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HTN 6-3 Unexpected results
🕑 Added 2022-08-03 17:45:49 +0000 UTCThey were picking their way into the foothills of the northern mountains, carefully following a broken trail. It had been two days since the revelations of Umtha and her place in the events surrounding Heather. They had debated the facts for hours while doing their best to avoid monsters they found prowling the woods. Legeis and Frank led the way, with Blackbast riding on Frank's shoulder as they debated Umtha's role. Frank didn't know what to think about the goblin woman but felt she had Heather's best interest at heart. Blackbast was more distrusting but was willing to give Frank the benefit of the doubt. Legeis was more concerned with the idea that Umtha felt Heather needed a goblin army. He went over the details of how Umtha was literally building a fortress and amassing all the goblins she could for a fight she said was coming.
Heather rode in the palanquin with the others as they listened to the debate and commented to themselves. The most pressing point was the matter of her identity. All evidence suggested she had been here before and lost her memory. But was she Heather, Hathlisora, or both? Just trying to juggle that thought made her tired, and several times, she retreated to the secret room to bury herself in a book.
Now they were entering the hills and wondering just how far they had to go yet. There was a deadline to return and meet up with Roric, but Heather couldn't be sure if the destination was an hour away or another week. All they could do was keep heading in the general direction and hope they found it soon.
“You look upset,” Breanne said as she sat beside Heather.
“I am just wishing things were different,” Heather replied. “All I want now is to play and be happy, but this past is never going to go away.”
“Perhaps not, but this past is what brought us together and has married you to Frank,” Breanne pointed out and put an arm around her back. “In a lot of ways, it has brought you happiness.”
Heather paused to consider the thought and how things might be different had they not gone the way they did. In hindsight, she was glad things happened the way they did and wouldn't change them for anything.
“You’re right,” Heather said and looked up. “I wouldn't have married Frank if all this hadn't happened. And I wouldn't have met Roric and Jaina,” Heather added. “Who opened my eyes to other possibilities.”
She was still nervous about those possibilities but, deep inside, knew it was the right thing to do. She looked across the palanquin to Quinny, who was sitting alone, and held out a hand inviting her to sit with them. Quinny happily moved over and squished in, pressing all three of them together tightly.
“Are you sure you want to pursue this?” Breanne asked nervously.
“Why not?” Heather replied as she put an arm around Quinny. “We live and do everything together. We share everything, and it's obvious none of us are against the idea.”
“What about Umtha?” Quinny asked. “She is already your wife.”
“I have no idea what to do about her,” Heather replied but took a moment to consider the options. “To be honest, I always assumed she would end up with Legeis.”
“I kinda thought that too,” Quinny said as she snuggled in. “But now she's not really a goblin, and she has so much in common with you being a chosen and all.”
“She is a chosen,” Heather agreed with a slight nod. “And from another world. I suppose that shouldn't surprise me, considering we are inside a world created by aliens.”
“Yet it still shocked us,” Breanne agreed. “What fools we are to think there wouldn't be people from other worlds here.”
“But why?” Heather asked. “The visitors made it sound like they created New Eden specifically for us. It's based on our video games, after all.”
“But Umtha said she was here before that happened,” Quinny reminded.
“Which means this world was built for another purpose,” Heather said. “And then adapted to be more suited for us. The visitors said they wanted to learn about us, but what does that really mean?”
“I don’t know,” Breanne said as she struggled to understand it. “But it does make one worried.”
“I want to say they must have a dark agenda, but then I think of the slavery system,” Heather said as she looked at Breanne. “They were careful to ensure the collars couldn't be abused to truly harm someone. They allow slavery so long as it is voluntary and consensual, which shows they care about what happens to us.”
“Then why did they allow such a terrible war between players?” Breanne asked. “And why haven’t they done anything about the players who never respawned?”
“I don’t know,” Heather replied. “I am sure they must be doing something about it. Maybe they did respawn someplace else, or maybe they respawned with no memories of the previous time.”
“Like you did,” Quinny said.
