《Deviant's Masquerade: The Huntsman's Quest (A YA Hero's Failed Attempt At Retirement)》 Prologue Pt. 1 (Dreams of Summer) Prologue Pt. 1 (Dreams of Summer) --- Jon --- Camp Bet was his home. It helped him through all of the rough times in his life. From his parents¡¯ divorce, to his mother throwing herself into her work as they moved city to city. Every summer was an eight week break from the stress in his life. Which is why he cried when he found out he was losing it. --- After a moment another blanket of silence began to fall over them, and he began to notice the almost solemn look on Ying¡¯s face. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re doing alright?¡± He asked, taking a seat next to her. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Ying sighed. ¡°You know how it is, all of our friends from camp have moved on. In fact, I think you and I are the only ones from our year and the year after, who are still coming to camp.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s not a nice feeling is it¡­?¡± Ying gave a bitter laugh. ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Well¡­ even if we are the last of the old guard, at least we¡¯ve had fun here.¡± He told her. ¡°And now¡­ we¡¯re making sure that other kids can have that same kind of fun¡­ That they, that they can enjoy their summer with their friends. Enjoy their childhoods while they can¡­¡± Ying stared at him for a moment, before smiling. ¡°That¡¯s a sweet idea Jon.¡± --- He took a charm from Miss Edna¡¯s box, one that seemed to call out to him more than the other dozen or so trinkets in the box. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Miss Edna murmured just loud enough for him to hear. ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± The old witch told him before giving him a softer look. ¡°You¡¯re a good boy Jon, whatever the world throws at you¡­ don¡¯t let it take that from you.¡± --- He stabbed his blade into the beast¡¯s throat as it struggled beneath him, its hateful eyes glaring back at him. --- He drew his arrow, but he didn¡¯t release it. This was a choice that there was no coming back from. Save the girl, damn the man. His heart pounded in his ears, as the choice, one question, encircled his head, one that he knew there was only one answer to. After all, could he truly abandon an innocent child? And so, he let the arrow fly. --- The light was dimming, the poor little creature hurting from whatever had attacked it. He¡¯d done a lot of things he regretted, but something in him told him that if he turned his back on this he¡¯d regret it far more. --- The quartermaster laughed as he took another swig of his flask. ¡°Kid you have no idea what kind of monsters really go bump in the night around these parts.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The quartermaster gave him a smirk as the campfire light caused shadows to dance all around them. ¡°Hope you don¡¯t find out kid.¡± --- ¡°You¡¯ve done me a great service today Whitaker.¡± De Sade admitted as he poured himself a glass of bourbon. ¡°That means I¡¯m in your debt.¡± The man some would equate to the devil gave him a piercing look. ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy being in someone¡¯s debt.¡± --- In front of him stood a man in a worn black suit, a solid white half mask covering the top of the man¡¯s face as he reached forward with a gloved hand, his smile far wider than any human should be capable of. ¡°Hello, hello, and who might you be lost little lamb?¡± --- The quartermaster stepped into the clearing, blood spatter covering the man from head to toe and reminding him once more that everyone feared the man in front of him. --- ¡°No, I¡¯m doing fine ma.¡± He lied to his mother. ¡°I know, it¡¯s just quiet with you gone.¡± She told him; her voice faded enough from the old phone that he wasn¡¯t quite sure what she meant by that. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He heard his mother sigh through the phone. ¡°Just promise me you¡¯ll stay safe.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± He smiled softly. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll stay safe.¡± --- He pulled the venomous fang out of his leg before it could inject anymore of its toxins into him. Unfortunately, this also meant he now had a gaping hole in his leg from which a fair stream of blood was swiftly exiting his body. Pix trilled sadly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s going to take more than this to keep me down.¡± He lied. Shaking her head, the little fairy began flying in quick circles just above the hole in his leg, pink and golden dust gently falling off her wings and onto his leg. Slowly, the bleeding began to stop as the hole slowly sealed itself shut. --- ¡°Magic is this beautiful thing.¡± Miss Edna told him as she began to pass through her cabin. ¡°It¡¯s life, growth, creation, it¡¯s all magic even if people don¡¯t believe.¡± ¡°I thought everyone knows about magic?¡± Miss Edna scoffed. ¡°Yeah, everyone knows about magic, but no one actually believes in it. Which is just ten different kinds of idiocy, I mean you know there¡¯s more out there than what you can see, and yet you still limit yourself to what you can understand? Why?!¡± --- ¡°So, you¡¯re the Witch of Blackwell¡¯s apprentice?¡± De Sade asked as he paced the room. ¡°Miss Edna ¡®s teaching me magic.¡± He admitted, knowing it¡¯d do him no good to lie. ¡°And I¡¯m sure she¡¯s taught you all about the whimsical wonderful wishful things she believes about it.¡± De Sade told him, derision dripping from his tongue as he adjusted the cuffs of his suit. He didn¡¯t say anything. He knew it¡¯d only make things worse. ¡°Let me tell you a truth your dear ¡®Miss Edna¡¯ doesn¡¯t want you to realize. Magic is just as cruel as she is beautiful, and at the end of the day she doesn¡¯t care whether you live or die.¡± De Sade gave his words a bitter chuckle. ¡°In fact, she¡¯s hoping for it.¡± --- Thunder and lightning crashed all around him, but still he trudged on through the muck, hoping to fix the mess he was responsible for. To save one of the few people he could consider a friend. ¡°Ying!¡± He cried as he neared the young woman. ¡°Jon.¡± She smiled sadly as turned to face him, tears trailing from her eyes visible even in the rain. ¡°Ying we have to get inside its-¡± Lightning struck her down before he could finish. --- Blade met wood as he continued carving out the emblem from his book, trying as hard as he could to match the complex drawing on the page, while fitting in the details the author dare not add to the unfinished image. He didn¡¯t like what he was doing but it needed to be done if he wanted to protect the camp and all of the kids staying there. --- The man in the mask watched him with that unwavering smile. --- ¡°You know most people would know not to piss off the gods.¡± --- He vomited as his eyes began to bleed. --- ¡°You know what, I think I¡¯m beginning to like you.¡± --- Everything hurt. --- ¡°So brash, so brave. Ah, I can just taste the madness in the air.¡± --- Life liked to kick people in the teeth like that. --- ¡°If you accept this deal, for better or for worse, you will be responsible for your own fate.¡± --- He still got back up again. --- ¡°If it protects them then damn my fate.¡± --- Ten thousand mad eyes stared into him, seeing beyond everything he is, was, and will be. He met its gaze without hesitation. And the entity smiled with a hundred hungering mouths. Prologue Pt. 2 Prologue Pt. 2 --- Jon --- He jolted awake, his breathing quick as his eyes dart around, his hand already settling on his knife. ¡°Steady.¡± A familiar voice told him from across the seating. He blinked as he took in the Asian teen in front of him. ¡°Ying?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± His friend nodded He let his head hit the back of his seat. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± She assured him. ¡°If anyone deserves the right to a few bad dreams it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Hmm, suppose so.¡± He admitted with a bitter grin. A glowing figure almost twelve inches tall buzzed in front of his face. ¡°I¡¯m fine Pix.¡± He told her, only for the little fairy to glare at him, before flying in front of Ying and pointing at him vehemently as she made an odd series of buzzing and bell like jingles. ¡°Yes, I know he¡¯s being stupid again.¡± Ying agreed as she cupped her hands together for the little fairy to take a seat. ¡°And how am I being stupid now?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask, as he remembered some faint advice from that bastard of a quartermaster about men always being idiots in the eyes of women. Ying gave him a look. ¡°You¡¯re waving off the fact that you¡¯re still having nightmares.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just tell me I¡¯m entitled to a few nightmares after¡­ everything?¡± He asked, without any real heat. ¡°Because you¡¯re not talking about it.¡± Ying explained pointedly. He couldn¡¯t quite meet her gaze at that. ¡°Just the usual stuff.¡± ¡°And what pray tell is the ¡®usual stuff¡¯?¡± Ying wondered. ¡°Madness, magic, and mayhem.¡± He answered in a half-joking way. Pix zapped him for that. ¡°Good girl.¡± Ying praised, kissing the little fairy¡¯s forehead. He rolled his eyes as Pix puffed her chest up in pride, before letting them drift to the scenery passing through the window behind the two. ¡°Well looks like we¡¯ve finally made it back to the city.¡± Ying commented as she followed his gaze. ¡°Still surprised we live in the same city now.¡± ¡°Yeah, me and ma moved out this way when she transferred around¡­ November, I think?¡± He told her. ¡°Shame we don¡¯t go to the same school.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Ying gave a half-amused chuckle. ¡°Yeah, I could just imagine my mother¡¯s reaction to me going to a school on the southside.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡± He laughed. Ying gave him a flat look. ¡°If rumors are to be believed at least half of the school belongs to one gang or another.¡± ¡°It¡¯s overhyped.¡± He told her, not bothering to explain that it was more like a third of the school that was in gangs, and another third were huffing whatever drug they could get their hands on. ¡°For your sake I hope so.¡± Ying sighed. ¡°I would absolutely hate for our next meeting to be me patching another hole in your stomach.¡± ¡°Please.¡± He scoffed. ¡°We both know I¡¯m the better nurse between us.¡± ¡°Yes, and the fact that most of that is from self-practice does very little to reassure me.¡± Ying pointed out dryly. ¡°Really, because I figured with me still standing that¡¯d mean I was pretty good at it.¡± He joked, trying very hard not to think about the various times his hands had been covered in his own blood. ¡°I suppose so.¡± Ying stated more than said, a flat tone she tended to use whenever she was upset about something he¡¯d said but didn¡¯t want to admit it. Pix being far blunter, decided to just zap him again. Shaking his head, and not minding since he was used to more dangerous injuries than that, a thought occurred to him. ¡°Hey, Ying?¡± She glanced at him. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Um, how long do you think it¡¯ll be before we can, uh, meet up again?¡± He asked, since there weren¡¯t too many people understood exactly what happened that summer. ¡°I mean, I know things with your mom are¡­ rough.¡± Ying gave a snort of amusement. ¡°That¡¯s one way of putting it.¡± She leaned back to actually think about it, before sighing. ¡°Knowing my mother, she¡¯ll try to keep me locked up more or less for the next few weeks, excluding attempts towards academic achievement.¡± He tried not to show how much that irked him. Even his military mom wasn¡¯t that controlling. ¡°I honestly wouldn¡¯t plan on us being able to catch up for a month at the very least.¡± Ying finally admitted, though she looked less than happy about it. Pushing through her own issues Ying gave him a look. ¡°How about your mom? Do you really think you¡¯ll be able to cover for Pix?¡± ¡°My ma ¡®s gone most of the day at work so as long as Pix can keep her head down in the morning, not make too much noise at night, she won¡¯t even notice.¡± He figured, giving Pix a meaningful look. The little fairy gave him a decisive nod, sending her little antenna bobbing. ¡°Well, at the very least you won¡¯t be alone.¡± Ying told him, and if he didn¡¯t know her as well as he did he might¡¯ve missed the hint of jealousy underneath it. ¡°You sure you¡¯re going to be okay? Especially considering¡­ everything.¡± (Dang, that¡¯s becoming my go to phrase¡­) Ying sighed as it was her turn to look at everything but him. ¡°Yeah. It won¡¯t be fun, but I¡¯ll be able to keep everything under wraps for a few weeks.¡± He decided not to call her on the fact that a few sparks of electricity were dancing across the back of her hand. (If she doesn¡¯t want to talk about it I¡¯m not so much of a hypocrite as to make her.) ¡°Remember, if you need anything I¡¯ve-¡± Pix started chiming. ¡°We¡¯ve got your back.¡± He told her once more. ¡°I know.¡± Ying smiled, before frowning as the bus pulled over. ¡°Well, this is my stop.¡± ¡°Right, just¡­¡± He sighed, not entirely sure of what he wanted to say. ¡°Stay safe?¡± She offered with another smile. ¡°Stay safe.¡± He agreed. Watching her leave, he met her gaze as she sat at the bus bench to wait on her mother, before waving as the bus started to move once more. ¡°Guess it¡¯s just you and me now Pix.¡± He told the little fairy as she landed on his shoulder, receiving a faint trilling in return. Prologue Pt. 3 Prologue (Pt. 3) --- Jon --- ¡°Alright, Pix, remember what we talked about?¡± He asked opening the backpack his friend was hiding in. Pix gave him a series of chimes and an eyeroll for good measure. ¡°Look I know I keep repeating myself but¡­ my ma, she¡¯s not really a fan of magic.¡± He tried to explain. ¡°If she finds out about you¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what she¡¯d do.¡± (And that¡¯s to say nothing of if she finds out you¡¯re playing with the same stuff.) He closed his eyes before shaking his head as he pointedly ignored the remnants of what the Cheshire did to him. (Steady breaths¡­ one¡­ two¡­ three¡­ four¡­) He felt something on his face, and opened his eyes to find Pix with a hand to his cheek as she gave him a concerned look with her yellow on black eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just¡­¡± He took another breath before sighing it out. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Pix gave him a look, one that said while she didn¡¯t believe she understood he didn¡¯t want to talk about it. ¡°Look, our bus got here a little early so my mom should still be down at the station right now.¡± He told her as he opened the pack wide enough for her to get out. ¡°Meaning, you should have an hour or two to get adjusted to things before she gets here, and you have to get hiding.¡± Pix nodded as she flew out of his backpack before stretching as she hovered in place with her wings. Nodding back, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and used his house key to open the front door giving him access once more to his house. ¡°And here we are, casa de Whitaker.¡± As soon as the door finished opening, a loud bark cut through the air. His hand shot to his knife as (the rabid beast leapt at him.) Out of survival habit, Pix bolted for his backpack, leaving a faintly glowing trail through the air with how fast she was moving. His eyes darted towards the (mad wolf, as black bile dripped from its wretched maw and it) stood there watching him calmly. (Why isn¡¯t it¡­) He blinked and the insanity infected beast faded from sight as an old German Shepherd with lightly greying hair replaced it. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. He forced his hand from his knife, as he tried to control his breathing. ¡°Hey there Brutus.¡± He greeted the one animal he knew would never hurt him. The old MWD watched him with a concerned gaze, likely recognizing the way he¡¯d just reacted from his own mother. ¡°Good to see you boy.¡± He said giving the old dog a smile as he began scratching it between its ears. ¡°You been good for ma while I was gone?¡± Brutus gave him a bark in the affirmative as he began to wag his tail. At a faint chiming, he glanced over his shoulder to notice Pix peeking out of his pack at the general lack of violence. ¡°Hey boy, there¡¯s someone I want to introduce you to.¡± He told shepherd in a soft voice as he began gesturing for the hiding fairy to come out of his pack. Watching the dog hesitantly, -something he couldn¡¯t blame her for given what he knew- Pix slowly floated out of his pack, being sure to keep him between her and the dog far larger than her. ¡°Brutus, this is Pix, she¡¯s a very good friend of mine.¡± He explained as he took a step to the side for the dog and fairy to get a proper look at each other. ¡°Pix, this is Brutus, he¡¯s been a part of the family for years.¡± Pix froze as Brutus drew closer, and he couldn¡¯t miss the familiar glow her hands took on as the old dog drew near. Brutus gave the little fairy a couple of sniffs, before licking her. Of course, given their size difference this covered nearly the entirety of Pix¡¯s being. The little fairy froze a mixed look of horror and disgust on her face as the old shepherd stared on in blissful ignorance as his tail wagged behind him. Pix slowly turned towards him, her expression never changing as she slowly pointed at herself as a high pitch keening sound began to emit from the little fairy. He gave her a snort of amusement. ¡°Uh, why don¡¯t I show you to the bathroom.¡± Pix began to nod frantically as she flew into him and began pushing him to get moving. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m going.¡± He laughed, as he made his way to the bathroom where he pulled the sink stopper and set the faucet to start running warm water. Seeing this and having absolutely no concept of shame, Pix threw off her clothes and dove into the water as she began to quickly scrub at her face. Turning away from the fairy, he started digging through his backpack before pulling out a small set of modified doll clothing he¡¯d managed to awkwardly get ahold of back when he¡¯d first discovered the little nudist. ¡°Remember to put your clothes on when your done.¡± He reminded her, trusting the fairy to turn the water off when it got deep enough for her. Pix waved at him in a ¡®yeah-yeah, whatever you say¡¯ sort of fashion as her insect wings began to flutter through the water causing it to spray all over the sink. Shaking his head at the fairy¡¯s actions he picked up her dirty clothes -something he definitely did not want to explain to his mother- before making his way towards his room, mildly comforted by the way Brutus was following him around everywhere he went. As he stepped into his room he couldn¡¯t help but take note of the general lack of decorations, aside from a number of little trinkets he¡¯d picked up from his years at Camp Bet back before everything had gone sideways for him. The only furniture he really had was his bed against a corner of the room, a desk against the other with an old laptop sitting on top of it, and a shelf covered in a bunch of old children¡¯s books he¡¯d never had the heart to actually throw out, even if he hadn¡¯t read any of them in years. ¡°Home sweet home¡­¡± Prologue Pt. 4 Prologue Pt. 4 --- Jon --- Giving the room one last look over he moved towards his bed and shrugged off his backpack before opening the second zipper, the one Miss Edna had helped him enchant to hold far more than a bag of this size could naturally be capable of. In a habit that had ingrained itself in him even before the nightmare was that was this last summer, he began doing an inventory of everything he¡¯d brought back with him from camp. Namely the things he had zero intention of letting his mother find, such as the wooden handled axe he was probably a little too familiar with. Stepping out into the longest hall of his and his ma¡¯s house, and making sure Brutus was behind him, he threw the axe with a practiced ease that would allow it to pierce into the wall roughly thirty meters away. Or would¡¯ve allowed it if he didn¡¯t flex his right hand in a way that triggered the enchantment binding the axe to the little band of plastic wrapped around his wrist. For a split second the axe seemed to pause in mid-air before reversing its path and returning to his hand with a solid thump as it hit his palm. ¡°Never going to get tired of that.¡± He admitted, easily tossing and twirling the lighter than it should be axe in his hand. It was one of the first enchantments he¡¯d bothered to learn on his own, after having lost both his axe and his knife in a particularly nasty fight with the Corrupted of Blackwell. (Fangs bit down onto his forearm as the beast thrashed and mauled, rending flesh from bone in a way that had him screaming¡­) A thumb idly ran over a patch of skin that after a number of potions and spells was only mildly paler than the skin around it. He¡¯d made sure all of his gear had a way of jumping to hand after that. Sadly, even though he had managed to figure out the basics to a few of the more common spell affinities, his actual affinities weren¡¯t all that common. It had been a surprise to him and Miss Edna both when her Arcane ring identified his primary affinity as [Hunter] it got even weirder when you considered the fact that his secondary affinities were, Moon and Defender. None of which were like the earth, fire, water, or wind he¡¯d been expecting given what little he knew about magic back then. Even something like shadows or light would¡¯ve made more sense to him given the few Mask fights he¡¯d seen online. Honestly if not for Miss Edna he¡¯d of only had the obvious to go off of, which given how magic was big on things such as ¡®flowers are plants but plants are not flowers¡¯ and ¡®ice is water, even if water is not ice¡¯ meant he wouldn¡¯t know about half of the uses she¡¯d pointed him towards, even if he still had to figure out how to pull most of them off. As he pulled out a large package wrapped in red, he couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of what De Sade had taught him about every form of magic being another tool for power and destruction. (Something the man was more than willing to prove.) Shaking his head, he started undoing the package, some part of him compelled to make sure he still had De Sade¡¯s ¡®reward¡¯ for saving the man¡¯s daughter. A series of books the man had rewarded him, ones containing anything he could possibly want to know about using his affinities to hurt someone, summon a demon, or even bring the dead back to life if he was desperate. (I really don¡¯t want to know if that book on top is actually made from human skin.) Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Making sure not to touch the package''s contents, he sealed it shut once more, trying very hard not to think of whatever strings were tied to the gift from the man who taught him, ¡®Power has a price.¡¯ Instead he began going through the things that had more positive memories tied to them, such as the Bow Jill gave him as a goodbye, since this was the last year she¡¯d be at camp¡­ He set the bow next to his bed, figuring it was one of the few things it wouldn¡¯t matter if his ma saw laying around his room. Something that couldn¡¯t be said of the few trick arrows he¡¯d experimented with over the summer. Such as the tranq-arrows covered in a tranquilizer he¡¯d figured out how to make with a few simple ingredients, admittedly he hadn¡¯t had much use for them given how most of what he was fighting needed to be put down but¡­ (The arrow flew through the air, its path set forevermore as it neared its target, before driving its way through the ma-) He grabbed his fingers and started forcing them back until and stretching sting drew him back down to reality, his heart pounding in his ears, and his breath far shorter than he was comfortable with. ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah, it¡¯s a good thing I have tranq-arrows¡­ It¡¯d be real bad if I didn¡¯t¡­¡± He chuckled a little deliriously, before pulling out an arrow that was much more straightforward in its purpose. His trip-arrows were a pair of arrows with a mechanism connecting the two hooked arrowheads through a thin reinforced metal wire. The real trick to using this one was to fire two arrows in quick succession, from there the arrow meant to always be fired second would pull the line taut as soon as it dug into a surface, allowing him to rig a tripwire at any distance. Something that would come in extreme usefulness once he figured out how to rig something to said tripwire without detonating it on impact. He blinked before shaking his head. ¡°No. No, I don¡¯t need to figure that out. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to be fighting anymore¡­¡± The only reason he¡¯d fought the Corrupted over the summer was because he''d stumbled upon them when investigating the Quartermaster, thinking the old man was a threat to the various campers. (If only it¡¯d been that simple¡­) Next up were a series of beginner magic books Miss Edna had gifted him, as well as a few packs of seeds for any plants that could help his potion making. Things he felt bad accepting, given how she¡¯d already made him his amulet, the thing that allowed a non-Arcane to practice magic at all. Under that were a number of drawings and knick-knacks the younger campers had all gifted him over the summer. And while they weren¡¯t necessarily good, they were things he immediately set about finding places for throughout his room. It was as he was taking one of these drawings to his wall he noticed Pix walking into the room, her hair and wings still wet from her bath. The little fairy was possibly the best thing to come of his summer misadventures, and despite knowing her for a far shorter amount of time than anyone else, was probably his best friend given how much of the nightmare she¡¯d helped him through. In fact, he had no doubt he¡¯d be dead if it weren¡¯t for her own skill at, piecing him back together whenever he was injured. And that wasn¡¯t even including all of the emotional support she¡¯d given them, despite their racial language difficulties. In the end her friendship and aid made up for the bouts of mischief the little fairy was so fond of, such as- ¡°Clothes.¡± Pix stuck her tongue out at him, not seeing what the big deal was, before climbing onto his bed and digging through his backpack for something to wear, if only to shut him up. ¡°Right.¡± He sighed, making a note to collect the clothes he left out for her, before giving her a glare as instead of getting dressed she pulled out a jar of sugar honey. ¡°If you¡¯re hungry you know I can just make dinner, right? I mean, I¡¯m probably going to cook it to treat ma anyway.¡± Pix made a series of chimes that he roughly translated to, (¡®Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll eat that too.¡¯) He couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes with an amused shake of his head. ¡°Glutton.¡± Pix nodded in a sage-like manner. Prologue Pt. 5 Prologue Pt. 5 --- Jon --- Dinner was a task he tended to take on himself even before his more than eventful summer. After all, it was either learn to cook or live off of coffee and take out, (like the way ma apparently has been¡­) He scowled at the various empty fast food containers that had been tossed next to the trash bin. (Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for her obscene exercise regime, she¡¯d probably double in weight each summer.) With a shake of his head, he began moving through the kitchen getting out everything he needed to make what was probably his mother¡¯s first decent meal in months, all the while being thankful that at least a few of the groceries they lacked an expiration date. Especially since it looked like his mother hadn¡¯t been in the fridge all summer if the rotten fruits and vegetables were any sign. Luckily, after his first few times watching the kitchen, the rest of the camp had voted for him to start taking all of their shifts. Meaning he was more than used to feeding an army with sub-par ingredients, let alone two humans and a fairy. (Speaking of I¡¯m going to have to change how I cook around here to meet Pix¡¯s diet.) Unlike humans, fairies -or Pix¡¯s strain anyway- were incapable of eating actual meat, and instead tended to live off of fruits, honey, tree sap, and flower nectar. Of course, given Pix¡¯s gluttonous nature this didn¡¯t actually do anything to keep her from eating pretty much anything he put in front of her, so long as it lacked meat anyway. Either way though, he¡¯d picked up a number of vegetarian and fruit-based sides, dishes, and deserts to try and keep the little fairy fed. Now for most people none of this was a problem. Unfortunately, he and his mother were from the part of the countryside where if your diet wasn¡¯t at least fifty percent meat, then you were in fact considered a vegetarian by the locals. Meaning virtually everything he cooked prior to that summer had involved meat in some way or fashion. (I guess I can just double down on the baked goods, if I have to.) He froze as he heard the front door click open and Brutus start barking, his hand already on his knife as he quietly made his way from the kitchen, and- ¡°Down boy.¡± -immediately relaxed as he realized it was just his mom, rather than some insanity driven individual wanting to rip his eyes out and eat them. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. With a quick tilt of his head, he silently motioned for Pix to head back to his room. Giving him a nod, she took off around the corner as he made his way towards the living room, letting him catch sight of his mother as she finally got Brutus off of her. He¡¯d just about caught up to his mother¡¯s tall height, and would probably be passing her in the next few years, but while he was tall and often mistaken as string bean his mother also had a bit more width to balance out her build. ¡°Hey, ma.¡± He called, getting his mother¡¯s forest green eyes to meet his own through their mutually brown hair. ¡°Jon, you¡¯re back!¡± His mother smiled in that way that was a little less vibrant than his own, (then again mine hasn¡¯t been that vibrant since- the corrupted cried tears of black blood as her hands wrapped around his throat and-) ¡°Jon?¡± ¡°Sorry, just haven¡¯t seen you in a while.¡± He told her semi-honestly, not wanting to think about one of the numerous traumatic events from his summer. His mother eyed him for a moment, and if he hadn¡¯t picked up a certain amount of empathy after dealing with kids all summer he might¡¯ve missed the way they seemed to judge whether or not he was lying to her. He made sure to step in and give her a hug before she could realize he was. ¡°Missed you.¡± He admitted, even as he felt his mother tense in his arms, -(Something he tried very hard not to notice.)- before returning his hug. ¡°Missed you too, kiddo.¡± The rest of the night went as peacefully as he¡¯d hoped, a simple meal with his ma as he passively avoided talking about his summer, and the landmine field within. (Still, it was a nice break from having something trying to kill me every other night.) And in the end, that was what was important. Once he and his mother were done with dinner, he offered to do the dishes so he could sneak Pix a plate, something she seemed to appreciate if her excited chiming was anything to go by. ¡°Good to know you like whatever I can scramble up here.¡± He told her, as the lazy little glutton nodded, claiming one of his pillows as her bed the moment she was finished eating. He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head in amusement as he moved the pillow over and settled down himself. Of course, it was as he laid there staring at the ceiling of his room in the dark of the night, that his mind decided to think about everything that had happened over the summer, or rather he think about all of the traumatic events he¡¯d rather forget about. From the one¡¯s involving the corrupted, the infected, and whatever beasts they dragged out of the void between to the one¡¯s where he¡¯d been dragged into the fight between De Sade and the various men who hated him for everything he¡¯d done pushing back the darkness of Blackwell, things that in no way could be considered morally just. (Things you helped him do¡­) (Stop that.) He told the darker thoughts. (We¡¯re back home, it¡¯s a fresh start, and we¡¯re going to start it right.) Day 1 Day 1 --- Jon --- He woke up before his alarm actually went off. The reason being that he¡¯d gotten into the habit of getting up earlier, than his already obscenely early schedule due to having to make sure the various traps around camp were clear of any corrupted remains the campers could stumble upon. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Rolling out of bed, he did a couple of stretches, while being ever so slightly jealous of the fact that the slothful little fairy with him was still asleep and would likely sleep until noon. Shaking his head, he climbed out of bed and got to work making breakfast to power him and his ma through the mandatory workout she was likely to put him through. It¡¯d been something of a morning ritual ever since she left the military to take care of him after his parents¡¯ divorce. She¡¯d wake him up about an hour before they actually had anything to do, and then would put him through a number of exercises to try and keep him in shape and trained should anything happen to him. And while he may¡¯ve hated it originally, that didn¡¯t change the fact that all of that training was the main reason he¡¯d been able to survive the Beast of Blackwell¡¯s attacks. ¡°Huh, wasn¡¯t expecting you to be up already.¡± His ma told him from the kitchen entrance. ¡°Yeah, no, I¡¯ve gotten into the habit of getting up a bit earlier. It was the only way to really get much time to myself at the camp, since I was helping out with the kids the rest of the day.¡± That was largely the truth. ¡°Hmm, makes sense.¡± His ma nodded, seemingly amused by something. ¡°So, what did you end up making?¡± ¡°Well I lucked out and found a couple of eggs, that while borderline, aren¡¯t actually rotten. Which with a bit of sugar, flour, and the half pint of milk from your coffee, meant I just barely had enough for a sort of muffin bake.¡± He explained, pulling a pan filled with pastry. ¡°Still needs a minute to cool though.¡± ¡°Huh. Resourceful.¡± His ma admitted, seemingly impressed. ¡°Yeah, I picked up a couple of things around camp.¡± He agreed, still impressed by all the things he¡¯d managed to make with semi-expired, or freshly hunted ingredients at Camp Bet. (Not sure if I¡¯m better or worse off knowing what we were eating there.) ¡°Well, since it¡¯s probably going to be a minute let¡¯s go ahead and head on up to the roof.¡± His mother decided, not really waiting for a response. ¡°Right¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°The more things change¡­¡± Following his mother through their apartment building, he made his way up to the roof where a cheap deck had been set up for the various tenants to hang out on so long as they didn¡¯t burn the thing to the ground. (Which given all of the bottles and cigarettes is a legitimate concern.) He noted with just a touch of distaste, bred by the quartermaster¡¯s near constant alcoholism. Once they were near the center of the deck, his mother turned to face him with her arms raised in a knife fighter¡¯s stance that held one hand half open in front of the upper chest and a closed fist near the stomach. One that he proceeded to match despite having picked up a preference for using his axe or knife over the summer. His mother eyed him for a moment, making sure his stance hadn¡¯t deteriorated the way it usually did during his summer breaks. (Or at least the ones I don¡¯t have to spend fighting for my life anyway.) Deciding that there was nothing wrong with his stance, his ma gave him an approving nod before rushing forward with a swipe of her imaginary knife, that he managed to sidestep before delivering a blow to her side and jumping back. His mother seemed to pause for a moment, before turning back to him and resetting her stance. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°So how was your summer?¡± He asked casually, knowing full well that his mother liked to talk during their spars just to throw him off. His ma raised a brow, catching what he was doing, ¡°About the same as it always is. How about you.¡± ¡°Mostly the same.¡± (If you exclude the magic and madness corrupted trying to kill me by various means all summer.) ¡°Manage to catch any interesting cases at least?¡± He asked, pushing one of her blows to the side. ¡°Mm, nothing a kid like you should worry about.¡± His mother admitted, her eyes narrowing for just a moment before she shot out a series of quick jabs. ¡°So, more of the -argh- same old, same old?¡± He gasped, unable to block or dodge all of the jabs. (Should¡¯ve remembered fighting a normal person is different from fighting a corrupted.) There was a reason he largely stuck to arrows, traps, and stealth in his fights against those lost to insanity. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Yep.¡± His mother nodded, before taking a light kick to the knee as he blocked one of her swipes. ¡°Well, better than the royale, passing through.¡± He agreed as he hopped out of her immediate range after his first hit. ¡°Hmm.¡± His mother hummed noncommittally as she watched him carefully, not bothering to close the distance between them as she seemed to put a pause to their spar. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s up?¡± He asked with more than a little caution, given how her usual ¡®awareness¡¯ training tended to make him extremely paranoid until he was sure their spar was actually over. ¡°You¡¯re doing better than you usually do when coming back from camp.¡± His mother pointed out. ¡°Normally, you¡¯ve got a bit of rust from neglecting your training.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, yeah.¡± He nodded trying to think of a suitable half-truth. ¡°A friend of mine asked for a couple of self-defense lessons. Said she was reaching that point where people are starting to notice her, whatever that means.¡± All of that was true, though he¡¯d later found out Ying had been lying about her reason because she¡¯d noticed how twitchy he¡¯d gotten back when he was the only one who knew about the Corrupted. (She¡¯d also lied about not knowing how to fight.) He learned that after she¡¯d finally gotten fed up with his dodging of her questions, and decided the best solution was to just put a boot to his throat and press until he talked. His mother was watching him again, though this time there was something other than her usual measuring gaze. ¡°Kid, I can¡¯t tell if your na?ve or just a late bloomer.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± His ma sighed with a shake of her head. Scene Consequences -Thanks to Ma¡¯s training gained 2XP to Combat. --Currently: Lv. 5 (2/12) -Grown a bit closer to Ma. -Ma Whitaker will keep putting Jon through his paces each morning, granting a random bonus to his [Huntsman] skills each day. --- Despite knowing his ma wouldn¡¯t approve, and the fact that he technically didn¡¯t need it anymore, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to give up magic. Even if it was after just two months of using it. He knew that was a bit dramatic, especially when compared to the Arcane who literally had magic as a part of their innate being. But he also knew it was the same as a number of his other skills. Just because he didn¡¯t need or even like to fight, didn¡¯t mean the instinct to wasn¡¯t ingrained into his being. The same went with the bits of tinkering and crafting he¡¯d come to associate with his traps and potions, or even with his need to sneak around when no one was looking and listen to their steps as the walked around him. Once he really learned something, it became a part of him that he just couldn¡¯t give up. (I wonder if that¡¯s why the Cheshire took an interest in me?) That was a question he was honestly a little scared of learning the answer too. Still what all of this meant was, he¡¯d continue to practice all of his skills regardless of his mother¡¯s actual opinion on the matter. (Does this counts as my rebellious phase?) He couldn¡¯t help but wonder as he began setting up his desk to both work as a magic station as well as to hide said station should his mother decide to take a look in his room. Something that was relatively easy given his talent for hiding his traps where the corrupted would walk right into them. Unfortunately, by the time he¡¯d finished setting everything up, it was probably too late for him to actually make any progress with said magic. (Well, at the very least this means I can actually get something going tomorrow if nothing else.) He figured, watching as Pix began curiously inspecting this and that in an attempt to understand how he¡¯d rigged everything to hide and pull out from his various drawers. Scene Consequences -Can now practice and train magic from home. --- Once he was done setting up his workstation -and not trusting his mother to do it instead- he swiped some money from the surprisingly large stash he¡¯d built up over the summer and made his way to a nearby general store, to restock on what he considered the bare minimum of groceries. Now normally this wouldn¡¯t be an event truly worthy of note. The problem is madness itself had a distinct desire to fuck him over as much as meta-physically possible. Hence why he was watching the scene before him with a basket full of groceries in hand. In front of him was a female cashier around his age and a man. Nothing of particular note on that front, despite the fact that due to the day of the week and the time of the day the three of them were the only ones in the store, not that the other two seemed to notice him. (Which is really poor awareness on their part.) What was worthy of note however was the fact that said man was pointing a gun at the girl who seemed quite frightened by the situation. (More so than I was in my first fight with a corrupted.) He considered the scene for a moment more, before shaking his head and walking up behind the man with a gun in his hand. ¡°Pardon.¡± He said tapping the robber on the shoulder. The robber half spun to face him, before receiving an elbow to the throat, having his gun ripped from his hand, and then being pistol whipped with said gun as he finally lost consciousness. Shaking his head, Jon stepped over the downed robber as he set his basket on the counter. He tapped his fingers on the counter for a moment, before realizing that the cashier seemed to be staring at him with a stressed blush to her face for some reason. ¡°Uh, if you don¡¯t mind? I¡¯ve still got to make dinner tonight.¡± He informed the cashier, causing the other teen to jump before rapidly nodding her head as she began to scan his items. (Huh, weird¡­) Scene Consequences -Conflict was too low to gain viable experience. -Gained groceries thus staving off starvation! -Local reputation increased! Day 2 Day 2 --- Jon --- ¡°You¡¯re keeping up decently enough.¡± His mother commented as they continued their before-sunrise-run through the neighborhood. ¡°Then again, running was one of the few things you never let get rusty.¡± ¡°Mm, yeah.¡± He agreed a little passively. ¡°Honestly, keeping track of so many things around Camp had me running left and right helping the other counselors with everything.¡± ¡°So, I guess that whole CIT thing kept you busy this summer?¡± His Ma figured as they slowed for a stoplight to let the early morning traffic pass them by. ¡°More than I care to admit.¡± He nodded, scratching between Brutus¡¯s ears as he sat next to them waiting for the light. ¡°Next year will be even worse than this one if I become an actual counselor next year.¡± (Excluding the corrupted, and whatever crime syndicate decides to off De Sade next.) If he was lucky he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with either of those. ¡°Hmm, so long as you get back up again, you¡¯ll get the hang of it eventually.¡± His ma assured him without actually looking at him, as if it was as simple a detail as the weather. (Which I guess, in a way it kind of is.) Scene Consequences -Gained 2XP to Mobility for training with Ma. --Currently: Lv. 5 (8/12) --- Stepping out of the shower he made his way back to his room where Pix was just waking up. ¡°Sleep well?¡± Pix gave him a so-so gesture as she yawned. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the whole magic downgrade is hitting you pretty hard then, huh?¡± It was a phenomenon that had been fairly well recorded since the discovery of magic. Different locations had different amounts of Anima floating around, typically measurable by the amount of life -whatever it may be- in the local area, as well as a number of factors that had to do with rifts, tears, bleeds and other interdimensional shenanigans that were way above his pay grade. All of which essentially boiled down to the fact that the ambient magic of a city was significantly lower than that of a forest. Let alone a forest in a territory as mystically charged as Blackwell, where he was fairly sure the local land connected to at least three different nightmare dimensions. Meaning that Pix -who¡¯s species was natural in tune with both magic and nature- was likely suffering from a level of discomfort similar to someone who¡¯d moved from a warm climate to a much colder one. Not necessarily dangerous, but not very comfortable either. Pix gave him a tired nod before stretching her arms above her head. ¡°Regret coming with me?¡± The little fairy glared at him before leaping into the air flying into his face so he could see just how unamused she was with his question. Very slowly without breaking eye contact Pix shook her head. ¡°Sorry, just¡­ it¡¯s not too late if you¡¯d changed your mind about leaving.¡± He tried to explain, before giving her a soft smile. ¡°Still, thanks for toughing it out.¡± Pix rolled her eyes in way of, ¡®was there ever really any doubt.¡¯ ¡°I know, I just¡­¡± He sighed before shaking his head. ¡°Hey, I know you¡¯re kind of handicapped by the lack of magic, but do you think you¡¯ll be up for working on a couple of projects? I¡¯m sure we could come up with something fun.¡± The little fairy¡¯s face scrunched up as she considered it before sticking her hand out in a ¡®pay up¡¯ kind of gesture. ¡°Hmm, how about some blueberry muffins?¡± He asked, knowing the key to getting the little glutton to do anything was through her stomach. Pix crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯m sure I can scrounge up an apple pie in a day or two.¡± He threw out. The little fairy licked her lips before shaking her head and looking away from him. He couldn¡¯t help but giving a huff of amusement, she was clearly interested even if she was still holding out for more. ¡°Oh, and of course I can¡¯t forget a pint of milk to wash it all down.¡± Pix¡¯s eyes shot to him before she began nodding vigorously. (Yeah, I¡¯ve yet to meet a fairy who dislikes milk.) Scene Consequences -Pix now has a Magic Assist each turn. Assist Tutorial -Assist AP is when another character helps complete or change a given task, of their specialty. In this case Pix can assist with any Magic task due to her ¡®Magic Assistant¡¯ ability. -To have Pix assist with a task, have ¡®¨C[]-Pix Assist¡¯ as a sub-vote of the given task. Ways This Can Be Used: -If Pix assists with Enchanting, then we can use her concepts for said enchantment. Possibly unlocking new General Enchantments depending on what we use said concepts on. -When performing a magic skill check (such as the Occult check when searching our books) this check will be boosted by a small amount based on Pix¡¯s ¡®Magic Assistant¡¯ skill level. -Grown a little closer to Pix. --- ¡°Huh, Ma forgot her lunch.¡± He noted spotting a bag on the kitchen counter when he went to start Pix¡¯s treats. ¡°Guess she¡¯s used to dealing with lunch on her own again.¡± The little fairy gave him a curious look. ¡°Since I¡¯m not around to make her lunch over the summer, she always forgets I make her something to take to work when I get back.¡± He explained, taking the bag in hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to take this to her at the station.¡± Pix gave him another look, this one more impatient than the last. He rolled his eyes before moving to the living room and turning the TV on and setting it to something colorful and kid friendly. ¡°Here¡¯s TV, parents use it to babysit their children when their busy.¡± (Or mine did anyway.) The moth-like fairy was instantly mesmerized as she began to gently hover towards the light of the screen. He actually had to physically pull her back when she¡¯d started getting too close. ¡°Uh, if you get too close it¡¯ll start hurting your eyes.¡± Pix didn¡¯t respond to him, and he was mildly curious if leaving her like this was a bad decision. He then proceeded to remember what happened the last time he¡¯d left her unsupervised for a prolonged period of time, and the fact that he¡¯d had to skip sleeping to clean up her mess that night. (Still surprised she wasn¡¯t caught with everything she did around camp¡­ Then again I guess Ying and I did catch her¡­) ¡°Well, since you¡¯re preoccupied¡­¡± He turned away from the hypnotized fairy and to the old dog laying lazily on the couch. ¡°You mind keeping an eye on her, Brutus?¡± Brutus wagged his tail as he gave him a happy bark. ¡°Good boy.¡± He praised scratching the dog¡¯s head as he made his way out of the house. The route from his house to the station wasn¡¯t a particularly long one, or at least it wasn¡¯t for someone who was more than used to both walking and running miles at a time for hours on end. ¡°Hey, if it isn¡¯t the young Whitaker.¡± A voice stopped him after a mile or so. Moving in a way that would keep the owner of the voice from seeing if he drew his knife, he turned his attention to a tall dark-haired man with colorful tattoos wrapped around and openly displayed on each of his muscular arms, before relaxing. ¡°Hey Chris.¡± He greeted back, recognizing the man walking up to him. ¡°Surprised to see you out on the streets.¡± ¡°Yeah, just making my way to the crossing it¡¯s about time to open up shop.¡± Chris explained. ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re back from wherever you disappeared to for the summer.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Uh, yeah. I¡¯m back from camp.¡± He nodded, not really knowing what else to say. Christian Durand was the owner of Saint¡¯s Crossing, a local bar that his mother and a few of her cop friends liked to hang out at to celebrate a successful case. The only reason Jon knew him as well as he did was because he went to school with the man¡¯s younger brother, something both Chris and his Ma had tried to use to get the two boy¡¯s to branch out with minimal success. ¡°Your mom mentioned something about that.¡± Chris nodded back. ¡°Though I figured you were a bit old for summer camp¡­¡± He ignored the twinge of irritation he felt at that. ¡°I was a CIT.¡± (Though I still would¡¯ve gone if I wasn¡¯t.) And with everything he accomplished over the summer that was probably a good thing. ¡°Oh, so you were the one watching the rug rats run around then.¡± Christ noted with a snap of his fingers. ¡°Yeah, something like that¡­¡± He accepted not wanting this to drag out. ¡°Um, not that isn¡¯t nice to talk, but uh, I was kind of on my way to do something.¡± ¡°Right, and I need to get to the bar.¡± Chris agreed before resuming on his own way with a last call of. ¡°And let your mom know I said hi.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He waved more due to a country politeness than anything else as he shook his head and continued toward the station. After another ten minutes of walking a siren blared from behind him causing him to jump and spin knife half drawn to (ram into the skull of whatever creep had managed to-) He shook his head clear of that memory as he realized he wasn¡¯t dealing with something that had slipped through the other side but rather a cop car with two officers he actually knew. ¡°Woo, you should¡¯ve seen how high you jumped Whitaker.¡± A female cop with tanned skin laughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± He laughed back, not wanting to think about what would¡¯ve happened if the officer was actually in stabbing distance when he¡¯d jumped. ¡°So, uh, what¡¯s up officer Garcia?¡± ¡°Come on, I told you to just call me by my name.¡± The officer he knew through his ma reminded him with a pout. ¡°Sure, thing Garcia.¡± He nodded happily. Garcia glared at him before sighing. ¡°You¡¯re definitely your mother¡¯s son.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the eyes.¡± He admitted tapping next to his. Garcia rolled hers before shaking her head. ¡°So, what are you up to?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, ma forgot her lunch, so I¡¯m taking it down to the station for her.¡± He explained showing her the thermal lunch bag in his hand. ¡°Aww, I wish my boys grow up to be as half as sweet as you!¡± Garcia cooed before throwing a thumb towards the passenger seat. ¡°You want a lift? My patrol is just about over so I¡¯m already heading that way.¡± ¡°Uh, sure.¡± He accepted, seeing no reason not to save himself another half hour of walking. Especially since he still had to make that same walk back afterwards. ¡°So, where you been all summer?¡± Garcia asked as she got the car moving once more. ¡°Uh, summer camp.¡± He answered, knowing he was going to have to go through this same song and dance with almost everyone who knew him. ¡°Oh, it nice place?¡± (All of the campers gathered around a camp fire he¡¯d set up, telling stories as they ate the food he helped Miss Edna put out, the other counselors putting on a big show as the monster) (screamed it¡¯s claws digging through the earth, as blackened blood dripped from its hungry maw.) He shook his head. ¡°Nice enough.¡± He told her, knowing it was only really him and Ying the last summer had kicked in the teeth. ¡°How about you, anything interesting happen this summer?¡± ¡°Hmm, not much.¡± Garcia sighed before brightening up. ¡°Oh, though we¡¯ve got a new Mask in the neighborhood, an M.A.D. too.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± He hadn¡¯t heard about that yet. ¡°What¡¯s their name?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have one yet.¡± Garcia shrugged. ¡°From what I¡¯ve figured out she¡¯s only really been involved in two incidents so far. She seems like a nice kid though.¡± ¡°Kid?¡± He asked, as a protective instinct he¡¯d developed after a year of protecting children from the corrupted of Blackwell flared at the word, and the danger inherently related to Masks. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s a kid about your age.¡± Garcia nodded, unknowingly easing his tension as he realized she wasn¡¯t talking about a kid ¡®kid¡¯. ¡°Probably too young to be doing that kind of thing, but I couldn¡¯t really talk her out of it either. Real shame.¡± ¡°That sucks.¡± He agreed, knowing that if he¡¯d had a choice and known about what he was getting himself into he never would¡¯ve gone to camp that summer. (Even if it meant abandoning everyone to their fates?) ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re smart enough to stay away from all of that mess.¡± Garcia admitted. ¡°Most kids your age would think they have to throw themselves into danger the moment they get powers.¡± ¡°Yeah, no. That kind of life isn¡¯t for me if I can help it.¡± He may¡¯ve been dragged into that mess before he¡¯d learned any magic and knew he didn¡¯t want to be involved in any more mask nonsense if he could help it. Especially since the kind of magic he had learned didn¡¯t really lend itself to throwing around fireballs, so much as it upgraded his gear a budget level. ¡°Good, I¡¯m sure your mam¨¢ will sleep much easier knowing that.¡± Garcia nodded as she pulled up in front of the police station. ¡°Alright, here we are. You can go on ahead.¡± Garcia told him gesturing to the entrance. ¡°They¡¯ve got this whole thing about bringing people in through the side entrance and I still need to part the car in the lot.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded climbing out of the car. ¡°Thanks for the lift.¡± ¡°No problem Jon, I¡¯ll see you inside in a few minutes.¡± Garcia promised. Scene Consequences -Jon can now visit the Saint¡¯s Crossing should the need arise. -If Jon talks to Garcia she¡¯ll inform Jon of any local dangers, with the intent of Jon avoiding them. --- Walking into the police station, he couldn¡¯t help but notice the bit of hustle and bustle as the numerous police officers moved around. (Definitely more active than back in the country¡­) He still wasn¡¯t entirely sure why his ma had transferred to a city station in the year before, but he¡¯d learned this station was significantly more active than the one in his hometown. (Which explains why ma isn¡¯t around as much.) He shook his head at that bitter thought. (I¡¯m old enough to watch myself now. And if she¡¯s helping people than it doesn¡¯t matter if I see her less.) ¡°Can I help you?¡± The officer manning the front desk asked. ¡°Oh, uh, I¡¯m looking for my ma, err, I mean¡­ Detective Whitaker?¡± He tried, stumbling over his words as he did so. The officer gave him a flat look. ¡°Do you have an ID?¡± He blinked. ¡°Uh, no¡­¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry but unless you¡¯re here to report I crime I can¡¯t let you through.¡± The officer told him a droll tone, that said this was more to get rid of him than actual policy. Something he was fairly familiar with after a decade of his ma being a cop. He felt his eye twitch, and briefly contemplated sneaking in through one of the numerous ways he¡¯d picked up over the summer. ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem I¡¯m here with Officer Garcia.¡± ¡°Yes, well-¡± ¡°Jon what¡¯s the hold-up?¡± Said Garcia interrupted, walking up from the other side of the station. ¡°I thought you had that thing for your mom?¡± ¡°I do, but¡­¡± He trailed off with a gesture towards the other officer. ¡°Oh, yeah. This is Jon, he¡¯s Minerva¡¯s kid.¡± Garcia explained seeing the problem. ¡°He¡¯s cool to come through whenever.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The officer nodded tersely. ¡°Then sign-in and you can go ahead.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± He nodded wordlessly, doing just that. ¡°Just ignore him, he¡¯s always been something of a hard ass.¡± Garcia told him once the were in the station proper. ¡°It¡¯s just bad luck he was on duty instead of anyone else.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± (Still might just jump the parking lot fence and take the side entrance.) He was pretty sure that was only against the rules rather than outright illegal. ¡°Either way, you know where ma¡¯s desk is?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s right over there.¡± Garcia pointed through to a nearby desk covered in paperwork and next to a bin overflowing with coffee cups. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He grimaced. ¡°That looks like ma¡¯s alright¡­¡± Sighing he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head, and wonder how a neat freak could be so messy in her own workspace. He pointedly did not think about the way his own workstations got mid-project. ¡°Any idea where she actually is?¡± He asked looking around and not seeing her anywhere, as he searched for the nearest coffee machine. ¡°Uh, no.¡± Garcia admitted as she looked around the station herself. ¡°Since she¡¯s a detective, we don¡¯t really work the same cases.¡± ¡°Eh, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He decided with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll just drop it off on her desk and head out if she¡¯s not here in the next five, ten minutes.¡± ¡°Alright, well I¡¯ve still got to fill out some paperwork about my patrol, so I¡¯ll be seeing you around Jon.¡± Garcia told him as she started leaving. ¡°And keep yourself out of any trouble.¡± ¡°I will.¡± He promised before making his way over to his mother¡¯s desk. ¡°Now let¡¯s see where a pen is¡­¡± He was about to start going through the desk drawers when a page that had slipped out of a folder caught his attention due to the picture of a ¡®missing child¡¯ poster. (Well, what¡¯s this about?) He glanced around a bit to make sure no one was looking, before flipping the folder open and quickly skimming through the file of about a string of child disappearances over the last few weeks for some unknown reason. ¡°Jon?¡± He turned around to find his ma standing behind him with a curious look on her passively serious face. ¡°Hey, ma. You forgot your lunch.¡± He explained holding the bag up, before glancing back at his ma¡¯s desk. ¡°Also, your desk is a mess. I can¡¯t find a pen anywhere, and I¡¯m honestly surprised this isn¡¯t violating some policy about keeping your space clean.¡± He added as he stacked her files into something resembling order in the hopes of hiding the fact that he was looking through her cases. Something he knew was very much not allowed. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to worry about any of that.¡± His mother told him as she took her files and slid them to the other side of the desk. ¡°And you didn¡¯t have to walk all the way here just to give me my lunch.¡± He gave her a look. ¡°Ma, you¡¯ve been living on beer, coffee, and take out for the last two months. If I don¡¯t switch you to real food quick, you¡¯re going to drop on me regardless of how much exercise you get in.¡± His ma rolled her eyes as she gave him a snort of amusement. ¡°I appreciate the sentiment kid, but still given how much running we did this morning you really didn¡¯t need to add another, what four, five miles today.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I ran into officer Garcia and got her to give me a lift since her morning patrol was ending anyway.¡± He assured her. ¡°And besides a few extra miles is nothing if it means I can keep you around for a few more years.¡± His mother gave him a look, before gaining a smirk that filled him with dread. ¡°You know what thanks kid. And while I¡¯ve got you here there¡¯s something you can help me out with.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± He asked since the woman before him raised no fool. ¡°Oh, nothing much.¡± His ma promised, wrapping an arm around his shoulder as she dragged him off. ¡°I¡¯m just going to show off how more caring and active my son is to all the other mother cops.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ joy¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Some police will recognize Jon as Detective Whitaker¡¯s son. -Grown a little closer to ma. Day 3 Day 3 --- Jon --- Awareness training had always been something of a mixed bag when it came to his mother. If he was lucky they¡¯d find a bench on a crowded street and spend a couple of hours people watching. Taking note of their clothes, the way they carried themselves, and a number of other details necessary to determine their intentions and activities. Something that he actually considered a fun bonding experience. If he was unlucky however -such as today- awareness training would break down to wearing a blindfold and listening for his mother walking around him. During which she would occasionally shift her weight and faint a blow at him that he was expected to dodge. Something that was not fun in the slightest. ¡°Feel like I¡¯m stuck in a bad martial arts movie¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but sigh, hoping it¡¯d make his ma speak up so he could find her. She didn¡¯t fall for it. Most people thought the point of the exercise was to learn to fight blind, -something that was locked to fiction outside of grappling where you used memory and touch to find your placement- What the exercise was actually for however was to help train up his actual response to sound as well as his ability to focus on his hearing. Both things that he was more than used to dealing with when fighting corrupted in the middle of the night with nothing but an old oil lantern to light the clearing. Which is why he was able to pick up the shifting of his ma¡¯s foot just in time to leap away from one of her strikes. ¡°Huh, definitely doing better at this than you did last year.¡± His ma commented curiously. ¡°Ever have to chase a kid through the woods in the middle of the night?¡± He asked with a bit of amusement. There was a pause where he felt his ma was weighing the validity of that question, before she finally answered with a wary, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Good, because it took three of us to find the little runaway, and I¡¯d feel bad if you could show all of us up on your own.¡± (Though I wouldn¡¯t be surprised by it in all honesty.) That got a laugh out of his ma. Scene Consequences -Gained 2XP to Awareness and 1XP to Combat. --Currently: Awareness Lv. 8 (2/18) and Combat Lv. 5 (3/12) --- Stepping back into his room after separating from his ma as she made her way back to work, he took note of Pix passively shifting through the pages of one of his old books with a bored expression on her face. Looking around with a thoughtful look, his eyes eventually fell onto the hiding spot of some of his newer books. ¡°Hey, Pix? You feel like doing a bit of magical research.¡± The little fairy leapt into the air and began nodding vehemently, hoping his usual dabbling of magic would be enough to ease her boredom. (That or the one in three chance my project backfires with comical results. Honestly, it¡¯s probably the second one.) ¡°Alright, how about we start off with a general review?¡± He asked, picking up one of the notebooks on magic he¡¯d made when studying Miss Edna¡¯s books, knowing the least active of his magical studies would annoy her more than anything else. Pix stuck her tongue out at him, clearly not liking that kind of research as she immediately flopped back to where she¡¯d been laying. ¡°I know reviewing things isn¡¯t fun,¡± He partially agreed with a sigh, ¡°but at the same time we need to make sure we know our stuff. Especially since we can¡¯t just ask Miss Edna for pointers now that we¡¯re here in the city.¡± The little fairy rolled her entire head, before giving him a ¡®get on with it¡¯ gesture with her hand. ¡°Right, so first things first.¡± He began. ¡°There are five types of magic users amoungst humanity. Most commonly known are the Arcane who can produce magical Anima passively, and Practitioners -like me- who learn to channel it through the use of rules and artifacts magic is typically bound to because we can¡¯t naturally generate magic.¡± Pix nodded, barely paying attention since she already knew about all of this. With a roll of his eyes he kept reading. ¡°Less known, but just as important are Incarnates -like Ying- who while lacking the flexibility of other magic users, possess an amount of power and control in their singular concept that is awe inspiring. Even going so far as being able to turn into their concept or consuming it to restore their own magical reserves.¡± The little fairy shivered at that description, no doubt remembering when the Beast of Blackwell had tried to corrupt Ying, and the threat she¡¯d been. (Two hungry yellow reptilian eyes stared at him, as lightning crashed all around and the storm¡¯s rain continued to pour ever harder. His hand tightened on his blade and axe, ready to do what must be done as he met his frie- the beast¡¯s gaze unflinching. A roar mad and inhuman in nature tore through the air, as the corrupted lunged at him with full intention of tearing him limb from limb. An intention he was prepared to match with equal savagery. After all, it didn¡¯t matter who it was before, for now, (it¡¯s just another beast to be hunted.)) He shook his head clear of that (dark) memory, not wanting to think of everything he had to do that day. Everything he was willing to do as he came to his own moral horizon. ¡°Next up, are the Accursed.¡± He began, forcing his way through another mental breakdown. ¡°These are people who do to an infusion of magic twisting their being have gained some form of magical ability, at the cost of waring down their sanity. Typically, through less than willing methods.¡± Sadly, pretty much all of the Corrupted of Blackwell could fall into this category. The fact that he¡¯d found this out was the primary reason he even knew what they were. Something Pix realized, if her own sad gaze was anything to go by. ¡°Okay, and the last kind of magic user is, well I don¡¯t know what their called, but this is actually something I picked up from De Sade.¡± He admitted with a grimace, earning a curious look from the fairy he made sure to keep away from the warlock. ¡°Apparently, despite the fact that Malice -still not sure what that is exactly- is an anathema to Anima, some Slashers have their own form of magic that while operating under similar rules to an Arcane¡¯s magic, has a distinctly more malicious bend.¡± He attempted to explain. ¡°Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact he was warning me to avoid them until I¡¯m good enough to kill them, I¡¯d wish he¡¯d have explained that a little better.¡± Pix gave him another curious look at that, probably having the same questions as him as far as all of that went. ¡°Yeah, De Sade isn¡¯t known for his helpfulness¡­¡± He agreed wholeheartedly. (Especially since he¡¯s better known for magical sabotage, mystical espionage, and demonic assassinations¡­) ¡°Either way, that¡¯s all I got out of him on that front, and that¡¯s all five classes of magic user. Anything to add?¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Pix shook her head before flopping on her back, unwilling to review anything else for the time being. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just go over the rest of my notes myself.¡± He told her with an unseen roll of his eyes, earning a solemn nod from the oblivious little fairy. Scene Consequences -With Pix¡¯s assistance and Miss Edna¡¯s books, gained 3XP to Occult. --Currently: Lv. 4 (8/10) --- Growing antsy after a prolonged bout of reading, he got up and left his apartment with the intent of taking a walk around his block to see if anything had changed over the summer. And sadly, it had. Living on the southside of the city, he knew their neighborhood wasn¡¯t the best, but at the very least prior to his leaving their neighborhood had largely been outside of ¡®gang¡¯ territory. Largely because a number of the poorer cops lived in this neighborhood -such as his ma and Garcia¡¯s family- meaning as far as he knew the gangs didn¡¯t openly push into it, due to said cops keeping an active patrol near their families. Still while they weren¡¯t any of the ¡®major gangs¡¯ like The Covenant or The Gamer¡¯s Guild, his ma had made sure that he knew enough the basics about any gang big enough to hold territory. Especially the nearby territory. Which is why it wasn¡¯t too much of a challenge to spot a number of gang tags he was sure hadn¡¯t been there a few months ago, as well as a number of people wearing gang colors walking the streets. (It¡¯s probably nothing¡­) He assured himself, in that way his more paranoid self-referred to as a lie. (I mean, it¡¯s not like a gang could suddenly gain a member that would make them more confident about pushing against the cops, such as say a new Deviant.) His mind argued with a sarcasm he fully intended to blame the Cheshire for. (Right, because it takes time for Deviants to build power, regardless of what Deviancy they may have. Meaning even if they had a new Deviant it would still take time for them to become a threat.) He continued, forcing his train of thought to take a more positive direction. (Then again I picked up some dangerous tricks after just a couple of months, so it wouldn¡¯t be too hard for someone with say a fire affinity to figure out how to enchant bullets into incendiary rounds.) After all, that was something he¡¯d been considering for his arrows once he cracked a stable release mechanism. (Maybe after a year or something. I had Miss Edna helping me learn as fast as I did, and I still haven¡¯t cracked enchanted ammunition.) (Though it¡¯s possible Miss Edna kept me from picking up the more violent aspects of magic, like De Sade said she would¡­) (No!) He slapped his cheeks, refusing to think bad thoughts about the closest thing he had to a second parent. Stopping before he could start spiraling into another argument with himself, he took a moment to try and figure out where exactly he¡¯d wound up, only to pause as he found himself outside of a store that had had its window busted in. (Regardless of the how or why. The crime rate in this neighborhood is going up. Might want to tell ma and Garcia to be careful out here¡­) His fingers curled in, not quite making a fist, but close to it. Scene Consequences -Jon has been made aware of the local gangs encroaching on his neighborhood. --- Having learned more today than he¡¯d wanted, he decided it was time to try and take a nap. After all, (I¡¯m just so tired of this¡­) Every time things started to calm down, something else would pop up to cause him trouble. A part of him -one that knew it would be disappointed- hoped that when he woke up he¡¯d be able to forget all about his problems, or that they would resolve themselves. And it was to the point of humoring this part of him that he was laying on his bed a few hours before he¡¯d normally begin dinner, Pix laying on next to him as the slothful little fairy refused to miss out on an opportunity to nap. With a little help from a few meditative tricks he¡¯d picked up from his ma and miss Edna, he was eventually able to push aside all of his troubling thoughts and memories as he succumbed to the dark embrace of slumber, one that was slowly clawed aside by long vines of thorn covered black briar. Looking around, he found a familiar shifting black mist consuming, and devouring the nothingness around him as eyes filled with madness and insanity peeked out from the abyss, only to flinch behind the all ensnaring black briar as it met his gaze. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just leave me alone.¡± He sighed in resignation, not even bothering to look at the man pouring a cup of tea for him across the table he couldn¡¯t remember sitting at. (¡°I suppose that¡¯s fair.¡±) The man admitted with a voice that was passively mocking. (¡°Now that¡¯s not entirely fair. Making fun of my voice? Really?¡±) ¡°We both know that¡¯s not your only voice.¡± He argued finally looking at the man wearing a mask. ¡°The only reason you¡¯re using it is to annoy me.¡± The man tilted its head to the side as it passed him his cup. (¡°Well, that¡¯s a matter of perspective really. You could just be expecting me to mock you, so that¡¯s what you hear.¡±) Knowing there was no point arguing with the entity over something so petty, he ran a hand down his face. ¡°Just¡­ what do you want?¡± (¡°What? I¡¯m not allowed to check in with my champions on their vacations?¡±) The man asked, managing to sound offended despite the fact that Jon could clearly hear a smile in the man¡¯s voice. (¡°To be fair, I¡¯m always smiling these days.¡±) ¡°Why?¡± (¡°Why not?¡±) He didn¡¯t bother being frustrated with the entity that was most certainly not human, regardless of how much it like to pretend so. (¡°Oh, I don¡¯t pretend. I¡¯m human when I feel like it. And I¡¯m not when I don¡¯t.) The man in the mask explained. (¡°I just find humans more fun from the outside looking in.¡±) ¡°Right¡­¡± He sighed, ¡°So what do you need me to do?¡± The man in the mask blinked, a cup of tea halfway to its mouth. (¡°Hmm? Whatever do you mean?¡±) ¡°The first time you invaded my dreams it was because of the corrupted. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve got something along those lines again.¡± He answered with a heavy dose of resignation. (¡°Mm, I feel like you¡¯re under a misconception of sorts about the nature of our relationship.¡±) The man in the mask warned him. (¡°Dealing with the corrupted was more of an added bonus than anything else. A side deal if you will.¡±) Given just what he¡¯d gone through dealing with the corrupted, that did very little to actually comfort him. ¡°Okay, so if the insanity infected infestation was merely a side deal, then what was the actual point of you contacting me.¡± (¡°Oh, I contact everyone important eventually.¡±) The man in the mask told him, before laughing. (¡°Funny thing about that is, I¡¯ve never actually met someone who wasn¡¯t important in some way¡­¡±) (Again, not very reassuring¡­) The man in the mask gave him a huff of amusement. (¡°Let¡¯s face it, be it as the kind hero retired, or the man hunting the damned eternal, regardless of what fate you choose you will always be of interest to me. As is every other species in existence.) ¡°So even if I live a quiet life for the rest of my existence you¡¯ll still be keeping an eye on me.¡± He summarized, with the level of resignation that became typical of those dealing with the embodiment of all madness in the known multiverse. (¡°Just this corner of it really.¡±) The man in the mask admitted as it drank a cup of tea through its full-face mask without spilling a drop. (¡°Because that would just be rude.¡±) ¡°Since this is you just checking in with me, am I actually going to remember this dream or are you going to make me forget it?¡± He asked, voicing the primary source of his apathy to this entire thing. (¡°Really now, no need to blame me for the fact that your mind can¡¯t handle staring into the entirety of madness.¡±) The immortal entity huffed. (¡°Humans, you make the abyss flinch once by meeting its gaze and you suddenly think you¡¯re the peak of enlightenment, when really there are only a handful of you I¡¯d let sit my pet Thulu.¡±) He pointedly ignored all implications of that, as well as the fact he¡¯d probably fall into that category if he asked. (¡°Given how you¡¯d be the first one over twelve to ask? Yes, I would.¡±) ¡°Look am I going to remember this or not?¡± He asked once more as he was beginning to feel the headache that came with prolonged madness exposure. (At least I¡¯m not bleeding from the eyes anymore¡­) (¡°Yes, you should be thankful for that.¡±) The man in the mask agreed. (¡°Though to answer your question, well¡­ while you won¡¯t remember, that isn¡¯t to say what¡¯s supposed to remember won¡¯t remember either.¡±) The man in the mask admitted in its roundabout way as it looked you in the eye. ¡°Wonderful.¡± He sighed, wondering just how much damage this was going to do to his brain. (¡°Oh, the standard amount. Though I feel it should be described as (heavy) psionic scarring, instead. Just rolls off the tongue better.¡±) The man in the mask explained, before looking down at the cup in his hand. (¡°Oh, it seems we¡¯re out of tea for the time being.¡±) ¡°Meaning I can go?¡± (¡°I suppose¡­¡±) The immortal entity beyond human comprehension pouted. Scene Consequences -The Mad Man Is Watching¡­ Day 4 Day 4 --- Jon --- Stealth training was -he¡¯d discovered- an odd thing, even compared to the rest of his ma¡¯s training regime. This was largely due to the fact that the training itself both did and did not actually have to do with what most people thought of when they heard the word ¡®stealth¡¯. Something he hadn¡¯t actually realized until Ying asked him for some tips, and he found out she thought that walking around in a crouch had something to do with practical stealth (for some really weird reason¡­) In reality practiced stealth was the art of being inconspicuous, blending into the background enough that people wouldn¡¯t notice you, being quiet enough that they couldn¡¯t hear you over the surrounding noise, or skilled enough to do something without your target noticing. What this meant was rather than trying to merely walk up on someone quietly in the middle of a city street -a relatively easy task given the noisiness of said city street- his mother instead wanted him to successfully pick-pocket her while she walked around the block crowded with people coming and going from work. ¡°You know I¡¯d expect you to be better at this as quietly as your walking.¡± His ma told him as she grabbed his wrist in a vice. ¡°Also, nice touch with the hat.¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured it might make it harder for you to notice me when I pass you by.¡± He explained taking the hat he¡¯d bought at the corner store off. ¡°Also, the fact that you¡¯re expecting me to pickpocket you, makes it a lot harder to actually pull it off. Especially since I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯d break the legs of anyone who bumped into you too hard in a crowd.¡± ¡°Fair points.¡± His ma admitted letting him go. ¡°We¡¯ve got time for another round if you want.¡± ¡°Sure, why not.¡± He shrugged, wishing he had a decent idea for a distraction so he could rob his mother. (Still don¡¯t get why Ying thought these exercises were so weird.) Scene Consequences -Gained 2XP to Stealth. --Currently: Stealth Lv. 6 (2/14). --- ¡°Alright, it¡¯s probably better to knock this out sooner than later.¡± He told Pix as he began setting a series of pots he¡¯d bought along the windowsill of his room, before filling each one with dirt from a bag of soil he¡¯d gotten at the same time. Due to Miss Edna¡¯s profession as a potion maker and enchantress, he¡¯d picked up a number of skills from both. Particularly the one that had little to no chance of hurting him at his current skill level. It was to this point that Miss Edna had given him a number of seeds for some of Blackwell¡¯s more unique flora. The one¡¯s that had in someway or another mutated from their more common cousins due to the overwhelming amount of magic that tended to saturate the forests of Blackwell, making them ideal for the more experimental potions Miss Edna had a preference towards. Now if these were regular plants this would mean he¡¯d have to spend the next three months tending to them before they¡¯d reach a point he could harvest them. But as luck would have it, thanks to some odd fact of nature and magic he didn¡¯t quite understand, most flora possessed an accelerated growth rate based on the amount of magic in their environment. He was still trying to piece together Miss Edna and De Sade¡¯s contrasting reasons for why the local flora hadn¡¯t taken over the area completely. (Something to do with how fauna processes magic differently and all of the Malice Bleeds in the area¡­) Regardless of the more complicated how¡¯s and why¡¯s, this meant that that seeds he had, were breed in such a way that they took half of the time it would take similar plants to reach their prime. (And that¡¯s before we bring up the fact that I have a fairy.) He thought with just a hint of pride. ¡°Pix you mind doing your thing?¡± The little fairy flew over from where she¡¯d been busying herself eating a pastry he¡¯d left out, and began circling all of the pots, leaving a trail of pixie dust over all of them, before going in for a much more active sweep as her hands began to glow. After a few minutes of this treatment, and a glass of water to each pot, small green sprouts began to push their way out of the dirt. With a satisfied nod at her work, Pix leapt into the air backing away from her project, only for him to have to reach out and catch her as she had trouble flying properly. ¡°You okay?¡± He asked with concern. Pix glanced between her wings and the plants before nodding in a way that said even if she was fine physically, she was still more than a little troubled by something. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m guessing since there¡¯s less magic to work with in the city, using it probably takes it out of you faster.¡± He told her as he adjusted her into a more comfortable position. The little fairy nodded with a thoughtful frown, agreeing with him but not liking the implications. ¡°Look, don¡¯t worry. It just means you¡¯ll have to take it a bit easier until we work all of this out.¡± He tried to comfort her. Pix nodded again, though this time she ended up leaning against him just a little listlessly. (I guess since magic is a way of life for fairies this is a bigger problem for her than for me¡­) He was going to have to do something about that. Scene Consequences -Jon has set up a garden with a number of mystical plants that will be ready to harvest in a month or two. -Thanks to Pix¡¯s Assist, base garden time reduced from 45 to 40 days, without further modifiers or actions. -Any day that Pix doesn¡¯t perform an Assist, she will passively tend to garden further accelerating its growth. A/N: This is one of those things that¡¯s meant for long-term gains and can be upgraded to improve it in a number of ways. Once the garden is grown it¡¯ll provide regular benefits in much shorter intervals. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. -New Quest: Pix¡¯s Power Shortage: Pix is getting depressed over the fact that she has to be so careful with her magic. Find a way to help her. --- Setting Pix down after she¡¯d begun to nod off, he decided to try going through Miss Edna¡¯s books hoping one of them would possess something that could help the little fairy with her magical problems. He was pretty sure De Sade¡¯s books would have something too, but he was also pretty sure they¡¯d involve killing things and stealing their magic. Something that left a bad taste in his mouth the last time he had to do that, and that he knew Pix wouldn¡¯t approve of. (Better to trust the more morally just mentor on this one.) Sometimes he wondered what it said that half of his mentors would make decent horror movie villains. (Nothing good probably¡­) Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the books on his floor. Thanks to the fact that he was more of a kinetic learner than anything else, he¡¯d always found his talent for magical research -or any research really- to be¡­ abysmal, if there wasn¡¯t someone there to help break it down for him. Unfortunately, being that he was miles away from Blackwell this meant he was largely on his own, especially since he refused to bug others with a problem he could solve for himself if he was just a little smarter. (Which is probably half of the reason De Sade was actually okay giving me his contact information¡­) What all of this meant was that even trawling his way through half a dozen books he¡¯d made no notable progress towards his goal. In fact, the only progress he¡¯d made was the fact that he¡¯d maybe discovered a couple of things he could look into when he had more time. First was Script-craft which was -as far as he could tell- similar to Enchanting, only instead of binding a passive effect to an object revolved around writing out the formula of a spell and then triggering it for a one use effect. Something he¡¯d seen a few hints towards when he¡¯d forced himself to read the extremely complicated beginner¡¯s guide Miss Edna had given him over the course of the summer. (Who knows maybe the two can feed into each other¡­) On it¡¯s own this wouldn¡¯t do much to help Pix, but if he could figure out a way to create a script specifically for passing magic on to another individual, something he figured possible due to a mention of healing scripts at higher levels. The other possible solution provided something that based on what he could piece together would allow him to form a magical ¡®Contract¡¯ with another entity. These contracts could then be used for a number of effects including the transference of magical power, which -alongside binding agreements- was one if it¡¯s primary purposes. (Which might explain why a couple of De Sade¡¯s books talk about it too¡­) If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that it was one of Miss Edna¡¯s books that had contained this information he may¡¯ve been a lot warier of it. (Hell, De Sade¡¯s books would probably tell me how to make a contract with hell.) But regardless of which of these avenues he decided to pursue, he wasn¡¯t going to be able to look into it just yet. At least not if he wanted to catch Garcia before she got off shift. (Still, I have to do something¡­) Scene Consequences -Due to how many options Jon found, can now spend an action to learn basic Script Craft or Contracting from the Magic Menu. --- Knowing that it was Garcia¡¯s turn to patrol that day made it significantly easier to find her, given how often he¡¯d run across her patrols he had already had a fairly solid idea of just what her patrol route through the neighborhood was. This meant he had her jumping as he tapped on her window without noticing him. ¡°Gah! You almost gave me a heart attack!¡± She scowled at him before her expression softened into something a little more thoughtful. ¡°Is something up?¡± ¡°Mm, yes and no.¡± He hedged, knowing that it wasn¡¯t a problem for him directly it was something he was concerned about. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed something since I got back from camp, but I¡¯m also pretty sure it¡¯s not as a bad as I think it is.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Garcia wondered with a touch of concern. ¡°No, it¡¯s just since I got back I¡¯ve been seeing a lot more gang activity in the neighborhood, and I know most of the gangs try -or at least tried- to stay away from our little neighborhood because of all the cops nearby.¡± He explained, hoping she¡¯d have some answers. ¡°Normally I¡¯d ask my ma about this but, it might just be in my head since this is the first time I¡¯ve been gone for a while since we came to town.¡± ¡°Okay, I can see why you¡¯d be worried.¡± Garcia admitted with a grimace. ¡°Go ahead and get in shotgun, this might take a minute.¡± ¡°Alright, so what is this about?¡± He asked once he¡¯d gone around and slid into his seat. ¡°So, first off what do you know about the local gangs?¡± Garcia questioned as she pulled out of her parking spot. ¡°Street level?¡± He clarified, receiving a nod in return. ¡°Well we¡¯ve got three or so little gangs in this district each with about a hundred to two hundred members. First up would be, well they¡¯re not a gang-gang but they¡¯re called the Dealers. There a hodgepodge of drug dealers who have divvied up the area to keep from undercutting each other¡¯s market, while also allowing them to buy in larger bulk from the cartels by splitting the price.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s the Tiger¡¯s Den, the -I don¡¯t want to say Asian, but they¡¯re like eighty percent Asian- gang,¡± He word vomited, feeling just a little badly about saying it that way. ¡°Despite being the smallest of the three also controls most of the district¡¯s prostitution and money laundering. Though they may also have a deal with a mafia branch in one of the other districts for a larger trafficking ring.¡± ¡°Last would be, the Mad Dogs, who own the local fight clubs and can be considered the largest of the three, especially since they¡¯re the local muscle for hire. These guys represent what make the street gangs dangerous, while they may each claim ¡®territory¡¯ the fact of the matter is they have no problem working together in their niche fields.¡± He finished summarizing everything he knew about his district¡¯s gangs. Garcia just blinked at him. And not understanding the problem, he just blinked back. ¡°So, uh, does your mom read you crime reports to bed or something, chico?¡± Garcia asked with an awkward chuckle. ¡°Not since I was twelve.¡± He admitted. Garcia blinked again, her eyes a little wider this time. ¡°Yes, I know I was bit old to have my ma reading me stories to sleep, but she spent so much time working¡­ and it was, it was this whole thing.¡± He started rambling once the silence had begun to drag on. ¡°Okay, um, anyway!¡± Garcia cut him off before he could make things any more awkward. ¡°Well, you know a lot more than I was expecting if I¡¯m being honest.¡± ¡°Know your enemy and all that.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Right.¡± Garcia shook her head. ¡°So, the increased gang presence? Yeah, um, since your mom ¡®s apparently cleared you for a lot more than I was expecting. The reason they¡¯re putting up a larger show of force than usual is because the three gangs have finally decided to unify into a single conglomerate or some shit like that.¡± ¡°So, this is a show of unity then?¡± He figured piecing several things together with that little bit of information. ¡°This is all a way for the gangs to press out a bit, saying they¡¯re all together now? Probably means it¡¯ll calm down once they¡¯ve run their high and realized nothing has changed, but that also mean all of their activity will up until they cross the point where the police or one of the local Masks has to make them back down. Which would explain why the local patrols have pretty much doubled.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Garcia laughed with an impressed look. ¡°Your mom just has you ready for that shield, doesn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°What? No.¡± He frowned. ¡°I¡¯m actually thinking of going into childcare. You know like a teacher or something. Maybe pediatric nursing if I can get my grades up.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Garcia blinked again. ¡°Huh¡­ I can see that.¡± Scene Consequences -Jon has learned more about the situation with the local gangs. -Grown a bit closer to Garcia. Day 5 Day 5 --- Jon --- While most of the Whitaker family¡¯s ¡®training¡¯ could be seen as a bit odd, by most people, what they considered as ¡®Trap Making¡¯ was actually fairly mundane in the fact that it was simply a few back and forth pranks between each other. Something relatively common all things considered. Well¡­ at least until you considered how serious they take their prank wars. Fully aware that the only time his ma didn¡¯t wake him for training was when she¡¯d decided it was time to train his ¡®Trapping¡¯ skills, he didn¡¯t trust the fact that he was allowed to sleep in at all. Carefully he lifted up his pillow, before eyeing the knife he kept hidden underneath. Namely the way it was angled wrong. (Nice try Ma.) Instead of taking the trapped knife, he grabbed the spare knife he kept hidden between his mattress, the wall, and the bed frame. Taking the blade in hand, he eyed the floor before spotting the set of trip wires rigged in front of his bed. Determining which one was rigged, he grabbed it with an unmoving grip and severed the loose end before crawling out of the way and letting go. From a small gap in his closet a number of paintballs flew out shooting both where he would¡¯ve been standing, and where he would¡¯ve been sitting on his bed. The loud noise causing Pix to leap out of her sleeping spot in fright wondering what was going on. Normally he¡¯d comfort her but given how he knew his mother would never settle for just two traps, he decided to postpone his ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯ hugs until he knew it really was okay. (Just got to find the third trap¡­) Slowly his eyes drifted to his door. The door that -before bringing Pix home- he¡¯d left cracked so he could hear what was going on in the hallway the way his ma taught him. The door that was still closed despite the fact his ma broke into his room and would¡¯ve wanted to drive home the fact that he should leave it open. The door that she knew, he¡¯d know, she¡¯d want it opened and thus know it was rigged with a trap, thus allowing her to hide a second trap behind the false security of finding the first. He eyed the door for another moment before looking out his window. (Wonder if I can make that jump to the fire escape?) Idly he noted the heavy thump from the other side of the apartment as his ma got caught in the tripwire he¡¯d rigged to the front door when he¡¯d gotten up four hours prior, as well as the faint ¡°Good job kid.¡± from his ma. Scene Consequences -Gained 2XP to Trap Making and 1XP to Awareness. --Currently: Trap Making Lv. 8 (11/18) and Awareness Lv. 8 (3/18) --- ¡°Alright, review time again.¡± He told no body in particular as he picked up one of his notebooks. Pix took this as her cue to fly off and start tending to the garden they¡¯d set up the day before. With a huff of amusement, he shook his head and opened his book to a section on actually practicing magic. ¡°Okay, so magic is both wild and tame. It¡¯s like an animal, a living creature. If you respect her, she¡¯ll aid you in every way she can, but if you cross her, she won¡¯t hesitate to devour you whole.¡± He read, aloud knowing he had an easier time remembering something he heard than something he read. ¡°In this way magic operates under a Conceptual system that works by connecting ideas through a mix of thought and reality. Allowing some concepts to take on characteristics that one would not expect them to have as well as ways that make perfect sense if one were to tilt their perception to the side. Due to this some concepts may work in a fashion that is completely unexpected from its most literal sense or unlock doors to concepts far off from their origins.¡± This part still got him a bit, he understood the basics of his concepts themselves, but he still had a bit of trouble connecting them to other ideas outside of the obvious. ¡°It should be noted that while all life regardless of their actual ability to use magic possess their own affinities, only a handful of sapient species possess the amount of sheer variance and growth seen in most mystically inclined humans.¡± That last line still sounded like human pride and arrogance to him, but according to De Sade it was a proven fact that the only species that had humanity¡¯s versatility were the ones that had regular exposure to other parts of the spectrum such as Madness and Malice. ¡°Which has something to do with how the various energies forced both the human mind and soul to become adaptive or die horrifically, you know, despite the fact that we have human incarnates and the numerous other species on this planet are doing just fine with a focus on magic.¡± He criticized as his attention drifted towards where Pix was wrapping up with the garden. He¡¯d be the first to admit that he hadn¡¯t quite understood De Sade¡¯s explanation at the time of the man¡¯s explanation, and -if he was being honest with himself- his garbled notes made that more than abundantly clear to anyone who read them. With a sigh to himself, he decided it wasn¡¯t worth the headache to try and figure out his notes on that section and instead flipped to an explanation on affinities. ¡°Okay, so¡­ While it is theoretically possible for most mystically aware people to learn all forms of magic, should they live long enough to do so. This doesn¡¯t change the fact that every person is born with their own affinities towards magic largely based on their personality and the various events in their life, granting them an easier time when handling these conceptual affinities.¡± He read, all the while wondering, (What happened to me to give Hunter, Defender, and Moon?) He could understand developing them after everything that happened over the summer, but the fact that he had them before everything fell apart was something he still couldn¡¯t quite wrap his head around. (Almost wonder if the Man in the Mask did something to rig it.) He wouldn¡¯t put it past the entity in question. Pix landed on the notebook in his hands and glared at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The little fairy looked at him, then at what he was reading, before pointing at the notebook and sticking her tongue out. ¡°Okay, if you don¡¯t want me reading this, what would you like to study instead?¡± He asked tossing his notebook on his desk as the fairy was forced to hover in place. ¡°If you¡¯re finding all of this so boring, I¡¯m sure there must be something you actually want to look into.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Pix seemed to tap her chin in thought before smiling wide and dashing towards his stack of notebooks, toppling the pile to the side as she began looking for one in particular. (And I¡¯m going to have to clean that up¡­ as usual¡­) Eventually the little fairy found what she was looking for as she flipped one of the notebooks open and began flipping past a number of pages containing pictures on one side and written words on the other. (Wonder what she wants out of my bestiary?) The book itself wasn¡¯t as in depth as the ones Miss Edna or De Sade had given him, and instead was filled with his own personal notes on the various mystical creatures he¡¯d encountered. He¡¯d been meaning to add some pages for creatures he¡¯d yet to meet but given how weird Blackwell¡¯s mystical biomes could get had spent more time studying how to identify the effects of Bleeds, Rifts, and Domains. Having finally found whatever creature she was searching for, Pix leapt into the air and pointed at a page containing a fairly good -if he said so himself- drawing of the fairy in question. (I should of known.) He thought, unable to keep a grin off his face even as he rolled his eyes. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see here¡­¡± He picked the book up and made a show of reading one of the few entries he had fully memorized. ¡°Fairies are typically a form of nature spirit that loves causing mischief for anyone that enters their territories. And while largely vegetarian, fairies possess a near gluttonous appetite for milk and baked goods. It is thanks to their unique connection with nature that fairies are able to farm and build throughout their chosen environment without rendering any actual harm to it.¡± Pix laid on his desk staring at him with rapt attention, (the little narcissist.) ¡°Fairies being an extremely community-oriented species usually come in four tiers, each representing a different rank in their society.¡± His eyes drifted towards her with a raised brow, earning a nod from Pix to show he was on the right track. ¡°Starting with the younger fairies, who from birth are capable of basic nature magic, as well as number of basic mischief and light magics that they spend their days playing with as they begin to develop and mature.¡± (As if.) Even if she was considered young, that didn¡¯t change the fact that Pix and every other fairy he¡¯d met were extremely immature in their personalities. ¡°Once a young fairy has gathered a sufficient amount of power they usually begin to specialize in a specific branch of nature magic -such as water, animals, and plants- which eventually grants them a new affinity, determining their role within their society and marking them as fully fledged adults of their species.¡± He knew Pix was just shy of the requirements to reach this rank due to having developed a specialty for healing, though she still had a bit of room to change that if she wanted to. ¡°As these fairies continue to gather power they eventually ascend to a class of high fairies, granting them even greater control over their given specialties while also developing the skills and abilities necessary to lead and manage fairies of a lower rank in their given roles.¡± He continued earning a prideful smile from Pix as he continued to tell the little fairy things she¡¯d taught him. ¡°Lastly -and possibly most importantly- are Royal Fairies. Those who have achieved a level of magic that allows them to support and protect a large number of other fairies, causing others to flock to them for safety and kinship as they establish a new fairy community. This tier is the most difficult for any fairy to achieve, with only a rare few managing to do so. This tier is also our goal line.¡± He added with a smile towards Pix as he confirmed he hadn¡¯t forgotten about her goal, or their promise. Pix beamed at him before rushing forward and wrapping his face in as much of a hug as she could with her little arms. Scene Consequences -Thanks to Miss Edna¡¯s Books and Pix¡¯s pressure gained 3XP to Occult. --*Skill Level Up* Occult Lv. 5 (1/12) -Grown a bit closer to Pix -New Epic Quest: Royal Pix: Pix is our partner, she¡¯s helped us accomplish so much, it¡¯s only right that we do the same. --Note: Epic Quests are long term quests that have no clear cut way of finishing them right now, and as such while they may take a long time to complete, they are a goal to work towards in the long run. --- Checking in with the neighbors around his building wasn¡¯t too hard, though for the most part few of them were actually worried about the gangs. Largely because that was just a fact of living on the southside, unless someone on the block was hurt the gangs were there and they weren¡¯t leaving anytime soon. (Which is a shame¡­) As he stepped onto the roof deck of his apartment, he found three of said neighbors passing around a bottle while their kids played on the other side of the deck. ¡°Ah, privyet young Whitaker!¡± The largest and oldest of the three greeted a smile beneath his greying mustache. ¡°How are you doing this fine evening?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing well enough Mr. Petrovitch.¡± He assured as he walked up to three. ¡°That¡¯s good kid.¡± Ms. Valentine -a dark haired woman in her late twenties- nodded back in greeting. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you around all summer, and your mom¡¯s been at work too much to ask what was going on. Been a bit worried about her.¡± ¡°I was doing a CIT thing at this summer camp I went to as a kid.¡± He explained, before considering the situation with his mother. ¡°And knowing ma she got lonely and decided to double down since I wasn¡¯t there to stop her.¡± ¡°Sounds about right.¡± Mr. Jefferson, a black man in his early thirties agreed before giving him a look. ¡°And summer camp? What¡¯s up with that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been going there since I was a kid.¡± He shrugged, more than used to most people thinking of him as the weird ¡®campy¡¯ kid. ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, well¡­ you do you kid.¡± Mr. Jefferson told him, obviously disagreeing but too polite to point it out as he took another sip of the bottle. ¡°Still it¡¯s good you¡¯ve got hobbies or whatever.¡± Ms. Valentine encouraged waving her cigarette through the air. ¡°This camp any good? If you liked it so much maybe I¡¯ll send my tyke there in a couple of years.¡± ¡°Yeah, camp was-¡± (black blood bled from the eyes as the corrupted struggled beneath him, just out of earshot of the children he was supposed to be watching) ¡°-great¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong friend?¡± Mr. Petrovitch asked with concern. ¡°You don¡¯t look like camp was ¡®great¡¯.¡± ¡°No, uh, the camp was having financial problems.¡± He admitted, the problem he¡¯d already fixed with a few favors to De Sade. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to check in a couple of years but¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°Right.¡± Ms. Valentine sighed. ¡°Life¡¯s like that a lot these days¡­¡± ¡°Mm-hmm¡­¡± Mr. Jefferson agreed. Sensing the dower mood, the ever-cheerful Mr. Petrovitch clapped his hands together. ¡°Still, was there something you needed Jon?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, well, you know how my ma¡¯s a cop? Well, there¡¯s been this thing that the local gangs are acting up, and that they¡¯re probably going to keep doing so for a few more weeks.¡± He explained remembering just why he was here. ¡°I just figured we should let people know, and that if they need anything to let us know. We¡¯d be happy to help with whatever you guys need.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re a good lad Jon.¡± Mr. Petrovitch praised. ¡°If anything happens I¡¯ll be sure to let your matushka know.¡± ¡°Not that it¡¯ll do much good.¡± Mr. Jefferson sighed. ¡°Gangs are a fact of life in this city, especially when you¡¯re poor like the lot of us.¡± ¡°It could be worse.¡± Ms. Valentine argued before grimacing. ¡°But uh, if any of you see my ex let me know. If the gangs are acting up I don¡¯t want that asshole thinking he can get away with harassing me again.¡± ¡°Um, that restraining order ma helped you with went into effect right?¡± He made sure. ¡°Yeah, the court day was last month.¡± Ms. Valentine nodded putting out the last little bit of her cigarette. ¡°Bastard didn¡¯t even show up, so the order went through with your mom vouching for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± (Means I won¡¯t get in too much trouble for breaking his legs if he tries something.) He frowned at that thought, not liking how violent it was. (I¡¯m sure we can just talk him into leaving if it¡¯s that or jail.) ¡°Look out!¡± One of the kids shouted. Idly he raised a hand and caught a red rubber ball before throwing it back towards the kids, his eyes never straying from the spot on the deck he was staring at. ¡°Yeah¡­ if the Whitakers got your back I doubt you have anything to worry about.¡± Mr. Jefferson told Ms. Valentine, an odd pitch to his voice as all three of the adults stared at him with wide eyes. He blinked. ¡°Huh¡­ That¡¯s nice of you.¡± Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to all neighbors. Day 6 Day 6 --- Jon --- ¡°Everything okay?¡± He asked, noticing how instead of her workout outfit his mother was dressed in her actual work attire. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve got somewhere to be.¡± ¡°Yeah, no, I can¡¯t train with you today.¡± His ma told him, as he set a plate of breakfast and a mug of coffee on the counter. ¡°There¡¯s this big end of summer festival they¡¯re doing, and they want the force there because of the uptick in gang activity all over the place.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± He admitted. ¡°If the whole city is doing like the neighborhood, things must be getting pretty rough all around.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± His ma agreed as she began eating. ¡°They¡¯ve been running the whole department ragged ever since this new drug hit the street a couple months back. Thing seems to be like cat nip to all of the local Deviants.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that. ¡°Is Sanctuary at least pulling their weight, or are they offloading it all on you guys again?¡± His ma gave a snort of amusement, ¡°Unless it involves fighting, those assholes don¡¯t do much of anything to help anyone these days.¡± ¡°Language.¡± He glared, getting an eye roll in return. ¡°Still don¡¯t know where you picked that up.¡± His mother admitted with a shake of her head. ¡°How about you? You¡¯ve got all of your school things together?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± His ma gave him another snort of amusement, this one more honest. ¡°In case you¡¯ve forgotten you¡¯ve only got a few days until school starts for the year.¡± He blinked, before grimacing as he leaned against the counter. ¡°Oh, I knew I was forgetting something important!¡± ¡°Yeah, I already got you all of the basic stuff but if you need anything specific for any of your classes you¡¯re going to have to go and grab them on your own time.¡± His ma warned him. ¡°I¡¯m not going to have time to help you with everything going on around the city.¡± ¡°I figured as much.¡± He sighed. (After all what else is new?) He couldn¡¯t help but frown at that thought, before shaking his head clear. ¡°Since I¡¯ll be going out at some point in the next couple of days, there anything you need while I¡¯m out?¡± ¡°Nothing off the top of my head.¡± His mother shrugged before downing the remains of her mug. ¡°Either way you know where the money is if you need it.¡± He nodded. ¡°Alright, well¡­ Stay safe I guess.¡± ¡°You know I will.¡± His ma assured him with a wave over her shoulder. ¡°Hmm, right¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Notice: 5 Days until school starts. --- ¡°Alright, now that ma¡¯s gone we can get started on magic day.¡± He told Pix as soon as he got back to his room. Pix jumped into the air, knowing that the point of today was to try and find a way of fixing her power problems. ¡°Since we¡¯re trying to figure out how to fix your magic, I figure we should start off with doing a catalogue of what kinds of magic we know how to do.¡± He explained, picking up one of his notebooks. ¡°That way we might be able to figure out a direction we can work from, and even if we can¡¯t, knowing what we¡¯ve got to work with won¡¯t hurt.¡± Pix nodded understanding what he meant. ¡°Okay, so first off, my primary affinity ¡®Hunter¡¯ which¡­ I honestly don¡¯t think can help us right now.¡± He admitted with a bit of reluctance. ¡°I mean between what I learned with Miss Edna and De Sade, I figured out the positive side of Hunter is basically tracking things down and making them easier to find. While the darker side is basically stalking things, sneaking up on them and attacking¡­ stuff like that.¡± His fairy companion seemed to think about it a bit. After a moment she raised a single finger in the air and looking around the room with a hand above her eyes, before pointing at his amulet. ¡°Maybe we could use it to find something to do with magic¡­¡± He considered, before shaking his head with a sigh. ¡°No, whatever we found would be more of a ¡®place of power¡¯ or ¡®magic fount¡¯ than an actual solution.¡± Going back through his notes he moved on to his secondary affinities. ¡°Next up would be my Defender affinity, which can protect things¡­ So maybe we could ¡®protect¡¯ the magic in the apartment, keeping it from dissipating?¡± It wasn¡¯t quite what protect meant, but magic was conceptual and surprisingly willing to bend the rules if you were smart about it. ¡°It won¡¯t solve the problem fast but depending on how much magic we use; the apartment would be saturated in magic after just a month or two rather than the years it takes in the wild.¡± Pix tilted her head considering it, before nodding in agreement with the plan. ¡°Right something to add to the to do list than.¡± He nodded back. If it worked the way he wanted it¡¯d solve their problem in a couple of months. If it didn¡¯t, well¡­ Adding a random ¡®Defender¡¯ Enchantment to use his house couldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going, we might be able to find something else.¡± He moved on to his other sub affinity, ¡°Moon¡­ I know it¡¯s got access to a bunch of other concepts due to how important the moon is, and how many synonyms there are for the word, but aside from that one ¡®moonlight¡¯ spell I managed to rig to those lights back at camp, I can¡¯t think of anything that¡¯ll help us here. You?¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. He turned to the little fairy next to him, who seemed to think about it for a moment before shaking her head with a sigh. ¡°You neither, huh?¡± He sighed himself. ¡°Okay¡­ Well I guess there¡¯s the whole ¡®heat¡¯ and ¡®cool¡¯ thing Miss Edna taught me, but aside from a magical fridge or microwave, we aren¡¯t getting anything out of that unless we push the whole heat to fire thing to the maximum and distilled it outright. And even that wasn¡¯t beyond my skill level, it¡¯d still be iffy to try and pull.¡± Pix nodded with a grimace. ¡°Alright, so that¡¯s it for my affinities¡­ How about yours?¡± He asked taking a seat. ¡°I mean we might be able to do something with Nature. Maybe make plants that produce their own magic once grown? But that¡¯ll take a couple months there too, and I¡¯m not even sure what plants would be good for that experiment¡­¡± He ran a hand down his face. ¡°If not, your talent for healing might give us something in the way of ¡®restore magic¡¯ but there¡¯s no telling what the efficiency of that would be¡­¡± Pix gave him a shrug, having no clue herself since the more, technical side of magic wasn¡¯t something most fairies considered until they reached the rank of High Fairy at the earliest. ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure Light would have the same problems as Heat.¡± He admitted thinking over her other two affinities, before giving a chuckle. ¡°And I doubt either of us wants to mix Mischief into what¡¯s going to essentially be a healing spell.¡± The little fairy shivered at the image that presented. ¡°Yeah¡­ Let¡¯s not do that.¡± He agreed with a wry grin. After a moment he shook his head and pushed back the more pessimistic thoughts in his head. ¡°Okay, well, while we may not have found a solution, we did find a couple of options we can look into.¡± He told her trying to be positive about all of it, after all as long as they had options then they had a chance of success. (And a chance is all you need.) Scene Consequences -Thanks to Pix and De Sade¡¯s Books gained 3XP to Occult. --Currently: Lv. 5 (4/12) --- Having grown bored of assisting him with his research, Pix wandered off towards the living room to watch TV, leaving him free to dive into the various books Miss Edna had left him on other fields of magic in the hopes of finding a solution their basic magic lacked. Hence him opening a book on Script Craft, a form of magic that while on the surface level looked a lot like Enchanting -even sharing a certain amount of overlap- was a separate style of magic that revolved around an equal mix of preparation and timing. While Enchanting shared an aspect of preparation in the fact that, all of the passive effects it gave had to be applied to the equipment in question before they were of use. The prolonged duration of an enchantment¡¯s effect sacrificed a fair amount of power to do what it did. In contrast to this, Script Craft revolved around the idea of taking a complex prebuilt spell effect and activating it at a moment that made it more powerful than its natural effect. The best comparison he could make was the difference between a small fire that could burn for an hour, and an explosion that could punch a hole through a door in one moment. They had a similar amount of power behind them, but one was more about immediate gains than long term, giving each its own time and place of value. The fact that Script Craft was apparently considered the most basic foundation of the more common forms of ritual magic known by the Arcane Association, was a separate benefit. One that was further compounded by the fact that also as the cheapest form of Spell Craft -if one of the more complex- made Script Craft quite possibly the most popular form of magic amongst practitioners. (It actually makes me wonder why Miss Edna taught me Enchanting before it, given how Script Craft would¡¯ve given me a better foundation¡­) As far as he could tell her primary reason for teaching him the two styles of magic out of order was the fact that -based on his experience and the notes she left in the books- Enchanting alongside Potions were her specialties and while Script Craft had a few uses that helped the two along, they were different enough that she was significantly weaker at it than any other style of magic she practiced. (And De Sade probably wanted me to discover it all on my own¡­ Well, that or pick up a style that involves me mutilating the corpses of magical creatures.) He was fairly certain De Sade would push for that regardless of what he did on his own time. Still, regardless of his more mystical mentors¡¯ opinions on the matter, he was able to find that there were a set of Script Craft spells that could allow him to store magic and then restore it to himself or another in a single burst. It wouldn¡¯t fix her power problems, but it would give them both more to work with. At least once he figured out the prerequisite healing spells, (something that should be easy enough with Pix¡¯s help.) ¡°It¡¯s a good thing most of my Enchanting kit can work for Spell Craft, though we might need to find more specialized materials if we want to work on more complex stuff.¡± Just looking at the materials for some of the more basic spells made that clear. Scene Consequences -New Skill: Script Craft --Thanks to Occult Skill gained 5XP. --Due to overlap with Enchanting Skill gained 4XP. --*Skill Level Up* Script Craft Lv. 2 (5/6) --- As he¡¯d previously discovered, contracting had two main branches to its power. The first and most obvious, was that it empowered any contract a person made so that there was a sort of magical enforcement of the terms of said contract. That isn¡¯t to say there was no way to break said contract, just that they had to have the ability to surpass the contractor¡¯s skill and power in order to do so. What¡¯s more the actual extent and punishment possible by a contract was based on the amount of skill and power the contractor possessed. Even with what little experience he had in magic, the most he could enforce on another was a foreboding feeling when they tried to break said contract without actually being able to punish them. (And even then it¡¯s not that foreboding of a feeling. More like the ¡®you shouldn¡¯t talk to strangers¡¯ kind of foreboding, rather than the ¡®you will die if you do this¡¯ kind.) He¡¯d gotten a fair bit of experience with that second one over the summer. The second and while less obvious, better known form of Contracting, was the ability to summon and contract magical entities into ones employ -as De Sade would- or befriend them -as Miss Edna would- into helping one with their goals. If he was an Arcane there would be numerous benefits to this option -outside of the contracted themselves- due to having a magical core of his own to work with, allowing him to mimic some of the passive abilities of other mystical races. As a practitioner without his own source of magic however, he wouldn¡¯t have nearly as much to gain in the way of passive abilities, but he might still be able to pick up an esoteric spell or two if he contracted someone long enough. (Though that¡¯s only if whatever I contract is sapient¡­) It was fully possible for the summoning ritual to bring forth a creature that while powerful, was little more than a magical animal. (Still all of that is for after I contract with Pix.) Doing so would establish a connection between them that would allow him to feed whatever magic he¡¯d gathered into his amulet to her, while also enabling him to summon her to his location for a little more. And even if it didn¡¯t quite solve all of Pix¡¯s magical concerns, it would still let her use whatever meager reserves he¡¯d managed to build up himself, meaning she wouldn¡¯t have to rest as long after using her magic. Unfortunately, -like with a lot of Script Craft- if he wanted to actually summon a creature to contract he was going to need a number of materials that he didn¡¯t possess. Especially if he wanted something specific. (Really am going to have to look into finding an Arcane store or something if I want to get much further with this¡­) Scene Consequences -New Skill: Contracting --Thanks to Occult Skill gained 5XP. --Due to overlap with Script Craft gained 2XP. --*Skill Level Up* Contracting Lv. 2 (3/6) Day 7 Day 7 --- Jon --- The front door of his apartment opened just as he was starting breakfast, the half-dead form of his mother stumbling through a few moments later. ¡°Are you just getting in?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask with some concern. While it wasn¡¯t unusual for his ma to pull the occasional late night to work through a case, it was unusual for her to pull an actual all-nighter, given how much she focused on his ¡®training¡¯ as it were. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± His ma yawned. ¡°I¡¯m guessing something went wrong at the festival?¡± His ma gave a snort of amusement. ¡°That whole thing was a right clusterfuck¡­¡± ¡°That bad?¡± He frowned, something in the back of his mind already stirring. ¡°Villain attack, half a dozen Deviants wanting to play hero, and Sanctuary showing up at the worst possible moment.¡± His ma summarized. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s¡­ bad.¡± He grimaced, before his eyes locked onto his ma as something occurred to him. ¡°You didn¡¯t get hurt did you?¡± His ma rolled her eyes. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Just tired, is all. I¡¯ll probably eat and crash out for the day.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Nothing notable. -But the Hunter sharpens it¡¯s blade by the Moon¡¯s light, ready to Defend what it loves¡­ --- Normally he would¡¯ve stayed home and made sure his ma was alright, but given how she hadn¡¯t slept the night before and how he still needed to get his remaining school things, he felt safe in the assumption that she¡¯d sleep through his little shopping trip. (And even if she does get up I left her breakfast on the counter, along with some migraine meds.) Regardless, seeing as how he was already out shopping, he decided it wouldn¡¯t hurt to take a quick detour towards a nearby store he¡¯d found when scouring the internet for any local magical hotspots. And from the moment he stepped into the Witch¡¯s Wares, he could already tell the place was magical. Admittedly not because of any of the oddities on the store shelves, or the various candles and such lining the walls, but rather because (the store ¡®s too many steps wide.) It was a subtle thing, something most people wouldn¡¯t notice right off the bat. But given how much awareness training his ma put him through, as well as the fact that he¡¯d spent a little too much time dealing with similar -if more harmful- effects while fighting with the Corrupted of Blackwell, he could spot it a little more easily than most. (I guess that¡¯s one way to get a bigger store¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but admit a little wryly, as he avoided thinking about what would happen if said effect collapsed while he was inside it. (The arrow speared through the Corrupted bird responsible for the spatial distortion. As the creature died, the bubble of warped space the other Corrupted moved through shuddered once before expanding twice as large and then contracting into a third of the natural space, forcing the flesh and bone of the remaining Corrupted into a space barely big enough for one with an audible squelch.) A shiver ran down his spine as he shook that memory away. (Yeah, there¡¯s a reason this spell is usually restricted to luggage¡­) ¡°You going to stand at the door all day or are you actually going to buy something?¡± A voice called from the other side of the store. ¡°Oh, uh¡­ you know Spatial Magic on a building is dangerous, right?¡± He asked more due to the fact that he couldn¡¯t think of anything to else to say rather than anything else. The dark-haired woman at the counter gave a snort of amusement. ¡°What do you know? Someone who actually knows something about magic.¡± ¡°Um, isn¡¯t this a magic shop?¡± He asked with just a bit of concern. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t everyone who comes here know something about magic?¡± ¡°You¡¯d think.¡± The shop keep agreed. ¡°Unfortunately, more often than not I get some idiot who thinks they can just read a book and start throwing around fireballs like it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m guessing most don¡¯t realize they need a foci to even get started?¡± That was something Miss Edna had to help him with when he¡¯d gotten started. ¡°No, they think they can just buy a wand or some shit and that¡¯ll take care of the magic for them.¡± The woman moaned, as he held back the desire to call out ¡®language¡¯. ¡°Most people don¡¯t seem to realize those only work for Arcane, and that only ¡®hobbyists¡¯ bother with wand twiddling.¡± Again, he held back a desire to point out the fact that he was technically a ¡®hobbyist¡¯ (then again I made some pretty solid use of that hobby over the summer.) He shook his head. ¡°Yeah, no, that¡¯s, uh¡­ a thing.¡± ¡°Right, right.¡± The woman grimaced. ¡°Sorry about that. It¡¯s just rare for me to run into someone who actually knows their stuff. Normally I¡¯m stuck selling knick-knacks to tourists or toys to kids.¡± ¡°Nothing wrong with that.¡± He tried to console her, thinking of the fact that Miss Edna¡¯s toys and candies were her bread and butter, while the more complex stuff she sold was made to order. ¡°Still, uh, name ¡®s Samantha Delacroix.¡± The woman introduced herself just a little awkwardly. ¡°What can I do ya for?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, Jon. No H.¡± He greeted back, his mind warring between etiquette and De Sade¡¯s whole thing on the power of a person¡¯s name. ¡°And I¡¯m looking for a refill on enchanter¡¯s ink, and um, I don¡¯t suppose you sell any contracting catalysts?¡± He didn¡¯t really need the ink, but he figured if three of the spell crafts he knew required it, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to get some more just in case. Samantha gave him a look with her amethyst eyes. ¡°I can get you the ink no problem, but I¡¯m going to need to see some certification if you want the catalysts.¡± ¡°Certification?¡± He repeated, his mind remembering several details from a half-drunk rant Miss Edna had given him about the institution trying to keep a good witch down, and De Sade¡¯s scoffing at a system designed to instill a peace filled order for those afraid of the chaos of reality. Neither of which sounded like things he should repeat in polite company. ¡°Yeah, sorry, but I¡¯m not selling a catalyst to someone who doesn¡¯t have the certifications to be using it.¡± Samantha told him sternly. ¡°That¡¯s a good way to get both the Hunter¡¯s Association and Sanctuary breathing down my neck, and I don¡¯t need any of that kid.¡± ¡°No, I get it.¡± He really did. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know where I can get proper certification? My mentors were good but¡­ they weren¡¯t exactly conventional.¡± (I feel like that might be an understatement¡­) ¡°Common enough.¡± The shop keep admitted reaching under the counter. ¡°Lots of magic users get it in their heads that they have to be this whole secret society type of deal, despite everyone already knowing about magic.¡± While that didn¡¯t really apply to Miss Edna, (I¡¯m pretty sure De Sade may¡¯ve run a cult on the side,) so he decided that assumption wasn¡¯t wrong enough to correct. Having found what she was looking for, she placed a case with four wells of ink and a silver band with a number of carvings inside of it. ¡°Fifty for the ink and another fifty for the ring.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at those prices, just now realizing how much of a discount Miss Edna had been giving him over the summer whenever she¡¯d given him liter containers of the stuff to practice with compared to the maybe pints worth in front of him. And while he wasn¡¯t strictly speaking hurting for cash, given what money he¡¯d made in Blackwell while aiding De Sade, the fact was he was still a kid from a single parent family, and that price tag hurt his sensibilities for several reasons. Rather than voice all of this though he instead asked, ¡°What¡¯s the ring do?¡± Samantha gave him another look, this one more annoyed than the last, ¡°It¡¯s an Arcane Ring. You know what that is?¡± ¡°Um, yeah. It¡¯s connected to a sort of database for magic users, almost like the mystical equivalent of a computer.¡± He answered, remembering how both De Sade and Miss Edna had one, if vastly different in design. ¡°Though uh, they usually have a little more detail than this.¡± Samantha¡¯s expression softened a touch. ¡°Yeah, this one just has basic access. Scans for affinities, magic capacity, and can also measure magic skills to an extent. Arcane Association basically hands the things out like candy, but the metal still costs money even if magic makes it easier to craft. Any idea why your mentor wouldn¡¯t get you one of your own?¡± ¡°One probably wanted me to make my own and the other wanted to see how long it took me to figure out I needed one.¡± He admitted, figuring both actions were in line with Miss Edna and De Sade¡¯s personalities. ¡°Rough.¡± Samantha grimaced. ¡°Well, either way, it¡¯s not official certification, but if the ring says you¡¯re a decent enough level at something I¡¯ll let you buy merchandise at whatever rank you score. Sound fair?¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± He admitted, knowing a lot of people would¡¯ve screwed him over or taken advantage of him already. ¡°I¡¯ll take the ring for now and get the ink later. I¡¯ve still got some so it¡¯s not an immediate problem.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll ring you on up.¡± Samantha nodded, taking the inkwells back. ¡°And, who knows, maybe if you impress me enough I¡¯ll give you a discount on something good.¡± Scene Consequences -Acquired ¡®Basic Arcane Ring¡¯ which can scan a target for their affinities and magic capacity as well as measure the mystical skills after a time. -Gained a bit of Occult knowledge. (+1XP.) -*New Quest* Proving Your Magic: aaa won¡¯t sell you any of the ¡®good stuff¡¯ until you can prove you know your way around basic magic. (Note: The higher you score/ the more tests you do, the better the rewards.) --Forge a Contract. --Make a Potion. --Enchant Something. --Write a piece of Spell Script. --Practice learn other magics before returning to the shop. --- --Occult has been judged at E-Rank. --- Normally a contracting circle was an extremely complicated affair. This was because the circle had to fulfill four separate purposes. First was to find and summon a suitable entity for the contractor to bond with, second was to function as a sort of translator between the two, with the third being to work as a ring of protection between the contractor and whatever they summoned, and lastly was of course to form the contract itself. Luckily for him however, the only thing he actually needed was the contract part of the circle, given how Pix was already there, they understood each other surprisingly well, and they had less than no intentions of hurting each other. All of which meant the bit of work he had to put into the spell script was significantly less than what most had to, especially since the bulk of the spell was apparently keeping the four smaller spells working together. Meaning that while the usual spell circuit ended up being about ten paces across, his could fit on a larger than average piece of paper. ¡°Alright, you ready to try this?¡± He asked, once he was sure the spell circuit was just right. Pix gave him a determined nod as she hovered next to him. ¡°In that case we need to-¡± He was cut off as he heard the front doorbell going off. ¡°Huh, uh, put a pin in that for just a moment¡­¡± --- Having left his room and made his way to the front door, he was met by a stressed Miss Valentine bouncing her four-year-old son Kenneth on her hip. ¡°Oh, Jon, uh, is mom home yet?¡± The younger mother asked. ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit early, but I kind of need to ask her a favor¡­¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. She¡¯s in her room asleep, she was stuck working through the night because of whatever happened at that festival yesterday.¡± He tried explaining. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Um,¡± Ms. Valentine bit her lip for a moment as she glanced between Jon, Kenneth, and the end of the hall. ¡°Work called in and I need a sitter to watch Kenneth for a few hours. Normally I¡¯d ask the Jeffersons but something happened yesterday and they¡¯re not here right now. And then Boris and his Wife are, I don¡¯t feel right making them watch Kenneth when they already have their hands full with their grandkids.¡± ¡°So, you were hoping ma could watch him for the evening?¡± He finished for her. ¡°Yeah, but if she¡¯s asleep already-¡± ¡°I can watch him.¡± He immediately offered. ¡°I, what?¡± Ms. Valentine blinked. ¡°I said, I can watch him for you if you want.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I don¡¯t want to-¡± ¡°Ms. Valentine,¡± He interrupted her again. ¡°I spent my summer helping watch twenty something pre-teens, a four-year-old isn¡¯t going to kill me.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s-¡± ¡°And ma is here if anything does happen, I can just wake her up if need be.¡± He cut off whatever defense she was trying to come up with. Ms. Valentine started gnawing on her lip again as she thought it over. ¡°You¡¯re sure about this?¡± ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s no trouble at all.¡± He assured her, taking the little one off her hands. ¡°Kenneth be a good boy alright?¡± Ms. Valentine told her son, kissing him on the forehead. ¡°Mama will be back soon enough okay? Thank you for this Jon.¡± With that Ms. Valentine made her swift exit, before she could be any later to her work, and as soon as she was out of sight her toddler started fussing reaching for where his mother was. ¡°Ah, ah, little one it¡¯s okay.¡± He soothed, his time helping Jill with the various sick and injured children of Camp Bet giving him more than enough experience calming upset children. ¡°Like your ma said, she¡¯ll be back soon enough, alright?¡± This seemed to do little to actually calm the littlest Valentine, and as such he decided to try his hand at a unique alternative. Carrying the little one back to his room, he pushed his door open to see a bored Pix laying on his bed. ¡°Hey, uh, we¡¯re going to have to put a pause on that for a little longer. We¡¯ve got a guest for the time being.¡± Pix gave him a curious look before spotting the toddler in his arms. The little fairy immediately gave him an excited trill before flying over and hovering all around the little one. ¡°Yeah, my neighbor Ms. Valentine, asked if ma and I could watch her little one for a while, and while puts a pause on our stuff I figured you wouldn¡¯t have a problem with it.¡± He explained as Pix followed him back into the living room, where Brutus was lazily getting up as things seemed to be getting more active. ¡°Alright, you two keep an eye on Kenneth for a minute while I make a bit of space.¡± He told the two as he set the toddler on the floor and began pushing the furniture around a bit to give them more space. Normally he¡¯d try to keep Pix a secret from near everyone but given how Kenneth was only four he figured anything magical about her would be glossed over as childhood wonder if the toddler told anyone. And given how most fairies had an odd soft spot for children, he felt Pix would be madder at him for not letting her help than for asking for assistance. (Just have to figure out how to entertain a fairy and a toddler for a few hours¡­) He thought to himself as he looked around a bit, before letting his eyes fall on an old boxset he hadn¡¯t seen since he was kid. (Huh, that could work.) Moving back to the kitchen he quickly made an easy snack for Kenneth and Pix to both munch on if they got hungry, before moving back to the living room setting the TV to run an old recording of his favorite show as a kid. ¡°You need anything else little one?¡± Kenneth gave him a hesitant shake of his head as the toddler began to gnaw on his snack. ¡°Okay, well then, I think you guys are going love this.¡± He nodded back as he pressed play on something he felt every child should watch at least once. ¡°This was my favorite show back when I was around your age.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, a beautiful day~¡± --- As luck would have it, the littlest Valentine eventually dozed off after a couple of episodes with a full tummy. Giving Jon and Pix the perfect opportunity to try and wrap up the project they¡¯d started before being interrupted. ¡°Okay, so if all of this is written right.¡± And given how he was basically copying it from the book, he felt safe saying it was. ¡°Then all we need to do is both run some magic through this.¡± Pix nodded before putting her hand on one of the outer symbols connected to the circuit, before he put his own hand against another. As he clutched the medallion in his hand, he began to feel a sort of cool-warmth spreading out from the enchanted metal in his hand. One that slowly began to creep and crawl its way across his body, down his arm, through his hand, and into the slowly glowing spell circuit. Electricity seemed to spark and dance along the circuit as the ink began to steadily glow brighter. Across from Pix was glowing as she fed her own magic into the circuit, the crackling energy from her side of the circle notably smaller than his own, but still crawling towards the center of the circuit, same as his. Eventually the two tendrils of mystical energy brushed against each other and something snapped into place. The circle sparked to life with one final blinding flash of power, before incinerating the paper and leaving a glowing sphere of magic behind. Pix gave him a curious look, wondering if this is what was supposed to happen. ¡°Okay¡­ uh, give me a second¡­¡± He quickly picked up one of Miss Edna¡¯s magic books before finding where he messed up and how to fix it. ¡°Alright, so, apparently I screwed up on marking who the designated contractor was, which is usually included in the connection between the summoning and protection scripts. All I have to do is take the spell sphere in palm and apply it to a part of my skin where it¡¯ll be absorbed and leave a ¡®contractor¡¯s mark¡¯ until the spell switches states.¡± Nodding to himself, he put the book down before looking at the sphere in hand. (So, uh, temp tattoo¡­ where should I put it? Somewhere Ma won¡¯t see by accident preferably¡­) With that thought in mind, he tugged at the collar of his shirt before pressing the sphere of magic into the left side of his chest. As soon as the light met his flesh, he began to feel a faint sort of feel-good burn spreading out from the point of contact. Once it had fully entered his skin, the last point of the sphere began to glow before spreading out across his chest in a series of arcane symbols he could only half-decipher. When the symbols finally quit spreading they glowed once more before contracting and twisting into the image of a side eyed silhouette of female fairy about the size of Pix herself seemingly sitting as she hugged her knees to her chest and framed by twisting series of thorned vines and flowers. ¡°Huh,¡± Even if he couldn¡¯t see the mark properly without a mirror, from what he could see it was still somehow both artistic and simplistic at the same time given how it was drawn solely in blank ink. Feeling something odd coming from the mark, he put his hand to his chest and pushed his magic into the mark, before slowly pulling at the foreign yet familiar magic that had begun to build within. There was a sudden flash of light, and he found Pix sitting in his hands blinking in confusion before turning an excited gaze at him. ¡°Guess this means you¡¯ll always be close to my heart, huh?¡± Scene Consequences -Forged a Contract with Pix. --Can now summon Pix to Jon¡¯s location for a small amount of Magic. ---When summoned Pix can use Jon¡¯s Magic reserves in place of her own, allowing her a greater amount of power for the duration. -Thanks to forging this Contract outside of normal methodology gained bonus XP to this task. --*Skill Level Up* Contracting: Lv. 3 (0/8) --*Skill Level Up* Script Craft: Lv. 3 (0/8) -*Task Complete* Prove Your Magic: Forge a Contract. (Scored an E) --- ¡°Thanks again for watching Kenneth, Jon.¡± Ms. Valentine thanked him, as he let her into the apartment. ¡°It¡¯s like I said, I¡¯ve got no problem watching him whenever you need.¡± He assured her once more. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Ms. Valentine gave him a soft smile, before looking around a bit. ¡°Your mom still asleep.¡± ¡°Yeah, she does that from time to time.¡± He admitted. ¡°She spends a few days running herself into the ground and then just blacks out for the next day or so.¡± Ms. Valentine gave him a concerned frown. ¡°That¡­ can¡¯t be healthy.¡± ¡°Why do you think I get onto her for her health so much?¡± He asked with a wry grin, before shaking his head. ¡°Either way, Kenneth passed out about an hour ago. He¡¯s right there on the couch with Brutus.¡± Ms. Valentine turned towards the couch and let out a cooing sound as she caught sight of her sleeping toddler using a sleeping Brutus as a pillow. ¡°Aww, that¡¯s adorable.¡± She told him, taking a photo of the little one on her phone. Once that was done she walked around the couch and gently shook Kenneth awake. ¡°Come on baby, we need to head back home now.¡± The sleepy toddler blinked a couple times before crawling into his mother¡¯s arms. ¡°Did you have a good time with Jon, sweetie?¡± Kenneth mumbled something unintelligible but did manage to give a faint nod as he curled into his mother¡¯s arms. ¡°Hm, guess that¡¯s a yes.¡± Ms. Valentine chuckled, as she adjusted her grip on her little one and started making her way to the door. As she stepped out of the apartment, Ms. Valentine gave him a soft smile. ¡°Like I said, thanks again for doing this Jon. I don¡¯t know what I would¡¯ve done if you weren¡¯t here.¡± ¡°And like I said, it was no problem at all.¡± He told her, ¡°Now why don¡¯t you get the little one to bed, it¡¯s late enough that you should probably be getting some sleep too if you want to make it through tomorrow.¡± ¡°Right, you too, I guess.¡± Ms. Valentine nodded back with another smile. ¡°Good night Jon.¡± ¡°Night, Ms. Valentine.¡± He waved, gently closing the door behind the single mother, before letting out a calming sigh, and earning a curious look from Pix as she flew out from her hiding spot now that they were alone once more. ¡°I think I needed that more than I thought.¡± He admitted with a soft smile, a warm feeling in his chest right next to his new Contractor¡¯s mark. ¡°Helping someone I mean.¡± Scene Consequences -Regained a small amount of Mental Health. -For babysitting and watching a master¡¯s work gained 3XP to Childcare. --Currently: Lv. 7 (3/16) -Grown a bit closer to the Valentines. Day 8 Day 8 --- Jon --- Despite spending the majority of the previous day sleeping, his ma still had something of a lag to her as they went on their morning run. ¡°So, uh, out of curiosity, how bad was this festival thing?¡± He eventually worked up the nerve to ask. ¡°Could¡¯ve been worse than it was.¡± His ma told him in that way he knew meant she was downplaying it, after all like she always told him, (¡®so long as you¡¯re alive and kicking, it can always be worse.¡¯) ¡°Alright, well that doesn¡¯t exactly tell me what happened.¡± He felt the need to point out. His ma looked at him out of the corner of her eye. ¡°If you want to know what happened so bad, why not look up the news report? They¡¯re bound to have said something about what happened.¡± ¡°A large number of Bleeds opened up across the end of summer festival, releasing a number of Malice Creeps across the fairgrounds. Dimensional distortion led to a power outage that could¡¯ve been avoided if the district grid wasn¡¯t so underdeveloped. No reported fatalities, but twenty-six reported casualties, eighteen of whom were injured in the panicked fleeing rather than by the creeps themselves.¡± He reported, noting everything relevant he¡¯d discovered, before tacking on that, ¡°There was also a fair bit about Sanctuary saving the day, but you admitted they arrived after the fact. Meaning this ¡®fact¡¯ can be deemed largely propaganda to cover up a mishap on their part or to secure continued support for the operations they do maintain.¡± His ma gave him a nod of approval. ¡°Smart kid.¡± She didn¡¯t answer his original question, but he also knew she had a tendency to try and soften anything dangerous she was apart of. -(A trait I inherited from her.)- Meaning, she¡¯d probably tell him once she was sure of which parts wouldn¡¯t make him mother hen her. (There¡¯s a certain irony in that thought.) ¡°The Bleeds spat out a bunch of Husks. They¡¯re relatively weak by Mal-Creep standards, and honestly a civilian could probably take a couple with a baseball bat.¡± His ma started, describing the threat first. ¡°On their own, a decent shot with a handgun could probably take out a good dozen or so with a decent handgun.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯d be in trouble then?¡± He joked, knowing most guns hated him for some reason. Even with his ma trying to teach him the basics for years, he still wasn¡¯t even half as good with them as he was with all of the other skills she¡¯d taught him. His ma gave a snort of amusement. ¡°Even without a handgun you could probably match a dozen or so with your knife alone.¡± (If they¡¯re about as dangerous as the corrupted were, I doubt it¡­) Still it felt good knowing his ma believed in him. (Even if it is a violent belief¡­) ¡°So, yeah. Not too dangerous, and honestly given how there wasn¡¯t even a hundred of the things across the grounds, those of us working security probably could¡¯ve handled the whole thing without Sanctuary getting involved. Like you said, most of the people who got hurt were more from the panicking crowds than the bloodthirsty monsters.¡± His ma assured him. ¡°Makes sense, but I think you said something about Deviants trying to play hero yesterday, what¡¯s that about? ¡°Oh that.¡± His ma sighed with a bitter expression. ¡°Yeah, a bunch of Deviants tried to play hero with their powers. Normally that wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing given how weak Husks are, but when you take their numbers into account, each group of ¡®protected¡¯ civilians we found was surrounded by a small horde they¡¯d attracted.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but wince at that. ¡°From the way you¡¯re talking, I¡¯m guessing if they¡¯d just defended themselves without their powers they probably could¡¯ve handled the situation themselves.¡± ¡°The majority of it yeah.¡± His ma scoffed. ¡°Just because they have powers doesn¡¯t mean they have to use them at every opportunity.¡± He decided it was best to keep quiet on that one, since he didn¡¯t really disagree with his ma. Even after Miss Edna and De Sade had taken him on as their respective apprentices -as much as the position could be applied with the two anyway- he still had a tendency to default on what he could do himself, with his magic just being a tool to stack things in his favor. If it came down to it -and it had several times- he was just as comfortable fighting without magic as he was with. More so even. ¡°And how did Sanctuary make the whole thing worse?¡± He eventually asked, pushing through the topic to something else she¡¯d brought up. ¡°They showed up.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ huh?¡± He blinked, not really getting that one. ¡°Every time I share a case with Sanctuary it, gives me twice as much paperwork.¡± His ma explained with a scowl. ¡°Ergo any time they show up, is the worst time for them to show up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± (not worth the effort¡­) Scene Consequences -For running with Ma gained 2XP to Mobility. --Currently: Lv. 5 (10/12) -For discussing a fight with Ma gained 1XP to Combat. --Currently: Lv. 5 (4/12) -Skill revealed: Firearms: Lv. 2 (0/6) -Grown a bit closer to Ma. --- With his ma out of the house, and Pix once more tending to their garden, he was left free to take a look through some of the books Miss Edna had gifted him at the end of summer. Particularly the ones related to potion making, (which really is her specialty, huh?) Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He¡¯d known that since he¡¯d first seen her shop in Blackwell, though it still surprised him just how many potions she had in the books she¡¯d written. Even the few he¡¯d picked up from her general introduction to Blackwell¡¯s magical side had next to nothing on the ones he found in the books actually dedicated to potions. While this meant there was a vast number of potions he had the recipes to, it also meant that he had to skim through a good three books before he found anything related to what he was looking for. And even then given his skill level, most of what he found was too advanced, or required ingredients he didn¡¯t have. He still had a number of potions ingredients he¡¯d gathered over his time in Blackwell, all contained in a preservation jar Miss Edna enchanted herself back when he first started gathering them. The problem was that the more powerful recipes not only required a higher skill level, but also ingredients that were significantly rarer than the ones he had or was growing. ¡°Maybe I need to come at this from a different angle¡­¡± He mumbled, before switching to the potions that required specific magics to use. These ones were typically off the table for him, due to the fact that he usually restricted his magic use to his Enchanting, giving him a tendency to only make potions that had magic in their ingredients rather than requiring magic in the cooking process. Finding what he was looking for in these books was significantly easier, though the one potion he could find at his skill level would require Pix¡¯s help, and a bit of finagling with her Nature and Mend concepts, (but it should still help¡­) The potion in question would enhance a person¡¯s natural magic generation by an amount derived from the quality of the potion itself. Which while worthless to him, thanks to his reliance on his amulet, would still allow Pix and Ying to regenerate their magic faster if necessary. (I think this is the best I¡¯m going to get with what I¡¯ve got¡­) Scene Consequences -Unlocked Basic MP Potion in crafting. (Requires: 2 Anima-Enhanced Herbs, 1 Mystic Healing Herb, Pix Assist, and (5-Skill Rank=) 3 MP) --When consumed increase Magic Regen by (1+Skill Rank=) 3 for 3 days. (This boost does not apply to equipment regen bonuses.) -Unlocked Herbs leftover from Blackwell. --Gained 10 Anima-Enhanced Herbs of Blackwell. --Gained 5 Mystic Healing Herbs of Blackwell. --Gained 3 Poisonous Plants of Blackwell. -Unlocked Potion Recipes -Gained 1XP to Potions. --Currently: Lv. 6 (8/14) --- Having grown bored of tending to the garden, Pix decided to spend the rest of her free time pestering him. (Which isn¡¯t exactly new if I¡¯m being honest with myself¡­) ¡°Alright, so what is it you wanted Pix?¡± He asked, scratching at Brutus¡¯s head as the old dog looked up from his spot on the couch. Pix flew in front of him and began pointing at his chest, before using her magic to cause a slight puff of magic around her and another one a few feet away. ¡°You want to mess with this Contract teleporting thing?¡± He clarified, before getting a nod in return. ¡°Alright, well how do you want to do this?¡± The little fairy flew to the other side of the room, before making several gestures at him involving pulling at the space in front of her chest and throwing it forward dramatically. ¡°Okay.¡± He pulled some of the magic stored in his amulet, and pushed it into the mark on his chest, before pulling on the familiar thread of magic within and- Pix appeared in front of him in a flash of light, looking around curiously. ¡°Alright now, wha-¡± Before he could finish speaking the little fairy flew to the side of the room opposite of where she¡¯d been previous before repeating her previous gestures. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not sure I can summon you, after summoning you.¡± He admitted. Pix frowned at him before once more repeating her, ¡®summon me¡¯ gestures. ¡°Um¡­¡± Frowning himself, he tried repeating the process he¡¯d gone through the few times he¡¯d summoned her prior, and surprisingly he still felt the little thread of magic connecting him to her, even if that thread was -(not weaker, but maybe tenser?) Regardless, this time when he pulled on the magic, he felt a much stronger drain on his reserves than either of his previous summons as Pix appeared in front of him. ¡°Okay, just¡­ give me a second. I actually felt that one¡­¡± He rubbed at the space between his eyes, feeling a headache begin to set in the same way it did whenever he tried to channel more magic than he could actually handle in a moment. Pix gave him a concerned look. ¡°Yeah, sorry¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be doing the double summoning thing all too often.¡± He told her once his head had cleared up. The little fairy nodded in understanding, before pulling at her chest and swiping through the air. ¡°Sure.¡± He reached out to the bond between them and did an odd sort of thing where he pushed the magic away, while pulling the bond back into him. Pix vanished from the space in front of him, and reappeared where she¡¯d been the first time he¡¯d summoned her. ¡°Okay, so when I cancel the summoning you end up wherever you were when I summoned you.¡± He noted. ¡°That has some potential.¡± Pix nodded excitedly, before gesturing for him to wait for one moment, until eventually he felt an odd sort of tugging from the other end of their contract bond. ¡°Huh, so you can call me when you want to be summoned.¡± He realized, before pulling the bond once more as he cupped his hands together teleporting the little fairy into them. ¡°At the very least that means I can bail you out if you get into any trouble.¡± Pix gave him a look that was somewhere between a pout and a glare. He easily matched the fairy¡¯s look and raised a brow. ¡°One of your core concepts is ¡®mischief,¡¯ if you aren¡¯t in trouble, you¡¯re causing it.¡± Pix shrugged, in a ¡®well, you¡¯re not wrong¡¯ kind of manner. ¡°Still, being able to teleport you would¡¯ve been useful back in Blackwell.¡± He admitted, letting what little sense of magic he had brush over their bond. ¡°At the very least I wouldn¡¯t have had to keep you curled up in my jacket whenever I had to fight those corrupted.¡± A slight blush came to the fairy¡¯s face as she tilted her head to one side and the other. ¡°Spent half of those fights worried I was going to crush you.¡± He chuckled wryly as his hand rubbed at his shoulder remembering the time he- (His shoulder popped as he forced himself to hit the ground at an angle, trying to protect the fragile body trembling against his chest, as the Mad Wolf tackled him its claws digging into one side as agony tore through the other. The maw of the beast widened as a hundred teeth rushed forward, his hand gripping the shaft of his axe as he threw a wild blow at the wolf¡¯s body, staggering the mad beast just enough for a second to throw it off with a wet and meaty tear. Gasping in a mix of agony and adrenaline he managed to sit up just enough to spot the Corrupted Corpse aiming a rifle at his head from behind the Mad Wolf as the beast in question snarled, staggering to its feet.. Seeing the enemy in front of him he set his jaw and grit his teeth, as he forced himself past the pain in his arm and onto his feet. The grip on his axe tightening as he shifted it in his hand, knowing himself unable to run in his current condition. Instead he met the Corrupted¡¯s bleeding black eyes as the monster in human flesh pulled the trigger and) a sting to his face forced his eyes away from the corrupted and to a small fairy floating a few feet away with a worried expression as he plotted how to best (rip it¡¯s wings-) He felt like vomiting as his pulse pounded in his ears, and he realized just where he was. ¡°I, uh¡­¡± He blinked, collapsing onto the couch as all fight left him. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Brutus laid his head on Jon¡¯s lap with a whine as Pix gave him another concerned look, before landing on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him and laying her head against his cheek with a soft trill. Scene Consequences -Contracting gained 1XP. --Currently: Lv. 3 (1/8) -Grown a bit closer to Pix and Brutus. Day 9 Day 9 --- Jon --- Today his ma decided to take it easy on training, -by Whitaker standards at least- and so both he and his ma found themselves in the forest just outside of town, playing hide and seek. Extreme hide and seek. Which is why he found himself holding his breath, as he hid sixteen feet in the air on a tree branch, watching as his ma passed underneath him. A jaunty little tune whistling through the air, as his ma decided to add psych warfare to what was originally a children¡¯s game. ¡°I know you¡¯re here kiddo.¡± His mother called. ¡°Come out, come out, wherever you are.¡± (Nope.) Hiding from her was bad enough but having her purposefully jump scare him before disappearing back into the foliage was significantly worse than when he simply had to hide himself. At least then he had some semblance of control for their game, which is why even though he knew he¡¯d lose and have to play seeker, he was more concerned with making sure his mother spent as little time as possible as the ¡®hider.¡¯ Something shifted next to him, and slowly looked over to find his ma sitting on the branch next to him. ¡°Boo.¡± ¡°Wah!¡± ¡°Looks like you¡¯re it, Jon.¡± His ma called, as he laid in the bush that had broken his fall. ¡°Ouchies¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Thanks to Ma Whitaker gained 1XP to Awareness and Stealth. --Currently: Awareness Lv. 8 (4/18) and Stealth Lv. 6 (3/14) --- (Okay, so this is just like enchanting, just a¡­ different language.) He told himself, as he continued to draw out the various geometric shapes that made up the spell script he was working on. Both spell-crafts revolved around creating spell circuits -the ¡®professional¡¯ term for a magic circle- filled with a number of complex and overlapping geometric shapes and symbols that possessed an odd mix of mathematical and conceptual meanings. The majority of which were admittedly lost on him at his current level, beyond the simple fact that they worked as intended. The paper he was on sparked, before incinerating as he tested with magic. (Well, it¡¯ll work eventually¡­) He thought with a sigh as he got to work on his fifth attempt at cracking this spell script. From what he could piece together, the fact that the page was incinerating was proof that the spell was activating, but beyond that there wasn¡¯t really anything telling him what the script was doing. ¡°Okay, so I know I¡¯ve infused the script with ¡®Defender¡¯ meaning whatever it¡¯s doing has to be something defensive¡­ but what?¡± He knew the script was supposed to be stronger than his enchantments, in exchange for only lasting a few minutes, but that didn¡¯t mean he knew what that meant. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take a step back.¡± He told himself, taking a deep breath. ¡°What do I know about the Defender concept?¡± (It defends, and when I enchant something with it, it reduces the amount of damage that object takes¡­ So, if it¡¯s doing that times ten then¡­) He looked at the script sitting on his desk before looking at the desk itself. Tilting his head to one side and then the other, he eventually pulled it out before giving it a considering look. ¡°Well, if worse comes to worst, I¡¯m sure I can bribe Pix into fixing my desk.¡± With that thought in mind, he once more activated the script, this time directing the effect into the desk rather than himself. Once the script turned itself to ash, he shifted the grip on his knife before stabbing it into the desk, or rather trying to stab it. ¡°Yes!¡± He cheered as he stood in success. Pix looked up from where she was playing with Brutus, before giving him a curious trill. ¡°I finally cracked the Defender Script I was working on.¡± He explained, tossing his knife into the air before catching it as he stabbed his desk. (Wait what?) His eyes widened in panic as he realized he drove his knife a good inch into his desk. What¡¯s worse, he could just feel Pix¡¯s unimpressed gaze burning into his back. ¡°Um, that wasn¡¯t supposed to happen¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Unlocked Shield-Script: When script is used for the next (Script-craft + Occult Rank) minutes, the next hit taken by the target is nullified. (Note: This spell can be overwhelmed if damage is greater than (Script-craft + Occult Level) or if multiple hits are taken at once.) A/N: The first time we try a script we¡¯ll get the recipe, if we craft that recipe we¡¯ll get a number of Script Pieces equal to our current Script Craft Level. (This excludes assist bonuses.) -Prove Your Magic: Script Craft ranked F+. --- Seeing as he was already dabbling with his spell ink, he decided to try and knock out another one of his skills for the test Ms. Delacroix had given him, by practicing his enchanting. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Namely by practicing it on the very object testing him. (Okay, so since the object is already enchanted let¡¯s try infusing something easy like¡­ Moonlight.) Even if this backfired horrifically -as enchanting already enchanted objects tended to- moonlight itself was relatively harmless. The concept needing to be refined into something else to do any real damage, let alone something Pix couldn¡¯t heal in under a minute. That said, despite knowing there was a certain¡­ risk to enchanting an already enchanted object, he felt it was worth it due to the fact that the arcane ring had scored his contracting skill so high. Now normally this wouldn¡¯t mean much, but given how he¡¯d only been contracting for, well, the one time. He felt scoring that high was an oddity of sorts, unless the ring was taking into account the fact that he hadn¡¯t exactly done things by the book, and instead had experimented with his own method. Which given what he knew about Arcane culture¡¯s learning-based meritocracy, fit dangerously well. And while it was dangerous enough to concern him about Arcane culture in general, it was also something he felt he could exploit to his advantage. Because like his ma always said, (¡®The world ¡®s already stacked against you, so there¡¯s no harm in stacking your own deck when you can.¡¯ As long as it doesn¡¯t hurt anyone anyway.) He liked to think his ma just forgot to tell him that last bit. (She didn¡¯t.) He shook his head, as he drew the final line of his spell circuit, before placing the Arcane Ring in the middle of the intricately drawn magic circle. ¡°Alright, well let¡¯s see if this works¡­¡± Placing his hand to either side of the circle, he began to pull on the magic stored in his amulet and push it into the circuit. Just as it did with the contract he¡¯d established between him and Pix, blue lightning began to dance and spiral along the lines drawn into the paper, the magic visibly gaining power as it gathered and processed the information he¡¯d given it, and charging the air with a supernatural force he could just feel. Once the lightning had traced the circuit several times over it followed several lines inward, before wrapping around the empty circle he¡¯d drawn around the Arcane ring and forming a crackling ring that grew ever smaller as his magic saturated the ring, until- A blast of pale light flared out from the circle as a wave of something threw him back, sending him crashing into the mattress he¡¯d flipped off his bed just in case this happened. ¡°Ow¡­¡± He groaned, from the floor. ¡°Should¡¯ve known the ring was filled with as much magic as it can handle.¡± It was something he¡¯d only experience once or twice, -and only because Miss Edna thought it¡¯d be a good lesson for him- but a magical backlash was never fun. While there were a number of ways to trigger the phenomenon, the one he was familiar with was when one tried to force more magic into an enchanted object than it could naturally handle. Something that would typically deep fry the object in question if Miss Edna hadn¡¯t also made sure he understood how to redirect said backlash, just in case the object in question was too valuable or unstable to risk exposing to an uncontrolled burst of magic. Though while this meant the ring was perfectly fine at the expense of some extra magic, it meant absolutely nothing for his aching body, or the fact that Pix was poking him to make sure he hadn¡¯t killed himself with his own stupidity. Scene Consequences -Skill Level is too low to accomplish this task. --Backlash cost 5 MP to preserve ¡®Basic Arcane Ring¡¯. --Object remains unenchanted. (Or just as enchanted as the case may be.) -Prove Your Magic: Enchanting judged at Rank F+. --Points lost for failing to enchant but gained for redirecting the backlash. (These bonus points will be retained should you retake this test.) --Can try a different enchantment for a higher score. --- Having failed his second experiment of the day, he decided to play it safe and try something that he¡¯d actually developed a decent amount of experience for. To this endeavor he gathered several of his stored materials and made his way towards the kitchen, with Pix following him curiously. Given his familiarity with the kitchen, and the similarities between cooking and potion making, it didn¡¯t take long for him to set up a basic brew comprised of a few magically infused plants, and healing herbs. ¡°Alright, now we have the hard part.¡± He told Pix, as he gripped his amulet with one hand. ¡°Okay, so I need you to infuse some of your magic into the brew. Preferably the raw stuff, without any concepts infusing it.¡± Pix nodded before circling the pot of bubbling brew, as he used his own magic to try and distill the two magics into the liquid. The whole reason both of their magic was needed for this was, something about how multiple magics tended to blend in a manner similar to light or sound, meaning if you used more than one at a time you could get something closer to ¡®pure¡¯ magic rather than the fragment most people used. Or that was theory as he understood it anyway. (We¡¯ll find out if I¡¯m right, at the end of all of this.) As they continued to apply a steady stream of magic to the pot, the liquid inside began to change color, slowly taking on a greenish blue color as it began to set. After a minute without the potion turning any bluer, he decided it was as distilled as it was going to get and turned the burner off so that the potion could cool enough to bottle away. The actual bottling process was relatively easy, given how it was mostly just bottling out the potions in the dozen or so reusable vials Miss Edna had given him back when he¡¯d first started helping her with potions. That said, thanks to the fact that Miss Edna was making a living selling potions, she¡¯d taught him a few tricks for making sure you bottled the exact amount necessary to trigger a potion. No more, no less. Or rather, there were more doses, for far less work. As the three extra vials of green blue potion on the counter proved, in comparison to the five or six he would¡¯ve gotten prior to Miss Edna¡¯s teaching. (Because as kind as she was Miss Edna would strangle Washington until he called himself Benjamin.) Shaking his head with a chuckle, he held up the ninth vial before nodding to himself. ¡°Alright, now if these work the way they¡¯re supposed to, they should allow you to up your magic generation by a fair amount.¡± He told Pix handing the potions over, despite the fact that the potion vial was roughly equal to the size of the little fariy¡¯s torso. Pix gave the vial a considering look, before sticking a finger into it and giving it a taste test. One that left her with a very visible grimace of disgust. ¡°Yeah, I figured it wouldn¡¯t taste all that good.¡± He admitted with a grimace of his own. ¡°What¡¯s worst is that since magic potions are more of a conceptual science than a physical one, you¡¯re going to have to drink the entire thing if you want it to really take effect.¡± Pix made a whimpering trill, before visibly steeling herself, and chugging the entire vial in a single go. ¡°Uh¡­¡± (Still not entirely sure how fairy stomachs can fit their own size in volume without expanding¡­) He wanted to say spatial magic, but he couldn¡¯t really prove it. As the little fairy drank the last of the vial, she let it fall from her hands before gasping as she fell on her back. ¡°You, uh, you do know you could¡¯ve spread that out through the day instead of just chugging it, right?¡± Pix¡¯s response was another whimpering trill. Scene Consequences -Crafted (Potions Level * 1.5 =) 9 (E-Rank) Basic MP Regen Potions. (+ 2MP Regen for 3 Days) -Pix Consumed 1 vial and will continue to do so every three days. (This has been added to Events.) -Prove Your Magic: --Potions Skill Judged at D- ---Potion Skill Rank is E+ but we get bonus points for making a potion that required a magical creature¡¯s help. Day 10 Day 10 --- Jon --- ¡°So, you ready for school tomorrow?¡± His ma asked, deflecting a punch with her forearm. ¡°I guess?¡± He offered, hopping away from her counter. ¡°I mean it¡¯s school, same as any other year really.¡± (I hope anyway.) ¡°Maybe, but there¡¯s nothing you¡¯re, ergh, looking forward to?¡± His ma pointed out as caught a side kick and giving him just enough leverage to throw his weight sending them both to the ground. ¡°Not really.¡± He argued putting his knee on her chest and his sheathed blade to her throat. ¡°Pin.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± His ma called, her arm wrapping around his as she shifted her grip on his leg to throw him off balance. ¡°Really need to work on getting you a girlfriend.¡± ¡°What?¡± He blinked, before actually being thrown off. ¡°Boyfriend?¡± His ma asked curiously as they both rolled to their feet. ¡°What? No! I¡¯m not- I-¡± He barely blocked the straight she threw at his face. ¡°You¡¯re distracted.¡± She told him as he returned with an uppercut. ¡°You¡¯re cheating!¡± He cried as she wrapped an arm around him. ¡°No such thing.¡± His mother disagreed as she flipped him onto the ground. ¡°Yes, such a thing!¡± He scowled, throwing his sheathed knife at her face as he got back on his feet. His mother tilted her head out of the way with a smirk. ¡°All ¡®s fair in love and war, even if you die a virgin, kid.¡± ¡°Ma!¡± Scene Consequences -Thanks to Ma gained 2XP to Combat. --Currently: Lv. 5 (6/12) --- With his ma gone, he once more got back to his daily routine of studying whatever magic he could work out from his books and what little experience he had. In this case having gone over what he knew about the Arcane ring, and the measurements there in, he decided he wasn¡¯t quite satisfied with his score in enchanting. Namely that he knew he could do better than that, even if not by much. He wasn¡¯t sure if that feeling came from Miss Edna¡¯s professional pride or De Sade¡¯s disdain for mediocrity, but either way he knew he didn¡¯t like it. And so to remedy this, he decided to try and enchant something new, something he hadn¡¯t done before, so that it would be an actual test of his skills rather than that (failure) of a score he¡¯d gotten from messing with the Arcane ring. Which is why he¡¯d searched his house for one of the numerous flashlights, his ma tended to keep around the house in case of emergency, before finding an LED Clip-On. ¡°Yeah¡­ this¡¯ll do.¡± He told himself, tossing the light up and down a few times. Returning to his room he set the light in the middle of a spell circuit he¡¯d drawn beforehand, when trying to figure out the best way to use his primary affinity -or one of its derivatives- since he knew he¡¯d be able to push that enchantment beyond his actual skill level through sheer force of will. (Something he was hoping the ring wouldn¡¯t be able to pick up on.) Still as the magic flowed through his amulet and into the circle, sparking with power as it processed the mystical code he¡¯d written out for it to follow, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how the concept of ¡®Track¡¯ would influence a flashlight light. He very much doubted it would work anything like the oil lantern, Quartermaster Rogers had given him during his stay at camp. Something he felt he should be grateful for given how he¡¯d broken his by- (the corrupted beast let loose a ear bleeding death rattle as flames danced, crawled, and devoured its flesh inch by burning inch.) He let loose a shuddering breath as he fought down the desire to vomit as the scent of burning ozone took on a rotten stench from memory. Pix looked over from the garden and gave him a curious look as the magic died down. He gave a false cheer of success as he picked up the light and turned it on, hoping to distract himself with whatever mystical effect he¡¯d infused into it. ¡°Why isn¡¯t this doing anything?¡± He frowned moving the light all over his room. ¡°I know the enchantment¡¯s set. I can feel it, but¡­ I have no idea what it¡¯s doing¡­¡± Which unfortunately was his default state with most magic. (Alright, let¡¯s see¡­ The last time I used ¡®Track¡¯ for an enchantment, it gave arrows shot from my bow a sort of autocorrect when I fired them¡­) He thought to himself, before shaking his head. ¡°Yeah, no, I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll really work for a flashlight¡­¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. (Okay, so enchanting applies a concept and merges it with the concept of an object, so what is the concept of a flashlight?) He asked himself, eyeing the light in his hand. (To produce light?) Frowning in thought, he turned the light on, and began waving it around his room. ¡°Nope. Not that obvious¡­¡± ¡°So, tracking and light¡­ Hmm¡­¡± He closed his eyes as an idea occurred to him. ¡°Pix, can you hide somewhere for a second?¡± Getting a trill in affirmative, he counted to ten before turning and looking around the room. Now looking around he already had a decent idea of where Pix was hiding, but that wasn¡¯t the point of this experiment, so he left her alone for the moment. Instead he slowly moved the flashlight around his room, taking note of how the few clues he¡¯d found of Pix¡¯s hiding spot -such as the few bits of dirt her flight dragged away from the garden- had a faint glow to them as the light passed, making them just a little more noticeable then they¡¯d been on their own. ¡°Under the bed, corner against both walls, even though you entered from the opposite side of the bed.¡± He called out, earning an inquisitive look from Pix as she peeked out from under his bed. ¡°A light that reveals tracks.¡± He said, having finally figured out what his latest enchantment did. ¡°Useful.¡± Scene Consequences -Flashlight gained Enchantment: Tracker¡¯s Light (C Rank): With a target¡¯s image in mind, light from this object will passively draw attention to anything related to that target. (+4 to finding a target¡¯s tracks within object¡¯s light.) --Note: This bonus scales inversely with other lights in the room. (I.E. A pitch black room gets the full bonus, but a well-lit room gets no bonus.) --Flashlight Enchanting Capacity (4/4) --This Enchantment Cost 4 MP. -Prove Your Power: Scored E+ --Bonus Points carried over from safety measures. --Despite the strength of the enchantment, the ring knows you used your primary affinity to get it. That said, it does give bonus points for being smart enough to do so. -Gained 1XP to Enchanting --Currently: Lv. 4 (2/10) A/N: Quick note, I redid the numbers for the enchanting equation. Now it¡¯s Enchanting Rank +/- Affinity bonus = Max Enchantment Power, while (Enchanting Level + Occult Level) * Size Modifier = Enchanting Capacity. I did this to try give skill levels a little more weight since before they weren¡¯t really doing anything. --- Having finished playing with his newly enchanted flashlight, he decided to try figuring out how to branch out his magic a bit. So, to this endeavor he began shifting through one of the books Miss Edna had given him for studying his concepts. Admittedly he could¡¯ve gone through De Sade¡¯s higher quality books, -given how Miss Edna¡¯s was a handwritten notebook- but he didn¡¯t feel like learning how the concept of ¡®Defender¡¯ could be used to horrifically murder someone today. (Still can¡¯t believe the moon can induce homicidal insanity¡­) He was somewhat relieved De Sade had only used that as an example of turning his affinities into a weapon, rather than actually making him learn how to do it himself. While the material in the notebooks wasn¡¯t as in-depth, nor did it have quite as many concepts described as De Sade¡¯s, the few it did were significantly kinder in nature. Such as ¡®Guard¡¯ a relatively straight forward concept derived from Defender. On the surface it looked like the two concepts were largely similar, given how they both focused on protecting something, but when you dug a little deeper that was when the real value of the concept came to light. Namely in the fact that guard still possessed an offensive edge in comparison to ¡®Defend¡¯ which threw away all ¡®Offense¡¯ in exchange for guaranteed protection. Admittedly, it was still primarily a defense concept, but given how guarding someone could be seen as keeping them controlled or contained, it could theoretically be used to ensure something dangerous remained sealed away too. (Which given some of the things sealed away in Blackwell, is probably a good thing to learn now that I¡¯ve got the time.) Still, he had to actually use the concept a few different ways to know for sure how it would work rather than just guessing at it. Regardless, even if he wasn¡¯t one hundred percent sure how it would turn out, he at the very least felt he understood the concept enough to work his own affinity of ¡®Defender¡¯ into the concept of ¡®Guard¡¯ should he have to. (I really hope I don¡¯t have to¡­) Scene Consequences -New Concept Learned: Guard --Added a tier below Defender. -Gained 1XP to Occult --Currently: Lv. 5 (3/12) --- ¡°Alright, looks like I¡¯ve got everything packed up for tomorrow.¡± He nodded, as he set his backpack at the foot of his bed. Pix eyed him curiously before pointing at the backpack with a soft trill. ¡°Oh, tomorrow ¡®s the first day of school.¡± He explained, earning another look. ¡°Think of school as like¡­ my lessons with Miss Edna and De Sade. Except instead of learning magic, I¡¯m learning about other things like history, math, languages-¡± Pix gave him another trill. ¡°Mm, yes, and no. I mean, I did learn languages with De Sade, but his stuff was more¡­ esoteric, than the stuff we focus on in English classes.¡± (Namely in that we aren¡¯t trying to find loopholes, lock people in with double meanings, and figure out how to make a word as aggressive in definition as possible.) Given how he never let Pix attend those lessons, he decided to keep all of that to himself. Pix frowned thoughtfully before pointing at herself and then the bag, and he couldn¡¯t help but wince. ¡°Um, no¡­ Err, that is, I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be a good idea for you to go with me.¡± Upon learning this new bit of information, the little fairy turned a glare on him. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s like with my ma, and how we can¡¯t let too many people know about you, because there¡¯s all of these regulations for magical beings, and there¡¯s no telling how people will react and¡­ it¡¯s a mess¡­¡± He trailed off with a sigh as he noticed he was beginning to ramble more than anything else. Pix¡¯s glare was unrelenting as she crossed her arms. ¡°Come on, you know people tend to overreact to magic.¡± He pleaded. ¡°I mean, you remember what happened in Blackwell with those two cops.¡± He hoped his mother never found out about the time he had to evade arrest, because he very much doubted she¡¯d be as lenient as Miss Edna¡¯s ¡®Who hasn¡¯t had to flee from the cops before?¡¯ Pix pouted, before flying off into his closet and slamming the doors as best she could. (I¡¯m going to be paying for this later, I can just feel it¡­) Scene Consequences -Jon has everything he needs together for school and has told Pix not to come with him for her own safety. First Day of School (Pt. 1) First Day of School (Pt. 1) --- Jon --- ¡°So, no training today?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask with a touch of suspicion as he put another egg on a plate. ¡°Nah, figured you could do with a bit of extra time to try and sort out whatever you need for school today.¡± His ma explained as he set her plate in front of her. ¡°All I need to do is grab a schedule and show up to class.¡± He told her, making his own plate. ¡°Nothing special about any of that.¡± ¡°I suppose.¡± His ma agreed in a noncommittal way. ¡°You going to be okay making your way there, or do you want a lift?¡± ¡°I can make it there easily enough.¡± He assured her. ¡°Honestly given the time I¡¯ll probably just walk there. Won¡¯t be able to sit through the day if I don¡¯t go for a run or something at the very least.¡± That was something he¡¯d learned after his first couple of summers at camp. If he didn¡¯t do a minimum amount of moving in a day, he¡¯d get more and more antsy until he had to move. ¡°Yeah, I get like that every so often to.¡± His ma admitted, before giving a snort of amusement. ¡°Trust me once you hit a certain age, that¡¯ll start to burn off. Hell, you might even miss it some days.¡± ¡°The joys of growing old?¡± He asked wryly. ¡°Something like that.¡± His ma chuckled as she sipped at her coffee. --- Once he and his ma had finished their breakfast, he made his way back to his room, where he found his backpack and zipped it shut as he slipped it on, making sure to put an arm through each strap ¨C(for good back posture)- before taking a look around the room. ¡°Pix?¡± He called, waiting a moment as he tried to find any sign of the little fairy, only to find none. Eventually he shook his head with a sigh. (Guess she doesn¡¯t want to talk to me since I¡¯m not letting her go with me¡­) He figured, remembering that no matter how much she liked him, the little fairy was still a fairy, a race rather infamous for holding a grudge and getting even with people. (Nothing to it.) He decided, knowing Pix wouldn¡¯t forgive him until she was either even or sufficiently bribed. (I¡¯ll just have to remember to bake her something sweet when I get out of school later.) Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Shaking his head, he made his way out of the apartment and down to street level where he ran into Mr. Petrovitch with his two grandkids trailing just behind him. ¡°Privyet young Whitaker!¡± The older man greeted. ¡°Off to school?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± He nodded, ¡°you three going to school too?¡± ¡°Da, little Natalia starts her third year and young Sergey begins middle school today!¡± Mr. Petrovitch proclaimed proudly, even as his granddaughter hid behind his leg shyly. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s very impressive.¡± He told the children, ¡°Those are very big years, takes a lot of work to get that far.¡± Sergey didn¡¯t look like he really believed him, but Natalia ducked further behind her grandfather at his compliment. ¡°You¡¯re in high school this year, da?¡± Mr. Petrovitch asked as Jon held the door open for the family. ¡°Yeah, same as last year.¡± He nodded. ¡°And don¡¯t you go to school with George¡¯s daughter, Aliyah?¡± Mr. Petrovitch asked. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you two going together?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, Mr. Jefferson drops all of his kids off at school, so I don¡¯t really walk with her all that often.¡± He tried explaining, knowing how Mr. Petrovitch could be. ¡°That said, I was going to go for a bit of a run before school, so¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes, don¡¯t let us slow you down. A young lad like you needs to keep in shape and put some meat on those bones.¡± Mr. Petrovitch laughed, patting Jon¡¯s back with a little more force than most could handle. ¡°Yeah, heh, I¡¯ll do that¡­¡± He agreed, his own laugh more awkward since he didn¡¯t want to offend the man for being perfectly nice on a morning he wasn¡¯t quite feeling it. (After all you should treat people how you want to be treated, and Mr. Petrovitch is a perfectly good guy.) --- The trip to his school was relatively quick, even if on foot, though that might¡¯ve just been that he¡¯d become fairly quick footed when running from the Corrupted back in the Blackwell forests. (After all, just because they¡¯ll pursue you until you¡¯re dead, doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t move to better ground.) He was actually kind of thankful for the concrete under his feet, it had a completely different feel from the forest dirt and foliage, (just enough to keep from triggering an episode.) Realizing that, he couldn¡¯t quite keep the grin off of his face. ¡°You know what, so what if I¡¯m feeling a little¡­ off. I can still have a good day. I just got to keep up a can-do attitude.¡± He told himself cheerily. (And hope I don¡¯t accidentally shiv anyone.) A stray thought popped out as someone bumped into him from behind while murmuring ¡®freak¡¯. (Like that guy.) ¡°Nope. Can-do attitude.¡± He repeated sternly, being sure to remove his knife and stuff it into his backpack before he could make that mistake. As he walked past the metal school gates, he took a look around the yard of his standard brickwork school. Taking note of the fact that a number of teens had shown up early and were already gathering into little groups in front of the school, several he couldn¡¯t help but notice were wearing gang colors or markings, and several who ¨C(thankfully)- weren¡¯t. And upon noticing this groups he found his attention drifting as an almost hopeful part of him began looking for Aliyah Jefferson, a shy bookish girl who was both Mr. Jefferson¡¯s daughter and one of the few people at his school Jon could tentatively call ''friend''. First Day of School (Pt. 2) First Day of School (Pt. 2) --- Jon --- It didn¡¯t even take him but a few minutes to scout the school grounds and grab his school schedule. And not seeing Aliyah anywhere he went, he decided to search the place that the book loving girl could usually be found between classes. Stepping into his school¡¯s library, a newly developed part of him couldn¡¯t help but lament the fact that said library was in worse shape than both Blackwell¡¯s public library, and De Sade¡¯s private. That wasn¡¯t to say the library was bare, just that school budget put far less focus on maintaining and expanding it than a town largely governed by a man who respected knowledge and self-made power above all else. Still, even if the library wasn¡¯t up to his newly acquired personal standards, that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t have what he was looking for on this excursion, given the young dark-skinned teen with her nose in a book at one of the tables. Unfortunately, even though he¡¯d found her he also found himself with an awkward reminder of both the fact that while he was very skilled for his age, none of those skills were exactly ¡®social¡¯ in nature, and that his friendships with Ying, Rosalind, and Pix were outliers all revolving around either magic or the dark side of Blackwell rather than any actual social ability on his part. But luckily for him, Aliyah had her own brand of social awkwardness that largely left her either ignoring his own, or too focused on whatever book or project she was locked on to notice it at the very least. Admittedly, that mutual awkwardness was the primary source of their friendship, as well as the primary reason why said friendship hadn¡¯t really expanded beyond the schoolyard and their shared schoolwork. Sighing to himself, he made his way over to the other teen¡¯s table before knocking on it. An action that caused the bookish teen to jump fast enough to send her glasses off kelter. Breathing a bit fast, Aliyah adjusted her glasses before realizing who was in front of her and letting out a sigh of relief as she gave him a soft smile. ¡°Jon¡­ you scared me there¡­¡± ¡°Heh, sorry¡­¡± He apologized as he rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting you to jump quite that high¡­¡± ¡°And I wasn¡¯t expecting you to sneak up on me.¡± Aliyah pointed out drily. ¡°Fair enough.¡± He nodded with a bashful grin, as he took a seat across from her. ¡°So, uh, how was your summer, I guess?¡± ¡°Same old, same old.¡± Aliyah admitted. ¡°Mostly spent it reading books in my room. How was your¡­ camping thing?¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. (His axe got stuck in the beast¡¯s side, and he was forced to let it go as another lunged at him with a vicious snarl¡­) (He bit into his belt as he held the hot knife to the hole in his side, hoping that potion he dumped in it beforehand would deal with the scarring and possible infection¡­) (The man -not a corrupted- aimed his gun at the shadows hiding him just out of sight of the (monster) in front of him as the faint whispering of a child¡¯s cries made their way through the dark warehouse.) ¡°Same old, same old.¡± He echoed back, not feeling like opening that can of worms. ¡°Well, did you have fun at least?¡± Aliyah asked after he let things lapse into an awkward sort of silence. (As they walked through the woods he pointed out the different plants and animals to the younger kids, trying to help them enjoy nature as much as he¡¯d grown to.) (Lightning danced across the circle before dashing into his jacket as it left the faint scent of ozone in the air, his mind just processing Miss Edna¡¯s cheers in the background.) (He stood in a clearing surrounded by downed foes, and while a part of him trembled another finally felt vindication in the decade or so of training he¡¯d done with his ma, as a mad laugh of relief and satisfaction worked its way up his throat.) (He jolted awake, and after taking a moment to get his bearings -and realize he wasn¡¯t in danger- he took another to note Ying and Pix passed out comfortably around the campfire, along with all of the Camp Bet counselors who¡¯d joined in celebrating the camp¡¯s continuation next Summer. And he couldn¡¯t quite stop the content smile that) made its way on his face. ¡°Yeah, it was fun in its own way.¡± He had to admit. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± He hummed, before frowning as he realized something. ¡°Actually, I meant to ask, but isn¡¯t the library usually closed for the first couple of weeks of school? Especially at this hour?¡± Honestly, him getting in, let alone finding her here, had been a bit of a longshot now that he thought about it. ¡°U-usually,¡± Aliyah admitted with a bit of a chuckle, ¡°but uh, since I help out here a lot they gave me a bit of leeway and let me in, even though they¡¯re still getting the system set up.¡± ¡°So, you can read the books but not check them out?¡± He figured, being one of the school¡¯s few frequent readers. ¡°Pretty much.¡± Aliyah nodded. ¡°Though I spend so much time here that I don¡¯t really mind.¡± ¡°Hm, you think they¡¯d mind if I found something to read for the next hour or so?¡± He asked as his eyes drifted to the school¡¯s sole librarian working at computer behind the library counter. Aliyah shook her head. ¡°I doubt it. The librarian usually encourages people to read as much as she can.¡± ¡°Then I guess, I¡¯ll see if I can¡¯t find something.¡± He told her, getting out of his seat. ¡°I¡¯m sure you will, summer is one of the few times a year they update the catalogues.¡± Aliyah informed him. ¡°Good to know.¡± He nodded, as he set out to find something. He knew whatever he managed to find wouldn¡¯t be as interesting as his books on magic back home -especially given the sources of said books- but he was sure that between his own interests and recent experiences, he¡¯d find something of interest if checked the library¡¯s psychology books. First Day of School (Pt. 3) First Day of School (Pt. 3) --- Jon --- While psychology itself wasn¡¯t necessarily a topic his school had much depth in these days, it did however possess a decent number of the books, if somewhat out of date. So even if none of the books would touch upon topics such as Deviant Psychology, there was still a fair number of books from the late nineties, early two-thousands when the school still taught a Psychology 101 class for the AP students. Now normally people wouldn¡¯t think he had much of an interest in psychology, but most of those people didn¡¯t consider the fact that he knew full well that child psychology was an absolute necessity if you wanted to enter a childcare field like he wanted. He was well aware how important a healthy mental state was for a growing child. Of course, it didn¡¯t hurt that his ma also taught him the basics of intimidation, terror tactics, and a number of other skills related to psych warfare, or at least the basics that could be taught without any practical experience anyway. Well excluding that one time the station had a prank war and his ma had him help in gaslighting everyone. (I wonder if that¡¯s why those cops flinched when ma was introducing me?) A fair number of them had almost seemed scared his ma there. (Maybe we took things too far?) He considered, knowing just how serious the Whitaker duo tended to take their prank wars. Normally he wouldn¡¯t think that, but since then he¡¯d actually seen how effective those tactics could be when he had to use them to even the odds against Rosalind¡¯s kidnappers back in Blackwell. (The wire snapped under his blade and the lights went out shrouding them all in darkness.) (Light danced across the wall as a flashlight hit the floor, its own struggling against the arm held tight around his throat.) (A faint humming filled the air, crackling through all of their radios and echoing through the dark.) (The door rattled against its hinges, jammed in just the right way to keep them trapped inside.) (The scraping of metal on metal screeched through the air as the humming seemed to intensify, and the men struggled all the harder against the door in search of an escape that wouldn¡¯t save them.) ¡°I¡¯m going to make them an apology muffin basket.¡± He decided with a nod. ¡°What was that?¡± Aliyah asked, blinking owlishly as she looked up from her book. ¡°Oh, uh, I was going to do some baking later today, you think your family would like some?¡± After all, if he was baking it wouldn¡¯t hurt to make some for everyone, ¡°actually since I¡¯m baking I might as well just make some for the whole building!¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Scene Consequence -Skill Revealed: Psych Warfare at Lv. 3 (0/8) -*New Quest* Muffin Man: Bake and deliver muffins to neighbors and the station. --- By the time the bell rang he¡¯d managed to make a fair amount of progress in the book he¡¯d been reading -as well as find out what kind of baked goods the Jefferson¡¯s like- and thus considered it a productive morning even if he hadn¡¯t gotten in his standard sort of training. Unfortunately, this did little to change the fact that once the bell rang he had to make his way to the first class of the school year, Social Studies. Now normally he was all for learning new things, a habit that Miss Edna, De Sade, and his ma all encouraged. Sadly, given his school¡¯s¡­ less than stellar standards, he¡¯d long since learned that a disturbing portion of the class was devoted less to a study of history and politics, and more about the recent and most prominent masks to influence the world. A fact underlined by the review test the teacher had passed out after going over the class syllabus for the year. (¡°What event led to the public outing of Deviants to the world? C. The Rift Riots.) He was a bit surprised when they mentioned the ¡®public outing¡¯ bit, since the school usually glossed over that detail, despite the fact that the Arcane Association was proof that Deviants had been around since at least the seventies. (¡°What Deviant terrorist was Sanctuary built in response to? B. The Tallman.¡±) The fact that they were emphasizing the man as a terrorist irked him, especially since the man¡¯s rampage ended what was essentially a genocide. Something that even his Deviant disliking ma respected the Tallman for. Regardless, given how only a third of the test¡¯s questions seemed to revolve around non-Deviant history and events he felt he was fairly justified in his reluctance in taking this class. What¡¯s worse given how he knew the De Sade family had been practicing magic for well over a century, he knew Deviant History was a lot longer than the twenty something years everyone wanted to focus on over everything else. (Maybe it¡¯s because they aren¡¯t looking for it that they can¡¯t see it?) He couldn¡¯t help but wonder with a bitter sigh. (Or is it because I actually have a foot in that world that I can see more than just the Deviants playing Mask? After all they become a lot less interesting once you¡¯ve seen the things outside of their spotlights¡­) It was an interesting -if unpleasant- idea, one that continued to bother him through the rest of his history class, as well as the class after that. --- As the bell rang signaling the start of lunch and his class began to disperse into the halls, he threw his backpack over his shoulder eliciting a faint jangling sound out of it. His eye twitched minutely, before -without missing a beat- he left the classroom and started making his way through the halls towards the school theater, one of the few places he knew would be empty until the various after school programs started for the year. Once he was sure he was alone, he pulled his backpack off and opened it. Or to be more accurate he opened the zipper to the second pocket that he kept his lunchbox and nothing else inside of. Of course, said lunch box wasn¡¯t the only thing in said pocket, given the half-asleep fairy he found within. Said little fairy looked up at him, blinked, and gave him a sheepish wave. First Day of School (Pt. 4) First Day of School (Pt. 4) --- Jon --- ¡°Pix.¡± He sighed, somehow unsurprised by the fact that the little fairy had followed him to school. ¡°You¡¯re really earning that Mischief affinity.¡± The little fairy grinned at him before climbing out of his backpack and stretching, as she let out a long groaning sound. ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t imagine spending all morning in a backpack as being fun.¡± He admitted dryly. ¡°Which makes me wonder why you¡¯d want to waste yours doing just that?¡± Pix glared at him before letting out a series of angry trilling sounds. ¡°No, this is exactly what I was warning you about.¡± He argued sternly. ¡°School isn¡¯t a fun thing like lessons with Miss Edna were and people here aren¡¯t nearly as positive about magic as the people at camp were.¡± Pix refused to meet his eyes, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. After all, even if he wasn¡¯t happy that she¡¯d snuck her way into school, he could still understand where she was coming from. Back in Blackwell people either happily accepted magic or blatantly pretended it didn¡¯t exist when confronted by it. Meaning the little fairy could openly hang out in most places. Outside of Blackwell however, most people had a certain reluctance when it came to magic. On the surface they were all willing to accept it was real, due to all of the heroes and villains who openly wielded magic, gladly being awed and amazed by the fantastical feats at a distance. Unfortunately, that was the thing. If you dug a little deeper than the basic hero worship you¡¯d learn that most non-Deviants had a tendency to passively try and avoid anything that had to do with magic, viewing it as dangerous, wild, and -in some cases- unnatural. A tendency that was spread to most Deviant phenomenon whether people openly talked about it or not. What all of this meant was, that in following him to the city Pix had essentially caged herself in a life of half-secrecy. Something he knew would slowly eat away at the lively little fairy unless he could find a work around of some kind. ¡°Look, Pix¡­¡± He began, once he¡¯d worked through his initial frustration, ¡°I get you want to get out of the house more, but¡­ I, I really don¡¯t think school is the place for that.¡± The little fairy gave him a glare that was more of a pout. ¡°I get where you¡¯re coming from, I do, but¡­¡± He sighed, before grimacing. ¡°People here, they aren¡¯t as accepting of magic as Blackwell, at least not the majority.¡± That was something he¡¯d figured out as a kid when he¡¯d first picked up an interest in the magical from his time at Camp Bet. Long before he¡¯d actually started learning magic, he¡¯d learned that his fascination with the subject made him more of an outlier in his peer group than anything else. Even the few Deviant kids in school only saw him as a powerless fanboy¡­ Pix watched him for a moment, and he must of let more of his thoughts show than he wanted, because something about his expression made her own soften. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I¡­¡± He frowned before shaking his head. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve still got to sort out this whole school thing today, but I¡¯m pretty sure I can sneak you into the city park and while it¡¯s not much at the very least it means you¡¯ll be able to get out of the house for a little bit. How does that sound?¡± Pix seemed to think about it for another moment, before flying up to him and hugging the side of his head with a happy trill. ¡°Hey now, no need to thank me. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± He admitted. The fairy seemed to disagree, letting loose a series of trilling sounds that he couldn¡¯t quite decipher as she shook her head. ¡°Hm, if you say so.¡± He laughed softly, not sure how else to respond, before his eyes slipped back to his backpack with a thoughtful frown. ¡°Though with that established, we¡¯re still going to have to figure out how to deal with you being stuck here for the rest of the day¡­ Actually it''s probably best if you just stay here. I mean, it''s the first day of school so I doubt anyone will be coming through here today.¡± --- With that matter settled between him and Pix settled, he decided to try and find somewhere other than the theater to eat lunch. Hoping that a change in scenery might help him calm down from the mood he¡¯d worked himself into worrying about the little fairy stuck hiding in the city. (Yeah, I¡¯m going to have to figure something out there.) He told himself, knowing that just the occasional visit to the local park wouldn¡¯t be enough to keep Pix happy. Especially since the Blackwell forests were significantly more active than the barely-there greenery of the city park. ¡°Jon!¡± A voice cut into his musing. He blinked, pushing his more serious thoughts to the side. ¡°Aliyah, what¡¯s up? Is something wrong?¡± He added, once he noticed her more stressed than usual appearance. ¡°There¡¯s¡­¡± Aliyah shook her head. ¡°Chester is bullying Josh again.¡± ¡°Of course, he is.¡± Jon couldn¡¯t help but sigh in frustration, earning a wince out of Aliyah from his tone. ¡°Where are they now?¡± ¡°Just around the corner.¡± Aliyah pointed. ¡°I was running to get a teacher but¡­¡± (But it¡¯s not like they¡¯ll do anything.) He wasn¡¯t entirely sure if he could blame them for that choice, given how half of the school¡¯s bullies were in gangs, which in turn made stopping them a health hazard. Something that -if rumor was true- was made blatantly apparent when several of said students ended up jumping one of the teachers after school. But just because the teachers had been cowed into submission didn¡¯t mean the gangs should be allowed to do whatever they want in the school. An idea he felt wasn¡¯t exactly common, given how when he rounded the corner he spotted a forming crowd of students that (apparently have nothing better to do than be a bunch of gawking bystanders.) Even through the crowd he could make out the distinct image of Josh slamming into a locker after a particularly nasty punch. ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s the first day of school and Chester¡¯s pulling something like this?¡± ¡°The first day doesn¡¯t really mean anything, when he knows the teachers won¡¯t actually do anything to stop him.¡± A voice commented dryly, unknowingly reiterating his previous thoughts. ¡°Annette.¡± He nodded, having spotted the tall but lanky teen standing nearby with her usual glower and glasses. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you trying to help Josh, isn¡¯t he your friend or something?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got enough problems without getting the gangs involved.¡± Annette scoffed, not quite meeting his eyes. ¡°Besides what can I actually do against a guy twice my weight?¡± (Plenty.) The part of him that had grown used to fighting corrupted supplied, even though the rest of him understood that knifing someone in this situation would just make things worse. Especially given the situation with the teachers and the gangs. (At the very least she could¡¯ve caused a distraction so he can run away.) His more judgmental thoughts argued. As if she could hear his thoughts, Annette turned a glare on him getting a squeak out of Aliyah who¡¯d apparently hidden behind him rather than getting a teacher. ¡°You don¡¯t get to judge me Whitaker,¡± The other teen spat. ¡°I don¡¯t see you doing anything either!¡± First Day of School (Pt. 5) First Day of School (Pt. 5) --- Jon --- ¡°Then watch me.¡± He knew outright walking up on Chester was probably a bad idea but given how any subtler approaches would just result in Josh getting beaten harder and just waling away wasn¡¯t an option, he didn¡¯t see many other choices. Seeing that the bully was about to throw another punch on the already downed student, he shot his hand out and grabbed Chester by his shoulder. ¡°Alright. He¡¯s already on the ground, and that¡¯s more than enough of that.¡± Chester turned on him with an incredulous glare. ¡°The fuck are you?¡± He blinked. ¡°Uh, Jon Whitaker?¡± ¡°Is that supposed to mean something to me?¡± The blonde teen glared. ¡°I mean, we did have three classes together last year?¡± He offered, ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure we had last class together too?¡± Chester looked him up and down. ¡°Really? Because you don¡¯t look all that familiar to me.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He sighed, knowing he never had much in the way of ¡®presence¡¯ as far as most people were concerned. ¡°Listen freak I don¡¯t know what you want-¡± ¡°For you to stop punching Josh.¡± He supplied helpfully. The other teen gave him something between a laugh and a scoffing sound. ¡°You want to take his place?¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d rather there wasn¡¯t any violence.¡± He admitted with a wry grin. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no reason we can¡¯t just talk this out.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Chester grinned in a not-quite-nice kind of way as he reached into his pocket. ¡°Mm-hm.¡± He nodded, trying to hide his disappointment with a smile. ¡°Absolutely no reason.¡± ¡°How about now?¡± Chester asked pulling out a balisong knife with a flick of his wrist and a clack of the blade as he aimed at Jon. ¡°Mm, still don¡¯t see a reason why we can¡¯t talk.¡± He confessed, ¡°I mean, if you want I can even show you how to do this.¡± He plucked the knife from Chester¡¯s -admittedly weak- grip, and made the switch blade dance across his fingers of one hand and onto the fingers of the other before throwing it back to the first that had it twirl across his fingers and leaving the blade closed as he offered it back to the other teen. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Who was just staring at him now for some reason. (Why is he¡­ Oh!) ¡°Sorry, that was rude of me.¡± He apologized flipping the knife open once more as he remembered knife etiquette and offering the knife back with the blade between his fingers. When the other teen still didn¡¯t take the blade, he returned it to Chester¡¯s still outstretched hand before correcting his grip on the knife in an attempt to cover his (embarrassing) social faux pas. ¡°There, that¡¯s a much better way to hold a knife if you feel threatened.¡± While he may not have enjoyed using his knife all that much, he wouldn¡¯t deny it gave him a certain comfort after his time in Blackwell. And as rough as the southside could be for some people, he more than understood how having a weapon could make you feel safe, (but only if you actually know how to use it.) With knife returned to its still frozen ¨C(why isn¡¯t he moving?)- owner, he turned his attention onto Josh who had been watching their exchange with wide eyes. Something that had him sighing internally. (Their relationship must be really bad if he doesn¡¯t know how to react to his bully not bullying people¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but give Chester a disappointed shake of his head. At least until he noticed the bleeding cut on Josh¡¯s forehead, sending him into an immediate panic. ¡°Are you alright? Do you need help getting to the nurse?!¡± He paused when he noticed Josh trying to get up on his own. ¡°No, wait head cuts are really dangerous, let me help you up.¡± ¡°Um, uh, thanks?¡± Josh told him in a bewildered tone, as if it was odd that Jon was helping him. (I knew the bullying was bad, but did he really expect no one to help him after the fact?) He wondered with some concern, before something else occurred to him. (Or maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m not Annette, I mean she¡¯s rough around the edges, but I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯d have gotten him to the nurse.) ¡°You know how to use a butterfly knife?¡± Said teenager asked having clearly come over to check on her friend. ¡°Oh, uh, my ma taught me how to use a knife but the quartermaster at my camp taught me how to make it dance.¡± He explained, purposely avoiding a few minor details such as how he¡¯d gotten that knife from one of Rosalind¡¯s attackers, that the quartermaster was drunk at the time, and how it was while they were waiting for a particularly nasty group of Corrupted to burn. ¡°Must¡¯ve been a cool quartermaster¡­¡± Annette told him with a touch of shock. (Rogers threw him a spindle of thread already bound to a needle, ¡°If you¡¯re not going back to the Camp you¡¯re going to have to do something about that hole in your side yourself. And as far as anesthetics and antiseptics go.¡± The older man placed a bottle of moonshine between them. ¡°Have fun.¡±) (He groaned as he found quartermaster Rogers passed out and reeking of alcohol in one of the lake canoes they were supposed to be using for the kids today. Leaving him, once more wondering why Miss Edna hadn¡¯t fired the old drunk.) (The quartermaster smashed his lantern across the Corrupted¡¯s face before downing a swig of his flask and spitting it out on the monster. An action that caused the few embers on the mad beast to erupt in a small explosion as they came into contact with the potent alcohol.) ¡°You could say that¡­¡± (Since I still don¡¯t know whether I hate or respect that man¡­) First Day of School (Final) First Day of School (Final) --- Jon --- As luck would have it, the incident with Josh and Chester was the only bit of drama he had to put up with through the day. Meaning that when the final bell rang, the only thing he had to deal with was picking up Pix from the theater and hoping she hadn¡¯t caused too much trouble. (Who am I kidding I¡¯ll be lucky if she hasn¡¯t burned down the theater room¡­) He sighed. ¡°Pix!¡± He called, upon reentering the theater. ¡°School ¡®s over, it¡¯s time to head home!¡± After a moment without a response, he ran a hand down his face before making his way through the theater and towards the stage. ¡°Come on Pix, just because the club isn¡¯t open yet, doesn¡¯t mean nobody is going to be checking this place out!¡± Shaking his head at the little fairy he made his way onto the stage before checking behind the curtains, hoping she wasn¡¯t messing with anything too important. His eyes immediately jumped as he caught sight of a faint light trail messing about with a fuse box. ¡°Well, at least I got here before the fire.¡± He told himself as he started making his way towards the mischievous little fairy. ¡°Pix.¡± The fairy froze, her hands on several breakers as she slowly turned to face him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Pix began to rapidly blur through gestures while making several trilling sounds, something he¡¯d learned to mean she was trying to avoid talking about something by giving him more information than he could readily process. ¡°Yeah, no.¡± He stopped her, once he realized he was only catching every other phrase she gave him. ¡°Just¡­¡± He looked around the stage, before sighing. ¡°Is there a chance this is going to kill anyone?¡± The fact that Pix had to think about it did not fill him with confidence, even when she shook her head, ¡®no¡¯. (Inhale, one, two, three, four. Exhale, one, two, three, four.) ¡°Right, okay. I¡¯m going to choose to believe you, because I like to be an optimist.¡± He told her. ¡°That said, if anyone gets hurt by¡­ this.¡± He gestured to the box. ¡°Then no baked goods for a month.¡± Pix gasped, before furiously shaking her head and holding up two fingers. ¡°Two months? Someone¡¯s feeling confident.¡± He told her with no small amount of mock surprise, even as Pix shook her head even more furiously. He gave her a huff of amusement, before shaking his own head and taking his backpack off. ¡°Alright, but school ¡®s out and it¡¯s time to start heading home.¡± Pix pouted at him for a moment before flying into his backpack and moving around. ¡°Comfortable?¡± He asked after a moment, before receiving a tweeting sound as a response. ¡°Alright.¡± Nodding, he zipped his backpack shut. This time leaving a small gap for Pix to see through as he walked towards the nearest school exit, where his phone ended up chiming at him with a new message. Pulling his phone out, he read a text from his ma telling him, to wait out front since she¡¯d be picking him up in a few minutes. (Weird, she usually has me walk home since she¡¯s stuck at the station this time of day.) Having her pick him up wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. It just meant he was going to have to postpone that trip to the park with Pix for a bit. Something he was going to hold off on telling her, given the tantrum he knew she¡¯d throw if he did that. ¡°Whitaker.¡± A voice greeted as he walked up to the school curb. ¡°Berkley.¡± He nodded back, as he took note of the dark-haired girl reading a book as she sat in a wheelchair. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The two of them passingly knew each other due to the fact her dad worked with his ma, though beyond that the two of them never really interacted outside of the few police formals his ma had to attend, and in turn forced him to go to since ¡®if I can¡¯t avoid work politics, you might as well learn how to deal with them yourself.¡¯ ¡°Your mom running late?¡± He asked, given how she was one of the first people out of the school most days, and his detour with Pix had taken a bit more time than he thought. ¡°No, she¡¯s busy with something today.¡± Sarah admitted. ¡°What¡¯s more my dad is in the middle of an important case, so he won¡¯t be getting me either.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown at that. ¡°Do you have a ride? I mean, my ma¡¯s picking me up today so if you need we can give you a lift back to your place.¡± Sarah gave a smirk and a chuckle. ¡°Funny you should mention that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, you see-¡± Sarah began, before blinking as a familiar black car pulled up in front of them. ¡°Ah, here we are.¡± ¡°Good, you two are already together.¡± His ma nodded, climbing out of the car. ¡°Was worried I¡¯d have to track one of you down.¡± (Oh.) He realized they were already giving Sarah a lift. (Guess that explains why ma is picking me up then.) ¡°Thank you for the ride Ms. Whitaker.¡± Sarah told his ma as she climbed into the car. ¡°It¡¯s no problem Sarah, I needed to pick up Jon anyway.¡± His ma assured her, as he took the other teen¡¯s wheelchair and packed it into the trunk. ¡°Still, I know this can¡¯t be convenient all things considered.¡± Sarah pressed as he climbed into the passenger¡¯s seat. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s fine.¡± His ma waved off the teen¡¯s thanks as she started the car. ¡°That said, first day of school, anything interesting happen?¡± He thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°Nothing really worth mentioning.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sarah asked curiously. ¡°Because your fight with Neilson seems to have been pretty big news as far as the student body is concerned.¡± ¡°Fight?¡± His ma repeated with her own curious glance. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a fight. People are blowing it out of proportion.¡± He assured them both with a shake of his head. ¡°Chester was bullying Josh -Chris the bartender¡¯s brother- and I stepped into it. Once I stopped him from hitting Josh, we talked it out and Josh¡¯s friend and I took him to the nurse¡¯s office.¡± ¡°I heard Neilson pulled a knife on you?¡± Sarah continued seemingly fascinated with what happened for some reason. ¡°What?¡± He frowned before shaking his head again. ¡°Oh, that. No. He had this bailsong knife and he was more liable to hurt himself than anything else, so I showed him how to actually hold it as well as a couple of tricks I picked up at camp.¡± His ma blinked in surprise. ¡°Since when does Edna have knife fighting at her camp?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t.¡± (At least not on the standard itinerary anyway.) ¡°But I confiscated a knife from someone and when Quartermaster Rogers saw it, he insisted on teaching me a couple of tricks with it.¡± ¡°Anything useful?¡± ¡°Not really, it was mostly fancy flips and spins.¡± He admitted. ¡°Cool to look at but not much else as far as I can tell.¡± ¡°Shame,¡± His ma frowned. ¡°He seems like the kind of person to know how to use a knife.¡± ¡°You¡¯d think, but Miss Edna was actually better with them.¡± He paused remembering a day in the kitchen. ¡°Well, throwing them at least.¡± ¡°Really? Always thought she¡¯d be more of a boxer or something.¡± ¡°People can surprise you.¡± He shrugged, before remembering something from a while back. ¡°Then again, if the way she knocked her ex out is any indication, she¡¯s got a mean right hook.¡± His ma gave that a snort of amusement, before pulling up to an apartment building. ¡°This is your place, right Sarah?¡± ¡°Yes. This is the place.¡± The female teen nodded, as Jon got out of the car and retrieved her wheelchair. ¡°You going to be good from here?¡± His ma asked, as Sarah buckled her wheelchair. ¡°Despite what my parents may believe, I¡¯m not made of glass.¡± Sarah pointed out brusquely. His ma raised her hands in surrender, earning a grimace from the younger female. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a touchy subject.¡± Sarah apologized. ¡°That said, thank you for the ride home. It was¡­ an interesting experience.¡± ¡°No problem?¡± His ma told her once more, though this time she sounded confused by something. Sarah nodded, before maneuvering her wheelchair towards her apartment lobby. ¡°Well, I hope you both have a good evening.¡± ¡°Uh, right you too.¡± His ma nodded back, as they watched Sarah enter her apartment building. ¡°Polite kid.¡± ¡°Nothing wrong with that.¡± He reminded his ma, knowing how she tended to prefer bluntness to niceties. ¡°Never said there was kid.¡± His ma told him as they climbed back into the car. ¡°Feel like grabbing something for dinner?¡± He thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°Nah, we¡¯ve got stuff at the house I can cook.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± His ma frowned. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to cook on your first day at school, and we both know I can¡¯t cook.¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s fine.¡± He promised. ¡°Besides there¡¯s this pasta thing I¡¯ve been meaning to try for a couple of days now.¡± ¡°If you''re sure.¡± His ma shrugged, as she pulled away from the curb. 11 Suns 11 Suns --- Jon --- ¡°So, uh, what¡¯s on the itinerary today?¡± He asked, as his ma slowed to a stop in one of their usual training spots. ¡°Yesterday you mentioned Edna was good at throwing knives, right?¡± His ma confirmed as she began digging through a duffle bag she¡¯d brought with them. ¡°Fairly decent. And I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s what we¡¯re practicing.¡± He commented as he caught sight of a carrying strap with three knives in it. ¡°Yeah, I know you can still throw based on that spar the other day, but I figure it doesn¡¯t hurt to make sure you haven¡¯t gotten rusty over summer.¡± His ma explained handing him the knife set. (The knife pierced the man¡¯s shoulder, forcing him to stumble back, and buying Jon enough time to smash his partner¡¯s skull into the wall.) (He threw the axe -instinct and practice assuring him that it¡¯d hit- before turning to the mad wolf accompanying the Corrupted Hunter and catching the beast as it lunged for his throat.) ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have to worry about that.¡± He admitted, testing the weight and balance of one of the throwing knives. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky kid.¡± His ma scolded him, more amused than anything else. ¡°And even if you don¡¯t need the practice, your old set was starting to look a little worn. Won¡¯t hurt to replace them before they give.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± He conceded as he threw his new knife towards a nearby can, piercing it with ease. Scene Consequences -New Skill Revealed: Throwing at Lv. 3 (0/8) -New Item: Throwing knife set. (3 Knives, each of which gets +2 when thrown, but -2 when used as a combat knife.) --- Once more he found himself in the school library, this time finding Aliyah moving between the various bookshelves as she placed book after book on the shelves. ¡°I didn¡¯t think books would need to be re-shelved before anyone started checking them out.¡± He commented as he read a couple of title off the shelf. ¡°Agh, Jon!¡± Aliyah jumped dropping a couple of her books, something that caused her to glare at him even as he caught them in his hands. ¡°Quit scaring me like that!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not trying to scare you.¡± He pointed out with a confused frown, since he was fairly certain he knew when he was being scary given the haunted house he and his ma helped run while they still lived out in the country. (Actually, I should probably see if ma wants to try setting one up for next month.) Halloween was a Whitaker¡¯s favorite holiday after all. (Hopefully that thing about city kids being rougher than country kids holds, I¡¯d hate for one of our houses to get banned again.) ¡°I know you¡¯re not.¡± Aliyah sighed, unaware of the tangent his mind was running. ¡°But you¡¯re so¡­ quiet all the time.¡± He blinked before looking around a bit. ¡°Uh, but we¡¯re in a library, aren¡¯t we supposed to be quiet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Aliyah¡¯s face scrunched up a bit, before she eventually shook her head. ¡°No, never mind. Um, was there something you needed?¡± ¡°Mm, no, not really.¡± He admitted. ¡°Just didn¡¯t see you in the cafeteria so I was wondering where you ran off to.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, the librarian is almost done scanning in the new books so she asked if I could help put the ones she¡¯s finished on their shelves.¡± Aliyah explained, waving one of such books in the air. ¡°Hm, you need a hand?¡± He asked waving his own book since figured there was no harm in trying to help. Aliyah gave an unsure glance at the librarian¡¯s desk before turning back to him. ¡°Um, there aren¡¯t too many books left, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll hurt to ask.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. With that decided he helped Aliyah put away the remainder of her books, before following her to the librarian¡¯s desk. Where she explained how he wanted to help around the library and occasionally read here even if it was still technically closed. ¡°Mm, I suppose since Ms. Jefferson has always been such an avid reader, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to let one of her friends assist her around the library.¡± The librarian told him, before narrowing her eyes. ¡°So long as you respect the books.¡± ¡°Always do.¡± (Even the creepy evil ones that may or may not be made from human skin.) Though it might be more fear than respect in that case. ¡°Then I see no reason you can¡¯t study in the library during your free time as well, so long as you return the books to their proper place.¡± The librarian nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± He nodded back. ¡°Good, and next time Ms. Jefferson please don¡¯t sneak your¡­ friend into the library without me knowing.¡± The librarian told Aliyah with an almost amused look. ¡°The doors are supposed to be locked for a reason.¡± Aliyah blinked before frowning. ¡°But I didn¡¯t let him in.¡± Two sets of curious eyes turned to him, and he couldn¡¯t help but blink. ¡°What?¡± Scene Consequences -Jon can now spend time reading books in the library. -Grown a bit closer to Aliyah. --- Seeing as he had a bit of time to kill -and how he¡¯d promised to both take Pix to the park and give her make-up muffins- he decided to go ahead and bake the muffins for his ma¡¯s station as well as for his various neighbors. Not that he actually needed much of a reason to bake or cook. Given his ma¡¯s inability in the kitchen, his tendency to help Miss Edna in the camp kitchens, and a personal satisfaction feeding others, he¡¯d come to see cooking as a relaxing hobby. Even more so in the last few months, due to the fact that said hobby had absolutely nothing to do with fighting, combat, or conflict whatsoever. Making it something of an oasis in his more violence and horror story filled summer. He¡¯d picked a number of hobbies and talents up over the years with magic being fun, combat thrilling, and friends nice, but cooking, cooking was peaceful, orderly, and controlled. Something he found he couldn¡¯t help but appreciate as a break from the hectic stresses of life as he set a dozen blueberry muffins next to their banana-nut and chocolate chip cousins, while wondering if he should make a cake or two in case someone wasn¡¯t feeling the muffin might. Scene Consequences -Cooking gained 1XP --Currently: Lv. 9 (1/20) -Muffins ready for delivery. --- He glanced around, sure that he was far enough in that he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about people, but still wanting to be safe. (And given how many times paranoia has saved my life these last few months¡­) He shook his head at that thought, before unzipping his backpack. ¡°Alright, Pix we¡¯re here.¡± The little fairy burst free of his backpack and immediately began stretching from being stuck in a small space for the hour it took him to make it to the small forest on the outskirts of the city¡¯s western suburbs. Rolling her neck, Pix took a good look around as a sense of curiosity began to fill the little fairy as she took in the trees that had a distinctly different feel than the magical forest the little fairy had spent her life in. ¡°Alright, so we¡¯ve got a few hours before we need to head back to the apartment, so try to get this out of your system while you can.¡± He let her know while taking a seat under a nearby tree. ¡°We¡¯re far enough out here that you should be able to play around as much as you want.¡± Pix nodded enthusiastically while making a series of excited trilling sounds, before flying up into the treetops where he watched her dash between the various branches a trail of light and magic flowing behind her enhancing the growth of all the plants caught in its path. Part of him thought it a bit odd that given free reign to do as she pleased, the little fairy chose to do essentially the same thing she did every day he didn¡¯t come up with something to occupy her time. But in the end he figured that perhaps tending the garden was in fact her idea of a good time, just one she couldn¡¯t take to the level she had during her time in the forests of Blackwell. (I guess it¡¯s enough to entertain her but not enough to actually let her have fun.) That wasn¡¯t something he was necessarily happy with, in fact it was something he felt he should probably do something about at some point, even if he was sure what. Unaware of his concerns Pix continued to use her magic all around the little clearing they found themselves in, pushing plants to grow and stretch bigger and farther than they naturally could under these conditions. It was an application of her magic he hadn¡¯t seen since they were back in Blackwell, when she¡¯d occasionally use the plants to trip a Corrupted here and there. Something that admittedly hadn¡¯t been all too practical given her inability to do so at any real distance, and without the obvious light show, but it was still something that had kept her safe the few times they were separated after finding each other. (Still, at the very least that Contract and those potions seem to be doing her some good.) He decided with a soft smile as he watched Pix bloom a trail of flowers across the ground. Scene Consequences -Pix Skill Revealed: Nature Manipulation Lv. 3 -Grown a bit closer to Pix 12 Suns 12 Suns --- Jon --- ¡°Hey, since you¡¯re heading to the station do you think you can do me a favor?¡± He asked his ma as they sat down for breakfast. ¡°What do you need, kid?¡± ¡°I made these muffins for everyone down at the station and in the apartment building.¡± He started, gesturing towards a basket of wrapped goods. ¡°I was just wondering if you¡¯d mind passing them off for me.¡± ¡°I can.¡± His ma shrugged. ¡°How much you want me to sell ¡®em for?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Oh, no, I don¡¯t want you to charge anyone. I just want you to pass them around to whoever wants them.¡± ¡°Gotcha.¡± His ma nodded in understanding. ¡°First tastes free then when they¡¯re hooked you price gouge them.¡± (Or not.) ¡°No, I¡­¡± He sighed rubbing at his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just giving them out to the station as an apology.¡± His ma frowned. ¡°An apology for what exactly?¡± ¡°Things.¡± He answered diplomatically. His ma gave him a dry look before shaking her head. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s your thing I guess¡­¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He smiled, thinking if his ma delivered the muffins that would make the kind gesture actually mean something, since he was more apologizing to the station for the fact that his ma ruled them with an iron fist. --- Given how he had a few hours of free time before, after, and during school he figured now was a decent time to get a bit of reading done. And given his frequent pursuit of self-improvement, he decided to ask the librarian if there were any popular books about teenage relationships, since that was a topic he felt he was still struggling with in life. At first she¡¯d given him an odd look as if it was odd for him to be asking about that kind of thing, -(Which I get, I know most guys aren¡¯t willing to talk about their feelings.)- before handing him a book claiming to be a best-seller. (This¡­ doesn¡¯t look like what I was going for¡­) He realized after a few pages, where the female protagonist had gone about feelings of listlessness in her life. (Maybe this is one of those, find meaning in the people in your life type of stories?) Only that didn¡¯t fit either, given how rather than talking with her single father or childhood best friend, she seemed to obsess over some new kid in town to the point of overlooking some particularly disturbing behavior. (I mean why is she flattered by the fact that he broke into her house and was watching her sleep?!) He couldn¡¯t help but wonder with a disgusted grimace. (That¡¯s breaking and entering as well as clear stalker behavior! This girl should be giving him a restraining order not blushing!) What¡¯s worse was he knew every woman in his life would have a better handle on that situation, after all his ma would break every bone in the intruder¡¯s body. Ying would electrocute anyone who broke into her room. Miss Edna would hex them into sterility before tossing them to the quartermaster. Jill was liable to shoot them six different ways. And if someone pulled that with little Rosalind? Well, (they deserve whatever De Sade does to them.) He closed the book with a shake of his head wondering how the librarian thought this nonsense was supposed to help him learn anything about relationships. (Or maybe this is one of those depressing cautionary tales, where they tell you what you shouldn¡¯t do?) (Yeah that makes sense. This poor girl probably dies at the end.) He decided, before frowning. (Though why she¡¯d give a cautionary tale for women to me I don¡¯t know¡­) Either way even if the book¡¯s lesson didn¡¯t apply to him, it did make him appreciate the fact that the women in his life were more sensible than this garbage. (Which is nice to know.) The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Scene Consequences -Jon¡¯s opinion of the women in his life has increased. --- ¡°Oh, hi Jon, did you need something?¡± Ms. Valentine asked as she opened the door. ¡°No, I just, I made all of these baked goods and I¡¯m going through the apartment giving them out to everyone.¡± He explained, holding up one of the baskets he¡¯d spent the night before making by hand with summers of arts and crafts skills. (Because everyone smiles are worth it!) ¡°Oh, that¡¯s sweet of you.¡± Ms. Valentine smiled accepting the basket. ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± He promised. ¡°I was baking anyway, and figured why not?¡± ¡°Still.¡± Ms. Valentine told him, before pausing to think about something. ¡°Hey, when you were watching Kenneth last week, he wasn¡¯t too much trouble was he?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s a very sweet kid. Was quiet and playful the whole time through.¡± He assured her. ¡°Why? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ms. Valentine shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ something came up with my usual babysitter, and I sort of need to find a new one.¡± ¡°I thought the Jeffersons watched Kenneth for you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only when I need a sitter on short notice, normally I pay my co-worker¡¯s kid, but¡­¡± Ms. Valentine shook her head with a sigh. ¡°She says she¡¯s not going to be able to watch Kenneth anymore, and I don¡¯t feel right asking the Jeffersons to watch him all the time when they have their own kids to deal with.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re hoping I can watch him instead?¡± He figured. ¡°Not every night.¡± Ms. Valentine promised. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few people I can cycle through who won¡¯t mind watching him every now and then, but that still leaves a couple nights a week where I need someone to keep an eye on him. And I remembered you said something about watching kids at your summer camp thing?¡± ¡°Yeah, I was a counselor.¡± He admitted with a touch of pride. ¡°And if you need me to watch Kenneth, I don¡¯t mind. Like I said, he¡¯s a sweet kid.¡± Ms. Valentine gave him another smile. ¡°Thank you, Jon, you have no idea how much this helps me.¡± ¡°And like I told you last time, it¡¯s no trouble at all.¡± He assured her once more. Scene Consequences -Jon¡¯s grown a bit closer to his neighbors. -Ms. Valentine will now occasionally ask Jon to babysit Kenneth. --- ¡°Hey, ma.¡± He greeted his mother as she entered the apartment. ¡°Hey, kid.¡± She nodded back before snapping her fingers and digging in her jacket. ¡°Wait, I just remembered something. Here you go.¡± His ma tossed him whatever she¡¯d been searching for, and he snatched it out of the air before frowning as he caught sight of it. ¡°Why are you giving me¡­ fifty-five dollars?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how much I got from selling those muffins around the office.¡± His ma explained as she made her way towards the kitchen. ¡°But¡­ you were supposed to give those away.¡± He reminded her with a pained grimace. ¡°I know,¡± His ma admitted, ¡°but then I realized that if I just gave them away that would cause them to think I was going soft.¡± (Kind of the reason I was doing this.) He thought dryly. ¡°And since I want to keep everyone in line, was kind of a no go.¡± His ma continued, unaware of his true motives. ¡°So, I figured I¡¯d go ahead and net you that profit instead. That way I can still pass them out, without anyone losing their fear and respect for me.¡± ¡°Uh, thanks?¡± ¡°No problem kid,¡± His ma assured him. ¡°You¡¯ve got a marketable talent, and as your parent it¡¯s my job to try and help you make a living with it, if that¡¯s what you want.¡± (That wasn¡¯t what I wanted though!) With another pained sigh, he looked at the small roll of bills in his hand, and admitted it was a decent amount for a first day of work, especially if he added a possible profit from his neighbors. Though when compared to the money De Sade had paid him for a bit of assistance with a couple of non-magical problems, it was barely a drop in his actual funds. (Then again, ma actually knows where this money came from, meaning I don¡¯t have to hide it¡­) That was something worth considering, and like Miss Edna had told him while he was helping around her shop, it was always a smart idea to have a side income where it was difficult to prove your numbers wrong. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it said about his life that it wasn¡¯t the ¡®dark lord who literally owns his own city¡¯ mentor who taught him about money laundering, but rather the ¡®works in childcare as a hobby¡¯ one. (Interesting things.) He thought with some amusement, before remembering something. ¡°Actually, that reminds me there¡¯s something I wanted to run by you.¡± His ma gave him a curious look. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Ms. Valentine was asking if I minded watching Kenneth a couple of nights a week. She said her usual sitter had to quit for some reason, and that she wasn¡¯t comfortable asking everyone else given how many kids they¡¯ve already got to take care of.¡± He explained. ¡°Well, they¡¯re your nights kid, so if you want to spend them babysitting and helping out a friend that¡¯s on you.¡± His ma reminded him with a touch of fondness. ¡°That said, you just let me know if you need a hand taking care of the tyke and I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s one kid, and I can handle twenty tried and tested.¡± (And that¡¯s while hiding a corrupted corpse from said kids.) ¡°Whatever he needs I¡¯ve got it taken care of.¡± Scene Consequences -Quest Complete: Muffin Man- Jon has made and delivered muffins to his neighbors as well as the cops at his mom¡¯s station, and may continue to do so as a cover for any oddly obtained money or to make something extra. --Jon now has a way of laundering his funds up to a point. --Jon can now bake and sell muffins for additional funds. 13 Suns 13 Suns --- Jon --- ¡°Alright kid, lesson time.¡± His ma told him as they took a seat on a city bench after one of their regular morning runs. ¡°What on?¡± He asked, knowing a number of ¡®mental¡¯ lessons his ma liked to teach him while they were cooling off during the slower parts of their mornings. ¡°Mm, how about a review.¡± His ma decided as she sipped on the coffee she¡¯d bought from a nearby bakery. ¡°Again, what on?¡± He repeated, taking a bite out of the muffin he¡¯d gotten from said bakery. (Meh, mine are better.) ¡°Sanctuary Combat Classes.¡± His ma glanced at him. ¡°What are they?¡± ¡°Sanctuary¡¯s system of identifying the methodology of a given target, by what kind of threat it represents in the field, as well as the best counter classes to take each one down and the combat classes that should avoid them in turn.¡± He summarized. His ma nodded before prodding, ¡°And the classes themselves are?¡± ¡°The offensive classes are: Bruiser, Scrapper, Blaster, and Marksman. With the first two representing melee, and the last two representing ranged.¡± He started. ¡°After that are the tactical classes of: Tactician, Infiltrator, Puppeteer, and Slaver. Though that last one is getting some traction to have its name changed by a couple of heroic masks given the connotations of the word.¡± ¡°Doubt it will be.¡± His ma admitted. ¡°The class is named that way to reduce victim blaming after one is taken down. If they changed it it¡¯d reduce hostility towards Slavers, but it might split that hostility with some of the victims.¡± ¡°Someone who¡¯s been enslaved is a victim, while someone who¡¯s been brainwashed might be a sleeper agent?¡± He figured with a bit of a grimace. ¡°Yep.¡± His ma confirmed before giving him a look out of the corner of her eye. ¡°And you¡¯ve still got one more set.¡± ¡°Right, the support classes: Medic, Overwatch, Guardian, and Scout.¡± He finished. ¡°Good.¡± His ma nodded. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about who¡¯s got an advantage against who.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Combat and Awareness. --Currently: Combat Lv. 5 (7/12) and Awareness Lv. 8 (5/18). --- Samantha Delacroix studied his Arcane ring with a bit of intent as she moved her hand through the air seeing an illusion that was apparently only visible to those touching the ring. ¡°Well, you¡¯re no expert, but at the very least you¡¯re good enough for me to sell the E-Rank merchandise to.¡± Samantha admitted in a dry tone. ¡°Maybe D-Rank if you¡¯re a good enough customer.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He smiled, knowing that the only reason she¡¯d had him jump through such hoops was because she was making sure he wouldn¡¯t hurt himself with some of her more dangerous materials. ¡°Sure, whatever.¡± Samantha shrugged before reaching under her counter for something. ¡°Anyway, you said you were looking for a contracting catalyst right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± He nodded. ¡°Then -unless you¡¯re looking for something specific- this is what you¡¯ll be wanting.¡± Samantha told him, placing what looked like the top half of a human skull on the counter. ¡°And that is?¡± He asked after a moment of silence. Samantha blinked. ¡°Huh, that usually freaks people out given the aesthetic.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He frowned. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s clearly fake. The color and lighting are all wrong for bone.¡± Rather than elaborating Samantha seemed to stare at him in that odd way more and more people seemed to be. (And I still don¡¯t get it!) ¡°Okay, just going to pretend there¡¯s a reasonable explanation for that.¡± Samantha commented for some reason just before shaking her head and explaining that, ¡°this is a Confidant Contracting Catalyst.¡± (Ooh, alliteration!) ¡°This extremely complicated piece of spell work, takes over a standard contracting circle and rewrites it to scan your magic and then summon a contract highly compatible with you and your magic.¡± Samantha continued with her sales pitch, before suddenly making a very annoyed expression. ¡°I will point out however that this is not some mystical soulmate-type bullshit, and that there are several possible creatures compatible with you. This is a business arrangement so don¡¯t go into this with some weird overattachment thing. If you make friends good for you, if not oh well.¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. He couldn¡¯t help but blink at that little tirade. ¡°Um, that seemed a little¡­ heated?¡± Samantha sighed before apologizing. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just every time I sell one of these things people try to pull some fate and destiny bullshit, and then come complaining to me about a refund because they don¡¯t get along with their summon or fuck it up on their end.¡± ¡°Sounds rough.¡± He was honestly kind of glad Miss Edna never left him to run the counter at her shop, despite how much time he spent there. ¡°Thanks.¡± The tired shop keep gave him a huff of amusement before letting out a tired sigh. ¡°Anyway, if you want it this¡¯ll run you about two hundred bucks.¡± He grimaced, hard. ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s pricey,¡± Samantha admitted with a touch of sympathy. ¡°But since I made you go through so many hoops I¡¯m actually offering it at dealer price.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing two hundred is dealer price.¡± He commented, already pulling the money out, even if it¡¯d set him back a bit on his self-imposed allowance. ¡°Usually runs for four.¡± Samantha nodded with a wry grin. ¡°Which given all of the licensing and receipt crap I have to go through on my end to sell one of these things, I feel is fair in most cases.¡± He couldn¡¯t argue with that, though could check that, ¡°this is guaranteed to work?¡± before handing over his money. ¡°Outside of that soulmate bullshit? Money back guaranteed.¡± Scene Consequences -Quest Complete: Prove Your Magic: Jon has passed Samantha Delacroix¡¯s test of his magic, getting her to agree to sell him her more mystical wares as well as giving him a discount on one of her more powerful products. --Gained: Confidant Contracting Catalyst- can be used to summon a high-compatibility summon. (1 Use.) (Note: Contracting Level does not influence available summons.) --Unlocked the Witch¡¯s Wares as a Store. Store/Funds Tutorial -Stores can be visited to buy items for 1AP, but during said visit you are allowed to buy multiple items as long as funds allow. (Voting purposes store sub-plan/vote will be treated as a blocked item.) -Jon has an amount of funds leftover from his time working for De Sade, but he has a set a limit of ($100 every 5th turn) on his spending to try and make it last a reasonable amount of time. That said, while he is not willing to dip deeper into his hidden funds, he is willing to use any money he picks up through normal means, such as his baking. --- While he was tempted to use the Confidant Catalyst he¡¯d gotten as soon as he could, he also realized that summoning some unknown creature likely related to the concept of Hunter while babysitting Kenneth was a probably a bad idea. So instead, while he kept Kenneth passively entertained at his side, he decided to take a crack at learning another concept. And given his current preference towards defensive magic and his hope of working out a way of making magic easier for Pix, he tried focusing on a way of using Defender to try and increase the magic of an area. And while he hadn¡¯t necessarily found the answer to that problem, (I think I might¡¯ve found a step in the right direction at the very least.) Fortify was a concept that seemed to be an empowerment sort of magic, the kind that when mixed with another concept -(something I still need to figure out)- could amplify or focus the effect of whatever concept it was bound to. Similarly, if used it just by itself he was fairly certain that the concept¡¯s effects would manifest in a way that would improve whatever he applied them to. Largely in a defensive way, but there might be a few exceptions. The downside to this empowerment however was the fact that Fortify, seemed to imply a certain stationary effect. What this meant was that while holding still whatever effect he used the concept for would be amplified, but in exchange should the target of the effect move then said effect would actually weaken to a point of being less effective than his other defensive concepts. ¡°Guess it¡¯s more of a tactical defense, huh Kenneth?¡± He asked the toddler laughing as Jon continued to lift and lower him a foot in the air with one hand. ¡°Uppsies!¡± The toddler giggled. ¡°You¡¯re right, I should look on the upside of things.¡± He nodded seriously. ¡°Even if it¡¯s not exactly what I¡¯m looking for, I think I¡¯m working in the right direction at the very least.¡± He just had to figure out what he was missing. Scene Consequences -Learned new Concept: [Fortify] --Added a tier below [Defender] -Gained 1XP to Occult --Currently: Lv. 5 (4/12) --- ¡°Kenneth wasn¡¯t too much of a problem was he?¡± ¡°No, he really is a sweet toddler.¡± He assured Ms. Valentine. ¡°We spent most of the time playing games or reading.¡± ¡°Yeah, he loves his stories.¡± Ms. Valentine smiled as she picked Kenneth up. (Especially when Pix gives a light show with them.) He mentally added with a nod. ¡°Still, everything go alright with your work?¡± ¡°Same old, same old.¡± The young mother told him. ¡°Though I should be off for the next couple of days, so you don¡¯t have to worry about watching Kenneth for a while.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± He frowned with some concern. ¡°I mean, this was technically my first time watching him regularly, so if you want I don¡¯t mind giving you a day off.¡± Ms. Valentine gave him another smile. ¡°I appreciate the thought but my days with my little man here are all the time off I need. Isn¡¯t that right sweetie?¡± Kenneth snuggled into his mother¡¯s side as she held him close. This time he was the one to smile. ¡°Alright, well you just be good for ma alright little one?¡± He told Kenneth, bending down just a bit as he addressed the toddler. Kenneth gave him a nod as if perfectly understanding him, getting a laugh out of Ms. Valentine as she admitted, ¡°He always is.¡± Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to the Valentines. -Gained 1XP to Childcare --Currently: Lv. 7 (4/16) 14 Suns 14 Suns --- Jon --- Most people would frown upon the idea of trying to stab and cut a member of their family with a particularly sharp knife. The Whitakers are not most people. ¡°I¡¯ll be, I think forms actually improved a bit over the summer.¡± His ma admitted with some surprise as she deflected a slash that would¡¯ve cut her throat otherwise. (Yeah, that tends to happen after the fifth or sixth fight to the death.) He thought with a wince. ¡°Like I was telling you, a friend of mine asked for a couple of lessons over the summer. I guess I picked up what not to do from watching her?¡± ¡°Possible.¡± His ma hedged, though from her tone of voice -and complementary strike- she was clearly skeptical to those who knew her. ¡°Well, there was a thing too¡­¡± He grimaced, figuring it was best to cover up his more dangerous activities with one of the lesser ones. ¡°What kind of thing?¡± His ma immediately pressed with a narrowed gaze. ¡°There was an incident at camp,¡± (or twenty) ¡°this¡­ crazy guy came onto the campgrounds threatening the kids, and I kind of, sort of, maybe, got into a fight with him.¡± He confessed to the one incident with the Corrupted that the police actually knew about. (Not that they know why they never found the guy¡­) His ma gave him a hard stare for a moment. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the kind of thing they send a notice to all the parents about?¡± ¡°They did.¡± He agreed with a bit of confusion, since he¡¯d spent a good portion of that week panicking over his ma finding out. ¡°And I honestly thought you knew about it, minus me chasing the guy off at least.¡± ¡°Figured Edna would¡¯ve called me over that kind of thing.¡± His ma grumbled. (Unless she was covering for me¡­) He thought, remembering the fact that she¡¯d been against his involvement with the Corrupted until the Quartermaster had talked her into it somehow. ¡°Maybe she meant to call you herself but with the police around and taking care of the kids she got sidetracked until she let it go? I mean, it was rough but not as bad as it could be,¡± (or would be.) ¡°Maybe¡­¡± His ma conceded, clearly unhappy with the idea before shaking her head and giving him a different -if a bit prouder- look. ¡°You said you ran this guy off?¡± ¡°Yeah, all your training came in handy.¡± He admitted more than thankful to have known how to handle him in all of the fights he¡¯d been in over the summer. ¡°Though I didn¡¯t feel right chasing him down when the kids were clearly scared over all of his shouting and rambling.¡± ¡°Probably the right call.¡± His ma agreed with a nod as she took another stance. ¡°Still, why don¡¯t tell me how you played hero, kid?¡± Scene Consequences -For training with Ma gained 1XP to Combat and Knives*. --Currently: Combat Lv. 5 (8/12) and Knives Lv. 3 (1/8) A/N: Just letting you know, I¡¯ve added Knives, Throwing, and Psych to the training rolls. --- His talk with his ma reminded him about how he was starting to get involved with the city¡¯s magical side -even if just the Witch¡¯s Wares- and how that side of things liked to keep itself hidden even if publicly known. Which is why he felt he should take a little time to actually look into the more occult side of the world. Something he hadn¡¯t seen the need to do back in Blackwell due to the fact that he was technically apprenticed to the two biggest magical players in the county. Well, that and the fact that he didn¡¯t really have much contact with magic users outside of the two and their more immediate circles, (whereas here I have no idea who I can run into.) His first enquiry into this subject brought him to the Arcane Association, an educational group that essentially represented magic to the country and had spread to some of its closer allies. This was something he¡¯d known beforehand but given his new perspective on the subject he decided to dive a little deeper than he had in passive hearing. Given the relatively transparent practices of the Arcane Association, it didn¡¯t take him too much effort to dig up an autobiography for the organization. The Association got its start in the mid-seventies as a game company producing tabletop RPGs. This was of course a cover developed by the organization¡¯s founders as a way to subtly send out early spell books by hiding them within the original game series aptly named ¡®the Arcane Arcanum¡¯. An effort that was largely viable due to placing a few enchantments on the books that would passively draw the attention of any Arcane born after the resurgence of magic. Once the Association had established itself as a powerful game company, they took things a step further by applying themselves as an educational organization at the urging of one of its founders, a person only listed as ¡®Memento¡¯ in the autobiography. An endeavor they accomplished by funneling the majority of their funds into creating a college that at the time was considered as something as a gimmick or tax dodge. Something that actually worked to the Association¡¯s advantage was through the use of full scholarships to Arcane students they functionally created ¡®magic school¡¯ hidden under the audacious name of ¡®the Arcane Academy¡¯. An operating system that they maintained as they opened several colleges both up to and well into the Rift Riots. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. With the public outing of Deviants as well as their eventual placement in society the Arcane Association began to spread out its hooks by offering its scholarships to people off all Deviancies and non, as it worked to create a place of acceptance, respect, and equality for all. From there the organization began to hit something of a draught in funds given the reluctance of non-scholarship students attending their schools. So instead they doubled down on their roots and unleashed a revamped version of their original game now including all Deviancies as well as builds for non-Deviants in the game Deviant¡¯s Masquerade. A brand that through a partnership with the newly forming Hero¡¯s Guild went on to generate a toy line, card game, books following their heroic exploits, and a number of best-selling video games. The funds from which were split between the guild, maintaining the Association¡¯s various academies¡¯ and their scholarships, investing further into its game and book industry, and somehow still finding money to divert to numerous public charities. (Whoever runs the organization¡¯s finances has to have ¡®Business¡¯ as one of their affinities.) It was the only way he could think of for someone to spread an educational organization¡¯s influence that far into the business sector. Despite how much information he¡¯d found on the Arcane Association and how it became so influential, it didn¡¯t really tell him much about the less official ¡®street¡¯ side of things, where he was more likely to be involved for the next couple of years. So, closing all of the tabs and reports he had on the Arcane association, he instead shifted his attention to the smaller town and city based magical groups. And while he was fully aware that the situation would vary a bit city to city on that front, the majority of what he managed to find wasn¡¯t exactly¡­ good. From what he could discover most magical communities since Deviants were outed were depicted as something resembling cults by the media, which given the actual activities of said cults wasn¡¯t too far off the bat. Given how magic was a teachable skill, and Arcane themselves had a natural and inherent talent for it that was beyond what most Practitioners could perform, some of the more charismatic Arcane had in fact set up cults here and there. (And not just the Arcane it looks like a handful of Psychics, Wonderlanders, and Deadmen all had the same idea.) Which given the fact that one could read minds, the other had their own pocket dimensions, and the last was literally the dead brought back to life¡­ it wasn¡¯t exactly an unexpected situation all things considered. Still, based on what he could find on these cults, most of them weren¡¯t the kind of things he wanted to get involved with given their tendencies to isolate members and steal their livelihood. On the opposite side of the coin were a number of -semi- secret societies, who while on the surface looked like cults, were focused more on gathering together as many magic users as they could and helping them in exchange for mutual discretion. In fact, these secret societies seemed to be less social movements and more carryovers from the seventies when magic started to reawaken without public knowledge, and the Rift Riots when you didn¡¯t want Asylum to know you were a Deviant. (I guess with how bad Asylum was, some people still want to keep under the radar even if Sanctuary is doing a better job at keeping the peace.) It was a sad fact, but an understandable one. Scene Consequences -For researching how magical society has developed and maintained itself gained 3XP to Occult. --Currently: Lv. 5 (7/12) --- Feeling a bit of a migraine coming on from all of his reading, he closed his laptop before pawing at his eyes in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure building behind them. As he sat there letting his mind cool off, Pix¡¯s colorful flitting around the garden drew his attention, as the little fairy did everything she could to spruce up and aid the development of the garden seedlings. Even if at a much more subdued rate than what she could pull off in the forest he¡¯d taken her to a few days prior. (I really should do something to help out with that.) Course decided he stood up and began pulling out his enchanting supplies as well as one of the books Miss Edna had given him. Admittedly even after drawing the basics of his enchanting circuit, it still took him a fair bit to find the specific section he was looking for. Namely the section where Miss Edna -knowing about Pix- had left a detailed description on how to work with another magic user to borrow their mystical affinities. Something that made a lot more sense now that he¡¯d picked up Contracting. Though between Miss Edna¡¯s notes and what little he knew about Contracting magic, he was on the fence about whether he it¡¯d be better to have Pix assist in using the circuit physically or to try and run it through their Contract indirectly. (Might as well make use of our Contract.) With that decided he moved the plants and soil from their containers into a more temporary holding, before taking the garden pots over to the enchanting circle and waving Pix over. ¡°Okay, Pix we¡¯re going to try something a little different today.¡± The little fairy gave him a curious tilt of her head as he began finishing out the last few symbols to this particular spell circuit. ¡°Well, what this should do is accelerate the growth rate of our little garden here.¡± He explained, before listening to her as she trilled out a response. ¡°I don¡¯t have a plant affinity, but you do.¡± Pix blinked before pointing at herself and the circuit as he set one of the pots into the circuit. ¡°Yep, you are going to be enchanting today.¡± He nodded drawing a line between the main circuit and a smaller circle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already got everything set up. All you¡¯ve got to do is feed your Nature affinity into this smaller circle, and I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± Trusting him the little fairy flew over to the little circle and began to feed her magic into the circle. Unable to keep from smiling at the sentiment he put his hands near the circle and began feeding his own magic into it as well, sending a familiar sparking light dancing through the circuit and into the pots he¡¯d set up. Though, he couldn¡¯t help but frown as the light died down, because while the enchantment had settled the way he wanted it to, the sheer amount of Nature magic he could feel it wasting during the process was something he¡¯d need to fix the next time he did one of these joint enchantments. ¡°Just something I¡¯m going to have to work on then.¡± He decided, before letting his eyes drift to the remaining pots. ¡°Then again, this might make it easier to enchant the lot of them at once¡­¡± (After all, there¡¯s always something to learn, even in failure.) -Garden Pots gained Enchantment: Nature¡¯s Aid (E Rank): Plant¡¯s grown in this container grow a little faster and have slightly bigger harvests. --This enchantment cost 2 MP. (From Jon, regardless of the scene choice.) -Gained 1XP to Enchanting. --Currently: Lv. 4 (3/10) -Pix¡¯s Magical Assistant Skill has leveled up. 15 Suns 15 Suns --- Jon --- While urban tag and hide and seek were staple games of their little family, that didn¡¯t mean his ma didn¡¯t occasionally feel the need to try and mix things up by throwing in some element outside of the norm. In this case his ma had decided to shake things up by giving their game of tag a bit of¡­ range. Which is why he found himself hiding behind a tree half crouched into the foliage as he listened for even the slightest of sounds in the forest around him, three rubber balls ready to throw in each hand. There was a rustling to his left, and he dove out from behind the tree, throwing one of his balls and scaring a rabbit out of a shrub. (Oh, sorry Mr. Rabbit!) A rubber ball hit him in the side, and he returned two as he dove past the now rabbit-less bush. ¡°One hit, kid!¡± His ma called out. ¡°Same.¡± He called back as he picked up palmed the ball his ma had thrown at him, knowing she¡¯d likely grab both of his before engaging in their next little trade off. (Giving me just enough time to circle around.) And of course, knowing he¡¯d believed that¡¯s what she¡¯d do, his ma had instead abandoned the ammunition in favor of setting up an ambush in one of the nearby trees. Scene Consequences -By playing ranged tag with Ma gained 1XP to Stealth and Throwing. --Currently: Stealth Lv. 6 (4/14) and Throwing Lv. 3 (1/8) --- Once more he asked the librarian for books about relationships, and once more he was left wondering how the material he was reading had anything to do with relationships. Admittedly, the protagonist did have a fair number of friends she got along with, as well as a couple of family members she was close with as they dealt with a death in the family. His problem however was the fact that (she¡¯s dating someone old enough to be her triple great grandfather?!) There¡¯d been hints that the boy wasn¡¯t human, and he¡¯d begun to think this was some kind of slow burn horror story where the friends work together to save the girl from the villain. But then she found out he wasn¡¯t human, but instead an immortal more than thrice her age and rather than realizing she needed to get away from the monster she fell more in love with him! (Why? Just, why?!) (Even if you ignore the fact that he was a maneater, -which hey, Malcontent and Deadmen are still people, so I can sort of see it- It doesn¡¯t change the fact that no matter how old the man physically looks; he¡¯s still an adult, more than old enough to be her father, who still chose to pursue her and lied about his age to do so! How do they not see anything wrong with this?!) (I mean it¡¯d be one thing if an adult chose to date someone older than them if the person in question was upfront about their age, but the fact that this guy lied about his age to date a teenager?) He shook his head in disgust. (That is when you intervene.) After taking a moment to cool down, he realized something. (Do all cautionary tales have the girl die at the end? Because that¡¯s becoming a very disturbing trend.) Scene Consequences Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. -For being made aware of more manipulative people, Jon has gained 1XP to Awareness. --Currently: Lv. 8 (6/18) --- As much as he wished to just give his baked goods away, he also knew that he needed to bring in a bit of income if he wanted to properly cover up the money he¡¯d earned from De Sade. Which is how he found himself spending the majority of his afternoon in the apartment lobby, next to a table full of baked goods for anyone who wanted to buy them. A task that -until he was doing it- he hadn¡¯t realized would require him to sit still with idle hands for a very prolonged period of time. (If this is what retail is like, no wonder everyone hates it.) He couldn¡¯t help but think with a touch of bitterness. He withdrew a notebook and a pen from his backpack before working on something significantly more understandable and straightforward than the minds of his fellow teens. When someone thought of Script Craft they probably thought of some vague magic circle and the end effect of whatever magic went into that circle. Very few people thought about the harder and significantly more monotonous portion of said skill. And that is the ability to draw overlapping geometric shapes without messing up the lines. While working with Miss Edna and picking up the basics of enchanting, he¡¯d learned how to draw circles on paper relatively easily. (You just anchor your hand to a point on the paper and spin the page.) What he was trying to accomplish was a way of drawing those same circles without spinning whatever medium he was drawing on. (Something I won¡¯t always be able to do.) Unfortunately, drawing circles without an aid was proving to be more difficult than he thought, given the fact that more of his circles turned out to be mere ellipses rather than actually magically viable circles. Luckily however, while he hated having nothing to do, he actually quite enjoyed simple and repetitive tasks, especially the ones that he could steadily improve upon as he did them. (Oh, I can¡¯t wait to graduate to drawing squares!) Scene Consequences -Gained 2XP to Script Craft --Currently: Lv. 3 (3/8) --- (Twenty-four dollars¡­ not the greatest, but not the best either.) Which honestly didn¡¯t matter given how he wasn¡¯t really doing this for the money, so much as for the cover of having an income. (Either way that leaves me with a fair number of leftovers.) He reminded himself, knowing that unless he sold all of this in the next day or two, they¡¯d start to go bad. (Then again, I don¡¯t actually need to sell them do I?) Idea forming, he packed up his things and took his remaining baked goods down to a corner store down the street from his apartments. (Now where are you¡­) His eyes jumped to a couple of older men sitting in the alley the store liked to throw its things out in. ¡°Um, excuse me?¡± He called once he was a bit closer. One of the men -the one he knew was a vet on the down thanks to his ma- jumped as he got closer. ¡°L-look kid, we¡¯re not looking for any trouble.¡± The man (kindly) warned him. (Though that does make me wonder how many teens are giving these guys problems.) He couldn¡¯t help but consider with some concern. (Then again with all the gangs in this neighborhood even one is too many.) ¡°Neither am I.¡± He assured the vet. ¡°It¡¯s just, I was doing this bake sell earlier.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have any money.¡± The other homeless man told him. ¡°Oh, my sell is already over. It¡¯s just if I don¡¯t get rid of these then they¡¯ll all go bad in a day or two.¡± He tried to explain. ¡°So, I figured, I always see you guys around and well¡­¡± He held the basket out to the two homeless men, though neither of them made any move to take it from him instead watching him with some caution, (which it¡¯s a shame that life ¡®s beaten them down that much.) Seeing that they wouldn¡¯t accept it in hand, he instead set the baked goods down at the mouth of the alley way before leaving so they wouldn¡¯t feel pressured to take it. And if he couldn¡¯t fight the smile that made its way to his face when he caught sight of the two taking the basket in a nearby window reflection, well there was nothing wrong with that. Scene Consequences -Sold (3D6 (3+4+5) * 2 = $24) worth of baked goods. 16 Suns 16 Suns --- Jon --- ¡°Surprised you¡¯re keeping up so well.¡± His ma told him, once more reminding him of the fact that he was significantly better at fighting now than before his latest Summer in Blackwell. ¡°It¡¯s not that hard.¡± He admitted, trying to buy time as he came up with an actual excuse. ¡°I mean-¡± He deflected a knife strike by pushing her forearm away with his own, before using the opportunity to get in a quick hit with his own dulled blade and fleeing before his ma could retaliate. ¡°-once you get used to dropping one thing and running to another, this becomes really easy.¡± He explained, rushing a few meters deeper into the forest before dashing in for another clash. ¡°If you think this is impressive you try running between thirty kids stuck inside with hot glue guns and paint.¡± Rather than sprinting ahead, his ma seemed to pause to consider what he¡¯d said, before nodding. ¡°Sound¡¯s legit. I got a lot of multitasking practice when you were little.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t that bad was I?¡± He asked with a touch of worry. ¡°No, you were a sweet kid.¡± His ma assured him with an amused grin. ¡°Doesn¡¯t change the fact that you were also a very curious child. You have no idea how many times I had to pull you out of someplace you weren¡¯t supposed to be.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± He admitted with a frown. ¡°Worst part?¡± His ma smiled. ¡°I¡¯d childproofed the entire house and you somehow figured out how to get around all of it on your own.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°Yep, you¡¯ve always been a clever kid.¡± His ma nodded. ¡°Though you¡¯re slowing down a bit, since you¡¯ve dropped your guard.¡± ¡°Wha-Ah?!¡± He dodged the knife his ma threw at him. ¡°Hey, family bonding is neutral time!¡± ¡°Fighting time is family bonding time.¡± His ma reminded him. Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Knives and Mobility --Currently: Knives Lv. 3 (2/8) and Mobility Lv. 5 (11/12) --- (Well, I can¡¯t say this one isn¡¯t about relationships.) He was forced to admit as he continued through the book. (Too bad it¡¯s all so¡­ complicated¡­) The latest book the librarian had given him in his attempts to study relationships did not follow a protagonist with a lack of survival instincts, but instead a group of friends. Unfortunately, this group of friends had an extremely complicated series of tangles that he could not decipher to save his life. (It¡¯s so bad I can¡¯t even remember their names half of the time!) Shaking his head, he pulled out a piece of paper and started drawing out connections between people, because given what he was reading he was honestly a little scared of mixing up anyone¡¯s names. (Alright so if I¡¯ve got this right¡­ this girl is dating this guy, but in love with this guy, who is dating this girl, who happens to be guy A¡¯s sister and friends with another girl who is in love with girl A but is pretending to date this other guy because he hasn¡¯t come out yet, but that guy is in love with guy B and is girl A¡¯s cousin?) Or that¡¯s what he could decipher anyway. (What¡¯s worse is that that is all before you bring in the adults in their lives.) Because I¡¯m pretty sure there was something about guy C and guy A -or was that guy B and guy A? (really hope it wasn¡¯t guy C and B¡­)- having the same father because their father dated the mothers of half of the group before all of this. Groaning in actual pain, he crumpled the page up before throwing it into a nearby bin on the other side of the library, getting an applause from one of the nearby students for some reason. (Okay, I get that relationships are complicated. I get people can have all sorts of relationships between each other. I get that two people can be related without involving a third. All of that¡¯s just fine and dandy.) What he wanted to know though, was (why does it need to be so complicated a hundred pages into the first book?!) He felt he could ¨C(maybe)- decipher all of this if it¡¯d been spread out across three or four books with revelations about everyone¡¯s connections slowly coming to light. But the fact that they wanted to cram such a complicated dodecahedron of relationships into a single book? This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. (Haven¡¯t these people heard of pacing?!) Scene Consequences -Jon has taken a small amount of mental damage. -Gained 1XP to Psych Warfare for experiencing something that can count as such. --- ¡°Alright, so everything looks like the diagram in both books.¡± He told Pix, once more going over the complicated Spell Circuit that took up the majority of his room¡¯s floor space. One that would summon a magical creature from some random place in the multiverse based on what variables were filled into the blank spots around the circle¡¯s edges. Luckily, while he may not have known what variables to fill into those blanks he did however still have the Confidant Catalyst he¡¯d bought from the Witch¡¯s Wares a few days prior. ¡°Okay, so let¡¯s see here¡­¡± He opened the little hand drawn instructions Miss Delacroix had given him to (¡®make sure you don¡¯t fuck up and summon an eldritch horror to eat your soul¡¯) as she¡¯d put it. (Which was really nice of her, since I¡¯d really rather not deal with another one of those.) He admitted to himself as he re-read the instructions. ¡°To activate the Confidant Catalyst, draw a standard contracting circle with variables left blank.¡± She¡¯d underlined those last two words, and he felt the need to eye his circuit once more before nodding. ¡°Check. Next apply blood of the caster to the catalyst, to designate the contractor through genetic and magical imprint.¡± He handed the paper to Pix, as he pulled out his knife before pricking one of his fingers and waiting for a decent amount of blood to build up. Once it had, he smeared the blood between the fake skull¡¯s eyes before taking the instructions back from Pix, who refused to hand it over until he let her heal his finger. ¡°Alright, and lastly set the catalyst in the center of the circle before flowing magic into the circuit and wait for the re-write to finish in five to ten minutes depending on magical capacity and local variables. Do not interfere with the process after it has begun.¡± That last line was again underlined. ¡°Easy enough.¡± He nodded as he set the fake skull in the center of the circle. As he fed magic into the circle familiar sparks began to fly through the air, a sight that while incredible, he had seen enough to not give him pause. What did catch his attention however was the fact that he could see the circle changing minutely with each pass of electricity over its surface. (Huh, cool.) ¡°Just got to wait a few minutes for this to-¡± The doorbell rang. ¡°finish?¡± He glanced at the door to his room before glancing at the still active circle, remembering Miss Delacroix¡¯s final instruction on the catalyst. (Maybe I should just-) The bell rang again. (deal with that¡­) ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He told Pix before making his way to the front door, closing his own behind him. He opened the front door right as the bell was ringing for the third time and found Miss Valentine outside with Kenneth pressing the bell. ¡°See told you he¡¯d come if you rang it.¡± Miss Valentine cooed at the toddler. (Oh, oh no.) He realized what Miss Valentine wanted immediately. ¡°You want me to watch Kenneth for you?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know I forgot to give you my schedule at work, but I¡¯ve got shifts for the next few days.¡± Miss Valentine explained, not catching the hint of panic to his tone. ¡°You¡¯re still good to watch Kenneth right?¡± His eyes darted toward his room where he could clearly see a lightshow from beneath the door¡¯s frame. (No, I¡¯m not.) He wouldn¡¯t have attempted his summoning if he¡¯d known he was babysitting, what¡¯s more he couldn¡¯t just kill the ritual because the last line of Miss Delacroix¡¯s instructions and comments insinuated that that would be a very bad idea. (No, wait. The Catalyst just re-writes the circle to summon something specifically tuned to me. I don¡¯t actually have to activate it do I?) He wasn¡¯t completely sure, but he very much doubted he¡¯d given the spell enough power for both whatever it was doing now, and the actual summon given how much magic summoning Pix cost him. (Yeah, that¡¯s right. I can just take care of the actual summoning after she picks Kenneth up, or hide the circle from ma until I get a chance to use it.) Course set, he gave Miss Valentine a smile as he took Kenneth from her, placing the toddler on his hip. ¡°It¡¯s no problem, I just had something cooking when you rang.