A/N: Welcome to the seventeenth chapter of the story. Did I just say "seventeenth?" Nice.
A big thanks to everyone who has posted reviews on the story. I also greatly appreciate everyone's PMs and discussion with the story. Still busy with school but doing my best. Short author's note I know. I'll leave you all to the story. Enjoy.
"My intrusion makes me the compliment of the deus ex machina. Omnis homo odit machina." -Anonymous
Chapter 17: Declaration
The Virtual World
Pirugan Continent, Fluorestris
In-Game Timer: Day 20
4:47 PM
Ray Andylon stared in disbelief at the five individuals that sat before him. Sitting behind their steel, half-circle table instilled the sense of authority that was their position in the guild known as the Grand Hunters. Five banners swayed behind them as the calm air from outside crept into the massive assembly room. The banners exhibited the five elements of orbs: fire, water, wood, light, and dark.
The age and appearance of these persons ranged anywhere from their mid-twenties to probably somewhere around late thirties. One of the men sitting to the far right of his comrades at the long table with his hands clasped before him already showed signs of gray strands to either side of his head. The female next to him appeared to be only slightly older than Ray, assuming a fierce appearance that would have rivaled Yukiko's stern countenance. The other three appeared more relaxed, two males and another female, wearing the matching attire donned by guild commanders that consisted of a cape with the embroidery of dual bows and crossbows and silver armor with the guild symbol etched in black on their chest plates.
The answer to Ray's application regarding his submission to the guild was completely unexpected. He even ventured it was more along the lines of absurd.
"Are you that surprised by our decision?" the rigid female on the right asked in her steely voice.
Ray worked to find the words to express his argument but found that he could only utter a simple "yes" in reply. After all, how could they possibly have rejected him? As far as all the Players in the virtual world were concerned he was the first Player to gain a second monster for his team. Word had spread quickly across Pirugan that a Player had defeated a god monster just within the first week. Surely this was proof enough that he had the skill to join the guild. But apparently these individuals saw the situation differently.
"It is certainly impressive that you were able to attain your second monster in such a short time. But there are other factors as guild leaders that we need to consider to ensure the guild's growth," the gray-haired man to the right said brusquely.
The man to the far left spoke next. "One of these factors we need to take into account is your rank. We need to maintain the image that this guild is for elite Players. Accepting you with your low numbers would give the appearance that we will just receive anyone and disregard their qualifications. This would turn the elite candidate away from the guild."
"This could also potentially spread the forces of Players within the elite thin amongst multiple guilds. With Depths Legion growing by the day with possible Player Killers we need to make sure we draw the strong Players to us," the second female stated with more sympathy than the others.
The leaders of the guild went silent and waited expectantly for Ray's response to their reasoning.
Ray couldn't begin to understand it. He had two monsters while many Players still only had one. Sure his rank was low from the previous Puzzle and Dragons game, but it wasn't even a true show of skill. It didn't gauge all the factors of being a competent Player.
"People know about me," Ray argued. He fought to hide the distraught tone in his voice. "Players know that I was the first to gain two monsters."
"Be that as it may," the rigid female noted. "It is still a concern that many will see your rank and attribute your success to mere luck or the sole ability of your first monster and not your skill alone."
"Please understand," the young male to the left said. "You may indeed be a skilled Player, but we have all of Pirugan to consider right now. One Player just simply can't make a difference compared to the dozens we might lose."
Ray had heard enough. It was clear there was no rationale he could work with to sway their decision. It appeared to be unanimous. He stood there for a short time with his thoughts at a standstill. Even if he were to display his skill to them right there and now they probably still wouldn't consider him. And it was all because of a simple, misleading number from the past.
The final young male sitting amongst his fellow commanders who had been silent until now spoke up, "We are truly sorry."
Those words forced Ray's feet to turn and he made his way to the massive double doors at the end of the impressive assembly room. He halted for a moment at the doors and stared amongst the tiled floor at a section that held no particular meaning but somehow held his gaze. He wasn't seeing the tile floor, but another distant land somewhere that his mind was somehow able to mesh from nothing. It was Pirugan. He knew what it meant. It was Pirugan itself he would have to prove himself to. And by doing so, he would prove to the Grand Hunters that they had made a huge mistake, and that one Player could make a difference that a dozen others couldn't.
