Zectas Volume VI: The Delusive Realm of Mictlan

by John Nest

  Today, same as yesterday, Meneur came to visit him. They talked about the way of life of the secluded MaduHai Orks. In turn, Smoke told her about the development of the outside world. During this time, he had raised his Intimacy Level with Meneur to that of ‘Trusted Friend’.

  “Forgive me for being blunt, but there is something that has been bothering me for a while,” blurted out Smoke.

  “What is it?” asked Meneur.

  “You are called the High Priestess and there are six other Priestesses that I know of,” began Smoke. “But in all the time I’ve been here, I’ve never seen any temples.”

  Meneur chuckled. “You heathens really crack me up. Why do you need to build a structure to commune with the great god?”

  “Huh? I don’t get it,” said Smoke.

  “Here, we have been taught that the great god Tezcazin exists within all of us,” explained Meneur. “Each of us carries a fragment of his divine wisdom. That is why we live our lives to the fullest. After all, who knows what will come tomorrow.”

  “Um… but aren’t you hiding from the rest of the world here in the swamplands?” pointed out Smoke, while still casually working on the dam.

  “To you, it may look like that, but to us, it is a place where we can be free from the shackles of conformity,” said Meneur.

  Smoke shook his head, confused. “Still don’t get it.”

  “This enlightenment maybe too far from your reach right now,” said Meneur. “Just imagine those OrkElves you mentioned. They’re running around everywhere. Asking for scraps in the cities, and these hapless offsprings of my savage cousins are even forced to live in pomegranate forests.”

  “Right? Doesn’t your heart break imagining their lives?” replied Smoke.

  “Honestly, it doesn’t sound so bad,” said Meneur. “Their problem is, they lack the sense of self. If they knew that the great god Tezcazin dwells within them then—”

  “Didn’t you hear what I said?” interjected Smoke, immediately stopping his work on the dam. “These OrkElves are orphans. They only have themselves to rely on.”

  “You may think that it’s bad,” replied Meneur. “But the Orks leave them alone, right?”

  Smoke was about to argue with her but stopped himself. “That’s true. Why is that?” he wondered out loud.

  Meneur laughed. “You’ve fought against the UrukHai and MoriHai Orks, correct?”

  “Yes,” replied Smoke, intrigued.

  “But you still have no idea how their mind works,” she stated. She walked over to him and snorted out hot air from her nose. “Let me educate you. The UrukHai, MoriHai and especially the OlegHai are parasites. So, why would they bother with the poverty-stricken OrkElves!”

  Meneur turned to the heavens and look down then she shook her head in dismay. “They only attack places where they can profit from it. They will ravage and pillage that place until it has nothing left.” She then let out a deep sigh. “I fear that soon there will come a time when they will conquer this entire continent.”

  “Did you know that the UrukHai’s General came here and threatened us to join them,” blurted out Meneur. “Luckily, he believed me when I asked for a month to prepare before joining their forces.”

  “What? Are you seriously going to join the rest of the Orks?” asked Smoke, alarmed. “What about the things you told me about how the MaduHai have evolved into the lovers of nature and logic?”

  “I would have loved to refuse him,” interjected Meneur. “Unfortunately, there’s just no way anyone can beat the United Ork Tribes. Heck, even if the Kingdoms of Vitzytl and Thanotl would unify their forces they would still have a hard time defeating us.”

  “That is only if your tribe joins them,” interjected Smoke. “The MaduHai are the smallest of the Ork Tribes, but why do you think does the General of the UrukHai insist that you join them?” he asked in a Socratic manner.

  “Simple, because we are the only Orks who have the knowledge of Magic,” answered Meneur. “Without us, they won’t have any healers.”

  “There you go!” said Smoke. “Then, don’t join the rest of the Ork Tribes.”

  “And what? Incur the wrath of the other three tribes? No thanks!” said Meneur, laughing nervously. “Besides, there isn’t even an alliance of the Vitzytl and Thanotl Kingdoms.”

  Upon hearing this, Smoke’s smile grew wide. “What if I told you that there is such an alliance!”

  “Ha! Then, I’d tell you that you’re lying!” replied Meneur, intrigued. “But if there was… I would probably join the Kingdoms rather than my fellow Orks.”

