Chapter 12: Ain’t Dropping No Eves!

“When Brent punched that guy I thought Brix was gonna PT us all until we couldn’t move. Turns out he actually thought it was funny. I think he was more upset at the players who weren’t doing anything than the ones who were fighting. What do you think?”

Advisor Ghelion leaned back and steepled his fingers. For the first time since respawn Chase was back in the office of his old advisor. It was almost like nothing had changed, but Chase had noticed some almost imperceptible changes in the face of his old advisor. He seemed more guarded, more reserved.

“He is an NPC designed to train players in combat. A little scuffle isn’t going to bother him overly much.”

“That makes sense,” said Chase, folding his arms. “But it’s odd, I remember as a kid this one time a player kicked another in the belly during sparing practice. Brix yelled at him so much I was always scared of him after. It’s not possible that an NPC can change, is it?”

“If AION wills it, anything is possible. Look what he’s done for you, after all,” he added. Ghelion looked over Chase’s shoulder to the mirror in the back. Then his eyes wondered to the ceiling. He seemed to want to look at anything other than Chase.

“True, I suppose.” Chase half laughed and half sighed. “Anyways, after that event on the training field I slipped away and ran into you. And I am glad I did, Ghel, there are some things I need to talk to you about.”

It was a full minute before Ghelion responded.

“I am not sure us talking would be a good idea.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“It’s hard to explain, Sp…Chase.” The advisor sighed and looked genuinely frustrated. “Things have changed since you respawned. Us advisors are trying to get to the bottom of whats going on.”

“The bottom of what?” Asked Chase. He decided in that moment to play his cards closer to his chest. “The Guide said an Event may be coming. Is that what you mean?”

“Perhaps,” shrugged Ghelion. He stared at his desk and refused to comment any further.

This guy is driving me nuts, thought Chase. He is my only connection to my old self, if he cuts me off I may have some trouble. Guess it’s time to reveal what I know.

“The Dream Emissary told me some interesting things, Ghelion.” Chase let the statement hang for a moment. Ghelion looked up in surprise.

“Like what?”

Absolutely nothing, thought Chase. He remembered the red sky, and the fear which overcame the Emissary, but little else. If he was going to get information from Ghelion he would have to go about it in a more clever way than usual. All he had was a warning from the Guide, and a strange occurrence in a dream. Somewhere in that was the means of getting Ghelion to open up about what he was hiding.

“She told me…It is coming,” said Chase. He glanced at Ghelion’s face and saw though it was calm his eyes were shining like twin fires in a snowstorm.

“Did she,” said Ghelion, enunciating each word carefully. “If that is all then I don’t know what she means.”

“And,” said Chase, cutting off his friend. “The darkness is coming. The sky will turn red and tendrils of evil are going to consume all of creation.”

“WHAT!” Ghelion slammed the desk with his palms and stood up. His body began to change and his eyes turned colors. Under his cloak it appeared that wings were trying to rip the fabric, and his hands bubbled and something like claws grew out of his fingers. “She told you? You’re just a Thief! Why would she tell you about something so important. Why did she tell you about the Antagonista?”

“Calm down, Ghel!” Chase got up from the chair and backed himself into the corner of the room. He had only seen his advisor transform a handful of times, and never in response to Chase himself. It was like a demon was fighting for control over Ghelion’s body. Veins stood out from his forehead and around his eyes and it was everything Chase could do not to stare at him in the face.

Ghelion was now twice his original size. His arms looked like they could crush a small boulder and even his hair seemed to wave about and defy gravity. Chase put up his hands.

“Ghel, it’s me, Spade. Relax now, relax. Go back to your normal form.”

His old name seemed to calm down the advisor. Suddenly the half advisor half demon sighed a mighty gust of wind through its nostrils which tore at Chase’s clothes. Chase raised his arms to shield his face, ready for an onslaught, but when he uncovered his face there was his old friend, sitting behind his desk and breathing heavily.

“Sorry…Chase…Didn’t realize what…I…was—”

“It’s okay, Ghel.” Chase cautiously returned to his seat. “What was that all about?”

“I don’t know,” said Ghelion. He looked at his hands which moments ago had been terrifying claws. “I just lost it when you mentioned what the Emissary told you. That doesn’t usually happen unless I want it to. Something just sort of…snapped.”

“I thought you were about to kill me.”

“Kill you?” Ghelion looked aghast. “Of course not. I would never kill you.”

“Well you looked pretty aggravated to say the least. When’s the last time you went full out like that?”

“That wasn’t ‘full out,’ trust me, Spade.”

“Chase.”

“Right, sorry.” Ghelion sighed. “Well, if the Emissary told you about the Antagonista there isn’t much sense in hiding it from you.”

