The Reality
Heroic
Anadriel Shalandearl shook hands with the woman across from her, Honor Crayfellow, the Guildmaster of the Lynx, a Seripin guild. Honor often grated upon Anadriel’s nerves with her personality entirely contrary to her own, but at the same time, Anadriel knew that Honor was a strong leader, respectable, trustworthy, and incredibly intelligent, she was simply just annoying at times.
“Hiya!” Honor said with a cutesy wave, “Ready to get these negations started?”
“Of course.” Anadriel said.
They both removed their weapons as their lieutenants and commanders did the same, they were stockpiled in separate chests a good few feet away from them, each guarded by the respective guilds guard.
They were at Snow Point, a large snow topped mountain, deep within a hidden cave holding a secret negotiation meeting with the Lynx, in order to form an alliance.
“Rald.” Anadriel said, talking to her larger and powerfully equipped Lieutenant-Commander, her second in command. He was pale faced Wood elf like herself, standing at 6′ 2″ and well muscled. His long black hair swished around as his bright green eyes turned to meet her gaze.
“Yeah?” He asked in a deep gruff voice.
“Keep an eye out.”
“Yeah, I got it.”
She sat down in the middle of a long table, across from Honor, flanked by Rald on her right. Across from Rald was Honor’s right hand woman, Serena. Although Serena was not an official Seripin, like Honor, she was a werecat, a human with the ability to transform into a powerful tiger at any moments notice. She had pale skin like a Wood elf, but her eyes had lost their luster and were a simple green that did not glow. Her skin was adorned with brown tiger stripes across her body and bright red hair on her face. She wore the traditional tribal wear of a savage tribe in the southern jungles. Her outfit was little more then a bear fur top that covered only her chest, and a fur fauld to cover the groin, and fur vambraces on her arms. The fauld was adorned with teeth of wildcats and other animals of prey and upon her neck was a necklace of teeth as well. Rald was dressed in his black and gold heavy armor with circular pauldrons and a heavy chest guard that made his shoulders appear massive. He wore a long flowing black cape and his seat strained with the weight of his armor.
“Shall we get these negotiations underway?” Rald asked.
“Lets!” Honor said with a smile of enthusiasm, “We want unmitigated trading between our guilds, a shared inter-guild chest full of mid to high tier weapons, you can keep the best for yourself of course, and on inter-guild quests, we get sixty percent of the experience, but you get sixty percent of the gold.”
Before Anadriel could argue in the slightest, everyone turned and stood up as the two men guarding the respective weapon chests had disappeared and in their place, stood men and women dressed in green.
“Hello there.” the leader said, he had a white streak through his brown hair and tannish skin with a simple staff and leather armor, “I am Igmus Faintheart of the Veridian Sun. Marion has sent me here to kill you, permanently. Your watchmen have taken your weapons, and rest assured we are well equipped to deal with your fists. Surrender now.”
Despite his obvious advantage, Igmus Faintheart still seemed, faint hearted. His voice was quiet and lame. Anadriel looked at Rald, and then Honor. Honor had a look of disdain upon her face.
“You!” Honor cried accusingly.
“I had nothing to do with this!” Anadriel cried,
“We’re all about to die here.” Rald said seething with anger, but incredibly calm, like the eye of the storm. He looked at Honor with a powerful glare, “Not just you.”
Honor looked at her, and thought for a second, “My apologies.”
Just at that moment, a blue light formed in front of Anadriel, between her and Igmus. Emerging from the light appeared none other than Kyle himself.
“I would have to disagree.” He said, “The only one who might die today,” He drew his sword and pointed towards Igmus, “Is that man.”
“Who are you?!” Igmus cried.
“I’m Kyle Shadowchaser, drop your weapons and run and I”ll let you live.”
Igmus had to chuckle slightly, even in his quiet, awkward, fearful way.
“We vastly outnumber you! Surely—”
Kyle selected a duel option, challenging the entire twenty person Viridian Sun force to a duel to the death, he held out a hand and goaded them with his middle finger, “Try me then.”
The counter began running down, twenty eight seconds.
“You’re bluffing!” Igmus cried.
“Oh? Then attack me and call my bluff.” Kyle cried.
A man charged at him, a lone soldier, and Kyle gave a humored huff as his response. He caught the soldier’s axe strike, used his own momentum against him, tripped him, and then stabbed him through the face turning the man into a fireball for a reset. Eighteen seconds.
