“Everywhere the human soul stands between a hemisphere of light and another of darkness; on the confines of the two everlasting empires, necessity and free will.”

  Thomas Carlyle, Scottish Philosopher

  By the time the shark reached their defensive circle, it had been gutted by Xavier’s black blade, skewered by Calista’s spear and Sapphire’s trident, and roasted by Rain’s fire. Fragments of the dead shark slid across the deck and back into the sea.

  “That wasn’t a monster,” Calista shouted across the galley. “It was a normal shark. What the hell is… fuck!”

  Thousands of fish – tuna, manta rays, barracuda, cod, an entire school of anchovies, and two more sharks – erupted from the ocean and cascaded over the galley in a tidal wave of fishy flesh. Calista twirled her spear, but there were too many to deflect. She felt her shield pop as a haddock managed to get through her defense, which caused the fish to launch forty feet into the air and over the stern of The Retribution.

  A second later, she was struck in the face by a salmon. It didn’t hurt – her toughness being what it was – but she gagged at the taste it left on her lips.

  Across the galley, the protective shields around her friends popped one-by-one as the deck became covered in dead and dying sea life.

  “Damn it, if anyone has any ideas, now’s the time,” Calista both yelled. As she did, an anchovy landed in her open mouth and flopped around before Calista spit it out, her stomach churning.

  Cosmo handed his guitar to Passi – the notes still playing the plucky tune – and pulled out his deck of cards. With a quick shuffle, he drew the top three cards with a flick of his wrist. The cards hung in the air in front of him, glowing in the light of Rain’s fire orbs.

  “Ah, this one might work,” Cosmo said, ignoring the fish that pummeled the back of his head. He selected the middle card – a tower shield that looked like the one Stone possessed – and flicked it onto the deck between their two defensive circles.

  The card stuck into the wood at a forty-five-degree angle and dissolved in a flash of blue light. In its place sprang a massive ethereal tower shield – translucent blue and stretching the length of The Redemption. It also rested at a forty-five-degree angle, creating an inclined ramp. The fish struck the shield with a wet splat, and their momentum carried them up the ramp and launched them over the galley and into the water beyond.

  Calista watched as the river of fish flowed over them. The constant splat of fish made a sound like rain on a tin roof, and the smell that wafted around them made her want to throw up. It was as if she’d found herself in the world’s worst aquarium.

  “That should hold for a few minutes,” Cosmo said nonchalantly, wandering over to the edge of the galley and looking up at the river of fish flowing over the top of the ramp.

  Calista watched in both shock and amusement as the old man leaned over the rail – his head inches away from the fishy flood – and opened his inventory. The screen appeared, and every fish that touched it was added to his inventory.

  By the time the flood finally stopped – the final creature was a massive swordfish that flopped straight into his inventory – Cosmo had collected almost two thousand fish across dozens of species, though that was just a fraction of the fish genocide that now lay scattered on the surface of the water.

  Cosmo closed his screen, straightened, and rejoined the defensive circle. The shield expired, and the card reformed and flew back into his deck.

  “I call dips on any weird fish you caught,” Rain whispered to Cosmo. Cosmo gave her a non-committal grin.

  The whole experience felt surreal – even for the God Contest – but Calista shook away feeling. Her hair stood on end as the darkness grew deeper.

  “It’s not over yet. Stay sharp,” Calista called, as the darkness began to spiral around them – an angry cyclone with the galley at its epicenter. Strips of black lightning arced across the cyclone and struck where the thousands of fish lay dead. “Oh, that’s not going to be good.”

  The water began to boil, and the air filled with the stench of decay. The fish began to move, their flesh joining together to form a tentacle as long as the galley. It was not the only one. Seven more tentacles formed, and what remained coalesced into a bulbous, octopus-like head, with two manta rays where its eyes should be.

  Calista didn’t hesitate. She hurled her Spear of Pinga straight for one of its manta eyes. The moment the spear left her fingers, she used her Companion of Artemis talent.

  “Oh, that can’t be good,” Calista said with trepidation, as her Spear of Pinga struck home. With a flick of her wrist, Calista activated her spear manipulation and directed her spear to carve a path through the Dead School’s fishy flesh. The others joined in the attack, pelting it with whatever ranged magic and weapons they had.

  Cosmo drew another three cards, picked one, and imbedded it in an oar. The fifteen-foot-long oar began to move on its own. It threw itself into the water, floated over to the Dead School, and proceeded to smack it in the face over and over. Each blow created a slap and a squelch that rang out across the galley.

  “What the hell is that Cosmo?” Calista shouted, recalling her spear. Cosmo didn’t respond, already picking his next card.

  As she caught her spear, its shaft slippery with fish guts, the first of the tentacles swung for their deck, trying to shatter it into pieces. It clipped Lucy as it swung across the deck, and she was hurled into the galley railing

  Xavier leapt to the front of their defense and closed the distance to the tentacle, his blade glowing a menacing purple. He swung, and an arc of purple fire flowed from the blade. It collided with the tentacle, and the tentacle shattered into a thousand fishy pieces.

