Into Tordon Read online

  First published 2016 by MidnightSun Publishing Pty Ltd

  PO Box 3647, Rundle Mall, SA 5000, Australia.

  www.midnightsunpublishing.com

  Copyright © Zena Shapter, Zoya Nojin, Mijmark, Kristin Prescott, Kirsten Taylor, Leah Boonthanom, Liz Michell, Tracey Jackson, Tony McFadden 2016

  Z.F. Kingbolt is a Northern Beaches Writers’ Group pseudonym

  Into Tordon is a collaborative project between:

  Editor-in-Chief: Zena Shapter

  Editors: Zoya Nojin • Zena Shapter

  Authors: Leah Boonthanom • Tracey Jackson • Liz Michell • Mijmark • Tony McFadden • Zoya Nojin • Kristin Prescott • Zena Shapter • Kirsten Taylor

  www.zfkingbolt.com

  The moral rights of the authors have been asserted.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person or entity, including internet search engines or retailers (including, but not restricted to, Google and Amazon), in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying (except under the statutory exceptions provisions of the Australian Copyright Act 1968), recording, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of MidnightSun Publishing.

  Cataloguing-in-Publication entry is available from the

  National Library of Australia.

  http://catalogue.nla.gov.au

  Cover design by Kim Lock and Jonathan Pearce

  Printed and bound in Australia by Griffin Press. The papers used by MidnightSun in the manufacture of this book are natural, recyclable products made from wood grown in sustainable plantation forests.

  For those who love games…

  Chapter 1

  Beth studied the screen, her heart pounding. This was it—the level she’d fought to reach for months. A horde of angry beastmen raced towards her avatar, yelping as they leapt over the mossy rocks and logs of Tordon’s forest. Spears were raised in their hands and saliva-dripping mutts bound beside them, barking and growling in frenzy. Beyond them, past towering tree columns, a hanging man swung from a gnarled old gumtree, his ropes creaking as he dangled over a square chasm. Beth’s palms grew sweaty. Whoever cut down the hanging man would end the game and score fifty extra points, which would be enough to win Beth the entire championship. The anniversary championship.

  As the thirty-second countdown began at the top of the screen, she wiped her hands on her jeans and tied her frizzy strawberry-coloured hair into a ponytail, just like her avatar. Some gamers were mean to girl-players in Tordon’s chatroom, asking why they bothered gaming instead of hanging out at the mall. So Beth’s avatar wasn’t obviously a boy or girl. That way she could play in peace. Play and maybe one day…today…win?

  Her father let out a loud snore from the lounge room. He’d stayed up late to stare at his favourite footy team losing on the television last night, and the whole house stank of popcorn and chips. Whatever. As long as he didn’t move for another five minutes. With only three players left in the game, this level wouldn’t last long.

  To Beth’s right was VlahPaul, his curly blond avatar readying his crossbow. She knew VlahPaul from school. His parents had a house on Marao Avenue with a view of the local tree farm and a big paperbark still standing in the backyard. Or so he said. He’d scored his crossbow in the game’s sixth level and his point score placed him in third position.

  To Beth’s left, the player in second position, Zane007, faded into a crouched position, Jingum sword steadied. As usual, sleek black hair hid the face, but the avatar was obviously male. From watching Zane007 in previous games, Beth also knew he was the one to beat. Thankfully though, he had no lives left, and no shield, only the pentagonal Rune of Respect, which gave him greater energy. Looking at the approaching hordes, he would use the last of that here, and make sure it was to his advantage.

  Still, Beth had the Cloak of Protection, which she’d won in the last level by activating the stone-bear Rune of Compassion. She had one life left too. And, as the emerald forest clearing filled with beastmen, it was her avatar in first place, pole position.

