Ultima: A LitRPG Journey (Legends Online Book 4) Read online

  “The paths are too rough for horses,” Melpomene informed them. “Why don’t we use Trillian?”

  “He’s gotten too big to fit in the canyons and we can’t ride him to a new place,” Nari stated.

  “Then we go by foot and have Trillian cover us from the air,” Illume decided.

  Folding his lip under, Illume gave a high-pitched whistle. Silence fell on the cool air for a few moments. The flapping of massive wings in the distance could be heard. They grew louder and louder with each flap. The noon-day sun was blotted out by the beast as it crested the tower’s point.

  2

  Canyons

  Trillian, who had since grown large enough to carry more than one person, landed on the Dark Tower’s walls. His wings folded back and his tail draped lazily down the stony barrier. The green of his scales had grown deeper to contrast with the blue. The now massive, heavily armored dragon let out a happy squeak as he saw Illume.

  “Hey there, buddy,” Illume called out. “We’re heading west. Want to come with us?”

  Trillian nodded. He turned and hopped off the far side of the tower’s wall. Urtan walked over to Illume, bow in hand.

  “What frosty man want Urtan to do?” he asked.

  “I want you to extend our trade route behind us,” Illume explained. “We’ll clear a path for you and you bring what you can into this new kingdom.”

  “Urtan looking forward to expanding!” he declared at the top of his lungs. “Urtan miss fire girl when she’s away.”

  The orc stepped over to Melpomene, took her hand, and gave it a kiss.

  “I’ll miss you too, Urtan,” she admitted as she gently placed her hand on his cheek. “Be safe. I will see you at the first city we stop at.”

  She gave the orc a kiss before gently pushing him on his way. Retrieving his bow, Urtan let out a low-pitched loud hum that vibrated Illume’s insides. The sound of heavy hoof-falls filled the air. A massive boar that stood taller than most horses trotted into the courtyard.

  A saddle made of grey leather sat strung over its furry back. A bit was tucked away between the tusks in its mouth. Urtan’s axe was in a holster on the saddle as bags filled with product were tucked away on its side. The orc retrieved his arrow before mounting his boar and taking off in a swift gallop south.

  The party marched out of the walls of the keep. Illume saluted the minotaurs standing at the top of the wall. They saluted back. Passing under the portcullis that remained raised, he was greeted by the rough tongue of Trillian.

  “Ahh, easy take it easy, buddy!” Illume called as he scratched under the dragon’s chin.

  Trillian’s massive head nuzzled into Illume’s chest. The Cryomancer scratched around his ears and even gave his horn a playful tug.

  “You think he’ll be able to clear the pass?” Nari wondered as she patted the dragon’s neck.

  “He should,” Melpomene replied. “If he can’t go through, he can always go over.”

  With that, Melpomene circled around the back of the Dark Tower. Illume, Nari, Ingrid, and Trillian followed suit. Birds chirped and flew overhead in the clear sky. The sun’s warm light went unobstructed by clouds. It was a perfect spring day. The Dark Tower seemed much less imposing on days like this as if there was a hint of hope that he, Nari, and maybe even Ingrid could get out of the game.

  The ground began to tilt upward as the party marched into the crevasse between both mountain ranges. Snow capped the black peaks of the mountains tainted by the Dark King. Loose rocks rolled away after each step Illume took. He and Nari took turns giving each other a hand up onto larger stones. Melpomene and Ingrid were able to traverse the treacherous terrain with ease.

  A wall of stone blocked off their access to the north. Illume chuckled to himself at the destruction he’d caused the last time he was here. To the left, a pass opened. It appeared to have been blasted away as scorch marks rose up on either side. Pressing on, Melpomene continued to lead.

  Boulders turned to shale as they ventured deeper into the ravine between the black mountains. The party fell into a single file line with Trillian taking up the rear. He whined about his position for a while before settling in. His heavy footfalls let Illume know he was still back there.

  “I know you want to be up here,” Illume called back to the dragon. “If you’re so displeased with your place in line, why don’t you just go up, then?”

  Trillian let out a series of huffs and grunts. He kicked his feet and let out a deep snort.

