Grand Game 243: The Silent Brethren (Patreon)

Unsurprisingly, finding out how the Houses had fallen sent Kolath into a spiral of rage.

For all that the guardian claimed to be a construct, he was unlike any other construct I’d encountered. Granted, those didn’t number very many, but I’d assumed they were all lifeless, mechanical beings with little autonomy of their own.

Whatever Kolath was, he was not that.

The guardian construct was clearly sentient and possessed of an abundance of emotions—emotions which often seemed to run rampant and get the better of him. Perhaps that was a result of Kolath’s great age or long slumber, but it left me doubting the soundness of his mind.

It took me longer than I liked, but eventually, I managed to diffuse the guardian’s anger. Unfortunately, the reprieve was only temporary, and he started anew almost immediately.

“These new Powers, they killed the Primes?” Kolath asked me for what felt like the dozenth time.

I nodded wearily.

“Those upstarts! How dare they?”

I said nothing.

“Do they not understand what they’ve done? They’ve placed this entire world in jeopardy!” The statue quivered, the light in his eyes pulsing ominously. “They will learn, though,” he vowed. “When my brethren and I are done with them, they will regret their foolish actions.”

I opened my mouth to head off the impending outburst, then closed it with a snap. If the last hour had taught me anything, it was that nothing I did would quell the guardian.

But to my surprise, only a moment later, Kolath sagged, his newfound energy rushing out of him like the tide. “But it is too late,” the guardian lamented. “I am not what I was, nor are my brothers and sisters.” He turned to me. “Thank you.”

I stared at him. “For what?”

The guardian smiled. “For listening to my tirade.” He sighed. “I fear the world has passed me by, and I’m not sure if my brethren and I serve any purpose anymore.”

I sat up. “I doubt that. Tell me what you need doing, and we can find out.”

Kolath didn’t say anything, but he closed his eyes, and a moment later, words appeared in my mind.

The guardian, Kolath, has allocated you a new task: The Silent Brethren. Kolath’s brother and sisters are not responding to his hails. Your objective is to discover why this is the case.

I scanned the Game’s message avidly, not sure which surprised me more—the seemingly simplistic nature of the task or the fact that the guardian could allocate me one.

“Where can I find your brethren?” I asked after I dismissed the task message.

“I don’t know,” Kolath replied.

I stared at him, nonplussed.

A gravelly chuckle echoed through my mind. “In case you’ve not noticed, I’m a statue. I’ve never visited them in person.”

“Then how did you—”

“We conversed through our minds across the breadth of the realm. My brothers and sisters could be in any sector.” He paused. “Any dungeon sector, that is. Us guardians were only built in the Nethersphere. Our mission was—and still is, I suppose—to uphold the barriers and portals that hold back the nether.”

“I see,” I said, not entirely sure I did, but willing to let the matter lie for now. “And how will uncovering the reason for your brethren’s silence buy more time?”

Kolath didn’t reply immediately. “It is but the first step. I fear that if the other guardians are no longer able to communicate, they will be equally incapable of fulfilling their primary function.” He looked at me soberly. “If the barriers fall, nothing will stop the nether from reclaiming the dungeons sectors. And that would be bad. The Forever Kingdom cannot survive without the Endless Dungeon.”

My brows furrowed. If what Kolath was saying was true, then the guardians served a function vital not just to me but to every player and Power. “And if I do find the other guardians, what then?”

“Help them fulfill their task however you can. Keeping the Endless Dungeon open is only a stop-gap measure, but an important one.”

On the tail end of Kolath’s words, another Game message dropped open in my mind.

Your task: The Silent Brethren has been updated. You have learned that barriers protecting each dungeon sector from the nether are upheld and maintained by the guardians. Optional objective added: Aid the guardians in fulfilling their mission.

“Wow,” I breathed. “That sounds like a mammoth task. I understand your hesitancy in accepting my help better now.”

There was no response.

