by Kira Wilson
He had resented Roger for taking that away from him, even when he knew inside that his stepfather was just trying to protect him. After that, everything he'd done was one disappointment after another to Roger. It had been over a year since they'd even spoken.
Now, it seemed he had an opportunity to correct some of those mistakes. He and Clyde were on speaking terms again. And Jessica…
Well, he had a pretty good idea of how to make things up to her.
David couldn't log out of the office fast enough when his shift ended. He took a brief break and grabbed a bite to eat, running over his plan again. Ten minutes later he hopped back in the link chair and performed a search for Jessica. He quickly located her inside the Song of Eternity module, but when he tried to send her a tell message, her status showed Busy. She only did that if she was in the middle of a particularly involved quest or battle. A quick area check showed Thomas and Lucas in her vicinity. Even better.
He loaded Daveth and hacked a gate entrance near their location in the module. The setting was a vast underground cave, lit by poisonous-looking fungi that covered the stalactites overhead. Mounds topped with broken stones dotted the disturbed ground that served as a graveyard, and the chill air carried a foul smell. Kuroon's Cavern was an unfriendly dungeon at the best of times. The ringing clash of steel on steel, accompanied by spell chants, came from the south end of the graveyard. He hurried toward it.
Keeping himself hidden behind rock pillars and headstones, David observed the battle. Jessica, Thomas and Lucas stood surrounded by dozens of grotesque monsters, a dark figure looming over them from a shadowy dais. Living corpses wielding rusty weapons hurled themselves against Thomas's shield, and shrieking apparitions launched bolts of diseased mist at Lucas. Jessica stood several feet behind the two warriors, cleansing their afflictions and firing her purified arrows between chants. Slowly, the three heroes drove the horde back, thinning their numbers even as more bodies rose from the ground. Jessica's voice resounded throughout the cavern and a blinding flash of light burst above the battlefield. When it faded, the graveyard was still, save for the dark figure. From his hiding place David silently cheered the group on.
The man-like shadow descended from its throne, idly clapping at their performance. Drawing back its cloak, it brandished an eerie dual-bladed sword, a sickly green fog drifting off the edges. Lucas circled behind to draw its attention, but a wave of the creature's arm launched a wall of force at him and smashed him into a pillar. Thomas charged and locked blades with the demon. They exchanged blows, but the creature quickly disarmed him, dealing a grievous gash to his temple. He fell backwards, stunned. Jessica gasped and turned to channel her strongest healing spell into the fallen knight.
A flash of movement caught David's eye. The demon, its eyes alight, began a strange incantation, aiming its glowing blade at Jessica's unprotected back. He didn't think. He dropped his staff, bolted from cover, and jumped between Jessica and the creature. A stream of crimson energy flowed from the demon's hand into his chest.
At his cry of pain Jessica whirled around. "David?"
The creature leered. "Your soul will make a fine meal for my minions, foolish sorcerer," it whispered in a voice as old as the grave. David glared at it, drawing in all of his power. He could feel the channel the demon was using to drain his life energy, if he could just reverse the flow…
With a roar, David streamed all of his stored will through the creature's link. A look of disbelief crossed the demon's face just before it exploded in a ball of blue flame. Behind the dais, a wall crumbled, revealing a glinting pile of treasure. With a groan, David collapsed to the ground.
"David, have you gone mad?" Jessica shouted, even as her arms curled protectively around him. She caressed his face and chanted a prayer of recovery.
Thomas and Lucas slowly got to their feet and trudged over to them. "Bro, that was totally wicked!" Lucas said. "When did you show up?"
David flashed an embarrassed grin at Jessica. "In the nick of time?"
"Always the martyr," she said, softly stroking his forehead.
"There was nothing else to do, Jess. I couldn't let him hurt you."
"And you thought being a human shield was a better idea?"
"Well, it worked. Besides, I always wanted to test my powers against Kuroon himself."
