Alterlife III

by Matt Moss

  “Deana…”

  She disappears, and the portal closes soon after.

  I stand alone in the woods.

  Dammit, Deana.

  Please be careful.

  24

  The Librarian

  12 HOURS UNTIL THE BLOOD MOON

  Since the end may be near, and I don’t know what’s going to happen to me or to Alterlife, I want to see Faldron’s Reach one more time. My (once) home of the Black Knights still holds a dear place in my heart.

  Teleporting to Condren, I see that the town has recently repopulated. There’s only a small guild there from the looks of it, but it’s nice to see that someone wants to rebuild the city.

  Before anyone recognizes me, I turn and walk up the steps to the keep.

  To my surprise, Faldron’s Reach still belongs to the Black Knights; that’s why it hasn’t been taken over by another guild yet. At least, that’s what I’m assuming. Now that I’m near the keep, I see that I still hold the title of Guildmaster and have access to it. I’m sure that stumped quite a few people when they tried to procure the keep for themselves but saw that it still belonged to the Black Knights.

  I bet they thought my ghost lived there.

  I chuckle at the thought as I walk through the massive front doors of the keep.

  Inside, it’s lonely.

  I miss the people, and the merchants that used to set up shop here to trade with the guild. The place used to be so alive; now, just a hollow shell.

  Thal’s temple is straight ahead. I take a left turn before getting there and walk down the hall, towards the bank. My mind goes blank as I let the past wash over me. Inside the bank vault, now empty, I walk to the place where the map to Thal’s treasure once laid among the piles of gold and treasure. I bend down low, touch the stone floor, and close my eyes in remembrance. Take a moment to let my history in Alterlife roll over me like a motion picture in fast forward.

  It’s been one hell of a ride. And I’ve loved every minute of it.

  Well, almost every minute.

  And it’s not over yet…

  Back down the hall, I pause to stare out the window and overlook the city of Condren. It’s smaller than before—countless homes and shops lost to the meteor strikes and the fire.

  Davi. Your time draws near. And the justice that you deserve will be delivered by my hand.

  Passing the library, I see that the door is open. Peek inside. Someone is moving in the back behind an empty bookshelf.

  “Who’s there?” I call out to them.

  Cervial steps out in his usual white robe and a smile creeps across his face. “Hello, Guildmaster. I was wondering when I would see you again.”

  “I’ll be damned. Cervial, I thought you were gone. It’s good to see you.” We meet each other in the middle of the library.

  “It’s good to see you as well, Ace. You look pretty good for a dead man.”

  I pat my chest. “Afraid to disappoint so many people; I’m still here.”

  Cervial grins. “And I, for one, am glad that you are. How have you been?”

  I lie. “Good. All things considered. How about you? Where’ve you been all this time?”

  “I’m well, thank you. Been traveling around a bit; doing nothing important…” he says, averting his eyes briefly.

  Now, you lie.

  Everyone lies.

  “What brings you back here, then?” I ask.

  He holds a finger up. “Research, as usual.”

  What are you always researching, Cervial?

  He narrows his eyes. “Are you aware of the blood moon tonight?”

  I nod. “I am.”

  “And that the gods are going to perform the rite to bring Thal back?”

  “Yes. And that Thal is going to destroy Alterlife, or mankind, or something like that. Either way, that’s why I’m going to stop him.”

  His eyes widen. “You’re going to try to stop the rite from happening? Are you serious?”

  “I’ve got nothing else to do. I thought about catching a flick with the wife later, but she didn’t want to, so, you know—going to war with the gods and the guilds sounds entertaining enough.”

  He shakes his head, looking down with somber eyes. “That would be futile. And you would be on a suicide mission. The rite cannot be stopped.”

  “And you know this, how?” I point around the room to all the scattered books. “Your research tells you this?”

  He raises his gaze back to mine. “As a matter of fact, yes. I came across some texts that say if Thal ever dies, and is brought back to life by the rite during a blood moon, he will be invincible, and nothing can stop him.”

  I can stop him.

  An unstoppable force meets an immovable object…

  “If that’s the case, then I must stop the rite from happening.”

  “If you could. It would take the largest army Alterlife has ever seen to take on the gods and the two guilds that surround them. Combined, they’re over one million players strong.”

  I suck air through my teeth. “No. It won’t take the largest. Just the strongest.”

  “You speak as if you have such an army.”

  “I do. The Saviors.”

  “I’ve never heard of this guild. Where do they hail from?”

  Just say it. Not like it matters anyway. The whole world is about to know.

  “A continent called Thannadas. In a city named Atlantis.”

  He furrows his brow in confusion. “How can this be? I’ve no knowledge of this place, and I know every continent in Alterlife.”

  “I couldn’t believe it either. But it’s true. There are over fifty thousand people that call Thannadas home. I guess I do now, too.”

  He perks up, eager to know more. “Can you take me there? Please? I would very much like to see this place.”

  I scratch my head. “We’re kind of busy preparing for war. I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  “I can help you.”

  “Sorry, old friend. You’re not versed in combat.”

  “You are correct there. But I can help in other ways.”

