Chapter 22:
11 Kingdoms
Report: Warrior Princess
Accessing Personal Logs: Princess Fawn Midin
The skies grow dark long before even the first shot of an arrow, spell, or bullet is fired. By now many of the computer-controlled characters not set with the task of having to defend the town have gone into hiding in the shelters or hideaways of the town and surrounding mountainous terrain. I have taken a moment, to study the surroundings and found no real advantage near the town except for the wide mountain river that moved along its border. Two days before this river was set as our plan to follow towards heading to the central city of Ruire. I direct the group to move to the water in a hope that if the dragon moves close we can hit the water and avoid greater damage from the dragon's breath. It wasn't hard to guess the beast's breath was based on fire from the smoke and flames that filled the southern sky. Or at least that is what we thought till the beast moved in close enough for the four of us to gain our first looks at its lizard hide of deep purple. While surely Tul, and Jilland, were unaware of what this meant. I no longer could think the same for Silvy, who in a few moments ago confirmed my uneasiness of her being a member of my team's rivals in Ruby tower. Though I had no idea if she worked under Min, the label of the kingdom displayed proudly on her armor and clothing has my fear that such a fact is very much the case for future discussions I don't care to enter with her about. For now, we had bigger issues, one with massive teeth, claws, and an acidic breath. What we mistook for flames was a collection of creatures that must be fighting the dragon for territory. But their flames did little more than scorch the scales of the dragon. Still, a mile away the beast roars, and the mountain shook in response to the creature's cry.
A knot builds in my stomach at the words Silvy said earlier, that I originally failed to catch till Jilland questioned it himself. Someone let that thing out on the world early. My first guess goes to our new companion. But then why would she stand at our side in this oncoming massacre. Then I question perhaps she informed Min or the hacker. The hacker, yes if anyone would do this the Hacker would. If the hacker did this then the creature may not be a normal dragon. Why release it unless she knows where I am and has sent the beast out to kill me? My hand begins to shake as I grasp the Magus staff with thoughts of me sending Jilland, Tul, and now Silvy, to their deaths with another infected monster after me. I reach up to feel my heart beating severely and touch the damaged chameleon pin. No with this on I should not be able to be detected by the hacker. But then again it's been damaged and I haven't been able to repair it or the Magus staff with the genesis power. Perhaps I have been exposed all this time. I take a deep breath as the dragon's body comes into full view and Silvy and Jilland begin their attacks at shooting the beast. Soon the town guard follows through with their attacks with arrows. I, however, don't act. I stay frozen in my actions taking a step back from the party a tear hits my cheek. I have put them in danger. Any loss from now on will bear heavily on my soul. Jilland and Tul will be hard with the friendship that has grown over these past few days together. Then there is Silvy. When I look at her I can't help but see the face of a child, not just any child. I see the face of Rick's daughter Lily, and of the girl that the drones showed the day of the great disaster. Neither knowing why death is come to claim them.
I watch as the dragon unleashes his first blast of acid down on the town and quickly the pub where the group ate the night before has a new window and sunroof added as the acid eats away at it. A voice calls out and snaps me out of my deep intention to stare at the damage the beast is doing.
“Damn it Quinn ether fight with us or log out, don’t just stand there!” Shouts Silvy trying to have me follow through with support through magic spells. But I can’t move, despite that, the beast is still very much far off from me. But already I am dwarfed by its colossal form as it lands and a claw goes right through the storefront of a shop. The words of Tul from the night before hit me again, Frozen courage. Here I was doubting my teammate's actions and what was I doing. I was standing in a shallow river admiring a dragon to turn the front end of town into kindling. Breathing in deep for air, I swallow it and raise my hand to the direction of the beast, as I see Tul running in to strike at the creature with his ax. That is when I see the very thing I feared most since the dragon first appeared. They're in a brief moment of his continued attack on the town I saw the faint green glow of the plague virus infection. I lower my hand and replace my choice of a spell with a scream of warning.
