Guardians of Camlan

by A. T. Gilbert

  “Damn it!”

  Enhancement received: Bubble of Protection

  Description: You will sustain -5% damage for the next sixty seconds

  “Asher, look out!”

  Erinocalypse points to my left where Morgana is casting.

  I’m not fast enough and get hit by a burst of scalding hot air that both burns me and sends me tumbling across the smooth floor of the Throne Room.

  [-5600 HP!]

  That one blow incapacitates me. More than a quarter of my health is gone. I can only barely open one eye, my face has been burned so badly, but I think I see the sleeve of Morgana’s robe on fire for a brief second before she puts it out. How did anything get past her magical shield?

  I pull myself to my feet, my skin screaming in pain where I’ve been burned, and gingerly cross the room to where my teammates are attacking the sorceress. In the several moments it takes my health bar to refill and my skin to heal, I watch the attacks and realize every time Morgana wants to cast a spell of her own, she has to drop her shield for those few seconds.

  My team makes a few attempts to infiltrate that bubble when she is attacking Crowhurst and his men, but they’re not quite fast enough. The rhythm is off. They’re not accurately anticipating when she is about to make her move.

  My steps across the room become less and less painful. With every foot I move I feel more health come back to me, and I equip my Bow of Elements, readying myself to join the attack. With nothing to lose, I nock a Water arrow and fire it at Morgana. It hits the transparent wall of magical protection and trickles down to the floor.

  Damn it. How are we going to break through her shield?

  The sorceress blasts another wall of air at Crowhurst and his men, knocking them to the ground and their weapons out of their hands. Balderdash13 is on it, ready, and rushes into the inner circle while the shield is down. As I watch the tank takes a wide swing and crushes her axe into Morgana’s legs, knocking her off her feet. I almost want to stop what I’m doing to cheer her on.

  The victory is short-lived. Even from the ground, Morgana is able to push Balderdash13 away from her. The woman goes tumbling outside the magical shield again, smashing into the wall and cracking one of the windows of Queen Vivian’s Throne Room. In the moment when the shield is down, Erinocalypse casts Fire Bolt and injures Morgana. But once the shield is back up, the witch easily puts the fire out and refills her health points.

  “Queen Vivian,” Crowhurst calls. “Your majesty, please. Use your power to subdue this traitor.”

  The queen sits calmly on her throne, watching the battle but with her hands folded in her lap. Whatever power Morgana wields is still in play. The sight of such a powerful woman enslaved enrages me as I ready another arrow.

  Morgana turns her attention to Erinocalypse, and the two women trade spells in the brief moment she pulls down the shield. I try to time it right, sending off the Fire arrow and just make it, both Erin and me hitting her with blast of fire at the same time. This time her injury is more substantial and she neglects to shield herself again right away. SteelFeather takes that moment to rush her, sword in the air.

  He’s blown back before he even has a chance to swing, her spell knocking him completely off his feet.

  I have one more thing to try, one more arrow that might make a difference. I nock and ready an Earth arrow, aiming for her head. I don’t have to wait long before she casts again at the soldiers and drops the shield. I let my arrow fly, but I just miss the window of opportunity when I might be able to hit her. Instead the Earth arrow smashes against the magical shield, and a web of glowing cracks appear in the air.

  Attention: Damage protection from Hurricane Shield less 5%

  “Did you do that?” TexBadass asks. “Did y’all do something to damage the shield?”

  I aim again, this time at the same spot, and fire off an Earth arrow.

  Attention: Damage protection from Hurricane Shield less 8%

  “It’s working,” I say. “My Earth arrows can do something.”

  “Let me try,” Erinocalypse says, firing Petrify at the shield.

  Attention: Damage protection from Hurricane Shield less 15%

  “Keep going,” I say. “Earth affinity damage will take it down.”

  My glance flashes to Morgana, who looks furious, but also a little worried. She seems to hesitate between wanting to continue her attacks to beat back the crowd of soldiers and hide behind her shield. With another blast of her hot air spell, Morgana shatters the window behind her. Glass cracks and splinters, some pieces crumbling to a fine powder beneath her feet.

