Lost Lands: The Game - Atlantis (29 page)

Chapter 36

Mathias had not been idle while the priest was saying his goodbyes. He had seen the look on the dwarf’s face and knew that Kastle wasn’t going to make it. And personally, the half-elf didn’t want to watch him die. So, he had moved away to supervise and organize the survivors. A small group of the wyvern bandits had already begun moving through the fallen, dispatching wounded goblins and moving wounded defenders over to a makeshift triage area. However, they were giving one area a wide berth. The region surrounding the cockatrice.

Perhaps it was the corpse of the rooster-headed dragon-kin that scared them but Mathias figured it had more to do with the fact that the
gryphon and hippogriffs were feeding on its carcass. The archer couldn’t help himself as he paused to watch. It was as if he was watching a super high-definition version of the Discovery Channel.

Pixi
popped into view right above his left shoulder.

“It’s equally cool and gross at the same time. Don’t you think?”

“Pixi…I was wondering where you were at.”

“Whitney.” She nodded to the carnage all around them. “I decided that if we
’re stuck here and this is my destiny, than I’m going to be who I am. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Mathias
grinned. “Whitney. I’m glad you’re okay. I admit, I was a bit worried about you.”

The faerie
flipped her long blonde hair back over her left shoulder in a very teenager like fashion. “I’ll admit, I was scared but…” She stopped in mid-sentence and stared at the gryphons.

Mathias glanced back and hesitantly took a step back
ward. “What the?”

All nine creatures had stopped their feasting and had moved toward them. Stopping about five yards away, they had all taken a position that seemed unnatural to the majestic beasts. Their heads were lowered and their front legs were bent
, as if they were bowing.

Whitney couldn’t explain it but she felt drawn to them. Somehow, she knew they wouldn’t hurt her. Letting herself grow to where she was almost normal size, she took a hesitant step forward.

“They haven’t seen a Sidhe in decades,” came an unfamiliar voice from behind them.

Mathias whirled and drew back an arrow of energy in one fluid motion but held his shot when he recognized the speaker. It was the wizard with the red turban that had rode in on the majestic creatures. Lowering his bow he said, “I don’t know you but given your actions earlier, I’m willing to listen.”

The newcomer limped his way closer and gestured to the ‘griffs. “They were bred to be servants of the Sidhe.”

Whitney shifted to near normal size and turned to face the wizard with a few flaps of her dragonfly wings. “Not to be rude, but who in the Hell are you?”

The red cowled wizard bowed low. “Sanguine Bolt, Overseer of Antioch, formerly of Atlantis and before that, Portland.”

That remark caught their attention but it was Whitney who asked, “You’re an Outlander like us?”

Sanguine nodded. “It’s a long story but yes. I came across with Sartael back in the Alpha Test Phase of the game.” It was obvious to the wizard that they had plenty of questions but Sanguine wasn’t ready to delve into everything at this very moment so he gestured to the griffs. “You might want to let them relax.”

Whitney jerked back. “Me? What do mean?”

“They are paying you homage but I’m certain that isn’t the most comfortable position for such a magnificent creature.”

Whitney cocked her head to the side as she gazed on the griffs. They hadn’t moved a muscle since they assumed the awkward position. “How?”

Sanguine grinned. “Just say éirigh. It is Sidhe for arise.”

Whitney chewed on a strand of hair for a moment before saying, “Éirigh.”
The griffs stood up. “That’s amazing.”

“Not as amazing as finding you in Hyperborea,” replied Sanguine.

“Why?”

“As I said earlier, it has been decades since a Sidhe has been seen in these parts.”

Mathias asked, “Sidhe?”

“The faerie folk; faeries, centaurs and elves. After the debacle with the Goblin King and the High Mage of Atlantis, they left Hyperborea for Avalon.”

Mathias felt his heart skip a beat. “So it is possible to get to Avalon from here?”

“Well yes and no…”

Whatever else the wizard was going to say had to wait when all nine hippogriffs and the gryphon raised their heads and screeched in unison. It was both terrifying and beautiful.

Whitney looked over at the wizard. “What? Why are they doing that?”

Sanguine pointed at the gathering of Outlanders. “A Champion of Law has crossed over the veil of death. Personally, I haven’t seen them honor anyone like this since the death of the High Mage.”

Whitney looked over at the half-elf. “Who
died?”

Mathias lowered his gaze. “Kastle, the warrior-priest. He fell in battle with Cozad.”

Whitney slapped her hand to her mouth and her eyes grew wide. “But he and Aaliyah just got back together! It’s not fair.”

From the look on Sanguine’s face, Mathias could tell that the wizard was starting to realize how young Whitney really was. The archer began walking back to the group. “Come, let’s say our goodbyes.”

As they joined their companions, Tao stood up slowly and faced the red-cowled wizard. Holding out his hand, the samurai nodded. “Taote Ching at your service.”

“Sanguine Bolt, at yours.” The wizard nodded toward the fallen priest. “
I would like to honor his service.”