“Maybe,” Heather agreed as she pushed the uncomfortable thought away. “You know what, I don’t want to worry about it. If I am going to be stuck in this world for ten thousand years, I am going to be happy. I will surround myself with people who love me and share my life with them.”
“Umtha said she loved you,” Quinny reminded.
“Yes,” Heather said with a slight smile. “She did, but I don’t even know what to think about that.”
“Then perhaps we should talk about something else,” Breanne suggested.
“Well, I thought Gisley’s singing at your wedding party was beautiful,” Quinny said as she changed the subject. “She has a magical voice.”
“That's exactly what she has,” Breanne corrected. “Her singing is boosted by magic, and she pours her heart into it. I have never seen somebody who so thoroughly enjoys being what she is.”
“She's verypretty with those butterfly wings,” Heather sighed and remembered their magical dance together where they filled the field with flowers. She hoped to see the lunar fairy and the rest of her family soon. It made Heather wish she had such a family, and she smiled to consider the two women at her side. She had a family, and it was just as full of love, only in a different way.
“When I get back, I am going to buy some dresses from the city,” Quinny said.
“Why? Are you sick of stealing mine?” Heather laughed.
“I figured we would share clothes, and I wanted to have some you would wear,” Quinny replied.
“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Heather agreed.
“You make it sound like we are moving in together,” Breanne cut in.
“We will eventually?” Quinny asked and looked at Heather.
“I suppose we will,” Heather agreed. “I need more time to sort things out. I just got married and before I could enjoy it we were on the road again. I know it was my choice and you all would have given us time, but this needs to be dealt with now. I just want to get this trip over and go home so we can sort things out together.”
“You shouldn't rush into anything,” Breanne said and looked at Quinny. “But you are welcome to move in with me if you want to.”
“Do you mean that?” Quinny asked as she sat up.
“I mean my room in Heather's tower,” Breanne quickly corrected. “I don't use it much, but we could share it.”
Quinny smiled and got up, crawling around Heather so she could climb into Breanne’s lap. She settled in and curled into her arms, resting her head on her shoulder.
“I accept,” Quinny said with a smile.
Heather moved over a little to give them some room but began to wonder why she hadn't noticed the love before. Thinking back, it was always there, but nobody wanted to point it out. It was as if acknowledging it would ruin it somehow, and it would be lost forever. Now they were free to discuss it, and despite all the chaos, things finally felt right. Even Umtha didn't bother her like it should have. She was more relieved to know why the goblin woman was so helpful. It was also nice that they could communicate so openly now, though Umtha was still in hiding.
Heather wondered if maybe she should go and pry the woman out of her isolation. It might do her some good to travel with them and be at their side. It would also help Heather build a connection with the new woman, and maybe take some of the apprehension away. Heather also felt a strange sense of pity for Umtha. Their was genuine pain and sadness in the hope she held that Heather was Hathlisora. It was a pain they both shared, the desire to escape New Eden and go back to the place they called home.
She decided to crawl through the magic door where five goblins stood guard over the egg. She asked one of the goblins if they would deliver a message to Umtha. He nodded, causing his long ears to flap, and Heather quickly told him the details. He hurried off, and Heather crawled back over, sitting beside the two women who were quietly holding one another.
An hour went by as they talked and watched the forested hills. The broken trail still seemed to be heading in the right direction, and Heather checked the bracelet often to be sure. Just as they reached a bend, Umtha appeared in the doorway, looking nervously at Heather. She wore a simple black dress that left her stomach bare and wrapped her chest tightly.
“Come sit with us,” Heather beckoned. “There is no point in hiding away.”
“You don’t want me here,” Umtha replied with a sad expression.
“I sent a goblin to tell you to come,” Heather pressed. “Which means I want you here. Now come over here and sit by me.”
Umtha's long ear's twitched, and she looked over the odd hug going in the other corner. Slowly she crawled out and sat beside Heather on the other side before pretending to look out the window.
“We are entering the mountains,” she said. “The machine should be close.”
“And you have never been here?” Heather asked.
“I have been in the north before,” Umtha corrected. “This region used to be full of goblin villages, but we scattered after the war. The machine started construction after I reset and fled south.”
