Persephone Rising: A Cyberpunk LitRPG (The Persephone Saga Book 2) Read online

  "I'm Persephone, by the way."

  "I know. I have seen. That bit with the coming back to life? I like that very much. I do not think it will happen this time, no?" he said.

  I shook my head. "You can't kill me. I may have to come back far away, where your chill hasn't hurt my flowers, but I'll still come back."

  "We are of very different seasons," Morozko said.

  "Why are you doing this?" I asked.

  "Talking to you? I am lonely," Morozko said.

  That wasn't exactly what I meant, although I appreciated the honesty.

  "I mean, attacking New York."

  "Someone is paying me. Why are you defending it?"

  "Someone is paying me," I said.

  Morozko chuckled at that. "I think I am more likely to get my bonus, yes?"

  I thought he was. My world was starting to fade. I tried to cling to life as best I could. If I couldn't win, at least I wanted to make sure I got all the information I could, anything that might be of use to Columbia.

  "Is this connected to Boston?" I asked.

  "I know nothing of Boston," Morozko said, with an absent shrug. "They say come here. They say make cold. I come, I make cold. It is a very boring city."

  "It's more exciting when it's warmer. Lots of people shoot at you and the police murder you," I said.

  "I saw that! You had so much fun. I hope I have fun, but no. No police, no gangsters, no mayor attempting to sleep with Morozko," Morozko said.

  I almost felt sorry for him. With his power set it really did limit the sort of fun he could get into. I might not be able to take down a city simply by existing, but I did get to have adventures.

  "No mayors. You could probably get yourself an ice princess," I said.

  "You think so? How do you think a woman becomes an ice princess? By being an ice princess. It is very bad for the dating," Morozko said.

  "Still sounds better than my last few dates. Hey Morozko, sorry to leave you alone, but I think I'm going to die now," I said.

  It was getting hard to focus, my vision becoming more blurred.

  "You want me sing? I am very good," Morozko said.

  Why not.

  "Sure," I said.

  The bearded old man began to belt out a song in a language I didn't recognize. He was enthusiastic at least, and cheerful.

  I'd died a lot lately and this was one of the better ways to go. You got a first class killing experience with Morozko.

  I slipped under, not knowing where I'd awaken.

  14

  I woke up almost at once. I seemed to be completely encased in white, under a small dome buried in snow and frost. Inside, the grass was green and a tiny patch of wildflowers bloomed.

  "Lame," said a voice from nearby flowers. Perched among them was a fairy, wearing sunglasses, taking her ease.

  "Lily," I said.

  "Lame, lame, lame," Lily said, getting more worked up with each word. "You're just going to get yourself get pushed around by winter like that? Do you not know how seasons work?"

  I'd met the fairy before on my last visit to New York. I'd found her helpful then, I was finding her less helpful now.

  "Great to see you again. You're welcome for my preserving the park," I said.

  "Gee lady, thanks for doing your job," Lily said, dripping with sarcasm. "So glad you could prove to be basically competent at something once, a while ago, and not at all right now when we need you."

  I was a Goddess of Nature in this incarnation, not a Goddess of Death. I kept reminding myself of that, and that I really shouldn't splat any mouthy fairies.

  "Just get it all out," I said.

  Lily buzzed off her leaf and hovered over my shin to kick it.

  "Hey!" I said.

  "Here we go. Seasons for dummies. Winter, spring, summer, autumn. The one right after another. Up there it right now it is winter and you're a Goddess of the spring, you complete and utter disappointment to flowers and fairies everywhere," Lilly said, kicking me again for good measure.

  "I tried to grow something. It froze."

  "Aww, your little flower froze. Your little tree froze," Lily said, buzzing up and kicking me in a boob. I didn't like that any better. "You are the unbounded power of vegetation and rebirth. Oh, I'm sorry you pushed back a tiny little bit against someone giving it their all and didn't win. How about this lady, push harder."

  I took a deep breath. Lily took the opportunity to kick me in the boob again.

