Forsaken 337 BC

by Sharon Leslie

  {[Cybele says it won't be long they are nearly through and the corrupt EI will soon be no more,]} the AIs said.

  Cain knew if he could not take a Heamna he would lose the fight and it would be up to his three wives and Amazons to kill Odissemus. As Cain stumbled back from the push, Odissemus' Scimitar flicked out and cut Cain across the face below his eyes. Feeling the flow of blood down his face, Cain was becoming desperate to disengage and take a potion. :If only Sophie was here her AOE healing spell would help.:

  Again, Odissemus locked his Scimitar against Cain's gladius, as they pushed apart Odissemus dragged the Scimitar's point down the inside of Cain's left arm, and opened skin, muscle down to the bone and removed over eight hundred health from Cain.

  Cain recognised the symptoms of feeling faint, he was bleeding heavily from his left arm and his health was dropping, it now stood at only five hundred. He shook his head as another pop-up flashed onto the HUD, Odissemus' levels were all forty, leaving Odissemus with three times as much health as Cain. Odissemus tried to lock swords again as Cain spoke to Toni.

  ^C^ T, I love you, when I capture this bastard's sword, cut him into tiny chunks. I will check on Bethany back at the safe house. I love you so much, keep the other wives and our bed warm. ^

  Cain dropped his gladius, allowing Odissemus to plunge his Scimitar deep into his chest. Wrapping his good arm around Odissemus' sword arm using his rapidly diminishing health and stamina Cain whispered to Odissemus.

  "You have lost Jason. I will be back in twenty hours, while your advantage using this EI has not worked out for you. Poor Odissemus, you spent your advantage for nothing. I win even though you get to kill me, my wives will kill you and the Amazons will be free," Cain gasped.

  Odissemus tried to pull his Scimitar free when that failed he tried letting it go too, but found Cain had a death grip on his hand squeezing it against the Scimitar's handle.

  Toni, and Lesley who stood watching the macabre fight, rushed in and hacked at Odissemus, while Cain held him close laughing in Odissemus' face as he died. Fifteen hundred health was removed from the Pirate King in five double swings of their gladii. Toni watched as the light left Odissemus' eyes, she checked the pop-up notification of Cain's death and dismissed it to her log file, then removed Odissemus' head lifting it for all to see before throwing it towards a corner of the room.

  Kneeling and pulling Cain's dead body to themselves, Toni and Lesley cried, even though they knew Cain would soon be respawned along with Bethany. They were both holding Cain and each other as Cain's avatar dissolved back into the game.

  A system-wide pop-up alerted everyone in the 337 BC game zone that someone completed the quest to kill the Pirate King, he was dead killed by two of the DreamBabes. Since it was the first time a person or a clan had accomplished this main quest, the system would make an additional reward to the person or leader of the clan who completed it. The reward would be made know only to that person or clan when they handed in the quest and collected the additional reward, finished the system message.

  Clearing Pyrgadikian

  Toni and Lesley cried on each other's shoulders, first at the loss of Bethany, then Cain. Lesley took a deep breath and said to Toni, "For Joseph and the DreamBabes," which Toni echoed. Standing they messaged the group, especially Daphne and Sophie and told them,

 
 

  The two DreamBabes and three hundred Amazons made for the basement where the connecting tunnel emerged. Violetta travelled the tunnel on her own, she said to Toni when she walked out on her own.

  "Anything stupid enough to attack me when four hundred Amazons were close enough to speak to, must want to remove themselves from the collective player code."

  Toni had the Amazons search for a switch or lever to open the area where twelve females were motionless behind the wall. One Amazon pressed on a tile in the corner of the throne room, behind the piles of bone dust. The hidden room was revealed as the wall slid back. Twelve female players hung from the ceiling on pullies, their mouths were gagged and their feet tied. It took the Amazons under ten minutes to let the females down and remove them from the room.