Many of them were still ignorant to what was truly at stake. War was coming. It was a war that was dragging not one, but two worlds into conflict.
"Wait, hold up a sec."
Ray barely glanced over his shoulder as one of the commanders of the Grand Hunters exited the assembly chamber. The young man's brow was already matted with sweat as he rushed over to Ray. Despite the sweat wetting his curly black hair he didn't seem to be under much strain.
"I'm sorry about my friends in there. I just wanted to let you know that Maya and I were all for having you become a member of the guild."
Ray assumed that Maya was the quiet girl who seemed to have the genuine compassion for Ray's plight.
"It's alright," Ray answered, his expression softening. "I suppose there's nothing you can really do if the other three disagree."
The man shook his head. "I don't know what they're thinking. I'm under the impression that your name will spread and your rank won't matter. Not that it even does in the first place, but people hold weight to numbers as proof."
"Why are you telling me this?" Ray asked.
"I can't share information concerning the guild with you, but I would still like to add you to my friend list," the man answered straightforward.
Ray's mouth tightened at this. He had to wonder if this was simply an empathetic gesture or if this guy really did believe he had some ability. Pity was the last thing Ray ever wanted from anybody. It made him feel devalued and lacking a sentiment of usefulness.
Before Ray could reply the young man raised his hand and continued, "I don't believe anyone could possibly have beaten a monster so early without having some sort of skill. And even if people say it is luck, I'm someone who believes that luck is a part of that skill. It is clear to me you have talent."
Ray began to consider his words and noticed that the double doors had opened once again and the young female, Maya, now approached to stand next to her companion. Her face was like that of an expressionless, porcelain doll with her smooth, milky white features. Her blonde, twin curled pigtails bobbed up and down with her long strides for someone of such short stature. She remained silent and simply nodded her assent to her comrade's words.
Did they really think he had potential? Ray couldn't be sure, but it definitely wasn't a bad thing that two commanders of the strongest rising guild wanted to be his friend to explore Pirugan. By going out of their way like this, they must view him as an equal whereas many who joined the guild would appear to be more in the role of subordinates. Even though Ray might be deprived of the information in the guild, he might be able to raise his status even without it. It was a possibility, and Maya and this young man didn't seem to be bad sorts.
Ray thought back to when he had first met Yukiko and Paravati, and then Kurt and Bastet afterwards. Their relationship had developed into one of mutual trust over what might have seemed like a long time. It would be nice to expand the same relationship with these two and their monsters. After all, the Grand Hunters seemed to have a considerable number of monsters in line with the Guardians.
Ray opened his database and accessed his friends list. "Sure. I don't mind."
The young man grinned. "Alright! Glad to hear it. Oh, the name's Ruslin." He extended his hand which Ray took in his own freely and they gave a swift shake.
Maya stepped forward and offered hers as well and they shook.
"So you are partnered with Leilan and Verche," Ruslin commented.
"Yeah, that's right. Who are you partnered with?" Ray asked. He didn't mind the small talk now that he was beginning to understand a common viewpoint that the two commanders held.
"Amaterasu and Cao Cao."
Ray held his demeanor in check at the mention of the monster names. He had no recollection of any mention of the two monsters when Leilan recounted the story of Takamura and the universal code. He had to wonder if they had already filled Ruslin in about the war. Ray decided it was best to keep quiet about it for now until he got to know the two Players better.
"Leilan is an interesting pick," Maya said in her quiet voice. Ray had to practically strain his ears to hear her. "She hasn't necessarily been one of the popular choices over the past few years. Was she your preferred choice?"
It was true. In the original game Leilan's character had fallen off the list of popular monsters to use in dungeons since there were many other monsters easier to use that provided better results and versatility. But she was the first monster he had ever received. She was actually the main reason he had continued playing. Even though she was far from the most popular, Ray had felt that there would be something different about this new virtual world. There was something that made each monster unique. No monster seemed better than another. They had their own strengths and weaknesses. A personality.
Ray answered honestly, "I suppose you could say I became emotionally attached to her." He paused as he considered his next words. "I guess I just feel comfortable with her. It just felt right."
Even though Leilan could seem a little standoffish and intense, she had a compassionate side to her that he had seen during the time spent in Flint Peak. Her genuine concern for her comrades was appealing and she was passionate about her goals for the future of Pirugan.