  "Stop doing that," I demanded.

  The fairy grumbled a bit and flew to rest on my shoulder.

  When I got past wanting to fairy-stomp, I had to confess that she perhaps had a point. It did seem the sort of situation where spring should conquer winter, but I didn't know how.

  I was a great makeshift Goddess of Death in the real world. Killing people I had down to an art, but in the virtual world I frequently felt way over my head.

  "I don't know how," I said.

  "I can maybe help with that. What will you give me?" Lily asked.

  "I'm not the only protector of nature here. How about you do your job for a change?"

  Lily glared. "Fine. First of all, it helps to have some assistance. You're friends with a nymph right? Call her."

  Ismene was seeing everything I saw. I didn't have to call. My friend materialized sprawled on top of me and between us we nearly squished Lily. The bubble in the snow wasn't all that spacious.

  "Well, this got lesbian three-way really quick," Lily said.

  "I'm game," Ismene said brightly.

  "I'm not," I said. "You wanted a nymph, we have a nymph. What now?"

  Lily kicked Ismene. "Get off of me, you watery tart. Now listen, you've got a water spirit in her. You've got a nature spirit in me. You've got all kinds of divine power you're having trouble focusing. Focus on us. The nymph first, open the power between you and her, and let her have a bit of it."

  I tried to do as she said. I felt an almost electric tingle upon my flesh.

  "Sweet," Ismene said.

  "You're a spirit of water and you're surrounded by it. Take control. It is yours to set free—grandfather frost had only trapped it. Set it loose, return it to the plants and to the earth," Lily said.

  Ismene sucked in a deep breath.

  It didn't happen at once, but it wasn't long until rivulets of water were running down the walls. A slow trickle at first, but becoming faster and faster.

  "We let her do her thing and then we're up," Lily said.

  "Got any tips for me there? Inanna couldn't even lay a hand on him," I said.

  "We're not enemies. You're used to treating everyone and everything like a foe to be fought, and it isn't like that," Lily said.

  I could see that. I was still a soldier at my core. I didn't know who else to be, but Persephone in this guise probably should be something different.

  It took perhaps half an hour before sunlight finally broke in from above. All around us piles of snow were shrinking and receding.

  The grass beneath my feet remained hard and sharp, and frost filled the air.

  "Not so far away after all," Morozko said, appearing beside me. "This is Ismene, yes? I am very big fan."

  Ismene beamed him a smile. "I didn't know I had any fans. Did you know I had fans?" she asked me.

  I hadn't. I wasn't used to having fans myself. "You're up," I said to Lily.

  I opened myself to power again and channeled it towards the Flower Spirit.

  I felt resistance this time from the air around me, from Morozko. My aura pushing back against his.

  "You are going to try a tree again perhaps? Morozko would not, Morozko did not like to see you bleeding," Morozko said.

  I didn't think he did. He seemed like a pretty nice guy, for all that he'd almost wiped out me and my team, and frozen out most of a city.

  I could maybe overpower him, but was that the right course? Was that what Persephone should do, how I should handle this? I didn't think it was.

  I stepped forward
and pressed a kiss to his frozen cheek, pulling him into a tight hug. "It's been fun Morozko, but you've had your moment. It is time for spring."

  Morozko tensed for a moment and then chuckled, returning the hug before stepping back. "Morozko thought it might be. A very neat trick with Ismene and the snow. Morozko liked it very much. The people with the money, they will not be happy, but they will understand."

  "You took out two heroes and brought winter for a day. It should be enough," I said.

  "If not, Morozko can freeze them solid, yes?" Morozko said, chuckling again. He turned and walked away, vanishing into a flurry of snowflakes after a few steps.

  "Was that so hard?" Lilly asked, fluttering up to hover at face level.

  It really was. It felt like such a strange way to resolve things, for all it also seemed somehow proper.

  "Thank you," I said.

  Ismene stepped up and took my arm. "Can we go to tell the Mayor we succeeded? I really want to seduce him. Do you think he'll let me seduce him?"

