The Pantheon Moves Read online

  Want a bigger map of Emerilia and the continents? Check out http://theeternalwriter.deviantart.com/

  Character Sheet is located in the back of the book for reference.

  Emerilia

  The Pantheon Moves

  Chapter 1: Inner Turmoil

  All eyes were on the massive twenty-meter-thick beam that was being forced into the sky. Spell formations spread out over the entire Xelur citadel, redirecting the energy from expanding outward and killing everyone, and pushing it toward the heavens.

  Multiple layers of spell formations contained and directed that rampaging magical energy. As some started to falter, other magical runes took over.

  The sky of the Densaou Ring of Fire, normally dark from the ash and the volcano’s discharge, now had a pillar of pure soul energy rushing up above the citadel, past the three flying citadels, through the heavens and tearing those clouds apart.

  The ripples of energy made the clouds open, revealing the sky above as the energy stream finally lost energy and started to dissipate across the sky.

  The ground below was bathed in harsh light that came from that massive pillar.

  Esa’s heart shook at the sight of that power. The very air screamed with the pillar’s rise.

  Just as the spell formations started to weaken, again a stronger force took over. Trails of air circled the pillar and created a spiral. These air streams were made from magical runes rising up to encircle the pillar of light. The spell formations around it became more solid, rotating slightly as they forced the energy up and away. The air currents solidified, a spiral encompassing the pillar of soul energy.

  Esa’s eyes moved to the kill log. Steve’s name appeared, then Jekoni’s.

  She felt as if the world had stopped. Steve could come back as long as he’d backed himself up. Jekoni, however, was a spiritual imprint on Jung Lee’s sword. If that imprint was destroyed, then there would be no way to recover him.

  The last of the energy pillar was hurled upward. The world seemed to become dark as Esa’s eyes adjusted to the new landscape in front of her.

  Sunlight poured in from above through the hole in the clouds while ash that had covered the sky rained down.

  None of the artillery cannons fired; none of the attack spells were released. The battle had stopped, all in a state of shock.

  Esa’s breath stopped in her chest. Her heart beat heavily as a new name was added to the kill log.

  Anna Killed by Soul Energy Bomb.

  Esa looked to the western citadel. The landscape showed signs of the heavy fighting over the last few months. The walls were broken and the castle was in pieces. Bodies lay across that desolate wasteland.

  Pain turned to anger and hot tears that silently fell down Esa’s face.

  She didn’t blame the Xelur. She hated them, but she didn’t blame them for this. All of this—the fighting, the event, the portals opening, all of the death and destruction, the struggle for power and the twisted minds of those within Emerilia and the other aggressive species—all of it was all just a show to watch, a way to pass the time for the Jukal Empire.

  They think of us as sport, of nothing more than an interesting side show. Esa’s anger built hotter and hotter as she gritted her teeth and tightened her fists. Fuck them and their empire! Pain lanced through Esa as the faces of her friends she had lost flashed behind her eyes, people of Emerilia who had died for their families, to defend their homes. Those who had lived in oppression under the Jukal their entire lives, not knowing the truth. She thought of the players who had died in previous generations.

  Their deaths, their dreams and hopes—all of them had been cut off by the empire.

  I will not stop—not now, not ever—until the Jukal Empire falls. I swear it.

  “Give the Xelur terms for surrender. If they don’t take it, destroy them,” Esa said over the commander’s party chat.

  ***

  Bob sat down heavily in a chair, his face slack and pale as if he had received a killing blow and was waiting for the end. In front of him, a screen floated.

  Lady Air took a sharp intake of breath as she saw what was on the screen.

  It showed a video loop of Anna stepping forward into a beam of soul energy. Around her, thick streams of runes that seemed to create air currents came from her body, swirling around her before expanding and wrapping around the pillar of light. Anna touched a necklace around her neck, a sad smile on her face. Power surged around her, as the rune-filled streams clamped onto the pillar of soul energy and constricted it, forcing it upward, not allowing any of it to escape and shoot outward.

  Party Zero were all screaming out, but their words couldn’t be heard.

  Dave rose to his feet again and again, exerting any power he could to try to contain the beam, but he was clearly drained and pushing out much more energy than he could control.

  Deia created a Mana barrier around Anna and Jekoni, pouring out her power and the power of her armor. Suzy, Malsour, Induca, and Jung Lee also poured their power into the spell formation.

  Dave nearly bit off his finger writing out runes on the spell formation, pouring power from himself and the armor through to the Mana barrier.

  Lox and Gurren left their armor, placing their hands down and pouring in any power they had.

  All of them forced out every part of energy they had, the Mana barriers fighting against the soul energy.

  Steve’s body was being destroyed but still it stood there, runic lines on it assisting on shifting that tremendous power upward.

  Jekoni’s body shuddered. Even with the Mana barrier, the power of that soul energy even being close to his spiritual body was wearing him down faster and faster. His body started to become more and more faint before it was torn apart.

