by Paul Bellow
One of the younger spiders crossed my path as I ran toward Charlotte. I stabbed it in its cluster of eyes then kept charging forward. Keith and the other men also fanned out, battling the spiders one-on-one with regular old weapons. Their fancy magic shields weren’t protecting them at all. Four spider scurried into my path. I stopped, ready to kill them all.
Two of them came at me while the other two stayed back. I stuck my spear into the belly of one before pulling out the spear tip and plunging it into the eyes of the second one. Neither even had a chance to bite or do any damage to me. As their bodies fell lifelessly to the ground, I turned my attention to the other two. They both scampered away, out of reach.
“Enough!” Charlotte shouted, her voice echoing in the chamber.
“You started this,” I said, still moving toward her.
“I’ll kill you,” she said. “Don’t think I won’t do it.”
When I didn’t stop, she cast a dozen Golden Bolts. All of them hit.
[PC] Charlotte’s Golden Bolts DECIMATE you for 36 damage.
You have [241/277] health remaining.
“That all you got?” I yelled as I kept walking forward.
I picked up my pace as she prepared to cast another spell.
“On your left flank!” Keith yelled.
I whirled in that direction just in time to see a young spider lunge at me.
The adolescent spider’s bite INJURES you for 12 damage.
You have [229/277] health remaining.
I wasted no time, attacking back. My spear buried itself in the body of the spider. I twisted it around a bit for extra pain before pulling it out.
“You’ll pay for killing my children!” Charlotte shrieked.
I turned my attention to her as she prepared to cast. She sent two lightning bolts at me. I dodged to the left, but they both hit me anyway.
[PC] Charlotte’s Lightning Bolts MUTILATE you for 72 damage.
You have [157/277] health remaining.
I fought through the pain and continued toward her, picking up my pace. She stepped off the big boulder she was on, hiding behind it. I skirted the natural spider throne and saw her change into a human woman. She smiled at me, raising her hands in the air defensively.
“Please don’t kill me,” she said. “I’m just like you.”
“You’re nothing like me,” I snarled, not fooled by her illusion.
“I know how to get out of here,” Charlotte said.
She kept walking backward, hands up.
“You’re just trying to save your life, but it’s not going to work.”
The smile slipped from the woman’s face, replaced by a smirk.
“Then you must die,” Charlotte said.
As she chanted a spell, I ran forward and jumped into the air while holding my spear with the tip pointed down. Memories of the first time I’d met Charlotte flashed through my mind as I arced down. The illusion broke the instant I pierced the top of the woman’s head with my spear. I saw Charlotte with icky blue puss oozing from a gash on the top of her head. She shrieked then turned and ran toward the three tunnels on the other side of the cavern.
“Don’t let her escape again!” I shouted, taking chase.
Charlotte slipped into the middle tunnel. I followed after her, not slowing down. She kept shrieking. I didn’t find myself enjoying her pain as much as I thought I would, but I kept following. After all the evil she’d done, justice had to be served. The tunnel narrowed as I continued running after her, trailing her by a few hundred feet at the most. She stopped and turned when the freshly dug tunnel ended.
“Please don’t kill me,” she begged. “I’m sorry.”
“You should be sorry,” I said, also stopping.
“I’ll give you anything you want. Just let me live. I don’t want to die.”
“You’re not dying permanently,” I said. “Don’t be so dramatic.”
“No, I won’t. You don’t understand.”
Her sobs tugged at my heartstrings. I relaxed my tense body just a bit. When she saw this, she started casting. I yelled and ran forward, striking her with my spear before she could get the spell off. She turned to bite me, but I stabbed again. Each time I stuck the tip of my spear into her body, a piece of me died inside.
She kept sobbing.
“I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry… You don’t understand…”
Unable to deal with her begging and whining any longer, I delivered the death blow. She struggled for a bit then stopped moving entirely.
Combat is Over!
