Undying Sacrifice: Aelterna Online, #3

1

Iwoke from a good night’s sleep to find a scaled face looking down on me, vertically slit pupils staring unblinking. Teeth that would put a shark to shame flashed in a lipless mouth.

Good morning, Denel. It is time to eat.

Hnngh.

My friend Votess, a reptilian warrior-priest, turned and ignored my grumbling. In a couple of minutes, I was up and dressed, wearing the symbol of my profession on my hip: my orichalcum temple sword.

What’s for breakfast? Hopefully not more bacon. I shuddered, remembering the time that Jin, the lizardman in charge of food in the village, had fed me cured meat… from a spider large enough to eat a housecat.

Not likely. There are concerns about food, and no hunter has found the arachnids you fear in weeks.

Huh. This was the first I’d heard about food trouble in the village. Hopefully there was a plan in place. After all, these people had existed for centuries without outside contact before I showed up and turned things upside down.

As I ate, I wondered about the history of the village. The game world, Aelterna, had existed for only a short while, but the residents of the world such as the villagers here had long memories and histories that stretched back far beyond the time the game had launched. Mika, my elven player friend, had discussed the ramifications more than once. She felt that the memories and histories were created and planted in the minds of the residents. I believed that there was more to it than that. It wouldn’t have surprised me if the game engine had been operating for a longer time that we knew, and that the history of the world had actually played out, albeit in a much faster timescale.

I hadn’t asked any of the residents about the topic. If someone came up to me and asked if my memories were real or implanted into me, how would I ever know? Thinking about it made my head hurt, and ultimately it didn’t matter. What mattered was that these people were real and that their lives meant as much as any in my world, at least to me.

My thoughts weren’t shared by a lot of players. The ones who could drop in and log out whenever they wanted were generally unwilling to dedicate any brain bandwidth to the question of whether what they called NPCs were real. Mika was a rare exception, as far as I knew. The only other permanent resident I’d met besides myself had been very much an asshole; he had a quest to destroy our village.

I hadn’t forgotten about Damon Darkstar.

His plan hadn’t even got off the ground, or more accurately, above the ground. We’d found him trapped in a flooded mine, and left him there buried behind tons of collapsed tunnel. I had no doubt that he was still out there, and when he showed up, we’d have to find a better way to deal with him.

The village eating space had grown considerably. The building now used six trees as columns to support the floor and the roof. Jin, the cook and head food master, had set up a damned nice kitchen in the centre, and he and his apprentices were furiously cooking up food for everyone who showed up to eat.

The crowd was diverse. When I’d arrived, eating had been a generally quiet affair, with the lizard folk devouring the meat they ate without much in the way of preparation. Now they demanded the cooked meals that Jin had mastered, and they were joined by other races as well.

Humans that had fled religious persecution mixed in with the lizard folk. When they had arrived, they had mostly kept to their own, but now they were all over the space, chatting and sharing food with the reptilians. Even the Returned, a sub race of the lizard folk who had been lost for centuries and degenerated back into more animalistic forms, were welcomed by the humans.

I looked until I found the two de facto leaders of the original human group: Joenn and Rachel Bixby. Joenn was a carpenter and had contributed greatly to the rapid construction that the village had required. Rachel was sporting a huge belly, very obviously pregnant and very obviously in love with her husband. She caught me looking at them and waved me over. I picked up my platter and joined them.

Morning, Denel, said Joenn between bites of fresh bread and carved meat. How’s things?

Good, I think. I turned to Rachel. How are you feeling?

The pair of them glanced at each other. The time is coming, I think, said Rachel. My first child will be here soon.

A strong boy, like his father, said Joenn. Rachel rolled her eyes.

Have you had any luck finding a midwife? Rachel’s tone was light, but her words were heavy with meaning. Dying in childbirth was a real danger in this world.

I haven’t, I said, deciding to be honest. I’ve had Tytha asking in Imillar, but nobody is willing to come here. The villagers are a little… frightening to most people.

Joenn nodded. Aye. They’re friends to us, but imagine meeting a hungry-looking Reath in a dark forest alone at night.

Reath, who was sitting beside Joenn and devouring his food, paused for a moment. You are being unfair. I would not eat any Scaleless.

