— CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE —

  The Bonfire Society

  {Lucy}

  The scent of cinnamon and nutmeg rode the crisp autumn wind over the Capital. Vibrant fall leaves adorned the trees, carved pumpkins grinned from window sills, and orange and black bunting fluttered between lampposts. Joyful shrieks of costumed children skipping door-to-door peppered the air. It was the day before Halloween, and Celestia Grand was ready for the Festival of Hallowed Stars. Meanwhile, the northern horizon was occupied by the looming shadow of the Citadel.

  Fritz, Percy, and I headed up North Boulevard toward it, past the end of the buildings and up the side of the motte. The grass had gone dry and yellow, blowing stiffly in the cold wind. On either side of the road, two camps had sprung up. One was the ragtag patchwork of Resistance blue and fortifications made of reclaimed scrap wood. Opposite it, the Loyalists had set up a meticulously organized camp with metal barricades and their stark, rose-colored tents.

  "When did these camps appear?" Percy asked. His thighs had regenerated, but he was still in the wheelchair, so Fritz was pushing him.

  "Shortly after we killed the second boss." I said. "The factions negotiated an entente while we deal with the King - which means they sit out here while the players handle everything. All we've found there are places to donate resources toward unlocking the gates in the gardens."

  Up in the courtyard, where Oxtongue once stood, where there had been a grand ceremony to bust open the gates of the Citadel, the place where people had fought and died for the freedom of all players, there was now a bank of ticket booths. A line of tourists zig-zagged back and forth at the head of the road, waiting to get inside. The sides of the courtyard were filled with notice boards advertising notable sights and explaining the trail marker system to navigate the labyrinth.

  Fritz said, "Dang, you weren't kidding when you said they'd turned this place into a theme park."

  We got in line, and we waited. And waited. ... Then waited some more.

  "You think we could get a fast pass and check out the festival?" Fritz asked.

  I said, "We should have made a reservation; I didn't realize it'd gotten this busy."

  Percy asked, "Is there a special line for handicapped access?"

  Eventually, we made it to the front and approached the ticket window. And - would you guess who our attendant was? Matt. Seeing us, he shifted awkwardly. "Hey, uh, Lucy."

  "They put you on ticket duty?!"

  "I... thought you quit."

  "I was worried they were going to relegate me to being a tour guide." I said. "Anyway, some friends wanted to see this place."

  Percy raised a hand in greeting. Fritz gave an up-nod. "Sup, man?"

  Matt stamped our hands and passed over our tickets. "Alright, enjoy the visit! These are good all day if you want to see what we've set up for the night show - special preview event for the Halloween attractions." He gave me a conspiratorial wink.

  So he'd managed to set up his 'containment breach' idea after all.

  "Thank you!" I replied with a tight smile. We moved past the booths, stepping into the Citadel proper. "... Oh boy, that was awkward."

  As we passed through the front gates, a dazzling expanse of greenery and vibrant colors greeted us - every plant in world, all in one place!

  "Well, if they're gonna treat it like an attraction, may as well have fun, right?" Fritz grinned mischievously as he gripped the handles of Percy's wheelchair and ran forward onto the helix bridges. He jumped onto the back of the chair as they careened down the lower spiral. Percy let out a whoop as they picked up speed, the momentum propelling them up the opposite incline and landing them on the central platform.

  And then we faced our first challenge - going down from the platform into the gardens proper, there were only stairs. The place was certainly not ADA compliant. Fritz picked Percy up and carried him down while I brought the wheelchair.

  The stairs deposited us into a cool, shadowy grotto thick with lush vegetation. Bioluminescent mosses and phosphorescent lichens cast an ethereal glow across the gnarled roots and rocky outcroppings. I took the lead, navigating the twists and turns of the labyrinth with an almost nostalgic feeling. It'd been less than a week, but it already felt like they'd turned my elementary school into a museum.

  Soon, the cave opened onto a terrace - one of a cascading series of rings that formed a bowl-shaped depression. At its center, utterly dominating the gardens, rose a colossal tree. Its trunk was easily as wide as a skyscraper, and it's branches spread out across nearly the whole east wing, brushing up against both the keep’s facade and the outer curtain wall.

  "Ooh..." Fritz and Percy breathed in unison.

  I continued along the perimeter and down to the second level. There, a cluster of spectator stands had been erected, currently packed with gawking onlookers. We managed to snag a spot at the end of a bench to park Percy's chair.

  "We shoulda brought popcorn." Fritz said.

  "Maybe one of the concession vendors will come by." I replied.

  "They've got concessions in here?!" He perked up and looked around excitedly.