  “Then stop complaining!” Illume scolded. “We’ll go on a flight as soon as we cross the mountains.”

  With that, Trillian sighed like an upset teenager. Turning, he ran up the mountain’s side. His claws cleaved stones from their resting place and sent them showering down at the party. With a wave of his hand, a layer of ice spanned the length of the ravine. It made a small tunnel for them to walk under as the fruits of Trillian’s outburst fell on the ice and not them.

  Turning his attention forward, Illume noticed all three women glaring at him. He let out a nervous laugh and shrugged. Melpomene shook her head, Ingrid crossed her arms, and Nari’s brow arched.

  “Teens,” Illume said nervously. “What are you going to do?”

  None of the women moved an inch. Their gazes locked on him as if he were an irresponsible man-child. With a nervous chuckle, he took a few stutter steps past Nari. He gave her a peck on the cheek as he did. Moving toward Ingrid, he offered her an uncomfortable wave. Passing Melpomene, he motioned down the ravine that had a slight decline to the path now.

  “This is where we go, right?” he mused.

  “Yep,” Melpomene replied in a non-amused tone.

  The nape of his neck warmed up as he felt the glare of all three women locked on to the back of his head. Descending through the ravine, Illume noticed normal stones peppering the black shale mountainside. By this point, the dragon glided overhead and the sensation of the judgmental glares died down.

  “At the bottom of this ridge, take a left,” Melpomene informed. “There’s an inlet with a big round boulder that blocks a tunnel. From there, I’ll take the lead.”

  As he followed her instructions, the decline grew steeper. Leaning down on his hip, he slid down a few feet, causing dust to be kicked up around him. At the bottom of the hill, he stopped and turned back to the ladies. Melpomene was tall and graceful enough to bound down in just two hops. Ingrid swung Mjolnir, which carried her over their heads, where she landed on Illume’s far side. Nari slid down in a similar manner to Illume. He caught her and helped her to her feet.

  “Thanks, sweety,” she said as she dusted herself off.

  “No problem,” he replied.

  “So tell me again why we aren’t all just flying over this mountain range?” Ingrid asked as she twirled her hammer.

  “Trillian has restrictions,” Illume answered.

  The group moved forward and into the inlet Melpomene spoke of. Looking up, the Cryomancer whistled for the dragon. He waved his arm in a circle then pointed forward. Trillian disappeared over the wall of stone that stood before them.

  “He can’t carry people to new places; only places he’s been,” he added.

  “That’s stupid,” Ingrid murmured.

  “A little bit, but it’s not like we have a choice,” Nari replied. “Besides, it lets us actually explore the world as opposed to just flying over it.”

  “Would you three stop talking and help me with this thing?” Melpomene interrupted.

  She pushed her shoulder into a massive boulder nearly twice her height. The edge of the boulder was lifted off the ground by only a few inches. Jogging over to her, Illume kneeled down next to the rock. He slid a hand under it and got a grip on it. As easily as he stood up, Illume rolled the stone away as if it were nothing. He dusted his hands off as Nari looked at him in disbelief.

  “Someone’s been working out!” she said in a baffled tone.

  “I just maxed out my strength stats,” he divulged with a wink.
>
  “Why couldn’t I just smash it?” Ingrid asked.

  “Because there are things that live in the canyons we don’t want wandering into the eastern kingdoms,” Melpomene remarked.

  Entering a small tunnel that was less than a foot taller than Melpomene and just as wide, Illume turned and grabbed the boulder. As Ingrid and Nari follow suit, he pulled on the boulder and shifted it back over the tunnel entrance.

  Darkness fell over the group. Sparks sizzled over Ingrid’s armor, providing a dull light to illuminate the tunnel. On the far side nearly a hundred yards away, the sun shone through. The sun’s angle prevented any of its light from entering the tunnel.

  Melpomene led the group with Ingrid in the center as Nari and Illume took up the rear. The air in the tunnel was dry and warmed up with each step they took. The Cryomancer felt his body begin to warm as they got closer to the exit. A warm breeze akin to a hair dryer greeted them.