Wondering at the reason for the guardian’s latest bout of silence, I looked up to see the light in the statue’s eyes fading. “Kolath?”

The glow in his eyes dimmed further.

Growing alarmed, I rose to my feet. “Guardian? Are you still there?”

“I am, but not for much longer,” he whispered. “Granting you the task has consumed the last of my energy.”

“Wait,” I shouted. “Just a little longer. Please. I still have so many questions!”

But it was too late.

The light of life animating the statue vanished entirely, leaving only inert stone in its wake.

Your tithe has been fully consumed. The Guardian has returned to slumber.

Behind me, the crystal gate slid open again. But with my gaze still locked on the lifeless statue, I barely noticed.

Damnation. What now?

~~~

The seconds ticked by, and I didn’t move.

My gaze fixed on the statue, I scoured my mind for the least sign of Kolath, but it remained starkly empty. The other voice that had occupied it for the past hour was gone.

Finally, I accepted the inevitable: the guardian was asleep.

Sighing, I  swung around and left the walled compound, my steps heavy as I pondered my new task. In many ways, completing Kolath’s quest sounded as crucial as fulfilling my other ones. Yet, it was not time-sensitive. The guardians had been asleep for hundreds of years, after all. Finding the constructs and aiding them could be delayed a few months, if not years.

And right now, I had bigger things to worry about—like what awaited me back in Nexus. I drew to a halt before the nether portal. It was time to exit the dungeon and reenter the Game.

What will I find on the other side? I wondered.

Nearly a year had gone by. Had the city changed at all? Was the intrigue I’d been caught up in still ongoing? More importantly, did the mantises still hunt me? Were dozens of assassins awaiting my arrival on the other side of the gate?

That didn’t seem likely—not after all this time—but I couldn’t afford to assume I’d been entirely forgotten either. I had to prepare for the worst.

Sitting down cross-legged, I considered my player profile.

You have reached level 129. Void armor operational. Current charge: 100%.

Active buffs: +5% damage reduction and +2.5% resistance to air, earth, fire, water, shadow, light, and dark magic.

If the mantises were lurking on the other side, I didn’t expect my void armor to be much help against them. Blades and poisons were the assassins’ weapons of choice, and my new Class didn’t increase my resistance against either.

Still, my own bladework and mind skills had improved considerably since our last encounter, and if the mantises expected me to be easy prey, they had an unpleasant surprise coming.

Sadly, though, my gear had taken a step backward. I still wore my bone-hide armor, and while it had grown on me over time, the cumbersome armor was no match for my previous leather armor and chameleon belt.

I was a weapon short too. The second shortsword I’d entered the dungeon with was blunt, chipped, and about as useful as a stick. Reluctantly, I set it aside—there was no point being weighed down more than I needed to be. Ebonheart alone would have to suffice until I could retrieve my belongings from Kesh.

You have lost a shortsword, +1, blunt!

Next, I considered the rest of my gear. The snow-cone map was the only item of real value among them, and for obvious reasons, I was reluctant to part with it. It was both a testament to my time in the tundra and a priceless navigational tool.

But I couldn’t take it with me.

The risk of it falling into the wrong hands was too great, and though the chances of anyone else using it to decipher the route to the hidden sector was low, it was still possible. Sighing, I tore up the map and buried its remains in the dirt.

You have lost a snow-cone map.

I rose to my feet, leaving behind the rest of my backpack’s contents. There was only one last thing to do. Closing my eyes, I drew on my stamina.

You have cast reaction buff, increasing your Dexterity by +4 ranks for 20 minutes.

You have cast lighten load, reducing your total armor penalties to 0% for 20 minutes. Net effect: +7 Dexterity and +4 Magic.

I was finally ready. Alright, time to do this. Drawing, ebonheart, I stepped through the portal.

Transfer through portal commencing…

…

…

Passage completed!

Leaving sector 109. Entering the Forever Kingdom.