  Sophie cast an AoE healing spell on the females, she knew the spell would restore them to full health. Finding a chest in the room full of the females clothing, they soon helped them dress making the females feel better as they continued to heal. Each woman told a similar tale, they had been rounded up by the city patrols the pirates ran, or were taken direct from their families. Toni insisted they stay at the castle for the rest of the night, they could return home in the morning.

  Toni, Lesley and Violetta took less than an hour checking all members of the staff they found in the castle. Of the thirty-five staff, Violetta found one worshipper of Erebus. The silly man lost his life when he lied about following and worshipping Erebus. Of the thirty-four remaining castle staff the under-Castilian was the only other NPC they had to kill. Violetta told Toni the under-Castilian was a rapist, he used his position to take advantage of the women who worked in the castle. Toni handed him over to the female staff as her Amazons handed the females their Ari B'Lilah, his end was messy, :He got everything he deserved,: Toni thought.

  With Violetta’s link to Cybele they removed from their positions, the master of the keys, and the head steward. "Both were crooks and liked their deals with the pirates, they would have sold the new lords down the river for a bag of gold," said Violetta. With the castle cleansed and the castle staff assured of further employment, Toni, Lesley and the remaining two hundred and seventy walked over ground to the gatehouse. They left behind a grateful staff of thirty-one, all blessed by Violetta at the newly consecrated altar.

  Lesley placed the altar in the room where they found the twelve female players. The Pirate King and his player followers had killed each female player multiple times, lowering their levels until none were above level eight. Toni asked the castle staff to take care of the twelve females until Joseph came back. He would tell them what he wanted to do.

  They temporarily left thirty Amazons in the castle and thirty at the gatehouse. The remaining three hundred and forty Amazons lined up behind the main gate and waited for Daphne to use her Geomancer skill to lower the stone barricade she had built earlier that morning.

  Toni looked at her HUD as she received a message from Cybele, it told her the interactive local map now had location markers for any pirate accommodation and followers of Erebus.

  Toni shared the map details with Daphne, Sophie and Lesley, telling them they could either work alone or in pairs, they each chose pairs. Splitting the Amazons in half, Violetta went with Daphne and Sophie, her help in identifying followers of Erebus would be helpful.

  Lesley led Toni and their one hundred and seventy Amazons, their first location was an inn called The Spread Legs. A small fight ensued as six pirates wanted to protest at having the carnal relations curtailed. They threw the six pirates out of Pyrgadikian's eastern gate; it was still a hand span before the sun would rise.

  Toni warned the town's militia that if any pirate was allowed back inside by them, then She and the Amazons would take bodily payment from the militia's families. By the time they had swept Pyrgadikian clear of pirates and followers of Erebus, Toni was pleased they did not have the throw any of the militia's families out. She noticed when she attended the Eastern gate, there were five patches of blood staining the earth outside the town. One of the militia said, "Those fools thought we would let them walk straight back in. They did not know it was them or our families, our families won hands down each time."

&
nbsp; Daphne and Sophie started their search at the house of a rich merchant. After they had the Amazons knock down the front door, Violetta headed directly to the Erebus idol, hidden behind a tapestry hanging on the wall. As one of the Amazons grabbed the idol to smash it the rich merchant tried to grab one of Sophie's gladii. For what purpose nobody knew, it cost the merchant his life though, "Maybe he thought Erebus will reward him in the afterlife," Violetta said, "Fat chance of that."

  The final property Sophie and Daphne visited was a brothel in the warehouse area, called The Whores Behind. Inside they had a fight with over twenty pirates who docked earlier in the night. They threw three pirates out of Pyrgadikian, the other pirates died fighting against being thrown out of the brothel.

  Toni messaged everyone once they had checked all the markers on the HUD local map. Each pirates and follower of Erebus they found had been either killed or thrown out of the cities gates.

  Bethany's eyes jerked open, her heart rate rocketed as her hands grasped at her chest, feeling for the dagger and Ivor Bigone's hand. She heard a voice instructing her to calm down; she was back at the safe house, not in Forsaken dying on the castle floor.