  "Not when I left, but I wouldn't be surprised if they started."

  From our vantage point, we had a perfect view of the arena-like clearing below ringed by towering hedge walls. The Tree's tangled roots erupted from the sickly, bleached grass. Up close, I could see its trunk was a pale, ashen brown shot through with pulsing veins of purple ichor. And kneeling at the base of the blighted trunk was a woman made of the same withered, dying stuff as the tree itself. Sylvia - The Caretaker of the Gardens.

  A cluster of Vanguard fighters gathered at the edge of the arena, representatives of all of the major guilds were there. Shouts rang out as they prepped for battle. Most of the group retreated to the sidelines, leaving only the designated combat team alone on the field. They arranged themselves in a standard formation and charged in to engage the dryad. She rose to meet them in a swirl of rotted leaves and grasping vines. With a gesture, thorny tendrils burst from the earth to ensnare the attackers. Orbs of sickly darkness flew from her hands.

  "What's going on?" Fritz asked. "I thought there was a stall?"

  "They're doing mechanic testing and training." I explained. "They'll start the fight, drill the mechanics, hold out as long as they can, then disengage before it gets dangerous."

  "... Is that useful?" Fritz asked.

  "Early on, when we don't know what we're doing, sure. But mostly it's a front - keeps the tourists reassured they're working."

  Just then, Brian sat beside us. "The World Guard's trying to arbitrate a final kill team." he added.

  "Hey man." Fritz gave him a nod. "You just here to watch, too?"

  "I'm part of the Combat Oversight Committee today." Brian said.

  Fritz started to giggle like a child. "Oh? What's that?"

  "We observe fights to better understand mechanics and team performance. Make sure everything's running optimally." Then Brian turned to me, his expression softening a touch. "How are you doing, Lucy? I heard you quit Tempest."

  I kept my eyes fixed on the fight below, jaw tight. "I thought you were more reasonable than this, Brian. Why does it matter who gets the kill? We need to get through the game - that's the only thing that matters. Not who gets some stupid medals."

  "It's not that simple." he sighed in frustration. "Tempest has been leveraging favoritism from the Guard because of their officer's connections. It's put a lot of people off and is bound to cause a serious problem sooner or later. - It already has! Tempest stole a boss fight from one of the minor guilds not too long ago. Those guys were prepped and ready, then Tempest rushed in without the proper diligence. Claimed they were better suited for it with their 'experienced veterans and resources'. Eleven people died in that fiasco. Tempest is inefficient, uncooperative, and Rex wants to take 'em down a peg. And honestly... I agree with him. This whole situation is untenable. Allowing progression to continue like this is dangerous. Letting it go either puts the problem off or makes it worse; we want to hold our ground now."

  Fritz asked, "Is there anything you can do to... I dunno, put public pressure on the Guard?"

  Brian said, "If the public catches wind of the holdout... The public approves of the Guard, and the Guard favors Tempest. We'd just end up the bad guys." He shrugged. "Lucky for us, the Guard wants to keep the drama quiet for public morale, so they're happy to keep talking."

  Below us, a shrill whistle pierced the air. The raid team began retreating from the arena in orderly lines. Around us, the spectating Vanguard members rose from the stands and filed out.

  "And that's the fight." Brian said, standing up and brushing off his pants. "It'll be a few hours before the next show."

  Fritz gave a slow clap. "Nice COC, everyone!"

  Fritz pushed Percy's wheelchair along the garden paths. I steamed behind them, frustration mounting with each step.

  "What is this filibustering nonsense?!" I ranted. "It's the worst kind of politics - intentionally ruining things to force people to concede to your demands!"

  Fritz said, "I'm actually with Brian on this one. If Tempest is really that reckless-"

  "I'm talking about both sides!" I snapped. "Steel Rage is only doing this in response to Tempest's heavy-handed methods and backdoor manipulations."

  "Then why'd you join Tempest in the first place?" Fritz asked.

  I huffed. "I thought they'd be responsible! Ugh, I'm glad I got out when I did... I should have joined Rose's guild from the start."

  "Is that what you wanna do?" Fritz asked. "I'm sure she'd be glad to have you."

  I stared down at the cobblestones passing beneath my feet. "I... I don't know. I just want to get out of the Citadel for a while."

  Percy said, "That's a shame. I was going to suggest we stay here and kill Sylvia ourselves."

  "What?!" Fritz and I exclaimed in unison.

  He was leaning back in his chair, staring up at the sky with that cold, dead look in his eyes. "Well, it doesn't sound like the Vanguard is going to do it."

  "..." Fritz rubbed the back of his neck. "The situation is worse than I thought..."