“You can’t expect to take on all of us!” Igmus cried.
“Then I’m an idiot and you should attack.” Kyle said in response, running his hands through his hair with indifference. He took out a handkerchief and began to clean his blade.
Three more men rushed at him as he straightened his hair, but before they reached him he was gone, the handkerchief the only evidence that he had been there. He had practically teleported behind them he was moving so fast. With a powerful sweeping slash, three more men fell. Kyle walked over and picked up the handkerchief once again.
“Boss, he’s taking out our men with one strike.” One of Igmus’ lackeys said.
“With a single sword strike I deal 3107 damage with no enchantments, critical hits, magic, poisons, buffs, or anything else, of course they’re dying.” Kyle said as he cleaned off his sword. 3 seconds.
“Get him!” Igmus cried accepting the duel.
The remaining sixteen Viridian Sun charged straight at Kyle who promptly made short work of practically all of them. He rushed forward, slashing three, killing them, making a massive leap as he executed a graceful butterfly kick, flying over the crowd and stabbing an archer in the face. As he rolled out of the flying kick, he made a charge stabbing the two mages of the party in the gut and chest respectively. Arrows, and swords could not touch Kyle as he quickly defeated all of the opposing forces. He walked over to a trembling Igmus Faintheart, who got on his knees in defeat and Kyle stabbed him through the side of his chest, a painful, but non mortal wound. Kyle picked up Igmus with one hand and threw him out of the cave and over the side of the cliff. The fall wouldn’t kill him, but he’d be in severe pain afterwards.
“Tell Marion you failed.” Kyle called out to Igmus, and then he turned, bringing out his handkerchief once again and began cleaning off his sword.
Anadriel Shalandearl wasn’t generally attracted to the most random of passerby’s she happened to encounter. Normally, she would consider herself unattached, serious, not tied down by love or any random thing as such. Oh of course she had her share of men from time to time, but that was surely not for love, but more for the power she gained from the encounter or the pleasure she received. But this time, it was different. Perhaps it was the nostalgia of having been Kyle’s good friend so long ago when they were just starting out combined with the sudden surprise of his massive display of power. Maybe it was just the sole display of power, maybe it was because he had saver her, and in essence, her entire guild. She didn’t know, but suddenly foreign feelings were springing up in her chest.
Kyle returned to them as he cleaned off his sword and sheathed it at his side. He approached them.
“Dri, are you alright?” He asked with the same look of concern he had so long ago. It was a hardened, more masculine and powerful look now, but concerned none the less.
“Yes.” She said, breathily, but then regained her composure, “I’m fine.”
“And you Miss Crayfellow?” He asked referring to Honor beside her.
“Yeah…” the cat girl said, “Thanks.”
Quickly regaining her bearings, Anadriel began barking orders, almost simultaneously with Honor, who began ordering her guild around as well.
“Suit back up! Gather all weapons! Rald, take our weapons chest and redistribute our weaponry.”
As the two guilds busied themselves re-outfitting, Anadriel turned to see Honor talking to Kyle, she was fairly close in physical proximity, and Anadriel felt a twinge of jealousy. She moved in closer.
“I’ve never heard of you before.” Honor said, her hand touching his shoulder.
“I play solo.” Kyle replied.
“Mmmm.” Honor said with a purr as she craned her head, “a solo player? How roguish.”
“Thank you Kyle.” Anadriel said, interrupting them, “The Sylvan Order is in your debt.”
“I am too!” Honor added, “The Lynx are I mean.”
The negotiations proved very smooth after that. With Marion’s attack, although brilliant as it got both guilds most powerful leaders all in one place for a massive and efficient killing, it also was an aggressive and all in move that played all of Marion’s cards, put all of his eggs in one basket. Marion had showed his hand, and although it was good, Kyle’s hand was better and he had proved it dispatching Faintheart and his Veridian Sun lackeys in a heartbeat. Kyle had sat outside the cave, ensuring that he protected all inside. Finally, around 6pm, he found a secluded spot, set up traps and magical wards to protect himself, and then went to sleep in the game, and logged out.
