The Oracle Paths

[Jake (Leader): I need your help. I'm near Laudarvik, in Icarden province, Ret'Asi Empire. Those who can, please join me.]

That was Jake's style. Concise, straight to the point, but not forceful. If they didn't want to come, he wouldn't hold it against them, but with their Intelligence stats none of the Myrtharian Nerds were so naive as to think he wouldn't remember the names of the absentees.

Whether they thrived, stagnated, or floundered in the future might depend on whether they responded to his call or not.

At first, his message was like a pebble falling into a pond. Some of the not-so-busy members noticed, but it was mostly the regular Players, who were chatting about everything and anything.

Will had been so annoyed by this that he had long since added other communication rooms, including one for "Requests, Sharing Information", another for mundane discussions and other similar rooms depending on the level of authority and responsibility of the members. The main chat where Jake had dropped his message was reserved for important announcements from the officers and even they refrained from posting on it if it was not absolutely necessary.

[Xort: My lord, may I know the reason if it is not improper?]

The old goblin and his wife Niss may have come from a primitive world, but they quickly became accustomed to the Oracle's technology. Their IQs were initially a true liability, although they were quite shrewd for goblins or they wouldn't have lived this long. However, after three consecutive Ordeals they were now fairly smart.

To ask this question might seem disrespectful, but the old goblin knew his limits. To best help his savior, he needed to know his circumstances.

Jake's answer came quickly, and it was as short as ever.

[Jake: Another player faction that I need to teach a lesson to. It's either me or them.]

Gasp!

The Players who had been silently monitoring the conversation felt their hair stand on end as they read the text, their blood boiling with excitement. Their leader was promising to lead them to war! How glorious that would be!

[Nicolet: I'm in. Let's kill them all!]

The Player still harbored intense resentment towards the actions of Bhuzkok and Shaktilar's factions that had put them through hell in the past. He had graduated from his three Ordeals with an excellent rating and was now a skilled warrior. His buddies Diccon and Takoyaki would have loved to be there, but he could make them proud by helping their leader teach those bastards a lesson.

[Ingranus the Bold: Count me in too. My spear and my old bones will fight to the death.]

As expected from a former knight. After three Ordeals, the old spearman had grown noticeably younger, looking like a thirty-year-old at the prime of his life. Among the ordinary members of the Myrtharian Nerds, he was by far the strongest and wisest.

After these first two volunteers, a dozen or so responses quickly followed with a flock of players eager to prove their worth in battle and get in their leader's good graces. This did not last, though, and soon the chatroom fell silent. Most of the Players were either busy or in no hurry to make their decision.

After a while a timid message appeared in the thread.

[Secyone: I wish I could come but I can't fly. Can someone come and pick up my sons and I?]

[Peter Brady: Where are you? I just had a bounty put on my head by the King of Dagot and I have to flee the kingdom anyway. If you give me your location, I can pick you up.]

The former redheaded lawyer was unfamiliar with this character, and while any help was welcome, she couldn't help but express her reservations.

[Secyone: It's okay by me, but what did you do to get chased by an entire kingdom?]

[Peter Brady: I don't know. I found some kind of herb with a scratchy purple starfish-like flower in a park and I swear, with one sniff, it flipped my brain. The best shit I've ever tested. I gathered everything I could. How could I have guessed that this park was actually the palace gardens and that this grass was actually this kingdom's Godly Spirit? By the time I realized that those jerks were worshipping a fucking flower, it was too late...]

[Everyone: ...]

[Lord Phenix: This Overlord agrees to offer you his help. With my presence, you can consider your problem solved.]

[Everyone: ...]

Jake nearly choked on the orange turkey's condescending message. The real shocker was that he hadn't yet ended up roasted on a native's plate. Still, he couldn't demean him after he had so generously offered to help. Maybe he'd regret it when he got there.

[Jake: Sure... I can't wait to see it with my own eyes.]

After that, there was no response and Jake began to prepare for the inevitable confrontation. Meanwhile, in the Ret'Asi Empire and surrounding lands, this announcement went on to cause a stir on the continent.