  A burst of cold washed over Illume from his cloaked armor. The sensation of heat disappeared immediately. Exiting the tunnel, everyone squinted and raised a hand to block the sun from their eyes.

  “Bright out here,” Illume murmured.

  “Your eyes will adjust,” Nari responded.

  She wasn’t wrong. In a few seconds, he was able to see normally. Before them lay a series of gorges like the Grand Canyon, only infinitely more narrow. The sun, being directly overhead, cast no shadows within the ravines. Its full heat struck the team like an oven. Sweat instantly formed on Illume’s and Ingrid’s brows.

  A second wind of cold washed over Illume. His armor let off tufts of steam from the drastic temperature change. Nari glanced at him and looked his armor up and down. She smirked then stepped up to Melpomene. Ingrid turned her attention to his frosty armor.

  “Before this is done, I may ask to borrow that,” Ingrid said in an exasperated tone.

  “Not sure you could handle the cold,” Illume replied.

  Trillian’s shadow overtook them as he glided over the tunnel. Ingrid looked up and began to clap.

  “Yes! Stay right there, buddy!” she yelled.

  Trillian turned and let the sunlight hit them again.

  “Jerk,” Ingrid murmured.

  Illume and Nari laughed as Trillian let out a series of heaves that sounded like laughter as well. He landed on the tops of the ravines. He walked over the gorge opening, which was slightly more narrow than his body.

  “Where are we going?” Illume asked.

  “We’ll follow this until it branches,” Melpomene explained. “At the fork, there is a small cave we can set up camp for the night. It’ll get cold, so any driftwood we find, we should collect.”

  “Thank goodness!” Ingrid huffed.

  Moving forward, the party descended into the ravine. Trillian positioned himself over them so his shadow covered them. With the ravine’s orientation, the sun moved directly over the party for the whole day. Illume used his cryomancy to chill the air around Ingrid so she was comfortable.

  It was clear that at one point as ice melted from Ingrid’s kingdom the water ran down the mountains that formed these ravines. That was a long time ago, judging from the bone-dry appearance of the landscape. This changed when the water was re-routed south toward Moot.

  Bending over, Illume grabbed a piece of dried out, nearly rotten wood wedged between a few rocks. Nari and Ingrid picked up several others themselves. Hours passed as they moved in relative silence and the sun started to set. In the distance, Illume saw the divide Melpomene spoke of.

  “Up here to the left is the cave,” Melpomene said.

  The sun beat down on the back of their necks as it set. Closing in on their cave, Illume looked up at Trillian. It looked like he was yawning and shaking his head. As they came up on the cave, Illume waved Trillian off. He bounded away to find a safe place to sleep.

  The cave was twenty feet deep and nearly twice as wide. At the mouth, a small circle of stones with charred wood lay within the circle. Nari set her wood in the makeshift fire pit. Ingrid and Illume followed suit. Melpomene leaned down and held her hand to the wood. In a flash of orange light, fire erupted and spread to the rest of the wood.

  “We should get some rest. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow,” Melpomene suggested.

  Ingrid and Melpomene moved to the back of the cave and unpacked their satchels. Ingrid sat Mjolnir down on its side and used it as a pillow as she bit into a piece of bread. Melpomene crossed her legs and closed her eyes. Illume unpacked the sleeping mats Nari packed for both of them.

  The sun dropped from the sky rapidly and gave way to a dark blanket dotted with stars and painted with the galaxy they were “in.” Nari stood next to the fire with her arms crossed. She stared at the stars.

  Taking his sword and spear off his back, Illume walked over to Nari. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Inhaling her scent of honey and berries made his heart race. He gave her a gentle squeeze as he looked at the breathtaking sky above them.

  “I think getting married at night would be fun,” Illume whispered.

  “As long as it’s a clear sky like this, then I’m good with it,” Nari murmured as she nuzzled into him. “I think we should wait until we finish finding out what’s causing these glitches,” she added. “I don’t want either of us to be distracted.”

  “I agree,” Illume replied. “It could be next to Yggdrasil and you can do your pathfinder thing and bring only the people we want there.”