"It's infected with the virus, Tul gets out of there, and logoff you can't fight it." My words suddenly hit the group, and Silvy turns to me with a great shocked look on her face. Only my words arrive too late for Tul, who is suddenly hit by the beast and his cries of pain hit my heart deeper than any dagger could. He was right, if he had accepted my love last night, then surely I would just drop at this very moment. Leaving me to be the next victim of the dragon's attack. I watch as Tul falls to the ground thankfully still showing signs of life as Silvy is shouting something I can't make out when Tul, and Jilland, both vanish in thin air. I raise my staff and turn it back and forth between the dragon and Silvy. Did she just betray me and send my protectors away. No the look on her face shows more shock as I remain.
“How is it you’re still logged in? You can only be staff if you’re still logged in, but your level.” She stands puzzled as suddenly the skies erupt in blasts from a collection of new characters arriving from Ruby towers staff. My hand clutches the chameleon pin as Silvy stares me down.
"You sent them away, Jilland, and Tul, for their safety?" I ask in a quiet voice that surely is being blocked by the battle. But Silvy replies anyway to my surprise.
“It’s a safety protocol. You should know this if your staff. You are worthless, log off before you get hurt. I don’t want to hear about another injury in my kingdom.” Another injury, so I am not alone with facing the threats. The knot in my stomach begins to ease up and the pain fades.
“Thank you Silvy. I didn’t know if I could trust you but you helped me in such a great way you don’t know. Now it’s my turn to help you.” She looks at me in the way that a person stands puzzled at the unclear question a child makes.
“And what can a weak cowardly mage do to help out? Seriously just log off already.” She states waving her hand to shoo me away. But I say nothing but grasp at the chameleon pin tearing it away and with it the disguise of Quinn returning to the form of the princess of the midnight star, Fawn Midin. “The cowardly princess then, I must say this is a shocker. Do you think the dragon will just bow down before your appearance?” I say nothing just adjust the gauntlets and armor, before focusing on the magus staff for the flight spell to be cast. “Running away as always, I figured as much.” I take flight and slam my new gauntlets into the neck of the beast, then suddenly let the bullets release tearing at the scale and flesh sending a spray of blood from the creature’s neck.
Before the beast whips around I leap back into the air and reload the gauntlets for another go. I take a moment to stare down Silvy and reply to her taunts. "I cannot leave the game, Silvy, and I will not flee, not anymore." I turn and face skyward knowing that both the heavy attention of the dragon attack and my feed activating again will garner attention to me. "I am princess Fawn Midin, Grand Hero of Noiox, and I won't let anyone threaten my friends again. You hear me a hacker. I am coming for you, just like your pet here."
File source Stopped
Accessing Linked File
Onyx Tower Floor 47 & 49 security cameras
Melissa comes running into the offices on floor forty-nine only to be halted by the security guard. But not before gaining the attention of Agent Wessbalm and Alex working together on the computers.
“She showed herself.” Melissa states with a shout.
Alex shrugs "That's great. But right now we have a large infected monster in Ruire and the Ruby team isn't cooperating with our requests to move in and disinfect it."
“Ruire is where she is, she is fighting a dragon.” Melissa snaps back. “Gavin and I tried to go over there but Ruby tower is preventing us from even crossing the border.”
Alex turns and looks at Wessbalm. "Anyway, you can open a doorway for us."
"Sorry but these are Black Clover employees as well, we have as much pull, as you guys do. Without a damn good reason, I can't get my allies in Interpol to make Ruby tower open up.” Wessbalm sits there scratching at his scalp trying to must up an idea. "I mean I guess we could try hacking into the game ourselves and force cleaning of the file but it will take time for Ms. Rutashi to both get in, and unleash the anti-virus we have been working on.”
