery and mayhem. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Now that the administrative stuff is out of the way, enjoy the book!
May the darkness claim you. – The Dark One
Chapter 1 - Reviled
Riley pumped her legs hard as her cleats dug into the thick, grassy turf of the field. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps, sending puffs of vapor into the chill morning air. She held her lacrosse stick firmly as she ran – knuckles white around the lightweight metal shaft.
She could see two opposing players approaching her down the field. Their eyes focused on her through the grills of their helmets as they charged forward. She feinted to the left, causing one of the opposing players to go wide. She then pivoted and darted to the right. However, the other player was waiting for her.
Riley felt the metal rod of the player’s stick slam into her shin. She tumbled forward as the world spun around her. She landed hard on her shoulder with a grunt, and the wind rushed from her lungs. As Riley lay on the ground gasping for air, she saw the ball roll out of her net.
“You should stay down, slut,” a voice hissed at her. A shadow fell over her prone form, and she couldn’t quite make out the other player looming above her. Snickers came from her other teammates nearby.
“Okay girls,” the coach called from the sidelines. “Someone help Riley up, and we’ll run that play again.”
No one offered a helping hand to Riley, and the other girls on her team stepped back into position. Once she caught her breath, Riley slowly pushed herself to her feet and glanced around the field. Her eyes followed the figure of the girl who had tripped her. Carrie Summers. This wasn’t the first time Riley had “accidentally” ended up on the ground in the last couple of weeks, and she expected it wouldn’t be the last.
“What was that about?” her coach asked, approaching her from the side of the field. “Are you okay?” Riley could see a worried look in the woman’s eyes.
Not worried enough to punish Carrie for tripping me, she thought bitterly.
“It’s nothing, Coach,” Riley replied, brushing the dirt and grass off her practice uniform. She could feel a dull ache in her shoulder, and her shin felt like it was on fire. Pulling down the edge of her sock, she could see a large red welt forming. Riley tried putting some weight on the leg, and it promptly buckled.
Her coach moved forward to assist her, but Riley waved her off. “That looks bad,” the older woman said, giving her an odd look at the rebuff. “Why don’t you go see the nurse?”
Riley didn’t bother to respond. She nodded curtly and limped her way off the field. As she passed the other girls, she could hear their murmurings and felt their eyes on her back. She kept her head down, solely focusing on getting to the nearby gym. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing her break.
“Try not to get knocked up on the way to the nurse,” Carrie sneered. Riley gritted her teeth but stayed quiet, passing the other girl without making eye contact. Fighting back just made it worse. If they saw that they were getting to her, that would likely just ramp up the abuse.
She made her way slowly into the locker room, shed her practice uniform, and then moved into the shower. The locker room reeked of deodorant and perfume, but even those smells were lost to the overwhelming musty stench of sweat, water, and mildew.
As the warm water rained down on her, Riley balanced precariously on one leg and tried to think of something positive. Nothing came to mind except an image of a few of her digital arrows embedded in those nasty girls’ throats. Inside AO, she wouldn’t have to put up with this kind of abuse.
Jason might be having a bad influence on me, she thought. I guess that’s the beauty of AO. I get to act on my impulses, and the damage isn’t permanent.
She finished up in the shower and threw on a t-shirt and jeans, being careful not to graze her shin. She wasn’t in any hurry. It was still early, and classes hadn’t started yet. The nurse probably wouldn’t show up for another fifteen minutes or so. As she mindlessly packed up her things, Riley gingerly pressed at the welt. She didn’t think anything was broken or fractured, but it wouldn’t hurt to have it checked out.
Heading toward Richmond’s main campus building, her progress was slowed by her lopsided gait. The red brick structure loomed in front of her, casting a long shadow on the concrete sidewalk as the sun peaked over the horizon. As soon as she left the gym, Riley shivered at the change in temperature. She rubbed at her bare arms to create friction in an attempt to stay warm. Now that she wasn’t running on the field, she realized it was pretty cold out, and she had left her sweater in her locker.
October wasn’t generally lacrosse season, but Richmond’s team was legendary in their district. They had won the state championships for the last three years running. With that reputation came the need to endlessly practice – even during the off season. She grumbled under her breath about the stupidity of school pride as she limped toward the main school building. Regardless it was one of the few things about school that she enjoyed.
Once inside, she made her way to the nurse’s station near the front of the school, eyeing the administrative office carefully. She was keeping a lookout for the Vice Principal, Ms. Abrams. She hated that woman, not only for her treatment of Jason but her cold disdain for practically everyone that stepped foot in her office. Luckily, Riley made it into the school clinic without running i
nto anyone. The building was still nearly deserted.