“I meant to ask you about that,” Heather said. “You weren't very clear about this curse of babble. Did you always have that, or was it something new?”
“It started when your kind began to arrive,” Umtha said. “The world changed drastically, and suddenly we had classes with stats and magical abilities. This is not normal for goblins, and we had trouble adapting. Your language was open to us, but the system changed what we said no matter how hard we tried to speak it clearly. It was only when we evolved that we were able to speak clearly.”
“Ah, so it was part of the change when humans began entering,” Heather said.
“What was truly a shock was how aggressive your kind was,” Umtha said. “Suddenly, you were attacking us with gleeful smiles. We did our best to defend our homes, but you kept coming in ever-increasing numbers.”
“Oh, I hadn’t considered that,” Heather said as she took Umtha’s hand. “I bet we humans have been terrible to you.”
“Not all of you,” Umtha replied. “It was a shock when some of your kind started to appear as goblins or other beasts that hadn't been here before. We had never seen undead, or werewolves, or many other things. It was strange how some of you were so friendly and others so eager to kill us. It was also strange how we never really died, always coming back so your kind could kill us again.”
“I am sorry this happened,” Heather said and shook her head. “But I won’t let people kill your kind if I can help it.”
“You said that before,” Umtha said with a smile. “And you tried so hard to keep that promise.”
“Well, I will try to keep it again,” Heather replied and squeezed her hand. “But from now on, I want you to ride with us. No more hiding.”
“If it will make you happy,” Umtha replied with a trembling smile.
“It will,” Heather insisted and played with one of her fingers. “Now, I don't want to badger you with questions, but what do you know about the egg? Why is it so cold, and what is that little crystal for?”
“The egg is cold because the machine generates intense heat. That was part of why the desert was burned to glass, the machine was on when it was destroyed, and the heat ran wild,” Umtha explained. “The crystal is a bridge or a connection of sorts.” She stumbled on the words trying to find one that Heather would understand.
“Wait,” Heather urged. “What does it connect?”
“A source of power to the machine itself,” Umtha said. “It controls the flow of that power to the device.”
“A fuse,” Heather said as that sounded a better word for it.
“Yes,” Umtha agreed. “I believe that is how the humans would describe it.”
“Ok, so the egg goes in the machine, and it's cold so that it can withstand the intense heat,” Heather surmised. “Then I place the fuse to activate it?”
“Yes, and it will slowly begin charging up. Then, when it is ready, you have to place the broken parts inside, and the recombination process will begin,” Umtha said.
“Ah, so it slowly charges up,” Heather noticed. “I assume it was charging up when it was destroyed.”
“Yes,” Umtha answered. “And all that heat spread for miles.”
“So, now we know why Kevin attacked,” Heather said. “But why the cover story? He lied about what happened to keep people from learning the truth. Why didn’t he want others to know what was happening?”
“I don’t know,” Umtha said.
“It must be important,” Heather said as she tried to puzzle it out. “But for the life of me, I haven't a clue what it is.”
“Perhaps it’s better this way,” Umtha said. “You have found a happiness you didn’t have before. Maybe, you should reconsider your path.”
“What?” Heather replied with a raised brow. “You’re the one who insisted I go on this journey.”
“I know, but that was before you found your place with Frank,” Umtha replied. “Now, I feel it would be wrong to push you down a path that might take you apart.”
“It won’t,” Heather replied flatly. “I need to walk this path no matter where it goes, especially if there are lost memories.”
“Even if it risks changing how you feel about Frank?” Umtha asked.
“Nothing can change how I feel about Frank,” Heather insisted. “I love him with all my heart and will never leave his side. I don't care if I suddenly learn I am another person and a door to take me home opens in my face. Frank is my life, and I am going to be where he is.”
“You have changed,” Umtha said. “You no longer want to run.”
“She has changed,” Breanne agreed. “But I think it is for the better. She hasn’t run from her path, but no longer does she see it as her only option. She has realized she can be happy now instead of some unknown point in the future.”
