Chapter 36
Healer and Seeker's Three Step Plan
Thirty-Eight Years Post Apocalypse
I'm continually meeting people who are convinced Zoltron the Mighty Wizard couldn't possibly have killed a silver dragon, that he was either lying, or insane. Let me suggest a third possibility. What if this master wizard realized that a powerful godlike being such as this silver dragon would be immune to the conventional attacks Zoltron's idiot brother and father had planned?
This left the unconventional. For example, what if this master wizard could create a dimensional vortex between the dragon's head and body, transporting part of the dragon's neck to a different location? What if this master wizard used a similar technique to teleport a bomb directly into the dragon's skull?
Unlike this master wizard's father and brother, Zoltron would take into account that these attacks might be countered by the silver dragon--or ineffective. Zoltron would have twenty similarly unconventional attacks ready to go.
If those twenty attacks failed, Zoltron would have a final nuclear option that would kill the wizard himself and many of the city's inhabitants (who would certainly die anyway) and turn the area into a giant crater. But it would be unlikely that even a being as powerful as this silver dragon could survive the blast.
--Excerpt from The Andre Sagenob Seeker of Knowledge Book on Monsters.
Step one:
We join The Church of The Ancient One under false identities. Then we wait for our chance to seek The Ancient One and witness him in His godlike glory.
Seeker and Healer had somehow made it to Dragon Mountain, hiking up the steep trails with the pilgrims they'd met after aliens destroyed the two brothers' small settlement five years ago. There had been a joyful reunion when they'd rejoined their fellow pilgrims a few days before, the people who'd taken them in and who they'd known for years.
Seeker walked past the church guards, exhausted from the climb. His brother was even worse off. Healer leaned on his staff with every step.
The church's guards stopped them. The two old men waited, with a small crowd of pilgrims, as the church guards conferred with their psychics, (the ones wearing eye pendants). Long minutes later, the church guards dragged off several people believed to be potential assassins.
Seeker understood people wanting to kill The Ancient One, but he had no idea why anyone would bother trying. A human could spend a year attacking this god with every weapon known to man and not even scratch the smallest of his scales. And that was assuming The Ancient One remained still and let the human do what they wanted. He was also immune to every known poison and toxic substance.
As a child, Seeker had wanted to become a scientist. Then the aliens invaded. It was disturbing how many career options BG and her aliens destroyed.
The brothers had survived the initial invasion by the skin of their teeth. Then, after decades of hardship and the deaths of family members and loved ones, they'd discovered The Church of the Ancient One.
And now they were here. About to meet the Ancient One for real and give him their humble offering. The two brothers might even merge with this great being. Seeker wasn't sure he, or his brother, had the courage to throw themselves into The Ancient One's mouth. Though the Gods knew neither of them had anything holding them back. No wives, children or surviving family members, and very little money.
“Our congregation would never forgive us if we don't get a suitable spot to submit our offering,” Healer said, pleading with the clergyman. “We spent a lot of time and money obtaining it and getting it here.”
“So have a lot of people,” the clergyman said, looking bored and cynical.
Healer touched the clergyman's hand with his own. Credits moved from Healer's inventory to the clergyman's.
“But I am never one to refuse fellow worshipers,” the clergyman continued smoothly. “What is it you are offering?”
“Three whole cows, smoked, marinated, and slow-roasted. Stored in a stasis box to keep them fresh,” Seeker said.
“Sounds tasty,” the clergyman said. “Come this way.” Healer and Seeker were taken to an old smelly bus where they were packed in with more than a hundred other worshipers and driven over and through the mountain range on treacherous roads until they made it to the top of a large forbidding mountain. The bus stopped. They walked down a short trail until the mountain fell away into the most amazing sight of Seeker's life.
Step two:
We give The Ancient One our humble offering.
Seeker gasped in astonishment and awe. Everything he'd heard was true. The Ancient One was so beautiful it made him cry. He dropped to his knees. The Ancient One's scales were a bluish platinum that blazed softly against the sun. His eyes were bright gold, at least six feet across. His head rested near the worshipers at the top of the mountain while his body and tail wound down and around the mountain. The end of his tail lay at the mountain's foot over a mile away, so far in the distance that Seeker could barely see it. The Ancient One's display popped up.
THIS IS THE ANCIENT ONE. A CREATURE SO POWERFUL NO HUMAN OR HUMANS ARE WORTHY TO FACE HIM IN COMBAT. SO HE WAITS FOR A WORTHY ADVERSARY, EVEN IF HE SHOULD WAIT TEN THOUSAND YEARS.