  “She’s escaping,” Erinocalypse yells.

  I fire off two, three more Earth arrows.

  Attention: Damage protection from Hurricane Shield less 45%

  We’re so close to breaking through. Morgana backs up to the open window as I fire another Earth arrow.

  Attention: Damage protection from Hurricane Shield less 60%

  As the last of the magical shield cracks and disintegrates, Morgana cries out in frustration. She backs up to the window, stepping over glass and clinging to the window frame. Crowhurst and his men rush forward from one side, SteelFeather and Balderdash13 from the other. But all of them are too late.

  Morgana pulls herself into the window frame, standing on the sill for a brief moment.

  She jumps.

  “No!” Balderdash13 yells.

  Only three people can lean out the open window at once, but I elbow my way through, craning my neck to look down try to see where she fell.

  But I’m looking in the wrong direction. In the Throne Room we are five stories above the ground; I am shocked to see Morgana levitating in the air, just outside the window, high above the ground. She fires one final blast of burning air at the castle window, lighting the drapes on fire.

  With that ominous good-bye, she darts through the air around the castle and out over Dyrnwood in the distance.

  Quest Completed: Guardians of Camlan

  Description: With Morgana out of the castle, Queen Vivian has been released from the hold that the sorceress had over her.

  Reward: +1200 XP

  Congratulations! You have reached level 28!

  You have one attribute point to distribute.

  Name: SirAsh3r

  Level: 28

  Strength: 32

  Intelligence: 31

  Dexterity: 31

  Stamina: 31

  Magic: 33

  Skills: Woodcraft 3, Slash 2, Club 3, Paddle 1, Climbing 1, Stealth 3, Archery 9, Power Perception 4, Backstab 1

  Abilities: Initiative 2, Focus 1

  Professions: Cooking 2

  Affinities: 12% Earth; 16% Water; 10% Fire

  Fame: 350

  Achievements: First Explorer of Lake Galavant, First Explorer of Foyle Forest, Friend of Water

  I add one more point to Intelligence since I will probably need it for Alchemy.

  It’s over. She’s not defeated, but Castle Nennius is no longer under her spell.

  “Well done, SirAsh3r,” Queen Vivian says. “Thank you, Guardians of Camlan.”

  Chapter 46

  Queen Vivian takes my hand, pulling me closer to her and looking me squarely in the eye. The dazed and disconnected look she wore before is gone.

  “SirAsh3r, I don’t know how I can properly thank you,” the queen says, her voice cracking a little. “It has been so long since I have been able to do and say what I wanted to. I gave up long ago.”

  “We were happy to, your majesty.” I walk her back to her throne, her hand on my arm. “We are Guardians of Camlan, after all, sworn to protect the realm from dangers within. I think it’s safe to say that protecting a ruler such as yourself from being magically controlled counts as a task for a Guardian.”

  I try to smile at her, to reassure her, but I’m not sure what she needs. This seems not unlike a hostage being freed and not knowing quite how to make decisions on her own any more. And now that the quest is complete the
re’s no clear path.

  “With Morgana still at large in Camlan, Captain Crowhurst and I will need to revisit our defenses to ensure she is not able to reassert her position here after you leave.”

  “As you should. And if we encounter her during our own travels in Camlan, we will do our best to protect you and stop her from returning.”

  “Thank you. As a token of my thanks, I’d like to give you something very dear to me,” she says. “All of you. Captain Crowhurst, please send two of your men to Madam Avery’s study and bring me the large chest from under the window.”

  “I told you there would be loot,” TexBadass says under his breath.

  The queen thanks each of our party in turn, while we wait for the soldiers to return with the chest. Erinocalypse and Balderdash13 even get to hug the royal NPC. Captain Crowhurst remains by the Throne Room door, his hand on the pommel of his sword, still watching us. Whatever service we have performed his monarch is apparently not quite enough to allay all his suspicions.

