Orc Glitch- The Mad King

by KJ Harlow

  The clouds that had dumped a moon’s worth of rain on the arena in a fraction of a moonshift blew themselves away as quick as they came. Cal and Kai sloshed through the water, pointing their weapons at their grounded opponents.

  Zam stared listlessly at nothing while Var closed his eyes in acceptance.

  Beads of water dripped off Cal’s Wild Axe. “Well fought.”

  20

  Round 2

  20,156th Cycle

  5-Karst

  “New moonshift, Cal.”

  The orc opened his bleary eyes. As his vision came into focus, Natasha stood at the foot of his bed, hands clasped in front of her. I could get used to this.

  “You didn’t have to bathe me again last night, did you?”

  Her hair had been freed from their confines the day before and was now left to cascade luxuriously over her shoulders. It swished as she shook her head.

  “Thank you for buying me the dress. No one’s ever bought one for me before.”

  Cal sat up, looking at the alluring she-demon. “Did you try it on? Did it fit?”

  “It did. I can’t wait to wear it for you next moonshift.” The excitement was palpable in her voice. Cal’s eyes flew open. He jumped out of bed and ran to the window where the red moon continued its gradual dip below the horizon. Oh shit…

  “What’s wrong?” Natasha asked quietly.

  Cal stared down at the parchment where his delirious scribbling had been left untouched from a few nights ago. “Tonight is Round 2 of the tournament.” He turned around just in time to see the light fade from Natasha’s eyes. “I… we…”

  “It’s OK, Master Cal.” She took a step back, averting her eyes.

  He took a step towards her. “No. I still want to go on our date.” But I can’t just forfeit Round 2 of the tournament, either.

  “It’s up to you,” Natasha said, looking up at him. She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes.

  Decision Mission III: Date Or Fight?

  Due to terrible time management skills, you have double-booked yourself with Natasha the succubus while participating in Round 2 of the Bracewell Tournament. You can only go to one.

  Date Natasha: you will have a good time. Reward:+Support with Natasha.

  Round 2 of Tournament: you will continue gaining more experience in battle. Reward: +Support with Kai.

  Fight in Tournament? | Date Natasha?

  10…

  Come on, really?

  He hovered between both options, watching the time tick down. Sorry Kai, ‘Bros before hoes’ and all that I wouldn’t buy a chick a dress and then stand her up. With three seconds left on the clock he focused on ‘Date Natasha’. He pressed, but nothing happened.

  2…

  What’s going on? He pressed again. It was clickable, but it didn’t register his selection.

  1…

  “Hey! No I don’t want…”

  Fight in Tournament.

  The option shimmered momentarily before time sped back up.

  “I understand, Master Cal. I heard your performance in the first round was breathtaking.”

  “Tash you don’t understand, I was selecting the option to date you…”

  She sighed, a disappointed smile on her face. This was worse than her using Charm on him. “Succubi don’t go on dates.” She turned and started heading out the door. Cal stepped forward, clasping her wrist.

  “If you want me to pleasure you Master Cal, I have some time later this moonshift.”

  “No I don’t want you to pleasure me. I want you.” The statement clung helplessly to the air before it died. He let go of her arm. “We’ll go on a date after the tournament is over, OK? I promise I’ll be available. Just wait for me.”

  Natasha stood there, not looking back at Cal. “Have it your way.” She left the room and walked down the hall back towards the main rooms.

  What on earth just happened? Was it lag? Did the internet at the hospital die for just a moment? Whatever it was, it destroyed any progress Cal had made with Natasha.

  “Orc.” Kai called from down the hall. “Are you ready?” Cal didn’t answer him, scrolling through the three Decision Missions he had been offered so far and the options he had selected for each. “Orc!”

  “What?” Cal said, stepping outside the room.

  Kai stared at him, his Blood Lance in hand. “Are you ready?”

  Cal slipped his head back into his room. “Yeah. Ready when you are.”

  “Grand Uncle, what are you doing down here?” Javal strode towards Kai, opening his arms up wide.

