Chapter 100
The Life and Times of Mallory
In this moment, Mallory felt truly blessed. Here she was free of pain for the first time in what felt like an eternity but was only two and a half long years. Two and a half years where she watched her friends cut ties with her, where she watched her family only feel comfortable to talk to her through missives. Where she felt all but abandoned and left to die by the world she so desperately loved for so long.
Mallory learned a few things since her time in isolation. Those three years were the longest and worst time of her life, but she had once again survived, and not only survived but now thrived due to how much hardship she went through for her suffering.
Worse, she had let slip a secret, well not really a well-kept secret, as it was clear from her interactions with the young healer that what she said, the fact that this girl was her best friend, was clearly the truth. The only problem was, she had said it too early, at least that was what she had feared. Here she had said it six months into knowing the girl, and only the last few days really spending any meaningful amount of time with her. Yet, here she was, confessing her true feelings for the girl. Worse still, Cassiopeia, or Cass for short called her out on it, but Mallory didn’t deflect or massage the wording, as she was tired of hiding her true thoughts. Hearing the question, Mallory not only confirmed but then doubled down, showing this amazing girl that this was in fact the truth.
Then only once she answered honestly and from the soul did Mallory realize that she had meant it, each and every word. The girl was fearless, getting into Arcanarus University from seemingly level one. Then from there she was involved with the University’s downfall and the reincarnation of the University into Arcanarus Tower. Then how she made it so the tower was both amazing and grand to explore.
Now this amazing girl, this healer who somehow defies all logic is crying against Mallory’s chest.
“Thank you, and we are just getting started.” Cassiopeia says, and like that a memory from Mallory’s past races back to her mind.
***
(Three Years Ago)
“Thank you, and know that we are just getting started.” The rights manager says with a glowing thousand mega-watt smile on his face, as he proceeds to charm Mallory with his overly enchanted suit laced with mechanical inventions.
“Know that for this contract, I am thinking of making a six-episode series devoted to your life and times here.” The rights manager states, his slick black hair oiled to shine to perfection, as the smile he shows seems to momentarily be as bright as the sun.
Mallory of course doesn’t believe the man, no one does, but she does believe binding contracts, especially ones that are enforced by the system.
The contract is simple.
Mr. Pixtle of Pixtle Inc. Wishes to produce a six episode series detailing the life and times of ______, during their times on BiPrism.
This contract states that I, _______________, understand that my likeness, events, and actions taken from the course of my life until now will be recorded and presented in a way that is as eye-catching for Pixtle Inc viewers as possible. All content will be confirmed by the above, and produced for mass dissemination in the real world, where the undersigned, their family, and their household will receive a 5% royalty outside, while the undersigned above will receive a 10% royalty inside of BiPrism.
That was all there was to the contract. That was all that was needed for many contracts as the games AI and meta data tried to cut down on needless meta data. If at any point Mallory stated she was upset at the content, the royalties she was receiving or anything, she would make a formal complaint to the game’s AI center. Where the AI would review the contract, the perceived grievance, and make a ruling based on what it observed. If the AI determined that the grievance was justified, then it would execute an AI command that would permanently delete those segments of film used that were derived from Mallory’s time within BiPrism. There was a saying, that the AI of BiPrism was as close to a God as one could legitimately find, as they governed not only their universe, but also had long ranging impact with the real world as well.
“So how will it go?” Mallory found herself asking.
“Glad you asked.” Mr. Pixtle began. “We are doing six episodes, one for every decade you spent here. The first will be detailing how you came in and established yourself as one of the first powerful females of this world. Overcoming sexism, and stereotypes to set yourself up as a true inspiration.”
Mallory of course wanted to object, something that Mr. Pixtle covered with a calming hand gesture. “The second episode will show your second decade here, how you were one of two dozen enterprising women who all managed to set yourself up for power. This one will end with your finding of the Valkyrie class, and how that forever changed your path in life.”
“That was still in my first year of being here.” Mallory interjected, figuring that if the man was correct, then the second episode should be the second decade.