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Miss Valentine smiled back, his moment of silence apparently worrying her. ¡°Mm-hmm. I just got to get back before anything burns.¡± He assured her, before turning to Kenneth. ¡°You going to tell Momma goodbye?¡± Miss Valentine chuckled before leaning in and kissing Kenneth¡¯s forehead. ¡°Okay, sweetie you be good for Jon alright? And Momma loves you very much.¡± Kenneth kiss Miss Valentines cheek before the older woman left, leaving the two of them alone. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve got this.¡± He told himself as much as Kenneth. ¡°I¡¯ve faced worse problems at Camp Bet then a mistimed spell. Nothing I can¡¯t handle.¡± The door to his room burst open as Pix came flying out with a panicked series of trilling sounds. (Dang it.) ¡°Brutus.¡± He barked, getting the old dog to jump to attention as he set a confused Kenneth in front of him. ¡°Protect.¡± The old military dog gave him a bark of confirmation, before licking at the toddler¡¯s face, earning a giggle despite from the child unaware of the situation. ¡°Pix with me.¡± He ordered, as he made his way back to his room where a number of erratic lights were pouring out. As he caught sight of the re-written spell circuit he felt a sudden tug on the magic in stored in his amulet. Something that caused a snarl to work its way up his throat. ¡°Oh, of course the catalyst is designed to take payment for its sequel spell! Can¡¯t have anyone recreating the Confidant Circle themselves!¡± Shaking his head, he took a step into his room, and felt his vision immediately begin to swim as the circle¡¯s light grew ever brighter, until something snapped, and the light erupted sending a wave of magic rippling through his own. And even blinded by the light he could still, see, hear, (no) feel the vision that tore through his mind as a wolf¡¯s howl called out to the Moon, the Hunt beginning with each new beast of the pack taking its fill. First Summoning First Summoning --- Jon --- As he blinked away the pain in his (soul/)eyes he felt something inside of him shift ever so slightly. It wasn¡¯t so much that anything was added or removed, so much as some part of him had become restless without his input. (And honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for my time with the Man in the Mask I might not have even noticed it.) (¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±) A chill ran down his spine as he was forced to whirl around to the empty hall. ¡°It¡¯s just in your head¡­¡± He lied to himself, pretending he couldn¡¯t hear the laughter in the back of his mind. A growling sound drew his attention back to his room, or rather the newcomer to his room. Standing in the center of the spell circuit where the Confidant Catalyst had been was what appeared to be a grey wolf. The glowing eyes, knife holster, and sparking blue lines wrapped around its front legs all warned him that he wasn¡¯t dealing with a normal wolf. (As long as it¡¯s not a Mad Wolf I can deal with it.) He told himself, as he fought down his instinct to put the animal down like he had so many others over the summer. (No, Delacroix assured me, that while it might not be happy, whatever I summoned wouldn¡¯t outright try to kill me.) Nodding to himself he raised his hands in a placating gesture while saying in as calm a voice as he could manage, ¡°It¡¯s alright I¡¯m not going to hurt you, this was just¡­ just a bit of a mishap.¡± Under normal circumstances he knew the wolf wouldn¡¯t be able to understand him. That said, he¡¯d long since learned magic tended to make animals significantly smarter, and the wolf in front of him was clearly magical. Something that was then further enhanced by the fact that said magical wolf was standing inside of a spell circuit designed to allow a human to barter with any entity that may find itself within. Which is why he was only mildly surprised when the wolf did in fact quit growling and instead watched him with what he could see as clear suspicion despite the species barrier. ¡°Okay, good. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure that part of the spell would work.¡± He admitted, earning a curious tilt of the head from the wolf. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t suppose you know what¡¯s happening here?¡± The wolf shook its head. ¡°Right, okay¡­¡± He considered the best way to explain this. ¡°Do you know about magic?¡± The wolf gave him a look before gesturing to the sparks along its arm. ¡°Right, stupid question.¡± He agreed, glad that Pix seemed to have disappeared with that burst of light. (Wait, no. That¡¯s actually a very bad thing. Where did she disappear to?) He glanced around the room, not allowing himself to take his attention completely off of the wolf in front of him given how many had tried to tear his throat out over the last few months. (No. One thing at a time. I¡¯ll find Pix just as soon as this contracting thing is taken care of. Actually, there¡¯s an idea¡­) ¡°So, the spell I used, it¡¯s supposed to allow you to summon allies to assist you.¡± Deciding to demonstrate, he pushed magic into the mark on his chest, before feeling a notable (and painful) drop in his magic as Pix appeared in a burst of light blinking around in confusion. Taking advantage of the wolf¡¯s surprise and Pix¡¯s disorientation, he checked the flow of magic pouring out of his amulet and noted the way there seemed to be two threads of magic. A stable one connecting him to Pix, and another more unstable one connecting him to¡­ more than the wolf, though there was a connection between the circle and wolf as well. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. (Alright, something is happening there, and I¡¯m going to need to figure that out¡­) The wolf barked and he was surprised to find that he understood it, at least partially. (I guess the spell circuit really does work both ways.) ¡°Right, sorry, um, yes and no.¡± He answered as the wolf seemed to glance back and forth between him and Pix. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t intend to summon you specifically, but instead I used a catalyst to summon something I¡¯d be¡­ compatible with?¡± The wolf gave him another look before barking a couple of times as Pix curiously circled the wolf while maintaining a healthy distance. ¡°I was specifically told that this does not make us soulmates.¡± Pix¡¯s attention snapped to him, while by contrast the wolf seemed to relax a little as it sat on the floor, before asking another question. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not actually sure?¡± He admitted with a frown. ¡°I just know how it was advertised and that it summoned you. Maybe it has something to do with our affinities?¡± (That¡¯s another thing worth looking into.) ¡°Either way, you were summoned and if you¡¯re okay with it, I¡¯d like to summon you again at some point.¡± The wolf seemed to give him a dry look before kicking one of its hind legs back, earning a few sparks as a barrier momentarily revealed itself as bordering the spell circle and trapping the wolf. ¡°I think that¡¯s in case I summoned an eldritch soul eating horror of some kind.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Admittedly I do try to trap those ones when I can rather than taking them in an actual knife fight.¡± The wolf blinked as if taken aback by something as it began to emit a keening sound. He glanced at Pix who was giving him an even dryer look than the one the wolf had been giving him just a moment before. ¡°What?¡± Pix made several gestures as she tweeted out a response. ¡°Oh, yeah that would be concerning wouldn¡¯t it.¡± It was odd to consider the fact that he¡¯d grown numb to just how horrific the Corrupted¡¯s existence was but supposed after dealing with them and being shoved face first into (the rotting corpse stared up at him as the vile black waters continued to soak into it, slowly sealing the space where a knife -his knife- had torn through its throat. And as he pushed himself back to his feet, his eyes drifted to the dozens of other objects floating in the water, he began to realize why the Quartermaster had always been so adamant about burning the bodies of the Corrupted. A revelation that made him recall the little spark of life that always seemed to flare and die out in their eyes whenever he had to kill one. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to die¡­¡± He whispered to those decades dead. A hand wrapped around his leg, and his eyes shot down to) Kenneth. He blinked away the nightmares of the past, as the innocent toddler stared up at him curiously. ¡°Hey, little one.¡± He smiled in that way that was half hiding his true feelings and half embracing the reason he did so many terrible things to both himself and others. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Whaz wong?¡± Kenneth repeated in toddler speak. ¡°Absolutely nothing, now that you¡¯re here.¡± He assured the little one. Pix landed on his shoulder and began hugging him for some reason. (Not that you need a reason to give out hugs.) He heard a whining sound and turned to the wolf watching him with a concerned gaze. (That¡¯s nice of them, though I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re worried about me¡­) ¡°Oh, wait¡­¡± He walked up to the circle and crouched in front of the wolf. ¡°Um, sorry but I sort of lost my train of thought there.¡± He admitted rubbing at the back of his neck. ¡°But, uh, the basic idea is that if you don¡¯t mind working with me we can make a contract and I can keep summoning you to help me out. Or if you¡¯d prefer I can send you home, though uh¡­ Give me a second, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He left the room and made his way to the kitchen before grabbing something and taking it back to the wolf. ¡°Though you can have this as an apology.¡± He told the wolf, as he offered it a blueberry muffin, his hand slipping through the barrier as if it wasn¡¯t even there. ¡°Oh, and I know that sugar ¡®s supposed to be bad for canines, but I made these special for the man with diabetes on the third floor, so you should be okay eating them.¡± The wolf stared at the muffin for a moment before looking up at him with an odd expression. (Oh, no, is the muffin not enough of an apology?) He began to fret. The wolf moved forward before gently eating the muffin out of his hand and licking the crumbs off of it. Once it was finished the wolf gave him another look before placing its paw in his hand and shaking. He smiled wrapping his fingers around the wolf¡¯s paw, as electricity began to dance between their hands and the cool warmth of his magic began to brush against the wolf¡¯s own wild and windswept magic. A mystical connection formed between them that they could both feel binding them together forevermore as a feel-good burn began to spread across his back. ¡°You¡¯ve got my back and I¡¯ve got yours.¡± He promised, hugging the wolf close. ¡°So, welcome to our little pack.¡± 17 Suns 17 Suns --- Jon --- ¡°Everything okay?¡± He asked as his ma moved around the apartment fully dressed for work rather than their usually training. ¡°Yeah, no, I got called into work early today.¡± His ma told him, as he put together a quick to-go breakfast. ¡°Since we¡¯ve only got two weeks left until the next quarter they¡¯re holding a meeting or some crap to make sure we all start wrapping up our paperwork for this one. Normally I¡¯d skip it but they¡¯re saying it¡¯s mandatory since I haven¡¯t been here a whole year.¡± ¡°That sucks.¡± He nodded, pouring his ma a cup of coffee. ¡°You¡¯re usually pretty on top of everything, so you¡¯d think they¡¯d let that kind of thing slide.¡± ¡°You¡¯d think.¡± His ma agreed, downing half of her coffee the moment she got it. ¡°Then again, I think they also want people to start prepping for October early. Since this is a high Deviant town, and the Halloween season tends to draw out the worst in people, they may be expecting a rougher time than most.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t that still like two, three weeks away?¡± He frowned, sealing his ma¡¯s breakfast container. ¡°The police didn¡¯t start prepping until the season had actually started back in the country.¡± ¡°Well, like I said it¡¯s a high Deviant town.¡± His ma shrugged. ¡°This city has an estimated two thousand Deviants, so there¡¯s no telling what kind of trouble everyone¡¯s used to dealing with when they all cut loose on top of the usual crime.¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± It still sounded like overkill to him, especially with a Sanctuary base in town, but he also wasn¡¯t used to living in a place with more than twenty suspected Deviants, let alone two thousand. (Then again Blackwell had a magic forest, eldritch god, zombie infestation, and about a dozen tears in reality to deal with¡­ Eh, I doubt it¡¯ll be as bad as they¡¯re making it out to be.) ¡°Either way,¡± His ma continued, breaking him out of his thoughts. ¡°You going to be okay by yourself for the day?¡± ¡°What?¡± He blinked before shaking his head. ¡°Oh, yeah. It¡¯s the weekend so I¡¯ll probably just run a few errands for the house or something after getting in my morning workout.¡± ¡°Alright, well just call if you need anything.¡± His ma told him as she started making her way to the door. ¡°Same for you.¡± He called back. ¡°Love you.¡± ¡°Love you too, kid.¡± His ma waved from the door, before leaving him to his own devices for the day. (Hmm, actually if I¡¯ve got morning training to myself¡­) --- ¡°This looks like the spot.¡± He nodded, pretty sure that this was the forest clearing he¡¯d let Pix play around the week prior. Said fairy looked around before nodding with an affirmative trill. Cracking his neck, he took his amulet in hand before focusing magic into the mark on his back of a wolf howling into the sky. The familiar cool warmth pooled into the mark, before climbing up his back and making its way down his arm, a rippling black visibly pulling the Contractor¡¯s mark to his hand. Once the mark reached its destination he threw his hand forward, causing a burst of light to shoot out of his hand before coalescing into a wolf he was slowly growing familiar with. Wolf hit the ground at a mild jog before coming to a stop as she looked around the clearing. Eventually the Wolf turned to him with a curious tilt of her head. ¡°Hey, Wolf.¡± He greeted, petting her as she walked up to him. Wolf pressed her head against his hand in her own greeting, before giving him another curious look. ¡°Right, well, I figure if we¡¯re going to be working together, we should probably know what we¡¯re all capable of.¡± He explained his reason for summoning her. Wolf watched him for a moment before tilting her head. ¡°Mm, for example I mostly use Script Craft and Potions as far as magic goes.¡± He offered, ¡°One of those things is enchanting magic effects into objects such as this.¡± He pulled his knife out and threw it towards a tree. Once the knife was a fair distance away he flexed his hand and triggered the enchantment causing the knife to slowly come to a halt in midair before reversing course and returning to his hand. When he turned his attention back to Wolf he found her staring at him with what was clearly a look of amazement despite her canine features. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nothing compared to Pix.¡± He assured Wolf as the little fairy began to preen as she hovered in place. ¡°She can fly, make plants grow, mend things, heal people, and cause simple illusions.¡± Wolf¡¯s amazed expression steadily grew alongside Pix¡¯s ego, as he listed everything the little fairy could do with magic. ¡°How about you Wolf?¡± He asked, shifting attention towards his newest (packmate.) ¡°I can already tell your magic thanks to your markings and everything, but I don¡¯t actually know what you can do.¡± His canine companion seemed to consider this for a moment before taking a stance of sorts and lowering her head as she took on a tense expression. Magic began to visibly gather around Wolf as the wind began to swirl all around her, slowly gathering into a small cyclone before- Wolf blurred out of existence before suddenly appearing on the other side of the clearing. From there she blurred once more as she began to dash all around the clearing in a flurry of movements before coming to a stop in front of him. ¡°Huh, that was¡­ Acceleration?¡± He guessed, as his eyes spotted the faint cuts through the dirt marking Wolf¡¯s zigzagging path through the clearing. Wolf nodded proudly before seemingly thinking about something and nodding once more as she resumed her previous stance. Only this time instead of blurring out of existence Wolf howled into the air causing her gathered magic to sprint away from her before coalescing into a pale wolf-like figure. He watched the figure for a moment, noting the way it seemed significantly less animate than Wolf herself, barely moving as it stood still before shattering into particles of light. ¡°Hmm, so you can make clones?¡± He asked, watching the particles of magic fade into nothingness. Wolf tilted her head to one side and then the other in a wolfish sort of ¡®so-so¡¯ gesture. ¡°So, it¡¯s something you¡¯re working on?¡± He translated, earning a nod from his canine companion. (Makes sense I guess. Even here where magic is common and dissected by scientists and users alike, cloning spells are few and far between from what I know.) Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°If you want, I can try looking into that if you want?¡± He offered after a moment. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not sure how well it¡¯ll translate from a human to a wolf, but maybe it¡¯ll be able to help you with whatever you¡¯re trying to do.¡± Wolf gave an appreciative whine as she brushed against his legs. They continued on like that for the remainder of the morning, sharing what all three members of their little (pack) were capable of, at least until Wolf let him know she had to return to wherever she was summoned from. (I should really look into that¡­) ¡°Alright, well stay safe okay?¡± He told her as he reached for the connection between their magic systems. Wolf nodded before gently headbutting his leg as if to say, ¡®you too¡¯. He couldn¡¯t help but smile as Wolf faded into light as she was returned back to her home. As the light faded he turned his attention to his other Contract, a little fairy who had fallen asleep on his backpack shortly prior. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to get going.¡± He told Pix, as he gently picked her up and set her into the larger pocket of his backpack, where he folded a spare shirt he carried around into a makeshift bed for the little fairy. Once Pix was settled in, he checked the time as he started making his way out of the clearing. ¡°Hm, should have just enough time to swing by the Witch¡¯s Wares before I need to watch Kenneth.¡± Scene Consequences -Wolf¡¯s basic Skills and Abilities have been learned. (Though she may have kept a few to herself just in case.) -Grown a bit closer to Wolf. --- ¡°Out of curiosity, how much experience do you have with concepts outside your affinity?¡± Samantha asked upon seeing the book he wanted to purchase. ¡°I know Heat, and a couple of its derivatives.¡± He admitted, seeing no reason not to. ¡°So only the basics of the basics?¡± The older magic user confirmed. ¡°Because learning concepts you don¡¯t have an affinity for can be a bitch and a half kid.¡± ¡°One of my mentors made sure I knew how to work out concepts for myself, even if he didn¡¯t actually teach me any.¡± He explained, figuring this was another one of those tests where Samantha might be trying to limit him to things he wouldn¡¯t hurt himself with. (Which is nice of her.) Samantha frowned at that. ¡°Mm, the few people I¡¯ve seen teach magic usually try to teach you two or three different concepts when they¡¯re teaching that stuff. Just to make sure you can actually do it.¡± ¡°Yeah, that mentor in particular was very big into the sink or swim style of teaching.¡± (Literally.) ¡°You know that style can leave a lot of holes in your knowledge, right?¡± Ms. Delacroix scowled. ¡°What¡¯s more that¡¯s usually a sign your teacher is half-assing it, because they can¡¯t be bothered to do the job right.¡± ¡°Oh, that wasn¡¯t a problem with De Sade. He hates the idea of not doing a job right the first time.¡± He defended, knowing full well that any holes in De Sade¡¯s teaching style had been more a result of the fact that the older man had had only a week¡¯s worth of time spread across a month to fit as much as possible into Jon¡¯s thick skull than anything else. The high difficulty and even higher chance of failure was more because if he failed than he wasn¡¯t worth De Sade¡¯s time as far as the veritable dark lord was concerned. ¡°Still, I don¡¯t need you getting yourself killed with my products because some asshole taught you wrong.¡± Ms. Delacroix warned him. He opened his mouth to respond, before pausing as his phone began to ring in his pocket. ¡°Uh, sorry.¡± He apologized, taking the phone out of his pocket as Ms. Delacroix waved him off. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hey, Jon,¡± Ms. Valentine¡¯s voice rang out from the other end. ¡°Um, sorry to call if you¡¯re busy with something but I, uh, I kind of need to know how much longer it¡¯ll be before you can pick up Kenneth?¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m just wrapping up the last of my errands. So, I should be back at the apartment in¡­ the next hour or so.¡± He explained, accepting the book from Delacroix. ¡°Alright, um, sorry to rush you, but something¡¯s kind of come up and¡­ do you think you can get here any faster?¡± Ms. Valentine asked, her voice clearly strained. ¡°Um, sure, I can probably knock it down to, in the next half-hour if I hurry,¡± (and run instead of taking the bus.) ¡°Thank you Jon.¡± Ms. Valentine sighed; relief clear in her voice. ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± He assured her. ¡°I¡¯ll see you here in a minute.¡± ¡°Alright and thank you again.¡± Ms. Valentine told him before hanging up. ¡°Um, sorry but I¡¯ve got to run.¡± He told Ms. Delacroix as he made his way towards the exit, sliding the book into his bag next to a sleeping Pix. ¡°You already paid so it¡¯s not an issue with me.¡± The store owner shrugged as she turned her attention back to the book she¡¯d been reading before he¡¯d shown up. Scene Consequences -Purchased ¡®Arcane Affinities for an Arcane Apprentice¡¯ --Can be used to learn the General Concepts: Magic, Fire, Ice, Wind, Stone, Electricity, Light, and Shadows. (Note: These may take longer to learn than Concepts Jon has a true affinity for.) --At Occult Lv. 10 can be used to learn ??? Perk if not already known. --- Walking out of the stairwell he started making his way down the hall he and his ma shared with Valentines to the other family¡¯s apartment. Despite having to run the entire way -something that was proven a good idea given the traffic jam and car accident he¡¯d seen when cutting through the streets- he still managed to make it back to his apartment building in the half-hour he¡¯d promised Ms. Valentine. Unfortunately, he felt he may¡¯ve still been a little too slow when he found the front door of the Valentines¡¯ apartment kicked open. (Oh no¡­) His hand immediately made its way to his knife, drawing it from its sheathe as he pushed the broken door open and creeped his way into the apartment, not willing to call out until he was sure (whatever) had broken the door was really gone. It didn¡¯t even take him three steps into the apartment to spot the blood on the carpet, and it didn¡¯t even take one more to see where it was coming from. ¡°Ms. Valentine!¡± He rushed to the unconscious woman¡¯s side, checking for her weakened pulse as he tore his backpack off. ¡°Pix out now!¡± The little fairy peeked out before spotting what had sent him into a frenzy and flying out of the pack where she began to circle around Ms. Valentine trilling in a panicked tone of her own. ¡°Knife wound to the side, possibly through the liver or intestines, definitely nicked something given how much blood there is.¡± He listed clinically, as a part of him he¡¯d spent the last two weeks trying to bury began clawing its way to the surface. ¡°Pix. take my keys, go back to the apartment, and grab one of the healing salves from Blackwell.¡± He told his partner, tossing her the keys to his apartment as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. Rather than questioning why he wanted the salve rather than just letting her mend the wound, Pix nodded and flew out of the apartment keys in her arms. ¡°911, what¡¯s your emergency?¡± An operator answered after a few rings. ¡°I¡¯ve found my neighbor stabbed through the side and bleeding. Victim¡¯s name is Sarah Valentine. I talked to her on the phone approximately half an hour ago, she¡¯s currently unconscious.¡± He explained to the operator as adjusted Ms. Valentine¡¯s position to something that would hopefully alleviate some of the shock symptoms as he applied pressure to her wound. ¡°I have first-aid training and certification and am currently applying pressure to the wound. That said, there¡¯s enough blood on the floor that I¡¯m fairly certain something has been nicked and that she¡¯s still going to need EMS.¡± There was a slight pause as the operator processed everything he had said, ¡°Understood, an EMS had been routed to your location, but we have you placed at an apartment building, what floor are you currently on?¡± ¡°Fourth, left side of the elevator, the door that¡¯s been kicked in.¡± He answered as Pix flew in carrying the salve he¡¯d sent her for. ¡°Do you have any knowledge of who may¡¯ve stabbed Ms. Valentine?¡± The operator asked as he accepted the salve. ¡°None, the apartment was empty when I arrived.¡± He admitted, before using his shirt to pull the knife out of Ms. Valentine and applying the salve with his free hand. ¡°Understood, please stay on the line until the paramedics arrive.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± He nodded, placing his phone to the side as he turned to Pix hovering nearby. ¡°Heal it halfway, enough to stop the bleeding but not close the wound.¡± Standing he dropped the blade as if whoever had stabbed Ms. Valentine had pulled the blade out and dropped it in shock at what they¡¯d done. Leaving Pix to it, he made his way to Ms. Valentine¡¯s purse, noting the fact that whoever had stabbed her had left her wallet and keys, before pulling out her cell phone and thanking the fact that she hadn¡¯t put a password on her phone. Dialing a number, he had memorized, he put the phone to his ear and began looking through the apartment as it rang. ¡°Hey, Sarah what¡¯s-¡± ¡°Ma there¡¯s been an incident.¡± 17 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (1st Night) 17 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (1st Night) --- Jon --- ¡°You holding up okay?¡± ¡°As well as can be expected.¡± He admitted, watching as they loaded an unconscious Ms. Valentine into the ambulance. Even if he didn¡¯t have to cover his and Pix¡¯s magic by leaving a few superficial wounds, Pix¡¯s magic wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything for Ms. Valentine¡¯s blood loss given how her concept of ¡®mending¡¯ worked. It could ¡®mend¡¯ almost anything, but if something had been conceptually separated -such as spilt blood- then the concept could do nothing to repair it. ¡°I figured as much.¡± His ma sighed before watching him for a moment. ¡°You know they think you saved her life.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± (I know I did.) ¡°Any idea where Kenneth might be?¡± After dealing with Ms. Valentine, he hadn¡¯t been able to find the toddler, and while his every instinct demanded he find the child, he was fully aware that if Kenneth had been taken, he¡¯d be running in circles without a lead. (Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not going to track him down the moment I have a lead.) ¡°No, but whoever attacked Sarah probably took him.¡± His ma confirmed. ¡°In which case the most likely suspect would be her ex, Kenneth¡¯s father. Not that that asshole deserves to be called one from what I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°Do they have any idea where he is?¡± He asked, feeling something in the back of his mind beginning to ache. ¡°Not at the moment, but we¡¯re looking.¡± His ma assured him as a silence fell over them, during which one of the EMS medics came over to talk to them. ¡°You were the one who treated Ms. Valentine¡¯s injuries before we arrived, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded, wondering why else he could be covered in blood without the police trying to haul him in. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll be glad to know that she seems to have mostly stabilized thanks to whatever that salve you used did.¡± The medic told him. ¡°That said, policy demands that we have to ask where you obtained a medicinal salve of that potency. Normally we¡¯d leave something like that to the detectives on site, but with an active patient things become a bit of a more immediate concern.¡± He pretended not to notice the way his mother seemed to focus a bit more on him upon hearing that as he came up with a valid excuse. ¡°I¡¯m a counselor at this summer camp out in Blackwell. It¡¯s run by a magic user, and she makes all of these medicinal potions that she likes the counselor¡¯s to carry in case anything happens at the camp. There were a few left over in the end, and she saw no reason to confiscate them.¡± He explained, pointedly not mentioning the part where he¡¯d been the one to brew that particular concoction, ¡°If you need, I can give you her number to ask about the salve.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be appreciated.¡± The medic nodded, and out of the corner of his eye he noticed his ma lose some of the tension in her shoulders. He knew his ma had an issue with most Deviants, but at the same time Miss Edna was something of an exception to this rule since she¡¯d been a family friend for over a decade. And while his ma might not trust most Deviants to have common sense, she at least trusted Miss Edna enough to give the openly magical woman the benefit of the doubt on this kind of thing. (Which means it¡¯s a good thing that Miss Edna would lie to cover for me on this kind of thing.) ¡°So, Edna¡¯s still doing her whole magic thing?¡± His ma asked once the medic was done. ¡°Yep.¡± Was all he could really say as he watched the ambulance pull away, as the ache in his head grew stronger now that his main focus had left. Sighing, his ma ran a hand down her face as another silence began to overtake him. ¡°You know we¡¯ll find them, right Jon?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I know we will.¡± He admitted, as the thing in the back of his mind began to pace. ¡°We will.¡± His ma repeated as she clasped a hand on his shoulder in what he vaguely recognized as her attempt to try and comfort him. Despite his ma¡¯s efforts another silence ended up falling over them, as felt a familiar tension beginning to run through his body, one he¡¯d grown so used to living with in Blackwell. Eventually his ma let out another sigh before patting his shoulder. ¡°I need to get down to the station, see if I can¡¯t get them to let me on this case. You¡¯ve had a rough day, so why don¡¯t you head upstairs and try to get some sleep, kid.¡± ¡°Right.¡± He nodded, before turning back to the apartment building feeling the thing begin to claw at the ground beneath it. ¡°Jon.¡± His ma stopped him. ¡°You, know I¡¯m willing to listen whenever you want to talk about it, right.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He promised, feeling the warmth in his chest pushing the thing back a step. His ma watched him for another moment before nodding and making her way over to a nearby car where a pair of officers were milling about. For a brief moment he considered letting his ma and the police find Kenneth, after all they were the professionals and he was the one who wanted to live a normal life. Something that hunting down a missing child was not exactly conducive to, and- (Yeah, no.) He was not going to abandon a little one if he had the power to do something about it. (But that doesn¡¯t mean I can just rush ahead with no idea what I¡¯m doing.) He reminded himself, the ache in the back of his mind doubling down to the tune of a growl he couldn¡¯t place as real or in his head. (Let¡¯s see, since this guy just hospitalized Ms. Valentine he¡¯ll probably try to lay low, assuming that he might¡¯ve killed her. Meaning I¡¯ll have to find wherever he¡¯s hiding if I want to find Kenneth.) He began planning as he started up the stairs to his apartment. (Alright, unlike the thing with Rosalind I didn¡¯t witness the kidnapping, and I don¡¯t have anything I can track, which when combined with the more densely populated city means I can¡¯t pull the same trick I did with my tracking arrows back in Blackwell.) If he did the police or Sanctuary would be called to deal with the crazy randomly firing arrows into the sky, so they can fall towards the populated city streets. Instead he was going to have to treat this like an actual investigation, rather than something he could settle in a single evening. (As much as I wish I could...) He just knew everyday that Kenneth was missing was going to eat him up on the inside. Pushing that thought away, he instead started thinking of ways he could try and learn Kenneth and his abductor¡¯s location (Alright, ma said Kenneth¡¯s father is the most likely suspect, and since Ms. Valentine hated talking about her ex, I don¡¯t have much to work beyond the fact that he was one of the Dealers¡¯ lower dregs.) He considered that for a moment. (Then again as one of the main gangs of the district, they¡¯ll probably have plenty of gang houses for their members to lie low at. Houses I¡¯m sure I can convince them to tell me about if I¡¯m persuasive enough.) Unfortunately, while that was likely the most stable way of going about this, it was also the one most likely to draw attention, something his Ma had always warned him away from during their tactics exercises. (I suppose I could also see if Wolf can track Kenneth¡¯s scent, I doubt we¡¯ll get too far, but at the very least she might be able to find him I can narrow down his possible location a bit.) He¡¯d just have to see how good the magical canine¡¯s tracking things down on that front. (And if I¡¯m already bringing magic into this, I should see if there¡¯s anything I can use at the Witch¡¯s Wares to help find Kenneth.) After all he had Hunter as his primary affinity, so he was sure he could find something that could help him, even if it was just instructions on how to make something for himself. He was sure there were a couple of other options he was overlooking but what he had was enough to get him started. Sadly, despite how much he wanted to get started all of his best options were currently invalidated, given how the police -some of whom actually knew him- were still wandering around the Valentines, the late hour almost ensuring that the Witch¡¯s Wares was closed for the day, as well as the fact that even if he started hunting down gang members they wouldn¡¯t know anything yet. Stepping into his apartment and closing the door behind him, he banged his head against the painted door of the wood, as forced himself to remember that Kenneth¡¯s father probably wouldn¡¯t hurt him after going to such lengths to get a hold of the toddler. (Not that that¡¯s going to stop me from ripping his throat out with my teeth.) The Beast howled in agreement. 18 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (2nd Night) 18 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (2nd Night) --- Jon --- When he got up in the morning he wasn¡¯t surprised to find his ma was already gone, (if she came back at all.) With Ms. Valentine in the hospital, and Kenneth missing his ma would probably spend the next couple of weeks living out of the station until she found Kenneth. He¡¯d just have to check in with her every so often to make sure she was at least half way eating and sleeping, rather than living off of coffee and take out like she tended to when unsupervised. It was a routine he was sadly familiar with, after all it wasn¡¯t the first time his ma had become hyper focused on a case, and it likely wouldn¡¯t be the last. Though given how the victims were people they actually knew, he actually couldn¡¯t blame her for throwing herself so deeply into her work this time. (Especially if it means I¡¯ve got more time for my own investigation.) Scene Consequences -Morning training bonuses have been suspended until Kenneth is found, giving Jon an extra AP each turn. --- The first (and probably only) advantage he had over the police was his magic, because while there was a ¡®magical division¡¯ within the police, there were only a handful of them and they were spread thinly between each of the city¡¯s precincts. Meaning that no matter how much he and his ma thought it was warranted, the higher ups wouldn¡¯t spare such a rare resource for what they saw as such a small case. (The jerks.) What all this meant though was that he was going to have to be the one to come at this from a more mystical angle. Unfortunately, he was still what could be considered a beginner in most of the magical skills he had. Which is why his first order of business was to visit the Witch¡¯s Wares in the hopes that Ms. Delacroix had something that could help him find Kenneth. ¡°Surprised to see you back here after buying that affinity book.¡± Ms. Delacroix admitted as he stepped into her store. ¡°I figured you¡¯d be gone until you cracked an affinity or two.¡± ¡°Yeah, no, um, something¡¯s sort of come up.¡± He admitted, trying to figure out how much he should tell the shopkeep. After all, while he had no problem asking for help when he needed it, he wasn¡¯t going to give trouble to someone who wasn¡¯t involved with him or the matter at hand. (Though she¡¯d probably offer to help if I told her it was for a kid.) People were cool like that, and he might¡¯ve brought it up if it didn¡¯t make him feel¡­ De Sade-y. ¡°What kind of thing?¡± Delacroix asked, her eyes narrowing with a sensible amount of caution. ¡°My problem.¡± He assured her. ¡°Though I don¡¯t suppose you have anything that¡¯s good at finding other things?¡± Samantha Delacroix watched him for a moment, before eventually sighing. ¡°Depends on what you¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°A lost thing.¡± Delacroix tapped her fingers on her counter for a moment before nodding. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few options, but they depend on a couple of other things.¡± (Options are good, though what they cost might not be quite so good.) He figured, before asking, ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°Well, money obviously.¡± The shopkeep gave him a look. ¡°Not a problem.¡± And if it was, he had ways of fixing that problem as unpleasant as they were. Ms. Delacroix continued to watch him for another moment before shrugging. ¡°Alright, in that case is this thing you¡¯re going to be looking for, is it going to be moving?¡± ¡°Possibly.¡± If Kenneth¡¯s father was smart he¡¯d stay still and lay low, but he wasn¡¯t counting on the man¡¯s intelligence at this point. (He wouldn¡¯t have done this otherwise.) ¡°Trickier.¡± Ms. Delacroix admitted, before asking, ¡°Know how large the search radius is?¡± ¡°Two miles.¡± He doubted they¡¯d left the district, but he could always move around as necessary. ¡°So about three kilos...¡± Delacroix told him, before nodding. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve got something guaranteed to help you, if you¡¯re willing to wait a couple of days and pay a bit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called a Witch¡¯s Compass, they require some powerful enchanting, divination, and a couple other things that make them cost a fair bit, but it can lead you to damn near anything.¡± Ms. Delacroix explained. ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± Because even if it was expensive he was sure lots of people would want something like that. Samantha grimaced. ¡°It leads you to your greatest desire¡­ at a given moment.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Meaning there¡¯s a chance it¡¯ll point you at something else.¡± Something he wasn¡¯t actually worried about, since his only real desires at the moment was to find Kenneth and his father. (And either way I¡¯ll find Kenneth so the point is kind of moot.) ¡°Especially when you take into account how abstract some desires can be, or how many desires shift through your head at any given moment.¡± Ms. Delacroix agreed. ¡°That said, if what you''re after is that important to you maybe you¡¯ll be able to keep focused long enough to find it.¡± ¡°Any more reliable options?¡± He wondered, preferring not to put too much faith in an unreliable method. ¡°You know any other magic users?¡± Ms. Delacroix checked. ¡°In town? No.¡± He sighed, knowing that despite being an Incarnate Ying wasn¡¯t exactly a ¡®magic user¡¯ at least not in the more traditional sense. ¡°Then with your skills, no.¡± (Dang it...) He¡¯d been hoping for more than a ¡®possibly¡¯ helpful compass, (though if it works right it¡¯d lead me straight to Kenneth.) Shaking his head he turned back to Ms. Delacroix, ¡°You said I¡¯d have to wait a couple of days? How long would that be exactly?¡± Ms. Delacroix stopped to consider it for a moment. ¡°Since you got here before lunch, I can probably get it here in about three, four days. Though the rush ¡®ll up the fee a bit more.¡± (Either way, it¡¯s still faster than I¡¯d find Kenneth on my own...) He had to admit at least that much to himself. ¡°So, what¡¯s it going to be kid, you want me to order it or is it too much for too little?¡± "Go ahead and order it." (Either it''ll help me find Kenneth or it won''t, but the possibility of another search avenue is more than worth it.) Scene Choice [X]-Order the Compass. (Gain Witch¡¯s Compass, Lower weekly income by $15.) []-No, it¡¯s too much for too little. --- Given how the Witch¡¯s Wares had been a bust beyond whatever aid the Witch¡¯s Compass could theoretically offer him, he decided to try his hand at using what little magic he already knew, before trying anything new. To this effort he went over his notes on both Script Craft and his sub-affinity of ¡®Track¡¯ in the hopes that whatever spell he could come up with would help him track the toddler and his kidnapper. Of course, thanks to his previous experiment with the concept of ¡®Tracking¡¯ and enchanting, he had a rough idea of what the script would do, causing any clues related to a target in mind to begin glowing so long as they were within a certain distance of his spell. Something that could be accomplished by his enchanted LED, which is why he tweaked a few bits and pieces in hopes of letting the magics stack on top of each other. A detail Miss Edna had hinted towards when explaining some of the more complex items she sold at her store. (Well, hopefully this¡¯ll work as intended, because I need all the help I can get with this.) With a copy of his experimental script in hand, he made his way across the hall and toward the Valentine¡¯s apartment, knowing that with a full day and night to canvas the apartment the police had likely filed away whatever evidence they could and simply taped off the entrance so they could perform an actual investigation from their end. (Which just means I can do mine.) He figured, slipping through the tape without removing it, a feat that was relatively straightforward with the agility he¡¯d picked up running and hiding from both the Corrupted and his mother. Once he was inside, he pushed some magic into the mark connecting him and Wolf as summoned his furred Contract into his reality. From there the hyper intelligent animal glanced around the foreign apartment taking particular note of the dried blood on the floor before turning to him with a curious tilt of her head. ¡°How good are you at tracking scents?¡± He asked, skipping straight to the matter at hand. Wolf seemed to tilt her head from side to side in a ¡®so-so gesture¡¯. ¡°Right...¡± He sighed, before explaining the situation. ¡°You remember that toddler I was watching when I first summoned you a few days ago?¡± Wolf nodded. ¡°Well, his mother was stabbed and he¡¯s been kidnapped. What I¡¯m hoping is that between your canine tracking and my magic we might be able to eventually find him.¡± He continued, before giving Wolf a meaningful look. ¡°You think you¡¯ll be able to help?¡± Wolf gave him a determined look before giving him another nod. ¡°Good, well this is their apartment so hopefully you¡¯ll be able to pick up their scent from somewhere.¡± He told Wolf before pulling out his new Spell Script. ¡°And while you do that I¡¯m going to see if this can help me find anything the police may have missed.¡± Wolf watched him curiously as he pushed his magic into the slowly glowing script before tearing it in two and unleashing the spell that had built up within the confines of the spell circuit drawn onto the paper. A wave of pain tore through his head as his eyes began to burn, an ache spreading throughout his skull from behind the optical organs as his mind began to pick out and process a number of minute details that he hadn¡¯t been able to notice beforehand. Faint imprints in the carpet, scuff marks where the furniture had been moved, the patterns that the blood had hit the ground, all of this and more flooded his mind as his eyes darted around the room taking in every detail even as his headache steadily grew worse. A phenomenon he recognized from several of his interactions with the man in the mask, whenever he was subjected to something just outside of human perception, and his brain was forced to adapt. And while he knew it hurt, he also knew that the pain would become less severe as his mind became used to the strain of whatever mental muscle his magic was overclocking. Which is why he shut his eyes and forced his breathing to remain even despite the pain. He heard a faint whine that had to be coming from Wolf and he reached his hand out to pat the worried wolf. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just¡­ wasn¡¯t expecting the rush is all.¡± (I can see why De Sade warned against mind magics until I had his approval¡­ Too bad I didn¡¯t realize this would be a mind magic¡­ Really shouldn¡¯t have tweaked that script at my level...) Once his headache went from ¡®ice pick¡¯ to ¡®drum beat¡¯ he risked opening his eyes, and while it did worsen his headache it didn¡¯t cripple him like it did a moment before. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve probably only got¡­ a few minutes left on this script¡­ need to make them count.¡± He gave Wolf what he hoped was one last comforting pat, before forcing himself through the pain and getting to work. Scene Consequences -New Script Recipe: Tracker¡¯s Eye Script (5 MP)- For the next (Script Rank + Occult Rank) minutes user¡¯s perception becomes enhanced by a small amount for all search actions. (Bonus is based on (Script Rank + Occult Rank)) --Jon has taken some physical damage, for what can be considered a critical success or failure. -Wolf now knows the Valentines¡¯ scents, and can track them if she gets close enough. -Gained: ((3D6=11 for acquiring the Valentines¡¯ scents) + (6 from Wolf¡¯s Tracking Skill) + (D6=4 from Tracker¡¯s Eye Script) =21) Intel. 19 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (3rd Night) 19 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (3rd Night) --- Jon --- (Alright, school ¡®s out. Now I have to figure out what I¡¯m doing next.) He had a few options, though most of them involved preparing for when he had to¡­ (Bone snapped beneath his boot.) (Meat tore open and blood poured free as his blade pierced flesh.) (The man crawled away terror filling his eyes as Jon¡¯s grip tightened on the axe in his hand.) ¡°Jon!¡± He blinked, his eyes jumping to Aliyah as he snapped out of his memories. ¡°Uh, Aliyah, did you need something?¡± ¡°Um, I¡­ Sort of?¡± The other teen admitted nervously. ¡°Or no, I don¡¯t need anything but¡­ Something came up at my dad¡¯s work and he¡¯s not picking me up today.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what that had to do with him. ¡°No, I¡­¡± Aliyah trailed off in a nervous sort of frustration he¡¯d come to associate with the timid teen. ¡°Have you, have you heard about what happened to, to Sarah?¡± (The blood on his hands had just begun to dry as he stepped back, letting the medics take care of an injury he could have Pix heal in seconds if he wasn¡¯t so selfishly trying to hide his magic.) ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s awful.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Aliyah agreed. ¡°A-Anyway, s-since my dad can¡¯t pick me up, I was kind of thinking we could walk back to the uh, apartments¡­ Together¡­ For safety!¡± (Ah, since Ms. Valentine was attacked, she¡¯s worried she could be attacked.) That was a perfectly reasonable response to what happened. ¡°Sure.¡± He nodded before starting to walk. ¡°Though there¡¯s a couple errands I have to take care of later, so we should probably get going.¡± ¡°R-right!¡± Aliyah smiled in relief as she fell into step with him. (It¡¯s not like I¡¯d leave someone alone when they¡¯re scared.) ¡°You do know that we¡¯re just as safe as we ever were.¡± He told her after a moment, hoping to reassure her while pointedly avoiding the fact that given what he knew went bump in the night be it mundane or magical that wasn¡¯t particularly safe. ¡°Bu- W-what do you mean?¡± Aliyah asked with some confusion. ¡°The person who stabbed Ms. Valentine was probably Kenneth¡¯s father.¡± He explained. ¡°Meaning that aside from taking Kenneth, he isn¡¯t going to hurt anyone else.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Aliyah said, seemingly more upset by this information than not. He couldn¡¯t keep himself from frowning in concern. ¡°Is¡­ something wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s just¡­ I hope Kenneth¡¯s okay¡­¡± Aliyah told him. ¡°We babysat him every now and then, and I know my little sister adored him. So it¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just worried about him, and that¡¯s perfectly understandable.¡± He assured her. ¡°That said, I don¡¯t think you have to be too worried.¡± Aliyah gave him a curious look. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Well, his dad went to a lot of trouble to get a hold of him, so that means he¡¯s probably taking pretty good care of Kennth.¡± (And if he¡¯s not I¡¯ll feed him to the wolves.) He idly wondered if Wolf liked the taste of rats. ¡°Still, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m worried about him you know.¡± Aliyah admitted, unaware of his personal musings. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± He wouldn''t say it out loud, but he was worried about the toddler too. (But this isn¡¯t about me.) ¡°And while I¡¯m not sure how comforting it¡¯ll be, know that my Ma¡¯s working as hard as she can to find him.¡± Aliyah blinked for a moment, giving him enough time to notice something that was bothering him. ¡°Oh, right. Your mom¡¯s a cop isn¡¯t she?¡± He nodded before glancing over his shoulder. ¡°Yeah, she had to pull a few strings, but she managed to keep herself on the case despite being so close the Ms. Valentine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Aliyah smiled, not having noticed their follower. (She really should work on her awareness a little more.) ¡°I-I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be able to find him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it for a second.¡± (Though I might be the one handing him over.) He admitted to himself if not her. ¡°Glad you¡¯ve got such confidence in me kid.¡± Aliyah jumped in that way she tended to whenever he tried to start a conversation with her, earning an amused smirk from his Ma as the teen turned to face her. ¡°Ms. Whitaker!¡± ¡°Ms. Jefferson.¡± His Ma greeted with a touch of amusement. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Aliyah asked as she got over her surprise. ¡°Was heading to the apartment to wait for Jon, when I saw you two walking and figured I¡¯d give you two a lift the rest of the way.¡± His Ma explained, gesturing to a car parked further down the street. Aliyah glanced at the car curiously. ¡°But why¡¯d you park down there instead of pulling up to us?¡± ¡°Reasons.¡± His mother answered with even more amusement, though he doubted Aliyah picked up on it. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. His eyes narrowed, and he saw the corner of his Ma¡¯s mouth twitch. (She was trying to jump me!) He thought indignantly. (She promised she wouldn¡¯t do that while I¡¯m trying to help people!) ¡°You said you were going to wait for me?¡± He asked, letting just enough annoyance seep into his voice that while Aliyah would miss it his ma would still catch it. Rather than giving another sign of her amusement like he¡¯d been expecting, his ma immediately sobered up. ¡°Sarah¡¯s finally woken up at the hospital.¡± Scene Consequences -Reputation has increased amongst neighbors. -Grown a bit closer to Aliyah. --- His Ma knocked on the hospital door, drawing the attention of the only resident of the room as Ms. Valentine turned towards them with a tired smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her red eyes. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Ms. Valentine greeted with what little enthusiasm she could muster. ¡°Hey.¡± His Ma greeted with a matching excitement. ¡°Heard you were up and figured we¡¯d come and see how you¡¯re holding up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alive.¡± Ms. Valentine laughed just a bit bitterly, though her face softened as he followed his mom into the room. ¡°Which I hear I have you to thank for.¡± ¡°Oh, um, it was¡­¡± He didn¡¯t feel right saying it was nothing, given how it was Ms. Valentine¡¯s life at stake, but at the same time he didn¡¯t feel right accepting praise for something he felt anyone would do if able. ¡°A thing¡­¡± Ms. Valentine gave him another one of those bitter laughs. ¡°Yeah, it was¡­¡± An awkward silence fell over them for a moment, at least until his ma cleared her throat. ¡°Since you just woke up today, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve talked to the police yet, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re my first visitors.¡± Ms. Valentine nodded. ¡°Alright, well, I¡¯ve managed to get myself on your case. So if you don¡¯t mind talking about it with me, we can make sure you don¡¯t have to explain everything to a stranger.¡± His ma offered Ms. Valentine. ¡°Yeah¡­ that sounds¡­ better?¡± Ms. Valentine admitted a little nervously. ¡°What exactly did you need to know?¡± ¡°Well, do you remember who attacked you?¡± His ma asked, going straight for the big issue. Ms. Valentine¡¯s face lost whatever passive kindness she had as it took on a bitter if nervous edge. ¡°An-Antonio Ramirez¡­ Tony for short. He¡¯s my ex¡­ and Kenneth¡¯s father I guess¡­¡± ¡°Figured it was him.¡± His ma admitted. ¡°Either way, we¡¯ve already got an APB out on him, but he seems to be laying low after what happened to you, so it might take a day or two to track him down.¡± Ms. Valentine gave a bitter chuckle. ¡°You know I alway knew if I stayed with him, it was going to escalate like this. Honestly, I was hoping that once I got away from him¡­ and you helped me with that restraining order, that he¡¯d¡­ I don¡¯t know, calm down a bit¡­¡± ¡°Some assholes only get worse.¡± His ma sighed, likely thinking of her own ex-husband. ¡°Yeah¡­ Should¡¯ve known he was that type, when he hit Kenneth-¡± (He WhAt?!) ¡°-that¡¯s how I finally worked up the courage to leave him you know.¡± Ms. Valentine continued, unaware of the beast howling inside his mind. ¡°Well, you left him and that was a big step.¡± His ma assured Ms. Valentine in that awkward sort of kindness, that reminded him that comforting people was never her specialty. ¡°Yeah, but apparently it wasn¡¯t big enough.¡± Ms. Valentine told them with another sad and bitter laugh. (Right, that won¡¯t do.) He decided, as the beast knew to wait for its time and place. ¡°Maybe, but you won¡¯t have to worry about that anymore, because with Detective Whitaker on the case, he¡¯ll be behind bars soon enough.¡± He promised her with an enthusiasm he knew his ma couldn¡¯t work up on her own, hoping it was infectious enough to cheer Ms. Valentine up if only a little. ¡°I¡¯m sure she will.¡± Ms. Valentine gave him a soft smile, before deflating into her hospital bed once more. ¡°I¡¯m sure she will¡­¡± He met his Ma¡¯s eyes out of the corner of his own, and she gave him a half nod as if saying, ¡®nice try, kiddo¡¯. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll let you know as the case develops.¡± His ma eventually told Ms. Valentine, as the ensuing silence began to wear on everyone in the room. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that.¡± Ms. Valentine admitted with another half-hearted smile. ¡°Though maybe the next time you come by, you can bring Kenneth? I want him to know mommy¡¯s okay.¡± (Oh no.) Scene Consequences -Unknown Target has been named, granting a small bonus when investigating this target. -Grown a bit closer to Ms. Valentine. --- As he sat in his room, he debated what to do. Or rather he procrastinated doing what he knew he had to do. He was fully aware of the fact that if he wanted to find Kenneth he¡¯d have to go out and track him down himself. Something he¡¯d already determined he¡¯d do no matter what, after his hospital visit to Ms. Valentine. (He could see the exact moment the young mother parsed his own mother¡¯s words, realized what they meant, and realized the true depths of what was taken from her. And already hurting young woman broke.) No, there was no doubt in what he had to do. What was slowing him down however was instead, the knowledge of what that course of action would entail, and what it would mean for him and the peaceful life he¡¯d been hoping to return to ever since leaving Blackwell. He ran a hand down his face. (I can¡¯t put this off forever¡­) The majority of his kit was already stashed away in his backpack and ready to be brought out once he was far enough from home that no one he knew would be asking him why he had an axe in his hand, making it a quick matter to slide the backpack on as that previous thought led him to another. (Should I bother hiding my face?) It hadn¡¯t been a true priority back in Blackwell, not when most of his enemies were the Corrupted and the few others were in situations where he couldn¡¯t afford to stop and think about maintaining anonymity while Rosalind had been in danger. But now he did have the time, and he was facing people who might be able to identify him despite the darkness of night. (If I do put a mask on there¡¯d be nothing differentiating me from an actual Mask.) He realized with a grimace. Unlike the other teens his age, he¡¯d never been all to into the whole Mask craze -something he blamed on his mother- and while he knew most teens would jump at the chance to become a mask, he himself was more than reluctant to be mistaken for, let alone become a Mask. (I¡¯m just saving Kenneth and that¡¯s it.) He reminded himself. (Once he¡¯s safe I¡¯m putting my stuff away and not touching it until next Summer.) (Sure you won¡¯t.) He shook his head, before evaluating his somewhat limited options as far as facial wear went. In fact now that he thought about it he only had one thing that could be considered a ¡®mask¡¯ and that was an old enchanted scarf miss Endna had sent him the christmas past. As far as he knew the scarf was enchanted with just a temperature regulation that would make it viable to wear at any time, even the hottest of summers would feel like room temperature with the scarf on. That said, he wouldn¡¯t put it past her to slip something extra in to keep him safe. (Afterall, she¡¯s always been worried about me outside of camp, even before everything in Blackwell.) If he wanted to wear something else he¡¯d have to buy it, which if he were to get the right kind of helmet would admittedly offer him a bit of physical protection that he was actually aware of. Or if he swung by the right store, he could get a mask that would have a bit more of a conceptual weight if he got around to enchanting it. Then again he could still go without the mask entirely. Since he was only going to be doing this for the next week or so, he doubted that the Dealers would be able to piece together who he was with the shadows obscuring his face. What¡¯s more without a mask it¡¯d be a lot easier for him to emote, which would make it easier for Kenneth to recognize him and -based on lessons from both De Sade and Quartermaster Rogers- would make his¡­ talks significantly easier. Either way, it was something he was going to have to figure out before he left for the night. 19 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (3rd Night, 2nd Trail) Hunt For The Stolen Child (Third Night, Trail 2) --- Jon --- He couldn¡¯t help but adjust the forest green scarf around his neck, and the hood over the helmet he¡¯d gotten. A part of him felt it was probably overkill, especially since anyone who looked at him would immediately identify the helmet/scarf combo as a Mask¡¯s, well, mask. Another part of him however felt the added anonymity would make it easier for him to return to his normal life after this mess was settled. (And that¡¯s what¡¯s important.) (Maintaining that sweet lie.) He shook his head, earning a concerned look from Pix. ¡°I¡¯ll live.¡± He assured her, only mildly annoyed by how muffled his voice was through both the helmet and scarf. Pix looked like that wasn¡¯t a good enough answer for her, but knew better than to press when they were out on the hunt. Which is why she ducked back into his backpack as he returned his attention to the Dealer he¡¯d found prior to pulling the majority of his gear out of his backpack. He couldn¡¯t help but roll his shoulders at the lack of an axe¡¯s weight, having left the thing stashed away given how he felt it¡¯d be just a touch too much to be using on regular people. (After all-) (The axe hacked into the Corrupted¡¯s flesh, sending black blood spraying through the air as-) (The arrow tore through the man¡¯s throat, the one shot sure to end it all save the smell of smoke and-) (Ash filled the air as he threw yet another corpse onto the fire, forcing himself to remember that-) (-I don¡¯t want to kill anyone.) A dull ache had already begun to fill his skull, leaving him wanting for nothing more than this night(mare) to be over with as soon as possible. He could¡¯ve sworn he heard a beast howling in the distance, something he was sure was just his mind playing tricks on him as drew closer to his (prey). Despite keeping watch for cops and clients alike, the dealer didn¡¯t notice him even as a scream tore through the air, similar to how an arrow had torn through the man¡¯s calf and removed his ability to flee. (Let¡¯s get this over with.) He told himself, as he made his way to the whimpering man, fully aware of how unlikely it was for anyone to come and investigate but still unwilling to waste a single moment¡¯s time. ¡°Who, who the f-fuck are you?!¡± The dealer cried, drawing a gun as he stepped into the man¡¯s view. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He didn¡¯t speak, not trusting his muffled voice to carry his words through both the helmet and the scarf. Though this didn¡¯t stop him from stepping around the Dealer¡¯s sloppy aim and kicking the man¡¯s arm aside, before stomping on -and breaking- his wrist. ¡°Agh, fuck!¡± The man screamed as Jon pulled out his cellphone and showed the man one of the texts he¡¯d written earlier in the night when he first realized how hard it was going to be to talk with the helmet on. (¡°I¡¯m looking for one of your friends, an Antonio Ramirez. Where is he?¡±) ¡°The, the fuck is that?!¡± The Dealer whimpered. What little bravado the man had had, having already been beaten out of him as he tried to read the message. Jon took a frustrated step closer, only to pause as something squelched beneath his foot. A quick glance revealing its source to be a small pool of blood trailing behind the man as he tried to crawl away. (Must¡¯ve nicked an artery.) That hadn¡¯t been too much of an issue with the Corrupted, (but it could be a real one with a living human.) Shaking his head, he crouched down before grabbing the Dealer by the collar and pulling him closer to read the phone. ¡°I-I don''t know who that is.¡± The man promised him after a moment. ¡°You¡¯ve got to believe me, I-I swear!¡± He did believe the man, which is why he pulled up a different text. (¡°Then tell me where I can find someone who does know.¡±) ¡°I¡­ We¡¯re a big gang¡­ I don¡¯t, I don¡¯t know who¡¯d know that kind of thing!¡± The Dealer told him. He broke the man¡¯s nose. ¡°Gah!¡± The Dealer¡¯s unbroken hand jumped to his face as Jon pushed the phone forward once more. ¡°I don¡¯t-¡± He pulled his fist back. ¡°Wait, wait, there¡¯s this, this warehouse a lot of guys pass through¡­ M-maybe your guy is there!¡± He opened a map on his phone and flicked it towards the warehouse district before putting it in front of the Dealer. ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s¡­ there! Right there!¡± Pointed tapping the phone and leaving a marker in his own blood. Memorizing the location, he nodded before kicking the man hard enough in the head to knock him out as Jon tugged on his contract bond to Pix inciting the little fairy to investigate. ¡°Mind patching him up?¡± He asked, ripping the arrow out of the man¡¯s leg. (Going to have to burn this somewhere.) Pix nodded, her inhuman mind completely unbothered by the sight of the man he¡¯d essentially been (torturing¡­) He froze as that thought hit, before once more shaking his head clear as he forced himself to focus on the moment at hand. (Alright, I¡¯ve been at this for a few hours now so I can either head back home or investigate this warehouse now.) On the one hand if he investigated the warehouse now, that¡¯d be one less night until he found Kenneth. On the other however, was the fact that he wasn¡¯t as well equipped as he could be with a bit of prep work. (Not that that stopped me when Rosalind was kidnapped.) He knew from experience that he could clear the warehouse as he was, and that Pix could fix just about any damage he¡¯d accrue from the siege. Unfortunately, he also knew that Pix didn¡¯t have the same near limitless reserves she¡¯d had back in Blackwell, nor did he particularly enjoy being shot when he had an option to avoid or negate it. Pix trilled, letting him know she was done healing the Dealer as she drew him out of his thoughts with her curious if concerned chirping. ¡°Alright, we''ve still got time until sun up, so we¡¯ll go ahead and hit the warehouse next.¡± 19 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (3rd Night, 3rd Trail) 19 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (3rd Night, 3rd Trail) --- Jon --- He checked his phone noting that it was just after midnight. (Don¡¯t have a lot of time.) He grimaced, before turning back to the warehouse the Dealer had told him about a little over an hour prior. (Going to have to be quick about this.) Part of him knew that hitting the warehouse after he¡¯d had more time to scout and prep was a better option in the long-term but another louder part of him was more focused on the fact that the sooner he hit this warehouse the sooner he¡¯d find Kenneth. (If I find anything about him that is.) He shook his head, once more earning a concerned look from Pix who had to know the stress was getting to him. And once more he was tempted to assure her that he¡¯d live -after all he¡¯d already survived so much worse- but before he did, he managed to remember that he¡¯d already said as much earlier, and repeating the same assurances would do the opposite. ¡°You¡¯ve got my back?¡± He asked instead, hoping to deflect the little fairy¡¯s concerns by reminding her of just what she was capable of. Pix didn¡¯t even hesitate to give him a determined nod, something that assured him far more than his own words had her. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡± He nodded back with a smile that while she couldn¡¯t see, he was sure she could feel through the contracting bond that connected them. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Eventually he knew he had to get moving if he wanted to make it back before dawn, so he stood and rolled his neck as he began planning out his attack. (Alright first, quick inventory of what I¡¯m working with here¡­) (Since I used that one arrow on that guy I¡¯ve got about six arrows left, two being tranquilizers and another two making up a trap arrow.) He really was going to have to make more after tonight. (My axe is too bulky, and I¡¯d rather not make this lethal if I can. So that leaves me with my combat knife.) He¡¯d have brought his throwing knives too, but he didn¡¯t want to bring something throwable without a recall enchantment on it. (I¡¯ve got all four of my healing salves, since I used one on Miss Valentine.) They wouldn¡¯t fix a full on gunshot wound, but at the very least they¡¯d help with any scrapes and bruises he¡¯d pick up in a melee. (Speaking of healing, I¡¯ve also got Pix¡¯s.) Which was something he knew he¡¯d have to rely heavily on if this turned into an all out fight. (Though her zaps and illusions might be able to help a little bit too, if we¡¯re willing to spend magic there.) That was going to be a big deciding factor in his actions throughout this whole fiasco. Back in Blackwell there¡¯d been so much ambient magic that he didn¡¯t need to worry about spending it, both his and Pix¡¯s natural supplies being more than double what it was in the city. Meaning, even with him slowly regaining what he used, he¡¯d still have to manage it to a certain extent. (Which brings up the question on if I should summon Wolf?) From what he knew of her abilities, with or without her clones she¡¯d still be a big help in a fight. (And since she¡¯s a wolf she might even have some stealth abilities of her own.) His eyes darted to the warehouse, and he couldn¡¯t help but frown as he saw the two or three guards outside of it. (Don¡¯t like the fact that I don¡¯t know what exactly I¡¯m up against in there.) Sadly, it was a fact he was more than used to being unhappy with given the how the Corrupted had operated in Blackwell. (Just means I¡¯ve got to think this through¡­) 19 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (3rd Night, 4th Trail) 19 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (3rd Night, 4th Trail) --- Jon --- His eyes traced over what he could see of the warehouse, fitting in the last few pieces of his forming plan as he nodded to himself. ¡°Yeah, that should do it.¡± Pix gave him a curious look. ¡°We¡¯ll sneak in, knock out anyone between us and the intel and sneak back out.¡± He explained, ¡°If everything goes right, we can get in and out of the warehouse without anyone the wiser. Meaning if we¡¯re lucky nobody has to get shot tonight.¡± (Save that one guy from a few hours ago.) He shook his head, before distracting himself by pushing magic into his contract with Wolf and summoning her in a flash of light that he couldn¡¯t risk if he was any closer to the Warehouse. Seeing that they were neither in his apartment nor in the woods, Wolf gave him the curious look before tilting her head in confusion as she caught sight of him. ¡°You remember how I told you we were looking for little Kenneth?¡± He asked, before waiting for Wolf¡¯s nod of confirmation. ¡°Right, well you see that Warehouse over there. The one with those guards in front of it? The gang Kenneth¡¯s kidnapper belongs to works out of there. I¡¯m hoping if I sneak in there I¡¯ll be able to find something telling me where he is. You any good at sneaking around?¡± Wolf gave him the canine equivalent of a scoff before seemingly gesturing to herself, as if to remind him that she was -as her name implied- a wolf. ¡°Right. Thanks.¡± He laughed, in some weird mix of nerves and gratitude. (There¡¯s no need to be nervous.) He told himself, as he climbed down from the roof he was on. (This is just like in Blackwell when-) (Blood poured from the man¡¯s throat and-) He forced himself to take a calming breath as his feet hit the ground. ¡°Hopefully, not that bad¡­¡± Wolf paused as she trotted up to him, before giving him another confused tilt of her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He (lied)promised, before changing topics as they crossed the alley street. ¡°So, think you can knock people out without getting caught?¡± He honestly wasn¡¯t sure if her stealth skills were limited to ripping her prey¡¯s throat out or not. (Actually I probably should¡¯ve considered that before summoning her¡­) His carnivorous companion seemed to consider the concept for a moment, before giving him a determined nod. (Good might¡¯ve had to send her back if she wasn¡¯t.) He was fairly confident she wouldn¡¯t have liked that, especially not after he¡¯d just asked for her help. ¡°In that case¡­¡± He glanced around a building corner, before spotting the guards watching the warehouse. ¡°Think you can take the guy on the left?¡± Wolf gave him another nod before dashing off and disappearing from his sight. (Well¡­ here¡¯s hoping she knows what she¡¯s doing.) He sighed, before steeling himself one last time for what he was about to do. Hiding in the shadows was an easy enough task, given how frequently he¡¯d needed to hide from the Corrupted, that said actually moving through those shadows was taking a bit more focus than he was used to given how the lack of shifting foliage was making it harder to cover his own movements. Still even with this challenge of hiding his movements, he managed to make his way behind his target without getting caught. A quick pulse of magic through his bond to Wolf, as well as her own responding pulse, let him know when they were both in position. (Right, let¡¯s do this.) He sent out one last pulse before rushing out of the shadows and towards the guard he¡¯d marked for himself. ¡°What the fu-¡± A quick upper cut off the guards words before he could even try to draw his gun, and a foot hooked around his ankle sent the man toppling to the ground where Jon delivered one last blow to the face, cracking the man¡¯s skull against the pavement. He glanced to where the other guard had been and found Wolf standing over him, faint traces of a mystical breeze still visible in the air. ¡°Good job.¡± He told her, before jostling his backpack. ¡°Pix, come out here and make sure we didn¡¯t do anything permanent.¡± (I¡¯m not going to let this turn out like last time.) The little fairy gave him a trill of understanding before flying out of the bag and doing a couple circles over each guard. Once she was done she flew in front of his face before making several gestures in the air involving her head and then holding up a number of her fingers. ¡°Got it.¡± He nodded before turning back to Wolf as the little fairy returned to her hiding place. ¡°Pix made sure we didn¡¯t give them any permanent damage, but in doing so she also put us on a timer before they start waking up.¡± Wolf gave him a confused whine. ¡°We had to fix them now, if we¡¯d waited too long the damage could¡¯ve worsened or become permanent.¡± He explained, not admitting to the fact that he was probably being too cautious so as to prevent a repeat of the last time he¡¯d broken into a guarded warehouse. ¡°Either way we need to make this quick.¡± Wolf nodded, following him into the actual warehouse as they both clung to the shadows, their steps as quiet as could be as they moved between the warehouse aisles. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. (Surprised there aren¡¯t more guys.) He thought, not having seen anyone during his jaunt through the warehouse. (Then again they might only have the guards and the actual Dealers here. In which case there are probably two or three other guys watching the supply.) The only reason he knew there were still guards in the warehouse was due to the fact that he could hear a loud synthetic bass echoing throughout the warehouse. Eventually they did find a group of four playing cards, and jeering loudly at each other as they screamed to be heard over a speaker blaring an obnoxiously loud bass from a table covered in what he could tell at but a glance was drugs. (Right, how to do this¡­) If he wanted to take these four out, then he¡¯d have to break stealth even with Wolf helping him out. (Unless¡­) ¡°Pix.¡± He whispered jostling his backpack, until the little fairy took a peek out from her hiding hole. ¡°Think you can distract those four long enough for me and wolf to get an extra shot in?¡± The little fairy tilted her head at him in confusion, which as she tried to trill out a response over the bass pounding around them reminded him that not only did the helmet and scarf make it harder to hear him, but it also made it harder for him to emote. (Which makes up half of Pix¡¯s understanding when I talk, given how she¡¯s still learning english¡­) Given how fast she¡¯d grasped it, he sometimes forgot that Pix didn¡¯t actually know a word of english until she¡¯d met him, at which point he¡¯d helped her pick up the basics and she¡¯d learned some of his more common speech patterns even if her vocal chords couldn¡¯t repeat them. Shaking his head before he could go on a tangent, he covered where his eyes would be on the helmet and then pointed at the four Dealers at the table. Pix followed his finger for a moment before turning back to him and nodding as she flew out of his backpack and into the rafters above. ¡°Alright, can you hear me still?¡± He asked Wolf, hoping her canine hearing could still pick him up despite the loud music and his whispering. Receiving a nod in return he told her to, ¡°Be ready once Pix has them distracted we¡¯re going to have to act fast or else they might get a shot in at one of us.¡± Wolf gave him another nod before jumping further than he could manage as she leapt to the top of one of the nearby shelves and proceeded to jump to another shelf on the other side of the room. Reaching into his quiver he pulled out the two arrows making up his Trip-wire arrow. While these arrows were best for tripping enemies chasing after him or setting up traps, that didn¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯d found a few¡­ creative uses for said arrows. Ones that he was about to use once more. With this in mind he notched one of the arrows, while holding the other between his ring and little finger. (Just have to wait for Pix¡¯s distraction.) After a moment one of the Dealers began to blink staring at the air in a daze. ¡°Uh, guys are you seeing something weird with the air?¡± ¡°No.¡± Another admitted. ¡°You been touching the supply on the side?¡± ¡°Fuck you,¡± The first dealer growled, before looking concerned. ¡°But uh, seriously you guys don¡¯t see this rainbowy shit in the air? Because this stuff ish realwy pwetty¡­¡± One of the Dealers frowned, ¡°Uh, you feeling alright ma-Ahh!¡± The man screamed as an arrow tore through his shoulder. ¡°The fuck!¡± A third cursed as the two remaining Dealers jumped out of their seats, or tried to as one of them was tackled into the table by massive wolf. ¡°Oh shit!¡± Before the final Dealer could grab their gun, a second arrow pierced through their arm, a wire connecting it to the first. A wire that was rapidly going taught before the two dealers were pulled towards each other, sending both crashing into the remains of the table and forming a pile between it and the three downed Dealers. Making his way over, he found that wolf had already rendered the three unconscious as more of her magic laced air swirled around them. (Then that just leaves.) He turned to the last Dealer who was still sitting and staring at the air with a dazed expression on his face, completely unbothered by everything that had just happened less than two feet from him. Unplugging the stereo he glanced at Pix as she began to hover around her victim. ¡°You may¡¯ve gone a little too far with whatever illusion you put him under¡­¡± The little fairy just shrugged, clearly unaware -(or just unbothered)- by the fact that to inflict that strong of illusion and render the Dealer in this state, she¡¯d have had to inflict a fair amount of brain damage to the man. ¡°Right just¡­ patch everyone up, before they start bleeding out.¡± He sighed, ripping the arrows out of the two he¡¯d shot since he knew she¡¯d have trouble doing as much herself. Surprisingly the two stayed unconscious, leaving him wondering just what Wolf had done to the two. (Now¡¯s not the time.) He reminded himself with a shake of his head, before looking around the warehouse sincerely hoping he wasn¡¯t going to have to have another¡­ talk tonight. Luckily however he managed to spot an overseer¡¯s office for the warehouse, one that he could see through an open door had a desk covered in drugs, money, and paperwork. (There¡¯s got to be something in there I can use.) He figured making his way to the office, before calling over his shoulder. ¡°Wolf keep an eye out in case we missed anybody.¡± He doubted it, but it was still better to be safe than sorry. As he shifted through the paperwork on the desk, he came across a ledger listing debts people owed to this branch of the Dealers as well as the payments they made to the Mad Dogs to protect them. (Not that it¡¯s doing them much good.) Despite his best hopes, nothing on the desk pointed him in the direction of Kenneth or Ramirez, in fact the only other thing of note on the desk was a separate file listing a number of orders and shipments to and from another location. (Another link in the supply chain¡­) None of this was exactly what he was looking for, but at the very least it would give him a few leads to work through for the next few days. Taking pictures of all of the paperwork, as well as the money and drugs, he contemplated what to do next. He was going to investigate what he found and find Kenneth of course, but there were still a couple of other things he had to figure out before he could make his escape. First -and he blamed Miss Edna¡¯s money-grubbing influence for this- was the money sitting on the desk. Since it belonged to the Dealers -who he was fairly certain pushed drugs onto kids- he had no major issues¡­ requisitioning the money to help him find Kenneth. Especially since said money was more than enough to cover what he¡¯d spent on the Compass and then some. This was of course something the Dealers would take exception to, even if one were to ignore the fact that all of their guys were knocked out without even putting up a fight. Something that they might otherwise keep quiet about -if only for their pride- at least so long as there wasn¡¯t any permanent damage. To compound that issue, was also the matter of whether or not he should alert the police about this warehouse. As a cop¡¯s kid he was somewhat obligated to send all of this evidence to the police in the hopes of encouraging a raid on this warehouse. In addition to a certain morality to this option, it also came with the added tactical benefit of reducing the amount of manpower the Dealers and their associates could direct his way, at least for the time being. Unfortunately, it also came with the disadvantage. of increasing the police presence in the area. Which could slow down his own investigation, as well as increasing the alert level of whatever Dealers remained on the streets. Taking one last photo, he shook his head. (I can figure this out later. Right now I need to focus on getting out of here.) 19 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (3rd Night, Trail End) 19 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (3rd Night, Trail End) --- Jon --- ¡°Come on Pix, you¡¯ve got a pillow with your name on it.¡± He told the fairy in his backpack, knowing she¡¯d fallen asleep somewhere on the return trip between the station and his apartment. He could feel the little fairy shifting around in the backpack, but in the end she made little effort to actually get up and move to a more proper bed. Sighing to himself, he slid his backpack off before gently picking the fairy up in his hands and placing her on one of his pillows. With its more fragile contents removed, he proceeded to throw the backpack full of both his gear from the night as well as the money he¡¯d¡­ (requisitioned) from the Dealers¡¯ warehouse into his closet, fully aware that he should go to greater lengths to hide the latter. But unfortunately, after the night he¡¯d had, breaking into the warehouse and then later dropping evidence of the Dealers supply chain off at the station -while avoiding being caught on camera- he just wasn¡¯t feeling up to the effort right now. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Tired eyes drifted towards the sleeping fairy on his bed, and a part of him was tempted to just collapse in his bed right alongside her, but another was fully aware of the sweat he¡¯d worked up from both walking all over the city as well as the various adrenaline rushes that came with sneaking through an area he most definitely was not supposed to be. (At the very least I won¡¯t have to worry about my morning workout.) He thought with a bitter chuckle, almost grateful for that fact given how he¡¯d likely have just slept through said workout as late as it already was. Checking his phone as he started undressing for his shower, he saw that it was already around three in the morning. (Meaning I¡¯ve got four, maybe five hours before I¡¯ve got to get up for school, and that¡¯s if I don¡¯t mind running the whole way there.) Stepping into the shower, he could already feel the exhaustion that was going to be clinging to him throughout the day. (Probably because I already am that tired¡­) Pushing through the day despite being exhausted was something he was more than used to after Blackwell. Especially since by those last few weeks, when the Beast had finally deemed him a ¡®problem¡¯, there¡¯d been an incident with the corrupted nearly twice a night leaving him to push through each day of camp counseling with less than four hours of sleep each night. (It¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle.) He (lied) to himself. 20 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (4th Night) 20 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (4th Night) --- Jon --- The alarm on his phone woke him with a loud rumbling, and a part of him was tempted to just smash the thing and sleep in. At the same time however, he was also fully aware of the fact that if he skipped school they¡¯d contact his ma, something he didn¡¯t need if he was going to keep trying to investigate Kenneth¡¯s kidnapping. (Right, time to get up¡­) He groaned, forcing himself to sit up despite his clinging exhaustion. From behind him he heard a faint trilling as he did so, and when he glanced over his shoulder he watched with some amusement as rather than getting up Pix merely rolled over and covered her head with the bit of blanket she¡¯d stolen. ¡°Yeah, you just go back to sleep.¡± He sighed as got to his feet. ¡°I can handle today by myself.¡± --- ¡°Hello. I¡¯m sorry to bother you but I seem to be a little lost here. I¡¯m looking for an Antonio Ramirez, do you happen to-¡± ¡°Never heard of him.¡± The man growled before slamming their door in his face. ¡°And that¡¯s another no¡­¡± He sighed, before glancing once more at the list of names and addresses he¡¯d copied to his phone the night before. As soon as he¡¯d gotten out of school he¡¯d begun tracking down each address and trying to find the occupants of said addresses, in the hopes that one of them would¡¯ve known Ramirez or where he could be. He also wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled about the possibility of stumbling across a Dealer crew who happened to take offense to him asking about one of their members, especially when the only thing he had on him was his knife. What¡¯s more even if the people he asked did know Ramirez, it was fully possible they¡¯d be lying to him about such. Which is why he was also taking the extra time to ask the building tenants of each address in the ledger he visited. (Though that¡¯s not helping me as much as I wish it was¡­) Scene Consequences -Gained ((2D6 = 8) + (Crit D6 = 5) + (Named Target Bonus D6 = 2) = 15) Intel. -Gained (D6 = 4) Heat with the Dealers. --- About half way down his list, he eventually had an idea that he felt would¡¯ve come significantly faster to anyone else of his generation. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Rather than simply searching the names and addresses on the ledger by foot -a task that had a minor chance of drawing attention from the people he was investigating- he could instead try searching for them on the computer from the safety and comfort of his living room. Which is why he was currently shifting through a number of social media feeds connected to every name in the ledger, including the ones he¡¯d already searched. (Just in case.) On it¡¯s own he learned very little in the way of his investigation, that said he did learn that a few of the names on the ledger belonged to members of the various gangs. Something he found out due to the fact that the majority of those members felt like it was a smart idea to leave posts of them doing gang signs, hanging out in gang hideouts, and in some cases flat out doing illegal things. (I¡¯m suddenly feeling really good about having no social media presence.) He¡¯d always thought them a waste of time largely due to the fact that he could just call the few people he enjoyed keeping in contact with. (Well that and Ma was always worried about people tracking us through our social media pages.) Like he was doing right now¡­ (Huh.) Scene Consequences -Skill Revealed: Computers at Lv. 1 (0/4). -Gained ((4D6 = 13) + (Crit D6 = 4) + (Named Target Bonus D6 = 3) = 20) Intel. --- Eventually after running through every name in the ledger -or rather half way through it- his eyes began to sting from focusing on his computer screen for far longer than he had at any other point in his life. And having finally checked every name in the ledger to a minimal amount of success, he let himself turn off the computer. Rubbing at his eyes, he made his way towards his room to check on Pix, who was once more working away at the garden in the hopes of getting it to finish early. (Actually, at the rate she¡¯s going it probably won¡¯t even take a whole week to finish growing.) Which was impressive when one took into account she¡¯d been working at the garden for a little under three weeks, and those particular plants usually took about three months to grow. Sitting on his bed he watched the little fairy work her literal magic to aid the plants in growing, and as he did so he could feel his eyes growing heavy under the peaceful atmosphere, until finally- Scene Interrupt Guardian of Childhood Triggered: Jon refuses to rest until Kenneth is found. ¡°What am I doing?!¡± He groused, catching himself before he could doze off. (Every second I waste is another that Kenneth is separated from his mom.) Ashamed of himself for even considering the possibility of wasting time, he looked around his room -idly noting Pix¡¯s curious gaze- before spotting his spell supplies and remembering the fact that he hadn¡¯t made any spell scripts for him to actually use. To this effort he made his way to his desk and began meticulously drawing out the spell circuit responsible for his Tracker¡¯s Eye spell, figuring that that would be the most valuable script in the short term for helping him find Kenneth. And after finishing the first script, he continued to work away until it was almost midnight and Pix forced him to go to sleep, with two prodding zaps. Scene Consequences -Instead of resting Jon spent 5 MP to make Tracker¡¯s Eye scripts. --3 Tracker¡¯s Eye Scripts have been added to inventory. 21 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (Fifth Night) 21 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (Fifth Night) --- Jon --- It¡¯d been nearly a week since Ms. Valentine¡¯s hospitalization and Kenneth¡¯s kidnapping, and as embarrassing as it was it¡¯d taken him this long to realize, (I have absolutely no idea what Ramirez actually looks like.) In fact it was fully possible that he¡¯d already run into Ramirez at the warehouse he¡¯d raid. (I really hope I didn¡¯t.) So, accepting his admittedly big¡­ screw up, he began going through Ms. Valentine¡¯s social media feed, or at least the posts from a year ago. Back before he and his ma had moved to the city, let alone his ma helping Ms. Valentine get away from Ramirez the first time. Thanks to how far back this was, it took him a fair bit of time to find any postings with Ramirez tagged in them -the part that took him the longest to figure out how to use- but eventually he did manage to find a few pictures of Ramirez. And as luck would have it, the man had a face distinctive enough via a series of tattoos on his neck and a scar through his eyebrow, that Jon was fairly comfortable saying he did not recognize Ramirez as one of the men he¡¯d fought at the Dealer¡¯s warehouse. Unluckily, however he also didn¡¯t recognize Ramirez from any of the social media accounts he¡¯d gone through while going over the warehouse ledger. Even after taking some extra time to do a quick tag search through all of them in search of Ramirez. And even though he did find Ramirez¡¯s own social media account after even more digging, the man hadn¡¯t updated said social media in over a month verifying once and for all that his social media lead was more or less a dead end. (Well, at the very least I know what he looks like now¡­) Scene Consequences -Gained (2D6= 7) Intel. --Current Intel: 97 -Gained 1XP to Computers. --Currently: Lv. 1 (1/4) --- Seeing as his attempts at searching the internet for information had been a series of busts one after another, he instead decided to try his hand at a more physical investigation. Namely scouting out the supply warehouse he¡¯d gotten the address of during his last raid. And as he looked through his binoculars at the scene below, he couldn¡¯t help but be glad he did. ¡°There you are Ramirez¡­¡± The man he¡¯d spent all week looking for was currently in a yelling match with another Dealer, out in the open where several other Dealers were watching as if this was an everyday occurrence. (Which if I¡¯m lucky it is.) He watched the two yell at each other for a few more minutes, until Ramirez screamed one last thing at his fellow Dealer before storming back into the warehouse and out of Jon¡¯s sight. (...) A large part of him was tempted to climb down from the building he was sitting on and raiding the place so that he could find Ramirez and force the dealer to tell him where Kenneth was. Unfortunately, as he continued to look the warehouse over he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle this as an impromptu raid. Largely because of the much larger number of people present within the warehouse, a number he felt safe in believing was matched by even more Dealers inside of said warehouse. (Yeah, that¡¯s¡­ way more than I can handle in a straight fight, even with Pix piecing me back together.) It wasn¡¯t something he wanted to admit, not when he was so close to his goal, but he also wasn¡¯t foolish enough to get himself killed right at the finish line. (If I want to do this I need to do it right.) He told himself, before he caught sight of the Dealer Ramirez had just been yelling at breaking away from the majority of his compatriots. (But that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t get a little more out of this trip.) Scene Consequences -Gained (2D6 = 7) Intel --Current Intel: 104 -Antonio Ramirez¡¯s primary location found. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. --- Anyone who knew anything about interrogations (and isn¡¯t a sadist) could tell you that torture -be it physical or psychological- was not in fact a good way of getting intel out of a target. At least not safely reliable intel. If a person were to be tortured they would give you whatever information it took to make said torture stop, even if it meant lieing and giving the answer their interogators wanted rather than the truth. Of course if a person was feeling particularly spiteful, or was part of an organization smart enough to make contingencies for such an event, then the intel would be false, giving a location that was empty or worse a place that would be fully prepared to defend itself and possibly kill said interrogator. That said, if that was exactly what you were looking for -such as with his previous talk with a Dealer- then the threat of violence was a perfectly acceptable approach. Something De Sade had taken lengths to assure him, after explaining exactly why Rosalind was going to be perfectly safe after her own kidnapping. (¡°After all violence is something men like us are particularly savvy to.¡±) He shook his head, pushing away the memory before he could be dragged down the rabbit hole that was his time with the Devil of Blackwell, and instead turned his attention back to his current target. Given how he wanted actual intel on the Dealer¡¯s warehouse rather than whatever garbage first came to mind -and the fact that he was no longer quite as desperate to find Kenneth and Ramirez, since he now had a solid lead on them- He was (allowed/) encouraged to take a more indirect approach. Which is why he was currently walking up to the Dealer who¡¯d been arguing with Ramirez a few minutes prior, while wearing the outfit he¡¯d used a few days prior while investigating the ledger. ¡°Hey man, need a light?¡± He asked, watching the Dealer struggle to light a cigarette. The Dealer in question gave him a look, before eventually sighing as he put his own lighter away. ¡°Yeah, thanks man.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± He nodded, using his camping lighter for the man¡¯s cigarette. ¡°Hey, uh, if you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­ is that guy always like that?¡± The Dealer gave him another look, before shaking his head as he huffed on his cigarette. ¡°Of course everyone saw that pinche pendejo making an ass out of all of us again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing that happens a lot.¡± He said, offering a sympathetic grimace. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± The Dealer gave him a third look, this one with particularly narrowed eyes. ¡°Which you¡¯d know if you¡¯d been here long¡­ Where you from, ese?¡± ¡°You hear about that warehouse that got hit by that mask a few days ago?¡± He asked, before shaking his head. ¡°The guy I worked under, he uh, transferred me here I guess. Said I couldn¡¯t screw up again with so many eyes on me. Actually my first day here.¡± The Dealer nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Yeah, I heard about that mess. Which mask hit you guys?¡± ¡°Someone new.¡± He offered, needing to keep the conversation going. ¡°Think it was one of those magic guys, because there was this giant glowing wolf and this little fairy thing flying around.¡± ¡°One of those bruja fuckers.¡± The Dealer grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s going to be a pain to deal with, even with Andre hanging around.¡± (Andre?) He wondered, before mentally berating himself. (No, I need to focus on Ramirez and Kenneth for now.) ¡°Yeah, take it from me if the guy hadn¡¯t rubbed it in by healing us afterwards I¡¯d still be hurting.¡± He agreed with a shake of his head. ¡°Dumb shit.¡± The Dealer laughed. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± He nodded, before looking over his shoulder. ¡°But anyway, uh, that guy from before is he uh, going to be a problem while I¡¯m here or¡­¡± ¡°Who Ramirez?¡± The Dealer checked, before shaking his head. ¡°Nah, he¡¯s a pain in the ass. Especially since he and his nino have been staying here, but since he¡¯s sleeping on the couch he¡¯s more an annoyance than anything.¡± ¡°Nino?¡± He repeated, feeling a sense of triumph. ¡°He¡¯s got his kid here?¡± ¡°Yeah, apparently his old lady threw him out of the house or some shit, so he¡¯s sleeping in the warehouse office.¡± The Dealer explained, before scowling. ¡°Honestly, don¡¯t like the idea of a kid staying so close to our business but,¡± The other man shrugged. ¡°Like the idea of a homeless kid even worse.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d leave a bad taste in my mouth too.¡± He agreed, before once more looking over his shoulder. ¡°Ah, think I need to head back. This break is lasting longer than I can get away with, and I¡¯m already in warm water as it is.¡± The Dealer nodded in understanding, putting out his cigarette. ¡°Yeah, about time I get back to mindlessly pacing around for the next four hours¡­ Thought this was why we hired those pinche mad dogs.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± He nodded back, as he started to walk away. ¡°See you around.¡± ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± Making his way away from the man, and even further from the warehouse he began going over what he¡¯d learned. (So, he¡¯s telling people that this is all Ms. Valentine¡¯s fault.) He thought bitterly, before shaking his head. (Well, at the very least I know both he and Kenneth are here.) He took another glance at the warehouse behind him, and again was tempted to just go ahead and raid it now, at least until he saw just how many Dealers were wandering around the lot. (Tomorrow night.) He promised himself. (I¡¯ll spend the day preparing and then tomorrow night, I will get Kenneth back.) Scene Consequences -Gained ((D6 = 6) + (Crit D6 = 6) + (Crit D6 = 2) = 18) Intel. --Current Intel: 122 -Gained ((D6 = 6) + (Crit D6 = 6) + (Crit D6 = 4) =) 16 Heat with Dealers --Dealer Heat upgrade to C-Rank -Gained 1XP to Psych Warfare, and Stealth. --Currently: Psych Warfare Lv. 3 (2/8) and Stealth Lv. 6 (8/14) A/N: Two sets of double crits¡­ I guess since you only wanted 2 of them it¡¯s sort of balanced? Still kind of weird though. 22 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (6th Night) 22 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (6th Night) --- Jon --- Knowing that he was going to be putting himself in danger, he decided the best way to prepare would be to apply a few defensive enchantments to his gear. The first being an enchantment that he was already fairly familiar with, since it was one of the ones Miss Edna had used to teach him about using one¡¯s affinities in their magic, as well as the difference between a primary and secondary affinity. In this case, his affinity for ¡®Defender¡¯ which as an enchantment applied to clothing would increase the protection offered by said clothing, hence why this enchantment was simply referred to as Protection. Admittedly since he was applying this enchantment to his helmet that protection would only come into play if he was to take damage to his head, but he figured in that case he could do with all of the protection he could get. (Honestly, don¡¯t care to find out if Pix can bring me back from that.) Scene Consequences -Helmet gained Enchantment: Protection (D-Rank)- Increases Defense provided by armor by 3. --Helmet Enchant Capacity: (3/9) --Spent 3 MP on this Enchantment. --- His next enchantment was going to be harder than his first for two distinctive reasons. First, since he was using the concept of ¡®Fortify¡¯ for this enchantment, it would be his first time applying this form of magic to an object, meaning there was a higher chance of him screwing it up and getting the wrong enchantment or effect. Though since the concept of ¡®Fortify¡¯ was a derivative of an affinity he was actually fairly familiar with, he at least had a good idea of what the enchantment would do when applied. Namely so long as he timed his movements right, this enchantment would nearly double what defense his jacket provided, both mystical and mundane. (As long as I apply it right anyway.) There was a decent chance to screw up and just fortify the jacket against the weather given its core purpose. Luckily even if that part went wrong it was significantly less dangerous than the second reason this particular enchantment was going to be harder. Since he¡¯d applied as many enchantments as he could to his Jacket, this next one was going to be pushing the limits of how much magic he could actually fit into said jacket at his current skill level. Meaning he was going to have to use a fair amount of willpower to hold back how much magic he put into the enchantment if he wanted to avoid any magical backlash. Which unfortunately he didn¡¯t usually bother with, given how under normal circumstances the more powerful an enchantment was the better. (Then again I don¡¯t think these are normal circumstances for most people¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he began pushing his magic into the spell circuit, dangerous lightning already beginning to dance and cackle within the dark room. Scene Consequences -Jacket gained Enchantment: Fortified Defense (E-Rank)- Block modifier for this item increased by 2 for successful blocks. --Jacket Enchanting Capacity: (9/9) --Spent 2 MP on this Enchantment. --- ¡°You doing alright ma?¡± He asked, noting all of the paperwork on his mother¡¯s desk. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. His ma blinked looking up from her work. ¡°Oh, Jon, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you in a couple of days, just wanted to make sure you were eating.¡± He told her, pointedly putting the lunch he¡¯d packed on the table. ¡°I know how you get when you¡¯re working.¡± ¡°Appreciate it kid, but you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± His ma told him, rubbing at her eyes. ¡°Only problem is I¡¯m not making a whole lot of progress in finding Kenneth.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown at that. ¡°You know you¡¯re not going to be much use to anyone if you run yourself into the ground.¡± For some reason Pix felt the need to punch him through the lining of his backpack. ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m fine.¡± His ma assured him, waving away his concerns. ¡°Have you had lunch yet?¡± He pressed, not feeling the slightest bit of assurance at his mother¡¯s casual disregard for her own health. His ma gave him a dry look before eventually sighing. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Good, because I brought enough for both of us.¡± He told her, knowing she¡¯d pick up the underlying meaning about him not leaving until she¡¯d eaten. His ma rolled her eyes but didn¡¯t protest any further as she led him to the station¡¯s cafeteria. ¡°What exactly ¡®s got you stumped on Kenneth¡¯s disappearance?¡± He asked, as they moved through the station. (After all I found Ramirez in just a week and Ma¡¯s been doing this detective thing for nearly a decade.) Admittedly his methods were mildly illegal, but he had no doubt his ma could pull it off far more efficiently if she went all out. ¡°It¡¯s two fold.¡± His ma frowned. ¡°Since it¡¯s been more than forty-eight hours the station is being stubborn about giving me much assistance with investigating everything, especially since child kidnapping falls outside my usual cases. Then it gets worse because of this mess with the Dealers.¡± ¡°The Dealers?¡± He repeated. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the gang Ms. Valentine¡¯s ex was a part of?¡± ¡°Yeah, but we got a drop off with a bunch of evidence on one of their warehouses.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­ isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± He asked, just a touch confused. ¡°To an extent.¡± His ma admitted. ¡°But it also means the higher ups are going to push for a raid on the Dealers for an easy win, meaning less resources are given to the rest of the station until this mess is dealt with. Which is even worse once you realize whatever mask did this probably already crippled that Dealer base, meaning it won¡¯t do anything beyond making the force look good.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡± He trailed off, frowning as the implications hit him. (I may have messed up a bit¡­) ¡°Yeah,¡± His ma chuckled bitterly. ¡°I hate it when the higher ups choose to look good instead of actually doing good too.¡± --- Having finished lunch with his ma -who he was convinced was once more subsisting off of coffee and spite given how ravenously she¡¯d eaten her food- he started making his way out of the station. And as he replayed part of his conversation with his ma, he couldn¡¯t help but contemplate if it¡¯d be a good idea or not to leave the police a tip about what was going on with the Dealer¡¯s warehouse. (I mean, on the one hand getting the police to investigate tonight will keep the Dealers busy while I find Kenneth, but on the other I¡¯d have to hide from them even more than the Dealers since I can¡¯t just pick a fight with the cops¡­) He had the contact information of half the force thanks to his ma, so leaving a tip wouldn¡¯t be too hard, and given the station¡¯s semi-alert status it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to get the police involved. The only problem was whether getting them involved would help him or hurt him in the long run. (I guess I could just set it up so that they investigate the Dealers in a few days instead, that should take some of the heat off of me after all the trouble I¡¯m going to be stirring up tonight¡­ Though it¡¯s also possible after riling them up, it¡¯ll cause an outright war in the streets between the cops and the Dealers.) Then again since the police were already keeping an eye on the Dealers after all the evidence he¡¯d sent them from the first warehouse, he really shouldn¡¯t be adding any fuel to that fire if he wanted to avoid blood on the streets. (Especially since it ended up slowing ma¡¯s side of the investigation¡­) He grimaced, before shaking his head. (Whatever I¡¯m doing I need to figure it out quick if I want to get back to the warehouse before nightfall.) Scene Choice and Consequences -Scene Choice []-Leave urgent tip for the police, prompting them to engage the Dealers later tonight. [X]-Leave general tip for the police, prompting them to investigate the Dealers warehouse after our mission. []-Leave no tip for the police. -Consequences --Gained (2D6 = 8) Intel --- Having finished his business at the police station and still managing to arrive a couple hours before nightfall, he decided to try getting in one last bout of scouting at the warehouse. While he wasn¡¯t likely to find much of use, at the very least it would give him a better idea of just what he was walking into, as well as a chance to try and plot out how he was going to handle this. (Alright, let¡¯s see what I¡¯m working with.) Scene Consequences -Gained (D6 = 3) Intel. --Currently 129. 22 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (6th Night, 2nd Trail) 22 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (6th Night, 2nd Trail) --- Jon --- After finding out who¡¯d built this particular warehouse, he did a quick series of searches on the internet before eventually scrounging up a copy of the warehouse¡¯s blueprints. Something that he felt would be a fairly decent boon to planning out his assault on said warehouse, even if it wasn¡¯t an exact map of the building. ¡°Okay, according to that Dealer I talked to yesterday Kenneth will be in the warehouse¡¯s office which is located on the second floor here.¡± He began, pointing the office out to Pix before pointing at a location along the building¡¯s outer wall. ¡°Now over here is a power junction box that I can jury rig to blow a few of the building¡¯s breakers, which¡¯ll make it easier to sneak through the building. The thing is that I need a distraction if I want to rig the box proper, and that¡¯s where you come in.¡± The little fairy gave him a curious look. ¡°Given what I saw and heard yesterday, it seems like Ramirez is getting on the nerves of a few of the Dealers that have been stationed here for a while. Meaning that if you were to make a few illusions to spark a fight between him and them, that would make it a lot easier for us to maneuver around without getting caught.¡± He explained. Pix tilted her head to one side and then the other before glowing a bit as she lightly flexed her healing magic. ¡°If all goes well, then I won¡¯t need your healing because I won¡¯t actually be fighting anyone.¡± He assured her. ¡°And if something does happen I can always summon you in an emergency.¡± The little fairy gave him a reluctant nod before bringing up another point as she put her hands over the warehouse and slowly dimmed her glow as she spread them out. ¡°That¡­ could be a problem.¡± He admitted with a grimace, knowing her illusions would drain more power the more people she put under her spell. ¡°How many people do you think you can keep confused for say¡­ fifteen minutes?¡± As much as he regretted it, he wasn¡¯t all too familiar with her limits as far as her illusions went given how back in Blackwell they weren¡¯t very useful with the Corrupted, and at most she used them to play with the few kids who knew about her. Pix seemed to think about it for a moment before raising three fingers while raising and lowering a fourth. (So three maybe four¡­) He thought gnawing on his lip. ¡°Okay, what if you shuffle a few weak illusions between people, rather than the heavy stuff? If you get enough people under maybe they can keep the conflict going themselves. Mass hysteria and all that.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The little fairy gave him a confused look. ¡°Think of it as a sort of crowd mentality, the way a few people think infecting everyone in said crowd.¡± He tried explaining, only vaguely knowing what it was in the first place. Pix thought about it some more before eventually just shrugging. ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯ve never needed to work a crowd before¡­¡± (We¡¯ll need to fix that at some point¡­) ¡°Well in that case let¡¯s take a gamble on... a bunch of shallow illusions, since it doesn''t matter how distracted they are so long as they are distracted.¡± being enough. It might not be ideal, but at the very least it should get a fight going, which is the whole point of this part of the plan.¡± Pix gave him a nod as he looked the blueprints over once more. ¡°I think that¡¯s the last of what we can plan for if we want to get this done tonight.¡± He admitted putting the documents away. ¡°Anything else, we try to plan for will fall apart even faster than what we¡¯ve got. So I¡¯ll largely have to wing it based on how your part of this goes.¡± The little fairy trilled out a response, her voice a mix of sympathy and determination. ¡°Then let¡¯s wait for our moment, and get to work.¡± He nodded back, filling his own determination as something stirred in the depths of his mind. --- Their moment came shortly before sunset in the form of Ramirez leaving the warehouse to do a walk around the main lot and check in with the other Dealers. At which point Pix took off as stealthily as she could to trail after the man in the hopes of dragging him into a fight. Meanwhile Jon took this opportunity to slip on the disguise he¡¯d worn the day previous, knowing that as long as he acted like he belonged where he was at most he¡¯d get asked a question or two that he could pass off with his cover from the day before. And as madness would have it he could hear the sounds of a fight brewing just as he arrived at the junction box he¡¯d pointed out to Pix. (Meaning no one will notice me doing this.) He jammed one of his arrows into the junction box, more specifically one of the few to have a metal head and a wooden body. It took a few moments, and a few more sparks but eventually he managed to do enough damage that what lights he could see through the warehouse flickered off, signalling it as the perfect time for him to infiltrate the building. Knowing it was time to fill in the gaps of his plan, he took a look around the warehouse yard noting that no one was watching the entrance and what little sound he could hear from inside the building were distant enough to not be an immediate threat. As he put his hand on the entrance door, he could feel the thing in his head growling as the beast in his mind stood ready for whatever this night would demand of it on this the last moon of it¡¯s hunt. ¡°Almost done.¡± He told himself, ¡°Just this last bit, and then I can stop.¡± (Until the next hunt at least.) (No,) he shook his head. (This¡¯ll be the last time¡­) He pretended not to hear the mad laughter coming from the shadows of his mind. 22 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (6th Night, 3rd Trail) 22 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (6th Night, 3rd Trail) --- Jon --- ¡°The fuck ¡®s going on with the lights?¡± A nearby Dealer asked, using his phone as a flashlight. ¡°No idea.¡± Another admitted. ¡°Probably blew a breaker or some shit, just need someone to go out and reset the thing.¡± ¡°That something you can do?¡± A third man -one notably bigger than the other two- asked with some curiosity. ¡°It¡¯s just flipping a bunch of switches until the lights kick on.¡± ¡°So are you going to go and¡­ do that?¡± The third pressed in confusion. ¡°Someone else ¡®ll take care of it.¡± The lazy dealer waved away the responsibility. ¡°Lazy fucker.¡± The first scoffed with a laugh. (Well, at the very least that works in my favor.) Jon thought to himself as creeped through the shadows, purposely avoiding the beams of light being cast around by the various phones of the dealers. Unlike the previous warehouse he cleared out this one was filled with almost three times as many Dealers, having apparently been left on high alert after both his actions at said warehouse as well as whatever pressure the police had been applying the last few days. (If they were smart they¡¯d slow things down, and thin out their operations rather than bunkering down like this.) It was a waste of manpower that could be spent elsewhere, especially since he was pretty sure some of these guards were hired muscle from the Mad Dogs. (Either way, I¡¯m glad I talked Pix into ensnaring as many people as she can.) The illusions probably wouldn¡¯t hold as long as he¡¯d prefer, but at the very least the number of guards he had to sneak past had been significantly reduced, and he was much less worried about being seen on his way out of the warehouse. (Shame, we had to use Ramirez as bait to gather all of them though.) He¡¯d been hoping on being able to do something to Ms. Valentine¡¯s abusive ex, but from the looks of it he¡¯d have to wait until he was leaving if he was going to get an opportunity to do anything to the man. Unfortunately the majority of the men who¡¯d shown no interest in whatever fight Pix had instigated, were also the ones who¡¯d decided to stick with whatever groups they were already a part of. And while confident in his own skills, he also knew he lacked the skills necessary to take down multiple targets at once -(something else I¡¯ll have to work on)- which meant he wasn¡¯t able to thin the herd as much as he wanted in case something happened. (Probably for the best since I don¡¯t have Pix to make sure I don¡¯t cripple anyone.) As was he was finding it significantly more difficult to silently choke out the man in his arms, than if he¡¯d simply knocked them out with a solid blow to the back of the head, and even then he might be causing a fair amount of larynx damage with all of the man¡¯s struggling. ¡°This would be easier for both of us if you just went to sleep.¡± He told the man, after all (playing dead would be much better for getting the upper hand. As well as far less damaging than all of this pointless struggling.) ¡°Really you¡¯re only hurting yourself here.¡± He was starting to get worried about how self-destructive this behaviour was. Eventually after another minute of struggling, the Dealer¡¯s efforts slowly began to taper off until he went limp. (On this front Corrupted are definitely the easier enemy.) He decided, hiding the Dealer¡¯s body on one of the nearby shelves. He much preferred dealing with the malicious monstrosities, to regular people when it came to stealth tactics. (I mean, with them it¡¯s a quick stab and they''re down quietly, but with humans it just takes so long to knock them out without hurting them.) The fact that Pix¡¯s healing let him expedite the process was something he wasn¡¯t ever going to take for granted again. (In fact when I¡¯m baking the Valentines¡¯ a celebration cake, I¡¯m going to bake her her own thank you cake.) (Wait, I¡¯m distracting myself again.) He¡¯d gotten bad about doing that during his more drawn out conflicts, not wanting to think about everything he was doing in said conflicts, and how he¡¯d let himself degenerate to the point where blood and violence were the only solutions on hand and- If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He shook his head with a growl, forcing the existential dread back into the darkness of his mind as something else took its place. (I need to stay focused, at least until I get Kenneth out of here.) With his task once more confirmed he checked his mental map before taking the turn that would lead him up to the second floor of the warehouse, before traversing up the stairs as silently as he could up the metal steps. (Just a little further.) He told himself, knowing the second floor walkways were just about empty given how thanks to the fact that they had so many guards on duty, very few of them were actually taking the job seriously despite the alert from their higher ups. Instead choosing to cluster together in groups on the first floor to try and stave off their boredom. Well save the three Dealers that were playing around by shining their phones on the guards below as if it were a spotlight. Shaking his head at the behaviour he used the walkways to cover the last bit of distance between himself and the office, before pausing. He knew that Kenneth was more than likely in this room, but at the same time he also knew that it was fully possible that the toddler wasn¡¯t alone in said room. Which is why instead of just rushing into the room, he opened it as slowly and cautiously as possible, a throwing knife ready in hand just in case he had to take a quick shot at whatever Dealer stood between him and Kenneth. Seeing that the room was empty, he couldn¡¯t help but frown even as he slid his knife back into its holster. (Where¡¯s Kenneth?) Knowing that he was more or less alone, he clicked on his Tracking Light and slowly went over the room for any trace of the missing toddler. His eyes drifted to a nearby table with paper, crayons, and a sippy cup before moving on to the blanket and pillow tugged off of the couch, and finally landing on the chair that had been pushed away from the office¡¯s main desk. ¡°Kenneth.¡± He called making his way to the desk. Once behind it he pushed the chair further back before crouching down and finding a cowering little blanket bundled up. ¡°It¡¯s okay little one, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.¡± He tried to assure the child with as gentle a voice as he could manage. He reached out with one hand and the bundle flinched away, causing a pang to rip through his heart. Realizing how intimidating he must be with his helmet on, he slid it off and shifted the light so that Kenneth could see his face. ¡°Hey now, there¡¯s no need for that little guy. It¡¯s me Jon, you remember me?¡± The bundle shifted until part of Kenneth¡¯s face could be seen. ¡°Jon?¡± He gave the toddler a soft smile. ¡°Hey, little guy it¡¯s been a while, huh?¡± ¡°Jon!¡± Kenneth cried before tackling him. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright soon enough, Kenneth.¡± He promised, wrapping an arm around the crying child. ¡°I¡¯m here to take you to your mommy, would you like that?¡± Kenneth nodded. ¡°Uh-huh. I-is m-mommy okay?¡± ¡°She cut herself real bad,¡± He admitted, not quite sure how much Kenneth had seen when his father took him. ¡°But she¡¯s going to be just fine, just as soon as she sees you.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°Uh-huh. You know how when you¡¯re hurt and you¡¯ve got a boo-boo, but your mommy kisses it, and it feels all better?¡± He asked, getting a nod from the toddler. ¡°It¡¯s just like that. As soon as you¡¯re with your mommy she¡¯ll be all better.¡± ¡°Can we go to my mommy?¡± Kenneth asked tearfully. ¡°I want her to feel better.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He nodded. ¡°But daddy said that-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just have to have a talk with your daddy then.¡± He cut the child off, using all of his power to keep any of his sudden rage from touching Kenneth in any way. ¡°O-okay.¡± Kenneth sniffed, burying his face into Jon¡¯s side. He picked Kenneth up and put the toddler on his hip, before actually looking around the room and finding himself unable to keep a frown off of his face as he realized the other contents of the room. Namely the fair amount of money and drugs the Dealers had left sitting around the office, (with a child!) After leashing his¡­ issues with the room¡¯s contents, he began considering what to do with all of it. He was fully aware that the smart decision was to leave the money and the drugs, grab Kenneth, and get as far away from the Dealer Warehouse as physically possible. But at the same time he also knew that Ms. Valentine was going to be in a tough spot financially due to both her hospitalization and the fact that she¡¯d be out of work until she¡¯d fully healed. So even if he didn¡¯t need the money, it would still go a long way to helping Ms. Valentine, a way that would go even further if he took the drugs as well. While he himself couldn¡¯t do much with them, he knew that both De Sade and quartermaster Rogers likely had contacts that could make use of the supply. Sure they¡¯d each demand their own kind of tithe or favor in exchange, but he was sure whatever he¡¯d be left with would be at least equal to the amount of money sitting in the room. Of course, leaving the drugs would give the police evidence of what the Dealers were doing in the Warehouse so long as they hit before said gang moved out after this little assault. And he was sure the presence of all this cash could further expedite things if he left it here as well. (Then again I could just burn it all.) He thought bitterly, since he was fairly certain that would make a more than suitable exit distraction for the Dealers even if it would wreck a fair portion of whatever case the police tried to make against this warehouse. ¡°Jon?¡± Kenneth asked, reminding him just how long he¡¯d been standing there without moving. ¡°It¡¯s alright little one.¡± He promised, holding the child just a little closer. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you get back to your mommy, I just need to figure something out real quick.¡± 22 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (6th Night, 4th Trail) 22 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (6th Night, 4th Trail) --- Jon --- He shook his head. (No. I can¡¯t afford to get greedy, not while I¡¯ve got Kenneth with me. Speaking of¡­) He glanced down at where he¡¯d set his helmet, before taking his scarf off and wrapping it around the toddler. ¡°It¡¯s dark out so this should help keep you nice safe and warm, alright?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Kenneth mumbled, accepting being swaddled in the too big for him scarf. ¡°You want to wear the helmet too?¡± He asked, knowing that while he¡¯d brought the helmet and scarf to keep himself safe in case something happened, keeping Kenneth safe in the same situation was a higher priority. (Especially since I can walk off a little pain until Pix can patch me up.) Kenneth stared at the helmet for a moment, before nodding with a decisive. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Okay, here you go.¡± He slid the helmet onto Kenneth¡¯s head, before tucking some of the scarf in to make up for how huge the helmet was on the toddler. (Not as good as I¡¯d like, but still better than nothing.) He decided, once he had Kenneth properly bundled up. ¡°Now that you¡¯re safe let¡¯s get going.¡± Kenneth nodded again, causing the oversized helmet to bob a little. (Alright, now I just got to get us out of here.) He told himself, as he quietly opened the office door before stepping back into the darkness of the warehouse. Or rather he would¡¯ve been stepping into the darkness if the lights hadn¡¯t chosen that moment to flicker back on. (Thought I did more damage than that.) He grimaced, his eyes adjusting to the sudden light. (Guess they could¡¯ve just left the damaged breaker off, and turned on the rest after a bit of trial and error.) Shaking his head, he adjusted his grip on Kenneth and started making his way for the stairs, hoping no one would stop him so long as he didn¡¯t stand out too much. (Though carrying a kid with me probably isn¡¯t helping on that front¡­) He counted himself fortunate when the few guards on the walkways barely gave him a second glance. He considered himself much less so when he heard heavy steps slowly coming up the stairwell. Biting his lip, his eyes darted to the guards who were eyeing him a little more curiously now that he was standing still in front of the stairs. (If it comes down to it I¡¯m just going to have to try and talk my way out of this if I want to avoid a fight with Kenneth in my arms.) With this in mind he stepped to the side so that whoever was coming up the stairs in the hopes that they¡¯d simply continue on their way without any questions. Of course any excuses he¡¯d managed to come up with immediately fled him as he caught sight of just who was coming up the stairs, or rather what. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. At first glance the being in front of him was merely a large man in a hoodie standing at nearly twice his size, a concerning fact when it hit Jon that he barely came up to the man¡¯s chest. Second glance however would lead one to realize that the man¡¯s skin was an almost yellow-ish brown leather, his nose was relatively flat against his face, his eyes were solid yellow save two black pupils, and lastly that his teeth were closer to that of a reptile than a human. ¡°You done staring at my ugly mug yet?¡± The giant asked with a surprisingly smooth voice. ¡°A picture ¡®ll last ya longer.¡± ¡°S-sorry¡­¡± He apologized, earning a grunt from the giant. ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you around here before.¡± The giant admitted, taking a step forward and in turn forcing Jon to take a step back. ¡°I¡¯m uh, there¡¯s this, this warehouse that was hit by a mask. I was there.¡± He repeated his cover, cursing himself for how shakily it had come out. ¡°Some of the people there, they were transferred here.¡± ¡°Heard about that.¡± The giant admitted, its eyes drifting towards Kenneth. ¡°That doesn¡¯t say where you¡¯re taking the kid.¡± ¡°When the lights went out I uh, I remembered there was a kid up here figured he¡¯d be scared all on his own.¡± He tried explaining, coming up with a half-truth. ¡°Figured I could take him to his ¡®rent to calm him down.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± The giant nodded, crossing his arms over his broad chest. ¡°Know where to find him?¡± ¡°Um, I think I saw Ramirez heading outside a little while ago.¡± He answered, not sure if the fact that Pix should still have the Dealers outside fighting would help him or hurt him at the moment. The giant gave him another nod, before glancing at Kenneth once more. ¡°You know I gotta ask, what¡¯s with the helmet?¡± ¡°I¡­ He was scared all alone, so I gave him my bike helmet.¡± He admitted, before leaning forward to whisper. ¡°I think playing superhero makes him feel safe.¡± The giant smirked before giving a huff of amusement at that, and Jon had to fight his every instinct to pull a knife as the giant rubbed the top of the helmet, much like some would tussle a child¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯m sure it does.¡± He barely managed to hide his relief when the giant pulled his hand away from Kenneth without doing anything else. ¡°People around here call me Andre.¡± The giant introduced himself. ¡°Right, yeah. Heard about you, just wasn¡¯t¡­¡± He grimaced realizing what he was about to say. The giant gave another huff of amusement. ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting me to be so big?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± He admitted. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to-¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to it.¡± Andre told him, waving away his concerns. ¡°Being the only non-human around I get a lot of looks.¡± ¡°Still¡­ that¡¯s not right.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown, knowing just what kind of discrimination Andre probably suffered in the Dealers. ¡°Not as bad as most think, just the new guys who can¡¯t help but stare.¡± Andre assured him, his face seeming to appreciate the fact that Jon was at least trying to be considerate. ¡°Again, I¡¯m sorry and-¡± ¡°Jon.¡± Kenneth called tugging on his jacket. ¡°When are we going to mo-¡± ¡°Your daddy is just downstairs.¡± He cut the toddler off, just keeping himself from cringing at the use of his own name, let alone Kenneth mentioning his mom. ¡°Sorry. I just need you to be a little patient kiddo.¡± ¡°Right, guess I am holding you up.¡± Andre chuckled before stepping to the side. ¡°Go on ahead.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Jon nodded in appreciation, as he started forward. ¡°And sorry about the¡­ everything.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Andre waved him off again. ¡°Just take the tyke before he gets any more impatient.¡± And once more he found himself nodding at the giant as he moved to take the stairs. ¡°Oh, but before I forget.¡± Andre stopped him before he could actually pass. ¡°Mind explaining why I didn¡¯t see you when I was introduced to all of the new guys last night.¡± His heart stopped, and he forced himself to remain calm even as he truthfully answered that, ¡°I had to leave early last night, but the other guys saw me around if you ask a bit.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Andre sighed after a moment. ¡°And was just thinking you seemed like such a nice guy too.¡± He felt his arms empty as with surprising deftness the giant plucked Kenneth away with a single hand, before grabbing Jon with the other and throwing him off of the walkway. 22 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (6th Night, 5th Trail) 22 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (6th Night, 5th Trail) --- Jon --- He hit the ground hard and at an angle that sent a searing pain through his shoulder. ¡°Ow, not again¡­¡± He hated dislocating his shoulder, especially since the stinging and soreness tended to stick around until Pix mended it for him. A weighty thump fell a few meters away from him and he found his attention being drawn to the giant who¡¯d thrown him in the first place. ¡°Look alive boys, we¡¯ve got an intruder in the base.¡± Andre called, gaining the attention of all of the nearby Dealers. (That¡¯s not good¡­) He grabbed his arm and gave it both a twist and a pull, sending a second knife of pain through his shoulder as he relocated it. ¡°Oof, that¡¯s gotta sting.¡± The giant laughed with a clap of his hands, before bumping a fist against his shoulder. ¡°Glad the ol¡¯ Orkin Hide keeps that from happening to me.¡± ¡°Lucky.¡± He agreed, his mind a little frazzled from both his impact and his arm. Not that that stopped him from taking notice of the dozen or so Dealers that were boxing him in on all sides. (Let¡¯s try to even those numbers a bit.) He raised a hand into the air, pulling magic through his amulet and into the mark on his back, before slamming his palm into the ground and pulling as summoned Wolf in front of him. His canine companion took one look around the room before immediately going on guard. ¡°Oh-ho, a Contractor.¡± The giant grinned. ¡°Going to get the pup there to fight your battles for you mage-y.¡± ¡°Think you and your doubles can keep the grunts off my back?¡± He asked Wolf, knowing that odds are he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle that many people going after him. Wolf eyed the guard, slowly encircling them before nodding once. ¡°Good then on my mark.¡± He told her, eyeing the giant and weighing his odds against an unknown species of magical creature. Despite Blackwell being home to a rather large magical forest as well as a nexus to a number of rifts and bleeds, he hadn¡¯t actually picked up all that much experience with magical beings outside of fairies like Pix and the numerous forms of Corrupted. Largely due to the later forcing all other magical beings into hiding as they took over the forest and corrupted anything they could get their hands on. Which is why the only thing he could figure out about the giant in front of him was the fact that Andre was physically stronger than him and would likely break something if the giant managed to land a blow. (On the other hand he¡¯s a bit bulkier than most, so maybe I can outpace him at the very least¡­) ¡°Alright, count of three.¡± He murmured just loud enough for Wolf to hear as he drew one of his knives. Wolf gave him another odd as she shifted her stance ever so slightly. ¡°One¡­¡± He swallowed, a familiar feeling clawing at the back of his mind. The guards around him closed ranks, the only real gap being between them and the giant in front of him. ¡°Two¡­¡± He crouched ever so slightly so as to better prepare for the initial rush. Wolf subtly began to inhale. ¡°Three!¡± He called sprinting forward as Wolf unleashed a howl, summoning two more glowing wolves as the primal sound echoed throughout the warehouse. ¡°Heh-heh-ha! Straight for the boss!¡± Andre laughed, spreading his legs to better grapple with. ¡°Right on ya, brother!¡± As Jon neared Andre, he readied his knife before dropping to the ground and sliding along the smooth concrete between the giant¡¯s legs. A quick stab to the giant¡¯s elephant-esque ankle failed to break skin like he hoped, but still gave him enough leverage to throw himself back onto his feet so that he could run up the stairs just behind the giant and back up to the warehouse¡¯s second floor. ¡°Wha- Where the hell are you going?!¡± He heard Andre yell in a dumbfounded tone, as if he couldn¡¯t begin to understand why Jon would refuse to fight someone who could easily break him in one or two blows. Deciding there was no reason to answer he quickly made his way back to the place Andre had thrown him from, and found Kenneth struggling to get out of the scarf Jon had wrapped him in. ¡°Sorry about that little guy.¡± He apologized, picking the toddler up. ¡°If they¡¯re going to be so rude about this we should probably just leave.¡± Kenneth gave him a disgruntled nod, as Jon cast a quick glance to the floor below where Wolf and her doubles were creating a veritable storm of chaos as her winds lashed around her with enough force that he had no problem paying for the fairly large drain he could feel on his reserves. ¡°Fucking- Somebody shoot that fucking coward of an Arcane!¡± Andre screamed his face twisting in rage. ¡°Hey!¡± Jon cried meeting the giant¡¯s murderous eyes. ¡°Language, there¡¯s a child present.¡± A gunshot barked through the warehouse flying just a short distance from him and reminding him that even if Wolf could handle the guards by herself, he probably shouldn¡¯t make himself an easy target. Moving once more he found himself quickly cut off as the three Dealers who¡¯d been on the walkway managed to get in front of him. (Not that that¡¯s a real obstacle in this situation.) ¡°Kenneth I need you to close your eyes for a moment, okay?¡± The toddler gave him a nod, and while he couldn¡¯t be sure thanks to the helmet he decided to go ahead and trust that Kenneth had closed his eyes, after all he was a good kid. (And since I no longer have an impressionable young child watching me¡­) He cracked his neck before focusing on the Dealers in front of him. (Distract, disable, decimate.) He threw his knife towards the Dealer in the middle of the trio as he rushed forward, before kneeing the closest in the crotch, stepping around him, grabbing him by the back of the shirt, and throwing him over the railing behind Jon. Green eyes glanced towards the remaining two Dealers as the third took a step forward knife in hand. (Yeah, no.) A quick punch and pull to the second, let him drive the knife he¡¯d thrown deeper before ripping it out as he shoved the bleeding dealer into the railing with a shoulder tackle, so that he could take the step necessary to stab the third in the side. With the third suddenly more concerned with the knife, Jon was free to spin on his heel and throw out an uppercut before grabbing the second Dealer by his belt and lifting him that last little bit needed to send him toppling over the railing. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. That taken care of, he walked past the third Dealer, taking but a moment to reclaim his knife before stomping the man¡¯s knee and sending a back-swinging elbow into his temple knocking him out as his head hit the railing and leaving Jon free to continue on. ¡°Oh, come on why couldn¡¯t you fight me like that!¡± Andre cried from the floor below. (As big as he is, I don¡¯t think I could have thrown him over the railing.) He thought with some confusion, wondering why Andre seemed to think he could¡¯ve despite their size differences. Shaking his head, he took another glance towards Wolf as kept moving, noting how she was starting to lag after taking down the first half of the Dealers. (I¡¯ll have to dismiss here as soon as I¡¯m out of here.) He wouldn¡¯t risk her getting hurt just to keep up an already successful distraction. With that thought in mind he continued across the walkway, mindful of the occasional flurry of gunshots that would be fired at either him or Wolf as well as the fact that regardless of target he was unable to suppress the instinct to flinch with each one. (At least with the Corrupted, the few that could use guns were slow firing.) They may¡¯ve been strong enough to rip through flesh and stone alike, but he at least had few seconds to breathe between each shot. (Unlike now¡­) Eventually he managed to make his way to a very specific part of the second floor walkway, namely the section right above the warehouse entrance. He¡¯d been hoping to avoid this exit strategy, but given how he could see Dealers by both stairwells, as well as Andre trying to make his way between the warehouse aisles, he figured this was probably the easiest way of doing this. ¡°Alright, Kenneth I¡¯m going to need you to hold on tight for a minute, okay?¡± While Kenneth didn¡¯t give a verbal response, he could feel the shaking toddler clinging just a little harder to him. (Here¡¯s hoping this doesn¡¯t hurt too much.) He sighed before steeling himself and swinging over the ledge. Due to the fact that he was carrying Kenneth he wasn¡¯t able to roll into the landing the way he normally would, or even to the ledge for a moment to decrease his fall by a few feet. Though given how he¡¯d fallen from thrice this height before, he was grateful that he only had to fall a single storey as well as the fact that since he was throwing himself he could actually control his landing enough to not dislocate his already damaged shoulder. ¡°Okay, out the door, through the yard, and we¡¯re home free.¡± He told himself as much as Kenneth, hoping there was enough distance between him and Andre that the giant couldn¡¯t catch him before he got away. Stepping out of the warehouse and into the yard, he took a quick moment to try and take in the situation. From what he could see Pix had done a decent job of starting a fight between the various Dealers, given how a handful of them were lying on the ground and a few others were looking a little worse for wear. Unfortunately however, whatever fight they¡¯d been having seemed to have passed for the most part as the rest were drifting around just looking for something to take their remaining agitation out on. (Such as me, if Andre gets out here before I leave.) Not willing to risk getting caught, he curved around the outer perimeter of the yard while keeping an eye out for Ramirez. (Where is he, where is he, where is- There!) His eyes locked onto the man nursing a blackeye against one of the warehouse walls, and he felt the thing in his head growl hungrily. (He¡¯s right there, but can I¡­) He glanced around the yard, taking note of the agitated but worn Dealers all around. (No not from here¡­) Instead of taking the direct approach and finding himself surrounded by Dealers with nowhere to run, he decided on a more¡­ indirect approach as he smuggled Kenneth out of the yard as quickly as he could. From the warehouse yard he heard a loud grinding that likely signaled the warehouse''s shipping door slamming open, given how Andre was probably too big to fit through the personnel entrance he¡¯d escaped through. He knew the smart decision was to turn back towards the hospital and start moving to put as much distance between himself and the warehouse as possible, but given how he still had something to take care of he instead made his way to the building he¡¯d used to scout the warehouse. Taking a moment to dismiss Wolf back to wherever he summoned her from, he shifted Kenneth in his arms before climbing up the fire escape and setting Kenneth down on the roof top. ¡°Jon?¡± The toddler asked with a faint sniffle, still shaking a bit from all of the noise and excitement. ¡°It¡¯s okay Kenneth. I¡¯ve just got one last thing to do and then we¡¯ll go to your mommy.¡± He assured the toddler, pulling his bow out of his backpack and notching a single arrow. Looking down at the yard across the street, he found Andre yelling at the other Dealers, likely chastising them for fighting while there was an intruder in their midsts. (Speaking of.) His eyes looked through the darkening night sky searching for something specific before eventually finding a faint glow drifting towards him slowly. (Slow as she¡¯s going she must¡¯ve pushed her magic to the limit.) He was going to have to remember to do something nice to thank her for all of her hard work. (At least if she¡¯s safe then that means I can do this without worry.) Turning back to the warehouse yard, he pulled back on the arrow until the bow string was taut and aimed at a very specific target. (What¡¯s the saying, ¡®one shot, one kill¡¯?) He chuckled bitterly. ¡°Jon?¡± His heart stopped, and his gaze snapped to the toddler next to him, his reflection showing him exactly what the toddler was looking at. The toddler whose father he was aiming an arrow at. The toddler whose father he was about to kill. The toddler who was about to watch him kill his father. (Oh god.) His hand slipped and the arrow went wide hitting somewhere away from the crowd of Dealers below as he fell to his knees and began to heave. (Oh god, I was about to¡­ to¡­) He heaved again. ¡°Jon?¡± Kenneth asked tugging at the helmet. (W-why, how could I?) (Because Ramirez is a threat to Ms. Valentine and Kenneth.) A darker part of him answered. (So long as he¡¯s around they¡¯re in danger.) (But, but I-I can¡¯t just kill a man in cold blood!) (Why not? I¡¯ve already killed before.) (But that was different, if I didn¡¯t Rosalind would¡¯ve-) (And would happen to Kenneth if I left Ramirez alone?) (R-Ramirez isn¡¯t stupid enough to try this twice!) (How can I be sure? How can I know he won¡¯t ever hurt Kenneth again?) His eyes drifted to the bow in his hand as a cold sweat began to cover his skin. (No, no, no. No! I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t need to, to¡­) (Then Kenneth will never be safe will he?) (But I can¡¯t, I, I¡­ Not in front of.) A mad laugh filled his mind, as he realized something horrible. (I¡¯d really kill him if Kenneth wasn¡¯t watching, wouldn¡¯t I?) This time he vomited. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how much time passed his mind going in circles as he realized just how horrible of a person he really was. (I¡¯m not safe, I shouldn¡¯t be here, I shouldn¡¯t be anywhere near anyone I can hurt, I shouldn¡¯t-) A small hand touched his face, and his eyes jumped to Pix¡¯s concerned face as he snapped out of his spiral. (W-what just happened?) He wondered, trying to understand what just happened to him even though he could only remember a few bits and pieces despite just having those thoughts. ¡°Jon¡­¡± Kenneth called. ¡°Y-yeah?¡± He asked, hating how shaky he must sound to the child depending on him. ¡°You have an ouchie.¡± The toddler told him. ¡°An ouchie?¡± He repeated, before feeling something warm and damp on his lip. Something he was disturbingly used to after everything in Blackwell. He felt like dry heaving again, but forced it back as he wiped the blood out from under his nose. ¡°P-Pix you, you mind?¡± The little fairy let out a sad trilling sound. ¡°Right¡­ I¡­¡± He frowned before pushing his magic into his contractor¡¯s mark with Pix. There was a subtle flash of light around Pix as he summoned her and connected his magic supply to her own. She let out another sad trill before circling around him and healing the few injuries he¡¯d picked up through the night. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s get you back to your¡­ your mommy.¡± He told Kenneth, as he wiped his nose once more and forced himself onto his feet. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Kenneth nodded, sounding a cruel mix of scared and worried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ you¡¯ll be safe soon.¡± He promised, picking the toddler up before holding him close. Whether to comfort himself or the toddler he couldn¡¯t tell. 22 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (Final Night, Trail End) 22 Moons- Hunt For The Stolen Child (Final Night, Trail End) --- Jon --- Technically speaking, now that he had Kenneth with him, the best thing to do would be to drop him off at a police station and let them take things over from there. After all they were the professionals, and could tie up any loose ends he might¡¯ve left in his wake. Morally speaking, now that he had Kenneth with him, the best thing to do would be to drop him off at the hospital Ms. Valentine was staying at. After all he¡¯d promised to take the toddler to his mommy, and didn¡¯t want the mother and child to spend one more moment apart than they had to. Which is why he was going through the effort of slipping through the hospital without being seen. A task made somewhat difficult by the fact that by the time he made it to the hospital Ms. Valentine was staying at, visiting hours were long over. Making it so that he had to find one of the less than standard entrances and slip in, while having Pix use what magic he still had to hide them from the various cameras throughout the hospital. A strategy that given her own skill level and the fact they were working around machines, meant that the anomaly would be detected when the police went over the footage to find out how Kenneth got into the hospital the next day. (But by then I¡¯ll be long gone.) Ducking past the nurses station, where a single nurse (who is clearly over worked) was shifting through paperwork, he finally made it to Ms. Valentine¡¯s room. ¡°Alright, Kenneth, mommy is right through this door.¡± He told the toddler, who¡¯d been remarkably quiet as they broke into the hospital. ¡°Mommy?¡± Kenneth asked, beginning to squirm as Jon removed his scarf from around the toddler. ¡°Uh-huh, but it looks like she¡¯s sleeping right now.¡± He warned, wrapping the scarf around the helmet he¡¯d taken back on the way to the hospital. ¡°But I also know she¡¯s been missing you all week, so here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. I¡¯m going to pull up a chair right next to your mommy, and then you can lay down right next to her, that way you¡¯ll be here right when she wakes up, okay?¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Okay.¡± The toddler nodded, being too sweet to wake up his tired mother. ¡°Good.¡± Jon smiled, slipping into the room as quietly as he could. ¡°Pix.¡± He whispered, jostling his backpack to rouse the exhausted fairy. ¡°You mind helping Kenneth get to sleep?¡± The little fairy looked at him and then the toddler he was setting down in a chair, before nodding once as she began pulling on the last dregs of his magic to send a faintly glowing cloud towards the toddler. And given how exhausted he already was it didn¡¯t even take a full minute for Kenneth to fall asleep where he sat. ¡°Good¡­¡± He sighed in relief. ¡°Think you can give him a few dreams to help cover this whole mess up too?¡± Pix bit her lip for a moment before giving him a ¡®maybe?¡¯ sort of shrug. ¡°Then do what you can, before patching up Ms. Valentine that last little bit.¡± He told the little fairy, running a finger between her antenna. While Pix did that he took a step back before slinging off his backpack. Back before he left his apartment to take care of everything he¡¯d filled his backpack with some of the money he¡¯d had laying around from Blackwell and his previous run through a Dealer warehouse. The idea being that given how much he had, he could give a portion of it to Ms. Valentine to try and help with her hospital bills. Something he knew could devastate her finances thanks to his ma¡¯s frequent complaints about how some victims ended up getting hurt twice over because not only were they injured, but they also had to pay for a predatory healthcare system on top of it. He also knew that was the exact reason his ma brought home less money than she actually made, due to her habit of making anonymous donations to try and help with said bills, a secret he was happy to help his ma keep. And while he was sure his ma would happily help Ms. Valentine with any hospital bills she developed from this whole mess, he was also aware of the five grand he was sitting on hiding inside his closet. Five grand that could very easily fit into an ever so slight legal loophole about money left behind by Masks to the victims they helped. (One I have no problem exploiting.) With that settled, he turned back to Pix just as she finished healing Ms. Valentine of whatever injuries she still had from the week prior. ¡°Alright¡­ Let¡¯s get out of here Pix.¡± He didn¡¯t need to be here when the Valentines were reunited. As long as they were together, that was good enough for him. 23 Suns 23 Suns --- Jon --- Getting out of bed after everything, he rolled his shoulders, before audibly cracking his neck. (Last night was a long night, but we did good work.) He told himself with a satisfied grin, before letting his attention drift towards Pix who had passed out on his pillow the night before. (Speaking of I should do something to thank her¡­ and Wolf too.) Nodding to himself he stood up and made his way towards the kitchen, while taking what little magic his amulet had managed to regather and pushing it into the contractor¡¯s mark on his back. After a moment the familiar cool warmth spread out of his back and down his arm as summoned Wolf next to him, earning a curious look from Brutus as the old dog sat up from his bed next to the couch. ¡°It¡¯s fine Brutus, it¡¯s just Wolf, you remember her from a couple weeks ago right?¡± He asked as he pet the greying german shepherd, earning a few licks to his hands before Brutus settled back down. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± He apologized as Wolf watched him curiously. ¡°The old dog tends to get a bit protective around others.¡± Wolf gave him a nod of understanding as she followed him into the kitchen. ¡°So anyway, I just wanted to ask you how you were doing after everything last night?¡± He explained, washing his hands so he could cook breakfast for all of them. ¡°Since you were working distraction, and I was just about out of magic after healing Ms. Valentine, I didn¡¯t get a chance to make sure you were alright after leaving the warehouse.¡± Wolf seemed to puff up a bit and gave several canine sounds that he interpreted as her being alright and rather proud of herself as well for her efforts the evening prior. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think I would¡¯ve gotten out of there in one piece without you.¡± He admitted, putting a pan on the stove top before pulling out the eggs and some fruit. (I mean Pix could¡¯ve pieced me back together afterwards, but I¡¯d still have probably been in more than a few by then.) ¡°So thanks for all of your help with this whole mess.¡± Wolf wagged her tail a bit before bumping her head against his leg in a ¡®happy to help¡¯ kind of way. ¡°Still¡­¡± He smiled before shaking his head. ¡°You have breakfast yet, wherever I¡¯m summoning you from?¡± His canine companion seemed to think about it for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°Well, I¡¯m making some eggs and some other stuff for Pix, you want any?¡± --- ¡°Alright, you little glutton it¡¯s time to get up.¡± He told Pix, giving her a couple of pokes in the side at which point the little fairy simply rolled over and tugged her baby blanket over her head. Rolling his eyes he gave the lazy fairy another poke. ¡°No, Pix, sleeping time is over.¡± Getting annoyed with him, the little fairy stuck a hand out from under her blanket before blindly zapping in the general direction of his voice. ¡°Ah, fine if you want to sleep then I¡¯ll let you sleep.¡± He promised the little fairy, before smirking. ¡°Though I guess that just means more breakfast for me and Wolf.¡± Pix uncovered her head and openly glared at him. ¡°What you¡¯re the one who was saying she didn¡¯t want any of the four different kinds of muffin, fruits, or snack cakes I¡¯ve got.¡± He reminded the little fairy. ¡°Oh and let¡¯s not forget those three different flavors of milk all ready for someone to drink this morning.¡± Pix threw her blanket off before flying out of the room as fast as she could, pausing only to give him another low power zap merely causing him to laugh rather than causing any pain. Shaking his head he followed Pix into the kitchen where Wolf was waiting on the two of them, before starting to make plates for his two magical companions as well as his family¡¯s canine companion. Setting the plates down in front of everyone at the various places they¡¯d ended up sitting down or laying as they waited he couldn¡¯t help but pause as he gave Pix and Wolf their plates. ¡°I know I¡¯ve already said it to both of you at this point, but I just, I just want to thank the two of you one last time for all of the help you¡¯ve given me with this whole thing with the Valentines. I couldn¡¯t have done this without you, so¡­ Thank you.¡± Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Pix and Wolf. --- Walking through the hospital he found that while the ¡®hidden¡¯ path was more scenic in a way, the path that visitors were expected to take was significantly faster and easier to move through than the one he¡¯d taken the night prior. Of course this lasted until he was actually on Ms. Valentine¡¯s floor, where a pair of police officers decided to ask him why he was there and if he¡¯d seen anything suspicious. (I probably should¡¯ve expected that the police would be interested in the fact that Kenneth showed up here in the middle of the night.) He admitted to himself at the very least. ¡°Jon.¡± His ma greeted, before turning to one of the officers blocking him. ¡°Let him through he¡¯s my son, and a friend of the Valentines.¡± ¡°Y-yes ma¡¯am.¡± The officer nodded, shaking ever so slightly as his partner practically threw himself out of Jon¡¯s way. (I guess those muffins really didn¡¯t do much to help my ma¡¯s reputation.) He couldn¡¯t help but note before giving that thought a dry laugh. (Though she probably prefers it that way all things considered.) ¡°So visiting Sarah?¡± His ma asked on the short distance to Ms. Valentine¡¯s room. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Yeah, figured she¡¯d appreciate seeing a familiar face.¡± (And I wanted to make sure Kenneth was doing okay after everything.) ¡°Why are the police here though? Is there news about Kenneth?¡± ¡°You could say that.¡± His ma nodded with a huff of amusement, without telling him Kenneth was here. (Probably wants it to be a surprise.) He figured, glad that he¡¯d gotten the reminder to act surprised when he saw Kenneth rather than just being glad to see him. He doubted Ms. Valentine would¡¯ve caught it, (but there¡¯s no doubt my ma would¡¯ve.) With that thought in mind he gave a slight gasp when he saw Kenneth in Ms. Valentine¡¯s arms. ¡°Jon!¡± The toddler cried at him, and for a moment he was scared Pix¡¯s spell hadn¡¯t taken hold, at least until he said. ¡°I¡¯m back from daddy¡¯s!¡± Fighting down a face at that -something Ms. Valentine couldn¡¯t- he instead focused on the fact that Pix seemed to have managed to pull off blurring Kenneth¡¯s memory a bit. (Maybe she¡¯s got more talent for mind magics than we thought¡­) ¡°It¡¯s good to see that you¡¯re back.¡± He told the toddler with an honest smile, before glancing at his ma as he said. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose your daddy was with you when you came back?¡± ¡°No.¡± Instead of his ma answering it was Kenneth who answered. ¡°The nice man brought me back.¡± ¡°The nice man?¡± He repeated, feeling like he may¡¯ve jinxed himself. ¡°Apparently a Mask with a grudge against the Dealers found him and brought him in.¡± His ma explained. ¡°A mask?¡± He asked with a frown, before continuing a bit more quietly. ¡°Do you know which one?¡± ¡°No, Kenneth just remembers a man in a brown jacket with a black mask and a green scarf.¡± His ma told him. ¡°Given how much evidence has been piling in the last few days we¡¯re guessing this is the same one that has been giving the station information on Dealer locations. Such as the one we got last night.¡± ¡°You got another one?¡± He glanced at Ms. Valentine. ¡°Should you be saying that here?¡± He knew his ma had a tendency to bend the rules for him, as well as the fact that she had a little more wiggle room than most due to keeping the rest of the force in line, but he was pretty sure she could still get in trouble for telling someone else. (Especially with two other cops not even ten feet away.) ¡°Due to the likelihood of Ramirez having been there, it¡¯s more like I¡¯m updating Sarah on the status of her case.¡± His ma assured him, though she still spoke in a whisper. ¡°After all she deserves to know that her assailant might be in the wind and looking for Kenneth again.¡± ¡°Right.¡± He nodded, agreeing whole heartedly. (Really should¡¯ve done something about that when I had the chance.) He couldn¡¯t help but frown at that dark thought, not liking the fact that part of him could sound so bloodthirsty. (I let him go. I didn¡¯t do anything permanent. Ma and the police will catch him eventually, I just have to give them a bit of time to find him.) (And if they don¡¯t I¡¯m sure I can.) Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts away and focused on the reunited Valentines, instead focusing on the fact that he helped reunite them. (Yeah, so what if I slipped a bit¡­ I saved Kenneth and that¡¯s all that matters.) Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to the Valentines. --- He couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he saw the familiar table in front of him and wondered how hard he¡¯d have to bash his skull against it to knock himself out in this world. (¡°Significantly harder than you can manage with your leverage.¡±) The man in the mask admitted, sipping at the over-caffeinated abomination he was so fond of. (¡°You¡¯re going to hurt its feelings talking like that.¡±) The man in the mask pouted, holding its cup to its chest. (¡°Don¡¯t worry daddy still loves you.¡±) The man in the mask proceeded to prove this by drinking every last drop of the dark concoction. ¡°What do you want now?¡± He sighed, taking his usual cup and inspecting which of the entities numerous drinks filled this one. (¡°Death March variant twenty-three, with a pinch of lemon.¡±) The man in the mask answered his unasked question rather than the one he¡¯d actually asked. (¡°Technically you did ask, just not verbally.¡±) ¡°You know it¡¯s considered rude to read someone¡¯s mind without permission.¡± He pointed out checking a different cup, before frowning. ¡°Are all of these Death March variants?¡± (¡°Yes, to both of those.¡±) The man in the mask nodded. (¡°Though if you don¡¯t want me to overhear think quieter thoughts, I know you can if you try hard enough.¡±) Pinching the bridge of his nose at the migraine that was most definitely from the entity in front of him, though whether due to actual brain damage or not he couldn¡¯t tell, he asked. ¡°My original question, what do you want?¡± (¡°To see how you¡¯re feeling after the first job since your vacation ended.¡±) The man in the mask answered. ¡°My ¡®vacation¡¯ isn¡¯t over.¡± He frowned. (¡°Don¡¯t lie to yourself Jon.¡±) The man in the mask grinned from behind its hidden face. (¡°Now that you¡¯ve solved one problem, you¡¯re going to solve another, and another, and another after that. Especially since you¡¯re not quite done.¡±) ¡°Saving Kenneth was a one time thing, and now that he¡¯s back with his mom I am done.¡± He argued, perhaps a bit more forcefully than he¡¯d intended. (¡°You¡¯re a ¡®Guardian of Childhood¡¯ Jon.¡±) The man in the mask laughed. (¡°So long as a child is in danger you¡¯d hunt down the devil in hell or kill all the gods in heaven if that was what had to be done. I thought you realized that after Blackwell.¡±) (The beast stared at him, black water dripping from its fanged maw as twisting antlers sprouted from its skull.) ¡°Stop that.¡± He told the thing in front of him. ¡°Don¡¯t push my memories around.¡± (¡°Not my fault you can¡¯t make yourself forget.¡±) The man in the mask smirked with a tilt of its head. (¡°That said, since you did save a child, I feel your deserving of a little reward.¡±) ¡°A reward?¡± He repeated, a sense of dread filling him. (¡°Oh come now there¡¯s nothing to be scared of.¡±) The thing across from him tried to assure him. ¡°The last time you gave me a reward I was unconscious for twenty four hours with a brain aneurysm.¡± He reminded the thing feeling fully justified by his reasoning. (¡°Ugh, is it really my fault you couldn¡¯t handle having your brain overclocked for a few minutes?¡±) The thing asked in exasperation. (¡°If it makes you feel better your brain should¡¯ve more than adapted after all the magical, psionic, and madness induced brain damage.¡±) ¡°You¡¯re not filling me with confidence, and I¡¯d much rather you just let me leave.¡± He admitted, knowing that while the entity before him wouldn¡¯t directly kill someone that held its interest, that didn¡¯t stop it from accidentally crippling them. (¡°Now you¡¯re just being a baby about this.¡±) The entity told him, getting out of its chair at the exact moment he realized he couldn¡¯t get out of his. (¡°You know the Death March would¡¯ve really helped you avoid that problem.¡±) He had the twisted feeling that was the exact reason the table had had nothing but Death March. (¡°It was.¡±) The entity admitted next to him, before crouching down to eye level and putting a hand to his face. (¡°Now remember, as my Jacks like to say: Whatever you do, don¡¯t blink.¡±) And with that the entity''s hand went through his head. Scene Consequences -Gained 1 Perk Point that can be spent on anything, please consult the perk menu for options. 24 Suns 24 Suns --- Jon --- As he stumbled out of bed he found himself with a pounding headache, as if there was a jackhammer in his skull and as he wiped away a bloody nose he knew exactly who to blame. (Can¡¯t he just leave me alone¡­) He grimaced, forcing himself towards the kitchen, feeling a craving for coffee. (Might as well make some breakfast while I¡¯m at it.) He decided after turning the coffee machine on, hoping that focusing on something other than his migraine would cause it to give up on its attempts to kill him. (Not that that ever stopped anything else trying to kill me.) As he picked up a butter knife to make some toast, he heard a sound that was too big to be Pix from deeper in his home. Seeing that Brutus was still in his bed rather than moving around, he shifted his grip on the knife knowing that while it wasn¡¯t particularly good for cutting, (I can still gouge someone¡¯s eyes out with it.) Silently he got into a position hidden from the hallway but still close enough to grab whoever was making their way down the hall. ¡°Morning kid.¡± His ma greeted as she rounded the corner, causing him to quickly move the knife behind him and shift his grip back to something more passive. (Right, forgot that she actually came home last night.) He¡¯d been so exhausted after the last week that he¡¯d gone to bed shortly after she¡¯d come back to the house. ¡°Mornin¡¯ you doing alright, or does the station have more work to throw at you today?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± His Ma yawned, before cracking her neck. ¡°Still got a bit of work to do down at the station thanks to all of this mess with the Dealers, but since Kenneth has been found my priority case is finished, so it¡¯s not really my problem with the special units they¡¯re putting together.¡± ¡°Surprised they aren¡¯t trying to make you help out with that given, you know.¡± He made a general gesture towards his ma as he started pulling things from the fridge. ¡°Yeah, no.¡± His ma laughed with a shake of her head. ¡°This isn¡¯t like it was out in the country where they need all hands for this kind of thing. The city is big enough that they¡¯ve got a fair number of officers from all stations willing to help with a gang bust this big.¡± ¡°Politics and funding.¡± He nodded in understanding, knowing that since more and more of the city¡¯s police budget was funneled into Sanctuary, the various stations had to share big ¡®wins¡¯ to keep any of the stations from being decommissioned due to a lack of funding, which would just make everything harder for everyone. (Especially in a city with this many gangs.) ¡°Pretty much.¡± His ma sighed with a nod of her own. ¡°Still at the very least this means I shouldn¡¯t have to work through our mornings once I get everything sorted at the station.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be nice.¡± He smiled, because even as busy as he¡¯d been and understanding why she was still so busy herself, (it¡¯ll still be nice to spend some time with ma.) Scene Consequences -Ma Whitaker¡¯s training has returned to the event wheel. --- Wolf looked around as her summoning lights faded from the air around her before giving him a curious look. ¡°Hey Wolf.¡± He greeted, running a hand between her ears. ¡°So here¡¯s the deal, now that Kenneth is safe I wanted to try focusing on a big project. Something to help me get my mind off of everything, and that¡¯s when I remembered there was that one spell you wanted me to help you out with. Your ¡®Wolf Pack¡¯ thing?¡± Wolf nodded her tail wagging with a bit of excitement at the idea of improving one of her weaker powers. ¡°Yeah, um, it¡¯ll probably take me a while to figure out how to help you, but I figure there¡¯s no better time to get started than now.¡± He told her, pulling out some of the books on spellcrafting De Sade had given him. Namely the ones he was absolutely sure weren¡¯t made of human skin. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. That warning did little to tamper his canine companion¡¯s excitement, which gave him a certain level of his own even as he opened the book he¡¯d gotten from Blackwell¡¯s resident Dark Lord. --- About two hours into his and Wolf¡¯s research session he got a phone call from his ma. ¡°Hello?¡± He asked answering, setting a bookmark in place as he passed the place Wolf¡¯s enthusiasm had finally keeled over to boredom and she¡¯d passed out taking a (well deserved) nap. ¡°Hey, I was calling to let you know that Ms. Valentine wanted me to pick her and Kenneth up from the hospital once I get off work.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± He smiled, glad that things were soon to be back to normal for the Valentines. ¡°Yeah, except for the fact that there¡¯s still bloodstains on their carpet.¡± His Ma reminded him. ¡°That¡¯s not so great.¡± He admitted with a grimace, before telling her, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it before they get here, just give me a heads up when you¡¯re on the way back so I can get everything out of there.¡± ¡°Sure thing, kiddo.¡± --- ¡°Okay, so I think I¡¯ve figured out the foundation of your ¡®Wolf Pack¡¯ spell.¡± He told his canine companion as he began mixing baking soda and hand sanitizer with cold water. Wolf gave an excited bark, that he took as a ¡®Really?¡¯. ¡°Yeah, though admittedly I still need to work through the ¡®concept¡¯ part of the formula, but I¡¯ve got a few ideas on what¡¯ll work there. From there I should be able to map the whole thing to one of my scripts, or maybe an enchantment if I can find the right container¡­¡± He explained before shaking his head as he began to drift a bit. ¡°Either way, once I have a spell version of it set we should be able to tweak and modify it into something more usable for you.¡± Wolf nodded before making several curious sounds and canine gestures. ¡°Mm, that¡¯s hard to say.¡± He admitted, pouring a few cupfuls of the solution into an empty spray bottle. ¡°While De Sade¡¯s books gave me a decent idea of how to modify an existing spell, and watching you use the spell definitely helped, I won¡¯t actually know how we can modify it until I¡¯ve got a working version of it. And that¡¯s assuming my working version is close enough to yours for you to work with from the get go.¡± Wolf made a reassuring sound before rubbing her head against his leg, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile at the gesture. ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so, but believe me when I say this is nothing compared to what Miss Edna or De Sade can do. By now they¡¯d both have a working spell and several modified versions of it. I¡¯ve still got a long way to go before I¡¯m a ¡®good¡¯ practitioner.¡± Scene Consequences -Thanks to Wolf¡¯s assistance and De Sade¡¯s books, gained 3XP to Occult. --*Skill Level Up* Occult Lv. 6 (0/14) -Unlocked [Wolf Pack] spell research. --In order to learn this spell, we must first learn a relevant Concept and apply it in some way. First Spell Hint: Moon>????????? + Script Craft* *A/N: We can use any spell craft for this and several valid concepts, this is just the most obvious combination going off what we know. --- ¡°You guys didn¡¯t have to do all of this.¡± Ms. Valentine told them, as the rest of their neighbors welcomed the Valentines back. ¡°Yeah, when I told you to get the place ready I wasn¡¯t expecting you to throw a whole party.¡± His ma agreed, gesturing to the table he¡¯d set up with snacks. ¡°It wasn¡¯t any trouble.¡± He assured both of them. ¡°And well, I figured after everything a few good memories here wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± (At the very least it should make it easier dealing with the fact Ms. Valentine almost bled out three steps from where I¡¯m standing.) He felt that that last part could go unsaid. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you managed to clean this place so well.¡± His ma admitted once Ms. Valentine had been dragged off by Mr. Petrovich. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what you can work out with a bit of hand sanitizer and baking soda.¡± He shrugged, trying very hard not to think of how many bloodstains he had to wash out of his clothes when he couldn¡¯t afford to just burn and replace them. ¡°Still it was nice of you to do all of this.¡± His Ma told him. ¡°This is nothing.¡± (It¡¯s not like I had to hunt down every last Dealer and burn their bases down around their heads.) He shook his head at that thought, not liking how violent it was. ¡°You okay kid?¡± His ma asked with a touch of concern. ¡°Yeah, just got a headache.¡± He (lied) told her. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Scene Consequences -Grown closer to the neighbors. 25 Suns 25 Suns --- Jon --- ¡°You know when you said you wanted to start off easy, I didn¡¯t think this is what you had in mind.¡± He told his ma, taking a moment to plan his route before taking off in a sprint. ¡°What? It¡¯s just a little obstacle run.¡± His ma pointed out, pulling herself over a ledge before jumping to her next platform. ¡°True, but I figured we¡¯d start with a spar or something.¡± He elaborated, kicking off one wall to get the height necessary to grab the ledge of another one. ¡°Really?¡± His ma asked incredulously, actually stopping to look at him. ¡°You want to spar here?¡± ¡°Well, not here.¡± He admitted, before gesturing to the ground four storeys below. ¡°I was thinking more down there.¡± His ma¡¯s face twisted a bit in distaste. ¡°In a back alley?¡± ¡°Figure less room to maneuver would be more of a challenge than the open space of the patio deck or forest clearings.¡± He explained. ¡°Besides, living in the city we¡¯re more likely to get into an alley knife fight than a rooftop race.¡± ¡°Never know with all the Deviant¡¯s and Masks running around.¡± His ma argued with an amused look. ¡°They make interesting faces whenever you manage to catch perp faster than them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they do.¡± He agreed, remembering Andre¡¯s face when he¡¯d outmaneuvered the Orkin Traveler. It admittedly wasn¡¯t the same thing but he felt it still held to the principal of the matter. (I wonder how he¡¯d ¡®ve reacted if I actually managed to beat him without any powers or magic?) Scene Consequences -Thanks to Ma¡¯s help, gained 1XP to Mobility and Awareness. --Currently: Mobility Lv. 6 (2/14) and Awareness Lv. 8 (7/18) --- (It occurs to me that these cautionary tales might be a little sexist.) He frowned, part way through yet another book on relationships. (I mean they all keep going on about how their female lead is nothing like other girls as if being a girl is a bad thing!) Which he was calling bull pucky on, since most of his friends were girls and they were all wonderful people that he was lucky to have in his life. (And now I¡¯ve got this book where the lead is supposedly the first girl to do something in the thousand or so years this ¡®guardian rite¡¯ has been going on for?!) ¡°This book is basically telling every girl who reads it that only the ¡®magical chosen one¡¯ can amount to anything.¡± He realized in disgust. He wasn¡¯t so naive as to not realize there was a glass ceiling out there, but at the same time he also knew that if a woman was determined enough they could match and surpass any man that they tried to, and that it was only sexism like this keeping them down. (Just look at my Ma, a decorated soldier with over a hundred completed ops and now one of the best cops in the city. And that¡¯s not counting Miss Edna either, who¡¯s recognized as one of the best potion makers and enchanters in the country and a pioneer in both fields!) Shaking his head in disgust, he slammed shut the book subtly propagating negative stereotypes while pretending to empower those women by having a single one subvert those stereotypes by being ¡®special¡¯. (And here I thought we were finally getting past this garbage.) Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Awareness --Currently: Lv. 8 (8/18) --- ¡°Huh, was expecting you in, a couple of days ago.¡± Samantha Delacroix admitted when he stepped into her shop. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you found that thing you were after?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did.¡± He nodded before giving a chuckle as he realized, ¡°Same day I was supposed to pick the compass up too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how life goes I guess.¡± Ms. Delacroix told him with a touch of amusement as she placed a box on the counter. ¡°But still, you paid for it, so you might as well take it off my hands.¡± ¡°Right.¡± He agreed opening the box to find an old box compass, with eight-sides and a dark glass dome on top. ¡°So, how exactly does this thing work?¡± ¡°Well, first things first, when I ordered it I managed to get them to fit as many enchantments as I could into it. One of which was a user blood-bond seal.¡± Ms. Delacroix told him. ¡°A what now?¡± He blinked. ¡°Smear a drop of your blood around the circumference of the compass, and it¡¯ll only work for you and those you willingly hand it to.¡± His fellow magic user explained. ¡°To anyone else who tries to use this it¡¯ll be a regular compass pointing south.¡± ¡°South?¡± He frowned. ¡°An extra f-you to anyone who uses it without permission.¡± Ms. Delacroix grinned. ¡°Didn¡¯t even have to pay for that feature.¡± Shrugging, he bit into his thumb hard enough to draw blood, before smearing it around the compass¡¯s edge. ¡°Wow, didn¡¯t even hesitate there.¡± Ms. Delacroix chuckled, looking just a little unnerved. ¡°Well, I mean¡­ you wouldn¡¯t get very far if your products weren¡¯t reliable.¡± He figured, not seeing any reason for the shopkeep to screw him over at this stage of things. (After all, ¡®if a proper salesman is going to screw you over it¡¯s going to be when they overcharge you for their product.¡¯) That was an interesting lesson with Miss Edna, especially since it was while he was helping her at her shop in Blackwell. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Not what I meant, but¡­¡± Ms. Delacroix shook her head. ¡°Either way, once the bond is set -which you¡¯ll know because the blood has faded- then grip the compass while thinking about your surroundings.¡± He waited a moment, during which his blood rapidly evaporated off the compass, before shifting his grip on it and doing as Ms. Delacroix told him. A faint blue circle flashed into existence a few inches above the compass and nearly twice as wide around with a number of shapes and dots within. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± (Because it¡¯s definitely not a compass. Honestly it looks more like,) ¡°A map?¡± ¡°Yep, specifically one showing everything and everyone within a fifty meter radius of you.¡± Ms. Delacroix nodded looking proud of herself. ¡°What¡¯s more if any of those people mean you harm it¡¯ll also flag them by turning their dots red.¡± ¡°Huh, that is useful.¡± He admitted, (even if it can¡¯t tell the difference between floors this could¡¯ve been really useful when I was raiding the Dealer warehouse.) He wouldn¡¯t have even needed to spend time tracking down the warehouse map if he¡¯d had this thing. Still regardless of its usefulness he couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°What about the whole ¡®pointing towards what I¡¯m looking for¡¯ thing?¡± ¡°Right, I told you that enchantment could be finicky, especially since I couldn¡¯t get the distance I wanted on it. Which is why I got all of those extra features added, that way even if you can¡¯t get the compass part to work it won¡¯t be a waste of money.¡± Ms. Delacroix explained. ¡°But didn¡¯t those features up the price a fair bit?¡± He asked, having a basic idea of how marketing works for enchanted goods after helping Miss Edna with her own shop. ¡°Yes¡­¡± The shopkeep grimaced. (Well, there¡¯s the salesman¡¯s screw over.) He thought sardonically. Ms. Delacroix looked a little uncomfortable under his dry gaze as he tried to emphasize the fact that he would catch her if she tried to screw him over again. ¡°Okay, uh, how about I make it up to you with a sweet deal?¡± ¡°What kind of deal?¡± He asked, what little business savvy he¡¯d picked up from his mentors rearing its head. ¡°First off, since you¡¯ve proven your really serious about this whole magic thing, I¡¯ll open up a little more of my inventory to you. Then I¡¯ll offer you¡­ these at a discount.¡± The shopkeep told him as she set a large box full of rings on the counter. ¡°Rings?¡± He asked curiously as he picked one up before looking at his fellow magic user as he realized, ¡°Silver, for enchanting?¡± He remembered Miss Edna prefered silver as a working metal due to it having both a better conductivity and reflectivity than copper and gold, while also being notably cheaper than the later. ¡°Anyone who says gold is better doesn¡¯t know magic.¡± Ms. Delacroix agreed with a grin. ¡°Normally you can¡¯t fit much in a ring, but the silver ups it to a point of being fairly useful for holding an enchantment or two.¡± ¡°How much for them exactly?¡± ¡°Twenty-five dollars each.¡± The shopkeep answered, before more sternly adding, ¡°Today only.¡± (Hmm, they could be fun to experiment with¡­) ¡°And I¡¯ll sweeten the deal a little more.¡± Ms. Delacroix told him, pulling out a pen and paper. ¡°I know you practice script craft, but tell me have you picked up a ¡®light¡¯ related affinity?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, I¡¯ve got one.¡± He admitted, watching his fellow magic user write out a few bits of spell code that he could tell slotted into an enchantment circuit. ¡°Good, then you can make use of this.¡± Ms. Delacroix finished, before handing him the paper. ¡°It¡¯s a simple enchantment that requires a light affinity of some kind and a ring. I won¡¯t tell you what it does exactly, just that it does something¡­ useful.¡± ¡°Going to keep it vague?¡± He asked, reading the script over trying to figure out what exactly it does with little success at his current level beyond the few bits Ms. Delacroix had already given him. ¡°Have to keep you interested somehow.¡± The shopkeep smirked. ¡°So, do you want the rings or not?¡± "Fine, I''ll try it out. Give me... Three rings for now I guess." "Sure thing." Scene Consequences -Collected Witch¡¯s Compass (Rank: B+) --Compass will only work for Jon and those he willingly hands it to. --Compass will point in the direction of Jon¡¯s current goal. ---(Note: Requires Will Check and 1 Focus to use, with the check getting harder the closer it is and the less information we have. Roughly a 2km limit.) --Compass provides a small map of the area within 50m. --Map will mark those who currently mean Jon harm within its radius. -Witches¡¯ Wares has new merchandise available to Jon. -New Enchantment: Ring + [Moonlight] = ???? --- Setting his new compass down on his counter, he decided that it was time he got to work on a project he¡¯d begun weeks ago but had let fall to the wayside with everything going on with the Valentines. He¡¯d already found two ways of helping Pix with her magic problems, and if he was lucky the garden she¡¯d been working on would provide a third, but he¡¯d yet to exhaust all methods available to him. Which is why he was currently going through the notes Miss Edna had given him for Script Craft trying to piece together something that could help. (Okay, so if I use this I should be able to apply a spell script to someone other than myself.) He figured, knowing that the few spell scripts he knew either applied to himself or an object he directed it towards. Now normally, changing a script¡¯s targeting code wouldn¡¯t be too big of a deal, but as he was quick to find out a person¡¯s spell system -the ones born with one anyway- had something of a passive resistance towards foriegn magic. (Another advantage the Arcane have over practitioners¡­) He thought with a touch of bitterness, before shaking his head at that mean thought. (It¡¯s just the luck of the draw, I can¡¯t blame Ying, Pix, or Miss Edna for that.) What that meant for him was that if he wanted to create a spell effect with his -(amulet¡¯s)- magic, he had to find a way to get the spell effect to be accepted as harmless by Pix¡¯s spell system, (but the question is how to do that?) It took him a while and a fair amount of shifting through De Sade¡¯s books on the Occult, but eventually he remembered the times Pix had healed Ying. A feat that should¡¯ve been arguably more difficult than healing him given how as an Arcane-Incarnate her system¡¯s resistance would theoretically be even stronger than a normal Arcane¡¯s. ¡°Of course a healing effect would automatically be considered beneficial.¡± He realized bopping a hand off his thick skull. The idea had been eluding him due to both his lack of the affinity as well as the fact that he had no system and thus no resistance himself. ¡°But just because I can¡¯t use a healing affinity doesn¡¯t mean Pix can¡¯t¡­¡± It¡¯d admittedly be a little more difficult than having Pix merely supply her affinity to an enchantment like they¡¯d done with the garden, but it was similar to something Miss Edna had had them work on when he was having trouble learning a self-repairing enchantment. Theoretically as long as she applied her healing affinity to the script while he was making them, he could inffuse the concept of ¡®mending¡¯ into them. What¡¯s more because Pix was assisting with the spell crafting her own system should be more accepting of it once it recognized her own magic. ¡°That still leaves the magic itself though.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grumble when he had all but a few variables for the spell script he was attempting to craft. As much as he wished he couldn¡¯t just use magic, since any magic he used would be slightly tainted by his own innate affinities. Meaning he¡¯d have to learn how to use a distilled magic affinity of sorts. (I think that ¡®Arcane Affinities¡¯ book I got the other week had something on that.) A yawn fought its way up his throat before he was forced to realize that the sun had long set, his clock read A.M. instead of P.M., and a little fairy was snoozing away sprawled out on one of his pillows. ¡°Well, at least I don¡¯t have school tomorrow.¡± He sighed, his joints popping as he stood after spending so long hunched over his books. ¡°Yeah, Pix has the right idea.¡± Scene Consequences -New Script Recipe: MP Charge Script (Requires: (Base) Magic related affinity, and Healing related affinity.) -For creating a new spell script affecting others¡¯ spell systems gained 1XP to Script Craft and Occult. --Currently: Script Craft Lv. 3 (5/8) and Occult Lv. 6 (1/14) 26 Suns 26 Suns --- Jon --- ¡°You know you¡¯re being a lot more delicate with that than I was expecting.¡± His ma admitted, as he used his knife to dismantle the (sixth) trap his ma had set around the house. ¡°You trapped my kitchen.¡± He pointed out. ¡°And your room,¡± His ma nodded before continuing her list with ¡°the bathroom, the living room, and well everywhere but my room really.¡± ¡°Yeah, and that is perfectly fine.¡± He told her, slipping his knife through a small crevice in the frame of what he thought was a (smoke bomb?) ¡°I don¡¯t have any problem stepping around those wires or just flat out cutting through them and stepping out of the way.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re not the kitchen.¡± His ma finished with a roll of her eyes. ¡°If I set any of these off it¡¯ll make a mess of the kitchen and I won¡¯t be able to cook until I¡¯ve cleaned the resulting mess.¡± He explained, defusing the (yep, smoke bomb) before frowning as he realized, (it¡¯s flour based, she got into my pantry!) ¡°You know we could always just pick up breakfast somewhere else, like that burger place that does the-¡± His ma tilted her head out of a knife¡¯s path, letting it pierce the wall with a dull ¡®thunk¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m going to take that as a no.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± He admitted, using his back-up knife to sever the trip chord that had been rigged to the milk. Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Knives and Trapmaking --Currently: Knives Lv. 3 (4/8) and Trapmaking Lv. 8 (12/18) --- Once his ma was on her way to work he made his way towards his room and got to work on the missing piece needed to complete the spell script that would hopefully solve Pix¡¯s magic shortage. Flipping open Arcane Affinities for an Arcane Apprentice, he skipped over the opening section -since De Sade had made sure he knew how to study affinities outside of his own- and flipped to the first concept in the book ¡®magic¡¯. Or rather the concept of (distilled) magic, given how the section in question was all about learning how to remove one¡¯s own affinities from their innate magic. A feat that surprisingly enough would actually be easier for him because he wasn¡¯t an Arcane. Due to the fact that his magic was gathered by his amulet rather than an innate spell system, he only had to keep whatever magic he drew from the amulet from being affected by his affinities. While Arcane on the other hand had to first extract their affinities from the magic and then keep their affinities from re-influencing it. (Finally something Practitioners can do better.) A part of him thought bitterly. Now the reason such an advanced sounding technique was recommended as one of the first for both Arcane and Practitioners to learn was due to the fact that learning how to extract one¡¯s affinities from their magic made learning concepts outside of their affinities notably easier. Which explained why De Sade taught him how to do it while he was learning [Heat], [Warm], and [Cool], but not why the man didn¡¯t teach him the [Magic] concept itself. (He probably wanted me to figure it out on my own, and I shouldn¡¯t complain since he taught me three concepts in a single day.) He figured with a sigh as he remembered the way his head had been pounding after that mental exercise. (At the very least learning Concepts I had an affinity for got easier after that.) Pinching the bridge of his nose, he forced away the headache that that memory had drudged up and instead focused on the part of the book pertaining to the symbology linked to the [Magic] concept and necessary for anyone trying to use it in Enchanting or Script Craft. Scene Consequences The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. New Concept Learned: Magic -For learning a new Concept +1XP to Occult. --Currently: Lv. 6 (2/14) --- It took him a couple of hours to work everything out, but eventually he was sure he had a basic layout for his MP Charge Script, or at least the parts he could make without Pix¡¯s assistance. (Thinking of¡­ ) ¡°Hey, Pix! I need your help with something.¡± He told the little fairy, and when he didn¡¯t get an immediate response he took a glance around his room. ¡°Pix?¡± Seeing a glow coming from the plants he¡¯d set up as a makeshift garden, or rather the plants he was just now realizing had managed to overtake both his window sill and a decent portion of the space beneath it in just under a month. (Pix does good work.) He¡¯d already known that, but still. Walking over he found Pix using her magic to finish growing a few of the plants he was most familiar with using back in Blackwell. ¡°Hey these look just about ready to harvest.¡± He told her, once she finished. The little fairy nodded as she began to happily trill about the garden. ¡°That¡¯s fantastic, and if this stuff works the way that most anima-enhanced plants do then this also means anything else we put in it will grow much faster.¡± He smiled, rubbing a finger between Pix¡¯s fuzzy little antenna. ¡°You¡¯ve done a really good job here pix.¡± The little fairy puffed up in pride as she basked in his praises. ¡°In fact you¡¯ve done such a good job that I¡¯m going to bake you whole blueberry pie all to yourself.¡± He told her, earning an exciting chirping of his own as Pix did several loop-de-loops through the air before darting out of the room. (Guess she wants that pie now.) He laughed to himself before following her to the kitchen. Scene Consequences -Garden is now active. --At the start of each week (Turns that end in 1 or 6.) Jon will automatically harvest a small sample of plants from the garden. --Current Plant Slots in use (3/5) ---Note: A plant slot must be switched out at least 3 turns before a harvest to be available for that harvest. ---Current Plants: 1 Anima-enhanced Plants, 1 Mystical Medicinal Herb of Blackwell, and 1 Poisonous Plant of Blackwell. -Garden management has been added to Magic Menu -Pix¡¯s Nature Manipulation has leveled up. --Currently: Lv. 3 -Grown a bit closer to Pix. --- Once Pix had settled down with a few blueberries to munch on while her pie baked in the oven, he herded the little fairy back into his room so he could show her the script he¡¯d been working on. ¡°Alright, now theoretically this should allow you to rapidly build a small amount of magic to help refill your system.¡± He started explaining while holding up an otherwise blank notebook card he¡¯d drawn the spell script on. ¡°The problem though, is that in order to get this particular script to work I need you to infuse it with your [Mend] concept.¡± Pix nodded once before tilting her head and giving a curious trill between bites of her berries. ¡°It¡¯s basically the same thing as when we¡¯re doing an enchanting project together.¡± He told her, before pointing to a pair of quarter sized circles on each end of the card. ¡°The circles are a bit smaller than usual because of the paper I¡¯m working with, but the main idea is the same. You just need to push your concept into here until the whole thing is glowing and changes color.¡± Admittedly it was significantly more complicated than that on his end, and he was fairly certain this script might actually be a fair bit above his pay grade, but he was nothing if not determined. (Especially when it comes to my friends and family.) Pix finished off the last of her berry before cleaning her hands off and floating over to the card where she set her hands along the circle¡¯s edge and began pushing her magic into the spell circuit at the same time that he began pushing his own into the opposite circle. Merging two different concepts was significantly different from simply applying a single concept to an enchantment, or even using his contract bond to fuel said enchantment. And despite not knowing how to actually use two concepts without Pix¡¯s help, those two techniques had given him a decent starting point for creating this make-shift script. Unfortunately that starting point wasn¡¯t enough to keep the notebook card from catching fire. (Not supposed to happen, not supposed to happen!) He told himself, while rushing the card to his bathroom sink to put it out. Pix gave him a trill that he couldn¡¯t tell if it was sad because the script failed, or disappointed that he¡¯d set something on fire without meaning to again. ¡°Um¡­ I uh, I wasn¡¯t actually expecting the first script to work.¡± He admitted, pulling a handful of cards he¡¯d spent the day making. ¡°Which is why I made these to try and brute force it.¡± The little fairy that was maybe a sixth of his size gave him an unimpressed look that made him feel surprisingly small. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a second pie if you help me.¡± Scene Consequences -Made (Makeshift) MP Charge Script (x3) --Allows a character to temporarily spike their MP production allowing them to generate the next turn¡¯s MP immediately. (Can only be used once per turn, per character with a natural recharge.) -Gained 1XP to Script Crafting. --Currently: Lv. 3 (5/8) -Pix¡¯s Magic Assistant skill has leveled up. --Currently: Lv. 5 27 Suns 27 Suns --- Jon --- ¡°What¡¯s with you and sticking to the rooftops lately?¡± He asked, watching his ma leap across the gap between two buildings. ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± His ma admitted with a shrug as he did the same. ¡°Think I might just be sick of people after all of the political bullshit at the office.¡± ¡°Language.¡± He chided before frowning. ¡°How long do you think this office drama is going to last?¡± ¡°Well they¡¯re set to raid the first Dealer Warehouse tomorrow, and then they want to try hitting the other over the weekend.¡± His ma explained thinking it through as she jogged to the side of the roof. ¡°And then they¡¯ll make a big news spectacle of how they¡¯re cleaning up crime, when they¡¯re only pulling this off due to some Mask rather than any success on their own.¡± ¡°So another week or two.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace, having inherited his mother¡¯s disdain for politics regardless of how nice he tried to be, (or how much talent De Sade claims I have.) ¡°Unless something happens and knocks some sense into everyone.¡± His Ma sighed. ¡°Well if it¡¯s going to happen, October ¡®s the month for it to happen.¡± He told her. ¡°Especially if they feel the need to prep as early as they do.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± His Ma smirked, shaking her head at the idea. ¡°Here¡¯s hoping the crazy comes early this year. Come on race you back to the house.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 2XP to Mobility --Currently: Lv. 6 (4/14) --- Sitting on a bench with his backpack next to him as he waited, he read the latest ¡®relationship¡¯ book from the librarian that he was seriously beginning to doubt actually knew what he was talking about despite so quickly pushing books in his direction. (Then again I couldn¡¯t finish reading the last three of these things.) He might not finish this one either with the way it was going. From what he could tell this story essentially boiled down to a Romeo and Juliet style knock-off, that revolved around two teenagers in a relatively bad part of town coming from two rival neighborhoods and supposedly falling in love despite the fact that they¡¯d barely had one conversation with each other and the fact that the other was already dating someone, who was apparently someone they shouldn¡¯t have started dating anyway and¡­ He pinched the bridge of his nose, before closing the book with a sigh. (Yeah, I don¡¯t feel like reading about two idiots getting themselves killed because they can¡¯t tell the difference between love and lust.) Now that he thought about it this -like the sexism thing- was a disturbingly common trend amongst the various books he¡¯d been getting from the library over the last few weeks. Guy and girl see each other, barely interact and then fall madly in love while proclaiming how special the girl is compared to other girls and how despite being a bit of jerk the guy is nice at heart and should be forgiven for all of his jerkiness because (if this garbage is where other teenagers are getting their ques no wonder everyone considers my generation nothing but a bunch of short-sighted idiots.) -Gained 1 XP to Awareness --Currently: Lv. 8 (9/18) --- A part of him regretted that this book was now going to be on his library checkout records, but he quickly dropped that line of thought as he turned towards Ying walking up to his bench. ¡°Your footsteps are still too loud.¡± It was one of the few things he just couldn¡¯t seem to help her with no matter how many lessons they had. (Then again neither of her affinities are really ¡®subtle¡¯ so I guess that tracks.) Ying rolled her eyes with an amused smirk. ¡°Sorry, I haven¡¯t really had need for stealth training in the city.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? The city is a great place for stealth training.¡± He frowned, poking at the sleeping fairy in his bag. ¡°You have so many sounds to hide behind, there¡¯s crowd blending, and the elevation is a whole other level when you add the rooftops.¡± ¡°Right, what was I thinking?¡± Ying huffed with an amused tone as she took a seat on the other side of his backpack. ¡°So, how have things been?¡± ¡°Well, enough.¡± He shrugged, as Pix poked her head out of his bag before bursting out of it and flying circles around Ying upon catching sight of her second favorite human. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too Pix.¡± Ying laughed, as the little fairy latched onto her face trilling happily all the while. ¡°And since I can¡¯t trust Jon to be honest, how have things really been?¡± (Hurtful.) He frowned, priding himself on his honesty. (As well as my ability to keep secrets despite said honesty.) He grimaced before shaking his head. ¡°You alright?¡± Ying asked, her eyes narrowing with a stern sort of concern. ¡°Fine, just¡­ Just had a run in with a certain¡­ madness inducing¡­ associate a few days ago.¡± He admitted with a sigh. Ying stilled as Pix sat on her shoulder. ¡°The Cheshire?¡± He shook his head. ¡°The Man in the Mask.¡± Ying gave a sigh of relief before saying, ¡°So there¡¯s no insanity near Santa Rosa then?¡± ¡°None that I¡¯ve come across.¡± He nodded, before grimacing. ¡°Then again I haven¡¯t really been looking for any either.¡± ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t be,¡± Ying glared. ¡°You barely survived dealing with the Beast.¡± ¡°The Beast is what happens when an idiot cult starts feeding and worshipping something from the void.¡± He pointed out with a shake of his head. ¡°The individual Corrupted were much closer to Insanity¡¯s base level.¡± Or that was the impression the Man in the Mask had given him during his more¡­ stable moments. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Perhaps.¡± Ying shrugged, not sounding like she believed it. (Which is fair given the source.) ¡°Speaking of cults though, have you heard about the one in New Haven?¡± Ying asked with a wry grin. He blinked. ¡°No? But why are you looking into cults?¡± ¡°After Blackwell I wanted to know what the nearest threats of that kind are.¡± Ying explained in a way that made perfect sense to anyone who¡¯d survived an eldritch horror show. ¡°Anyway, this cult has apparently spent the last couple of years gaining traction in the city ever since someone kicked the local mafia in the teeth.¡± ¡°Okay, but why is that our problem?¡± He felt the need to ask, having dealt with enough cults between De Sade¡¯s and the Beast¡¯s. (One country town should not produce half a dozen cults¡­) Sighing, he shook his head before reminding Ying that, ¡°New Haven is two, maybe three, cities away. Even if they have a¡­ similar problem, it¡¯ll fall to the local Heroes¡¯ Guild, Arcane Association, Sanctuary branch, or local Hunter Agencies.¡± None of which had been able to set up a proper shop in Blackwell thanks to De Sade¡¯s family keeping a leash on things. ¡°Ah, but it¡¯s who they¡¯re worshipping that flagged them.¡± Ying half smiled and half grimaced. ¡°Who?¡± He frowned. ¡°The Cheshire.¡± ¡°Never step foot in New Haven, got it.¡± He did not want to know what a cult worshipping that thing would get up to. ¡°Figured it was fair warning.¡± Ying nodded alongside Pix, both knowing his¡­ odd relationship with the Man in the Mask and his¡­ elements. ¡°Still that tells me what he¡¯s up to when he¡¯s not personally giving me nightmares, not how you¡¯ve been in particular.¡± He told Ying, wanting to talk about something other than the eldritch entity that had a vested interest in him. ¡°Ah, when we talked earlier I told you how I managed to convince my mother to give me more free time.¡± Ying reminded him with a fanged smile as her eyes flashed. ¡°So now I plan the majority of my own days.¡± ¡°That is good news.¡± He agreed, before letting his own eyes narrow. ¡°Though you didn¡¯t really tell me how you got her to agree to that.¡± Ying grimaced. ¡°I slipped up?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± He nodded. ¡°Eyes and teeth.¡± ¡°Damn. I thought I was getting better at that.¡± Ying admitted, putting a hand to her teeth before sighing. ¡°I didn¡¯t go too far, but I did threaten to out myself as a Deviant if she didn¡¯t give me more time to myself.¡± ¡°Was that a good idea?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°I mean you¡¯ve said before that-¡± ¡°-my mother is an anti-Deviant bitch, who would likely disown me for said Deviancy.¡± Ying finished for him, even as Pix gave her a comforting pat on her cheek. He grimaced himself now. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry things didn¡¯t escalate that far.¡± Ying assured him, pulling her legs onto the bench and hugging them. ¡°While our relationship hasn¡¯t improved any, it hasn¡¯t become noticeably worse either. What¡¯s more she¡¯s more scared of it getting out that I¡¯m a Deviant given how the circles she runs with are.¡± ¡°Still long-term¡­¡± ¡°It was going to get out one way or the other. Better on my terms than someone else¡¯s.¡± Ying shrugged in a way that told him she¡¯d rather end that line of inquiry then and there. Of course, he couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°Just remember if you need anything I¡¯ve got your back, if you need I¡¯m sure I can talk Ma into letting you stay in my room while I sleep on the couch.¡± It was the least he could do for her all things considered. ¡°That¡¯s nice of you Jon.¡± Ying gave him a soft smile before it took a¡­ edge of sorts to it. ¡°Bold too, given how you¡¯re inviting me to your bed.¡± He gave her an unimpressed look. ¡°That still a problem too?¡± ¡°You have no idea.¡± Ying deflated, rubbing at her face. ¡°I thought puberty was bad before the magic overclocked it.¡± He could only give her a there-there pat on her shoulder, at least until Pix started flying circles around both of them while aggressively tweeting about something. ¡°I think she¡¯s telling us to quit with the mopy stuff.¡± He chuckled as the little fairy flew in front of his face and began nodding vehemently. ¡°Well, in that case how about we talk about something more interesting than problems we can¡¯t do much about at this phase.¡± Ying suggested, turning towards him. ¡°How have your more¡­ mystical studies been going?¡± ¡°Well enough.¡± He supposed. ¡°I¡¯ve mostly spent the last couple of weeks focusing on Pix¡¯s magic problems.¡± ¡°Magic problems?¡± Ying asked with a frown. ¡°You haven¡¯t noticed?¡± He blinked. ¡°The amount of magic in the city is significantly lower than it was back in Blackwell. On her first real use of it she ended up burning through her magical supply in a matter of minutes.¡± ¡°No, I hadn¡¯t noticed.¡± Ying admitted with a fair bit of concern. ¡°I suppose since I was more focused on not using my powers I didn¡¯t notice that there was less power to work with.¡± ¡°That¡¯s plausible.¡± He nodded thinking about it. ¡°Then again it could also be a difference in spell systems between humans and fairies, and that¡¯s before accounting for your¡­ situation.¡± ¡°I suppose a Corrupted-Incarnate would bend a few of the natural rules.¡± Ying agreed, letting a bit of electricity dance between her fingers. ¡°Especially considering both what I¡¯m working with and what I was corrupted by.¡± ¡°Yeah, but even if your magic is acting up on your end, I¡¯ve managed to figure out a few things that have been helping Pix. Though I¡¯m not sure how much good the Contracting thing will do for you.¡± There was an entire section in De Sade¡¯s books about making contracts with people, but he was also fairly certain those contracts revolved around ¡®taking¡¯ power rather than ¡®giving¡¯ it. (Still something I can look into later.) ¡°Contracting?¡± Ying asked curiously, before watching him summon Pix to his side from three feet away and nodding in understanding. ¡°Ah, that Arcane art. I¡¯ve heard of it before but never seen it in person.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something both De Sade and Miss Edna suggested in their books, though between the two I prefer Miss Edna¡¯s explanation of it being the ¡®magic of friendship¡¯.¡± He smiled, getting a huff of amusement from Ying. ¡°Of course you would. But still if I can¡¯t make use of it I suppose it¡¯s a low priority for the moment.¡± Ying told him, her hands crossed beneath her chin and resting on her knee. ¡°What else have you been working on?¡± ¡°Well I¡¯ve made this batch of potions that should increase the amount of magic someone generates, though it only lasts for a couple of days.¡± He explained pulling a vial one of such potion from his backpack. ¡°Still impressive.¡± Ying assured him, holding the potion to the light. ¡°And definitely useful in an environment that can be considered magically dry.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s less that Santa Rosa is dry and more that Blackwell was soaking.¡± He felt the need to point out, to which Pix landed on top of Ying¡¯s head and stuck a tongue out at him. ¡°Then again I guess that is a¡­ matter of perspective.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it is.¡± Ying agreed, taking no measures to hide her amusement. ¡°At the same time I learned how to make these.¡± He told her showing her one of the notecards he¡¯d drawn his (makeshift) MP charge spell script on. ¡°I need Pix¡¯s help with it, but it essentially gives the user an instant burst of magic to their reserves, though using it more than once a day could be¡­ bad.¡± ¡°Yes, overclocking one¡¯s life energy sounds like it could prove harmful.¡± Ying grimaced. ¡°Yeah, but between these, my Contracting thing, and the magic garden Pix set up in my room she seems to be doing pretty well as far as her magical reserves go.¡± The little fairy nodded along with him before taking flight once more and flying little circles here and there as she made mushroomless fairy circles in the grass. ¡°Well I suppose that¡¯s good, and if I ever have any magical problems of my own, you¡¯ll be the first I contact to solve them.¡± Ying told him as she watched their mutual fairy friend having fun. ¡°And I¡¯ll be happy to help.¡± He promised her. (It¡¯s the least I owe you.) Scene Consequences Quest Completed: Pix¡¯s Power Problems: While they still aren¡¯t quite to where they once were, Pix¡¯s magic supply is in a much more manageable place for the little fairy. (And Ying as well.) -Grown closer to Pix and Ying. -Gained 1 Magic Perk Point --Can be spent on any Perk with the Magic tag. -Ying has joined the party. --Due to her own obligations Ying will only be available for 3 actions a week. (Excluding Socials and Events.) 28 Suns 28 Suns --- Jon --- He slid through the forest floor, quickly digging a small pit and slipping in a few of the bits and pieces he¡¯d been working on while he ran before pushing off the ground and running once more. There was a faint snapping a few meters behind him as his ma set the trap off, hopefully giving him more time than he¡¯d invested into the hastily made trap. Something slammed into his shoulder blade a moment later causing him to stumble and crash shoulder first into a tree before tumbling across the ground. ¡°Not bad kid.¡± His Ma told him as he picked himself up spitting out a bit of grass that had gotten in his mouth during the tumble. ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting you to start setting traps during a game of tag.¡± ¡°If you want to win, stack the deck.¡± He chuckled, taking this brief respite to catch his breath despite not letting his guard down. ¡°Still you know what this means right?¡± His ma smirked in that schadenfreude sort of way she was so fond of. ¡°You¡¯re going to start setting traps while I¡¯m it.¡± He sighed, knowing how their escalating games tended to go. ¡°Yep.¡± His ma nodded, as he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if (mistakes have been made.) Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Mobility and Trap Making. --Currently: Mobility Lv. 6 (5/14) and Trap Making Lv. 8 (13/18) --- Given how he had agreed to another meeting with Ying the day prior, he decided to go ahead and set up everything needed for them and Pix to have a proper Picnic once they were done with sparring. Which is what led to him cooking so much more food than he strictly needed to, and since several of the things he¡¯d cooked were a little¡­ experimental, he decided he needed a bit of assistance determining which of the recipes he¡¯d made were best for the picnic. Pix was, of course, the obvious choice for said assistance. (Maybe I made a little too much¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but consider as he watched Pix struggle to take another bite of the food he¡¯d made. (Yeah, I may¡¯ve been overestimating how fast Pix¡¯s stomach can digest things.) Normally that wasn¡¯t too big of a problem due to the odd fact that -according to Miss Edna- fairies as well as a number of magicals had an accelerated and more efficient digestive that supposedly allowed them to use their magic to convert a fair portion of whatever they consumed into additional Anima. Hence their large appetites and disproportionately large magic reserves given their sizes. ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to eat everything on your plate, right?¡± He pointed out with just a touch of concern. Pix turned an exhausted glare his way before weakly zapping him, and falling short of actually hitting him. Having made her stance on the matter clear, she turned back to the food before promptly dropping her face into the serving bigger than her head. ¡°Uh, Pix?¡±He asked, after a moment without any further movement from the little fairy. Getting no response he gave the little fairy a few gentle nudges as he rolled her over, only to find that she¡¯d passed out into a food coma of sorts. (Well, that can¡¯t be good.) Scene Consequences -Thanks to Pix assist gained 2XP to Cooking. --Currently: Lv. 9 (3/20) --- After dropping the excess food he¡¯d made with a few of the homeless people down the street, he made his way to the forest park rather than the city one he and Ying had met at the day prior. ¡°There you are.¡± Ying nodded in greeting, having been the first one there this time. ¡°Sorry. Figured I should get some things for us to eat when we¡¯re done.¡± He explained setting his backpack on the ground. ¡°Ah, your cooking, the one part of camp I won¡¯t have to miss.¡± Ying smiled, her teeth becoming sharper at the idea of food. ¡°Mm-hm.¡± He nodded, before giving Ying a once over. ¡°So you said you wanted to spar a bit, right?¡± ¡°Right, I haven¡¯t been able to get a proper spar since coming back to Santa Rosa.¡± Ying explained, doing a few stretches that he matched. ¡°But wait I thought you practiced that ¡®southern dragon kung-fu¡¯ thing?¡± He frowned. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be able to get a spar out of that?¡± ¡°Yes and no.¡± Ying grimaced, before sighing. ¡°Yes, I can find one or two people to spar with but they treat it more like a tradition or sport thing with all of these rules and honor, and¡­ it¡¯s just not the same as our spars, you know?¡± Given how he¡¯d only ever sparred with three people in his life, two of whom he¡¯d fought for the first time in the last three months, he really didn¡¯t, but¡­ ¡°Well, if it helps I¡¯m here anytime you need me.¡± He promised. Ying gave him a huff that was half amusement and half fondness. ¡°Careful Jon a girl might misunderstand you if you keep talking like that.¡± ¡°Uh, what do you mean?¡± He blinked with a slight tilt of his head. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out eventually.¡± Ying smirked before taking a lower stance with two clawed hands. ¡°Shall we?¡± ¡°Standard rules?¡± He made sure, even as he took his own stance, with an open hand forward and the other in a fist at an angle that would¡¯ve been best if he had a knife in it. ¡°Standard rules.¡± Ying agreed with slit eyes and a fanged grin. He nodded once before rushing forward at an unspoken start. From his few spars with Ying he knew she used a form of Southern Dragon Style Kung-Fu, a style that focused on zig-zagging leg work, quick strikes, pins, and locks that had been developed over the styles centuries long life span. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The style he and his ma used however was a personal bastardized form of Krav Maga, knife fighting -thrown and otherwise-, ambush tactics, and anything else that would offensively even the fight for any non-Deviant, one that his ma and her military buddies had developed back during her time in the service. Long story short, in a fair fight Ying would probably crush him after the first hit and counter but the style he used believed in everything but a fair fight. As proven when rather than throwing out a strike he instead tackled her around the waist sending them both crashing to the ground in a tangle of limbs even as she tried to side step him with wide eyes. ¡°Shit!¡± Ying cursed just before he slammed a fist into her face as he rolled on top. The downed martial artist managed to get her arms up and block his second blow, but wasn¡¯t able to keep him from snaking a hand under her guard and around her throat. A point that he pressed down on as he raised a fist to deliver a heavier blow. Ying¡¯s eyes snapped open, her pupils slit and her irises glowing, as she grabbed onto his shirt with a clawed hand before throwing him off of her in a feat of strength far beyond a typical teenage girl. ¡°Just go straight for the throat, don¡¯t you, Jon?¡± Ying chuckled, her feet coming out half a rasp as she staggered to her feet. ¡°Always liked that about you¡­¡± He could feel the change in the air as sparks of electricity jumped around Ying¡¯s throat as she inhaled. Slamming over his ears he kept himself from needing Pix to stitch his shattered eardrums together as the draconic teenager across from him unleashed a primal roar that would trigger an instinctual terror in all who heard it. (His eyes jumped to the scaled beast staring him down through the rain and the thunder, sparks dancing all along its serpentine body as it inhaled before unleashing an earth shaking scream.) (Too bad I¡¯ve heard the real beast¡¯s roar.) And as such he was more than ready to dodge when Ying kicked off the ground, exploding the dirt beneath her feet as she rushed him. Side stepping the first two feral claw swipes were easy as he stepped back towards a nearby tree before ducking under the third and leaving it to the draconic teen¡¯s fingers to get stuck several inches within the wood. Thus leaving her open to a fist to the kidney as well as boot to the back of her knee, and the hand that smashed her face into the rough tree bark. Noticing the lightning beginning to dance across her skin he hopped backwards to avoid her sparking back hand as she tore herself free from the tree. ¡°Fu~ck yes!¡± Ozone filled the air as electricity danced across Ying¡¯s face sealing a number of cuts before racing down her arm as (thunder tore through the air even louder than the lightning tore through the earth, as he just barely managed to roll out of the impact. The beast roared once more as rain pounded all around them, a storm far stronger than what should be seen so far in land.) He shook his head clear of the memory as he had every time he and Ying sparred before this, and as he likely would every spar after this. Of course this moment was enough of an opening for Ying to rush him and deliver a number of rib cracking impacts to his chest, launching him across the clearing into a painful roll as he forced himself through the pain like so many times before and reset his stance despite keeping his breaths shallow. As she always did when giving into her draconic instincts Ying rushed him once more, as his own instincts took over. (Duck right of blow. Right foot to left ankle. Left hand to left claw. Right hand to back of head. Face to the dirt. Knee on back. Right hand to left shoulder.) ¡°My win or¡­ your shoulder pops.¡± He told her, using a playful pause to cover up his pained breathing as he held the raging dragon beneath him. Ying snarled all fangs as lightning began to dance across her once more. Rather than releasing her, he pushed down on her shoulder and her back while pulling on her arm and feeling the leverage beginning to give as Ying was forced deeper into the dirt. The draconic teen shut her eyes before forcibly calming herself as the electricity died down and she forced herself to admit, ¡°Your win.¡± He nodded once before climbing off of her and offering his hand. ¡°Still can¡¯t beat you even with my powers.¡± Ying sighed, her teeth no longer fanged as she accepted his hand. ¡°Eh, you¡¯re getting better.¡± He shrugged, purposely not telling her that she¡¯d cracked half of his rib caged, knowing that¡¯d only make her feel guilty about losing control of her instincts even if for just a moment. ¡°Pix!¡± He called the little fairy, who¡¯d been woken up when Ying had roared towards the start of the fight. ¡°You mind patching us up so we can go another round?¡± The little fairy gave him a trilling sound before flying circles around both of them, causing a cool warmth feeling spread along his ribs as they mended whatever damage Ying had done to them. Scene Consequences -For sparring with Ying gained 2XP to Combat. --Currently: Lv. 5 (11/12) --- ¡°Three for three¡­¡± Ying groaned as she sat against the tree next to his backpack. ¡°You were doing pretty good here and there.¡± He tried to console as he began setting up their picnic. ¡°I mean you¡¯re throwing your lightning around pretty well now.¡± ¡°Yay, I burned through half my magical reserves for a ¡®pretty good¡¯ loss.¡± Ying cheered sarcastically, before sighing. ¡°Really doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯m getting all that better at this.¡± ¡°You are!¡± He assured her. ¡°I mean you¡¯ve been at this for what two, three months and you¡¯re already at this level. That¡¯s pretty good progress by most standards.¡± Ying gave him a tired grin, the kind that said she appreciated the sentiment even if she didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°How about you, how much progress have you made at this whole Practitioner thing?¡± ¡°I thought I told you about all of that yesterday?¡± He frowned. ¡°You did, but you know what they say, ¡®show don¡¯t tell¡¯.¡± Ying told him, while waving a hand through the air and closing her eyes. ¡°Well I don¡¯t really have anything that¡¯s ¡®show off-y¡¯.¡± He pointed out, as he pulled a few water bottles full of kool-aid from his backpack. ¡°What about that Contractor thing you did with Pix?¡± The draconic teen reminded him, not bothering to open her eyes even as Pix sat in her lap mimicking her. ¡°Oh, um, I guess I do have something there¡­¡± He admitted, as he remembered his Contract with Wolf. ¡°In fact I should probably introduce the two of you, now that I¡¯m thinking about it.¡± ¡°Introduce us?¡± Ying asked, opening one eye. ¡°Yeah, I used this Contracting Catalyst ritual thing to summon and contract a magical wolf.¡± He tried explaining. ¡°She can make these duplicate wolves if I give her a bit of magic, and I¡¯m trying to figure out how to make a spell from that effect for both of us to work with.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± Ying said, swiping a sandwich he¡¯d made the moment he set it down. ¡°And you can summon her now, yes?¡± ¡°Yeah, just give me a second.¡± He nodded, before pulling out the last few items of their picnic. Once he was done with that he walked towards the center of the clearing and began pushing magic into the Contractor¡¯s mark on his back before throwing his hand out and summon Wolf in a burst of light. Wolf gave the clearing and the destruction around it a once over before turning towards him with a curious if concerned tilt of her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He assured his canine companion as he scratched the top of her head. ¡°This is just the remnants of a spar with one of my friends.¡± Wolf tilted her head once more, but with a stronger sense of curiosity coming from the bond between them. ¡°Right, let me introduce you. This is over here is Ying.¡± He told the magical wolf, while gesturing to the draconic teen. ¡°Ying, Wolf.¡± Ying who had been watching curiously up to that point blinked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you say, ¡®Wolf¡¯?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah?¡± He nodded, even as the other teen pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°I should¡¯ve expected as much after you named the pixie, Pix.¡± Ying told him with no small amount of exasperation. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not that bad.¡± He argued with just a tinge of embarrassment. Ying gave him a particularly dry look. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to tell yourself, Human.¡± He grimaced, before arguing that, ¡°It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t ask her if she had a name. It¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t pronounce her name with a human mouth and vocal chords.¡± Wolf nodded from next to him, and he couldn¡¯t help but appreciate the show of solidarity. He pointedly avoided thinking about how hard she¡¯d been laughing when he¡¯d spent five minutes trying to say her name during their initial meeting. He also pretended that Pix was laughing at something other than the memory of that particular event. Ying glanced down at the laughing fairy before giving him an amused look, one that was quickly matched by Wolf¡¯s snickering. (This is just a day of mistakes for me isn¡¯t it¡­) Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to the girls. -Can now spar with allies. (Different allies have different requirements.) 29 Suns 29 Suns --- Jon --- (Yep, using traps was a mistake.) He admitted, as he hid in his little forest sanctuary. (A very big, very bad mistake.) Apparently his ma had taken ¡®inspiration¡¯ from his little bout of tactical creativity and decided to play tag again. Only, instead of only trapping the field while he was it, she¡¯d trapped the entire field for the entire game, making it so he couldn¡¯t go three steps without triggering something unless he moved with utmost care and delicacy. Meaning he¡¯d spent the majority of this training session as a paranoid bundle of nerves scared to leave the small fox hole he¡¯d built for himself. (At this rate my Ma¡¯s going to give me PTSD¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but think with a bitter chuckle, before remembering, (Well more PTSD anyway¡­) ¡°Come out, come out, wherever you are~¡± His ma called from nearby. (No thank you, no thank you, I¡¯d really rather not~) Scene Consequences -Thanks to Ma¡¯s ¡®help¡¯ gained 1XP to Stealth and Awareness. --Currently: Stealth Lv. 6 (11/14) and Awareness Lv. 8 (10/18) --- Shutting yet another dud of a ¡®relationship¡¯ book, more specifically after reading a scene where apparently a guy thought kissing a girl to make her quiet was a good idea rather than a form of shutting someone up that was little different from physically covering their mouth with your hand. (And she wasn¡¯t offended that he didn¡¯t actually care about what she was saying! What the heck?!) Figuring that this was another bust, he put the book back where he found it before making his way towards the cafeteria in the hopes of finding Aliyah so that she might explain how that was supposed to relate to relationships. (After all they say girls are supposed to be better at that kind of thing.) Of course before he could actually track the shy girl down he watched an odd series of tumbles as a student in the puddle and losing his lunch tray as it flew half-way across the room before landing on a table in the middle of bunch of girls who then proceeded to panic as the wasted food splashed on them. Inciting a stampede that ended up knocking over a number of other students and leaving a fair portion of the student body on the ground, in piles, and covered in spilt food and drinks. ¡°Oh no.¡± He gasped before rushing over to try and help as many of the fallen students as he could. (I hope no one¡¯s hurt too badly.) Scene Consequences -Jon¡¯s ¡®Nice Guy¡¯ Reputation has increased around the school. --- The entire mess in the cafeteria had taken an entire class period to clean up and make sure no one was hurt, while also putting a bit of damper on the day for everyone who¡¯d been present for the pile up. He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head at the wasted lunch period, both from that mess and the fact that he¡¯d wasted a fair portion of the period reading another trash book filled with what he knew had to be misinformation about healthy functioning human relationships. Which is why he was hoping the book on non-humans he was buying would be a little more informative about things. (Especially since half of my relationships are technically with non-humans.) He thought with a huff of amusement. ¡°What are you laughing about?¡± Samantha asked, taking the book from him. ¡°Nothing important.¡± He told her. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Whatever.¡± Ms. Delacroix shrugged before smiling as she read, ¡°Contractor¡¯s Creature Compendium. You know this is actually one of our best selling books amongst non-magic users.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, everyone loves learning about all of the wild creatures out there in the multiverse.¡± Samantha explained, scanning the book. ¡°I mean the animals on earth are cool and everything, but the guys this thing has are animals, magic, civilizations, and aliens all at once. That¡¯s like four different niche topics right there.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± He nodded, since a couple of those topics were technically the reasons he was buying the book himself. ¡°Oh, before you go what¡¯s your phone number?¡± Ms. Delacroix asked, handing the book over. ¡°Uh, why?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but wonder as he pulled out his cell phone. ¡°We¡¯ve got this whole weekly sale thing we do for our more regular customers so if you want I can put you on the weekly newsletter, so you know when certain stuff is cheaper than other things.¡± The shopkeeper offered, pulling out her pen and notepad. ¡°If it¡¯s just a weekly text then¡­ Sure, why not?¡± He shrugged, before giving her his phone number and saving the store¡¯s number to his own. ¡°Cool, since it¡¯s a mass text you¡¯ll have to wait until Sunday, but you should start getting them every week from here on out.¡± Scene Consequences -Added to ¡®Witches¡¯ Wares Mailing List¡¯, every 1st and 6th turn a new sale will be available for the remainder of that week. -Gained Contractor¡¯s Creature Compendium --Reading this book counts as both Occult and Contracting training until both are Lv. 5. (Note: Other Book Bonuses do not stack with this.) --If Occult or Contracting is Lv. 5 or higher, grants [Creature Codex] perk if read at least 5 times. (Currently read 0/5 times.) --- ¡°Alright, so we¡¯re having another spar today?¡± Ying asked from next to their picnic as he summoned Wolf to the clearing. ¡°Sort of.¡± He admitted, giving Wolf a few pets as he welcomed her. ¡°What I was really thinking is that it¡¯d probably be good for all of us to go a few rounds with each other. I figure that way we can each get used to fighting different kinds of enemies while also seeing what we each can do. Oh, though that first part might not give you as much Wolf since Ying and I are both human.¡± ¡°Ish.¡± Ying tacked on, as Wolf gave him a reassuring whine of sorts. ¡°Well in that case it¡¯ll be your job to patch each of us up between spars, alright Pix?¡± He asked, turning towards the little fairy who was currently sitting in the empty fifth of a blueberry pie tin. ¡°Pix that was for everyone!¡± The little fairy looked up from her food before giving him several buzzes and trills that he was fairly certain translated to something along the lines of, ¡®But I need to keep my energy up if you want me to keep all of you healed.¡¯ He simply narrowed his eyes at the little fairy. (You know what? I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t tell you about that back-up pie.) Shaking his head at the gluttonous little pixie, he turned his attention back to Ying and Wolf. ¡°So who goes first?¡± --- ¡°How did I lose to both of you?!¡± Ying pouted while eating a sandwich. ¡°It-it¡¯s not that bad.¡± He tried to reassure her, which only earned him a dragon-eyed glare. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from you.¡± Ying practically growled, her teeth sharpening as she said, ¡°Not when you managed to beat Wolf and I both, at the same time.¡± Even Wolf seemed a little down about that detail, the girls having decided that since they couldn¡¯t beat him one-on-one, they¡¯d try teaming up on him instead. (Too bad I¡¯m used to fighting four or five guys at once.) The Corrupted were very fond of swarming tactics. (Especially when half of those guys are wolves.) From there all he¡¯d really had to do was take advantage of his favorite tactic of throwing his enemies into their allies¡¯ attacks. A tactic that he¡¯d happily abused back in Blackwell once the more mystically inclined Corrupted had begun coming into play. (His arrow pierced the corrupted bird, and he looked away as its bubble of spatial distortion collapsed crushing the three Corpses inside with a sickening squelch.) (One end of his trip arrow pierced a Jack O''Lantern as the other pierced into a Bearserker pulling the much lighter humanoid Corrupted into the beast and setting them both ablaze in an explosion of flame that¡¯s heat licked at him as the blazing beast bellowed it¡¯s death.) (Avoiding yet another lightning shot, he proceeded to pepper the crowd of corrupted with a set of metal shafted arrows, before the smell of cooking meat began to quickly fill the clearing as he watched his actions cook the Corrupted alive.) He let out a shuddering breath, earning a concerned look from a healing Pix as he was suddenly glad neither of his combat companions had been throwing around things on par with the Corrupted. (Also, I need to make sure I never bring my bow and arrows to these spars.) Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Combat and Contracting --Currently: Contracting Lv. 4 (2/10) --*Skill Level Up* Combat Lv. 6 (0/14) -*Pix Skill Level Up* Mending is now Lv. 7. 30 Suns 30 Suns --- Jon --- He and his ma both strife to their lefts, as they walked around in a circle roughly three meters apart with a knife raised each. Their current training was a knife fight of sorts, only rather than trying to pin each other the idea was to- His ma rushed him and took a step forward before blocking her knife with his own as he stepped around her and to the other side of the circle they were both pacing inside of. -knock the other one out of the circle, without actually touching each other through a mix of faints, strikes, and redirects. All of which when combined with a subtle tension born from the fact that- He took two steps forward and half swung his knife before hopping back, as his ma didn¡¯t react to the feint in the slightest. -their usual fighting style was fairly aggressive outside of hit and run tactics, making this exercise as much about subtle psych warfare as it did about actual knife fights. (Just have to remain patient and keep at it¡­) He told himself, before raising his knife to block as his ma rushed forward once more, only to weave to his left and force him to twist and hop away from her out of reflex. His ma raised one finger before waving it side to side and pointing at his foot, namely the one with its heel outside of the circle. ¡°Your point.¡± He sighed, before fixing his footing and facing his mother once more. Scene Consequences -Thanks to ma gained 1XP to Knives and Psych Warfare --Currently: Knives Lv. 3 (5/8) and Psych Warfare Lv. 3 (4/8) --- While his ma took first shower since she still had work, he decided to take a moment to look through the book he¡¯d bought from the Witches¡¯ Wares the day prior. (Alright, Contractor¡¯s Creature Compendium¡­ Arcane really do enjoy alliteration.) He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as he opened the book. (Now let¡¯s see¡­ Should probably go over the introduction before anything else.) The opening section of the book explained that the Arcane Association used a system very similar to the standard set by Sanctuary to rate the various summons they¡¯d discovered across a number of relevant categories ranging from magic cost and ability to combat threat and general sociability with F representing the worst and S the best. From there they¡¯d then give a general overview of whatever species could be summoned, from any notable history and/or relevance the species may have to the Arcane Association contracting perks and traits that would make them desirable to any would be summoners. (All pretty standard stuff.) He figured before noticing the next section was a list of recommended summons for beginning Contractors. (I guess that¡¯s as good a place to start as any.) Pix would probably disagree with that thought, forcing him to read about fairies first, but given how she was currently asleep¡­ He turned the page to the first recommended summon and found himself staring at the image of an admittedly adorable form of a ball of fur with eyes and a mouth. An image made more adorable by the fact that there were about a dozen of the little furballs staring at the image taker excitedly. (The Flufflepuff¡­) He read before turning his attention to a number of letters next to the picture. (¡°Magic Cost: S+, Sociability: S+, Combat Threat: F-, Magical Ability: E, Protective Ability: F.¡± So friendly and easy to summon, but worthless in a fight.) The exact kind of thing you¡¯d want a child to summon if they were first learning magic. (¡°Flufflepuffs are one of the most commonly known magical creatures throughout the known realms. A fame owed to both the fact that they are one of the few magical species that can be found regardless of dimension, as well as the fact that no matter the odds Flufflepuffs will find their way to anywhere there is a high concentration of magic.¡±) He read before frowning. (Then why weren¡¯t there any in Blackwell?) He found his answer a little further on. (¡°Thanks to their¡­ less than impressive combat ability and courageous personalities, it is commonly seen by the Arcane that a lack of Flufflepuffs in any given area of high magical concentration is a sign of looming danger and a need for defensive action before the matter can worsen.¡± That¡­ makes sense.) This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. This last summer in Blackwell was the most dangerous of his life, and he did not blame a relatively defenseless creature for fleeing. (Hopefully, any that lived there will be able to make their homes there once more.) (¡°Thanks to their high sociability, often viewing everyone they like as a member of their herd -commonly known as a Pile o¡¯ Fluff or fluff pile- Flufflepuffs have come to be seen as the ideal pet Contract for beginner Contractors and are even seen as the mascot of the Arcane Association in some areas. A large part of this owing to the fact that one of the Association founders, Memen, used the summoning cost of the Flufflepuff as a basis for the measurement of a single Arcane MP due to the fact that they are widely recognized as one of the cheapest individual summons.¡±) ¡°Huh¡­¡± He¡¯d been wondering what the Arcane considered an MP, given how much it¡¯d popped up in some of his magic notes. ¡°Oh, the next bit is their Contracting traits.¡± He was curious to see what counted as a Contracting trait, since while mentioned he hadn¡¯t actually read too many details on what they were. (¡°Flufflepuffs despite their lack of combat ability possess two Contracting traits that still make them fairly popular amongst Contracting children. First is their [Swarm] trait that allows multiple Flufflepuffs to be summoned regardless of a Contractor¡¯s actual limits, with the first Flufflepuff summoned being deemed the true Contracted summons. The second is [Mystic Indestructibility] which makes it so that as long as they have a magical supply Flufflepuffs are borderline indestructible, meaning they can handle even the roughest of child¡¯s play without harm.¡±) ¡°Hmm¡­ These guys might actually be kind of cool to get for the kids at camp.¡± He admitted, wondering why Miss Edna didn¡¯t have a swarm of them dogpiling every depressed child to pass through camp. (I¡¯ll have to ask her the next time I talk to her.) Scene Consequences -Thanks to Book Bonus gained 1XP to Contracting and Occult --Currently: Contracting Lv. 4 (3/10) and Occult Lv. 6 (3/14) --- Given how he had the day to himself, he decided to test out Pix¡¯s garden by adding a few more plants to it and seeing if the residual magic accelerated it¡¯s growth from the month it¡¯d taken the previous batch to roughly a week like he was hoping. ¡°Alright, so another Medicinal herb and another poisonous plant.¡± He told Pix pulling the remnants of said plants from the enchanted preservation jars Miss Edna had given him. ¡°Think you can use your magic to help give these a bit more life?¡± Pix eyed the plants a bit before picking up a few bits and pieces while giving him a number of the buzzes and trills that made up the fairy language. ¡°So you can do it, but they probably aren¡¯t going to be ready by the next time we harvest the garden, huh?¡± He translated for himself before shrugging. ¡°Eh, that¡¯s fine, the point isn¡¯t really to harvest these two right now anyway.¡± The little fairy gave him a curious look. ¡°I¡¯m just figuring out how long it takes for a plant we add to the garden to take and stabilize.¡± He elaborated. ¡°Once we figure that out we can focus on growing things other than the plants that we brought with us from Blackwell. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d love something new to play with.¡± Pix thought about it for a moment before nodding decisively. ¡°Alright, well we¡¯ll see what we can do once we know how a city garden handles, okay?¡± He told Pix as he pat the space between her antenna, earning a faint purring buzz from the little fairy. Scene Consequences -1 Mystical Medicinal Herbs of Blackwell and 1 Poisonous Plant of Blackwell added to Garden. (0 Open Slots Available.) --Note: Due to proximity to Harvest these plants will not be harvested next Harvest. -*Pix Power Level Up* Nature Manipulation Lv. 4. --- Once they were done working on the garden and Pix had settled down to watch a nature documentary with Brutus, he started going through his various notes looking for another concept connected to his Moon affinity since he¡¯d been neglecting it a bit in favor of Defender. While doing so he stumbled upon a loose page sticking out from one of DeSade¡¯s books, one that explained the basics of how to use a concept that he realized was related to his Moon affinity for an offensive defense of sorts. The majority of the note seemed to revolve around DeSade trying to craft a spell that would reflect all damage upon a target with even greater harm than the initial attack, something that he quickly recognized as a devastating effect for any spell duel if it could be freely used. Of course as he read over this page and realized both that the information on the page at no point reference him or his affinities as well as the fact that it went off on a long complex stream of Occult terms and formula. (Meaning this wasn¡¯t a note to me, so much as a research paper DeSade forgot was in this book¡­) Still even if it wasn¡¯t meant for him it did give him an idea for a Concept he could look into now, as well as the research notes for a game changing spell should he improve his skills appropriately. It took him a minute, but eventually he came across a section detailing the use of the Concept [Reflection], something that while reading DeSade¡¯s notes he realized the moon¡¯s light technically was. Meaning that even if he ended up having a bit of trouble connecting it to the moon itself, he could still connect it to the moon¡¯s light which was a reflection of the sun¡¯s light. And while unfortunately at his current level all he could only make an object reflect Light, he felt that like with a lot of the Concepts he¡¯d been learning, he could do some interesting things with this Concept once he finally figured out how to merge multiple concepts together. (And that¡¯s not including if I manage to figure out a spell by the Devil of Blackwell.) Scene Consequences -New Concept: Reflection learned 2 tiers below Moon affinity. --Moon>Moon Light> Reflection -For learning a new Concept gained 1XP to Occult --Currently: Lv. 6 (4/14) -Discovered one of De Sade¡¯s hidden Spell Work in De Sade¡¯s Forbidden Knowledge. --A new Spell has been unlocked under spell crafting, that can be made once the appropriate skill levels have been reached. 31 Suns 31 Suns --- Jon --- ¡°Ah, I just remembered something I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you all week.¡± His ma told him as they were coming to the end of their morning run with Brutus at their side. ¡°You know how it¡¯s October, and I told you about how hectic this month apparently gets, right?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± He nodded, wondering where she was going with this. ¡°Well, apparently every Halloween when morale is a bit low after the rough month, a couple of the stations throw these parties to try and keep people somewhere relatively safe rather than wandering the streets.¡± His ma explained, in a way she reserved for when she was purposely trying to bury the lead. ¡°Given how crime spikes on Halloween, it¡¯s probably a good idea all things considered.¡± He admitted. ¡°I¡¯m guessing your station is one of these ones throwing a party?¡± ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s not the important part.¡± His ma told him with a smirk. His face scrunched up a bit. ¡°Then the important part is?¡± ¡°Apparently they do a yearly haunted house.¡± His ma smiled in a way that would frighten most. ¡°Oh!¡± He smiled himself, seeing exactly where she was going with this. ¡°You volunteered to run it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± His ma scoffed as if there was no other answer. ¡°But that means we¡¯ve got three weeks to put together something worth remembering.¡± ¡°You act like our Haunted Houses weren¡¯t memorable.¡± He frowned, knowing that their yearly haunted houses had always been a hit in their old home town. (Well with the people brave enough to attend them anyway.) ¡°I mean this is our first haunted house in Santa Rosa,¡± His Ma reminded him. ¡°we¡¯ve got to give them something to make sure everyone knows the Whitakers have the best haunted house each year.¡± ¡°Ah, wait¡­¡± He grimaced, remembering just what happened during their last Halloween in their hometown. ¡°We¡¯re probably going to have to dial it back compared to our last one, aren¡¯t we?¡± His ma considered it for a moment, before dismissing his concern. ¡°These are city folk I¡¯m pretty sure they can handle a few scares better than those cowards out in the country.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re lucky.¡± Because while he¡¯d never made a Haunted House for Blackwell he doubted he could actually scare the country town that had portals to six different hells. ¡°I just don¡¯t want our first Haunted House here to get us banned from making another one within city limits again.¡± Scene Consequences -Thanks to reminiscing with Ma gained 2XP to Psych Warfare. ---Currently: Lv. 3 (6/8) --- Knowing he still had a few hours until his meeting with Ying he took a seat beneath a tree in his usual clearing before taking out a book as Pix flew off to mess around with the various forest plants. Given how he was trying to help Wolf with her Wolf Pack spell, as well as the fact that his little (pack) was beginning to grow to a decent enough size, he decided to try studying the vary concept of [Pack] something he felt shouldn¡¯t be too hard given how many Hunters employed Pack tactics in the wild. Based on what he could piece together through a mix of both DeSade and Miss Edna¡¯s books, the concept of [Pack] -in the context that he was using- was one of the few ¡®group¡¯ concepts that functioned not as an individual Concept but rather a supplementary Concept to whatever he attached it to. What this meant was that on its own the Concept was most effective if combined with another spell effect, something that would make said effect stronger the more people it was applied to, at the obvious cost of making it weaker individually. (All things considered, this might actually make a cool experiment for those rings I got from Ms. Delacroix.) Though to use it to its full potential he¡¯d need to start working on fusing two Concepts into a single spell formula, something just a little above his skill level at the moment. (Either way, I can still probably get something interesting even without a second concept fused into the enchantment.) He just had to figure out how to let both Pix and Wolf wear the rings given their less than human nature. (Oh, and I¡¯ll need to get a fourth ring if I wanted to include everyone in this.) Figuring that was a problem for later, he turned back to his notes and soon realized that thanks to the nature of conceptuality there was technically a way for him to use this Concept for a spatial compression spell. (If I actually knew anything about Spatial magic anyway.) It was one of the more difficult branches of magic to break into if one didn¡¯t have a natural affinity for it. Something he didn¡¯t, given how his [Hunter] affinity would influence the Concept of [Pack]. (Still I might be able to work in a weak affinity bonus, if I can ever crack Spatial magic.) (A series of cracks echoed through the air as another spatial effect shattered packing the Corrupted Corpses into far too small of a space to fit them all.) (Then again, I might want to hold off on that for a bit¡­) He thought with just a touch of trepidation as he remembered what happened when you messed up a spatial spell. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Scene Consequences -New Concept: Pack learned 1 Tier beneath Hunter. --Hunter > Pack -For learning a new Concept gained 1XP to Occult. --Currently: Lv. 6 (5/14) --- Having apparently grown bored of whatever she¡¯d been doing, Pix decided to interrupt his reading session by zapping him. It didn¡¯t necessarily hurt -(at least when compared to a bullet)- but it was still fairly annoying, and did force him to look up from his notes. ¡°You do know there are better ways of getting my attention, right?¡± He asked the little fairy dryly. In response, Pix gave him a number of buzzing and trilling sounds while pointing at him and herself, before putting her fists up and punching the air. ¡°You¡­ you want to spar?¡± He blinked incredulously, earning a determined nod from the little fairy. ¡°Why exactly do you want to spar?¡± Pix continued her buzzing and trilling with a notably more frustrated tone -as well as fewer gestures- making it relatively difficult for him to decipher what she was telling him. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re¡­ jealous that I¡¯m sparring with Wolf and Ying?¡± He attempted to translate. Rather than confirming or denying, the little fairy gave him an angry huff before glaring at him as she began to charge up two bolts of magic in her hands. ¡°Fine.¡± He sighed. ¡°We can spar if you really want to¡­¡± (Not that I¡¯m actually going to try and hurt you.) The little fairy was just a touch too¡­ delicate for that. In response -as well as probably catching his unspoken caveat- Pix threw both of the bolts in her hands, zapping him. Or rather zapping where he would¡¯ve been if he hadn¡¯t dodged to the side. ¡°Going to have to try better than that if you want to hit me, Pix.¡± Scene Consequences -Pix spent 8MP during this spar. -*Pix Power Level Up* Zap Lv. 4 --- Once the little fairy had exhausted herself from trying -and failing- to zap him, he wrapped her in a little baby blanket he¡¯d bought for her and handed her a cookie about half of her size, completely unphased by the glare she leveled upon him the entire time. ¡°You good now?¡± He smirked. Pix narrowed her eyes before taking a bite out of her cookie and turning away from him with a ¡®hmph¡¯. ¡°Alright, just let me know if you want another cookie.¡± He told her, giving the pouting Pix a pat between her antenna. ¡°Speaking of, do you want one?¡± He asked, holding a cookie out to where Ying had been trying to (loudly) sneak up on him. ¡°Why not?¡± Ying sighed, accepting the cookie and taking a bite. ¡°Mm, chocolate chip.¡± ¡°Mmhm.¡± He nodded. ¡°Anyway since you said there was something you were wondering about magic wise I brought a bunch of my books to try and help you out.¡± ¡°I can see that.¡± Ying admitted, looking over the dozen or so books that would not have fit in a regular backpack. ¡°So, uh, what was the thing you wanted me to look into exactly?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Ying blinked, before finishing off her cookie. ¡°Your Contracting, I¡¯ve so far seen you use it to summon both Pix and Wolf I¡¯m curious what else you can do with it.¡± ¡°Uh, what do you mean?¡± He frowned. ¡°It¡¯s mostly about making deals with magical creatures and summoning them to you in exchange for an alternative magic supply.¡± ¡°Mostly?¡± Ying pressed. ¡°Well, there¡¯s thing DeSade¡¯s books talk about, where you can make a Contract with a non-summon, to create a magical bond with them to use further spells.¡± He tried to explain, picking the book in question out of his pile. ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t really look into it since the whole thing seemed a little too close to his whole ¡®Devil of Blackwell¡¯ thing.¡± ¡°It fits his theme at the very least.¡± Ying admitted, as he flipped through the book. ¡°Though it does make me wonder what exactly you could do with said connection.¡± ¡°Probably the same stuff I can do with my summons.¡± He shrugged, before finally finding what he was looking for. ¡°Ah, here we go. ¡®Contracting possesses two main schools of use: Summoning and Dealmaking. While both of these schools revolve around the art of forming a magical bond to another entity, Summoning focuses on summoning creatures through the Arcane Nexus. An immense Spell Engine developed by some of the most powerful entities within Arcane lore as a means of promoting inter-species peace as travel between worlds became more common. In contrast, Dealmaking revolves around the use of this magical bond to apply spells -be they harmful or beneficial- directly to another¡¯s Spell System without fear of spell rejection, allowing both curses and blessings to be given to the Contractee depending on a number of safeguards established within the Contract.¡¯¡± He finished reading, before turning back to Ying who seemed to be deep in thought about something. ¡°Uh, Ying?¡± The draconian teen blinked, before looking at him. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Did that help you with whatever you were wondering about?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Oh, I believe it does.¡± Ying smiled, with a few too many pointed teeth. ¡°Uh, great.¡± He nodded a little warily. ¡°In that case-¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you to make a Contract with me.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± He frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can¡­ what?¡± ¡°You just said you can use Dealmaking to circumvent a person¡¯s Spell System and apply spells to them, did you not?¡± ¡°Er, yeah.¡± He admitted, some small part of him feeling like doing so was a bad idea, but another large part feeling a morbid sense of curiosity. ¡°Well, in that case, we might be able to use this to work around my Incarnate restrictions.¡± Ying explained, her eyes taking a mildly draconic appearance. ¡°Admittedly I¡¯d still be limited to whatever magic you can apply through the Contract but if you can figure out how to apply a Contract similar to your summons¡­¡± ¡°I could summon you and return you to my position.¡± He finished, figuring out her gameplan. ¡°Meaning you¡¯d be able to leave your house whenever you want rather than just when your mom let¡¯s you.¡± Ying grimaced. ¡°While that would be the ideal outcome, in reality it¡¯ll likely only give me another hour or two each week, given how she¡¯s still trying to fill my schedule and keep me restricted to the house.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It is what it is.¡± Ying dismissed. ¡°Still every moment of freedom counts, and if I can get a few more by forming a Contract with you.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s worth it.¡± He agreed without hesitation. Scene Consequences -Thanks to Book Bonus and Ying¡¯s curiosity gained 3XP to Contracting. --Contracting has been updated to Contracting: Summons. ---Currently: Contracting: Summons Lv. 4 (6/10). -For learning a major detail about a magical art, gained 1XP to Occult. --Currently: Lv. 6 (6/14) -New Companion Quest: Ying¡¯s Free Deal- Figure out how to form a Contract with Ying. --First Task: Look into Contracting: Dealmaker. 32 Suns 32 Suns --- Jon --- (You know this is actually kind of peaceful.) He thought as another blade pierced the tree they were using for target practice. (Nice and repetitive. The exact kind of thing you can just sort of zen out to.) He smiled as he listened to the steady thump, thump, thump of his knives hitting the tree, and echoed by his ma¡¯s knives doing the same a few feet away. ¡°Hey, I told you about them hitting those Dealer Warehouse¡¯s, right?¡± His Ma asked after a few moments. ¡°Uh, the ones that Mask tipped you off about?¡± He checked, half covering for himself. ¡°The one that saved Kenneth.¡± ¡°Yeah, those.¡± His Ma nodded. ¡°Anyway they finally hit them the other day, and the whole department is doing this celebration thing since it¡¯s supposed to be a big win or some shit.¡± ¡°Language.¡± He scolded passively, before frowning. ¡°So what, are you being dragged to some kind of party or something?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± His Ma sighed, throwing another knife. ¡°Of course this means I¡¯m also dragging you along to the Saint¡¯s Crossing so I don¡¯t have to suffer alone.¡± ¡°What but why? I mean Rodriguez is going to be there isn¡¯t she?¡± He pointed out. ¡°And I¡¯m under age so I shouldn¡¯t be in a bar in the first place!¡± His Ma merely smirked, having apparently been looking for that reaction. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s not going to be that bad, they serve non-alcoholic drinks and they¡¯ve got food, so consider going out to a restaurant or something.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like that either.¡± He reminded her before scowling. ¡°And bar food isn¡¯t real food, the only reason people eat it is because they¡¯re too drunk to care it tastes like garbage.¡± His Ma rolled her eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t like the food then you can bring your own.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Knives and Throwing --Currently: Knives Lv. 3 (6/8) and Throwing Lv. 3 (3/8) --- Given Ying¡¯s request for his help, he decided to focus on a part of DeSade¡¯s books that he¡¯d been purposely ignoring, seeing as they were likely responsible for DeSade¡¯s Devil moniker back in Blackwell. For the most part a large portion of the Art overlapped with what he already knew about his Contracting when it came to his summons like with Pix and Wolf, giving him a decent foundation to start himself off with. One that was then further expanded when he took into account everything DeSade had taught him about the Occult and applying it to other magical Arts. The Dealmaking branch of Contracting as he¡¯d told Ying the day prior, primarily revolved around using the ¡®Deal¡¯ to induce a spell effect -whether beneficial or harmful- in a given subject. Usually these deals would revolve around a magic user infusing a temporary boon of sorts into a subject in exchange for a given rule or condition that if broken would apply a curse as punishment until the subject¡¯s spell system burned it out. A higher level Dealmaker could then take these two conditions referred to as ¡®Payment¡¯ and ¡®Penalty¡¯ and make their effects permanent. Though regardless of skill level there was something about ¡®Weight of Services¡¯ that he was having a bit of trouble understanding, seeing as it involved something about the economics of spirituality, physicality, magic, and the mind¡¯s perspective. (Since it¡¯s not really what I¡¯m after here, I don¡¯t think it really matters, so I¡¯ll just come back to this later.) He decided after rereading that particular page for the fifth time, without any further clarity. Based on the spell formulas he was able to piece together, -as well as his previous experience with Spell Scripts and the Occult- he figured his best application of Contracting at the moment would be to infuse a person with one of his Concepts giving them an enhancement of sorts. From there if he so desired -not that he did- he could then infuse someone with an inversion of a given Concept, causing the deal to rob them of whatever power the Concept would usually enhance. (I¡¯ll still have to take the time to write out a deal, but I think I¡¯ve got a pretty solid grasp of the basic theory and application at the very least.) Though given the complexity of Dealmaking when compared to Script Craft, he doubted he¡¯d be able to make more than a single Contract at a time at his current level. Technically speaking he still hadn¡¯t found the exact thing he needed to help Ying, but ¡°At the very least it¡¯s a starting point.¡± Scene Consequences -Learned Contracting: Dealmaking --Due to skill overlap with [Contracting: Summons] gained 4XP. --Thanks to Occult gained an additional 6XP. ---*Skill Level Up* Contracting: Dealmaking Lv. 3 (0/8) -For learning a new Magic Art gained 1XP to Occult. --Currently: Lv. 6 (7/14) --- He met the glaring fairies gaze and held it for a full minute before finally relenting and making a ¡®hand it over¡¯ motion with his hand. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Pix let out a series of excited trills and chirps as she did a loop de loop through the air before picking up the book and giving it to him. Flipping back to the page Pix wanted him to read, and found an image with a trio of fairies staring curiously at the camera. (Might as well see if the Association¡¯s notes are any different from my own.) ¡°Alright, so¡­ ¡®Fairies (Subspecies: Lesser Pixie).¡¯¡± He began. ¡°¡®Suggested Contracting Rank: E. Magic Cost: A-, Sociability: B+, Combat Threat: E, Magical Ability: D-, and Protective Ability: F.¡¯¡± (I¡¯m¡­ not actually sure how that measures up to reality.) He frowned, just realizing the fact that comparing these ratings to Pix was his only real frame of reference and he had no idea how she actually compared to these ratings. ¡°¡®Fairies are one of the most famous creatures throughout human folklore, and represent a species of nature spirits more commonly known as the fae.¡¯¡± He continued under Pix¡¯s enraptured gaze. ¡°¡®These spirits have throughout history proven themselves to be both kind and cruel, with a morality as varied as humanity¡¯s own. The interesting thing to note here however is the sheer variety of Fairies compared to most other mystically-inclined species, as well as the commonality of subspecies to transfer into different varieties of themselves.¡¯ I guess they¡¯re talking about the whole young fairy to adult fairy to elite fairy thing there.¡± Pix gave him a chirp of agreement. ¡°¡®The variant more commonly known as a Pixie is a small humanoid fairy with insect like wings and secondary characteristics most commonly related to flying insects such as butterflies, moths, and dragonflies.¡¯¡± He¡¯d tangentially known that, having seen a few of such fairies in the fairy colony Pix had originally come from, but hadn¡¯t written it down thinking it was the fairy equivalent of a skin tone. ¡°While these secondary characteristics are usually a sign of developing personality traits, they possess little relevance beyond being a demonstration of the usual physical malleability of spirits.¡¯¡± ¡°¡®Pixies themselves are a relatively sociable species amongst each other, and while friendly do possess a notable temperament towards mischief and grudges with the humans they interact with.¡¯¡± He continued, despite having a similar note in his own bestiary. ¡°¡®Individually Pixies possess little in the way of actual combat ability beyond some simple Nature and Light spells, however thanks to their innate magics they are capable of becoming a powerful support unit if given the time and training necessary to develop their abilities.¡¯¡± He read, mildly amused by the way Pix was puffing up in pride. ¡°¡®While not the most ideal summons for a first Contract, Pixies still make for a good early summons due to their varied nature and vast developmental potential, allowing them to grow alongside their partners if contracted early enough.¡¯¡± He concluded, fully agreeing with the book¡¯s author as he smiled at his little fairy before noticing that, ¡°Oh, wait, there¡¯s one last bit. ¡®It should be noted for parents concerned about allowing their child to Contract with another, that a number of Fae possess an instinctive fondness for children leading them to be more protective of them than they would older Contractors. (Though they may still drag your children into their mischief making.)¡¯¡± He was probably a bit too close to the young vs old line to properly weigh in on that one, (then again Pix did get along surprisingly well with the few campers who found out about her.) Either way, having finished the section Pix wanted him to read he closed the book before turning back to the little fairy as he pet her head between her antenna unable to keep himself from teasing her as he told her that, ¡°As badly as you wanted me to read this, I might think you want me to summon another fairy.¡± Pix immediately froze before slowly turning towards him all compassion dead in her wide eyes as she slowly began to glow. The ensuing flurry of angry buzzing and zapping she gave him ensured that he understood that she was the only fairy he was allowed to Contract with. (As if I¡¯d actually summon any other fairy.) Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to both Contracting: Summons and Occult --Currently: Contracting: Summons Lv. 4 (7/10) and Occult Lv. 6 (8/14) -Grown a bit closer to Pix. --- ¡°You know I wasn¡¯t actually expecting you to bring your own food.¡± His Ma admitted as he laid out a proper dinner for himself, his Ma, and Rodriguez, with enough left over for any other (saints) who managed to befriend his mother. ¡°I didn¡¯t, I brought our food.¡± He corrected, pulling a plate from his backpack and setting it in front of his Ma. ¡°Don¡¯t discourage him.¡± Rodriguez told his ma as he gave her a plate. ¡°He¡¯s a better cook than me, and I want something other than take out and microwavable garbage for once.¡± ¡°You know most places have rules against bringing outside food and drinks.¡± His ma pointed out. ¡°Bribed Chris and Maddie with cookies.¡± He explained casually. His Ma narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°You know you¡¯re lucky that¡¯s the exact kind of thing I¡¯d do, or I¡¯d be a lot less proud of you right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± He smirked, before feeling a subtle shift in the air. One he¡¯d felt several times back in Blackwell, and that had the beast in his head opening an eye, as his own drifted towards the pale dark-haired teen who just walked into the bar. (Huh, since when is Josh a Deviant?) It must¡¯ve been a recent development given how he hadn¡¯t really noticed it before, and likely wouldn¡¯t have noticed it if the bar entrance wasn¡¯t just a few steps from their corner table. (That can¡¯t be good¡­) From what he knew if a Deviant unlocked their powers suddenly rather than over time, it usually meant they¡¯d had something happen to them to trigger their powers, such as Ying not realizing she was an Incarnate until after she¡¯d been Corrupted. (Still¡­ It¡¯s not my place to get involved.) If Josh was in serious trouble he had his brother and Maddie to help, and they in turn had an entire police station that wanted nothing to happen to their main bar. ¡°Ah, there you are Officer Rodriguez, Detective Whitaker.¡± A young blonde woman greeted as the officer walked up to their table before frowning as she noticed him. ¡°Oh, pardon, I didn¡¯t realize this was a familial meeting.¡± ¡°Nah, I just dragged him here to get him out of the house for the night.¡± His Ma assured the new woman. ¡°Jon this is Officer Fiona Steele, Fiona this is my son Jon Whitaker.¡± ¡°A pleasure to meet you young Whitaker.¡± Steele smiled offering her hand. ¡°Uh, you too?¡± He nodded accepting it with a shake. ¡°Fiona here just transferred in before the raid.¡± Rodriguez cut in, explaining why he hadn¡¯t seen her before. ¡°Yes. Our superior officers believe that with the uptick in gang activity in the city¡¯s southern districts, transferring a few more officers here should help to keep a handle on the situation.¡± Steele elaborated as she took a seat at their table. ¡°Your mother has been most helpful in helping me get settled since my transfer.¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s good to know.¡± He smiled before leaning forward to tell her that, ¡°If at any point she tries to scare you into submission let me know and I¡¯ll make her pull back.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Steele blinked. ¡°I¡¯m not going to haze the rookie.¡± His Ma told him with a roll of her eyes. ¡°Right, my bad.¡± He admitted. ¡°You haze everyone but the new guy.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± His Ma nodded. ¡°Unless they¡¯re assholes in which case I¡¯ll double down.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Ma. 33 Suns 33 Suns --- Jon --- ¡°So what have you got planned for the day?¡± His ma asked, trying to distract him in the middle of one of their spars. ¡°Not much.¡± He shrugged, before thinking of something that might throw his ma off a bit. ¡°Have to meet a couple of girls for something later.¡± ¡°What?¡± His ma blinked just long enough for him to deliver a kick to her side. ¡°Ying, er, the girl I was teaching self-defense to at camp?¡± He reminded her. ¡°Well she lives in town and she asked me if we could keep up with the sparring.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± His ma frowned, rubbing at her side before taking another stance. ¡°You said a couple of girls though?¡± ¡°Well there¡¯s a¡­ couple of other friends that¡­ join in too.¡± He explained, redirecting one of his ma¡¯s punches before trying a quick knee to her stomach. Rather than taking the knee though his Ma caught it before forcing it down to throw off his balance and trying for an uppercut he managed to avoid at the cost of having to roll backwards in a crouched handspring. ¡°Huh, you teaching them too?¡± His Ma asked, giving him enough time to get to stand rather than keeping him on a grounded defense. ¡°Not really teaching, since they all knew how to fight beforehand.¡± He admitted. ¡°They just prefer sparring with me over their dojos because I¡¯m more¡­ practical I guess? Though that doesn¡¯t really stop them from getting frustrated whenever I take two of them at once.¡± ¡°Two of them at once?¡± His Ma repeated with a smirk. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you can handle two girls at once?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± He nodded, feeling like he was missing something. ¡°I really wish you understood how that sounds.¡± His Ma laughed with a shake of her head. Scene Consequences -Thanks to Ma¡¯s training gained 1XP to Combat and Psych Warfare. --Currently: Combat Lv. 6 (1/14) and Psych Warfare Lv. 3 (6/8) --- Studying general affinities was notably different than studying a concept you actually had an affinity for. Whether it be due to some subconscious function that makes it easier to grasp the connections between everything, or just a more solid understanding of material you use more frequently, concepts connected to one¡¯s natural affinities were significantly easier to learn. Something he¡¯d learned when he¡¯d picked up his understanding of the Concept of [Heat] from DeSade, and was learning again as he tried to understand the Concept of Shadow¡¯s from his Arcane Affinities for an Arcane Apprentice. The Concept itself wasn¡¯t too hard to grasp, at least once one got past the part about how shadows and darkness are not the same thing. (Which I don¡¯t really get? I mean shadows and darkness are both the absence of light, so is it a conceptual difference in how people see them?) Regardless of that though he was having some trouble grasping the Concept on the whole, given how it involved using one¡¯s magic to give weight to shadows and then move those shadows around. An idea he semi-understood from when he¡¯d learned the Concept of Moonlight which while related to actual light function differently due to its ability to better carry other Spell Effects in exchange for some of its theoretical solidity. Unfortunately, he¡¯d never actually used the Concept for more meta-physical magics, which he felt was part of the reason he couldn¡¯t quite understand (how am I supposed to take a non-physical thing and make it physical!) Glaring at the text in front of him he finally slammed the book shut in frustration, deciding he¡¯d give it another try when he wasn¡¯t tired of running himself in mental circles. Scene Consequences A/N: Just a reminder Concepts unrelated to what Jon already knows take more time to learn. -Gained 1 Progress towards the Concept Shadows. (1/2) --- ¡°You guys are getting better.¡± He had to admit, even as he shoved Wolf¡¯s lunge towards the ground and delivered a kick to Ying¡¯s sternum. ¡°Doesn¡¯t- cah- Argh, doesn¡¯t¡­ feel like it¡­¡± Ying gasped as she slowly caught her breathing, and Wolf shook off her tumble. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Oh, you are.¡± He assured her. ¡°I¡¯m spending more time on the defensive today than anything else.¡± (Meaning I¡¯m going to have to start cheating.) ¡°I guess I am getting a little better at using my claws.¡± Ying admitted stretching her clawed hand out. ¡°It¡¯s surprising how much dragon style both does and does not help me out here.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked curiously, while seeing if he could influence his connection to Pix despite having Wolf summoned. ¡°Well my more¡­ draconian self seems to have a preference for using my arms and claws to attack, which several of the locks and grapples help with.¡± Ying tried to explain, before shaking her head. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t seem to hold the patience for my strikes and punches, my instincts screaming to rip and tear whatever I get my hands on.¡± ¡°A conflict of instincts then.¡± He figured, noting Pix perk up in his peripheral at the same time Wolf gave him a confused look. ¡°Do you have similar issues?¡± He asked his canine companion, half to distract her from the ping he¡¯d sent the little fairy and half legitimately curious. ¡°I mean you¡¯re a wolf using a knife, so at least from our perspective, that has to be a conflict of instinct and skill on your part.¡± Wolf nodded making several sounds he took as her trying to explain her own experience. ¡°Hmph, I guess that would be something the more wild part of our peer group has to deal with.¡± Ying smiled petting Wolf. ¡°Heh, yeah¡­¡± He chuckled weakly. (His left arm was pinned by the Mad Wolf pulling at his arm as it tried to tear through his jacket and arm both. His knife and his axe were on the other side of the clearing lodged inside of their respective targets. Leaving him both unarmed and down an arm as he kept the Corrupted Corpse at bay with his free hand, until something in him finally snapped under the stress of the day. Growling and half feral, he shoved Corpse back a step before ripping his arm out of the Mad Wolf¡¯s jaws, grabbing onto the Corpse, and biting into its throat as the taste of rot and copper filled his mouth.) ¡°The wilder part¡­¡± He swallowed, immensely glad that non-magicals needed to drown in the Black Waters to be Corrupted by them. Seeing that Ying and Wolf were distracted -something he wanted to be himself- he glanced at the watching Pix before tapping the side of his head, covering his eyes, and putting a finger to his mouth in quick succession. And by the time the other half of their (pack) had turned back to him, the little fairy had already deciphered his message and given him a nod. ¡°How about one more round before we call it a day?¡± He told them, trying to ignore the bitter taste memory had brought to his tongue. ¡°I suppose one more round wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± Ying shrugged, before glancing at Wolf. ¡°Will you be fighting Wolf?¡± Their canine companion gave her own growl of agreement. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t you want Pix to heal your wounds before we fight?¡± Ying asked, noticing the few scrapes and bruises he still had from their previous round. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s already done her job.