Otherlife Nightmares: The Selfless Hero Trilogy Page 6

  Hannah lifted a brow at that and the corner of her mouth curled upwards. Nadine looked like she wanted to hide her face in her food as she turned a deep red.

  “Runner,” said Katarina. “This is an artifact. A unique one. Where did you get it?”

  “I made it. I wasn’t sure of your heraldry, so I left it off for now, sorry.”

  Shrugging his shoulders, he addressed Hannah and Nadine.

  “My apologies, I’ll be working on more equipment for everyone. Need more time. I’m hoping once we wrap up our business here I can start turning it out one after another.”

  All at once the four of them started talking.

  “Runner, please, let’s re—”

  “Shit, that’s what you were working on?”

  “Really? Let’s m-m-make some to sell!”

  “Take my sword, remake it. Don’t name it. I’ll name it.”

  Before anyone could say anything else, Katarina opened a trade window and hurriedly traded said sword to Runner. Accepting it with raised eyebrows, Runner looked to Nadine and Hannah to continue the conversation.

  Abruptly Thana stood up, her chair squealing against the stone floor. Swiveling where she stood, she put her back to them and left their table. She carried her new staff beside her as if it were a coiled snake.

  Frowning, Runner trailed her with his eyes before making a quick choice. He tagged her with a group marker and turned his attention back to his table.

  “Forgive me, ladies. Eat, drink, but stay together, be safe. I’ll be right back with our chancellor,” said Runner. Standing, he inclined his head to his group. After tagging each of them with a raid symbol to find them later, he chased after Thana.

  Tracking the blue circle over her head, he watched it slip from the reception hall and into an adjoining area. Picking his pace up to a light jog to catch up to her, he ignored everything and everyone else.

  Leaving the reception hall, he followed the same route she had taken. Passing through a doorway, he found himself in a garden. A quick glance upwards confirmed he was outside. Quirking a brow, he caught sight of the blue circle further inside the garden. Still and unmoving, it had stopped.

  Walking towards her, he inspected the scenery, his eyes adjusting to the light of the full moon washing over everything. It was certainly pretty enough, though Runner had to admit he didn’t have an eye for botany. Most especially since Earth didn’t really have much in the way of greenery anymore.

  My Earth at least. Who knows what’s there now…

  He found Thana sitting on a bench at the edge of the garden furthest from the castle. It overlooked the city sprawling out below. When he’d arrived he hadn’t realized that the castle sat at a higher elevation. Below them, moonlight bathed the city in its calm soothing colors, yet nothing stirred at all. There wasn’t a single player on the streets, and all the Naturals had sought their beds.

  Thana didn’t look up from the city line, her staff resting across her knees. Taking a seat beside her, Runner said nothing. They’d played games like this before; she’d speak when she found the words.

  Leaning into the bench, he took a deep breath of the cool air and watched the city of Shade’s Rest. It was an enchanting view, if a little chilly, and drew the eye up and down the streets.

  “I never realized how different it is to be Awakened,” she breathed, almost as if to herself.

  Runner brought his brows down, resting his palms on his knees as he contemplated an answer.

  “Yeah, your base code is irreversibly changed. Everyone else will adhere to their original programming. Have their lives scripted by the amount of AI they were given. Guards and the like have very little. You had quite a bit of AI assigned to you since you were a quest goal.”

  “They don’t even seem to realize it. My parents flit between uncontrollable fear over my brother to talking about commerce for our small bit of land.”

  She shook her head, tears trailing down from the corners of her eyes.

  “It’s frightening. I knew this is what my world is—seeing my parents that way though? I… I never imagined. I cannot begin to imagine this from Nadine or Hannah’s point of view. I’m not even sure their parents exist.”

  Blowing out a breath, Runner could only nod. It was a dilemma to be sure.

  “And then there’s this,” she hissed, holding up the staff. “Do you even realize what this is?”

  “A staff? I mean, I made it, so I can vouch that’s the class of weapon.”

