Chapter 11 - Dragons Rising

Chapter 11 – Dragons Rising
 
Check.
 
Check.
 
And check.
 
I’m organizing my toolbox. Making sure that I have all the necessary potions, with my handy silver cross tightly strung around my neck. For weapons, I have a couple of swords, lances, and a magic staff.
 
I almost forgot to mention, I’m taking BB with me.
 
I’ve tinkered with BB a bit. I’ve made him part of WOE’s program, so that he’s always with me wherever I go.  He’s useful for gathering data about the terrain, certain quests, and just general knowledge. He chirps too much though. He’s the most talkative AI I know.
 
“I’m excited, Buffy. We’re going to be conquering demons in our conquest to save the world!”

BB chirps.
 
I roll my eyes. Nothing as dramatic as that, BB, I’m just going to be going down the 7 Levels of Hell to find my sword. 
 
Kind of needed the pep talk though. I’m feeling nervous about having to battle all the demons and monsters in Hell with only BB as backup. If I run out of HP, I’ll be transported to the portal again on Hell’s entrance and will have to redo my journey all over again.
 
I’m saving the whole afternoon for this. If I don’t get it done today, I never will. 
 
So it has to be done in one perfect go. 
 
All right, I’m ready. Exiting out of my toolbox, I grab my lance, the “Lance of Lingering” (don’t ask, it took me a day and a half to get this prized possession), and head to the portal. The portal to Hell is located on the ground level of the Tavern, and it’s guarded by anthropomorphic sentries (top half is dog, bottom half is man). I tip the sentry a Mug of Mayhem and climb into the Portal.
 
Yeah it’s just that easy. Alcohol goes a long way in World of Eden. (Doesn’t it anywhere?)
 
Five seconds pass by, and I’m in the dungeon on the First Level. There’s other mages and fighters around me, busy shooting fire and throwing axes at the monsters being respawned countlessly. I roll my eyes. There’s no place to hide and no efficient way of escaping the First Level than to grind. 
 
So grind I did.
 
I use my lance and my mage powers to simultaneously fry my opponents and chop their heads off. Hacking monster after monster, I take a spare second now and then to clean my lance and then another to re-energize and boost my stamina up. I have to clear 100 monsters before being able to descend to the next level. And of course, let’s not forget that each level has its own Boss to defeat. 
 
I’ve quivering in my dragon-skin boots.
 
I’m half way to my goal when I accidentally let go of my lance and it flies into the direction of another player. It nearly chops his head off before latching into the tree in front of him.
 
“Sorry,” I say apologetically to the player.
 
He turns around. I can tell he’s of elf-kin from the shape of his ears (the most obvious indicator of any elf-kin), and there’s something really familiar about him that I can’t quite place. From his white-blond hair to his blue eyes, he towers over me, clad in a vest decorated with gold and diamonds over a white shirt and wearing black riding boots. 
 
He’s carrying a backpack, but he shrugs it off while walking towards me. I stifle an inward gasp. He has wings, the color of silver and gold covered by a plume of fire. 
 
He’s like me. A Fallen Angel.
 
Noting his name that’s levitating over his head, I call out to him,
 
“Hey Sir Roderick, nice wings you got. Do they come with a price tag?”
 
Glaring at me, he rummages through his backpack and takes out a handcuff. 
 
I automatically back away from him and put my hands above my head.
 
“Whoa buddy, easy. I didn’t mean to shove my lance into your back. Apology accepted?”
 
“I don’t call you ever apologizing in the first place, Eva,” he says icily. 
 
He has a nice voice. Low and musical yet kind of aloof and foreign sounding. The game layers your real voice with artificial tones from their library of neural networks. I hate the way my voice sounds like in real life, as I’m prone to self-loathing, but with the artificial layer over it, it sounds decent. 
 
I’m half hoping he thinks that way too. Though so far, I’ve been sounding like a regular ass. 
 
“I’m sorry. I should have looked.”
 
“You’re forgiven,” he grins. Slapping his handcuff over his wrist, he holds his arm out to me.
 
“Want to be partners?”
 
Well, that escalated fast.
 
I raise an eyebrow at him.
 
“Why do you want to be partners? I nearly killed you.”
 
“Nearly. But I figured if anyone, I’d rather have someone who’s good enough to nearly kill me than a goofball who—”
 
“Are you calling me a goofball” I mock him.
 
