Peacock came to in the one place he’d never wanted to see again. Although the smooth cave room looked no different from the rest of the place, and his stalagmite cage was a clone of every other, he knew this wasn’t just any spot, or any cage. This was the same prison which held him after Zenith Flight had murdered his new family, where he’d been tortured, isolated. Where he’d left Alainn to suffer and die.
Viseral’s fist hit his cage with enough force to feel the reverberation through the stone floor. The fact the cage didn’t break was further proof the entire place didn’t play by the game’s rules.
“I hope you liked your taste of me, asshole, because now it’s my turn.” Each word out of Viseral’s mouth dripped with rage.
Peacock had clearly hurt his pride even deeper than his body. Peacock laughed, then laughed harder as Viseral’s face contorted. “What’s the matter, O Great One? Did you need some help to defeat a newb?”
Viseral’s face grew darker. “You didn’t do shit to me, worthless bastard.”
“Is that so?” Peacock gave him a wry smile. There weren’t any marks on Viseral, but all that proved was he’d used a cheat orb to heal. Peacock could still taste Viseral’s blood in his mouth. It was delicious.
Viseral pounded on the cage more. Taking advantage of the distraction, Peacock popped his inventory screen up. As expected, it was blank—no potions, no necklaces.
Damn it. Peacock closed the screen and eyed Viseral as he beat against the stalagmites. Wonder how many he’s got?
“Enough, One.” Nex’s voice echoed in the cave chamber. “Save your energy for something useful.”
Viseral spun on the larger dragon. “Then open the cage, Nex!”
Nex narrowed his eyes. “Careful. The Ancient One may have given you your name back, but I still retain power over you. I’d suggest you don’t forget it again.”
“Very well,” Viseral forced his words through gritted teeth and stepped aside, allowing Peacock a clear view of his torturer and trainer.
This time, though, Peacock had a far easier time clamping down on his reflexive fear. His hatred was another matter. “Go ahead, Nex, open the cage. I’ll tear you both apart.”
Nex leaned in until his nose was almost within reach. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you, Two? See, that’s why I spent so much time and effort training you. Even after you threw it back in my face. Despite your resistance, you have what it takes to be one of us. You always have.”
Peacock barely listened. Nex spewed nothing but poison, and this was no different. He just needed Nex to get a little closer.
Peacock made his face twist into a facsimile of shock. “Could I still be, even after all I’ve done?”
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Nex hesitated, leaning forward as he studied Peacock’s face.
Peacock lashed out, scraping across Nex’s snout and stealing everything from his inventory. It flooded in without resistance. Nex’s eyes widened. Peacock didn’t wait for realization to sink all the way in. He equipped an orb.
A large silver orb materialized in Peacock’s palm. Get me out of here.
SKILLS UNAVAILABLE
Shit.
The stalagmite bars around Peacock started to slide into the ground.
He didn’t remember what Alainn had done to get him out the first time. Peacock focused on the orb and growled, forcing every ounce of his anger, fear, and frustration into the thing. “Get me out!”
The orb glowed, then burst into a shower of light with a chime.
SKILLS AVAILABLE
SANCTUARY ACTIVATED
In a flash, Peacock became not only the first dragon to escape Zenith Flight alive but also the only to escape twice.
*****
The controlled clutter of Peacock’s hoard materialized around him as the Sanctuary plopped him down in the middle of his gold pile.
Peacock blinked, staring at his palm where the orb had vanished. He didn’t know how that had worked, or why. He’d simply panicked. All’s well that ends well, I guess.
Adrenaline flooded out, leaving him weak and trembling. He brought up his inventory, but his eyes refused to focus. Even without an accurate count, he could tell he’d pulled a lot of necklaces off of Nex, and a few other things as well. It was a list Peacock looked forward to browsing later. For now, all he wanted to do was appreciate the sights and smells of his sanctuary.
The orbs he’d stolen were irreplaceable. Peacock doubted he’d succeed at another foray into Zenith Flight. No, this time he’d had the element of surprise, but from here on out, Zenith Flight would be ready. Peacock would have to make each orb count, and for that, he needed to be calm.
The sharp smells, the clink of metal against metal as Peacock rolled and dug into the sleeping mound. It was all a powerful drug to calm the vestiges of panic and hate from his mind. The trembling faded. Before long, Peacock stretched languidly across his hoard, eyes closed, and mind cleared. He reopened his inventory. Ten necklaces and all his potions. Not bad at all.
UKNOWN RELIC ORBS112 EQUIPPED
The pearlescent necklace appeared around his neck, shrinking down to fit Peacock’s smaller frame. He plucked one from the chain and gazed into it. The silver galaxy swirls in its center undulated, creating shapes which disappeared before Peacock could see them clearly. Light sparkled within, milder, but not unlike those from the artifact orbs. Unlike the artifact orbs, these didn’t automatically do something. You had to make them, and as Peacock gazed harder into the orb, he realized he still had no idea how.
The orb he’d activated in Zenith Flight’s cave had been a complete fluke. Well, maybe not completely. Force of will had something to do with it, but that couldn’t be the only thing, could it? Peacock had a hard time imagining Nex and Viseral stopping constantly to will something into being.
A memory of Alainn resurfaced. Alainn had known how to activate them. But she was dead, wasn’t she? Peacock let the orb slip from his hand, where it vanished in mid-air before materializing back on the necklace.
He’d assumed Zenith Flight had kept her corpse from vanishing, but if they did, wouldn’t they have shown it off when they had the chance? Peacock doubted Nex or Viseral would pass up such an opportunity.
Peacock shook his head. He was an idiot. He’d spent so much time grieving her death as a dragon, he hadn’t considered the possibility of her being Reborn as something else. Escape by death was something Zenith Flight didn’t allow, but since when did Alainn care about rules? No, she’d get away, he knew it. Peacock grinned. All he needed to do was find her.
His grin faded as realization sank in. Alainn was smart. She wouldn’t have created another dragon character or used the same name. Ubique Sight let Peacock see a Rebirth’s player handle, but considering he didn’t know Alainn’s in the first place, it hardly mattered.
Peacock summoned another orb into his hand and frowned at it. It seemed he would have to do more brute-forcing after all. He just hoped it didn’t waste too many orbs in the process.