The shriek was Hector''s cue to leave.


    Hector broke into a sprint and tried to find an intact house. He doubted a small fire could hurt something with the wingspan of a house. Using a strand requires absolute focus.


    He glanced to the side, simultaneously scanning for a sturdy structure and noting the one third of a sphere floating at his side. A few more minutes until the strand was completed.


    The beating of wings urged him to press forward; his lungs burned as he leapt forward. Fragments of stone rained against his back as the Strix impacted the ground behind him. It let loose a loud screech that made him nauseous.


    Hector quickly stood up and dashed forward.


    A claw impacted the spot he stood on and left a large gnash against the stone.


    He required shelter, a wall in between the Strix and his head. His thoughts were interrupted when light drove the darkness back. A small white star burned in the sky and momentarily blinded him.


    The light also stunned the Strix, and Hector used that opportunity to examine it. It had four fleshy wings that oozed with a black liquid and tendrils instead of a beak flailing about. It was, as far as he was concerned, a bird with skin instead of feathers. The four clawed limbs it had on the underside were the most threatening part of it.


    The Strix stumbled back; Hector used the borrowed time to back away into a decaying structure. It had a wide hall with several desks. A few Faceless lingered in the hall, stumbling about in their unaware state.


    Light beamed through the glazed windows and Hector dove behind the furthest desk from the entrance, tucking the lantern and grimoire under it. He didn''t need them for now.


    He watched from his hiding spot as the Strix caused the entrance to collapse on its entry. The long tendrils impaled a Faceless and caused it to shrivel into a husk as it approached his spot.


    The Faceless were a momentary distraction. Time was not on his side, there was no escape for him; it stood in between him and the entrance.


    Hector turned to the sphere. It was almost complete, only the top quarter of the sphere was unfinished. He needed that strand.


    The strand functioned as an extension of his mind. Therefore, he had influence over it.


    Hector focused hard on it and envisioned the sphere being finished. He directed the entirety of his being on this task, temporarily ignoring the Strix inching closer. The remaining bit of the orb was built at a visible pace, inch by inch it was woven together again.


    The strand could assume new shapes, which dictated its function. Hector required a new one; the current one would not do.


    He forced his mind, his will, into the translucent sphere. It was all or nothing; the options were life or death. Adrenaline laced through his veins as he molded the orb into a sharp pyramid.


    There wasn''t enough time or material to make a proper shape. He''d have to make do with what he had, a weapon that would be enough to damage, if not kill, the Strix.


    The bottom half was not complete. It would leak the essence—the fuel of the rune, and it was very unstable, but it would be enough for now.


    He pulled the ring off his finger, held it up to the strand, and guided it to absorb the runic essence. The pyramid turned from an orange to a red.


    That was not enough.


    Hector forced the shape to drain more of the essence. Cracks grew across the red surface as it changed from a red to a darker red. The rune above the ring flashed, then shattered along with the ring.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    He stood up from his hiding spot, mentally holding the strand in front of him, then directed it to spin. The Strix turned its attention to him and clawed its way towards him.


    Blood rushed to his head. His face burned as he forced the pyramid to spin faster. More of the strand fractured as the essence bled from the bottom, unfurling like the petals of a rose.


    Now!


    Hector ignited the shape and launched it forward.


    The pyramid flew forward as it manifested into reality. The essence burned. Heat seared Hector''s face as a comet of orange flame with a tail of red pierced the air and threw itself at the Strix.


    The comet impacted the Strix, then exploded and engulfed the Strix with its fiery embrace.


    Orange flames overtook the white light as flames stuck to the Strix like napalm. Its shrill cries shook the walls as it flailed its four wings. Air rushed through the gaps of the structure as it fed the inferno.


    Hector fell onto his knees, his breath coming out in quick pants as he watched the flames consume the Strix, eating away at it until nothing was left but the charred remains.


    The light from the windows regained control of the hall.


    Hector pushed himself off his knees and walked over to the remains. The stench of burnt flesh invaded his nostrils as he looked down at the corpse.


    A glint caught his gaze. He reached down and gathered the six shards from the carcass. He noted a darkened fabric with blue and yellow dots, bowed his head for a moment, had a moment of silence, then looked down at his own clothes.


    The ring had been shattered, he might''ve overdrew from its reserves. He''d have to find a new source for his strand.


    Hector retrieved his belongings, then walked outside. It was bright. A light shone from the direction away from the plaza.


    He tilted his head up.


    The light was emitting from the top of a tower, surrounded by a citadel of stone. It was the largest castle—or fortress—he had ever seen.


    Past the stone walls, he could see the interior courtyard. It had spires and arches supporting the ornate structure with stained glass windows disrupting the gray monotone color. Within its confines was the tower, far higher than any structure he had seen in the city.


    Two more Strix''s circled the tower. Someone was on top of the tower. It was difficult to see the specific details; the individual wore a white suit of plate armor and wielded a weapon against a third Strix.


    The armored figure leapt onto the creature''s back, pierced the weapon into its skin, and fell towards the castle complex with the creature. The other two dove after them.


    So there was someone else here? Someone who still had their face? He''d have to visit that when he was properly prepared.


    That was enough for today. The fatigue was catching up to him. At least someone had the decency to turn the lights back on; he wouldn''t need the lantern for a while.


    He made his way down the same street he ran down, heading back towards the plaza. He could use another satiate and a meld. Especially the melds, those were addicting.


    The Pillar was, to no one''s surprise, still there; it stood proudly at the center of the plaza, reflecting the small star from the tower. Has anyone ever tried to break one of those?


    There was a lack of water on the cobblestone. For the first time, it was dry and did not soak Hector''s shoes. It appeared peaceful without those creatures.


    He deposited the shards into the Pillar.


    Grade 1 (13%)


    Shards: (6)(+6)


    Trial Status:


    Aspirants: (215/1000)


    Proficiencies:


    Strands: Grade 1 (13%) (+12%)


    1: Shape: -


    Artifacts:


    The Unwritten Grimoire: Grade 1 (1%)


    Unused Pages: (5/5)


    Paper Poppets: Grade 1 (20%) (+2%)


    Poppets: (3/3)


    Permissions


    His strand was gone; it was too incomplete, too strained to retain the shape. He''d have to recreate it from scratch. It would not be an issue if he meditated for a bit.


    He was tempted to consume his poppets, to improve their grade with the Faceless since each one added a poppet to his pool, but he wasn''t sure if he could afford the extra shards to manifest them.


    He had been lucky finding the shards thus far, and it would be difficult to bring a Strix down again.


    He picked satiate and meld, keeping one shard just in case he couldn''t find another when he was hungry again.


    Shards: (1)(-5)


    Meld selected.


    Grade 1: (60%)(+47%)


    Each shard was worth around eleven percent, if he took the average. He''d make it ten percent, just to be safe. That meant he required four more shards to increase his grade. How exciting.


    Satiate selected.


    The familiar sensation washed over him, and was ready to take on another Strix. He wouldn''t—not yet, not without a source and shape. He''d have to experiment with his grimoire, prepare it for his next encounter.


    He should try looting some of the empty homes. They should have some shards and clothes for him, right?


    His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a cough behind him.