Jessica stared at him and shook her head with a pitying grin. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you."
"Was there something that you needed from us, David?" Thomas asked. He seemed a bit less poised than usual.
David nodded and stood up. "I know I really messed things up for everyone the other day. I was impatient and frustrated and ended up ruining the evening. So, I was hoping you guys would give me a chance to make it up to you."
"Oh yeah?" Lucas was already grinning in excitement.
"I found the mystery module."
David savored their expressions. "And Analara?" Jessica asked.
"Yeah, we ran into each other again. She showed me around a bit, and it's amazing. The most incredible world I've ever seen. It's a bit off the beaten path, but it's well worth the trip. Anyone interested in a tour tomorrow?"
Lucas sheathed his swords and stepped forward. "Count me in."
"How about the two of you?" David asked. Thomas seemed intrigued by the idea and glanced at Jessica.
She shook her head. "I appreciate the thought, David, but I don't think so."
***
The party slowly climbed up the steep entryway of the cavern. Lagging behind slightly, Thomas drew alongside Jessica, his gaze concerned. "I'm a little surprised you turned down David's offer," he whispered. "Are you still angry with him?"
Jessica looked at David and Lucas clambering over the rocks in front of them, laughing and talking. She shook her head. "It isn't that. I'm just a little concerned that a group activity might… you know." She glanced up ahead and reached for Thomas's hand, smiling.
Thomas chuckled, squeezing her fingers. "I'm not concerned at all," he said. He too glanced at David's back. "He's disappointed you said no, but I don't think it's for the reasons you expect. He said he met Analara again. I believe he wishes to introduce you to her to get his best friend's opinion on a potential romantic interest." He smiled hopefully.
Jessica blinked. "There's no way anything could have happened that quickly."
"Though you've not been wont to see it in that light, David is a good man, and there are those who would be happy to attract his attentions. Is it really that surprising a possibility?" Thomas raised an eyebrow at her.
Jessica blushed and giggled. "I feel a bit silly now."
"Then you should do something about it."
Kissing his fingers, Jessica gave one last squeeze before letting go. "Hey, David?"
Both he and Lucas paused to look back.
"I changed my mind," Jessica said, flashing him a wide smile. "Just let me know where we should meet, and we'll go."
David's grin was pure relief. "So you aren't mad?"
"Of course not."
The rest of the day passed quickly. Shortly after noon the following day, Jessica logged into the address David had provided for the group. She stepped into an elegant but gloomy courtyard, within the walls of a great castle perched atop a rocky hillside. The sky was overcast, and skeletal tree branches creaked in a steady wind. Nearby, she could see the rest of the group already assembled.
It wasn't at all what Jessica had been expecting from David's descriptions, and she said so.
"This is a shortcut," David said. "I had to go through some backdoors to find the module, and a friend set up a quicker route for me to use in the future." He led the way through the courtyard to the broad castle gates. As they approached, Jessica heard the sound of chains moving, and the doors creaked open.
A ghostly figure of a man dressed as a butler materialized from the shadows and bowed before them. "Forgive me, master. I had not realized we were expecting guests."
Jessica turned toward Dav
id to inquire, but in his place stood a stranger. He was clothed in dark leather trimmed with silver, a cape flowing from his shoulders and a glowing sword belted at his waist. It was still David, but his hair was longer, and his face was covered by a silver mask. "I shall not need your services tonight, Winston. There are important matters to attend to."
Winston inclined his head and faded away. David glanced at them with a shrug. "This is a… personal module." He took his mask off and gestured to a large staircase. "Shall we?"
David led the way through the twisting halls. As they walked, Jessica studied him, feeling as though she had gotten a glimpse into a secret corner of her best friend's heart.
Guiding them down a narrow passage, David stopped before a nondescript door. He raised his hand, and the door opened with a creak. Behind it was a circular room devoid of furnishings with a thick blanket of dust on the floor. A large mirror stood in the center, its surface rippling like water. "Have any of you ever wondered what the inside of V-Net really looks like?" David asked. Everyone stared blankly at him. "Follow me."