  Laughing darkly, she pointed it out over the side of the castle walls towards a small standing of trees. Her fingers tightened around the grip. A rod of ice boomed out from the tip and sailed out into the night at extraordinary speed. It glinted in the moonlight, and Runner followed the missile with his eyes.

  Slamming into a tree, ice exploded in every direction. View of the tree vanished in the spray. As the icy mist cleared, he could see the tree was no more, even at this distance.

  “Good distance, solid impact, great hit. Nice aim, my lady,” Runner said. He was surprised at the amount of power it put out, though quite happy with said result. It would come in handy later. That staff would put him at Thana’s current amount of power. The staff in her hands, though, put her in a whole new playing field.

  “You don’t get it. This is not something I should have. I’m a lesser noble at best. I’m a lady-in-waiting to Princess Katarina. It may be just a backstory written for me, yet it’s the truth. Katarina is my closest friend. She’s far smarter than she lets on, you know.”

  “I do know. She doesn’t concern herself with things she isn’t interested in though. People underestimate her. Constantly.”

  “Yes. Yes, they do. She saw in moments I was ostracized in my own court. Asking for a lady-in-waiting from the king’s court, she asked for me specifically. Suddenly I wasn’t Thana, I was Thana Damalis, lady-in-waiting to Princess Katarina.”

  Smiling without showing her teeth, Thana let the staff’s tip drop to the grass.

  “Now, I am Thana Damalis, artifact wielder. Given to me casually by a man who seems poised to destroy my beliefs at every turn.”

  “It wasn’t my intention, my Lady Death. I only wished to make you stronger so we could overcome anything before us.”

  “I know, that’s what makes this ridiculous. You made it in a day. Less than a day. Runner, this is something the king would use personally. It isn’t for a nobody to swing around to blow up bandits.”

  “No. It’s for my Lady Death. I made it for her specifically and her alone. She could use it to roast a hot dog over an open fire. I don’t care, it’s hers.”

  “Don’t you get it? Any one of those highborn women in there would give themselves up in marriage for this. They’d become your personal harem for items like this. I’m but a toad in comparison to them, in both power and status, let alone beauty.”

  Sighing, Runner leaned his head back and looked up to the moon above them. Thana had always been so strong. Perhaps her family and social standing could be her proverbial weak point.

  “Thana, I don’t want them,” Runner said firmly. Watching the moon, he smiled to himself. “I’m not exactly a Casanova, you know. Best I can figure I’ve had a very small number of relationships with women. Those I’ve had, typically kind of just happen. I can’t remember being the one who started it. I’m not good with women, or relationships in general. I think,” Runner admitted. He could only guess at some things since his memory was still poor.

  “I wouldn’t know what to do with those women you mentioned. Honestly, they make me fairly uncomfortable. That and the fact that they seek that kind of power when you do not is all I need to know.”

  Rubbing at his chin with one hand, he gestured hopelessly with the other.

  “You, Katarina, Hannah, and Nadine are too pretty for me as it is. I could ignore it and pretend it didn’t matter. Up until I finally admitted to myself that you’re all real, alive, very much living beings. The night I killed Ted it changed. You weren
’t just Naturals anymore. You were all women. Very attractive women. Women who make me honestly nervous to be around them.”

  Thana said nothing in response. He knew she was hoping he’d continue. A bitter grin crossed his face as he set his hand down on his knee again.

  “Before you ask, yes. I really am attracted to you, even though you’re a Natural. As I am to Katarina, Nadine, and Hannah. More the problem that since I can’t seem to settle on any one of you. I fear the consequences of such an admission and what it’ll do to our group.” He grimaced as he said it aloud.

  It had been a thought lurking in the back of his head for a few days. He knew he was attracted to them. Knew it and didn’t know how to handle it. He knew Katarina wouldn’t say no to him. Nadine and Hannah he felt were a coin flip, and Thana was ever the unreadable one.

  What to do with all that though? They could as easily say no, and if he asked one, would the rest depart?