  “Oh?”

  He looks away, considering what he’s about to offer. Looks back to me with his mind made up and speaks. “What if I said that I could deliver Davi to you? Alone, and away from Baleton.”

  I cross my arms, curious. “You can do that? How?”

  “Shortly after the gods were released upon the world, I encountered Davi on the road to Eden. The god was furious and looking for some poor soul to take his anger out on. He would have killed me, but I pleaded for my life and offered the only thing that I had to give—knowledge. Davi is a curious god, so he agreed to let me live under one condition. He wanted to learn more about Alterlife, so I became a mentor to him. And I have been ever since.”

  “That one has a temper on him. I’m surprised he hasn’t killed you yet.”

  “There have been times where I thought he would, trust me. But he hasn’t yet.” He looks around his library. “Once I heard of what he did to Condren, and to this place, I knew I couldn't be his mentor ever again. So I’ve been hiding ever since.” He turns fearful. “I’ve seen him looking for me—flying through the air and calling my name. I fear of what he might do once he finds me. But for you, and the mission you’re on, I’d be willing to risk my life.”

  I recall the horror when the god shook Faldron’s Keep as he stood upon the mountain and destroyed Condren with meteors from the sky. “We don’t have much time until the blood moon rises. But I’ve got a score to settle with him, and taking him out early could be a big advantage. How will you draw him out, and will we have enough time?”

  He nods. “We meet in private, not far from here, every day at the same time. Well, we used to before I went into hiding. Still, I see him show up every time. He never forgets, never misses a day.” He looks me in the eye. “In a little over two hours, he will be at the appointed spot. I will show you this place. But first, I want you to take me to Than
nadas.”

  Why do you wish to go so bad, Cervial?

  He’s a man who likes to know things. Just let him go and see it for himself.

  It would help a great deal if Davi were removed from the battlefield ahead of the war. How many lives could be saved by eliminating him early?

  “Deal. But we don’t have much time. When will you be ready to go?”

  He rushes to a broken desk and retrieves his ledger from the top. Runs back to me.

  “I’m ready.”

  “Alright then. Let’s go to Atlantis.”

  Stepping through the portal, his eyes go wide. He walks to the side of the bridge and gazes about the land with wonder. “This place is incredible. I’ve never seen the likes of it.”

  “It’s special, that’s for sure.”

  I recall my first time coming to this place, and that damn monkey.

  “What’s that over there?” he asks, pointing.

  “That’s Giology’s palace. He’s the Guildmaster.” I point to the Colosseum. “And over there is where we’ve been training, preparing for the war.”

  “Amazing. It looks modeled after the Roman colosseum.”

  I step in front of him. “Cervial, this place isn’t like anything you know. It’s different than where we come from.”

  He continues to look around in awe. “I can see that.”

  “I’m not talking just about the geography. The power of this place is what makes it so special. Skills can be raised here at ten times the rate they can on the mainland. There is no limit to how many skills you can Grandmaster, and there is no limit on how high your character’s statistics can go.” I look him in the eye and can see he’s at a loss for words. “Right now, I’m approaching nine-hundred-thousand Durability, and Intelligence. Strength and Dexterity is almost five-hundred-thousand.”

  “You lie,” he says. “In all of Alterlife, you were the only one to reach one-hundred-thousand in Strength due to your fight with Thal, and now you’re saying that you’re approaching half a million? Not to mention almost a million in Intelligence and Durability?”

  I grin. “I can show you how we’ve been training if you like.”

  “Yes.” He nods slowly. “I would very much like to see that.”

  We hear the guild sparring and can see flashes of light long before we arrive in the arena.

  Once inside, I introduce Cervial to the guild. Everyone is apprehensive towards him at first, because the last person I brought here betrayed everyone.

  She’s back on our side now.

  You’re putting faith in her again? How many times is this now?

  This will be the last time. She won’t let me down. I know she won’t.

  Cervial remains as cordial as ever, and the prominent members of the guild soon warm up to him and his charm.

  “He’s a good one. You can trust him,” I tell Meric and the others. “But now he wants to see a show. Let’s show him how we’ve been training. Cervial, you might want to stand over there,” I say, pointing to the far edge of the arena, where he’ll be safe.

  I give the nod, letting everyone know I’m ready.

  A thousand players attack me, just as they have been.

  Through the flashes of light, and the barrage of weapons and bodies, I can see that Cervial is in disbelief.

  He stares as if he’s seen a god for the first time.

  After a minute, I give the command to stop.

  Cervial walks to meet me. “I cannot believe someone can withstand that much damage. It’s implausible.”

  “It’s not just me. Everyone here has grown strong beyond belief.”

  “That is the gift of Thannadas,” Meric chimes in. “The Creator has blessed this place and the people who inhabit it.”

  “It would seem that way,” Cervial says with a chuckle.

  “Strong as we may be, it doesn’t change the fact that we’re going against a million-man army with only fifty thousand. Not good odds in Vegas. Not by a long shot,” Fance notes.

  “More like lottery odds. But hey, somebody’s gotta win!” Hedwig says optimistically.