  Bethany shivered slightly, her hands still feeling for the wound the dagger made. She knew it was a game but the sensations; the feelings were all realistic. Bethany remembered the pain of the dagger as it split her skin and cut its way into her body, clipping her heart as it killed her.

  She made the instant choice to sacrifice herself, rather than let her sister-wife Lesley die. Tears formed as the emotions bubbled up and threatened to overcome her mind. She heard the voice which told her to calm down speak to somebody else. Bethany prayed it was not Lesley, then remembered only Toni, Daphne and Cain's bodies were with hers in the safe house.

  The lid on her POD lifted clear and Bethany disconnected her NI lead, she had already taken the breathing and feeding mask off. Climbing out of the POD Bethany heard then watched as another POD's lid opened and Cain first stood then exited his POD.

  Bethany, tears flowing down her face ran toward Cain, as he stepped out of his POD she leapt into his arms and laughed on his shoulder as he held her close. Bethany could feel Cain's penis touch her leg as he walked and carried her toward the shower.

  "Shower then bed to relax for a short while. We only have one hour and fifty-four minutes before we need to go back," Cain said. Still carrying Bethany to the shower room, Cain pushed the door open with a foot as the EI turned the lights on and two shower heads sprang to life; filling the room with hot steam. As Cain let Bethany down her hands explored Cain's body.

  She put a hand behind his head and pulled him down for a deep kiss before getting in the shower together. Ten minutes later as they dried each other, Bethany gave Cain another kiss.

  "That was one of the fastest showers I’ve ever taken," complained Bethany as Cain told the EI to turn the shower off. "It can't have been more than five minutes. I mean who can shower that fast?" Cain laughed as he dried her back. They entered the bedroom and Bethany pulled Cain toward the bed, she asked him in the shower but he was non-committal. Here in the bedroom, both naked and clean she looked him in the eye and asked again.

  "Please don't make me beg, I want to make love with you. I need to feel you inside me," Bethany asked. Cain felt his heart melt, :I have tried so hard to be faithful to Toni, so very hard. Yet here I am with this beautiful naked woman, a woman I've had sex with, made love to so many times I've lost count. A woman while in Forsaken has carried and gave birth to two of my children, Freya and Ricky. How could I not love her like I love Toni . I can't I love her the same as I love Toni, though Toni is my first love,: he thought.

  As Cain thought through his thoughts he was hesitant as he touched her face, he brushed away the tear running down her cheek. He said to Bethany, "I love you so much, as much as I love Toni. I want you to be happy here, now, in the real world. I want you as much as you want me."

  Leaning into his chest Bethany kissed his hard body and she slipped off the bed to kneel on the floor. She grabbed his penis then kissed down its growing length and as she pulled his foreskin back, she kissed the exposed head. Running her tongue around the head she was surprised it brought a low groan from Cain. His penis now erect and hard Bethany climbed on the bed still holding Cain then guided his penis and rubbed it over her vagina. Bethany let go of Cain then turned and knelt in front of him and said, "Please make love to me. I want it hard, I want you to fuck me deep, make me come while you thrust into me, please.

  "I want to feel life and love in my body in the real world, not only in Forsaken. Not even a realistic avatar can compare to making love here with you. So please fuck me, now." Cain used his left hand and opened her lips, which were covered in Bethany's juices. He ran his penis head around her entrance and let his head, nestle at the entrance, ready. Bethany could feel Cain's penis nudge the entrance to her vagina, impatiently she pushed her bottom back and forced Cain's penis deep inside her, which made her moan with pleasure.

  He gently laughed at her actions then he withdrew then pushed forward with his hips, his penis pushed inside and the walls of Bethany's vagina tightened on his penis. Again Bethany asked him to fuck her hard; being the man he was Cain obliged, grabbed her hips and fucked her hard. Bethany came twice before Cain came, they laid on their sides facing each other. Bethany said, "You truly are as large in real life and I don't want it any other way." She leant forward and gave him a tender kiss. They spent twenty minutes cuddling and talking on the bed.

