by Rick Scott
The pattern then changes and the illuminated line disappears, replaced by three new lines going in different directions.
“Damn,” Maxis says. “Does it wear off? Or is it only for that one pattern?”
“We’ll have to wait a full rotation to find out,” Rembrandt says.
An agonizing 4 minutes go by before we see the same pattern re-appear. Thankfully the green line is still illuminated.
“Looks like it’s permanent,” I say.
“What’s the Warden’s Key do?” Val Helena asks.
I shrug. “Maybe it’ll unlock all of them? Should I try it?”
“Only one way to find out, Pretty Boy.” Aiko winks at me. “Go for it.”
I materialize the key in my palm. It’s much the same shape as the Labyrinth Key, only this one is purple in color instead of crystal-blue. I’m just about to crush it when I sense something above me.
Your Awareness increases by 0.7.
Skill Up! Your Awareness is now 44!
“Watch out!” Maxis yells.
My brother leaps in front of me and deflects a crystal spear aimed straight for my head!
Maxis parries the Crystal Spear!
With a flash of lightning, the spear reverses direction and sails straight back the way it came. It flies upward to the platform high above us and impales a robed mage standing on its edge.
The Crystal Spear hits the Battle Mage for 754 damage!
Battle Mage defeats Battle Mage!
The Health bar above the mage’s head flatlines and he falls over the edge, slamming into the glass platform a few feet from us.
Holy heck!
“Did you just parry a freaking spell?” Aiko stares at my brother with her mouth open. “I didn’t even know that was possible!” She then mutters more to herself. “Crap…no wonder I lost to you.”
“No time for flattery, love!” Rembrandt shouts, drawing his pistols. “Move! I’ll cover us!”
I glance above to see what Rembrandt is reacting to and see half a dozen more mages slipping out of stealth, accompanied by at least ten soldiers with bows. Behind them are two giants. And in the center is Ziegfried in his gleaming knight’s armor, issuing commands.
“It’s Braxus!” I shout. “He’s followed us inside!”
But I don’t see Braxus himself. Knowing the coward he is, I’d be surprised if he’d actually risk his own life to follow us. More likely he just sent one of his minions ahead into the unknown to do his dirty work. But it’s a problem all the same.
We make a break for it just as the first volley of arrows arrive. They clatter and break against the glass platform, sending us scattering in all directions.
I cast Shadow Copy as I run, preparing for the next wave of attacks.
Rembrandt performs a series of backflips to gain distance quickly and then opens up with his pistols aimed above. The action forces the archers to back away as sparks light up the edge of the platform, but behind them the line of mages take refuge behind the two giants and cast freely.
Battle Mage casts Fire Storm!
Battle Mage casts Fire Storm!
Battle Mage casts Fire Storm!
The air around us erupts into flames and I lose my shadow instantly.
Aiko loses her shadow as well and Rembrandt is thankfully out of range. But Maxis and Val Helena cry out as they are engulfed in the flames, losing about 20% of their HP.
Not good.
“We’re ducks in a barrel down here!” Rembrandt shouts, still blazing away. “They’ve got the high ground, a bonus to range and accuracy. And I got the opposite. We need to get off this tile!”
The next three mages switch places with the first set and start casting as well.
Battle Mage readies Crystal Spear Shower!
Battle Mage readies Crystal Spear Shower!
Battle Mage readies Crystal Spear Shower!
“Use the key!” Maxis shouts to me.
In all the confusion I forgot about the Warden’s Key still in my hand. I still don’t know what it does for sure, but I’m going to find out! I crush it in my palm and a new prompt appears on my HUD.
You use the Warden’s Key.
Next Pattern [=>]
Previous Pattern [<=]
Lock pattern [X]
It’s not an “unlock all” like I thought, but it can work just as well. I move back two patterns until the one with the unlocked green line appears and then select X.
Are you sure you wish to lock this pattern? (Warden’s Key required for unlock) [Y/N]
I hit yes just as the volley of crystal spears come raining down on our heads.
Battle Mage casts Crystal Spear Shower!
Battle Mage casts Crystal Spear Shower!
Battle Mage casts Crystal Spear Shower!
You take 245 damage!
You take 257 damage!
You take 239 damage!
I cry out in pain as the sharp spears lance through me, taking me down to 50% health. Rembrandt looks a little better off at 60%; luckily, he had one more evasion move up his sleeve to get him out of range of all three AOE blasts. Maxis and Val Helena take another full dose of attacks and drop down to 50% as well. Aiko, already running far ahead, avoided it all and is still at 100%.
“Run for the end of the platform and jump off!” I shout. “It’ll teleport us to the next one.”
We sprint for the end zone and about three-quarters of the way there the platform shakes beneath my feet. I look over my shoulder to see one of the giants landing behind us, along with the soldiers and mages jumping from the platform above.
I lock eyes with Ziegfried, who gives me a nasty grin.
Ziegfried: We’re coming for you, boy. You’ve got nowhere to run.
Braxus’ lackey stirs as much hate and anger in my soul as Braxus himself. I grit my teeth and nearly message him back when Val Helena bumps into me.