Yeah, well, the Scaleless don’t know that, I said. Turning back to Rachel, I tapped my chest. I’ll figure out something. Mika is a priestess of Minolt, and Votess is, well, she’s the high priestess of our Goddess. You will both be fine, I promise.

Rachel looked relieved. Thank you, Denel. There is something else, as well, but it can wait until our child is here.

I didn’t need to pry, so instead I ate quietly while Joenn and Reath discussed their work. When I was finished, I brought my platter back to Jin, where his apprentices would wash it.

What’s this I hear about food issues?

Jin tilted his head. Yes. Nuln and his hunters are having to travel much farther to find game. Some of it is because we are greater in number. He swept his hand to encompass the crowd of people. But it is not only that. They have found animals killed by weapons but not dressed out, simply left to rot. This may be a prelude to war, an attempt to weaken us.

Who’d do that?

Jin shrugged. There is a village about three days hard travel from here, Dark Snake Waters. They have been in conflict with us in the past, and this may be one of their tactics. With the waters receding, they may also be struggling for food; I believe they primarily eat fish. However, the leaving of the carcasses tells me that food is not their goal.

I filed that information away for later. My role in the village was important, but I wasn’t in charge of the place. If Telix, Krees and Votess, the actual leaders of the village, decided to act, they’d have my support.

Besides, we had a plan for food security, and it was coming along nicely. Once I’d eaten my fill, I left the village walls and headed towards a certain place in the forest, where I’d helped to resettle a small group that had found themselves in need. Large trees, of a kind alien to the former swampland, towered over me. I had arrived in the copse of the dryads.

Denel! A tall woman with alien features and eyes that were completely green ran to me. Her ears were nothing more than buds on the side of her head, and she wore a strange garment that appeared to be made of leaves that grew out of her shoulders and waist.

Hey, Kim. How’s things going here? Any progress?

The dryad stood up straight with pride. Yes! We have spoken with the trees here, and gained their agreement to your plan. It will take time, but not too long.

Not too long according to the trees, or according to people like me?

Kim laughed, a full sound that seemed to emanate from both her body and the tree we were approaching. A short time by human standards. Perhaps two weeks. The trees here are well equipped to walk.

Looking around, I saw what she meant. The mangrove-like trees that had grown in the swamp before it drained did look like they had legs of a sort. Kim beckoned me over and pointed to one of them. Watch.

She closed her eyes and concentrated. The tree she had indicated seemed to shiver, and then it rose up unsteadily. The roots shambled forward, moving the tree six feet before settling down again. Behind it, the earth was worked and broken where its roots had pulled free.

We have already performed a test of your idea, Denel. We walked together past the dryad trees and into a clearing that had not existed a week ago. The trees and other vegetation that had occupied this space had shifted, forming a thick wall that surrounded the cleared earth. There was a space about twenty yards by sixty that had been opened up.

You’ve been working hard, I said.

Yes, we have. My sisters are in their trees still, but that makes them even more suited for this work.

My plan had been to get the dryads to help us start up some agriculture. The forest faeries had agreed, once I explained that I only wanted to move trees rather than cut them, if possible. Now I was staring at a prototype field, and all we needed to do was seed it.

Is there anything you can do to help the crops grow, once we get them planted?

Yes, but there will be problems if we do not replenish the soil. Our magic can only do so much. Provide us with fertilizer and adequate water, and we shall bring you a miracle.

Thanking Kim, I returned to the village to let Joenn know that we would be using his seed stock soon. The carpenter and his group had been well-prepared when they left with Mika, but they hadn’t had a chance to properly farm. I hoped this was going to be helpful.

My next stop was to Lukid, who was, as always, training guards and warriors. Working alongside him were Roland and Del, two soldiers who we had freed from the slaver Merrick. The three of them had immediately set to working together, and the results were impressive. Every single warrior and guard that Lukid deemed worthy was a fierce combatant, able to punch well above their weight in a fight, but now, they were working not as solo fighters, but as small teams. Roland and Del had offered advice on small unit tactics and the results were impressive. Watching them, it was clear that there was a world of difference between a warrior and a soldier. Now the lizard folk trained in groups and their melees were no longer one-on-one affairs. They covered each other’s weak spots and created opportunities for their companions to exploit. Their effectiveness had increased significantly, all from the addition of an outsider’s point of view.