“Maybe,” Umtha agreed as she took a faraway look. “Maybe we goblins could be happy too?”
“Why not?” Quinny asked from her hug. “You have a whole kingdom friendly to your cause now.”
“And you have us,” Heather added. “We're your friends, and we will stand by your side.”
“I don't know,” Umtha replied and looked out the side curtain. “It has been our dream for so long, and many have made sacrifices to bring this about.”
“I don’t mean to change the subject,” Breanne interjected. “But it is so nice to be able to hold an honest conversation with you. I am sorry for how harsh I have spoken about you in the past.”
“I understand,” Umtha replied while still looking out the window. “Things have changed, and maybe for the better.”
“But I am still going to follow this path,” Heather insisted. “I want to settle in our homes and live as normal a life as possible, but I am not going to give up on learning the truth. Something important is going on, and Kevin is trying very hard to cover it up. I can't help but feel that if we don't uncover what that is, we will come to regret it later.”
“Maybe he’s trying to prevent people from knowing New Eden can be escaped?” Quinny suggested.
“But why not let the people who want out go?” Breanne asked. “Surely it’s more trouble to keep a dejected and angry population.”
“I wish I knew more to help you,” Umtha replied. “The fact is I know very little. Hathlisora was the key to many riddles, and the necromancers learned how to tap her power to go places the visitors didn't want anyone to go.”
“Hmm,” Heather said as she considered all she knew about Hathlisora opening doors. She was about to comment on an idea when the palanquin came to a sudden halt, and a cackling cry echoed in the air.
“Trolls!” Legeis called as the girls looked up in alarm. Quickly they stumbled for the exits as the sound of rockets and explosions was heard outside.
“Get out of the palanquin!” Blackbast shouted just before the enter thing rocked, tumbling the girls out the side and dropping Webster from his perch on top.
Heather looked up to see a nearly three-meter tall humanoid with olive green skin over a gaunt skeleton-like frame. Its hide looked rough and wart-covered, with solid black eyes and a wide pointed nose. It had long, flat ears and a jagged tooth-filled mouth as wide as her head. The four-fingered hands were like Frank's, with unusually long fingers ending in hook-like talons. The beast gurgled something from where it looked over the palanquin just before Frank tackled it, the ghoul nearly as tall as the troll.
A flailing of claws and teeth followed as Heather stumbled to her feet with the others. She took stock of the situation to see five of the creatures bearing down on them from every direction. Legeis was nearly in melee with one whose skin was covered in smoking craters. Blackbast was in her plated armor, wielding that horrific flail as she tried to intercept one coming from the side.
Quinny charged into the fight with Frank, biting and punching with undead strength. Breanne turned about to wail at one coming from behind, her piercing voice shredding vegetation as the beast tried to cover its ears.
Heather threw out her hand as black smoke formed into a scythe and set her eyes on the last troll bearing down on them. It was preparing to double team Legeis, but Umtha stepped up. Her hair flared out in a mysterious breeze, and blue crackled of electricity crawled down her arms. She held them out as she spoke words that sounded like thunder before an arch of what appeared to be lightning blasted the monster from its feet. It fell away with a line of burning and smoking skin on its chest, but it was far from dead.
“Rise and serve!” Heather cried, causing skeletal hands to burst from the ground. In moments nearly two dozen undead in rusted armor and weapons stood around her. She ordered small packs of them onto every beast, determined that none of her friends should fight alone. Then she and Umtha faced off against the angry lightning scared monster who even now stood up. To Heather's shock, she could see the skin on its chest healing as the wound slowly faded.
“How is it healing?” Heather asked in alarm as Umtha prepared another lightning spell.
“Trolls regenerate fast,” Umtha replied. “Wounds caused by fire take the longest to heal, so hit them with flames if you have them.”
“Flames?” Heather repeated as she considered putting the crown on to turn into the lilithu devil. She hated the idea of using it, but then she had another idea. Maybe their healing could be overcome with a little countermagic.
“By the grave, I command you to rot!” Heather shouted as she pointed her scythe at the charging monster. A black cloud surrounded the beast as its skin turned a sickly yellow and began to ooze from opening sores.