“No, that’s exactly the opposite of what I’m saying.”
 
“Introductions first.”

He sighs and lowers his arm.
 
“Fine. I’m Sir Roderick and I’m a Class 1 Elf Mage. Also a Fallen Angel, which I noticed you are too.”
 
Class 1? That’s legit. 
 
Mages in this game are divided into classes. The higher the class, the lower the number. It should go the other way around, but math wasn’t Sai Tanaka’s strong suit. 

Levels are different. I’m Level 313, but you don’t normally disclose your level to a fellow player. It’s kind of faux pas.
 
I’m a Class 2 Knight Mage. Still waiting for my plaque to arrive in the mail.
 
He’s probably way higher than me in levels. 
 
Which is why I’m surprised he wants to be partners with me.
 
Not only did we just meet, but partners in World of Eden are essentially bound together for life. I’m not saying he fell for me love at first sight (like, who would?), but it literally makes zero sense otherwise why “Sir Roderick” here would offer me partnerdom when this is the first time we’re meeting.
 
I suspect something afoot.
 
“I’m Eva, Class 2 Knight Mage, and Fallen Angel.”
 
I neglect to tell him that I’m also part of Demon Slayers. Fallen Angels is my primary guild, which everyone can tell because of the obvious (the wings), but I play second fiddle to Demon Slayers too. It doesn’t make sense for someone to belong to two competing guilds, but it does happen. 
 
He just doesn’t need to know about it.
 

“Why do you want to be partners? You know that’s essentially marriage for life,” I joke.
 
He rolls his eyes,
 
“Eva, cut the bull-shit. I know you’re Buffy. I’m Rod. Roderick, Rod, see the connection? We met at James’ party.”
 
I gape at him.
 
Holy shi—t.
 
That’s why he seems so familiar. 
 
World of Eden doesn’t really do a good job of disguising your features. It alters your real-life features with variations on a theme, but if someone who I knew in real life met me, they’d probably recognize me. 
 
Good thing the chance of that is 1 in a couple hundred million.
 
Which begs the question,
 
How the hell did Rod find me?
 
Rod smirks at me. 
 
If I could turn red right now, I’d be redder than a strawberry. 
 
We haven’t talked since that night at James’ party. I never got his phone number, and I barely knew anything about him. Heck, I didn’t even know his last name.

And now, he suddenly shows up in the middle of my playing WOE?
 
That reminded me of something he said to me that night.
 
“I was alone, but then you showed up. No one else was here but you. Just like how you’re here right now.”
 
Right before he kissed me.
 
Did he remember?
 
What if he didn’t?
 
I look everywhere but at him. At the trees, at the empty terrain, at the sky. 
 
Anywhere but at him.
 
Then BB speaks up, a bobbing fairy at my shoulder.
 
“Hi friend! Eva’s too shy to speak now, but I’m so glad to meet you! I’m Eva’s companion, BB! Nice to meet you!”
 
“Nice fairy you got. I remember, you had a similar bot with you that night. BB right?”
 
I lock eyes with him. So he does remember.
 
“Yeah, I brought him to the party. I coded him into the game so he’s with me 24/7 now.”
 
“That’s awesome. I have someone I want you to meet too.”
 
Before I could react, he turns around and calls out,
 
“Raebow!”
 
A giant cat-like wolf pummels towards us out of nowhere. He slides under Rod and carries him. Adjusting his weight, Rod scatches Raebow’s chin.

l laugh incredulously.

“Raebow?”
 
Rod laughs along. 
 
“Yup. Rod and Raebow.”
 
BB chirps, 
 
“Bow-wow wow!”
 
“Wish I had someone who could carry me. It’s tiring having to walk and run all the time.”
 
Rod gestures at me,
 
“Hop on then.”
 
“No way. Seriously?”
 
“Yes. Hop. On.”
 
Not wasting this opportunity, I grin and sling my legs over Raebow behind Rod. BB whoops and flutters around our heads, as Raebow paws athe ground.
 
“Rae, let’s ride.”
 
Rod whistles, and we ride.
 
The wind weaves through my hair, and I’ve never felt this exhilarated since our night playing Terrain. Rae is a fast runner and glides through the terrain like butter through a knife, and it’s like I’m riding a bullet train. Faster than light, we rush.
 