  Anna’s control over her restricting air currents became stronger as she was the only one left, besides Steve’s body, directing that energy. She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth against that pain. All of that soul energy, even if it wasn’t hitting her directly, still filled the air.

  The Mana barrier shook and shivered. The rest of Party Zero were covered in sweat. The barrier could no longer hold up as power rushed back at Party Zero, sending them flying and receiving all manner of wounds. Smoke drifted up from them.

  Anna yelled out as the power started to hammer against her Abscondita armor’s Mana barrier. Still, she never lost control as her Mana barrier was worn away. Soul energy rushed through her body, making her cry out. It was not merely physical but took a toll on her mind and her own soul. It ripped and tore at her, causing great pain.

  The pillar gradually came to a halt before the last of the energy shot off into the sky.

  Anna stood there for a moment, looking at peace. A breeze came through the citadel. Like a statue of sand, Anna’s body was reduced to dust. Her sword fell to the ground, sticking into it as the necklace she had been holding fell next to it.

  “The backups!” Bob yelled out. Light filled his eyes as he disappeared from the laboratory in a teleportation spell.

  Air looked blankly at where he had been sitting.

  “Air, we’re about to wake this one up,” Venfik said, reading through her thoughts and her want to follow Bob to help and console him.

  Air paused. All of the people in the room looked at her, not knowing what had happened to Bob or why he had left so quickly when he’d just finished one of the first stages to getting the players of Emerilia out of their simulation and gain their freedom.

  “Very well. Shall we set up the conference room?” Air asked.

  “Yes, Lady Air. Everything is ready for you.” Venfik nodded.

  “Good, then let’s go talk to our first customer,” Air said.

  ***

  All of the
Jakan commanders were looking to Fire with respect and awe on their faces. Water opened a book and started to read and make notes. He’d been pulled from the ice planet within the Nal system for this meeting in hopes that the Jakan would come to Emerilia’s side and help to fight off the other invading races as well as the people within the event of Myths and Legends.

  “We will need a bit of time to think over this,” the Jakan commander said in a respectful tone, looking to the other commanders around the table, who nodded in agreement.

  Fire was about to talk again when Josh’s voice came over a private party chat. “Dozens of Light’s legions have appeared in the sky over Emerilia. The angel generals are being dispatched across the planet to gather them together. We have reports of them converging on Markolm.”

  Fire and Water looked to each other. The shock in their eyes fell away to reveal a chilling gleam.

  The longer Light had her angels near her, the stronger they could become.

  Right now, they were too wrapped up in fighting off those coming from the portals, as well as the event’s creatures and people. Emerilia was in a state of chaos and there was little that they could do.

  “What’s the plan?” Fire asked.

  “All flying citadel groups are to move between all of the known portal locations and the ones that we can pick up with our sensing spells. They’ll leave an Ono at each location as well as a shielding soul gem construct that will encompass the portal not allowing anything to enter or exit without our say so. We need to get this invasion contained before the Jukal have time to use it to their advantage.

  “Any portal that still has fighting occurring around it, will be beaten into submission. We don’t have time to mess around anymore.

  At the locations we’ve already gained victories and there are citadels around their location we’re going to move engineers and mages in to start converting them into flying Citadels. Pandora’s Initiative think that they can get another two groups of flying citadels operational in no more than six weeks. Suzy and Florence are currently dumping money through the Earth simulation to gain resources in Emerilia until the AI’s fail. Then we’ll only be able to rely on the resources that we can mine.”

  Water nodded silently. Clearly the fight had reached a new level; now was not the time to hold back anything.

  Chapter 2: Loss and Purpose

  Party Zero let out hisses and groans of pain as they rose from the ground to look at the melted shell that had been the citadel’s castle.

  With one of the stronger blasts, Induca’s Mana barrier had failed. She and Malsour were thrown into the walls around the central castle; those of Party Zero who had been able to escape had crashed with them.

  The castle had been destroyed. The ground where the soul array had been was now a crater with a soul energy fog dissipating around it. Anna’s sword and half melted necklace lay next to each other.

  Jekoni’s body had been destroyed completely. There was not even a hint of his remains.

  Steve’s body was nothing but a few melted soul gem fragments and his axe. It, too, was smoking but it didn’t seem to have any lasting damage.

  Dave’s armor was left, as was Suzy’s, but there was no sign of them.

  No one said anything as they looked upon the crater, all of them feeling different emotions.

  “Suzy! Suzy!” Induca yelled in a panic, opening up a private channel to Suzy as Deia did the same to Dave, both of them calling out to their loved ones.

  “Anna?” Dave’s voice came through the private channel.

  Deia fell to the ground, crying. Her tears were a catalyst for the others as their emotions got to them—some crying, some with blank faces, shock, anger, sadness.

  Dave went silent on the other end, hearing Deia’s relief. Even as she knew he was okay, it couldn’t dull the pain of knowing Jekoni and Anna were unable to return.

  The sounds of fighting were dying down outside, but Party Zero didn’t react, their bodies and souls in turmoil from the loss of their friends.