Again, waving his hand, the well-dressed man countered. “We said we would like to do one episode per decade, not one episode on each decade.” The man clarified.
That was the first sign that Mallory noticed, the moment when Mr. Pixtle’s demeanor changed. Mallory instantly noted the sign, but then disregarded it, as he quickly recovered and continued on with his speech. It wasn’t until much later, when Mallory was on her death bed for years, that she had time to rethink the situation that got her there. The situations that led up to the point where she was slowly withering away in isolation from the world, her only true saving grace was her granddaughter who wrote to her daily. Without Cassandra Redding’s constant encouragement, Mallory knew she wouldn’t be here today, as she would have given up on following each and every possible solution. Going so far as to test out a random magical savant living in a spirit tower that sent unnerving prickles down her spine every time she so much as entered the spirit tower.
But that was a different conversation, a different point in time. For here and now, Mallory was finding out what this six part mini-series would cover.
“The third episode will be the Guild wars, about how you were hounded to join a guild, sometimes forcefully, but denied each and every advance. Then the fourth will be how you gained so much power, going to ever major war, going to every major conflict to gain power and influence. Then the fifth will focus on how you made your own guild from the ashes of the others, taking the best and brightest each guild still had to offer, and pulling them all together into your Midnight Hunter’s guild.”
There was a long pause, as Mallory sat there and waited. Finally, when it seemed that the man was done explaining the episodes, she pressed. “And what of the sixth?”
“What of the sixth?” He parroted back.
“Yes, what will the sixth and final episode be about?” Mallory asked, as she knew there was a lot that could happen from there. One episode could be King Maker, about how she had the ability to not only find the winner of every major conflict, but how her guild of elite troops joining a conflict all but assured their victory. There were so many things that could be covered in this from the rise of the Legrand Empire to the stomping out the Industrial Revolutionary Empire, much to their ire.
Chuckle.
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Just thinking about that terrible name and the pun still brought a sense of mirth to Mallory as she couldn’t help but laugh even now at the stupid name, and what it came to represent all these years later.
“Something funny?” Mr. Pixtle asked.
“What? Oh no, just thinking about some past exploits that could be covered for part six.” Mallory noted.
At that the man just nodded, “actually, that is what I am here to press. You see for the sixth episode, we want to do something completely new.”
“New?” Mallory asked, feeling a slight tremble of something off about the way his body shifted predatorially.
“Yes,” he said, sitting straight up and leaning forward. Now he had the look of a hunter, one who was closing in on the kill. “You see, we want you to do a before and after episode.”
“Before and after, of what?” Mallory asked, as she was now completely at a loss for where this conversation was going.
“We want to do an expose on you, Mallory, the fearless Valkyrie first going into war to protect the war-torn Blighted lands, but then get your perspective afterwards.” Mr. Pixtle spoke, and as he did Mallory could hear the words like sweet honey pouring into her mind, washing away every doubt she had.
The plan he laid out was brilliant and overly simplistic. Effectively she would join other factions and declare a joint operation against the Blighted lands, regions of the world that extended like an all-consuming desert, devouring and burning everything away in its path.
Just the thought of going into the Blighted lands caused a tremor of fear to pour through her. Shaking her head, Mallory quickly rejected the claim. “No, I couldn’t.”
“But you already have. Didn’t you rescue your son from a Blighted region not too long ago?”
At that, the memory of how she pulled Arthur, her youngest from the advancing desert, was fresh in her mind. There she had been lucky, they all had, despite having been exposed to the Blight, she never showed any signs of contracting the disease.
“Well, yes.” Mallory answered truthfully.
“Don’t you find it odd that you, the highest-level warrior in the world were able to avoid contracting the Blight? Don’t you think that has something to do with how exceptional your Endurance and Resistances are compared to the mortal man?” He pressed.
At that, Mallory could not refute. Then after a few more hours of such negotiations, she even bought into her own hype. She foolishly bought into the concept that she could be invulnerable to the Blight, that she was somehow protected from death due to her exceptional prowess afforded to her by her exceptional class, and fully awakened bloodline.
