“Good news, we just secured the east portion last night.” Captain Rowl while laying a marker down on the map of the city.

“Excellent, that brings everything except some of the minor back allies under our control. It has been an honor Captains, for we are the first group of players to form their own nation.” General Zustun said to his assembled officers. “Today marks the first day of our glorious empire as we bring-“ The door slammed open. A soldier of the Order stood there gasping for air. Everyone stared at him waiting to see what was so important as to interrupt this moment of celebration.

“General, a giant monster approaches the city from the South. It is at least two stories tall, possibly three.” There was a hushed silence.

“All Captains, get your squads in gear. I want the south wall and the nearby roof tops packed with archers. Get your fighters to the third plaza here.” He pointed to a spot on the map just a short distance away from the south wall. “Order all civilians to remain in their homes until we deal with the threat. I will assess the situation myself, Captain Rowl you will take command if I fall.”

“Yes, sir.” Everyone rushed out of the conference room to mobilize their men.

***

“May the gods help us.” General Zustun whispered.

Approaching the south wall, was a monster three stories tall. It had the body of an owl and a bulb for a head. “Mages, prepare for poison, focus on Constitution. Archers if you have fire arrows now is the time. You! Get a barrel of oil up here. Bring up the prisoners.”

Five ragged men and women were brought forward. “You have a choice, go out there and fight, or die where you stand.”

“Fuck that-“ The prisoners groin was stabbed and he let out a scream. The rest grabbed swords as they ran out the half open gate. The General watched as two of them broke to the sides, the archers shot them down. The other two looked back at the wall and then charged forward. They approached the monster when suddenly the bulb opened up and vines poured out.

The General winced, he hated vines. Plants were just a pain to kill. “Get that oil spread out a couple feet in front of the gate!” As the Order rushed to obey his commands he watched what the monster did for any signs of weakness. The vines squirmed and he thought he saw something come out of them. Unfortunately they began to spin rapidly around, making it impossible to tell.

Both prisoners stood a couple of feet from the spinning vines unsure of how to attack. It happened so quickly the General almost missed it. The vines had closed in, like a narrowing cone while at the same time they extended, so they were above the ground by inches. When the vines hit the players, they didn’t slow down in the slightest as the green blur, became a red rain.

“Sir we have the catapult ready!” A soldier shouted from off to the side.

“Fire at will.” A rock was launched into the air. For a first shot it was well aimed and grazed the monster’s body. The General watched and the monster turned to the rock. From the hole that corresponded to the neck a screech rippled through the air and the boulder shattered. A sound based attack, there were no mages that were capable of defending against such a thing. This battle was already lost, but at the same time he could not retreat from the city.

The Order had sworn to protect the people and to stabilize the area no matter what it would take. There was only one choice. “Men and women of the order! Stand proud for today we battle not just a monster but our own fear. For in this world all stand equal. Are you with me!” A round of cheers went up. The monster began to advance. He had been saving all his MP and this attack for a high level opponent that was unbeatable, well it appeared this would be it.

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He began to walk down the wall towards the gate. He gave a nod to Captain Rowl as he left the safety of the walls. “I invoke laws not meant to be broken, laws not meant to be undone, Xopdara, lend me your power for I invoke sacrifice for what is to come!”

The General was only twenty feet away from the monstrosity when a pulse of light erupted from his body. Everyone blinked and the General was but a bloody smear across the ground. The monster had three massive gashes carved into its body and blood was spilling onto the ground. The vines lay limply on the ground. The General’s massive long sword Justice was driven into the ground off to the side.

“Fire!” Captain Rowl shouted. The sky darkened for a moment from the number of arrows. The vines moved up to spin again, but it was too late. The arrows peppered the monster from the front and the sides. It let loose a sonic screech that liquefied six soldiers standing just a couple feet from the Captain. Thankfully the archers on the houses were at a lower elevation and the attack dissipated in the air above them.

The wall itself cracked and portions turned to dust where it was struck. “Keep firing and don’t stop!” Captain Rowl shouted. Another sonic screech hit the wall and five more soldiers’ flesh lost cohesion and ran down the walls in a slurry of red and semi-solid white chunks.

 A number of the soldiers threw up from the horror they had just witness while the remainder kept firing with a single minded determination. “Mages, dump all MP into buffs, don’t hold anything back. Fighters stand at the ready, charge on the count of three. Spread out around the monster and attack!”

“ONE!”

“TWO!”

Another sonic screech liquefied the Captain. The fighters slammed open the gate and charged out. They spread out in an arc as the creature continued its lumbering pace forward. As they surrounded the heavily wounded monster it spread its wings. With a giant flap, a powerful gust of wind pushed the brave men and women back and the creature lifted up into the air.

The vines began to spin again and incredibly thin razor sharp spikes emerged from them and began circulating up and down the vines. This would  be one of the two reasons that lead to the creature’s name, the Buzz Bird. The spikes separated at the tips of the vines and began to rain down on the scattered fighters unsure of what to do.

Tarin Afton was a soldier who had joined up with the Order since he wanted to help people and make a difference. His own daughter had been raped in real life and he wanted to stop such crimes in this VR world since he couldn’t in the real one. At over ninety seven years old and at the twilight of his years this game had given him a second chance.

He was the first to be hit. The spike, cut through his metal chest plate and into his body. A powerful wave of bliss washed over him. His pants grew wet as his body shook in the throes of delight. He was lost in a haze of bliss. He collapsed to the ground and arched his back. Every muscle and bone in his body strained from the repeated stimulations.

All around Tarin members of the Order who had been hit were experiencing the same thing. Wave after wave of bliss rushed through their bodies until their very backs broke from their contortions and their brains began to bleed out inside their skulls.

The Buzz Bird let out one final screech and then fell to the ground with a crash. It had succumbed to its wounds.