by Alex Mulder
His mace… it’s enchanted.
Luke ran side by side with Kaoru and the two of them launched toward the Arbiter together. Kaoru swung first, pulling his whips in a downward arc over his head.
The Arbiter smiled coldly. He caught a whip in each hand and pulled. Kaoru flew through the air toward him. Kaoru’s face was a mixture of shock and confusion. With another strike of the Arbiter’s mace, it was over. Kaoru’s health bar faired only slightly better than Silverstrike’s had, but his rigid body flew through the air and landed on the ground, frozen just the same.
Damn it! We don’t stand a chance!
Katrina was standing a little behind Luke, and Tess was another few feet back. Luke sunk down into a crouch and studied the Arbiter. It watched him back, still smiling, almost daring him to make a move.
“Tess…” Luke spoke without turning his head. “The silence spell that you hit him with… how long does it last?”
“What?” Tess shook her head. “It lasts for one minute. Luke, we have to kill him now!”
“Stay there!” Luke turned, waving his hand toward Tess as though trying to push her back from a distance. “Tess, don’t get close to him.”
All of the Arbiter’s attention was on Luke, and he was glad for it. He moved his hand over to Katrina, also signaling for her to keep still.
“As long as I don’t get hit…”
MIRROR IMAGE 3
“I can take him out.”
Luke moved forward with slow steps, keeping his entire body tensed behind his sword. The Arbiter was watching him carefully, but there was something about the way he stood that was unnerving.
He’s almost casual. Is he that sure that he’s going to win, or…?
Luke lunged. The Arbiter was fast with a counter attack, but Luke was ready. He ducked and rolled, keeping his conjured blades with him using them to keep his opponent off guard.
The Arbiter smashed into one of them with his mace, and it disappeared into the ether.
PIERCE ATTACK 3
Luke missed. The Arbiter’s boot connected with his back as he went by. Luke flew across the courtyard.
I can’t keep getting hit like this!
Blue light surrounded Luke. He felt his wounds healing and he looked up to see Tess glowing in blue light. She chanted something else, and another spell dropped down on him.
“Haste!” she yelled. “Luke, you can keep up with him!”
Luke nodded, and immediately moved toward his opponent. He jabbed his blade forward, and watched as the Arbiter turned to dodge. Everything appeared to move slower, but really, it was Tess’s spell allowing Luke to move faster. Only an inch separated his blade from making contact, and Luke was able to slip out of the way of the counterattack.
“Hurry, Luke!” yelled Tess.
She started chanting again, and another spell landed on the Arbiter.
She silenced him again!
Luke attacked the Arbiter with his physical sword while he directed the two remaining magical ones forward. This time, the Arbiter’s defensive footwork left him open, and one of the conjured swords slammed into his shoulder.
The Arbiter opened his mouth as though to scream, but no sound came out. Luke attacked again, feeling confident. The Arbiter countered, and when Luke moved to dodge, he realized he’d fallen for a trap.
His opponent’s metal boot slammed into his stomach. All of the air rushed out of Luke’s lungs and he flew several feet through the air, falling into the sand with a thud.
“…Damn it.” Luke watched as the Arbiter moved forward to finish him off. He caught the enforcer’s eye, and saw cold determination staring back at him.
Tess stepped forward from behind Luke, and Katrina lunged out from the side. Katrina’s lunge was too slow to be effective, and she was easily knocked away by the Arbiter, but Tess had her staff pointed forward. She finished chanting and closed her eyes.
A strand of blinding white light shot from her staff. It struck the Arbiter square in the chest, and he flew back against the wall of the settlement. He was slow to recover, slow enough to give Luke a chance to get up and get moving.
“Katrina, now!” he yelled. “Everything you’ve got.”
The Arbiter had begun to recover by the time that Luke and Katrina closed the distance, but Tess was chanting again. She cast the same spell as before, slamming their opponent with holy energy and giving Luke and Katrina the extra second they needed.