  I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin. "You're right, Percy. They don't own the rights to the game's progression. If they want to get so caught up in their own affairs that they aren't actively pursuing the goal, then it's fair game for anyone to have a turn." A smirk crept in. "And if they want to ignore my ideas? Well, that's their loss."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Fritz stopped pushing Percy's wheelchair and held up his hands. "Guys, this thing's not some under-leveled dungeon boss we can just rush in and take out."

  "No." Percy nodded slowly. "We're going to need a plan." He turned to me. "Lucy, when you say the gardens have 'every' plant in the game, how thorough is 'every'?"

  I thought for a moment. "According to the Protectorate's research, every known plant species found in the world is represented here. They even used the gardens to predict the locations of some rare plants out in the wilds."

  "Are they usable? Harvestable? More than set dressing?" Percy asked.

  "There are a few nodes scattered about, but they're sparse and unreliable."

  "But it's laid out like the world map, right?" At my nod, he continued, "Let's check the northeast section then - the Deep King's Woods."

  Fritz cocked an eyebrow. "What are you thinking, Perce?"

  "You remember Brynn's moss? The... Peekin's cave lichen?"

  "Of course! That's the good shit- wait." Fritz paused, glancing between Percy and the massive corrupted tree at the gardens' heart. "You want to suck out the corruption!"

  "Yep." Percy said simply.

  "But we needed a... fetus to seed that last time." Fritz said.

  I blinked. "What are you talking about?"

  Fritz grimaced. "It's just as disgusting as it sounds."

  Percy pointed up into the tree's sprawling canopy. Hundreds of feet above us, bulbous sacs of corrupted goo hung from the branches, suspended by ropey tendrils. They pulsed and writhed with shadowy forms trapped within, like cocoons.

  "...You know what?" Fritz said after a long moment. "That... actually doesn't sound impossible."

  "We'll need a team though." Percy said. "It'll be hard to manage the bulb and protect ourselves from Sylvia at the same time."

  "Then let's send out the call." Fritz said.

  I composed a message explaining our finds and outlining the plan we were formulating while Fritz wheeled Percy into the northeast quadrant of the gardens. The humid air grew thick with the scent of damp soil and verdant foliage as we ventured deeper into the section themed after the Deep King's Woods.

  "There!" Fritz pointed at a cluster of lichen hanging on a rocky outcropping. "Jackpot! Good thing someone's been leveling their herb/alch, eh?"

  Percy said, "Your obsession with getting high finally helps rather then hurts us."

  "Hey now, when has my... willingness to have a good time ever caused trouble?" Fritz protested as he climbed some rocks to get up to the lichen.

  "Why did you originally get into debt with the mob?" Percy asked. "Then there was the time you pushed Leo off a cliff. And then the time you shot-"

  "I was NOT high when I shot Leo in the head!" Fritz interjected. "I was just... exhausted. And maybe a little over-caffeinated."

  I stared at them incredulously. "What in the world have you two been doing?!"

  Fritz just shrugged, harvesting the moss and placing it in a box lined with damp cloth, then hopped back down to us. "You know how life goes."

  On our way out of the gardens, I sent out the messages to our friends.

  Rose was the first to respond. As representatives of the Vanguard, she and Filius couldn't directly assist in our unsanctioned endeavor without risking their guild's standing. They did, however, express their approval of the plan - it seemed even they were growing impatient with the stalemate.

  Siegfried's reply came next. Though he disliked the duplicitous nature of our scheme, he agreed that the current gridlock was untenable and ridiculous.

  Davi and her brother were all too eager to join in.

  But Flora... declined. 'I'm sorry, but my nerves are shot. I just... I can't do it.'

  Fritz reached out to Leo as well, but he was apparently too ashamed to face the rest of us.

  "I think I'm gonna go talk to Flora in person." Fritz said. "We're pretty low on healers."

  "You go ahead." Percy said. "I've got another idea to check here. I'll be fine on my own."

  "A'ight." Fritz said, already walking away. "We'll get you a sub from Hero Hero while we're there."

  |Ace>

  I thought it was going to be another fluff article day. For Halloween, the Vanguard had started to offer 'night tours' of the Citadel gardens, and they invited the newspaper to send a reporter to check it out. With Courtney busy documenting the special festival events in the city, the duty fell to Cherry and me.

  It would be many hours before that started, though, and the interview we had lined up for an article on the burgeoning player-run casinos cropping up in the Eclipse District had to cancel. So the two of us were left with nothing to do for a couple hours. We sat in the Citadel courtyard and waited.

  "Ugh, why'd we have to get stuck with this job?" Cherry groaned.

