Chapter 10: Carnage on the Horizon Concluded

Rather than being forcibly logged out like normal, Luca found himself in yet another hell after dying by Baron’s hands. The air reeked of fester and pestilence in what he could only assume was a jail cell. His arms hung at an angle that drained them of blood; shackles bound them out to either side in crucifiction. The damp floor provided no stability for his feet that barely grazed the ground.

Torches showed him a chamber with one door. Its’ loose construction allowed a symphony of moans and wails to slither through. Their intensity and multitude sent Luca’s skin into a frenzy of writhing and crawling. Raw emotion conveyed through the agony of countless souls echoed and merged until only the sound of pain remained.

Fear set into Luca’s heart, not from this unknown setting, but because of the Goddess that stood in the doorway. He could now see the true image of his love: hatred, anger, and envy. She wasn’t the embodiment of motherly love, but the manifestation of its loss. The word heavenly no longer entered his mind; devilish would fit better. Teresa appeared as a demon only seen in fiction and nightmares.

On her head laid a crown of thorns. It knotted with pigmentless, white hair; blood dyed the wisps a familiar crimson. The once transparent, lace dress now had a leather construction and formfitting design. Her skin remained pale and flawless; the air suffering did nothing to diminish her unrivaled beauty.

A pair of wings, as white as heaven with speckled blood, stretched from delicate shoulder blades to either end of the room. They not only blocked the light from outside but also muffled the screams that tried to sneak through.

She walked to Luca with an emotionless gait, neither hurried nor slowed. It perfectly matched her demeanor. The soulless glare, filled with cold fire, added a terrifying attraction to her already alluring figure.

Her hand reached out and gently grabbed his chin. She angled his head so he had to directly gaze into her eyes. They shared a silent, intimate moment; he transfixed on her beauty, and she peered into his soul.

“You have failed me not once, but twice now.” She spoke with an icy voice completely different than the loving tone of their previous encounter.

“I… I’m sorry,” whispered Luca. His essence ached of guilt and remorse. No words could convey the emotions he felt.

“I have no need for useless pawns. I could get a dog to do what you have failed. Tell me, what purpose do you serve that a hound could not?”

Luca contemplated his answer. He knew that Teresa loved him; the emotions he felt couldn’t be real unless reciprocated. Yet, he got the idea their devotion wasn’t equal. Worse than the thought of the Goddess not loving him was the thought of her abandonment. Not only would his life end, but he couldn’t bear the agony she would feel having to break such a bond.

“It is not about what I can do for you that a dog cannot. It is who will love you more and who you will love the most. I understand the boundaries between our worlds, but the relationship we share is real. You can’t deny it,” said Luca in a hopeful voice, zealously blinded from reality.

A moment's gaze showed Teresa’s eyes veiling over with warmth. The cold, disinterested expression gave way to a heavenly smile. Luca’s heart melted at the sight. While her hand still caressed his chin, she leaned in and kissed the boy. The longevity of the gesture enticed his carnal emotions and corrupted his innocent thoughts. Children are the simplest to fool.

Their foreheads touching, she remained a hair’s breadth from his face. “A dog cannot do that,” she giggled. The atmosphere lightened as they shared a smile. “I doubt there is anything you could do to break our bond. When the time comes and you have amassed an unyielding power, we shall smear that barbarian scum from these lands and vanquish the devil, grim, who calls himself a god. After all, you are my love, Luca, and the strongest knight that will ever live.”

***********

Your level has risen!

You are now level 12.

10 stat points are available for distribution

New title acquired: Bane of Teresa’s Creed

Rarity: B

Other players with this title: 0

Conditions: Reach a relationship below -1,000 with the faith of Teresa

Effects: The warmth of motherly love will be absent from your life, Worse relationship with some benevolent faiths

New title acquired: Slayer of 15

Rarity: D

Other players with this title: 3

Conditions: Kill 15 players in a single battle, no direct outside help

Effects: +200 Fame

You have received the Murderer’s Mark

The authority of Wullenshire does not take the slaughter of children lightly. For your crimes the death penalty is bestowed without a trial. Guards in Wullenshire will attack on sight with intent to kill or detain for additional punishment before death. A bounty has been placed and wanted posters will begin to circulate. If a sizeable donation is made to either a church of benevolent faith or the Wheldrake government the charges will be dropped.

Bounty: 10 Gold

Donation to Prove Repentance: 750 Gold

+50 Infamy

+300 Additional Infamy for the severity of your crimes

You have been recorded by a player’s in game camera. Do you authorize the player use this footage however they please?

