by R J Triveri
-Attention! World modification in progress! Combat is disabled.-
Whether combat was going to happen was another story entirely. The forest around them was silent except for the rustle of the leaves in the wind. None of them disturbed it as the message flashed a final time.
-Attention! World modification complete! Combat will be re-engaged in ten…-
And the time continued to tick down until it reached zero, but nothing happened. Nothing jumped them, nothing struck at them, silence reigned until the grasses began to crush under the sounds of nothing. Nothing that could be seen, nothing that could be heard other than the sounds of the compressing grass that broke the silence.
“What is it?” Torrent asked as he drew his blade.
“I can’t see anything,” Trina replied.
“Same... Wait, there’s something!” Sally said from her angle as the group turned to face her direction.
Slowly but surely, the light began to bend as the dungeon’s spawn rate began anew. Towering over them by at least two feet, a form began to shimmer to life. Bit by bit, pixel by pixel, the body of a sleek creature began to form, then a human torso, then ahead with pointy ears and flowing green vines for hair. Color flowed into the flesh as it painted a vibrant green across her form, and to Torrent’s embarrassment, a rather feminine form that lacked modesty. A moment after she was given life, her bark colored eyes took in the three. A moment of understanding crossed her face, her lips bloomed into a smile, and she bowed to them unwilling and unable to strike.
“Friends of Athos, I welcome you to my home.”
Ioh Porta had re-spawned with her memory of the day’s events intact.
Sheathing his sword, Torrent was the first to speak. “You remember us?”
The dryad nodded, a little unsure of herself as she spoke. “I do, but then again I don’t. I cannot recall your names but I know why I know you. I owe you a debt I cannot pay, but I don’t know why. I was in a dark place that light couldn’t penetrate and somehow escaped.”
Sally’s gaze drifted around the area, expecting more, then returned to Ioh, disappointed. “You don’t remember anything.”
“I remember it like a nightmare. Some things are clear as crystal, others are like a fog in my mind. I remember a horrible creature entering my grove. I remember fear like I had never felt before. I did so many horrible things in my fear. I remember darkness, and I remember….” Her voice stopped dead. Moments passed as she thought about how to approach the situation. “I remember watching Athos die as I stood by motionless.”
“How?” Sally asked almost indigently. “You were already dead long before he was!”
“I do not know, and honestly, I don’t want to remember. That creature, it was truly frightening. It spoke in a voice explaining things to me in words I couldn’t begin to understand.”
“You weren’t fighting it,” Torrent added. “It was worse close up.”
“I can only imagine. I’ve never had to fight against one of my own kind before, just yours,” Ioh commented looking at Torrent. “However it happened, I know what I did. I cannot have the city hate my people, and I will try to make amends if I can.”
“You’re wise,” Trina said thinking about the boss’s words. “Wiser than I thought your kind were.”
“And you are less combative than most of your kind,” Ioh added looking them over. “But you wear the scars of warriors despite that. I cannot thank you enough for what you’ve done for my people, and I can escort you out if you wish. You will be safe under my care.”
“We’d like that,” the martial magus answered for the group before Sally suddenly looked sick. “Sally? You okay?”
Walter Queen => Sally Queen: Sally! Where the Hell have you been!? Your mother and I have been worried sick! We’ve been trying to reach you for hours and the messages just kept bouncing back! Where’s Athos hiding? I know he’s with you! I’m going to kill him for dragging you into whatever is going on!
“No, it’s my dad.”
“So…” Torrent began then saw the look on her face drop. “Oh, right… he didn’t know did he.”
She shook her head, “He doesn’t know Athos is gone either. Says he’s going to kill him for dragging me out.”
“Oh.”
“I guess he never did get around to being the hero.” It was a half-hearted joke as Trina turned to look at the two then back to Ioh, “We’d be glad if you could take us out near the road to Oenus.” Her gaze turned to Sally a moment later. “Tell him you’ll explain everything when he picks us up near the forest.”
