Chapter 98 – The Next Game

Two days later and they’d made themselves at home in Xil’s tomb, mingling with Taen, Coctim and the others while doing their best to relax. They had a little more time left before Atharost showed up, but Juila had already respawned and was playing cards with Ashe, Ezdeath, their thief Grimy, and Napoleon not far off. Juila was very interested in Ezdeath’s abilities and was grilling the succubus on her fighting style, and with no grudges held between the two of them - Ezdeath was loving every second of the attention. The succubus was a full-blown warrior, and it was obvious that Juila admired her as a fellow female close-combat fighter.

Meanwhile, Trey’d cornered his chronically nervous demihuman minion further down the wall. Long tan legs, long blonde hair, green eyes. The pretty demihuman girl fidgeted nervously, rubbing at her wrists where the shackles used to be and watching Trey drunkenly stumble back with a stupid grin on his face.

“It’s about time we got those off! Feel better?” he asked, leaning against the side of the wall as he slowly looked his naked slave up and down. The chains she’d been wearing up until this point were discarded on the ground nearby.

“Yes… Thank you.” Telipe gave him a small smile before looking back over at the rest of the group. Most of them were asleep now, but there were still a couple of them up and playing cards with one another. “It is appreciated.”

Her long tanned legs still trembled slightly in his presence, and when he stepped in closer - she flinched on reflex.

He frowned, not even touching her - but leaning back against the wall again. “Are you really that scared of me?”

She froze, the hair on her tail stood on end, and her ears immediately dropped flat against her head. With wide eyes, she slowly shook her head no.

It was a blatant lie.

“Why are you so scared of me?” Trey asked curiously, slurring his speech a little bit since the alcohol still hadn’t worn off. “I haven’t hurt you even once.”

Telipe avoided his gaze, clutched her left wrist with her right hand, and slowly shrugged.

Sighing, Trey rolled his eyes and handed her the flask he was carrying. “Do you drink?”

The wolf-girl eyed the flask warily, and rubbed at the pentagram on her forehead. “Yes I do. You’re willing to share?”

Trey raised an eyebrow, ignoring the calls from Piggy and Rivia in the background for him to join them as they drunkenly laughed with one another. “Why would I not?”

There was a pause.

“Because I am a slave…” Telipe said softly, lowering her eyes to the ground and clenching her wrist more tightly.

Trey eyed her for a long while after that without saying anything, but another call from Piggy for him to join the other two women got his attention. “I’ll be over there later! I’m talking with Telipe for a bit. Chill.”

With a pouty expression Piggy turned back to Rivia, who was currently giggling and laying on the ground half-naked with only a blanket covering her backside.

Telipe glanced their way. “They really seem to like you.”

Trey slowly let on a grin. “For different reasons. They’re my slaves too, you know. It comes with the infernal summoner gig, but I’d like us all to be friends. You’ll likely be with me for a while, if not forever. How’s Napoleon by the way? You two seem to be getting along well.”

At the mention of the imp’s name, Telipe’s face brightened and her ears perked up. “He’s wonderful.”

“Still trying to manipulate him? Answer me truthfully. I know you have ”

Telipe’s face immediately dropped, and a deep blush came on. She slowly shook her head no. “It is hard to manipulate anyone when you’re in a position such as mine, and I’m beginning to truly like him anyways.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simplified Status Page

Name: Telipe

Race: Demihuman Thrall

Class: Enchanter

Level: 4

HP: 80/80

MP: 124/124

SP: 110/110

DP: 1/1

Learned Ascended Enchanting Options

Reinforce Enchantment Create Additional Item Enchantment Slot

Skills: Enchanting^ (lvl. 13), Cooking^ (lvl. 10)

Traits: Manipulative, Opportunist, Trey Bon’s Minion

Magical Attributes: Enchanting

Opinion of you: Scared

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trey finished examining her status page again and snorted in amusement before closing it. “Alright. So why are you still scared of me? This time tell me the truth, that’s an order.”