  “Wishing you congratulations from Round 1 and telling you who you’re up against in Round 2.”

  “It’s Marc and Anton,” Cal said. He was sitting on the bench, cradling his chin between his fingers.

  “That’s right,” Javal chuckled. “I guess you crossed paths on your way to the arena.” Cal didn’t say anything in return. He turned to his grandnephew. “There isn’t much I can tell you about the head and leader of the Brigadiers that you don’t already know. Technically adept, very skilful, barely a weakness that you can exploit.”

  “But there are weaknesses, then?” Kai probed.

  “No one’s impervious,” Javal scoffed. “Every match is different but if you want to exploit weaknesses, you should do so early in the fight. With Marc and Antony in particular, any weaknesses they might have they will patch up quite quickly. If you don’t get in at the beginning, you probably won’t get in later.”

  “They’re also several levels stronger than us,” Cal said. He and Kai had levelled up after the match against Var and Zam and had made sure to allocate his points immediately. He navigated to his and Kai’s status screens:

  NAME: Callahan Rogers

  AGE: 29 (Earth)

  CLASS: Orc Fighter

  LVL: 23

  HP: 253/253

  MP: 350/350

  AFF: Earth (x1)

  STR: 49+2%+50%

  DEF: 50+1%

  AGL: 54+3%

  INT: 58+1%

  ABILITY: Examine, Verdant Whisper

  SKILL:

  Earth Wall – Level 8 – Next Level in 75%

  Earthquake – Level 6 – Next Level in 54%

  WEAPON: Axe – Level D – Next Level in 69%

  NAME: Kai

  AGE: 48 (Terrafaytum)

  CLASS: Werejaguar Warrior

  LVL: 25

  HP: 262/262

  MP: 290/290

  AFF: Fire (x25)

  STR: 54+2%

  DEF: 54+1%

  AGL: 51+3%

  INT: 40+1%

  ABILITY: Examine

  SKILL:

  Flaming Spear – Level 10 – Next Level in 21%

  Fireball – Level 3 – Next Level in 11%

  WEAPON: Lance/Spear – Level D – Next Level in 51%

  “We did defeat them once while we were sparring.”

  “So we can defeat them again,” Kai said, pumping a fist.

  “Of course you can,” Javal said. “If you thought the arena was full from Round 1, it’s positively brimming for this round!”

  Kai was flexing his neck and jumping up and down, as if he was getting ready to swim. Alright Cal, we’ll fix things up with Tash later. Time to focus. He stood up, just as the announcer begun welcoming the crowd to the second night of the tournament. He held a fist out to Kai. The werejaguar and his grand uncle eyed it curiously.

  “What do you want me to do with it?”

  “Just…” He grasped Kai’s furry arm. “Make it into a fist and…” he pulled it into his, “…there you go.”

  “What was the point of that?”

  “Reminds both of us that we’re a team,” Cal said, facing the gate. “It’s an Earth thing.” Kai began to make his way out. “That means that we head out together.”

  “Good luck, boys!” Javal said, waving them off. One win out of ten spars? Yep, we’ll need the luck.

  “Fancy seeing you again so soon,” Marc said, nodding at Cal and Kai. Both
he and Anton looked fresh and fighting fit in their brown and black Brigadiers uniforms. Cal shook Marc’s extended hand, offering his to Anton. While Marc repeated the gesture with Kai, the Brigadier deputy shook Cal’s hand after a moment’s hesitation. Anton’s axe had been polished and reflected the four moons as he shifted around. The referee ushered both parties back to their respective sides.

  “These guys aren’t going to go at us lightly,” Kai said.

  “I know,” Cal responded. Javal’s advice echoed in his mind. Find their weakness early and exploit it. The longer the fight goes for, the greater your chance of losing. “Don’t just rush in and attack. We can’t afford to fall into their trap.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve learnt that from the sparring.” Kai rubbed his left side absentmindedly. It had been ruthlessly targeted by the Brigadiers during their sparring session. Safe to say it was a weak point that he didn’t know he had until facing up to the defenders of Bracewell.

  “3… 2… 1… Begin!”