*****

On a calm sea stretching as far as the eye could see south of Quanoth, a massive three-masted galleon braved the waves, its red sails and skull-and-crossbones flag striking fear into the hearts of fishermen, merchants, and ocean creatures across the region. Huge oars swung powerfully back and forth in unison, propelling the buoyant fortress at a blistering pace despite the lack of wind.

On the ship, the atmosphere was quite different.

On board, hundreds of reconverted pirates were busy with their duties, a servile and submissive expression on their faces at all times. At the back of the ship, a bubbly young woman with pink hair tied back in a ponytail, and sporting a healthy tan, was barking orders while holding the helm. She had traded in her pretty, form-fitting armor for a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves and leather pants and boots.

Her looks could turn the head of any man and stimulate the perverted instincts of the most squeamish of eunuchs, but none of those notorious former pirates with criminal records would dare to fantasize about her giddy cleavage. The last one who tried to make a pass at her had ended up as fish poo ages ago...

This dreaded and dashing pirate captain was Enya.

At that moment, the door of the lower cabin on the deck burst open and another woman looking just like her, but with a slightly shorter haircut, came out with an overexcited expression on her face. Without a doubt, it could only be Esya.

With a somersault, she landed on the dock next to her sister and shouted,

"Jake left a message! He needs us!"

The ship's captain momentarily let go of the helm to consult their faction's chat and after finishing her reading a giggle escaped from her mouth, then she barked,

"It has been a pleasure to have you under my command, but alas, we have to part with you. If you want to keep fighting by my side, destination Laudarkvik. If not... I wish you all the best and hope you don't do any more stupid things. "

On these words, Esya and Enya undressed unashamedly in front of the horny pirate crowd to put on their armor, then by releasing a burst of scarlet flames took off into the skies, turning into a trail of reddish light heading towards Laudarkvik.

Still dumbfounded several minutes after their departure, these abandoned pirates quickly reverted to their former selves. A pirate was still a pirate.

"We're free!"

"We need a new captain!"

"And that can only be me, Bolat!"

"You? Peeh! And why not your sister while we're at it? At least she wouldn't have too much competition since she sucked the whole crew dry, bwahaha!"

BAM!

"I-I'll kill you!"

A full-blown fight soon broke out, repainting the ship's deck with blood, but it was already no longer the two sisters' concern. It wasn't until long after the battle was over that the survivors realized that all the treasure they had amassed over the past three months was gone from the hold.

*****

Empire of Ret'Asi, Gondonete Castle.

A long siege had just ended. On the southern rampart, a beautiful woman in bronze armor with olive skin and long golden hair and irises was admiring her new army. Several hundred battle-hardened knights in shining armor stood fearlessly alongside several thousand lizard men with a pair of membranous wings on their backs: Dragonids.

Lucia, summoned here with the identity of a Knight Captain, had defeated the invasion and gained control of the stronghold after the death of her general. At this point, she too received notification of Jake's message. After reading it, her expression changed and a fierce glint flickered in her eyes.

"My friends... another war awaits me. It has been an honor to fight alongside you."

She bowed to them, then left with red eyes, leaving the two reconciled armies stunned. All those familiar faces, those brothers in arms she had fought with, she would probably never see them again.

As she traveled down the path, she heard a deafening commotion and the earth shook slightly beneath her feet. Turning around, she saw several hundred knights mounted on their noble steeds and several thousand Dragonids with resolute expressions. She burst out laughing, a happy tear rolling down her cheek.

Jake would not be disappointed with her performance.

*****

In a desolate jungle, a black oriental dragon nearly half a kilometer long lay lacerated on a half-destroyed mountain. Its breathing was labored, and its huge yellow eyes with slit pupils glared helplessly at a pale, black-haired young man with a dark blade in his hand.

"Will you submit?" Sigmar asked gently as he pointed his sword at the creature.

The staring duel lasted an instant, but eventually the invincible dragon surrendered. The former Fluid Grandmaster had just signed a Pet Contract with the creature when he received a notification. Reading the message, he mumbled thoughtfully,

"I've been in this faction for a while and haven't contributed much. Well, I owe him that much. Let's see how he does after all this time..."

A man and a dragon flew off together, leaving the lawless, ruleless Wilderness to head for a dying civilization.