The air’s smoky and smells burnt, but as we ride the wind, I’ve never felt better. 
 
Ironic. How Rod and I meet in Hell. 
 
Hope it’s not a hint that we’re sinners.
 
Though we kind of are.
 
Trampling down the memories that threaten to rise up, I cling onto Rod’s waist as Rae runs.
 
We meet a wall that’s higher than a mountain, that surrounds us, and Rae stops. Rod gets off Rae and I follow suit.
 
“We’re at Hell’s Divide.”
 
BB speaks,
 
“Hell’s Divide. The wall that encloses Hell from the rest of Eden. Sinners can’t go out, unless they’ve defeated all 7 Levels of Hell. Take the journey at your own risk.”

I frown. I thought that I could just take the Portal out of the First Level of Hell when I wanted to leave. Now I have to beat all 7 Levels if I want to get home.
 
“Now do you get why I want to be partners? Two’s better than one, Buffy.”
 
“Stop calling me that in the game! It’s Eva.”
 
“Fine, Eva.”
 
I have to think this through. Being partners with Rod—or Sir Roderick, meant a lot of things. It means I’d be bound to him for the rest of the time I’m playing World of Eden, unless I bond with someone else. I’d no longer be free to roam anywhere I wish, either way I’d have to have a partner.
 
Do I risk being single for now until forever? Or do I want to have a partner, in the interim, for now until forever?
 
Tough choice, Buffy.
 
“Fine. Let’s partner up.”
 
Rod holds up his right arm where his handcuff rests and puts it over my left arm. The other cuff settles into my arm and then disappears.
 
A thin golden band remains on my wrist. 
 
I’m bound now. For now until the indefinite future. 
 
There are a million analogies I could think of resembling this moment, but for now, I stare at my wrist and feel the ramifications burning a hole in my arm.
 
I feel stronger, somewhat. My stats have increased, as I can tell from the numbers rotating on my screen. Defense, Attack, Luck, Resistance, Speed, Resilience, Magic, they’re all increasing. 
 
Just hope for the best, Buffy.
 
I try not to let my default pessimism overtake me.
 
“What now?” I point my chin towards Rod.
 
Rod grins and lifts my chin up. 
 
“Now?”
 
“We take on the world.”
 
-
 
We’re nearly there.
 
Rod and I have been fighting off demons and monsters for a good couple of hours and counting, We’re at the Seventh Level of Hell, and right now, I’m really glad we partnered up.
 
I wouldn’t have been able to do this alone. 
 
As we descended through Hell, the world turned a fewer shades of sin and got really scary. Bosses were really hard to defeat, even with my cross and my bond with Rod. BB helped in the best way possible, which is by chirping out information on our enemies’ weaknesses and best ways to deal with them.
 
We’ve been roaming around for a while, trying to find the Seventh Boss. We’re in the middle of the demons’ lair, which is rife full of gold and creepy monsters. I try to ignore the overall creepiness and focus on Rod, who’s been my support. It’s comforting looking at his back, and I just hope that we won’t die in the middle of this quest.
 
Rod stops at a door in front of him.
 
BB chimes,
 
“This door will lead you to Beezebulb. After defeating him, you will be able to acquire the Swords.”
 
Swords? I thought it was just one sword, Excalibur. 
 
BB gives no further information even after asking him several times.  
 
Rod straightens up and opens the door. 
 
The inside’s not what I expect. 
 
Instead of fire and brimstone, the room that we’re in is laden with plushy curtains, decadent fountains of pouring chocolate, trays full of pastries and desserts, naked women, and towers of gold. 
 
Rod ignores the naked women, which is quite a feat, given they’re immensely beautiful. Even I can’t help staring.
 
Beezlebub is sitting in a chair behind a towering desk. This scene reminds me of the time I met Michaelis and was first induced into Fallen Angels. 
 
He stands up and turns around.
 
His face is handsome but dark. Contorted with red rimmed eyes and white pale flawless skin. Holding onto a staff with sharp nails like fangs, he sneers at us.
 
“Well, well, well. I haven’t expected you two lovebirds to come this far.”
 
Rod takes out his sword-staff, and I equip myself with my lance and magic book. BB resurrects a shield around us, protectively and protecting us from the demon in front of us.
 
“Let’s cut to the chase. We’re here to destroy you and get the swords.”
 
“This won’t be easy, fool.”
 
