World At War

  The Greystone Chronicles

  Book 5

  World at War

  By

  Dave Willmarth

  Copyright © 2018 by Dave Willmarth

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  The story so far…

  Alexander and his core group – Brick, Max, Sasha, Lainey, and Jules – have built up Dire Keep into the Kingdom of Elysia. In addition to the Dire Woods that originally made up the lands granted to Alexander and friends, they discovered and claimed an entire forest valley up on the plateau above the keep.

  They battled an orc horde that invaded their lands from the north, driven by Molgo and his minotaur army. After defeating the orcs by killing their warlord, Alexander made allies of the minotaurs and the remaining orcs. They moved into the two vacant villages up on the plateau and are considering becoming Elysians.

  King Alexander and his citizens also had to defend against on army of demons and undead that attacked both on the plateau above, and the keep below. They were eventually victorious, even though the demons sent an undead dragon slave against them. But the losses of npc citizens that he had promised to protect was wearing on Alexander’s conscience.

  The guild defeated the player-killer guild PWP, as well as its ally Chaos Nation, both of which were controlled by the mysterious ‘Dark One’ and were based in Antalia. They uncovered and thwarted a plot to kill Queen Margaret, destroying the presence of the drow and the Dark One’s other minions in that city. In the process, they claimed both guild houses, created a compound, and establish an Elysian embassy in the city.

  The Dark One, having lost Antalia to Alexander and company, has moved on to the Kingdom of Damerion where he kidnapped and tortured two of its princes in an attempt to gain knowledge of a secret entrance to the palace. Fitz has gone to investigate, taking Sophie with him. Meanwhile the strife between Alexander and Matt, also known as the Dark One, continues. Matt is determined to destroy Alexander, his family, Olympus, and Jupiter Tech using any means necessary, in and out of the game.

  Fibble has been given the ability to control his stats and growth path, and named Champion by Hermes, god of thieves and travelers. This mischievous god has given the little goblin some extra skills, making it so that no cookie or pillow anywhere in the keep is safe.

  And in the real world, doctors have expressed concern that Jules’ brain has sync’d so completely with the game that she might not want to, or be able to, return to her own body. Her body has healed from the trauma she suffered, and they’ve determined she needs to be awakened…

  Chapter 1

  Rebirth

  Alexander woke in the morning with a thick head. The celebration had gone on until the early hours of the morning. He had no idea how much he’d had to drink, but he knew it was too much. He turned his head to look at Jules. Somehow she managed to be in her pink bunnymonster pajamas. She’d been just as drunk as he was, if not more. Right now, she was snoring softly and drooling on his shoulder.

  From the angle of the light coming through the windows, it was nearly noon. Alexander didn’t hear much activity outside. The entire keep participated in the night’s festivities. And for the first time since they’d claimed this keep, Alexander didn’t feel like an army might attack at any moment. It was good his people got a chance to rest and relax.

  He carefully slid his arm out from under Jules’ head. Though he needn’t have bothered. He doubted he could wake her with a bass drum and a trumpet. She wasn’t a morning person at the best of times. Hungover Jules would probably sleep until sunset.

  He stepped into the shower and let cold water run over him. His heart rate jumped and the blood pumped oxygen through his system. Well, in the real world. His real-world heart rate was being elevated. He wasn’t sure if his avatar really needed oxygen, or whether it was just a mechanic that kicked in for specific circumstances. Like when he was underwater.

  Drying off, he equipped all his gear and headed down to the kitchen. First things first. He needed bacon and eggs and maybe a pitcher of water to get rid of this hangover. He tried a healing spell on himself, but the hangover within the game system was more of a debuff and not so easily cured. Besides, bacon and eggs were a tasty way to fix his head.

  There were more people than he expected in the dining area outside the kitchen. It was the silence. Normally, a crowd this large would be chatting and laughing. Not today. Everyone ate in silence, some barely awake, others still drunk.