¡± He smirked at the grinning little fairy behind his two vict- sparring partners. Scene Consequences -Thanks to Sparring with everyone gained 1XP to Combat, Contracting: Summons, and Psych Warfare. --Currently: ---Combat Lv. 6 (2/14) ---Contracting: Summons Lv. 4 (7/10). ---Psych Warfare Lv. 3 (7/8) -*Ying Skill Level Up* Draconian Combat Lv. 4. --- Sitting down at his desk while Pix napped on his bed, he began trying to work at his first real ¡®Contract¡¯ the affair proving more difficult than he¡¯d initially thought. The initial idea was similar enough to a mix of both his Script Craft and Enchanting that he had a relatively easy time inscribing the mystical half of the Contract into the paper he was using. Or that¡¯s what he thought at first at least. At a certain point he realized that forging a ¡®Contract¡¯ was essentially enchanting the paper to give off two separate Spell Scripts under a given set of circumstances. Something he didn¡¯t entirely understand given how most of his research revolved around creating singular and independent spell effects with each art. What¡¯s more from what he could tell the Penalty portion of his Contract would essentially invert whatever Concept he ran through it, which in itself went against a fair amount of what he understood about using his magic. Still even if the rules were far beyond the majority of what he understood, his actual understanding of magic itself was good enough that he had a vague idea of just how the Contract would work on whoever signed it. First his ¡®Payment¡¯ of [Hunter] would give the signer a boon making them ever so slightly better at all things conceptually related to hunting. Though given how much the Concept covered, he didn¡¯t think the bonus would actually be all that noticeable. On the other hand his ¡®Penalty¡¯ of [Moon] would make it so that if the signer went back on their end of the deal they would gain a curse making it harder for them to focus and act at night. Of course since the curse was tied to the moon this meant it¡¯d be stronger on nights closer to the full moon while being almost unnoticeable under the new moon. As he put the final details on the extremely complicated Spell Circuit, he proceeded to flood the Contract with the sizable amount of magic necessary to finalize the Contract. A process that gave the impression of burning the circuit into the paper before slowly fading from sight and leaving a blank sheet of paper behind. ¡°Is¡­ is that it?¡± He frowned, looking the unassuming piece of paper over as he¡¯d spent the last two hours painfully working on. ¡°I was expecting more¡­¡± He could feel the magic flowing through the paper, but it was almost as if it was dormant. (But why wouldn¡¯t it be active¡­) He vaguely remembered the Contracts he¡¯d seen laying around DeSade¡¯s study and realized. ¡°I have to actually write out a Legal Contract don¡¯t I?¡± He could already feel his inner free spirit dying to the demonic chains of bureaucracy. Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Contracting: Dealmaking --Currently: Lv. 3 (1/8) -Spent 5 MP forging Contract. -Made Contract: Hunter¡¯s Boon, Moon¡¯s Curse. (F-Rank) --Whoever signs this Contract gains a small boost to all [Hunting] actions for a day, so long as they fulfill a simple action, should they fail they shall lose their bonus and take a penalty to all actions under the moon -doubling near the full moon, and halving near the new moon- for twenty-four hours. --Costs 1 MP to seal this Contract. 34 Suns 34 Suns --- Jon --- ¡°Mm, how¡¯s this look?¡± He asked, offering the makeshift auto-reel to his Ma. ¡°Looks alright, you got it set up to the remote trigger?¡± His Ma checked, looking the piece over. ¡°Yep.¡± He nodded, raising a little remote. ¡°Fire when ready.¡± His Ma told him pointing the reel away from herself. Clicking the remote there was a faint hiss before the line shot out of the reel a few feet away. ¡°And retract.¡± His ma continued. A second click saw the reel slowly retracting the line. ¡°Mm, it works but it looks like you¡¯re wasting just a little too much of the compressed air in the firing mechanism.¡± His Ma concluded. ¡°It¡¯s not a major problem right now, but we¡¯re going to have to work on this if we want to make enough of these for the haunted house.¡± ¡°Darn, I thought I had it there.¡± He frowned, taking the reel back before popping open its casing with a screwdriver as his ma got back to work on her own set of reels. ¡°Eh, you¡¯ll get the hang of it eventually. Just takes a bit of practice.¡± His Ma assured him. ¡°At the very least you¡¯ve got the trigger mechanism working, so when we¡¯re done with these I can show you how to sync all of them to a single transponder.¡± ¡°Ooh, that sounds fun!¡± He grinned, thinking about the possibilities. ¡°Are we setting up a full monitor room this year or is the station letting us use their security room?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be setting our own up so we can get more cameras, and better scare my co-workers.¡± His Ma told him, setting another finished reel to the side. He blinked before tilting his head slightly. ¡°I thought we were trying to scare everyone though?¡± ¡°Oh, we are.¡± His Ma smirked. ¡°I just want to see my boss¡¯s face when he realizes I have better station surveillance than him.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± He nodded in understanding. ¡°You want him to update the obsolete station security.¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go with that.¡± Scene Consequences -Thanks to Ma¡¯s training gained 2XP to Trapmaking. --Currently: Lv. 8 (15/18) --- Tranquilizers were a useful tool in a number of situations. From knocking humans unconscious without the risk of brain damage, to making sure a bunch of young campers slept through the raging storm dragon, or perhaps even (hypothetically) teaching someone¡¯s friends how to fight while drugged. Which is why he was currently following the instructions he¡¯d written into his notebook about a tranquilizer formula he¡¯d developed back in Blackwell, using some of the town¡¯s local flora as a base element. (¡®Mash damp flowers into a paste at the bottom of the cup.¡¯ Check. ¡®Pouring in boiling water.¡¯ Check. ¡®And lastly stir in anima tea for balance.¡¯) He read in his own handwriting, before smirking at his final note. (¡®Just like making Ma¡¯s coffee by hand.¡¯) It wasn¡¯t something he did often but he¡¯d been curious about it once, and tried a few different ways of making coffee by hand. And while he himself wasn¡¯t the biggest coffee drinker, he found he had a preference for french pressed, given how much control he could have over the brewing process and flavor vs his Ma¡¯s coffee maker. (Honestly, the sheer amount of overlap between cooking and making potions is probably why I picked it up so much faster than the other arts DeSade and Miss Edna tried to teach me.) Scene Consequences -Crafted (Potions Level * 1.5 =) 9 Doses of Tranquilizer. --Tranquilizer will be applied to normal arrows when needed. (Note: Tranquilizer will not be applied to Trick Arrows.) Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. -Gained 1XP to Potions --Currently: Lv. 6 (10/14) --- ¡°So, how exactly is this supposed to work?¡± Ying asked, going over the Contract that he¡¯d made relatively straightforward in its ¡®rule¡¯. ¡°Do I just sign this, or?¡± ¡°You need to sign it, with either your blood or your true name.¡± He explained, watching her with just a touch of nerves. ¡°From there I give it a bit of magic and the Contract goes into effect.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ My true name?¡± Ying repeated curiously. ¡°Eh, that part has me a bit fuzzy.¡± He admitted, going over his notes. ¡°A true name is any name you identify as your own, but the Contract gains more power the more you consider the name yours. The Contract is supposed to trigger some form of self-identity check to make sure you¡¯re using a name connected to you rather than a false name. In which case the Contract would reject it and burn the name off.¡± Closing his notebook he gave her a shrug. ¡°As far as I can tell you just need to sign your full name, and it¡¯ll work as intended.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Ying said, staring off in thought for a moment before signing the Contract and rolling it up. ¡°Now what?¡± ¡°Now I see if I can trigger it.¡± He sighed, accepting the Contract before pulling the cool-warmth of his magic out of the amulet around his neck and pushing it into the Contract. There was a faint drain on his magic, before an even fainter connection formed between him, Ying, and the piece of paper in his hands. One notably less clear and less powerful than the ones that bound him to Pix and Wolf. ¡°I think that does it.¡± He frowned, staring at the Contract before turning to Ying with a touch of concern. ¡°Feel any different?¡± ¡°I feel¡­ something.¡± Ying told him opening and closing her hand, as electricity danced across the surface. ¡°It¡¯s different from my regular magic, but I can¡¯t tell what it¡¯s doing exactly.¡± ¡°Yeah, most of that Contract¡¯s effects were pretty passive.¡± He admitted. ¡°The fact that you can feel the magic at all though likely means that the Contract worked.¡± ¡°Perhaps, but we won¡¯t actually know for sure until night fall.¡± Ying argued, clenching her fist. ¡°So you intend to trigger the curse on purpose?¡± He grimaced. ¡°Of course.¡± Ying nodded. ¡°We won¡¯t know the full extent of the Contract until we¡¯ve tested its positives and negatives. Besides based on what you¡¯ve said the curse side of things should be notably more obvious than the boon, given how it should hinder me in everything.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean you should avoid risking it?¡± He pointed out, not liking the idea of the Draconian teen purposely hobbling herself. Ying gave him a smile. ¡°I appreciate the concern but this is something we need to test, and it¡¯s best we do so while the effects only last for a day, rather than something more permanent.¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± He frowned, not really agreeing with the idea despite understanding the other teen¡¯s reasoning. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Jon.¡± Ying told him, smiling softly upon seeing his lingering concern. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Scene Consequences -Used ¡®Hunter¡¯s Boon, Moon¡¯s Curse¡¯ Contract for 1MP. -Gained 1XP to Contracting: Dealmaking --Currently: Lv. 3 (2/8) -Grown a bit closer to Ying. --- Staring at his book, he couldn¡¯t help but let his attention begin to waver due to both the late hour and general lack of progress at figuring out how to use the Concept of [Shadows]. ¡°Ugh, this is starting to give me a headache.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but groan as he pawed at his eyes. Leaning back in his seat and rolling out the kinks developing in his neck and shoulders, his eyes eventually drifted out of his room and up to the moon sitting just at third quarter. And as he stared at the half visible moon something in his head clicked and he realized that, (the moon is covered in shadows.) Jolting as inspiration struck he pulled out a few of DeSade¡¯s books for developing his [Moon] affinity, and began searching for any connection his affinity could have to the Concept of [Shadows]. Figuring that even if it wasn¡¯t necessarily a combative concept, he doubted that DeSade would pass up on something leading to ¡®darker¡¯ arts. (Wait. Here we go.) He stopped at an image of a black moon. It took him a bit to decipher the text¡¯s contents, but eventually he was able to piece together the broad strokes of the Concept [New Moon]. A fusion of both his [Moon] affinity as well as the Concept of [Shadows] which when put together created a Concept revolving around concealing things in shadows and, in a more mystical direction, renewing the power of any spell effect it¡¯s applied to. What¡¯s more as he continued to study the Concept, the various bits and pieces he¡¯d failed to understand about [Shadows] suddenly snapped into place. Enough so that he was sure he could put the Concept into use even if it wouldn¡¯t be empowered by his natural affinity in the same way [New Moon] was. (Though if [New Moon] counts as a form of [Moon], then I suppose it could empower [Shadows].) It was an interesting side thought, though he felt that there was a deeper reason for why [New Moon] was considered its own concept distinct from [Moon], even if he wasn¡¯t sure what that difference was exactly. (Maybe I can figure it out if I knew a bit more about how Magic works.) He couldn¡¯t fight the yawn that escaped him after that thought. (Ugh, what time is it?) Checking his phone only to grimace as he saw that it was well past midnight. ¡°Well, at least it¡¯s a Friday¡­¡± Scene Consequences A/N: This is the kind of thing I wanted to see when I made studying Concepts a logic mini-game, since I honestly didn¡¯t make it myself. And as such I¡¯ve unlocked [New Moon] as a bonus Concept between Shadows and the Moon. (The relationship between [New Moon] and [Shadows] is similar to [Moonlight] and [Light]) -Magic Logic Bonus: New Concept: [New Moon] unlocked a tier below [Moon]. -New Concept: [Shadows] unlocked a tier below [New Moon]. -For learning 2 new Concepts gained 2XP to Occult. --Currently: Lv. 6 (10/14) 35 Suns 35 Suns --- Jon --- ¡°Hey, kid I just wanted you to¡­ tell me about all plants?¡± His ma asked, trailing off from her initial question. ¡°Oh, uh, I sort of got into gardening back in Blackwell.¡± He answered while making sure Pix had ducked out of sight. ¡°Miss Edna has this whole garden thing on the border of the camp and the forest, and she gave me some of the plants to bring back with me when I asked.¡± ¡°Huh, well, looks like you¡¯ve got a green thumb I never did.¡± His Ma admitted, taking a closer look at the small garden, before frowning at a few of the plants closer to the window. ¡°Aren¡¯t these poisonous?¡± ¡°Mildly.¡± He nodded. ¡°They¡¯re good for keeping pests away and making sure nothing sneaks in if I open the window for some fresh air.¡± ¡°As fresh as you can get in the city anyway.¡± His ma accepted, before seeming to consider something. ¡°There¡¯s an idea.¡± ¡°What is?¡± He asked curiously. ¡°Nah, nothing worth worrying about.¡± His ma assured him dusting her hands off. ¡°But anyways, I was just coming to let you know they wanted me in early at the station so you¡¯re on your own for morning training.¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown with some concern. ¡°No, it¡¯s just a follow-up on the whole October madness this city supposedly gets.¡± His Ma shrugged. ¡°Though hopefully that raid last weekend will help curb the worst of it.¡± ¡°Hopefully.¡± He agreed with a nod. ¡°Though that doesn¡¯t mean you should let your guard down.¡± ¡°Of course not kiddo.¡± His Ma smirked. ¡°After all, I¡¯m the one they should be paranoid about.¡± He gave her a huff of amusement at that. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to make the criminals paranoid, not your co-workers.¡± ¡°I can do both.¡± Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Ma. --- Given how he and his ma were beginning to plot out their designs for their haunted house he began going through a series of videos and internet articles in search of new ideas for said haunted house. And while the majority of what he found was stuff he already understood, there were still aspects of it he felt were good review, such as when he went over the different types of scares one could generate and hit their target with. First there was the atmospheric horror which was usually generated by making things dark and quiet, with the occasional creaking sound or footsteps, creepy props, and lots of subtly moving shadows, with the occasional bright light to guide people through the darkness. The problem with this style of horror though was of course the fact that it took a lot of space that most haunted houses couldn¡¯t handle due to building constraints. (Then again, I¡¯ve seen more than a few spatial expansion spell-effects¡­) He and his Ma had never used them before, but he felt that was more due to his hometown¡¯s lack of open magic users than actual dismissal of the idea. (Wonder how much it would cost to get Ms. Delacroix to expand the station for the night¡­) Marking the idea down for further consideration, he moved onto the next type of horror camouflage and jump scares. Due to personal class he and his ma refused to use the cheap and mundane jumpscares of their lessers, and instead only used high quality scares that were hidden behind other scares, or creeping sounds that built up tension. Or his favorite method of building up a false sense of tension that right as their targets released their held breath would have them hit with the actual scare, usually from an angle they¡¯d previously dismissed as safe. (Such as directly behind them.) Which led him into his and his Ma¡¯s actual favorite method of scaring people, ¡®the antagonist¡¯ a method they reserved for the groups without any minors that revolved around having a figure dressed to scare chasing after the group while ghosting the groups members into a haunted hallway of horrors for them to escape. He still enjoyed the memory of that one year where a group had opened a pounding door to find an empty room, and then while they were looking around his Ma quietly dropped from the ceiling before creeping up behind the group¡¯s leader and whispering in their ear while wearing her own macabre garb and throwing pig¡¯s blood to cement the realism. (And keep the group running of course.) Of course they were sporting about the whole thing, giving several methods for them to either fend off ¡®the antagonist¡¯ such as real looking paintball guns or if they didn¡¯t want to escape, they could solve a handful of puzzles and escape the building without a real fight. (It¡¯s a shame no one ever manages either of those options.) If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Scene Choice and Consequences -Gained 1XP to Trap Making and Psych warfare. --Currently: Trap Making Lv. 8 (16/18). --*Skill Rank Up* Psych Warfare Lv. 4 (0/10) For ranking up Psych Warfare please choose a perk. []- Mental Conditioning (III)- Take a rank in mental conditioning increasing Max Mental Health and Focus a small bit each rank. []- Psychological Exploitation (I)- Whoever this character targets has their Willpower reduced by a small amount for each rank. --- Wolf laid spread out panting in satisfaction on the floor where she¡¯d collapsed after being stuffed full of all she could handle, and just a little more than that. Pix laid on one of the kitchen counters passed out, despite occasionally groaning in a mix of pain and pleasure after insisting on fitting everything she could -and couldn¡¯t- inside of her ten inch body. Ying was the only one of the three girls he¡¯d involved himself with not currently sleeping it off, instead letting out a moan as she wiped up some of the cream that had spilt in the middle of the frenzy. ¡°Delicious~¡± ¡°Glad you enjoyed yourself.¡± He smirked, beginning to clean up so the girls wouldn¡¯t have to. ¡°Oh, I more than enjoyed myself.¡± Ying admitted, grinning in satisfaction. ¡°In fact this is absolutely something we have to do again, Jon.¡± ¡°Just let me know where and when.¡± He told her, glad his friends enjoyed his still developing skills. ¡°Hmm, in that case how about you come by my school for lunch?¡± Ying asked, gaining that fanged smirk she did whenever she was plotting something. ¡°I¡¯m sure both of my friends there would love to¡­ fill up on dessert. I¡¯ll even pay you for your services if I must.¡± ¡°I already told you I¡¯m not going to charge a friend for something I enjoy just as much.¡± He reminded her with a roll of his eyes. ¡°Perhaps but you¡¯ve a talent absolutely worth paying for Jon.¡± Ying assured him, moving to help him at the sink. ¡°Besides I doubt the work for three of these cream pies is easy, especially if I were to request something less¡­ vanilla.¡± ¡°Three? Isn¡¯t that a bit much?¡± He had to ask putting one of his pie tins under the faucet. ¡°I mean, I get you¡¯re splitting them with your friends but still¡­¡± Ying laughed, accepting the tin to dry it. ¡°What can I say, I¡¯m insatiable.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 2XP to Cooking. --Currently: Lv 9 (5/20) -Grown a bit closer to Pix, Wolf, and Ying. -Due to feeding all of the snacks to the girls, no profits were made. --- Having finally cleaned up the mess he¡¯d made with the girls, he couldn¡¯t help but jump as the apartment door slammed shut sending both him and Brutus on edge as the old dog jumped to his feet. With a knife in hand he moved towards the living room to see his Ma throwing her work bag onto the couch with far more hostility than normal. ¡°Um, is everything alright?¡± He asked, knowing how much it took to get his Ma this angry. ¡°No, because those fucking-!¡± His Ma stopped realizing she was yelling, before taking a deep breath and forcing her anger under control. ¡°When they warned me about the problems in October, I didn¡¯t realize it was a problem they were allowing.¡± His Ma tried to calmly explain, though not quite able to keep from gritting her teeth at that last word. ¡°What?¡± He frowned. ¡°Just¡­ give me a second.¡± His Ma told him before grabbing the TV remote and turning it to a news station. ¡°Supposedly it¡¯s been on the news all day¡­ and here it is.¡± ¡°Hello and welcome all you gamer boys and girls!¡± A red-headed woman called in a commercial ad. ¡°It¡¯s time of the year again, as we of the leet Gamer¡¯s Guild bring you our famous Halloween Dungeon!¡± ¡°What.¡± He repeated flatly as the commercial continued. ¡°My reaction exactly.¡± His Ma admitted with bitter amusement. ¡°Apparently a big portion of the city¡¯s problems this month is caused by them allowing one of the city¡¯s fucking gangs to run a massive tourist event, inviting Deviants from the tri-state area!¡± ¡°W-why would they allow that?¡± He just had to ask in disbelief. ¡°Like I said it¡¯s a massive tourist event that apparently draws in a ton of revenue each year, since the dungeon isn¡¯t just limited to Deviants.¡± His Ma elaborated, clearly frustrated with the entire situation. ¡°But, but that can¡¯t be safe.¡± ¡°According to the other officers they apparently give out these little power ups that give people video game powers while they¡¯re in the dungeon or some shit.¡± His Ma told him shaking her head in disgust. ¡°Wait¡­¡± His mind flashed back to Blackwell, namely to the cult that worshipped the Beast and ¡®fed¡¯ it in exchange for powers. (The cultist spasmed his body twitching before he began to vomit a black liquid that Jon was growing all too familiar with.) (Powers that always bite them back.) Shaking his head he turned back to his Ma and voiced that very concern, pointing out, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same as letting themselves be Corrupted by a Deviant?¡± ¡°They say there¡¯s no side effects.¡± His Ma scoffed, telling him exactly what she thought of that. ¡°As if Madness isn¡¯t the most corrupting and subtle of all the Deviant energies. Hell, they aren¡¯t even concerned with the fact that November has the highest growth in the gang¡¯s recruitment numbers each year!¡± ¡°That¡­ definitely sounds like something to be concerned about.¡± He agreed, his eyes drifting towards the grinning face of the red-headed DM of the Dungeon. ¡°So, if you feel like trying your luck come on down to play. We guarantee one insanely good time!¡± Scene Consequences -Gamer¡¯s Guild Dungeon is now open until Turn 50. 36 Suns Trail 36 --- Jon --- ¡°Alright, so I get what you¡¯re going for here, but I feel like you¡¯re not fully taking advantage of what you¡¯ve got to work with.¡± His Ma told him, looking over one of his concept prints for their haunted house. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Right here this trap works decently, but if you were to trigger it after they walk past instead of before you can get them from behind twice by making them turn to the distraction and back.¡± His Ma explained, illustrating her plan by moving her hands on the paper. ¡°Okay, yeah I can see that¡­¡± He nodded, not having planned a double scare like that. ¡°But won¡¯t that box them into place?¡± ¡°Not if we move it a little further down the hall so that they have an ¡®open¡¯ door to run through.¡± His Ma smirked. ¡°Remember a big part of using traps isn¡¯t just having people wander into them, but also manipulating where people will go to avoid them.¡± ¡°Thereby having them walk into an even worse trap.¡± He nodded in understanding before giving his blueprint another once over. ¡°In that case¡­ If we¡¯re already converting this square of offices into a maze, then we can use a few traps at these intersections to better direct them.¡± ¡°Not a bad idea, especially if we use a few lighting shifts to make them think the hallways are different.¡± His Ma agreed, sketching a few more adjustments to the plan. Scene Consequences -Thanks to Ma¡¯s help gained 1XP to Combat and Trapmaking. --Currently: Combat Lv. 6 (3/14) and Trapmaking Lv. 8 (17/18) --- With his and Ma''s morning training done, he found himself with the rest of the day to himself, and so he grabbed his creature compendium book in the hopes of finding something interesting to read. (Might as well start from the beginning I guess.) Flipping to the beginner¡¯s list he shifted to the suggested summon after Flufflepuffs, which revealed a small sphere-like creature surrounded by smoke, that based on the shading seemed to be glowing. (¡®Willowisps, also known as the will-o-the-wisps.¡¯) He began to read. (¡®Suggested Contracting Rank: F, Magic Cost: A+, Sociability: A-, Combat Threat: F+, Magical Ability: E+, and Protective Ability: F.¡¯ So harmless, but would probably win a fight with a Flufflepuff.) Outside of the Arcane context, he was mildly familiar with the creature -or its myth at least- knowing that they were supposed to be a glowing fairy of sorts that led travellers astray in the dark of the night with their flickering lights and some of their myths being theorized to be natural gas briefly igniting under the right conditions. The actual creatures themselves however were a type of nature spirit sometimes considered as part of the fairy family. And while wisps are extremely prone to mischief (even by fairy standards) they were also extremely friendly if befriended, often working as a guiding light of sorts to whoever had earned their favor, with some Arcane believing they will lead one to their destiny. (If you believe in that garbage.) He couldn¡¯t help but scoff, before continuing to read. (¡®Now while Willowisps are not the most powerful of summons, they are considered one of the staple summons of all contracting beginners due to two powerful reasons, the first being their [Swarm] trait which functions as a powerful multiplier to an otherwise harmless creature. The second (and arguably more important) reason is the fact that Willowisps possess an affinity towards [Fire], [Air], and [Light] magic, making them a versatile gateway summons to those wishing to expand their mystical repertoires.¡¯) ¡°Huh, they can manipulate three different elements¡­¡± He knew that wasn¡¯t actually all that uncommon, with most creatures possessing three inherent affinities, but ¡°That combined with their [Swarm] trait¡­ even if their individual effects are relatively weak, together they could probably do some damage.¡± He was about to move on when he noticed one last note at the bottom of the page. ¡°A unique non-Contracting trait of the Willowisp that is actually common in most Spirits is the fact that they have numerous variations, with a number of the creatures in the Spirit family ¡®evolving¡¯ into these Variants over the course of their Contract.¡± (Just like Pix and I are trying to do with her¡­) A buzzing sound from his phone drew his attention away from his reading and musing as took it and read this week¡¯s sale at the Witch¡¯s Wares. (¡®Contracting Supplies twenty-five percent off¡­¡¯) ¡°Why not?¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 1 XP to Occult and Contracting: Summons --Currently: Occult Lv. 6 (11/14) and Contracting: Summons Lv. 4 (8/10) -Willowisp is now available for summons. --- Stepping into the Witch¡¯s Wares he found that for once he wasn¡¯t the only customer present as he spotted a tanned young woman a bit older than him, wearing a green fatigue jacket, a zip-up guitar bag, and a burgundy beanie. Now normally he wouldn¡¯t give a stranger so much attention, if not for what she was purchasing from Ms. Delacroix. ¡°Should I be concerned you sell soul fragments?¡± He asked, more curious than actually worried. ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± The girl growled, stuffing the fragments in one of her pockets. ¡°Certain contracting summons eat the emotional residue.¡± Ms. Delacroix explained, her saleswoman skills having likely picked up on his mentality towards the matter. ¡°Surprised you know what they are though, most people hear ¡®soul fragments¡¯ and think ¡®dark magic¡¯.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I mean technically they could be used for that.¡± He felt the need to point out. (I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s what De Sade used the box in his desk for anyway.) ¡°But as long as you aren¡¯t burning out the core of the soul, there¡¯s nothing too wrong with it.¡± (After all that¡¯s the one part that the soul can¡¯t regrow.) That rationalization -and the fact that Miss Edna had been the one giving him it- were the only reason he was okay using so many of the fragments against the Beast of Blackwell. (He could feel so many things coming from the crystals in his hands. Joy, love, and laughter from the ones Miss Edna had given him, as well as fear, pain, and pleasure from the ones DeSade had handed him. All things that made up the lives of the people who the fragments had been made from.) Looking at a fragment that the girl had missed, he felt a slight but familiar sense of dread coming from the crystal, and prickling at the edge of his mind as it called upon his fight or flight instincts. ¡°Fear?¡± ¡°That¡¯s mine.¡± The girl snapped at him, swiping the crystal before marching towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll see you when I need another refill Sam.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± Ms. Delacroix waved at the retreating girl before turning to him. ¡°Just ignore her, she gets a bit defensive around new people.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡± He¡¯d met more than one kid like that at camp. (Heck, Ying used to be like that when we were younger.) ¡°So, what can I do you for?¡± Ms. Delacroix asked getting down to business. ¡°I got a text mentioning you were having a sale on Contracting supplies.¡± He began. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why Val was here too.¡± ¡°Val?¡± He repeated, before connecting the name to the girl and frowning. ¡°Soul fragments are a contracting supply?¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve contracted a spirit that eats them, yes.¡± Samantha nodded. (Ah, right¡­ Most people probably don¡¯t use those for the same reasons as DeSade¡¯s cult, or the Beast¡¯s cult.) (Or me.) He shook his head at that thought. (Blackwell has too many cults.) ¡°Anyway, um, I wanted to get another one of those Confidant Contracting Catalysts.¡± He continued, ignoring the little detour his thoughts had taken. ¡°Uh, you sure about that?¡± His fellow magic-user frowned. ¡°I mean didn¡¯t you already use one?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± He answered warily. ¡°I just thought you could use them multiple times?¡± ¡°You can but¡­¡± Ms. Delacroix seemed to consider it for a moment before giving him a look. ¡°You still have that Arcane Ring I gave you?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± He nodded pulling said ring out of his pocket, since he couldn¡¯t be sure if Ms. Delacroix would need it to verify his magic rankings again. ¡°Hand it over.¡± Once she had the ring she pushed a bit of magic into it and said. ¡°Main User, Contracting Capacity¡­ Huh, alright you¡¯re sitting at six out of ten so you should be alright with the catalyst though you might want to wait a bit.¡± ¡°Uh, what exactly is a contracting capacity?¡± He felt the need to ask as he took the ring back. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ alright, so your Contracting Capacity is how many contracts your spell system can handle connecting to itself.¡± Ms. Delacroix explained. ¡°If you try to form too many contracts at once it can¡­ well you¡¯d be flooding your system with more Anima than you can handle which¡­¡± (Blood leaked from the man¡¯s smoking eyes and mouth as the flesh around them and his eyes slowly blackened and the scent of burning meat filled the air.) ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be good¡­¡± He finished solemnly, forced to remember the Blackwell cultist who¡¯d used far more magic than he could handle even with the Beast¡¯s blessings. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Samantha nodded, before forcing a grin. ¡°But look on the bright side you¡¯ve got a fairly decent capacity, and the Catalyst has a safety measure to keep you from summoning anything you can¡¯t contract, so you should be fine. It¡¯d just be best if you gave your system a little more space, so it doesn¡¯t have to limit your options.¡± ¡°Yeah, that uh, that sounds like a good idea.¡± He agreed. Scene Consequences -Gained Confidant Contracting Catalyst. -Gained 1XP to Contracting. --Currently: Lv. 4 (9/10) -Jon has become aware of his Contracting Capacity. --A Contract¡¯s capacity is equal to (Summoning Lv. + Occult Lv.), with the capacity used by each contract equal to its rank for instance: Pix (E-Rank = 2), Wolf (C-Rank = 4). --Currently: (6/10) Capacity. --- After getting back home he stashed the Catalyst away, deciding to hold off on using it for another day or two before picking up his creature compendium and flipping to something that was bothering him. It admittedly took him a few passes through the index to find what he was looking for, but that was more due to the fact that the book seemed to be actively trying to hide it. (Which given the subject is fair.) While he wasn¡¯t truly worried about the fact that someone had summoned a spirit that ate soul fragments, he was worried about the possibility that anyone could summon a spirit that ate soul fragments. (Because not all of those spirits are going to play nice.) Admittedly the fact that he¡¯d had so much trouble finding the subsection of spirits that fit the criteria of soul-eaters was a point in the Arcane Association¡¯s favor as far as spreading that information went, but wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until he actually knew just what they were advertising in ¡®the beginner¡¯s¡¯ book. (¡®On the darker side of the summoning spectrum are entities that many would refer to as ¡®Demons¡¯ Spirits who feed off the thoughts, flesh, and emotions of others.¡¯) He began reading. (¡®Due to their inherent danger it is both recommended that Contractors avoid summoning these entities, as well as highly regulated by the Arcane Association.¡¯) Admittedly that was what he was expecting and hoping for as far as the Association¡¯s stance on the matter. (Can¡¯t expect everyone to deal with demons like the Devil of Blackwell.) (Though this does bring up the question of how and why that girl had a contract with one, let alone why Ms. Delacroix was so okay with it¡­) For a moment he was tempted to investigate, to get himself involved in whatever was going on there, but eventually he shook his head. ¡°No. This is not my problem.¡± He told himself firmly. ¡°No one I care about is in danger, and I doubt Ms. Delacroix wants anything that can cause her trouble. It is not my problem.¡± Almost as if to contest that point he felt DeSade¡¯s books on Demonology staring at him from within the bag he¡¯d hidden them. ¡°No! I already put down one monster, I don¡¯t need to go looking for another!¡± (That doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s not another one looking to eat.) Forcing his eyes shut he threw his book onto his bed before stomping his way out of his room as he tried to escape the too deep shadows of his mind. Scene Consequences -Gained 1 XP to Occult and Contracting: Summons --Currently: Occult Lv. 6 (12/14) --*Skill Level Up* Contracting: Summons Lv. 5 (0/12) 37 Suns 37 Suns --- Jon --- He couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he noticed the various traps littering the house, as well as the fact that his Ma had already left the apartment for some work-thing. (Likely to file another complaint about the Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon.) Most of the traps were relatively straightforward, not even testing his actual trapmaking skills as he disabled them and cleaned up the mess that his Ma had left behind in what was clearly a rushed attempt to make sure he did some form of training while she was out other than his basic morning routine. Of course this didn¡¯t change the fact that due to the sheer quantity of traps subtly hidden around his house he still had to move both quickly and carefully to disable everything while also finding all of said traps before he left for the day. Something he¡¯d normally hold off on once he¡¯d cleared enough to move around comfortably -for him- but that had become a necessity after Pix managed to trigger a small blast of flour that would¡¯ve just made a mess and forced her to stumble into a second trap. At least if not for the fact that Pix was less than a tenth of his size, and a stumbling blow to him was enough to send her flying in an uncontrolled panic into a nearby wall. Which is why she was glaring at him to clear all of the traps now while munching on an apology muffin and still caked in a few patches of flour she¡¯d missed. Scene Consequences -Thanks to Ma gained 1XP to Stealth and Awareness --Currently: Stealth Lv. 6 (12/14) and Awareness Lv. 8 (11/18) --- ¡°Okay, so hopefully this should¡­ do it.¡± He told himself, putting the finishing touches on the Spell Script he¡¯d developed based on Wolf¡¯s Wolf Pack spell and his understanding of the concept of Moonlight. The idea being that it would take Moonlight¡¯s Light properties and create a hardlight double of himself. (One that can hopefully better hold other magical traits later thanks to its Moon properties.) Figuring there was nothing else to it other than testing the Spell he pushed a bit of magic into the script, igniting the spell circuit drawn onto the paper and drawing Pix¡¯s attention to his work as a pale see through version of himself slowly came into being. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s not right.¡± He frowned, walking around his double as its eyes followed him. Poking the double here and there he found that while it was ¡®solid¡¯ it still had a fair amount of give to it. ¡°What went wrong?¡± Having apparently grown tired of his prodding, the double reflexively -(if slowly)- lashed out, grabbing his wrist in a vice similar to the one his Ma had taught him. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Unfortunately, a half-twist of his wrist was all he needed to break out of the hold, an action that his double barely reacted to. (So the spell works, but nowhere near the level I was hoping for¡­) He figured, watching Pix inspect his double with obvious curiosity. ¡°But where did I go wrong?¡± Almost as if on instinct his eyes slowly drifted to the moon sitting just a few days from new. ¡°Ah, that would do it¡­¡± (Maybe I could¡¯ve figured out a better Concept than ¡®Moon¡¯ so far from the full.) This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Scene Consequences -Created Moonlit Double Script --Creates a single double of Jon, this double has all stats reduced but gains additional Physical and Reflexive stats closer to the Full Moon with said stats equaling on the night of. --Note: This spell cannot be used if there is no Moon out. -For creating a new spell through Script Craft gained 1XP to Occult and Script Crafting. --Currently: Script Craft Lv. 3 (6/8) and Occult Lv. 6 (13/14) --- ¡°What exactly are you contemplating?¡± Ying asked, apparently having grown bored of watching him stare at Wolf. ¡°No, I¡¯m uh, I¡¯m just trying to figure out how to spar with Wolf without¡­ sparring against her?¡± He answered, not really sure how to explain it. ¡°You want to learn how to fight together?¡± Ying nodded in understanding. ¡°Normally I¡¯d suggest a two on one spar against me but¡­ I sincerely doubt that¡¯ll prove a challenge.¡± ¡°Yeah, and it¡¯s not like I have a horde of Corrupted to fight.¡± He agreed wryly, before freezing and hastily clarifying that, ¡°That is a good thing. A thing I have no desire to change. A thing that I am perfectly happy with.¡± Ying and Wolf both blinked at him in a mix of curious confusion. ¡°What was that about?¡± The draconic teen eventually managed to ask. ¡°Trying and failing to un-jinx myself.¡± He admitted with a sigh of resignation. ¡°Hmm, I suppose it makes sense that you¡¯d be superstitious about that kind of thing.¡± Ying told him after a moment of thought. ¡°What with magic and everything.¡± ¡°What? No.¡± He frowned. ¡°Superstitions are nonsense born from either misunderstanding something or tradition corrupted by time to the point of -again- misunderstanding or representing it.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Ying nodded after another moment. ¡°Then why do you believe in jinxes?¡± ¡°Because the Man in the Mask likes to keep things interesting.¡± He answered. ¡°Especially if it means nudging me towards one of its problems.¡± ¡°Does an entity such as that even have problems?¡± Ying asked with a frown. ¡°I mean can¡¯t he just deal with it himself?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated but if it can pawn the work on someone else, it won¡¯t.¡± He tried to explain, knowing that even attempting that much with the Man in the Mask could only lead to Madness. (¡°Well that is my domain after all.¡±) He shook his head, blatantly ignoring that feeling even as Wolf gave him a concerned brush against his leg. ¡°So¡­ teamwork¡­ with Wolf¡­ ideas?¡± He asked, desperate to change the subject to anything other than his wickedly ominous watcher once more. ¡°Well, since she can¡¯t learn to fight the way we did, then perhaps as an alternative we can try¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Combat --Currently: Lv. 6 (4/14) -*Wolf Skill Level Up* Wolf Combat Lv. 6 --- Bored of him paying attention to things other than her, Pix dramatically flopped onto the blueprints he was working on for the haunted house. Shaking his head with a huff of amusement, he picked the little fairy up and gave her an unimpressed look. Said little fairy responded by sticking her tongue out at him. ¡°Fine, I guess I can take a break.¡± He sighed, standing up from his desk before a thought occurred to him as his eyes drifted between Pix and the blueprints laid out before him. The kind of thought that proved he was his mother¡¯s child, and that it was genetic. The kind of thought that would make both the Devil and Witch of Blackwell gaze upon the mayhem and terror brought forth by their student before giving a nod of approval and a chaotic cackle respectively. The kind of thought that the sheer possibilities of left the Mad God laughing as one of his favorites unleashed a level of madness to make even the old ones flinch and think twice about crossing his path. Not that Jon was aware of any of this. Which is why he innocently asked the little fairy a question. One that made even her -mischief maker that she was- shiver as she witnessed a special kind of damnation unleashed upon the world. All of this and more was done with the innocent and unassuming question of, ¡°Pix, how would you like to help me and my Ma with our haunted house?¡± Scene Consequences -With Pix¡¯s help gained 1XP to Trap Making. --*Skill Level Up* Trap Making: Lv. 9 (0/20) -New Pix Skill: Illusionary Traps Lv. 1. 38 Suns 38 Suns --- Jon --- ¡°Alright, think anyone will notice this?¡± His ma asked, propping up a mannequin they¡¯d spent the last two hours working on. ¡°If we get the lighting right, and they don¡¯t look too closely with their flashlight.¡± He admitted, ¡°I¡¯m just worried it doesn¡¯t look real enough.¡± ¡°Eh, if we cover it in pig¡¯s blood no one will be able to tell the difference in the lighting.¡± His Ma assured him. ¡°Especially if we¡¯ve got it dressed up and bandaged like this, can¡¯t even see the plastic skin.¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± One of his biggest concerns was always whether or not their props looked ¡®real¡¯ or not. (Though I guess I can get Pix to cover the difference if I¡¯m still worried about it after we¡¯ve set everything up.) ¡°You worry too much, by the time they get to this they¡¯ll be scared enough that they¡¯ll believe it¡¯s a real body especially once we set it off.¡± His Ma dismissed before giving him a smile. ¡°Now let¡¯s test this baby out, shall we?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded, gaining a slight smile of his own as he picked up the control to this particular trap. ¡°First up, the eyes.¡± His Ma told him, turning the lights off for a moment. He flicked a switch and two dim red lights turned on within the gaps of the mannequin''s bandaged face, a slight cover over each lens keeping them looking like actual eyes rather than simple LEDs. ¡°Next the jittering.¡± His Ma nodded, turning the lights back on. He slowly spun a dial, causing the mannequin to jitter and jerk with increasing frequency random pauses keeping it in the realm of unnerving instead of silly. ¡°And the main event.¡± His Ma grinned. He hit the last button on the remote, killing the mannequin¡¯s jittering as its back pressed into the chair where it waited. ¡°Think the delay is too long?¡± His Ma asked after a moment. ¡°Maybe by a couple of sec-¡± The mannequin¡¯s chest cavity burst open sending several spongey objects flying as the little tubes within began to hiss out air from its empty tanks. ¡°On second thought, that¡¯s just long enough to let their guards down.¡± ¡°Yep, just got to test it with a full tank to make sure the hose pressure is right.¡± His Ma seemed to think about it for a moment before giving him a curious look. ¡°How far do you think is too far for the blood spatter to fly?¡± Scene Consequences -Thanks to Ma¡¯s help gained 1XP to Stealth and Trap Making. --Currently: Stealth Lv. 6 (13/14) and Trap Making Lv. 9 (1/20). --- ¡°So what exactly did you want to talk about?¡± He asked leaning against a wall as his eyes drifted around the room a bit, taking in the organized back room of the Witch¡¯s Wares. A complete contrast to the mystical mess that made up Miss Edna¡¯s Magic Emporium. ¡°I mean, it must be important if you couldn¡¯t just talk about it over the phone.¡± ¡°Alright, so here¡¯s the thing¡­¡± Samantha began, taking a seat in a nearby office chair. ¡°How much do you know about the city¡¯s Halloween?¡± ¡°Besides the Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon? Not much.¡± He admitted. ¡°I haven¡¯t even been in town for a whole year yet.¡± ¡°Right, figured it was something like that.¡± Samantha admitted. ¡°Okay, well every year there¡¯s this¡­ thing that draws the attention of all the magic users in town.¡± ¡°What kind of magic thing?¡± He asked with a mild sense of foreboding. (Please don¡¯t be another Beast of Blackwell. Please don¡¯t be another Beast of Blackwell. Please don¡¯t be another Beast of Blackwell.) ¡°The kind of thing you don¡¯t have to get involved with.¡± Ms. Delacroix assured him. ¡°The thing is before this thing kicks off there¡¯s a meeting between Sanctuary and the city¡¯s notable magic users to make sure everyone is on the same page about everything.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded, following along thus far. ¡°But if you don¡¯t need me to get involved, then what exactly is the favor you wanted to ask me? Unless you just wanted me to know about the meeting?¡± ¡°Er, yes and no.¡± Ms. Delacroix hedged with a grimace. ¡°I do want you to know about the meeting, but the favor is that I kind of need you to attend the meeting under the Witch¡¯s Wares¡¯s banner.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned. ¡°Since this is a big meeting between the different magic groups within the city, that also means everyone who attends is representing said groups. And the more impressive of a force you can put up without crossing a line the more respect you can maintain between the groups.¡± Ms. Delacroix explained. ¡°Now normally this means each group brings three people to these big meetings to prove that they are at least mildly established. Unfortunately my mom -the actual owner of the Witch¡¯s Wares- is out of town for the next couple of weeks¡­¡± ¡°Meaning you need someone to fill in her spot in your group¡­¡± He figured, not really caring for the idea of actually joining the Witch¡¯s Wares. Something that must¡¯ve shown on his face given how quickly Ms. Delacroix assured him that, ¡°We don¡¯t need you to actually join up with us. We¡¯ve got enough of a reputation that no one is going to run a real fuss about anything, but at the same time since a few of our¡­ employees broke off to do their own thing¡­¡± ¡°Being short of the limit makes you look weak.¡± He sighed, already piecing together the scenario based on what he¡¯d picked up from both his Ma and DeSade about the social dynamics of interacting parties. ¡°Right¡­¡± Samantha grimaced. ¡°And since this is my first time representing the store without my mom to back me up, I¡¯d rather cut off any accusations before they can be made. Which is where you come in.¡± She finished, giving him a look as she did so. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, he gave Ms. Delacroix a look of his own. ¡°And how exactly are people going to know I actually know my stuff? I mean, I hope you¡¯re not expecting me to make a spectacle of myself over this, because I¡¯d prefer to keep my head down if I can.¡± Ms. Delacroix gave him a snort of amusement. ¡°Trust me, while my ¡®magic sense¡¯ isn¡¯t really worth much, once I actually took a look at you with it. I could tell you¡¯ve at least dabbled in magic a fair bit.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°I guess¡­¡± He admitted, some part of him still reluctant to get even mildly involved with whatever this ¡®magic thing¡¯ was that was drawing the attention of all of the city¡¯s magic users. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to do this for free.¡± Ms. Delacroix told him. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few¡­ rarer books on some of the more esoteric magics. If you help me out I¡¯ll give you one of them. And just to be clear this is the stuff we don¡¯t usually sell unless you¡¯re fairly high ranking.¡± Running a hand down his face he gave the shopkeep another look. ¡°And I only have to show up?¡± ¡°And maybe talk to a couple of the city¡¯s other magic users, but, but the Heroes¡¯ Guild and Sanctuary both are going to be there so the worst that¡¯ll happen to anyone is maybe a quick magic duel if someone gets testy.¡± Ms. Delacroix both admitted and clarified. ¡°Though that shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you unless you actively pick a fight with someone for some reason.¡± He considered it for a moment, tilting his head side to side, before eventually relenting. ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ll go to this meeting thing.¡± He sighed, really hoping he wouldn¡¯t regret this. (So help me, if this turns out to be another cult thing, I¡¯m murdering their god.) Scene Consequences -Upcoming Event: [First Arcane Meeting] on [Turn 40]. --- ¡°Uh, are you sure you want to do this?¡± He felt the need to ask as he followed Ying through the park. ¡°It seems like it could be fun, and honestly things have been a little¡­ slow outside of our spars.¡± Ying admitted. ¡°I¡¯m hoping this¡¯ll break up the monotony a bit.¡± ¡°Uh, I get that but¡­ Should we really be using magic in public?¡± He asked, because while he wasn¡¯t actively hiding his magical ability he didn¡¯t feel comfortable with just anyone knowing about his magic. (Especially since it might make things harder on Ying, with her mom and everything.) ¡°I¡¯m not going to be using anything blatant.¡± Ying assured him, despite the fact that she tended to lose control of her powers at least twice a day whenever they sparred. ¡°Yeah, but¡­ I¡¯d rather not drag Wolf and Pix into whatever mess we get into.¡± He tried, knowing just how stubborn the other teen could be once she¡¯d decided to challenge herself. ¡°I mean the Gamer¡¯s Guild is a gang, there¡¯s no telling how they¡¯ll react to us.¡± Pix gave him a dismissive trilling sound from atop Wolf¡¯s back. ¡°If anything you two are worrying too little.¡± He argued half-heartedly. (Though it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to change any of your minds.) The little fairy and his canine companion both were more than excited when Ying had brought up the idea of going to the guild¡¯s dungeon with thim. An event that would allow both of them to walk around in public rather than having to hide or be dismissed like they usually were when he had to travel through the city. ¡°Look Jon, I know you haven¡¯t been in the city long but the Guild has been holding these dungeon events for years, and no one has died or gone to jail because of them.¡± Ying told him, understanding the situation a little better than him having lived in the city all her life. ¡°I guess¡­¡± He sighed, before taking a look around the handful of tents the Gamer¡¯s Guild had set up for their event as well as the small crowd gathered. Several of whom were very obviously Deviants. ¡°You have your kit with you?¡± Ying asked, dragging him towards the main tent. ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded, making sure his jacket¡¯s hood was up because even if Ying was comfortable with no way of hiding her face, (I¡¯d rather a gang not be able to spot me in a crowd.) The only reason he wasn¡¯t wearing his helmet was because Ying talked him out of it, largely with the argument of associating her as an open Deviant who was friendly with a Mask. Something that would definitely put a target on her back in a city like theirs. ¡°So¡­ Do you actually know how we¡¯re supposed to sign up for this?¡± He asked, feeling a little antsy in a crowd like this. (If this is how I¡¯m acting here, I can¡¯t wait to see how I handle Ms. Delacroix¡¯s Arcane meeting¡­) ¡°Well that depends on how you want to handle the dungeon.¡± A voice answered him, causing his eyes to snap to a brown haired girl with freckles sitting on a nearby crate. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ying frowned taking the lead on this conversation as he subtly shifted behind her while corralling Wolf and Pix. ¡°I mean, if you want to run the dungeon by yourself you just have to go into the main tent and sign the appropriate liability waivers, as well as their consent to film and record forums.¡± The girl explained, stepping around Ying as she focused on him for some reason. ¡°Um, can I uh, can I help you?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask as something in the back of his head began to itch. The girl¡¯s eyes drifted towards Wolf and Pix before jumping back to him as she smiled, ¡°Yes, I think you can.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think we caught your name.¡± Ying interrupted stepping between him and the girl that was probably a couple of years younger than them. ¡°Roxanne, Roxy to my friends.¡± The girl smiled offering her hand. Ying glanced at the hand before gently pushing it away. ¡°Well, if you could explain what you want with us Ms. Roxanne?¡± ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t want anything with you.¡± Roxanne admitted, giving Ying a once over. ¡°At least not right now.¡± Her eyes met his. ¡°Him on the other hand.¡± ¡°And what exactly do you want with him?¡± Ying growled, her eyes becoming slits. ¡°I want him in my party.¡± Roxanne answered, unintimidated. ¡°Like¡­ an adventurers¡¯ party?¡± He asked, feeling the itch in his mind once more as he realized there was something about this girl he couldn¡¯t place his finger on. ¡°Exactly.¡± The girl smiled with a few more teeth than normal. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you can tell, but you look like you could get pretty far through the dungeon all by yourself, and that¡¯s before you account for your friends.¡± Roxanne explained gesturing to Pix and Wolf. ¡°So you want him to help you with your dungeon run?¡± The draconian teen scowled. ¡°More like I want to help him.¡± Roxanne shrugged, before glancing at Ying. ¡°Though I suppose you¡¯re a package item.¡± ¡°Yes. We are.¡± Ying growled, literally this time. ¡°Good, then that gives us a full party!¡± Roxanne clapped with a smile. ¡°Between all of us we might actually be able to beat the whole thing.¡± ¡°Er, what do you mean?¡± He felt the need to both ask and step between the girl and the dragon. ¡°Well, the dungeon is thirteen levels, with both the difficulty and prizes growing with each level that you finish.¡± Roxanne elaborated. ¡°Now I¡¯ve done a few runs myself so I¡¯ve got a solid understanding of a fair number of the floors, but unfortunately I can¡¯t really play the game without a proper party.¡± ¡°Which is where we come in.¡± He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as the girl gave him a cheerful ¡®Yep.¡¯. He glanced to the companion he knew was annoyed by the girl''s presence. ¡°What do you think, Ying? Want to give her a chance?¡± Ying inhaled and exhaled, seeming to weigh the choice as they watched the girl interact with Pix and Wolf, both parties clearly curious about the other. ¡°While I don¡¯t entirely like the girl¡¯s personality, the idea of trading such an advantage annoys me as much as dealing with her for the next hour would. Though if we end up at a disadvantage because of my stubbornness I¡¯d be even more annoyed with myself.¡± ¡°So you want her to join?¡± He checked, trying to decipher what she just said. ¡°Hmm.¡± Ying didn¡¯t answer for a moment, though she did eventually give him a smirk. ¡°Actually I think I¡¯ll abstain from voting on this matter.¡± ¡°Uh, but¡­ why?¡± He frowned, knowing that smirk just meant more trouble for him. ¡°Because this way rather than being annoyed with myself should this go wrong, I can just be annoyed with you.¡± Ying told him with a smile full of fangs. ¡°Of course.¡± He sighed, before turning to the girl pretending not to be paying attention to their every- (Actually I think she really isn¡¯t paying attention to us.) He blinked, watching the girl stare at Pix in total fascination. Something that absolutely wasn¡¯t doing him any favors when it came to the little fairy¡¯s ego, (not that I¡¯m one to talk.) Shaking his head, he gave the girl a once over, taking note of the few bits of armor and weapons that he¡¯d initially dismissed, given how -physically- this was supposed to be a neutral place of sorts, under the Gamer¡¯s Guild¡¯s rules. ¡°Alright, Roxy.¡± He called, getting the girl¡¯s attention before telling her, Gamer Guilds Dungeon (Entrance) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (Entrance) --- Jon --- ¡°Alright, Roxy.¡± He called, getting the girl¡¯s attention, ¡°If you¡¯re just trying to help I don¡¯t see why you can¡¯t join us.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Roxanne cheered, bouncing onto her feet with a wide smile. ¡°Then in that case let¡¯s get this game started shall we?¡± ¡°Right.¡± He nodded, following the excited girl past the tents selling drinks, snacks, and trinkets and towards the larger tent in the center of everything. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you came on a Thursday,¡± Roxanne told them as they cut through an empty waiting area. ¡°If you¡¯d come over the weekend -or even just Friday- you¡¯d have to deal with an actual line.¡± ¡°What about the crowd outside?¡± Ying asked. ¡°That¡¯s nothing, and most of those are the people who already ran through the dungeon.¡± Roxanne shrugged. ¡°Basically they¡¯re the ones who took the day off, rather than the natives who want to play the game. And that¡¯s before you get the actual Gamer¡¯s Guild players involved. Oh, speaking of¡­¡± A guild member walked up to them wearing a knight¡¯s helmet and breastplate beneath a hoodie covered in neon paint. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you young adventurers wish to try your hand at the fierce dungeon?¡± ¡°Yes, that seems like the main reason to be here.¡± Ying snarked from beside him. ¡°Well, in that case you¡¯ll have to fill out these liability waivers.¡± The guild member told them with a mix of annoyance and amusement as he held out several packets. ¡°Actually, you think we can do the mask route?¡± Roxanne asked, flashing a small object that he was pretty sure changed colors to silver. The guild member gave the object a look, then turned to him and Ying before looking at Pix and Wolf. ¡°Alright, but I¡¯m going to need you to sign¡­ these papers with an alias.¡± Accepting the new pages from the guild member he gave them a once over -and saw they were pretty close to the forums he and his Ma used for their haunted houses- before coming across the place requiring a signature. (Huh, probably shouldn¡¯t be putting my real name if I¡¯m using magic¡­) It wasn¡¯t illegal and he wasn¡¯t an actual mask, but he¡¯d rather not people he didn¡¯t know bother him over the fact. (So what should I use as an alias¡­) (A bleeding monster glared up at him as its flesh burned to ash and the Beast¡¯s control began to slip away from it, but not before spitting out the title that it¡¯d come to know him as, while promising him a painful demise.) Shaking his head from the memory, he put the name down figuring it was better than anything he could come up with himself. ¡°Hmm, fitting.¡± Ying commented looking over his shoulder. He shrugged before looking at Pix and Wolf as they shifted through a chest of some kind with Roxanne, ¡°Do I need to sign anything for them?¡± ¡°Nah, we don¡¯t really need a liability waiver for Summons.¡± The knight-like guild member answered as they both handed over their waivers. ¡°Right.¡± He nodded before walking over to the mask chest with Ying. ¡°What are you guys messing with?¡± ¡°Oh, the guild keeps masks for those who don¡¯t bring their own.¡± Roxanne explained, helping Pix put on a moth mask and Wolf a wolf mask. ¡°Some people don¡¯t trust the guild to hide their identities while recording, and the masks are self adjusting so it¡¯s whatever for those who take the time to look through them.¡± ¡°Ah, yes that¡¯s how the guild makes money off of this.¡± Ying nodded, crossing her arms. ¡°They release the videos of everyone''s attempts at conquering the dungeon and monetize the videos. Which makes me wonder what kind of information you possess on the dungeon that we can¡¯t access ourselves?¡± ¡°Oh, they only release the videos after the Dungeon closes for the year, and they end up changing everything by the next time they open it.¡± Roxanne smiled. ¡°And I¡¯ve already soloed this dungeon up to the fourth floor of the seven.¡± Roxanne¡¯s smile became a little more strained. ¡°I uh, I just need a bit of help to get past the fifth.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Ying, we already agreed to let her join us.¡± He reminded his draconian friend, mentally adding the fact that Roxanne¡¯s Deviancy was agitating the usually friendly teen¡¯s instincts. (Meaning Roxanne likely uses madness or malice¡­ And since she didn¡¯t sign any waivers and flashed that medal or whatever, then she¡¯s also likely a member of the Gamer¡¯s Guild, meaning madness given the whole Wonderland thing.) Letting all of that click in his head, he grabbed a black mask rather than another wolf mask -(so wolf can have one all her own)- and decided that he wasn¡¯t going to make a big deal of that revelation. (After all, she¡¯s no less trustworthy than DeSade or Rogers.) (Not that you can trust either of them.) (Much.) ¡°How¡¯s this look?¡± He asked the girls once his mask was in place. Roxanne smiled even as Ying, Pix, and Wolf eyed him warily. ¡°I think you might be the first person to get their mask to change like that.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± He frowned, wondering if the mask looked weird with his hood or something. ¡°Hey do you guys mind hurrying up,¡± The knight-like guild member asked, walking over from the tent entrance, ¡°I¡¯ve got another group lining up and I need a few minutes to- What the fuck?!¡± Blinking, he took the mask off, ¡°That seems a bit extreme¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­ wasn¡¯t expecting¡­ that.¡± The guild member shivered, gesturing towards him as he eyed the reverted mask. ¡°Either way I kind of need you to go so I can get the next group set up¡­ and preferably not piss myself.¡± ¡°Right, we¡¯ll be on our way.¡± Roxanne nodded, gently corralling the rest of them out of the tent as Pix knocked his mask out of his hand. ¡°Uh, what um, what was wrong with my mask?¡± He felt the need to ask given the knight-like guild member¡¯s reaction. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Eh, nothing much.¡± Roxanne assured him when Ying didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Your eyes just glowed a bit in the mask.¡± ¡°Really?¡± (Because that doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯d get that kind of reaction out of someone¡­) ¡°Yes. That was the problem.¡± Ying nodded succinctly as they came up to a stone archway built into a hill in the middle of a tree grove. ¡°I just wasn¡¯t expecting¡­ the glowing eyes.¡± (They¡¯re lying.) Shaking his head he idly stepped through the archway, and immediately felt the shift in the world as everything became laced in Madness. (In¡­ One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ Four¡­ Out¡­ One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ Four¡­ In¡­) ¡°You two okay?¡± Roxanne asked, noticing how both he and Ying had frozen after just a couple of steps. ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t expecting¡­ So much Madness.¡± Ying ground out, her eyes becoming draconic behind her mask. ¡°Well¡­ It is a Wonderland.¡± Roxanne reminded them a bit cautiously before shaking her head. ¡°Or it¡¯s a massive overlay at least, I don¡¯t think the GM could handle so many¡­ people in her actual Wonderland.¡± ¡°Right.¡± He nodded. (Just a Madness construct.) (Like the Corrupted nests.) He couldn¡¯t help but shiver as he recalled those three hell holes. (With half mutilated corpses drifting through the black water dripping from the cave ceiling dug out by claw marks and going even further into the black abyss made from the shifting black moss growing on the walls.) (Nope, cannot be that bad.) He told himself, before noticing Roxanne was staring at him with a fair bit of concern. ¡°Bad memory.¡± He told her, earning a grimace from the other teen. ¡°Yeah¡­ some Madness users¡­ they aren¡¯t nice people.¡± She admitted in understanding. ¡°If you two want, we can back out. It¡¯s not like anyone is going to hold it against us.¡± ¡°I appreciate the thought, but I will hold it against us.¡± Ying told her, visibly steeling herself. Roxanne gave him a concerned look. ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± Shaking her head and putting on a -(forced)- smile, Roxanne pointed down the stairs and told them, ¡°Down these stairs is a room full of weapons. Usually we¡¯d each pick one and that¡¯d give us our ¡®class¡¯ for this adventure, but uh, since you¡¯re both Masks you don¡¯t have to take them if you don¡¯t want to. Especially since they¡¯re all made of Madness.¡± He tried not to grimace at that, something he noticed Ying do as well, ¡°I think¡­ I think we¡¯ll just stick to our own kits.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I can understand that.¡± Roxanne nodded as they came to a set of doors at the bottom of the stairs. Minding his manners he stepped forward and pushed the doors open, before stepping to the side and saying, ¡°Ladies first.¡± to the girls. ¡°Such a gentleman.¡± Roxanne laughed, as Ying rolled her eyes and followed after Wolf and Pix who didn¡¯t honestly care about human manners. Following after everyone he gave the room a once over, noting how there seemed to be several light beams that were realistically impossible given how they had to be a good twenty feet underground after all of those stairs. ¡°Alright, so¡­ which power-up do you guys think I should take?¡± Roxanne asked, walking between a number of columns suspending the weapons she¡¯d mentioned earlier. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve gone through all of this before?¡± Ying questioned, crossing her arms. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯d know better than us?¡± ¡°Well yeah,¡± Roxanne agreed as if that was obvious, ¡°but at the same time I should pick a class that fits the party ya know?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re asking which role would be best while in here?¡± He tried to clarify. ¡°Yep.¡± The gamer teen nodded, before explaining that, ¡°It¡¯d be kind of pointless for me to pick a class that one of you already has. And I¡¯ve played all of them before during other Dungeons so I can fill whatever role you guys need.¡± He glanced at Ying to see if she understood that better than him, only for the draconian teen to give him a shrug. ¡°You¡¯re the leader of this little adventure, so you should decide. After all, you''re better at actual tactics than me.¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± He admitted, wondering why he was being left in charge when (you¡¯re the one who dragged me here¡­) Shaking his head at that thought, he decided to work the problem out the way he would with some of the strategy lessons his Ma gave him. (Though she never went big on team tactics since she only ever meant for me to take care of myself, not fight a war¡­) ¡°Alright, well, going off of the classic adventurer roles¡­ Ying could function as the warrior and maybe the magic user.¡± He began, figuring he should lay his thoughts out for everyone. ¡°From there, I¡¯d probably be¡­ the rogue, hunter, or ranger. Pix would probably be best as the party healer since I doubt illusions will work on Madness Constructs. And lastly Wolf¡¯s magic and fighting style makes her best as cavalry, since can rush wherever one of us needs support.¡± ¡°Okay, going off of all of that we can definitely rule out the sword, the bow, the white book, and the gauntlets.¡± Roxanne listed, before seeming to think about something. ¡°Also¡­ the illusions should work if they¡¯re the image kind instead of the mental kind.¡± ¡°Pix can work with both.¡± He nodded, ¡°Which means barring her magic reserves she should be able to work some crowd control as well.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, actually I know for a fact that the mana potions players use for their power-ups can also restore some magic for real magic users.¡± Roxanne told him excitedly. ¡°The GM put a lot of effort into those because she wanted the Arcane and Practitioners both to be able to have fun and cut loose on their runs.¡± ¡°That does sound like fun.¡± Ying admitted with a fanged smile. ¡°It is.¡± Roxanne nodded with her own smile before seeming to remember something. ¡°Oh, but you might want to save some of those MP drops, since once we hit the fourth floor the difficulty curve jumps and you¡¯ll be wishing you kept a few of them on hand when they quit dropping. Same with the healing potions.¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± He nodded back to her. ¡°But if magic limits aren¡¯t holding us back as much the girls should be able to deal a fair amount of damage between Ying¡¯s lightning, Pix¡¯s zaps, and Wolf¡¯s clones.¡± ¡°In that case we should also probably rule out the black book, the skull, and the collar.¡± Roxanne told him, before glancing at the staff. ¡°Given how you¡¯re all magic users it¡¯d probably be redundant to take the staff, even if an all magic party could be cool. Especially since it''s a half-way point between the books as far as spells go.¡± ¡°What about the axe, scythe, chains, and shield?¡± He asked, not taking the option off the table but wanting to know about the ones Roxanne hadn¡¯t removed. ¡°Well the axe is best for high-attack, low-defense builds with a lot of guard breakers.¡± Roxanne began. ¡°The scythe has a lot of fast sweeping attacks which are good on the floors with a lot of enemies per mob, but not so good against the mobs with just one or two heavy units. Chains are mid-range and while they don¡¯t have the best damage their crowd control is pretty solid with a bunch of stuns, snares, and pulls. And the shield is best for blocking, making shields, and buffing allies, but aside from a couple of counters it has almost no damage output.¡± ¡°Huh, and you¡¯ve used all of them a fair amount?¡± Ying asked, seemingly impressed by the number of weapons the other girl was familiar with. ¡°I¡¯ve used them all a few times each, but I play support or puppeteer more often than not since the only one who really likes to is my brother Decks.¡± Roxanne admitted. ¡°But I figure between Pix¡¯s heals and Wolf¡¯s clones I can try my hand at something a little more active today, even if it¡¯s just blocking attacks for everyone.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t people want to help each other though?¡± He could understand not being a Puppeteer since according to his Ma that Combat Class treated their summons as expendable -something he¡¯d never do to Pix or Wolf- (but I don''t get why people wouldn¡¯t want to help each other.) ¡°Most people think more damage equals more fun.¡± Roxanne shrugged. ¡°Though you do get the ones who think tanking damage or skill shots and traps are fun too. It¡¯s just no one seems to think healing and buffs are fun for some reason.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He could get the skill shots and traps, but still he¡¯d happily pick up healing magic if it meant he could help people. ¡°Still, shield, axe, chains, or scythe, which¡¯ll it be?¡± Roxanne asked him, as he gave the weapons in question and the staff one more look over. Gamer Guilds Dungeon (1st Floor) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (1st Floor) --- Josh --- ¡°Take the Chains.¡± He told her. ¡°Since the whole point of this is to have fun and you want something more active than support, they should give you something decent enough to work with.¡± ¡°Alright, just give me a second to set my character.¡± Roxanne nodded, walking over to the chains. ¡°Uh, what do you mean?¡± He asked, watching as the chain evaporated under Roxanne¡¯s touch before a translucent blue screen appeared in front of her and the chains reappeared wrapped around her forearm. ¡°Oh, each weapon has its own skill tree, and when you start the dungeon you get a few skill points to help you out.¡± The gamer teen explained as she began to mess with the screen. ¡°From there I can unlock new abilities by doing things, while getting bonuses based on my chosen weapon.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Ying nodded as she crossed her arms in thought. ¡°And what exactly earns you these bonuses for the chain?¡± ¡°I get some from dealing damage, but I get most of it from crowd control stuff like stunning enemies or moving them around.¡± Roxanne elaborated before vanishing her screen with a swipe of her hand. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve set myself up with Chain Pull, Chain Spin One, and Wrapped Blows. ¡°I have no idea what any of that means.¡± He admitted freely, because while he had a few ideas of what they meant, he wasn¡¯t sure he trusted those theories in actual context. ¡°Chain Pull let¡¯s me pull an enemy towards me. Chain Spin is a series of skills that boosts my damage and range for a combo in exchange for having to build up beforehand. And Wrapped Blows lets me wrap my chain around my hands to boost my damage in exchange for dropping my range advantage.¡± Roxanne explained, listing each of her skills. ¡°Since I¡¯m going with the whole ¡®active fighter¡¯ thing I¡¯m building for something that can handle solo fighting a bit better, rather than something that has to lock me down with my opponents.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± He nodded, since it¡¯s not like he understood the topic well enough to judge. Though he could approve of what little he did. ¡°So with our¡­ ¡®characters¡¯ set, I¡¯m assuming that means we can attempt the actual dungeon now?¡± Ying asked, gesturing with her head towards a set of doors opposite the ones they entered from. ¡°Yeah, the first floor is the easiest though, so don¡¯t expect to push your powers too hard.¡± Roxanne warned them as they gathered around the door forward. ¡°And what is the¡­ ¡®theme¡¯ of this floor?¡± Ying questioned as he pushed the doors open. ¡°Rats.¡± Ying blinked before slowly turning to the other girl. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What?¡± ¡°Uh, rats are an RPG classic and outside of special events, are almost always the first floor of the Gamer Guild Dungeons.¡± Roxanne chuckled sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s kind of an RPG tradition at this point.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Ying said in a voice that did nothing to hide her pain. ¡°But why rats?¡± ¡°They work as both a swarm creature and a giant animal enemy. Plus if you shift the sizes you can probably get either infiltrator or scrapper units out of them, and that¡¯s all before taking into account human-animal hybridizations where you could probably fit in magic users or actual rogues. Oh, and because of what they are, it¡¯d also be thematically fitting for them to use disease or poison, which could be really nightmarish in a swarm scenario.¡± Both girls turned to look at him with equally surprised expressions. ¡°What?¡± He frowned. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting¡­ that is all.¡± Ying admitted. ¡°Yeah,¡± Roxanne nodded, as they started down the tunnel. ¡°Like I said the rat level is uh, it¡¯s mostly tradition at this point and there¡¯s only really little rats and big rats since this is kind of the tutorial level. I uh, I don¡¯t think the GM even considered using them like that.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± He blinked, feeling a bit of heat in his face as the teens and wolf all stared at him. ¡°I uh, I read a lot of fantasy novels?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s uh, it¡¯s fine.¡± Roxanne assured him. ¡°Heck, those were actually pretty solid ideas for a real Rat dungeon instead of a tutorial one.¡± ¡°Careful about giving the gang leader ideas.¡± Ying grinned. ¡°Sadly it wouldn¡¯t be the first time¡­¡± He admitted, figuring that while DeSade wasn¡¯t necessarily a gang leader the fact that he was legally a Dark Lord -he¡¯d shown him the paperwork- meant that DeSade was technically a crime boss. ¡°Huh, you two are¡­ interesting. You know that?¡± Roxanne informed them with a mildly mad grin. ¡°You¡¯ve no idea.¡± Ying smirked back. ¡°Is¡­ this it?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask as they came to a large room with only a rat in it. One, single, regular sized rat. (I don¡¯t know why, but I¡¯m kind of disappointed here¡­) ¡°Yeah, this is it.¡± Roxanne nodded. ¡°I know you guys are decently experienced so which of us should¡­¡± ¡°Pix.¡± He called, figuring that unless the rest of the dungeon was this (disappointing) then this was probably the only thing she could handle by herself. (And it''s important to make her feel like she¡¯s helping.) Giving him a nod, the little fairy jumped off of Wolf¡¯s back and flew toward the rat with magic building in her hands. The rat just barely looked up before Pix vaporized it with one of her zaps in an anti-climactic manner that fit his general feelings towards this room. ¡°Um, the rest of the dungeon is going to be better than this¡­ right?¡± He asked, picking up a blue vial that had dropped when Pix killed the rat. (This must be one of those potions Roxanne was talking about.) ¡°Yes.¡± Roxanne told him tersely as she walked past him. ¡°This is just a tutorial room for people who don¡¯t know how to fight. Everything just gets harder from here on out.¡± ¡°Good.¡± He smiled, not sure what he¡¯d said to annoy the gamer teen. ¡°If a single rat is the tutorial then what does one of the actual fights look like?¡± Ying asked, pretending not to notice the other girl¡¯s mood despite giving him a shrug at his questioning glance. ¡°Well, the next one scales with party size.¡± Roxanne answered. ¡°And since we¡¯ve got a fair number of party members the swarm will probably have¡­ twenty-five rats in it.¡± ¡°That is a fair number.¡± (For a game anyway) He knew for a fact that an actual rat swarm in a space this big would have significantly larger numbers in an established colony. (Fangs and claws scratched across the cave floors as the Corrupted Vermin fled the flames of his broken lantern. As he lit the Corrupted Corpse they spawned from aflame.) Shaking his head, he pushed past the sound of skittering rats and turned his attention to the far less dangerous rats that Ying had already stepped up to combat. ¡°Uh, are you sure you can take all of them by yourself?¡± Roxanne asked, as sparks began to dance across the draconian teen¡¯s fingers. ¡°Oh, they¡¯ll be no problem at all.¡± Ying assured her, before letting loose a veritable thunderstorm of lightning upon the swarm of rats, causing each one to explode in a burst of lights as she waved her hand across them. ¡°You alright?¡± He asked, once Ying had finished, knowing that despite being an Incarnate using her magic continuously like that would still take a toll on her reserves. ¡°Yeah.¡± Ying nodded, flexing her hands. ¡°I can probably do that three or four more times before I run out of magic.¡± ¡°Heh, most people don¡¯t¡­ do that.¡± Roxanne chuckled nervously. ¡°Hmm, truthfully I don¡¯t care for restraint if I can help it.¡± Ying admitted with a shrug as he began to pick through everything that was dropped by the rat swarm. (Couple more potions¡­ I¡¯m guessing blue is magic while red is health and¡­) He frowned before picking up a pair of oversized rat skulls. ¡°I didn¡¯t think these constructs would leave body parts.¡± The fact they did had several unsettling meanings in his experience. ¡°Oh, uh, they¡¯re loot drops.¡± Roxanne explained as she shook off her stupor. ¡°Each floor has its own and you can trade them in at the treasure room for prizes. Same goes if you find any gold coins, though you can¡¯t trade those for floor specific items.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± (Well, that¡¯s not as bad as I was thinking.) ¡°Out of curiosity, how big is this dungeon?¡± Ying asked once he¡¯d collected their gains and they¡¯d started towards the next room. ¡°Um, kind of depends on what you mean.¡± Roxanne shrugged. ¡°The dungeon itself has seven floors, while each floor gets larger and more complex the further down you get. This one only has five rooms and is a straight shot, but the next one is seven with a couple of side rooms, and the one after that has nine and a false branch.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Meaning the final floor has seventeen rooms with multiple twists to it.¡± Ying figured, doing the same math as him. ¡°Er, twenty-one actually.¡± Roxanne corrected. ¡°Once you hit the fourth floor each floor gets three new rooms instead of two. It¡¯s part of that whole difficulty curve thing I was telling you about, since that¡¯s supposed to be the line between tourists and actual Masks as far as skill goes.¡± ¡°Hm, that¡¯s something I¡¯ll have to remember.¡± Ying admitted. ¡°Though I am curious to see how we compare to actual Masks.¡± ¡°Does it use actual Combat Rank comparison or something else?¡± He sincerely doubted the Dungeon could output even an A Rank threat let alone an S Rank one, but given his experience with Madness he felt it was best to double check. (Even if she¡¯d probably lie about it.) ¡°Um, each floor is supposed to be equal to a sub-rank, with this floor representing mid-F Rank.¡± Roxanne answered, seemingly surprised by his question. ¡°Though, uh, the actual difficulty is a bit higher than the threat level due to everything being an endurance run.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± (If every room has a fight, and every fight takes an average of five minutes including the bosses and lower levels, then completing the dungeon would take about three hours excluding walking time which probably adds another hour. Meaning that in order to actually beat the Dungeon you¡¯d have to complete a four hour marathon of running and fighting.) Something he doubted he could handle without Pix or some kind of healing pushing his stamina. (Though maybe that¡¯s the point of the healing potions if they also restore stamina.) ¡°I wonder if this is what a New York rat looks like?¡± Ying joked as they came to the next room, where a rat the size of a large dog stood in the center of the room. ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve seen bigger.¡± He shrugged, as Wolf and Pix both nodded alongside him. Though that didn¡¯t stop Ying or Roxanne from giving him an incredulous look. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I, uh, I don¡¯t think I want to meet the rats you have.¡± Roxanne confessed, looking mildly ill. ¡°Probably not.¡± He agreed before glancing at Wolf. ¡°You want to take this one?¡± His canine companion gave him an excited yip before striding forward as Pix jumped off of her, switching from Wolf¡¯s shoulders to his. ¡°Uh, is this a good idea?¡± Roxanne asked. ¡°I mean I get that she¡¯s not a regular Wolf but that thing looks a little bigger than her so¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡± Given how she¡¯d said she¡¯d seen bigger as well as the fact that she likely came from a place full of Anima mutated animals, he was sure she could handle this on her own. A sentiment that was proven accurate as wind danced around Wolf for a moment, before she lunged forward in a powerful strike that instantly shattered the Construct. With her tail wagging Wolf picked something off of the ground before coming back to him and dropping another Rat Skull at his feet. ¡°Good girl.¡± He told her bending down to scratch between her ears as he pocketed the skull. ¡°Right¡­ let¡¯s uh, let¡¯s just continue on.¡± Roxanne sighed for some reason. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± He asked her, following her down the next tunnel. ¡°Er, not really. Just uh, just a bit surprised by how well you guys are handling this for your first run.¡± The other teen admitted. ¡°I doubt we¡¯re doing that well.¡± He frowned, knowing for a fact that his Ma, Miss Edna, Rogers, and DeSade not one would have to even break stride to walk through what they¡¯d handled thus far. (Well unless one of them decided to show off anyway.) ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve seen people do better, but I¡¯ve never been on a party that just steam rolls it like this.¡± Roxanne explained. ¡°Feels like I¡¯m barely contributing.¡± ¡°Well¡­ this is just the first floor. There¡¯s no reason you can¡¯t help us on the rest.¡± He reminded her. ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Roxanne¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°Wait. I just remembered this tunnel has a hidden enemy, that¡¯s supposed to jumpscare you when-¡± A rat lunged at him from the side and swiped it out of the air before biting the constructs head off and shattering it in his hand. ¡°-that happens¡­ I¡¯m not the only one who saw that right?¡± ¡°Saw what?¡± Ying asked, glancing at him curiously. From his shoulder Pix gave the Draconian teen a shrug, which he figured meant he hadn¡¯t done anything out of the norm for him. ¡°He just¡­¡± Roxanne inhaled deeply before sighing it all out. ¡°Nevermind, this next room has a treasure chest in it. It always has ten coins you can use at the end of floor store.¡± Like the gamer teen said, they swiftly came across a wooden chest with a gold lock on the front in the center of an otherwise empty room. ¡°Do we need a key or something for this?¡± He asked, thinking that if locked chests were going to be a norm here, he probably should¡¯ve brought the lockpicking set his Ma got him for his last birthday. ¡°No, these locks are just for show.¡± Roxanne told him. ¡°That said, the ones with actual padlocks on them need a key found somewhere else on the floor. Though their treasures are usually worth the extra effort.¡± Nodding along, he lifted the lid off of the chest before finding ten or so gold coins inside of the chest. ¡°You said there¡¯s a store for these things.¡± ¡°Yeah, though what they have and how much all of it costs varies floor to floor.¡± Roxanne warned. ¡°Especially those treasure trades you get from the floor drop. Each of those are floor unique, though the treasures further down may be worth the coins you can trade the treasures for.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about how a Deviant Market works.¡± He was sure, despite having only really been to two Deviant stores. One of which he¡¯d technically worked at while helping Miss Edna. ¡°Hmm¡­ You said this floor only has five rooms, correct?¡± Ying asked as they continued on. ¡°Oh, yeah, uh, the next room will be the Boss Room.¡± Roxanne nodded. ¡°Usually they¡¯re a stronger version of whatever monster is the floor theme, though a couple of them do have special abilities or gimmicks that make them a pain.¡± ¡°And the boss of the rat floor is?¡± ¡°The Rat King.¡± Roxanne answered. ¡°He¡¯s honestly not that strong but the fact that he can summon more rats to fight can make him a pain if you¡¯re not used to fighting or multi-tasking.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Does he have the minions summoned before the fight or during?¡± He asked, reaching into his backpack for his bow. ¡°Uh, there¡¯s a slight delay but he¡¯ll usually summon two of the bigger rats once you start the fight and start summoning the little ones once you beat one of those.¡± Roxanne explained. ¡°They¡¯ll all stick around even once we kill the king, so best bet would be to have someone pin down the big rats without killing them, while someone else kills the king.¡± ¡°Basic Puppeteer protocols.¡± He nodded, pulling out his bow and a few arrows as they entered the boss room where a large rat with a crown and scepter sat upon a throne made from various bits of garbage and sitting atop a series of stone steps. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve got a moment to figure out who¡¯s taking what role, as long as we don¡¯t get too close or attack he won¡¯t-¡± An arrow pierced the rat king¡¯s head before two more ripped through its chest cavity, shattering it before it could summon any of its puppets. Roxanne just stared at the lights as a skull fell onto the throne. ¡°Surprised you didn¡¯t go for three head shots.¡± Ying admitted. ¡°That target was a bit small for that, especially if it tried to dodge at the last moment.¡± He argued. ¡°How did you do that?!¡± Roxanne practically shouted. ¡°Um, I aimed and fired?¡± He answered, not entirely sure what the other teen was asking him. ¡°But, but, I mean-¡± Roxanne stared at his bow for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s a real bow.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± He nodded. ¡°And you hit¡­¡± Roxanne weakly pointed at the throne, before shaking her head. ¡°Sorry¡­ Um, the Dungeon Bows have an aim assist, that uh¡­ it doesn¡¯t work against inactive bosses.¡± ¡°So the GM didn¡¯t account for someone being able to make that shot naturally.¡± Ying realized. ¡°Yeah¡­ that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit of an oversight.¡± He frowned, wondering how the dungeon handled magic from outside of itself given how many Arcane must¡¯ve run through the Dungeon by now. ¡°Yeah it is¡­¡± Roxanne agreed, before giving a weak laugh. ¡°It¡¯s even worse once you realize there¡¯s a disruption field that causes magic and bullets to curve just enough to always miss.¡± ¡°Then why didn''t it affect the arrows?¡± He asked, his curiosity about the magical coming to the forefront. ¡°It uh, it¡¯s some physics thing about larger masses draining more energy, and most spells being made of energy.¡± Roxanne explained weakly. ¡°What about if an Arcane or a psychic uses their powers to throw projectiles?¡± ¡°Disruption field affects the whole room,¡± Roxanne gestured, making her way towards the throne. ¡°If there¡¯s enough mass it¡¯ll actually syphon speed until the projectiles fall exactly on the first step up to the throne.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing Jon is the first person to actually use a real bow inside of the dungeon.¡± Ying figured. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Roxanne nodded before sighing. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s just go to the stairs. They¡¯ll be in a tunnel behind the throne.¡± ¡°So these go to the next floor, right?¡± He asked, eyeing a set of doors similar to the Dungeon entrance as he pocketed the rat skull. ¡°Sort of,¡± Roxanne told him with a so-so gesture. ¡°Behind the door is a treasure room where we get a prize for completing the floor. Behind that prize is the actual stairs that will lead us to the Between Floors room, where we can buy items from the merchant, leave the dungeon altogether, or head down to the next floor.¡± Pushing the doors open he found himself in a room with three large chests each with an emblem on the front, standing between him and a large tunnel leading into a darkness he couldn¡¯t see past. ¡°So, do we open all three chests or is there a trick here?¡± He asked, eyeing the emblems of a sword and shield, a shirt with padded shoulders, and a large potion vial. ¡°If you took a class you¡¯d get a pop up now telling you we can open one chest and that it¡¯ll make the other two disappear.¡± Roxanne informed him, likely having cleared her own screen away already. ¡°One has a weapon, one has an armor piece, and the last one has a couple of potions.¡± ¡°And would taking one of the weapons be the same as taking one of the guild¡¯s infamous power-ups?¡± Ying asked, stepping into the room. ¡°A couple of them will have special abilities, but the power-up only applies to the class select weapons since most people need those to learn how to use said weapons.¡± Roxanne explained before eyeing him for some reason. ¡°Which I doubt is a problem for any of you.¡± ¡°And is the prize random or?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a bit of randomness, but they¡¯re designed in a way that they¡¯ll never spit out something you can¡¯t use.¡± Roxanne elaborated. ¡°Admittedly, it¡¯s probably going to give me something I can use right now, rather than you guys can use since the Dungeon hasn¡¯t seen enough of you to decide on proper loot drops.¡± (Right, Madness likes to make things semi-sapient¡­) He frowned, remembering the times that would bite him rather than help him. ¡°The armor chest usually has like one of five things depending on which floor you¡¯re on. Though both it and the weapons chest will sometimes drop something from the next floor if you¡¯re lucky.¡± The other teen continued unaware of his uneasiness. ¡°And then we¡¯ve got the potions chest which has a random number of potions of usually different kinds, though it¡¯ll never have more than six in total.¡± ¡°So knowing all of that, which one would should we grab?¡± Roxanne asked, finishing her explanation. ¡°The weapon chest likely isn¡¯t too valuable right now outside of powering up Roxanne, and maybe yourself if the dungeon noted your bow.¡± Ying began listing. ¡°The armor may come in handy but at the same time between my healing factor, Pix¡¯s healing, and your own jacket a first floor chest may not be worth it compared to the weapon or potions.¡± ¡°Uh, actually most of the armor comes with special abilities that make it easier to move, sneak, or defend.¡± Roxanne cut in. ¡°In fact it¡¯s almost always an accessory with a defensive power rather than true armor.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± Ying nodded, before turning to him. ¡°So which should we open?¡± ¡°Uh, why are you asking me?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but to ask a bit nervously. ¡°Mm, same reason as before.¡± Ying smirked with a teasing grin. ¡°Yeah, from the looks of it he¡¯s the party leader, so this seems like the kind of decision he should make.¡± Roxanne agreed. A quick glance towards Pix and Wolf revealed neither of them would be any help, (in fact their amused looks might even count as the opposite of helping.) ¡°Fine¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°In that case let¡¯s open- Gamer Guilds Dungeon (2nd Floor) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (2nd Floor) --- Jon --- ¡°Fine¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°In that case let¡¯s open the armor chest. We¡¯ve already got a couple of potions, and if the weapons can¡¯t be trusted just yet then defense should be our priority.¡± ¡°Fair reasoning.¡± Ying agreed as he made his way to the chest. The moment he set his hand on the armor chest the other two vanished in a flash of light as a small tune began playing in the background. Opening the chest the tune rose to a crescendo before breaking into fanfare as he pulled out a metal bracelet from the chest. ¡°So, uh, what exactly is this?¡± He asked, taking a closer look as he identified the metal as some form of iron. ¡°Right, uh, let me think¡­ Since you guys don¡¯t have the power up you can¡¯t see the item stats. Normally that¡¯d mean you have to figure out what they do yourself, but since I¡¯m here I can just tell you.¡± Roxanne explained walking closer to get a better look at the bracelet. ¡°Now in the case of the Iron Bracelet, this item increases your Max HP by a small amount so long as you¡¯re wearing it.¡± ¡°Max HP?¡± He frowned, his mind trying to break down the magic in front of him. ¡°Now how would that work? Does it reduce the amount of damage we take or function as a pseudo shield absorbing damage to a given threshold? And is it based on a percentage derived from our actual health, or an external system that works on its own?¡± ¡°Oh, uh¡­ I¡¯m not actually sure?¡± Roxanne admitted, thinking his questions were for her rather than himself. ¡°It um, it varies a bit but I think it just increases your durability by a flat amount.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± (It¡¯s something I can look into later.) He decided before turning his attention back to his party. ¡°So which of us should take this?¡± ¡°Given my healing factor it¡¯d be somewhat redundant to give it to me.¡± Ying pointed out before adjusting her mask. ¡°If it''s self-adjusting like our masks then it¡¯d probably have the biggest effect for Pix given her¡­ smaller stature.¡± ¡°Maybe but she¡¯s also fairly solid at avoiding damage in the first place.¡± He argued at the fairy¡¯s indignant look towards the Draconian teen, earning a stern nod from Pix for himself. ¡°What about Wolf then?¡± He glanced at his canine companion and received a shake of the head as a response. ¡°She says she¡¯s good.¡± He translated easily enough before turning to Roxanne. ¡°You want it?¡± Roxanne began reaching for the bracelet before pausing to give him a frown. ¡°I can take it but¡­ I¡¯ve got a few passive durability buffs thanks to the guild, so wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to keep it if you¡¯re the squishiest member of our fighting squad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not particularly worried.¡± He shrugged, sure that Pix would be able to heal any injuries he earned here. ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± Roxanne told him, accepting the bracelet with a frown. ¡°I am.¡± He nodded, stepping around the chests and making his way towards the stairs. ¡°So what¡¯s the next floor supposed to be?¡± ¡°Well, first we have to stop at the End of Floor shop where we can trade any coins and treasures we got for new things.¡± The gamer teen answered. ¡°After that is a Kobold floor.¡± ¡°Kobold?¡± Ying frowned, following them both into the stone stairwell. ¡°A fodder enemy in most games.¡± Roxanne elaborated. ¡°Normally adventurers in games fight them or goblins -which are the third floor- for their first ¡®out of village¡¯ mission. They¡¯re before goblins because they¡¯ve got fewer class options and instead primarily rely on traps to whittle down their enemies and running away if they have less than a two to one advantage.¡± ¡°Huh, traps can be a problem.¡± He admitted, knowing full well just how deadly they could become in the right (his) hands. ¡°Not really, or at least not on this floor.¡± Roxanne disagreed. ¡°They¡¯re traps aren¡¯t actually all that good and are meant more as a tutorial for future floors. The GM once tried to run them at a higher level as a gimmick and¡­ it didn¡¯t go well.¡± ¡°They were still too weak?¡± ¡°I wish.¡± Roxanne laughed. ¡°No, it was more that with the stat boosts and additional classes they¡¯re traps and ambushes became too much for people to handle, especially with the dragon boss.¡± ¡°Dragon boss?¡± Ying¡¯s attention snapped as they stepped into a small room with a man in a trench coat and backpack between a pair of blue torches on the left side of the room, a ladder leading up into a hole filled with light on the right, and another set of stairs on the far side of the room. ¡°Yeah, the GM likes to use a dragon boss in each dungeon, though only as one of the last few floors.¡± The gamer teen explained. ¡°And since modern myth says kobolds were connected with dungeons she thought it¡¯d make a good combo. Instead she got final floor difficulty on the fourth floor, with only the guild lieutenants making it past that point.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­¡± The draconic teen told her in a tone that had him glancing back to see that her pupils were slit. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know which floor the dragon is on in this dungeon?¡± ¡°Uh, fifth or sixth since I didn¡¯t see it on the fourth floor, and I know the GM likes to do something special on the last floor for holiday dungeons.¡± ¡°Very interesting¡­¡± He coughed into his hand to snap Ying out of whatever draconic trance she was entering. ¡°So I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s the merchant and those stairs are to the next floor while the ladder leads to the surface?¡± ¡°Pretty much, yeah.¡± Roxanne nodded, not noticing the other girl¡¯s odd behavior. ¡°Oh, and if we move on before talking to the merchant any treasures we have will automatically be turned into coins.¡± ¡°Right, so, uh, how does this work?¡± He asked as they walked over to the merchant. ¡°Over here stranger.¡± The Merchant called before opening his coat, causing a large window to flash in front of them with three big icons saying Buy, Sell, and Upgrade. ¡°Okay, so we can spend our coins on the Buy menu to get new gear or trade our treasures for specialty items. Sell lets us get coins for anything we don¡¯t want, though usually it¡¯ll be at about half of the item¡¯s buying price. And lastly, Upgrade lets us improve any gear we have though it¡¯s usually expensive and the upgrade is based on the current floor level.¡± Roxanne explained going over everything. Seeing as they didn¡¯t have anything to sell other than the bracelet he¡¯d just given Roxanne, he clicked the buy button. ¡°Whaddaya buyin¡¯?¡± The Merchant asked as a list of items and their prices flashed onto the window. ¡°We don¡¯t really need potions given how many we found on the last floor, but we¡¯ve got a fair number of these rat skull things¡­¡± He thought aloud, prompting the other two teens for their opinions. ¡°Well we could spend those coins to get another skull, which¡¯ll get us the rat king¡¯s crown.¡± Roxanne suggested helpfully. ¡°Every minion the wearer kills will spawn one of those smaller rats to fight for them. Which is really useful on the more cannon fodder-y enemies like goblins and kobolds.¡± ¡°A solid suggestion, but at the same time we could save a fair number of coins by trading the skulls.¡± Ying pointed out. ¡°And given how progression is supposed to work, I¡¯m assuming that higher levels will have greater gear, if at a higher price.¡± Thinking it over for a moment, he decided to compromise between the two ideas and traded most of the skulls they¡¯d collected for a trio of the cheapest tradable on the menu. The merchant suddenly swiped his hand through the screen and shattered it before beginning to rummage through his coat. ¡°What the?¡± He frowned, realizing several of the items he¡¯d been carrying had vanished. ¡°Heheheheh, thank you.¡± The Merchant told him, holding out a set of rings with little rat skulls in place of gems. An item advertised to increase the wearer¡¯s ¡®Reflexive stats¡¯ by a small amount. (At least it was just the dungeon items.) He scowled, accepting the rings as he pushed back the little voice growling in the back of his head at the idea of the thing before him being able to simply take whatever it pleased from his pockets. (Even if it is just a construct, shooting it is probably a bad idea.) (But it might be worth it.) Shaking his head he turned around and offered a ring to each of the girls. ¡°Oh, Jon, proposing to two girls at once? How scandalous.¡± Ying teased, grinning as she accepted the ring. Rolling his eyes he slipped the last ring on before testing to see if he could feel any difference. (Hmm, nothing extremely noticeable¡­) He decided, bouncing on his feet ever so slightly. (Though looking around, the shadows do look a little shallow. So maybe the rings consider vision a ¡®Reflexive stat¡¯?) Deciding that whatever bonus the ring gave him wasn¡¯t really all that valuable to him, he instead offered it to Pix, sliding it onto the little fairy¡¯s wrist like a bracelet. ¡°Really, three girls Jon? You are insatiable.¡± Ying continued to tease him. ¡°Well, trying for the harem route is a tradition in most RPGs.¡± Roxanne pointed out with a smirk. ¡°Though it¡¯ll usually bite you in the end, leaving you all alone.¡± Pix made a consolatory trilling sound as she patted his face. ¡°Glad to know you won¡¯t leave me.¡± He laughed before turning his attention to Wolf. ¡°Sorry about not getting you anything, but I¡¯m not entirely sure the ring will work for non-humanoids. If the next shop has something better we¡¯ll grab something there okay?¡± Wolf gave him a nod as her tail wagged through the air. ¡°Hmm, Wolf?¡± Ying called, seemingly in thought. ¡°Would a collar joke be offensive given your canine stature?¡± The magical wolf in question seemed to consider it for a moment before tilting her head side to side in a ¡®so-so¡¯ kind of way. ¡°So it¡¯s offensive if it¡¯s an actual pet collar, but if it¡¯s in the context of a regular necklace you don¡¯t care?¡± He translated, earning a bark of approval from his canine companion. (Hmm, I wonder if Ms. Delacroix sells necklaces in the same way she does rings?) ¡°Huh, well as cool as that is,¡± Roxanne clapped. ¡°Is that all we¡¯re getting here or?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll do it.¡± He nodded. ¡°Come back anytime.¡± The Merchant told them as they started making their way towards the next floor. ¡°Sure thing.¡± He smiled at the construct even as he forced down the part of him paranoid about someone being able to steal his stuff without him noticing. Deciding he needed to distract himself from those meaner thoughts, he asked Roxanne ¡°Is there anything we should be worried about with this next floor? I mean you said there were traps and stuff, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but they really aren¡¯t anything worth worrying about.¡± Roxanne assured him as they made their way down the stairs. ¡°Honestly, none of the traps are really worth worrying about until you hit the fourth floor. Everything before then is the kind of stuff that tourists could spot unless they¡¯re screwing around.¡± ¡°In that case is there anything we should know about this floor?¡± Ying asked. ¡°I think I already mentioned this floor¡¯s layout but it''s pretty much a five room straight shot towards the boss with two side rooms containing treasure chests.¡± Roxanne answered, thinking about it for a moment. ¡°Other than that, just watch out for the occasional sneak attack from the kobolds. Even if they are kind of cowardly, every once in a while one of them will get a good shot in while you''re distracted with the rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Ying nodded as they came to a set of intricate doors. ¡°So the floor starts after this?¡± He asked the gamer teen as he got ready to open the doors. ¡°Yep.¡± Roxanne grinned. ¡°First room is behind these doors. It¡¯ll just be a quick trap room, so there¡¯s not anything to worry about. Especially since you should be able to spot the trap from a mile away.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± He nodded before -with a grunt of effort- pushing the doors open and finding himself in another large cave chamber only this one (deeply offends me.) ¡°Uh, you alright Jon?¡± Roxanne asked, eyeing him cautiously as he continued to stare at the (thing) in front of him. ¡°What is that?¡± He asked as calmly as possible through his grit teeth. ¡°That would uh, that would be the trap.¡± Roxanne answered (wrongly.) ¡°That is not a trap.¡± He told her, refusing to let the poorly concealed trip rope (not wire) connected to a stick and a box be called a trap. ¡°That is a joke. I know kids who can make more impressive traps than that.¡± Admittedly he¡¯d taught those kids how to make those traps, but his point still stood! ¡°You know I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s why Jill and Andy left me in charge of arts and crafts.¡± Ying idly commented. ¡°Miss Edna approved of that project and the kids loved it!¡± He argued. ¡°Only because you let them use Rogers as a guinea pig for those traps.¡± Ying pointed out dryly. ¡°Nothing of value was damaged.¡± He defended. ¡°And he only fell for those because he was drunk.¡± He¡¯d seen the man dodge corrupted bullets only half-sober, an eight-year-old¡¯s trap should not have caught him off guard. (Unless he walked into it on purpose to get out of work.) That was fully a possibility. ¡°Either way this is not a trap.¡± He declared with over a decade¡¯s worth of experience in the art. ¡°You¡¯re uh, you¡¯re taking this a bit seriously don¡¯t you think?¡± Roxanne chuckled awkwardly. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Look, as far as traps go this thing is an insult.¡± He tried to explain, accepting that perhaps he was getting a bit heated about this. ¡°I mean what if I did something that completely insulted your, uh, gamer skills¡­?¡± He¡¯d known her less than an hour, so he didn¡¯t actually have a valid comparison beyond the fact that Roxanne was a member of the gamer¡¯s guild. Still the gamer teen seemed amused by the attempt at least as she shook her head with a laugh. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d absolutely hate that.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if that was sarcasm or not. ¡°As amusing as this diversion is, shall we continue?¡± Ying asked, already standing by the room exit with Wolf at her side. ¡°Yeah, sure, whatever.¡± He sighed before he and Roxanne made their way over. Or rather Roxanne made her way over and he idly disabled the (insult) with a mid-step kick before making his way to the exit. ¡°That was surprisingly petty of you.¡± Ying told him as they started through the tunnel to the next room. ¡°Whitakers take their traps and pranks very seriously.¡± He argued, before gesturing to the fairy still sitting on his shoulder. ¡°Just ask Pix. She¡¯s seen some of them.¡± The little fairy took on a shell-shocked look before shivering. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re not that bad.¡± Pix gave him a look. He rolled his eyes. ¡°It only looks that bad because you¡¯re so small compared to us.¡± The little fairy crossed her arms and gave him another look as she chirped at him. ¡°Hey, I warned you about that and you still messed with that trap.¡± He reminded her. Pix made an affronted face before repeatedly poking him in his cheek while making a trilling sound. ¡°Ah-ah-ah, you set that last one and forgot about it.¡± Though he was responsible for distracting her on that one. (But she¡¯s the one who wanted those strawberry cupcakes!) The little fairy glared at him and gave him two chirps. ¡°Hm, love you too.¡± He smirked, petting between her antennae. ¡°As much as I don¡¯t want to interrupt this cute¡­ whatever it is, we¡¯re about to come to the first kobold room.¡± Roxanne warned them. ¡°Right, anything we need to know about them?¡± He checked. ¡°Well there¡¯ll be more of them than us, but they¡¯re cowards so they¡¯ll only fight one of us if there are more of them in the fight.¡± Roxanne told him. ¡°Also if we end up in a one on one they¡¯ll probably run off and try to join someone else¡¯s fight.¡± ¡°So keep an eye out for backstabs.¡± He nodded as they stepped into the next room where roughly a dozen waist high reptilian humanoid creatures were waiting for them, gathered in a small circle around a campfire in the center of the room. ¡°Should we attack first or-¡± All of the kobolds suddenly rushed towards them in exactly the opposite manner to which Roxanne had previously described. He drew his knife and took a step forward, ready to stab the nearest kobold through the back of their- ¡°Mistress!¡± (What.) His eyes drifted down to where the dozen or so kobolds were currently on the floor bowing to Ying. ¡°Uh, is this supposed to happen?¡± ¡°No.¡± Roxanne frowned, glaring at the various kobolds as if they¡¯d personally wronged her by not doing what she¡¯d been expecting. Ying blinked as she watched the kobolds continue to bow to her while mumbling something about praising their mistress. ¡°Well this is interesting.¡± ¡°Oh, great one you honor us with your presence!¡± One of the kobolds told Ying. ¡°Tell us what you wish of your humble servants and it shall be done!¡± ¡°What.¡± Roxanne stated more than asked. ¡°Huh, I¡¯m not going to lie, I was expecting them to be more aggressive than this.¡± He commented after a moment of watching the kobolds praise Ying. (Glad the GM knows not all monsters are monsters.) ¡°They¡¯re, they¡¯re not supposed to be acting like this!¡± Roxanne argued, seeming to think he was complaining about the matter rather than complimenting it. ¡°Are you sure? Because I¡¯m quite enjoying this.¡± Ying admitted. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m quite sure!¡± Roxanne growled, before seeming to deflate. ¡°This has to be some weird Madness thing. That¡¯s the only thing that makes sense, but what could be causing it?¡± Hearing that several possibilities flitted through his mind, including the possibility that this had something to do with the Cheshire¡¯s interest in him. Something he immediately dismissed because if it was involved it¡¯d let him know. (Show off that it is.) As soon as he dismissed that idea, a second far more plausible scenario came to mind as he remembered Roxanne mentioning something about kobolds worshiping dragons. And while he doubted that was enough to override the constructs programming -something he could be sure of because, Madness- the fact that she was a Madness Corrupted Dragon Incarnate, meant the dual applications of Madness and magic could interact with the dungeon¡¯s Madness on another level. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s convenient.¡± ¡°What is?¡± Roxanne snapped. ¡°Kobolds worship dragons.¡± He reminded her. ¡°And?¡± Roxanne prodded, drawing Ying¡¯s attention. ¡°I¡¯m a dragon.¡± The Draconic teen confessed. ¡°I¡¯m just glad someone appreciates that fact.¡± She told the kobolds in what was clearly a jab towards him. ¡°We live to serve you mistress!¡± The kobolds cheered in unison. (I wonder if they¡¯d be as impressed with her current state after seeing her actually turn into a Corrupted Dragon?) Knowing she couldn¡¯t do it a second time killed a fair bit of his awe on the matter. ¡°You¡¯re a¡­¡± Roxanne closed her eyes and took a deep breath before letting it out. ¡°No, you know what. This is par for the course with you two. I¡¯m just, I¡¯m just going to roll with it.¡± ¡°Are, are you okay?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask with some concern. ¡°Just fine.¡± Roxanne told him cheerfully. ¡°So if they¡¯re not going to stop us, why don¡¯t we get the treasure out of this room. Maybe the kobolds guarding it will actually do their jobs and try to stop us!¡± (Yeah, she¡¯s not okay¡­) He grimaced, before following the other teen as she made her way towards a door on the right side of the room. And once more they found a room full of kobolds, only this time gathered around a treasure chest. Roxanne nodded to the kobolds as they readied their weapons to attack them. ¡°Right, so let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t pick a fight before-¡± ¡°Hello there.¡± ¡°Mistress!¡± ¡°-that happens.¡± Roxanne growled as she glared at Ying and her circle of kobold worshipers. He, Wolf, and Pix were left standing awkwardly to the side. ¡°I¡¯m just, uh, I¡¯m just going to open the chest real quick.¡± He told the two with a nervous smile. ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡± Roxanne sighed. ¡°In order to open the chest you have to-¡± ¡°Let me get that for you.¡± A kobold told him before running over and opening the chest. ¡°Oh, uh, thanks.¡± He smiled at the kobold as it pulled out a potion and a handful of coins. ¡°No problem,¡± The little kobold assured him as it handed over the chest¡¯s contents. ¡°We all work for the mistress after all!¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t really-¡± ¡°Come along royal consort.¡± Ying called as she and her followers started towards the other door of the previous room. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I don¡¯t think that means what you think it does.¡± He frowned, as he and the rest of their party was forced to follow or fall behind. ¡°Would you prefer the royal mister?¡± Ying smirked at him. ¡°Or you could be my kept man if you prefer?¡± ¡°You know none of those describe our relationship.¡± He told her dryly. ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re not wrong.¡± Ying admitted, before giving him a look. ¡°How about the head of the royal harem?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°This is going to be a thing with you isn¡¯t it?¡± Ying gave him another smirk before (arrogantly) confidently entered the next room regardless of the dozen or so monsters inside of it along with- ¡°Is that supposed to be a pit trap?¡± Because the six inch deep holes filled with sand all over the room most definitely were not pit traps. ¡°Yes, yes, the GM sucks at traps, let''s move on.¡± Roxanne told him, giving him a shove to keep him moving even as Ying took a moment to bask in her growing cult¡¯s praise. ¡°This really isn¡¯t doing her ego any favors.¡± He sighed, knowing that he was the one who was going to have to deal with this overinflated ego. (At least it¡¯s not Pix they¡¯re worshiping.) He didn¡¯t think he could handle that ego. ¡°Yeah, this floor is a complete bust at this point.¡± Roxanne agreed in her own way as they continued into the second to last room of the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I like not having to fight monsters to win.¡± He admitted, always happy to take the non-violent path. ¡°Really?¡± Roxanne asked, giving him a look, which was fair given how good he was at at taking the hyper-violent path. (Bones cracked under his boot as he stomped the corpse¡¯s skull under foot.) (He broke the corrupted¡¯s arm, before dislocating its shoulder as he moved it into position to grab the sides of its head and- A snapping sound silenced his thoughts.) (Stomping a boot between the Fallen One¡¯s shoulders, he proceeded to grab one of its wings with each hand before using his entire body to rip them from its screaming corpse.) How very good he was at taking the hyper-violent path. Roxanne seemed to swallow with wide eyes as she watched him crack a sudden crick in his neck. ¡°Right.¡± She squeaked before shaking her head. ¡°Um, the next room has a treasure in the left room, and the room after this is a boss room.¡± ¡°Mistress!¡± Even more kobolds cheered as Ying walked into the room, leaving him to wonder- ¡°How big is this cult of hers going to get?¡± ¡°Uh, depending on party size this floor has anywhere between twenty to sixty kobolds in total, and given how they¡¯re all reacting¡­¡± Roxanne shrugged. He gave a non-committal hmm, before turning his attention towards the door on the left. ¡°You said there¡¯s a treasure room on that side, right?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± Roxanne nodded before sighing. ¡°Along with another dozen kobold cultists.¡± ¡°Lovely.¡± He said in a tone similar to the other teen¡¯s, because as much as enjoyed not having to fight he could already tell how much this was going to Ying¡¯s head. And that was of course before taking into account the fact that the fairy on his shoulder was starting to look a little jealous of the draconic teen. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± He told Pix as he stroked between her antenna. ¡°Just two more rooms and then we¡¯ll be off of this floor.¡± This number quickly became just one as the door to the treasure room was kicked open and a small swarm of kobolds ran out while carrying the treasure chest they were guarding to their new mistress. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t even know the chests could be taken out of their default rooms.¡± Roxanne told him listlessly. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s uh, I¡¯m not really sure how you were expected to?¡± He admitted just a touch confused as he made his way towards Ying. ¡°Right. Right.¡± Roxanne coughed before turning her attention to Ying as the other girl opened the treasure chest. ¡°So what¡¯d we get out of this one?¡± ¡°Some kind of¡­ rope and a box?¡± Ying frowned. ¡°I have no idea what this is.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a trap.¡± Roxanne explained. ¡°You drop it down somewhere and it sets up an effect in the given area without us having to do anything else.¡± ¡°What kind of effect?¡± He felt the need to ask as he was pretty sure he could match whatever this could do in half of the time. ¡°A Madness effect.¡± Roxanne answered with a look. ¡°This one specifically traps whatever monster walks on it in a box for a whole minute regardless of size.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He could see a value in that. (Actually I wonder if this is what the trap in the first room would¡¯ve done¡­ Then again no one is stupid enough to trigger that piece of garbage.) ¡°I suppose this just leaves the boss room, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Ying sighed as if this was tragic news. ¡°Yeah.¡± Roxanne nodded, before sighing once more. ¡°Though given how the rest of this floor has gone I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something we have to worry about.¡± ¡°What was the boss supposed to be?¡± He asked as they started towards said boss. ¡°I mean you said at higher levels the kobolds had a dragon boss, but since we¡¯re at a lower level?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a kobold that knows fire magic.¡± Roxanne shrugged. ¡°Not particularly dangerous given the passive protection the dungeon gives most people, but that doesn¡¯t stop the instinctive fear of fire when it starts throwing fireballs at you.¡± ¡°Yeah, it takes a while to get over that.¡± (Even if you¡¯re the one using it to torch corpses.) (Or maybe especially because of that.) ¡°Uh-huh. Sad part is that it¡¯s also the first monster to have a serious drop instead of miscellaneous junk.¡± The gamer teen told him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well it drops a ring that lets you throw a number of fireballs based on your character level.¡± Roxanne explained. ¡°Admittedly the damage is low enough that it quits being useful about half way through the fourth-floor but it¡¯s still a fun toy for the rest of the dungeon.¡± ¡°Huh, that could be useful.¡± He admitted, before shrugging as they came to the boss room door. ¡°Still I doubt it¡¯s worth turning so many kobolds against us at this point.¡± ¡°True enough.¡± The other teen conceded, eyeing the crowd of fifty or so kobolds. With their destination reached and their conversation done, he set about pushing the boss room door open. An action that revealed a set of stairs leading up to a stone dragon statue where a dozen or so kobolds could be seen worshiping the massive totem. ¡°Who dares enter the sacred sanctum!¡± A kobold wearing robes shrieked upon his intrusion. ¡°Yeah, Ying you handle this.¡± He told his draconic friend as he stepped out of her way. ¡°Happily.¡± The draconic teen smiled as she entered the boss room. The magic wielding kobold stared at Ying for a moment before rushing down the stairs with a growl, an action quickly mimicked by all of the other kobolds in the room. As the leader of the small army of kobolds stepped upon the final stair they all leapt into the air before doing a single flip, that left them all slamming into the floor and bowing on their hands and knees as they cried, ¡°Mistress!¡± Roxanne watched all of this from beside him before letting out an exhausted sigh. ¡°I¡¯m just going to wait in the floor treasure room.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ It was funny the first couple of times but I¡¯m starting to lose interest even if I appreciate not having to fight.¡± He agreed following the gamer teen up the stairs, before pausing as they came to the room¡¯s exit. ¡°Ying that¡¯s enough basking, we need to get a move on!¡± The robe wearing kobold turned on him with a snarl as a pair of fireballs burst into its hands. ¡°You dare command the great one you infidel!¡± He pinched the bridge of his nose before giving the kobold a look. ¡°Do you seriously intend to pick a fight, now of all times?¡± The kobold took a step back before shaking its head and gesturing to the crowd of seventy or so kobolds surrounding it. ¡°Do you seriously believe you can take on the great one¡¯s entire army?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The kobold blinked at him before shaking its head and growling at him. ¡°But your comrades have already left you behind and the great one is on our side! How long do you think you can last against all of us?!¡± He considered it for a moment before shrugging. ¡°Eh, it shouldn''t take more than five-ten minutes.¡± The kobold blinked again. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Going off of the last time I beat Ying, crossed with the amount of time it takes to shatter a construct of the previous floor doubled for the sake of increasing difficulty of basic level design, I figure it¡¯ll take roughly five to ten minutes depending on how much backup Ying actually gives you guys and how effective you guys are as meat shields against her lightning bolts.¡± The kobold blinked yet again. ¡°What?¡± Feeling like the repeating construct had likely reached the end of its programming, he turned his attention back to Ying. ¡°Hey, I¡¯d honestly like to avoid fighting these guys if I can, so you think we can we get going? I¡¯ve got to wrap this whole thing up in time to make dinner and knowing you, you¡¯re going to want to do as many floors as we can.¡± ¡°Well, it was fun while it lasted I suppose.¡± Ying sighed, as she made her way through the crowd of distraught worshippers. ¡°W-wait mistress!¡± The robe wearing kobold called. ¡°Y-you don¡¯t intend to abandon us do you?¡± ¡°Truthfully, I¡¯d rather not.¡± Ying admitted. ¡°But unfortunately I do need to continue to the next level of the dungeon.¡± ¡°W-well then¡­ let us follow you!¡± The boss kobold cried. Ying paused before turning to the little kobold. ¡°You can do that?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The kobold nodded rapidly. ¡°Normally we stick to our floor because the rat king offers us tribute and the goblins are dicks, but with you by our side we can conquer their floor and show them which starter monster is truly superior!¡± ¡°Huh¡­ You guys uh, you¡¯ve got a grudge there don¡¯t you?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but point out. ¡°Like I said the goblins are dicks.¡± The boss kobold growled. ¡°Hmm, what do you think Jon?¡± Ying asked. ¡°Bringing an army to the next floor could prove useful.¡± ¡°It could.¡± He agreed, before sighing as he noticed Ying giving him a hopeful look. ¡°Fine, they can come.¡± ¡°Wonderful.¡± Ying grinned as he turned and made his way to the treasure room where was watching Roxanne glare at the three treasure chests. ¡°Right, so apparently we can¡¯t actually open these chests as long as the boss monster is alive.¡± The gamer teen told him with a frustrated growl. ¡°Meaning since we did a pacifist run, we can¡¯t open any of the chests unless we want to go back and¡­ why do you have a small army of kobolds following you?¡± ¡°Because they¡¯ve been following us for most of the floor?¡± He answered with a bit of confusion. ¡°Yeah, but¡­ even if you left them alive they should¡¯ve stayed in the boss room.¡± Roxanne explained. ¡°They, uh, they don¡¯t follow people who just rush past them. It¡¯s meant to be a fail safe if people try to escape the boss.¡± ¡°Well, our attempt to escape Ying¡¯s cult kind of failed.¡± He admitted. ¡°They¡¯ve volunteered to help us with the goblin floor.¡± Roxanne just looked at him for a moment. ¡°They, they can do that?¡± ¡°Apparently.¡± He shrugged. Roxanne made a pained face before grumbling something about, ¡°Filthy game breaking hackers, modding the system and corrupting the code.¡± ¡°So what exactly is the problem?¡± Ying asked after it became apparent that Roxanne was going to quietly rant for as long as they allowed her to. ¡°We can¡¯t open the treasure chests as long as the boss monster lives.¡± He explained reiterating the gamer teen¡¯s observation. ¡°If you require me to die for your riches all you need do is ask mistress!¡± Said boss monster declared pulling a knife out. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys supposed to be cowards?¡± Roxanne scowled. ¡°To die for the great one is to die for glory!¡± The kobold argued, holding the knife to its throat. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s like the opposite of your personality.¡± The gamer teen nodded. Running a hand down his face as Roxanne continued to bicker with the kobold he turned his attention to Ying. ¡°This is your cult and army so what¡¯ll it be?¡± Gamers Guild Dungeon (3rd Floor, Pt. 1) Gamer¡¯s Guild Dungeon (3rd Floor, Pt. 1) --- Jon --- ¡°I¡¯ll keep the boss around for now.¡± Ying told them to his immense relief, because while he didn¡¯t think she¡¯d actually go through with selling the kobold for a treasure, he was aware of how both her Madness and Draconic instincts influenced her decision making. (Namely that she¡¯s ruthless and greedy.) (Sometimes.) ¡°Oh, thank you merciful mistress!¡± The Boss Kobold cried. ¡°I will not disappoint you or your expectations.¡± ¡°See that you don¡¯t.¡± Ying nodded in strict approval before turning back to him and Roxanne. ¡°So, now that we¡¯ve an army to tackle the next floor shall we?¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± Roxanne sighed, seemingly resigned about something. ¡°At the very least if we¡¯re breaking this run, we should be able to do some cool things.¡± ¡°Oh, absolutely!¡± The Boss Kobold smiled, all fangs. ¡°Especially if those things involve beating the shit out of the third floor goblins!¡± ¡°I¡¯m still mad at you for going off script.¡± The gamer teen told the kobold before turning towards the floor stairs. ¡°But we might as well make the best of a modded game.¡± ¡°Right!¡± The Boss kobold cheered taking up a place between Ying and Roxanne as their party started down the stairs to the next floor. ¡°Huh¡­¡± He glanced at Ying¡¯s massive cult as they seemed to push and shove each other to get to the front of the pack and be as close to Ying as possible. ¡°Uh, I think I¡¯m going to stay back here and make sure the kobolds don¡¯t kill each other.¡± He told the girls. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Ying shrugged before asking Roxanne something he couldn¡¯t quite hear over the marching of the various kobolds. ¡°Wolf, you mind watching the other side?¡± He asked his canine companion, knowing that while he didn¡¯t mind being the responsible one of the group he wasn¡¯t sure if he could say the same about her just yet. His contracted canine gave him a bark of confirmation before seeming to growl at a couple of kobolds that were shoving at each other. (I can already tell this is going to be a thing.) He sighed, having to do something similar to the kobolds near him himself. ¡°Pix, fly around and if any kobolds start fighting each other stop them.¡± He told the fairy on his shoulder, earning a nod as she took flight before zapping near one of the sixty-six kobolds he was now in charge of managing. ¡°Well, don¡¯t see this every day.¡± He overheard the merchant say once he¡¯d managed to organize the army into something resembling a line he eventually managed to corral them all into the waiting room. (Yeah, neither do I.) He agreed to himself as he made his way to where Ying and Roxanne were apparently waiting for him while eyeing the nearby kobolds. ¡°I¡¯m telling you it won¡¯t work, and unlike the monsters going rogue I know this one for a fact.¡± Roxanne told the other girl. ¡°What won¡¯t?¡± He frowned as they turned to him. ¡°Given how the treasure for the previous floor is apparently an oversized kobold tooth I was wondering if we could perhaps work the system by having each of the kobolds donating one of their fangs.¡± Ying explained. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t think that would work.¡± He admitted, because while it was absolutely the kind of thing he would do if it¡¯d work, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the fangs are condensed Madness, and while the kobolds are made of Madness themselves I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s a little more distilled than necessary.¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s exactly what is happening here.¡± Roxanne pointed at him. ¡°It¡¯s the same thing with all of the drops from the GM¡¯s monsters. Each monster has so much Madness in it and when that monster dies part of the Madness returns to the GM while the rest is reconfigured with her drop system.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°I suppose that makes sense.¡± Ying crossed her arms. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He nodded, remembering how Roxanne was a part of a Wonderlander gang before deciding to just move on by asking, ¡°Either of you think we should get anything from the store?¡± ¡°Well we didn¡¯t really get much from the previous floor, and honestly the only new thing is a treasure chest with drops from the previous floor. Which is kind of useless to us given the circumstances.¡± The more experienced dungeoneer told them. ¡°Meaning we don¡¯t need anything he¡¯s offering, especially without any of those treasure fangs.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I¡¯d suggest stocking up on potions but given how we haven¡¯t even needed one yet, it might be best to hold off for a while.¡± Ying agreed. ¡°Alright, so I guess that means we just get started with the third floor?¡± He asked, getting an affirmative from both of the other teens. ¡°Then in that case, is there anything in the first room we need to be wary about?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a challenge statue and treasure chest, but those aren''t really things we need to worry about.¡± Roxanne shrugged. ¡°A challenge statue?¡± ¡°Yeah, the GM likes to randomly throw one or two of them in each Dungeon.¡± Roxanne explained. ¡°Basically we can set ¡®challenges¡¯ on a floor to make it more difficult or to change how the floor plays out and thus what kind of loot it drops. For the goblin floor I think it¡¯s mostly about the ratio of classes they¡¯ve got going for them, be it rogue, warrior, or shaman.¡± ¡°So we can pick our enemies?¡± He frowned in thought, wondering how that would play out. ¡°Technically. Though we can only really use it because I¡¯m here.¡± The Gamer teen admitted. ¡°Usually you have to clear the dungeon at least once to unlock the challenge markers, but since I¡¯ve done that¡­¡± ¡°We can reap the benefits.¡± Ying finished for her. ¡°Yeah, though if you were normal people I¡¯d tell you to still do a standard run. But since you¡¯re anything but, we might as well try to make this challenging or fun for you.¡± Roxanne told them. ¡°Sounds reasonable.¡± Ying nodded. ¡°What do you mean normal people?¡± He frowned at the same time. Roxanne gave him a look before letting her eyes drift to Ying¡¯s kobold cult. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll admit this situation is a little weird but you can¡¯t hold power interactions against Ying.¡± He told Roxanne sternly (for him). ¡°Weirdly enough I think she¡¯s the normal one of you two.¡± Roxanne admitted dryly. ¡°Again, what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± He asked as she turned towards the stairs. ¡°It means what it means Jon.¡± Ying consoled him with a there-there pat, before following the other girl. ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question¡­¡± He grumbled before turning to Pix and Wolf. ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m weird do you?¡± The little fairy seemed to think about it for a moment before making a so-so gesture with her hand. Wolf by contrast bumped against his leg in what he felt was meant to be a show of solidarity. ¡°Right¡­¡± He sighed, before turning to the still idling kobolds. ¡°Oi, load up and move out!¡± For some reason the kobolds jumped to attention and started moving down the steps in an organized line that it¡¯d taken him several minutes to fight them into just minutes before. (Huh, I guess they can learn.) Unfortunately, even if the kobolds were capable of learning on some scale, snapping at each other seemed to be an inherent part of their personality. Meaning even if they only had to spend a few minutes in the stairs, he, Pix, and Wolf each had to break up at least three fights a piece. (Ugh, and I thought the kids at camp could be bad to keep organized.) He felt what he was sure was an unhealthy amount of relief once he got the last of the kobolds into the challenge chamber, where Ying and Roxanne were finnicking with a statue of what he assumed was a goblin. Mostly because the boss kobold and a few others seemed to be kicking the base of the statue. As he got closer to them he found a quartet of pedestals in front of the larger statue. Three of which held a figurine of a goblin wearing a different outfit while holding a different weapon. (I¡¯m guessing the hood and bow is the Rogue, the armor and sword is the Warrior and the mask and staff are the Shaman.) ¡°Good you caught up.¡± Ying commented as if it wasn¡¯t her cult he was fighting to keep contained. ¡°We were just working out what we should set the class priority as.¡± ¡°Yeah, all we¡¯ve got to do is put the figure of the class we want to take priority on the front pedestal and it¡¯ll change the spawn rates, or we can leave it blank and it¡¯ll leave the default ones.¡± Roxanne explained, before seeming to remember something. ¡°Oh, and we already looted the chest. It had another Iron Bracelet, but Ying gave it to Pix saying you¡¯d be too stubborn to take it.¡± ¡°I mean, she¡¯s not¡­ entirely wrong.¡± He was willing to admit. (After all of the five of us I¡¯m the one who can take the roughest beating and keep going.) (He grit his teeth and held his breath as he forced himself to keep moving as he put all of his weight against the wall. Forced himself to ignore the way his head spun every time he heard that faint grinding sound when he had to step with his bad leg. And most definitely forced himself not to think about the bit of white visibly sticking out of his leg.) ¡°So uh, what exactly is the difference between the three classes here?¡± He asked, shaking his head. ¡°I mean I kind of get that Warriors are Bruisers, Rogues are Infiltrators, and Shaman are Blasters, but¡­¡± ¡°Well, those are half right.¡± Roxanne told him. ¡°Warriors are Scrappers and Bruisers. Rogues are Infiltrators and Marksmen. And Shamans are Blasters and Medics. But if we¡¯re going from a drop perspective, Warriors drop more armor, while Rogues drop more traps and such, with Shamans having a higher drop rate for rare stuff. Though I should probably point out that difficulty wise, Shamans are probably worth two or three of the other two.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± (Going off of what I know. Warriors are probably something Ying would enjoy fighting, especially given how she could let loose against their tankier kits. Rogues probably fight closer to me and ma so I¡¯d at least know what to expect with them. Shamans on the other hand are a bit of a wild card, but they might have some cool spells or something¡­) (Then again, I could just leave everything on default. It¡¯s not like that wouldn¡¯t be a new experience for me and Ying¡­ Though Roxanne has probably run that layout on more than one occasion.) ¡°So what do you want to set it to?¡± Gamers Guild Dungeon (3rd Floor, Pt. 2) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (3rd Floor, Pt. 2) --- Jon --- ¡°Might as well see what this dungeon sees as a magic user.¡± He told the girls as he moved the Shaman statue onto the central pedestal where it began to glow. ¡°So we¡¯re going against the healers then.¡± Roxanne said in an odd tone before shaking her head as the rest of the statues disappeared in a flash of light. ¡°That¡¯ll be a pain.¡± ¡°Maybe but Pix is a healer herself and Ying has her own healing factor going.¡± He pointed out. ¡°I figure with the way we¡¯ve been going and the fact that we have a few extra hands this time around it won¡¯t hurt us too bad to go after the ¡®rarer¡¯ things on this floor.¡± ¡°Reasonable deduction.¡± Ying agreed with a nod before turning to Roxanne. ¡°Is there anything we need to be concerned about with the Shaman Goblins?¡± ¡°Besides the healing thing?¡± The gamer girl asked, beginning towards the door. ¡°They¡¯ve also got this vine-root thing they can use to snare people in place but they don¡¯t start doing that until after the fork.¡± ¡°The fork?¡± He repeated. ¡°Yeah, I think I told you that this floor splits after the third room?¡± Roxanne reminded him. ¡°Anyways at the end of one split is a treasure room and at the end of the other is a boss room. It¡¯s not too complicated but it does get¡­ more so on later floors. Especially when the GM decides to start making things non-euclidean¡­ Honestly, those floors give me a headache to have to work my way through.¡± ¡°Are any of the floors in this dungeon like that?¡± Ying frowned. Roxanne took a moment to think about it. ¡°Maybe the sixth and seventh? Though the effects are limited to a couple of rooms, because the last time the GM made a floor that was completely twisty, every one had to give up mid-floor since they couldn¡¯t find the entrance or the exit.¡± ¡°That would be problematic.¡± He admitted. (I wonder if my flashlight would help any in that situation?) ¡°Which is why, like I said, the GM usually limits the effect to a handful of puzzle rooms.¡± Roxanne nodded. ¡°But either way it looks like the kobolds are getting antsy so we should get moving.¡± Looking around and seeing several picking fights with each other, he found he couldn¡¯t really disagree. ¡°Right, I guess that means we should get them moving.¡± ¡°Actually, that does remind me something I was wondering.¡± Roxanne stopped him before he could get the kobolds organized again. ¡°How exactly are we going to pick fights with the Goblins? I mean they¡¯re not going to just wait for us to get all of the kobolds into the room.¡± ¡°That¡­ is a valid point.¡± He admitted before turning to Ying. ¡°So given how it¡¯s your cult, what do you want to do here?¡± Ying gave the crowd a once over. ¡°Hmm¡­ How many kobolds are there exactly?¡± ¡°Sixty-six.¡± Roxanne answered easily. The draconic teen seemed to think about it for a moment. ¡°There are five- No, six if we count the boss kobold- So with six of us why don¡¯t each of us take eleven of the kobolds and we can tackle the rooms in cycle.¡± He thought about it himself before nodding. ¡°I guess that works, if we count the boss as one of his own kobolds. Though I¡¯m a little reluctant to give Pix control over her own squad of minions.¡± (Honestly, I give her five seconds before she goes mad with power.) ¡°Well we could do sets of twenty-two if we split it between the three of us.¡± Roxanne pointed out. ¡°Uh, no.¡± He disagreed. (Because I am not corralling more of these guys than I have to.) ¡°We¡¯ll just confiscate her minions if she abuses them.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re lucky she¡¯ll treat them the same way she treats you.¡± Ying offered. He had to keep himself from laughing at that because, (that still means we¡¯re going to have to confiscate them.) ¡°So if we¡¯re going in cycles who goes first?¡± He asked instead. ¡°Mm, how about we send the boss kobold first?¡± Ying suggested. ¡°That way we have a baseline of what they¡¯re capable of without us leading them.¡± ¡°Yeah, we can make it into a whole side game or something, with the winner being whoever can keep more of their minions alive.¡± Roxanne added excitedly. ¡°I guess that works.¡± He sighed, before turning to the nearby boss kobold. ¡°You catch all of that?¡± ¡°Yes, I shall lead the first wave against the goblin scum!¡± The kobold nodded with a feral grin. ¡°Er, yeah, but uh, can you not make it sound so¡­ racist? Or is it specist?¡± He frowned before eventually shaking his head. ¡°Either way, uh, you go first and if things go bad we¡¯ll bail you out if you need it.¡± ¡°Ha! As if we¡¯d need help against those pointy eared fr-¡± The kobold seemed to pale and shiver before continuing in a meek tone. ¡°I mean, our enemies shall fall before us?¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± He nodded. ¡°Well that was¡­ a thing.¡± Roxanne chuckled nervously. He blinked. ¡°What was?¡± ¡°Nothing you need to worry about.¡± Ying assured him before organizing the kobolds into sets of eleven. Deciding that it probably wasn¡¯t anything worth worrying about, he instead explained the situation to Pix and Wolf. (And yeah I don¡¯t like that smile Pix is giving me.) ¡°Alright, this is your squad.¡± Ying told him, twenty or so kobolds following her as she subtly nudged him to follow another squad of kobolds. One with the boss kobold at the front. ¡°Right.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but laugh a little nervously as the Kobolds following them began to stare at him. Something that wasn¡¯t aided by the fact that Ying seemed intent on doing the same for some reason. ¡°Uh, is something wrong?¡± ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t want to be in charge of the kobolds?¡± Ying pointed out in one of her bouts of social insight. Figuring there was no point in hiding it if she was calling him out he instead shrugged at her. ¡°Er, not really. If I¡¯m being honest I just don¡¯t like the idea of telling people what to do.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t being a camp counselor supposed to give you leadership skills?¡± Ying smirked. ¡°That¡¯s different.¡± He argued. ¡°I wasn¡¯t telling anyone what to do so much as helping them do what everyone else scheduled.¡± ¡°And how is that different from what we¡¯re doing here?¡± ¡°Because the kobolds could die if we screw up.¡± He admitted with a sigh. ¡°I mean don¡¯t get me wrong I know they¡¯re madness constructs and can¡¯t really die so much as return to a sea of consciousness dwelling within the GM¡¯s personal reality, which itself could be considered a metaphysical construct of her mind. A detail that essentially renders them deathless, but it still brings up the philosophical debate about whether their lives and feelings grant their deaths -as temporary as that may be- weight. In fact if we take that a step further, just because they come back to life doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they aren¡¯t ¡®dying¡¯, especially if they don¡¯t retain the memories of their various lives but instead keep resetting to a specific instance of themselves. Which could be considered a more permanent form of death, and that death is what we should feel some form of guilt over, ya know?¡± Ying just stared at him. The kobolds just stared at him. Roxanne on the other side of the kobold horde just stared at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s an¡­ admittedly large amount to¡­ unpack. Given what I could understand.¡± Ying told him with a slight daze before pointing ahead of them. ¡°Oh, look, we''re at the the next room.¡± Ying shook her head and put on a too-chiper (for her) smile. ¡°Right, so we agreed that the boss kobold would lead the first wave, so that we can see what we¡¯re working with.¡± Shaking himself out of a stupor of sorts, the boss kobold gave Ying a salute before turning to his squad of kobolds. ¡°Right, you heard the mistress. Let¡¯s show these goblins why kobolds are a superior starter monster!¡± ¡°For the mistress!¡± The kobold squad cheered before rushing into the room full of goblins, (without any scouting.) Inside the room were four goblins, and from what he could see two were Shaman, while the other two were a warrior and a rogue. Now even with their classes an eleven on four fight was destined to be a slaughter, especially when half of those fighting were non-combat medics. The easy solution was to swarm the rogue so he couldn¡¯t use his bow, before turning on the warrior and overwhelming the one-on-one fighter, all while sending a couple of units to harass the medics and keep them from healing. This admittedly wasn¡¯t the only viable strategy. It wasn¡¯t even the best one he could come up with. What it was was the most obvious one from his perspective, and the one he expected the kobolds to use given their general lack of experience. Unfortunately this was not the strategy the kobolds chose. (Why are they surrounding the goblins?! They¡¯re giving them time to steady themselves! That completely defeats the point of rushing someone! And they don¡¯t even have enough units to surround them properly!) He watched in horror. Admittedly an eleven on four fight should be a slaughter, it should not however be a slaughter in the favor of the four (if the eleven know what they¡¯re doing!) By the time three of the kobolds had been pixelated he had his bow out with an arrow notched, before releasing it and shooting the goblin rogue in the head before it could kill another kobold. A second and third arrow caught the shaman in their torsos, preventing them from healing the warrior as he rushed it with his axe at the ready. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The Warrior goblin barely had time to get its guard up before a heavy axe strike staggered it and a kick to the back of its knee forced it to kneel just long enough for a knife to run across its neck, the wound bleeding lights as the dungeon construct slowly dissolved into nothing. Turning back to the shaman he pulled his axe back before throwing it hard enough to embed in and then shatter the one furthest from him as he rushed the closer goblin and drove his knife into its chest. A quick twist of his wrist caused the construct to burst into a swarm of lights that reunited into a red potion vial. ¡°Everyone else okay?¡± He asked the kobolds, hoping none of them had been injured in that snafu. All of the kobolds were staring at him again, this time with a sort of awe that left him distinctly uncomfortable. ¡°Well, that was impressive.¡± Ying commented as she and Roxanne wandered into the room. ¡°Though I thought we were going to leave this situation to the kobold boss?¡± ¡°Yeah, well I¡­ I couldn¡¯t just leave them to die¡­¡± He frowned, shifting uncomfortably as he noticed the one kobold not staring at him in admiration. Something he was sure would¡¯ve filled him with some relief if not for the fact that it was something likely to bite him later. ¡°Hm, fair enough.¡± Ying told him in a vaguely amused sort of way as Pix flew towards him. His favorite little fairy darted all around him while chirping and tweeting in chiding tone as if she was scolding him for rushing into a fight while she¡¯d fallen behind. ¡°I¡¯m fine Pix, these guys honestly weren¡¯t even a threat.¡± (To me.) He added mentally, for the sake of whatever pride the kobolds may have. ¡°Right¡­¡± Roxanne chuckled nervously, one hand full of loot and the other offering him his arrows back. ¡°I think these are yours.¡± (Huh, didn¡¯t notice her gathering these.) ¡°Thanks.¡± He nodded accepting the arrows, and adding another mental note to the other teen¡¯s abilities. ¡°So, uh, looks like we got two potions, four gold, and a goblin ear.¡± Roxanne told them as she shifted through the loot. ¡°You know I have to ask, are all of the monster treasures going to be body parts?¡± (Because I got more than enough of that dealing with DeSade.) ¡°Eh, it¡¯s a proof of kill kind of thing in games.¡± Roxanne explained with a shrug. ¡°Still what have we learned as far as letting the kobolds fight for themselves?¡± ¡°They have absolutely zero sense of strategy.¡± He pointed out in a tone that was surprisingly dry even to him. ¡°Seriously all they did was run in and try to surround them! I mean where was the target prioritization!¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯m going to be honest, excluding the rogue class monsters none of them are really programmed for target priority.¡± Roxanne admitted. ¡°I think the GM played around with that before, but it ended up raising the difficulty a little too much when they always targeted the healer. Made it so no one wanted to play support, and players for those classes are already rare.¡± ¡°Still,¡± He sighed, running a hand through his hair. ¡°We can¡¯t really let them go without some kind of training.¡± ¡°Well, training would take too long to set up and this is why you don¡¯t break the system.¡± Roxanne (un)helpfully informed him. ¡°Well unless you¡¯re a sociopath who can deal with hundreds of your minions suffering from permadeath.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather we not tempt that rabbit¡¯s hole.¡± Ying growled at the other girl before continuing in a calmer tone. ¡°Still if you¡¯d prefer you can take your squad and try showing them how best to proceed.¡± Realizing that Ying wasn¡¯t just going to let the leadership thing go, he eventually sighed. ¡°Fine, but¡­ Instead of taking an entire squad I¡¯m just going to take the remnants of this one.¡± ¡°No! These are minions!¡± The boss kobold growled at him. ¡°You¡¯ve got your own minions I¡¯m not letting you take mine too!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not taking your minions.¡± He told the kobold, before figuring out the best way to calm down the ornery little thing. ¡°Since I can¡¯t handle a large squad I¡¯m trading your squad for mine, which puts you in charge of eleven kobolds instead of seven. And since you¡¯ll have more minions than me that¡¯ll mean you¡¯re more important than me in your mistress¡¯s army.¡± ¡°Ah, so you realize I¡¯m your superior!¡± The boss kobold laughed. ¡°Sure. Whatever speeds this up.¡± He shrugged before turning his attention to the kobolds. ¡°Those of you who just fought here, come with me and we¡¯ll knock out the next room real quick.¡± ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to lead the kobolds?¡± Ying asked with a smirk. ¡°I don¡¯t but at the very least I can make sure they don¡¯t get themselves killed. Have fun corralling the other sixty kobolds.¡± He sighed, turning to leave and taking the seven kobolds with him. (Ugh, I¡¯m starting to regret letting Ying talk me into this¡­) When he¡¯d agreed to trying this dungeon out he¡¯d thought it¡¯d be a simple game or something. And while it technically was a game, it was also proving to be more of a chore with him just walking around and dispelling whatever constructs he ran into rather than the games he played with his ma and the girls where he could (actually sharpen my fangs.) (No.) He shook his head. (I¡¯m hanging out with Wolf, Pix, and Ying and that¡¯s good enough. In fact I even made a new friend with Roxanne¡­ maybe.) He was still a little iffy when it came to the whole socializing thing, at least when it came to people in his age group. By contrast he was great with kids and despite having two teenage friends he could consider a dozen or so adults to be friends far more easily. (Still things are going well, so hopefully I can count Roxanne as a friend.) Caught up in his musings he nearly walked into the doors for the next room. ¡°Right, so first lesson: Information is power. So whenever you get a chance to scout the enemy, you do it.¡± He told the (surprisingly) attentive kobolds as he gently pried the door to the next room full of goblins, where he found a set up similar to the previous only with what he assumed was supposed to be a couple of wire traps here and there. ¡°So, same set up as the previous room but with traps to make things more difficult.¡± He thought aloud for the kobolds benefit. ¡°So, here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do¡­¡± --- The four goblins stood there holding their posts as they waited for the latest batch of adventurers as they likely did with every dungeon run. (Not that they can remember the other ones.) Still as the doors to their room opened they expected a group of four Deviant adventurers to run in and attack them with their various abilities. What they were not expecting was for a kobold from the floor below to come flying through the door and face plant less than a meter away from the warrior of the quartet. The warrior glanced at the rogue who responded with a shrug before the both turned to the kobold whose foot was twitching in the air. Figuring that their job was to attack whatever entered their room, the warrior made his way to the kobold and raised its sword for what would surely be a fatal strike. Only for the kobold to flip back onto its feet, shake its head, slowly look up at the attacking goblin, pale, and immediately turn face and run away while screaming. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me!¡± The warrior glanced towards the rogue and received another shrug before the rogue made a ¡®go get him¡¯ kind of gesture. Shaking his head with a sigh the warrior goblin followed after the fleeing kobold, an expression of exasperation on his face as he likely wondered why the rogue wasn¡¯t doing this instead, given how the class was better suited towards pursuing and attacking a fleeing target. Reaching the exit to the room, the warrior spotted the kobold cowering just a few meters into the hall. Now normally the dungeon dreams were supposed to stick to their various rooms, but given the way the kobold had entered the room in the first place -as well as the general disdain between goblins and kobolds- the goblin saw no problem in following after the kobold. At least not until his world flipped upside down and found himself hanging by his ankle as six kobolds shot out from the darkness by the door and attacked the airborne goblin in a frenzy of claws, bone knives, and fangs. From inside the room the rogue saw this and proceeded to curse before readying his bow with an arrow notched. An effort that was made futile as right before he released the arrow a knife flew from the shadows of the corridor, piercing the goblins hand and causing the arrow to fly wide. The rogue goblin spat out another curse before glaring into the darkness just in time to see another knife flying from the darkness as the shamans began to chant their healing magics behind him. Dodging to the side the rogue managed to avoid the knife, only to watch as it stabbed one of the shaman in their neck causing the other shaman to jump back in fright. Of course this was the kind of mistake that could be expected of the simple dungeon constructs. Not the knife dodging, which was obviously a good thing, but rather the fact that the rogue had taken his eyes off of his enemies long enough for an arrow to fly from the darkness and shatter him into lights. Down to two goblins this was when the seven kobolds rushed into the room, before swarming the undamaged shaman and leaving the injured shaman to try and heal his compatriot. Not that he would let it. With a casual ease he walked through the room and towards the injured shaman, an axe in hand as he hummed an easy tune. The injured goblin watched as the other shaman was torn into a pile of dissolving lights by the kobold swarm, before suffering a similar fate as he brought down his axe in a decisive and brutal blow, likely similar in fashion to what the goblin warrior had intended for the baiting kobold. ¡°See you guys managed to take out half of the goblins without taking a single casualty.¡± Jon told the kobolds, wondering if helping one set of constructs kill another set made him hypocritical in some way. The seven kobold began to cheer for him as he idly collected his knives and whatever things the dungeon creatures had dropped. (Let¡¯s see¡­ another trap, another potion, and from the looks of it two ears. Meaning if the pattern from the previous two floors holds then, a third of the way through and we already have enough for the mid-tier floor prize.) By the time he¡¯d gathered everything the girls and the rest of the kobold horde had just begun to trickle into the room. ¡°Huh, I had hoped we¡¯d be able to catch at least the tail end of your fight.¡± Ying admitted walking over. ¡°Eh, the kobolds handled things pretty easily once they actually had a plan to work with.¡± He shrugged before turning to Roxanne and gesturing to the room¡¯s two doors. ¡°Is this the fork thing you were talking about?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± The other teen nodded. ¡°Right door takes us to the boss room and the left will take us to the treasure room.¡± ¡°Got it in that case, I guess we need to get the horde moving this way.¡± He told them, barely taking a step towards the right door before Roxanne stopped him. ¡°Uh, I said the treasure room is that way?¡± ¡°Yeah, and the next floor is this way.¡± He reminded her. ¡°I know that.¡± Roxanne told him slowly. ¡°But we need to head the other way for the treasure.¡± ¡°But the next floor is this way.¡± He repeated before elaborating that, ¡°given how easy the last few floors have been, we really should go to the harder levels.¡± (Where there¡¯s hopefully something worth hunting.) The gamer teen looked at him like he¡¯d killed a puppy. (Which I¡¯d never do.) ¡°But, but¡­ treasure!¡± ¡°And we don¡¯t need it?¡± He pointed out. Roxanne made a sound similar to a dying animal. Not understanding what the problem was, he turned to an amused looking Ying and asked, ¡°Am I uh, missing something here?¡± ¡°I believe Roxanne wants to go collect the treasure chest.¡± Ying explained. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s what you¡¯re supposed to do in a dungeon!¡± Roxanne practically screeched. ¡°I kind of doubt that.¡± He frowned. ¡°I mean if the GM wanted us to go a specific way, we¡¯d have to go that way wouldn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ You¡¯re supposed to want to collect all of the loot!¡± Roxanne yelled. ¡°But we don¡¯t need it.¡± He pointed out once more. ¡°I- Gah- Ying talk some sense into him!¡± Chuckling to herself, Ying stepped between the two of them. ¡°Alright, Roxanne wants to explore the treasure room to collect all of the ¡®loot¡¯. While Jon, you want to go to the next floor for a better fight, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­ sort of?¡± He admitted, while not wanting to admit he wanted to pick a fight with something. (Because picking fights with people is wrong.) ¡°Now, the way I see it we have three true options.¡± Ying told them. ¡°We can take a detour to collect the treasure, we can skip the treasure to go to the next floor, or we can split the party with one half collecting the treasure and one half clearing the boss, before reuniting near the shop.¡± ¡°Ugh, you never split the party!¡± Roxanne disagreed. ¡°The GM gives you a debuff if you break that cardinal rule!¡± ¡°Is it a permanent debuff?¡± He asked curiously. ¡°Er, no¡­ It¡¯s more of a warning to make people stay together.¡± The gamer teen explained. ¡°Is the debuff enough to keep us from clearing this floor?¡± He pressed on for the sake of giving each option its proper consideration. ¡°I mean, earlier you were complaining about us beating everything so easily.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well¡­¡± Roxanne frowned. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t stop us¡­ I guess¡­¡± ¡°Then if you want the treasure, splitting our party is likely the best bet.¡± He concluded. Roxanne ran a hand down her face before eventually groaning out a ¡°Fine!¡± and asking, ¡°How¡¯re we going to split the party though?¡± Gamers Guild Dungeon (3rd Floor, Pt. 3) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (3rd Floor, Pt. 3) --- Jon --- ¡°Alright, Roxanne, since this treasure thing is important to you you can take some of the kobolds with you to collect it while me and Ying clear out the way to the Boss.¡± He told her after taking a moment to consider the best way to do this. ¡°Also, since I don¡¯t like the idea of sending you off on your own, Pix!¡± His favorite little fairy turned to him from where she was tormenting a couple of the kobolds. ¡°You mind going with Roxy to collect the treasure?¡± Pix crossed her arms and gave him a pout. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t like splitting from you either but Ying and I can take care of ourselves.¡± He reminded the little fairy who was now refusing to look at him. ¡°Look if I really need your help I can always summon you back to my side.¡± Pix turned her back to him. Figuring he should try a different angle he pointed out how ¡°There¡¯ll be shinies and things for you to zap.¡± The little fairy gave him a look. Rolling his eyes he also threw out the fact that, ¡°You¡¯ll have about two dozen kobold minions who have to do whatever you say.¡± Pix seemed to consider it for a moment before flying over to Roxanne. ¡°Okay, so you¡¯re sending the healer with me¡­ Not sure how to feel about that.¡± The gamer teen admitted. ¡°Honestly it feels like you¡¯re blowing this whole thing out of proportion.¡± Ying told the other girl. ¡°I mean Jon technically cleared a room on this floor by himself. Besides us splitting the party is bound to become a recurring point due to the size of some of the other later floors you mentioned.¡± ¡°Ugh, I guess I see your point.¡± Roxanne sighed before shaking her head. ¡°So I guess we¡¯re really doing this then.¡± Ying gave the girl a look. ¡°At this point it feels like you¡¯re trying to procrastinate the matter.¡± ¡°A little¡­¡± The other girl grimaced. ¡°Right¡­¡± He coughed into his hand before turning to the kobolds. ¡°Alright, half of you with Roxanne and Pix, the other half with me and Ying.¡± There was a fair bit of grumbling from the kobolds about being split from their mistress, and he idly noted the kobolds he¡¯d worked with were already gathered around him while snapping at any others that tried to near them. Once it became apparent how few of the kobolds were going to do what he said without further instruction he grabbed his little squad of kobolds and Wolf before getting them all to sneak towards the next room. Because while it wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d normally do to someone outside of his (pack) he was sick of corralling kobolds. (Though Ying and Pix are here so it¡¯s not that out of character for me¡­ or my ma.) ¡°Okay, now while everyone else lags behind to deal with that mess let¡¯s go ahead and clear the next room.¡± He explained to everyone once they were alone. ¡°Uh, but shouldn¡¯t we wait for the mistress and the boss?¡± One of the kobolds asked. ¡°That is a very good point¡­ Uh, I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t actually know your name.¡± He apologized. ¡°Uh, we don¡¯t have names?¡± The kobold told him, sounding confused about the fact that it had to explain that. (Wait, hold on.) ¡°Do you have genders?¡± He asked, realizing he¡¯d just thought of the kobold as an it as well as the fact that he¡¯d technically been assuming their genders when he wasn¡¯t considering them a massive mob of monsters. ¡°Um¡­¡± The kobold looked at the other members of their party before eventually blinking as they realized with some surprise that, ¡°Yes! Males have forward horns and females have backwards horns!¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± He nodded, idly noting how his squad had four females and three males. ¡°And the names?¡± ¡°Never needed them before.¡± The male kobold he¡¯d been talking to shrugged. ¡°Usually we just wake up, fight, die, and repeat.¡± ¡°You remember your past lives?¡± He frowned, wondering if he needed to have some¡­ words with the GM about this, before remembering the various goblins he¡¯d already killed. (Oh no.) ¡°Kind of but mostly no.¡± The kobold told him, seeming to have never considered such things before. ¡°We¡¯ve, uh¡­ In the main Wonderland -not the Dungeon- there¡¯s a um, core kobold we¡¯re copied off of. Sort of¡­ Or was there more than one?¡± The kobold in front of him grimaced as it struggled to explain. ¡°And do those core kobolds get your memories?¡± He prodded, both for his own guilty conscience as well as his fascinated curiosity. ¡°Some of them.¡± The kobold frowned. ¡°Most of it gets lost, but I think some of it gets transferred back when the GM gathers resources¡­¡± ¡°And I¡¯m guessing in the same way, your core counterparts'' memories get transferred to you based on the Madness spent to create you.¡± He concluded, using a bit of peripheral knowledge he¡¯d picked up while looking into the Insanity of the Corrupted back in Blackwell. ¡°That¡¯d make a bit of sense given how Madness is composed of metaphysical mental energy.¡± ¡°Yeah, I have no idea what that means.¡± The kobold admitted. ¡°Er, right, uh¡­¡± He rubbed the back of his neck as he realized he went on a bit of tangent there. ¡°So given how you guys can remember it, are you and your fellow dungeon monsters okay fighting and dying like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a game, and it¡¯s not like we¡¯re really dying.¡± The kobold pointed out, getting several nods of agreement from the other kobolds. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m pretty sure we remember more than we think we do, it¡¯s just it all blurs together when it¡¯s the same thing a hundred times a day.¡± ¡°Yeah, that sounds¡­ like a thing.¡± He grimaced awkwardly. ¡°So, um, does the GM know you guys are sapient if she¡¯s sending you to die like this?¡± ¡°Damn, you¡¯re really into this existential shit aren¡¯t you.¡± (Well, given how I killed a cult¡¯s god¡­) ¡°I¡¯m just worried if you¡¯re being treated right or not.¡± He redirected. ¡°She treats us fine, given how we can¡¯t die like you guys and we all enjoy fighting.¡± The kobold assured him. ¡°That said, going off of my original¡¯s memories we¡¯re usually not alive long enough to need our own save files since we¡¯re still them when we die and they get our memories.¡± He considered that for a moment. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll need your own save file now that you''re diverging from your original?¡± ¡°Uh, yes and no.¡± The kobold answered after a moment of thought. ¡°My memories will return to the core, and if he wants he can ask the GM to make a new save file for me since he¡¯s got his primary slot and his autosave slot.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± (I also can¡¯t help but wonder how many non-Wonderlanders have given their constructs an interview, asking for their thoughts and opinions on their rather unique sub-existences. Actually thinking about that,) ¡°Would you like to have your own, um, save file, you called it?¡± He asked, coming to a stop. ¡°Might be interesting.¡± The kobold admitted scratching at his chin. ¡°Though I¡¯d have to seriously deviate from my main-self to do that.¡± He turned to the rest of the kobolds. ¡°How about you guys?¡± ¡°Uh, technically we are him so our memories would probably get put into the same file.¡± One of the other male kobolds pointed out. ¡°Then that just means we have to work to differentiate you guys.¡± He argued, before turning back to the kobold next to him. ¡°Let¡¯s start with¡­ Kenny.¡± ¡°Kenny?¡± The kobold repeated with a blink. ¡°Yep, Kenny the kobold. Short for Kennith.¡± Because if he named the kobold after something he wanted to protect Jon was more likely to keep him alive as long as he needed to deviate from the core kobold. He turned to the other six kobolds before narrowing his eyes. ¡°And you six are¡­ Jillian¡­ Rosy¡­ Edith¡­ Sue¡­ Anthony and¡­ Bruce.¡± He named them, each after someone important from Camp Bet. (And that I actually want to keep safe.) Which is why none of them were named a derivative of Alexander or Roger. The kobolds looked torn between staring at him in awe and freaking out between each other as several quietly asked, ¡°Is he allowed to do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°But he¡¯s not the GM!¡± ¡°But, but he named us!¡± Wolf brushed against his leg before looking up at him with a sense of approval. He scratched the top of her head and turned towards the door now standing between them and the next room. Like before he gently pried the door open to peek inside. ¡°Alright, Kenny get over here so we can start showing the GM how special you guys are.¡± The squad of kobolds turned to the now named kobold who swallowed nervously before making his way over. ¡°W-what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°What do you see in here?¡± He asked in response. ¡°Um, two Warriors and two Shamans.¡± Kenny noted quietly. ¡°How do you think we should deal with them?¡± ¡°I, um, what?¡± The named kobold blinked. ¡°Right, that might be a little much. by yourself right now¡± He admitted before turning to the kobolds and explaining that, ¡°the two warriors can take a beating and the shaman can heal them, and if Roxanne is right they should have some kind of snaring effect going for them now. What do you guys think the best method of dealing with these guys is?¡± The kobolds looked amongst each other before Sue raised her hand. ¡°Um, we can try the trap thing again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea.¡± He nodded, mentally noting the fact that (I¡¯ll have to show these guys how to make an actual snare since we don¡¯t have any traps to cheat with.) ¡°But that¡¯ll still leave three more.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Anthony stepped forward. ¡°We can gang up on the goblins.¡± ¡°Always a good idea, but how do you want to do that, because there are three of them and nine of us. Meaning even if Wolf and I join different teams that still means three of you will be fighting one on your own.¡± And while he didn¡¯t say it out loud, they¡¯d seen how that would turn out a couple of rooms ago. ¡°What if you and Wolf fight the Shamans!¡± Jillian suggested. ¡°But can the seven of you take the Warrior?¡± He asked them, before adding, ¡°Without anyone dying.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The kobolds looked a little downcast. ¡°Right, let¡¯s see here¡­¡± He told them, beginning to think aloud as he plotted out what the kobolds could do. ¡°So the goblins are probably your size and a half¡­ Yeah, that could work.¡± ¡°What could?¡± Kenny asked as innocently as the real Kennith would. ¡°Okay, slight change of plans.¡± --- The door to the room was kicked open in a fashion few would use three floors into the dungeon, and from the space behind it half a dozen arrows flew out erratically. These did little more than grazing the warriors and one of the Shamans, though given how their job was merely to distract the goblins from the small horde of kobolds rushing into the room, that was all they needed to do. The horde split in two with a squad of four going after one Warrior and three going after the other. In each group two of the kobolds skidded around the Warriors to get behind them while another hissed and growled at the goblins threatening to attack them should they turn their attention to anyone else. While they did this the fourth kobold of the first squad -Kenny- jumped on the back of the third kobold of his group who helped launch him into the air in a maneuver Jon had had them practice several times before sending them out. On his downfall came the tricky part of the maneuver as he grabbed the goblin by their head and forced them to fall backwards. An attack that was aided by the fact that the first two kobolds of their squad had positioned themselves in a crouch behind the Warrior, forcing them to topple backwards with an audible thud before the third kobold jumped onto the goblin¡¯s chest before attacking the Warrior¡¯s neck with a knife Jon had given her. Seeing their compatriot explode into a swarm of lights the other Warrior roared before grabbing the kobold in front of them and throwing her at the other squad of kobolds. With that distraction gone the goblin turned to the two kobolds crouching on the ground and completely missed the wolf rushing into the room. At least until the kobolds in question had grabbed the Warrior¡¯s legs and said Wolf had jumped onto the goblin¡¯s back while biting into their shoulder and letting the kobolds throw the heavier dungeon monster onto their stomach. While all of this was going on the Shaman were kept under fire by a series of arrows, keeping them from aiding either of their fellow goblins let alone each other when the first squad turned their sights on one of the Shaman and swarmed them. Seeing this sent the second Shaman into a panic, one prevalent enough that as they began to cast a more combat oriented spell than their usual healing magic, they failed to notice both the fact that the arrows had stopped as well as the figure appearing behind it. Or rather they failed to notice until said figure wrapped his arm around the goblin¡¯s neck, place a hand atop their head, and- *Snap.* He caught a potion falling from the swarm of lights even as he shook out his arm feeling a little funny after pulling that off. (Note to self stick to weapon kills, the blood apparently makes me less squeamish.) Shaking his head, (and suppressing that odd revelation) he turned his attention to the rest of his team as they gathered up the loot from their various (kills)/(takedowns). ¡°Alright, good job everyone.¡± He clapped, giving their efforts a brief applause. ¡°See what you lot can do with a bit of effort and coordination. Even set to a lower level than these guys you took them out quick and cleanly without any injuries.¡± The kobolds all gave his words a cheer as they offered him the loot from their various exploits. ¡°Huh, give me my knife back and you can have this one.¡± He told Sue as he plucked a knife one of the Warriors had dropped from the pile. ¡°Ah, I see the victor has already collected their spoils.¡± Ying commented from the doorway of the room as she finally caught up to them, the boss kobold and a dozen others following her. ¡°Yeah, these guys did a good job.¡± He told the kobolds as much as her. ¡°I¡¯m glad. Roxanne was panicking over the fact that you left us behind.¡± Ying smiled with her not so subtle jab. ¡°Isn¡¯t this supposed to just be a game?¡± He asked while motioning for them to go ahead and continue towards the next room. ¡°She seems really invested in winning.¡± Ying rolled her eyes. ¡°As if you have any room to complain.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that competitive.¡± He frowned, recalling several times where he¡¯d let the kids at camp beat him at things both in the past summer and the ones before. Truthfully, his Ma brought out the worst of his competitiveness. (Well her and-) ¡°I seem to recall a very morbid game you had with Quartermaster Rogers involving who could kill the most Corrupted towards the end of Summer.¡± Ying told him while examining her nails and turning them into claws. ¡°That¡¯s different.¡± He explained with a twitching smile. ¡°How so?¡± Ying asked with barely contained amusement. ¡°Because I refuse to lose a fight to a drunk.¡± He lacked pride in most things, but he didn¡¯t lack that much pride. (Then again maybe I just don¡¯t like him that much.) ¡°Technically a game of ¡®who¡¯s the better killer¡¯ isn¡¯t a fight.¡± Ying informed him with a smirk. ¡°Especially given when you two had your final round of the game.¡± (The violence blurred together as a growling sound kept emitting from his throat. Every part of him demanding he push himself harder even as he chopped through the Mad Wolves, and stomped the skulls of the Corrupted Corpses under foot. The beast within raging beneath the blood red light of the lunar eclipse.) ¡°Yeah, please don¡¯t call it that.¡± He grimaced, not wanting to think about what those ¡®games¡¯ said about him as a person. (I really shouldn¡¯t have let Rogers goad me into that mess. I knew he was a bad influence, and that nightmare just underlines it.) Ying ¡®hmmed¡¯ but didn¡¯t continue that line of thought, something he was just as grateful for as he was the fact that Wolf was brushing against his leg in sympathy. After a few moments of silence their fairly large party found their way to another door and another room full of goblins. Figuring that another room meant another meant another lesson for his kobolds he took a quick peek inside before turning back to his team. ¡°Okay, so we¡¯ve got a Warrior, two Rogues, and two Shaman. Any suggestions?¡± ¡°How about since you and your kobolds took care of the last room, I¡¯ll take care of this next one?¡± Ying suggested, taking her own peek behind the door. ¡°Um¡­ I guess that¡¯s fair.¡± He admitted. (Even if it does throw my plan with the kobolds off a bit.) ¡°Quite.¡± Ying grinned while taking on a number of her more draconic features. ¡°I actually had an interesting idea on my way here and these goblins are grouped up in just the right way for me to try it.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He nodded, feeling a strange sense of wariness. One that proved fairly well founded when Ying began to visibly spark as the scent of ozone filled the air. (Oh, that¡¯s not a good thing.) Quickly and quietly he herded the kobolds away from Ying, a feat that was even more difficult than his previous efforts corralling the dungeon monsters given their awe at the sheer amount of Anima Ying had flowing around her. ¡°Jon.¡± A voice that was more growl than speech began. ¡°Would you kindly open the door for me?¡± Moving quickly he rushed towards the door before throwing it open and throwing himself in the opposite direction. And not a moment later, thunder roared throughout the tunnels of the dungeon as his hair stood on end, his heart pounded in his chest, and (the rain fell all around him, in the wake of Ying¡¯s destruction. Everything ached, and yet somehow numb. He tried to move but none of his limbs responded. Everything was hot, and yet so, so cold. It made him want to close his eyes and give into the darkness creeping in from the edges of his blurred vision. He heard Pix crying as a pink light began to circle him and the soothing cool-warmth of her magic soaked itself into his already soaked bones. As the numbness slowly fled his limbs he forced himself onto his hands and knees before making his body stand and assuring Pix that,) ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Was a bit worried with how you threw yourself.¡± Ying admitted as she passed him by. He blinked, taking in his surroundings and noting that he was in a dry cave tunnel rather than a raining forest clearing. Shaking his head clear, he reminded himself that, (I¡¯m okay. I beat Ying. I saved her from the Corruption. I¡¯m still alive.) Staring at Ying for a moment -(She¡¯s still human. She¡¯s still human. She¡¯s still-)- He took a shaky breath before following after and forcing down any memories relevant to that night. ¡°So lightning breath?¡± He found himself asking, more to distract himself than out of actual curiosity. (Though he was still curious.) ¡°Ah, yes. I had the idea while I was left to wander the dungeon on my lonesome.¡± Ying verbally jabbed once more. (He forced himself not to flinch.) ¡°I remembered one of Miss Edna¡¯s lessons on how my Storm and Dragon affinities might give off better outputs if I were to merge them together. In this case by using my lightning as a breath attack similar to a dragon¡¯s rather than simply manipulating it as I generally do.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can see how finding a conceptual overlap might help.¡± He nodded, figuring it was probably similar to how when he accidentally got the concept of [New Moon] while trying to figure out the concept of [Shadows]. ¡°Anything of value?¡± Ying asked the kobolds, causing him to realize that she had in fact managed to one shot the entire party of goblins with that attack. (Wonder if it¡¯d hurt as much as her old roar?) He buried that thought deep and dark. ¡°Hmm, a couple of goblin ears and another potion.¡± Ying told him after accepting the loot from her kobolds before pausing to examine the blue potion. ¡°Actually, do mind if I try this? That last attack took more out of me than I was expecting.¡± (So you can¡¯t spam it at me anymore, good to know.) Part of him wanted to snipe. ¡°No problem.¡± He said instead, as he once more reminded himself that Ying didn¡¯t really remember what happened while she was Corrupted. (And I have no intention of telling her.) The draconic teen downed the entire bottle before shaking her head and telling him, ¡°It tastes like blueberries.¡± He could only really shrug at that. ¡°Right.¡± Ying flexed her hand a bit while letting off a few sparks. ¡°I suppose we should be on our way then.¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± He agreed, still feeling a little out of it. ¡°Everything alright?¡± She asked him. ¡°Just uh, wondering how Pix and Roxanne are doing.¡± He lied before frowning. (Actually, now think about it, how are they doing?) --- Pix --- ¡°Everything is on fire! How is everything on fire?!¡± The human her humans had befriended cried while cowering with a number of the weaker kobolds. (Because anything is possible with enough willpower.) Jon taught her that when he killed the Twisted King despite being a mere human. Idly she noticed a goblin trying to make a run for the exit. Just as idly she gave it a zap, earning both cheers and amusement from the fun kobolds as it fell writhing on the ground. (This is fun.) She¡¯d have to reward her human after this by letting him serve her muffins and milk. She knew how much he enjoyed that. --- Jon --- ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re doing fine.¡± Ying assured him as they continued through the tunnels. ¡°Maybe but I don¡¯t really like the idea of leaving Pix alone with a stranger.¡± He admitted. ¡°I remember DeSade telling me that earth born fairies are worth a lot in the right circles.¡± The draconic teen scowled, remembering several of his stories about DeSade. ¡°He wasn¡¯t trying to buy Pix from you was he?¡± ¡°No, since Pix was healing me and I was dealing with the Corrupted, he wouldn¡¯t try to take her from me.¡± He disagreed while trying to figure out how to explain his darker mentor¡¯s thought process. ¡°Given how he usually acts, it was probably a warning to be cautious with her in public, and after seeing some of the people lurking around Blackwell I can¡¯t really disagree with him if he was.¡± (The Beast of Blackwell¡¯s cult proved that.) ¡°Hmm, well while I doubt Roxanne would attempt to harm Pix given what I¡¯ve seen of her, if worst comes to worst you should be able to summon Pix to your side shouldn¡¯t you?¡± Ying reminded him in a mix of care and pragmatism. ¡°Yeah, but¡­ I¡¯m just regretting letting her out of my sight is all.¡± He sighed. ¡°With her there¡¯s no telling what kind of trouble she¡¯ll get into when left on her own.¡± --- Pix --- ¡°Mistress Pix! Mistress Pix! Mistress Pix!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but smile as her kobolds continued to cheer her on as she strangled the Goblin Shaman and several of its compatriots with the vines it¡¯d summoned. Honestly the only part of this little adventure she wasn¡¯t enjoying was the fact that the girl Jon had sent with her was having a fit of some kind, and that the kobolds cowering behind her weren¡¯t properly praising her the way her kobolds and Jon did. Thinking about her human got her tummy rumbling. (I wonder if Jon packed snacks?) --- Jon --- ¡°You¡¯re worrying about nothing.¡± Ying told him. ¡°I¡¯m sure the worst trouble she¡¯s going to get into is demanding you give her more snacks when she comes back.¡± ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡± He admitted. (Well, hopefully I packed enough baked goods to get us through the day.) With Pix involved, the answer was a hard maybe. After a few more moments, -During which he did a mental inventory of their snacks and tried to calculate the food consumption of a fairy with possibly a literal magical black hole for a stomach.- their party came to a large door at the end of the tunnel. ¡°I guess this is the boss door.¡± He told Ying. ¡°If I¡¯m remembering right, Roxanne said there would be three rooms on this path with the last one being the boss room.¡± ¡°She did say something along those lines.¡± Ying nodded before crossing her arms as she gave the door a look. ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, do you think we should start the boss fight without them? I mean it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult without them.¡± He considered it for a moment, because while they could wait for Roxanne and Pix to join them for a guaranteed victory, they could also fight the boss as they were. And if they were lucky it would be an actual challenge while they had their split party debuff going. (Though if it¡¯s a challenge I¡¯m looking for perhaps I could solo the boss without any help.) (That might be a fun hunt.) (Though in that case, Ying might want to take care of it herself.) Giving it a bit more consideration, he eventually nodded as he came to a decision and told Ying, Gamer Guilds Dungeon (3rd Floor, Floor End) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (3rd Floor, Floor End) --- Jon --- ¡°Yeah, we can handle it easy.¡± ¡°Alright, then shall we see what we¡¯re up against?¡± Ying suggested before pushing the door to the boss room open a bit. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s interesting.¡± ¡°What is?¡± He asked, making his way over. Rather than answering Ying went ahead and opened the door all the way to reveal a large room with several hut like structures around a circular arena with a large bonfire in the middle. ¡°Well, this is different than the last two boss rooms.¡± He noted trying to figure out what it meant. ¡°Stupid goblins, they think because the third floor gives them their own little village that make them better than us and our temple.¡± The Boss Kobold helpfully grumbled, before turning to Ying with a malicious gleam in her beady little eyes. ¡°Mistress let¡¯s burn their village to the ground with your mighty dragon roar!¡± ¡°Wait, we should hold off on doing anything drastic until we know where the floor boss is.¡± He decided to argue when it seemed like the draconic teen was legitimately considering the kobold¡¯s idea. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy. They¡¯re probably in there.¡± Ying told him with a gesture towards a large hut with a boar skull above its entrance, causing it to stand out from all of the other huts. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ probably accurate.¡± He admitted. ¡°In that case, we can start burning things down then, hmm?¡± Ying clapped happily. ¡°Now how to do it without wasting too much energy¡­ Jon, do you have any fire arrows?¡± ¡°What? Uh, I could make some with a bit of cloth and alcohol but it¡¯d be better if I used a heating- No, wait.¡± He shook his head. ¡°We should not be burning down any villages even if we are fighting the goblins.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Ying asked, looking legitimately confused about why burning down the village of sapient creatures might be considered morally wrong even if they could resurrect themselves. ¡°Because¡­¡± He ran a hand trying to figure out how to voice that particular concern, before noticing Ying¡¯s eyes. (Oh¡­) ¡°Ying¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The draconic teen blinked. ¡°Why do you want to burn the village down?¡± He asked cautiously, remembering the last time she took this particular conversation poorly. (Lightning sparked across her skin as a growl erupted from a maul full of teeth too sharp to be human and slitted snake eyes narrowed at him, uncaring of the blood dripping from her claws.) He shook his head. (No, she¡¯s not like that. She¡¯s doing better, you¡¯re just shaken from her lightning roar a minute ago.) (Or I¡¯m in denial.) Ying frowned to herself as she thought his question over, something she wouldn¡¯t do in the first few weeks following her corruption. (See, she¡¯s doing better¡­) ¡°Dragon.¡± He told her mentally steeling himself (just in case). Ying froze before closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Mistress?¡± The Boss Kobold asked with some concern. ¡°Right. No burning the village down.¡± Ying told the kobolds. ¡°Instead Jon will draw the boss out and we¡¯ll provide support based on just what he¡¯s dealing with. That alright with you?¡± ¡°Yeah, I can work with that.¡± He nodded, before turning to his team of kobolds. ¡°While I¡¯m drawing the boss out I want you guys to find places around the village to hide, preferably near the entrances to the huts because I¡¯m pretty sure goblins are going to spawn from there.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The kobolds nodded before splitting into their previous two teams with Kenny leading one group and the other by Sue. ¡°Wolf, you mind filling any opening they leave?¡± His canine companion gave him a yip of agreement before trotting after the kobolds. ¡°Wait, why is he giving orders?!¡± The boss kobold screeched. ¡°Because he¡¯s leading the vanguard.¡± Ying shrugged. ¡°But I¡¯m the floor boss!¡± ¡°Are we on your floor?¡± Ying asked curiously, as she gave the kobold a look. (Okay, I¡¯m just going to walk away from this.) He decided before making his way towards the bonfire because he did not enjoy watching people argue if he could help it. Nearing the bonfire he heard a war horn blow in the distance before a set of tribal drums began to beat throughout the room. After a moment goblins began exiting the various huts, though none of them looked quite as well equipped as the various goblins he¡¯d seen up to this point. ¡°Hold back!¡± He called, as he spotted several of his kobolds beginning to inch forward. The goblins surrounding him took his words as a command toward themselves and began to laugh and jeer at him. (Good, don''t need them swarming me.) From within the boar skull hut a goblin larger than any of the others appeared, standing as tall as him and twice as wide while wearing a large mask even more ornate than those of the other Shaman and holding a staff twice as large. ¡°Puny adventurers you dare come into our village so that you can-¡± (Right, we prioritized shaman goblins so I guess that turned the boss into one too.) He figured while ignoring the boss¡¯s speech. (Makes sense, and it means this one has a mix of healing and crowd control. Which also means the shaman is going to-) ¡°Pah,¡± The goblin chief spat. ¡°Deal with this rabble.¡± The various goblins surrounding him began stepping forward, and so he raised his hand and put his thumb to his fingers. ¡°You folks sure you want to do this? Last chance to settle this without a fight.¡± He warned them. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Ha!¡± The goblin chief laughed. ¡°You stand here by yourself and you think you can fight our army?¡± ¡°Not really an army.¡± He felt the need to point out, after all (I¡¯ve fought corrupted hordes bigger than this.) ¡°And where¡¯s your army?¡± The goblin chief growled. He looked the floor boss in the eyes, and snapped his fingers. From all around the boss arena kobolds dove out of hiding and spectral wolves lunged from the shadows, before tearing into the goblin forces. Behind him he heard a dragon¡¯s roar and the smell of ozone announced Ying¡¯s entrance as lightning danced all behind him and her kobold swarmed the field. He blamed the various negative influences on him for the smirk on his face as he said, ¡°Mine¡¯s better.¡± The goblin chief snarled at him before raising their staff into the air and slamming the base of it onto the ground, where dozens if not hundreds of thorny vines shot out creating a wall of greenery between them and their various allies. ¡°So, you¡¯re going for a one on one fight?¡± He asked, judging the walls around him as he pulled his axe from his backpack with one hand and reached into his jacket with the other. ¡°You sure that¡¯s a good idea with you being a healer?¡± (Not that I¡¯m stupid enough to think that means you can¡¯t fight, but I do think you¡¯re stupid enough to let the comment distract you.) A small flame began to gather around the tip of the chief¡¯s staff as they let out a laugh. ¡°Unlike the rest of my mystic brethren I actually learned how to-¡± A throwing knife to the shoulder cut the chief off with a pained cry. ¡°Grah! You bastard!¡± ¡°No, unfortunately my parents were married for about a decade.¡± He admitted, easily sidestepping the fireball the goblin chief threw at him. ¡°Also just because you have an offensive spell doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t need to work on your aim.¡± The knife he threw into the goblin chief¡¯s other shoulder told him he needed to work on his own aim a bit, given how he¡¯d been aiming at the center of the goblin¡¯s chest. Growling at him the chief began to chant before slamming their staff into the ground once more and the faint sound of shifting dirt and creeping vine was all the warning he needed to throw himself to the side as several thorn covered vines erupted from the ground. Once in the air these vines froze before beginning to twitch and whipping towards him in a follow up strike that turned his roll into a rough handspring. (Okay, so the plants are active Puppets.) He noted as he got his feet back on the ground. (Meaning standard puppeteer protocols should apply here.) With that thought in mind he rushed the goblin chief axe in hand, to prevent it from spawning anymore of the hazardous herbs. His first strike with his axe was blocked by the goblin¡¯s staff, though given how it was only meant to distract from his knife, he was more than okay with that as his blade found its way into the goblin¡¯s side. Roaring the goblin shoved him away in a blow that only sent him so far because he leapt back with it. A flex of his wrist and a twist of his magic had his knife flying back with him and into his hand, though it did nothing to the two throwing knives lodged in the goblin¡¯s shoulders. (Really should get around to enchanting those¡­) The faint scent of smoke had him glancing over his shoulder where he could see a sparking hole beginning to burn into the green vines separating him and the chief from the rest of the arena¡¯s occupants. (Dang it Ying I told you not to burn the village down!) Figuring he really should wrap this up before she really did burn the village down, he rushed the goblin chief once more. And though they swung their staff at him, the blow missed him completely as slid around towards the back of the dungeon denizen. Where he promptly delivered a powerful kick to the goblin¡¯s backside, sending it stumbling forward. With the goblin chief half hunched over, he ran forward placing one foot on the goblin¡¯s back before stomping the other onto their skull, sending the goblin face first into the bonfire where the proceeded to burst into flames and then the squarish lights that all dungeon monsters seemed to dissolve into. As soon as the last of the goblin chief¡¯s lights faded, all of the floral constructs the goblin had created began to break apart into their own storm of lights before leaving him standing in the middle of a goblin village that was half burned down and a small army of kobolds that was notably smaller than before they¡¯d invaded the boss room. ¡°Ying, the village?¡± He asked calmly ignoring the cinder and ash drifting through the air. ¡°It was the kobolds¡¯ fault.¡± The draconic teen told him, throwing her minion under the bus without a second thought. Inhaling and exhaling, he looked around for any remaining goblins while also taking note of the fact that all of his kobolds had survived the exchange. ¡°Let¡¯s just go into the treasure room to wait on Pix and Roxanne.¡± --- ¡°I can¡¯t believe you two went ahead and did the boss without us!¡± Roxanne cried as soon as she entered the treasure room. ¡°Sorry.¡± He shrugged, somewhat helplessly before putting up the trap he¡¯d been teaching Wolf and his kobolds how to make. ¡°It didn¡¯t seem that big of a deal, and honestly it wasn¡¯t even all that difficult.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Much like he had upon seeing the goblin village, Roxanne inhaled deeply before exhaling just as deeply. ¡°Fine. Right, this party is broken by this dungeon¡¯s standards. Whatever.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± He apologized again because he felt like he should for some reason. ¡°No, it¡¯s, it¡¯s whatever.¡± Roxanne sighed, before walking over to the potion chest. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you guys didn¡¯t open the treasure chest yet, there was this bit I forgot to tell you guys about when we were setting the challenge markers.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± Ying prompted as she stood up, and the kobolds she¡¯d been sitting on collapsed. ¡°When you set the challenge marker it mixes up the floor¡¯s treasure dice, so that the different enemy priorities affect everything.¡± The more experienced dungeoneer began to explain. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you guys had a sort of super shaman as a boss right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded. ¡°He was mostly throwing around these floral constructs to try and separate me from everyone else.¡± ¡°Huh, weird.¡± Roxanne commented before shaking her head. ¡°Well, anyway Shaman means we probably get a staff or something for the weapon chest and a big bonus for the potions chest. Now I¡¯d think that the armor chest would give you a mask or something but wouldn¡¯t you know.¡± The gamer teen tossed them a mask similar to what the various shaman goblins had been wearing. ¡°We sort of lucked out with the treasure room¡¯s chest. Oh, and the mask gives a bonus to all magic attacks and healing done by the wearer.¡± ¡°Meaning Pix or Ying should wear it since the only magic I¡¯ve got is my contracts right now.¡± He decided before something occurred to him. ¡°Wait, Wolf, do you want the mask? It might help out with your wind attacks and spirit wolves a bit.¡± His canine companion seemed to consider it for a moment before walking over to him and sniffing the mask a bit. After a moment she seemed to decide that yes she did in fact want the mask, and bit it out of his hand before tossing it onto her face. ¡°Okay¡­ Um, sorry, you were saying something about the poti-¡± He blinked as Roxanne opened the potion chest without talking to them. ¡°Yeah, I was saying since you guys are clearly above the rank and file of this floor, and the equipment loot is going to be more or less obsolete by the time we get to a floor that is actually a challenge for you I figure that the boosted potions are the best loot draw for now.¡± Roxanne continued finishing her previous explanation. ¡°Still shouldn¡¯t you have consulted us before opening the chest?¡± Ying frowned at their fellow teen. Roxanne¡¯s eye seemed to twitch as she stared at Ying in a way that made him wonder just how much Madness those gamer power ups infused into their users. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but given how I¡¯m the only member of this party who didn¡¯t actively try to burn this floor down, I thought my desire to leave this floor as soon as possible was perfectly reasonable.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but wince at the reminder that by the time they¡¯d gathered all of the loot and corralled all of the kobolds out the goblin village had gone from half burned down to somewhere around four-fifths burned down. Spotting a happy little fairy followed by a number of awe filled kobolds -and noting all of the cowering kobolds running as far as they could from her- his wince turned into a full on grimace. (What did you do Pix?) ¡°Look, um, how about we all just head to the next floor and move on.¡± He suggested, wondering if he was better off with just the wolf and fairy who couldn¡¯t actually speak than the two teenagers glaring at each other. ¡°After all, potions are good, and we did¡­ lose control a bit back there.¡± Ying continued to glare for a moment, before finally relenting. ¡°Fine, there¡¯s more important things to worry about anyway. For instance, what exactly is the next floor about?¡± Roxanne seemed to inhale and exhale once more before visibly forcing herself to move on from whatever traumatic experience Pix -and he had no doubt it was her fault- had put her through. ¡°Well, the next floor is Gamer Guilds Dungeon (4th Floor) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (4th Floor) --- Jon --- He froze with a foot in the air, before slowly turning his head to the gamer teen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what did you just say?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Roxanne blinked while giving him an odd look for some reason. ¡°The next floor is¡­ cultists?¡± Closing his eyes he inhaled deeply -even more so than when he¡¯d seen Ying had burned down that village- before slowly exhaling. ¡°Of course it is.¡± ¡°Am, am I missing something?¡± Roxanne tried to quietly ask Ying. ¡°He, uh, he has this thing about cults.¡± Ying admitted for him, even though it wasn¡¯t really a thing so much as the simple fact that (I¡¯ve yet to meet a cult that doesn¡¯t deserve to be burned to the ground and forgotten forevermore.) ¡°So¡­ What kind of cult is this?¡± He asked, through grit teeth as he began to march towards the stairs. (Demons? Dark magic? Eldritch horror? If I ever run into another sex cult it¡¯ll be way too soon.) ¡°Um, it¡¯s not a real cult.¡± Roxanne told him in an attempt to calm him down. (No, no, I am perfectly calm.) ¡°Technically they¡¯re just a bunch of dungeon dreams with a ¡®cult theme¡¯, and aside from some violent and scary imagery for halloween stuff they aren¡¯t even all that bad. Don¡¯t even have a real god to worship.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± He nodded, telling himself he was overacting. After all, it made perfect sense for a fake cult to be part of a horror show. (Heck, there was even that one group of teens that got second place in that haunted house competition that me and ma joined a couple years ago.) He shook his head with a smirk at that memory. (Thinking about it, those guys might¡¯ve actually given us an actual run for our money if they¡¯d used real blood.) ¡°Yeah, they actually came up with this really goofy fake god.¡± Roxanne laughed, seeing him less¡­ stressed. ¡°What do they call him¡­ Oh, right! Cheshire, The Man in The Mask.¡± ¡°Of course they do.¡± --- Exiting the safe room with their new potions -Something he bought out once he noticed the price had gone up, and Roxanne explained that the price would jump each floor now that they were past the difficulty curve.- he found that the hall to the next dungeon room wasn¡¯t made of the same rock/cave like material as the last few floors but instead had actual grey stone and brick work with the occasional torch or red banner with a black rose on the wall. (Do all cults have the same decorator because this is the third one I¡¯ve found that uses these colors.) As they neared the first door he could hear a faint chanting before they even entered the room and felt his eye begin to twitch as without breaking his stride he pushed the doors open and calmly walked into the room. Inside he found five figures in red cloaks with curving daggers standing a fair distance from a sixth humanoid figure in a mask chained shirtless to a stone table in the middle of a star and circle that his mind idly noted would accomplish nothing as he strode to the nearest cultist. The leader of these five who stood across the stone table from him, pointed a finger at him ¡°Who are you that you dare to interrupt our dark- Grah!¡± Interrupted, the cultist gasped as their hands scrabbled at the throwing knife now embedded in their throat. Seeing this, the nearest cultist turned to him a look of horror on their shadowed face before stiffening and slowly looking down at the knife now sticking out of their heart. He idly shoved the dead cultist out of his way as he locked eyes with the third cultist backing away from him and towards their two compatriots. Continuing his calm pace, he reached into his backpack and pulled out his axe before hefting it in his hand and making his way around the table, the blade of the axe scraping along the ground as he made his way to the three cultists cowering in a corner of the room. --- ¡°So¡­ he has a¡­ thing with cults¡­¡± ¡°Yep.¡± --- Feeling much better with the last cultist¡­ dealt with, he turned back to free the chained prisoner only to find a pile of coins and a potion vial laying on the table. ¡°What happened to the prisoner?¡± When he received no answer he glanced towards his party and found everyone -save Pix- staring at him in a mix of awe and fear, that he¡¯d honestly grown used to seeing on the kobolds but was still surprised to see from Ying, Roxanne, and Wolf. Seeing no one else answer Pix flew over to him before landing on his shoulder and using her illusions to show the prisoner exploding into lights and leaving behind the pile of loot. ¡°Huh, why¡¯d the prisoner die?¡± He frowned, knowing for a fact no one had touched them. ¡°Um,¡± Roxanne coughed, seeming to snap out of her stupor before shaking her head. ¡°The um, the sacrifices die when you kill all of the cultists.¡± ¡°But why would the prisoners die?¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Um, they¡¯re not actually prisoners.¡± Roxanne informed him. ¡°They¡¯re, uh, they¡¯re cultist volunteers. In fact if you free them before killing all of the cultists they¡¯ll turn into another enemy. Makes a nasty trick for those who think saving them is a bonus objective.¡± ¡°And what would happen if we let the cultists kill the sacrifice?¡± Ying asked. --- One of the cultists stabbed their knife through the sacrifice¡¯s chest, causing them to burst into a growing swarm of lights before recondensing into a large muscular creature with horns and a tail. (That¡­ looks nothing like a monster connected to the Cheshire.) He sighed, eyeing the creature before him while wondering if he should be happy about that or critique the GM about her lack of realism. (I mean this looks like some generic demon from fiction, while the Man in the Mask is a Madness entity so even if she doesn¡¯t know his monsters look innocent until you get in biting range, her monsters should at least look like something by Lovecraft. I mean where are the eyes, the black blood, the tentacles, the teeth at the very least?!) This entire floor had turned out to be more of an annoyance than an actual threat as far as he was concerned. All of the previous rooms having been easy clears since aside from the occasional fireball most of the cultists were weak grunts, and all of the floor¡¯s potential seemed to have been spent on these demons and traps that were only marginally better than what the kobolds had made. (But at least they¡¯re learning.) He noted, watching as the kobolds used a rope and a decoy to throw a cultist to the ground where they proceeded to kill them. A dark chuckle escaped the (generic) demon as it walked towards him on unguligrade legs. ¡°Puny mortal, you dare-¡± He quit listening at that point because honestly, ¡°The GM needs to work on her lines, because I¡¯ve had too many people ask me if I dare today.¡± Blinking at the nonchalant interruption, the demon was not expecting him to walk up to them and kick out their leg before climbing up their body. Once he had a foot on the demon¡¯s shoulder he jumped off of them while grabbing their horns before using his momentum to slam the demon¡¯s face into his knee a blow that -with a bit of maneuvering of his weight- broke off one of the demon¡¯s horns. Which he then proceeded to stab into the demon¡¯s back, shattering it into a storm of lights and leaving him alone with one last cultist. Meeting the cultist¡¯s gaze he asked, ¡°So you one of the ones who can throw fireballs or¡­¡± --- ¡°So what¡¯s the Boss Cultist¡¯s gimmick?¡± He asked. ¡°You know you probably should¡¯ve asked me that before we entered the boss room.¡± Roxanne told him as they both ignored the Boss Cultist¡¯s ¡®you dare¡¯ speech. (I wonder if I can talk Roxy into filing a complaint on that for me?) ¡°Either way because of the curve bosses have two gimmicks now.¡± Roxanne sighed in resignation about something. ¡°The Crimson Cultist¡¯s first gimmick is that it can sacrifice any unit to summon a demon and the second is that it can summon these-¡± The gamer teen was interrupted as they were both forced to dodge a trio of wriggling black tentacles. ¡°Those, it can summon those.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He nodded, watching the tentacles retract into a portal in front of the cultist¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m guessing he can pull and throw people with those.¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± Roxanne shrugged. ¡°I mean it¡¯s fairly easy to dodge since the attack is choreographed, but with the other cultists throwing fireballs and trying to get to the Sacrifices.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a bit more to juggle than the previous bosses.¡± He admitted, since they had to stop the cultists from getting to the sacrifices while avoiding fire. For most parties that would be a hard task to overcome, especially with the layout of the room. Even though the majority of the cultists were at the top of a set of stairs while their Sacrifices were along the walls of the bottom part of the room, it still meant that whoever challenged them had an uphill battle while under fire, both literal and figurative. Luckily his party had a small army. ¡°Kobolds kill the Sacrifices before the cultists can.¡± He ordered before drawing his bow and shooting an arrow at the attacking cultists. ¡°On it boss!¡± Kenny called before he and his compatriots rushed the sacrifices lining the wall. ¡°Hey I¡¯m the boss!¡± The boss kobold cried before Ying pulled her out of the way of a series of lashing tentacles. ¡°Job, you take the right, I''ll take the left!¡± Ying called to him as lightning began to crackle along her skin. ¡°Roxanne, you and the kobolds take the cultists trying to make their way down the stairs.¡± ¡°Right, Wolf, you think you can push the flames back with your wind?¡± He asked their four legged companion. Wolf gave him a bark of affirmative before sending out a massive wall of wind and stunning the cultists along the top of the stairs just long enough for him to shoot two more cultists. At the same time he did this Ying unleashed one of her lightning bolts upon two others while Roxanne and the remaining kobolds took out three more as they began to climb the stairs. Between all of them it wasn¡¯t even minutes before only the Crimson Cultist remained, standing surrounded by several kobolds. ¡°You think you¡¯ve won?!¡± The Cultist screamed, raising his knife into the air. ¡°This is only the beginning!¡± ¡°Wait, shoot him!¡± Roxanne screamed. ¡°He can sacrifice any-¡± The Crimson Cultist plunged his knife into his chest before bursting into an inferno of lights strong enough to knock the kobolds back and shatter several more. A dark laugh filled the room as from the inferno stepped a large demon twice the size of the previous one they¡¯d encountered, with two leather black wings on their back and a pair of fireballs in their hands. ¡°Ah, finally I have returned to the mortal plane! Bow before your new god!¡± ¡°Ying.¡± ¡°Yes Jon?¡± ¡°Mind lighting ¡®em up?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Ying assured him as the scent of ozone filled the room. --- ¡°So, was the double boss supposed to be a thing or did something else happen there?¡± He asked, staring at the large scorch mark on the door to the floor treasure. ¡°Honestly, the Crimson Cultist¡¯s demon wasn¡¯t even that strong.¡± Roxanne admitted. ¡°I mean it was stronger than the regular cultists and their demons, but compared to an actual Demon floor that guy was maybe an elite unit or mini-boss, but definitely not actual boss material.¡± ¡°Which explains why he went down like a bitch.¡± Ying nodded, watching as the glass of the potion vial she just finished dissolved into lights. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s kind of a shame. I was honestly hoping that would just weaken him and we could actually fight it out.¡± He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°Eh, the next few floors will be better.¡± Roxanne promised. ¡°After all this is when the floors start chaining bonuses.¡± ¡°Chaining bonuses?¡± He repeated. ¡°Yeah, basically from here on out each floor will get a bonus depending on what the previous floor was.¡± The more experienced dungeoneer explained. ¡°That is what¡¯s actually responsible for the difficulty curve of these last few floors, and it makes sure that returning floors don¡¯t become stale to returning players.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± He blinked, thinking about it. ¡°That actually sounds like it could be fun. What kind of bonus does the next floor get?¡± Gamer Guilds Dungeon (5th Floor) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (5th Floor) --- Jon --- ¡°Pardon but aren¡¯t we supposed to be five storeys underground by this point?¡± Ying asked, staring at the moon above them. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s a pocket dimension powered by Madness, honestly I¡¯m just glad there aren¡¯t pools of black blood and dead bodies.¡± He admitted, looking around the forest clearing and making note of the way that after three rows of bushes and trees the circular clearing was boxed in by an unbroken line of said trees, save for a mist filled trail to what he assumed was the next room of this floor. ¡°You know as someone who spends a regular amount of time in Madness based pocket dimensions, I am greatly concerned by that thing you just said.¡± Roxanne told him having apparently overheard them. ¡°It¡¯s not something worth worrying about anymore.¡± He shrugged, any trauma towards those memories being suppressed by the fact that he¡¯d violently murdered the entity responsible for those -possibly literal- hell holes. ¡°Right,¡± Roxanne nodded, before coughing into her hand. ¡°Anyways, I just wanted to give you guys a quick heads up, but this is the floor where I usually start having trouble whenever I try to solo the dungeon.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown with some concern at that. ¡°Is it because of that whole thing with the nature¡­ coven?¡± ¡°You mean the werewolf nature cult?¡± Ying corrected with some amusement, grinning as he twitched at the word ¡®cult¡¯. ¡°Yeah, that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of it.¡± The gamer teen admitted. ¡°They do tend to pick up a lot of weird tricks with nature magic, but I¡¯ve seen Pix do scarier today so I¡¯m not worried about that. No, I was just letting you guys know that I¡¯m not going to help much more as far as mapping the floors out and giving what hints I can.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s anything you can tell us about this floor?¡± Ying asked, possibly a little too bluntly. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure there are three enemies on this floor, excluding the boss.¡± Roxanne told them before continuing to explain that, ¡°the main enemies of this floor are the Lycans which are hit fast and hard, and can take a beating. Additionally because of the cult on the previous floor the Lycans here have this passive nature magic that''ll try to snare you with vines and roots like the goblin Shamans a couple of floors ago. But those are floor elites though so I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll see more than three of those in a room, with most rooms being guaranteed one. The more numerous enemies on this floor are all of the¡­¡± Roxanne trailed off as her eyes fell on Wolf trotting along next to them. ¡°Uh, that might be a problem¡­¡± ¡°What might be a problem?¡± ¡°Um, the most common enemy on this floor are uh, wolves?¡± Roxanne grimaced. ¡°Huh¡­¡± He turned to Wolf who stopped as she noticed the rest of them had paused a few paces behind her. ¡°Uh, Wolf?¡± His canine companion gave him a confused yip to show that she was listening. ¡°Um, you know how we¡¯ve been talking about this being a um, werewolf floor, right?¡± Wolf nodded. ¡°And you uh, you do know that means we¡¯re going to be fighting a number of wolves on this floor, right?¡± He attempted to ask delicately. Wolf gave him another nod, if a bit slower this time as if she was confused why he was bringing this up. ¡°And you¡¯re okay with that, right?¡± His canine companion rolled her eyes before giving him another -if more exasperated- nod. ¡°Cool, cool¡­ just wanted to make sure, because if you¡¯re uncomfortable fighting wolves I can always de-summon you and re-summon you once we finish the floor.¡± ¡°Uh, actually, no you can¡¯t.¡± Roxanne cut in. ¡°Downside of the dungeon being in a sort of Madness pocket dimension, it screws with most summoning spells so it¡¯s suggested on the dungeon website that Arcane summon their contracts before entering. I actually thought that was why you had Pix and Wolf summoned this entire time.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± (There goes that idea.) Shaking her head, Wolf walked behind him before gently nudging him with her head as if to say, ¡®I don¡¯t actually care, so hurry it up already.¡¯ ¡°Uh, okay then¡­ So I guess we¡¯re all fighting the wolves then.¡± --- (You know, it just occurred to me that between Wolf and all the mad wolves back at camp I might be a little too good at fighting wolves.) He couldn¡¯t help but note, as he sidestepped a wolf that had leapt out of the brush lining the walls of the forest ¡®trail¡¯ in what was probably meant to be a surprise attack. This thought was further compounded by the fact that after sidestepping the wolf, he proceeded to grab it by the scruff of its neck, throw it onto the ground, and then stomp its head hard enough to shatter the dungeon construct. Shrugging to himself he continued down the trail before eventually pausing and turning around to face everyone who¡¯d stopped to stare at him. They continued to stare at him for an uncomfortable minute, before he finally glanced towards Pix nibbling at a cookie on his shoulder as she had been since they started down the trail. Seeing his look, the little fairy gave the crowd a once over before answering his unspoken question with a shrug, signifying that she didn¡¯t know what their problem was either. ¡°See this is what I was talking about!¡± --- ¡°So I¡¯m guessing werewolves are big on ambushes?¡± He asked, idly noting the four (maybe five) figures shifting through all of the foliage lining the ¡®room¡¯. ¡°Yeah.¡± Roxanne nodded as she and several kobolds stood in a circle, their backs to each other as they kept their eyes out for the lurking threats. ¡°That¡¯s a big part of what actually gave me trouble with this floor, if you focus on one for too long the rest will rush you and then in the rooms with the actual Lycans you have to deal with the wolves¡¯ hit and run as well as those tanky bruisers.¡± ¡°Hmm, perhaps we should try thinking a bit outside of the box.¡± Ying suggested, lightning crackling along her fingertips. ¡°No.¡± He shot down both the draconic teen¡¯s idea as well as one of the hidden wolves. ¡°We are not burning down the forest, just because you¡¯re bad at hide and seek.¡± Ying¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°I¡¯m not bad at hide and seek.¡± ¡°There is an entire camp of kids who will disagree.¡± He argued, before leaping to the side and shooting a wolf as he avoided its lunde. ¡°And besides I¡¯m actually kind of enjoying this.¡± ¡°Of course you are.¡± Ying commented dryly. ¡°At this point I¡¯m starting to think you enjoy life or death situations.¡± ¡°No, I hate those kinds of situations.¡± He frowned, legitimately offended. --- Ducking under a clawed swipe, he stabbed his knife into where a human¡¯s kidney would be eliciting a howl of pain from the dungeon construct. Hearing shifting foliage and realizing he¡¯d gotten too close to the treeline during his attack he threw himself to the side, avoiding the tree branches swinging at him but unfortunately not the roots latching onto his leg and fumbling his dodge as he hit the ground much harder than he¡¯d intended. Reacting quickly he recalled his knife before cutting through the roots and freeing his leg just in time to be swatted aside by the Lycan he stabbed and not have his ankle broken as he was sent flying into tumble. Spitting out a bit of dungeon grass that had gotten into his mouth he forced himself onto his feet as he met the glare of the werewolf and felt a feral grin beginning to grow on his face as he finally fought something that got his heart really pumping in this dungeon. Seeing the Lycan rushing him once more, he flexed his wrist and recalled his axe from where he¡¯d chopped a dungeon wolf in half before riding the momentum and swinging the axe out to meet the Lycan¡¯s feral lunge as he delivered a heavy strike to the Lycan¡¯s growling maw. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Refusing to lose momentum again, he stabbed his knife into the Lycan¡¯s shoulder to pull it down into place before bringing his axe down onto the dungeon construct¡¯s neck with the entirety of his weight finally shattering the last of the beasts. Taking a moment to let the battle high leave him he glanced around the clearing finding himself alone in the forest clearing with just a handful of his kobolds panting over the disolving corpses of the various wolves they¡¯d been left to deal with. --- ¡°You know it would¡¯ve been useful to know that the forest would split our party.¡± Ying commented, once the various teens and their surviving kobolds managed to reunite. ¡°That¡¯s not something someone would pick up doing a solo run of this floor.¡± Roxanne pointed out just a little bitterly. ¡°Besides, usually when the GM pulls this kind of stuff she reserves it for her ghost or fairy floors, since pulling it on the forest floor because of nature magic is really fucking cheap!¡± ¡°So how many kobolds are left?¡± He asked, looking at their notably smaller crowd. ¡°Only the ones that ended up with us or you.¡± The Gamer Guild member told him now that she was done yelling at her boss. ¡°The wolves got the rest when we were scattered.¡± ¡°Meaning we¡¯re down to the Boss Kobold and maybe a dozen more.¡± Ying sighed, before shaking her head. ¡°Shame I was rather enjoying all of the attention.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± He rolled his eyes before turning towards what he assumed was the room exit. ¡°I¡¯m going to go out on a limb and guess that since all of the other paths led here that one is to the boss room?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how this kind of thing usually goes.¡± Roxanne nodded. ¡°Any idea what the boss is going to be like?¡± He asked, eyeing the passage with an odd but familiar mix of trepidation and excitement that usually only got when sparring with his Ma or fighting Quartermaster Rogers. ¡°Well usually the boss of a floor either throws a spin on what you¡¯ve seen before or takes the floor theme and dials it up to eleven.¡± Roxanne explained. ¡°For werewolves that¡¯d probably be an Alpha Lycan of some kind with a couple of regular Lycans and a small pack of wolves running through the brush.¡± ¡°Okay, then in that case, I¡¯ll take the Alpha while you each take a Lycan, and the kobolds handle any wolves running around. Pix you handle support zapping or healing as needed. Wolf you hit and run the wolves to flush them out of the brush so the kobolds get a clean hit on them.¡± He told them, something inside him itching to fight the alpha and have (a proper hunt.) He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why everyone seemed to stand up a bit straighter as he talked, but saw no problem with it given how even Pix was nodding in agreement rather than simply causing mischief where so ever she pleased. --- Stepping into the boss room he immediately noted how it was bigger than any of the previous clearings he¡¯d encountered, not all too different from the previous boss rooms, but the fact that this larger space was filled with trees and bushes made this room into something resembling a proper forest with the moon shining high above. (Almost feels like home.) The only detail the GM seemed to have gotten wrong was the air which lacked the cool crisp feel of the midnight forest air he¡¯d grown accustomed to over the last summer. (Though at least she tried to keep the smell of grass and trees.) About half way into the room they heard a loud howling in the distance breaking the forest silence that had surrounded them and putting all of them on edge as all around them the foliage began to shake and shift as glowing eyes peered out from the darkness. (Aw, the GM was kind enough to show us where the wolves are!) (The corrupted were never that kind.) In front of them a large black Lycan with a scar over its eye landed on all four, before growling as it slowly stood to its full height. ¡°Filthy humans, stepping into our territory¡­¡± The Alpha Lycan growled as two more stepped out of the shadows to flank them. He couldn¡¯t help but frown at that. ¡°Um, aren¡¯t werewolves a human deviation?¡± ¡°Werewolves may¡¯ve been born from humanity but we¡¯ve become our own people far superior to anything you lot are capable of.¡± The Alpha Lycan assured him. ¡°Um, several flaws with that given how were-people are just magic users with an animal affinity of some kind.¡± He argued, Miss Edna having explained this given her own animal affinity which DeSade had then elaborated on during their research into the Corrupted. ¡°I mean sure there are ways to artificially create that affinity and turn it into a genetic marker, as seen in the lycanthrope virus. A virus I should point out that can cause several mental and spiritual imbalances if-¡± He was cut off as lunging faster than he could react the Alpha Lycan had grabbed him by his throat and picked him off of the ground. ¡°You think our people a blight?!¡± Rather than answering, he instinctively kicked up as he stabbed a knife into the Alpha¡¯s forearm, before using the dungeon boss¡¯s face to get enough leverage to pull the muscles and tendons in a way that caused the Lycan¡¯s hand to spasm just enough for him to free himself. ¡°Honestly¡­ it¡¯s less of a virus¡­ and more of an inheritable curse.¡± He told the Lycan, rubbing a hand at his sore throat. ¡°You dare you pathetic whelp!¡± Coughing during the (fifth) ¡®you dare¡¯ of the day, he barely reacted in time to get up a halfway decent guard before being backhanded away from his party and into a (surprisingly soft) tree a fair bit away. ¡°Deal with these mongrels, the overgrown whelp is mine.¡± He heard the Alpha order as he forced himself back onto his feet. Knowing he was about to be attacked again he pulled his axe into hand and shifted his grip on it to deliver a sweeping upwards slash with the axe, forcing the Alpha to pull their hand back or risk losing it. ¡°So you still have some bark to you ey whelp?¡± Rather than answering he swung his axe once more, slashing the Alpha in a strike that they both knew was superficial at best, before spinning with his swing and delivering a roundhouse to the cut hoping to turn it into an actually notable level of damage. ¡°Ha-ha! Now you see just how inferior you humans are to a Lycan¡¯s might!¡± The Alpha laughed, before trying to claw at him in a flurry of blows. (Right, guess durability is supposed to be one of his ¡®boss gimmicks¡¯.) He noted, barely keeping up with the werewolf due to the fact that the boss needed to pull their blows back further to do meaningful damage at such a short distance. (Just got to keep an eye out for if he pulls the other one out before I kill him.) And he had no doubt he could kill the Alpha Lycan regardless of their durability, because as that superficial cut showed he could make it bleed. (And if you can bleed it, you can kill it.) (Just a matter of how long it takes you.) Unfortunately, as their battle drew out, he found that those superficial cuts were currently the best he could do. A sign that by the time he could finish the Alpha off himself, the others would¡¯ve finished their own battles and joined him. Frowning he ducked out of the way as once more despite breaking skin, his knife did little actual damage to the Lycan. (Note to self, enchant something more¡­ offensive into my axe and knife later.) Hearing shifting foliage behind him, he was forced to drop his axe to more easily avoid the wolf leaping out of the bushes lining the dungeon ¡®walls¡¯ before tackling it to the ground. A move he hoped would buy him distance and time from the boss for the lesser monster as he stabbed a knife into the wolf¡¯s throat, shattering the dungeon construct just in time to be tackled himself by the Alpha Lycan. Crashing into the ground painfully as he felt a too heavy weight on his chest, a claw clamped down around his throat pinning him to the ground as the dungeon boss looked down on him. ¡°I¡¯ll admit your fangs were sharper than I was expecting whelp, but you¡¯re still a pathetic human.¡± The Alpha Lycan told him pulling back just enough to ready a killing blow. Fangs tore into flesh as he felt the Alpha¡¯s grip loosen and watched Wolf tackle the Alpha off of him. ¡°You bitch!¡± The Alpha spat at the growling Wolf. ¡°You choose a human over your own kind?!¡± Wolf barked out a violent sound at the Alpha continuing to growl as they glared each other down, at least until an arrow shot into the Alpha¡¯s throat, at which point the dungeon boss turned their glare onto him. ¡°Fine, you want to make this a pack battle then let¡¯s.¡± The Alpha inhaled deeply before howling into the air, causing several of the nearby bushes to begin rustling until wolves that he was sure hadn¡¯t been there before stepped out of them. Seeing this Wolf herself inhaled before doing the same as the Alpha and summoning her own wolves if fewer and more identifiable due to their glow. All around him wolves tore into each other before shattering into light as the winds of Wolf¡¯s wild magic swirled all around them as she rushed the Alpha hard enough to tackle the dungeon boss through a tree. Scowling at his own uselessness in that fight, he dove into the forest occasionally firing off a quick shot here and there to end one of the dungeon wolves attacking either Wolf¡¯s pack or the kobolds, before eventually managing to circle around to behind the Alpha and Wolf¡¯s fight. Taking note of the way the fight was moving and shifting, he climbed up a nearby tree as silently as he could before steeling himself and waiting. Something that left him feeling deeply conflicted as despite giving as good as she got he was still leaving his canine companion to more or less fend for herself. A part of him wanted to use his Contractor bond to alert her to his presence but at the same time he knew doing so could distract her at the worst moment. (No best to stay silent, stay still, and stay vigilant. ) After far longer than he was comfortable with, Wolf hit the Alpha with a blast of wind strong enough that he could feel the drain on his amulet¡¯s reserves, and sent the dungeon boss skidding across the ground towards his general direction. The alpha shook their head as they glared at Wolf, both looking notably worse for wear than before. (Yeah, that¡¯s long enough.) Leaping off of the tree branch, he dove for the Alpha¡¯s back where he drove a knife into the boss¡¯s shoulder and another into the side of their neck. ¡°Go for the throat!¡± He called, just as the Alpha slammed him against one of the dungeon¡¯s trees to try and force him off. Not needing further prompting, Wolf lunged for the Alpha¡¯s throat while using her wind to push herself faster and harder. The next few moments were a blur of pain, violence, and brutality but by the time they were done the Alpha shattered into a swarm of lights leaving Wolf and him to collapse into a pile as they fell to the ground. ¡°You, uh, you good?¡± He asked, after catching his breath. Wolf nodded, if a little tiredly. ¡°Right, um, here, take these.¡± He told her, pulling out a pair of dungeon potions from his backpack. Not fighting him on the matter, Wolf opened her maw so that he could pour the potions into her mouth, and after a few minutes his canine companion gave a full body shiver before looking significantly better than she had prior. ¡°Huh, guess those really do work as advertised.¡± He joked, running a hand between her ears. Wolf nodded, before bumping the vial in his hand and then him. ¡°Eh, I¡¯m doing okay.¡± He assured her, earning a look from his canine companion. ¡°If it makes you feel better I¡¯ll let Pix give me a once over once we meet back up with everyone alright?¡± Wolf didn¡¯t look particularly pleased with this, but eventually gave him a reluctant nod. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s see where everyone else has ended up, shall we?¡± Turning towards the floor exit, figuring that everyone would eventually make their way there, he couldn¡¯t help but think, (five down, two to go.) Gamer Guilds Dungeon (6th Floor) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (6th Floor) --- Jon --- He frowned, staring at the oddly familiar decor of the floor they were on. ¡°So, um, what exactly is all of this?¡± ¡°I believe this is supposed to be velvet.¡± Ying noted, running a hand over a nearby couch. ¡°But the fact that everything is slightly charred, makes me wonder.¡± ¡°If I had to guess, I¡¯d say this is a demon floor.¡± Roxanne answered more helpfully. ¡°Demon?¡± He frowned, wondering why the black and red furniture looked so familiar despite looking so out of place in their half-burned surroundings. ¡°Yeah, whenever the GM throws them into a dungeon plan she either goes full hellscape or what my brother calls ¡®sinful decadence¡¯.¡± The Gamer elaborated. ¡°And well lavished wealth, burned out building, and chains on the wall sort of give that feeling you know.¡± ¡°Chains on the wall?¡± He repeated just now noticing those. (And they just make that familiar feeling worse.) ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s all¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Roxanne admitted, coughing into her hand with a faint blush. (Weird.) ¡°Still, are the demons here going to be like the ones we fought on the cultist floor or something new?¡± --- ¡°Why. Won¡¯t. These. Little. Bastards. Stay still!¡± Ying cried, her lightning missing the various imps jumping around the room. (Again.) ¡°Truthfully this might be easier if you quit just zapping everything!¡± Roxanne told her, hitting one of the imps with her chain. ¡°My pull let¡¯s me catch them when they¡¯re not jumping to dodge your attacks!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he watched Wolf catch another imp between her teeth before shattering it. (This whole thing would be a lot easier if they weren¡¯t competing for most kills.) A small fireball thrown by a cackling imp hit him in the back, stinging but hurting significantly less than when (a corrupted leapt out of the pyre shaking and shivering as the flames danced and ate away at the dead thing¡¯s flesh before turning two hate filled black eyes onto him.) Shaking his head from the memory, he frowned before throwing his hand out and grabbing the cackling imp by its throat. (They¡¯re right about them being annoying though.) --- ¡°So I¡¯m guessing¡­ these things are¡­ this floor¡¯s chain bonus?¡± He asked, having to dodge out of the way of a wolf. Something that was normally fairly easy for him but made notably more difficult by the fact that these wolves were all on fire. ¡°Yeah.¡± Roxanne coughed, from where she¡¯d been thrown to the ground before Wolf had tackled a hellhound off of her. ¡°They¡¯re resistant to electricity.¡± Ying growled, spending far longer than usual trying to vaporize a dungeon construct she¡¯d actually managed to hit. ¡°They¡¯re probably immune to fire, so be glad whatever weird dragon thing you¡¯ve got on is lightning based.¡± The gamer teen told her sitting up. (Wonder if they¡¯d be acid resistant as well?) He mused before remembering one of the more frequent -if painful- ways of dealing with a Mad Wolf, he raised one of his arms as (the wolf clamped its fangs down on his arm, its teeth tearing into his jacket as it attempted to maul him. Not wanting to let the beast do any more damage, he drew his knife before stabbing it into the Mad Wolf¡¯s throat and twisting the blade.) Shattering the mad beast and leaving his arm with a faint ache that he was going to have to ask Pix to do something about. --- ¡°Crap, I just remembered something important!¡± Roxanne called, slowing their party to a pause. ¡°Yes?¡± Ying prodded the gamer teen. ¡°Okay, I just remembered this thing from the last dungeon me and my friends actually managed to beat; the GM likes to add mini-bosses to the last couple of floors.¡± Roxanne explained. ¡°Meaning somewhere on this floor before we get to the actual boss there¡¯s going to be another one we have to beat.¡± ¡°Is this boss going to be stronger or weaker than the other ones?¡± ¡°Uh, probably on par with the last boss.¡± Roxanne said after a couple minutes of thought, ¡°Though it¡¯ll be themed to this floor so there¡¯s no telling what gimmicks it¡¯s going to have.¡± ¡°Hmm, well¡­ whatever it is we¡¯re just going to have to deal with it when it shows up.¡± He shrugged. --- He slammed into the ground as the massive fist slammed into him at an angle, leaving him to let out a gasping breath as the massive horned demon stared down at him. ¡°Pathetic.¡± The demon spat. Glaring at the dungeon monster he raised a hand and flexed his wrist, recalling his axe to his hand. The axe currently on the other side of the demon in front of him. The demon cried out as said axe embedded itself in their back, right as he forced himself to roll onto his feet and stabbed the madness construct in the thigh with one knife, before using that knife to help leverage himself into stabbing the monster in the heart. (With a blade that¡¯s too short to actually pierce said heart.) He realized just a moment too late. Roaring in rage, the demon wrapped one of their massive hands around him before lifting him into the air and pulling their arm back. He faintly heard the rattling of chains, and watched Roxanne¡¯s wrap around the demon¡¯s arm, though that did little to stop the dungeon construct from throwing him across the room. Barely managing to twist himself in the air, he hit the wall in a painful -(but not as painful as it could¡¯ve been)- crash, before (luckily) falling onto one of the floor¡¯s soft velvet couches. (Demons, velvet, and chains¡­ what is that reminding me of?) It was on the tip of his tongue yet he just could not place it as he painfully sat up to watch Ying lunge for the demon while Wolf and her pack dealt with the room¡¯s various hellhounds. --- ¡°Look a pair of chests!¡± Kenny called pointing across the otherwise empty room. ¡°Yeah,¡± he nodded, before frowning and grabbing the kobold¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ying asked as he crouched in front of the two chests. ¡°Hmm¡­ hold on a second.¡± He told everyone before moving to the outer side of one of the chests and placing a hand on the lid. After a moment without anything happening, he slowly opened the chest, his eyes never leaving the other one. Once the chest was opened he carefully reached his hand inside and withdrew the two potion vials hidden within. When nothing else happened he let out a sigh of relief and turned towards the exit, ¡°Alright let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°But what about the other chest?¡± Ying frowned curiously as Roxanne considered the chest thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s breathing.¡± He pointed out, causing the draconic teen to blink. ¡°And it has teeth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mimic.¡± Roxanne grimaced, immediately backing away from the chest. ¡°A mimic?¡± Ying repeated, eyeing the chest. ¡°As in something pretending to be something else?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± The gamer teen nodded. ¡°They¡¯re this annoying monster that pretends to be a loot chest, and then when you go to open it it attacks you.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Ying nodded with a grimace of her own. ¡°That seems like a particularly nasty trick.¡± ¡°Which is why everyone hates them.¡± --- Stepping into the room he couldn¡¯t help but cough as they walked through a cloud of some kind of incense that gave him a headache more than anything else. As they made their way through the cloud they eventually found themselves in a large circular room with what appeared to be a heart shaped bed with two scantily clad people in the middle. ¡°Oh, darling, it looks like we have guests.¡± The male of the pair noted as they both sat up. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you were bringing us new playthings.¡± The female laughed sultrily as she eyed them. ¡°Hmm, you know how I love to surprise you my dear.¡± The male told his lover, nuzzling into her neck. ¡°That you do.¡± The female nodded, running a hand through her partner¡¯s hair before standing up. ¡°Now let¡¯s see what kind of surprise you have for me today.¡± The female strode towards their party with a slight sway to her hips, ¡°Hello dearies, tell me who might you be?¡± ¡°Um, uh, we¡¯re just a bunch of dungeoneers on an adventure.¡± Roxanne told the female as the male rested his chin on his partner¡¯s shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist. ¡°Oh, darling¡­¡± The male began, walking around his partner and up to Roxanne where he ran a finger along her jaw. ¡°Don¡¯t worry we¡¯ll take you on an adventure you won¡¯t ever forget.¡± Feeling something odd rubbing against the back of his mind, he turned towards the rest of his party and noticed how they were all staring at the couple before them, with Roxanne and Wolf¡¯s attention mostly focused on the male while Ying and Pix¡¯s seemed to drift between the two, though with Ying seeming to favor the female to the point of almost ignoring the male. Glancing a little further astray he saw that this reaction wasn¡¯t limited to those of his party from outside of the dungeon, with the various female kobolds being enraptured by the male¡¯s figure and the male kobolds all staring at the female. As for him, he stepped forward and grabbed the female from behind before wrapping a hand around her neck and squeezing with just enough pressure to make her know he could choke her out if he felt like it. ¡°Oh, someone likes it rough.¡± The female laughed, running a hand along his thigh. ¡°Do be careful with her, my beloved tends to enjoy being the rough one.¡± The male warned him with an amused look. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Would you two kindly stop what you¡¯re doing?¡± He asked them both, wary of attacking them directly in case they used their slaver effect to make everyone attack each other. ¡°Oh, and do tell me what should we be doing?¡± The female asked, going from stroking his leg to grabbing his thigh. Namely the part of his thigh where he kept his emergency inner-thigh knife under his clothes in case he was ever kidnapped again. ¡°Dropping the Slaver effect.¡± He told the female demon. Both dungeon monsters blinked their glowing yellow eyes at him, before the female of the pair adjusted her grip on his leg with a thoughtful look. ¡°You aren¡¯t actually happy to see me are you?¡± ¡°Not at the moment, no.¡± --- ¡°Out of curiosity is it common for the GM to employ Slaver effects?¡± Ying asked, rubbing at her head as she continued to experience what she described as a ¡®bad hangover¡¯. ¡°Fear, Rage, Confusion, and Charm.¡± The female demon answered from where she and her mate had been bound. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, they''re all temporary bouts of Madness, based on your actual emotions. Nothing truly artificial about it.¡± ¡°In our case it¡¯s no different from being ¡®distracted by the sexy.¡¯¡± The male demon promised them. ¡°Your reactions were exactly what they would be if you found yourself in the presence of a particularly attractive man or woman.¡± ¡°Or both.¡± The demon couple said shifting a little closer. ¡°Which is why it¡¯s less an active Slaver effect and more a perception filter that forces you to focus on just how sexy you think we are and only that.¡± The male demon continued. ¡°Truth be told there are plenty of people who are outright immune to our effect, such as your friend here. In which case we¡¯re usually not what they consider ¡®attractive¡¯.¡± ¡°Not that there¡¯s anything wrong with you being Ace darling.¡± The female demon tried to reassure him. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not?¡± He frowned, tilting his head. It was extremely rare but he had been attracted to someone once or twice, (though admittedly that¡¯s usually more of an emotional reaction than a physical one¡­) ¡°Oh.¡± The female demon blinked, tilting her own head. ¡°Well¡­ love is a spectrum, so you just do you darling. And let the haters hate and the lovers love.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± (This is going in a weird direction¡­) ¡°So, assuming you¡¯re being truthful, what exactly was the goal here?¡± Ying asked, still a little testy about being manipulated by Madness. (Which honestly, I¡¯m a little numb to at this point.) ¡°You just¡­ distract us with your ¡®sexy¡¯ as you put it and then what?¡± ¡°Well, most of the dungeon runners are teenagers or young adults who can¡¯t handle us and usually end up fainting when we make it look like we¡¯re going to kiss them.¡± The female demon explained. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s also the occasional one who can push through that, and we¡¯ll usually stop just short of actually kissing them. At which point they either -rarely- remember we¡¯re dungeon monsters, or they¡¯ll kiss us themselves.¡± The male demon elaborated with a smirk. ¡°From there they¡¯ll usually accept that kiss as a fair consolation prize for us one-shotting them out of the dungeon.¡± ¡°Though I am curious as to what they tell their friends when it gets out that that is how they lost.¡± The female demon laughed more sadistic and honest than her previous laughs. (It says something about me that I prefer that laugh to her other one¡­) --- ¡°I¡¯m going to guess that the large ornate doors are a sign that this is the actual boss room rather than another mid-boss.¡± Ying commented, as they all stopped in front of a set of doors featuring an motif of angels falling from the sky. ¡°That¡¯s a fair bet.¡± Roxanne nodded in agreement. ¡°So final enemy of the demon floor what you guys thinking it¡¯ll be?¡± ¡°Given the hellhounds, I¡¯d guess cerberus.¡± He offered. ¡°Then again, with the angel motif, that¡¯d suggest the devil?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± Roxanne blinked before frowning at the door. ¡°Yeah, that seems kind of obvious now that you pointed it out¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, I wonder if this¡¯ll count for your score?¡± Ying asked curiously. ¡°If what¡¯ll count?¡± He frowned, not entirely sure what she was talking about. ¡°If you kill this dungeon¡¯s devil will it count as killing an actual devil?¡± Ying elaborated in a way that explained next to nothing. ¡°Uh, maybe?¡± He shrugged, giving Roxanne an askance look to see if she knew what the draconic teen was talking about. Roxanne just shrugged back in equal confusion. ¡°Then again, we¡¯ll be helping you so that might invalidate it depending on how you score it.¡± Ying continued oblivious to said confusion. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t think it really matters?¡± He confessed, since he didn¡¯t usually care about scores and such. (Unless it¡¯s beating Mom or Quartermaster Rogers.) Ying gave him a huff of amusement. ¡°Of course you wouldn¡¯t care about that kind of thing.¡± ¡°Look as¡­ riveting as all of this is, are we going to fight the boss or not?¡± Roxanne asked, trying to move things along. ¡°Right, sorry. Got lost in my musings.¡± Ying admitted. ¡°Shall we?¡± Shaking his head, he made his way to the boss room door and the moment he put his hands on the door they began opening on their own. Slowly swinging open, to reveal a large stone room with two rivers of blood and lava on the sides, a series of elaborate banners hanging above them. Across from the entrance stood a large metal gate leading to a set of stairs going into the light, and right in front of this gate was a large throne of skulls and stone upon which sat a dark figure in a three piece suit with a large three headed dog at their side. ¡°Huh, so the boss is Cerberus and the Devil.¡± ¡°Did you mortals really believe I¡¯d just allow you to freely leave my domain?¡± The seated figure asked, his voice booming through the hall. ¡°Given how we had to fight the rest of the floor bosses to get through theirs? No.¡± He admitted with a shrug. ¡°Technically we didn¡¯t have to fight the kobold boss.¡± Ying reminded him, patting said kobold on the head to the monster¡¯s pride and satisfaction. ¡°True.¡± He nodded, before turning towards the current floor¡¯s boss. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose we can talk you into just letting us through?¡± ¡°No, you cannot.¡± The figure scoffed, as if he was amused by the idea. ¡°So how do you want to do this then?¡± He asked the floor boss. ¡°Hmm? Whatever do you mean?¡± The figure asked. ¡°Do we fight both you and Cerberus? Or do we fight him then you? Or do you just want to skip straight to a one on one duel?¡± He elaborated. ¡°You would fight me one on one?¡± The figure laughed. ¡°Despite clearly being outmatched in such a manner?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± The figure eyed him for a moment before shaking its head with a smile. ¡°You know I can appreciate the audacity of someone raging against those stronger than themselves, regardless of if it worsens their own situation. Very well, so long as you can keep up with me in a duel, then I shall not interfere in your friends¡¯ duel with Cerberus and vice versa.¡± ¡°Sounds like fun.¡± He grinned. ¡°Uh, Jon, you sure this is a good idea?¡± Roxanne asked him as the figure sent Cerberus to the side of the room. ¡°Eh, even if I can¡¯t beat him I can at the very least stall him out long enough for you guys to beat Cerberus.¡± He shrugged. (Not that I don¡¯t intend to beat him first.) ¡°Besides I¡¯ve got like four health potions on me, so it shouldn¡¯t be too much trouble.¡± Roxanne gave him a look that said she didn¡¯t entirely agree with him, before Ying patted her shoulder. ¡°Come now, Jon¡¯s fought worse than this floor boss and come out on top. It does him a disservice to believe he¡¯d lose to a dungeon construct like this.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± Roxy frowned before following Ying towards Cerberus¡¯s side of the room. Rolling his shoulders he pulled out his axe and his knife before pulling his hood up and making his way over to where the figure from the throne was standing waiting on him. ¡°Before we begin, let me ask you, what is your name, boy?¡± ¡°Jon, Jon Whitaker.¡± He greeted with a tilt of his head. ¡°Well, Mr. Whitaker you can call me Lucious.¡± The figure told him, summoning a spear of light to his hand as he gave a half bow. ¡°Pleasure.¡± He nodded. ¡°Oh, the pleasure of victory shall be mine.¡± Lucious assured him as they assumed their starting stances, both waiting for the signal to begin their clash. From the otherside of the room a roar of thunder, beast, and lightning gave them said signal. He and Lucious rushed each other, and he immediately realized that despite being able to avoid the dungeon monster¡¯s wide spear sweeps, he was in fact slower than his opponent. And, if the previous dungeon enemies were anything to go off of, Lucious was also likely the stronger physically of the two. (Just means I¡¯ve got to fight dirty.) Throwing a knife forward Lucious deflected it out of the air before he ran at the dungeon monster, causing Lucious to sweep his blade a little higher than his previous angled strikes, giving Jon just enough space to roll under the spear and sweep out with an axe blow, leaving a cut in the floor boss¡¯s pant leg. ¡°And first blood goes to you.¡± Lucious smiled, leaping a few paces away as Jon began to circle him while flexing his free hand. Eyes widening Lucious threw himself to the side and just barely avoided the knife on its return path, earning a thin cut through his jacket and nothing more. ¡°And you nearly had second blood as well.¡± The floor boss nodded in approval. ¡°I suppose that means you really are worth taking seriously.¡± With a grin on his face Lucious raised a hand into the air and formed two dozen light spears in the air above him. ¡°Try not to die, I¡¯m just starting to have some fun for a change.¡± Dropping his hand the dungeon boss spent dozens of spears flying at him, and despite his best efforts more than one of them tore into him with deep burning pain that while drawing no blood did fill his limbs with a twisted mix of pain and numbness. ¡°Jon!¡± A voice cried from the otherside of the room. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± I shouted back through grit teeth as the spears shattered. ¡°Are you sure, because it looks like you¡¯re about to fall over.¡± Lucious told him, a mocking edge to the monster¡¯s concern. Reaching into his jacket he quickly pulled out a potion and downed it in a single go, just barely noting the taste of strawberries as he felt Madness creep and crawl through his body undoing whatever damage those spears had done to him. ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m fine.¡± He glared at the floor boss and took another stance. ¡°So you are.¡± Lucious smiled. ¡°Shall we continue then?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± He nodded before throwing his knife and then his axe. Lucious of course deflected both of these, despite doing so giving Jon the opportunity to side step around the floor boss and deliver a couple of quick jabs before flexing his wrists and recalling his blades to cut through Lucious as the dungeon boss struggled to turn towards his shifting steps. ¡°Not bad.¡± Grin widening, Lucious summoned a second spear and spun it through the air with one hand, while using the first spear to knock him back with a sweeping blow. ¡°But not quite good either.¡± Rolling across the ground he flexed his wrist where he knew Lucious could see them, recalling both of his weapons to his hands before reaching into his jacket and throwing out half a dozen knives at the floor boss. And as with the rest of the projectiles Lucious had thrown at him, the floor boss deflected all of these blades out of the air, even as Jon rushed him once more this time with axe and knife in hand. After a short exchange, in which he both managed and received a number of glancing blows, he found himself on the opposite side of Lucious and all of the knives he¡¯d thrown. Which is why like with all of his previous thrown weapons he flexed his wrists as if recalling them, despite the fact that none of these blades had those enchantments. ¡°Ah, ah, you¡¯ve a tell.¡± Lucious warned him leaping out of the way of where a number of knives would¡¯ve torn through him had they been enchanted. ¡°Or I¡¯m just tricky.¡± He argued, having used his backpack¡¯s storage enchantments to quickly draw his bow and an arrow while the floor boss evaded nothing. An arrow that shot forward five times faster than he could throw, and apparently faster than Lucious could deflect given how it pierced his shoulder. ¡°Oh, you really are a tricky one.¡± The floor boss laughed, before ripping the arrow out in a spray of lights that quickly sealed the wound shut. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you''re truly tricky enough to beat the devil, shall we?¡± Lucious spread his arms and formed nearly a hundred spears in the air around them. Eyeing the spears with a hand in his jacket, he eventually met the dungeon monster¡¯s gaze and simply said, ¡°Bring it.¡± Lucious threw his head back to laugh, before clapping both hands together and having the spears fly into Jon, skewering him in a veritable iron maiden of light. Shaking his head Lucious let out one final laugh as he turned towards the other side of the room where Cerberus was starting to look a little worse for wear from the constant fighting. ¡°Suppose I should do something about that now that I¡¯ve had my fun. Can¡¯t do to fall behind on my work after all.¡± As soon as the floor boss took his second step forward an arrow pierced into his neck, causing him to stagger a step. ¡°W-what?¡± Lucious blinked, before slowly turning towards him and where he was holding one of the special anti-corrupted molotov Rogers had shown him how to make over summer. At which point the dungeon boss also noticed the wire tying said molotov to the Trip Arrow he¡¯d shot into the monster. He tugged on the wire, pulling it taught, before letting go and allowing the reel to send the molotov flying straight for the dungeon boss¡¯s face. ¡°Warned you¡­¡± He told the boss as the special acid based fire burned through whatever heat resistance the boss may¡¯ve had. ¡°I¡¯m a tricky one.¡± ¡°So you are¡­¡± Lucious chuckled with a pained grimace, before looking at his now burning hand began to dissolve into bits of light. ¡°Very tricky.¡± With his opponent beaten he collapsed onto the ground, shakily reaching into his jacket at as the two vials he¡¯d already consumed shattered under his weight. (Wasn¡¯t sure if drinking them slow like that would work or not.) While most potions could work in smaller doses, usually filling one¡¯s mouth and slowly drinking it in a dozen or so sips wouldn¡¯t do much to change the potion¡¯s actual healing rate or process, but given how these potions worked instantly (and that they run on Madness) he¡¯d been hoping he could pace out Lucious¡¯s attack by doing the same to the two potions. Downing a fourth potion for the room, and again feeling the overly invasive touch of the dungeon¡¯s Madness, he eventually forced himself onto his feet as he picked up his bow before drawing an arrow and aiming it at one of Cerberus¡¯s heads. A moment later the floor¡¯s second boss shattered into light as he turned to the rest of his party and told them, ¡°You guys looked like you could use a hand.¡± Gamer Guilds Dungeon (6th Floor, Safe Room) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (6th Floor, Safe Room) --- Jon --- Once Pix had finished healing everyone, downing a few blue potions in the process, they all passed through the gates and started down the steps to the safe room, half way to which he suddenly slapped his forehead. ¡°This floor looked like a rundown version of DeSade¡¯s mansion!¡± He finally realized, before shaking his head with a smile. ¡°Gah, that¡¯s been bugging me all floor long.¡± ¡°DeSade has chains on his walls?¡± Ying asked sceptically to the bemusement of Roxanne and Wolf. ¡°In his weird dungeon cult thing.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I think they¡¯re from when his grandfather established it as more of sex cult than the magic cult he runs.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± --- Sitting in a circle in the safe room their little party sat down for a sit rep. ¡°So the final floor is next.¡± Roxanne started them off. ¡°And since the last floor kicked our butts at certain points I¡¯m fifty-fifty on if we can take it.¡± ¡°Well, luckily we¡¯ve plenty of potions and such saved up.¡± Ying pointed out as she set the ones she¡¯d just bought onto the pile. (Not like we¡¯re using the coins for anything else.) ¡°I know.¡± Roxanne told her dryly. ¡°And you know that if you¡¯d saved those you¡¯d have gotten more prize points at the end of this, right?¡± ¡°Maybe, but personally I¡¯d prefer to try and finish the dungeon out if we can.¡± Ying explained, as if she hadn¡¯t spent their points to make that point a little more desirable. ¡°I mean it¡¯s not like we can die in here, no?¡± ¡°Yeah, no. If the dungeon decides you¡¯ve taken too much damage to continue you¡¯ll be sent back to the exit, but your current score will be halved in exchange for a really expensive heal.¡± The more experienced dungeoneer explained. ¡°Which honestly I don¡¯t really care about, given how many runs I¡¯ve already made at this dungeon.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s a vote to continue?¡± Ying checked. ¡°Sure, I still get the guild achievement for beating this place regardless of if I do it in a party or not.¡± Roxanne shrugged. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Guild achievement?¡± He frowned. ¡°It¡¯s a Gamer¡¯s Guild thing.¡± Roxanne explained. ¡°Basically it¡¯s bragging rights, with a number of upgrade points for the guild¡¯s power ups.¡± ¡°Which is your real prize should we succeed.¡± Ying nodded in understanding. ¡°Well that and this has been a lot of maddeningly good fun for me.¡± Roxanne admitted with a few too many teeth to her smile. Even in the depths, surrounded by the dungeon¡¯s own Madness, he could feel hers creeping just beneath the surface for a moment. ¡°What about you Jon you in or out?¡± Roxanne asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. ¡°Um¡­¡± He turned towards Pix and Wolf, deferring the question to them. ¡°What do you two say, should we keep going?¡± Pix gave him a lazy thumbs up, not really caring one way or another as she munched on a cookie. Wolf at least seemed to actually consider it for a moment before finally giving him a firm nod. ¡°How about you guys?¡± He asked the kobolds, not wanting to leave them out. ¡°If you guys want to go back to your floor none of us are going to hold it against you.¡± The kobolds looked amongst each other before the Boss Kobold stepped forward, ¡°You think we¡¯ll just abandon the mistress on the eve of her greatest victory?! What kind of fool are you?!¡± Shaking his head, Kenny shoved the boss kobold out of the way, ¡°What she means is we¡¯ve already gone deeper into the dungeon than any kobold in the last dozen dungeons, we¡¯re not backing out until we either beat this thing or reset.¡± Susan, Anthony, Edith, Minnie, Bruce, and Jillian all gave him nods and murmurs of agreement, telling him that none of them intended to back out so close to the end. ¡°Alright then,¡± He clapped his hands together, unable to keep a smile off of his face. ¡°In that case, win or lose it looks like we¡¯re going to try and finish out this dungeon then.¡± --- As soon as he stepped onto the floor something inside of him twisted viciously. ¡°Hmm, well this is certainly different from the previous floors.¡± Ying commented, as his eyes drifted up to the (false) moon looking down on them. ¡°Yeah, the GM occasionally does this towards the end of the dungeons when she gets sick of doing a room by room dungeon crawler.¡± Roxanne explained, as his hands clenched into fists as he stared at the (thing) above them. ¡°She¡¯ll take the entire floor and turn it into one massive room without real walls. Given what we¡¯re looking at I¡¯d say this is a¡­ victorian city street?¡± ¡°What kind of monster has that floor theme?¡± Ying frowned, as he began to growl at the (monstrosity) so high above them. ¡°Eh, there¡¯s a few, but given how it''s halloween, the most likely option is that this is a love¡­ Uh, is he okay?¡± ¡°Jon¡­? Jon? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Uncaring if his compatriots followed him or not he marched forward deeper into the dungeon floor that (reeked of iNsAnITy.) Gamer Guilds Dungeon (7th Floor) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (7th Floor) --- The Huntsman --- ¡°Is he okay?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± --- Stone passes underfoot, as whispering fades into the background. (Hard surface. Stronger push off, rougher impacts.) Buildings out of place, out of time, pass by on either side, a deep misty fog filling all of it in (wrongness.) (Vision obscuring. Longer to be seen, range halved.) A shadow shifts in the mists (too large to be human) (more along the rooftops.) (Preparing an ambush?) (Bait them in.) Steps neither speeding nor slowing, the mist parted to reveal a large hunched over beast with long arms (greater reach) ending in (sharp) clawed fingers. The beast slowly turned revealing a (bloodstained) maw full of (carnivorous) fangs and two (hellfire) red eyes on a (half-rotted) face belonging to something that could only be (dead and corrupted.) The shadows above shifted to watch, but made no other move, (scavengers) (waiting for opportunity.) Stone creaked as the monster pushed off of the ground, and blade shifted in hand before stabbing the beast¡¯s side with a twist, (once, twice,) on the third pull the blade was cast aside and instead the hand dug into the wound before grabbing and ripping out- ¡°Oh god!¡± The corpse broke apart into lights, eyes tracking them to cover their watching of the shadows above, their waiting for a dispute to the kill. The shadows shifted before fading back into the mists. Gold and trinkets, holding no real value were left behind as the path through the fog continued, hiding predator and prey alike as both monster and beast danced through the night under the watchful eye of the (false) moonlight above. A large funeral pyre marked a greater intersection of the streets, the heat pushing away the fog far enough to see several (not) human(oids) drag a beast towards flames that gave off the scent of smoke, but nothing more even as they ate away at those thrown upon them. --- ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­ a little morbid?¡± ¡°It¡¯s uh, it¡¯s meant to be a horror game?¡± --- Ragged clothes covered in bloodstains, limbs just a little too off, and distant gaze that saw nothing even as they toiled away at their accursed task, all marked these beings for what they were even if none of them had the same bleeding black eyes. (Corrupted¡­) Shifting mists shrouded even as the heat tried to push away the cover, leaving the beasts unaware as one by one the armed (Corpses,) (the dangerous ones,) were dragged into the mist where only flickering fireflies marked their passing. A gun clattered across the cobblestone as one such beast was dragged away, alerting the remaining as a dozen dead gazes turned to the space filled with violence, light, and then only mist. The beasts spoke a garbled tongue to one another before two holding torches stepped into the fog, neither stepped out. An arm around the throat of the first dragged it to the ground, and a knife to the second sent their torches clattering. Flames sputtered for life before going out as a twist and a crack shattered one and two steps with a knife through the heart did the same to the other. An arrow shot through the flame¡¯s clearing, piercing the leader¡¯s throat before it could rally the remaining, and leaving the beast to topple onto the pyre as it shattered into cinders and ash. The last of the beasts fell swiftly, (arrows a waste, blade more efficient,) leaving behind nothing but more fool¡¯s gold and worthless trinkets. --- ¡°That was¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it always is.¡± --- Cinder and lights born of the dead beasts flickered about, as the streets gave way to a large stone bridge standing before a castle like cathedral. (Fake) corpses lined the entrance to the bridge, (marking territory, and intimidating prey) in a place that none of the scavengers had attempted to near. More bodies littered the bridge as crimson stained the stone work, on either side of the bridge was a deep crevice with the wind howling as it rose from the dark depths below. (Wait.) A rumble shifted beneath the howling, hiding itself away even as a beast larger than any other found in the city of fog and fire grew ever closer. (But where is it?) Eyes shifted through the fog and hands tensed on both axe and blade as the howling dimmed to an unnatural quiet, as if fleeing the monstrosity before it. (There.) Far above a figure stood atop a tower of the cathedral clinging to a cross at the top, its body cloaked in fog and shadows but brightened by the (false) moon watching, waiting for the inevitable bloodshed of beast and monster. A roaring howl tore through the air as silence was torn away and violently murdered by the beast as it announced its precense to incite fear in all that heard it. A low rumbling growl was the only sound that dared to match it. The figure leapt off of the tower before landing on the opposite end of the bridge, its figure more inhuman than any other beast seen before it in the city. A full storey tall the beast stood with long spindly limbs, sores visible across its flesh where muscle and bone grew too large in bulbous patches and tore the skin attempting to hold it back. Across its body was a torn and shredded garb that could¡¯ve once belonged to a religious order, but now were little more than oversized rags clinging to the beast with descreated religious symbols to be found at every tear. And upon its head was a crown of thorns piercing flesh through the matted black hair found between two antler-like horns that curved into the air and tore through it as they would anything else they touched. But out of all of these dark disturbing details, one stood out with so much clarity that hid the rest behind the veil of the revelation that (the beast¡¯s eyes-) --- ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s the mid-boss?¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­ something¡¯s wrong with it.¡± --- (-bled black.) A clattering of steps cut the distance down to nothing, before the swish of a blade cut the beast¡¯s flesh and left so much more to mark its passing as red and black fell onto the stones below. And like the rest of its (true) brethren the (corrupted) beast felt nothing at this savagery to its body but the indignation that something would dare stand in the way of it and its master. With a roar the beast tore a claw through the air, rending massive gouges through the bridge¡¯s stone work even as it missed its prey and received a blade to its back in turn. The beast shoved with its back sending the world careening before scrabbling hands righted it back into place as fingers dug into the stonework below. Claws whistled before they could be seen, and were only avoided due to arms and legs working in tandem to avoid the weapon likely far more lethal than any blade on hand. A rummaging hand dove into the pack as feet reunited with the ground once more before its sibling hand dug a knife between the beast''s knuckles, (deep enough to hold weight if for just a moment.) The beast¡¯s claw rose into the air to ready another strike at its prey, only for it to have disappeared, a problem remedied as a molotov struck the Corrupted¡¯s face. Flames licked and danced upon flesh as the screeching Corrupted Construct thrashed about, clawing at its face and mangling it further as the burning light burned it in a way nothing else could, completely unaware of the blades cutting through its flesh for the sake of a softer fall. Sick of the burning the beast threw its head back and unleashed an earth shaking howl, the sudden air snuffing out the fire and leaving a bloodied and burned mess upon its maw as it raised both arms into the air before blindly slamming them down and clawing at the ground around it in the hopes of killing the pest that made it feel pain for the first time in its cursed existence. Flesh met flesh as one of these (sloppy) strikes got lucky, sending spine to meet stone at the bridge¡¯s edge, a growl of pain and rage far more audible over the beast¡¯s thrashing. The light of the fae glowed bright, calming the rage and soothing pain, before a fragile weight clung to chest and heart, reminding (the need to protect) just as important as (the need to kill.) Feet steadied on the ground, crouched, waiting. Eventually, the beast¡¯s thrashing slowed, not of exhaustion -(they don¡¯t feel it)- but of uncertainty whether its enemy still lived or breathed. Steps silent and swift moved around the bridge as the beast sniffed the air for the scent of blood and death or life and damnation. Knives bit into the beast¡¯s back to create footholds to climb higher, an action that made the Corrupted Construct still before thrashing as it found its quarry and tried to shake it off. As blades were withdrawn and stabbed back into flesh, the beast realized the worthlessness of these efforts, and so instead threw itself upon its back, hoping to crush its foe beneath its weight. A rush of movement, a leap of faith upon a shaking earth, and quickness of hands worked together to avoid the demise of the fragile light they fought to protect. The beast, feeling a boot upon its crown of thorns, rolled over before shoving itself back onto its legs as it tried to buck off the thing upon its head. As the weight was removed the beast looked up with half dead eyes and through the darkness of its own blood, it saw something in the moonlight it had never known before. And as the guillotine descended upon its open neck only one thought ran through its corrupted mind¡­ This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Hunter. --- ¡°I um¡­ why aren¡¯t you helping him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ complicated¡­ but if you¡¯re asking why aren¡¯t you helping him?¡± ¡°Honestly, he¡¯s scaring me a bit.¡± ¡°Heh, yeah¡­ Just be glad you''re not the one being hunted¡­ that¡¯s much worse¡­¡± --- Boots hit the gate for balance and a hand gently cupped the fragile light to heart, as the Beast¡¯s corpse hit the rest of the gate forcing them open as boots slid down the parting doors before hitting the cobblestone behind them as the beast dissolved into darkness. The cathedral stood tall with a yard of graves in its courtyard, a handful of figures in black standing amongst the graves and watching cautiously as steps walked through the yard on their way to the church doors. (Smarter than the rest.) One by one as stealthily as they could the figures drew blades and guns from their clothing, waiting for the signal to fight as a dead silence fell upon the yard, not even the sound of boot on cobblestone audible. Half way down the path the steps stopped, as the one watching and waiting changed, a subtle shift that changed who was (predator) and who was (prey) in the yard of the dead. As one the figures in black ran forward, rushing their target in hopes of swarming the monster and seeing it dead. None of their blades met flesh, and their shots missed their mark. Two blades tore through theirs, and a dozen more hit them dead. The figures'' movements were -(slow and powerful)/(completely choreographed)- batted aside with ease by hand, leaving them open for quick and brutal blows that had them breaking apart as their false existence couldn¡¯t keep up, (couldn¡¯t adapt.) Their gunshots aimed at where their target was rather than where it¡¯d be, and several of their allies were gunned down when these two things did not align, before a flurry of knives struck each as they paused to reload their (unreliable) firearms. In the end as the doors to the church closed, only the dead remained in the graveyard. --- ¡°Okay, please, tell me that chill in the air isn¡¯t just me.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m¡­ There¡¯s something wrong here¡­ something familiar.¡± ¡°Great that¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s not supposed to be here.¡± --- A growl rumbled through the cathedral chapel as eyes landed on a stained glass mural of a black tree growing from a lake of black, a benevolently smiling creature watching from the branches as people bathed in the waters and worshipped the tree in imagery far more peaceful than the reality of- (Screams echoed throughout the cavern as the cultists dragged their victim into the depths of corruption, drowning them in sin and darkness without an ounce of consent, as their souls were smothered and rotted from the inside out to make way for a horror far worse than death¡¯s merciful touch.) An axe shattered the mural, before returning to hand as the rumble grew worse, fragile light the only thing keeping this cursed place from burning to the ground. --- ¡°Why does this dungeon have a mural to the Beast of Blackwell?!