  I look around at all their faces, and find courage and determination on every one. But they also look tired and in desperate need of a break.

  They’ve been going non-stop. The only time away they’ve had in weeks is the eight-hour break in between each six-hour login time limit.

  They need some time off.

  I speak to the arena. “Everyone, listen up. You all have been training tirelessly, and I thank you for it. Your efforts here will be the deciding factor in our victory. We’ve put in the work, now let’s rest on our laurels knowing that we’ve done all we can do. Each and every one of you make me proud to call myself a Savior.” I spin around slowly, speaking to all. “Never before in the course of mankind has anything like this happened. Since the world became civilized, this is the first time the human race has faced a true extinction threat. From the outside looking in, nobody would believe that a world-ending virus could spawn from a game. But I know the truth, and you know the truth. That’s why we’re here—we’re going to stop it. Later tonight, unbeknownst to the rest of the world, we’re gonna save the damn day!”

  The arena roars a battlecry, and the sound is almost deafening.

  After the noise settles, I speak solemnly. “Go home and be with your family. Go be with your friends. Spend some time with the ones you love. Know that there’s a chance you might not come back to them. Relish every precious moment.” Raise my voice one more time. “Then come back here and join me as we prepare for glory!”

  Another thunderous sound.

  They don’t realize that perma-death might be a real thing. They may acknowledge it, but do they really believe it? Would they be so eager to go to war if they did?

  Do they even believe the virus to be real, or are they just playing along, devoutly following Giology and myself?

  I don’t think so; they believe the virus is real.

  “So what’s the game plan? How is a group of fifty thousand players, strong and talented as they may be, going to go up against the gods and the two largest guilds in Alterlife?” Cervial asks.

  “It may seem like we’re going to get beat, but we’re not. We’ve been preparing for a fight.” Squirt chimes in.

  Cervial raises an eyebrow at the kid. “Other than training, you mean? You have a strategy in place?”

  “Yes.” He pulls a Fireball potion from his inventory. Hands it to Cervial and steps back a few paces. “Go ahead, give it a toss.”

  Cervial looks to me. I nod for him to give it a throw. He shrugs, then tosses it at Squirt. It deals damage, but not enough to lower Squirt’s health by much.

  “That’s all the damage it does?” Cervial asks.

  “Remember, we have been training here on Thannadas. We are very strong,” Meric states.

  I chime in since I’m familiar with the rest of the world. “A potion like that would significantly lower any other player’s health on the battlefield.”

  “How much are we talking?” Fance asks, curious.

  “Anywhere between ten and thirty percent, depending on the player and how much Magic Resistance they have.”

  “And let’s not forget that it has an area of effect. Anyone within five paces of the potion will be dealt damage as well.”

  “Fascinating. You’ve trapped magic in a bottle. That will be very useful on the battlefield,” Cervial notes.

  “Well, it won’t be very useful if we can’t figure out a way to deliver them in the most effective way. What are we supposed to do, take a break from fighting to toss one of these things over the front line?” Fance says. “We’re going to be too busy for that.”

  He’s got a point.

  Everyone looks to me for an answer because I was the one who told them to make potions. I didn’t really think about not having the means to deliver them effectively. As outnumbered as we are, most of us will be fully engaged and won’t have time to use the potions.


  “What do we do, Commander Ace? How can we make the best use of all the potions we’ve made?” Giology asks.

  “How many do we have?”

  “Thousands. Mostly Fireball,” Hedwig says.

  I cross my arms and speak to the group. “When I told Hedwig and the Alchemists to make potions, I didn’t really think ahead regarding the best way to put them to use. I just wanted to be ready in whatever ways we could be. Now that the time has come, I’m up for suggestions. How can we make the most of them?”

  Everyone looks to another person to answer.

  “Does nobody have an idea?”

  A Drake flies overhead and roars, causing us all to look up.

  Cervial looks back to me with that same gleam in his eye that he gets when he’s buried in his studies.

  “How many Drakes are on Thannadas?”

  “A hundred or so, give or take,” Meric says.

  Cervial speaks to him. “And the monkeys? One of them shrieked at me on the way in.”

  Squirt snorts.

  “Too many,” Meric replies.

  “Can they be tamed? The Drakes and the monkeys?”

  Everyone turns to Giology.

  The Guildmaster speaks. “Every beast in Thannadas obeys my command.”

  Cervial grins. “Let me ask you this; can monkeys throw items?”

  Shake my head. “You can’t be serious.”

  “Oh, I am serious.”

  I look around and can see the wheels turning in everyone’s minds.

  Potion-wielding monkeys riding Drakes.

  For shit’s sake.

  Throw my hands up. “What’s next, flying Orcs?”

  25

  Breeze Off The Pond

  8 HOURS UNTIL THE BLOOD MOON

  “Are you sure this is the place?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then why is he not here?”

  “He’s running late. That’s not like him.”

  I crouch next to Cervial, pick up a rock and throw it into the pond that’s nestled in a lush forest south of Eden. It’s a private place, well hidden from the road to Baleton. I’ve traveled on the road a few times myself, but never knew this place existed.