  “Then, why don’t you?” said Smoke. “I’m willing to submit myself to a casting circle of truth, and prove to you that there is such an alliance.”

  “Alright, I’ll take you up on that,” said Meneur.

  Without another word, a blue casting circle appeared beneath Smoke’s feet.

  “Oh, wait. How will you know that I’m telling the truth when you can’t see the color changes of the casting circle?” asked Smoke.

  “Don’t worry, I have my ways,” she replied.

  Then, he felt a strange prickling sensation near his feet. Blue freezing water sprang out from the casting circle and began to swirl around him.

  “Please tell me your name,” began Meneur.

  Smoke gulped. ‘Might have been a bit hasty about this,’ he thought.

  “Um… Right, about that,” mumbled Smoke. “It’s a really long story, but my name isn’t really Ilad. It’s actually Smoke.”

  The temperatures of the icy blue waters remained the same.

  “So, you lied to us about your name and being a Magic Swordsman in training?” asked Meneur, peeved.

  Slowly, the water hardened around his feet and began to freeze his lower half.

  “Tell me your so called long story, and if it does not satisfy me, this maybe the end of you,” threatened the Ork High Priestess.

  Without reservation, Smoke began to explain how he was actually from the continent of Wysteria. How he liberated Centzo City from the evil clutches of Duke Burmistrz, and when they were about to finish off the Duke, how his closest Zectian friends Sharur and Laernea died. Now, he was on a quest to revive them which brought him here, to the Sawtorn continent.

  “You could have shortened that a bit,” said Meneur when Smoke finished his tale.

  “Well, you asked for the long story,” replied Smoke.

  “Too bad you won’t be able to finish your main quest in the Sawtorn continent,” said Meneur.

  “Huh?” said Smoke. “What are you talking about?”

  “Haven’t you been listening to me?” asked Meneur. “The great god Tezcazin teaches us to live in the now because there is no afterlife. That Mictlan – the land beyond this world, is nothing more than a figment of the other religions’ imagination.”

  “No!” exclaimed a half frozen Smoke. “Sorry, but I refuse to believe that.”

  “Well, that is your right,” said Meneur. “And I shall respect that, but know that you are welcome to convert into Tezcazinity whenever you realize the truth.”

  This was not how he imagined their conversation would end, but despite his icicle state, Smoke remained adamant. He refused to believe her stand on Tezcazinity and how Mictlan was nonexistent.

  Then, Meneur let out a deep breath. “By the way, I saw everything inside you when I covered you in ice, which is why it is time to do this,” she said, all mysterious.

  “Arrgh!” suddenly screamed Smoke. His body writhed in pain and his arms flailed in the air. “What are you doing to me?”

  Smoke tried to put up a manatl, but a notification window popped up.

  * Consented Ritual In progress…

  – Abilities [locked]

  – Items [locked]

  “Why are you doing this?” screamed Smoke. “I thought we were friends? I only lied about my name—”

  “We are friends,” interjected Meneur and continued casting her magic.

  The blue ice
then began to encroach towards his upper body. It rose to his stomach, then to his arms, until finally, only his head remained unfrozen.

  “Kill me already!” yelled Smoke.

  WOOOSSSHHH

  A black cloud spewed out from his mouth, creating a short pillar above him. Small lightning bolts struck out of it, hitting his frozen body.

  Without warning, the ice that immobilized Smoke liquefied. It turned into an octopus-like creature and swallowed the black lightning cloud with its tentacles. Next, the creature reverted back into ice, before it shattered into a million pieces.

  + [CURED] Your cursed Decay Aura has been healed by High Priestess Meneur

  Smoke slumped down on the muddy ground where the casting circle of truth once was.

  “How did you—” asked Smoke, bewildered. “I asked the Healers of the Vitzytl Kingdom, and no one could remove that curse.”

  “That’s because they don’t have the great god Tezcazin to help them,” answered Meneur.

  At once, Smoke felt a deep pit in his stomach. ‘Mictlan exists!’ he thought with conviction, unconvinced of the teachings of Tezcazinity.