She flinched slightly as the minion contract took hold, and then she sighed. “Because you haven’t put me to use yet.”

“Use?” Trey repeated curiously, as he slid down against the wall to sit and motioned for her to do the same.

She did so, and came to a stop while putting her hands around her knees and leaning forward to look at the ground. “Yes. You said you wanted me for enchanting purposes, but you haven’t done that even once. I thought you’d just lied and wanted me for sex, but even that confuses me because you haven’t tried to fuck me yet either.”

She glanced his way, curiously watching his amused facial expression as he gazed out at Rivia while the demoness made provocative gestures at him from ten yards out.

Eventually he turned his attention back to her, and pointed to the flask beside her. “You gonna drink that or not? If not, I’ll take it back. Need to maintain my buzz.”

She quickly handed the flask back and he took another swig, but she felt a little more relaxed than she usually did now that the chains were off. He hadn’t ever talked to her this long before, usually just forcing her to help Telipe prepare food or have her carry supplies.

“I’ll put your skills to use sometime soon.” Trey eventually said as he took another swallow of the liquor, lightly burped, and closed the flask. “Very soon, probably even before we leave the Deadlands or this tomb. We could all get some minor enchantments going for our stuff, it’d probably be a great help. Kinda stupid that I haven’t done it yet, come to think of it. Would you be able to enchant our gear before the games?”

Telipes face immediately fell, and her expression soured. “It… would be hard to do. I am rather slow at it… and if I rush it, I could accidentally destroy your equipment.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Well that’s on me for not doing it earlier. I’m just so caught up with everything else, sometimes the little things slip by. I just need some time to relax and take a break… to clear my mind. The only things that I do now for relaxation are sex, alcohol and drugs - but really I just need a vacation. From all of this… this fighting. The killing. I need to go fishing or become a farmer. Yeah, farming sounds nice.”

Telipe, for the first time since being enslaved as a thrall, let on a small smile in his presence. She even giggled slightly, and when Trey caught her smile in the act - she blushed. “Sorry, I just can’t see you being a farmer.”

He didn’t reply, but snorted in amusement a couple seconds later when thinking about it more.

The next words out of her mouth were not ones he’d been expecting. “Can you fuck me?”

He slowly turned his gaze back to her, cocked his head to the side, and hiccupped again. “Excuse me?”

Her face turned a bright red, and her ears went flat again. “I just - I just think I’d feel legitimized. Like you wouldn’t throw me away if I was like the others…”

She motioned towards Rivia and Piggy, frowning. “They’re so secure. They have no fear of being left behind to die without a master because you value them. Even Piggy, who is useless to you other than to be your cook, doesn’t have a care in the world. I know, because I’ve talked to her about it. I’m glad I wasn’t set loose into the Lawless Lands myself, but right now - I feel more anxiety than ever because I feel that I am without worth.”

Trey just snorted and shook his head, folding his arms as he did. “You can’t be serious. Telipe, are you trying to manipulate ME now?”

Telipe had been about to say something else - but froze as his question hit home.

“Have I become the new target for your manipulative schemes?” Trey asked wryly.

She began to fidget, and nervously cleared her throat. “... Yes.”

He cackled, popped open the flask again and finished it off. “Well dearie, we’ll talk about it another time. For now, just relax… you have nothing to worry about - and you’ll be able to prove your worth soon enough.”

***

On the fourth day, the ifrit rose from the ashes in a blaze of fire. He’d lost levels, as had Boxamoth, but they were both alive - which was the important part.

After orienting himself and greeting the others, he stood examining the succubus queen wearily. Atharost was quite startled and confused that the woman who had killed him was now part of their group. But he was quite keen on the idea of having such a powerhouse player on their side for any upcoming battles. Here in Ornthas it was commonplace to have life and death fights.

After brief introductions between the two, the Game Master noted the ifrit’s return - and notified them that their game was ready for them to proceed with. Ten minutes of packing and preparing, after dismissing Piggy and Telipe to the nether realms again, the time had finally arrived. “Have you all prepared yourselves for your own game? Are you ready to go?”