Denel. Are you here to practice with that blade? Lukid nodded down at me. Even hunched over in the typical lizardman fashion, he stood over me by almost a foot.

No, warrior master. I’m just checking on things. Anything you need?

The giant lizardman tilted his head and flicked his tail. More of that metal to create spearheads.

I had offered two of the temple swords for Tesma, the surly manaforger, to use as she felt was best. She had immediately broken them down and made them into spearheads, that were then mated to strong boneforged shafts. The weapons were incredibly sharp and deadly. The only weakness was as Lukid had already said; we only had so many of them. In a battle, I expected some to be lost, and until we could recreate the secrets of the ancients and manufacture our own orichalcum, that was all we had.

What we did have, though, was an almost impenetrable defence on each and every warrior and guard. Through the boneforging skills of Tesma and my own ability to imbue my magic into items, I had created an enormous number of bone bracelets that acted as one-shot barriers. Each bracelet held a barrier against physical damage, elemental magic, or status effects and debuffs. We had determined that any given person could only be under two barrier effects from the bracelets, and so the lizard folk, being naturally heavily armoured, generally omitted the physical barrier from their loadout.

I hadn’t made just enough for the fighters. Because my role was protector of the faithful, I had worked with Votess and Tesma until there were enough bracelets for every man, woman and child, human or otherwise, and then I had imbued them all. It had been painful, but I could handle pain, especially when there was a goal.

Now every young one wore two bone bracelets, ready to be activated on a moment’s notice. Only the stealthiest opponent could injure them before they could protect themselves, and I’d secretly created a contingency in all the bracelets to activate the moment the wearer came under attack. I didn’t want any orphans, and I didn’t want any parents mourning their children. Not if there was something I could do about it.

Things were looking pretty good for Goddess Watch. I wondered how long they’d stay that way.

2

Today I was expecting a visit from Tytha Fair-weather and her husband Bronn. Both of them had sworn themselves to the service of the Goddess that ruled over the lizard folk, and now they were proving to be great friends to the village. Their current goal was to gain permission from the Adventurer’s Guild to permit our people, the lizard folk, to join the guild and thus fight in the city’s labyrinth.

I’d tried to get permission myself, but even my good working relationship with the flirty quartermaster Breanne hadn’t been enough. The guildmaster wouldn’t even entertain the idea. The common view was that lizard folk were monsters, not people, and if they were seen in the dungeon they would be exterminated.

Lucky for us, the Fair-weathers were nobility, albeit minor. Their name and the fact that they were known and respected members of the guild would hopefully carry some weight. I headed to the audience chamber, where Norrin Cobb had created his talismanic gate between our village and the Fair-weather estate. While I waited, I watched the comings and goings of the villagers who wanted to address the elders.

Telix, a childless and ancient lizard woman, was the more accepting of the two. Her counterpart, Krees, was the mother of my good friend Votess, but she was by far the more xenophobic. When I’d first met her, she’d listened to my case and then suggested I be executed. I’d talked my way out of that, but it hadn’t been pleasant. Now they both accepted me, at first mainly because I’d been instrumental in reviving the Goddess that we all served. As time had passed, I’d won them over by my own merits and dedication, or so I hoped.

The pair of them sat in their thrones, with an empty chair between them. That throne was reserved for the Goddess, or rather, her representative, which in this case was Votess. However, my friend wasn’t seated at the moment, nor was she even in the room. As usual, she was attending to the spiritual needs of the people, performing baptisms and healing any injured who might need assistance.

With a blue flash, the inlaid mithril on the floor powered up. Light rose and then in the middle of the gate my friends appeared. Tytha and her husband Bronn looked around and saw me, then turned to the elders. Both of the humans bowed respectfully, and then they approached me.

What’s the word? Hopefully you got through to the guild, I said.

Tytha tilted her head slightly and shrugged. Somewhat. The guildmaster is resistant to the idea, and he will not permit the people of the village to explore freely on their own. However, we negotiated a compromise.

As long as they are accompanied by one of the more typical races, they will be permitted to enter the labyrinth, said Bronn. He appeared embarrassed. I am sorry, but this was all they were willing to give us. Additionally, there must be no more than two of the lizard folk in any group.