“Right,” said Chase trying to sound like he knew what his friend was talking about. “So what is his deal, anyways?”

Ghelion arched an eyebrow.

“Why don’t you tell me first what happened with the Dream Emissary?” The advisor returned to his steepled fingers.

Maybe honesty is a better tact after all, thought Chase.

Chase told Ghelion everything, starting at the beginning. To ensure he didn’t miss any important details he mentioned the names the Emissary had offered him, and even the location Chase had created in his dream. Ghelion listened in silence, occasionally nodding his head. It wasn’t until Chase described the sky turning red and the tendrils of darkness smothering him and all his dream that the Advisor changed his expression to one of shock.

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“So,” said Chase when he had finished his tale. “What do you think? Is the Dream Emissary ok?”

“The Emissary is fine, but she hasn’t communicated to us since you spawned. We are currently trying to find out what happened. She sent us a message the morning of your respawning about the Antagonista infiltrating your dream.” Ghelion paused, seeming unsure how much information he could allow Chase to know.

“Antagonista?” Chase queried gently. “What is that, exactly?”

Ghelion threw up his hands.

“What is everything else in Esem? If it’s not a player its another NPC.”

“Alright,” said Chase. “What kind of NPC? Is this a monster or something,” Chase looked around the empty office despite himself as if to check they were alone. “From the other place?”

Ghelion drummed a tattoo on the table with his fingers. Finally he seemed to come to a decision.

“In order to understand the Antagonista you need to remember that all of Esem is a simulation of the Old World. The Antagonista is a replication of a spirit who was designed to test creation itself at the behest of its creator.”

“You mean a demon?”

“It’s much more than that, but you could call it one.”

“Has the Antagonista ever come to Esem before?” Said Chase.

“Not as it did a couple days ago, during your dream. This is the first time AION has allowed such movement.” Ghelion made a clicking noise with his tongue. “I suppose this coming Event is going to be bigger than anything we have ever seen.”

“I forgot,” said Chase sarcastically. “AION is such a loving god he is going to allow this thing to attack us. Is that it?”

Ghelion sighed. “I am not the right person to ask. AION designed this world to be tested in the same way he observed the Old World was tested.”

“So people are gonna get killed just because the big guy wants to see us dance around for his entertainment?”

“People will die, yes. But I fear this Event will be quite unusual to ones of the past. The Dream Emissary’s message told us as much.”

“And can you tell me what she said?”

“There are going to be two Emissaries now, basically.”

“What? How is that possible? And what would it matter, anyways?”

“The role of Emissary is more important than most people realize, and one which, until a couple days ago, even Advisors took for granted. Emissaries are more than just the giver of names to new players, they are also the gate keepers of Esem. They choose who is allowed to enter. This doesn’t mean they only allow good people to come here, obviously you can attest to that, but there is a protocol they follow which keeps life here balanced.”

“So with this new emissary the flood gates are going to open?”

Ghelion nodded. “That is what we fear. Over the next few years we may been seeing an influx of players from all the realms of Esem who ordinarily would not have been allowed entry. People who are spiritually sick, for lack of a better term. People who will be inclined to join with the Antagonista and fight AION.”

Chase sat back and thought about what he was hearing. This was the most Ghelion had ever told him about AION and he had never once heard of the Antagonista. Suddenly his day dream of life in a fishing boat seemed very far away.

“Don’t suppose you could just ask the big guy to not allow this thing to come around?”

For the first time Since Chase had seen him that day Ghelion laughed. He even threw his head back and had to stop himself from chortling.

“Sorry, sorry,” he said at last, hand covering his mouth. “We have actually been talking to him for a couple days now. None of the Advisors thought to ask the question so plainly as that.”

“AION won’t budge?”

“Not even a hair.” Ghelion put up his hands as if to say “what can you do?”

“Look, Chase,” said Ghelion before he could respond. “I want to talk about what the Emissary told you about aiding the next generation.”

“What of it?”

“It’s a good idea. When the Event truly happens Esem will need every hand it can get. A group of people trained by a former member of the Old Guard could be invaluable.”

“I’ve never been one for baby sitting, Ghel.”

“But you have respawned. You have to relearn everything you lost. Your 9 contract marks aren’t going to be given back to you. Why not help some others along the way?”

The idea had crossed his mind a few times, if Chase was being honest with himself. His early days as an Old Guard member had been the best times of his life. The possibility of capturing that again did not seem too far off. Of course, there was some serious doubt in his mind.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea, Ghelion. If the Old Guard finds out I am alive me and anyone associated with me is gonna die by their hands. Unless I get the jump on them first, of course.”

Ghelion sighed. “I was worried you might be considering this. Vengeance is the way of fools, Chase. Even if you could find out who knew what and when fulfilling such a desire will only destroy you in the end.”