“More ready than the last time!” exclaimed Izumi excitedly as she tucked her Varwarp Cloak into a pack to place it where their other belongings were stowed behind the stone coffin. Trey gave her a strange look, thinking it very weird that she seemed so happy to go along with this plan. It made sense though, after all they weren’t about to let another Earthborn get sucked into this mess when they could likely help him through it.

“THAT’S THE SPIRIT!” roared Xil from the grave with a loud laugh and clapping of his hands. Or at least, they thought that’s what it was… but they couldn’t exactly see the lich either. “I am excited to begin! You may enter!”

“You have started the quest: Xil’s Games - complete the trials Xil puts before you and survive the final champion fight at the end.”

Trey grimaced upon hearing it. He had kept up an optimistic tone about the whole ordeal after being asked for help, but in reality he knew this would be no walk in the park. He would have lost the last series of games anyways if Ezdeath hadn’t pledged to Eleknar pre-fight many thousands of years ago. He still had a one-time-use trump card that Sithis had though - the one where he was able to possess a demon, and he might be able to use it here if need be. That being said, he now hoped that with Ezdeath’s help they would be able to make easier work of these trials...

And now with Atharost and Juila back too, he felt a lot more confident. He’d been afraid that Xil would force him to go when the other group went, and the time spared was a real boon in Trey’s favor.

Taen was the first to step forward and enter the dark corridor leading down into the earth, right after the 31 zombies he was using as cannon fodder that is. Bann, Butcher, Coriana and four other men followed close behind. Jason took a good hard look at the statue of the devil atop the entrance before shaking his head and heaving up a quiver full of arrows he had taken from their supplies. Izumi, Rivia and Ashe skipped behind him; then went Atharost and Juila - who were deep in discussion and becoming a little more acquainted with one another recently. This left Ezdeath with Trey alongside Coctim and Claire.

“You two alright?” asked Trey to look at Coctim shuffling forward slightly in his brown robe.

“Alright would be the overstatement of my lifetime.” snapped Coctim angrily while he brushed away his curly brown locks. “I just saw many of my friends murdered because of their own stupidity and arrogance.”

Claire smiled sadly as she watched her friend mozy his way down into the dark passageway. “He’ll be alright. Succubus, do you have any advice for us before we step foot into this nightmare?”

Ezdeath stood confidently by Trey’s side and raised an eyebrow, helmet under one arm and halberd in the other hand. “I have been kept in a single stone room for over a thousand years, I had no insight as to what these other trials consist of. I am merely happy to be out.”

Claire nodded sullenly in disappointment. “Alright, well thanks anyways.” She turned to leave and followed the rest.

“Are you nervous, master?” asked Ezdeath with a small smile - her golden eyes lingering on Eleknar’s sigil blazing on Trey’s chest.

Trey nodded. “We barely made it out the first time.”

“Don’t be.” insisted Ezdeath. “If it is our time, then it is our time. Nothing can change that, but worrying about it will do you no good and make you hesitate where you should act. I have led soldiers into battle countless times across the fields of Oblivion, and those who did not hesitate were the ones who most often lived. You may be weak for now, but fret not… for I will protect you.”

And there went Trey’s man card.

She gave him a small encouraging nudge forward, and together the two were the last to enter the passageway before the door shut to lock behind them. “I am impressed that you would go through this again to save people you don’t know. Do you usually do such things?”

Trey laughed as he nearly tripped over a large stone. “I try not to make a habit of it, but it happens occasionally. Truth be told, I was… a bad person before I came to this world. Back on Earth, I did some pretty fucked up things. I’m trying to shake that… trying to change who I am, so this is just another effort to become a better me. One that would make my mother and father proud. Why?”

Ezdeath brushed her hand through her long white hair as she continued to walk. “I just want to get to know you a bit better.”

“Do I get to know more about you then?” Trey replied teasingly.

Ezdeath did not give the response he’d been hoping for. She let off a frown, and kept looking ahead. “Perhaps another time, unless you give me the order to tell you - I’d rather not speak of my past right now.”

