“Wow, you got super lucky Aidan.” Raven finally said. They were all standing together after the stream. Amelia had given everyone the news they were no longer being streamed live.
“Yeah. Can’t find someone like Amelia anywhere.” Aidan smiled, his eyes dancing.
“No way. I mean you’re super lucky she didn’t actually get mad when you yelled at her earlier. I don’t think extra dates woulda done it, you know?” Raven shook her head. “She just pretty much browbeat everybody into doing what she wants. She coulda had you camped into the ground. Destroyed your life.” Raven’s eyes got wide. “Wow. She did all that just because she had a bad dream.”
“I don’t have bad dreams,” Amelia replied loftily by way of explanation. She felt the new sensation of rage still there, under the surface but under control. She felt really good. She didn’t know if anything would come of it or if they would get enough people but she also knew that they would get some. Some were better than none.
“I guess when you put it that way,” Aidan said, his face grimacing. “I really don’t like it when you’re the reasonable one Raven. Could you go back to being ridiculous?”
“I’m always reasonable.” Raven frowned.
“I did not understand most of that,” Victoria admitted. The small Half stood aside, having been separated from the stream. Amelia thought she was about a dozen times cooler since she got her crown and started being serious.
“I’m sorry Victoria. I keep delaying our Grendel hunt.” Amelia smiled. “Is it time?”
“Yes. Let us go sharpen our claws on the Grendel. Void must be defeated… no matter the cost.” Victoria swept from the room, and several Halves followed her.
“Lonely business. That queen thing.” Aidan commented. “I feel bad.”
“When we win. She’ll have 1000 years of peace to get that fun back.” Raven crowed. “I bet she’ll be super fun again. Probably make statues of us. I was thinking about my pose.” Raven put her arm in front of her and looked slightly upward, tilting her chin up in a half profile.
“The worst,” Forsythe complained dutifully.
“Did Gilduirn get it done?” Aidan said, ignoring both of them masterfully.
“Yes. No problem. He found the cylinder with the shared entry.” Amelia sighed. “It’s weird, knowing you can leave yourself messages from the distant past.”
“So. Grendel hunt.” Hunter added after all of them were quiet for too long. “How dangerous is that, do you think?”
“The number required for completion suggests they are numerous and dangerous.” Forsythe finally said.
“I can kill 1000 Grendel,” Raven supplied after a moment. Disbelief was evident in her voice concerning how dangerous Grendel could be. “You guys stay here.”
“No way,” Aidan said. “I’ll kill 1000 just to hear about you avoiding the Half Queen. I can’t believe we finally found someone you’re afraid of.”
“I’m not afraid!” Raven said defensively. “I’m just uncomfortable. I really like her and she’s really mad at me and she’s really strong. Holy cow strong!”
“Raven is going dojo hunting tomorrow,” Elisha said suddenly. The note of dread in her voice was clear. “In the real world.”
Everyone turned to Raven as one.
Hunter didn’t seem to know what to think. She had been with them long enough to realize that Raven was her own special brand of crazy, and she looked like she wanted to argue with Elisha that Raven wouldn’t do that, but the slightly doubtful expression on her face explained she wasn't so sure it was a lark.
Forsythe looked absolutely horrified. Aidan simply stared at Raven.
“I decided that I’m going to be a ninja,” Raven said, nodding and confirming everyone’s worst fears. “So I’m going to go to the Martial Arts school nearby and challenge them for the honor of their dojo.” She put two fingers together and put them in front of her face. “Nin nin nin.”
“Oh. I’ll go.” Amelia said, shocking everyone, including Raven.
“You believe in me!” Raven cried. She immediately stepped forward and hugged Amelia.
“What? No. I’m just missing the exercise. Martial Arts is great exercise.” Amelia said, patting Raven gently anyway. “I mean if you win, sure… I’ll be super proud, or something.”
“I am so relieved,” Elisha whispered to Amelia. Raven either pretended not to hear or was too busy putting her all into hugging Amelia. “That means I don’t have to go,” Elisha confided.
Before anyone could say anything there was an announcement that shocked them all.
> ------------------------
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> Local Announcement - Group Configuration has been changed to Crusade.
>
> ------------------------
“What does that mean?” Aidan asked, peering around the hall curiously. Everyone started shrugging. They had hardly waited a few moments while they thought about it when the doors opened and an armed group of powerful Transients entered the hall. Dead silence filled the room as Shadow Fall looked upon this new group.
In the front, a tall man with a half-cloak and wearing full plate armor stepped forward. His piercing eyes cut through a visor that covered his face, and even though his gear was non-descript Amelia was immediately impressed by his presence. This man was a high-level player. Not only that, but he was skilled. At the very least, that was what Amelia wanted to think when she saw how he moved.