  "I thought you liked haunted tours? Isn't this your jam?"

  "Sure, but we're only here because Courtney couldn't make it - we're second billing to the scaredy cat! I am a muckraker, dammit! I want to see how shady those casinos are! You know there's some Guard corruption letting them run that racket! The brass swarm those places like flies to rotting fruit! I can smell the crimes on the wind! Taste it in that lovely spiced air! Ooh, we need to get some lattes later."

  Just then, two Vanguard members passed by, giving us interesting looks out of the corner of their eyes - Willard and Grey. If I was remembering rightly, they were both leaders of minor guilds - the FUN Rangers and Ruin, respectively.

  I said, "You know, while we've got a minute to kill, what if we... pried into this 'Vanguard stall' rumor a bit?"

  "It sounds like you want to become Courtney." Cherry mumbled.

  But I was already on my feet and strolling after Willard and Grey.

  The minor guilds were the least connected to the Vanguard's internal structure - they always got the shaft when it came to boss claiming. If there was a weak point in the Vanguard's air seal on information, it was there.

  I caught up to the pair as they ambled down the motte. "Howdy there, gentlemen!" I called out, keeping my tone casual. "Sorry to bother you, but I couldn't help but notice there hasn't been a lot of reports coming out of the Citadel lately. Is... everything alright? Any problems?"

  Willard blinked, then plastered on a grin that was about as convincing as a three-dollar bill. "Not that I know of!"

  Grey motioned back toward the courtyard. "What was that about the Guard working with the casinos?"

  "Oh, that's just my co-worker talking crazy." I said with a dismissive wave. "If there's anything to it, you can read all about it in the paper in a few days!"

  "Would they let you publish that?" Willard asked.

  "I would hope so! We're an independent paper!"

  Grey's eyes narrowed. "If you say so..."

  I let the two of them keep walking, not wanting to push my luck. There was definitely something going on here, I just needed a better approach.

  Cherry caught up and nudged me in the arm. She nodded up the hill. "Yo, Jack - check it out."

  I followed her gaze. Exiting the courtyard was none other than Fritz Carlton, Lady Lucia, and Percival in a wheelchair. Now that was an interesting trio if I ever saw one.

  "Oh?" I raised my eyebrows. "What do I spy here? Is that three guild-unaffiliated Oxtongue slayers leaving the Citadel together?"

  "What do you think they could be up to?" Cherry asked.

  "Is the Guard calling in the closers on the next boss fight?"

  "And one's in a wheelchair - how'd that happen?" Cherry asked.

  I glanced at her. "You smellin' a scoop?"

  "All I smell is pumpkin spice."

  "Then you shouldn't have tried to snort it."

  Cherry started toward the trio, but I caught her arm. "Hold it - let's... be discreet."

  {Lucy}

  The chime above Flora's door tinkled as Fritz and I entered her Pet Shoppe, a quaint wooden building tucked into an alley near the city's heart. Afternoon sunlight filtered in through the front windows, dancing across the shelves laden with pet foods, treats, and toys of all varieties. Off to one side, a terrarium was decorated with a scale model of a badlands landscape with a lush gorge in one corner.

  I had little interest in virtual pets myself, but from what I understood, the system was quite robust. Some of the goods on display were simply collected from pet stores around the world, while others were crafted commissions from Ethanolics Anonymous.

  The shop was empty and quiet, save for the green-haired young woman behind the counter. Flora stood hunched over the polished wood, arms braced as if to steady herself, gaze distant and unfocused. Her mint dress and work apron were pristine as always, but her usually bright demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

  She didn't look up as we approached, even as the door chimed our arrival. "I... had a feeling you were going to come." Her voice was faint, strained.

  Fritz leaned against the counter, trying to catch her eye. "We've got to try. We need you out there with us."

  She shook her head, still not meeting his gaze. "I can't do it, Fritz. I can't handle the pressure of holding people's lives in my hands. I'm not a hardcore raider; I play these games for the fashion, the community. Not... not this."

  Fritz nodded. "I get it. Believe me, I do. I'm a light roleplayer at heart - pop in for a little improv, maybe an afternoon quest or two. None of us are here because we want to be." He reached out, tentatively resting a hand on her arm. "But times like these are when people show their true merit."

  Flora seemed to wilt under his touch. "Then... maybe I'm just too weak." she whispered.

  Fritz's grip tightened just a fraction. "Do you want to be?"

  Flora began to tremble, tears splashing onto the counter. "Of course not!" The words burst out of her, raw and anguished. "I can't bear the thought of any of you dying out there when I could have done something to help! But I'm... I'm not good enough! I can't let people rely on me like that! I'll just let everyone down. I can't save you!"

