Cryo Knight: Lords of Valeria

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Christian felt himself fall into the blackness, a gut-wrenching plummet. Then suddenly everything went bright, and he felt himself ejected forward, like he had been launched from a slingshot.

He stumbled, falling to the grass on his hands and knees. The dagger was still secure in his right fist.

Gold writing scrolled across his vision. Overlaid on what he was seeing, like some kind of heads up display.

Welcome to Valeria.

Quest: Escape the Red Fist Kingdom with your life.

From the Red Fist Kingdom, you must escape, or live to rue this mistake, for here you have no friends, and all shall seek you for their own ends.

What the hell? He looked up.

The first thing he saw was the arrow point. Behind it a small man in medieval armor with a nasty boil on his face was staring Christian down, his bow pulled taut.

"We've got a wanderer," he shouted out. "Fresh as a babe!"

As Christian stared at the archer, the same gold script appeared above the man's head.

Gary Colebottom

Archer

Level: 4

Around the archer, were the walls of a medieval castle that were in progress of being reinforced. Hundreds of workers stopped to stare at Christian. Atop the walls he could see other archers, some rushing to draw arrows on him.

He glanced behind him and saw a huge circular white orb of crackling energy retreat to a white stone circular disk. The disk was the size of a round table, a mirror image of the one he had stepped on in his uncle's study.

This can't be happening.

But yet it was. The archer, Gary, edged towards Christian. He gave Christian a cold smile showing dirty brown teeth.

"Don't try nuffin and ya won't get hurt." He looked to one side. Christian followed his gaze and saw a huge knight in blue armor rushing towards them.

Their boss.

Christian didn't care what the archer said about not getting hurt. He didn't trust this asshole as far as he could throw him, and it didn't take trained instincts to know this place was not friendly.

Across the castle courtyard he could see a gate. It was his shot.

But his window of escape was closing. The massive knight was almost upon him. He wore plated armor and had long white-blonde hair swept back off his face. From his scabbard, he pulled a huge one-handed sword in a smooth fluid movement.

Christian looked down at the dagger in his hand.

Fuck this.

The archer's head was turned, Christian went for it.

He darted to his left, took two steps and got knocked back on his ass. An arrow was embedded in his chest, through his gray sweatshirt. In his vision the gold script flashed.

Critical Shot!

Damage: 97

Christian's Health: 3/100

"I warned ya, wanderer," the archer shouted. Christian heard another arrow being pulled.

Christian tried to stand, but could only manage to push himself up to his hands and knees. Blood dripped down the stem of the arrow.

He was too late.

The blue knight reached him, and used the tip of his blade to raise Christian's chin. A pair of cold blue eyes looked down on him.

Above the knight's head, gold script fanned out.

Sulfur Osgoode

Paladin Knight

Level: 30

Sulfur spoke. "A fresh wanderer indeed. From the Artificer's world, just like Sark promised us."

"Shall we take him in?" the archer said.

"Let's not waste the potion, he's already done for. Send word to the dark brotherhood that a fresh wanderer will be reborn in the dungeons any moment."

The knight's sword swung down on him and then his world went black.

Gold writing traced across his vision.

You have died.