“Stop lagging, Reece!” she says, pushing me along. “Jump!”
I regain my focus and run for the end zone. Most of the others have already jumped and teleported to the next tile. I make the leap with Val Helena and zoom to the new platform a few hundred feet away. When I look behind me, however, I see the giant has nearly reached the end of our old platform already!
And that pattern is now locked.
With an open stream leading right to us!
“Keep moving!” I cry, taking off again. “The Warden’s Key froze the pattern. They can still reach us!”
“I’ll use one of my keys!” Maxis shouts and materializes it in his hand with a puff of nano-dust.
I think things through at 100 miles an hour and get a flash of inspiration. “Hold up!” I say. “Don’t use it yet. Everyone run to the right side.”
We change direction, heading at an angle. I keep an eye on the patterns and pray the one we need will soon appear. As we near the edge of the tile, it shakes again and I see the giant has already crossed the gap.
Holy crap that was fast!
The giant lets out a massive battle cry and starts sprinting towards us at a speed that seems impossible for its twenty-foot height. Its massive legs, flexing with thick cords of muscle, cover the ground quickly. If not for its size, it could be taken for a human Viking, with pelts of unknown beasts for armor and a large bronze helm affixed with horns.
Another minute and it’ll be right on top of us. “Keep running, you guys!”
The edge is less than fifty feet away.
I see a pattern appear. Red and green going straight across, but blue turns at a right angle, ending at the edge we’re running towards.
Yes!
I count the seconds in my head.
“Not yet, Max!” I shout to my brother. “Wait until I say!”
10 seconds…
We reach the end and Maxis looks at me hostilely. “What?”
“Trust me!” I say.
15 seconds…
“We need to go!” Aiko cries. “Max, use that thing!”
“Not yet!” I sh
out.
20 seconds…
The giant unsheathes a massive two-handed axe from its back and draws it over its shoulder like a baseball bat. One swing from that thing and we’ll all be dead!
23 seconds…
“Go now, Max!” I cry. “Do it!”
Maxis crushes the key and a second later the blue line illuminates.
“Jump!”
I throw myself off the edge backwards, still watching the giant as it charges towards us. My vision zooms away as I’m transported to the next platform a good hundred feet above the one we were just on.
The giant storms toward the edge just as the pattern changes.
And leaps off into nothingness.
It releases an anguished howl as it realizes something is wrong and plummets to a platform far below. It hits with a massive thud and doesn’t move.
A moment later we get a message on our HUDs.
The Mountain Giant is defeated!
You gain 13000 experience points.
I collapse exhausted, finally safe from our pursuers. The second giant, along with Ziegfried, the soldiers, and the battle mages line up at the edge of the platform, vainly taking pot shots at us, but their attacks fall well out of range.
Ziegfried grimaces at me across the distance, but there’s no snarky comment to accompany it this time.
Only a hate-filled glare that causes his eyes to blaze with rage.
Chapter 5: Enthalpy
We spend two more keys to give us some distance between Ziegfried and his small militia before settling in for a bit of rest. My max Stamina is well-depleted and my muscles ache from the constant sprinting. We sit on the smooth glass to catch our breath and replenish ourselves with a bit of water.
No one says anything for a while and the sound of our heavy breathing is the only thing that breaks the silence. It surprises me that Ziegfried was even able to sneak up on us like that. Granted we weren’t expecting to run into Braxus’ men in here, but still, that was a lot of people and two huge giants. I wonder if maybe those mages have a spell similar to Shadow Wall or something.
“So,” Val Helena says. “That’s an added complication we’re going to have to deal with. We need more keys, but I don’t like the idea of trying to farm those high-level monsters with the chance of another ambush happening.”
I look to Rembrandt. “Can you track them at all, Rem?”
“I can try, but in here it won’t be easy, especially if we’re trying to fight something else. Plus, we don’t really know how many of them there are.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“He’s right,” Aiko says. “Their units could have gotten split up on entry just like we did. Maybe that was only half their numbers, or a third…or a quarter. Or a—”
“Okay, we get the idea,” Maxis says. “It changes nothing. We know what these keys do now. We just have to figure out how to use them properly. And fast. You got any ideas, Rem?”
“I’m working on it, mate. These patterns aren’t the same on every tile. Some have more, some have less. We could be wasting keys and heading into dead ends if we’re not careful.”
“Great,” I say and check the time on Gilly. 47 minutes. That means just over a couple of hours for us.
“Well, I’ve got an idea,” I say. “Since Rem seems to be the best equipped at finding a way through the maze, why don’t we head for a place where we can farm those angels and collect keys while he works on a route?”
“Fair enough,” Rembrandt says. “Seeing as I’m the only one with a set of fancy specs that can do all that. I’ll still need to pull them for you though.”
“Fine,” Maxis says and then cracks a grin at Rembrandt. “Don’t worry, bro. You’ll get paid double loot at the end of the mission.”
“Nice,” Rembrandt quips with a grins. “But two times zero is still zero, mate.”