ELEMENTAL INFUSION: HOLY
CONJURE SWORD 3
PIERCE ATTACK 3
Luke followed her example and used both of his offensive combat skills. Four holy infused blades, along with Katrina’s daggers, slammed into the Arbiter at once.
Its health was already at half of its maximum from the damage of Tess’s spells. Their combined attack was enough. It pierced through the Arbiter’s armor and into his body underneath
The silence spell wore off just as the Arbiter’s health zeroed out. He let out an enraged scream, and then fell to the side.
We did it…
Luke stared at the body. Katrina and Tess were next to him, shaking their heads from side to side.
“I can’t believe it,” said Luke.
“There’s no turning back now,” said Tess. “But then again, there never was.”
CHAPTER 8
The stun magic was wearing off Kaoru and Silverstrike by the time Luke made his way over. Luke helped them to their feet, and then looked over at the body of the Arbiter.
“What do we do with the body?” asked Luke. He frowned as he stared at the armored corpse, rendered in such detail as to be indistinguishable from a death in the real world.
“We have to take the armor,” said Kaoru. “It might end up being a necessary part of what comes next.”
Several of Katrina’s guild mates nodded and immediately moved to start stripping the Arbiter of his armor.. Luke sighed and examined the expression on Kaoru’s face.
We’re in deep, and it’s all because I decided to trust him.
“Once you’re done taking the armor off, bury the body in the sand in the zone immediately south of this one.” Kaoru pointed with his finger, and the players cleaning up nodded. “He’ll become food for the Dunidans, and the other Arbiters will be none the wiser.”
“Kaoru, I think it’s time that you tell us exactly what it is that you’re planning.” Luke folded his arms and widened his stance slightly. Kaoru just smiled.
“Of course,” he said. “I’d like to talk with you and the other leaders of your group, if that’s alright.”
Luke, Silverstrike, Tess, Katrina, and Kaoru stood in the main guildhall, the doors and windows shut for privacy. Kaoru was pulling something out of his satchel, and as Luke looked more closely, he realized that it was a detailed map of the continent.
“It goes without saying that all of what we’re about to discuss needs to stay between us.” Kaoru set the map on the table, standing behind it, slowly making eye contact with each of them.
Luke and the others nodded. Kaoru ran his hand through his hair, taking a moment before continuing.
“Yvvaros isn’t just a game. I’m sure the four of you have realized it as well, by now.” Kaoru set his hand down on the map and smoothed out a few of its wrinkles. “It’s much more than a simple game. The Arbiters… The United Nations… has also come to that same conclusion.”
“Kaoru, we agree with you on all of this,” said Luke. “I’m not looking for the why. I need the how.”
Kaoru nodded.
“I won’t mince words. I want to overthrow the Arbiters and take this world back from them, back from the developers, and put it into the hands of the players.”
He makes it sound so simple…
Kaoru was examining their faces, taking stock of the doubt in their eyes.
“What’s the matter?” He smiled. “I thought you all knew that was why I came here. I certainly figured that killing the Arbiter would open your eyes to the possibility, if only a little
.”
“It took all of us to kill it,” said Silverstrike. “And even then… we lucked out. We should be dead right now.”
“No!” Kaoru slapped the table with his hand. “No, see, that’s where you’re wrong. We should be developing this world right now, turning all of the claimable zones into thriving towns. We should be free to do what we want in Yvvaros without having to worry about paying taxes or succumbing to permadeath. We shouldn’t have to live under the same restrictions as people in the real world.”
“I don’t disagree with any of that, Kaoru,” said Luke. “Look, I get that you’re an idealist, but get to the point. How? What do you have planned?”
Kaoru was still smiling, as if he enjoyed having all of them waiting on his every word.
He knows how to lead, and how to inspire. Why can’t I do that?
“The Arbiters aren’t invincible,” he said. “You all know that, after what we just did. But there is something else that I think you should know.”