Seeker got up. He and Healer walked to their allotted space on the mountain, directly in front of The Ancient One's mouth. If their offering was not to the godlike being's liking, He would pick them up and crush their bodies with his mind before consuming them.
Seeker pulled the expensive stasis box from his inventory. The box was ten feet tall and twenty feet long. The two brothers waited along with the other worshipers.
Over an hour later, The Ancient One slowly opened his mouth. Seeker's box was equipped with powerful catapults. One after the other, Seeker aimed the catapults and fired his three smoked, marinated, and cooked 750-pound cows directly into the dragon's mouth. Then he and his brother dropped to their knees, bowing until their foreheads touched the ground. They abased themselves before this godlike being, then backed through Seeker's portal, wishing this magnificent godlike creature a most humble farewell. Seeker had no idea where this portal had come from or how it worked. He just had a strong feeling this was the time and place to use it.
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Step three:
We run like hell.
Seeker's portal created a dimensional vortex that took them miles from where they'd been at the top of the mountain. Healer and Seeker then went through a second portal, bending space and time again, taking them fifty miles from the first.
They waited. Seeker/Gabe's memory slowly returned. “Cover your eyes,” he said. For long seconds, nothing happened. Then a blinding flash lit the sky. Seconds later, a thundering boom knocked them off their feet. The boom was followed by a wave of heat and the horrible scream of a wounded dragon.
Seeker started laughing. Over a decade of planning and preparations finished. Five years living under false identities to join The Church of the Ancient One. All culminating into this one moment of glory.
Over the years, Seeker had built three nuclear death bombs with items he'd spent a lifetime acquiring. Each of these three bombs had been made in such a way that they enhanced and augmented the effects of the other two. These bombs had been carefully concealed within three cows and sent into the dragon's mouth.
“You wanted my best, brother? This is my best.” Seeker got up and jumped up and down for joy. “BG and her fucking dragon can suck it!” he shouted.
“It seems The Ancient One has received our humble offering. The question is, will he die?” Healer said.
“Too many unknown factors,” Seeker said. “Anything else, and all this would have been overkill, but The Ancient One? I don't know.”
“We'll find out soon enough,” Healer said. “I can feel The Ancient One's pain from here. Let's find a place to stay for the night.”
***
An inn at nearby Fort Clark specialized in helping traveling pilgrims. The people of Fort Clark talked to each other in hushed tones, wondering what had just happened.
Healer and Seeker rented a room from an elderly woman, making it clear they were not to be bothered. Then they waited...
The Ancient One died at 1:15 the next morning. Healer sensed the life leave the dragon and pronounced The Ancient One dead.
Seeker checked his display. At first it was blank, then large letters slowly appeared.
YOU HELPED KILL THE ANCIENT ONE! YOU ARE KING! KING OF HUMANS!
THOUGH I'M SURE ANY NORMAL HUMAN COULD HAVE KILLED THIS GODLIKE BEING IF THEY'D FELT LIKE IT. YOU AND YOUR BROTHER DID SO. YOUR REWARD IS 520 MILLION CREDITS AND UNLIMITED STAT POINTS.
YOU HAVE RECEIVED A SUIT OF ARMOR MADE FROM THE ANCIENT ONE'S SKIN. THERE IS NO FINER ARMOR IN THE UNIVERSE. AND YOU HAVE....
The list was a long one.
“I received 620 million credits, unlimited stat points, one suit of armor, one psychic amplifying helm, and one wish,” said Healer.
“You always get more credits than I do!” Seeker said. “Do you realize how much effort went into building and concealing those nuclear/death bombs?”
“BG does not speak to me before allocating credits,” Healer said, laughing. “Anyway, I'm sure you got lots of wizard material.”
“Yes, I did, and it looks like we got one wish apiece,” Seeker said. “If we combine our resources, this will give us three wishes. Anything within BG's power.”
“Finally,” Healer said. “I remember when we were fourteen, and I was recovering from my first Kitykity encounter. You came to me and showed me the most expensive item in the galactic market.”
One Wish. Anything within BG's power. 1,000,000,000 credits.
“I remember what you said,” Seeker continued. “'Making a billion credits could take a while'. I pointed out monsters also drop valuable items.”
Healer shook his head. “And I said I'd better get started. Sometimes that was all that kept me going. I had high hopes for that silver dragon, but that didn't work out. Then we heard about The Ancient One. And here we are. It's finally time, and I'm scared.”