She nodded and fired off the message.
Sally Queen => Walter Queen: Not now. I’ll explain everything, but not now. Do you remember where you picked up Athos when you first met him?
She watched her screen waiting for the answer. It seemed to take longer than she expected as she began to follow the group to the edge of the grove.
Walter Queen => Sally Queen: I’ll be there soon.
A second message popped up soon after.
Sandra Queen => Sally Queen: Is everything okay, Sally? Your father just stormed out of the house.
Sally Queen => Sandra Queen: No.
“He’s coming,” she said as Ioh continued to lead them and noticed a status change in her window. “What’s Embrace of the Dryad?”
She looked at Sally then to the others and shook her head. “I’m sorry, you must not have been paying attention,” Ioh said simply, then continued despite the glare Sally shot at her. “It will just keep you under our protection as we travel. No harm will come to you as we go through my forest.”
“Oh. Thank you, Ioh.”
“It is the least I can do,” the dryad said simply as she turned to continue their lead. “Athos said the same thing the first time I led him out of here, but then again, he was a Child of the Forest.”
Whether she was informing them or reminiscing, Sally couldn’t quite put her finger on it as they continued.
Sandra Queen => Sally Queen: I’ve never seen him move so fast, what happened?
Sally groaned to herself. Why’d it always have to be her?
Sally Queen => Sandra Queen: Long story short, The Suits were hacking the system with help from the outside. We managed to fix it somehow with the help of a guild.
Sandra Queen => Sally Queen: You told me you were just going on a dungeon trip.
Avoiding a root, Sally felt a little guilt well up on her cheeks.
Sally Queen => Sandra Queen: That’s all it was supposed to be.
Sandra Queen => Sally Queen: If it wasn’t for your new class, I don’t think I’d believe you.
Sally sighed as she tried to listen to the conversations going on in front of her, but it was a futile effort as another message sprang to life.
Sandra Queen => Sally Queen: Why isn’t Athos on my friends list anymore, Sally?
Not again. Sally mindlessly let herself path find her way behind the others as she thought of the best way to break it to her mother. Each thought seemed as tasteless and painful as the last, but she just couldn’t bring herself to say it again. Less than an hour, had it really been that short of a time?
Sally Queen => Sandra Queen: He’s a hero, Mom.
The silence of text within the private chat showed her that her mother understood at least enough not to be blunt. A few minutes passed and a laugh came from Torrent as he reacted to some story Ioh was telling. To her, it was amazing to see how a dungeon boss could be. Were they really all like Athos claimed?
Sandra Queen => Sally Queen: Then we’ll remember him as one. Just… your father, be gentle when you tell him.
Sally Queen => Sandra Queen: He’s not going to take it well.
Sandra Queen => Sally Queen: And you are?
Sally Queen => Sandra Queen: I can take it better than Dad.
Sandra Queen => Sally Queen: I’m here for you. You know that, right?
Sally Queen => Sandra Queen: I know. Thanks, Mom.
She considered the con
versation over as the group continued forward, and a message never came to dispute it as she caught up with Torrent, Trina, and Ioh. “What was so funny?”
Torrent turned a smile still stuck to his face. “Ioh was just telling us about when she first met Athos.”
“And why’s that funny?”
“He was so embarrassed that he could barely look at her in the face.”
She snickered a bit at that as well. “It’s just who she is.”
“That’s what I told him,” Ioh added with a disarming smile. “He just didn’t know how things worked here at all. A few of my daughters did think his actions were charming though. They liked being treated as individuals.”
“He did have a newbie’s view of things,” Sally sighed, smiling all the same. “I think it was what gave him his charm.”
“Athos was lucky in many ways,” Trina added as they walked.
“Did he ever tell you about his first dungeon run?” the factotum asked as the forest began to become less crowded.
“This’ll be a good one,” Torrent grinned.
The next hour passed easily for most of them with friendly conversation, a quiet stroll, and memories shared of a fallen hero. For Sally, it wasn’t that bad, but she would have traded it all for Athos to be the one telling his stories.
****
It was so simple… so very simple…
Ferris had never had such an easy time with the system. The entire forest, dryads, sumac beasts, ivy beasts… everything was back. She had even added a few new species to make things more diverse. The entire dungeon had been reset and reloaded with Ioh’s last save as their leader. With a smile on her face, she had even found a few hundred of those source codes new life. The dungeon was about to get a lot more interesting in her opinion.
“Auxi, have you finished with the dungeon.”
The soft, wavelength of a voice was comforting as she smiled. “I have.”
“Then come, we have much to do. If you are to be ready in time, you have much to learn.”
Returning the screen in front of her back into data, the Auxi smiled. “Yes, Unum.”
“This year’s festival is approaching. You will be ready for it.”
“Yes, Unum.”
As she walked away from the screen, Ferris vanished in the same light as Unum had not too long ago.
Until We Meet Again
Despite everything, the trip back was more peaceful than Sally could have imagined.
The forest was built like a maze according to Ioh, but whatever Rain had done on their first visit, she was fully capable of doing as well. Then again, it made sense that the boss… No. She couldn’t think of Ioh like that anymore. She was more like the guardian of the forest, and she could do anything that she wished in her domain. All around them, Sally caught glimpses of creatures just outside their vision watching them with intent, glowing eyes. She knew what lived around here, but the silhouettes weren’t anything she recognized. Some of them were longer, taller, wider than the dryads and much more human-like than the beasts.
Thankfully, no trace of the shedding was left around them as the textures had returned full tilt. In her opinion, it looked even more vibrate than the other times her family had driven by it. The hues of green and brown melded so well in the shadows of the darkness, and, from what she had seen, it would be even more beautiful under a fully sunlit sky. All the distractions had Sally lagging behind, so she found herself having to rush to keep up.
Before she knew it, an hour had passed and twilight was already on top of them. It wasn’t much longer after that when the forest began thinning out. Starlight from the blossoming night began to pour in through the leaves as the twin moons made themselves known in the sky. Through the leaves, Sally caught the phrases of the moons and knew it was almost festival time again. The thought of it throbbed an ache of loss through her mind, but it wasn’t like she could just skip it. If it wasn’t for her work…
Another throb of pain brought another realization to the forefront of her mind.
Sally wasn’t a mechanist anymore. She couldn’t do her work. If her face could have fallen any further, it’d be dragging on the ground. Maybe she would pull out this year after all. Without her talents, there really wasn’t anything she needed to do besides the lantern launch.
“Sally?”
She had become so withdrawn into her own thoughts that she had almost walked into the tail end of the dryad. “Sorry.”
“You seem distraught,” the dryad stated, and the factotum’s face suddenly went blank and hard again. The dryad’s words seemed slightly offended as she turned to Trina. “Is she always like this?”
Trina shrugged. “I don’t blame her.”
Ioh seemed slightly confused if her voice were to be trusted. “Why?”
Trina seemed to wrack her mind for the best way to answer. “Well...”
Sally interrupted Trina quickly. “You don’t need to make excuses for me,” She said simply. “I’ve lost a lot the past hour or two, and I need to figure it out. That’s all.”
“I think I can understand that,” Ioh said and gestured out past the last of the tree line. “I cannot take you any further. My domain ends here. Do you think you can make it to the road from here?”
Trina nodded. “Even with the higher spawn rates, we should be okay.”
Ioh circled around to turn back before smiling at the group. “Take care of each other. You are friends now. Come and go as you please.” Her attention focused next on Sally specifically. “And you, you must remember to live your life as your own.”
The words took her off guard. She had fully intended to keep living if she had her way, “I don’t think you need to worry about that.”