The people behind him were well geared and jovial as well but they stood respectfully back as if there was a distance between themselves and this man that they couldn’t cross. Surprisingly, he said nothing. Amelia wondered what the helm was for other than covering his face. In AA you could wear a mask or helmet but they were largely a cosmetic effect because even if you were wearing the helmet for stats you could just choose to hide the appearance.
Everyone waited.
“Wow. That didn’t take long.” Raven hadn’t bothered to interrupt her hugging. She was actually nuzzling her cheek into Amelia's shoulders. “Who are you guys?”
The mood broke and Shadow Fall started to grin. There was no deterring the fury of hurricane Raven. No stopping the winds of madness that made her immune to the mood. She really was, as Forsythe had once told Amelia, the litmus test for the group. If Raven was happy, nothing bad could happen.
A bard stepped forward, identifiable by a marker on her shoulder that was in the shape of a lute. She was pretty, blonde, several heads shorter than the man that stood in front. A harp lay across her back as well as a bow. She stepped forward and spoke happily. “I speak for War. I am Larkin.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“War?” Amelia finally managed to pry herself away from Raven and tried to regain any semblance of dignity.
“War. Our guild, and our guild leader.” She gestured to the tall man. He was staring intently at their group. “We have come to join the hero Amelia and her companions. I am sorry, our leader rarely speaks… he’s… not good with people.” Larkin grinned, and the group behind her cast knowing glances at each other. Amelia instantly liked this woman.
“Larkin,” War said.
Shock rode on Larkin’s face and she literally jerked upright. She turned her head and stared at him in disbelief. “War? You’re... going to talk?’
The tall masked warrior gestured to Shadow Fall, and then he moved forward. As he got closer Amelia was immediately struck by his equipment. It was impressive and high level and well made, but what really stood out was the fact that it was modified in every way possible. It had been tailored to his height and build, embellished with magical accompaniment, and gave off a strong sense of presence. The metal was engraved with figures of dancing fighters and animals. Growth was obviously a stat he had embedded into every piece he wore. Unusual considering base clothing didn’t grant many useful statistics for battle typically.
“I am War. You are Aidan, Forsythe, and Raven.” He gestured to each one in turn. He stared at them, expressionless, and after a moment he slowly got down and knelt before them. “I greet the heroes of Last Sojourn. I am to offer a message. Thank you.”
Silence fell again and the room was split. Shadow Fall didn’t know what to make of any of that except for the people who knew the truth about the three he had mentioned. Elisha, Hunter, Amelia stood stock still. War, the group of people, didn’t seem to know what to make about his declaration or about the fact he was kneeling. Amelia got the impression that their leader kneeled before no one, spoke before no one, was beholden to no one.
“War, what are you doing?” Larkin hissed.
“Kneel,” War commanded. “You are in the presence of heroes.”
Before anyone could do anything Aidan spoke. He had been standing aloof and off to the side with an incredulous look on his face. “We don’t know what you are talking about.”
War did not seem fooled for a moment.
Amelia could see on his face, that which she could see anyway, that he had almost even expected this challenge. War spoke without looking up. “Aidan, the white devil or the devil in white. He is a man who gives his soul to the people even if they hate him. He sacrificed his life to try and save the people of Last Sojourn. Why, he would ask, should lies and deception be only the tools of the enemy? I will lie, steal, cheat, and do any despicable things to obtain my noble goals. So my grandmother told me he once said.”
Aidan was speechless. Amelia had never seen him so thrown that he just stared with his mouth open. Forsythe came to his rescue immediately and said, “We don’t know what that means.”
“Forsythe. A man who is incorruptible. Fearless. Without malice or envy, jealousy or hatred. He only speaks when he is backing the man, the devil, or chastising the singer Raven.” War closed his eyes. “He once stopped a random event from killing players for many weeks until he was recruited by the devil. I am honored.”
Slowly the guild group WAR had begun kneeling. It was clear from their faces that they didn’t know what was going on, but they were touched they were getting to see it. Amelia guessed that Larkin was right, she really was the voice for this group. War probably never spoke or said anything of his desire. Everyone respected the man absolutely, that was clear from the tortured looks they were giving him as he knelt before Shadow Fall. War must have been someone that lead by deed and not by voice.
“I told you we’d be famous.” Raven crowed. Maybe she had decided that pretending that they weren’t the three that beat Last Sojourn was pointless before this type of attitude, or maybe she was just being her usual crazy self. “I can be thanked with chocolates, gold, weapons, uhmmm platinum…” Raven started to recite different forms of currency at that moment.
