Avilien: Tutorial islands

Searing peaks

Across the vast plains of Tunilia and beyond the swamps of Dortmire rested the deserts of Khan. An arid bandit land full of ancient ruins and glorious sandstone cities that glistened like the brightest rubies in the sweltering sun. Brit, who had been teleported into Avilien earlier than Luke was snoring as she tossed and turned on a broken ritual table. A ritual table to sacrifice civilians to the god Hades. For all its glory and beauty, Khan had deep darkness surrounding it. Underneath the pleasant smiles of some of the ordinary folk was a desire for the underworld to rise. An underworld that very much existed within Avilien.

Hands dangling over the side of the sandstone table, Brit snored and then hiccupped. Enough to wake an ordinary person, she remained in bliss and mumbling. The temple surrounding her had, for the most part, crumbled away. Hieroglyphics of strange monsters and beasts that looked like crocodiles could be depicted from some of the temple walls and sandstone pillars. Squeeks had to wait hours inside the inventory tab in the watch before he managed to let himself out. In his time outside of the watch, he had deduced the landscape, fact-checked with the map, and managed to read half the contents of the walls.

Somols that inhabited the desert were crocodile-like people who pledged allegiance to the Swarm and worshipped Hades. The Swarm was one of the three factions within Avilien a player could decide to side with and consisted mostly of beast tribes and monster races. Even though the Somols were originally from Khan, they battled in tiresome wars against The Dawn as they owned the major cities in the country. The Dawn was another of three factions a player could side with and consisted of human races.

Squeeks read about a vast war that happened hundreds of years ago where the sun was blotted out, and Hades rose. It ripped the country of Khan apart and from it, if what he was reading was correct there was about to be another uprising. Squeeks would rather see Brit side with the Dawn as the majority of players within The Swarm focused on dark karma. Regardless of that, all three factions had issues.

Drool now slobbering from her mouth and finding its way to her chin Brit woke fuzzy-headed and with a rumbling tummy. Half asleep, she sat up, her sword lay beside her. Dressed in an Islington school uniform, skirt, and jumper, she had a giant strap on her back for her sword Tenderiser. Rubbing her tummy before stretching, she climbed off the ritual table and then fell back asleep stood up.

"Oh come on!" roared Squeeks as he stomped his little feet and looked at his master. "Miss Brit, will you wake already? I have a terrible feeling about this country, and we have been in Avilien for hours," Squeeks sighed as Brit snored a snot bubble.

Knowing a sure-fire way to wake his master, Squeeks took a deep breath.

"Awesome Biscuit, what a pleasant surprise. How nice it is to see you here," yelled Squeeks.

Snot bubble popping Brit's eyes flung open, and she grabbed for her sword in an instant. Sword engulfed in flames and Brits rage bar at max she scanned her whereabouts.

"Where is he? Where is Duke, Squeeks? I'm going to give him what for. For deceiving me, leaving me convinced I was his mother. I will not forgive him... Oh, I forgive you, Duke. I forgive you." Brit sobbed as she dropped her sword, like magic, it vanished and appeared in her sword holster.

On her knees and with tears rolling down her cheeks, she was now covered in so much snot and eye water it made Squeeks grimace. Squeeks was not expecting this reaction at all. He expected the whole undying love speech to come forward.

"Master Luke did not convince you that you were his stepmother. It was your inability to believe that master Luke could be Awesome Biscuit," explained Squeeks as he scurried forward towards Brit.

Brit, now folding her arms puffed up her cheeks while looking away from her little blue mouse.

"I'm not talking to you, you little traitor. Gifting Duke all of my exp. You could have gotten my belov... be... I can't say it. Why can't I say it?" Brit now looked at Squeeks for an answer to something he had no idea about.

In Brit's mind, Luke, or rather his character was like a god to her. She was deeply infatuated. Knowing Luke before the reveal, he had become her best friend. It felt strange. The only conclusion she could come up with was that he wasn't Awesome Biscuit. His dad must have told him about the wedding and being Awesome Biscuit's son he was going to be an amazing gamer. It made sense to her seeing as there were genetics and all. Now that she had that figured out she needed to find her stepson.

"Right then Squeeks lets head to the nearest town and get some quests done so we can eat. I'm that starved even you and the deliciously tempting blue fur look good," Brit drooled and then laughed as Squeeks stepped back.

"Before we go anywhere Miss Brit we are in dire circumstances," Squeeks rubbed his little paws together in a circular motion. "Khan is a level four to level eight zone. This means all creatures here start at level four. They scale to level twenty but only rewards exp to level eight. So we are out of our depth. This is not a starter zone, nowhere even close to one. Second, you are yet to choose a name. We cannot have you walking around as Brittany Aldersteel or Diamonta. Agents and the Court of Bones will be on our heels," rambled Squeeks as Brit began to lose focus.

In his best efforts to explain the ongoings of Avilien and how far behind Brit was it proved to be pointless. Focused on the multitude of tabs now open and available to her Brit stumbled upon Awesome Biscuit in the rankings. Level one hundred, every mail she sent got rejected. In the end, she clenched her teeth and stomped her feet. Her beloved, Duke's father was ignoring her, and it made her angry.

"Please listen to me Miss Brit," begged Squeeks as he dashed in front of Brit on her way to the winding stone steps that lead down off the mountain peak.

"I always listen. First, we get food; then we get Duke, Prance, Lissy, Lana, and little sis. After that, we destroy Nate and go after the Orb of Drunskull. We'll be done in about week, easy," said Brit with a hearty smile. She at least took Squeek's advice and changed her name to just Brit.

"A week!" bellowed Squeeks as he stomped his feet in a fit of anger. "We've been asleep for two years, and no one in this zone has even started the Hades questline," Squeek fumed, little steam erupting from his ears.

"Oh wow, what a pretty little bird," exclaimed Brit as she looked into the clear blue skies.

For as hot a country as Khan was it was starting to get sweltering, sweat dripping off both Squeeks and Brit. The bird Brit had her eye on was a dazzling blue colour and only when it came closer did both her and Squeeks realise what it was. A mythical and magnificent creature. Some would call it legendary. Blue rebirth Phoenix was the bird's name, and red hot droplets oozed off its body.

Squeeks gulped as the bord drew closer and closer. It got bigger with every passing second until it was the size of a house with the wingspan the size of a football stadium. Flying over Brit and Squeeks, the Phoenix paid them no attention at first and then hovered in the sky. Now fully in view, Brit could see all the details about the Phoenix. Level twenty with a ruby red portrait symbolising it was indeed a mythical creature. Next to the portrait was the health bar. Four-million-five-hundred-thousand health and under that was an energy bar. Not only was it mythical. It was a world boss. Even Brit now worried as the bird looked back at her and Squeeks.

"We need to run now Squeeks," said Brit as she began to back away.

"There is nowhere to run. The aggro range of that boss is huge." Then and there an idea struck Squeeks. "Miss Brit use the teleportation crystal to Tutorial Islands. Use it now!" screamed Squeeks as the Phoenix bellowed and flew down towards them.

"Where is it," said Brit as she opened the holo page.

"Items! In your Items!" cried a frantic Squeeks.

"Ah yeah, found it." Brit laughed as she tapped the icon of a crystal.

Huge black claws the size of Brit's body almost touched her before she and Squeeks vanished, leaving the confused world boss behind.