Coming down from the high of battle, messages appeared for Baron to read. He couldn’t control his laughter after reading the last. He never saw anyone else in the vicinity, but that didn’t mean they weren’t hidden in the distance behind a tree. The possibilities it opened were endless. A loophole in the system lost to oblivion finally revealed itself. Still enthralled in the euphoria of carnage, just the thought of Dr. Smith’s face twisted in rage brought him a chuckle.

Knowing how the internet worked, the video of a game clip where you slaughter children would circulate and eventually go viral. He could only imagine the amount of people who would watch and share something like this; the controversy would propel it forward. The idea of someone recognizing him now had a real chance of happening. Using this method he could make life miserable for those running the experiment. All he would need to do is become famous.

The Murderer’s Mark would be an inconvenience more than anything else. He would have to leave for the next city instead of returning to Wullenshire. From the information he gathered in the market it wasn’t more than a two-day trek north. The stockpile of jerky he bought to eat while hunting would be more than enough to last.

Baron couldn’t care less about every other message. Titles didn’t interest him, though the Slayer of 15 did sound badass. With ten new stat points he opened his player window and distributed half to Strength and half to Vitality as he had done after most levels.

Status WindowNameBaronLevel16RaceBarbarianAlignmentMaliciousClassNoneTitlesGrimm's Puppet

Bane of Teresa's Creed

Slayer of 15

Either Mad, Dumb, or CourageousFame350Infamy512-Health710/710Mana50/50Vitality71Intelligence5-Strength87Agility30Stamina35Luck10Dexterity211-Created StatsResilience75Anger32Created ResistencesPain2%-Relationship With FaithsNeutralLife0Death0Bellathore50Bellatrix50BenevolentMaliciousCroft-10Ares20Xia0Serena0Teresa-2,500Grim10,000Gaia0Cain150Racial CharacteristicsStart with 10 additional stat points in Strength and Vitality

Start with 5 less stat points in Intelligence and Agility

No restrictions on items because of weightItem Effects-20% Movement Speed (Nulled by Racial Characteristics)

-10% Evasion Rate (Nulled by Racial Characteristics)

+5% Attack Speed

1.05x Experience in Sword Related Skills

Unrestricted entrance to any house Hollis property

Increased familiarity with house Hollis and their alliesAdditional EffectsIncreased Battle Instincts

You are denied the warmth of motherly love

As he began to leave the city of Wullenshire for the first time, Baron couldn’t help but think back on his life before the game. Nearly two months went by since his meeting with Dr. Smith and this experiment began. For years he conditioned himself to accept death, but even she had been a false prophet. Although he attempted, peace among his past continually eluded him. Those years sitting in a jail cell did little to reform his criminal ways. What was the point of becoming a new person if death laid in wait just around the corner? Now a lab rat in this virtual world his deviant personality had evolved into something more malicious, yet this isn’t the origin of his insanity.

Baron’s broken mental state had lived throughout his life like a flower: seeded in a broken home, rooted in dead memories, budded among isolation, and blossomed with carnage on the horizon.

House of WolvesHiatus while writing Arc 2

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Author’s Notes

Thus ends Arc 1. This wasn’t the most exciting chapter, but resolutions never are. Arc 2 is already in the works though I don’t have much more than a plot outline finished. I’ve been using these past 10 days to brainstorm and give myself a break from writing so I don’t burn out. It took me around 2 months to write arc 1, however, for about half of that I had 60 hours a week tied up in school and work. Now that summer is here the writing should go faster.

Arc 2 is looking to be anywhere from 2-4 times the length of Arc 1. I’ve been debating whether to up the chapter length or just do more chapters. I feel like short chapters, although frustrating for the reader, allow me to use short term goals to keep myself writing, so that’s likely what I’ll go with.

I’m actually going to college next year to start on my degree in animation with a focus in game design. I’m hoping to get a portfolio of writing and increase its quality. If I can do that maybe some opportunities in the story crafting side of video game design will open up. I really don’t know. I should get a better idea of the industry after I start taking classes on it, and then I can decide whether this experience will help. Either way it can’t hurt. I’d appreciate any input if any one knows anything on this topic.

I appreciate all the support in everything from comments to ratings, and I hope to see those same names back once I start uploading :) I’ve been toying with the Idea of putting an update in the HoW description to how far i’ve gotten in writing. If you’d like that idea let me know. I don’t have any idea when Arc 2 will be written, but I will start uploading again as soon as it is done.

I will be looking for proofreaders to help with Arc 2. If you interested let me know. If you’d like to proofread this chapter you can do so Here.