  Nari laughed and nodded. She turned to Illume and gave him another kiss. Her soft, warm hand touched his cheek, which made goosebumps cascade over his body. His heart skipped a beat at her touch.

  “Why don’t you go to sleep? I’ll take first watch and wake you up for yours,” Nari suggested.

  “Are you sure?” Illume asked.

  “Yes, go to sleep,” she insisted.

  Illume reluctantly released Nari and returned to his sleeping mat. Lying down, he closed his eyes. Ingrid complained about the chill in the night. Melpomene playfully teased her about toughening up. The Norsewoman didn’t take that well, leading to taunting banter between the two in the background as Illume cleared his mind. The rhythmic crackle of the fire was like a lullaby for him. Ever so slowly, the Cryomancer drifted into a dreamless sleep.

  3

  Xlotos

  A violent rattle yanked Illume into the waking world. He’d felt like he’d only been asleep for a few minutes. The deep blue of the sky suggested that dawn had arrived. Nari leaned over him, weapon in hand as her eyes darted here and there out of the cave’s mouth. Melpomene held her sword drawn and set ablaze as Mjolnir sparked to life.

  “What’s going on?” Illume mumbled.

  “Melpomene thinks Trillian may have drawn some unwanted attention,” Nari replied.

  Just then, a series of soft ticking noises accompanied with several wet popping sounds echoed through the canyons. Illume stood up and drew his sword. His left hand frosted over as he and Nari moved to the mouth of the cave.

  “What is that?” Illume asked.

  “Xlotos,” Melpomene responded.

  “Bless you,” Illume answered. “But seriously, what are Xlotitosawhatevers?”

  Trillian roared above them as he tumbled over the crack of the ravine. Something brown and red was interlocked with him rivaling his own size. A blast of frost fire erupted over them, followed by a wall of electricity. The dragon let out another roar. This time, it sounded like pain. His mighty wings flapping echoed above them as the mighty beast flew into their field of view with green light swirling around him.

  In his talons was what looked like a massive salamander. It appeared to have skin of stone and lava. It bit and slashed at the leg that held it as both beasts flew higher into the air. The ticks and pops grew loud enough for Illume to no longer worry about Trillian. His sight was drawn to the fork ahead of them.

  “Those are Xlotos,” Melpomene informed him.

  “You could have just said they were giant sal
amanders,” Illume huffed.

  Folding his pinky and thumb down, Illume held his pointer and middle finger together directly in front of his face. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As he did, he pictured the air in his lungs compressing and freezing. The temperature around him dropped.

  He opened his eyes and exhaled; the condensation in his breath turned into steam as it hit the air. Before it dissipated, the steam formed into a series of small yet razor-sharp spikes. They floated in the air in front of him.

  As the salamanders charged up the canyon, one on the ground, two on the side walls, Illume threw his hand in front of him. The spikes shot forward. Making contact on the salamanders’ skin caused his spikes to shatter into dust.

  Xlotos’ skin is too tough to be punctured by ice.

  “Well, that didn’t work as well as I’d hoped,” he complained.

  Nari drew her sword of Mobrebalku metal. It ignited in flame.

  “We attack together,” Nari instructed. “Ingrid, use your lightning to get those two off the walls. Melpomene, you’ve dealt with these things before. Lead the charge.”

  As she held her hammer up, clouds formed and swirled overhead. Lightning shot from the sky and into Ingrid’s weapon. She slung it forward, unleashing the newly acquired lightning. In a torrent of bright blue strobing light, both Xlotos that were stuck to the walls were detached and dropped to the ground.

  They fell behind as the middle salamander continued its charge. Melpomene ran at it. Illume and Nari followed closely behind. Each stride he made was graceful as he moved from stone to stone at their attack. These beings were smaller than the one Trillian tussled with, but they still stood eye to eye with Illume.

  Illume sent frost into his sword. The world distorted around him as he entered the Plane of the Dead. Melpomene was the first to make contact. As she aimed for its face, her sword deflected off the beast’s hard skin. Nari slid under its right front leg and shoved her sword at the cracks of luminous lava-like light splaying across its body like blood vessels.