As she walked into the small room, the smell of alcohol and disinfectant assaulted Riley’s nose. That was one of the big differences between AO and the real world; the smells were so much more vibrant here. It was one of the few things that still allowed her to distinguish between the real world and the game. Maybe Cerillion Entertainment hadn’t mastered programming smells yet, and for that she was thankful. She had witnessed some terrible things in-game, but there was something more visceral and real about including the smell.
“Hey there, Riley. What brings you in so early?” A plump woman walked into view, a wide smile on her face. Then her eyes dropped to Riley’s limp, and a frown creased her lips.
“Hi, Ms. Collins,” Riley said. “Coach told me to come see you about my leg. I… I guess I had an accident.”
Ms. Collins grimaced and patted the exam table beside her. “Well, why don’t you take a seat and we’ll give you a once-over.”
With a grimace of pain, Riley hobbled over to the table and jumped up. Ms. Collins tapped a console sitting nearby and took a seat on a rolling stool. A glowing blue control panel was projected into the air before her, and the nurse tapped out a few commands on a translucent keyboard.
“Turn to the pedestal please,” Ms. Collins ordered. Riley obliged, shifting on the table so that her leg was facing the mobile pedestal beside the nurse. A faint beam of blue light shot from the tower, scanning up and down Riley’s leg for a few seconds. The screen before Ms. Collins shifted, showing an image of the bones of Riley’s leg.
“Well, nothing is broken,” Ms. Collins said in a distracted voice as she reviewed the information on the screen. “I guess that’s some relief.” She motioned at Riley’s shin. “Why don’t you roll up your jeans and let me take a closer look?”
Riley obliged her, delicately folding the leg of her pants up until it sat at her knee. As her shin came into view, Ms. Collins drew in a sharp breath. Bruises riddled Riley’s leg in a series of dark purple blotches that discolored her skin. A red line was also visible where Carrie’s stick had most recently struck her.
“What happened here?” Ms. Collins asked, her eyes darting from Riley’s leg to meet her eyes. “I thought you played lacrosse, not soccer.”
Riley glanced away. “More accidents,” she muttered. “I’m just clumsy. The coach has been pushing us hard lately. I guess I just didn’t notice.”
Ms. Collins scoffed, her eyes angry and disbelieving. “Yeah, right. More likely a bunch of spiteful girls were trying to make a point.” She shook her head. “You should report this to the principal or your coach.”
“There’s nothing to report,” Riley replied in a quiet but firm tone. What was she supposed to do? Tattle on the girls on her team for tripping her? Tell the administration about the whispered names when they passed in the hallway or the jeers she received in the locker room? That would only make it worse.
“Is this about Alex?” Ms. Collins asked cautiously, her gentle hands pressing gingerly around the welt on Riley’s shin. Riley glanced up at her sharply. “What? I’m not completely out of touch. I hear a few rumors from the students and teachers,” Ms. Collins added with a sympathetic smile.
“I bet you do,” Riley replied sullenly.
The woman patted her knee gently. “And I don’t believe half of them. I was your age once. People can be vindictive and cruel. Especially when you break up with our school’s golden boy.” She uttered the words golden boy with a hint of disdain.
Riley didn’t respond immediately. It was more than that. Alex hadn’t posted the video footage he had of her; Riley’s father had made certain of that. However, he had still been able to use more mundane means to retaliate after she blew his head off. Alex had immediately started spreading rumors, and those had taken off like wildfire, spurred on by jealous girls who couldn’t believe that Riley would have broken up with someone as amazing as Alex.
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Riley replied evenly.
Ms. Collins chuckled. “I didn’t realize you’d suffered a head injury too! Maybe I need to re-scan you.” Then her smile faded, and she looked at Riley with a more serious expression. “Well, if you do decide you need someone to talk to, you can always come to me.”
Ms. Collins’ compassion just made Riley angrier. There was nothing that the portly nurse could do to fix her situation. Riley had made this mess herself, and she didn’t regret it. She would never be pressed under someone’s thumb like that again, and she had done the right thing by standing up for Jason. This was just the fallout for her own stupid mistakes.
“I’m fine. Really,” Riley said. She tugged the leg of her pants down and jumped up, putting most of her weight on her good leg.
“I beg to differ,” Ms. Collins’ replied, causing Riley to glance at her in confusion. The nurse chuckled lightly. “I’m talking about your leg,” she added, motioning to Riley’s limp. “I might not be able to help you with your other problems, but I can get you out of class for the day.”
