by Dante Doom
“That’s horrible!” Savannah cried out. She felt nauseous just from the thought of her father being enslaved.
Leopold shrugged. “He crossed me. But, let’s move past that, shall we? I like you, Savannah. I think you will make a valuable asset for me. You’re an outsider, you’re a Grinder, and best of all, you don’t owe anyone anything. You can work in the High Courts and, if needed, you can do my bidding inside the Grind, taking out my enemies. The rest of the court would be afraid of your prowess, and with my blessing, they wouldn’t dare bother you.”
Savannah was conflicted. It certainly wasn’t okay that her father was being held hostage by the King, but at the same time, this man was extremely powerful. He held pretty much the fate of any individual in his hands in the real world. There were worse things he could have done than just having made Hem Grind against his will. She had better tread carefully here.
“You really think I’m that valuable?”
“Incredibly so,” Leopold said, his voice dropping almost to a purr. “You’ve got ambition and talent, but what you need most is to focus it somewhere. So here’s the deal… I’m going to release your father, as a sign of trust.”
Savannah gasped . Was this some kind of game?
“Of course, there would be no reason for me to hold him other than to blackmail you, and that is certainly not my intention,” Leopold added smoothly. “I’m a man of integrity, you will find. I work hard to keep this position of authority, so that the rest of Verre functions as it should.”
Savannah felt a creeping sense of unease well up within her stomach as she listened to Leopold’s words. Something was amiss, but at the same time, if he really did let her father go, she would owe him. Wouldn’t she? “I guess that makes sense,” Savannah said slowly, unsure if she believed him.
“So, this is my gift to you,” Leopold said as he waved his hand. A pair of golden doors to the left of the throne slid silently open. Hem emerged, rubbing his arms—no chains to be seen.
“So you’re finally done with–” Hem paused upon seeing his daughter. “Savannah?”
“Dad!” Savannah cried out as she ran over to him. They embraced tightly, and Savannah could feel the strength in her father’s arms around her. It had been a while since she had seen him, and for a moment, she forgot all of the things happening around her.
“Why are you here?” Hem asked.
“Dad, I’m working with Leopold now,” Savannah said. “And he’s letting you go as an act of good faith.”
Hem frowned, and glanced past Savannah to look at Leopold. “This weasel doesn’t have any good faith. Look, I appreciate you wanting to find me, but you can’t trust him.”
“Dad, I’ve already made my decision,” Savannah said. “I’m working for him. I’ve got a job that’s guaranteed to get me enough points to join the High Court.”
Hem groaned, shaking his head at her as he met her eyes. “You have no idea what’s going on–”
Savannah held up her hand to stop him. “I’m well aware of everything. I know about you working with Elanor, Dad, and I know about her plan to shut down the Grind. It’s asinine.”
“It’s the only path to freedom,” Hem growled.
Savannah shook her head. “No, Dad, there will be complete chaos in Verre! I’m on the path to true freedom, so I can help our family.”
“You’re old enough to make your own decisions,” Hem said, “but you need to understand that you won’t be free if you follow Leopold. Once he gets his hooks in you… well, you know what he did once I displeased him. If you hadn’t come along, I’d still be forced to fight for points.”
“Just leave the game, hang out with Mom, and wait. In a day or two, I’m going to become a Noble and the entire family will be able to move. We’ll get a big house and–”
“I won’t be bribed, sweetie,” Hem replied. “I’m not leaving this place.”
“Yes, you are,” Leopold said as he waved his hand once again.
Hem vanished from before her eyes. “Where’d he go?” Savannah asked spinning around.
“I forced him out of the game. You’d be surprised at the kind of power I wield in here,” Leopold replied. “I’ve already sent a military detail to your home, to ensure that he doesn’t get back in until you’ve taken care of the Elanor problem.”
“They aren’t going to hurt anyone, are they?” Savannah asked.