I nodded. I hadn’t expected a miracle, and this was good enough. What did it cost us? The definition of a compromise was an agreement that nobody was happy with, after all.

Nothing permanent, said Tytha. We put up a bond of surety, to be returned if there are no incidents within the year.

Well, that wasn’t too bad. It would let us send some of the People to the town, get them seen and have the scaleless become used to the idea of us being like them. They’d gain valuable experience and hopefully better relationships with the humans and other races. I hoped that this agreement would start to bridge the divide.

I lifted my clawed right hand, a gift that the Goddess had given me after I’d lost my original limb returning Her to the world. I was halfway between the two worlds: born on Earth, but existing only in Aelterna. The pale-white scales were perfect as always, and the talons that tipped my fingers were razor-sharp. The hand reminded me that I was a living bridge between more than one divide. I was a Scaleless that had become one of the People, but I was also a human, born on Earth, who had come to live in Aelterna Online permanently. My life was definitely more complicated than I’d ever thought it would be, and I had no complaints.

About the other… said Bronn, trailing off.

The pair of them had a standing request from me: hire a midwife. Did you find anyone willing to come to the village? I’m ready to pay any price. Joenn and his wife Rachel were dead set against returning to Imillar. Neither of them were sworn to the Goddess or baptized, but they both respected Her and were grateful for Her protection.

We did. Tytha’s smile was bright and her expression animated. Beside her, Bronn smiled as well. It turns out… we are in need of one ourselves.

As it dawned on me what she meant, Bronn reached out and squeezed my taloned right hand. Thank you, my friend. Without your Goddess and the goodness of your people, we would not be celebrating this day.

I recalled the day we’d met. Bronn had been dying, his belly torn open by an Orc spear. Votess had saved him with her magic. The act hadn’t been without some consequence for us, but still, I wouldn’t have changed what we’d done.

So you’re… you have… a baby? On the way? I sounded like a fool, and I was sure I looked like one too, with a big dumb grin on my face.

Just so, said Bronn. The woman who assisted in my birth has passed into the afterlife, but her apprentice has agreed to serve as our midwife. She has also agreed to come here, and assist in the birth of Rachel’s child.

I pulled Bronn into a rough hug and squeezed the man tight. That’s great. I’m so damned happy for you two. When I released him, I did the same to Tytha. You’re always welcome here, and your child will be too. Any thoughts on names?

That’s a secret, said Tytha, with a wave of her finger.

Fair, I said. What about your day jobs?

The pair of them were adventurers in the city. Norrin Cobb, the talismancer who had created our gate, and Bronn’s brother Gil, an engineer with a knack for crossbows, filled out their party. As neither Gil nor Bronn were the first children of the family, they had no expectations of inheritance, and were free to live as they chose.

We will be taking some time for ourselves, said Tytha. In fact, we wish to spend more time here, amongst your—our—people.

Sure thing, I said. We can have Reath and Joenn build you something quick, so you aren’t sleeping in the dorms. What about Gil and Norrin?

Norrin is plying his trade as usual. His skills are in demand all over the city. Gil is serving with the guard for a term. I suspect he will be visiting us when he has leave, but neither of them will be adventuring without us.

With your permission, we’ll bring our midwife here right away. Tytha directed these words at Telix and Krees, who nodded. With a flash of actinic light, Tytha passed through the talismanic gate.

Bronn turned to me, and all the confidence in his face disappeared. Thank you for everything, Denel. I owe my life and the life of my child to our Goddess and your people’s kindness. Do you… do you have any children? On your other world? It was clear the man was looking for advice, but I wasn’t the right person to ask.

I shook my head. No, I didn’t really have any serious relationships over there. But you know, you could look to Joenn and Rachel. They’ve been here a while and they’d be willing to speak to you, I think.

Joenn and Rachel had taken a huge step into the unknown, following Mika from Imillar and settling here, amongst people that many would call inhuman monsters. The fear that Bronn was feeling was pretty thin compared to what Joenn must have felt, taking his pregnant wife away from everything he knew. I hoped that the man would take my advice and speak to them.

Blue light signalled the return of Tytha and with her, the midwife, or so I assumed. The woman who stood beside Tytha was short and broad and her face was reddened as if from spending too much time in a cold wind. If Mika was here, the woman would have barely come up to her shoulder. The midwife was a dwarf.