“How?”

“He deserves a proper burial. I would suggest him being interred in the Hall of Heroes in Atlantis.”

Tao raised an eyebrow. “And how do you propose
we accomplish that?”

Sanguine gestured to the griffs. “We take him there. We can be in the crystal city within two hours.”

Tao glanced at his companions. Everyone was injured, tired and saddened by Kastle’s loss but Aaliyah seemed to be overcome with her grief. It was obvious that she was in no condition to make any sort of decision. Tao glanced over at the avatar of his wife and once more his heart leapt at the thought of her being alive. It didn’t matter that she was different. Hell, he was different. But she was still his Cassie, no matter what she had done in this reality to survive.

“Your offer is generous, extremely generous
, but honestly we need some downtime. Since we have arrived, we have gone from the frying pan to the fire.”

Sanguine nodded. “I bet but you have questions and Atlantis holds many of those answers. I can also guarantee that you will be safe from all outside forces in the crystal city. Although, you may also be saddened by what you find in Atlantis.”

Tao nodded. “It’s a deal. Come on, let’s get busy.”

*   *   *   *   *

Once the decision was made, the Outlanders got to work.

A litter was
quickly constructed with timber from some of the fallen buildings. Kastle was laid out respectfully before being tied down. The Outlanders retrieved their weapons and bound their wounds as best they could.

Tariq couldn’t help but take one of
the cockatrice’s feathers as a keepsake. Tao talked with the remaining bandits while Calli handled the villagers. The idea was simple, they needed to join forces and either rebuild the town or relocate to a more defensible position. At first the villagers were hesitant but then reality sank in and the two groups of survivors joined forces.

Within an hour, the Outlanders were airborne.

Whitney had discovered that when she placed her hands on the griffs, she could almost feel their thoughts. Sanguine Bolt explained it as an empathic bond between them and the Sidhe. Whatever it was, it was wondrous. She spent time communing with each hippogriff but in the end it was obvious that the gryphon was the alpha and as such, positioned himself to be the faerie’s steed. With a simple thought, she directed it to carry Kastle’s corpse while everyone else rode on the hippogriffs. The Outlanders found that riding on the hippogriffs was much more enjoyable that riding on the wyverns. Their gait was almost exactly like a normal horse.

Callistra sat behind Tao with her arms wrapped around his waist and her head resting on his back
as they headed north. It wasn’t long before they were over the water. In the distance the Outlanders could make out a large object on the horizon. It was hidden by the clouds but it was obviously their destination. As they got closer, the city itself became visible. There were numerous towers of crystal which sparkled in the sunlight and several dragons could be seen flying about. Tao couldn’t help but notice that this was the same viewpoint of the picture that dominated the DVD jewel case that the
Lost Lands: Atlantis
disk came in and almost exactly how he imagined it to look. He did notice one major variance. The dragons were not moving. Even as they came within a stone’s throw of one of the massive beasts, it hung motionless in midair. It was as if it was frozen in place.

A dozen of questions poured through
Tao’s mind but he shunted them aside as the lead gryphon dove through the low flying clouds.

T
hey were about to enter Atlantis.

Chapter 37

Sartael stepped out of the portal split seconds behind his newest recruit. Cozad had stopped moving the moment he arrived in the dark wizard’s spell chamber and looked around. The wizard knew the dark knight was well outside his comfort zone, no matter which mindset was in control at the moment. Sartael ignored the dreadknight’s discomfort and moved passed him. Throwing open the balcony doors, he gestured to the land below.

“Behold Cozad, your army.”

The dreadknight moved up beside him and gazed out. From their vantage point, he could see a multitude of soldiers training in three distinct areas. From this height, Cozad couldn’t tell what race the soldiers were but then, he really didn’t care. If they could fight and follow orders, he could lead them into battle. The mere sight of the vastness of the troops melted away any apprehension he might have felt moments before. Hoping to hide his excitement Cozad asked, “Is this the entire army?”

Sartael shook his head. “No, this is about one-third of them. You will meet your sub-commanders tomorrow.”

Cozad removed his helmet and tucked it under one arm. “I do not like to wait.”

Sartael turned and moved deeper into the tower.

The dreadknight followed. “What about Taote? He is a formidable opponent.”

“Let me ask you this, what is the anathema of a samurai?”

Cozad shook his head. “I have no idea.”

Sartael flashed him a Cheshire Cat grin but remained silent. As they approached the doorway at the end of the hallway, the double doors opened to reveal a large chamber. Dozens of warriors, male and female, tumbled and climbed their way through the deadly maze which filled the entire room. One misstep and the nearly naked warriors would fall to their death or be skewered by the many blades which populated the maze.

However, it was the warrior dressed in all black which captivated the dreadknight’s attention. He was calmly sitting in the lotus position in the middle of the room surrounded by all the bedlam. Realizing that he had company, the black garbed warrior stood up and clapped his hands twice loudly.