Ray let out a short gasp at the last thought. He was beginning to understand what it was that drew him to her and Verche as well. They were so selfless. They loved their world and the goals they strived for were for the benefit of their whole world. While Ray perhaps didn't see his own the way they saw theirs, he had spent most of his life doing things for others rather than for himself. Seeking approval of people close to him was perhaps his only selfish gain.
Maya's next words woke Ray from his reverie, "You seem lost Ray Andylon."
Ray shook his head and smiled. "It's nothing. Just thinking I might have realized something nice." He steered the conversation in another direction to avoid any prodding questions. "And who is your monster partner Maya?"
"Izanami."
Ray had heard no mention of Izanami from Leilan or Verche either. He decided he would bring her name up as well the next chance the opportunity arose.
The three Players engaged in idle conversation for the next few minutes. It was mostly discussion about what each had explored, the NPCs they engaged with (although Ray now knew that they were in fact real humans), and the different kinds of monsters they had encountered. The lighthearted discussion put Ray at ease and he was glad to have officially met Maya and Ruslin.
The time passed quick. Maya and Ruslin announced that they had guild business to attend to and Ray bid them farewell. Perhaps the day wasn't a total loss since he had made two new powerful comrades.
"So what do you think?" Ruslin asked Maya as soon as Ray was out of earshot.
"I think he has potential," Maya answered.
"I see. You always were a good judge of character."
"There's no way his victory over Verche was a fluke."
Ruslin regarded her curiously with that statement. "You seem so certain."
"I am."
"And how can you be?" inquired a second female voice from behind them.
Ruslin whirled about taken off guard and saw the steely female commander; one of the three that had refused Ray's admittance into the guild. Ruslin frowned at her intrusion and harshly blunt personality. Her presence left a sour taste in his mouth.
"It is clear that the dungeons of this world provide monsters with a massive amount of power. There is no way Ray's monster could have won single-handed," Maya responded calmly.
The other female shrugged. "Granted. But as stated earlier, his rank is meaningless save for the fact that it possibly shows his lack of dedication to the original game. That is how many of the veteran Players will see it, and we can't lose any potential candidates."
"Are you really that bent on having the most powerful guild Cynthia? There is such a thing as alliances you know. We don't need to hold a monopoly on it," Ruslin reasoned to back up Maya's words.
The female named Cynthia glared at Ruslin and twisted her face in a look of contempt. "Alliances are all well and good, but we are at a greater advantage if all Players unite against Depths Legion under a single banner. It creates a stronger union." She added emphasis to the name of the enemy guild with a strong vehemence as if the name was a poison boiling in her mouth.
Ruslin raised his hands in surrender unwilling to push the matter further. Maya stood next to him expressionless as Cynthia strode past them without another word.
"Do you think she knows about the war?" Ruslin asked as the female Player disappeared.
Maya shook her head. "Doubtful. Her monster partner, Sonia, is not a member of the Guardians. She has no allegiance or any reason to provide Cynthia with any information."
"So many god monsters we need to keep track of," Ruslin said with a heavy sigh. "The politics too. God, how tiresome."
"I agree."
The two Players felt no further need for discussion and headed in the direction where Ray and Cynthia had departed. They decided without even voicing the idea that exploring some dungeons would put their minds at ease.
"What a load of bullshit!" Kurt blurted out louder than he had intended. A few of the patrons in the bar regarded him with a strange look before returning to their meals and mugs.
"Keep it down," Yukiko grumbled with that disapproving look of hers as she took a sparse sip from her own mug of ale.
Ray gazed around the tavern to make sure the attention had moved passed them. He was glad that the three of them had opted to choose the far end of the bar to hold their conversation away from most of the ever-growing crowd.
The tavern seemed to be a popular location, tucked into a busy corner of Fluorestris's east side just outside of the main business district. A smart move since many people finishing their duties of the day would most likely pass the bar or travel only a short distance out of the way, feeling the growing urge to have a cold drink to wind down as evening pushed aside the day.
The tavern also had an appealing, uplifting atmosphere to it with silly signs stating that beer was the glory of the universe or the like. The waitresses wore marginally revealing outfits that showed off their curves and bosoms. The outfits showed enough without being overly modest with those bold pronouncements of the art of the female form. The entire atmosphere of the bar was uplifting, filled with relief, and held a unique charm to it.