¡± ¡°The what?! What the fuck is that and why is it here?! I¡¯ve seen the blueprints for this church when the GM was building this place, that is not the mural her sister drew!¡± --- Listless horrors drifted through the church halls, whatever humanity the dungeon constructs were meant to have long since stripped from them by the twisted corruption seeping through the mist filled city. The blades that ended them were mercy if it meant they wouldn¡¯t remember the horrors they¡¯d become. The only route through the cathedral led to the rooftop where a horde of emaciated scavengers waited crawling on all four of their too long and too thin limbs as tumors of bone and swollen flesh littered their bodies as they gasped and moaned in a waking agony that only the least corrupted of the accursed could still feel. --- ¡°This is not supposed to be like this!¡± ¡°Yes, something is¡­ deeply wrong here.¡± ¡°You think?! Because I know for damn sure that even the dungeon¡¯s scariest monsters don¡¯t look like killing them is a fucking kindness!¡± --- As the last of the corrupted creatures dissolved into a twisted mix of darkness and light, steps turned to the nearby tower before hand over hand climbed to the top, with boots eventually standing upon the roof of a tower a gloved hand steadying on the nearby cross much in the same way the sacrilegious beast from the bridge had before attacking its would be prey. (Fitting.) Eyes drifted across the fog covered city, that while fake in the sense of being a Wonderlander¡¯s Dream, was still as real as could be to the denizens damned to dwell within this corrupted city. In the peripheral just out of sight, things that should not be there danced, laughed, and slaughtered out of sight of the Wonderlander who put their soul into this place, only for it to be tarnished by a monstrosity that should. Be. (Dead.) A hand clung to the fragile light as it nuzzled closer to heart, feeling the pounding of the hunt as slowly eyes turned to the (false) moon hanging up above them all, knowing it stared back like the darkest of abysses, after all where else had such an abomination been born? --- ¡°What the fuck is he doing up there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± --- A faint chuckle carried on the wind, quiet enough that you¡¯d doubt you¡¯d heard anything, even if you knew you did. ¡°I was wondering how long it¡¯d take you.¡± The wind whispered, faint, sweet, tempting in a way that could lead you to hell with a smile on your face. A growl was the Beast¡¯s only response. ¡°Come now Jon, you used to be so¡­ talkative.¡± The wind chuckled. ¡°Your screams were such a sweet symphony before you finally stopped.¡± The growl deepened into a snarl. ¡°Come on, use your words.¡± The wind teased. ¡°I know you''re not that far into the insanity, so come on say something.¡± ¡°Quit hiding.¡± ¡°Is it really hiding when you know where I am?¡± The wind asked softly. ¡°But I suppose I have no problem showing off my new corpse for such an old friend.¡± Up above the moon split open revealing a single wide eye staring down upon the corrupted city, as a black tear built up upon the edge of its eyelids. --- ¡°What the fuck?! That¡¯s not how the boss is supposed to appear!¡± ¡°Oh, no. No, no, no. Not it.¡± --- The black tear drop fell colliding with a sickeningly solid squelch as it impacted the church rooftop leaving behind a large black stain upon all that it touched. From the stain a clawed hand with seven four jointed fingers shot out of the darkness, before with a long arm with two bends it placed itself upon the roof tile and pulled the rest of the Beast¡¯s form from the depths. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, while I do prefer the old black tree, I think this new look is growing on me. Though it is taking me a minute to get used to having so few eyes after so long.¡± From the puddle half rotted flower bloomed, a massive bloodshot eye gazing out from each petal as tendrils of teeth and turmoil spread out like roots and vines to hold the thing up as the upper half of a desiccated corpse covered in eyes and a dozen needle toothed mouths with black tongues lashing out stood in the center of the horrific abomination of rotted flesh and insanity. ¡°I suppose I have you to thank for that little¡­ inconvenience.¡± The corpse turned to look for its¡­ favorite chew toy, a gaping hole bleeding black blood bigger on the left side was all there was in the space a human would have eyes. (A knife stabbed into the soft meat over and over, forcing open a hole big enough to shove the soul stone in.) Narrowed eyes stared into the hole unrepentantly. ¡°Luckily that won¡¯t be a problem, given my unexpected return.¡± The corpse shook as the wind laughed. ¡°How?¡± ¡°How am I alive once more, old friend? Well¡­ I suppose I should be thanking you for that, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± All of the corpse¡¯s mouths smiled as one, the eyes half-lidded with glee. ¡°After all, Wonderlanders feed on Madness, taking it from those around them to build their little playgrounds.¡± The wind continued. ¡°And as we both know¡­¡± Black vines wrapped around limbs, before suddenly the Beast was close enough to run a hand across its play thing¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll always be alive in your head Jon.¡± Lightning struck the side of the Beast¡¯s head, filling the air with the scent of burning flesh. Something far more real than anything the dungeon had shown before. ¡°Get your hands off of him!¡± ¡°Ah, Yin Shen Long, it¡¯s been far too long.¡± The Beast chuckled, turning its gaze upon the dragon freed from its corruption. ¡°Let¡¯s fix that.¡± Before the draconic teen could make another action against the one responsible for the worst experience of her life, a pair of too long fingers snapped. The young teen froze, shaking before bending over and vomiting out the corruption she¡¯d thought herself free of. Her head was thrown back as a scream of agony tore from her throat and a series of sickening snaps and pops were heard throughout her body. ¡°Let her go!¡± The Beast turned back to the young girl¡¯s previous savior. ¡°Mm, that¡¯s going to be a no. Even if she was only with me for a night, she was quite possibly my greatest creation. Really should get my hands on another Incarnate some time, the things I could do knowing what I know now¡­ simply insane!¡± The fragile light peeked out from the coat covering her, before seeing the horror before her and (bravely) (foolishly) zapping it in the face. Dead flesh sizzled as all present were reminded just how much the light could hurt the beasts of the night. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s another inconvenience I¡¯ll have to deal with later. For now though¡­¡± The Beast¡¯s hand jammed itself into the coat before pulling out the light struggling in its grip and chirping away violently as she spat out every fairy curse she knew. The corpse smiled at the little fairy for a moment, before squeezing in a way that had her let loose a high pitched whistle. Bones bent, flesh tore, and a bloodied fist met the Beast¡¯s face before snatching the fragile light out of the air and holding her close to the heart. The corpse stayed there, head tilted for a moment, before an eye on the side of its head reflected the panting figure holding the light close to their chest as she tried to fix herself. ¡°Almost forgot how close you two are¡­¡± A vine wrapped around the neck, and air became hard to breathe. ¡°Why it almost makes me jealous how much of your head she takes up.¡± ¡°Get your hands off of them.¡± A voice yelled as a bipedal bear with light for arms tackled the Beast from behind. ¡°Well, that¡¯s something you don¡¯t see every day.¡± The wind chuckled, before a dozen vines plunged into the bear. ¡°Still thank you for another play thing, the other ones I found lying around were a little¡­ simple for my tastes.¡± The bear¡¯s head twitched and spasmed as it¡¯s fur darkened to abyssal black, and the light of its arms flashed before disappearing altogether. The Madness Construct stumbled away shivering and shaking before two thick black branches shot out of its shoulders replacing its lost limbs as it turned on its summoner. ¡°No, Beats come on, it''s me, Roxy!¡± The summoner pleaded with the lost soul. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the famous ¡®Roxy¡¯!¡± The wind said as if just realizing how rude it was being. ¡°We simply must talk!¡± ¡°I have nothing to say to you, you piece of shit!¡± The gang member shouted before turning towards her summons and clapping her hands with a grimace. An action that shattered the bear into light while dropping black tar onto the church rooftop. ¡°Sorry, Beats¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Roxy, it¡¯s not about what you have to say to me, but what I have to offer you!¡± The wind told her in its sinfully charming voice as the corpse tapped its chest. ¡°You see, with a bit of work, you and I could play the funnest of games together.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass you creep.¡± The gamer girl glared. ¡°Are you sure?¡± The wind asked. ¡°Because with my help I could make you into the greatest Madness User on the planet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t-¡± The rest of the warning was cut off as the vines tightened, choking their victim even harder. ¡°What do you say? You want to be a part of a guild? Let¡¯s spread it to the entire world!¡± The wind offered as the corpse spread its arms wide. ¡°Fuck you.¡± The girl spat at the god before from her hands erupted a torrent of flame. ¡°Shame.¡± The wind admitted completely unbothered as a single finger parted the flames in two. ¡°Well, have fun playing with Yin, it¡¯s been so long since she¡¯s been able to really stretch herself out.¡± ¡°What?¡± The gamer frowned as her flames died down, before a large clawed hand sparking with electricity wrapped around her. Eyes tried to follow the scaled arm of the hand, to see how far an old friend had been lost or if she could (will) be saved, but the Beast''s finger on a chin forced them back onto it. ¡°Ah, ah, we were in the middle of something Jon. You know how I hate when you don¡¯t give me the attention I deserve.¡± The wind warned as clawed fingers grabbed onto the sides of the face. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, if you keep getting distracted I have a solution for that.¡± Behind the Beast a black portal formed in the air from swirling darkness and leading into the abyss. ¡°You see this Dungeon thing has a wonderful little feature where the different floors chain together.¡± The wind explained as the corpse dragged its victim to the portal. ¡°And the floor before this is the Demon floor, or as I like to call it the ¡®hell floor¡¯.¡± The Beast¡¯s arm stretched out leaving its chew toy hanging in the abyss. ¡°Now it took me a bit of finangling, but that means I can welcome you to your own personal hell.¡± The Beast let go and hands shot out to try and catch its hand, the portal, something, anything¡­ nothing. Gamer Guilds Dungeon (Planning, Revelations, and Introspection) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (Planning, Revelations, and Introspection) --- Darkness was all there was. (Darkness was all there was.) Peaceful, quiet, gentle, lifting. (Raging, hateful, violent, drowning.) No noise, no pain, no hate, no violence, no death. (No sound, no feeling, no joy, no passion, no life.) Eyes fluttered open, staring into the ocean of darkness, where there was no more need to fight, no more need to bleed, to hurt. (Eyes shot open, gazing into the abyssal ocean, where horrors lurked speaking a language, of blood, madness, and violence.) It¡¯d be so easy to let eyes drift close and simply go to sleep in the gentle embrace of this kind Madness. (Sleep would never come, devoured by the nightmarish embrace of this hungering insanity.) Thoughts past and present ground against each other the disconnection between the beast¡¯s gentle hell, and the Beast¡¯s hugering abyss too different to reconcile, to accept until finally revelation tore through the mind pushing away scars of old in its light. (But they are and aren¡¯t the same¡­ are they?) Memories drifted to the Man in the Mask and to the Cheshire, an entity so mad, so insane, that a single identity could not contain its existence regardless of how calm and stable it pretended to be. And in much the same way a single name could not contain the full breadth of the entity, it could not contain the force the entity represented. The world at large knew it as a singular form of Madness, those who touched it and in turn touched by it knew better, knew the difference between Madness and Insanity. (Both reflection and reality smiled as their plaything finally began to understand.) Madness was kind, creative, both giving and encouraging, always pushing for growth and change, for the life of something new, born from the efforts of the old. Insanity was cruel, insightful, both hungry and manipulating, always seeking for evolution and transformation, for the death of something old, dying for the efforts of the new. (They fed the revelation, wondering which face, which mask, their latest play thing would choose to wear for today¡¯s dance.) They were polar opposites, different but still the same force. They were two paths, competing for the same goal. Attracting each other, opposing each other, devouring each other and becoming something greater with each interaction, as the mad man danced with his own reflection having long since forgotten which was real and which was the distorted mask. Revelation broke the mind, leaving it weary and exhausted as things stretched to their current limits before slowly snapping back into place, just a little bigger than before. (They stood back, waiting in anticipation. Not at all worried about the damage they¡¯d done to their play thing. Knowing full well that it¡¯d survive and continue dancing to their beloved¡¯s duet of life and death. After all¡­) It¡¯d be so east to let eyes drift close and simply go to sleep in the gentle embrace of this kind darkness, where there was no noise, no pain, no hate, no violence, (just peace and quiet.) Something he longed for so very very much¡­ but¡­ sadly¡­ (A Hunter Must Hunt.) --- Jon --- He shot out of the black waters of the corruption and spat it out of his mouth, so very thankful that whatever twisted copy of the Beast this dungeon had created couldn¡¯t quite mimic the real thing¡¯s corrupting influence. (Probably can¡¯t actually¡­ corrupt anything¡­ untouched by Madness¡­) That¡¯d explain why it could mess with his head, but not go as deep as the real one could. (You never forget the feeling of fingers on your soul.) He shook his head, before looking around the abyss in search of Pix. Someone he knew was both with him in this pocket dimension inside of a pocket dimension, as well as resistant to whatever Madness Manipulation the Fake Beast possessed due to having no direct Madness exposure like him and Ying. ¡°Pix!¡± He called into the darkness, his voice having a slight warble that he couldn¡¯t figure out if he was responsible for or if the abyss was. Getting no response, he was half tempted to try summoning Pix to his side, but that would require dismissing Wolf -(who I¡¯ve got no idea how she¡¯s doing with this mess)- and he wasn¡¯t sure that was a good idea with him in a separate pocket dimension, and her in another dimension from the one he summoned her to. Last thing he wanted was to trap her in a third pocket dimension, because (spacial magic is finicky like that.) Instead he tried pushing his (disturbingly low) magic into the contract mark on his chest, and reached out through his bond with Pix poking and prodding their connection with the cool warmth of his magic as he used it to direct himself to wherever Pix had wound up while he was under. Following the connection and trudging through the knee deep muck of the abyss he eventually spotted a faint light in the distance. ¡°Pix!¡± The light jumped before seemingly spinning in place and flying towards him so fast that he just barely made out the little fairy as she collided with him while carrying his pack half soaked in the muck. (She must¡¯ve tried pulling me out, and pulled it off by mistake.) He realized, holding the little fairy close as she nuzzled into his chest. ¡°Shh, shh, there, there, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m alright, my little light.¡± Pix looked up at him, her eyes discolored and smudged from the tears and her clothes stained by the muck. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He assured her as she dove back into his chest. ¡°Just took me a minute to get back to you is all.¡± They stayed like that for a time, probably longer than was safe with everything else going on, but even if the world outside was burning (Pix needs me.) Eventually the little fairy pulled away from while wiping at her eyes, before giving him a curious look and chirping as she waved at the space around them. ¡°Right, getting out of here is going to be a hat trick.¡± He admitted, already running through the different spells and enchantments he could work out in his head. (Especially since I don¡¯t have anything pre-made to work with.) He¡¯d been slacking on stocking up the few scripts he knew or developing anything new in favor of reading his books and sparring with the girls, things that while he considered part of his peaceful life he perhaps overindulged in given how he was left under armed when he needed it. Finally he remembered a spell script, or rather an enchantment, that while he hadn¡¯t actually tried, he had glanced at it once or twice and gotten the basic idea behind the enchantment. (And if that actually works, and we take into account the fact that the beast was hurt more than usual by Pix¡¯s light -probably a side effect of being a game construct- then theoretically¡­) Nodding to himself he looked down at his little fairy, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got an idea but I¡¯m going to need your help for a lot of it.¡± Pix gave him a determined nod, not bothering to ask questions. ¡°Alright, then what I need you to do is take your illusions and¡­¡± --- After an uncomfortable amount of time and a large amount of trial and error, they eventually managed to take Pix¡¯s illusions and draw a large glowing circle filled with a number of shapes and patterns that, while meaning little to the untrained eye, should theoretically function as an overpowered light spell. ¡°You think you¡¯ve got enough magic left to power this thing?¡± He asked once more now that they were nearly done, since they were both running low and neither of them were willing to trust any of the potions after they¡¯d been dunked in the pool of (admittedly weak) corruption. Pix nodded, her face scrunched up as she focused on holding such a detailed illusion. He nodded back before giving the Spell Circuit another once over, because what they were doing was extremely dangerous if they messed it up, but he was hoping that since they were popping the bubble by pushing out it¡¯d result in the space expanding rather than compressing like it did when you pressed in to pop it. Unfortunately this also meant that a big part of this plan involved relying on the fact that this space was made by Madness rather than Magic, and so hopefully it¡¯d retain the trait that Madness was -physically- the most forgiving of the Deviant energies. (No point in putting it off¡­) ¡°Hit it.¡± Pix¡¯s light began to glow ever brighter as she forced her magic through the imaginary circuit, tracing it with her light and then overcharging it with even more magic in the hopes of triggering the spell despite a lack of physical markers. Electricity sparked across the circuit, dancing as the energy decided whether or not to follow the instructions drawn out for them in light, before sinking into the circuit and- --- The light was blinding even through closed eyes, but he felt that despite the pain, the fact that his back hit the hard cobblestone pavement was significantly better than hitting more of the abyss¡¯s corrupting muck. ¡°Pix you alive?¡± He asked, a weak trill of confirmation his answer as he forced himself to sit up, his eyes adjusting to the sudden shift between too much darkness, too much light, and finally too much fog. (Still better than the dark of the abyss at least.) The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Suddenly a weight tackled him to the ground, and it took all of his self control to accept the fact that the weight was licking his face and not attacking him. ¡°Good to see you too girl, was a bit worried about what happened to you when we got thrown through the portal.¡± He told Wolf running a calming hand through her fur. ¡°That makes one of us.¡± A voice cut in aggressively. ¡°Roxanne.¡± He nodded, understanding and accepting the gamer girl¡¯s scowl. ¡°Glad you¡¯re still in one piece.¡± ¡°Yeah, no thanks to this one.¡± The teen scoffed, shifting an unconscious Ying on her back. ¡°But now that you¡¯re back maybe you can explain to me what the fuck is going on since neither of these two could, and that fucker seemed really interested in you.¡± ¡°Right.¡± He sighed, running a hand down his face as he felt Pix collapse onto his shoulder. ¡°To make a long story short, Ying and I had a run in with a really nasty entity of Insanity, that left us both scarred and screwed up. Apparently while the dungeon was feeding on our Madness it was also collecting traces of that Insanity that at a certain point took over the final boss, corrupting it into a fake copy of the monster that messed us up. Unfortunately despite being fake it still has its old Madness Manipulation which is letting it screw with the dungeon and turning the other dungeon monsters into Corrupted.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s fucked.¡± Roxanne finally sighed, running a hand through her hair. ¡°But stepping past your dungeon perma-ban, how exactly are we going to clean up this mess? Because even taking this seriously and removing my game limiters that monster seems to shrug off anything I throw at it.¡± (Well, that explains how she beat Ying¡¯s corrupted form.) ¡°Because your powers are based on the GM¡¯s Madness, the beast can twist it and turn it into its own attacks.¡± He explained, forcing himself onto his feet. ¡°Wonderful.¡± The madness user told him sarcastically. ¡°Well on the plus side, this version is weaker than the original version so we should be able to take him out fairly easily by comparison.¡± (At least we won¡¯t need to make any soul bombs this time.) ¡°How is this thing going to be easier to take out?¡± Roxanne growled. ¡°In case you haven¡¯t noticed it, no sales me, your dragon girlfriend is out cold, and it kicked your ass the last time you fought it.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s a corrupted game construct, it¡¯s also bound to the dungeon¡¯s rules.¡± He pointed out. ¡°Meaning when it¡¯s HP hits zero it dies rather jumping corpses. If Pix¡¯s zap was anything to go off of, it also has elemental weaknesses now since light hurts it far more than before. What¡¯s more it can¡¯t hurt us nearly as much as it used to, since the GM thankfully put safety limiters on the dungeon¡¯s damage output.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you figure that out?¡± The gamer teen frowned. ¡°We try not to advertise the fact that the GM is giving everyone a handicap, since that would raise the gang¡¯s threat level.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty obvious once you¡¯re familiar enough with your own injury scale.¡± He shrugged, before patting Pix¡¯s head. ¡°And thanks to Pix¡¯s healing I¡¯ve been able to handle a lot more damage than most, it¡¯s actually been bugging me how soft the walls and stuff are when I¡¯m thrown into them.¡± Roxanne couldn¡¯t help but blink at that. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ huh¡­¡± ¡°Also, we might have a couple of other advantages depending on how the dungeon works on a more functional level.¡± He threw out, to further reassure her only to have his theory cut off. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t count on things running normally.¡± Roxanne sighed, before gesturing towards Ying. ¡°When I beat her bad enough to knock her out the dungeon should¡¯ve evaced her out of here, but she¡¯s still here meaning that¡­ thing is messing with some of the system¡¯s basic functions.¡± ¡°Meaning the GM can¡¯t send in back up once she realizes something is wrong.¡± He frowned. ¡°Yeah, while I¡¯m pretty sure the GM knows, I wouldn¡¯t count on help right now.¡± Roxanne agreed with a grimace. ¡°It also means that the exits are likely shut down until this thing is dealt with too, so just running away isn¡¯t an option either.¡± (Not that I¡¯d run away in the middle of a Hunt.) ¡°Given how we didn¡¯t run into anyone else in here I¡¯m guessing every dungeon group has their own little pocket dimension.¡± He figured, putting a couple of things together in his head. Roxanne nodded. ¡°Yeah, the Dungeon has multiple instances running at any given moment, with the GM managing the more intricate parts and using the tunnel system to buy time when she needs it.¡± (Surprised she¡¯s being so up front about all of this with an outsider to her gang.) He couldn¡¯t help but note. (Then again I guess this isn¡¯t really the time to be stingy with information. Still¡­) ¡°That¡¯s probably a good thing, since it means there¡¯s a¡­ distance between the dungeon and the GM¡¯s wonderland that the beast¡¯s corruption won¡¯t be able to cross.¡± ¡°Well at least the last decade isn¡¯t going down the drain.¡± Roxanne scoffed. Suddenly he remembered something Kenny told him earlier. ¡°Hey, do you know if the GM can avoid saving this boss¡¯s data when we kill it? Because right now the Corruption is contained, but if it gets transferred to the main Wonderland like the other dungeon monsters¡­¡± ¡°Killing it would be giving it a free ride to the Wonderland even if it ends the Corruption here.¡± Roxanne groaned, seeing where he was going with this before seeming to think about it. ¡°Okay, there¡¯s some good news on that front.¡± Roxanne eventually told him. ¡°The GM technically doesn¡¯t transfer the saves until we get to a loading area, though she¡¯ll sometimes put it off until a floor is finished all together. Meaning if she¡¯s noticed something has gone wrong, which I feel is a safe bet, then she probably hasn¡¯t saved any of this corrupted file.¡± ¡°What about corruption to the lower floor then, because while it might¡¯ve ended up pooling here I don¡¯t doubt the other floors might¡¯ve picked some up when we were passing through.¡± He admitted, feeling bad about that possibility since he¡¯d actually liked a few of the dungeon monsters they¡¯d encountered. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be a serious problem, because my Madness powers still seem to affect the things this fucker has corrupted, so I¡¯m pretty sure the GM can patch over anything that isn¡¯t part of the core corruption.¡± Roxanne explained. ¡°Though that still might make things weird for whoever runs these dungeons for the next few days.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think the GM will close the dungeon behind this?¡± He asked incredulously. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t.¡± Roxanne chuckled dryly. ¡°I also don¡¯t think you understand how big this whole event really is, or why the city let¡¯s us get away with it. One hacked game just isn¡¯t enough to shut the whole thing down.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you realize how dangerous this thing is?!¡± He hissed, mind flashing back to (the dead rose from the darkness over and over again, unable to die no matter how badly beaten, battered, or broken they were or how many of them his blades cut through.) ¡°It¡¯s a Madness Construct gone rogue that can corrupt the entire system if it¡¯s not deleted.¡± Roxanne told him with a glare. ¡°It¡¯s also you and your girlfriend¡¯s fault it''s here, isn¡¯t it?¡± He winced because he couldn¡¯t bring himself to deny it, before eventually sighing. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s my fault which is why I¡¯m going to clean this mess up.¡± ¡°And how exactly are you planning to do that?¡± The gamer teen scoffed. ¡°Because even if it is bound to dungeon rules we¡¯ve established the fact that it kicked your ass, I can¡¯t hurt it, it can turn your girlfriend on us, and none of the kobolds can touch it either without risking corruption.¡± That made him pause. ¡°Where are the kobolds?¡± Roxanne narrowed her eyes a little further before relenting and telling him, ¡°They¡¯re keeping an eye on the fucker as he tears through the city streets looking for us. The fact that they haven¡¯t come back means either it found them and they¡¯re dead, or we got lucky and it didn¡¯t notice your grand escape from wherever it threw you.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m¡­ honestly not sure what to make of where it threw me.¡± (Because I very much doubt peaceful darkness is in any way my hell.) ¡°How¡¯d you break out of that anyway?¡± Roxanne asked with a frown. ¡°Might give us an alternative out of this mess if we can just escape and let the GM wipe this floor once we¡¯re out.¡± ¡°Overloaded a light spell, since it was a darkness pocket dimension it made the whole thing pop.¡± He abbreviated with a shrug. ¡°Honestly, it probably only worked because it was a madness dimension within a madness dimension. Trying to break one this size to get into reality would not work out well.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± Roxanne cursed. ¡°Of course that¡¯d be too easy.¡± ¡°On the flip side I¡¯m pretty sure with that light weakness and a few tweaks that overloaded light spell will -hopefully- be enough to kill the beast.¡± He told her, trying to stay positive. ¡°Yeah, and that sounds just as easy as that escape plan, what¡¯s the twist?¡± The gamer teen sighed. ¡°The tweaks change it from a blast area to more of a¡­ circular trap.¡± He tried explaining. ¡°Meaning we have to lure the monster into the trap by being the bait.¡± Roxanne finished for him. ¡°Just like in a video game.¡± Shaking her head the gamer teen gave him another look. ¡°I¡¯m also guessing this trick takes a while to charge up so we have to keep the boss distracted until it¡¯s ready.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He grimaced, hating that his plan was that predictable to someone. ¡°You do realize that with Ying sleeping off her transformation sequence, and me being useless in a fight, that you¡¯re the one who has to fight this thing.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded with a little more steel. (Wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.) --- ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea, boss?¡± Kenny asked as the kobold led him to the beast¡¯s last known location. ¡°No, being anywhere near the beast -even a knock off- is never a good idea.¡± He could already feel the beast clawing for control once more, demanding he let the violence out and hunt the pretender down. (Patience. You have a plan. Stick to it.) He told himself, while fighting back a growl. He¡¯d known his summer spent fighting the Beast and its Corrupted had left his mind¡­ scarred, and that his time with both the Man in the Mask and the Cheshire -(as infuriating and painful as it was)- was the only thing that kept him semi-sane (if you can call it that) through the ordeal, while resisting the Beast¡¯s influence. Naively, he¡¯d hoped that by ignoring it it¡¯d just go away, that the beast in his head would just go to sleep and die like its origin. (But I guess ignoring your problems never helps does it?) He rolled his shoulders before looking up at the moon that no longer left him wanting to kill something every time he saw it. (First that thing with Kenneth¡¯s dad, and now this little rampage¡­ Am I even going to be able to shake the beast if it takes over again?) Intellectually, he knew the beast in his head was not actually connected to the Beast, but rather some kind of disassociation that kept him sane while fighting the corrupted and committing himself to a level of violence that sickened him. (But that¡¯s the point isn¡¯t it? The beast is the part of me that sickens myself. Given just a little more power, a little more tangibility because of the Beast¡¯s corruption.) The beast in his head paced inside his mind, waiting, watching, knowing. It¡¯s impatient and agitated state a sign that he was growing ever closer to a source of Insanity as his own worsened. (And of course if I can feel my own insanity¡­) ¡°Jon, heh-heh-heh¡­¡± The wind laughed, the beast¡¯s corpse still nowhere to be seen. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to break free so soon. You always were one for exceeding my expectations.¡± ¡°Get out of here this isn¡¯t going to be pretty.¡± He warned Kenny. ¡°I¡¯m not just going to abandon you.¡± The kobold glared. ¡°I¡¯m not expecting you to.¡± He assured the uncorrupted dungeon monster. ¡°But I need you and the others to have everything ready when I get the beast in place.¡± Kenny looked like he wanted to protest before shaking his head and scurrying away. He inhaled and exhaled, feeling the world around him shake as the beast in the dungeon grew closer and the beast in his head thrashed about. In the shaking of the world, he found an odd sense of calm as he couldn¡¯t help but let his thoughts drifted back to his revelation of Madness and Insanity, two faces of the same entity, sharing the same goal despite seeking it in two very different manners. His Madness was his willingness to use, fight, and bleed whatever he had to to protect what he cared about. His Insanity was his willingness to kill, hunt, and slaughter whatever he had to to protect what was his pack. No matter how much he fought it and disliked it, the beast was still a part of him, and as violent as it was, at the end of the day all it wanted to do was protect. (The beast in his head stilled as the man stood in front of it.) (Two masks for the same entity¡­) (The beast stared as the cage in his head opened.) He could accept that. (The beast cautiously stepped out of the cage.) After all of his experience with magic and madness, he knew there was a simple truth about him, one that transcended all of his doubts, confidence issues, and everything else. A revelation that hit just as hard as his realization of Madness and Insanity, yet tasted so much sweeter as he basked in it. (Still cautious the beast made its way to the man.) Because, be it an Insane Beast or a Mad Man- (The man ran his fingers through the beast¡¯s fur in acceptance.) -he would still be a hunter of monsters. "There you are Jon." The Man, The Beast, The Huntsman The Man, The Beast, The Huntsman --- Jon Whitaker --- The (false) Beast¡¯s gaze down at him from atop the Victorian building, the moonlight from above falling upon it in some twisted mockery of divine providence as it gazed down at the human ant glaring from the darkness. A mad grin spread on the corpse¡¯s face, far wider and with far more teeth than anything a human could manage. It¡¯s bubbling laughter carried on the wind spreading and wrapping all in its corruption as it sought to drive them into the depths of insanity. He merely growled, his own insanity demanding he rip the corpse¡¯s throat out. If it could, the corpse seemed to smile even wider. Silence echoed around them, as the stillness of anticipation fell upon the streets as if the world itself was waiting, watching for the two beasts to begin, to see which of them was the greater monster of madness. There was no sudden signal to start, and yet in the same moment both moved as if their competing insanities demanded they be the first to act. He was already three steps away by the time the corpse was in the air, and halfway down the street with his hands in his pack by the time it hit the pavement with enough force to shake the ground beneath his feet and leave a crater in the stonework. Skidding on his heel, he drew an arrow back on his bow and shot it at the corpse, before repeating with the other two arrows he¡¯d gripped between his fingers. One struck the (false) Beast in the shoulder while the second missed by the corpse¡¯s jittery movements, and the third was snatched out of the air by the corpse¡¯s roots as it ripped the first out of its shoulder and snapped both in two. Laughter echoed on the wind as the corpse¡¯s numerous eyes stayed locked onto him, giving him its full attention as the (false) Beast ripped a nearby lampost from the pavement with its roots, before flinging it at him with enough force to shatter any bone it hit. Which is why he ducked low, taking two steps towards his adversary and letting the post fly over his head before tumbling across the street without pursuing him or cornering himself against a building wall. The beast wanted to fight. But the man had a plan. The beast stepped back and the man took over tossing a common molotov over his shoulder as he turned to race down the street knowing that it would annoy the corpse at most if the dungeon rules weren¡¯t in his favor. A hiss tore through the air, telling him that while it wasn¡¯t enough to hurt it that didn¡¯t mean the corpse liked it either. The rumbling of earth that followed told him of the monstrosity pursuing him. Just like he wanted. When the corpse rounded the corner, the accursed creature crossed the first of the ¡®surprises¡¯ he¡¯d set up when hunting for the thing, letting the corpse know that he was leading it somewhere while thinking that the various little traps along the way were that somewhere. A set of trip wires that¡¯d catch a human in the throat, instead caught the corpse near its waist causing it to stumble even as its weight and strength ripped the line¡¯s anchors out. With the corpse staggered for even a second, he took advantage and fired off another arrow, this one coated in the juices of several anima enhanced poison plants he¡¯d gotten from Blackwell. And while these normally would do nothing against the black blood of the Beast, he hoped that similarly to fire and light the fact that the (false) beast was a dungeon construct would weaken its immunity just enough for the poison to cloud the monstrosity¡¯s mind as their chase wore on. The corpse taunted him and his tricks, goading him to attack as the insanity in the air weighed upon his mind and tried to force the beast inside his head into action. The beast would not be moved. Shaking his head he fired off two more arrows, earning a laugh and a glare from the corpse as their chase resumed once more, this time peppered with the rest of the surprises he¡¯d quickly hidden along the path back to the others. From atop the buildings the scavengers from the mist became far more prominent, as entire packs of them chased from the rooftops, the (false) beast¡¯s troops just waiting for an opportunity to box him in. An opportunity he delayed as long as he could by splitting his attention between the corpse and its minions as he fired arrows at both, with the last of his molotovs tied to the ones shot above in hopes of scattering their amassing horde. Sadly this was not enough. Throughout the dungeon city there were bridges similar to where he¡¯d fought the blasphemous beast, each tied to another district where one of the keys to the final boss would be found, and one of which he¡¯d intended to cross while dropping molotovs to force the (false) beast to follow him through a long trail of fire. Unfortunately with his molotovs spent, this bridge did little more than limit his own maneuverability to a near straight line as the corpse and its army followed from behind. With his path limited, he was forced to watch as the corrupted scavengers put on a sudden burst of speed, rushing past him before leaping onto the bridge and caging him in with a half a dozen of their emaciated forms in front of him while a dozen more watched on from the rails and cables of the bridge, waiting for a chance to rip him apart with their claws and fangs. Looking around he couldn¡¯t help but frown as he noted his disadvantage, before as the bridge behind him shook and the (false) beast began to slow while spouting more of its taunts, he decided he didn¡¯t have time for this. The beast lunged for the nearest scavenger, before punching it across the jaw and grabbing it by its throat at which point he slid his knife into his hand and stabbed it into the corrupted monster¡¯s skull. As he kicked away the disintegrating monster a second scavenger tried to grab at him with its long bony arms, only for him to grab it by its arm, break its knee, and remove said limb in a matter of seconds, before round housing it across the face and breaking its neck with a violent snap. From above one of the scavengers on the rails decided to try its luck and leapt at him in an attempt to tackle him to the ground so they could swarm him, but before the monster could even touch him he¡¯d already grabbed it by wrapping an arm around its neck and another around its torso, letting him throw it towards the other scavengers on the bridge breaking them apart before they could rush him. Seeing a fourth scavenger trying to sneak up on him, he threw the second¡¯s dissolving arm at the monster¡¯s face, forcing it to stumble back as the distraction left it open for him to run up the construct¡¯s body causing it to slowly collapse back beneath his weight and letting him stomp its skull against the pavement. As he stood, he grabbed his ax from his pack and swung the blade up catching the fifth scavenger across the chest and making it take a step back, where the ax¡¯s downswing caught the corrupted construct in the shoulder as his blade bit deep enough to get stuck, and force him to kick the monster away to free it. The sixth scavenger swung at him with claws like knives, only to receive one through its heart and a second through its back before an arm sent the second knife piercing into the corrupted construct¡¯s heart as well. With a snarl he turned to the final scavenger blocking his way and grabbed it by its shoulder before forcing it onto its knees and hacking away at it with his ax, the second strike digging deeper than the first, and the third removing the monster¡¯s head altogether. Panting and ready to keep fighting if he must, he turned his eyes onto the rest of the scavengers watching them back away from his glare. Insanity whispered on the winds, haunting in its sweetness and temptation, as it begged for the loss of control, to give into instinct, to allow it to take over. The beast¡¯s glare snapped to the (false) beast¡¯s corpse halfway across the bridge and a growl bubbled out of his throat as he remembered just how badly he wanted to rip the corpse¡¯s throat out with his teeth. His eyes twitched around the bridge, reminding him that he couldn¡¯t take this army on, not here, not as he was equipped, and definitely not without his light by his side. The beast shook his head hating that logic, before giving one last glare to the corpse and turning as the man forced himself to push through his emotions and continue with his plan, no matter how badly he wanted to see the corpse bleed. A fleeting laughter filled the air behind him as the rumbling once more began to pick up speed as the (false) beast resumed its chase in earnest, amused by the perceived war of his madness and sanity, not quite realizing they were working as one. Getting the (false) beast to follow him from there took little effort, even without any more arrows or molotovs to fire at the corpse and its corrupted followers, they still pursued him, seeing him as the only true threat to them in the dungeon. Something he was sure the (false) beast would change its mind about soon enough as it followed him into a small gated square with a large burning effigy of the bridge¡¯s blasphemous beast. Seeing the square the corpse¡¯s numerous eyes narrowed, knowing him far too well to risk stumbling into what was clearly a kill box for whomever entered it unprepared. Or at least clear to anyone who noticed that he walked into an area with only one entrance and exit while being chased by a small army. The corpse¡¯s attention suddenly snapped to the roof above where its scavengers had likely discovered the pack of kobolds lying in wait with over a dozen molotovs, -including a couple from his special blend- just waiting for the chance to bombard the (false) beast threatening their home. An amused laugh chuckle carried on the wind as the (false) beast raised a single finger into the air and waved it back and forth before its numerous roots began to dig into the walls of the buildings next to it and carry it towards the skirmish. Barely holding back a growl as that part of his plan collapsed, he rushed to a section of the buildings that he could more easily climb before making his way to the rooftop if at a slower rate than the (false) beast he was racing. And as he finally reached his destination he couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he watched the (false) beast corrupt one of the kobolds, a fate arguably worse than death, as the twitching reptile was dropped to the floor before rolling over and hissing at their brethren with bleeding black eyes. He swallowed hard before taking a molotov from one of the horrified kobolds and putting the poor girl out of her misery so that none of her fellows would have to live with that stain on their hands. (Another drop was barely noticeable within his own.) After clearing so many floors with them, organizing the kobolds and keeping them focused on the scavengers rather than the (false) beast was an almost too easy feat. The dungeon monsters trusting him to see them through despite how far out of his control this whole thing had already gotten. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Which is why the man forced himself to stay focus and not lose his head, instead focusing on the corpse watching him in amusement as the winds continued to whisper its taunts and even more scavengers began to crawl up the sides of the building. He wanted to focus on the kobolds and the scavengers, help them wear down the (false) beast¡¯s forces and keep them alive through this nightmare, but¡­ The beast¡¯s blade bit into a creeping root that had tried to sneak up on him from behind, cutting through it and leaving it to bleed black ichor onto the ground even as the corpse¡¯s smile grew wider. Both of them knowing that this fight had to be between the two of them and no one else lest the (false) beast turn his comrades against him or the corpse lose his attention and growing insanity. What¡¯s more given the way he had to adjust his footing to keep balance on the slightly slanted roofs, the fact that his path was relatively limited without any true obstacles to hide or defend behind, and that if he strayed from said path he was in for a nasty fall, the (false) beast hadn¡¯t moved to the rooftops so much as to deal with the kobolds as it was to force him out of his prepared kill box and onto a ground more favorable for it. Especially if it thought he couldn¡¯t see those roots creeping along just beneath the roof¡¯s edge. A quick molotov towards the edge solved that problem, earning an amused laugh from the corpse as the flames danced around its numerous roots. And a thrown knife towards its body solved that problem, earning an actual grimace from the corpse as the blade pierced one of its eyes. Tilting its head as the (false) beast ripped the blade out of itself, the insanity in the air grew ever stronger making him want to rip its smug throat out before he reminded himself that he had to stall until Pix was ready. A familiar dampness at his lips had him wiping away the blood from his nose without even bothering to check it, since the equally familiar ache in his head already told him just how (un)well he was holding up on that front. Shaking his head the man wouldn¡¯t let that stop him, after all the longer he let the (false) beast run around unhindered the worse the creeping insanity would weigh upon his mind. Which is why the beast rushed the corpse rather than listening to its taunts and false admirations as it tried to use its too sweet whispers to play with his mind. Rather than being offended the winds merely laughed at his efforts, the (false) beast dancing around his feral swings despite its massive size. Its roots and vines both tugging the corpse around in sudden jagged motions as well as lashing out at him in wide whipping swings. Something the beast hated since it meant that he had to waste more time attacking the bits of the corpse that did superficial damage at best, because despite how much black blood they bled all over the place the (false) beast didn¡¯t even flinch no matter how many of them he hacked apart. Unfortunately this wasn¡¯t anywhere near enough to slow the onslaught of swarming vines surrounding him, and eventually one of them got lucky and managed to wrap around his leg, snaring him in place for just a split second. Something that was more than long enough for the corpse to wrap one of its actual hands around the back of his neck before using its inhuman strength to throw him towards the edge of the rooftop. Hitting the tile twice as he was bounced off of the roof as the corpse sent him rolling towards the edge, and what he knew would be a fatal fall in his current condition. Blindly, as the rest of his body toppled over the roof one of his hands managed to latch onto its edge, stopping his fatal fall but causing his body to swing and twist in a way that definitely tore something in his shoulder. The wind whispered with its haunting laugh as the (false) beast made its way towards him, completely unbothered by the flames it walked over as the last of the scavengers and kobolds dueled to the death behind it. He flexed his wrist summoning the blades he¡¯d dropped towards him but the corpse caught them before they could even touch it. Silk and honey filled words filled the air as the (false) beast smiled at him, and he forced himself to ignore them as he had been throughout their entire fight. Knowing that the more he listened to it, the more he thought about it, the deeper into the (false) beast¡¯s insanity he¡¯d be dragged because even if the cheap copy lacked the power to rake its fingers across his soul, it did not lack the power to claw at his mind. His pain, be it his aching muscles or pounding skull, was the only thing letting him ignore the touch of madness even as the sides of his vision began to blur with words and symbols that tore into one¡¯s sanity as they physically etched themselves into one¡¯s mentality. Unfortunately for the (false) beast his mind was already more scar than skin, so what were a few more? Ignoring his screaming shoulder he swung his body so that his other hand could grab onto the edge of a window just beneath him. The corpse wasted no time lashing its vines at him, believing that if he wouldn¡¯t give into its insanity, his precarious positioning would make it easier for the (false) beast to send him to his death below. Something that he was actually counting on when he kicked off the building and grabbed one of said vines with his good hand. An action that seemed to get a surprised recoil out of the corpse as it threw said vine into the air, where he released it sending himself flying behind the (false) beast and back onto the roof where a rough landing and a half roll got him back onto his feet. A flex of his wrist brought his ax back into hand as the (false) beast let the weapon go and gave his acrobatic feat a clap, amused by the daring escape, as for just a moment its overconfidence distracted it from what was happening behind it. Rolling his shoulders -and ignoring the pain that brought in one of them- he did a quick inventory of the situation, reassessing and planning, as he took note of one or two discarded molotovs on the ground, the fact that more of the rooftop was on fire than not at this point, and the distinct lack of any scavengers on the roof, and kobolds hiding behind those flames. Sighing, he turned a glare onto the (false) beast, something that made the accursed thing smile even wider as a dozen of its eyes stared back at him. Given the condition of everything, they both knew this was going to be the last skirmish of their battle, that after this one of them would be dead, and even if one of them refused to acknowledge just who that was going. While one of his arms were largely shot, able to use maybe half of its function if he made the injury worse, he was still able to fight and would see this through to the end. Giving into madness, he was the first to rush his eldritch abomination of an opponent, twisting around the (false) beast¡¯s vines before using the eye of one of its petals as a stepping stone to rise up and slash at the corpse¡¯s neck. An attack it just barely avoided, by taking it to its chest instead, though the injury healed within seconds, he knew if he could make the (false) beast bleed he could kill it. With a growl the corpse¡¯s hand shot at him, it¡¯s fingers bent to grab or claw, whichever came easier. Not that of them would touch him as the (false) beast¡¯s twisted form allowed him to dive beneath its arm and take cover beneath the flower of flesh, at the cost of leaving him amongst its creeping dark roots. Roots he had no problem hacking apart even as they wrapped around his legs and hung him in the air by his ankles. Something the (false) beast couldn¡¯t take advantage of as he cut into the corpse¡¯s shoulder lodging the blade deep enough to hinder its movements, but leaving him unarmed as the vines twisted, flinging him into the air before slamming him chest first into the ground, cracking several ribs and worsening his own shoulder. Unfortunately for the (false) beast his pain tolerance had long since hit a point where he could walk on broken legs if he had to, which is how he was able to shoot his bad arm out to the side and wrap his fingers around one of the unused molotovs the kobolds had dropped. Seeing this the corpse wrapped several of its vines around his pack and ripped it off of his back, stripping him of any and all of the trick, traps, and tools he¡¯d hidden within. Making him very glad that he¡¯d hooked his lighter to his hunting jacket ever since the first time he¡¯d lost it when trying to cook a corrupted corpse. With the molotov lit and waiting to burn, the corpse pinned him down with several whipping vines to his back, forcing his face into the ground as he was forced to blindly throw the molotov behind him. An attack that landed nowhere near the (false) beast¡¯s corpse, but still managed to catch enough of its roots that it was forced to release him. Pushing himself up, his arms gave out because while his will was strong his body was still only human, and could only take so much damage before giving out. The wind laughed, knowing this while telling him how easily it could fix the problem if he just gave into it. Something he refused to do, no matter how beaten down and broken he was. With a smile on its face the corpse flipped him over and wrapped a clawed hand around his throat, the (false) beast wanting to look him in the eyes as it bested the foe that took its. The whispering insanity gave him one last taunt as the fingers of its other hand came together to rip out his still beating heart and eat it as the (Real) Beast had once threatened and failed to do. He looked his death in its hollowed out eyes and spat in its face. The (false) beast growled pulling its hand back to end this once and for all before a fireball struck it in the side of its head. The corpse¡¯s head snapped to the kobolds that had managed to hide from it behind the various flames across the rooftop, leaving it completely open as he pushed through screaming muscles and kicked the corpse in its throat. Shocking it just enough to release him from its grip as it pulled back and gave just enough distance for them to pelt it with the last of their molotovs. An insane screech tore through the air as flames wrapped around the (false) beast, and the corpse glared at him with empty eyes full of fire and wraith, finally sick of this farce of a game. He merely smiled and gave the (false) beast a little wave as he sent a pulse of magic through the contract to his little light. The corpse snarled before freezing as an immense amount of magic twisted just behind it. Turning slowly the (false) beast saw the pillar of light that would spell its demise, if it was about three meters closer. A bubbling laugh carried on the wind, growing into a hauntingly mad cackle as the (false) beast realized that its great foe¡¯s final great gambit for killing it had COMPLETELY missed it! It really should¡¯ve known better. Through sheer will, spite, and madness he forced his broken body onto its feet, not caring that these few stumbling actions were likely pushing him beyond the threshold of recovery, a point where his body was so damaged that when it dropped it wouldn¡¯t get up EVER again. With a flex of his wrist he pulled his ax out of the corpse¡¯s back, and ran through screaming pain towards the (false) beast before throwing the ax at its roots as he tackled it into the light, unafraid of the few flames still clinging to it. And between the two of these actions, the corpse fell forward before catching itself just a few inches before its face would¡¯ve touched the light. Realizing this wasn¡¯t enough, he picked himself up as best he could while half laying on the (false) beast, before slamming his shoulder and all of his weight into the corpse. Driving it an inch closer to the light as the flames covering the (false) beast ate through the last of his jacket¡¯s defense and began to lick at his skin. Grimacing and growling, he pushed through the burning pain once more, unsure of whether it was from the fire or his body, before slamming down and driving the (false) beast another inch closer to its death. But it still wasn¡¯t enough. Matching his growl the corpse turned its head towards him as several half-burnt vines began to wrap creep around his body, preparing to pick him off and throw him to HIS death. He figured that meant there really was no point in trying to survive this. Fighting against the (false) beast¡¯s weakened roots he climbed up the corpse, feeling the faint shaking in its form as the damage from the flames weakened it just enough to make the inhuman thing struggle against their combined weight. More vines clung to his body, trying to slow him down, but they did not stop him. And as he neared its head, he began to feel the light¡¯s power licking at him with an intensity even greater than the flames below as the corpse¡¯s head slowly moved that last inch until the pillar of light was touching its face, earning a screech of agony from the monster that had caused him so much pain and trouble. The last of the (false) beast¡¯s roots and vines shot up, latching onto him even as it was forced to drop to the ground, sliding its face down the pillar as it fell, but stopping him from climbing any further as they were driven to a stalemate. Or rather what would¡¯ve been a stalemate if he hadn¡¯t already resolved to drag the corpse into the light if he had to. And given the way the were perched, all he had to do was lean forward to send them both toppling into AGONY as both of their bodies were subjected to a level of burning light that no creature on earth or the abyss was built to withstand. He couldn¡¯t tell how long the light burned for, whether the screaming in the air was him or the beast, when he hit the ground, or even when the light had finally stopped. All he knew for sure was that the light could hurt far more than broken bones and seared flesh. But slowly, laying there, a blurred vision began to return to him, and though both severely damaged by the light and likely never to fully recover on its own, it did assure him that the light had indeed, mercifully stopped. Unable to feel anything other then pain and his body demanding that he finally allow it to stop, he let his head lull to the side, where through the blurriness he made out a small dark orb with little lines coming off of it and scrabbling at the ground. A weak growl tore through his sore throat as without any input the fingers of his hand seemed to wrap around something hard, as if demanding that their suffering not be in vain. And so looking the wretched thing in its last remaining eye, his hand rose into the air and the Huntsman told the Beast of Blackwell, ¡°Stay dead this time.¡± before squashing it like the parasite it was. An Intermission with Madness (and a guest.) An Intermission with Madness (and a guest.) --- Jon --- He jolted forward, phantom pain aching across his entire body as he gasped for air before letting his head thud against the table in front of him. (It¡¯s over¡­ The Beast is dead again, and I don¡¯t have to worry about it ever again.) (¡°Mm, I wouldn¡¯t count on that completely.¡±) He froze. (¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong the odds of you running into it again are low, like really low, but they still exist.¡±) Lifted his head up just enough to glare at The Man In The Mask sitting across from him while stirring a cup of something caffeinated. (¡°Tea today. Though back on subject, most of those encounters are with more cheap copies like that one you just killed rather than a centuries old dark god like the one you put down for me a couple of months ago.¡±) ¡°Am I dead or in a coma?¡± He asked, resigned to dealing with whatever this was. (¡°Well, if you were dead you¡¯d be seeing my beloved, not me.¡±) The entity informed him. (¡°As for the coma¡­¡±) --- A bright, soothingly familiar, pink light blurred in front of his face before fidgeting all around. ¡°Shi¡­ not loo-in-ood!¡± A voice yelled fading in out. But he barely registered these through the burning sensation eating at his entire body. --- ¡°What was that?!¡± He gasped, skin feeling like it¡¯d doused in hot water. (¡°That would be you fading in and out of consciousness.¡±) The man in the mask told him, sipping its tea with one hand before rolling the other through the air as it explained that, (¡°It¡¯s what¡¯s letting us talk, if with poor reception, since dreams are essentially raw Madness.¡±) ¡°Then¡­ Then why not wait until I¡¯m actually asleep?¡± He wondered just a little shaky as he ran a hand down his face, trying not to think too hard about whatever that was and what it meant. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s what you usually do.¡± (¡°Hmm¡­ Well, you¡¯ve a busy few days ahead of you so I figured we might as well have this chat while you¡¯re still hyped up now rather than wasting time later.¡±) The mad entity answered before tilting its head. (¡°You do know all work and no play makes jack dull, dull boy.¡±) ¡°I¡¯m not one of your Jacks.¡± He snapped. (¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡±) The man in the mask admitted after a moment. (¡°But that just makes you all the more interesting.¡±) The entity added with a smile to its voice. --- The world spun, his stomach lurched, and his heart tried to escape his chest as everything was filled with a too hot chill. ¡°Fu¡­e¡¯s seiz¡­!¡± A voice cried as the darkness grew stronger, until finally the world stilled. --- He couldn¡¯t help but lurch as his entire body spasmed. (¡°Oh, well that¡¯s a thing.¡±) The man in the mask commented. ¡°What is?¡± He hissed, glaring at the mad entity. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re kind of dead at the moment.¡± A beautiful pale lady informed him, taking a cup off of the table. He swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m what?¡± ¡°Dead. Happens when you push your body so hard it breaks.¡± The pale lady explained, taking a sip of her cup before giving the man in the mask a half-hearted glare. ¡°Real act of Madness that.¡± (¡°Quite.¡±) The mad entity agreed in amusement, as panic began to grip him. (¡°Don¡¯t be like that, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to stay dead.¡±) ¡°I¡¯m not?¡± He asked. ¡°Well, technically they¡¯ve got oh¡­ seven minutes before I start keeping bits of him.¡± The pale lady warned, wrapping a lock of her long midnight black hair around her finger. ¡°And you do so love your technicalities.¡± (¡°I do.¡±) The man in the mask nodded before rolling a hand in the air. (¡°But I kind of owe him a solid for beating that (false) beast for me. I mean, it¡¯d¡¯ve been such a pain if that thing took over a Wonderland, so I¡¯m just going nudge things a bit with that one girl¡¯s healing as a thank you of sorts, since he and I have this whole eldritch bounty hunter thing going on.¡±) A deal he distinctly remembered ending after killing the Beast the first time. (¡°Uh-huh, and yet here I find you working on your vacation.¡±) The mad entity pointed out. Instead of commenting on their tangent, the pale lady gave the man in the mask a look, before eventually rolling her eyes. ¡°Fine, I mean it¡¯s not like this is the first time he¡¯s died.¡± His head snapped to the pale lady. ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± ¡°Yeah, you sapients really started screwing me over once you discovered how to resuscitate each other.¡± The pale lady shrugged. ¡°I mean there are some humans that die like twenty times over their life, and you guys just keep bringing them back.¡± (¡°Oh, and then there are those quasi-immortal guys who die over and over, and just keep getting back up.¡±) The man in the mask reminded the woman he was quickly realizing had a familiar relationship with the entity. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The pale lady gave a pouting huff. ¡°They¡¯re just playing hard to get. Sometimes you¡¯ve got to give people their space if you want them to come to you. And well, they all come to me in the end.¡± (¡°Fair enough.¡±) The man in the mask shrugged, before seemingly realizing something. (¡°Oh, you know¡­ Jon might actually be able to help you with that.¡±) ¡°Don¡¯t volunteer me for anything.¡± He scowled at the mad god. The pale lady turned her attention to him with a look of interest. ¡°This isn¡¯t one of your Jacks or Alices¡­ So what exactly is your game here? (¡°Ooh, my game plan is¡­ this.¡±) The mad entity told them, dropping a long sheet of lines on the table between them. A quick glance was all he needed to recognize his friends names, as well as several of their skills, and a number of what looked to be, ¡°Levels? Wait, are you treating my life like an actual game?!¡± He glared at the mad man, somehow not entirely surprised despite his outrage. (¡°Well of course you wouldn¡¯t be, you¡¯re part of the game, and I was quite upfront with all of this from the get go.¡±) The man in the mask reminded him. ¡°The game between you and yourself.¡± He pointed out. (¡°What can I say? Me, myself, and I tend to disagree on how things should be done.¡±) The mad god smiled, before Jon felt ten thousand eyes staring at him as hundreds of masks became visible in the darkness surrounding them. (¡°It gets even worse when the rest of me gets involved in the argument. So many masks, so many perspectives, so little time to be apart of them all.¡±) ¡°Hence why he asks humans to settle things for his indecisive ass.¡± The pale lady added, looking over his character sheet before letting out a whistle. ¡°Severe Psionic Scarring, and you¡¯ve only been involved for a few months? It¡¯s a miracle your brain hasn¡¯t bled out yet.¡± (¡°I¡¯ve been working on his neuroplasticity for a while, and thanks to his mother¡¯s training he already had a fair bit of it before he started working for me.¡±) ¡°I don¡¯t work for you.¡± He cut in, more upset by the entity mentioning his ma than his actual complaint. (¡°Truth be told, between the two of us his brain is reaching a level of flexibility that you don¡¯t really see in the average human.¡±) The man in the mask continued as if he¡¯d said nothing. ¡°Oh!¡± The pale lady¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s your game plan.¡± ¡°What is?¡± He asked, hoping the newcomer would be more straightforward than the mad entity he was used to dealing with. (¡°Ah, ah, spoilers!¡±) The man in the mask interrupted before the pale lady could answer. (¡°We¡¯ve yet to reach the part of the game where we start seeing the consequences of all of that. In fact that hasn¡¯t even come into play yet.¡±) ¡°Of course it hasn¡¯t.¡± The pale lady agreed, despite shaking her head with a small smile. ¡°I think your game would be much different if that was the case.¡± (And she¡¯s just as bad as it.) He couldn¡¯t help but groan to himself. A chill ran down his spine as if someone had walked over his grave, and he found his eyes drifting to meet the silver smiling eyes of the (definitely not human) pale lady. ¡°You know what I think I do have a¡­ favor you can help me out with.¡± He swallowed. ¡°Wha- what kind of favor?¡± The pale lady tapped a finger against a line on his¡­ character sheet. ¡°This says you¡¯re a¡­ Guardian of Childhood, yes?¡± ¡°I, um¡­¡± He glanced at the more familiar entity for an explanation, because while he would protect a kid he didn¡¯t think he was a ¡®Guardian of Childhood¡¯. The man in the mask made an amused scoffing sound. (¡°You were a regular kid who picked a fight with an eldritch horror to protect a bunch of kids from a summer camp. You earned that Guardian of Childhood all on your own.¡±) ¡°I guess?¡± He shrugged just a little bashfully. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s so cute of you.¡± The pale lady squealed, before turning to the man in the mask. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s not one of your Jacks, because I really want to set him up with one of mine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± (¡°Eh, he¡¯s honorary.¡±) The man in the mask shrugged, before taking the pale lady¡¯s hand in its. (¡°But don¡¯t let that stop you, after all we both know how much you love everyone and everything.¡±) ¡°Flirt.¡± The pale lady giggled, swatting the man in the mask and breaking Jon¡¯s mind with a single word. ¡°Still, getting back on topic¡­¡± Silver eyes once more focused on him. ¡°There¡¯s a creature that eats the souls of children, I want him dead.¡± ¡°So do I.¡± He agreed, before coughing into his hand as he realized his instinctive response. ¡°Oh, I definitely like you.¡± The pale lady purred, rubbing a hand against his cheek. He couldn¡¯t help but swallow at that. (¡°Ah, ah, we agreed to let him live.¡±) The man in the mask reminded the pale lady, while swatting away her hand. ¡°I know.¡± The pale lady smiled with a roll of her eyes. ¡°And I think I will be sending one of mine his way.¡± (¡°Good to know, I¡¯ll write them up a character sheet for later and you can join me for game night.¡±) The man in the mask nodded. (¡°And if you¡¯re talking about the thing I think you are, then he¡¯s set to go against it eventually.¡±) ¡°He is?¡± The pale lady blinked. (¡°Well, I mean it¡¯s already in his city, so it¡¯s his call whether he fights it or not.¡±) The man in the mask shrugged. (¡°But if he continues the way he has been he¡¯ll cross paths with it before the end of the year. Unless knowing about it he takes a hard left somewhere.¡±) Both the pale lady and the man in the mask turned to him. He tried to slow down and think about it, but¡­ he honestly couldn¡¯t think of any situation where he wouldn¡¯t involve himself in this, because, ¡°If this thing is hurting children, I¡¯m not going to let it continue.¡± ¡°Wonderful.¡± The pale lady smiled at him, before leaning back in her seat. ¡°Still I try to be fair, and I really don¡¯t like the idea of leaving a solid unpaid. So regardless of whether or not you¡¯d have done it on your own, if you kill this thing¡­ I¡¯ll owe you one.¡± The pale lady told him, finishing with a wink. (¡°You¡¯ll also get your usual perk point payment, from me.¡±) The man in the mask added. ¡°My what?¡± He frowned. (¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±) The mad entity waved off, looking at a watch that hadn¡¯t previously been on its wrist. (¡°Oh, look at the time, we¡¯re cutting your limit so close!¡±) ¡°My limit?¡± (¡°Yep, any longer and you¡¯ll start taking brain damage. And I have put way too much effort into suping that baby up.¡±) The man in the mask explained before snapping its fingers. (¡°Oh, almost forgot I still haven¡¯t paid you for taking care of that (false) beast for me, have I?¡±) ¡°You sure doing that won¡¯t send him to me earlier?¡± The pale lady asked. (¡°Ah, he¡¯ll be fine.¡±) The man in the mask dismissed, before putting a hand on Jon¡¯s shoulder and another in front of his face. (¡°Well, just so long as he doesn¡¯t blink anyway. If he does that¡¯ll be another brain aneurysm I have to fix. I won¡¯t be giving you any anesthetics this time.¡±) He grabbed the man in the mask¡¯s arm, really not liking where this was going. ¡°Look we really don¡¯t have to do this!¡± The man in the mask rolled its eyes. (¡°Don¡¯t be a baby, Jon. After all, I¡¯ve hurt you so much worse than this before.¡±) ¡°That does absolutely nothing to reassure m-¡± The mad god¡¯s hand went through his head. Gamer Guilds Dungeon (End) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (End) --- Jon --- He gasped, his eyes shooting open as his brain burned and a dampness formed beneath his nose as he yet again suffered the Man in the mask¡¯s mechaniations. ¡°Damn it, I thought we fully healed him!¡± A voice cursed as someone touched him, and his hands twisted around them until one wrapped around the person¡¯s throat and the other cupped around Pix laying on his chest to keep her safe from whatever stranger was in the room. A second someone grabbed his wrist, before shocking him and forcibly removing his hand from the first. ¡°Calm down Jon. Everything is okay. No one is trying to hurt you.¡± He blinked, his vision clearing a bit as he realized the second person was Ying. ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s the thanks I get for getting him healed?¡± The first- Roxanne- spat, rubbing at her throat. ¡°S-sorry.¡± He apologized, before taking in the odd space around him, lined with shirts and trinkets like some kind of gift shop manned by the merchant construct glaring at him from behind a counter. ¡°W-where are we?¡± ¡°The Dungeon¡¯s exit shop.¡± Roxanne told him before shaking her head and running a hand down her face as she sighed. ¡°You were in really bad shape after everything that happened, and we rushed you here because the dungeon has a healing function if you pour enough points into it. Though given how fucked up you were we had to spend pretty much everything to piece you back together since your fairy friend wasn¡¯t strong enough to do it herself.¡± ¡°S-sorry.¡± He grimaced, not sure who he was saying it to as Pix rubbed her face into his chest at that last comment. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize for getting hurt, Jon.¡± Ying assured him. ¡°You just need to never step foot in any of our dungeons again.¡± Roxanne tacked on, earning a look from the draconic teen before rolling her eyes. ¡°Look I¡¯m not ungrateful that he cleaned up his mess, but it was still his mess in the first place.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± He agreed before Ying could say anything to make the gamer girl¡¯s opinion of them any worse. ¡°And for what it¡¯s worth I didn¡¯t know that¡­ it would show up when we went in there.¡± ¡°I know, and honestly that¡¯s probably the only thing keeping the guild from trying to lynch you for putting the Dungeon and the GM in danger.¡± Roxanne explained before seeming to smirk at something. ¡°Well, actually that probably won¡¯t stop my brother if he gets his hands on you.¡± ¡°Again, fair.¡± He grimaced, before noticing someone missing. ¡°Where¡¯s Wolf? Is she okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s fine.¡± Roxanne told him. ¡°Like with the plan she was protecting me and Pix from those¡­ corrupted¡­ things¡­ and¡­¡± The gamer teen sighed, doing nothing for his nerves. ¡°Anyway she was doing fine, if a little exhausted, but when your spell or whatever drained all of that magic it probably forced you to dismiss her since you couldn¡¯t maintain her upkeep.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ will she be okay?¡± He asked, while subtly checking how much magic was left in his amulet. ¡°I mean she was summoned outside of the Dungeon so will dismissing her inside of it throw mess things up?¡± ¡°Nah, Arcane are always summoning and dismissing their allies in the dungeon with no problem, so I guess the Arcane Nexus accounts for all of that.¡± Roxanne shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± He nodded, before figuring out how much magic was left in his amulet. (Hmm, I¡¯m still at about half capacity, so why would I dismiss her?) (¡°Oh, well that¡¯s a thing.¡±) The man in the mask commented. ¡°What is?¡± He hissed, glaring at the mad entity. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re kind of dead at the moment.¡± A beautiful pale lady informed him as she took a cup off of the table. He swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m what?¡±) (Oh, right.) He swallowed, figuring it made sense that his contract would auto-dismiss should he die. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s alright? He¡¯s looking fairly pale.¡± Ying commented, eyeing him with a fair amount of concern. ¡°Like I said, he¡¯s as right as the GM¡¯s Madness can make him.¡± Roxanne growled, before shaking her head with another sigh. ¡°But well, he was in really bad shape, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she couldn¡¯t fix all of the damage he took.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He lied. ¡°It¡¯s just my head is a bit scrambled from¡­ everything.¡± He admitted a little more honestly. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fair.¡± Roxanne snorted. ¡°Honestly, with what that thing, and your own spell did to you, I¡¯m just glad we didn¡¯t have to take you to the hospital. That would¡¯ve raised a lot of questions that I doubt any of us want raised.¡± He gave her a wry grin at that. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡± Closing his eyes and leaning back against the wall he idly noted the way that the other two teenagers seemed to lapse into silence, likely giving each other meaningful looks of one kind or another as they tried to talk about him without actually talking about him. (Nothing I can really do about that.) This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Eventually, after a few moments of relative quiet he decided that while he wasn¡¯t quite good enough to stand on his own just yet, he was good enough to assure Wolf of his well being. And so pulling the cool-warmth of his magic through his body, he pushed some into the contractor¡¯s mark on his back before throwing it in front of him, generating a small wave of light that quickly coalesced into a familiar brown Wolf. Not even wasting a second his canine companion quickly lunged for him, alternating between rubbing against him and going over him with a finer eye than one would think a wolf capable of. ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± He promised her as he ran a hand through Wolf¡¯s fur. ¡°A little worn down, but nothing a good night¡¯s sleep can¡¯t fix.¡± (If we¡¯re not counting all of the psionic scarring anyway.) Wolf made a whining sound that informed him that she didn¡¯t quite believe him, and as he felt a small bit of magic push through their bond, he was reminded that it was technically a two way street and she could likely read as much about him as he could her. He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that revelation. (Well, at least she can¡¯t tell anyone else what she¡¯s picking up.) Pix buried her face into his chest as he was reminded that Wolf wasn¡¯t the only one he was contracted to. (Right, and I guess it¡¯s a little worse for her since it¡¯s always been her job to patch me back together, and I was just too beaten up for her this time¡­ because of a spell I had her use.) ¡°Look, none of you need to worry about me.¡± He assured them, running his thumb between Pix¡¯s antenna. ¡°I¡¯m still alive and kicking, so there¡¯s nothing really worth worrying about. It¡¯s just¡­ been a long day, and I could really use some sleep.¡± ¡°Roxy!¡± A voice called, as a dark skinned man in their early twenties rushed into the room from the exit. (Which I¡¯m not getting anytime soon.) He sighed, forcing himself onto his feet. ¡°Hey, Dex.¡± Roxanne greeted, letting just a touch of her exhaustion slip through. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The man -(Dex?)- asked looking the younger teen over in a half-panic clearly visible despite the shades on his face. ¡°I got your PM that something was going wrong in the dungeon? Which, how?!¡± Roxanne seemed to wince at that question before glancing towards him and Ying a few paces away from her and what he assumed was her previously mentioned brother despite their lack of physical similarities. Said brother followed her gaze to him, before growling out, ¡°What did you do?!¡± as the faint thrum of both magic and madness began to fill the air, alongside a faint musical beat. (Huh, that¡¯s¡­ interesting¡­) ¡°We did nothing wrong.¡± Ying snapped at the man, adding ozone to the mixing scents and flavors of the air. ¡°Really, because when my little sister sends a ping that the Dungeon built by my family is trying to kill her, then something has clearly gone wrong!¡± The man snapped back. ¡°Look, Dex, it¡¯s not¡­ entirely their fault.¡± Roxanne admitted reluctantly. ¡°I could pick up a weird Madness thing coming off of the guy, and so I invited them to party up with me for the dungeon so I could see what his deal is.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m guessing his deal was something bad?¡± Dex glared at him. ¡°Y-yeah, that¡¯s one way to put it.¡± Roxanne nodded with a grimace. ¡°So what exactly did you do?¡± The older brother asked him instead of his sister. ¡°Because anything that can screw up the entire dungeon is clearly made up of some bad vibes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s um, complicated.¡± He grimaced, more because of how his answer sounded in his head than the man¡¯s glare. ¡°Uncomplicate it.¡± Dex told him, taking a step closer. He looked the angry elder brother in the eye, and saw his exhausted reflection in the young man¡¯s sunglasses, before eventually letting out a tired sigh. ¡°Sorry but¡­ I¡¯m just not in the mood to explain the hows and why of this¡­ mess at the moment.¡± With that said, he moved to step around the man and give Roxanne one last apology and farewell for this whole mess, because even if he was exhausted she still deserved that much at least for having to go through all of this because of him. At least that was the game plan until someone grabbed his shoulder forcefully. ¡°Yeah, well I¡¯m not in the mood to let this go without an explanation.¡± The (lemming) told him. The beast glanced over his shoulder and looked the boy in his eyes, before as kindly as he could requesting that the boy, ¡°Let go of me.¡± The boy jumped away from him and he immediately relaxed, not really feeling like being touched after everything that had happened in the last hour or so. Taking a deep breath he ran his hand down his face before letting it out. ¡°Look I really am sorry for all of¡­ this, but I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m too tired to deal with this right now.¡± Staring at him with a large amount of wariness, Roxanne¡¯s brother swallowed before nodding. ¡°Yeah, I¡­ I get that.¡± Dex shook his head. ¡°But that, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that after¡­ whatever the hell happened in that Dungeon, you and all of your friends are banned from ever stepping foot in them again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± He agreed once more to that ban before turning to the other sibling to ban him from the Dungeon. ¡°Look, Roxanne, I¡¯m sorry about this whole mess. If I¡¯d known what was going to happen in there I would never have stepped foot in the Dungeon. Especially if I¡¯d known it meant dealing with¡­ it again. Which is why¡­¡± He sighed before shrugging. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you got caught up in all of this.¡± With that said, and not knowing what else to say, he figured that it¡¯d be best if he didn¡¯t subject the siblings to his presence any longer and made his way to the Dungeon shop¡¯s exit. As he stepped through the exit and out into the light of the setting sun, he faintly heard Roxanne say, ¡°Damn it Decker.¡± from behind him, whatever else she was going to say getting muffled by the divide between dream and reality that made up the Dungeon Exit. A sudden chill through the air reminded him that he was going to have to figure something out to replace the jacket he¡¯d lost to the light and the flames. ¡°You sure you¡¯re alright?¡± Ying asked him once she¡¯d caught up to him a few paces away from the Gamer¡¯s Guild¡¯s Dungeon. Wolf rubbed against his leg as he held Pix just a little closer to his chest. ¡°Yeah, I just want to head home and sleep this whole mess off.¡± He admitted, walking away from the Dungeon and the monster it could draw out of him once more. Side Quest: Southside Coven- Brewing Troubles (Pt. 1 of 3) Side Quest: Southside Coven- Brewing Troubles (Pt. 1 of 3) --- Valentina Alejo Domingo --- A blaring alarm dragged her from an otherwise peaceful slumber (for once.) Slamming a fist on the alarm to shut the stupid thing up, she proceeded to rub the sleep out of her eyes before shaking her sister awake. The younger girl having snuck into her bed after a particularly bad nightmare the night before. Her eyes drifted to the large bird skull on her dresser, empty black eyes staring into her own. ¡°Come on chica, time to get up.¡± She told her baby sister, giving the girl a gentle shake. ¡°No¡­¡± Her little shining light whined. ¡°Five more minutes.¡± ¡°Nah, five more minutes means five more mami has to stay up.¡± She reminded her sister, earning a pained groan from said sister as the twelve year old rolled out of bed. ¡°Always bringing mam¨¢ into it¡­¡± Elena grumbled stumbling out of the room, and letting the faint smell of breakfast into the room as she opened the door. Shaking her head she made her way to the door and closed it before throwing a glare at the bird skull as she reached into a small baggy of cheap looking crystals. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before mi familia is off limits. If you¡¯re hungry, eat these.¡± She told it, before pelting the skull with one of the crystals. ¡°It¡¯s not the same¡­¡± A raspy voice whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck.¡± She dismissed before changing into her day wear, long used to the eyes watching her with just a touch of hunger. ¡°Touch them again and you won¡¯t eat for a week.¡± ¡°Thought you¡¯d enjoy it¡­ playing hero¡­¡± She ignored the voice and its rasping laugh, instead choosing to make her way to the kitchen where her exhausted looking mother was nursing a cup of coffee while looking dead on her feet. ¡°Hey mam¨¢.¡± She greeted with a half-hug as she gently guided her madre to a chair. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to make us breakfast.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do.¡± Her mami argued. ¡°Especially with how little I¡¯m around for you two, mija.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not your fault.¡± She scowled where her mother wouldn¡¯t see. ¡°Your bastardo bosses are the ones having you work so much for so little.¡± ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not that bad.¡± Her mami told her, ¡°At the very least we¡¯ve got enough to cover all of the bills and everything.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± She conceded, before forcing herself to put on a smile as Elena entered the room. ¡°You eat yet, or?¡± ¡°S¨ª.¡± Her mami yawned before setting down her coffee as she gave Elena a hug. ¡°I was just waiting for the two of you to get up before heading to bed myself.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Alright, well¡­ try to get some rest.¡± She told her mam¨¢, knowing she wasn¡¯t the only one in the family who had trouble sleeping. ¡°I will.¡± Her mami assured her with a hug and kiss to her temple. Actions that would embarrass other teens, but that she savored given how rarely she actually saw her mami. ¡°Can¡¯t do this without you mija.¡± ¡°Te amo, mami.¡± ¡°Yo tambi¨¦n te amo, mija.¡± Her mother smiled back before making her way towards her room. (I know you can¡¯t do this without me, but I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t have to do this at all soon enough.) She silently promised, knowing how her mami felt about her taking part in any of her ¡®extracurricular¡¯ activities, regardless of how much money they could pull in. With her mam¨¢ off to bed and Elena already half-way through her breakfast, she made herself a plate and scarfed it down as quickly as possible, fully aware of the fact that time was probably her most valuable resource next to it. Something she was reminded of as on their way out of the house she passed a pair of bird skulls she¡¯d talked her madre into letting her hang next to the door. ¡°Keep guard.¡± She ordered, as she did every time she left the house. --- ¡°Alright, you need anything from the store, chica?¡± She asked as they passed the last store before her sister¡¯s school. ¡°No, I¡¯m good, Val.¡± Her sister assured her, taking a breather from her rant on why the now canon couple of whatever anime she was watching was inferior to another. ¡°Anyway like I was saying, I get that they¡¯re childhood friends and she had a crush on him but he had so much better chemistry with the other girl and the only reason the author tacked them together so that everyone could be in a relationship at the end. I mean all she had going for her was frequent ¡®damsel in distress¡¯ syndrome, while the other girl helped him get revenge for his mom and protect his family! Honestly, pretty much every other girl in the series would¡¯ve been better than her, even those two that were only around for like a single season arc before coming back at the end!¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± She nodded, listening to her sister¡¯s rant despite not entirely understanding or caring about it, before asking if, ¡°You¡¯ve got lunch money for the day?¡± as they came up to the school gates. ¡°S¨ª, I¡¯ve still got left over money from yesterday.¡± Elena told her. ¡°Alright, then mam¨¢ will pick you up from school today.¡± She reminded her sister. ¡°And since I¡¯ve got a meeting with girls after school, I¡¯ll probably be a little late getting back to the house. You remember the rules for when you¡¯re home alone?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t open the door for strangers. Don¡¯t open it for any of mam¨¢¡¯s ex¡¯s. And if I¡¯m feeling scared, throw the rocks on your dresser at the creepy bird skulls to make myself feel better.¡± Her sister listed with some exasperation, having had to recite the same list at least once a week for almost two years. ¡°Oh, and if someone tries to break into the house again, throw the skulls at them before calling you, because they¡¯re heavier than they look.¡± ¡°?Eso es!¡± She nodded, ruffling her baby sister¡¯s hair. ¡°Stop!¡± Elena whined, making no actual effort to stop her. ¡°Sure thing, hermanita.¡± She smirked, thinking how cute her baby sister was when she took a step away and tried to glare. (It¡¯s like a puppy pouting at you.) ¡°You have a good day, alright?¡± ¡°I will, you too Val.¡± Elena told her starting across the street. ¡°Te amo, hermanita.¡± She called once Elena had crossed the street, earning a few snickers from the other nearby spanish speaking students. ¡°Yo tambi¨¦n te amo.¡± Elena called back, rushing through the gates before her sister could embarrass her any further. Smiling softly, she waited until her hermana was safely inside the school, before letting her smile fall as she said, ¡°Stick with her for the day. Anyone touches her-¡± ¡°EaT tHEm AlIVe.¡± Her shadow finished from behind her standing twice her height and triple her width without a single human feature. ¡°Yep.¡± She nodded, turning towards her own school without even bothering to meet the mad eye of the Demon she¡¯d sold her soul and numerous others to. Side Quest: Southside Coven- Brewing Troubles (Pt. 2 of 3) Side Quest: Southside Coven- Brewing Troubles (Pt. 2 of 3) --- Artemis Foster --- Like every day since her eighth birthday she ignored the various eyes and whispers that followed her everywhere she went. (You¡¯d think after two years they¡¯d quit staring.) She growled to herself before taking a detour towards a nearby bathroom (to get away from everyone¡¯s stupidity.) Thanking her luck that the room was empty she made her way to the sink before checking her appearance in the mirror, gold eyes once more familiarizing themselves with the sight that drew the attention of everyone who saw her. She couldn¡¯t help but yawn at the sight, making her elongated fangs all the more apparent in her reflection. (Wonder how many people realize those aren¡¯t part of my Deviancy?) Unlike a fair portion of her current appearance, she¡¯d actually inherited her teeth from both of her non-Deviant parents, though unlike her and her mother¡¯s her father¡¯s teeth had been filed down after he¡¯d bit a kid hard enough to draw blood in high school. Shaking her head in amusement at the memory of her dad turning into an embarrassed mess whenever her mother recited the story of the one time someone had gotten hands-y with her. An incident that led to her father getting both his first and only detention as well as his first and only girlfriend. Running her fingers through her two toned hair she couldn¡¯t help but once more wonder what led to her hair changing colors in such an odd fashion, keeping her natural brown like her parents at the roots before tapering off into a color based on what spells she chose to sling in the days prior. Something her mentor had told her about, even if the older woman couldn¡¯t figure out why her hair changed color, and burned out any dye she tried to use on it. The bathroom door opened. Of course given how her hair could be dyed, teeth were usually covered, and odd eye colors could be missed, none of these things were the detail that drew everyone¡¯s attention. An honor that solely fell to the set of pointed ears on the sides of her head. (Still can¡¯t believe elves were real back in the day.) That had been an interesting revelation for her nine-year-old self, back before she realized that non-Deviants had probably killed them all off for a mild Anima mutation. ¡°Well if it isn¡¯t the pointy eared freak herself?¡± A haughty voice laughed, dashing whatever hopes she had of just ignoring the small group that had entered the bathroom. (Because that would just be too easy for my life.) Sighing to herself she turned her attention to one of the numerous students who had yet to earn the right for her to bother remembering their names. ¡°Oh look it¡¯s the girl whose only sense of self-esteem is ripping into others because her social standing is that precarious.¡± She sniped with a smile that showed off her teeth. ¡°W-what?¡± The girl stumbled, a shocked look on her face that matched the rest of her little group. ¡°Since no one¡¯s told you, let¡¯s get something straight bitch. I don¡¯t take shit from anyone.¡± She told the girl, igniting a ferocious fuchsia flame between her fingers. ¡°Got it?¡± ¡°Y-you, you can¡¯t, can¡¯t use your powers on p-people¡­¡± The girl stuttered out, paling even without the light of the flame just inches from her face. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯d go to jail if I used my powers on you.¡± She admitted in a too calm tone, before filtering a touch of magic into her eyes as she grinned, causing them to glow as her pupils became slits. ¡°Doesn¡¯t change the fact that there¡¯d still be a first victim.¡± ¡°Never got why you dumb bitches always feel like volunteering for that role should I ever snap.¡± She smiled, snuffing the flame out with a snap of her fingers, letting the flames slip ever so slightly for a visible spark as she reeled her magic in. ¡°Now if you don¡¯t mind I have better things to do than watch you four piss yourselves.¡± Stepping around the girls and into the hall, she couldn¡¯t help but let out another sigh as she rolled her shoulders, feeling twice as stressed from that little¡­ performance as she had before. Cracking her neck with a quick twist, she started making her way through the crowd of students, her eyes drifting to the various shadows following everyone around. (At least I¡¯ve still got my mage sight going.) It was one of her favorite spells, and one of the first her mentor ever taught her. A spell that allowed people to actually see the magic that danced around everyone and clung to them regardless of their actual ability to use Anima. A sight that turned the dull world and people around her into a fantastical world of imagination, one that had led her to her friends as well as warning her off of a number of hidden threats. (Still can¡¯t believe the school has two half-demons walking around, I mean that quiet girl was one thing, but now we¡¯ve got that prideful show-off using his powers around the school.) And that wasn¡¯t including how distracting his clown of a shadow could be while he was making so much mischief. (One of us needs to have a¡­ ¡®talk¡¯ with him if he¡¯s going to be causing trouble in public like the other week. At the very least he could keep it private like the rest of us.) Letting herself become distracted by the sea of shadows giving her the barest hints of the personalities of those they followed, she walked into a wall as she turned a corner in the hall. ¡°Oh, sorry! Are you okay?¡± (A very talkative wall.) She grimaced, deciding that since he was apologizing and it wasn¡¯t really his fault, she wouldn¡¯t chew him out. Looking up into a pair of forest green eyes she couldn¡¯t help but freeze. Most people had a humanoid wisp following them around, with the wisp growing in detail and clarity the stronger their host¡¯s connection was to one source of magic or another. Even the shadows following her and her friends were mostly human in size and appearance, with her mentor¡¯s shadow being a human sized bird-person of sorts. The boy in front of her though... He had a monster of a shadow. A being that even hunched over stood at least ten-feet tall and six across, with a chipped and jagged axe clutched in its hands, and a scarf of shadows wrapped around its neck in hangman''s noose before hanging over a jacket torn, stitched, and stained by things that scared her to even contemplate as a pair of wolven eyes stared out from the darkness beneath its hood. ¡°Miss?¡± The boy asked with some concern. ¡°S-sorry.¡± She apologized, thoroughly intimidated by the (monster) in human skin standing before her. ¡°W-wasn¡¯t looking where I was g-going.¡± ¡°Come on Jon, our class is on the other side of the school we need to go.¡± A black girl with glasses told the boy tugging on his arm as she tried to (mercifully) drag the boy away. ¡°R-right.¡± The (monster) nodded, with a crack in his voice before turning his eyes back to her. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay, miss?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± She swallowed, trying very hard not to focus on the fact that the (monster¡¯s) shadow had at no point looked away from her. A sign that even with the (kind) girl dragging him, she¡¯d never actually left the (monster¡¯s) attention. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re sure.¡± The (monster) sighed before (finally) walking away and leaving her shaken. (What the flaming fuck was that?!) She asked herself, hoping she could make sense of that (monster) walking around without anyone noticing. (Especially the coven.) Reflexively she took one more glance at the (monster¡¯s) shadow, and found it still staring at her. What¡¯s more it smiled at her with a maw full of bloodied fangs as one hundred and sixty-four eyes turned to her. Side Quest: Southside Coven- Brewing Troubles (Pt. 3 of 3) Side Quest: Southside Coven- Brewing Troubles (Pt. 3 of 3) --- Audrey Meadows --- Tapping her fingers along the teacher¡¯s desk, she continued to wait on her two¡­ compatriots, while also refusing to spend even one more minute in the rough plastic chairs when there was a perfectly good cushioned chair less than five steps away. ¡°Meadows.¡± A voice called, drawing her attention to a familiar elf. ¡°Foster.¡± She nodded back in greeting as the girl¡¯s yellow eyes locked onto a potted plant sitting next to her. ¡°Is that one we have to worry about?¡± Her fellow Arcane asked with narrowed eyes, causing her to roll her own. ¡°It¡¯s harmless and perfectly legal.¡± She answered, not pointing out that the plant probably would be deemed illegal if she hadn¡¯t made an entirely new species of cannabis with a bit of magic. (Got to love those legal grey areas.) Foster gave her a look that said ¡®I don¡¯t believe you, but it¡¯s not worth the effort to fight you on this.¡¯ Which was fair given how if Val hadn¡¯t torched the evidence, her last batch would¡¯ve landed one of them in jail. (Still she usually puts up at least a token argument¡­) Watching the other girl take a seat she couldn¡¯t help but notice the way she almost seemed to fidget in place, as if something was actively bothering her at the moment but she refused to tell anyone. (Same old Foster¡­) She sighed, before deciding to distract the girl who while better off than her life-style wise, was probably worse off publicly. ¡°Any idea where Val is?¡± ¡°Probably doing a check in with her Scarecrow.¡± Foster dismissed, before rolling her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t know why she feels the need to hide those when we all know what she¡¯s contracted to.¡± ¡°Probably sparing us the fear effect.¡± She shrugged, knowing Val was the kind of girl to try and make things easier on those close to her. (Still trying to figure out how she got an A Rank demon out of a Confidant Catalyst.) After the first time seeing the Scarecrow, she did a bit of digging and her sources told her that those Catalysts rarely spat out anything higher than C Rank, with maybe the occasional B Rank for those that were considered more ¡®interesting¡¯ by the Arcane Nexus. And that was of course before taking into account the fact that most demons themselves were often a rank lower than those averages if summoned, largely due to their¡­ anti-social tendencies. (Maybe something threw off the ritual. She did try summoning it around Halloween.) That always had odd effects on rituals, especially in a town with such a well-established magical underground. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late.¡± A voice apologized, as a latin teen stepped into the room. (Speak of the devil.) ¡°S¡¯ fine.¡± She told the practitioner with a yawn. ¡°With everyone important here, I suppose we should get started.¡± Foster cut in ruder than normal, as she purposely grabbed Val¡¯s attention. (Here we go again.) ¡°Ah, what¡¯s wrong Foster, too much of a bitch to say ¡®hello¡¯?¡± Val asked with faux kindness. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that Alejo, we both know which of us is the real bitch.¡± (Both of you?) She wondered as she was forced to watch the two teenagers stumble through a weird mix of bullying and flirting. (Really thinking about just locking the two in a closet for a couple of hours.) ¡°Aw, kitten thinks she has teeth.¡± Val crooned, before smiling with her teeth. ¡°Need I remind you which of us has kicked in more?¡± ¡°Yes, because your brutish ways are oh so impressive.¡± Foster scoffed, playing with a pocket knife. ¡°Especially in all of those fights that could¡¯ve been resolved with just a few words.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Because your words sound like you¡¯re trying to pick a fight.¡± Val pointed out, hunching over slightly despite seeming to grow bigger as she took two long steps forward to pin Foster in place. Rolling her eyes, as she noticed Foster¡¯s smile nervously taking on a hint of something other than venom, she snapped her fingers twice before the girls could go any further with their dramatics. ¡°Yeah, no. I¡¯ve got a business meeting with a couple of Dealers in an hour. So let¡¯s get the real work out of the way, shall we?¡± Artemis¡¯s eye twitched once as Val deflated before collapsing into a seat of her own. ¡°Yeah, yeah. This is about the Halloween Haunt thing right?¡± Val asked, being the least entrenched in the magical side of things despite having arguably the strongest connections between them. (Unless those rumors about Artemis¡¯s teacher are true.) ¡°Please don¡¯t use that name.¡± Arty groaned, too frustrated to bother with her usual walls. ¡°I can¡¯t take it seriously, even after witnessing it first hand last year.¡± ¡°Eh, Sanctuary named it.¡± Val shrugged, getting a scoff out of the other girl. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure every Sanctuary branch uses that name for any regular Halloween havoc.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Maybe, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that this is a¡­ unique opportunity for us.¡± She cut in, once more getting the other two back on topic. ¡°Right.¡± Foster nodded, (unfortunately) requiring her social footing. ¡°Now that Audrey has a Hunter¡¯s license we can participate in this year''s haunt under our own banner, rather than the Witch¡¯s Wares.¡± ¡°And despite her having the license we¡¯re still doing an even split of the money, right?¡± Val asked, the priorities of her arrangement coming to the forefront once more. ¡°Right.¡± She readily agreed, before smirking. ¡°Though don¡¯t expect me to be as actively involved as the two of you.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Artemis scoffed for multiple reasons, several insulting. ¡°Given your focus on plants and such, your magic isn¡¯t particularly helpful unless we get swarmed or manage to pull a boss.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like you¡¯ll be pulling the heavy weight either princesa.¡± Val glared. ¡°Just because you know more spells than either of us doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re a better fighter than either of us.¡± The elf rolled her eyes. ¡°I know I can¡¯t take Audrey in an all out fight.¡± The unspoken, ¡®I can take you though,¡¯ was heard by all three of them. Val¡¯s eyes started to take on a manic edge once more, this one notably more violent than the last. ¡°Pinche puta.¡± (And there¡¯s the demon¡¯s influence.) ¡°Remember if you kill each other you¡¯ll have no backup for the haunt.¡± She warned them, wishing she was doing something with the plant on the desk other than selling it in an hour. Val snapped her teeth before shaking her head as her eyes returned to normal. ¡°Right, when exactly does this whole thing start. I know Halloween is the big night, but the Creeps start coming out at?¡± ¡°They''re probably already coming out.¡± She admitted. ¡°But the numbers will be on the rise for the next few weeks, with Sanctuary officially opening the hunt on Friday night.¡± ¡°Something all three of us have to attend.¡± Foster reminded Val. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve already got it set up.¡± Val waved away. ¡°How about you? I know your parents are a little harder to sneak away from.¡± ¡°Just had to explain it was an exchange meeting of the town¡¯s Arcane about Halloween safety and knowledge.¡± Foster shrugged, inspecting her nails. ¡°Will your sister be alright on her own?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got enough totems and wards lying around the house to keep her safe.¡± Val nodded at one of the few topics they (thankfully) didn¡¯t fight over. ¡°You want me to touch up your family¡¯s before everything hits the fan?¡± ¡°No, my house is already triple layered under mine, yours, and my mentors.¡± Arty told her, before turning to Audrey. ¡°How about you, you need a touch up for your stuff?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good.¡± It wasn¡¯t like she had much worth protecting at her place anyway. (I should probably check in with mini-me though.) Just because her dads threw her out didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t going to keep them safe. Especially since she understood why they threw her out. Shaking her head she turned back to the girls, and forced herself back onto the topic at hand. ¡°So, meeting on Friday. Then we hit the streets each night working in pairs. Val takes point while Artemis and I run rearguard. With me tagging in on the nights that are just me and Arty. And each of us getting five shifts a week with the fifth being a weekly meeting between all of us. Anything else?¡± ¡°There was one¡­ other idea I had.¡± Artemis admitted, though she didn¡¯t look too happy about it. ¡°Yes?¡± She prodded. Sighing Artemis explained that, ¡°Given how the¡­ haunt is liable to last for the next month or so. I think it would do for us to find a¡­ floater, in case one of us-¡± ¡°You.¡± Val cut in, earning an annoyed grimace. ¡°In case one of us needs an unexpected night off.¡± Foster finished with a growl. ¡°It¡¯s not the worst idea.¡± She had to admit. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re hoping the Witch¡¯s Wares will tag in with us for a night?¡± Val ran a hand down her face as Artemis nodded. ¡°Fine. But paying them comes out of the flaking witch¡¯s cut.¡± ¡°Reasonable enough.¡± Artemis agreed. ¡°I suppose that means we¡¯ll be seeing if they are amicable at the meeting then?¡± ¡°That¡¯d be the best time.¡± She nodded. ¡°In fact now that we''re thinking about it, this night would actually be a decent time to start networking with the local Hunters and heroes, since our team is still in the¡­ forming phase of things.¡± ¡°Fuuuuck.¡± Val groaned, sliding down in her seat. ¡°Do I have to help with this¡­ ¡®buisness-y¡¯ mierda?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t we might get stuck with Noah as our floater.¡± Foster pointed out with a smirk, getting a grimace out of the latina. ¡°Fuck.¡± Val cursed once more. ¡°Fine, maybe if we¡¯re lucky we¡¯ll be able to get one of the other teams to do a team up with us. Hate asking the Delacroix¡¯s for a favor after getting out from under their wing.¡± Admittedly that rankled her a bit too, but she didn¡¯t have enough pride to care one way or the other. (Though¡­) ¡°Thinking about it we might be able to con a free shift out of the Heroes.¡± She realized. ¡°How so?¡± Val asked, the idea of more money instantly grabbing her attention. ¡°Depends on if they take part in the haunt as ¡®volunteers¡¯ or to try and get favors out of Sanctuary for any Creeps they kill¡­¡± She admitted before shaking her head. ¡°Either way I¡¯ll look into it, and know for sure by Friday.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Val nodded. ¡°That everything?¡± Artemis looked like she wanted to say something else before shaking her head. ¡°Nothing that can¡¯t wait until after Halloween.¡± ¡°Ominous. Care to share?¡± She asked. ¡°No just¡­ just a couple of new Deviants to keep on our radar.¡± Foster explained, refusing to elaborate despite being their team¡¯s ¡®sensor¡¯ as it were. ¡°Anyone worth recruiting?¡± ¡°No!¡± Artemis shouted out of nowhere. ¡°S-sorry¡­ Just¡­ they¡¯re not worth the trouble.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± She shrugged, glancing towards Val who gave her an ¡®I¡¯m not touching it¡¯ kind of gesture. ¡°Right, well I believe that covers everything then.¡± She told her partners in crime as she got out of the teacher¡¯s chair. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll see you two on Friday, make sure you¡¯ve got everything together by then.¡± ¡°The city gets invaded by demons every month, it¡¯s not like this is a big deal.¡± Val scoffed, stretching her arms out. ¡°True but this is also technically our team¡¯s debut, and that is a big deal.¡± Foster told her, pointedly looking away from Val¡¯s stretching. (At least she¡¯s learning not to stare.) ¡°Fine, double down on the fire and healing scripts, got it.¡± Val sighed. ¡°And don¡¯t forget to make a few extra totems in case of an emergency.¡± She reminded her. ¡°If something goes wrong I¡¯d rather have the Scarecrow ready to bail us out.¡± ¡°Sometimes I think you guys only want me for my pet demon.¡± Valentina scoffed. ¡°Well, that and your baseball bat.¡± She admitted. 39 Suns- Family, Fluff, and Friends 39 Suns- Family, Fluff, and Friends ¡ª Jon --- Waking up to the blaring of his phone¡¯s alarm, he couldn¡¯t help but groan at the various aches and pains still filling his body after that mess at the Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon. (Thought it was just the exhaustion yesterday.) He sighed, running a hand down his face before sitting up and trying to stretch out some of the pain, hoping it would loosen him up enough to make it through the day like it had several times before but alas, ¡°Yeah, no that¡¯s not helping¡­¡± Glancing over to the small bundle of pillows and blankets -(closer than usual)- that Pix had claimed as her nest, he was briefly tempted to wake her to see if she could do something about the aches that the Dungeon¡¯s Heal hadn¡¯t managed to take care of. Something he was reluctant to do, especially given how stressed she must¡¯ve been waiting on him to recover the day prior. He watched her for a moment before shaking his head as he decided, ¡°Eh, I can suck it up until she¡¯s actually awake.¡± and forcing himself onto his feet so that he could make his way towards the kitchen to get a start on breakfast. ¡°You¡¯re up early.¡± He told his ma as he passed her already drinking a cup of coffee as she poured over several documents. ¡°Up late actually.¡± His ma corrected, before looking at him and frowning, ¡°And you¡¯re kind of dead at the moment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m what?¡±) He swallowed. ¡°I said, you look half-dead kid.¡± His ma repeated, eyeing him with concern. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re still not over whatever put you down early last night?¡± ¡°Right, I¡­ I guess not¡­¡± He admitted, pinching at the bridge of his nose to make the ache in his eyes go away as he remembered texting his ma that he was crashing early and that she¡¯d have to grab dinner on her way back. ¡°Well, I¡¯m too tired for training today anyway, so why don¡¯t you take the day off too?¡± His ma told him getting up from her seat. ¡°Yeah, maybe I¡¯ll just go for a light jog today.¡± He half agreed. Rolling her eyes, his ma ran a hand through his hair as she passed. ¡°Taking a day off isn¡¯t going to kill you, kiddo.¡± (Maybe not today, but what about tomorrow?) ¡°Look if you¡¯re lucky this¡¯ll just be a twenty-four hour thing and you¡¯ll be good by dinner.¡± His ma continued. ¡°And if not, well you¡¯re always the one telling me to take care of myself, so why not follow your own advice and take it easy for a few days, huh?¡± ¡°Well, given how our roles are reversed I guess that means I¡¯m supposed to ignore that advice, right?¡± His ma snorted at that. ¡°Smart ass.¡± --- ¡°Morning sleepy head.¡± He greeted Pix as she looked up from her blanket pile. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± The little fairy made a tired chirping sound before seeming to get a bit more energy when she noticed him setting a plate of pancakes on his desk. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯ve got some energy after that disaster yesterday.¡± He admitted, earning a shrug of sorts from Pix as she happily -and literally- dived into her breakfast. (Sometimes I wonder just how different a fairy¡¯s logic is for her to get over everything so quickly or how badly I¡¯ve messed up to make her numb to it all.) He shook his head at that though, before wincing as the action pulled at something in his neck and shoulder. Pix¡¯s attention snapped to him with an odd sort of intensity, and he felt compelled to explain that, ¡°The Dungeon Heal from yesterday fixed the worst of my injuries but given how I was yesterday, I guess it missed a couple of things here and there.¡± The little fairy frowned as her entire face seemed to scrunch up, before she suddenly shot into the air and started circling around him, a glowing trail of magic following her as he was surrounded by her magic, so much warmer than his own. Slowly the warmth soaked into his muscles as bit by bit every ache and pain in his body slowly faded from existence as all of the small bits of damage were mended by Pix¡¯s magic. Until after a (too quick) moment the little fairy cut off the flow of magic before flitting around him to see if she¡¯d missed anything. ¡°Thanks, you didn¡¯t have to-¡± Pix zipped barely an inch from his face, a stern look on her own as she cut him off. ¡°Hmm, thanks.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but smile in contentment. --- Given how much like his Ma he was incapable of sitting inactive for too long, it barely took him an entire day before he eventually found himself pacing in front of a large Spell Circuit drawn on a piece of cardboard laying on the floor of his room. ¡°Okay, so¡­ theoretically this Spell Circuit should allow me to summon an F-Rank Magical Creature.¡± He told Pix as he continued to read out of one of his contracting books before switching to his Contractor¡¯s Creature Compendium. ¡°And then if I tweak this¡­ and this¡­ it should allow me to summon a Flufflepuff.¡± He figured seeing as how they were considered one of the easiest creatures to summon as well as the mascot of the Arcane Association made them the ideal first summon with a circuit he¡¯d designed himself. (Well that and they¡¯re supposed to be good with kids.) (That¡¯s the most important part.) ¡°Right, so all that¡¯s left is to give it a bit of magic.¡± He nodded, setting aside his books. ¡°Here¡¯s hoping this works.¡± He swallowed as he placed both of his hands on the circuit. Steeling himself he began channeling the magic from his amulet through his body and into the Summoning Circuit, causing electricity to flow and dance through the circle occasionally sparking into the air as the magical energy sought out a purpose for itself. The energy slowly picked up speed around the circuit as read out the plan he¡¯d given for it to fulfill, until at last the energy leapt into the center of the circle before blasting out in a wave of light. (He couldn¡¯t tell how long the light burned for, whether the screaming in the air was him or the beast, when he hit the ground, or even when the light had finally stopped. All he knew for sure was that the light could hurt far more than broken bones and seared flesh. But slowly, laying there, a blurred vision began to return to him, and though both severely damaged by the light and likely never to fully recover on its own, it did assure him that the light had indeed, mercifully stopped.) This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. He gasped as his eyes shot open, taking in a number of deep breaths before letting them out in shaky bursts. (Great, another memory to have flashbacks of.) A twitch of movement caused his contracted pupils to dart to the center of the circle where a fluffy white ball of fur about the size of a large melon laid, before twitching ever so slightly. Seeing that the thing was (probably) harmless he forced himself to calm down before crouching closer to the twitching sphere of fluff, and as he neared it the ball uncurled revealing a fluffy white creature with four stubby little paws, two beady black eyes, a large yawning mouth, and an odd brown pattern over its left eye. The little creature that he recognized from the pictures in his compendium drowsily rubbed at its eyes before blinking and looking around the room. It eventually spotted him looming over it and blinked once more before raising a paw into the air and waving at him with a large smile. ¡°You are adorable.¡± He told the little flufflepuff with unrepentant honesty. Pix gave him a look before landing in front of the Flufflepuff with crossed arms and an unimpressed look. The little Flufflepuff tilted its head as it eyed the equally little fairy curiously. Pix seemed to scoff before reaching to shove the flufflepuff and freezing the moment her hand touched its fur. Not a moment later the little fairy had tackled the flufflepuff and was rubbing her face into the little creature¡¯s fur while making a repeating chirping sound. After a moment of this Pix sat up and pointed at the flufflepuff with an astonished look on her face. He couldn¡¯t help but smile at that. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re liking how fluffy they are, huh?¡± Pix nodded happily before turning back to the flufflepuff and receiving a large tongue across her face, freezing the little fairy in place with a look of absolute disgust and horror. The flufflepuff continued to smile happily. Seeing the oncoming storm, he quickly separated the two by picking each of them up with one hand before setting Pix on the bed and handing her a piece of a blanket to wipe her face off with. ¡°Right, so um, you need a name.¡± He told the flufflepuff. Briefly he considered coming up with a name based on ¡®flufflepuff¡¯ before quickly remembering what Ying had said about his naming skills when he¡¯d first contracted Wolf a few weeks prior. ¡°Uh, any ideas Pix?¡± The little fairy gave him a hand gesture that he had no idea where she learned it from, but he wanted to know so that he could (break someone¡¯s fingers for teaching her.) Shaking his head he held the flufflepuff up with a frown as he tried to run through a list of names in his head, before recalling his initial description of the flufflepuff. ¡°Hmm, how about¡­ Melon? Melon, the Flufflepuff.¡± The little flufflepuff stared at him with wide eyes before seeming to vibrate -(No, wait, Melon is actually vibrating.)- in his hands as their mouth slowly opened to almost double their body diameter. ¡°Uh, Pix, something is happening¡­!¡± He warned the little fairy as Melon began to glow, before exploding in a small blast of sparkles leaving the flufflepuff panting happily (with a bow in their hair?) (What.) ¡°Oh, uh, I guess this means you¡¯re a, uh, female flufflepuff?¡± He asked a little unsurely, not entirely sure why the bow appeared out of nowhere, or what the light show was about. Melon gave him a happy sounding yip while one of her paws fiddled with the bow. ¡°Okay, then.¡± --- Nearing his meeting place with Ying he couldn¡¯t help but pause as he actually saw the Draconic teen sitting on a park bench and looking emptily into space. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He frowned before shaking his head and getting a bit closer as he slipped on a (fake) smile. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Oh, hey.¡± Ying greeted back, though just from her voice he could tell she was lacking her usual drive. But rather than calling her out on it he took a seat next to her and waited, because while he knew he wasn¡¯t the best when it came to grown people he did know they¡¯d rather people not pry into their business if it could be helped, meaning the best he could do was wait for her to talk about it. ¡°So¡­ what did you want to meet about?¡± Ying asked after a moment of silence. ¡°Oh, I uh, I figured out this summoning thing and figured you might want to meet them.¡± He shrugged, beginning to shift the flow of magic in his amulet to his new contractor¡¯s mark, a small emblem on the back of his shoulder that he couldn¡¯t quite make out in the mirror. ¡°Heh, barely a day later and you¡¯re already diving back into the thick of things.¡± Ying chuckled, just a little morosely. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I, I don¡¯t like sitting still for too long.¡± He tried to explain, rubbing the back of his hands. ¡°Yeah, you always were moving, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve ever really taken a break even at camp.¡± Ying nodded, leaning back in her seat. (Because any time I try to relax while it¡¯s peaceful someone messes with the peace.) ¡°How do you do it?¡± He tilted his head. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I know for a fact that the Beast screwed with your head as much as he did mine, and yet that¡¯s never really slowed you down.¡± Ying turned to him with tired eyes. ¡°How do you do it?¡± (Repress my trauma until I snap and kill something.) ¡°Heh, I just¡­ I don¡¯t think about it.¡± He swallowed nervously. ¡°It¡¯s one of the first rules of dealing with Madness: ¡®Don¡¯t think about it too hard or it¡¯ll drive you mad.¡¯¡± That was probably the lesson from Rogers that had helped him the most in the early days, back when his eyes would bleed whenever he looked at a Corrupted for too long. It was also the only lesson that made him cut the quartermaster some slack on his drinking habits. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it.¡± Ying repeated with a wry grin. ¡°That sounds easier said than done.¡± ¡°It is.¡± He agreed. ¡°But the best I can do is keep moving and hope things get better.¡± ¡°And if they don¡¯t?¡± (Murder whatever ¡®s messing things up.) ¡°They do, one way or another.¡± He told her, grabbing her knee to ground himself as much as reassure her. ¡°And if it ever gets to be too much, me and Pix are here for you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ying told him with a half smile. He nodded, before taking a deep breath and pushing away the shadows in his head, the memories reminding him that just because he accepted the beast as part of him didn¡¯t change the fact that he was a monster. (No, I¡¯m not.) He ran a hand down his face before turning back to Ying. ¡°What exactly brought all of this on?¡± Ying was quiet for a moment. ¡°I thought I was strong enough to resist the Beast¡¯s call, but he just¡­ he just took me over like it was nothing. Turned me into a monster a-¡± ¡°You¡¯re not.¡± He told her even more forcefully than he told himself. ¡°You¡¯re not a monster.¡± ¡°I almost believe you but the thoughts that ran through my head when the dragon took over, I can still feel them in my head.¡± Ying confessed tapping at the side of her head as her eyes became more draconic in nature. ¡°And it, it reminds me that no matter how hard I try I will always be part dragon now, that these impulses for violence, lust, and greed are never going away.¡± Part of him wanted to tell her that it¡¯d only been a few months since the first time she¡¯d been Corrupted, that if she gave it time the voices and instincts would fade, and eventually she¡¯d be able to readjust to her old normal, but¡­ The Beast knew that¡¯d be lying. ¡°Yeah¡­ those don¡¯t go away.¡± He admitted, feeling the Beast watching him from within. ¡°The, the best advice I can offer is to¡­ distract yourself by¡­ reminding yourself of¡­ who you are.¡± ¡°Who I am?¡± Ying asked, her face scrunching up in confusion. ¡°Yeah, who are you?¡± He nodded, turning in his seat so that he was facing her. ¡°I mean, I know who I am, or I like to think I do. I¡¯m Jon Whitaker, son of Minerva Whitaker, the only person in my household who can cook, the best counselor at Camp Bet, an avid reader and fighting enthusiast, magic apprentice of Edna Donovan and Alexander DeSade, friend to kids, and best friend of Pix the fairy and Ying the teen.¡± He made sure to look her in the eye, to make sure she was listening to his words and understood something he was still coming to terms with himself. ¡°What you need do to do is ask yourself who you are, and then focus on that person, distract yourself from the Madness by reminding yourself who you are at your core with or without the Madness and magic flowing through your veins.¡± ¡°Focus on who I am¡­¡± Ying repeated once more as she leaned back thoughtfully. ¡°So the question is, who am I?¡± 40 Suns- A Pile O Fluff And Magic 40 Suns- A Pile O'' Fluff And Magic --- Jon --- Sitting bored in his room, because his Ma decided that he still wasn¡¯t looking good enough to push himself with their morning training, he began looking for something to do to kill a few of the hours until he had to go to the Arcane meeting Ms. Delacroix had told him about. (Let¡¯s see¡­ Mom is at work, Ying is still probably decompressing after everything from the last few days, Pix is messing with the garden, and I don¡¯t know why but I get the feeling Wolf is busy with something too right now.) He wasn¡¯t sure why he had that last feeling but whenever he started pushing magic into his contract with her, there was a mild resistance. One could push through if he felt like it, but again, he felt that that was a bad idea at the moment. (So, who does that leave?) ¡°Oh, wait!¡± Flexing his magic he pushed it into his contractor¡¯s mark for Melon, eventually forming a small ball of light that he tossed forward causing it to spin in the air for a moment before exploding into his flufflepuff familiar. Melon looked around curiously, eventually spotting him before giving a happy yipping sound as she ran over and began running circles around his legs. ¡°Heh, good to see you too.¡± He told her, picking up the little flufflepuff before noting that she seemed to somehow be even fluffier than he remembered. ¡°Okay, I have a flufflepuff¡­ Now what?¡± He asked Melon, earning a curious head tilt from said flufflepuff. ¡°No ideas? That¡¯s fine.¡± He let his eyes roam around his room a bit before they eventually landed on his copy of the Contractor¡¯s Creature Compendium as he slowly recalled something he¡¯d read in the book back when he¡¯d first discovered the existence of flufflepuffs. Wandering over and flipping to the correct page he read aloud, ¡°Flufflepuffs despite their lack of combat ability possess two Contracting traits that still make them fairly popular amongst Contracting children. First is their [Swarm] trait that allows multiple Flufflepuffs to be summoned regardless of a Contractor¡¯s actual limits, with the first Flufflepuff summoned being deemed the true Contracted summons.¡± He tapped this paragraph twice before turning to Melon. ¡°You know how to do that?¡± The fluffy one slowly shook her head while panting happily. ¡°Right¡­¡± He nodded just as slowly as he pondered this detail, before briefly attempting to summon another flufflepuff the same way he did Melon. (This did not work.) After a moment to reconsider this, he decided to instead see what would happen if instead of just pushing magic into his contractor¡¯s mark he pushed it through the bond between them, much like he would to let Pix use his reserves in an emergency. ¡°Bum-Bum.¡± He blinked as Melon struggled out of his grip and leapt onto the floor where on all four she began to march in place while repeating, ¡°Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum.¡± Several spots around his room began to shake and shiver, causing Pix to look up from her task with the garden. ¡°Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum.¡± A ball of white fluff leapt out of his garden causing Pix to shriek in surprise. ¡°Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum.¡± Another flufflepuff crawled out from beneath blanket he¡¯d been sitting on a moment prior. ¡°Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum.¡± A book shot off of his shelf as a flufflepuff popped out of a space too narrow for it. ¡°Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum.¡± As all around him flufflepuffs appeared from seemingly nowhere, Melon hopped onto her hind legs while still marching in place to the same beat that every other flufflepuff was marching on all four to as they fell in line behind her. All the while, every flufflepuff continued to repeat in an oddly harmonious manner, ¡°Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum.¡± Slowly Melon turned towards him before saluting, and immediately dropping to all fours as the flufflepuffs finally quit repeating the tune now stuck in his head. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Well, um¡­ that was a thing.¡± He admitted, as Melon gave him a happy yip. Pix made a high pitched squealing sound before darting into the swarm of fluff and sending half of the gathered flufflepuffs flying. ¡°And this is going to be another thing¡­¡± --- Surrounded by a Pile O¡¯ Fluff and with a sleeping fairy on his chest, he wanted to get up and do something, but he didn¡¯t want to disturb the sleeping Flufflepuffs or Pix. -(It took so long to tire them all out¡­)- Which is why he eventually settled for grabbing his Arcane Affinities for An Arcane Apprentice, in the hopes of at least learning something new while he was stuck sitting still. Flipping to a random section, and then flipping a few pages back to the start of said section, he found himself delving into the Concept of [Ice]. A magical affinity that while he wasn¡¯t actively familiar with, wasn¡¯t too far outside of his understanding of [Heat]>[Cool], given how the base principals were fairly similar despite a few key differences. The primary of these differences being that the use of the [Ice] concept required a more sudden and powerful burst of [Cool] while also manipulating moisture in the air to generate the base material for the frost and ice to form. At first this mention of what was essentially water manipulation stumped him on why [Ice] would be considered a basic affinity instead of actual [Water] which the book seemed to lack a defined section for. But then it clicked when he considered why DeSade would teach him [Heat] instead of [Fire] or [Ice]. (Learning the concepts of [Fire] and [Ice] are supposed to teach people about manipulating heat, while [Water] would simply be the reshaping of material rather than the manipulation of it.) Blinking at this little revelation he sat up a little bit and flipped the book back to its index, jostling Pix just enough in the process for her to swat him to stay still. ¡°Sorry.¡± He apologized idly, as he began to go over the affinities in his head. ([Magic] for a base understanding of Anima and its uses. [Fire] and [Ice] for heat. [Wind] and [Stone] for manipulation of solids and gases. [Electricity] for raw energy manipulation. And then [Shadow] and [Light] for construct generation. All together they¡¯d give a basic grasp of the less complex uses of magic.) He realized looking each over, before a frown made its way to his face. ¡°But then why not cover [Water] for liquids?¡± No matter how hard he pondered this he found his understanding of both the Affinities listed and his understanding of magic itself wouldn¡¯t click this last bit of information together. ¡°Gah, this is going to bug me¡­¡± --- Knowing that he had to attend that meeting with Ms. Delacroix soon, and not entirely trusting the world to work in his favor -(It¡¯s just statistics at this point.)- he decided to try working on something that could help should things go wrong, and Pix not be able to help. Namely a spell script that could work to heal injuries in a pinch. Surprisingly this script was relatively straightforward for him, given how for the most part it was the same script he¡¯d created to help restore Pix¡¯s magic in an emergency. Only easier given how the script possessed a singular affinity of [Mending] meaning there weren¡¯t traces of a foriegn magic to work through that healing loophole to a spell system¡¯s resistances. And since he was only working with a single affinity it was a significantly easier task to piece everything together, turning what took him several days before to crack into a simple hour or so process. ¡°Right, now let¡¯s see if this works.¡± He told Pix, picking the spell script off of his desk. He paused for a moment realizing there wasn¡¯t actually anything to heal at the moment before shrugging and pulling out his knife. A quick flex of his wrist and he had a bleeding cut on his forearm. A quick flex of his magic through the spell script and it was gone. ¡°Huh, wasn¡¯t quite sure this would work.¡± He admitted, earning a look from Pix. ¡°No, I was sure the healing thing would work. What I wasn¡¯t sure about was this thing about magic resistors I found that should help keep my scripts from burning up on use.¡± He elaborated, waving the unburned script through the air, only to frown as he took a closer look. ¡°Actually, I may have spoken a bit too soon.¡± While the spell script hadn¡¯t burned up in use like the ones before it, that didn¡¯t change the fact that there were faint burn marks and a certain crispness to the script. Enough so that, he wasn¡¯t actually sure if the script would survive a second use. ¡°Okay, so those magic resistors sort of worked¡­¡± He grimaced, before shaking his head. ¡°Eh, progress is progress, just got to work out a better resistor, I guess.¡± --- Seeing what time it was, he found himself thankful that his ma had gotten stuck pulling an extra shift at the station, leaving him unsupervised and free to leave the apartment for the Arcane meeting. He just had to figure out one little problem before he left, (A little problem that can easily make herself a big problem in the long run¡­) The warning DeSade had given him, echoed in his mind once more as he remembered about how some people might be interested in fairies for one reason or another, (none of which are good if DeSade was the one warning me.) On the other hand however, having Pix with him would immediately establish that he was a real magic user which would (hopefully) give him a starting point on his street cred, because while he was trying to keep a low profile as far as magic went, both DeSade and his Ma had drilled in how important respect and reputation were when dealing with unknowns. (Then again, there¡¯s also the fact that Pix¡¯s temper might make both options dangerous in their own ways¡­) The Arcane Meeting (Part 1) The Arcane Meeting (Part 1) --- Jon --- Spotting Ms. Delacroix and another teenager, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder once more if it was such a good idea to bring Pix along with him. Mainly because since he still hadn¡¯t replaced it after being hit by Pix¡¯s giga-zap back in the dungeon the little fairy was left to sit on his shoulder rather than hiding away inside his jacket like she usually would. But at the same time he also knew that he was likely just being paranoid given how not everyone would be out to use the little fairy for their magical experiments. (But someone might.) In which case, he¡¯d rip their throats out with his teeth before letting them have her. ¡°Oh, there you are.¡± Ms. Delacroix told him as he walked up to the pair. ¡°Wasn¡¯t sure if you¡¯d back out of this or not.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯d be here so¡­¡± He shrugged the shoulder Pix wasn¡¯t sitting on. ¡°And you brought a friend.¡± The shopkeep noted, eyeing Pix. ¡°I guess that answers what you summoned from that contracting catalyst.¡± ¡°Her name ¡®s Pix.¡± He told her, not bothering to correct her misconception in case things went wrong at this meeting and he had to summon Wolf. (And there¡¯s the paranoia.) (It¡¯s not paranoia if someone is out to get you.) Some part of him remembere, as two -technically three- eldritch entities, a cult, and one of his mentors immediately came to mind. (I have too many enemies for my age¡­) He grimaced internally. ¡°So this is the customer you asked to come along?¡± The dark haired teen next to her asked while looking him over. ¡°Noah, Jon. Jon, Noah.¡± Ms. Delacroix introduced. ¡°This is my¡­ employee, he helps around the shop and will be coming with us too.¡± (Okay, lie.) He glanced between the two, noting a clear familial similarity between the two. (Probably, family. Calling him an employee is likely meant to make her seem more professional or legit. Mmm, not worth calling out.) ¡°And that makes the three you needed for this thing, right?¡± He asked, rubbing at the back of his neck. ¡°Right.¡± Ms. Delacroix nodded before gesturing to a nearby car. ¡°The meeting is at the park so we¡¯ll be taking my car to get there.¡± ¡°Um, the forest park, or the park where the Gamer Guild has set up?¡± He frowned, more at the idea of getting in the car with a relative stranger than his own question. ¡°The, uh, second one.¡± The shopkeeper grimaced, making him briefly wonder if the gamer¡¯s guild had told her to drag him along as payback for the dungeon mess. An idea he immediately dismissed when he remembered she¡¯d asked him to come along the day before he got stuck in that mess. Shaking his head, he sucked it up and got in the back of the car. After all, (can¡¯t be worse a decision than when I got in DeSade¡¯s car.) As Ms. Delacroix pulled out of her parking spot and he buckled Pix in, he found himself wondering, ¡°At this, uh, meeting what exactly do you guys need me to do for you?¡± ¡°Honestly, we don¡¯t need you to do anything but look like you''re with us.¡± Noah told him. ¡°Normally, Arty would be with us but she and her friends are doing their own thing so we¡¯re stuck with you.¡± ¡°Arty?¡± ¡°My mom¡¯s current apprentice.¡± Ms. Delacroix answered. ¡°She and her friends just started a Hunter Team and with my mom out of town that means we¡¯re out her and our back up.¡± ¡°Hence why you asked me.¡± He nodded, following thus far while idly wondering, (Wonder what they¡¯ve hunted?) ¡°So, what kind of magic do you use?¡± Noah eventually asked him. ¡°If we¡¯re going to be seen with you we should know what you can do. I mean you¡¯ve got to have a few tricks other than contracting, right?¡± He shifted in his seat a bit. ¡°Oh, uh, I guess I dabble a bit in this and that¡­¡± ¡°I remember you mentioned something about having a mentor or something?¡± Samantha threw out. ¡°What kind of stuff did they teach you?¡± ¡°Like I said, a bit of this and that¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°Um, Miss Edna taught me potions and enchanting, while DeSade taught me more about how magic works and interacts with stuff.¡± ¡°So one taught you practical stuff while the other taught more theoretical stuff?¡± Ms. Delacroix figured. (DeSade maintained eye contact as he tore the blade out of the beast in a spray of blood, before the Devil of Blackwell continued his lecture as the poor creature¡¯s whimpering slowly faded away. ¡°In this state of near death, or increased stress one¡¯s Anima enters a state of fluctuation in which it is capable of accomplishing far more for far less, thus allowing a magic user to perform feats far beyond their normal limits.¡± A sense of wrongness filled the air as a pale glow rose from the animal¡¯s dying corpse before gathering into a small sphere in the palm of DeSade¡¯s hand. ¡°Of course from there, a prospective magic user may learn how to avoid putting themselves into this state by taking advantage of it in others and manipulating the subject¡¯s Anima to their own advantage.¡±) ¡°Yeah¡­ practical and theoretical¡­¡± He smiled to cover his nervous twitching. --- ¡°Alright, this is the place.¡± Ms. Delacroix told them as they pulled up to the park. ¡°Now while I doubt we¡¯re the first ones here, at the very least we aren¡¯t the last ones.¡± ¡°Uh, how do you know?¡± Noah snorted as they got out of the car. ¡°Trust me, the Mad Dogs can¡¯t resist putting on a show.¡± His head snapped to the other teen. ¡°Mad Dogs, like the gang?!¡± The elder Delacroix grimaced. ¡°I did say all of the city¡¯s prominent magic users.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°I, you-¡± He bit his lip and held back a yell as he forced himself to speak calmly. ¡°You said Sanctuary was going to be here, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You really didn¡¯t explain things to him?¡± Noah blinked. Delacroix ran a hand down her face. ¡°Look, this meeting is something of a truce due to the way it affects the entire city, because of that, as long as no one starts any trouble there won¡¯t be any trouble in this park, tonight and tonight alone.¡± ¡°And Halloween.¡± Noah added. ¡°And Halloween.¡± Delacroix agreed through grit teeth. ¡°But that night is for entirely different reasons.¡± ¡°Or related reasons.¡± ¡°Not helping.¡± The elder Delacroix ground out, earning an amused look from the younger Delacroix. Ignoring this, he forced himself to take a deep breath before slowly letting it out. ¡°Okay¡­¡± (This is no different than dealing with DeSade and Rogers.) ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Delacroix nodded, before leading them to the Arcane meeting. --- Stepping onto one of the park¡¯s fields he found that Ms. Delacroix had been right about them not being the first ones there as several groups had spread out around the field each one standing a fair bit from the rest as they all waited for the meeting to start. ¡°Alright, looks like just about everyone else is here so once Tru gets here and calms down, we¡¯ll get started.¡± The older magic user told him, taking a look around the field before checking her phone. ¡°Should be any minute now.¡± ¡°Tru?¡± He repeated, wondering who that was since they were supposedly waiting on them. ¡°The leader of the Mad Dogs. He usually shows up at the literal last minute so that everyone can see him.¡± Ms. Delacroix explained, before shaking her head with a grin. ¡°After all, ¡®being late is rude¡¯.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± (Just going to let that pass for now.) ¡°So uh, who are all of these people?¡± He asked, gesturing to the people around them. ¡°Oh, right, I don¡¯t know everyone here but I should probably tell you who I do know.¡± Ms. Delacroix admitted, before gesturing to a trio of masks across the way. ¡°You probably know who they are since they¡¯re all from the Hero¡¯s Guild, specifically though they¡¯re the magic users of the team.¡± ¡°Also looks like they replaced Eric with that new girl.¡± Noah added before his sister swatted him with a glare. (So they know the identity of one of the guild¡¯s masks.) He noted from that exchange. (Probably means they know more than one of the heroes if that¡¯s the case¡­) ¡°Standing next to them are of course Sanctuary,¡± Ms. Delacroix continued as if nothing happened as she motioned towards a trio wearing Sanctuary¡¯s emblems and standing next to a drone. ¡°Though I only recognize the one without a mask, meaning they brought a different set of Agents this year for whatever reason.¡± ¡°Every couple years someone new wants to try their hand at solving the Halloween Haunt.¡± Noah scoffed. ¡°Honestly surprised the Arcane Association doesn¡¯t send more people this way.¡± ¡°You can thank mom for that.¡± The elder Delacroix told the younger. (Meaning their mom probably has some sway with the Association.) ¡°Moving onto the city¡¯s Hunter Teams you have Eternal Horizon, the oldest Hunter team in the city, though they just have Guy and Daisy.¡± Ms. Delacroix explained pointing towards a massive man of muscle in a dress shirt and tie standing next to a much smaller woman wearing her own vest and tie. ¡°Wait, I thought you said everyone needed three people to prove themselves or something?¡± He frowned. Noah snorted. ¡°Yeah, watch Guy rip a demon¡¯s skull off before beating them to death with it. Then you can say they need to bring three people.¡± That made him blink. ¡°Is that really a big deal?¡± ¡°Yeah, despite what most people think, not all Hunters can actually rip a demon apart with their bare hands.¡± Ms. Delacroix assured him. ¡°Guy is kind of the exception to that rule.¡± (But I¡¯ve done that.) Well, technically it was an eldritch horror, (but depending on your definition of a demon.) ¡°The other hometown team is Stoker¡¯s Slayers,¡± Ms. Delacroix continued, unaware of his musings as she gestured towards a trio with what looked to be two bickering men and an exasperated woman. ¡°Those three are best if you need a Hunter to help with something of a more magical origin.¡± ¡°Also, the three of them are sleeping together.¡± Noah helpfully informed him. ¡°Don¡¯t spread rumors.¡± Samantha glared, earning an unrepentant shrug. ¡°You think they are too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Just don¡¯t spread rumors!¡± He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why but Pix started her tinkling laugh as she tugged on his hair while chirping about something he didn¡¯t quite understand without looking at her. Figuring it didn¡¯t matter what was amusing her at the moment he ran a finger between her antenna as Ms. Delacroix moved on to a trio of teenage girls. ¡°Next up we have¡­ actually have the girls come up with a name for their Hunter team?¡± The elder Delacroix asked the younger. ¡°Something Coven I think.¡± Noah shrugged. ¡°Right, well, the one with the odd hair is my mom¡¯s apprentice, and the other two are Val -who I think you met- and their friend Audrey, who is the one with the actual Hunter¡¯s license of the group.¡± Ms. Delacroix told him. ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t they a bit young to be Hunters?¡± He frowned, noticing how all of them were around his age. He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about other people his age risking their lives hunting monsters. (I know I don¡¯t like that I had to do it.) ¡°Eh, those girls are tougher than they look.¡± Delacroix dismissed his concerns with a wave. ¡°Val and Audrey maybe, but the elf can¡¯t take a punch.¡± Noah scoffed. ¡°Look who¡¯s talking.¡± Ms. Delacroix shot back, before turning to a pair of men and a woman wearing dark suits. ¡°Now those guys there are Covenant, they¡¯re sort of a black market for magic users and can get you a lot of stuff that is frowned upon by the Hero¡¯s Guild and Sanctuary. More importantly however, they''re our competition. So don¡¯t buy from them or I¡¯ll quit giving you a discount.¡± ¡°He¡¯s getting a discount?¡± Noah asked incredulously. ¡°He¡¯s not getting the idiot tax.¡± The shopkeeper shrugged, before explaining that, ¡°I usually slap a ten percent tax on idiots who don¡¯t know magic, but since you do I give you a bit of a discount.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you make me prove I actually knew magic before you¡¯d sell to me?¡± He reminded her. ¡°Don¡¯t you ask for certification from everyone?¡± ¡°Just the people who look like they can¡¯t legally drink.¡± Ms. Delacroix admitted. ¡°If an adult misuses magic that¡¯s on them, if a kid does it then it¡¯s on the head of whoever gave them the materials.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t sure how much he actually believed that, but he¡¯d accept it. (For now.) ¡°The other gang here is the Gamer¡¯s Guild,¡± Ms. Delacroix continued with a gestured towards a trio wearing hoodies covered in neon paints. ¡°who despite not having any real magic users do help clean and cover up this whole mess.¡± ¡°Which is why they¡¯re allowed to run their Dungeon unhassled.¡± He figured, realizing that they might get a few perks for helping the heroes and Sanctuary with whatever magical problem the city was having. ¡°Little more to it than that, but pretty much.¡± The older magic user nodded, checking her phone once more before looking towards the sky. ¡°Which would bring us to the Mad Dogs¡­¡± Curious, he followed Ms. Delacroix gaze before spotting something moving towards them from the sky, a faint sound slowly growing louder in the distance. ¡°What is that?¡± He frowned trying to get a better look at the object. ¡°Just listen.¡± Ms. Delacroix told him with an almost amused look. Doing just that, he focused on his hearing and and could just make out the sound, ¡°Trrruuu Grrriiiittt!!!¡± before the object suddenly accelerated with a visible ring of displaced air, launching the object into the ground with enough force to send up a cloud of dirt and debris. ¡°Not to fear,¡± A boisterous voice called out before a burst of wind cleared away the dust cloud. ¡°Tru Grit, has appeared!¡± With the dust cloud gone, he found a smiling red haired man standing in the middle of a newly formed crater while wearing a pair of leather pants and a sleeveless button up vest without a single one of its buttons done, thus revealing his muscular arms, six pack, and pecs. ¡°Let¡¯s get this show started shall we!¡± The Arcane Meeting (Part 2) The Arcane Meeting (Part 2) --- Jon --- ¡°Ri~ight¡­¡± One of the Sanctuary agents drawled after that entrance. ¡°Well since everyone is here, we¡¯ll go ahead and get started¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I just said!¡± A moment of silence filled the clearing, until the agent broke it by coughing into their hand as they checked their tablet. ¡°Right, well seeing as how it looks like we¡¯ve got a few new faces I¡¯ll go ahead and give everyone the explanation of what¡¯s going on, alright?¡± ¡°So a little over a hundred years ago the cities of Santa Luna, Santa Rosa, and Luna Rosa were all founded roughly around the same time. The reason for this being that the three cities were founded by a number of magic users in an attempt to seal a rather powerful demon.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡± He groaned under his breath, already knowing what this whole thing was going to be about. ¡°Unfortunately, over the years this three point seal has slowly weakened,¡± The agent continued unaware of the teenager slowly dying inside just a few meters away. ¡°and while Sanctuary, the Heroes¡¯ Guild, and the Arcane Association are all devoting a steady stream of resources to keeping the seal in place and improving upon it. Sadly, thanks to the population of the three cities the seal is bound to, the demon in question is gaining power at a rate roughly equal to how fast we are binding it.¡± (Fifty bucks says those founders gave the seal a stupid and ineffiecent power source¡­) He sighed. (Why can¡¯t everyone just use children¡¯s laughter to keep demons at bay? It¡¯s easy to get and no one complains about making more of it.) ¡°Due to this, -and the fact that we didn¡¯t discover the seal until a few years after the Rift Riots- every year towards the end of October and the beginning of November the seal weakens just enough for the Demon to call upon its allies in whatever dimension it came from to free it. The current theory being¡­¡± The agent flicked through their tablet for a moment. ¡°either the Shadow Lands or the Nightmarian Territories as far as where these Creeps are coming from.¡± (So some place dark and scary got it.) ¡°Now thanks to the fact that we vent the leaks in the seal by shifting around where the worst of the leaks are, we have managed to prevent the Creeps from ever narrowing down any of the seal¡¯s anchors. Unfortunately, this means that whichever city is scheduled to be the metaphorical vent will suffer from twice as many Creeps as its sister cities for the duration of its shift as the vent.¡± The agent looked around the field. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone understands that the reason I¡¯m bringing this up is because we are the venting city this year. Something made even worse by the fact that this Demon¡¯s domain seems to grow in power with the Moon, which we just so happen to have a full one of on Halloween. Which just so happens to be the night where this Demon¡¯s power becomes most active.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but run a hand down his face. (Just count your blessings that there isn¡¯t a cult this time Jon¡­) ¡°This problem is where all of you come into play.¡± The agent told those gathered, looking at them one by one. ¡°Due to the citywide threat of this event, Sanctuary is offering a truce and bounty for any aid you wish to offer in regards to these Creeps, just as we do every year.¡± (Okay, so that means there are almost three dozen people on this problem. Probably more. There is absolutely no need for me to get involved.) He (lied) to himself. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°For those of you who require it, proof of this truce can be found in the Gamer¡¯s Guild,¡± The Sanctuary agent explained with a gesture to the trio covered in neon paint, ¡°who keep their Dungeon open for the first half of this event as a distraction and misdirection towards the public to cover any¡­ Deviant anomalies that arise in your need to deal with this threat.¡± (So this is why the city lets them run the dungeon.) He realized. (As long as the dungeon is open they can blame the rising Deviant activity on newcomers attempting to challenge the dungeon, and maybe import a few extra Hunters and Heroes until the Demons are dealt with. And then by making the final day of the dungeon the Demon¡¯s peak, they can cover that night¡¯s activity by saying it was a final hurrah before letting everything fade into the background.) ¡°Now this isn¡¯t to say any of you are obligated to deal with the Creeps by attending this meeting, though anyone who does help will gain a thousand dollar bounty for every confirmed kill.¡± The agent informed them. ¡°And of course we are willing to offer this bounty as a cash transaction for those of you who may have certain¡­ disagreements with the local law, and thus wish to avoid leaving a paper trail.¡± (Well, at least they¡¯re respecting their own truce¡­) ¡°Alright, everyone that just about covers everything of note for this truce meeting. As always, good hunting, and try not to die before this mess is over, because you dying just makes this Demon stronger.¡± And on that lovely note the Sanctuary agent turned around and started back towards their truck. ¡°Don¡¯t let that warning get to you, he tacks those on to every debriefing Sanctuary makes him give to the community.¡± Ms. Delacroix told him. ¡°Good to know¡­¡± He admitted before asking, ¡°How worried should we be about this whole sealed demon thing?¡± (Because I¡¯ve already filled my quota on those for the year. Twice over.) ¡°Eh, my mom ¡®s one of the ones working on the seal, and as far as she can tell it hasn¡¯t gotten better or worse over the years. Admittedly that¡¯s with them tweaking and improving it all of the time, but¡­¡± The older magic user shrugged. ¡°Given how few of the blighters actually pop up each year I¡¯m not too worried about it.¡± ¡°What about the civilians who don¡¯t know about any of this stuff?¡± He frowned. ¡°City has a curfew every Halloween due to a ¡®dangerous increase in Deviant activity¡¯.¡± Noah answered. ¡°Apparently it¡¯s an old carryover law from the Rift Riots or something.¡± ¡°Yeah, which is why the Gamers¡¯ Guild opens their Dungeon a couple weeks before things start to get dangerous, to provide a measurable increase for the city to justify said curfew.¡± Ms. Delacroix elaborated. ¡°Honestly, based on what I remember, this whole thing got significantly easier once they started doing their dungeons a few years back. Before that there was this whole thing about faking crime reports or some garbage that I was too young to really understand at the time.¡± (So the government lying to the people.) He figured. (Nothing new there.) ¡°Still you¡¯ve more or less fulfilled your obligation of showing up with us.¡± Ms. Delacroix told him. ¡°At this point you can just do whatever, but if you want to collect your payment tonight we¡¯re probably going to be here for another hour or so to touch base with everyone.¡± ¡°Speaking of, I''m going to see if I can mess with T.¡± Noah told them, before seemingly making his way towards the Heroes Guild members. ¡°Don¡¯t pick a fight you can¡¯t win.¡± The elder Delacroix advised the younger before turning back to him. ¡°Anyway, as I was saying, while you are free to head back home on your own I¡¯d suggest taking a minute to try and talk to some of the people here. With you being new to town you might as well take advantage of one of the few times all the city¡¯s biggest magic users are gathered to try and network a bit. Since you never know when it might come in handy to have more friends.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± He grimaced just a little, knowing that while he was great with kids his ability to befriend others tended to depend on a mix of how inhuman they were -both literally and figuratively- and how much danger was going on around them. ¡°Well, good luck and if you¡¯re still here in an hour I¡¯ll give you a lift home.¡± And with that Ms. Delacroix patted his shoulder as she passed him by. ¡°Right, thanks¡­¡± He sighed, before running a hand through his hair. Pix tugged on his hair once getting him to turn towards her to see her curious expression. Inhaling slowly before exhaling just as slowly, he nodded to himself and looked over the gathered magic users. ¡°Well, Pix, let¡¯s make some friends, shall we?¡± Arcane Meeting (Part 3) Arcane Meeting (Pt. 3) --- Jon --- After a moment of awkwardly standing there and remembering that making friends with other people -(or humans at least)- was hard he decided to instead stall out that bit by instead making his way towards the truck where the Sanctuary spokesman looked to be handing out files on the invading Creeps. (Well, Ma always did say information is the first resource of war.) He figured. (Better than hunting the Corrupted without even knowing what they are at least.) Of course this plan was almost immediately derailed as he was accosted by a pair of Sanctuary agents. One of whom was making the Beast in his head growl as the scent of Malice and Madness wafted off of him. --- Artemis --- ¡°We came to network and make a statement.¡± Audrey told them as the Sanctuary Agent left them all to their own devices. ¡°So what¡¯s the game plan?¡± ¡°First thing we should establish with everyone that we¡¯re no longer with the Delacroixs.¡± She pointed out. ¡°We¡¯ve all spent the last few years under their banner at one point or another, so telling people we aren¡¯t anymore is the best way to begin securing our own reputation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all well and good, but it¡¯s not going to keep people from trying to put us at the kiddie table.¡± Val reminded them, baseball bat over her shoulders. ¡°Most people think the shit we¡¯ve pulled off is thanks to Sam and the old lady backing us. If we want these putas to respect us then we¡¯ve got to earn it.¡± ¡°Which is best done by hunting more of these Creeps than anyone else.¡± She nodded in agreement. After all that was the whole reason they were putting themselves under such a harsh schedule of all nighters over the next few weeks. ¡°That¡¯d be all well and good if we were dealing with the usual guys but there are a bunch of brujas here I don¡¯t recognize.¡± The street witch argued, while gesturing towards a trio of new faces as well as the new Sanctuary and Covenant representatives. ¡°If we have to argue a kill with one of these guys I don¡¯t see it going in our favor unless we do something to scare these putas off now.¡± ¡°Alright, so if you think we need respect now, how do you plan on getting it?¡± Audrey asked, flipping one of her ¡®herbal smokes¡¯ between her fingers. Val pointed across the clearing at a man any ture magic user in the city could recognize. ¡°Tru Grit is always up for a fight.¡± --- Jon --- ¡°Um, can I help you?¡± He asked the pair his fingers itching for one of his knives. ¡°Perhaps you can.¡± The taller of the two told him, his voice dripping with an elegance that would disarm most. Too bad for the man it just reminded him of DeSade, (someone you never drop your guard around.) Even with the agent wearing a mask notably different than Sanctuary¡¯s usual helmets, he could still feel the man¡¯s eyes running over him before stopping on- ¡°It¡¯s rare to see a fairy in the city.¡± ¡°She¡¯s my contract, didn¡¯t figure it was that weird.¡± He shrugged, shifting his footing in a way that just looked anxious to others despite readying him to attack the agent if it came down to it. ¡°I mean it¡¯s an Arcane meeting so I didn¡¯t think anyone would care about me having her out.¡± ¡°Oh, having a Contact summoned isn¡¯t too much trouble as long as they¡¯re calm.¡± The agent assured him. ¡°No, what drew my attention isn¡¯t your contract so much as the fact that you haven¡¯t summoned it.¡± --- Artemis --- ¡°Are you insane?!¡± She felt the need to ask when Audrey seemed to merely consider Alejo¡¯s idea. ¡°No more than anyone else in this city.¡± The street witch shrugged. ¡°Besides we both know I can take him.¡± ¡°If you bring out the Scarecrow.¡± She hissed as quietly as she could. ¡°And if you do that in front of either the Guild or Sanctuary, you¡¯ll be put on every watchlist in the city.¡± ¡°Fucking hell.¡± Alejo rolled her eyes before glaring. ¡°I¡¯m not the first or last person in the city to contract a demon. And I¡¯m sure as fuck that Sanctuary and the Guild each have at least one pendejo who¡¯s contracted one themselves.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a valid point.¡± Meadows cut in before she could argue that. ¡°What¡¯s more, if we''re going to be hunting the number of Creeps we¡¯re looking to, then we¡¯re going to be using the Scarecrow more often than not. If that¡¯s going to be a problem with either of them then we might as well deal with it now instead of at the sight of Bleed.¡± She bit her lip before sighing as she nodded. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Alejo grew a cocky grin and laughed. ¡°As if you could, duende.¡± And with that the wildcard of their party left her with their technical ¡®leader¡¯, and her eyes couldn¡¯t help but drift- ¡°Ahem.¡± Her spine stiffened as she glanced at Audrey giving her a¡­ look. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything.¡± She groaned, running a hand down her face. ¡°Wasn¡¯t going to.¡± Meadows lied. ¡°Was going to ask what you think ¡®s going on over there.¡± She frowned before following Audrey¡¯s gaze and immediately paling. --- Jon --- ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked with all the false curiosity he could muster, while marking the agent as a threat both from knowing he hadn¡¯t summoned Pix and the fact that they¡¯d called her an ¡®it¡¯. ¡°I mean Earth-born fairies are such an oddity that I couldn¡¯t help but be curious.¡± The Agent explained. ¡°Especially taking into account the amount of localized Anima necessary for one of them to grow.¡± ¡°Localized what?¡± He frowned, faking ignorance as he marked the easiest way to stab the man and run. (Probably going to have to stab his partner too.) It wasn¡¯t ideal but it was doable. ¡°Tell me, wherever did you find your¡­ little fairy friend?¡± The Agent¡¯s eyes glowed through their mask and he felt something foreign brushing against his mind before the Agent clutched at their head and gasped. (Rip his throat out while he¡¯s open.) ¡°I found her in Blackwell.¡± He answered with a glare. ¡°If you haven¡¯t heard of it it¡¯s this lovely little town full of Magic, Malice, and Madness.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡± The Agent ground out, straightening themselves out. ¡°I¡¯ve read some papers by a very interesting man in that town. I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve ever heard of a man named DeSade, have you?¡± ¡°Everyone in Blackwell knows DeSade.¡± He admitted, before leaning just a bit closer. ¡°And everyone in Blackwell knows not to mess with DeSade or his.¡± --- Artemis --- ¡°What the fuck is he doing here?!¡± ¡°Who?¡± Audrey frowned, a faint green glow showing that she¡¯s picked up on her stress and was ready to fight if Artemis wanted. Something she really did appreciate. ¡°You see that guy there, the one our age with brown hair.¡± She pointed. ¡°He goes to school with us, but the thing is¡­ the shadow he¡¯s got from magic it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not something I want to be around.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Audrey asked, eyeing the young man as he stood his ground against a Sanctuary agent. ¡°He looks like he¡¯s got some spine, but I¡¯m not picking up anything bad about him.¡± ¡°His shadow looks like something out of a horror movie.¡± She grimaced, scared to use her Spell Sight in case she saw that thing again. The other Arcane gave the teen another once over. ¡°He a Slasher, maybe?¡± ¡°No, Malice¡­ I¡¯ve seen Malice users before. This, this is something else.¡± She tried to explain. ¡°Whatever is going on with his shadow¡­ He¡¯s done something big and something scary as far as magic is concerned. And whatever it could be it scares the ever loving shit out of me.¡± --- Jon --- ¡°I see¡­¡± The Agent told him, regarding him with a gaze that he couldn¡¯t see through the man¡¯s helmet but could still feel. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind¡­¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this here about?¡± A feminine voice cut in. The agent¡¯s eyes snapped to the blonde speaker before noticing the man next to her and the even larger man next to him. ¡°Just a discussion on fairies.¡± The Agent lied as his eyes returned to Jon¡¯s for a moment, before turning to leave. ¡°Come Kestrel, we¡¯re done here.¡± ¡°Fucking asshole.¡± The blonde spat, before turning her attention to him with a bit of concern. ¡°You okay kid?¡± ¡°Um, yeah¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± He nodded, unable to keep from letting his attention drift back to the agent. ¡°Don¡¯t let him get you down.¡± The smaller man told him. ¡°Some agents of Sanctuary are¡­ less than polite. Especially when they¡¯re a magic user as well.¡± ¡°Fuckers believe magic should be restricted to them and theirs.¡± The woman scoffed with a shake of her head. ¡°Still, no point in letting them bring us down.¡± She gave him a once over and a curious frown. ¡°You don¡¯t look familiar, you new to town?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. Me and my ma moved out this way last year.¡± He answered, rubbing at the back of his neck. ¡°And you arrived with Sam, right?¡± The man asked. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s the only reason I¡¯m here right now.¡± He admitted. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have even known about this meeting otherwise.¡± ¡°So I guess you''re the old raven¡¯s new apprentice then?¡± The blonde said before glancing at a nearby pair. ¡°Figures she¡¯d take a new student as soon as the old one graduates.¡± --- Artemis --- ¡°Damn it Stoker¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but curse as the (monster) met her gaze for a moment. ¡°Look, if he¡¯s really setting you off like this then we just need to stay away from him.¡± Audrey told her. ¡°With the truce in place as long as he doesn¡¯t start something we can¡¯t really do anything to him. Flipside if he does try anything everyone here will stomp him.¡± ¡°I know but¡­¡± She ran a hand through her hair. ¡°Him being here can¡¯t be anything good.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Audrey frowned. ¡°He showed up with Sam, so that means she¡¯s either got a leash on him or at the very least trusts him.¡± She grimaced. ¡°Is it bad that the fact we¡¯re all on that list, makes me doubt her as a judge of character?¡± Audrey laughed. ¡°You can¡¯t help it if it¡¯s true.¡± --- Jon --- ¡°Uh, no.¡± He frowned. ¡°I only really see my teacher¡­s during the summer.¡± ¡°What some kind of magic summer camp?¡± The blonde laughed. ¡°Uh, yeah. Pretty much.¡± He nodded. The woman blinked. ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s a thing now apparently.¡± The smaller of the men laughed, ¡°I just realized we haven¡¯t introduced ourselves. I¡¯m Alan Wells, this is Sarah Stoker, and my large friend here is Guy.¡± The larger man nodded, but didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, you are?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, Jon. Jon Whitaker.¡± He answered. ¡°And uh, thanks for running that guy off.¡± (Before I had to rip his throat out.) The big guy seemed to shift a bit for some reason. ¡°I assure you it¡¯s no trouble at all.¡± Alan smiled, before gesturing to the two missing from their respective parties. ¡°Truthfully, we saw him bothering you while our partners were talking and couldn¡¯t help but step in.¡± ¡°I guess they¡¯re ¡®s a fair bit to talk about with this halloween demon thing.¡± He figured. The blonde -Sarah- snorted at that. ¡°Yeah, no this doesn¡¯t even register on their radar since this is just part of the job. The two of them are actually talking about this new dessert Daisy heard about, where some French man decided to mix magic into the cooking process.¡± ¡°How¡¯d he do that?¡± He wondered, feeling the intrinsic need to involve himself in the pair¡¯s conversation. ¡°Was it simply adding potions, or an actual application of magic to the cooking process?¡± ¡°Uh, no idea¡­¡± Sarah admitted, seemingly taken aback by something. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Alan laughed at something. ¡°I get the feeling you and Travis would get along surprisingly well.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a bad idea.¡± Sarah grimaced, as Pix leapt off of his shoulder. ¡°I can¡¯t actually imagine him with a kid.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, he and that Valentina girl get along surprisingly well.¡± Alan argued. ¡°Only when they¡¯re comparing the best way to smash something¡¯s skull open.¡± The blonde agreed dryly. ¡°Well, she¡¯s still a child he gets along with well enough.¡± Alan shrugged, as Pix made a trilling sound before shooting off. --- Artemis --- ¡°And the duel is set.¡± Val told them as she returned to them. ¡°Grit is just giving Sanctuary and the Guild a heads up and then we¡¯re going to duke it out.¡± ¡°I still think this is a bad idea.¡± She felt the need to point out once more. ¡°Maybe, but if she does let the Scarecrow loose that might scare off anyone meaning to stir up trouble with us.¡± Audrey reminded her, with a glance towards the (monstrous) boy from before. ¡°Exactly.¡± The street witch nodded, missing what their leader really meant by that. ¡°And if we¡¯re lucky this¡¯ll also remind people we¡¯re not little ninas anymore and should be taken seriously.¡± ¡°I suppose you have a point.¡± She admitted, before watching as the Sanctuary spokesperson and Tru Grit mad their way to the center of the clearing. ¡°Either way, it looks like you¡¯re up.¡± --- Jon --- ¡°Wonder where she¡¯s going?¡± Sarah frowned. ¡°Sorry, I really should make sure she doesn¡¯t cause any trouble.¡± He told them. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble.¡± Sarah waved him off before smirking at something nearby. ¡°Though it does look like Tru is starting up his brand of trouble.¡± ¡°Lovely.¡± Alan sighed, as Jon decided it was time to take his leave while giving Guy a nod of farewell. Chasing after Pix, he idly noted the Sanctuary spokesperson and the Mad Dogs¡¯ boisterous leader nearing the center of the area before telling everyone that there was going to be an Arcane duel of some kind. Figuring that he had other priorities at the moment, he instead turned back to his wayward little fairy and found her buzzing around a little girl of maybe ten or eleven, who was staring at Pix in awe. ¡°Sorry about her.¡± He apologized, before glancing towards a nearby masked teen whose attention was split between them and whatever was going on with that Arcane duel. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed that that was currently the Mad Dog leader screaming ¡®True Grit!¡¯ before punching the ground near his opponent hard enough to send up a cloud of dust and shake the earth ever so slightly. ¡°Is this your partner?¡± The girl asked him, leading him to give what he assumed was her guardian a curious look. After a moment, the masked teen gave him a nod before pointing at her eyes and him. He nodded to both the teen and the girl. ¡°Yeah, her name is Pix.¡± --- Artemis --- ¡°So, how well do you think she¡¯ll do before she summons the Scarecrow?¡± She asked as Tru hit a button on his phone and music began to play from a nearby speaker as he and Val stood across from each other. ¡°Well, given how she¡¯s tricked that bat out with about seven different spells I¡¯d say she¡¯ll at least make him take her seriously.¡± Audrey answered, lighting one one of her smokes. ¡°If she¡¯s lucky maybe.¡± A familiar voice countered, drawing their attention to Samantha as she walked up to them. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Tru is a gang leader for a reason, and makes his living mostly by fighting. Odds are very few people here have seen him really cut loose.¡± ¡°A valid point.¡± She admitted, before sighing. ¡°This whole thing is probably a bad idea.¡± ¡°She¡¯s got something to prove.¡± Meadows shrugged. ¡°Knowing her she¡¯s not going to stop until she proves it.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± She groaned, watching as Val slid under one of Tru¡¯s punches, before swinging her bat at one of his legs. Something that only made the man laugh, even when the bat burst into flames grasping for him. ¡°Hey, I just remembered something.¡± Audrey told them, before turning to Samantha as Grit stomped the ground causing it to briefly shake. ¡°Who¡¯s that new guy you brought with you?¡± ¡°Jon?¡± The older Arcane blinked. ¡°He¡¯s a customer at the Witches¡¯ Wares. What¡¯s more he¡¯s one of the few people who know what they¡¯re doing despite being mostly new to magic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want to be associated with a relative stranger. Just in case he turns out to be a¡­ troublemaker.¡± Samantha shook her head. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not worried about him. At the very least he¡¯s fairly new to magic as a whole, given how he¡¯s still buying early apprentice books. Only real skills he has are from his old teachers who I guess were an Enchanter and a Potioneer given how those were his highest scores.¡± The older Arcane seemed to consider something for a moment. ¡°Based on what he¡¯s said, if I had to guess he¡¯s been an apprentice for a little over a year now.¡± ¡°His highest scores?¡± Audrey repeated before giving a laugh both to her revelation and the fact that Val kicked Grit below the belt. ¡°You tricked him into showing you his ring¡¯s spell scores?¡± ¡°No, he didn¡¯t have one until he bought it. Which is how you know his teachers were D Rank at best since any teacher worth their salt makes sure that¡¯s the first thing their apprentice gets. And any C Rank Enchanter can pop them out like candy.¡± Samantha explained. (That can¡¯t be right. As vivid as his Shadow is he¡¯s got to be at least B Rank when it comes to magic. Hell, Samantha¡¯s Shadow isn¡¯t even as detailed as his.) She was about to see if she could get anything more out of Sam, before feeling a shift in the magic around them, drawing her attention to Valentina as she raised her free hand into the air before shouting, ¡°Scarecrow Scream!¡± --- Jon --- ¡°Oh, this is my partner, Snowball!¡± The little girl told him before showing off -what he thought was- a fairly large Flufflepuff wearing a domino mask and cape. Pix flew a few circles in the air before pointing at the Flufflepuff and chirping rapidly. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why she came over here.¡± He smirked at the little fairy. ¡°Pix love¡¯s the fluffiness of a Flufflepuff.¡± ¡°They are fluffy.¡± The girl agreed, hugging Snowball closer even as Pix reached out to pet the Flufflepuff. Seeing this, and thinking the girl might enjoy it, he leaned forward and asked her, ¡°Hey, you know what¡¯s fluffier than a Flufflepuff?¡± The girl shook her head. ¡°Uh-uh.¡± Conducting his magic a bit, he smiled as he answered, ¡°Two Flufflepuffs.¡± before summoning Melon between them. The little girl squeed before picking Melon up and squeezing a Flufflepuff in each arm, as they each eyed the other while panting happily. Smiling at that scene, he hardly thought about it before asking the girl, ¡°And you know what¡¯s even fluffier than two Flufflepuffs?¡± The girl looked at him with what he was sure were stars in her eyes, as he began pushing his magic through his connection to Melon. ¡°Bum-Bum.¡± Melon struggled against the girl¡¯s grip for a moment before managing to pop her way out and flopping onto the ground and beginning to march in place. ¡°Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum.¡± Surprisingly, Snowball proceeded to climb out of their partner¡¯s grasp before marching in beat with Melon as they both continued to repeat, ¡°Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum.¡± The world around them began to shake, though barely anyone paid that any mind, thinking it was just more shaking from the duel behind him rather than the actual magic occurring. ¡°Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum.¡± The girl gasped as from beneath a nearby shrub a Flufflepuff climbed their way out. ¡°Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum.¡± A nearby tree branch began to shake as a number of Flufflepuffs began to march along it. ¡°Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum.¡± The nearby teen hero finally noticed something odd was going on as their eyes darted between the various Flufflepuffs before shrieking as one climbed out from under the hood she was wearing. ¡°Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum, Bum-Bum.¡± The young girl was laughing and shaking in place with a smile as she was slowly surrounded by, ¡°A pile o¡¯ fluff.¡± all marching to the same beat. Both Melon and Snowball stood on their hind legs and saluted their respective contractors, before as if predicting his intentions the swarm of Flufflepuffs tackled the giggling girl and trapping her in a pile o¡¯ fluff. Smirking to himself, he turned to the teen hero watching with wide eyes, and opened his mouth to say something only to close it as he felt iNsANiTy in the air. Turning around slowly, he could only watch as (monster) made from the darkest of nightmares crawled out from the darkness of the night. --- Artemis --- Val slammed her hand onto the ground, and a storm of shadows and black feathers wrapped around her before a massive clawed hand made of mangled flesh and bone shot out, slamming into the ground and digging deep grooves into the dirt as a menacing figure grew in the eye of the storm. The shadowed figure reared back before unleashing an ear splitting scream, and filling the air with an unnatural presence as the storm scattered to reveal its nightmarishly twisted form. Hunched over at thirteen feet, the Scarecrow stood one arm a mass of twisted flesh and bone in the shape of a clawed human hand, the other a large black wing wrapped in barbed wire held close to its chest. It¡¯s legs were one large bird claw sticking out from the leg of a tattered pair of pants and another leg that was more a short wooden post at the knee. Across its body were a number of small bloodshot red eyes gazing out at the world full of malice, as they peeked through torn holes in a long black duster jacket. All along its back, bits of off white bone pierced through flesh and leather alike as the bone of its spine was visible to all who saw its back. But most nightmarish of all was its face, a twisted and stitched visage with a glowing red eye looking out from torn skin like a burlap sack held shut by the noose wrapped around its neck, with a black beak full of bloodstained fangs that had torn through both its own flesh and the flesh of those it had devoured. The scent of blood, rot, and despair filled the air as the stench of death wrapped around all of them, and it took all that she had not to give in and run from the demon before her. Remembering how it once told her it found it (¡°moRe fUn WhEn mY PreY rUnS.¡±) She still couldn¡¯t keep the shiver that ran down her spine as the Scarecrow held nothing back as it made the statement Alejo had so desperately wanted, entraping all who saw it under its terrifying spell. For a moment her opponent took a step back, even the endless bravado of Tru Grit coming up short for a moment. At least until the gang leader rallied himself with a mad smile and rushed towards the demon, moving far faster than he had with any of his previous attacks. A shockwave of force visible as he met the thing of nightmares head on. The demon barely moved as its head was tilted to the side before its massive claw swept across the ground before grabbing the gang leader by his leg and slamming him into the ground hard enough to leave an indent. Never backing down Tru Grit dug one of his hands into the dirt before wrenching his leg free of the Scarecrow¡¯s grasp and using the momentum of the action to swing his arm out with enough force for the gale to be felt by all in the clearing. The demon was unmoved. Mad man that he was, Tru Grit¡¯s grin only grew more profound as the gang leader took a stance, his magic visible as lightning danced across his skin, signifying whatever spell he was bring into reality through sheer force of will. After a moment of this, Tru Grit dashed forward even faster than before the only sign of his passing the trench his movement dug in the ground between one second standing apart from the demon, and the next having his fist buried in its gut. Literally. Sadly for the gang leader, this was what the demon wanted. Instead of blood escaping the wound, shadow, bone and wire began to claw their way out and wrap around his arm before pulling him even deeper as the demon pulled back its arm foot long claws ready to rend Tru Grit to shreds. Seeing this, the gang leader did the smartest thing he could, and grabbed onto the demon with his other hand and used his full strength to rip his arm free as he threw the demon to the otherside of the clearing. Right where a child was sitting terrified, surrounded by white fluffy creatures. (Oh, god!) The Scarecrow hit the ground with a howl before freezing for a horrifying moment as its gaze slowly crept to the cowering child and creatures, so much fear far too appetizing for the demon to simply ignore. Not trusting the leash Val held over the Scarecrow to hold, she began to quickly run through the strongest and most precise spell she knew in the hopes of distracting the demon long enough for the nearby heroes to rescue their youngest member before she could be devoured. This proved pointless when a hand grabbed the demon by its beak, dragged it down to eye level, and growled, ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Arcane Meeting (Part 4) Arcane Meeting (Part 4) --- The Child Hero --- When the others had told her she got to go to the Arcane Meeting she knew it was a big deal, and a sign that they were finally starting to see her as a member of the team rather than just a mascot. Needless to say she¡¯d been super excited to be allowed to go. An excitement that slowly faded as she realized the meeting was just more of the same standing around she had to put up with at the guild¡¯s (stupid) PR shows. Sure, the guy from Sanctuary had brought up the fact that there was a bunch of monster that they were going to have to fight, but given how everyone was just talking rather than actually planning out what to do made her feel like this was going to be one of those things where everyone pretended she could help before leaving her on the sidelines. Just when she was getting ready to ask Terra if they could start heading back, the little fairy flew up to her. She¡¯d never actually seen one before, despite thinking about summoning one when Terra and Journey decided she was ready for her second partner, and the fact that she got to see one in person made the whole boring meeting worth it. And then she¡¯d met the fairy¡¯s partner, a nice older boy who for some reason she felt odd around. Almost like the way Journey made her feel where as long as she was near them everything would be okay. It was at that moment that she decided the boy must be a hero. Of course since he wasn¡¯t wearing his mask that meant he¡¯d come to the meeting in his secret identity. Which, while she thought a little odd, she could understand if he was trying to go undercover with all the gang members attending the meeting. (And a secret identity is important, so I shouldn¡¯t tell anyone I figured it out!) That was an important rule Journey and the other guild members had made sure she understood back when she first joined. Seeing as how he was clearly a magic hero and how she¡¯d seen his own partner she decided to show off her lovable Snowball to the boy. Despite what most of the people at the PR meetings thought, she knew Flufflepuffs weren¡¯t the most impressive summons based on the way the older kids and Arcane treated Snowball. Like he was a cute trick for a kid but not much else. This didn¡¯t mean she thought any less of him though! No! He was her partner and she¡¯d have his back forever and ever! It did mean that she was excited when the boy summoned his own Flufflepuff partner, who while smaller than Snowball she could just tell had a lot more tough girl grit to her by the way she had the heart like skull over her eye. And of course she went from excited to super excited when the boy summoned a whole horde of Flufflepuffs to tackle her! (They¡¯re so fluffy!) A trick that she just knew she and Snowball could do to, based on the way she felt her magic twist when her partner joined his in summoning the rest. What was even cooler was that based on the look on Terra¡¯s face this was a trick the older girl had no idea Flufflepuffs could do! Meaning once she figured out how to repeat that twist of magic she¡¯d have a spell that even her leader didn¡¯t know! She¡¯d been so happy that she¡¯d come to this meeting, when suddenly everything went wrong as that teen fighting Tru Grit summoned a monster. Normally she wouldn¡¯t call someone¡¯s partner such a thing, but the way the monster made the very air itself scary left her with little else to call the thing in front of her. For a moment she¡¯d been ready to turn around and run from the monster, at least until the heroic boy had shifted in front of her and suddenly she remembered that everything would be okay as long as he was there. What¡¯s more she remembered that she was supposed to be a hero (and heroes don¡¯t run away from monsters!) Which is why she stepped in front of the more defenseless Flufflepuffs to protect them should the big baddie try to hurt them. An idea that proved super smart when the leader of the Mad Dogs threw the creature straight at them. For a moment, when the creature¡¯s eyes met hers she felt a shiver run down her spine as became hard to breathe. But like a true hero the boy grabbed the baddie and told him not to try anything! This was when she was reminded that as much as she loved her leader, Terra still thought of her as a little girl to be protected. The leader of the junior heroes had grabbed her by her arm and dragged her behind the older girl. During which she noticed with a bit of confusion the mild shaking to the earth as Terra stepped in front of her. Of course she knew Terra was capable of significantly more than the water shows that she usually put on for her fans. The thing that confused her though wasn¡¯t the fact that Terra was bringing out more power to protect her, but rather that the earth¡¯s shaking seemed to grow worse when the boy glanced back to make sure she was okay. (Why does she think he¡¯d hurt me?) She may not know him all that well, but her every instinct was telling her that that was an impossibility. --- The Mad Dog --- He honestly hadn¡¯t meant for things to go so far south, that Mexico looked like Canada. When that girl had challenged him to a fight he couldn¡¯t help but accept, because fighting was his thing. Of course, since she was a kid and this was his first time fighting her, he held back as much as he could without her realizing it. (Though given how he ran and fought in all of the city¡¯s fight pits she really should¡¯ve.) And he¡¯d admit the kid impressed him with her grit, and her magic bat. (That girl¡¯s got a mean swing, and I love it!) After a few minutes of fighting like this he realized she¡¯d been holding back as she used some of that weird summoning magic he never could figure out to summon a large monster that looked like it belonged in a horror movie. That was when he¡¯d started feeling the excitement building, and felt it was safe to let loose just a little bit. After all, he¡¯d fought enough summons in his pits to know that when they¡¯d taken enough damage they¡¯d be automatically dismissed before they could get seriously hurt. And if not Perry and Beth are on standby for healing anything from broken bones to shattered spines. (That¡¯s why I pay them the big bucks!) He¡¯d been having fun fighting something he was admittedly a little scared of, and probably would¡¯ve kept having fun whaling on it if only he hadn¡¯t screwed up when the creature managed to wrap onto his arm with those weird tendrils. This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d been in such a position, and he did what he always did when he got caught in said position. He dug down deep, he grabbed his opponent, and he yelled his kickass stage name while yeeting it as far away as he could. That was where he fucked up. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. He¡¯d spent so much time fighting in his fight pits -fight pits that he¡¯d paid to have slapped with a dozen barrier spells to protect the spectators- that he hadn¡¯t thought twice as he threw the summon. Of course, seeing as he wasn¡¯t inside of one of his pits and that despite getting their okays neither Sanctuary nor the Heroes¡¯ Guild had set up any kind of protection for the other people at this year¡¯s meeting. (Fucking hypocritical ametuers! How much ya¡¯ wanna bet they okayed this without making sure there¡¯s a healer on standby?!) Because he¡¯d been expecting the people spectating this fight to take the most basic of precautions when hosting a Deviant fight, he accidentally threw the monster at some of the spectators with nothing to protect them in case the summon went rogue. What¡¯s more, one of those spectators was a little kid! (Ma is going to be so disappointed in me!) Once he¡¯d realized his mistake, he moved to rush the beast and drag it away from the spectators kicking and screaming if he had to. The way one of the spectators moved he realized he didn¡¯t need to bother, as a teen grabbed the monster and held it place not with power but with something far more respectable to the pit fighter skill. One look at the teen, and he knew that this kid was no kid. No, he was like Tru, he was a fighter. And as the young man shoved the summons away and slowly walked towards it, he was willing to admit that -as much as he didn¡¯t like it- this was no longer his fight. That when he¡¯d thrown the monster towards a fellow fighter he¡¯d as good as tagged them in, and agreed to step onto the sidelines for the rest of the fight. While a fair part of him was disappointed that he wouldn¡¯t get to keep fighting, an even bigger part of him was growing excited for what was to come. Because as much as he enjoyed fighting, he so rarely got to see new fighters instead of the common riff-raff who thought that a few martial arts or powers gave them that (grit) that made real fighting so exciting. He¡¯d seen the start of it in the girl, though it¡¯d probably be a bit before it became (true grit), but the young man? Now he had it in spades. This was proven all the more true when instead of simply firing off some fancy spell, or summoning a monster of his own he pulled out a knife. The kid, the man, the (fighter) was going to fight a Demon with a knife. He couldn¡¯t help but grin as he realized the sheer depth of grit this guy had going for him. And as he watched the fighter and the Demon duke it out, one with massive earth rending swings that would make even him wince on impact and the other with a sheer force of will conviction that you¡¯d have to be an idiot not to see his grit, the leader of the Mad Dogs had only one thought on his mind. (I can¡¯t wait to challenge this kid to a fight.) --- The Scarecrow¡¯s Keeper --- The Scarecrow was a Demon with a capital D. Most other demons were just Creeps from other places that happened to be scary carnivores with a taste for human flesh. A true Demon though, that was something that fed on magic and emotion, fed on the very souls of those around it to gain power over whatever domain the entity held. The Scarecrow¡¯s was Fear. Not just fear in the sense of ¡®I¡¯m scared¡¯ but Fear in the sense of the primal ¡®I am going to die¡¯ terror. Her contract with the Demon was the only thing keeping it in check as it dwelled in the depths of her shadow and soul. And she knew if she let it, it would devour them all. She wasn¡¯t scared of it. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was something wrong with her head, or if it was a perk of their contract, but she did not fear the Demon she knew could drop a three digit body count in under an hour. What that meant was that she didn¡¯t fear letting the Scarecrow loose on the world, because she knew if push came to shove she could tighten its leash and force it under her heel. It wasn¡¯t arrogance. (I¡¯ve done it before and I¡¯ll do it again.) But just because she knew this, didn¡¯t mean everyone else knew it. Which is why she didn¡¯t quite blame people for freaking out when the Scarecrow got so close to that kid from the Heroes¡¯ Guild. (She could taste their fEaR.) After all, they had no way of knowing that she¡¯d barely loosened her leash and was actually puppeting the Scarecrow with a fair amount of dexterity. (Though the pendejos probably could¡¯ve if any of them were paying attention.) (Humans, so arrogant¡­ Thinking they have¡­ all the answers¡­) (Shut up.) What she did blame someone for however was the guy who somehow dragged the Scarecrow down to eye level and forced it to take a step back with ease. Completely shattering the spell of fear and awe she¡¯d put everyone under as she made sure they respected her and the girls. (How¡¯d he do that anyway?) (He¡¯s not afraid.) The Scarecrow hissed hatefully. (Like me?) She frowned from within. (No¡­ it¡¯s different¡­) The Demon refused to elaborate beyond that. (Fine, we¡¯ll just have to make this work.) Truthfully, she knew she should go back to fighting Tru since he was the one she¡¯d challenged and everything, but at the same time this was the guy who¡¯d killed her rhythm and she felt that beating him was the only way she¡¯d get it back. (Hell, I¡¯ll even make him look like an idiot when I tell him we weren¡¯t going to hurt the kid after we kick his ass.) (Have to catch the blighter first.) That was a big part of their problem, despite having size, flexibility, strength, and a number of other factors on the kid, they just. Could. Not. Hit. Him! Once more she felt the knife in her side as the boy quickly stabbed the Scarecrow before pulling back and ducking around her claw, something that would¡¯ve been far more effective if the Scarecrow didn¡¯t feel pain the way others did. (Still annoying.) (I didn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t.) Given how long and hard this fight and the one with Tru lasted she was glad that the Scarecrow could sustain itself off of fear instead of needing to drain her milagro dry. (There¡¯s no fear to feed on.) The Scarecrow warned her. (??Qu¨¦?!) (He broke the spell.) The demon reminded her. (There¡¯s not enough fear¡­ to stay this active.) (?Chinga!) That was a problem, that was a very big problem. In a move of desperation, she bent backwards and sent out as many bone tendrils as she could from the Scarecrow¡¯s ribcage. (How the fuck is he dodging all of these?!) (Have an idea.) Following the Scarecrow¡¯s instincts she inhaled as deeply as she could before hunching over as the Demon twisted magic around their ribcage before telling her to (Release!) She threw her arms back and a murder of crows flew out at the boy, actually managing to hit him with an attack that he couldn¡¯t dodge for once. (How is he still not AfRAiD?!) The Scarecrow screamed within her head. She didn¡¯t know, but she did know her milagro was starting to run low, meaning if they couldn¡¯t get some level of fear going they were going to run out, which would be a clear sign of weakness for all who saw them. The boy sliced through half of the crows before snatching one of them out of the air and biting its head off. (What the fuck?!) She had the brief revelation that she was not going to win this fight. She immediately switched mental tracks from fighting to salvaging her reputation, before said loss could drag her reputation through the dirt. The idea she got was proof that she had been spending far too much time with both that psycho elf Artemis and drug dealing Audrey, given how manipulative and cheap it was. (We just need one solid hit.) (We haven¡¯t had one solid hit!) Knowing that she decided to use most of her remaining magic as she slammed the Scarecrow¡¯s hands into the ground, sending his tendrils through the earth so that she could grab onto the boy and pin him in place even if for just a moment. (I¡¯m going to need a shower after this.) Twisting through the Scarecrow she launched herself out of the meat suit that made up its current form, before using the momentum to dropkick the boy in his chest, sending him tumbling several feet back as the Scarecrow¡¯s tendrils faded as he milagro ran dry. Dusting herself off and pretending she was in complete control of the situation, she glared at the boy with whatever passive magics the Scarecrow¡¯s contract infused her with. Surprisingly the boy actually flinched back from her, despite taking the Scarecrow head on just seconds before. (So help me if this motherfucker is scared of women!) Ignoring that, she narrowed her eyes and growled as harshly as she could, and told him, ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to hurt the kid you pinche pendejo!¡± before turning around and marching back to the girls, while shamefully hoping no one would call her bluff. (I feel so dirty¡­) Arcane Meeting (Part 5) Arcane Meeting (Part 5) --- Jon --- (Well that was¡­ a thing¡­) He sighed before picking himself off the ground. ¡°Ha, that was a beautiful fight!¡± Someone laughed loudly. ¡°Uh, thank you?¡± He asked as much as he said, turning towards a large red headed man. ¡°That¡¯s right you showed off some True Grit out there!¡± The leader of the Mad Dogs complimented before beating a fist to his chest. ¡°Enough that even I thought so, and True Grit is my name!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± He nodded, taking a step away as he could swear he heard something somewhere laughing. (The Cheshire is messing with me again isn¡¯t he?) Just because he couldn¡¯t sense any Madness did not mean that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Which is why I wish to make you an offer!¡± The gang leader told him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to join your gang.¡± He shut down immediately. ¡°Uh, what?¡± True Grit blinked. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to join your gang.¡± He repeated, before trying to come up with a reason to make the gang leader drop it. ¡°I mean, uh, my Ma is a cop and if I joined a gang that would just be¡­ bad¡­ I er, I don¡¯t want to¡­ disappoint her¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace when he realized he was trying to use his Ma¡¯s feelings as an excuse to stop a hardened criminal from press ganging him. ¡°Oh, yeah, if she¡¯s a cop she¡¯d probably be really disappointed if you joined a gang.¡± Said gang leader agreed with a surprising amount of sympathy. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± He nodded slowly, trying to find anything other than sympathy in that statement and failing. (He genuinely thinks disappointing my ma would be bad?) ¡°Luckily, I wasn¡¯t going to ask you to join my gang!¡± True Grit assured him happily with his hands on his hips. ¡°You weren¡¯t?¡± He ventured cautiously. ¡°No, I was going to ask you to join my fight club!¡± The Mad Dog smiled, thrusting a flier into his face. ¡°Your fight club?¡± He frowned taking the (surprisingly professional) flier showing a silhouette of the man before him with a number of other fighters as it advertised ¡®Tru Grit¡¯s Fight Pits!!!¡¯. (So his name has no e, good to know.) ¡°Yes!¡± True confirmed crouching just enough that they were eye level. ¡°You¡¯ve got more grit than half the contestants I¡¯ve had at my pits combined, and unlike them actually deserve to be called a fighter!¡± ¡°Um, thanks?¡± He smiled nervously as he took a step back from the excited man. ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± True laughed, clapping his shoulder. ¡°If you ever feel like getting your knuckles dusty feel free to stop by, based on the looks everyone here I just know you¡¯ll put on one hell of a show!¡± (Looks of everyone¡­ here?) It was at this point he awkwardly realized just how many people were staring at him and began to blush as he also realized just how many people had been watching him fight. ¡°The address is on the flier, just show it to the guy at the gate and he¡¯ll let you in! I can¡¯t wait to see your matches, man!¡± True told him as if he¡¯d already accepted before turning towards the Sanctuary agents and adult heroes with a harder smile. ¡°Now I need to go chew someone out over poor show safety!¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He nodded, still distracted by the people occasionally looking at him and talking to their friends to really acknowledge the large man walking away with a few sparks dancing along his skin. Deciding that he very much did not like being the center of attention he quickly turned and made his way back to Pix and Melon. ¡°That. Was. So. Cool!¡± A voice practically squealed as he neared the pile o¡¯ fluff he¡¯d left his contracts with. He blinked before glancing to the side where he found the kid hero from before staring at him with stars in her eyes and her chaperone watching him warily. (Which is fair given what she just saw.) He knew he had a tendency to get¡­ (violent) when fighting anything even tangentially related to the Corrupted and their cult. What he couldn¡¯t understand was the younger hero¡¯s reaction. ¡°You were running, and jumping, and stabbing, and it was swinging, and shooting those tentacle things at you, and couldn¡¯t even touch you, and, and that was so cool!¡± The girl rambled. ¡°Um¡­ it wasn¡¯t that much?¡± He denied, knowing full well that his Ma could¡¯ve taken that thing easy, let alone if it had been Miss Edna, DeSade, or Rogers who had been fighting it. ¡°But you fought a Demon and it couldn¡¯t touch you!¡± The girl argued. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t use violence to solve your problems.¡± He frowned, really hoping he wasn¡¯t being a bad influence on such an impressionable young mind. For some reason the teen hero snorted while covering up a laugh. ¡°But heroes beat up the bad guys.¡± The kid hero told him with her own frown. (Ah, that¡¯s what¡¯s happening here. She thinks heroes are-) He crouched on his feet so that he was roughly eye level with the child. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Stella Star!¡± The girl told him, striking what he guessed was supposed to be a heroic pose that he thought would look¡­ odd on anyone who wasn¡¯t a child playing around. ¡°Well then Stella, tell me, what is a hero?¡± He asked her. ¡°Um, a hero is someone who protects the weak and stops the bad guys!¡± The girl told him. ¡°Mmhm. Heroes do, do that.¡± He nodded. ¡°But tell me now what makes a superhero super?¡± The girl frowned. ¡°Uh, super powers?¡± He clicked his tongue and wagged a finger through the air. ¡°No little one, what makes a hero super isn¡¯t that they have powers.¡± He considered how to get her to understand what he wanted to say. ¡°Alright. What would you do if you saw someone who was being bullied? Would you fight the bully or help the person who was being bullied?¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t fighting the bully save the person being bullied?¡± Stella frowned as if she didn¡¯t quite get what he was asking. (Which is fine.) ¡°How about I re-word that?¡± He began deciding to try again. (Because this is important.) ¡°What would you do if you saw someone shoved to the ground? Would you help the person knocked down first, or chase down the guy who shoved them first?¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯d help the person back up before chasing the one who shoved them.¡± The young hero answered after a moment to consider it. ¡°Good.¡± He smiled, before throwing out another question. ¡°Now, heroes do patrols, right? Well, what would you do if you were on patrol and saw a child crying?¡± ¡°Mm, I¡¯d try to cheer up the crying kid.¡± Stella nodded. ¡°What if you were tired because you¡¯d already had to stop a bunch of bad guys?¡± He asked with a concerned frown. ¡°You¡¯d already done your job as the hero, and it¡¯s about time to go home to rest. Why should you stop to help some random kid?¡± The girl gave him a more serious frown. ¡°Because a hero¡¯s job is to help people!¡± He gave her a thoughtful ¡®hmm¡¯. ¡°But didn¡¯t you say a hero¡¯s job is to fight the bad guys? And you¡¯ve already fought the bad guys, so why would you bother helping them if there are no bad guys to fight?¡± ¡°Because a hero¡¯s job is to help people not just fight bad guys!¡± The girl practically shouted. ¡°Exactly.¡± He smiled. The child blinked at him in confusion. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You want to know what makes a superhero super?¡± He asked her curiously. ¡°Any Mask can put on a silly costume and fight people while calling themselves a hero, but a real hero¡­ It¡¯s not about fighting bad guys or just protecting the weak, a real hero is someone who takes the time to help someone when they don¡¯t have to, who cares more about helping those who¡¯ve been hurt than simply fighting the next bad guy.¡± He gave the child a soft smile. ¡°Remember, a hero¡¯s job isn¡¯t to fight, a hero¡¯s job is to help the helpless. And the fact that you would choose to help someone even when you¡¯re tired and you¡¯re job is done, well that just means you¡¯re going to be a super hero Stella Star.¡± --- Leaving Pix and Melon with Stella and the other Flufflepuffs he again tried to make his way towards the counter where Sanctuary was handing out those pamphlets on all of the Creeps supposedly invading over the next few weeks. He wasn¡¯t really that good at speeches, but he was hoping he¡¯d gotten his point across to the impressionable young hero. Maybe he¡¯d overreacted a bit assuming that she thought heroes were all about fighting bad guys, but given how much of their media presence was a mix of Mask fights and showing off at PR events he didn¡¯t want to really risk it. Which is why he tried to reinforce what he thought actually made a hero, and sure she hadn¡¯t actually stopped to help a kid while exhausted, but he was still hoping that reaffirming that answer would give her a nudge in the right direction should that situation ever pop up. (Honestly, I¡¯m just disappointed that teen hero didn¡¯t have anything to add.) From what little he¡¯d seen those two seemed close, so he¡¯d been hoping the other teen would back him up on this but instead she¡¯d seemed fit to leave him to it. (I just don¡¯t get other teenagers sometimes.) He sighed. ¡°You are looking way too introspective for someone coming off a fight with a demon.¡± A masculine voice told him. Glancing to his side he found a man in his late twenties with brown hair and stubble on his face lighting a cigarette, while keeping in step with him. ¡°Uh, can I help you?¡± He frowned, glancing around a bit. ¡°Not particularly.¡± The man admitted. ¡°But Sarah and Alan said they talked to you, and after seeing your fight, I was mildly interested myself.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ You¡¯re the one who was talking to Guy¡¯s friend about magical cooking.¡± He realized. ¡°You¡¯ve got a problem with that?¡± The man scowled, his tone hardening. ¡°How do you do it?¡± He asked. ¡°I mean is it just like potion making, or is it an application of anima during the cooking process or maybe you apply it to the ingredients beforehand.¡± The man blinked before smiling. ¡°It¡¯s a mix of all three actually. The entire concept is about how the flavor changes when you use magic at different stages of the process, and when it''s best to mix those into things. Like with a lot of dairy products you¡¯re going to want to mix the magic in before you actually start cooking with them. While at the same time -for more general baking- you¡¯ll want to rig the oven to saturate the food with magic while it¡¯s cooking.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the oven thing change the cook times on everything though?¡± He wondered. ¡°I mean the anima would heighten the flames if the saturation isn¡¯t measured real low, which would make everything more likely to burn on any level that isn¡¯t a slight zesting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually how the baking trick became so popular with spell chefs, since the process accelerated cook times letting them get more work done faster without making their customer wait.¡± The man explained with a grin. ¡°The actual influence on the flavoring was discovered later, as well as the method of using spell concepts as their own flavoring ingredients.¡± ¡°Ooh, I¡¯ll have to try that.¡± It¡¯d take some work to enchant his oven to work right, but (I wonder what Moon enchanted mooncakes taste like?) ¡°Ah, just realized I never introduced myself.¡± The man admitted before offering his hand. ¡°Travis Bellwether at your service.¡± ¡°Jon Whitaker.¡± He nodded, shaking the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re interested, me and Daisy, we¡¯ve got this cooking club we like to do every so often.¡± Travis told him ,pointing towards a short woman talking with Guy. ¡°If you ever feel like it you¡¯re welcome to join us.¡± ¡°Sounds like fun.¡± --- Having finally gotten his hands on the file from Sanctuary, he started looking for Ms. Delacroix in the hopes of wrapping this evening up before anything else could go wrong. (Because knowing my luck something will.) This is when he felt the Madness and Insanity reaching for his mind. His eyes snapped to this pale young man that he¡¯d seen staring at him on and off through the evening, currently wearing a manic smile, and with a man and woman on each side. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re doing, stop.¡± The Madness and Insanity immediately pulled back, and the young man¡¯s smile seemed to grow wider even as his companions looked at the man curiously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just couldn¡¯t help myself after what I saw earlier.¡± ¡°And what exactly did you see, because I know you¡¯ve been looking at me since before that fight.¡± He frowned, the beast in his head growling. ¡°Heh, sorry, it¡¯s just I see things a little differently than most.¡± The man explained with a grin. ¡°And what I see when I look at you¡­¡± The man leaned forward, ¡°Fucking terrifies me.¡± Both of his companions seemed extremely alarmed by that. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Then why are you acting so happy about that?¡± The man seemed to consider that for a moment, before his eyes flashed pitch black as Insanity tainted the air. ¡°If you knew my old man, you¡¯d know exactly why you scaring me is so impressive.¡± ¡°Who exactly is your old man?¡± He asked, trying not to make it too obvious that he was reaching for his knife. The man narrowed his eyes now with a considering look before grinning as he offered his hand. ¡°The name¡¯s Jack.¡± He frowned, meeting ¡®Jack¡¯s eyes. ¡°As in a Cheshire Jack?¡± Jack gave that a laugh. ¡°Nah, but my old man knows Jack Remnant fairly well.¡± He could not decide if that was a good thing or not. Jack rolled his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m only interested in you because you can scare me, and well, ¡®what¡¯s life without a good scare¡¯.¡± He blinked. ¡°Did, did you just quote disney at me?¡± Jack shrugged, before looking behind Jon. ¡°Oh, you are a big fella.¡± Glancing behind him he found Guy towering over all four of them, before meeting the eyes of Jack¡¯s female companion. The two stared at each other for a moment before they both nodded and the woman tapped Jack¡¯s shoulder, motioning for them to leave. ¡°Aww, and things were just getting interesting.¡± Jack legitimately whined before shaking his head and giving Jon a smile. ¡°See you around kid, and make sure you give me a good jumpscare when you do.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but think, (that was both weird and concerning.) before realizing that Guy was now staring at him. ¡°Uh¡­ Did you need something?¡± Guy pointed at him before pointing at the middle of the field and then at the girl who¡¯d summoned that demon from earlier. ¡°Um, something about me fighting the demon?¡± He guessed, fairly used to being the only one ¡®speaking¡¯ during his conversations with Pix and Wolf. Guy nodded decisively, before just standing there. ¡°And, uh, what did you want to say?¡± Guy continued to stare at him with an intensity that was beginning to make him deeply uncomfortable, before giving him a thumbs up and walking away without any further explanation. (Well¡­ that was equally weird but much less concerning.) He decided, before shaking his head and making his way back to Pix and Melon, so that he could find Ms. Delacroix and finally wrap this evening up. (Hopefully this book will be worth it.) Arcane Meeting (End) Arcane Meeting (End) --- Jon --- ¡°Well, this was admittedly more¡­ eventful than I was expecting.¡± Ms. Delacroix told them once her, Noah, and him were loaded up in her car, Pix passed out in his arms. ¡°Sorry about that¡­¡± He apologized, because that whole mess with the Scarecrow and her keeper was a misunderstanding on his part and he had no idea what the shopkeeper had to deal with after that¡­ display. (I really thought I knew better than just jumping into things¡­) ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Noah smirked. ¡°The only person you really bothered was Val and well, she¡¯s a bitch, so she doesn¡¯t count.¡± Ms. Delacroix reached across to the passenger seat and swatted her relative across the back of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t give him the wrong impression of her.¡± The shopkeeper glanced at the rear view mirror as she turned to address him. ¡°Val is a bit rough around the edges, but her heart ¡®s in a good place when it comes down to it.¡± ¡°Say that after getting hit by her bat.¡± The younger Delacroix argued. ¡°She¡¯s also a very intelligent practitioner who is very good at what she sets her mind to.¡± The elder Delacroix continued unimpeded. ¡°She just happened to want a bat that can kill most monsters she comes across.¡± ¡°Reasonable.¡± He admitted, given how that¡¯s why he still had his axe with him even if it wasn¡¯t all that enchanted. (Though if I really am stuck hunting that monster the Pale Lady told me about, I might want to fix that.) ¡°I guess the guy who brings a knife to a demon fight would think that.¡± Noah scoffed. ¡°What the fuck was that about?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that, having been expecting the question (but still¡­) ¡°When that Scarecrow thing got so close to the kid I, um, I kind of overreacted¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not necessarily a bad thing.¡± Samantha told him. ¡°While I personally wouldn¡¯t pick a fight with an actual Demon, doing so to protect a kid isn¡¯t the worst reason around.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Noah agreed before immediately pointing out, ¡°Though that doesn¡¯t explain where he learned how to fight like that.¡± ¡°My Ma ¡®s ex-military.¡± He answered, rubbing at the back of his neck. ¡°She wanted to make sure I could take care of myself.¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯m pretty sure the stuff you were doing isn¡¯t what they teach soldiers.¡± Ms. Delacroix told him with just a touch of nerves. ¡°Training changed when they added Deviants to the mix.¡± He shrugged, not wanting to explain how the skills she¡¯d taught him had been refined against the wall of Corrupted he¡¯d thrown himself against to protect Camp Bet. (Besides, it¡¯s technically true.) ¡°I guess that makes sense.¡± Ms. Delacroix accepted. ¡°I mean it¡¯s not the weirdest thing my mom¡¯s taught me.¡± ¡°Yeah, but she¡¯s also been around since the Association was founded.¡± Noah seemingly reminded her. ¡°And you¡¯ve heard what kind of mad house that place was under Mem¡¯s control.¡± ¡°Point.¡± Ms. Delacroix admitted. (Interesting¡­) It wasn¡¯t long after this they arrived back at The Witch¡¯s Wares, and Ms. Delacroix told him, ¡°Don¡¯t run off just yet and I¡¯ll bring those books down for you to pick one.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded as the elder Delacroix went into the back of the shop leaving him with the younger. ¡°So, you¡¯re a bit of a weird one.¡± Noah commented without much prelude. ¡°Uh, I guess?¡± He agreed, knowing that he was a bit of an odd one compared to most. The younger Delacroix watched him for a moment. ¡°You going to take part in this whole ¡®Halloween Haunt¡¯ thing? I mean given how you fought the Scarecrow¡­¡± ¡°Maybe?¡± He answered a little unsurely, because on the one hand he wanted nothing to do with that mess, but on the other this sounded a lot like the thing the Pale Lady was trying to direct him towards when she offered him that bounty. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going to be hunting those creeps I hope you¡¯ve got some form of backup other than your summons, because those things are a lot nastier in person than the Sanctuary reports make them out to be.¡± Noah told him. He considered that for a moment, before nodding in agreement. After all, even if it¡¯d been just him and Pix for most of his fights in Blackwell, that didn¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯d gotten a fair amount of help from Ying and Quartermaster Rogers in the later fights. And that was of course excluding all the aid Miss Edna and DeSade had given him as well, even if they hadn¡¯t fought next to him as often as the other two. Noah nodded back. ¡°Well, given the show you and the Scarecrow put on, I¡¯m sure you can find someone who is willing to let you give them a hand. Just try not to get yourself killed, Sam¡¯s taken a liking to you and I¡¯d rather you not die on her.¡± (¡°You¡¯re kind of dead at the moment.¡±) ¡°Eh, as long as I get back up it¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡± He shrugged with a grin. (Don¡¯t think about it. Don¡¯t think about it. Don¡¯t think about it.) Noah gave that a laugh before shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯ve got balls, I¡¯ll give you that much.¡± ¡°Sorry, it took me a second to find all of these, but I¡¯ve got a few books you might be interested in.¡± Ms. Delacroix told him as she came back from the back of the shop. ¡°See you around Jon.¡± Noah taking that as his cue to leave gave him a wave before heading back the way Samantha had come from. ¡°And remember what I told you.¡± The elder Delacroix gave the younger a curious look before seeming to dismiss it as made her way back to the counter and laid the books out for him to go over. ¡°Alright, going through what I can give you that¡¯s a bit above your current level, I¡¯ve got: ¡®The Layman¡¯s Shaman¡¯ a basic guide to working with nature spirits and what they can do. ¡®Divining Divination¡¯ which while a bit dry is a deep discussion about how Divination works and how to use it to gather information. ¡®Ritualistically Learning Rituals¡¯ which is an entire textbook on how to use rituals to make your other spells stronger. And lastly ¡®The Kindly Necromancer¡¯ a book revolving around helping the dead move on and various funeral rites across cultures.¡± The shopkeeper listed pointing to each book as she went. He frowned at that last title. ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t Necromancy a dark art? Aren¡¯t those supposed to be really restricted?¡± ¡°Eh, the darker stuff is yeah.¡± Ms. Delacroix admitted with a scrunched up look. ¡°But honestly this is a bunch of the lighter stuff, like helping the dead move on, keeping them calm, or outright banishing them through magic. Things that honestly any Arcane dealing with any kind of Deadman should probably pick up at some point.¡± (Meaning they probably have nothing in common with those books on Necromancy DeSade gave me.) Which was relieving in its own way, given what he¡¯d seen just glimpsing through those books. (Though those books on Demons might prove useful given everything going on¡­) ¡°So what¡¯ll it be?¡± The shopkeeper asked him. He looked the books over and largely dismissed the book on Necromancy since even if they were nicer he already had more advanced books in the stuff DeSade had given him. Next, while a fair part of him was tempted by the book on rituals, he himself had never really cared for the idea of ¡®more power¡¯. Meaning while it could be interesting from a theory standpoint, it wasn¡¯t really him from a practicing standpoint. Of the four Divination sounded the most useful, especially given how it could help him should something like what happened with Kenneth, or even Rosalind before that, ever happen again. Though given how he had that compass he paid so much for, the actual value of the book was put into question. Which left him with ¡®The Layman¡¯s Shaman¡¯. A book that did intrigue him, given how it was supposed to allow one to interact with the ¡®spirits of nature¡¯, and he himself had always felt most at home in more nature filled locations. (And if it lets me make friends with them, that¡¯d be another point to the ¡®power of friendship¡¯.) That was the idea that sealed it for him, since he couldn¡¯t help himself around anything that proved that magic could be a force for kindness and compassion rather than violence and hate. (And I need as much of that as I can get.) Decision made, he picked the book up and told her, ¡°I¡¯ll take this one.¡± ¡°Hmm, was expecting you to go for rituals or necromancy.¡± Ms. Delacroix confessed. ¡°Then again, if you got a Fairy as your contracting confidant, then I guess Nature is a big part of your deal, rather than power or dark secrets.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care for more of either.¡± He shrugged, getting a wry grin out of the shopkeep. ¡°Fair enough.¡± His fellow magic user nodded. ¡°After all, the world might just be a better place if more people saw it like that.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± He agreed, knowing that his opinion was a rarer one than it should¡¯ve been. After a moment, Samantha shook her head. ¡°Either way, it¡¯s getting late and I just wanted to thank you again for helping me out with this mess.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t too much trouble.¡± He assured her, knowing he¡¯d had much worse nights. ¡°Well, stay safe out there.¡± Samantha told him as he turned to leave. ¡°You now know what kind of things go bump in the dark around here.¡± ¡°You too.¡± He waved over his shoulder. ¡°It was an interesting night if nothing else.¡± Stepping out onto the night street, he couldn¡¯t help but hold Pix just a little closer as the shopkeeper''s words reminded him that just because he wasn¡¯t in Blackwell, that didn¡¯t mean he was free of the troubles madness and magic loved to leave at his feet. Slowly his eyes drifted to the half moon hanging in the night sky, a subtle countdown to when nightmares would roam the streets unbidden save for those willing to fight them. ¡°An interesting night indeed¡­¡± 41 Suns: Wind, Spirits, and Monsters 41 Suns: Wind, Spirits, and Monsters --- Jon --- Cracking open The Layman¡¯s Shaman, the first thing he found was a disclaimer of sorts. (This book is about Arcane Shamanism, and while inspired by the more traditional shamanism practiced by some cultures, is not actively connected to these religious forms of shamanism, and as such should not be used as a guide, study, or commentary on those religion¡¯s beliefs or principals.) He considered that for a moment, before nodding at the idea that (Arcane Shamanism is not religious Shamanism) and flipping to the next page as he began to dive into the subject. The primary principal of Arcane Shamanism was a concept that he was at least passingly familiar with based on his studies of the Occult. That being that the more an object is infused with Anima the more likely it is to take on a life of its own thus forming a Spirit. And while these Spirits aren¡¯t necessarily sapient in their behaviors, they were reactive to whatever beliefs had been instilled into them over time. Meaning if people believed something would protect them in some way, should the thing gather enough Anima to form a Spirit than that Spirit will take on protective tendencies, even if it was still incapable of actually considering whether or not to protect someone unless that too had been carried into the Anima¡¯s beliefs. (Actually, this whole belief thing kind of reminds me of Madness, and how it¡¯s generated by thought and emotion.) He realized after a couple of chapters, which led to him considering the whole thing from another angle. (I know this is Anima, I mean if it¡¯s considered an actual Arcane Art then there¡¯s been enough study to know whether or not Madness is involved. But at the same time I wonder if there¡¯s a connection here, maybe in the way Madness and Anima interact? I think that was something DeSade was researching back in Blackwell, but¡­ I¡¯d have to go through his books to find out more.) Deciding that that was something he could deal with later, he made sure to write down the handful of Anima tricks the book had for those who wanted to try and communicate with these ¡®Nature Spirits¡¯. (Alright, I think I¡¯ve got enough to at least give this a try.) Scene Consequences -New Skill: Arcane Shamanism Unlocked --Thanks to overlap of Occult gained 7XP --*Skill Level Up*: Arcane Shamanism Lv. 2 (3/6) -For learning a new Magical Art gained 1XP to Occult --Currently: Lv. 7 (8/16) --- Figuring that if he wanted to make contact with Nature Spirits he should go somewhere with a fair amount of nature, he found himself making his way through the city towards its larger park, only to come to a stop in front of an old alleyway. (You know, I really wish I didn¡¯t keep running into this kind of thing. It says something really sad about the world we live in¡­) He sighed to himself, before walking down the alley and making his way to the nearest of the men inside the alley, at which point he proceeded to punch the man in his kidney -getting a shout of pain that distracted his two compatriots- grabbing the man by his neck, and dragging him towards the brick wall where a quick maneuver knocked the man out. Another man rushed him, and he easily sidestepped before hooking his foot around the man¡¯s knee, repositioning it just right to let him stomp the man¡¯s leg and send him to the ground with an over exaggerated scream of pain. Something that had him rolling his eyes -(I¡¯ve been hurt twice as bad as this and still kept quiet.)- as he knocked the man out with a quick blow to the temple. He tilted his head at a faint scuffing of the ground, and turned to the last of the three as he made his way forward, using his thumb to crack his fingers one by one. ¡°You know normally I¡¯d give you the chance to run, but¡­ I¡¯m honestly not feeling it today.¡± The last man reached for the gun at his side. He shifted his footing on the ground. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The man aimed the gun at him. He kicked off the ground rushing forward. The man tried to aim for his moving target, but Jon stopped him by grabbing the man¡¯s wrist and pressing a pressure point to make the man¡¯s hand loosen just enough for him to take the gun. At which point he flipped it around in his hand and slammed the grip into the man¡¯s temple, aiming for a quick knockout, but needing to repeat the action when the man became staggered but remained conscious. Dropping both the man and the gun he rolled his shoulders and his neck, hoping to work out the tension of rushing into this little mess, before pausing as he felt a tinge of Madness in the air. Leaning back a bit to where the beast in his head was looking he found a really pale teen with inky black hair watching him from the rooftop. The teen made an odd sort of eep-ing sound before disappearing over the edge and likely fleeing. Figuring that the teen likely had very little to do with this, he pulled his phone out and made his way towards the van those three had been loading. ¡°What¡¯s up kiddo?¡± His Ma answered after the second ring. ¡°Hey, uh, Ma I kind of, may¡¯ve interrupted an attempted kidnapping.¡± He told her taking a quick look to make sure the kid in the van was okay. ¡°You think you can call EMS for the kid?¡± --- Unwilling to take a look at his more serious reading material just yet, he decided to instead keep chipping away at learning the basics of all the general affinities of the Arcane Association. And given how he already knew [Ice] and [Shadows] he figured [Wind] was a good concept to move onto next, given how it was an affinity Wolf made frequent use of. Which is why he already had a fairly solid idea of how the affinity could be used based on the various tricks he¡¯d seen her use it for, from creating gusts of wing to push people away to thinning the winds out in dense slashes to give her cuts range or even wrapping the winds around her to accelerate her movements. Because of this, he felt fairly comfortable moving on to simply learning the various symbology that went into adding [Wind] to his various enchantments and Script Craft. A feat that came down more to his ability to memorize visual patterns than any mystical knowledge or philosophy. Which was a talent he¡¯d grown fairly good at after so many months working on drawing his spell circuits and learning Script Craft. Though none of that kept him from remembering a note in the book about how the concept of wind had a more powerful version in Air, which supposedly required a higher level of control and magical understanding than the more simple [Wind]. Scene Consequences -Thanks to having a Contract with a creature already possessing this affinity, Jon has made additional progress towards learning it. --Jon has learned [Wind] as a general affinity. -For learning a new concept gained 1XP to Occult --Currently: Lv. 7 (9/16) --- Knowing that he shouldn¡¯t keep procrastinating, he forced himself to sit down and pulled out the Sanctuary Dossier he¡¯d acquired from the meeting to try and learn more about the Creeps and Demon that this ¡®Halloween Haunt¡¯ thing were all about. Shifting through the file he found a history report, covering most of what the representative had told everyone about the seal being placed in three cities and the hows and whys of why that happened. Though notably most of the information on the seal itself was deemed classified in case the dossiers got out to someone looking to cause damage to the city. Beneath this largely redacted file were a trio of files on the actual Creeps commonly seen over the course of this event, the first of which looked like a bloated van sized cross between a praying mantis, a beetle, and a lizard with human hands. (Claws can cut through concrete. Capable of short distance flight or long distance leaps due to wings under shell. Saliva is acidic and vision is heat based. Back and torso are also plated in a scaled carapace, but there are soft spots where the front of the waist connects with the abdomen as well as under the shell where the wings hide.) He highlighted as he read over the Creep¡¯s profile. (Likely a frontline fighter, probably going to be the most numerous out of whatever Creeps are in this file.) Moving on to the second file he found several pictures of what at first glance was an emacisticated werewolf with a serpent¡¯s tail, a goat¡¯s hind legs, and a ram¡¯s horns. (Ambush predators, with venomous bites. Has both heightened hearing and sense of smell. Highly mobile. Mildly flammable fur due to a natural oil that bends light on the dimmer end of the spectrum. Most likely combat method is to lie in weight then ram a target to stun them, before using that time to deliver a preferably fatal bite that will weaken the prey should they manage to survive this one-two combo. Tail doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s built for balance¡­ a tertiary weapon maybe?) That wasn¡¯t something he could confirm until he saw them in action. The final file held an almost humanoid bird that based on the pictures seemed to move on all fours when it wasn¡¯t flying. (Scouting units maybe? Or hit and run support? Not particularly stealthy, but smarter than what the other two have demonstrated. Primary offense is¡­ breathing fire.) (Lovely¡­) (Is known to unleash a high pitched cry that attracts any nearby Creeps to help it. So another point in favor of being the forward scout of the group.) He ran his hands down his face as he leaned back in his chair, his mind comparing these creatures to the Corrupted he was more familiar with. (Based on these reports they¡¯re probably stronger than the Corrupted one on one, but they lack a lot of their more esoteric abilities and are nowhere near as numerous or relentless.) (Meaning they¡¯re a threat, but nothing we can¡¯t handle.) He didn¡¯t want to get involved with this mess, but if he had to be he''d be ready to (hunt them down one by one.) 42 Suns: Mixed Spirits And Concerned Mothers 42 Suns: Mixed Spirits And Concerned Mothers --- Jon --- Waiting on a park bench at their usual meeting place, he pulled out his book on Arcane Shamanism to read as he waited for Ying who lived a little further out from it than him. Continuing from his previous place, he found that while the majority of greater spirits were created via a mix of anima and belief, this didn¡¯t change the fact that a number of lesser spirits tended to form from the passive anima in an environment, with more anima resulting in more spirits. (Meaning while there might not be too many spirits in the city compared to say Blackwell, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that there are spirits here.) He¡¯d admittedly been a little worried about actually finding a spirit given how important they were to Shamanism, but if they were readily available anywhere with enough Anima then that was something he could figure out easily enough. What¡¯s more, while the greater spirits were what allowed a Shaman to perform their greater feats, these lesser spirits were responsible for the more commonly used abilities of Arcane Shamanism. Such as convincing the spirits of an area passively perform a given task over time, and while this usually meant getting water spirits to clean drinking water, or earth spirits to rejuvenate soil for crops, (I¡¯m pretty sure with a bit of creativity they could do more, even if it probably won¡¯t be as impressive as say Pix¡¯s nature manipulation¡­ Well, unless I manage to find a greater spirit somewhere.) He glanced to his side as a frustrated looking Ying took a seat next to him. ¡°Everything alright?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just my mother.¡± The draconic teen sighed, before turning to him. ¡°Now what was so important that you couldn¡¯t talk about it over the phone?¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 2XP to Arcane Shamanism. --Currently: Lv. 2 (5/6) --- ¡°Well, that explains a few things.¡± Ying admitted after he¡¯d given her a summary of the Arcane Meeting and this whole ¡®Halloween Haunt¡¯ thing. ¡°How so?¡± The draconic teen ran a hand down her face. ¡°If I recall correctly, you mentioned you and mother didn¡¯t move here until last November, correct?¡± He nodded. ¡°Ma, didn¡¯t get moved to this station until around then.¡± ¡°Then you likely aren¡¯t aware of the teenage and child curfews that the city keeps active during the week of Halloween. The excuse being to help prevent an increase in crime during that week, and to help keep children safe, seeing as this time of the year has the largest number of murders and missing persons.¡± Ying explained. ¡°Both of which become a lot more understandable when you take this information into account.¡± ¡°I guess that is the best they can do without outright admitting that there¡¯s a demonic invasion each year.¡± He agreed thoughtfully. ¡°Especially if it turns out fear and panic increase its power, which just makes sense for a Halloween Demon.¡± ¡°Quite.¡± Ying grimaced. ¡°It also explains my mother¡¯s behavior I suppose.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned. ¡°While my mother and I reached something of an accord, where she¡¯d grant me more free time in exchange for keeping quiet about my Deviant nature, she¡¯s been trying to increase my workload for these next few weeks.¡± The draconic teen answered before giving him a look. ¡°Just the next few weeks.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Ah.¡± He grimaced now. ¡°You said your mom was involved in politics or something, didn''t you?¡± Ying sighed. ¡°Meaning, if she helps cover this up to keep the city population happy and profitable¡­¡± ¡°She likely knows about this and is trying to keep you uninvolved.¡± He finished so she wouldn¡¯t have to. ¡°Quite¡­¡± They both sat there in silence for a moment, before he tried to cheer her up by pointing out that, ¡°If she¡¯s trying to keep you uninvolved maybe this is her way of trying to protect you from these things?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Ying agreed in a way that said she doubted it. ¡°I just wish whatever she was planning didn¡¯t leave me in a gilded cage for the next few weeks.¡± Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Ying. -Ying Assists have been reduced to 1 until the 55th Turn. --- ¡°So you doing okay kid?¡± ¡°Um, I guess?¡± He answered a little unsurely as he deflected one of his ma¡¯s blows before aiming his own at her solar plexus. His Ma caught his hand by the wrist and moved it to the side as she slid a leg between his and threw an elbow at his face while trying to hook his ankle. ¡°No, it¡¯s just the other day you had that run in with those kidnappers and I know they pulled a gun on you, so¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He nodded in understanding before spinning his captured hand around to grab her wrist and use it as leverage to keep his balance on one foot as he leaned back. ¡°It honestly wasn¡¯t that big of a deal, guy had barely grabbed his gun by the time I got to him.¡± He twisted his in the air leg around and hooked his Ma¡¯s leg before throwing his entire weight towards the ground, sending the two of them tumbling across the ground as he put his arm to her throat. ¡°Really poor reaction time that.¡± His Ma¡¯s eyes narrowed as she grabbed his pinning wrist with one hand and put her other to his throat at which point she performed an odd pushing and pulling maneuver before flipping him over and putting him into an arm and head lock as she also hooked one of her legs around his torso locking him in place while the other dug into his kidney. ¡°Still, given how he was the only one with a gun, you probably should¡¯ve scouted the situation better if you were going to get involved.¡± His Ma told him, as he tried to figure a way to get free. ¡°After all, you eliminate the biggest threat first, especially when there¡¯s a life on the line.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know I rushed in.¡± He admitted through grit teeth as he gripped his mother¡¯s bicep to keep her from choking him out. ¡°But I saw the kid, and didn¡¯t want them getting into the van.¡± Getting just enough space he twisted his neck towards his Ma and let go taking the blow to the side of his neck as he snaked his arm around and made a grab for her windpipe. ¡°Surprise attack seemed like the best idea, and let me catch the three off guard rather than rushing the one.¡± ¡°Fair, but-¡± His Ma acknowledged before pulling off of his neck and grabbing his hand as she pulled it towards his already locked arm, putting enough pressure on his shoulder that he could feel his arm beginning to dislocate. ¡°-still reckless.¡± He made a brief effort to free his locked arm, only hurting his shoulder and digging the knee deeper into his kidney before finally sighing. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m out.¡± Nodding his Ma let him go before they detangled themselves and sprawled out on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be mean here, it¡¯s just if that guy hadn¡¯t had poor reaction time you could¡¯ve been shot or worse.¡± His Ma tried to explain as she ran a hand through her hair. ¡°And then where would you be?¡± (Dead.) The darker part of himself figured. (Not if Pix healed me first.) He argued despite knowing that wasn¡¯t a real answer if the kidnapper had gotten a headshot, especially since- (-it¡¯s not like this is the first time he¡¯s died.¡±) He couldn¡¯t help the shiver down his spine. ¡°Yeah, that.¡± His Ma sighed, before giving him a concerned look. ¡°I get that you¡¯re probably going to keep running into trouble, especially since you¡¯re a Whitaker, but can you at least promise me that when trouble finds you you¡¯ll use everything I¡¯ve taught you and be as safe as you can.¡± He considered everything going on, everything he¡¯d already been through, all of the danger that he¡¯d never told his Ma about and had zero intention of worrying her about, before nodding. ¡°I promise I will do everything I can to stay as safe as I can, Ma.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 2XP to Combat --Currently: Lv. 7 (6/16) -Grown a bit closer to Ma. Trail 43: Re-tries, Reunions, and Restocking Trail 43: Re-tries, Reunions, and Restocking --- Jon --- ¡°I really don¡¯t like you.¡± He told the paintball gun, as his mother tried once more to get him to use a gun. A task that resulted in him missing every shot he fired at her using three seperate clips. (If I had a bow and arrow this would be going completely different.) Unfortunately for him, his Ma didn¡¯t consider a bow to be a proper combat tool in the modern world. -(Something I feel I¡¯ve completely disproven.)- Considering Archery only good for sport or hunting and even then she still prefered firearm variants of both. Fortunately however, his Ma did approve of rule bending and cheating in practical exercises, which is why instead of being stuck using the (piece of garbage) in his hands, he was able to instead set things up in his favor. Namely be using a few things he¡¯d swiped from their Haunted house supplies to rig a booby-trapped kill zone around his little fox hole. Forcing her to either spend an inopportune amount of time disarming the traps in his line of sight, or risk being hit by a number of paint bombs and mines while she attempted to dodge his shots. Of course, it was after he¡¯d aimed his sights at his Ma in the hopes of getting a steadier shot that he remembered, that: A) His Ma taught him just about everything he knew about situational awareness outside of his experienced paranoia from Blackwell. B) His Ma was notably more paranoid than him, if better adjusted to living with said paranoia after a decade outside of her previous warzone. And C) His Ma was a significantly better shot than him, as demonstrated by the fact that she could shoot him in his hiding spot, between his eyes, from thirty-meters away, with a toy gun. Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Firearms and Trapmaking. --Currently: Firearms Lv. 2 (1/6) and Trapmaking Lv. 9 (4/20) --- After spending the morning forced to use what he considered a sub-par weapon, he decided to show his appreciation for his preferred ranged weapon by restocking his Trick Arrows. Something that back in Blackwell, he would¡¯ve had to go out to get special supplies from a store, but here -thanks to his family¡¯s view that trip-wire was a household necessity- he had enough that he didn¡¯t have to worry about going out to buy the wire for his arrows. Which saved him a fairly large amount of time and money all things considered as he made a few dozen of his Trip Wire Arrows before stashing them in his enchanted backpack. This was also why he didn¡¯t have to go far to find the materials to replace his molotovs either. (Outside of raiding a recycling bin for bottles anyway.) Though he did wonder why he had the compounds necessary to make the Acidic Molotovs that Quartermaster Rogers showed him how to make. Something that included battery acid, and a number of other toxic chemicals. (Eh, probably best not to think about the why on that one actually¡­) Stashing away the last of these molotovs he then proceeded to go over his remaining supplies. (Let¡¯s see, should probably stock up on Pix¡¯s potions and some healing Salves at some point¡­ And still have plenty of tranquilizer arrows too¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but pause as he realized that when it came to his bow and arrows, arguably the most versatile pieces of his kit, he only had two special kinds of arrows designed. A number he considered criminally minimal after being reminded of his disdain for firearms. (I should fix that but how?) He frowned. (Maybe I could try enchanting some arrows? But am I good enough at enchanting to mass produce them like this?) It was something he¡¯d have to consider, but as he caught sight of the clock and how close he was to being late he realized, (It¡¯ll have to wait until after school I guess.) -Jon has restocked his supply of Trick Arrows and Molotovs. --Jon Currently Has: ---(Trap Making: 3) Trick Arrows. ----Trip-Wire Arrows: Can be used to attach two objects together, either Snaring an enemy in place or moving a unit/object to another target unit/object. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ---(Potions: (3 +1)=4) Regular Molotovs and (Potions: (3+1)/2=2) Special Molotovs. ----Molotovs: Inflict D6 Fire damage, and apply D6 stacks of Burning to a target. ----Acidic Molotovs: Inflict D6 Fire damage, and apply D6 stacks of Burning. If the target is resistant to Fire Damage these effects ignore all resistances. --- (Well this is awkward¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but think. ¡°What the fuck are you doing at my school?!¡± The very angry teenage girl asked him. (Very awkward¡­) He sighed, his eyes briefly darting to the nearby students stopping to stare at the growing drama. ¡°Um, you mind if we do this somewhere less public?¡± The girl glanced at the gawkers before giving him a contemplative look and eventually smiling in a predatory way. ¡°You know what, yeah. Yeah, we can.¡± With that the girl grabbed him by his collar and dragged him down the hall, around a corner, and into a classroom that was currently empty save two other girls. Locking the door behind them, the Scarecrow¡¯s Keeper gave him another look as she crossed her arms. ¡°Alright, now I¡¯ll repeat. What the fuck are you doing at my school, cabr¨®n?!¡± ¡°I go here?¡± He offered a little unsurely, already knowing that that answer wasn¡¯t going to be good enough. ¡°You expect me to believe that you, the guy I fought a few days ago at an Arcane meeting, just happens to go to my school and that none of us noticed you?!¡± The girl yelled, calling him out. ¡°Actually, Val.¡± A girl with dark hair and green eyes hidden behind her glasses cut in. ¡°This was something we were going to talk about.¡± ¡°??Qu¨¦?!¡± ¡°I recognized him around the halls, and was going to bring that and several other things up.¡± The other girl -who he recognized from around school as the only teen with an obvious Deviant mutation in her golden eyes and pointed ears and teeth- explained, before subtly flinching as she noticed him looking at her. Something that had him grimacing for multiple reasons. (She must be so used to being bullied, that the stuff over the weekend must¡¯ve made her terrified of me.) ¡°And why the fuck were you waiting until now to tell me, duende?¡± The Scarecrow¡¯s Keeper growled, the shadow behind her beginning to shift in a way that had him glare at it. Reaching into his pocket he told the angry teen, ¡°Trying to intimidate your friends is rude.¡± before flashing the shadow with his phone¡¯s flashlight causing it to shrink with a hiss. Val blinked before glancing back at her shadow and then back at him.¡°Qu¨¦.¡± ¡°Anyway before that, I wanted to apologize for that misunderstanding a few days ago.¡± He explained putting his phone away. ¡°Qu¨¦.¡± ¡°It was honestly unfair of me to assume that you and your friend were going to hurt the kid just because he¡¯s a demon. ¡± He admitted, rubbing at the back of his neck. ¡°It¡¯s just I had this bad experience with¡­ Insanity, and given what your demon was running off of¡­ I just wanted to say I¡¯m sorry for picking a fight over something neither of you can really help.¡± The Scarecrow¡¯s Keeper stared at him. ¡°Qu¨¦.¡± Off to the side the girl in glasses coughed into her hand. ¡°It uh, it takes a big man to apologize over such a public mistake like that. Especially in front of other people.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± He disagreed, figuring it was the least he could do. ¡°No, no. It is.¡± The girl assured him with a smile. ¡°Which is why I actually wanted to extend an¡­ offer of sorts.¡± ¡°An offer?¡± He asked, pretending not to notice the odd look the golden eyed girl was giving her friend. ¡°Yes, you see the three of us have up until this point represented the entirety of the school¡¯s magical population, outside of one or two who may be in hiding.¡± The girl explained. ¡°And now that we¡¯ve discovered another active magic user in said school, it only makes sense that we¡­ extend an offer to letting you join our little club.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure why, but he did not trust this girl¡¯s motivations at all. (Probably has something to do with the betrayed look the other girl is giving her.) ¡°I appreciate the offer but, uh, I don¡¯t even know your name.¡± He told her, trying to figure out how to get out of this without making his reputation with them any worse. ¡°Audrey Meadows.¡± The glasses wearing girl introduced. ¡°And you¡¯ve already met, both Artemis,¡± she gestured to the glaring golden eyed girl, before motioning towards the Scarecrow¡¯s Keeper, ¡°and Val of course.¡± ¡°Uh, Jon.¡± He introduced himself. ¡°But uh, I¡¯m not really sure if I should join your, uh, club, since I haven¡¯t actually been practicing magic for all that long.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s one of the perks of being part of the club.¡± Meadows told him kindly. ¡°We all help each other learn whatever magics we can. I mean, Val barely knew anything when she first joined up but now look at her, one of the best Spell-Scripters in the city.¡± ¡°I¡¯m uh, I¡¯m a bit of self-study.¡± He tried to argue. The glasses wearing teen gave him a long considering look before eventually sighing. ¡°Jon, can I be real with you for a minute?¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± He answered, wondering how rude it would be just to rush out into the hall mid-conversation. ¡°Well, with this whole Halloween Haunt thing, I¡¯m a little worried about me and the girls.¡± Audrey confessed more than a little upset. ¡°And while, yeah, Val can put up a mean fight, me and Arty, we don¡¯t got that kind of fight in us.¡± The glasses wearing teen gave him a look. ¡°You though¡­ you¡¯ve got that kind of fight and then some. And while it might be a bit much to ask, I was kind of hoping you¡¯d join up, so that if something goes south with this whole thing we¡¯ll have someone to help us.¡± He briefly glanced at the Deviant girl looking a mix of bitter and fearful, a clear acknowledgement that as much as she hated to admit it Audrey¡¯s words were more than likely true. (Oh, this is a bad idea¡­) He groaned to himself already regretting it as he said, ¡°Alright, maybe it wouldn¡¯t hurt to give this a trial run of some kind.¡± ¡°Thanks Jon I appreciate it.¡± Audrey smiled at him. From the sidelines Val seemed to snap out of something as she gave a disgusted look, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but the fuck did you just offer him?¡± Scene Consequences -Jon is now a part of the school¡¯s ¡®Arcane club¡¯ as a ¡®trial member.¡¯ Trail 44: Clubs, Costumes, and Cooking Trail 44: Clubs, Costumes, and Cooking --- Audrey --- ¡°Why the fuck are we letting this pinche pendejo around?¡± Val asked, pacing aggressively. ¡°You¡¯ve already asked that.¡± She reminded the volatile teen. ¡°And you didn¡¯t answer it then either.¡± Artemis threw out taking Val¡¯s side on the subject of the teen who terrified her for some magical reason. She pushed the plant she was working on to the side and leaned back in her seat. ¡°Jon Whitaker¡­ How much do you two know about him?¡± ¡°That his aura is ten different kinds of fucked up.¡± Arty answered. ¡°And he can go round for round with the Scarecrow without magic.¡± Val added hands on the table. ¡°Right, well I¡¯ve spent the last week or so looking into him.¡± She admitted adjusting her glasses. ¡°Jon is the son of Minerva Whitaker, a local cop who a number of my contacts say to avoid for being ¡®hyper-competent¡¯. He has no public background in magic, and yet for the last couple of months has been going to The Witch¡¯s Wares to buy books and supplies and has enough experience that Samantha felt comfortable inviting him to the meeting. At said meeting he mentioned being part of a¡­ ¡®magic camp¡¯ and proceeded to beat Val and the Scarecrow in a fight.¡± ¡°No he didn¡¯t.¡± The Scarecrow¡¯s keeper growled. She gave the other teen a dry look over her glasses. Val looked away first. ¡°What¡¯s more,¡± she continued, ¡°rumor around school has him as an all around nice guy, helping people in need when they ask, shutting down bullies without fighting them, helps walk kids home when gang violence is on the rise, never causes problems for teachers, and reads a surprising amount of romance novels for a guy.¡± Both of the other girls frowned, one in thought and the other in frustration. ¡°What does any of that have to do with why you¡¯re involving him in our shit?¡± Val asked. ¡°From what I can tell, he¡¯s an all around nice guy who can and will fight for someone in need, and given the situation there may be a way for us to¡­ profit off of that.¡± She explained. ¡°Which is why you made it out as if you and I couldn¡¯t fight.¡± Arty noticed, smart as ever. ¡°You¡¯ve made it out that we¡¯re ¡®weak¡¯ and in need of protection¡­ You¡¯re planning to goad him into fighting one of the Creeps.¡± ¡°Among other things.¡± She nodded at the other girl. ¡°Which is why I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t break the illusion.¡± ¡°If it means I don¡¯t have to be around him then fine.¡± Artemis shrugged. ¡°Run your con, just don¡¯t drag me into it when it blows up in your face.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t see you pulling off the meek act for long.¡± Val agreed, before snorting at a thought. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re carrying a potted Strangle Thorn for fuck¡¯s sake.¡± She glanced at her pet, which currently looked like a fruitless tomato plant, and would continue to until it exited its seedling phase. Which for anyone else would be a few weeks, (but for me is probably just a few seconds.) ¡°A precaution, after all if he¡¯s showing off, he might try to bite off more than he could chew.¡± She admitted shamelessly. (Last thing we need is an unrestricted summon running wild in the school.) --- Jon --- (Is this really a good idea?) He couldn¡¯t help but wonder as he stared at the door Audrey had told him to meet her and the other girls from her magic club. On the one hand, it¡¯d be cool to have someone his own age to talk magic with, (Ying not counting since she doesn¡¯t really care about theory.) On the other hand, this meant he¡¯d have to talk to relative strangers about his magic without mentioning anything that happened in Blackwell, while also trying not to further annoy or scare the two girls who already didn¡¯t like him. Deciding that he¡¯d just keep going back and forth on it if he let himself, he took the plunge and pushed the door open. ¡°Ah, was wondering when you¡¯d get here Jon.¡± Audry told him, the only one of the three girls to actually greet him. (No, nope, this was not a good idea.) ¡°Right, uh, sorry about that.¡± He apologized. ¡°It¡¯s fine, but now that you¡¯re here why don¡¯t we get straight to it, huh?¡± Audrey suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s start off with what kind of magic you¡¯re good at and we can go from there.¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m a practitioner and I¡¯m not actually the best at magic.¡± He admitted nervously. ¡°That said, I am good at magical theory.¡± (Though Occultism is only half that.) ¡°I¡¯ve also got a decent grasp on potion making and contracting, but my teacher tried to show me Enchanting which I know a bit about even if I¡¯m not that good¡­ Oh, and I¡¯ve been trying to pick up Script-Craft but I¡¯ve only got a few scripts I can make at the moment.¡± Since he¡¯d only read the book thus far, he didn¡¯t feel comfortable bringing up the Shamanism stuff just yet. ¡°Huh, I guess you dabble a bit in everything, huh?¡± Audrey asked. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± He chuckled, not bothering to explain that he¡¯d all but avoided the skills he could learn from DeSade¡¯s books. Mostly because he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to bring up the fact that he had books on Necromancy, Demonology, and Flesh Sculpting. ¡°Well, I myself am good at Will Craft and dabble a bit in Potions.¡± Audrey told him before gesturing towards the golden eyed girl with dyed hair. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Artemis sighed. ¡°Right, I¡¯m good at Sign Craft and Theory I guess, though my teacher taught me the basics of everything else too.¡± Both of the girls -and him by following their gaze- turned to the third girl at the table wearing a jacket, beanie, and a glare. Val glanced between the two girls before rolling her eyes. ¡°Fine, I use Script Crafting and Contracting.¡± Artemis scoffed at that. ¡°If you call being able to summon one and only one thing Contracting.¡± ¡°Oh, you do not want to go there, duende.¡± The Scarecrow¡¯s Keeper growled. ¡°Oh please, I¡¯m just stating the facts.¡± The golden eyed girl smirked revealing her fangs. ¡°After all you can¡¯t say you use Contracting if you¡¯ve only ever summoned a single creature.¡± ¡°Believe me, Scarecrow is all I need.¡± Val smirked back as her shadow began to shift like the day before. ¡°Is this common?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask Audrey quietly. ¡°It¡¯s their form of flirting, ignore it.¡± The other teen sighed. Given his experience with the various romance novels his generation seemed to enjoy, he could believe that. A ringing phone cut through the air, causing the two girls to turn their glares on him. ¡°Uh, I¡¯ve got to take this¡­¡± He trailed off awkwardly upon seeing Ms. Valentine on his caller ID. Scene Consequence -Jon can now train different magic skills with the ¡®magic club¡¯. --Progress their stories to unlock more training options. --- ¡°Thanks again for coming along with us on this.¡± Ms. Valentine told him as she, Kenneth, and the Petrovichs made their way through the store. ¡°I know it¡¯s been a month but I¡¯m still a little shaky about leaving the apartment with just me and Kenneth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± He assured her. ¡°It takes time to feel safe again after everything you two went through.¡± ¡°I know, and I know I should feel fine with Boris here, but with all the kids¡­ I just feel safer with a third adult here.¡± Ms. Valentine tried to explain. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s no problem.¡± He told her once more as they continued through the store. ¡°What about this one Natalia? You can be the pretty printsessa.¡± Mr. Petrovich suggested to his granddaughter. The third grader looked at the pink costume before shaking her head. ¡°Very well, we¡¯ll find you something else to wear for Halloween then.¡± The grandfather shrugged putting the costume back up. ¡°You know with everything going on I¡¯m not even sure what kind of costume I should get Kenneth.¡± Ms. Valentine admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you remember what you wore when you were his age do you?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t actually think I dressed up for Halloween.¡± He confessed, rubbing at the back of his neck. ¡°Even when I was little I¡¯d usually help Ma out with our haunted house, rather than dressing up and everything.¡± ¡°So you never went trick or treating for candy.¡± Ms. Valentine frowned. ¡°No, but I did start jump scaring people when I was like five and when I was like eight Ma put a candy tax on the tickets and we¡¯d split it at the end of the night.¡± He explained with a smile. ¡°It was a little different than most but it was our own kind of fun.¡± ¡°Ah, that is the best kind.¡± Mr. Petrovich told him before gesturing to the three children with them. ¡°Personally, I never celebrated Halloween until I came to the states, but it is fun for the little ones and that is all that matters, no?¡± ¡°Do they celebrate Halloween in Russia?¡± Ms. Valentine asked curiously. ¡°Or do they have like a day of the dead type of thing?¡± ¡°Oh, net. The younger generation sometimes celebrate it in rebellion, but never like this open trick or treating.¡± The man¡¯s smile faded a bit. ¡°The actual holiday though is, ah, frowned upon by the government.¡± Mr. Petrovich shook his head and put on another smile. ¡°But like I said the holiday is good fun for the little ones, and to me the smiles on the faces of my vnuki are all that matters. Anyone that says otherwise is a durak.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± He agreed with his own smile. Scene Consequence -Grown a bit closer to the Valentines and the Petrovichs --- ¡°Okay, so this is the place¡­¡± He guessed, looking up from his phone at the apartment building in front of him. He sent off a text message and after about ten minutes he spotted Travis stepping out of the entrance. ¡°Ah, there you are.¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m not late am I?¡± He frowned knowing that waiting for his school to end had probably set him back a bit. ¡°Nah, we usually don¡¯t get started til about five since Daisy¡¯s stuck taking care of all the paperwork for Eternal Horizons.¡± Travis assured him as they started making their way through the building. ¡°Speaking of, this is her apartment so try not to make too much of a mess with the kitchen. Personally I wouldn¡¯t care at my place with Sarah being a slob, but Dais is a little too orderly when it comes to the clean up.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He nodded. (Making a mess in someone else¡¯s house is beyond rude.) ¡°So uh, what exactly are we going to be working on today?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask as they made their way up a stairwell. ¡°Honestly, there was this baked boar demon thing I wanted to try, but Daisy said we should start off with something simple and introductions. So we¡¯re making cookies.¡± Travis answered. ¡°Baked boar demon?¡± He repeated with just a touch of concern. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s not actually a capital D Demon, it¡¯s just a pig pumped full of so much Anima it starts to mutate.¡± The male hunter explained. ¡°The naturally occurring ones are supposed to taste better but tracking one down would be a bit of a pain with everything else going on.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± He agreed as they came to an apartment door with flower pots on either side of it. A door Travis had no trouble opening without knocking. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got the kid!¡± From around a nearby corner a short blonde woman he vaguely remembered from the Arcane meeting stepped out wearing a white blouse and green vest over it. ¡°You must be Jon.¡± The woman smiled. ¡°And you¡¯re Daisy?¡± He double checked. ¡°Yes siree.¡± Daisy nodded. ¡°We didn¡¯t really get to talk at the Arcane meeting but both Travis and Guy had nothing but nice things to say about you.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, that¡¯s good.¡± He nodded back, remembering Guy to be the massive man who¡¯d given him a thumbs up and said nothing else. ¡°Guy likes anyone who can beat the shit out of a Demon.¡± Travis snorted. ¡°Language.¡± Daisy frowned before picking up a nearby jar and shaking it. ¡°For fucks sake.¡± The male hunter sighed before sticking a twenty in the jar. ¡°We know my ass is going to keep cursing, might as well pay it out in advance.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be counting to remind you of how much you owe.¡± The chipper woman told him with a surprisingly friendly smile. ¡°I¡¯ll never get how you have no problem ripping a Demon¡¯s spine out, but you have a massive issue with cursing.¡± Travis commented as he made his way to the kitchen. ¡°Ripping and tearing is what Guy does as a Hunter, it¡¯s his job.¡± Daisy explained calmly. ¡°While cursing is just rude.¡± (Makes sense to me.) ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about him ripping their spines out.¡± The male hunter told the female with a dry look, causing her to blush. ¡°Oh, you know how it is, paperwork gets so boring and watching demon¡¯s bleed is just what I need.¡± Daisy defended as her voice took on an odd tone. ¡°There¡¯s nothing better than bathing in the slaughter of an unholy horde.¡± Travis just stared at the blonde for a moment before shaking his head and turning to Jon. ¡°So kid, want to learn how to make cookies magically delicious?¡± ¡°Uh, sure.¡± He nodded, taking a step around Daisy as he followed the older man into the kitchen. ¡°Ooh, the secret is the cinnamon spice.¡± Daisy informed him cheerfully as she skipped behind them. Scene Consequence -Gained 1XP to Occult and Cooking. --Currently: Occult Lv. 7 (10/16) and Cooking Lv. 9 (7/20) -Jon has established a rapport with Travis and Daisy. Side Story: Beware, Beware The Boogeymans Scare Beware, Beware The Boogeyman¡¯s Scare Fear had a reputation. One perhaps unironically frightening, given how most people used it more often than not. But this didn¡¯t change the fact that fear was a good thing in the long run. It kept people cautious and alive. It made them stronger, faster, and smarter. It could bring out the best in those it touched. What¡¯s more, in the right doses it could be fun to feel that chill down your spine, to jump out of your skin, the exhilaration of having your heart pumping and knowing you endured the thing that terrified you so. And perhaps most importantly courage could not exist without fear, for courage is merely the willingness to stand despite your fears. The willingness to face your monster and rise to greater heights than you ever thought yourself capable of. That was the thing he loved to see the most from children. That spark of courage, that growth of potential that only facing their fears could bring into being. (It¡¯s the thing that makes everything else worth it.) Of course that wasn¡¯t to say he would deny the fact that all of that was only if you gave them a more moderate fright. In truth, he was probably the last person to pretend that fear couldn¡¯t make people careless, slow them down, and make them run rather than fight as fear turned to despair rather than courage. (But even then that kind of fear has its purpose.) Still that caution and the courage born from it was the reason for his people¡¯s job. Nightmarians such as himself would sneak the shadows of the night and haunt the homes of children, filling their dreams to the brim with fright, but never so much that the child couldn¡¯t stand up to them. Which is why over time after exposure and nightmares those children would eventually grow to face their fears and become so much greater. And as painful as it was to watch their children grow, the day they faced their fears was always the proudest of any monster. Which is why his people went to such lengths to make sure every child was assigned the exact monster needed to help them reach their full potential. Someone with long and spindly limbs for the child scared of spiders, a shadowy figure with glowing eyes for the one scared of the dark, or perhaps someone capable of a low rumbling growl for the kids scared of thunder. Regardless of what kind of monster they were, every Nightmarian knew they would be assigned to a child they could help better than any other monster. This wasn¡¯t to say they got it right every single time, whether it be due to multiple fears or a simple misunderstanding of the situation, sometimes the monster assigned to a child not being the one necessary to help them bring out their true courage. In which case they helped figure out the monster that would help the child the most, occasionally forming entire teams of monsters to help the child work through their numerous fears so that they can build the courage to face the world with their head held high. In a mix of fortunes, he was a monster most often brought into a situation only after another monster had been assigned and discovered they weren¡¯t up to it to deal with the situation. Normally his brand of fear was¡­ frowned upon by his fellows, but as times changed and the number of children grew to be far greater than what his people could feasibly handle it became more and more apparent that his kind of fear was a¡­ necessity to help certain children in need. ¡°Would you like more tea Mr. Bubbles?¡± ¡°I would love some.¡± He nodded to the little girl sitting across from him before turning to a stuffed animal next to him. ¡°How about you Mrs. Bearington? A cookie perhaps?¡± ¡°No, no, she has to watch her figure.¡± The little girl told him. ¡°Oh, of course, how silly of me.¡± He scoffed, rapping his knuckles off of his skull. ¡°You know you¡¯re not like the last monster under my bed.¡± The girl confessed, rubbing at a dark spot on her arm. ¡°How so?¡± He asked, tilting his head and suppressing a frown. The little girl seemed to think about it for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re a lot nicer.¡± ¡°Am I really?¡± He wondered tilting his head to the other side before giving the girl a wide smile with far more teeth than any human had. ¡°Personally I think I¡¯m a lot meaner if we¡¯re being honest.¡± ¡°Yeah, but he didn¡¯t sit down and play tea party with me.¡± The girl pointed out gesturing towards the fact that he was sitting in a chair so small his knees came up to his chest. ¡°And what kind of monster doesn¡¯t like tea parties?¡± He scoffed, forcing himself to remember that not all Nightmarians were built like him. (It¡¯s not anyone''s fault, it¡¯s just how things are¡­) The little girl smiled at him shyly, before there was a thumping in the hall and she gasped. ¡°That was my dad, you have to hide. I¡¯m supposed to be in bed!¡± (Well, it was fun while it lasted.) He thought just a little sardonically as he bonelessly slithered beneath the table and made his way around the toys he¡¯d gotten the girl to play with before hiding under her bed, unable to keep from savoring the smile he¡¯d put upon her face with his little act. Stolen novel; please report. The door to the room opened and from beneath the bed he saw a pair of boots walk into the room. He was a special kind of monster for a special kind of kid. ¡°What are you still doing up? You were supposed to be in bed hours ago.¡± The girl¡¯s¡­ father said. Every Nightmarian knew who he was, and far fewer approved of him. ¡°I, I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± The little girl lied. (Which is fair.) ¡°Really because it looks like you were up playing when you¡¯re supposed to be sleeping.¡± He¡¯d never deny he tended to take things too far. ¡°No, that¡¯s, that¡¯s from earlier!¡± Sometimes he just couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°Are you lying to me?¡± But despite what they knew, his bosses still assigned him children. ¡°...¡± The girl was quiet, the bed creaking as she shifted on it. Because they knew as well as he did that some kids needed a monster like him. ¡°What have I told you about lying?¡± And maybe he was on probation for taking things too far, too often. ¡°...¡± But he wasn¡¯t the only one, and some kids still needed him. ¡°Not going to say anything?¡± And sure this tendency meant he couldn¡¯t scare kids like every other Nightmarian. ¡°...¡± But what he could do is¡­ ¡°You¡¯re a liar just like your whore of a mother.¡± The man spat. ¡°And you know what we do to liars.¡± Scare the shit the monsters that took it too far. The man lunged for the little girl, and he shot out from under the bed snaking around the man and throwing him across the room with a loud thud against the wall. ¡°Uh-uh-uh.¡± He told the man undeserving of the title ¡®father¡¯ as he wagged a finger through the air. ¡°There¡¯s no need for violence.¡± ¡°The fuck, who the fuck are you?!¡± The man yelled, picking himself off of the ground. ¡°Me?¡± He asked, tilting his head at an angle no human could match. ¡°Why, I¡¯m the monster under her bed.¡± ¡°The what?¡± He glanced at the little girl cowering behind him and gave her a sad smile as he waved his hand in front of her face. ¡°Shh, little one, this is all a bad dream.¡± The little girl slowly nodded off. ¡°What the fuck did you do to her?¡± The man yelled. He sneered at the man. ¡°Something far kinder than you were about to.¡± The man growled before swinging at him. ¡°I told you there¡¯s no need for violence.¡± He reminded the man as he caught the blow with ease. As he loomed over him, the man paled as he realized that of the two of them he was the bigger monster by a good head and a half. ¡°Though I suppose with how you treat your daughter, violence is your prefered language.¡± He admitted, picking the man up by his throat -sure to let his fingers grow long enough to wrap around the man¡¯s neck thrice over- and raising him so that the back of his head hit the ceiling. ¡°W-what d-do you want?¡± The man whimpered. ¡°What do I want?¡± He repeated, scratching at his face and purposely peeling away his own grey skin to reveal the black and white muscle beneath. ¡°Well that¡¯s really simple¡­¡± He pulled the man close to his face, while letting the stench of rot leak from his mouth. ¡°I want you to never lay a hand on the girl again, or else¡­ I¡¯ll skin you alive and feed you your own flesh as we take her somewhere you¡¯ll never touch her again.¡± ¡°Y-you can¡¯t-¡± He slammed the man into the ceiling once more. ¡°I think I can, after all no one stopped you from hurting the girl, so who¡¯s going to stop me from hurting you?¡± With that said he released the man and let him fall to the ground before kicking him over and putting his boot on the man¡¯s neck. ¡°Besides you¡¯ll find I can do a lot of things other people can¡¯t.¡± He opened his mouth and let the spiders crawl out and down onto the man¡¯s crying face, amused by the fact that someone who¡¯d bully children would be scared of something so small. ¡°Meaning I can come for you whenever I please. That there is nowhere I won¡¯t hunt you down if you ever harm her again.¡± He continued as he ran his claws over the man¡¯s face. ¡°And honestly if it was up to me you¡¯d already be dead.¡± The man merely whimpered. ¡°But luckily for you, and unluckily for her, the little one still actually loves you for Cheshire knows why.¡± He explained, before crouching close enough that their faces were touching. ¡°So remember, she is the only reason you still breathe, and everyday you wake up is another you owe her your life. Am I understood?¡± The man nodded. ¡°Good.¡± He opened his mouth wide enough to bite the man¡¯s head off as he yawned, before giving the man a disgusted look as he let him up. ¡°Now get out of my sight.¡± Rather than standing up or trying to defend his daughter, the coward ran abandoning his daughter to the friendliest monster she¡¯d ever know. All the while a faint haunting tune of a dozen children followed the man as he ran in terror. With the nuisance dealt with he reached down and picked up the girl¡¯s stuffed bear before giving it to her sleeping form and tucking her in as he himself hummed the tune that all of his people had come to know him by. ¡°Beware, beware the Boogeyman¡¯s Scare He haunts and prowls the night, Filling your dreams to the brim with fright Beware, beware the Boogeyman¡¯s Scare Under your bed he lurks and hides In the darkest hour does he reside But child fear not the Boogeyman¡¯s Scare For the monster is on your side this night But those who¡¯d harm innocence¡¯s light Beware, beware the Boogeyman¡¯s Scare For should you lay a hand upon a child¡¯s head Then the boogeyman shall see you dead.¡± Side Stories: Lore Compendium Exerpts: Huntsmans Quest Characters (Spacebattles Q&A Pages 1-15)
ReaperofInterest, post: 81323047, member: 309377 Wrote: Hmm...while I''m on the subject, what sorts of ways are there for Arcane to train Affinities? The [Combat] Affinity, for example, seems to require going through combat situations, while in The Huntsman''s Quest Josh was able to buy a book capable of training, or at least giving access to, multiple basic Elemental Affinities. How would someone go about training for an Affinity like Smoke, Sand, Time, or...say, Wolf, or any other animal Affinity? Or how about the more exotic Affinities, such as various colors?