All around the chamber, the scantily clad warriors leapt off the platforms, no matter the height, to land gracefully all around the room. As soon as they landed, they dropped to their hands and knees, prostrating themselves before the black robed wizard.

The shinobi warrior moved forward to stand before his guests. Placing both hands by his side, he bowed. “You win battles by knowing the enemy’s timing…”

Sartael nodded his head in greeting. “Kano, I would like you to meet Cozad. He is my new general and will lead our armies to victory.”

Kano continued speaking as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “…and using a timing which the enemy does not expect.”

Sartael shook his head and turned to face Cozad. “Never mind him, he always talks like some
sort of Chinese fortune cookie.”

Kano removed his mask and grinned. “The ninja are Japanese, not Chinese.”

Suddenly, an image of black clad assassins surrounding and attacking the samurai flashed through Cozad’s mind, even though he
had no idea where they came from but with their influx came knowledge and he immediately understood what the wizard had in mind.

Deep inside Cozad’s psyche, Ed recognized the images as a mixture of several movies, ranging from the
American Ninja
in the early ‘80s to the
Last Samurai
. None of this helped him break free from the chains which bound him but now Ed had an idea what Sartael had planned.

Now, Ed just had to figure out a way to warn his friends.

Epilogue

Amanda came home early from work and expected to find Marvin sitting at the keyboard playing
Lost Lands
but he was nowhere to be found. The car was still in the driveway and the computer was still on.

She thought,
“Maybe he went out for a run?”

Dismissing her concerns, Amanda quickly changed her clothes and began her nightly chores even though it was a Saturday and it was supposed to be ‘date night’ since the kids were at her mother’s house. It was unusual for her husband to run at this hour but then, she had been bugging him to get back in shape and she was home early. Closing the lid on the washing machine, she stared at the dirty dishes in the sink. She really didn’t want to wash them, at least not right now. Casting a glance into the next room, she could see her husband’s computer monitor. The image of their guild hall filled the screen and beckoned to her.

Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, Amanda sat down at his computer. It had been days since she had enough time to play
Lost Lands.
She normally played on her own laptop but didn’t want to take the time to boot it up. Logging off her husband’s account, she logged in her own avatar, Andraste. She was an Elven Warden; a hybrid class of healer and warrior from the Avalon Campaign. They could cast spells, wear armor, carry shields and wield nearly any type of one-handed weapon.

As the screen refocused, Amanda slipped on the headset and mic
rophone but more than that, she couldn’t believe the graphics. They seemed so much more vibrant than any other time she had ever played. It was amazing. As she maneuvered her avatar around the guild hall, something was out of place. A huge glowing portal which seemed to beckon for her to enter.

“What in the name of the king is that?” came a familiar voice.

Amanda turned her avatar around to discover Marrok. The knight was resplendent in his silver armor. “I’m not sure. It was here when I logged in. What happened last night?”

Marrok shrugged. “We beat the dungeon and met some crazy wizard named Al Shaytan but I’m sure Marvin told you all about that.”

Amanda’s avatar automatically shook her head as she typed the emote command for no. “No. I had to work early and was asleep when you guys finished the raid. And I was gone before he woke up. We haven’t spoken since yesterday.”

John quickly filled her in on the particulars of the raid in the Tomb of Immortality and the offer of the red robed wizard. Amanda listened but continued to stare at the portal.

“Do you suppose that this has something to do with the wizard’s offer?”

Marrok shrugged. “I guess so. It wasn’t here when I logged out last night.”

“Where’s Pixi?”

Again he shrugged. “Don’t know. She was supposed to meet me here several hours ago. I’ve been downstairs crafting while I wait.”

“Marvin isn’t here. I’m guessing he went out for a run or something.” A mischievous thought filled Amanda’s mind. “Want to step through and find out what’s on the other side?”

Marrok grinned. “I have been tossing around that idea myself. Sure, let’s do it. What’s the worst that could happen? Besides if Whitney or Marvin log in, we can just use our Recall Stones to get back to the guild hall and group up.”

“Good point.” Amanda moved her avatar to the portal and stepped through.

John followed suit and the two friends found themselves standing before another portal. However, this one seemed different. It was
a huge ebony archway that was filled with swirling smoke. Ivory letters marked the face of the arch which read:
‘Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here.’

No one else was around. Marrok immediately moved forward but Amanda held Andraste back. She absentmindedly chewed on a strand of hair before remarking, “I don’t know about this.”

Marrok paused and glanced back at her. “We can’t stop now.”

“But we don’t know where it leads.”

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

Amanda offered him a small smile. John was right. After all, it was only a game. What is the worst that could happen? Stepping up to the archway, she stepped into the swirling smoke.

If Marrok followed she didn’t know or care, because the world went black and her ears were filled with the roaring of the wind. Amanda felt her gut churning as the world began spinning incredibly fast, almost as if she was caught inside a tornado and then nothing.

To Be Continued…