  Alexander took a seat, smiling at citizens who couldn’t have cared less at that moment. He was about to dig into his meal when everyone else froze. Everyone except Helga, who was a few tables away. She noticed the freeze and knew what it meant. “Uh oh. Daddy pissed at you for getting so drunk last night?”

  Richard’s avatar walked up to stand next to Alexander. He smiled at Helga. “Just a little family business to discuss. How’s your head?”

  Helga rolled her eyes, then let her head fall, forehead slamming into the table and making the dishes jump. Richard chuckled. “Go find the priest. He can cleanse the debuff from you.”

  Turning to Alexander, he said, “We need to talk.” Before Alexander could even respond, the two of them appeared in the grey room referred to as limbo.

  “What’s wrong, Pop?” Alexander was instantly wary. His father wouldn’t pull him out of the game unless it were for something important. Last time, it had been the death of their friend Dayle.

  Richard waved a hand and two soft chairs appeared in the room. He motioned for Alexander to take a seat and took the other himself. “I need to talk to you about Jules.”

  Alexander tried to be funny. “Hey, umm… if this is about the birds and the bees, I’m good, Dad. Really.”

  Richard grinned at him. “No, son. It’s about Jules’ health. Her current status. She’s now reached a sync level higher than yours. Higher than anyone’s. At the same time, the pod has healed her body enough that she can re-inhabit it without pain. Well, not much pain. Her muscles haven’t been used in a long time and the nanites in the pod can only stimulate them so much.”

  Alexander interrupted him. “She’s like, really healed? As in, she could get up and walk around?”

  Richard held up a hand. “Slow down, son. Yes, she’s healed. But she won’t just get up and walk around. She’s been in her elf body nonstop for months. She’ll have to re-learn how to operate her human body. It’ll take a good bit of therapy, or so I’m told. But there’s an issue.”

  Alexander’s face tightened up. Here it was. The reason his father had pulled him out. His gut clenched and his heart rate sped up.

  “We’re not sure Jules is going to be willing to go back to her body. The game has been her world for so long. And her body, at least in her mind, represents pain and darkness. Her sync level is so high that she likely views the game as more real than the real world now. We’re worried that if we try to revive her, her consciousness just won’t make the connection.”

  Alexander shook his head. “She’s told me lots of times that she can’t wait to get into her real body so we can...” He paused and blushed a bit. “So we can meet face to face. Hold hands ‘n stuff.”

  Richard chuckled despite the seriousness of the conversation. “Well, that’s what I want to speak to you about. We need you to prepare her. Talk to her. Make sure she’s anxious to wake up. Promise her lots of that… hand holding, if you have to.” He winked as he said it. “Anything you can do to m
otivate her to jump back into her body when it wakes will help her.”

  Alexander nodded his head. “I can do that. When do you want to wake her up?”

  “Ideally, as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the harder it may be. How about tonight?”

  “Tonight can work. I’ll go wake her up. Spend the day with her. Everything else around the keep can wait. Others can handle it. This is the most important thing right now.”

  Richard leaned forward and placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “I need to be sure you’re prepared, too. This isn’t going to be the handsome prince kissing the princess and she just wakes up and birds sing and everything is fine. First, you’re just not that handsome.”

  Alexander rolled his eyes. “I get it, Pop. She’s going to need time and therapy and… none of that matters. I’ll be there for her. Just like you and Lainey and Sasha have been there for me.”

  Richard nodded. “Good. That’s what I hoped to hear. Go wake her up. I’ll see you tonight. We’ll pull you out, too. Your pods are close by, so you’ll be there when she wakes.”

  Another wave of his hand and Alexander was back in the dining area, the citizens around him eating and moving again. Well, not Helga. She appeared to have fallen asleep face down on the table.

  Alexander quickly scarfed down his breakfast. He drank a couple mugs of water and got up to return his dishes to the kitchen. He found Sasha there, looking much like he’d imagined she felt. Her hair stuck up everywhere and her eyes were bloodshot.