First to clear up the murky bit, Jon didn''t actually unlock those Affinities so much as learn how to use them, because the rules for using a type of magic don''t really change based on one''s affinities so much as your affinities make a certain type of magic easier to use. Meaning theoretically that anyone can learn how to use any attribute but those with affinities can do so faster and cheaper than those without. Now for most Arcane the simplest way to increase their affinities (and with minimal personality change) is repetition, like an obscene years worth of repetition. (Typically after learning how to use an attribute from study of some kind.) After that would be exposure to the attribute in question, with anima infused versions of these attributes developing an affinity faster. Then in a mix of the two you have the contracting system, which allows an Arcane to borrow the affinities of their contracted via exposure through their contract bond, eventually developing their own affinity regardless of contract. As for training more esoteric concepts, one would have to understand the concept enough to make use of it, typically through Will craft if more literary methods are unavailable. At which point it becomes a mix of philosophy, psychology, science, and magical capacity as to how easily they can learn an esoteric affinity. (Fun Fact: The method of learning DeSade taught Jon isn''t the normal one and is actually based on the man''s own obscene Occult level as he used Jon as a guinea pig for an experimental teaching method to know if it was safe for his daughter to learn via. Which is half the reason why Jon can pick them up so fast, compared to other people who would take weeks if not months to figure even the derivatives of their own affinities out.)
rush99999, post: 82717533, member: 380992 Wrote: How is DeSade pronounced?
De-s-aid. (Technically, it''s derived from the french De Sade (Pronounced: De Sod) but the pronunciation has shifted over the last hundred or so years due to living in america and the family''s Sadistic reputation. Leading to people mispronouncing the name, and a few members of the family relishing in what was meant as a play on their name and reputation.)
rush99999, post: 82769463, member: 380992 Wrote: There''s paperwork, actual official paperwork, for being a Dark Lord?
Yes, though the requirements aren''t necessarily easy to fulfill.
rush99999, post: 82769463, member: 380992 Wrote: ...Why?
The Arcane Association originally started it as a joke because one of the immortal/world conquering founders was capable of qualifying despite having retired years ago.
rush99999, post: 82769463, member: 380992 Wrote: ...Why?
Eventually with the rise of Sanctuary and the Heroes'' Guild it took on a secondary, and actually legal definition essentially marking someone as a magical crime lord of sorts. (Even if they haven''t committed any crimes.) Who should they come up with a valid reason for their continued existence can create a deal that gets law enforcement to leave them alone in their given territory, (in DeSade''s case that would be keeping a lid on all the things in Blackwell). This isn''t to say that they have free reign to do whatever they please, just that as long as they can prove their value every so often or help with the occasionally ''Dark Art Problem'' then the local government can sweep a few ''lesser'' crimes under the rug, but large scale things will still come back to bite them. Additionally, since it has become a synonym for ''magical crime lord'' not all dark lords are official Dark Lords, (who actually take their certifications and titles very seriously given how hard they are to acquire and will frequently deal with the posers themselves.)
rush99999, post: 82769463, member: 380992 Wrote: Also how did DeSade end up showing his Dark Lord paperwork to Jon?
It was half-pride (DeSade earned those 3 A Rank Dark Art Masteries.) and half proof that he did in fact know what he was talking about and was in fact working for the betterment of Blackwell despite the occasional cult meeting and/or blood sacrifice.
LaughingMadAndBlue, post: 82769679, member: 462574 Wrote: Because bureaucrasy does, indeed, have their claws on absolutely everything.
The Arcane Association likes to certify and rank everything if they can.
LaughingMadAndBlue, post: 82769679, member: 462574 Wrote: On that note, anything that could take advantage of that? Paperwork and stuff, because it certainly sounds like it has a lot of potential for it.
Part of the reason the system works is by them taking advantage of the official -and occasionally helpful- Dark Lord''s pride to eliminate the ''fake'' -and frequently unhelpful- dark lords. Fun Fact: The Sanctuary media engine actually makes the posers out to be a bigger deal than they are while minimizing the real Dark Lord''s power solely to stoke this prideful hate, before soothing it once the poser is gone so as to keep from having to deal with that whole mess themselves.
Crazyone47, post: 82901008, member: 422818 Wrote: And this might be Huntsman related but what happened to Desade''s daughter Jill that necessitated Jon save her instead of Desade and Desades cult?
Uh, that is wrong on several points. -Jill was a female camp counselor that had been at the camp longer than Jon. -DeSade''s daughter''s name was Rosalind. -Rosalind was kidnapped off the streets and Jon witnessed it allowing him to solve it around the time DeSade found out. --DeSade considers the fact that Jon saved her before him a massive honor debt. Stolen story; please report.
Crazyone47, post: 82901008, member: 422818 Wrote: Is Jon registered as Desades and Blackwells apprentice?
Jon is not actually registered as DeSade and Miss Edna''s apprentice (Blackwell is the town they live in.) because Miss Edna rebels against the system and DeSade didn''t want him as an apprentice (more a custom bullet for the beast) but due to reputation issues and witnesses he was forced to make Jon his honorary apprentice. Fun Fact: DeSade wanted to make Jon his official apprentice after Jon killed the Beast of Blackwell, (in part to add the feat to his own reputation) but Miss Edna put her foot down and refused claiming she had as much of a right (because she''s known him since he was like eight) and they are currently in what could be considered a custody battle for Jon''s apprenticeship. (He has no idea.)
Crazyone47, post: 82905499, member: 422818 Wrote: Oh that is f******** awesome, hilarious and any other word that means good. Comedy wise.....
They''d probably disagree.
Crazyone47, post: 82905499, member: 422818 Wrote: Why can''t they just both take him as an apprentice?
They could, but they''re both too prideful to and disagree with the other''s views/philosophies on magic. (Miss Edna thinks DeSade will turn Jon into a jaded cynic, while DeSade thinks Miss Edna will coddle Jon wasting his potential.) Ironically enough, as long as their dispute is going on they''re technically stuck splitting his apprenticeship anyway. (And occasionally one upping each other as his teachers.)
Crazyone47, post: 82905499, member: 422818 Wrote: Genuine question how much does a reputation matter to a Dark Lord?
Greatly, since to get the title they have to earn it which takes years of work in a dangerous field of study, all while there are a bunch of posers pretending they have the title. Then they''re also technically crime lords meaning that their reputations also keep people from stepping too close to their territory. And said reputation is the only thing keeping Sanctuary from thinking they''re an easy target, but they have to keep that reputation just helpful enough that they don''t get slapped with a kill warrant either.
Crazyone47, post: 82905499, member: 422818 Wrote: Desade is a full blown arcane right?
Actually no, he''s from a long line of practitioners a couple hundred years old, and uses several of his family''s old talismans/artifacts. (He actually has a small vault and trades them out whenever one starts to run low or he needs a specific magical advantage.) Miss Edna though is an Arcane, she''s just studied the practitioner stuff as a proper educational interest since she was around when the Association was first founded as a school for Arcane and was even a teacher there until the Rift Riots.
Crazyone47, post: 82911880, member: 422818 Wrote: How did Edna end up starting a summer camp inDesade''s territory anyway? I dont think thatbis common.
The DeSade thing is coincidental since Blackwell is her hometown. That said, she founded camp Bet as bet with her sister involving childcare and eventually grew to love the place. (She actually decided to keep it after winning the bet, the same year Jon joined the camp.)
ReaperofInterest, post: 82925335, member: 309377 Wrote: Huh. How much of the name of the camp was a result of the camp owing its existence to a bet?
She named it that specifically to rub it in her sister''s face that she was going through with it and why.
Crazyone47, post: 82927510, member: 422818 Wrote: Is Desade technically something like the Mayor adjacent? Like does he get a salary and get some taxes for being a Dark Lord or some authority?
Eh, yes and no? His family legally owns the entirety of the land Blackwell is built on and everyone just rents it or makes land payments to him, but that''s a carry over from a couple hundred years ago rather than the Dark Lord thing. This is actually where most of his political power comes from.
Crazyone47, post: 82927510, member: 422818 Wrote: How old is Jill? Started Arcane Studies yet?
20-21. (Roughly 3 maybe 4 years older than Jon.) And while she''s not an Arcane or learning magic, she is starting her nursing degree while the Huntsman''s Quest is going on.
Crazyone47, post: 82927510, member: 422818 Wrote: Is Desade married or is this a continue the clan without blood ties thing?
He''s married and has a daughter, but his relationship with his wife is complicated.
Crazyone47, post: 82927510, member: 422818 Wrote: Would it be spoilers to talk about Edna''s sister?
Mild, but as long as I don''t mention her name we should be good.
rush99999, post: 83423956, member: 380992 Wrote: How high up the ladder was she? Was she the one giving orders or was she the one following them?
Jon''s Ma was the non-Deviant leader of a military squad specifically devoted to fighting Deviant threats in the war zone, and was part of one of the first mixed-squads in the military. What''s more her squad and the others of their ''generation'' were also basically the creators of the anti-Deviant military drills that weren''t stolen from Asylum or mercenaries. (Several of which have been added to Sanctuary training drills in the time since she left. (She''s not actually aware of this, and might respect them more if she knew they weren''t practicing the ''execution'' drills taught to her.)) Typically the way things worked for her squad, was that they were given info packs airdropped near their objectives and then extracted once completed and with a bit of distance behind them, with their actual objectives being to target any local Deviant threats on the field. She was technically the one giving orders but she also received them, and after an incident involving the military higher-ups and her squad she refused to re-enlist again and pulled every string (and bit of blackmail) she had to get out a year or two before the actual end of her contract. Which is why she will bad mouth the military, the chain of command, or those leading it without shame, but will punch you if you insult anyone actually fighting. Her belief being there are soldiers and then there''s the military, soldiers fight for what they believe while the military orders soldiers to fight for their cause, regardless of if that cause is actually part of what the soldiers believe or not because it is controlled by a political element at higher levels.
Crazyone47, post: 84000393, member: 422818 Wrote: How did Desade end up as Camp Quartermaster?
rush99999, post: 84001677, member: 380992 Wrote: Rogers is the Quartermaster, not DeSade
Yeah, and he ended up quartermaster after Miss Edna found him half-dead and stitched him back together. And once he was back on his feet he ran into and killed a small pack of Corrupted, after which Miss Edna offered him a job as quartermaster (and security guard) of the camp each summer. (She also may or may not have tricked him into a geas to keep him from physically harming any of the camp''s kids. (She''s an opportunist not stupid.))
Crazyone47, post: 84000393, member: 422818 Wrote: Also did what Jon did count as Madness enhancing Anima? When he was enchanting the axe with Yangs dragon affinity.
He wasn''t actually counting it as Madness enhancing Anima, instead he worked to filter out the [Dragon] affinity from her [Storm Dragon] via a mix of Miss Edna''s ''you can tutor Ying on magic'' notes and DeSade''s ''you''re friend is an interesting phenomenon'' notes. It''s just that Ying''s Madness Corruption is what caused her ''one affinity'' Incarnate rule to become two affinities. 45 Suns: More Than One Mischievous Mind 45 Suns: More Than One Mischievous Mind --- Jon --- ¡°Should we really be stashing these here before we actually set up the haunted house?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why we wouldn¡¯t.¡± His Ma admitted. He gave her a dry look. ¡°Uh-huh. And if one of the other cops wanders into one of these before Halloween?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll learn not to go through my shit.¡± The elder Whitaker told him as she stuffed a fake corpse into a closet where anyone could stumble upon it. ¡°And the fact that you¡¯re leaving your ¡®stuff¡¯ in places anyone could find it?¡± He prodded. ¡°It¡¯ll teach everyone better situational awareness.¡± His Ma explained, as she rigged the fake corpse to launch blood at whoever opened the door without severing a particular wire. ¡°After all it¡¯s much better for them to get hit by one of these rather than a bullet by some punk on the streets.¡± ¡°And this won¡¯t get you a reprimand or something like that?¡± He wanted to make sure before he rigged the smoke bomb like his Ma told him to. ¡°First of all, they can¡¯t prove it was me given how the cameras are down and we¡¯re both wearing gloves.¡± His Ma reminded him. ¡°Second, I¡¯ve got the highest clearance rate in the station -without fudging my numbers with bullshit arrests I might add- meaning if they fire me the station¡¯s success rate will take a massive hit reducing their overall funding and forcing everyone but the higher ups to take yet another pay cut.¡± ¡°Meaning they have to put up with your antics.¡± He sighed, rigging the bomb to the coffee machine. ¡°Ah-ah, not my antics.¡± His Ma corrected as she wrapped an arm around him. ¡°Our antics. Since you aren¡¯t stopping me you¡¯re officially an accomplice in this mess.¡± ¡°I feel like if anything, that makes this whole situation worse.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Stealth and Trap Making --Currently: Trap Making Lv. 9 (6/20) and Stealth Lv. 7 (3/16) --- ¡°So you mentioned your teacher taught you some stuff about potions, right?¡± Audrey asked him as she arranged a number of plants on the classroom table. ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± He nodded, trying to figure out how many of the plants he recognized. ¡°Potions and Enchanting were Miss Edna¡¯s bread and butter at her store.¡± ¡°What kind of potions did she sell?¡± ¡°Mostly she sold these mist makers that helped plants grow, and magic candies for the kids.¡± He answered before frowning at one of the plants as he touched the soil. ¡°Isn¡¯t this one a bit dry?¡± ¡°Drip Vine grows proportional to the amount of water in its environment,¡± Audrey answered, swirling a finger through the air as a small blob of water condensed before trickling into the pot. ¡°What¡¯s really interesting about it is the speed at which it grows, because thanks to an Anima mutation whenever it¡¯s exposed to water it¡­¡± The Drip Vine began growing and continued to grow for a few moments after the other teen cut off the supply of water. ¡°Huh¡­¡± He checked the soil again and found it just as wet as before. ¡°A plant that drinks all the water cannot be sustainable or good for an ecosystem.¡± ¡°It was designed to help with areas that flood frequently. And being an artificial plant there¡¯s usually an Arcane nearby to stop it before it goes out of control.¡± Audrey assured him. ¡°What¡¯s more even if it does get out it has safety limiters that prevent it from growing beyond a certain size, and cause it to wither relatively fast to keep the damage to a minimum.¡± ¡°I guess accelerated growth would mean accelerated decay too.¡± He figured, glad that there was some kind of limiter on it, though he was admittedly more interested in the fact that, ¡°You said this is an artificial plant?¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, technically artificial.¡± The other teen admitted, adjusting her glasses. ¡°There are a lot of plants that turn out weird because of Anima mutations, but Arcane frequently monitor and manipulate those mutations to create strains with specific effects and abilities.¡± Audrey continued to explain. ¡°All in all it¡¯s no different than non-magical plant breeding.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± He accepted thoughtfully, before frowning again. ¡°But why do you need an anti-flooding plant around here, given where we¡¯re at, isn''t drought a bigger issue?¡± ¡°Depends, thanks to global warming sometimes we get these flooding rains that the city wasn¡¯t built for turning some areas into swamps in between all of the dry periods.¡± The other teen shrugged. ¡°Still we¡¯re at least a few months from that stuff so that¡¯s not why I brought the Drip Vine.¡± ¡°Then why did you bring it?¡± He asked. ¡°Because the pasted mulch of it is very good at carrying the properties of the other ingredients on the table. At least if you know what you¡¯re doing with them.¡± Audrey gave him a look. ¡°Which is why we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Scene Consequences -Thanks to Audrey gained 4XP to Potioneering. --*Skill Rank Up* Potioneering Lv. 7 (2/16) -Progress made towards ??? Perk. (1/4)* *Note: This progress only applies to Audrey¡¯s Potion perk. --- A phone started ringing before Audrey pulled out hers. ¡°Shit, I¡¯m going to have to leave a bit early today.¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s fine.¡± After all he¡¯d had to do the same just a couple days prior. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Yeah, well that also means that I¡¯m going to have to leave you alone with Val for your first lesson.¡± The other teen pointed out as she began to text on her phone. ¡°I¡¯m telling her to take it easy on you, but knowing her she¡¯s not going to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s um, I can handle it.¡± (After all it can¡¯t be worse than anything DeSade and Rogers put me through back in Blackwell.) Audrey gave him a look before shrugging as she got another text. ¡°If you¡¯re sure. Either way she¡¯ll be here in about half an hour, just remember that while she may be rough on the outside, she¡¯s a lot squishier on the inside.¡± ¡°I will.¡± He nodded, as the other teen waved her goodbye and left him alone in the classroom. Figuring that he had a bit to himself, he pulled out his copy of the Layman¡¯s Shaman before flipping to where he was in the book and beginning to read. While the previous chapters had covered roughly what a Spirit was, what the more common variants were capable of, and then where to find them, this chapter focused more on how to communicate with the lesser spirits. For a given definition of communication at least. As mentioned in the explanation on what Spirits were, the most commonly seen variants weren¡¯t actually sentient or sapient enough to maintain a true conversation. They were however ¡®there¡¯ enough in their existence that one could convince them to do one thing or another if it was something they would naturally do. In practice this meant that a ¡®Fire Spirit¡¯ was always going to generate heat, but you could have it generate that heat where you wanted and then get a number of those spirits to gather to create enough heat to eventually result in a fire. From there one could then convince those Spirits to move said fire wherever it was needed. A principle that would work similarly for other lesser Spirits. Now as a basic function this would bring up the question of why have the spirits work in such a roundabout way when you could just cast a quick spell and do it yourself. The primary reasoning being that while it took magic to communicate with a spirit once it set off to do whatever task you gave it, it wouldn¡¯t actually need you to supply it with more power to fulfill the task or to keep repeating it on its own. All of which allowed a person to create a simple Spell Engine with naturally occurring elements, making it more difficult to set up but both easier to maintain and harder to disrupt. Both of which were extremely important factors if one had to worry about an enemy Arcane attempting to set up a spell that could damage the environment around you. A problem that was easily fixed by convincing the environment to work for you and to resist any spells set up by people with ¡®unfamiliar Anima¡¯. (Meaning that while Shamanism isn¡¯t the best for quick one-off casting, it can be extremely powerful for maintaining an area of effect. Technically you can use this to entrap an entire battlefield for defense or offense with enough prep time.) The handle of the door to the room began to turn, and a quick glance at the clock revealed that his half-hour alone was up. Scene Consequences -Thanks to reading the Layman¡¯s Shaman gained 2XP to Arcane Shamanism. --*Skill Level Up* Arcane Shamanism Lv. 3 (1/8) --- ¡°No puedo creer que estuve de acuerdo con esto¡­¡± Val mumbled as she walked into the room. ¡°P¨¦rdida de un pinche s¨¢bado.¡± ¡°Uh, sorry¡­¡± He apologized, having only understood about half of that but knowing it wasn¡¯t anything positive in his favor. The Scarecrow¡¯s Keeper gave him a dry look before sighing as she shook her head, something that quickly turned into a glare towards him. ¡°Look I¡¯m only here because Audrey asked me to do her a solid. I¡¯m not here because I like you or because I actually want to be here.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± He apologized once more, though with a more prominent grimace this time. ¡°If you want you don¡¯t have to help me.¡± ¡°No, like I said Audrey asked me to do a solid so let¡¯s just get this over with.¡± Val sighed, taking a seat. ¡°Alright, um¡­ So what exactly did you want to do?¡± He asked, really wishing Audrey hadn¡¯t left to take care of her ¡®business¡¯. ¡°What did she cover with you?¡± Val asked in turn as she messed with one of the flowers Audrey had left on the table. ¡°Um, a bunch of stuff about plant breeding and how certain species can work in different potions.¡± He answered. ¡°So nothing exciting.¡± The other teen dismissed as she dropped the plant, and leaned back in her seat as she stared at the ceiling for a moment. (Starting to think this might not have been a good idea¡­) There was a clatter as the front legs of Val¡¯s seat hit the ground. ¡°Alright, I think I¡¯ve got something that isn¡¯t just more boring theory for you to work through.¡± Feeling just a little apprehensive he decided to see where she was going with this. ¡°Uh, what did you have in mind?¡± ¡°I think you said something about knowing a bit of Contracting, right?¡± Val double checked as she pulled out a small box from her jacket. ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± He nodded. ¡°What exactly can you summon?¡± Val asked as she opened her box. ¡°Anything you¡¯ve actually Contracted?¡± (Is there a difference?) He wondered, before answering. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve contracted a Fairy, a magic wolf, and a Flufflepuff.¡± Val paused before giving him an odd look and shaking her head. ¡°Okay¡­ so all beginner summons and nothing really interesting.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown at that because he felt that Pix, Wolf, and Melon were all interesting in their own ways. But ultimately he didn¡¯t get a chance to argue the point as the other teen continued before he could speak. ¡°Now I¡¯m Contracted to the Scarecrow.¡± Val told him with a snap of her fingers, something that immediately had his hackles raising as he sensed the shift in the air. His eyes darted to the shadow behind the other teen, a shadow that had notably more to it than the last few times he¡¯d seen it creep and crawl. And from within this shadow a white bird skull emerged, and despite being a different face he had no doubt in his mind that this thing was still the Scarecrow he¡¯d seen almost a week prior. ¡°And through that Contract I get a number of¡­ Perks that most people wouldn¡¯t get for summoning him.¡± Val continued, as she fiddled with the contents of her box. ¡°And while I don¡¯t plan on telling you what most of those perks are, I will say that he¡¯s taught me a fair number of tricks.¡± ¡°What kind of tricks?¡± He asked, while thinking about those ¡®Perks¡¯ she mentioned. (I know Arcane are supposed to gain some extra advantages from Contracting but she¡¯s making it sound like something else¡­) ¡°Well for one, I know how to make these¡­ tokens of a sort that let me summon him in places that aren¡¯t next to me.¡± Val answered, showing him this little bone effigy. The Scarecrow moved suddenly and he stood from his seat with his knife in hand, ready to gouge out the Demon¡¯s¡­ (empty eye sockets¡­) (I need somewhere else to stab it.) Val gave a half chuckle to his reaction. ¡°Relax, he may be a Demon but I¡¯ve got him under control.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± He frowned, watching the Demon¡¯s flesh shift just enough to approximate a smirk. (On second thought I¡¯ve got acid molotovs to torch it with, let¡¯s use those.) He¡¯d like to think the Demon lost its smirk. The Scarecrow¡¯s Keeper seemed to consider his question for a moment before shrugging. ¡°Had to give up most of my ¡®Contracting Potential¡¯ but like I said, it comes with its perks and I¡¯ve got him under control. Just about everyone who knows their Contracting can piece that together.¡± (Perks, Price, and Contracting.) He thought as he finally figured out what was throwing them about their ¡®Contract¡¯. (This sounds closer to Dealmaking than Summoning. Which makes sense when they¡¯re two sides of the same Arcane Art, but this raises an important question.) His eyes drifted between the Scarecrow and its teenage Keeper. (Who made the deal with who?) Scene Consequences -Thanks to Val gained 2XP to Contracting: Summons and 1XP to Occult and Contracting: Dealmaking. --Currently: Contracting: Summons Lv. 5 (9/12), Occult Lv. 7 (11/16), and Contracting: Dealmaking Lv. 3 (3/8) -Progress made towards ??? Perk. (1/4) A/N: Realized I didn¡¯t specify, but going forward for the most part Val¡¯s Contracting will be of the Summons variety. (The mix of XP types is for not clarifying this.) Trail 46: Nightmares Enchanting Trail 46: Nightmares Enchanting --- Jon --- (He exhaled, watching his breath mist despite the fact that it was the middle of July, before shaking his head as he steadied his nerves and watched the Corrupted making their way towards the camp. It was a trick he picked up a couple of weeks in, given how the things wanted the campers they would always be moving in that direction. Meaning it was relatively easy to set up kill fields in places that they had to pass through when other options were locked off by one means or another. Such as the effigies Miss Edna had given him that were capable of repelling the darkness of the Corrupted for a couple of hours. She may not have liked him coming out but she respected his decision enough to try and give him the tools to defend himself, just so long as he could get her enough materials to work her literal magic. He waited until they were about halfway through the field before kicking a nearby log, sending it rolling down the hill where it collided with the group of Corrupted and sent them all crashing to the ground as it broke their bones. Sliding down he began quickly stabbing and stomping the Corrupted, as he did everything in his power to ignore the fact that they all looked like tortured humans. Once this was done he began laying down a series of bottles that had been rigged to explode should they become heated enough. A task he knew he had to be quick with given how instead of continuing their approach on the camp the simple minded Corrupted would swarm anywhere that others of their number had died. With all of the traps set he started up the hill before climbing a tree and once more waiting for the (hunt) to continue. After a few minutes more of the Corrupted Corpses began to crawl out of the bush work with the occasional Mad Wolf lingering alongside the edges. Still he waited, knowing that -according to Quartermaster Rogers- the Corrupted tended to collect their dead to bring them back to attack again and again, meaning that they would get closer to his traps just so long as he waited for them to tire of their search. The Wolves sniffed for a scent and the Corpses overturned everything they could find, but after a half-hour of searching for some trace of the one to kill their comrades they began to once more gather around their dead. At which point he pulled out a molotov and slid his bow off of his shoulders. When the Corpses began to pick up the ones on the ground, he lit the molotov and threw it. And as the glass broke open spreading its contents the flames quickly spread to the incendiary traps he¡¯d set up, detonating each in a small explosion of flame and gasoline that quickly consumed the Corrupted. Instead of panicking at the fact that they were on fire they all quickly began to turn towards him even as the weaker amongst their numbers began to collapse as the Black Blood in their veins ignited to the flames. Blatantly ignoring the scent of burning flesh and rot filling the air he began picking off the few Corrupted who hadn¡¯t been caught in the fire. Most of which were the snarling Mad Wolves, something he normally had trouble shooting thanks to their erratic movements but were significantly easier to hit when they were running straight at him while he had the high ground. The remaining skirmish was relatively easy and with the near unlimited number of arrows he could stuff in the quiver Miss Edna had given him, there was little need for him to get any closer to the Corrupted than the tree branch he sat upon. Once the last of the Corrupted had fallen, he made his way down the tree before pulling out a small trinket Miss Edna had given him and walking towards the still raging fire. He snapped the trinket in two, and a wave of cold air washed out from it, quickly spreading out and putting out the flames before they could spread to the rest of the forest. With all of the threats taken care of, he pulled out his phone and checked the time. Finding that it was just minutes to midnight, he began dragging the arrow ridden Corrupted together so that he could burn them in a more controlled fire. The breaking of tree branches caused his head to snap up just in time to watch a massive beast crash through the trees, cratering the ground as a bundled black sphere shifted in the darkness, a slight gloss glistening where the moonlight cut through the trees. Knowing that the time for stealth was over he lit the lantern the quartermaster had given him and raised it towards the monster as his heart began to pound, fully aware of the threat mere steps away from him. A single bloodshot eye peeked out from within the mass before the shifting sphere began to growl. Slowly he slipped his hand into his pack to pull out his axe. The sphere exploded with an ear splitting screech-) His eyes shot open as something scraped against his window, and he was already halfway across his room with a knife in hand by the time it stopped. Opening the glass pane and looking out from his window seal he saw something large disappearing over the roof ledge across the alleyway. The Beast in his head told him to grab his bag and chase after it, but the alarm clock beginning to blare on his night stand warned him that his Ma would be checking on him any minute for their morning training. Forcing himself to close the window his eyes locked onto the roof¡¯s edge as he came to a very dangerous decision. Scene Consequences -Due to remembering the past gained 1XP to Archery and Trapmaking --Currently: Archery Lv. 7 (13/16) and Trapmaking Lv. 9 (7/20) --- ¡°What exactly is it you¡¯re working on here?¡± Ying asked him as he continued to flit between his notes and two seperate Enchanting Circuits. ¡°Enchanting.¡± He answered absentmindedly as he drew a few symbols to adjust the less than familiar concept of [Light] so that it didn¡¯t just result in a glow in the dark axe. An enchantment he wasn¡¯t entirely sure he¡¯d have time to remove if he wanted to take care of the thing tonight. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Quite.¡± Ying told him dryly. ¡°But I meant what exactly are you enchanting, and why did you need me to meet you here so urgently?¡± ¡°Right, so with everything going on, and the fact that I¡¯m probably going to be dragged into it, I¡¯m working on a couple of enchantments to hopefully make my axe more useful against the Creeps invading on Halloween.¡± He explained in an almost rambling manner. ¡°More specifically I¡¯m trying to borrow a pair of affinities from you and Pix since your concepts should prove more useful. Now doing this for Pix is easy, given how I pulled something similar with that magic regen Script last month. You however,¡± he pointed at Ying, ¡°are going to be much trickier to pull off given how I haven¡¯t actually figured out how to use two concepts at once, and thus need to siphon a single affinity from two that are inherently connected due to you being an Incarnate.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The other teen nodded ever so slowly. ¡°You are very lucky one of my other friends tends to go on rants from time to time or I wouldn¡¯t have gotten any of that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a useful skill.¡± He agreed, before taking a step back to double check his math and penmanship. With everything seeming to be in order he turned to Pix lazing about on Brutus who he¡¯d taken out with him to the park. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re up first. Same as with that spell script.¡± He told the little fairy as he pointed to a small circle for her to push her magic into. ¡°And remember to focus on your light magic for this.¡± Pix gave him a chirp of understanding as they both put their hands on their respective circles, and pushed their magic into the circuit causing the familiar lightning to crackle and dance through the air before surging into the axe he¡¯d set in the middle of the circle with a flash of light. After a few moments to let the energy die down he picked up the axe and gave it a few swings, noticing that while there was a faint glow to it the glow was nowhere near as bad as he¡¯d been worried about. ¡°Okay, looking good, let¡¯s just test the heavier strikes.¡± He said, gripping the axe with both hands before swinging it with all of his might causing a blinding flash of light that left him blinking spots out of his eyes for a few seconds. ¡°You alright?¡± Ying asked as he pawed at his eyes. ¡°Yeah, just going to have to be careful when it flashes like that.¡± He frowned before giving the blade a considering look. ¡°Still should work as a nasty surprise for anyone who doesn¡¯t see it coming.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Ying nodded, before glancing at Brutus. ¡°Surprised your dog is so calm after the light show though.¡± ¡°Meh, Brutus was a military dog and has done a couple tours himself.¡± He explained with a shrug as he bent down to pet the old dog. ¡°It¡¯s going to take more than a few sparks to scare you, isn¡¯t it boy?¡± Brutus merely wagged his tail before giving a bark in the affirmative. ¡°Sounds about right for your dog.¡± Ying smirked. ¡°Technically he¡¯s Ma¡¯s dog,¡± he corrected, ¡°but given how he used to babysit me sometimes he still likes to follow and keep me out of trouble.¡± ¡°Well someone has to, and honestly I quite like the trouble you stir up.¡± Ying admitted with a fanged grin. ¡°I¡¯m sure you do, but if you¡¯re sticking around for trouble, then you might want to move over there.¡± He suggested, pointing at the other spell circuit he¡¯d spent the afternoon setting up. ¡°Specifically the little circle on the side opposite of Pix¡¯s circuit.¡± ¡°And what exactly is it you want me to do over here?¡± Ying asked crouching in front of the circle in question. ¡°Put your hands on it and try to push your magic into the circuit, specifically the bits involving your dragon transformations.¡± He told her, setting his axe in the new circle. ¡°The circuit should do the more complicated bits and filter out anything that doesn¡¯t have to do with your [Dragon] concept.¡± Admittedly finding anything useful involving said concept had been a nightmare and a half, with his only success involving a bit of cross referencing between Miss Edna and DeSade¡¯s notes. Namely by taking the ones Miss Edna had given in case Ying wanted him to teach her magic involving enchanting or something similar, and working backwards from a few random notes where DeSade had been hypothesizing on how Ying¡¯s [Dragon] affinity had taken formation in conjunction with her [Storm] affinity due to her corruption. (He¡¯d just barely understood those.) It took her a few more tries after that initial explanation, but eventually Ying got the hang of it as a few sparks of magic began to dance along the circuit only to die out as they hit the safety limiters Miss Edna had taught him to keep the circuits from (violently) exploding. With this done they eventually got into a groove of pushing their magic into the circuit to empower it. Something he hadn¡¯t realized the actual difficulty of thanks to his Contract with Pix making it significantly easier to work with the little fairy. Still after a few moments electricity began to dance along the circuit just as it had with Pix¡¯s circuit, only this time it seemed to grow in size into one massive bolt that began to rise into the air. ¡°Uh, Jon, is it supposed to be doing this?¡± ¡°Eh, maybe?¡± He offered a little unsurely as the bolt seemed to take on the shape of a serpent of sorts. (Or maybe a dragon.) The dragon-shaped magic seemed to roar with a crack of thunder before diving into the axe with a massive flash of light, leaving behind nothing but the faintly sparking axe. ¡°Okay, that was weird¡­¡± He admitted before taking a closer look at the axe. ¡°Did it work?¡± Ying asked, not getting any closer than she already stood. The beast in the back of his head seemed to growl at the axe as if it itself was a living animal. ¡°It did something, just not sure what¡­¡± He answered, reaching down to pick up the axe. As soon as his fingers touched the weapon he just knew it was more alive than it had been a few moments prior, and even if that feeling wasn¡¯t all that strong it was there. (Which is concerning¡­) He gave the axe a couple test swings and found that it seemed to lurch with much more force than he was used to, almost as if the axe itself was eager to fight. (Very concerning¡­) Scene Consequences -Spent 4 MP Enchanting Axe with: --Blade of Light (Rank E): Axe now deals an additional 2 points of Light Damage on attacks and applies stacks of [Blind] on Crits. ---Blind- Decrease a unit¡¯s Reflex Stat by 1 for every Stack of this Debuff. --Dragon¡¯s Fury (Rank E): Every attack against the same unit increases base damage against that unit by 1 up to a maximum of (E=2), resetting when another unit is attacked. Additionally increase base damage by 1 up to a maximum of (E=2) for each unit defeated in this combat, resetting when combat ends. --(Existed but updated) Owner¡¯s Recall (E Rank General Enchantment): Allows the axe to return to the owner¡¯s hand as long as they remain within 10 Meters of it. If an enemy is on the path between them applying half of weapon damage after a Skilless Accuracy check. --Current Enchanting Capacity: (6/11) -Gained 2XP to Enchanting. --Currently: Lv. 4 (8/10) -For channeling Enchantments through allies for the first time gained 1XP to Occult. --For channeling an Enchantment through a Corrupted Incarnate gained 1XP to Occult. ---Currently: Lv. 7 (12/16) -Pix has leveled up Magical Assistant to Lv. 7. --- He knew that it wasn¡¯t necessarily a good idea to go out with a freshly enchanted weapon without giving it a bit of testing practice, but at the same time if there was a Creep lurking in his neighborhood he wanted to take it out before it could hurt any of the kids in his apartment building. Which is why he found himself sitting on the roof of his building at three A.M. on a school night with his Witch¡¯s Compass in hand and hoping his ¡®desire¡¯ to find this possible monster was enough for the compass to point him in the right direction. For several minutes he sat there just staring at the little needle spinning around in circles, while pushing the images from Sanctuaries dossiers to the forefront of his mind. And just as he was beginning to feel a headache beginning, the needle went from spinning in slow circles to shifting back and forth along a roughly thirty degree angle. He gave the compass a nod before turning to the little fairy on his shoulder. ¡°Alright, Pix, it looks like we have our heading.¡± Night 46: Stalking Nightmares Night 46: Stalking Nightmares --- Jon --- Despite having made one or two midnight forays into the city, this was his first time actively searching it at night given how he¡¯d known roughly where the Dealers gathered to sell and could easily look up their two safehouses on a mapping app. All of which he could safely do from street level with minimal work. Whereas now in order to follow the compass and try to keep a decent view of his surroundings, he¡¯d had to travel a mix of rooftops and back alley¡¯s as the compass would occasionally jump when he assumed his (prey) was doing much the same. All in all he was finding it to be a notably different experience than traversing the Blackwell Woods at night. (Though it has been notably safer, without the Corrupted trying to kill me every five minutes.) Coming to a stop, he couldn¡¯t help but frown as the compass spun in a couple circles before focusing roughly in the direction he¡¯d been moving. Working off of a hunch he continued on for a couple more minutes, moving faster than he had prior, before eventually checking the compass again and finding it spinning in circles rather than giving him an actual heading. (Guess this is as close as it can get me.) He figured, before switching the compass to its mapping function, hoping that what he was close enough for the creature to appear via whatever ¡®threat detection¡¯ system Ms. Delacroix had had built into it. And while the compass did give him a decent map of the area, it did not in fact show the creature anywhere on it. (Meaning either it doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m here or at the very least doesn¡¯t mean me any harm.) Deciding that he¡¯d gotten as much out of the compass as he could at the moment, he put it back in his pack before making his way to the top of a nearby building, hoping that the higher vantage point would let him spot his (prey) before it spotted him. Another thing he found different from the forests he was more familiar with was the fact that the city had so much light pollution that he had no trouble making out just about everything around him. (Which would be an improvement if) (not for the fact that I¡¯m more visible as well.) He felt a faint¡­ something in the back of his head. Nothing as strong as what he¡¯d experience from the Man in the Mask¡¯s Madness or the Beast of Blackwell¡¯s insanity, nor even as strong as the Terror of Val¡¯s Scarecrow, but still he could feel (something) in the air. Then again it could just be in his head, (the first sign that Madness is in the air.) Knowing that something was nearby, his efforts to find something redoubled until eventually he spotted a shadow crawling on a nearby building as it quickly leapt between several windows on the building. (That fits the Sanctuary reports of the Creeps looking for something, but it doesn¡¯t tell me why it thinks the seal is hidden behind those particular windows¡­) Which was one of his problems with the dossiers Sanctuary had given everyone, the files covered the most common Creeps in the sense of how they fight, their physical weak points, and similar but they covered next to nothing on the actual behaviors of the creatures outside of combat. (Sloppy.) The more¡­ predatory parts of his mind growled, knowing that the most important part of hunting something dangerous was knowing its behaviors to the point of predicting where it¡¯ll go and what it¡¯ll do. Which is why he decided to do something that he fully admitted was less than smart and followed the Creep rather than picking it off while it was all alone. All in the hopes of learning something about the creature that could help him with the upcoming Halloween Haunt. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Not that he wouldn¡¯t rip its throat out with his teeth if it tried to hurt someone, but (priorities.) Despite now having his (prey) in sight, he found following it to be no easier than tracking it had been, given how he was forced to follow from street level while the Creep was capable of leaping entire blocks with ease. The only thing easing his tracking, the fact that the Creep whenever the creature would find another building to inspect it would spend several minutes doing so, allowing him just enough time to catch up before watching it leap away over a nearby rooftop. The fifth time this happened he couldn¡¯t help a growl of frustration from bubbling out of his throat, as he found himself wishing for the more constrained environment of the woods he was familiar with. Where even in the dark his (prey) would leave notable tracks for him to follow through the foliage or where he could use the numerous trees, hills, and rock formations to slow down, lose, or catch up to the shambling Corrupted that littered the forest. But still he hunted in the concrete jungle despite being at notable disadvantage of both his usual mobility and familiarity with the environment and its various obstacles. And though he did lose sight of (prey) far more times than he was comfortable with, after years of running with his Ma every morning and a few boosts from Pix, he was just barely able to keep up with the Creep for the many hours it searched. Somehow all while avoiding the eyes of the few roaming officers who might take issue with a hooded teenager running around so late after the city¡¯s curfew. Eventually though these efforts paid off as the Creep came to a stop in a city and after (poorly) making sure that no one was following it began pried open a storm drain cover before climbing inside as it lowered the cover behind it. Making his way over, he crouched down to inspect the metal lid and found it covered in numerous claw marks, proving that this wasn¡¯t a one time thing but rather a likely nest that the Creeps had settled into. (Now the question is whether it¡¯d be safer to go in now or closer to the day?) If he went in now the Creeps would more than likely be active inside, but he¡¯d also place good money that a fair number of them weren¡¯t inside of the nest since there were still a fair few hours before sunrise. That said, if he spent too long down there it was also a fair bet that he¡¯d run into one of the creatures on his way out, (which could work for or against me if I want to wait for more of them to get back¡­) Alternatively he could way until just before daybreak, when most of the creatures would¡¯ve returned to their nest and likely begun to settle in for what he hoped was a nocturnal sleep cycle giving him an advantage if he tried to cover the place in traps or kill them in their sleep. Though if he alerted the Creeps while half way through the nest, he was liable to find himself surrounded and swarmed by them unless he fought his way back to the surface. (Either way, can¡¯t be any worse than walking into a Corrupted nest.) Of course those were just his options if he kept himself limited to this night, which was his initial plan since his Ma was pulling an overnighter at the station and likely wouldn¡¯t be in until he was getting ready for school. If he instead came back on a different night, he could get a few more things together and maybe try a different approach to dealing with the Creep nest, maybe even calling in some backup if he really felt like he needed help. The problem there was the fact that he had less than a week before Halloween, and with it getting so close Sanctuary and the Guild would be too busy getting ready for the actual ¡®Haunt¡¯ as it were to deal with this. (Which is the whole reason they brought Hunters in in the first place.) Which to be fair was an option for him too. (It¡¯s a little too short notice to take care of tonight, but I could probably get Travis or Daisy to get their teams to help. Then again The Scarecrow could probably do a fair amount of damage in such a closed space too¡­) But that was only if he didn¡¯t feel comfortable taking the nest on himself, after all aside from Val and her Scarecrow he hadn¡¯t actually seen any of them fight, and bringing someone he wasn¡¯t familiar with into a fight could just make things significantly more difficult than killing the Creeps in their sleep or turning their nest into a kill box. A part of him briefly considered bringing Ying along, but she¡¯d just barely been able to scrape together the time to help him with his axe that afternoon, and (I sincerely doubt she¡¯ll be able to sneak out again before Halloween if her mom really is trying to keep her away from this mess.) Looking down at the storm drain cover he let out a sigh before making his decision. Night 46: Into The Nightmares’ Nest Night 46: Into The Nightmares¡¯ Nest --- Jon --- Finding a perch to watch the storm drain cover was as easy as climbing the tallest building on the block, a location that given the way the Creep he was tracking moved by leaping and crawling along building laws meant that he¡¯d be relatively safe until the hours beyond dawn. And while he was nowhere near stupid enough to actually sleep near the entrance to a nest of monsters, he was able to close his eyes and rest enough that staying up through the night wouldn¡¯t hinder him. As he laid in wait, he slowly flipped a knife across his fingers, the action more muscle memory than actual intent, but just active enough to make sure he didn¡¯t nod off with his eyes closed. One of the more useful tricks that Quartermaster Rogers had taught him during their numerous hunts of the Corrupted. In this state of half-consciousness he counted roughly three more Creeps using this particular drain cover via the sound of it scraping closed echoing through the night air. A sign that he probably would¡¯ve ended up being cut off by at least one of them on his exit route if he¡¯d tried to enter the nest the moment he¡¯d found it, rather than waiting for them to return to their den. Eventually his phone began ringing, signaling sunrise nearing. And as such he forced himself awake by pulling a water bottle out of his pack and dumping it over his head, pushing the dregs of whatever exhaustion filled him back for a couple more hours. A little more aware than moments prior he took in the scene around him, spotting a few rays of light just beginning to crest over the horizon, and a few cars moving through the streets for those getting to work early or leaving their night shifts behind. (Need to move quick before the actual morning traffic gets here.) Using a nearby fire escape to make his way down to ground level, he pulled out his phone and made sure that the map of the local storm pipes he¡¯d found during the night was still loaded for when he went into a space with no signal to reload it. Admittedly this wasn¡¯t the best map, given how apparently only the main streets had walkable storm drains beneath them, all of which eventually traced back to the city''s lake. (Really hoping I don¡¯t have to fight another lake monster.) He sighed, because it would be just his luck that he¡¯d have to fight another massive monster on a small wooden boat without being eaten. Sighing to himself he removed the drain cover before waking up the little fairy sleeping in his pocket. ¡°Come on Pix, we¡¯ve got work to do.¡± The little fairy climbed out of his pocket before taking flight with a yawn as she sleepily looked around. ¡°Mind giving me a light?¡± He asked, gesturing to the hlole in the ground. ¡°Found where these things are nesting but I¡¯d rather not give them enough light to spot me.¡± Pix gave him a determined nod, realizing that they were getting to the dangerous part of one of their ¡®hunts¡¯. As he climbed down the ladder to the drains, Pix followed behind him while bending the light of her natural glow in such a way that it¡¯d make things just a little more visible without actually giving their position away. A trick that turned the drain pipes from total darkness, to shadows much more resembling the forest of Blackwell¡¯s moonlit nights. Looking around he took another glance at the drain map and compared it to his compass¡¯s latest heading before starting towards an intersection of pipes closer to the center of the city¡¯s storm drain system. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Every so often he¡¯d pause to check the walls he could find numerous claw marks on the walls and flooring, including several that looked faded and worn as if they¡¯d been there for years and slowly eroded away. (In which case why hasn¡¯t the city¡¯s maintenance reported the claw marks to Sanctuary or the Guild?) He frowned, fairly certain that if Sanctuary knew about even the possibility of these nests they¡¯d be burning them down or at the very least they would¡¯ve let the Hunters know about them in the hopes of limiting the damage caused on Halloween. (Curious¡­) Still regardless of why they¡¯d been allowed to nest in these pipes, the claw marks at least confirmed that he was heading in the right direction. Something that was further underlined when he came across a large sleeping mass. Carefully he took a photo of the creature, knowing that in the dim light his phone would only pick up a blob in the shadows, but (hopefully with a few more pictures I¡¯ll be able to prove that there are nests in these tunnels.) After all he wasn¡¯t naive enough to believe professionals would just take his word for it. With the photo taken he shifted around the lone beast and considered how best to kill it without generating so much noise that he awoke any other nearby Creeps. (Hide is too thick for the knife.) He figured just from the size of the creature. (Axe it is.) Reaching into his pack he pulled the axe out and lined it up with the Creeps skull, much the same way he would when Rogers conned him into chopping wood for the camp¡¯s bonfires before raising it up and bringing it down with a heavy and wet thud. Part of him panged with a touch of guilt over killing the creature in its sleep, after all this was nothing like the Corrupted whom killing was an act of mercy. Especially if you could make it stick permanently. The rest of him however was too paranoid from having thousands of Corrupted trying to kill him to risk leaving a threat on his exit path if he could help it. Especially given the Creep¡¯s reported body count. Either way, killing it quick was as much of a mercy as he could afford, without putting himself or possibly someone else at risk. Pix landed on his shoulder and patted his helmet with an understanding chirp, knowing that he didn¡¯t enjoy killing. (No matter how good I am at it.) He pat the little fairy between her antenna before continuing on through the drainage pipes. With first contact established, he made sure to keep a more focused eye on his surroundings, his purpose for being here reconfirmed as he walked into the darkness once more. At times he¡¯d pass the occasional ladder to the surface before adding it to his mental map, knowing that now that he was nearing the actual nest, getting to the surface was going to be far more important than making his way back to that first entrance. Eventually he came across another chimera sleeping in a curled up ball, and just like with the first he lined his axe up before putting the Creep down with a thud and a squelch. The only difference being that this time he waited until the creature was dead before taking a photo of it with the axe in its skull. More than a little morbid, he¡¯d freely admit, but it¡¯d make the photos more believable. Especially since with the beast dead he could afford to let Pix give him a little more light to see the Creep in the picture. Not that he ever wanted to see the face of something he¡¯d killed, (but proving there¡¯s a problem down here is more important than what I want.) And so he continued through the pipes slowly chipping away at the number of Creeps that would crawl out of the ground to invade the city each night, his steps never slowing and never stopping so long as the job needed finishing. With another Creep dead he ran a hand through his hair before running it down his face. (These last two were barely a minute apart, I can¡¯t be much further from the center of the ne¡­ oh.) He swallowed as Pix¡¯s light lit up the next chamber, not enough to see through the darkness but still enough to make out a good dozen or so sleeping masses shifting in the shadows. (Too close to kill in their sleep¡­) He noted with a frown as he took in as much of the room as he could. (Going to need to figure something else out.) Night 46: Burning Nightmares Night 46: Burning Nightmares --- Jon --- As he tried to think of the best way to deal with the chimeras, he caught scent of something in the air. (Is that gasoline?) He frowned. (We¡¯re in the city¡¯s storm drains not the sewers, why would I smell gasoline in here?) Eventually he remembered something he¡¯d read in the Creep Dossiers and decided to try something¡­ unconventional as he crept closer to the nearest chimera and sniffed the air around it, and found the scent of gasoline stronger. (I guess that¡¯s the compound in their fur that lets them blend in with the darkness.) He realized before remembering something else just as important. (The compound that makes them highly flammable to light.) He looked at all of the sleeping chimeras and the chamber they resided in as a plan began to form in his head. Shifting his backpack off of his shoulder, he began to shift through it as he pulled out some of his trip wire, a few trip arrows, and a couple of molotovs. (Going to burn through a fair chunk of my supplies doing this, but I should be able to make this work.) (Real trick is going to be not waking anyone up until I¡¯m done.) He figured, his eyes drifting between the numerous sleeping shadows. Taking the molotovs he began pouring their contents on his arrows, specifically making sure that the wire connecting each set of trick arrows was sufficiently damp, or rather as damp as he could get the waterproof wire. Once that was done he moved onto the next step of his plan as he took one of the arrows and his knife and began chipping into the stone walls of the storm drain in the hopes of inserting the arrow with just enough leverage to hold its intended weight. All without waking the nearby chimeras as he ever so slowly cut away at the stone. (Which just means I have to get its twin arrow into the opposite wall.) He told himself looking at the other chamber entrance, the one past at least a dozen sleeping monsters that could tear him apart in seconds if they got a hold of him. (Fun¡­) (It really is.) He shook his head before steeling himself and quietly shifting around the first chimera, and then the second, the third, and so on as a part of him wished he was quiet enough to just put them all down in their sleep without waking the rest up. (But with their heightened senses there¡¯s no way I can pull that off without some kind of¡­ magical¡­ sound dampener¡­) Eventually he managed to make it across the room and let out a sigh of relief, before returning to his task at hand and again chipping one of his arrows into the wall as quickly and quietly as he could. With the two arrows set he grabbed the wire between them and it gave it a weight test before nodding to himself and pulling out a few more molotovs as well as several lines of wire. Tying the lines around the molotov bottles and the trip wire, he rigged it so that each of the molotovs were hanging from the wire before looking back at the chamber. (Now I¡¯ve just got to spread these out down the wire.) Just as quietly as before he started through the chamber, this time making extra care to make sure none of the molotov bottles would clink together as he slowly slid each one into place, until the sound of claws on stone echoed through the chamber. His eyes snapped to one of the other chamber entrances before darting to another and another as he tried to determine where the sound was coming from to no avail with the sound echoing from all around. When his gaze passed over Pix near one of the still sleeping Chimeras a terrible idea began to form in his head. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Pix.¡± He hissed as quietly as possible as he backed away from the wire. ¡°Kill the lights and make me look like one of the sleeping beasts.¡± The little fairy gave him a concerned look before steeling herself with a determined nod as he sat between a pair of slumbering chimeras and made himself as small as possible. As he¡¯d instructed, the faint glow Pix had been giving the world around him died out, leaving him in an inky blackness as he trusted Pix to keep him hidden. The sound of scraping stone grew ever closer, until eventually he was able to pinpoint which entrance it was coming from. And while it was too dark to make anything out, he was able to hear as the sound shifted from one of the tunnels to the floor of the chamber. (I should¡¯ve run when I had the chance.) He panicked as he realized just how close the chimera had to be from him. (No. Could¡¯ve run into it. Been trapped on both sides.) The beast in his head growled shutting down that line of thought, as he was reminded of a dozen different times he¡¯d been trapped in the dark with something trying to kill him but no way to see it. (Been here before.) Closing his eyes he nodded to himself and inhaled as slowly as he could before holding his breath, knowing that focusing on keeping it in would force him to focus on something other than his fear. Forced himself to ignore the world around him and the fact that he was surrounded on all sides by monsters that would like nothing more than to- (No thoughts.) Slowly he exhaled before repeating the process in a semi-meditative trance as he simply waited for the newest Chimera to fall into a deep enough sleep for him to continue his work. Making sure not to drift off to sleep by forcing his various limbs and fingers to stretch at just enough of an angle to fill his entire body with a slight aching burn. Eventually he reached some internal counter, where the beast in his head was no longer tense, and he took it as a sign that things were as safe as they were going to get. He reached out through his bond with Pix and sent a slight ping through it, not willing to risk making any sound until he could actually see what he was working with. Pix sent him back a ping of relief before returning her glow to the world around him, giving him something resembling visibility after so long in the dark. He waited a few more moments just to be sure that it was safe before standing up and looking around the chamber in the hopes of spotting the newest chimera, but unfortunately found himself unable to tell it apart from the rest. (Not important.) He told himself before turning his attention back to the molotovs. (I need to get this done now.) --- Stepping back from his work with one last molotov in one hand and a lighter in the other, he briefly considered the consequences of setting off the network of arrows, wires, and bottles he¡¯d set up in such a small space filled with whatever compound was filling the air with the scent of gasoline. He then considered the consequences of if all of these monsters were to roam the streets on Halloween night when children were walking those same streets. The molotov hit the network of wires in a burst of flames and broken glass, igniting them in flames that quickly spread to the dozens of Molotovs linked to it. As soon as the first molotov hit the wall the Wolf Chimeras began to wake up, and by the time the second exploded on its own the earliest waker of the chimeras was already standing up. This did not save it from the third molotov detonating over it showering it in burning liquids that quickly spread across its fur as the flammable chemicals that gave it its unparalleled stealth became the greatest threat to its health. A fate that was slowly shared by every other chimera in the chamber as one by one they all caught flame between the exploding bottles of gas and flame, their agonized screaming echoing throughout the chamber and tunnels of the underground as they were trapped one and all in a hell they could not escape. A hell they were too preoccupied with to spot the one who had unleashed this hell upon them darting down a tunnel to escape the flames and the toxic fumes their burning corpses were unleashing. --- Returning to his apartment, reeking of smoke and gasoline, he found that it was probably in his better interest to enter his house via the fire escape rather than risking any of his neighbors seeing him in such a state. Tossing his backpack to the side he briefly considered just passing out on his bed, before dismissing the idea in case his Ma came home to check on him. Something that was more than likely if he ended up skipping school to make up for his lack of sleep. ¡°Yeah, bath then bed.¡± He told Pix, as he stopped the little fairy from just passing out on his pillow. ¡°We both probably reek of smoke and whatever else killing those Creeps kicked up.¡± Pix gave him a look before taking her shirt off as she fluttered off to the bathroom. He was about to follow her after grabbing his clothes but ended up pausing to pull out the dossier Sanctuary had given him. Opening it to the wolf chimera, he reached onto his desk and grabbed a pen before crossing the photo out and flipping to the pages on the flying chimera and the mantis chimera. (One nest down, and at least two more to go.) 47 Suns: The Morning After A Nightmare Trail 47: The Morning After A Nightmare --- Jon --- He heard his door opening and half opened his eyes to see his mother peeking through. ¡°Ma?¡± He blinked drowsily. ¡°How¡¯re you feeling kiddo?¡± His ma asked stepping into the room. ¡°Not like you to call in like you did.¡± ¡°I know just¡­ tired this morning¡­ feeling better but-¡± He yawned before running a hand down his face. ¡°Still not a hundred percent.¡± ¡°Yeah, downside of people who never get sick. When you finally do it usually puts you down hard.¡± His ma nodded in understanding as she put a hand to her forehead before putting it to his. ¡°Well at the very least you¡¯re not running a fever, so that¡¯s a good sign. You¡¯re still looking a little pale and have rings around your eyes though.¡± ¡°What time is it?¡± He frowned, knowing he hadn¡¯t gotten to bed until almost nine. ¡°A little after noon.¡± His ma answered. ¡°Just got off work and figured I¡¯d see how you¡¯re feeling.¡± ¡°Tired¡­¡± He admitted, because even if he could get up and force himself to keep moving that didn¡¯t mean it would be a pleasant experience. (Especially not after a night full of adrenaline highs and lows.) ¡°Yeah, you look it.¡± His Ma smirked, running a hand through his hair. ¡°You hungry? I can probably scrounge something up before I crash.¡± ¡°Little bit.¡± He shrugged before giving her a look. ¡°Sure you don¡¯t want me to cook?¡± ¡°You¡¯re sick, it¡¯s my job to take care of you when you¡¯re out of it kiddo.¡± His Ma reminded him. ¡°Besides, even if I can¡¯t cook like you, I can still open a can and work a microwave.¡± ¡°Can still burn it in the microwave too.¡± He reminded her as he tried to roll out of bed. His ma snorted as she kept him from getting up. ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m your son.¡± ¡°Ha! That you are kid.¡± --- With little else to do, and his Ma refusing to let him leave the house while he was still ¡®sick¡¯ -(And him refusing to ignore her when she was worried about him.)- he decided to restock the molotovs he¡¯d burned through the night prior, because while he still had a few left he was pretty sure he was going to be using them before Halloween was over. (Hmm, starting to run low on bottles.) He frowned, shifting through his backpack. That had been the one advantage of the quartermaster¡¯s drinking habits, he¡¯d had a small mountain of bottles always ready to be used to make a molotov or two. (Going to have to look into finding a place to get more bottles soon.) Scene Consequences -Jon has restocked his supply of Molotovs. --Jon Currently Has: ---(Potions: (3 +1)=4 + 1Remaining=5) Regular Molotovs Counters and (Potions: (3+1)/2=2) Special Molotovs Counters. --- ¡°You know I feel like I¡¯m being taken advantage of here.¡± Travis told him. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± He apologized, knowing that this was more his fault than anything else. ¡°Personally I¡¯m glad they liked our cooking.¡± Daisy smiled as they watched a gorged Pix laying on top of an equally gorged Melon, both having eaten anything and everything they¡¯d put in front of them. Which likely wouldn¡¯t have been too much of an issue if Melon hadn¡¯t proceeded to summon a small horde of Flufflepuffs who also ate anything put in front of them. (And like Daisy said it¡¯d be rude to feed only one Flufflepuff when so many were hungry.) ¡°Yeah, I guess but they didn¡¯t exactly leave us any to take home.¡± Travis pointed out. ¡°What¡¯s more we¡¯re going to need to restock everything after feeding so many.¡± ¡°True¡­¡± Daisy nodded with a frown. ¡°Guy is going to be disappointed I didn¡¯t make him any snack cakes like I promised.¡± ¡°Well at least the big lug will just be disappointed, Sarah is going to hold me at spellpoint until I feed her sugar addiction.¡± Travis sighed, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Cooking is supposed to be my de-stresser, not a source of stress.¡± ¡°Again¡­ sorry.¡± He apologized once more. ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± Travis frowned at him. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault my¡­ roommate can be a child about this kind of thing. Besides once I figure out how to work this potion of yours into their meals it¡¯ll make things significantly easier to keep us going after our rougher jobs.¡± ¡°Oh, definitely.¡± Daisy clapped in agreement. ¡°Even if Guy and I aren¡¯t Arcane I¡¯m sure this potion you showed us will come in handy. Coming up with something like this was ingenious!¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Uh, not really.¡± He shook his head. ¡°The basic formula is one I found in this book my, um, mentor gave me. The only thing I really figured out was how to make it work with Pix¡¯s affinities given how I was missing the actual magic the potion needed.¡± ¡°And finding work arounds like that is the mark of a good practitioner.¡± Travis assured him. ¡°Since we don¡¯t have the same internal magic of Arcane we¡¯ve got to use our knowledge of how magic works and make it work for us rather than just brute forcing it. Trust me kid, figuring out how to make something work as needed is even more important than making it work as intended.¡± ¡°Oh, definitely.¡± Daisy nodded in agreement. ¡°For instance I only know a few spells but I¡¯ve figured out that by using the right mix of demon flesh, blood, and bones you can make those spells do all sorts of fun things to the demons in question!¡± ¡°Right, and I¡¯d just finished repressing the time you carved a spell circuit into a Creep to make the rest explode.¡± Travis laughed hollowly before whispering. ¡°After they screamed in agony for five minutes.¡± (Huh, I wonder if I can get her to teach me that spell?) Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Cooking, Occult, and Potions. --Currently: Cooking Lv. 9 (8/20), Occult Lv. 7 (14/16) and Potions Lv. 7 (3/16) -Reset Pix¡¯s potion counter to 3 Turns before her next potion. -A/N: We would¡¯ve gotten a few actual ¡®potion counters¡¯ for Pix from this but Melon and her pile o¡¯ fluff ate all of them. (Except for the one Pix fought tooth and nail for.) --- ¡°Hey, uh, Audrey I had a question I was hoping you can answer.¡± He told the leader of the magic club, remembering that of the Southside Coven she was the one to actually possess a Hunter¡¯s license. ¡°Oh, and what question is that?¡± Audrey asked, as she continued to take care of one of her plants. ¡°Um, you were at that meeting for hunting the Halloween Creeps, right?¡± He actually remembered her being there, but he felt he should ease into the actual topic he wanted to talk about. ¡°Yeah, and so were you.¡± Audrey nodded with an amused smirk as she slowly removed a flower bud from her plant. ¡°Right¡­¡± He nervously rubbed at the back of his neck. ¡°So, uh, those Creep things¡­ How exactly do you Hunters collect those bounties?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Audrey gave him an interested look. ¡°Are you interested in hunting a couple of them? Because I¡¯m sure Val would love to go on a hunt with you sometime.¡± He felt that was a fib on her part to try and make them work through the issue that had sprouted from him attacking her in the middle of her duel due to his own misunderstanding of the situation. (But I can¡¯t really blame her for trying to make her friends get along.) ¡°Er, sort of?¡± He frowned, still not entirely comfortable with bringing his more¡­ violent hobbies up in conversation with someone not from Blackwell. ¡°There was this¡­ thing crawling on the walls of my apartment the other night, and with it looking like one of the monsters from the dossier¡­ I may have¡­ dealt with it.¡± He grimaced. Audrey blinked apparently having not been expecting that. ¡°Huh¡­ uh, what did you do with the uh, corpse?¡± ¡°I left it in one of the storm drains, and it¡¯s probably still sitting there.¡± He answered figuring that was technically the truth. ¡°Okay¡­ that¡¯s good.¡± Audrey told him before shaking her head. ¡°The uh, the body would¡¯ve broken down if you left it in the sunlight, and you need the body to confirm a kill. Something about someone once taking a single Creep corpse and repairing it to keep collecting bounties on the one Creep.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s¡­ bad.¡± He frowned, the beast in his head immediatly disliking the idea of a (fake hunter). ¡°Yeah, well, to collect the bounty you have to call Sanctuary or the Heroes¡¯ Guild and hand the corpse over to them at which point they¡¯ll take your information and mark you down for payout at the end of this whole mess.¡± Audrey elaborated before tilting her head. ¡°That said, you probably won¡¯t get the full bounty since you don¡¯t have a Hunter¡¯s License.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± He didn¡¯t actually care all that much, since he hadn¡¯t killed the Creeps for money so much as to get them off of the streets, but it seemed like something it¡¯d be useful to know about given how things kept going for him. ¡°To maintain a Hunter¡¯s License you need a bunch of secondary things such as insurance in case someone or something gets hurt and an understanding of the city¡¯s proper channels to report everything in case a situation escalates.¡± The other teen explained. ¡°If you¡¯ve got these you get the full bounty, if you don¡¯t you get about a third of it. The idea being that if you can essentially double if not triple your money with a few safety precautions and a license, people are more likely to follow them rather than just go Creep hunting without knowing what they¡¯re getting themselves into and in turn getting themselves killed.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He nodded in understanding, seeing how if greed beat out a person¡¯s survival instincts then it might also force them to use said survival instincts. ¡°Though if you want there may be a slight loophole you could use to get, not the whole bounty but definitely more of it.¡± Audrey told him. ¡°What loophole?¡± He asked. ¡°Well technically the Bounty needs to be claimed by someone with a Hunter¡¯s license to recieve the whole bounty, but that doesn¡¯t mean the person who killed the Creep actually needs said license.¡± Audrey gave him a look. ¡°Meaning if you claim the bounty we¡¯ll split the full amount.¡± He figured, guessing that that was where she was leading him. ¡°Yep.¡± Audrey nodded before raising a finger as if something just occured to her. ¡°Though if you plan on hunting anymore of these Creeps than just this one, you¡¯ll probably need to register as an affiliate of my license. Which is fairly easy enough, it¡¯s just that if they recognize a pattern in the dead Creeps that doesn¡¯t fit me or my other affiliates -that¡¯s Val and Arty by the way- then I could lose my license which would screw all of us over.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to do that.¡± He admitted, knowing that he was still on shaky ground with both Val and Artemis himself. ¡°Like I said, registering is easy enough.¡± Audrey shrugged. ¡°Won¡¯t even take a whole hour, and you can make a fair bit of money off hunting like this.¡± (Maybe, but it¡¯ll also mean Sanctuary will have their eyes on me.) And if there was one thing he learned from his Ma when it came to the government, it was that you never wanted their attention if you could avoid it. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not trying to pressure you into anything.¡± Audrey told him raising both of her hands, having apparently mistaken his reluctance as being upset at her. ¡°You¡¯re free to do whatever, and like I said I can easily claim that bounty on the one Creep for you and then give you all of the money when the Haunt is over. Honestly, given how this my first year with the license even one or two extra Creeps will look a lot better on my resume in the long run.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll, uh, I¡¯ll consider it.¡± He promised, not really sure if the money was worth drawing attention to himself. (Especially given how many Creeps I killed the other night.) Scene Consequences -Jon can now claim his bounty or ask Audrey to claim it in his stead. --Note: Jon does not have to claim all of his bounties. Trail 48: Working with Demons Trail 48: Working with Demons --- Jon --- ¡°So how much of the station are we working with exactly?¡± He asked, carrying a box through the station halls. ¡°I¡¯ve managed to¡­ convince everyone to give us about half of the station, with the other half being reserved for ongoing business and holding a halloween party.¡± His ma answered before dropping the box on a nearby desk. ¡°Unfortunately, since everyone here is a lazy bastard we¡¯re going to have to move everything ourselves.¡± His ma continued while gesturing to the numerous desks littering the room. ¡°Should I be offended by that?¡± Officer Garcia frowned, setting her own box down with a grimace. ¡°Also why am I carrying bags full of blood? Actually, why do you have bags full of blood?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a haunted house?¡± His ma blinked, just as confused as he was. ¡°Okay, so it¡¯s fake blood.¡± Garcia nodded looking relieved. ¡°What no!¡± His ma frowned looking offended. ¡°I¡¯m not one of those cheapass pansies that use ¡®fake blood¡¯. If you want to do a haunted house right you¡¯ve got to use real blood even if it costs a little extra.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s not human blood at least¡­ right?¡± Garcia whimpered. ¡°Of course not.¡± His ma grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m willing to splurge but not that much!¡± ¡°There¡¯s also the fact that human blood has more human diseases.¡± He pointed out as he began pushing a desk towards the wall. ¡°Oof, yeah, after mixing it in the tank, if just one person has hepatitis we¡¯d all be going down.¡± His ma agreed. ¡°Right, so¡­ I¡¯m not going to be running your haunted house.¡± Garcia told them. His ma gave her partner a dry look. ¡°Wuss.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Trap Making and Psych Warfare. --Currently: Trap Making Lv. 9 (9/20) and Psych Warfare Lv. 4 (7/10). --- Realizing that he¡¯d run out of Pix¡¯s potions, he decided that it would be in his best interests to make another batch of said potion before she realized he¡¯d let her supply get so low. (I am so lucky that we made those magic muffins at the cooking club.) He was pretty sure her last potion would have run out by now if not for that. While he waited for the potion to reach a slight boil, his eyes drifted to a small pile of leftover Anima Herbs, (Hmm, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to make a couple of healing salves too. I mean just because I have Pix, that doesn¡¯t mean that someone else won¡¯t need them.) Scene Consequences -Gained (Potion Rank: 3 + Perk Bonus: 2 = 5) MP Regen Potions. -Gained (Potion Rank: 3 + Perk Bonus: 2 = 5) Basic Healing Salves. -Gained 1XP to Potion Making. --Currently: Lv. 7 (4/16) System Update: I¡¯m remixing the rules on the Garden instead of a growing supply of ingredients -that I may or may not have forgotten to keep track of- instead as long as an ingredient has been in the garden for 5 turns we can use as much of it as we need for potions. (Because Pix magic.) --- ¡°So, how do these look?¡± He asked, showing off a few wooden figurines he¡¯d carved based on what Val had told him during their last lesson. ¡°You know you don¡¯t actually have to make it look like the one you¡¯re summoning?¡± Val pointed out, picking up a little statue of Pix (that I really should¡¯ve put a flooring or something on so that it could actually stand.) ¡°The only thing that matters is that it symbolically reflects them.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ I-it¡¯s been a couple months since I¡¯ve carved anything so I may¡¯ve gone a little overboard here.¡± He admitted a little awkwardly. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s whatever.¡± Val shrugged, tossing the figure on the table (at an angle that could¡¯ve snapped the wings off.) He frowned, picking the figurine that Pix had loved seeing up and making sure it wasn¡¯t cracked. ¡°Like I was saying, the reason I asked you to make these was to see if you could make something that represents one of your summons, that way we can tweak it so that you can create your own Contracting tokens.¡± Val explained, pulling out a small bird skull covered in little painted symbols. ¡°Technically you can use anything be it a statue, a drawing, or whatever else, just so long as it holds enough similarities for symbolisms sake.¡± ¡°So now that I¡¯ve got the figurines do I carve a spell circuit or something onto them?¡± He wondered, flicking open one of his knives. ¡°That¡¯s one way of doing it.¡± Val nodded before shaking her head. ¡°But if the lines or paint are damaged they¡¯ll disrupt the spell, so I¡¯m not going to bother showing you how to apply that version of it.¡± ¡°Then which version of it are we going to use?¡± He frowned. Val placed a large roll of butcher paper on the table before unraveling it to reveal a Spell Circuit of some kind. One far more complicated than anything he¡¯d ever made on his own, be it for Contracting, Spell Scripts, or Enchanting. ¡°An unholy bastardization of three different Arcane arts.¡± The demon summoner answered with a fanged smile. Scene Consequences -Thanks to Val gained 4XP to Contracting: Summons. --*Skill Level Up* Contracting: Summons Lv. 6 (1/14) ---Contracting Capacity is now: 6/13 -Progress made towards ??? Perk. (2/4) --- Audrey --- ¡°So this is the place?¡± She asked as Jon began to remove a storm drain cover. ¡°Uh, yeah, pretty close anyway.¡± Her possible cash cow nodded as he checked his phone before showing her a couple of pins on his map. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to be a slight distance from the entrance I used due to traffic, but we should be able to find the Creep corpses if we go down this tunnel and take a left.¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Fair enough.¡± She shrugged, not really caring about following him underground an unknown distance from their objective. (In an enclosed space like this I¡¯m pretty sure he won¡¯t be able to avoid my Stranglethorns.) ¡°Hold on, give me one second.¡± Jon told her as he stepped off of the ladder and into the darkness of the tunnels. With the light of her own phone she was able to vaguely see him put a hand to his chest and causing the small flash of light common to most summonings as a little fairy came into being in front of him, its glow illuminating the tunnel well enough to make everything visible. She vaguely recalled the fairy from the Arcane meeting, but given the distance and shadows of the night she¡¯d actually been split on what the creature following him around actually was. (With the glow it could¡¯ve just as easily been a willowisp.) ¡°Uh, Audrey, this is Pix. Pix, Audrey. She¡¯s going to be helping us collect the bounty on those Creeps.¡± Jon told the little fairy. ¡°Pleas-¡± Her smirk turned to a frown. ¡°Wait, did you say Creeps?¡± ¡°Right, yeah¡­ Um, while I was down here I found a couple more of those things¡­ nesting I guess? And I went ahead and killed them in their sleep figuring it wouldn¡¯t hurt to deal with them while it was an easy kill.¡± Jon explained almost bashfully rather than with the pride she was used to seeing from other hunters claiming a kill, even an easy one. (Then again I guess he doesn¡¯t want to be a hunter.) She figured, knowing that while it was an exciting lifestyle it was also a dangerous one. One that she was honestly glad her little sister had no intention of involving herself in. Considering this new information, she gave him a nod. ¡°Alright, well how many did you manage to kill?¡± ¡°Um¡­ a lot?¡± He winced sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°A lot?¡± She repeated before sighing. ¡°You do remember that thing I warned you about becoming an affiliate don¡¯t you?¡± Not that that was necessarily a bad thing for her, regardless of how much Val and Artemis might complain about it. (And if it doesn¡¯t work out I can just have everything filed as a probationary thing since he hasn¡¯t actually been in the city for a whole year.) ¡°Yeah, I remember, and I sort of figured I¡¯m already part of the school¡¯s magic club, so if anyone were to go looking I¡¯d probably be labeled an affiliate anyway.¡± Jon shrugged. ¡°True¡­¡± If not for the fact that despite using school asset¡¯s their club wasn¡¯t actually on the books, and she only got access to that clubroom by blackmailing the school faculty. What¡¯s more, Artemis had rigged the room with a slight perception filter to keep people from noticing their comings and goings, so very few people actually realized any of them were directly affiliated with each other. (Beyond Artemis and Val¡¯s occasional hate-flirting anyway.) She was about to ask how much ground they were going to have to cover to gather these corpses before they stumbled across a Creep curled up on the ground with a massive gash in its skull. ¡°Brutal.¡± She noted, more because based on what she¡¯d seen she was pretty sure he would, (Yep, there¡¯s the grimace.) ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Jon sighed before giving the corpse another look. ¡°Should we drag this back to the entrance now, or¡­¡± ¡°Give me a second.¡± She answered before pulling out a couple of her ¡®special¡¯ seeds and planting them into the Creep via the hole Jon had dug for her. ¡°Alright, with that I should be able to drag the corpse wherever with this spell later, but for now let¡¯s go ahead and tag the rest.¡± ¡°Right, then um, we¡¯ll continue this way then¡­¡± Jon told her pointing down one of the tunnels. --- ¡°That can¡¯t be right¡­¡± Jon eventually frowned looking behind them and in front of them. ¡°What isn¡¯t?¡± She asked, mildly impressed by how many Creeps he¡¯d killed by walking through the storm drains. (I¡¯ll have to remember this for next year. We let the Scarecrow loose down here and we¡¯ll just be raking it in.) ¡°There should¡¯ve been a couple more bodies before that chamber there.¡± Jon explained gesturing to what seemed to be an open chamber at the end of the hall. ¡°One of the other Creeps must¡¯ve gotten to them, fuckers are cannabalistic if given the chance.¡± She figured, because while the other teen had killed a fair number of Creeps she had no doubt that there were even more lurking somewhere in these tunnels. After all, during the actual Halloween Haunt over a hundred Creeps swarmed the streets, and that¡¯s after weeks of everyone chipping away at their numbers. If she went off of those numbers then he¡¯d killed about a week worth of Creeps in a single night. (Not bad. Shame he doesn¡¯t want to be a hunter.) While he may not have beaten them in a straight fight a smart hunter was often even more dangerous than a strong one. That was something every member of her ¡®coven¡¯ could attest to in their own ways. ¡°I see¡­¡± Jon frowned before glancing towards the larger chamber. ¡°I wonder if any of those are still there?¡± ¡°Any of what?¡± ¡°Oh, um, remember how I said they were nesting, well that was their main nest.¡± Jon told her pointing at the chamber in front of them, where she could see¡­ (something) on the ground. Following the other teen into the chamber she found piles of sludge all over the place, sludge that she knew from personal experience was the result of the Creeps combusting in sunlight. She couldn¡¯t help but whistle at the sight. ¡°This must¡¯ve been what a dozen Creeps?¡± ¡°Uh, something like that.¡± Jon nodded. ¡°How¡¯d you take them out?¡± She asked more out of professional curiosity than anything else. ¡°I uh, I rigged a bunch of molotovs to sort of just¡­ drop on them.¡± Jon explained kind of lamely. ¡°I see¡­¡± Personally she would¡¯ve unleashed a swarm of stranglethorns and snapped all of their necks in their sleep, (but to each their own.) ¡°Right, so I¡¯m going to go ahead and warn you that I can¡¯t actually claim these¡­ or I can but, the bounty for turning in sludge is even less than turning the corpses in without a license. Though they won¡¯t penalize you for not having a license there at least, something about bribing the people to report anything strange.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Jon shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s whatever I wasn¡¯t actually turning this in for the money anyway, I just wanted to make sure Sanctuary knew about these nests for next year.¡± ¡°Trust me, now that people will know these nests are down here, it may not happen this year, but next year these things are going to be cleared out daily.¡± She promised him, without bringing up the fact that she and the girls were going to be doing the cleaning rather than Sanctuary. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Jon smiled at her. ¡°Yep, though I should warn you again that the payout on this won¡¯t be until the haunt is actually considered ¡®over¡¯.¡± She figured she should warn him, just in case he was expecting the money today. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Like I said I wasn¡¯t really in it for the money. I just, I just didn¡¯t want to deal with Sanctuary you know?¡± Jon admitted. ¡°Nobody does.¡± She pointed out. Jon gave her a nervous chuckle. ¡°Yeah, well, uh¡­ Thanks for dealing with them then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± She assured him. (And it honestly isn¡¯t.) A little known fact about Sanctuary was the fact that whenever a city had a major ¡®event¡¯ like this they tended to release the kill scores of every group that involved themselves in it. That way they could take advantage of the various rivalries to motivate the gangs and hunter teams into putting a little more effort into risking their lives to fight the demonic invasion in the hopes of one-upping each other. (And of course so that Sanctuary can one up the Heroes¡¯ Guild by consistently topping them.) This benefited her and the girls in the fact that as one of the two newest Hunter teams in the city, scoring decently on this kill count would establish a resume of sorts that she and the other girls could use to get their little business venture off of the ground. Something she no longer had to worry about given how this gave them a few more kills to said count. What¡¯s more, thanks to the fact that Jon had taken her on this little adventure, she now had a decent little treasure trove for the next year¡¯s haunt. Even if it meant claiming these kills over the next couple of weeks to keep anyone else from seeing said treasure trove. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get out of here. I¡¯ll take you and your fairy out to lunch for a job well done.¡± She told her cash cow with a smile. Scene Consequences -In 15 Turns (roughly turn 60) Jon will gain 5 Grand, increasing his weekly budget by $100 a week. -A/N: Just going to warn you that there was a saving throw here where Audrey would¡¯ve been mad for bringing heat down on her and the coven, that somehow you guys passed with a crit success. (And I was mostly rolling to see if she¡¯d dislike or hate you for dropping this on her.) You are very lucky your greed didn¡¯t set you back a couple levels on Audrey¡¯s social here. Trail 49: Summons and Confidants Trail 49: Summons and Confidants --- Jon --- ¡°Alright, if we keep things up at this pace we should have everything wrapped up in the next couple of days.¡± His Ma noted looking over the maze they¡¯d set up and the various props they had laying around. ¡°We¡¯ve got everything placed but we¡¯ve still got to hook everything up properly.¡± He frowned. ¡°You think we¡¯ll be able to give things a trial run before Halloween?¡± ¡°Eh, we¡¯ve got this.¡± His Ma dismissed the concern with a wave of her hand. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m going to be honest, if you aren¡¯t just moving things I¡¯m probably not going to be much more use. I mean I can do some basic tinkering if I have to, but the stuff you guys have here¡­ it¡¯s a little beyond me.¡± Rodriguez admitted as she gestured at the wall of monitors they were -or rather would be- using to control the maze. ¡°Well like Jon was saying we still need a guinea pig for once we¡¯ve finished setting everything up.¡± His Ma pointed out. ¡°And I already said I¡¯m not going to walk through whatever hell house you two are setting up.¡± Rodriguez reminded her partner. ¡°We¡¯re not setting up a hell house.¡± His ma scoffed. ¡°Yeah, those are best for one group at a time. If we want to make sure everyone gets a turn at the maze we¡¯re going to need more people in it than that.¡± He nodded before considering something. ¡°Actually, are we going to get more people than we would¡¯ve out in the country? I mean I get that we¡¯re in the city, but since this is the first time we¡¯ve run a haunted house out here they¡¯re probably going to want to go through one of the professional houses that¡¯ve been here a while.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯ve had Steele sending out flyers and junk advertising this thing as a charity event. Whatsmore since the station has been doing the whole halloween party thing for a while we should have a few takers from that as well.¡± His Ma assured him. ¡°And even if no civis want to run the maze, I can always blackmail the other officers into running it, and we can post their videos online to raise some charity money too.¡± ¡°Uh, now that I think about it, why aren¡¯t you already doing that?¡± Rodriguez asked, looking a little confused. ¡°I have to balance how much psychological torture I put everyone through or else someone might snap and have a mental breakdown, and rather not deal with that again.¡± His Ma shrugged. ¡°Poor Manfried and Johnson.¡± He sighed with a shake of his head. ¡°They were never the same after meeting the easter bunny.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Psych Warfare and Trap Making. --Currently: Psych Warfare Lv. 4 (8/10) and Trap Making Lv 9 (10/20) --- With it getting so close to Halloween, he decided that it would probably be a good idea to try and find another Creep nest before the peak of the Halloween Haunt. And given the circumstance he also decided that it would be best to wait for nightfall before going out in search of the Creeps, since in all likelihood he¡¯d only find the nest if he saw Creeps coming and going from it. So with that in mind, he did what he tried to do whenever he knew he was going to have a long night back in Blackwell. Namely that since all of his equipment was already set, he should probably try to take a nap before spending the entire night awake hunting monsters. Unfortunately, when he moved for his bed he found a curious sight in Pix sleeping atop an equally sleeping Melon. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Now normally this wouldn¡¯t actually be all that curious of a sight, (if not for the fact that I haven¡¯t summoned Melon since that meeting with the cooking club.) With a thoughtful frown he found himself remembering how whenever he fed magic into Melon she somehow seemed to summon an entire swarm of Flufflepuffs from seemingly nowhere. (Which I¡¯m guessing isn¡¯t actually a one-way streak like I thought¡­) Having found his curiosity peaked he went through his things and pulled out his Contracting Creature Compendium, because while he didn¡¯t actually remember the book saying anything about this odd ability to appear wherever they pleased, that didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t missed something explaining just that phenomenon. Once more going over the entry in question, he found nothing referring to any sort of spatial magic of any kind. Though now that he read it again, he did realize that he probably should¡¯ve taken the line ¡®no matter the odds Flufflepuffs will find their way to anywhere there is a high concentration of magic¡¯ a little more seriously, even without the reference to how they do that. With his book turning out to be a bit of a bust on this matter, he instead tried his hand at seeing what the internet had to say about Flufflepuffs. (And the internet apparently loves them.) Despite rarely actually popping up in the non-Deviant media of the masses, anywhere that had anything to do with magic in the more mundane settings tended to have a Flufflepuff somewhere near it. With numerous pictures of the little creatures in various activities and dressed with a number of little hats, he found the internet¡¯s treatment of Flufflepuffs to be pretty similar to everyone else''s treatment of cute animals if a little less mainstream. Scouring through this trove of cute pictures and videos he tried to find anything about the magical creatures that didn¡¯t revolve around how cute they were or the fact that they were the mascots of the Arcane association. The closest he managed were a few curious questions about where the Flufflepuffs found their hats, because they apparently weren¡¯t being given to them by their contractors. (Though the little fuzzballs would still accept hats and clothing from their contractors.) In the end there was surprisingly little practical information about Flufflepuffs, something that he would¡¯ve written off as being because only the Arcane and Practitioners would be actively aware of them, if not for the fact that he found ten times as much information on the few other magical creatures he searched. (Which is especially odd when you consider the fact that they¡¯re the mascot of the Arcane Association, a group specifically designed to research and study magic and magical creatures in a meritocratic format.) He couldn¡¯t help but frown at that thought. (Someone is covering something up when it comes to Flufflepuffs¡­) It might¡¯ve been a paranoid revelation on his part, but it was one that fit with what information he had. (Meaning the question is now whether or not this is worth digging into. After all, if the Arcane Association, who actively spreads information about magic to the masses, wants this classified then they must have a reason¡­ Maybe I should ask Miss Edna what she thinks? She was a teacher for the Association back in the day.) With that matter settled for the time being, he moved to place his book back where it belonged before accidentally jostling a decorative skull covered in markings. ¡°Huh, almost forgot I had this thing.¡± He admitted as he picked up the Confidant Contracting Catalyst he¡¯d gotten a few weeks prior. Scene Consequences -For further studying Flufflepuffs gained 1XP to Contracting: Summons --Currently: Lv. 6 (2/14) -Melon no longer takes a summoning slot as long as Jon is at home. --- Figuring that if he was going to go searching for another Creep nest it would be in his best interest to have a little more assistance should things go wrong. And while Audrey had given him a standing offer to go hunting with her and the girls, that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t going to slip an extra ace up his sleeve. Which is how he found himself sitting in a forest clearing while waiting for the Confidant Catalyst to finish its various adjustments to the Spell Circuit he¡¯d drawn. A process that he found was just outside of his understanding, given how quickly the markings were shifting into symbols he couldn¡¯t quite recognize in the few seconds it took them to change into something else. After a few moments of watching sparks dance along the circuit''s edge, their light twice as bright in the dark of the night, he eventually felt a pull on the magic in his amulet as the catalyst triggered the second half of its programming and activated the circuit¡¯s actual summoning effect. The dancing sparks dove into the circle, causing it to steadily glow brighter and brighter until he could see around the clearing as easily as if it were day. He felt something in the spell snap, as the light burst sending forth a wave of magic as he felt a vision ripple through his mind as Trail 49: Beware What You Summon Trail 49: Beware What You Summon --- Jon --- Just like when he¡¯d summoned Wolf he felt some part of himself twitch, not into existence but rather into a more prominent place, and again he was sure that if it wasn¡¯t for the Madness exposure making him very aware of his own mind he wouldn¡¯t even have noticed. (Maybe I should look into what¡¯s going on there¡­) Shaking his head, and pushing back whatever was going on with his mind to a later date, he instead focused on the tall human looking figure standing in the center of the summoning circuit, wearing baggy old clothes and sizing him up with two eyes that seemed to glow in the dark of the night despite the long matted hair hanging over it. ¡°Who are you?¡± The figure asked, tilting its head at an angle no human could handle. ¡°Jon Whitaker.¡± He answered, feeling something in the back of his head itch as the figure continued to stare at him. The figure looked down at the circuit trapping it in place and snarled as it met his gaze, ¡°Why did you bring me here, witch?¡± ¡°I used a summoning catalyst and it summoned you.¡± He explained, trying to resist the part of him that did not trust whatever Madness the thing before him was giving off. ¡°Really?¡± The figure chuckled, leaning forward in a way that would break a man¡¯s back. ¡°And tell me why should I contract with you?¡± Part of him thought about pointing out how the Confidant Catalyst was supposed to summon a creature you were ¡®most compatible¡¯ with but he also remembered Ms. Delacroix¡¯s warning that while the potential was there the catalyst was no true guarantee that they¡¯d get along. ¡°What do you want?¡± He asked instead. ¡°To hurt people.¡± The creature answered, smiling with more teeth than his mouth could fit. ¡°What kind of people?¡± He frowned, reluctantly seeking clarification as something told him the creature in front of him was just trying to unsettle him. ¡°Does it matter?¡± The thing blinked, stretching its neck until its face was about to touch the circle¡¯s edge. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t know them do you care?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather you not hurt any kids.¡± He admitted, contemplating if he should dismiss this summons or kill it where it stands. (Mm, I think the Catalyst should have a failsafe to do the first and prevent the second¡­) The creature narrowed its eyes before its body began growing bigger and bigger until it dwarfed him. ¡°And what are you going to do if I harm a child?¡± The monster asked with a maw full of foot long teeth. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He considered it for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m leaning towards¡­ burning you alive, that usually kills the eldritch dead. Maybe chop you into little bits beforehand if you prove too slippery.¡± Rather than being offended or intimidated by his threat the monster threw its head back and laughed as it slowly shifted back into the form of a man. ¡°You¡¯re a bit of a monster yourself ain¡¯t ya?¡± The creature smiled in a twisted sort of way. He tried not to show how that dug under his skin more than it should¡¯ve. The monster¡¯s smile seemed to grow even wider. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s your fear isn¡¯t it? That you¡¯re a monster?¡± ¡°Man or beast, I¡¯m not a monster.¡± He told the creature firmly. ¡°We¡¯re both monsters.¡± The creature disagreed with a shake of its head. ¡°We just prefer the taste of other monsters.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned once more. The figure gave him a considering look. ¡°If a man was about to harm a child what would you do?¡± ¡°I¡¯d stop him.¡± He answered the only answer there was. ¡°And if he wouldn¡¯t stop? If he just kept coming back to hurt the child?¡± The creature pressed getting close enough to touch the barrier that sparked in the air, a mad sort of fervor to its eyes. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°I¡¯d stop him.¡± The beast answered, meaning something completely different than he had just a moment before. The creature looked almost relieved as he smiled once more, if a bit softer this time. ¡°You would, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I would.¡± He nodded. The figure looked to the side before giving the circuit at its feet another considering look. ¡°Tell me, do you know what I am?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not human.¡± He knew that much. ¡°You also have a form of¡­ Madness to you.¡± ¡°So do you.¡± The creature pointed out. ¡°Though yours has a bit more¡­ Insanity to it than what I possess.¡± He didn¡¯t bother arguing about how they were just two sides to the same crazy coin. ¡°Still I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t know what I am then?¡± The figure smirked. ¡°That¡¯s good, the last few people to summon me knew exactly who I am when they did so.¡± ¡°And who are you?¡± He wondered. ¡°Depending on the legend, someone very dangerous.¡± The creature admitted before laughing at something. ¡°Though nowhere near as dangerous as some of the things lurking about.¡± He gave the creature an unimpressed look. ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°Meaning, I¡¯m dangerous to certain people but completely harmless to others.¡± The creature told him in a roundabout kind of way. ¡°And who exactly are you dangerous to?¡± He asked, starting to get a feel for the creature¡¯s personality. ¡°Those who like to hurt the innocent.¡± The creature smirked, showing off his fangs before shaking his head with a soft smile. ¡°But I¡¯m harmless towards children.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure how much he believed that, but at the same time he felt a sort of¡­ kinship with the creature¡¯s fervor or rather his own Madness did. ¡°Well I don¡¯t intend to hurt any kids so that shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°I figured as much, but had to be sure.¡± The creature shrugged. ¡°A fair few of my legends make me out to hurt children rather than protecting them.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± That seemed like an admitted red flag to him. ¡°Side effect of a few of my¡­ predecessors believing stealing children from their families was the best way to protect them.¡± The creature explained, liking picking up how that sounded. ¡°Though do keep in mind that was about four, five hundred years ago when people weren¡¯t quite so¡­ protective of kids as in the modern era.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± That still seemed like something to keep an eye on, (but at the same time that was centuries before child protective services were a thing so I can -kind of- believe that there was a magical protective service for kids.) (Though it''s just as likely there are in fact monsters that kidnap kids to eat them.) Like he said it was something to keep an eye on. ¡°Believe me or don¡¯t it¡¯s not going to hurt me.¡± The creature shrugged, before looking towards the sky. ¡°Though I am a little curious. If you weren¡¯t summoning me specifically, why exactly did you summon me so close to not only Halloween, but the Hunter¡¯s Moon.¡± ¡°The Hunter¡¯s Moon?¡± He blinked, feeling something connecting with those words. The creature pointed at the nearly full Moon. ¡°It might be a few days early, but October¡¯s Full Moon is known as the Hunter¡¯s Moon.¡± ¡°It is?¡± ¡°Yeah, the horror holiday and a full moon on the same day? It¡¯s probably going to be twenty years before we see that again, lots of powerful magic going around this time of year.¡± The creature told him. ¡°I mean, I get summoned once or twice a year on Halloween but this is like my fifth summon this year¡­ also the first one that didn¡¯t try to sacrifice a kid to me, so that¡¯s nice.¡± He felt his whole body do a spasming twitch at that. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, none of them actually killed the kids and all of the cultists are in the hospital.¡± The creature assured him before smirking. ¡°Definitely freaks those Sanctuary folks when I call them though. They don¡¯t expect a summons to have their number memorized.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure¡­¡± He sighed, trying to calm himself down. ¡°Anyway, I used that catalyst because I might need backup for this thing?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The creature smiled, its face twisting in that distorted way again. ¡°Hunting monsters for Halloween? Sounds like fun.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so, because there are apparently these Creeps that invade the city every year in search of this demon seal or something.¡± He explained with a grimace. ¡°Uh, hold up.¡± The creature stopped him. ¡°When you say creep do you mean capital C ¡®monsters from another world¡¯ or lower case c ¡®monsters who kidnap kids¡¯?¡± He blinked at that need for clarification. ¡°Um, capital C?¡± The creature grimaced. ¡°Yeah¡­ no can do.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Remember how I told you I¡¯m kind of harmless to certain things?¡± The creature asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded slowly. ¡°Well, that includes anything that doesn¡¯t feel fear.¡± The creature told him looking uncomfortable with that detail. ¡°Though to be fair it¡¯s pretty much all Nightmarians that are weak to anything that doesn¡¯t feel fear, since it¡¯s our primary defense mechanism.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s¡­ a problem.¡± He admitted a little awkwardly. ¡°Yeah, but uh, if you want to hunt down the lower case creeps, you know the kidnappers or rapists running around on Halloween, then I am your guy.¡± The creature continued, trying to salvage the situation. ¡°Just, uh, if I fight a capital creep¡­ they might eat me¡­ like depending on what you''re up against they might, uh, they might actually be my species predators given this time of year and the kinds of capital C Creeps running around.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a¡­ bigger problem.¡± He agreed. A sort of awkward silence fell over the both of them as they just stood there processing the situation. ¡°Oh, and uh, the name¡¯s Noctis by the way¡­ Don¡¯t think I told you that¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Jon is now Contracted to Noctis, The Nightmarian --Current Contracting Capacity: (10/13) --New Trait: Nightmarish- Slightly increases all checks when applying Fear effects, as well as increasing offensive checks against enemies who are under Fear effects. -Gained 1XP to Psych Warfare from engaging the ???? in a verbal duel. --Currently: Lv. 4 (9/10) -Gained 1XP to Contracting: Summons and Occult for using the Contracting Catalyst. --Currently: Contracting: Summons Lv. 6 (2/14) and Occult Lv. 7 (15/16) Night 49: Meeting Up Before The Hunt Night 49: Meeting Up Before The Hunt --- Jon --- While his meeting with Noctis hadn¡¯t resulted in the ace he¡¯d been hoping for, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to regret meeting the odd Nightmarian, if only because from what little they¡¯d been able to talk they¡¯d clicked fairly well with each other. Unfortunately this meant that he was likely where he¡¯d begun the evening, if with notably less magical power in his amulet than what he¡¯d started the night with. (Well hopefully the girls will have something to deal with the Flying Creeps.) They were the ones he was hoping to track down next given how their flight and fire could prove a dangerous combination during the Halloween Haunt. Admittedly he did have his bow in a pinch, but if had to deal with a nest of flying enemies he likely didn¡¯t have the firepower to wipe them out. A hole developed by the fact that the flying corrupted he was more used to were usually few in number with few groups having more than two or three of the usually fragile creatures, meaning accuracy was more important than actual firepower or damage. (Might want to do something about that at some point¡­) He admitted to himself before shaking his head as he neared the place Audrey told him to meet the rest of their little ¡®magic club¡¯. ¡°I don¡¯t get why we¡¯re waiting on this cabr¨®n.¡± A voice commented. ¡°Because the more Creeps we kill the more money we make, and we¡¯re close enough to Halloween that we could make a lot of money.¡± Audrey¡¯s voice pointed out. ¡°I get that, I just don¡¯t get why we need him.¡± Valentina elaborated. ¡°It¡¯s not like bringing him along is going to up our numbers all that much.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll up them enough to be worth it.¡± Audrey argued, as he came close enough to notice her smoking something in the moonlight. ¡°After all, he did give you and the Scarecrow a run for your money at the meeting.¡± ¡°Fuck off.¡± Valentina spat at that reminder before eventually saying that, ¡°He can fight, I''ll give him that, but if I hadn¡¯t started running low on magic he wouldn¡¯t have had anything to actually put us down.¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re saying he has more stamina than you?¡± Artemis asked, speaking up from the stoop she¡¯d taken a seat on. ¡°That¡¯s disappointing.¡± ¡°You wish you could see my ¡®stamina¡¯ in person, duende.¡± Val scoffed, stalking towards the golden eyed girl. ¡°As if I¡¯d ever be that desperate, Alejo.¡± Figuring he might as well make himself known before they could devolve into wherever they were going with this, he moved a little closer while purposely making his steps audible. ¡°Ah, there you are. Was wondering how long you were going to be.¡± Audrey called out when she spotted him. ¡°Sorry about that, I had something I had to take care of.¡± He apologized before glancing over towards Artemis and Valentina who were still glaring at each other. ¡°So, uh, should I be concerned with that?¡± ¡°Nah, I told you this is their flirting.¡± Audrey assured him. ¡°Fuck you Meadows.¡± Val cursed at the Arcane as she and Artemis broke their staring contest. ¡°Sorry, don¡¯t want to make anyone jealous.¡± Audrey shot back, before turning back to him. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ve got everything you need to help out with this?¡± ¡°Um, I guess so?¡± He shrugged, still needing to replace his jacket but having a decent enough number of molotovs and knives to make up for that. ¡°Great, then in that case we¡¯ll split up to try and cover more ground.¡± Audrey told him, clapping her hands together. ¡°It¡¯s close enough to Halloween that the Creeps are starting to really come out of the woodwork, so if we all go out right now then we can each probably knock off a couple of them before calling it a night.¡± ¡°Okay, then, uh, where should I go?¡± He frowned, wondering if it would have been better for him to go out on his own rather than asking Audrey about teaming up like this. (Would¡¯ve saved me a couple hours hunting at least.) ¡°Mm, there¡¯s a few places you can check out but I¡¯ll leave that to you and your partner to figure out, but before that¡­¡± Audrey answered before tucking her hands into the pocket of her jacket and tossing him a red vial. ¡°Take this.¡± ¡°A healing potion?¡± He asked, snatching the vial out of the air and recognizing it from Ms. Edna¡¯s store. ¡°Yeah, want to make sure everyone has one in case something happens.¡± Audrey nodded before glancing towards the two girls eyeing her warily. ¡°I also wanted to make sure you¡¯ve got someone with you in case something happens, given how while you can fight you aren¡¯t really a ¡®Hunter¡¯.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Audrey frowned. ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± He coughed, waving her off as the Beast in his head laughed its head off. ¡°Alright, just uh, don¡¯t get cocky.¡± Audrey warned him before shaking her head. ¡°Anyway, given how things are I figured it¡¯d be best for you to team up with- [Scene Choice] Night 49: Beginning A Hunt Through The Forest Night 49: Beginning A Hunt Through The Forest --- Jon --- ¡°Me.¡± Audrey told him, earning a slight sigh of relief from Artemis. (I really should try and figure out how to make her¡­ not scared of me¡­) He frowned to himself before promptly realizing, (I have no idea how to do that! Ma only ever taught me how to scare people not make them¡­ not scared!) ¡°Alright, in that case I¡¯ll be taking the train yard and warehouse districts.¡± Valentina threw out. ¡°With the Scarecrow I should be able to cover those and the neighborhoods around them.¡± ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll take the suburbs then.¡± Artemis nodded. ¡°With my Spell Sight I should be able to spot anything there if I can find high enough ground.¡± ¡°Alright, just remember to keep the property damage low at both.¡± Audrey warned the two. ¡°I¡¯m not the one you have to remind.¡± Artemis pointed out with a roll of her eyes. ¡°And I¡¯m not stupid enough to endanger my money.¡± Valentina scoffed before turning to leave as she muttered. ¡°Pinche duende.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call if I find anything.¡± Artemis told Audrey before briefly glancing at him only for her eyes to dart back to the glasses wearing teen. ¡°And you call me if you get in any trouble.¡± ¡°I can handle it.¡± Audrey assured her. Artemis merely shook her head as she left. ¡°I hope so.¡± Once the other two members of her ¡®magic club¡¯ had left, Audrey turned towards him with a clap of her hands. ¡°So, any ideas on where you want to go looking for Creeps?¡± ¡°Um, well I did have an idea.¡± He admitted rubbing at the back of his neck. --- ¡°So any particular reason you felt like traversing the forest at night?¡± Audrey asked him as they made their way through said forest by Pix¡¯s light. ¡°I¡¯m used to the forests from Blackwell.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Figure it¡¯s a terrain most people aren¡¯t used to, so all of the Hunters in the city are probably ignoring it.¡± ¡°Mm, that¡¯s fair.¡± Audrey nodded before telling him, ¡°Though usually I cover the area around the forests on my patrols. Nature magic and all that.¡± ¡°Hmm, often run into trouble out here?¡± He asked, figuring that since she didn¡¯t object then she probably ran into something out this way. ¡°One or two Creeps, but never anything like that nest you found.¡± Audrey answered before ducking under a stray branch. ¡°Then again I usually stick closer to the trails and outskirts than this.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He frowned. ¡°I mean, you¡¯ve got the terrain advantage.¡± ¡°Because all I need is one of the werewolf Creeps getting the drop on me and I¡¯m probably out.¡± Audrey pointed out. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you can turn a forest against them if they can drop you in one quick hit. I¡¯m hoping that with there being two of us and your fairy friend they won¡¯t try anything or at the very least you¡¯d be able to get them off of me before they can take me out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± He promised. ¡°And if worse comes to, Pix can patch you up easily enough.¡± ¡°Really? I know there¡¯s a bunch of different elemental fairy types but I haven¡¯t heard of any that focus on healing.¡± Audrey told him, eyeing the little fairy speculatively. ¡°It¡¯s an offshoot of their Nature affinity so most should be capable of learning it.¡± He shrugged, not entirely sure why other fairies didn¡¯t heal all that often. ¡°Then again, it could just be that they don¡¯t have much use for healing so they don¡¯t bother learning how to heal.¡± ¡°A valid point, though I wouldn''t be able to tell you one way or the other since Contracting and animals aren¡¯t really my thing.¡± Audrey confessed. ¡°Though a Nature based healing could be useful, since healing people has to be different than fixing damaged plants.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Maybe, but I doubt they¡¯re as far apart as biology would tell you.¡± He argued, remembering a few of his lessons with DeSade and Miss Edna. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s magic so the concept of [Mending] is more important than whether you¡¯re mending [Flora] or [Fauna]... Unless your affinity is distinctly plant based?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hard locked to plants.¡± The other teen admitted after a moment. ¡°Though it does lean more towards them than animals.¡± ¡°Well you shouldn¡¯t-¡± He froze his eyes snapping ahead of them as he darted closer to Audrey and turned off his flashlight. ¡°Pix kill the light.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Audrey asked as he felt Pix land on his shoulder. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± He frowned watching the space in front of them as he motioned for the other teen to follow him. Audrey was silent for a moment. ¡°Is that¡­ buzzing?¡± ¡°Yeah, and the crickets went quiet, means they think a predator is nearby.¡± He told her as they moved to take cover near a tree, the buzzing sound growing ever louder. With their backs to the tree they were able to hear the snapping of branches and the shifting of foliage becoming audible beneath the buzzing, signaling that whatever was making the noise was growing ever closer. Until eventually from just around the way they could see a large creature moving through the forest, its shape roughly that of the Insect Creep from the Sanctuary dossier. Audrey raised her hand the faint glow of magic emanating from it and his hand shot out to grab hers by the wrist. The other teen¡¯s gaze snapped to him, her glasses glaring in the faint light of her magic. He put a finger to his lips, tapped his eye, and pointed towards a second smaller creature leaping between the branches above the larger Creep. Audrey adjusted her glasses as she tried to see what he did in the darkness before she eventually shook her head unable to see the other threat. He gave the two Creeps a moment to get some distance from them before telling her, ¡°There was one of the flying Creeps with it, if you went after the insect the bigger one would have hit us both with its flames.¡± ¡°Figured it was one of those, just couldn¡¯t see it.¡± Audrey sighed before giving him a look. ¡°So what, catch up to them and you deal with the flier while I take out the big guy?¡± ¡°Or we could follow them, see if they lead us to another nest or something similar.¡± He pointed out. ¡°Think you could handle that while they¡¯re still active?¡± ¡°Maybe, depends on how much time we have and how many there are.¡± Audrey admitted. ¡°For now let¡¯s follow them and see what we¡¯re working against.¡± He nodded before turning to Pix. ¡°Dim glow, but don¡¯t let it go too far.¡± The little fairy gave him a nod back before projecting the dim light that would let him avoid accidentally stepping on anything that might alert the Creeps while also letting him spot said Creeps¡¯ trail. It didn¡¯t take long to catch up to the Creeps, unfortunately rather than making things easier this just led to a greater tension as they tried to silently follow the pair as minutes turned to an hour, causing Audrey to slowly flag as the pace and tension slowly got to her. ¡°You okay?¡± He asked her after they¡¯d let a bit of distance build between them and their targets. ¡°Yeah, just not used to sneaking around for this long.¡± Audrey grimaced as she pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Usually only have to do it for a few minutes before the fight breaks out but this long distance shit is¡­ it¡¯s not really my thing. Artemis or Val would¡¯ve been better for this kind of thing.¡± ¡°You want to go ahead and call it?¡± He frowned more in concern than anything else. Audrey seemed to legitimately consider the offer before shaking her head. ¡°No, that¡¯d just make all of this a waste, and besides the pace they¡¯re moving and how they¡¯re moving away from the city¡­ that¡¯s not usual Creep behavior. We should see this through.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± He nodded before once more moving to catch up to the Creeps. After a couple of minutes he paused and moved to stop Audrey who gave him a curious look. He raised a finger to his lips and shifted around the foliage as he caught sight of a rock formation of sorts surrounded by a number of large trees. This by itself wasn¡¯t all that alarming, what was alarming was that he¡¯d lost sight of the Creeps they¡¯d been following. (Maybe there¡¯s a cave or something nearby and that¡¯s where they¡¯re nesting¡­) He heard the cracking of wood. (Move!) Lunging for a nearby tree he grabbed a flying creep hanging from the tree trunk by its throat and dragged it down to the ground where he forced its mouth to remain shut and sat on its struggling body as he held the Creep in place before pulling out his knife and stabbing it into the chimera¡¯s throat. The Creep seemed to redouble its struggling for a few moments, before its strength seemed to slowly fade away, until finally it quit moving altogether. He took an extra moment to make sure it wasn¡¯t simply playing dead before letting out a sigh of relief as he withdrew his knife and stood back up. ¡°Good catch.¡± Audrey whispered. ¡°Yeah, I-¡± He froze, catching sight of an inhaling flier behind Audrey. ¡°Cover your ears!¡± He told her as he covered one of his and both of Pix¡¯s. Before Audrey could even process what he said, a piercing shriek tore through the air causing the other teen to scream as she clamped her hands over her ears. As the shriek died down, he staggered a step before forcing himself through a wave of dizziness as he stumbled towards flier. The creep jumped out of the way of his slash before leaping into the tree branches above him leaving him in silence save the ringing of his ear and the whimpering of Audrey next to him. At least until his other ear heard a buzzing coming from all around him. Night 49: Defending From The Nightmare Night 49: Defending From The Nightmare --- Jon --- ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not good¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but note as he stared into the dark of the night. ¡°Fuck my ears!¡± Audrey groaned, drawing his attention back to her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked, knowing that she wasn¡¯t ¡®good¡¯ but hoping that at the very least she was ¡®good enough to run¡¯. ¡°I¡­ fuck¡­ can barely hear you.¡± Audrey grimaced as she tried to stand, only to stumble into a nearby tree. ¡°Oh¡­ got dizzy real fast there¡­¡± ¡°Must¡¯ve damaged your ears with that screech.¡± He figured. ¡°That would screw with your hearing and your balance if it hurt them the right way, and given its nature it¡¯s probably an ambush predator tactic.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ got about half of that¡­¡± Audrey admitted, before beginning to dig through a satchel she¡¯d brought with her. ¡°Got a¡­ got a healing potion for¡­ internal stuff¡­ regular ones are best for muscle not the delicate stuff.¡± ¡°Right.¡± He nodded before turning to Pix. ¡°Think you can help her out?¡± The little fairy gave him a couple of chirps before nodding and beginning to direct a faint light towards Audrey¡¯s head. ¡°Hopefully, Pix can speed up your healing but like you said delicate stuff is harder for her to work with.¡± (Namely the bits that don¡¯t really heal on their own.) But he didn¡¯t want to worry Audrey about the possibility of permanent deafness from that screech. Flexing his magic through his amulet he channeled it through his contract before throwing his hand out as Wolf appeared in a swarm of lights. ¡°Alright, sorry, don¡¯t have time for a proper greeting.¡± He apologized, running a hand through her fur. ¡°Hear that buzzing, it¡¯s something dangerous, a lot of something dangerous, and I need your help fending it off while Pix helps patch Audrey here up, okay?¡± Wolf looked off balance for a moment but shook her head before giving him a serious look and a nod of confirmation. Reaching into his pack he pulled out his axe and slammed it into a nearby tree before pulling out his bow. ¡°Think we can move you to the top of the tree?¡± He asked Audrey as his eyes darted around. ¡°Might be easier to defend if you were off of the ground.¡± ¡°Wha¡­ Maybe?¡± Audrey frowned before shaking her head. ¡°If that flying thing comes back though it¡¯ll just knock me out of the tree and I¡¯ll probably end up breaking something.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a point.¡± He admitted, knowing that personally he¡¯d prefer the higher ground, especially since he knew how to take a fall and the fact that Pix had become an old pro at fixing broken bones. (More specifically my broken bones¡­) He glanced at Audrey once more and had the dark thought of (bait and ambush¡­) ¡°Wolf, I¡¯m going to climb the tree to try and snipe something before it gets too close, send out a couple of your wolves to try and scout the area.¡± He told his canine companion as he started to climb a nearby tree. Wolf gave him another nod before sending a trio of spectral wolves out into the woods. Once he sat atop his perch he peered into the forest, hoping to spot the chimerical creeps before they could find them. And while logic said he should focus on the rock formation due to being a likely nest, his instincts were telling him that right now (there¡¯s more threats in the forest¡­) As his eyes darted through the darkness he notched an arrow to fire at anything that moved, even as the buzzing began to wear away at his nerves. (Where are they?) He couldn¡¯t help but wonder. (Patience.) He reminded himself, knowing that giving into his nerves was how he lost it. Inhaling deeply, he slowly counted (1¡­2¡­3¡­4¡­) before exhaling (1¡­2¡­3¡­4¡­) He closed his eyes, focusing on the world of sound being hidden beneath both the buzzing in the air and the ringing in his ears. The fainter sounds still escaped him, those of the girls moving below him and the wind rustling through the air. What didn¡¯t escape him was the snapping of a branch below. (There.) He drew his arrow back and fired it in the direction of the branch, and heard the sound of his arrow hitting something as the buzzing grew more agitated, leading him to fire another arrow in the hopes of actually hurting the thing coming at him. The thing he was shooting of course took exception to this. From the darkness a massive forum erupted from between the trees, revealing one of the insect chimera¡¯s seemingly stampeding towards them. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Knowing that Audrey wouldn¡¯t be able to move fast enough to dodge, he leapt off of his perch and kicked out at the Creep¡¯s head forcing it to stumble back with a violent hiss even as he fumbled his landing, his foot slipping out from beneath him and causing him to fall on his back. Clicking on his flashlight he found himself staring up at the massive chimera as it hissed at him, its mandibles clacking away as it revealed itself to be uninjured by his arrows. (Couldn¡¯t pierce the carapace.) He scowled remembering that bit of insight from the dossier. ¡°Wolf, I need an opening!¡± He called out, tossing his bow to the side as Wolf leapt over him and tackled the Creep in a maelstrom of wind. As Wolf kicked off of the chimera and flipped over head, he drew his knife into hand and rushed forward as he remembered where the dossier had placed the Creep¡¯s weak point where its waist connected to its abdomen. The soft flesh gave way to his knife with surprising ease, given how his arrows hadn¡¯t left a mark on the rest of its body, and he found his hand being pushed elbow deep into the monster¡¯s body. Spreading his fingers out as much as he could, he pulled his hand out while raking along as much of the insect¡¯s internals as he could, withdrawing the limb in a small explosion of yellow and green gore. The Mantis Chimera glared down at him despite being seemingly locked in a stunned spasm of agony, at least until it pulled its arm back for a heavy swing of its claws. Ducking to the side, he grabbed onto one of the Creep¡¯s legs before using it to climbed up the chimera¡¯s side, even as it threw its arm back to try and dislodge him. Once he was high enough up he recalled his axe to his hand before slamming it as deeply as he could into the beast¡¯s eye, hoping that a bit of trauma to its brain on top of the other internal damage would put it down. Unfortunately, the Creep decided that having both an axe to its face and having half of its guts ripped out were not enough to put it down, and proceeded to grab him with one of its clawed hands before throwing him into a nearby tree. He felt something crack if not outright snap as he collided with the tree, an injury made even worse when he hit the ground. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not good¡­¡± He coughed, picking himself off of the ground. The Chimera glared at him as its mandibles clacked, and its dripping saliva burned away at the ground. He glared back with a pained growl, and flexed his wrist. His axe stayed in the Creep¡¯s skull. The chimera spasmed. He flexed his wrist again. It spasmed again. On the third twist his knife finally managed to work its way out of the Creep¡¯s body, tearing its way out of the same wound he¡¯d lost it inside of, before landing in the palm of his hand with a disgusting squelch. The insect chimera stared at him for another moment, until finally whatever attachment it had to the mortal coil snapped, causing it to slowly collapse onto the ground. A sound to the side had his eyes darting to another of the massive chimeras, one rapidly being wrapped in equally massive vines that were slowly crushing its carcass as they coiled ever tighter around the Creep. ¡°I¡¯ve got that one.¡± Audrey told him, as she walked up to him before giving him a once over with her flashlight, stopping on the bleeding claw marks on his arm. ¡°That looks like it¡¯ll scar.¡± ¡°You¡¯d think¡­ Pix you mind?¡± He asked his little light. Pix chirped at him before flying up to his arm and wrapping it in healing magic, causing the wound to rapidly stitch itself shut, leaving behind a set of nasty scars that began to quickly fade. ¡°Hmm¡­ really should look into a fairy¡­¡± Audrey noted in an impressed tone. Before he could comment Wolf ran up to him with a hurried series of barks. ¡°Your scouts ran into more of them?¡± He frowned, realizing that the buzzing was still there if a little fainter than before. (The next one must still be a bit away¡­) ¡°She have any idea how many there are?¡± Audrey asked. Wolf shook her head before pawing at the ground a few times. ¡°You don¡¯t know but at least three.¡± He translated, earning a nod from his canine companion. ¡°Any sign of the flyers or are they more of these things?¡± Wolf shook her head again with a whine. He glanced at the Chimera being crushed to death. ¡°How many of these things you think you can pin at once?¡± Audrey inhaled before exhaling. ¡°Maybe two at a time, but it takes me a minute to set up each cast. Only reason I got this Creep so fast was because I was going to hit the one you killed with it if it kept moving.¡± ¡°Right, we need to do an inventory.¡± He told her looking down at his knife covered in viscera. ¡°This thing is probably shot until I can get it cleaned, but I¡¯ve got a few more knives on me without a recall enchantment. My bow is also worthless against the big ones, though I can probably shoot one of the flyers if we manage to spot one in this darkness. I¡¯ve also got a bag full of Molotovs, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s a good idea to be throwing those around in a forest.¡± (This isn¡¯t Blackwell where the ambient magic would heal a forest fire in a few weeks.) ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got a bit of an advantage being in a forest but not a major one.¡± Audrey admitted with a sigh. ¡°Magic is a bit cheaper, and I don¡¯t have as much of a delay after casting, but I still have to wait for my seeds to sprout before one of my spells can let loose. And though the spells I know can and will hit hard when they hit, I¡¯m probably not going to hit one of the flying fuckers with a spell if we see them again.¡± ¡°Wonderful¡­¡± He sighed before moving to collect his axe. ¡°What about your potions, anything valuable there?¡± ¡°Mostly healing potions, a lot of them are specialized to be fast acting rather than needing to wait for full digestion.¡± Audrey explained. ¡°I¡¯ve also got a couple that might work as flash bangs when thrown, or UV flares to force the more flammable Creeps back. Not sure if they¡¯ll work on the Insect Creeps though, they seem too big to be hiding somewhere without at least some sunlight reaching them.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get what yo-¡± He winced as his damaged ribs pulled as he removed his axe from the Creep. Pix darted over and started chirping angrily before flying around him as her magic began to mend those injuries as well. ¡°Sorry, more focused on moving than healing.¡± He confessed as he also grabbed his bow. ¡°Speaking of, we need to get moving.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± Audrey frowned looking around. ¡°The buzzing seems to be coming from all over, can¡¯t really pinpoint where they are.¡± ¡°Maybe not, but as long as we¡¯ve been here we¡¯ll be surrounded any minute, so where we go doesn¡¯t matter so much as the going.¡± He told her as Wolf brushed against his leg. Audrey ran a hand through her hair before sighing. ¡°You¡¯re right, but where should we go?¡± []- ¡°This isn¡¯t working out for us, we should call it and try to escape while we can.¡± []- ¡°We can probably handle these things one on one, let¡¯s try hunting them down one by one.¡± []- ¡°That rock formation, if there¡¯s a nest it¡¯s probably there and if not we can use the rocks for the high ground.¡± Night 49: Hunting In A Forest of Nightmares Night 49: Hunting In A Forest of Nightmares --- Jon --- ¡°We can probably handle these things one on one, so let¡¯s try hunting them down one by one.¡± He told her after a moment. ¡°And how are we supposed to do that?¡± Audrey asked as she pulled out her phone. ¡°Wolf should be able to track them easily enough via sound or smell.¡± He paused and Wolf nodded to confirm that yes she should be able to do that. ¡°From there you said you should be able to take the big ones out in a single shot, while I can deal with the fliers or any other Creeps that come out of the wood work while you¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a bad plan but I¡¯d feel better if¡­ Damn.¡± Audrey cursed. ¡°I¡¯ve got no signal out here, so I can¡¯t call Val or Artemis for back up. How about you?¡± He went ahead and checked his phone before shaking his head. ¡°No signal here either.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± Audrey grimaced, pushing her glasses up so she could pinch the bridge of her nose. ¡°Alright, give me a second¡­¡± He kept quiet for a moment as Audrey seemed to do a self-inventory of sorts, or that¡¯s what he guessed was happening given how he could feel something about her shifting as the other teen began to faintly glow. ¡°Okay, assuming I¡¯ve got a minute to catch my breath between each fight I can probably fire off another seven or eight [Crushing Vines].¡± Audrey told him, before giving him a look. ¡°Will Craft ain¡¯t exactly cheap magic wise, even with the forest boosting me a bit.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m guessing once you¡¯re tapped you¡¯ll want to get out of here?¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d prefer to leave before I¡¯m tapped.¡± The other teen admitted. ¡°After all there¡¯s enough distance between us and the edge of the forest that I have no doubt something is going to try and ambush us on our way out.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± He conceded, knowing that the only time that didn¡¯t happen to him was because he¡¯d raised such a ruckus back in Blackwell that the Corrupted had already thrown their best at him. (Which Audrey probably isn¡¯t going to want to risk.) (Shame.) ¡°Right, well, if we want to do this we need to get moving.¡± --- Audrey --- She wasn¡¯t sure if continuing this hunt had been the best call, especially given how she had no doubt that more than a few of the corpses they were leaving behind were going to be taken and eaten by the cannibalistic Creeps by the time she got Sanctuary here to pick them up. While part of her wished she could just call them to collect the corpses now, she also knew that given the circumstances if she called Sanctuary for backup here it would end badly for her. In part because she¡¯d basically be leading them into an ambush while they¡¯re already stretched thin, but mostly because a Hunter was supposed to know when to call and push a Hunt. Normally that would mean knowing when to get Sanctuary involved -be it calling for backup or just reporting something important- but given the fact that Sanctuary was the one asking for help so that they could prepare for what was essentially a siege, calling for help would mean she wasn¡¯t prepared for the job she accepted. (Something that can get your license revoked if you fuck up badly enough.) And that was something she -nor Val who was counting on her- could afford. (On the bright side, our numbers are going to be high enough that no one is going to question if I¡¯m too young to have my own agency.) She couldn¡¯t help but note as Whitaker jumped out of a tree and snapped the neck of another one of those flying Creeps. She was starting to get what her informants meant by hyper-competent if his mother was anything like this. (Kind of glad, he came to me about the Creep thing rather than me having to trick him into it.) She¡¯d admit that while he wasn¡¯t dangerous in the same way her or Val were in their ¡®Can Level A Neighborhood¡¯ kind of way, he absolutely was dangerous in the ¡®I can kill without you realizing it¡¯ kind of way. (Shame Arty ¡®s terrified of him, they could compare notes.) Spotting the Insect Creep she was responsible for, she began pushing her magic into the ground, stretching it out as far in front of her as she could, slowly taking control of the multitude tree roots and plant matter beneath the earth, before willing it to grow with her magic. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. From beneath the Creep massive tree roots erupted from the dirt before quickly latching onto the massive monster and slowly wrapping around it. And once the Creep was suitably encased in roots she twisted the magic still in the roots to crush the monster, feeding ever more into the spell as she had it apply far more force than any mundane plant could manage. Until finally the Creep¡¯s carapace gave out and its squishy insides gave in to the force far more easily. ¡°And another one down.¡± She said, idly noting how Jon had somehow gotten in front of her without her noticing. (Yeah, really going to need a refresher on that [Bark Skin] spell.) She told herself, knowing that her reaction time with it was nowhere near fast enough to outpace a knife from behind. (Need to fix that.) --- Jon --- ¡°I think that makes four fliers and seven of the insect Creeps.¡± Audrey told him, as they continued through the forest. ¡°If we manage to collect all the corpses in the morning then that¡¯s about five grand a piece.¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s a lot for one night¡­¡± He blinked. ¡°Even more when you consider that five you made from the storm drains.¡± Audrey reminded him with a smirk. ¡°Hunter biz can be really lucrative if you¡¯re in the right place at the right time.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ but it seems a little¡­ exploitive to take money for getting rid of monsters.¡± He admitted, having spent all summer fighting the Corrupted for free. ¡°Especially for that much money.¡± ¡°Not really when you consider paying for damages, replacing equipment and resources, scarcity of jobs, renting a business location, or even just the fact that we¡¯re getting hazard pay for this.¡± Audrey argued as she listed out expenses. ¡°Take all of that into account and the profit line is on average between a grand or two a week per Hunter. Next year when the Haunt is focused somewhere else we¡¯ll make maybe half of what we¡¯re making tonight over a week.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s also part of why you guys split up rather than sticking together?¡± He figured, since the other teen had already mentioned having to play it safe due being by herself usually, and the only reason he could figure was, ¡°Splitting up lets you track down more Creeps.¡± ¡°Yeah, and given that scarcity of jobs thing I mentioned, most Hunter Teams can¡¯t afford to have more than three or four people.¡± Audrey nodded. ¡°So during these events where quantity is more important, we can¡¯t really have people teaming up. I think the only ones who do are Guy and Daisy, but they¡¯re a two person team and they¡¯ve got¡­ something going on that lets them keep their numbers up.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He frowned, before glancing down at Wolf who was looking around. ¡°Something up girl?¡± Wolf seemed to tilt her head side to side. ¡°Okay, so it might be something or it might be nothing¡­¡± He translated before glancing at Audrey. ¡°Think we should investigate or leave it be?¡± ¡°Mm, I can take out another of the big guys if I have to but-¡± Audrey was cut off as something tackled her into a nearby bush. ¡°Audrey!¡± He called chasing after, only for a flier to drop in front of him, a flame growing in its mouth. He threw himself to the side as a torrent of flame erupted from the Flier, licking at the nearby foliage and setting it aflame as the Creep tried to direct the flame towards him. Spotting Wolf off to his side he made to continue towards Audrey, forcing the flier to continue turning until his canine companion was able to lunge at the flier biting into its wings and ripping them off as she tackled it to the ground. Trusting Wolf to be able to handle the now downed Creep, he pulled out his axe as he ran after Audrey and her attacker. In the clearing over he found one of the werewolf chimeras standing over Audrey, biting into her forearm as she struggled to keep the beast close enough that it couldn¡¯t rear back for another attack. Something proven by the way that a number of smaller vines were rising from the dirt to keep its claws pinned to the ground. Rushing forward he stepped onto the Creep¡¯s back, before grabbing it by its horns and pulling its head back just enough for him to chop his axe into the beast¡¯s neck. A feat that proved even more effective as one of his axe¡¯s enchantments triggered causing a flash of light that seemed to burn the blade even deeper into the snarling Creep¡¯s neck, Shifting his footing he climbed further up the chimera¡¯s back as he climbed up it, ripping his axe free before stepping off and using his dropped weight to finish cleaving the Creep¡¯s head from its shoulders. ¡°You alright?¡± He asked Audrey as he helped her out from under the werewolf chimera. ¡°Yeah, fuck¡­¡± Audrey grimaced looking down at her shredded sleeve and what looked like bleeding wood beneath it. ¡°Managed to keep it from biting me with a armor spell, but it still cracked the armor enough that it broke skin.¡± ¡°Pix!¡± He whistled, drawing the little fairy¡¯s attention away from Wolf and the Creep she was still mauling. Seeing Audrey clutching her arm, Pix flew over before making a series of chirping sounds as she began to pull at the bits of wood. ¡°Need the wound empty for her to start healing.¡± He translated for the little fairy. ¡°Right, just give me a second.¡± Audrey told them as she seemed to focus before a faint glow of green wrapped around her arm and wooden remnants of her armor fell off. ¡°That good?¡± Pix gave her a nod before her healing light sunk into the bleeding wound, slowly mending it shut. ¡°Yeah, think I¡¯m about ready to call this a night.¡± Audrey admitted, watching the little fairy work. ¡°That¡¯s fair, that¡¯s the second time they¡¯ve caught you like this.¡± He agreed. Audrey gave him a half hearted glare before shaking her head. ¡°Yeah, not worth arguing, bu- ah, shit.¡± The other teen cursed, spotting something behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he noticed that the foliage the flier had set aflame was still burning. Something that wasn¡¯t helped by the growing buzzing as said flames grew ever bigger. ¡°Ah, crumb biscuits.¡± Night 49: Escaping The Forest of Nightmares Night 49: Escaping The Forest of Nightmares --- Jon --- Shaking his head as the dancing flames creeped over whatever foliage they¡¯d managed to latch onto, he turned back to Audrey and Pix, ¡°Pix, start mitigating the flames. Audrey, do you have anything to put a fire out?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, but water isn¡¯t exactly my specialty so I¡¯m going to be tapped after this.¡± The other teen admitted as Pix flew off to start spreading her magic around the trees. ¡°You got anything we can work with?¡± ¡°No, most of my stuff is enchanting or summons and unless Wolf can suffocate the fire?¡± He trailed off with a look towards his canine companion, earning a shake of her head for his thought. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing I can use quickly.¡± (Really need to work on that.) ¡°Damn it.¡± Audrey cursed, glancing out into the darkness of the forest. ¡°Alright, I might be able to put this out but I¡¯m going to be pretty much tapped so we¡¯re going to have to call it a night.¡± ¡°As long as you can keep the whole forest from catching.¡± He told her as his own eyes drifted to the flames with a fair amount of concern. ¡°If we let this get out of control it could end¡­ badly, especially with the drought these last few weeks.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t need to tell me.¡± Audrey grimaced as magic began to glow around her. ¡°If we let the forest burn, we won¡¯t be able to touch any of those Creep Corpses and we¡¯ll probably be facing a lawsuit on top of everything else.¡± ¡°Little more concerned with causing a small environmental disaster.¡± He admitted, watching as Pix tried her best to keep the fire under control. (We really need to look into other magics for her, Nature is useful in a forest but without further practice it¡¯s not very adaptive.) Idly he glanced at the Nature wielding Arcane next to him. (Maybe she¡¯d have some ideas?) Next to him Audrey slowly inhaled, and he felt a humidity of sorts filling the air with dampness, before the other teen began to exhale while pushing her hands forward causing a faint breeze as the flames began to slow their movement. Curious, he asked her, ¡°What exactly are you-¡± He cut himself off as he caught sight of a large insect Creep stepping into the light of the fire, its carapace glistening in the dancing flames as its head twitched ever so slightly as it watched them. ¡°Fuck.¡± Audrey spat, glancing his way. ¡°Think you can handle that? Can¡¯t really split my magic here.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m on it.¡± He nodded, readying his axe. ¡°But if you can, try and hurry things up.¡± ¡°Already overloading a spell not meant for this.¡± The other teen told him through grit teeth. ¡°Yeah, unfortunately I doubt this is the only one coming this way.¡± He reminded her as he stepped between her and the Creep. (Pix and Audrey are both busy and just about tapped, so I won¡¯t be getting any help from them.) He noted as he stared the giant insect down, some instinct keeping it at bay as it waited for an opportunity to strike. (Molotovs are out since we¡¯re already dealing with one fire problem. Its carapace is too much for me to just brute force unless I aim for that soft spot, which would leave me in mauling distance. And of course, given how low everyone is running, Pix probably won¡¯t be able to heal me after this so that¡¯s just a little too risky right now. ) Once more he was reminded that he really needed to figure out something with a bit more kick than his usual kit. (Then again, if you can¡¯t do something yourself there¡¯s no problem in asking for help.) ¡°Wolf! Pin it down!¡± His canine companion shot at the massive Creep in a torrent of wind before digging her fangs into its throat as she tried to hold the creature several times larger than her in place. The insect Chimera tried to shake her off before clawing at her, only for Wolf to kick off of its chest and in an impressive backflip bite into its arm as she used her wind and weight to drag it away from the Creep¡¯s main body. Not one to waste an opportunity he rushed forward himself as he slipped his knife into his hand before stabbing it into the Creep¡¯s soft spot and driving it in by slamming his palm into the blade¡¯s hilt. The insect Chimera screeched even as Wolf released its arm to get a bit of distance to maneuver and he leapt to the side to avoid its retaliating claw swipe. On reflex, he flexed his wrist before grimacing as he remembered that he¡¯d had to switch knives after his main one was covered in Creep gore. (Guess I¡¯m not getting this one back¡­) From the otherside of the Creep he spotted Wolf crouched with wind swirling around her. Realizing what she was about to do, he grabbed his axe with both hands before swinging it into the joint of the Insect Chimera¡¯s frontmost leg. And while it wasn¡¯t enough to cleanly cleave through the limb, it was enough to stagger the Creep for a moment. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. A moment Wolf used to once more launch herself at the Creep¡¯s throat, and send it toppling as he tackled another one of the insect¡¯s legs. Once he¡¯d gotten his feet steadied from having the Creep flip over him he found Wolf continuing to tear into the Chimera¡¯s throat with her teeth as it laid on its side struggling to right itself. (Alright, let¡¯s see if your underbelly is as plated as the rest of you.) He thought as he recalled his axe into hand before raising it into the air and beginning to chop into the underside of the Creep, with each consecutive chop biting just a little deeper than the last. He wasn¡¯t sure which of them dealt the final blow -(probably Wolf)- but eventually between the two of them they¡¯d dealt enough damage to the insect Creep that its body quit moving as it laid limply on the ground. ¡°Wolf, you good?¡± He asked, catching his own breath for a moment. His canine companion gave him a nod, completely unbothered by the insect gore staining her maw, even going so far as to lick at it a bit. (Well, to each animal their own, I guess?) He shrugged, figuring it was natural enough. After taking a quick moment to make sure there were no more Creeps, and noting the continued buzzing, he turned towards Pix and Audrey where the last of the fires were beginning to sputter out. ¡°You two done?¡± ¡°Yeah, though I¡¯m not going to bother trying to cover up the fire damage.¡± Audrey warned him as she adjusted her glasses.. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± He told her. ¡°At the very least it gives us a landmark to track things down later.¡± ¡°Good, because at this point I¡¯m running on fumes as far as magic goes.¡± The other teen admitted with a roll of her shoulders. ¡°Like I said, we should probably call it a night now.¡± ¡°Yeah, Pix is looking just as drained.¡± He agreed, catching the little fairy as they started to move. ¡°You did a good job.¡± He told his little light as he petter between her antenna. Pix gave him an exhausted chirp before climbing onto his shoulder and starting for his pack, likely trying to find a place to sleep off her magical exhaustion. ¡°Oh, that reminds me.¡± He stopped Pix before reaching into his pack and digging around until he found a pair of spell scripts he¡¯d been sitting on for a couple of months. ¡°You got enough to trigger this?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Audrey frowned, accepting the script. ¡°An experimental Script that might restore a bit of magic.¡± He answered, handing the second to Pix. ¡°They won¡¯t restore a lot, but they might give you one last attack if something manages to catch up to us.¡± Audrey watched as Pix triggered the script before burning to a crisp and regaining a bit of her natural glow and pep. ¡°You know what, fuck it. Magical exhaustion sucks.¡± The Arcane teen admitted as she triggered her own and gained a glow of her own for a brief second. ¡°Okay, yeah, I can feel that.¡± ¡°So, it works on you too?¡± He asked, having been unable to try the Scripts himself given how his magic wasn¡¯t an innate part of him like it was Pix and Audrey. ¡°Yeah, gave me a bit of magic but not a lot.¡± Audrey nodded. ¡°Probably enough for one real spell, you got any more of these?¡± ¡°Uh, actually I wouldn¡¯t take two so close together given how they work by stimulating your own magic production and messing with that too much might slow your natural regen until it rights itself.¡± He explained before handing over a second script. ¡°I should warn you that that one there is my last one.¡± ¡°Yeah, well hopefully we¡¯ll be out of here before I have to use it.¡± Audrey told him as they continued through the woods. ¡°Not sure if that¡¯s going to work the way you wanted.¡± He grimaced as he looked behind him, having noticed that the buzzing was growing stronger for a fair while. ¡°I think we need to pick up the pace if we want to get out of here without another fight.¡± Rather than continuing, Audrey stopped altogether as she glanced behind them. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea.¡± Audrey answered as she dug around in her satchel. ¡°I just need a minute or two to make it work.¡± ¡°Again, not sure if that¡¯s going to work.¡± He reminded her as he heard a branch snapping. ¡°Something is almost here.¡± ¡°Yeah, and we¡¯d have a lot of something¡¯s after us if I don¡¯t do this.¡± Audrey argued as she found what she was looking for and shoved a seed into the ground with a fist that parted the dirt with surprising ease. Having more than a little experience arguing with the stubborn women in his life, instead of arguing he shoved his axe in his pack and pulled out his bow and arrow hoping to slow down whatever was coming after them. ¡°Just make it quick, I¡¯ve only got so many arrows. Wolf, keep close to Audrey in case something tries to ambush her.¡± (Again.) ¡°Pix I need a little more light if you can manage.¡± Wolf gave him a bark of confirmation as Pix gave him a chirp of similar meaning before rising into the air and giving the world around them a faint neon glow. A rustle of branches had his eyes shooting upwards as he released an arrow into the branches of the trees ahead of them, piercing one of the flying Creeps through the shoulder and sending it toppling to the ground where a second arrow through its chest put the fire breathing Creep down before it could send them back a step. ¡°Okay¡­ that should¡­ about¡­ do it.¡± Audrey told him as she stood up and stepped away as a small glowing blue flower grew from the space in front of her. ¡°And that is?¡± He asked, eyes only briefly darting to the plant as he kept his guard up, figuring that despite what she¡¯d said the Arcane wasn¡¯t actually done implementing her plan. ¡°Modified and spliced several plants together.¡± Audrey explained as her hands glowed around the flower and it began to rapidly grow into a massive vine covered in a number of the original flowers. ¡°Should make a decent distraction.¡± ¡°You¡¯re luring them in with the lights.¡± He figured, as Audrey backed away from the plant. ¡°At which point it¡¯ll give whatever Creep gets to it first a very nasty surprise.¡± ¡°Only if we¡¯re gone before-¡± He dropped to the ground as one of the wolf chimera¡¯s lunged at him, just barely flying over him. ¡°Before that happens!¡± The wolf chimera righted itself on the ground and snarled at him, before his Wolf lunged at it slamming the Creep into a nearby tree and staggering it long enough for him to fire an arrow through its throat. ¡°Right, no more waiting. We need to move now!¡± He told everyone before starting to move. ¡°How sure are we that this is the right way?¡± Audrey asked once she¡¯d caught up to the jog he was setting. ¡°The moon is in the southern sky.¡± He answered with a gesture towards the near full moon. ¡°We just need to move east towards the city and we¡¯ll get out of the forest eventually.¡± Audrey glanced behind them at the moon before nodding. ¡°Alright, sounds legit.¡± Night 49: End of the Forest of Nightmares Night 49: End of the Forest of Nightmares --- Jon --- ¡°Think any of them are still following us?¡± Audrey asked, looking back at the tree line they¡¯d just burst through moments before. ¡°I can¡¯t hear anything.¡± He told her, before glancing at Wolf. ¡°How about you?¡± His canine companion tilted her head for a moment before shaking it. ¡°Well, either way now that we¡¯re out of the forest I doubt they¡¯d keep following us.¡± Audrey admitted. ¡°Yeah, especially since it¡¯s looking like most of the force they¡¯re building is hiding out there.¡± He nodded, before frowning in thought. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we report that?¡± ¡°We will, or I will when I call them out here to see how many of the Creep corpses we can collect in the daylight.¡± Audrey assured him. ¡°Sanctuary, The Hero¡¯s Guild, and the Hunter¡¯s Association all track Creep encounters to try and track Bleed activity. So reporting it is a natural part of collecting the bounty in most cases.¡± ¡°So then shouldn¡¯t they know where the Creeps are nesting already if they do this every year?¡± He asked, crossing his arms. ¡°Uh, yes and no.¡± Audrey answered with a so-so gesture. ¡°You remember how they cycle the seal between the three cities? That mixes things up for them a bit.¡± ¡°Ah, I get it. Moving the seal vent changes their migratory patterns.¡± He realized. ¡°And if they don¡¯t simply alternate -say clockwise- then that increases the number of possible patterns. What¡¯s more they probably can¡¯t figure out a control since they need to manipulate the variables to keep everyone safe.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. Let¡¯s go with all of that.¡± Audrey nodded, pulling out a rolled up¡­ something before noticing him looking and offering it to him. ¡°Want one? It¡¯s organic.¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯m good.¡± He grimaced, taking a step away from her knowing from walking around his school he couldn¡¯t stand the smell of anything smokable. (Save burning meat.) ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Audrey shrugged, lighting her joint before closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. When she opened them back up there was a faint glow to her eyes. ¡°Alright, well getting back to actual business. Given how spread out the Creep Corpses are, a fair few are going to be cannibalized or melted by morning. Meaning we¡¯re probably not going to be able to collect the bounty on all of the ones we killed tonight.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Well, the money ¡®s nice but it¡¯s not why I¡¯m doing this.¡± He admitted, not honestly caring how much they made. ¡°Maybe but I¡¯m still running a business on my end.¡± Audrey reminded him as she pulled out her phone. ¡°Though from the looks of it, even splitting the numbers between us we¡¯ve got more kills than Artemis and Val tonight.¡± ¡°How many did they get?¡± He asked. ¡°Artemis got a couple of fliers over in the suburbs, while Val took out one of those werewolf creeps and one of the insect ones too.¡± Audrey told him, continuing to go through her phone. ¡°So all in all, if I include you, The Southside Coven is looking at somewhere between ten and fifteen grand for the evening. Not bad for a bunch of high schoolers.¡± ¡°I guess not.¡± He agreed, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯d do with that much money myself.¡± ¡°Whatever you want, though I¡¯m probably going to have to spread it out since like I told you these big events are more the busy season than the actual income averages. Meaning me and the girls have to use this as seed money to get us a more professional set-up, if we want a more stable income through the year.¡± Audrey explained as she frowned at something. ¡°If we each kickback half of our bounty then that means we need roughly a hundred bounties by the end of the Haunt. Most years the hunters only collect around three hundred between all the teams, but since this is our seal year that number should double and given how the actual Haunt peak is in a few days¡­ Even accounting for the rapid fall off after that, we might just barely be able to set ourselves up for the year without having to throw everyone¡¯s plans off.¡± ¡°That¡¯s uh, good?¡± He guessed, just barely understanding everything the other teen just said. Audrey blinked as she turned back to him. ¡°Oh, uh, sorry about that. I was just thinking aloud.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He shrugged. Audrey shook her head. ¡°Right, um, where were we? Oh, right, the bounty collecting. I¡¯ll add your cut to the money I¡¯ll be giving you once they cash us out at the end of the Haunt, but given how Halloween is right around the corner I¡¯m probably not going to be available until after since I¡¯ve got to restock and recharge as much as I can before then.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably not the best idea to get into anything before then.¡± He nodded. ¡°You handled yourself pretty well today and in the storm drains. If you want on Halloween you can meet up with me and the girls to see how much of the final wave we can collect?¡± Audrey offered. ¡°That¡¯s nice of you, but I¡¯ve got this uh, family thing at the police station on Halloween so I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be getting involved in the actual Haunt.¡± He admitted. ¡°Really?¡± Audrey frowned before sighing. ¡°That¡¯s a shame, but it¡¯s your life so you do you.¡± He ran a hand through his hair, before telling her, ¡°I¡¯d offer for you guys to come to our haunted house but you sound like you¡¯re going to be busy.¡± ¡°Yeah, but hopefully it¡¯ll be a profitable little venture.¡± Audrey nodded before looking at the sky. ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s getting late. If I¡¯m going to be dealing with Sanctuary¡¯s garbage I need to head home and crash.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, it¡¯s been a long night.¡± He agreed, despite being used to staying up far later when he had to. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be off.¡± Audrey told him with a wave before turning to leave. ¡°Night.¡± ¡°Night!¡± He called back, before looking at a nodding Pix and a yawning Wolf. ¡°Guess we should call it a night too, huh, girls?¡± Trail 50: A Friendly Day Full of Ups and Downs. Trail 50: A Friendly Day Full of Ups and Downs. --- Jon --- ¡°Alright, that should just about do it.¡± His Ma nodded, stepping away from a machine. ¡°How¡¯re the cameras looking?¡± ¡°Everything is looking good.¡± He told her, his eyes flickering between the two dozen or so cameras set up around the station. ¡°Though I¡¯ve got to wonder, why wasn''t the station rigged with this many cameras in the first place?¡± ¡°They claim it''s because all of the important parts are covered by the cameras they have and having more would needlessly split the security¡¯s attention.¡± His Ma answered before explaining that, ¡°The real reason is that before I brought internal affairs down on this place like a sledgehammer, the cops wanted a way to avoid getting caught doing shady shit such as forcing confessions from the uninvolved or accepting bribes to release arrests before interrogations.¡± ¡°Which explains why there are no cameras outside of the interrogation rooms, and the ones inside them conveniently avoid recording half of the room.¡± He frowned. ¡°Yeah, those things are hard built at those angles. I''d actually have to take a sledgehammer to them to get them changed.¡± His Ma sighed. ¡°On the plus side, at the very least I got them to put cameras throughout the holding cells. So inmates aren¡¯t getting any more¡­ unexpected visits at least.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s something.¡± He shrugged, before frowning as he went over the controls. ¡°Hey, did we mark the ones we aren¡¯t supposed to use on kids?¡± His Ma blinked. ¡°We¡¯re letting kids run this thing?¡± ¡°We always let kids run these! That¡¯s why I made the color chart!¡± He reminded her because, (How could she forget that?!) His Ma glanced at the trap map they¡¯d set up, and that he¡¯d then covered in colored outlines. ¡°I thought that was to measure the scariest traps?¡± ¡°It is!¡± He nodded. ¡°That way we know what not to send the kids into.¡± ¡°Again, I was mostly intending to use this to scare my co-workers into submission.¡± His ma pointed out. ¡°Just¡­ just give me those colored markers.¡± He told her, running a hand down his face. Scene Consequences -Thanks to helping(/restraining) Ma¡¯s haunted house gained 1XP to Psych Warfare and Childcare. --*Skill Level Up* Psych Warfare Lv. 5 (0/12) --Currently: Trap Making Lv. 7 (8/16) --- Their current project had originally spiraled out of some conversation they¡¯d had about using magic as a cooking implement, at which point he¡¯d brought up a small enchanted oven he¡¯d once made at camp with Miss Edna. From there Daisy had proposed creating something smaller and more situational, while Travis had helped him refine his [Warm] enchantment with a weak [Water] enchantment that would allow it to recycle and reheat any moisture trapped within the paper. After applying this enchantment to a few dozen sheets of baking paper they proceeded to make a simple dough that they broke into different batches and rolled around until they became smooth little balls of dough before wrapping them in the baking paper and setting the enchantments off. Roughly an hour later they had more than a dozen steamed buns, cooked at various ratios to get the recipe just right. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we¡¯ll have to toss half of these batches for being over or undercooked though.¡± Travis frowned looking at the buns that hadn¡¯t worked out as intended. ¡°Hmm, if we recook the undercooked ones, I could hand them out to some of the homeless people around my neighborhood on my way home.¡± He offered. ¡°That¡¯s what I made too many things to eat myself.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s so sweet!¡± Daisy smiled before clapping. ¡°Ooh, if we¡¯re going to do that we should go all out and give them a real treat. Let¡¯s make another batch but fill this one with meats, jellies, and veggies!¡± ¡°You going to be okay doing that on your own?¡± Travis asked. ¡°I know some of the city¡¯s homeless can be a bit rough, if they¡¯re in Dealer territory.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m the one giving them food I doubt there will be too much of a problem.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Besides, I''m technically in Mad Dog territory so there are fewer drugs on my street corner.¡± ¡°If we get Tru involved I¡¯m sure he and his people would love to help. After all, a lot of his guys are homeless people he took off the streets.¡± Daisy told them. ¡°Maybe, but I¡¯m not sure if I want to get him involved in organizing this kind of thing.¡± Travis admitted with a grimace. ¡°If you remember he tends to escalate things like this until they go out of control.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ll call his mom to organize instead.¡± Daisy assured them. ¡°Well, if my Ma was involved I¡¯d be on my best behavior.¡± He shrugged taking a bite out of another steamed bun. Scene Consequences -For attending cooking club gained 1XP to Cooking and Enchanting. --Currently: Cooking Lv. 9 (9/20) and Enchanting Lv. 4 (9/10) --- ¡°Oh, shit!¡± Noctis cursed before immediately leaping away to a small patch of shadows. ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked, heart pounding as he watched the monster pat at his smoking arm. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s the daylight.¡± He answered glaring at the sky before turning his gaze onto Jon. ¡°Why would you summon me in daylight?¡± ¡°Uh, why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± He frowned in a mix of concern and confusion. ¡°I¡¯m a ¡®monster under the bed¡¯.¡± Noctis rolled his eyes, as if that explained everything. When he eventually realized it didn¡¯t, he elaborated. ¡°My people only come out at night, and light wards us off. Broad daylight outright burns our skin. If not for wearing a second skin I¡¯d be covered in burns right now.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s bad.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace. ¡°If you want Pix can patch you up? She¡¯s got healing magic?¡± He offered, causing his little fairy friend to perk up at her name call. ¡°Nah, don¡¯t need that. Will heal before the sunsets.¡± Noctis dismissed before looking around the park clearing. ¡°So, uh, why exactly did you summon me? Doesn¡¯t look like anything is going on.¡± ¡°I figured I should uh, get to know you before asking you to fight for me?¡± He tried to explain, only realizing how bad it sounded after he said it. Noctis gave a snort of amusement. ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t need to bother. As long as you point me at some creep hurting kids, you don¡¯t really gotta offer me much else.¡± ¡°Oh, but uh, isn¡¯t there something you want for your help or something I can offer you as thanks?¡± He asked. ¡°A child killer¡¯s head on a silver platter?¡± Noctis shrugged before shaking his head. ¡°Like I said, all that really matters to me is protecting kids. I don¡¯t really need anything else from you, beyond knowing there¡¯s another Bogeyman out there keeping them safe.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ Hmm¡­¡± He frowned. Eventually Noctis gave him a sigh. ¡°Look I get what you¡¯re trying to do here being all friendly and junk, but at the end of the day there¡¯s only one thing I want.¡± His eyes narrowed a bit. ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°To watch those monsters bleed.¡± The monster answered with an inhuman growl as he showed off his many, many teeth. Noctis licked his teeth, tucking them away as his mouth returned to normal. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not looking for any of this kumbaya garbage. I¡¯m not looking for a friend, I¡¯m just looking for someone who isn¡¯t afraid to get their hands dirty for those who don¡¯t even know what that means.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The monster gave the clearing another once over, before giving him a look. ¡°If there are no kids in danger, and we¡¯re not going to be terrorizing any creeps I¡¯m going to go ahead and head back before I get a sunburn.¡± ¡°I, uh¡­ Alright¡­ I guess¡­¡± He stuttered out, not really sure what else there was to say as he began to dismiss the monster. ¡°Cool.¡± Noctis nodded before pointing a finger gun at him. ¡°And don¡¯t forget if you do run into any creeps make sure I¡¯m at the top of your summoning list.¡± ¡°I¡­ right.¡± He nodded back as the monster dissipated into a swirl of magical motes. Pix landed on his shoulder with a curious look, picking up on his mood. ¡°Well that was a bust.¡± He sighed. Scene Consequences -Jon understands Noctis a bit better. --- After that trainwreck, he decided that instead of simply letting the day go to waste, he¡¯d instead try summoning a spirit as described by his Arcane Shamanism with the time he¡¯d set aside for trying to befriend Noctis. The only problem was that after several hours this was proving just as difficult for him, as befriending the self-proclaimed monster. ¡°What am I getting wrong here?¡± He asked the world around him as he went over his notes while staring at the Spell Circuit he¡¯d put together based on said notes. Pix gave him a shrug for whatever that was worth. ¡°Right¡­¡± He sighed, deciding to go over everything once more. ¡°So, from the looks of it I¡¯m supposed to manipulate my magic in a way that attracts the spirits to me. At which point I entice the spirit into working with me, which the effectiveness of is dependent on which spirits I end up summoning.¡± His books had gone a fair bit more into it than that, but he could on some level understand why Arcane Shamanism was considered one of the more advanced forms of magic. At least in comparison to what he¡¯d already been studying. ¡°So the first step is figuring out how my magic can attract a spirit.¡± He told himself, having figured that out a fair bit ago, but still drawing a blank on just how to do that. ¡°Any ideas Pix?¡± Pix tilted her head and closed her eyes in thought for a moment before leaping into the air and landing on the spell circuit where she began to glow the way she did whenever using her magic. After a few seconds of this the circuit began to eat her magic and give off little motes of green light, something that the book assured him was a sign that the circuit was working properly. (Okay, she¡¯s channeling her magic into the circuit.) He observed with a frown. (I did the same thing, but when I did it there wasn¡¯t any magic involved. So what¡¯s she doing differently?) Watching on he noticed several of the motes beginning to coalesce into a larger mote before taking on the shape of a small chubby insect creature wearing a loose coat and hat made of leaves. The creature -that he assumed was a nature spirit- looked around curiously before gently inching through the air towards the little fairy, revealing that the creature just barely came up to her hip when put next to each other. Pix leapt into the air before doing a loop-de-loop as she began to chirp happily, to both him and the nature spirit that was looking increasingly overwhelmed. Looking between the pair and the circle, what he was doing wrong eventually clicked in his head. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to add a magical affinity to the circuit.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but groan before giving the magic circle another once over and quickly finding the section where a generic ¡®determine affinity¡¯ type of symbology was used. Meaning that for people with an innate form of magic -(such as Pix)- the circuit would naturally draw spirits based on the user¡¯s affinity, but because he was a Practitioner filtering his magic through the circuit it couldn¡¯t determine his actual affinity. Or at the very least there were no spirits connected to the concepts of [Hunter], [Moon], or [Defender] present in the circuit¡¯s search range. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s a significantly easier fix than I was expecting¡­¡± He sighed, before realizing he had a curious observer in the nature spirit. ¡°Well, hello there little guy.¡± He greeted the spirit with a little wave earning a two armed wave in return. ¡°My name¡¯s Jon, uh, what¡¯s yours?¡± The spirit stared at him curiously with a tilt of its head, seemingly not understanding him. (Which it probably doesn''t, given how the spirit isn¡¯t human, and thus has no reason to know English.) Giving the little spirit another once over he decided, ¡°I¡¯m going to call you Leaf. How¡¯s that sound?¡± Leaf gave him a little bobble of its head, perhaps not understanding the meaning of his words but at least picking up on the friendly tone he was using. ¡°Well, then Leaf, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± He told the little spirit, holding his hand out towards it. Leaf gave him another little head bobble before grabbing one of his fingers with four of the spirit¡¯s little hands and shaking it. Scene Consequences -With Pix¡¯s assistance Jon not only met but also befriended [Young Nature spirit] Leaf. --Leaf will respond to Jon¡¯s call so long as he is in the Forest Park. -Jon can now seek out spirits of Affinities he knows. (Note: Some affinities may be harder to find, or beyond Jon¡¯s level to keep calm.) -A/N: Max number of spirits at a time and the distance they¡¯re willing to go from their home are based on Skill Level, Perks, and relationship with a particular spirit. --Current Capacity: (Shamanism + Occult = 10) Levels of Spirit. --Current Distance: 100 Meters */ Relationship Level. (Negative = Divide.) -Gained 1XP to Arcane Shamanism --Currently: Lv. 3 (2/8) -Pix has gained a level in Magical Assistant. (Lv. 7 > Lv. 8) Halloween Event Prologue: Haunted House Set Up Halloween Event Prologue: Haunted House Set Up --- Jon --- ¡°People have started arriving.¡± Garcia told them as they did one last maintenance test on everything. ¡°You guys ready to open up?¡± ¡°Just about.¡± He nodded, turning off the various switches. ¡°We set out the house¡¯s paperwork?¡± ¡°Paperwork?¡± Garcia frowned. ¡°Yeah, to make sure we aren¡¯t sued by the people running through everything.¡± He explained. ¡°Right, since we were doing a ¡®soft¡¯ run for kids I didn¡¯t actually leave the paperwork out.¡± His Ma informed him, before digging through a satchel she¡¯d thrown to the side. ¡°Figured if I did they¡¯d make us put an age limit and lock them out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± He admitted, thinking about how it would suck if they had to exclude the kids from the house. ¡°Uh, should I be concerned that you¡¯re leaving out liability waivers?¡± Garcia asked. ¡°I mean, shouldn¡¯t you guys just be able to leave out a sign or something saying you¡¯re not responsible for any heart conditions or whatever of the people passing through the house?¡± ¡°Nah, that gives people a little too much warning compared to simply warning them about lawsuit stuff at the gate.¡± His Ma disagreed. ¡°Which just makes us sound like rule conscious cops rather than a possibly illegal haunted house.¡± ¡°Possibly illegal?¡± Garcia repeated skeptically. ¡°I know you¡¯ve got the captain¡¯s permission to set all of this up, so it can¡¯t be illegal.¡± ¡°Yet.¡± He pointed out. ¡°I tried to keep this one good without crossing the legal threshold again, but they might not let us do this again next year.¡± Garcia stared at him for a moment. ¡°Alright, the fact that you¡¯re the one talking about this makes me a lot more worried about this whole thing.¡± ¡°Eh, like I said we¡¯ve got a soft version for the kids so we should be able to tone it down if anyone tries to run an actual inspection.¡± His Ma assured her partner before turning to him. ¡°Did you test the emergency shut down if we have to cover this whole thing up?¡± He grimaced and made a so-so gesture with his hand. ¡°It should work, but since it¡¯s a one time use I didn¡¯t want to risk testing it and not being able to reset everything.¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t want to burn the evidence before we do anything with it.¡± His Ma nodded in understanding. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°You know you guys are making this sound way more shady than it has to be.¡± Garcia sighed. ¡°Especially given how you¡¯re a cop and he¡¯s¡­ well, him.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± He frowned while his Ma let out a bark of laughter. ¡°Trust me, he¡¯s my kid and he may play nicer but his head is just as twisted as mine.¡± His Ma smirked, running a hand through his hair. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe just take a shot at our haunted house, half of that shit came from his twisted little mind.¡± ¡°Yeah, no. I still remember how you guys are using pig''s blood in there.¡± Garcia grimaced. ¡°Come on, it¡¯ll make you look in season rather than at work.¡± His Ma told her, gesturing to Garcia¡¯s otherwise normal police uniform. ¡°Sorry but I¡¯d rather not look like a dead cop.¡± Garcia dryly confessed. ¡°Seems too much like tempting fate on this kind of thing.¡± ¡°Bah, that¡¯s just being superstitious.¡± His Ma scoffed with a dismissive wave. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s superstitious in a world with magic, demons, and ghost-zombies.¡± Garcia pointed out. His Ma opened her mouth before closing it and admitting. ¡°Fair.¡± ¡°Besides, we are technically on duty and not all of us can get away with being plain clothes all the time. Seriously, even when everyone else has to wear vests you don¡¯t.¡± Garcia reminded her before gesturing towards him. ¡°That kind of thing is dangerous, especially when you got a kid at home.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because she has this M.A.D. she buys bullet proof jackets from.¡± He defended his Ma before pausing as he remembered something. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know why you don¡¯t get like Miss Edna to enchant them to be even more durable on top of that?¡± (That seems the kind of thing we¡¯d normally do.) ¡°I did for a while there but the downside with enchantments is that unlike M.A.D. tech, enchantments can be detected due to their residual magic. Almost got me caught once when dealing with this undercover sting where the guy turned out to be an Arcane.¡± His Ma explained before grimacing. ¡°And that¡¯s not including the bullshit Sanctuary would give me if they came across me while wearing the thing.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± He nodded, making a note to not wear anything magical when Sanctuary would be around. ¡°Huh¡­ And uh, how much do those jackets run for?¡± Garcia asked, eyeing the jacket his Ma never took off while on duty. ¡°About a thousand dollars, but that¡¯s more because of the thermal lining that makes it a cool eighty degrees in hundred degree weather.¡± His Ma told her. ¡°If you can wear it without, then it''s about seven hundred.¡± Garcia grimaced at that. ¡°Bit pricey.¡± ¡°Maybe but like you said I¡¯ve got a kid at home.¡± His Ma reminded her. ¡°Which reminds me. Kid, since we¡¯re about to run the house do you want first shift as Hunter or Watcher?¡± He took a moment to consider it. As Hunter his job would be to sneak behind and around people, slowly gaslighting them to cause a growing sense of dread, before finally terrifying them into running out of the haunted house. (Which could be really fun if I brought Pix along, or maybe Noctis? I mean he didn¡¯t want to hang out but he¡¯s a bogeyman they¡¯re supposed to enjoy scaring things aren¡¯t they?) Watcher on the other hand was all about controlling the traps through the cameras to make sure everything went off with the best timing possible, a task requiring a fair amount of skill and patience to pull off. (Though I¡¯ll probably have to deal with any of Ma¡¯s co-workers who happen to pass through¡­ or have a complaint about us scaring people too much.) ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and be Halloween Event (Pt. 2): Haunting the Haunted House Halloween Event (Pt. 2): Haunting the Haunted House --- Jon --- After confirming that he¡¯d take first shift as the hunter, he made his way into the haunted house before climbing up into the rafters above. A place that not only was great for dropping down and scaring people, but was also the one place none of the cameras he and his Ma had set up could see. Making it the perfect place to summon Noctis without his Ma seeing. Unlike his previous summons where everyone would appear from a swirl of lights, this time Noctis came into being as a patch of shadows seemed to darken to the point of being pitch black before withdrawing and revealing the bogeyman hiding within. The Nightmarian looked around for a moment before giving him a curious look. ¡°Alright, you didn¡¯t summon me in daylight again which is good, but I don¡¯t see any creeps in need of a crippling. So -giving you the benefit of the doubt one last time- why did you summon me on Halloween? Arguably the busiest time of the year for my people.¡± ¡°Oh, well, uh, my ma and I built this haunted house and we¡¯re going to have a bunch of, um, kids, adults, and teens passing through.¡± He tried to explain. ¡°I was kind of hoping that since you¡¯re a bogeyman you¡¯d be able to help give everyone a good scare. And since you were so defensive of kids when we talked that last time I figured you wouldn¡¯t traumatize any of them by accident like some of my other summons might.¡± Which was a sad truth, given how no matter how kind she was, Wolf was, well, a wolf and the ways she could scare people were probably a little much for kids. Similarly he and Pix hadn¡¯t actually put that much effort into her illusionary traps and such, so no matter how good she was with kids he wasn¡¯t willing to risk one of her illusions ensnaring someone who couldn¡¯t handle them. (And I sincerely doubt Melon could pull off spooky let alone scary,) Thus leaving him with only one summon who could give a proper scare and hopefully go no further. Noctis gave him a look before seeming to tilt his head side to side. ¡°Hmm, well I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt to take a little break, but I¡¯ll have to get back to it before the night is done. The later it gets the more monsters tend to prowl on this night.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± He nodded, having not intended to take Noctis away from his work but simply hoping he could find something to do with the summons that didn¡¯t involve violence like the Nightmarian kept asking. ¡°I¡¯m probably only going to be on this side of things for a couple of hours myself.¡± ¡°So, how exactly were you planning on doing this?¡± Noctis asked, crouching onto the rafter like him but unlike Jon requiring his hands to keep balance by gripping said rafter. ¡°Well, like any other haunted house they¡¯ll be wandering around while my Ma sets off traps to frighten people from the control room. What makes this one different though is the fact that you and I will be playing Hunter as we follow people around and gaslight them into being more scared. Or if they tap out escorting them to the exits.¡± He frowned as something finally occurred to him. ¡°Or, uh, I¡¯ll be escorting them since my Ma doesn¡¯t actually know I¡¯ve got magic.¡± Noctis gave him a look he couldn¡¯t quite decipher. ¡°Don¡¯t trust her to know?¡± ¡°Not quite¡­¡± He hedged, not wanting to give someone the wrong idea. ¡°I know she¡¯s okay with magic users since she¡¯s friends with Miss Edna, but at the same time admitting I know magic would lead into the circumstances of why and how I learned magic. Which were¡­¡± (Fangs bit into flesh as he flexed his wrist, calling the axe back into his hand and causing the blade to cleave through the beast''s skull in a gruesome display of blood and bone.) ¡°-not the best circumstances to tell the single parent worried about their only child.¡± (Or any parent really.) Noctis continued to stare at him with his odd expression before shaking his head and muttering, ¡°Not my business either way.¡± He ran a hand through his hair, not sure what he could say after that. At least until the entrance to the haunted house opened, and both monsters shifted as their first prey passed beneath them. --- A pair of teens walked into through the entrance to the haunted house, a faint fog drifting around their legs as they started walking. ¡°So how cheesy do you think this is going to be?¡± The female of the pair asked. ¡°No telling, I mean it¡¯s a cheap haunted house made by the cops. I doubt it¡¯s going to be all that impressive.¡± The male answered as something above them creaked and a bit of dust fell. ¡°Probably just going to be a bunch of homemade props and a jump scare or two.¡± ¡°Yeah, probably¡­¡± The girl frowned as they found their path blocked by a door, a flickering light visible from beneath it. ¡°How much you want to bet there¡¯s someone waiting behind this for one of those scares?¡± ¡°No bet.¡± The boy scoffed before opening the door and finding someone sitting in an old electrical chair. ¡°Think he¡¯ll jump while we¡¯re watching him or wait until we leave the room?¡± ¡°Eh, he¡¯s got to get us before we leave the room or else it¡¯s a waste.¡± The girl whispered back before pausing as she felt something squishing underfoot. ¡°The hell is this?¡± The boy made a disgusted sound as he looked at the red substance sticking to his shoes. ¡°Whatever it is, I hope it washes off.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Is this supposed to be blood or something?¡± The girl wondered. ¡°Kind of want to know how they got the consistency like this, if I didn¡¯t know better I¡¯d think it was real blood.¡± ¡°Probably corn syrup and food dye or-¡± They both jumped as the door slammed shut behind them. ¡°And there¡¯s the jump scare.¡± ¡°Nah, look, this guy is starting to shake in his chair.¡± The girl pointed out, just before the lights turned off. ¡°Okay¡­ are they just going to leave us in the dark?¡± The boy asked after a moment, a touch of wariness to his voice. ¡°Fuck, give me a sec¡­¡± The girl told him before pulling out her phone and carving a path of light through the darkness. ¡°Remember there was that sign before we came in suggesting we bring our phones.¡± ¡°I thought that thing was telling us not to use our phones.¡± The boy groaned before fumbling with his pockets. ¡°Hey, what¡­ where the fuck is my phone?¡± ¡°Did you leave it in the car?¡± The girl sighed. ¡°No, I was just on it outside¡­ where the fuck did it go?¡± Something dashed behind the boy and the girl jumped. ¡°The fuck was that?¡± ¡°What was what?¡± ¡°Something just moved behind you!¡± ¡°It was probably that guy in the electric chair.¡± The boy assured her, and sure enough when they checked the chair it was empty. ¡°See told you it was just the guy in¡­ the¡­ chair¡­¡± They both froze as they watched something dripping onto the chair. ¡°Is that, uh¡­¡± The girl slowly raised her phone upward to where they saw the guy from the chair with his legs dangling from the rafters. More importantly however they also saw something hunched over the man¡¯s chest with the audible sound of something chewing. When the light touched the creature it slowly turned its bloody maw towards them, before opening it wider than the rest of its head and screeching as it revealed hundreds of pointed teeth. ¡°Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!¡± The boy panicked rushing back to the door that fought him. ¡°What are you doing? Open the door!¡± The girl yelled watching as the guy from the chair dropped lifelessly to the floor, blood leaking out of his chest. ¡°Hurry!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fucking trying!¡± The boy yelled back before the door finally gave in and let them escape just in time to slam the door shut in the face of whatever thing was in that room. --- The officer stumbled over something as his eyes darted around the dimly lit room, trying to find his way out of this hell house that that psychotic Whitaker had built. Pressing a hand against the wall to steady himself he felt something squelch beneath his touch, before pulling his hand back and finding what he knew without a doubt was real blood. ¡°What the fuck is wrong with that woman?!¡± He whimpered. Damp air brushed against the back of his neck. ¡°There¡¯s plenty wrong with her.¡± He spun around, raising his light and desperately wishing he¡¯d brought his gun to deal with whatever nightmarish abominations that witch had let loose in this place. The space behind him was completely empty. He let out a shaky breath. ¡°It¡¯s just smoke and mirrors. It¡¯s just smoke and mirrors. It¡¯s just smoke and-¡± Something wet landed on his shoulder, before falling to the ground with a wet smacking sound. Swallowing his eyes drifted to the ground where he found a visibly beating heart in an ever widening puddle of red. ¡°R-right, w-where¡¯s the exit?¡± He squeaked, quickly backing away from the organ. A black and white hand reached over his shoulder, and out of the corner of his eye he saw a wriggling mass of eyes and mouths, and too too many eyes¡­ ¡°That way.¡± A hundred voices whispered. Puddle of yellow began around his boot. --- A mother walked through the maze with her two children, both of whom had insisted on entering the haunted house. And despite her misgivings about whether or not they could handle it, she found herself unable to refuse their mutual tugging while hoping that since this was a community party the police hadn¡¯t made it too scary. Which she felt decently confident about since the female officer at the entrance had given her daughter a flashlight to ¡®scare away the monsters if they get too close¡¯. And as luck would have it, while the building was fairly spooky with its dim lighting and ever present fog, they¡¯d yet to see anything scarier than the things they¡¯d see in a kids¡¯ Halloween movie. Meaning hopefully they wouldn¡¯t get too bad of nightmares despite the way her youngest clung to her. Something rattled in the room as she realized this must be the part where someone in a costume would end up trying to scare them. Only when she caught sight of the thing in front of them she knew without a doubt that the tall -too tall- creature in front of them was most certainly not someone in a costume. The creature took a step forward and her youngest gasped as she held him closer and began reaching for her daughter who glanced over her shoulder at them before gaining a determined frown and glaring at the monster. She started to lunge for her daughter as her little girl began to tell the monster off before pointing her flashlight at the creature. A brave if ultimately pointless act, but if they were lucky it might blind the creature long enough for her to grab both of her children and flee. Instead of simply blinding the creature, the monster screamed as it stumbled back smoke wafting off of its form. ¡°No, the light it burns!¡± The monster howled as it seemed to slowly shrink. ¡°Stay away from my mama and baby bruder!¡± Her little girl told the creatures as it continued to smoke, before eventually disappearing altogether. She stood there in silence unsure of what just happened before her daughter held her hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay mama I made the bad monster go away!¡± Her brave baby girl assured her with a bright smile. --- ¡°You are a terrible actor.¡± He told Noctis once the Nightmarian had rejoined him in the rafters. ¡°Screw you, I¡¯m a fantastic actor.¡± Noctis declared with a hand to his chest. ¡°You have no idea how many humans think I¡¯m one of them when I¡¯m about and about at night.¡± ¡°Sure, when the lights dim and you¡¯re keeping quiet.¡± He nodded along. ¡°I mean, who actually says ¡®No, the light it burns!¡¯? You¡¯re lucky the kids were too small to see through that.¡± Noctis made an odd gesture with his hand -one Jon assumed was something along the lines of the Nightmarian middle finger- before frowning as said Nightmarian caught sight of who had just entered the haunted house. ¡°Well this¡¯ll be interesting.¡± He curiously followed Noctis¡¯s gaze and found Halloween Event (Pt. 3): A Nightmare Ends Another Begins Halloween Event (Pt. 3): A Nightmare Ends Another Begins --- Jon --- ¡°Why don¡¯t you get this one?¡± Noctis suggested. ¡°Do¡­ you know what that is?¡± He frowned, because while he could tell it wasn¡¯t human due to the¡­ offness of its movements, he had no idea what the creature actually was. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s harmless.¡± Noctis assured him. ¡°Just interested in whether or not you can scare it given what it is.¡± ¡°And what is it?¡± He pressed, not liking this. ¡°Harmless, like I said.¡± Noctis repeated, uncaring -and possibly amused- by his suspicion. ¡°Come on, given the way you¡¯ve been acting all night I thought you¡¯d be the last one to say no to a good surprise.¡± (Problem is there¡¯s no telling if it¡¯s a good surprise or a bad one.) He thought to himself, knowing which one it tended to be when people pointed him at said surprises. Knowing that arguing with someone he was going to be working with in the long term would be more of a pain than it was worth, he decided to simply suck up his misgivings and go ahead with scaring the creature that was only giving the occasional laugh at the traps his Ma set off. (Definitely going to be a tough customer then¡­) Lurking from above he continued tracking the creature from the rafters above, taking in everything he could about it just in case the creature was a threat despite Noctis¡¯s dismissal. Which is why he waited until the creature was watching a false patient begin to spasm, before turning off the lights just before said patient would fire its fake heart in an explosion of pig¡¯s blood. Knowing the light was set to a timer he dropped from the rafters and creeped up behind the creature with a -real- knife in hand. Ready to jump scare the creature the moment the lights turned back on. Or rather that was the plan if said light hadn¡¯t revealed the creature watching him with a curious amusement from behind a pair of glasses on its face. ¡°Hmm, you know you¡¯d be significantly scarier if you had an actual mask on?¡± The creature calmly told him. ¡°The mask gets too hot with the jacket, and the hood combined with refractory contacts usually gives an ominous glow to my darkened face.¡± He explained. ¡°Problem is the angle you turned around at is blocking the light they would¡¯ve reflected.¡± The creature glanced over its shoulder and spotted a small red light before leaning out of the way as it turned back to Jon. ¡°Oh, I can see why that would be scary to turn around to.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve got dark vision?¡± He grimaced. The creature nodded before adjusting his glasses. ¡°Doesn¡¯t help with my nearsightedness though.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± He sighed. This was when Noctis dropped between the two of you and proceeded to scream in an inhuman way that, while he couldn¡¯t see Noctis¡¯s face, he could see several tendrils erupting from it in a spread pattern. He could also see the creature literally jump out of its own skin turning into what looked like a human shaped spaghetti monster with stripes and several mouths. While mildly surprised by this, he found himself more concerned with the revelation that, (He used me as a distraction.) ¡°S-sir Noctis?!¡± The creature yelped, upon recognizing its terrorizer. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. (Sir Noctis?) He blinked, giving said Nightmarian a curious look. Noctis rolled his eyes. ¡°Bogeymen are technically my species knights¡­ or a darker order of them if we had them anyway.¡± With that clarified Noctis turned his attention back to the creature. ¡°And this guy is basically a bureaucrat of my species.¡± ¡°I am far more than that!¡± The other Nightmarian(?) protested. ¡°I am a field bureaucrat!¡± Noctis pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Put your skin back on, and count yourself lucky I disabled the camera for this room.¡± The bureaucrat blinked before remembering he¡¯d leapt out of his skin, and muttered a bashful, ¡°How embarrassing¡­¡± as he climbed back into it in a feat of physical flexibility that no human was capable of. ¡°Do all of your species have collapsible skeletons?¡± He asked, more curious than anything else. ¡°We¡¯re technically invertebrates.¡± Noctis answered, though his tone of voice said it was more to divert attention from what Jon figured was a social faux pa amongst the Nightmarians than an actual interest in answering. ¡°We don¡¯t actually have bones. The places that look like they have bone structures are actually over developed muscle mass where flexibility was traded for durability.¡± ¡°Is that something you can turn on and off?¡± He wondered, some part of his mind otherwise viewing Nightmarians as land octopi in human shape. ¡°Sort of?¡± Noctis frowned, as if having to think about it. ¡°My brother has a lot of those dense muscles that he can¡¯t make very flexible, but he layers himself in two treating them like a retractable exoskeleton. Though since that¡¯s like half of his body mass, even when he tries to be flexible he¡¯d barely pass as a flexible human.¡± ¡°Rather than a triple jointed contortionist like you?¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve got hands and that¡¯s more than enough for me.¡± Noctis shrugged as if it didn¡¯t matter one way or another. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± The bureaucrat told them, once more appearing passibly human with their fake skin and glasses. ¡°Now then, as I was saying-¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t said anything. You¡¯ve only screamed like a five year old after their first nightmare.¡± Noctis pointed out dryly. The bureaucrat huffed, but ultimately let the jab go. ¡°I¡¯ve come to inquire why you¡¯ve seen fit to abandon your duties on Halloween? Arguably the most important night of our branch¡¯s year!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t abandoned my duties.¡± Noctis dismissed with a roll of his eyes. ¡°In case you haven¡¯t noticed we¡¯re in a haunted house and I¡¯ve been scaring people -adults and children- all night. And given how I wasn¡¯t given a kid needing my¡­ intervention.¡± Jon¡¯s more monstrous company rotated his head as if forcibly suppressing something before continuing. ¡°Then that means I¡¯m on standby for the night.¡± The bureaucrat adjusted their fake glasses. ¡°While that may be the case you cannot simply up and disappear like this without justifiable reason. Especially not since-¡± ¡°Since what?¡± Noctis growled, pinning the other Nightmarian to the wall via their throat. ¡°Since, since you¡¯re still¡­ on probation¡­¡± The bureaucrat gasped out. Noctis snarled before tossing the other Nightmarian to the ground and spitting out, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll waste my night back at the Bog.¡± A tense silence fell over all three of them before turning a glare onto Jon. ¡°Well?! You¡¯re the one who summoned me, send me back!¡± With a frown at the Nightmarian he did just that, causing Noctis to disappear in a swirl of shadows. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± The other Nightmarian apologized. ¡°Noctis has always been somewhat¡­ temperamental. Especially when it comes to the proper procedure for this sort of thing¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ You know I¡¯m the one who brought him here, right?¡± He asked, if only to make sure Noctis¡¯s¡­ irritability wasn¡¯t made worse by this all being blamed on the summons. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s summoned quite frequently as the local Bogeyman, but staying out on Halloween night when he knows he¡¯s supposed to be ready for disaster is completely on him.¡± The bureaucrat argued. While he wasn¡¯t entirely sure about that given how Noctis had warned him both now and during his initial summoning that Halloween was his busiest time of the year. He was also miffed enough at the Nightmarian for yelling at him to not see it as worth fighting. ¡°Regardless, I do have my own duties I must get back to so I¡¯ll be taking my leave as well.¡± The Bureaucratic Nightmarian informed him, before promptly collapsing into a boneless pile and fading into his own shadow. ¡°Well¡­ That was fun.¡± He sighed, running a hand down his face before looking around the room. ¡°Better fix the cameras before¡± This was of course when all of the lights killed out. The sound of a palm meeting a face followed shortly after. Running his hand down his face in frustration, he couldn¡¯t help but growl out, ¡°Cheshire if this is you jinxing me, I¡¯m going to stab you the next time I see you.¡± A laugh that easily could¡¯ve been just his imagination was his only answer, at least until the screaming and gunshots began. ¡°Right¡­ stabbing the eldritch horror the next time I see it.¡± Halloween Event (Pt. 4): Wayward Children And Midnight Monsters Halloween Event (Pt. 4): Wayward Children And Midnight Monsters --- Autumn --- The night had started out well enough. It was Halloween, and while her sister had warned her about how dangerous it could be at night her dads had decided to take her to a halloween party being held at the local police station. (I wish they¡¯d listened to her¡­) At first everything was fine, she¡¯d dressed up as a witch -More to taunt her sister than any other reason.- and found out that her friend Izzy¡¯s family had come to the station too. Meaning that neither of them were really alone since all of Izzy¡¯s elder siblings had gone to some party for teenagers, and her brother Seamus was a little too young to hang out with. The party itself was fine enough. The police had cleared out a few of their rooms for everyone and covered everything with lots of cheesy halloween decorations. From there the kids and pre-teens had largely been left in a room filled with snacks, a bunch of toys and stuff for younger kids, and a couple of TVs playing some kids'' Halloween movies. Movies with monsters far nicer than the few she¡¯d seen when following her sister around. (Which is probably why the Dads don¡¯t like me doing that¡­) Izzy had gotten bored pretty quickly, finding the board games that had been left out infinitely less entertaining without her sibling¡¯s bickering and cheating. Personally she was more than okay with the fact that she only had one sister, (even if she¡¯s not around all that often¡­) Regardless, she¡¯d long since learned a bored Izzy -or any Williams kid really- was a bomb just ticking away. Which is why when her friend decided to leave the room and explore the police station, she¡¯d followed along. (I really wish we¡¯d just stayed in the kids room¡­) In the beginning that was fine, especially since she knew her dads were just down the hall if she needed them and that there were plenty of police officers just milling about without actually telling them to turn around. At least until they got to the haunted house, and the officer at the door said they were just a little too young to be entering it without a parent. Honestly, that was fine too since it meant Izzy wouldn¡¯t punch anyone and get them in trouble. Unfortunately, this also meant that their exploration of the station strayed even further from where their parents were. Something they immediately regretted when the lights died around them, and they realized that there weren¡¯t any officers nearby. ¡°W-what do you think is happening?¡± She asked, adjusting her glasses as she followed Izzy back the way they came. The only light is the occasional glow of an arrow pointing towards the exit. (Though I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s the exit we want to take if we want to get back to everyone¡­) ¡°There¡¯s uh, someone probably messed with the neighborhood¡¯s power.¡± Izzy offered. ¡°But what caused that?¡± She pressed, remembering all of her sister¡¯s stories about what goes bump in the night. ¡°Probably, probably just a Mask fight nearby. You know they always act up this time of year.¡± Izzy reminded her of the numerous videos that tended to appear online around Halloween. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°R-right¡­¡± She¡¯d just begun to convince herself that there was no real emergency when a distant banging sound echoed through the halls. ¡°Were-were those gunshots?¡± She swallowed, her fear returning with new strength. ¡°They, um, they sound like they were outside.¡± Izzy told her despite the fact that neither of them had actually heard gunshots outside of movies and video games. The next round of gunshots sounded significantly closer, as in ¡®just down the hall¡¯ closer. She grabbed Izzy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°M-maybe we should try to find a different way?¡± Izzy glanced down the hall. ¡°If, if there¡¯s a gunshot then¡­ then that would mean there¡¯s a cop that way, right?¡± ¡°But what if the gunshots are whoever is attacking the police?¡± She pointed out. Izzy bit her lip. ¡°Then we just take a quick peek and run the other direction if there¡¯s something other than a cop over there.¡± She glanced down the ominously quiet hall before reluctantly nodding. ¡°Alright, but, but just a quick peek and even if no one is there we go back the other way.¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Izzy nodded back. ¡°Especially if there is no one over here.¡± With that agreed upon, they both creeped forward as quietly as they could before eventually peeking down the side hall they thought the gunshots had come from. They immediately regretted it. Even if they couldn¡¯t see a clear picture with the darkness around them, there was just enough light from the red glow of a nearby exit sign for them to make out the hunched figure of something eating something else¡­ something with very human legs. In fright they both froze as something twisted inside and they realized just what they were looking at. And just as they froze, so did the monster¡­ only it began moving before them as it slowly turned its head towards them. ¡°W-we need to run!¡± She hissed at Izzy, dragging the other girl away from the hall filled with a horror too much for their young minds. Izzy didn¡¯t say anything but she did follow after Autumn, if mostly because she refused to let go of her friend¡¯s hand. A hand her grip slowly tightened around as she heard the distinct sound of something chasing after them, its claws scraping against the ground. Knowing that the monster was following them, and the fact that the other girl was in significantly better shape than her, Izzy quickly ran ahead of her and began pulling her along as their roles reversed. Izzy turned around a corner, and with a glance over her shoulder, Autumn watched the monster skid along the ground almost missing the turn if it hadn¡¯t gripped the corner of the hall with one of its claws leaving several deep gashes as it corrected its course after them. ¡°Where is everybody?¡± Izzy asked as they moved through halls that she knew there had been officers in not even half an hour prior. ¡°They, they must¡¯ve all headed towards the gunshots.¡± She figured, wishing that she¡¯d picked up at least some of her sister¡¯s magical talent before this whole mess began. (At the very least some of her vines would¡¯ve slowed this thing down.) ¡°Crap.¡± Izzy cursed as they hastily turned a corner and found themselves in an office room full of desks rather than another hall. ¡°Around the desks!¡± Moving quickly they weaved around the various desks hoping that the obstacles would slow the monster hunting them, and for a moment it seemed like it would as the beast crashed into a desk and toppled over it in its attempt to chase them. The beast easily climbed atop the second desk before leaping onto one much closer to them with a wide sweep of its claws. One they avoided solely due to the luck of her tripping and sending them both skidding along the ground as the monster¡¯s claws tore through her witch¡¯s cape. Scrambling to try and sit up, they found themselves backing into one of the desks as the creature stared down at them from above, blood and drool dripping from its snarling maul. The monster lunged at them, and she couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes as she waited for the inevitably painful end. ¡­ An end that never came. Slowly, and ever so frightfully, she opened her eyes and found a teenager standing in front of her with his arm shoved into the beast¡¯s mouth, holding it back even as the monster¡¯s teeth tore into the flesh of his arm. The teenager gave them a quick glance with gracious green eyes before slowly meeting the monster¡¯s gaze as his eyes turned a raging red. ¡°That was your only mistake.¡± And she just knew that nothing was going to hurt her tonight. Halloween Event (Pt. 5): A Battle Between Beasts Halloween Event (Pt. 5): A Battle Between Beasts --- Jon --- A growl tore its way out of his throat as the chimera continued to dig its fangs into his arm, the only thing keeping it from being ripped off the jacket his mother had given him before the night had truly begun. Without a blade in hand he made due with his (claws) and dug them into the Creep¡¯s eye as he stomped on its leg, driving it to its knees as its focus was split between two different agonies. Now standing over the wretch he gripped the top of its maw and pushed away the bottom with his trapped arm, before ripping his arm free and shoving it down the beast¡¯s throat. The chimera struggled against him, once more clamping its fangs into his arm before using its own to try and claw away at him. But he kicked back against the chimera¡¯s limb, using his whole body to keep it away as held onto the Creep¡¯s skull, all the while using the bloodsoaked hand inside of the monster¡¯s gullet to rip away at the beast¡¯s innards. Seeing that this was failing, the Creep reared back before slamming him into one of the desks forcing him to release his grip as the Chimera spat out his hand and backed away from him. Ignoring the pain in his back, he rolled to his feet and stared the beast down as blood dripped from its maw and a snarl escaped his own. Not willing to give it the chance, he rushed forward, ducking beneath its swinging claws as he tackled the beast into a desk before climbing atop both, pinning the monster beneath him as he drew his knife before driving it into the chimera¡¯s neck and tearing it out, over and over as the Creep¡¯s struggling grew ever weaker beneath him until finally its struggling stopped. Ripping his blade free once more, he stood before stomping the Creep¡¯s head and breaking its neck (just in case). With that settled he turned back to the younglings and gave them both a once over to make sure they were both uninjured as he climbed off of the desk and the dead Creep atop it. ¡°Are you two¡­¡± He shook his head upon hearing the growl to his voice, knowing that that was the last thing these two needed as he reeled the Beast back in (for now.) ¡°Are you two, okay?¡± The two girls watched him each with their own odd mix of wariness, awe, and relief in differing amounts. Of the two the one dressed up as a witch was the first to react before nodding. ¡°Y-yeah, we¡¯re okay¡­¡± ¡°Good, then we need to get you two back to everyone else.¡± He told them, still able to feel that something in the air that said the darker side of things was still prowling about rather than lurking back into the shadows. ¡°Do you, do you know the way?¡± The other girl asked, clearly trying to put on a brave front rather than admitting just how scared she was. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be able to find our way back.¡± He assured them, because even with the changes he knew the layout of the building well enough to find his way back to where the Halloween party should be. ¡°That said, I will need you two to stick close to me with everything going on, alright?¡± Both girls gave him a shaky affirmative, before he ushered them out of the room and away from the dead chimera creep. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t think we got this far from everyone¡­¡± One of the girls told him after a few minutes. ¡°It¡¯s Madness.¡± He explained, more than used to how the ambient energy could twist and turn the world around them whenever something drew its attention. Never breaking too far from reality, but distorting things just enough to make everything seem a little too far, a little too cramped, a little too off. And sadly, after his last few run-ins with them he was beginning to suspect that Madness found Creeps very interesting in numbers. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± The other girl chuckled wearily, probably thinking it was some kind of joke. ¡°Probably just ran in the wrong direction when we ran into that¡­ that monster.¡± He decided that if she didn¡¯t know about Madness that it was probably better to let her keep that assumption. (After all, enlightenment can drive you mad.) His face scrunched up as he felt his own insanity twitch beneath the surface, the beast within his head more than a little irritated knowing that there was prey lurking about predating on the people in the station. But he shook that away, once more reminding himself that that side of him was not something he wanted any kids to see more than they had to. ¡°Are¡­ you okay?¡± One of the girls asked him cautiously. ¡°Yeah, just¡­ a stressful night¡­¡± He admitted, knowing that was far more palatable than his actual issues. ¡°But don¡¯t worry we¡¯ll get you two back to your parents soon enough.¡± ¡°I hope so¡­¡± The witch girl shivered. ¡°This place looks a lot creepier in the dark.¡± ¡°Anywhere looks creepier without the light.¡± He pointed out. (Unless you¡¯re not of the light yourself.) (In which case you¡¯re what makes it creepy.) He thought with a touch of mad amusement. ¡°But no need for fright, you¡¯ve a monster on your side tonight.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ right¡­ heh¡­¡± The girl nodded, looking a little confused but not particularly afraid anymore. ¡°Um, how much further until we get back to everyone?¡± He pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt something throb inside his head. ¡°Um, it should be right around the corner here¡­¡± As they lapped the corner he saw a pair of officers guarding one of the entrances to a room, both turning their guns on him and the children¡­ ¡°Careful now¡­¡± He warned them as he stepped in front of the younglings. ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s Whitaker¡¯s kid.¡± One of the officers noted, recognizing him from his visits with his Ma. ¡°Fuck you gave me a scare kid.¡± ¡°Language there¡¯s children present.¡± He growled. ¡°Wait, are you two Izzy and Autumn?¡± The officer asked upon noticing the kids behind him. ¡°Y-yeah.¡± One of the girls nodded. ¡°Your parents have been looking all over for you two.¡± The officer continued, before turning into the room and calling out. ¡°We¡¯ve found the girls!¡± As the officers escorted the girls to their parents, a trio of men and a woman carrying a toddler, he found himself hanging back knowing that whatever was agitating the beast in his head would not make him very personable at the moment. And so while he did enter the room, he stayed near the entrance hoping to have a word with the officers about the situation once they resumed their guard. Only after a minute or two of watching the parents tearfully pull their children into hugs, with a mild scolding for running off and worrying them¡­ he heard a scratching coming from the ceiling above him. His eyes drifted up to where he saw a flying Creep (just out of reach) getting ready to lunge forward at the toddler that had wandered away from the mother hugging her missing daughter. And as panic flooded his being, he watched the Creep kick off the ceiling its flight path clearly aimed for the child separated from its guardians, he lunged forward and dug his fangs into the Creep¡¯s throat as he met it mid-air and tackled it to the ground. Pushing aside its batting claws with his own as he held the beast down and dug his fangs ever deeper into its neck, before rearing back with the taste of copper in his mouth as he ripped out its throat. Spitting the (rotten) meat from his mouth he flipped the still struggling beast over before holding its head down, placing his knee on its back and ripping its wing from its screaming corpse. A scream that grew ever weaker as he tossed the limb aside and removed the other before standing and stomping the wretch dead beneath his boot. Panting he watched the Creep, long since trained to know that just because he had killed it didn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t get back up to try and kill him. A whimper and a cry of ¡°Seamus!¡± drew his attention to the crowd behind him, more specifically the woman who had stepped forward reaching for the child that had walked up behind him. He tilted his head curiously as he crouched down to the little one¡¯s eye level, before watching as the child held out a candy to him. With a huff of amusement Jon accepted the candy before ruffling the little one¡¯s hair and turning him back to his worried mother with a pat on the back. Feeling the blood beginning to dry, he moved away from the warily watching crowd, knowing that this night wasn¡¯t over yet as he brought his hand to his mouth. (Mmm, blood and chocolate¡­) Halloween Horror (Pt. 6): A Light Glows And A Darkness Sets In Halloween Horror (Pt. 6): A Light Glows And A Darkness Sets In --- Jon --- He shook his head as he made his way towards the exit, the guards backing away from him as he passed. (Alright, now that the kids are safe I need to get back to the security room and grab my bag. I can do a lot with a knife but this would all be a lot easier with my axe and medical stuff.) He idly ran his fingers over where the werewolf chimera had bitten him. (If not for Ma¡¯s jacket I¡¯d be in a lot worse shape right now than the few bruises that¡¯ll have left on my arm. I can¡¯t remember how bad their venom is supposed to be, but I know it won¡¯t be fun even with Pix¡¯s healing.) (Thinking of.) He checked his amulet before grimacing. (Not much magic left in this thing, maybe enough to summon Pix or Wolf for a few minutes but summoning them now might just waste what little I¡¯ve got.) Deciding to save his magic for an emergency he instead focused on making his way to the security room, hoping that everything in his pack would be enough to get him through the night. He felt something crawling in the back of his head and spun around to face an empty hall. ¡°Okay¡­ that can¡¯t be good¡­¡± The beast growled its agreement from within the shadows of his mind. ¡°Need¡­ need to stay on task.¡± He told himself, continuing through the halls that seemed just a little too long, a little too small, a little too dark, and just wrong enough that you¡¯d think it a trick of your mind. Knowing what was happening, he stopped and leaned with his hand against the wall, before closing his eyes and inhaling slowly, (One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ Four¡­) Holding it for just a moment, (One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ Four¡­) And finally releasing it just as slowly as he¡¯d captured it, (One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ Four¡­) When he opened his eyes, the world around him seemed to have straightened itself out, resuming its proper proportions and lighting, if for just a moment. A moment he knew wouldn¡¯t last forever as he felt the Madness still lingering in the air. Still with his mind cleared, he was able to note the scratches and blood on the wall as well as the occasional body of an officer or a Creep laying in the halls. Bodies he ignored, both wary and hopeful of finding the later and the former still living and breathing somewhere in these halls. Hopes and fears that proved worthless as he finally came across the entrance to the security room, stepping inside he found the room empty and dark save for the emergency lighting and its reflection on the darkened security screens. (Was hoping those would be on the emergency grid¡­) He frowned, before making his way to the corner where his pack lay discarded. Opening it he reached inside to pull out his axe before pausing as he caught sight of something inside of the pocket that didn¡¯t have a spacial enchantment on it. ¡°Should¡¯ve known you¡¯d¡¯ve snuck your way in.¡± He chuckled with a soft grin as he poked the slipping fairy that laid within. ¡°Also should¡¯ve known you would¡¯ve slept through this mess.¡± After a moment Pix yawned before looking up at him with a sleepy gaze. ¡°Come on, things have gone sideways and we need to get moving.¡± He told his little light. Pix rubbed at her eyes before leaping out of his pack and into the air, where she glanced around with an increasingly concerned gaze at the foreboding room. ¡°Yeah, like I said, things have gone a little sideways.¡± He agreed with her unspoken comment. ¡°But now that I¡¯ve got you by my side we can start straightening this mess out can¡¯t we?¡± Pix gave him a determined nod and several chirps of agreement before doing a loop through the air and landing on his shoulder like she had so many times before. ¡°Right.¡± He nodded, slinging his pack over his shoulder before pulling out his axe. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work then.¡± Stepping out into the halls of the police station he started making his way towards the roof, feeling that if the station was under siege then his best bet was to get to higher ground so he could pick off any external Creeps with his bow. Whatsmore given how roof invasions weren¡¯t all that common, he had a hunch that the lack of security on the roof was how some of the chimeras got inside of the station in the first place. A hunch that was growing increasingly weighty as he found more Creep corpses the closer to the roof he got, with enough of them filling the stairwell that it half-way looked like the aftermath of one of his fights with the Corrupted back in Blackwell. (Guess I know where Ma got to.) Idly he stroked Pix¡¯s antenna as he passed all of the carnage, knowing that his Ma had to be alright. Nearing the end of the stairs he discovered the door to the rooftop had been torn off by something with claws before being thrown down the stairs. (Probably one of the werewolf chimeras¡­) There were more than enough of them dead in the stairwell. ¡°Jon!¡± His eyes snapped to the top of the stairs where he found Garcia looking down with a flashlight and a couple of others laying in what appeared to be a makeshift medical area next to the doorless exit to the roof. (Guess this is as safe as they can get the injured without risking the stairs.) ¡°Garcia, my Ma out there?¡± He asked, not seeing her as Pix quickly climbed into his jacket. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Garcia froze as he stepped closer to her light and she got a decent look at him. (And I just remembered I¡¯m covered in blood¡­) ¡°It¡¯s uh, it¡¯s been a night¡­¡± He chuckled warily as he ran a hand through his hair. ¡°But uh, my Ma?¡± ¡°R-right.¡± Garcia blinked, before shaking her head. ¡°She¡¯s um, she¡¯s out there¡­ It, uh, it looks like most of the Creeps have backed off for now. So, uh, yeah¡­¡± ¡°Then, um, I¡¯m just going to¡­¡± Awkwardly, he walked around the half a dozen officers on the small platform. All of the conscious ones easily noticed just how much blood he was covered in, and in turn gave him looks that he couldn¡¯t tell whether they were good or bad. (Right, and this is why I avoided everyone but the serial killer after my messier hunts¡­) He didn¡¯t want to give the kids nightmares, and he hated the way Miss Edna and Ying looked at him afterwards. (Just ignore it for now¡­) Moving past the various officers he stepped onto the roof where he found over a dozen Creep Corpses, a couple of downed officers, and his Ma sitting on one of the dead Creeps covered in her own fair share of blood with her head in her hands. ¡°M-Ma!¡± He called out as he made his way closer, his axe slipping from his fingers. ¡°J-Jon!¡± His Ma answered in surprise before pulling him into a hug as she stood. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay kiddo. I tried finding you when the power went out but then the Creeps started coming and I got¡­ sidetracked¡­¡± His Ma had pulled back enough to finally get a look at him in the moonlight, and noticed how much blood he was covered in. ¡°I um, I got¡­ sidetracked too¡­¡± He admitted a little unsurely, having hoped to keep this part of him away from his Ma. ¡°There were these, these kids and these Creeps and I¡­ I couldn¡¯t just leave them¡­ and¡­¡± His Ma closed her eyes and swallowed before nodding. Once more he found himself wrapped in a hug, this one significantly stronger than the last. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you had to do that kiddo¡­¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t be.¡± He told her, returning the hug just as strongly. ¡°The-the kids needed me and¡­ and I saved them¡­ they¡¯re safe now and¡­ I got them back to their families.¡± (And I¡¯m back with mine.) His Ma pulled back and gave him a tired smile. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you kid.¡± Her eyes drifted to the side and her smile faltered at the sight of a dead cop he¡¯d been ignoring. ¡°The, uh, the Creeps seem to be gone for now¡­ Let¡¯s, uh, let¡¯s get you back inside.¡± ¡°R-right.¡± He nodded as his Ma turned him around her hand still on his shoulder as she gently pushed him forward. ¡°There¡¯s, um, I¡¯ve got some stuff in my pack¡­ From Miss Edna it should be able to help with the, uh, injured.¡± ¡°Good thinking kiddo.¡± His Ma told him with a pat on his shoulder and a smile to her voice. ¡°Always helping others, you really do make me prou-¡± His Ma¡¯s fingers slipped from his shoulder. He was turned just in time to see his Ma hit the ground with a werewolf chimera on top of her. Not even thinking he ran forward flexing his wrist at the sound of his Ma biting back a scream and summoning his axe back into hand. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Gripping the weapon with both hands he stepped into his swing and drove the axe into the Creep¡¯s neck, its blade shining bright with a flash of light that burned the flesh of the Creep as it dug ever deeper and cracked something that felt like bone. The Creep¡¯s body spasmed before going limp and he shoved it off of his Ma, the blade forgotten as it remained steadfast in the corpse. ¡°Shit, the fucker bit me!¡± He Ma hissed curling her bleeding arm close to her chest. His heart stopped. ¡°Fuck! Jon help me get to the- Jon?¡± His Ma frowned at him with no small amount of concern. ¡°No, no, no¡­ Pix!¡± He called, causing the little fairy to cautiously stick her head out of the jacket. The jacket his Ma should¡¯ve been wearing, not him. ¡°Jon?¡± His Ma blinked, upon spotting the fairy. ¡°The Creep, the werewolf ones, they have venom in their bites!¡± He tried to explain, Pix immediately understanding as she spotted the bite and leapt out. ¡°We need to do something now or else¡­ It¡¯ll, it¡¯ll be bad!¡± He knew the venom was bad being a fast acting paralytic, that was lethal without proper and immediate care, but (hopefully between Pix¡¯s magic and my salves we can do something.) ¡°Oh, that explains¡­ Shit¡­¡± His Ma followed Pix with her eyes, before looking at her hands as Pix¡¯s magic began mending the various little cuts on them. ¡°That¡¯s, uh, huh¡­¡± His Ma ran a hand over her side, a glossiness starting to fill her eyes that he really did not like. ¡°My ribs aren¡¯t cracked anymore.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± He nodded, shifting through his pack. ¡°Uh, Pix¡¯s magic will make you good as new.¡± He promised, pulling out his salve from his pack as he noticed the bite on her arm not closing! With hands far shakier than he was used to he unscrewed the cap on the salve jar and pulled his Ma¡¯s arm towards him as he began applying it directly, hoping that it would do (anything) to help his Ma. ¡°Ma, how¡¯re you feeling?¡± He asked as he pulled out a roll of bandages and began wrapping them around her arm. ¡°Um, better¡­ No.¡± His Ma frowned. ¡°The pains from before are gone, but I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m feeling feverish? And my head¡­ I¡¯m feeling buzzed but¡­ not in a good way¡­¡± He bit his lip. (That doesn¡¯t sound good¡­) Apparently reading his thoughts, his Ma grabbed him by the shoulder. ¡°Jon. Whatever happens I need you to know-¡± ¡°No, no. You¡¯re going to be okay!¡± He told her. ¡°L-look your wounds, your wounds are closed¡­ the, the bite is just closing slower because, because Pix is having to fight the venom. You, you¡¯ll be-¡± ¡°Jon.¡± His Ma told him with a little more force, cutting him off before her features softened. ¡°I love you kiddo, and I am so so proud of you. Whatever happens you remember that, okay?¡± He bit his lip and shook his head, the tears finally breaking through. ¡°No, mama, I¡­ You¡¯re going to be okay.¡± He lied. ¡°You have to be¡­¡± ¡°Jon. I lub you.¡± His Ma frowned. ¡°I lub yoo.¡± She repeated, seeming to struggle as she raised her hand and flexed it slowly. Too slowly. ¡°Lub yoo¡­¡± She told him once more as her body began to seize. ¡°No, no, no, no. Pix!¡± He cried, as she slowly came to a stop no longer working her magic. The little fairy looked down at his Ma before shaking her head. ¡°No, no, no!¡± He sobbed before screaming towards the medics. ¡°Someone get over here!¡± Garcia ran out gun at the ready before spotting him and his Ma and cursing as she stuck her head back inside. A moment later one of the makeshift medics came out and began looking his Ma over while asking him what had happened and what he¡¯d done. ¡°One of the Creeps bit her¡­ I-I used this magic thing I got and, and she¡­ it fixed everything but her bite and then she started seizing and¡­ and¡­¡± (I wasn¡¯t good enough¡­) ¡°Shit, that means there might be more nearby.¡± The medic told them looking around. ¡°Garcia, we need to move her inside with the others. To try and stabilize her until this nightmare is over.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Garcia nodded, moving behind his Ma to pick her up while the medic grabbed her legs and they maneuvered around the sea of the dead. It was too much but he had to stay in control as he watched the medic take away his Ma to try and help her, knowing that the man¡¯s efforts were likely far too little if Pix¡¯s magic couldn¡¯t do anything to help her¡­ (Pix¡¯s magic¡­) Forcing himself onto his feet he pulled out his cell phone as he stumbled around the corner to where he wouldn¡¯t have to see his Ma so still be seen. Once alone he leaned back against the wall, and found the number he was looking for before pressing call as he started tapping his foot on the ground. ¡°Come on, come on¡­¡± (Don¡¯t leave me alone¡­) The phone went to voicemail and he immediately hung up before calling again as he slowly slid down the wall. ¡°Come on¡­ I know you don¡¯t sleep before midnight!¡± ¡°Hello?¡± A comforting voice asked curiously. ¡°Miss Edna.¡± He greeted, relieved that he finally got ahold of her. ¡°Jon? What¡¯s up? It¡¯s not like you to call me this late.¡± His second parent answered, concern evident in her voice, assuring him he wasn¡¯t by himself. ¡°There¡¯s, there¡¯s been an, an incident.¡± He told her trying to get his thoughts in order. ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s my Ma¡­ she¡¯s, she¡¯s bitten by this¡­ this Creep and it, it has venom and Pix¡¯s magic isn¡¯t enough to fix this and¡­ and I just¡­ I need help¡­¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Okay, Jon I¡¯m here, but I need you to explain what happened to me.