He pulled off the neural headset, as his eyes adjusted from seeing Axaellel, to hot pink lenses, and then to the LED lights of his bedroom. He pulled up a holo-screen interface and logged onto the internet, finding “The T”. The website that followed the Reality exclusively and was the most watched entertainment network site in existence. There he was, on the home page, with 2.7 billion views and counting. The video was only…he checked, twenty minutes old. There were hundreds of messages in his “T-inbox” (tin box), from fangirls, stalkers alike. One stood out to him however, a message from Anadriel.
“Hey Kyle. We haven’t talked in forever. Come meet me, at The Book and Bard 10pm SRA.(Standard Reality Time)”
That was odd. it was true, that was the first time he had seen Anadriel in a couple years. They had been friends since childhood. Messing around in The Reality until they hit level 14. She was three years older than him. He had been fifteen, she was eighteen. He had thought she was so beautiful, elegant, sophisticated. They had both been in the Sylvan Order, he had been a Juggernaut, a tank who took all the damage just to protect her frail Sorcerer form. They had been promising candidates, her more than him, but promising none the less and he thought all was right as day.
But he had failed to pass “The Proving Ground” the extremely hard quest to advance to level 15. She had passed, with flying colors, and she had left him behind, with barely a second glance, risen through the ranks of the Order, and now, was their Guildmaster. The Queen of the Sylvan Order. He had ditched that character. Kyle Stronghshield had been his name. How pathetic.
But he knew that old feelings would bubble to the surface if the situation was right. Anadriel was a smart, calculated woman. She wasn’t calling him there on a whim. He had already helped her so much. What did she want now?
So he showed up. To The Book and Barb the posh tavern in the heart of Axaellel’s biggest city, Ried Polten. (Reed-Pole-tin) There she was, in a private back room sipping some fine Poltanian Spiced Wine, an expensive bottle too by the looks of it. She was wearing her Pantheon colors, a long flowing red robe with a white trim, and she was carrying her large staff, with a blue lit tip enraptured by a lantern like casing. Rald Lighttaker was there too, her second in command. He had a grim look on his face.
“Lairhddecas, I rsaad irrui” Kyle asked, “Whed nu irrui laan Dsai?” (Lighttaker, I greet you. What do you need Dri?)
Rald bowed to him, and Anadriel set her wine glass down and raised an eyebrow.
“There’s no need to speak in such formal language.” Anadriel responded, “We must only converse in secret.”
“Secret, is never secret.” Kyle replied, “This room is not safe, nor is anywhere we might go.”
“Agreed.” Rald said.
“Fuhru sur, uhr Silsi’ar. Wi’as sa ilai ruus Dsuh?”
Again Anadriel raised an eyebrow. Kyle had addressed her in Sylvan, a dead and unknown language in the game meant for old NPC’s to form mystical sounding enemies to fight. only a handful of people knew it. It was the exclusively used language of the Pantheon currently, but that was a secret. Every year the Pantheon changed the language it spoke in battle in order to not give itself away. Thus the Pantheon knew many strange and forgotten languages. They had used real world Gaelic in last years Obelisk Cup, Drow two years ago, and Pitassal, the language of demons the year before that.
“Haz sa ilai hraz Silsi’ar?” Anadriel asked with a narrow glare. (How do you know Sylvan?)
“Ir si’as ra uhnzassi’ars i’ar sa ssinz su sui’arar ilai saiphs nu usu?” (Is that so important, more important than the reason you brought me here?) Kyle asked slicking back his hair, unaffected.
“Wu zuhss suhrsirr suru suhrphr si’asus, ilur, as raz zu zuhss suhrsirr su ni’assus i’as i’ars.” Anadriel replied. (We will discuss these things later, yes, for now we will discuss the matter at hand.) She gave him a dismissive wave, and then indicated that Rald should proceed.
So he did. Rald leaned forward onto the table that Anadriel had set the Spiced Wine on, “Wu i’au susuuhus zass, Nasi’a Srazi’assur i’ar uur huhsri’azzus” (We have received word, Nora Snowfallen has been kidnapped)
He speaks Sylvan too. Kyle thought. Curious. But who is he talking about? Nasi’a Srazi’assur? It must be that purple robed girl…
“Nasi’a Srazi’assur?” Kyle asked, “Tu phuhss I ri’aus uhr su asurs san su urunil a phsuur rir?” (The girl I saved in the forest from the Veridian Sun?)
“Ilur.” Anadriel said. (Yes.)