Ray had always been a fan of places like this in his own world. He didn't care for the club scene with the booming bass music with too much dark lyrical depth. The bars with the drinking music about chasing girls or getting wasted with close friends appealed to him more (even though he never did this himself). Signs on the walls by Benjamin Franklin talking about how "beer was God's proof that he loves us and wants us to be happy" were the kind of lightheartedness that he needed to forget responsibilities for a while. The eye candy certainly was a perk as well.
"I will agree with Kurt though," Yukiko said. "They have made a poor decision."
"I would jump at the chance to get a guy in my guild who was the first to get a second monster. Seriously, rank is nothing." Kurt downed the last of his beer and unsuccessfully attempted to suppress a belch.
Ray covered his mouth as a laugh escaped him. Ray appreciated their words. His mind still ached with the fact that he was now not a part of the guild while Yukiko and Kurt had been accepted. And at first he had felt a little separated from them, but it was a feeling short-lived.
"Well if that's how it is I'll just fill you in on what's going on," Kurt announced.
Yukiko let out a sigh of exasperation. "If anyone in the guild found out then you would likely be kicked out in an instant."
Ray nodded. "She's right. I don't want you to put yourself at risk for me like that. I appreciate the offer though."
Kurt scoffed at the absurdity and rose from his stool. "Gotta take a piss." He mumbled under his breath about how stupid it was that he still had to take a leak in a virtual game.
"Did Verche find any sign of Plesios?" Yukiko asked.
"No. Last anyone saw was around a few weeks before that Reversion happened."
"The event that drained the monsters of their power," Yukiko commented. She now cradled the mug in her hands. The effects of the alcohol were beginning to dull her senses and she hated any sort of feeling of powerlessness. She pushed the mug aside and asked the bartender for some water.
What happened next was something that no Player or anyone could have anticipated. The windows at the front of the bar shattered inward with no warning and those inside were engulfed by a powerful wind. The twisting air knocked signs off the walls and whipped the chairs off their legs, sending many of the patrons to the floor in a heap. The wind lasted only for a few seconds, but the damage had been done.
Ray collected himself from the wood floor and hoisted up with the bar for support. He helped the rattled Yukiko with an extended hand which she accepted gratefully.
They stared around the room as everyone else rose holding their heads and body parts that had been injured during the sudden gale. Most seemed to only suffer from minor injuries.
"What in the hell was that?" someone near the front of the bar shouted. The man pulled a piece of glass free from his arm and ignored the blood that flowed in a small stream.
As if in answer, the ground beneath their feet began to rise. The stone floor became riddled with wide cracks that extended to the walls and went to work on the building. The cracks traveled like pumping veins and spread as if overloaded.
"By the gods," someone gasped.
Ray felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Kurt staring in bewilderment at the front of the destroyed bar.
Everyone gathered themselves in a daze until someone screamed off to the side and disappeared into darkness where solid ground had once been.
"Run!"
People rushed from the building as the ground around them burst, injuring many and some being swallowed by the ground that collapsed beneath them.
Ray, Yukiko, and Kurt leaped through the shattered windows, went into a shoulder roll, and were up on their feet with the extra burst of momentum.
The scene before them was horror.
Buildings collapsed as the earth now began to cave in after rising just a few seconds before. It was like a roiling wave of cobblestone and dirt imploding upon itself at the same time. People were crushed by the falling debris while some took injuries that prevented them from escaping the dark pit that followed them as the ground fell away. A streetlamp rotated as the roiling street agitated its base and it swung into the side of a horse-drawn carriage with people gripping its sides. Two tall buildings fell into each other and showered glass on the pedestrians that ran for their lives.
It had been so calm only a minute before the chaos.
Ray took it all in: the death, the destruction, the desperation. Ray dove as the wall of a building above burst from the heavy impact of another and showered around him. A pillar collapsed across the street and halted at an angle as its top lodged into the side of a small building. Ray slid underneath the pillar and dug his heels into the ground to right himself as he leaped over a carriage thrown on its side.
When he had traversed most of the debris he took the time to glance to his sides and searched for any sign of his comrades. He spotted Yukiko off to his right as she ran up a steady incline of stone that emerged. She leaped over the base of a structure that had been turned into a landslide and veered in Ray's direction to distance herself from the buildings. There was no sign of Kurt.