¡± Miss Edna told him. ¡°You said a Creep bit her, like, the monsters from Bleeds or something else?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, I think they came from a Bleed but I haven¡¯t seen them come out of any so I don¡¯t know for sure¡­¡± He admitted, his face scrunching up. ¡°Um, I remember a¡­ a Sanctuary thing saying something about how they¡¯re coming here because of, of a seal of some kind and they¡¯re, they¡¯re trying to tear it open because of a, a demon or something?¡± Why couldn¡¯t he remember? He should be able to remember this. His Ma taught him how to remember! ¡°Wait¡­ Fuck, you moved to that city didn¡¯t you? I should¡¯ve warned you about, fuck.¡± He heard Miss Edna take a deep breath on the other end of the line. ¡°Alright, Jon. I¡¯m on my way, but it¡¯ll probably be a few hours before I get there.¡± He¡­ He¡¯d been expecting that. But he¡¯d been hoping she could just magic her way over. ¡°Now I need you to tell me, is the Creep that bit her still alive?¡± His eyes drifted to the chimera with his axe still in its half-severed neck. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, that helps.¡± Miss Edna assured him. ¡°These Creeps they¡¯re magic -at least in part- so killing them means the magic in their venom will weaken, but it¡¯s, it¡¯s at least partially connected to the pack which is why even if she isn¡¯t getting worse she isn¡¯t getting better either.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± He blinked in a daze, knowing that there was something important there but not able to wrap his mind around it for some reason he couldn¡¯t explain. (Stupid! I should be able to get this!) ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Certain pack animals can share their magic through a sort of¡­ magical connection to each other.¡± Miss Edna tried to explain, as Pix gave him a concerned look ¡°Like with¡­ With Contracting?¡± He figured, finally getting something to click at the sight of his first Contract. ¡°Yes! Exactly¡­ sort of.¡± Miss Edna groaned, as he frustrated her with his (stupid, stupid, stupid!). ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that the power of the venom is connected to the number of Creeps in their coven, network, er, you get the idea.¡± ¡°The more Creeps there are the more dangerous the venom¡­¡± He pieced together. ¡°Right.¡± Miss Edna confirmed. ¡°Now usually this means the easiest solution is to stabilize whoever has been infected, and keep them stable until the Creeps go back to wherever they came from. At which point the magic will loosen enough to heal properly even without an Arcane pushing things along.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not¡­¡± He bit his lip, because while it wasn¡¯t good enough, it did mean there was a hope and he couldn¡¯t fault Miss Edna for trying to help him or assuring him that his Ma would be okay. (Eventually¡­ Don¡¯t be ungrateful!) ¡°I know, kid¡­¡± Miss Edna sighed, sounding tired of him. ¡°But what I¡¯m trying to tell you is¡­ I normally wouldn¡¯t suggest this but¡­ You, you¡¯ve dealt with the corrupted¡­ and¡­ the Creeps¡­ they¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re like the Corrupted.¡± He finished for her, finally getting what she was trying to say. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Miss Edna told him, sounding pained that it took him this long to get it. ¡°If I¡­ If I get rid of the Creeps¡­ Ma¡­ Ma will get better¡­ be safe¡­¡± He smiled, climbing to his feet. ¡°Mm-hmm¡­¡± Miss Edna agreed, still pained by how slow he was being. ¡°Jon, just¡­ just remember to¡­ to stay safe if, if you¡¯re going to do this.¡± ¡°I will Miss Edna.¡± He assured her with a smile now that he knew what to do. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can, Jon¡­¡± Miss Edna promised. ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded as he stroked his little light between her antenna. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, by the time you get here Ma will be all better.¡± ¡°Just¡­ just make sure you¡¯re with her when she gets up.¡± Miss Edna told him. ¡°Of course.¡± He agreed easily as he made his way forward. ¡°I just need to deal with the Creeps first and she¡¯ll be all better!¡± Miss Edna was quiet for a moment before saying, ¡°You¡¯re a good boy Jon¡­ Whatever the world throws at you¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t let it take that from you¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± He promised, as he ripped his axe from the Creep¡¯s corpse. ¡°But I¡¯ve got to get moving if I want to help my Ma.¡± ¡°I know¡­ I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can.¡± Miss Edna told him once more as she hung up. His smile twitched ever so briefly¡­ Tucking his phone in his pocket with a smile on his face, he took a deep breath as he gazed up at the full moon shining down on him, while faintly recalling that this particular full moon was known as the ¡®Hunter¡¯s Moon¡¯ due to being in October. His entire face twitched and spasmed¡­ (Fitting.) He thought with some amusement as he continued to stare at it. His hand struck his head repeatedly¡­ He nodded to himself. A scream ripping from his snarling maw¡­ And he gave into his insanity completely and utterly. Halloween Horror (Pt. 7): Southside of the Haunt Halloween Horror (Pt. 7): Southside of the Haunt A young woman walked through the alleyways, something that she knew was dangerous at this time of night, let alone on Halloween of all nights, but if she wanted to make it in time she needed to take the risk. Something clattered behind her. She paused before reaching into her jacket as she turned towards the noise, her eyes looking over the darkness behind her for any sign of movement. After a moment without any she let out a breath and continued on her way to her destination, wishing that there was an option for her beyond venturing through the city¡¯s dark alleys. The clatter came from above her this time. Ever so slowly she glanced upwards and spotted a shadow perched upon the brickwork of the wall. Within this shadow she saw two eyes glinting faintly as they stared down at her, as well as a maw full of fangs slowly opening to release a growl from the beasts throat. She took a step back and the beast moved, kicking off the wall as it lunged for her only to be tackled by a mass that had been hiding in the shadows. More specifically within her own shadow. --- Valentina --- The Scarecrow tore the Creep apart as she watched on with boredom, completely uncaring for the blood being splattered against the wall by the violent display of the Demon ripping the beast limb from limb. (Fuck, I hate playing bait¡­) She sighed, wishing that she wasn¡¯t the only member of her team capable of performing a counter ambush as she uncaringly watched the Scarecrow rip the creep apart in a display of gratuitous blood and gore. ¡°You know there¡¯s no one watching to be scared of you right?¡± She felt the need to point out to the Nightmare Demon. ¡°It¡¯S mORe¡­ hAbIT thaN¡­ aNYthIng¡­¡± The Scarecrow admitted, blood dripping from its maw as it turned to face her, a shadow of what it could be if she let the Demon possess her. She gave her (pet) an unimpressed look. The fanged bird skull seemed to grin as the shadows whispered, ¡°Can¡¯t blame me for trying.¡± ¡°I can, and I will.¡± She argued. ¡°Especially when you use that stupid accent of yours to distract me.¡± ¡°Hey, English was not made for my vocal chords.¡± The Scarecrow told her in mock offense as she walked past. ¡°Maybe but your vocal chords were made for every language. So your accent is just laziness on your part.¡± She pointedly told him in Spanish, as she waded through the puddle of blood the demon had left around his prey and took a quick photo with her phone, refusing to let those Sanctuary cabr¨®ns cheat her. ¡°Is your accent laziness?¡± The demon retorted as it sunk back into her shadow. ¡°The difference is my accent doesn¡¯t mangle what I¡¯m saying.¡± She answered, before reverting to English. ¡°And I¡¯m not faking my accent because I think it¡¯s sca-wy sca-wy.¡± ¡°Tal vez, pero tu ingl¨¦s est¨¢ afectando tu acento espa?ol.¡± The Scarecrow countered in an attempt to offend her. ¡°Really how does it affect this?¡± She wondered innocently. ¡°Ch¨ªngate.¡± ¡°You¡¯re putting too much emphasis on the diacritic to overcompensate.¡± The (asshole) Demon answered a smirk to its tone despite a distinct lack of lips. She rolled her eyes as she opened an app on her phone and continued through the city streets, completely unbothered by the fact that she was a lone girl walking through the streets at night. (Well, I am more dangerous than any ¡®threat¡¯ this city could spit out¡­) Going through the Hunter¡¯s App, she took a look at the map marking where the various teams had spread out as well as any Creeps they¡¯d taken out. ¡°Any thoughts?¡± She asked the Scarecrow as she held up her milagro to the phone, letting the artifact¡¯s bird skull look at the screen. ¡°We¡¯re close to the darkest hour¡­¡± The Demon pointed out in reference to the time. ¡°We¡¯re also nearing the seal¡­¡± She glanced down at the skull. ¡°Going to tell me where it is?¡± Sanctuary didn¡¯t give them the exact location, instead assigning each team a location to form a rough perimeter, while the actual seal was guarded by them. Of course given how the Scarecrow fed on fear much like the Demon the seal was keeping in check, her partner could find the seal location with even greater ease than he could track down the thing¡¯s Creep minions. (Not that he¡¯ll tell me where it is.) ¡°Not yet¡­ If the perimeter closes by another half I¡¯ll point you at it.¡± The Scarecrow assured her. ¡°But you do remember why we can¡¯t go near it?¡± ¡°Yeah, if you get too close the thing could use you as a battery to crack the seal.¡± She nodded, remembering the Haunt that led to them being Contracted together. ¡°Though I don¡¯t get why you don¡¯t just do the reverse.¡± ¡°Not how the seal works.¡± The Demon reminded her. ¡°Which I would know if we ever got to the seal part of our lessons.¡± She reminded him before looking down a dark alley. ¡°This one?¡± ¡°Mm¡­ No¡­ Not this one, but something is close.¡± The Scarecrow warned her as she moved on. ¡°And my seals are based on Necromancy so¡­ you need to learn that first.¡± ¡°And I could figure it out if you used a more¡­ human perspective to teach it.¡± She told the centuries old Demon. The (overdramatic) Scarecrow gagged. ¡°Blugh, I may befriend my food before eating it but I¡¯m not going to become food myself.¡± ¡°See that¡¯s what I me-¡± She froze, feeling something ripple in the air around her. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°...Something dark, angry, and Mad¡­¡± The Scarecrow answered after a moment, an audible frown to his voice. ¡°Let¡¯s not follow it.¡± ¡°What scared?¡± She taunted, knowing any insinuation of the kind could set the Demon off. ¡°Less scared, more smart enough to avoid sharing hunting grounds with a rabid beast.¡± The Scarecrow assured her, not rising to her bait even as she ignored his previous warning and continued towards where the shifting in the air was coming from. ¡°There¡¯s easier prey this night than something already being hunted.¡± ¡°Every Creep in the city is being hunted, especially the ones coming down on this neighborhood.¡± She reminded the Demon, growing ever more curious about whatever he was trying to keep her away from. (It¡¯s a fault, I know.) ¡°By you human ¡®hunters¡¯.¡± The Scarecrow scoffed with an amused huff. ¡°But this, this is a real predator, and you shouldn¡¯t get between it and its prey.¡± She rounded a corner. ¡°And why no- Oh¡­¡± She swallowed looking over a handful of Creep corpses that looked like they¡¯d been torn apart by a beast just as savage if not more so than the Scarecrow. Their limbs tossed around, chunks torn out of them by something with teeth, and blood splattered against the wall, all inviting an image straight out of a horror movie. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s a pretty good example of why.¡± --- Audrey --- ¡°Damn it.¡± She cursed looking over her phone as she compared her team¡¯s number with the Creep projections, as well as the number of Creeps the various teams had already taken out. (At this rate we¡¯re not going to make the quota¡­) It wouldn¡¯t necessarily be the end of the world, but given how she was already planning on throwing her cut of the profits into an emergency expense fund to keep them active. Whatsmore -whether or not she knew it- Val couldn¡¯t actually afford to give up her cut like she¡¯d previously offered given how the other girl had underestimated just how much money she was going to need to get her mom and sister a decent house in a safer neighborhood. (Honestly, the only one of us who could afford it would be Artemis, but if she did that then she¡¯d be admitting to her parents that this Hunter thing won¡¯t work out.) And while she might be the default leader of their crew, she knew Artemis was the brains just as much as Val and the Scarecrow were the muscle, and they couldn¡¯t afford to lose her. (Especially when Arty is nowhere near as confident as she pretends¡­) She ran a hand down her face before taking a photo of the (finally) dead Creep wrapped in Stranglethorn Vines and submitting it, because while she knew no one would argue their kills -A perk of previously befriending a member of every Hunter team and gang involved in the Haunt.- she knew it could still put a delay on their payments from Sanctuary. (Which we can¡¯t afford if we want everything squared away.) If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. A call from Val interrupted her musings, just as she spotted a Creep leaping across a roof a few buildings away. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± She answered, starting after the Creep. ¡°Yeah, uh, weird question¡­ You sense anything, uh¡­ weird in the air?¡± The other teen asked her. ¡°Are you talking about the waves of Madness the Haunt Demon is throwing out?¡± Because she¡¯d been feeling those for a while, and was honestly just trying to ignore them. (Though the fact that I¡¯m worrying so much about our finances means it¡¯s still doing something to me¡­ Damn it.) ¡°Um¡­¡± Val paused, likely listening to the Demon not trying to kill all of them. (As far as I know.) ¡°Probably related to Madness but probably not the Haunt.¡± That sounded like something to be concerned with but, ¡°You sure it¡¯s not just the Gamer¡¯s Guild throwing something around, you know a few of them join the haunt every year.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an idota, this is¡­ darker than them.¡± Val tried to explain. (Okay, more concerning but¡­) ¡°You know Art is our sensor, shouldn¡¯t you be calling her about this?¡± She would happily admit that outside of a forest her sensory abilities were probably the least of their trio. ¡°Yeah, I called her too and she¡¯s definitely sensing something in the area, we were going to meet up to see if it¡¯s a Boss Creep or something lurking around.¡± Val told her as the Creep she was chasing stopped for some reason. ¡°Which if it is¡­¡± ¡°You might need my help.¡± She nodded in understanding as she reached into her jacket. While Boss Creeps weren¡¯t necessarily common when dealing with the kinds of Creeps that left corpses behind, they also weren¡¯t unheard of and a handful popping up with this many Creeps running around wouldn¡¯t be all that surprising. And even if they¡¯d only be ¡®Alpha¡¯ versions of the more common trio of the Haunt¡¯s Creeps, said boss¡¯s had more than likely survived encounters with other Hunters making them smarter than their brethren. ¡°Where did you two want to meet up?¡± She asked, before throwing a seed at the Creep, her magic sending it flying the distance with ease even if it meant the seed would be slower acting than something closer to her. ¡°Since you¡¯re between us we were thinking of that gas station near you, the one across from that burger place?¡± Val answered as the Creep turned towards her with a growl, inaudible at their distance. ¡°Alright, just let me finish this one Creep and I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± She told the Scarecrow¡¯s keeper as the werewolf Creep started towards the building¡¯s edge only to freeze. She frowned, feeling the threads of magic between her and her seeds and knowing that they hadn¡¯t done anywhere near enough damage to even begin slowing the Creep down. ¡°Alright, why aren¡¯t you attacking?¡± A moment later the Creep began to fall, a trail of neon light following it down as the chimera crashed into the pavement, splattering blood all around it with the impact. An effect made all the worse by a figure on the Creep tearing into it with their bare hands, something she was pretty sure was beyond most humans given the typical thickness of the Creep¡¯s hide. Ever so slowly she began reaching out with her magic to grasp the seeds within the Creep¡¯s corpse, intending to redirect them into binding the figure should it prove hostile. (Hopefully this is just someone from those Hack and Slash guys¡­ This looks like it¡¯d fit their theme¡­) The figure froze and she just knew it was aware of her presence. It looked up and her eyes met two glowing red eyes, shadowed beneath the increasingly familiar neon light. A growl rumbled from the figure, one that had to be inside her own head given how it had to be too far away to hear naturally. The figure pulled a familiar axe from the Creep¡¯s corpse and began stalking towards her. (Wait¡­) ¡°Jon?¡± She whispered, causing the figure to still once more. Remembering something Val had told her just a few moments ago, she swallowed down a sudden sense of apprehension before slowly pushing her magic into the air and trying to sens- (The bloody Huntsman slaughters its prey to Defend the innocent from the darkness and cast the world in the Moon¡¯s maddening light¡­) ¡°F-fuck!¡± She cursed, hunching over as an ice pick drove itself through her temple. She¡¯d felt Madness before, any magic user living near a Wonderlander had, but that, that had been something entirely different from anything she¡¯d ever felt from the gamer guild¡¯s GM. Feeling a dampness on her lip, she wiped away what she knew had to be a blood only to pause when it seemed to glint black beneath the moonlight. Swiping at her eyes she readjusted her glasses, before double checking and finding her blood to be a surprisingly comforting crimson color. ¡°Just, just in my head¡­¡± She told herself, that sense of dread feeling so much worse. Glancing up she found the figure (you know it¡¯s Jon) had disappeared. ¡°Oh, that can¡¯t be good¡­¡± --- Artemis --- ¡°Where is she?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but frown impatiently. ¡°She said she had to deal with another Creep, and you know she¡¯s the slowest fighter between us.¡± Alejo reminded her once more before calmly sipping at the drink she¡¯d gotten from within the corner store that for some reason had remained open during the demonic invasion. Not that most people knew one was going on. (But still, whatever they¡¯re paying that guy is not enough.) ¡°Yeah, but this is still pushing it given how she was closer to this place than either of us.¡± She sighed, feeling another ripple of something malicious through the air. ¡°Then again, it might just be that Demon screwing with my head.¡± ¡°How bad is that getting?¡± Val asked her curiously, since the Scarecrow rendered her more or less immune to [Fear] effects. (Actually, I think she might just outright eat [Fear] like some kind of incarnate now¡­) ¡°It¡¯s getting stronger as we get closer to the dead of night.¡± She admitted, rubbing her arms as she felt a chill that she knew was solely in her head. ¡°Hopefully, once that passes things will start to lighten up a bit.¡± ¡°Want me to see if I can do something to help?¡± Val offered, a bit of her buried compassion leaking through after a night spent slaughtering Creeps had cooled her ever present temper. ¡°Might be able to wiggle a weak blessing or something out of the old crow.¡± ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯d rather not give him any hooks if I can help it.¡± She told the Demon¡¯s Mortal Keeper. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Val shrugged, before letting her eyes drift up. ¡°Is it me or is the moon looking a little bright tonight?¡± Artemis looked up to her namesake¡¯s domain, and found that, ¡°Yeah, it is looking a bit brighter than normal. Probably just reacting to the Anima we¡¯re all outputting, moonlight is a lot more sensitive to that kind of thing than daylight. It has to do with the conceptual shift between the two and how the moon is usually more actively related to magic than the sun is, though the sun does have its own influence on more physical magics or magics with a more ¡®positive¡¯ metaphorical charge.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Val nodded, clearly interested if more in the effects themselves than the technical theory behind it. (She¡¯s always been on the art over science side of the argument.) They both stayed there staring at the moon in a moment of silence, one she¡¯d normally find almost romantic. A romance she¡¯d be tempted to act on if not for- Another nonexistent chill ran down her spine, as paranoia and fear whispered within her mind. -(That¡­) She sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t look so down to see me, otherwise I might feel offended.¡± A familiarly snarky voice called out. ¡°About time you got here.¡± She shot back, letting her impatience bleed through. ¡°Yeah, sorry, got held up by something.¡± Audrey confessed, with a swipe of her nose. ¡°Anything we need to deal with?¡± Val asked, shifting the bag containing her bat. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Audrey frowned, glancing over her shoulder. ¡°That said, I think I figured out what it was you guys were sensing¡­¡± Val¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You ran into the Boss Creep?¡± She didn¡¯t bother pointing out that they were sensing something Madness based, and that these Creeps were more magically oriented, meaning whatever they were sensing wasn¡¯t a Boss Creep. (But that would be beside the point when we have a threat on that level prowling about.) ¡°It¡¯s not a Boss Creep, but it is something we might want to keep an eye on.¡± Audrey admitted. ¡°But first, and more importantly, what¡¯s our total kill count so far?¡± ¡°Me and the crow are up to four-¡± Val¡¯s head twitched and she smiled. ¡°Make that fifteen.¡± (Was wondering why the shadows were so still.) The Scarecrow loved to move the shadows around its Keeper, if only to creep and intimidate anyone who could see them. (Though knowing she¡¯s let its leash go that far isn¡¯t exactly comforting¡­) ¡°I¡¯m only up to six.¡± She admitted after a moment, exchanging one discomfort for another because even with the number of Creeps on the street she was not built for heavy combat. ¡°I can only really put down the strays that break from the pack or the occasional flier.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve got eight.¡± Audrey nodded, her count higher due to being able to pin Creeps with her Stranglethorns. ¡°All in all, that¡¯s twenty nine, which with what we¡¯ve claimed over the last few weeks we¡¯re at eighty-seven with-¡± The other teen checked her phone. ¡°-five and a half hours until dawn.¡± She grimaced, as she spotted Guy stepping onto the street, shotgun in hand. ¡°Thirteen kills shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡± (If we ignore all of the competition and the fact that the Creeps will start their escape in two hours¡­) The sunrise was probably the one thing they were scared of. Audrey shook her head with a sigh. ¡°No, my magic is starting to run low. I''ve got maybe an hour before I have to tap out. What about you two?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at about half capacity.¡± She shrugged, sparking a pink fireball in her hand to ward off another chill. Of the three of them she was the most efficient with her casting style, even taking into account the fact that Val¡¯s Scriptcraft had the lowest magic cost overall. (Though that does depend on if¡­) ¡°There¡¯s enough miedo in the air that the Scarecrow is staying topped off, but that¡¯ll start baj¨® as people start crashing for the night.¡± Val admitted, slipping a bit as she realized what they all had. ¡°But I¡¯ve probably got another hora or two before I have to reel him in. Might be able to cover more ground¡­ get more muertes¡­¡± Audrey leaned back a bit before shifting when she realized there was nothing behind her, and running a hand down her face. ¡°Actually I¡­ might have a way to cash in more kills than that, if we¡¯re willing to wait for verification¡­¡± ¡°Taking photos doesn¡¯t take up that much time.¡± She pointed out with more venom than she¡¯d intended. ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Audrey pulled out her phone. ¡°Val how many Creep corpses do you think you saw from that thing you were worried about?¡± Val blinked. ¡°Uh, three or four¡­ They were a bit too chopped up to count¡­¡± ¡°You want to take credit for that thing¡¯s kills?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but frown as she crossed her arms. ¡°You know that kind of thing can bite us hard -like losing your license hard- and besides none of us can pass those as our kills.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true¡­¡± Audrey grimaced, realizing how bad of an idea this was. ¡°So we¡¯re going to say el espantap¨¢jaros killed them?¡± Val figured, willing to cut more corners than Artemis on this kind of thing. Audrey seemed to grimace even harder, before taking a deep breath and explaining that, ¡°Well, he wasn¡¯t the one to kill them, and the one who did is on our team¡­ technically.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked, getting a bad feeling that had nothing with the Demon of the Haunt. Halloween Horror (Pt. 8): An Interlude to the Horror Halloween Horror (Pt. 8): An Interlude to the Horror --- Valentina --- Operating separately from the Scarecrow was a bit of an experience, one she usually tended to avoid given how hard it was to focus when there was some part of her at the back of her mind repeatedly nudging her to pay attention to what the Demon was doing. Normally this wouldn¡¯t be so bad as the Demon tended to enter a sort of half-asleep hibernation when she told him to stay somewhere or protect something, only waking up when whatever part of its inhuman mind decided that it actually needed to think and act rather than simply laying in wait like a predator. Unfortunately, due to the fact that they were splitting their attention in two directions tracking down the Whitaker kid, she¡¯d let the Scarecrow rampage as long as it focused solely on Creeps rather than any stray the Demon came across. Something that almost hadn¡¯t been enough to keep some of the other Hunters from attacking the Demon, but luckily the few to have spotted him seemed to recognize the Scarecrow as her Demon. (Knew picking that fight was the right call¡­) (The Scarecrow pinned the struggling Creep to the ground, savoring its desperation for escape despite the fact that the creature felt even less fear than most animals. After a moment, the Demon opened its mouth wide enough for its jaw to crack before biting into the Creep and filling its mouth with a delightfully bittersweet sort of rusted copper.) She shook her head, befores pulling her mind away from her pet Demon and turning her attention back to Artemis, Audrey, and the world around her. Her eyes briefly took note of the magenta sphere in one of Artemis¡¯s hands as the duende stood in the middle of their little circle and the green glow of Audrey¡¯s eyes and hands as she led them towards Jon. A quick glance around made sure there was nothing stalking them in spite of Artemis¡¯s spell she rolled her shoulders feeling more than a little bored as the occasional Creep Corpse did little for her beyond making her itch for another fight with Whitaker, as his body count began to rival her own even with the Scarecrow still adding to hers. Deciding to try and combat her boredom she walked up to Artemis and asked her, ¡°How¡¯re you holding up?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be doing better if we were focused on anything other than finding this¡­ thing.¡± Artemis admitted, her hands never wavering as the duende continued to hold her spell engine with one hand and calibrate it with the other in a mildly hypnotic display. ¡°Hmm¡­ What exactly do you see when you look at Whitaker?¡± She wondered, because while she felt something off about the boy from time to time she¡¯d yet to see anything worth as much fear and protest as Artemis was displaying. (She didn¡¯t even have this much of a problem with the Scarecrow¡­ Or she did, but she got over it pretty quickly.) Artemis visibly paused for a moment, even if her fingers didn¡¯t stop moving. ¡°Something¡­ big, dark, and bloody.¡± Artemis eventually answered. ¡°I¡¯ve avoided looking at him with my spell sight since, but I can still remember the way his shadow¡­ looked back at me.¡± She felt a ripple of the other girl¡¯s fear as Artemis shivered, and she found herself once more disliking the idea of Artemis being scared of anyone other than her, before shaking her head clear. ¡°Well, he¡¯s not exactly big or dark but I can definitely see the bloody.¡± She admitted, as they passed another Creep corpse and she took a moment to mark it. (Any idea what it means when a shadow looks back at someone?) She asked the Scarecrow as she also put a pin in the Scarecrow¡¯s latest kill as the Demon found a sign for what street he was on. (¡°A few things¡­ Especially when someone bathes in Madness like this kid apparently does.¡±) The Scarecrow answered. (¡°Usually it means something you don¡¯t want looking at you is looking through them.¡±) (Is he a threat?) She frowned, both at the Demon¡¯s words and Artemis¡¯s still dower mood. (¡°No more than anyone else.¡±) The Scarecrow assured her, a grin to its voice as it tried to stoke something she couldn¡¯t quite feel. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± She told her duende, gripping her shoulder in assurance. ¡°I may not know him well but he seems to like Audrey so I doubt he¡¯s going to try anything.¡± (And if he does try anything, then I¡¯ll just DeVoUR hIS SOuL.) --- Artemis --- She appreciated what Val was trying to say, but given what she could pick up in the air alongside what she¡¯d seen hiding behind Whitaker¡¯s ¡®Nice guy¡¯ persona, she was pretty sure he was as much a beast as he was a man. And like a wild animal she wasn¡¯t in any hurry to get close to him, knowing that he could easily bite her if feeling threatened in any way. The numerous dead Creep¡¯s they¡¯d found did little to reassure that that bite wouldn¡¯t be fatal. So if left to her she¡¯d simply avoid the other teen and hope for the best. Or at least that would be the plan if her glorious leader hadn¡¯t developed this odd obsession with dragging the dangerous boy into their midsts. In the end though she was coming to the conclusion that she¡¯d just have to accept that despite feeling something was wrong with him, both of her companions were content to believe that this was an exception to his behavior and not the truth beneath his mask. (Maybe I should ask Miss Edme what she thinks?) While she¡¯d technically graduated her apprenticeship program as far as the Arcane Association was concerned, the older woman was still her mentor and told her to come by anytime she had an interesting problem. (And this whole mess is one definition of ¡®interesting¡¯...) She had to admit bitterly before deciding that if she wasn¡¯t going to be able to escape the dangerous teen, then she should try to think things through with her mentor¡¯s method by pondering the problem from a more scientific station as she maintained her projected spell. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. (Okay, so what is the phenomenon involving him?) She asked herself before answering. (He¡¯s clearly dangerous, but everyone ignores it. That can¡¯t be natural. Now what could the cause be?) She thought for a moment before remembering something she only noticed tonight. (He reeks of Madness¡­ that stuff is known to mess with the observer¡¯s head, so that could be making him appear docile to everyone else. Perception filters are well within that energy¡¯s domain, and they¡¯re nothing like the invisibility spell I¡¯ve got going given how they don¡¯t simply bend light but outright twist your thoughts around.) She¡¯d read some theories on the subject and a place called Blackwell that Miss Edme had left out on her desk during one of their study sessions before taking care of something at the Witch¡¯s Wares. Of course those weren¡¯t the documents she was supposed to be reading and they were also mildly classified but she was a curious cat and (they were just sitting there out in the open. What was I supposed to do to ignore them? Bleh, everyone knows curiosity is the key to magical knowledge. And Miss Edme¡¯s the one who taught me that so she¡¯d completely understand!) It was part of the reason she found Val¡¯s mind so interesting since the girl never shied away from learning something, no matter how morbid, dangerous, or complex. Whatsmore it all seemed to be a natural part of her personality rather than a learned trait like her own curiosity was. She shook her head, realizing she was letting her thoughts drift. (Right, so to summarize, Whitaker is dangerous, and people don¡¯t realize it due to a Madness based perception filter.) That fit what she knew, and would be a decent theory for the time being if it didn¡¯t leave one painfully obvious question in, (why aren¡¯t I affected by the perception filter?) From what she¡¯d read only people who were regularly exposed to Madness could build up a resistance to it at the price of having certain aspects of their personality underlined and emboldened, while also lowering their inhibitions in regards to those given personality traits. But that didn¡¯t really fit her situation given how she¡¯d never been exposed to Madness outside of the Halloween Haunt and she knew that none of the Hunters at the meeting had given him a second look despite some of them being far more experienced with the event than her. (Meaning it has to be something else¡­) She reviewed her interactions with Whitaker, and while most of them had been from an observer¡¯s role, this just meant that she¡¯d also witnessed other people¡¯s interactions with him. (Or at least the interactions from after I saw him in the hall! That¡¯s it!) (Madness is influenced by the observer, and I observed him before everyone else. An observation that he noticed, and likely responded to by raising his perception filter. Only because I¡¯d already seen beneath it, he can¡¯t force me to see him as anything but his true self!) She realized as everything came together. (Gah, I¡¯m glad I figured that out.) She grinned to herself in relief. (That whole problem was just¡­ Maddening.) She giggled. --- Audrey --- (This would be so much faster if I wasn¡¯t the only one looking for Jon¡­) She grimaced, knowing that her sensory abilities were the most sub-par, but that she¡¯d have no luck convincing Arty to help her actually find him and that they needed the Scarecrow picking off Creeps just in case this mess wasn¡¯t enough to help them. ¡°How much further is he?¡± Said Demon¡¯s Keeper asked from behind her. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be too much further, it feels like they¡¯re keeping to a small area right now.¡± She answered, only half bullshitting the impatient Huntress about what she was picking up. Normally any tracking she tried to do would be a complete and utter failure, but luckily even to her lesser sensory abilities Jon¡¯s little bundle of nature magic was practically a signal flare blazing in the dark whenever she reached out with her nature magic. Meaning that she could theoretically track the two in the city so long as she had magic, making this a slow but steady pursuit. Of course that did absolutely nothing to change the fact that when she said ¡®keeping to a small area¡¯ she actually meant, ¡®probably fighting at the moment¡¯ and that they¡¯d probably get moving again the moment they killed whatever had caught their attention. (As he has several times now¡­) She was starting to wonder where he was getting all of this stamina from, because short of Val -(who is contracted to a Demon)- she couldn¡¯t think of anyone who could get into as many melee fights as Jon was in such a short time without needing at least a small break. (Wonder how he¡¯s cheating? Probably has to do with that fairy of his¡¯s healing magic.) She figured, once more considering getting a fairy of her own despite not really caring much for the whole ¡®Summoner¡¯ thing. Typically that branch of magic came in three flavors: ¡®Something clearly shady¡¯ as with Val and the Scarecrow. Codependent ¡®sad magical cat lady¡¯ as seen with Arty¡¯s mentor Edme De La Croix. Or the arguably worse ¡®useless in a fight without them¡¯ Noah trying to mimic his grandmother. And given how she had no intention of being taken advantage of, relying on, or giving up her independence to another creature she¡¯d shied away from the topic, but between her healing and whatever it was doing to his stamina Jon¡¯s fairy Pix was making a very solid argument for¡­ (employing) one of her species. She blinked as she realized that Jon had finished fighting, and really was standing still rather than seeking out another fight somewhere else. (Huh, guess he finally ran out of stamina.) She grinned, noting how he seemed to be just down the street from them. (Great, don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve kept the girls from splitting for much longer.) Picking up the pace a bit before he could catch his second wind, she told the girls, ¡°Alright, he should be just around this¡­¡± Her words trailed off as she took in the sight before her and froze. In front of them was a small makeshift Sanctuary base with several metal barriers deployed all about and illuminated by deployable lights and the screens of several bulky electronic machines surrounding an old statue she could remember passing several times over the years. On a night like this it wouldn¡¯t be anything too surprising if not for the fact that the barriers were torn apart, half the lights had been knocked over and broken, and numerous corpses both human and non littered the ground alongside discarded weapons and splashes of crimson red. Thankfully, none of the Creep corpses appeared to be moving, all of them having already been ripped apart and hacked into little pieces by a predator far more dangerous than any of them. As demonstrated by one Jon fucking Whitaker standing in the middle of all of this carnage, perhaps bloodied and bruised, but still standing while all of the monsters had stayed down. Under normal circumstances she might¡¯ve found the sight mildly reassuring, knowing that the monsters had been taken care of, the person she was looking for had been found, and her associate was still breathing. And she did, right up until she saw what he was glaring at. A space above the statue where a bleeding hole was slowly being torn into reality by ten massive, desiccated fingers. Halloween Horror (Pt. 9): A Horrifying Beginning to the End Halloween Horror (Pt. 9): A Horrifying Beginning to the End --- Audrey --- ¡°Right, okay this is officially above our paygrade.¡± She admitted, as a wave of something dark rippled over them, something that she could feel (crawling over my mind!) She took a deep breath before letting it out in a much shakier one as she forced herself to push through whatever that was. A feat she could only pull off after being around Val and the Scarecrow for so long. ¡°We need to get everyone here now.¡± She told the others as she pulled out her phone. ¡°Fuck the Creeps, this is the thing that¡¯s going to kill everyone.¡± ¡°Crowds are a bad idea with fear eaters.¡± Val reminded her before the other girl¡¯s head twitched. ¡°Espantap¨¢jaros, says to only call in the big guns. Sanctuary¡¯s grunts would just be lambs to the slaughter for this thing. Best to limit it to a handful of people.¡± ¡°Fantastic.¡± She nodded, feeling another ripple of something trying to get into her head. (Not that a handful of people will be enough to deal with this thing!) She screwed her eyes shut and forced that intrusive thought away. ¡°Fuck, this thing is getting into my head¡­¡± ¡°The seal shouldn¡¯t be giving like this¡­¡± Artemis frowned, somehow keeping it more together than her. (Probably her phobia philia bullshit.) ¡°There should be all kinds of¡­ signs or something, that it was going to give like this.¡± ¡°Yeah, well it¡¯s looking like the guys responsible for keeping an eye on that are kind of dead at the moment.¡± She pointed out to the elf as she opened her Hunter¡¯s app and- ¡°Fuck! My signal ¡®s too weak to open the Hunter¡¯s app.¡± Val pulled out her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll try mine, see if you¡¯ve got enough signal to call anyone.¡± ¡°R-right.¡± She nodded, closing the app and moving to her contacts. ¡°I meant, there should¡¯ve been signs before tonight.¡± Artemis continued with some frustration. ¡°Signs Miss Edme would¡¯ve seen and warned everyone about.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she disappeared a few weeks back?¡± Val asked, before scowling. ¡°My signal¡¯s shot too.¡± ¡°And mine is just giving off static.¡± She added, hanging her phone up. ¡°She told me that someone managed to kill something similar to the Horror, but that she needed to get details from the local magic users to see if something similar could apply here.¡± Artemis answered, pulling out her own phone and putting it next to her ear. ¡°Static here too, the Bleed must be messing with the cell signals.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± She cursed, running a hand through her hair as she remembered that, yes, (of course, the tears in reality mess with EM signals. How could I forget something so basic?) ¡°Any idea how far that would stretch?¡± ¡°Depends on the Bleed and what crawls out of it.¡± Artemis shrugged, looking at the Bleed that was now large enough to reveal a bloodshot eye the size of a car tire looked all about. ¡°The stronger the creature the further it stretches, so with the Horror it could be miles. Whatsmore until the Bleed closes the signal won¡¯t clear up at all, though it¡¯ll probably right itself within minutes once it does close.¡± ¡°Fan-fucking-tastic.¡± She laughed bitterly as the creeping inside of her mind grew worse every time the horror looked their way. ¡°Meaning we¡¯re on our own until someone realizes this thing is here.¡± ¡°Which will take a while since this thing is giving off Madness, and the only people I know sensitive to that stuff are the Gamer¡¯s Guild and maybe us if we count the Scarecrow.¡± Artemis continued to give her good news. ¡°And the Gamer¡¯s Guild is spread out and weaseled into every other Halloween Party in the city in case the Creeps are attracted.¡± She remembered. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t count on the Scarecrow either.¡± Val admitted with her own wonderful news. ¡°He flat out told me joining in this fight is just going to weaken the seal more. Something about them both being [Fear] Demons means that they can sort of feed off of each other but¡­ because I¡¯m contracted to him and the Horror is half-starved it¡¯ll help the Horror more than us.¡± ¡°Great¡­¡± She nodded, her face screwed up in frustration as she fended off the thing trying to latch onto her mind. ¡°Anyone else got any ideas because looking at that thing we¡¯ve only got a few minutes before that thing rips that Bleed wide open.¡± Artemis looked at the Horror¡¯s bleed and bit her lip for a moment. ¡°I can try to take a look at the Horror¡¯s seal. Miss Edme just taught me the basics but maybe I can figure out a way to strengthen the seal, or at least figure out why it¡¯s not working.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a bunch of Spell Scripts I haven¡¯t used since el espantap¨¢jaros ¡®s been a greedy fucker.¡± Val threw out, showing off a couple of her scripts. ¡°We might be able to lay enough out that they at least slow the Horror down when the seal finally cracks. I mean we¡¯ve no idea how strong this thing is just that it feeds on miedo.¡± ¡°Right, then I¡¯ll help you spread those out.¡± She nodded, before turning back to Artemis. ¡°You look at the seal and try to figure¡­ anything out.¡± --- Artemis --- That turned out to be significantly harder than she thought it would be, for several reasons. First was the fact that in order to check the seal she had to get close enough for her Spell Sight to discern the magic¡¯s actual coding, something she¡¯d be reluctant to do if it was just the Horror she had to be worried about. The fact that Whitaker was just standing there staring at the Horror, just waiting for the beast to escape rather than trying to do anything to stop it, did little to help her nerves. But once she¡¯d worked up the nerve to actually get close enough to inspect the seal, she realized that whatever was going on with Whitaker he really was going to just stand there and wait on the Horror to escape. Which while unnerving, did nothing to actually impede her attempts to inspect the seal. In fact in all likelihood she wouldn¡¯t have accidentally stepped inside of the second invisible barrier preventing people from looking at the seal if not for her desire to be as far as possible from the unhinged teen while searching for the seal. No, what had actually impeded her was the fear that if she prodded something she wasn¡¯t supposed to the Bleed would rip open while she was directly under it, because apparently the seal¡¯s matrix had been enchanted into the statue of one of the city¡¯s founders. A founder that had apparently died on Halloween the year before the town was originally founded. (Really hoping we aren¡¯t going to have to sacrifice someone¡¯s soul for this.) There was a reason Miss Edme didn¡¯t want her messing with the dark arts and that was that as powerful as they were, they were dangerous. Still, even if her mentor hadn¡¯t wanted her studying Demonology, Necromancy, or any part of the more Occult side of Magic, that didn¡¯t mean her second mother figure hadn¡¯t taught her about the seal itself. Given how it was her mentor¡¯s main long term project to observe, monitor, and maintain the pre-association seal it was almost inevitable even through sheer osmosis over the years. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. From what she could piece together the seal was linked to a series of imaginary arrays designed to create and maintain a pocket dimension using the ambient magic generated by people living within the city. This ¡®void prison¡¯ would then be bubbled by the seal¡¯s secondary function, preventing the Horror from eating fear and growing in power to escape via a Bleed. (A function that¡¯s clearly been damaged.) She noted at the sight of a set of marks on the statue that had a spell signature clearly resembling the Creeps that appeared every year. (But that can¡¯t be the whole thing if the seal ¡®s been weakening for years¡­) She frowned, looking the statue over once more and really wishing that half of the original spell engine¡¯s detail work wasn¡¯t inside of the statue. Given how most of what she was able to decipher was the more modern improvement made to the seal after the Arcane Association had been founded than the actual pre-association foundation of seal. The only original parts of the extremely complicated spell engine that she could make out were the stealth ward built into the base and a complicated sequencing around the entire seal that she roughly deciphered as ¡®divide by three while mirrored in three so the one doesn¡¯t form in between¡¯. ¡°Okay, so the mirrored in three is clearly a reference to the fact that there are three seals in place, but what does it mean ¡®divide by three so the one doesn¡¯t form in between¡¯ it can¡¯t be the workload because the one is a worse thing.¡± She broke down. ¡°Does it mean the Demon? If the seals break the Demon forms in between them? Plausible but the Horror is fully forming here so the three and one can¡¯t mean that¡­ Maybe the Demon¡¯s power? But that doesn¡¯t fit right¡­¡± She ran a hand through her hair before going over what she could see once more, ¡°No wait, wait, there¡¯s a metaphysicality in this writing and all Demons are a metaphysical representation of their concept meaning their power is their form. So yes the Demon has to be the one and the divided three, but that still doesn¡¯t explain why it''s forming here when each of the seals should have a third of the Demon¡¯s power sealed. Especially since with the redundancies both clearly new and old, you should be able to demolish this statue and the other two would still hold if with more strain and thus more Creeps drawn to them.¡± No matter how she looked at it, the Horror should not be able to form unless all three statues were damaged at once. And given how the other cities had (what, a third) as many Creeps to deal with than theirs were three times as secure this year, meaning they had to still be standing. ¡°Shit, what am I missing?¡± She groaned, stepping back from the statue and letting her Spell Sight drop. ¡°I don¡¯t know nearly enough about Demons or this Seal to figure this out¡­¡± A bit of movement to her side drew her attention to Val. Val who frequently referred to the Scarecrow as her pet. Her pet Demon. ¡°And what better to ask about a Demon¡­¡± She murmured. --- Val --- (¡°Oh, those absolute fucking idiots!¡±) The Scarecrow cursed after listening to Artemis¡¯s explanation, before going on to insult said idiot¡¯s entire bloodline, existence, religion, culture, and everything else in a fit of rage she couldn¡¯t recall seeing from the fear Demon. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not a good sign.¡± She blinked. ¡°What isn¡¯t?¡± Audrey frowned, having wandered over upon noticing her and Artemis talking. ¡°Uh, give me a sec¡­ Big guy, mind explaining the problema?¡± She asked, trying to get the Demon back on track. (¡°They split a Demon¡¯s power in three!¡±) The Scarecrow told her. ¡°Yeah, and that weakened the Demon.¡± She nodded, speaking aloud so she wouldn¡¯t have to repeat too much of the physically absent Scarecrow¡¯s words. (¡°Before leaving the parts alone for OVER A CENTURY rather than simply kIlLiNG tHe pIEceS!¡±) The Demon hissed. ¡°Don¡¯t think they had the power to kill them.¡± She pointed out. ¡°You guys are notoriously hard to kill.¡± (¡°And do you know why?¡±) The Scarecrow asked with a sweetness that did not fit the fear Demon at all. ¡°Because you guys are powered by whatever Concept you have and can exist as long as that Concept is present?¡± She answered a little unsurely. (¡°Correct. As long as our Concept is present we can rEgENerATE!!!¡±) The Scarecrow screamed loud enough to make her flinch. ¡°Yeah, I know that.¡± She nodded, before adding that, ¡°Demons regenerate from their concepts.¡± for the girls. (¡°Mm-hmm¡­¡±) She gave the girls a curious look to see if either of them got it, but they both looked just as confused as she did. (¡°Think about starfish.¡±) The Scarecrow suggested, again with false sweetness. ¡°Starfish?¡± She repeated with a frown. Both Artemis and Audrey blinked, though Artemis seemed to be thinking about it harder. (¡°And worms.¡±) The (asshole) Demon tried again, rather than (just giving me the answer.) (It¡¯s part of our rapport.) ¡°And worms¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°Starfish and worms¡­¡± Artemis¡¯s face scrunched up in thought before her eyes went wide as she looked at the Horror that was slowly leveraging the Bleed open enough for one of its forearms. ¡°Oh shit.¡± (¡°Ah, that one got it.¡±) The Scarecrow laughed. (¡°Glad to see your tastes include brains¡­ Admittedly different from my taste in brains but the point stands.¡±) ¡°Uh, Arty, care to share with the class?¡± Audrey prodded. ¡°Starfish and worms can reproduce via fission.¡± Artemis explained with a pained and panicking expression. ¡°Reproduce via¡­ fission¡­¡± Audrey repeated her eyes slowly widening as she turned towards the Horror. ¡°Fuck.¡± ¡°Yeah, that uh, that makes things more complicated.¡± She admitted. (¡°Yes, it does.¡±) The Scarecrow admitted bitterly. (¡°Thanks to you chuckle fuck humans being dumbasses instead of having a single one of these guys running around you¡¯ve now got three trying to break out of their prisons!¡±) ¡°This explains why the seals are getting weaker, they were meant to split the Demon¡¯s power to make it easier to contain. but if each piece has regrown to match the original then no wonder they¡¯re starting to fray. They¡¯re all being pushed to the point where the other two have fallen.¡± Artemis realized. (¡°Correct, what¡¯s more thanks to you idiotic humans this thing won¡¯t just fight me for half of the region¡¯s fear but will try to eat tHReE fOuRthS oF It!¡±) The Demon screeched, more offended by the threat to its food supply than the threat to them. (¡°Oh, that¡¯s the beautiful part, since the three Horrors are all one Demon in three bodies, getting the majority of the fear, he¡¯ll grow in power three times faster than me, until eventually he can EAT ME!!!¡±) ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a problem.¡± She frowned. ¡°What now?¡± Audrey practically whimpered, something she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever heard from the older girl. (¡°It¡¯s the Horror, it¡¯s already starting to feed on her.¡±) The Scarecrow growled. (¡°Fuck it, at this point I need to kill that thing before it comes for me¡­ I¡¯m on my way but I¡¯ll need a minute if I want to keep it from nipping the moment I¡¯m within range.¡±) ¡°Right, okay. So el espantap¨¢jaros has decided we need him if we¡¯re going to fight this thing but that he needs a minute to keep it from taking any of his power the moment he shows up.¡± She summarized, leaving out the part about the Horror being an actual threat to her Demon. (After all, we''re going to kill it before it gets to that point.) (¡°Damn straight.¡±) ¡°Alright, alright, we can work with this.¡± Audrey told them, though she got a distinct impression it was more for the druid¡¯s sake than theirs. ¡°Here¡¯s what we need to do-¡± A ripple of Madness tore through the air, as the world around them screamed in agony and screech like nails on a chalkboard echoed all around them. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Audrey cursed, as they all turned towards the Bleed where in an explosion of red the Horror managed to force the Bleed open just wide enough to force its upper body through. The Halloween Horror possessed a grotesque figure, like a desiccated corpse thin and bony with gray paper thin skin. From each shoulder sprouted two long arms, with two bends along its length, before ending in six fingered hands with four segments upon each. Its face was some twisted twitching chimerical cross between an insect and a human skull. The right side looked the most insect-like with a massive compound eye made from a dozen smaller human eyes, and the left almost human with a single massive bloodshot eye darting all about before locking upon the three of them. A long serpentine tongue darted out from the lips on its left before wrapping around a single mandible on its right and whipping back into its mouth as the Demon smiled with a dozen oversized teeth crammed into far too small of a space. ¡°Sho¡­ HuNgReee¡­¡± The Horror told them as it reached out with a hand large enough to snatch all three of them at once. A hand that was stopped as a glowing axe bit into it with an explosion of light that had the Horror screaming as it pulled its hand back. The three of them blinked before turning to the side where Jon was walking forward with a dark look and eyes that seemed to glow red as his axe returned to his hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to be killing you now.¡± The teen informed the Demon with a calmness that no human should have in the face of such a monstrosity. ¡°It is completely personal.¡± Halloween Horror (Pt. 10): The End Grows More Horrifying Halloween Horror (Pt. 10): The End Grows More Horrifying --- Audrey --- ¡°Right.¡± She inhaled before taking a steeling breath as she watched Jon stare down the Horror in a stalemate that she knew wouldn¡¯t last long. ¡°Val, got anymore Spell Scripts?¡± ¡°A few but not many.¡± The Scarecrow¡¯s Keeper nodded before pulling out a small notepad and ripping out a few pages. ¡°If you want more you¡¯re going to have to grab them off the ground.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make them last.¡± She assured the other teen as she accepted the pages, before turning towards Artemis. ¡°How much more time do you need for that seal?¡± The elven teen bit her lip for a moment, before shaking her head. ¡°Now that I know what¡¯s wrong I can filter through what¡¯s needed, what¡¯s redundant, and what I can actually change. So¡­ a few minutes to figure that out and then a few more to actually-¡± A screech tore through the air as the Horror¡¯s arms lashed out clawing through the dirt and leaving massive gashes in the ground as the monstrosity tried and failed to attack the wry figure darting forward before delivering a back spinning slash to the Horror¡¯s wrist. ¡°Shit.¡± She cursed, before starting forward. ¡°Just do what you¡¯ve got to do, but get that seal fixed! Val-¡± ¡°Already on it.¡± The other teen told her rushing the clashing titans with her bat over her shoulder and several scraps of paper in her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t rush in¡­¡± She trailed off with a grimace. ¡°Let¡¯s face it, of the three of us she¡¯s probably the only one who can hold it back in a straight fight.¡± Artemis tried to console her. ¡°A straight fight is an idiot¡¯s fight.¡± She argued with a shake of her head, before taking a look at the Spell Scripts their most aggressive teammate had left her. (Right, so according to her notes I¡¯ve got a¡­ Flashbang script, a Fire Starter script, a couple of Frost Scripts, and one of those Vine Scripts she apparently tapes my Stranglethorn seeds to.) ¡°Okay. I can work with this.¡± She tried to assure herself. Looking up from the scripts she watched as Val stood in front of one of the Horror¡¯s hands -a hand big enough to treat a car like a toy- before smacking it aside with a swing of her bat strong enough to unleash a visible shockwave through the air. A parry that she followed up by quickly throwing several exploding Scripts towards the Demon¡¯s chest, that it only barely seemed to notice. A quick glance towards Jon revealed that the teen had slammed his axe into another hand before using it as leverage to ride closer to the Demon¡¯s face. At which point he leapt off and drove his knife into the Horror and hung in the air as he tried to hack away at the Demon with his axe, only occasionally burning it whenever the axe would flash with a burst of light. ¡°I am nowhere near the level of crazy needed to try any of that.¡± She admitted, feeling absolutely zero shame in the fact she would not rush a Demon. ¡°Let¡¯s uh, let¡¯s figure something else out¡­¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± Artemis cursed from beside her while looking extremely pale. ¡°What?¡± She blinked, wondering what else was going wrong tonight. ¡°The seal is in the statue¡­¡± Artemis reminded her, while weakly pointing at said statue (that is directly below the Halloween Horror.) ¡°Uh, are you going to be able to¡­ work with that?¡± She had to ask, knowing that the only person as outclassed as her in this fight was standing next to her. ¡°If I can get to the statue, I just need to¡­ stay on the opposite side of wherever they¡¯re attacking it from.¡± Artemis assured her, though it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself of that plan than anyone else. ¡°Of course, that means I can¡¯t let it see me sneaking around it. Which is harder than it sounds given the layout of this place.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She agreed, realizing that while they were in a fairly open space the buildings on either side of this little clearing were just close enough that the Horror could probably reach out and touch them while still remaining in the center of everything. Meaning while behind the Horror was probably safe due to the static location of the Bleed, getting past it definitely wasn¡¯t so. She gave the clashing Horror and teens a once over before looking around them and eventually down at the scripts in her hand. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got an idea you head left and wait for my distraction to run past.¡± Artemis gave her nod. ¡°If you get me killed, Val will feed you to the Scarecrow.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but snort at that, because (yeah, that¡¯s probably true.) It was something she definitely needed, especially since at no point since its escape had the Horror, quit trying to wrap its dead fingers around her mind. Shaking her head clear, she ran the direction opposite of Artemis before taking out her flashbang script and the stranglethorn script. Using her Willcraft she forced a few changes upon Val¡¯s spell as she set it off causing the script to fire a single long vine out towards the Horror¡¯s face. A vine with a Flashbang script attached to it. --- Artemis --- With little doubt that the explosion of light and the screaming Horror was Audrey¡¯s distraction, she ran past all of the fighting before sliding into place behind the statue and pressing her back up against it as she got her heart under control. ¡°Okay, just keep calm. Just keep calm.¡± She told herself as she blatantly ignored what everyone else was currently doing. Namely the fact that they were all attacking a massive Demon that stood barely five meters away from her. A screech from above and a series of explosions on the other side of the statue had her very much wishing she¡¯d taken the time to research proxy casting. (Why, why did I say I prefer to get my hands dirty when Miss Edme asked about it? So what if they¡¯re boring and indirect, at least you wouldn¡¯t be trying to cast beneath a Demon¡¯s a-) She slapped her cheeks. ¡°No. Don¡¯t get distracted.¡± She told herself as she forced back the hysteria that she knew was being forced upon her. ¡°You know the problem now. You can solve this.¡± She pushed her senses into the statue and began once more going over everything she could make out. ¡°Okay, so the seal was originally designed to split the Demon¡¯s power in three, but after a hundred years each piece has regrown into a full Horror without anyone realizing it. This means that most of these add-ons are built upon this initial principle of a three point Spell Engine, meaning each modification had to account for every other seal and work in tandem with anything added to those other seals.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. (Right now that I know what I¡¯m looking for, here''s the cleave function just above the network connections in the base of the statue. And while nothing really connects to the cleave function, everything connects to the network function proving where everyone was focused.) ¡°This also means that the reason venting the seals seems to help maintain their power, is because we¡¯re reducing the amount of resources one seal gets freeing more for the other two.¡± She grimaced as she also realized why she couldn¡¯t just slam that vent shut. ¡°If I just drain everything into this seal and slam the gate shut, I¡¯d be risking the other two seals opening without anyone the wiser. Especially since this seal is physically damaged, requiring even more resources than normal to keep it active even in this sputtering state.¡± A quick and risky peek around to the clawed up portion of the statue, allowed her to get a better look at the damaged parts of the Spell Engine. ¡°Yeah, the only reason this hasn¡¯t fallen apart is because so much of the magic is being converted into maintaining the Spell Circuits within the engine. Something it¡¯s probably only able to do because of how old and engrained all of this magic is, though it¡¯ll probably only last a few more years now that there¡¯s a source of decay.¡± She glanced up towards the Bleed where only half of the Horror had been able to escape, because the damaged seal was still trying to do its job and keep the Horror trapped. Even if it only had the efficiency to trap half of it with the resources it had rather than the entire thing. (Alright, so this means my best option is to try to both repair and reinforce the damaged circuit in the hopes of increasing the engine¡¯s overall efficiency and hopefully allowing it to drag the Horror back inside the seal.) She figured as she took a step back from everything, before letting her eyes drift down to the cleave function. (Though there may be an¡­ easier way.) (While the cleave function is responsible for the majority of our current problems, it does provide for the simplest fix to this mess in the fact that it would contain half of this Horror¡¯s power making it easier to deal with. Which should make it fairly easy work once the Scarecrow gets here.) Of course that plan hinged on whether or not the Scarecrow could kill the Horror before the Demon¡¯s competing Domains brought it back to power, at which point there¡¯d be one slightly weaker Horror completely free to do as it pleased. (And it''s even riskier given how there will technically be two Horrors feeding on him, even if one of them is less capable of doing so due to the seal. I mean there had to be a reason the Scarecrow wanted to stay away from this thing while it was still sealed.) Both options were just as likely to work as they were to bite them all in the ass, the only major difference was whether or not the others could hold the Horror back long enough for her to finish repairing the seal, or if they were fast and strong enough to put the Horror down before it could drain the Scarecrow¡¯s power. Just as she came to a decision and began reaching out with her magic, a horrific screech tore through the air, sending a chill down her spine as it became too hard to breathe, and even harder to think as twisting fingers grasped and crawled throughout her mind. --- Valentina --- ¡°Fuck.¡± She cursed, pretty sure that her ears were bleeding as the world spun around her. Just as she was about to reach for one of her more medically inclined Scripts, the little fairy she¡¯d seen flying around Whitaker flew up in front of her face before flying little circles around her, filling her body with a sort of cool-warmth that stole away all of her aches and pains. ¡°Right, figured that was what you were doing.¡± She¡¯d seen the fairy flying around Jon for the majority of the fight. Most prominently whenever the Horror had managed to hit him with a blow that she just knew had to have shattered something important, only for the other teen to get up and walk it off as if it were nothing. The little fairy gave her a nod before dashing off towards Jon who briefly met her gaze. She gave him a nod and he gave her one back. (Well, at least he agrees we¡¯re on the same side now.) That was significantly better than a couple points in the fight where she was pretty sure he nearly turned his blades on her for getting too close to him. Admittedly, the only reason she wasn¡¯t holding her usual grudge for the hostility and near-friendly fire was the fact that it seemed more an ingrained reflex than anything intentional. (Well that and the giant Demon.) They¡¯d both been chipping away at for several minutes now, but every injury they gave the Horror it would simply regenerate while acting like nothing had happened, if they¡¯d managed to visibly damage it at all. Though being more familiar with Demon biology than most she didn¡¯t let this discourage her, given how every injury healed was still a piece of the Demon¡¯s power spent. (I just wish we could do something more damaging than physical wounds.) One of the trickier parts of Demon biology was the fact that they weren¡¯t ¡®physical¡¯ in the same way a human was, but instead more a sentient -or more dangerously sapient- mass of magic. Meaning they were as physical as the [Concepts] that they were derived from. As such physical injuries could harm them in the same way they¡¯d harm whatever said [Concept] which is why the Demons comprised of more ethereal concepts -such as [Fear]- were harder to harm than the ones with more physical concepts such as [Beast] or [Metal]. In fact, because the Horror¡¯s primary [Concept] seemed to be [Fear] the injuries they were inflicting upon the Horror were likely less because they were damaging it and more because they were proving they weren¡¯t [Afraid] of it. Which in turn weakened its conceptuality as something [Horrifying] and ate away at its strength, due either to their own [Strength] making it less scary -as was her case- or because the other¡¯s [Courage] worked as an anathema to its [Fear]. Unfortunately, since [Courage] was also the anathema of her own affinity with [Fear] she lacked anything that could be used to inspire courage or bravery and thus increase the damage they could inflict upon the Demon. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the Horror pull back its arms as a black miasma began to pour from them before lashing out towards the two tiny teens. And she infused her bat with magic, triggering one of the numerous and reusable Spell Scripts she¡¯d carved into it, and allowing her to swing with enough force to smash one of the hands into the ground with enough force to leave a small crater beneath it. Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, she leapt back as Jon slammed his axe down into the Horror¡¯s hand with another explosion of light, causing the Demon¡¯s flesh to sizzle and burn as the fact that it was just an overgrown Bruiser was drawn to light. For a moment these injuries held, before reality seemed to glitch and they all faded in a static haze leaving the Horror¡¯s hand unmarred. ¡°Fuck¡­ How much longer, Espanta?¡± She asked her own pet Demon as she felt her frustration building. (¡°It¡¯s taking a bit longer than I thought.¡±) The Scarecrow growled. (¡°Since it screamed all of this thing¡¯s Creeps have reorganized and started sprinting that way. I¡¯m picking them off as I go, but even with the other Hunters dealing with them enough will slip through that you¡¯ll be surrounded soon enough.¡±) ¡°Shit!¡± She cursed, knowing that while they were keeping the Horror distracted they could only do so for so long, especially if they had to deal with the thing¡¯s minions as well. Briefly, she considered keeping this information to herself, knowing that telling the others would give them a jolt of fear for the Horror to feed on. At the same time however, she knew keeping the information to herself would lead to one of them being ambushed because they weren¡¯t expecting the Demon¡¯s reinforcements. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± She groaned, before raising her voice. ¡°Scarecrow says that screech a minute ago was a call for reinforcements, Creeps are on their-¡± Something tackled her to the ground, and more in reflex than actual intention did she manage to put her bat between the beast¡¯s teeth before it could bite into her flesh. ¡°Oh, fuck you cabr¨®n!¡± She growled at the Creep as she had to grip both ends of her bat to hold the thing back. A spray of blood hit her face as a knife repeatedly tore into the werewolf chimera¡¯s throat before the Creep was shoved off of her. Whitaker seemed to hiss at the dying beast before turning towards her and offering her a hand up as she spat out the blood in her mouth. ¡°Gracias.¡± She nodded, taking the hand before immediately pulling him down and rolling them out of the way of the Horror¡¯s hand as it tore through the pavement behind them. He blinked up at her, seemingly surprised she¡¯d bothered to save him. ¡°De nada.¡± She told him as she picked both herself and her bat off the ground. ¡°Now get off your ass. We¡¯ve got a Demon to kill, cazadorcito.¡± She looked up and the Horror looked down on her with a sadistic smile on its face as the Demon¡¯s minions began to line themselves up upon the edge of the rooftops and the darkest alleys around them. A veritable army of terror and darkness comprised of dozens of chimeras, their corpses painfully twisted and mutilated hybridizations of the animals that made them up. Chaotic caricatures that would happily rip them apart limb from bloody limb as they scarred themselves into the darkest nightmares of all damned enough to look upon them. She couldn¡¯t help but scoff as she pointed her bat at the Demon. ¡°Not impressed, puta!¡± Halloween Horror (Pt. 11): The True Horror Unleashed Halloween Horror (Pt. 11): The True Horror Unleashed --- Val --- ¡°Right, think you can hold this cabr¨®n down while I deal with his army of pendejos?¡± She asked Whitaker, having weighed her options, and realized that splitting her focus would end with either another Creep ganking her or the Horror getting in a lucky hit she couldn¡¯t afford without the Scarecrow to piece her back together. ¡°So long as you can keep them off me,¡± Whitaker hefted his axe onto his shoulder, ¡°I can keep him off of you.¡± ¡°Eso es.¡± She nodded back, as she started backing away from the Horror, her eyes drifting over the dozen or so minions it had brought to bear, only idly noticing how Whitaker roared before rushing the Horror once more. Her phone began ringing. More specifically one of the ringtones she¡¯d saved to her contact list. She glanced past Whitaker and the Horror and saw Audrey on her phone giving her a look as she pulled the phone out.. ¡°Hola.¡± She answered, briefly giving the other teen a wave. ¡°Right, so you want the good news or the bad news?¡± Audrey began, taking a look around as neither of them truly took their attention from the horde of Chimera Creeps slowly crawling towards them both. ¡°Could probably use some good news tonight.¡± She confessed, knowing that they were all running low on magic, stamina, and morale. ¡°Well, the good news is Arty figured out how to reseal the Horror.¡± The other teen assured her. ¡°Bad news implies a ¡®but¡¯.¡± She pointed out, before sticking her hand out as she felt the first drops of rain. (Which is just what we fucking need¡­) Audrey nodded with a grim look. ¡°But, it¡¯s going to take her a minute and it¡¯s going to do absolutely nothing to stop all of these Creeps and any others that are on their way. Meaning even once the Horror is off the table we¡¯re still going to have to fight our way out.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but give that a sardonic grin as she pulled out one of her scripts. ¡°Well, like mi madre likes to say: mal tiempo, buena cara.¡± ¡°Yeah, whatever that means¡­¡± Audrey sighed, before shaking her head. ¡°Anyway I can keep Artemis covered but are you and Jon going to be able handle the Creeps and the Horror?¡± ¡°I¡¯m handling the pendejos and he¡¯s handling the cabr¨®n.¡± She answered, holding the spell script out to see how badly the drizzle would mess with the ink, and more importantly how long she could have one out before reducing the whole thing to mush. ¡°You think he can handle the Horror by himself for long?¡± Audrey asked as the both glanced towards the teen in question, just in time to watch him throw his axe at the Horror¡¯s face before diving out of the way of one of the Demon¡¯s hands. ¡°Well, he¡¯s going to have to or we¡¯re fucked.¡± She shrugged, figuring it was a waste to plan for if he failed when they had more imminent things on their plates. ¡°Hopefully, he¡¯s as scary as Artemis says he is.¡± From what little fighting they¡¯d done together, she knew that he could fight but she still didn¡¯t see the threat the other teen supposedly posed. She looked at the page in her hand before stuffing it in her pocket. (Right, so these can last a minute or two and I can at least use them as magic grenades still.) ¡°Hopefully¡­¡± Audrey agreed. ¡°Any word from the Scarecrow? He¡¯d make me feel a whole lot better about this whole mess.¡± That got a laugh out of her, ¡°I¡¯ll let him know I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll appreciate it.¡± (Or it¡¯ll annoy the hell out of him.) She closed one of her eyes, and fought back a mild wave of vertigo as she began to see out of the Scarecrow¡¯s eye with it, before shaking her head clear. ¡°If I¡¯m reading it right he¡¯ll be here in a few minutes. Just need to keep holding everything down until he gets here.¡± ¡°Fuck, how far away was he?¡± Audrey groaned. ¡°He¡¯s picking off some of the Creeps getting past the other hunters, if not for him there¡¯d probably be twice as many of them here with us.¡± She pointed out. ¡°As long as he¡¯s moving though, we just have to focus on stalling until he gets here.¡± ¡°Fine, but when we¡¯re done here you and Artemis are going to sit down and figure out how to do that warp summon thing I¡¯ve seen other Contractors pull off.¡± Audrey told her. ¡°Sure.¡± It¡¯s not like she had any problem being alone with her duende for a few hours. ¡°That said¡­¡± She spun around with her bat in hand and took the head off of a Creep that thought it could sneak up on her. ¡°Maybe we should focus on dealing with the current problem first?¡± --- Audrey --- ¡°That is what I¡¯m focusing on.¡± She argued, her hand still on the four meter tall plant that she¡¯d managed to make grow from a small patch of flowers and grass near the statue¡¯s base. ¡°Yeah, well I can¡¯t just stay still and talk while I fight so¡­ adi¨®s.¡± She looked down at her phone as Val hung up on her. (Note to self, invest in bluetooth earpieces for the team so they can¡¯t hang up on me.) Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. She glanced up as one of the mantis Creeps landed in front of her, and glared at it before having her plant shoot out and grab the insect chimera by its waist. She then had the plant lift the Creep into the air before smashing its soft organ-filled thorax into the concrete sidewalk, turning both into a bloody and beaten mess. This first Creep was the one to break the dam as she watched a number of other chimerical beasts leaping down from their various perches, the werewolf-like creatures rushing towards them in a flurry of frothing violence in the hopes of ripping them limb from bloody limb. And unfortunately for them, there were a number of spell scripts laying strewn about the nearby ground, forcing this first wave of Creeps to realize how terrible of an idea it was to rush a prepared enemy. All around her and Artemis various spell effects were triggered as the Creeps would step upon one of the magical mines they¡¯d set up earlier, and all she had to do was watch as some were impaled on pillars of ice, others wrapped and strangled by vines grown from the paper, and others still burned alive by flames that erupted from the ground like a portal to hell. The few Creeps who didn¡¯t die to these gruesome methods instead found themselves being crushed under the weight of her massive plant, or thrown aside by a sweeping blow that sent them crashing into the nearby brickwork with enough force to shatter every bone in their bodies. Upon witnessing all of this carnage, the second wave of Creeps were far more cautious in their approach, and instead of more of the werewolf chimeras mostly consisted of the flying Creeps. A type that she could do little to harm given how no matter the strength behind her plants brutal blows, it was severely lacking in agility. ¡°How much longer do you think it¡¯s going to be?¡± She asked Artemis as she futilely lashed out at the Creeps too mobile for her to really do anything about. ¡°I¡¯m working as fast as I can.¡± Artemis snapped at her. ¡°Or would you like to take a crack at fixing this damaged seal, without disrupting the other two seals it''s connected to, or completely unleashing the Demonic Horror the seal is keeping locked in place?!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ Magical theory is not my thing.¡± She admitted, knowing that while she was good at potions and plants¡­ she was only really good at potions and plants. ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t think so.¡± Artemis glared before throwing a quick fireball that impacted one of the flying Creeps as it tried to dive bomb them. ¡°Now focus on fighting so I can focus on fixing this mess!¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± She nodded, having her plant smash the dazed Creep into paste at the bottom of a small crater. Unfortunately as she made her plant rise once more into the air, the flying Creeps finally realized arguably the greatest weakness of her weapon. Namely that no matter how much magic she poured into it, her ferocious flora was still extremely flammable in the face of enough of their flames. ¡°Shit!¡± She cursed, as her plant caught fire before sending another wave of magic through it in the hopes of healing the flora faster than they could burn it. ¡°Uh, Arty? Not sure how much longer I can keep these fuckers back!¡± ¡°Just¡­ need¡­ one¡­ more¡­ and there!¡± Artemis cheered, before slamming both of her hands into the statue and flooding so much magic into the structure that the various spells and enchantments built into it were brought into the naturally visible spectrum. As it grew ever brighter the complex spell work became both a bastion of safety and a beacon of light, forcing the wary creatures of the night further back as it continued to build up power before shooting a beam of magic straight up into the Bleed the Horror was escaping from. --- Artemis --- The Horror screamed, it¡¯s wail like nails on a chalkboard as the Demon desperately clawed at the ground trying to resist the seal forcing it back into its prison. A clear sense of panic to the Horror as it futilely attempted to resist its final fate. ¡°Nooo!¡± The Demon yelled as it continued to scrabble at the dirt, its entire form shaking and shivering as it struggled to keep its enormous body from slowly being forced back through the Bleed, even at the price of tearing its own wounds back open. The air changed, the rain growing heavier as the Horror slammed two of its hands into the ground, a smoke darker than black pouring off of them. ¡°I Refoosh Too Bee Imprishoned!!!¡± The Demon roared as it pulled itself back from the Bleed. ¡°W-what?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but stammer as more black smoke began to pour out from where the Horror¡¯s flesh met the seal, the Demon clearly resisting despite the fact that seal should be dragging it back in. ¡°Arty, why isn¡¯t the Demon going back in the seal?!¡± Audrey panicked as their plan to stop the Horror failed. ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand. The, the seal is working. I-I¡¯m even burning its lifespan to get it back to full power!¡± She cried, desperately going over the statue to try and figure out what had gone wrong. ¡°Yoo Wretched Pesht!¡± The Horror roared, flinging one of its hands at Whitaker, who leapt out of the way only to be caught as an additional limb burst out of the shadows and coiled its fingers around him. With its agile prey finally in hand, the Demon raised its arm into the air, the shadow limb following behind, before slamming both into the ground hard enough to crater it. Even with this the young teen refused to simply die, so the Horror raised its fist once more before smashing it against the pest over and over until the miserable wretch finally quit moving. With that task finally done, the Demon bent over to glare at her and Audrey as it hung from the Bleed above. ¡°Peshts, Peshts Every Where!¡± Before either of them could react the Horror¡¯s hand shot out and grabbed both of them, dragging them away from the statues base and raising them into the air before sending them both hurtling at the fourth wretch to get in the Demon¡¯s way. She had just enough time to hear a faint, ¡°Oh, shi-!¡± before she felt herself impacting Val as the entirety of their coven was sent tumbling in a tangle of limbs, eventually rolling to a stop as a series of vines wrapped around them. Whether Val or Audrey¡¯s work she couldn¡¯t say, (nor do I really care¡­) ¡°What the fuck happened?!¡± Val coughed. ¡°I thought you said, you were sealing the Horror?!¡± ¡°I was, I did, I-I¡­¡± She looked at the Demon glaring down at them as it continued to fight and struggle against its Bleed. ¡°It¡¯s working, it¡¯s just¡­ the Demon is fighting it¡­ but, but how?!¡± Val stared at the Horror for a moment, before her eyes darted back to the Creeps slowly encircling them. ¡°Best guess? Easier to keep a door open than to actually open it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s¡­¡± She blinked, before swallowing past her fear as she forced herself to keep thinking. ¡°When, when they first sealed it, they split the Demon¡¯s power first. This time¡­ I tried to seal it while it was still at full power!¡± She cried, before hitting her head. ¡°Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!!!¡± ¡°Oye, stop that.¡± Val ordered, grabbing her arm. ¡°The seal is doing its job and dragging the Horror in, meaning you did your job. We just need to weaken it enough for the seal to finish its job now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think¡­ that¡¯s going to be easy¡­¡± Audrey noted, wrapping an arm around herself. ¡°Feels like¡­ I broke something¡­¡± ¡°If you aren¡¯t dead you can still fight.¡± Val told the other teen with no sympathy, as she forced herself onto her own feet before offering Artemis a hand up. ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± Audrey groaned, having to stand up on her own. ¡°But from the looks of it¡­ fight or no fight¡­ we might be dead¡­¡± ¡°Maybe but I¡¯m not really worried.¡± Val admitted with a laugh. ¡°After all¡­¡± She stumbled and Val kept her up by wrapping an arm around her as the other teen gave the Horror a feral grin, as the surrounding Creeps began to scrabble away from them. ¡°My Demon ¡®s already free.¡± And the Scarecrow screamed. Halloween Horror (Pt. 12): The Horror’s Final Hour Halloween Horror (Pt. 12): The Horror¡¯s Final Hour --- Artemis --- She just barely had time to glance over her and Val¡¯s shoulder to see the Scarecrow standing at two storeys tall -one of his larger sizes but one he couldn¡¯t maintain for long without a steady supply of fear. (Hopefully, he¡¯s eating ours rather than letting it get to the Horror.)- before the other teen started issuing orders. ¡°Scarecrow pin down the Horror,¡± Val ordered as she let Artemis go and began striding forward. ¡°I¡¯ll sweep up the Creeps. You two figure out how to put the Horror down.¡± The Demon -the one on their side- screamed once more before launching itself at the one not on their side as the two began to grapple and claw at each other in a flurry of bloody blows and limbs. Val on the other hand walked up to the nearest Creep and smashed its skull open with a devastating swing of her bat. ¡°Right¡­ first thing ¡®s¡­ first.¡± Audrey groaned, beginning to fumble through her bag. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be much help to anyone as long as my ribs are this messed up.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but sigh as Audrey removed a vial only to replace it, making it pretty clear that the other teen was more blindly grasping than actually finding anything. (And the rain probably isn¡¯t helping her there¡­) ¡°Just give me that.¡± She told the other girl as she swiped the bag and stuck her hand before channeling a bit of magic. ¡°You either need to get the intent based search enchantments, or you need to figure out a summoning charm.¡± She withdrew her hand and held up a little red vial. ¡°See, didn¡¯t even take me five seconds to find a healing potion.¡± ¡°Yeah, well¡­ sorry about my¡­ broken ribs¡­¡± Audrey gasped, moving to take the potion only to pause as a faint light reflected off of her glasses. Equally curious, she glanced to the side and found a small person with fluttering wings and a pair of antennae staring at her intently. (A fairy?) ¡°What¡¯s a fairy doing here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Jon¡¯s fairy¡­ every time we¡¯ve¡­ been out he¡¯s¡­ had her with him.¡± Audrey answered. ¡°Right¡­¡± She faintly remembered seeing the fairy with him before, but she hadn¡¯t spent anywhere near enough time around them to recognize the fairy without the reminder. ¡°Well¡­ what does she want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t speak¡­ fairy.¡± Audrey shrugged, before grimacing. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s¡­ asking for help with-¡± The little fairy continued to look at them for a moment before zapping the bottle in Artemis¡¯s hand- ¡°Ow!¡± - and swiping it before it could hit the ground. ¡°What the hell was that about?¡± She hissed, watching as the fairy flew the vial over to one of the numerous nearby craters. ¡°Again¡­ I don¡¯t speak¡­ fairy.¡± Audrey repeated, before holding up her bag. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter¡­ you mind finding me¡­ another potion?¡± ¡°Yeah, just¡­ give me a second.¡± She told the other girl as she stuck her hand back in the bag and with a twist of magic pulled out another healing potion. ¡°Thanks.¡± Audrey nodded as she unscrewed the cap before downing the entire bottle. ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± She frowned, noticing that even with Val¡¯s intervention some of the Creeps were getting a little too close for comfort. ¡°Let¡¯s move though, at least until the potion kicks in and we can figure out how to handle the horror.¡± ¡°R-right.¡± Audrey agreed with a wince as she started to move. ¡°Going to¡­ need a hand¡­ though.¡± ¡°Just so long as we don¡¯t end up Creep chow.¡± She answered, putting the other girl¡¯s arm over her shoulder so that they could move. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­ that way.¡± Audrey told her, gesturing towards the Horror and the Scarecrow. A space she¡¯d typically avoid getting closer to if not for the fact that all of the nearby Creeps seemed to be smart enough to avoid them as well. ¡°Fuck it, we¡¯re surrounded either way.¡± She sighed, before half walking, half carrying Audrey towards the dueling Demons. ¡°Maybe we can find a ditch deep enough to hide in for a minute.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Audrey repeated with a fair bit of pain to her voice. Not letting that deter her, she kept moving until she noted a faint light from a crater in front of them. A crater that contained one Jon Whitaker if she remembered correctly. ¡°Well that¡¯s interesting¡­¡± --- Audrey --- She couldn¡¯t help but agree with Artemis as she watched Whitaker¡¯s fairy -(Pix I think?)- flutter around him while gently applying the healing potions to different parts of his body rather than having him ingest the entire thing in one go. What made this so interesting wasn¡¯t that the fairy had given Whitaker the potion -that was obviously why she stole it- but rather that the method she was using to apply the potion was an emergency treatment method that some potion masters used to accelerate the healing effects near trauma sites. Sites that looked like they¡¯d had an additional cut made with a knife rather than from anything the Horror had done. (Better to get the mix deeper¡­) It was a method that she¡¯d always been a little too squeamish to use on herself or the girls, but the fact that Whitaker¡¯s fairy knew how to do it brought together some¡­ interesting implications. Especially when combined with what she already knew about the other teen. (These two really were mixed up in some dark shit weren¡¯t they?) By the time they managed to get halfway into the crater without slipping on the mud and breaking something else, her potion had finally kicked in for both of them, with Jon himself beginning to stir. Something that was honestly a little concerning given how with the severity of his injuries he should¡¯ve been down notably longer, potion or no. (Just what is his endurance?) The fact that he shot awake with a knife flying into his hand was just as concerning, and twice as frightening given the Mad look in his eyes. ¡°Easy there.¡± She tried to calm him even as she watched Artemis flinch away from the violent display. Jon did pause for a moment, though given the way he grimaced while clutching his ribs, it seemed like this was less because of her words and more because of whatever injuries were still on the mend. His little fairy -Pix if she was remembering right- flew in front of his face and began chirping erratically, causing Jon¡¯s face to slowly soften. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I didn¡¯t die this time.¡± He told the panicking fairy as he ran his fingers over her face. ¡°Just barely.¡± She warned him to remind him they weren¡¯t alone. Something she mildly regretted when red eyes locked onto her with an unnerving intensity. ¡°You, uh, you willing to talk now?¡± Whitaker watched her for a moment before letting his eyes drift towards Artemis who once more flinched away, and this time she couldn¡¯t bring herself to fault the other girl. Upon hearing the Scarecrow scream, Jon glanced over the edge of the Crater they were all seated in and narrowed his eyes at the dueling Demons far too close to them for comfort, but thankfully creeping no closer. ¡°Look I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re going berserk but neither of our groups are strong enough to fight that thing by themselves, especially given how your little fairy friend had to steal one of my potions to piece you back together.¡± She told him as sternly as she could manage with her still aching ribs. Jon gave the fairy a soft look before sighing and turning back to her. ¡°You¡¯ve got a plan?¡± (No, I do not.) That didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t lay out their situation and pretend she had a plan. ¡°We¡¯re all running low on magic but I¡¯ve got enough in the tank for one or two spells. Val is more than strong enough to wipe up the last of the Creeps and the Scarecrow is pinning the Horror, though I¡¯ve got no idea how long he can last. That said, Artemis has got the seal set to reimprison the horror if we can weaken it enough. Given how you were dealing as much damage to the Horror as Val was, I¡¯m hoping between the three of us we can figure out how to do that.¡± Whitaker didn¡¯t look pleased with that assessment, and she was pretty sure he realized all of that in fact translated to: ¡®No, we don¡¯t have a plan. How about you?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s a [Fear] Demon.¡± Artemis surprisingly chimed in, looking extremely uncomfortable with the fact she was doing so. ¡°That means to weaken it we need to either reduce the fear in the air or fill it with courage of some kind.¡± That was something she actually had a solution to -albeit a minor one- which is why she stuck her hand in her bag and began rummaging around for a specific potion she¡¯d taken earlier in the night. ¡°My best bet there is ¡®Liquid Courage¡¯. It¡¯s a potion that makes the user resistant to fear effects. I took some earlier to deal with the Horror¡¯s influence but it¡¯s been weakening as the night goes on.¡± She was pretty sure the only reason she wasn¡¯t a nervous wreck right now was because between the two fear Demons, both of whom were likely feeding on her fear, her ability to feel it was so dull that she felt more dread going to visit her dads than she did right now. (Wonder if this is how Val feels all the time?) Unaware of her musings, Jon seemed to think for a moment as his eyes slowly drifted up to the full moon hanging up in the sky above before his eyes widened minutely in a way that told her he had an idea. --- Valentina --- As her eyes drifted around her to try and focus on the last few Creeps through the growing rain, she rolled her aching shoulders before tapping her bat on the ground to try and pull out the dredges of power still contained within the Spell Engine she¡¯d carved onto it. (¡°How much longer do you think you¡¯ve got?¡±) She asked the Scarecrow, knowing that without her magic the Demon was relying on the fear in the air. (¡°I can last as long as I need to.¡±) Her pet Demon assured her as she got phantom flashes of fangs and claws ripping into flesh, as they ripped into her flesh in turn. A part of their bond that couldn¡¯t be shut out in such close proximity without crippling the Scarecrow¡¯s power. (¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to shove it back into its little box though.¡±) ¡°Don¡¯t expect you to¡­¡± She admitted, briefly letting her eyes drift over to where she could just make out Artemis and Audrey sitting in a crater and (hopefully) working on something to put the Horror down. That moment of distraction was all it took for the Creeps to lunge at her. Reacting more on reflex than conscious thought, she swung her bat while triggering the [Force] function in it to unleash its built up power in an explosion of kinetic energy that sent the werewolf chimera flying into a brick wall where its blood was quickly extracted from its body. Spinning into her swing, she kicked off of the ground and rolled out of the way of a second of the werewolf chimeras. One she broke the leg of as she spun on her heel, her shoes skidding more easily in the rain, before following up with a flurry of increasingly violent blows as she beat the Creep to death. When the Creep finally quit moving she found herself panting and all of her muscles aching as her body¡¯s ability to run on adrenaline was beginning to hit its limit. ¡°Mierda¡­¡± The fact that she was hitting this limit of course did not mean that the Horror or any of its minions were nearing it, as demonstrated by the flying creep that tackled her to the ground. ¡°Fuck, I am getting sick of you fucking pendejos doing that!¡± She screamed at the chimera as she grabbed onto the Creep before flipping it onto its back and mounting it. As the first flickers of flame began to crawl up the little Creep¡¯s mouth she used her forearm to force it shut as she scrambled with her other hand to find her dropped weapon. Once she had her bat back in hand she slammed her elbow into the Creep¡¯s head, stunning it just long enough for her to stand back up, place her foot on the chimera¡¯s throat, and level her bat with the side of its head. As she pulled her bat back she looked the Creep in its eyes before swinging with all her might and snapping the flying chimera¡¯s head to the side with a vicious blow. One she followed up by stomping the monster¡¯s throat. Repeatedly. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± She gasped once she was sure it wouldn¡¯t get back up to attack her. ¡°This fight is dragging on, for way too long¡­ Where¡¯s Audrey with those¡­ stupida potions of hers?¡± Knowing that the Creeps wouldn¡¯t wait forever she looked around her trying to find any survivors she¡¯d have to hunt down, before spotting one or two still clinging to the rooftops above. ¡°Well? What are you putas waiting for?!¡± She yelled at them, arms spread wide. None of the Creeps fell for her taunting, and she couldn¡¯t help but scoff at them as she gripped her bat with both hands and held it over her shoulder, before channeling what little charge it had picked up in that last little skirmish. ¡°If you aren¡¯t going to fight¡­¡± She swung her bat and launched a small baseball sized fireball up at the Creeps. ¡°Then get out of here!¡± She waited another moment to see if that set them off, and watched as her fireball sputtered in the rain before weakly exploding against the edge of the roof, before getting into another staring contest with the Creep. A glance toward the Demons and her (fangs and claws did nothing but irritate and cause pain, as every wound was healed by the very power that damaged it. A wretched revelation proven by numerous failed attempts to simply break the Horror¡¯s arms or sever the limbs it was using to resist the seal¡¯s pull. A pull that he was beginning to feel himself as the Horror tried to substitute the power it was losing with his own. One of the many reasons he did not want to get near it in the first place.) She shook her head clear, as she dampened her connection to the Scarecrow. ¡°Getting too tired for this shit¡­¡± She groaned fighting off a migraine as she stumbled towards the other girls, the trip made far more difficult by the two dozen or so corpses that littered the area around them. ¡°I cannot be the only one fighting all of these cabrones¡­¡± --- Artemis --- Whitaker leaned forward, and she couldn¡¯t help but lean back. ¡°How good are you at Enchanting?¡± He asked. She grimaced before swallowing and forcing herself to speak. ¡°I¡¯m passable¡­¡± That was something of an understatement, given how her mentor had been a professional Enchantress, meaning that in passing her apprenticeship she could legally call herself the same if not for certain professional age restrictions. ¡°And you said you¡¯re good with theory, right?¡± Jon pressed, continuing to ignore her discomfort. ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded, as she noticed Audrey finally finding the potion she¡¯d been looking for. ¡°You ever heard of the¡­ What did she call it?¡± Whitaker bit his lip and closed his eyes as if trying to jog an old memory. ¡°The¡­ The ¡®Catalyst Conceptual Crystallization¡¯ method?¡± She blinked because, ¡°Yeah,¡± she did recognize it, ¡°but it¡¯s¡­ it''s an Enchanting method, a really inefficient one sometimes used to make ritual materials.¡± And while she did know the basics of Ritualism, she was by no means an expert in the field. (And even if I was, we have nowhere near the time needed to both create a catalyst and perform a Ritual.) Before she could bring this point up, Whitaker had already swiped the potion from Audrey¡¯s hands and held it up to the moonlight. ¡°Can you invert it?¡± She opened her mouth before closing it as she understood what he was going for. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. --- ¡°Alright, so the innermost layer should be able to extract the conceptuality of the potions¡¯ magic by depowering it.¡± Artemis told them as Audrey placed a few more of her ¡®Liquid Courage¡¯ potions in the middle of the crater. More specifically, in the middle of the crater and directly beneath the makeshift Spell Circuit she was currently writing out in the air by infusing the last dredges of her magic into her Light Sketching Ring. One of the most basic tools any spell script user would carry for the sake of easily making their Spell Circuits when out of paper or freeing them up to make the Circuits too big for a single piece of paper. (A tool that Whitaker apparently doesn¡¯t own!) She discovered this important little detail when Whitaker helpfully informed her that she¡¯d have to write out the second part of the Spell Circuit under his instruction, or at least the parts involving his apparent [Moonlight] affinity. None of which was particularly fun or easy given how she was not an expert in Script Craft and only knew it because it was notably easier for detail work than her preferred Sign Craft. (Note to self, if we survive this, have a study date with Val on Sign Craft.) ¡°No, you¡¯ve got this bit backwards.¡± Whitaker told her pointing to a part of the third piece of their Spell Circuit as they both laid in the muck and fought to work despite the rain pouring down from above. A position they were stuck in solely because they couldn¡¯t risk the Horror or one of its pet Creeps realizing what they were up to. ¡°If we leave it like this the moonlight will empower the first ring, making the concept of [Courage] stronger but leaving it nowhere to go. We need to reverse it so-¡± ¡°So that the concept rides the moonlight for redirection along the Moon¡¯s emotional wavelength. I know.¡± She finished for him having actually done a whole paper on the Sun and Moon as concepts for Miss Edme, which is why she pointed to the outermost circle of the Spell Circuit. ¡°If you paid attention you¡¯ll see that bit connects to the fourth layer, where the actual merger takes place to give the courage physicality.¡± ¡°But that adds an unnecessary layer while unfocusing it so that everything under the moonlight is bathed in [Courage], including your club¡¯s pet nightmare Demon!¡± Whitaker argued. She rolled her eyes as she continued chipping away at the Spell Circuit. ¡°Val can just recall the Scarecrow into her shadow. This creates an easily sustained effect that will continuously weaken the Horror through the night and guarantee that it¡¯s resealed.¡± ¡°Do we even have that kind of time?¡± Whitaker asked as he began flipping through his notebook. ¡°If the Horror somehow puts another crack in the seal, such as by attacking the statue when the Scarecrow is forced to release it, our best bet is to strike it with one focused blast.¡± Her eyes quickly read over what she could only describe as a very simplistic and straightforward magic death beam of light, before screwing her face up. ¡°You really think any of us have the magic reserves left to power this¡­ Giga-Zap of yours? This thing absolutely eats magic and the efficiency formula is all over the place! You could¡¯ve easily doubled its output if you integrated a focusing circuit around the edge of it instead of simple blind fire!¡± ¡°I had to make it simple enough for a non-practitioner to learn and draw without any help!¡± Whitaker told her with a scowl. ¡°So sorry for using a quick and dirty method!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about the quick and dirty method!¡± She told him, finishing the third layer and moving onto wrapping up the fourth. ¡°It¡¯s about the practicality of its use in this situation! We just plainly don¡¯t have the resources to power this.¡± ¡°Time is a resource too.¡± Whitaker reminded her. ¡°And we can¡¯t beat the Horror with something that takes this long to use.¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯ve got any other ideas I¡¯d be happy to hear them.¡± She assured him, despite already being half way through the final ring of the Spell Circuit. Whitaker was silent for a moment as he looked over the Spell Circuit they were working on before eventually admitting, ¡°You¡¯re better at Enchanting than me¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± She frowned, nowhere near naive enough to believe that was all he had to say. (Probably just trying to butter me up for his real ask.) ¡°Do you think¡­ Do you think we can enchant the conceptual energy into an object?¡± Whitaker asked as if he was unsure if his own idea was possible. ¡°Not like with my axe that coats itself in the energy but like¡­ A container that carries and then releases it all in one go?¡± ¡°You mean a magical bomb?¡± She blinked, legitimately considering the option for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°No, the closest thing I can figure would be the concept crystallization ritual we¡¯re inverting, but even then it would be inert until magic flows through it. Something we¡¯re running low on. Whatsmore because we inverted it, recondensing all of it after modifying the formula would be extremely unstable and probably result in a backlash without upgrading this to a Spell Engine that we do not have the time to test.¡± ¡°What if we¡­ Do you know how to make a Soul Shard?¡± Whitaker tried from a different angle. ¡°Okay, points for the fact that we might, might be able to store the energy in a Soul Shard.¡± She told him, surprised that she actually meant that. ¡°But Necromancy isn¡¯t something I mess around with, meaning I¡¯ve got no idea where we¡¯d even find one.¡± Something flew through the air and landed on her stomach. ¡°There¡¯s three Soul Shards.¡± Val told them looking significantly worse for wear, which was probably to be expected given how she¡¯d been the primary combatant for most of the night. ¡°They¡¯re loaded up with miedo though, so you¡¯ll have to figure out something with that.¡± Blinking, she picked up the little crystals, -briefly wondered what Val was doing with Soul Shards before remembering that she had a pet Demon that she likely fed them to- and turned to Whitaker who was giving her a hopeful look. ¡°Fine, just give me a second to edit the last ring.¡± --- Audrey --- Val stared at her for a second before stealing the potion out of her and downing it without even bothering to see what it was. ¡°You still standing?¡± She asked. ¡°Barely.¡± Val noted before grimacing and clutching at her side. ¡°Injured?¡± She frowned. ¡°No, just feeling every other bite and claw mark the Horror gives the Scarecrow¡­¡± The Demon¡¯s keeper admitted with a gesture towards where the two Demons were tearing into each other with a ferocity that was honestly a little unnerving in how quiet the two were. (But maybe that¡¯s the point?) If the two had acknowledged that they were in a stalemate with neither really being able to do any damage to the other they may have quit wasting energy on anything other than pinning each other in place and keeping the other from acting. ¡°Any idea how much longer this is going to take?¡± Val asked, taking a seat. ¡°The Scarecrow says he can last indefinitely but I think the seal is starting to get to him¡­¡± ¡°Of course it is¡­¡± She sighed, running a hand down her face. ¡°These two have been bickering over how to kill it for a few minutes now, but it looks like you settled whatever disagreement they were having.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re almost done then?¡± ¡°Just got one last sprint from the sound of it.¡± She nodded. ¡°Good, feels like we¡¯ve been at this for months¡­¡± Val groaned. ¡°Alright, Audrey everything is set up.¡± Artemis told them, drawing a small line through the air as she and Jon both climbed out of the crater before adding a small circle in front of Audrey. ¡°Since you¡¯re the only one with magic, just push it into there and kick everything off.¡± ¡°Right, well hope whatever you two cooked up will work.¡± She nodded, before putting her hand in the circle and fueling the spell circuit with her magic. Something that resulted in sparks of electricity dancing all along the edge of it, and sticking her hand to the circuit as it continued to siphon her magic. ¡°Okay, first extracting conceptualization of [Courage] from the potion¡­¡± Artemis noted as the innermost circle began to accelerate. From beneath the circuit the Liquid Courage potion rose into the air before spinning as it coalesced into a sphere. As the little orb spun ever faster, slowly a clear fluid began to drip out of it until only a ball of light remained. ¡°Next is the processing of the full moon to work as an emotional amplifier¡­¡± Artemis continued as the first ring slowed and the second began to spin. For an odd moment the moonlight shining on the circuit seemed to glow brighter, while the light shining outside of the circle almost seemed to dim, before a ring of light slowly solidified around the sphere of conceptualized [Courage]. ¡°Now we merge the two concepts, for [Courage] that grows with the [Moon]...¡± Artemis told them, sounding significantly less sure about this next part. The sphere of [Courage] slowly grew as the ring of moonlight shrunk, faint sparks began to dance where the two magical constructs seemed to touch. And for a moment all four of them held their breaths as the ring began to wobble and spasm, before letting it out as the ring collapsed within the sphere that had almost doubled in size. ¡°Alright, now lastly is¡­¡± Artemis paused to look at Jon, before shaking her head with a sigh as the other teen held up the Soul Shards with a look. ¡°Condensing the [Courage] into the Soul Shards by eclipsing the [Fear] within them¡­ I think.¡± ¡°Uh, you think?¡± She asked, just now realizing that her hand had been magnetized to a Spell Circuit that might backlash with a Soul Shard inside of it. (What the fuck was I thinking agreeing to this?!) She may not have practiced Necromancy but everyone knew not to fuck with those things lightly. Unaware of the panic slowly surpassing the appetite of the two fear Demons eating it, Jon tossed the Soul Shards into the sphere, causing electricity to shoot from the outermost ring of the circuit into the glowing sphere of magic as the shards were forced to hover in place. (Please don¡¯t blow my hand off. Please don¡¯t blow my hand off. Please don¡¯t blow my hand off!) She mentally begged the circuit while trying to remove said appendage from where it touched the extremely dangerous work of magic. There was a flash of light where her heart stopped before fading to reveal three sparking crystals slowly descending through the air as the complex circuit Artemis had drawn slowly faded from view. ¡°Oh, thank magic¡­¡± She whispered as she realized that not only could move her hand again but she also had all of her fingers. ¡°So all that work for three Courageous Soul Shards¡­ What exactly are we planning on doing with them?¡± Val asked, which was fair given how all she¡¯d picked up from Jon and Artemis¡¯s Practitioner talke was that they were making a magic bomb in favor of Artemis'' plan to magically burn everything. (Or I think that was their plans.) ¡°Now?¡± Jon smiled, revealing his fangs as his eyes flashed red under the shard¡¯s glow. ¡°Now we shove these down the Horror¡¯s throat and blow its skull off.¡± --- Valentina --- ¡°Okay, so we¡¯ve got three shots with these things, how are we doing this?¡± She asked, holding her own Soul Shard up as it faintly burned at her hand. A phenomenon she wasn¡¯t sure if she should blame on the shard¡¯s recent creation, the fact that it was extremely overcharged and unstable, or her connection to the Scarecrow. (Probably all three¡­) ¡°Well since you killed all of the Creeps we just need the Scarecrow to keep pinning the Horror down, and then¡­ I guess we pry the Horror¡¯s mouth open?¡± Audrey trailed off, probably just now realizing that even with three custom made bullets, they didn¡¯t actually have a plan for how to use them. (Also¡­) ¡°I didn¡¯t actually kill all of the Creeps.¡± She admitted, pointing towards where she could still see the Mantis Creeps looking down on them. ¡°They won¡¯t come down for some reason, I absolutely do not trust.¡± Audrey chuckled bitterly. ¡°How much you want to bet they come down the moment we start attacking their boss?¡± ¡°No bet.¡± Artemis chimed in before gesturing towards the grappling mass of flesh, fangs, and darkness that were the dueling Demons. ¡°Can you get the Scarecrow to just pin the Horror¡¯s arms?¡± (¡°Well?¡±) (¡°The moment I¡­ this fucker any¡­ he¡¯ll break fr¡­ rip me off¡­¡±) Her Demon told her, his words fading in and out in a way she really did not like. The fact that the Soul Shard in her hand seemed to burn hotter told her exactly what the problem was. ¡°Soul Shard is screwing with my connection to el espantap¨¢jaros¡­¡± She frowned before shaking her head. ¡°What I could get though is that the moment he gives the thing any ground it¡¯ll rip itself free of him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got enough magic to pin its arms¡­ or one of them anyway, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll let go with the two it''s using to hold onto the ground¡­ so he gets one I¡¯ll get the other?¡± Audrey suggested. ¡°Then you and Jon can figure out how to get the Shards inside of it, since I doubt the Scarecrow wants to touch these things.¡± ¡°But that leaves the Mantis Creeps that I don¡¯t have the firepower to deal with.¡± Artemis pointed out. ¡°And I¡¯m going to be honest, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve got a fight with something that tank-y left in me tonight, let alone two of them.¡± She forced herself to admit. ¡°All my magic is going to sustain the Horror, and I¡¯m just about out of Spell Scripts.¡± ¡°I might be able to prime one or two scripts, but not enough to put them down.¡± Artemis told them. ¡°How about you Whitaker?¡± She asked, knowing that he could fight but having no idea where he stood after being used to put a crater in the ground. ¡°Think you can take those Creeps out if they get down here?¡± The only male of their group seemed to tap his leg as he rolled his jaw, eyes drifting between the Horror and the Creeps with some amount of frustration. ¡°I¡¯m out of magic and so is Pix¡­ I could probably take one of the Creeps as banged up as I am¡­ But I¡¯ve also got a bow in my pack and could shoot the shards into the Horror if you can get me the shot.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Audrey nodded, before laying out the plan they¡¯d pieced together. ¡°So, me and the Scarecrow pin the Horror¡¯s arms, Jon takes his shot with his arrow, then joins Artemis in distracting the Creeps, Val then rushes the hopefully injured Horror and puts it down with the last two shards.¡± Seeing no arguments, the urban druid clapped her hands. ¡°Alright, then lets get to it.¡± (¡°You get enough of that?¡±) She asked her personal Demon, figuring that whatever connection issues the Shards were giving her were probably messing with him too. (Though his inhuman physiology might let him just hear us without spying. In which case the Horror might¡¯ve heard too¡­ Eh, that¡¯s a problem when it''s a problem.) (¡°Heard enough¡­ girl shoots her vines¡­ Horror¡¯s arm go.¡±) The Scarecrow tried to tell her as she felt a sort of itching sensation in one of her eyes, a tell-tale sign that Demon was seeing whatever she could see. ¡°Scarecrow says he¡¯s ready when you are.¡± She told Audrey as she handed Artemis a couple of cheap Scripts, before they spread out. Her to the Horror¡¯s right, Audrey on its left, Artemis towards the building, and Whitaker center back with his bow in hand. A quick glance towards Audrey revealed a green light beginning to wrap around the urban druid as she called upon enough magic to bring it into the visible spectrum. She then slammed both of her hands onto the ground causing a massive vine to shoot out of the ground, ripping up the pavement as lesser vines wrapped around her. The second the vine broke ground and started to move towards the Horror, the Scarecrow released his hold on half of it and moved to wrap itself around the Horror¡¯s right most arms, keeping both of them pinned in place. As she started moving she spotted something flying overhead before impacting the Horror¡¯s compound eye with a barely audible squelch. A squelch that was followed up by both a visible and audible sizzling from the arrow but a distinct lack of an explosion. (Of fucking course not¡­) The moment she got close to the Horror and the Scarecrow, her Demon began to shift its flesh around so that the tendrils wrapped around the Horror¡¯s lower arm sprouted bones for her to use as a stairway towards the Horror¡¯s face. Not even half way there the Horror locked onto her with its many human eyes, and she began running her bat against the stairs beside her. Each minor impact slowly, building power within her bat¡¯s Spell Engine. The Horror reared its head back and made a gurgling sound before shooting forward and spitting a glob of something dark and steaming at her. Something that would¡¯ve burned her alive if the Scarecrow hadn¡¯t shot out a wall of meat to take the blast for her. A wall of meat she had the distinct displeasure of watching melt faster than the Scarecrow could mend. Refusing to let this stop her, she ducked through the hole burned through the Scarecrow¡¯s flesh -suppressing a wince when some of the leftover acid touched her- and continued up the staircase of bone. Once at the top the Horror tried to snap at her with its half-human maw and mandible, forcing her to pause as she tossed the Soul Shard into the air and pulled back her bat. Swinging with all of her might she slammed her bat into the Soul Shard, smashing it into pieces as her bat and the durable crystal impacted the Horror¡¯s face. A flash of white filled the air as she felt a wave of something warm and bright wash over her, steeling her resolve to do whatever she must, before immediately being snuffed out as something more physical wrapped around her and dragged her back into a cold dark reality. Blinking she found herself being held in the air by one of the Scarecrow¡¯s tendrils, steaming burn marks visible all over it. ¡°You were supposed¡­ to make it Eat¡­ the shard¡­ Not DeToNAtE TwO oF TheM!¡± Her Demon screeched at her, still clinging to the Screaming Horror that ¡°Had to¡­ improvise¡­¡± She told the Scarecrow as she came down from whatever high those shards had put her through. ¡°Is the horror down?¡± ¡°No.¡± The Scarecrow growled as he shifted her to see the other Demon. Half of the Horror¡¯s face had been blown off, its composite eye a bleeding crater with one or two human eyes still there, and its mandible hanging on by only a thread. Unfortunately, despite this clearly visible damage, the Demon¡¯s struggling had more than doubled as it fought against the seal, the vines, and her own Demon, having realized that they could legitimately hurt it. ¡°Fuck! Is the seal at least eating it now?¡± She frowned, unable to see any difference where the Horror¡¯s flesh met the seal¡¯s Bleed. ¡°It¡¯s still holding on¡­¡± The Scarecrow answered grimly. ¡°But I can¡¯t hold it for much longer¡­ That bomb burned me too much to keep resisting its appetites¡­¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± She cursed once more before glancing towards the others where Audrey was visibly straining to hold her spell, her magic light quickly fading while Artemis and Jon tried to protect her from the pair of Mantis Creeps from earlier. Looking at the Horror again her eyes locked onto its arm as she checked her pocket for the last -thankfully intact- Soul Shard. ¡°Set me there.¡± ¡°Might not be able to catch you a second time¡­¡± The Scarecrow warned her before moving her to the Horror¡¯s shoulder and retracting as far from her as he could while still restraining the other Demon¡¯s limbs. Underneath the rain she found it hard to keep a grip on the Horror¡¯s flesh with her exhausted limbs, but somehow she managed to keep from completely sliding off of it. With her bat gone she was unable to simply smash the Shard and thus was forced to make due by pulling our a small pocket knife from her jacket before flicking it open and stabbing it into the Demon¡¯s flesh. Digging the blade in as deep as she could she twisted it before ripping the blade free and letting it fall to the ground that seemed significantly further away than it really was. That done she shoved the last Soul Shard into the wound before slamming her hand against it trying to get the small shard to crack as it burned away at the Horror¡¯s flesh. ¡°That¡¯s not working¡­¡± She told herself before slowly climbing up the shaking and struggling Horror¡¯s shoulder so that she could stand using the Demon¡¯s upper arm to brace herself. With her footing slick she raised her foot before stomping it down on the shard and nearly losing her balance as it did as much damage as her hand. ¡°Come on.¡± She ground out through grit teeth as she raised her foot and stomped the shard again and again. ¡°Just. Break! Already!!!¡± There was finally a crunch beneath her foot before the flesh beneath it began to expand a clear light glowing within. Feeling her footing begin to give way beneath the shifting flesh and the slickness of the rain she glanced towards the ground before jumping off hoping to hit the grass below rather than the pavement around it. As she fell through the air the Demon¡¯s shoulder finally gave into the power of the Soul Shard and exploded in a flash, chunks of meat flying through the air as the shockwave slammed her into the ground. From the ground she weakly watched the struggling Horror scream out a panicked ¡°No. No. No!¡± over and over again as it tried to grab onto the arm still anchoring it. Something that seemed to do next to nothing as more and more of the Horror¡¯s body was slowly pulled into the seal until all that was left was its one arm, a few of its fingers still clinging to the edge of the bleed, and its completely maimed face. Part of her wanted to get up and find a way to force the Demon¡¯s head through the Bleed but she found her body just wouldn¡¯t do what she told it no matter how hard she tried. (¡°Allow me.¡± The Scarecrow told his partner as he wrapped a massive hand around the Horror¡¯s head before grabbing onto the other Demon¡¯s still free arm. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking back what¡¯s mine now.¡± With that said the Scarecrow bit into the Horror¡¯s arm and tore it off the Demon in a violent and grisly display before widely opening his avian maw and devouring the limb as he stared into the Horror¡¯s eye, making sure the other Demon watched him do it as the Bleed snapped shut.) ¡°Heh, buen trabajo, espanta.¡± She laughed as the darkness finally took her. Halloween Horror (Epilogue): Dawn After The Nightmare Halloween Horror (Epilogue): Dawn After The Nightmare --- Val --- Consciousness slowly returned to her as she found her head resting in Artemis¡¯s lap. (Not bad.) More bad was all of the flashing lights she could see nearby, which following her duende¡¯s gaze led her to Audrey having a heated exchange with the Sanctuary reinforcements that had finally arrived. Their soldiers and several bulky vehicles clearly visible all over the little courtyard they¡¯d fought (and kicked the ass of) the Halloween Horror in. ¡°What¡¯s goin¡¯ on?¡± She mumbled out, her mouth feeling dry. Artemis blinked before looking down at her. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ how long was I out?¡± She asked, not bothering to get up from where she laid. ¡°About twenty-thirty minutes.¡± Artemis frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve been healing you as my magic comes back, but it¡¯s not enough to deal with¡­ everything wrong with you at the moment.¡± She vaguely nodded at that because it definitely felt like she still had a lot wrong with her. (¡°There¡¯s an understatement¡­¡±) The Scarecrow laughed within her mind. (¡°Good to see you¡¯re okay.¡±) She told her pet Demon, her eyes drifting over the nearby shadows in search of him. (¡°Didn¡¯t feel like splitting a meal with the Horror, so I left before the soldiers could see me.¡±) Espanta explained when she couldn¡¯t spot him anywhere. ¡°Right¡­ how long they been here?¡± She wondered aloud, not caring if her Demon or her duende answered her. ¡°Maybe ten, fifteen minutes.¡± Artemis answered. ¡°Apparently between their team being killed, the surge of Creeps in the area, and us detonating those Soul Shards had them send everyone they could this way.¡± ¡°And of course they only get here after we deal with the Demon.¡± She scoffed. ¡°Just like the cops to be late when you actually want them here.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Artemis absentmindedly agreed watching Audrey arguing with a Sanctuary soldier in a different uniform than the rest. ¡°What¡¯s going on there?¡± She asked, pretty sure that whatever that was couldn¡¯t be a good thing for us. Artemis gave her a wry grin. ¡°Apparently they think we¡¯re responsible for the Horror getting loose.¡± ¡°What?¡± She hissed, half because of her rage and half because she felt something pull in her side. ¡°We did their fucking jobs!¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m thinking we should¡¯ve left when Whitaker did.¡± Artemis admitted. ¡°He didn¡¯t bother sticking around after the fight?¡± She frowned. Artemis shrugged. ¡°He stuck around until we heard the Sanctuary sirens then he¡­ dipped.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ can¡¯t blame him for that.¡± She sighed, knowing that she¡¯d have done the same if she was conscious at the time. (¡°Espanta, why couldn¡¯t you take me with you?¡±) (¡°Your laying with your head in the elf¡¯s lap.¡±) Her Demon pointed out with dry amusement. (¡°... You are forgiven for abandoning me.¡±) ¡°So¡­ How much you want to bet we¡¯re spending the rest of the night down at the station?¡± --- Artemis --- (That was a fool¡¯s bet.) She couldn¡¯t help but think wryly as she found herself once more sitting in an interrogation room waiting for an officer to come in and question her about the story she¡¯d already repeated four times. But she¡¯d repeat it as many times as she had to, after all even Sanctuary didn¡¯t believe her, they¡¯d done nothing wrong and she had nothing to hide. (Well, aside from that thing Audrey asked me and Jon to do.) She was pretty sure they only agreed to that due to how exhausted they both were, but if it worked out it would work out lucratively for all of them. (As long as Whitaker doesn¡¯t fuck us over anyway.) Admittedly, she wasn¡¯t holding her breath on that one but between being screwed over by him and screwed over by Sanctuary she¡¯d prefer he be the one to do it. That way she¡¯d have irrefutable proof of his two-faced nature for Audrey and Val. An officer opened the door to the room and leaned in to tell her, ¡°Ms. Foster, someone is here to see you.¡± That¡­ made her frown, there weren¡¯t too many people that would warrant that. Since this was an official debriefing inviting a lawyer was highly suspect and largely unnecessary given the lack of official charges against them. It also couldn¡¯t be her parents due to her being an official employee under Audrey¡¯s Hunter License as well as of working age. (Unless they actually are charging me with something¡­) Rather than either of her parents entering the room she instead found a tall dark haired woman seemingly in her early forties despite looking nearly the same for the entire decade that Artemis had known her. ¡°Miss Edme!¡± ¡°Artemis, it''s good to see you too.¡± Her mentor smiled before sighing. ¡°Though I do wish it was anywhere other than a Sanctuary interrogation room.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Despite knowing she¡¯d done nothing wrong she couldn¡¯t help but be bashful about that. ¡°I um, I thought you were out of town?¡± ¡°I was, though there was a¡­ complication while I was there, so I decided it best to leave a bit early. Which given the state of things was probably a good idea all things considered.¡± Miss Edme explained with a grimace. ¡°Based on what I¡¯ve been told, the Horror escaped its seal, forcing you and the other girls to fight it?¡± ¡°Yes, though I think in doing so I¡¯ve also discovered why the seals seem to be getting weaker.¡± She told her mentor. ¡°You have?¡± Miss Edme blinked, before smiling. ¡°I suppose I should expect nothing less from my greatest student than to solve a complex problem so easily. Why don¡¯t you tell me everything, my dear?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but squirm as a heat filled her cheeks, before coughing into her hand as she pushed through the embarrassment and began relaying the events of the night to her mentor. Knowing full well her mentor would take care of everything with ease. --- Audrey --- Stepping out of the station she checked her phone, already half aware of the time thanks to the rising sun. ¡°Well, that was a waste of several hours that could¡¯ve been spent asleep.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just glad Miss Edme got them to release us before her meeting with the local Captain.¡± Artemis shrugged, looking as exhausted as the rest of them. ¡°Otherwise we¡¯d be stuck her for even longer.¡± ¡°True.¡± She had to admit, Artemis¡¯s connection to the Delacroix family was one of their greatest resources. ¡°Still would¡¯ve been better if they¡¯d just listened to us at the start.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be honest, even if they believed us from the get go, odds are we would¡¯ve been dragged into an interrogation room.¡± Artemis pointed out. ¡°An incident this big was bound to result in them needing questions answered, regardless of who was still sitting there.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care one way or another, just glad we¡¯re out of there.¡± Val chimed in, before giving her a look. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose they told you how much we¡¯re making from stomping that pendejo?¡± (And that is the real kicker tonight.) ¡°Apparently, we aren¡¯t getting paid for fighting the Horror.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°The fuck?¡± Val frowned. ¡°Half the city would be dead if we didn¡¯t pin that cabr¨®n down! And duende found what those idiotas were doing wrong with the seal! That¡¯s double pay minimum!¡± ¡°Hunters get paid for the kill, and we didn¡¯t kill the Horror.¡± She pointed out wryly, the words bitter in her mouth. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fucking bullshit!¡± Val growled, turning back towards the Sanctuary building they¡¯d just left. ¡°Don¡¯t. It¡¯s not worth it.¡± Artemis told the other girl, grabbing her by her arm. Val glared for a moment before pulling arm free. ¡°We¡¯re at least getting paid for all the Creeps we killed, s¨ª?¡± ¡°Yeah, though they wouldn¡¯t let me claim all of the ones Jon killed all over the place since he wasn¡¯t with us.¡± She explained, only briefly wondering if she¡¯d made the right call on that before steeling herself knowing that Sanctuary would¡¯ve screwed them over on it. ¡°I just barely got them to count everything we killed in that courtyard.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that bring the total up to?¡± Artemis asked, while Val cursed those ¡®pinche putas¡¯ for ripping them off. ¡°Well, between what we had before, the few the Scarecrow picked off without us, and the ones we dealt with fighting the Horror we¡¯ve got a grand total of one hundred and nineteen kills.¡± She answered feeling mildly proud of that fact. ¡°Equalling just as many grand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s almost twenty grand more than our goal.¡± Artemis blinked, looking notably more chipper than before. ¡°Would¡¯ve been more if these cabr¨®nes hadn¡¯t fucked us.¡± Val spat. ¡°It¡¯s also less since I plan on giving Jon half of that surplus.¡± She sighed, knowing how that would probably go over. Despite what she was expecting Artemis only had a look of distaste rather than her expected outburst and Val, while frustrated, merely shrugged. ¡°He fought, he bled, he deserves to get paid too.¡± ¡°Well, if we¡¯re lucky I¡¯ll be able to up that pay day by a fair bit for all of us.¡± She consoled the girls. (Just going to have to remember to talk to Jon about that package he¡¯s carrying.) --- Jon --- Tossing his pack and all of its contents into the corner of his room he couldn¡¯t but frown in irritation before finally remembering that the reason his eyes were so irritated was because he still had the refractory lenses on from the haunted house and taking them out. (Much better.) Trudging through his house he tossed his jacket onto his bed and started towards the shower, knowing that if he wanted the hospital to let him in to see his Ma he¡¯d have to wash off all of the mud and blood currently caking him. (Not that that would stop me if I couldn¡¯t¡­) (It¡¯s just a fight I can avoid right now.) Checking his phone again -the screen cracked but still half usable- revealed the text from Garcia telling him which hospital his Ma was in, as well as a newer text telling him that Miss Edna would be in the city in just a couple of hours. (Mmm, I hope she isn¡¯t rushing because of me¡­) He¡¯d hate to be an inconvenience. Sighing as he turned the water on and undressed, he couldn¡¯t help but contemplate how the night had gone after everything with his Ma. On the plus side, he was pretty sure he¡¯d slaughtered enough of his prey to help his Ma¡¯s recovery some, (but I¡¯m going to have to talk to Ma to know for sure.) Unfortunately, he¡¯d failed to blow the horror¡¯s skull off with his arrow (stupid, stupid, stupid) -Something he was fairly sure would¡¯ve completely healed his Ma. (stupid, stupid, stupid)- and Val despite her best efforts had only managed to damage the Demon enough to force it back into its seal. (And I spent so much time convincing Artemis to go for a kill shot too¡­) He was fully aware that the other practitioner¡¯s plan of using the moon to burn the Horror into submission would¡¯ve worked, but he didn¡¯t want it to submit, he wanted it to scream its last breath. At the very least he was confident that now that the Horror had been worn down and its true threat revealed, someone with the power to would put it down like a rabid beast. (After all, Miss Edna and DeSade could easily kill it so I¡¯m sure they can find someone on that level easily enough. If not I¡¯ll rip the seal open and slaughter it and them myself.) Of course that was just if the idiots can¡¯t do their job, his actual priority was making sure that everything was perfectly put together for his Ma when she got home that way she had absolutely nothing to stress about in the morning. (Speaking of, I should clean the entire house while I wait for the hospital¡¯s visiting hours. That way everything is nice and tidy when I bring her home.) After drying himself and Pix off he went ahead and got started on that, though he did take a moment to pet a worried Brutus and assure him that his Ma would be alright even if he had to sacrifice a god or two to make it so. ¡°Everything will be alright boy, I promise.¡± He smiled insanely. ¡°Ma is just a little hurt right now, but she¡¯ll be right as rain by morning. You know her, she¡¯s far too stubborn to die like I have. In fact if she died she¡¯d probably kick death¡¯s butt and come right on back, and if she doesn¡¯t I will.¡± (I¡¯m sure I can get the Cheshire to arrange that fight for me.) Trail 51: Bad News And A New Resolve Trail 51: Bad News And A New Resolve --- Jon --- ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ can you¡­ can you walk me through this one more time?¡± He asked the nurse. ¡°Of course.¡± The woman in scrubs nodded. ¡°Based on what we can tell your mother is stable and healing, but given the Deviant nature of her ailment it''s likely to be some time before she can wake up.¡± ¡°I¡­ I see¡­¡± He swallowed, his eyes drifting to his Ma looking so fragile as she laid in her hospital bed. ¡°Is there¡­ Is there any idea how long she¡¯ll be¡­ asleep for?¡± Asleep wasn¡¯t the right word, it made the whole thing seem so (fake) but it was also the only word he could muster to describe his Ma, as all the others were so much worse. ¡°Given how¡­ similar cases usually go, probably another two weeks.¡± The nurse answered, likely referring to anyone else who¡¯d been attacked by the Creeps of the Haunt in years prior. ¡°Is there¡­ Is there someone you want me to call?¡± The nurse asked him after a moment. ¡°You¡¯re a bit young to be dealing with this.¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯ll¡­ I just¡­ I need a minute¡­¡± The nurse opened her mouth to say something before pausing as her pager went off. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I need to deal with this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s fine.¡± He waved her off weakly, before collapsing in a nearby chair once he was alone. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he was sitting there with his head in his hands and his eyes on the tile floor, his mind unable to think about anything other than how (I failed to help Ma¡­) but eventually a pair of sneakers trudged into his line of sight before tapping his boots. ¡°You holdin¡¯ up, kiddo?¡± He looked up and found a woman with golden eyes who looked like she couldn¡¯t be more than forty, despite being nearly double that, the only sign of her real age a head of voluminous gray hair tied back in a ponytail. ¡°Miss Edna.¡± He smiled, a flicker of hope rekindling in his chest. ¡°My Ma she¡¯s¡­ the creeps I killed, they weren¡¯t enough and I¡­ can you¡­ can you help my Ma?¡± The closest thing he had to a second parent let out a tired sigh before taking a seat next to him. ¡°Was hopin¡¯ we could hold off on the bad news for a minute, but¡­ If she¡¯s like anyone else who¡¯s been bitten by these Creeps the poison has bonded with her system in a way that she needs to just¡­ sleep it off if we want her to get better.¡± ¡°But you, with everything you know about magic can¡¯t you¡­ can¡¯t you make her better?¡± He asked, suddenly feeling colder. Miss Edna put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. ¡°There are ways we could wake her up now, but doing so could cause scarring to her system that would easily shave a decade off her life expectancy. I¡¯m sure we can agree that a week or two of sleep is better than that.¡± He blinked, feeling his eyes begin to tear up. His second parent slid her hand around his neck and pulled him in for a side hug as she began running her hands through his hair. ¡°Shh¡­ It¡¯s going to be alright kiddo. This might not be what you want to hear, but it will be alright. And I promise until your Ma wakes up I¡¯ll be right here where you need me.¡± Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Miss Edna. -Miss Edna is now staying with Jon until his Ma is healed. --- After a while of waiting at the hospital with his Ma and Miss Edna, the still conscious of the two told him that waiting around the hospital all day wouldn¡¯t accomplish anything and managed to drag him away before taking him back home to his apartment. Where he found himself sitting on the living room couch while running a hand through a depressed Brutus¡¯s fur, while Pix fluttered about worriedly and Miss Edna started cooking in the kitchen since it was nearing lunch and he¡¯d skipped breakfast to go to the hospital. A faint ringing drew his attention to his phone tossed haphazardly onto the living room table, and while he didn¡¯t really feel up to dealing with whoever was calling him after his disappointing trip to the hospital he still found himself checking to see who it was. (Ying?) He read before letting his eyes drift towards Miss Edna moving around in the kitchen. (...) Figuring that ignoring her calls, and he knew it would be call-s if she was calling while they were both supposed to be in school. But knowing that ignoring them would just draw more worry from Miss Edna with each one declined, he let out a sigh and answered the phone with more cheer than he could feel. ¡°Hey, Ying what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Are you, alright?¡± Ying asked before anything else. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± (Though I can¡¯t say the same about my Ma¡­) ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Because I just discovered the police station in your neighborhood was overrun by Creeps last night.¡± Ying answered, sounding less than pleased with this fact. ¡°Yeah, it was.¡± He admitted, letting his head fall back. ¡°Only had to deal with two Creeps getting inside, the cops took care of the rest.¡± (Or Ma did at least¡­) (Should¡¯ve slaughtered them all myself!) ¡°I cleared the ones outside the station.¡± He added, whether to tell Ying or himself he wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°I see¡­¡± Ying sighed, sounding frustrated. ¡°I suppose it was too much to ask them just to ignore you during an invasion.¡± ¡°I guess it was¡­¡± He agreed, not really caring how many were sent after him. (But they shouldn¡¯t have touched my mother!) ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright at least.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± (I¡¯m not.) Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Do you think there will be any more issues before this Haunt ends?¡± Ying asked him after a moment. ¡°I mean you said it¡¯s supposed to last a couple more weeks, are you going to need any¡­ help?¡± Pix flew up to him and gave him a concerned look before sitting on his shoulder and giving him a hug. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be alright.¡± He smiled softly as he ran a finger between (his little light)¡¯s antenna. ¡°I¡¯ve made it through worse and came back better than before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ good.¡± Ying told him, though it sounded like she was frustrated by something. ¡°Just if you need an extra pair of claws give me a call, alright?¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± He promised, flexing his fingers as he briefly imagened claws at the end of them. ¡°If I need another set I¡¯ll give you a ring.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ying sighed, sounding relieved. ¡°If you need any help I have no problem sneaking out to aid you. Oh, I need to get off, lunch is almost over here. Hopefully, I¡¯ll talk to you soon.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm, talk to you later.¡± He nodded, even if she couldn¡¯t see him. Miss Edna stuck her head out from the kitchen. ¡°Who was that?¡± ¡°Just Ying.¡± He told her. ¡°She apparently heard about the police station -some how- and was calling to check in.¡± Miss Edna blinked before nodding. ¡°Oh, right, she lives in this city too doesn¡¯t she? I¡¯ll have to remember to check in on her when I get a minute. Make sure she¡¯s handling the whole [Dragon] thing well enough, I know I nearly lost it when I started some of my more¡­ birdy tendencies.¡± ¡°Is that why you collect all the baubles?¡± He asked, remembering just how many trinkets were covering Miss Edna¡¯s shop and home. ¡°Don¡¯t bad mouth my shinies.¡± Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Ying. --- Later in the day and half-way through dinner there was a knock at the front door, and once more he found that he really didn¡¯t feel like getting up to deal with it, but when he saw Miss Edna getting ready to get up to answer the door, he got up from his chair to do it first. Not bothering to check the peephole he opened the door and found Ms. Valentine with Kenneth on her hip. ¡°Oh, hello Jon, uh, is your mom home today?¡± Not feeling up to grimacing, he simply shook his head. ¡°Uh, no, no she¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°Oh, uh, any idea when she¡¯ll be home?¡± Ms. Valentine asked. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to ask her, but I know she keeps weird hours with the whole cop thing.¡± ¡°Shes um¡­ she¡¯s not¡­¡± He swallowed and forced himself to tell her. ¡°She¡¯s in the hospital.¡± ¡°Oh, no! What happened? Are, are you alright? Is, is she going to be okay?¡± Ms. Valentine stumbled through several more half questions before he finally worked up the nerve to speak. ¡°There was¡­ an incident on Halloween¡­ she¡¯ll live but they said since it was¡­ Deviant related, it''ll take a few days for her to wake up.¡± Little Kenneth began to fuss in his mother¡¯s arms as he realized there was something wrong with the conversation the two of them were having. (Just like there¡¯s a lot wrong with this whole situation.) ¡°Shh, honey it¡¯s alright.¡± Ms. Valentine tried to soothe the little one before turning back to him. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ terrible but they, they said she would wake up though, right?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± He nodded, not wanting to contemplate what he¡¯d do if she didn¡¯t. (Make her better.) The fingers holding the door open, began to claw and scrape at the wood out of sight. ¡°Wait, are you going to be okay by yourself?¡± Ms. Valentine frowned. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m¡­ I take care of things enough that I¡¯ll be alright by myself.¡± He lied, before shaking his head. ¡°That said, I uh, I called some¡­ family stuff if I need it.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Ms. Valentine told him, still sounding concerned. ¡°Just¡­ if you need anything you let me know. You and your mom have done so much for me and Kenneth that I wouldn¡¯t feel right hanging you out to dry like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He assured her. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡­ I just¡­ have to wait for her to get better.¡± (If she gets better.) Scene Consequences -The neighbors are aware Ma is in the hospital. --- Sitting alone in his room at night he couldn¡¯t help but lay there and wonder if things would¡¯ve been different if he¡¯d actually been prepared for a fight prior to rushing off from the police station on Halloween. He still would¡¯ve done it but¡­ (I could¡¯ve been better prepared¡­) He¡¯d been aware for weeks that there was a Demon in the city, that the Creeps were invading, that Halloween was going to be the worst of it, (and yet¡­) Beyond picking off a few Creeps what had he actually done to prepare for fighting them? Enchant his axe? Summon Noctis? Given how he¡¯d technically been working on those things before finding out about the Haunt he didn¡¯t consider that nearly enough. (I mean I didn¡¯t even have any Spell Scripts prepared for healing or¡­ anything¡­) His eyes drifted towards his book case and he couldn¡¯t help but scoff. (For Cheshire¡¯s sake I didn¡¯t even crack open the books DeSade¡­) He paused before rolling out of his bed and making his way over to where he¡¯d stashed DeSade¡¯s books before shifting through them until he found one titled, ¡®Demonic Details, An Introduction to Demonology.¡¯ DeSade had given him more advanced books on the topic than this one, he was sure, but at the same time he knew next to nothing about Demons beyond what he¡¯d picked up through osmosis around the Devil of Blackwell and the Southside Coven. (I need to start somewhere¡­) Opening the cover he found a series of documentary notes written, informing him that the original book had been written in French in 1795 and then translated to English in 1842 and reprinted in 1983, as well as a number of other notes that were meant to help the studier double check the context and information within. Figuring this wasn¡¯t really relevant to what he wanted at the moment, he instead flipped through a few pages before stopping on what he believed to be the book''s introduction. (¡®Throughout human history, whenever there is misfortune cast upon humanity be it war, plague, and death, or simply our fear of unknown darkness lurking in the world around us. We have attributed these negative phenomena to the entities we identify as Demons. It is in irony that this very attribution is the source of their power, and thus the threat they pose to us. But despite what many would believe, not every entity that we call a ¡®demon¡¯ is truly a ¡®Demon¡¯, though this mistake of identity is just as easily handed out in ignorance as the power we have granted these Demons over us. Despite the¡­ taboo nature that many religions would place upon our field of study, the ultimate purpose of Demonology is not simply to barter our souls and enslave ourselves to these entities in the pursuit of power as so many would tell, but rather to dissect and study them to the best of our mental and magical ability. To rid ourselves of the ignorance that renders us beneath the boot of these powerful entities and allow humanity to truly stand against them after so many centuries of oppression. Should this happen to force a Demon into servitude of the man they would rather devour, then that is simply doing unto them as they would do to us and does nothing to dismiss the true goal of this field of study.¡¯ Makes sense given the age of the original book and the fact that so many people find Demons terrifying.) He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the idea, after all (Demons are just more prey to be slaughtered.) For some reason Pix gave him a sad chirp before sitting on his shoulder and giving him a hug as he wiped the blood from beneath his nose and continued to read. -Thanks to DeSade¡¯s books gained 2XP to Demonology instead of 1. -Due to recent events Trait Triggered: Insane Beast or Mad Man, Still A Hunter --For studying recent prey gained 1 additional XP to Demonology. ---Currently: Lv. 3 (3/8) Act 52: Enlightening Magic And Darkening Resolve Act 52: Enlightening Magic And Darkening Resolve --- Jon --- As the night wore on he found that he couldn¡¯t really bring himself to stop reading as he continued through the book on Demonology through the night. Learning the details of a number of things that he¡¯d gleaned from his previous interactions with Demons, and through his work with Artemis against the Horror. (¡®Now if one is to study Demons one must come to define what a true Demon is. Demons themselves are born from an odd crossing of magical and spiritual energies, in such a way that a more spiritually existence would latch onto the magic and use it to form a body not dissimilar to that of an elemental. With this body being based upon the spiritual imprint that Demon has either constructed itself or had constructed by whatever fool idiotic enough to worship these parasitic entities. Similarly to an Elemental a Demon is bound to its Conceptual origin as the source of its power, and must seek out more of this element in order to gain the power necessary to maintain themselves. In fact for the earliest part of their life cycle Demons can be considered a form of Elemental for Concepts of a less physical nature be they spiritual or mental. The fact that they are born from more abstract Concepts is likely what enables Demons to divert so far from their more physically inclined cousin¡¯s life cycles and develop their more spiritual or mental nature. Though one should take note that due to this Elemental origin, the anathema of a Demon¡¯s origin element, will disrupt and harm the Demon¡¯s physicality to the point of causing spiritual damage. A fact one must always remember when dealing with a Demon. Now the detail that most easily differentiates a young Demon from an Elemental, is the fact that a Demon is capable of developing multiple Concepts if given enough time to grow. Which is why even if a Demon were to be born from the Concept of Wraith it would gain dominion over physical might or fire, or one with an origin of Fear grow to gain control of Shadows. But worry not for infinite growth in these Demons, for while they can amass immense power similarly to an Arcane¡¯s development of new Conceptual affinities, a Demon is largely limited to Concepts at least tangentially related to their existing ones and each new concept takes an ever growing amount of power for a Demon to bind to th-¡¯) His reading was eventually interrupted by Pix giving him a light zap. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s up?¡± He blinked, before yawning. The little fair gave him a glare before pointing to the window where he could just see the morning¡¯s first light pouring in. ¡°Right¡­ guess I¡¯ve been reading longer than I thought¡­¡± Which was a bit odd given how little it felt like he¡¯d read. (I must be more out of it than I thought¡­) Scene Consequences -Thanks to DeSade¡¯s books gained 2XP to Demonology instead of 1. -Due to recent events Trait Triggered: Insane Beast or Mad Man, Still A Hunter.* --For studying recent prey gained 1 additional XP to Demonology. ---Currently: Lv. 3 (6/8) *A/N: I know I didn¡¯t say but you got 1 more use of this, over the next 8 Turns. --- When he eventually managed to wake up, he wanted to continue reading the book on Demonology but Pix refused to let him, instead zapping his hand any time he tried to touch it. After the fifth time of this happening, he finally gave in as he ran a hand down his face and let out a sigh. ¡°Fine. Alright, you don¡¯t want me reading that book anymore,¡± (today) ¡°what would you rather I study instead of the Demon that lives in our city?¡± The little fairy narrowed her eyes at him and looked like she was getting ready to give him another zap, before pausing to blink and stare at the little charge of light magic building in her hand. Letting out a chirping sound she began to wave her hand through the air while drawing little shapes with it, before firing off a couple of weak zaps at his Demonology book. ¡°Fine, fine, we can study your light magic a bit more but don¡¯t zap the book.¡± He told her as he blocked the zapping with his arm, not even feeling them. ¡°This thing is like sixty years old, books that old can be pretty fragile.¡± Pix looked like she didn¡¯t particularly care for that detail, and so he kept himself between her and the book as he moved towards his stash of them, before quickly replacing the old book with a much newer one. More specifically one of the notebooks Miss Edna had given him, with a number of details about the little fairy¡¯s magic and how it worked. There was knocking at his door, where he found Miss Edna standing and watching with a curious look. ¡°Heard a bit of a ruckus going on in here, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Pix wants me to study her magic instead of what I was in the middle of working on.¡± He explained, hoping he could avoid telling her what he was studying given what his second parent thought about DeSade¡¯s magic lessons. ¡°Oh, Jon.¡± She gasped with no small amount of scandal. ¡°Have you been neglecting your little lady? For shame.¡± Miss Edna shook her head with a disappointed look. ¡°I thought we raised you better than that.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes at the older woman¡¯s grin and Pix¡¯s look of vindication. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°I¡¯m not neglecting anyone, if anything I spoil her.¡± He argued, half heartedly. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± Miss Edna laughed, taking the notebook from his hand. ¡°Heaven knows you can¡¯t say no to a pretty girl. You could give my ex a run for his money on that one.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± He scoffed, knowing that was a long long list. ¡°The one I still talk to.¡± Miss Edna gave him a light bop on the head with the notebook, before using the rebound to snap it open. ¡°Ignoring that carefully cultivated snark, as your magic teacher it is my responsibility to teach you any magic I can.¡± The older woman gave him a mischievous smile as she snapped her fingers, sparking a light at the end of them. ¡°Let''s start the lesson, shall we?¡± Scene Consequences -Jon has gained the Light concept and can now use [Light]. -For learning how to use a new Concept gained 1XP to Occult. --Currently: Lv 8 (2/18) -Pix has gained a level in Zapping and Light Scripts. --Currently: Zapping Lv. 7 and Light Scripts Lv. 3. --- ¡°Hmm, I almost forgot how quickly you pick this stuff up.¡± Miss Edna admitted as they wrapped up their lesson on magic, the three of them having migrated to the living room at some point. ¡°I¡¯m only picking it up this fast because you¡¯re my teacher.¡± He pointed out, knowing full well that even if he was a bit ahead of other people who¡¯d been practicing magic for as long as he had, it was only because of Miss Edna and DeSade teaching him the basics. ¡°Ha! If you ever meet my sister, be sure to tell her that.¡± His magical mentor told him. ¡°Even after winning my bet with the camp and choosing to keep it open, she still doesn¡¯t believe I¡¯m a ¡®responsible mentor¡¯ or that I shouldn¡¯t be allowed to ¡®teach the kids¡¯, ¡®you¡¯ll corrupt their minds¡¯, bleh.¡± ¡°But haven¡¯t you had the camp for like, fifteen years now?¡± He frowned. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that more than prove you can be a teacher?¡± ¡°Eh, my sister is a stubborn bitch.¡± Miss Edna shrugged before smirking. ¡°It runs in the family.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, since we¡¯re on the topic of teaching and magic, why don¡¯t you tell me about what you¡¯ve picked up over the last few months?¡± Miss Edna asked. ¡°I mean you said you were working on something earlier?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± He nodded, thinking fast. ¡°I¡¯ve looked into Script Craft a bit, figured out this potion to help Pix maintain her magic, enchanted a couple things like a flashlight that can find lost things.¡± ¡°Oh, might want to grab one of those for myself.¡± Miss Edna smiled, encouraging him on. ¡°I¡¯m always losing things around my house.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because of all the clutter around your house.¡± He reminded her, because while her house didn¡¯t look messy there was so much stuff in it that it was hard to tell at times. ¡°I mean you¡¯ve got how many storage rooms in your house?¡± ¡°Bleh.¡± The older woman stuck her tongue out at him. ¡°I have a system, and half of those are for business purposes.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have lost things if you had a system.¡± He pointed out. ¡°Meh, I find things eventually.¡± Miss Edna dismissed. ¡°But come on, all of that¡¯s pretty straightforward. If you¡¯ve been working on a project it¡¯s got to be something really interesting.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve sort of figured out how to do a weak summoning without a catalyst.¡± He threw out, thinking that was the most complex bit of magic he¡¯d done outside of enchanting his axe. Something he wasn¡¯t entirely sure he wanted to remind Miss Edna about him needing while under her watch back in Blackwell. ¡°Ah, summons.¡± Miss Edna nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few of those, but it was never really my cup o¡¯ tea. Much more May¡¯s thing. I always preferred either building things with my magic or getting up close and personal to lay the smack on some fool trying to get fresh.¡± ¡°Yeah, well¡­ you called it the magic of friendship in your notes and well¡­ It¡¯s never wrong to have more friends.¡± He explained, feeling a little embarrassed about it. ¡°Hmm, no. No it¡¯s not.¡± Miss Edna nodded before flexing her wrist and causing a swirl of light to gather in her hand. When the light eventually dissipated there was a small owl clinging to her finger. ¡°You¡¯ve met Hoots before.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a contract?¡± He blinked. ¡°I thought he was just your pet owl.¡± Hoots gave him an offended look. Miss Edna shook her head as she ran a finger over the little owl¡¯s head. ¡°Nah, Hoots here has been my familiar for¡­ Oof, almost sixty years now. Figure if I¡¯m going to be here for a while I should probably keep him nearby so he doesn¡¯t get lonely.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s welcome here for however long you two want to stay.¡± He assured her. ¡°I know.¡± Miss Edna grinned. ¡°And just so you know, as long as I¡¯m here I¡¯m happy to give you a lesson on any magic you can think of. After all, how often do the two of us get to hang out outside of Summer, huh?¡± ¡°Not nearly enough.¡± He agreed wholeheartedly. Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Miss Edna. -Miss Edna will now auto-assist Jon with any Magic not involving the Dark Arts. Alternatively, Jon can ask for a magic lesson having her teach him a specific type of Spell, Perk, or enchantment herself but removing most of the bonus XP she¡¯d usually give. --Note: Miss Edna cares more about Jon¡¯s well being than his magical development, and thus instead of training Jon at her max ability she will use half-her Rank and restore a bit of Mental Health each assist or training action. --- He sat in the hospital room alone with his Ma, his fingers tapping against the side of his chair as he stared at her and waited. The only thing he could do according to Miss Edna, at least if he didn¡¯t want to cause more harm than good. And while he didn¡¯t doubt her given how much she knew about magic, he was also fully aware of the fact that as knowledgeable as she was in magic she didn¡¯t know everything about it. Especially if he were to dive into some of the¡­ Darker means that DeSade had made available to him. (Though there¡¯s no telling if any of that will actually help fix Ma¡­) The tapping of his fingers continued to echo throughout the room, matching the steady beat of his Ma¡¯s heart monitor. (Maybe there really isn¡¯t a cure for this outside of time¡­ Maybe I really can¡¯t do anything this time¡­) He forced himself to admit after an hour of listening to the heart beat. He thought back to Halloween on the police station rooftop, when he¡¯d tried to get Pix to fix his Ma and she failed. Something that he didn¡¯t blame her for given how she¡¯d tried her best. (Maybe if I¡¯d had more healing beyond Pix¡¯s I could¡¯ve done something¡­ Anything to keep the venom from setting in¡­) He doubted the Mending scripts he¡¯d made with Pix could accomplish much, but at the same time his thoughts couldn¡¯t help but drift to the few healing spells and methods he¡¯d seen both Miss Edna and DeSade employ while they were all dealing with the Corrupted. There may not have been much more he could¡¯ve done to help his Ma this time, but the next she was injured like this, he would have a means of healing her. Scene Consequences -Ma is still comatose. -Jon will gain a bonus to all actions improving his healing abilities until his Ma wakes up. Trail 53: Demons, Candy, and Making Ma Proud Trail 53: Demons, Candy, and Making Ma Proud --- Jon --- While continuing to shift through his Demonology books he found a concerning section, that if he was reading right meant that most Demons, being a spiritually possessed concept of sorts, were not actually attached to their physical bodies but used their bodies as anchors for their more spiritually based power. (Meaning even if you killed a Demon¡¯s body, it would still be able to reform if it managed to gather enough power.) That was something he did not like the idea of. Mostly because it meant (killing Horror will accomplish nothing¡­) With a bitter taste in his mouth he continued to skim through the book before finding a section that relieved his growing worries on the matter. (¡®While one would believe this makes the destruction of a Demon¡¯s body pointless in face of the truth of their regenerative abilities, one must also remember that this reformation process drains a Demon¡¯s power. And it is in the absolute loss of this power that Demon would face its true death. Additionally, while Demons do not require their physical body to exist most will spend their own power to maintain and mend their vessels, something that can make a successful killing of said Demon much more permanent. Now you must wonder if a Demon can simply rebuild a body, why not allow theirs to be destroyed in the face of a predator and simply begin anew rather than wasting power healing it? This is due not simply to the pride of the Demon but to the fact that rebuilding their bodies takes as much time as it does power. Time during which their ability to feed and gather resources for their continued existence will prove significantly more difficult without a physical anchor to traverse the world and seek their concepts out. Which in turn could lead to the Demon starving to death over the course of their rebuilding process.¡¯) ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡± He nodded, going over all of that once more. ¡°So it¡¯s less immortality and more like¡­ injuring an animal and waiting for them to bleed out rather than a clean kill.¡± It wasn¡¯t exactly what he wanted to read, but it was also significantly better than he¡¯d been suspecting a few moments prior. Scene Consequences -Thanks to DeSade¡¯s books gained 2XP to Demonology instead of 1. -Due to recent events Trait Triggered: Insane Beast or Mad Man, Still A Hunter. --For studying recent prey gained 1 additional XP to Demonology. ---*Skill Rank Up* Demonology: Lv. 4 (1/10) --- ¡°Come on kiddo, you need to get out of the house.¡± Miss Edna told him as she dragged him away from his books. (Hopefully, without noticing what I was reading¡­) ¡°What are you talking about? I leave the house every day.¡± He frowned, not feeling like school. ¡°You go to the hospital every day.¡± His second mother clarified. ¡°We both know just going back and forth between here and the hospital isn¡¯t exactly healthy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not-¡± He was half through with the lie when someone started knocking on his door. His eye twitched as he turned towards the door, before looking through the peephole and finding his neighbor Alliyah standing in front of the door looking a little nervous as she adjusted her glasses. Figuring this was as good an excuse as any to get out of talking about him cutting classes he opened the door and gave the girl a curious look. ¡°Oh, h-hey Jon.¡± Alliyah greeted him as she messed with her backpack straps. ¡°I um, I noticed you haven¡¯t been going to uh,school the last few days and¡­ with everything with your¡­ mom¡­¡± The other teen grimaced matched his own, though he felt they had different reasons for said grimaces. ¡°Anyway! I was wondering if, maybe¡­ you needed a ride¡­ to school?¡± He could feel the look Miss Edna was giving him from behind. ¡°That¡¯s kind of you but-¡± He felt the look intensify, likely via adding magic to it. ¡°I¡¯m going to need a second to get my things.¡± He finished through grit teeth and a forced smile. Alliyah immediately perked up and nodded. ¡°Th-that¡¯s no problem! We¡¯ll be downstairs waiting on you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± He nodded back as he closed the door before banging his head on the door. (Yeah, thanks a lot¡­) ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not that bad.¡± Miss Edna tried to assure him despite essentially forcing this on him. ¡°Trust me this will be good for you.¡± (Sure it will¡­) --- Sometime after they¡¯d dropped off all of the younger Jeffersons he found the car pulling to a stop as he laid half slumped across the now empty back seat, just barely climbing out of his thoughts for the sound of police sirens and a few curses out of Mr. Jefferson¡¯s mouth. ¡°How can I help you officer?¡± Mr. Jefferson asked, audibly forcing a smile into his voice. ¡°License and registration.¡± The officer told the man quite plainly, looking through the window at Aliyah before looking in the back seat where he found himself instinctively adjusting so that his face would be hidden from the cop. ¡°Of course officer.¡± Mr. Jefferson nodded before reaching for the glove box and pausing. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± The officer asked. ¡°Sir, I have a legally registered firearm in my glovebox.¡± Mr. Jefferson admitted. ¡°When I reach in there I am not going for my gun. I am going for my paperwork to hand over to you, sir.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The officer narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to step out of the car.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± Mr. Jefferson quietly cursed, before looking at his daughter. ¡°Sweetie everything is going to be alright, I just need you to stay calm, okay?¡± Alliyah gave her father a nervous nod, clearly the furthest thing from calm. ¡°Hands on the vehicle.¡± The officer told Mr. Jefferson, his attitude making something in Jon¡¯s stomach twist at a sight he knew his Ma would- (...) He reached into his backpack and slid both of his gloves on, before swiping an old ketchup packet off the floor and climbing out of the vehicle as silently as he could. Once out, he used the car door to block the officer from the camera on the cop car just long enough for him to swiftly and subtly undo the holster before withdrawing the officer¡¯s gun as the man patted down Mr. Jefferson. A gun that he promptly kicked under the officer¡¯s own car with his boot as he squirted some of the ketchup into his mouth, before loudly closing the door and leaning against the Jefferson¡¯s car. Mr. Jefferson¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing him. ¡°Jon, don¡¯t-¡± ¡°And who are you?¡± The officer asked with a glare, his hand above the empty holster. ¡°You know I remember my Ma complaining about racist cops in the city.¡± He opened, polishing his nails on his shirt despite the gloves on his hands. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you¡¯re profiling like this. Makes the honest cops look bad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not profi-¡± The cop froze, finally noticing his empty holster. ¡°Oh, I hope not. My Ma would be so disappointed to find out that not even a week without her around you people are starting to act up.¡± He sighed before giving the sympathetic look. ¡°Though I¡¯m sure after everything with the Halloween Haunt, you¡¯re just stressed and this is a clear misunderstanding either on your part or mine.¡± ¡°And who exactly is your ¡®Ma¡¯?¡± The Officer mocked reaching for his backup taser. ¡°Minerva Whitaker.¡± He smiled, showing off his red stained teeth just out of sight of the man¡¯s body cam. The officer immediately paled, putting two and two together. (Good to know that story circulated.) He¡¯d had a feeling between his Ma¡¯s reputation and his handling of the Creeps a few rumors would¡¯ve circulated. Rumors he knew his Ma would waste no time in making use of. (So why shouldn¡¯t I?) The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Now since this is all a clear misunderstanding, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to let me and my Ma¡¯s good friend Mr. Jefferson here go on about his day?¡± He asked-(well, more ordered really)- the officer. The officer¡¯s grip on his taser seemed to increase. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be a Creep.¡± He told the man, as he felt the Beast in his head beginning to eye up the (pig) in front of him. ¡°R-right, heh-heh, just, uh, just a misunderstanding.¡± The officer nodded, moving his hand from the taser. ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± He smiled once more, the red having been cleaned from his teeth, something that he just knew would mess with the officer¡¯s head as he stepped a little too close. ¡°So we¡¯re free to go, yes?¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± The officer agreed, backing away from him in a hurry. --- The car was silent for a moment as they all sat there, before Mr. Jefferson eventually worked up the nerve to say, ¡°That was¡­¡± ¡°Shameful.¡± He interrupted. ¡°Not even a week without their internal affairs agent keeping them in line and they start acting up. No wonder Ma was transferred here.¡± (At least I was able to pick up some of the slack for her.) He couldn¡¯t help but think as Mr. Jefferson got the car moving once more, before a smile worked its way onto his face as that thought gave him a warm feeling. (You know what? Miss Edna was right. This was good for me.) Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to the Jeffersons. (Who may or may not be a little wary of him now. (Or one of them is anyway.)) -Jon will now start going to school again. -Gained 1XP to Psych Warfare and Stealth. --Currently: Psych Warfare Lv. 5 (5/12) and Stealth Lv. 7 (11/16). --- ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just stressed or¡­ overreacting from the whole Halloween Haunt thing¡­¡± He admitted after telling his Ma about everything that had happened that morning. ¡°But I saw the way the Officer was acting and¡­ it was just so different from how I know you¡¯d have handled it. Then again, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve ever actually pulled anyone over for anything short of a murder suspect.¡± He was silent for a moment as he watched his Ma, some part of him desperately hoping this would be when she chimed in with some kind of smart remark. One he knew wouldn¡¯t come as her eyes remained shut. (¡°I¡¯ve always told you they me need me to keep them on a tight leash to keep them all clean.¡±) He mentally filled in for her when the silence became too much. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± He nodded. ¡°I mean, I know we transferred here for your job and everything after that old sheriff threw you out and the state¡¯s internal affairs office scouted you but after dealing with you and Garcia for so long¡­ Maybe I was overestimating them.¡± (¡°You like to see the best in people kid. Ain¡¯t nothing wrong with that as long as you keep on straight.¡±) He couldn¡¯t help but give that a snort of bitter amusement. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s thing though¡­ My head hasn¡¯t been screwed on right in a long while.¡± Scene Consequences -Ma Whitaker is still comatose. -The police¡¯s fear of Ma Whitaker has spread to Jon. (She¡¯ll be so proud when she wakes up.) --- ¡°I¡¯m back from the hospital!¡± He called out as he entered his apartment. ¡°And school?¡± Miss Edna double checked, knowing him a little too well. ¡°And from school.¡± He nodded with a sigh. ¡°Great, then as a reward we can have magic class. Anything you want to learn, I''ll cook up a quick lesson.¡± Miss Edna promised. (How about something to wake up my Ma?) He wondered bitterly, before pulling that back because (that¡¯s unfair.) After a moment of thought he instead asked, ¡°How about¡­ How about something that can heal someone¡­¡± ¡°Jon¡­¡± Miss Edna mumbled worriedly. ¡°I know it won¡¯t help my Ma.¡± He did. ¡°But maybe¡­ maybe if I¡¯d had something to help Pix heal her, she wouldn¡¯t be¡­ maybe she¡¯d be awake.¡± Miss Edna watched him for a moment before nodding. ¡°Alright, kiddo. If you want to learn some healing magic, I can show you some healing magic. Though you¡¯re going to need Pix¡¯s help for this, and you¡¯re going to want to add a little something to that garden you¡¯ve got going in your room.¡± --- ¡°This is Blood Lavender.¡± Miss Edna told him as she held up a lavender plant that was oddly crimson rather than its usual purple. ¡°These are an Anima mutated variant of the usual medicinal lavender.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing they were mutated with blood?¡± He asked his magical mentor as she deftly removed all of the flower¡¯s petals in one swift motion, dumping them into a pot full of water and several pasted ingredients. ¡°Eh, that¡¯s what people think.¡± Miss Edna admitted. ¡°In reality, you manipulate them by dumping a ton of healing potions onto the thing with a bit of Nature magic to smooth things out. Every generation will strengthen the Lavender¡¯s innate healing properties until they become almost mystical.¡± ¡°Wait so you dump healing potions¡­ onto the thing you use to make healing potions?¡± He frowned, because that sounded a little bit like¡­ ¡°Eh, mulch is basically plant cannibalism depending on how you do it.¡± Miss Edna shrugged, not caring about the implications. ¡°What¡¯s special about this strain though is the fact that I¡¯ve been growing and mutating it in Blackwell for almost a decade now, giving it some powerful kick.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve told me most of the plants from Blackwell have at least some level of Anima mutation.¡± He nodded in understanding, thinking of all of the Anima mutated plants and poisons in his room. ¡°Yeah, really helps with cutting down the time on cultivating magical traits.¡± Miss Edna confirmed. ¡°Anyway I¡¯ll give you a batch of them for Pix to start growing, but you¡¯re going to need her help on this next step since you have to actively infuse this mix with healing properties.¡± Pix gave a chirp of understanding before beginning to fly around the pot while pouring on her magic, something she¡¯d taken to doing whenever they needed to restock the little fairy¡¯s magic regen potions. ¡°Good, she¡¯s got the idea.¡± Miss Edna smiled. ¡°Now I¡¯ll admit right off the bat this isn¡¯t my strongest healing potion, but I¡¯m not teaching you that one just yet because it requires Demon Roses. Which will¡­ probably try to eat you in your sleep if you grow them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing those ones were mutated by blood?¡± He asked. ¡°Eh, I once got high -like really high- and wondered what a Demon¡¯s blood would do to¡­ Well not my rose bushes, but there was this old bint that was always harping on about hers, and one thing led to another¡­ until I had a bush of Demon Roses growing in my backyard¡­¡± Miss Edna confessed, before quickly adding. ¡°And one less neighbor.¡± ¡°That¡­ sounds like something you would do.¡± He was forced to admit as he pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Yeah, that Devil¡¯s Weed is some powerful stuff.¡± Miss Edna nodded. ¡°Admittedly, that¡¯s because it¡¯s also grown with Demon¡¯s blood.¡± He gave his second parent a look. ¡°That one¡­ was my sister''s idea.¡± ¡°Sure it was.¡± --- Once the initial potion had finished cooking Miss Edna had decided to take things a step further and not only give him the Blood Lavender but also show him how to turn the potion into candies. ¡°Now the real trick to this is that you can¡¯t simply throw these babies in the oven -which we are going to do- but only after we finish using the crystallization method on them.¡± Miss Edna explained as they poured the healing potion onto the plate she¡¯d drawn a Spell Circuit. ¡°Hmm, this is¡­ different from the one I used on Halloween.¡± He frowned, trying to spot all the differences that weren¡¯t simply shifted variables but actual changes to the spell¡¯s constants. ¡°You¡­ used this spell on Halloween?¡± Miss Edna frowned in turn. ¡°Um¡­ I ran into an Arcane on Halloween and we, uh, we made a circuit together that would convert a Liquid Courage potion into its concept and then merge it with my Moon affinity.¡± He tried to explain without actually explaining that he¡¯d been using the spell to damage the Horror, or that he¡¯d convinced Artemis to go for a kill shot rather than something as safe as the moon burn. ¡°I see¡­¡± Miss Edna nodded. ¡°She must¡¯ve been smart to make that work, given how the spell usually functions. Which means I¡¯ve got a couple questions if you can answer ¡®em.¡± ¡°Uh, I can try?¡± He offered. ¡°I mean I helped with the spell work but she¡¯s the one who wrote the circuit out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you can answer my questions.¡± Miss Edna assured him. ¡°Now then. How close to your age was she and how cute was she?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He grimaced, knowing Miss Edna wouldn¡¯t let it go if he answered either of those questions factually. So instead he said, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she doesn¡¯t like me.¡± ¡°Whaaat?¡± Miss Edna asked in an exaggerated manner. ¡°Who the fuck doesn¡¯t like you? Even that asshole DeSade likes you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he likes me as much as tolerates me since Rosalind likes me.¡± He tried to argue. ¡°Yeah, no, I¡¯ve known the brat since he was a toddler. He likes you as much as he likes anyone.¡± Miss Edna admitted with some distaste. ¡°Right¡­¡± Deciding he was better off avoiding both of the conversations in front of him, he instead directed things back to the circuit on the plate. ¡°Anyway, how is this different from the usual catalyst method?¡± ¡°Oh, well, for starters we¡¯re only half forming the catalyst. So it¡¯s more like we¡¯re upping the potion¡¯s density to a point of solidification while primarily focusing on the conceptuality of it.¡± Miss Edna elaborated, taking his bait as she triggered the circuit in a small storm of sparks. ¡°This accelerates the potion¡¯s activation and power at the cost of taking more time and removing any lasting influence the potion would offer. Making it great for quick tricks, and a minute of potion fun for the kids.¡± ¡°But you said we still have to throw it in the oven?¡± He frowned once the sparks settled down and there was a relatively round red crystal on the plate. ¡°Yeah, if we upped the density any higher than this magically it wouldn¡¯t be edible but if we leave it as is it sort of smears and melts all over the place.¡± Rolling the little sphere in her hand and coating her palm in red. ¡°Cooking it at a high heat will instead cause it to solidify into a hard candy while removing its ability to melt at anything less than the cooking temperature.¡± ¡°Huh, neat.¡± Scene Consequences A/N: Might¡¯ve given a bit too much on this one but Miss Edna is a Potions Mistress and Jon has a Healing training Bonus right now so¡­ -Jon has gained a new Perk [Crystalized Potion Candies]. --Jon can now turn any potion recipe into a candy, these candies instantly trigger for a (Potioneering + Cooking Lv) effect but lose their Turn Duration and cost 2 Tokens for taking longer to make. -Jon has unlocked the [Standard Healing Potion] and [Standard Healing Candies]. -- [Standard Healing Potion] Consume 1 Potion Token to regenerate (Potioneering Lv) HP at the Start of your Turn for the next 3 Turns. --[Healing Candies] Consume 2 Potion Tokens to instantly regenerate (Potioneering + Cooking Lv) HP. -For brewing a new potion and candy gained 2XP to Potioneering and 1XP to Cooking and Enchanting*. --Currently: Potioneering Lv. 7 (7/16), Cooking Lv. 9 (10/20), and Enchanting Lv. 5 (2/12). *A/N: Enchanting bonus only applies once for learning the three point perk. System Update: Molotovs are now considered a potion to reduce the number of Tokens in play. With standard Molotovs consuming 1 Token and Acid Molotovs consuming 2. Pix¡¯s MP Potions remain her own, since they¡¯re hers and not Jons. Current Potion Tokens: 4 Trail 54: Enchanting Air And Hunters’ Dealings Trail 54: Enchanting Air And Hunters¡¯ Dealings --- Jon --- He tapped his fingers against the arm of his chair, the beat in time with that of his Ma¡¯s heart monitor, assuring him that regardless of how many devices were attached to her or how terribly still she was, (she¡¯s still alive.) As much as he hated it, it was an assurance that he knew he needed, her silent stillness slowly eating away at him with worry. (She¡¯s going to be okay.) He told himself once more. (I just¡­ I just need to wait a little longer and she¡¯ll wake up¡­ any day now¡­) He stayed in his seat until the nurses told him he had to leave. He only left because Miss Edna came to pick him up before he could pick the lock to the roof. Scene Consequences -Ma Whitaker is still in a coma. --- (¡®Demon Hunters as a whole are a rare but valuable profession, a step beyond the typical Hunters and Gatherers hired by most Arcane to acquire their magical regents or deal with magical creatures running amuck in their homelands. Admittedly thanks to the frequent worshiping of Demons or some of their more insidious methods of remaining hidden from prying eyes, very few people are willing to hire these Demon Hunters to kill Demons proper. Even the local lords of old -cowards that they were- would typically avoid such an action in fear of enraging a Demon and having it set upon them with an immortal vengeance. So how is it then that these admittedly dark and dangerous individuals fund their profession with a seeming lack of patrons? Quite simply, it is not the killing of the Demon itself that they profit off of but rather the selling of its corpse. Due to their unique metaphysical nature as what can be considered [Conceptual Constructs] the bodies of Demons possess both great magical power and knowledge sealed within them. Power that can be put to a wide range of uses from enhancing one¡¯s potion craft, enchanting powerful artifacts and foci, or even in the summoning of rare and obscure creatures far beyond one¡¯s normal abilities in regards to the Arcane Nexus. Knowledge that can unlock new and powerful affinities, greatly expand upon one¡¯s own magical craft and abilities, or delve into the secrets of creation and existence far beyond our typical means. All things that any experienced magic user would pay a fortune to acquire. A fortune that makes the Hunting of Demons a lucrative business for those few capable of the perilous task that few can accomplish once let alone as a regular plied trade. But those few who can ascend to this dangerous rank of Demon Hunter without dying or being devoured by the prey they seek to hunt, will find their influence growing exponentially as they gain money, power, and favor with each kill.¡¯) He closed the Demonology book as he noticed Pix beginning to move, finding that the last pages of the night had little actual value to them given how he had no desire for anything being a Demon Hunter would offer him. (After all, once the Horror is dead I won¡¯t need to hunt any other Demons.) The Beast in his head remained silent at that. Scene Consequences -Gained 2XP to Demonology. --Currently: Lv. 4 (3/10) --- ¡°Hey, Miss Edna, I was wondering if you could help me and Pix with something?¡± Miss Edna looked up from the tablet she was reading on. ¡°Sure kiddo, what do you need?¡± ¡°Well, since we¡¯re no longer in Blackwell, Pix has been having some issues regenerating her magic. I¡¯ve tried a few things to help her out like this Magic Regen Potion that ups her recovery rate, a spell script that stores a sudden boost, and taking her out to the park but none of that seems to quite do the trick.¡± He tried to explain. ¡°Right¡­ Yeah, I can see that.¡± Miss Edna nodded in thought. ¡°Fairies are typically [Nature] in, well, nature, so being within a [City] is sort of anathema. Honestly, if you didn¡¯t have the grove of magic plants in your bedroom she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to regenerate anything without daily trips to the park. There¡¯s a few ways we could work around it if we use a [Nature] vs [Urban] conceptual gradient, which is how a number of house fae can live in the middle of human homes via a sort of self domestication.¡± ¡°Uh, pretty much.¡± He agreed, having understood most of that. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know how to help?¡± ¡°Eh, the problem is less that I don¡¯t know a way and more I know a few ways to fix the problem¡­¡± Miss Edna admitted, before snapping her fingers and pointing at him. ¡°Quick, five seconds on the clock, pick a magic art.¡± ¡°Um, uh, Enchanting?¡± He spat out as fast as he could. ¡°Alright, then Enchanting I shall teach.¡± Miss Edna promised as she stretched her fingers out. --- Sparks danced around the spell circuit he¡¯d drawn as he felt it drawing upon the cool warmth of magic flowing from the talisman around his neck, through his body, down his arms, and into the circuit. Bit by bit he felt the circuit shifting through his magic as he poured it on, absorbing some pieces and disregarding others as it accepted only the parts of his natural affinity for the concept of [Moon]. A concept Miss Edna had suggested due to having a more physical presence than [Hunter] or [Defender] which were more designations than actual things. There were ways of learning how to use concepts for the crystallization process other than his affinities, but they¡¯d require not only a physical sample of the concept but also required that he know this foundational technique. Bit by bit his magic began to gather in front of him in the shape of a small sphere of light, a sphere that slowly began to condense itself into another shape as the circuit began accepting all of his magic having gathered a large enough sample for the [Moon] concept to take shape. As the sphere shrunk its shape began to shift, taking on a more crescent shape as the energy took on a physical form before the sparks finally stopped and a crystal in the shape of a crescent moon dropped into the center of the circle. ¡°Was¡­ expecting it to be more¡­ full.¡± He admitted after catching his breath. ¡°Eh, the moon has two iconic shapes the [Full Moon] and the [Crescent Moon] that it is otherwise depicted as.¡± Miss Edna explained as she picked the crystal up and gave it a once over. ¡°From there it¡¯s easier to change something into something that itself is mid change which is an aspect the Crescent Moon takes on as it cycles from new to full and back. Which is why I had you tweak that one variable at the last minute.¡± ¡°Right, okay¡­ I can get that.¡± He nodded after thinking about it for a moment. ¡°Now we can test this out on the AAA I whipped up.¡± Miss Edna told him as she moved the circuit he¡¯d drawn to the side of the coffee table and placed a small ceramic bowl with a complex spell circuit carved into it in its place. ¡°Now we just set the crystal in the bowl and place the lid on top.¡± After dropping the crystal in the bowl Miss Edna sat a small ceramic plate on top of it, completely covering the top and causing a series of sparks around the edge as the pair sealed shut. ¡°And there we go, one Atmospheric Anima Alter using only five bucks at a dollar store and a bit of alchemy.¡± Miss Edna clapped. ¡°Ha, you could sell this thing for a couple hundred bucks and no one would know the difference.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Um, you know I¡¯ve got the money to pay for better parts¡­¡± He started only to trail off as Miss Edna made a face. ¡°Bleh, I know I¡¯ve taught you better than that, kiddo.¡± His second parent frowned. ¡°More expensive shit does not equal better shit. That¡¯s the marketing placebo effect rich shits use to convince everyone to give them more money for worse quality. In both cases shit is shit. Only their shit is usually more shit because that shit costs more financial shit. Which in these shitty economic times is a shit thing for them to be doing. Hence why they¡¯re shits!¡± He blinked. ¡°Um¡­¡± (What?) Miss Edna coughed into her hand. ¡°Anyway the point is if you want to get ahead in life you need to get the most bang for your buck. Meaning you have to strangle Washington until he calls himself Benjamin, kid. It doesn¡¯t matter how cheap something is so long as it gets the job done.¡± ¡°But, uh, don¡¯t you make your money overpricing things for people who don¡¯t know better?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but point out given how many of her products he knew were built to break. ¡°Exactly my point!¡± Miss Edna pointed at him. ¡°I build the cheap stuff to last longer meaning the more you pay for something the less you get, it¡¯s basically a ¡®stupid rich people¡¯ tax.¡± ¡°Okay, um¡­ So how exactly does this thing work?¡± He asked, hoping to get things away from this rant. Miss Edna blinked now. ¡°Oh, right, uh¡­ So the spell engine carved onto these things sucks in ambient Anima around the bowl before filtering it in a cooking pot with the concept crystal that then spits it all out through the plate on top.¡± ¡°And this will help Pix by infusing the room¡¯s Anima with a concept she can more easily process.¡± He nodded following along. ¡°Right, though since we¡¯re in an apartment I kept it kind of small because messing with the atmospheric Anima too much can lead to some weird shit going down.¡± Miss Edna warned him. ¡°I mean if you use Spell Sight on this thing you¡¯ll see it looks like a constantly running firework fountain¡­ kind of pretty if you use the right crystals.¡± ¡°You, uh, never taught me Spell Sight.¡± He reminded her. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have a natural Spell System, learning the spell can melt your eyes out of your skull.¡± Miss Edna admitted, staring at the AAA. ¡°Figured you get enough of that from all the Madness you¡¯ve messed with.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± ¡°Well that and I figured if I gave you one of the work arounds while we were in Blackwell you¡¯d stumble upon a sleeping Eldritch Horror somewhere.¡± His second mother confessed, which- ¡°Again, fair.¡± Scene Consequences -Thanks to Miss Edna Jon has gained an [(Cheap) Atmospheric Anima Alter] and created a[Conceptual Crystals] for [Moon]. --The [Atmospheric Anima Alter] infuses the nearby atmosphere -the apartment- with a specific affinity reducing the cost of all magic of the corresponding crystal by 1, and increases the MP gains of anyone with an affinity -not a learned concept- for said crystal by 1. While also granting a passive effect to the area based on the concept. ---Current Concept: Moon: Mental Health healing doubled while near alter. Alter Tutorial: -Alter must be active for at least 1 Turn to take effect. (I.E. The Turn after you change crystals it takes.) -Changing the crystal is a free action. (Costs no AP.) -Jon can now create Conceptual crystals at a cost of 1 AP and (5 -Enchanting Rank= 3) MP and an Assist from someone with the affinity naturally. (Or the same with no Assist for his own affinities.) -For learning how to use and maintain the [Atmospheric Anima Alter] and how to create Conceptual Crystals gained 2XP to Enchanting and 1XP to Occult. --Currently: Enchanting Lv. 5 (4/12) and Occult Lv. 8 (3/18) --- ¡°There you are.¡± A voice called before someone grabbed his arm and began tugging. He slipped a knife into his hand and turned only to pause upon recognizing Audrey. Standing his ground, he shifted his footing a bit so that Audrey couldn¡¯t move him. ¡°Can I help you?¡± He asked dryly. Audrey blinked at him for a moment before shaking her head and looking around with narrowed eyes. ¡°I was going to ask you about that thing from Halloween.¡± ¡°Going to need you to specify.¡± He frowned, because a lot of (unpleasant) things happened on Halloween. ¡°The thing you grabbed after our fight?¡± Audrey elaborated poorly in an attempt to answer him without anyone else realizing what she was talking about. ¡°Right¡­ that.¡± He sighed, vaguely remembering that while he was still processing his frustration at the Horror surviving their fight Audrey had shoved something in his arms when he¡¯d tried to leave the scene. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you want¡­ it back?¡± He didn¡¯t actually know what it was, just that it was wrapped in a bundle of enchanted cloth and was apparently something the other teen didn¡¯t want Sanctuary finding in her hands. (Aww¡­ I¡¯m holding drugs in my pack aren¡¯t I?) He realized with a barely contained grimace. ¡°Yes, so if you can go collect it from wherever you¡¯ve got it stashed and bring it to the club room I¡¯d appreciate it.¡± Audrey told him. ¡°Fine¡­¡± He sighed starting towards the clubroom. ¡°Let¡¯s get going then.¡± ¡°Um, don¡¯t you need to pick it up from¡­ your house or whatever?¡± Audrey asked. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯ve got it in my pack now.¡± He¡¯d honestly forgotten about the thing what with him having what he was pretty sure was a concussion until Pix had healed him after getting some of her magic back. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re carrying¡­ that around-¡± Audrey shook her head before nodding. ¡°Right, yeah, I told Artemis you weren¡¯t planning on screwing us over.¡± He couldn¡¯t really argue that, since he had no idea how he¡¯d be screwing them over if he didn¡¯t hand over what he was now more than sure was something illegal in his pack. If his steps were a little quicker now, that was nobody¡¯s business but his own. (Let¡¯s just get this over with.) When they arrived in the empty classroom that the Southside Coven had more or less taken over for their own purposes they found both Artemis and Valentina waiting on them. ¡°So does he have it?¡± Artemis asked the moment Audrey closed the door behind them. ¡°Yeah, I have it.¡± He nodded, still not sure what it was as he reached into his pack and pulled out a bundle of cloth vaguely the size of a baseball bat before setting it on the table. ¡°Alright, Artemis you did the enchantments you unwrap it.¡± Audrey said after a moment. ¡°Right.¡± Audrey nodded before making several hand signs and waving her hands over the bundle of cloth. ¡°So are you guys going to tell me what¡¯s the big secret now?¡± Val asked from her seat as she watched the proceedings. ¡°Give me a second.¡± Artemis told her before a series of magenta sparks rushed across the cloth and she began unwrapping its contents. ¡°Had to put a bunch of concealment charms on this thing to keep Sanctuary from picking up on it. Can¡¯t believe you talked me into hiding this thing.¡± ¡°Yeah, well if we tried to sell it to them I¡¯ve no doubt they would¡¯ve tried to rip us off.¡± Audrey scoffed as the bundle''s contents were revealed. ¡°Mierda¡­ Is that what I think it is?¡± Val blinked, leaning in closer. (Okay, not drugs but possibly worse¡­) ¡°Yep, one of the Horror¡¯s arms.¡± Audrey nodded with a smug grin. ¡°Even if it ended up shrinking once cut off from the Demon, I know it¡¯s valuable enough that I¡¯m not letting this baby go for anything less than a hundred grand.¡± ¡°A hundred grand?¡± Artemis repeated, looking unhappy. ¡°Are you kidding? Do you know how valuable this thing is from a research perspective?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about research, I care about money and making sure our little team stays afloat.¡± Audrey frowned, no longer looking quite as smug. ¡°But this is a Demon¡¯s arm!¡± Audrey exclaimed. ¡°This thing is basically pure condensed Anima. There are people who would trade their own arm to get their hands on this thing!¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they only have one hand in that case?¡± Val commented from next to him. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t look as worked up about this as they are.¡± He noticed as the other two started to argue over the arm¡¯s financial and scholastic values. ¡°You don¡¯t care about the money or the magic?¡± ¡°I mean the money is nice, and I¡¯m sure Artemis can figure out something cool with it but¡­ Well, espanta already ate one of the Horror¡¯s arms¡­¡± Val shrugged before shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to know how much that cost me or what it could¡¯ve been worth.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He nodded in understanding before a thought occurred to him. ¡°Your pet Demon want to eat this one too?¡± ¡°I mean he wouldn¡¯t say no.¡± Said Demon¡¯s keeper admitted. ¡°Hell, given how it healed all the damage from his fight with the Horror I¡¯m sure a second one will make him stronger and put him in a decent mood, but it¡¯s not like he isn¡¯t already one of the strongest things in the city when he cuts loose, so I don¡¯t really care.¡± While he wasn¡¯t sure about the Scarecrow being ¡®one of the strongest things in the city¡¯ he could see her point on the matter. ¡°Alright, so let¡¯s say you manage to sell the arm for your hundred K or more, that¡¯s a one time payment and an instant payout.¡± Artemis told Audrey. ¡°If I can go through some of Ms. Delacroix¡¯s books on Demonology I¡¯m sure I can do something with this, something that can take all of us to the next level!¡± ¡°But that¡¯s if you can find something in books that you don¡¯t own, and even then you don¡¯t know what you could do with it.¡± Audrey pointed out. ¡°While we could use the money to buy anything we could think of needing.¡± ¡°And when the money runs out we¡¯d be back where we started with a few new toys.¡± Artemis argued. ¡°Would your plan be any different?¡± Audrey asked, making a legitimate point herself. Artemis opened her mouth before closing it, inhaling deeply through her nose and then exhaling it, visibly calming herself down. ¡°Right. Okay, we¡¯re both too stubborn to change our stances on this. We need a tie breaker.¡± Both girls turned to the third member of their club. ¡°Nope.¡± Val told them, raising both her hands and backing away. ¡°Not stupid enough to get in the middle of this.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Audrey rolled her eyes before turning to him. ¡°Then Jon you decide.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± He blinked realizing he had three sets of eyes on him all waiting for a decision. Southside Coven: The Pursuit of Power (I) Southside Coven: The Pursuit of Power (I) --- Jon --- ¡°If it was me¡­ I¡¯d try seeing what I could do with it first.¡± He answered after a few moments. ¡°I mean if worst comes to worst I could always just sell it if I can¡¯t figure out anything to actually do with it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a valid point.¡± Val admitted, as Audrey cursed under her breath and Artemis let out a sigh of relief, the latina the only one of their coven without a real care about what they did. ¡°If Artemis can¡¯t find anything to do with the thing we can still sell it. I mean it¡¯s not like the price will go down in a couple of weeks.¡± ¡°It will if we cut a few pieces off for her to see what exactly she can do with it.¡± Audrey pointed out with a growl before running a hand down her face. ¡°But fine, I said Jon had the final vote so¡­ fuck it. What exactly were you thinking of doing with the arm, Arty?¡± ¡°Oh, um, uh¡­¡± Artemis blinked before coughing into her hand. ¡°Well I¡¯ll need to go through some of my books, and look into a few new sources from Miss Edme but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have something that we can devote our-¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing.¡± Audrey cut in dryly, earning a grimace from the other girl. ¡°Damn it, at least if we were selling it I could find us a buyer even if through Covenant. What exactly are you going to do if Delacroix tells you you can¡¯t borrow her books? You know how restrictive she gets with that stuff.¡± ¡°Well¡­ like you said if worst comes to, I can¡­ make a call to Covenant for a book or two with my cut from the Haunt.¡± Artemis answered, looking less than comfortable with that idea, something that was underlined when Val let out a laugh. ¡°Chica, Audrey can handle Covenant or I can handle Covenant, you cannot handle Covenant on your own.¡± Val told her. ¡°You¡¯re too used to the Delacroixs giving you a soft sell since you¡¯re basically familia at this point. If you went up against a real cut throat they¡¯d rip you off in a heartbeat.¡± For some reason Artemis¡¯s eyes dashed to him with a touch of panic before she let out a growl and conjured a ball of flame into her hand. ¡°I am more than capable of handling anything anyone throws at me.¡± ¡°Fine but don¡¯t expect me to help you figure out your plan for this thing.¡± Audrey warned her, unbothered by the fire. ¡°I still want to sell the arm off. In fact I think I¡¯ll go ahead and start looking for a buyer if you can¡¯t come up with an actual use for the arm beyond ¡®research material¡¯.¡± (So much for letting me decide¡­) He sighed to himself, given how they were still arguing about this. ¡°Well¡­ Um¡­ we can¡­¡± Artemis floundered for a moment, her spell sputtering out as she struggled to come up with something when put on the spot. ¡°You can use the flesh as a contracting catalyst, the bones to form a practitioner¡¯s talisman, or the blood to grow mutated plants for potions.¡± He listed off, remembering some of the reasons people bought the parts off of Demon Hunters. ¡°There¡¯s other stuff too, but those are probably the easiest to do without any other research or special skills.¡± Both Audrey and Artemis blinked at him, not having expected him to cut in. (Even if just to stop their fighting.) ¡°R-right.¡± Artemis nodded, seemingly catching her footing with his assist. ¡°Meaning even if I can¡¯t come up with something more specialized for each of us, there¡¯s still something on offer for each of us by carving the arm up between us.¡± Audrey watched the other girl for a moment before eventually sighing. ¡°Fine, you¡¯ve got a month but if you can¡¯t come up with something useful by then I¡¯m selling the arm.¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfectly acceptable.¡± Artemis nodded, bringing the matter to a close for the time being. (Meaning I can finally get going to the hospital.) --- ¡°Whitaker, wait.¡± Artemis called after him as he started down the steps leaving the school. (What now?) He groaned before turning around. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡­ wanted to talk to you.¡± Artemis explained, before her eyes darted to Aliyah who had turned to see what was going on. ¡°Preferably in private.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Jon?¡± The other girl asked. ¡°Go on ahead, I can walk today.¡± He told her. ¡°Are you¡­ sure?¡± Aliyah checked, before lowering her voice. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors about-¡± ¡°Rumors that are blatant lies.¡± Artemis cut in with a growl. They both watched her for a moment -Aliyah cautious and him curious- before Artemis inhaled deeply and then exhaled just as deeply. ¡°Apologies, but¡­ rumors about me are¡­ greatly exaggerated.¡± Artemis smiled tersely, her teeth practically grinding against each other. Given how Aliyah took a step behind him, (I¡¯m guessing she noticed the pointed teeth more than the apology.) ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He assured Aliyah, not pointing out that he¡¯d already been looking for an excuse to avoid another awkward car ride given how clearly uncomfortable with him Mr. Jefferson had become after watching him deal with that (disgrace of a) cop. (You¡¯d think he¡¯d appreciate us scaring off a predator¡­) (Then again that was more a pig than a predator¡­) Aliyah watched him for another moment, clearly not happy before nodding. ¡°Alright, if you say so¡­¡± He waved her off, waiting until she was out of audible range, before turning back to Artemis. ¡°Now what do you want? I mean it¡¯s pretty obvious you don¡¯t like me so it¡¯s got to be important.¡± Artemis grimaced, and opened her mouth before closing it without arguing the point. He waited a moment before turning to see if the Jeffersons had left yet so that he could get going on his own. ¡°Wait, I¡­ I wanted to thank you for having my back at the meeting about the¡­¡± Artemis glanced at a nearby student, ¡°thing we were discussing.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Given how she was keeping him from his Ma he wasn¡¯t really willing to give her the benefit of the doubt there, and was pretty sure she was just buttering him up. ¡°I just don¡¯t like watching people yell at someone who can¡¯t defend themselves.¡± He could still remember what that was like. Artemis winced once more before letting out a sigh. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ fair¡­¡± ¡°Was there something else?¡± He asked after a moment, knowing that there was. ¡°Right, um, the way you instantly listed uses for the¡­ thing.¡± Artemis began awkwardly. ¡°That¡¯s not the kind of thing someone would know without having done some research into¡­ the thing¡¯s source.¡± ¡°One nearly killed me on Halloween, of course I looked into them.¡± He answered bluntly, briefly recalling as (every bone broke and a few tore through flesh, the edges of his vision darkening as the pressure all around him grew ever tighter and he did everything he could to keep his little light from being crushed alongside him.) ¡°Again¡­ fair¡­¡± Artemis nodded uncomfortably. ¡°But the fact that you could look into them so soon after we fought it¡­ together¡­ That''s more than I can say.¡± ¡°Because Ms. Delacroix won¡¯t give you anything on Demonology?¡± He clarified, remembering what Audrey said earlier as well as . ¡°I don¡¯t blame her for that.¡± Artemis was quick to tell him, seemingly more concerned with that than him mentioning Demons in public. ¡°It¡¯s just she¡­ still sees me as the little girl she met a decade ago, and doesn¡¯t want me to dabble in things she considers¡­ dangerous.¡± He¡­ could sympathize with that, given how that was the same reason he was keeping his own research into Demonology from Miss Edna. ¡°That said, this is an opportunity I might not ever get again given the rarity of¡­ things. At least not without putting myself at severe risk.¡± Artemis continued to explain. ¡°Which is why I was hoping¡­ you could help me with the thing instead. Given how you have access to resources I don¡¯t.¡± He considered it for a moment, not entirely sure if it was his place to help her with something her mentor refused to, especially when it came to something as dangerous as Demons. (Which she already fought.) A part of him reminded. (And isn¡¯t that why Miss Edna told you about the Corrupted?) (That was different, the Corrupted were coming no matter what. If she stays away from Demons, then they won¡¯t come for her.) ¡°Look if you help me I¡¯ll give you first dibs on whatever we make out of the arm.¡± Artemis eventually offered. ¡°I mean, as long as we make something for Audrey and Val to keep them sated I¡¯ll even throw in my cut of it.¡± He blinked at that. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that kind of defeat the point you were trying to make earlier? About using it to kit yourselves out rather than selling it off?¡± ¡°It does but at the same time¡­ I¡¯m an Arcane, just figuring out how to work with the Arm and the experience from using it will be enough for me to figure out a few new tricks for myself.¡± Artemis assured him. ¡°But I can¡¯t do any of that without your help, so if that means giving you my physical cut then¡­ I will.¡± He tapped his foot in thought as he considered that offer a little more than he had previously. Mostly because he hadn¡¯t actually been expecting a piece of the arm given how he wasn¡¯t really a member of the Southside Coven, but if he was being offered half of the arm -which even with how he¡¯d only gotten started on the uses of in his books, was as valuable as its weight in diamonds- then it was something legitimately worth considering. (Especially if we can use it to hurt the Horror.) ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll need to go through my things¡­ figure out what I can bring with me but¡­ give me a couple days and I¡¯ll figure out something for us to start with.¡± He told her. With his agreement Artemis gained an immediate look of relief. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet.¡± He warned her. ¡°I still don¡¯t know how this whole thing will turn out.¡± (But at the very least it¡¯s worth looking into.) Trail 55: Personal Lights Trail 55: Personal Lights --- Jon --- ¡°It¡¯s never wrong to help someone in need¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°That¡¯s what you always told me¡­ encouraged me to do¡­¡± His Ma didn¡¯t respond, simply laying there still. (So terribly still¡­) ¡°And I like helping people, but¡­ I know people tend to take advantage of that.¡± (DeSade did, and Audrey admits she does¡­) ¡°Yet, I still help them¡­¡± He felt his Ma would say something along the lines of, (¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re too nice. Which isn¡¯t a bad thing, so long as you remember that some people deserve help more than others. And if you¡¯ve got to pick between the two pick the one who is a victim not the one playing victim to guilt you.¡±) ¡°I know that.¡± He admitted. (The only reason I helped DeSade is because Rosalind needed it and then he was helping me weaken the Beast.) (Alongside threats to his little empire¡­) (Then Audrey was so I could get the bounties on the Creeps¡­) (While she collected her cut.) ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± He ran a hand through his hair before sitting forward. ¡°I¡¯m not, I¡¯m not stupid enough to think people will be my friends just because I help them¡­¡± (Learned that long ago¡­) ¡°But¡­ is it bad I wish it would? That helping people would make everyone nicer and friendlier¡­¡± (¡°No, it¡¯s not but¡­ Niceness, friendliness, justice, they don¡¯t exist because they should. They exist because we make them exist¡­ You can¡¯t control other people, but if you want those things you need to make them happen, even if it means fighting to make them happen because other people won¡¯t let them.¡±) He considered that before nodding. ¡°Help people even if it frustrates you, because a better world is worth fighting for.¡± Scene Consequences -Ma Whitaker is still in a coma. (It has been 1 Week.) --- (Patience, Jon¡­ patience¡­) He told himself exhaling slowly as he watched Pix draw doodles in the air with her light rather than the Script he was trying to get her to learn. (You¡¯ve worked with ADHD kids before, you can handle a fairy with an attention span shorter than herself.) ¡°Sho¡­. what exactly are you trying to do here?¡± Miss Edna wondered, snacking on a bag of pretzels she was splitting with Hoots on her shoulder. ¡°I figured out how to use Pix¡¯s magic to create Spell Scripts in the air, but apparently she doesn¡¯t want to learn any script that doesn¡¯t involve zapping things.¡± He grumbled. Pix looked him dead in the eye before sticking out her tongue. ¡°Oh, that old trick.¡± Miss Edna blinked, before reaching into her pocket. ¡°Yeah, Artemis -that girl I did that one project with- she could do something similar.¡± He half-explained, leaving out the details involving the Beast of Blackwell¡¯s temporary (very temporary) resurrection. ¡°So I was hoping I could get Pix to do something more complex given how much easier it was to use that light in the air than say, using chalk on a brick wall or something.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Miss Edna nodded, looking over a silver ring she¡¯d pulled out of her pocket. The tell-tale lightning of magical electricity sparked over the ring, a mix of greens, grays, and blues dancing over the ring with far more complexity than his own magic usually demonstrated. When the electricity stopped, ¡°Catch.¡± She tossed him the ring without a second look. He fumbled it for a second, the small object bouncing out of his hand when he caught it more on reflex than anything else, before finally catching it on his third swipe and holding the ring up for inspection, noting the faintly glowing inscription now carved inside of it. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A [Light Sketching Ring].¡± Miss Edna answered, before giving him a finger gun and a wink. ¡°With mood lighting attachments, ck-ck¡­ They¡¯re fairly common as far as things go when you want to write out a spell and edit it, but people tend to pick up bad habits if they don¡¯t learn how to draw by hand first.¡± ¡°So should I use the ring or keep drawing by hand?¡± He had to ask, given how he hadn¡¯t even been practicing magic for half a year, and Script Craft had been there for less than half that time. ¡°Eh, using the ring won¡¯t hurt in a pinch but I¡¯d still stick to the more physical scripts at least until you can draw¡­ one per minute by hand?¡± Miss Edna shrugged. ¡°Honestly, aside from checking my math on more complex Enchantments, Script Craft isn¡¯t really my thing. I¡¯ve just known enough script artists to pick up a trick or two.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He slipped the ring onto his index finger, feeling like that would be the easiest given how he¡¯d seen Artemis use hers. With a hand on his amulet he pushed a bit of magic into his hand before tapping his index against his thumb twice, causing a few colored sparks with each tap before drawing a few pale blue squiggles in the air. Something Pix immediately took interest in as she fluttered over watching the light with interest, before copying the squiggles in her own pink light. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Remembering how Artemis had edited her own Light Script, he brushed his thumb over the light, clearing it away before drawing a circle in the air with his index finger. One he immediately drew a larger circle around with a thicker line by putting his index and middle finger together to draw it. Pix watched him before clearing the squiggles she¡¯d drawn and mimicking the circles he¡¯d put into the air. (Well at the very least this¡¯ll make it easier to teach her.) He thought, knowing if he said anything the stubborn little fairy would begin ignoring him once more. ¡°Hmm, interesting¡­¡± Miss Edna mumbled watching him with narrowed eyes. ¡°What is?¡± He wondered curiously. Miss Edna made a face that just told him she was suppressing her actual thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s just you seem to really know what you¡¯re doing with that ring without any help.¡± ¡°Yeah, I watched Artemis use hers so it¡¯s pretty straightforward.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I see, so you were pretty focused on this girl.¡± Miss Edna grinned. ¡°This girl you have a study date with on a saturday, hmm?¡± He frowned. ¡°No. No¡­ Bad Miss Edna.¡± Scene Consequences -Jon gained 2 XP to Spell Scripts. --Currently: Spell Scripts Lv. 4 (7/10). -Pix gained 1 level to Light Scripts. --Currently: Pix Light Scripts Lv. 4. -Jon can now teach Pix how to use Spell Scripts that she¡¯ll use on her own, but at her current level she can only learn 1 Spell Script each. -Thanks to Miss Edna Jon has gained: [(Mood) Light Sketching Ring] --Grants [Freeform Scripts (I)] a stackable effect reducing the time to create a Spell Script mid combat by 1. (I.E. Base: Very Long Action, (I): Long Action, (II): Standard Action, (III): Quick Action.) --Also changes color based on Jon¡¯s mood and intent. --- He couldn¡¯t help but pause half way down the bus as he found Val sitting there with a girl who was probably twelve or so years old. (A sister?) He guessed given their physical similarities, though he also had to note that the way they carried themselves was practically day and night. With Val looking tired and a little on guard in her darker clothes and jacket, while her sister wore brighter colors and looked to be excited about something as the little one rambled about a fantasy novel involving witches or some such. (Wonder if she realizes her sister is a witch?) He was going to pass them by, figuring that whatever the two were doing wasn¡¯t really his business but a second after feeling something turn its attention on him, Val¡¯s eyes snapped to him. (She must have the Scarecrow keeping watch.) He realized upon noticing the odd shape of some of the nearby shadows as well as the fact that no one was sitting within several seats of the sisters¡¯ despite the city bus being relatively full on the weekend. (And it must be scaring people off to give them space.) Part of him felt that was a little much, but at the same time he didn¡¯t have a little sister and if he thought about it, he realized he¡¯d probably be just as protective if he did. (Though with less Demon and more blood.) ¡°You moving?¡± Someone behind him asked. ¡°Oh, uh, sorry.¡± He blinked, snapping out of it and taking a seat, one that just so happened to be next to Val and her sister. (Great¡­) He tapped his fingers on his thumb in a cycling rhythm as he felt a slight awkwardness in the fact that Val was still watching him, making him wonder if he should¡¯ve said hi. (No, then I¡¯d be intruding on their family time¡­ Or is it ruder to just ignore her?) After a moment Val¡¯s sister leaned over to see what her elder sister was staring at before asking, ¡°Uh, do you two know each other?¡± He grimaced and glanced at Val with a curious look, given how he very much doubted she wanted him to say. ¡®Yeah, we tried to kill a Demon together on Halloween.¡¯ Much more reasonably, Val answered, ¡°We go to school together.¡± ¡°Oh, like you and Artemis!¡± The younger Alejo nodded cheerfully. ¡°Is he part of your study group too?¡± ¡°Uh, Artemis invited me to¡­ help with something, because I¡¯m, uh, good at what she needs help with.¡± He answered, despite the fact that it was less, he was ¡®good¡¯ at Demonology so much as he had access to actual books on the subject. ¡°I don¡¯t think I count as part of their ¡®group¡¯ myself though.¡± Val gave him a look before rolling her eyes. ¡°You hang around us enough you might as well at this point.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure about that -given the current lack of a threat, or profit for them- but he didn¡¯t see the point in arguing about it either. ¡°Well, I¡¯m Elena!¡± The younger Alejo introduced cheerfully as she leaned across her sister and offered him a hand. A hand he shook with a mix of amusement and bemusement at the interaction, noting how (she really is more cheerful than Val.) ¡°Uh, Jon¡­ No H.¡± Scene Consequences -Scene Synergy: In addition to offering training, Val will join this Turn¡¯s [Path To Power] Project. --- ¡°Oh, you¡¯re¡­ both here¡­ together¡­¡± Artemis greeted upon seeing him and Val, something briefly flickering on her face before she shook her head. ¡°We ran into each other on the bus.¡± Val shrugged, Elena having run off to look for a book to check out while they searched for the Arcane. ¡°So how exactly are we doing this? I¡¯ve got Elena with me and I promised to take her out to the movies when we¡¯re done here.¡± Artemis coughed into her hand. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve secured us this study space for ourselves and have a perception filter ready to ward any eavesdroppers off¡­ the Scarecrow will tell you if she starts looking for you, yes?¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s keeping an eye on her while we¡¯re here.¡± Val nodded. ¡°He¡¯ll let me know if she needs anything.¡± ¡°Good then we can get started.¡± Artemis nodded, snapping her fingers and causing a pink spell circle -(That she probably made with her own Light Sketching Ring.)- to surge to life as it spun through the air. ¡°And what exactly are we getting started on?¡± Val asked. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ll help with whatever, but Script Craft is my specialty and I¡¯m not exactly sure how that¡¯ll help with the Horror¡¯s arm thing you two are working on.¡± ¡°Well yes, but after a year of mentorship from the Scarecrow I¡¯m sure you have a more¡­ unique understanding of Demons than most other students of Demonology.¡± Artemis pointed out. ¡°Which I¡¯m hoping when combined with¡­ Jon¡¯s books will result in us finding¡­ something of value we can use the arm for. Speaking of, you did bring your books, right?¡± He slung his pack off of his back. ¡°Yeah, just give me a second.¡± It had taken a fair bit of debating on his part which books he¡¯d share with Artemis. In part because while he was sure the more of his books he shared the more he¡¯d get out of this little research project, he was also aware of the fact that a number of the books DeSade had given him were¡­ less than legal. (And that¡¯s before we get into the fact that one book is definitely made from the skin of¡­ something.) But he had eventually decided that given the fact that Artemis was friends with both Audrey and Val, a probable drug dealer and a Demon summoner respectively, he was willing to risk bringing his [Scene Choice]. Southside Coven: Path To Power (Pt. 2) Southside Coven: Path To Power (Pt. 2) --- Jon --- Maybe bringing all of his Demonology books was a bit of a risk, but at the very least it was less so than bringing all of his Dark Arts books or revealing that he had dark arts books beyond Demonology which unless you encountered a Demon was largely a theoretical field. And while some of the books just going off of their titles were¡­ blasphemous depending on one¡¯s beliefs, he felt that wasn¡¯t really something he needed to worry about, (especially not when they both work with the Scarecrow.) ¡°This is¡­ more than I was expecting.¡± Artemis admitted once he finished unloading the dozen or so books he¡¯d brought with him. (Yeah, apparently DeSade considers a small library to equate to knowledge.) He silently agreed, knowing that the man had given him several dozen books in total. Something he hadn¡¯t quite realized until he¡¯d opened one with a false lining and an expansion enchantment similar to his pack. (I really should¡¯ve gone through everything a bit more before bringing these¡­ Speaking of¡­) ¡°Be careful some of these are¡­ old.¡± He warned them, less worried they¡¯d damage the books and more the books would damage them. Something he hadn¡¯t been worried about until when going through things he discovered that one of his Flesh Sculpting books was apparently alive when it tried to bite him. ¡°No need to worry, I''ve dealt with plenty of old tomes while helping Miss Edme.¡± Artemis assured him, picking up a text as her eyes flashed blue for a moment. ¡°Besides these books seem to have a number of protective enchantments to keep them safe.¡± ¡°Yeah, uh, I don¡¯t think this book is made of paper.¡± Val noted drawing their attention towards the third teen who sounded -not afraid but- mildly disgusted as she looked at a leather bound book. In her hand a little bird skeleton rose from a shadow cast by nothing, before Val brought it up to the book. The bird licked the page before smacking its (beak(?)) and tilting its head to the side. After a moment the fleshless bird cawed, ¡°Cabra.¡± ¡°Okay, it¡¯s made from goat skin.¡± Val shrugged, looking less disgusted as she started to skim through the book the bird climbing onto her shoulder to do the same. ¡°It¡¯s probably just parchment instead of paper.¡± He told her, not wanting to point out that he¡¯d come across at least one book he did not bring that he was pretty sure was in fact made of human skin. ¡°No different than leather being made from cowhide¡­¡± (Yeah, I can¡¯t actually buy that.) ¡°Quite¡­¡± Artemis agreed, though with some reluctance as she seemed to more carefully examine which books she was bringing closer to herself than him or Val. ¡°So what exactly should we be looking for?¡± He asked, separating Demonic Details from the rest in case he needed reference for what little he already knew. ¡°Anything that can give us a use for the arm, information for working with it, or even warnings on what shouldn¡¯t be done with it.¡± Artemis listed, opening one of the books. ¡°So pretty much anything that looks useful.¡± Val summarized dryly as she began flicking through the book. ¡°Pretty much.¡± Artemis admitted with a sigh. After divvying up the books -with him cautiously nudging it so that either he or Val would end up with the more¡­ controversial materials- they each got to work skimming through everything in the hopes of finding somewhere to begin brainstorming this project. Though it wasn¡¯t even ten minutes before one of them began taking issue with the material in hand, though surprisingly the one taking issue wasn¡¯t the one he thought it¡¯d be. ¡°Okay, this pendejo is clearly racist.¡± Val commented after a few minutes. ¡°And not just this guy, at least half of these putas are.¡± ¡°Well¡­ some of them are a hundred years old. That was back before people started calling those guys out and rebelling against it.¡± He pointed out, having come across one or two passages that made him uncomfortable himself. ¡°I mean I¡¯d do something if I saw it today, but we can¡¯t really change the past so¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right, it¡¯s probably best to simply ignore their more racial attitudes and try to stick to the more factual elements of their Demonology.¡± Artemis agreed before picking up her book. ¡°If you want we can trade books, the worst this guy is mentioning is something involving the french revolution and I think an attempt to use Demons to wipe out the royal bloodline.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing,¡± Val frowned. ¡°All of these books are clearly racist against Demons.¡± He blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ what?¡± Artemis repeated in equal confusion. ¡°These books they all, well, they demonize Demons.¡± Val tried to explain, (and absolutely failing to do so.) ¡°I¡¯m uh, I¡¯m going to need you to explain this a little better.¡± He told her, given how as far as his own readings went they simply listed out the factually predatory nature most Demons had with humanity. (Which is why we should just slaughter them all.) ¡°Yes, while I am aware that the Scarecrow has a largely positive relationship with you due to your contract, I¡¯ve never fooled myself into believing he wouldn¡¯t attack me the moment you let him off his leash.¡± Artemis added, requesting the same clarification. Val paused and seemed to be having a conversation with herself. His eyes drifted to the fleshless bird on her shoulder, (or rather the Scarecrow always in her shadow.) ¡°Okay, right, so since you brought him up let¡¯s use the Scarecrow as an example. Tell me, ignoring the fact that he¡¯s a Demon, what is the purpose of a scarecrow?¡± Val asked. ¡°The kind you hang up in a field.¡± ¡°Uh, to scare off animals that would threaten crops?¡± He answered a little unsurely. ¡°Though they¡¯re mostly being used as decorations now that pesticides and electronics can do the same more efficiently.¡± ¡°?A la mierda esos reemplazos sin valor!¡± The shadows around them hissed as they wreathed in anger. ¡°Yeah¡­ don¡¯t bring those up again.¡± Val warned him looking more amused than angry as she petted the skeletal bird on her shoulder. ¡°Anyway, yeah, for thousands of years scarecrows were used to scare off birds and other pests that would threaten a harvest. Which is part of why they developed the name Scare-Crow, when depending on the culture they could symbolically mean more than that be it protectors, symbols of death and resurrection, sacrifice, or a number of other things.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Protector¡­¡± He noted, something he¡¯d been a little concerned about clicking into place. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re okay with a fear demon watching your sister by itself.¡± ¡°Himself.¡± Val corrected irritably. ¡°But yeah, [Protector] while not his strongest concept is a core part of his container. I give him something to watch and he¡¯ll scare off anything that threatens it, because he¡¯s not simply a Fear Demon, he¡¯s a Scarecrow Demon which is like¡­ insectos y bichos.¡± The skeletal bird squawked in indignation. ¡°Right, he¡¯s a Fear Demon but he¡¯s got more to him than just that.¡± He summarized, unbothered by said Demon¡¯s irritation. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing that your point is that his other aspects can make him beneficial to humanity rather than¡­¡± He trailed off, aware that (parasitic) was an insult the other teen wouldn¡¯t accept. ¡°Predatory, I know you¡¯ve mentioned he takes pride in being predatory to humanity. Which goes against that theory when he enjoys scaring humans and eating souls.¡± Artemis pointed out, while giving Val a look he couldn¡¯t quite decipher the meaning of. Val rolled her eyes. ¡°Pragmatically, miedo is an easy source of power that doesn¡¯t kill people, and I¡¯m also playing the ¡®Vigilance scares people for fun¡¯ card on that one.¡± ¡°What about that bit about souls?¡± He pressed, remembering what the Pale Lady had warned him about a Demon, souls, and children. A factor he was far more concerned with given his own preference for scare tactics. ¡°The soul shards are made by the Delacroixs.¡± Val told them, before giving Artemis a pointed look of her own. ¡°Would your ¡®Miss Edme¡¯ let them use a resource that hurts people?¡± ¡°No.¡± Artemis admitted looking unhappy to be doing so. ¡°And you didn¡¯t have any problem using a soul shard on Halloween.¡± Val reminded him. ¡°As long as it¡¯s made from the exhaust of a soul rather than the core it can regenerate without killing someone.¡± He explained, not mentioning that he also knew from DeSade that using the core of a soul would offer exponentially more power to wielder than those exhausts. ¡°Exactly, meaning when you put the two together you get a safe source of soul fragments to keep him fed and growing without killing anyone.¡± Val summarized for them. ¡°Just because Espanta is a Demon doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s evil.¡± The three of them were silent after that, each processing their¡­ discussion. As they did this his eyes drifted towards the little bird on Val¡¯s shoulder and the way he was petting the top of its head (right between her antenna.) He blinked before shaking his head. Eventually his hand rose up to the mark on his chest, contracting him to Pix, and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how he¡¯d react to someone judging her based on the more¡­ infamous legends involving the fae. Something (I wouldn¡¯t like¡­) His thoughts drifted towards Ying and her draconic nature, then Wolf, and even Noctis to an extent before he found himself running a hand down his face as he realized he¡¯d argue against any negatives towards their various natures. Just like Val, after all (she¡¯s just looking out for her friend¡­) ¡°Right, so¡­ Demons are essentially elementals born when Necro and Madness influence Anima give less than usual concepts sapience. In the case of the Scarecrow, his core concept would be [Scarecrow] which then has the derived concepts of [Fear], [Protector], and¡­ he has both [Resurrection] and [Death]?¡± Val watched him for a moment, before answering, ¡°S¨ª, which is why he has a fairly solid handle on Necromancy, but he¡¯s not just limited to those he has any concept connected to [Scarecrow].¡± ¡°Necromancy?¡± He repeated, a bit surprised by that. ¡°Remember those crow things I threw at you during our fight?¡± Val asked. ¡°That was a type of Necromancy.¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve bet on flesh sculpting, given the whole shapeshifting thing.¡± He admitted. Val made a so-so gesture and shrugged. ¡°Supposedly the two go hand in hand, but he doesn¡¯t want me dabbling with that until I have a better understanding of things. The actual shape shifting is a cross of [Fear] and [Change] due to the whole-¡± The skeletal bird pecked her. ¡°Ow, what?¡± The fleshless bird glared at her for a moment, and Val rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine, pendejo paranoica.¡± The Scarecrow¡¯s keeper muttered before more audibly telling them, ¡°Espanta says if we¡¯re doing this we should focus on the Horror not him.¡± ¡°Right, the Horror.¡± Artemis coughed, seemingly snapping out of her thoughts. ¡°The Horror is also a [Fear] Demon, but as the Scarecrow¡­ Espanta, has pointed out that¡¯s not the only thing connected to the Horror conceptually¡­ Though beyond possibly [Horror] I have no idea what kind of concepts it would have.¡± ¡°Sombra, er, shadows?¡± Val offered after a moment. ¡°I mean it had those giant arm things that made it a real pain in the ass at the end.¡± ¡°It also dabbled in Madness.¡± He threw out, before glancing at the Scarecrow. ¡°More so than¡­ your friend¡¯s fear effects. All night it was messing with my perception of things but, I¡¯m also¡­ sensitive to Madness so that might¡¯ve just been me.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t just you but you were¡­¡± Artemis shook her head, cutting off whatever she was going to say. ¡°So, [Fear], [Shadows], and possibly Madness which is not something I want to touch honestly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best.¡± He agreed, knowing other people weren¡¯t quite as used to having brain aneurysms as him. ¡°It¡¯s also probably got something involving insects, just given the way it looked.¡± Val added. ¡°A Demon¡¯s form is usually tied into its core concepts somehow.¡± ¡°Which would fit the various creeps it summoned¡­ Though that does make me wonder if the fact that it has such a massive army is something we should also look into?¡± Artemis asked. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Val looked at the Scarecrow¡¯s smaller form for a moment. ¡°Not really, apparently a lot of Demons have small armies working for them.¡± The bird began flapping around in agitation. ¡°Espanta says it¡¯s only the ones that are cheap putas who do that though.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if he agreed with that given how much trouble the Horror gave them on Halloween, but then he remembered the Beast of Blackwell and its army of Corrupted. (You know what, yeah, I agree with the Scarecrow.) ¡°Still based on what you said, it would be a good idea to look into the history of the Horror, not just the Demonology we can make use of.¡± Artemis noted, leaning back in her seat as she seemed to consider something. ¡°It¡¯ll take a bit of¡­ convincing on my end, but I can probably talk Miss Edme into giving me more on the history of the Horror and the haunt. It wouldn¡¯t help us directly with using it, but in light of everything here it might show us an avenue we wouldn¡¯t usually consider.¡± ¡°Yeah, and-¡± Val stilled for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°Elena is heading this way, I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s getting impatient for that movie she wanted to see.¡± ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ll be leaving then.¡± Artemis asked, tapping her fingers on the table. ¡°S¨ª.¡± Val nodded as she stood from her seat. ¡°Thought we¡¯d have more time, but whatever.¡± ¡°Right, uh,¡± Artemis¡¯s eyes darted between him, Val, and the books. ¡°Stay safe?¡± Val stared at the other girl for a moment before rolling her eyes once more. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do that duende.¡± Val assured her before stopping in front of him. ¡°Oh, and corazoncito.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah?¡± He blinked upon realizing she was addressing him. ¡°You hurt her, I kill you.¡± Val bluntly promised, the lights above flickering as her eyes turned pitch black. ¡°?Comprende?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah?¡± He answered once more, not entirely getting why she was telling him this but able to appreciate someone who was both upfront about things and protective of their friends. Val nodded as the lights quit flickering and her eyes returned to normal. ¡°Muy bien.¡± She told him, patting his shoulder as she passed him by. He followed Val with his eyes as she walked away before turning to a faintly smiling Artemis. ¡°Um, any idea what that was about?