Awaken Online: Armageddon, page 14
“I’d have preferred not to have Finn fucking staring at us,” Queen grumbled. “I wasn’t sure layering the illusions to mimic a person’s mana signature would work. And baiting the shifter was a terrible idea. What if he’d attacked? This spell wouldn’t hold up to a full assault.”
Bard raised a finger. “But he didn’t!”
“To his credit – and I don’t say this lightly – it was a decent test,” Pewpew added. Bard looked pleased with himself at that comment. “Even if his songs were truly terrible.”
“What?! I spent hours on those, I’ll have you know.”
She just grunted skeptically. “Pretty sure you just ripped off an old country song.”
“I also felt like I’d heard that tune before,” Blaze added. “Maybe a thousand years ago, and I’m not exactly a spring chicken myself.” She peered at him. “Are you secretly a hundred years old back in the real world? You can tell us.”
“Everyone’s a fucking critic,” Bard grumbled, swiping at his screens. “I’ve been told I’m just an old soul.”
“And what was all that bullshit about ‘seeding’ their next reroll?” Queen demanded. “That wasn’t part of the script.”
Bard chuckled. “Pure inspiration on my part. It’s amazing what comes to you on stage. If people were really gullible enough to believe that bullshit and they think the ‘Patch-ure’ is coming, won’t all their gold go away? I mean, why not invest in better returns after the server reset. In the meantime, we make a little more coin we can convert into cold hard cash.”
“And the level bonus?” Pewpew offered.
“More bullshit,” Blaze grunted. “Seriously, this all makes me feel a little… dirty?”
“Compared to burning people alive for money?” Queen asked.
“Hey, that’s honest, hands-on work. I’m not subtle. They know what they’re in for if my hair is on fire. This is just a scam.”
“A scam that netted us 1,500 gold,” Bard offered as he reviewed the screens floating before him, his fingers tapping at the air.
Blaze hesitated. “Huh. Okay, never mind. I’m on board again.”
This earned her a laugh from Queen and Pewpew.
“Anyway, don’t we need to get moving?” Pewpew asked. “We’ve still got work to do.”
Indeed, they could hear shouting from the neighboring street, the crowd beginning to demand an encore performance from their favorite doomsaying singer.
“Ahh, I never tire of that sound,” Bard said with a wistful sigh, swiping away his displays. “Alright, Queenie, do me up again. I’m not one to leave my fans hanging.”
Queen shook her head, but sapphire energy pooled around her wand and soon stretched toward Bard before wrapping around the ring perched upon his finger – a lone gem embedded in simple silver. Once the gem began to glow intensely, she stopped. Bard’s skin rippled as though water were being poured over him, the liquid shaping itself into the now familiar features of a certain wizened, old gamer. She did the same for Blaze and Pewpew, their features soon transforming back into Preacher’s backup singers.
“Remember, you only have a few hours on those illusions,” she reminded Bard. Again.
“Yeah, yeah. Just focus on your own part of the mission. We’ll be fine. They already adore me out there,” Bard answered with a wave of his hand, peering around a stack of barrels at the throng lingering nearby.
Queen grimaced. He wasn’t wrong. Her eyes skimmed toward Blaze and Pewpew. “Keep an eye on him.” They both just nodded.
Then Queen’s wand flashed again, and her own appearance transformed into a nondescript resident. She quickly retreated the opposite way down the alley, leaving the other three standing there watching after her.
“What’s got her all worked up?” Bard grunted.
Pewpew cocked her head. “Worried is my guess. She’s got the more difficult job.” She hesitated for a moment, looking back at her guildmates. “Speaking of which, either of you heard anything from Smiles yet?”
Bard’s good humor finally cracked, a note of worry blooming in his chest. “No. Not yet.” He shrugged off that feeling. “But there’s nothing to be nervous about. He can handle himself. He’s proven that time and time again.”
“He’s right. That man is practically immortal,” Blaze quipped.
