Playing God

I bounded down the steps, stopping just shy of the sand.

“How many times do I have to kill you?” Drakos thundered when he saw me. “Your necromancer is powerful indeed! Still … she can’t keep this up all day long, and I can!”

I ignored his words, focusing to bring up his info sheet. Show information and weaknesses.

 

That was it? Everything was ‘None found or insufficient knowledge’? I’d been hoping for so much more.

How come I could see all of Lira’s sheet and hardly any of Drakos’?

But then the answer to that was obvious. Lira was my devoted companion. Drakos … not so much.

Drakos had picked up his sword, but left his shield leaning against the wall. He was confident he wouldn’t need it; I couldn’t blame him for that.

“Come then, puny Champion.”

Resigned, I walked forward onto the sand.

*

I awoke on the stone table. This was getting tedious.

“Welcome back, my God.”

Dammit, nothing was working!

The crowd had even started cheering for Drakos, and not me. Fickle bastards … or maybe just good diplomacy. It was obvious I wasn’t going to save them.

I’d lost track of how many times Drakos had killed me, but the big man didn’t even seem tired. I’d been at it all day. Through the temple windows, the sky was oranges and reds as the sun set.

Congratulations! You have gained a new level. You are now level 2. You have 6 skill points to spend. You may purchase new skills.

Well, that was new.

“I’m so sorry he killed you again.”

I was aware of Lira speaking, but ignored her as I eagerly opened my info sheet.

 

I grimaced, staring at the decrease in my luck. That notification hadn’t pleased me when it had come, but after the number of times Drakos had killed me, it kind of made sense.

Dodge had gone up, though, and I’d gained points in Endurance, Resilience and Speed. Each new status message had given me a flutter of excitement. But the grim truth was that I was now level two, and Drakos was level eighteen.

This was hopeless.

“It’s my fault, my God.” Lira was still speaking. “I had hoped … I had hoped you would be able to defeat him.”

I could buff a skill by three points, but it wasn’t likely to make much difference.

Buying a new one seemed to be more interesting.

Show available skills.

A scrolling column of text appeared, moving too fast to quickly read. Wow, there were a lot of them. Some caught my eye as they went past, both mundane and interesting:

• Arcane Knowledge
• Archery
• Begging
• Crafting
• Fencing (Stolen goods, Jewels)
• Jousting
• Leadership
• Sex (with females)
• Sex (with males)
• Sex (other)
• Weapon (Flail)
• Weapon (Sword)
• Wilderness
• Zookeeping

There were a great many more besides. There must have been a few dozen weapon skills alone. It wasn’t my fault the sex skills had caught my eye.

And how did I not already have some of these skills? I was 28 years old, definitely not a virgin. Surely, the three people I’d slept with were worth a skill point or two? It was a worrying reflection on past performance that I didn’t have any.

But then, I’d snuck around my stepdad more than a few times and learned to avoid some of his blows, with no points in Stealth or Dodge to show for it.

Maybe that was just the way it worked.

How many skill points was I going to be able to get?

“I wouldn’t have called you here if I’d known you would have to die again and again.”

If I only had six when I levelled … but then, my other skills had raised as I’d used them. That made sense too. If I was prepared to spend the rest of my life fighting Drakos, maybe one day I could get strong enough to kill him.

“I’m so sorry, my God.”

If the constant dying didn’t snap my mind, first. I shuddered at the memories of our last fight, where he’d chopped off my sword arm at my shoulder, then taken my head between both hands and squeezed until it had popped, grinning all the while.

Fuck, but I hated that guy.

Stealth wouldn’t help at all. Drakos could see me coming a mile off. A weapon skill would make more sense. I’d mainly chosen daggers and rapiers, but as I was yet to land a hit on Drakos they hadn’t levelled at all. Still, a single point in either would hardly help me defeat a level eighteen boss.

I sighed. It really was hopeless.

It was time to admit it.

“You’ve tried so hard,” Lira said, and she sounded so despondent I glanced at her at last. Her eyes were brimming with tears. “I so hate watching you get killed. It’s only knowing that you come back each time that has let me keep my faith.”

“What if I can’t kill him?” The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Her lips quivered for a moment. “I know you’ll find a way. Perhaps, when your God powers return to you…” She gave me a small smile, more tremulous than usual, then turned to walk to the small table where the food and wine sat. But not before I had seen the tear that had slipped free, running down one beautiful cheek.

I couldn’t bring myself to open her character sheet and see if her Devotion had lost any points, or if her Faith was shaken.

Dammit, I felt so helpless.

If only I did have some God powers – beyond immortality. If only I was powerful, and could swat that bastard with a single blow … the way Drakos had done it to me so many times.

I froze.

That was the answer!

I’d leave. I’d go and find a dungeon, level up, gain some skills. Get some powerful magical items – such things must exist in this world – and then I’d come back and kill that fucker.

I’d toy with him. I’d chop him up, a bit at a time. I’d make him beg for mercy before I killed him.

But the people of Norathil would suffer in my absence. Lira would suffer most of all, and that pulled at my heart. She was the only one on this whole God-forsaken world that supported me.

She’d understand … eventually. When I came back and blasted Drakos with powerful magic, and danced around him with expert swordsmanship. When I at last saved all the people, I’d be able to look Lira in the eye, and finally see how high her Devotion could really go.

First, I had to escape. There was no way out past Drakos, and the courtyard was ringed with buildings. I’d need to find another route.