[lvl 7 Necromancer skill: Curse of rotting] Single target takes 10 rotting damage a cycle for ten cycles plus 2 per point spent on the skill.
Umtha was quick to hit it with more lightning, and this time the wound didn't immediately heal. Heather's rot was overtaxing the regeneration and keeping the beast from recovering. She quickly turned about, casting the spell on every troll to give her friends the advantage. She completed the task just in time for Webster to shout a warning in her head. She turned about as the troll reached them, ignoring her few skeletons hacking away at it.
Heather used was quick to point her scythe in its face, dousing it with a cloud of choking perfume. The beast roared as it reared back, desperately trying to wipe the musk out of its eyes. Umtha chanted something, causing the ground to sink around it, trapping the monster's feet and slowing its advance. She then took Heather's hand and dragged her back until they were pressed against the palanquin.
Breanne was doing fine, using her spectral form to dart about the troll while skeletons cut the beast, but the damage was slow. Frank was waging a titanic battle of claws and teeth with a monster that was fearless and ignoring the wounds. Legeis seemed to be doing the best, his armor easily matching the trolls strength while his bombs blew big chunks from the monster's hide. Blackbast was struggling, her weapon causing more pain than harm.
“We aren’t doing enough harm,” Umtha said as she began a spell that caused a ring of stone to swirl over her head. “Will your spell last long?”
Heather had to admit it would not, but she had other spells to double the effect. The trick was she had to be careful where she placed them, or she risked harming her friends. She focused on the troll before her, causing a cloud of yellow mist to spread around its feet, adding to the rotting effect.
[lvl 6 Necromancer skill: toxic cloud] Create a 5 meter cloud of toxic mist that covers the ground where you target it. Any living thing inside the cloud begins to take damage unless it is immune to disease. The damage persists so long as the target remains in the cloud or the spell ends.
The troll began to howl in pain as Heather dropped a second cloud around the one Frank and Quinny were fighting. She added a third cloud to Breanne's target but didn't dare use it near Blackbast or Legeis. Slowly her skeletons began to fall, their bones flying when trolls crushed them easily. The beast before them managed to tear its feet free and ran at them with a maddened growl. Heather used her combat skills to throw the scythe in a twirling saw-like effect, scoring a serious hit on the beast. It ignored the attack and kept coming, causing her to panic just before Umtha shoved her aside. Heather fell away as the troll landed a raking claw on Umtha, tearing her arm and side before trying to bite her with those vicious teeth.
“Umtha!” Heather cried in alarm, drawing glances from the others.
“Frank,” Quinny said as she jumped off the troll's back. “Throw me at their troll!”
Frank didn't hesitate, using her raging strength to shove the troll back and quickly grab Quinny. He hoisted her with a single hand and hurled her like a cannonball at the troll, viciously chewing up Umtha. She collided with a loud crack, topping the beast as she tore at it with her hands and teeth. Heather quickly rushed in, putting a pulsing heal on Umtha and dragging her to safety.
“Help them,” Umtha urged as she tried to brush Heather off. “My wounds are not so bad.”
“Just stay put a moment and let my heal do its job,” Heather insisted as she turned and held out her hand. The scythe answered her call, rushing back to her grip before she charged in, slashing and cutting wildly. She and Quinny were doing serious harm to the monster who couldn't heal yet, and thankfully it began to stagger.
“Almost got it,” Quinny said as she twisted one of the monster's arms, her strong grip tearing the flesh.
Heather landed blow after blow, desperate to end one fight so they could help the others. She was angry at how strong they were and how many wounds they could take. It felt like it should have died long ago, but here it was, still clawing as it wounded Quinny twice. Her skeletons were nearly all gone, so she called for more and ordered them to swarm over Blackbast's troll.
Frank was throwing his troll around like a rag doll, his claws doing far more damage than the trolls. The monster appeared to be wary of the ghoul, its strength fading as Frank drained it away. A few minutes later, he managed to tear an arm off the monster before finally bearing it to the ground, where he finished it.
