Sol Lands Read online

  BATTLE GOD 2: SOL LANDS

  A GameLit RPG Fantasy

  (THE BATTLE GOD SERIES)

  By RIKER KANE

  PUBLISHED BY RIKER KANE, 2020

  Copyright © 2020 Riker Kane.

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  About Battle God 2

  Prologue

  1: Slow Living

  2: Catching A Whopper

  3: The Other Side Of Iorus

  4: Ultima On The High Seas

  5: Foreign Hospitality

  6: Kids Playing In The Smoke

  7: Operation Reconciliation

  8: The Raiders Of The Sol Lands

  9: The Nameno Assignment

  10: Can A God Drown?

  11: I Insist

  12: All The Same

  13: Something Wicked

  14: Nobility

  15: High Society

  16: The Secret To Euphoria

  17: Euphoria Broken

  18: Disillusions

  19: Loss And Recovery

  20: What Lurks In The Grass

  21: A Proposal

  22: A Hard-Fought Victory

  23: That Sinking Feeling

  24: Believers

  25: Waking Dreams

  26: The Powers That Be

  27: Ambrosia

  28: Straight And True

  29: Ultima’s Day Off

  30: Wearing The Crown

  31: Throwing Down The Gauntlet

  32: Auxiliary Measures

  33: Better Than Before

  34: …Of Mice And Men

  35: Digging Up

  36: Stage Three - Bargaining

  37: No Coward Ever Accomplished Anything

  38: Alone

  39: Gallantry

  40: The Essence Of A God

  41: A Greater Power

  42: True Reconciliation

  43: New Haven

  44: Friends, Old And New

  About Battle God 2

  Battle God 2 takes place after, you guessed it, Battle God 1. If you’ve read any Riker Kane titles before, you know what to expect. But for reference, be prepared for action, traveling, leveling, meeting new companions, ‘intimate’ encounters, big battles, bosses, and a grand adventure across a new continent. If that sounds like a good time, then let’s get to it!

  Prologue

  Virgil York III had a good life. Money. Food. Drinks. Women. Living in a plush penthouse in the North Side of Chicago, he had everything he could have ever wanted. But none of it ever did enough to fulfill him. He wanted to be a part of something bigger.

  Despite a physical handicap, he joined the Legion Omega Defense as a technician. That’s when fate decided to intervene. What was supposed to be a chance to goof around in Pandora ended up thrusting him into a war between good and evil on the planet Iorus.

  To defeat the evil once and for all, Virgil pledged himself to the gods of Iorus and became a god himself. With his new powers, Virgil saved Iorus as its protector, Ultima.

  After vanquishing the evil, he returned to the village of Navica to enjoy some peace and quiet.

  Much time has gone by since then…

  1: Slow Living

  “There’s a monster lurking… Just waiting to let us know it’s there…”

  The sparkling waters of the eastern lake were bluer than any you’d find on Earth. The sunlight shimmered off the surface and with a closer look, you could see all of the sea life swimming beneath. Even with all of the fish floating by, the lake was more than big enough to go for a swim in. You just had to avoid getting too comfortable all the way at the base where the shellfish would nip at your toes. That wasn’t usually a problem since most folks couldn’t hold their breath long enough to get that low.

  I had a singular focus at the moment. Just one ‘monster.’ Preferably a giant one but any of them would do.

  “Don’t worry… Just let it happen…”

  Yuma’s calm voice made me smile though the intensity of my focus hadn’t changed. I hadn’t been standing out in the sun for very long but that was long enough. I had half-a-mind to jump into the lake and just grab what I wanted. That would defeat the purpose of this whole exercise, of course, but at least it was a way to deal with the frustration I didn’t want to admit was building up.

  Suddenly, there was a tug on my line.

  “You got it! You got it!”

  Yuma bounced up and down on his toes. I cranked the wheel furiously as my rod bent. But nothing could stop me from pulling the line up and with a soft splash, a beast flopped out and wriggled in the air. With one swing, I caught the end of the line and quickly pulled the fish free from the hook before dumping it into the wooden bucket of water next to me.

  I let out a soft sigh of relief and chuckled. “I don’t know how you do it, Yuma. You make fishing look so easy. What’s your secret?”

  “Fishing isn’t hard. You just… do it.” He shrugged as he examined the gray fish I’d just caught.

  Yuma might’ve been the most carefree man in all of Navica. Most people would’ve thought it was just because of how young he was. But even in his old age, I couldn’t imagine he’d be much different.

  He was thin and lanky. Even his fingers seemed long as he delicately cleaned the fish off. His head shaved clean, Yuma’s skin was beginning to tan so much, it wasn’t a secret he spent all of his days out in the open.

  “Looks like a nice catch,” he said as he straightened up. “A big hearty fish like that. I can make a nice big bowl of stew with it.”

  “You know, we have plenty of fish to make stew with.” I glanced at the watermill farther down the lake. “That thing catches more than enough fish to feed the whole town. And we never have to worry about overfishing.”

  Yuma twisted his lips in consideration then shrugged again. “It’s a lot more satisfying than just checking to see what’s available by some machine we made. I… I guess I don’t know what I’m saying. It’s hard to explain.”