You get 130,000 xp
You have 1,016,100 xp
You need 733,900 xp for level 11 Valkyrie Skyrider.
I fell to me knees, tears streaming from my eyes. For all the pain she’d caused me, I still missed the Charlotte I’d known as my familiar. Had she only been acting that way to keep me happy or deal with some penalty the game had given her? I kept crying over her body, not even excited about the level gain or bummed it would take so long to gain another.
“Are you okay?” Keith asked behind me.
I sniffed and wiped the tears away with the back of my hand.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, standing.
He stared down at the body. “She’s finally dead. Why are you sad?”
“I knew her before she turned evil,” I said. “You wouldn’t understand.”
As a computer controlled NPC, Keith had it easier than the players in some ways.
“We should get back to the others and help finish mopping up,” I said.
He nodded, without saying a word.
Chapter 28
The Tower of Sherlock
Sarah
With a mere six months left to go on my twenty-year penalty, my ship arrived in Fishguard on level one-three. I never thought I would be so happy to see the place. After so many adventures in various versions of the city on the first three levels, it felt like some sort of homecoming. At the same time, I’d spent a lot more time on the islands of the penalty level. Would I be able to return to them if I wanted? I pushed the question out of my mind.
Two years after killing Charlotte, I still hadn’t made it to level eleven Valkyrie Skyrider. I’d gained some experience points along the way, but most of my time had been spent researching ways to escape the penalty level. After promising players on other islands everything after I left, people came forward with clues and hints on how to escape the penalty zone.
Once I learned how to get back to the Grabisco Isles on level one-three, I left on my largest ship. I didn’t want to jeopardize my chances to escape, so I didn’t tell anyone or bring anyone with me. I took a couple dozen golems along to sail the ship. The best part of the crew? None of them talked back or questioned orders.
The journey had been long and fraught with danger, but I kept sailing and eventually reached the bay with Fishguard in the distance. How difficult would it be to find Eric and Josh? I still didn’t know if time had passed the same as them as it did for me on the penalty level. One way or another, I planned on finding them and escaping.
As the golems dropped anchor, lowered the sails, and tied us up next to a huge dock, I stared over the side of the ship at the city in the distance. I felt a bit guilty about leaving the penalty zone early, but I hoped the gamemaster wouldn’t penalize me too hard. Over the years, I’d done a lot of good, proving myself a capable leader.
I commanded the automatons to stay with the ship then climbed down a rope ladder hanging over the side. Once my feet touched the dock, my entire ship and everything on it disappeared. A red warning notification popped up—unlike anything I’d ever seen from the game before. I stared at the warning message as it flashed.
Penalty Zone Escape!
ERROR: No valid prisoner number.
ERROR: No valid prisoner number.
The message kept repeating until I closed the box with a thought. A few men standing nearby whispered and pointed at me. Had they seen my ship disappear too? Did it go away becaus
e it was tied to the penalty level? How had Thomas the Quest Giver escaped? I needed to find him in addition to Eric and Josh.
I strolled down the dock, grinning as if nothing strange had happened. More men stared and pointed as I passed, but none of them made a scene. When I reached the boardwalk, I stopped to get my bearings. I’d been to Fishguard on level one-one and level one-two, but it looked different on level one-three.
“The dead are coming! The dead are coming!” a boy yelled as he ran by.
I watched him disappear into the crowd before making my way north to the city. The smell of sea air diminished, replaced by smoke and horse poop. Not many people walked on the streets, but I saw a few warily watching from behind the curtains in their homes. Was something going on? A war maybe? Magi Inyontoo. It had to be him.
With no access to Grabisco Isle coins on the penalty level, I’d brought a sack of gems with me. Unlike the ship or any of my personal belongings, they hadn’t disappeared. I stopped at an Inn, the Leaky Lizard, and got a room for a week with a small emerald. Adding a tiny ruby to the mix opened the innkeeper up.