Lira was lighting the torches. It had grown dark enough inside the temple to warrant some extra light.

I glanced up at the windows of the temple, high in the walls. The sky was a deep navy blue beyond.

They were just open holes in the wall. No glass, no bars, and large enough to climb through.

Could I do it? Could I somehow get up there?

Could I leave Lira behind?

It was only temporary. I’d be back; that was a promise. Both to her and myself.

Buy new skill: Climbing. It had to be on that list somewhere.

New skill will cost 3 skills points. Proceed? Y/N.

Good, it was. Yes.

You have gained a new skill: Climbing. Climbing is now level 1.

Spend skills points: Climbing.

Climbing has gained a rank. Climbing is now level 2.

Spend all skills points: Climbing.

Climbing has gained a rank. Climbing is now level 3.

Climbing has gained a rank. Climbing is now level 4.

I didn’t feel any different. Was four points in Climbing enough to reach the windows?

Now all I needed was the chance to try it – and that meant finding a way to distract Lira.

“I think I’ll try the leather armor again,” I said vaguely, wondering how to give myself enough time to try for an escape.

“I couldn’t bear you going out there again,” she said mournfully. “I’ve requested a respite. We’re to resume in the morning.” She gave me a small, sad smile.

Well, that was easy. I’d have all the time I needed.

“Fine. I’d still like to get dressed.”

She finished lighting the last torch, then fetched clothing and my leather armor that she’d again repaired, for what seemed like the hundredth time. Leather trousers, a tough hide jacket. I’d be able to climb in it, and it would give me some protection for the days ahead.

“Do you have a home to go to?” I asked as I dressed.

“I have a house in the city,” she said, watching me. “But my place is by your side, now.”

My heart gave a little tug at her sincerity, but that would only complicate things.

I felt like a bastard for what I was about to say. “You should go home tonight, Lira. I need to reflect on my powers, without distraction.”

“Of course, Kaelan.” She bowed and took a few steps toward the doorway, then paused, turning back to me, her kicked-puppy expression returning. “I’m sorry I distract you. I’ll … try and do better.”

I shook my head. “That’s not what I meant at all.”

“Then I don’t distract you?” The hope in her eyes made me feel even more like a bastard.

“You do distract me,” I said, honestly. “But it’s a distraction I like.”

Etiquette has gained a rank. Etiquette is now level 2.

She beamed. “Until the morning then, my God.”

She spun on her heel, her short skirt bouncing merrily against her ass as she left.

I was pretty sure both the ‘my God’ and the bounce in her step had been for my benefit.

Dammit, was I really going to abandon her?

*

I was if I could ever get up. This. Damn. Pillar.

Evidently, a climbing skill of four wasn’t enough. It had ranked up a couple of times while I’d been trying, a now less-than-impressive six, and it still wasn’t enough.

It didn’t help that I’d loaded myself down with a rapier, a set of throwing knives, two daggers, spare clothes, an unlit torch, a crossbow and bolts, and a satchel with the rest of the food and wine. But what good would it do to escape, only to be killed by the first bandit I encountered?

I’d end up right back here. Wouldn’t that be embarrassing.

I sighed. The throwing knives were heavy, the spare clothes unnecessary. The crossbow weighed even more, and the moon was so bright, I could manage without a torch. And only one dagger.

Far less encumbered, I leapt once again for the sconce. Braced my legs against the pillar. Pulled. Climbed.

That bit was working out okay, but I couldn’t reach the windowsill. I’d managed, once, by climbing onto the sconce and leaping for it. The other times I’d tried, I’d fallen.

Still, it was the only way.

I pulled myself up onto the sconce. It was easier than the last time. Perhaps the extra climbing points were helping after all, and the lower weight certainly made a difference.

Bracing myself, I leapt for the windowsill, my hands slapping against it. Now all I needed to do was a two-palm pull up.

I wished I’d used my gym membership while I’d had the chance. It wasn’t that I was out of shape, I was just a long way from being in shape. That, plus a few too many pizza-and-Mountain-Dew nights.

I slipped, sliding down the wall and crashing to the floor a dozen feet below.

Blunt force trauma injury, left leg. Blunt force trauma injury, right leg. -1 Health.

That was a message I’d seen far too many times tonight. Could I die on this world from repeatedly twisting my ankle? That didn’t seem very fair. I checked my character sheet: twelve Health left. A dozen more falls, and I’d be dead … only to wake up on the stone table again, fully healed. Being a God had its advantages.

Climbing has gained a rank. Climbing is now level 7.

Oh, good. That would help.

It took three more tries and a Climbing skill of eight before I was finally able to hoist myself up to the window. It was late into the night, the moon almost full. There stars were out in force, though I recognised none of the constellations. It wasn’t as if I were an expert, but I knew enough to pick them out on a night like this. The familiar ones just weren’t there.

As if I needed confirmation this wasn’t my world. Well … it wasn’t Earth, but I was going to make it my world.

Just as soon as I’d gained enough power to kill Drakos.

I climbed down the back of the pyramid. It was like a giant’s staircase, tiers of stone each taller than a man. I gripped the edge of each level, hanging and dropping to the one below, until the ground was finally beneath my feet. To the east lay a forest; to the south, snow-capped mountains reflecting the moonlight.

Behind me stood the temple, the walls of Norathil a mile beyond.  

I was free.

The world was mine to conquer.

If the world didn’t conquer me first.