  The crowd roared their appreciation for the fighters in the ring. Just like in the last round of the previous match, Cal started circling to his left, Kai following his lead. Instead of putting the maximum distance between them, Marc and Anton started walking briskly towards the orc and werejaguar.

  Cal changed his stance from side-stepping to just running out right. The closer Marc and Anton got, the faster they moved. Within 10 yards, they were also running. Anton broke away from Marc, raised his axe and swung it horizontally through the air. The air rippled, a fireball appeared and swung around in a circular path. It grazed the wall of the arena, hugged it and followed it towards Cal and Kai.

  “Cal, get back.” Kai jumped in front of Cal, planting his feet square to the oncoming fireball.

  “What are you–”

  “Stay back.” Kai changed the grip on his Blood Lance, holding one hand further down the shaft and the other about a third of the way up. When the fireball was a couple yards away, he drew his weapon back and swung it as hard as he could, his follow through finishing over his shoulder like a golf swing.

  Cal shielded his eyes for a second. One part of him thought that Kai would be engulfed in flames. Another thought that the fireball would explode into hundreds of tiny embers. He certainly didn’t expect the fireball to maintain its shape and hurtle towards Marc and Anton like a giant, flaming tennis ball struck at 90 miles an hour.

  The two men took evasive action, splitting up and jumping out of the way, the fireball roaring past them and crashing into the arena wall behind. People in the crowd jumped and screamed, but the ward that had been put up by Marc’s team protected them from projectiles that might have flown into the stands.

  “So a weakness is fast and furious fireballs,” Cal said, “that won’t be too hard for them to fix. Just stop creating fireballs.”

  Kai flourished his lance. “If only I could create a fireball that flew that–”

  “Watch out!”

  Cal slammed his palms on the ground and a pillar of sand shot out at an angle straight at an airborne Marc. It thudded into his shield and pushed him back six or seven yards before it disintegrated. There was the pattering of feet. An axe and a sword cut through a smokescreen of falling sand towards the orc and werejaguar. They both dodged it, the weapons arcing down towards the ground. Using the momentum of the first swing, Marc and Anton jumped through the air and came around for seconds.

  Kai jumped backwards again, evading the second of Anton’s swings. Cal leapt back but wasn’t fast enough. He sustained a huge cut across his front.

  -30 Damage!

  Gritting his teeth through the pain, he drew his Wild Axe just in time and brought it up to defend against the third strike. Through the corner of his eye, Anton scrambled toward him, his axe raised. Damn it, had anyone lost in the first minute of the first round before?

  A fireball engulfed Anton and he fell to his knees in surprise. A blood-red lance then burst through his stomach, splattering blood over Cal’s face.

  Critical Hit!

  -275 Damage!

  With his sword raised in the air for a fourth strike, Marc turned to his comrade, mouth agape.

  Now! Cal gripped his axe with both hands, pulled it back and swung as hard as he could at Marc’s exposed torso. Marc dodged, but all he could do was watch a crescent moon-shaped axe hack a huge chunk of his right hip out.

  -51 Damage!

  He stumbled backwards a few steps and with sword still in hand pressed into the gaping wound. Cal was stunned. He had barely landed a strike sparring with Marc a couple of moonshifts ago, how was he able to get him now?

  Anton roared and Cal looked to him. He was grinding his feet into the sand, trying to free himself from the lance that had impaled him. Kai gripped his lance with both hands, trying to pull it back towards him. Anton’s axe thudded into the ground as he slapped both hands onto Kai’s weapon, preventing him from running the serrated edge of the lance tip back through his body.

  “Eyes here!” Marc yelled. He stood shakily, favouring his left side. He took a step forward and raised his sword, but ended up falling to one knee. The crowd cheered, urging the orc to deliver the final blow.

  “End Round 1!”

  Subdued boos rippled around the crowd. Cal made to help Marc get back to his feet, but the Brigade leader took a step back. “You should have finished me off.” Cal stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to say. “There is no place for indecision on the battle field.” Marc turned around and hobbled back to their corner. Kai released his grip on his lance, letting Marc pull it handle first through his chest.