“I just got back into the city from distant lands,” I said. “Can you tell me what’s going on?”
He pulled his head back. “You don’t know?”
“No,” I said.
“The undead,” he said. “They’re everywhere, and the problem’s getting worse.”
I wanted to ask him about Magi Inyontoo, but I also didn’t want to mention the name.
“You should be careful if you go outside the city at night,” he said.
“I will. Thank you for the information. I’m going to bed now.”
He nodded then walked down the bar to take care of another customer. I grabbed my two sacks of belongings and headed for the stairs to the rooms on the second floor. As I passed through the common area on the first floor, I glanced at all the tables, looking for Eric or Josh. My memories of them both felt so distant, almost like they weren’t mine.
Upstairs, I locked myself in my room then sat down on the lumpy mattress that passed for a bed. I missed Kron and all the advances I’d made in the city during my nearly twenty-years on the penalty level. At the same time, it felt good to be back in the main game. Part of me couldn’t wait to find Eric and Josh, but another piece of me dreaded the encounter.
I’d changed so much since I saw them last on level one-two. Had they changed too? I laid back, my hands resting behind my head, and stared at the ceiling. The hypnotic pattern of the plaster splotches lulled me to sleep.
It had taken everything I had to escape the penalty level, but I’d done it with six months to spare. When I woke, I would find the others, and we would find a way out of the Tower of Gates. I knew it.
* * * * *
The next morning, after a quick breakfast, I bought supplies and a horse, heading for the Tower of Sherlock. Without having any idea where the others might be, I decided to check one of Magi Inyontoo’s favorite places. Even if he wasn’t at the tower in the mountains, I might be able to find some clues on his whereabouts or what was happening on the level.
As I rode out of the north gates of the city, I concentrated on the road ahead of me. The range of mountains in the distance looked familiar yet strange. After so many years on the penalty level with its island and jungle theme, seeing a huge mountain range and cold weather meant something. What it was exactly, I wasn’t sure yet, but I liked it.
Miles added up quickly as I rode hard. I saw a few zombies and other creatures of the night shambling along on the side of the road, but I went past them without thinking twice. More xp was always nice, but I couldn’t get distracted. The Tower of Gates famously threw all sorts of diversions and side-quests at you whenever it wanted you to change.
With more time in the game than in the real world, I’d developed an ability to sense what the game might be trying to make me do. Sometimes I went along with it, but other times I would actively rebel. The Tower of Gates punished me sometimes, but not all the time. For as much as I thought I knew about the game, in actuality, I knew very little.
I stopped when I reached the Cave of Fish Smells. Unlike the other levels, the cave was clocked off and inaccessible. Would it even be safe if I managed to move all the rocks away? I took a deep breath, trying to think of the easiest way up the cliff that held the Tower of Sherlock at the top. Could I still cast my spells? I suddenly wondered.
Checking my character sheet, I saw everything intact and breathed a sigh of relief. While not optimal, I decided to cast Feather Fall and Enlarge on myself to quickly climb to the spot where the Tower of Sherlock shot up toward the sky. Happy with my plan, I put it into action. After casting Enlarge for only ten mana and growing ten feet in height, I cast Feather Falling just in case I slipped on the climb.
My bigger size definitely made the last leg of my journey easier. One handhold after another, I made my way up the side of the mountain. When I pulled myself over the top, I shrunk my size back to normal and strode toward the front door of the tower. Being in such a precarious place, I hoped they didn’t have many defenses set up, but I kept my eyes open.
When I reached the door, I pressed my ear against the cold wood. Not hearing anything, I turned the handle and slowly pulled it open. The same empty floor I remembered from the previous levels greeted me, including the stairs winding up the tower and another set leading down below. I stepped in, closing the door behind me. Nobody home?