“Wait, Healer... Ian. We need to think about this,” Seeker/Gabe said. “With three wishes, we might be able to win this game. We use the first wish to force answers from BG, the second to force her to make the changes, and the third in reserve in case we missed something with the first two.”
“Stacy saved your life, Gabe,” Ian said. “If it wasn't for her, you, me, our family would have gone the way of so many others that first night the aliens came. You owe her. You and I have lived our lives because of her. We've done stupid things, made mistakes, but we've lived. She never got that chance.”
“I would never suggest otherwise,” Gabe said. “But what if we alter the timeline so the aliens never arrive and our sister is never killed? What if we could save everyone? We need to be smart about this.”
Healer shook his head. “I don't think BG could do that if she wanted to. Turning back the clock that way would cause her to cease to exist, and possibly create a time paradox. She'll resist that. But you're welcome to try. I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm giving you six hundred million credits. That will give you plenty of money to buy the second wish from the Galactic Market and whatever else you need. If anyone can figure out how to use those wishes to destroy BG and win the game, it will be you. As for me, I had one wish back then. I have one wish now.” Healer took a deep breath and went to the middle of their small room. “BG, no lies, no illusions, no tricks. Return my sister to me whole and unharmed, as she was before she died.”
Their rented room disappeared and the two of them were back in the blue room.
“You killed The Ancient One,” BG said. She sounded like she was in shock. “I knew you were making an attempt, but I never thought you would succeed.”
“Well, we did, you evil monster,” Gabe said. “And we're taking our world back.”
“You are both a credit to your species,” BG said. “I liked your sister. She was a fierce, tough human who died a warrior's death. I've given your wish a lot of thought. There is a rule I must follow that states death is permanent, but it's a minor rule, and your sister has remained alive in your minds and hearts for all these years. I've decided that as of now, all humans who die in a sufficiently brave and honorable fashion are not truly dead and will be returned to life. I will grant you your wish, Lord Ian Mind Master. I do hope you will consider my previous suggestion. You have two children, but no clear dynastic heir. Your sister, when she grows old enough to bear children, could provide you with one. A child that combines your strengths and hers.”
Seeker let out a laugh. “BG wants you to do what?”
“Yeah I know,” Healer said. “My brother created bombs that killed The Ancient One. Surely he ranks somewhere on this incestuous dynasty thing you have going?”
“Your brother would be a good match for your sister,” BG said. “But you Lord Ian, would be a better one.”
“So we could pass her back and forth,” Healer said. “Or, as her brothers, we can honor any decision she makes, as to if, and with whom, she should wish to mate.”
“I see,” BG said. “Very well, I would like your word that you will honor your sister's choice of mating partner.”
“Uh oh. What are you up to now?” Ian asked.
“Since you have decided your sister must be the one to choose her mate, I request your word that you will honor and accept any choice she makes,” BG said.
Ian sighed. “Fine. If you want my word for something I was going to do anyway, you will have to do something for me.”
“Very well,” BG said. “I know what you want. I will bring her back with a mind shield and the other upgrades you believe she will need to deal with your fortress family. Best of fortune to all of you.”
***
Then the two were back in their small room at the inn. At first nothing happened, then a Stacy-sized amorphous form appeared on Healer's bed. Over the next half hour, the form slowly turned into Stacy, complete with armor. Asleep, Stacy looked peaceful.
“She's so small,” Ian said. Over the years, his sister had become older and larger in his mind. He was not prepared for how young Stacy looked. His tough younger sister had somehow changed into a twelve-year-old girl. She looked so small and defenseless lying there with blood on her armor. He could see from the cut on her armor where the Kitykity's diamond-tipped tentacle had cut through her armor, wrist, shoulder and neck, killing her in seconds. Beneath her damaged armor, Stacy's body was now whole and unharmed. She was sleeping on his bed, and he could tell her mind was as whole and complete as the rest of her.
The two men started crying. After thirty-eight years, seeing their sister again was too much. For the rest of the night, one or the other would notice some bit of armor, or odd smell, and say “Hey do you remember?” They talked about Dad's workroom and garage, how Dad would get so mad at them for screwing around and playing video games. Not to mention their continual fighting. The twin boys hadn't gotten along back then any better than they did now. Twelve-year-old Stacy was a link to a past life, a world that had long since vanished.
“She's waking up,” Ian said.