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Artemis admitted with no elaboration as she once more began to read, a smile on her face. ¡°Right¡­¡± He sighed upon realizing she wasn¡¯t going to answer him, before deciding it was best to just get back to reading himself. (Is this what people mean about boys not getting girls? Because these are the only girls I don¡¯t get.) Scene Consequences -Thanks to Val¡¯s assistance Jon and Artemis have both gained XP to Demonology, reduced to 2XP due to splitting the lesson between two people. --Currently: Jon¡¯s Demonology Lv. 4 (7/10). -Thanks to Val gained (1/2) progress for ??? Demonology Perk. -Horror''s Arm Project Progress --For sharing all Demonology books potential for all sub-projects have been doubled. --For not sharing any Dark Arts books all [Dark Art] possibilities -excluding Demonology- have been locked. --Due to scene synergy of inviting Val, Artemis shall research additional possible concepts for all sub-projects. Trail 56: Friends And Family, New And Old Trail 56: Friends And Family, New And Old --- Jon --- ¡°So what exactly is it you¡¯re hoping I can help with?¡± Miss Edna asked as she sat down next to Ying on his couch handing the younger woman a mug of something, while he and Pix sat across from them in the living room spreading several notebook pages out in front of him. ¡°Right, so uh, Ying¡¯s told you about her mom, right?¡± He checked, glancing more at Ying than Miss Edna, since he wasn¡¯t actually sure how much the other teen wanted him to share. ¡°I know her mom ¡®s a bitch.¡± Miss Edna answered, calmly sipping at her mug. ¡°Miss Edna!¡± ¡°No, no, she¡¯s right.¡± Ying interrupted, similarly sipping at her own mug. ¡°My mom ¡®s a bitch.¡± He bit back his response to that, knowing that while he might wish for Ying to have a better relationship with her mom given his own situation with his Ma, it also wasn¡¯t actually his place to comment on it. ¡°Right, well¡­ Ying asked me for help getting her out of her house.¡± He made himself continue. ¡°So you want my help sneaking her out.¡± Miss Edna snapped with a wink. ¡°Whatcha thinking kid, a moonlight invisibility spell? Nah, that would only work at night unless we doubled down on the light conceptuality to mitigate it, or added some Hunter sneakiness to it. Ooh, what about using Ying¡¯s storm winds to create a lift so she can just jump out and do a superhero landing?¡± ¡°Um, actually I was thinking more of a summoning contract¡­ Sort of like what I¡¯ve got going with Pix?¡± He corrected her, showing off his notes on Contracting and hoping she wouldn¡¯t notice the bits he spliced in from DeSade¡¯s books. ¡°The thing is I¡¯m having some trouble with working around her Incarnate spell system, and was hoping you might have a work around of some kind.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s¡­ boring.¡± Miss Edna actually looked disappointed. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know why the incarnate thing would be a problem. If anything it¡¯d be the only thing making the contract viable given how you¡¯re both the same species and from the same world, though you¡¯d still need the system to trust you enough to authorize raising your contracting capacity to a suitable limit, but you¡¯re nice enough the system should just be throwing contracts at you.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± He blinked, because that went both for and against several things he¡¯d learned thus far about contracting. ¡°I just have to do the same contracting ritual?¡± Miss Edna looked between him and Ying before snorting. ¡°You two didn¡¯t even try the spell you used on Pix did you?¡± ¡°I¡­ assumed the Incarnate rule was in play¡­¡± Ying grimace. ¡°Nah, if anything it would make the system more likely to allow it.¡± Miss Edna waved her off, before seeming to actually think about it. ¡°Especially with your Madness Corruption, given how the Nexus piggybacks off of Madness¡¯s easier realm travels to make the system hyper efficient to the point where summoning actually generates more magic than a person spends to cast a summoning. Which then went into this whole payment system Memento set up to cause a cross-dimensional spread of magic, thus propagating even greater magical potential and Anima growth than the more magically barren lands could pull off. It¡¯s part of why the system doesn¡¯t usually allow ¡®same species, same world¡¯ summons due to causing a stressor on that part of the overall engine with Madness not liking it.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s, huh¡­¡± (That all¡­ fits¡­) It also reminded him that sometimes he forgot Miss Edna was one of the first students of the Arcane Association. (She probably picked up a lot of high end secrets from them.) ¡°I¡¯m also pretty sure Mem, only allowed that feature due to trying to bang one of every sapient species in the multiverse.¡± Miss Edna continued, (completely ruining it.) ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s a¡­ goal.¡± Ying admitted. ¡°Yeah, thinking about it, it''s probably for the best that Jon hasn¡¯t gained access to that level of contracting yet.¡± Miss Edna nodded. ¡°Wha- why?¡± He frowned, feeling like he should be deeply offended. Miss Edna looked at Pix and then at Ying, before returning her gaze to him. ¡°Hey, when¡¯s your next meeting with that elf you went on a date with?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call her an elf, I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s offensive.¡± He scolded, knowing part of that was Miss Edna being close to seventy years old rather than an actual intent to offend. ¡°And it wasn¡¯t a date.¡± ¡°Yeah, probably for the best not to introduce Jon to the greater multiverse.¡± Ying agreed, a moment late, apparently having figured out whatever Miss Edna was getting at. ¡°There¡¯s enough dead in our world as it is.¡± Miss Edna let out a bark of laughter at that for whatever reason. (They¡¯re just joking¡­) He told himself. (They¡¯re not talking about¡­) (Dead eyes stared back at him and he found he couldn¡¯t look away.) He shook his head before inhaling and exhaling, ¡°Right, so back on topic, you¡¯re saying I just need to go through the contracting ritual with Ying and we¡¯ll be set?¡± Miss Edna calmed down before taking another sip from her mug. ¡°Yeah, but I wouldn¡¯t actually go that route if your goal is just to sneak her out of her parent¡¯s house for a night on the town.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Ying asked. ¡°It¡¯s uh, the Familiar Contract which is the variant I gave Jon to use on Pix, is a permanent long-term thing¡­ that I think you two might be a bit young for.¡± Miss Edna tried to explain. ¡°And if you guys want to go that route I won¡¯t stop you, but I¡¯d prefer you did it for better reasons than simply sneaking out of her house.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He nodded, before asking. ¡°Is there a reason for that?¡± ¡°Several¡­ but -Phew, okay grown up talk you two- basically this would be the equivalent of you getting her name tattooed on you, in probably a fairly large font size. Like a cannot be hidden or covered up font size.¡± His second parent elaborated. ¡°And I¡¯m sure you both get why, that¡¯s a bit of a commitment at your age regardless of how you two define your relationship, right?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ying blushed a bit, before coughing into her hand. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a bit¡­ extreme¡­ I suppose¡­¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t really seen it that way with Pix¡¯s contract, nor had he really considered it with the others due to those marks applying to his back, but even with his¡­ social issues he could see the¡­ implications of doing that. ¡°Phew, good.¡± Miss Edna sighed looking extremely relieved. ¡°But then¡­ how are we going to help Ying get out more?¡± He frowned, looking down at his apparently worthless notes. ¡°I mean, do we try that invisibility thing?¡± Instead of answering him, Miss Edna looked at Ying thoughtfully. ¡°Actually, put a pin in that one for yourself. I think this one would be best for me to help Ying myself.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ying blinked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to be in town til the end of the month even if Jon¡¯s ma wakes up tomorrow, so seeing as how I¡¯m also your magic teacher I should be the one helping you with this. Strong independent young woman to strong independent younger woman.¡± Miss Edna glanced at him. ¡°No offense to the male in the room.¡± He raised both his hands. ¡°I¡¯m a feminist.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t actually¡­ use magic like¡­ that.¡± Ying gestured towards him. ¡°Eh, you¡¯re an Incarnate even if it''s a little more raw than the practitioners stuff I teach Jon, I¡¯ve still got a fair few tricks to teach you like when I showed you how to throw your lightning bolts and such.¡± Miss Edna assured her. ¡°Hells I can probably teach you a few shapeshifter tricks you haven¡¯t even thought of.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Ying asked, not completely dismissing the idea. ¡°Ooh!¡± Miss Edna¡¯s eyes started to glow as she grew a smile. ¡°You¡¯re a Dragon!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Ying nodded. ¡°That means I can teach you how to fly!¡± Scene Consequences -Miss Edna is now helping Ying with her escape plans. --Ying¡¯s development priorities have shifted. -Jon has gained 1XP to Occult and Contracting: Summons. --Currently: Occult Lv. 8 (4/18) and Contracting: Summons Lv. 6 (6/14). --- If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Having been kicked out of his own house while Ying and Miss Edna work on their project, he found himself making his way towards the hospital once more. Only half way there he received a reminder text that had him figuring, (why not?) Which is why he ended up taking a detour to Daisy¡¯s apartment for the first cooking club since Halloween. A night he was pretty sure neither of them would bring up given the whole ¡®escape from the Hunter life¡¯ the club was supposed to be. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so glad you could make it!¡± Daisy clapped welcoming him into her apartment. ¡°Travis is still on the way, but I finally get to introduce you to the last member of our little club!¡± (New people¡­ yay¡­) He held back his grimace as Daisy walked him to her kitchen where a tall pale woman with long midnight black hair wearing glasses and a plaid shirt sat reading a book. The woman looked up from her book and blinked. ¡°Oh, I¡­ don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met.¡± ¡°Edme, allow me to introduce the newest member of our little club, Jon¡­ No H. He¡¯s weird about that.¡± Daisy added in a whisper. ¡°It¡¯s not that weird.¡± He tried to argue. ¡°I see¡­¡± The woman smiled seemingly amused, before placing a hand to her chest. ¡°Well I¡¯m Edme Delacroix, and it is a pleasure to meet you Jon with no H.¡± ¡°Delacroix¡­ you¡¯re related to Sam?¡± He guessed with a tilt of his head. ¡°Yes, well several Sams actually, but I¡¯m guessing you mean my daughter Samantha.¡± Ms. Delacroix smiled as he idly noted Daisy scampering around the kitchen. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± He rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°We, uh, met at the Witch¡¯s Wares.¡± Ms. Delacroix snapped her fingers. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re that Jon. The one that my daughter dragged to the meeting about the Haunt a couple of weeks ago.¡± The older woman grew a frown. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry about that, I told her she¡¯d be fine with just her and her brother but she insisted she needed at least three people after Artemis and her friends left the shop.¡± ¡°You¡­ know Artemis too?¡± He asked, just as quickly remembering the answer in Artemis and Val mentioning a ¡®Ms. Edme¡¯ during their meetings. (Well that, and all the city¡¯s magic users seem to know each other) ¡°Yes, she¡¯s my apprentice.¡± Ms. Delacroix nodded, with a proud smile. ¡°She may¡¯ve completed her certifications, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯ll always be my student.¡± He nodded. ¡°Yeah, she uh, she talks about you a lot.¡± (Or she¡¯s mentioned you the few times we¡¯ve gotten along at least.) ¡°I see, well I¡¯m glad she¡¯s making new friends.¡± Ms. Delacroix told him. ¡°She¡¯s always had trouble trusting new people I¡¯m afraid. So the fact that she likes you enough to mention me is reassuring in a way.¡± ¡°Heh, yeah¡­¡± (If we could actually be considered friends instead of¡­ whatever we are anyway¡­ coworkers?) Deciding it¡¯d be more awkward to correct her misconception he instead turned his attention towards Daisy returning with a tray of several steaming cups of some kind. ¡°I figured for today¡¯s meeting we could keep things relatively simple with¡­ magical tea blends.¡± Daisy explained setting the tray down. ¡°So¡­ flavorful potions?¡± He summarized, looking down at the tea tray. ¡°And cookies.¡± Daisy added rushing to the oven. ¡°My, it seems like you had everything made before the club could meet.¡± Ms. Delacroix noted picking up a tea cup. ¡°That somewhat defeats the purpose of said meeting.¡± ¡°I just made the first blend.¡± Daisy assured them. ¡°I¡¯ve a dozen more for us to mix and match, and this one is a simple blend rather than anything fun.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He picked up a tea cup before shrugging and taking a sip. (Can¡¯t be any worse than the Cheshire¡¯s Death March. Actually I wonder if I can make the Death March?) If there was a place to try it it was here. --- ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± Travis asked as they all gathered around a teapot, even Daisy too stunned to call him out on his cursing. ¡°Coffee?¡± Jon answered, not actually sure if this still counted as coffee. Travis stared at him with narrowed eyes. ¡°Are you asking or telling me that?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Come now, I doubt this is¡­ as bad as it looks.¡± Ms. Delacroix offered, only to pale as the steam coming out of the pot made a particularly large skull in the air. Which was only notable due to the size, given how the pot had been releasing little skulls into the air for a few minutes now. ¡°What the fuck did you even put in this?¡± Travis frowned, taking a step back. ¡°I know for a fact none of the shit we were using could do¡­ this¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t actually know¡­¡± He admitted, a little unnerved by the fact that once he started to make the Cheshire¡¯s Death March his memory got a little¡­ staticky. (Maybe replicating an eldritch horror¡¯s coffee was a bad idea¡­) He promptly ignored the way the shadows seemed to laugh, though not without noticing that Travis was the only one to jump at the laughter. ¡°Yeah, no. I¡¯m not touching this.¡± Travis told them, raising both of his hands. ¡°Someone else pour this shit down the drain.¡± ¡°What no, that¡¯d be¡­ a waste¡­¡± Daisy tried to argue, looking like she was regretting it as soon as she said it. ¡°Besides it¡¯d be rude to just¡­ throw it away after Jon made it.¡± ¡°You can throw it away.¡± He assured them. (Actually I¡¯d prefer if you just dumped it.) ¡°No this is the first time you¡¯ve cooked with Edme, if we simply throw it away away she¡¯ll think you¡¯re a bad cook.¡± Daisy warned with no small amount of concern. ¡°I¡­ am okay with that.¡± He confessed. ¡°I can always try again some other time.¡± ¡°Yes, everyone makes a mistake once in a while, I am sure he¡¯s a perfectly fine chef the rest of the time.¡± Ms. Delacroix nodded. Daisy frowned at all of them before quickly taking the pot and pouring out a cup. ¡°Uh, Daisy¡­¡± He moved to stop her but before he could she¡¯d already downed the cup. The usually hyperactive woman froze. ¡°Is¡­ is she going to be okay?¡± He asked, really hoping he hadn¡¯t put anything toxic in the cup while he¡¯d¡­ blacked out. ¡°I don¡¯t know kid, you¡¯re the one who made the stuff.¡± Travis swallowed looking a little nervous as he reached out to take the cup from Daisy¡¯s frozen fingers. When Travis was mere inches from Daisy, she suddenly moved her entire form changing faster than they could process as the cup appeared on the table and stared at her fellow Hunter with pinprick pupils. ¡°Dais?¡± Travis chuckled nervously. Daisy began spasming suddenly flickering through several poses as laughter filled the air before stopping as her head thudded against the counter. ¡°Should¡­ should we call a doctor? I can uh, I can summon Pix to heal her?¡± He offered. ¡°Can you summon a priest?¡± Ms. Delacroix asked him. ¡°That might work better.¡± Daisy began to let out a high pitch whistling sound and they all slowly backed away from her. ¡°Thatwassogood!!!¡± The woman screamed somehow standing on her chair before stepping onto the counter and quickly rushing in front of Travis. ¡°Youhavetotrythis!!!¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Travis blinked, before Daisy disappeared. ¡°Youhavetomakememore!!!¡± Daisy cried, suddenly appearing in front of Jon and clutching his cheeks. ¡°WhyareyoumovingsoslowJon!?!?!¡± Just as quickly as she appeared she quickly disappeared as she crawled across the counter until she was in front of Ms. Delacroix. ¡°EdmeEdmeEdmeEdmeEdmeEdme!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The other woman grimaced as if she didn¡¯t wish to answer. Daisy stared at her for a moment before smiling. ¡°Hi!!!¡± With that Daisy scrabbled off of the counter and into her living room where she mid-giggle she passed out motionless on the floor. The world was silent as they all stared at the woman laying on the ground without moving, her faint breathing the only reason they didn¡¯t think her dead. Eventually Ms. Delacroix deigned to break the silence by telling him, ¡°Jon¡­ you are never making coffee again. I will bind you in a geass if I have to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ fair¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Cooking and Potioneering. --Currently: Cooking Lv. 9 (4/20) and Potioneering Lv. 6 (10/14) -Gained [Death March #26] potion: --As a Potion: Fully restore this unit¡¯s Stamina and negate all other Stamina gains for the rest of Combat. At the end of this unit¡¯s first Turn each Round consume 1 Stamina to grant them an immediate second Turn. When Stamina is fully depleted remove this unit from combat. --As a Candy: Fully restore this unit¡¯s stamina, and then grant the user an immediate Turn whenever another unit ends their Turn until the end of this unit¡¯s next natural Turn. Then roll for a heart attack. --- ¡°That was an ordeal¡­¡± He admitted, having just finished relaying a¡­ mildly edited version of today¡¯s cooking club as he sat in her hospital room. His Ma didn¡¯t respond to his story, but after a minute he began to hear a faint ringing from nearby. With a frown on his face, a quick investigation led him to a small closet. More specifically a bag inside filled with his Ma¡¯s clothes and everything she¡¯d had on her on Halloween. The ringing was coming from her phone sitting at a little over ten percent. Of course he was less concerned with that and more concerned with the name on the phone¡¯s caller ID. John. He stared at the phone for a moment and thought, (Oh.) before looking at his comatose mother and thinking, (Oh¡­) For a brief moment he thought about not answering, before shaking his head. (No, I need to answer¡­) He answered the phone and held it to his ear, ¡°Hey, big John.¡± ¡°Oh, little Jon?¡± His uncle said, seemingly surprised. ¡°Hey, bud, uh, how are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± he glanced at his Ma again, ¡°as good as I can be¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, but uh, where¡¯s your mom? I haven¡¯t really heard from her in a while and so I figured she probably got caught up in her job. Like she sometimes does¡­ So I uh, figured I¡¯d call but then you answered¡­ so, uh, where¡¯s she at?¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± He nodded. ¡°Ma, she¡¯s uh¡­ she¡¯s¡­¡± He wanted to speak up and tell his uncle that his Ma -big John¡¯s sister- had been put in a hospital bed, but at the same time he felt like voicing this would¡­ it would be different than when he¡¯d told Miss Edna. And that difference had his throat tightening in an uncomfortable way, that while rare he wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with. It felt¡­ it felt the same way it did the few times he¡¯d contemplated telling his Ma about what happened over the summer. That it would worry them about something they didn¡¯t need to worry about, and he knew that if he didn¡¯t say anything his Ma wouldn¡¯t tell her brother either. And given how his Ma would wake any day now, there really was no reason to tell him. (It¡¯d be better if he doesn¡¯t know¡­ he¡¯s always worried about Ma¡¯s job hurting her¡­ This wasn¡¯t because of her job, but¡­ it¡¯ll make those fears so much more real.) (If I tell him then¡­ then I¡¯ll have to tell the rest of the family too¡­) It was largely just him and his Ma since¡­ his issues came out, but he still had a couple aunts and uncles his Ma stayed in contact with. ¡°Jon?¡± His uncle pressed, sounding increasingly worried. He wasn¡¯t sure if¡­ He wasn¡¯t sure if he could handle that¡­ And it had to be him to say that, since his uncle John was his Ma¡¯s only blood family she talked to beyond him and her nephew via said uncle. ¡°Right, sorry¡­ She¡¯s¡­¡± Trail 56 (Pt. 2)- Informing The Family Trail 56 (Pt. 2)- Informing The Family --- Jon --- ¡°She¡¯s not doing good¡­¡± He managed to get out. ¡°What do you mean?¡± His uncle pressed, somehow sounding even more worried. ¡°There was¡­ On Halloween there was this¡­ Creep, Bleed¡­ thing¡­¡± He tried to explain, the words difficult to voice. ¡°She¡¯s in the hospital¡­ I uh, I was hoping¡­ she¡¯d be up by now¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He heard John whisper a curse away from the phone, his uncle far more reluctant to curse in front of him than his Ma. ¡°Are you alright? You¡¯ve, you¡¯ve been on your own for a¡­ a week now?¡± ¡°I¡­ I called Miss Edna.¡± He answered. ¡°I was hoping she could¡­ do¡­ something.¡± (Anything¡­) ¡°Miss Edna¡­¡± His uncle John repeated. ¡°She¡¯s, she¡¯s that Arcane your mom sends you to for Summers, right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She was also the closest thing he had to a second a parent. ¡°So you¡¯re, you¡¯re not alone? That¡¯s good¡­ That¡¯s good.¡± His uncle told him. ¡°But uh, your mom¡­ She¡¯s¡­ how is she? How bad is it?¡± ¡°She was bitten by a Creep when she, when she¡­¡± He swallowed and shook his head. ¡°They uh, they say this kind of Creep pops up a lot during Halloween¡­ It¡¯s, it¡¯s venomous but a paralytic kind that, that¡¯ll wear off after a couple¡­ a couple of weeks.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ okay¡­¡± His uncle John was silent for a moment. ¡°The doctors¡­ the doctors say she¡¯ll wake up, right?¡± He turned to his (too still) mother lying in her hospital bed. ¡°Yeah, they just¡­ they just don¡¯t know when¡­¡± Neither of them said anything for a minute, and the heart monitor was the only sound in the room for several minutes. At least until he worked up the nerve to say that, ¡°I should¡¯ve called you.¡± ¡°Jon, no, no, this¡­ You¡¯re dealing with a lot.¡± His uncle told him. ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­ You¡¯re, you¡¯re handling this as well as you can.¡± He shook his head, hand on his face. ¡°No, I, I should¡¯ve called you and¡­ and aunt Mags¡­ and uncle Theo¡­¡± ¡°Jon, they won¡¯t blame you anymore than I do. And I don¡¯t blame you.¡± His uncle assured him. ¡°If you want¡­ I can¡­ I can call them¡­ I should still have their numbers.¡± ¡°No, no. I, I need to call them.¡± He argued. ¡°You, you guys aren¡¯t¡­ You¡¯re not¡­¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Big John promised. ¡°They''re family to you and your mom, so they¡¯re family to me. Just like all of Jake¡¯s family is your family despite none of you being related to them.¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Admittedly, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure about that, the only member of his uncle¡¯s family he was really close to was his younger cousin Jake and maybe Jake¡¯s older sister Jazz. The aunts that helped raise Jake after his mom passed, were¡­ less so. Not that he was going to point that out. ¡°Still, I¡­ I should be the one to tell them¡­¡± He said instead. ¡°I¡¯m the one who talked to the doctors, so¡­ I should do it.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure kiddo.¡± His uncle sighed, understanding that he wouldn¡¯t pass the buck on this. ¡°I am.¡± He lied. His uncle was silent for a moment. ¡°Just, just if you need anything you¡¯ll tell me, right? And I mean anything at all.¡± ¡°I will.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if that was a lie or not, given how much he needed to get done that he knew his uncle couldn¡¯t help him with. Especially not when he was Jake¡¯s main parent, and his cousin barely twelve. ¡°Alright, just¡­ just let me know if anything changes.¡± His uncle told him. ¡°I will.¡± He repeated once more. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky she¡¯ll be up in another day or two.¡± That wasn¡¯t a lie, so much as his hope. (Then again, maybe I¡¯m just lying to myself on that one¡­) They both awkwardly wrapped the conversation up after that, neither really feeling up to small talk after dealing with the heavier topic of his Ma¡¯s coma. He wished that marked the end of things, but honestly it was¡­ it was only the beginning. Seeing his Ma¡¯s phone was running even lower than before, he pulled out his own and -after checking the time difference was okay- went through his contact list before selecting one. After a few rings, a female voice answered, ¡°Hey, Jon, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Hey Aunt Cass, there¡¯s uh, there¡¯s something¡­ something with my Ma¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t any easier to say a second time, and he doubted it would be any easier the third. (But I owe it to them to tell them.) --- He hung up the phone after his third call and thankfully last call. His aunt Cass and uncle Theo, members from his Ma¡¯s unit back when she was military, both had taken the news as well as they could. (Probably better than uncle John given how they knew her when she was at her¡­ most violent.) They both assured him his Ma was too stubborn to let a simple Creep put her down for long, and he wanted to agree with them, but¡­ His eyes drifted to his comatose mother, looking far weaker than he could ever recall seeing her before, and if made the growing ache in his chest, the tightness in his throat, and burning of his eyes all so much worse. This whole thing was¡­ harder than he¡¯d been expecting any conversation to be, but he¡¯d had to do it. And was pretty sure he¡¯d do it again if pressed but¡­ (I hope I never have to do this again¡­) His Ma would get better, and if anything ever threatened her again he¡¯d rip them limb from bloody limb, as the wretch begged for the mercy of death. Scene Consequences -Jon¡¯s Mental Health reduced. ([Good]>>[Poor].) -New Trait: Painfully Honest- This person is honest even when it¡¯d be easier to lie. --Greatly decrease the difficulty of all checks when attempting to convince someone of the truth. --Increase the difficulty of all checks when attempting to lie or keep secrets from Allied units, regardless of relationship. Trail Trail 57: Growing Frustrations Trail Trail 57: Growing Frustrations --- Jon --- ¡°So what¡¯re you working on today?¡± Miss Edna asked, twisting her head a bit to see what he was writing. An action Hoots mimicked from her shoulder. ¡°One of my contracts, Wolf, asked me to help them with one of her spells.¡± He answered, continuing to chip away at a new spell circuit that built upon his previous [Moonlit Double] spell by mixing it with Pix¡¯s [Mischief]. Something that would hopefully let him change the clone¡¯s shape to something more lupine. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Miss Edna nodded, taking a sip of her coffee before tapping a piece of the circuit connecting the two affinities. ¡°Just so you know this connection is wrong.¡± He narrowed his eyes at the connection that looked right to him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± ¡°The way you have it written the two Concepts won¡¯t merge properly when you trigger the spell, instead you¡¯ve written a redundancy that¡¯ll trigger the whole circuit twice casting the spell twice once with the concept of [Moonlight] and once with [Mischief].¡± His mystical mentor explained. ¡°From there while the [Moonlight] part should work depending on the time of the month -if I¡¯m reading this right- the [Mischief] section will probably fizzle out after draining the magic necessary to cast it.¡± ¡°Meaning all I¡¯ve really done is double the spell¡¯s magic cost.¡± He frowned, running a hand down his face. ¡°While also making it so that I need Pix to make it work since its affinity reliant.¡± The little fairy looked up from where she sat on top of depressed Brutus watching TV and let out a curious chirp. He ran a hand over both of their heads. Miss Edna pulled his failed circuit over for a closer inspection. ¡°Hmm, what exactly is the spell you¡¯re helping -Wolf, you said?- with?¡± He tapped his pen against the table as he tried to think it out. ¡°She¡¯s got this thing where she can make duplicates of herself and have them do simple commands. I¡¯m trying to help her upgrade it since -from what I can tell- all she can really do with her current version is increase how much magic she puts in to create more duplicates. I figured out how to make a duplicate myself as a starting point, but it¡¯s bound to the phase of the moon so that¡¯s a dud.¡± ¡°Right¡­ and given how you¡¯re using [Moonlight] have you tried just¡­ regular [Light] yet? That should solve the moon issue, with an overcharge giving it more weight.¡± Miss Edna pointed out. He blinked before pinching the bridge of his nose, because, ¡°No¡­ I haven¡¯t tried just regular Light¡­ which obviously wouldn¡¯t have the moon restriction.¡± ¡°Eh, sometimes the obvious answer slips past us.¡± Miss Edna shrugged. ¡°That said, this spell you¡¯re working on is a fair bit beyond what most beginners could pull off.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned. Miss Edna scratched her head a bit. ¡°Well¡­ your theory work here is pretty solid, given how you were able to make a double at all. The thing is¡­ there¡¯s this series of spells that most [Light] users are always taught, with the first couple being in any beginner spell book given how common a [Light] affinity is. What you¡¯re trying to do is like the third or fourth spell in the series, which is around when people start mixing affinities.¡± ¡°So¡­ this is a¡­ common spell?¡± He summarized, feeling a little frustrated. Miss Edna made a so-so gesture. ¡°Eh, a fully functioning duplicate is a lot rarer than a five second clone. But the foundation of what you want is pretty well known, it¡¯s just that concept mixing bit that usually throws people. Of which you¡¯ve got a solid theory going, and could probably crack once you know the initial spellwork.¡± ¡°Yeah, the most basic spell is basically bending light to create an illusion, like what Pix does.¡± Miss Edna told him as she took his pen and piece of paper to start drawing. ¡°The second is then giving the illusion mass, while the third is animating it. From there further tiers of the series split based on the number of simultaneous constructs as well as programming complexity and detail work. I¡¯d say what you¡¯ve already got is based on the fourth tier skipping a lot of detail and complexity by just doing a quick copy and past of yourself. What you want is probably going to be fifth tier with a focus on detail work for now.¡± Once she finished the circuit she was drawing Miss Edna triggered it, causing a small motionless owl to rise out of the paper. Something that Hoots took an immediate interest in as the little owl hopped off of her shoulder and began inspecting his static copy. ¡°Now since Script Craft isn¡¯t really my thing I can¡¯t teach you all of that, but I can at least show you the foundational stuff you skipped.¡± His second parent assured him, offering back the pen with a spin. Scene Consequences -Gained [Hard Light Construct] and [Hard Light Double] spells. --Hard Light Construct: When cast, create a Hard Light Construct with stats and complexity based on [Spell Craft + Occult] Lv. (I.E. Construct has [X] HP, and/or deals [X] damage as a weapon.) --Flash Double: Create a single short lived duplicate that performs an exact duplicate of the user¡¯s physical actions for [Spell Craft + Occult] AP before fading. (Note: Stats are the same as the user, but deal [Light] damage in place of [Physical] damage.) -Thanks to Miss Edna¡¯s help gained 3XP to Script Craft. --*Skill Level Up* Script Crafting Lv. 5 (0/12) ---Due to reaching Lv. 5, Jon can now use 2 Concepts when crafting a Spell Script. --- There was a knocking on the door, at first he was planning to just ignore it but as the knocking grew more insistent he found himself opening the door just to stop the noise. At which point he found himself face to face with Mr. Bunson, a mildly overweight man with black hair currently wearing an open button up shirt and more importantly currently the manager of their building. Stolen novel; please report. Mr. Bunson glared at him for a moment, before asking, ¡°Your Minerva Whitaker¡¯s son, right?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± He nodded, figuring that was who he was looking for. ¡°But my Ma isn¡¯t¡­ available at the moment¡­¡± He found himself explaining. ¡°What do you uh, what do you need?¡± The man looked around him, as if trying to see if he was lying about his mother being absent. ¡°Well Whitaker, your rent¡¯s a week late.¡± Mr. Bunson told him. ¡°Oh¡­ yeah¡­¡± With his Ma in the hospital, he hadn¡¯t really¡­ taken care of that, especially given how his Ma¡¯s check would¡¯ve been in on the day rent was due. Three days after she¡¯d been hospitalized. ¡°That¡¯s um, that¡¯s going to be uh, we¡¯re going to need another week or two.¡± His Ma was bound to be up by then. (Right?) Mr. Bunson scoffed. ¡°Yeah, no, that¡¯s going to be a problem for me. Your lease clearly states that if the rent isn¡¯t paid within a week I can file for eviction. Meaning if you don¡¯t pay it, plus late fees within thirty days of today you will be evicted.¡± To underline this the property manager handed him a paper with several signatures on it, with roughly the same message if with more legalese. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ All we need is a bit more time.¡± He tried to explain. ¡°We¡¯ll, we¡¯ll have the rent, just¡­¡± He needed his Ma to wake up. ¡°Look kid, we¡¯ve all got problems, but you can¡¯t just not pay your rent because of whatever¡¯s going wrong in your life.¡± The manager continued, uncaring for his words. ¡°I¡¯m filing eviction, if you want me to stop, pay up.¡± ¡°But my Ma is¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what your mom¡¯s problem is.¡± Mr. Bunson interrupted him. ¡°All I care about is keeping this place nice and quiet, and for people to pay the rent I¡¯m owed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s, I understand, but¡­ just listen¡­¡± He tried to speak. ¡°My Ma is in¡­¡± ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t care.¡± (The parasite) interrupted him again. ¡°Pay your rent or you and your mom are out of here.¡± A tenseness tore through him as he fought down his instinctive response. Instead he inhaled slowly, and exhaled just as slowly as the beast in his head let the man stay in control. He checked the paper in his hand for the amount they owed, as well as the fact that they had to pay an additional ten percent in late fees. ¡°Wait right here.¡± Part of him was aware that he could ask Miss Edna for help paying the rent, but at the same time he was also aware that while she owned both Camp Bet and her shop, between the two she was just barely breaking even given their small town location. Whatsmore he also was aware of the fact that his Ma¡¯s hospital bills would be¡­ extensive after such a prolonged period, even with whatever insurance plan the station set her up with. Something he had no desire to make more complicated than he had to, given how stressed she was likely to be once she woke up. So instead he dug through his stashed cash from Blackwell and withdrew the amount requested by his landlord, before making his way back to the¡­ man and handing over the stack of bills. ¡°This should be everything.¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to give me a money or-¡± His knife stabbed into the doorframe with an audible crack. ¡°Let¡¯s get this straight, Bunson. My mother is currently in the hospital after a Creep attack on Halloween. I violently killed the Creep in question. Due to this hospitalization, our rent was late. I¡¯ve now paid that rent in full.¡± He leaned toward the increasingly pale man. ¡°Don¡¯t push me.¡± He leaned back, exhaled and smiled. ¡°Now have a nice day.¡± Before calmly closing the door. Scene Consequences -Jon has paid this month¡¯s rent. --Weekly income reduced by $40, current funds: $264 + (25 per week). --- He was growing sick of it. Unable to restrain himself any longer he stood from his seat and began pacing back and forth in his Ma¡¯s hospital room. The sitting. The waiting. The beeping of his Ma¡¯s heart monitor. He was just so sick of all of it. That didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d stop visiting. That didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d stop waiting. That did not mean he¡¯d give up on his Ma. She was the strongest person he knew, maybe not in raw power, but definitely in determination and spirit. The woman having done several military tours at the dawn of Deviant military units, a completely unpowered woman going head to head and keeping up with Deviant threats around the world for years before coming home and being the single parent to a (broken) child. At no point did she give up on herself or him. He forced himself back into his chair, because he¡¯d sit. He¡¯d wait. And he¡¯d listen to every beep that reminded him that she hadn¡¯t given up yet. Because just like her at no point would he give up on himself or her. Scene Consequences -Ma Whitaker is still comatose. --- Between everything involving his family, the landlord, and his Ma¡¯s hospitalization, he found himself growing increasingly antsy. Enough so that after not even five minutes of trying to sit down and help Pix learn the spell scripts Miss Edna had taught him, he found that he just¡­ couldn¡¯t. Inhaling and exhaling he tried to stay calm, something he¡¯d found himself struggling with all day. Enough so that he¡¯d cut school in order to keep from lashing out at the day to day dealings he usually put up with in favor of visiting his Ma, something that hadn¡¯t calmed him down like the way he¡¯d been hoping. (If anything it made it all worse.) Finally throwing down his pen in frustration, he came to the realization, (I need to hurt something.) This was not a realization he liked, because as much as he enjoyed fighting, he did not enjoy hurting people. (Violence is a tool, not a tonic.) He reminded himself of a lesson all of his more¡­ volatile mentors agreed with, (though I might just make an exception today¡­) He ran his hand through his head, briefly considering calling Ying or summoning Wolf for a spar, before dismissing the idea when he forced himself to admit that in his current state he¡¯d likely take things too far. (But I really want -no need- to hit something¡­) Shaking his head, and admitting this was a lost cause he grabbed his magic supplies and started moving to put them away, something that was ultimately pointless given his Ma¡¯s state, but was enough habit to- ¡°Gah!¡± He bit back a curse as he knocked over a vial of his spell ink, spilling it all over the place. In the process of trying to clean up the mess he¡¯d made, he found a flier he could vaguely remember acquiring, one for the infamous, ¡®Tru Grit¡¯s Fight Pits.¡¯ While the front of the flier didn¡¯t give away too much information beyond the names of a handful of fighters, he found that someone -(probably Tru)- had written an address with a number of times on the back. One of which would be beginning that afternoon. ¡°Hey, Pix¡­ want to go beat some people up?¡± Tru Grit’s Fight Pit (Pt. 1): Welcome To The Club Tru Grit¡¯s Fight Pit (Pt. 1): Welcome To The Club --- Jon --- Tracking down the fight club wasn¡¯t all that hard given how the address wasn¡¯t too far from his usual routes being somewhere between his Ma¡¯s police station and the Witch¡¯s Wares. Almost in what could be considered downtown for their city but still on the southside of things and just outside of the more business-like district. Or rather it wouldn¡¯t have been all that difficult if there was a place that looked like it would hold a fight club such as a gym or a warehouse. Instead he spent twenty minutes walking around the same block trying to find a shady alleyway or something equally shady that could lead him to the fight pits. It was just as his patience was beginning to fray that he noticed a slight oddity on the address. (That¡­ that can¡¯t be it¡­) He pinched the bridge of his nose, finding this whole day to just be¡­ (a thing¡­) before making his way back to the main address and finding in front of what looked like a business office. An extremely professional business office with a wide open tiled floor that had people in suits about underneath a large fancy chandelier hanging in the air. All of which was why he had immediately dismissed this place as the site of the club, but having only become more frustrated by his aimless wandering he decided to just go ahead and go inside. Looking around the large empty tiled floor office building he felt distinctly out of place in his jeans, jacket, and t-shirt. Luckily, he had long since lost the ability to actually care about being places he wasn¡¯t supposed to between his Ma¡¯s training and said places typically trying to kill him. So instead of worrying about it, he walked up to the blonde receptionist and simply waited for her to notice him. ¡°Welcome to The Fighting Dogs Security Firm, how may I help you?¡± The receptionist eventually smiled at him in a way that actually reached her eyes unlike most people with her job. ¡°Right, so I¡¯ve been walking around for a while and this is a bit of a longshot but¡­¡± he held up the flier, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose this means anything to you?¡± The receptionist took the flier before checking the back, and upon reading the address pointed at an elevator on the wall as she handed it back to him. ¡°Bottom most button. Fresh meat.¡± He nodded with a sigh. ¡°Thanks.¡± Making his way to the elevator he clicked the call button before waiting a few moments for the elevator to arrive. When the doors finally opened and he stepped inside, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh as looked at the button panel before clicking floor B1, because the written address was not ¡®floor- 1¡¯ but ¡®floor -1¡¯. (Because someone is an idiot.) As he rode the elevator he couldn¡¯t help but think about the building before shaking his head as he realized what was happening here. (The Mad Dogs run ¡®security¡¯ for people, so having a ¡®security firm¡¯ as a front cover actually legitimizes their presence guarding places with guns. Smart.) It also said something about Tru Grit that the front for the Mad Dog¡¯s fight club was ¡®The Fighting Dogs¡¯ security firm. When the elevator doors opened once more he found himself standing in a long concrete hallway with a single light hanging above and ending in a set of heavy double doors. It was as he got closer to said doors that he spotted a small camera in the corner hiding in the shadows. He held his flier up to the camera and after a moment heard a click from the doors before they slowly slid open to reveal a small room with another set of doors, these noticeably less heavy than the previous ones and looking more like the black doors leading into an actual club. Which he realized wasn¡¯t too far off the mark as he found himself in a small carpeted hall leading up to a larger area with bright lights overlooking a room with half a dozen floors ringed about. Each spreading slightly further than the last, and all with a number of tables and fixings that reminded him more of a fancy restaurant or theater than a fight club. Though the large gray pit separated from the rest of the room by clear glass walls, clearly fixed that little problem. A curly haired woman wearing glasses and a black suit dress walked up to him from the side while typing away at a tablet in hand. ¡°May I have the alias you¡¯re entering the club under?¡± ¡°Uh, Jon-¡± ¡°Alias, not your name.¡± The woman glared, cutting him off as her eyes flashed a different color behind her glasses. He bit his lip for a moment before reluctantly answering. ¡°Huntsman.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The woman nodded, typing something into her tablet before turning to leave. ¡°I am Ms. Leed. Please follow me this way, Mr. Huntsman, Mr. Grit has been expecting you.¡± Following after the woman -(Ms. Leed)- they made their way around the ring and while he expected them to branch off into one of the many hallways lining the area they never did instead coming full around to the dead opposite of the entrance where the stairs to higher floors cut off half way up and instead spread out into what he assumed was a VIP area of sorts. The reason for this being that at the back of the area was a second smaller set of steps leading up to a gold and red throne, upon which sat a large red haired man with lightly tanned and scarred skin wearing a mostly unbuttoned suit vest with no shirt underneath. ¡°Ah, there you are!¡± Tru Grit smiled as he leaned forward with a wide smile on his face. ¡°Was starting to think you weren¡¯t going to show given how your invite ¡®s almost a month old.¡± ¡°I had some things to take care of.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Ah, the Horror.¡± Tru nodded before shaking his head with a grin. ¡°Now there¡¯s a fight I wish I could¡¯ve tagged into.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He agreed, forcing down how frustrated he was that he couldn¡¯t (rip the horror¡¯s screaming skull from its shoulders!) ¡°There¡¯s always next year if you¡¯re lucky.¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s the spirit!¡± Tru laughed, before pointing at Jon. ¡°Now then, since you are here, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve finally got that itch for a proper fight?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± He nodded, instead of explaining how he wanted to (dig claws into something as it squirms in my teeth.) ¡°Well¡­ before that there¡¯s good news, great news, and sadly some bad news on that one.¡± Tru warned him looking a little down about it. ¡°Bad news you missed the Halloween Tournament I wanted you in. Good news you can fight in the next one though.¡± He looked around the empty theater. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that tournament isn¡¯t today given how empty the place is.¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°You are right, but that¡¯s where the great news comes in!¡± Tru assured him before leaping off of his throne and landing in front of him and Ms. Leed who had taken a step back without ever looking up from her tablet. ¡°Just because you can¡¯t fight in the tournament yet doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t take the entrance test for said tournament!¡± ¡°Entrance test?¡± He frowned. ¡°Yeah.¡± Tru nodded before making his way towards a side hall that branched off of the VIP area. ¡°While I know you can handle yourself in a fight, club policy states we¡¯ve got to test people to make sure they can handle the weight class they''re stepping into. Now after seeing your fight with that girl¡¯s Scarecrow, I would happily waive that rule! But¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s already allowing you to skip the rest of the circuit to compete in the elite ring.¡± Ms. Leed explained, glaring as they followed. ¡°So it was either skipping the entrance test for the beginner¡¯s club or skipping the rest of the clubs. Should you fail the entrance test for this club, you shall instead be delegated to one of the clubs closer to your actual level rather than the level Mr. Grit believes you are on after spectating but a single fight. A fight that depending on how he tells it, you lost. And rumors of a fight that involved three others and again, you lost.¡± ¡°Ah, fighting ¡®s not just about winning or losing, it''s about gritting your teeth, and busting your knuckles as you feel that rush telling you you¡¯re alive.¡± Tru tried to argue. ¡°Trust me, the kid ¡®s a real fighter, just give him a chance to impress ya.¡± ¡°Hence why I¡¯m letting you administer a test that he is clearly too young to be taking.¡± Ms. Leed reminded Tru, leaving him to wonder which of them was really the boss of this whole thing. ¡°Ah, you worry too much. Kid ¡®s gonna pass with flying colors!¡± Tru dismissed the woman¡¯s concerns. Concerns he could understand, and would probably agree with if not for everything that had happened back in Blackwell and the months since. (Pix I can handle anything they throw at us¡­ and I need to ask about that.) ¡°Uh, I just remembered but what are the rules for these fights?¡± He felt the need to ask. Ms. Leed sighed. ¡°First and foremost do not kill your opponent, and when we say a fight ends it ends. Our entire legal defense revolves around a loophole in our state¡¯s laws allowing for duels so long as no one is permanently hurt and our healers can only heal so much.¡± ¡°Completely understandable.¡± He nodded, pretty sure she was talking about the same loophole his Ma had told him about should he ever need to pick a fight with someone, and be unable to cover it up. ¡°Second there are limitations upon weapons, while most are allowed they must be subjected to a minor enchantment that allows their damage to be mitigated to non-lethal levels. If your weapons -barring firearms- are already enchanted this is unnecessary thanks to the passive effects of our safety measures.¡± Ms. Leed continued. ¡°That said, mundane explosives are largely banned due to the fact that the enchantment cannot conceptually tie itself to the chemical reactions and fragmentary aspects post explosion.¡± ¡°Does that include Molotovs?¡± He asked, because he was pretty sure that¡¯s what that legalese translated to. Tru made an amused sound while Ms. Leed stared at him distinctly unimpressed. ¡°Yes, that includes Molotov cocktails, though I do wonder where a child your age acquired such things.¡± ¡°I learned how to make them at summer camp.¡± He answered honestly. ¡°Arts and crafts sound like a fun time.¡± Tru told him with a smirk. ¡°It is.¡± He nodded. ¡°Though we¡¯ve got to limit some of it for the younger campers. Can¡¯t leave them alone with the hot glue gun or else they might hurt themselves.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Tru laughed. ¡°If you two are done joking?¡± Ms. Leed glared. (Who¡¯s joking?) He frowned, feeling confused. ¡°Third, all gambling must be directed through the club and a portion of all winnings will be donated to charity. This is strictly enforced due to our state¡¯s strict gambling laws, so legally working around them requires a finesse that most bookies will not do.¡± Ms. Leed told him. ¡°Additionally, the charity fund helps obfuscate the income changes and present a topic that law enforcement does not wish to investigate so long as the money is being sent to the charity in question.¡± ¡°So a fake bribe?¡± He figured, not actually knowing anything about gambling law. ¡°The actual bribes are distributed from our service fees.¡± Ms. Leed assured him while giving him a look he could quite decipher before eventually adding that, ¡°Our state¡¯s government is notably corrupt when it comes to a variety of factors, the only reason our perceived corruption is so low is because our actual accountability is equally low. If you¡¯re going to be involved here you need to realize just what our relationship with the government is and that neither side is legally speaking ¡®the good guy¡¯.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I figure the guys paying for kids and homeless people to get free food and extra gifts for the holidays by conning rich people out of their money by taking a beating for charity, sounds pretty good.¡± Tru argued. ¡°I¡¯m making a point to the child.¡± Ms. Leed growled. ¡°One he needs to be aware of before he joins our club as some misguided act of teenage rebellion.¡± He wanted to point out that that was not what this was about, but felt that doing so would just underline her opinion of him being childish. So instead he pointed out, ¡°I¡¯m not intending to join this club long term, nor do I intend to use it as a form of money making. What I am mostly interested in is exploring the opportunity presented to me by the leader of one of the city¡¯s gangs, a gang that has notably run under the radar given its clearly sizable and Deviant operations. The fact that said gang leader enjoys fighting as a sport simply makes that the most efficient avenue to pursue.¡± While all of that was technically true, he did not underline the fact that the presented opportunity was ¡®attack things until I¡¯m no longer angry¡¯. He just knew from DeSade that making people believe you were confident and professional tended to keep them from dismissing you out of hand. (¡®There¡¯s a power in words beyond magic, if you wish to infiltrate an organization you must learn to ensnare those you cross with this power.¡¯) The ensuing lessons had greatly sublimated his Ma¡¯s infiltration lessons, while teaching him etiquettes his mother wouldn¡¯t usually bother. Though that did little to divert from their mutual point of, (don¡¯t let anyone push you around.) Which is why he held a glare with Ms. Leed before slowly reaching into his jacket and extracting a curious little fairy that had been woken by his sudden tenseness. ¡°Now if we were to move beyond your lecture on morality, and back to the rules of this establishment. The source of my inquiry is whether or not contracted summons are legal within the arena?¡± Rather than Ms. Leed answering, Tru cut in as he moved between them with an uneasy grin. ¡°They are but you can only have one active summon, barring those with a [Swarm] type trait, and technically that¡¯s still one summon as far as magic is concerned. But, uh, you sure you want that little gal to fight for you?¡± ¡°Pix is my healer, I am the fighter.¡± He assured the older man as Pix nodded alongside his words. (Though I would¡¯ve appreciated having Wolf and maybe Noctis as back up if I needed them.) ¡°Alright, now that¡¯s a summoner-summon relationship I can get behind!¡± Tru smiled at him before not so subtly corralling him away from Ms. Leed and out of the access tunnels into the main pit area. ¡°So with your partner out, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re ready for the actual test, eh?¡± He inhaled deeply, before exhaling and nodding. ¡°Yeah¡­ I could do with beating something up.¡± Tru glanced towards Ms. Leed who had stayed behind. ¡°Heh, yeah¡­ Uh, let¡¯s direct that energy somewhere productive.¡± ¡°So how is this test going to work?¡± He asked as Pix took to the air with a bit of stretching. ¡°Well, usually we¡¯ve got three ways to do this.¡± Tru told him, before counting off. ¡°First is a Bloody Ballroom, where you fight a bunch of simulation types and if you last long enough we let you in. Second is picking a fight with one of the guards and seeing whether or not they approve of you or not. Lastly, instead of one of our guards we send you against a decently powered regular, though in that case if you beat them we¡¯ll usually let you in automatically.¡± ¡°And why doesn¡¯t beating the guards have that condition?¡± He frowned, beginning to stretch himself. ¡°Because if you¡¯re good enough to beat one of our guards, then whatever site you¡¯re at is too low of a level for you. Meaning we¡¯ll send you to do an entrance test at one of our other pits.¡± Tru answered, crossing his arms one at a time. ¡°Fair enough.¡± He shrugged before rolling his shoulders and taking a look around. ¡°So, uh, am I doing the Ballroom thing since I don¡¯t see any guards or guests?¡± ¡°Nah.¡± Tru Grit cracked his neck before punching his hand as music began to fill the air. ¡°You, you get a shot at the champ.¡± Tru Grit’s Fight Pit (Pt. 2)- A Tru Beatdown Tru Grit¡¯s Fight Pit (Pt. 2)- A Tru Beatdown ¡°Nah.¡± Tru cracked his neck before punching his hand as music began to fill the air. ¡°You get a shot at the champ.¡± (Of course¡­) He sighed, slowly putting some distance between them as he reached into his pack and pulled out his axe. Something that only made Tru¡¯s smirk grow, before the older man made a ¡®come get me¡¯ motion with his hand. He glared for a moment, before deciding that he was not in fact stupid enough to simply rush the guy. So instead, he tossed his axe to the side and drew his bow and a couple arrows out of his pack. (He¡¯s clearly a fist fighter, keeping my distance and out of arm''s reach is probably for the best.) Tru merely raised a brow before shaking his head. ¡°Can¡¯t really recall someone pulling a bow on me in a fight, you sure this is a smart idea.¡± He quickly shot an arrow at the other man, only to watch it be swatted out of the air. An act that was repeated with the next three arrows he fired regardless of where or how quickly he shot them. ¡°Well, if you want to start things off with a shooting contest, I should warn you against bringing a bow to a gunfight.¡± Tru warned him, while flexing to show off his biceps. Not bothering to respond, he reached to pull out another arrow. More specifically one of the trick arrows that he was pretty sure would catch Tru off guard after the flurry of mundane arrows. Or that was the plan before Tru took a boxing stance and punched the air. At which point the air punched Jon with enough force to send him skidding back a few inches. He blinked before looking at Tru, who gave him a wink before pulling his other arm back. Realizing what was about to happen he tossed his bow and the arrows to the side before ducking and running in the opposite direction as Tru began shadow boxing with the air. Each strike sending out a wave of force that Jon could feel tugging on the air as he just barely managed to stay ahead of the blast zone. (He¡¯s leading his shots just enough to keep me boxed in, and punching too fast for me to double back and make him miss.) He grimaced, realizing the older man was either playing with him or keeping him corralled. (Neither of which is a good option¡­) Carefully he skirted around the arena¡¯s edge, glad that Tru had moved near the ring¡¯s center rather than sticking near a wall to cut off his movement range. Once on the opposite side of where he started he flexed his wrist, recalling his axe into hand and hopefully cutting Tru down from behind. Tru¡¯s eyes narrowed before kicking off the ground and jumping over the incoming axe. And as if that wasn¡¯t bad enough the older fighter still managed to fire off a quick one-two in the air, neither of which he could avoid having stopped his sprint to make sure Tru was in the axe¡¯s path. Of the two blows the first one wasn¡¯t too bad, as he somehow deflected some of the force off of the axe that he just barely managed to keep a grip on. The second angled blast however was enough to tip his balance and force him to stumble backwards into the wall of the arena. ¡°Telegraphed that a little too hard. Should¡¯ve just kept moving.¡± Tru told him as he landed. ¡°Now, you done playing around? Because we both know you¡¯re really a melee fighter.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown at the older man, because while Jon was more skilled in a melee in reality he preferred stealth, traps, and deception when against something he knew could break him with one hand. (And given how he¡¯s twice my size, I¡¯m pretty sure he could do just that.) Which is why he instead used the light ring Miss Edna had given him to begin drawing a spell circuit in the air, figuring that if he couldn¡¯t wear Tru down with arrows or molotovs he could hopefully burn through his defenses with a small -relatively- giga-zap. ¡°You know, drawing spell scripts mid-fight ain¡¯t exactly a smart idea, kid.¡± Tru chuckled, appearing in front of him with an inhuman level of speed before punching straight through his spell circuit and slamming him back into the wall of the arena where he was forced to raise his arms to block as Tru began laying into him. ¡°You see, this little mess is why most Practitioners make their scripts before the fight. After all, everyone knows not to let the magic users cast their spells whether they know magic or not.¡± Unable to do much beyond blocking the incoming blows, he eventually decided to risk dropping to the ground letting Tru¡¯s fist slam into the wall above him before using the wall behind him to leverage himself into tackling Tru¡¯s leg. An act that forced the man to stumble backwards a step, though it did little beyond that given how Tru grabbed him by the back of his shirt and threw him across the arena. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. He hit the ground in a roll as he skid his feet on the surprisingly loose ground and managed to right himself so that he was once more facing Tru. ¡°Look, I¡¯m going to tell you now that most of your tricks ain¡¯t going to work on me kid.¡± Tru warned him with a half glare. ¡°Now quit wasting our time and actually fight me! Or leave, I ain¡¯t into bullying kids!¡± He growled even as he felt the cool warmth of Pix¡¯s magic washing over him and dealing with whatever bruises and fractures Tru Grit¡¯s little beating would¡¯ve left him with. Once it began to recede he drew his knife before rushing forward to fight the older man in the hopes of making him regret his demand. ¡°Finally.¡± Tru groaned his voice inaudible over the music and only understood because Jon read his lips. When closer to Tru he flexed his wrist, summoning the axe from where he¡¯d dropped it during Tru¡¯s pummeling and causing it to clip Tru¡¯s side before catching it by the handle and using the momentum from its recall to deliver a slamming strike into the man. A strike Tru somehow managed to block the blade of with his bare forearm even as he pulled his other arm back. Seeing what was coming Jon released his grip on the axe and ducked under Tru¡¯s counter punch before futilely attempting to stab his knife into the man¡¯s side. With a growl he drew his arm back before using his elbow to try and hammer the pointed blade through whatever defense the fighter was using. Unfortunately, he was only able to hammer it once before being forced to jump back to avoid Tru¡¯s own elbow strike. One that was extended by a blade of air that cut through the ground as Tru lashed out with his hand. Rushing back in, he slammed his fist into Tru¡¯s solar plexus. Hoping that if he couldn¡¯t pierce through whatever defense the man had going with a blade then delivering a blunt strike to weak point would manage to do something. And if not then more than one blow to the same weak point. The fact that even through his gloves it felt like he was hitting a brick wall did not feel him with confidence. ¡°You see, this is why I don¡¯t skip core day.¡± Tru told him, not even flinching under the assault before grabbing him by his throat and slamming him into the ground. ¡°Though to be fair, I don¡¯t skip any day.¡± Seeing Tru pull his fist back, -and knowing that if he took that to the face it would knock him out Pix¡¯s healing or not- he raised his hand to the side of Tru¡¯s neck and recalled his axe to it forcing Tru to instinctively lean back to avoid taking a blade to his throat. With the axe in his hand he used the shaft of the weapon alongside Tru¡¯s arm and weakened stance to break the man¡¯s grip on his neck before lashing out in a strike meant more to buy him the space to get up than do any real damage. Sitting up he brought his blade up in an upward strike between the man¡¯s legs. ¡°Woah there!¡± Tru called hopping back and giving him the time to roll back onto his feet. ¡°See you don¡¯t mind fighting dirty there kid.¡± ¡°Fighting fair¡­ is for chumps¡­¡± He coughed out as Pix¡¯s healing wrapped around his bruising neck. ¡°Eh, I wouldn¡¯t call them chumps.¡± Tru argued half-heartedly. ¡°More¡­ naive probably. They¡¯re like the assholes who think bringing a knife to a fist fight ¡®ll up their odds of winning. Speaking of, you dropped this.¡± He glanced down as Tru kicked his knife back to him before glaring at the smirking fighter. ¡°So ready for round two?¡± The man asked, entering a boxing stance. ¡°Be glad I¡¯m not counting that playing around from the start as your first strike.¡± (Right, he¡¯s a brawler¡­ He can probably keep this up all day unless I get a finisher in.) He grimaced, knowing that while he could keep this up until Pix¡¯s healing ran out, he wouldn¡¯t last long beyond that given the strength of the blows he¡¯d already taken. (Need to wear him down if I want an opening to actually take him out.) Keeping his eyes on Tru he made to crouch down and pick up his knife, when in reality he was entering a runner¡¯s stance to rush the man. Knowing that the only blows he¡¯d managed to get were because of recalling his weapons into his hands for cheap or suprise shots. As soon as he touched the knife he shot forward -leaving it on the ground- and ran at Tru, before ducking under the man¡¯s first blow and skidding around him to try for a couple jabs at his kidneys. (Which somehow is still like punching a brick wall!) He leapt backward as Tru lashed out with a backhand as he spun to face Jon, before flexing his wrist and recalling his knife to hand in an attempt to stab the man in the back. The fact that Tru gave him a smirk without bothering to look back as the knife bounced off of him, proved how futile that attempt was. That did not stop him from recalling the knife between Tru¡¯s legs and attempting to shank the man¡¯s groin. The fact that Tru caught his hand with wide eyes however did stop him from castrating the man. ¡°Okay, can you quit going for the groin shots kid?¡± He answered by stepping in and kneeing him. The flat look from Tru and the pain in his knee told him which of them that hurt more. ¡°Right¡­¡± Tru pulled his head back slightly before headbutting Jon hard enough that he could¡¯ve sworn he heard his skull cracking as his vision blurred. Not that that possible concussion did anything to numb the feeling of being grabbed, and kneed in the chest with enough force to break a couple of ribs. Ribs that if they weren¡¯t broken by that were broken by the punch that sent him flying into the arena wall with enough force to actually leave him hanging in a small crater. ¡°Pixsh?¡± He mumbled, hoping his little light hadn¡¯t been crushed by the impact that kept him from feeling his toes. The cool warmth that filled him, gave him far more mental relief than physical as it began to painfully snap his bones back into place. ¡°You know kid I¡¯m honestly kind of disappointed here!¡± Tru yelled after him. ¡°I mean after seeing that fight you had with the Scarecrow? And hearing about how you took on the Horror? I thought you were a real fighter! I mean I¡¯ve seen you do better! I know you can fight! So where¡¯s the fucking monster?!¡± As he pulled himself out of the wall Jon inhaled¡­ And the Beast exhaled. Tru Grit’s Fight Pit (Pt. 3)- The Mad Dog Vs The Mad Beast Tru Grit¡¯s Fight Pit (Pt. 3)- The Mad Dog Vs The Mad Beast --- Tru Grit --- The air shifted as something changed in the kid in front of him, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. (Was wondering when he¡¯d snap.) He¡¯d had a suspicion the Huntsman -as he called himself- was Touched By Madness after thinking over the young man¡¯s fight with that Scarecrow Demon. A suspicion he felt was confirmed by the way the kid¡¯s posture shifted from something trained and stable to something almost feral. The Huntsman¡¯s hands curled into claws as his forest green eyes seemed to flicker an almost wolfish gold. Both were tricks of the mind. Nothing too severe, and the kind of thing that could be shrugged off if you knew the trick, but he very much doubted the kid even realized what he was happening. The Huntsman rushed him, seeming to move faster than he had previously at any point in their fight, despite the fact that if he checked the guy¡¯s speed on his camera¡¯s he knew it wouldn¡¯t have changed from before. Knowing this and acting on it while he still could, he avoided the Huntsman¡¯s rabid and near formless swipes with ease as he pulled out his phone. ¡°Oh, getting serious now? I think this deserves a different song.¡± Easily dancing around the young man¡¯s blows, and catching a roundhouse kick with his hand, he used his thumb to switch from the ¡®Motivational¡¯ playlist he¡¯d accidentally clicked when blindly starting the music to his actual ¡®Fight¡¯ playlist. (Maybe I should listen to Perry about setting an actual music station up rather than just syncing my phone.) The Huntsman used Tru¡¯s grip on his leg to lift the other one and deliver a stomping kick to Tru¡¯s face before using his slight flinch to handspring out of his grip. (Right, almost forgot about that¡­) He frowned, rubbing his jaw. (¡°No matter how experienced you are, Madness will make you flinch.¡±) The fact the kid was Touched By Madness had him thinking he was going to be flinching a lot this fight. (Though whether that¡¯s because of the kid or because the idea is lodged in my head I don¡¯t know¡­ Still¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but smile as the kid rushed him once more. (After all, this just means I¡¯m being dragged down to his level.) He had no problem giving a handicap if it meant he¡¯d get a proper fight out of someone. He punched a fist into his hand. ¡°Alright, kid, last chance to impress me.¡± He threw a straight at the Huntsman¡¯s head and watched the kid dodge out of the way with but a tilt of his head. Likely more reflex than actual intent as he kept moving. The kid grabbed him by his wrist with both hands before using him as leverage to deliver a dropkick point blank to Tru¡¯s side. He wrapped his hand around the kid¡¯s forcing him to maintain his grip before dropping forward and crushing the kid between his elbow and the ground. Or that was the plan until the kid pulled some acrobatic bullshit that ended with his legs wrapped around Tru¡¯s throat even as he slammed his arm into the ground with nothing underneath it. Twisting around he forced the kid to let go of him or be crushed underneath him as Tru flipped onto his back at an angle that would¡¯ve broken one of the kid¡¯s legs if he didn¡¯t move. Not that that stopped the Huntsman from taking advantage of his downed state to rush right back in and stomp down on Tru¡¯s chest before attempting to drop his knee onto the downed fighter¡¯s throat. Which made him really thankful he was hard headed enough to headbut the guy¡¯s knee, a blow that hurt, but much less than a guillotine to the throat would¡¯ve. With the Huntsman on a single leg Tru swept his arm out and forced the young man to jump back to avoid being thrown to the ground. Having bought himself some distance he worked his core and leapt back onto his feet before raising his hands back up as he stared down the growling Huntsman, observing the kid¡¯s state as much as he was readying himself for the young man¡¯s next attack. While he knew he wasn¡¯t the most academic magic user -Most of his own being limited to instinct born from ten percent luck, twenty percent skill, fifteen percent concentrated power of will, five percent pleasure, and fifty percent pain.- he had been around the block a time or two in his nearly fifteen years in the game, and knew a thing or two about a thing or two. And one of those things was that the Huntsman¡¯s twitching and spasming as he circled Tru was a clear sign of the Madness touching the kid being pure Insanity. Those Touched By Madness were something of a rarity, with Tru having only run into two -now three- in his time in the game. And as the name suggested each and every last one of them was bat shit insane in one way or another, if somehow fully functional at the same time. Making them relatively harmless in the long term, if a little odd by most people¡¯s standards. (Then again, who am I to talk?) Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Regardless, it was when they gave into Insanity that they became dangerous. The Huntsman struck his own head once before letting loose a vicious snarl and rushing forward. Once more he managed to maneuver around the young man¡¯s primal swipes, even as the Huntsman weaved around his retaliatory punches fired fast enough to tear through most defenses (if they could just hit.) Eventually, instead of letting him simply pull back for another punch the Huntsman bit into Tru¡¯s arm, his teeth somehow breaking through the older fighter¡¯s Grit defenses, before putting Tru into an arm lock. One that would¡¯ve been more of a threat if he couldn¡¯t bench press the kid with one arm, or grab his legs to make sure the kid couldn¡¯t escape his elbow drop this time even if it meant actually breaking the young man¡¯s leg this time. The Huntsman flexed his wrist as he continued to bite down and knowing what that meant after the last few times the kid pulled that trick he spun around so that the downed axe and knife would have to pass through the Huntsman to actually reach him. Of course this just made it easier for the Huntsman to catch the knife by its hilt and drive the blade into the crook of Tru¡¯s arm. At least if hadn¡¯t caught the kid¡¯s wrist just as the blade broke his skin, the Madness twisting around the kid and disrupting Tru¡¯s defense. (Right, need to buy some space¡­) Crouching slightly, he pushed his magic into his legs before kicking off the ground and launching them both several meters into the air -admittedly not his max height but (I don¡¯t want to kill the kid)- before maneuvering to slam the kid into the ground in a powerful showstopper. If the Huntsman hadn¡¯t realized what he was doing and released both his arm lock and his teeth to kick off Tru''s body and somehow slip his hand out of Tru¡¯s by abandoning his knife. All of which culminated in the Huntsman hitting the ground in a tumbling roll that ended with him on all four as Tru struck the ground in a superhero landing. (Even when you mess up, got to do it with style.) Rolling his shoulders as he stood back up, he went back to watching the Mad Beast in front of him, because given how the kid was still on all four and didn¡¯t seem inclined to stand back up meant he was probably closer to one than a man right now. He found that irked the fighter in him a bit, given how even the original Mad Dog had always stood his ground no matter how far into the depths of his own Madness he fell. Part of him was hoping the kid would be similar. (At the very least he isn¡¯t like the motherfucker.) He¡¯d take what he could get on this one. (After all, those Touched By Madness always march to the beat of their own drums.) It was the whole reason they became Madness magnets despite not actually being Madness users like Wonderlanders and their Corrupted. Madness wanted them, but couldn¡¯t actually take them. (Of course all that Madness has to go somewhere¡­) He remembered, glancing down at the cut on his arm that he should have easily been able to just Grit His Teeth through. The Huntsman had no problem exploiting this and rushing him the moment Tru made the (amateur) mistake of looking away as the growing Madness licked at his thoughts. Despite leaning out of the way of the swipes they proved just how dangerous they were as the Madness in the air twisted his own Magic to cut into him, granting the Huntsman the claws humans were not born with to leave behind several small slashes in Tru¡¯s clothes. Slashes that continued to multiply as he was forced onto the defensive. (Something no real fighter wants¡­) ¡°Grr, enough!¡± He shouted, Gritting His Teeth through the onslaught as he shot his hand forward and grabbed the kid by his face before slamming him into the ground hard enough to crack the kid¡¯s skull. ¡°Fuck!¡± He shook his head and stepped away from the kid as he forced the Madness from his mind, having let a little too much slip inside of him. Running a hand through his hair he looked down on the kid, wondering if he¡¯d have to call the medics, before finding himself relieved as the glow of the kid¡¯s fairy began to wrap around the Huntsman, hopefully undoing what was sure to be a heavy concussion. (Forgot that¡¯s the other reason Madness is so dangerous.) He¡¯d gotten so used to the extremely controlled system that the Gamer¡¯s Guild used that he¡¯d forgotten wild Madness tended to drive people Mad. Forcing them to give into their impulses far easier than someone who¡¯d spent their life fighting should¡¯ve. A state he¡¯d happily embraced the last time he¡¯d had to fight someone Touched By Madness. (But I shouldn¡¯t do that when this kid is clearly just a kid.) He couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he watched the kid pick himself up from the small crater that had surrounded the kid¡¯s head. Not wanting the kid to know how thrown he was he forced a grin back onto his face as the kid turned to him, eyes seeming to glow beneath the shadow of his hair as he glared at Tru. (Damn it, the Madness is still messing with me.) ¡°Ha! Still want to go another round kid?¡± He forced out a laugh before punching his hand. ¡°I can respect that.¡± He really could, if the kid was actually aware of what he was doing. (A few more rounds would probably do us both some good.) He figured, using his Fighter¡¯s Grit to push through his anxiety about hurting the kid. (Need to know how in control he is, and I need to build my resistance back up if the GM¡¯s Madness has made me soft.) Just as he raised his hands into a fighting stance and the Huntsman entered his own feral stance, a ringing began cutting through the ring, his phone still hooked up to the arena speakers, causing them both to freeze at the unexpected sound. (Damn it, what now?) He groaned, holding up a finger as he pulled out his phone and told the kid, ¡°Just, uh, give me one second.¡± The kid didn¡¯t leave his fighting stance, which was fair given how they were in the middle of a fight. (Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t even blame the kid if he took a cheapshot at me. Totally deserve it, I¡¯m usually so much more professional than this¡­) Upon seeing who was calling him, he couldn¡¯t help but grimace. ¡°Shit, I¡¯ve, uh, I¡¯ve got to take this. We¡¯ll get back to it in a second.¡± He promised regretfully before putting the phone next to his ear and answering. ¡°Hey, Ma, what¡¯s up?¡± Tru Grit’s Fight Pits (Pt. 4)- A Fight For The Future Tru Grit¡¯s Fight Pits (Pt. 4)- A Fight For The Future --- Jon --- (Should go for the throat while he¡¯s distracted.) He couldn¡¯t help but consider, before forcibly shaking his head and holding himself back. (No¡­ I can¡¯t do that¡­ He¡¯s talking to his¡­ Ma¡­) His teeth gnashed at the air as he felt a throbbing pain build inside of his skull, one that barely left him cognizant enough to filter in Tru Grit¡¯s conversation. ¡°Yeah, no, I¡¯m in the middle of work but¡­ what do you need exactly?¡± Tru asked over the phone, before grimacing his way. ¡°No, no, Ma if you need something tell me, I can figure it out. If I have to I can get someone to cover the rest of my shift here¡­ Ma, just tell me what you need.¡± Tru was silent for a moment, before running a hand down his face. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I can pick her up. I just, uh, I just need a second to wrap things up here and get someone to cover me¡­ No, it¡¯s no problem. Hell, I¡¯ll pick something up on my way over and we can make a whole day of it even. Alright?... Alright. Oh, you need anything else while I¡¯m coming over? Wha, no, Ma you know me and Perry aren¡¯t¡­ Fine, I¡¯ll ask her¡­ Love you too¡­ love ya.¡± Having wrapped up his call, Tru hung up his phone before shaking his head as he put it back in his pocket. ¡°Right, so, uh, this is¡­ embarrassing but, uh, something¡¯s come up and I uh, I need to leave¡­¡± To be fair to him, the gang leader really did look both regretful and embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s fine¡­¡± He managed to get out, as the Beast paced in the back of his head. ¡°It¡¯s your¡­ Ma?¡± ¡°Yeah, she uh, she needs me to take care of something.¡± Tru nodded. ¡°That said, I¡¯m going to have to call your test thing here. I know, I know it was just getting good but¡­ my Ma takes priority.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He understood completely. ¡°A good son takes care of their Ma, ahem, mama, er¡­ You know what I mean.¡± Tru pointed a finger at him as the older man grinned. ¡°I do. Sad thing is most people don¡¯t. Which is why I¡¯m going to do you a bit of a solid.¡± ¡°A solid?¡± He repeated, unable to keep hold back his wariness. ¡°Well, a double solid, since you¡¯re being a good sport about this and I¡¯m kind of blue fisting you here.¡± Tru admitted, before explaining that, ¡°First, despite what Ms. Leed says, I¡¯ll go ahead and let you enter the tournament at the end of the year, if you do well we¡¯ll keep you if you don¡¯t we¡¯ll we won¡¯t. That said, I expect you to go all out from the start when the tournament comes round, none of that bow and arrow bullshit you tried at the start of this, got it?¡± ¡°Got it.¡± He accepted, more because his headache wouldn¡¯t let him argue it. ¡°Cool, and to make sure you¡¯ll actually be able to handle yourself at this tournament I expect you to show up here at least once a week for a spar. Nothing all out mind you, but enough to let Ms. Leed think I¡¯m training you up for the tournament.¡± Tru tact on, something that managed to make him frown in spite of his migraine. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to train me.¡± He snarled. ¡°My Ma is the one to teach me how to fight!¡± Tru watched him for a moment before nodding, grin no longer on his face. ¡°Fair enough, but like I said I¡¯m not actually training you. Wouldn¡¯t be fair to the other fighters. I¡¯m just testing to see if you¡¯re training to keep up with the tournament, if you don¡¯t I can easily pull you out before someone breaks you over their knee.¡± ¡°And why do I even want to be in your tournament?¡± He spat. ¡°Aside from the prize money? Which is like five digits by the way.¡± Tru spread his arms out gaining much more smug grin. ¡°You won¡¯t get your rematch otherwise, and we both know a fighter like you can¡¯t take a one sided asskicking like this lying down.¡± He merely growled at that. ¡°Heh.¡± Tru shook his head as he lowered his arms. ¡°Now since I¡¯m not a complete asshole, and I am the one bailing on this fight I¡¯ll go ahead and make that up to you now.¡± ¡°And how are you going to do that?¡± He wondered with no small amount of derision. ¡°We¡¯ve got a deal with Covenant here supplying¡­ various things for our little club. In addition to the money we pay them, they¡¯ve also got a small¡­ shop we¡¯ll call it, set up at each of our bigger clubs.¡± Tru explained, before pointing towards a door perpendicular to his throne and the entrance. ¡°If you head down that hall, you¡¯ll come across a guy named Gra¡¯loch, since you¡¯re clearly a Practitioner I¡¯m sure you can find something to step your fight up in there.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± He admitted, not entirely sure if he should be accepting a gift from the crime lord especially if it meant he¡¯d be working alongside another one. (Then again this wouldn¡¯t be the first time¡­) Deciding that it would be a waste to not at least see what Covenant had on offer, he started trudging towards the room not even bothering to say goodbye to the other man. Though that didn¡¯t stop Tru from telling him, ¡°I¡¯ll see you next week, kid!¡± (I can¡¯t wait to punch his stupid face in¡­) --- Tru Grit --- ¡°Is this really a smart idea?¡± Perry D. Leed asked as he made his way back into the pit tunnels after sending the kid off. ¡°Not many people Touched by Madness out there. Need to keep an eye on him just in case he winds up like that bastard Reed.¡± He explained, showing off the cuts on his arm. ¡°Was a hunch that proved correct. Last thing we need is another monster running around unchecked.¡± ¡°Then why offer to train him up?¡± His partner pressed as she began healing the cuts. ¡°My Madness resistance is down, I lost control a couple times in that fight.¡± Something they both knew he did not do. ¡°I was hoping all my fights TPK would¡¯ve kept it up, but apparently the unfiltered stuff is a lot stronger. Though that might¡¯ve been wishful thinking with her being a Secondary Deviancy to the GM.¡± ¡°Still I don¡¯t like the idea of you letting a kid in here, let alone¡­ everything else.¡± Perry admitted, (which to be fair¡­) ¡°I don¡¯t either.¡± (At least with what I¡¯m planning¡­) He sighed. ¡°Even if he¡¯s older than we were when we got into the game, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Hopefully, this¡¯ll all play out right and he¡¯s more like the old man than anything bad. After all, the kid¡¯s a fighter and I¡¯ll give him the benefit of the doubt if for that alone.¡± Perry couldn¡¯t help but shake her head with a little smirk. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot, you know that?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± He nodded, happy to bulldoze past the heavy stuff. ¡°Oh, and before I forget Ma wanted me to invite you to dinner.¡± His best friend rolled her eyes.¡°Oh, fun another night of your mother trying to get us hitched.¡± ¡°Come on, you¡¯re not going to disappoint my Ma are you?¡± He whined, knowing she was already going to tag along. ¡°Fine¡­ but I¡¯m picking where we get the takeout from.¡± Gra’loch’s Covenant Shop (Pt. 1)- A Maddening Set of Choices A/N: I only meant to chip away at this¡­ I did not mean to write this in one sitting¡­ What made me write this in one sitting?!! --- Gra¡¯loch¡¯s Covenant Shop (Pt. 1)- A Maddening Set of Choices --- Jon --- Walking through the darkness of the pit tunnels he found his headache slowly fading as he walked away from the (annoyance and the) lights from the fight club¡¯s arena. Pix flew around him letting out a few chirps of concern as she picked up on his poor mood and the fading pain of his migraine. ¡°I¡¯m alright¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°This trip just¡­ didn¡¯t turn out how I was hoping¡­¡± His little light patted his cheek in understanding as she let out a sad trill. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ If I¡¯m lucky this shop will have something to make that beating worth it.¡± He tried to console her as much as himself, the phantom ache of having half his rib cage caved in still clinging to his chest. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m not curious what the ¡®magical blackmarket¡¯ might have¡­¡± ¡°Lots of interesting things.¡± An almost hissing voice promised from the shadows. He frowned as he made out a chest high figure waiting for him a bit further in. ¡°Ah, no need to fear.¡± The figure assured him, raising their hands in peace before waving a phone about. ¡°Tru messaged me you were coming¡­ Said to give you anything in the shop on his tab¡­ You must be special to gain that much of the Mad Dog¡¯s favor.¡± ¡°Not his favor, but definitely his interest.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but scoff, being nowhere near naive enough to believe Tru had a purely altruistic reason for keeping him around the pit. Especially when offering him a ¡®gift¡¯ to indebt him into sticking around. (Shame Miss Edna and my Ma both taught me gifts come with no strings attached. And anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot.) ¡°Still a rare thing given just how much is on offer.¡± The figure shrugged, before motioning him to follow through a nearby doorway. ¡°Pix you mind?¡± He asked, his little fairy before getting a nod as she brightened her natural light enough to see the shelves lining either side of the otherwise spacious room. ¡°Ah, apologies¡­ My species isn¡¯t exactly fond of the light.¡± The -(clearly non-human)- figure told him before flicking a nearby light and filling the room with a dim blue light, and revealing themselves to be some kind of bipedal catfish with teeth wearing a vest and tailcoat. ¡°Gra¡¯loch, I¡¯m guessing?¡± The catfish nodded. ¡°Yes, and you are¡­ The Huntsman, yes?¡± ¡°In here I guess¡­ Though now I¡¯m curious if Gra¡¯loch¡¯s your actual name¡­¡± He admitted, eyeing the contents of the shelves and (honestly, I¡¯ve got no idea what any of this is beyond.) He thought he recognized a couple things from DeSade¡¯s workshop, but nothing he could make a concrete guess about. ¡°It roughly means Merchant in my native tongue, I simply weaken my translator spell for it to come out in your species¡¯s vocal range.¡± The magical merchant explained. ¡°And don¡¯t bother wasting your time on the floor items, these would all be a waste of a free gift. Instead I¡¯ve pulled some¡­ select stock based on what I saw from your fight with the Mad Dog.¡± ¡°You saw my fight?¡± He frowned, not having noticed any spectators beyond Ms. Leed. ¡°There¡¯s a camera connected to every major workspace in the club, and all of them have a connection to the arena¡¯s feed.¡± Gra¡¯loch explained, putting on a pair of black glasses before flicking another switch and turning on a proper light above a counter in the back with a number of boxes and cases on top of it. ¡°Come, come, I believe these are what would most interest you.¡± Walking over, the merchant popped a small wooden case open with his four fingered hands, revealing a knife and what he was pretty sure were a trio of Conceptual Crystals like what Miss Edna had taught him to make. ¡°Now first, we¡¯ll start off with the weapons given your clear preference for melee combat. Here we have a beautiful knife with a Warp Recall enchantment, a partial side grade over your current recall method if at the trade of your recall path for an instantaneous return. And of course this can be synchronized to any existing recall point such as those bracelets you wear.¡± Gra¡¯loch explained. The merchant then picked up one of the crystals and slotted it into the hilt of the knife before pressing a thumb to the side and causing the whole thing to begin glowing with a red heat. ¡°What really makes this item valuable to you is the fact that you can slot Conceptual Crystals into the hilt so that with a flick of the trigger the knife conducts a constant stream of elemental magic. Powered purely by the crystal -fire, frost, and electricity coming with the package deal- thus saving a practitioner the power cost of said magic.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± He admitted, wondering how hard it would be for him to set up something similar on his own. (I could probably manage the individual elements easy, but the new warp recall and the modularity would be tricky if Miss Edna doesn¡¯t know how to do them.) And while he was sure she knew the enchantments, he wasn¡¯t so sure she knew how to physically make the knife¡¯s hilt herself. ¡°Thought you¡¯d like that.¡± Gra¡¯loch smiled before returning the knife and crystal to their case and opening a larger one to reveal an axe within. ¡°This next one is similar but a little different in function. While the modular elements remain, rather than concentrating the magic to the blade this unleashes them into a hazardous region around them or small elemental explosions. Oh, and the recall enchantment on this one can switch between pathed and warp.¡± ¡°You mind if I test the weight?¡± He asked. ¡°Not at all.¡± Gra¡¯loch assured him, stepping aside so he could test both the knife and the axe. ¡°Pretty close to what I¡¯ve already got, though the crystals might offset my throws a bit.¡± He figured after a couple tosses in his hands. ¡°But that¡¯s a problem I can buffer out with a bit of practice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you approve, though I do have a few more items of interest I¡¯d like to show before you make your decision.¡± Gra¡¯loch told him as he returned the weapons to their cases. ¡°More specifically, given your clear favor towards Contracting I thought you¡¯d enjoy a few rare catalysts.¡± ¡°How rare?¡± He wondered, because while he felt the Traveler wasn¡¯t trying to cheat him -given how he was offering so many options when Jon was clearly interested in the weapons- there was something about this setup still bugging him a bit. ¡°Mm, not so rare that it¡¯d be impossible to acquire them again but rare enough that you¡¯d have to import it from outside of the city which in itself would cost both time and money.¡± The merchant shrugged. ¡°I possess them as a¡­ waylay station of sorts, for all of the other Covenant shops working with the Mad Dog.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Alright, so what are we looking at?¡± He asked, leading the merchant to open a box that seemed to contain a tool box covered in spell script that he couldn¡¯t quite decipher. ¡°On the seemingly more mundane end of things we have a catalyst for a Goblin, which in itself would not be overly interesting given how a standard catalyst is fairly common for the mercenary race. Even more so should you get the¡­ more savage variants, which personally I do not believe is ever worth the money saved versus damage to the local ecosystem.¡± He found it was an interesting thing to watch a human catfish shudder. The Traveler shook their head before readjusting their glasses. ¡°Anyway, what makes this item unique is that it specifically summons a Tinker Goblin. The¡­ Em.Ah.De. -pardon my accent, we use a different word- variant of the goblin, meaning you can employ them for anything that a more mechanically inclined M.A.D. would be capable of, should you supply them with materials. Though that isn¡¯t to say they won¡¯t have weapons of their own available, I simply believe given your relationship with the young miss you¡¯d prefer their crafting skills over their combat skills.¡± ¡°Huh, surprised people aren¡¯t summoning this lot on mass for an M.A.D. factory.¡± He blinked, looking at the toolbox in a new light as having a support M.A.D. was bound to be valuable. ¡°Most Arcane civilizations try that once or twice before realizing that while the Arcane Nexus encourages the individual to¡­ game the system, it does not enjoy groups attempting the same and will begin¡­ altering the catalyst conditions if used too frequently to close together.¡± Gra¡¯loch explained. ¡°Which is why I would recommend using the Catalyst at home and preferably away from any prominent Arcane locations less the Nexus umbrellas you with someone else¡¯s faction.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± He nodded, pretty sure Miss Edna could help him figure that out even if Contracting wasn¡¯t her actual forte. ¡°Good, next up we have any true researcher¡¯s dream Catalyst, an Avarician feather!¡± Gra¡¯loch exclaimed, opening a box to reveal a glass sphere with a large bluish purple feather within. ¡°The only reason this hasn¡¯t sold out is due to the fact that most of our¡­ club clientele are more interested in combat than research¡­ practically an insult to the Arcane method. Er, no offense.¡± ¡°None taken.¡± He shrugged, not really caring. ¡°Though I am curious as to what an Avarician is?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, give me a moment -explaining a sophont species to another is always tricky¡­¡± Gra¡¯loch sighed, adjusting their glasses. ¡°I believe the best description would be a highly intelligent Avian-humanoid species, with a cultural interest in magic making them quite powerful as both a support Arcane and research Arcane, if at the price of having them use their summoner¡¯s magic to fuel their spells rather than their own. Which given your status as a Practitioner is something you¡¯ll wish to thoroughly consider before choosing this catalyst in particular. As while their skill and knowledge can be invaluable their combat cost is¡­ not without severity.¡± ¡°So better a research buddy than a combat partner.¡± He figured, hand drifting to his talisman. ¡°Ah, if you require an upgrade to your talisman-¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡± He cut in, before grimacing. ¡°Sentimental reasons¡­¡± (It would be one thing if I asked Miss Edna to help me upgrade my talisman but outright replacing it with something¡­ bought feels¡­ bad¡­ disrespectful¡­ definitely something bad.) ¡°I understand.¡± Gra¡¯loch assured him, raising both hands. ¡°But moving on, this brings us to my third and final catalyst¡­¡± The merchant paused before they could open another container. ¡°Actually, before I offer this, what is your stance on¡­ let¡¯s call it mildly dark magic?¡± ¡°A tool. A dangerous tool but still a tool.¡± He answered, pretty sure whatever he was about to be offered was going to be mildly illegal. (Then again I¡¯m pretty sure this whole place is mildly illegal regardless of what they say.) ¡°Very good.¡± Gra¡¯loch nodded as they opened another container and revealed what looked to be a glass skull filled with (I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s blood¡­ Meaning this isn¡¯t another confidant catalyst.) ¡°I offer you¡­ a Cambion Catalyst.¡± Given how the mildly awed and fearful tone the merchant used, he was fairly sure this was something that summoned rare, powerful, and dangerous. (Like all dark magic.) ¡°Cambion¡­ that¡¯s familiar but I can¡¯t quite place where¡­ something to do with Demons¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ a Cambion is a half-Demon, with the catalyst guaranteeing that what you summon is in themselves half of the summoner¡¯s race. A status granting them a portion of their Demonic parent¡¯s power while also giving them a mind far more¡­ human in your case mind than a true Demon.¡± Gra¡¯loch explained. ¡°A half Demon.¡± He repeated, giving the glass skull far more consideration. ¡°And what kind of half Demon would it summon?¡± ¡°That is entirely dependent on you, as the blood within the skull is a diluted blending of several Demons. Which when combined with several high level Spell Codes that I myself do not fully understand grants the catalyst a more focused variant of the more common Confidant Catalyst.¡± Gra¡¯loch continued. ¡°Meaning that the ¡®Demonic¡¯ half of the Cambion you summon is whatever most resonates with you.¡± As he considered that, he also found himself considering the Horror¡¯s arm he and the girls were working on. ¡°Even if they¡¯re a half Demon, this seems like something that should cost¡­ more than is worth offering here.¡± ¡°You¡­ are not incorrect.¡± Gra¡¯loch admitted with a hesitant nod. ¡°Truthfully, it being worth so much is part of the reason I haven¡¯t been able to find a buyer for this particular piece. But you¡¯re not the one footing the bill here, so¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing everything on this table is both extremely expensive and with very little demand.¡± He pieced together based on what the merchant had let slip thus far. ¡°You¡­ are correct.¡± Gra¡¯loch sighed. Now knowing this was the case he figured he should have the merchant bring out some of their regular stock for him to go through rather than simply ripping Tru Grit off like this. ¡°In that case what¡¯s the most expensive thing you¡¯ve got.¡± Because his Ma Miss Edna would both be deeply disappointed if he didn¡¯t rip off the rich guy. (And Tru would agree I can¡¯t go disappointing my Ma like that.) Gra¡¯loch gave a fang filled smile. ¡°One moment please.¡± He patiently waited as the merchant ran into the backroom, watching as Pix flitted between the various revealed treasures, before Gra¡¯loch came back with a chest covered in padlocks and chains. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to get rid of this thing for years but at the same time I know it¡¯s worth so much money I can¡¯t just give it away without giving myself a dozen blood ulcers.¡± The merchant explained slowly undoing the various chains. ¡°And given your¡­ views on dark magic I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be overly disappointed with this particular item.¡± With the last of the security eventually removed, Gra¡¯loch opened the chest to reveal a ?%#$!*. He shook his head, feeling a faint ache in his head as he looked at the pulsating sphere of shadows in front of him. ¡°What. Is. This?¡± He frowned, feeling something crawling over his mind. Not invasively like with the Beast of Blackwell, but with a sort of curiosity. ¡°This thing is wreathing in Madness.¡± ¡°Yes, the fact that you recognize that means you might just be the best person to take this off of my hands.¡± The merchant nodded. ¡°This rare find is a Void Creep Core¡­ One that¡¯s been¡­ gestating for a fairly long time. I¡­ truthfully have no idea what to do with it, but perhaps you do?¡± ¡°I¡­ maybe?¡± He swallowed, feeling a familiarity in the Core¡¯s reaching fingers, almost like they¡¯d reached for him before and would continue to do so until he took them in hand. (¡°Is the third time the charm? Will you take me now, my dear Huntsman? I¡¯ll wait as long as it takes for you to embrace my Madness¡­¡±) ¡°It¡¯s whispering to me¡­¡± He hissed, before snapping his hand out and preventing Pix from touching (the clearly sapient orb.) Gra¡¯loch slammed the chest shut and began redoing the locks, the presence immediately disappearing. ¡°Yes, that is why I locked it up. I didn¡¯t even need the locks until a month or two ago, but it¡¯s been¡­ responding to something. I¡¯ve had to add more chains twice now to keep it quiet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ concerning¡­¡± He admitted, wiping the blood from beneath his nose. The merchant nodded, before licking their lips and giving him a (concerned(?)) look, ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t blame you if you want to leave this here. Even if you can recognize Madness, this¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have offered this¡­ why did I offer this to you?... Oh, lord! I offered this to a child!!!¡± Gra¡¯loch seemed to panic at that particular revelation. He put a hand on the merchant¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t. Think. About. It. Madness will make you spiral.¡± Gra¡¯loch stilled for a moment, before eventually nodding, ¡°R-right¡­ Right, just¡­ just forget I offered the mind raping Void Core. Just¡­ just pick one of the other items I¡¯ve left out and¡­ and let¡¯s forget this little episode happened¡­¡± ¡°Right, yeah, just¡­ just give me a second¡­¡± He told the merchant. ¡°I, I think we both need one¡­¡± Gra’loch’s Covenant Shop (Pt. 2): Warranty Null And Void Gra¡¯loch¡¯s Covenant Shop (Pt. 2): Warranty Null And Void --- Jon --- (I¡¯m going to regret this. I know I¡¯m going to regret this. So why am I still doing this?) Despite his many, many reservations, he forced himself to tell Gra¡¯loch that, ¡°I¡¯ll take the Void Core.¡± (¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t resist me forever Huntsman¡­¡±) He shook his head, and ignored the whispering. ¡°Are¡­ are you sure?¡± The merchant swallowed looking deeply uncomfortable. ¡°This, this isn¡¯t the kind of thing I should be giving a child of any species.¡± ¡°No it isn¡¯t.¡± He agreed, before sighing. ¡°Unfortunately, you were also right that I¡¯m probably one of the few people who know how to handle this thing and¡­ it¡¯s better if this is taken off the streets before someone does something they regret.¡± (Then again I¡¯m pretty sure me taking this means it¡¯s too late for that¡­) Gra¡¯loch stared at him for another moment before reluctantly nodding. ¡°Perhaps¡­ After all, you did notice it¡­ influencing you faster than I ever have¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s influenced you more than once, you really need to be rid of it.¡± He warned the merchant Traveler. ¡°Each time Madness gets a¡­ hook in you, the next one is even faster until you¡¯re drowning in it.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re right, I¡­ I know you¡¯re right.¡± Gra¡¯loch grimaced. ¡°I just, I don¡¯t like leaving this with a child. It¡¯s irresponsible in a way that is¡­ dishonorable.¡± ¡°Maybe, but¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve counted as a kid for a while.¡± He admitted before tossing his pack next to the chest and forcing it into the bag¡¯s significantly smaller opening, magic the only reason it was even possible. ¡°Well, young man¡­ I hope you know what you¡¯re doing.¡± The merchant told him. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. (So do I.) He didn¡¯t say as he closed his pack, its contents even more dangerous than the Demon arm from a week before or any explosive he¡¯d ever stashed within it. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I almost feel bad charging money to be rid of that thing.¡± Gra¡¯loch confessed as he slung his pack over his shoulder. ¡°Well I¡¯m not the one you¡¯re taking money from, so¡­ don¡¯t I guess.¡± He shrugged, wondering if he should be the one getting paid for dealing with what was sure to be a brain aneurysm inducing headache. (Literally¡­) The merchant let out a huff of amusement. ¡°Yes, I suppose I should inform Tru that his bill for this particular¡­ gift,¡± the Traveler scoffed, ¡°is a hundred thousand american.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but cough at that amount. ¡°A hundred thousand?! That¡¯s, that¡¯s enough to pay my rent for four years! That¡¯s, that¡¯s almost double my Ma¡¯s yearly pay!¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I forgot your species rents property¡­ ugh, such a disgusting practice.¡± Gra¡¯loch shuddered for something unrelated to the thing he was selling. ¡°To be fair though, your entire economic system is just¡­ a blatant mess. So inferior, and if you just- ahem, sorry. That was going to be a racist rant on my part.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ fine?¡± He was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t, but (at least he caught himself? I don¡¯t know.) Deciding it was better to¡­ push past this he instead asked, ¡°Out of curiosity, how much does the rest of this run for?¡± ¡°Anywhere from a thousand dollars for the knife, to ten for the Cambion catalyst.¡± Gra¡¯loch explained, seemingly far more comfortable talking about trade than their previous two topics. ¡°I understand that at your age that¡¯s likely a fair bit, but if you do decently enough in the tourney you¡¯ve been invited to you likely could purchase everything on this counter with the pay from third place on.¡± ¡°Good to¡­ know.¡± He nodded, having not actually considered just how much money Tru¡¯s tournament was worth or what he¡¯d do with that money should he win any. (No, that¡¯s¡­ almost two months away, no reason to bother thinking about it yet. I¡¯ve got enough on my plate right now¡­) He shifted his backpack on his shoulder, the thing feeling notably heavier than it had moments before despite carrying the same magical weight. Something he knew was all in his head. ¡°I think¡­ I think I need to get this taken care of before thinking about anything else.¡± He told the merchant with a grimace. Gra¡¯loch matched his grimace with a nod. ¡°I¡­ I understand.¡± Not needing to say anything else on the matter he started making his way for the exit out of club, all the while unable to bitterly help but consider the fact that, (I came here to blow off some steam and somehow picked up twice as many problems¡­) Madness, that was just his luck. Trail 58: Good Dragon Gone Mad Trail 58: Good Dragon Gone Mad --- Jon --- ¡°So, uh, what was so important we needed to ¡®drop everything and come to the house now¡¯?¡± Miss Edna asked as he continued to stare down at his backpack as he had since getting home. ¡°Whatever has him so distressed seems to be in his pack.¡± Ying noted, having followed along from whatever she and Miss Edna were in the middle of to train Ying¡¯s powers. Something about that irked in the back of his head, (something I should remember¡­) but he felt like that could be dealt with later given how he had more dangerous priorities at the moment. ¡°Yeah, from the way he¡¯s looking at it he might¡¯ve had to stash a body inside.¡± His second parent joked before her smile slowly faded. ¡°Jon, do you have a dead body in your pack?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Oh, good. I don¡¯t need someone dropping that on me again.¡± Miss Edna sighed, looking fairly relieved. ¡°The quartermaster?¡± Ying frowned. ¡°And my ex-husband.¡± Miss Edna nodded before pausing. ¡°Uh, just to be clear I don¡¯t mean he killed my ex, just that they both¡­ you know what I¡¯m going to plead the fifth now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably a good idea¡­¡± Ying admitted looking a little uneasy before refocusing the conversation on him. ¡°Uh, Jon, what is the emergency exactly? Your silence is becoming worrying.¡± He grimaced, before forcing himself to admit that (I can¡¯t really stall this anymore¡­) Opening his pack he reached inside and pulled out a black chest covered in locks. ¡°I¡­ found this¡­¡± ¡°You found this, how?¡± Miss Edna asked slowly, looking the chest over with a faint glow to her eyes. ¡°There are¡­ a shit ton of seals on these chains.¡± ¡°Um¡­ some stuff happened, I fought a guy, met a fish person, and the fish person sold me this to screw over the guy, who in turn had to pay for this.¡± Not exactly what happened, but he didn¡¯t quite feel like recounting the entire story. Especially since various concussions had made several bits and pieces of his fight with Tru Grit a bit blurry in his head. ¡°O¡­kay¡­¡± Ying nodded. ¡°That¡­ leaves me with several questions.¡± ¡°Why? I mean it¡¯s all pretty straight forward.¡± Miss Edna frowned, before clapping his shoulder. ¡°Also I¡¯m assuming you got the most expensive thing in the shop?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He nodded. His second parent gave him a grin. ¡°Good job, kid.¡± before resuming her study of the chest. ¡°I¡¯m guessing whatever you ended up getting though was also pretty dangerous given the way you¡¯re acting.¡± ¡°Yeah, he, uh, they, uh, whatever¡­¡± He shook his head, having trouble putting his thoughts together. ¡°They, uh, said it was a Core of some kind but¡­ besides the bad feeling it gives me¡­ I¡¯ve no idea what it actually is. I was kind of hoping you could tell me what it is.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ several kinds of ¡®Cores¡¯ out there, and a lot of them can give off bad feelings¡­¡± Miss Edna shrugged before snapping her fingers. ¡°Okay, locks can¡¯t be magically opened¡­ at least not without enough power to blast the chest to pieces.¡± ¡°Uh, here¡¯s the keys.¡± He offered her, figuring that as the one with decades of magical experience it was probably best that Miss Edna be the one to actually open the chest this time. ¡°Alright, just to be clear you have opened this thing without it exploding right?¡± Miss Edna checked as she accepted the keys. ¡°Yeah, just¡­ it started whispering when the chest was open for too long.¡± He shivered, his bad feeling growing for some reason. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s Madness related but¡­¡± Miss Edna paused, first key in its lock before giving him a look. ¡°You, uh, you sure you want me to open this kiddo? I¡¯m pretty sure if this thing is related to Madness your best option is to just chuck it into the sea.¡± ¡°The shopkeeper said whatever it is is getting stronger, I figure it¡¯s best to make sure it¡¯s disposed of properly and he said the fact I recognized the magic meant I had a better idea of whatever it is than him.¡± He tried to explain. ¡°And while I don¡¯t you might, and if you don¡¯t¡­ there¡¯s always the nuclear options.¡± ¡°Ugh, I¡¯d rather not call DeSade for help.¡± Miss Edna grimaced. ¡°Asshole would be smug about it and use it as evidence in our case.¡± ¡°Our case?¡± He frowned, figuring that was a better topic than the fact he¡¯d actually meant the Cheshire. ¡°Uh, don¡¯t worry about it kiddo. Just association stuff after everything in Blackwell and DeSade trying to get more¡­ credit than he deserves.¡± Miss Edna assured him, before giving the locks a bitter look. ¡°Guess we might as well see what the big deal is¡­¡± Removing all of the locks and chains Miss Edna popped the chest open and found the small spherical &%!#@! sitting on a velvet pillow. (¡°Oh, it¡¯s so good to see you my beloved huntsman¡­¡±) ¡°Fuck, where did they even find a Void Core this condensed?¡± Miss Edna cursed. (¡°Only Madness knows!¡±) ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s a bad thing?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask as he forced himself to ignore the whispering in the air. (¡°I¡¯ll admit I am a bad girl sometimes¡­ but that¡¯s because it¡¯s more fun!¡±) ¡°Yeah, no wonder you were hearing whispers with how much¡­ Madness¡­¡± Miss Edna trailed off in a way he really did not like before her head snapped to Ying. ¡°Ying you need to get out of here now!¡± (¡°Oh, and who is this pretty little thing?¡±) ¡°Miss Edna, w-what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ying swallowed, her breathing all wrong. (¡°Ah, and you¡¯ve been playing with the fun stuff without me!¡±) ¡°Fuck, Pix, start healing her now!¡± Miss Edna ordered as she began making several gestures with her hands as a ring of light began to glow above the chest. (¡°Ah, come on I just got here!¡±) Ying curled in on herself as Pix began to fly around her, the little fairy¡¯s magic seemingly doing nothing to aid the obviously distressed teen. (¡°Let¡¯s at least have some fun!¡±) ¡°Miss Edna, what¡¯s going on exactly?¡± He asked before feeling a pulse of something wash over them. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not good¡­¡± Miss Edna mumbled, her eyes repeatedly darting to a Ying that had suddenly gone still. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Realizing that he was clearly missing something he reached for the other teen, ¡°Uh, Ying, you feeling alright?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± Ying inhaled deeply before smiling as she looked up at him with two yellow draconic eyes. ¡°I¡¯m feeling wonderful. Especially with you here Jon.¡± He stilled, before taking a step back as Ying stood up with a smile on her face. ¡°Ying¡­ stay calm¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m perfectly calm.¡± Ying promised as she licked her lips. ¡°Though I am feeling a little excited.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± He swallowed, glancing at a cursing Miss Edna who was working on trying to close the chest that refused to budge as an invisible force -(black thorns curled out from the core and)- kept the chest from closing. (¡°No, I want to watch!¡±) ¡°Just, just try to stay in control.¡± He told his friend with a gentle tone of voice. ¡°Just, give us a minute and we¡¯ll get this whole thing sorted out.¡± Ying gave him an amused grin. ¡°Oh, but Jon haven¡¯t you learned yet?¡± Moving faster than he could react, Ying jumped, tackling him to the ground and bashing his head against the carpet. He blinked away the daze from the sudden head blow to find Ying on top of him, her legs straddling him and her clawed hands pinning down his wrists. ¡°Sometimes a girl just wants to lose control.¡± The draconic teen grinned, running her teeth over a mouth full of fangs. ¡°Uh, Ying¡­ you uh, what are you doing?¡± He asked, feeling an odd sort of panic building in his chest. Ying switched her grip on his wrists to one hand, before trailing a claw along his cheek. ¡°Well, since you want me to stay in control¡­¡± The draconic teen suddenly grabbed the collar of his shirt before ripping it open. ¡°I¡¯m going to take control.¡± Seeing that he was in trouble and that Ying wasn¡¯t acting like herself, Pix flew in front of her before zapping the teen in her face. Knowing that that wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop the Draconic teen, he quickly glanced around the room trying to find a way to get out of this without stabbing his temporarily insane friend. (Miss Edna¡¯s almost got the box closed so she can¡¯t help, but maybe I can reach my pack if I can get a hand free¡­) ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry Pix, I haven¡¯t forgotten about my favorite little fairy.¡± Ying purred as she snatched said fairy out of the air. ¡°That said, you are going to have to wait your turn.¡± Ying warned her, letting his wrists go so that she could drag a claw down her shirt to slowly pop the buttons off her shirt. While she was distracted with this and keeping her eyes locked on his, he subtly used his free hand to reach for his pack, his fingers just barely brushing against it as it stood just inches out of reach. Needing to take a risk he quickly sat up and tugged the pack a little closed before being pushed back down by Ying. ¡°Now, now, Jon¡­ I said I was in control tonight.¡± ¡°R-right¡­¡± He nodded, even as his fingers slipped inside his pack and he used the search enchantment to try and grab something of use. ¡°I, uh, I like that?¡± He offered, definitely not liking any of this. ¡°Oh, you do?¡± The Mad Ying smiled as she began to shift against him. Finally grabbing something inside his pack he honestly answered, ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t.¡± before popping a vial open and splashing a tranquilizer potion into Ying¡¯s face. The draconic teen hissed as she pawed at her eyes, leaving him free to shove Ying off of him and onto her back before shoving his hand back into the pack to pull out a spool of wire to hopefully restrain the mad dragoness. Having bought himself only a few moments, he moved as fast as he could to wrap the wire around a surprisingly accepting Ying. (¡°Oh, is this what you like my Huntsman?¡±) ¡°Well, I wanted to be in control but¡­ I suppose I should be thankful you finally want to take control.¡± Ying laughed even as he bound her arms behind her in several loops to keep her from escaping. ¡°Though I didn¡¯t think you were into this of all things. I guess this is what they mean by ¡®beware the nice ones¡¯.¡± (¡°I know, I¡¯m going to have to remember this for later!¡±) Ignoring her he instead asked Miss Edna, ¡°How¡¯s that chest coming along?¡± as he moved onto Ying¡¯s legs. ¡°Almost¡­ got it!¡± The older woman sighed as the chest slammed shut. ¡°Just give me a second to re-do the chains.¡± (Boo, I wanted to play!) ¡°Ooh, nice and tight.¡± Ying giggled in a way he found distinctly uncomfortable given how he knew (she¡¯s insane right now, she doesn¡¯t mean it.) With the dragoness properly bound, he stood up just as Miss Edna turned back to them before giving Ying a look he couldn¡¯t quite decipher beyond discomfort. ¡°Jon, you are very lucky I know you as well as I do.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to know what she meant by that. ¡°Oh?¡± Ying asked curiously, something dangerous to her tone. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve basically adopted us so, is this going to be a step-family threes-¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Miss Edna immediately shut down, swiping a finger through the air and silencing Ying with a band of magic over her mouth. ¡°I am not hearing any of that from someone that I gave the sex talk to.¡± This new restraint seemed to cross some tolerance threshold for the insane Ying, sparks of electricity jumping across her skin as she glared at them and tried to break out of her bindings. ¡°You, uh, you okay, kid?¡± His second parent asked, giving him a concerned look as Pix mended his shirt. ¡°I know that was¡­ a thing for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, but¡­¡± He frowned, looking down at his out-of-her-mind friend. ¡°How long do you think she¡¯s going to be like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll¡­ it¡¯ll wear off in¡­ an hour or two tops with her¡­ weakness to madness.¡± Miss Edna guessed, looking a little unsure about it before shaking her head. ¡°Not much I can do for her until then. But how about you? I know she was getting a little¡­ handsy with you, are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not that different than half of our spars¡­¡± He shrugged, running a hand over the back of his neck. ¡°Though given what she¡¯s saying, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to be happy with herself¡­ Especially not with how hard she is on herself whenever the ¡®dragon hormones¡¯ start slipping.¡± ¡°Just to be clear¡­ she hasn¡¯t acted like this before, right?¡± Miss Edna frowned. ¡°Because if she has then this is absolutely something I need to talk to her about.¡± ¡°It¡¯s usually flirts and innuendos that fly over my head, but that comes and goes based on how much she uses her powers.¡± He admitted, because while he didn¡¯t get certain things, he wasn¡¯t that naive even if, ¡°I only really notice when she apologizes. So I know she doesn¡¯t really mean it beyond dragon instincts.¡± ¡°So nothing forceful?¡± His second parent made sure. Which he appreciated even if he was getting annoyed enough to point out that, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve thrown her to the ground and pinned her down more times than she has me.¡± ¡°Right¡­ just going to pen that down as a martial arts thing.¡± Miss Edna told him, finally letting it drop. ¡°For my sanity if nothing else¡­¡± With that matter done they both glanced down at Ying as she continued to struggle, the scent of ozone filling the air more and more as she found his wires a lot more durable than she¡¯d been expecting. Seeing all of this Miss Edna grimaced before turning back to him. ¡°Alright, Jon, I¡¯m going to be blunt here. It might be best in both your and Ying¡¯s interest if you make yourself scarce for a couple of hours.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He frowned. ¡°I mean if she needs help-¡± ¡°After what just happened¡­ I know you don¡¯t¡­¡± Miss Edna ran a hand down her face. ¡°Look she¡¯s going to tear herself up over this¡­ and while I know you¡¯ll forgive her because this was all on the Madness, not her. That doesn¡¯t change the fact that¡­ if she remembers this¡­ she¡¯s not going to be happy or proud about what was running through her head. And while I can talk her through it¡­ it¡¯d probably be easier if you weren¡¯t here.¡± He opened his mouth to try and argue before closing it as he realized (She¡¯s probably right.) ¡°Al-alright¡­ just¡­ let me know when it¡¯s okay to come back¡­¡± ¡°I will¡­¡± Miss Edna promised, before glancing at Pix. ¡°Keep an eye on him alright?¡± Sensing that something was off even if she didn¡¯t quite understand, the little fairy gave Miss Edna a nod before flying over to him and mending his shirt as he made his way to the door. Once alone in the hall he considered everything that had happened as well as the fact that (I knew¡­ I knew Ying was weak to Madness and I¡­) He ran a hand down his face as Pix trilled sadly. ¡°I think¡­ I think this was my fault Pix. We¡¯re the only ones resistant to Madness, not them.¡± He sighed, before nodding to himself as he decided. ¡°We can¡¯t risk anyone else with this.¡± Scene Consequences -Ying has taken massive mental health damage. --Ying Assists Disabled until Ying¡¯s Mental Health recovers. -No progress was made on deciphering the Void Core. -Choices involving Void Core have been altered, Jon will no longer involve people he cares about in it until this project is finished. (Pix excluded given her own resistance to Madness.) Trail 58 (Pt. 2)- Knowledge Maddening And Demonic Trail 58 (Pt. 2)- Knowledge Maddening And Demonic --- Jon --- ¡°I should¡¯ve known better¡­¡± He sighed, sitting in his Ma¡¯s hospital room having had nowhere else to really go after everything that had happened in his apartment. ¡°Because I forgot something so¡­ obvious Ying was hurt, and she nearly hurt me¡­¡± Truthfully he wasn¡¯t actually worried about her hurting him since he¡¯d beaten her while fully Corrupted by Madness and the Beast of Blackwell into- (The dragon roared as lightning struck the ground and thunder tore through the whipping winds around them.) ¡°I mean I could¡¯ve stopped her but¡­¡± (The dragon cried out as the axe bit through her scales, blood quickly washing away under the rain as she tried to throw him off.) ¡°I would¡¯ve hurt her worse doing that¡­¡± The sad part was that he knew if it came down to it that wouldn¡¯t have stopped him. He shook his head, forcing his head away from that particular train of thought. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have forgotten the whole reason we¡¯re as close as we are is because I found her in the build up to-¡± (Black blood poured from Ying¡¯s eyes as unable to decide whether she should laugh or cry she did both.) ¡°-that the first time.¡± Pix landed on his shoulder and hugged him, her sad trilling just barely heard over his Ma¡¯s heart monitor. After a moment, he came to the same conclusion he had shortly after leaving his home.¡°I¡­ I have to do better.¡± Scene Consequences -Ma Whitaker is still in a coma. --- Once back home, and well after Miss Edna had gone to bed, he began to scour through the many dark tomes DeSade had given him in search of anything that could aid him with the Void Core. Which lead him to a book written by a Russian man with the title ¡®the mad prophet¡¯ -An unsurprisingly common title, all things considered.- who essentially summarized a Void Core as a Conceptual Crystal made of raw Madness, with the power of the Core being based on the amount of Madness sealed within. While this was something he was able to hypothesize for himself via context and what he already knew, what was interesting was the fact that Void Cores were most commonly discovered on the corpse of Boss Creeps. Though the 19th Century Russian man did not call them that, he was fairly certain that was what the man was describing with: ¡®Creatures beyond the gaze of the common man, their eyes and whispers following from within every shadow. Their reach beyond the physical as they reach within your mind and twist your thoughts into the darkest depths of insanity as they hunger not for your flesh but for the contents of your very soul. But even these horrors are the lessers of those who¡¯ve grown so fat off the fear and hunger of man that they have themselves come to hunger for everything that makes a man a man. For these beasts no longer seek to simply sate themselves off of the stolen scraps of your mind but rather intend to devour you in entirety. Consuming you in mind, body, and soul with the madly grinning maws that separate these Arch-Fiends from their lesser compatriots.¡¯ The formation of these Cores was apparently caused by some crossing between the physical to metaphysical nature of the Creeps¡¯ biology meeting Madness in a process that seemed to vary a bit between each Creep going off a number of drawings depicting the Creeps and the attempted dissections of said Creeps. The only shared trait between the various Void Creeps containing a core being the development of a Maw or much more commonly Maws. From there the mad prophet explained that, ¡®These organs, the core of the monster¡¯s being, possess the ability to bend or even rewrite the laws of magic in a manner similar to the philosopher stone¡¯s rewriting of the laws of alchemy. With the stone possibly even being a core somehow acquired and then burned in centuries past, by the famous Nicholas Flamel. Who in turn would¡¯ve only used it for Alchemy and healing rather than its full potential.¡¯ On paper that sounded like a dream come true for any magic user interested in growing their craft, but like with many things power always came at a price. ¡®Unfortunately, this bending of magic comes with the degradation of one¡¯s sanity often leaving one with lingering whispers plaguing their minds, whispers that horrifically enough have been known to follow some bloodlines for generations. Driving each afflicted by this curse into insanity, seeing and hearing things that no others can, some even claiming to be able to witness entire worlds beyond that of mortal men. Normally I¡¯d deem such men Mad, but given my own title perhaps they know more than the layman believes.¡¯ Reaching the end of the page, he couldn¡¯t help but run a hand down his face as he felt a dull throbbing ache in the back of his mind. One he couldn¡¯t figure out if it was due to how long he¡¯d been reading, the fact the sun was starting to rise in spite of his lack of sleep, the stress of the last few days, or more worryingly the Madness drilling its way into his head. (Honestly, I¡¯m not sure I want to know which it is¡­) Scene Consequences -Gained 2 XP to Occult. --Currently: Lv. 8 (6/18) You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. --- ¡°Wake up.¡± He forced down a groan, as someone decided to keep him from his attempt at taking a nap in a classroom he knew had no class after lunch. (Maybe I should¡¯ve listened to Miss Edna about staying home¡­ No, she¡¯d just be more worried¡­) Looking up he found Artemis standing there with a notebook in hand. ¡°Long night?¡± She asked him. ¡°Something like that.¡± He admitted, running a hand down his face. ¡°Did you¡­ need something?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve found as much as I¡¯m going to about the Horror¡¯s origin, and have put together a list of probable concepts.¡± Artemis explained, offering him the notebook. ¡°Already?¡± He frowned, opening the book and finding some pretty detailed history papers. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a week yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± The other teen grimaced at that before sighing. ¡°My teacher wasn¡¯t as free with things as I was hoping, but I can¡¯t really blame her when she¡¯s sharing her research with the expert they''re bringing in to deal with the Horror¡¯s seal.¡± ¡°Then why not wait until the seal is- No, wait, Audrey.¡± He remembered as he glanced at a printout of an old newspaper photo of the city¡¯s founders. ¡°Not just her¡­ While I wasn¡¯t able to get as much as I was hoping for, Miss Edme was willing to share some of her research with me so that I could better understand the Horror¡­ at least after I reminded her about being one of the ones to face it on Halloween.¡± Artemis explained, looking a little guilty as she did so. ¡°Oh, right¡­ I uh, I actually met Ms. Delacroix.¡± He told her idly as he skimmed over her notes, his exhausted mind glazing over most of the names of the Hunters responsible for sealing the Horror. ¡°You¡­ did?¡± Artemis blinked. ¡°Apparently we¡¯re in the same cooking club.¡± He shrugged, before closing the notebook as he once more felt the ache of the migraine he¡¯d been suffering all day. ¡°You know what, you¡¯re good enough that I can trust what you¡¯ve figured out. I can read this later if I need more details for the finer work.¡± He wasn¡¯t actually sure about either of those things, but he also knew he wasn¡¯t going to make it through everything Artemis had written given how detailed the girl¡¯s work was and how bad his headache was. ¡°Oh, o-of course!¡± The other teen nodded, seemingly caught off guard by something. ¡°So, to reiterate what we already knew, the Horror has the concepts of [Fear] and [Shadow] given the things we witnessed on Halloween. But thanks to Val and Espanta we also learned that Demons can have more¡­ subtle concepts at their disposal, all of which would be available to our projects. One such thing being the Horror¡¯s legend being tied to Halloween has made it so that its magic grows and weakens based on the time of the year. Which is actually why the sooner we use the arm and conceptually break it from the Horror¡¯s legend the better.¡± ¡°Meaning we¡¯re on a time limit to use the arm¡­¡± He sighed, feeling a knife in his skull. Artemis¡¯s expression told him she sympathized. ¡°If we want to get the most out of the arm I¡¯d say we have until about¡­ half way through December. Though that might be pushing it a bit, since while the arm might last through Thanksgiving it definitely won¡¯t last once the winter Holidays kick in.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ well then, what, uh, what are we working with?¡± He asked, really wishing he could put this off for when he could think straight. ¡°Well, we thought that the Horror was connected to insects somehow and this is¡­ partially correct.¡± Artemis told him. ¡°While there is a weak [Insect] connection, the actual concept is tied into the Horror¡¯s minions. Apparently, the depiction of what we saw was¡­ very different from what the founders saw. Enough so that Miss Edme hypothesized that the Horror¡¯s current form is based in part on the expectations of the Hunters that have fought all of its minions over the years.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not [Insect] so much as [Minions] with the [Insect] being derived from it?¡± He summarized, trying to recall his lessons on the entire [Heat] family of concepts that had been used as his introduction to the subject. ¡°Pretty much.¡± Artemis nodded. ¡°Meaning it could be a powerful catalyst or foci for Contracting purposes.¡± ¡°Might want to be wary of anything summoned using a Demon¡¯s corpse.¡± He warned her. ¡°Though the foci bit might be safe¡­ ish.¡± Artemis let out a dry laugh. ¡°Anything involving a Demon won¡¯t be safe, we¡¯re simply deciding which risks we¡¯re willing to take with all of this.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± He admitted, knowing he was juggling more than his fair share of risks and danger. ¡°What else is there?¡± ¡°Well, minding the fact that a lot of this is just a hypothesis, the next concept of interest would in an ironic twist be [Seal] given how after so many years no one can even think about the Horror without mentioning its own [Seal].¡± Artemis explained. ¡°If this holds true then the arm can be used to create seals, and while a storage seal is easy to figure out this would be a whole other tier of the art.¡± ¡°Okay, that sounds¡­ interesting.¡± (Even if I have no idea how to use any of that.) He might want to ask Miss Edna about seals at some point just to clarify how they worked. ¡°Even more so when you realize that the fact that the Horror¡¯s Creeps coming from another dimension will offer a possible avenue into spatial magics by crossing the concepts born from [Seal] and the Minion summoning.¡± Artemis told him unable to hold back her excitement about whatever ideas she was coming up with. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie, spatial magic isn¡¯t my¡­ forte, so you¡¯d be doing most of the work on that unless we want an implosion bomb.¡± He grimaced, recalling the squelching sound that made. Artemis winced, before shaking her head. ¡°Uh, right, then let¡¯s move onto the next one¡­ Given what we discovered on Halloween it¡¯s fully possible that the Horror has both a [Regeneration] and [Duplication] concept of some kind thanks to its current state. And while the former is actually fairly common for Demons, the latter could have some useful applications if we use it right, even if they¡¯ll likely suffer some kind of limitation due to the low number of seals.¡± ¡°Still even if it¡¯s just three copies that could do¡­ something.¡± Even with a migraine, he could see that. ¡°Exactly.¡± Artemis grinned, before shaking her head and wiping it away. ¡°After that however we¡¯re limited to whatever generic things you can use a Demon arm for. Which is basically an extremely dense Anima battery, unless you know some kind of special use for it?¡± He considered it for a moment before remembering his time around Audrey and one of Miss Edna¡¯s stories. ¡°Uh, my teacher once told me it¡¯s good for forcing Anima mutations in plants¡­ She used it for some healing roses and¡­ uh, one other thing¡­¡± ¡°One other thing?¡± Artemis repeated with a look. He ran a hand on the back of his neck, because while he was okay hearing some of Miss Edna¡¯s stories he wasn¡¯t blind to some of the¡­ implications of her stories and his second parents disregard for the law after Asylum tried to genocide her. (Well, she is friends with Audrey¡­) ¡°She and her sister, uh, they apparently mixed it with, uh¡­ weed.¡± ¡°Oh, well¡­ there¡¯s an idea for Audrey.¡± Artemis admitted dryly. ¡°Speaking of, now that we¡¯ve got a decent idea of what we¡¯re working with and the fact that we¡¯ve got a time limit, I think we need to talk about how we¡¯re doing these projects.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve already agreed to give you my share of the Horror¡¯s arm for agreeing to help me with all of this.¡± Artemis reminded him with a sigh. ¡°But we need to figure out where we¡¯re going to focus our efforts since we are working on a deadline and just scatter shotting it will leave us with a bunch of unfinished projects.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be bad.¡± He agreed. ¡°Right, so then, who should we focus on first?¡± Southside Coven: Path To Power (Pt. 3) Southside Coven: Path To Power (Pt. 3) --- Jon --- While part of him was tempted to work on his own cut, or at least the first half of it, he got the distinct impression that Artemis would be significantly easier to work with if they started with one of the other girls first. And while he¡¯d like to believe he was a bit closer to Audrey than Val, given how he¡¯d worked with her more (and the fact she doesn¡¯t have a Demon following her around), he also knew that Audrey was strictly against anything other than selling the Demon arm. Which is why, ¡°We should start with Val¡¯s cut.¡± ¡°Val?¡± Artemis asked, before giving him a look he couldn¡¯t quite decipher. ¡°Why her?¡± He frowned, his tired mind just a touch confused by the question .¡°Uh, well, Audrey isn¡¯t really interested in this unless we sell the arm off and, uh¡­ I figure you might have some idea of what Val would actually like.¡± ¡°Right, being paranoid¡­¡± The other teen sighed to herself before shaking her head. ¡°Yeah, Val is probably the better of the two for us to start with.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking¡­¡± He nodded slowly, deciding (it¡¯s not worth questioning). ¡°So, uh, any idea for that beyond finger snacks?¡± ¡°Finger snacks?¡± Artemis repeated. Too tired to censor himself he explained, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the Horror¡¯s arm -or hand- so¡­ finger snacks.¡± He lightly bit one of his own fingers for emphasis. Artemis let out a sound somewhere between amused and surprised before shaking her head. ¡°Well, that¡¯s, uh, that¡¯s an option. Albeit a lazy one.¡± ¡°Uh, how about another talisman then?¡± He suggested, raising his own talisman into the air. ¡°I know I only have the one, but one of my mentors keeps a small vault of backups with different purposes.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good idea.¡± The Arcane teen nodded, thinking it over. ¡°It¡¯s definitely not something I¡¯ve dabbled with given how I don¡¯t need one so it¡¯s a new venue of research. Though I¡¯m not sure how interested Val will be in it given how her own amulet converts ambient Fear into Anima, which is a little too synchronized with the Scarecrow to simply trade for another amulet.¡± ¡°And she can¡¯t carry two because of that whole uh, what¡¯s it called¡­¡± He frowned, trying to force his tired mind to remember. ¡°Anima Assimilation and Destabilization?¡± Artemis offered. ¡°It¡¯s the phenomenon where two Anima signatures merge and rather than synchronizing for an amplifying effect like many Arcane using foci, it instead causes the two to interfere with each other and often leads to any spells cast more or less exploding with twice as much Anima as would typically be used.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, that.¡± He nodded. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Well, while she can¡¯t use two amulets, having a back-up could still be useful even if only in niche situations.¡± Artemis assured him. ¡°At the very least she¡¯d appreciate it if we could bind something useful into the talisman, but¡­ I¡¯d need to do a bit more research into how to do that.¡± ¡°If worse comes to worst, I can always ask my mentor how she made mine while she¡¯s in town.¡± He shrugged, before thinking of something else. ¡°Alternatively, instead of making a new talisman, why not use the Horror¡¯s arm to create an¡­ atmospheric anima engine of some kind. I know I¡¯ve got one, but we could probably create a steady atmosphere of fear for her Talisman and the Scarecrow to feed on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ doable, but we¡¯d need to figure out how to limit or restrict the effect somehow.¡± Artemis warned him. ¡°After all, I doubt she¡¯d thank us for giving Elena nightmares given how she treated the Scarecrow when he tried that.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯d definitely have to figure that out.¡± He agreed, not liking the idea of scaring a kid on the level he was sure the Arm would. ¡°But if we¡¯re restricting the arm¡¯s fear effect already we could probably work out a way to¡­ weaponize it.¡± Artemis grimaced, before shaking her head. ¡°Though if we do something in that direction I think it¡¯d be more interesting to use any concept of the Horror other than fear, given how the Scarecrow is essentially a weaponized fear elemental.¡± ¡°True, Duplication, Shadow, Seal, and Minion would all be less redundant.¡± He nodded, his mind drifting briefly to how he¡¯d use each for his own kit. ¡°The would.¡± Artemis nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Though I don¡¯t think Minion would work as well for her given how the Scarecrow¡¯s Contract has an¡­ exclusivity clause of sorts. Last thing we need is for that to invalidate whatever we give her.¡± ¡°Something to keep in mind.¡± He admitted, since he had a vague idea of how that conceptual rule would assert itself, which is also why he felt the need to point out that, ¡°We might be able to work around that rule if we make him the [Minion] in question and have the arm branch out from there.¡± ¡°Thus allowing us to hijack their conceptual tether and use whatever we create on the Scarecrow himself rather than having Val simply use any old Spell Engine.¡± Artemis grinned. ¡°That could be very interesting, especially given what it could reveal about both Demons and the Arcane Nexus¡¯s Summoning System. I should be able to easily ask Miss Edme if that¡¯s possible, given how Contracting is one of her specialties.¡± ¡°Any other ideas?¡± He asked after a moment of letting her brainstorm. ¡°That¡¯s about all I can come up with on my end without a decent night¡¯s sleep and a reference book or two in front of me.¡± Artemis blinked before looking at him and grimacing. ¡°Ah, yes, you, uh, you do look like you could use some sleep.¡± ¡°Yeah, weird thing about fairy healing is that while it does a fantastic job of healing short term exhaustion, like with adrenaline once it wears off you tend to crash.¡± He yawned. ¡°Ah, yes, that.¡± Artemis chuckled in bitter sympathy. ¡°It turns out in order to use magic to heal brain exhaustion you need to decelerate neural activity at the same time, while healing physical injuries tends to result in accelerating neural activity due to the Anima hitting your nerves. Found that out after trying to abuse a healing spell for late night studying a few too many nights in a row.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡­ sounds about right.¡± He agreed, not pointing out that at a certain point Pix refuses to heal him unless he goes to sleep and instead begins zapping him. ¡°Right, well¡­¡± Artemis checked her phone before grimacing. ¡°You¡¯ve only got about fifteen minutes on this lunch break so uh, unless you intend to cut next class you aren¡¯t going to get much rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± He sighed, crossing his arms as he laid his head on the desk. ¡°Probably should¡¯ve just called in sick but¡­ didn¡¯t want to worry anyone.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get that.¡± Artemis admitted, before shortly being followed by the sound of the classroom door closing. Only to be immediately reopened as the lights overhead clicked off. Southside Coven: Path To Power (Pt. 4) Southside Coven: Path To Power (Pt. 4) --- Jon --- ¡°Alright, so we¡¯ve already decided we¡¯re going to work on Val¡¯s project first.¡± Artemis reminded him as they settled into the library a couple of days later. ¡°Yeah, but um, shouldn¡¯t we invite her to this if it¡¯s for uh, her?¡± He felt the need to ask. ¡°I asked her, but she said to surprise her.¡± Artemis sighed, looking annoyed about that. ¡°Apparently, she¡¯s sticking to her whole thing on maintaining apathy in regards to the arm.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what else to say, but, ¡°Any ideas what we should make her then? I mean, I know you had a bunch of ideas the other day but I was¡­ a little out of it, and couldn¡¯t really think of anything else at the time.¡± ¡°I could tell.¡± The other teen admitted dryly, before opening her notebook in the middle of the table. ¡°Well like you said, I have plenty of ideas, but¡­ Honestly, it might be better if you pick which project we start.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He frowned, half in confusion and half in surprise. ¡°I mean, you¡¯ve known her a lot longer than I have.¡± ¡°I have, but at the same time I promised Audrey that whatever we did with the arm would up our abilities as Hunters.¡± She explained, looking anxious at bringing that point up. ¡°The thing there is¡­ I can tell that while your¡­ magical theory is a bit lacking in places, your practical Hunter knowledge probably laps mine.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that. ¡°I¡­ wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± After all, despite the nickname the denizens of Madness had given him, he actually had no intention or desire to become a Hunter. (It¡¯s just that I keep¡­ getting dragged into things these last few months.) Artemis let out a snort that was an odd mix of derision and amusement. ¡°Anyone with eyes can tell you¡¯re more experienced fighting than me or any of the other girls. Be it your knives or that pain tolerance of yours, you¡¯ve clearly spent years training those skills up.¡± (While she¡¯s not wrong¡­ I doubt this is what Ma intended when she taught me how to fight¡­) He let out a sigh. ¡°I guess¡­ I can figure something out, but I¡¯ve no idea how you guys fight beyond what I saw on Halloween and I was a bit¡­¡± (He tore his claws through the Creep¡¯s flesh, a snarling growl erupting from his maw as he killed the beast dead.) He swallowed. ¡°A bit out of it then too¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that seems to happen a lot with you.¡± Artemis nodded, accepting his answer though he could tell something was still bothering her about it. ¡°That said, I know her kit well enough to tell you what she uses¡­ for the most part.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Alright, so¡­ I know she¡¯s got the Scarecrow, and¡­ I think I¡¯ve got a decent enough idea of what he can do.¡± He admitted, thinking over the Demon¡¯s shapeshifting, constructs, and sort of everywhere-ness. And while not exactly the most unique kits among Demons from what he¡¯d seen, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he still thought, ¡°It might be best if we focus on other parts of her kit, rather than making her more reliant on the Scarecrow.¡± ¡°Fair, though I did have a couple of ideas I wanted to throw out, but we can handle that later.¡± Artemis told him. ¡°If we want to focus on Val herself though, then we need to talk about her Script Craft. Of which she is without a doubt a prodigy, and the only reason her ¡®go to¡¯ supply of scripts isn¡¯t of a wider range is because of her lack of education or mentorship when it comes to more complex magical theory.¡± ¡°Okay, so¡­ she¡¯s good at spell scripts but that doesn¡¯t give me much to work with.¡± He grimaced. Artemis gave him a look, before pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°Alright, so despite using Spell Scripts I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t use them in combat all that much.¡± ¡°Uh, no¡­ I use them more for enchanting, and I guess I¡¯ve done a couple custom spells but those were¡­ experimental.¡± He tried to explain. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Artemis nodded, before running a hand through her hair. ¡°Well, like I said Val is a prodigy with Script Craft even if she doesn¡¯t realize it. But, how do I explain this, um, imagine¡­ being able to turn a spell into a land mine or grenade, and you¡¯ve got the most basic uses beyond in-hand casting.¡± ¡°Meaning¡­ something to supplement that could be useful.¡± He figured. ¡°But, uh, what about her more advanced uses?¡± ¡°That would be her bat.¡± Artemis answered. ¡°I¡¯m sure you noticed all the spell circuits drawn onto it? Somehow through Script Craft she¡¯d programmed out a complex Spell Engine capable of absorbing kinetic energy, converting it to anima, and then flowing it through a modular circuit array to fire off any of almost a dozen spells she¡¯s built into the thing for next to no magic on her part.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Yeah, that sounds impressive.¡± He admitted, having no idea how to set up something like that himself. (No matter how useful it¡¯d be.) ¡°Like I said, a prodigy.¡± Artemis reminded him. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t think we can upgrade the bat. Especially since she will not hand it over, but we can probably figure out something to supplement it, given how her bat is built for almost pure offense.¡± ¡°Okay, does Val have anything beyond pure offense?¡± He asked, because the kit Artemis was telling him about had little else unless she had a list of Scripts at Val¡¯s disposal. (At the very least it tells me what she likes.) ¡°If we exclude using her Scripts as flash bangs or snares? Then all of her utility and defense is tied into the Scarecrow.¡± Artemis sighed. ¡°He is her defense and her support, typically forming defensive walls out of his own flesh or using his crows to scout things out for her.¡± ¡°Meaning despite her preferring offense, something with more defense or utility would balance her kit out.¡± He summarized, letting out his own sigh. ¡°At which point she¡¯s got the Scarecrow so tied into her that supplementing it might be our only option if we don¡¯t go in a completely new direction.¡± ¡°And even I couldn¡¯t tell you whether or not she¡¯d like it.¡± Artemis admitted with a grimace. He considered it for a moment, before reaching across the table and taking the notebook, ¡°Alright, give me a second and I¡¯ll tell you if I can find something.¡± While he wasn¡¯t all that close with Val himself, going off of what Artemis had told him, their best bet at creating something that the abrasive teen would like enough to actually add to her kit was to have their project focus on and supplement [Scene Choice] Southside Coven: Path To Power (Pt. 5) Southside Coven: Path To Power (Pt. 5) --- Jon --- ¡°She needs something focused on Defense.¡± He told Artemis flipping through her notebook for something that would work towards that objective. ¡°Right now she¡¯s all Offense, she needs something to balance that out. Preferably without being reliant on the rest of her kit.¡± ¡°Meaning you think we should try to create something new?¡± Artemis figured, sounding extremely interested. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He frowned going over the Arcane¡¯s various brainstorming sketches. ¡°How hard is it to change the arm¡¯s shape?¡± Artemis made something between a grimace and an unsure expression. ¡°Not too hard, but not extremely easy either. We can cut it up easily enough, or flatten it down, but if we¡¯re not breaking it down, molding it into new shapes is probably beyond my alchemy¡­¡± That made him pause, as he frowned in thought. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be flesh sculpting?¡± ¡°Well you could use Flesh Sculpting in theory, but given how the arm has sort of¡­ crystalized for lack of a better word, it¡¯s not really organic enough for me to work with since I only know a couple of cheap healing spells and¡­ beauty tricks.¡± Artemis coughed. ¡°Um, unless you¡¯re secretly a Flesh Sculptor or have some pretty advanced and obscure dark arts books.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Demonology ¡®s all I can bring to the table, and that¡¯s only because my¡­ mentors¡¯ hometown had a Demon problem.¡± Given what he knew, he was pretty sure there were more Demons in Blackwell than just The Corrupting Beast, but¡­ (they¡¯re DeSade¡¯s problem.) ¡°Like with the Horror?¡± Artemis asked. ¡°Sort of¡­¡± He nodded, trying very hard not to think about the actual similarities between the two, or more importantly the differences that marked the Beast as something distinctly other. Artemis winced. ¡°R-right¡­ Um, what, what exactly were you thinking¡­ for Val?¡± He took a breath before pausing on a page with a bracer of sorts that had been crossed out with a note saying, ¡®Redundant waste.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Oh, that.¡± Artemis frowned. ¡°I had an idea for sealing Spell Scripts in the arm as a sort of inventory to be drawn quickly, but realized that was kind of pointless when Val could easily set up some Spell Script Bandages instead. Pretty sure the only reason she hasn¡¯t is because it¡¯s too much of a hassle to set them up and wear them when she can just quickly fill a notepad instead.¡± ¡°An equipable inventory can still be useful.¡± He told her, thinking about his own pack which would only be improved if it was worn on his arm rather than his back. (Wouldn¡¯t have to worry about my axe or arrows catching on the zipper anymore.) ¡°Still if you think she wouldn¡¯t be interested I¡¯ve got a couple other ideas.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± Artemis prodded curiously. ¡°Now this inventory idea means you can release anything you seal right?¡± He asked, trying to find an empty page in the notebook to write on. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Yeah, easily. While [Seal] is the core concept, you can¡¯t actually use it unless you have a ¡®release¡¯ of sorts or it weakens the entire conceptual integrity of the spell.¡± Artemis explained, before smirking as she continued. ¡°In fact having multiple ¡®releases¡¯ ironically strengthens the power of the core seal, if at the cost of more points of failure.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He nodded. ¡°And what exactly can you [Seal]?¡± ¡°Depending on the strength of the seal, theoretically anything.¡± Artemis shrugged. ¡°I mean, while my personal seals are limited to like two kilograms at most, with the arm we could seal a small building.¡± ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± He bit his lip in though. ¡°What about something more¡­ esoteric? Like say¡­ fire or¡­ electricity?¡± ¡°Yeah, admittedly it¡¯d be less the flames or sparks themselves and more the energy from them. And then because it¡¯s energy instead of physical mass the conversion formula is completely different, actually inverting the law where sealing a physical object takes more energy than releasing it. This excess energy cost is the main reason why the released fire becomes flames rather than just a raw burst of heat energy.¡± Artemis helpfully lectured. ¡°Perfect.¡± He grinned, drawing out his idea. ¡°What if we create a¡­ a shield is too big and unwieldy, maybe a bracer? Yeah, a bracer or gauntlet, and set it up to seal in any energy from the impacts it takes. Similar to how her bat absorbs kinetic energy to power itself but for defense rather than offense.¡± ¡°You¡­ want to make a Royal Guard?¡± Artemis blinked as he showed her his sketch. ¡°A what?¡± He blinked back. ¡°Royal Guard? The style?¡± Artemis explained. ¡°The one where you block an attack to build up power before throwing it back out in a devastating blow?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s an actual fighting style?¡± He knew he shouldn¡¯t be surprised given all that could be accomplished with magic, but (the fact that it¡¯s so common she can name it is¡­) Artemis stared at him for a moment. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t play many video games do you?¡± ¡°Not really¡­¡± He admitted. ¡°I mean my Ma likes to play them on her days off, so I¡¯ve played some of hers and I guess I¡¯ve played a lot of minecraft with my cousins.¡± (Though we haven¡¯t really done that recently¡­ Not since I got back from Blackwell¡­) ¡°But I don¡¯t think I count as a ¡®gamer¡¯.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Well the point is I think I understand what you¡¯re going for.¡± Artemis assured him. ¡°There¡¯s still a few things we might want to double check but I think we can get started on actually putting everything together.¡± The other teen glanced around a bit. ¡°That said, whenever we actually do this we¡¯ll probably want to do it somewhere other than a very public library.¡± ¡°Any ideas for where?¡± He asked, his only offer being his house or the woods. The latter of which he doubted Artemis would consider a ¡®work space¡¯ and the first of which involved introducing Miss Edna to the younger Arcane which, (No. Just, no.) Artemis gnawed on her lip for a moment. ¡°Maybe but¡­¡± She gave him a look before shaking her head. ¡°Just, uh, just let me think on it for a bit. You¡­ you just look into whatever you think you need to know for this. I¡¯ll find you once I¡¯ve got something set up.¡± Scene Consequences -For studying with Artemis gained 2XP to Occult. (Reduced due to event focus.) --Currently: Lv. 8 (8/18) -Jon and Artemis have settled on a project for Val, this project will take multiple actions with their own skill checks based on both Artemis and Jon¡¯s skill level in each. Depending on how well each goes we¡¯ll gain different bonuses to the overall project, and possibly future projects. These steps are: --Cutting up and altering the arm¡¯s form. (Alchemy, Flesh Sculpting, and Spell Craft.) --Binding the arm¡¯s magic correctly. (Enchanting, Occult, and Demonology) --Fine tuning. (Combat, Flesh Sculpting, and Enchanting) Note: Excluding Occult itself, Jon adds his Occult Level as a flat value to any Magic Skill check, so even if he has no skill he still won¡¯t roll a 0. (Though lower is still worse.) Trail 59: Lights Rekindling Trail 59: Lights Rekindling --- Jon --- ¡°Come on Pix, just draw this Script.¡± He told his (stubborn) little fairy as the light of his spell script began to fade. Pix merely shook her head and crossed her arms, causing him to forcing down a frustrated growl as he refused to take anything out on his little light. ¡°She¡¯s still giving you trouble on this?¡± Miss Edna asked from where she¡¯d been watching for a few moments. ¡°Yeah, I honestly thought she was willing to try after she started drawing those light shapes a few days ago, but apparently she thought that was more of a game than actual spell work.¡± He sighed as his script completely disappeared. ¡°Which spell are you trying to get her to do?¡± Miss Edna asked, taking a seat next to him on the couch. He let out a dry laugh. ¡°Any spell?¡± ¡°Well, then¡­¡± Miss Edna reached out to where he¡¯d previously drawn his Script in spell light, before with a flex of her fingers the script once more became visible. ¡°If she isn¡¯t willing to learn a new script maybe you can get her to use your old ones? I mean, it¡¯s not like she actually has to do much work for this, since you did all the work for her already.¡± ¡°Um¡­ How are you doing that?¡± He blinked. ¡°I thought spell scripts became unusable once the light faded?¡± ¡°They do, and they don¡¯t.¡± Miss Edna shrugged. ¡°When you draw the script using magic it¡¯ll fade once said magic dissipates, but it still leaves enough residue that you can push magic into it to¡­ rekindle the spell.¡± ¡°Huh, can you¡­ can you use that on a Spell Script that was actually cast?¡± He wondered, watching the spell slowly fade for a second time. Miss Edna tilted her hand side to side. ¡°Eh, depends on the spell really. You should be able to reuse most spells if you can get to the script site fast enough, but if it¡¯s got any extra conditions such as materials or even the caster¡¯s affinity then it wouldn¡¯t work unless you met all of that yourself.¡± ¡°And how hard is it to¡­ rekindle a spell script?¡± He asked, thinking that even if doing all the work himself didn¡¯t push past Pix¡¯s laziness it would still be a useful trick for him to know himself. ¡°Well, each time the spell is cast it disrupts the magic that was built up to cast it, sort of muddying it up with ambient anima. Meaning you could probably rekindle it once¡­ Maybe twice if you¡¯ve got enough practice with it. Then again, my own Mementor,¡± Miss Edna laughed. ¡°He had a really nasty habit of copying people¡¯s spells and throwing them back half a dozen times over regardless of their Spell Craft, but he also had an Affinity built for mimicry. So¡­¡± Miss Edna shrugged. His face scrunched up a bit. ¡°Does that mean I can learn it or that I¡­ won¡¯t be able to learn it?¡± ¡°Eh, Spell Scripts are the easiest Craft to copy since they¡¯re so much more structured than the other ones.¡± Miss Edna assured him as she drew a spell script of her own into the air. ¡°You just need to reach out and grab the circuit with your own magic before giving it another charge of Anima. The only real trick is that you¡¯ve got to do it quickly or the circuit will lose cohesion.¡± Seeing what she was getting at he quickly pulled on the cool warmth of his talisman¡¯s magic before hurriedly shoving it into the air in front of him. Scene Consequences -Pix has leveled up her Light Scripts --Currently: Lv. 5 -Jon has gained 2XP to Script Crafting --Currently: Lv. 5 (3/12) -Thanks to Miss Edna, Jon and Pix have gained the [Rekindling Scripts] Perk. --Rekindling Scripts (I): As a Quick Action, spend 1 MP to re-cast a Spell Script that has been cast in the last round up to (I) time at the user¡¯s skill level. (Note: Any extra Spell Costs and Conditions must be fulfilled once more.) --- The disturbingly familiar sound of his Ma¡¯s heart monitor filled the air as he sat in his chair. Not having much to talk about for once as instead of focusing on his problems he tried to ignore them all in favor of the quiet. (Or it would be quiet if not for that stupid monitor but¡­ at least it means she¡¯s still alive¡­) Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. If he thought of it like that it was almost reassuring rather than a stabbing stressful stimulant sadistically reminding him every second of his Ma¡¯s slumbering soul laying there far too still for him to ever find comforting. He let out a groan of exhaustion as he leaned forward pawing at his eyes as he tried hard not to think about how even when he tried he just could not SLEEP! Be it at the hospital or his home, the longer his Ma slept the harder it was for him to do the same, and he could feel it eating at HIS SaNitY!!! Something anyone else might label as an exaggeration, but that he felt he was more than qualified to diagnose given his experience with Madness. Leaning forward, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh knowing that he was being both dramatic and selfish when his Ma was the one stuck in the hospital. (But I just want my Ma to wake up¡­) Once more he listened to his Ma¡¯s heart monitor, the only sound in the otherwise silent hospital room, beyond the shifting of fabrics and a groggy groan. (Wait¡­) His eyes shot to his Ma as she began to slowly shift. ¡°M-ma?¡± He called, half scared he¡¯d started hallucinating again. Despite not answering his Ma¡¯s shifting seemed to grow. ¡°Mom!¡± He practically yelled, rushing to her side. ¡°J¡­Jon¡­?¡± "Ma!" Scene Consequences -Ma Whitaker is no longer in a coma. --- ¡°Well, aside from some minor muscle atrophy from being down for so long you¡¯re a clean bill of health.¡± The doctor told them after spending the last few hours with the nurses once more going over his Ma¡¯s vitals as he clung to her side, terrified that if he left her alone she¡¯d once more slip into a coma. ¡°So that means I can go ahead and head home, right?¡± His Ma asked, squeezing his hand in reassurance despite clearly looking like she¡¯d jump out of the hospital bed the moment she was green lit. (Not that I can blame her when I want her out of it too¡­) ¡°Well, normally we¡¯d like to keep you a bit longer for observation, but you are to free to leave at your own discretion now.¡± The doctor sighed. ¡°Fantastic.¡± Miss Edna clapped. ¡°This place may¡¯ve kept you from bleeding out but trust me that doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t bleed your wallet dry Minnie.¡± ¡°Oh, I completely forgot about the bill. That¡¯s going to be fun.¡± His Ma laughed dryly, before looking at the doctor. ¡°How bad do you think that¡¯s going to be? I¡¯m not actually sure how much the station¡¯s insurance is covering.¡± The doctor flipped through their clipboard. ¡°It¡­ looks like you¡¯ve been fully covered actually.¡± ¡°Really?¡± His Ma frowned. ¡°With all the cuts the station has been making the last year I was sure our insurance was, well¡­ crap.¡± ¡°Well, it may¡¯ve been, but you¡¯ve a note on your file saying that your treatment is being fully covered by someone with the initials A. D.¡± ¡°A. D.?¡± His Ma repeated as something began to prickle at the back of his head. ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°No clue, but you were authorized for the best treatment available to us if necessary.¡± The doctor informed them, before checking their pager. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve got to deal with something. Like I said though, while we¡¯d prefer you to stay another night you are free to leave whenever you feel like it.¡± Once the doctor was gone Miss Edna said what was on all their minds. ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ concerning.¡± ¡°Yeah, going to have to find whoever this A.D. guy is later.¡± His Ma sighed. ¡°Way too many people think paying a cop¡¯s bills can put them in your pocket.¡± ¡°Maybe but right now getting you home is more important.¡± Miss Edna chided. ¡°Amen to that.¡± His Ma agreed with a wry grin, before turning to him. ¡°You going to be okay while I get dressed, kiddo?¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± He nodded, wiping at his eyes as he gave his Ma¡¯s hand one more squeeze. ¡°I-I¡¯ll be okay.¡± He glanced at Miss Edna as he stood up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure she doesn¡¯t get up to any trouble.¡± His second parent promised. ¡°Th-thanks.¡± He told her with a failed attempt at a smile before making his way out of the hospital room while his Ma got changed. (...) Once in the hall and by himself, he let out a growl and a glare that made a nearby nurse jump away from him. Narrowed eyes darted down both ends of the hall as he felt something in the air, before moving to his right as he made his way through the hospital. With every step a weight grew on his shoulders as he slowly drew near to the source of the crawling feeling in the back of his head. A source hidden behind an unassuming door leading into a small break room with no windows revealing the room¡¯s inhabitants. Swallowing down his apprehensions he pushed the door open to find a man in a black suit with red floral lining on his vest and tie, sitting with one leg crossed over the other, his back to a window letting in the late afternoon light as he twirled a flute full of red wine. From beneath slicked back dirty blonde hair a pair of brown eyes looked up at him, seemingly flashing black in the shadow of the setting sun as the man smiled. ¡°Jon.¡± ¡°DeSade.¡± Trail 59 (Pt. 2): And The Shadows They Cast Trail 59 (Pt. 2): And The Shadows They Cast --- Jon --- DeSade gave him an amused if patronizing look, before asking, ¡°How is your mother doing?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± He snarled, not in the mood for these games on what was supposed to be a good day. ¡°To ask how your mother is doing.¡± DeSade answered dryly. ¡°Which is why I asked.¡± He growled at the Devil of Blackwell, the Beast inside his head tempted to go for the man¡¯s throat even if he knew it wouldn¡¯t work. DeSade merely shook his head with a put upon sigh as he set his glass down. ¡°Really now Jon, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re being so aggressive. I haven''t done anything to harm you or your family. Quite the opposite really.¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± DeSade gave him a dry look before rolling his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been asked to deal with a problem involving a local Demon. The Halloween Horror I believe the locals call it. An entity I believe you¡¯re more than familiar with after recent events.¡± ¡°And why would you think that?¡± He wondered, a mocking edge to his words. The pressure in the room grew until the very air itself seemed to change color. ¡°Because we both know it¡¯s what¡¯s responsible for your mother being hospitalized.¡± DeSade told him eyes turning red for a brief moment. ¡°Something I¡¯m fully aware of due to noticing some interesting similarities between how several of the Horror¡¯s minions were dispatched and how many of Blackwell¡¯s Corrupted were killed. Now are you willing to talk or are you going to continue pretending I¡¯m the villain of your story?¡± He met the unblinking gaze of the Devil of Blackwell before letting out a reluctant sigh and forcing himself to take a seat across from the man, a small coffee table separating their two couches. ¡°Glad you¡¯re feeling reasonable.¡± DeSade nodded as he adjusted the buttons of his suit. ¡°Now then how much of this situation are you aware of?¡± He gave DeSade one last glare before explaining that, ¡°The founders of this city and its sister cities all sealed a Demon away a hundred years ago. Unfortunately, they screwed the seal up and now the Demon has three bodies gathering power. Each year its minions try to find and break the seal, this year they succeeded with this city¡¯s. Me and a few¡­ associates were close enough to drive it back.¡± ¡°Yes, aside from your involvement, that is the story provided by the local researcher in charge of monitoring the Seal as well as her apprentice¡¯s testimony.¡± DeSade gave him a mildly curious look. ¡°I¡¯m assuming there¡¯s a reason you¡¯re never mentioned in the report?¡± ¡°We cut the Demon¡¯s arm off. Artemis wanted to keep quiet on that.¡± He shrugged, figuring that at worst DeSade would try to buy the arm off of them or- ¡°Ah, very good.¡± DeSade nodded, with what many would mistake as pride. ¡°Let me know if you¡¯d like any advice on how to work with Dark Materials. I¡¯m assuming you are using it as research material, yes?¡± (The law doesn¡¯t matter much to a ¡®Dark Lord¡¯.) He thought wryly. ¡°Yeah, also negotiated a double cut for myself.¡± That wasn¡¯t how it actually happened given how Artemis was paying him to help her and take her side, but he felt it was the kind of thing DeSade wanted to hear. DeSade gave him a little smile. ¡°Wonderful. Now as I stated previously, as the closest Dark Lord to the city I¡¯ve been asked to inspect and strengthen the Seal so that this doesn¡¯t happen again. Which presents us with a unique opportunity.¡± ¡°Us?¡± He frowned, knowing that there was a catch in this. ¡°Yes, us. Though more specifically you.¡± DeSade confirmed his words and intent to use him. ¡°Now I can quite easily do what has been asked of me and confirm the current theory about the Horror¡¯s trifurcation while strengthening the seal, but alternatively¡­ I could offer you a second shot at your quarry.¡± ¡°And why exactly would I want to pick a fight with a Demon that¡¯s no longer my problem?¡± He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to go looking for a fight with something he¡¯d barely walked away from the first time he¡¯d fought it so soon after. DeSade¡¯s eyes narrowed, ever so slightly. ¡°While it¡¯s true that the Demon is no longer your problem, that doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t remain a problem for the city as a whole. Even if I were to strengthen this city¡¯s seal it wouldn¡¯t prevent its forces from continuing to seek the seal in the future years and simply destroying its anchor. Something all the more likely given how they now know where the seal is in this city.¡± ¡°That still sounds like a problem for Sanctuary and the Hero¡¯s Guild.¡± He reiterated. ¡°Oh?¡± DeSade blinked, the slightly exaggerated nature underlining how it was calculated. ¡°So you¡¯re not interested in revenge for your mother?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± He wasn¡¯t going to lie to himself, he knew that if his Ma hadn¡¯t woken up today he¡¯d take DeSade¡¯s offer in a heartbeat, but he wasn¡¯t going to risk getting hurt when she needed him. (And DeSade has to realize that¡­ Which makes it all the stranger he waited until the day she woke up to make this offer because he¡¯d only be here today if he¡¯d been watching and waiting¡­) His eyes narrowed and DeSade¡¯s mouth smirked. ¡°Very good.¡± DeSade assured him. ¡°If Rosalind was ever in your position I¡¯d hope she¡¯d make the same decision. While vengeance can be a powerful motivator, you¡¯ll find with most Demons it actually plays into their favor. If you were to go after the Horror again I¡¯d push for a properly suitable motivation beforehand.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± He wondered. ¡°Depends on the Demon and the Hunter I suppose.¡± DeSade shrugged, knowing that they were both aware of the man purposely sidestepping his question. ¡°Though as I said I¡¯m glad you¡¯re choosing the selfish option here. It would be so shameful -and embarrassing- if my first apprentice were to get himself killed in some foolish endeavor to be a hero.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a hero.¡± He sighed. ¡°I just do what needs to be done.¡± (And help who I can hoping that¡¯s enough¡­) If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m aware.¡± DeSade nodded. ¡°One of the few reasons I¡¯m willing to continue this relationship after our business in Blackwell concluded. You¡¯re one of the few people who understand that the world is not fixed by those with¡­ heroic aspirations but rather those willing to march through the filth.¡± Just because he had no intention of becoming a ¡®hero¡¯ he had no intention of ¡®getting his hands filthy¡¯ either, after all he was more than aware that, ¡°The road to hell is paved with good intentions.¡± ¡°Which is why you really should make friends with your Devil first.¡± DeSade smirked, before taking another sip of his wine glass. He watched DeSade for another moment, knowing that the following silence was some kind of powerplay or test, before eventually giving in as he let out a reluctant sigh, ¡°Why are you really here DeSade? We both know I wouldn¡¯t have gone on some suicide mission, mostly because I couldn¡¯t go on one until you offered me it.¡± ¡°True, and while I¡¯m glad you¡¯re not rushing in for some emotional reason, the Horror is still something that needs to be dealt with.¡± DeSade explained. ¡°As I said, I could simply seal it away and push the problem back a few more years but my ancestors making that mistake is how we wound up with the Beast of Blackwell.¡± ¡°So you want a more permanent solution.¡± He figured. ¡°Yes,¡± DeSade nodded. ¡°And given how you dealt with the Beast and how you¡¯ve a possible grudge with the Horror I decided to see if you wanted to finish your prey off. I¡¯ve told the locals it¡¯ll take me until the end of the month, plenty of time to set you up to kill the beast should you feel like it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice, but¡­ I already told you it¡¯s not my problem.¡± As much as he¡¯d like to sink his teeth into the Horror, he wasn¡¯t going to risk leaving his Ma alone to do it. ¡°If you want the Horror dead you¡¯re going to have to get your own hands dirty.¡± ¡°No matter how strong you are, a Demon is a threat. And I do have a daughter.¡± DeSade reminded him. ¡°Of course, that threat is largely mitigated if you meet a certain¡­ criteria.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. ¡°And let me guess, I just so happen to meet that criteria?¡± ¡°If you were to fight the Horror it would take a fraction of the power I would require. Which is part of the reason you were able to kill the Beast of Blackwell when I could not.¡± DeSade admitted. ¡°Whatsmore, similarly to when you killed the Beast, if you were to kill the Horror the criteria would further shift in your favor for any other Demons you may face.¡± ¡°And what criteria is this exactly?¡± He pressed. ¡°One that, if you were to be made aware of too soon, would remove you from it.¡± DeSade explained in a way that told him less than nothing. ¡°Yeah, well this mysterious criteria sounds like a solid plan.¡± He scoffed. ¡°At least until you get to the part where it all hinges on me saying yes to fighting a Demon who broke every bone in my body last time we fought?¡± DeSade gave him an unimpressed look. ¡°Come now Jon, don¡¯t pretend you¡¯re a coward. We both know you would happily fight the Horror until you were bloody, broken, and beaten to death if given a proper reason to. You¡¯re admirably determined like that.¡± ¡°And what reason would I have to pick a fight with the Horror now that my Ma¡¯s all better?¡± He wondered. ¡°Oh, the children of course.¡± DeSade answered, taking a sip of his glass. He froze. ¡°Children?¡± DeSade waved his hand and a number of files appeared on the table, each depicting a number of comatose children strapped up and still (just like Ma was¡­) ¡°The Horror feeds on fear, and of course the more innocent the soul the more powerful the fear it produces.¡± DeSade explained as his eyes darted between every image. ¡°Every year about several dozen children are hospitalized by the Horror and then forgotten about when they wake up, their innocence forever tarnished.¡± His teeth grit as he saw every face. ¡°Of course, since you brought up the fact that your ¡®Ma¡¯ is all better, I should point out how that can very easily change during next Halloween when the Horror¡¯s forces return once more.¡± DeSade continued. ¡°Only this time with the advantage of actually knowing where to go to release their master upon this city that your mother just so happens to live in. While the odds of her specifically being attacked again are low, she is a police officer. One of the few quite focused on the protect aspect of protect and serve. Tell me, if she had to take another bite to protect someone, would she?¡± (She would.) He swallowed, feeling hollow. ¡°And now that I think about it this problem isn¡¯t just limited here either is it?¡± DeSade asked with a pause. ¡°Don¡¯t you have family in Luna Rosa? An uncle and two cousins I believe.¡± ¡°Shut up¡­¡± He mumbled. ¡°What would happen if your little cousin were to have a nightmare next year and draw the monsters down on his family? Do you think your uncle would take a bite to protect them?¡± ¡°Shut up¡­¡± ¡°It would be a shame if he were to lose a parent so young. No wait, he already lost his mother, didn''t he? And your other cousin, she lost both her birth parents, to lose an adoptive on top of that?¡± ¡°I said shut up!¡± He snarled, lunging at sitting DeSade. A hand wrapped around his throat and picked him off the ground with enough force that his own hands instinctively tried to pry it off of him. DeSade brought him to eye level and coldly examined him, his grip unfaltering. ¡°Yes, I think you¡¯re properly motivated now.¡± Just as he was about to swing on DeSade¡¯s face to try and get the man to release him, DeSade instead threw him against the couch with enough force to send it skidding back. He picked himself up with a growl as he glared at the Devil of Blackwell, who looked back with mild disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t forget apprentice, our job is to be the thing beasts fear, not to become beasts ourselves. Get yourself under control.¡± With grit teeth he forced himself to slow down his breathing, wanting nothing more than to rip DeSade¡¯s throat out with his teeth as he rubbed the growing bruise on his own. After a moment DeSade nodded. ¡°You need to keep your Insanity under control lest it will consume you. Either it¡¯s on your leash or you are on its.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve got it under control.¡± He said. DeSade watched him for a moment, before shaking his head. ¡°As you¡¯ve repeatedly said in regards to the other Beast in the city, it¡¯s not my problem. But if you lose control like that around my daughter, I will put you down, Whitaker.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got it.¡± He repeated, forcing down the growl that wanted to escape his throat. ¡°Good.¡± DeSade nodded as he adjusted his clothing. He watched DeSade for a moment, just as DeSade watched him. ¡°What do you want?¡± He asked, when the soreness in his throat began to fade. ¡°No more games, just¡­ What do you want from me exactly?¡± ¡°The Horror is a threat that we as Dark Practitioners are honor and duty bound to eliminate.¡± DeSade told him, waving his hand as a cool-warmth spread through the healing bruises on Jon¡¯s throat. ¡°If you want to kill the Demon you need conviction. And I mean that quite literally, the stronger your Will the less of a hold the Demon will have on you. The first half of this conversation was me testing your conviction now that your mother is well. Which you did not. So I made the stakes of this threat quite clear.¡± DeSade gained a mildly disgusted look. ¡°At which point you gave into your Insanity rather than controlling it. A sign that your life will be quite short and violent if you can¡¯t get it under control. Not to mention the threat you¡¯ll be to everyone in your life up to that death.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that, knowing that DeSade had a point. Even if he knew the Beast in his head wouldn¡¯t hurt the people he cared about. (I just couldn¡¯t care less if DeSade died¡­) DeSade watched him for another moment before nodding. ¡°Here¡¯s my offer. You will spend the next two weeks building yourself up to fight the Horror. During which I will offer you whatever knowledge you think will aid your hunt, before giving you the opportunity to fight the Demon while hiding any evidence of the fight from prying eyes. If you reject this, I¡¯ll deal with the Horror myself, and sever all contact between you and my family. As clearly I¡¯ll have been wrong about what kind of man you are, Jon Whitaker.¡± With his piece said, DeSade offered his hand. Trail 59 (Pt. 3): Cause Their Own Twilight Trail 59 (Pt. 3): Cause Their Own Twilight --- Jon --- He laid there for a minute before taking DeSade¡¯s hand and using it to pull himself back to his feet. ¡°Very good.¡± DeSade nodded, gripping his hand for a moment before releasing him and turning towards the door. ¡°Now come along.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± He frowned, not intending to leave the hospital with anyone but his Ma. ¡°To assure your mother and your dear Miss Edna that you haven¡¯t wandered too far off.¡± DeSade answered, stepping into the hospital hall. His eyes immediately narrowed as he moved to follow. ¡°What do you want with my moms?¡± DeSade rolled his own eyes. ¡°Nothing at the moment, but given the likelihood of crossing her path again it¡¯s better to introduce myself using you as an excuse. Hopefully that¡¯ll minimize any hostility or paranoia she develops about my presence.¡± ¡°And why would you cross her path again?¡± He asked pointedly. ¡°Jon, I¡¯m willing to answer your questions but not when you can figure them out with five seconds of thought.¡± DeSade warned him with no small amount of exasperation. DeSade stopped, causing him to glance around the man to see Miss Edna wheeling his Ma out of her room. ¡°And I¡¯m telling you Eddie I don¡¯t need this stupid wheelchair. If anything it¡¯s making me more antsy.¡± ¡°The doctor insisted.¡± Miss Edna shrugged. ¡°They want you to take it easy for the next few days.¡± ¡°Taking it easy does not mean-¡± His Ma paused upon spotting him standing behind DeSade, before narrowing her eyes as she immediately picked up something was off about the older man. ¡°Jon, who is this?¡± ¡°Ah, allow me to introduce myself, I am Alexander DeSade.¡± DeSade answered with a half bow and a hand on his chest. ¡°The one who paid my hospital bill.¡± His Ma immediately put together. ¡°Quite, but not just yours.¡± DeSade admitted. ¡°While you were the primary recipient I decided to also cover the bill for any children caught up in this latest incursion.¡± ¡°Uh, huh. That¡¯s nice of you.¡± His Ma told DeSade. ¡°But you don¡¯t look like a nice man. More like a Devil trying to buy my soul.¡± ¡°Amusing.¡± (And not far off.) DeSade smiled. ¡°And normally I¡¯m not but I owe your son a debt of sorts and decided this was a prompt way to pay it.¡± His Ma glanced at him. ¡°What kind of debt?¡± ¡°He saved my daughter¡¯s life.¡± DeSade explained. ¡°And well her life is worth far more to me than a few dozen hospital bills.¡± ¡°Right, Jon mentioned something about a crazy attacking Camp Bet.¡± His Ma nodded, giving him another if more concerned glance. ¡°Said there was no real danger.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Perhaps the threat was minimal to a strapping young man such as your son, but to my daughter it was quite a terrifying experience.¡± DeSade frowned before shaking his head. ¡°Regardless, he did me a kindness that Ms. Donovan can attest to, and that I refuse to let that go unpaid.¡± His Ma looked up at Miss Edna who was grimacing from where she held the wheelchair in place. ¡°Uh, yeah. Jon did save Rosalind, though I still wish he hadn¡¯t got himself mixed up in any of that mess.¡± ¡°A kid was in danger.¡± He shrugged, knowing that everyone heard the silent (I¡¯d do it again if I had to.) ¡°Quite right.¡± DeSade nodded as both his Ma and Miss Edna gave him a look somewhere between concern, exasperation, and pride. ¡°Still, since I had some business in town I decided to check in and see just how he was doing. At which point I discovered you¡¯d been hospitalized and knowing that such financial stressors are beyond what a young man of his age should worry about I proceeded to cover all of your bills¡­ And any children involved in the incident. I figured he¡¯d appreciate that.¡± ¡°I do.¡± He forced himself to say, because as much as he may take issue with DeSade that didn¡¯t change the fact that he had helped a number of children and their families. His Ma gave him a concerned look before sighing as she ran a hand through her hair. ¡°Yeah, I guess I should say thanks as well. Though, uh, you mind if I ask you something?¡± ¡°Oh, of course not.¡± DeSade smiled, clearly believing he was winning over Ma Whitaker. He took a step forward to try and mitigate any damage from being done, only for Miss Edna to grab him and drag him back a couple steps. ¡°Jon, did you know DeSade was in town?¡± She hissed with no small amount of concern. ¡°No, but he¡¯s apparently been here long enough to be watching my Ma.¡± He frowned, before shaking his head. ¡°He said something about being brought in to deal with the Horror¡¯s seal because he was the closest Dark Lord or something. Though he figured out I was involved and was asking about what happened on Halloween.¡± Miss Edna gave him a concerned look. ¡°And what did you tell him?¡± ¡°Apparently the same thing the girls reported.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Though they left me out of their reports since I ditched before Sanctuary could spot me.¡± ¡°Which was definitely the smart thing to do.¡± His second parent assured him before gaining a mild glare. ¡°Last thing you want is those assholes trying to get mixed up in your business¡­¡± He held back a grimace knowing that even if Asylum and Sanctuary were different organizations, Miss Edna still kept a dim view of them after living through the Rift Riots. But regardless of his attempt to keep his thoughts to himself he must¡¯ve let something slip through given the way Miss Edna winced, ¡°Sorry. I know you¡¯re careful and smart just¡­ keep being careful and smart?¡± ¡°I will.¡± He promised, knowing that he was agreeing to only one half of it. ¡°Come on, Eddie!¡± His Ma called. ¡°Wheel me over to the desk so I can get myself checked out and out of this stupid thing!¡± Miss Edna sighed, gaining a mild grin as she shook her head. ¡°Sure thing Minnie.¡± Part of him wanted to stick with his parents, but he was smart enough to keep DeSade where he could see him as they both hung back. ¡°Your mother is an interesting woman, Jon.¡± DeSade chuckled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned. ¡°Oh, she warned me that if I involve you in whatever ¡®shadiness¡¯ I have going on she¡¯d castrate me and force me to eat the mutilated remnants before leaving me to bleed out in whatever fancy gutter I came from.¡± DeSade answered, looking equal parts amused and impressed. ¡°Really, it¡¯s no wonder where you get it from.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± He blinked, feeling something warm in his chest, before turning back to DeSade. ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear if you involve her in any of this I¡¯ll do worse than that.¡± DeSade gave him a curious look. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll bleed out in what two minutes her route? Me, I¡¯ll have Pix trap you in a slowly escalating torture loop for a few days while slowly feeding your sanity to the Cheshire, before releasing you into the world as mind broken ghost of your former self. You know, really drag it out.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± DeSade nodded. ¡°I expect no less.¡± Nanowrimo Notice Just an announcement for anyone who hasn''t been reading the Author Notes. I''m not going to be updating this story for November because I am entering the Nanowrimo challenge with a new story called Hex City Devils, which despite lacking the tagline is part of the Deviant''s Masquerade Setting. As soon as the challenge is over I''ll get back to updating this and all of my other stories. For anyone curious, here''s the story synopsis I''m using: The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. --- It was a normal day in the city. People were bustling, businesses were running, and life was living. Which is why no one expected it to happen¡­ No one expected the chaos that would follow¡­The fear it would unleash as everything changed¡­The isolation it would leave behind in its wake¡­ No one expected the walls to go up¡­ The men who became monsters overnight¡­ If the monsters ever were men to begin with¡­ Then again given the lengths those same men went to protect their secrets Maybe they always were monsters? After all, there¡¯s a reason they would go on to call these people the Hex City Devils. Trail 60: Moms And Demons (Completely Unrelated) Trail 60: Moms And Demons (Completely Unrelated) --- Jon --- ¡°You sure you should be up and moving like this Minnie?¡± Miss Edna asked as he and his Ma started stretching for their run. ¡°I mean, shouldn¡¯t you take it easy? You did just wake up after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve spent the last two weeks in a hospital bed, even if they had a magic user healing us, if I don¡¯t get moving I¡¯ll start losing muscle mass.¡± His Ma explained. ¡°Besides, we''re just doing a simple run through the city.¡± What neither him nor his Ma told her was how there were about five different points on their ¡®simple¡¯ run that included decent parkour spots if you wanted to focus more on running over things than actually climbing. Miss Edna crossed her arms. ¡°For some reason I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you know us too well.¡± His Ma admitted before raising Brutus¡¯s leash. ¡°Look I¡¯m bringing Brutus with us, that means we aren¡¯t doing anything so crazy that a dog can¡¯t keep up with us.¡± The fact that Brutus -in spite of his old age- could parkour anything that didn¡¯t require hands was not something he or his Ma felt the need to add. Miss Edna narrowed her eyes at his Ma. ¡°You know I can make you take it easy.¡± ¡°You could try, but we both know I¡¯m not the one who¡¯d end up bound in the end.¡± His Ma agreed, seemingly amused before gesturing towards him. ¡°But look, Jon isn¡¯t worried about me going out and running, and we both know he¡¯s a worrywart.¡± He mostly wasn¡¯t worried because he knew it¡¯d be hypocritical of him to stop her. (And I have both Pix and Miss Edna to heal her if something goes wrong.) His second parent turned to him with an extremely dry look as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. Namely the hypocritical part given the numerous times she¡¯d tried -and failed- to make him take it easy after he¡¯d spent the night fighting Corrupted back in Blackwell. Something he rarely did, instead opting to get the minimum amount of sleep before spending his day wrangling a bunch of hyper kids at the camp. ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s your kid.¡± Miss Edna told her, knowing full well where he got it from. ¡°True, but you helped raise him.¡± His Ma pointed out, misunderstanding what Miss Edna meant. Miss Edna scoffed. ¡°Yeah, and he¡¯s lucky I¡¯m the one who taught him how to con someone because you aren¡¯t conning me Minnie.¡± ¡°Perhaps not.¡± His Ma sighed, lowering her head. ¡°I am, however, outrunning you.¡± Both his Ma and Brutus took off at once. Miss Edna gained an offended look before turning towards him. He just raised his hands and slowly started after his Ma, knowing that if she got too far ahead of him she would absolutely turn this into a race. Scene Consequences -Gained 2XP to Mobility for helping Ma get back to it. --Currently: Lv. 7 (5/16) --- ¡°Ah, Ma Whitaker, you¡¯re back!¡± Their neighbor Mr. Petrovich cheered upon their arrival to the apartment rooftop they and their neighbors had gathered on for their weekly hangout. ¡°We were so worried when we heard you were in the hospital.¡± ¡°Eh, you shouldn¡¯t be.¡± His Ma assured the man. ¡°I¡¯m too tough of a bitch to really be brought down by a minion Creep.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let her lie to you, the doctors say she¡¯s supposed to be on bedrest for a couple more days.¡± Miss Edna cut in. ¡°Rest is for the weak and the dead.¡± His Ma shrugged off the other woman¡¯s concerns. ¡°One of which you are until -and the other you will be unless- you get some rest.¡± Miss Edna argued. ¡°I saw the way you were leaning against the railing on the way up here.¡± His Ma rolled her eyes. ¡°You know I always wondered where Jon got the worrywart from.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I always wondered where he got the recklessness from.¡± Miss Edna glared. Their neighbors watched their little back and forth for a minute, before Ms. Valentine coughed into her hand and stepped forward. ¡°Uh, I¡¯ve uh, I¡¯ve seen you around a bit but I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve actually met? I¡¯m Sarah Valentine, I¡¯m one of Jon and Minerva¡¯s neighbors.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Edna Donovan. I¡¯m¡­¡± Miss Edna glanced at his ma for some reason. ¡°She¡¯s family. She¡¯s basically Jon¡¯s second parent at this point.¡± His Ma explained for the other woman as she pulled him into a hug. ¡°He¡¯s been spending his Summers with her for, what? Ten years now?¡± Miss Edna ruffled his hair. ¡°Something like that, yeah.¡± ¡°And, uh, how did that get started exactly?¡± Mrs. Jefferson asked her eyes darting between his Ma and Miss Edna for some reason. ¡°I uh, I went through a rough patch when I was younger.¡± His Ma sighed, running a hand through her hair as he hugged her back because that rough patch wasn¡¯t really her fault. ¡°While I¡­ cleaned myself up, I signed Jon up for a nearby summer camp that Eddie owned, and he liked it enough to keep going back.¡± ¡°And given some¡­ stuff from when he was little, I tried to keep Minnie in the loop as much as I could.¡± Miss Edna continued. ¡°One thing led to another as Minnie asked for parenting advice and we started complaining about ex-husbands and everything else, until eventually we started hanging out every once and a while. At least until she moved away from a fifteen minute drive to a two hour one.¡± ¡°Please, we both know you could fly over whenever you wanted.¡± His Ma scoffed. ¡°You¡¯d think, but cities have all sorts of laws on that kind of thing nowadays.¡± Miss Edna grumbled. ¡°And the last thing I want is cops harassing me.¡± His Ma gave Miss Edna a look, causing the older woman to roll her eyes. ¡°You know you don¡¯t count.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Mrs. Jefferson nodded with an odd -if amused- tone to her voice. ¡°Well, if you¡¯ve been half as much help to Minerva with Jon as she¡¯s been to me with Kenneth, I can see why you two would be so close.¡± Ms. Valentine smiled, her eyes glancing to where Kenneth was playing with the other kids. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m woman enough to admit I wouldn¡¯t have raised Jon half as well without her.¡± His Ma agreed, ruffling his hair. ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t give yourself enough credit, Minnie.¡± Miss Edna frowned. ¡°You could¡¯ve raised him two-thirds as well at least.¡± His Ma flipped Miss Edna off with a grin. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Scene Consequences -Everyone has now met Miss Edna and knows Ma Whitaker is back and on bed rest. --Not that¡¯s going to slow her down. --- He looked around, not quite believing he was in the correct place despite knowing that he was. With a shake of his head he walked up to the otherwise mundane cookie cutter house and knocked on the front door. After a moment the door was opened by a man in a black suit perfectly normal if not for the deer skull with glowing yellow eyes he had in place of a head. ¡°The master¡­ is expecting you¡­¡± (Yep, this is the right place.) He grimaced, reeling in his instinct to attack the creature that he was sure was a construct of dark magic rather than a sapient being. Not so smartly following the unnatural butler into the building he found the house was furnished as any other suburban home would be if using darker colors than most would favor in this neighborhood. (Though there aren¡¯t any photos anywhere so not quite as homey as others.) Which made sense given how DeSade had simply bought this house for his stay in the city, believing that ¡®renting¡¯ was beneath a real Dark Lord. Even if just a hotel room. Eventually the unnatural butler led him to a dark wood door and gave him a half bow. With a sigh he knocked on the door, knowing that DeSade was a firm believer that ¡®Manners maketh man¡¯. ¡°Come in.¡± DeSade called from behind the door. Stepping into DeSade¡¯s office he found the man sitting at a dark wood desk going over some paperwork while surrounded by several bookshelves lining the wall and a couch waiting in front of the desk. ¡°Take a seat.¡± DeSade told him, not looking up as he gestured towards the couch. Rather than doing as he was told he instead leaned against the wall next to the door. ¡°Think I¡¯d prefer to stand.¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± DeSade shrugged before setting down his pen and giving Jon a once over. ¡°Now normally I¡¯d allow you to choose what lesson you wish to take in preparation for your fight with the Horror, trusting that you know what you¡¯re doing. Today however I wish to go over exactly what you know about Demons thus far, and fill in any blanks so as to ensure you aren¡¯t stumbling into this blind.¡± Understanding the prompt given to him Jon began to explain that, ¡°Demons are in their simplest form conceptual elementals created by Necro and Madness colliding. This has the double effect of differing them from elementals by giving them more complex and esoteric concepts to begin with while also fueling them with Malice rather than Anima. Which is part of the reason they can fuel themselves by ¡®eating¡¯ a mix of Madness, Anima, and Necro depending on their own conceptual core. This fuel is then used to mutate their core in a way that Anima on its own cannot thanks to the Madness aspect of Malice. ¡± ¡°Very good.¡± DeSade nodded. ¡°Though I do feel that while your understanding of Madness¡¯s influence on the development of a Malicious entity is sound, you don¡¯t quite understand how the Necro half of the equation functions.¡± ¡°And how does Necro influence a Demon?¡± He asked. ¡°Beyond being the source of the myths of Demons and souls?¡± DeSade questioned him back. ¡°Well the explanation for that depends on how far your understanding of Necromancy has come.¡± He didn¡¯t bother holding back a grimace at that. ¡°I see, then it seems like we¡¯ll be giving the long and dry explanation rather than the simple and easy one.¡± DeSade sighed at his failing, before beginning a very long and very dry lecture that neither of them truly enjoyed no matter how informative it was. Scene Consequences -Gained (DeSade¡¯s Rank - Jon¡¯s Rank + 1 = 5) XP to Demonology. --*Skill Level Up* Demonology Lv. 5 (3/12) --- Having received a text to meet up from Artemis he got off the bus at the stop she had sent him and found her looking around anxiously. ¡°Uh, is everything okay?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Artemis sighed, running a hand through her currently green hair. ¡°Everything is fine just¡­ follow me.¡± ¡°Okay¡­?¡± He nodded, not willing to call her out on the lie. After a few minutes of walking Artemis stopped and stared at one of the houses before sighing and moving towards a wooden gate. ¡°Come on, we need to go through the fence.¡± He glanced at the house for a moment before moving to follow. ¡°I¡¯m just going to hope this is your house and not some random strangers.¡± Artemis grimaced as she admitted, ¡°It is¡­ I had a few other places we could¡¯ve tried to do all of this but¡­ we¡¯re going to need some place to stash the arm while working on it. As well as some place with enough protections to keep the [Fear] Anima from leaking out all over the place.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ after how the Haunt went that sounds like the kind of thing that¡¯ll grab attention fast.¡± He agreed with a grimace of his own. ¡°It is, which is why we¡¯re doing this here instead of a random hotel.¡± Artemis told him, briefly holding a hand out to stop him as she glanced around the corner of the house. ¡°Alright, move quickly. I don¡¯t want either of my parents to see you.¡± ¡°Uh, wouldn¡¯t it be easier if they just knew I was here though?¡± He frowned, following as Artemis hurried to a small shed in her backyard. Artemis gave him golden eyed glare as she unlocked the shed. ¡°And how would your parents feel if you snuck a girl over to your house, because we could always do this at your house?¡± He briefly thought about it, and much more rapidly decided, ¡°Point made.¡± Especially since, given his Ma¡¯s condition, she was laying around the house with Miss Edna, meaning that any instance of inviting anyone over would result in both of them being there. (I may be a risk taker but I am not stupid.) ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Now get inside.¡± Artemis told him as she held the shed door open. Stepping inside, he immediately felt a difference in the space around him. ¡°Uh, you know spacial enchantments are like super dangerous, right?¡± ¡°Only if you screw it up or are a hack.¡± Artemis rolled her eyes as she turned the lights on to reveal a room the size of his living room and kitchen. ¡°And don¡¯t worry Miss Edme -a professional Enchantress- set this up with my parents for my sixteenth birthday. Even if it did somehow collapse, everything will still fit. It¡¯ll just be a pain to climb back out.¡± He looked around the room noting the workbench and chair sitting between a pair of shelves covered in jars, books, and other magical necessities before drifting over to the bed against one of the walls with a decently sized trunk next to it. He then compared all of this to the rough size of what the shed was on the outside before confirming that while it would be cramped with the two of them, if the spatial enchantment collapsed it would not turn him into a bloody paste. ¡°Alright, I believe you.¡± Artemis gave him a dry look. ¡°I saw how long that took you.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve seen an empty one of these implode something before.¡± He was not stupid enough to mention that that something was a Corrupted Human, or the fact that he¡¯d set the implosion off, multiple times. His eyes drifted back to the bed as Artemis moved to the trunk. ¡°Do you sleep out here?¡± The other teen glanced at him over her shoulder before turning back to the trunk. ¡°Sometimes if I get really into a project, but my mom doesn¡¯t like me sleeping out here and my dad ¡®ll carry me back in if he notices me missing.¡± After a moment of digging in the trunk Artemis pulled out several things and set them on the sides of her work bench. ¡°You have the arm, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded, before reaching into his pack and pulling the bundled up arm of the Halloween Horror and setting in the middle of the bench. ¡°Okay, now before we can really get started on the meat of this project, we need to get started on the meat of this project.¡± Artemis told him as she unwrapped the arm. ¡°Namely cutting the arm into pieces and beginning the shaping process for this first project.¡± ¡°And, uh, how are we going to do that? Because I doubt just cutting the arm up with a knife is going to work.¡± He admitted. ¡°Theoretically, it could.¡± Artemis corrected him slowly, sounding like she¡¯d prefer it if that wasn¡¯t how they did this. ¡°It would just take a lot more effort because of the density of the arm, as well as a lot of time to keep the Anima from, well, detonating. With us in the room.¡± ¡°Oh, fun¡­¡± ¡°Alternatively, we could use a spell to cut it.¡± Artemis suggested. ¡°But using Anima to cut into crystalized Anima, could have an interaction of its own.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s the explosive kind of interaction there too?¡± He sighed. ¡°Yes. Though my control should be enough to do something there.¡± Artemis assured him. ¡°No, if your control is better than you should focus on the actual shaping of the pieces while I cut it up.¡± He told her. ¡°If worse comes to, I can just have Pix patch me up but I¡¯m not sure if I can reshape the pieces beyond cutting them up.¡± He decided it was best not to mention that he had no actual idea how to reshape the arm aside from cutting it up, having not really had the time to look into it with his Ma waking up from her coma. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re sure¡­ I¡¯m not going to volunteer for the more dangerous task.¡± Artemis admitted, sounding relieved to do so. ¡°Right, I¡¯ve just got to figure out how to not blow us up.¡± He nodded. ¡°Oh, do you hear that? I think my mom is calling me for lunch.¡± Artemis chuckled nervously as she inched towards the door. And honestly he couldn¡¯t really blame her. Southside Coven: Path To Power (Pt. 6) Southside Coven: Path To Power (Pt. 6) --- Jon --- ¡°Alright, so¡­ I¡¯m going to use Script Craft to try and cut this into pieces.¡± He decided after a moment, figuring that while he could use his knife given the supposed density of the Demon Arm it was fully possible he¡¯d end up shattering it into lopsided pieces rather than splitting it into equal ones. ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± Artemis grimaced. ¡°I mean, I¡¯d probably end up using magic too but I¡¯m pretty sure you have more muscle than me to cut it up.¡± ¡°Probably,¡± he admitted, knowing that if he used his axe as a last resort he absolutely could hack through the arm, having done similar before, ¡°but they wouldn¡¯t be clean cuts and I think the fewer pieces we break this into the better.¡± Artemis seemed to take a moment to consider that. ¡°Well, there probably would be a release of Anima regardless of how cleanly we cut it -given just how volatile this is- but you¡¯re probably right specifically because of that.¡± ¡°Hence Script Craft, the most controlled Spellcraft.¡± He nodded, not pointing out how it was also technically the only Spellcraft he actually knew, with the rest being more magical arts. ¡°A reasonable conclusion.¡± Artemis agreed. ¡°In fact thinking of it like that, Script Craft is probably a better option than what I was actually thinking.¡± He frowned. ¡°And what were you thinking?¡± ¡°I¡¯m best with Sign Craft when it comes to active Spellwork since it allows me to change out pieces of my Spell mid-cast, while still being structured enough to minimize and backlash.¡± Artemis explained as she made a flame appear in hand with a few gestures before dismissing it with a wave of her hand. ¡°But as you said with something so volatile, control is more important and Miss Edme made sure I was passable in all Arts and Crafts.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± He accepted, before pulling out the spellscript ring Miss Edna had given him and putting it on. ¡°You got your own Light Sketching Ring?¡± Artemis noted as he started drawing a Script in the air. ¡°You didn¡¯t have that on Halloween.¡± ¡°My¡­ mentor gave it to me.¡± He shrugged, as he drew the outer circle that all Spell Circuits had to contain their power. ¡°She said she¡¯d held off on the ring to keep me from developing bad habits when I asked, before saying I probably knew enough now to have one so long as I don¡¯t become too dependent on it.¡± ¡°Makes sense, though I always believed it had more to do with age and maturity given how long it took Miss Edme to give me my ring..¡± Artemis admitted, before shaking her head. ¡°Regardless, I¡¯ll leave you to figure this out. In all seriousness I¡¯ve been working on other projects most of the morning and if my parents don¡¯t see me they¡¯ll come and check on me. Something I¡¯d rather not happen.¡± ¡°Yeah, this¡¯ll just take me a minute to figure out.¡± He assured her, as he tried to figure out how a cutting spell would actually work. (I mean, if I concentrate the Anima into a line and drop it like a guillotine that should work, right?) ¡°Try not to blow my workshop up.¡± Artemis sighed as she left. A few minutes later when he triggered the Script he¡¯d drawn and it began shooting a stream of magic downward, he learned several things. First, Anima does not naturally take on a ¡®sharp¡¯ edge, instead apparently having a rounded that gave any unfocused stream of it a bluntness that generated more of a ¡®crushing¡¯ sensation than a ¡®cutting¡¯ one. Second, hitting something with this blunted stream of Anima was the equivalent of trying to crack something on the corner of another object. Useful if you just need to break something in a general shape without any necessary precision, such as when one cracked an egg on the edge of a pan. Significantly less so when you wanted that precise line however. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Third, hitting a hyper dense crystal of Anima on a metaphorical table edge, caused the arm to explode. And lastly, he discovered that the walls of this little workshop were durable enough to have a teenager thrown at them with enough force to launch him off his feets. (Well¡­ this is some decent construction at least¡­) Further attempts taught him a few other things, the one that he felt most important to share being, ¡°If you¡¯re using magic to alter the arm you¡¯ll want to drag it out, so you can vent pressure whenever it starts to destabilize. Doing it faster than you can vent it, will cause it to explode.¡± (And it only took three tries to figure that out¡­) ¡°Uh, are you¡­ going to be¡­ okay?¡± Artemis awkwardly asked, grimacing as she looked him over. ¡°Nothing worse than I¡¯ve had before.¡± He shrugged before looking the arm pieces over and grimacing himself as he saw the jagged edges. (Yeah¡­ probably could¡¯ve made cleaner cuts with my knife or my axe¡­) ¡°You going to be able to use these?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± Artemis considered his question for a minute despite still looking uncomfortable, ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve dealt with ¡®Anima Pressure¡¯ before when helping Miss Edme, so I think I know how to handle it. This just means it¡¯ll just take longer than I¡¯d like to forge these into a decent enough shape.¡± ¡°So we won¡¯t be able to just finish knocking this out today?¡± He frowned. ¡°No.¡± The other teen sighed. ¡°Given how I¡¯ll be reshaping a fair portion of the arm¡¯s mass here¡­ Even with the smaller pieces it¡¯ll likely take me a few days to get this into the shape I want if we don¡¯t want what will absolutely be a lethal explosion.¡± ¡°Yeah, no need to meet the Pale Lady today.¡± (Especially since I haven¡¯t found that Demon she wanted me to find¡­ and I really need to get on that¡­) He very much doubted it was the Horror, given how that was a little too straightforward for anything involving the Cheshire. (The list just gets longer and longer¡­) Artemis blinked, giving him an odd look before shaking her head again. ¡°Right¡­ well, I suppose you¡¯ve done your part at this point.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me to help with the sculpting bit?¡± He asked. ¡°No. Like I said this isn¡¯t going to be a simple or a short task, and given how complicated Alchemy can get on a good day it¡¯s probably better to limit the number of variables in the actual process.¡± Artemis explained, before giving him a once over. ¡°Also it¡¯s probably best if you go, given the state of your clothes I really don¡¯t want you here if my parents show up.¡± He glanced down at himself and realized that the numerous explosions had torn his clothes up a fair bit, (though I think they¡¯re still in Pix¡¯s mending range.) The only thing she couldn¡¯t fix were any bloodstains the clothes would have once reassembled. (Luckily I know how to clean those out myself.) ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll call you before I get to the actual Enchanting and such.¡± Artemis assured him. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure your understanding of Demonology is better than mine so you¡¯ll have a better idea on interactions there, even if I know what we¡¯re going for. Like I said though, it¡¯ll probably be a few days before I¡¯m ready for that step.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± He nodded, before moving to grab his bag. ¡°I¡¯ll try and see if I can put anything together that might help us with the actual Enchanting part. Anything you think I should look into specifically?¡± Artemis thought about it for a moment. ¡°See if you can figure out a way for your Concepts to help us. They¡¯re the core of magic for a reason and you¡¯ll have an easier time molding them than anything else.¡± (Hunter, Defender, and Moon¡­ And then derived from that I have Guard, Fortify, Stalk, Pack, Track, Moonlight, and New Moon.) He remembered, thinking over the concepts he¡¯d figured out were linked to his own. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see if I can¡¯t figure something out.¡± Scene Consequences -Jon failed the skill check, so we¡¯re using Lv. 2 potential which means no new spell and 2D6 for our potential roll, which is: --Base Project Potential Per Piece: 2D6 + Occultism (8) = 18 + 1 Crit D6 = 23. -Artemis uses her Script Craft and other skills to add a flat 25 Potential. -End Result: We have 48 potential to spend for each Piece used on a Project. (Based on my math this is middle of the road for possible potentials, which is pretty good given that flopped skill check should¡¯ve given us the lowest roll.) -Reminder: Next step is binding the arm¡¯s magic into a desired Spell Engine. --Important skills: Enchanting, Occult, and Demonology -Gained 1XP to Script Craft, Occultism, and Demonology --Currently: Script Craft Lv. 5 (4/12), Occultism Lv. 8 (7/18), Demonology Lv. 5 (4/12) Trail 61 (Pt. 1): The Devil’s Deal On Madness Trail 61 (Pt. 1): The Devil¡¯s Deal On Madness --- Jon --- ¡°And, this is?¡± DeSade asked with a raised brow as Jon set the black chest on the man¡¯s desk. ¡°A Void Core I got from a fight club.¡± He answered, knowing that even if Miss Edna didn¡¯t want him to go to DeSade for this, the fact was that DeSade was already in town and Jon had zero intention of letting the thing hurt someone he actually cared about again. ¡°Figured with the whole Dark Lord thing you¡¯d know what to do with this.¡± ¡°I do, and depending on several factors this could be a¡­ profitable find for both of us.¡± Said Dark Lord admitted standing up from his desk as he eyed the chest with some interest. ¡°Don¡¯t care about profitability so much as just being done with this thing.¡± He grimaced, watching as DeSade ran a finger over the chains, causing several crimson sparks to jump from where he touched them. The man gave him a look. ¡°Don¡¯t lie, Jon. We both know you can¡¯t help but exploit an opportunity when presented to you. A lesson you never needed to learn from me, it was so engraved into your instincts.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ve also dealt with enough Madness to know that sometimes the opportunity will cost as much as it gives.¡± He pointed out. ¡°And that chest is giving off enough Madness that I can feel it through the seals.¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± DeSade snapped his fingers, causing a crimson spell circle to appear above the chains as they shifted and collapsed around the chest. ¡°The seals are of middling quality after all.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown remembering what Miss Edna said about the chains and how they couldn¡¯t be removed without enough magic to blast the whole chest to pieces. DeSade rolled his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Madness won¡¯t leak. I simply extracted the enchantments on the chain and converted them into a sustained circuit to keep the seal active even with the chest open. Whoever designed these things were clearly going for style over substance, given how they¡¯d be near worthless if you actually opened the chest.¡± He¡­ tried not to think about how the last time he¡¯d opened the chest had gone, or what it¡¯d done to Ying. Uncaring of his own caution, DeSade opened the chest and eyed the contents sitting upon the velvet pillow with some interest while he was more focused on the fact that for once he couldn¡¯t hear the whispers of Madness pouring off of the thing. ¡°Mmm, yes, this is quite the find, Jon.¡± DeSade praised, as he delicately picked up the (sphere/mask/cube) and lifted it into the air, the crimson circuit rising to stay above it. Held up to the light the core seemed to shimmer in place, a faint static to it¡¯s edges as even with it¡¯s Madness sealed, it reached out with black brambling thorns until- DeSade carelessly dropped the core back onto the pillow as the Dark Lord lost most if not all of his interest. ¡°And it¡¯s already bonded to you.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± He blinked, snapping out of it as DeSade closed the chest. ¡°Tell me, what do you know about Void Cores?¡± DeSade questioned, leaning back against his desk. ¡°More specifically the reason why they are such a valuable resource.¡± ¡°Right, uh, I read about that when I first got the thing.¡± He said remembering what he read just last week. ¡°They''re collected from Boss Creeps from the Void, and the reason so many Dark Practitioner¡¯s want them is to use them as a sort of¡­ Philosopher''s Stone to bend the laws of magic, but the Madness degrades one¡¯s sanity.¡± ¡°Good to see you¡¯re reading the books I gave you, even if you need to learn to cross reference more modern texts.¡± DeSade huffed with a touch of amusement. ¡°Also, quick clarification. The Philosopher¡¯s Stone doesn¡¯t bend rules so much as it brute forces a solution around them, and the recipe for a simple Philosopher¡¯s Stone is actually quite well documented, if restricted, and has been for¡­ a hundred years now. That said no one wishes to create a greater stone which had enough power to outright ignore the rules given how the first one¡¯s creation was a result of Flamel containing a magically mutated plague caused by some long deceased mystic¡¯s attempt at immortality during the fourteenth century. Meaning you¡¯d need to unleash and contain another mass extinction plague, which regrettably was attempted after the initial re-discovery. While no stone was created from this event, there is a popular theory that due to not being properly harnessed, the access to Deviant energies led to the Deviant population boom of the poorly named Voodoo Wars.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± He blinked, trying to slot all of that into his understanding of history. ¡°But back on topic, as I said the Philosopher¡¯s Stone gets around the laws of magic and science by brute forcing the problem with so much power that a solution is found even if inefficiently.¡± DeSade explained before also elaborating that, ¡°A Void Core on the other hand comes at it from the other angle by functioning as a key and accessing the seas of Madness as well as all of the knowledge contained within, which I should remind you is all knowledge that has ever been known or is nearing discovery in any reality connected by the Black Briar.¡± ¡°Beware, enlightenment can drive you mad.¡± He sighed, the infamous warning, seeing how things progressed from there. ¡°Quite.¡± DeSade agreed. ¡°That said, there is a way of curbing the worst of the Madness exposure and keeping it within more¡­ acceptable parameters.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s what you meant by me bonding with it?¡± He grimaced, glancing at the chest. ¡°Correct.¡± DeSade nodded. ¡°A core is as I said a key to the seas of Madness, which in turn are connected to all thought both familiar and utterly alien. One of the few seemingly consistent attributes of Madness however is an observer effect in which it at least partially mimics the mental state of the observer. Which is why the more¡­ unstable one¡¯s current mental state the more deeply they can gaze into Madness, if at the risk of being subsumed by the tides. At the same time however Madness enjoys playing favorites, and will proportionally preserve traits from previous observers. When you compound these facts, you gain the safest method of dealing with Madness.¡± DeSade crossed his arms and gave Jon an expectant look. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. He thought about it for a moment before putting it together. ¡°The safest method¡­ is to deal with Madness that has traits similar to your own. That way the thoughts are more Mundane to you and the tides more shallow, less likely to drown you.¡± DeSade turned the chest towards Jon and opened it once more. ¡°This core has already bonded with you, and in turn you are the person to suffer the least mental corrosion by using it. I on the other hand would suffer sizable mental contamination given how my own mental state lacks your¡­ fractures and the malleability they present.¡± ¡°Meaning it¡¯s worthless to you and too valuable of a tool for you to let me throw it away.¡± He sighed. ¡°Given how you¡¯re arguably the most Madness resistant person I know? I won¡¯t aid you but I won¡¯t stop you from selling it if you think you can find a buyer.¡± DeSade confirmed. He tapped his foot on the ground as he eyed the (statue/mask/creature) in the chest, easily able to see the pleading look it was giving him. ¡°If, and that¡¯s a big if, I were to use this core instead of just dumping it in the bottom of the ocean-¡± ¡°I would not recommend that method of disposal.¡± DeSade actually grimaced. ¡°Given the metaphorical connections of the ¡®seas of Madness¡¯, putting the Core into the ocean will in time allow an Eldritch Horror loose upon our world. One notably obsessed with you, and most likely intent on physically dragging you into the void of Madness and consuming you. Part of which includes purging every thought and memory of you from anyone unresistant to Madness.¡± ¡°Fantastic.¡± He groaned, able to feel the hungering eyes on him. (Just going to ignore that for now¡­) He inhaled before exhaling. ¡°So if I were to use the core instead of selling it to the highest bidder, how would that work?¡± Closing the chest, DeSaded returned to his seat and seemingly considered the matter. ¡°There are¡­ two realistically viable ways for you to use the Core before your battle with the Horror, three if you¡¯re willing to wait until afterwards.¡± DeSade raised a finger into the air. ¡°First, would be the most commonly used method in which we convert it into a key to the seas of Madness, more specifically an Akashic Record referencing your own existence. This means, so long as you know what you seek, you¡¯ll be able to use it to learn anything pertaining to your own existence as Madness recognizes it be it knowledge, magic, or skills. The price being that you¡¯ll be risking your own sanity the deeper and more esoteric the knowledge you seek is, and even then you might not be physically capable of using whatever it gives you.¡± Given what he knew about Madness, and how the Cheshire saw him he was going to go out on a limb and guess that his ¡®existence as Madness recognizes it¡¯ would be The Huntsman. (Meaning I could learn how to hunt anything and any Hunter spell at the price of gambling my Sanity each time¡­) ¡°The second method is admittedly the most risky but also the most profitable in my opinion.¡± DeSade told him, raising a second finger. ¡°In this instance we¡¯d use the Core as a sort of summoning catalyst. Between the sheer depths of the Seas of Madness as well as the quality of this core, whatever entity we¡¯d dredge up -something at least partially based on your own mentality and intent during the summoning- would be on par with Horror in raw ability. Now under normal circumstances, this would be a terrible idea as we would be unleashing an Eldritch Horror upon the world, one that¡¯s very existence would demand at least some mental degradation to those near it should you allow it to manifest it¡¯s full power. Luckily, however, this core has already chosen you as its¡­ favorite. This means whatever we summon would be friendly to you, love you even, if near obsessively so.¡± ¡°So what? We¡¯d be turning the Core into a Confidant Catalyst or something?¡± He frowned. ¡°In some ways yes, but in most no.¡± DeSade answered. ¡°There are safety limiters on most legal Catalysts to prevent you from summoning something of both this class and scope. Entities of Madness are extremely restricted due to how their very existence is a mental hazard to everything near them. Due to your own circumstance you might be able to summon one such entity naturally, albeit significantly weaker than what we can manage with the actual core, but there is no guarantee. That said, with this there might be a way to¡­ jailbreak the Arcane Nexus as it were, to make them more easily accessible to you.¡± He narrowed his eyes as he realized DeSade¡¯s angle. ¡°Which is why this is the option you want to take. You¡¯re hoping to use whatever you learn to break the system for yourself too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a possibility, yes, but given how I¡¯m not Touched By Madness like you are, I doubt I¡¯d be able to summon anything more advanced than I already can.¡± DeSade shrugged. ¡°At best I¡¯ll be able to do so without relying on a catalyst, while still being limited to the same overall power level if I don¡¯t want to rend my own mind to shreds.¡± ¡°And is that something I need to be worried about on my end?¡± He wondered accusingly. ¡°Mmm, if you manifest them at full power possibly, but given your resistance you¡¯ll have significantly more room for them than anyone else.¡± DeSade assured him. He wasn¡¯t sure if he believed that, but decided it was best to go ahead and ask, ¡°What¡¯s the third option?¡± ¡°The third option would be something similar to what you¡¯re doing with the Horror¡¯s arm.¡± DeSade told him. ¡°It would be the scenario in which we take the Core and reforge it into a powerful artifact of some kind. I have significant experience doing so with the corpses of Demons, but doing so with the Core could prove an interesting exercise. You¡¯d theoretically be able to wield a fair amount of Madness on command, though with similar risks of mental contamination as you¡¯d have from accessing the seas of Madness or manifesting an eldritch entity.¡± ¡°And why aren¡¯t you as interested in this one?¡± He frowned after a moment to consider it. ¡°The Arcane I¡¯m working with said what we¡¯re doing with the Horror¡¯s Arm is a veritable goldmine of research material. Even if you¡¯re used to doing the same with Demons, shouldn''t using a Void Core instead be the same thing on your level?¡± ¡°In a sense you¡¯re correct, it would be valuable data.¡± DeSade admitted with a scoff. ¡°What you¡¯re not accounting for is the size and sheer instability of the Core itself. With Demons you have as many chances as you can carve from their corpse, and even if the material is dangerous my workshop is designed to handle the occasional explosion, conceptual manifestation, or even dimensional Bleed with ease.¡± DeSade rapped his knuckles against the chest before raising a single finger into the air. ¡°In contrast, with this core I have a single chance to perform a single experiment, with a material that is in a constant state of flux. Any data gained from this would be far less than questioning you about your Akashic Record or from finding an exploitable flaw in the Arcane Nexus. Hence why I won¡¯t put the same priority on completing that project as I would the others. Remember, I am the one helping you here but I am not doing so for free.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± He sighed, once more considering how hard it¡¯d be to just pawn the thing off. (Maybe Audrey knows someone, she might even forget about the whole Demon arm thing if I give her a cut¡­ Or thinking about it Rogers would probably know someone, I mean he¡¯s a lower class than DeSade but his circles are the same level of shady.) The only issue was both options would definitely irritate DeSade. Not enough to make him withdraw his aid, but enough to have some extra strings attached down the road. (And there¡¯s already plenty of strings to all of this.) DeSade watched him for a moment, before raising his hand causing the circuit to fall on the chest and the chains to once more wrap around it. ¡°There will be no second chances on this so take the day to think this over. This is an extremely rare opportunity you¡¯ve found for yourself, and you should make sure whatever decision you make is the one you wish to make. You can inform me of whatever you decide after our next lesson.¡± He nodded, before accepting the chest back and considering what to do with the Void Core inside of it. Scene Consequences -Gained (DeSade''s Rank - Jon''s Rank + 1 = 4) XP to Occult. --Currently Lv. 8 (11/18) Trail 61 (Pt. 2)- A Lesson On Demons With The Devil of Blackwell Trail 61 (Pt. 2)- A Lesson On Demons With The Devil of Blackwell --- Jon Whitaker --- ¡°Now let¡¯s get on to the actual lesson.¡± DeSade told him after letting him think for a few moments. ¡°A moment ago, I mentioned how we could use the Void Core in a manner similar to the Horror¡¯s arm to create a magical artifact. Given your reaction to the information I¡¯ve realized it may be prudent to explain the difference between Demons and Creeps, both Malicious for the time being given the¡­ inconsistencies of entities of Madness. So, tell me what do you know about Creeps thus far?¡± Like most people in this world, he¡¯d seen safety videos and lectures on Creeps before given how frequent the threat was ever since the Rift Riots but very few of those bothered to actually explain any research about them, leaving the actual research to Hunters and Sanctuary. And while he¡¯d dealt with a few back in Blackwell and during the Haunt that didn¡¯t change the fact that most of what he knew was from those school safety drills. ¡°They¡¯re typically creatures from other dimensions that for whatever reason are invading our world. They¡¯re usually made more of Magic or Malice than mundane flesh and bone, hence their habit of dissolving when killed. Oh, and Demons tend to somehow employ them a lot despite Creeps being more like wild animals than sapient creatures.¡± He tried to summarize. ¡°So you know what the common man does.¡± DeSade nodded, looking neither disappointed nor pleased with this answer. ¡°In that case the best place to begin would be the relationship between Demons and Creeps.¡± ¡°Now a common misconception of the masses is that Creeps are a form of Demon, something that anyone who has actually seen a Demon will immediately note as false.¡± The Dark Lord assured him. ¡°That said, there is a reason for this misconception as well as an argument to be made in favor of it. Namely in the fact that Malice Creeps have a similar albeit lesser origin to true Demons.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned, before something clicked. ¡°Wait, no this ties into the whole magic rather than flesh body thing doesn¡¯t it? Demon bodies are basically metaphysical constructs made from their own power, are Creeps something like that?¡± ¡°In a sense that is their connection point.¡± DeSade nodded, looking a little pleased. ¡°Both Creeps and Demons are born from Malice, if I had to explain the core of their difference it would be a quantity vs quality approach. Tell me, have you noticed how¡­ similar Creeps are in spite of being from separate dimensions? If you look at enough of them, you¡¯ll notice that there is far less variation between individuals of the same species than would be seen in any natural form of evolution. Almost as if they were all merely copies rather than actual individuals.¡± ¡°So what Creeps are¡­ clones of actual Demons?¡± He tried to guess. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that at least a few of them started out that way, but for a fair few this would be inaccurate.¡± DeSade admitted, before waving his hands and creating a pair of illusions, one a a man covered in bloody bandages with a knife in his hand and the other a wreathing sea of eyes, grins, and a darkness darker than black (The sea of Madness¡­) ¡°Now as you already know full well that Madness is in a way the collective consciousness of all thinking life. What you won¡¯t know is that it is fully possible for a strong enough spirit to leave an imprint upon Madness, a memory strong enough to keep from being subsumed. Such as in the case of the Wretched Ravager, a Slasher from world war one who¡¯d been on the cusp of becoming a Ripper before he was put down.¡± The man -the Slasher- lost all detail becoming a vague outline as he was wrapped in the sea of Madness, before slowly being filled in with red. ¡°This Container then exists, and should it be filled with an appropriately compatible power -such as Malice- it can give birth to an echo of this Container. One that is running on the vague impressions left behind by this container.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The red outline broke out from the sea of Madness and gave birth to a vaguely humanoid creature covered in bloody bandages, scars, and with long bladed claws for fingers. ¡°What you see here is the relatively common Creep known as a Ravager, a species that can only be found on earth due to the imprint only reaching legend in our own world. Though given enough time and a few Travelers that may change.¡± He could see the resemblance between the Creep and the original Slasher, even if the Creep was notably more monstrous in appearance. ¡°So Creeps are Malice filled Containers generated from these Madness imprints? A sort of mass production.¡± He frowned, following along thus far. ¡°While Demons are¡­ a more condensed version of that?¡± ¡°Yes, though on that note we¡¯d be entering the difference between Lesser and Greater Demons, which is not actually a power definition so much as it is a definition of Container.¡± DeSade elaborated. ¡°A lesser Demon is born using their core [Concept] as a base container of sorts and should it die it will stay dead, by contrast a Greater Demon is a Demon that has managed to imprint itself into the sea of Madness so that should it die it will resurrect via said imprint having become its own container. Though notably should you kill a Greater Demon it will often lose any part of its existence that wasn¡¯t inscribed into its imprint, be it memories, powers, concepts, or similar. In fact, it is a minor philosophical debate as to whether these imprints contain enough of the original to be considered the same entity or a separate albeit cloned entity altogether.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He nodded, trying to process all of that. ¡°So what keeps a Greater Demon from being mass produced like a Creep?¡± ¡°Mm, themselves would be the best answer.¡± DeSade decided after a moment of thought. ¡°Due to the amount of strength one must have within their own ego to create an imprint strong enough to retain Sapience within the sea of Madness, typically one must be one of two things. Either they would be so steadfast in their existence that they would kill and consume their younger selves, unable to accept themselves as anything but the only version of themselves. Or they must be so adaptable that rather than fighting over a Container they would simply go on to create multiple imprints of themselves as they change and expand beyond the one that birthed them.¡± ¡°And how does this tie into the whole Creeps work for Demons thing?¡± He asked, feeling like he was beginning to reach the limits of what he could keep up with if he wanted to remember all of this. ¡°It¡¯s not uncommon for the more intelligent Demons to realize they need more hands and bodies to accomplish a task. In such a case the Demon would use its power to reach out to an imprint close enough to its own conceptual origin and then supply the power necessary to generate however many Creeps it needs.¡± DeSade answered, before a number of strings became visible between him and his illusion. ¡°From there the Demon can then manipulate the connection between it and its creeps, allowing it to both reabsorb its power and exert its influence upon those it created. Similar to my own illusion here if with more pre-programming.¡± ¡°But what about the Horror?¡± He frowned thinking about the previous month. ¡°It¡¯s sealed yet it generates a small army every year. So, what is there a fourth version of it out there somewhere?¡± ¡°Possibly, if extremely unlikely.¡± DeSade admitted. ¡°In all likelihood, it created a few Creeps capable of reproduction and set them loose in some nearby dimensional space. They all are still connected to the original Demon, if less so with each generation. Give it a thousand years and there¡¯d be no connection at all.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ problematic¡­¡± He grimaced, at the idea of an entire army laying in wait. ¡°Not really, once the Horror is dealt with they¡¯ll quit seeking it out. And unless whatever dimension they''re hidden in can sustain their needs as they slowly evolve from malice to organic, then they¡¯ll all die out of starvation, be it the magical or mundane kind.¡± DeSade shrugged, distinctly unbothered. ¡°Simply kill the Horror, and you¡¯ll kill its army as well.¡± ¡°If it hasn¡¯t become a Greater Demon yet.¡± He pointed out. ¡°Doubtful.¡± DeSade scoffed. ¡°As I said, in order for a Lesser Demon to ascend to the point of being a Greater Demon it needs to carve an imprint of itself into the sea of consciousness. Something that if had happened, we would be seeing significantly more mention of the Horror in local legend and myth. Given how the local Hunters, Arcane, and etcetera have managed to keep its existence hidden, evidence rejects its ascension. Though upon fully killing it, a new breed of local Creep may manifest if we don¡¯t¡­ properly dispose of the remains afterwards.¡± ¡°Something I should worry about?¡± He asked with a frown. ¡°Not so long as you give the corpse to me.