Ray risked a glance behind him and saw that the ground to the rear was still collapsing. People running from the growing pit fell to their deaths in the embrace of darkness. The ground rose up again like a wave and random portions seemed to disintegrate as it toppled like a raging waterfall.
Ray made an instinctive leap as a hole seemed to materialize before him and he planted his feet on an angled portion of the street.
Then the spreading pit emerged from the side. Ray gasped as the falling earth wrapped around in his direction. He barely managed to take the extra two strides that allowed the dirt waterfall to pass behind him.
This is insane!
Yukiko had directed herself closer to his line of travel. A few dozen more strides would bring them together. It seemed as if the earth did not want this. Another angled cut of earth now sliced towards Yukiko. She was too focused on reaching Ray and leaping other obstacles to notice the unnatural change.
No! Don't let it happen! Ray's mind screamed.
He planted both hands flat on a large piece of debris and threw himself forward.
"Yukiko! Your right!"
Yukiko shifted her eyes in the direction of the falling ground that rushed for her eagerly. She stared in disbelief at the towering wall of stone that soon separated her from Ray. To her surprise, Ray angled up the back of the walled mound and leaped atop it without breaking a stride. He rushed ahead of her and threw himself to his belly as he reached down from the top of the wall.
"Yukiko!"
Yukiko pumped her arms and readied herself for the jump. Dust bellowed from the side and temporarily obstructed her vision. It was enough that she could no longer see Ray and his outstretched hand. She took a leap of faith.
Her lower body whipped forward through the air as her extended arm was halted. She brought her second hand up and it was met by Ray's as she was hastily pulled to the top of the wall.
They didn't take the time to make an exchange, only their eyes locked briefly as each saw the other's fear.
Ray rolled backwards, pulling Yukiko up and sending her to flip forward and land on the ground below. Ray continued his roll and planted his hands beneath him to land next to her.
Ray and Yukiko let out a gasp of relief as they spared a glance over their shoulders to see that the collapsing ground seemed to slow and give up its pursuit.
The land made one last attempt to put an end to the two Players. It was as if it held an unreasonable loathing for them.
Ray was the last to see the fissure that pulsed along in front of them and open its mouth wide. He tripped as a stray piece of a boulder glanced off his foot, slowing him enough to make the gap of the fissure extend an extra two feet before he reached it. Yukiko leaped a short ways ahead of him and landed on the other side with inches to spare, inches that Ray no longer had.
He made the jump before he realized the impossibility of the distance. He clenched his fingers desperately as the cliff tauntingly pushed away. There was no way.
How could he die now? He wasn't even in a fight. If he died he would come back, but he would lose much of what he had gained. He would fall behind his enemies. It was too soon. Not like this.
Ray's body swung into the side of the fissure. He realized that his fall had been halted. He dangled, staring down into the fissure below in a brief daze before he looked up to see Kurt, face strained and matted with dust and dirt.
Kurt gritted his teeth as he grabbed Ray's arm with both hands and struggled to pull him up. Yukiko was soon next to him and helped bring Ray over the lip of the cliff. They were up and running until they were finally able to register the silence around them. The ground no longer quaked or fell.
The three Players collapsed next to each other from exhaustion. They lay there together, chests heaving and legs out of gas as the chaos finally stopped exploding around them.
"Holy shit!" Ray gasped. Just those two words had him straining for air again.
"We're alive," Kurt said.
"Barely," Yukiko added.
They all laughed at this, but the relieved moment was short-lived as they rose to their feet and observed the devastation. A last, low rumble of the earth echoed through the streets as if some beast was satisfied with its meal.
Around them many of the buildings showed signs of damage, but the infrastructure seemed to be stable. Some stone and debris littered the street and many of the other buildings were exposed to the open air with their windows shattered.
Other survivors began to gather around them. Ray, Yukiko, and Kurt followed the dazed group of strangers up the hill winding through various shops and dwellings.
They all let out a gasp at the scene before them as they reached the top of the hill.
Ray recognized the large stone building that was now half gone. In its place was a flaming crater that was still gradually extending outward and consuming other teetering buildings bordering it. The wall of the main headquarters of the Grand Hunters guild had vanished and the remaining defenses of its east wing slowly slid down the side of the crater like a consuming whirlpool.