  “Now that I’ve removed your curse, I shall tell you the conditions for you to continue staying here,” said Meneur. “You shall stick to your name of Ilad within the village.”

  “Sure, no problem. But why does that matter?” he asked.

  “Well, I wouldn’t want the others to know that you tricked us,” replied Meneur. “Especially, since I am appointing you as Emissary of the MaduHai Orks!”

  + Quest: MaduHai P.R.O.

  Ambassador Quest

  Level: A++You have been tasked to assure that the MaduHai Ork will not be targeted by either the Kingdoms of Vitzytl or Thanotl[Quest Forcibly Accepted]

  + Received emissary emblem of the MaduHai Orks

  “What’s happening now?” asked Smoke, confused after reading the quest window. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Like I said, let’s live in the now,” replied Meneur.

  * * * * * *

  After spending one more day in the MaduHai Ork Village to finish the Dragon Hatchery, Smoke was gliding at top speeds for Votl City – Capital of the Vitzytl Kingdom.

  Finally, after six hours of flight(and only one meal break, care of Daga’s growling stomach), Smoke saw the amethyst city surrounded by the different colored mountains. The three tallest towers of the capital stood unyielding as it watched over the city. Despite the familiar appearance, he knew that something had changed within Votl.

  Each colored mountain now had a medium-sized fortress guarding it. Using his Telefax Vision ability, he zoomed in on the fort in the red mountain. There, he saw that the Sonstwelters inside the fortress were being trained by high-level Zectian Wizards with Pyromancy.

  “Oh, would you look at that,” squeaked Daga from Smoke’s chest pocket. “They must be getting ready for the Continental Quest.”

  “I’m surprised to see so many Sonstwelters,” said Smoke. After their successful wyvern hunt, he was now excited to lead another batch of Sonstwelters into battle.

  “I wouldn’t depend too much on those guys,” said Daga.

  “Why?” asked Smoke.

  “Don’t know, just a hunch,” replied Daga.

  After passing through the colored mountains, Smoke began his descent for the main castle. Yet, he could not ignore the changes that the capital itself had undergone.

  The once luxurious city had turned into a military zone. The grand stadium where the Magi Gagnant Tournament was held became a training center for low-level Mages. It was a great opportunity for new Sonstwelters who recently joined the game to increase their levels and acquire new abilities.

  “Let’s take a quick detour before we report to the King,” said Smoke. “I think we can spare a few more minutes.”

  “You’re the boss, Boss,” squeaked Daga and hid inside his pocket.

  Smoke landed discreetly behind an alley and walked towards the marketplace. Before he stepped out, he equipped his Paradox Mask and donned his Faux persona.

  Instead of seeing fancy trinkets and expensive accessories, he found that the stalls were littered with mid-level magical items. A powerful wind staff was priced at half its usual amount. Upon further inspection, he realized that all of the items were incredibly cheap. Even the pompom juice that he created was discounted at a third of its price.

  ‘What’s going on here?’ he wondered.

  Then, he heard one of the groups of Sonstwelters walking by. They were three Wizards who specialized in Fire, Ice, and Earth.

  “Still can’t believe this!” exclaimed the Fire Wizard. “I’ve been stuck at level 50 for almost three months. But with the special training, I’m now already at level 75!”

  “Yeah, I was so psyched when I heard Ouragan explain that the city will be releasing several events to increase our levels,” added the Earth Wizard. “It’s a great way for weekend warriors like us to catch up. I even filed for a leave on all the Fridays and Mondays of this month.”

  Smoke then sneaked a peek at their faces and found that all of them were men in their mid-thirties.

  “Hey, that’s a great idea,” said Ice Wizard. “I think I’ll get some of that action as well. What level was needed again to be a squad leader?”

  “Eighty!” replied the Fire Wizard, all smug about it.

  “Great! That means you can join my squad then!” exclaimed the Ice Wizard. “Just need to finish the Ice Construct training quest up in the azure fortress, then I’ll become a squad leader.”

  “Not if I finish the Flame Make training first!” said the Fire Wizard and stormed away.

  “What’s up with Amer?” asked the Ice Wizard.

