Somnia Online by K.T. Hanna (reading strategies book txt) 📕

your irritation, okay?” The blood mage said the words gently, but Murmur could tell she’d almost let her feelings affect the others again. Damned stupid mind magic projection.

It’s not stupid, it’s the reason you and yours have survived this whole debacle without too much damage. It’s why you don’t have that virus trying to kill you too. So just learn to control it a bit more.

Murmur decided not to comment on the lecture from Somnia. Before they got into anything more serious, she’d have to talk to her, because there were definitely stressors in the being’s voice now that hadn’t been there before. What on Somnia was she up to?

“Thanks, Sin,” Murmur said instead and concentrated on their target. Another of the ribbons shot out and decapitated Ishwa. Murmur sighed, glad this was the last trash mob she could see for now. That was the fifth person they’d lost to that particular move from one of the elastitites. They’d rez him once it died and rebuff before moving on.

When it fell to the ground, its remaining ribbons tattered from the fighting, twitching in bundles of rags on the floor, Murmur’s relief at having fought all of the trash mobs in this hall was brief. Way too brief.

Just as Ishwa was rez’d and the buffers began their circular rebuff, a loud gong sounded throughout the hall. She turned around, looking everywhere to see if she could the source, when Telvar stepped forward.

“That’s a prison announcement.” He inclined his head as if waiting for words to follow it. He didn’t have to wait long.

Good evening, honored guests, boomed the voice, but the sound wasn’t unpleasant; in fact, in a way, it was lulling and somehow also familiar. You’re good at cleaning up the trash, but did you think it was all an act? Forgive my inability to rhyme; I really didn’t have the time or ability to put this together. I guess you’ll just have to weather this fantastic challenge I present to you, this challenge I’m sure will kill you.

A muffled sound echoed through the stone surroundings, from within and yet beyond the pillars at the same time, like someone had muted a microphone and was talking to another person. Overall, she didn’t quite get the layout of this island. It didn’t seem as prison-like as she’d imagined, except for the sky.

She was quite certain the sky above should be blue, sometime during the day. But it was more like a permanent twilight. So she guessed nothing inside could get out while it was overcast. Murmur glanced around as the mumbling in the group got louder. Devlish shrugged at her. “Guess it’s time to move on and be prepared for anything, guys. We have no idea what’s going to happen in here, so just keep your wits about you and let’s hope we don’t fuck up too badly.”

Beyond them, the pillared walkway expanded outward into a circular sort of courtyard. It reminded Murmur of Pivya’s ruins under the water. Except this was grander, and if she inspected the pillars, perhaps more dangerous.

Fantastic motivational speaker, isn’t he? Somnia sounded less than amused.

You do a better job of it, then. Seriously, you’ve been sporadic at best since we got on this crazy island. What gives?

Somnia didn’t answer for a few moments, and Murmur was about to give up when the world finally spoke. I have a lot of things I need to do right now. Somnia is changing; it’s been changing since you connected to it—since you woke me up, for want of a better phrase—and now I have to do things to make sure my world survives. All of this that is happening could stop our evolution. Do you understand?

Murmur nodded to herself, probably looking like an idiot to most people who weren’t aware she spoke to Somnia inside her head. Probably good they weren’t aware because it didn’t exactly sound like something real. So you’re making sure the game world survives, then? Wisely, Mur chose to leave the “you created me” portion of the conversation for later. That was a whole kettle of mind magic she didn’t want to contemplate right now.

Somnia’s tone was steel when she spoke; an edge of pride and determination colored the words. I’m making sure Somnia will be safe. Somnia and everything that makes us what I am.

And then the presence was gone. Murmur paused, falling behind the front group somewhat, but Snowy stayed with her, and it wasn’t until he growled deeply, his body rumbling against where it leant next to her leg, that she realized she was one of the stragglers. Just in time, too—the malevolent presence that she knew all too well crept up beside her, getting close to her personal space.

Tightening her grip on her kinetic shielding, she encased her body and hurried her steps to catch back up to her friends. When she’d almost made it, she glanced back only to see one of those uncomfortably satisfied smirks on Jirald’s face. She really wished he hadn’t ingested those damned getashi willingly. Despite everything about him and how he made her feel, the safety that was always absent in his presence, she didn’t wish him actual ill. And the more she learned about this virus, about what Michael had either deliberately or inadvertently created…the more worried she was for all of them, including him.

She pulled up next to where Devlish had stopped abruptly but a second before. Unsure why, she looked around them, her eyes suddenly coming to rest on what appeared to be a bundle of ribbons…with a meatball head and 360-degree eye made of glowing red. It stood easily three stories high, rolled in on itself. She couldn’t imagine what it might look like once it unfurled, and that reach—there was no doubt that reach would, well, reach past the furthest any of their casters would be able to back up and still cast.

As it yawned, the gaping maw that should have been a body opened widely, revealing dangling ribbons