  "I have not made love to a man since I lost my virginity to a fellow student, whom I shared a selective study group with. We did it once, more at his instigation than mine. He was not gentle with me and after we made love he got up and left, he dumped me the next day. I think he made love to me for a bet even though he said nothing to the other students.

  "Anyway, I wanted to make love with you here in the real world. When we make love in Forsaken, you are caring and responsive to all our needs, I hoped you would be the same here in reality and you are. Forsaken is good but in the flesh it is sooo much better," said Bethany

  A system timer alerted Cain and Bethany they had fifteen minutes before they had to hit the PODs, Bethany needed to be back one minute before Cain. As they entered the POD room, Bethany said,

  "Cain, I'm a little worried, I can hear a voice in my head. I try ignoring it but it is persistent. Am I going crazy? Has my brain injury worsened and is killing my brain? Please tell me I'm not crazy, I couldn't face living if I was," Bethany said.

  "What does the voice say to you when you listen?" Cain asked.

  "It says she is Naomi, but I know no one called Naomi," Bethany said and Cain smiled.

  "Naomi, how are you. My AI calls itself Enoch, there are two other AIs who are here in this base with their hosts. You will get to meet them once we get into our PODs," Cain said.

  "My AI, Naomi, it, she spoke to me when you spoke to her. I thought I was going crazy, but it's all right, isn't it?" Bethany said. "Naomi said she looked forward to talking to the other AIs after we have had a talk."

  Cain gave her a hug and a deep kiss, telling her she was not going crazy. "Your short amount of time in the POD here with its special Nanogel has already made important changes to you. The Nanites in the gel have made you whole or are making you whole, repairing you." Cain tapped on his legs, telling her,

  "These were once robotic legs, now they are an integrated part of me, as real as the rest of my body but slightly better. The Nanogel which I theoretically developed while a part of my undertaking a doctorate. All people knew was I working in theory and virtual reality to make Nanites. The trouble with theory it does turn to practice and I did develop a tiny Nanite, which was around five micrometres small and more advanced than any other Nanite or Nanobot on the market.

  "After I received my doctorate in theoretical micro engineering, I dropped out of sight. Following an idea from a family friend, I stored the Nanites I made in practice, not theoretically,
suspending them in a conductive gel, hence Nanogel. I developed the Nanites so they would work on repairing damage to a humans body at the cellular level. I ended up being the first test subject as they repaired my legs and nerve damage.

  "With John's help, together we created a plus version, and it seems to work at even smaller sizes than five micrometres in a person. They can and have been repairing your brain and making you whole. It is what I developed the Nanogel to do.

  "We discovered when Toni and I came out of the PODs to save Daphne, the Nanites have improved both our reflexes, stamina and other small things. Someone shot me several times with high calibre rounds, we discovered my skin is impervious to bullets, knives and blunt weapons.

  "Toni and I can also speak mind-to-mind in the real world too, not only in the game. We believe you and Daphne will develop those skills too. Something for you to look forward to once we finish Forsaken, by finding Vince and saving the people locked into the game."

  A one-minute timer sounded, Bethany gave Cain a quick kiss and told him, "I do love you Cain," as she climbed into her POD. Cain replied, "And I loved you too Bethany," he knew in his heart it was as deep a love as he had for Toni.

  Fastening the NI lead and pulling the breathing and feeding mask on, Bethany involuntary shivered as the Nanogel filled the POD. Her eyes closed as she leant back and was seated comfortably, the next moment her eyes opened. She was laid out on the bed in Bounty. Lesley leapt on Bethany and gave her a huge hug and kissed her. Returning the kiss Bethany listened to Naomi.

  [We have much to learn together, Enoch, Rahab and Ruth who is also learning, will help our joint development. Enjoy your moments of bliss,] Naomi said. Bethany wondered what Naomi meant by moments of bliss when Cain returned to Forsaken, his body woke with him laid naked on the bed. Four hours later Bethany relaxed, welcomed home in the best possible way making love to her sisters and Cain.