“No, the guards are there to make sure your mom and dad don’t try anything,” Leopold answered. “Now then, let’s get down to business. Elanor’s been fighting in this current avatar for a long time, and she’s going to be hard to take down. You’re going to need the right gear. You’ve already gotten the Shield of Fieros.”
“That’s for me?”
“Well, originally it was supposed to be for your father, but I would rather entrust you with these items,” Leopold explained. “I’ve told Kirius as much. There are three more items that will help you against Elanor also, but even then it will be a tough fight. So, you’ve got to collect the gear and wait for the right opportunity. If this works out, not only will you become a Noble, but you’ll also have some of the best items in the game. No one would dare oppose you inside the Grind.”
Savannah soaked those words in. She felt her heart beginning to beam at the idea of becoming a force of nature within the game. This Leopold wasn’t such a bad guy after all. At least, he wasn’t a bad deal for her. She wondered what Timon would say.
“I’ve got my people looking for two items right now—the Boots of Alcius and the Gloves of Grei—but you’re going to need to go out and find the big gun yourself.”
“What am I looking for?” Savannah asked.
Leopold grinned as he handed her a folded piece of paper. “Look.”
Savannah opened it up to see that it was a map of a place known as the Tartarus Pits. “No way…” Savannah whispered as she looked at the lines drawn on the map. “This place is a hidden area!”
“Indeed it is, but I can get you there,” Leopold said as he handed her a Red Key. “This key, when used at the Fieros Med Center’s back door, will unlock the portal to the Tartarus Pits. Inside of this dark realm is one of the most powerful rifles in the game, known as the Arc Rifle.”
“I thought that weapon was a rumor,” Savannah said. “Or something scammers made up to sell fake maps.”
“It’s hard to locate, but I have my resources. When you get that weapon, you can turn the tables on Elanor.”
“I don’t understand,” Savannah said. “Why entrust all of this to me?”
Leopold smiled at her. “Your father was my right-hand man until he allowed his morality to rule his behavior. He isn’t quite like you; he didn’t realize that he could have all of the greater things in life if he got his hands dirty. So, the position of my right-hand person is open. If you prove yourself here—if you can get the gun, kill Elanor, and rank up—I’ll know that we will have a very fruitful relationship ahead of us. We will achieve greatness together, Grinder.”
As much as Savannah was suspicious of the man, and certainly didn’t care for what he had done to her father, there wasn’t much that she could do here. Leopold was a very powerful man, and now there would be armed guards arriving at her house to make sure her parents stayed in line. At this point, she would have to admit that if she didn’t do as the King wanted, she would be utterly screwed. But at the same time, if she stayed loyal to him, there would be considerable benefits. The decision was ultimately out of her hands. She would do as he said.
Savannah nodded at him. “Fine. I’m in. Just don’t… don’t hurt any of my family.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Leopold said with a sick grin. Savannah shuddered a little at the sight of it.
“I’ll grab my team and head straight to the Tartarus Pits.”
“Sooner is better than later,” the King warned. “Things are… in motion right now, and if we don’t move quickly, it might be too late.”
“What does that mean?
” Savannah asked.
“I’ll explain when you return as a Noble,” Leopold said dismissively. “Now then, kneel.”
“Yes, sir,” Savannah said as she knelt down before him.
He produced a golden sword from mid-air and waved it above her. “I, King Leopold, do bestow upon you the title of the King’s Elect. Serve me with all of your might and I shall rain riches down upon you.”
“I will serve you,” Savannah said as she felt the sword gently tap her shoulders.
“Then rise, Savannah, and go out and do my bidding.”
Savannah stood up and took the teleportation disk out of his hands. This whole thing had gotten out of hand. She had originally been a fan of working with Leopold because of all of the opportunities he was going to give her, but now there was an underpinning of coercion attached to the relationship. Was this how the man was? Anger was welling up within her, but it was an impotent rage. What could she do now? Technically, she was still on the same path that she had been on a few hours ago, except now she knew who the King really was. He was the kind of man who would do anything to have control. The best that she could do was to play along and hope that the bastard would keep his end of the bargain by rewarding her.