  The two soldiers come back, walking slowly through the room under the weight of the chest. They set it in front of the throne at the queen’s feet and she beckons us forward to claim our prize.

  Through whatever magic of video game mechanics, as each of us approach the chest in turn, the only items that lay inside are the ones specifically for us. Even though I’m standing at her elbow, I don’t even see the heavy wooden shield, until Balderdash13 has pulled it out and reverently equipped it.

  When it’s my turn to approach the chest, it seems nearly overflowing with items, weapons and armor for me. I pull out a small leather pouch of gold coins, a ring that offers a boost to my Earth affinity, a recipe for an invisibility potion, heavy black leather fire-resistant pants, and at the very bottom of the chest I find a glimmering, immense sword.

  Name: Blade of Burnical

  Level: 47

  Requirements: Strength Level 25; Stamina Level 25

  As I lift it out and stand to examine it I hear SteelFeather holler behind me.

  “Hey!”

  “Um, your majesty? I’m not sure this is for me. I don’t use a sword.”

  “It is for you, SirAsh3r. The chest is never wrong. The of Blade of Burnical is a gift to those who choose to wield it. I hope you make that choice.”

  I swing the sword around experimentally a few times. I don’t know the last time I played a class that uses a sword, but the weight feels perfect in my hands. I’ll have to get some training and level up a new weapon, but this could be really awesome. And dangerous.

  “Is there anything else I can do to thank you, my friends?” Queen Vivian says. “I am forever in your debt. All you need to do is ask.”

  “Well, there is actually one other thing that we had been hoping to do while we were here.”

  “Oh?” The queen looks puzzled.

  I realize I don’t know how to explain this to an NPC. I don’t want to short circuit her brain or anything by trying to explain video game developers and coding and all of that.

  “Well, um. As you know, the sorceress Marilyn was imprisoned in the chamber in the rock far below this castle.”

  Queen Vivian’s face goes dark. “I do know. Did you free her in addition to freeing Lance Dulock?”

  “Oh, no,” I hurry to explain. “No, we killed her.”

  She looks taken aback. “Killed her? Well then …”

  I press on. “And after her death, the, uh, magic of … whatever gifted us with this Cambion Jewel as a reward.” I pull the bright golden stone from my inventory, holding it in front of me. About the size of a football, I need both hands to hold it.

  “Is this for me?” Queen Vivian is clearly confused. “What do you want me to do with this?”

  “Actually, your majesty, we were hoping that we could … I mean, I guess it’s for you, but we were thinking maybe we could embed it in your throne? Like, um, decor?”

  “By all means,” she says stepping out of my way.

  I hesitate for a moment, before deciding to just step up on the seat of the throne. There’s no other way to get high enough.

  I carefully raise the jewel above my head, aiming for the exact spot where the light golden glow indicates the quest requirement. I hold my hands over the Cambion Jewel for another few seconds, hesitating, waiting to make sure it is firmly in place. There is a light click that tells me it is plugged in or whatever Cho and the other Toterra Online developers needed us to do.

  I back away, stepping down off of the throne, to stand next to Erinocalypse.

  There’s a short beat before everyone in the room has to protect their eyes. The Jewel glows almost radioactively yellow, pulsing with bright light shining throughout the room, out the windows. Over the course of a couple seconds the light changes from yellow to green to blue to purple. As the color cools, the brightness dims a bit and I think I faintly hear something like a choir singing, fading into quiet again.

  Quest Completed: Save the Kingdom II

  Description: You have successfully saved the kingdom from the threat from within, by installing the Cambion Jewel securely in the Throne Room.

  Reward: +900 XP

  Congratulations! You have reached level 29!

  You have one attribute point to distribute.