  So she readied her Jingum sword and repeated Tordon’s Kumdo philosophy in her mind—discipline, concentration, endurance . One day, she’d learn the martial art of Kumdo for real. But for now the only thing she wanted was her name at the top of The Chameleon Chart. Only those who lived within ten kilometres of 106 Daintree Street, where Tordon’s developer Aaron Kaleski once lived, could compete in the monthly championship games, and there was no telling how long Dad would be able to afford their current house without a job. Next month, she might live too far away. Now was her chance. Imagine being the first girl to ever win too—and on the Chart’s first anniversary! Everyone at school followed the Chart, so if she won she’d finally get to tell them that she, Bethlyn Gatise, was BGwarrior, and they’d stop saying, ‘you’re a loser like your dad’. She might even win some proper friends, ones who realised she was actually good at something.

  The timer began flashing—ten seconds to go. This was it!

  5—4—3

  Tribes of beastmen roared, mutts barked and a bowl clanged to the floor in Beth’s lounge room. She winced and quickly turned down the volume.

  3—2—1

  Game on.

  A horn blared and the beasts sprang forward. Beth jumped into a triple somersault over the tall grass in front of her. She landed on a rock pile just as a mass of beastmen and their mutts swarmed around her. Beyond them, immense trees towered into the pale sky. The sound of slashing swords and flying arrows grew louder. Zane007 and VlahPaul were already busy. They’d get a point for every beast they killed. But Beth didn’t care about single points anymore. She had to get to the chasm and to that hanging man.

  So she sliced her sword at any beastman who leapt toward her rock while glancing at the trees. If she could get into their branches somehow, she could jump from trunk to trunk and miss most of the beasts, as well as the time-consuming slashing that came with them.

  Except the edge of the clearing was too far away. A single somersault would land her right in the middle of battle.

  Unless…that’s right! She still had some rocks of her own to use.

  She selected a rock from her backpack and threw it at a pack of beastmen about a somersault away.

  Splat!

  Five died instantly. Their black blood oozed out from under the rock like oil, even more when Beth somersaulted on top of it. Their mutts howled angrily. But two more rocks, ten more men, and she was within jumping distance of a tall grey tree. Its angular branches twisted into landing zones, but something gleamed lower down. A rune!

  Shaped like a skull with three holes, it was the Rune of Self-Belief, granting extra strength as well as five extra points. But it hung so low Beth would have to jump down to reach it, where beasts would quickly surround her. So she leapt high into the tree, and left the rune for Zane007 or VlahPaul. Let it distract one of them.

  Up in the branches, however, where wind muted the sound of battle, the chime of someone claiming the Rune of Death was loud enough. Someone would now get double points for any kill. She had no time to waste.

  ‘Bethlyn?’

  ‘Hang on a sec, Dad.’

  He came into the room and hovered behind her chair.

  ‘Somersault more to the left,’ he whispered.

  ‘I am!’

  ‘Okay. Sorry.’

  Beth cringed, wishing he’d stop apologising for everything, then zoned back into the game, trunk-jumping and branch-spinning until the hanging man was in sight. She’d saved a lot of time, but of course the old gumtree hanging off the chasm’s edge was surrounded by a clearing full of beastmen. She had no choice now but to jump into combat and start swiping.
/>   Dad leaned in and gripped the back of her chair. ‘Now what, Bethie?’

  ‘This,’ she said, jumping. Slicing with the control of a 10th Dan Kumdo master, she struck left and right, behind and over her, slashing through the swarm to reach the bottom of the tree. Her Cloak of Protection faded, her avatar grunted with every stroke, but her point score raced up and she reached the tree alive, only to realise she should have given more thought to how she’d free the hanging man and less thought to her speed.

  Yes, she was the first to reach the gnarled old gumtree. But somewhere in the forest behind her was a petal stone—the Rune of Remedy. She had probably swung right over it. What a stupid decision! Now she faced climbing a tree that would kill her with just one touch, for its trunk was coated in steaming purple goo—poison.

  Chapter 2

  Touching any purple goo in Tordon meant losing a life. Beth had learnt that the hard way in the game’s second level. She checked her stats.