“So what, we just sit back and wait till the fight is over and this dragon kills her.” Melissa succeeds to slip by the floor security guard. Only to have him grab her from behind and force her against the wall, squeezing her in place.
"No, you may not be able to get in and help her. But I think I have a few tricks up my sleeve.” Alex states. Rising from his chair, and rushing down the stairs of the nest making his way to the door of the elevator. He halts for a moment and taps the guard. “Hey man, it's okay I got her, we're going downstairs now." The guard lets Melissa go and she twists her arm to release the tension that still bothered her arm. As Alex presses the button to call the elevator. "I need you and Gavin to head to Pangai for a brief moment, go to the coastline, it's the least infected area. When I arrive I will have our ticket to get to Ruire thru the back door.”
The elevator arrives and the two enter, Melissa turns to face Alex. “But how will you have a way, chances are they locked out all players from the US servers.” The elevator door closes and they press the button for floor forty-seven.
"Hey, Azurphire is a major source of trade in all kinds of things. And yours truly has access to all the markets, and maybe I know a few traders of some special items." Alex shifts a smile at Melissa as the elevator opens on the floor and the two-step off.
“Wait you have access to recall stones? That’s your plan.” Melissa waves a finger at Alex who continues to flash his smile glowing at her.
“More than that trust me we will be there before Rutashi, gets the anti-virus loaded. We need to get it there to help her out, also to get her out of there.” The two rush to the living quarters of the floor and Melissa runs into her apartment. As Alex makes his way into his temporary housing at apartment C, during the investigation. He sits down in the neuro-link system as the restrains lockdown on his arms and legs. "Okay princess hang on, your white knight is coming to rescue you this time.”
File End
File Source Continue
Personal Logs: Fawn Midin
My body goes crashing in the water from my short toss by the dragon’s tail lashing at me. The cold mountain water shakes me from a daze that the blow knocked into me. I turn to see Silvy directing a group of mages from the kingdom to launch another volley of magical attacks to hit the dragon distracting it from me, for a brief moment to reload my gauntlets. "Use earth and cold-based spells or lighting if you have it!" Silvy shouts out to her command. The second group of melee fighters, however, are showing that things aren't as well off. If I cared to guess Ruby tower instead of sending in more staff players for the melee part have sent in heavily skilled and armed computer-controlled characters. I waste little time and even take no notice of a healer that was casting a healing spell on my body, till I flew off for a new strike on the beast. I rise just high enough to add some damage from my fall. Focusing on my hands they burst with the sparks of electrical force arcing between them as I send them crashing into the back of the creature's head. As soon as the electrical energy unleashes I unleash the ammo spray in sending a collection of bullets as the creature's blood spurts out to cover my body. I watch as the dragon turns its eye then eventually its body towards me. It snaps at me but the creature isn’t as fast as it would like and a perfectly placed strike from a magical boulder causes the beast to taste nothing more than a mouth full of sediment.