Chapter Fifteen
“You haven’t said a word about the meeting,” Timon commented as Savannah walked alongside him through the copper maze of the Tartarus Pits. If she hadn’t had so much on her mind, she’d have stopped to admire the maze’s construction, but as it was, her situation held her attention. Timon’s comment led her to look around in thought, though, putting off responding. The walls were fortified with thick steel beams that held up brass walls with intricate copper designs that stood out in high relief. Oversized copper pipes were fitted into the walls and would emit bursts of steam regularly, adding to the heavy humidity in the pits. Elanor was still nowhere to be found, but Timon and Fingers had been excited to hear about the superweapon. Well, mostly Fingers. Timon still regarded her with suspicion as she tried to decide how best to answer him.
Fingers and Ten-Thirty departed to check around the maze. After a few moments of silence, Savannah finally decided to tell Timon what had happened. “We’re in a tough spot here.”
“How so?” Timon asked.
“Well, King Leopold let my father go, but it’s pretty clear that, uh… if I don’t side with him, my family is going to be in some serious trouble.”
“Did he threaten them?” Timon asked.
Savannah sighed. “Not directly, but he’s sending his guards to ‘watch over’ my dad.”
“That’s not good.”
“But at the same time, he’s offered me a lot of benefits to work with him.”
“Of course he did,” Timon said as he shook his fist. “That’s the famous Leopold bargaining method, coercion and bribery in one perfect blend.”’
“So…” Savannah trailed off as she tried not to look him in the eye. “I guess my mind’s been made up for me. We’ve got… you know…”
Timon groaned. “I should have known that Leopold would figure out some way to get his hooks into you.”
“I’m sorry,” Savannah replied. “I know you wanted things to go differently, but this is probably for the best.”
“For who?” Timon asked, his voice quivering with anger. “Because the only one who’s winning in this deal is King Leopold. You’ll learn soon enough, Savannah. You’ll wake up one morning and realize just what I’ve been trying to warn you about, and it will be devastating. Once the glitz and glamor of the charmed life wears off, you’ll be just as miserable as I am.”
Savannah placed a hand on his shoulder. She certainly didn’t share his views about ending the Grind, but she sympathized with his frustration. “So, what do we do?”
“I’m trying to think,” Timon said. He began to pace back and forth a little. “Does this at least prove to you that Leopold’s a bastard?”
“Yeah, I know you were right about that,” Savannah replied.
“Then we can’t kill Elanor; she’s our only hope of getting out of this mess.”
“What?” Savannah gasped. “You can’t be serious!”
“I’m not saying we act rashly here, Savannah. We have to think and plan very carefully if you’re going to get out of this situation okay.”
“This is my family we’re talking about, Timon. I’m not about to risk my mother and father just to try and defeat Leopold.”
Timon frowned. “Do you ever think it ends, Savannah? Once that man has his hooks in you, you’re going to be serving him for the rest of your life. If you do what he wants, he’ll know that he can control you.”
“If I don’t do what he wants, my family is going to die,” Savannah protested as she threw her hands up. “What do you want from me, Timon?”
“Honestly?” Timon said, “I want for you to be safe and sound. I really do. That’s why you need to trust me here. Cooperating with Leopold will only make things worse for you. We have to figure out some way to–”
“I’m not figuring anything out!” she shouted. “I’m done, you got it? The decision is out of my hands. I wanted to become a Noble so I could take care of my family and that hasn’t changed one bit. The stakes are higher, but my goals are still the same. I just wanted you to know that… that maybe if things had gone differently, I might have considered your original plan. But now? Now my hand is being forced. The only question is, will you help me here? Or are you dead-set on trying to somehow defeat the King?”