“You’re not wrong, Ghel, but doesn’t make you right, either.”

“Let me ask you this, what do you think of the players you have met so far?”

Caught off guard by the sudden change in topic, Chase thought a moment about each one.

“My spawnmates are solid people, and will make great players one day. Alexander especially has quite the head on his shoulders.”

“We thought so too,” said Ghelion. “He is very bright, even if he is a bit too proud.”

“Amelie is also highly intelligent. Very shy, though.” Chase smirked. “Incredible that two people with such intelligence spawned together. Spawnmates usually seem to balance one another out.”

“Well,” Ghelion returned the smirk. “You came with them, no?”

Chase blinked. “Advisors making jokes? I guess this Antagonista really does have you frazzled.”

“One of the many things I have learned from humans is to try and meet adversity with humor.”

“Something few humans understand, I am sorry to say.”

“It feels like that sometimes,” said Ghelion, just as Chase’s stomach grumbled. Dinner time was fast approaching.

“Did you have a chance to meet any other players? I know you only just got to the town this morning.”

“Only my roommates, Thomas and Marlon. Oh yeah, I met a couple other players on the training field. Brent and Claire I think their names were.”

“Thomas,” Ghelion chuckled. “He’s been the center of most of the controversies on the island even since he spawned. Actually reminds me a little of—”

“Me. I know.” Chase shrugged. “It’s hard being the youngest kid on an island.”

“I am sure. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Marlon, yet. I have heard he is quite fascinated with Esem, however.”

More like Esem’s pharmacology, thought Chase.

“Brent and Claire I spoke to the day you came to island. They are very interested in the Old Guard. Seem to put them on a pedestal.”

Chase snorted. “All but one, it seems. They hold little regard for Spade they told me.”

“Oh,” Ghelion sighed. “That must have been hard to hear. I am afraid the Post has had some harsh editorials about you recently. I wouldn’t take it too personally.”

“What have they been saying?” Asked Chase.

“Here,” Ghelion opened his desk and withdrew a couple newspapers. “I was saving them for you. The last one was about your famous shot during the Dark Lord Event.”

Chase took them and put them on his lap. He was itching to read them but forced himself to wait. Perhaps it was pride.

“What could they possibly say about that? Without my shot the entire Guild would have been killed, just like all the others that came before it.”

“I believe the quote was: ‘Spade’s claim to fame was his famous shot at 100 yards away with a yew bow which struck the Dark Lord directly in the eye. Some sources have said the shot was actually performed at 10 feet, and perhaps he didn’t even do it himself, instead allowing another Old Guard member to incapacitate the Dark Lord which he took all the credit for.”

“Dredman,” Chase seethed. “He always made jokes about that. As soon as we left that bloody mountain he was teasing me about the distance. Year after year he would change his jokes until finally he said I was likely asleep and Samantha had to snatch my bow from me and take the shot herself. Rubbish.”

“Well, that would explain Brent and Claire’s opinion, I would say. You should give them another chance.”

Chase raised an eyebrow.

“Are you saying I should recruit them for my guild?”

“Does that mean you are considering it?”

Chase flicked the corner of the top newspaper. He imagined he could feel Dredman and the other Old Guard members laughing at him through the pages.

“Even if I were there isn’t much chance they would follow me, Ghel. I am just another player to them. Newly spawned at that! There isn’t anything I could offer them.”

“True. Chase is newly spawned and Chase has little to offer anyone at this point in time…”

“Are you saying what I think you are saying?”

“I don’t know, what would that be?” Ghelion said innocently.

“Didn’t you tell me that revealing my old identity was a sure fire way of getting killed? That I would have to be barking mad to even consider it?”

Ghelion shrugged. “Maybe things have changed. Look, perhaps you are right and it is a bad idea. If you told anyone they would probably think you were crazy, anyways. It’s just an idea.”

“Just an idea,” repeated Chase. His stomach rumbled again.

“You must be starving. I can hear your belly from here.”

“I am. Know whats for dinner tonight?”

Ghelion stood up. “No, but let’s find out. I’ll walk you over there.”

“Is it wise for us to be seen together?”

“Why not? You’re just a player who I have just met after a hectic first day and I was providing some advice to. No one, not a soul, knows that you used to be Spade,” he added.

“Right, I guess that is true.” Chase rolled the newspapers up and tucked them under his arm. “Fine, let’s go.”

Ghelion began to open the door. “I hope they are serving dumplings tonight. We haven’t had them in a…HEY! How long have you been standing there?!”

Thomas, eyes wide, was outside the door, hand raised as though about to knock.

Well this isn’t good, Chase realized.

Thomas ran, his feet beating a desperate retreat down the hallway.