  “The Blade Master’s Flame,” Xavier said smugly, his eyes on Calista. “Better than a spear in these circumstances. Strong to piercing damage, weak to slashing. Remember that.”

  Calista was about to respond with a snarky comment when she saw the fish pieces begin to move. They flopped off the deck and towards the octopus form, where they reabsorbed into its mass. From within its form, the tentacle began to reform.

  “Apparently slashing isn’t good enough,” Calista responded, but there was no venom in her words. “Shit, we’re in trouble. How the hell do we kill this thing?”

  * * *

  The ventilation shaft twisted and turned around the main control room, suspended from the ceiling before dropping down to where Tutoria #0788 lay unmoving. The secret control panel was located at the base of the control column, just behind the Tutoria.

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  Only a few feet away, Luna unscrewed the fastenings of the nearest grille so she could squeeze through and reach the panel.

  “Come on. Come one,” Luna quietly muttered as the final screw gave way. “Yes!”

  She caught the screw in her hand as it fell, put it in her pocket, and carefully pulled aside the two-foot-wide grille. Squeezing through the narrow gap – her heart in her chest – she quietly crawled over to the control column. She waited a few seconds to ensure the Tutoria didn’t move, took a deep breath, and slid open the access panel at the back of the column.

  Inside was a single, black-and-white monitor and a keyboard with thousands of tiny keys, each labeled with a different symbol – the language of Hephaestus. It was an old model – one created when her Sanctuary was young and built over as the Sanctuary expanded – but it would be good enough for her needs.

  Hidden away from the Tutorias, her fingers flew across the keys and The Redemption appeared on the monitor.

  “The madness dragged The Dead School from the archive? If these madness clouds can draw upon failed designs, they are more dangerous than anyone knows. The Dead School is the least of what remained unfinished,” Luna muttered with concern. She watched Xavier destroy one of the tentacles with his attack, only for the tentacle to quickly reform. “They need to get out of there. Nothing less than master-class magic can put a permanent dent in that thing. It’s beyond them.”

  Luna shifted to the ocean’s environmental controls. “I can’t affect the madness storm directly – not without a scan from Milly – but I might be able to help them run. Unless the Arena of Protection and the Dragon of Endless Shadows, this madness event hasn’t contained them within a cage. Let me just…”

  Luna tapped out commands on the keyboard at an incredible speed. “Wind. Current. Waves. Hang on, girls, this might get a little bumpy.”

  Luna slammed down on the ‘execute’ button to set her commands in motion.

  Silently shutting the access panel, Luna turned to climb back into the ventilation shaft.

  Only to find Tutoria #0788 staring directly at her.

  * * *

  Rain’s fire erupted from her palms and flowed over the creature’s bulbous head like a flamethrower. Calista flinched at the heat, yet the monstrous composite didn’t even slow its attack.

  Three tentacles shot out towards The Redemption. Xavier’s Blade Master’s Flame destroyed one and a combination of Elmer, Billy, and Alison’s attacks destroyed a second, but the third struck between their two defensive circles, creating a great fissure across the deck of The Redemption and punching a hole into the hold below. Splinters of fractured deck and broken oars hurled into the air and rained down upon the players.

  “My ship!” Samson howled in fury. He pressed his hands tightly together and a cannonball of ghostly light formed. He thrust his fist, and the spectral cannonball shot out and severed the tentacle.

  Yet the effort did little to slow the creature’s attack. It raised three more tentacles to strike at the ship, and the others were already starting to reform.

  “Damn it! Rain, explosion potions. Cosmo, if you have anything more offensive in that deck, now’s the time. Xavier, do… Xavier stuff. Don’t let those tentacles hit us! We’ll… shit!”

  The galley suddenly lurched forward and threw Calista off balance.

  “The current shifted,” called Sapphire, glancing over the edge at the sea. “And gotten faster. A lot faster.”

  “And the wind’s picked up too,” Samson added as the sails filled so full that their stitching threatened to come loose. The masts began to creak from the strain.

  Samson ran over and placed his hand against the larger mast. The shipwright dumped his remaining magic to solidify both mast and sail. The mast glowed a ghostly green and turned translucent, and The Redemption picked up speed.

  The fortification came at a cost. The smaller mast – its sails too full – snapped in two eight feet up the mast. It came crashing down, and the impact created a second fissure in the deck and nearly crushed Lucy and Minerva.

  The galley sped away from The Dead School, propelled by both current and wind though the darkness. The Dead School – not wanting to be robbed of its kill – gave chase.

  The waves grew, becoming white-capped tsunami swells that towered over both ship and monster. The players hung onto the deck as The Redemption rode up the wave and crashed down the other side.

  Calista wrapped Passi in her arms and held her close, her mind whirling. The darkness was all around them, and, despite their speed, The Dead School was gaining on them.

  “Come on, girl!” Calista said, tapping the splintered deck. “Stay together. Get us out of here.”