  I peered at her. "I thought you were dating Sparks?"

  "I'm a nymph. It's all in my character, he'll understand," Ismene said.

  I didn't know if that was true.

  "You probably want to think about that," I said.

  Ismene looked a little crestfallen."No hot mayor? Fine, I'll talk to him and make sure, but next time I'm totally coming along."

  The nymph exploded into a spray of water droplets.

  I covered the corpses of Billy and Inanna in flowers. Normally my blooms were the red of freshly spilled blood, but over Inanna they were the same brilliant blue as her eyes.

  Traffic was already coming back to life as I made my way back to City Hall. Winter had been broken. Everywhere I passed flowers bloomed and life blossomed.

  I was Persephone and I was the bringer of spring to this city. Where I went life would flourish.

  I was sent straight to Alfonso, who smiled broadly. "You did it! You and the others. I didn't think you would. Where are they?"

  "Fallen," I said.

  "We'll pay their penalties, of course. Liberty is well-pleased. Columbia would greet you herself, but I fear she is suffering a penalty," Alfonso said.

  Columbia had died in her battle. I wasn't expecting that.

  "The battle for Boston having problems?" I asked.

  "Uncle Sam, Columbia, GI Joe, all down so far," Alfonso said, with a sigh. "Still, the fight is not yet over."

  "I can try to reinforce, if you need me."

  Alfonso shook his head. "Liberty isn't throwing anything more at the battle."

  That meant they considered it money uselessly spent. Either the contest was convincingly won or convincingly lost. Given that death list, I was guessing lost.

  I collected my payment and logged off. Perhaps I could reach Columbia off Network and find out what was really going on.

  15

  As soon as I'd logged off I asked Ismene to try getting a hold of Columbia. Most long-distance communication these days took place face-to-face in the Network, but when a death timer was in play you needed alternatives.

  Soon enough I'd gotten through.

  "Hi, not the best time," Columbia said. Her features looked wearier than I was used to seeing them and judging from the glass nearby it looked like she'd already started drinking.

  "I heard you were under penalty. Just wanted to make sure you were okay," I said.

  "Raging that their dirty tricks were better than our dirty tricks. I'll get over it. Heard you did well in New York," Columbia said.

  "Mission accomplished there. Who is giving you such a fight?"

  "The Tsardom."

  I'd heard of them, barely. They weren't much to speak of twenty years ago and I hadn't heard much of them lately.

  "When did they start kicking tail?" I asked

  Columbia gave me a wry smile. "Their hackers are better than you'd think. After we walked away from AI research they picked up a lot of the slack. They're determined and they're smart, and punch above their weight class in the Network."

  I could see that.

  "But you've got the better guns?"

  "Always," Columbia laughed. "I really do need to go. Thanks for checking in."

  I ended the call.

  I felt that flickering of the world that meant I was accessing the Network. I hadn't initiated the connection or given my consent, but that didn't seem to matter. My surroundings faded and I found myself on the balcony of manor overlooking an ocean. Far off, a storm was brewing with clouds dark and heavy.

  Aphrodite was leaning against a stone railing, looking over the scenery, dressed in gauzy white. The woman was as stunning here as she was in the real world.

  "Neat trick," I said, moving to lean against the railing beside her.

  Aphrodite nodded at the water. "Beautiful, isn't it? The Aegean."

  "I wonder what the real one looks like these days."

  Aphrodite chuckled. "Like this. Not all the world has rotted away, despite what you've seen since coming down. Beauty clings in places, some out of stubbornness and some out of careful preservation."

  I'd like to see that. I hoped I would get the chance.

  "We solved your first puzzle," I said.

  "I'm aware. If you hadn't, we wouldn't be talking. I'm proud of you, daughter," Aphrodite said.

  I didn't like being called her daughter. It wasn't true and it was far too familiar, but then I wanted this woman at ease around me. I'd allow it for now.