With everything, she felt confident that she could not only go to the Blighted lands but push back the creatures that were pressing the Blight further and further inland.
Mallory admits now that she was a fool, on so many accounts that they are hard to keep track of. The major reason she was a fool was because she believed the salesman, the one who got her foolishly looking into the camera and stating for the world.
“My name is Mallory of the Midnight Hunter’s Guild, and I will make it my goal to eliminate the Blight.” That was it, all she said, all she needed to say, her arrogance was captured on film for all to see.
Thinking back on it, she was glad that Cassiopeia was too young to know about her foolish behaviors. At the time, Mallory was still a household name, and one that was looked upon by most of the media. It was clear from the way Cass first reacted to her that she had not heard of the foolish statements made, while she was egged on by an over-zealous account executive. The way she bought into her own hype so much that she thought herself above reproach.
Despite wearing the famed Apothecary Mask of Resistances, Mallory still got the Blight within her first two months of being in the war. Despite having pushed the Blight filled zombies back for over a dozen kilometers, it wasn’t enough. The land still stayed corrupted, and eventually the Blight even overcame her natural immunities.
At that point, the Blight was just seen as a weaker form of the zombie virus, something introduced as a major plot point that would eventually be overcome if people just fought to find a cure. The only problem was, no cure ever came, at least not until Cass.
Cassandra, Mallory’s granddaughter, was the first to identify Cassiopeia, and the fact that she had found a ghost with the cure to the Blight. About how she was going to get the ghost’s spell out there. Then just as Mallory began making her way towards the famed Arcanarus University, the University imploded. Almost as a sick joke, something saying you were so close, but not close enough to at least come up with a cure for changing the Blighted lands back to irrigatable fields.
After having moved so far and being so tired from the move. Mallory just decided to set up her final resting place in the neighboring area of the Imperial Capitol. That was when details of a new and impressive Spirit Tower emerging from the lands where Arcanarus University once stood was located. Mallory thought about entering the tower as one last act of exploration. Even choosing to possibly die in the spirit tower. In a way she thought it would be a somewhat fitting end to the life and times of the first Valkyrie, living through countless wars, only to die of an unknown disease in the first and only spirit tower. A tower that would provide constant pain and punishment for anyone caught in there without a proper resistance potion. That was when Mallory had the foresight to gain a few spirit resistance potions of her own, just as a just in case. But she never entered.
Instead, Mallory waited for her friends, family, and even long-lost acquaintances to come and see her one last time. With her resting in the Imperial Capitol, she felt that this would be her last time where she could see anyone, while still having many precautions in place. Afterall, there were many Apothecary shops within the capitol and there had been no signs of the Blight spreading here in unblighted lands. Yet, she was alone, left to die a solitary life.
Everyday, like clockwork, she would receive correspondence from Cassandra, each time they would be missives telling her about her sons, about the world, and about anything that could be done. Most of the time the letters were filled with hope, that she was looking with every resource she had to find a cure, and of everyone who said such words, she was confident in her granddaughter.
Then finally after a month of settling in the Capitol, after going to Arcanarus University, only to find its remnants lining the ground, and a great spirit tower promising death to all who were not prepared, she got her cure.
Mimi,
I have good news for you. There is a cure, this time I swear it. Cassiopeia Spiritlight, a Mage Guild healer on Floor two of the nearby Arcanarus Spirit Tower, has cured someone of the Blight, I have seen this with my own eyes. She is an exceptional healer and was the one who was responsible for finding the cure for the Blighted lands, before Arcanarus University collapsed. Please, please, please, I beg of you. Give this one last chance a try. It is in the same spirit tower that you yourself said would be a fitting place to die. At the very least, you have that if nothing else, but please, I beg of you. Give this one last try.
If this doesn’t work, then I will not pressure you to try anything else, but I know you. I see your pain. I see the way you suffer. Please go, and at least try, for me.
Yours Truly
Cassandra.