“Wi’as’r ra uhnzassi’ars i’aais us?” (What’s so important about her?)
He leaned up against the back wall, curious now.
“Su uhr i’a ui’asus.” Anadriel said.
“Ui’asus?” Kyle said, raising an eyebrow. His relaxed position against the wall was disrupted by that word.
Rald and Anadriel nodded, “Nasi’a Srazi’assur uhr i’a ui’asus.” Anadriel said.
Kyle was shocked. Ui’assus, in Sylvan, meant healer, or one who heals. Nora was a healer? One hadn’t existed for twenty five years now! Somebody with a specialized healer on their team could be, unstoppable.
No wonder Marion’s after her.
“Ars ra zu ruus ilai sa pha i’asus us” Rald said. (And so we need you to go after her)
“Jirs nu?” (Just me?)
“Jirs ilai, Li’asil Ari’assuhus, i’ars nu.” Rald responded. (Just you, Lady Anadriel, and me.)
“I zsuus phauhrph rasa.” (I prefer going solo.)
“Ti’as, uhr ras i’ar azsuhar.” Rald said. (That, is not an option.)
“Assuhphs, ra ri’ail I zurs i’asarph zuhs suhr, zusu uhr ru?” (Alright, so say I went along with this, where is she?)
“Hus ID i’ar us si’aphphus uhr i’a sirphuar Nassui’ars a Vi’asusi’ars Csurs.” Rald said pulling up the game menu and the friend menu. (Her ID has her tagged in a dungeon Northeast of Valecast Crest.)
“Assuhphs, sur zil sa ilai zi’ars nu i’asarph?” (Alright well then why have me come along?)
“Assuhphs, sur zil sa ilai zi’ars nu i’asarph?” Rald scoffed. (Lady Anadriel insists that you’re trustworthy)
“Ars ilai sa ras ri’asu si’as azuhruhar?” (And you don’t share that opinon?)
“Na, ra aurru” (No, no offense)
“Gaas ni’ar” (Good man.) Kyle said.
“Shall we head out then?” Anadriel asked, “I’m quite tired of speaking in obscure tongues.”
“Not yet, what’s in it for me?” Kyle asked.
“Whatever single thing you want.”
“Anything?”
“Anything except my title as Guildmaster, my Pantheon spot, or waging war on another guild.”
“Fine then.” Kyle replied.
“I knew we could count on you.” Anadriel said.
They fast traveled to Valecast Crest, getting there in a matter of seconds and then borrowed horses from the local Sylvan Order embassy and rode out into the Northeast. Rald had his game menu constantly open, tracking Nora’s signal as they went. They arrived in a castle marked with a white skull on top of a gravestone.
“The White Grave did this?” Rald asked, “Those lawless murderers!”
The White Grave was a guild built of those who wished to be hired for the dirtier jobs in the Reality. Although DEATH was known as an assassins guild, they were often far too expensive for the common man, who would then turn to the White Grave for all their dastardly needs. The White Grave specialized in kidnappings so it was no surprise to Anadriel that they had kidnapped Nora. The girl really was quite helpless by herself.
“I’ll go in first and open the drawbridge.”
“How—“ Anadriel began, but Kyle was already gone.
Kyle rushed forward towards the castle in a blur, rushing towards the gate and with a powerful slash slashed gate with lightning speed. With a few seconds of slashing, he had sliced into the gate and then he dragged his blade down the line as guards began to yell. The gate separated in two, and Kyle ran out from under it as the upper portion of the gate toppled down where he had been. Anadriel saw him chuckle to himself with a smug grin. He had taken down the gate so fast with only his sword. She would have had to use a powerful spell for that.
A horn sounded as an alarm breaking her thoughts, but Kyle was already gone as arrows flew to where he had once been. Rald drew his claymore and Anadriel her staff as she cast a powerful magical shield around them as they charged towards the drawbridge.
“He’s a strong one!” Rald yelled as arrows and large flaming rocks bounced off Anadriel’s bubble shield.
“Indeed!” She replied.
They galloped into the gates where they saw Kyle slicing through the last remnants of a gate guard. Rald leaped from his horse and stabbed one right through as Anadriel cast a lightning bolt spell to shock two White Grave guards to death. Kyle had taken a good five out on his own and he hadn’t broken a sweat. He pulled out his handkerchief and cleaned off his blade once again.