Hail, paladin. Savona is my name. I come at the request of the Fair-weather house, and I will stay until I’m no longer needed or wanted.

I stuck out my hand and the woman shook it. Her palm was smooth and soft but her grip was firm. Glad to have you here, and my friends will be too. Gotta ask though, you’re all right with our diversity?

Savona tilted her entire upper body to look past me at Telix and Krees. I am. I’ll serve any that need me. Human, elf, dwarf, or any that need aid in birthing. Something gleamed in her eyes.

What’s your fee schedule?

Savona smiled, showing broad, flat teeth. Oh my fees are paid already. My true desire can’t be measured in coin of mithril or gold. The first among a new people. Knowledge! How do their kind birth? How do they rear their children? I will learn and write and my name will be remembered. That is my fee, and I will earn it in time.

Krees chittered a laugh. It is good to see that not all scaleless see nothing beyond ‘money’. We will welcome you.

Thank you, elder. I will go now, and see the first of my clients. The dwarf bowed and followed Tytha from the room, with Bronn in tow.

I was left alone in the audience chamber, with only Telix and Krees and their guards, who stood still and silent. The two elders looked at me and then Krees beckoned me forward.

You Scaleless are so varied. Is that one a juvenile, or is it like Mika Hix: full grown but naturally small?

I chuckled. She’s a dwarf, and that’s likely as tall as she’ll get. Thank you for letting her stay. With two pregnant women and doubtlessly more to come, she’ll be a great asset.

Your reproduction is strange. Why carry your young inside you? It must impede your daily activities. And it is always the females who carry the young. An imbalanced system.

I couldn’t argue with Krees. You’re not wrong. From our point of view, your lack of monogamy and marriage is a little strange, to say nothing of the idea of egg clutches and communal rearing.

Which do you think is better? asked Telix.

I shook my head. I’m a man, a male, and I don’t have any children, so I’m gonna keep my opinion to myself.

A good choice. Speak with authority on what you know, but hold your silence on what you do not. This will lead you to wisdom.

Outside, the village was active. The archery range was filled with people, including the young lizard woman I had named Arc. Her mother had died to a player attack and the girl had found a place in my heart. I watched her draw and fire arrow after arrow, her motions fluid and her accuracy excellent.

When she saw me, she set her bow down and walked to me. Her body had grown significantly in the past few weeks, perhaps as a result of her baptism and ritual bonding to the Goddess. She was approaching her full growth and would soon be able to patrol alongside the fully-trained guards.

Denel. Why are you here? Do you need my help?

No, I was just wandering and found myself here. You’re very good with that bow. I nodded at her target, which was riddled with arrows, every one in or near the bullseye.

I have practiced very hard. Lukid says that I am skilled enough to serve, but as I am Named, he does not know when to release me from my training.

That’s a good question. Previously, the lizard folk had Named their people only when they finished their training in whatever vocation they had chosen, but now, with the Goddess back, they were Named at baptism. I personally had overseen the Naming of both Arc and the Returned girl named Caylix.

It is a time of great change for us. I am proud to live in these times, when the Goddess lives again and our people are reaching out.

I was considering what to say to my friend when shouts rose up from the human living area, which was near to the archery range. Arc picked up her bow and together we raced to the epicentre of the commotion.

When we arrived, I saw the humans encircling something, pushing and shoving to get a better position. I elbowed my way in, assisted by Arc and her broad body. When I finally saw what everyone was staring at, I gasped.

Savona stood over the body of a nude human male, his inner thigh cut open and his blood spreading in a wide pool. She held a small, bright blade in her hand, like a scalpel, and she was utterly spotless. Not a single drop of blood had touched her, other than what had stained the edge of her knife.

What the fuck? I grabbed the dwarf woman by her shoulder.

She looked up at me, without an iota of fear or concern on her face. Killed him. Was he a friend?

I looked at the man. His face was completely unfamiliar. Anyone know this guy?

All the humans shook their heads. Arc turned to me and flicked her tongue out. I do not recognize his scent. He is clean, as if he has never been dirty in his life.

Never seen the like, said Tomma, the smith. He showed up out of thin air, he did.

The humans all started to speak at once, but I focused on Savona. She spoke clearly and without any excitement. "This human appeared in front of me, while I was walking. He