One by one they passed through the mirror and emerged into a space lit by green lines. Jessica gaped. It was like no room she'd ever been in. What passed for walls was solid darkness held together by seams of light. There was no ceiling that she could detect, merely the feel of open space stretching beyond her senses. The only notable features were a computer terminal against the back wall and a faint blue outline surrounding what looked like a small rock resting on a dais.
"Give me a moment to open the passage." David tapped a sequence of buttons on his bracer, and the outline expanded to frame a doorway leading to a forested grove.
A sound tore through the air. A large scaled creature, thick bone plates protruding from its legs and back, screeched at them from the other side of the gateway. David swore.
"This must be an eldranal. Everyone, get back and watch out for its tail!" David unsheathed his sword and watched the creature carefully. Jessica drew back, reaching for her bow while both Thomas and Lucas stepped toward the platform, swords drawn.
The creature stalked through the doorway, revealing a massive edged tail that ended in a bladed tip. Snarling, it leapt at Thomas and knocked him to the ground. The creature lashed its tail toward Lucas and sent one of his scimitars flying. The return stroke gashed him deeply in the leg, and he fell to the ground with a cry of pain.
Growling, the beast turned to Jessica, and she froze, unable to scramble to cover. A blur filled her vision, and she was startled to realize that David had dashed in front of her.
The tail struck at him repeatedly, but each time he stepped aside just far enough to deflect it with his sword. Gradually, David drew it away from Jessica. With a frustrated roar, the creature leapt at him. He sprang out of its path, moving faster than she thought possible. It snarled in rage and braced itself, preparing to strike again with its tail.
David halted and assumed a defensive stance, blade held at the ready. The tail whipped forward, and he took a quick step and struck. A resounding screech filled the room, and something landed with a thump at Jessica's feet. A length of tail flopped about on the ground, blood oozing from where it had been severed.
A pair of feints toward the beast's head caused it to rear up, claws slashing the air. David backed up, and when it leapt he dashed forward and slid on his knees. He raised his blade, splitting the creature's underbelly as it sailed through the air. It fell to the ground upon landing and, with a whine, collapsed.
David sheathed his weapon and offered a hand to Thomas, hauling him to his feet. "Are you okay?"
"I think so." Wincing slightly, Thomas turned to look at the creature's corpse. "Thank you, David. I would have fared far worse if you hadn't been so quick."
Jessica had recovered from her shock and knelt by Lucas. She raised her hands and said a cantrip of restoration. Slowly the wound in his leg sealed. Lucas stood up and smiled in thanks. "That was pretty cool, bro. I didn't know you were so smooth with a blade," he said in a female voice as he gave David's shoulder a friendly slap.
"Let's just say I've had some experience with that thing's younger cousins." David blinked. "When did you get Nadarra's voice working?"
Lucas answered with a grin. "Well, I wanted to make a good impression for your new friend, so I went ahead and downloaded a fix."
"I think it may take me a little while to get used to it." David chuckled. He checked to make sure everyone was fine and then stepped through the doorway, motioning for them to follow. As he stood on the other side his appearance shimmered, and he reverted to normal.
A cool breeze blew through the gateway. The green trees on the other side beckoned Jessica. With a giggle of nervous excitement, she stepped across the threshold. A sensation of tension built against her skin. She tried to press on, but slowly she was pushed back out of the door. "David, I can't get through."
He stepped back across with no difficulty. "Try again?"
She did, with the same result. Thomas and Lucas both tried, but were unable to cross. David frowned and stepped effortlessly back into the green forest.
Jessica felt a surge of disappointment, but David looked so crestfallen that she had to cheer him up. "It's all right. We'll try it again another time."
David glanced down at his wrist computer, impatience warring with concern on his face.