“Raven,” War whispered. “The most courageous. Afraid of everything, and yielding to nothing.”
Raven stopped and peered at War. Her hand went to her sword and she started to take a step forward. Murder was in her eyes. Amelia only remembered that look once. It was when Raven was describing how horrible everyone had been to Aidan and how she could have killed them all and been done with it. Amelia immediately grabbed the girl from behind and pulled her to her, hugging her as hard as she could from behind. Raven’s hand never left the hilt of her sword strapped to her back.
“I’m not afraid,” Raven whispered in sudden malice. Amelia was shocked for the billionth time today when she heard the quaver in her voice.
“Who are you?” Forsythe finally asked. His face was scrunched up in a surprising amount of emotion.
“Shut up Forsythe,” Raven whispered harshly to the side. “Take your visor off. Let me see your face.”
“No,” War responded. He did not look up.
“Yes,” Raven replied, the edge vanishing from her voice. Amelia felt the girl relaxing in her arms. “Take it off.”
“No,” War said again.
Larkin actually laughed. “He never takes it off. I don’t even know what his real face looks like.”
“Heeeey. I’m your hero. Take off your visor.” Raven said. Her hand left her sword, and Amelia reluctantly released her. “Do it. Now I’m really curious. I bet you don’t have a nose. Is that it? No nose?”
“I have a nose,” War said warily. “No.”
“Please?” Raven was suddenly in front of War. Amelia had blinked and then the warrior girl was in front of him, kneeling, poking at the helm. She couldn’t remove it because of game mechanics, a fact that was obviously frustrating the hell out of her. “I want to see. Do you have terrible burns?”
The mood broke again, and everyone started to breathe. Amelia decided that this was entertaining but not really conducive to what she wanted to accomplish today and immediately stepped forward to address Larkin. “Why have you come?”
Before Larkin could respond, War stood up. Amelia went rigid when she saw his eyes. Those eyes were the same eyes that had stared in the mirror when she gave her rage-filled request and streamed live to MKC Media Online. Hatred, rage, and pure fury. Amelia almost took a step back, so incredible was the feeling she got from them.
“We have come to aid Amelia, the hero, and Empress of Elysium. This is our world and no shitty world ender is going to take it from us.” He almost growled. “I ordered all our Chronicler’s to start leveling so more of WAR can come. I had one, Fate, who had already completed your requisites so I brought with me 25 of my best.” War gestured to a mage behind him who bobbed his head obediently, though he didn’t bother to rise. “Well. 24 of my best and Fate.”
“Oh, that’s funny.” Fate said, shock on his face. “First time he talks and he’s a comedian.”
Larkin looked like she was biting her tongue so she wouldn’t grin any harder.
Amelia didn’t know what to say, and Larkin immediately jumped on the chance. “What the hell are you talking about War? Last Sojourn?” She moved forward, trying to lift him off his knees without effect.
“A mistake.” Amelia began. Aidan cut her off almost immediately.
“No.” He said. Amelia turned in shock and horror.
“What are you doing?” Amelia asked.
“He is one of us,” Aidan said simply. He shrugged. “He just is?”
Amelia was immediately reminded of a similar time when Aidan had answered her question as to why she had been invited to their group. He had just known, he had said. Amelia stared hard at Aidan, she at least was unwilling just yet to reveal his secret to strangers. He smiled at her in return, that heartbreaking smile that made her melt.
Finally, she mustered up her courage and asked, “is anyone streaming?”
Everyone around her slowly gave an indication that they weren’t streaming. War, the guild group, responded immediately indicating that none of them were streamers. That didn’t surprise Amelia overly much considering how larger than life they were. If they had been streamers she was certain she would have recognized one or two of them. The likelihood was high that they were a small population and private guild.
“How did you tell everyone what to do if you don’t speak?” Forsythe wanted to know all of a sudden. Amelia thought it was a fair question. You can’t exactly charade out ‘let’s go to the past and fight together with everybody. Also, you should level up Chronicler.’
“I wrote a note,” War said easily. It was so simple it almost seemed like Forsythe was going to stroke out. He looked like he would die any second if he had to deal with this sort of stupid any more.
“War?” Aidan asked gently, almost softly. “Would you like to tell everyone who we are?”
“Yes.” War opened his eyes and slowly stood as if there was a great weight on him. “If you will tell me why you’re not old?”
“Yes.” Aidan smiled.
War turned slightly to include his companions and began to talk softly of the heroes of Last Sojourn. He told them about the chip, largely information that everyone knew, and how it had been corrupted by a virus. He told them about the players trapped in the first VRMMO fantasy game where death was real. He told them everything. When it seemed like the explanation was over, he told them about his grandmother.