  At the stern of the ship, everyone with ranged attacks had gathered to fend off the creature’s advance. Rain’s explosion vial ripped a hole in its bulbous head. Lucy created small icebergs in the water that slowed its momentum. Minerva pulled a Japanese-style longbow from her inventory and fired an arrow at its manta eye. The arrow split into three and lodged into the mantis with a thump thump thump before the arrows ignited with chemical fire. Elmer hurled this throwing axe, slicing through the tip of a tentacle before reappearing back in his hands.

  Their collective attacks managed to keep The Dead School from gaining on them, but if they slowed down their attacks – or if the current slowed – it would be on them in seconds.

  Sapphire and Samson hauled the small mast back into place as they fought, Alison channeled her Wood magic to repair the mast.

  “We’re not doing jack shit to this thing,” Elmer shouted across the deck. “Calista, any ideas?”

  “Just keep attacking it,” Calista called back. “If we aren’t attacking, we’re retreating, and my Coward’s Folly penalty will kick in. Keep it up as long as you can.”

  Calista held Passi’s hand, and they headed to the stern, falling in beside Rain just as the monster grasped hold of the hull of the ship with two tentacles. The Redemption lurched as its speed slowed, and the monster dragged itself towards the ship. Two more tentacles shot out from the water, barreling straight into Elmer and Lucy, who were hurled across the ship. They crashed into the hull, crying out in pain as ribs snapped from the impact.

  In unison, Rain hurled her daggers left while Passi hurled hers right, both using metal magic to swirl the blades as if they were circular saws. The daggers sliced through the tentacles and returned to their hands. Calista hurled the Spear of Pinga, ricocheting it through the creature to slow it down. Xavier joined, and his purple fire lashed out to sever the tentacles that had struck Elmer and Lucy.

  Then, as if someone had suddenly turned on a light, The Redemption burst out of the darkness. The afternoon sun beamed down upon them – the ocean calm once more. The waves returned to a gentle roll, wind died down, and the current slowed. The galley drifted on the water, unmoving.

  The Dead School stopped at the edge of the darkness, held within that cloud of chaos. Its tentacles shot out, but where it touched light, the creature’s form collapsed, raining dead fish across the water.

  The cloud of madness drifted north – away from their ship – and The Dead School receded into its depths. Only when they were certain it wouldn’t deviate from its course did they finally let down their guard and breathe a sigh of relief.

  Passi and Ying headed to heal Elmer and Lucy, as Calista leaned against the galley’s fractured rail, trying to calm her mind.

  “Fuck!” swore Xavier next to her, sheathing his blade. “The system didn’t give us any experience for that. What a waste.”

  Calista stared at him – speechless – and then burst out with uncontrolled laughter. Everyone, even Xavier, joined in as they basked in the relief of their survival.

  “We’re going to have to find a place to make repairs,” breathed Samson as their mirth finally faded. “The damage to the hull is too extensive to continue on like this.”

  Calista summoned Aquila, who soared into the air.

  “There’s an island fifteen miles to the west. It should have what you need,” Calista reported.

  “So… we’re only eight hours away from the Castle of Glass,” Billy stated. “And were not even close to the Arena. Just what have you guys dragged me into?”

  Calista thought back on their journey to the Arena of Protection – the battle with Red Fang and having to carry an unconscious Milly for days across the empty prairie.

  “It’s just getting started, Billy,” Calista replied, solemnly. “We’ve got harder times than this ahead.”

  * * *

  Tutoria #0788 held Luna’s arm tightly as #0001 – The Prime – looked down from atop her platform at the helpless AI Director

  #0788’s mind reeled. Her world felt fuzzy, and areas of grey now existed in her mind where none had existed before. She’d instinctively grabbed the Director and brought her before the Prime, yet with every second that passed, #0788 grew less certain that doing so had been the right choice.

  It was an uncomfortable feeling – this uncertainty, this potential for choice. It was a new experience, and it made her… itchy. As if cockroaches were crawling beneath her skin.

  “Crawling through the ventilation shaft. Clever,” the Prime said with a smirk. “Tell me, #0788, what did she get up to on her little adventure?”

  #788 knew she should tell the Prime the truth – that the Director interfered with the game through a secret access panel. And yet… this swirl of thoughts in her head…

  “She was… spying on us, Prime,” #0788 lied – the first lie she’d ever told. The cockroaches kept crawling. “She was only outside her room for a few minutes before I found her.”

  “Such a waste of an opportunity,” the Prime said, mock disappointment flooding every word. “I would have expected more from you, Director. You can take her back to her room now, #0788. We’ve sealed the access panel – she won’t escape again.”

  Tutoria #0788 dragged the struggling Director back to her room and gently sat her on the bed.

  “Just… be good, Luna,” #0788 advised, though the advice felt wrong – the Director was not the enemy. “If you give us… her… what she wants, everything will be…”

  #0788 didn’t know how to finish that sentence.

  “Leave me alone, mindless program,” Luna spat, curling herself up in her thin blanket and quietly sobbing into her pillow as Tutoria closed the door behind her.

  Tutoria snapped the lock into place, and she leaned against the door, staring at the ceiling.

  Mindless program… she didn’t feel mindless.

  Not anymore.

  “What have I become?”

  The Non-Canonical Aftermath: