Chapter One
Chapter One
They watched the ongoing battle from the balcony, hundreds of yards above the lower tiers. The walls of Hammersworth spread out in a wide arc, looping from one side of the mountain to the other. The thick stone slabs protected those within the city from the attacking forces.
There were at least a hundred attacking the gates. Angry faces and blackened veins.
On the parapets of the wall were a mix of defenders, including a long line of the king’s Royal Guards in their gleaming silver armor. Interlaced between them were the blessed, the parties who had accepted the king’s call and were even now fighting to defend the kingdom, taking advantage of the fact that the enemy was coming to them. They were harvesting the kills for experience in a bid to claim glory for their parties.
Chloe could see them, lower-leveled blessed among the NPCs
Some exploded in golden light as they leveled up. A few were hit by shots that sent them back into the white room in which they would wait for several hours to respawn, but it gave her hope to see that they were growing stronger with every renewal.
“Four days and they haven’t stopped coming.”
Chloe was aware of Queen Therese joining her. King Abaxis was on her other side, staring out over the city.
“They will,” Chloe said. “They have to.”
Chloe spoke the words, but they were hollow. Ever since the fight for the rift and to clear the enemy from the gates had ended, the infected hadn’t stopped coming. Every hour or so, a new group would come, emerging from the tree line several miles from the city gate and marching on them, group after group after group.
“Where are they all coming from?”
Abe idly teased knots from his beard. “Scouts are out there, doing what they can to find out. No sign yet.”
“No sign?”
Abe lowered his eyes. “More like the scouts have yet to return.”
Chloe shook her head. “We need to be doing something. We need to attack. Find a way to go to them and take them down. We can’t just stay here like sitting ducks and let them wear us down. They know what they’re doing.”
“What do you suggest?” Therese asked. “We empty the city and go on a hunt for three gods of evil? Chloe, that’s a suicide mission. No one will make it back alive.”
Abe added, “I’ve put out calls to the surrounding kingdoms. Letters by raven. I have yet to hear back, but I am hopeful. Hammersworth has a formidable reputation. There would be many who would deem it an honor to fight by our side.”
“If I may offer another suggestion?” KieraFreya commented.
“Sure.”
“We go for my horse.”
Chloe took a deep breath. “You know it’s not that simple. The city isn’t ready yet. If we leave, they’re a goddess down. You’ve been invaluable in helping keep the darkness at bay. With us gone into the Nether Realm, what’ll happen if the city is suddenly overrun?”
Chloe pictured it in her mind: her and KieraFreya gallivanting around the Nether Realm while Fukmos and his hordes attacked the city. The goddess trapped inside her armor had been instrumental in keeping out the darkness and giving her strength. Without KieraFreya, she worried that the city wouldn’t last if a larger attack were to come.
She stared out at the giant rift, the wobbling tear in the fabric of reality that pulsed with strange power. It was the prison in which Shikora, KieraFreya’s steed, and the last piece required to complete the mission, was said to be contained. If she wasn’t mistaken, the rift was shrinking.
What if Chloe were to head through and the rift closed behind her? How would she open it again? What if she went through and couldn’t find Shikora? What if the whole thing was a trick? A trap?
The last thing Chloe wanted to do was leave her friends and not be around should things go from bad to worse. What would she do if she came back to find the city destroyed and her friends gone after she had spent so much time pulling them all together?
Therese moved closer to Chloe. “We’ll be okay. The city will be able to hold off an attack. You
need
to finish what you started. It’s the only way all this will end. Imagine what it’d be like to have a goddess on the field, complete with her powers and her steed. The advantage we’d have!”
And what if the goddess became complete and then abandoned us and headed off to the heavens?
Chloe thought.
I guess that’s a risk you’ll have to take
, KieraFreya said, not unkindly.
Chloe exhaled, watching several more fighters gaining levels down below. She turned and left without another word.
She paced through the hallways and found her way to her room.
It was huge, easily big enough to fit in five more beds. Her bed was untouched, sheets and pillows without a dent. Chloe hadn’t slept for the last few days.
How could she possibly sleep with the sounds of battle outside? Even inside the palace, there was the constant gossiping, the guards running around urgently, and messages and deliveries carried by people with heavy footfalls and loud breathing.
Chloe sat in a plush chair in the corner of her room and checked her messages. She had come to the realization the day before that if she was going on this suicide mission, she’d need all the help she could get. Fighters who were able to go for long stints without rest. As it stood, there was only her and Gideon (that she was aware of) who were able to undertake such a feat.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw a message from the doc.
Chloe!
Seems like you’re burning the candle at both ends. Don’t forget that rest is beneficial in-game. Think of those buffs you’ll get for being fully rested!
I’ve made the calls and put in the requests, and I’ve just had confirmation that all is underway. The guys will receive their messages shortly and will be able to proceed with your plan.
I must also add, your generosity seems to know no bounds. I’m sure they’ll both be ecstatic with your gift—even if it does have a selfish motive ;)
Anyhow, I know you’re busy, so I won’t burden you with too many updates. Suffice it to say, Mia is still tackling the AI issues, and it looks promising. We’ll know more in the next few days.
Keep on doing what you’re doing.
Your #1 fan—don’t forget that! :P
Doc
Chloe rested her head on the wall behind her and felt relief wash over her.
So the doc had succeeded. Pretty soon the guys would be getting the message, and maybe, just maybe, they’d be able to get to work and reach the end of their quest.
It seemed impossible, looking back at where she had started, to believe how far she had come. She remembered her first encounter with the goblins and struggling to find somewhere to hide from them when she embarked upon the legendary mission. The incredible serendipity of the beta phase of the game that had set her on the path to where she was now with KieraFreya.
She wondered again what it would be like after it all ended. Where would KieraFreya go, and what would that mean for her? Would she remain as she was, or did her power lie entirely with the goddess?
Chloe didn’t believe she’d be okay with starting from scratch.
She doubled-checked her stats, wondering if they would change. Just how many were tied to the goddess’ power?
Thankfully, they hadn’t. As the thoughts began to blur in her mind, she closed her eyes. The memories turned to dreams, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep. Several hours later, when Gideon found her and called her to the throne room, her head would be a little bit clearer.