It's not enough to stop it but was just enough for me to fly off from his immediate bite area. Though the flapping of the creature's wings goes to show that he hasn't quite given up on making me his next taste sensation. What the dragon lacked in speed on the ground wasn't as effective when it came to his flying skill. I try my best to switch my movements from high to low and find success in dodging the acidic blasts the creature launches my way. But soon as I approach the far side of town the beast is already near enough to me that the gusts of his wings cause me to spin out and head crashing into a mountainside. I let out a mouthful of blood and reach into my cloak for the ebony staff. Quickly as the dragon, flies up to turn about I cast a shield spell just in time to avoid a second acid blast the melts away at the mountainside rocks. Again the beast turns only this time I respond with a spell sending a sizeable portion of the area where I stood right back at him. The stones hit with a thunderous crack across the creature's skull and the beast crashes into the mountain rock near me. But like me, the creature isn't fazed long. Soon he follows me again into the sky. As I return to the awaiting combined troops of computerized cannon fodder and black clover staff, the mages had gathered as a group to cast a combined spell. I quickly dive as I see the first ruins that now made up the sleepy town and the dragon followed my every movement. This was a move it greatly would regret if it had a mind of its own. As the much smaller one, I was able to fly low and close to the remaining structures without harm to me. But the buildings of the street tore at the dragon's wings ripping apart blood, muscle, and bone. Till the last spilt second, between me and the creature was just enough that the mages cast a massive spiked earthen wall where the beast crashed into impaling itself to the stone and clasped to the ground. The group of mages began to celebrate. I turned to look at Silvy who looked rather proud of herself that the plan she was able to predict worked so well. The mage starts a celebration as they took notice of the dragon tearing at the spikes to free itself. Letting outcries of pain from the damage it was enduring. But I wasn't prepared to join in the celebrations knowing full well the beast that still moved was by no means defeated yet. Sure enough in a matter of moments from the time my spell wore off the stone wall began to show cracks from the dragon's constant thrusting about. Then with one astounding crack, the beast was free. It was beaten, bloody, and very much in pain that clearly showed. I could tell the damage to his wings would keep him grounded. His first action was to whip his head freeing a massive chunk of a stone spike from his skull that has cut a scar across its left eye.
Taking evasive action I quickly dodge into a shop to avoid the beast’s new gaze and gather a chance to drink one of my healing potions. No sooner do I get the door closed when I hear the screams from the forces of the group. The cries were not anything the computer-controlled characters made. No these were cries the players made. From the shop window, I can see the forces scatter as the beast blasts its breath down on a large collection of mages that took to a premature celebration. More lives were being hurt and dying. How could I stand against a force so strong alone? Silvy was a good strategist that showed. But this creature was meant for armies to face not a small force like what we had before us. I toss the now empty bottle to the ground and take a quick look to see the dragon still distracted by the mages. So I return outside and cast the magical wing spell again. With the new blessing that the dragon was stuck to remain on the ground, but that didn't mean it was a time to run away. No, I know now that this won't end till I finally face the hacker and bring an end to her horrible reign. From my new vantage point over the town, I see Silvy directing the player's characters to log off. She looks at me with disgust for what had occurred here. I honestly wished I had an answer for her, but I fear even when the beast finally is destroyed we will be no clearer on the actions of the hacker than before.
I turn to cast a spell on the rubble of the earthen wall, using a telekinetic spell, I lift large chunks and throw them at the creature. The stones hit and the beast twitches at the pain but he is far more interested in tasting real flesh and blood than to divert his attention to me at the moment. He snaps at a player snatching them by the leg and tosses them about in the air before chomping down on the flesh and bone. The player screams as they flip about the air, causing my fist to tighten even more as it grasps the magus staff. I am through letting this creature harm or kill other people. Grasping the staff I fly straight at the beast down to its damaged eye and slam the full force of my fall and body into the creature as the staff digs into the thin membrane of the dragon's eye. Instantly the beast thrashes his head about to remove the damage and the one holding it. But no doing I will sooner die than let the creature continue to fight the others. I grit my teeth and focus the strongest spell I can think of to be cast thru the staff. I feel my body weaken as jolts of electricity circulate through my body and the staff. As the head of the creature begins to burst open from stone shards erupting from its flesh, I had just recast the stone wall spell. Only in the skull of the creature tearing it apart from the inside, I continue to hold on as the whipping about slows and is replaced with a growing tremor.