¡± DeSade answered with a smirk. Scene Consequences -Gained (DeSade''s Rank - Jon''s Rank + 1 = 5) XP to Demonology. --Currently: Lv. 5 (9/12) Trail 61 (Pt. 3): Cursed, Chance, Choices, And Consequences Trail 61 (Pt. 3): Cursed, Chance, Choices, And Consequences --- Jon --- ¡°I will never understand the appeal of guns.¡± Miss Edna grimaced as she watched his Ma fire several rounds at the target twenty-five meters down the range. ¡°That¡¯s because you can shoot magic missiles at anything that bugs you.¡± His Ma pointed out. ¡°But if you want me to ¡®take it easy¡¯ this is about as easy as I can get it. After all, all I¡¯m doing is pointing and shooting.¡± Miss Edna gave his Ma a flat look. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot, I know more goes into shooting than that.¡± The older woman picked up a handgun and proceeded to eject the clip before loading another one. ¡°Living through the Rift Riots Sam made sure I knew how to use one of these things in case I ran out of magic.¡± To underline her point Miss Edna aimed down range with both hands on the gun before unloading the entire clip, each shot ending up within a few inches of the target¡¯s center in spite of the speed she was firing at. ¡°Huh¡­¡± His Ma nodded, examining the target before crossing her arms. ¡°And how much magic did you use to cheat those shots?¡± Miss Edna made an insulted face. ¡°What? You think I had to cheat to make those shots?¡± ¡°Yes, because: A, you haven¡¯t fired a gun in years. B, you fired those rounds so fast any rust would¡¯ve doubled. And C, my sight is slightly off to give me more of a challenge, since this is the civvie range.¡± His Ma explained dryly. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Miss Edna blinked, ¡°Jon, it¡¯s your turn.¡± before promptly throwing him into the line of fire. ¡°Do I have to?¡± He frowned looking down at the gun in his hand with some distaste. ¡°I don¡¯t really like guns.¡± His ma gave Miss Edna an unimpressed look before turning back to him. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t like them you should know how to use them kiddo.¡± ¡°You know I know how to use a gun.¡± He reminded his Ma, even drier than her previous explanation. ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t like them.¡± ¡°Come on, Jon, you can¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared of a gun.¡± Miss Edna smirked, knowing that he¡¯d handled significantly scarier things than a gun. ¡°I¡¯m not, it''s just¡­¡± He sighed, realizing they weren¡¯t going to let him out of this. And so making sure both his grip and his stance was right, he took his gun and aimed down range at his target before pulling the trigger exactly once, knowing that as long as you were calm the first shot was the easiest. Or it would¡¯ve been if he hadn¡¯t shot the hook holding his target, causing it to spark as his bullet proceeded to ricochet twice more before impacting the wall behind him. All three of them stared at the small hole that was just inches from hitting him. ¡°Eddie¡­ What, uh, what are the odds my kid is cursed?¡± ¡°You, uh, you don¡¯t want me to honestly answer that Minnie.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 2XP to Firearms --Currently: Lv. 2 (3/6) This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. --- ¡°You know when I offered to give you a freebie at the shop, I was expecting you to get a new weapon or a bit of armor to tank you up. I was not expecting you to somehow drop a full million dollars on it.¡± Tru ground out, irritation clear in spite of his smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know there was anything that expensive in the shop.¡± ¡°Well, you offered a freebie and knowing my Ma and my teacher, both would be disappointed if I didn¡¯t take full advantage of the rich guy footing the bill.¡± He admitted, enjoying the older man¡¯s annoyance far more than he should. ¡°But I¡¯m not that rich¡­¡± Tru frowned. ¡°Do you know how pissed Ms. Leed was with me? We¡¯ve got bills to pay!¡± ¡°Blame Gra¡¯loch he¡¯s the one who set the price. In fact he didn¡¯t even tell me how much that thing was worth, just that it was basically a ticking time bomb that terrified him and that he thought I could dispose of.¡± He was paraphrasing a lot of that, but he found he couldn¡¯t quite bring himself to care how much money the crime lord running a city wide operation lost. ¡°You¡¯d think that¡¯d get you a discount or something.¡± Tru grumbled, before shaking his head and giving Jon a light glare. ¡°Whatever, but you better put on one hell of a show for the new year¡¯s tournament, which by the way I will now be kidnapping you for if you don¡¯t show up.¡± ¡°You think you kidnap me and force me to compete?¡± He growled, glaring right back. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never tried it with anyone before but I¡¯ve also never had someone rip me off for one. Million. Fucking. Dollars.¡± Tru admitted with a twitch of his eye as the man forced a smile on his face and spread his arms wide. ¡°But hey, I like trying new things.¡± He narrowed his eyes at the other man. ¡°If you try to kidnap me, I¡¯m burning this place to the ground.¡± Tru threw his head back and laughed. ¡°Ha!¡± Before leaning forward and meeting Jon¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯d have to beat me in a fight first kid.¡± Later on, neither of them would remember who threw the first punch. Just that they were both equally intent on beating the other into the ground. Scene Consequences -Gained 2 XP to both Combat and 3XP to Beast¡¯s Claw. --Currently: Combat Lv. 8 (3/18) and Beast¡¯s Claw Lv. 4 (6/10) --- ¡°So you¡¯ve made your decision?¡± DeSade asked him as they sat with the Void Core chest between them. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He sighed with a nod. ¡°As much as I hate to admit it, I only did as well as I did against the Horror because the Scarecrow was wrapping up so much of its attention and power. Meaning if I¡¯m going to be picking a fight with the Horror by myself then I¡¯m going to need something with a fair bit of bite to back me up.¡± He gave the older man a wry grin. ¡°And like you said, Madness already likes me.¡± ¡°So we¡¯ll be jail breaking the Nexus then?¡± DeSade pressed with narrowed eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a terrible idea, but so is picking a fight with a Demon. Might as well have my own Demon in my pocket just in case.¡± He nodded once more. DeSade gave him a grin, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve always found that while relying on myself is the best policy,¡± The world around them shifted ever so slightly as the shadows grew darker and the Dark Lord¡¯s eyes flashed black. ¡°It does pay to have¡­ friends on the other side every now and then.¡± Rather than being intimidated or impressed Jon merely rolled his eyes. ¡°So how are we doing this?¡± The light and DeSade¡¯s eyes both returned to normal, as the man pretended that didn¡¯t happen. ¡°Given the¡­ restricted nature of our experiment, I¡¯ll need to set things up in such a way that we can let an eldritch entity into our world, without risking Madness exposure to the entire city. The trick will be doing so subtly enough that no interested parties will seek to investigate the sudden influx of Madness that will inevitably leak through. All in all I should have things ready by this weekend at the latest.¡± ¡°We can of course continue our lessons,¡± DeSade assured him. ¡°But they will be less focused on developing what tools you believe will benefit your encounter with the Horror and more on the hows and whys of the ritual we¡¯ll be using to jailbreak the Nexus. It is of course your decision whether or not this will be the best use of your limited time.¡± (Yeah, don¡¯t worry I can read your subtext.) Scene Consequences -DeSade will be spending the next few days setting up the ritual he¡¯ll be using to jailbreak the Arcane Nexus on Turn 65. (This is now auto locked in for 1 AP.) Once ready Jon will be able to trigger a small Event to summon a Void Entity that resonates with him. (I.E. I¡¯ll give vague riddle descriptions and you¡¯ll pick which Eldritch Waifu we¡¯re getting.) -Note: You can still take lessons with DeSade during this time, but they will be auto-directed towards his current task rather than whatever subject you choose. Trail 62: Knives, Bandages, Rituals, and Magic Trail 62: Knives, Bandages, Rituals, and Magic --- Jon Whitaker --- ¡°So, what is the point of today¡¯s exercise?¡± Miss Edna asked, looking around their little forest clearing. ¡°Well, since you don¡¯t want me doing anything to¡­ ¡®strenuous¡¯ and Jon apparently can¡¯t be trusted around firearms-¡± ¡°Not my fault!¡± He shouted from where he stood, juggling a couple of throwing knives. ¡°-today we¡¯re going to focus on throwing knives.¡± His Ma continued, setting a wooden target against a nearby tree. ¡°Something that Jon tells me you¡¯ve got some experience with?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Miss Edna nodded. ¡°Sometimes I¡¯ll win free drinks at the watering hole by challenging people to throwing competitions. Me and a couple lumberjacks escalated all the way from darts, knives, cards and even ax throwing at one point.¡± ¡°Ah, then maybe you can give us some pointers.¡± His Ma smiled offering Miss Edna a couple of her throwing knives. ¡°Hopefully, you won¡¯t need magic this time.¡± His mystical mentor scoffed before taking the knives and frowning as she gave them a once over, ¡°Okay, these are not normal throwing knives.¡± ¡°Technically they¡¯re throwing kunai.¡± His Ma admitted, before throwing one like a dart at the target and another from her shoulder. ¡°I like this kind specifically because they¡¯re easier to throw multiple of them at a time since you don¡¯t have to account for spins, just force and accuracy. The real trick was finding a brand where the handle size wouldn¡¯t mess with the throw since like with most other knives kunai weren¡¯t really meant for throwing.¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t the spin give them more hacking force on impact? I mean that¡¯s how most throwing knives stick to the target.¡± Miss Edna pointed out. ¡°It would but I prefer a sort of shotgun approach to it.¡± His Ma explained. ¡°One knife you can walk off, but having three sticking out of your gut is more likely to mess something up. And since you can only accurately throw so many knives at once, the rate of fire is important.¡± ¡°Then why not just focus on throwing darts or needles?¡± Miss Edna asked. ¡°I know that¡¯s a thing somewhere.¡± ¡°Eh, knives have more mass, so I think of it like different calibers of bullets.¡± His Ma shrugged. ¡°Ya know?¡± ¡°I guess, whatever works for you.¡± Miss Edna shrugged back. Scene Consequences -Gained 2XP to Throwing. --*Skill Rank Up* Throwing Lv. 4 (1/10) --- ¡°Okay, and while the cat ¡®s away the mice shall play.¡± Miss Edna clapped, once his Ma had set out for her follow up with the doctor. Something she wanted done as soon as possible and had insisted on doing by herself after having both him and Miss Edna underfoot for so long. He couldn¡¯t help but frown despite Miss Edna¡¯s excitement. ¡°You know we¡¯ve only got a couple of hours before she gets back, right?¡± ¡°I know, her being around is really making it hard to get in a magic lesson, due to your whole ¡®keep magic secret thing¡¯ which is kind of stupid.¡± Miss Edna told him. ¡°I mean, your mom knows I¡¯m an Arcane and she loves me. Hell, isn¡¯t one of your aunts or uncles a Practitioner too?¡± ¡°The magic isn¡¯t the problem, the problem is explaining why I wanted to learn magic.¡± He sighed, having had this conversation with her more than once. ¡°To be like your other mom?¡± Miss Edna offered, before pointing at Pix who¡¯d flown out as soon as the coast was clear. ¡°Or, I don¡¯t know, can we point out that you¡¯ve got Pix and wanted to learn how to take care of her? There¡¯s got to be a lie in there somewhere.¡± ¡°You know I can¡¯t lie to my ma¡­¡± He groaned. Miss Edna gave him a dry look. ¡°Lies of omission don¡¯t count.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Her house, her rules.¡± His other parent merely rolled her eyes at that. ¡°Fine, whatever. We¡¯ve only got so much time so let¡¯s try to fit this lesson in before you make things even more complicated than they need to be.¡± ¡°And¡­ what lesson were you thinking?¡± He wondered, happy to change the subject. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been messing with Spell Scripts a lot and while I myself am no expert on Spell Scripts I did remember this one thing I know that every expert does have!¡± Miss Edna explained as she reached into her hair and pulled out a roll of bandages. ¡°Spell Bandages!¡± ¡°Spell Bandages?¡± He repeated, eyeing the blank roll of bandages that were actually a bit smoother than the medical gauze he was more used to from first aid. ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of those before but¡­ I¡¯ve got no idea what they are.¡± ¡°Right, so you know how when you use Spell Scripts it destroys the script unless your control is insanely good.¡± Miss Edna began as she unfurled a second roll onto the living room table. ¡°Well a fun little detail is that if you place the right script on the ends of these bandages you can actually create a simple Spell Engine that will instead burn out the Spell Scripts in the order they¡¯re written rather than the one you use to trigger them. It¡¯ll even use the trigger script as the trigger point!¡± ¡°Okay, so how do we do that?¡± ¡°Well, first -since you¡¯re a beginner and I need to look up the next version- we¡¯ll cover this bandage in¡­ a hundred or so copies of the same script, and then we¡¯ll draw a sort of magical fuse through all of them connecting the first and last one.¡± Miss Edna explained as she began doing just that on her own roll of bands. ¡°By the way since neither you nor your mom have any survival instincts, mine is going to be a simple healing spell.¡± ¡°Hey, we have really good survival instincts!¡± He frowned. ¡°That have you both picking fights with inhuman monsters that eat people.¡± ¡°Well¡­ we survive those fights!¡± Scene Consequences -Thanks to Miss Edna¡¯s help gained 3XP to Script Crafting. --Currently: Lv. 5 (7/12) You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. -Jon has learned how to create (Basic) Spell Scripts, this allows him to equip a single Spell Script and use it as a Melee Quick Action so long as he pays 1MP. (Note: That¡¯s the base cost of a script, not an added cost.) --Note: You can equip two of these at a time, but you cannot equip any enchanted rings or gloves onto your hands with these since they count as magical equipment in those slots. (There¡¯s a perk that fixes this for Script Equipment, but standard magic rules until then.) -Thanks to Miss Edna gained: Spell Bandage (Simple Healing Script)- For 1MP user can heal for 5 PHP. -The Spell Bandage Jon makes will be voted on later. --- ¡°So glad to see you¡¯ve decided to study this process for yourself.¡± DeSade told him as the man¡¯s demonic butler let him down into the basement where a large spell circuit sat on the floor. ¡°It¡¯s not every day someone jailbreaks the Arcane Nexus.¡± He shrugged. (Well, that and I have to make sure you¡¯re not screwing me over.) DeSades smirk let him know the man knew why he was really here even as he admitted that, ¡°In reality people do try to jailbreak the system every day, just to¡­ minimal success, but few of those people have my resources, be they my finances, knowledge, or suppliers.¡± ¡°Yeah, you mentioned that you were going to need a few days to get everything together, but you¡¯re already drawing the spell circuit?¡± He frowned, looking at the half finished circuit and unable to make heads or tails of it. Rather than answering, DeSade asked, ¡°Hmm, tell me, have you studied Ritualism all that much?¡± ¡°No. The only advanced art I¡¯ve really looked at is Arcane Shamanism.¡± He answered. ¡°Well, the dark arts are also considered advanced arts albeit dangerous ones, but I¡¯m aware that despite being my apprentice you¡¯ve let those studies fall behind.¡± DeSade passive aggressively reminded him, before explaining that, ¡°Ritualism is the study of the flows and rules of magic, not dissimilar to standard Magical Theory, but distinctly different in the fact that it goes beyond simple theory and into practice. The Spell Scripts used by virtually all Practitioners, is actually the most widespread form of Ritualism, and is frequently tied together with the main art.¡± ¡°Okay, that makes sense.¡± And given what he¡¯d picked up from using Contracting Catalysts as well as creating his own Contracting Circuit. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that in order to jailbreak the Nexus you¡¯re going to need more than one Catalyst?¡± ¡°Quite.¡± DeSade nodded, before continuing his lecture. ¡°Though it isn¡¯t uncommon for Ritualism to make use of multiple catalysts in general, the circle and its material being the most common one as it forms a boundary for the magic to work. From there the placement of internal materials will allow one to amplify, control, or diminish the effects of various magical influences allowing one to perform greater feats than they could manage off of the cuff.¡± ¡°And given how jailbreaking the Nexus is a¡­ massive feat, I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re going to need a lot of catalysts beyond the Void Core.¡± He figured eyeing some of the crates lying around the basement of a house that DeSade had bought not even a month ago. ¡°Theoretically, the Void Core is all you need.¡± DeSade corrected, as if that were a mere technicality. ¡°But in such a case it would only allow you to summon one such entity and with no real control over that entity beyond the fact that it could not leave the initial circle. Which is not as strong a defense as many assume in the face of a creature operating off of a completely different set of metaphysics.¡± ¡°The rest of the materials we will be using are about controlling the flow of magic, protecting ourselves, and installing a¡­ backdoor of sorts into the Nexus¡¯s programming to allow us to repeat the feat.¡± DeSade explained as he made his way over to one of the crates before removing a handful of colorful stones and holding them up between his fingers. ¡°One of the most common catalysts for such things are gemstones, due to both their chemical makeup influencing how each one works with the various Deviant energies as well as the symbolic effect that thousands of years of human psychology have placed upon their conceptuality.¡± One by one DeSade continued from crate to crate explaining the most common catalysts, most of which they likely wouldn¡¯t be using for this particular ritual despite the small fortune the Dark Lord had spent on the teaching aids. Scene Consequences -A/N: Reminder -to Spacebattlers- I warned he was going to overwrite the subject with one of his choice related to jailbreaking the Arcane Nexus. -Jon has unlocked Ritualism. --Ritualism can be used to amplify the effect or power of a spell by using additional Items and/or AP when casting it. Effect scales with Skill Level. --Thanks to Occultism gained 8XP to Ritualism. --Thanks to overlap with Spell Scripts gained 5XP to Ritualism. --Gained bonus 4 XP thanks to DeSade. (Reduced by 2 due to being a new skill.) --*Skill Level Up* Ritualism Lv. 3 (7/8) -For Learning a new Magic Art, gained 1XP to Occultism. --Currently: Occultism Lv. 8 (12/18) --- ¡°Alright, what do you think?¡± Artemis asked him as she removed a cover from the piece of the Horror¡¯s arm that they¡¯d dedicated to Val¡¯s project. ¡°It¡¯s safe to touch right?¡± He checked remembering his last interaction with the arm, before picking it up when the other teen gave him a nod. He gave the flattened piece of what looked like black leather a once over. ¡°Well, as a base it should work, but uh how is it supposed to stick to her arm?¡± Rather than answering, Artemis merely waved off his question. ¡°I¡¯ve a few ideas for that but adding them now would detract from the next part.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing that has something to do with the massive Spell Circuit on the ground?¡± He figured, noting how it took up most of Artemis¡¯s workshop floor. ¡°As well as the empty ones you set up on the walls?¡± ¡°Yeah, since what we¡¯re doing is extremely complicated I went ahead and anchored a few additional circuits to the main one with some Ritualism to keep the whole thing stitched together.¡± Artemis explained, her manic eyes looking extremely pleased with herself in spite of the tired rings surrounding them. ¡°Spent all night getting it just right, This should allow us to add anything we can think of while mitigating any potential blowback from the enchantments since we have to add more than one at once. Though I did have to draw on the ceiling to anchor it all.¡± ¡°So you did.¡± He nodded, because while he was only just getting how Ritualism worked, he thought he understood what she was doing with the mirrored circuits on the ground and ceiling, with the latter being connected to the wall circuits via string. ¡°I¡¯m guessing just connecting the circuits naturally would¡¯ve made things¡­ unstable?¡± ¡°For someone like Miss Edme, no.¡± Artemis assured him, before less reassuringly adding that, ¡°At my level? I¡¯d probably blow the whole shed up and that would piss my parents off¡­ and kill us¡­ maybe.¡± ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯m just going to uh.¡± He put his fingers to his chest before flicking them out and summoning Pix in a small explosion of lights. ¡°Oh, right you¡¯re contracted to a Fairy.¡± Artemis blinked, staring at Pix as she got her bearings. ¡°Did you have an idea for using her?¡± Pix gave Artemis a contemplating look, as if she couldn¡¯t decide if she should be offended at the words ¡®using her¡¯. ¡°I was just going to ask her to heal us if everything¡­ explodes.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Ooh, she can heal. Right, some fairies can do that¡­¡± Artemis nodded, her tired mind seemingly going off on a tangent as she kept looking at and away from Pix. ¡°Most people use them for fairy dust, but you did have that light the entire time. Thought it was just one of your spells¡­ I wonder, is it a spell or a conceptual affinity?¡± Artemis asked, looking at the little fairy with a mad gleam to her eyes. ¡°Uh, an affinity?¡± He answered as Pix decided it was better to put him between her and the¡­ inquisitive Arcane. ¡°Then I have an idea but ooh, we¡¯d have to convert that with¡­ Wait, if we can do that with her then we can also do it with the Horror! Actually, why limit it to conceptual affinities? If we can do concussive then why not something sharper?!¡± Artemis began to pace, a smile on her face as she grew increasingly manic. ¡°Um, uh, maybe, maybe you should tell me what you¡¯re thinking?¡± He frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. Artemis gave him a confused look. ¡°But I am?¡± ¡°I, I know but¡­ maybe we should write out what we¡¯re actually going to do, I mean¡­ the arm only has so much magic to power itself after all?¡± He tried reminding her. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s got enough power to run for decades without running out, especially if you supplement more complex functions with your own supply as a sort of ignition sequence.¡± Artemis shrugged. ¡°But you are right, we can only fit so much in here without blowing the whole thing up!¡± The manic arcane stood still in the middle of her workshop for a moment. ¡°Uh, what should we add to this thing?¡± Scene Consequences A/N: Due to the complexity of a shopping vote, this one will only be available on Spacebattles but as a consolation to the people on Royal Road the Throwing Perk vote and the starting Spell Bandage vote will be restricted to them. Fair? Fair. Southside Coven: Path To Power (VII) Southside Coven: Path To Power (VII) --- Jon Whitaker --- ¡°I still feel like we¡¯re doing too little with all of this.¡± Artemis complained for the third time since they¡¯d started filling in the blanks spots she¡¯d left for the project. ¡°I mean we¡¯re not even using one of the circuits I made!¡± ¡°This is also our first project with the demon arm, and I¡¯d rather avoid a repeat of when just breaking it up caused me to explode!¡± He reminded her for the third time. ¡°For now we keep this simple and we can do something¡­ interesting with the next three pieces.¡± ¡°We¡¯d better¡­¡± Artemis grumbled, clearly disappointed by how simple he wanted to make this. (Well, better simple than explosive.) He thought with an eye roll. ¡°Look at it this way, we¡¯re focusing most of the arm¡¯s potential into the whole point of the project. I mean with how much power we¡¯re putting into the ¡®storage capacity¡¯ this thing could theoretically stop a freight train dead on.¡± ¡°Your math is way off there.¡± Artemis informed him dryly. ¡°It would actually be closer to a loaded down eighteen wheeler, because while it could handle just the train engine everything the train is carrying would throw the momentum off in a pile up effect.¡± He considered that for a moment, picturing the ensuing train wreck. ¡°Well¡­ technically it would still stop the train, it would just¡­ derail everything behind it.¡± ¡°And technically that would defeat the purpose of a defensive tool given how that derailment would probably kill whoever got hit by it point blank!¡± Artemis pointed out. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± His defensive enchantments might ¡®nudge¡¯ things so that the gauntlet could more easily block attacks in time, but it wouldn¡¯t do much to help with that problem. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m just about done with my add-on. How about you?¡± Artemis was quiet for a moment, before saying, ¡°And¡­ I¡­ am¡­done!¡± ¡°Really?¡± He blinked, having just finished himself. ¡°Surprised we finished at the same time.¡± ¡°That is odd¡­¡± Artemis admitted as she seemed to consider it. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re using one of your actual affinities too then? If so then I suppose we could have similar levels of skill using them.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ haven¡¯t you been studying for like ten years or something?¡± He frowned, because he definitely didn¡¯t have that much experience. (I mean I¡¯ve got maybe twice that many weeks, let alone an entire year.) ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s a difference between proper projects and the kiddie projects Miss Edme gave me when she first started teaching me.¡± Artemis shrugged before explaining that, ¡°Besides from what you¡¯ve said I¡¯ve also been taught in a larger number of fields than your more focused education, which could explain it as well.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± He grimaced, not really believing it himself as he started looking over Artemis¡¯s far more complex looking circuit. ¡°I will admit it does make me more curious about what you actually decided to set up for your own enchantment.¡± ¡°Oh, it isn¡¯t anything too fanciful, just a small add on that I feel will provide a decent complimentary effect to the project.¡± Artemis assured him as she began to inspect the circuit he¡¯d been working on. They¡¯d planned out the arm¡¯s enchantments for the most part, but given how ¡®simple¡¯ his base plan was, she¡¯d spent the entire time setting that first enchantment up trying to convince him to do something else. When she¡¯d inevitably worn him down about keeping things too ¡®simple¡¯ -(because stubborn women are my weakness¡­)- they¡¯d eventually compromised on splitting the ¡®potential¡¯ they¡¯d calculated for the arm in half and decided to each add their own flairs to the project. For his half he¡¯d gone with a simple defensive aid, making the arm more easily respond to any defensive actions and thus increasing the arm¡¯s effectiveness as a defensive tool. Something he¡¯d hoped would be twice as useful considering the planned ¡®royal guard¡¯ effect. He¡¯d had no idea what Artemis had planned for her half of the potential. Which is why upon realizing just what she¡¯d actually added he couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he inhaled deeply. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Jon¡­¡± Artemis called from behind him. ¡°I know¡­¡± He sighed, as they both turned to face each other before sitting against the wall as they both realized the exact same thing. ¡°You¡¯ve got a ¡®Defensive¡¯ affinity too¡­¡± ¡°Yep¡­¡± They were both quiet for a moment as they contemplated the fact that their circuits made the other¡¯s more or less redundant, thus wasting a decent amount of the magical potential they¡¯d had to play with. ¡°What is your affinity exactly?¡± Artemis eventually asked. ¡°Defender, you?¡± ¡°Protective.¡± ¡°Ah, you were going to make the arm Protective of its user.¡± He nodded, putting the few bits he¡¯d been iffy about together. ¡°Yep.¡± Artemis nodded back. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing yours would¡¯ve made it a Defender of its wielder.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He Artemis let out a snort. ¡°Doesn¡¯t change the fact that we¡¯re going to have to re-write one of these if we don¡¯t want to waste any potential. Which is going to be such a pain¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He groaned, knowing exactly how hard it was to remove spell ink that hadn¡¯t had the magical reactants triggered yet. ¡°Evaporates with use, but you need hand soap and an hour to scrub off otherwise.¡± Artemis sighed. ¡°Sanitizer works better, eats away at the ink.¡± He assured her. ¡°I¡¯ll have to try that.¡± Artemis admitted, before beginning to pick herself off of the ground. ¡°For now we¡¯re stuck with the dish soap though. I¡¯ll go get a bucket and some sponges. You figure out whether [Defender] or [Protector] would be better for keeping Val safe.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± He waved, staring at his own circuit which honestly looked a lot cruder than Artemis¡¯s cleaner circuit, because even if it didn¡¯t need the conversion bits hers had that didn¡¯t change the fact that his looked notably more¡­ amateurish to hers. (Then again I¡¯ve been doing this for what three, four months? I¡¯ll probably clean up as I go.) It didn¡¯t really matter in the end just so long as it still worked, and as rough and wild as his magic was sometimes it did work. Regardless, with a sigh he picked himself off of the ground and began comparing his and Artemis¡¯s circuits, pretty sure that he was going to choose hers given how much more detail there was but at the same time not just wanting to give up on his own circuit after putting so much work into it. (Defender or Protector, which will it be? Defender or Protector, Protector or Defender¡­ They¡¯re basically the same thing, but there¡¯s got to be a conceptual difference no matter how small.) If he was lucky, Defender would prove superior to Protector. (Defender and Protector¡­ One is defensive and one is protective? Which one is better for a ¡®shield¡¯ to have¡­) He kept thinking about it because as similar as the concepts were they also caused two very different images to pop into his head when he heard them. With Defender being an enduring figure against an onslaught and Protector being someone standing between someone and a threat. (But even then, they¡¯re practically the same thing if you flex them a bit¡­ As much as they overlap they¡¯re practically one concept.) After a moment he decided that it might be best to just flip a coin or something, before checking his pockets (and¡­ I don¡¯t have a coin on me¡­Great¡­) He ran a hand through his hair looking between his wildly drawn Defender enchantment and Artemis¡¯s far neater Protector enchantment and sighed. (Too bad these two would just cancel each other¡­) He paused. (Or would they merge? Actually what does happen when you mix two really similar concepts? Do they stack, fuse, or just even out?) As he contemplated these questions Artemis finally made her way back with a bucket full of water in her hands. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got the water and there¡¯s some soap and sponges under my table. You decide which of these we¡¯re washing off?¡± ¡°Uh, before that¡­ there¡¯s something I wanted to ask you.¡± He told her as he took a step back from the circuits. ¡°What exactly happens when you use two really similar but still distinct concepts? Do they merge, water each other down, stack, or what?¡± The Arcane teen frowned in thought as she set the bucket down. ¡°It would depend on the concepts I guess, most would stack I think but given the similar power levels it would be far less efficient than just devoting more Anima to a single concept. Then some might change the behavior while maintaining the core, like how Flame has a bit more¡­ fluidity to its shape than Fire but less power. Merging the two would offer the best of both but at a higher cost over all.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, and what would happen if we did that with Defender and Protector?¡± He wondered. Artemis opened her mouth to answer before closing it in consideration. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not actually sure.¡± ¡°Want to find out?¡± Scene Consequences -Due to [Synchronization] between Jon and Artemis¡¯s affinities, [Defensive Guard (II)] and [Protective Guard (II)] will merge into a unique upgrade for the final product. -Horror¡¯s Arm will still have: Stored Guard (II) as is. -Next step is the last one before handing it off to Val, and involves stress testing the Arm. -For working on Enchantments and brainstorming new Enchantments, gained 2XP to Enchantments and Occultism. --Currently: Enchanting Lv. 5 (6/12) and Occultism Lv. 8 (14/18) Trail 63 (Pt. 1): Path To Power (VIII) And DeSade’s Lesson on Summoning Trail 63 (Pt. 1): Path To Power (VIII) And DeSade¡¯s Lesson on Summoning --- Jon Whitaker --- ¡°And is there anything I need to worry about before I put this on?¡± He asked Artemis as he eyed the now more or less completed black gauntlet. ¡°Because it¡¯s giving off¡­ some kind of vibe right now.¡± He was pretty sure it was Malice, but it might¡¯ve been a really angry form of Madness. (It¡¯s kind of weak, honestly but better safe than sorry.) ¡°That¡¯s just some residual influence from the Horror.¡± Artemis assured him while looking completely unconcerned. ¡°The enchantment process turned it into its own demonic entity, that while sentient isn¡¯t actually sapient. Think of it as a¡­ sort of a: it chooses its user restriction.¡± ¡°And we aren¡¯t worried that it won¡¯t choose Val or I guess me for this test?¡± He frowned in concern, because if Val wasn¡¯t chosen then this last week was a waste of work on the arm. ¡°Given how the Scarecrow -a fully sapient and sophonanic fear Demon- I¡¯m not worried about her getting it to respect her, and while I still don¡¯t fully understand whatever semi-terror inducing thing you¡¯ve got going on I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll¡­ do something here.¡± The arcane teen explained for him before adding. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m mostly curious about what that something is. Val won¡¯t care whether or not we actually tested it as long as it works for her, which like I said, it will.¡± Figuring that he already knew enough about his own ¡®semi-terror inducing thing¡¯ he decided not to ask for clarification on that and to instead just take her on her word about Val. So instead he asked, ¡°And going back to that demonic entity thing, it isn¡¯t going to be a problem either, right?¡± Artemis shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ve defanged it for the most part, so I¡¯d deem it as dangerous as¡­ a knife I guess. So I wouldn¡¯t leave it with a kid but as long as you don¡¯t do anything stupid with it, it shouldn¡¯t be that dangerous.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± He frowned, before sliding the gauntlet onto his arm. (If worst comes to, I''ll just cut it off and have Pix reattach it once we get the glove off.) The moment the gauntlet slid onto his arm he felt a light pressure wrap around it as if the gauntlet was latching onto him, and he could feel the Madness and Malice of the thing as it tried to infuse him with a level of terror worth of an entity dubbed the Halloween Horror. ¡°Huh, that kind of tingles.¡± He blinked, completely unbothered by the (honestly kind of pathetic) amount of dark magic being pumped into him. ¡°Good tingles or bad tingles?¡± Artemis asked him with a notepad in her hand. He considered it for a moment as the gauntlet seemed to almost redouble its efforts to subdue him before deciding, ¡°Meh tingles. I mean my heart rate is up a little bit¡­ but that¡¯s kind of my default when around magic of any kind. I think it¡¯s like a pre-fight or flight type of deal.¡± Artemis nodded as she wrote something down. ¡°So no fear or anything like that?¡± The space around the gauntlet turned black and white as reality itself seemed to glitch under the sheer amount of Madness and Malice it forced upon its host. ¡°Not really¡­ I honestly feel more anxiety when disabling the traps my ma leaves around the house on prank day.¡± He shrugged. Artemis gave him a look before glancing at the gauntlet doing magic things to the air around it. ¡°I see¡­ Maybe you¡¯re just desensitized to fear?¡± ¡°But I still get scared all the time.¡± (Like when ma was hurt, and I had to murder everything.) The glitching stopped and the gauntlet seemed to start shivering on his hand. ¡°Is it supposed to do that?¡± He wondered, just barely noticing Artemis¡¯s own shiver. The Arcane Teen swallowed. ¡°Did you do¡­ anything different there?¡± ¡°I thought about the last time I was scared?¡± He shrugged. Artemis gave him a look of some kind. ¡°Would you say your fear response is¡­ violence?¡± He considered that for a moment. (The Corrupted Corpse lunged from the darkness latching onto him and just barely giving him time to drive his knife into its throat.) (As the mad wolf tackled him to the ground its snarling maw latched onto his arm, he used a trapped limb to push away its teeth before his own latched onto the beast¡¯s throat.) (Hundreds of eyes stared in from the void surrounding him, the ominous gazes shifting as the roots of the beast shifted unseen waiting for him to drop his guard and rip him to shreds. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. With tense fingers he pulled out a molotov ready to burn them all alive.) ¡°You know what, I think it is!¡± He admitted, a bit surprised since he¡¯d never really thought about it. He didn¡¯t even notice how much worse the gauntlet¡¯s shaking grew. Scene Consequences -Jon and Artemis have finished working on Val¡¯s cut of the arm and can either present it now, or after they¡¯ve finished the other cuts. Demonic Guard -Abilities: --Royal Guard: Whenever Val performs a Guard against a Physical attack she¡¯ll store the blocked damage up to a threshold. She can then unleash this stored damage as a special attack of the last Damage type. --Stored Guard (II): Greatly increases the maximum storage capacity of the arm. --Protective Defender: This unit can now use [Protect] as a reaction. Additionally, whenever this unit would take damage they gain a bonus to their Guard Check, this bonus is doubled if using [Protect] on another unit. [Protect]: Whenever an ally unit within Move range would take damage this unit can intercept, redirecting the attack to this unit. --- ¡°I¡¯m sure by now you¡¯ve realized how much overlap there is between the various magical arts.¡± DeSade began his latest lecture as he began filling his circuit with a number of symbols. ¡°Ritualism, Alchemy, Contracting, Enchanting, and so on all have developed to the level they have due to their overlaps allowing them to build each other up. Which is why any Arcane project of proper scale will require more than a singular art or craft to accomplish anything of true note. Tell me which subjects will we need for what we have planned here?¡± ¡°Given the whole point of this, I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re obviously using Script Craft to draw out a Summoning circuit to get whatever we¡¯re summoning here, here. Then we¡¯re using Ritualism to amplify it, while using Occultism to account for how Anima and Madness will mix.¡± He listed out as he copied some of the symbols DeSade was drawing on a piece of paper, less to add them to the ritual and more to learn how to draw them. A task made more complicated due to the nature of the mystical and maddening symbols causing their image to shift and shake on the page they were written on, an effect that grew ever worse the more symbols he drew. ¡°Correct, though you are of course forgetting the Dealmaking portion you¡¯ll have to go through when negotiating with whatever entity you summon forth.¡± The Dark Lord pointed out. ¡°Most take that step for granted due to how most contracting catalysts include the contract within their summoning structure. Meaning that in order for a creature to be summoned from said catalyst they must have in some way agreed to the non-negotiable portions of the contract. A luxury we won¡¯t quite have with this, but hopefully your affinity for Madness and the Core both will allow you to make due for now.¡± ¡°Wait, if they have to agree to the contract then how can people summon non-sapient creatures?¡± He frowned, looking up from the book DeSade had given him. ¡°The Arcane Nexus is an extremely powerful Spell Engine, one that easily dabbles in all forms of magic and all Deviant energies. A small infusion of psionics borne of mind magics or even a small dose of Madness will increase a non-sapient¡¯s mind to the point of near-sapience, enough so for the consent aspect of dealmaking to become at least minimally applicable.¡± DeSade explained without looking up from his work. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed your Miss Edna¡¯s pet owl is not a normal owl, yes?¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s had Hoots for as long as I can remember.¡± He nodded, with a thoughtful frown. ¡°I always knew owls were smart, but¡­ I guess since he¡¯s the only owl I ever interacted with I never considered that he might be an outlier.¡± ¡°Quite understandable given your youth.¡± DeSade assured him distractedly. ¡°While many of the avian species are naturally intelligent, her familiar is even more so due to the previously mentioned phenomenon. In fact the connection created via a contract and the fact that she used a mundane earth animal instead of a magical creature is also why the small owl has managed to live for the last sixty years, well over thrice its natural lifespan.¡± ¡°An Anima overflow similar to how Arcane age at half of human, only increased because he doesn¡¯t really use magic unless Miss Edna provides extra.¡± He realized on his own. ¡°Correct.¡± DeSade nodded as he stood from the circuit. ¡°It¡¯s actually common practice for one to take a beloved pet and contract with them. A feat easily accomplished without the Nexus¡¯s mental enhancements so long as the animal is friendly with its contractor. From there many would apply a number of organic enchantments -that would go on to make up a fair portion of early Flesh Sculpting- to enhance said pets to be more valuable magical assistants.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see Miss Edna experimenting on Hoots like that.¡± He glared at DeSade. The Dark Lord merely rolled his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s fully possible that she didn¡¯t. The extended life span could¡¯ve easily happened as a side effect of her contract, and from there due to the already intelligent owl¡¯s extended lifespan it also could¡¯ve just naturally grown to this level of intelligence.¡± ¡°That sounds more plausible.¡± He nodded. ¡°If you neglect your dear Miss Edna¡¯s infamous impatience, a trait that was far worse fifty years ago than today.¡± DeSade scoffed before getting back to work. Scene Consequences -Gained 4XP to Contracting: Summons. --Currently: Lv. 6 (10/14) --- ¡°You know when you two said you were going to play a game of hide and seek, this was not what I had in mind!¡± Miss Edna yelled from where she stood alone in the forest. ¡°We¡¯re not that far from you.¡± His Ma¡¯s voice called out from a bush near her. ¡°Seriously we¡¯re going easy on you, Eddy.¡± ¡°So what, if I wasn¡¯t here you two wouldn¡¯t be limiting yourself to this clearing?¡± His other parent scoffed as she moved toward said brush. ¡°No¡­¡± His Ma answered with a frown to her voice. Miss Edna shifted the bush to the side revealing a cell phone on the ground. ¡°We¡¯d be far enough that we couldn¡¯t keep an eye on you.¡± His Ma laughed from beside him, her voice coming through the cell phone in front of Miss Edna. The both watched through their binoculars as Miss Edna let out a string of curses -some probably actual curses- several hundred feet away. ¡°You know it kind of feels like we¡¯re bullying her.¡± He admitted just low enough that the phone wouldn¡¯t pick it up. ¡°Look Jon, if you could find me under these conditions at twelve then she can find us too.¡± His Ma assured him loud enough that Miss Edna could hear her. ¡°True.¡± He admitted, before wincing as Miss Edna blasted the phone. ¡°Though I don¡¯t think she realized the phone was to keep us talking so she could listen for us.¡± ¡°Her old age is getting to her.¡± His Ma sighed. Scene Consequences -Thanks to Ma gained 1XP to Stealth and Trapmaking. --Currently: Stealth Lv. 7 (12/16) and Mobility Lv. 9 (11/20) Trail 63 (Pt. 2) A Meeting of Mentors, Apprentices, And Family Trail 63 (Pt. 2) A Meeting of Mentors, Apprentices, And Family --- Jon Whitaker --- ¡°Minnie, I''m kidnapping your son!¡± Miss Edna informed his mother once they got back to their apartment building. ¡°Sure, have fun or whatever.¡± His ma dismissed his other parent as she went inside while the two of them remained outside. ¡°Uh, so¡­ what are we doing?¡± He asked as Miss Edna grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Hold still for a second.¡± The elder Arcane told him as he felt a cool warmth begin to spread through his shoulder. A moment later he felt reality shift -(the man in the mask waved in passing)- before finding himself in a new place with Miss Edna clutching her head. ¡°Ugh, forgot why I don¡¯t just teleport you everywhere.¡± His mentor groaned, her eyes clenched shut. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He frowned with no small amount of concern. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± Miss Edna assured him, even as she checked her nose for any bleeding. ¡°See no blood, no foul.¡± He made a keening sort of sound, not really believing her. ¡°Look, you''re not the only one with Madness exposure. Mem, my old teach, was dripping in even more Madness than you are.¡± His second parent sighed before giving him a soft smile. ¡°A quick detour through the Black Briar isn¡¯t going to hurt me when he regularly dragged me to tea time with the Cheshire.¡± When that didn¡¯t seem reassured, Miss Edna rolled her eyes as she grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around. ¡°Look none of that matters, what matters is that I have found us a place to practice magic while your mom is still home!¡± ¡°The Witch¡¯s Wares?¡± He blinked looking at the familiar store. ¡°Yeah, the owner and I go way back. May-may won¡¯t mind if we borrow her place for a bit.¡± Miss Edna grinned mischievously. He couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes, having known that look since she first taught him how to steal cookies from the camp counselor¡¯s jar. (Well she told me where it was anyway.) ¡°Why do I get the feeling you didn¡¯t ask Ms. Delacroix if we could come here?¡± ¡°Oh, I told her I¡¯d be stopping by and bringing you.¡± Miss Edna promised, not losing her grin for a second. ¡°By the way this might be turning into a whole ¡®who¡¯s the better teacher'' thing.¡± ¡°What?¡± He frowned. ¡°I¡¯m here bitch!¡± His second mother shouted as she kicked the door open and dragged him into the store, the second sudden spatial shift setting him on edge. ¡°Edna¡­¡± Ms. Delacroix sighed looking like someone far too used to this kind of behavior from where she sat at the counter having tea with an affronted Artemis. ¡°So lovely to see you¡­¡± Miss Edna looked at Artemis with a considering look. ¡°This is your apprentice, Artemis, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ms. Delacroix confirmed before looking over the counter where he sat on the floor after being dragged inside by his wrist at a magical speed. ¡°I¡¯m assuming this is¡­ Jon?¡± The shopkeeper blinked, sounding surprised for the first time. ¡°Jon?!¡± Artemis repeated, sounding just as surprised to find him there. ¡°Hey.¡± He waved, deciding it was best to just roll with this for now. ¡°Jon is your apprentice?¡± Ms. Delacroix asked, before blinking as she realized something. ¡°Jon is your son John?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Miss Edna nodded, before pulling him back to his feet. ¡°And you¡¯ve already met everyone here, you really do get around, kid.¡± ¡°I like to explore.¡± He shrugged as he dusted himself off. Ms. Delacroix looked notably more frazzled than when she thought she was just dealing with Miss Edna. ¡°If I¡¯d known you were bringing him with you I would¡¯ve made sure Sam and Noah were here.¡± He gave the shopkeeper a tilt of his head. ¡°Uh, I¡¯ve already met them, remember?¡± ¡°I know but¡­ I, I didn¡¯t realize you were Eddie¡¯s John!¡± Ms. Delacroix tried to explain as she adjusted her glasses. ¡°If I did¡­ Oh, the cooking club wasn¡¯t how I wanted us to meet!¡± ¡°Miss Edme?¡± Artemis interrupted, looking a little worried about how out of sorts her mentor was. ¡°Ha, she does that too?¡± His second parent laughed. ¡°Haven¡¯t been able to get Jon to call me anything but ¡®Miss Edna¡¯ since he was like eight.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Who is this woman?¡± Artemis asked, looking like she wasn¡¯t going to put up with Miss Edna¡¯s usual mischief. ¡°Artemis I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve told you about Edna at some point.¡± Ms. Delacroix frowned at her apprentice. ¡°Ooh, bet Jon can figure it out first.¡± Miss Edna grinned throwing an arm over Ms. Delacroix¡¯s shoulder. The other Arcane gave his second parent a dry look. ¡°Eddie, do you have to turn everything into a whole spectacle?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Miss Edna bluntly answered without an ounce of shame or guilt. ¡°If you¡¯d just told me you were bringing¡­ Jon, I would¡¯ve properly introduced myself.¡± Ms. Delacroix scolded the other woman as she tried to wiggle out of the half-hug. ¡°No, you would¡¯ve put you would¡¯ve given him the cool and serious ¡®Edme Delacroix, The Black Raven¡¯ rather than the uncool and ditzy ¡®May-may, the nerd¡¯.¡± Miss Edna argued before poking Ms. Delacroix in the cheek. ¡°I wanted him to know the real you, not the fake you that takes like two years to get past. Best way to do that, catch you off guard.¡± Ms. Delacroix glared at Miss Edna as she swatted the other Arcane¡¯s hand away. ¡°You didn¡¯t do this to get the real me, you did this to mess with me.¡± ¡°Eh, I can do both.¡± Miss Edna shrugged as she let Ms. Delacroix go. ¡°Got to make sure you don¡¯t get a big head from being a big shot in the Arcane Association. I mean you remember how you got when you got that job at the university.¡± ¡°I was trying to present the image of a competent and confident instructor instead of the overconfident hot mess that I was working with.¡± Ms. Delacroix frowned. Miss Edna snapped her fingers as she winked. ¡°Underline the hot in that mess.¡± ¡°For magic¡¯s sake, are you ever going to grow up?¡± Ms. Delacroix pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Never.¡± Miss Edna admitted, sounding like she relished in the other woman¡¯s frustrations, something that he¡¯d sometimes seen when dealing with kids at the camp. Though it was more common between- He blinked as it clicked. ¡°You¡¯re sisters.¡± ¡°Sisters?¡± Artemis repeated looking at him in confusion before her eyes went wide as she turned back to the elder Arcane. ¡°You¡¯re sisters!¡± ¡°Ha, called it! My kid is smarter than yours!¡± Miss Edna cheered, before dragging him into a half hug. ¡°This does not mean that Jon is smarter than Artemis, it just means that they¡¯ve¡­ their own areas of expertise.¡± Ms. Delacroix argued, pulling her own apprentice to her side. ¡°For instance¡­ I¡¯m sure that Artemis¡¯s book smarts far surpass Jon¡¯s!¡± ¡°He¡¯s an A student!¡± Miss Edna pointed out. ¡°Uh, no I¡¯m not¡­¡± He admitted. ¡°Remember you taught me to count my grades since grades don¡¯t matter as long as you graduate and aren¡¯t worth stressing over. The A¡¯s I¡¯ve still got are because I like those classes.¡± ¡°How are you going to get into a good college if you skimp on your grades?¡± Artemis asked, looking disturbed at the very idea. ¡°Practical experience?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I mean the way I see it I¡¯m probably going to be a teacher, a cop, or go into pediatrics, and uh, I¡¯m already great with kids, minimize how much my Ma traumatizes the other cops, and can stitch a severed arm back on with one hand.¡± Admittedly he needed Pix¡¯s help to do that last one, (but I can still do it.) For some reason everyone stared at him when he said that. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Every other time I talk to you terrifies me.¡± Artemis told him with a concerned look. ¡°You get used to it.¡± Miss Edna assured her. ¡°Still to not so subtly change the subject, you¡¯re May-may¡¯s adopt-a-daughter, right?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m her apprentice.¡± Artemis corrected as her cheeks gained a bit of color. Miss Edna raised a brow. ¡°Yeah, and?¡± ¡°I have a mom?¡± Artemis more asked than said as her face grew redder. ¡°Yeah, and?¡± Miss Edna repeated. ¡°Hell, if you¡¯ve got a dad too then this might just be a repeat of in college when-¡± ¡°That was you and Sam!¡± Ms. Delacroix suddenly shouted. Miss Edna gave her sister a look. ¡°It was you and Sam.¡± Ms. Delacroix reiterated through grit teeth. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Miss Edna nodded, before leaning towards Artemis and whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t leave her alone with your parents.¡± ¡°Edna!¡± ¡°Edme!¡± ¡°What¡­ what is the point of this conversation?!¡± Artemis practically screamed, looking like she was just a few words from dying of mortification. ¡°Oh, right. Well, since Samantha and Noah aren¡¯t here, and May-may talks about you like she does them, that means you¡¯re technically my niece.¡± Miss Edna explained, before putting a hand on his back and pushing him forward. ¡°Which means you and Jon are cousins.¡± He and Artemis stared at each other. ¡°And speaking of meeting a niece and or nephew for the first time¡­¡± Miss Edna trailed off with that mischievous glint to her eyes once more. ¡°What?¡± Ms. Delacroix (or is it Aunt Edme now?) asked, recognizing and not trusting Miss Edna¡¯s look for a moment as she immediately went on the defensive. ¡°You see me and Minnie agreed to split custody of Jon when he was like twelve, so that means that for all intents and purposes you¡¯ve missed five years worth of christmases and birthday presents.¡± Miss Edna grinned. ¡°Oh you b- Is this all a scam to rob my store?!¡± (Maybe just Miss Edme?) scoffed. ¡°You¡¯ve got your own store in Blackwell, if you want to give your son presents, get them from your own!¡± ¡°Ah, but those wouldn¡¯t be gifts from his dear aunty May-may, and besides¡­ it¡¯s more fun to steal your stuff.¡± Miss Edna confessed, swiping something particularly shiny off of the counter. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re paying for that!¡± ¡°No I¡¯m not!¡± As the two sisters continued to bicker with each other, he and Artemis continued to stare at each other neither fully sure what to say to the other. (So¡­ this is a thing¡­) Scene Consequences -Jon and Artemis are now aware of Miss Edna and Miss Edme being sisters. -The DeLaCroixs now know that Jon is Edna¡¯s adoptive son. -Miss Edna also went ahead and stole a copy of General Enchanter''s Guide, an Alchemist''s Almanac, a Potion''s Prerogative, a Spell Script Scrawl, a Signing Signcraft, and a Willing Willcraft as well as a Sap Spitter Seedling from her sister¡¯s store for Jon as back birthday presents. (A/N: Paid for by ForwardRewind¡¯s Omake Points.) Trail 64: Mischief, Family, and Manipulations Trail 64: Mischief, Family, and Manipulations --- Jon Whitaker --- ¡°Alright, so you¡¯re still working on teaching Pix how to use her spell scripts?¡± Miss Edna asked as she found him surrounded by Spell Circuits and an interested looking Pix. ¡°Sort of¡­ Since she wasn¡¯t all that interested in the Spell Scripts I was trying to show her before, instead I¡¯m trying to focus on something she actually seemed interested in.¡± He explained. ¡°Unfortunately, since I¡¯m having to translate what I know into a way she can use it.¡± ¡°And what is my grand-apprentice interested in?¡± Miss Edna wondered, picking up one of his circuits before blatantly telling him that, ¡°This is illegible and unuseable.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m aware¡­ Like I said, I don¡¯t really have much in the way of illusions that we can work on so instead I¡¯m trying to teach her the theory behind using them better, but that¡¯s kind of going in circles if I¡¯m being honest.¡± He sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. ¡°Whatsmore, I don¡¯t have that much time left until Ma gets back so¡­ yeah¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re worried about your mom, you could always borrow one of Edme¡¯s rooms. I mean, I dragged you there so that we could use the ones she rents out to her better customers.¡± Miss Edna reminded him. Something he couldn¡¯t help but frown at. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take advantage of them just because they¡¯re¡­ your family.¡± ¡°Our family.¡± His second parent argued, ruffling his hair as she took a seat next to him. ¡°And again, that¡¯s why I dragged you over there, but since you¡¯re being stubborn about it I guess we can have today¡¯s lesson here. Completely wasting my efforts to bully my sister into giving you free rentals.¡± ¡°Alongside everything else you bullied her into giving me.¡± He noted dryly. ¡°She¡¯s my sister.¡± Miss Edna shrugged as if that justified it, before grabbing a piece of paper and some ink. ¡°Anyway if you¡¯re going to be working on illusions you need something that you both can work with, and luckily for you the Moon affinity can work for some of the simpler mental magics.¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯m just¡­ not a fan of messing with people¡¯s minds.¡± He admitted with a grimace. ¡°You let Pix mess with people all the time.¡± His teacher pointed out, already half done with a circuit that would¡¯ve taken him ten times longer than that to draw. ¡°Pix doesn¡¯t have a Deity of Madness regularly breaking into her mind.¡± He scoffed. Miss Edna paused, long enough to give him a concerned look. ¡°Uh, you uh, you need any help with that?¡± From her tone alone he could tell that she didn¡¯t want anything to do with the Cheshire if she could help it -(which I can¡¯t blame her for)- but was also willing to do whatever she had to to help him. He honestly considered it before sighing. ¡°No, from what I can remember of our meetings he¡¯s more an annoyance than anything dangerous¡­¡± (He just keeps making me drink his tea and coffee while going on about how to optimize my character sheet for his stupid game.) ¡°The fact that you can say that at all is all sorts of concerning.¡± Miss Edna grinned wryly, before very blatantly switching topics. ¡°This is the Moonlit Charm spell, not very dangerous or invasive but enough to distract someone for a few moments or to get any uptight relatives to wander into a prank they¡¯re too smart to actually fall for.¡± He gave his second parent a dry look. ¡°How often have you used this on Miss Edme?¡± ¡°Enough times that she might have made herself immune to mind control.¡± Miss Edna admitted with no shame. ¡°I¡¯ll have to stress test that while I¡¯m in town.¡± Scene Consequences -Pix Level Up --Illusionary Traps Lv. 2 -Thanks to Miss Edna¡¯s assistance both Jon and Pix have learned [Moonlit Daze] --Moonlit Charm: Create a small light or apply to an object, any target that sees it will roll a (User¡¯s Spell Craft Vs Target¡¯s Willpower) check. If they fail they gain (Craft Rank) Stacks of Charmed* towards the affected object/light. -For teaching Pix how to better use Traps and Learning a New Script Jon has gained 1XP to Trapmaking and Script Craft. --Currently: Trapmaking Lv. 9 (11/20) and Script Craft Lv. 5 (5/12). *Charmed: This unit uses their turn to move towards the target of this effect if possible, otherwise they Pass. Remove 1 Stack every Turn. Only one target can be had at a time. --- ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re still here given the holiday tomorrow.¡± He admitted while flipping through the book DeSade had given him on detailing several of the more infamous dealings with the eldritch in an attempt to prepare him for his own. DeSade gave him an amused scoff as he made several notes at his desk while occasionally glancing at the void core. ¡°Thanksgiving isn¡¯t a holiday my family celebrates beyond an occasional political manipulation or a surplus funding to the local charities to buy the favor of the locals.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s a purely political thing for you, rather than a family thing like with me?¡± He figured, a bit surprised since the one redeeming feature DeSade had was his love for his daughter. ¡°To be fair, the plymouth thanksgiving that the holiday stylizes itself after was a multi-day event that was used to establish a hundred year treaty between the local pilgrims and the natives. Meaning that it was always political.¡± DeSade explained, continuing with his paperwork. ¡°That or religious, given how there were many Thanksgiving days that were established after a bountiful harvest or particular military victory where the people would spend the day praying thanks to their variation of god. This was of course more common in New England with the pilgrims than the southern states founded by other countries, and so was a point of controversy when the government made the tradition a state¡¯s right.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. DeSade began to twirl his pen as he continued his impromptu history lesson. ¡°A singular thanksgiving was only established around the time of the Civil War due to Lincoln hoping to maintain unity in America, similar to how he took a southern unionist as his vice president. The political nature of the holiday continued with Roosevelt using it as a means of trying to control the economic boosts of the holiday season. The actual familial part wasn¡¯t actually added until the urban rural divide began to split families and thus it became a reunion holiday with an add on of sports due to their cultural popularity.¡± The Dark Lord turned his attention towards Jon. ¡°Neither of which my own family were interested in, the first due to having firmly established ourselves as the owners of Blackwell and rarely having more than one child per generation. The latter due to our sporting interests being in¡­ more interesting games of blood and magic.¡± Knowing that he didn¡¯t want to know what those games were he instead pointed out how, ¡°For someone with no interest in the holiday you sure know a lot about it.¡± DeSade crossed his hands in front of his face. ¡°Remember Jon, everything is a tool. History simply tells us why some failed and why we built others. If you¡¯ve ever have an idle curiosity for why something is the way it is or how it came to be, don¡¯t simply accept the existence of the tradition. Understand its purpose and then decide whether the tradition deserves to be preserved or should be burned where it stands.¡± ¡°And how does the Arcane Nexus fit into those traditions?¡± He wondered, knowing that if they were jailbreaking the Nexus then they were probably breaking a lot of those. ¡°The Arcane Nexus¡­¡± DeSade paused, seemingly contemplating how he wanted to answer. ¡°The Arcane Nexus is an interdimensional Spell Engine that was meant to function as a control valve of sorts for every dimension that exists within the more corporeal side of the Black Briar. The Nexus allows cross dimensional travel while also limiting the number of Bleeds that are capable of forming alongside a number of other functions that preserve dimensional integrity while also preserving both knowledge and functioning as an interdimensional ark in extreme cases.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He nodded slowly, as he processed all of that. ¡°That all sounds like things we should be leaving exactly where they are.¡± ¡°And you are correct.¡± DeSade assured him. ¡°Except for the fact that we aren¡¯t actually going to be breaking any of the Nexus¡¯s traditions so much as the Arcane Association¡¯s. I believe I mentioned before the risks of summoning a Madness entity as well as the fact that you should be able to summon a lesser Madness entity as you are, yes?¡± ¡°Yeah, I remember the warning label on all of this.¡± He confirmed, as DeSade pulled out a laptop from his desk. (Which is more surprising than I was expecting.) ¡°Well, if we were to compare the Nexus to a computer system, every user possesses different permissions based on a number of factors. Catalysts can function as passwords to temporarily access specific parts of the system, if with limited access to those different subsystems.¡± DeSade explained, showing him a small box full of black and white text. ¡°By jailbreaking the Nexus we are essentially hacking it to grant your user ID greater permissions than you -and later on I- should normally have. Of course, even with these permissions neither of us will be able to, let alone willing to, access the parts of the Nexus used for its more permanent functions.¡± ¡°And so doing this won¡¯t let us break the main system, even by accident?¡± He asked, feeling the need to double check given how important all of this apparently was. DeSade seemed to consider this once more. ¡°Mm, I believe only the actual Admin could disable any of those functions, and no one is entirely sure who that is. Though the leading theory is¡­ an entity I¡¯d rather go without meeting.¡± ¡°Who?¡± He frowned, wondering what could make DeSade wary given the things Jon knew the Dark Lord usually got up to. DeSade gave him a dry look. ¡°The Cheshire¡¯s Wife.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Quite.¡± Scene Consequences -Thanks to DeSade gained 2XP to Occultism and Contracting: Summons, and Computers. --Currently: Occultism Lv. 8 (13/18), Contracting: Summons Lv. 6 (8/14), and Computers Lv. 1 (3/4). --- ¡°I know I don¡¯t usually spend Thanksgiving with you guys, but does he normally get like this?¡± Miss Edna asked from where she was watching him on the sidelines. ¡°Yeah, though usually not to this extent.¡± His Ma nodded, still looking exhausted from being woken up early by all of his cooking. ¡°That¡¯s because not only do I need to make Thanksgiving dinner for our family, I¡¯ve also got to make things for people who aren¡¯t coming to our house, and I need to have all of this done in time to deliver it as well as get back here before everyone else shows up.¡± He ranted while flitting between five different pots, bowls, and pans. ¡°You know we could just order chicken or something, I mean that¡¯s what me and John did up until you took over cooking.¡± His Ma pointed out as she poured herself a cup of coffee. ¡°No need to put so much stress on yourself.¡± He gave her a confused look. ¡°But I¡¯m not putting any stress on myself?¡± (I mean it¡¯s not like I¡¯m picking a fight with a Demon or anything¡­ today.) ¡°Okay, well how many people are you planning on cooking for?¡± Miss Edna asked him instead. ¡°Because I¡¯ve seen you cook for three dozen at the camp before, but you¡¯re usually a bit more put together than this mess.¡± He thought about it for a moment. ¡°Are you eating with us or Miss Edme?¡± ¡°Eh, I usually go to my sister¡¯s but I figure since I¡¯m here already I might as well meet the rest of the Whitakers.¡± Miss Edna shrugged. ¡°Might visit later though since she¡¯s not too far away.¡± ¡°Then food food for eight, and desserts for¡­ The Petrovichs, the Valentines, the Jeffersons, Miss Edme¡¯s family¡­ you think I should make something for Ying and Artemis too? But then should I do something for Audrey and Val if I¡¯m making something for Artemis¡­¡± His Ma paused coffee half to her mouth. ¡°Ying, Artemis, Audrey, and Val?¡± ¡°I know who half of those girls are.¡± Miss Edna confessed. Not really paying attention he continued doing a tally. ¡°Then there¡¯s also Daisy and Travis from the cooking club, I know they¡¯re probably set since they can cook, but they mentioned a cooking contest type of thing. I should also send something to the station since I haven¡¯t done my monthly ¡®don''t fear my mom¡¯ thing.¡± ¡°Which you don¡¯t have to do since I want them to be scared of me!¡± His Ma called a little louder, before turning back to Miss Edna to continue (whatever they¡¯re talking about.) ¡°So who are these girls exactly?¡± ¡°There¡¯s also the homeless¡­ I haven¡¯t really given them anything in a while¡­¡± He frowned as his mind drifted from people he should give food to to people he didn¡¯t want to take anything to, (but there¡¯s also DeSade I guess¡­ he¡¯s missing thanksgiving with Rosalind because of me and the Horror¡­ And, if Miss Edna¡¯s here then is Quartermaster Rogers stuck by himself?) After a moment he took another look at the kitchen clock, before being forced to admit that as much as he was willing to just cook the whole day, (I can¡¯t actually make food for everyone¡­ There¡¯s just not enough time¡­) He ran a hand over the back of his neck, before telling himself, ¡°I need to prioritize.¡± Thanksgiving (Pt. 1): Checking In With Friends Vote Results -Ying -The Neighbors -The Homeless -Daisy & Travis --- Thanksgiving (Pt. 1): Checking In With Friends --- Jon Whitaker --- (Okay, just have to be quick about this.) He told himself as he carried a bunch of containers to the roof. ¡°So if all your neighbors are doing a party thing on the roof does that mean you¡¯re inviting your family to it or¡­ what exactly?¡± Miss Edna asked from behind him as she and his Ma carried the ones he couldn¡¯t grab without risk of dropping them. ¡°Nah, it¡¯d be one thing if it was just Kenneth and Sarah up here, but given the Jeffersons and Petrovichs have all their kids too. It would be a little much for everyone to show up.¡± His Ma explained. ¡°You just don¡¯t want anyone to see everyone fawning over you after getting out of the hospital.¡± He pointed out as he used his elbow to open the door to the public patio. ¡°I¡¯m sure our family would be relieved to know you¡¯re making friends, and Jake would love to play with other kids his age.¡± ¡°Maybe, but what about Sasha? Can you see her enjoying this?¡± His Ma scoffed, nodding towards where everyone else was already gathering. ¡°Girl would either brood in a corner all day or stab someone. And you know how Kristen gets in crowds.¡± ¡°Okay, fine. Everyone would rather not deal with our neighbors.¡± He conceded as he started setting desserts on the table. ¡°We¡¯ll try not to take offense to that.¡± Ms. Valentine smiled, having heard him but not his Ma from where their adult neighbors were watching the younger ones play. He gave his various neighbors a dry smile. ¡°Oh, would you guys like to meet five more Whitakers? Maybe more if everyone decides to come.¡± ¡°Will the building even be standing with that many of you in it?¡± Mr. Jefferson joked, from where he and his wife sat. ¡°Depends on if anyone brings C4.¡± He admitted, remembering that one new year¡¯s party. ¡°Yeah¡­ did not get the deposit back on that place.¡± His Ma sighed as she made her way to the punch bowl. ¡°Didn¡¯t you own that house?¡± Miss Edna pointed out, while running her fingers over the patio table, a faint trace of magic bubbling out as she circlelessly enchanted it. ¡°I did.¡± His Ma nodded as she poured herself a glass. ¡°Doesn¡¯t change the fact that the hole in the lawn really lowered the property value.¡± ¡°Wait, you owned a house?¡± Ms. Valentine blinked in confusion even as the older adults looked a little¡­ off. ¡°Why¡¯re you living here if you have a house?¡± ¡°Political corruption and an asshole boss.¡± His Ma answered with a twitch of her lips. ¡°Language, there¡¯s children present.¡± He frowned, before elaborating that. ¡°She uncovered this police corruption thing and Internal Affairs transferred her so that she wouldn¡¯t kill whoever was sent after her since they couldn¡¯t deal with everyone.¡± ¡°So you are in witness protection?¡± Mr. Petrovich asked with more than a little concern as he glanced at his family. ¡°Is that¡­ something you should be telling us?¡± ¡°Kind of the opposite.¡± He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s more like¡­ criminal protection services.¡± ¡°Yep, either they ship up or I get shipped back.¡± His Ma grinned, before glancing at him and Miss Edna. ¡°Thinking of, didn¡¯t you two have a thing you wanted to do before everyone shows up?¡± ¡°Uh, right, my cooking club¡¯s comparing food so I need to grab a couple plates from the batch I was going to take out to that homeless camp later.¡± He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck as he thought of everything he still needed to do. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re giving food to the homeless? Hmm¡­¡± Mrs. Jefferson smiled, before glancing towards Aliyah who looked split between wanting to come over and wanting to keep an eye on her siblings. ¡°Hey, Aliyah honey, can you come over here?¡± Her decision made, the teenage girl made her way over while glancing his way. ¡°Yes, what do you need mom?¡± ¡°Nothing much, it¡¯s just Jon here is apparently feeding the homeless later and I was wondering if you¡¯d like to help him?¡± Mrs. Jefferson explained with an odd tone to her voice. ¡°Wait, what now?¡± Mr. Jefferson frowned when Miss Edna snorted at something. ¡°Oh, uh, if-if you, uh, wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± Aliyah smiled, not quite looking at him. ¡°Um, were you going to go now or¡­¡± ¡°Um, I was probably going to go after my actual family thanksgiving.¡± He admitted with a grimace. ¡°I want to go now, but I¡¯ve got a little too much on my plate given how my ma would starve before cooking anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s slander, I can cook.¡± His Ma frowned. ¡°If you did I¡¯d be the one starving.¡± He reminded her, before explaining that, ¡°I¡¯ve still got to check in with my friend Ying given how her situation is¡­ and while I wanted to check in with Miss Edme and take something over to Samantha, if I¡¯m lucky I can catch them when I stop by Daisy¡¯s to save a trip.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ a lot of people to see on Thanksgiving.¡± Aliyah grinned a bit tensely. ¡°Would¡¯ve been worse if I also stopped by Audrey and Val¡¯s but I¡¯ve got no idea where they live.¡± He thought aloud in an attempt to once more justify why he wasn¡¯t giving them anything. ¡°I mean, I could ask Artemis but she said she¡¯d rather her parents not know she was sneaking me over so I can¡¯t stop by there either.¡± (And I can¡¯t call her to tell her I¡¯m bringing them something when I¡¯m not getting her anything.) He just wasn¡¯t callous enough for that. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Aliyah blinked, looking a little overwhelmed from him thinking aloud. (Oh, I almost forgot about that¡­) ¡°Uh, anyway, if you want to go out when I feed the homeless we can.¡± He offered before glancing at his Ma as he wondered, ¡°You think Sasha will want to help with that? It¡¯ll let her get out of the apartment for a bit, I mean?¡± ¡°She¡­ might.¡± His Ma hedged, looking somewhere between amused and confused. A look shared by every other adult save Miss Edna -who was just amused- and Mr. Jefferson who looked annoyed. ¡°You know, given how you¡¯re basically using me as a taxi for the day I guess I should be glad you¡¯re not trying to get me to swing by Rosalind or Jill¡¯s place either.¡± Miss Edna grinned. He couldn¡¯t help but frown at that. ¡°Yeah, I know Jill is having a bit of a time at college last I called her, and Rosalind is on her own since DeSade is¡­ helping Miss Edme with that thing.¡± (Really wished I hadn¡¯t let slip he was still in town, but at least he has a reason why.) In attempt to change the topic he snapped and pointed his finger at Ms. Valentine as he grabbed a bag off the table and handed it to the single mother. ¡°Oh, speaking of parents Ms. Valentine, I almost forgot. These mini-muffins are for Kenneth, I know he sometimes gets fussy about his veggies, but whenever I watch him for you he¡¯ll usually eat them if I offer him one of these after.¡± ¡°Th-thank you?¡± Ms. Valentine blinked, before blushing as she realized all of the neighbors were looking at her oddly as Miss Edna started laughing. Rolling his eyes at her antics he checked his phone before grimacing at the time. ¡°We really do need to get moving if we want to get everything done.¡± He reminded his second parent as he started dragging her away. It was a few seconds later that Mr. Petrovich asked, ¡°Minerva, is young Jon what people call a¡­ player player?¡± --- ¡°Oop, overshot!¡± Miss Edna warned him as they appeared in the air. He blinked once before quickly doing a flip and landing in a crouch as he held his backpack to his chest. ¡°Miss Edna? Jon?!¡± Ying cried from¡­ somewhere. He blinked before looking around the other teen¡¯s room, taking note of the large glass window that made up one side of her room, the equally large canopy poster bed against another wall, and the number of bookshelves on either side of a desk with an extremely fancy computer on it. (Huh, I just realized this is the first time I¡¯ve been in a girl¡¯s room¡­ excluding Sasha.) ¡°Ah, uh, hey Ying.¡± He waved at the other teen with an awkward smile. ¡°You know, when you said you were on the top floor I think I misunderstood what that really meant.¡± Miss Edna admitted, dusting herself off as she looked out the penthouse window. ¡°These things are one way, right?¡± ¡°Of-of course.¡± Ying answered, her eyes darting to and away from him. ¡°W-what are you two doing here?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s thanksgiving and given your¡­ situation with your mom, we brought goodies.¡± He tried to explain as he started pulling containers out of his backpack, more than aware that as a Deviant Ying¡¯s metabolism was faster than most. (And that¡¯s before we get to the Dragon thing.) ¡°That¡¯s, um, that¡¯s kind of you, but¡­ how did you know I would be here?¡± Ying asked, looking a little overwhelmed while wearing (what¡¯s actually kind of a fancy dress.)Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°I tagged you with a tracking spell during the summer. Given the rarity of a Storm Dragon I can track you down to¡­ twenty or so feet.¡± Miss Edna shrugged as she continued to walk around Ying¡¯s room, (that might be bigger than my entire apartment¡­) ¡°What¡¯s with the dress?¡± ¡°My mother is hosting a small event for Thanksgiving.¡± Ying explained, moving as if to put the older woman between her and him even as she glanced towards her door. ¡°You, you two shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± Rather than acknowledging that he instead summoned Pix in a swirl of blue light. ¡°What about Pix, can she be here?¡± The little fairy blinked as she adjusted to being summoned before spotting Ying and zipping to the draconic teen with a happy series of chirps and tweets. ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s good to see you too Pix.¡± Ying assured the fairy with a wry grin, before once more glancing towards his door. ¡°But you three really need to leave before my mother or the security team finds you here.¡± ¡°Security team?¡± He frowned, as a worried Pix tried to console the clearly distressed Ying. ¡°Yes, um¡­ Damn it.¡± Ying cursed while massaging her temples. ¡°As you¡¯re both aware my mother is anti-Deviant, and while there are no Deviants on her security team there are a number of detection systems bought from Sanctuary to detect Deviant energies. You might have a break due to my room having a blindspot to keep my Deviancy secret from my mother''s associates, but¡­¡± The draconic teen turned towards Miss Edna. ¡°How much power does your teleport expel?¡± ¡°Uh, I¡­ don¡¯t actually know, uh, they didn¡¯t have- Those sensor things are new¡­¡± Miss Edna stumbled, clearly off put by Ying¡¯s behavior before shaking her head and putting on her more confident grin. ¡°How about we break you out of your prison. I know you¡¯re not quite up to that stuff we were working on yet but I can warp us all out of here easy enough. That way you don¡¯t have to attend your mom¡¯s racist bullshit.¡± Ying gave Miss Edna a soft smile before sighing with a shake of her head as she picked Pix off of her shoulder. ¡°I wish I could, but part of my truce with my mother means I have to attend these parties whether I like them or not. As long as I attend and pretend I¡¯m her perfectly normal¡± Ying spat ¡°daughter in public then I¡¯m allowed to spend my personal time as I please.¡± ¡°Are, are you sure?¡± He had to ask. ¡°I mean¡­ What if, what if we sneak you away just for a couple hours? I mean, you¡­ you really don¡¯t look like you want to be here.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure.¡± Ying nodded as she crossed her arms. ¡°Long term it¡¯s better if I dress up and put on this act instead of being stuck in a cage indefinitely.¡± He looked towards Miss Edna, wanting to help but not really sure how. ¡°You know you¡¯re old enough that your mom can¡¯t actually tell you what to do, right?¡± Miss Edna asked after a moment before gesturing to the room around them. ¡°I mean, I know with¡­ all of this it seems like she does, but¡­ if you want out, we can get you out.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ying assured them with another soft smile. ¡°And maybe I¡¯ll need that if she keeps this up for another year, but¡­ if I¡¯m going to do that, I don¡¯t want to run away.¡± That soft smile became full of fangs as her eyes turned into reptilian slits. ¡°I want to burn it down as I walk out.¡± Ying inhaled before exhaling and losing her draconic edge. ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s not something I can do today. Sorry¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey, none of that.¡± Miss Edna frowned as she pulled Ying into a hug. ¡°You have nothing to be sorry about. This is your life, so you need to leave it on your terms, not ours and definitely not your moms. If you think you need to stay then we won¡¯t stop you, just know that we¡¯re all here for you if you need us.¡± As if to underline this statement Pix let out a series of tweets before once more flying into Ying¡¯s face and hugging her. He raised a hand, tempted to join in the group hug before letting his hand fall down, fairly certain touching him wouldn¡¯t do her any good with the distance she¡¯d been keeping from him. ¡°I, I appreciate that.¡± Ying eventually said as she pulled away from Miss Edna to wipe at her eyes with another watery smile. ¡°But, seriously, my mother will be here to collect me any minute and I need to fix my hair after Pix made a nest of it.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Miss Edna sighed, while giving Ying one last squeeze. ¡°Just¡­ call us if you need anything.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Ying promised, before biting her lip as she glanced his way. ¡°And Jon¡­¡± He swallowed. ¡°Y-yeah?¡± ¡°Thanks for¡­ the food¡­ and¡­ everything¡­¡± Ying trailed off awkwardly. ¡°I-¡± (didn¡¯t do much.) ¡°Anytime.¡± --- ¡°Well, that didn¡¯t go the way I was hoping¡­¡± Miss Edna admitted after they¡¯d teleported away from Ying¡¯s¡­ the place Ying lived. ¡°Yeah, I¡­ I was hoping that¡¯d be a happier reunion.¡± He agreed, leading Miss Edna towards Daisy¡¯s apartment. ¡°Everyone¡¯s got their own fights kid, all you can do is offer to help.¡± Miss Edna reminded him as rubbed his back. ¡°Try not to let it keep you down, after all you¡¯re seeing the rest of your family after how long?¡± ¡°Before everything in Blackwell.¡± He sighed, running a hand down his face. ¡°Ma tries to make sure we visit my uncle and cousins for the first couple weeks before dropping me off at camp on the way back.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯ll do ya some good to see them again after everything. I know it¡¯s been a stressful few months, and family always makes everything a little easier.¡± Miss Edna smiled. ¡°Even when they annoy you to high heaven.¡± A new voice added, drawing their attention to Miss Edme in the apartment hall. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you two are here for Daisy¡¯s little cook off?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, you?¡± He asked. Miss Edme shook her head. ¡°Normally yes, but with the Halloween Haunt this year I need to try and fit in a meeting with the expert the Association insisted I bring in. I still dropped off a few spares but I can¡¯t actually stick around for anything since he apparently doesn¡¯t view Thanksgiving as a proper holiday.¡± ¡°Yeah, DeSade seems like that kind of asshole. I mean, he left his kid alone in Blackwell.¡± Miss Edna practically growled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ something.¡± Miss Edme frowned, before shaking her head. ¡°Given how you live in Blackwell I¡¯m hoping you can tell me how best to deal with him?¡± ¡°Try to kill him.¡± He suggested. Both sisters looked at him. ¡°He respects that kind of thing.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Put your foot down and work towards your goal without give. He¡¯ll usually help you along but he¡¯ll also be working an angle the entire time. So you¡¯ll get what you want, but he¡¯ll probably get whatever he wants out of this as well. As long as it¡¯s not something you mind giving up you can work with him.¡± The fact that what DeSade wanted was for Jon to kill the Halloween Horror -(which I want too)- was something he was going to keep to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll uh, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Miss Edme told him slowly before shaking her head and quite blatantly changing the topic. ¡°Will you two be attending Thanksgiving proper?¡± Miss Edna nodded back. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll probably stop by after meeting the rest of the Whitakers but I think Jon said something about passing food out leftovers to the homeless later.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not handing out leftovers, I made a whole second set of food to hand out. I¡¯ve got it all tucked in here.¡± He corrected with a tap to his backpack. ¡°Also I didn¡¯t want to intrude given how we¡­ just met.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be intruding.¡± Miss Edme assured him. ¡°You¡¯re practically Edna¡¯s son, you¡¯re as welcome as she is¡­ possible more so.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Miss Edna frowned. ¡°Given how he¡¯s such an upstanding young man as to feed those in need, he probably won¡¯t try to steal anything he can get his hands on.¡± Miss Edme explained. ¡°Oh, come on, you steal my shit all the time!¡± ¡°When we were kids perhaps!¡± ¡°Bullshit! What about that cardigan you stole just last month?!¡± ¡°That was mine and I was just taking it back!¡± (Yeah, it might be best to just¡­ walk away from this.) He decided as he went ahead and made his way to Daisy¡¯s apartment and knocked. After a moment the diminutive woman answered the door with a smile, ¡°Jon it¡¯s so good to see- What¡¯s with that yelling?¡± Daisy trailed off with a frown. ¡°What about that book on celtic circles relevant to mid-western druidic practices of the nineteenth century?¡± ¡°Hey, you traded me for that sex manual for dominant women!¡± ¡°Miss Edme ran into her sister.¡± He explained, looking over his shoulder. ¡°I did no such thing!¡± ¡°Oh, wait, that was Samantha¡­¡± ¡°Can I come inside?¡± He asked, hoping to get away from all of¡­ that. ¡°You gave my daughter what?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing you haven¡¯t done!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± ¡°Please.¡± He pressed with a tense grin. ¡°Oh, of course.¡± Daisy nodded, before letting him inside. ¡°What was with all that yelling?¡± Travis asked from where a number of people were gathered. ¡°Family reunion.¡± He answered, before looking everyone over and recognizing most of them from the arcane meeting the month prior. ¡°Uh, I thought this was just supposed to be a cooking contest or something between the four, er, three of us?¡± ¡°That was sort of the plan, but we¡¯re the only ones who can actually cook so we just sort of pooled together with everyone else being the judges.¡± Travis told him. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not the only one who can cook!¡± A blonde woman called. ¡°Then why am I the only one who does cook?!¡± Travis yelled back. ¡°Because you¡¯re a better cook than either of us!¡± A thin man with pale long hair smiled. ¡°Can bet your ass I am.¡± Travis grumbled. ¡°Perhaps later.¡± The man smirked. ¡°Oi, no. His ass is mine today.¡± The blonde woman frowned in a clearly exaggerated kind of way. Travis rolled his eyes with a huff before motioning for Jon to follow. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you set up in the kitchen kid. Your stuff already cooked like Edme¡¯s or do you need to use the kitchen?¡± ¡°I already cooked everything, I just need to warm it up.¡± He glanced towards the living room. ¡°Though uh, I don¡¯t think I brought enough for everyone since I also cooked for my family and¡­ I¡¯ve got extras but I was hoping to swing those by the homeless shelter or something later.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re bringing food to the shelter? That¡¯s so sweet of you Jon!¡± Daisy applauded him lightly. ¡°You say that like we don¡¯t pawn all of our leftovers from this contest on them.¡± Travis scoffed as he checked something in the oven. ¡°Maybe but he cooked for them flat out, that¡¯s a good step better than us who just hate leftovers.¡± Daisy pointed out as she turned to check something in the fridge. ¡°Never said I was a saint.¡± Travis grumbled before shaking his head. ¡°This has got at least another ten minutes on it.¡± ¡°And the pudding is just setting on this pie.¡± Daisy sighed. ¡°So, neither of y¡¯alls food is done?¡± He frowned as he started pulling out containers from his bag. ¡°Eh, some of it is, but we weren¡¯t planning on most of this being done until lunch.¡± Travis admitted with a shrug. ¡°The only reason we¡¯re in a rush to get it done early is because Edme had to drop her plate and run.¡± ¡°Is your family doing Thanksgiving for lunch or dinner?¡± Daisy asked after a moment. ¡°Lunch¡­ I honestly just thought this was going to be like a dessert contest or something, not a full thanksgiving type of deal.¡± He confessed, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°We can still do that part, neither of my pigs ¡®ll say no to having dessert first.¡± Travis assured him. ¡°Even if they won''t, we''ll still need a bit more time for our desserts to be ready.¡± Daisy reminded them with a worried look towards the clock. ¡°I hope that won¡¯t make you too late for your family¡¯s Thanksgiving. It¡¯s already getting kind of close to lunch time.¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t matter too much since Miss Edna is here to get me back and she¡¯s got this teleport spell she likes to use to catch people off guard.¡± He shrugged, not really worried about it since with the distance everyone has to travel it was probably going to end up being a late lunch either way. ¡°Miss Edna?¡± Travis repeated. ¡°You mean Edme?¡± ¡°Uh, no, Miss Edme¡¯s sister¡­ and my magic teacher.¡± He tried to explain. ¡°Wait, your magic teach is Edme¡¯s sister?¡± Travis frowned. ¡°It¡¯s a small world I guess?¡± Daisy shrugged, before taking another glance at the clock. ¡°But, uh, either way we¡¯re going to be a minute so¡­¡± The smaller woman suddenly clapped with a smile on her face. ¡°Meaning you have just enough time to go out and make some new friends with everyone!¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± He took another look at the three hunters in the living room. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Alan and Sarah don¡¯t bite.¡± Travis assured him before thinking about it for a moment. ¡°Well, they won¡¯t bite you at least.¡± ¡°And Guy might look intimidating but he¡¯s a huge softy on the inside.¡± Daisy promised. ¡°So just go out and mingle.¡± Who should we talk to? []- Stay with Daisy and Travis. []- Talk to Guy just watching everyone. []- Speak with Alan and Sarah who are bickering. []- Go check on Miss Edna and Miss Edme. Thanksgiving (Pt. 2): A Conversation Between Guys Thanksgiving (Pt. 2): A Conversation Between Guys --- Jon Whitaker --- Having been more or less forced to take Daisy¡¯s suggestion, he walked out into the living room and watched before grimacing as he watched Alan and Sarah in a conversation together, because while he was sure they were both nice people from his few interactions he also could tell by how close the two were that he¡¯d feel awkward interrupting. (Which wouldn¡¯t be so bad if Miss Edna or Miss Edme were here¡­) This was how he found himself slowly drifting towards the only other person in the room. A person who he found after sort of just standing there for a few minutes, wasn¡¯t particularly verbal about much of anything. For most people this would be a problem, but given how one of the kids at camp Bet had been non-verbal half the time, and the fact that both Pix and Wolf were incapable of human speech, this was not a problem for him. ¡°Do you have any idea what that¡¯s about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m understanding¡­ half of it¡­ I think¡­¡± His hand moved forward with all of the fingers together before he pulled it back with his fingers spread and half curled. Guy proceeded to jab two fingers into his heart before opening his palm outwardly. He held a fist in front of his chest next to an open palm before twisting it sideways and moving it up and down once. The larger man nodded along before clapping his hands once and tapping his knuckles against each other in askance. He rolled his eyes as he put two sets of half curled fingers together before pulling them apart as he pointed out a similar issue given their dialogue thus far. In response Guy patted his bicep before shrugging and partially curling all of his fingers as he held one hand in front of his chest and moved the other to the side and back once. To which Jon repeated Guy¡¯s own clap and knuckle tapping gesture, because he felt like the older man was being a little hypocritical there. Guy raised both hands in concession to the point, before pointing two fingers at his fist and flicking his wrist. The older man then further elaborated by tapping his knuckles together before shrugging his shoulders and splaying his hands. He nodded in understanding, knowing exactly where the Hunter was coming from, before holding a fist forward and pulling his other hand back with two fingers fully curled and two only partially so, at least until he spread them wide. Guy frowned in what despite the man¡¯s resting glare he understood to be confusion, that was asked by the man pointing two fingers and flicking his wrist before spreading his hand wide. He couldn¡¯t help but grimace with a shake of his head. He then tapped his chest and spread his hand with a nod as he pointed and flicked himself before making an X with his hands and explaining quite upfront that while he shook his head with a gesture towards his fingers and then shaking said fingers as he pointed back to himself. The look on the older man¡¯s face told him that Guy didn¡¯t believe him. He narrowed his eyes and nodded, insisting that he was telling the truth. Guy raised a hand and waved it through the air before pausing as he seemed to consider something. The hunter then made a fist and pulled his fingers from it -similar to what Jon had done a few moments prior- before raising his forearm and tapping it with two fingers.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He gave the older man a dry look as clapped his hands together before raising them above his head and separating them while maintaining the look that said just how obvious that should¡¯ve been. Guy shrugged, before tapping his fingers against his chest as he shook his head. The older man held his hand to his lower chest and next to him before pausing and gesturing towards Daisy who had exited the kitchen. Jon gave Guy a considering look before gesturing to the older man with a tap of his own bicep and then Daisy with a tap to his head. Then to avoid offending the older man he rolled his hand through the air rather than pretending he knew that for fact. Guy tilted his hand side to side before making a fist and spinning it in a wrenching motion. He then proceeded to use two fingers to trace down his arms and then each finger before making a fist in front of his chest and clenching and unclenching it. He nodded in understanding because while he wasn¡¯t the best with the first the second was something that his Ma made sure he knew plenty about himself before letting him out on his own. To further elaborate the older hunter then gestured towards Daisy making her way over and wiggled his fingers in front of him before holding one hand flat and then pinching at the air with his other hand as he moved it from side to side. He raised a hand in front of him with a sympathetic nod before gesturing towards Guy, himself, and Daisy interspaced by tapping his bicep, making a sideways fist, and knocking his head respectively. In response to this, Daily who stepped into their conversation shook her head before proceeding to clarify the situation by putting her spread hand to her face and slowly pulling it away. This was then followed up by a clawing motion that ended in a clenched fist to specify what she before she eventually shrugged and made the claw hand and pumped fist gesture that guy had used earlier. He frowned as he considered that before tapping his knuckles together as he repeated the same question that had more or less started their conversation. Guy simply tapped his chest in explanation, to which Daisy nodded in a firm affirmative. ¡°Which is why we¡¯re such a good team!¡± The Huntress smiled, before turning towards Jon. ¡°And while I hate interrupting, the desserts are just about done so if you want to bring¡­ miss Edna(?) in, now¡¯s the time.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± He nodded, before giving Guy a wave and pointing between them and following that up with rolling his hand through the air. Guy gave him a thumb up in confirmation. He walked past Alan and Sarah who were watching him with a considering and confused expression respectively before stepping out the front door and calling for, ¡°Miss Edna, we¡¯re about to start the contest!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I hear you.¡± His second parent assured him as she stepped around the corner. ¡°Sorry about that, sometimes Edme¡¯s got such a stick up her butt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, but if you want to judge you need to come inside now.¡± He told her, as he led her back inside. ¡°Well, just so you know my vote is against my sister, because I am absolutely biased.¡± Miss Edna warned him as she followed him. As he stepped back into Daisy¡¯s apartment he realized that everyone had more or less gathered together, and the owner of said apartment was waiting for him with an excited grin. ¡°Ooh, is this Edme¡¯s sister?!¡± Daisy asked with a grin as she seemed to examine Miss Edna¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, I can definitely see the resemblance!¡± ¡°I¡¯d hope so given how we¡¯re twins.¡± Miss Edna smiled back with a mischievous grin. ¡°Usually it takes people a minute to see it because she dyes her hair black.¡± ¡°Really? I never noticed!¡± Daisy admitted, sounding half scandalized. ¡°Yeah, best part is our hair wasn¡¯t even black. She just started dyeing it back when she went through this goth phase when we were in college and never stopped.¡± Miss Edna explained, intent on embarrassing her sister behind her back. (At least it isn¡¯t me this time.) He figured making his way back to the kitchen where Travis was making plates. ¡°So, uh, how is this whole contest thing going to work?¡± He asked when the other man glanced his way. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not really a ¡®contest¡¯ in the prize sort of way, so much as it is in the bragging rights kind of way.¡± Travis admitted with a shrug. ¡°Meaning the whole point of this is more for those of us who cook to compare recipes. The contest thing is more because of all the mooches who tag along!¡± ¡°You invited us!¡± Sarah called back from the living room. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s about all there is to it.¡± Travis finished as he picked up a couple of plates before balancing them on his arms. ¡°Admittedly, we¡¯d normally do the whole Thanksgiving meal thing, but since you¡¯ve just got the desserts we¡¯ll save that for when you go. That way you aren¡¯t full for whatever you and your family are doing. You mind grabbing some of these?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, sure!¡± He nodded, before grabbing the remaining plates and taking them out. Thanksgiving (Pt. 3): Meeting The Family Thanksgiving (Pt. 3): Meeting The Family --- Jon Whitaker --- ¡°Sorry we¡¯re late, my thing ended up dragging on for longer than I thought it would.¡± He apologized as he stepped into his apartment. ¡°It¡¯s fine, at the very least you¡¯re not the last one here.¡± His Ma assured him as they made their way into the living room. ¡°Your uncle was supposed to be here like an hour ago but got stuck in traffic.¡± ¡°Well¡­ hopefully the food will still be warm by the time they get here.¡± He shrugged with a pained smile before letting it become more genuine as he turned towards a relatively short woman with red hair and glasses sitting next to her in a button up shirt. ¡°Hey, Aunt Mags.¡± ¡°Hey Jon.¡± His adoptive aunt smiled, as she pulled him down into a hug over the back of his couch. ¡°Gah, I can¡¯t believe how big you¡¯ve gotten! It¡¯s like you become more of a giant every time I see you!¡± ¡°Or you¡¯re just a half-pint.¡± Hia Ma suggested. ¡°Five six isn¡¯t short for a woman, you¡¯re just tall.¡± Mags glared as she let him go before her eyes caught sight of Miss Edna. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met?¡± His Ma coughed. ¡°Oh, right. Mags this is Edna, pretty sure I¡¯ve told you about her?¡± ¡°Uh, the woman who runs Jon¡¯s camp thing?¡± Mags frowned. ¡°Think I¡¯m a bit more than that, but yeah.¡± Miss Edna nodded, offering her hand. ¡°Any friend of the Whitakers is a friend of mine.¡± ¡°Hope that includes me.¡± A rougher voice asked, as an arm threw itself around his shoulders. ¡°Hey, kid. Oof, you are getting big.¡± ¡°Hey, Theo.¡± He smiled at the muscular darker skinned man, before frowning as he handed a beer to his Ma and Aunt. (Right, need to dump the rest of those when no one is looking.) ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t grab you anything but if you want you can have this one.¡± Theo offered Jon¡¯s second parent the bottle still in his hands. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ve been trying to cut back.¡± Miss Edna winced with an awkward chuckle, even as his Ma gave her a questioning look. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Theo shrugged, before popping the top off. ¡°So where you two coming from exactly?¡± ¡°Jon has this cooking club thing.¡± His Ma answered for them. ¡°They were having some kind of Thanksgiving contest or something.¡± ¡°Oh, how¡¯d you do?¡± His Aunt Mags asked. ¡°Alright, though it turns out it wasn¡¯t really a contest so much as everyone who doesn¡¯t have families getting together for their own thing.¡± He tried to explain. ¡°We had dessert with them, but they¡¯re probably having their actual dinner right now.¡± ¡°Hey, it may not have been a contest like you thought but everyone agreed that you have the best, hmm¡­ cream pies.¡± Miss Edna reminded him, even as his Aunt and Theo began choking on their drinks. ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t get why everyone kept laughing about my mile high chocolate cream pie so much.¡± He frowned, knowing he was missing something. Especially with the way his Ma was covering her face. ¡°Sounds, heh, sounds like my kind of party.¡± Theo wheezed out, causing another round of snickering from everyone but Jon. ¡°Right¡­¡± He drawled before pointing towards the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m just going to check on the-¡± Someone began knocking on the front door. ¡°Door I guess¡­¡± Walking away from everyone else he retreated towards the front door before opening and finding a somewhat hefty man with brown hair.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Big John!¡± He smiled before rushing forward and hugging his uncle hard enough to pick the man off the ground. ¡°Oof- Hey, little Jon.¡± His uncle laughed, patting his back. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I get a greeting like that¡­?¡± He idly heard Theo grumbling. He set the older Whitaker down as he noticed a pudgy brown haired eleven year old out of the corner of his eye before crouching a bit and opening his arms. ¡°Little Jake!¡± ¡°Little Jon!¡± The younger of his cousins ran forward with a grin and grabbed the kid before tossing him into the air and catching him. ¡°And here I was thinking you were too big for that¡­¡± His uncle admitted with a wry grin, more to his cousin than to him. ¡°Just because you¡¯re out of shape doesn¡¯t mean my kid is!¡± His Ma called from in their apartment. ¡°That¡¯s not my problem and you know it Minnie!¡± His uncle John argued as he stepped inside. ¡°I don¡¯t know you¡¯re looking a bit big for my little brother!¡± His Ma shot back. ¡°Go to the kitchen, I¡¯ll sneak you a cookie in a minute.¡± He promised his fellow little with a finger to his lips. Jake gave him a grin before running inside just as Jon was pulled into the hall, the sound of his back slamming into the wall being covered up by the door being pulled shut. ¡°Who are you and what the fuck have you done to my cousin!¡± A voice hissed as he found himself staring into a pair of burning hellfire eyes with a set of claws digging into his throat. More on reflex than anything else, he drove his knee up into his assailant¡¯s crotch, instinctively angling it in a way that would hurt his opponent as he registered them female. The moment the grip on his throat loosened he pulled it away from him, uncaring for the faint cuts it left on his neck as he proceeded to wrap it into a weak lock and get a better look at his attacker. Held at arm¡¯s length from him was a teenager in a black shirt with the sleeves torn off to reveal her pale freckled skin, her face a snarling visage full of fangs as a pair of horns began to pierce through her dirty blonde hair. ¡°Felicia?¡± He frowned, feeling his grip loosening just as he felt something wrap around his knee before ripping his leg out from under him and sending him crashing to the ground. Faster than he could react, Felicia had climbed on top of him, pinning him to the ground with a boot on one elbow, her knee on the other, her claws to his throat and her other hand raised to be raked across his face. ¡°I¡¯ll repeat myself only once, where is Jon?!¡± He stared up into the warped face of his cousin as he nails dug into his neck, his mind rapidly processing the fact that (Felicia is a Deviant!?) and quickly moved on to (Why is she attacking me?!) ¡°Fe?¡± He gasped, more to buy time to think than anything. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re a Deviant?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a Malcontent, and you are wearing my cousin¡¯s face.¡± His own cousin told him as her claws dug deep enough to break skin. ¡°Okay¡­ Clearly there¡¯s¡­ some kind of¡­ misunderstanding¡­¡± He told her, even as he drew his boot knife just in case she was the possessed one in this situation. ¡°I am Jon.¡± ¡°Bullshit. You''re all wrong!¡± Felicia growled, before driving her claw towards his eye socket. Or rather that¡¯s what would¡¯ve happened if he hadn¡¯t thrown his legs up and used his knees to yank on her tail, (which she apparently has) thus throwing her off just enough that when he twisted his head out of the way her claws just barely scratched his shoulder instead. With his cousin off balance he threw his knees up again to buck her off of him. An act that failed to fully free him as Felicia caught herself by punching the ground but bought him enough room to get her leg off of his arm. Allowing him to properly grip her tail from behind her and give it another yank as he threw his shoulder forward in a second attempt to throw her off. One that was a lot more successful, if only because Felicia did a handstand backflip before disappearing behind a wall of fire. (Fire that isn¡¯t spreading?) (Behind you.) He¡¯d only just begun to spin out of his crouch when, from a second wall of flame, a pair of sneakers dropkicked him into the first. Only instead of being caught on fire like the last time he¡¯d been a little too close to one of his molotovs, he instead found himself passing through a wave of heat before crashing into hard dirt far dryer and rougher than the forest floor he was used to. As he picked himself up with a groan he found himself on a floating isle of dirt floating through a crimson void filled with similar islands, some of which were pouring what appeared to be lava off of them. A fact that explained why he was finding it harder than normal to breathe here. ¡°Good~¡± Felicia practically purred as she stepped through the wall of fire just before it closed trapping him here. ¡°Now that I don¡¯t have to worry about bringing my family into this¡­¡± His cousin pointed a burning sword at him. ¡°I can do this right, you fake!¡± Thanksgiving (Pt. 4): A Fiery Fight Between Family Thanksgiving (Pt. 4): A Fiery Fight Between Family --- Jon Whitaker --- ¡°Seriously, Fe, let¡¯s just talk about this!¡± He said, raising his hands and backing away from his currently deranged cousin. ¡°Yeah, no.¡± Felicia shut down before kicking off the ground and leaping at him with enough force to crack the ground beneath her. With her already moving towards him he ducked and slid under her swing, before spinning on his heel to keep an eye on her. Something that proved necessary for blocking a roundhouse with his forearms just before being sent rolling back when he realized just how much force was behind the kick. (Okay, super strength¡­ That¡¯s a default for a Malcontent, right?) Given how he¡¯d never met one outside of his cousin, he didn¡¯t actually know much about Malcontent beyond Miss Edna¡¯s occasional rant about the whole Tall Man thing. (And given how she¡¯s throwing around fire and portals instead of shadows and tendrils I¡¯m guessing that isn¡¯t all that useful right now.) This thought was proven correct when he was forced to step to the side to avoid a helm splitting swing from his cousin. A shift in the air had him immediately leaping away, his experience with Ying¡¯s lightning proving useful in avoiding Felicia¡¯s flame as her blade erupted into a pillar of flame. ¡°Alright, so you think I¡¯m not me for whatever reason.¡± He nodded, not taking his eyes off of his malicious cousin for a second. ¡°So why don¡¯t you tell me why I feel¡­ wrong? I mean, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reasonable explanation.¡± ¡°Jon¡¯s a fucking marshmellow who couldn¡¯t hurt a fly!¡± Felicia yelled, as she continued trying to hit him either with her sword or her claws. ¡°You¡­ you reek of blood, death, and rot. More than any Deadman I¡¯ve ever met!¡± ¡°Okay, first off. I am not a marshmallow who couldn¡¯t hurt a fly. I mean, have you met my ma? She taught me how to takedown someone thrice my size when I was like eight.¡± He pointed out, feeling just a little offended by the first part. ¡°And what do you mean I reek of blood, death, and rot? I bathe like twice a day with apple scented body wash!¡± (Sometimes three times on the days I actually get covered in blood!) His cousin simply scoffed as she pulled her sword back. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how much you bathe when I can smell your soul!¡± ¡°Smell my soul¡­?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown in confusion. ¡°Is-is that a Malcontent thing?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a me thing.¡± Felicia admitted, before swinging her sword and unleashing a massive wave of ferocious flames at him. (Oh, that¡¯s not good.) He grimaced, his eyes darting between the flames in front of him and the edge of this island not too far from him, before narrowing as he realized he could still see through the fire. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the edge of his jacket and ran straight at the flames, and just before they began to bite at him he spun around while pulling his jacket over his head. Letting the fingers of the fire to grab at his jacket as he dove through the flame before putting them out as he hit the ground in a backward roll. ¡°Wasn¡¯t sure that would work.¡± He sighed, patting out the few bits of flame still trying to eat through the enchantments on his jacket. (So glad I wasn¡¯t home long enough to take this thing off.) Unfortunately, this still distracted him enough for Felicia to deliver a kick to the side of his head, once more sending him to the ground. Only unlike the previous time this happened, his cousin stamped a boot on his chest and put her sword to his throat. ¡°And that¡¯s another thing.¡± Felicia growled, her eyes glowing hotter than the flames dancing from her blade. (Which aren¡¯t hurting like fire? They¡¯re still warm, so¡­ it¡¯s probably based on how much power she puts into it with this being a near minimum. If she turned it off, she¡¯s either giving me a chance or it drains her too fast to be worth it.) Either way it was something he could make use of. ¡°You¡¯re way too calm.¡± Felicia continued, unaware of his thoughts at that moment. ¡°Your eyes are too focused. Jon may spar with Aunt Min but he¡¯s never been in a real fight in his life. And you are way too calm for someone with a sword to their throat.¡± He couldn¡¯t quite help the bark of laughter that escaped him at that, a touch of madness entering his voice. ¡°First off, have you fought my Ma? Second, you¡¯ve got no idea what kind of fights I¡¯ve been in Fe.¡± Felicia flinched back for a moment, giving him the opportunity to grab her sword hand by the wrist and shove it away from him with one hand as he grabbed her ankle with the other and jerked it in the opposite direction sending her toppling on top of him. As he wrapped an arm around her neck, putting her into a simple headlock, he also drew one of the many knives he kept on his person and put it to her throat. The malcontent tensed in his arms the moment the blade touched her skin and he forced himself to take a calming breath because (she¡¯s family not a monster.) Just as he got his wilder side under control, and was about to ask her if they could please talk this out, he felt the heat of one of Felicia¡¯s portals wash over him just before he found the two of them falling through the air. The shock of this provided his cousin with just enough opportunity to drive her elbow into his stomach before ripping his arm off of her and getting ready to kick him away with an agile movement that could not be pulled off by a mundane human. Realizing how dangerous this would be for him at such a height, he wrapped his arms around her waist and hoped his jacket¡¯s enchantments would be enough to tank the blows she rained down on his back.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Let. Fucking. Go!¡± Felicia hissed, and while she couldn¡¯t get the best leverage with him clinging to her, she was able to use her claws to rip massive several tears that cut down to his skin. Eventually though they seemed to get too close to the ground for her to risk landing herself, and so instead she used her claws to tear open another portal. This one launched them horizontally into a tangle of limbs as they rolled across the ground, only separating when Felicia shoved him away extending his own tumble even as hers came to a halt. His back stung as dirt and ash got into the open cuts on his back, but the pain was nothing in the face of the many broken bones he¡¯d fought through before, which is why as he picked himself up he told himself he¡¯d (Just have to keep fighting!) Shaking his head clear, he turned a glare onto his cousin as she picked her blade off the ground, causing him to realize that she was not going to listen to reason. (Fine. She wants to fight. We can fight.) Pulling on the cool warmth of his talisman he pushed his magic into one of his contracts before shoving his hand forward and ordering, ¡°Wolf disable!¡± In a flash of light Wolf burst into existence already sprinting forward, even if his connection to her felt curious behind the aggression. This being the first time he¡¯d summoned her straight into a fight already in progress, her previous summonings having all given her a chance to get her bearings before they had to fight. As angry as he was he still had the thought to add, ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her more than you have to!¡± ¡°So you¡¯re a summoner, eh?¡± Felicia chuckled as she glared at the hound. ¡°You¡¯re going to need a lot more than this bitch to beat me faker!¡± A pang of annoyance passed through his connection to Wolf, not helping his own frustrations. ¡°Yeah, I figure we¡¯ve reached a point where you won¡¯t believe I¡¯m me until I make you believe me.¡± ¡°Yeah, and that isn¡¯t happening.¡± Felicia assured him just as Wolf howled and summoned a couple of her duplicates to fight with her. ¡°Besides, the fact that you know magic is just another point against you being Jon!¡± ¡°Oh, for¡­ Grah!¡± He let out a growl of frustration as he watched Wolf¡¯s clones circle his cousin. ¡°You do know that Miss Edna -the woman I spend every Summer with- is an Arcane right? And that¡¯s not counting Theo being a Practitioner!¡± He¡¯d been content keeping it all a semi-open secret from his family, but the fact was that with her powers and his lack of equipment he could not take Felicia without magic. (His blade tore through flesh, as his teeth sunk into her throat, each stab doing more and more damage as he shredded her organs.) He shook that thought from his head. (At least not without seriously hurting her.) Once more rather than listening to reason Felicia merely scoffed as she swung her blade and ripped open another portal before quickly leaping through it. ¡°Careful, she can come from any angle.¡± He warned Wolf as he started to cautiously make his way towards his canine companion. Wolf gave him a nod as her pack began to circle them, the canine panting far more than usual. Something he found himself doing as well now that things had slowed for a moment. (Why am I so winded? I should be able to fight a lot longer than this.) (Everywhere!) Before he could contemplate that previous thought much further, he found himself dropping to the ground as several portals opened around him, each spitting out a stream of hungry flames surrounding him in a veritable inferno. Rather than reaching him however, these flames were pushed away as a vortex of wind wrapped around him and Wolf, the magical canine manipulating the wind around them in a defensive manner he¡¯d never seen from her. He could feel this clash of elements draining the magic in his amulet, Wolf needing more magic than she could bring to bear to keep up the defense. The fire doing everything it can to devour the air she was bringing to bear and her doing everything she could to push it away. This didn¡¯t scare him since he fully trusted Wolf, (and as psychotic as she apparently is, I don¡¯t think Fe actually has murder in her) what did worry him however was the fact that the more magic Wolf pulled from him the hotter his talisman got. Something he¡¯d never really experienced before. (Then again I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever burned through magic this fast either¡­) Eventually though, after several minutes where the heat made it harder and harder to breathe, his cousin finally ran out of whatever power she was using to create this Hellfire Hurricane around him causing the clash to end. Unfortunately, the sheer amount of power she¡¯d had to channel, combined with the heat, and whatever this place was doing to his connection to her, was more than his canine companion could handle. Which is why as she slowly fell to the ground, his arms just barely managing to catch her, Wolf¡¯s body began to dissolve into particles of light and magic as she was forcibly returned to wherever she came from. (She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s okay, just¡­ she¡¯s just back home¡­) He tried to assure himself, not at all used to his companions being dismissed mid-fight and not at all knowing what state Wolf was in as she returned home. (From the right.) He raised his hand and caught Felicia¡¯s flaming sword with his bare hand, uncaring for the damage it was doing to his flesh, and sure that his little light could fix it the moment he returned to her. Which is why instead of letting it go, he used it as leverage to pull the shocked Malcontent close before slamming his elbow into her face with enough force to break her nose. ¡°Fuck!¡± Felicia cursed as she stumbled back, before being swept off her feet as he swung his leg back and at her ankles. She recovered though before he could act by doing a back handspring which left her unable to change direction as he threw his backup knife at her, catching her in the shoulder and drawing blood. ¡°Shit!¡± With no concern for the damage, Felicia ripped the knife out, causing a small flicker of flame from the wound as she cauterized it shut. A distraction that prevented her from noticing as he broke her one handed grip on her sword, disarming her. Before the blade could touch the ground he grabbed the blade¡¯s handle and -idly noted it burned his skin as he- swung the blade at his opponent¡¯s hip, letting it go before it could actually touch and curling his hands into a fist that he slammed into Felicia¡¯s solar plexus. After pulling his fist back he shifted it into an uppercut that his opponent managed to sway out of the way of, even as she started coughing. He moved to grab her by the throat and felt something wrap around his leg just before a kick to his knee and a carefully timed pull sent him to the ground. And of course Felicia once more tackled him to the ground, this time pinning his arms down with her hands and using her tail to bind his legs. The Malcontent grew a feral grin full of fangs as he found himself unable to move, before she asked, ¡°Any last words before I rip your fucking throat out with my teeth?¡± He glared into Felicia¡¯s hellfire eyes thinking about how (all of this is just like her. Jumping to conclusions and just running with it until we¡¯re all in hot water because she had to pick a fight with someone) before telling her, ¡°Stuff like this is why I¡¯m Jake¡¯s favorite sibling.¡± Felicia¡¯s crimson eyes went wide for a moment as she blinked, taking him in once more before silver eyes narrowed at him. ¡°Oh, you bitch.¡± Thanksgiving (Pt. 5): Cooling Off And Warming Back Up Thanksgiving (Pt. 5): Cooling Off And Warming Back Up --- Felicia Doe-Whitaker --- ¡°Doesn¡¯t that hurt?¡± She found herself asking after they¡¯d broken apart and each taken a minute to cooldown. Jon -her (supposedly) goofy cousin- looked at his hands covered in burns from when he¡¯d grabbed her Infernus, the sword not caring for anyone other than her touching it. (The fact that he swung it at all is insane.) ¡°It stings a bit, but¡­ I¡¯ve had worse.¡± ¡°When?¡± She frowned, her eyes narrowing. Her cousin was quiet for a moment -something that just put her even more on edge- before eventually answering, ¡°I had a really bad summer.¡± ¡°Does Aunty M know?¡± She had to ask, despite being pretty sure the answer was- ¡°No.¡± Jon grimaced before waving a hand between them. ¡°And I¡¯m hoping we can both agree we don¡¯t want her to know about any of this.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that, because while her dad John knew she was a Malcontent, he didn¡¯t actually know what that meant. (Something I don¡¯t doubt Aunty M will know about¡­) ¡°Yeah¡­ let¡¯s not tell Aunt Minnie or Big John about this¡­¡± She agreed. An awkward silence fell over them, during which she could not look away from Jon¡¯s burned hands. ¡°Fuck¡­ Let me see those.¡± Her cousin gave her a curious look as she bit her hand and let her fangs sink into her flesh, causing it to bleed a notable amount for anyone without a healing factor when she let it go. ¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡± Jon asked, his face twisted half way between concern and understanding that she had to have a reason for doing what she did. ¡°Blood has healing properties.¡± She explained, as she smeared her blood onto his burns, knowing that while it wouldn¡¯t be as good as refined Malice it would still be a lot better than simply letting them sit there. ¡°Just give it a second.¡± Jon breathed through his teeth for a moment, before slowly letting out a growl. (Danger. Kill. Burn the sinner! Murder. Destroy. Protect the innocent!) She hissed through her own teeth as she fought down the voices in her head, actively avoiding the script beginning to write at the edge of her vision. ¡°You okay?¡± She blinked, before shaking her head and squinting at her cousin whose teeth were a little too sharp and his eyes practically glowing. ¡°Yeah, just¡­ seeing things¡­ I think¡­¡± ¡°Is it this place?¡± Jon frowned as he looked around the Otherworld. ¡°I can tell it¡¯s messing with me somehow but I don¡¯t know how exactly.¡± ¡°Yeah, no¡­ maybe?¡± She shook her head again. ¡°I¡¯m immune to it but¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Another silence began to build as they said nothing before Jon broke it this time by asking, ¡°So you¡¯re a Malcontent?¡± She let out a scoff. ¡°And you¡¯re an Arcane?¡± ¡°Practitioner.¡± Jon shrugged, before pulling out a necklace with a wooden totem that vaguely reminded her of the sun and moon at the same time. ¡°Take this away and I lose my magic.¡± ¡°Sure you should be telling me that?¡± She wondered as she remembered the last fifteen minutes or so. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot, not malicious.¡± Jon shrugged, seemingly uncaring of the fact that they¡¯d been fighting and that she¡¯d been trying to- (Fuck, I was trying to burn him alive¡­) (Still should.) ¡°Ha, you sure about that?¡± She asked, flashing her eyes with only a touch of bitterness as she was once more reminded why she was the most dangerous member of her family. (They should all suffer for their sins¡­) Jon tilted his head as he watched her, his face scrunching up in the way it did whenever he began to hyper fixate on something he didn¡¯t get the way other people did. Only this time it seemed that something clicked inside his head that normally didn¡¯t. ¡°You¡¯re a Malcontent, so you have Malice in you, which is why you¡¯re so aggressive all the time.¡± Her cousin slowly realized. ¡°That¡¯s not how it works.¡± She frowned, more than aware of the fact that of the four Malcontent she knew she was the only one as aggressive as she was. ¡°And where did you even learn about Malice?¡± (He¡¯d gut us without a second thought!) ¡°Back in Blackwell.¡± Jon answered as if that explained everything. She took a deep breath -forcing down her frustrations both with herself and her cousin- before telling him to ¡°Elaborate. I know absolutely nothing about Blackwell.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Jon rubbed the back of his neck while looking deeply uncomfortable. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s where Miss Edna¡¯s Camp is¡­ and home to some supernatural stuff.¡± ¡°What kind of supernatural stuff?¡± She pressed. ¡°Um, fairies?¡± Jon offered. She returned a dry look. ¡°And¡­ a Dark Lord.¡± (He still keeps secrets!) ¡°A dark lord?¡± She repeated, pointedly ignoring her other self. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Jon trailed off. ¡°He summoned Demons and stuff, so¡­ I know what Malice looks like¡­ Honestly, kind of reminds me of the way this place is making me feel.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She¡¯d never noticed much of a difference between this place and the main world, (beyond my powers being stronger here at least.) ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a¡­ heat to the air, makes it hard to breathe.¡± Jon nodded. ¡°Could be all the fire and lava?¡± She suggested, her own skin being immune to all but the hottest of flames. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Jon frowned. ¡°Still, you spent your summer fighting a Dark Lord who summons Demons and running around with fairies?¡± She asked, before they could get off topic. ¡°Not quite¡­¡± Her cousin grimaced, causing her to narrow her eyes at him as she for once didn¡¯t bother holding back her eyes when they wanted to flash red. ¡°There were zombies too¡­¡± ¡°Zombies? Like Deadmen?¡± She¡¯d only ever met a wandering one once, given how Malice and Ectoplasm apparently didn¡¯t get along for too long. ¡°Not quite.¡± Jon answered again. ¡°They were more¡­ magic lovecraftian zombies.¡± She opened her mouth before closing it, taking another deep breath, and once more telling him to, ¡°Elaborate.¡± ¡°Okay, so, um,¡± Jon ran his hands through his hair, looking increasingly stressed. ¡°There was this Demon tree thing, that was making this black water stuff that turned people, animals, and pretty much anything that drank it into monsters.¡± (The blood of hell drips through the realms¡­) Felica nodded, processing what she could from all of¡­ that. (So a tree was spitting out¡­ Black Malice? Or something like it I guess¡­) She was fully aware that she was probably missing something in there -(a lot of somethings)- especially since out of everyone in the fam, she was the one with the least ¡®book¡¯ smarts when it came to all of this stuff. (Perk of not growing up a science experiment I guess¡­) A part of her wanted to keep pressing, but another part of her could tell that Jon was reaching his ¡®limits¡¯ on all of this. Her cousin always having a lower social stress threshold because of¡­ how he was. (Then again, I¡¯m just as bad for completely different reasons¡­) So instead of asking the hundred and one questions that she had, she put a sword in them for another day and instead asked, ¡°How are your hands doing?¡± Jon flexed his fingers, turning them into fists before pushing them against each other and stretching them out. ¡°Better, but I¡¯ll probably have Pix fix the burns since they¡¯re still a little noticeable.¡± ¡°Pix?¡± She frowned, figuring that if he was involved in the masquerade he¡¯d probably made a few friends in it. ¡°She¡¯s a fairy that I¡­ sort of¡­ snuck into my house¡­¡± Jon explained, a bit of red creeping across his face that she was pretty sure had nothing to do with the heat she couldn¡¯t really feel. ¡°You snuck a fairy into your house.¡± She huffed. ¡°Does Aunty M know about your little pet?¡± Jon¡¯s eyes went wide as he shook his head. ¡°No. No. Ma doesn¡¯t know about any of this magic stuff.¡± She stared at her cousin for a moment. Her goody-two-shoes, snitch to the adults, does whatever he can to help, easily manipulated, and constantly taken advantage of cousin. ¡°Holy shit, you¡¯re finally going through your rebellious phase!¡± She laughed. ¡°What? No. I¡¯m not. What?¡± Jon stuttered out looking equal parts confused and embarrassed. ¡°Oh, are you also sneaking out to hang out with girls at night?¡± She teased, unable to help herself. Jon winced. She froze, before looking her cousin in the eye. ¡°Wait¡­ Do you have a girlfriend?¡± (Because there is no way he got a girlfriend before I got a boyfriend damn it!) ¡°No. I mean, I have friends who are girls, who I hang out with, but¡­ that¡¯s more monster hunting stuff or¡­ experimenting on Demon parts. Not¡­ that!¡± Jon tried (and failed) to explain. She stabbed another sword into that ¡®experimenting on Demon parts bit¡¯ for later as she remembered this was Jon, and he was literally born without a social manual. (Meaning even if a girl was interested in him he¡¯d have no way of telling unless they did something so blatant I¡¯d have to burn them alive.) (Yeah, thinking about it like that¡­) ¡°How many friends have you made?¡± She wondered, before adding that, ¡°I mean, you never really made friends outside of the family.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Because of magic stuff?¡± Jon checked, before coughing into his hand. ¡°There¡¯s, uh, Pix and Ying, of course¡­ My summons¡­ Wolf, Noctis, and Melon... Then there¡¯s Samantha, Artemis, Audrey, and Val, and I think those are the only ones I¡¯ve hung out with more than once. Oh, though I do have a magic cooking club with Daisy, Travis, and Miss Edna¡¯s sister¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but let out a snort as her cousin rambled on. (And of course he joined a magic cooking club¡­) Jon let out a cough. ¡°But, uh, I¡¯m not actually sure if she counts as a friend or an adoptive aunt or what. And I guess Guy and I sort of get each other?¡± ¡°And that is more friends than you have ever mentioned before.¡± She noted, not sure if she should be glad that he¡¯s getting out of his shell or jealous because (he¡¯s got more friends than me at the very least¡­) ¡°It is isn¡¯t it¡­¡± Jon coughed again, interrupting whatever revelation he was in the middle of. ¡°You alright?¡± She frowned, when his coughing didn¡¯t stop. Jon nodded. ¡°Yeah, just¡­ I think the air is getting worse or something¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but grimace at the reminder that this place was apparently toxic to anyone that wasn¡¯t her. ¡°Right, sorry, forgot about- Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Not bothering to wait for his answer, she grabbed her blade and, upon feeling the way her blood immediately began to boil, tore open another realm rift. Her absolute proprioception allowing her to easily recall exactly where Jon¡¯s room was even after several months and more than a few dimensional hops since her last visit. ¡°Come on. This¡¯ll take us back to your room.¡± She told him, offering her hand to help him off the ground. Jon took it without hesitation, before stepping through the portal without another question. Now alone she stood there for a moment, a part of her glad that Jon was willing to trust her so readily, and another thinking, (If he¡¯s this trusting, the masquerade is going to eat him alive¡­) She was going to have to do something about that. (Can¡¯t let anyone hurt family after all.) (We¡¯ll drag them all to hell if they try~) Thanksgiving (Pt. 6): Family Gatherings Thanksgiving (Pt. 6): Family Gatherings --- Jon Whitaker --- Stepping out of the heat from Felicia¡¯s portal he found himself in his room rather than the hall they¡¯d started their fight in, (which is probably a good thing¡­) He glanced at his burnt hands before whistling, ¡°Pix!¡± because even with whatever his cousin had done with her blood there was still a faint stinging in them, as well as more than enough damage for his Ma to spot the moment she saw him. From within the borderline forest of plants sitting by his windowsill, Pix cautiously stuck her head out, her eyes darting to the portal behind him as Felicia stepped through. ¡°It¡¯s fine, this is my cousin Felicia. She doesn¡¯t mean any harm.¡± He assured the little fairy as she cautiously flew forward. ¡°That said, I did end up hurting myself when I grabbed her enchanted sword.¡± Pix gave him a dry look and a light zap between his eyes before promptly flying around his hands and filling them with her own healing magic, mending them until they were as good as new. ¡°Huh, you really do have a pet fairy.¡± Fe noted with only a touch of surprise. Said fairy let out an offended chirp followed by a ranting series of tweets as she quickly got over her caution of his cousin. ¡°Pretty sure she¡¯s telling you I¡¯m her pet.¡± He huffed, more amused than anything. Felicia gave him a worried look. ¡°Uh, that¡¯s figurative right? Because with what little I know about the Fae¡­¡± He grimaced. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s uh¡­ we¡¯ve got a contract, but¡­ I¡¯m not worried about it since she¡¯s not that kind of Fae.¡± Admittedly that might change depending on how her whole ¡®magical evolution¡¯ thing worked, but he doubted it could change their relationship that much. ¡°Honestly, she¡¯s more like a sapient cat in personality than anything.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± Felicia told him before glancing at his hands. ¡°She at least fix your hands up like you wanted?¡± ¡°Good as new.¡± He nodded, showing them off. ¡°Huh, can¡¯t even make out a scar.¡± His cousin blinked in surprise. ¡°And trust me when I say, Infernus leaves scars.¡± ¡°Eh, Pix is just that good.¡± He shrugged, petting the preening fairy between her antenna. Fe gave him an odd look before shaking her head. ¡°Still we should probably head out, everyone is probably wondering where we disappeared to.¡± He snapped his fingers. ¡°Oh, yeah! I promised to sneak Jake some treats!¡± ¡°Of course you did.¡± Fe scoffed. ¡°You have to bribe the kid to be his favorite for the day.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got to make up for lost time.¡± He pointed out before pausing as he realized Pix was blocking his path with her arms crossed. It took him a moment to realize what she wanted before rolling his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll sneak you some treats too.¡± Pix let out an excited chirp before doing a loop-de-loop and flying back into her little garden. Fe watched the fairy go before asking, ¡°Does Aunty M realize you have?¡± ¡°No.¡± There¡¯d been a couple of close calls but, ¡°I¡¯ve made sure she hasn¡¯t realized I¡¯ve got Pix with me.¡± ¡°So you snuck a pet girl to live with you in your house?¡± His cousin clarified with a raised brow. He took a deep breath before letting it out. ¡°I get enough of that from Ma and Miss Edna.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re still doing it, you really aren¡¯t.¡± Fe argued as he chose to just ignore her and open the door to the hall. Slipping into the kitchen he found his younger cousin having already swiped a couple of cookies on his own. ¡°You know you stealing the cookies kind of defeats the purpose of me sneaking you them.¡± He dryly noted, causing the kid to jump a literal foot into the air. (Hmm, I wonder if he¡¯s a Deviant too?) He glanced at Felicia curiously, causing the girl to wince before giving him a nod as she quietly told him, ¡°We, uh, we get it from our mom¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± He didn¡¯t really remember his aunt, given how her passing was the whole reason he and his ma had spent several years living with his uncle and cousins. (But she was important to them so¡­ that makes her important.) Jake finally swallowed down the cookies he¡¯d stuffed into his mouth before telling him that, ¡°You were taking too long.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Fe and I had something to talk about. Blame her.¡± He shrugged, having zero problem throwing his cousin under the bus. ¡°Not my fault you¡¯ve got this going on.¡± Felicia argued with a gesture towards¡­ all of him. ¡°And it¡¯s not my fault you¡¯ve got this going on.¡± He nodded, mimicking her gesture before turning his attention back to his younger cousin. ¡°That said, it is my fault that you¡¯re getting cut off before you can really spoil your appetite.¡± Jake pouted up at him as he stood in front of the cookies. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s uh, that¡¯s not really a problem with us.¡± Fe warned him as she swiped another cookie and tossed it Jake¡¯s way. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad for him since he¡¯s a kid, but our metabolism gets¡­ weird.¡± ¡°Weird how?¡± He frowned as he nudged his younger cousin out of the kitchen. ¡°Weird.¡± His Deviant cousin reiterated, before deciding to leave it at that as she moved to swipe another cookie. First with her hand, and then with her tail when he moved to stop her. (Right, going to have to get used to that¡­) He realized as she tossed Jake a second cookie as he passed her by. ¡°Thanks Fe, you¡¯re the best!¡± His younger cousin called, earning a smug look on the elder. ¡°Anyway, noticed you made¡­ a lot of food here.¡± Felicia admitted as she looked around the kitchen. ¡°Even counting how many of us there are, I mean¡­ is that a second turkey?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking the leftovers out to some of the homeless in the area later.¡± He explained, as he slid the cookies back into the oven below said turkey so she couldn¡¯t swipe anymore to buy off Jake¡¯s affection. (Only one of us is allowed to do that.) ¡°Figure we¡¯ve got enough, that there¡¯s no reason not to share it with those who don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Sounds nice.¡± His cousin smiled before using a finger to open a small portal, reaching inside and pulling out another cookie. He narrowed his eyes as she plopped the cookie in her mouth. (Note to self, figure out how to kill portals¡­) ¡°Oh, there you two are.¡± His ma¡¯s voice cut in. ¡°Didn¡¯t notice you guys coming inside.¡± ¡°Yeah, we uh¡­¡± He ran a hand across the back of his neck trying to come up with a half-truth as his ma passed him by for the fridge. ¡°That was me.¡± Fe cut in, earning a curiously confused look from the two other Whitakers in the room. ¡°Okay?¡± His Ma frowned at the odd note. ¡°Right, no. Fumbled that.¡± Felicia grimaced, before raising a hand. ¡°There¡¯s a thing I¡¯m trying to say.¡± His ma glanced his way before nodding slowly. ¡°And that is¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Deviant.¡± Fe answered, bring both him and his Ma up short. (She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s admitting it that easily?) ¡°R-really?¡± His Ma blinked. ¡°Uh¡­ is this something you¡¯ve told John- Er, big John?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. He knows¡­ we, I get it from my mom.¡± Felicia tried to explain, as she stressed herself out with this. ¡°Um, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s part of why we ended up moving to their town, to help me figure¡­ things out.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± His Ma nodded, clearly not sure what to do here. A state he¡¯d rarely seen her in. ¡°That¡¯s, um, I¡¯m uh, I¡¯m glad you feel comfortable telling me?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡­ when mom passed you¡­ you and Jon were there and¡­¡± His Ma drew her niece into a hug, seeing how difficult this was and he patted Fe¡¯s shoulder not entirely sure if he should interrupt or not. After a moment, Felicia stepped away from his Ma while wiping at her eyes. ¡°Any-anyway, I know Mags is an M.A.D. and Theo is a practitioner, so now that I¡­ sort of know what I¡¯ve got going on there¡¯s uh, there¡¯s no reason not to tell you guys that I¡¯m a¡­ Deviant.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, this doesn¡¯t change anything kiddo.¡± His ma promised, leaving an arm around Fe¡¯s shoulder as she gave the younger woman a soft smile. ¡°You¡¯re still my little Fe-Fe, and I¡¯m still your Aunty M? Okay?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Felicia nodded. ¡°But part of why I was telling you this is¡­ I kind of want to come around more often?¡± ¡°Of course! I mean¡­ Me and John will have to work something out to get you here, but you¡¯re always welcome in our home Fe.¡± His Ma smiled, before something in her expression cracked. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯ve got to ask¡­ Is everything alright, back home? With your mom¡¯s family?¡± ¡°Yeah, no, no they¡¯re¡­ great, it¡¯s just¡­ they¡¯re not you guys.¡± Fe told her, glancing his way. ¡°And um, one of my Deviant things is that I can sort of¡­ teleport places I¡¯ve been and so¡­ it¡¯s not as hard for me to just¡­ pop up here. And I know Jake would love to spend more time with both of you guys too.¡± His Ma blinked. ¡°That¡­ that would be great!¡± ¡°Uh, everything alright in here?¡± A cautious voice called. The three of them turned towards Big John standing in the doorway to the kitchen, I couldn¡¯t really hear but¡­ things were looking emotional in here and¡­ is everything alright?¡± His uncle fretted. ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± Fe wiped at her eyes. ¡°Yeah, I was¡­ I was just telling Aunty M that I uh, that I¡¯m a Deviant.¡± Big John¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Oh! R-really?!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, just¡­ come with me.¡± Felicia told her adoptive father as she dragged him out of the kitchen leaving him and his ma alone in the kitchen, each of them processing what just happened. Eventually, he found himself saying, ¡°You know she¡¯s doing this because of you getting hospitalized, right?¡± It was the only thing that really made sense to him. ¡°I know¡­¡± His Ma sighed, running a hand down her face. ¡°Theo and Mags are acting pretty much the same way. Both of them want to start physically checking instead of just phone calls all the time¡­ It¡¯s annoying, but I get it. The only part that gets me is Felicia¡¯s portal thing¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned. ¡°Going off experience, portals are tricky and Fe ¡®s had her Deviancy for maybe two years now, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m comfortable with her using them to visit us all the time.¡± His Ma admitted with a concerned look towards the hall. ¡°I might have to talk with John about driving her out for weekends or something.¡± ¡°Well¡­ it can¡¯t hurt to see everyone more often?¡± He shrugged, knowing how much he¡¯d missed everyone when he and his Ma first went their own way. ¡°Yeah, it can¡¯t.¡± His Ma agreed with a soft grin, before blinking. ¡°Are those burn marks on your shirt?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Trail 65: Family Consequences Trail 65: Family Consequences --- Jon Whitaker --- ¡°So what exactly do you guys do for your whole ¡®training¡¯ thing?¡± Felicia asked, his uncle and cousins apparently having decided to stick around for the weekend while his Ma and Big John worked out what they were going to do about Felicia. ¡°A bit of this, and a bit of that.¡± His Ma answered as she and he both stretched. ¡°You don¡¯t remember what we used to do back when we all lived together?¡± ¡°Uh, not really?¡± Fe shrugged, barely stretching compared to them. ¡°I mean, I was active but I never really joined in outside of those prank wars you guys do or those self defense lessons you used to give me.¡± ¡°Well we still do those.¡± His Ma assured her, while blatantly not telling her just how far those things tended to escalate ever since it became just the two of them. (And Brutus.) ¡°Today we¡¯re just going to go for a run.¡± He added taking a few steps back to get a decent start. ¡°I mean, I guess this place has enough space for pacers or something but wouldn¡¯t a couple blocks around the neighborhood be better?¡± Felicia frowned as she looked around the roof. ¡°You¡¯d think that.¡± Miss Edna scoffed from where she was sitting on the roof reading a book, his second parent having insisted on joining them even if she wasn¡¯t actually going to join them on their run. ¡°Right, on my mark¡­¡± His Ma told everyone as they both took a runner¡¯s stance, something Fe did too after a moment, albeit sloppier. ¡°Go!¡± He and his Ma both took off running forward and toward the edge of the roof before jumping the gap to the next even as Felicia stumbled to a stop behind them. ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you coming?¡± His Ma called back with a smirk. He faintly made out Miss Edna laughing at his cousin¡¯s face and telling the younger girl. ¡°Yeah, they do stuff like this all the time.¡± Felicia frowned before taking a few steps back and leaping across the gap with a running start of her own, something he¡¯d known she¡¯d be able to pull off even if his Ma had been a bit skeptical. ¡°Huh, so you do got some mobility.¡± His Ma chuckled. ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± His cousin nodded. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see just how mobile you are.¡± His Ma grinned before taking off and setting their course. Scene Consequences -Thanks to Ma gained (2XP) to Mobility, increased by 1 thanks to Felicia¡¯s presence. --Currently: Lv. 7 (9/16) --- ¡°You and Aunty M are insane.¡± Felicia told him as she collapsed on top of his bed still sweating after their run. (Gross¡­) ¡°Don¡¯t you have a healing factor? Shouldn¡¯t a run like that be easy for you?¡± He frowned, tempted to drag her off. (She¡¯d heal from hitting her head on the floor.) ¡°I do, and super strength, speed, and more general badassery.¡± Fe confirmed with a nod. ¡°You guys however¡­ don¡¯t.¡± ¡°We were only out there for like an hour.¡± He reminded her, thinking that was nothing compared to when they usually decided to ¡®push it¡¯. ¡°Ma was taking it easy on you.¡± Felicia gave him a skeptical look. ¡°Roof running is taking it easy on me?¡± ¡°Join us for our other games.¡± He grinned, wondering how¡¯d she¡¯d do with hide and seek.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! He grabbed her backpack full of clothes before chucking it at Felicia. ¡°Now go take a shower, you¡¯re getting my bed dirty.¡± Felicia looked him dead in the eye before flopping back and rolling all over his bed. When she was done she hopped onto her feet and walked out of his room without a word, her smirk saying everything she wanted to. His eyes never left the covers he was going to have to wash now as he waited for the bathroom door down the hall to close before calling out for, ¡°Pix.¡± The little fairy gave him a curious tweet as she flew out of her garden. ¡°Let¡¯s go talk to Miss Edna¡­ We need to work on your illusions.¡± Scene Consequences -Pix Level Up, X 2. --Currently: Illusionary Trap Lv. 3 -(Strike one¡­) --- ¡°You really didn¡¯t have to come, you know?¡± His Ma frowned looking at him. ¡°I know, but¡­¡± He¡¯d been a little¡­ iffy about following his Ma back to the station given what had happened the last time they¡¯d been there, but at the same time he wasn¡¯t in much of a hurry to let her go back by herself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry we¡¯ll be fine.¡± His Ma promised, a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I know.¡± After all, he¡¯d murder anything that threatened his Ma. He rolled his shoulders before letting out a sigh and jokingly admitting that, ¡°I just needed an alibi.¡± His Ma paused. ¡°For?¡± ¡°Something.¡± He answered. His Ma gave him a look. ¡°Something funny?¡± ¡°Depends on if I get caught.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Good enough.¡± His Ma huffed as they started making their way through the station proper, a number of fearful or worried eyes turning their way. Something that made sense given his Ma¡¯s reputation, absence, and now return. Or rather it would¡¯ve if those eyes weren¡¯t more focused on him for some reason, a fact that was putting him and his Ma on edge. Enough so that they both let out a sigh of relief when his Ma¡¯s pseudo partner Garcia showed up with the first friendly face they¡¯d seen since stepping inside. ¡°You really are too tough of a bitch to keep down, huh, Whitaker?¡± Garcia laughed as she pulled his Ma into a hug. ¡°Not the first person to tell me that.¡± His Ma tried to grin as she rolled her shoulder. ¡°Admittedly, I¡¯m still not at a hundred percent but I¡¯m getting there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Garcia smiled back. ¡°Was honestly worried about you, the whole Creep thing was¡­ It¡¯s usually not as bad as it was this time.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ve heard.¡± His Ma nodded, her eyes darting around the room. ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t know what¡¯s up with¡­ this?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­¡± Garcia glanced at him before wincing. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if he told you but apparently before¡­ everything Jon uh, Jon saved a few kids that had gotten lost in the station¡­ from a Creep.¡± His Ma frowned in thought. ¡°Right, uh, he was telling me about that before I got bit¡­ I think.¡± ¡°Well, um, when you got hurt he kind of¡­ got a few of them on his way out¡­¡± Garcia trailed off as she glanced at him unsurely. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t really remember a lot after Ma got hurt.¡± He admitted, fully aware that he hadn¡¯t just let the beast in his head out so much as given it free reign that night. Everything up until he found the Horror little more than blur to him. His Ma gave him a concerned look. ¡°It was a rough night all around.¡± ¡°It was.¡± Garcia swallowed. ¡°Anyway, more than one person saw Jon kill a Creep¡­ by ripping its throat out¡­ with his teeth¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­ right¡­¡± He¡¯d forgotten he¡¯d done that, (before Ma even got hurt¡­) He was pretty sure he¡¯d done a lot worse to every other Creep he could find that night, but he was glad most of those hadn¡¯t had witnesses outside of the Southside Coven. (Which would kind of explain why Artemis was so tense around me¡­) ¡°I see¡­¡± His Ma hummed, her expression unknown since he couldn¡¯t bring himself to look her way. ¡°The apple doesn¡¯t fall far I guess.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He blinked looking at his Ma in confusion, something that was matched by Garcia. ¡°Oh, well you see back when I was overseas,¡± His Ma began, her voice slowly rising in volume. ¡°I got captured by these assholes, and while I was locked up one of them thought they could get handsy with me.¡± (KILL. SLAUGHTER! MURDER THEM ALL!!!) ¡°So of course when he tried reaching for my clothes, I reached for his throat. With my teeth.¡± His Ma chomped into a vicious smile, as his head suddenly cleared. ¡°Tore his throat out and use his still warm blood as a lubricant to slip my cuffs, before stealing a gun off his cooling corpse, shooting his five buddies dead, and then walking five miles through the desert trying to get a signal on my radio for pickup.¡± His Ma laughed, in a way that made Garcia take a step back even as it reassured him.¡°You should¡¯ve seen your Mags and Theo¡¯s faces when they saw me covered in drying blood~ Probably looked like you did when you found me on the roof surrounded by dead Creeps!¡± She slung an arm around his shoulder, her fingers running through his hair as she gave him a soft smile. ¡°No matter how you look at it, you''re my kid through and through.¡± Her eyes moved across the room as something in them shifted, something familiar. ¡°And nobody fucks with my kid...¡± Understanding The Madness Of The Void Understanding The Madness Of The Void --- Jon Whitaker --- He once more walked down the steps into DeSade¡¯s basement, the Dark Lord¡¯s demonic butler following behind him. The basement had somewhat transformed over the course of the week, a massive and complicated spell circuit drawn into the ground before breaking off into several smaller sub-circuits. Each with a small pillar in the center covered in even more eldritch scripts, leading to gems of various types to form a second circle around the central. All of this was illuminated by a ring of candles to form a third layer of protection to contain and separate whatever they were about to summon. Despite himself, he couldn¡¯t help but look at the pillar standing in the center of all this, the chained chest atop it containing the Void Core and sealing the Madness within. ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± DeSade asked him as the older man walked around the ring of candles while reading a book in hand, making sure that absolutely nothing was wrong for what they were about to attempt. He couldn¡¯t help but scoff. ¡°If I said no would either of us actually stop at this point?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t think we would.¡± The Dark Lord confessed as he snapped his book close with a smirk. ¡°Not so long as our work is left undone.¡± ¡°The hunt must be finished.¡± He nodded, the beast in his head patiently awaiting its prey. ¡°When you¡¯ve steeled yourself simply open the chest and the ritual will begin.¡± DeSade told him. ¡°Beyond that, what happens is in your hands and yours alone.¡± ¡°Right, I¡¯ve still got to negotiate with whatever we fish out of the void.¡± He swallowed, stepping past the circle of candles. ¡°Any tips on that?¡± ¡°Entities of Madness are normally beyond the understanding of man, each and every one insane to the human mind. That said, they can be understood by man, if the human in question is already mad.¡± DeSade explained to him once more. ¡°In the Abyss that is the Black Briar thought is more important than any other aspect of reality, as such ignore the whispers that you cannot understand and focus on the ones bound to your own madness. For in the world of Madness, only the mad are sane.¡± The older man sighed, with a bitter chuckle. ¡°That is the true strength and danger of this ritual in the end, for in many ways our individual madnesses are both our safety and our freedom. So to seek something in the Abyss that understands that Madness is to enslave a part of both ourselves and it to one and other.¡± ¡°Is wanting to be understood really that bad?¡± He had to wonder, his fingers on the box that he knew wanted to be open. ¡°Not so long as you truly understand each other.¡± DeSade admitted with a wry grin to his voice. ¡°Just be careful that the thing you understand is not merely the part of you wishing to be understood. For in such a case only one of you would be enslaved to the other¡­¡± He considered that final lesson for a moment, before opening the box and seeing if he was truly mad enough to understand the abyss. The darkness wrapped around him, Black Briar growing forth from the box and devouring the light as it embraced him, refusing to share anything. His drifted across the space as it grew dark, darker, and yet darker still as the shadows became darker than black. An existence cold and suffocating, as if he was a thousand leagues below in the darkest abyss of the seas. A pressure filled his mind, one oh so familiar as its fingers ran across his thoughts.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Fingers that retracted as the beast in his mind hungrily nipped at them, almost desperate to have something squirming between its teeth. Teeth that ground against each other in his mouth as he panted through them, the taste of iron on his tongue as he slowly began to breathe. He blinked, realizing he was kneeling on a forest floor, a crescent moon looking down on him from above. A moon that hungered for the hunt, it¡¯s light but the smile of the void. All around the winds whispered, the chitter of insects carrying on a salt water breeze like a secret just for him. He clinched his eyes shut, and told himself to, ¡°Focus¡­ Focus on what you can under- understand¡­¡± (What¡­ what do I understand?) He¡­ he understood the hunt, the pursuit of something no matter how dangerous. The buzzing of insects grew louder, the salt on the wind thick enough to taste, and the secrets buried ever deeper. It all made his mouth water¡­ Pushing against the pressure growing ever heavier, he forced himself onto his feet, using a nearby tree to prop himself up as he stood. Breathing through his teeth, he needed, (need to focus¡­ need to¡­ need to¡­) He punched the tree as hard as he could, let its wood bite into his hand deep enough to hurt. (Pain¡­ I understand pain¡­) The salt stung at the tear in his flesh, the secrets¡¯ truth hurt to hear, and the insects screamed at their loss¡­ Pangs of hunger tore through his empty stomach¡­ He clutched his stomach as he stumbled forward in search of- of¡­ something¡­ The distance didn¡¯t matter, be it mere steps or worlds away, so long as he found that thing he was looking for¡­ hunting for¡­ HuNgRY for¡­ He could hear the sealife splashing across waves, buzzing of wings as they descended upon their prey, and while the secrets were tasty they proved unfilling¡­ They did nothing to sate his HuNgER¡­ Something moved in front of him, and more on instinct than anything else, he lunged forward digging his teeth into it killing/consuming/devouring it. When it quit moving he found himself alone in an empty clearing, blood on his hands¡­ he understood this. He did not like it, but he understood. He understood what it was to be alone and wish you weren¡¯t. The skittering of a swarm never alone grew distant, almost like the sea content with its solitude¡­ Loneliness hurt, almost like a second unending hUNgeR in the heart¡­ And just like the hunger in his stomach, the hunger in his heart drove him on. More things moved near him, and he tried to focus on it, focus on something that wouldn¡¯t leave him alone, and for a brief moment he caught sight of someone who smiled at him¡­ only for the pangs of HUNGER to flare and his maw to open wide. Again and again this happened, as again and again they hurt the ones close to them not because they wanted to but because of a part of them that they couldn¡¯t control. Ying¡¯s broken and bloodied corpse laid on the ground, her face shifting to Miss Edna¡¯s worried looks as he returned covered in blood, the slight concern to his mother¡¯s eyes whenever she knew he was holding something back, Artemis¡¯s fear whenever she flinched away, the anger of Felicia¡¯s snarl when they fought. He understood what it meant to hurt someone you cared about. The ever silent swarm did not¡­ In front of him was a massive beast, so large it couldn¡¯t be comprehended from so close. Across its slick inky black body were hundreds of hungering mouths, each full of fangs ready to devour reality itself. Something it was liable to do as it shivered, the painful grumble of its stomach loud enough to shake the very world. A single pale eye looking so much like a full moon opened, his reflection looking back from within it as he placed his hand on the beast, unafraid of its many mouths even as they nipped at his flesh. After all, the pain was so much less than what they both knew, what they¡¯d both been through. Pain he hoped he could aleve at least somewhat, because the fact was as tears fell down his face¡­ ¡°I understand.¡± Reaching An Understanding With The Void (Pt. II) Reaching An Understanding With The Void (Pt. II) --- Jon Whitaker --- Something reached out to meet him as his words echoed, before darkness burst forth, flooding the world in an abyss both darker than black and yet filled with every color. His eyes never left the full moon like an eye reflecting his image, even as the massive creature began to curl around him with a hundred hungering maws. A snake coiling around the prey that it would strangle and devour in single go before rendering it into nothingness. Still he never looked away, because he understood the creature in front of him. The one reaching out as it tried to understand the entity that knew its hunger, knew the pain it had inflicted, and yet still reached out to it. The eye began to shift and shiver as he gazed into its endlessness without flinching away, before wrapped around him in its entirety. The darkness around him shifted as it lost some of its weight still very clearly there even if not in the same way he was here. As this weight fell away he crouched down as he stared into the moon, a second one joining it as they stared surrounded by a dark night full of stars. A night that slowly filled with pale grey clouds one moment from giving way to a kind moonlight and another from revealing the endless hungering abyss it hid. Much like he was always a moment from kindness and another from violence. Which is why he reached out and ruffled the long mess of silvery hair, that faintly glistened with the glow of galaxies as it shifted. Pale wide eyes continued to stare at him, even as he reached into one of his pockets and withdrew one of the treats he carried for the kids around his apartment and offered it to the person in front of him. ¡°Hungry?¡± The eyes looked at the treat before ever so slowly the person opened their maw full of row upon row of pointed teeth, all leading down into an abyss full of the stars they had eaten before chomping on his hand and the treat in a single bite. He simply stared at the eldritch entity with its mouth around his hand understanding what was happening, and simply waited until his hand was let go without harm, the treat having disappeared into their maw. The eldritch entity stared at him with their full moon eyes before opening their mouth once more, as if asking for another snack. Which is why he threw one into their waiting maw, and watched as they swallowed it in a single gulp. ¡°You know you¡¯d enjoy it more if you actually chewed it before swallowing it.¡± He chuckled as he pulled out another treat, fully aware of just how hungry they were. (How they¡¯ll always be hungry¡­) The person once more caught the treat before pouting with a mouth full of food as they told him, ¡°That means it takes longer to eat it¡­¡± ¡°True¡­¡± He conceded, before pointing out that, ¡°But if you eat it slower it¡¯ll last you longer.¡± ¡°But that means my stomach is empty longer¡­ Ahh.¡± The person opened their mouth, waiting for another treat. ¡°Perhaps.¡± He shrugged, breaking the next treat in half before tossing one of them into the abyss that was quite possibly a black hole of a stomach. ¡°Though that depends on how filling something is. Since I doubt the problem is actual calorie consumption.¡± The person tilted their head. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Just thinking aloud.¡± He explained, tossing the second half of the treat before pulling out his last one and pulling off the smallest bit possible. ¡°What do you think about drinks?¡± ¡°Yummy.¡± The eldritch entity smiled, before catching the treat too small for anyone in their mouth. ¡°And they make the pain stop until it''s all gone.¡± ¡°I thought so.¡± He nodded, throwing another small bit into their mouth. ¡°How long after eating does it take before the hunger starts hurting again?¡± The person gave him a worried look, before slowly admitting that, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt when I eat but¡­ It hurts when I don¡¯t¡­ And it hurts more the longer I go without eating until I¡­ until I¡­¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He told them with a soft smile as he rubbed the top of their head before they could truly work themselves into a fit. ¡°I know. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± The person shook their head beneath his hand, the shadow around the both of them becoming a little more solid with the denial as their mind drifted. ¡°Ah.¡± He scolded with a swat to the top of their head. ¡°You know the difference between friend and food.¡± ¡°Not always¡­¡± A quiet voice confessed, with no small amount of shame. ¡°Then when you forget I¡¯ll simply tell you the difference.¡± He promised. ¡°And if I forget you¡¯re not food?¡± They asked, voicing what he understood to be their greatest fear. He closed his eyes and gave her a smile, before opening his eyes and explaining that, ¡°I¡¯ll simply hunt you down like the animal you are and domesticate you.¡± That¡¯s what hunters did to cats, wolfs, foxes, and so many other animals after all. Twin pale moon eyes of the void-kin stared at him, and the beast stared back through forest green eyes. ¡°Okay.¡± The maw of the void swallowed. ¡°Good.¡± He nodded, giving them another piece of their treat and another head pat. (I knew they¡¯d understand.) ¡°So¡­ what now?¡± The eldritch entity asked. He considered that for a moment, looking around the darker than black space around them and the rainbow of colors lurking within. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know how to get me back to where I was before coming here? I¡¯d have more treats there.¡± The person in front of him scrunched their face up in thought, before looking around as the weightless shadow seemed to shift around the hunter and the maw. Eventually though they shook their head. He clicked his tongue thinking about the bits of the ritual he¡¯d helped DeSade set up, knowing that as dangerous as the man was he wouldn¡¯t leave Jon without an escape rope. If only because he wouldn¡¯t learn the results of his experiment otherwise. (He would however hide it behind something to make sure I stayed until the job was done¡­) As they both stood there in an awkward silence as he tried to make his last treat last, he slowly remembered an old rule of contracting. One that with most of his Summons being non-verbal, he¡¯d almost forgotten. Namely, one of the most important parts of contracting was that both entities signed it -even non-verbally- with their names. (The first step in understanding each other is to identify each other as the name contains the concept of self.) And so he turned towards the maw of the void and asked something he probably should¡¯ve asked sooner, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Pale moon eyes blinked at him, before slowly tilting to the side. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± He frowned. ¡°If it was tasty I probably ate it¡­¡± The maw of the void admitted with just a touch of embarrassment. (That¡­) His face twisted before he let out a sigh. ¡°Right¡­¡± Deciding it best to just let it go for now, he ran a hand down his face as he told them. ¡°I need something to call you¡­¡± The eldritch entity looked at him. ¡°What do you want to call me?¡± ¡°What do you want me to call you?¡± He asked back, since this would be their name. ¡°Mmm, something tasty.¡± The maw of the void eventually nodded. ¡°Something¡­ tasty¡­¡± He repeated, before actually thinking about it. Or rather thinking about some of the various spices he knew also doubled as names. ¡°How about¡­ Basil Thyme?¡± ¡°Basil Thyme¡­¡± They said, almost -(and possibly literally)- tasting the name. ¡°I like it.¡± ¡°Well, Basil, I¡¯m Jon¡­ Jon Whitaker.¡± He introduced himself. ¡°And I¡¯m Basil Thyme.¡± The maw of the void nodded back, before their tongue shot out and they stole the rest of the treat he¡¯d been slowly feeding them. ¡°And I¡¯m hungry.¡± He grimaced, aware that that had been his last snack, before noticing how a circle of crimson light was slowly carving itself into the ground. One that he vaguely recognized as the same Spell Circuit that he¡¯d spent the last week helping DeSade set up. Once fully drawn a circle of candles flashed into existence around the circuit, and from each flame a small crack began to spread through reality. The rainbow like light of each highlighting the shadow that surrounded Basil. There was a brief moment where everything froze, before reality itself shattered the darkness leaving Jon and a shadowless Basil standing in the center of the ritual circle he¡¯d helped set up in DeSade¡¯s basement. Looking around he found DeSade standing behind him near the entrance to the room, an odd look on his face as he glanced over Jon¡¯s shoulder before pinching the bridge of his nose and let out arguably the most disappointed sigh Jon had ever heard. ¡°Of course the void entity you summon manifests as a teenage girl¡­ A naked teenage girl.¡± Refusing to turn around he couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he admitted that, ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if human anatomy applied to them.¡± (And I was trying not to look...) Without lifting his hand from his face the dark lord snapped his fingers and summoned his deer skulled butler. ¡°Sebastian, find the girl clothing. There are enough depraved rich men that I do not need their reputations dragging mine down. Jon, follow.¡± Orders given -and without looking up- DeSade turned on his heel and started up the steps out of the basement as his butler burst into flames, leaving Jon alone with what was apparently a naked girl, albeit an eldritch horror of a girl. ¡°Jon?¡± Basil asked. ¡°Yes¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°What¡¯s a girl? Are they tasty?¡± Understanding The Void (Pt. III): Dark Dealings And Reminders Understanding The Void (Pt. III): Dark Dealings And Reminders --- Jon Whitaker --- ¡°You¡¯ve one week left to prepare.¡± DeSade told him once the two of them had reconvened in the Dark Lord¡¯s study. ¡°Given how our lesson focused on our ritual today, how do you feel your own ventures have progressed this past week?¡± He considered how to answer the question, knowing that he could trust DeSade to help him kill the Halloween Horror as planned, but not trusting him beyond that. ¡°My¡­ associate and I finished the first in a series of projects using the Horror¡¯s arm. Admittedly, this wasn¡¯t using my cut, but depending on how things go we might be able to push out two more cuts before the end of the week.¡± ¡°Good, though you should avoid rushing a Demonic Armament. Especially if you intend on combating the same Demon you harvested the material from. Better one Armament loyal, than two that betray.¡± DeSade warned him. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve figured out how to keep two Contracts active at once, which should allow me to bring both Pix and Basil with me when you send me in.¡± He added. ¡°Based on what I picked up from Basil, she should be able to put out a powerful offensive while Pix handles any healing.¡± ¡°Good, hopefully this event wasn¡¯t fully corrupted by teenage hormones.¡± DeSade nodded. ¡°And your foresight here will be additionally effective given how my initial plan included sending your fairy with you into the Horror¡¯s seal. Thus freeing your contracting capacity for an additional ally.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sending me into the Horror¡¯s Seal.¡± He frowned. ¡°If we were to drag it into the open for you to fight, I would not be able to cover it up like I would the extraction of the beast¡¯s corpse. Sanctuary and the local Watcher for the Arcane Association would both be alerted within moments otherwise.¡± The Devil of Blackwell explained. He couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes as he realized. ¡°It would also make disposing of my body should I fail extremely convenient wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It would.¡± DeSade smirked. ¡°Still given the circumstances and your association with Ms. Zhang, the spell I¡¯m preparing will allow for the entrance and egress of you and two others.¡± ¡°Meaning I could bring two people in with me if I still summon Pix.¡± He figured, his mind thinking of the numerous hunters he¡¯d befriended over the last few weeks. ¡°If you wish to put more faith in one of your associates than your contracts, then so be it.¡± DeSade shrugged, before narrowing his own eyes. ¡°Just be sure that whoever you do decide to bring with you, knows how to be discreet. Regardless of our success in killing the Horror, what we¡¯re doing here will be frowned upon by the local authorities.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s if we¡¯re caught.¡± He added, already knowing the golden rule from both of his parent¡¯s mischiefs. (Meaning I should only ask someone who won¡¯t tell the cops¡­ or worse Ma¡­) ¡°Exactly.¡± DeSade grinned before bridging his fingers together. ¡°But on the topic of aid -while I have no intention of risking my life in this fight- should you decide to overcome your discomfort with the Darker Arts, there¡¯s much I could teach you that could prove beneficial. Especially under the current circumstances.¡± He could feel his face twitch. ¡°If I think it¡¯ll help me, I¡¯ll come by like I did with the core.¡± (Though Miss Edna would probably be better for non-Dark magic.) ¡°Fair enough.¡± DeSade conceded. ¡°Though I do have a question about the success of our ritual today.¡± ¡°What question?¡± He frowned, really hoping DeSade wasn¡¯t about to ask to use Basil as a test subject for his research. ¡°During your time walking through the Briar and before returning with your contract, did she present in a different form?¡± DeSade asked. ¡°Preferably something with proper claws and fangs?¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! He thought back to the hulking beast, the one that had hidden itself within Basil¡¯s shadow. ¡°Yeah, she did.¡± ¡°Good.¡± The Dark Lord sighed in relief before explaining that. ¡°A number of entities with greater Conceptual Weight than is native to our current plane, tend to cloak themselves in a shape more¡­ natural to our world. The behavior is more common in Gods and Demons than Voidborne, but it explains how a void core of such quality would spawn something that projects so little Madness into the world.¡± There was a knocking at the door as Jon remembered, ¡°Most Demons are shapeshifters on some level. I¡¯ve seen one turn from a small bird into a full on eldritch horror, I barely noticed it as a bird but everyone felt it as a horror.¡± ¡°Quite.¡± DeSade nodded. ¡°Which is why I¡¯ll warn you to keep your contract on a leash. Right now their power is contained, and should you unleash it everyone nearby will suffer from Madness exposure and most souls are not as resistant as you are.¡± The Dark Lord towards the door. ¡°Enter.¡± The door opened and DeSade¡¯s butler stepped in with a bow, the lights within its deer skull head locked onto them. ¡°I¡¯ve found attire that our guest has deemed appropriate for their purposes.¡± Rather than appreciating this, DeSade¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that. Send her in.¡± The butler stepped to the side and Basil walked in wearing what looked to be black leather tank top and shorts, both fairly tight against the skin and with several belts and buckles wrapped around them. Both of her wrists and ankles were wrapped with leather cuffs, each with a short chain link dangling from it similar to the black choker on her throat. DeSade growled and pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Why is she wearing what looks to be fetish wear?¡± ¡°Our guest preferred this out of all of the attire I presented them.¡± The butler answered, sounding more than amused despite his mellow tone. Basil raised her wrist and shook it, causing the chain to jangle. ¡°The sound the metal makes when I shake it is tasty.¡± DeSade took a deep breath and let it out. Feeling like acting like both of his parental figures he pointed out that, ¡°This wouldn¡¯t be a problem if you didn¡¯t run a sex cult.¡± ¡°Covenant is not a sex cult.¡± DeSade glared at him, before explaining through grit teeth that, ¡°You just decided to break in through the wing of the building that is rented to an interdimensional brothel. If you had chosen any other wing you would¡¯ve found more traditional dealings even if of a mystical variety.¡± Rather than pressing the point like Miss Edna, he frowned as he remembered that name from somewhere. ¡°Covenant¡­ Aren¡¯t they like the magical black market?¡± ¡°Amongst other things, yes.¡± DeSade nodded, visibly calming himself down. ¡°Which is why I have such a heavy hand in the branch that wished to open within my territory. If you require, I am capable of making an introduction to the local branch. While their supplies and connections are likely more expensive than whatever magic shop you¡¯ve been visiting, they can help with more¡­ restricted acquisitions.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± He admitted. (Even if I am friends or family(?) with the DeLaCroix¡¯s I doubt they¡¯ll have quite the same things as Covenant. Especially if Artemis is technically going behind Miss Edme¡¯s back to work on the Horror¡¯s Arm.) ¡°You¡¯ve a week left to sort out what you need to.¡± DeSade reminded him. ¡°Take what risks and opportunities you¡¯re willing, forge what alliances you need, and equip yourself to the best of your abilities. And on the agreed upon evening I shall aid you in entering the Horror¡¯s seal for you to kill it.¡± He hated how much that sounded like an order, but¡­ ¡°Understood.¡± The Dark Lord smiled, his eyes flashing as his shadow shifted behind him. ¡°Then get to work apprentice, because I expect great things from you.¡± With a grimace he stood and stepped into the hall with Basil, both butler and Dark Lord expecting him to know his way. Something that reminded him a little too much of how DeSade treated him in Blackwell, expecting him to follow orders despite the fact that Jon was doing all the dangerous parts himself¡­ As if sensing his disgruntlement, Basil laid her arms across his shoulders despite being shorter than him just a few moments prior. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s plenty of prey for us to eat, my Huntsman~¡± Despite seeing nothing around him, he could feel the way the world around him warped, Basil¡¯s true weight distorting reality itself as she curled around him. At least until she hopped onto his back. ¡°Also I¡¯m hungry! I want more snacks!¡± He sighed before walking, her weight not much more than his entire kit. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s raid DeSade¡¯s kitchen. He can afford for you to eat him out of a couple of homes.¡± ¡°Can I eat the house?¡± Basil asked, picking up a vase before fitting the entire thing in her mouth. ¡°Meh, your snacks were yummier.¡± He considered her question, his understanding of the Maw of The Void assuring him that she could eat the house even more easily than she could the city if she felt like it. ¡°Mm, let¡¯s wait until I quit needing him to break into the Horror¡¯s seal. Then you can eat his house.¡± ¡°Okay~¡± Basil nodded, kicking her legs in his hands and occasionally swiping something else to nibble on on the way to the kitchen. Understanding The Madness Of The Void Understanding The Madness Of The Void --- Jon Whitaker --- He once more walked down the steps into DeSade¡¯s basement, the Dark Lord¡¯s demonic butler following behind him. The basement had somewhat transformed over the course of the week, a massive and complicated spell circuit drawn into the ground before breaking off into several smaller sub-circuits. Each with a small pillar in the center covered in even more eldritch scripts, leading to gems of various types to form a second circle around the central. All of this was illuminated by a ring of candles to form a third layer of protection to contain and separate whatever they were about to summon. Despite himself, he couldn¡¯t help but look at the pillar standing in the center of all this, the chained chest atop it containing the Void Core and sealing the Madness within. ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± DeSade asked him as the older man walked around the ring of candles while reading a book in hand, making sure that absolutely nothing was wrong for what they were about to attempt. He couldn¡¯t help but scoff. ¡°If I said no would either of us actually stop at this point?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t think we would.¡± The Dark Lord confessed as he snapped his book close with a smirk. ¡°Not so long as our work is left undone.¡± ¡°The hunt must be finished.¡± He nodded, the beast in his head patiently awaiting its prey. ¡°When you¡¯ve steeled yourself simply open the chest and the ritual will begin.¡± DeSade told him. ¡°Beyond that, what happens is in your hands and yours alone.¡± ¡°Right, I¡¯ve still got to negotiate with whatever we fish out of the void.¡± He swallowed, stepping past the circle of candles. ¡°Any tips on that?¡± ¡°Entities of Madness are normally beyond the understanding of man, each and every one insane to the human mind. That said, they can be understood by man, if the human in question is already mad.¡± DeSade explained to him once more. ¡°In the Abyss that is the Black Briar thought is more important than any other aspect of reality, as such ignore the whispers that you cannot understand and focus on the ones bound to your own madness. For in the world of Madness, only the mad are sane.¡± The older man sighed, with a bitter chuckle. ¡°That is the true strength and danger of this ritual in the end, for in many ways our individual madnesses are both our safety and our freedom. So to seek something in the Abyss that understands that Madness is to enslave a part of both ourselves and it to one and other.¡± ¡°Is wanting to be understood really that bad?¡± He had to wonder, his fingers on the box that he knew wanted to be open. ¡°Not so long as you truly understand each other.¡± DeSade admitted with a wry grin to his voice. ¡°Just be careful that the thing you understand is not merely the part of you wishing to be understood. For in such a case only one of you would be enslaved to the other¡­¡± He considered that final lesson for a moment, before opening the box and seeing if he was truly mad enough to understand the abyss. The darkness wrapped around him, Black Briar growing forth from the box and devouring the light as it embraced him, refusing to share anything. His drifted across the space as it grew dark, darker, and yet darker still as the shadows became darker than black. An existence cold and suffocating, as if he was a thousand leagues below in the darkest abyss of the seas. A pressure filled his mind, one oh so familiar as its fingers ran across his thoughts.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Fingers that retracted as the beast in his mind hungrily nipped at them, almost desperate to have something squirming between its teeth. Teeth that ground against each other in his mouth as he panted through them, the taste of iron on his tongue as he slowly began to breathe. He blinked, realizing he was kneeling on a forest floor, a crescent moon looking down on him from above. A moon that hungered for the hunt, it¡¯s light but the smile of the void. All around the winds whispered, the chitter of insects carrying on a salt water breeze like a secret just for him. He clinched his eyes shut, and told himself to, ¡°Focus¡­ Focus on what you can under- understand¡­¡± (What¡­ what do I understand?) He¡­ he understood the hunt, the pursuit of something no matter how dangerous. The buzzing of insects grew louder, the salt on the wind thick enough to taste, and the secrets buried ever deeper. It all made his mouth water¡­ Pushing against the pressure growing ever heavier, he forced himself onto his feet, using a nearby tree to prop himself up as he stood. Breathing through his teeth, he needed, (need to focus¡­ need to¡­ need to¡­) He punched the tree as hard as he could, let its wood bite into his hand deep enough to hurt. (Pain¡­ I understand pain¡­) The salt stung at the tear in his flesh, the secrets¡¯ truth hurt to hear, and the insects screamed at their loss¡­ Pangs of hunger tore through his empty stomach¡­ He clutched his stomach as he stumbled forward in search of- of¡­ something¡­ The distance didn¡¯t matter, be it mere steps or worlds away, so long as he found that thing he was looking for¡­ hunting for¡­ HuNgRY for¡­ He could hear the sealife splashing across waves, buzzing of wings as they descended upon their prey, and while the secrets were tasty they proved unfilling¡­ They did nothing to sate his HuNgER¡­ Something moved in front of him, and more on instinct than anything else, he lunged forward digging his teeth into it killing/consuming/devouring it. When it quit moving he found himself alone in an empty clearing, blood on his hands¡­ he understood this. He did not like it, but he understood. He understood what it was to be alone and wish you weren¡¯t. The skittering of a swarm never alone grew distant, almost like the sea content with its solitude¡­ Loneliness hurt, almost like a second unending hUNgeR in the heart¡­ And just like the hunger in his stomach, the hunger in his heart drove him on. More things moved near him, and he tried to focus on it, focus on something that wouldn¡¯t leave him alone, and for a brief moment he caught sight of someone who smiled at him¡­ only for the pangs of HUNGER to flare and his maw to open wide. Again and again this happened, as again and again they hurt the ones close to them not because they wanted to but because of a part of them that they couldn¡¯t control. Ying¡¯s broken and bloodied corpse laid on the ground, her face shifting to Miss Edna¡¯s worried looks as he returned covered in blood, the slight concern to his mother¡¯s eyes whenever she knew he was holding something back, Artemis¡¯s fear whenever she flinched away, the anger of Felicia¡¯s snarl when they fought. He understood what it meant to hurt someone you cared about. The ever silent swarm did not¡­ In front of him was a massive beast, so large it couldn¡¯t be comprehended from so close. Across its slick inky black body were hundreds of hungering mouths, each full of fangs ready to devour reality itself. Something it was liable to do as it shivered, the painful grumble of its stomach loud enough to shake the very world. A single pale eye looking so much like a full moon opened, his reflection looking back from within it as he placed his hand on the beast, unafraid of its many mouths even as they nipped at his flesh. After all, the pain was so much less than what they both knew, what they¡¯d both been through. Pain he hoped he could aleve at least somewhat, because the fact was as tears fell down his face¡­ ¡°I understand.¡± Reaching An Understanding With The Void (Pt. II) Reaching An Understanding With The Void (Pt. II) --- Jon Whitaker --- Something reached out to meet him as his words echoed, before darkness burst forth, flooding the world in an abyss both darker than black and yet filled with every color. His eyes never left the full moon like an eye reflecting his image, even as the massive creature began to curl around him with a hundred hungering maws. A snake coiling around the prey that it would strangle and devour in single go before rendering it into nothingness. Still he never looked away, because he understood the creature in front of him. The one reaching out as it tried to understand the entity that knew its hunger, knew the pain it had inflicted, and yet still reached out to it. The eye began to shift and shiver as he gazed into its endlessness without flinching away, before wrapped around him in its entirety. The darkness around him shifted as it lost some of its weight still very clearly there even if not in the same way he was here. As this weight fell away he crouched down as he stared into the moon, a second one joining it as they stared surrounded by a dark night full of stars. A night that slowly filled with pale grey clouds one moment from giving way to a kind moonlight and another from revealing the endless hungering abyss it hid. Much like he was always a moment from kindness and another from violence. Which is why he reached out and ruffled the long mess of silvery hair, that faintly glistened with the glow of galaxies as it shifted. Pale wide eyes continued to stare at him, even as he reached into one of his pockets and withdrew one of the treats he carried for the kids around his apartment and offered it to the person in front of him. ¡°Hungry?¡± The eyes looked at the treat before ever so slowly the person opened their maw full of row upon row of pointed teeth, all leading down into an abyss full of the stars they had eaten before chomping on his hand and the treat in a single bite. He simply stared at the eldritch entity with its mouth around his hand understanding what was happening, and simply waited until his hand was let go without harm, the treat having disappeared into their maw. The eldritch entity stared at him with their full moon eyes before opening their mouth once more, as if asking for another snack. Which is why he threw one into their waiting maw, and watched as they swallowed it in a single gulp. ¡°You know you¡¯d enjoy it more if you actually chewed it before swallowing it.¡± He chuckled as he pulled out another treat, fully aware of just how hungry they were. (How they¡¯ll always be hungry¡­) The person once more caught the treat before pouting with a mouth full of food as they told him, ¡°That means it takes longer to eat it¡­¡± ¡°True¡­¡± He conceded, before pointing out that, ¡°But if you eat it slower it¡¯ll last you longer.¡± ¡°But that means my stomach is empty longer¡­ Ahh.¡± The person opened their mouth, waiting for another treat. ¡°Perhaps.¡± He shrugged, breaking the next treat in half before tossing one of them into the abyss that was quite possibly a black hole of a stomach. ¡°Though that depends on how filling something is. Since I doubt the problem is actual calorie consumption.¡± The person tilted their head. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Just thinking aloud.¡± He explained, tossing the second half of the treat before pulling out his last one and pulling off the smallest bit possible. ¡°What do you think about drinks?¡± ¡°Yummy.¡± The eldritch entity smiled, before catching the treat too small for anyone in their mouth. ¡°And they make the pain stop until it''s all gone.¡± ¡°I thought so.¡± He nodded, throwing another small bit into their mouth. ¡°How long after eating does it take before the hunger starts hurting again?¡± The person gave him a worried look, before slowly admitting that, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt when I eat but¡­ It hurts when I don¡¯t¡­ And it hurts more the longer I go without eating until I¡­ until I¡­¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He told them with a soft smile as he rubbed the top of their head before they could truly work themselves into a fit. ¡°I know. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± The person shook their head beneath his hand, the shadow around the both of them becoming a little more solid with the denial as their mind drifted. ¡°Ah.¡± He scolded with a swat to the top of their head. ¡°You know the difference between friend and food.¡± ¡°Not always¡­¡± A quiet voice confessed, with no small amount of shame. ¡°Then when you forget I¡¯ll simply tell you the difference.¡± He promised. ¡°And if I forget you¡¯re not food?¡± They asked, voicing what he understood to be their greatest fear. He closed his eyes and gave her a smile, before opening his eyes and explaining that, ¡°I¡¯ll simply hunt you down like the animal you are and domesticate you.¡± That¡¯s what hunters did to cats, wolfs, foxes, and so many other animals after all. Twin pale moon eyes of the void-kin stared at him, and the beast stared back through forest green eyes. ¡°Okay.¡± The maw of the void swallowed. ¡°Good.¡± He nodded, giving them another piece of their treat and another head pat. (I knew they¡¯d understand.) ¡°So¡­ what now?¡± The eldritch entity asked. He considered that for a moment, looking around the darker than black space around them and the rainbow of colors lurking within. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know how to get me back to where I was before coming here? I¡¯d have more treats there.¡± The person in front of him scrunched their face up in thought, before looking around as the weightless shadow seemed to shift around the hunter and the maw. Eventually though they shook their head. He clicked his tongue thinking about the bits of the ritual he¡¯d helped DeSade set up, knowing that as dangerous as the man was he wouldn¡¯t leave Jon without an escape rope. If only because he wouldn¡¯t learn the results of his experiment otherwise. (He would however hide it behind something to make sure I stayed until the job was done¡­) As they both stood there in an awkward silence as he tried to make his last treat last, he slowly remembered an old rule of contracting. One that with most of his Summons being non-verbal, he¡¯d almost forgotten. Namely, one of the most important parts of contracting was that both entities signed it -even non-verbally- with their names. (The first step in understanding each other is to identify each other as the name contains the concept of self.) And so he turned towards the maw of the void and asked something he probably should¡¯ve asked sooner, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Pale moon eyes blinked at him, before slowly tilting to the side. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± He frowned. ¡°If it was tasty I probably ate it¡­¡± The maw of the void admitted with just a touch of embarrassment. (That¡­) His face twisted before he let out a sigh. ¡°Right¡­¡± Deciding it best to just let it go for now, he ran a hand down his face as he told them. ¡°I need something to call you¡­¡± The eldritch entity looked at him. ¡°What do you want to call me?¡± ¡°What do you want me to call you?¡± He asked back, since this would be their name. ¡°Mmm, something tasty.¡± The maw of the void eventually nodded. ¡°Something¡­ tasty¡­¡± He repeated, before actually thinking about it. Or rather thinking about some of the various spices he knew also doubled as names. ¡°How about¡­ Basil Thyme?¡± ¡°Basil Thyme¡­¡± They said, almost -(and possibly literally)- tasting the name. ¡°I like it.¡± ¡°Well, Basil, I¡¯m Jon¡­ Jon Whitaker.¡± He introduced himself. ¡°And I¡¯m Basil Thyme.¡± The maw of the void nodded back, before their tongue shot out and they stole the rest of the treat he¡¯d been slowly feeding them. ¡°And I¡¯m hungry.¡± He grimaced, aware that that had been his last snack, before noticing how a circle of crimson light was slowly carving itself into the ground. One that he vaguely recognized as the same Spell Circuit that he¡¯d spent the last week helping DeSade set up. Once fully drawn a circle of candles flashed into existence around the circuit, and from each flame a small crack began to spread through reality. The rainbow like light of each highlighting the shadow that surrounded Basil. There was a brief moment where everything froze, before reality itself shattered the darkness leaving Jon and a shadowless Basil standing in the center of the ritual circle he¡¯d helped set up in DeSade¡¯s basement. Looking around he found DeSade standing behind him near the entrance to the room, an odd look on his face as he glanced over Jon¡¯s shoulder before pinching the bridge of his nose and let out arguably the most disappointed sigh Jon had ever heard. ¡°Of course the void entity you summon manifests as a teenage girl¡­ A naked teenage girl.¡± Refusing to turn around he couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he admitted that, ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if human anatomy applied to them.¡± (And I was trying not to look...) Without lifting his hand from his face the dark lord snapped his fingers and summoned his deer skulled butler. ¡°Sebastian, find the girl clothing. There are enough depraved rich men that I do not need their reputations dragging mine down. Jon, follow.¡± Orders given -and without looking up- DeSade turned on his heel and started up the steps out of the basement as his butler burst into flames, leaving Jon alone with what was apparently a naked girl, albeit an eldritch horror of a girl. ¡°Jon?¡± Basil asked. ¡°Yes¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°What¡¯s a girl? Are they tasty?¡± Understanding The Void (Pt. III): Dark Dealings And Reminders Understanding The Void (Pt. III): Dark Dealings And Reminders --- Jon Whitaker --- ¡°You¡¯ve one week left to prepare.¡± DeSade told him once the two of them had reconvened in the Dark Lord¡¯s study. ¡°Given how our lesson focused on our ritual today, how do you feel your own ventures have progressed this past week?¡± He considered how to answer the question, knowing that he could trust DeSade to help him kill the Halloween Horror as planned, but not trusting him beyond that. ¡°My¡­ associate and I finished the first in a series of projects using the Horror¡¯s arm. Admittedly, this wasn¡¯t using my cut, but depending on how things go we might be able to push out two more cuts before the end of the week.¡± ¡°Good, though you should avoid rushing a Demonic Armament. Especially if you intend on combating the same Demon you harvested the material from. Better one Armament loyal, than two that betray.¡± DeSade warned him. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve figured out how to keep two Contracts active at once, which should allow me to bring both Pix and Basil with me when you send me in.¡± He added. ¡°Based on what I picked up from Basil, she should be able to put out a powerful offensive while Pix handles any healing.¡± ¡°Good, hopefully this event wasn¡¯t fully corrupted by teenage hormones.¡± DeSade nodded. ¡°And your foresight here will be additionally effective given how my initial plan included sending your fairy with you into the Horror¡¯s seal. Thus freeing your contracting capacity for an additional ally.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sending me into the Horror¡¯s Seal.¡± He frowned. ¡°If we were to drag it into the open for you to fight, I would not be able to cover it up like I would the extraction of the beast¡¯s corpse. Sanctuary and the local Watcher for the Arcane Association would both be alerted within moments otherwise.¡± The Devil of Blackwell explained. He couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes as he realized. ¡°It would also make disposing of my body should I fail extremely convenient wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It would.¡± DeSade smirked. ¡°Still given the circumstances and your association with Ms. Zhang, the spell I¡¯m preparing will allow for the entrance and egress of you and two others.¡± ¡°Meaning I could bring two people in with me if I still summon Pix.¡± He figured, his mind thinking of the numerous hunters he¡¯d befriended over the last few weeks. ¡°If you wish to put more faith in one of your associates than your contracts, then so be it.¡± DeSade shrugged, before narrowing his own eyes. ¡°Just be sure that whoever you do decide to bring with you, knows how to be discreet. Regardless of our success in killing the Horror, what we¡¯re doing here will be frowned upon by the local authorities.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s if we¡¯re caught.¡± He added, already knowing the golden rule from both of his parent¡¯s mischiefs. (Meaning I should only ask someone who won¡¯t tell the cops¡­ or worse Ma¡­) ¡°Exactly.¡± DeSade grinned before bridging his fingers together. ¡°But on the topic of aid -while I have no intention of risking my life in this fight- should you decide to overcome your discomfort with the Darker Arts, there¡¯s much I could teach you that could prove beneficial. Especially under the current circumstances.¡± He could feel his face twitch. ¡°If I think it¡¯ll help me, I¡¯ll come by like I did with the core.¡± (Though Miss Edna would probably be better for non-Dark magic.) ¡°Fair enough.¡± DeSade conceded. ¡°Though I do have a question about the success of our ritual today.¡± ¡°What question?¡± He frowned, really hoping DeSade wasn¡¯t about to ask to use Basil as a test subject for his research. ¡°During your time walking through the Briar and before returning with your contract, did she present in a different form?¡± DeSade asked. ¡°Preferably something with proper claws and fangs?¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He thought back to the hulking beast, the one that had hidden itself within Basil¡¯s shadow. ¡°Yeah, she did.¡± ¡°Good.¡± The Dark Lord sighed in relief before explaining that. ¡°A number of entities with greater Conceptual Weight than is native to our current plane, tend to cloak themselves in a shape more¡­ natural to our world. The behavior is more common in Gods and Demons than Voidborne, but it explains how a void core of such quality would spawn something that projects so little Madness into the world.¡± There was a knocking at the door as Jon remembered, ¡°Most Demons are shapeshifters on some level. I¡¯ve seen one turn from a small bird into a full on eldritch horror, I barely noticed it as a bird but everyone felt it as a horror.¡± ¡°Quite.¡± DeSade nodded. ¡°Which is why I¡¯ll warn you to keep your contract on a leash. Right now their power is contained, and should you unleash it everyone nearby will suffer from Madness exposure and most souls are not as resistant as you are.¡± The Dark Lord towards the door. ¡°Enter.¡± The door opened and DeSade¡¯s butler stepped in with a bow, the lights within its deer skull head locked onto them. ¡°I¡¯ve found attire that our guest has deemed appropriate for their purposes.¡± Rather than appreciating this, DeSade¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that. Send her in.¡± The butler stepped to the side and Basil walked in wearing what looked to be black leather tank top and shorts, both fairly tight against the skin and with several belts and buckles wrapped around them. Both of her wrists and ankles were wrapped with leather cuffs, each with a short chain link dangling from it similar to the black choker on her throat. DeSade growled and pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Why is she wearing what looks to be fetish wear?¡± ¡°Our guest preferred this out of all of the attire I presented them.¡± The butler answered, sounding more than amused despite his mellow tone. Basil raised her wrist and shook it, causing the chain to jangle. ¡°The sound the metal makes when I shake it is tasty.¡± DeSade took a deep breath and let it out. Feeling like acting like both of his parental figures he pointed out that, ¡°This wouldn¡¯t be a problem if you didn¡¯t run a sex cult.¡± ¡°Covenant is not a sex cult.¡± DeSade glared at him, before explaining through grit teeth that, ¡°You just decided to break in through the wing of the building that is rented to an interdimensional brothel. If you had chosen any other wing you would¡¯ve found more traditional dealings even if of a mystical variety.¡± Rather than pressing the point like Miss Edna, he frowned as he remembered that name from somewhere. ¡°Covenant¡­ Aren¡¯t they like the magical black market?¡± ¡°Amongst other things, yes.¡± DeSade nodded, visibly calming himself down. ¡°Which is why I have such a heavy hand in the branch that wished to open within my territory. If you require, I am capable of making an introduction to the local branch. While their supplies and connections are likely more expensive than whatever magic shop you¡¯ve been visiting, they can help with more¡­ restricted acquisitions.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± He admitted. (Even if I am friends or family(?) with the DeLaCroix¡¯s I doubt they¡¯ll have quite the same things as Covenant. Especially if Artemis is technically going behind Miss Edme¡¯s back to work on the Horror¡¯s Arm.) ¡°You¡¯ve a week left to sort out what you need to.¡± DeSade reminded him. ¡°Take what risks and opportunities you¡¯re willing, forge what alliances you need, and equip yourself to the best of your abilities. And on the agreed upon evening I shall aid you in entering the Horror¡¯s seal for you to kill it.¡± He hated how much that sounded like an order, but¡­ ¡°Understood.¡± The Dark Lord smiled, his eyes flashing as his shadow shifted behind him. ¡°Then get to work apprentice, because I expect great things from you.¡± With a grimace he stood and stepped into the hall with Basil, both butler and Dark Lord expecting him to know his way. Something that reminded him a little too much of how DeSade treated him in Blackwell, expecting him to follow orders despite the fact that Jon was doing all the dangerous parts himself¡­ As if sensing his disgruntlement, Basil laid her arms across his shoulders despite being shorter than him just a few moments prior. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s plenty of prey for us to eat, my Huntsman~¡± Despite seeing nothing around him, he could feel the way the world around him warped, Basil¡¯s true weight distorting reality itself as she curled around him. At least until she hopped onto his back. ¡°Also I¡¯m hungry! I want more snacks!¡± He sighed before walking, her weight not much more than his entire kit. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s raid DeSade¡¯s kitchen. He can afford for you to eat him out of a couple of homes.¡± ¡°Can I eat the house?¡± Basil asked, picking up a vase before fitting the entire thing in her mouth. ¡°Meh, your snacks were yummier.¡± He considered her question, his understanding of the Maw of The Void assuring him that she could eat the house even more easily than she could the city if she felt like it. ¡°Mm, let¡¯s wait until I quit needing him to break into the Horror¡¯s seal. Then you can eat his house.¡± ¡°Okay~¡± Basil nodded, kicking her legs in his hands and occasionally swiping something else to nibble on on the way to the kitchen. Trail 66: Ill Timed Discoveries Trail 66: Ill Timed Discoveries --- Jon Whitaker --- ¡°So¡­ where¡¯s the other one?¡± Miss Edna asked, watching as he and his Ma got ready to head out for the day. ¡°Felicia said ¡®It¡¯s too early for the weekend,¡¯ before throwing a water bottle at me and rolling over.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Yeah, most teenagers would want to sleep in on the weekend¡­ The fact that you don¡¯t is actually a bit weird.¡± Miss Edna admitted, sipping at her coffee. ¡°Eh, my sleep schedule is screwy.¡± Even before everything in Blackwell he was prone to staying up later than he should reading until he finished his book. (At the very least I don¡¯t feel it as much with Pix¡¯s healing taking the edge off.) It wasn¡¯t exactly comfortable but it was something he could live with. ¡°Sleep is for the weak.¡± His Ma nodded in agreement, making him wonder how she kept running with her own insomnia. ¡°Once you¡¯ve replaced your blood with adrenaline and caffeine you¡¯ll realize that.¡± Miss Edna gave that a huff of amusement. ¡°So what¡¯s today¡¯s agenda then?¡± ¡°Just a morning run, a couple miles, maybe some building climbing, or rooftop jumping, you know.¡± His Ma answered. ¡°I¡¯ve got to head in later to deal with something at work so we¡¯re just keeping it low key and easy today.¡± ¡°Ugh, you two run way too much.¡± Miss Edna grimaced, before making her way to the couch. ¡°Have fun with all of that.¡± ¡°We will.¡± His Ma assured her as they made their way out the door before giving him a satisfied nod as she closed it behind them. ¡°And that is how we get an unsupervised morning of knife fighting each other.¡± ¡°You do know that Felicia might¡¯ve been into this.¡± He pointed out, remembering their fight a few days prior. ¡°But then she might tell my brother and he¡¯s such a stick in the mud about this stuff.¡± His Ma groaned. ¡°And you know how much of a mother hen Edna is.¡± ¡°True. True.¡± She really did worry about things too much. (I mean we don¡¯t get up to that much trouble do we?) Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Psych Warfare and 1XP to Throwing. --Currently: Psych Warfare Lv. 5 (6/12) and Knives Lv. 4 (8/10) --- ¡°Okay, so why did you want me to warp us out to the park?¡± Miss Edna asked as they appeared in one of his Ma¡¯s preferred training spots. ¡°Right, so¡­ You know about Confidant Catalyst¡¯s right?¡± He checked, aware that (of course she does) but still needing a segway for this conversation. ¡°Well I¡¯ve gotten a couple from Miss Edme¡¯s shop over the last couple of months.¡± ¡°A couple?¡± Miss Edna blinked. ¡°You do know you get the best results if you give those a bit of time in between using them, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Admittedly, he¡¯d found out after he¡¯d summoned Noctis and found out something about how if you didn¡¯t give yourself time to ¡®change¡¯ your catalysts would spit out very similar summons. Which was good or bad depending on what the caster was going for. (Though the fact that Wolf and Noctis are so different might mean there¡¯s a Madness thing in play¡­) He¡¯d need a third catalyst to know for sure, but wasn¡¯t sure he wanted that on his plate when he was still sorting out the whole Basil situation. (Which, I need to get back on topic.) ¡°Anyway that is how I got my contract with Wolf.¡± He went ahead and summoned said companion into the world with relatively calming feelings. Wolf looked around the clearing before noticing Miss Edna and taking a seat with a curious tilt to her head. One that was promptly straightened out as Pix landed on his canine companion¡¯s snout, earning a sneeze. Rubbing Wolf¡¯s head as Pix let out a string of annoyed tweets, he went ahead and introduced, ¡°Miss Edna Wolf. Wolf Miss Edna. She¡¯s my mentor and second parent.¡± ¡°Yo.¡± Miss Edna waved with an amused look, before crouching down and offering her hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Wolf.¡± His canine companion placed a paw in Miss Edna¡¯s hand and shook, getting a huff out of his magical mentor as she shook her head. ¡°You know a magic ¡®wolf¡¯ is absolutely something you would summon as your companion.¡± Miss Edna admitted. He thought about it and decided. ¡°Fair¡­ but also makes the next bit a bit more¡­ complicated.¡± ¡°Complicated how?¡± Miss Edna warily asked, aware that when things got complicated for him it was either simple social awkwardness or¡­ things like the current situation. ¡°Well, since I figured out how to keep two summons active at once¡­ I may have used that other catalyst I had.¡± All technically true, but it didn¡¯t keep him from feeling a bit guilty about purposely twisting the truth to Miss Edna. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing you got something weird out of it?¡± Miss Edna nodded, her face twisting a bit when she noticed him pulling out a snack from his bag. ¡°I did¡­¡± He admitted, because summoning the boogeyman was a bit weird even if it somehow wasn¡¯t as weird as what he¡¯d summoned with the Void Core. Deciding it was best to just rip the bandage off, he reached out not with the magic from his foci like he normally would but with his mind and madness reaching out to the hungering eyes he could feel watching him ever since Basil had returned to the void between. Unlike the colorful explosion of light that made up his usual summons, he simply blinked and Basil was there. And a couple seconds later he noticed everyone else jumping at the sight of the grey skinned girl. (Huh, their reaction times are usually faster¡­ Wonder if they only noticed her when they blinked?) ¡°Huntsman!¡± Basil smiled before lunging at him and wrapping him in a hug, wrapping her legs around his waist. ¡°Do you have snacks?¡± ¡°I do.¡± He awkwardly grinned holding the one he brought up. Basil¡¯s tongue shot out, wrapping around the snack before pulling it in and swallowing it in one bite, like a frog and a fly. ¡°Do you have more snacks?¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Yes¡­¡± He nodded slowly, fully aware that said snacks would not last long before glancing at a nearby tree and remembering what he understood about Basil. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try that?¡± ¡°Is it tasty?¡± The eldritch eater wondered with a tilt of her head. ¡°Why¡­ don¡¯t you find out?¡± He suggested with a wry grin. ¡°Okay!¡± Basil decided, hopping off of him and making her way towards the tree. It was now that he noticed the way everyone else was staring at him. Stares that only shifted when Basil proceeded to bite a massive chunk out of the tree. ¡°Mm, crunchy¡­¡± Miss Edna took a deep breath before letting it out. ¡°Your¡­ your second confidant catalyst summoned a Voidkin?¡± ¡°I summoned a Voidkin.¡± He answered, blatantly sidestepping which catalyst he¡¯d used. The look Miss Edna gave him told him she¡¯d noticed. ¡°I should probably remind you that the Cheshire regularly kidnaps me to have tea time whenever I go to sleep.¡± Again the truth, if mostly irrelevant to the current situation. Miss Edna took another deep breath. ¡°Okay¡­ You summoned a Voidkin¡­ Can you not summon her into our reality?¡± He thought about what he knew about Basil, and what he thought she might be capable of. ¡°I think that would result in a Void Tear¡­¡± ¡°This is why we¡¯re supposed to have safety features¡­¡± He heard his second parent mumbled, or at least that¡¯s what he thought she said over the sound of a falling tree as Basil continued to munch away on her snack. ¡°Anyway¡­¡± He clapped, drawing everyone¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°I kind of need to do a threat assessment of her in a fight and¡­¡± He gestured to everyone present. ¡°That¡¯s why I gathered everyone here¡­ I would¡¯ve brought Ying too but¡­ Madness.¡± Miss Edna winced. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably for the best at the moment¡­ It¡¯s a lot more contained in your¡­ friend but after everything with void core¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He grimaced himself. In the silence they both idly watched as Basil unhinged her jaw, stretching her mouth further than human so that she could better down the severed tree by shoving the entire thing in at once. ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s all different kinds of disturbing¡­¡± Miss Edna noted, as Pix began to fly around the tree with her magic to make it keep growing. ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve seen worse.¡± He shrugged, more amused by how morbid fairy began to egg the eldritch horror on. ¡°That is not the reassurance you think it is, Jon.¡± Scene Consequences -Miss Edna, Wolf, and Pix are now all aware of Basil. -Also due to testing everyone¡¯s limits, Jon has gained: -1XP to Beast Claws. --Currently: Lv. 4 (8/10) -1XP to Combat. --Currently: Lv 8 (5/18) -1XP to Contracting Summons. --Currently: Lv. 7 (1/16) -1XP to Knives. --Currently: Lv. 4 (9/10) -1XP to Mobility. --Currently: Lv. 7 (10/16) And both Pix and Wolf are having their character sheet updated to fit the new summon format over the previous ¡®Character Sheet¡¯ for a more streamlined approach. --- It was halfway through one of his lessons with DeSade that a knock came upon the study door, causing the dark lord to pause his lecture on the difference between the many many hell dimensions in existence. The phrase actually being something of a catch all term for any dimension that leaned more towards a Malice infused existence in contrast to the Anima based one of their own world. ¡°Yes?¡± DeSade called out, an odd mix of annoyance and curiosity at the interruption. Sebastian opened one of the double doors and taking half a step inside. ¡°We¡¯ve something of an unexpected guest this evening. And while normally your orders on such things are quite clear, it seems our guest is tracking the young Whitaker.¡± ¡°Me?¡± He blinked. ¡°I see¡­¡± DeSade drawled, before waving a hand through the air. ¡°Well then bring them in.¡± ¡°Of course sir.¡± Sebastian bowed, before promptly throwing the door open and tossing a familiar figure into the room. Namely Felicia, her clothes scuffed and faintly torn as she fought against shifting black thorns that wrapped around her form with a faint crimson glow. The demonic butler¡¯s deer skull slammed into the wall, Jon¡¯s hand wrapped around its throat as an inhuman growl tore out of his throat. Fully ready to snap the thing¡¯s neck for daring to lay a hand on his sis- ¡°Ah, she¡¯s a friend! My mistake.¡± The butler admitted nonchalantly, before snapping its fingers and dissolving the thorns into cinders. In the brief moment he glanced towards Felicia the butler flicked his chest sending him flying back into his chair across the room. ¡°Now with that settled, let¡¯s get the miss cleaned up.¡± With a wave of the butler¡¯s hand Felicia rose into the air, her clothes quickly fixing themselves just before she landed into a chair, her eyes glowing a wild red as she glared around the room. ¡°Ah!¡± DeSade smiled after a moment of observation. ¡°This must be your dear cousin, Felicia Doe-Whitaker, yes?¡± ¡°Who the fuck are you?!¡± Felicia snarled. ¡°Alexander DeSade.¡± The Dark Lord introduced, before turning towards Jon. ¡°Tell me is the feral nature, a familial trait perhaps?¡± He forced himself to take a calming breath, forced himself to understand that, (This is all a big misunderstanding.) While still plotting how to kill the butler. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± DeSade smirked. Felicia looked between the two of them, before turning towards him and asking, ¡°Jon who the fuck is this guy?¡± He took another deep breath knowing that this was going to be a whole¡­ thing, before trying to explain that, ¡°This is Alexander DeSade, the Dark Lord of Blackwell.¡± ¡°Dark Lord?¡± Felicia repeated with a twisted face. ¡°I can show my certifications if you so wish?¡± DeSade offered, opening a drawer on his desk. ¡°Dark Lords are an Arcane Association thing.¡± He sighed, pointedly ignoring said Dark Lord. ¡°They¡¯re extremely powerful and influential practitioners usually set to monitor a territory and in exchange for¡­ leniency with certain criminal activities they deal with supernatural threats.¡± Felicia¡¯s eyes darted between Jon and DeSade again. ¡°And why is he here? No, better question:¡± Silver narrowed at him. ¡°Why are you meeting him?¡± ¡°Why, we¡¯re planning on killing a Demon of course.¡± DeSade answered cheerfully, clearly enjoying this bit of familial drama. Felicia¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°You¡¯re planning on killing a Demon?¡± ¡°The Demon that hospitalized Ma.¡± He quickly clarified. ¡°Or rather the boss of the thing that hospitalized her.¡± ¡°Right¡­ That¡­¡± Felicia¡¯s eyes turned hellfire red as her nails turned into claws and the room became a bit hotter. Unbothered by the heat, he instead turned a glare on DeSade. ¡°And thought we were keeping this ¡®discrete¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh, we are, but with your cousin being a Malcontent and what little I know of you Whitakers as a clan. It¡¯s safe to assume that she¡¯s going to want her own pound of flesh. No?¡± The Devil of Blackwell smiled. ¡°Yeah¡­ I do.¡± Felicia nodded. ¡°Is that a good idea with¡­ Basil around?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace, more than aware that dabbling in Malice and Madness was dangerous before you tried to mix the two. ¡°Something for you to test. After all, Malcontent are such a fascinating research topic.¡± DeSade confessed, eyeing his cousin like he wanted to dissect her. He growled, tempted to jump over the desk as Felicia shivered. ¡°She¡¯s not a lab rat.¡± ¡°Oh, of course not.¡± DeSade chuckled, amused eyes on Felicia. ¡°Though I¡¯m sure there are all sorts of secrets she and her other-self hold. Venues of power that could prove quite useful to both of you, should you choose to take them.¡± DeSade glanced his way. ¡°Though clearly that¡¯s something you two should consider after catching her up on just what you¡¯re up against and the risks involved. I mean if you¡¯re not careful, well we both know you¡¯d blame me for any harm that comes to her regardless of your family¡¯s stubborn streak.¡± (Because it would be your fault for dragging her into this¡­) He growled. Scene Consequences -Gained (DeSade''s Rank - Jon''s Rank + 1 = 5) XP to Demonology. --*Skill Level Up* Demonology Lv. 6 (4/14) -Felicia is now aware and wary of DeSade. --And she wants in on killing the Horror. Southside Coven: Path To Power (IX): Plotting A Personal Project Southside Coven: Path To Power (IX): Plotting A Personal Project --- Jon Whitaker --- He was feeling a bit weird about seeing Artemis again after the whole ¡®our mentors/secondary mother figures are sisters¡¯ thing. As well as Miss Edna¡¯s whole ¡®you¡¯re cousins¡¯ thing. The fact that Felicia, his actual technically adopted cousin, was regularly hanging around -and currently avoiding him after the mess with DeSade- did not make any of this simpler for him. (Yet another reason to stab DeSade the moment Rosalind doesn¡¯t need him¡­) He was hoping the fact that Artemis had sent him a text to meet her at the library, meant the awkwardness would be minimal but¡­ (my social anxiety is still acting up¡­) Which is why, while finding Artemis was relatively easy, actually approaching her was significantly less so. ¡°Are you just going to stand there or actually take a seat?¡± The other teen dryly asked him, never looking up from the book she was reading and taking notes from. ¡°Sorry.¡± He grimaced, sliding into a chair. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure about¡­ things after everything with Miss Edna and Miss Edme¡­¡± Artemis took a breath and let it out. ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest, I just want to power through that awkwardness and work on our legally grey magic project.¡± ¡°That is completely fair.¡± He nodded, perfectly happy to do just that. ¡°So what are we working on next?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ve still got a couple weeks but we need to keep working if we want to get everything done before the arm begins to degrade.¡± Artemis pointed out, before opening and pushing a notebook his way. ¡°But I have figured a few things out after working on the previous cut, and there is one thing I definitely want to try.¡± ¡°Infusing external affinities?¡± He frowned, skimming over the various notes. ¡°Right,¡± Artemis nodded, before standing as she frustratedly explained that, ¡°Last time I had so many ideas for conceptual affinities, and we did so little with them!¡± The other teen started to pace as she worked herself up. ¡°And since we fused our [Protective] and [Defender] affinities I¡¯ve just come up with so many ideas we could do! Ideas that would only multiply if we brought in our summons to assist! Hell, I might even be able to convince Audrey or Val to bring in something extra!¡± ¡°Okay?¡± He slowly nodded back, a little put off by her unusual excitement. (Though if we are bringing in others¡­) ¡°I¡¯ve got a couple people I can probably ask for help too?¡± ¡°Anyone with something interesting?¡± Artemis checked. ¡°We¡¯ve got a limited amount of materials so we need to make the most of them.¡± He thought about it. ¡°Well there¡¯s Pix with her [Nature], [Light], and [Mischief] affinities. Then my friend Ying has a [Storm] and [Dragon] affinity.¡± Admittedly, he¡¯d have to talk to her about it beforehand given their current awkwardness. ¡°Uh, then I¡¯ve got a couple of contracting summons who could probably help us¡­ I mean Wolf is a wolf with wind powers?¡± He paused, a little unsure of the rest. ¡°And then Basil is¡­ I¡¯m actually still figuring out her affinities¡­ There¡¯s Melon, a Flufflepuff¡­ And then there¡¯s Noctis who is¡­ some kind of guardian fear thing¡­¡± (Who I also need to talk with¡­) ¡°Those are¡­ some interesting possibilities.¡± Artemis admitted, as she considered them. ¡°Especially that Dragon affinity, that¡¯s like a holy grail if you can convince her to help us out¡­ Though the rest is situationally useful¡­ Then again, I would love to get Val, Espanta, and this Noctis in a room together with the Horror¡¯s arm¡­ I mean something has to happen if we mix four separate fear affinities.¡± ¡°Uh, good something or bad something?¡± He had to ask. ¡°An interesting something!¡± Artemis grinned, sounding just a touch unhinged. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. (I thought I was the one with Madness exposure here¡­ Actually¡­) ¡°In that case¡­ Basil might do something interesting too¡­¡± ¡°How so?¡± Remembering DeSade¡¯s whole thing about ¡®discretion¡¯ and the fact that they were in a very public library. ¡°Uh, she¡¯s¡­ if you meet her you¡¯d understand, but summoning her here¡­ is probably a bad idea.¡± He didn¡¯t have nearly enough snacks on him to keep her from trying to eat the books. Artemis gave him a¡­ complicated look, before asking, ¡°On a scale of one to you, how¡­ off is this Basil?¡± That made him frown. ¡°I feel¡­ offended by this question.¡± Artemis winced. ¡°I meant, on a scale of non-Deviants to ¡®passively scares horror demons¡¯ where does Basil rate?¡± ¡°Well¡­ If I¡¯m a five on the scale,¡± He pointedly began, while pointedly ignoring the fact that even by his own scale he was like a six. ¡°She¡¯s probably an eight or a nine.¡± (Then again the Cheshire is a ten¡­) At his response, Artemis took a deep breath before letting it out. ¡°On the one hand that absolutely terrifies me, but on the other¡­ I really want to find out what that looks like here.¡± Despite still being a bit miffed, he still decided to offer the fact that, ¡°I also know a Malcontent who¡¯d do me a solid?¡± ¡°Of course you do¡­¡± Artemis inhaled again before exhaling and shaking her head. ¡°No, as many¡­ interesting possibilities as I can come up with. We should only involve the people that will actually help us reach the goal of whatever we¡¯re building?¡± ¡°And what is the goal of what we¡¯re building?¡± He asked. ¡°Well, that depends on if we¡¯re building one of your cuts or Audrey¡¯s.¡± Artemis admitted. ¡°After all, I think you two have very different ideas of what you¡¯d want out of all of this.¡± ¡°True.¡± He nodded, before wondering. ¡°What if¡­ we were to use both of my cuts for a project? I mean that would give us twice as much space to work with, right?¡± Artemis considered it for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°It would, but it would also mean whatever we build in that case would be conceptually a singular object. Which depending on what you¡¯re going for could be useful, but it would be locking you in a single ¡®Artifact¡¯ in place of two.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can see why that might bite me¡­ unless we can make something that¡¯s both an offense and defense like with Val¡¯s Demonic Guard¡¯s damage absorption and reflection?¡± He wondered. The other teen¡¯s face twisted a bit. ¡°That¡­ feels a little same-y. Which again would be wasting a lot of the research potential here. While I wouldn¡¯t love it, I¡¯d still prefer to use both cuts on a single new thing rather than repeating something we¡¯ve done just¡­ bigger.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± He knew a big part of the reason that she was helping him was for the sake of the ¡®research¡¯ as it were. ¡°In that case we need to figure out what we can do with it that¡¯ll be new and interesting?¡± ¡°Well, what do you want to use your cut for?¡± Artemis asked. ¡°That¡¯s the core goal of what we¡¯ll be working on for you after all.¡± He was aware how his first response of (murder the Horror) would be taken, and so took a second to think of a valid excuse, namely, ¡°I¡¯ve been invited to a fight tournament by Tru Grit. I really want to win my fight.¡± (Which is true. I do want to win my fight against him and the Horror.) Artemis blinked before tilting her head. ¡°So, you got into one of his higher ranking fights then? Otherwise I can tell you this is overkill.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ He saw me and Val¡¯s fight and¡­ invited me to one of his tournaments.¡± He tried to vaguely explain. ¡°Yeah, he invited Val to one too¡­ No idea if it¡¯s the same one as you but¡­¡± Artemis shrugged. ¡°Eh, we¡¯re giving her a cut so whatever we give you isn¡¯t giving you too big of an edge.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± He drawled, not really caring about that but still noting it down. ¡°Either way though, the tournament is probably going to have some powerhouses so I need something that can help me there.¡± ¡°The question is if you need something offensive or defensive then.¡± The other Hunter pointed out. ¡°Which do you think is your bigger weakness?¡± He considered his fights both with the Scarecrow, the Horror, and even the Beast of Blackwell, ¡°It varies a bit¡­ I mean I can deal damage and avoid getting hit but¡­ The damage is caused more by tricks and traps, while if I take one solid blow I¡¯m out until Pix heals me.¡± ¡°So that gives you¡­ three options then.¡± Artemis figured. ¡°We can make you something that can actually hurt the Scarecrow. Something that lets you handle him if he actually gets you. Or we can lean into your ¡®tricks and traps¡¯ to make you even more annoying for Val to deal with.¡± That brought him up a bit short. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to give me an unfair advantage against Val?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ but do want to make her angry.¡± The other teen admitted. ¡°Why?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown. Artemis refused to meet his eyes as she answered ¡°Reasons¡­¡± a touch of color to her face. Southside Coven: Path To Power (X): Plotting A Personal Project Southside Coven: Path To Power (X): Plotting A Personal Project --- Jon Whitaker --- Thinking it through, he eventually decided that, ¡°My best option right now is¡­ probably to use a single cut for something offensive.¡± ¡°Back when we were fighting the horror I did a lot of chip damage, but up until that soul shard I didn¡¯t actually hurt it.¡± He admitted with just a touch of frustration as he remembered his other fights. ¡°And that¡¯s how a lot of my fights tend to go, I wear them down with small cuts and blows until they leave themselves open, and then-¡± He drove his hand forward and clawed back, like he usually would when shoving it inside and ripping something vital out. ¡°Graphic¡­ though I do get your point.¡± Artemis nodded, taking back her notebook. ¡°And you¡¯re sure you don¡¯t want something defensive? I mean we both do have defensive affinities to work with.¡± He tilted his head side to side before shaking it. ¡°True, but that just means I can work on my own defensive stuff whenever. Especially since thanks to Pix I can usually manage with her healing¡­ But all the healing in the world won¡¯t help me if I can¡¯t put a threat down.¡± ¡°I¡­ can get that.¡± Artemis grimaced, as she began to flip through her notebook. ¡°I can handle utility and defense in a fight, but when it comes to actual offense I¡¯ve mostly just got my fire and maybe my knife¡­ Though I¡¯d really rather not get that close to anything that can stab back if I can help it.¡± ¡°Unless you can sneak up and one shot it.¡± He pointed out. ¡°You know I thought the same thing when I learned an invisibility spell,¡± Artemis confessed, before gaining a bitter look as she began to roughly sketch on a page. ¡°But then I learned just how often that just does not work on Creeps.¡± Briefly his mind drifted back to Blackwell, (quietly moving through the forest he approached the Corrupted from behind. Hoping to pick the small crowd off one by one¡­ His arm wrapped around the Corrupted¡¯s throat, before he drove his blade into the corpse¡¯s neck. The entire act virtually silent. As one a dozen pitch black eyes turned his way, as if they could sense that he¡¯d killed one of their own. No matter how silent.) ¡°Yeah¡­ I know what you mean¡­¡± He¡¯d quickly learned that even with stealth hit and runs were a must if he didn¡¯t want to get swarmed. ¡°Still if you want to slip a few tricks in, I can probably figure something out depending on which direction we¡¯re going.¡± Artemis assured him, before spinning her notebook around and letting him see her sketches. ¡°Speaking of, the easiest way to make something offensive is to make a weapon.¡± ¡°Kind of obvious in hindsight.¡± He smirked, looking her drawings over and ignoring the call of ¡®smart ass¡¯ as he instead frowned at the image of a pair of gauntlets. ¡°Wait, uh, didn¡¯t you say that you didn¡¯t want to make another arm?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to make another Demonic Guard.¡± Artemis corrected, fingers in the air. ¡°This is based on another idea from the same franchise as the Royal Guard. This gauntlet, if we make it, will instead use the Horror¡¯s Shadow affinity to make a larger shadow limb for you to fight with. One mostly independent of your own mass and leverage.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Okay, that sounds interesting.¡± He admitted, before finding what looked to be a bunch of shaded people around an unshaded one. ¡°I¡¯m guessing this is something similar¡­ A leaning into the whole shadow duplication thing? Sort of like a hard-light copy, but with shadows?¡± It sounded cool but he had his moon light double spell. (That I never use.) ¡°I know, I know, shadow clones aren¡¯t too creative.¡± Artemis agreed, with a nod before pointing out that, ¡°With the Horror¡¯s affinities we could make something a lot higher level than a beginner¡¯s light spell. [Shadow] and [Duplication] for cheap production, and then the [Minion] affinity will allow you to better handle controlling them.¡± Artemis pointed at a third drawing separate from the others, of a vague person with a larger shadow person behind them. ¡°This one is a similar principle, to both of these where we¡¯d mix the idea¡¯s to make one massive shadow clone. The downside of that though is that the clone probably wouldn¡¯t last too long due to square-cube law being an absolute power hog.¡± ¡°Good for a quick turn around, but not so good for a drawn out fight.¡± He understood, before looking at a fourth sketch of what looked to be a circle surrounded by another circle with fire and lighting around it. ¡°I uh, I have no idea¡­ what this is supposed to be¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that one is just a half-baked idea to have options.¡± Artemis confessed, with a mildly embarrassed look. ¡°I was thinking about this thing I read in your books about how a lot of Demons have a sort of ¡®Domain¡¯ effect, where their influence spreads around them. And then I was thinking about how we could blend affinities into the project. With all of those elements we mentioned it could do something¡­ I think? Honestly, it¡¯s probably a better idea to just infuse the other projects than something vague like this. Especially since I¡¯m not really sure if we could use the Horror¡¯s Arm this way.¡± He tilted his head at that. ¡°Well, you do like to experiment¡­ I mean, we could¡¯ve very easily just made a-¡± He pulled out one of his knives. ¡°You know.¡± ¡°We could¡­ I guess.¡± Artemis rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°I was uh, I was just more focused on something a little more¡­ magical I guess.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± He nodded, once more looking the pages over. ¡°And you said that we could infuse any of the affinities we mentioned into this?¡± ¡°Well there¡¯s the form and function element to all enchanting, so it¡¯d vary?¡± Artemis considered it for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of your fairy¡¯s affinities would help in making these Offensive. I mean maybe [Light] but I¡¯m not sure if either of us is good enough to make opposing elements work together.¡± ¡°I mean, I can use my [Moon] affinity since it¡¯s connected to both [Moonlight] and the [New Moon].¡± He pointed out. ¡°You could, but there¡¯s a balance there since [Shadow] is a part of the core. We could still try it if you want, but uh, don¡¯t be surprised if that doesn¡¯t work out right.¡± Artemis warned him. ¡°Beyond that though¡­ Your friend with the [Storm] and [Dragon] affinities could be very useful. So could the wolf with the [Beast] or [Wind] affinities¡­ Actually mixing all of those might make something interesting if we have enough room. What about your Malcontent friend?¡± ¡°Uh, what about her?¡± He blinked. Artemis rolled her eyes. ¡°What are her affinities?¡± He didn¡¯t actually know that but if he had to guess, ¡°Something with [Fire] and [Portals] probably.¡± ¡°Ooh, portals!¡± The arcane teen grinned before shaking her head. ¡°Useful, but that might be using more utility than you wanted. We¡¯ve a limited space to make all of this fit after all.¡± Part of him was tempted to use both of his cuts for this project but, (No. It¡¯s better to do them separately. Two custom pieces for two separate jobs. I don¡¯t want to put too many eggs in one basket.) ¡°We can chip away at all of these here, but I¡¯m going to need a bit to do some research into¡­ whatever you feel like doing if we¡¯re going to do it right. Especially if you¡¯re going to be inviting some of your friends into the mix.¡± Artemis told him. ¡°So I kind of need an answer before we split today?¡± ¡°In that case¡­ Let¡¯s make [Scene Choice].¡±