  He let out a big sigh. Yuma always wore his heart on his sleeve, so it was clear he was disappointed.

  “I get it,” I said. “It’s not about the fish—it’s about catching.”

  “Yeah…” Yuma smiled, his big front teeth on display. “Nothing like working up a little sweat and satisfying your appetite with the very thing you were trying to catch.”

  “Back on Earth, everybody just paid for their food. They didn’t even have to prepare it or anything.”

  “Like our pub?”

  “More than that. You get it delivered right to you. Don’t even have to leave your house.”

  “Wow…” Yuma’s eyes widened slightly. “Like a delivery service. Maybe we can do that here in Navica.”

  I chuckled at his enthusiasm. “Navica’s not too big but I’m sure the folks around here would appreciate it a lot if you’re up to it. But your food is good enough to walk to the pub for.”

  “Yeah… Speaking of which, I wanted to ask you something.”

  I shrugged in confusion at how sheepish he’d become. “Is something wrong?”

  “Nothing is wrong. I just had an idea. I was thinking about heading deeper into the eastern forest. There are herbs and berries I’d like to collect that only grow in certain conditions. I wanted to get an expedition and maybe—”

  “Everybody here is trained,” I interrupted him. “If you find the people willing to go with you, you have my blessing. I’m sure there’s nothing in there that won’t give you any trouble.”

  I looked out toward
the forest and saw someone approaching. A woman clad in steel red armor, the rest of her exposed body covered in a sheen of sweat. I would’ve stared at how revealing her outfit was but my attention was more focused on the carcass she dragged across the grass.

  “And speaking of not giving you any trouble…” I smiled at Rhiannon as she approached us.

  The Mana Dancer was fresh from a hunt. Along with the sweat on her body, there was some blood on her arms. I didn’t have to worry about any of it belonging to her. Her long dark hair was wet but only a few hairs were out of place. From her flat stomach to her muscled arms, just a glance was enough for me to know the boar didn’t give her any trouble.

  I examined the black-hided beast, which was mostly intact except for the deep red gash on its neck. “I guess we’re having boar for dinner… You know we have a barnyard, right?”

  Rhiannon’s purple-eyed gaze was focused. “Domesticated boars do not have the same taste as one you’ve hunted.’ Rhiannon spoke with a monotone but feminine voice.

  “I don’t think so,” I said with a smile. “They taste the same to me.”

  “Then perhaps I wanted to hunt this boar for the hunt itself and not merely for sustenance.”

  “I’ve heard that somewhere before.” I looked at Yuma and we exchanged smiles.

  “It has been too long since we have been in a significant battle,” Rhiannon said. “I must keep my body as sharp as my blade.”

  I looked up and down the athletic curves of her pale body and nodded. She was as fit as any Omega I’d ever seen. If she was on Earth, they would’ve been lining up around the door to give her a modeling contract. Everything from her face to her stomach and down to her legs looked like it’d had been chiseled out of white marble.

  “You’re staring,” she said suddenly, breaking my thoughts.

  I sighed a deep breath, not bothering to hide what I was thinking. She smirked in response before going along her way. I watched her leave and head toward town, her hips sashaying like only a Mana Dancer’s could.

  “Speaking of hunts, I’ve got another idea,” Yuma said.

  “Lay it on me.”

  “I’m getting a little tired of the lake. Maybe we should head out to the Bright Plains. If we fish along the coasts, maybe we’ll catch something different.”

  “A change in our food palettes would be good. We can head out there tonight.”

  I turned to the side and saw Zafina approaching. The Mana Seer was dressed in the usual garb she wore, silken green robes lined with gold. They cradled her chest and ran along her sleeves but revealed enough of her skin to show her body. Her skirt was long, hugging her hips just right. She wasn’t as muscular as Rhiannon but she was fit enough to not be ashamed of it. Her golden tan went all the way down her legs and to her bare feet.

  She had her hands behind her back as she approached, looking somewhat shy though I knew she was anything but that.

  A half-grin on her lips, she glanced in my water bucket. “How are the fish biting today?” she asked with a friendly, flowery tone.

  “I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “They don’t seem to like me as much as Yuma.”

  “Perhaps they sense the presence of Ultima and restrain themselves out of respect.”

  “Don’t sugarcoat things for me.”

  Zafina pursed her lips as she laughed softly. “Might I have a word with you, Virgil?”

  “Of course.” I grabbed my wooden cane and excused myself from Yuma to let him go on peacefully fishing.

  Zafina walked by my side as I limped steadily through the open field in the eastern grasslands of Navica. The golden-haired blond stayed quiet to let me enjoy the breeze wafting by.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked.

  I shrugged in confusion. “Fine. Same as any other day. Is there something wrong?”

  “Not at all. I just thought now was a good time to ask. It has been nearly a year since your arrival.”

  “Hmm… Has it been that long already?”

  “It has. The evidence of that is all around you.” I looked at the town surrounding me and saw how much it had changed since I first arrived.