The demon waves his hands, and a herd of evil spirits come rushing at us.
 
I yell out a spell and my thunder erases the spirits.
 
Rod is typing out spells with his hands on the augmented screen and spell after spell chases the spirits and attack the demon. 
 
Fire chases the darkness in front of us. The light from us expels the spirits and settles into the roo, surrounding the demon.
 
Beezlebulb waves his hands, and the room turns black. I can’t see him nor can I see Rod. BB is a flash of light above my shoulder, but that’s all I can see.
 
I call out,
 
“Rod?”
 
I can’t hear him.
 
“Buffy… you darling, daring princess. We’re alone at last.”
 
Oh no.
 
I’m here again. In the darkness, in the abyss, in the emptiness and the void.
 
“You think you’re too good for everyone, Buffy. The reality is, no one will ever love you. Rod doesn’t love you, your friends don’t love you, your family don’t love you. You will never find love, ever in your life.”
 
“What use are you, princess? Certainly no good to anyone around you.”
 
A stab through my chest. His words hurt and prick at my skin. I want to scream but at the same time I want to hold it in and not let it get to me.
 
He keeps on trying.
 
“You will never succeed in life, Buffy. You won’t get into the college of your dreams, you’re destined for mediocrity, you’re destined for a life without love. You chase after success when all you really want is for someone to love you.”
 
“Give up, girl. You will never find him.”
 
I whisper.

“Who?”
 
“Your father. Your daddy is lost to you and has been lost for many years. He is dead, girl. And so will you be.”
 
The undeniable truth hits me, and all I could do is scream.
 
I start screaming.
 
Cracks form within me. Pain hits me from all directions. I can’t remember who I am, where I am, I can’t recall why I’m here. I don’t know where Rod is or who Rod even is. 
 
In the midst of screaming, as the pain flows through me and cuts me in a million pieces,
 
I remember.
“God.”
 
He can’t be here. There’s no way he would be here. I’m in Hell, for my sins, for my desires, for my actions. 
 
There’s no way God could hear me.
 
But still I try.
 
“God. God, help me, I’m in need of you.”
 
“Don’t beg, girl. There is no God for a sinner like you.”
 
I start crying. 
 
“God, I’m sorry, God, I’m so so sorry.”
 
“Yes, you should be sorry, you bitch.”
 
I keep on hearing the demons, and I can’t hear God, not at all, not here.
 
“God, I’m in need of you more than ever. I’m sorry for everything, for all the acts of sin I’ve committed, for all my cursing, for all of my ambition, for all of my selfishness, for all of the ways I’ve gone against you. I’m sorry, Lord.”
 
“Child.”
 
A different voice comes into my consciousness.
 
“You are forgiven. Completely, indefinitely, and utterly.”
 
“NOOOOO!”
 
The demon screams and the darkness shatters. 
 
Light breaks through, once again. 
 
I open my eyes, and we’re no longer in the demon’s room. 
 
Rod’s there, looking at me. He holds a sword in his right hand, one I don’t recognize. It’s etched in golden fire, and it’s gleaming with starlight. 
 
“Grab it.”
 
I look in front of me, and there’s a sword. Etched in its scabbard is the word
 
“Ephesian.”
 
“Mine’s Elysium. Guess there’s no Excalibur.”
 
I reach out and grab the scabbard. Pulling the sword out of its hilt with my left hand, I hold it up to the sky. 
 
Rod holds Elysium up, and the two swords intertwine their light together.
 
Shining from the surface, the light of dragon spirits dance in the sky. 
 
“Dragons rising. When two twin swords borne out of dragons meet and come together, Elysium and Ephesian, twin dragons, will be borne again.”
 
The light hits the surface of our swords. 
 
“Daughter.”
 
“Son.”
 
Turning around, backs to each other, we gape at the sky as the dragons descend towards us. 
 
Their eyes like melted silver and perished gold, Elysium and Ephesian intertwine and surround us.
 
“You are the chosen ones. Chosen to ride us, the two of you will bring an end to Hell.”
 
“Slay the sky, young ones.”
 
We take our swords and swipe through sky and space, and the world breaks down.
 
Dragons rising out of the dawn and dusk, 
 
Elysium and Ephesian carry us out of the breakdown and back to the land of the living. 
 
We are home again.
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Chapter 12: Limit is Zero

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Chapter 10: The Boss From Hell