The crowd roared impatiently, and Bard let out a sigh. “Come on, ladies. Our fans await!” With that, he marched down the alley, the roar only growing louder as he came back into view.
Pewpew groaned. “After this, can I kill him? I didn’t sign up to be a backup singer for some sort of fake videogame church.”
Blaze patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. When this is over… I’ll help you do it.”
Their laughter was soon drowned out by the legion of travelers and the whine of Bard’s guitar. They had a job to do, after all.
Chapter 11 - Summit
“Evelyn is doing well for herself,” Riley muttered, eyeing the chamber around them.
Tall marble columns etched with detailed patterns ringed the room. Gold fringed the table and covered the chandelier that was suspended from the ceiling – all glimmering crystal and gemstone. Overhead, the roof had been replaced with enormous glass panels, the glow from Alexion’s barrier shining down into the room and reflecting off the filigreed gold.
Surveying the room, Jason nodded. “Enough to hire plenty of muscle, too.”
Guards stood around the room, decked in magical gear and heavy metal and chain. Mages were likely hidden just out of sight – possibly behind fake walls or illusions, judging by the way Finn was inspecting the room suspiciously. These were just the meat shields in case something went wrong. Jerry had invaded their ranks, the innkeeper flitting from soldier to soldier and pestering them with questions – the men and women doing their best to ignore them.
If he keeps it up, they might just start a war, Jason thought.
Finn’s and Eliza’s groups already sat at the circular table in the center of the chamber. Finn’s lieutenants had taken up seats beside him. Eliza’s entourage had been asked to remain outside, something about the water ruining the thick, elegant carpets lining the floor. So, it was just her and Brian. The plant-like man refused to stay seated and hovered above her protectively, those sapphire eyes constantly scanning the area. Jason had also ordered his undead to remain in the hall as a show of good faith. Not that he was concerned with his own lieutenants in the room.
The tension in the air was palpable. None of them wanted to be the first to address the elephant in the room – what had just transpired outside.
Frank had been silent since the encounter with Preacher, sitting there with his arms crossed – each exhale coming out in a low growl. For her part, Silver kept eyeing him uncomfortably, clearly unsure what to do. Not that Jason blamed her. What exactly could she say that would make that better? And Frank’s reaction revealed something more – his insecurities over their budding relationship on full public display. While his friends may have accepted the relationship, that didn’t mean others would be so open-minded.
The doors creaked open, and Evelyn and Alexion finally made their appearance. Jason never thought he’d look forward to seeing Alexion’s face, yet here he was – a welcome distraction. If this kept up, he might stop hating the blond-haired avatar.
Although, that still seemed unlikely.
The pair marched inside with glowing, golden-clad Nephilim at their side, their wings held aloft and their armor reflecting the scattered light of the chandelier. It was an imposing sight. Although Jason still thought Finn and Eliza had done better with their own shows of power. Jason also couldn’t help but notice that Alexion seemed distracted. His eyes were distant, and he only vaguely acknowledged the room’s occupants.
Perhaps Jason’s plan was beginning to pay off back in the real world.
Or maybe something else was occupying Alexion’s thoughts.
“About time,” Finn grumbled. “Let’s get this thing moving already.”
Evelyn frowned – a delicate thing. But she waved at the Nephilim, and they fanned out around the room as she and Alexion took their seats. Jason raised an eyebrow at that. Were the two so close that Alexion was comfortable with Evelyn ordering his troops around? And then there was her own reaction. Perhaps Evelyn had been hoping to make an impression on the avatars. As it was, their mood had been soured by their introduction to her “lovely” city.
“My apologies for the group outside,” she began delicately, addressing their irritation head-on. “They have been… troublesome ever since rumors of the summit began circulating online.”
“Which I’m sure you had nothing to do with,” Julia drawled from Finn’s side.
A tinkling laugh escaped her throat. “Well, perhaps that’s true. But can you blame me? I only wished to enrich the city with the surge in trade.”