  Name: SirAsh3r

  Level: 29

  Strength: 33

  Intelligence: 33

  Dexterity: 32

  Stamina: 32

  Magic: 34

  Skills: Woodcraft 3, Slash 2, Club 3, Paddle 1, Climbing 1, Stealth 3, Archery 9, Power Perception 4, Backstab 1

  Abilities: Initiative 2, Focus 1

  Professions: Cooking 2

  Affinities: 12% Earth; 16% Water; 10% Fire

  Fame: 350

  Achievements: First Explorer of Lake Galavant, First Explorer of Foyle Forest, Friend of Water

  “You’re right, SirAsh3r. It’s perfect. Such a jewel will be an asset to my Throne Room.”

  “That’s it, then?” TexBadass asks. “That’s all? We need to log out, I think.”

  “Yeah, I’m ready. Now that the game is protected and the corrupted code is secured. Our eighteen hours is almost up.”

  Are you sure you want to log out?

  Yes. I’m ready.

  Thank you for playing Camlan Online!

  I close my eyes and wait for the real world to reappear.

  Chapter 47

  I open my eyes to darkness and a lulling white noise within the Toterra Capsule, just moments before Theresa opens the lid for me.

  “You did it,” she says with a grin. She holds my robe ready for me as I step out of the VR pod.

  “Yeah, but letting other players into Camlan definitely didn’t help us. What were they thinking? Did you guys see the messages between MadMachine and me?”

  “That was weird,” she agrees. “I don’t think there was any doubt you’d be able to secure the code, but Talbot was so anxious for a few minutes back there when you got arrested, he actually took an antacid tablet.”

  “So?”

  “So.” She laughs. “He’s always acting like he’s twenty-something and just like all his customers. Don’t tell anyone he’s actually old enough to have heartburn.”

  As anxious as the CEO apparently had been, he’s nowhere in sight. Not waiting to meet us as we exit the game, or at any point in the hallway walking back to our rooms. I guess I don’t really need his attention, but I’m disappointed. At least half of why I wanted to take on this challenge in the first place was to show off what I can do, but who am I showing if Talbot doesn’t even notice?

  As the group, six players plus a handler for each, turn down the final corridor to the sleeping quarters we have been staying in all week, Theresa stops short.

  “Oh, hang on. I just got a text.”

  “Yeah, me too,” says Jack, Callidus’s minder.

  “Oh, well, I guess Mr. Talbot wants to meet with you guys after all,” Theresa says, still staring at her phone. “This says you should sho
wer and get your things together and come back and meet in the common room in half an hour.”

  “For heaven’s sake,” TexBadass says. “Y’all don’t ask for much, do you? Eighteen hours in a VR pod, saving your hide and now just half an hour to shower and rest?”

  Theresa cringes. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Get our things together? Like … to leave?”

  “I don’t know.” Theresa looks at her phone again, scrolling up and down. “It doesn’t say. Maybe pack it all up just in case?”

  “Ugh.” I sigh loudly. I’m complaining. I don’t really care who hears me. This is ridiculous.

  “Sorry,” Theresa says again. I hear the other handlers murmuring their own apologies as each of us are escorted to our door.

  Once inside I waste no time. Is there such a thing as an anger-shower? That. I do that. I revel in the scalding hot water. I hope it costs Talbot … you know … extra money. For how hot it is. In fact, I let the hot water continue to run while I dry off and get dressed, gathering up my things. Finally, I have to turn the water off because the room has become unbearably humid.

  I check the clock and make sure I don’t show up to the common room any earlier than I have to, even if that means sitting on my bed with my bag packed and nothing else to do for seven minutes. I lie back on the bed, looking at the ceiling, wondering what could have happened to change the way Talbot treats us so extremely. Just a couple days ago, we were royalty that he begged for help, and now he’s throwing us out on the street.

  I wait as long as possible, watching the clock tick over to the minute I was supposed to be in the common room before even leaving my room.

  The CEO doesn’t let us in to the common room. He stands outside the door, waiting for us.

  “Fantastic! Really wonderful.” Talbot shakes each of our hands in turn, briskly, rushed almost. “We are so grateful to you for your dedication to the quest and to preserving the security of the code. Camlan players thank you.”

  Cho stands behind him, her expression unreadable.