Timon sighed. “I want to help you, Savannah. I’m not saying we act reckless or stupid, but what I’m saying is that you cannot win this battle by rolling over and obeying the King. Sooner or later, he’s going to hurt you in a big way. Trust me, I’ve seen this happen to others before. He’s just going to use you. That’s what everyone does in the upperclass; they just use one another and throw them away when they aren’t useful anymore. You are going to be dispatched the moment he doesn’t have a purpose for you.”
Savannah felt a tear slide down her cheek. “I’m not going to risk my family. I just can’t.”
“You’re risking them and yourself by siding with him.”
“You were perfectly happy to serve him earlier!” Savannah shouted.
“Because I had no other choice! But now I see something so clearly. I see that we can take him down. The best part is, as long as he thinks you’re working with him, Leopold won’t know what we’re up to. We can fake it until the time is right to strike. Maybe we could even kill him in the game.”
“Do you even hear yourself?” Savannah asked. “Kill him? You’re letting some stupid fantasy blind you, Timon.”
“It’s not a fantasy; it’s hope. Those are two very different things.”
“Well, the only thing I can hope for right now is that Leopold holds up his end of the bargain,” Savannah said. “I’m sorry, Timon, but I’ve got to put my family first. Now, it’s up to you if you want to help me out or if you should log out now and find another Grinder. You mentioned having more life tickets, right? I won’t hold it against you if you want to go. You’ve been kind enough to me, but… my hands are tied.”
Timon sighed heavily. “There’s nothing I can say to convince you to fight back?”
“Not now, at least,” Savannah said. “Maybe once my family is safe, then we can figure out something, but not when the King has guards at my house.”
“You think the King’s guards won’t be keeping a watch over your new estate?” Timon asked.
“At least I’ll be able to have my own soldiers,” Savannah replied. “We’ll have a fighting chance then. I’m sorry, Timon, but I just can’t do anything to jeopardize them.”
“I won’t help you kill her,” Timon said. “But I won’t leave.”
“Why stay?”
“Maybe there’s still a chance we can figure something out together. It’s worth seeing this through,” Timon said.
“You’re not going to change my mind,” Savannah replied.
/> “We’ll see about that,” Timon gently whispered. There was determination written in his face as he narrowed his eyes.
“Just don’t get me in trouble, please,” Savannah said.
“Over here!” Fingers shouted as he ran back within view of Savannah and Timon. “Finally! This damn maze is impossible to navigate.”
Ten-Thirty was trotting along behind him. “I told you five times where they were,” Ten-Thirty replied. “You refused to listen to me.”
“You’re kind of ruining the magic of discovery when you seem to know all of the directions,” Fingers said as he thumped his hand against the android’s skull. There was a metallic ping sound and he yelped. “Ahhh, that’s thicker than I thought.”
“Welcome back, Fingers,” Timon said as he brushed past Savannah. “We missed your endless chatter.”
Fingers glanced at the both of them and shook his head. “Are you two still arguing in secret? Man, you guys gotta take it easy—this is all about the fun, remember?”
“Fun for you, maybe,” Savannah said as she walked up to Fingers. “This is a job for me, remember?”
“Ugh, the easiest way to kill anything you love is to turn it into a job,” Fingers replied. “Anyway, I found something pretty darn nifty while I was busy exploring.”
“While he was busy being lost, he means,” Ten-Thirty replied. Savannah had to grin at the Machina, whose tone sounded downright sarcastic.
“Hey, I was exploring!” Fingers defended himself as he pulled out a long scroll from his satchel. “Check it out; it’s some kind of magical scroll thingie!” The scroll was glowing with several mystical-looking runes on it.
“Interesting,” Savannah said. She took the scroll and held it up, noticing that there were words written in English at the bottom of the scroll. “Within these pages are the machinations of damnation,” she read aloud. “To the one who breaks this in half, you will find salvation.”