  ‘One life left,’ said Dad.

  ‘I know! I don’t know where I’ll re-spawn though—in the tree, mid-way up it, or back below?’

  The sound of slashing came closer. Another player was nearby. She glanced at her stats and noticed the apple symbol alongside her satchel. That’s right, she still had the apple-tree seed she’d found in level one. Selecting the seed, she planted it firmly in the ground beside the old gumtree.

  Whoosh!

  Tiny green shoots sprouted and grew to maturity within seconds.

  ‘Go, Bethie, go!’ said Dad, spurring her on with a glimmer of something in his voice she hadn’t heard in a while.

  She grit her teeth and leapt into the tree’s expanding branches as it shot up alongside the gumtree. She would win this for both of them. It grew past the heights of any poison and into the empty air over the chasm. The hanging man’s swinging rope squeaked like the slow tick of a clock.

  Dad patted her back and Beth grinned. She was close. She found the apple tree’s tallest branch and climbed up, crawling along it as far as she could without it snapping, then stretched out her sword.

  It wasn’t close enough to cut the rope!

  A gulf of air separated her, the rope and the figure swinging below. A glint of gold shone somewhere on the chasm floor. What was that? A golden rune? A house?

  A branch snapped on the apple tree below her— Zane007 was climbing up behind her. She had to do something! Could she jump onto the old gumtree from here? No, there were no angled branches designed for players to land. Still, jumping would let her reach the rope, possibly cut it. She had a life left too. Even if she died trying, she might still win. With Zane007 almost there, it was worth a try.

  She somersaulted high into the air and sailed down towards the rope with her sword reaching. With a swish, she sliced the hanging man free, then fell to her death at the base of the chasm. There was a chime as her last life extinguished.

  But…she re-spawned, as the winner!

  ‘You did it!’ crowed Dad as if his footy team had finally won.

  ‘I can’t believe it.’

  Fanfares and cheers heralded the end of the championship. Beth’s point score rocketed by fifty points. Fireworks exploded over her character, which was now standing on the chasm floor. Her character’s name, BGwarrior, flashed across the screen—beside it the word ‘winner’. Beth held her breath as her character automatically strolled towards the golden glint she’d seen from the apple tree, and had only hoped would be the Chameleon’s house. Whether the championship was held in an ice fortress, a desert or a forest, Tordon’s gamemaster, the Chameleon, welcomed every winner into the Golden House of Fame. And this time, it was her!

  The famous Black-Door-With-No-Doorknob slid upwards to reveal a tall moustached figure with bright green eyes and a cape—the Chameleon. A red snake hung around his neck and its tongue flicked out as the Chameleon bowed. Above the doorway was an address: 106 Daintree Street.

  Beth peered at the screen. That address had never been above the doorway before. But then, she’d never won before.

  The Chameleon winked and gestured for her character to pass inside. As soon as she did the black door fell behind them, leaving her name and the word ‘winner’ flashing onscreen. The address had vanished and in its place were the words: Only champions dare to enter.

  ‘This calls for a fizzy drink,’ said Dad, ruffling her hair and heading into the kitchen.

  Beth turned to watch him go. Was that happiness in his voice? Could this be a sign of things to come, a return to normal?

  Beth smiled and leaned back in her chair, mesmerised by her flashing name as if it had the power to grant new beginnings. Dad had seemed proud of her. And she bet no one would call her a loser now at school. She’d won The Chameleon Chart on its first anniversary! After all the daily games, weekly tournaments and monthly championships, she was finally the best of them all!

  She leant forward and navigated through the dropdown menus to find the complete results. They were already listed under ‘The Chameleon Chart’ tab.

  User Point Score

  BGwarrior 3252

  Zane007 3203

  VlahPaul 2998

  6thDan 2596

  AxaMax 2143

  Sam2014 1989

  |8-< 1950

  DeathStar 1822

  TaoMaster 1715

  Wolk 1704

  Beth stared at the screen. Where was DaveT? He’d won last month’s championship, but now he wasn’t even in the top ten? The best players tended to compete month after month. Still, the most important name to note was hers—there at the top. She had won. Now, and for the next whole month, hers would be the first name every Tordon gamer would see when they clicked on The Chameleon Chart.

