Avilien: Tutorial islands

Standoff

"Are we going to do this, Alianna?" Trix summoned both of his blades to his hand. His throat bulged out. He didn't want to go against Alianna, but Luke stood before him. One-click away from being gone for good. Or he was.

Alianna tapping her holo watch and using her alchemy potions threw a vial of gold liquid over Luke and restored him to full health. His health went back to full, but Luke remained out cold on the road. Alianna now walked to him and looked down at his sleeping body, Luke in his torn jeans, raggy shirt, and socks riddled with holes. As much as she came to save him she booted him across the plaza causing Luke to fly into the arms of Nagori and Cissy who fell backward catching him.

"I know the outcome if we fight, Trix. I'm nowhere near as good as you. But I cannot allow you to delete him. Regardless of what the other devs think. Prophecies are all full of it. Because it's a game environment doesn't mean it holds more true either. How Grey can allow every dev to hunt Luke is crazy." Alianna stretched her arms and her sides, preparing for a slogfest.

"Grey believes none of us can take the kid out, that's why he doesn't care. You witnessed that battle the same as I. He won't be changed. You also witnessed what he is capable of at level three. What you think is going to happen when he hits level twenty and learns that there is a quicker way to level beyond and gain more power? He's a solo player, he'll take the option," said Trix.

"He has friends Trix! Look!" shouted Alianna as she referred to Lance, Nagori, Cissy, and Split.

"Friends? He didn't even want their help, he went and tried to solo an enemy without information, experience, and levels above him. Luke never relies on anyone. Why would he when the child has always been alone. Avilien was created using data obtained from his battles across Forest and then ramped up a hundred-fold. It won't be long before he dips his toes into the corrupted aspect of the game. When he does that the undead won't rest and Avilien will be destroyed."

"And I'm telling you he won't!" Alianna puffed out her cheeks and stomped her foot, it was like looking at an older Brit.

"Sorry master, I side with the god of Professions," spoke Rajin as he snuggled into Aliannas leg and sniffed in the perfume.

"Sell out!" cried Trix as he began to get more wound up.

Alianna had the entire plaza in her pocket and Rajin. Trix could take her if he wanted but not without casualties and going through his game guide. With a heavy sigh, he withdrew his weapons.

"Fine. I won't touch him. I'll be there, in the end, to tell you I told you so as we all get deleted."

"Admit it, Jeff. You just don't want to fight me because you fancy me," Alianna laughed as she continued to pat a purring Rajin.

Trix squirmed bright red and his lips went dry. "Shove off, Alianna. I don't have enough rum to deal with your jokes. And, Rajin..." Trix's mouth formed a sickening smirk as his right eye twitched. "You're on rations, you little sell out. Lance go rejoin your friends."

"No!" replied Lance as he folded his arms. "I'm going to travel with you a little longer. Sorry guys." Lance watched as Trix got in his face covered in strange emotions. He didn't know whether to be angry or confused and his ace twitched from every angle.

"Fine! We leave now! Rajin, get your butt over here." Trix turned to leave and Rajin bolted after him.

"Where's my kiss Jeffy?" Alianna burst out with laughter that then turned to a mad cackle.

Once the three boys left, Trix in a desperate hurry to get away, Alianna turned her attention to Luke who had begun to stir. Eyes opening and head pounding he looked around at the destruction as reality sunk in. He had lost. Not only did he lose the battle... he lost Nebs, Quinn, and all of his other friend's guides. Damocles even took his boots Cissy made him and Split was near naked.

Sitting up he couldn't look at anyone. In shock, he glared at the floor. He lost, he lost all of it. The only item not taken from him was Crackling Thunder, which couldn't be removed.

"Why didn't you let us fight?" Cissy enraged grabbed a hold of Luke and yanked him up and onto his feet.

"We warned you. Fighting three high-level reds without a plan was idiocy at level three!" Cissy cried as she shook Luke.

"Are you really Awesome Biscuit?" Split who had been crumpled on the floor in his boxers now looked up at Luke. "Awesome Biscuit doesn't lose," he mumbled.

Split's idea of Luke had been crushed, smashed into a million pieces. Luke, unable to speak or react allowed Cissy to shake him with wild fury.

"Any one of you could have stepped in to help. None of you had to heed his words. In a one vs one, even with the level gap, Luke would have given Damocles a run for his money." Alianna waded into the turmoil, all eyes now transfixed on her, except Luke's. His remained glued to the floor as Cissy held him.

Every one of the group were to blame. Split for standing back and admiring his hero's desperate fight. Nagori and Cissy's for holding back and not jumping in even with concerns raised.

"And you!" raged Alianna as she strode across the road and ripped Luke out of Cissy's clutches. She held him in the air like he was a piece of paper. Luke still didn't look at her so she dropped him enough that his neck fell into her hand and she started to squeeze.

"Wise up quick. If you continue this path of being a solo player you will lose the friends you have and to make matters worse. Because you are Awesome Biscuit, none of us devs can let you go unchecked. You have this nasty habit of seeing every game flaw and exploiting the ungodly hell out of it. If you do that here it will be the end of all of us.

"I'm not saying you can't fight battles on your own. But when your strength isn't enough to rely on others." Alianna sighed and released a choking Luke

Luke understood that the situation he was now in was because of his stubbornness. He didn't want to rely on others, people never had his back before. Yet he cost the entire group all they had and all they held dear. He didn't know how to get it back or rescue the guides. Damocles, Salamay, and Moto were strong in their own rights.

"Fight me," spoke Alianna as she drew her rapier and pointed the needle-like tip at Luke.

Luke looked up at Alianna who sent a duel request. Level twenty and a game developer, Luke understood he had no chance. After his defeat to Damocles, he wasn't in the mood to duel this crazy woman and swiped reject.

"Fight me now in a duel or I will come at you regardless," Alianna pressed the tip of her blade into Luke's shirt and lifted him.

"Do as you wish. I'm done," said Luke as he batted the blade away. All the will to fight and all desire to play Avilien left him. For Luke, Damocles was the second person to ever beat him.

Crowds of citizens started to return to their vehicles as Luke now turned and walked away. Split, Nagori, and Cissy didn't know what to do. For the girls who lost their guides, they were beside themselves with worry and filled with tears. Granite, Targoon, and Trinity ripped away.

"We should have helped him," muttered Nagori. "We should have. We knew he couldn't dispel the curses and escape the magma."

Cissy cupping her hands put them over her face. "Yeah. We should have. I was out of order for saying what I did and reacting that way. Each of us is to blame. Granite, Targoon, Trinity, Nebs, and Quinn are gone. We will never get them back now. As much as it pains me to say it. Once we level more those scumbags are going to pay." Cissy ground her teeth and removed her hands from her face.

"If you all believe that boy will leave things as are then you are stupid," quipped Alianna as she put away her rapier.

"If he's the real deal. The real Awesome Biscuit then he will chase them down," spoke Split as he stood up off the floor. His body cold from a lack of clothes. "Regardless of odds and danger, Awesome Biscuit rises to every challenge and remains undefeated."

"Wrong, naked kid. Luke had lost in the past across a multitude of games to a gamer known as Omi. Luke has never once beaten Omi. But no one knows who Omi is and the player has never announced that he has beaten Luke. For months the two chased each other across games and systems battling. Then Omi vanished and so did Luke. For several months Luke didn't play a single game. I recall Grey telling me how depressed his son was. I suggest you all come with me to the alchemy labs. I'll get some food and clothes made." Alianna turned and headed back to her building. Her game guide had been in the sky the entire time, a pale white gryphon named Xeno.