  He couldn’t resist. Setting down his dishes, he ran up and grabbed her in a bear hug, spinning her around. “Good morning, sunshine! Did you have fun last night? I’ve got some BIG news!” he practically yelled, causing Sasha and everyone else in the kitchen to wince. He took pity on them and lowered his voice. “Come with me. You can eat later.”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward her lab, which was near the kitchen.

  “But… coffee,” she protested weakly. She trotted along behind him, grumbling about morning people, until he closed the door behind them. Looking her in the eye, he said, “We’re going to wake Jules up.”

  Sasha shook her head. “Look, I get that you’re in a good mood for whatever reason. But Jules is drunk and you need to just let her be. And I’m certainly not gonna help you plan some ridiculous prank that’ll just make her mad.”

  She stopped speaking because Alexander was grinning and shaking his head no. Finally, he said, “No, in the real world. Dad just pulled me into limbo. We’re going to wake Jules up in her real body tonight.”

  Sasha didn’t catch on for several more seconds. Her fuzzy brain put the words together, then her eyes got as big as saucers. “Oh my god! She’s ready? Like, fully cooked? I mean, she’s fully healed ‘n everything?”

  Alexander nodded excitedly. “And we need to pull her out, cuz the science types are worried she’s grown to prefer the game world and might not be willing to go back to her body.”

  “Pshaw!” Sasha slapped his chest. “Nothing she wants more. She has plans for you, my friend.” She poked him in the gut. “You should probably hit the real-world gym. You’ll wanna look good when she…” She stopped and giggled at the horrified look on her best friend’s face. Then she realized what he was thinking.

  “Oh my god. No, no, no! I didn’t mean that. You’re fine. I mean, she knows all about your problems and she’s not expecting…” She slammed her hand across her face. A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked into his eyes. “Shit, I’m sorry, Alexander. I’m not thinking straight. Just know that she wants to wake up more than anything. To be with you.”

  Alexander’s mind was reeling. He’d thought often about being with Jules in the real world. And he’d considered his body’s limitations. But mostly around the fact that it wouldn’t last for all that long, and that their time together would be short. He’d never considered the more… personal logistics.

  Sasha could see his thoughts reflected across his face. She slapped his face lightly to get his attention. “Don’t. Just don’t. It’ll be just fine. Trust me. Now go wake up your princess and let me get some coffee in me.”

  Alexander nodded and started for the door. “Uhm… I’m going to be offline tonight and maybe tomorrow. Could you and the others make sure this place doesn’t burn down?”

  Sasha snorted at him. “It’s not like you actually do much to run this place. We’ll barely notice you’re gone.”

  He smirked at her as he opened the door and exited. He walked slowly on his way through the main keep and up the stairs to his quarters, mumbling to himself, “Sasha’s right. Jules talks about being together in the real world all the time. She’s ready for this. She has to be.”

  Entering the bedroom, he saw that Jules had rolled onto her back. Her pink furry arms and legs were sprawled wide across the oversized bed and she was snoring loudly. Smiling to himself, he reached down and tickled her nose. She made a face and snorted a few times. Then went back to snoring. One of her hands twitched a bit.

  Rather than pulling a prank on his drunken bunnymonster, he leaned over and kissed her. The kiss was long and soft, and she responded initially without even waking up. He extended the kiss until she had to gasp for breath, opening her eyes. When she looked surprised to see him, he grinned.

  “Just who did you think you were kissing?” he asked with mock indignation.

  “Uhmmm… Brick? I was dreaming that I was Sleeping Beauty and he woke me. Just like he did you.” She pushed his face away and tried to roll over.

  “Oh no, you don’t. I need you awake. C’mon. Get up. Really. We need to talk. Let’s get you in the shower then down for some breakfast. In fact, you get in the shower and I’ll run and fetch your breakfast back here. Today is just you and me, all day.”