  "Thank you. Why didn't you just come out and tell me what was going on? Why the games?"

  "Do you know the funny thing about truth? Others value it at the price you sell it. You can shout your truths free from the rooftops and all will ignore it, because your truth is worthless. I've left you a path of truths to follow and each you pursue is going to cost you dearly," Aphrodite said.

  I understood her meaning well enough. If she had simply told me that a former Roma employee was plotting bioterrorism of some sort, I would have had a lot of questions. I'd question her motives, and where the pieces really fit together.

  I still did, but after the fact.

  "I'd have hunted him anyways," I said.

  "Perhaps," Aphrodite allowed, shrugging. "Eventually. The exchange is not one-sided. I also wish to see how much you desire what I have to tell you. What risks you're willing to endure to reach the next stage."

  I didn't like jumping through hoops either. I didn't like it one little bit.

  I'd play the game, of course. I did want what answers she held.

  "Then reward me a little more for working so hard the first time. Give me something," I said.

  "You just heard about the Tsardom."

  No surprise there. And if she knew that, it also meant she had some sort of feed of my stream.

  "I did," I said. "Do you have something to do with them?"

  Aphrodite laughed, the sound deep and rich, and shook her head. "No, not exactly. But they do have a fairy tale I think greatly instructive. Have you ever heard of the golden mountain?"

  "No. Care to tell me?" I asked.

  "A poor worker once came upon a rich merchant in the market who was hiring. The rate was generous and the worker agreed. The merchant took him back to his house, a palatial estate at the bottom of a golden mountain. They dined that night and the merchant's daughter was much taken with the worker," Aphrodite said.

  "Is this one of those stories where the daughter is a prize?" I asked.

  Aphrodite made a face. "A bit, but that isn't the lesson of the story. The next day the merchant took the worker to the foot of the golden mountain and gave him a drink. The worker passed out, and a bird carried him to the peak. When he awoke he nearly fell off and called out for help. The merchant was below, and he said to mine gold and throw it down. When he'd filled the carts he would help the worker off the mountain."

  I could see where this was going. "The merchant lied, of course."

  "Of course. When the carts were filled, the me
rchant left the worker to die. In the story, eventually the roles wind up reversed and it is the merchant on top of the mountain filling the carts and the worker leaves him to die, marrying his daughter and taking over his trade," Aphrodite said.

  "His trade of kidnapping young men and trapping them on mountains?" I asked.

  "Grim, I know. Most old fairy tales are, when you dig into them. There is still an important lesson in the story and if you can guess what it is, I'll give you an extra reward."

  What lesson did she expect me to glean from this tale? That a predator had to be careful, in case they become the prey? If the story had a moral, that was it, but somehow I didn't think that's what she was saying.

  Arrogance. This woman—and Anton—they by all appearances had lived their entire life upon the surface and yet didn't seem to feel themselves to be second-class citizens at all. They were above it all, and when I connected that to the story, I could come up with only one answer.

  "You're the merchant," I said.

  Aphrodite gave me a surprised but warm smile. "Daughter, you do see more than I'd expect given your upbringing. A great many of those above have forgotten how they got up there to begin with, yet their purpose has never changed. To serve their betters."

  I wondered if Aphrodite had forgotten the whole ending of the story—where things didn't end particularly well for the merchant. It seemed wise not to bring that up.

  Life in orbit really was a paradise compared to life here on Earth, or at least the bits of it I'd seen.

  "So what's my prize?"

  Aphrodite snapped her fingers. Ismene appeared looking nearly as perplexed at her sudden arrival as I did.

  "That is weird," Ismene said.

  "Bonus points, if you can figure out how she does it," I said.

  "I'm trying," Ismene said.

  Aphrodite said, "While you do that, I want you to answer something for me. It's something Persephone doesn't know that matters."

  "Err..." Ismene said, glancing at me and I nodded.

  "Can Persephone have children?" Aphrodite asked.

  It was a stupid question, of course I could. Olympians were absurdly healthy.