Kaoru pulled a small charcoal pencil out of his satchel and began drawing stick figures along the bottom edge of the map. He drew ten of them in total, and then turned back to the group.
“The Arbiters can die.” He crossed one of them out. “And more importantly, when they do, they don’t respawn, just like us.”
One of Katrina’s guild mates had brought the Arbiter’s armor into the guild hall, and Kaoru turned his attention to it.
“They don’t respawn?” asked Luke. “How do you know that for a fact?”
“Most of the Arbiter patrols run on regular paths, like clockwork,” said Kaoru. “I’ve been having friends of mine keep tabs on the patrol the Arbiter I killed came from. They still haven’t replaced him, and it’s been days.”
Luke shook his head.
“How can you be sure, though?” he asked. “This feels like an awfully big thing to put a bet on.”
“You aren’t the only one with a connection to the developers, Kato. I heard it directly from someone on the former Gamesoft development team.” Kaoru smiled. “The Arbiters may seem like they’re all powerful in-game, but it’s become clear to me that they’re not. They play by the same rules that we do. They don’t have access to the dev tools.”
“That doesn’t make any sense…” Katrina was shaking her head and frowning.
“On the surface, no, it doesn’t,” said Kaoru. “I’ve heard rumors that the person in charge of the Arbiter program, the one directing these raids, is actually a former member of the core development team.”
“Maybe they just haven’t decided to take control over the game rules yet?”
“Maybe,” said Kaoru. “Or maybe, they’re locked out. I can imagine a scenario where one of the ousted developers, forced to help a UN enforcement crew, might lock the game in its current state out of spite. If that’s the case, we’re in the tiny window of time where something can still be done to take this world back.”
This… is a lot to take in.
“Doing this, even just planning to do this, probably violates at least a few international laws.” Katrina folded her arms. “What’s to stop the UN from coming after us in the real world?”
“Honestly... nothing. Look, my plan isn’t exactly straightforward, but I know it can work.” Kaoru stood up and made eye contact with each of them again. “We’re all going to have to play an essential role.”
Luke nodded, and glanced at Tess. She looked resolute, but a little frightened. He reached his hand over and squeezed hers.
This is for her. This is so she can live without fear, and so I don’t have to worry. So I can start thinking about joining her.
“Tell us the details, Kaoru,” said Luke.
“First, we’re going to need an alliance between the major guilds.” Kaoru ran his finger over the map. “Silverstrike, can you begin negotiations with some of the other leaders? We want to get them on board, but we also can’t tell them too much about the actual details of the plan.”
Silverstrike nodded.
“I can… but how will it be of any help?” Silverstrike shrugged. “There are too many Arbiters and not enough high level players. We wouldn’t stand a chance in an all-out attack, regardless of whether they can respawn.”
“That’s where the next part of the plan comes in,” said Kaoru. “We’re going to have something that evens the odds between us and our enemies. Kato, this is where your help is going to be essential as the Hero of Kantor.”
The Hero of Kantor… It’s just a name.
“What do you need me to do?”
Kaoru tapped his fingers on the map. He looked a little hesitant, as though expecting his request to be too much for Luke to accept.
“I need you to track down the three Elemental Wells and claim them for your guild,” said Kaoru. “And I think you’re going to need to bring Tess with you in order to do it.”
That’s not going to happen.
Luke shook his head, and Kaoru clasped his hands together in desperation.
“Just listen!” He made eye contact with Tess and then looked back at Luke. “She’s the highest level player in your guild. The only reason we were even able to take down the Arbiter in the first place was because of her magic.”
“Absolutely not,” said Luke. Tess reached over and put her hand on his arm.
“Luke…” Her voice was little more than a whisper. “You can’t protect me forever.”
Tess…
“There is another part to the plan that I’m going to need your help for Kato,” said Kaoru. “We can talk about the Elemental Wells later, but I need to make sure you’re committed to this final task.”
“What is it?”