They walked in silence together as they descended down the dark hallway further into the ground until they came to where the hall flattened out and extended away further.

“Your fighting style is terrible.” noted Ezdeath casually. Trey furrowed his eyebrows in displeasure.

“What makes you say that?”

Ezdeath briefly glanced into his crimson eyes. “Anyone trained in swordplay can see you wield that thing around like a newborn babe. A powerful weapon, with a novice wielder. If you had been somewhat competent, there’s a good chance I’d be dead right now. Especially with that weapon you carry. Do you even know what it is?”

Trey frowned. He didn’t like being suddenly berated like this. “Ouch. Why the hostility all of a sudden? And yeah, Talsh’Noc’Un is a badass greatsword… obviously? The sword of ruin?”

“Talsh’Noc’Un is not JUST a greatsword, Trey. It is far more than its title.” Ezdeath shook her head. “I am not trying to insult your pride, master. It was merely an observation, and one that needs fixing immediately if you are to continue fighting in the foreseeable future. You are far too aggressive and focus too little on defense, using brute force instead of calculated strikes. I will be damned back to the hells for eternity if I allow myself to let another of Eleknar’s heirs die.”

Trey uncomfortably rubbed the back of his head. “What do you know about Talsh’Noc’Un that I don’t? And what am I supposed to do about not being taught proper swordplay? You know... I had a really, REALLY hard time when I first got to these ‘Nirvana Worlds.’ First I got sucked into Oblivion and killed multiple times back when Earthborn were immortal for a short period. Then I got hunted down by this king and his cronies and was stuffed into a dungeon in Yosemar. I have a bounty on my corpse for god knows how much and have to live in the Deadlands and Lawless Lands to keep my head down.” Trey huffed and crossed his arms while continuing to walk. “I didn’t ask for this shit. I happened along Talsh’Noc’Un just like I did the Void Essence. They both chose me, and I was more than happy to accept because I was getting royally fucked by the rest of existence.”

They walked in silence for a time, their feet trudging onwards through the dark stone hallway that twisted and turned at various intervals.

“I think I need to train you in swordplay after this.” Ezdeath stated and stretched into a yawn. “You should also learn some sacred arts, I didn’t see you use any except the one where you sliced my wing off. I can teach you a few of them if you’d like me to.”

Trey thought back briefly to the fight days before. “Didn’t you scream ‘Black Lotus’ before breaking those chains?”

Ezdeath nodded, placing her devil-faced helmet back on her head to fit it inbetween the pauldrons and neck-guards snuggly. “I did. It enhances my speed and strength tenfold for a short time while auto-targets incoming attacks or enemies within range. Sacred Arts are like spells, but instead of intelligence and mana - they use physical strength, speed, and stamina. They give you various bonuses, and a lot of them are guided attacks that are programmed into your body upon unleashing it.”

“Yeah I figured that much out on my own.” He paused to think about it, realizing how spells were usually more frequent when dealing with enemies. “Why are sacred arts so much rarer when compared to magic abilities?”

“You weren’t looking in the right place. To be fair though, you probably didn’t recognize what it was when they were used and probably have seen them more often than you realize. Especially here on Nagochus.”

“You make it seem like you’ve been to the other worlds before…?”

“That’s because I have been to other worlds before.” Ezdeath raised another eyebrow underneath her visored helm as her metal boots walked along the descending stone pathway. “Not including The Hells, The Void, or Oblivion - all of which I have also visited. I’ve even been to a couple of the Labyrinth Worlds, the ones sequestered by All Spirit to keep the spree at bay.”

Trey was impressed. “Wow. You’ve definitely gotta tell me more after these games, that all sounds incredibly interesting.”

“Is that an order, master?” Ezdeath replied slyly.

Trey glared back at her jokingly and then laughed. “Yes. Yes it is, you do what I say damn it!”

Far up ahead, Taen poked his head around the corner. “Y’all are soOOOOOOoooo slow. Hurry up! The waiting is making me anxious!”