  Fritz released her arm. "Okay, how about this? What if we don't rely on you, but you're there anyway? Just in case something falls through the cracks - a second of three lines of defence? You're not in charge, and you're not our last hope. Just an extra hand. Could you handle that?"

  Flora slumped onto the counter, whimpering and whining like the big Saint Bernard curled up in the corner of the shop. Then, finally, a tiny squeak of a voice: "... Okay. I'll be there."

  "Thanks a million, Flora! You're the best." Fritz patted her back. "Say, are those dog treats human-edible?"

  I shook my head. "Fritz..."

  "What? They're pepperoni and cheese flavored - that's like, half a pizza right there!"

  The tinkling of the bell above the door interrupted whatever response I might have made. I turned, expecting to greet a customer, but there was no one there. Just the empty street beyond the glass.

  Flora straightened up, hastily wiping at her eyes. "There's no need to hide, Shingen. They're just some friends of mine."

  A tall, dark figure glowered into the store.

  "Oh, sup man!" Fritz greeted him.

  Shingen scowled back. "Unless you're on business, I don't have to talk to you." He walked over and handed Flora a list.

  As Flora busied herself gathering Shingen's requested goods from the shelves and chests behind the counter, I sidled closer to Fritz and asked, "Oh, is he one of your little play mob friends?"

  Flora whirled around, her arms full of dog toys and treats. "Shingen is one of the good ones!" she shouted. "He rescues stray animals off the streets and brings them to me to take care of!"

  Fritz's eyebrows shot up, struggling to control the smirk forming in the corners of his mouth. "Oh? Well, color me surprised."

  Shingen bristled, his glare sharpening to a razor's edge. "Yeah? Is that funny to you?"

  Fritz held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Nah man, it's cool. I just... didn't expect that from someone like you, is all."

  "... Sure." He snatched his purchases from Flora's arms and turned on his heel without another word, the door slamming shut behind him with a discordant jangle of the bell.

  I said. "Well, I see the mob is really investing in their customer service these days."

  Fritz just shook his head, chuckling. "Anyway, thanks again Flora. Seriously, we all appreciate you. And hey, no pressure! We're not counting on you to save the day single-handedly or anything. I'll send you the location details later, alright?"

  Flora managed a wobbly smile and a jerky nod.

  We said our goodbyes and stepped out into the afternoon sunlight. Fritz stretched languidly, cracking his knuckles. "I think I'm gonna track down Leo next, see if I can convince him to join up."

  "Alright. I'll check on Percy and give him his sandwich."

  Returning to the Citadel, I found Percy in the Loyalist camp with those reporters, Cherry and Ace. The three of them were talking to an NPC - one of the guards.

  "So if you treat them like a person," Percy was saying, "the game will respond as such. It generates a personality for them, modifies their routine to be more interactive. Once they're out of view, they'll return to normal."

  "That's horrifying -" Ace said, "- imagine suddenly waking up because someone talked to you, then knowing that, as soon as they're done with the conversation, you'll cease to exist."

  Cherry said, "I wonder if we can talk one into an existential crisis?"

  "I see it as more of a hivemind." Percy said. "The game system that operates the NPCs spins out a new tendril to puppet each character, then retracts it when it's no longer needed. The data is still there though, lurking in the framework. You can recall the same personality and memories into NPCs you've spoken to before."

  "We're walking on a sea of consciousnesses!" Cherry gasped.

  Ace asked, "How... smart is this control system, exactly?"

  "We don't have a clue. We don't know what it is, or if that's really how the system works. Oh, hey Lucy!" Percy waved for me to join them. "Did you know Ace uses a wheelchair in real life?"

  "I did not." I shook my head as I joined their little circle. "Are you, erm, enjoying walking?"

  He grinned. "Oh yeah. Turns out stairs are pretty convenient."

  "Anyway, I brought your lunch." I held Percy's sandwich out to him.

  "Ooh, how adorable!" Cherry cooed, clasping her hands together.

  "Let's leave them be." Ace said, gently pulling Cherry away.

  I did not feel the need to spend the energy correcting their misconceptions and let them walk away. While Percy ate, I pushed him down the hill into the city.

  "We managed to convince Flora to join." I reported. "And Fritz is working on Leo now."

  "Eight people." Percy said. "The normal minimum raid size is ten, so we almost have a functional group - that should more than cover our vulnerabilities."

  "What were you working on back there?" I asked.

  "I was trying to get a ninth, but I'm not holding out hope. In any case, let's sort out roles and work out some logistics!"