“I’ve known many of your kind, and I know that look. I may not know what he was to you, but I know your kind seem to always focus on moving beyond the event.” Ioh saw the comment boiling behind her lips and added, “It isn’t a measure of your origin, it’s a fact. My kind does it as well, focusing on only what has been, rather than what could be or how to shape the events to come with what we have learned. We are trying to move past that as well.”
She nodded, unable to let loose her steam. Instead, she simply stopped defending her walls. “It’ll take time.”
“We’ve got your back for that,” Torrent said with a sad smile. “Just don’t ask us to go on a crawl anytime soon.” A hard right hook from the factotum connected with the side of his face after that, and despite the differences in their armor and level, he still reeled back holding his cheek as his integrity took a hit. “Son of a bitch!”
“Don’t joke about it!”
The surprise that painted his face was only surpassed by his embarrassment. How would he have felt if someone had said if Lyra had died? Under his breath, he quietly apologized. “Didn’t mean it like that, Sally.”
“Told you your mouth would come back to bite you,” Trina said simply as Sally turned red.
“It was just a joke!” He defended, rubbing his cheek until the pain subsided.
“I don’t take jokes well,” the female factotum said quietly.
“You really should learn.”
“Both of you need to just leave each other alone,” Trina pointed out. “It’ll get worse before it gets better.”
Ioh interrupted with a slight clearing of her throat. “I really should be leaving you. I must be getting back to the grove.”
As if realizing for the first time she was there again, the three took on an embarrassed look before Trina spoke again. “Thank you again.”
“Just treat each other well.”
And with that, the groups parted ways. In the span of a few moments, Ioh had vanished back into the greens of the forest and the others were on their way to the road. Worse for wear, the group could only smile as the road came into an unobstructed view. Especially in the darkness of the night, the dirt road was a welcomed sight. The sight paled in comparison to the sounds of the approaching monitors and the ratt
ling cart, but to Sally, the voice that accompanied it brought on mixed emotions.
“Sally!” Her father’s voice rang in clear as day as the distance began to close between her group and the familiar, well-kept cart. Once it pulled up, the first thing out of Walter’s mouth was less than supportive. “What the hell are you wearing?”
Trina could see what seethed below the surface and interrupted before Sally had a chance. “It’s a long story, Mr. Queen.”
“I told you, it’s Walter or Walt.” His eyes looked over Trina closely before he answered. “And I’m sure it is, but no offense to you, I’d rather hear it from my daughter.” He turned back to her as the monitors looked at her closely, eying her as if she were a stranger, “Everyone get on… wait…” and the words Sally had prepared for came forth. “Where’s Athos? I’ve got a bone to pick with him.” Without answering, Sally got into the back of the cart. She was followed quickly by Trina and Torrent as Walter repeated himself. “Where is he?” Walt turned to his daughter and saw a pain in her eyes he wished he hadn’t.
Sally did her best not to be stern or yell at him. He didn’t know. Softly, she spoke. “Start driving, Dad, and I’ll tell you everything.”
He didn’t have a chance to say another word as it began. Sally’s words were frank as she retold the story. She left out no details: the shedding, the world boss, Athos’s plan, the modifications, and everything else that seemed important. Then she came to the hardest part. The young factotum told her father about how Athos sacrificed himself to give them a chance, about how he made a mistake, and about how his source was scattered back into the world. In the span of her words, it wasn’t long until the pain she felt reflected in him, and he regretted everything he had said about the boy.
The ride was mostly silent after that. The talk was kept to a minimum and the only real interruptions came from the shuffling feet of the monitors that Walter and Sally had so carefully raised. The light of the cart’s lamps may not have gone far, but the red, glinting eyes of the beast didn’t need them as it followed the dry dirt road back to Oenus. As they climbed to the top of a familiar hill overlooking Oenus, Walter used his break to slow their trip down the last hurdle towards the city. Sally was a little more than surprised at her father’s turn, but she knew that there wasn’t a pleasant reason for it.