  His tone caused her to frown, though she didn’t open her eyes. She waved at him to go away and mumbled something inaudible.

  “Okay, I tried. One last chance to get up before it’s ticklefight time.”

  “Nooooo! No tickles. No. Sleep. Sleep is good. Big head. Go away.”

  Alexander grinned. He truly loved this woman, though they’d only known each other a short time. He decided to give her ten more minutes. “I’m going to get your breakfast. Some oatmeal and vegetables. Be back in ten.”

  “Pancakes!” she demanded. “You bring me vegetables and I’ll hurt you.”

  Somehow a dagger appeared in her hand. Alexander just shook his head as he left the room.

  When he reached the kitchen, he found Sasha there again. “How’d it go?”

  He grimaced. “Round one goes to her. But I’m gathering more ammo and going back in.” He grabbed a plate and started piling on pancakes. Sasha snorted, handing him a bottle of syrup. He nodded his thanks and grabbed a pitcher of water and an apple as he passed.

  He took his time getting back upstairs. Setting down the food and drink on a side table, he hopped onto the bed, sprawling across Jules and rolling back and forth over top of her. “Up, up, up! I have pancakes!”

  “Mmmph.”

  “No, no. Up you go. Shower time. Then breakfast. Yummy pancakes.” He poked her ribs gently, indicating his willingness to escalate to the tickle phase. She pulled back and curled into a ball with her back to him.

  “Jules not here now. Check back tomorrow.”

  With a sigh, he got up and walked around to her side of the bed. Sliding his arms underneath her, he lifted her pink, fuzzy body up and carried her into the bathroom. Setting her down in the tub, he turned on the cold water.

  The moment the cold water seeped into her footed jammies she yanked them back and sprang out of the tub.

  “Cold! That was mean. I don’t like you.” She stomped a squishy foot on the floor.

  “Now that you’re up, get out of those jammies and grab a shower. Hot or cold, your choice. Then come out and get your breakfast.” He grabbed her and pulled her close, giving her a deep kiss and bending her backward. Then he gave her a slap on the rear and walked a
way.

  He heard her mumble, “I definitely don’t like you.” Then he heard her bunny suit shuffle to the floor and her feet slap against the tile as she walked to the shower.

  Ten minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom. Her hair was still wet, but she was dressed in her full black leather armor. Without a word, she took a seat at the table where he’d set up her breakfast. She ignored him as she poured syrup over the very tall stack of pancakes and then dug in. Alexander waited patiently, knowing the silent treatment was only partly about him not letting her sleep and partly about her voracious appetite.

  When she slowed down a bit, he said, “I have something important I want to talk to you about. I thought we might take a walk? Or visit Stormforge? Maybe have lunch in that little garden at the Stallion?”

  That got her attention. She looked up at him. “Is something wrong? Why are you being so… nice?” She made a face at him that was half playful, half suspicious. He grinned at her and did his best to look innocent.

  “I can’t be nice to the woman I love? Even after she threatened to stick me with a sharp knife in my own bed?”

  Now it was her turn to grin. “You should know by now. Don’t let the pink fur fool you. It’s not safe to wake the sleeping bunny.”

  She finished eating and set down the fork. She eyed the apple sitting next to her plate, but her stomach now held something like ten pancakes. The apple went into her bag for later. “Okay, yes. I would love to spend the day with you. We can walk, and talk, and have a romantic lunch. But not with whatever you have to tell me hanging over our heads. So just tell me, then we can have our day.”

  Alexander took a deep breath. She was right. Better to just rip off the band-aid. “I got a visit from my father this morning. They want to wake you up. Tonight.” He watched her face carefully, but couldn’t tell what she was thinking. He quickly continued, “Your body has healed. It’ll feel a little stiff, and you’ll have to get used to it again. But you’re healthy enough to come back to the real world. To hold my real hand.” He reached out and took her hand in his. She gripped it tightly as tears flowed down her cheeks.