“And by that, you mean your own treasury,” Finn interjected.
“Well, of course,” Evelyn replied with no attempt at subterfuge. She waved a hand. “If it’s any consolation, that plan backfired on me as well. The nobles are outraged by the behavior of these travelers, voicing safety and security concerns. They are all centered around that man you met outside the guild hall – the one who goes by Preacher. Over the course of just a few days in-game, he’s begun to radicalize a growing segment of the traveler population.
“Believe it or not, the residents are quite upset that I’ve given our people a platform to advocate for ending the world. More so-called realism, I suppose,” Evelyn offered dryly.
“Do you blame them?” Jason retorted, his features hidden within the shadows of his hood. “I’m sure they know by now that a traveler guild is responsible for this event. And if we fail to stop it, they may all die.” He side-eyed Frank. “The stakes are very real for them.”
Evelyn sniffed dismissively. “Still, at its heart, this is all just a game. These people aren’t real – not like you and me.”
Before anyone could react, Frank had made it to the other side of the table, fur rippling down his arm and his fingers terminating in thick claws – which were now aimed directly at Evelyn. “You want to say that again?” he ground out, his eyes flickering crimson.
Evelyn just stared back. “Oh, tough words from the dog-boy. Why don’t you try it?” she offered, reaching out a hand and tapping at the air. A ripple of energy expanded out around her. A shield of light, perhaps? A failsafe in case things went south during the meeting? Jason glanced at Finn, but he didn’t seem surprised. His Mana Sight must have allowed him to pick out the shield long before Evelyn’s little demonstration.
Alexion was also paying attention now, light shining from his body and his hand on his sword as his glowing golden eyes stared down Frank. “Back away,” he said simply.
“Frank…” Riley offered hesitantly.
Then an undead hand landed on the wolf’s shoulder. “No doubt your point is lost on these imbeciles,” Jerry said, his voice just a touch too loud. “Look at them? They’ve clearly blinded themselves with the light of their own power and greed. How else could they refuse to see the cost to their resident allies?”
Huh, a barb from the innkeeper. Evelyn’s dismissal of the residents’ concerns clearly hadn’t resonated well with him either. No doubt, that attitude had helped foster some of the resentment among this city’s resident population.
Evelyn had created a political powder keg, and now they were sitting directly on top of it.
Speaking of volatile mixtures… Frank slowly backed down, his skin shifting back to a normal hue as he made his way back to his seat. Jason noticed Silver start to reach for him, only to hesitate as Frank flinched away from her touch.
“Good boy,” Alexion sneered. “It seems your master has taught you well.”
Frank’s eyes flashed. “If there wasn’t so much riding on this summit, I’d fucking gut you. No glowing shield is going to stop me. It certainly didn’t stop Jason last time.”
Anger swept across Alexion’s face before he could control his expression. “This from a man who can’t separate fiction from reality.” He waved at Silver. “As though we don’t know why you’re so prickly right now – it’s all over Rogue-Net, rumors of your supposed relationship. No doubt that’s how Preacher found out.”
Alexion leaned forward, tapping at the table. “Maybe you’re just upset that he told the truth? That he pointed out that you’re ‘dating’ an algorithm. You may as well have fallen in love with an anime character. She’s not real.”
Frank let out a growl, but Silver stopped him this time. She sniffed dismissively. “He’s not worth it. Just look at him. He stinks of lust for that woman beside him, and yet see how she sits, facing away from him, her eyes on others. Stronger. Smarter. Those that don’t reek of”—she smelled at the air again—“yes, that’s fear. Uncertainty.
“Perhaps it isn’t Frank that can’t tell fact from fiction.”
Alexion’s eyes flashed, his expression momentarily uncertain. Jason couldn’t help but notice Evelyn’s reaction as well – the way her eye twitched. The way the pair refused to quite look at each other in the face of Silver’s accusation. Was there something there? Something that went beyond a purely platonic business relationship? It certainly looked like Silver had touched a nerve.