"She's waiting for you, isn't she?" Jessica asked sympathetically.
David nodded. "But I can fix this!"
"I said it's all right. I know you tried. Now go. I wouldn't want you to be late." She flashed him her cheeriest smile and watched as he turned and strode off through the trees.
Chapter 13
David sat back in his computer chair and rubbed his eyes. For the last three weeks he had been poring over code analysis and graphs, trying to make sense of bizarre algorithms and feeling like he was getting nowhere. It was no wonder no one had been able to protect V-Net against the Crash Storms; their energy signature was like nothing he had ever seen.
To be fair, David doubted anyone had ever gotten a chance to analyze actual code samples before. He had been fortunate in that regard.
The code beast from Eternity had provided the data. David had gone back to find the remains still there, amorphous blobs of code infused with Storm energy. The module's clean-up drones went haywire whenever they attempted to fix the mess. He'd collected what he needed and spent several days breaking the sample down to its base.
That had not been easy. The energy acted like a living organism, seeming to react and adapt itself even as David had tried to get a solid analysis of it. It would have been fascinating if he wasn't in such a rush to test out his idea.
A Crash Storm detection system.
It would be the first real hope of countering their unbridled power. Once he managed to crack the Storm's formula, his real work could begin.
David's alarm chimed suddenly, bringing a smile to his face. Happily, he saved his data and shut down his computer. A break was more than welcome.
He retreated to his link chair and logged into V-Net. Winston was waiting inside the castle, bowing in acknowledgement as he ran for the upstairs chamber, its mirrored portal, and Analara.
David hadn't made any progress on fixing the gateway, despite repeated attempts. For reasons unknown, he remained the only person who could step through into Analara's module. If it persisted, he was tempted to call Clyde and enlist his help.
Stepping through the doorway, David released a contented sigh. The green sky stretched to the horizon, without a cloud in sight. Analara was already waiting for him in the grove, perched on her favorite branch. Selane was with her, and she scratched the animal's ears idly. Spotting David, Selane jumped down and nearly barreled into him, eager to get more attention.
Analara grinned. "See? I told you if you started feeding her that she would never leave you alone."
David laughed and leaned down, giving Selane's neck a rub. He'd never been fond of domestic cats, but s
omething about Selane's wild nature struck a chord with him. "How has she been adjusting to city life?"
"She seems quite taken with Soleni's cooking, and the children adore her, Tirii especially." Analara slid gracefully off the branch.
Selane's coat had darkened since they'd found her. David thought she looked like a little, black lynx. "How long has it been since you rescued her?"
"Thirteen days."
The last three weeks had been quite hectic, between his responsibilities at work and his research. His visits with Analara were a breath of fresh air. He reached over and gave her a quick hug. "I haven't kept you waiting long, have I?"
"No, I only got here a few minutes ago." Analara frowned. "I actually had some trouble leaving the city. The guards were asking a lot of questions today."
Suddenly alert, David's gaze sharpened. "Has Shalaron found out that we're meeting like this?"
"Oh no, nothing like that." Analara looked startled at the suggestion. "There have been some odd occurrences in the last few days. A pair of wild yaor came from the woods and attacked some of the field-workers."
"I'll just pretend you've told me what a yaor is." David chuckled.
Analara made a face at him. "It's a plant-feeder, very large but not normally aggressive. Honestly, did you know anything about the woods before you met me?"
I didn't know these woods existed before I met you.
David just smiled in response.
"Still…" Analara bent down and petted Selane, her expression becoming more serious. "It's making the city guards nervous. Nathalion is concerned too. Ever since the Rethkor's attack, nature itself has felt strange. If we're planning on exploring at all today, we had best do so cautiously."
"Ah, is that why you brought Selane with you today?"
Analara nodded and straightened up. "Despite her pampering, she still has a hunter's instinct and the tools to go with it. Varlath insisted that I have some protection."