Someone in the crowd pointed to the far end of the crater. "Who are those guys?"
At the edge of the crater emerged a group of individuals in white masks with ink designs etched on one half. Even from the far distance, Ray, Yukiko, and Kurt recognized those masks: Depths Legion.
"Weird coincidence huh," Kurt commented upon seeing the enemy guild members.
One of the masked Players threw his head back and planted his hands on his hips. A couple of the others were pointing at sections of the crater, seemingly engrossed in conversation.
Then there was the one who stood at the helm of the group. He gazed up from the crater and picked out Ray from the crowd. Ray could feel his eyes on him despite the mask that covered the Legion member's features. Ray wasn't sure how he knew, but he felt those unseen eyes prying into his.
The masked Player gave him what would have seemed like a friendly wave and a thumbs-up.
"Erenheim," Ray growled.
Yukiko and Kurt regarded Ray with a shocked look as the hate spilled from his mouth.
Those so-called Masked Ones were with Depths Legion. They were the ones who were after the universal code made by Takamura. They knew what was at stake in this virtual world. They knew how real it was. And they had just made it clear the lengths they were willing to go to accomplish their goal. Ray couldn't imagine how they could possibly pull something like this off at such an early stage in the game. The destruction was on the scale of a complete catastrophe. And the death.
If this was really their doing, then they had just knowingly killed hundreds of innocent people.
Ray eyed his comrades. Kurt gritted his teeth and balled his hands into trembling fists. Even Yukiko betrayed her emotion as she bit her lower lip along with one of her hands clenching and releasing instinctively.
The three Players glared mute as the Masked Ones departed. Ray wondered if the same thought had hit Yukiko and Kurt.
This was the declaration of war.
The Virtual World
Pirugan Continent, Fluorestris (Outskirts)
In-Game Timer: Day 20
5:00 PM
A hooded figure in black sat amongst the hills that skirted the east side of Fluorestris. He observed the smoke that was now faint from the aftermath of the destruction that the city suffered. It was beyond anything he had anticipated. But it was not yet out of control.
He stared at the teal band of the makeshift personal database he wore on his wrist. The thing felt so foreign, yet familiar at the same time. He couldn't quite place it. Was it even really his to begin with?
I wonder.
He rested his hand over one of the three slots of the database's underside and a small disc ejected. He flipped the disc between his fingertips for a moment before placing it in the small pouch attached to his waist. He pulled out another similar disc and inserted it in place of the other. A menu opened with the database's holographic screen and an empty bar appeared. A line of white light emerged from one side and filled the bar within seconds. A message reading: Update Complete appeared and he exited from the menu.
The man did not move to acknowledge the presence that now stood behind him.
The other individual stood silently as he gazed over the landscape.
"Is it out of hand yet?" the second man finally asked, his voice muffled by the cowl that covered the lower half of his face.
The hooded man sat silent for a time before answering, "Not yet."
"Not yet? Not a reassuring choice of words."
"It is inevitable. Soon the Players and monsters will have full control of their fates."
"And what of the other world?"
The hooded man did not answer.
"First Caramoc Cove and now here. You have taken great risk. They will kill you if they find out you have been meddling with other worlds."
"I have done nothing worthy of their attention."
"Not yet at least."
The hooded man couldn't suppress a smirk at the repetition of the word.
"At first it was about their story. Now, it has become something so much more. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this," the hooded man said.
The other man regarded him curiously and waited for him to continue. The rest of his comrade's statement brought more questions than answers.
"Ah, how I love this world. I have fears, but they are accompanied by hope, however dim it may be."
A wind blew in from the direction of the city and whipped the man's cloak back. He looked down at the dark armor as it reflected the light from the setting sun. He found it interesting how something created so dark could bring about a counterpart with such a direct contrast.
He rose and turned to his friend who stood staring at him bewildered.
"Soon the Age of Monsters will end. It's successor will be the Age of Players."
The other man closed his eyes as he sensed his friend's growing sadness. "And then?"
The cloaked man sighed and shook his head. "The Age of Dragons. May my fears be realized."
He opened his database again and opened the logout sub-menu. "Good luck, Puzzle and Dragons..."