  “Navica was destroyed by Blackhart,” she said. “Only the Mana Cruxes remained. Not only have you rebuilt Navica but you have expanded upon it. The farmland has been tilled and wild beasts have been domesticated. Homes have had their Cruxes reinforced with enough Mana to withstand any weather conditions. And we have fortified our surroundings to withstand even the strongest attack by those from the other world.”

  “Pandora hasn’t bothered with us,” I said. “I don’t even see any Shadows on the Bright Plains. They’re still out there though. Somewhere…”

  “Indeed. However, I believe you should be proud of what you have accomplished. You have fulfilled the promise you made to the gods by becoming Ultima.”

  “I wouldn’t say that. It’s only been a year.”

  “And in that year, we have been safer and more secure than we have ever been. Many, if not all, have begun to start families. Navica’s population will grow and thrive. All thanks to you.”

  There was some sense of satisfaction in seeing the improvements. It wasn’t as fancy as anything back home but I had everything I could ask for.

  “Are you all right, Virgil?”

  Zafina’s question confused me. “You just asked me that,” I said with a laugh. “I’m fine. Really.”

  “I only want to make sure. You are not of this world. Though you have power unlike any of us, I know you are still Virgil within your heart. You serve us but we also serve you.”

  Looking into her blue eyes, I knew she was sincere about it because I knew Zafina as well as anybody here. She’d given herself to me more times than I could count. But our relationship was deeper than physical.

  “It’s a slow life out here,” I said. “I get my kicks wandering through the worlds and helping Omegas who are in trouble. But the truth is, I’m always happy when I come back here to see you and all the others.”

  She smiled softly and bowed her head. “I’m glad, Virgil.”

  I put a hand on her waist and pulled her close for a kiss. It was nice being able to take her in my arms and do that whenever I wanted. It was even better when she reciprocated.

  I dug my tongue between her lips and she giggled softly.

  “You have me confused,” she said as she pulled away. “It is Rhiannon who prefers such passionate kisses.”

  “Right…” I said with a grin. “I guess I just got carried away. You tend to do that to me.”

  “You flatter me. Perhaps when the day is done, we can practice our passions together with Rhiannon.”

  No matter how many times I’d been with them, it never got old.

  “Sounds fun,” I said. “I’m going fishing with Yuma tonight though.”

  “I understand. There will always be another night for private affairs.”

  Even with the powers of Ultima, life out in Navica was as slow as could be. I wasn’t about to complain for a second.

  2: Catching A Whopper

  I looked up at the night sky and saw the stars twinkling like I would when I was younger. The moon was bright and full, a perfect night for camping. Back on Earth, there were ordinary folks who were just like me, enjoying the peace of the darkness and the view. From what I understood, Iorus wasn’t anywhere in space. It wasn’t some faraway land either. It was in another dimension entirely. I didn’t know how Junction gates worked. I didn’t know how Pandora was connected to Earth. Maybe I was in another reality. After living here for a year though, I’d gotten so used to it that it didn’t feel so strange. If anything was strange, it was that everything felt so familiar.

  Yuma’s relaxing vibe made the scene even more peaceful. The younger guy sat in the sand along the coast, his fishing rod dug in the sand while he half-monitored it. He seemed more content watching the waves crash back and forth in the distance. I couldn’t blame him. The waters on the eastern shore of the Bright Plai
ns went forever. Waves cascaded dozens of feet high before crashing into a fuzzy white foam.

  I stood a few feet away from him in a long-sleeve cotton tunic and a pair of pants that were thick enough to deal with the cold. Behind me, the Bright Plains were as peaceful as the shore. Most of the animals were sleeping for the evening, with the deer huddled around one another for warmth and the rabbits burrowed deep in the dirt. The roving wolfpacks were lethargic, probably exhausted after a long day of searching for prey. A few birds swooped around in the sky—couldn’t tell what birds they were from this high up. Other than that, there was an occasional cricket chirp to let Yuma and me know we weren’t the only ones out here.

  Yuma exhaled a deep breath through his nose with a contented smile on his face. “Nothing quite like the salty sea air to clear your lungs. We should come out here more often.”

  “Why don’t you?” I asked.

  He pondered it for a moment then shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess everybody in Navica is comfortable where they’re at.”

  “We’re less than a mile south from Navica. If you can venture into the eastern forest, you can come to the plains.”

  “You’re right about that. But Navica is as cozy as it’s ever been. You’ve built so much that there’s no reason for any of us to leave. Big, comfortable homes. Plenty of food to eat. Tons of work to keep us occupied. We’ve even got time for crafts and recreation. And with everybody starting families, it seems like everybody’s finally taking the chance to relax.”

  Yuma put his head down, his eyes focused on his fishing rod. Even without saying anything, it was clear there was something on his mind. I was never one to pry but with everything in the water ignoring us, I had nothing better to do.

  “You don’t seem too happy about it,” I said.

  “Huh?” He raised his head. “Oh… Well, I’ve just been thinking and…”

  “And?”

  He shrugged again, lips twisted like he didn’t know what to say. “I’m getting older. I feel like I’m at a turning point.”

  “…What?” I stopped to make sure I heard it right then chuckled to myself. “You’re not even twenty, Yuma. You’ve got a long way to go.”