“I need you… to get your father to join with us.”
Luke laughed and then shook his head.
This plan is insane. I should have known that it would be ridiculous going into it.
“Hear me out!” Kaoru was shouting, not in an angry tone of voice, but like a moderator trying to calm an unruly crowd. “All of the other facets of the plan I’ve had worked out for days. When you found me, the final piece, how we’re actually going to break free from the UN’s physical control, clicked in my head.”
“I don’t even know where my dad is,” said Luke. “I haven’t seen him in over a week.”
“Please, try to find him,” said Kaoru. “We need access to the server and he can give it to us. If we can get to the main server, and transfer the world state to a server that’s under our control, then we can win.”
Nobody said anything for a moment. Luke let Kaoru’s words settle on the air, unsure of whether or not to object or to take them into consideration.
The sun was beginning to set outside. Several of Katrina’s guild members were waiting in the courtyard, back from disposing of the Arbiter’s body. Luke sighed, and then stood up from his chair at the table.
“Let’s finish this meeting later,” he said. “It’s been a long day.”
Kaoru looked a little surprised, but he nodded politely.
Am I really tired, or am I just sick of taking on responsibility?
As if response, Tess walked over to him and curled her arm through his.
“I’m tired, too,” she said. “Thanks, Kato.”
“I’ll have some of my players setup the bonfire, and we can eat dinner around it,” said Katrina. “To celebrate the fact that we’re all still alive and in control of Dunidan’s Rest. Who knows how long that’s going to continue to be the case…”
“Kato.” Kaoru was standing in the back of the guild hall, calm and composed. “Thank you for listening. Regardless of what you and your friends decide to do in the end, I appreciate what you’ve already done for me.”
Luke didn’t say anything.
There’s no easy way forward. We’re screwed if we do, and fucked if we don’t.
Tess walked with him as he left the building. There was a light breeze in the air, and the palm trees by the oasis slowly wavered as the wind moved through the co
mpound. A flock of birds circled overhead, as if debating whether to land or keep going. Luke empathized with their dilemma as he debated what to do next.
“Come on,” said Tess. “Let’s head up to the wall and get our minds off all of this.”
“Yeah,” said Luke. “Thanks.”
She’s always been able to sense my emotions, even back before she started playing Yvvaros. Back when she was just Emily, and I was just Luke.
From the wall, they had a clear view of the horizon. The clouds were a brilliant mixture of reds and purples, glowing on either side of the sun like an ethereal cloak of armor. Luke could see a group of small creatures running across the dunes in the zone next to them. And in the zone beyond that, a Dunidan swam through the sand with elegant, sweeping dives.
“I know you have a lot on your mind, Luke,” whispered Tess. “I just want you to know, if you don’t like how Kaoru’s plan sounds, then you don’t have to go along with it. Don’t feel pressured to do it for my sake.”
“It’s not like I can just ignore the facts, Tess,” said Luke. “You’ve gone all in. And I…”
I love you. I have to protect you.
Tess shook her head. There was a glimmer of sadness in her eyes. Luke had it seen before but still didn’t fully understand it.
“We still haven’t talked about it, Luke,” said Tess. “Me going all in, it’s just hanging over us. Pushing us away from each other.”
“Tess…”
“I live in this game now.” Tess smiled at him solemnly. “And you still live in the outside world.”
“I tried to go all in!” Luke couldn’t stop his emotions from creeping into his voice. “I still have stitches in my stomach to prove it.”
“I know, I know, that’s not what I meant…” Tess sighed. “You need to be in both worlds. If you decide to go along with Kaoru’s plan, it’s essential.”
What am I supposed to say to her?
“Do you resent me for what I did, Luke?” Tess locked eyes with him as she asked the question.
“Resent you? How could I ever resent you, Tess?”
“Why have you been so distant, then?” Tess blinked and looked away from him, back out over the horizon. “Why does it seem like you and Ben are just… phoning our conversations in?”