“Me too!” said Izumi as she poked her head around the corner as well. Trey smiled, he was glad to see that Izumi liked this man. She always seemed to be spot on with recognizing the bad apples, so if he had her seal of approval then he would like to believe Taen was a good guy. He had been a little tipsy before when he had told Taen about possibly letting him join their guild and in some ways he regretted mentioning it, but who knew. Maybe Taen would actually be the next piece to that puzzle.

Upon getting to the turn in the hall and rounding it, Trey and Ezdeath saw the others of their group waiting impatiently for them to catch up. They were standing upon a strange circular stone tablet. The stone had etchings carved into it and was very large, it could have easily fit multiples of Trey’s group onto the platform - zombie horde and all.

“This is a gateway for teleporting.” said Coctim as he saw the look of confusion on the summoner’s face. “This is our way into whatever game he has in store for us, or so I assume as there is no door.”

“How long have you been here since leaving Earth?” asked Ezdeath.

Trey thought for a moment. “A little over ten months maybe?”

“Ahh.” Ezdeath nodded briefly. “Now it makes sense.”

“Shut it and hurry up! I want to get this over with as soon as possible!” Ashe exclaimed loudly. She had her gear equipped again and was pulling up her hood as Jason did the same. Izumi had equipped a multitude of bombs, bullets and her self-proclaimed mega-cannon was strapped to her back. “And why are you always shirtless?”

Trey looked down to his naked upper-half, shrugged and grinned. “Don’t act like you ladies don’t appreciate my sexy bod.”

He ducked as Ashe threw what was left of an apple at his head.

“I’d rather fuck a goat.” Ashe snorted.

Izumi and Rivia both giggled.

“He pretty much IS a goat with those stupid looking horns he’s got growing off the top of his head!” Ashe continued loudly, much to the satisfaction of all the other Earthborn there with laughter to follow. “No offense to you two, Ezdeath and Rivia. You’re both too pretty to be goats.”

Ezdeath returned the look with a hum of amusement. “Thank you Ashe. No offense taken. Trey does look a little bit like a goat.”

This resulted in increased laughter from Ashe, Izumi and Rivia. The others, such as Coctim and Taen, were in not as good of spirits as they fidgeted nervously to await their upcoming trial.

“I think I’m already beginning to like this girl.” Jason commented between the laughs.

“Jesus Christ! Since when did this become bash Trey day!?” Trey crossed his arms grumpily, but the laughter about him soon died down as Xil’s voice interrupted the banter.

“Contenders! Welcome to my games! Xil’s Games! Are you ready for this round’s rules!? I hope you don’t disappoint me like the last group did, but then again some of you have already won! I hope to see a performance of similar quality in this time’s go around. And if you DO end up dying, at least put up a good fight before going down!” The lich cackled as if he had said something hilarious. “Unlike the other two pathways from before, this game consists of only one trial...”

Everyone perked up at the news.

“One? Only one?” Taen repeated as he scratched his head. “What’s the catch?”

“AHH GOOD QUESTION, I WAS WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO ASK!” Xil roared out. “You are actually going to be visiting OBLIVION for this game! The 137th level of Oblivion to be precise!”

“Ah fuck…” Trey moaned as he facepalmed. “Not again.”

“AGAIN!?” exclaimed Coctim and Claire simultaneously.

Atharost chuckled, grasping Juila’s rear and fondling the demoness unapologetically as Napoleon scampered up Trey’s leg to perch on his shoulder. “It wasn’t too bad, Trey’s just a whiny bitch.”

They were interrupted by Xil as he continued his speech. “I have sealed an old enemy of mine in a dungeon where he guards a certain room. The rest of the dungeon is guarded by other varieties of enemy. I do not care how you go about it, but you are to enter the room guarded by this acquaintance of mine and steal the pendant he wears. Upon ripping it from his person, you win the game and the game will then stop. Beware! He will not part with it easily!” A second later and a flash shown forth from the gateway beneath them. A few more seconds later and they had vanished off the face of Nagochus.