  “Leave him alone, Lyon,” said the Earth Wizard. “Besides, you two are going to be joining my squad anyway. So, stock up on your supplies because my Vantard Squad needs to be ready to go to war with the Orks at any time.”

  After witnessing the situation in the marketplace, Smoke decided to report to the palace.

  * * * * * *

  As soon as he reached the castle grounds, Smoke was led by the Guards towards the royal strategy room.

  There, Prime Wizard Ouragan, Prime Wizard Chrysopelea, Prime Wizard Trottel, and Magietrois Eleve were looking over a map of the entire Sawtorn Continent.

  Meanwhile, King Kajou and two men Smoke had never seen before were on the opposite side of the table. One of the unknown men was a well dressed Zectian, whom he assumed to be an important aristocrat, and the other was a Sonstwelter who looked like he had some advance form of the Knight Job.

  “Faux, finally! Why are you always the last one to arrive? Are you trying to make yourself look important?” asked a smug Trottel, flipping his long orange mane. “We’ve been racking our brains to come up with the best way to attack the Orks, and only the Sonstwelter from the Thanotl Kingdom has been giving out suggestions.”

  “Sorry, I thought I was still good on time,” replied Smoke. He then hurriedly turned to King Kajou and lowered his head, careful not to offend the hot-tempered ruler. “Greetings, my most benevolent King!”

  Smoke also faced his Flame Master, Eleve. He lowered his head even more so than when he did for the King.

  In turn, Eleve gave him a welcoming smile.

  As Smoke was about to greet Ouragan, King Kajou’s voice bellowed throughout the strategy room. “Faux! That’s enough with the greetings and face here,” he commanded, stroking his long nose hair and his unruly beard. “By the way, this is Prince Matalim of the Thanotl Kingdom,” he explained, pointing to the mysterious aristocrat. “He is the successor of King Matalas, and he brought an outstanding Sonstwelter with him as well,” he added, patting the unknown Knight on the back.

  ‘Strange, I’ve never seen the King to be that friendly with anyone before,’ observed Smoke.

  “A pleasure to meet you, Sir Faux,” said Prince Matalim, slightly nodding his head at Smoke from across the table. “Allow me to introduce the Duke of Thalzoc
City and the General of the Thanotl Kingdom Army,” he added, pointing to the undisclosed Sonstwelter. “This is Duke Tritank.”

  ‘Tritank? No! Is this the same guy in the forums?’ wondered Smoke, remembering the person who always bad-mouthed him in the comments section. ‘Is it really that easy to be a Duke?’ he wondered, irritated. Thankfully, his contorted face was covered by his Paradox Mask when he turned to face the man in question.

  “Hey!” greeted Tritank, nodding at Smoke. He lifted up his faceplate, revealing a young man in his mid-twenties. “Heard a lot of things about you, Faux. Chrys has been really building you up.”

  “I see,” replied Smoke, clenching his fists.

  “They were clearly exaggerated, though,” replied Tritank. “But I must say, you’re low-level appearance is really tricky. Wearing such crappy items to mask how powerful you are… You’re one crafty player, Faux.”

  Chrysopelea briskly interjected. “You have to excuse Faux. He isn’t really much of a talker, but he’s one of the main reasons we survived the last Ork invasion,” he said, patting Smoke’s back. “He’s really a powerful Elementalist too. In fact, he would have probably won the Magi Gagnant Tournament if Ouragan didn’t join.”

  “Are you for real? I saw their fight on the videos,” said a smug Tritank. “And he was still clearly below Ouragan’s level,” he sniggered. “I even ask myself why it reached fifteen million views.”

  ‘What! The finals had that many views!’ thought a surprised Smoke, regretting the big paycheck he would have gotten. He wanted to post a video of him fighting Ouragan as Faux, but he knew that he had to stick to his long-term goal. To reveal himself as Faux or Ilad now would only ruin the foundation that he worked so hard to build.

  “I beg to disagree,” interjected Ouragan. “Faux was a very worthy opponent. If he had more time improving his Magma ability, I’m sure I would have lost that match.”

  “But that’s the thing with ‘what ifs’; they don’t matter. They don’t change the outcome of what really happened,” Tritank replied to Ouragan with the most unpleasant smile.