  “I’m okay,” Steve said over the party chat as his replacement body was activated within Pandora’s Box.

  There was some relief from that, but even Steve’s normally happy and carefree voice was heavy and somber.

  A screen flashed before their eyes.

  Castle Conquest

  You have captured a contested castle!

  Rewards:

  2,000 Conquest points

  Castle Conquest

  You currently control (8/8) Castles

  Earning: (8) conquest points per minute

  Bonus: For controlling all of the Castles, you earn an additional (2) conquest points per minute.

  Total points: 12,847

  Rights: Administrative (Can spend conquest points to upgrade castle infrastructure and repair castles. Can also delete Castle infrastructure)

  Western Castle 1

  Status: Under Control by Terra Alliance

  Earn: 1 conquest point per minute

  Evolution: 1 (Second evolution 0%). Can increase evolution to Level 2 by paying (100,000) Conquest points.

  Upgrades: Trebuchet, Siege Towers, Increased combat abilities for defenders (damaged), Soul Gem construct defenses (destroyed), Dwarven Artillery batteries (3/40), Aleph Repeater batteries (0/12)

  Durability: 21,548/ 60,000

  Castle Conquest

  For controlling 4 conquest castles, you gain an extra conquest point (1) per minute

  Castle Conquest

  For controlling 8 conquest castles, you gain an extra conquest point (1) per minute

  None of them cared as they grouped together, not needing to say words. They shared looks, a pat or a hug, their breathing shaky and disordered.

  ***

  Dave looked at the screen in front of him.

  You have died in Emerilia

  You have been returned home.

  You have 0:01 hours (game time) until you can respawn at (Nadorf, Opheir)

  Or

  0.01 hours in real life

  Would you like to play a different game while you wait?

  Respawn

  You can now respawn.

  Your new level:

  196

  You have lost 330 stat points. These stat points will be randomly removed from your attributes.

  You have lost a class! (If you drop below a class gaining Level 50, 100, 200, 300, etc., you will lose 1 random class. It is possible to regain this class at a later time.)

  You have lost the class:

  Mine Manager

  See Character Sheet to see the changes.

  Dave didn’t say anything. Instead, he felt a sourness in his gut, knowing that he would die a hundred more times and lose all of his classes and stat points in order to save Jekoni or Anna.

  The loss of resources would be annoying, but with the Asteroid base and all of the mining going on there they were hauling in massive amounts of different resources.

  A flash of light surrounded him. He felt weaker than he’d had in a long time. As he sat up on the Altar of Rebirth, Deia barreled into him, hugging him, in fear of him disappearing. Dave picked her up; she curled into his chest, crying like a little girl.

  He moved to the side. He sat on the ground, Deia sitting in his lap for some time. Dave wished there was something he could do to stop the pain she was feeling. All he could do was move her hair away from her face, kissing her head, reassure her with whispers and hug her tight.

  Suzy spawned in some time later. She and Induca hugged each other and cried as they, too, moved out of the way of other Stone Raiders who were spawning in Nadorf, which had become their linked spawn point.

  It wasn’t until a long time later, Deia raised her head from where she had been curled up on Dave’s lap and crying into his chest.

  “Yes, understood,” Deia said slowly. She sniffed and tried to wipe away the tears, her eyes red and puffy from the crying.

  Dave kissed her before his features hardened. “What happened while
I was out?”

  “The flying citadels are moving out. An order has been sent out to all of the portal locations, as well as the flying citadels. The angel legions under Light’s command have returned. All forces are to focus on clearing out any remaining portal locations. We’ve got people moving to the portal here to seal it with a Mana shield and set up defensive runes to stop any more Xelur from coming through. All flying citadel forces will be lifted back up to the citadels and we will move to the next location. We’ll be in support of the forces on the ground and move with the flying citadels.”

  Deia took a deep breath. “I know that we’re all reeling right now and that we haven’t had time to process what just happened. If anyone needs to, they can return to Terra.”

  The looks of sadness all hardened while the hidden anger was finally released. Powerful auras shook the very ground and air.

  “Dave, what do you need to get my armor back up and running?” Lox asked.

  “Mine too,” Gurren said.

  “We’re going to need to charge them up again and tack on new armor plates if you want to be ready for the next fight.” Dave stood, his face a cold mask. He hadn’t recovered from the severe Mana fatigue yet but his fighting spirit had surged.

  “I’ll help out,” Malsour said.

  “Jekoni and Anna were people of Emerilia. If we just hide away from this, I wouldn’t be able to hold my head up when thinking about them,” Suzy said.

  “Time we rid Emerilia of these creatures,” Induca agreed.

  “Jekoni saved our lives. He was not prone to violence but never shirked from his duty toward Emerilia and its people. I will carry out his wishes and pledge my blade to eradicating those who wish to harm the people of Emerilia. To kill a hundred to possibly save a thousand.” Jung Lee’s normally calm voice became harder and harsher as he talked. He gripped the handle of his sword and stared at the others, firm resolve in his eyes.