“Shall we proceed?” He asked casually.
“She’s in the lower level.”
“A dungeon, no doubt.” Anadriel said.
“The White Grave always did have their kinky side.” Kyle said with a chuckle that sounded more annoyed than humored.
More guards came round the corner, this time with a sorcerer along with them. Kyle immediately disappeared in a blur, and reappeared slicing two guards and turning them into little fireballs. Rald charged forward into the fray with a yell as Anadriel and the opposing sorcerer locked eyes. The enemy sorcerer’s eyes were very afraid, he appeared quite new at this in relative comparison and seemed extremely scared at the prospect of facing her. No doubt he recognized her, she was world famous after all. But his fear drove him to attack, not cower, and he struck first with a powerful lightning bolt that caught Anadriel slightly off guard, so much so that she only had time to parry the lightning bolt with her own, instead of casting a counterspell. She struck next with a massive fireball, that he blocked with a shield of water. This sorcerer was good, but Anadriel smirked, she was absolutely better. With a powerful raising of force, she rained down an ice storm all around the sorcerer who panicked, creating a fire wall to protect himself. The fire wall melted some of the ice, but he was wildly out of position and Anadriel zapped him with a lightning bolt to bring him to an end.
Her companions had finished and she cast a quick healing spell on the two of them.
“Ready to move on?” She asked.
Rald nodded, Kyle shrugged, and so they delved into the dungeon. Anadriel watched Kyle as he went down the stairs, waiting to see if he reacted to anything. Her longtime friend seemed to have acute senses and reflexes. His listening skill must have been astronomical. He seemed to notice her gaze however, so he turned his head, looked at her, pulled up the game menu and pulled out a clear potion, drank it, and then disappeared. He whispered to them in Sylvan,
“I’ss u suhphs uruhsu ilai” (I’ll be right beside you.)
Rald looked at her, and she indicated that they should proceed. They proceeded down the winding circular stairs, down into the depths of the dungeon where they spied Nora. Anadriel had to admit her disgust. Not at Nora, but her condition. The men had obviously been preparing to…ravage her. Her clothes were in disarray leaving her breasts exposed, her left nipple was wet too, indicating that someone had been sucking on it. There were a few cuts on her face as well as a few bruises on her arms and legs which were shackled to a wall so that her body made an “X” against the wall. There were three thugs in the room, a very large one, who appeared to be the leader turned, and then said,
“Get em boys.”
The two men rushed over with the large thug pulling out a bow. He fired an arrow straight at Anadriel who pulled up a magical shield that blocked it as another man came rushing in. With her left hand holding up the magical shield, she sent out a stream of fire burning her opponent. Rald was dueling the other White Grave man and making short work of him. Anadriel, out of the corner of her eye saw that Nora had been unshackled and now the leader was now a fireball on the floor. There three enemies defeated. Kyle reappeared in a puff of smoke.
“Are you alright?” Kyle asked Nora.
The girl broke down crying and fell into his arms and Kyle awkwardly took him into his grasp and held her, growing more accustomed to her form until he was cradling her into his chest. Anadriel wanted to scold her cousin, but she thought better of it. Hopefully she would just learn her lesson from this terrible ordeal.
“Lady Anadriel.” Rald’s voice said, gaining Anadriel’s attention once again.
“What is it?”
“Two of these men were our own.”
“You mean?”
Nora turned to her and looked her in the eye, and nodded. She stood up, sniffling, and then composed herself,
“They told me they were escorting me. Next thing I knew, I was being kidnapped here. I’m a healer, there’s not much I can do against—“
Nora stopped mid-sentence and looked at Kyle.
“I know.” Kyle said with a reassuring look. It was the most sympathetic Anadriel had seen him, the same look he had gotten with her whenever she had made a mistake and embarrassed herself.
“You know?”
“They told me, so we came to rescue you.” Kyle said.
“Go on Nora.” Anadriel said.
“Right.” She said sniffling once again, “I’m a healer so there’s not much I can do but cast defensive and support buffs. All by myself, not too good. I tried a few nature spells but they were wearing nature resistant armor. And I panicked, and it was too late. And then they started—”
Kyle gave her a hug once again, protectively “Hey.” He said, “It’s alright. It’ll all be alright.”
She cried into his shoulder a little more. He looked at Anadriel, straight in the eye.
“Let’s get out of here.”