A heavy sigh broke the tension. “Or perhaps we could put aside all this childish, emotional bullshit and get to the point?” Finn offered. “Some of us outgrew all this hormonal crap decades ago and just want to figure out how to solve the actual problem we’re facing instead of creating new ones.”
He pointed a finger at Evelyn. “And you can just shove the pretense. You wouldn’t have agreed to this summit unless you were invested in this world. This empire you’ve created didn’t happen overnight,” Finn added with a wave at the room around him. “Which means you have your own reason for staying here – for spending countless hours of your existence in this place. Just as the rest of us do,” he continued, those bandaged eyes flitting around the room.
Eliza flinched away from his gaze, looking to the side. She had stayed quiet during the exchange, her hands knotted in her lap and Brian’s limbs perched protectively around her. Jason’s brow furrowed. They hadn’t had a chance to speak much since Sandscrit. She’d been distant and even more awkward than usual. That furtive behavior had made him wonder what her motive was in all of this.
Evelyn frowned, her hands smoothing at the fabric of her tunic. “Perhaps I do,” she acknowledged finally. “But my reason is not your concern.”
Alexion was looking at her now, his expression unreadable. Was that… suspicion on his face? Jason wondered. What the hell was going on there exactly? And now that Finn had raised the issue, what was Evelyn’s motive for playing this game? He’d done his own digging on her, and her family was nearly as powerful as Alex’s. What did she stand to gain from a game?
Not that he expected those answers would be forthcoming – not right now, anyway.
It was like they were playing a game of poker, each person holding their cards tight and looking at each other for tells – a weakness that would give them leverage. And behind the veiled threats and barbs was one universal, unspoken truth. They weren’t friends. They were grudging allies. They might have a mutual enemy for now, but once this fight was over, they would still be facing each other. If they could stop this apocalypse while undermining the other factions – perhaps even claiming those gate pieces – well, they’d be winning twice over, wouldn’t they?
Riley looked at him from his side, her expression knowing. This was going to be tough.
“He’s right. Let’s move on to the point of this summit,” Jason agreed, trying to pivot away from this verbal sparring. He needed to keep everyone focused on the goal.
“You called for this meeting, so by all means, go ahead,” Evelyn challenged him.
Jason nodded. “First, what do we all know about this guild
“Nothing more than I suspect the rest of you have deduced,” Finn offered. “They’re a radicalized anti-consumer group. It’s odd they chose to enter the same game world that they claim is evil, but I can see a certain sort of crazy logic to their decision. If they can’t destroy it from the outside, then this is the next best choice.”
“They also clearly have funding and someone feeding them information,” Riley offered. “How else could they have determined how to start this event, much less gather in-game?”
Nods from around the table. They’d all reached a similar conclusion.
“And it must be someone from our world,” Julia added. “If even more than a handful of the SAFE members entered AO, the cost of the VR hardware and software would become exorbitant.”
“So, they have deep pockets,” Riley agreed with a nod at Julia. “Maybe donations? There’s been a lot of public discussion about AO centered around the hearing.”
“Or a big corporate competitor,” Kyyle added from Finn’s other side, looking pointedly at Evelyn, Brock looming up behind him and his glowing green eyes focused on the guild leader as well. “Like a certain heiress who created a political clusterfuck around this summit. One who has plenty of in-game resources as well.”
Silence hung in the air at the implicit accusation.
Now that was a possible motive on Evelyn’s part. Her family could have asked her to enter AO, build up a trade empire, and then undermine the game world from the inside – corrupt it and bring it to its knees so they could come in and scoop up the remains.
“My family primarily deals in transportation,” Evelyn responded icily. “What need do we have to compete against an entertainment and technology company?”
“Fair. Unless that company also owns the technology that makes that transportation company profitable,” Kyyle replied with a nod. “As I understand it, Cerillion has your family by the balls after the shift to driverless technology. Maybe you’re looking for leverage?”