“Glad you appreciate the math.” Maxis laughs. “Let’s get a move on.”
We carry on, heading across the tile, keeping one eye open for Ziegfried and the other for a suitable farming spot. Eventually Aiko dashes ahead of us to the far end and peers out into the purple twilight sky.
“That island over there looks pretty big,” Aiko says, pointing. “Should have a lot of angels on it. Looks to be a couple of tiles over.”
“How many keys you have left, Reece?” Maxis asks.
“Just one now.”
“I’ll use mine then. We’ll each have a couple left in case of emergencies after that.”
Val Helena stands and readies her axe. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s go kill some angels.”
* * *
We make our way across the next platform, but at a bit slower pace this time, moving at a jog rather than a sprint. It gives me a bit of time to study the place more and to try to make some kind of sense of it all.
It’s actually kind of beautiful in a way. If not for the danger we’re in and the fact that we need to puzzle our way through it to save Gilly and Becky, I could almost enjoy being here.
It’s like no place I’ve ever experienced before—a world of bizarre abstracts. And all of it based on a very obvious game mechanic. Did that mean a Builder created this? And if so, for what purpose?
I recall something Rembrandt had said before and run a bit closer to him. “Hey, Rem. I remember you said this place was like a weird version of the Plains of Duality. Is that what you think this is?”
“I’m not sure, mate,” Rembrandt says as he jogs next to me. “I only heard it as a rumor, but seeing it for myself, I can definitely see the comparison.”
I nod. “Yeah, me too. Like how we were separated on entry and were placed randomly. It was like that when we went through the gate to get to the world boss lair. We needed that key item from the PvP match to get teleported to the right arena. I wonder if there might be something similar to that in here.”
“Like a master key?” Rembrandt says.
“Yeah. Maybe.”
“We’ll need to see if those key drops are random or based on the mobs then,” Aiko says running a bit closer to us. “Might be worth it to look for some kind of boss in here.”
“Let’s not go biting off more than we can chew,” Maxis says. “We don’t know what this place could have in it. And without Gilly we’ve got no safety net.”
The mention of Gilly sobers me a little.
But it’s the truth.
“Hey, Max,” I say. “That primer key or whatever that drops from the PvP match. Where does it come from? And how does it affect the Plains?”
“I don’t know, man,” he says. “That’s all programming junk that Dennis knows. All I know is it opens some kind of interface between the real world and the game world. The plains are where the two meet.”
The Plains of Duality…the name makes more sense now than it did when I first heard it. Or read it, rather. I saw the name while searching for Val Helena, way back when I needed her to help retrieve my corpse. But if the Plains was some kind of interface between the real world and Crystal Shards, then was this place something similar? And if so, what was it interfacing?
A strange message pops onto my HUD.
You have lost 1 Veteran Point.
I stop and look at the message bewildered.
What the heck?
“Guys, something weird just happened,” I say and double-check my character as everyone else stops as well.
Name: Reece
Class: Ninja
Level: 85
Strength: 6+20
Dexterity: 80+100
Agility: 80+160
Intelligence: 4
Mind: 6
Vitality: 31 +20
HP: 1732/1732
Stamina: 357/357 (+50)
TP: 261/261 (+80)
[You have 3 unassigned Veteran Points]
Yup, that definitely said 4 before. “I just lost a veteran point.”
“Me too,” Aiko says and gives me a frown as she looks back at me. “What just happened?”
/> “Bloody heck,” Rembrandt says. “Guys, check your XP.”
I check my XP bar and see the numbers changing, rolling backwards like an odometer going the wrong way.
You have earned 3/20 veteran points.
You have 3 Veteran Points to allocate.
You are 230,185/250,000 experience points from earning your next Veteran Point.
Aiko curses. “I just lost an attribute point!”
“I’m going to lose a cross-class ability in a few minutes, it looks like,” Val Helena says. “Damn it. What’s going on?”
“This didn’t happen to you before?” Maxis asks.
Val Helena shakes her head. “I’m not sure. I was never inside for very long. Maybe it did and I just didn’t notice.” She pauses. “Oh God…this is what Becky meant.”
“What do you mean?” Aiko says.
The giantess folds her arms across her chest and sighs. “When we got separated Becky was still able to message me. She kept saying that something was draining her. That she was turning into something else. A Shard Wraith. This is what she must have been experiencing.”
“So if we drop to level zero, we die back home and turn into a Shard Wraith?” I ask.
Val Helena frowns and shrugs. “I guess?”
The numbers are going down in chunks. I check the timing with the Kernel Pulse messages and they match like I figured they would.
“It has to do with the pulses or whatever is causing them,” I say. “They’re linked.”
“Bloody hell,” Rembrandt says. “It’s like negative enthalpy in here.”
Maxis gives him a furrowed brow. “Like what?”
“Negative energy. Draining everything. This whole place is like a death trap.”
That doesn’t bode well. Especially if we need to find Aiko’s sister who has been in here for who knows how long.
“We need to get moving,” I say.
Maxis nods. “I’m all for that.”