I heard voices coming down the stairs. Did I recognize that voice? Instead of running, I stood my ground, intent on talking to Magi Inyontoo if it was him. He might be able to tell me about Eric and Josh. If nothing else, I wanted to yell at him for watching me take a bath so many years ago. His whole personality freaked me out on so many levels.
“That’s why…” Magi Inyontoo stopped talking and walking half-way down the visible stairs leading up to the higher levels of the tower. “Oh, it’s you. What a pleasant surprise.”
He smiled then continued down, a tall, lanky man with a sunken skull for a face following him. I sensed dark magic in the room as he walked toward me.
“Don’t mind the lich,” Magi Inyontoo. “He’s harmless enough.”
They both stopped ten or so feet away. Magi Inyontoo continued smiling.
“I’m looking for Eric and Josh,” I said.
“Haven’t seen them,” he replied a little too quickly.
“Quit fooling around. I don’t fear you anymore,” I said.
“You should,” he retorted.
“I think I can take you.”
He laughed but stopped when I raised my hands and cast four lightning bolts at him. The hundred and sixty mana was expensive, but it was worth it to see the look of surprise on his face. He fell to the floor, his body convulsing. I stood over him, spear raised, ready to kill him too. After Charlotte, I didn’t have a problem killing anyone.
“Don’t do it,” he begged. “I’ll give you something.”
He slipped a hand into an inner pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.
“It’s yours,” he said. “Take it.”
“What is it?” I asked. “Why should I trust you?”
“You’re coming from the penalty level, right? I bet you want to talk to Thomas the Quest Giver? Get some answers and make sure the gamemaster won’t punish you again?”
I snatched the piece of paper from his hand. As I did so, he slipped a ring on his finger and disappeared. Ugh! I stabbed the area where he’d been with the tip of my spear a few times, but I didn’t hit anything. Thirty some Golden Bolts slammed into my body, knocking me over.
[PC] Magi Inyontoo’s Golden Bolts EVISCERATE you for 134 damage.
You have [143/277] health remaining.
Ouch. I’d forgotten he was one of the most powerful players in the game. Wanting to cause a distraction to escape, I cast one of my most powerful level four spells—Summon Lesser Ice Spirits. The spell caused fourteen small ice elementals to appear in the room. All of them went straight
for Magi Inyontoo. He would defeat them easily, but it might give me enough time to escape. As he fought the elementals, I ran back toward the door.
When I made it outside, I slammed the door shut and ran toward the cliff. To avoid falling slowly the entire way down, giving him time to hit me with spells, I needed to time my spell perfectly. I leaped off the edge of the cliff and fell toward the ground hundreds of feet below. Near the bottom, I cast Feather Falling and drifted the final few inches to the ground.
I glanced up, unable to see anything in the sky above. Running to my horse and untying it, I jumped on and took off. Magi Inyontoo could catch me if he wanted, but I wasn’t about to make it easy for him. As I rode, I kept glancing over my shoulder to see if he was right behind me. I stopped near the Cave of Fish Smells and set up camp for the night.
The cold, biting wind almost froze me, but I didn’t want to start a huge fire. I used a few Flaming Discs of Lava to heat up some stones to give me warmth as I buried myself in blankets. Every noise and flash of movement got my attention as I valiantly tried to sleep. Remembering the note, I pulled it out and glanced at it in the warm, red glow of the rocks.
A rough map to something called the Vault of the Quest Giver had been drawn on one side. The other side contained a short note that read, “Located underneath the Tower of Sherlock. - Thomas.” I sighed, wondering why I’d foolishly attacked Magi Inyontoo. He’d been pushing me to do it, but why had he given me the note? Was it to help me? Or was it a trap?
I put the note away and got wrapped up in my thoughts as I stared at the warm, glowing rocks a few feet away. The wind whistled through all the rocks tumbling out of the entrance of the Cave of Fish Smells, creating a strange, surreal symphony of soulful suffering. I let the rhythm of the wind gently caress me to sleep. Eric and Josh were both in my dreams.