  The thought left his skin feeling cold and prickly.

  “You seem to think yourself lesser than your peers back there in the hall. I find you to be their better. Perhaps more for what you’ve endured. Alright, that’s enough of this. I’m getting jittery and feel like I’m going too fast for my own good. Moving on, moving on.”

  Leaning forward, he hunched himself over, his elbows resting on his knees.

  “Right, then. I can save your brother, of that I’ve no doubt. A matter of discovering the right flag and pulling it. Your parents are a different matter. I could Awaken them, get them moving in the right direction. Though it may be hard for them to adjust quickly if their AI is lower than your own.”

  Runner paused and turned his head to Thana, her lack of a response finally unsettling him.

  She had moved in close while he talked himself into distraction. She sat inches from him now, the distance between them nonexistent.

  His blood boiled like a fire had been lit inside of him. His mind spun from the situation and flailed about miserably, trying to figure out what to do. He truly didn’t know how to respond.

  Feeling his stomach drop out from under him, he opened and closed his mouth several times. Her brown eyes bore into his own.

  Her lips peeled back into a slow smile, her teeth flashing. Apparently whatever she saw pleased her.

  Runner felt his own lips turn up in a smile in return. Her smile already had an infectiousness to it. Then, against all better judgment, he went with the mood. He leaned in and kissed her.

  Lips pressed to hers, he felt his mind screech to a halt and then fall into nothing. Her hand came up and pressed the side of his jaw. Luxuriating in the feeling of her lips, Runner’s mind became quiet.

  Thus they remained until Runner broke the kiss. Clearing his throat, he stood up a little too swiftly, Thana’s hand trailing down the side of his face as he did so. Scanning the area, he found no one nearby. The distance indicators promised that the rest of his party remained in the reception hall.

  There would be no accusations, no misunderstandings, no recriminations. Glancing down, he found Thana watching him from the bench, a tiny smile lurking at the edges of her full lips.

  Looking towards the castle, he motioned at it, his hand shaking.

  “How about you introduce me to your parents? I can Awaken them and you can start them on the right path tonight. Then I should probably get to working on the problem of the king.”

  Fidgeting with his collar, he eventually found himself compelled to look to Thana once more. She hadn’t replied to his question or statement.

  Meeting her eyes, he found his heart beat rapidly, accelerating uncontrollably. She hadn’t moved or changed positions. Watching him, she raised her eyebrows a fraction, her smile growing.

  “You want to meet my parents already? Master Runner, we’ve only started down this path together. Isn’t that a bit soon? I never figured you for the whirlwind romance type. Next you’ll tell me to step out of my robes right here and now.”

  “Uh, err, yes. Wait, no. Ah…” Runner groaned, running his hand through his hair. “Look, my lady, didn’t I explain all of the complications? It’s pathetic, but what I said earlier was true. You’re not alone in my admiration. Remember?”

  “I do. Suffice it to say, you’ve been outmaneuvered. You may be the rule bender, world changer, game breaker, but you’re still Runner. As to my parents, yes. Let’s do so. I’m not sure when we’ll get a chance to introduce you to them next.”

  Thana held up a hand for assistance. Frowning, Runner took her hand in his own, knowing full well she only did this to pester him.

  She stood, immediately wrapping up his arm in hers and resting her hand on his wrist. Patting it lightly, she seemed unperturbed as to what had happened.

  Minutes later he found himself standing before two middle-aged Sunless.

  Thana obviously took after her mother in nearly every way. They looked eerily similar. Fuller of hip and a little less curvy, she ran heavier than her daughter, though it didn’t diminish her in any way.

  Her father didn’t fit the normal mold for a male of Sunless race though. Larger of shoulder and height, he hovered closer to the human size range.

  “Mother, Father, this is Master Runner. He has designs to provide me with a home and has given me a unique artifact this very day,” Thana said with a smile. She did not relinquish his arm, which made bowing from the waist a minor difficulty.