And like that, Mallory felt the will to rise one last time. She had prepared, going so far as to prepare a last will and testament, one where she transferred over every resource to Cassandra, whenever she finally decided to join this world. From there, she had everything she would need to climb the spirit tower and eventually die on floor fifty-two, right where the last group of explorers were currently stuck.
Once she entered the tower, finding the Mage’s guild that her granddaughter spoke about was rather simple, find the railroad tracks, follow the tracks to the second floor, then go the short mile from the mouth of the caves to the literal ghost town of Crossroads.
Just being in the tower sent shivers down Mallory’s spine. She had been used to dealing with spirits, in fact half of her levels and current power ratings came from the fact that she fought with, dealt with, and delivered spirits to the final resting place hundreds of thousands of times throughout her lifetime. Yet, to be in an entire zone related to the spirit world was a bit unnerving, the dark and somber grays that exuded everywhere seemed depressing.
Just seeing the world around her was a bit much, the dark and muted grays seemed to drain the life from everything and everyone around. One look around was enough to make Mallory change her mind, while she had come to the idea that she would die her first death shortly, she had no intention of dying in a place like this. Then she saw Cassiopeia, the dark elf child who comically wore EGGs to an examination.
Seeing the doctor, Cassandra instantly thought that this had to be a joke, that there was no way this doctor with solid black lenses could even see anything around her, let alone operate on her. But she had promised her granddaughter that she would give this one last chance.
Honestly, she didn’t even remember what she said, or what was said to her. She was just so ready for this whole experience to be over. Lying down, she waited for what felt like hours, but was likely only a matter of minutes, before she felt it.
Tingle.
The girl could heal, or at the very least she had a way of making Mallory think that something as happening within her.
Rumble, vibration, rumble.
For hours, the little elven girl worked, pulsing tickling wave of energy after tickling wave of energy into her.
What was odder, was the fact that whenever Mallory looked up, she would catch the healer staring off into the distance, off into space, at the far wall of the room. Yet, despite all of that, Mallory could tell that the elf was able to sense and feel everything about the magic that she was pulsing throughout Mallory’s body.
The operation took hours, but only after the third hour did Mallory realize the reason why it took so long. Compared to the low level healer, her thousands of hit points would take hours to heal, and she wasn’t just healing, she was completely eradicating a plague. A scourge of all existence that had been plaguing Mallory for almost three years. And here was this odd ball healer, who when she focused would lick her lips with her tongue, and then keep her tongue pressed there between her lips.
At one point Mallory thought for sure that the doctor would need to stop to eat or drink, but no like a machine she pressed on.
By hour ten, when Mallory could truly feel the amount of slime that had been within her body, the slime that this healer had removed she fell in love. Everything this cute little girl did, from her excited little yips she did, when she cleared up a new section of Mallory’s body. To the way she shifted her head in a semi-mechanical way, almost realizing that she might not look normal, if she didn’t do some things, while simultaneously not realizing that she needed to do other things with her eyes. It was clear that she was blind, well that or she had something exceptional to her.
Finally, after fourteen long hours, Mallory was healed. Not only that, but she received a level and a quarter for the work that the girl had done. It felt cheap, especially when the young healer looked so defeated by the disparity in experience.
Seeing her, and her still bright personality, despite having literally just conducted fourteen and a half hours of magical surgery, Mallory decided to recruit the girl right there, offering her a soul bound recruitment card and everything. Then sheepishly, she realized that she needed to leave.
Not only had others come to also be healed by the miracle worker, but it was only now that Mallory realized everything she had on her was for her funeral procession. She had a copy of her last will and testament, along with other items that now seemed foolish, given that she had promised she would try the last cure.
With that Mallory left the tiny spirit filled town in a hurry, but not before making sure to offer her recruitment pitch to the cute little healer girl once more.
As soon as she was out, she sent a thank you letter to her dear Cassandra, and immediately asked for all information on this Cassiopeia. Then she decided to change her will, as there were a lot of changes that were going to happen, now that she was back from the dead.