  “Did you see that?” Kai said, eyes gleaming. True to its name, his weapon was covered with blood. “I landed the critical hit!”

  “I… couldn’t finish him off,” Cal said hollowly.

  “What?” Kai was distracted by the glistening essence that stained his weapon. Cal lifted his axe. It also had the blood of his enemy on it, though not as much as what was on Kai’s. “Fear not, orc. They are weakened. We will win next round.”

  “They have HP potions, remember? Their injuries will be gone and they won’t be making the same mistakes again.”

  “It doesn’t matter! I just need to land another–”

  “They’re not going to fall into the same trap, Kai!”

  “At least I’m trying to think of ways to defeat them!” Kai snapped at the orc. “What’s wrong with you?”

  Cal took a step back. “I…”

  “Round 2, begin!”

  “Let’s go for their throats. We have the advantage.” Kai bounded ahead. He turned around; Cal was still rooted to the spot. “What are you waiting for?”

  Cal was already watching Marc and Anton. They were running around the perimeter of the ring, one on each side. “They’re splitting up.”

  Cal and Kai ran to the middle of the ring, keeping an eye on their opponents. Kai gripped his Blood Lance, focusing on Anton’s movements. He was running as fast as when they sparred, the hole in his torso healed.

  “Kai wait!”

  Marc and Anton drew in line with Kai and Cal in the middle of the ring. Kai ran towards Anton, who ignored him and kept along the perimeter. Cal frowned. What are they planning?

  A blade slashed across Cal’s right, an inch away from his right ear. He reflexively rolled to the left. “You disappoint me, Cal.” Marc said, standing back. Cal blinked. Marc launched another attack at Cal, swiping diagonally across his body and missing by half a foot. “Was all that sparring for nothing?”

  Marc kept slashing at him and initially, Cal blocked every strike, then he noticed something strange. Marc’s stance had changed slightly. He was moving towards Cal, but his attacks lacked the penetration of the strikes in the first round. Cal lowered his axe, opting to watch Marc and dodge his sword instead.

  Meanwhile, people in the crowd were laughing and jeering. Their brigade leader was half-heartedly trying to attack an orc while his deputy was running little circles around them, a l
ance-wielding werejaguar hot on his heels. This continued until their foot marks covered almost the entire floor of the ring.

  Cal hopped and skipped back a few steps, putting some distance between him and Marc. He’s deliberately not hitting me. Is he… throwing the match? Marc watched Cal for a moment, drew his sword behind him then ran full tilt at Cal. His axe dangled loosely by his side. Marc swiped horizontally, drawing blood at Cal’s waist.

  -14 Damage!

  Cal jumped back. Thank god for the new armour.

  Marc stood straight, his face serious again. “Never assume you know what the enemy is doing.” He raised his sword straight up and slashed down vertically, then held it parallel to the ground and slashed from left to right. “Wind Mine.”

  A gust of wind blew through the tunnels leading into the arena, kicking up a cloud of sand and dust. Cal covered his face. Wind Mine? We didn’t see this during our sparring session. He lowered his hands and looked around. What had happened?

  Anton had led Kai around the arena several times and now made a beeline straight toward the middle. He turned around and while running backwards, parried Kai’s lance drive aimed at his torso again. Out of nowhere, something slashed into the werejaguar’s left side, causing him to stumble and clutch at the left side of his chest.

  -26 Damage!

  Keeping his axe up, Anton took a few steps back, observing Kai. The werejaguar got to his feet, ignoring the blood oozing from the inch-deep cut and ran at Anton again. This time, a cut sliced into his right leg.

  “Aaaargh!” Kai roared.

  Cal turned around just in time to Marc’s blade whistle past his face. Cal took a few steps back and immediately felt a glancing blow cut into his upper back.

  -18 Damage!

  He spun around, only to see Anton and Kai several yards away. Kai was down on one knee, Anton circling him like a hunter surveying its wounded prey. He leapt at Kai, who rolled out of the way, leaving a trail of dark blood in the dirt.