“That’s really not necessary,” Riley began, but Ms. Collins waved her objection away, her free hand dancing across the console in front of her.
“It’s already done,” the nurse replied. “You, my dear, are excused for the day, and I’ve called you a car to get you home. Just remember to keep your leg elevated and ice those bruises. That should reduce the swelling.”
Riley stared at the woman for a moment, and then her gaze dropped to the floor. “Thank you,” she said softly. A feeling of relief washed over her. At least she could get away from the torment for a little while.
“Not a problem, Riley,” Ms. Collins replied. “Like I said, don’t hesitate to come to me if you need someone to talk to or even just to vent. I know that can help.”
Riley nodded and started toward the door. Ms. Collins was right about one thing. She did need to blow off some steam. She just didn’t plan to do it by ranting to her school nurse – however sympathetic she might be. Riley had discovered a much more cathartic way to deal with her frustration.
Chapter 2 - Cathartic
Spinning to the left, Riley avoided a whirling metal blade. She dove forward into a roll, narrowly passing under another blade operated by the machine beside her. As she danced, dodged, and spun in a mindless flurry of movement, she could hear the creak of wood and metal. Riley navigated the gruesome obstacle course in the training room beneath Jerry’s inn with an ease that evidenced her long hours of practice.
She loved this room, particularly the whirring wooden machines around her. It was the creaking grumble the gears made as the dummy spun and the muted, musty smell of aging wood that lingered in the room. Her arm lashed out, a dagger intercepting a blade aimed at her abdomen and causing the machine to stop momentarily. She palmed the metal, flipping over the arm and out of the reach of the other dummy that was approaching behind her. Riley’s feet hit the hard-wood floor with a soft thump on the other side.
When she ran this obstacle course, there was no room to dwell on her problems. She was forced to give herself up to the moment and act purely on instinct. Her mind went blank, and she just acted.
The exercise forced her to focus on something other than the anger and frustration she had experienced at school earlier that day and the many days before it. Between that and the chill of the dark mana that pulsed through her veins, she felt almost normal – like the person she had been only a few weeks ago.
As the next blade swept at her, she ducked again. Stepping in close, she slammed her dagger into the target painted near the base of the machine. The wood splintered under the blow, and the machines in the room creaked to a sudden halt.
Riley stood there for a moment, breathing calmly and staring at the blade. A part of her wanted to keep going, and her dark mana egged her on. She wanted to pound her daggers into the wood again and again. Her fingers tensed around the hilt of the remaining weapon at her waist, her muscles tight and ready to spring.
/> A slow clap sounded from behind her. Startled, Riley spun, hurling her dagger through the air towards the source of the noise. Jerry caught the blade between two fingers, looking at it with wide eyes as though he was surprised he had caught the object. He glanced at her, a wide grin crossing his bleached lips.
The innkeeper bowed deeply, flicking the tip of his big floppy hat with his finger. “Greetings, mademoiselle,” Jerry said politely. “You’ve improved since we last sparred. Must be all that frantic hands-on experience you picked up in the north.”
Then his lips pinched into a thin line, his finger curling his mustache as he examined the blade in his hand. “Although, now that I think about it, you do seem a bit on edge. Something troubling you?” He approached Riley and handed the dagger back to her with a small bow.
Riley grimaced and accepted the blade. She would normally feel guilty for throwing a dagger at someone, but she had about as much chance of harming Jerry as killing a dragon. The thief was supernaturally fast. She had only managed to nick his hat once and had promptly been sent flying into a wall.
“Just a bunch of stuff that I don’t want to talk about,” Riley responded gruffly. She turned and yanked her other blade from the wooden machine, admiring the deep groove she had carved into the surface.
“So, you plan to take it out on my innocent equipment instead?” Jerry asked good-naturedly. “Do you know how difficult it is to repair my secret little training center?”
“I expect you just hire someone,” Riley said dryly, wiping her blades clean with a spare cloth on a table near the training arena and then sheathing them.
Jerry sighed. “Yes, but then I have to kill them. It’s a terrible waste, but I can’t let my secrets getting out into the world after all.” Riley glanced at him sharply and saw the humor dancing in his eyes.
“You don’t really kill…” Riley began.
Jerry interrupted her with a wave of his hand. “Now what is this fabulous device here?” He had grabbed at Riley’s bow that rested against the back wall. It was a recurve bow – the arms curling in an intricate vine-like pattern. Crystalline red roses had been embedded at the base of the grip, throbbing softly as though they had a heartbeat.
Awaken Online: Retribution (Side Quest) Page 1