Suddenly the creature slams its head into the ground trying to break the damaging spell free. It's a futile effort on its part but it doesn't prevent itself from trying such actions. And while it doesn't break the spell lose, one thing does break loose. I watch as the earlier damage of the Magus staff finally gives way and explodes in my hands sending my own body flying off into the river waters. The cold water is refreshing against my new burns at first but my labored breathing has me worried. Could my anxiety be back I wonder? But no, as I look down and see a sizable chunk of the stone spell I cast within the dragon, has embedded itself in my chest along with pieces of the dragon's bone and my former staff. I was now personally adding a sizable portion of my blood to the flowing waters of the river. I could still move but the very actions made to reach for a healing potion were a worthless effort at best. As I began to close my eyes and prepare for my oncoming death I felt a liquid begin to drown my lips and figured the stone was sending me down into the lower depths of the river. "Drink it damn it." Shouts a voice that I find truly odd in its placement so close to my watery bloody death. I knew from being a beach regular in my youth. The hearing would be drowned out by the water sinking that part of my head long before my lips, yet my lips had a liquid being poured over them. I open my mouth slightly to take in the liquid and suddenly feel the sweet syrup of the healing potions the game has, slide in past my tongue. The taste causes me to open my eyes to see Silvy with three bottles in one hand and her gun in the other. She is looming over me pouring the contents of the first potion. I decided to take in the remains of that potion what little good it could do. But raise my hand up before she opens the next.
“You need to remove the stone from my chest or it won’t heal.” I somehow gurgle out from within my mind and past my syrup-coated lips as clear as I could get them. An agreeing nod from her distracts me as she reaches down in my blood-soaked clothing and yanks at the stone shrapnel to remove it from my body. I scream out in pain wishing the game had some form of anesthesia. Or at least if I had thought to carry alcohol, that didn't taste like the art supplies, I had in college. It's not too long before my labored breathing is calming but the pain very much has yet to decrease. But a troubling look from Silvy's face tells me things were not getting any easier on our efforts. Gritting my teeth I try to rise to my knees and catch a glimpse of the dragon. Its flesh has been ripped along with muscle exposing a bleeding skeleton, with shards of stone breaking through the bone. Yet it still was moving and worse it was coming straight towards the two of us. "Go exit the game and save yourself!" I tell Silvy.
“I won’t leave you to face that thing alone in your condition.” She says in reply shoving the two remaining bottles in my hand then reaching for her second pistol and firing away with both guns at the creature. The bullets bounce off the bone, I am sure that if I was close enough to look it surely is cracking away at the beast. But with the damage, the beast has it does little more than directs its attention at my new comrade. I open both bottles and place one in my mouth while I take my free hand in dig deep down in the river, focusing my thoughts on the river bed.
All grows still, and the river begins to move as fast as a single drop does down a slanted wall. The dragon’s movements slow to a crawl and I look and see a line of slow-moving bullets from Silvy’s gun headed directly at the creature. I drink down the potion and struggle to my feet as I place the final bottle in my mouth on its way down to my already full stomach of potions and shrapnel. But I want to rise and try and focus my vision as best I can on the genesis power as it activates. Each stone from the river below the dragon and along the path to where I now unsteadily stood began to rise from the ground and shifted into a spike of its own. I watched as the water began to return to its normal speed. Then the stones I had raised all rocketed towards its target smashing the bone and flesh that remained of the beast to pieces. The action causes Silvy to suddenly halt her rate of fire as she stood stunned at the sudden blast of stones.
Yet it still wasn't enough, though little of what one could even call a dragon remained the beast kept moving forward, and with its movement, all efforts in my standing gave way sending me to drop back into the river to my knees. Everything, I have done everything and still, the beast continued its threat on the two of us. I have no hope left. And that is when the world suddenly went white.
It was a brief flash of white mind you. But there was no mistaking it everything around me vanished in the burst of white light that originated on the dragon. I don't know what the light did, but for a brief moment, the blinding light made me think about my earlier questions on how real this world was. As I watched the world rebuild around me. The dragon continued its movement towards me, however, but its movement was very labored much like my own movement. And in one single blow of his sword, I watched as Min Gang slashed apart the head from the dragon's body.
I have just been saved by the man I only know as my rival, and somehow this pissed me off. But seeing the head of the beast fall to the ground, I follow its path and collapse in the river's waters as the world that just a moment ago went all white now went black.
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