  Wait, no—not just when they clicked on the chart. Beth navigated back to the home page and searched the side menu. Yes! There was her name. For the next whole year they’d see who’d won the anniversary championship, Tordon’s hardest challenge yet. She grinned. Now everyone would know she’d won.

  They would know, wouldn’t they?

  She pulled a strand of hair over her shoulder and began to chew on it. What if nobody figured it out? Her character had her colouring, but it also looked like a boy, as she’d intended.

  ‘Bethlyn!’ her father called from the kitchen.

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Isn’t the food supposed to come between twelve and one o’clock?’

  ‘What’s the time on the microwave?’

  ‘Oh, right. Sorry.’

  Beth swallowed. His voice had returned to that same grey droop she heard every day. Didn’t he remember she’d won? Everything was going to be different now.

  A flicker to the right of the screen caught her attention. It showed the latest comments from the chatroom:

  6thDan—You were cheated Zane007! That move shouldn’t have been allowed.

  Zane007—Thanks for your support 6thDan. But if it weren’t allowed, BGwarrior wouldn’t have been able to do it.

  6thDan—I’d like to see how leaping off a cliff would work for a Kumdo master in real life!

  Blood rushed to Beth’s cheeks as she clicked through to the chatroom. Under the name of each user was their avatar. 6thDan had chosen the traditional wire-grilled Kumdo helmet rather than show his face. Zane007’s avatar showed tanned skin and blue eyes under his floppy black hair. She’d chatted with him online many times before, which is probably why he was defending her now. It was nice of him, especially since he’d only just missed out on winning. She typed her reply.

  BGwarrior—Thanks Zane007. You played a great game. I had no idea jumping would work. But I had to do something—you were right behind me!

  She chewed on her hair while waiting for a reply. Finally the next comment loaded.

  Zane007—Your risk paid off.

  Beth smiled. She knew he’d be gracious; he always was. She wondered if he really looked like his avatar in real life. Tanned skin was pretty unusual given the sun restrictions at school. She had no idea
if he went to her school or not, but he must live somewhere locally because of the ten kilometre rule. The chatroom updated.

  VlahPaul—I agree with 6thDan. This is a game of skill and sportsmanship. A player should not ever win by dying BGwarrior! A real Kumdo wouldn’t!

  What a ridiculous thing to say! The loophole was there, so she’d used it. They should all be congratulating her! As for real life, most people couldn’t do triple somersaults either, but that didn’t stop any of them somersaulting in the game. What was the matter with them all?

  BGwarrior—It’s a game remember! No one here is a real Kumdo master.

  6thDan—Speak for yourself BGwarrior. Unlike many who play this game, I am a real student of Kumdo.

  BGwarrior—So your avatar is true? You have a helmet and Kumdo sword and everything?

  6thDan—I do. Along with my brown belt.

  A brown belt? Is that why he was so mean about her win? And VlahPaul too? They were clearly jealous. 6thDan probably wasn’t even a Kumdo student.

  BGwarrior—A brown belt? Really?

  6thDan—Meet me outside the mall during this arvo’s let-out and I’ll show you.

  VlahPaul—I’d like to see a real Kumdo sword. If you have one 6thDan…?

  Zane007—Me too. 4pm?

  6thDan—It would be great to meet you true champions. Bring a candle.

  True champions? Beth ground her teeth together. This was not how she’d imagined winning. And why were they suggesting the mall? Did they suspect she was a girl, is that why they were being so mean?

  She remembered the message over the famous Black-Door-With-No-Doorknob. Only champions dare to enter. It gave her an idea.

  BGwarrior—The mall sucks. Let’s meet somewhere way cooler—106 Daintree Street.