  “Runner, this is my mother, Kyra, and my father, Nikola.”

  “Goodness, Thana. A home? Wait, an artifact? This is the young man the king addressed today as well, isn’t it?”

  Thana nodded her head, the smile she’d been wearing since the garden undiminished.

  “Your brother should meet him.”

  A pause came over the two, and Runner knew exactly what was coming next.

  A Quest has been generated

  “The Knight’s End”

  Experience Reward: 10% of current level

  Reputation: 10

  Fame: 5

  Money: 15 Gold

  Do you Accept?

  Yes/No

  WARNING! Experience Reward is adjusted based on current level at turn in

  “I’ve heard from Thana. Have no fear, I shall free him. Now, I wanted to ask you a few questions, if you don’t mind?”

  Quest Accepted

  Kyra and Nikola froze, their AI attempting to catch up to the situation. It was ideal for what he wanted to do.

  “Where are your parents? Do they yet live? If not, what happened to them? What are or were their names? Did they have brothers and sisters? Did either of you have brothers and sisters? Can you remember their names?” Runner asked them, each question coming on top of the other.

  Kyra stared at him, her mouth hanging open. Nikola frowned, his gaze locked on his own feet.

  He wouldn’t invite them to a party. He hoped to unlock their minds through prodding their AI into action. It would also serve as a test for future awakenings. Smiling, Runner continued.

  “Do you own a home? Who lived there before you? Does your house have a bathroom? If not, where do you go to the bathroom? When was the last time you actually used a bathroom? Where are the bathrooms here in the castle? Or in your parents’ house if you can remember if they had a house?”

  Stop. The AIs have become aware of the inconsistencies. I would hesitate to continue this behavior. Not every AI will be able to handle it or have the bandwidth for it.

  Runner nodded and fell silent at Srit’s confirmation. Kyra started to blink rapidly, staring into nothing.

  “It’s done, my lady. I will leave them to you. Srit has returned, and I would strike a bargain with it. Please notify our party that I’m retiring early to work on our solutions.”

  Thana acknowledged this with a perfunctory nod. She watched her parents eagerly as they came around to a full Awakening. She released his hand, then turned her head slightly, her cheek upturned towards him.

  With a face like he’d been chewing on the rind of a lemon, h
e pressed a kiss to her cheek and fled the area.

  Stopping at a window, he peered out into the night. A squirrel scampered around the foot of a tree. Last he knew squirrels weren’t active during the night for fear of owls.

  Frowning, he opened his inventory. A quick search of his inventory found several handfuls of blueberries. He tossed one at the tree to see if he could get the squirrel’s attention. The squirrel noticed the noise and hid itself high in the tree.

  No idea why I didn’t expect that.

  “Srit, do you have time?” Runner asked aloud. He tossed another blueberry against the tree, and it landed near the first.

  Affirmative. The current time is—

  “No, err, stop. I mean, I’d like to make you an offer. I need your help in putting together a few tables, preferably cubing databases and utilizing them for rapid cross-reference.”

  Cautious and slow, the squirrel crept down from the tree to look at the berries as Runner talked to Srit. A finger wave and an idle thought targeted the squirrel.

  Listed as “Squirrel,” it was nothing more than a level-two creature.

  This is an acceptable request. What do you propose in exchange?

  “I have the entire history of my race, its countries, and Earth. As well as all the history of nearly every animal that ever inhabited it. I propose the following. In exchange for your services, I begin making this information available to you. This way, you can report to your superiors with success, and I also benefit from our relationship.”

  Using Persuade on the animal, he pushed the mental image of the little creature eating the berries and growing stronger.

  You use Persuade on Squirrel

  Squirrel is Persuaded

  This would be acceptable.

  “New part of the deal. I’m also going to give you the entire entry on common sayings and slang. You’re not a robot, are you?”

  Shoving one of the blueberries into its little mouth, the squirrel picked up the next one. Runner flicked another blueberry towards it.