Heather took a wild backhand to the chest, the wind blasting from her lungs as she staggered back. The troll they were fighting wasn't giving up, but it was getting slower. A hail of sharp stones began to pelt the beast as Umtha got back to her feet and cast her spell. It all seemed as if the battle was going their way until something moved in the trees. It was taller than the trolls, with gray-white hair and arms like a gorilla. It had a single massive black eye and a small horn on its forehead that ended in a jagged tip.
“Rock troll!” Frank cried and hurried to intercept it. He rushed toward the monster and threw himself into the fight. Heather recognized this type of troll from her earlier adventures. They encountered one on their quest to get a pizza, and that time they ran in fear. Now they were fighting for their lives, and fleeing wasn't an option.
Lighting split the air as Umtha burned the rock troll while Heather put her curse of rotting on it. She quickly turned back to the fight as Quinny staggered from yet another savage clawing attack. Heather could see this battle was going too slowly, and not Quinny needed healing. She quickly rushed to a shattered skeleton and scooped up a cracked skull.
“Let's see how you like this,” Heather growled as she held it between her hands, channeling power into the skull. Her ring and staff began to glow with blue light, producing a slight hum as Heather poured more power into the spell. The skull lit with red, then orange, and finally blue fire, her hands shaking as she channeled power, boosting the effect until she began to glow. Crackles of blue power crawled across her skin as she floated into the air, her spell reaching dangerous proportions.
“Quinny, get out of the way!” Heather shouted, causing the zombie woman to dash to the side. Heather released the skull as it made an earsplitting cackle, racing through the air and into the troll. The beast exploded in a cloud of fire and red mist, burning body parts flying in all directions. The blast was so powerful that it shattered nearby trees, causing them to topple in flames.
Frank heard the explosion, but he was too busy to look. The rock troll was much stronger than its weaker cousins, and despite his boosted strength, it was overpowering him. Already it had bitten him twice and used him as a club to beat against a tree. Now he was slashing at it with his claws, but he couldn't tell if it was having much effect. The beast bore down on him, gouging with the single horn before grabbing him and throwing him down. Frank caught its hands as it tried to pin him and pushed back with all his might. He was angry that his friends were in danger and he wasn't there to protect them. He pushed back with all his might, reaching deep down for something more to give.
Blue light began to crawl across his skin as he shoved against the troll, gaining ground as he got to his feet. The monster roared, but Frank roared back, determined to keep this terror from reaching the women he loved. He felt renewed power coursing through his body as the troll took a step back, Frank suddenly the stronger of the two. He never noticed the sparks of blue electricity dancing across his skin as he broke one of the troll's arms before savagely tearing the beast open. His claws shone brightly with blue light as they easily cut through its stone-like hide. In seconds the beast was trying to stumble away, but Frank quickly brought it down. He shredded the monster, determined that it wouldn't heal for weeks, assuming it survived at all.
Behind him was a thunderous boom as Umtha loosed a lightning blast that forked around her friends, searing trolls with arcs of electric fire. Two more of the beasts went down, and the rest suddenly turned to flee, desperate to get away from the dangerous foes.
“We won,” Heather said as she reached down to heal Quinny, who was looking at her with a shocked expression. “Is everything alright?”
“Heather?” Blackbast said as she and Legeis approached cautiously.
Heather looked up to see something was wrong, but she was at a loss as to what it was. She went to place a hand on Quinny, and only then did she notice the blue glow and sparks of electric power.
“Oh,” Heather said and held her hand up to admire the effect. “I never noticed it before.”
“This can’t be,” Blackbast said as she limped over cautiously.
“But it has to be,” Quinny said.
“We have all seen me overuse my power before,” Heather pointed out.
“Yeah, but how are all three of you doing it?” Legeis asked as he leaned over in his armor.
“What three?” Heather replied and looked to her side to see Frank glowing as brightly as she did. Umtha stepped into view, her skin alive with crackling light as she looked at her own hands, unable to believe what she was seeing. Then they both looked up as their eyes rolled back, collapsing to the ground with a crash.
“Frank! Umtha!” Heather shouted as their word faded into blackness.
